Wow, I haven't updated this story for a long long time. I'm really sorry for that. This is my third oldest unfinished story and I realized that if I want to improve the chapter numbers, I just have to continue writing. After all, I still have a little less than 20 chapters to go before this one gets done—and I haven't started the love story aspect yet!

Btw, I edited the previous chapters so it's supposed to read better now. I've also added some details and corrected some mistakes in the continuity and consistency of the story. Unfortunately, the love story will only begin once Yui met all the warriors. Just a little teaser: After this chappie, she will meet Tomo and Soi, the last remaining warriors. When I'm done with their meeting, secrets will be unveiled and Yui will have to choose between heart and responsibility. Keep reading and leaving reviews! Thanks much!

Princess-of-Doctors: Ayuru (I changed his name in the previous chapters) will have a very special role in this fic. But I'm not telling yet until it time! :] I think Amiboshi will be very surprised but another character will be shocked as hell.

SakuraSunrise: I'm very sorry for the delay but I'm glad I finally managed to write this chapter. I hope you'll like it! :D

Obsessed Dreamer: This is a YuiNak fic! :) But I want to develop Yui's relationship with each seishi. The contents will be a little more mature than the ones Miaka shared with the Suzaku seis because the Seiryuu seis are obviously more powerful and underwent major heartaches. :]

Disclaimer: FY is not mine.

Commotion in the Countryside

By Slavedriver2008

THEY WERE AWAKE before the rooster called the sun. In exchange for the help he gave them, Yui assisted Kotoku in preparing the things the latter needed for a day's work. The sun was starting its quick ascent into the heavens when they walked out of the house, bringing his wagon with lumber. The air was still cold but humid. Shinji leaned on her lap and continued to sleep as they traversed the dry patch of land in the eastern part of the empire.

"People wake up early in this town, ne?" she asked and the boy smiled, nodding. "And they also close down early. I wonder why," she said as they passed images of vendors preparing their fares for a day in the market. They passed by a wagon of entertainers and Yui smiled like a child.

The best entertainers in the empire would always visit the Emperor and she would take delight in watching their performance. Her favorite play was called Seiryuu and the Seven Generals. It was a long epic story about the mortal Seiryuu and the story of each of his generals, their adventures, their romances, their wars. The whole play takes on 28 acts. Each act was performed in one night. There was a time when the she would watch those plays every night, before hitting the bed, like a ritual of sorts.

"You really are not from here," Kotoku noted, bringing her thoughts back to reality. "There are strong guerilla forces in the Sanr'yu province, Aki-san."

"Against the Emperor?" she asked and he turned to her.

"Yes, because he has forsaken this part of the empire. We are located far from the border but we're the last village in the West. During the civil wars, it is our villages that get easily ravaged by conflicting parties. It is our parents who die, our sisters who gets abused by the soldiers," he explained glumly. "The guerillas only started to exist when I was four, after the civil war. Did they plague your village too, Aki?" Yui sat silently, shaking her head.

"No, I'm from the capital… The Emperor protected us."

"Then you are lucky," he said, smiling. "You must be well-off," he said without a tinge of anger or annoyance. He was such a nice man. Yui smiled back, fingering the gray hair on Shinji's forehead.

She knew that war. It was the war that swept over the land and it started when her mother died along with her brother. The failure of the Emperor to sire a Crowned Prince shook the Hongou dynasty, especially since the harem had long been disbanded under his father's rule.

The lost of the prized son and the Empress caused some of the nobles close to the line of rule to covet the throne for themselves. It was written well in history books that only the scholars can access, which families sided with what tribes, the wars that took place in the borders. The bloody history ended with the blood sacrifice of the Hin tribe in the Lake of Seiran. It would have appeased the gods as the commotions died down afterward.

She was four and was well-kept inside the palace. And one of her secrets was dreaming of a boy with long blond hair and clear blue eyes. Was it a boy or a girl? She could not clearly define, she was too young. He was crying on the bed, wrapped in bloodied sheets, sobbing and calling to a mother who never came. She kept on dreaming of that incident, of walking the bright Kutou corridors toward her father's room, opening the door and seeing him, crying and anguished. She could not remember much and it had been a long time since the image re-appeared in her thoughts.

"The man who buys your lumber, where does he tend his shop?" she asked to keep her thoughts from drifting any further.

"He lives outside the village, almost at the foot of the mountains. He should be awake by now," Kotoku answered with a smile.

In a few more minutes, they were leaving the village behind, riding toward a land covered by trees on both sides. Yui turned toward the village and her heart raced when it disappeared in the brown path of land and trees. It was still early but she felt worried. Shinji immediately stood up and growled ahead of them, heightening her nervousness.

"Shinji—"

A throng of men stood on the road and the horse neighed before it completely stopped. The boy's growls became fiercer and Yui's heart was on her throat. All possibilities figured in her thoughts. What if another encounter happens? What if Shinji transforms? Kotoku's jaw clenched when he saw a band of men standing at the middle of the road. He pulled the horse's reins and it stopped.

"Let us pass," he said in a tight voice. "We do not have money for you," he said. Yui trembled beside him on the wagon.

"The boy beside you has a dagger filled with sapphires and pearls," the dark-haired apparent leader said. Kotoku turned toward her with a surprised reaction. Yui's brow creased. How did he know? "You know the rules. No civilian will carry arms. Give it us, it's worth more than a thousand gold coins."

"This is the only memory I have of my father," Yui told Kotoku. She held Shinji back and the boy menacingly looked at the band of men. The boy held to the reins tighter and slowly took his flute.

"Come on, don't be a sissy. Your lives or the dagger? It's a simple choice," the man said.

Yui closed her eyes and pulled up her pants, revealing legs that were the color of snow. The boy blushed but his eyes widened at the sapphire-hilted dagger. The stones glimmered under the sun. Yui pulled the danger off her and held it up. Kotoku's hand stopped her.

"No, this is important to you."

"Our lives are more important," she whispered. "You need to be alive so she'll find you. And I need to be alive to find the Seiryuu warriors. We both have a role to fulfill. This is the least I can do for your hospitality, Kotoku-san, though I should have given this to you so you can live well or even journey to the capital to meet the princess… Your songs can probably heal the brokenness in her heart when the Emperor died…"

Kotoku's eyes widened but he continued to clutch her hand. To Yui's surprise, he smiled. "Let us go to the capital together, Yui-san…" Blue light glimmered on his right shoulder and when Yui turned, the light shone more brilliantly, stealing all light.

"You are—"

"What is happening?" the leader of the men asked, confused.

Kotoku pulled the reins, turning the wagon around toward the village. The lumbers created sounds of protest as they sped away. Some fell on the ground, but Yui was preoccupied with the mark on his shoulder. The more it glowed, the more the mark becomes evident under the cloth. She reached for it as Shinji clung to the wagon. They swerved to the left and the light disappeared. Kotoku stopped the wagon and pulled them down.

"We can't leave—"

"It's fine. Our lives are more important than my lumber," he said as he pulled her toward the village, running in the alleyways. "Hide your dagger," he said. Yui nodded and hid it under her shirt as they ran.

They passed by the traveling entertainers, who looked at them with surprised reactions. They ran along the markets, almost bumping into a man with dark long black hair who was doing his shopping. Kotoku pulled her toward a small side street and finally let go of her hand. They were both heaving after running all throughout the village.

"Let's wish they won't find us," he breathed out, clutching his chest while holding the bamboo flute.

"Why did they… You didn't tell me bandits exist in this town," she stammered. Shinji licked his fingers to clean his face. Yui brushed his hair and he made a sound of contentment.

"They are not bandits, they are members of the guerilla forces." Kotoku heaved a sigh and sat down on the ground to banish the trembling on his knees. "When there are invasions, they said they will protect us. But when there's none, they get money from us. They took away all our swords and daggers and other weapons because they said they'll use it to protect us," he said as a smirk made its way across his young and solemn face. "I think they are afraid that we will fight them."

"Aren't there any commanders in this town?" she asked, sitting beside him.

"Commander Li has sided with them. That is what I meant when I said the Emperor had forgotten this side of the empire." Kotoku leaned on the wall and closed his eyes. "You said he is dead…?"

"Hai…"

"I should rejoice but whoever will take his place will probably do the same. We're too far from the capital to care about royalties." Pain shot through her heart at what he said. The Emperor has fallen but his people had not felt any anger at his sudden death. Kotoku smiled and tears beaded her eyes. What kind of ruler was her father?

"The mark on your right shoulder…" she began, changing the topic. "Is it…?"

"The mark of Seiryuu is in my skin," he answered. Pulling the sleeves and closing his eyes. Light shone on the cream-colored skin. Yui fingered the mark, it was the same as the one in Ashitare's tail.

Amiboshi. High Spirits.

"Then you are… a shinchiseishi…" she whispered and he blushed. Tears fell from her eyes and she sobbed out of happiness. She found three warriors, she only needed four more. It was a relief. She wiped her tears as the boy watched her. "It's beautiful…" Kotoku looked away.

"Beautiful? I thought it was ugly… All my life, I blamed myself because I believe this mark killed everyone in my village." The mark gently disappeared and she leaned on his shoulder.

"It had taken away everything I have—my mother, my father, my brother. I don't want to protect this country. It had done terrible things to me." Kotoku leaned on her head, she could feel the warm breath he was releasing. "Last night, I didn't wish for the miko to find me. I wish to see my brother again. If he comes back, I will forget this mark and the girl in my dreams…"

"Please don't say that… Kutou needs you more than ever now…" She snuggled closer and he laughed lightly. "I won't ask you to come with us. Please think about it. When you are ready, we will come back for you."

"Yui…" She looked up and their eyes met. He moved closer, smiling. "Until you find the remaining warriors, I will wait here. For you and for my brother." He planted a kiss on her forehead and her cheeks felt warm. "Then we'll go to the capital together and I will play for the princess." Yui nodded.

A round object whizzed toward them and Kotoku pushed the girl down, covering her. The object hit his back and drilled his skin. He screamed from the pain. He grabbed it from his back and pulled the rope that held it.

"Kotoku—"

"I see Aniki is no longer lonely," an angry voice fleeted in the air. From the shadows, a boy stepped out bearing Kotoku's face. "You've found a new brother. You didn't even look for me!"

"Shunkaku—" Kotoku called but the other twin responded by shoving another ryuseisui on his stomach. Kotoku yelped from the pain, clutching his body as he fell.

"Kotoku—" Yui ran to his side. Shinji snarled angrily at the boy and attacked him. "Shinji—Stop!" The wolf-boy didn't listen and continued to attack the younger twin, his mark shining brightly under his clothes. The boy laughed mirthlessly as he used his weapon to hinder the boy's attacks, rendering him helpless.

Blood dripped from Shinji's torn clothes as he lay unconscious on the ground. Yui ran toward him before another ball hit him. She covered him with his back and Shunkaku laughed again when she screamed from the pain.

"Does it hurt? You stole my brother—I will kill you!" He continuously hit her back, simultaneously, like a whip. Yui trembled from the pain and blood flowed from her wounds to the younger boy.

"Shunkaku—STOP!" It was Kotoku. Blue light filled the small alleyway. He clutched the ryuseisui and his fist bled. "Never hurt Yui!"

"I loathe you!" Shunkaku screamed as he continuously hit his twin brother with his weapon. Blood streaked from his skin but he never lost the calm and determined look on his face. He stepped closer to his brother and with every step, Shunkaku would hit him harder.

"Kotoku!" Yui called as she clung to the unconscious boy.

Tears fell from her eyes. Her heart ached when she saw them fighting. Another made a mistake and spent the rest of his life waiting while the other was abandoned and hurting. When Kotoku was only a few steps away, Shunkaku clenched his fist and punched his brother in the face. Kotoku stepped back.

"I'm no longer weak now!" He punched him again. "I'm strong! I'll survive even without you!" He punched him again and Kotoku fell back. "You think you're so great because you're a Seiryuu warrior? I'm a warrior too and I will be greater than you!" He punched him hard but instead of hitting Kotoku, he hit Yui's face.

"Yui!" Kotoku called and she fell back. Kotoku wrapped his arms around her. "Baka, you shouldn't have—"

"Stop fighting! You should be happy to find each other!" she screamed, tears falling from her eyes. "If only I can bring my brother back this would never have happened to Kutou!" she cried aloud.

All the anger, frustration, sadness—everything she felt for the last days left her in sobs. She grieved over the life she left behind, the father who died in front of her eyes, the people who sacrificed their lives for her. She cried from the hopelessness of the journey, of the sight of the country she loved so much slowly falling into degradation. Every unexplainable emotion filled her heart and it would explode if she failed to let it out.

Yui doesn't remember much of what happened afterward. She felt a cold wind brush through the skin on her back. Kotoku's arms wrapped tighter around her as sleep slowly consumed her.

"Father… I failed…" she whispered as Kotoku continued to whisper comforting words on her ear, words that made her even sleepier. "I'm sorry… I'm weak…"

COLD WIND BRUSHED through her face and she slowly opened her eyes. Kotoku cupped her cheek and smiled. She felt cold under his touch and an involuntary shiver swept through her body. He leaned closer, skin on skin, wrapping her with his warmth. She wrapped an arm around his back and into his shoulder, breathing heavily. He continued to blow cold wind from his mouth in a manner that relaxed her.

"I'm cold…" she whispered.

"Shhh… I'll keep you warm," he cooed softly on her ear. She closed her eyes as the pain in her body slowly disappeared. He moved closer, she can hear his heart. Blue light shone from his shoulder, engulfing her in wondrous and familiar sensations.

"Kotoku… and Shunkaku… should never fight…" The darkness consumed her and the only thing that she remembered was the cold wind that came from his warm mouth.

WHEN SHE OPENED her eyes again, it was no longer the boy who was on top of her. Dark blue hair tickled her cheeks and he slowly caressed her face, thumbing the spot where Shunkaku punched her. The man moved his lips on her cheek and the pain disappeared. Her forehead throbbed from a familiar pain and her cheeks burned when he eskimoed their noses together.

"Who are you?" she asked dreamily. She had not seen him for a long time and her heart ached at seeing him this close. How many nights have passed since she last dreamed of him? Since the empire had fallen? Since she became a runaway hime? Since he claimed her as his?

He smirked and slowly captured her mouth for a light kiss. She arched to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She touched his face and heat ran through her body, banishing the aching she felt earlier. He was soft and a little feathery. The ring glimmered on her finger

"You're close to finding me," he whispered. "Until you find them, I will remain in your dreams…"

Slowly, he disappeared and the ceiling replaced him. She blinked, arms hanging around air. She looked around the room and sat up. The pain in her body was gone—and so were her clothes. She pulled the blanket to cover her chest as consciousness slowly brings her to reality.

Yui stood up from the bed and started to dress. Once she was done, she walked out of the room and immediately found Kotoku in the kitchen. The smell of steamed rice wafted through the air.

"Yui, are you feeling better now?" he asked. She smiled and nodded.

"Hai! My body's no longer aching!" Shinji ran toward her and she crumpled the hair on top of his head. The kid mewled contentedly. "Thank you for healing me…" she whispered, blushing. Kotoku swallowed hard.

"I wasn't able to give you more, just enough to heal the fever… I could have given more to heal the wounds and the pain…" She immediately remembered the encounter and she walked closer to the boy.

"Is Shunkaku…?"

"He went home last night and we already talked," he said softly. "Arigatou for coming between us. If you didn't, we probably did more bad than good." Yui shook her head. "He's at the backyard now. He's still a little jealous of you. He still thinks you're a boy." Yui laughed lightly and nodded.

"I should see him too."

Kotoku followed her with his eyes as she walked toward his younger brother. She found the younger twin sitting on top of the fence, slumped and watching the grass move with the wind. Kotoku smiled, she will leave them soon. This time, he will wait for her and not the priestess. Shunkaku will be beside him and it made him happy. For more than 10 years he waited for the shooting star to pass over his head, to reunite them.

When she came, she brought the shooting star with her. Using the last of his chi on her last night was the least he could do for bringing them together. It was an awkward and bold move, something he had never done. His cheeks flushed when he remembered what he did. He was relieved she didn't remember. She probably won't and it will be his secret, something that even Shunkaku would never know.

The younger twin turned as she walked toward him. "Are you still angry at me?" she asked and he made a face.

"Aniki sees you as a brother so its fine. But he's still my REAL brother, remember that!" He looked at her with a murderous look and she laughed. He flushed. "Does it still hurt?" He said, pouting toward the cheek he hit yesterday.

Yui shook her head. "It's gone—Kotoku healed me." Shunkaku made a face.

"Pfft! When I was young, Aniki would heal my wound. Because you're around, he didn't even heal mine," he said like a petulant child. He rubbed the bandage on his cheek and sighed.

"You punch hard, ne."

"Eh?" Shunkaku chuckled. "I had many practice in the guerilla lair," he explained, clenching his fist and doing some punches in the air. "The leader Tessoh is a very good fighter. Had to improve to stand beside him."

"Are you staying here with Kotoku?" she asked, leaning on the fence to get a good view of his face. They really look very much alike. But their eyes were different. Shunkaku had eyes that were used to being bullied and being in a fight, while Kotoku's eyes were always calm and pleasant. She liked them both, she realized.

"Of course, he waited for me to come back." He placed his hands at the back of his neck. "Besides, he said you'll come back with the miko." He gasped and pulled the left sleeve of his shirt up. Slowly, a mark manifested itself on the cream-colored skin. "See that? I'm a Seiryuu shinchiseishi too!"

Suboshi. Corner Star.

Yui nodded, looking straight at the beautiful blue lines his chi had created. "It's very beautiful," she said and he eyed her suspiciously.

"Hey, you're not in any way gay, are you?" he asked and Yui blinked. Now he understood what Kotoku meant when he said the younger twin doesn't believe she was a girl. "Aha! I knew it! You like my Aniki! Tell me you didn't do something obscene while I was gone?" He waved continuously and she answered with a laugh, slightly blushing.

"Would you teach me how to punch?" she asked to divert the subject and the younger twin laughed sheepishly. "I can use that during our adventure."

"Of course!"

He hopped down from the fence and started to teach her. She was slightly surprised at the sudden burst of energy in the latter but only smiled as he taught her how to defend herself. Shinji sat down on the fence and watched them, brows creased. He'll never understand why humans use their hands too much.

A few feet away, Kotoku smiled unsure. He sighed, shaking his head. Let Shunkaku's mind wander. He'll tell him about Yui in due time. For now, he'll simply watch them.

UNKNOWN TO THEM, someone else was watching the scene. Behind a tree trunk, a pair of piercing blue eyes followed them closely. A thin mouth smirked and the man shook his head, turning and walking away from the house.

"Go ahead and have fun, hime. Soon, hell will open and devour you alive." A few steps after, he stopped, in front of a kneeling figure. The woman looked up, brown eyes that bore loyalty and something else that was undefined.

"Should I go ahead and capture them?" she asked.

"Not yet. You know your role." Immediately after he said the last line, the woman bowed down and disappeared in the shadows of the trees, leaving behind a few burned leaves.

When he was alone, he whistled, a pierce thin blow that even the wolf boy would not hear clearly from his distance. A falcon glided down toward his muscular arms, cleaning its wings. He brushed its head and it made a sound of satisfaction, avidly watching as he slid down a small piece of paper in one of its sharp talons.

After he was done, the falcon flew away, creating a sound that made Shinji's ears perk up. The boy turned toward the trees and watched the shadows intently with his clear yellow eyes, seeing nothing.

A/N: Yay! I'm finally done with the twins' chapter. I'm not sure if I got Suboshi's character right. Gomen if it's too childish! As for Amiboshi, he's cute ne? Now, I feel like Just Play the Melody might get an update. Haha. Please leave reviews!