I added an extra chapter (i.e. the previous one) for the story since I don't think I can bring it to the point I want without skipping on a lot of emotions. Also, Yui will end up doing nothing so I made her meet Saihitei again, just to clarify some things between them. And yes, I returned this fiction to T because there won't be any lemony goodness yet.

Also, I'm having a hard time writing this fiction because there are varying perspectives happening all at the same time. Hopefully, things will be easier once everybody's together. I can't believe I'm already in Chapter 24! Haha! :D

Princess-of-Doctors: Oh, the Nakago scene was a last-minute addition. I realized I haven't shown him after his encounter with Tenkou.

Obsessed Dreamer: I'm excited for this chapter as well! This chapter is a prelude to a greater (albeit, sadder) chappie.

ThePinkMartini: Thanks! Enjoy reading this new chappie!

Disclaimer: Fushigi Yuugi is not mine.

Broken Bonds

By Slavedriver2008

THE GODS MUST have willed them to meet again, Yui thought as she looked through his familiar handsome face. Hazel eyes bore into hers and he immediately stepped closer, sitting before her to scrutinize her face. Despite the lack of light in the cellar, Yui could see him clearly. His long brown hair was in a mess and his hands were bound just like her. But Yui knew him. He had seen the same face before, in a faraway city, in his dreams, where he wanted to make love to her. He was the man who, as a child, gave her the fleshiest plums from Konan.

"You are the boy from the fountain…" he said softly, in a gaze that would melt any woman's heart.

"You are the gentleman from the fountain too…" she answered, smiling. "I… I never thought I'd see you under these circumstances..." she added softly. There was a dreaminess in the encounter that they were whispering to not break it. "Why are you outside the castle?"

"We are on a mission to look for the remaining Suzaku warriors. We were told that one of them is here, in this mountain. Our miko is currently talking to the leader of the bandits," he answered in a mellow baritone voice. He moved closer. "How…How are you?"

She shook her head and leaned gently on his shoulder, on the spot between his jaw and his shoulder blades. How was she supposed to answer him? She was neither fine nor okay. She knew that if his hands were not tied behind him, he would have wrapped those around her and provided a comfort she badly needed. He leaned closer, placing his cheek at the side of her head.

"If I knew who you were at that time in Souun, I would have taken you away…" he whispered. Suboshi and the other woman merely watched them. "Yui… When we find all our warriors and the problems in Konan are solved, I'll send my army to invade Kutou and—" She looked up, halting his words. Their faces were inches away.

"No, please Saihitei… Don't… Don't dirty your hands over such things…" She smiled softly and leaned on his cheek. She closed her eyes and relished his scent, a faint aroma of sweat and cherries. "I will be fine. I will rebuild my house and Kutou will be a wonderful wonderful country…" Her voice broke and she resisted the urge to cry.

Seeing Saihitei made her remember many things. Many many things. He was a part of her happy childhood, in a time when she had a father and a kingdom who loved her very much. Saihitei was one part of a memory she will always look back on and forever miss. She will treasure him in her heart, the way he had treasured the old her, the princess. Because the old Yui has Saihitei beside her.

"Yui… I never ceased thinking of you…" he said softly and a lump formed on Yui's throat. "At least come home with me to Konan. I can protect you for the mean time…"

She looked up to him and shook her head. "I can't… I want to but I can't, Saihitei…" He opened his mouth to argue but she spoke again. "I have a mission—like you… I am Seiryuu no miko." Her voice rung in the air like a curse and disappointment spread over his face. He looked away and heaved a controlled sigh. He did not meet her gaze and closed his eyes, shaking his head.

"I've thought about it countless times… What would have happened if I insisted on being your husband?" he asked in a bitter voice. "What if these events haven't overtaken us? What would have happened if I abdicated my claim to Konan and become the Emperor of Kutou instead?"

"Your Majesty—Don't say such things!" The purple-haired woman called behind them but Saihitei didn't listen to her. Instead, he looked up and held Yui's gaze.

"My father wants you as my Empress but your father doesn't want to give you away," he said softly. "Emperor Shin said he wanted your husband to rule over Kutou… He said father has many sons so maybe he can give one of them—me—to Kutou as a groom… so that our child will be a pact between our countries." Saihitei's eyes bore loneliness and it made her eyes misty. "If father hadn't died early… I would have fulfilled that role…"

"Oh Saihitei… You are destined to become Konan's Emperor. There are things only you can do… like peace… Only you believed in peace… like my father," she told him. She wanted to return to those happy days but it was not possible. In her ideal world, Saihitei was her prince, the man who would stand beside her. But that perfect world never existed, was not meant to exist. Their lives hang on a string, played by the higher powers. They can only look back and hope for a better future. In that better future, Yui can imagine Saihitei in it. "Do you remember our promise?"

"Yes… I will never forget such a thing…"

"When we get out of here… Let us keep that promise…" she told him and he smiled hesitantly. Relief washed over Yui when he finally nodded.

"Yui, may I—"

"Ahhhh!"A loud scream filled the air and they all turned to the source of the voice. Someone was screaming outside the prison and a bedlam had apparently occurred. The woman with purple hair immediately snapped the rope that tied her wrists and ran towards the wooden bars. Suboshi pulled his rope and was immediately freed. He ran toward Yui, helping her cut through the rope with the small knife.

"Nuriko, what's happening?" Saihitei asked and the woman ran to him and pulled the rope that bound the Emperor. Saihitei fingered his wrist and stood up. Suboshi helped Yui up as well.

"Miaka must have done something—the room is burning!" Nuriko said aloud. "We need to escape and save her!" Hotohori nodded and Nuriko cracked her knuckles.

A flash of red light appeared beneath Nuriko's robe and she raised her fist, hurriedly hitting the wooden bars of the prison and immediately smashing it. The gate was immediately broken into smaller pieces, some were thrown at their direction. Suboshi used his ryuseisui and it crushed the falling wood, filling the prison with blue light that rivaled Nuriko's fiery hues. Hotohori instinctively wrapped his arms around Yui to protect her from the debris.

"Whoa, if you can do that—you should have freed us earlier!" Suboshi said but before Nuriko could react, a loud growl made its way toward them. A familiar chi filled Yui and she immediately ran outside.

"Shinji! Ashitare!" she called for the boy and found him standing at the far end of the hallway in his wolf form. After seeing her, Ashitare's mark shone brighter at the root of his tail before he ran toward his priestess. Yui laughed in relief. She was very happy to see him alive! "Oh Shinji, I'm glad you're safe." The cub, now bigger than his old form, wagged his tail and licked her face.

I came… for Yui-sama…

"How can you be Shinji?" Suboshi asked as he came closer, followed by Nuriko and Hotohori. "You're supposed to be a small boy!"

"I'll tell you about it later," Yui said. She turned towards the commotion and found numerous bandits rushing toward a burning room, carrying pails of water. "We need to get out of here before the whole place burns down—"

A heavy wooden ceiling cracked above them and it fell. In a heartbeat, Ashitare opened his mouth and a ball of chi formed in his mouth. With a growl, he spit the ball out, blasting the ceiling, which immediately turned into ice crystals and left on its wake a massive circular hole. Suboshi whistled and Yui blinked in disbelief—she had no idea Shinji could do such a thing!

"We should go out from here, I guess," Suboshi said, eyes jumping from the hole to the boy.

"Your Majesty, we need to rescue Miaka!" Nuriko screamed, ruining the daze everyone had after Ashitare's display of power.

"Yui!" Saihitei turned to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "We're saving my priestess. Please don't worry yourself and get out of here," he said. "This place will fall down any minute."

"But what about you—" Saihitei cut her words when he leaned down to capture her lips for a kiss. Yui's eyes widened and she closed her eyes abruptly as Saihitei bit her lower lip. Slowly, he moved away and smiled sadly.

"Our first and last kiss is very bittersweet… One I shall never forget," he said in a soft voice. He eskimoed their noses together and a tear fell from Yui's eye. He immediately thumbed it away. "Your warriors are very strong. I can be at peace knowing that they are protecting you."

"Saihitei… Hotohori… Please take care of yourself…" she told him and he nodded. He planted another kiss on her forehead before completely letting go.

"Hai… I will see you again, my beloved princess." He smiled before turning away and pulling the dumbfounded Nuriko toward the burning room. Yui smiled to herself as his figure dissolved into the sea of fire. She knew that she will never see him again and if their paths do cross, it will be in another lifetime. Maybe by then, circumstances will favor them and keep them together.

"Yui-sama…" Suboshi called and she turned with a forced smile.

"Let's get out of here."

COLD SWEAT ROLLED at the sides of Tomo's face. A small amount of his chi seeped through his thick robe, making the daggers shake lightly underneath the fabric. He didn't know these men, nor should he trust them. The mere fact that they were Imperial soldiers meant their loyalties should be questioned: They were with the Emperor, and the Emperor is their enemy.

"You are Seiryuu seishis, aren't you?" the apparent leader who seemed older than him by a few years spoke, and Tomo raised an eyebrow in response.

"Who are you?" he asked and the man smirked.

"I am Eichuu, the assistant of General Koyuu," the man said proudly. "You are lucky you bumped into us. If it were another army, you would have been dead by now."

"Why should we trust you?" Amiboshi asked, voicing out Tomo's thoughts. Eichuu frowned, looking smug.

"The General swore his loyalty to Yui-sama and has abandoned his post in the Murasaki dynasty," he explained. Amiboshi sighed in relief but Tomo kept on to his powers. He can never be too sure about these men as it was always easy for commanders to shift loyalties.

"I see… Where is the General?" he inquired, not convinced that this commander was on their side. Tomo was a careful man. He grew up not trusting the people around him and because of this, he had survived.

"We are deployed into two units," Eichuu explained patiently. "We found out that General Kei's army attacked those of Nakago—"

"Yes, that is what we have seen earlier," Amiboshi cut him, his voice quivering. "The Black General said he wanted to kill Nakago. Why is that?"

"The Emperor issued a decree that the priestess and all of her warriors should be killed," Eichuu said a little too loudly, making Amiboshi gasp. "He deployed Nakago's army to kill your group and sent Kei's army to annihilate Nakago. It's as simple as that."

"How horrible…" Amiboshi whispered, shaking his head.

Tomo kept his silence. He anticipated this to happen; it was a typical game of power. The Murasaki house made Minako the priestess to claim the Dragon Throne, but when the real priestess arrived the Murasaki house lost the support of the council. It didn't help that the priestess was the woman they ousted from the throne. Unlike in other countries, Seiryuu shinseishis were received quite well in Kutou; but unlike other countries too, the seis of the dragon god came from the most diverse groups—which made them susceptible to abuse and discrimination.

For the Murasaki house to regain the support of the council, the Emperor made it appear that the warriors and the priestess brought havoc to the Empire and immediately issued a verdict to kill them. Tomo thought of the blonde shogun and smirked, too bad he mixed himself with the wrong company. A part of the performer wished the latter was included in the raid. But then again, it will cause them great problems if he was indeed dead.

"Where is the priestess?" Eichuu asked and Tomo looked at him intently, weighing if this man should be trusted. Amiboshi hadn't spoken as well. He was probably having the same reservations.

"Captain Eichuu—we have reports!" One of the soldiers rushed toward them, huffing, eyes filled with fear. "There are unknown beings that are heading this way!"

"What kind of beings?" he asked. "Where did it come from?"

"It came from the direction of General Nakago's camp—it appeared after General Kei attacked the troops!" The soldier trembled and swallowed hard. "We must escape before it reaches us. It's incomprehensible… Those things—they eat human flesh!"

THE WIND DID nothing to regain his confidence. Suboshi had been feeling useless lately, especially after they were captured by the bandits of Mt Reikaku. He was not able to do anything to save her from the bandits as he had been dragged helpless. It was her knife that freed them from the ropes, it was Nuriko who broke the prison, Hotohori who protected her, and Ashitare who broke the walls for their escape. He wanted to do something for her, especially for her.

"What's wrong?" Yui asked in-between heavy breaths. They ran from the stronghold behind Ashitare, who led them far from the burning edifice into the shadowy forest. They could not see the smoke anymore and the darkness before them grew more threatening.

"Nothing, I…" he responded, looking away. He turned and heaved a sigh, "Yui-sama… I haven't been of much use for you… but I will protect you with my life."

"I know you will…" Yui said, walking in front of him and smiling softly, the same smile that she had given the warrior Hotohori earlier. "That's why I was not afraid in the bandits' lair. Because you were there."

"Yui-sama…"

Yui pulled him for an embrace and Suboshi stiffened. "You are not useless… You are my warrior and my friend. You are more valuable to me than anything else," she added, making Suboshi's cheeks burn. He slowly wrapped his arms around her small waist and closed his eyes, his heart beating wildly. "I know you will protect me, so I am doing what I can to protect you."

"But…"

Yui laughed lightly and cupped his face. "Didn't you hear what Saihitei said? My warriors are very strong. That is why… I have to be strong as well," she said, giving him a bright smile. "Come, we need to hurry," she told him, and he nodded as they walked further into the forest.

Warmth filled him and he felt amazingly better afterward. No wonder his brother adores her, Yui-sama was very kind. Suboshi rubbed his nose, still smiling. A twig broke before them, prompting Ashitare to growl. Suboshi's shoulders immediately glowed, showing off a cursive line in blue. His ryuseisui whirled around him as he stepped forward, placing an arm before Yui. The faint sound of horses' hooves made Ashitare growl louder. Suboshi's heartbeat pound loudly into his ears as the horses' steps came closer and became more pronounced.

"Who's there?" he called out.

"Princess Yui… Please do not fear. It is I, your humble servant," a voice answered and Suboshi's eyes widened when a familiar figure walked into the dim light. It was the general.

"General Koyuu!" Yui called. The man immediately stepped down from his horse and bowed to her. "Please stand up. Why are you here?" The general stood and smiled to the princess.

"We came to your aid. I am rallying my army behind you and the warriors," he said. "These are General Kei's men. They left him to join us. I left my men under Eichuu's command. We should meet them immediately."

"Thank you General—your loyalty is very important to me," Yui said, embracing him, an act that surprised the general. When she let go, General Koyuu touched her hand and eyed the silver ring around her finger.

"I see. Emperor Shin had indeed made you his successor," he said and Suboshi raised an eyebrow, looking at the unassuming ring on her finger. Koyuu bowed to his knees and kissed the ring. "I will serve you until the end of my life, my dear Empress. My loyalty will be yours more than to the man you shall choose as your husband. But I will serve him nonetheless."

Yui shook her head. "It's too early for those things, General. Could you accompany us to Sakana? There's a temple there that might help us summon Seiryuu," she said and the man rose to his feet.

Suboshi doesn't understand a thing but he smiled nonetheless. He never thought Yui was very important—to think that he had punched her a few months ago. The thought made him flush and he coughed to regain his composure. If he knew then who she was, he'd never lay a finger on her! Oh regrets, he really should be kinder to people, especially to those who are smaller than him. He should listen to his aniki next time. He immediately remembered his aniki and Suboshi placed a finger on his skin, scribbling a quick phrase: We're fine. His brother should be able to read it and would not worry for the lack of response earlier.

"Very well… Let me and my men assist you in going there," the General said as he assited Yui into his horse.

Suboshi was given a spare horse and rode with Ashitare, who transformed into a boy before his surprised eyes. The sight marveled everyone. Heck, why can't he be as different as Ashitare? He'd gladly become a wolf too if it means he'll be more useful. Suboshi shook his head. No, he shouldn't think of such things. Yui already told him earlier that he was valuable the way he is. Suboshi smiled again as he took the younger boy into his horse.

"How far are we from the town?" he asked the purple-haired man in black armor. The color made him uneasy but if Yui trusts these people, he can trust them as well. Ashitare growled at the man, who smiled warmly in response.

"If we cross the bridge, we will almost be in Souun," he told him with a smirk.

The purple-haired man's attention was on the back of the general, who was riding ahead of them. The skin on Suboshi's back prickled when sudden lightning whacked the skies. In less than a second, dark clouds hovered above them. There was something awfully wrong. Really, really wrong.

Lightning lined the sky again. Drops of rain slowly fell as flashes of lightning lined before them like spears. It was so close, so strong it almost hit the hanging bridge. A realization flicked through Suboshi's thoughts, and he immediately pulled his horse toward the General.

"General—Don't cross the bridge!" he screamed.

The General turned but his attention was diverted to a soldier who unsheathed his sword and flung it at him. The general immediately pulled his sword and defended, the horse buckling back. A commotion happened in an instant. Swords were immediately unsheathed and were aiming for them. Blue light flared from his shoulder and the ryuseisui floated, spinning around them. Ashitare growled in anger but Suboshi held tight to him to keep him from jumping.

"Give it up, warrior. You should be killed!" the purple-haired man howled and Suboshi kicked the horse away from the dark soldiers. A sword hit his arm and he clutched it to find fresh blood. A lightning hit the tree beside them and the horse lost control, running in another direction in rampage.

"Suboshi!" Yui called for him and he tried his best to pull the horse closer to the General. "Follow us!" Suboshi did but his eyes widened when the general's horse headed for the bridge.

"No! Yui-sama!" The horse was already running in the bridge and it swung shakily under them.

Soldiers lunged toward them and Suboshi got down from the saddle, pulled the boy and ran to the bridge. He placed the boy on his back as lightning hit the bridge. A flash of light appeared before him and before he knew what was happening, he lost balance and fell, the bridge falling with him.

"Ahhhhh!" Suboshi screamed before he fell into the raging tide, clinging to Ashitare's frail body.

A/N: I'm so close to the end of this arc. Haha. I'm limiting Yui's perspective so I can add more thoughts and opinions on the story. This one was quite long but thank you for reading until the end. Please do leave reviews!