Whew! The chapters are finally improving for The Blue Flower. Not only am I having an oversupply of ideas, I'm also having more time for it! I really can't wait to write the love story. :D I want more Yui-Nakago moments! Would anyone add a Yui-Nakago story please? I wanna read a heart-thumping story!

I'm thinking of raising the rating of this fiction since Tomo and Soi are making an appearance. Theater life was never fun in the olden days. But I dunno, tell me if it's too obscene and I'll immediately put it in M. :D

Princess-of-doctors: Well, I had a sudden influx of ideas so I'm updating this while I'm at it. :) I must have strained myself from writing too much about real-world stories. Haha. :) Thanks for reviewing!

Disclaimer: FY is not mine.

Journey to the South

By Slavedriver2008

"ARE YOU SURE you're safe with them?" Kotoku asked, pulling the reins of the horse and making the wagon stop. He turned beside him, where a girl dressed up as a boy sat, smiling sadly. Behind them, Kotoku's twin Shunkaku and the wolf boy Shinji had turned as well.

"Well, we don't have much options. I was told that there is a tribe in the south who can call on lightning. It's a little across the border of Konan," she said softly, trying to look at him with a straight face. "I haven't been to Konan in a long time and I'm a little excited."

It had been a week since they met and he had been reunited with his brother. Her wounds have healed miraculously fast and Shinji was also fit to travel. She was tempted to leave the boy behind but he insisted to come along. At some point, the twins also hinted wanting to come but she said the mobile troupe can only take in two boys.

"I heard that entertainers sell some of its people for a night," Kotoku told her and she laughed lightly. "It would be unsafe for you, especially for you."

"They wouldn't sell two boys who would do all the cleaning for them," Yui assured him. "The journey to Eisei would only take a week, at the most. If one of the warriors comes from that tribe, we'll be back here in less than a month."

The older twin sighed. The younger one leaned on the wagon and pinched his brother's ear. Yui smiled wide. Happiness always fills her when Shunkaku starts teasing his brother. They were so cute. "Stop getting dramatic. Aren't you happy he's looking for the priestess? Hmp, if I knew better, you're smitten with that unknown girl!"

"Shunkaku—"

The boy let his tongue out. "Aniki is in love with the priestess, how pathetic is that? Aki, don't forget my dried squid when you get back!" He smiled sheepishly and Yui finally laughed. The boy still thinks she's a boy.

"Well, Shunkaku is in love with the princess," Kotoku teased and Yui laughed lightly. The younger twin frowned. She nodded and slowly turned to get down the wagon before another round of bantering. "Wait—I'll assist you!" Kotoku offered but she had already jumped. Shunkaku pulled his brother's ear closer. "Shunka—"

"Why are you offering to assist him and not me? I'm jealous—I'm your brother!" he asked, pouting. Kotoku was about to answer back when Yui clapped her hands to get their attention.

"Hey, no fighting while I'm gone," she said. She winked at the two and they flushed at the same time. "I'll see you soon!" She pulled Shinji along and they walked toward the mobile troupe, which was then busy folding their tent for the long journey.

The girl they talked to yesterday greeted them when they arrived. "It's good that you're here. Please help us transfer the things to the wagons," she said in a happy voice.

The girl's name was Chiyo. She was the assistant of the star of the theater, the famous Ryou Chuuin. Yui had never heard of him and had never seen him perform. But if Chiyo looked up to the man and mention his name with glistening eyes, he must be a very talented performer. She was a year older and she talked to the head master so the two could travel with them. He immediately said yes as two of his young boys ran off with their new lovers when they passed the last village.

"Arigatou for talking to the master," she told her. She smiled wide, her cheeks flushing like her fiery auburn hair. She gently leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"You're a very cute boy," she said. "But my heart already belongs to someone so you'll have to look for another girl," she said, laughing lightly.

"Eh?" Yui smiled hesitantly. "Hai…"

She turned toward the twins' wagon. They were still watching them. She made a thumbs up sign and the two reacted differently. Shunkaku looked away, obviously flushed while Kotoku looked down, smiling to himself. The older boy pulled the reins and the wagon moved away. As they left, Shunkaku was staring at her. It was her turn to look away with a flushed reaction.

"Aki, come on. We don't want to stay until sundown."

She nodded and with Shinji, they crawled on the open wagon where majority of the theater materials were placed. It was the only one without a roof, the rest were closed and beautiful. Chiyo said each lead performer had their carriages, which they bought with their earnings. Yui heaved a sigh and smiled, looking at the small town where they stayed for a week. She will miss the twins. Hopefully, she'll come back with good news.

"ANIKI, WHY ARE you so nice to Aki?" Shunkaku asked. He was frowning, obviously jealous of the girl. They were on the way back to the house and his twin was lying down at the back of the wagon, playing with a stalk of wheat he pulled from the fields on the way back.

"I like her," he answered, blushing. "She's a very warm girl."

"GIRL?" was Shunkaku's only response. The wagon wobbled as the younger boy sat up frantically. "But—but—I punched him last week and a couple of times during practice!" The younger twin placed his hands on his head in disbelief.

Kotoku sighed. Shunkaku had been picking on her since he moved to the house. He sometimes drew moustaches and circles on her face while she slept. There were even nights when he had to sleep on the floor of her room to make sure Shunkaku doesn't do anything funny. His brother was very playful, a habit he probably learned while in the guerilla lair.

"That's why you shouldn't bully anyone just because they're smaller than you."

He stopped the horse when he saw a group of horses in front of their house. Kotoku stared amazed at the men who wore blue armors. Were those soldiers from the capital? He had never seen soldiers before and he marveled at the beautiful way their armor shined under the sun. But instead of feeling comfort, his heart palpitated nervously. There was something wrong and he could not pinpoint what.

"Aaaaah! I was close to peeking while he—SHE—took a bath. I really didn't mean to put frogs on her room—But I didn't know!" Shunkaku kept on babbling. "Aniki—do you think she's—" he stopped speaking when his eyes met the soldiers in their house. "Aniki…?"

THE FIRMAMENT WAS sketched in red hues, bloodier than Chiyo's curly tresses. The girl lay on the carpet, deep in slumber. The girl and Shinji were tired from work. She was also weary but sleep would not come. She had been thinking, and as much as she wanted to stop, the thoughts entered her head and she ended up being engulfed in them.

The day had passed with nothing but continuous traveling. The troupe had not stopped one bit. Yui could not blame them, there were very little towns in the west and southern borders. The numbers of villages wane as it nears the border until nothing but forests and mountains are left to mark the end of Kutou's territory.

The terrain was also very diverse. As Kutou was a large empire, it has territories that once belonged to other countries. Once they are under the Dragon Throne, the villagers would move away from the border and build their villages closer to the capital. Among the borders, least villages populate the west and south end. Kutou had never been completely in peaceful terms with the two kingdoms.

Only Hokkan tied an alliance with Kutou, in a union that brought her parents together. When she was a child, she overheard one of the maidens saying that the marriage was cursed. A Hokkan princess marrying the Emperor brought all kinds of famine in the country. But her father loved her mother, she knew that for a fact. Every time the Emperor looks at her, he would smile with a loving and tender face. He would then say: "You have your mother's face, a beautiful face that united two warring kingdoms."

Shinji sneezed and she laughed lightly, covering her mouth. He was sleeping on her lap while she stroked his hair. She remembered the instances the boy would play non-stop with Shunkaku. They would pull pranks and run in the village all day and still have enough energy to play before going to sleep. Taking care of them was like looking after two sons. She flushed at the thought.

A gentle humming sound reached her ears and she slowly turned to the carriage behind them, where the star performer stayed. It was not the biggest, the master's carriage which led the way hold that position, but it was the prettiest and the most regal with its twilight-colored walls.

Yui caught sight of the curtain. She smiled while watching the different-sized pearls that moved slowly as their carriage pulled it. Darkness filled the inside of the purple-colored room as if no one was inside. She wondered, what would Ryou-sama look like? He had not even peeked from the window all day. Something glimmered inside and she blinked slowly, staring at the pearls that seemed to have moved faster on the window. A tiny pearl caught her attention and she creased her brows to look at it, all the more being engulfed in a dreamy sensation.

"What are you doing?" Chiyo asked and Yui almost jumped. She blinked repeatedly as if waking from a dream.

"The pearls on that carriage is very lovely," she answered, smiling sweetly. She looked again but nothing glimmered in the dark. Chiyo pushed her head and pulled her away from facing the carriage. Shinji awoke and stood up, surprised. He growled softly and looked at the world pass by around them, still evidently sleepy.

"Baka, you're not supposed to look at the window of Ryou-sama's carriage!" Chiyo said, flustered. "He gets angry when someone does that!"

"But if he doesn't want anyone to look, why would he put beautiful things on the window?" she asked insistently. She never thought this girl would bully her the way Shunkaku did. Too bad Kotoku was not around.

"Nani?"

"There was a pearl with an engraving," she whispered and Chiyo looked at her with a quizzical reaction. "Ryou-sama probably got it from the capital," she said.

Shinryu, the heart of Kutou, was the only place in the world where pearls can be engraved. But those were not just engravings, only royalties could place their house seals on the pearls. It was a royal tradition practiced in all the seven major houses. The minor ones do it once in awhile but it was too expensive for middle-class citizens. She knew so because she a room full of jewelries, of pearls filled with engravings of the Hongou house: a dragon around a silver ring. For Ryou-sama to have one of the noble's pearls meant he must have performed well in front of royalty. If only she could look closer, she'll know what house gave him the pearl. But Chiyo had pulled her away too quickly, just when the engraving was about to show itself. In Shinryu, a commoner can be treated like a lord if he has a pearl from a family of high ranking.

"You're lying," Chiyo said. "Ryou-sama had never performed in the capital." It was Yui's turn to look back with a surprised reaction.

"You mean, he had never been to the capital?" she asked in a low voice.

"I think he was 10 when he went to the capital," Chiyo said hesitantly. She turned to the performer's carriage and looked away immediately. She moved closer to her. "But he was not a performer then…"

"What was he then?" she inquired, curious. Chiyo looked at her intently and kept her hands tight. She was about to speak when someone called.

"CHIYO!" They both turned toward the carriage. Darkness filled the area behind the pearl curtains. It was a deep angry voice. Chiyo shivered and eventually trembled. Their carriage stopped and the driver of the lead carriage, the one they were riding at, turned to them with an uneasy look.

"Ryou-sama called you," the man said, refusing to look at the carriage behind him. Yui's skin prickled and she lost her voice when Chiyo jumped out of their wagon and walked toward the purple-colored carriage. Shinji sat beside her, watching the windows intently, trying to see what was happening inside.

The door opened and little light entered the room. Still, Yui could not make out anything inside. She heard a slap and when Chiyo returned, she was clutching her right cheek. She stepped into the wagon and refused to look her way.

"Chiyo…?"

"Don't talk to me!" she screamed, looking away. Yui nodded and Shinji snuggled to her. She wrapped an arm around the boy and focused her attention on her shoes. There were little holes in them. When she looked at Chiyo's feet, she saw blisters.

"Chiyo—"

"I said don't talk to me!" Yui pulled Shinji tighter and she nodded. Silence filled them as the journey resumed. Faint sobs came from the redhead and Yui felt guilty. It was her talkativeness that brought punishment to the girl.

"Gomen nasai..." she whispered when she had stopped sobbing and night had enveloped the road they were traveling in.

THEY WERE IN the middle of a hilly plain and the eastern stars dotted the sky when the troupe leader decided to stop and rest the horses. The three youngest ones were tasked to prepare the fire and cook for everyone. They were also asked to take care of the horses and assist the other performers in their nightly rituals. Yui realized, later on, when everyone came out of their carriages to get food and mingle, that Chiyo was the only female in the group.

After cleaning the dishes, Chiyo was immediately called into the carriage of Hiku-sama, one of the best performers in the troupe. She still refused to talk to Yui and it made her sad. She never had female friends and it was disappointing that she was angry. After everyone returned to their carriages, Yui was left with Shinji in front of the fire. The boy snuggled to her and she wrapped the blanket around them.

"I'm sorry you have to suffer this way," she told him. He growled lightly and she smiled. "I think I should teach you how to speak, ne?" Yellow irises looked at her as if reading her thoughts. It was weird how they understand each other even if they do not speak the same language. She giggled and took a stick from the ground.

She started to write characters and taught him the basics. At first, Shinji simply looked at her but when she started to draw animated creatures on the ground, he started to follow her words, mimicking her speech. She didn't realize how late it was until Shinji yawned.

"You should go to sleep," she said and he nodded, immediately walking to put his head on her lap. She laughed lightly, fingering his gray hair. Tomorrow, she will teach him some few words again. She turned toward Hiku-sama's carriage and frowned. Chiyo had not returned yet.

Concerned, she slowly stood up. She covered the boy with the blanket and added wood to the fire, making it glow brighter. She slowly walked toward the last carriage. Unlike Ryou-sama, who didn't go out of his carriage to eat dinner, Hiku-sama's carriage was at the end of the line of carriages. It was painted in dark mossy green. Light was non-existent in the carriages she passed by and the stillness of the night made her skin crawl. A twig broke behind her and she turned abruptly, heart thumping loud. No one was behind her but she was sure someone was following her. But if someone was indeed behind her, Shinji would have awakened by now. He was always the first to wake up if there's danger. Heaving a sigh, Yui continued to walk toward the carriage and she felt it again, the pair of eyes that bore on the skin on her back.

She walked faster, passing by fourteen carriages, unmindful of the numerous faint cracking of twigs. When she reached the green carriage, her heart was literally on her throat. She leaned on the large wooden wheel and glanced at the way she came. The fire was still burning, though it was small from where she stood. She shook off the fear and walked toward the door of Hiku-sama's carriage, where Chiyo had entered but not returned. She was not being snoopy, she just wanted to ask Hiku-sama if he knew where Chiyo was. It was, after all, dangerous for girls to be out in the night.

Yui was about to call when she heard very faint noises inside the dark carriage. It was Chiyo's voice, though it was a little different. She sounded like she was running out of breath. Instead of calling, Yui peeked on the small opening on the door. She tried to make out the images inside, curiosity evident on her face. The clouds moved away from the moon and her eyes widened, in the same time that a whimper left the carriage. Yui covered her mouth and hurriedly walked back to the fire, unmindful of her steps.

Panicked, she accidentally collided with a body and when she looked up, gasped at the beautiful flawless face that looked down on her. She had forgotten what she saw inside the carriage and was caught by the woman's beauty. She blinked, the moon blinding her momentarily. Her mouth opened. Was she the goddess of the moon? Soft long jet black hair, smooth porcelain face, pink thin lips, deep gray eyes that sneered at her gaping form. She gasped when she realized that she was transfixed because of her beauty. It was very rude to stare.

"Gomen nasai, daijobu desu ka?" Yui told her, bowing very low. A long fingered hand touched her cheek and pulled her face up. She flushed when the beautiful face slowly looked down, scrutinizing her face closely. She can smell the aroma of flowers in her hair and her skin smelled like… Musk? Her brows creased. There was something about her that was oddly familiar.

"Ryou, stop picking on the boy—Come in my carriage now!" The troupe leader called and Yui blinked. Ryou? The beautiful face smirked.

"Be careful where you walk, boy. If you collide with me again, I will break you," he said in a deep soothing voice. Yui's eyes widened. "The last you want is to lie naked and bleeding on my bed."

At the look of horror on her face, Ryou pushed her back and she fell down on the ground. The bishounen turned to her with eyes that danced under the moon's rays. He turned away, smirking in a playful and cunning manner. He walked with a certain grace, his robe barely moving as he swaggered on the dirt.

"Ryou-sama, wait!" she called, not too loud to wake the other members of the troupe but enough to catch his attention. She rushed toward him and tried not to get enthralled by his beauty. He turned and raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?"

She remembered what she saw and was flustered. "Chiyo-san. I saw her in—"

"Hiku's room," he finished for her, leaning closer. "What did you see?" he asked in a mischievous way as if knowing something she doesn't know.

"She was tied to his bed, naked. I think Hiku-sama hurt her," she said innocently. "Please help Chiyo-san. It was my fault she talked too much earlier. I—" Shinji had shifted and rubbed his eyes.

"How old are you?" he asked softly and she blushed. His eyes showed fascination and it scared her a little.

"Fifteen." Instead of saying more, he moved his finger on her cheek. It was cold. She immediately blushed and her reaction made him smirk.

"Young and innocent, I like that." He moved away and turned from her. "If you tell anyone what you saw tonight, I will tie you on my bed and hurt you. Just like Chiyo-san," he said in a mildly teasing tone that made her red all over.

It was not funny but every part of her body felt warm.

The black door of the leader's carriage closed behind his graceful form and she walked back to the fire, snuggling beside Shinji. She tried to forget what she saw and hoped sleep would come. She looked up at the moon and sighed. Every now and then she would turn to the black carriage, waiting for the handsome man to step out. Eventually, Yui fell asleep on the cold hard earth. In her dreams, she kept repeating one line: Ryou-sama had not come out yet.

SUNLIGHT SHOT THROUGH her eyes and she stood up. She rubbed her eyes and Shinji growled at seeing her. Fog covered the horizon and Yui stretched her arms. Her back hurt a little from sleeping on the ground but at least she doesn't have to pay for her accommodations. She scratched her head and smelled herself. She needed new clothes and a hot long bath. But that was too much to ask.

"Aki!" the leader called and she immediately turned to him, standing up from the grass. He stomped out of his carriage and she briefly wondered if Ryou-sama was still inside. "Get the horses and we'll get moving to the nearest town!"

"Hai!" She ran toward the tree where the horses were tied and her eyes widened when she saw only four of them. The troupe had six strong horses and Chiyo said the leader loved it very much. Even if the theater doesn't have enough money, he would never sell the horses.

"What's taking you so long! We'll have a nice warm breakfast in the town!" The leader called and Yui turned to him with a worried look. She looked around for the horses but could not find it. Heavy stomps came from behind her and when she turned, found the angry leader. "What the hell happened? Where are my other horses?" he screamed on her face. She trembled out of fear. "You pea brain! YOU DID NOT TIE THEM WELL!" He pushed him and she fell on the ground, her palm bled after hitting a rock. "You'll pay for losing them! When we reach Konan, I will sell you to be a slave, baka!" He pulled her shirt and wrapped a big arm around her neck, gagging her. "I want to tear you to pieces—"

"Hiku's carriage is missing," a familiar voice said and the leader threw her to the ground. Tears fell from Yui's eyes. She had never been so scared in her life. Kotoku was right, theater people were not very nice. She coughed and touched her neck, which seemed scared by the leader's grip.

"What do you mean it's missing?" the leader bellowed. "Chuuin—what does this mean?"

"The two ran away with your horses," the bishounen answered, uncaring. Angry, the leader left them to see the news for himself. The other members had also gone out of their carriages. Yui had not stood up and kept on crying. Chiyo left and made the leader angry. How can she leave? Why did she leave her behind?

Ryou-sama sat in front of her and lifted her chin. He brushed her face with the sleeves of his robe. "Stop crying," he commanded in a tight voice. He touched her neck and she fidgeted. Soft hands circled the sore spot but she couldn't stop crying. "I said stop crying," he said again, in a stricter voice.

"Ryou-sama…" She leaned on his chest and the man was taken aback. She wrapped her arms around his waist and continued to cry. She was afraid. She should have listened to Kotoku and stayed for a little longer. She should have saved enough money to travel alone. She shouldn't have joined the troupe. They were very different and it scared her.

But then, weren't warriors different themselves?

"You're soiling my robe," he said, softly. After a few more sobs, she voluntarily calmed down, her arms still around him. She rubbed her eyes and sniffed. "You look awful when you cry," the bishounen said as she slowly moved away from him, eyes sore. She can hear the leader cursing from where they sat.

"I'm sorry… I was just very scared of the leader…" The bishounen smirked and raised an eyebrow.

"You should be more scared of me." He lifted her chin with his long soft fingers. "I am not a very nice master."

"Ryou-sama?"

"Now that Chiyo left, you will take her place," he stated, eyes dancing in the early morning sun. "You're mine now."

A/N: Whew! Finally done with the first Tomo chapter. Please do leave reviews! :D