Kurogane's entire life had been lived in a time of chaos. From the breakdown of Valeria beginning 25 years before his birth to the death of King Fujitaka of Clow and his young son Touya's ascension to the throne earlier this year; within Kurogane's time every one of the four "Grand Countries" – Valeria, Celes, Nihon, and Clow- had been in some state of upheaval. Ten years ago, Celes had declared war on Nihon with apparently no reason. Rumour had it that King Ashura was actually an ineffective leader and had made the decision without the aid of his advisor, High Mage Fai, who had been in his native country of Valeria at the time. However, no matter the story behind the declaration of war, a decision like that could not be reversed once made; not in the mind of Celesians, anyway. Whether the king and the mage regretted the choice to go to war or not, their people would see it as a sign of weakness if they backed out. Strange people, Celesians. Most country's citizens would welcome any way out of war, but not those people.

For the most part, the "war" was really just occasional skirmishes and weak attacks. Valeria and Clow, Celes' and Nihon's respective allies, stayed out of it for the most part, seeing as how it was generally more of a petty squabble than an all-out war. However, earlier in the year, Valeria had joined the war; as they had been beset by several long, hard winters and were hoping to win Nihon's better resources, but were impeded from simply trading by the fact that their ally was at war with Nihon. Those superstitious Valerian idiots were still blaming their winters on the events that had set their country into decline fifty years ago. Apparently they'd all forgotten that they'd sometimes had winters just as bad even before they nearly ruined their country just because some princess had twins. Morons.

Kurogane liked fighting; he liked testing his skill against a strong opponent, liked being able to do something, rather than just sitting back and letting others do the dirty work. He had no hesitancy to kill, and would kill any opponent in a fair fight without remorse. However, as a whole, he did not like war. Too many innocents got mixed up in it; women and children; and weak men, who Kurogane despised for their weakness but still didn't want to see killed unfairly. He'd been happy when Tomoyo-hime reassigned him from being her personal bodyguard to being commander of a small squad. He knew Souma and the other shinobi were perfectly capable of protecting both the empress and the princess in his absence, and if his group and the other squads did their job right, there shouldn't be any enemies anywhere near the palace anyway.

Still, they'd been out for three weeks now and had lost up to five men (depending on whether the three badly wounded made it). Another seven were more mildly wounded. On a whole, his group desperately needed a break, and even Kurogane was ready for a rest, despite liking his job. His last opponent had come a little too close to actually harming or even killing him; as it was he thought he might have a cracked rib and a considerably bruised abdomen, thanks to the Valerian's use of kicks. A short vacation would be extremely welcome.

So really, the last thing he needed upon entering the throne room was to find a Valerian there. The man was seated on a cushion beside Tomoyo's seat, calm and obviously welcome. Kurogane sighed irritably. That damn Valerian mage was up to something again. Though he'd never met or even seen the man who was rumoured to be pulling the strings behind King Ashura, he'd learned that seeing a Valerian usually meant work for Kurogane, whether of the violent kind or not; and it was the mage who generally sent the Valerians. Right now, work really didn't sound appealing. His rib was shrieking in protest at the mere thought. At least this situation didn't appear to necessitate fighting.

He knelt on one knee before Tomoyo, resisting the urge to wince. He ignored the foreigner for the moment. His first duty was to report to his liege-lady.

"Kurogane, you've returned. Are you hurt? There's blood on you!"

She was fussing over him in that strange way of hers; as if the barrier of master and servant, princess and ninja, did not separate them. He'd always been rather curious about what her intentions were, these times when she pried at his armour and questioned him worriedly. Did she intend to strip him bare in front of the whole court just to ensure he wasn't bleeding to death? Princess or not, she was sometimes a flighty child still. He never let her flitter about long enough to see what her ultimate goal was. He brushed her hands away gently.

"I think I have a cracked rib, but the blood is not mine." His eyes flickered to her foreign guest, but he didn't let the Valerian's presence hinder his report. War was war. There wasn't any need to spare feelings. "We had an encounter with a Valerian scouting unit, under the command of a Celesian. We lost two men, and three more may not last the night. None of the enemy survived. We gave them a proper burial."

He saw the Valerian touch two fingers to his chest above his heart, a salute for the dead in his nation. Tomoyo had somehow gotten a bowl of warm water and a soft cloth and pulled Kurogane until he sat on a cushion opposite the blonde foreigner, and was now proceeding to wipe blood gently from his face. He felt a sting and realized he actually had a cut on his face. He didn't remember getting that.

"Kurogane, this is Alever. He's brought some important news. Alever, could you repeat your message?"

"Certainly, your highness." His voice was slightly accented, but his grasp of Nihon's language seemed very good. "I bring a message from High Mage Fai. His Majesty King Ashura has suffered an unfortunate accident and is now in a deep sleep, unlikely to awaken anytime soon. For as long as he is bedridden, the High Mage will assume his duties, as royal regent. In this function, he desires to engage in discussions with Nihon towards the goal of peace, and requests that an ambassador be sent to meet with him."

Curiosity piqued, Kurogane ignored the bandages Tomoyo was now applying to his face and another small cut on his forearm, and spoke to Alever.

"Can he do that? It sounds almost like a rebellion. Surely the king would be angered by such a decision when he awakens?"

"I cannot speak for our leaders beyond what they have told me, but it is my understanding that King Ashura has long since stipulated that in the event of his death or some serious illness, High Mage Fai is to have all the power which was the king's. If the king were to pass on, High Mage Fai is his heir; but as he is only comatose, the High Mage is now regent; still, his command is not to be questioned."

The king must trust the mage pretty excessively, to put him in that sort of position. What was to keep the mage from killing Ashura himself and taking over Celes in the name of Valeria? Dangerous trust, in Kurogane's opinion, leaving one's country in the hands of a powerful man from another country. Tomoyo seemed to finally be bored of playing nurse and had taken her seat again. The Empress, who'd been silently observing, gave her sister an amused look.

"So, Tomoyo-hime, what does all this have to do with me? I'm assuming that since you had him repeat his message, you had some reason for me to hear it?"

"Of course, Kurogane! I'm sending Subaru-kun as the ambassador. He's young, but nobody could look at those big puppy eyes and not be friendly; nobody sane at least."

Kurogane tried not to speak his thoughts on her reasoning, looking to the Empress for help. She spoke, finally.

"I don't think Subaru is a bad choice, Kurogane. He's sweet and diplomatic and charming. A little shy, but he'll be fine. Kamui will be there to support him should he need it. The only other thing he will need is someone to defend him, though it's unlikely he'll require it, since both Celes and Valeria have generally been forthright and upfront about their dealings, even in wartime. I don't have any reason to believe an ambassador would be unjustly attacked. But..."

Kurogane began to sigh, but stifled it when his rib protested harshly.

"But you'll be sending me along just in case, right?"

"Quite right. Is that a problem?"

He shook his head wearily. He wasn't actually bound to the Empress and would on occasion disagree with her, but it was obvious that Tomoyo was in full agreement with the plan, and he could not argue with her. Goodbye, vacation. Tomoyo petted his head condescendingly, as if he were a favoured dog. Some days, he wondered if that really was how she saw him. He found he didn't particularly care. He'd chosen to serve Tomoyo of his own free will, because he owed her. Besides, there was such a sweetness and vibrancy around her: perhaps, in some way, she reminded him of his mother, gave him a way to atone for his inability to protect the one who gave him life.

"Don't worry, Kurogane. It'll be like going on a trip for fun! After all, I don't think anyone will attack Subaru as long as there's a possibility of peace. You'll probably be treated like a prince there, since Celes always treats its guests well. It'll be a good way to recuperate after your battle!"

He shrugged and stood.

"If it's all right with you, Tomoyo-hime, I'll go and get tended to. After that, I'll be ready to leave whenever you command."

...

...

He peered out the carriage window and had to admit to himself that he was impressed. Celes and the island nation of Nihon were separated by about a mile of ocean; but because all four Grand Countries were basically built on magical essence, the climate changed sharply between them, no matter how close they were. Kurogane had never actually been in Celes before, so looking out over the icy landscape was a new and interesting experience. It was different from just snow. It was like a thin sheet of ice had been used as a substitute for grass. There were bright-coloured flowers cropping up here and there, and the contrast against the white was interesting. Some trees were evergreens, but others had pale silver leaves and bright red blossoms. They were beautiful, if odd.

They were approaching the famed Sky Castle now. Alever, who was accompanying them back to his present home in Celes, didn't seem particularly interested, having seen it many times before; but Kamui, Subaru, and Kurogane were all definitely curious. The castle of Celes was said to be kept afloat by some mysterious and powerful magic. It was reached not by the illusory stairs which lead down to the ground, but rather by an invisible magical pathway which was apparently moved once a week, its location known only to those who must travel it, such as their carriage driver. The castle was exquisite, looking as if it'd been built out of ice, floating far above the ground, highlighted by the strange and beautiful colours which seemed to constantly adorn the sky in Celes.

It was somewhat nerve-wracking, when the carriage began to go upwards, apparently on nothing but thin air. Subaru's eyes got wide and he shook slightly. His twin wrapped his arms around him and peeked out the window curiously while Subaru buried his face in Kamui's jacket, not wanting to see. Kurogane looked out the window and listened. He could hear the crunch of the wheels over a solid surface and found it reassuring. Invisible or not, magical or not, there definitely was a path beneath them.

It was quite some distance upwards, and Kurogane continued to stare down, looking across a vast landscape of ice. Celes, he decided was a very strange place...but a very beautiful one as well.

...

...

Elegant robes, belted with silver chains over almost feminine hips, swished lightly with his movement. He closed his eyes and drew in a breath, feeling the wood and string beneath his fingers, familiar and smooth. On the exhale, he let the arrow fly, then opened his eyes and smiled softly at the projectile buried deep in the center of the target.

Two Celesians in guards' uniforms approached him, stopping several feet away and bowing low. One spoke.

"You grace, Nihon's ambassador and his companions have arrived. Shall we bring them to you immediately?"

"Hmm." He walked to the target, gripped the arrow in two fingers, and though it was buried about six inches deep, it immediately slid out into his grip. "I think we'll allow them time to rest first. It is not a long journey from Nihon, but they may be tired. Also, they will likely be quite chilled by the change in climate. See to it that they're given clothing more suited to the temperature, and plenty of bedding in their rooms. They may have until this evening to rest and explore the public areas of the palace. I'll see them an hour after the evening meal."

"Very well, milord. Is there anything else?"

"How many are there in the group?"

"Three, milord, not counting Sir Alever, who has returned with them. There is the ambassador, Subaru; and his twin brother, Kamui; and the ninja Kurogane, who is rumoured to be the best fighter in Nihon and has spent much time as Princess Tomoyo's personal bodyguard."

"Ah yes, I've heard of him. Why did they send such a strong force of protection with the ambassador? Do they not trust us to act honourably during a peaceful encounter?"

"Apparently the ninja engaged in battle with Commander Ilduos some five days ago and was mildly wounded. Ilduos and his men all perished. For the ninja, I believe this is more of a rest period than an actual assignment. I do not think they expect to be attacked."

"Good. That's all for now then. You're dismissed."

They bowed again and left. Fai set his bow and quiver back in their places and left the practice room, heading to the Chamber of Water. The magical room would allow only himself, Ashura, and Chi to enter it; as dictated by the seal he'd put on it.

He moved to the side of the huge pool in the center and sat down on one of the cushions left around the edges. Chi was curled up on several pillows nearby, sleeping. He smiled slightly at the sight. She may be a manmade being, but she was just as much a person as anyone else, and so adorable it made his heart ache. That wasn't the only reason his heart ached when he saw her, however. Every time he looked at Chi, he was reminded of what his life might have been if the world had been different.

A deep loneliness engulfed him as he looked down into the pool where his king slept. In this room was everything that reminded him of just how utterly alone he was now. One person he loved was dead, in a crystal sarcophagus deep within the pool; one person was kind and sweet and yet not truly real; and another, the one who he had for so long turned to for companionship of any kind, lay sleeping beneath the water. His life had always been hard...heartbreakingly so...but never until this last week, with the beginning of Ashura's sleep, had he actually felt so painfully abandoned. He was now left with a country at war on his hands and his own insecurities eating away at him, not knowing what to do or how. He sucked in a deep breath and forced the lump in his throat down. He was now, in every way other than title, King of Celes.

Kings did not cry simply because they were alone.