Yes, I'm supposedly on hiatus but I just want to put this up to complete the previous chapter. Haha. :) I actually didn't expect the previous chapter to spillover on this one but I somehow liked the way it came out. I was close to asking the help of a characterization forum thread. Haha. Anyway, I also updated Ressha no Kansou. Please do visit and answer our exercises! ;) Yay, a little more than 10 chapters to go! I'm getting excited, are you?Tell me what you think!

ThePinkMartini: Yeah, but its just a brief exposure. Haha. :D Am trying to focus on the Seiryuu warriors here. :)

Obsessed Dreamer: Oh, here's the other part of the story. Thanks for continuously reading and leaving reviews! :)

Disclaimer: FY is not mine.

Crossing the Border

By Slavedriver2008

RAYS OF SUMMER sun pierced through the blinds of the window, lighting the whole room and adding to the building heat of the already scorching days. The weather was always hot in Konan and the insides of the palace were draped in thick cloth that dispelled the heat, washed in the cooling scent of peppermint and spices that tickled the nostrils. Yui looked out the window, parting the cloth to let the sunshine inside as she scanned through the rows of red tiles that spread as far as her blue eyes can see.

The princess tried to gather her memories but it seemed to have been scattered by the humid wind, in a land that was far away from Konan. A part of her knew she was in the right place yet another part. A smaller part, one that tried to remember, said otherwise. She was lost, in the same way she stood out like a sore thumb over the red-hued empire.

The heavy doors of her chambers slowly parted and when she turned, she found Emperor Saihitei walking inside with a smile on his face. He was properly dressed in Imperial robes and his handsome face lifted the heaviness in her heart. Her chest started to pump loud as he swaggered in a manner that was gentler than the women in the harem.

"You are as beautiful as the sunrise, Hime-sama," he said softly and her cheeks brightened like the robes of his dress.

"Thank you—" A gentle kiss landed on her lips and Yui closed her eyes he planted kisses on her lips, her eyes, her cheeks, and finally, on her forehead.

"I am very happy that you're alive… You've been asleep since the wedding. I thought I will never see you again," he whispered and Yui looked at him intently.

"Wedding…?" she asked and her mind started to make out images. She was not sure what they were but it must have been memories. She blinked slowly and Saihitei laughed, wrapping arms around her waist to pull her closer.

"Ah… you have forgotten. You were asleep for three months, it is not surprising that you have forgotten," he said. "But now that you are back, we can make new memories again. You and me… In our little kingdom…"

"Sleeping… Why was I sleeping for such a long time?" she asked and his hazel eyes widened. "Saihitei, what happened to me?" She wanted to remember everything her mind had forgotten and to do that, she needed his help. "Sai…?"

"You were poisoned…" he said finally. "I'm very sorry I could not protect you. One of the ladies in the harem put poison in your cup." The Emperor embraced her, trembling, and Yui felt the burden and the guilt that filled him. Instead of consoling the man, she listened intently as he put the pieces of her broken memories together. "I will never let anything happen to you, Yui. No, I will die protecting you."

Saihitei leaned on her forehead and she closed her eyes as the trembling subsided. "Saihitei…" she called his name softly and he leaned down to capture her mouth for another tender kiss, like the early morning dew on the petals of new blooms.

The Emperor stepped back and to her surprise, pulled the ties of her robes. He immediately planted a long kiss on her shoulder as he slid the cloth away, exposing her naked body. "I love you," he whispered on her ear as he embraced her again. "Since the day we met I have loved you." His hands roamed her back, not with desire but with love, and Yui made a sound as she fell down on the bed.

"Saihitei—"

The Emperor planted a kiss on her hands and placed it on his cheek. "I waited for three months, Yui. I was losing hope, I was close to insanity… Last night, I wanted to touch you so much." He laughed lightly and Yui noticed how tired he was. "I couldn't sleep because I… I want to finally make you my wife."

"No, no I can't— I am Seiryuu no miko—" she blurted out and she immediately wondered why she did. Saihitei's eyes softened and he sighed.

"The dreams have been haunting you again?" he asked softly, waiting for her response.

"Dreams…?"

"Before we got married, you used to always say that you kept dreaming of a mark on your forehead…" he said softly, lying beside her and pulling her into his arms. He planted a kiss on her forehead and she closed her eyes as warmth spread through her body. "But you are not a miko, my love. You are my Empress. Seiryuu cannot own you anymore because you are already my wife. You belong to me… Just me."

Yui let his words linger in her thoughts and then a sudden pang hit her head. Yui clutched it as the memories drilled through her, washing like the waves of the sea.

"My head hurts…" she muttered as the images flooded in an excruciating manner. The images were conflicting, as if trying to overpower each other. "Ohh!"

"Yui—" Saihitei called but she crouched to cover her head, which was being cracked open, hacked with a knife commonly used in fields.

Cries left her and tears fell from her eyes as she was swept away to a dark murky depth where she couldn't breathe. She opened her mouth and water flooded her senses. She shut her eyes as she swallowed a bitter liquid that sent a tingling sensation down her throat. When she opened her eyes, Saihitei was looking down, worried as he wiped the remaining bitter liquid on his mouth. He placed a small cup on his mouth, emptied the contents, and leaned down to pass the medicine, again by use of mouth. She swallowed hard, desperate, eager to let go of the suffocating sensations.

Yui licked the sides of her mouth and even reached up to lap at the remaining drops on his lips. She needed the medicine to forget the numbness and the fear of drowning that filled her in such short notice. Saihitei heaved a sigh in response and he slowly pushed her down the bed, struggling for control but evidently failing.

"Yui, I shouldn't have forced you. You are still not well."

He was heaving and she wrapped her arms around his neck. It was amazing to be in his arms. She wanted to be in them forever, as long as it was possible. She wondered what stupidity had gotten into her head, why she wanted to be away from him. But no, she was tied to Saihitei, the way he was tied to this country with fiery roof tiles.

"Don't think too much, my love. It will be bad for you. I will have Kourin look after you while I do my duties—"

"I love you," she responded on a whim and his eyes softened. "I want to give you everything I have. Will you come back tonight? I will be ready tonight," she said, begged, and he smiled.

He planted another kiss on her forehead, on the still throbbing spot and his lips left a lasting warmth on her skin. She closed her eyes and before he moved away, she was asleep.

SWEAT STREAKED HER back when Yui opened her eyes. She immediately saw the beautiful woman from yesterday. She was watching her sleep and Yui immediately sat up to greet her. She assisted her on the bed, smiling wide.

"Hime-sama is very eager to leave the bed, ne?" she asked jovially and Yui nodded.

"Where is Saihitei?" she asked. "I want to be where he is," she said, still heaving from the heat. She wanted to be near him. His presence was enough to make her feel real, that she was not in a dream. He makes her feel alive. "Please—"

"Ah, no problem your majesty. But please don't just stand up, you're naked," she pointed out and Yui slowly pulled the blanket to cover herself. "That's useless. Come on now and I'll give you a bath before you meet Heiki-sama."

The woman immediately pulled her from the bed and ushered her into another room. She asked her to get into a tub of cold water and the woman slowly took a jar and poured water on her head. She shivered as the cold liquid washed through her skin. The woman gently placed floral herbs on the tub and the scent of jasmine lingered under her nostrils. She finally relaxed and heaved a sigh. The woman then sat down on a stool beside the tub and slowly took her arm, rubbing soft cloth to clean her.

"How do you feel now, Yui-sama?" she asked and Yui smiled in half-lidded eyes.

"The water is amazing…" she answered and the woman laughed.

"This is water from the river transferred to thick jars and cooled by the soil."

The woman moved toward Yui's head and started to move his fingers over her hair, putting oils and perfumes that made her muscles relax. Konan, she realized, had the best herbs for baths.

"Heiki-sama said you love the sea and has a pool in your palace where you exclusively bathe. He wanted to build one for you here but the Ministers are against it. We don't have a sea here, you know."

"Why would Saihitei do such a thing?" she asked in eyes closed. The woman began to massage her temples and her soft hands were moving gently toward her neck and shoulders and back with a firm strength that eased her muscles. She giggled when the hands reached her waist.

"Love," she answered calmly. "I've been in the harem since I was young and I have always wanted the Prince's attention. But you see, since the day he visited Kutou, his attention has been harder to get." The woman laughed.

Kourin took another jar of cold water and poured it over her head to finally wash the bubbles on her skin. Yui dried her hair afterward and stood up as the woman wrapped a robe around her. She wanted to linger longer in the bath but it seemed that the people from Konan never liked long baths. The woman ushered Yui back to her room and sat her down in front of a mirror. Kourin hummed as she began to comb her long locks. It made her smile.

"You are very beautiful, Kourin-san," she said and the woman smiled wider. "If Saihitei chooses you as his mistress, I would be very jealous." The woman laughed louder.

"Heiki-sama will never choose me, especially not since you are very beautiful yourself," she said and Yui's cheeks brightened. "Smooth porcelain skin with no flaw, light soft hair, and beautiful cool eyes. We're no match for that, you know." Yui giggled and the woman grinned. "Let's enhance those features and flaunt your beauty at the Palace. They will stop pestering Heiki-sama—"

"They?" she asked. Kourin was taken aback and she suddenly became serious. "Why are they pestering the Emperor?"

"The Emperor is very eager earlier isn't he?" she asked and Yui nodded, blushing lightly. "The council has not been warm to the idea of him marrying the princess of Kutou, especially a princess who was asleep for three months." Kourin sighed and Yui placed her hands together, watching Kourin from the mirror. "There are rumors that the Emperor's older brother has been found and that he bore the mark of Suzaku on his chest."

"Saihitei is Hotohori," Yui blurted out.

"Yes, but the Suzaku no miko has not appeared. Without the miko, a warrior is merely a human, susceptible to the greed of the people around him."

"The miko…" she stated, her mind drifting to a memory she used to have but could not retrieve.

Earlier, she told Saihitei that she was the Seiryuu no miko. It was a crazy claim and it seemed that for a moment, her memory betrayed her. A familiar sensation filled her body, like those of a long-forgotten dream where she met a young man who played a flute and a brother who was good at punching and fighting and teasing. She blinked slowly as the dream slowly became lucid.

"Ah, time to show you your treasures," Kourin said, breaking her reveries. The woman took out various jewelries and laid it out in front of her, taking her attention. Yui gasped at the intricate and beautiful designs of red stones. "Half of these belong to the Empress Dowager but half were made especially for Yui-sama," Kourin said. "These are only a portion of your jewelries as Empress. Do you want to see the others?"

"No, these are enough." Yui smiled and slowly took a hair pin with a meticulous design of Suzaku spreading its wings for flight. The wings were embedded with various beautiful gems. "Would you use this?" Yui asked and Kourin nodded.

A flower with a big blue gem in the middle caught her attention and an image appeared in her thoughts. But before she could identify what it was, it disappeared. She was about to take it into her hands when Kourin immediately took the jewelries away, hiding them in their proper places. Yui blinked, she was hallucinating again.

"Hai," she said, taking the pin and nodding at the fine choice. "Yui-sama knew how to identify a precious jewel from the others. This is believed to have been what the first Empress of Konan wore when she was presented to the court as the Emperor's wife."

"Kourin-san, why is the court wary of Saihitei?" she asked out of the blue and the woman was taken aback. She thought she had evaded the questions earlier. "Do they not want him to rule?"

"The Empress Dowager is a scary woman but she made sure that Heiki-sama gets the throne," Kourin started. "But Heiki-sama is not as physically strong as the other princes. If it weren't for the mark, he wouldn't be king." She nodded, not saying more.

After doing her hair, Yui blinked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked different and the image scared her. She was not Yui, princess of Kutou. She was a Southerner now, married to the Emperor of the land, worshipping another god, whose beautiful wings hang on her neatly braided dusty blonde hair. Kourin looked at her reflection, evidently satisfied and pulled her to change clothes. Yui was still staring at her reflection as Kourin placed layers of cloth around her, red, oranges, lilac, yellow. Slowly, she was becoming a new girl, not the same as when she last looked at her reflection in a body of lake so clear.

Yui blinked. Clear lake? When had she looked at herself through a clear lake? She looked up to the mirror again and an image flickered in her head, another her with short tattered hair, face in a mess. The image disappeared quickly and she almost lost balance when Kourin pulled the belt tightly around her waist. When she was done, Yui brought down her arms and clasped her hands together under the robe of fiery hues.

"Kourin," she began, still thinking deeply. "What do I need to do as Empress?" she asked and the woman smiled. She wanted to know. Like the memories that were fleeting, arriving only when she needed them. She wanted to remember her purpose, her goal, her life's worth.

"To bear the Emperor's son. With a son, no one will question his capacity to lead." Kourin answered in an almost vicious tone and Yui turned to her. But when she looked again, she was back to the same beautiful woman. "It is time for the Court to be impressed, Yui-sama," she said, bowing down to open the door. Yui nodded as she glided out of her room, followed by a throng of ladies-in-waiting.

Cold sweat filled her and she briefly remembered the sensation of drowning. When she walked pass, everyone—man, woman, soldier, child—bowed low, only straightening after she passed, leaving murmurs that almost reached her ears but were carried away by the wind. Once in awhile, she would stop to greet nobles she only knew because Kourin whispered their names before they came too near. They were almost at the Throne Room when the most distinguished man in the court came out.

"Minister Kou," Kourin whispered. "He wanted Heiki-sama to leave the throne. It would be better to avoid him, Yui-sama—" Yui walked toward the man and smiled sweetly.

"A pleasant day, Minister Kou," she greeted, bowing a little. "I see you have talked to my husband—"

"The Emperor," he corrected smugly after bowing to her.

"Yes, the Emperor." She raised her chin and smiled thinly. The old man raised an eyebrow. "The Emperor is my husband." He smirked, she had seen the same face before.

"Up to now, I still wonder why Kutou would send its most prized daughter to Konan," he quipped and Yui raised an eyebrow. "Even with Suzaku on her hair, she still had the pungent smell of the sea," he said with distaste.

"It is unfortunate that you loathe the waters of my country, Minister Kou," she said and then smiled wider. "I could have accompanied you myself to our sea. A dip would have removed the sagging skin on your cheeks and the pain in your back," she said and the old man frowned, offended. Some bystanders laughed lightly and only stopped when the minister eyed them murderously. "It is nice seeing you today, Minister Kou."

Yui bowed and then turned toward the throne room. Kourin giggled behind her and she was tempted to laugh. She stopped to regain her composure at the doors of the room when another minister came out and bowed to her.

"Ah, Yui-sama. I hope you don't mind waiting for awhile. The Emperor is talking to a shogun from your country," the minister said and Yui was taken aback.

"A man from Kutou?" she asked. "Is it Koyuu-sama?" she asked and the minister shook his head.

"No, it's a younger man with golden hair and clear blue eyes," he said and Yui tried to put a name in the face, but none came. Her heart beat wild, her mind couldn't remember but her body knew. How was it possible? "He wanted to see you but Heiki-sama would not allow it," he said, standing sternly in front of the door. "Now, please wait, Yui-sama."

"But Minister Han, a shogun of Kutou would not travel for a long distance without a purpose. If he wishes to see me, I do not see anything wrong—"

"No, Yui-sama. The Empress of Konan cannot talk to anyone outside the Palace without the Emperor's consent," the minister cut her and Yui raised an eyebrow, curious why such freedom would be deprived.

"That man lived in the same palace as I grew up—"

"But you are no longer Kutou no hime, Yui-sama. You have sworn to forget your country the moment you entered Konan as a bride." The Minister's voice was stern, almost vicious. Yui's jaws clenched. "Women have less power—and use—in Konan than in Kutou—"

Angry, Yui walked over him and pushed open the door. Before Emperor Saihitei kneeled a man she knew but could not remember. Kourin tried to pull her back and the sleeve of her dress ripped as she stumbled inside the room, heart beating wildly against her chest.

Darkness consumed her the moment she stepped inside. When she turned back, the door was gone and she was in an abyss where there was nothing but the color of soot. She ran forward, hoping to stumble against Saihitei or the shogun or the curtains of the Throne Room. But nothing figured ahead nor did anything exist behind her. Even her footsteps drowned in the silence.

"Saihitei!" she called, voice trembling. Another name was building up in her throat, at the tip of her tongue, but she could not make it out. "YOU—Where are you!"

She continued to run until she realized that the dress was becoming damp and heavy, the ground was becoming soft and murky with every step. Her feet sank and she tried to pull it out but she continued to sink into nothingness.

"No—I can't die here!" she screamed. "Somebody save me!"

She reached up to the darkness, clawing for dear life. She noticed the torn edges of the dress and her pale skin. Despite the darkness she can see herself, distinctively. Yui's eyes landed on the silver ring on her finger and she could make out the image of the dragon, glistening in the lack of light, creating an illusion of a slithering being around her finger. It tightened on her skin and she felt it pump louder on her hands. She continued to be devoured by the darkness but it caught her attention. It was calling her. She knew the voice, knew the feeling, knew everything that was to know about it.

"Sei…" Her eyes widened and she almost choked as the darkness engulfed her neck. "Seiryuu…" she called softly, barely a whisper, and warmth spread from her forehead to every part of her skin. The sinking slowed down as the light spread through her body.

The priestess continued to reach up to the skies, her lips trembling. A name was forming itself in her mouth and she closed her eyes to will herself to remember. She can feel his chi in the darkness. Seiryuu was using him to reach her and she tried to clear her mind to remember.

"Na…kago…" she whispered finally. "NAKAGO!"

A speck of light appeared within arm's length and she wrapped her hand around it as it solidified into a single smooth pearl. Slowly, the light moved toward the silver cord and illuminated a man she called, clear blue eyes and a handsome face that would make the women of the harem jealous. He was dressed in his armor, kneeling, his mark shining brightly on his forehead. His face bore relief and when he touched her wrist, she felt that she became brighter with pleasant warmth.

"Nakago…" she called him again, softer, remembering him and the spot he occupied in her life. "Ayuru…"

"What a weak princess," he said softly, in a face that bore deftness. Her heart started to thump, thunderously loud that he might have heard every beat. He smiled in a manner that took her breath away, feeling lighter and lighter and lighter as air. "Yui, wake up now."

NAKAGO PUSHED THE blade deeper into the man's skin, drenched in dark murky black blood as it passed through his abdomen to create an open wound that slashed through his body. The blood fizzled as it met the blade, sending an otherworldly pungent smell that made the shogun's nose wrinkle. Nakago pushed the sword deeper, earning a pained groan from the man. The falcon shrieked above them, flying in circles, waiting.

"Never touch her," Nakago muttered sharply on the man's ear. "Never ever touch her," he hissed with anger but the commander, the man he used to trust with his soul, laughed in a voice that sent a chill through his body.

"You will regret this. You cannot kill me," Tenkou said as he sputtered blood.

He laughed again, sensing the small amount of fear he triggered in him. Slowly, the man's body began to melt, starting from the skin of his feet to the bones of his legs to the flesh that was torn by his blade. Nakago stepped back quickly, pulling his sword. It reeked of deteriorating flesh.

"Who are you?" Nakago asked but his voice failed him. The man continued to evaporate in a mass of murky liquid that slowly seeped into the river, laughing.

"Me…?" The man's head turned around and Nakago's eyes widened as it got disjointed from its body. Red eyes pierced through him as the body continued to cascade to the waters. "I am your master, Hin." Another sharp laugh rung in the cold night air until his form completely disappeared, leaving not one trace of life.

THE EMPEROR OF Kutou opened his eyes and he slapped the wooden armrest of his throne. His fist curled to a ball and anger brewed through his body. The doors of the Throne Room parted and a young girl with long black hair and piercing purple eyes walked inside, oblivious to the man's anger.

"When are you giving me Konan?" he hissed angrily at the girl and Minako stepped back, surprised. She then saw the anger in her father's face and fear immediately filled her composed body. "I am getting impatient, Minako."

"Father, I could not occupy Konan without Nakago—without any warriors," she reasoned out in a state of panic. "Half of them are rallying behind her, I am powerless until Nakago arrives. I cannot infiltrate Konan the way Hakei does with—"

"SILENCE!"

Minako cowered and her knees eventually gave way. She bowed down, trembling at the anger her father had shown. Her jaw stuttered and she could not make them stop. The Emperor stood up and walked from his throne. The princess immediately moved out of the way, trying to evade the stares of the man.

"Minako, I will give you powers to conquer Konan," he said in a deep cold voice. The girl looked up and she bit her lip as her father's cold eyes bore into hers. "Never fail me again."

SUBOSHI FLAPPED WITH all his might, eyeing each dark section of the lake intently to make out the figures underneath. His mark shone brightly on his left shoulder, lighting a segment of the lake but still not finding any clues of his priestess. He does not know why he suddenly jumped out to the lake. He was not the type to suddenly jump to unknown waters. But tonight he did not think twice.

He could still remember the encounter earlier and he shook his head. No, there must be a mistake. Seiryuu would never choose a priestess who is not capable of summoning him. When they first met, Yui bore no mark—or his aniki would have told him. Like him, the mark probably showed late. Suboshi could not forget the day she flew with the dragon. It sent a chill through his body and his mark shone as the dragon moved among the billowing clouds.

They were all dumbfounded until the shogun jumped from the other ship. Tomo immediately jumped as well and was lucky to have caught her. The younger twin remembered the night before the execution, which turned out to be the longest night of his life. He couldn't sleep at all and his heart was pounding all throughout. When morning came, his aniki told him that he had made his decision—he will save her.

"She might have lied to us, but she is very important to me. I want to protect her," Kotoku said and the younger twin nodded. He knew what he meant. Yui was a big part of them as a princess, as a girl, and eventually, as a priestess.

Finding the performer's ship was easy too. They were bound by one goal and even if they thought they betrayed their god by choosing Yui instead of the fake priestess, they all continued to save her. Suboshi told himself that it was because they loathe Seiryuu for ruining their lives. Little did they know that they were choosing the East god by choosing her. Yui. It was funny how, in the end, he had learned to love his mark. After all, he couldn't swim this deep if it weren't for his powers.

Suboshi breathed hard again and dived back into the underwater haven, searching for any sign—the hair, the white robe, her pale skin. But none appeared. He cursed in his head and when he was about to give up, he remembered the incident when he first saw her, when she was his princess, the girl he dreamed of meeting again.

"Do you want an apple?" she asked, looking down from the window of her carriage. Her hair was flowing behind her back and her beauty made him gape with open mouth. She was probably six then, like him.

"You talked to me," he gushed, blinking with disbelief.

"Of course."

"I'm—Can you talk to me again?" he asked, totally forgetting that he ran away from home to look for his brother. Her carriage was stationed near the woods and from behind a tree, none of the soldiers would know that he was talking to the princess. It was their secret.

"Of course! But I can't give you my apple, your hands are dirty," she said and he looked at his hands. They were indeed dirty.

"Eh?" Suboshi frowned and looked up to her again. "Okay, I'll wash them. I'll come back. Wait for me, okay?" he asked, smiling, and she giggled.

"Okay," the girl answered, nodding.

Suboshi smiled wide as he ran back to the forest where he found a lake in his earlier wanderings. He immediately placed her hands on the pool of water, scrubbing the fingers to remove the dirt on his nails. But the running had caused him to tire and as he was heading back to her carriage, he fell down on the ground, asleep.

When he woke up, he was already in the guerilla's lair, lying on a bed. He tried to leave the makeshift house to see her but they forbid him. He was sick and needed to rest, they said. They never knew that he promised to return. He wanted to get the beautiful red apple on her hands. He wanted to have it and give it to his older brother. But it never happened. By the time he managed to sneak out of the guerilla's lair, the carriage was gone and the apple she placed above a rock smelled of decay.

Since that day, he acknowledged the fact that his older brother left him and that promises were meant to be broken. Even his princess could not wait for him. Because he was weak. He swore to be strong one day, so no one will leave him behind. People always stick around people who were strong. Nobody bothers with a weakling.

Suboshi dived again, holding his breath, eager to find her. He swam deeper than he normally did and the current pulled him down further to the bottom of the lake. His mark shone bright and a small round object glimmered a few feet below. He swam toward it and when he was an arm away, he found the pearl Yui had around her neck.

The young warrior pushed through the weeds that covered the pearl and he almost lost all breath when her face came into view, her body wrapped in the plants, hiding her from his searching eyes. No wonder he couldn't find her! With little oxygen left of him, he tore through the plants, struggling to free Yui from the clutches of death.

His breath was almost gone but with his last strength, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pushed against the current, swimming toward the surface where air abounds. Suboshi choked when he finally reached the surface of the lake and he coughed out water as he stabilized his breathing. He wrapped Yui around his shoulders and started to swim for the shore.

Suboshi's muscles were aching but the mark on his left arm continued to shine bright, giving him the power to continue. He resisted the urge to close his eyes and give in to unconsciousness. No, he was better than that. He was already strong. He was no longer the little boy who everybody bullied because he was weak. He was a Seiryuu warrior, tasked to protect the priestess on his back.

They reached the shore after a slow aching swim. He laid her down on the banks and panic filled him when he realized she was not breathing. The pearl glimmered around her neck and the mark on her forehead was slowly diminishing.

"Yui-sama!" Suboshi called his priestess as she lie lifeless, damp and cold. Suboshi shook her shoulders but she remained unconscious. Fear gripped him. He doesn't have the same powers as Amiboshi, he can't use his mouth to give her chi.

His eyes landed on her parted mouth, which was slowly turning blue. The color made him panic and he immediately moved his hands on the spot below her chest and above her stomach, pushing down repeatedly. Flushing, he breathed in air and squeezed her nose, opening her mouth to breathe air to her cold body. Her lips were still soft and slightly warm. And he momentarily felt a pang of jealousy. Amiboshi had kissed her twice already while he, the one who admired the princess since that day, can only touch her lips because she was dying.

Suboshi inhaled deep again and leaned down to push air to awaken her lungs. His aniki was not around and instead of wasting his powers to send him signals, he should use it to give back her life. Seiryuu, he prayed in his head as their mouths joined together, please save my princess. He breathed air again as sweat beaded his forehead, his hair dripping and in disarray. Tears beaded the sides of his eyes and he sobbed in her mouth.

Then a miracle happened. Yui heaved and then coughed, releasing the water that clogged the passageway of air. Suboshi wrapped an arm around her shoulder as she continued to cough out in whacks that were relief to his ears.

"Yui-sama! Shunkaku!" Suboshi turned and saw Amiboshi running toward them, relieved to see them in the darkness.

"Aniki!" Amiboshi knelt in front of them and looked at the trembling girl. "Yui—"

"Amiboshi… and Suboshi…" she called in a whisper. Another shadow emerged from the bushes and they found the warrior Tomo, fear sketched over his face.

"Where is she?" he screamed and when Yui finally turned to him, he relaxed and heaved a sigh of relief.

"Tomo-sama still followed," Amiboshi pointed out, smiling. "When Yui-sama called, we immediately answered," the older twin told him and Suboshi nodded. So it was her voice that lured him to jump to the lake despite the darkness. It was her call that made him swim persistently as if looking for nothing. A smile spread on his lips, he was now a full warrior, bonded to his priestess. He can hear her clearly now.

"Hmm… You didn't do badly for a priestess," a woman's voice called from behind the performer and they all turned. Tomo immediately pulled out his daggers and his mark shone bright. "Oh gods, put that down, Seiryuu shinchiseishi Tomo. It won't work on me, you know."

An old woman who was sitting on a big round crystal ball appeared before them and Suboshi blinked repeatedly, caught by her face. Wrinkles were in every skin and she was too old her bones shrunk back with age.

"You are initially not allowed but I have no choice since you drove that demon away," she said, smiling and eyeing the girl around his arms. Suboshi turned to his older brother who was also troubled by the woman's arrival.

"Who are you? Aniki, I've never seen a woman this old before—"

"Shut up you brat!" the woman screamed and Suboshi was taken aback. He immediately closed his mouth and nodded vigorously. She was not only ugly, she was scary as well. "Welcome to my kingdom, Seiryuu no miko," she said and Tomo finally brought down the daggers, his mark fading slowly.

"Taiitsukun-sama," Yui acknowledged and Suboshi's eyes widened with disbelief. How can an old old old old old woman be the Creator? She was supposed to be beautiful and young!

A/N: Whew! This chapter took me more than a week to write and it turned out to be the longest too! Thanks for reading and do drop reviews!