Disclaimer: please look at chap1

A/N: this is for destiny…I know Terry is not a Japanese name…for Christ's sake I have done a thesis on Japan you know! Terry was an American, who was studying in Japan for a time. His parent's are working in Japan for a year. Now if you want me to go over the educational system of Japan and ask me about how an American kid could cope with it then go do some research yourself, instead of bothering me with characters who don't even play a key role please!

Chapter 2:

Shuichi followed the Prince and his men down the beach…as they reached the city gates, he gasped. A beautiful city stretched out before him, all the buildings looked like colorful seashells, some were made of marble and the colors were everywhere. The city was shaped like an opened ribbed seashell. The vertical part was the palace on the hill and the horizontal part was the rest of the city, up to the harbour.

Horses awaited them at the gate. One of the soldiers hoisted Shuichi up in front of him…Shuichi was too weak to sit atop a horse. As they walked up the streets Shuichi gazed around. There were many beautiful women. They were wearing cowl necked tops which ended below their breast lines and after an expanse of tummy, an under skirt of satin, with an over skirt of see through material ended a few inches above the knee. But he was watching the prince…who gazed straight ahead only inclining his head to any of the noble men they passed.

At last they reached the palace. Yuki turned then…for the first time since the beach and looked at Shuichi. "Tohma, see that he gets some food and a bath. Ask one of the maids to clean and dry his clothes. After that bring him to the throne room. Father will want to see him." then he disappeared into one of the passages.

Tohma…the angry young blonde came up to Shuichi. "Follow me." He escorted him to one of the colossal rooms, which was again white marble, with a spiral shell roof of a delicate peach. "These are your quarters. If his majesty allows you to live. My name is Tohma…you may ask for me if you need any assistance…but make sure it isn't for stupid questions. I'm too busy to be bothered."

Shuichi gazed around at the room, when he was alone. Atlantis…Kami-sama! What had he done to be sent here? The door opened and a man walked in. (Sakano-san…I'm just calling him Saka. Too many Atlanteans with Japanese names otherwise.) He bowed slightly.

"I am Saka. Lord Tohma's personal retainer. Your bath is ready…please come this way." Shuichi followed the man out. The bath was really nice and huge. Steam rose from the water, but unlike Japan, there wasn't any pipes to fill the bath. He looked at Saka.

"How do you fill the bath and heat the water? And are your ceilings real shell?" Shuichi asked. Saka smiled. "Yes. The ceilings are real shell. Our priests are very powerful mages. The people, who don't have too much magic in them, take jobs like cooking, heating the water, and other domestic chores. They are paid quite well."

Shuichi waited for the man to leave and slipped into the bath…it was heaven. But now he wondered if the king would indeed let him live.

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The throne room was huge, with a deep blue shelled ceiling. The room had very little light right now, for the throne, which was illuminated with the sunlight pouring in from a skylight. Three people stood behind the king…Yuki, a woman and another man. Yuki's face was partly illuminated.

Tohma indicated for Shuichi to bow and keep his head down. Shuichi obeyed, as he knelt, he saw Tohma staring at the three behind the throne intensely. The king was bald…he looked a little like Yuki.

"Shindou Shuichi…how did you come to our land?" the king's voice was slightly pompous. Shuichi recounted the event without looking up. For a while there was silence…a touch of Tohma's hand and Shuichi stood up. Then he looked at the king who gazed back at him, expressionlessly. Yuki bent down and whispered in his father's ear. The king nodded.

"You will be spared. I have reached the conclusion, that your arriving here was not your fault…though the people of your time must be more careful with things from other worlds. You may use the island as yours and will be considered a citizen. Lord Tohma will brief you on the laws of our land. I am weary, you may leave." The king stood up and left.

Now Shuichi could see the other two clearly. The woman must have been Yuki's sister…she was very beautiful, her long brown hair falling to her waist, and the other was Yuki's brother without doubt…they looked alike except for his hair and eye colour. He followed the woman's gaze which rested on Tohma. They stared for a few seconds, before she left with her brothers.

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Shuichi walked through a passage in the wall and came out onto the beautiful moonlit beach. Tohma had told him of the passages to use, as the gates closed at sundown. As he walked he heard whispering and turned to peer through the trees. It was Tohma…he was holding Yuki's sister's hand and he sounded like he say pleading. "But Mika…" Shuichi turned away not wanting to spy on his acquaintance he walked along letting the water swirl around his feet, before settling down on a small rock. He pulled out a bit of paper and a ball pen, which to his surprise was still working. A song was playing in his head; he just needed to write it down.

Nigiyaka na hitogomi ni

Tokeru tsubuyaki ga

Ashimoto ni…

"You are sitting on my favorite rock…" a voice cut through the darkness. Shuichi turned around quickly to see Yuki gazing at him…those golden eyes as expressionless as ever.

"I'm sorry…I didn't know…I…here, you could sit next to me, there's enough space." Shuichi shifted a bit to the right. Yuki looked a little startled, but sat down anyway. They sat in silence for sometime, both gazing out to see deep in thought. Shuichi suddenly started humming the new tune to himself softly…unconsciously. He wondered what Hiro was doing…he smiled, he would have had to handle the kids by himself.

"Will he find me though? He just has to touch that thing…" Shuichi murmured to himself.

"He won't. There are forty small carvings on that semi-disc and he can only open a portal into this way is o brush them in a particular way…they could spend years trying to figure exactly which way your fingers brushed it." Yuki said, his gaze still fixed far away on the horizon.

"Oh…" Shuichi turned away. He couldn't look at the man for too long. It gave him funny ideas. He sighed. If Hiro couldn't find him, what was he to do? His manager would go crazy and his boss Ryuichi would be really angry. What would his fans do?

"If you wish it I will ask the priests to work on a way to send you back. Some of the scholars would appreciate it; they have been waiting to probe the semi-disc for ages." The prince continued to gaze out to the sea.

"I would like it very much. Thank you." Shuichi glanced at the prince. "Forgive me for asking your Highness, but why aren't you back there at court…it looks like a few celebrations are going on."

"I don't like court parties. Too many people. I don't get along with a lot of people." Yuki's cold gaze rested up on the pink haired man. "I usually come here to be alone."

Shuichi's eyes widened slightly. That sounded a lot like a cool dismissal. He stood up. "I'm sorry your highness. I think I'd better go back in, I didn't think I was encroaching on you." He started walking away. The Prince didn't stop him.

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Yuki watched the man…boy really…walk away out of the corner of his eye. That boy unsettled him and there was nothing Yuki liked more than to be in control and sure of himself. He tried to shake of the feeling of loneliness that enveloped him as soon as the boy had disappeared from sight. Anyway…his father was already thinking of a very suitable marriage…wait where had that thought come from?

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A/N: ok one more chapter done, longer than the others. Will update as soon as possible.

Taka.