A/N: Woot. This chapter didn't take me too long. Only about.. a week? Kind of. I stopped for a while since got busy, but once I got back to work, didn't take too long. There is still hope for me~ Anyway, hope you enjoy it =o

Episode Six: Royal Butterfly

It was past 10PM when Kari returned to her house. The rain had long stopped, and she was ready for a hot bath before bed. She greeted her parents, who were in the living room watching the nightly game shows, and then went upstairs to her bedroom. Her brother was probably in his room playing computer games. She'd say hi to him later after she rested up a bit. Once in her room, she untied her hair and collapsed into the chair by her desk, eager to rest her tired feet. However, a nagging feeling at the back of her head prevented her from doing so, and she got up and pulled out the decrepit book from her book bag, the same one that she had found on Nazo's table. Even now, she wasn't sure why she had brought it back with her, especially without telling her boss that she was checking it out, but there had been some kind of pull, something she couldn't quite understand. Oddly enough, it was the first time she had even seen the book, and she wondered where it had come from, especially since it appeared to be so old, much older than the ones in their little library. Knowing Nazo, maybe it was one of the mythology books that her boss had borrowed? Why then was there no price tag or indication of that then?

Kari looked at the cover and studied the author's name. Perhaps she could ask one of her parents about Okuda Einosuke. Surely one of them had heard of this book before. Kari ran a finger along the spine of the book. It was cracking apart and its covers were worn. Why was she so fixated on it? It was just a book, for heavens sake. Was it because it was the last thing she knew Nazo had touched? Yeesh. Why didn't she just bring back the frickin' table then?

Oh. Right. Because the book and scarf were easier to transport.

With a frustrated groan, Kari threw herself on the bed. Shimajima. It had been ages since she had last seen him. Their group had really split after high school graduation. What had been that one popular American song, the one by some girl named Vitamin D? Vitamin A? Strange how they hadn't wanted to believe it back then, saying that nothing could separate them, but time had proved them wrong. The almost cold manner he had treated her with had been nothing like his old self, where although reserved, she could still see a smile in his eyes. It was almost like he hated her now and was merely acting cordial because it was what was expected. What had she done to offend him? It wasn't her fault that he had cut himself off from everyone else. They had tried to contact him countless times, but he never answered. She knew that he was receiving the calls, too, because she had tried using a payphone once, and he had picked up. At the sound of her voice however, he had immediately said, "Don't call me again," and hung up.

Why. Why had he done that, then today, left the extra change for her? Forever an enigma, even after high school ended. She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. Once again, her gaze returned to the book. Open it! her mind screamed to her. Open it! Kari bit her lip, still unwilling to do so. It was only a book. Why was she feeling like this?

Kari gently picked up the book from where it had fallen on the bed and studied it. Universe of the Four Gods. It sounded like something she had to look up on the Internet first. Perhaps she could trace the origin of the book that way. However, it seemed as if the cover fluttered, and she blinked, clearing her eyes. Was she more tired than she thought? Any thought of looking up the book vanished from her mind, and she went straight to the title page.

"This is the story of the one who gathered the Seven Seishi of Tenkyoku, and acquired the power to make every wish come true," Kari read softly to herself. "The story itself is an incantation. Whoever finishes the book shall receive this great power. As soon as the page is turned, the story will become the truth and begin."

Her heart pounded. Incantation? She quickly reread the inscription, not wanting to misunderstand. It had to be a lie. It couldn't be true, yet..

"Once the legend has begun, it cannot be undone. It can only continue until the story has ended."

Kari hesitated at the warning, then flipped the book open, and her eyes widened at what unfolded within the pages.

x

As she burst into the clearing, Shoshi came upon Mai's unit groaning on the ground. At least three of the women had been pierced, and their lifeless eyes stared blankly at her, swearing allegiance to the end. Her gaze shifted, and she saw a figure hop up to Mai and reach back. Before it could do anything however, Shoshi had seized her fire gem from her forehead, chanted a quick spell, and sent a blast of fire at the creature. It froze in mid-stab, then slowly crumpled to the floor and turned to ashes. Shoshi vaulted off her horse and ran over to Mai. "What happened?" she demanded. "How did you get decimated so easily?" She knew that Mai's unit was one of the best trained in the Nyosei army, so for them to reach a state such as this...

"Genbu, someone named Genbu attacked us."

"...What?! That can't be!"

"I am sure, Princess. He summoned men long dead from below the ground and ordered them to attack us. We barely stood a chance and would have all perished if not for a large explosion. This seemed to release the undead, and then you arrived."

Shoshi frowned and scanned the area. "I see," she said. What was going on? Was their island under attack? Because their Priestess had showed up? Why now? What they might want to do with Nyosei's Priestess she could only think of bad things, but more importantly, she had to get the women out of here before this Genbu person returned. Her fingers moved deftly, and she folded several horses. Those who were still able to stand saw what she was doing and began to assist those who could not. As she had done with the swallow, she blew on it, and sent it flying. The bird would alert her if anyone were coming. She gently helped Mai up and supported her carefully, leading her to the first animal. The beast nickered and knelt so it would be easier to slide the injured woman onto its back. Another woman, who had her arm bandaged already, held on to Mai from the back, keeping her steady on the seat.

"Warn the palace as soon as you are inside," Shoshi said. "The High Priestess set up wards around it so no one can just transport themselves inside without permission. It should be safe there at the very least. Warn my mother, get the warriors ready. Ask someone to take the girl we found today underground. We must keep her safe. I will remain here for about ten minutes to see what I can find out." She paused. "Don't come looking for me."

Mai smiled faintly. "Your Highness, please take care. I- we could not stand to lose you."

Shoshi rubbed Mai's shoulder. "I will be fine. It is you and your women I am more concerned about. Now go!"

The woman behind Mai nodded grimly, and she guided the horse. "Let's go," she said to the others. "We must do as the Princess asks."

This time, the response was not as energized. Shoshi blew across her palm again and directed the horses towards the palace. As she watched them trot out of sight, she turned back towards the battleground. There was upturned soil everywhere, and she could see traces of the fight around her. She knelt down, turning the dirt over in her hand. Men long dead? Zombies? Was he some kind of manipulator of the dead? If so, they had to take special precautions, perhaps burn the bodies that had been buried in the ground to act as fertilizer.

Suddenly, the sound of bird song warbled through the trees, and Shoshi whirled around. Something began to shimmer in the air, and in just a few seconds, a man and a woman appeared in front of her. The man wore foreign clothes, somewhat similar to what Nari had been wearing, and he was half-supporting the woman, who was dressed in Nyosein clothes. Her hand was to her torso, and Shoshi could see blood leaking out. Could it be..?

Her sword went out, and she pointed it at the pair. "Who are you? Are you the ones responsible for what's going on and the decimation of my guard?"

Nazo's eyes darted around nervously, finally resting on Haien. Was he still supposed to fake dumb? The woman before them seemed to be of high authority, although how high he had no idea. Her light blue hair (what was with all the different colors?) was bound into a ponytail and she had a red tiara embedded with gems on her forehead. There was an empty socket, perhaps for a larger jewel? He wasn't too sure, not being very familiar with jewelery. Argh. He needed to focus his thoughts. If he could keep a level mind, there just might be some way for him to rescue his sister and get the heck out of this crazy place. He had seen his sister be taken into the palace. Could this woman before them then know the location of Nari? Where.. where had he seen that style of clothing before? The tiara? It almost reminded him of royalty, and his thoughts were confirmed when Haien nudged him towards the ground.

"That is Princess Aremi," she whispered, kneeling. "She is the girl who most likely took your sister into the palace."

"What?" Nazo demanded as softly as he could.

"Don't say anything! Let me talk."

The princess's voice cut in. "Do not whisper amongst yourselves! I will not ask again. Who are you and what are you doing on this island?"

"Apologies, Your Highness," Haien said, bowing her head. "We were attacked, too. I was with these women, but we managed to escape through a stroke of pure luck."

The woman raised one delicate eyebrow. "Pure luck?"

Haien hesitated. "Yes, the man was distracted by the women, so we were able to flee."

"Heed your next words carefully, woman," the girl said severely. "For if they displease me, I will have you executed. Tell me from the beginning what happened."

The words that came from Haien's mouth never wavered. "I found this man and was coming to offer him to you as a gift. On the way, we met up with your soldiers and were heading towards the palace when there was a sudden earthquake. The source we soon saw to be a man named Genbu." Here she paused. "The name itself disturbed me, and I knew I had to get to safety. When I saw he was distracted, we fled."

"In plain words then, you sacrificed the safety of my women for your own and this.. this man?" the girl spat out. "Explain. Do not take me for a fool."

"I had to, Your Highness," Haien replied, bowing her head. "I have reason to believe that this young man may have his own use for us. As for me, I have to stay alive. I am also needed, not just for my family's sake, but for this country."

Nazo saw the girl's grip on the sword tighten "You, a slip of a girl, are of more use for Nyosei than some of my most finely trained warriors?"

"..Yes."

"Enlighten me."

It was the moment of truth, a cliché phrase for a cliché instant. Could they trust her, princess though she was? Did they even have a choice? Nazo forced down the bile rising in his throat.

Haien continued to stare at the ground, knowing that Nazo's life relied entirely on what she said next. She had sensed a power when she had made her move, but the princess was not behaving like a fellow seishi. They could not run away this time and she prayed that she had not made a mistake. "You have heard of the legend of Tenkyoku?" she asked.

Nazo's breath stopped. Legend of Tenkyoku? Was this what the incantation had been referring to? Slowly the realization came to him that even if he did find his sister, they might not be able to leave the book world without finishing the story. He racked his brain, trying to see if he could dig up anything about the legend that they had landed themselves into.

"I know it well," the princess replied stiffly. "What about it?"

"I have reason to believe that it is about to unfold."

"Oh?"

"However, Your Highness, I am concerned that this fake Genbu will return. What I did to him will not slow him down for long if he is truly determined. Is it possible that we go to a safer, more secure area?"

The princess narrowed her eyes. "This area is secure enough. I have my ways of detecting whether or not someone is entering. In addition, I have no idea of knowing whether or not you are in league with that man. We will stay where we are."

Suddenly, Nazo got a flash of the Genbu person cursing wildly, unable to break through the barriers. He shuddered.

Haien swallowed. "Your Highness, we have all heard about the stories of how the other four countries had their own legends come true. First came the appearance of a young girl arriving from another world, whose mission was to gather the seven seishi of that country's god. She would-"

"This person is evidently not anatomically female however. What is your point?" the woman interrupted.

Royalty or not, the girl wasn't very polite, Nazo decided. At least she was straightforward?

"I beg your pardon, but you did not let me finish, Your Highness," Haien said softly. "It is true that he is not female as the legends state he would be, but they can be wrong. Tenkyoku is female, Your Highness. Why would she need a girl to summon her? They say that when the gods are summoned, they couple with their Priestesses. How will two women couple together so that Tenkyoku can share her power with her Priestess?"

"How we women of Nyosei couple, of course."

Nazo's face flamed red. Shit, shit, the images that were popping into his head now were not something he'd ever want Nari to know about. He felt the girl's judging gaze on him and blushed even darker, glad that he was staring at the ground and not anywhere near eye level with her.

"Why would we, a female nation, need a male to save us?" the princess continued. "Haven't we done well on our own without men? Why would Tenkyoku force us to rely on one now?"

Haien said nothing.

"Why do you think Tenkyoku would have a male Priest?" the girl asked silkily. "Especially when she has already delivered a girl to us? Is this merely a ploy to save this poor bastard's life? Dressing him up in foreign clothes and hoping that you can fool us into believing that he is a Priest, only to flee at first chance? Tell me."

Girl? That had to be Nari! Nazo was about to speak when Haien jabbed him, silencing him. "Your Highness, I dare not give my reasons, for the consequences will be unpleasant for my friend and me," she said instead.

For a moment, he thought that she was going to run both of them through with her sword.

"Now he is your friend? I thought he was a gift to me. Be consistent or there is no chance you will be able to save yourselves before the Empress."

"I.."

"Who are you?" the princess demanded. "And who is this man? How did you meet up with him? Why is he who you claim he is?"

"I.. hail from Kounan, Your Highness," Haien said, her face pale. "My name is He Haien, but I have ties to Nyosei through my destiny as.. one of the seven seishi."

The girl was silent for a moment and the entire clearing went dead quiet. Then she spoke. "Which one?"

With her free hand, Haien pulled down her collar, revealing a brilliant violet character on her right collarbone. "Shiho, Your Highness," she said. "My mark is 'Ki, spirit.'"

"How do I know it's not simply a tattoo to fool me?"

At her question, the mark slowly faded.

The princess's eyes flickered when she saw this. "You are the one who tried to teleport into the palace then?" she asked.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Down went the sword and Nazo felt the tension release. Slowly the princess raised her arm and revealed a character in the middle of her wrist that shone exactly as Haien's had. 'Chou, butterfly,' it read, and he heard Haien suck in her breath.

"Call me Shoshi. I am also one of the Tenkyoku Seven," the girl said. "I apologize for my initial distrust. I had to be sure. Strange events are going on and I do not enjoy being in the dark about them."

"It is understandable."

"I am however concerned about the fact that we have two people from another world," Shoshi continued. "The last time this happened, Suzaku and Seiryuu went head to head. I hope this does not mean that we are about to have a civil war, with Nyosei pitted against herself. If this is to be the case, I cannot allow it. We have worked too hard to come to such a point."

"Your Highness, if you woul-"

Shoshi cut her off. "When it comes to the seishi and what our role is for Nyosei, my rank means nothing compared to what has been predetermined for us. Call me Shoshi."

"Shoshi.." Haien tested. "Please, if you would allow me to put forward a theory?"

"No," Nazo interrupted, his frustration finally winning. "I want to know about my sister. Where is she? And what do you two keep talking about? Tenkyoku? Seishi? Haien, you haven't explained any of it to me yet!"

Shoshi stared at Nazo, her expression unreadable. "She is at the palace. Safe. And for her protection while I was trying to decipher what was going on, I ordered her to tell anyone who asked that the man who had been with her was a stranger, not her brother."

"What?"

"It was for her protection," she emphasized. "Women associated with men here are not treated kindly. Until we get to the bottom of this, that will be the story we will stick with for now."

Nazo would have still fought, but he slowly loosened his muscles and exhaled. "Fine. I still want to know what's going on though and why you two keep blabbering about Tenkyoku and seishi."

Idly he wondered if Shoshi wished she still had him at swordpoint. He was also totally not keeping a level head.

"Shoshi," Haien ventured before the other girl could respond. "Nazo. Please. Let me take you to Mt. Taikyoku. I may know someone who may be able to answer all the questions and also sort out the confusion as to whether we have a Priest or a Priestess."

He glanced at her. "But.. you're bleeding. Is it safe to teleport like this?"

Haien smiled wryly, as if to rebuke him for only now asking. "The longer we talk, the more I'll bleed? I do like keeping my blood inside of me instead of psuedo-watering the plants. I know they have a taste for human flesh, and I'd rather they not develop one for human blood."

An image of vampire plants went through his mind. "It'd be perfect," he said sarcastically. He was worried however, and silently beat himself for forgetting that she had been injured. True, his thoughts were preoccupied by Nari's safety, but Haien had risked her life for his.

Shoshi shot him a reproving look, then knelt down besides Haien. "Let me slow the bleeding," she said. She ripped off the hem of her robe and pressed it to the slash, soaking up the blood. She tied it, then bound it tightly. Shoshi tore another strip and gently wrapped it around Haien's waist, tying it deftly. "It will do for now, but we need to get you to a doctor."

"Thank you."

Shoshi stood. "Let me go back for the girl then. Once we have her, we can go together to Mt. Taikyoku. You are sure you can get us in however? I thought the location was hidden."

"My brother is in training there," Haien replied. "I have also been blessed to be a disciple of Taiitsukun."

Shoshi took out a piece of paper and folded it. She blew on it and a horse expanded from her creation. Caught by surprise, Nazo stepped back and almost tripped. She laughed. "Paper magic," she said, getting on the creature.

Nazo muttered something under his breath close to profanity.

"What if Genbu comes back?" Haien asked.

"Protect His Eminence," Shoshi said. "I will return with his sister as soon as I can."

"She can't! She's injured!" Nazo burst out.

"I'm fine."

"Haien!"

"You are forgetting your place, Your Eminence," Shoshi said evenly. "As a seishi of Tenkyoku, she is duty-bound to protect you from all harm. You should also address her as Shiho from right now to prevent yourselves from becoming too familiar."

"Why can't you take us with you?" Nazo wanted to know.

"It'd be endangering all of us," she replied shortly before slapping the side of her horse and galloping away.

"Of all the-!"

"She's right," Haien said quietly. "It is my job to protect you. If I can't, then I shouldn't be calling myself a seishi."

"But Haien-"

It seemed to be the day for interruptions, because she cut in before he could finish. "She's right there, too. Who we are doesn't matter compared to what we are. From now on, call me Shiho. Our mission is to summon Tenkyoku and protect Nyosei from whatever is about to happen."

He started to protest again, to say that he didn't want to, that it didn't matter anyway, because they were all in a book, but even he didn't know for sure if they were in a book, or if he and Nari had somehow pulled a Narnia or a Karnia, whatever that one popular Western story was. They too had only been able to finally leave the magical world when their tasks were finished. Even though he had had a feeling that this was the sort of problem that he'd gotten himself and Nari into, it was still hard to take in. With a frustrated groan, he collapsed next to Haien and buried his face in his hands. He felt her lean against him, and he sighed.

"I give up," he said. "I'm going to just hope this works out for the best and we can return home afterwards."

x

A knock on her door interrupted Kari's work. She debated ignoring it but decided not to. She leaned back in her chair and called, "Come in."

Yuta waltzed in. "I saw that loser Shimajima again today," he said.

"Don't call him that," she snapped.

He was taken aback, she could tell. Then his face darkened. "Why not? You know what he did to you. How can you even forgive him? He-"

She cut him off. "What happened between Nazo and me is none of your business, although I appreciate your concern."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. Whatever. Don't ever tell me to look out for you again. Geez."

He left her in peace after that, leaving her free to scrutinize her own feelings. She knew why Yuta hated Nazo, but she could not bring herself to do the same. Yuta meant well trying to protect her, but she was twenty now; she could take care of herself without her kid brother interfering. Kari glanced back at the book and stared at the words writing themselves in the open page.

The young man resigned himself to the fate that had been written for him and sat next to Shiho, contemplating. At least for that moment, they could have a few moments of peace. The road ahead would be difficult, and the question of why both the young man and his sister had been pulled into the story hung heavily in their hearts. Nothing they had ever gone through would be able to prepare them for what was ahead.

"No," she whispered. "No, it can't be."

The sentence stared back at her.

"Shimajima!" she cried. "Nazo! It's me, Kari! Nazo!"

There was no answer, not that she expected one from a book, even a magical one. She flipped back a few pages, which only confirmed that her friend was indeed inside the book, along with his younger sister.

"No," Kari said again, this time determined. "I'll get to the bottom of this! There has to be a way out for them!"

She couldn't let this happen to him, not Nazo, not after everything they had been through. She couldn't, especially not in the cliché way the book had written. Kari almost threw the book off her bed, but thought better against it at the last minute. Instead, she set it aside and rolled over to her computer, cursing herself for not having looked up the book sooner.

"Universe of the Four Gods," she said, typing it quickly into the search engine, and hit enter.

Next Episode: To Each Other - Finally the two siblings can be reunited! Or.. can they? Will Genbu reappear or will it be a new enemy this time?

More A/N!

Haien/Shiho's symbol: "Ki" for spirit.
Aremi/Shoshi's symbol: "Chou" for butterfly.

I'm a little worried about consistency of the characters, so if anyone has any suggestions on that, would be awesome. I also made some edits to the previous chapters. \o Hopefully they help with the overall flow and whatnot. I will also be using Shiho and Shoshi from now on, unless there is a special reason~.

Anyway, thanks for reading. I will update as soon as I can. =D -hugs reader- x3