The Stranger

Thanks so much for the reviews! Thank you everyone! You all made me so glad!

Chapter Five: Man From the Sea

One year later

Zhou Yu frowned and pulled the metal mask over his face, gazing out at the Jiang Ye fortress with expert eyes. His outfit was made out of the blackest cloth, dark as the shadows, and light as a feather. He had been the head of the resistance against Inosuke for a whole year, gathering members and foiling every plot that pig tried against Himiko.

Hanako's family was a great help. She provided shelter for the defenseless harmed by the corrupt official, and her husband was deep within the Empresses council. Finally they were ready, except for one thing: The ancients sword.

His outward mission was to get the sword and cut Inosuke's head off. But his most personal reasons were important to him. He was going to try and find as much as he could about Wu, and no matter what, he was going to get the cure to the damn torture poison.

And now, he was prepared. He was a one man army in Japan. He took down all of Inosuke's special forces with a few swipes of his sword. The only thing was, he had no idea where he learned his skills, or how. His dreams were becoming clearer, and they stuck in his mind like clues. They tormented his thoughts daily, dreams that gave clues to his mysterious past, and yet confused him even more.

He sighed, tying his sash a bit tighter and glancing around with his somewhat unreliable eyes. After assuring himself that no one could see him, he dropped out of the tree that was serving as his watch and stealthily crept inside a window on the first floor.

The palace was immersed in darkness, yet somehow Zhou Yu felt a strange familiarity with this place, like he had been there before...the man shook his head and continued quietly down the hall.

He slid open a door, and froze. On the bed, immersed in white sheets, was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. He slipped closer, all the way to the edge of the bed. His eyes traveled unabashed down her slender form, tangled in covers and bathed in moonlight. A porcelain picture of exquisite beauty, a goddess of the moon... "Xiao..." He breathed, and all at once, he realized that somehow, that he knew her...and suddenly, he didn't want to leave. He wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed with this strange woman and love her like she deserved to be loved...

Then he realized that her eyes were open...open and staring at him with quiet recognition dawning in her face. "Yu!" He stumbled back into the shadows, his heart beating in his ears like a large yamato drum. "Wait!" She sat up, her long brown hair tumbling about her shoulders, her words were spoken softly, but he heard them, and his pulse quickened. Slipping out of the room of the woman, he took off down the hall, slipping into the window of a grand room.

And all at once the nightmare became total hell.

He found the sword, the very one that came for...the very one that was going to save Japan from corruption, but he found so much more than that.

He gasped in pain, for right after he took the sword of blue flames from the mantle, a foot slammed into him and knocked him back.

There stood a man with a cocky grin and a goatee. Messy brown hair in a ponytail and blazing hazel eyes was all he could see before he was slammed in the chest with a well placed kick. "C'mon you thief, if you're gonna have the guts to steal from The Little Conqueror, the least you could do is face me in a duel!"

Zhou Yu scowled, he did not have time for this. Already his strength was failing him from all the mental exhaustion this place was bringing him and the physical strain of the day. He grit his teeth, and readied the unfamiliar, yet at the same time strangely familiar weight of the Ancients Sword. "Challenge accepted..." He said softly, and the man in front of him grinned, holding up two iron Tonfa.

The stare down ended, and the man jumped into action, his energy overflowing into every move. Zhou Yu felt an overwhelming sense of Deja Vu again, as if he knew every move the man was going to make before he could. However...

Sun Ce leapt up, aiming a flying kick at the masked stranger, only to find his foot blocked by the gloved hand of the man. He landed on the ground and twisted, knocking over his desk with a big crash in the process. Leaping back to his feet, he slammed his Tonfa forward, then with a quick twist, he slammed the stranger flying, and the man fell against the door, blowing the door off its hinges and almost flying off the edge of the balcony. The masked man flipped forward and landed on the floor with a dull 'thump.' Sun Ce realized that the man was exhausted and gave a grin.

Suddenly, in a flurry of white and orange, Xiao Qiao's familiar fans flew out of no where and knocked the mask off the mans face. Sun Ce's breath halted in his throat, and his tonfa fell to the ground with a clatter, followed by their owners knee's.

"...Yu!" His voice sounded with disbelief, as he took in the mans familiar face...the face that he thought was dead. Zhou Yu stared at him...and then, all at once, he fainted.

xXx

"I don't believe it!" Shang Xiang cried, staring at the pale faced man on the bed. "You said his name, and just dropped!" Sun Ce nodded, still staring at the man in disbelief. There were more people here earlier, but now there was only Xiao, Da, Shang Xiang and himself. The doctor kicked everyone else out, but couldn't kick them out, as they were royalty...and Sun Ce kept glaring at him every time he opened his mouth for a suggestion.

"Shang Xiang, go help Da..." He muttered distractedly. Shang Xiang scowled.

"No! You help Da! I'm sick of you always giving me orders!"

"Shang Xiang! Help Da with the antidote!" Sun Ce growled, irritated at the interference in thoughts.

"SEXIST!" Shang Xiang howled, making everyone in the hospital wing stare. "Sun Ce is SEXIST!"

"SHANG XIANG SHUT UP!" Sun Ce cried, getting ready to toss something at his sister. Then they all heard it...the groan from the bed.

"Zhou Yu!" Xiao Qiao cried, grasping the man's cold hand in hers.

Zhou Yu blinked awake and saw the angel that he had seen last night bending over him. His hand felt warm, warmer than it had in a long time. The woman beamed at him, "Are you okay now, Zhou Yu?"

"...Who are you?" He had to ask, but immediately he wished that he could stuff the words back into his mouth. The look the girl gave him was so utterly heartbreaking that he could barely stand it. Tears started to run down her cheeks. He lifted a pale hand, and with a frown, touched them. "Why are you crying?"

The man he fought before he passed out appeared above him with a shocked yet horrified look on his face, "Yu...do you not remember us?"

"Yu...that's my name..."He whispered, feeling weak, like something was sapping all of his strength from within.

"Yes...you are Zhou Yu, you remember, don't you?"

"Is this Wu?" Zhou Yu asked, dropping his hand beside him on the bed.

"Yes."

"Good," and he dropped into unconsciousness again.

TBC...

Sorry this chapters so short! But I really hope you like it nonetheless...please review!