Yay, a chapter where things actually happen.


Kira and his brother made their way along the rocky path of the sloping foothills, the moon so bright the passage could be clearly seen even in the very dead of night. Although the training of the special corps had honed their abilities to move carefully even with little light, now navigating unfamiliar territory Kira was grateful for the moon's radiance. He and his brother had cautiously but swiftly made their way out of the capital, heading east first, before striking south and west again to the border of Chikyuu, carefully avoiding both the Yugong garrison to the east and the army encampment to the west, a bottleneck which might trouble a larger force, but permitted room for two travellers who kept wary eyes open to pass through unnoticed.

Although determined to meet with their father, Kira found they were confronted by many difficulties. Covert inquiries of the locals in the villages nearer the border yielded nothing substantial. If the former general was hiding within the borders of Chikyuu, no more than a rumour of such a thing was known in the Heavenly Kingdom. If he yet hid in the Heavenly Kingdom it would be a greater wonder still, but Kira held the strong conviction that their father must have left their borders long ago, and so the brothers travelled southward in hopes that the rumour proved to have a kernel of truth.

Kira came to a halt as he noticed that Maya had fallen behind, staring at the plains behind them in the moonlight.

"What is it?" Kira asked impatiently, unhappy about stalling upon the crest of the path. It would be almost impossible for anyone to spot them in these conditions, but remaining at a high position in plain sight still chafed at his ingrained desire to remain as hidden as possible.

"Goh is just over there, isn't he?" Maya said. "Two days at most. One on horse if we—"

"We can't go there," Kira said firmly. "Come on."

"But he—"

"You can't think the army would allow two renegade special corps members to enter their field of war without consequence. Whatever Goh might do would not save us from our fate if we happened to be caught by anyone in the attempt. You cannot rely on those of the Heavenly Kingdom any longer."

"But we don't even know if our father is hiding in Chikyuu. And the things we've learned from the locals are too limited. What if we're walking straight into a Chikyuu border garrison?"

"Unless it's recent you know as well as I do where the major garrisons are stationed in Chikyuu, never mind that most of their troops will be bled over to where the enemy threatens incursion, which is exactly where you want to go," Kira said in a hard voice, although he softened seeing his brother's chastised expression, still marked with a longing to reach out to the world with which he was familiar. Maya had to understand those times were over now. Kira continued, less sharply, "Ahead is our best chance, and once we're safely in Chikyuu we just have to keep our heads down until we finally find him."

"I'm nervous," Maya said, casting his eyes to the ground.

"Come on," Kira said, reaching out his hand to grab his little brother by the shoulder and move him along. A gloomy atmosphere fell upon them after their exchange, and as they navigated the foothills Kira brooded about the meaning behind what they were doing. They had searched for knowledge of their parents for so long only to find out that their father was someone who had been so close to them the entire time and yet never once acknowledged them as his own sons. But Kira could remember moments of encouragement, when the lord Lucifer, returned victorious from battle, would look in on the young trainees of the guard. Many times he acknowledged the skills of both Kira and Maya, even when it provoked jealousy in some of the other trainees who were galled by seeing orphans such as the two brothers receive recognition. Knowledge of their true kinship had caused those memories to take on new light for Kira, however, he could not say whether it cast a shadow or a gleam upon such times.

Not a few hours passed before the brothers finally halted to rest. There was something uncomfortable about the place they were stopping, but Maya was becoming a handful and it seemed to Kira that if they rested now at least they might have the strength and endurance to cover more ground even into the dawn. They were frugal in their provisions, but their training meant that they could turn around many things in their environment to their favour, so they brought only enough to ensure they could make it a few days past the border before running out of sustenance.

As he drank from his flask, Kira heard the noise of stone scratching against stone, as though a foot had stepped on loose pebbles. He put the flask down immediately as a small stone skipped down the rock face behind them to land on the path at their feet. Maya had seen it too and immediately both brothers stood and grabbed for their hidden daggers, turning and looking up the small cliff side to see a man looming on the edge of the pathway above, hefting his own spear in response to the drawing of their weapons.

There was a tense silence while Kira calculated carefully all the different ways it would be possible to kill this man, but the odds that they could escape unscathed were not in their favour. The man had the higher ground, and was not some shepherd of the hills. He was built for combat and held his spear as though it were no more than an extension of his arm. Before Kira could enact any of the scenarios cycling through his mind, however, the man broke the silence first.

"Who are you, and what are you doing on my mountain?" he asked, his voice echoing in the space around them, giving it an eerie power.

"Travellers only, passing onwards," Kira said immediately, despite knowing it would likely not diffuse the situation.

"Travellers from the Heavenly Kingdom? Go back where you came from while I let you live and keep forever clear of this place, as well may your lord if he does not wish to find my spear at his throat."

"We have renounced our claim to the citizenship of that kingdom. We head now to Chikyuu, and will have no words with any lord," Kira said, trying to delay any action as much as possible.

"A fine tale for spies who travel with knives concealed within their clothes. You are no ordinary travellers or you would not have come so far. The Lord Zeus has sent men before into my territory to destroy me. You shall not be the first to die if you press your cause," the man spoke, his golden eye glinting with a fierce remorselessness.

"You are right that we are not common," Kira continued, stalling as he tried to think of some way to defeat him, "but we are deserters not followers. We seek for the Lord Lucifer for refuge from our former lord, and it has brought us unwitting into your lands."

"And what proof can you give me," the man asked, "that you speak the truth? And should you find Lord Lucifer—where he is, who can say?—what gives you such confidence he would accept spies such as yourselves."

"Because we are his sons," Maya spoke for the first time, his chin held high. Kira sighed, having wished to conceal that at least, but they had little enough excuses or proofs to offer the guardian of this place, and Kira had still not arrived at a satisfying solution to kill this man without risking injury to him and his brother.

"That is a bold claim," the man said, speaking to Maya directly. Kira saw a change in his countenance as the man spoke to his little brother. It was not something Kira could call softer, but it might have been less wild. "Bold," the man continued, "but perhaps, fortunately, one even I can understand, and more importantly one I can prove with my own eyes. Put down your weapons. You have my word you will be unharmed while your words prove true. You will have no hope of life if they don't. You are now in the custody of Kamui of the Mountain."


Sitting in front of his mirror, Rei picked up his fine-toothed jade comb. He began brushing through his hair absently, humming to himself. He had dismissed his servants, for Luca had promised to come to him this evening if he could. Being able to see him again after months of separation was like feeling the rush of falling in love all over again. It was hard to focus when he knew he would be soon enfolded in that dear embrace. He shook his head, trying to clear his effervescent thoughts as he stared at the reflection in the mirror. Although the bronze mirror was dark and bent the world in cloudy shapes, he was always delighted to take in the way it caught light and shadows, reflecting a second world in its depths. Seeing a dark shape appear at the edge the surface, he smiled brightly and turned to greet Luca.

He stopped dead in that moment, his eyes widening as he locked eyes with the stranger wearing the dark uniform of the guard, blade drawn in hand. In the man's eyes was the look of a predator that hadn't anticipated his prey perceiving him before the strike. The moment passed instantly, and both men sprang to action. Rei jumped to his feet and dodged as the assassin ran towards him, sword aimed for where his neck had been not seconds ago. Rei tried to run towards the hall, knocking over various furnishings in his struggle to reach it quickly. To his great fortune the long train of his robes caused him to stumble and fall to the ground as the assassin once again sliced his sword through the air, missing Rei by a hair. Rei threw his weight against the other's legs to knock the assassin to the floor and tried to regain his own footing. The assassin's sword was flung away out of both of their immediate reaches. Remembering the ornamental sword that was kept on display against the far wall, Rei moved towards it, but failed to get away as the assassin scuffled with him.

Desperate, Rei managed to squirm out of his outer robe which the assassin had caught hold of. He stumbled to his feet, only to find himself back where he started, with the assassin blocking off the exit and having regained his weapon. Rei instinctively grabbed the nearest thing he could find, the mirror, to defend himself. They circled each other for a moment before the other man lunged. Rei barely managed to turn the blade, being knocked to the ground by the force of the thrust, the mirror falling out of his grasp. His opponent hovered over him, about to strike the final blow until a strange cry escaped his throat. Blood trickled down his chest, which had been pierced through by another's sword. The assassin crumbled to his knees as Luca drew the ceremonial blade of the house of Suzaku from the man's chest.

Their eyes met with trepidation, neither able to truly comprehend the unfolding events, unable to even breathe. At last, Luca dropped the blade and reached out to help Rei to his feet. As their hands met, Rei could feel that Luca was trembling too, no less terrified in that moment than he.

"Wha—, what..." Rei began.

Luca dragged him closer into an embrace, shaking hands stroking Rei's hair, seeking comfort and security. He allowed himself only a moment before speaking. "Rei, I...I have to go," he said, pulling away to look Rei in the eyes. Rei renewed his grip on Luca's arms, not wanting to be alone. "I can't be caught here," Luca said, a tormented expression overcoming his pale face. He drew his hands away and picked up the ceremonial sword, hefting it into Rei's palms. "The second I leave, yell for help. Yell so that everyone can hear you. Say he stumbled and you managed to strike him," Luca said, so quickly he seemed to trip over his own words. "They might...Rei, don't eat anything, don't drink anything, whoever is behind this..."

"They might come after me again," Rei finished for him, clutching the sword in his hands tightly, a false calm settling upon him as he tried to soothe Luca's anxiety. Luca nodded in response, looking far more unsettled than Rei had ever seen him.

"I'll meet you as soon as possible but I don't think...it won't be for..."

"Shhhh," Rei said, resting his head against Luca's neck, breathing in the scent of his skin although the air was polluted by the smell of blood, vainly trying to draw comfort from the familiar. "I'll contact you when it's safe again. Go. Quickly."

"Yes," Luca replied, barely above a whisper. He pressed his lips against Rei's forehead briefly, his hands clasping Rei's arms with a desperate, beseeching grip, before turning away and slipping behind the partitions to make his way out of that quarter of the palace. Rei counted to twelve in his head as he watched the spot where Luca disappeared, and finally let all of his anger and fear out as he began to yell for help.


"Have you sought my audience for any pressing reason?" Lord Zeus asked coldly. "The hour is inopportune."

"I did not come here carelessly, my lord," Amphitrite replied. "Rather I have received information that may be very unsettling, but quite suitable to this hour. Otherwise I would not have come."

The shuffling of their feet across the floorboards was the only sound to be heard as the pair removed further into the chambers of the Regent.

"Of what nature is this information?" Lord Zeus asked.

"I have been trying to pursue rumours of any dissident activities within the capital, as you are aware. I have received new intelligence from a suspect within the Royal Guard whom I have personally interrogated. It appears there has been a revolt brewing in their ranks," said Amphitrite.

"Unsettling, but auspiciously timed indeed," the regent mused. "How much of the conspiracy have you uncovered?"

"Very little, unfortunately. The guardsman was unwilling to yield up their number, nor to name other members despite coercive techniques. He did, however, reveal the ringleader of the conspiracy as Captain Judas."

Shiva involuntarily curled his hands into fists against the wall at that. Judas was leading the Guard to rebel against Lord Zeus? How could he think to betray their leader? The reaction of the regent himself Shiva could only guess at. Careful not to slip up and risk being discovered, he relaxed again and held himself very still as he gathered his thoughts, continuing to eavesdrop on the conversation on the other side of the panel.

It was a long moment before anyone spoke. It seemed Lord Zeus was taking in the information no less gravely than Shiva was. Amphitrite eventually continued in the face of his silence, "He also mentioned an associate of Judas' who is of the Imperial Bodyguard, a man with pale hair and red eyes. Corroborating this with other intelligence I've received about unusual movements of a member among the bodyguard, it indicates that Captain Judas' primary accomplice is Luca, of Yanagi."

"Of Yanagi? Now that is interesting," Lord Zeus spoke at last, his voice giving away very little to Shiva's ears.

"Do you suspect its lord of treason?" Amphitrite said, a note of confusion in his voice. "I admit I had heard little of the han previously, but investigation did reveal that Lord Reida was a member of the bodyguard himself once, and recommended this traitor to the service."

Although Shiva had never met Luca, it didn't take much to connect the description of the man with a picture in his mind. In the past year Shiva had often spied Judas in company with a man in the uniform of the bodyguard, distinct in appearance even in the capital with such red eyes and white hair. Shiva had been suspicious of the connection between Judas and Luca from the start, but eventually grew accustomed to it. If Judas was leading a revolt, it was no surprise that that man would follow him (though it stung Shiva to think that Judas did not come to him for support too), but, like Amphitrite, the significance of Yanagi in the Regent's mind was also lost to Shiva, a place hardly worth mention in all the fiefdoms of the kingdom.

Lord Zeus' words cut into Shiva's reflection. "Reida has his schemes, doubtless, but I think this was not of his engineering. He wishes to be forgotten in his seclusion, and he holds no connection to my treacherous Captain. The execution of his ward for plotting the assassination of the last living Suzaku will be a fitting enough repayment for his service, I think. Let him be forgotten. He will find no comfort in the solitude of his domain."

Shiva's eyes widened further. The strange turns of the conversation between his superior and the Regent were beginning to unfold in his mind. The hour was inopportune, they had said. Shiva had followed Amphitrite to such a risky place, overwhelmingly curious of his movements of late, and suspicious of all the secrets among the special corps. With the disappearance of the two eyesores, Kira and Maya, Shiva saw that it was his chance to move up in the ranks, but instead the instability left him feeling insecure about his position. While he knew his skills were valuable to Lord Zeus, Amphitrite increasingly isolated him and Shiva wanted to discover anything he might be able to hold over his leader. However, the assassination of the prince was far more dangerous knowledge than he wished to have in his possession, and moreover, Captain Judas would become the scapegoat for it. Shiva bit his thumb nervously, trying to restrain his anxiousness.

"The task will be shortly completed," Amphitrite said. "Should I engage in preparations for this turn of events?"

"We mustn't appear unduly hasty, but you will act swiftly when the news breaks," Lord Zeus commanded. "Both of the culprits will be apprehended, publicly decried, interrogated, and then executed as swiftly as possible in front of the nobility of Tenkujyou. It will be fitting resolution to our affairs, and tidier than we could have thought to manage on our own."

"I will arrange it so," Amphitrite said. "Regarding the remaining conspirators who are as yet unknown…" As he spoke, a clamour arose outside of Zeus' chambers.

Shiva took advantage of the noise to quickly make his escape, barely catching the words of the messenger who came to reveal the attempt on the life of the Crown Prince. The whole of the guard would soon be on alert and much of the palace would be astir in the wake of these events. He had precious little time to waste.

He could not understand why Judas would turn against the power of the Regent, who had led the empire to such heights, even if his means were not always admirable. But Shiva firmly believed Judas was not only a righteous and noble person, far above the more common people around him, but also someone whom Shiva wished to follow more than anything. Judas must have his reasons, and if he were arrested now, he would be executed before Shiva could ever hear him explain. If Shiva could save him, on the other hand, Judas would surely look at him in a new way, with gratitude and regard. Holding that thought firmly in mind, he hastened on his way to the headquarters of the guards.


Judas was searching through various scrolls trying to find the document he needed to review when he was interrupted by Luca's unexpected appearance as the door to his office was hastily opened and slid shut. He began to greet him only to notice the distress his usually calm friend was in. It was not so much the actions as the intensity of Luca's gaze that indicated something was wrong with his oldest friend.

"Luca, what brings you here?" he asked with concern.

"Our plans," Luca said abruptly. "We have to move them ahead soon. We need to move quickly." Although Luca's voice was steady, Judas could still pick up the urgency in his tone, as if he were trying to conceal a great anxiety. It wasn't like him at all.

"Why?" Judas asked, placing his hand on Luca's shoulder. "What's got you—"

Before his question was even finished, Judas was distracted by the sound of the door roughly being forced open as another unanticipated visitor arrived.

"We have to leave now!" Shiva said, taking Judas' free hand. He was breathing hard, appearing to have run some distance, and was already trying to drag Judas away. Judas looked at Luca in bewilderment, but instead of an answering gaze, Luca seized Shiva's other wrist very tightly, a look of suspicion in his eyes.

"Could one of you please explain what is going on?" Judas asked, gently but firmly removing Shiva's hand from his own, trying to calm the mood.

Before Luca could speak his piece, Shiva jerked his other arm free of Luca's grasp and began talking rapidly, "The Regent has discovered your plot against him. I overheard him discussing it with Amphitrite. They're going to assassinate the Crown Prince and they'll claim you're behind it. They're coming to arrest you both for it now! We have to leave at once, or else you'll be executed," he said, grabbing Judas and dragging him towards the back of the room in spite of his resistance. Judas pulled his arm free once again.

"What about our men?"

"I can't."

Judas and Luca spoke at the same time.

Shiva jumped in once more. "They know only your names. I overheard it all. They have no proof about the others, and they won't get any if you leave now. We have to go!" he insisted, his voice fervent.

Judas licked his lips, mind racing to comprehend all the consequences of his decision. This was too sudden, too disastrous to contemplate, and yet he could not doubt the truth of Shiva's words. Their plans were crumbling into ruins, but to stay endangered not only the cause, but the other men who were currently unknown to the Regent. He couldn't let them become further sacrifices. Far more calmly than he felt, he nodded in assent. "Then we must," he said, turning to Luca.

"I can't," Luca insisted, the anxiety in his voice growing stronger.

"What is going on, Luca?" Judas asked again. The onslaught of this news was disturbing to them both no doubt, but it wasn't like his friend to act without clarity.

"If you stay, you're dead. That's all there is to it," Shiva said at the same time, his frustration evident.

Luca stayed silent for a moment, conflicting thoughts written across his face, until finally his expression crumpled and he swore under his breath. Before Judas could intercede, Luca at last spoke. "Lead the way, Shiva."