Finally close to the half of the story. *sigh* I've been updating like mad, ne? Haha. I'm taking advantage of being inspired to finish this story. Heehee. This story is getting bigger and bigger. There will be lesser adventure here but please share what you think of this chapter! :D

Khryztinne: I agree-Seiryuu is sooo hot! Yeah, Nakago will appear in the next chapter. I can't wait to post it! :D

Obsessed Dreamer: Ha, I knew it was you—but I decided to not make any guesses in case I made a mistake. Fake you say? Now, we'll have to find that out, ne?

Princess-of-doctors: Yuu Watase was consistent in making the Seiryuu seishis suffer and since this is a what-if fiction, she's my inspiration! :D

Lyndel: Awww… Nakago's not in this chapter again but he will be in the succeeding ones… I'm still building up the tension. ;)

Disclaimer: FY is not mine.

Weeping Heart

By Slavedriver2008

THE PRINCESS ROLLED the ring on her fingers, deep in thoughts. She was sitting on the podium of the closed marble temple, her white feet dangling on the waters. Once in awhile she would wade the tips of her fingers on the cold clear liquid, letting it soothe her tired and calloused feet. She and the boy were given rooms in Ashita's house and his wife had been pampering them since they arrived.

Yui was given elegant robes of white and she was relieved to be wearing a dress instead of the usual men's wear. The dress was thin and soft, reaching a little above her knees. When the wind blows, it would pull up a little. On the hem were stitches of flowers that commonly bloom during springtime, in various hues. She heaved a sigh and looked up at the dark Eastern sky. The full moon shone on its heavenly abode, reflecting on the surface of the river.

The villagers had passed by the temple caretaker's home, bringing fruits and vegetables and live fish. Some brought silk and jewelries, offering it on her feet. They would gasp when she leaned down and the robe would accidentally reveal the mark on her chest, sinuous lines that were placed on the Hongou house's main family. The few who saw it did not say anything but their eyes glimmered. She does not know if they recognized the mark or not, she was after all, no longer part of the ruling family.

The climate was always calm in the village, nothing disturbed the waters, the fish, the skies, the mangroves that grew in abundance along the sides of the mouth of the cave. She heaved a sigh and leaned on the dragon's feet, wishing that when she returns, the villagers would have gone to their homes and settled in their beds for the night. Why do they give her their harvests? She could not understand their kindness. They also kept on calling her the Holy One. She was not holy and even though Ashita had explained it to her earlier, she could still not grasp why she was labeled as such.

There was also the case of the riddle, which she could not decipher. How can a dragon have two heads? And why would it look at its heart? What's a blinding light? Wasn't it supposed to create the light? Her head throbbed from too much thinking. And why does she have to solve the riddle? A faint scrapping came from her left and she turned, surprised. A woman emerged from behind the second stone dragon. It was the face she saw amidst the crowd earlier.

"Ashita-san is looking for you," she said in a strong accent. Her voice was grumpy, like those from the men on the streets, starkly in contrast to her pale beautiful face. "It is rude to hide from the villagers who line up to see you."

"Gomen… But I'm not comfortable with many people," Yui admitted. She grew up in the company of ladies-in-waiting, not of villagers. She seldom went out of her room and she had a hard time talking to the villagers. There were words she could not understand and they laugh when she asked what it meant.

"Ashita-san is looking for you," she repeated, her voice stern. "She asked me to find you."

"Who are you?" she asked, looking up to blank expressionless face.

"Kaen," she replied and the princess nodded. "I am Ashita-san's adopted daughter." The younger girl's eyes widened and she nodded. The woman continued to look at her in an unfriendly manner. Why was she hostile? "We must hurry, mother had prepared your bath." Yui finally nodded and stood up to pace with her.

"Ashita-san didn't tell me he has a daughter…" she muttered to begin the conversation. The woman didn't respond and she felt stupid.

"No one would proudly say they adopted a prostitute for a daughter," she said, smirking. The skin on Yui's back prickled and she bowed down, guilty.

"I'm very sorry…" She held her hands together and looked away. "I hope you and Seiryuu would forgive my inquisitiveness…" The older woman laughed wryly.

"Seiryuu…?" She shook her head. "Seiryuu wanted me to be like this, selling my body for money." They crossed a bridge toward the house, their reflections glimmered on the surface and Yui saw the older woman's face. Her eyes bore pain but she was taking it with chin held high. "Even if Ashita adopted me, I will never be who I was."

Kaen walked further ahead and she stepped double to pace with her. The clouds gathered above them and lightning started. She almost jumped and she turned with a stern expression. Lightning broke again from the sky and drop of waters fell on her cheeks.

"It's raining…" She looked up at the sky. She never thought it would rain in the village. The stories she read of the village said the weather was always fair. "I never thought…"

"Rain is good. Like tears, it can wash away the pain," the red-haired girl whispered softly. She turned and walked faster. The younger one hurried behind her. "Tonight, the fish will settle at the bottom of the river, but tomorrow they will come up and be captured in our nets. Souun will pay high for freshly-caught fish."

The moment they entered the temple keeper's house, rain poured lavishly over the village. Ashita's wife hurriedly greeted her and pulled her inside, leading her toward the hot bath. She soaked in the waters, letting the heat calm her senses, and all thoughts of the woman disappeared in her head. She sighed and looked out the window, watching the rain tap on the houses roofs, dancing a very fast rhythm that mimicked a guitar.

"Holy One," it was Kaen. She approached her as she left the bath. She was holding numerous colored oils in her hand. "You must be tired, let my hands soothe your muscles," she offered and she blinked in response. She was suddenly very kind but her eyes bore the same lack of emotions. Yui nodded and the red-haired girl followed, closing the door behind her. "Lie on your face."

Yui doesn't want a massage but she doesn't know how to refuse. The older woman's hands pulled the towel off her back and lavished her hands with the oil. The sweet scent of cherry blossoms filled the room and Yui can only close her eyes as her hands started to roam, soft but firm. Kaen lined every muscle, soothing every tendon with gentle hands. She doesn't say a word and Yui does not know how to start a conversation. Eventually, she fell asleep with her hands trailing along her sore skin.

SPRING HAD ARRIVED and the village was in a state of euphoria. The girls were out in the fields, picking flowers from the side of the river. Lotuses and violets and forget-me-nots. They filled their baskets with the new blooms, eager to go home and show it to their mothers, who will make perfumes and oils and leis for the festival.

The Dragon god had granted a new circle of life for the villagers. And the First Spring had been brighter than the previous ones. In the village, the year was determined by the First Spring. If flowers bloomed, it will signal a prosperous year. When the ice in the river melted, fishermen will know the count of the hatchlings, as the fishes had all the time to breed for the winter. There were three Springs in Kutou and the first one was the season of the god Seiryuu.

A girl of four was busy picking up flowers that she did not notice the rest started to go home. She only noticed she was alone when darkness fell and by then, gray clouds covered the twilight sky. The girl rushed home, passing by the woods with a smile on her face. Her mother will be happy with the flowers; she will be able to make perfumes for the offering. The rest will be placed on her hair for the festival dance. The thought excited her. Girls her age were included in the Dance of the Flowers, an offering for the East god. Women dance it thrice in their lifetimes: one at the age of childhood, another at the age of fifteen as a rite of passage, and the last before they get married.

The girl was worried she might be late, and ran off toward the village. When she reached the bridge, the sight made her eyes widen and she immediately dropped the flowers on the banks of the river. The flowers floated on the murky water like an offering for the dead, drifting over the surface tinged with blood.

"MAMA!" she called, running toward the burning houses. Dark smoke filled the sky and screaming mothers and children permeated the air. The villagers took out their boats and began to row but before they could board the boats, they were slashed by men dressed in blue armor.

"Don't spare anyone! We will offer their heads to the Emperor! Hahahahaha!" The leader told his troops and the men continued to run around, burning houses, slaying men and children, abusing the women.

The girl managed to evade the soldiers and reach her house. It was burning and a woman hurriedly pulled her away from the mob. She pulled her harshly toward the banks of the river and placed her on a boat. Her hair was in disarray and marks of blood were on her skin, her clothes torn.

"Mama, what's happening?" she asked and the woman cupped her daughter's face and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Where's papa?" She started to cry and the woman pushed the boat away from the shore.

"Shhhh… Be quiet… Remember, my child. Remember what the Emperor had done to us." The woman was about to climb the boat when soldiers saw them.

"Don't let them escape!" the apparent leader screamed and his companions ran. The woman mustered the remaining strength in her body and pushed the boat away.

"Mama—MAMA!" the girl screamed as the boat flowed with the waters. She reached for the woman's hand but the older woman slapped it away, further pushing the boat away from the soldiers. One of the men caught the woman's hair and pulled her back to the shore, the girl continued to scream and cry.

"Where do you think you're going?" the man ask and she was pulled back on the banks. "Oh, it's the same woman we had inside the house. Let's kill her off now," the man said, smiling wide. The men nailed her to the ground and one of the men pulled out a sword. The woman didn't scream, instead, she smiled. He kicked her and she winced from the pain. "Don't act so tough so I'll cut your arms and legs before killing you!"

"MAMA!" The girl continued to cry and fear gripped her as the man raise his sword to tear the woman of breath. The sword slashed down and the girl's face widened in horror. Blood came from her mother's face. "MAMA!"

A power surrounded her as anger filled her young heart. The sky darkened and lightning hit the houses, one by one, they dissolve into the raging waters. Horses, soldiers, villagers—no one was spared from the wrath of the heavens. The boat continued to drift away as her powers whacked through her frail body. She lost consciousness and fell face down on the boat, the world still in chaos. When the skies were done with their revenge, rain began to fall.

YUI OPENED HER eyes and she immediately sat up, her face was wet with tears. She slowly lifted her hand to wipe them as her thoughts wandered. She saw a warrior in her dreams, using Seiryuu's powers. She has to be a warrior, she thought. Yui knew that everytime she dreams of a warrior, it meant one was nearby. She got out of bed but her legs failed her. She managed to stand but her body continued to tremble. She was not hurting, just weak. She reached the door of her room in more time than usual. After putting on a dress, she headed out of the room into the kitchen of the temple master's house. A woman with long red hair was cooking and when she turned, Yui smiled.

"Ohayou gozaimasu, Kaen-san," she greeted and the woman nodded in response, not smiling.

"Were you able to sleep well?" she asked and the princess nodded, sitting on the chair.

"Thank you for the massage…" she said, smiling.

"You have numerous hardened tensions in your back, I will massage you again tonight," she offered and Yui hesitantly nodded. "You've been sleeping on something hard. When you do so, try not to crouch," she reminded and the younger girl nodded, smiling.

"Hai." Kaen placed a hot bowl on the table and asked her to eat. She did. The food was starting to bring back the strength in her legs. "Where is Ashita-san?"

"He is fishing like the other men. He brought your brother along," Kaen said, turning away to cut fruits on the sink. "Momoshita-san said she will tour you around the village today. She will be back from Souun in awhile."

Silence fell between them and Yui sighed. "Kaen-san, do you know any other village here? One that is also floating on the waters…" she asked curiously and the woman lost control of the knife she was holding to chop fruits. Yui did not see her troubled face. "Kaen-san…?"

"There used to be another village, near Eisei," she said finally. "But it had long been washed away by the river." Kaen continued to cut the fruits and Yui nodded. "Why do you ask, Holy One?"

"Have you heard of a shinchiseishi?" she asked boldly and the woman stopped. She continued with what she was doing and Yui saw her heave a sigh. "I thought a warrior might be in this village… I heard that there are some who can control the storm…"

"Why do you need to see the warriors?" she asked, sternly. "All the villagers who can change the weather are dead. They died with the village," she said and Yui frowned.

"But that cannot be…" Yui placed the chopsticks back on the table. Her heart sank and she felt weak again. "One warrior less means Seiryuu cannot be summoned…" Kaen turned and placed the fruits on the table.

"Why does Seiryuu need to be summoned?" she asked, not a bit interested, but only doing so to keep her attention. "In other countries, the warriors are executed by its rulers because they bring famine. Why waste your time looking for people who will bring destruction to the world?"

"The warriors will bring peace."

"They will cause Kutou's downfall."

"They will usher in a new era for this country…" she said, smiling. Kaen turned away, slightly angry. "I trust the warriors, they are the only hope." A smirk left her face and she turned to her, clutching a knife. Dark clouds started to swirl on top of the village. Yui didn't notice. She was thinking of Tomo, the twins, and Ashitare. "They should not be killed… or even made to suffer…"

"Yes, it is not the warriors who should be killed but the men who rule over us," she said with anger and Yui looked up, surprised. She no longer held a knife. "The Emperor brought destruction to this land. It is good that he is dead," she said. Yui's jaw clenched and she stood up from the table. Kaen turned and the younger girl bowed slowly.

"I will take a walk outside… Morning air is good for the body…" she said, lowering her head.

She unclasped her fist and breathed out, banishing the anger in her heart. She was close to tears but she refused to cry. No one will understand the pain of being Emperor, no one will understand the tough decisions her father had to make to keep the country stable.

The clouds above her had dissipated and sunshine glared angrily. She walked toward the village aimlessly and eventually ended up in the marble temple. She sat down beside one of the dragons and crouched inside so no one would see her. She cried. The Emperor was not perfect, she knew that. She was not stupid. Yui remembered reading the scroll the historian had written of her father's early days of rule, before she was born, when Kutou was in the midst of a continuing civil war.

Yui's body trembled and she felt weaker. She embraced herself and continued to sob. No one will know the loneliness of being Emperor, of living each day wary of your throne. She confronted him after reading the scrolls and he only smiled in response. He knew that one day she will ask. He knew what to say. And it pained her because he was right.

"If we have a new ruling family every now and then, the developments would cease to continue, plans would change," the Emperor said. He stood up and looked at the window of his chamber. "Kutou has seven provinces, each belonging to a noble house. It had been that way for generations and despite the constant attempt to usurp our family, the country flourished even in times of civil war. It is our duty to serve the people and to do so, we need the Dragon Throne." Yui leaned back on the marble feet of the dragon, tears falling from the sides of her eyes.

"Father…" she called.

"Holy One…?" an elderly voice called and she turned, surprised to see Momoshita-san. The woman smiled in those kind eyes. "You are very much like Kaen when I found her." She offered her hand and Yui hesitantly took it, standing up. She immediately wiped her tears.

"But she was calling to a mother when I found her…"

"Momoshita-san…?" she asked, surprised why the woman was narrating the story. The woman asked her to walk and they did, under the Kutou sun. "Kaen said you adopted her…"

"I saw her crying at the foot of Seiryuu's temple in Shinryu. She was bruised from head to toe, thrown out by the young man who bought her from the brothel to repay her family's debt." Yui turned to the woman and pain gripped her heart. "She had been in a brothel for a long time. One day, a man from the military fell in love with her and bought her. She didn't tell me why she was thrown into the streets… She would always avoid the topic…"

"I'm sorry…"

"Kaen hated the nobles, the late Emperor most of all." They crossed the bridge and started to walk at the banks of the river. "She could not do any household chore when I took her in, the only thing she knew how to do was make oils and perfumes and bring soothing massages." The flowers bloomed slowly as they passed by, delighting the old woman.

"The truth is, I have always looked up to the Emperor. He was always so strong, always in control of the situation. I've lost count of the civil wars that happened under his reign, but in the end, he still continued to rule." Yui heaved a sigh and looked up at the light blue sky. "I told myself I wanted to be that strong…"

"Strength is not always measured by the physical realm…" the woman said and Yui turned. "Most of the time, it is the heart that makes people move mountains." The woman smiled again. "The ground had never bloomed like this for years since the last rebellion. Your presence in Sakana pleased the water nymphs and the spirit of the forests." Yui blushed.

"You are too kind, Momoshita-san…"

"I hope Kaen would one day smile like you… Maybe one day she might be able to create a rainbow instead of a storm…" the woman muttered softly.

"Momoshita-san… Kaen told me that the people who can control the storm had disappeared in this part of Kutou… Is there anyone left? A girl?" she asked and the woman turned, still smiling.

"Kaen told you so?" she asked and Yui nodded. She started to walk back toward the village and Yui followed. "Then they are probably gone…"

"But Momoshita-san… I need to find the warriors." Yui paced with the older woman. "Kutou needs them, it might not be obvious now but it will soon be evident…"

"The warriors are humans too, Holy One. And humans tend to have very weak hearts… It comes with age, I suppose." She smiled as they crossed the bridge. "When they are ready, they will come out. You don't have to search for them… they will find you."

"I see…" Yui smiled. "But it would be nice if I could meet one while I'm here. This seemed like the perfect village to grow a warrior," she stated and the woman laughed lightly, nodding.

The sun was almost high when they returned to the house. Shinji and Ashita-san were already grilling fish at the side of the house when they returned. The older man kept on rubbing Shinji's hair, saying he caught numerous fishes in their adventure. The boy beamed proudly. Hai, Hai, he would say. The only word he knew at the moment. After their mid day meal, Momoshita-san taught her how to make perfumes. She made one from a blue flower she found interesting on the other side of the banks. The flower reminded her of the blond swordsman and her face felt warm.

Forget-me-not.

When night fell, she took a hot bath prepared by the old woman and Kaen offered another session, bringing the scent of cherry blossoms with her fingertips. She agreed. The woman was being friendly and after she learned what happened to the latter, Yui could not take it in her to harbor hate for what she said about the Emperor.

"I know the warrior you seek," Kaen whispered as she kneads her back. Yui stood up from the bed, surprised. The movements of her fingers stopped. "I will bring you to her tomorrow… But you have to be physically ready… Please let me massage your back longer tonight… so I can release the tension in your muscles…"

"Hai!" Yui said happily, smiling at the woman. She was still smiling when she lied down on the bed. "I was so worried I couldn't find one more warrior." The princess heaved a sigh and snuggled to the pillow. "Now I can sleep well…"

"Is there anything more you require, Holy One?" Kaen asked and Yui smiled wide, turning to the woman, sleepy after the session.

"You can call me Yui, Kaen. Holy One is too formal. I'm a normal girl too, like you." For the first time, since she arrived in the village, the woman smiled back.

GI KOYUU PACED again and again in his office, deep in thoughts. Since the Murasaki clan ascended to the throne, he had been troubled. Nightmares plagued his dreams and a familiar beautiful face always appeared, standing in the middle of a lake the color of changing blue and indigo. Matuta, his beloved, would only appear in his dreams when danger comes. The first time she appeared was the same night the Emperor was killed.

A knock came from the door and Kouyuu sat down on his table. The younger officers should never sense his wariness. He was a shogun, ruling half of Kutou's army. He was as powerful as the Emperor. But the power, he never abused. He sighed deeply and leaned on his chair, shaking his head, expecting the worse.

"You may come in," he commanded and a man with dark brown hair stepped in. "Eichuu, what news do you have for me?" he asked sternly.

"Koyuu-sama, the troop that was sent to San'ryu province has sent back half of their numbers with Princess Minako and three warriors," he said, palm sweating. The shogun fisted the table and almost cursed in anger.

"They are using the warriors to secure the throne…" Koyuu stated, not intending to let the younger boy see his frustration. The Murasaki house does not trust him as he had sworn his loyalty to the Hongou clan. But they could not push him out of his position, either.

He was a hero. The most decorated soldier of the Kutou empire.

"I don't understand why they should, they're only against one girl," Eichuu could not help but blurt out. He was his protégé. They were two of them, but the other one—his adopted son—sided with the Murasaki house and was given the title of shogun. The thought made his head throb.

"The princess is not just a girl, Eichuu," he said sternly. He was running out of options. The last hope was to get the princess safe from his son's army. But to mobilize a troop to find her was a deadly option. "The doors of the other countries will immediately open for Yui-sama… If she decided to seek a country's assistance in reclaiming the throne, she can do that easily. The Murasaki house knew that—and will use it to their advantage."

Koyuu looked out of the dark Kutou sky. Rain threatened to fall and it won't be long before the sound of thunders invade the sky. You have prepared everything for her succession Shin, the general thought. But it was not enough. You forgot to train her to succeed you… he whispered under his breath. He shook his head. Even if she returned, what would she know of the plight of the citizens? Was her smiling face enough to endear her to the people?

Another rough knock came from the door and he motioned Eichuu to open it. The latter did and a messenger stepped in. He bowed low before him and waited for his attention. Koyuu turned and bowed slightly.

"What news do you bring?"

"The princess had been found," the messenger said and the colors on Koyuu's face drained. "She will be in Eisei in five days and in another two days, will be brought to Shinryu."

A/N: Whew, I got a little bored writing this chappie. Maybe because it's Soi. HAHAHA! But this chapter is relevant so I guess I don't have much choice. What do you think will happen in the next chappie? Please do leave your reviews!