Fear consumed his mind and soul and all that is left is a shell filled with madness. Yet I have to think that in the grand scheme of things we will discover what happened to him was rather fortunate. After all, much worse fates await those who still remain. What? What am I talking about? Don't worry doc, you'll find out soon enough, I'm sure. Wings of Fate 27: Realigning One's Fate by: StorytellerSJK StorytellerSJK@yahoo.com created by: John Evans and Ardweden http://www.improfanfic.com/wof/ I don't really remember much about the trip back to Tokyo. Just that it was too long. Naturally, I was thinking of other things at the time. Mainly about how much of waste our visit to Judou's 'family' had turned out to be. I had left Tokyo in hopes of finding help and sanctuary. Instead, all I got was a ruined car and a ludicrous excuse for plan. I mean this was brilliant idea? Fake our deaths and then send us back to the one place we were expected to go. Personally, I wanted to tell them to stuff their plan and strike out again on our own. It was Judou who convinced me otherwise, with his stories of what the tengu did to those they considered enemies. After the training I saw I was inclined to believe him. So it seemed to me to make the most sense to play along with the tengu plan for now until we were safely away. Besides we were being chased by at least one, maybe two forces. The last thing we needed was to add a third. I wanted to talk to others and plan what our next move should be, but some of their actions had been making me nervous. Shuukou... Look I don't want to about her okay. Lets move okay? Yes I was bothered by her taking a liking to the tengu, and vice-versa. Is that what you wanted to hear. I could tell that she clearly was leaning towards doing everything they said. And that's all you need to know. Okay doc? It better be. Moving on Judou, in addition to staying behind for a little while to deal with Macha, was too busy dealing with his own personal demons from the past to even consider dealing with the future. Not that I could blame him of course, I mean normal family can be hard enough to deal with.... But family that's just as willing to kill you as help you... As for Akari, ever since the incident with the tengu's arm I had been reading... well, strange vibes, for lack of a better term. I just wasn't sure about her. I wasn't sure about any of them, really. Well, regardless, the one thing I was sure about was that I had no intention of following the birdies idiotic 'plan'. I wondered what they expected us to do? Start new lives and pretend none of this had ever happened? As the bus I was on drew closer to Tokyo, I knew that I couldn't do that. I have always lived my life according to my beliefs and desires. Doing what they wanted would have meant giving up who I had been and would be. It would mean throwing away my past, my present, my future, my life. And worst of all, it would mean abandoning my gift. All of this on the word of some overgrown birds with delusions of grandeur. Ha. Yeah, right. It's funny, though, that I failed to pick up on something during all my thinking. Abandoning my identity and life did not bother me nearly as much as not using my gift. I'm certain now that if we had just been asked the former and not the latter, I would not have been nearly as upset as I was. Huh? Get on with it? Doctor Souji you seem to be a bit more impatient than you were last time we spoke. But since you asked so nicely... The bus pulled into a rest stop, and as it did my traveling companion woke up from his nap in the seat next to me and turned towards me. "Kenchi are we in Tokyo yet?" "Afraid not, Soshi. We still have another day or so before we get there." "I see. Tell me when we get there. Understand?" my dour companion ordered as he turned towards the window again, "Yes master, of course. Whatever you say." "It is good to see you finally learning the proper way of things, Kenchi. Keep this up and I'm sure our new arrangement will work out quite well." I had to bite back a reply, mainly because I was exhausted myself and really did not feel up to trading insults with Soshi. Beside, he's much better at it than me, having had so much practice. Sorry, Souji, but you are way off. Actually, the ride had been going pretty well so far. Any arguments between the two us never really got beyond the sarcastic phase. Of course, we had barely spoken to one another. It wasn't that I was unwilling to talk to Soshi. After all that had happened over the last week, I was desperate for some sort distraction from where my thoughts were leading me. Even if that distraction involved a conversation with Soshi. However, Soshi had slept for almost the entire trip, only waking up occasionally to ask if we had reached Tokyo. At first it seemed normal enough to me, but by this time I was beginning to suspect he was staying asleep through some sort of magical means. It didn't really matter to me why he was doing this. Soshi always has had these weird habits that he claims some how helps him use his gift better. Maybe that was why, or maybe he just didn't want to deal with being on a bus filled with strangers in a situation he had no real control over. If you want to know that badly, ask him. As a matter of fact, you can go do so right now. Despite my normally busy schedule, I find that I have nothing better to do today than talk with you. Well, that and be tortured by the guards. So I can just wait right here while you.... Anyway, I actually was comforted by his apparent use of magic. It meant that he no intention of following the orders given us by the tengu. With that thought in mind I made myself comfortable and tried to get to sleep. Nothing of interest happened during the remainder of the trip and by the time we reached Tokyo... Well, too bad, Souji. I don't care if you want to know more about the arrangement between myself and Soshi. Like I've said before, I'm going to tell this my way and no other. Besides, if you just shut up and listen you'll find out all about it soon enough. Anyway, as per our agreement, once we reached Tokyo, Soshi and I went our separate ways. I knew that he was planning to go to a certain temple and, at least temporarily, planned to become a monk. He wouldn't tell me why, of course, or even how he planned to get there. Even after all he had been through, Soshi was still the secretive bastard he had always been. At least that was what I was thinking at the time. I would soon learn otherwise--but I'm getting ahead of myself. I spent my first day back in Tokyo setting up my place of residence and getting together my emergency supplies. The supplies included money I had stored away in case of trouble, along with spare clothing, etc. I moved into a small apartment near the eastern edge of the city. Not that I was planning to stay there for very long. I was merely pretending to set up shop there so as to help fool any one who might be trying to keep track of me. I waited until nightfall, and then pulled out the special prayer beads that Soshi had given me before we separated. According to him. these would essentially make me invisible to anyone attempting to track me, whether through magical or technological means. Of course I would still be visible to the naked eye, so I had to be careful if I was going to reach my destination unnoticed. So doing my best spy imitation I snuck out of the apartment and slowly made my way. It took me nearly all night, but I finally reached Soshi's neighborhood. I found the address of the old factory near his home that he had told me about and snuck inside. Of course I checked to make sure no one was around first. I could not sense any people around and had to trust in Soshi's magic for anything non-human. Huh? You didn't know I can use my empathic abilities to sense the location of other people in the area? Well, Souji, I guess there are three possibilities here. One, you are just being forgetful. Two, that this was a new ability I had been able to develop with some helpful input from Soshi during our trek to the tengu. Or, there is the third possibility that I have always had this ability and we just haven't chosen to tell you about it till now. Why don't I let you ponder that one for a little while as I continue my story. Unless of course you want me to stop... As I entered the factory, I moved to the back of it and quickly found the hidden panel in the floor. Placing the beads on the panel, I backed away a little as I saw a brief flare of energy signifying that Soshi's barrier had been removed. I quickly bent down and removed the panel. Sure enough, under the panel were a variety of items and supplies that had to be the tools Soshi had hidden right before we left to find the tengu. I hurriedly gathered up the supplies and placed them in my backpack. Although in theory the beads should have prevented anyone from sensing the flare-up, I was not going to take any chances. I ran outside and quickly reached the car I was currently using as transportation. What? You thought I walked there or something? Of course not. It took me so long because I was trying to be extra careful in case anyone was following me. Of course I wasn't worried that it was your organization trying to follow me. No, I was more concerned about any possible observation by a tengu. For all we knew they had been watching us the whole time. Of course, I would soon find out differently. So, items in hand, I began my drive to the real place where I intended to live for at least the next couple of weeks. I admit that all this cloak-and- dagger stuff might have been going a little far. But, if nothing else, I found all this sneaking around to be very useful for when I had to break out of here. Oh, sorry. That's probably still a sore spot with you. Forget I said anything. Now, the plan Soshi and I had come up with called for me to deliver the supplies to him after a week. Before then, I was not make contact with him in any way. We decided that following the tengu's plan to this extent did make sense. Both from the point of view of appeasing our so-called benefactors, and as a way of making sure just where we stood with our opposition. So for the next week I moved from hotel to hotel, while making sure to spend at least a little time at 'my' apartment. Nothing of any note happened during the week. Indeed, by the time the week was up, I was growing more and more stressed. I had to keep working under the assumption that someone, or, more likely, something, was trying to watch my every move. It was definitely beginning to get to me. What did I do? Oh, this and that. Mainly trying to focus my gift. By concentrating, I was now able to sense people within a fair distance of myself through their emotions. I couldn't tell who a person was, of course, but it was still an invaluable tool for me. At the week's end I drove over to temple and gave Soshi his supplies. I know that it annoyed him to no end when I started laughing as soon as I saw him. I wasn't able to stop for at least five minutes, and it got to the point where I almost dropped the box of his supplies. Looking back, I realize it wasn't actually that funny and was probably more a result of my relief and boredom. Although he did strike quite the figure with a shaved head. He mentioned briefly about seeing Shuukou and then brought up something that made me more than a little uncomfortable. I was preparing to leave when Soshi asked me to wait a minute. "What is it, Soshi? If this is to go over our plans again, I've got to tell you that I have better things to do than...." "Of course you do, Kenchi. I'm sure there is a whole wealth of meaningful activities awaiting you back at your hotel. Such as watching paint chip or counting carpet hairs. Somehow I think you can hold off what ever 'exciting' event you have planned for a few minutes for me to tell you something important." As Soshi interrupted me, he sounded more like his pre-blind self than he had in quite sometime. Of course his tone managed to set me off. I mean, there I was breaking my back and putting myself on the line while he essentially lounged around all day at some temple thinking deep thoughts or something. "Look Soshi, I don't need this. Not from you or from anybody. When I agreed to your plan back at the mountain it was because it seemed like the best way for us to mutually achieve our goals. At the time, I felt it was better than just going off on my own and possibly flailing about in the dark. But now I'm not so sure. I'm the one taking the risks, not you. And if I'm such a waste of time why don't we just go the rest of the way by ourselves." In retrospect, this was both a bit uncalled for and out of character for me. True, Soshi had been a bit unnecessarily sardonic and disrespectful but not more so than was normal for him. And asking for Soshi not to be sardonic was like asking the sky not to be over your head. It just was not going to happen. Now a few weeks ago, an outburst like that from me would have been all she wrote in regard to me and Soshi. However, Soshi truly had been changed by the loss of his vision and everything else that followed. It was what he said next that really brought that home to me for the first time. "I'm sorry. Now please listen to what I have to say." he said softly but sincerely. It may not seem like much to you but to me this was more than enough to stop me in my tracks. "Alright. I'm listening. What is it?" "I mentioned something to Shuukou right before she left and I think it is vital that you hear it as well. Essentially I told her that we, all of us, are magic now. When we performed that experiment, we endowed ourselves with magic. In other words, we brought magic into our bodies and allowed it to mix and become one with us. None of us are what we once were, and indeed we can never go back. We all need magic to survive now. Indeed if we were to be cut off from it, I suspect we would begin to die. At this time, only Shuukou and I have truly come to grips with this fact. But that must change if all of us are to survive what is to come. And... And... I want all of us to survive." I just stood there for a minute not saying anything. I was shocked, to say the very least. Shocked by both what Soshi was saying and by the fact that he was saying it at all. "Wait that can't be right. What do you mean only you and Shuukou? I mean Judo has to also be aware of all this. He's a tengu, for gods' sake. A creature of magic." "Just because he comes from magic does not mean that he has accepted magic as a part of himself. Stop and think for a moment on Judo's actions in the past. He choose to go into exile from his people, from his home, to live as a human. As a creature lacking magic. He clearly is uncomfortable with being a tengu. Remember his actions in my basement when I cast the illusion on him. He is unable to even resume his true form without great difficulty on his part. A difficulty that none his kin appear to share. And of all us he is the only one who cannot actively use or control his power, a power he did not apparently develop until long after us. Even now, the number of times he has actually used his powers have been minimal, and never consciously. Indeed, the only time he has ever called upon his own powers was when linked to one of us. Nor has he developed any of the more subtle aspects of his power like we have." "That was probably because of the differences in nature between tengu and humans." "I do not believe that is so. His human form is more than just some illusion. When a tengu takes on a human form they do so completely, down to even the genetic level. I suspected him of being other that what he seemed some time ago, but was fooled by a DNA check I did. No, of all us it is Judou who is denying his magic the most. I suspect that the true reason he has so little control over both his innate abilities and those given him by the experiment stem from a psychological point of view. Indeed, I believe that this mental block on his abilities only grew worse after the experiment. Of all of us, Judou should be the most dangerous and effective. He has both his magic and innate abilities at his disposal. Yet he has never effectively used his abilities without aid in any meaningful fashion. He should be the most powerful of us, with abilities that operate in different fashion than either his kin or ours." "Why? What makes you think that?" "Remember the attack on Akari and Shuukou? What was it that intervened and attempted to help them? Crows. In all the confusion that has happened since then, we have forgotten about the crows. The crows that attacked the strange creature and subsequently died in the process. Well, I did not forget, and indeed have been pondering what they could have been. Clearly they were not tengu or else we would have had some mention of that fact from either Judou or his kin. I believe they were an unconscious extension of his abilities in some heretofore unknown way." "That doesn't make any sense, Soshi. If he somehow summoned those crows, unconsciously or not, why has he never demonstrated that ability since? And for that matter how would he have even known of that attack in advance in the first place?" "I have no real answer to the former, and you must remember this is only a rough theory. But his subconscious mind could have known of the attack through his power of visions. Remember, his visions can transcend time and reveal that which was, that which is, and that which might be." "An interesting theory that I find myself being slightly swayed by." The statement was made by a vaguely familiar voice coming from behind us. As I turned around, I recognized who it was immediately: Amano. Judou's father and former head of the tengu clan at Mt. Osorezen. In human form wearing a smart business suit and full length trench coat. "Kurasuno. I recognize your voice. So tengu have been watching us. Just as well as I have something here I think you will find most interesting." Soshi said this causally but at the same time I noticed out of the corner of my eye he was beginning to reach for something under his robe. I assume Amano noticed this as well because he quickly began to speak again. "Actually, Soshi, you are incorrect I'm afraid. The tengu have not been watching you. Indeed they have do not have anything to do with my being here. For that matter I doubt they even suspect I'm here." "Wait a moment" I interjected, "if you're not here representing your people than why are you here?" Amano snorted and looked at me slyly before answering. "I am many things. but first and foremost. I am a father. And no true father would simply abandon his son to the wings of fate." "No. of course not," I replied sarcastically, "he would simply kill the son himself and save fate the trouble." In retrospect it probably was not the smartest thing to have said. Amano's eyes narrowed and his lip began to curl back in a sneer. "Who are you to judge me or my people, human? You arrogant excuse for an over-evolved monkey! I would as soon kill you as help you, but unfortunately your fates are inexorably linked with the fate of my son. But do not tempt me. You can have no idea what I am sacrificing by even being here, much less talking to you." "Come now Kurasuno-san, do you really expect us to believe that you are not here as some sort of spokesman for your people?" As Soshi spoke he moved forward until he was standing next to me. As he continued he reached out and, to my surprise, grabbed my shoulder. "Or for that matter" he continued "that your people have not been attempting to observe us in some way over the past week?" Amano laughed softly and as he looked up at us again the anger on his face had been replaced with that same birdlike craftiness that I had seen so many times on Judou's face. At that moment at least they truly looked like father and son. "What on earth makes you think that my people give a damn about what happens to you and yours? The only reason we had anything to do with you is that the traditions and legends of our race demanded it. They, and I, for that matter, could care less about you or your friends, little boy. The sooner we get you out of hair the better. Do you not understand? We have existed since long before your race pulled itself out the mud and started crawling on all fours much less walked on..." "Shut up." Soshi had clearly had enough and for once I could not blame his imperious attitude. "Either say why it is you have come or leave. I have no time to deal with you nor any desire." "I would watch your tone, boy. I can be very dangerous when angered." "Yeah, well, so can we. Right, Soshi?." "Indeed." And with that Soshi reached pulled out some prayer beads and began to concentrate. Within seconds a barrier had been place around the two of us. "Impressive. Your powers only continue to grow, it would seem. Very well. I shall cut to the chase as it were. Both my son and your friend Akari are in great danger. Although the danger comes from different sources." "I assume in Akari's case you mean the demon that has possessed her? Don't look so surprised Kurasuno-san. Why else do you think I have been spending my time here?" Naturally with Soshi's revelation Amano wasn't the only one with a shocked look on his face. Indeed I started to confront Soshi.... Whoa, Souji what do you suppose is causing all the noise outside... Ah, here comes a useful thug to fill us in. My, my, my. What a shame. I mean that's quite the tragedy. I would have never imagined good old doc Yamada would go insane and try to commit suicide. Oh wait, the guard did not mention the suicide part. Oops! My bad. I don't know why I said that. You know, after learning of this terrible tragedy I don't think I can tell anymore of my story today. Is that a problem, Doc? Too bad. I'm done speaking for now and there is nothing you can do about it. After all I'm already in a sling and can't see out of my right eye because of the swelling. What is more physical pain? Not much of a threat, really, if you think about it. There are much worse fates than being beaten. Or dying. Just ask Yamada. OMAKE * OUTTAKES * OMAKE "Kurasuno. I recognize your voice. So, tengu have been watching us. Just as well, as I have something here I think you will find most interesting. Something you have never seen before." Soshi said this causally but at the same time I noticed out of the corner of my eye he was beginning to reach for something under his robe. I assume Amano noticed this as well because he quickly began to speak again. "Soshi I have seen that particular piece of the human anatomy before many times, I assure you." OMAKE * OUTTAKES * OMAKE OMAKE * OUTTAKES * OMAKE If you want to know that badly, ask him. As a matter of fact, you can go do so right now. Despite my normally busy schedule, I find that I have nothing better to do today than talk with you. Well, that and play with myself. I mean it's been such a while since I had any real quality time with myself if you know what I mean. Wink, Wink. OMAKE * OUTTAKES * OMAKE OMAKE * OUTTAKES * OMAKE "I would watch your tone, boy. I can be very dangerous when angered." "Well, so can we. For we are most dangerous and especially EVIL. Is that not right Soshi?." "INDEED." OMAKE * OUTTAKES * OMAKE Author's note- First off a BIG BIG thank you to Lirazel for pre-reading. Your comments were a big help and the positive feed back was especially nice. I doubt this chapter would have been nearly as readable without your assistance. I would love comments on my part and judging from previous experiences I'm going to get it. "May the hair never fall off your chin." TTFN.