I've been deliberating whether placing this fiction in M is proper or it sends out too many expectations. But anyway, I might put this fiction back in T, but I dunno, I'm still testing the mood of the next chappies! This chapter and the next one are the hardest to write in this story because my plot map is literally blank in these two chapters. Heck, I initially wanted the scenes here to happen in one chappie but it ended up in two. Hope this clears (or probably does otherwise) some missing pieces in the story. But anyway, arigatou for reading and please do leave reviews!

ThePinkMartini: Haha, thanks!

Khryztinne: Well, Suboshi's not really naïve. He's actually surprised about Tomo's forwardness. He's from a far-away poor village while Tomo has been traveling a lot so you could say he and Amiboshi are a conservative lot.

Obsessed Dreamer: Well, I couldn't say that updates will come faster because I'm really swamped with work. Yeah, the previous chapter is a denouement of sorts for the first climax of this story but it wasn't really shorter. 4,000 words has always been my peg for this fiction. :)

Disclaimer: FY is not mine.

Fragments of a Dream

By Slavedriver2008

THE HORIZON WAS covered in shades of red and orange as the sun started its quick descend into the waters. In the distance, the tips of Mt Taikyoku were hidden in thick late afternoon mist and only the conical body was left. Tomo pulled the reins of the horse and it walked faster, surprising the girl in front of him who immediately turned. He leaned closer and gave her his warmest smile.

"Let us rest for the evening," he whispered and he did not miss the rosiness that spread over her face. The girl nodded and he moved closer, placing his chest near her back. She gasped as he pulled the reins to stop the horse quickly, making her lose balance and falling to his arms.

"Tomo—"

"My apologies, I am not very good with horses, Yui-sama," he purred her name and he laughed lightly when her face became a brighter shade of red. She was as delicious as a ripe tomato.

"You're at it again," she noted, sighing as he moved down the horse. He assisted her down, intentionally wrapping his arms around her waist. She made a sound and the futile resistance made him all the more elated. He was good at flirting and no one—absolutely no one—can resist him, men or women.

"Yui-sama," he called softly and the girl turned, giving him a sharp stare. He liked calling her name, it reminded him of the little innocent princess she once was.

He remembered it vividly, as if it happened yesterday. The shell was partly responsible for it, for keeping his memories fresh and real. He was sitting on the ground, the costumes of the troupe scattered and ruined. His robe was torn and soaked in fresh blood. She leaned closer to wipe the blood on the sides of his mouth, dirtying her soft little hands.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked and he nodded, ashamed. The man tried to abuse him and in a fist of anger, Tomo unconsciously killed him. It was the night his powers awakened, after a successful performance in the Imperial Palace. "I wonder where the man went off to… He should be punished for hurting you." Tomo took the little girl's hand and pulled her closer.

"Yui-hime…" he called and she smiled in response. It brought an unexplainable tightness at the pit of his stomach. "I want to marry you someday," he said eagerly and she looked back with curiosity.

"Marry? What does marry mean?" she asked and he rummaged in his head for a proper response.

He was still a child then, they both were. She was barely six and he was turning twelve. Every boy wanted to marry the princess. And he was unlike any other boys. It was fate that brought him at her presence tonight. It was Seiryuu who guided her hands when she gave him a pearl from her treasure box, after the services he did for the performing troupe. They were destined to be together the moment the mark appeared on his thigh. Only a sacred warrior who bore the mark can ask for a princess to marry him. At least that was what he was led to believe.

"It means I want to make you happy, Yui-sama—" he said and immediately stopped when she nodded in a reaction that seemed to have understood.

"Oh, I will marry you then," she said in a childish tone he will forever remember her by, even after the day they met again and she pretended to be a boy.

The smile widened on his handsome face. The knot in his stomach had loosened and warmth spread throughout his body. She was beautiful, made more pretty by the glimmering full moon above her head. He would remember that night for the rest of his life. Less than ten years later, he wanted to remind her.

"What is it, Tomo?" she asked and he smiled wide, his thoughts returning to the task at hand. He pulled the horse toward a tree, tying the rein on a large twisted branch. She followed him, waiting for his next words. He was not only good at flirting, he was good at making people hang to his words. He was a charmer.

"What do you intend to do after the summoning?" he asked and she shook her shoulders. The twins went down their horses and the younger twin was making a lousy way of balancing himself. Tomo looked at her intently, silently wishing she would answer quickly. He does not want to be heard by the twins.

"Make the three wishes, I suppose."

"And after that?" he asked expectantly and she heaved a sigh, looking away in deep thoughts.

"I don't know. I don't even know what to wish for," she answered. "My parents are dead and this country has forsaken me. I don't have much to live for." He made a sound and he was tempted to tease her about her flair for the dramatics. But time was running out, he will do the bantering when he said what he intended to say.

"When the mark on your forehead has faded, would you… will you be my wife?" he asked, his heart pumping loud.

The girl's blue eyes widened and her reaction scared him. It was different than the incident in his memories, when they were young and she immediately agreed to his boyhood fantasies. The younger twin called to them but the performer did not turn. He stared deep into her eyes, making out her discomfort.

"I am no longer a nameless man. Surely I can be your husband?" he asked in a happy tone, in an effort to reassure himself.

Yui looked away and stepped back, shaking her head. He immediately grabbed her shoulders and their eyes met. Tears beaded the sides of her eyes and it was the only reaction he needed. How can this happen? He had spent the night thinking of the confession, the proposal. He had even chosen the perfect time, the sunrise. Well, he was a little eager but he does not know when to ask. He was a man who never asked to begin with.

"Before I am your warrior, I am a man. I am crossing the line of loyalty to offer you what I can as a man. You don't have to answer me now. We are still far from summoning Seiryuu, especially with four missing warriors," he added, reading the conflict in her eyes.

"No, I can't marry you…" she answered softly, covering her mouth. "I can't…"

"Lies," he gritted and pulled her to capture her lips for a kiss but she immediately looked away.

When he kisses her, she responds. That was proof enough that they share the same emotion, feel the same sensation with every moment. He should have kissed her before proposing. He should have used his powers to make her remember. He knew better now.

"I can't… I really can't…" she said aloud, her voice breaking. The twins ran toward them, wary of the immediate tension that filled the air. He clutched her shoulders tighter. Tears fell from her beautiful teal eyes. "Once we cross the borders, Taiitsukun will probably not allow us passage. Because I am tainted… I can't summon Seiryuu—I'm—I am no longer a virgin…"

The performer's eyes widened. An invisible hand grabbed his heart and it was being smoldered and gripped very hard. He stepped back, letting his hands fall to the side of his body, where it remained hanging like lifeless ropes after the music stopped playing. She was crying and her tears did not lift off the pain in his chest. Just like that, his dreams were shattered. Everything that he fought for suddenly seemed useless. He turned around and kicked the protruding root of a tree, causing an unbearable pain to shot through his legs. The act made him angrier.

"Yui-sama—"

"How can you lose it?" he bellowed. Amiboshi pulled him away but he remained where he stood, seething. "You pathetic girl—What is the use of all these then?" he screamed.

He had to let his anger out or else it will consume him. It happened to him once, the day he first used his powers. He even used it on her, to make her forget that dreadful night, under the full moon. The mark on his thigh glimmered strongly and he clutched his fist.

"How can you lose your innocence? We endured these marks for Seiryuu knows how long and you're throwing it away by—by losing the most important sacrifice!"

"Tomo!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't—"

"You're useless," he stated, staring in cold sharp gray eyes.

Wrath consumed his body, his thoughts, nothing was his anymore. He felt like his soul was departing from his body and watching another him do what he knew he'll regret later. Yui's eyes widened and she covered her mouth. But it was futile, her face was streaked with tears. Suboshi went in front, protecting the priestess from him—her warrior. The mark glimmered on his left shoulder.

"Tomo-sama—enough, please!"

"You're useless as a princess—and all the more useless as a priestess," he seethed.

Her teal eyes widened. He was angry—and he reserved the right to get angry. She was too selfish to give herself to another man. The priestess never really cared for them, for him. And this princess was the worst. She was even worse than the warriors who strayed from their responsibilities to live a pathetic life. He knew those readings by heart, he had played it, acted it on stage. All of them, the thousand tales of Seiryuu's warriors.

"Hey—that's too much!"

"I didn't want to lose it…" she answered, voice breaking in sounds that made the performer's heart bleed. But it didn't melt his resolves. His heart stopped beating, he was as good as dead. "I fought… I really did… I would give anything just to have it back…" she uttered in a voice that begged for his forgiveness. The performer looked away. "I'm sorry—I'm really sorry!" she screamed before scampering away.

"Yui-sama!" Suboshi called. "I don't know your problems but you don't talk like that to the girl you love," the boy said before running away to follow her.

"Tomo-san…" It was Amiboshi. Like him, he was standing stiffly, unsure. "Let's run after Yui…" Tomo turned away and the boy nodded. "We will bring her back. Please watch over the horses." The boy followed his brother, leaving the warrior who looked up at the red-hued sky, the color of blood, the same as the stain on his robes that night.

The performer bit his lip as a tear fell from his eye. He cursed the feeling, the numbing sensation, the anger that prompted his mark to shine bright. But he could do nothing. He was prisoner of this emotion and his mark. Again, the mark had caused him nothing but pain.

He hated it. He hated it very much.

NAKAGO UNTIED THE chains around the boy's neck and the heavy metal slithered down the ground, leaving reddish marks on the boy's pale skin. The youngest warrior looked at him in those yellow eyes, waiting for his words. The shogun briefly entertained the thought of being attacked but the boy's mild demeanor assured him these thoughts would not happen. He looked at the boy intently and his golden irises moved through his face.

He had never seen such eyes before and the uniqueness of his features reminded him of a wolf cub he saw during his youth, in the forests north of Shinryu when he decided to look for the blue flower. Wolves were sacred creatures, they were deadly but they were venerated by the people of Kutou, at least by the ruling tribe. It was very seldom for a warrior to come across a legendary creature, and remembering the cub in the boy across him sent a shudder that traveled up his spine.

Wolves were Seiryuu's favorite animals. They fought his battles. They won him wars. For their loyalty they were given the right to walk the world in two feet, as humans. They live long, surpassing normal mortals, living both man and animal. They were the only creatures who were given a taste of immortality.

They protect the blue flower, Nakago was told through legends passed down from one Hin to another. To acquire the flower, the guardian had to be slain.

The boy looked back in a piercing gaze that made his stomach clench. Nakago felt as if the boy was reading his thoughts, like his life was laid open for his prying golden eyes. The boy licked his lips and a boyish grin spread on his face. The general's hand clenched and he resisted the urge to pull his sword and slash his thin frail neck.

Nakago killed the cub with his hands, bloody calloused hands. He flicked the sword and in a second cut the creature's neck. It was the first biggest mistake he committed and the consequences nagged him to this day. The old ones believe that to kill a wolf was calling attention to the heavens, a challenge to the god of the east. The men who killed wolves never lived long. He wondered why he continued to live after that incident. Why the heavens continue to punish him by never granting any of his wishes.

Yet, he wondered. If Seiryuu found the blue flower, was granted the gift of immortality, did he kill these creatures?

"You're free to make your choice," he grumbled and the boy did not make any sound. "You can run to her or stay with me. It's your call, wolfbrother." The boy merely looked back and in a few seconds, stepped back, eyes still fixed on the shogun's crouching form.

The boy howled and the birds flew from trees. A branch snapped behind him and he doesn't have to turn to know who was intruding their conversation. The boy looked at the warriors and then ran off to the darkness. His mark glimmered and Nakago watched in awe as he slowly transformed into a white wolf, running gracefully in padded feet, among shrubs and trees until nothing was left but little marks of feet.

"Nakago-sama…"

"Follow his trail, he will lead us to her," he said sternly as he stood up. The falcon hooted above his head and he raised his arm to let it rest its wings, shedding a few feathers that glided over his cape. He moved fingers over the bird's neck and it nuzzled back warmly.

"Hai," Soi answered. When he passed her, she looked up and watched the blond shogun, raking eyes over his form. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh. "Nakago-sama, do you want to kill… the priestess?" she asked and he stopped, turning in sharp blue eyes. The falcon shrieked sharply and the woman froze.

"Does she have your loyalty now, eh Soi?" he asked. The woman's eyes widened and she bowed lower. "Do you want to follow Ashitare?" The female warrior shook her head vehemently.

"No, Nakago-sama. I… I will go where you'll go…"

"Then learn to hold your tongue," he cut her. "Leave and follow the boy, I will await your reports." Nakago turned and walked away, the bird moving toward his shoulders with ease.

He walked toward the camp, eyeing each tent sharply. Night was fast upon them and the journey was still long. He turned toward the Holy Mountain, now completely covered by the darkening clouds. He and his men have been traveling for four days, getting very little rest. He was allowed to bring half of his army and he brought the best ones. They were running after a priestess and four warriors—if Ashitare managed to reach them in time. They were a young lot, their powers not fully mature like his. But they were still dangerous. The bird pecked his ear lightly and he smiled.

"I am fine," he mumbled and the bird hooted, unconvinced.

The general sighed and sat down on a large root of a tree. The bird flew lightly and occupied the branch above his head. He moved the back of his hand over the falcon's feathers and it pecked lightly in response. A smile left him.

Nakago looked ahead and saw the small shape of the moon, a thin smile surrounded by stars. It reflected on the lake whose surface showed the eerie shadows of trees. When the night is young and the air still humid, he would always find himself reminiscing. Not that he wanted to, but the memories catch up to him, the way night always reaches day.

"Father, why am I still a Hin?" he asked, watching the same moon from the window of their house within the palace grounds. His eyes looked through another bigger house across them and his heart began to beat faster.

"Nakago… Are they bullying you again?" Koyuu asked, popping a cherry into his mouth. The boy immediately shook his head and looked up to the man who adopted him.

"All my classmates all look up to Father, they want to be like him. Father has adopted me… But I remain who I am. It's been three years…" he said, eyes downcast. "I wish I could become like father, a normal man."

"My father—your grandfather—always tells me that to move forward, we should never forget where we came from…" he answered, still watching the moon. "The moon is waning. What a beautiful sight."

"Hai… Father is always right. But still… Sometimes I wish I'm of noble blood. But I am a Hin and I remain one even with your name affixed to mine. Seiryuu is unfair," he muttered and the man crumpled the hair on top of the boy's head. Nakago flushed. He was being treated like a kid.

"I am your father. Are you ashamed of me?" Koyuu asked and he immediately shook his head. "Seiryuu is never unfair—it is man who is unfair to others. Do you understand?" Nakago nodded and the older man laughed. "You should never be ashamed of being a Hin, Nakago. Your mother would be saddened if she heard what you said."

"I'm not ashamed of mother, it's that…" The young man sighed and popped a cherry into his mouth. It was sweet. "The Prince of Konan will be visiting tomorrow. I heard he's been pampered well… and that he is beautiful and every girl wants to marry him…" He swallowed the fruit, back still straight. The lad wondered, does he worry about pimples?

"I'm sure numerous girls want to marry Nakago. You are seventeen now, you are free to make any girl your wife. I heard Minister Kou's daughter always watches you," Koyuu teased and Nakago made a sound.

"If it were her eyes, I would have—"

"Do you have a girl then?" Koyuu cut him and warmth spread over his face. He blinked repeatedly and swallowed hard. He cleared his throat and looked away from the man who watched him intently, to the bigger house in front of him, to windows that were shut tight.

"Hai…" he said, finally smiling. "When she comes of age, I will marry her."

The sound of crackling leaves broke the shogun's reverie and he leaned closer to the trunk to hide himself. A figure walked before the lake and he raised an eyebrow as one of his men appeared. Tenkou raised a bony hand over the dark waters and it began to stir. Nakago moved a finger over his lips and the bird didn't move, eyes fixed straight at the shadow.

"Go on… Come to me…" he called in a shrill otherworldly voice, and the skin on Nakago's back rose on ends.

YUI RAN WITH abandon, unmindful of the twins who were following her. She wanted to get away from him, from them. She was useless the moment she lost her innocence. The pearl dangled on her chest and it added to the weight on her shoulders, to the thousand needles that pierced her heart. She hated herself for losing it, hated the way she clung to his gift. She hated him, Nakago, but doing so made her hate herself more.

She was a fool.

Tomo was right. A woman who lost her virginity to a man who was not her husband was useless. Her foot tripped on a root and she stumbled forward, hitting the dry hard ground with a sound, her face rubbing on stone that caused a cut on her cheek. Her legs throbbed and she cried from the pain. She sat up slowly, tracing the line on her wrist.

She was a useless princess, a priestess with nothing to offer her god. A woman who does not deserve a marriage proposal, not from a man who carry a reputable name. She was a disgrace. Even the harem would not take her in, especially with the marks of his mouth that still remained on her neck, on the valley between her breasts, on her navel. She covered her face in shame. She wanted to disappear, to be someone else other than the woman she was now.

Because no one would accept her. Not Tomo, not the twins, not Taiitsukun, not Seiryuu—not even Nakago would have her. She should have died that day, should have let herself drown in the wonderful sound of crashing waves. Why would Seiryuu choose someone tainted? Why would he give her a mission she will never be able to complete? Was it the god's idea of entertainment? Was she nothing but a doll with strings to be controlled by his hands?

"I hate you!" she screamed in the same time thunder erupted from the skies, bringing down a month's worth of rain. The land was immediately covered in sprays of mist as it fell, hitting the ground with a vengeance. In a blink of an eye she was soaked from head to foot and the world disappeared around her.

Suboshi would not find her now and it was for the best. Maybe the ground could open and eat her and give the mark on her forehead to a worthy girl. She could barely open her eyes, barely see the trees and the ground that surrounded her before the storm fell. A figure appeared from the distance and she squinted, making out his image in the harsh shower.

"Come to me…" the voice called, clear despite the raging wind.

"Seiryuu?" she called, standing up and walking toward him. "Seiryuu…" She stepped closer and her feet waded through water. She barely felt the liquid around her thigh that drenched her all over. "Why did you choose me? WHY?" she screamed against the raging storm, to the image that seemed to fade in the mist. "SEIRYUU!"

A LARGE INTAKE of air sent her body shivering, filling her lungs, and then leaving her choking. Yui opened her eyes and blood-like draperies filled her view. She sat up, coughing, and sounds of scrambling feet covered the room.

"The Empress is awake—Hurry, tell Heiki-sama!" a woman screamed and the others followed. A figure walked sat on the side of the bed and Yui saw red sheets covering her weak and frail body.

"How are you feeling, your majesty?" the woman asked softly and she looked up to find a beautiful woman with purple hair. The mole under her left eye moved lightly and Yui choked again when she tried to answer. "Water—Send in water!" The sound of feet scrambled again and when she opened her eyes, the woman was holding a cup with murky dark liquid. "Here, drink this…"

"What is this…?"

"Water with medicine… Go on… Drink…" she ordered, the tips of her beautiful thick robes brushing through the tips of her fingers. Yui drank the liquid, gulped them down in desperation as it eased the pain and the dryness of her throat. "How are you feeling now, Yui-sama?"

"I feel… lighter…" she responded. She closed her eyes, wondering how she ended up in a room with sheets that were the opposite of the ones in her chamber. The temperature was hotter too and she was sweating from head to foot under the blankets. The thought of endless waters returned to her thoughts and she choked again.

"Your highness—" the woman said with caution, holding her shoulders. She then realized that her words had a thick Southern accent. Where was she? She was lost, her thoughts were not coherent enough. The woman gasped and immediately moved out of the bed, bowing before a pair of heavy footsteps that moved closer.

When Yui looked up, she saw the warmest pair of hazel eyes. Her eyes widened when his image reappeared in her thoughts, at a fountain in Souun. The man, now with his hair tied in manners similar to those of Princes and Emperors, sat down on the side of the bed, looking at her with mixed happiness and relief. She was still trying to process who he was when he took her hands and kissed them.

"Who are you?" she asked. She looked around the room to find the women bowing, eyes fixed on the heavily-carpeted floor. The chamber was washed in cloth of red and oranges, the walls hand drawn with images of a fiery winged creature. She knew who it was yet her mind could not comprehend. She was still dazed. "Where am I?" she asked, slightly panicking. She was not supposed to be in the room yet she doesn't know where she should be.

"In your chambers, in Konan." The mention of the country made her turn to him.

"Konan…?" she asked, her voice deep and raspy. Patience and understanding sketched over his eyes and he moved closer to cup her face. Their eyes met, he was handsome.

"Konan, my country, our country…" he said softly and she blinked, looking back on memories which were not much to account for in her state. Her mind was blank and hazy, she could not remember anything except her name. Hurt registered over his irises and he shook his head, trying to hide the pain that pervaded them. "You are tired… I will—"

"Sai—hi—tei..?" she said out the first word that came to her thoughts. The man's eyes widened and it misted. He held her hand tighter.

"Yui…" he answered and his voice sent warmth through her body. He smiled and her heart started to pound, and it beat louder when he leaned down to capture her lips for a kiss. Instead of pulling away, she closed her eyes, remembering the familiarity of his lips and the movements of his mouth.

She knew him.

The cherry blossom fell on them, sticking to her hair and to the low edges of his long flowing robes of red. They were sitting in a garden table filled with the best tea in the Imperial Palace and small plates of dimsum. Yet, her hands were holding to a plum, putting it close to smell the sweet succulent scent that never grew in her country.

"Plums from the Palace gardens," the boy said, not turning to her. He was ten and she was seven, too young to understand him yet he explained anyway. "They flower in early summer and become fruits before the monsoon arrives," he added, turning to her from the sides of his eyes.

"Saihitei—"

"Hongou-sama, please let us be stately," he said and she nodded, not understanding his need for formality.

"You are not comfortable being in Kutou, ne? And not in my garden," she pointed out. "A few full moons ago, the troupe arrived in the Palace and they performed for us. You should have arrived sooner, we could have watched them together. Maybe after that you will let me call you by your first name," she added. "Our fathers call each other by first names, did you notice?" The boy didn't answer and Yui smiled, still holding the fruit to her face, tempted to bite the sweet skin. "Why did you bring plums?"

"Gifts from Konan," he answered. "They are usually given by a man's family to the woman he wanted to marry. Father said we should bring it, for our marriage—Do you know what marriage means?" he asked, slightly flushing. She nodded and his eyes widened.

"Yes, it means you will make me happy," she answered, smiling back. Redness spread over his face and he cleared his throat. He looked down and stared at the soles of his slippers, not knowing what to say. "Father said Konan and Kutou used to be at war. Our fathers are talking about it too, isn't it?" The boy nodded. "Seishuku-san—"

"Yui," he cut her, smiling timidly. "You can call me Saihitei."

The little princess nodded. "Hai!" She took his hand and tied their smallest fingers together. "Let's not make war, Saihitei," she said. "Let's make a promise."

Their lips parted and Yui kept her eyes closed, trying to remember the cherry blossoms and the rest that happened before that incident. But none came back. It was the only memory she had of him. He brushed their noses together and she slowly opened her eyes. He smiled in a manner that took her breath away. She had seen those boyish smiles before, long after the flower viewing under the showering pink petals.

"Yui…" The way he said her name made her weak. She liked this feeling.

"Do you remember our promise?" she asked and he smiled, nodding lightly.

"Hai… Do you?" he asked back and she blinked at him, unsure.

"Hai," she lied. He smiled wider, in a manner that was starkly different from the timid ones when they were young, hazel eyes softening. Right then, it was the only thing that Yui wanted to see. He kissed her again and she let him. When she opened her eyes, the hesitation melted in the warmth he triggered in her heart.

A/N: Ho! Ho! Ho! Thanks for reading! I know this chapter is more on the annoying side but please bear with me. I just realized that this chapter is all about marriage. Haha! Please do drop reviews! Btw, I will be in a month-long hiatus. :)