I'm trying to update this story every now and then because I seem to have this curse of losing hold of the writing style when I stop writing a story for awhile. Anyway, this means that I will be updating this one and not updating the others. I have so many unfinished stories, around 10 or 11, and I really want to finish all of them.

Falling White Threads would have to wait for awhile, though. It is by far the oldest unfinished story I have. I will focus on this story and probably do Are you Seiryuu? next. But I can't say yet, I'm playing inspiration by ear. I have chapter 2 of AYS already but I'm not satisfied with it. :|

This chapter is a little scattered—I'm still uninspired.

Khryztinne: I'm glad you liked the previous chappie! :D I don't really intend to kill Minako yet but I will email you once I want her dead. Haha! Hope you got my email to clarify some things.

Princess-of-Doctors: Haha. Yeah, Hakei has a dark side

ThePinkMartini: Thanks! They are a little sadistic-sooo cute! :D

Obsessed Dreamer: Yup! I'm still in Manila. I'm actually enjoying it here, needs a little getting used to, I think. I'll be in Manila probably until next year. But I'm still playing things by ear! :D I'll try to answer your questions one by one, huh? :)

Disclaimer: FY is not mine.

Awakening

By Slavedriver2008

SLEEP DID NOT come easily and his pale gray eyes were misty in the foggy early morning. He closed them tight, rubbed the bridge of his nose, and then opened them again. A heavy sigh left him and he clutched a pink clam shell, moving his fingers over the waves, wishing it would wash away the tension that filled his body.

Fog slowly lifted from the ground, leaving dews and bursts of color in the wide horizon. Another sigh left him as the cold moved through the thin flaps of his night robe. It was a belief in Sairou that sighing is a bad act, that it releases the luck from the heavens, that it wastes the breath given by the gods. But he could not stop himself from sighing. He walked out into the threshold of his room, seeing the wide sea and the reddish light that slowly, but surely moved through the surface. The waves were low and pacified, unlike the hollering breaking sounds it created last night. The thought made him all the more depressed.

Tomo dreaded the sunrise but it came anyway. He closed his eyes again, waiting for the salty breeze to hit his face. None came. The air was flat and dry, a surprising condition for it was the First Spring, when the mightiest wind comes from the sea, where the monsoon arrives to bring showers to the newly-planted seeds in the fields. He was not good at predicting the weather but the silence made his skin crawl. He was feeling uneasy. Today was the day. Today will mark her death. A curse left him and another sigh came from his mouth.

"The daybreak is a good time to make decisions, Tomo-kun," a familiar deep voice said and the performer doesn't have to turn to know it was him, the man who claimed to be his grandfather. He rolled his eyes as the man walked slowly beside him. "Have you thought about it?" he asked and the younger man didn't respond. Silence fell between them and another sigh left him.

"Give me more time old man," he answered disrespectfully, looking away. He doesn't have to respect him; he had never accepted being a Shi, for the love of Seiryuu. Being noble was the last he wanted in this lifetime. He remained Chuuin Ryou, a nameless performer with a thousand faces but no name. The morning was completely ruined and he turned toward his room, where the man could not bother him.

"In a few more minutes, she will be ushered out into the sea. Her life hangs on a thin sliver of hope that will depend on your decision," the old man said. "The sooner you decide, the better."

"Nonsense."

"It's a good enough bargain, Tomo-kun," the man said, smiling. "You save the girl, our family ascend to power. You marry her, we get the throne."

"Go away, I am not your grandson. I do not belong to anyone but the theater," he noted. "I don't want to fight over this pathetic mess of a country. I refuse to die for a family that abandoned me for 21 fuckin' years," he added with a crackling curse.

The man stood silent, looking out into the sea. Another sigh left the performer and he refused to turn even when the sound of the Imperial gongs reverberated through the early morning air. What should be done? What could he give to change the course of destiny? He was merely a man, a mortal. He was not like Seiryuu, he cannot challenge the heavens, he cannot gather the storm and stop the execution. He was never the strong one, never one who fought upfront. A smirk left his face. No wonder he bore the powers of an illusionist—he was not a warrior, he was a performer. And his victory lies in tricks. His mark throbbed and he closed his eyes, willing the pain in his temple to go away. But it stayed, it lingered. Oh, good heavens.

"They are preparing the ship… Tell me, boy. Do you stand here and watch?" Chuuin turned to find the old man facing him, still smiling, blanketed by the rays of the rising sun. "Or would you make the same decision as your father?"

HEAVINESS HUNG OVER the vast capital of the Kutou empire. The decree had been sent out and in a matter of minutes, she will be hung to her death. Then, her body will be dropped to be devoured by the sea. It was the noblest way of death for a prisoner, to be united with the waters that gave Kutou its richness, to die in the same sea where the god of this country gave up mortality and embraced a life in heaven.

Today will mark the end of the rule of the gods. With her death, the line of kings with the blood of Seiryuu will disappear for good and a new age of rule will begin. She was given a choice but she chose death, it was easy for her, for someone who has always been half-alive half-dead, hidden in the chambers of the Imperial Palace. Nakago wondered if she regretted the decision, given her state last night.

The general clutched the lone pearl necklace around his neck, a gift from his mother before she died by his uncontrollable powers. Eleven years after her death, he had grown well. He had learned to control his powers, was trained by the best warriors in the Empire, given education and a title. But even with all these, he was still a Hin. The blood of the cursed tribe still flowed in his veins, a fact that she pointed out to him yesterday. She might have been a prisoner, but she still had more rights than he. A sad smile crept through his mouth. She was the only one who can rub the wounds where it hurts. Her sharp tongue will be a problem.

Footsteps emanated behind him and he placed the pearl back inside his armor. Even if he knew the truth, he should never tell his Father. Nakago could never admit that he had loved the man who broke her mother's heart. Since he abandoned the search for the blue flower, he only has two choices: to pursue his revenge or to leave for that faraway kingdom. It was his mother's request, that Koyuu bring his son to a faraway kingdom where his race and his title would not matter. But he failed her. Even her last wish, he could not give. So, he had decided and made the choice last night, she made it easier for him. It was a pathetic choice but he wanted it. His revenge will end today. A new life begins.

"Nakago, my son, is this what you wish for?" Koyuu asked and the general looked at him from the sides of his eyes, seeing a man in full armor.

"Hai, Father," he answered. He never found the blue flower, never found his priestess. But he had discovered his faraway kingdom. Today was a happy time, he will no longer be in Kutou, marked as a warrior. If only he could tell his father, if only he could understand. "Today will end my revenge. Tomorrow, I am a new man." The general sighed and he pulled out a pearl necklace from around his neck, starkly similar to the one around his.

"If I could not change your mind… This might…" Nakago turned to the man, stern but surprised. Koyuu held the pearl necklace and the younger man took it in his palm. It was still warm. "I wanted to give it on your wedding day… something to please your wife. But it might have other better use." The pearl glimmered, he felt it pound softly on his palm. "May it clear your thoughts."

Nakago bowed and clutched the pearl earring, anger filling him. He gave him the necklace but does not have the gall to admit being his father, admit bringing death to the most important woman in his life. The warrior's jaws clenched. He had always looked up to General Koyuu, had always trusted him more than trust itself, even before he knew he carried the same blood. But he still chose the Emperor, chose the man who brought Ayuru's destruction. Because of him, he will never be worthy of anything, he might be a shogun, might even be Emperor. But he will never be the same innocent boy he had always wanted to become. The shogun walked away, not saying anything. He used to have numerous things to tell the man he called Father but everything disappeared in his head once he gave him the pearl. Nakago shook his head and left the house, walking in haste, willing the haunting thoughts to leave him.

There was no time to waste, every second was valuable.

He reached the prison in less time, the soldiers bowing low as he passed, cape flapping like blue wings behind him. Now, everything was in place. The only way out was to do the plan and the thought brought back the feeling of accomplishment in his heart. When he reached her cell, he saw her standing in front of the small windows, alone. She turned, slowly, blood clotted at the sides of her mouth. She wore a new robe of white but he could still make out the drying wounds on her back. It will heal, in time it will be gone. He will make sure, all the wounds he inflicted on her will disappear.

Nakago opened the metal doors and stepped inside. Teal eyes followed his movements but they were deprived of anything but softness. She had not slept well, judging by the dark circles that surrounded her eyes. He walked forward and offered the pearl on his palm. She eyed it intently and then gasped when the pearl shined, turning indigo in the light. She recognized it, it was valuable for him and she knew that.

"Why…?"

"A parting gift from my father," he said. His jaw clenched and realizing that she was dumbfounded by the present, he untied the locks and placed it gently around her neck. She looked up, rosiness tinged over her cheeks, eyes misty, in a soft face he would always remember her by. "Don't be too pleased, it's merely a cheap pearl no jeweler wanted."

"Arigatou…" she whispered in a soft voice. She smiled wide, clutching the pearl around her frail beautiful hands. He cupped her cheek and thumbed the tear at the side of her eye. "Domo arigatou gozaimasu…" She moved closer, probably for an embrace, but he stepped back and turned around, leaving her surprised.

"Hime-sama, do you know how to swim?" he asked in a rough voice, not turning to her. He could hear the gentle rhythm of her beating heart, it was a lovely new sound.

"What…?" she asked, confused.

"Make sure you hold your breath longer then," he said, turning slowly with a smirk.

She pouted and rolled her eyes. He always seemed to piss her easily. Now, they have much to work on but everything will fall into place once she remembers. The thought made his heart leap. He controlled a chuckle. It would be a funny yet memorable beginning. No, it would be a continuation of what would have happened if he never left the palace, if he never let his position get the best of him and he never entertained thoughts of immortality.

"What use would it be? I will die before I hit the waters anyway," she answered. "Gods, I wish you're more like Koyuu-sama—"

"See you in the afterlife, princess," he said and her face fumed. She was about to say more when hurried footsteps reverberated toward her small prison, effectively cutting their conversation.

"Nakago-sama, the Emperor has started the parade! We should—" a soldier told him and he turned toward the door of the gate. The soldier bowed and gave him a rope.

"Hold your horses, soldier. You are too noisy," he said and the soldier bowed again. "Wait outside, I will see into things here." The soldier bowed again before leaving. He had a ruthless reputation among his troops and his soldiers were afraid of him. It was better that way.

Yui turned around as he tied her wrists together. There was no sign of fear in her body but he knew she was thinking deeply about numerous things. A sigh left the general and she turned to him with prying eyes. When he was done, she turned and he looked at her intently. She was too frail, too young. But her eyes were no longer as innocent as before, when he first saw her. Her adventures had taught her numerous things, numerous lessons, numerous pains. Now, she knew pain, like him. Only, he learned it earlier, knew it the hard way. Maybe the Emperor had decided well in choosing her to rule this country. But it was the least of his concerns. The faraway kingdom was more important than Kutou.

Nakago stepped closer and before she could say anything, he leaned down to plant a kiss on her soft lips, a quick kiss, similar to the ones they shared when they first met, something to relieve them of the pain, which he was confident would never disappear. When he moved away, her face had become brighter. She swallowed hard, her teal eyes sending him a question he could never answer.

"Remember, take a deep breath," he reminded and before she could react—negatively, he supposed—the general turned and opened the door of the prison. He pulled her roughly and she almost tripped.

"You—"

"Walk right or I shall drag you behind my horse," he stated and she looked back in repressed anger. Her jaws clenched and she stood upright, raising her head and walking in front of him. He followed, watching her intently.

"The Prince would not be pleased with the way you treat your prisoners," Tenkou said, pacing beside him. Nakago eyed the man but said nothing. He was dangerous and even his skin crawled at the latter's presence. "Be careful where you tread, general. You are not as powerful as your father."

HIS LIPS WERE still in her thoughts. They were familiar, soft and gentle, and surprisingly warm. She briefly turned toward him but immediately turned away again, flushed. It was pathetic to think of him while walking to her death. She shook her head at such adolescent thoughts. When she looked forward, her heart sank and she felt the burden getting heavier with every step.

Before her stood the vessel that will ferry her to the deep part of the sea. She moved her teal eyes across the horizon and a sense of pride filled her. Like Seiryuu, She was giving her life for this country, in a war she never fought but lost. The white robes flapped gently on the soft air, the sea quiet and calm but the skies threatened of rain. Her hands were tied on her back, wrist to wrist, tight and unflinching.

Yui had to stop dreaming of falling in love. It was futile, she will never experience what her mother did, what Koyuu-sama felt for the fair-haired woman from the West. Love was not something to be had in her lifetime. For love, she realized, was not what a princess of her standing should feel. Especially not to someone whose soft eyes would remind her of the clearest part of the sea. For love was a dream, something to feel in an intangible world.

The ship immediately steered toward the sea after they boarded. The shogun and the female warrior stood behind her. The commander Tenkou was left in the shores as the Imperial family looked out from the palace grounds. Yui turned to the Emperor, a stern man, and to Minako. The prince Hakei was nowhere to be found and her stomach clenched at the last encounter they had. They killed his father. She will hate them forever, even in death.

The sea was calm but gray skies slowly moved above them, warning of rain. She turned toward Soi, she could feel the soft flow of power she released to stir the skies. Yui knew she will make it rain, make the sky cry for her death. If only as a small sign of penance, the female warrior was grieving for the destiny that awaited her. The thought brought Yui a small ounce of comfort. She smiled at the woman and she looked away. Soi, Yui realized, would never admit wanting her as a friend or a sister.

A soldier wrapped a rope around her neck and tightened it into place. The shogun merely watched beside her. He could feel the soft beating on her chest, a beating not her own. Was it his heart? Was she hearing his heart on her ears? She turned to him and he looked back with the same expressionless face. His taste was left on her lips and it was enough to make her wistful. Maybe in another life, in another time they would meet again. He would not be a Hin and she would not be a princess. Maybe then she could finally fall in love with him, and he with her.

"Please step this way," the soldier said, showing her toward the thin plank where she would jump to her death. Once deprived of breath, her body would hang to the ship, lifeless, the sea under her toes but she would never reach for it. She would be deprived of the right to flow into the sea, the way his father was deprived of a formal funeral. It was probably her biggest regret. "Do you have any last words?"

Yui looked up at the sky, now gray and angry. Cold wind brushed through her face, the salty gale passing through the fresh wounds on her back, making her skin throb. A smile left her and she closed her eyes to feel the movement of the earth. She swallowed hard, imagining being in flight.

"I never betrayed Kutou… Kutou betrayed me," she said softly. "But despite this… I still love this country."

Yui felt a familiar force develop behind her—Nakago. He shoved her toward the sea but instead of feeling the thick rope tighten around her neck, it snapped and she fell with a large splash, engulfed by the waves.

THUNDER WHACKED THE sky but no rain fell. The waves roared, gnashing its foams over the golden-colored sand where she lay. Her body felt heavy and her heart, her heart was sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss of loneliness she created inside her chest. The air was salty and humid, leaving an almost sticky sensation on her skin. Even without moving, the princess knew it was the same place—his domain, where she first saw him.

He was always here.

She stood up and turned to the familiar spot where he stood, robes flapping with the heavy breeze, the waves barely touching the tips of his feet, his robes that were the color of the gnashing azure skies. She walked toward him, her feet sinking on the sand. At a certain distance she knew very well, she stopped. A tear fell from her eye and she took a step closer, feeling bold. He turned, in an expression that was calm despite the storm.

"Do you know what it says when it howls?" he whispered but his words were clear when it reached her ears. He was pertaining to the wind. She stepped closer, her heart pumping loud and clear.

"I have no need for signs."

"Then why do you come here?" he asked, turning to her and waiting for her to come closer. Tears fell from her eyes and coldness filled her body. She was an arm's away when she stopped walking and her breath caught when he reached a cold hand to cup her cheek.

"Tell me… Are you Seiryuu?" she asked, voice stuttering. He eyed her intently, not saying more. "Because if you are… then I want to give you all of me…" She clutched his soft hands and placed it on her chest. His eyes darted to the lone pearl necklace on her neck. "My soul, my body… my heart… in exchange for peace… for what my father died for…" His other hand clutched the pearl around his palm, the wild beatings stopped.

"You are already mine. Have you forgotten?" The hand on her chest moved toward her forehead and a cold finger made lines over her skin, familiar lines that made her head throb. Her eyes widened when she finally realized what it was. "Never forget who you are. You are mine and mine alone."

VIOLENT WAVES LASHED through the sides of the Imperial vessel, pushing it back and forth over the wide cerulean sea. Thunder filled the sky and rain veiled the land and the sea in a thick fog. The ship swayed over the raging waters and the general clutched the ship's stern, body drenched in the ravaging waters he never knew could exist at the same time.

Golden hair stuck to his cheeks but he had no time to move it away. Blue eyes scanned the waters but his eyes only saw the darkness and the sprays of mist. The god was hiding everything, even the Imperial palace from his eyes. Even his falcon could not give him the view he desired. He could not hear any beatings from the pearl either, in a second, it stopped. He punched the wood and the act made him almost lose balance due to the rocking waves.

"Soi—"

"It is not me, Nakago-sama—I couldn't control the skies!" Soi answered in a shrill scared voice. Yes, she was not powerful enough to cause a full-blown storm, and not one that could put a whole country under its mercy. Frustration filled him, an emotion he never knew he'd feel again.

"Shit. Shit. Shit," he cursed repeatedly, looking out into the wide sea of frenzied waves. He couldn't find any signs of life, any sign of her robe. He pulled off his armor one by one amid the rocking ship, leaving his under clothes and the pearl on his neck. He could not lose the chance. He must grab it regardless of the consequences. His faraway kingdom waits.

"Nakago-sama, the sea is dangerous—Don't jump!" Soi called and he turned to her troubled and worried face. She was also clinging to the ship's mast, hanging for dear life.

The general's eyes saw another ship ventured out into the sea and he eyed the banner that flapped on the ship, a white dragon with glittering silver scales. Another curse left him. What does the Shi family want? His eyes widened when he finally placed the pieces together, he was the best strategist after all. He ran toward the head of the ship and saw, to his surprise, the performer, clinging to the mast, looking out into the sea.

The water began to stir, forming a whirlwind that emanated from under the waters. A piercing growl came from the depths and his forehead began to shine, sending off bursts of light beyond his control. A familiar power filled him, overpowering his resolves, moving through his body and sending him euphoric almost ethereal sensations of power. Soi screamed behind him as the light from their marks shone, singing an otherworldly song.

The earth moved with the waves and the general's eyes widened when the waters lifted high from the depths, up into the heavens, bringing with it a raging scream of mixed water and air. The ships were thrown back as a translucent water dragon flew upward with a deep otherworldly roar. Something shined on its head and the general was in awe as the water dragon flew along the skies, moving in circles around a sole unconscious figure. Nakago's eyes widened in horror as he recognized the figure.

Yui.

But it was not her image that brought him to unknown battling emotions but the sign that stole all darkness, one that urged his mark to his princess's forehead was the mark of the dragon, a mark he never found in Minako.

Seiryuu.

A CURSE LEFT Tomo when the Yui's body appeared over the clouds, surrounded by a raging dragon. His mark shone bright and even the twins behind him watched surprised and speechless. He could feel their marks, glowing strongly like his, without control, as if being called by the girl in the skies.

"Is she…?" Suboshi asked, stuttering. "Aniki—"

The dragon growled before it finally exploded, sending out large volumes of water that sprayed in all directions. The storm pushed the ship with a gigantic wave that almost reduced it to splinters. Tomo clutched the ship's stern and looked out into the skies. She was falling slowly to the sea, leaving glittering remnants of the sea in her trail. Without another word, he jumped to catch her and from the sides of his eyes, he saw the general jump as well.

The mark on his thigh glimmered, fighting the glowing light from the shogun's forehead. A force pushed the performer back to the ship but he fought with him in midair, moving further up to grab Yui's unconscious form. No, he would not give her away, not to him. He had brought her nothing but pain. For the life of him, he would never give his princess away. He would die defending her, he would die receiving all her pain. He will protect her, and with the thought, his mark shone brighter.

The two men's eyes met, blue against gray, and the performer blinked and casted the shogun under an illusion. He wanted to trap him under his spell but he realized what it was and broke it in less than a second. But it was enough to enable Tomo to reach her. When he blinked, that one second gave him an advantage.

Tomo scooped her into his arms. The angered shogun reached for her but the performer used the last of his strength to push him away. In turn, he was strongly pushed back as their forces collided, exploded into shards of blue blight in the skies. Tomo fell harshly on the deck of the ship, splinters penetrating his back and causing him to bleed instantaneously. The shogun was likewise pushed back to the Imperial ship, bloodied like him.

"Aw—Damn!" he screamed from the pain. The twins gathered around him. "Let's get out of here!" he screamed and the crew moved the ship away from the raging tides. A sharp laugh left him as he slumped on the ship's wooden deck. He had beaten the shogun, he had beaten that bastard. He would have done more in return for his painful greeting when they first met. But no, he had to stop himself; he was, after all, a very formidable opponent.

"Tomo-sama—" Amiboshi called and he slowly moved her off him, placing her down on the floor of the ship. She was breathing very lightly, her chest moving up and down in casual intake of air. The mark on her forehead was bright and distinct. At the sight, mixed emotions filled the performer.

He wanted her as his wife, not his priestess.

AN UNEXPLAINABLE WARMTH filled Yui's body and she shivered as it entered her skin, moving from her mouth to every vein. Her hands landed on a smooth muscled back and when she opened her eyes saw long eyelashes from tightly closed eyes.

Amiboshi slowly moved away, heaving from giving her his chi. Yui coughed and he pulled her closer into his arms. He kissed the side of her head and she leaned on his shoulder, where his mark glowed bright. Yui closed her eyes as his power wrapped around, reliving her of the pain.

"Kotoku…" she whispered. Heat emanated from his body and she clung to him like her life depended on him. "Is it Kotoku…?" she asked, still delirious.

"Sleep and let me take care of you… my beloved priestess…" he whispered and she slowly closed her eyes, letting his mind and body depend on the movement of his lips. When he kissed her again, she was almost asleep, mind fleeting to a dream to conjure a face she never grew tired of seeing.

CHARACTER INFOCUS

Seiryuu – The god of the East and protector of the land of Kutou. His human form is a handsome man with dark blue hair and green eyes. He only reveals himself in dreams. His mark is a blue dragon with green scales.

Tenkou – A warrior with no recorded history. He serves the shogun Nakago but remains a close confidante and spy for the Murasaki House.

A/N: Editing this chapter was really troublesome. Hohoho! And yes, I am evil! :D Good job to those who sorta expected this revelation! Sorry for making things complicated for everybody but I did drop hints, ya'know. Things will get tricky from here since I don't have specific scenes to fill the chapters, just ideas. I hope you like this chappie and please do drop your reviews!