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Chapter 6

Tired.

She had never looked so tired in her life.

Touching her fingers to her face, she delicately inspected the dark bags beginning to form under her eyes. So much had happened in the past week and a half.

She had snuck out on several occasions, watched her friends fight for their lives, stole her family's golden dragon seal, used the seal to take full command the Water Tribe army in a battle against foreign drug lords and directly disobeyed her father's orders multiple times. All to be exiled from the only home she had ever known.

With a deep sigh, An Lili ran her fingertips across the surface of the pond, marring her reflection.

Sitting in the courtyard of her "prison", she rolled her eyes. Prison, right. What kind of prison had a luxurious garden with its own koi pond? Or water fountains? What kind of prison had no locks?!

As her bodyguards, Ayura and Tetora, had put it, this place was really just her father's own way of showing her he cared. According to them, she had "touched his heart" with the passion she had shown for her people; even if she committed treason by doing so. In return, he was granting her the one thing she had always wanted: freedom.

Looking down at her hands, Lili smiled. If this were true, it was the first time her father had ever acknowledged her strength. It was a courage she attributed to Yona. Were it not for the red-head, she wasn't sure she'd even be alive. Despite her usual aversion to girls her own age, the two had become quick friends who shared the same goals of saving their people. Lili deeply hoped that one day they would see each other again.

Especially after lying to her upon their parting only days prior…

A heavy stone of misery settled in Lili's gut as she neared the spot that Yona and her crew had been camping out around. She had been able to prolong their stay by an extra day or two with different excuses, but something told her today would be the day...

Her shoulders drooped even more as she noticed the essentials of their travels stacked neatly next to a slumbering Hak.

"Lili." A quiet voice said from behind her.

Turning, she found herself face to face with Rei.

Not having interacted much with the mysterious beauty, Lili wasn't sure what to make of her. Something in Rei's eyes and posture was always so guarded, like she was constantly on high alert. Then again, from what Yona had explained of her past, she couldn't exactly blame her.

"Where is Yona?" Navy eyebrows crumpled together as Lili looked around.

"She's in town restocking supplies with the others."

"Oh, I see," the shorter girl said, looking a little gloomy as she did so. "I just wanted to tell you all I was able to get the roots you need. Who in Kuuto should they be delivered to?"

"The Hiryuu palace doctor," Rei said, her voice more hushed than before.

"Alright—" Lili froze as the location registered in her mind. "Wait! What?! The palace doctor?!"

Looking over Lili's shoulder to where Hak rested undisturbed, the older woman sighed.

"Yes, my friend is under his care."

So there was more to her story. Was this something Yona knew?

Rei waited patiently for Lili's response.

"I mean, I guess that makes things a little bit easier…" Chewing on her lip, Lili's mind started to turn. She had caught wind that her father and some of their attendants would be heading to Kuuto in the next coming days for business. Paying one of them off would be a fairly simple task…

As Rei stepped closer, Lili was sucked into the dark violet of her eyes. "Can I ask you for another favor?"

Crossing her arms a little defensively, Lili had to remind herself that this was one of Yona's friends; she was trustworthy. Right?

"Can you not tell Yona and the others what I just told you? About where my friend is?" Appearing to catch her blatantly suspicious look, Rei continued, "I'm not certain that information being passed around right now would benefit anyone."

Shifting her weight from one foot to another, Lili thought on Rei's words. It was true she didn't know Yona's past all that well, but it was obvious that there was some kind of turbulent history between their party and the crown. She had heard about Hak's outburst and deadly intentions towards the man who had designated himself her bodyguard during Hiyou's tirade. The same man who was later revealed as Kouka's king, Soo-Won. All of this together only fueled the support of her theory regarding Yona's past, but Rei's ask nearly confirmed it.

Yona was Kouka's lost princess.

Finding herself becoming more and more entangled in the spaces between truth and treachery, Lili relented.

"Alright, I won't say anything," she sighed.

"Thank you," Rei said, smiling tightly in return.

"Lili!" The tension between the two women was broken by an approaching Yona.

The two girls embraced.

"I'm not interrupting, am I?" Stepping back, the red-head glanced between them.

"No," Lili said, waving her hands. "I was just telling Rei that I was able to get the roots she needs from Suiko."

"Really? Now you can send them to Kuuto?"

"Y-yeah. To that market doctor, right?"

Rei nodded.

Lili couldn't help but notice the guilty way the raven haired woman's lips thinned as Yona' eyes lit up. In an odd way, the grim gesture comforted her.

"Great! How about joining us for lunch before we head out?" Hefting up the basket she had set down, Yona addressed her newest friend. "Tetora and Ayura are also welcomed!"

After a delicious meal and a tearful goodbye, Lili had watched her new friends disappear over the horizon, unsure of when she'd see them next. This, mixed with the scolding she had received from her father, left the daughter of the Water Tribe feeling listless.

Resting her forehead against the tea table, Lili groaned.

"Something wrong?" Tetora's cheerful voice called from not too far away.

"No…"

Had she endangered her friend by withholding the truth?

Frustrated with her own uncertainty, the dark haired girl stood, letting her chair tip back with a startling crash.

No! No more questioning herself! No more feeling helpless! Her main concern was still trying to find the source eroding her tribe and she was going to get to the bottom of it all!

"Right! Let's do this!" Slamming her hands on the table, Lili radiated with renewed energy.

From the other side of the courtyard, Ayura and Tetora passed each other amused looks.

-x-

Pushing her way through a group of ambling browsers, the Princess of Mars scowled.

For some reason, when the others had described the Earth Tribe she had expected sleepy mountain towns not bustling market places.

Crowds, though novel at first, were quickly becoming one of her least favorite parts of the common world. People either walked too slowly or were too impatient for their own good. There was too much yelling, too many unidentifiable smells and she was pretty sure someone had touched her rear-end earlier.

"Miss, how about you try on this pretty necklace?" Rei recoiled as the man's hot, rotten breath assaulted her nose. "I'll even give you a discount, my lovely."

Glaring, the girl ducked away from his grubby hands, disappearing back into the throng.

"She sure is popular, huh?"

Having found a quiet spot in the ebb of shoppers, Yoon, Hak, Kija and Jae Ha waited for the others to return from their perusing. Their eyes settled on the profile of the raven haired woman as she bobbed and weaved through the vendors nearby.

"Jealous someone else is getting all the attention, Droopy Eyes?" Hak smirked, entertained by the dramatically crestfallen look Jae-Ha responded with.

They all watched as another young man, selling apples this time, approached Rei with an air of overconfidence. They cringed as she blatantly ignored his attempts to chat, prompting him to speak louder as he leaned closer into her. This, apparently, was the last straw because even though they couldn't hear what was being said, the utter look of dejection and humiliation that soon washed over the young man's face was telling enough.

"The poor kid didn't even stand a chance," someone said as a sense of masculine sympathy settled over the group.

It wasn't long after that the rest of the crew regrouped for lunch with the exception of Rei, who had told them she still needed more time.

"Food, food, food! Can we—"

"No, I packed lunch for today," Yoon said, expertly shooting down Zeno's idea of wasting money before it was even out of his mouth. Pulling out the neatly packed rice balls, the boy genius handed them out one by one, careful not to crush them as he did so.

"Yay! Food!" With an appreciative grin, the yellow dragon graciously accepted the meticulously wrapped morsel.

"Thank you, Yoon!" The red-headed princess smiled, but as soon as the food was placed in her waiting hands, it was gone. Vanished.

"Huh?" A confounded expression crossed the girl's face.

"That thief just stole Yona's rice ball!" Kija cried, finger jabbing after the small figure of a dark haired boy.

Rei crossed her arms and sighed. She had been up and down the market place all day, but to no avail. No one sold anything remotely similar to the Lily of the Goddess root or Nadai. Not that she had expected anyone to, but she had hoped maybe the seedier side of the market would provide her with some kind of lead. There was definitely a connection between the drug and ominous atmosphere consuming the distant country of Kai, but what that connection was, she didn't know.

"Hey! Stop!" Rei looked up at the sound of Kija's voice.

"A kid?" Squinting in confusion, the Senshi of Mars noticed the neat bits of rice ball the boy was shoving into his mouth as he approached. Eerily similar to the ones she had seen Yoon make only yesterday…

With her arms still crossed, Rei stuck her foot out, catching the kid in the ankles as he dashed by.

"Ack!" Losing his footing, the boy slid across the ground.

"Hey! You!" Yoon's voice lost some of its edge as he hovered over the thief who glared up at him from behind his messy bangs. He couldn't have been much older than eleven or twelve. "Huh? You're…just a…"

Before the honey blonde could finish his sentence the boy jumped to his feet, intending to dash away, only to run right into the rest of the group.

Trapped, the boy gulped loudly.

"Excuse me?" With a friendly smile, Yona approached the boy. "Are you hungry?"

Staggering back, the boy couldn't contain the loud gurgle of his stomach at the mention of food.

"Here," the princess said, pulling out her bow and arrows. With expert composer, Yona shot a circling bird out of the sky and handed it to the boy. "If you take this to one of the stands over there, they should give you a few coins for it."

The boy open and closed his mouth, absolutely flabbergasted with the beautiful girl in front of him.

"W-wow! That was amazing!" A new light took to his eyes. "You're amazing!"

The men shared a proud look as they nodded in agreement.

"How about you come be my bride? My house is right nearby the river!" Grabbing her wrist, the newcomer began dragging Yona away. "We won't be able to get married right away, but once I turn thirteen we can!"

Unaware of his surroundings, the little thief once again tripped over Rei's extended foot.

Instantly Yoon and Kija descended upon the poor thing, hovering menacingly as they scolded him over his irresponsibility and disrespect. Despite their venom, the young man remained unperturbed as he stared longingly at Yona.

Coming to stand next to Jae-Ha and Hak, Rei watched as the boy tried his hardest to romance the sweet red-head.

"Nice footwork," the former Awa pirate praised, earning him an indignant huff from the fiery woman.

"Shouldn't you say something?" Leaning around Jae-Ha, Rei sent a pointed look in Hak's direction.

"Why me?" The Thunder Beast didn't even spare her a glance.

"He's a formidable adversary." The taller man joined in teasing Hak, even though his own smile was an uncomfortable one.

All the outnumbered general could do was roll his eyes as he listened to the insistent boy beg Yona to run away with him. Though he knew there was no way this scrappy kid was a threat, Hak couldn't help up let out an alleviated breath when Yona finally turned the runt down.

"Just give up, okay?" An exhausted Yoon pulled out the last of the remaining food they had stored in their pack. "If you promise to stop with the proposals, I'll give you this."

"Ah! Thank you!" With improved spirits, the boy accepted Yoon's offer.

Rei opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, her lunch had already been gobbled down. Frustrated and hungry, the Solider of Fire felt her tolerance with their guest beginning to thin.

"Do you have a name?"

As if noticing the other woman for the first time, the kid swallowed his food heavily.

"Kalgan." The blush from before retouched his cheeks as he spoke, "You're also very pretty. Will you—"

"I wouldn't even try it, if you want to live." The boy genius warned from under his breath. Speaking up, Yoon broke the awkward atmosphere, "Say, you said you live near the river. How far away is that?"

"Pretty close actually," Kalgan answered. "Just a few hours walk after you cross the river."

"Wait—what? Cross the river? The only thing on the other side of the river is Kai."

Nodding, Kalgan finished his rice ball as they all casually strolled towards the edge of town.

"You're from Kai?!"

"Yep."

"And you're here alone?"

"I mean, my family isn't that far away," Kalgan said, "but yeah, I guess I wanted to check out Kouka for myself."

"Are you enjoying your time so far?" Yona asked pleasantly, walking alongside the boy.

"Mm, yeah! Kouka has some spirited women and good food!"

Glowing with the compliment, the princess elbowed Hak in the side good-naturedly. The dark haired man couldn't help but return her mirth with a grin of his own.

"Do you think you can take us across the river?"

All eyes fell on Rei.

"You've decided you'll be my bri—"

"How about we just escort you home?" Ryokuryuu cut in. Just how dense was this kid? "The border can be fairly dangerous."

"You don't have to," Kalgan said, pressing his thumb to his puffed out chest. "I'm able to take care of myself."

Finding themselves on the outskirt of the village now, Shin-Ah paused, his gaze locked ahead of them.

"Something wrong, Seiryuu?" Kija's question had their group slowing as everyone focused on the blue dragon.

"Hundreds of soldiers… along the river…" His voice was distant as his eyes picked up on what they couldn't see themselves. "They're heading this way…"

"Kouka soldiers?"

Shin-Ah nodded.

"There wasn't that many when I crossed the river before!" Kalgan's eyes filled with a panic as he scanned the horizon for what Shin-Ah was seeing. "How will I be able to cross back? Does this mean I can't go home?"

Turning to Jae-Ha, Yona asked, "Do you think you can you find us another route?"

"Leave it to me." Not wanting to draw any unnecessary attention, he immediately headed out on foot.

"Why would there be so many soldiers?" The priestess questioned out loud, eyes narrowed.

"I heard that the Earth Tribe found a large vein of valuable stone in some of the nearby mines," Kija mentioned, shrugging. "Maybe they're helping out?"

"Maybe…" Hak caught the pensive scrunch of Rei's dark eyes.

Their newest ally was more intuitive then she led on, making the former general wonder if there wasn't something more happening at the border. He could only hope that Jae-Ha returned before they found themselves right in the middle of whatever it was.

-x-

Scowling, Rei stared into the wide gorge before them.

True to his word, Jae-Ha had returned not long after he had set out, claiming he had found a way across the river. They didn't have to walk far to find the conveniently hidden spot, but with no obvious bridge connecting the two sides, the Senshi of Mars was growing suspicious.

"That's a pretty far drop," Yona spoke above the white noise of the currents. "Are you sure you'll be okay to take us all?"

"Not a problem," the green dragon replied with a cheeky wink.

"Oh, no way." Crossing her arms, the raven haired beauty rooted in her spot. "Forget it."

Glancing around, the clueless Kalgan asked, "What's going on?"

"Here, I'll show you." Taking a knee, Jae-Ha motioned for the boy to hop on his back. After a little encouragement from Yona, Kalgan hesitantly climbed on, unsure of what to make of it all.

"Ready?" Once he was sure the boy was secured, the green dragon took off into the sky, leaping high over the canyon.

"Ah!" Holding tightly, the boy dared to look down at the rushing waters below. "Wow! So cool!"

Landing with ease, Jae-Ha allowed the boy to climb off before soaring back across. One by one, their entire party was unloaded safely to the other side of the river, leaving Rei the last one standing on Kouka soil.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Jae-Ha took a moment to catch his breath.

"You know, I can find my own way across." Taking a small step backwards, the dark haired woman glanced between the green dragon warrior and the silhouettes of the others. "I'll just meet you all over there later."

"What? Afraid of heights?" His lips curled into a wicked smile.

Dropping her brows, the Senshi of Fire glowered, "No."

"Let's not keep everyone waiting then," he murmured as he extended a hand towards her.

Okay, sure, she wasn't exactly afraid of heights, so what was this unsettling trepidation fluttering around in her stomach? Was it the idea of putting her life in the hands of someone else? Was it the fear of falling into currents too strong to swim against? Or was it the muddled sense of darkness that lie waiting somewhere beyond the bordering river?

"Hey," Jae-Ha's tone had softened as he drew nearer, hand still extended.

If she wanted to keep Serenity safe, she'd have to face it…

Sighing, Rei dropped her hand into his.

Without needing another word, the green dragon warrior swept Rei off her feet and into his arms, bridal style. Gasping, all the Martian could do was cling onto his robes as the cold wind lashed her cheeks and forced her eyes closed. She bit back a scream as the sensation of falling curdled her stomach. Had he purposefully jumped so high?

Letting out an airy chuckle, Jae-Ha stuck his landing as graceful as ever, rattling Rei out of her stupor.

"You bastard!" Wriggling out of his arms, the violet eyed beauty smacked his shoulder as she reprimanded him. "You could have warned me first!"

"I could have, but the look on your face was well worth it," he laughed heartily as she tried to smooth down her windswept hair.

She smacked him again.

"As much as I enjoy watching Droopy Eyes get beat, we had better start setting up camp for the night," Hak mused as he looked up the darkening skies.

"Good idea," Yona agreed, shivering against the mountain chill.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Glancing around with eager eyes Kalgan moved to follow Yona only to be tugged back by his collar.

"You can help me set up the tents," Kija muttered, pulling along the disappointed boy.

-x-

With a contented sigh, the woman known as Chin-Sun sank into the welcoming warmth of the bathwater.

Her situation within the palace had taken a rather serious turn in the last few days. As Advisor Kye-Sook had explained, they would be passing her off as a court lady; a noble's daughter from a foreign land. This way her presence wouldn't be questioned nor would the king's reputation be sullied. However, as she found out, a court lady not only had to be beautiful, but also had to be overall immaculate in so many different aspects.

It was exhausting.

But worth it, she reprimanded herself.

Sinking into the bubbles further, the Moon Princess smiled at the notion of Soo-Won.

Handsome, courteous, and kind, she had no problem seeing why he was so beloved by his staff. After all, he had taken her in despite not knowing anything about her or her condition. She owed him so much.

But how long would his generosity last?

Doubts began to slither into her drifting thoughts.

That woman—Rei?—had awakened something within her; something that brought chaos into her little world.

"Serenity!"

Ever since, a lingering sense of sorrow drummed in the back of her heart, but what did it mean? Chin-Sun had been a carefree girl who pulled pranks on the cooks and masterfully evaded the maids' scolding, but who was Serenity? What kind of girl had she been? Why did she feel such sadness?

This name held the key to a past she wasn't sure she wanted to remember.

Cornflower blue eyes found themselves focusing on the outline of the full moon and her anxiety quieted itself. Even when her emotions and memories were as turbulent as the tide, the moon was always there to bring her some sense of comfort.

Humming a little tune, she titled her head back against the tub's wall, basking in the silver rays. If only it could be this way forever, she thought with drowsy contemplation.

Distant shouts had her splintering open her eyes.

How long had she drifted off for?

Feeling the chill of the cooling bath water, she stood, careful to mind the large pile of hair weighing down her head. If she stayed much longer the greater chances she'd catch a cold and would be forced to endure hours of Luna's lectures about her irresponsibility.

Wrapping the soft towel around her body, blue eyes blanked.

Wait… Luna? Where had that come from?

Shaking the feeling off, she hurriedly enfolded herself up in the thick robe and exited the bath where her attendants awaited her. Scooping up her clean night clothes, the lithe woman ducked behind the changing screen.

Again, shouts from somewhere within the castle had her pausing.

"What's going on?" Innocent blue eyes peered out at one of the unsuspecting women.

"Uhm, well," the maid started, eyes looking elsewhere, "there seems to be a meeting with the other tribe's generals happening."

"Hush now." The older maid shot her companion a warning glare as she readied the bed linens. "That's none of your business."

"At this hour?" Letting down her silvery locks, Serenity looked on with curiosity.

"There seems to be talk of war," the younger woman spoke with a whispered voice, "with Kai."

"Eun!" Again, the older woman addressed her counterpart with a scathing look. Shoving the dirty sheets into the girl's hands, she shuffled her out of the room. "Go, take these to the wash!"

"War?" Knotting her fingers together apprehensively, Serenity looked towards the door. Was Soo-Won in danger?

"That's just a rumor Eun heard, my lady," the more senior attendant assured the silver haired beauty as she guided her to sit. "I'm sure it's nothing. Let's get you ready for bed, okay?"

Relaxing into the sensation of comb bristles threading through her hair, Serenity let her suspicions fade. She would surely speak with Soo-Won in the morning over breakfast and everything would be fine.

Yes, it would all be fine.

-x-

Hi everyone! Hope you all are doing well.

Sorry for not posting as much as I should, but I have a real thing for grooming my stories until they are perfect (in my eyes, at least).

As they say, your first draft is hardly ever your finished story and it's so true! This is why I am hesitant to post anything ever and continue to stall on my updates as I always find a way to tweak plot points... But then again, I'd be waiting years to have this finished and posted. Years!

Anyways, thanks for stopping by. Stay safe!