Queen Kei slipped on her pants as a knock came as her door.

"Your Magesty," Keiki's voice sounded about as forlorn as ever. Her attendant gave her a look and Kei sighed and nodded. Her attendant walked to the door, unlocked it, and let the kirin in.

One look at her attire and Keiki bristled.

"What are you planning this time?!"

"The towns bordering Ko need a little help," she said tying her red hair up in a high pony tail, "Apparently the storms that hit Ko, often effect that part of Kei as well. I have Koshou coming with me to see what they have in place of canals and storm drains. I'm thinking we can help by building a dam and a sea wall. But I have to see everything for myself and-"

"Can't you just believe the maps given to you?"

"I think better if I can see it with my own eyes, Keiki," Kei said with an apologetic smile, "I will be back tomorrow morning before court starts, you have my word."

"Please do," he said, "As happy as I am to see you ruling with both feet on the ground, I get anxious if you are not where you are supposed to be."

Kei laughed, "I'll be right back, Mr. Worry Wart."

()

"Your Majesty," the ministers voice cut into her thoughts. She had been thinking of the cliffs outside the coastal town. The cliffs should act as a natural sea wall, but for some reason, the water still rose above it.

"Yes?" she asked, playing off her inattention.

"I was saying that the refugees from Ko have reached a number we are unable to sustain. The cost is not only too much, but the standards you outlined are above our means."

"They are under our care until Ko has a new ruler," Kei replied, not unkindly, "I've been instructed by the heavens to care for my citizans. They are mine…adopted, you could say. Perhaps we can start a sponsorship. Ask local businesses and even the lords to donate?"

"…the Lords, Your Majesty?"

"Yes, and even ask families across Kei. Ask for a donation to help those in need until Ko can have its ruler. And minister, I don't want a single coin of any donated amount to go anywhere else, other than to the efforts of caring for the refugees. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I believe I know what you are saying. You wish to open up a charity fund and extend it to everyone in Kei?"

Kei nodded.

"Then I shall make it happen, Your Majesty."

"Minister."

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Not a single, coin."

"I will see to it myself," he said, a determined look taking hold of his normally vapid expression.

When he left Keiki asked, "will this be ok? How are the lower class supposed to help the refugees when they are suffering as well?"

"They don't have to," Kei replied, "Its charity, not a tax. I've already explained to this minister a while ago what charity is, so he was able to understand me. Only those that feel they can spare a coin can feel the need to give freely. And every coin will be used to build more refugee placements and provide them with more food."

"It sounds like a good plan…where many things can go wrong."

She sighed, "yes, but we don't know until we try."

The rest of the day was similar and uneventful. It wasn't until Koshou came by in the evening that Kei couldn't help but get a little more excited.

"And?"

"That's it," he said with a sigh, "they don't want anything to change."

"But it would help them so much," Kei said looking at the census, "just a few storm canals could vastly improve the state of their fields, even when there isn't a storm!"

"Maybe if we tried one thing at a time, instead of all those projects at once," he said, then quickly added, "Your Majesty."

She smiled and nodded, "I guess I got carried away. Mind if I ask you one more favor?"

Koshou snorted, "Command me Your Majesty, I will not ever say 'no' and will do so willingly."

"Go back and find out which idea they are least opposed to, and then we'll start with that one, ok?"

He laughed, "right, right."

()

Back home Sugimoto swore.

Her adventures may have calmed her down, but she still didn't feel…normal, anymore. She wanted so badly to get back to a state of normalcy that she realized that she was aggravating the problem.

She had noticed that the other boy had taken up painting.

She quickly found out she had no such talent, and no such patience. Her mother had gone ot a flower arranging class, and Sugimoto found that she liked it. It was peaceful and took her mind off of the other world. She could zone out and do what she needed to do, if only for a little while.

The only problem was that she kept cutting her fingers with the small blade when she had to shorten the stem.

The small blade and the blood only reminded her of how stupid she was, and after cutting her fingers countless times, she gave up on flower arranging.

Why was she still stuck? She felt sick with the knowledge that there really was another world out there. Before it had all been fantasy, and fun to think about. When given the actual opportunity…

She had blown it. She had let what she could only look back and call insanity, take over and go to her head.

And she still felt it inside her. The deep desire to be part of the other world. To be connected to it in any way.

Maybe that was why she could never leave the other boy alone. He was a part of that whole…sense of adventure.

And she still, despite everything, really, really wanted it.

()

They had chosen the dam.

Kei sighed in relief when Koshou had brought her the news. At least she could do one thing without upsetting too many people. She had hoped they would pick the canal system, but the dam with its connecting floodgates were a good start and she'd take it.

()

Time passed and Keiki walked in as his Queen was pulling her hair up again.

"Wow," Kei smiled, "You didn't knock. This must be important."

"Please do not leave today," he said sternly.

"I will be back before dinner," she sighed, "I'm only going to see how the building is doing."

"You can't trust the reports?"

"Fine," Kei sighed, "I'm leaving because I'm feeling stuffy. I just need a few hours to get out and breathe a little."

"…you've been with King En a little too much."

"I was like this before you came to Horai and dragged me here. I would go for long walks to recharge."

"Then walk here!"

"Mmmm, no."

Keiki glowered and Kei stared back. This was a normal tup of war for them and Gyokuyo went about her duties as if there wasn't anything wrong.

"Could you wait until the Sou is gone?"

Kei's scowl deepened, "he's not gone yet? He said he was going to leave this morning with the moon! The moon set long ago!"

"I think he's waiting for you to send him and his son off."

Kei sighed, "fine, let me get redressed and I'll be out. Make sure this is actually a send off and not just another series of formalities, please."

"But Your Majesty-"

"Please, Keiki?" She asked, "I am not so foolish to think I don't know why Sou brought his son with him just to discuss how we each deal with the refugees from Ko."

Keiki looked confused, "what do you mean?"

Kei caught her attendants eye and both of them started to giggle. The whole palace had been a hot bed of gossip when Sou's son had shown up with him.

Sou had three children, two girls and one boy. The boy was their eldest and had been in his upper twenties when Sou had taken the throne. After many years, he still hadn't married. Seeing how Kei was not too old and not too young, Sou had gotten excited and had sought the opportunity to play match maker.

Of course Keiki was the only one who did not see this.

()

"Your Ma-"

Kei raised an eye brow.

"Youko," Koshou corrected, "as you can see, everything is fine."

"I know," she laughed, "I never doubted. I just wanted to get away from the court for a while."

He Laughed as well, a hearty, loud laugh, then he stopped, "is that ok? I mean…is that allowed? Wise?"

"Probably not," She admitted as she watched the laborers, "But I really want to see this for myself. Shokai did a lot of damage in Ko, I want to avoid that here if possible."

"The weather will do what the heavans want, there's little we can do to stop it."

"But there's no need for recovery to take longer than need be."

Koshou laughed, "indeed!"

Kei chose to stay the night. A Storm was rolling in and she had no desire to fly back to the palace sopping wet.

"The last thing I need right now is a cold," she told Joriyuu to pass on to Keiki, "I'll be home in the morning. By then the storm will have passed."

()

Kei woke up to a scream and a crash. The part of the inn she'd been staying at had collapsed due to the power of the storm.

"Your-Youko!" Koshou ran through the busted wall, "Are you alright?!"

"I'm fine! Find someone to help you build a temporary shelter! We need to move these people out of the rain!"

"Where are you going?" As if he didn't already know.

"I'm going to help the ones that fell!"

The building had fallen in a way that ripped walls out of the structure in uneven teeth. She used those to slide down to the muddy ground. Already the streets were turning into rivers. As she watched two people that had been in the same inn were swept away with the currant. She hurried to grab any one else that might meet the same fate.

She staggered and managed to help a few people out from under the collapsed bits of the building. Kei pointed them in the direction that Koshou was setting up a shelter before moving to the next place.

It was just one misstep.

Just one.

And before she knew it, she was in the water, rushing down the street, the current not only pulling her along, but pulling her under. She smashed and hit all the odd objects that were being swept along as well. She tried to protect her head, but in the confusion, she came in contact with a large solid object and lost consciousness.