Disclaimer: I don't own 12K.
Sosaku-sama: This is the edited version, I have found a couple mistakes in some things. This is a ONE SHOT
The sun had already set, the last rays of it's pinkish red light just creeped over the horizon, and it
gave the throne room of Kimpa Palace a very depressing look. Or rather, that is what Nakajima Youko,
Empress Sekishi, thought.
Despite the growing late hour, the monarch remained on her seat, delicate chin resting on her tanned
hand. The various celebrations that had taken place over the course of the afternoon and into evening were
still being cleaned up by the maid-servants who left their beloved ruler to her thoughts.
It was the eve of her one hundredth year as Empress, and she was much adored by her public, who had come
to cherish her humanitrian and equal way of thinking. To her, everyone was truly equal, and for that, they loved
her with all their hearts.
She had decided, or rather her ministers, that the entire kingdom was to take the week leading up to the grand day
off. In order to prepare for the festivities and for the bold, to make the trip to Gyouten in order to catch a glimpse of
their leader.
Right now, she was neither reflecting on her now one hundred years of service, or going over the plans of the next
hundred in her head. At the moment, the Empress waited, waited for her most trusted adivsor and constant
companion.
Keiki walked down the long marble hallways that lead to the throne room, recieving a summons from his
master was rare, and to be relayed the message this late at night made it seem down right odd to him.
The Kei Taiho, or Keiki for short, was a kirin, a mystical beast that was born for the express purpose of
choosing the ruler for their respective kingdom. Keiki is from the Kingdom of Kei, so every monarch he
chooses becomes the Emporer or Empress of Kei, or the Royal Kei for casual terms of use.
Keiki couldn't help but feel an unrestrained happiness at the thought of even being in the same room as his master,
it was not love nor was it any type of lust. It was simply because, she was his master.
It has been said that there is no kirin who dislikes being near his or her master, and that there is no kirin that
isn't sad when they are seperated. Keiki was no exception, ninty nine years previous, when his master had
left Kimpa Palace on her own to try and understand her subjects better. Keiki had been tortured by the constant
need to ensure her saftey, and the lonely sadness that over took him little by little the longer she was gone. He
remembered when his liege had rescued him from the false empress Jyoei, the saddness that plagued him
for almost a year, and the joy that consumed his very being when he saw her again.
Looking at the multiple paintings, Keiki was reminded of Youko in every picture. The brilliant green landscape
seemed so blan when compared to her eyes, and the various reds seemed so mundane when put against
her vibrant crimson hair.
Humming a tune that he often heard her hum, Keiki neared the large double doors, and smiled to himself as he
caught a glimpse at the most important person in the world to him.
Youko smiled when she saw the kirin walk through the doors, she had been making the final preporations in her
head, and was going over any alternatives. Now, she believed she was ready.
Despite the fact that she abolished the practice of knowtowing, Keiki often did so. This bothered her, but she
accpeted that it was probably because of his kirin nature, and thus always looked over it.
"Raise your head," She whispered, and watched as the young man did so. Looking at her with his bright
purple eyes, she smiled when she saw the slightest joy flicker across them periodically. This night, she would
do so many times.
Keiki did as he was told, but still stayed on his knees, looking at his Empress he calmly and paitently waited
for her to speak. He wanted to know how he could help her in anyway he could.
"Keiki," Youko began, her voice echoed in the almost empty throne room, "we have been together for a very long time,
the patience you show me and the kindness you give to me, always seems to be in an unlimited supply."
Keiki nodded slowly, wondering what he had done to deserve this praise, but allowed his master time to get to the
point of her summons, not that he didn't enjoy her prescence that is.
"You have been an inexpensable assest, and I cannot think of a way to truly show my gratitude," Youko
explained, as she thought of all they had done together, "without you, Keiki, this Kingdom of Kei would be
just a pile of unharvestable ground and tyrannts running about doing as they pleased."
The Empress smiled, "I have been thinking about this for the past thiry or forty years, but had decided to put
it off until this very special occasion. You see Keiki, what has come to my knowledge is a very interesting fact,
one that until some years ago, I had not even considered."
Keiki remained silent, eyes never leaving Youko's face.
"Every kingdom has it's kirin, but there is nothing to distinguish between the every day and the truely great,"
Youko informed, "that is way I have decided to give you something, do you know what that is, Taiho?"
Kei Taiho thought, trying to recall what made some kirin different from the others, but other than the color
of their mane, Keiki could not really think of any other factors.
"This night, until the day I die," Youko sat up straight, "Keiki, I give to you one thing that I hope shows the
affection I hold toward you. From this day forth, you shall been called; Noboru."
Keiki froze, his eyes widening, a name? She was giving him a name? Something so simple, yet so profound.
Noboru? Why that odd name?
"In Hourai, the verb 'Noboru' means to accend," Youko drew the characters in the air with her finger, " En
has their Rokuta, Sai has their Youran, Kou has their Ranshi, Han has their Sakura, Tai has their Kouri,
and now, Kei shall have their Noberu."
Rokuta was the name that was given to Enki in Hourai over six hundred years ago, Sairin had been given
the name Youran by her master at the beginning of their reign. The kirin of Kou, Kouki, had been named
after his Empress's favorite flower. Keiki guessed that Sakura was now what Hanrin was calling herself,
as the kirin changed names on a monthly basis, and Tai's Kokki, Taiki, had been given the name Kouri
by his Emporer, who adored the little kirin.
"I only hope, that this expresses what words alone could not," Youko looked at her Taiho with nervous
eyes, "Does it suit your fancy?"
It is said that there is no kirin that could ever deny their master anything, and the kirin of the Kingdom of Kei
was no exception.
Knowtowing before her, he touched his forehead to the ground. "Thank you, this gift you have given me far
excesseds any earthly possession that could ever make it's way to me."
Noboru, the Kei Taiho, looked up at his master and smiled. Yes, there is no way he could ever be unhappy
when near this person, the person who his world revolved around.
His Empress.
The End.