From what I was told, Ashitare only became a wolf when his human side died. In this fic, he can freely transform from human to animal but he has no control over his powers yet so he's just changing forms based on instinct. This is primarily a talkie chapter. But I hope you like it!

This chapter is for Princess-of-doctors, because I've made you wait so long. :)

XxLadyYuixX: Sorry for the delay! I've been engrossed with my other fics lately but this one is still special to me. As you know, it's the only that is not purely romance. :D

ThePinkMartini: I really can't divulge much. All I can say is that Yui is looking for the warriors AND the miko. :D Yes, Seiryuu sounds dreamy. You see, I wanted Yui and Seiryuu's connection to be more personal. Like a first love or something. :)

Btw, I'm going on vacation for November so please don't expect any updates this month. I've been very busy with work and I have to focus since work is my bread and butter. My editor will seriously fire me if I mess the articles she wanted me to come out with.

Disclaimer: FY is not mine.

The Shooting Star

By Slavedriver2008

THE SUN WAS high when Yui opened her eyes. Instinctively, she stood up and looked around, shaking her head to dispel the sleepiness. The blond stranger was not around the fire. Before they slept last night, they agreed to take turns watching guard. But she forgot to wake up and he did not even ask her. Shinji was sleeping beside her, now in his human form. She brushed his fingers on his hair and he slowly opened his eyes. Recognition flashed on his yellow eyes and he stood up eagerly. She ruffled his hair and he howled back appreciatively.

"Good morning, Shinji. I'm glad you're all healed now." Yui smiled at him and he smiled back.

The blonde girl turned her attention on the surroundings. Ayuru was nowhere to be found and she felt a little alarmed at his absence. She stretched her muscles and she winced in pain. She was not used to sleeping on the ground and in open air. It was probably the most uncomfortable night she had ever had. But she needed to get used to it, warm beds were no longer an option as long as she's on the run.

Footsteps emanated from the forests and Yui stood up, clutching her dagger. Shinji merely looked at her without alarm. The outline of a man appeared and Yui sighed with relief when Ayuru's beautiful face appear from the trees. He was carrying some dead rabbits and Shinji ran to him, excited at the catch the older man got for breakfast. When he came closer, Ayuru's cold blue eyes met hers and Yui felt warm all over. He smirked when he recognized the hint of pink on her face.

Ayuru sat before the fire, adding firewood which the flames devoured hungrily. Yui sat silently across him, unsure of what to say in the morning. He also maintained his silence and stuck the rabbits on a stick to cook on the now bigger fire. He never took his eyes off her and Yui flushed at the attention. Warmth filled her and she managed to match his stares, unblinking. The girl lost count of the seconds they stared at each other and her heart palpitated. The wind blew softly and she blinked. Instead of staring at him, she looked down, admitting defeat.

"Where are you heading now?" he asked in a casual voice.

"Maybe in the nearest town."

"San'un province is just at the end of the river. Just follow the South banks and you'll reach the town in half a day's time," Ayuru said, turning the rabbits to cook the other half. The aroma of cooked meat lingered in the air, making her mouth water. She was hungry.

"Are you not coming with us?" she asked half-heartedly, still eyeing the rabbits.

"I am not your guardian. I can stay with you if you're paying me. If not, we part ways." She frowned and looked up to him. "I am a meager traveling swordsman. I earn money by being guards to people for a little time. If you want me to stay, you have to pay for my services."

"I have nothing."

"Then it is settled. We part after breakfast. Besides, I'm searching for something more important."

Silence filled them as the meat cooked ever so slowly, the aroma lingered, becoming stronger. The girl eyed the rabbits impatiently. She could not wait to sink her teeth on the tender flesh and satiate her now grumbling stomach. Ayuru smirked and chose to delay the cooking. He was a man who found fascination in the struggles of others and he was having the time of his life making the others wait.

"It's taking so long," Yui commented, not being able to control herself any longer. He laughed and took one of the rabbits. He handed it to Shinji who immediately ate the animal. Yui looked at him eagerly and he gave her the other catch. "Finally!"

Yui devoured the food. Forget about manners, she was starving. The rabbit tasted delicious on her mouth and as she satisfied her hunger, Ayuru took the last one and ate it, watching the two as if it was the last good thing in the world. After half an hour of feasting, Yui sighed contentedly.

"What are you looking for?" Yui asked, looking at the blond swordsman from the sides of her eyes. He didn't respond and only did so after finishing his meal.

"I am looking for the blue flower," he stated calmly, in an expressionless face.

"Why are you looking for the blue flower?" Yui asked. Ayuru raised an eyebrow but stayed silent. "What is the blue flower?"

"It is what it is, a blue flower," Ayuru answered and she frowned.

His response did not tell her much and she wanted to know more about the legendary flower. The handsome swordsman smirked, not saying anything. When they had finished eating, he gently kicked some land to put out the fire. The flames fizzled as it died, quickly. Yui still looked at him, waiting for an answer. He noticed and heaved a sigh.

"According to legends, the blue flower only blooms once in a million years and when it does and a human finds it, he will be granted the gift of immortality." Yui's skin prickled.

"Immortality? But how can humans be immortal with a flower?" she asked. Cold blue eyes looked at her as if she asked the dumbest question in the world.

"You know little of the legends but I cannot blame you, people from the capital know very little of the ancient world." His comment made her crease her eyebrows. Ayuru had not answered her questions. Do older men talk in circles?

"Enlighten me," she requested softly and he smiled. Smiled. Yui flushed when she realized it was the first time he smiled. Bless Seiryuu, he was the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on.

"Immortality is the only thing that separates gods from mortals, Aki. It was assumed that to become a god, for him to rise up to the heavens, for him to protect this country, Seiryuu searched for the blue flower in the last of his days." The wind stilled but Yui felt cold.

"And he found it…"

"Yes and having served its purpose, the flower died and returned to the land. In time, it grew back again, remaining hidden among other flowers, only to bloom again after millions of years."

"I see. But why do you seek immortality?"

"I have my reasons and those are not for you to know." Ayuru raised an eyebrow and Yui made a face.

"What if someone else find it before you do? You are wasting your time looking for something that is made from the stuff of legends and could possibly not exist," Yui hit back.

"You believe in Seiryuu and I believe in the blue flower, it's only fair we look for what can satisfy us." He stood up and turned away, clutching his covered sword. "I shall be leaving now. I have wasted enough time." He walked into the trees, from the exact place where he came from.

"Are we going to meet again?" She blushed when she realized what she asked. The swordsman turned and smirked.

"Of course." With that, he disappeared. Yui slumped back on the ground, knees shaking from the brief contact. The boy made a sound beside her and she smiled at him.

"Should we go to San'un province now?" He nodded and they walked the other way, following the flow of the river as the swordsman had instructed them.

THE SURROUNDINGS CHANGED significantly, the trees were more lush in the eastern side of the empire. But Yui noticed that it was hotter too. The two had to stop walking from time to time to rest in the shade as the heat became unbearable. The boy had to drink water from the river every now and then too. Yui's legs were losing its strength, not simply because of the heat but also because of hunger. Judging from the formation of the sun, it was already early afternoon. They had missed meals and Yui knew they were both starving. Water was not enough to give them energy.

The blond girl thought of hunting rabbits but realized she had the least idea how it was done. Even the boy had not hunted before and relied on fruit-bearing trees. Fruits, however, were scarce in the side of the country. The eastern empire was rich in trees but never in fruits, she remembered from the books she had read. Lumber and herding were the prime sources of livelihood. Yui sighed, the journey was becoming harder and harder and she only managed to find one sei. Two if she counted the high priest Miboshi, but he turned into stone before she left the capital.

A clear soft sound reached her ears and she turned toward the direction of the trees. A sad melody fleeted in the air and it made Yui's heart ache. The events of the last days returned to her, dancing around her thoughts in a steady rhythm, calling to her, reaching the deepest part of her soul.

Dazed, she followed the sound, uncaring of the twigs that scratched the skin on her arms, her neck, her cheeks. The song called and she followed. The boy pulled her shirt but she continued to pursue the hidden melody. She could make out the numerous emotions in the song: loneliness, grief, longing, and hope, very little hope.

The view of burned roofs greeted her and a few more steps brought her to a dilapidated town. The song rung louder, clearer, but still, she could not see where it came from. It hung in the air like a prayer. She waded through the fallen debris and followed the sound. She accidentally stepped on a piece of broken wood and it created a loud cracking sound. The music stopped and Yui woke up from the trance.

A heavy growl emanated behind her. She turned and her eyes widened when a black panther slithered out of the shadows. The four-legged creature fixed big yellow eyes on her trembling form. The animal growled, showing sharp teeth. Yui stepped back, the boy growled angrily at the creature. The panther advanced and Yui held her breath. She had no idea how to evade such an animal and the only thing on her mind was to run, but if she does, the panther will attack the boy.

"Run off to the other side," she told him and the boy nodded hesitantly. "Don't worry, we'll get out of this…" Yui picked up a broken wood. "Run! Now!" she screamed and the boy ran from her.

Before the panther followed him, she threw the broken wood and the creature turned its wild eyes at her direction. It growled angrily and darted toward her. The girl scampered to the other side, screaming.

"HELP!" Her voice drowned in the panther's angry growls.

A figure appeared before her and the man's eyes widened when it saw the panther. Before Yui managed to reach him, she tripped and fell. The animal moved closer but Yui could not move. Without any choice, she unsheathed the dagger but before uttering the chant, the boy hurried in front of her.

"Cover your ears!" the boy screamed and Yui followed.

He brought a flute to his mouth and a piercing sound filled the air. It was a shrill painful sound that cracks her head open. The panther growled and ran away, tail hanging limply. The boy kneeled in front of her, concern reflected in his deep green eyes.

"Are you okay?" His eyes widened and he touched her ear, wiping the trail of blood caused by his flute. She pushed his hand away.

"What were you trying to do?" she asked, angrily. The sound almost broke her eardrums and her ears throbbed painfully. For a while, she thought she had gone deaf.

"I was trying to save you," he answered. "I'm sorry you got hurt." Yui shook her head and when she can hear clearly, turned to him. There was no use getting mad, he did save her from the animal.

"I'm sorry I screamed at you. Thank you for saving me," she smiled, making the boy turn crimson. He pushed his greenish-brown hair back and looked away. "Is this San'un province?"

"Yes. This village is called Tenryo, but it's no longer a town, all that was left of it are charred buildings from the last war. What brought you here?" he asked. "This is a dangerous place for a girl."

The girl's eyes widened. "You know I'm a girl?"

"Of course. Only girls scream that loud. And you do look like a girl, only your hair's too short." He smiled and it was Yui's turn to blush. "It's even shorter than mine."

"What's your name?" she asked and he was taken aback. "My name is Yui but I'm pretending to be a boy. As you said, this is a dangerous place for a girl." The boy nodded knowingly.

"Yui…it's a beautiful unique name. Your name is similar to the hime and you somehow fit the description of her, blue green eyes, sandy blond hair, and a beautiful pleasant face," he pointed out and the girl blushed harder. "But you can't be the hime, she's probably sleeping peacefully inside the palace now."

"You can call me Aki, since I'm pretending to be a boy." The boy laughed.

"Yes, I will try to not forget. My name is Bu Kotoku. You can call me Kotoku, everyone calls me by my first name." He helped her up and she gasped when she remembered Shinji.

"Oh no, my brother. Where is he? Shinji!" She called but silence answered her. She walked back on the spot where they parted, uncaring of the pain in her knees. She sheathed the dagger and the boy briefly raised an eyebrow, eyeing it suspiciously. "Shinji!" she called again but the sound of flapping wings answered her.

"I think he's here," Kotoku pointed to a fallen roof where a whimpering sound originated. Yui hurried to the opening and listened intently. Yes, it was him, she could not mistake the growls he made.

"Shinji…It's me…Come out now." Yui put her hand inside and the boy slowly walked toward it, smelling it for recognition. The boy flung himself to her arms and licked her cheek. "I'm glad you're okay. You scared me." The boy whimpered contentedly on her chest and she embraced him tightly.

"My flute probably scared him," the boy noted.

"Yes, you scared him. Do you know how to go to the nearest town?" she asked and the boy nodded.

"Are you on your way to Tenryo? It's the biggest village in San'un province. You two can ride the cart with me if you are, I'm on my way back," Kotoku said. Yui nodded immediately. They walked toward his cart. It was full off chopped wood. "You can ride beside me in front." He assisted them up and pulled the reins of the horse, which immediately strode away from the burned village.

"What are you doing in that place?" she asked.

"I get lumber and sell them to my employer. There are good woods in the east side of the village. I always get a higher amount when I cut there. I stay by the village to relax for a bit. Do you know anyone from Tenryo?"

"I'm afraid we don't know anyone from the village." Her stomach grumbled. She blushed and Kotoku laughed. He pulled out a bag from behind the cart and handed it to her.

"Eat this, you need energy to last the day." Yui smiled and thanked him profusely. She took out the bread and divided it into three. It was a small dry bread that was probably filled with air. Yui tried to avoid frowning, it will not be enough but she gave a part to Shinji and then offered the other part to Kotoku. "You should eat my share. I'm sorry I don't have much to offer," he said, noticing the look on her face.

"I'm sorry we have to be a burden to you," she frowned. The boy said nothing and continued to steer the horse. "I'm not eating unless you eat your share," she said and to her surprise, he nodded, slightly blushing. He immediately took the piece of bread from her hands and put the whole piece in his mouth.

"See it's gone now. You should start eating too," he choked and Yui patted his back, laughing at his clumsiness. "Do you and your brother have a place to stay? I live in a small house alone. You can… you can stay if you don't have anywhere else to go." Kotoku was looking ahead, still blushing.

"Really? Thank you very much! You are too kind." Yui smiled wider, it was a very lucky day. "We're very lucky to have crossed paths with Kotoku. It's as if Seiryuu destined us to meet."

THE FULL MOON was high and the house stood silent. Kotoku looked up at the stars, green orbs filled with loneliness. The girl and the little boy were sleeping in his room now and he made a bed for himself in the meager living room. A blush formed on his cheek when he remembered her smiling face. He admired the way she cared for her younger brother, although they were not related, as what she told him earlier. At least she can take care of him. Unlike him. Stupidity drove him to leave his younger brother in search for a woman he only saw in his dreams. When he came back, Shunkaku was gone. Some say he joined the guerillas but he refused to believe so. Shunkaku will never do such a thing.

Kotoku touched his right shoulder, fingering a word he and his family only knew existed. When will she come to bring him out of his misery? Why had she not arrived yet? He took out his flute and started to play, a lonely slow melody he made for her but she will probably never hear. It was a call, a desperate plea for her to come and save him. He had perfected it through the years but even though he had mastered the melody, she never came. If she did, it was only in his dreams.

Yui leaned on the door, watching him play the same melody she heard in the burned village. She was already sleeping but the gentle humming of his flute and an unknown sensation woke her up. His music seemed to have been pulling her toward him, as if an invisible line had been tied between them and she had no choice but to walk toward him. In slow quiet footsteps, she sauntered toward him. The boy stopped playing and fixed deep green eyes at her approaching form.

"I'm sorry if my playing woke you up," he said, standing up from the windowsill, where he had sat to gaze at the full moon.

"It's lovely. It's the most beautiful song I've ever heard. It was you who played it earlier. When I heard your music, I stopped following the river and ended up in the burned village. Your music called me…" she said slowly. The boy blushed and scratched his head.

"I made this for someone. It was supposed to call her to come. I'm sorry it lured you into the panther's path." He turned his back on her and she leaned on the window beside him.

"No. I never regretted following that song. Did you make it for a lover?" The boy blushed harder under the moonlight.

"No—She's—" He sighed. "Yui, do you believe in destiny? Do you believe that somewhere someone is looking for you? And will eventually find you?" She nodded and the boy sighed heavily. "When I was young, I always dream of a girl, calling out to me. I have the idea who she is but I don't know how or where to find her. It was as if she existed only in my dreams…" Yui looked out at the full moon and closed her eyes.

"Sometimes gods talk to us through dreams. And we have to listen, or else, it will be too late…" she said painfully. "Do you know why we're traveling without a destination?"

"Why?"

"Have you heard of the Prophecies of the Dragon? The legend of the seven warriors and the dragon priestess?" Kotoku's eyes widened. He seldom met anyone who openly talked about the legend. Can this girl be…his miko? His heart palpitated loudly and he was surprised that she had not heard it. "Shinji and I are looking for them…"

"Are you the Seiryuu no miko?" the flautist asked, heart on his throat. But the hope faded when the blond girl shook her head very slowly.

"I'm afraid I'm also looking for her, the miko. I know the miko is the only one who can find the warriors but I'm gambling my life for this journey." Sadness filled her face and Kotoku resisted the urge to tuck some stray hair behind her ear. She was lovely. "A war is brewing and if I find them, Seiryuu might be able to do something to stop the war. I want to prevent another village from burning down. I want…to prevent children from losing their families…"

"You have to continue hoping. The warriors might be closer than you think." She turned to him, smiling widely. "If your hair were longer, I would think I'm in the presence of the hime." The girl blushed and looked down.

"You always mention the hime. Do you know her…?"

"Everyone knows the hime. I've never seen her before but the things I heard are enough to paint an image of her in my head. Looking at you now, I think you fit the image perfectly well." She answered him with a laugh, still blushing.

"Do you want to meet her?" she asked but Kotoku shook his head.

"The hime's place is in the palace and mine is here, in a small dark house in a faraway village. We should stay where we belong. Even if I sell everything I have, it won't be enough to travel to the capital. And even if I do get lucky to go to the capital, will she even look at a dirty peasant like me?"

"You can play your flute and she will listen…" Yui said softly. "I was told the hime loves music." Kotoku blushed, shaking the thought away. He smiled wide.

"If there's one person who wanted to meet her, it's my brother Shunkaku." He suddenly stopped speaking and Yui looked at him intently.

"You have a brother?" Silence. Memories flooded him and he closed his eyes, nodding.

"Yes, he is my twin brother but he was born after me. We…used to live in Tenryo, the burned village… with our parents. But war broke out and it was burned to the ground. Our parents died along with the others."

"I'm sorry." She touched her arm and he swallowed hard, fighting off tears. "I didn't know."

"It's not your fault. It's the Emperor's fault." She clutched his arm tighter. "My brother and I were the only ones who survived. We moved to this village but no one would take us in so we have to work hard to live." She leaned on his shoulder and he closed his eyes, a tear fell slowly to his cheek. It glistened in the moonlight. "One night I dreamed of the same girl again and I left my brother to find her."

"Did you find her then?" There was comfort in her voice that made Kotoku continue the story. He does not understand why he wanted to tell her his life when he never told anyone else.

"No, I was too young. I returned to this house but Shunkaku was gone and I've never seen him ever since." Silence filled them and Yui continued to lean on his shoulder, rubbing his arm to comfort him. "Do you think the miko is also looking for her warriors?"

"She probably is. I wonder what it feels like to have a warrior who waits for you, who protects you. She must be a very lucky girl." Kotoku looked down. Yui wiped the tear on his cheek and he looked at her intently.

"Look, there's a shooting star! Let's close our eyes and make a wish!" Kotoku frowned but smiled softly when he saw her hopeful face. Wish?

I wish my brother would come back... His heart wished, not to the star but to the heavens.

"There, I hope our wishes will come true," Yui said, slowly opening her eyes and smiling at him.

"I can protect you if you want," he said suddenly, making the girl blush and lower her head. "For all I know, you might be the girl in my dreams." She flushed harder and coyly moved away from him. "You need to rest. Tomorrow is still a long day if you want to find the warriors."

"Can you play it again? The one you made for her…?"

Kotoku nodded and played the melody again, this time, softer. The heaviness in his heart had magically disappeared and the song became more hopeful than gloomy. Yui closed her eyes and leaned on the window, listening to the beautiful song he created with his bamboo flute.

The melody reached her heart and when she opened her eyes, Kotoku's green eyes smiled at her. The full moon shined on them and the constellations of the seven warriors glimmered in the azure eastern sky.

A/N: Amiboshi's history is based on the Gaiden novels. I was briefly tempted to make Yui end up in Amiboshi's arms during the panther encounter (like what I did in my Yui-Amiboshi fic) but I like the slow improvement in their relationship here. Please do drop reviews!