Edit: At first I thought this post waaaaay too long (not really) and decided to split it into two post instead of one. Then i realized that doing so made it even worse so i reversed it. Sorry if you already read this expecting new material and if you haven't read this then please do so.

Kohana had been stumbling down the dirt road for what seemed like several hours. Her mouth felt like ash but her will persevered over her disobedient body. She could hear her feet starting to drag in the silence of the night.

"Master," she wheezed, "I will return. Your mission will be…" She started coughing up bile. Tears stained her cheeks as she plodded on. She could see lights scattered across the horizon.

As she continued her approach the lights appeared to be lamps, torches, and camp fires spread through a small town. It appeared to Kohana that they were celebrating a festival. She found the merriment to her advantage because no one questioned her appearance or demeanor.

A crowd of people began pushing through the streets collecting the masses. She found herself caught up in the tide and helplessly dragged to the town's center. They all gathered around two massive structures with clothe draped over them. As she peered at them curiously a drink was put in her hand. The villagers raised their voices and cups to the sound of a drum-roll that ended with the unveiling of the two statues.

"Behold the avatar: Kyoshi and Roku," bellowed the spokesperson. "Should we let their spirits rest OR have they yet fully atoned for their crimes?"

"Burn them," shouted a woman.

"Scatter the ashes," hollered a drunken man.

"I need to use the potty," cried out a lost six year old.

The spokesperson spread out his arms to hush the masses. His face started to scowl but then he laughed in jest. "Your wish is my command." With that several torches were passed around so that all who want to partake may hasten the statue's destruction.

As the statues burned, Kohana noticed everybody downing their drinks. She had partaken of her own mostly because she was thirsty but also impatient with the ceremony. As the statues became no more the crowds thinned and Kohana found herself without shelter. She stumbled through a small shack and found a pile of hay with a blanket covering it. Kohana could barley mutter the word "perfect" before her feet gave way to her collapsing on the bed. With her aching stomach, she slowly fell asleep staring at a pile of straw dolls piled up in the corner.

Kohana awoke the next morning to the sun staring in her face. Light seemed to peek through every board that constructed the shack. She yawned and stretched like a cat allowing the blanket draped over her to fall across her legs. She seemed to take no notice of this as well as the man resting with his back to the far wall. Kohana drew her fingers through her hair and exited the building without a word.

She felt somewhat relieved from sleeping the night before but her stomach still caused her no end of problems. Kohana considered her financial position and realized she would have to bestow upon an unsuspecting merchant the honor of assisting her master's endeavors by giving her liberated sustenance.

The streets that had been packed full of patrons the night before, were almost completely deserted. Either the spirits were angered at last night's festivities or the spirits consumed rebelled against their partakers. Either way most of the vendors were closed not to mention the lack of consumers. The odds stayed in her favor until she came across a group of thugs who had come to the same conclusion as she had.

"What have we here? Desert after a free meal," said one of the men grinning

"More like pleasure before business," scoffed the other.

Kohana breathed heavily as she took her stance. She would not be trifled by these insects. They would know the wrath of her master. A breeze swept through her fingers. "You shall be removed."

In fear, her aggressors halted their advance until they saw Kohana falter. "Well isn't she half-backed," snickered one of the men.

Meanwhile Kohana took no notice of them but only stared at her fingers. "My power… my bending." She then remembered what happened the night before. Kohana franticly felt for the orb that had been hanging from her neck but did not find even the chain it was attached too. "It… but where? I have too-"

"-Come with us," the thug finished as he grabbed her wrist. "That sounds like a very good idea. The quieter the better."

Kohana still failed to take notice as her eyes darted around the ground for her necklace.

"Didn't you hear me! I said your commin with us," the thug shouted. He was just about to hit the girl when a middle-aged man stumbled towards the group and rested his arm on one of the thug's shoulders.

"Hey, can you (hick) keep it down? I don't feel so well."

"Who's your friend," asked the thug's partner.

"I dunno. Probably just some stupid drunk."

The intoxicated fellow responded by blowing in the thug's face causing the man to shudder. "Hey friend, got anything to drink?" he asked holding up an empty jug.

"No. But I got somthin else for you," responded the thug right before he planted his fist in the drunk's gut.

The inebriated man dropped to his knees with a grimace. "Ooh, ooh, ooooh, uuuuurrge." On his knees, the man vomited onto the street.

Both thugs laughed as the drunk's stomach contents left his body. "Feel better," inquired one of the thugs as he bent over the wasted man.

The man slurred something in response but he said it so quietly it was almost a whisper.

"What did you say?"

The man suddenly shot up onto his feet smacking the thug's chin and causing him to drop to the ground. "Actually I f-feel a lot better but you (hick) look terrible friend." The drunkard then tried to lift the thug with one hand while still holding the jug with his other. "Hey," the drunk said motioning to the other thug, "Can you give me a hand with my friend here?"

"Why you little…"

The thug rushed the drunk with a hidden knife bared. But as drunk tried to lift up the fallen comrade, he lost his balance and almost fell backward. He regained his balance quickly but his foot fell forward and cracked the empty jug on the other man's head rendering him unconscious as well.

"Hey, what are you… Nohiroshi?"

Kohana watched a concerned woman exit a bar across the way.

"Ah, hey Yuzuki," Nohiroshi said waving to the woman. "I've (hick) been making sooo friends today. Although these guys haven't been feeling well lately… must be karma. But my lady-friend here's real nice. Say, why don't we continue the party at your place? What do ya say? On the house of course."

The Yuzuki walked steadily over to the drunk. "I've actually got the good stuff today. It's so good they say it can even cure the common stupid."

(Thwack)

A well placed chop to the head sent Nohiroshi crumbling into Yuzuki's awaiting arms. She began dragging him inside when she looked at Kohana. "You! What happened?"

"These thieves," Kohana replied before she was cut off.

"Hmph figures he'd be so stupid today. Well come inside and get something to eat. You look like a good person and this idiot doesn't seem to think otherwise."

As a crowd collected outside, Kohana sat down on one of the stools at the bar while Yuzuki sat Nohiroshi at a nearby table. Yuzuki then went in the kitchen and came back with a platter. She put it down in front of Kohana. Normally she would reprimand anybody who spoke to her in such a fashion but she was still tired and hungry.

"If you want something to eat you can have the rest of this sushi… it's still fresh from last night's festival."

The stomach pains Kohana had been ignoring up to that point almost became unbearable. She carefully tasted one then couldn't stop eating them.

"Good aren't they," asked Yuzuki with a smile. "I made them all by myself. Of course the stupid head chef took all the credit. Actually I was surprised how good they turned out. Fit for a princess even…"

Her comments and self praise fell on deaf ears as Kohana tore through the sushi. As she continued eating, with platter in hand, Kohana got up from the bar and sat down next to Nohiroshi. Something about him seemed somewhat familiar. His head lie on the table with drool leaking from his mouth. His snoring was suddenly interrupted by one word repeated. "Sachi, Sachi, happy b..."

"He's talking about his daughter."

Kohana looked up at Yuzuki with rice all over her face.

Placing a drink in front of the girl, Yuzuki sat next to Kohana who drank heartily and then continued eating.

"We were childhood friends, Nohiroshi and I. He was the son of a farmer and I, well my father was a merchant but… Well anyway, we were playing in the woods and found the hedge surrounding the mayor's mansion. He was chicken about going through and I let him know so. Probably my biggest regret. But when we came out of the other side we found her. I didn't like her at all; thought she looked stupid. Nohiroshi didn't. I couldn't… am I boring you?"

Yuzuki looked at wide-eyed girl who seemed to hang on every word and bite. Her eyes blinked as she stared with interest.

"Anywho, I grew to hate her more and more because she caused a change in Nohiroshi. He got serious about taking on his father's work. Working the fields during the day and seeing that girl during the night. I- I almost lost what little friendship I had left with him when I lied saying that she didn't really like him. He started crying until I said I was just joking. Later that night it was me crying…"

Yuzuki paused a second to wipe her eyes. "When they grew old enough, both Nohiroshi and the girl declared their love and wishes for marriage to their parents. Each was thought crazy even in jest but loved prevailed in the end. But with a wife, Nohiroshi also received a dwindling farm which only got worse. During this time she got pregnant. He was so poor at the time that he couldn't even afford a midwife. Heh-he, the idiot had to deliver the baby himself. He had too. He…" As words failed her, she began to cry. "There was an accident. The baby was stillborn and instead of celebrating his first born, Nohiroshi lost the child and his wife. I was just as helpless as he was that night."

Kohana, having filled her stomach, watched in empathy. The words formed in her head but she still found trouble saying them. "I-I'm sorry," she said giving her napkin to Yuzuki who graciously accepted it.

"Thank you," Yuzuki replied after wiping her eyes. "I'm glad that you made friends with Nohiroshi. I always felt guilty for my jealousy and thought that his misfortune was something I unknowingly wished for."

"But what happened next," Kohana inquired with eyes even wider.

"Oh, when he confessed that the family's daughter had died they nearly went mad. Slandered his reputation in the community, which in turn cost him the farm. They couldn't forgive him for taking their daughter away."

A still moment past with only the noise of Nohiroshi snoring.

"Well, I have to prep for dinner though I doubt we'll get anybody. I think you will like our special." With that said Yuzuki headed back to the kitchen. She still seemed sad but her feet were lighter upon the dusty wooden floor.

Kohana watched the woman until she vanished behind the kitchen doors.

"Sh-sssh- she's a really good friend. And, and I don't deserve her," slurred Nohiroshi as he wiped the drool from the side of his face.

"Why?" asked Kohana.

"She's been my most bestest friend for- for ages and I abandoned her in m-my blindness for (sob) love." Nohiroshi banged his head on the table and pounded his fist. He cried quietly trying miserably to hide it. "I'm a terrible friend and father. I even made a doll for Sachi."

Nohiroshi proceeded to take an object out of his pocket and handed it to Siam. She saw that it was indeed a doll that had been made out of golden straw and tied with yarn with a burlap dress. It was made with coarse materials but the craftsmanship was still visible. Kohana remembered having received one very similar to this one although she couldn't remember who gave it to her but the memory ached her heart.

Nohiroshi reached over and roughly patted the doll's head. "I bet she would have been around your age by now… all tall and beautiful. You! You're not her ghost come to haunt me."

Kohana shook her head and for the first time since she was a child, she smiled. Not a haughty or selfish smile but a gentle, pure one.

"Ah, so you can smile," said Yuzuki returning with three bowls filled to the brim with an aroma that filled the room. "And you," she said pointing to Nohiroshi, "You're going to get yourself killed with your bad habits!"

The room became quiet as Nohiroshi hung his head in shame. But the moment he tried to apologize Yuzuki put her finger to his lips.

"I'll forgive you for today though," she said smiling. "And you know what? I feel like having some bread as well. I'll be right back."

Nohiroshi chuckled as Yuzuki disappeared behind the kitchen doors once more.

"I just remembered something," declared Nohiroshi scratching his head. "Right before my wife died she whispered something to me but somewhere in my heart I refused to listen to her. She said 'I have no regrets. I will wait for you with our child in my arms'."

As he said these words, Nohiroshi's face became somber. "I can't say that I don't have regrets. I regret being unable to provide for my wife and child in their moment of need. But finding you hungry as you were, Yuzuki gave you food on just an assumption that you are my friend. And I believe that we are. So I've decided to live with my regrets but not let them become part of my future."

Kohana thought about what he said. It gave her a warm feeling that… that she liked. 'I need to get back,' she thought. Kohana then picked up her bowl and drank the broth, which the soup was mostly made of, almost to the bottom.

Nohiroshi looked at her quizzically.

"I have to go… thank you," she replied as she fled the bar in the heat of late afternoon.

"Why did she leave?" Yuzuki asked returning with sliced bread in hand.

"She said she had to go and left but I think she'll be alright."

Yuzuki sat down at the table next to Nohiroshi. She felt a little sad that the girl had to leave to suddenly. "I've been meaning to ask: who was she anyway?"

"She never told me her name but I found her sleeping in my bed last night."

As the sun began to set on the horizon, Kohana finally found her way back to the camp. Gakuto-Oki was the only one there and he was cooking dinner over the fire. When he noticed her, he almost dropped the fish he was cooking in the fire.

"Koha-Princess. Are you okay? The others have been out searching for you. Are you hurt?"

Kohana approached Gakuto-Oki with her eyes diverting from his. She saw the mummified hands that had saved her life when she didn't deserve it. Gakuto-Oki stood up being wary of her weird behavior. Kohana stepped closer until she was toe to toe with him. She got on her toes and kissed Gakuto-Oki on the cheek.

"What was that for?" he breathed wondering if his heart could beat any louder or faster.

"An apology," replied Kohana, "Good night." Kohana retired to her bed and slept peacefully with the doll Nohiroshi had made tucked in her arms. As she slept, one word escaped her lips. "Father…"

Author's Notes: Really did have a good time with this chapter. I had actually been munching on this part for sometime. I wanted to edge Kohana back into reality but in a way in which she was forced to see it. She was basically a royal brat who got anything she wanted and had the power to inforce it. It's hard for someone who lived a life of riches, or at least a roof over their head and food to eat, to suddenley live a life of poverty. Originally Kohana was selfish unconsiderate princess but now she's seen another side to life and she's starting to like it better. Comments?