One warm summer day Enki, the kirin of En was looking out over the castle balcony to the pond below. "I'm bored…" He said, sadly thinking of his friends. In his thin hand he held a peach, and munched on it while thinking, his golden hair shining in the sunlight. He was thinking about Youko, Queen Kay, of a neighboring kingdom, and also he was thinking about Keiki, the Kirin of Kay. He suddenly felt a blush on his face, suddenly realizing why, he was picturing Keiki's face in his head.
He tossed the pit into the water, jumping down from the banister he was sitting on, his small, sleek frame making no noise on the polished floor. He headed inside, through the big double doors behind him. When he walked through the threshold King En, Shoryuu, bumped into him.
"Ah, Enki, I've been looking for you everywhere!" The man cried, his thick mane of black hair falling beside his head as he looked down at Enki, realizing he was there after feeling Enki's hair brush his arm.
He slowly looked up, glaring at Shoryuu. "Yes, what is it?"
"It's Queen Kay, she want's to speak with me on Mt. Hou." He smiled down at the kirin, adjusting his state robes on his tall, slim figure, as Enki sighed, tapping his foot impatiently.
"Why do I have to go then?" He asked, annoyed with Shoryuu for interrupting his thoughts, his eyes glowing with discontent.
Shoryuu smiled, a hint of teasing in his lips. "'He'll' be there with her." He prodded at Enki's weakness, for he knew of his infatuation with the other Kirin. Enki's attitude brightened and he grinned from ear to ear.
'He means Keiki!' Enki thought, joy bubbling up inside of him, making him want to hug Shoryuu right then and there. "let's go now!" He said with delight, taking Shoryuu's hand to lead him to the landing west of where they'd met. They got on flying Youma and flew off to Mt. Hou.
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At Mt. Hou they were greeted by Yuka, a Nyosenn, or caretaker of Kirin that grew up on the mountain. "Welcome King En, and En Taiho, please follow me." She walked slowly and they followed her to Giroku palace. She quietly opened the doors, each shut by a thick chain. She led them inside and the room was very large, in order to accommodate many people to have ceremonies for Kings and Queens of kingdoms and their advisers of that kingdom.
As they walked back towards a large throne and the chairs surrounding it, Enki could make out two figures, seated and conversing quietly. One figure was a man seated on a chair, who was as tall as Shoryuu, but had a pale white face, deep purple eyes, and long platinum blond hair, going down to the back of his knees, that looked like the moon's glow on a cool night. He had on a two piece black outfit, the top like a dress with pants underneath and soft soled shoes on his feet. The other person was a woman, perched on the throne. She had fair tanned skin, and piercing green eyes. She had bright red hair, obviously long, for it was done up into a bun on top of her head. Also she had a small hat, that covered hair hair and was tied by a red string beneath her chin. She wore a traditional kimono that was kind of dressy, along with a sword around her waist in a blue scabbard, with a jewel hanging from it.
Enki slowly walked up and stammered a hello. "H-Hi, Keiki." He said, and the larger Kirin spun around, to see Enki standing there, and as he stared, his gaze softened.
"Enki!!" He cried, standing and rushing to pick Enki up, embracing him and kissing him on the cheek. He then set him down and took his hand, guiding him over to the chairs to sit and talk.
Youko stood from the throne, and walked over top Shoryuu, casting a glance back at the two Kirin who were passionately talking, with gestures and motions, recalling past events. "Well, it looks like they're happy..." She said sadly with a sigh, adjusting her hair with quiet concern.
Shoryuu looked at her, head cocked sideways in question. Slowly, his mouth opened to reveal a question within. "Youko is there -" He started, but was cut off by the queen's serious look.
"Yes, there is, come with me." She said, motioning for him to follow her outside. They went, leaving the two Kirin alone, talking.
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When they were out of the palace, they walked over to small outcropping, with one lonely tree over looking the Sashinboku in a little expanse of grass, the tree of Kirin origin. Youko quietly wrapped her arms around the tree, feeling the bark and sighing once again.
Shoryuu looked at her, feeling her frustration on the matter at hand. He started to talk because Youko was ominously quiet, as if waiting for him to ask something, he was right. When the first syllable slipped from his lips her head turned towards him and looked at him expectantly. "Youko," He started, hesitating, and growing concerned at what she might want to hear. After a few moments, he cleared his throat, and spoke again. "Is the reason you wished to speak with me out here because of Keiki and Enki?" He looked at her closely, as if trying to make her lips move through the sheer force of his will.
She did not speak for quite some time, going back to Horai in her mind. She thought about Sugimoto, and her family, wondering if they were alright. She came back to reality with Shoryuu's question racing through her looked stunned for a moment, as if waking from a she composed herself, turning to face the King En. "Yes Shoryuu, you've hit the reason directly." She looked as though she might cry from the strain of what she experienced in the past few moments. Shoryuu put an arm about her comfortably, giving his famous smile. "Thanks." She said, looking back at him and smiling herself.
Shoryuu was inside; tense and wanting some answers, so he turned to face Youko, grabbing her shoulders. Her burst at her with everything he had inside. "How come I've never known about them! I've been King En for over 500 years! They never showed interest before." He shouted, face screwing up and eyes flashing hotly. Youko didn't know how to respond, she'd never seen him so angry before, in fact it frightened her a bit.
"Well..." She started, but twitched under his gaze. "The lords and high officials of Kay told me..." She looked down, not wanting to cry. "At my coronation ceremony." A slow, warm wind whipped at their robes, moving them at their feet, also whipping up a string of leaves that drifted in between the two rulers and to the ground below.
Shoryuu turned, the wind blowing his long black mane back, whipping at it and making his face slowly flushed. "Do you know what would happen if they were not able to be with each other?" Shoryuu asked,looking at Youko, concern for the Kirin reflected in his eyes. "Though they are loyal to us, as the Heavens say, they would leave to be with each other, if love is strong enough between them. The Heavens would condemn us and we'd lose the Way, and die slow, and painful deaths, just like Kou-Ou...just not under the same circumstances." He took a breath then continued. "Not many Kirin disobey there masters, if they did, it would cause chaos and destruction among the kingdoms, and the Way would fail." He ended his little history lesson there, and looked up at Queen Kay, she had a perplexed look on her face.
Youko stood for a moment, letting it sink in, then gathered her voice to speak. "Shoryuu, why don't we make a plan? We have a good deal of info about where Taiki is. Maybe we could get our Kirin to go look for him."
"Yes, that's a good idea, it may give them time for feelings do develop and bear fruit." He looked amused by the fact that Youko would even mention wanting time alone from Keiki, as she only just became ruler of Kay. Shoryuu regarded the fledgling queen with respect, as she was showing her willingness to show control over her kingdom without her 'other half'.
He motioned for them to head back inside, to check up on the Kirin. They thought they'd find them still talking, but they were....very, VERY...WRONG....
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They went back inside to a dazzling and nosebleed inducing scene; Keiki, with the top of his robe off and Enki heatedly kissing his chest, in warm light brushes across, going to his collarbone, and upwards. He then went up to his mouth grabbing Keiki's lips in a passionate kiss, causing him to moan as Enki explored his mouth with his tongue, Keiki's own clashing with his in a dominant battle of passion. Shoryuu stopped everything with a clearing of his throat, causing Keiki to stare over at King En. Keiki wanted to speak, but was still enraptured, and entranced by Enki's tongue. As he looked up with glazed eyes he saw a wide-eyed Youko, and a very red-faced Shoryuu standing at the door to the palace. He slowly poked Enki in the side and the smaller Kirin released the other, ending Keiki's stupor.
Youko had blood all over her kimono from absolute blood loss and Shoryuu was barely keeping her up, supported by the door. As he shuffled towards the two Kirin, Yuka rushed over to help the faint queen on his arm. He got over, sat on the throne, and glared down at the two Kirin, angry, and very perplexed about what they'd witnessed.
Enki slowly stood, and upon seeing Shoryuu, gave a little yelp and hid behind Keiki. Youko came back, cleaned and having fresh clothes on, but that didn't stop the Kirin from wrinkling their noses and covering them with their sleeves, backing away. Youko cam,e as far as she dared, for she did not want to be hurt by their She-ray, guardian Youma they train for protection. Enki came out from behind Keiki, blushing slightly as he looked at the rulers.
Keiki hugged him as he started to cry, thinking about what they'd done. He told the other it would be okay, "Enki, don't worry it's okay to cry, even Kirin cry..."
Enki was startled by Keiki's words, as he backed away into the embrace of his Nyokai, and as they disappeared, Keiki could still hear his words in the room. "I will not cry, I don't believe you!!"
Keiki's sorrow was pronounced as it swept though the room, emanating from his person. He finally spoke, "King En, I..." He looked down, his words trailing off like sakura swept by the wind on a summer day.
"Kei Taiho," Shoryuu addressed him after seeing his Kirin go away, distraught. "You must go after Enki, and bring him back. We have something for you to attend to."
"Right away." Keiki headed out on his She-Ray, leaving Mt. Hou. He left with that scene in his head, Enki being scared of his words, and backing into his Nyokai's embrace; who only appear to help if their masters are in dire need. 'Enki, why did that happen?' Keiki thought as he went to find the other Kirin.
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He found Enki at the edge of the sea, near the kingdom of Kou, South of Kay, East of Mt. Hou. He approached and thought Enki was unaware of his presence, but he was wrong. Enki spoke without turning around, and as the words came out he twitched as if they stung him like ice. "Are your words true Keiki? Is it really okay to cry? I'm all mixed up inside and I don't know what to do..." He turned around, looking up at Keiki with eyes red from crying on the rock he was sitting on. Keiki moved, picked Enki up, and in his arms, on his She-ray, they flew back to Mt. Hou.
When they returned they went and saw their rulers in the room, sitting on chairs to talk. Enki was still recovering and slightly nervous, but sat down with Keiki to see what they had to say, holding Keiki's hand. Shoryuu spoke, "You two are going to go into Horai, (Japan), to find Taiki, the Kirin of Tai, or Kaname Takasato, as Enki found out. You must find him, and bring him back here, if you do we may be able to find King Tai." Shoryuu looked at the two Kirin, nodding to them in turn. They bowed back to their respectful rulers and headed for their kingdoms to plan for the trip.
They met again, near the lip of rock Enki had run away to. Keiki concentrated, closing his eyes and made a shoku, an underwater tsunami-like thing. The two got on their She-ray and plunged into the mass of swirling blue-gold water. It was this mess of beautiful, yet highly destructive water that created a gap, bridging the 12 kingdoms and Horai.
