Tears of the Dragon - Chapter 5

Yui sighed, stretching back, she lay flat on her bed, dressed in nothing but her undergarments and her blouse that she wore with her school uniform. Gazing up the ceiling that seemed to reach unimaginable limits, she shuddered, not liking the feeling of being so alone in such a large vacant, sterile room. She hugged herself and stood up, determined to seek someone to at least be with.

Remembering Shunkaku was in the next room, she headed there, not really noticing the indecency of her outfit, by this world's customs and standards. Approaching, she rapped a knuckle against the hardwood door. Hearing a muffled reply, she entered.

Having been facing the wall, Shunkaku sat up to face who had entered. He paled slightly. He didn't quite know how to react to the fact that Yui was dressed so skimpily. He swallowed reflexively. "Anou, Yui-san..." His nervousness rose within him. 'Damn...is she being suggestive, or is this how some girls dress in that world?!'

Yui smiled at the awake Shunkaku. "Hi. I thought you might like some company. I didn't really like the feel of being alone in that big room. Thought I'd come and visit. Koutoku said you were asleep. I didn't wake you, did I?"

Walking into the room, she sat next to Shunkaku on his bed. Her blouse, though long by her world's standards, barely came to her thighs. Consequently, when she sat down, the material was hiked up a bit. Not anything indecent, but enough to expose more of her legs.

Backing up, from feeling extremely uncomfortable, Shunkaku felt that he was about to lose whatever little breakfast he managed to keep down. "Eto...Yui-san...er, yes I was sleeping but you didn't wake me up..." He gulped, turning his eyes away from her. "Anou...Yui-san..." Blood rushed to his face and he turned slightly pink. "shouldn't you be in something more than this?!"

Yui blinked. Was he blushing?! "Why? It's just my blouse. It's fine. I do it all the time." Yui looked down at the expanse of leg showing. She shrugged. "Its not indecent. I've seen a lot of girls wear lot shorter things."

Shunkaku looked like he was about to pass out.

Yui reached out and placed a hand on his forehead. "Are you okay, Shunkaku? You don't look so good."

"Eto...I'm okay." Shunkaku uttered, starting to have perspired a bit. He wasn't used to this sort of behaviour from girls. 'Is she being suggestive?!' He blinked.

"You're sure?" Yui looked at him with concern. She placed a hand on his cheek. "I don't want anything to happen to you, Shunkaku. You mean a lot to me."

Swallowing, he didn't quite know how to treat this and continued to lose colour from his already pale complexion. ".... eto...saaa..."

Yui smiled at Shunkaku. He was so cute when he was flustered! Deciding to get the upper hand this time, she leaned in close to him. "Hai, Shunkaku?" she whispered.

Pulling back, he felt his body temperature sore up a significant amount and passed out from the shock of her forwardness.

Yui snickered. She hadn't realized how fun it was to do that. 'Gee...if I knew girls could do that to guys I would have done it a long time ago!'

Letting out a breath of air, he didn't yet show that he was conscious, he just worked to control his rapidly beating pulse. 'Shit...she was way too forward...' He felt extremely uncomfortable, wishing he knew how to deal with this. He didn't want to push her back, but he still would admit that he was losing his cool and couldn't handle this.

Yui snickered. She hadn't realized how fun it was to do that. 'Gee...if I knew girls could do that to guys I would have done it a long time ago!'

Letting out a breath of air, he didn't yet show that he was conscious, he just worked to control his rapidly beating pulse. 'Shit...she was way too forward...' He felt extremely uncomfortable, wishing he knew how to deal with this. He didn't want to push he back, but he still would admit that he was losing his cool and couldn't handle this.

Yui leaned over and ran her fingers through his blond hair. "My poor Shunkaku..." Leaning down, she placed her lips over his in a tender kiss.

In pure utter surprise, his eyes flew open. 'Okay...' He sighed contentedly and readily accepted her forwardness, despite all earlier ingrown anxieties. 'This is still strange...I don't know how to deal with this...' He admitted, responding to her kiss.

Yui smiled as she felt Shunkaku response. She had a feeling he was faking it. Putting her arms around his neck, she allowed herself to get lost in his kiss.

'What the hell is she doing?!' He blinked, feeling scared yet at the same moment better. A strange surge of electricity coursed his body. Unconsciously in a reflexive action, he wallowed, still feeling the growing lump of uncertainty lodged in his throat, as he tried to respond, but felt held back by the bonds of fear.

'I like this, yet I'm frightened...' He sadly thought, still tense. He forced his body into a comfort zone of relaxation, but found he was not at all adapted to accepting this and still was stiff with fear.

Yui broke the kiss and looked into Shunkaku's eyes. She could tell he was frightened. She bit her lip. She hadn't meant to scare him. She moved to the opposite side of the bed. "I...I'm sorry. I...I didn't mean...to scare you..."

His body trembling slightly with fear, as he gazed over at her with shock embedded in his cobalt-blue eyes. He spoke quietly, his discomfort present in his tone. "Yui...it...it's okay...I'm just not used to this sort of forwardness from girls at anyway rate." He downcast his eyes and leaned against the wall, being washed in a sea of confusion.

Yui bit her lip, feeling tears well in her eyes. "I...I'm sorry. I...I'll go." She turned her head so he wouldn't see her tears. Getting up, she prepared to leave.

"Yui!" he called, reaching for her, but pulled back. He didn't actually know what to do. 'If she wants to leave, I shouldn't stop her...' He thought sadly, looking up at her. 'I just don't know how to treat this kind of thing.'

Yui stood, motionless. "Yes?"

"You...you don't have to go if you don't want to...I never said you had to..." Shunkaku looked up at her for answers that he didn't have.

Yui looked back, tears glistening. "But...why would you want me around? I just..." She turned away, looking sightlessly at a wall. "I just wanted you to know how I feel. How...how much you mean to me..."

'No...she can't cry because of me!' Shunkaku jumped to his feet and stepped over to her, touching his hand to her face, brushing away the tears that threatened to streak her face. Cupping her face in his hands, he gazed intently into her eyes. "Yui...I want you around because...because I-I really like you. I just don't know how to express myself and I'm not used to girls who are blunt in how they feel. It-it's not you...I'm just not used to this kind of thing..."

He pushed some loose strands of hair from her face. "Waketta kudasai."

Sighing, he placed his cheek against hers. "Don't cry, I don't want you to."

Yui reached out, placing a hand on his cheek. He was so dear to her. She gave him a smile then. Sighing, she wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her cheek against his chest. "Hold me. Please. Don't ever let me go."

Placing one hand on her head and another around her back, he held her closely against his own person. "I won't ever."

Yui nodded. She felt safe with him around. She knew he would never hurt her.

Holding his blond-haired maiden against his body at her request and by his own deepest desire, he refused to even let her go now, feeling safer with her near, knowing that she some how calmed him with her presence. His thoughts drifted entirely towards what he felt at the moment, to the one person that he cared about, almost more that he might for his brother. Even then, he still cared more about his brother.

'I really hope I didn't offend her earlier...I like her way too much for that, she's one of the most precious people to me.'

Yui kept her eyes closed, feeling the nearness of Shunkaku. She had never felt anything quite like this before. It was a new and frightening experience for her. Frightening that she could feel so deeply for someone she had barely met 24 hours ago. She couldn't even begin to imagine what life would be like without him.

She realized that her feelings were growing in intensity about this young man. That did scare her. Having never been in such a position before, she had automatically put up her defences. That was why she had acted so boldly. She wanted to see if his feelings were true or just lustful.

And he had proven her wrong. He did care about her. She snuggled deeper into his embrace, wanting to stay there forever. It felt so good...so right to be with him.

Once having left Shunkaku to sleep, or so he thought, Koutoku took a free moment to explore through the imperial court grounds and learn his way around, so he would have less chance of getting lost. He also did this to see what kind of place this was. During his exploration and tour, he stumbled upon a small-secluded garden that was manicured. The shrubs were fairly high and there were plenty of plants here, something of rarity within the urban centre of the capital itself. In this segregated section from the main court yard, along with the trees and bushes, lay a small pond, not much in it and was fairly shallow, but still pretty nonetheless.

Taking out his flute and sitting at the base of one of the large tree weeping willow trees, he raised his flute to his lips and took the time to play a sweet melody and just enjoy what was around him and forget about Chuin and Chang entirely. He need not think, or rather forget about such creepy, imposing, in your face men who were just too confident and/or arrogant for their own good. Losing himself in his music as he tended to whenever his played, he didn't notice how much time past by.

Playing his flute by the pond, Koutoku pondered the recent events that had fallen upon him and his brother. He had always known that they, him and Shunkaku, were Seiryuu Seishi. His parents had made sure to tell him that, before their deaths. For years, he had pondered what being one of Seiryuu's divine warriors meant. Despite being the god of war, Koutoku had always thought that Seiryuu just wanted peace for his country, like all the others.

Lowering his flute to the grass, he reached for some pebbles and tossed them one by one into the pond. It was very peaceful in this little section of the palace.

Ripples spread peacefully over the undisturbed surface of the pond as the pebbles he threw in broke through, disturbing the peaceful nature it emitted. The water itself was seemingly lucid, as the sun shone down, beating down, giving the water a crystal like appearance.

Through the area a gentle breeze gusted through, gently brushing over the leaves. Swaying the softly blowing wind, they barely rustled. The green hue shades of them appeared to have semi-transparent nature. They contributed to the tranquil, serenity of the atmosphere.

Sighing contentedly, Koutoku, dropped his hand in the water, feeling the smooth, slow rush of refreshingly cool water surround his hand. Allowing the water to trickle through his fingertips, he watched as a small school of fish swam through the pond. Hearing the leaves rustle as the wind blew, Koutoku sighed. Standing up, picking up his flute, he went to a nearby tree and sat down, leaning against it. Bringing his flute to his lips, he began to play once more.

A haunting melody, one from long ago in his memory, surfaced. It was a sad song, a lullaby. This was the very same melody that his mother had sung to him the night before she died. He felt a moments tears threaten to fall. Closing his eyes, he allowed the music to take control of him, filling him with the pain, the sorrow and the love that time brought.

Lost within the consuming depths of the melancholic, yet heart-warming song, he never noticed anything else around him, just the notations that flowed from his flute that gently embraced him within their soothing touch. The sweet and sad music sailed gracefully through the air, surrounding the secluded spot with a wrath of heart-warming misery.

Koutoku sighed, placing his flute down. Leaning against the tree, he closed his eyes. Feeling the wind rustle through his blond hair, he sighed. He wanted so much for things to work out. He never realized how...bizarre the other seishi would be. 'I'll just have to keep an eye on Shunkaku and Yui-san. That's all.'

Standing up, stretching back, he determined he might as well head back, since he wasn't entirely sure what might happen, as his brother was unpredictable and he had absolutely no idea what Chuin and Chang were like, other than those two seemed to be very, very deeply disturbed.

Walking towards the palace once more, Koutoku decided it was time to tell his brother and Yui about Chang. He didn't want either of them running into the man unaware.

Entering the palace he headed for Yui's room first. When no one answered the knock, he entered. No one was there. Frowning, he went to the room next door. He wanted to see if Shunkaku knew where she was.

Opening the door, he stopped in his tracks at the sight of Yui, in a VERY short blouse, holding onto his brother. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Yui hadn't noticed a gaping Koutoku that had entered and remained against Shunkaku, content, feeling safe.

Contrary, Shunkaku noticed his brother's entrance and once meeting his eyes, grew flustered, not wanting to have to explain why the Miko was in such skimpy clothes, especially since he had absolutely nothing to do with it. He smiled amusedly at his brother's shocked expression.

Koutoku narrowed his eyes at Shunkaku's amused expression. "Ahem! I hate to interrupt you two, but I have some important things to discuss."

Yui looked up in shock. She turned her head and saw a glaring Koutoku. She flushed hotly, remembering her state of dress.

Sighing in reluctant agreement, Shunkaku turned to his brother, pulling away from the slightly indecently dressed Yui, who had turned a lovely shade of crimson. He spoke to his brother in a direct manner. "What is it, Aniki?"

Koutoku sighed. He decided to put the instance before him away for a minute. "We have a new seishi. Miboshi. He appears to be the Shogun. I wanted both of you to be aware. He isn't like Tomo. I would be very careful around him."

Shunkaku arched an eyebrow. "Oh, another one?! Is he arrogant and full of it like Chuin or worse?! If he's not like Chuin...then...explain..."

Koutoku sighed. "He's not full of himself, but he knows his power. He has a deep hatred of Chuin already. He seems...I don't know. Evil. I don't like him. I've never met anyone in my life that could scare the shit out of me. Well...he does."

Shunkaku eyes lit up. "He hates Chuin?! Hey, he can't be that bad if he hates Chuin!"

"Shun! Don't. Believe me, there is something about him...I don't know what. But...it's frightening. I had this overwhelming urge to flee at the sight of him. You may hate Chuin for being full of himself, but Chang...he knows his power. His limitations. And I don't think he would think anything of swatting you like a fly. Just be careful."

Shunkaku rolled his eyes. "Stop worrying! I'll be careful!" He added to himself soundlessly. 'Hmm, maybe I should try and find Chang, he sounds like an okay kinda guy. He hates Chuin, which makes him worthwhile to meet.'

Koutoku advanced, taking Shunkaku by the ear. He pulled him next to him, like he did when they were little. "Bu Shunkaku! I know that look! Don't even /think/ of finding this guy! Are we clear?!"

"Itai, itai!! Aniki! Let go, you know damn well, it bloody hurts like hell!" Shunkaku cursed, glaring at his brother and pulling away. He rubbed the offended spot. 'Che!'. "What makes you think I'm going to anyway?! I've got better things to do."

'Like being with Yui and contemplating Chuin's death.'

Koutoku crossed his arms. "Sure you were. I know that look, Shunkaku! Don't even try to tell me you weren't thinking of finding that guy! I know you all too well!"

Shunkaku placed his hands on his hips. "That's not true! I was contemplating of many possible ways to murder Chuin, so there."

Koutoku face vaulted.

Shunkaku blinked innocently.

Yui snickered at their banter. 'Cute.'

Koutoku looked up and glared at his brother and Yui. Turn to Yui, he shook his head. "Don't encourage him! He's bad enough as it is!"

Holding up her hands in a peaceful manner, Yui replied, "I wasn't encouraging him! And he's not that bad."

"Is too. You haven't lived with him for fifteen years."

"I've known him long enough to make an impartial judgement on justified grounds, therefore won't apply as being discriminatory!"

"NANI??!!!"

Yui smirked at Koutoku's confusion. "Need me to repeat that?!"

Koutoku crossed his arms and glared. "No!"

Yui sighed and shook her hand. Across her feature a sly grin took form. Reaching out, she patted Koutoku's cheek. "Like Shun, you're cute when you're indignant."

Koutoku stepped back. "I don't know what he sees in you. Really I don't."

Shunkaku smirked. "Care for me to list what I do?!"

Yui nodded energetically. "Please feel free to."

"STOP! ENOUGH! I GIVE UP!" Koutoku threw his hands into the air in despair.

"Is something wrong, Aniki?!" Shunkaku asked innocently.

"Shut up, Shunkaku."

"Make me, Aniki!"

"Fine." Koutoku came over, taking his brother in a headlock. He ruffled his brother's hair.

"WAH! Lemme go! I hate it when you do this!" Shunkaku whined. He sighed and pouted in utter resignation. He felt undignified when his brother did this. He struggled against his brother's grip and freed himself, combing his fingers through his hair. Muttering some miscellaneous obscenities under his breath, he glared at Koutoku.

Koutoku beamed. "You're still my otouto. I can torture you all I want to." He winked at his brother.

Frustrated, Shunkaku crossed his arms and dropped to the bed, pouting.

Koutoku smirked. He sat next to his brother and hugged his shoulders. "Ne...Shun-chan. Don't be mad. I want to show you and Yui-san something. I think you'll like it."

"Sure, but after she gets dressed, che!" Shunkaku remarked.

Yui flushed a deep crimson.

Koutoku nodded. "Hai! How could you go around so indecently, Yui-san?!"

Yui glared. "Its not indecent! Not where I come from!"

Koutoku blinked in surprise.

Shunkaku turned to his brother. "I'm just as confused as you are."

Yui threw her hands up. "I give up. You're both hopeless. Fine. I'll go change."

"I'm not hopeless!" Shunkaku exclaimed in an indignant outraged, crossing his arms over his chest. "It just so happens that here, we're not used to such dressing customs that you are!"

"Fine. Forgive me! I wasn't informed of the proper dress code when I came here!" Yui retorted.

"You seem mentioned it was like being back in history, so if you know history, wouldn't you have tuned in to this fact?!" Shunkaku shot back, for once getting an upper hand.

"Yes, it is! But I wasn't aware of that fact until after I came here! Sorry I didn't bring my historical wardrobe with me!"

"There's bound to be something in your room. If not, why not ask one of Heika-sama's mistresses."

Yui was about to protest, the shut her mouth. He had a point. "Okay, fine."

Shunkaku nodded. He then went on. "To be honest, the fact that you're dressed in so little made me uncomfortable in the first place."

Yui blinked. "Oh."

"I'm not used to so much exposed flesh on a lady."

Yui blushed at Shunkaku's remark.

He blinked. "Uh...did I say something wrong?"

Yui shook her head. "Never mind. I'll be right back. I'm going to go change."

After she left, Shunkaku turned to his brother. "I need help."

Koutoku blinked. "Uhh...okay. With what?"

"How do you handle girls who are extremely forward?!"

"NANI?!"

"She came on to me! I'm not used to that sort of thing!"

Koutoku smirked. "Really? Ah...isn't that sweet. My otouto has a girl come on to him!"

Shunkaku glared. "It's not funny! She made me nervous...I don't want to scare her away because I fear her aggressiveness!"

"I'm sorry Shun-chan. I didn't mean to laugh." Koutoku put his arm around his brother. "Okay. What scared you specifically?"

Shunkaku sighed. "Firstly the fact that she came in dressed as she was, followed by her making me extremely uncomfortable. Once she achieved that, I passed out from shock and she kissed me, which only scared me even more...it made her cry...Aniki, I didn't want her to!"

Koutoku squeezed his brother's shoulders. "You have to remember Shun. She's from another world. Her customs are going to be different from ours. I know you didn't mean to make her cry. I know you care about her very much."

Leaning against his brother, resting his forehead on Koutoku's shoulder, Shunkaku sighed vacantly. "I know, that's what scares me, the fact I don't know how to act around her. You saw how she reacted when we mentioned her dress. I don't know...I'm always afraid that I'm going to offend her."

"Don't be. Shun, you can't have a relationship with her if your afraid to open you mouth all the time. You have to realize, that you may offend, even upset her at times. But she will do the same to you. You just need time to get to know each other."

In her large, spacious, sterile chambers with an eerie silence that hung over, Yui explored through the small closet in the room, seeing what the style of the feminine attire was in this particular place. Finding a full-length outfit, various shades of blue within it, she decided to change into that.

Gazing down at her own blouse, which came barely to her thighs, she still didn't entirely see what could have been so wrong with it, after all, it was normal for her. Sighing, she unbuttoned her shirt and folded it neatly, placing it in the pile with the rest of her school uniform, the skirt, vest and jacket.

Once down in only her bra and underpants, she pulled the more conventional outfit out and lay it on the bed, seeing how she might possibly put it on, since she hadn't worn anything quite like it before.

Once fully attired in Kutou's traditional style of dress, she examined her appearance in the mirror, tugging at the neckline that seemed to plummet so low.

'Okay, and I thought my shirt was hiked up too high on my thighs, but damn, I might as well be topless, since it's exposing almost my entire chest.'

She sighed, giving in, noting that it wouldn't go any higher. 'But at least I won't have to hear about how indecently I'm dressed. The guys back home never complained. I guess I should be thankful for the more conservative attitudes here.'

Koutoku sighed. He really didn't know what to say to his brother. He could tell Shunkaku had fallen rather hard for the young woman who had become Seiryuu no Miko. He bit his lip. He had a feeling that trying times were ahead for those two.

Yui sighed. Placing the slippers on her feet, she exited the room. She was extremely self-conscious about the low cut dress. Despite her skirts being rather short, she had never worn anything that exposed her chest so much. She approached the twins, giving them a nervous smile. "Better?"

Nodded in full-hearted agreement, Shunkaku seemed to be paying a little more attention to her than before. He had been attracted to her for herself, but now took to more or less analysing her physical features, as her prior mode of dress made him too nervous to do so.

"Yea, much better."

Silently to himself, he added, trying to keep his thoughts from getting perverse in nature, 'she looks so much better than before...now she looks like a lady instead of a strangely dressed foreign girl.'

Yui didn't know why, but she started to blush at Shunkaku's praise. It felt good to hear a boy say that to her.

Koutoku nodded. "He's right, Yui-san. You look much better. Very elegant."

'And what great cleavage she has!' Shunkaku thought, subtly taking his eyes from hers and dropping them to her bare chest. He cleared his throat. "Why not just keep wearing this world's clothes, it'll help for you to blend in when finding the Seishi and you'll be less likely to stand out in a crowd."

Yui shrugged. "Maybe. I'm kinda fond of my uniform though. I'll think about it."

'She can't go back to the other one, then I'll get a lousy view!' Shunkaku reasoned in panic. "Ah, Yui, you look better in this! And you'll fit in better here!"

Yui crossed her arms across her chest, obscuring Shunkaku's view. "Why? What's wrong with my uniform?! It's comfortable!"

He had to stop himself from expressing his dissatisfaction over her obstructing his view of her cleavage. He coolly explained, "simple, it exposes way too much of the female body." For his own benefit, he added, 'well, this one doesn't, just gives me a view!'

Yui sputtered. "And this doesn't?!!" She cried indignantly, gesturing to the dress.

"Of course not." Shunkaku replied with a sly smirk.

Yui narrowed her eyes at Shunkaku. She had a distinct feeling she knew why he liked this dress. Sauntering over to him, she pressed her chest up against his. "Would you care to explain that observation to me?"

Koutoku smirked. This was great! His brother never did know when to shut up!

"Because I never felt comfortable before?!" He meekly suggested, with a shrug.

"Why? The other one just showed a little leg. This....this...this /thing/ shows a hell of a lot more! That's why you like, isn't it?!" Yui flared angrily. Leave it to a man to get upset over leg, but when the chest comes out, oh no! It's fine!

"A /little leg/?" Shunkaku fired back. "Shit, what you were dressed in before showed a hell of a lot more than a little leg! It damn well exposed both! You might as well have been wearing nothing." He then defiantly crossed his arms. "And now, I don't like this out for the reasons you say, I just think it suits you a hell of a lot better!"

Yui hmphed. "Sure it is."

"It is so! Besides, I don't feel nervous as hell now with you dressed like this."

"No kidding." Yui still didn't entirely believe him, but went with it anyway.

Shunkaku sceptically gazed at her. 'Her tone sounds doubtful. Great, just what I need, her to start *not* trusting me, okay, that'll go really far!'

Shaking his head, he stood up and quickly threw his shirt and tunic back on, before securing his belt around his waist and attaching the weapon to it.

Yui sighed. Walking over, she linked her arm with Shunkaku's. "I'm sorry. I've just...never worn anything like this before. I'm not used to it."

He sighed. "uh...okay..."

Koutoku shook his head. "Come on you two. I want to show you something. I think you'll like it."

"What is it, Aniki?"

Koutoku smiled. "You'll see."