Ai Wa Ryuusei- Prolouge
The night was quiet. A cool crisp night where the stars shone brightly. Shunkaku smiled as he eased out of the bed, careful not to wake his sleeping brother. His only family, his aniki. Padding, barefoot, he pushed aside the fabric they used as a door, a blast of autumn air met his face. His eyes watered lightly with the sudden breeze. Outside looked as foreboading as ever, the dark obscuring the familar footpath that he usually followed. It was the night of the new moon, no silvery moonbeams g ded him as he stepped onto the path. His feet walked him steadily down the way. Leaves stirred, a dry comforting sound to his ears. He passed the younger trees, who had just lost their leaves. The rough, dry feeling of leaves brushing against his an es met him. Walking swiftly across the fields he stopped at an old oak tree. The center had been burned out by lightning and made the perfect star-watching seat. Shun settled himself in the crotch of the trunk. The fabric of his shirt scraped lightl against the old wood. Tonight all he wore was a shirt and pants which he and aniki lovingly remended again and again. Somewhere aniki had found a pair of bandanas, but Shun had forgotten his by his beside. Without his bandana his amber bangs fell int his eyes, obscuring the bright twinkling stars. A sudden stream of light streaked across the sky, quickly followed by another. Soon the dark velvet of night was full of tiny bright streaks. A meteor shower. “awwww.... suuugoi!” Shun whispered to himself, grinning like a little child as he watched. For just then, you could see the person in side. Shunkaku, purely and simply. When the meteor shower was over, he lingered outside for a while, enjoying the reedom of the night. A night-butterfly floated over to his tree and landed on his hand. The light little creature shone with an unusual light as all night-butterlfies do. But this one captured his attention as dawn’s rays broke through night’s shadow domain. It was blue.
“kirei........” Being extra cautious as he got up he threw up his hands, and watched it fly.
“I wish............” The rest of what he was saying was cut off as the field next to theirs exploded. A shower of earth and grass was flung high into the sky. Staring at the now ruined plot of land he stumbled and fell backwards into the tree. Cursing under his breath he jumped to his feet and ran back to the house.

“Aniki! ANIKI!” Shun’s cries roused the elder twin as the younger rushed into the house. His face was full of excitement and fear. Koutoku could feel his twin’s emotions eclipsing his own. The twins had a unique bond, they could feel each others em ions and sometimes even their thoughts. They weren’t incomplete without each other, but lets say they were more complete when together.
“nani? Whats going on, Shun-chan?” Shun grabbed his brother’s hand and dragged both of them outside. He sometimes forgets his own strength....Koutoku thought affectionately. They were wearing matching thredbare shirts with many holes in them, a pai of stained and dirty . Koutoku grabbed his flute as they flew out the door. Shun paused right outside the door and grabbed his pack. They got the land they worked on for cheap, but in part of the deal they had to help defend the area. Neither of them a da problem with this, it was just they got respect more from fear then from friendship. Koutoku could easily kill someone with his flute as he could play a scale. Shunkaku made holes in things to make it plainly. He controled a rare weapon, a ryuuseisui which resembled a shooting star. A black ball with a ‘tail’ of feathers on each end of a long leather cord. Soon, both twins were running down the path to where the explosion came from. As they ran Kou glanced as his brother. The gleeful youthfulness came out in his brother when they were together. His face set in a mask of pure bliss to be with his an i. The amber color of his hair glimmered when the sun hit it and the same look was caught in his eyes. Of the two Shun was more ‘lively’. Koutoku smiled, if a little sadly. Most people found his brother too immature, but he wished that his brother w ld have grown more slowly, and knew that sometimes that ‘immaturity’ was nothing but a show. On the few times Shun had taken him to watch the stars with him, Koutoku truly understood his brother. A darker star filled night to his bright life filled day. Two sides of the same copper. Shunkaku showed himself best at night when with the few that he chose, whereas Kou was best during the day with about everybody. An easy way to tell if his brother had accepted someone as a friend was if he tolrated the presence while star-watching. He was falling behind, abandoning his thoughts Koutoku ran to catch up.

Seiryuu Shichi Seishi Nakago stared disdainfully down at the fallen farmer. Smirking he waved a hand, the soldiers ripped up the cabinets, and raided what was there. These raids on the border villages of Konan were comman, the Emperor would not delcare war, but he harried the people of this neighboring country. A country half-fed and living in fear was all the easier to defeat. All they had to do now was gather the Seiryuu Seven and the miko. Then everything would be solved. A handful of soldiers nd another Seiryuu Seishi stood with him. Seiryuu Shichi Seishi Soi, a female. A piercing flute melody broke through the massacre. Nakago felt the power in the melody and cast a shield over himself and Soi. The ki weaved in and out of the melody and orced itself into soldier’s bodies. Through their screams if pain Nakago ‘heard’ a voice in his head Burst! die!. The soldier closest to him screamed once and thick blood splattered on the ground. Soon after the flute attack, only a couple of soldier were still alive. The whirring of knives on air cuaght Nakago’s attention and directed his eyes to the opposite part of the house. A weapon he recognized as a ryuuseisui flew in and savagely killed the remainging soldiers. Seeking blood it turned and overed in front of him.
“What are you doing here!?” An angry voice cried out, filled with loathing for the soldiers here. Nakago and Soi turned to the source, a young boy, maybe fourteen standing in the broken doorway. His face a twisted mask of hate.
“Can’t you just leave all of us in peace? How many more lives will be sacrificed before you are satisfied?” A softer voice, yet holding the same anger came from his other side. A ruined wall collapsed an in a spark of flame an identical boy stood th e, a sad look on his face.
“Twins?” Soi whispered. The first twin to have spoken raised a hand, the ryuuseisui floated back to him. His brother raised the flute to his lips, this strategy must have worked before for them, the readiness was clear. Neither of them were aware o the danger these particular oppenents were to them.
“Wait, we aren’t here to kill,” Soi started. The first twin sneered, he seemed to be the more active speaker. The hotheaded one, who dean’t think. Easier to kill, she thought.
"Oh really? So, are you here for a tea party?” The sarcasm was layed on real thick as The ryuuseisui started spinning. Nakago smirked. Oh lord, they’re in trouble.... Soi thought as the blue kokoro showed itself. The twin with the flute gasped an his hands subconciously went to his left shoulder. Blue energy swirled slowly around Nakago. He held out a hand and the energy came together in a ball. The ki ball caste an eerie blue glow over everything, as if being underwater.
“wait! Don’t! I’m Seiryuu Shichi Seishi Amiboshi! Please stop!” Koutoku cried and violently ripped the fabric from his shoulder. A blue symbol showed itself. “Ko” High spirits.
“Aniki? What Seiryuu... shichi...sei?” The ryuuseisui showed some agitation, as if having a mind of its own and cirlced like a shark. Koutoku smiled a little at his brother and tucked his flute into his belt. The ryuuseisui calmed down as the first Twin ran over to his brother, ignoring the two seishi.
“Gomen. Watashi no Bu Koutoku. My brother is Bu Shunkaku,” Koutoku knelt before Nakago, he’d heard of this particular shogun. Nakago was the most powerful person in Kutou, it was rumored he only helped the Emperor because it amused him.

Soi looked the two twins over. Koutoku was the elder, and seemed to be the more mature, dominent twin. And a seishi, thus making him indispinsable. Shunkaku was a hotheaded, rebellious, overprotective dimwit, it seemed to her. Expendable, unimprotant .... and in a couple words, dead. Shunkaku faced his brother, and eyed him with growing feelings of betrayl. Soi observed the ryuuseisui twining with his agitation around his torso and neck.
“Is that why you left me? Your a Seishi, you live only for your miko,” The quiet statement hung in the air between the twins. Amiboshi said nothing, but turned his head to the side. Anger and suspicion laced the next verbal attack from Shunkaku.
“Is that why your so willing to go? So willing to leave me behind? Your DUTY? Or are you sick of me?” The last part was spat on a venomous line, and the speaker’s eyes welled with tears, but he did not shed them. Koutoku rose and ok a step away from his twin’s attack.
“no... Shun-chan.......” He was loosing footing, the accusation was too much for Koutoku. He knew his twin wasn’t as angry as he seemed, but afraid. Afraid of being seperated and being hurst again. He was hiding behind the offensive. Koutoku almos tripped over one of the bloody bodies his brother had mauled and grimaced.
“Then why? Are you afraid of me?” Shun asked, softer this time, his tears falling like soft rain. Koutoku was stunned, he’d never thought his brother cared so much. He had never hinted that his aniki was his everything, the center of his unisvers which suddenly annonced it was leaving. Both twins would care nothing of themselves, but would kill for one and other. Shaking his head sadly Shun held out a hand. It hung in the air for a couple seconds, then dropped, a futile gesture.
“Well then, sayonara....aniki......” He turned and walked past Nakago and out the door. A sob echoed in his mind as Koutoku watched. He wanted to go with his twin, or have Shun come with them, but he knew it was impossiable. Today we part ways..... toto.... gomen.... come back and see me one day, then I promise...... we’ll never part again! Amiboshi started to follow, to talk to his twin, but he was intercepted by Nakago’s hand.
“It is better without goodbyes,”