Disclaimer: Kohana, Piaoliang Feng, Shen Yuan, Nanase, An Hua, Ayame and Ruri are my characters. I suppose that's it.

Red Wings of Fate

Chapter 7: Wishes Without Gods

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

~To my anonymous reviewer - Honey, I know Soi was a girl in the anime. It's pretty hard to miss. But this isn't the original story. I'm trying to get away from that. And hopefully doing a good job. This story is supposed to take place roughly 50 years or so after the anime. Well, inside the book it's 50 years. Outside it's about 10. Nakago and Chichiri were guys but I changed that didn't I? And believe me, they won't be the last ones to change gender.

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Piaoliang stumbled through the woods outside of town. Branches scratched her face as tears streamed down her cheeks. She didn't care though. She just wanted to die now. How could her parents give her to someone else? They knew she'd always loved Shen Yuan. They always told her Shen would make a wonderful husband for her when they were older.

"So what changed?" She whispered. She finally collapsed to the ground near a stream. She could begin to count how many days she'd spent with him there on the shore. It had always been their place. No one ever bothered them there. She wished things were like they were years ago.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Shen pulled his arm off Li's shoulder. "What do you mean you're engaged to Piao?"

"I asked her parents for her hand in marriage a week or so ago."

"You don't even love her."

"So? Who marries for love?" Li blinked a few times when he noticed how pissed Shen looked. "What?"

"Piaoliang Feng is my fiancé." He hissed.

"Sorry Shen, but I've got her parents' permission. She's good enough to have my kids."

"Good enough? Just who the hell do you think you are?" Shen clenched his fist. "You're not getting married to her."

"And why would that be?"

Shen stood quietly for a moment then almost embedded his fist in Li's stomach. "I told you. She's my fiancé." The other man clutched his stomach and crumpled to a heap on the street. Shen took off down the street to find Piaoliang.

Kohana saw the distraught soldier running towards her. She figured he knew why Piaoliang was so upset. "Shen!" She called out to him. He looked over at her. "She started running east into the forest." He nodded to her in thanks, already completely aware of where she went. "And Shen?"

"Yeah?"

"She loves you, you know that right?"

He nodded. "Yeah…took me too long to see though…" He ran out of town to go find Piaoliang.

Kohana went off to find Hotohori. She found him at the inn. "Hotohori, how can you just sit here?" She put her hands on her hips.

"What?" He truly wasn't aware of what happened down on the street.

"Piaoliang just found out her parents made another engagement for her. Shen found out by talking to the other guy. Piaoliang ran off into the forest crying and now Shen's gone after her." She grabbed his hand. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" He was caught completely off guard by the way she dragged him.

"We're going to see Piaoliang's parents."

"Umm…why?"

"You're the emperor, I'm the priestess. We have to get them together."

"We do?" He struggled with her logic. "It's her parents' choice who she marries."

"Not where I'm from. Piaoliang should be happy with the person she spends the rest of her life with. I'm not letting my only friend outside of my seishi be miserable." She continued to drag him down the street. "Now come on!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

'Please be okay…' Shen ran as hard as he could to the spot near the stream. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Piaoliang's sobbing form next to the water. Her whole body shook as she let all her sadness out.

'Piao…' He wasn't really sure if he'd said it or thought it.

Apparently he said it though. Piaoliang looked up long enough to see him staring at her. Scared, she gathered up her skirts and pulled herself to her feet. She intended on running again, but her legs wouldn't move.

He ran to her. "Piao…" He stared at the scratches on her face. None of them were bad. He cupped her cheek his hand and wiped away her tears. Her emerald eyes glistened in the light with more tears that threatened to spill out.

She couldn't even bring herself to look at him. What was the point? Her future with him was over before it started. She wanted to run, his strong embraces was too warm and comforting. "What are you doing here, Shen Yuan?"

He flinched at the use of his full name. She never used his full name. They were never that formal unless around large groups of people.  "I…I came to find you…"

"What for?" She tried to look away from him but his eyes held hers firmly.

He leaned forward and kissed her. She became paralyzed in his arms. Her eyes couldn't have opened wider. She didn't understand what was going on. "I love you Piao." He whispered against her lips.

"Wha? No…you…you can't…you can't…I…no…" Her voice became hoarse. Her tears started to fall again again. "I'm engaged to Li…" She struggled in his arms. She didn't want this now. Any other time before would have been perfect…but not now.

"No…never…" He held her tightly.

"But Li and my parents said…"

He kissed her again to stop her from saying anything else. "Screw what they said. I asked for your hand before we left the village. They said yes. Li can't have you…"

Piaoliang trembled. "You…you asked for…for me?" She looked up at him with wide eyes.

He nodded and gently stroked her face. "I told you…I love you Piao…"

A small smile passed over her lips." Shen…" She rested her head on his chest. "I love you too."

He held her tightly with one hand and ran his fingers through her hair with the other. He looked at the water, up at the trees. Time hadn't touched this place. It was exactly how he remembered it. The last time they were here was two years ago…right before they headed out for the capital.

"Shen…what do we do about Li?"

"I don't know…but something will happen…it has to…" He lowered his lips to hers again. She eased into his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. Things were looking up now.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hotohori was amazed by Kohana's determination. She didn't even stop to look at Li. He'd pulled himself off the ground, but was still in an enormous amount of pain.

"Kohana, shouldn't we see if he's…"

"No time! Piao comes first!"

Kohana knocked on the door Piaoliang's house. Her father answered. "Can I help you miss?"

"Yeah. You can't marry your daughter off to the loser Li." She huffed.

He looked at her funny. "Who exactly are you and how do you know our daughter?"

"I'm the priestess of Suzaku, that's who. This is Hotohori. One of my seishi and your emperor."

Her father looked inside to Piao's mother. "Dear…there's a couple outside claiming to be the priestess and emperor telling me not to let Piao get married to Li."

A woman came to the door. "How interesting…why don't you two run along? Our daughter's marriage isn't your business."

Now Hotohori was a little offended. "Don't accuse her of lying. Piaoliang is Kohana's personal attendant in the palace."

They looked at each other. "Can you prove what you claim?"

The group of Piaoliang's friends was near by, listening to everything. One of the girls ran over. "I can! I was in the capital the day the girl who turned out to be the priestess trashed the emperor's carriage! That's her!" She pointed at Kohana.

Kohana turned bright red. "Why does everyone know about that?!?!"

Piaoliang's parents looked at each other again. "Umm…we apologize for our doubt…please…enter our humble home…" They backed away from the door, heads lowered.

"Oh, cut that out. I hate formalities." Kohana waved it off.

"You wished to speak to us about Piaoliang?"

"Yeah. That's right." She sat on a bench at the table. "What are you doing by putting her with that Li guy? You oughta know who she really loves."

"My lady…with all due respect…marriage isn't about love…" Piaoliang's mother started.

"I'm really sick of hearing that. Marriage is all about love where I come from. You're supposed to get married to the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. You shouldn't force Piao to marry Li when she loves Shen." Kohana sighed. "I know people say love comes after marriage, but it shouldn't have to when you love someone before marriage."

They stopped to think for a moment. Suddenly, Piaoliang's mother jerked her head up. "I just remembered something…"

"Something wrong ma'am?" Hotohori looked concerned.

"Well…dear…" She looked at her husband. "Do you remember what Shen asked us before they left?"

He winced. "He asked for her hand in marriage…"

Kohana stood up. "Perfect! He was first! That means they can get married right?"

"Well…we'll have to get rid of Li somehow now…"

"You might not have to…I think we saw him writhing in pain outside. I believe that was him anyway…seems like Shen got to him first." Hotohori scratched his head.

"What'd I do now?" Shen pushed open the door. Piaoliang was with him.

Piaoliang's mother ran to her and hugged her. "Piao honey, we're so sorry!"

"Huh?" She was taken more than a little off guard.

"We forgot about your engagement to Shen! He did ask first."

Piaoliang smiled widely. "Thank you, Mother!" She hugged her mother and father tightly then ran to Shen. He embraced her tightly.

Kohana felt a tug at her heart. Hotohori put a hand on her shoulder. "Do you miss your parents?"

"I dunno…not much to miss. I never knew them…I miss my sister and brother…they're like my parents…" She whispered.

"Once the seishi are gathered you could ask Suzaku if you could meet them."

"I…I can do that?"

"You can ask for anything."

"Huh…guess it's something to think about…I've always wondered what they think of me…" She thought for a moment while Hotohori watched Piaoliang's parents take the confused yet happy couple into another room to begin planning.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

'Crap…' Momo looked around. The twins were nowhere to be seen. She was stuck in the middle of the Kutou market place on her own. 'Oh great…I'm gonna die…' She weaved around people wondering if maybe it was a better idea to wait for the twins to find her. But then again, she didn't want people to think she was lost. She didn't trust anyone here.

She wandered from booth to booth, only casting an occasional glace at what was for sale. Nothing particular interested her until she reached a table filled with elaborately decorated dream catchers. She scanned the table looked at each one of them.

"See anything you like my lady?" A young girl was tending the table. She looked about as old as Momo. Stark white hair framed her pale face. Momo felt as though her onyx eyes could see right through her. She was a little breath taken. A beautiful crystal pendant hung from her neck.

After regaining control of herself, she spoke. "They're all wonderful. Did you make them?"

"Yes. It's a hobby of mine." The girl looked at Momo. "You look tired. Perhaps something is plaguing your dreams?"

"What? No…I don't think so anyway…I'm just not used to sleeping in the palace." She could have kicked herself for saying that.

"The palace?"

"Uh…um…I'm the…priestess of Seiryuu…Momo…" She whispered nervously.

The girl gasped. "Lady Momo…it's an honor to speak to you. I'm not worthy…" She bowed.

"Don't do that…really…I'm just a regular girl like you." Momo looked around, panicked, hoping no one saw the girl bowing to her. "What's your name?"

"Nar…Nanase…"

Momo cocked her head to one side. "What?"

"Nanase."

"I thought you were going to say something else…"

"No, my lady…You must have caught someone else's conversation. The market place is awfully noisy you know." Nanase traced a line around her pendant.

"Oh…yeah…of course. Shoulda figured…" She continued to look over the dream catchers.

"Would you like one, Lady Momo?"

"I'd love one but my…friend has all the money…I got separated from him…"

"I couldn't take money from the priestess. I insist you just take one."

"I really should pay…"

"Please. I've sold enough today and I have many extras." Nanase pulled one out from under the table. "Here. I think this one suits you. The stone in the cage is moonstone." It was a medium sized one. The strings in the middle were various shades of blue. Feathers of other shades of blue hung from the bottom. In the center of strings was a small wire cage where the moonstone sat.

"It…it's beautiful…" Momo was entranced by it. "I just don't think I can take it without paying…"

"It's payment enough knowing the great priestess of Seiryuu has one of my humble creations."

"Thank you Nanase…" Momo took off her backpack and slid the dream catcher inside.

"That's a very interesting bag. I can't say I've ever seen anything like it."

"This? Oh…it's pretty common where I'm from…"

"I see." Nanase pushed her white hair back a little. "I bid you good day my lady."

"Have a nice day Nanase." Momo started to walk away. Then she remembered she wanted to ask Nanase how exactly she made dream catchers. She turned around. "Nanase, I was just wondering…" Her eyes widened. The table of dream catchers and the girl that made them that had been there seconds before was gone. The space was split between two other tables. One sold some food and the other sold some sort of talismans to ward off evil.

She immediately slung off her bag and opened it up. The blue dream catcher was still there. So then…where was the shop? Where was Nanase? She stared blankly at the space too shocked to move.

Though she soon regretted looking blatantly confused.

"Somethin' wrong here, cutie?" She felt someone tugging at her coat.

"I'm fine…" She backed away. But she backed into someone else.

"Don't look fine." He grinned. He was missing a few teeth.

She grimaced. "Really…" She began walking away at a brisk pace.

A third man cut her off. "You seem lost."

"I am not!" She started to run. She wished she knew the city. She wished she knew how to get back to the palace. She wished for…Suboshi? Why was the grumpy boy who didn't like her, who she didn't particularly like either, the first of her seishi she thought of?

She swore under her breath. Her running had brought her to a dead end. She backed up against the wall. She couldn't believe her short time in Kutou was about to end with three disgusting guys in a back alley.

One of the men grabbed her by the hair. "Pretty…" She winced as he yanked on her long fiery red hair.

"Let go!" She cried as she tried to twist away.

"Don't struggle so much and it won't hurt to bad." He pulled harder.

She winced. Her hand slipped to a knife at her waist. Nakago gave it to her before she went out with the twins, telling her to protect herself, not to count on just the twins. She hacked at her hair. The man tumbled back with a large section of her hair in his hand. A few of the newly shortened strands of hair blew in front of her face.

"She's feisty…too bad about the hair." The toothless man watched his companion toss the hair into the dirt.

She tightened her grip on the knife.

"One knife won't protect you from three guys." The third man pulled out his own knife.

She let out an involuntary whimper. 'I'm so dead…' She saw the shadow of the hand with the knife move over her head. 'Suboshi…'

She closed her eyes and waited. But the knife never came. Instead she heard the man scream in pain.

She opened her eyes and screamed. The other men were backing away from their suddenly right handless companion. The man clutched his handless wrist and screamed in pain.

"What did you do to him?!"

Momo was too scared to speak. Suddenly the toothless man went flying, flung away by some unknown force. The bleeding man ran for his life.

Momo crouched down and covered her head with her hands, wishing it was over.

She heard the last man scream. She wondered if he was dead. Things soon quieted. An eternity passed before she felt it was safe to look up. But she still refused to move. Fear gripped her tightly. She didn't want to know what saved her.

"Momo…get up. We're going back to the palace."

She looked up cautiously. Suboshi was looking down at her, holding out his hand, his ryuuseisui at his waist.

"Su…Suboshi…" She didn't move.

"Can you get up?" He asked a little impatiently.

She nodded, afraid her voice would betray her. She reached for his hand and let him do most of the work.

"Are you hurt or not?"

She shook her head.

"Come on. We should go back now. Someone at the palace might be able to do something about your hair." He ran his fingers through her hair, checking to see how much of her own hair she hacked off to get away from the men. His hand lingered on her shoulder.

Suddenly, she flung herself into his arms. Eyes shut tightly, she buried her face into his shoulder and whimpered. Suboshi felt her trembling. He figured she'd start crying soon. He wasn't sure it was appropriate, but he wrapped his arms around her in an attempt to comfort the terrified girl.

"It's okay Momo…they're gone…don't cry…" He really didn't want to deal with a crying girl.

After a minute or so of simply clinging to him, she let go. "Thank you Suboshi…"

"It's…my job…I'm supposed to protect you…"

"I know…but thanks anyway."

"How you end up in this alley anyway?"

"I…I'm not sure…I was talking to this girl and when I was done I started walking away…I remembered I wanted to ask her something so I turned around to find her…but…" She stood there quietly.

"But?"

"But she was gone…I still have the dream catcher she gave me though…"

"Maybe you just missed the table."

She didn't really believe that, but she shrugged. "Maybe…"

"You wanna go back up to the palace?"

"Yeah."

Suboshi stepped around the man on the ground. He wasn't dead, just knocked out. The second man was nowhere in sight. Suboshi got rid of him somehow. And all that was left of the man who almost knifed her was a bloody hand holding the knife. Momo thought she was going to vomit.

Momo and Suboshi met Amiboshi near the palace gates. The older twin looked rather distraught.

"Lady Momo! Are you alright? What happened?"

She cringed at 'Lady' Momo. She didn't like it at all. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure? I thought something happened to you…we've been looking…"

"Seriously Amiboshi. I'm fine. I got a little misplaced is all." She shrugged and started walking towards the place doors.

"Is she really fine?" Amiboshi looked at his brother.

Suboshi was watching Momo walk up the stairs.

"Ototo?"

"Yeah wha?" He snapped back to attention.

"Is Lady Momo alright?"

"Yeah…she's fine." Suboshi ran up the stairs after Momo. Amiboshi followed, wondering what really happened in town.

Suboshi found Momo in her room. She had found a pair of scissors in her bag and was carefully evening out her hair. Chunks of red hair fell to the floor, unnoticed. He watched her for a moment before he spoke. "Momo?"

"Hmmm?" She looked up from her hair to meet his eyes.

"Why…why didn't you tell Amiboshi what happened?"

"And make his head explode?"

"What?" Obviously Suboshi took her words a little too literally.

She put down the scissors and waved her hands in the air. "Not literally. Figuratively." He still looked at her funny. "What I mean is, your brother worries a lot, doesn't he?"

"Yeah…I guess so…he worries about stuff that isn't even his business."

"Well, can you imagine how much he'd freak out if I told him I got lost and almost got myself killed had you not come along to save my sorry ass?"

Suboshi thought for a moment. "Yeah…I guess you're right. And you're not a sorry person, Momo." He started to leave the room.

"Suboshi?"

"Yeah?" He stopped short of the door.

"I've got one more thing to thank you for…" She stood up to meet him.

"I can't think of anything else worth mentioning that I've done…" He shrugged.

"It's not a huge thing…it's just…thanks for not calling me Lady Momo…it's really annoying."

He looked a little confused. "Well…I just don't see you as a 'Lady'…" His eyes widened and he snapped his mouth shut. "I didn't mean that! Or I meant it in the best possible way! Whatever you prefer!" He winced, thinking she'd be royally pissed off at him.

To his surprise, she just laughed. "Trust me Suboshi. You're not the only one."

Confusion seemed to be the permanent emotion on his face.

She looked at herself in the mirror. "I'm not much of a lady. I argue till I get my way, I fight with more people than most of the guys I know, I'm about as graceful as an elephant…to most people I'm average…barely even that."

"But…that's what makes you, you, right?"

"Something like that." She shook out her hair. "Damn…and here I was trying to grow it out…"

"I think it looks nice." He said absently.

"Thanks…" She gave him a small smile.

"Sure…" He nodded, hiding a small blush.

She stared at him for a while. He stared back. Before either one could really stop themselves, they leaned towards each other to kiss. It wasn't much of a kiss though. More just like brushing their lips together before jerking apart.

"Sorry…"

"Me too…"

"I don't know where that came from…"

"Me either…"

"I should go…"

"I gotta finish my hair…"

"Bye…"

"Bye…"

Words tumbled from their mouths at a frantic rate.

Suboshi hurried out of Momo's room. Momo shook off her daze. She held her head. "Must be some post-traumatic stress…thing…or something…" She convinced herself that was why she almost kissed him and went back to her dresser and scissors.

A cool wind blew in through her window. Her backpack tumbled off the edge of her dresser. "Shoot…I knew I should have put that in a better place…" She went to the window to close it and then to her backpack.

The clasp opened and some of the contents spilled onto the floor, one of them being her new dream catcher.

"Hmm…I should hang that up…" She bent down to pick it up. When the tips of her fingers touched the circle, a chill like no other raced through her body. She drew her hand back with a small cry. That was just weird. She reached out for it again. Nothing happened.

"That was weird…" She picked it up and set in on her table, thinking to put it up later.

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Artwork update:

1) Black and White - Kohana - Sitting

2) Black and White - Kohana - Priestess Robes

*New* 3) Color - Momo and Kohana - Priestess Robes

~*~Shadow Hawk~*~