Kat's head once again found the table. 'Why are my parents to weird?'

"The feast was eaten, da speech was beaten, and thhhe guests were -hic-…meet'n…YEAH!" One of the…less sober guests slurred, tossing his glass in the air.

Katsume visably paled. 'Drunk bastards.' Her parents had already left to speak with the other clan, the Chang's, and Kat hadn't seen hind nor hair of the duo. She sighed. That would mean she'd have to stay until the reappeared so she could leave. Of course, she could always do something utterly moronic to get their attention, but that was what commoners would do. 'Drunk common-'

"Hmehhehe -hic- hello my -hic- lady." A voice slurred from behind her. 'Yup. Here come's that something stupid.' She inwardly sighed. She put on her best, sweetest, persuasive-face and turned around.

"Yes, good sir?" She giggled lightly, pulling a fan out and covering her mouth with it. "I was, uhm, wonder-hic-in' if you would -hic- like to…ahem, dance wive me?" The man asked, giggling under his breath. 'Oh, yes. Surely he means 'dance'. What does he take me for, a ' "Oh? Really? Why is that, good sir?" She fluttered the fan slightly, smiling again. "I -hic- just wanted to -hic- 'dance' with a pretty maid, s'all." He laughed boisterously. Katsume smiled, pulling the fan away. "How are you enjoying the feast?" She purred, catching all of his attention. "A lot better, -hic- with a lady such -hic- a pretty lady -hic- by my side." He loud-whispered excitedly. "Hmm….Well, that's good. Say,what's your name, good sir?" Kat's sultry purring made the man widen his eyes wide. "I, am lord -hic- Koori Tri, I come from faaar -hic- from here and-" Kat quickly put the fan to his lips to silence the lord. "Wanna know something, Hickory Tree?" Kat's voice was suddenly low and venomous.

"Wh-wha-what? What did you just -hic- call me? Yo-you, you…" Kat smirked and swatted his lips with the fan, leaving them reddened. "Listen, Hickory Tree, watch what you say before you…regret it." She warned lightly, smirking wickedly. "You little -hic- wrenc-" A flash of light and the sound of a crack of lightning silenced him halfway.
"I'd love to help you out…" She suddenly purred, brushing the fan across his cheek. 'Now THAT'S more like it!' Koori Tri no doubt was thinking excitedly.

"…Now, which was did you come in?"

Silence. Kat smirked.

"Hic…Huh?"

"Idiot. Get away from me, you drunk commoner." As Hickory Tree's eyes flared up in indignity, Kat smirked and leaned forward. "You must be stone drunk if you can't recognize a Yao in their own home, fool." Koori's eyes turned glassy and the man went pale. "A Yao?" He stuttered.

Kat leaned forward, sneering. "Katsume Andāteikā Yao. Learn my face, and leave."
"But-"
"Now. Get. Out. NOW." Kat growled, her eyes gleaming. "But! I-"

"First, you insult me. You call me a maid. Then, you try to sleep with a young girl, sick bastard. Thirdly, you insult my family by…intoxicating yourself so much at a small feast."

"Ma'a-" "If you do not leave now, I will fucking kill you. Get out."

"Geh, yessir! Hic- Ma'am! I'll be -hic- going! Yesyesyes-hic-yesyes!"

…

….

…

'Time to fine my bags.' Kat mused silently as she stood and made her way to the back room.

~15 minutes later~

Kat turned a corner in the hall, when she heard a loud thud. 'What was that…'

"WHAT DID YOU JUST DO TO HIM, RACH!" Someone yelled, flailing their arms. "Aw…Well, he stepped on your bad toe," A tiny girl with long brown hair and big blue eyes rocked back and forth on her heels innocently. Kat frowned, walking into the light and up behind the small one.

In the middle of the room, was military man- couldn't tell what rank- who was lying on his face, in a puddle…With rainbows slowly fading away around his unconscious body. "What happened? …" Kat asked slowly, titling her head to the side. "Oh! Madame Yao!" The man exclaimed. "Why are there rainbows around that body?" She blinked, either not noticing or ignoring the man sweatdrop.

"Oh…Uhm, well…" The tiny one looked away.
Kat looked at the colors and smirked. "…I like it; Whatever he did, he musta deserved it." She stated happily.

"…You can't be serious. You can't be serious…" The older looking one said. He had small wisps of brown hair, and kind blue eyes. The two had to be related, they had to. The similarities between the two were uncanny.

"What exactly did he do?" Katsume asked, looking at the unconscious man again.

"He stepped on my brother's bad toe!" The tiny one exclaimed, frowning. "And his toe started bleeding again." At which the older man, the tiny one's brother, frowned and shook his head. "What if that was one of the Yao's guards! We'd get killed, Rachel! Killed!" The older one yelled, flailing his arms again.

"Bu-bu-but Shane! I-I never thought of it like that…Oh! Please forgive your foolish younger sister, brother!" The tiny one, Rachel, cried out, hugging her older brother's leg and simply clung there. 'One word comes to mind, seeing this girl; Airhead.' Kat inwardly chuckled. 'But this was getting a tad out of hand, now…A little kid taking down a full grown guard? Well, let's see who's he is, first…' Kat leaned forward, checked the insignia on the man's chest and paled significantly.

"Well, you don't have to worry. He's not one on ours." Kat stated, looking calm. 'Shit, shit, shit! Ahaha, we're done. This little kid just knocked out a freaking Chang's guard…' Kat looked closer. 'The…Head guard, as fate would have it.' Kat smirked and looked up, tilting her head to the side. "He's the head of the Chang family's guard. Congratulations, you could have just started a war. Thanksomuch, kid." Kat said pleasantly. "Eh?" Rachel said, blinking dimply. "WHAT?" Her more alert, less care-free, brother yelled, his voice cracking. 'Both slow on the uptake, eh?'

"I said, 'that guard wasn't ours. It was a Chang's guard. And that you could have just caused a Clan war. Thanksomuch, kid.' You understand?" Kat said clearly, her voice mocking and slow. "Grr…Wait, 'ours'? What's that suppose-"
"Katsume Andāteikā Yao! Ohmygod, I'm a big fan of yours! That one time you did that epic thing, a-a-a-and then that other time you had to battle those guys and then the other-other time you had to run, like, 100 miles to and from the palace so Lady Lan Fan could talk to Lord Ling! Ohmygod, you're sooo cool!" Rachel screeched, squeezing the breath from a very startled Katsume. 'What the- …She must be joking.'

"Yes, um, it was only 9 or 10 miles I ran…And I had a bike…Mom just wanted me to tell him he forgot the flour….I'm not that specia-" "Yes you are! You are the oldest Yao on this generation, Lord Ling's first Daughter! You are famous here!" Rachel stopped and let Kat go abruptly. "Take pride in that." She chirpily. Kat stared blankly at Rachel, not smiling or frowning. Then she nodded. "Yes. I am special. I shouldn't ever say anything negative about any on the Yao family. Thank you, Rachel." Kat said, her eyes alight.

"Ahem, about this 'you could have just caused a war' business…Madame Yao, I would like to talk to my sister. Alone." Shane growled, glancing at Katsume sideways. "Mmm. Nope. I won't allow that. Here, I'll help you two." Kat smirked, walking over to the man, who was groaning under his breath. "Chalk?" Shane asked, confused out of his mind.

"Yes. Chalk," Kat smirked wickedly, holding up the lime-green stick. Then she set to drawing a complex circular drawing…A transmutation circle! What was this chick gonna do? Kat slowly and carefully drew the circle so that the Chang's guard was in the center. 'I hope this works as I planned.' Kat silently prays. "This should work out fiiine, kiddies!" She chuckled, contradicting her thoughts, clapping her hands together.

In a flash of light and a familiar shing sound, that guard and Katsume were lost to the sister-brother duo. "What did she do?" Shane yelled, covering his eyes. "I think it's alchemy!" Rachel yelled back helpfully.

"Damn good alchemy, too, kiddie," Kat said from the small plume of smoke. "What did you do?" Shane asked again, heading his head between his hands. "Look and see, Shane," Kat purred smugly.

They duo uncover their eyes and looked at the man, shocked. His Xingese uniform was changed into a totally different Clan's uniform. Instead of the pretty and camouflaging green-brown color combo and low tucked in collar of the Chang guards changed into the yellow-brown colors and high, wavy collar of the Tri clan's guards. And Kat looking significantly more scuffed up. "Wha…" Shane began to ask as a small troop of Yao guards were heard nearby. One simply cannot not mishear them, it's impossible.

"Follow my lead, now." Kat hissed, running and slipping into a woozy slide and landing at Rachel's feet. "Ah! What are yo-" "HALT!" A voice bellowed, seeing Kat lying on the floor, looking fight-worn and tired; and seeing the sister-brother duo standing over her, Shane crouching at the red-head's side and Rachel looking around blankly. And a Tri clan bodyguard; lying half-dead on the floor.

"What is going on here?" One of the ninja-like men asked. "Uhm…Well, we just-" "Oh, thank you both…Thank you both for saving me from…from that Tri clan's horrible guard. Ooh, I feel so relieved that such kind souls still reside here, after witnessing this man nearly kill me!" Kat coughed, looking weak.

"Princess, are you alright?" Another cried, outraged. "Aye, I am well. Just frightened, sir. Just frightened, these nice people came to aid me, thank you." Kat nodded her head, staying on the ground. "I'm fine. You all may leave, thanks again," Kat reassured, smiling kindly. "Whoa…" Shane whispered inaudibly. "Yes, my lady. We shall take our leave now. Enjoy your trip," He bowed, looking happy to leave and patrol somewhere else. "Good evening, sirs. Bye-bye~!" Kat waved a fan at them as they left.

When he was sure they were alone, aside from his sister. "…Why did you save our hide? You don't peg me as the…giving type." Shane said slowly, frowning. "I felt like it." Kat said after a moment. "Uh-huh…" Shane collapsed on the floor in a puddle of nerves. 'She sure is something else…' He thought to himself. 'I guess I'll be lea-' Kat started to think, before Rachel's next words woke her.

"Let me help you up," Rachel's hand was jutted out in her face. Kat stared blankly for a few seconds, slightly shell shocked. 'She wants to…' Rachel's smiles never faltered, and just as she began to inch back her hand…
Katsume 'coldhearted' smiled, and gratefully took it. Rachel saw a warm gleam in the red head's eyes that she instantly liked. 'She wants to help me…So be it…'

"So, how about some proper introductions?" Rachel asked, giggling. Rachel pulled Kat to her feet, bringing the princess out of her daze and into the conversation. "My name's Rachel Catherine Nightlock. Nice to meet ya~," Rachel giggled, smiling. "I'm Shane J. Nightlock…It's nice to meet you." Shane bowed his head and smiled slightly at his sister's antics. "Hehe, 'J' stands for 'James'! Tehee." Rachel giggled.

Kat smirked, and nodded her head. "I'm Katsume Andāteikā Yao. It's a pleasure to meet you both." Kat bowed at the waist and smiled. "I knew it!" Rachel fist-pumped, smirking at her brother. "I wonder what gave it away…" He murmured, rolling his eyes.

"Back to the main subject," Shane was ever serious! "What about that guard? He'll tell a different tale, when he wakes up. Then we'll all be in trouble." He murmured, looking at said man. "Hmph, like changing the uniform will do much either; It would just cause war between the Yao and the Tri! …Right?" Shane said angrily.
"No. Earlier, I…'spoke' with Hickory Tree, their leader, and he was drunk out the wazoo. And while he spoke, he insulted me plenty, and I doubt his grandfather will even think of letting him near the army's barracks."

"So?" They asked, blinking. "I still attacked a guard. You're speaking as if they'll never find out." "Simply because they aren't going to; I have a plan…If you two agree with it- that is." Kat paused, smiling. "What is it?" The duo asked simultaneously.

"Come with me. Come to Amestris with me."