Chapter Ten

She was all alone once again.

Washu re-materialised in the middle of her chamber, dropping down onto the floor in a huddle of despair as she relived the events out on the ledge one more time. Tears sprang anew into her green eyes and she sank back against the wall, burying her head in her arms as they spilled hopelessly down her cheeks. Fresh pain welled through her as she pictured the desperation and fear in her fiance's eyes and she banged her fists against the wall in frustration, trying to shut the images out.

"Why did I let you make me love you so much?" She whispered, a moment of irrational anger towards the dead man flaring in her heart. "Why did you do this to me, Mikamo? Why would you?"

She sighed, closing her eyes as the anger was replaced with sadness. With a super-human effort, she suppressed the tears, struggling to pull her composure back together as she focused on his last words. The key and the gems burned a hole in her pocket, and she sighed, rubbing her temples as guilt touched her senses.

"No. I won't get angry at you." She murmured. "It wasn't your fault. You didn't choose...I know you didn't. I know you wouldn't! Someone...you got too close to something. And dammit, I will find out what, even if it kills me!"

"Washu?"

From somewhere in her haze of grief, Washu was aware of a voice and a gentle touch on her arm and she swung around, an almost feral look in her green eyes as she pushed the hand away. There was an exclamation of surprise, then someone dropped down at her side, sliding an arm around her shoulders as they hugged her tightly.

"What happened, Washu?" Now Washu knew the voice was Najya's, and something inside of her broke as she buried her head in her friend's shoulder, tears flooding down her cheeks anew as the floodgates opened once more. Unable to contain her emotions, she just clung to her roommate, and Najya stroked her hair gently, holding her tightly until the storm showed signs of passing. At her touch, Washu felt a strange sensation wash through her, and somewhere in her despair-riddled state it resonated with her, causing her to pull back and stare at her friend in alarm.

"Washu?" Najya's expression was a mixture of concern and dismay. "You're covered in blood - are you hurt?"

"Stay away from me." Washu whispered, shuffling back across the chamber as she flickered energy from the palms of her hands. "Don't you touch me...whatever you just tried to do, don't even think of trying it again!"

Najya's eyes opened wide with surprise, and she shook her head, holding up her hands in mock-surrender.

"I'm not trying to hurt you, Washu. I was just trying to soothe your pain. I'm sorry." She said quietly. "I thought you were injured and I sought to help you. That's all. I swear."

Washu drew a ragged breath into her lungs, staring at her roommate coldly for a moment. Then she lowered her own hands to the floor, dropping her head.

"It doesn't matter." She managed softly. "Nothing does, now. If you want to harm me, I don't care. Do whatever you like. I won't fight you."

"Washu, this isn't like you at all." Najya hauled her roommate to her feet, coaxing her down onto her bed as she ferretted in her pockets for something to dry the tears. "You're in floods of tears, your clothes are soaked with blood and you're acting like some kind of wild animal - like someone might come for you at any minute. What's happened? Something has, I can tell. And what was that you just did with your hands? Was that...was that some kind of magic?"

"Don't come that with me." Washu pulled back from her touch angrily, glaring at her once more. "You touched me with magic too, and you swore to me you had none. You said not all Arians were witches, but you're one, aren't you? You're really a witch and you lied to me - so don't be angry because I chose to do the same thing!"

"I'm not a witch. I'm a mage. It's not the same thing at all." Najya said composedly. "And in fact, I'm a mage-in-waiting, to be quite correct. My father is the one who wields my family's power. Besides, I told you that not all cults of Airai practiced dark magic. I didn't lie to you at all. My people are not like the people you hear about, who sacrifice victims and steal souls. We practice white magic - we help, we heal, we nurture and we use our magic for good. Not for evil. But you can see why I sought to hide it. An Arian with magic ability is always feared."

"Just like a Kii, I suppose." Washu said blackly. Najya nodded her head.

"I suppose." She agreed evenly. "I knew you hid something from me, Washu. But I didn't know what it was."

"It doesn't matter now, anyway." Washu closed her eyes, the fight seeping out of her as quickly as it had come. "Mikamo is dead, so none of it matters. None of it will ever matter again."

"Mikamo is dead?" Shock followed by horror flashed through Najya's eyes and she grasped Washu tightly by the hands. "Are you serious? Washu? What on earth happened...my God, are you all right?"

"How can you even ask that?" Washu raised hopeless green eyes to her friend's, finding little of comfort in her companion's dismay. "I let myself love him. I let myself love him, damn it, and now he's left me all a...a...alone a...a...again!"

"Oh, Washu." Najya hugged her friend once more and this time Washu did not fight against the soothing touch of the mage's fingers, as they gently brought her fever-pitch grief under some measure of control. "I wish I could take it all away, but I can't. Will you tell me what happened, at least? I don't understand - how can Mikamo be gone? It makes no sense at all. He was troubled when I saw him - when he gave me the message to bring you to him. But I didn't think...I thought...He seemed to be fighting it. Washu, what happened?"

"He jumped." Washu whispered. "I couldn't stop him. All the magic of Kihaku, and I...I couldn't stop him. He was dead by the time I reached him. Dead and gone and there's no damn magic trick to bring him back!"

"I'm sorry." Najya bit her lip. "I really am. I should have realised...but I'm sorry, Washu. Especially that you had to see it. Then this blood is..."

"It's his blood." Washu nodded her head. "I...I didn't even think about it."

"We need to change your clothes, so noone sees you like this and thinks you had something to do with his death." Najya said decidedly. Washu swallowed hard, struggling to gather the shards of her composure as she gazed on her friend blankly.

"Something to do...with...?"

"You're covered in his blood, and if people find out you were having an affair..." Najya shook her head.

"But I'd never hurt Mikamo! I'd never...I'd never..."

"I know that. That's why I said I'd help you, if you'll let me." Najya said gently. "But you need to calm down. My magic can only soothe you so far, Washu. I can't get rid of the feelings you have, and you have to bring them under your control. I know you can...for Mikamo, you must. Whyever he did this dreadful thing, he wouldn't want you accused of his murder, so take a deep breath. Try to regulate your breathing. I know you can."

Washu stared at her for a moment, then she closed her eyes, focusing all of her will-power on following Najya's commands. At length she did so, taking in a shaky breath of air as she sought to calm her racing, jumping heart.

"I'm sorry that I lost control." She said softly. "And I'm sorry that you saw it, in any shape or form. It's not something I generally do."

"So you are Kihaku's priestess. That's the truth of it." Najya pursed her lips. "I wondered about that, from time to time. Are you Tokimi, Washu? I knew you hid something from me - is that the secret you carry?"

"No." Washu shook her head, her heart empty as she met her companion's gentle gaze. "I'm not Tokimi. Tokimi was my sister..and she was the Priestess. Not me."

"You are of that tribe though, aren't you? Washu Hakubi." Najya sighed, and slowly Washu nodded.

"It was my crown." She whispered. "But I refused it, and Tokimi took it in my stead. I ran away from my heritage and I'm still running. But even with all this cursed magic coursing through me, I couldn't save the man I loved from his death. I couldn't reach him in time - even shifting in a split second wasn't fast enough to stop his fall."

She drew another shaky breath, then,

"You concealed yourself well, Najya. I didn't see your true nature until now. But I know you've told me the truth. Your magic isn't dark magic. And I'm glad. I have noone else in whom to trust at the moment, and if it had been otherwise..."

She sighed, burying her head in her hands.

"I don't know what to do." She whispered. "Mikamo told me some things - but I don't know if I should do as he told me or not. He was half crazy, Najya. I swear, he was out of his wits, that's why he jumped. It's the darkness of those gems - I knew they were having an effect. He said we'd unleashed something terrible and that he wanted to keep me safe. That's all I really understood, before he...he...he jumped. He thought his death was protecting me, but he was hallucinating and he wasn't in his right mind. So I don't know what to think, not really. And I'm not sure what I should do now."

"Do what he asked of you." Najya said firmly. Washu looked startled.

"You think so?"

"Whatever it was, do it." Najya nodded. "Whatever the truth of his bewitchment, I'm sure that Prince Kagato can't be completely ignorant of any of this. And those gems - what do we really know about them? Tsunami is one of the universe's pure forces. It can't be easily corrupted, except through use of elemental Arian black magic. That's why Jurai hate Airai so much. The dark cults pose a threat to their Goddess - she can be weakened and sullied by their enchantments, because she is essentially the planet's soul, and these cults focus their arts on capturing souls. So if Tsunami's crystals really did turn Mikamo to suicide, they must have been tainted by something else. Something a lot more dangerous than Jurai's magic...something a lot more frightening altogether."

"You think Mikamo discovered this? That's what he wanted to tell me, before he died?" Washu murmured. Najya shrugged.

"I came to Jurai with two motives. My science was one, and peace was another. My people, the Akara, have long sought the support and alliance of a world like Jurai, in order to bring the Saotome and Mikara clans to heel." She said pensively. "Between Juraian royal magic and the pure magic of our people and our own allies, we might even drive the cults back and rid our world from the subversive elements for good. I hoped that I might change Juraian opinions of our world, by proving we weren't all evil. Now...now I wonder if it's backfired. I know the Saotome have already learnt of our plans and are ahead of us in some regard - Masaru and his daughter still linger here, and they're in the company of the Prince himself, of that I've become certain. They would hate us to become allies of Jurai, and they would do a lot to stand in the way. It worries me. And that's why you need to do what Mikamo asked you to do."

"Tell me my fiance did not die because of some petty political battle between two worlds he didn't even belong to!" Washu flared up, and Najya held up her hands, shaking her head.

"No, I didn't say that." She cautioned. "But consider the work we've done. I believe they've started interfering somehow with the gems. They have connections in high places - that's never been in doubt by any of us. If Mikamo was killed, then someone probably acted to shut him up about something he knew. Maybe if you do what he told you, you'll find out what and be able to avenge his death."

"Avenge him." Washu's eyes narrowed to slits as she contemplated this. Then she nodded, getting to her feet.

"Then I will do as he told me...in the words he managed to muster, there must be a message. Something of importance that I have yet to learn." She said quietly. "I must change, and then I must go."

"I'll come with you."

"No, it might be dangerous." Washu shook her head. Najya smiled faintly.

"I'm used to that." She said simply. "Every day my family fight a war with people who steal souls and bewitch innocent lives. I know Masaru, and I know his ways. I'm not afraid of him or Prince Kagato."

"I don't want you to come, Najya." Washu said bluntly. "Whether you are or you aren't some Arian mage in training, I don't care. If I get killed doing this, I don't care either. But I do care if someone else dies because they were associated with me. So you keep out of it and worry about your little political agenda, all right? I don't mind which planet is friends with which other planet. That's never concerned me. But if someone killed my fiance, they better have a death wish. I will find them, I will discover their secrets and if it takes the rest of my life, I will destroy them."

"Are you sure you're not the Kii Priestess, Washu?" Najya eyed her quizzically. Washu frowned, shaking her head.

"I told you. I refused the crown. I was never Priestess of Kihaku."

"Funny. You sure sound like it." Najya said off-handedly. "Plotting vengeance on Jurai, just like the legends of Tokimi."

Washu stared at her friend, stricken, and Najya offered her an acerbic smile.

"Let's get you cleaned up." She said simply. "And if anyone asks, you were with me when Niwase-sensei fell. All right? Tell them that and I will back you up. I know you didn't harm him, and I won't have you blamed for his death. But Washu, whatever you discover, be careful. If you must kill, cover your tracks and don't leave a trail to your door."

"For a white magic mage, you seem pretty okay with the idea of killing." Washu said softly. Najya looked guilty.

"I know. I don't really like it, but it's how life has become." She admitted. "The death of the few to benefit the many. We never asked for an internal, magical war. It broke up our empire and it will break up our very planet if it continues. But that's how life on Airai tends to be, Washu. The very good and the very bad, both tainted by each other's blood."

"For the first time in my life, I have the drive to seek out and kill another living being." Washu owned. "Nothing else ever mattered so much to me, Najya, as having Mikamo."

She bit her lip, fighting the urge to break down once more, and Najya reached across to squeeze her friend by the hand.

"I know." She whispered gently. "And I know he felt the same. I know that, in his right mind, he'd never have left you. That being so..."

Washu nodded her head grimly, glancing down at her soiled clothing.

"I'll keep a sample of this gown." She said firmly, getting slowly to her feet. "My clothes are covered in Mikamo's blood. If I analyse it, maybe I'll find what killed him. Whether the gem's radiation grew worse in him, or whether it was...something else. He was brewing something the other night - something powerful that we'd both been working on. I'm starting to wonder if he found out more than he bargained for."

"Please let me help in some way." Najya begged. "I have no love for the Saotome or their magic. And I'm not so easy to kill as you think. Mikamo-sensei was a good friend of mine, and I'm shocked and grieved at his death too. I'd like to do something to help avenge it...the whole thing makes me so angry, especially seeing you like this. You didn't deserve this, and neither did he."

Washu hesitated, then she shrugged her shoulders.

"Help me clean up." She said softly. "But I need to do this myself, Najya. Heaven help me, I do. If I have to draw on every ounce of devil magic within me, I will. But either way, I have to know why Mikamo died. And someone...someone has to pay for his death! Once I discover what I need to know, I won't stay on Jurai - I won't linger here a moment longer than I have to, and you might put yourself at further risk if you ally yourself with me."

Najya sighed, then she nodded her head.

"Then know that I support your actions." She said softly. "And that I hope we meet again, Washu Hakubi...under happier circumstances."

Washu faltered for a moment, then she offered a faint, tragic smile.

"Yes." She murmured. "Thank you, Najya. I will remember that."

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"Kagato! Kagato, where are you?"

Kagato glanced up from his perch within Tsunami's chapel, eying his cousin with a mixture of wariness and confusion as Yosho hurried into the sandstone shrine, dismay in his normally composed red eyes. As the Prince got to his feet, paranoia stirred within him and he half-wondered whether Yosho knew the truth - and whether he had been sent to confront him. Had he been too late, he wondered absently. Had Mikamo managed to see the Emperor, after all?

"Kagato, There you are." Yosho hastened towards him, pausing for a moment to glance up at the image of Tsunami. Gravely he moved his hands into a gesture of reverence, bowing his head, then he bit his lip, turning back to his companion.

"Kagato, you have to come." He said urgently. "Now. I mean it. Something's happened."

"Something?" Kagato raised an eyebrow. "Yosho, calm down. I don't think I've ever seen you so flurried - what ails you, cousin? Do you have bad news from Haruna?"

"Haruna?" For a moment, Yosho looked blank. Then he shook his head. "No, this is nothing to do with my love for her. Kagato, please. Father sent me to find you - he said it was best heard from one of our own, and Lady Aiko is in agreement. I said I'd come - that I knew you'd spent time at Tsunami's shrine lately, and that I'd see if you were here. Please, cousin, you must come."

"I'm coming." His curiosity aroused, Kagato nodded his head, drawing his cloak more firmly around his body as he allowed the older Prince - older by bare months - to lead him out into the Jurai sunshine. Once outside, Yosho paused, turning to meet his cousin's gaze with a grave one of his own.

"I must tell you before we get there." He said softly, regret in his tones. "Kagato, I'm sorry to bring such news to you. But...it concerns your friend. Professor Niwase."

"Mikamo?" Suddenly Kagato's throat went dry, and he swallowed hard, a mixture of emotions welling through him. "Speak, Yosho. Tell me what you mean."

Yosho's eyes softened with compassion at his cousin's evident distress, and he sighed, shaking his head slowly.

"This morning, on patrol, one of the guard units discovered him in the valley beyond the shrine." He said softly. "To all appearances, my friend, the man seems to have jumped from the ledge above. He was...he was quite dead when the man found him, and he immediately sent to the palace to notify Grandfather and Father. I was with Father at the time, and so was Lady Aiko. She asked us both to go ourselves, knowing what a good friend he was to you. And so here I am, conveying a message I would rather not have to bring you. I'm sorry, Kagato. I know you and Mikamo-sama were close friends and for many years."

For a moment, Kagato was unable to speak, taken aback by the overwhelming feeling of grief and remorse that washed over his senses. Then he nodded his head slowly.

"I see." He said softly. "Then if you don't mind, Yosho, I'd like to see for myself, too."

"Of course." Yosho agreed soberly. "I thought you might say that. Father has ordered noone to touch the scene until we return. He wasn't sure that you'd want to see, but I thought that you'd rather know everything...exactly as it is."

"Yes. Indeed." Kagato agreed faintly. "I'm sorry, Cousin. This can't have been easy news to convey."

"You have nothing to apologise for." Yosho said simply. "To be honest, I cannot understand why he would have done this thing. I knew he was troubled over a woman when first he arrived, but he seemed in such good humour of late. Not that I spoke to him often, but I could never detect a sense of despair about his person."

"No. Mikamo was never that kind of man." Kagato agreed absently, as they drew closer to the edge of the ravine, making their way down the steep rocky path towards the shallow stream that ran through the land. As they approached, Kagato could make out the colours of his Uncle's state robes, and he bit his lip, suddenly unwilling to see the end product of his conspiring with Arian magic. He frowned, steeling himself as they drew closer, and Azusa glanced up at their arrival, offering his nephew a grave bow.

"Kagato, I'm sorry." He said softly. "If you don't want to come closer..."

"No. No, I must know. I must see...everything." Kagato held up his hands, pushing forwards to where a couple of the palace guardsmen were hovering around something still and bruised in the water. Blood had spilled into the normally crystal liquid, giving it an odd reddish hue, and as he came closer, Kagato saw that his friend's thick blond hair was also tinted with the liquid that had poured from a wound across his brow. He was pale and silent, his eyes closed, and Kagato felt another pang of regret. Slowly he waded into the water, aware of the blood now staining his boots as he crouched at his friend's side, placing a gentle hand on Mikamo's shoulder.

"You won't need to take Mikamo's life, that I promise you. By the time I'm done with him, the good professor will relinquish it of his own accord. Willingly."

Masaru's chilling words washed through him suddenly, and he jerked his fingers back from the corpse in alarm.

"He wasn't kidding." He murmured to himself, too softly for anyone to hear. "This is the power of Arian magic. The power to sever all important ties in the pursuit of one goal."

"We will take him to the palace, and prepare his body for transport to Seniwa. His family must be informed." Azusa's voice broke through the Prince's musings and he glanced up, standing upright as he nodded his head. Hesitantly he made the gesture of blessing over his friend's body, half-berating himself for such an instinctive Juraian reaction as he did so. It had been harder than he had thought, killing a friend. And even as he stood, the memory of his last chat with his mother echoed through his mind.

"Is this all for nothing? Will I have to kill her too, if this is truly what I want?" He mused. "I had no idea I would regret Mikamo's death as much as this. I swear, my friend, that this won't be in vain. I won't have taken your life only to stop at the first hurdle. And I pray that wherever you are, you can forgive me. Somehow. Sometimes we do things that we do not like, in order to achieve our dreams."

He cast one last look at the corpse, then he turned, heading back to the shore to where his Uncle and cousin waited. Slowly he bowed his head.

"I'm finished." He said quietly. "We should bring him to the palace, as you said, Ojisama. This is no place for a respected man of Seniwa, after all."

"And you can think of no reason why Mikamo-sensei should take his own life, Oi-san?" Azusa asked. Kagato shook his head solemnly.

"As Yosho said, he was in good spirits." He said sadly. "But of late, he had become distracted and perhaps the stress of work took its toll on him."

"You feel to blame, don't you, Cousin?" Yosho asked, and Kagato started, panic racing through his senses for the briefest instant until he realised what his cousin meant. He shrugged, spreading his blood-flecked fingers as he did so.

"Perhaps." He owned. "After all, I brought him to Jurai. I involved him in my studies. And now...this."

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself." Yosho said gently. "Come on, Kagato. Your mother would like to see you too, I think. Let Father and his men see to bringing Lord Niwase back to the palace. This is no place for a grieving friend."

Kagato bit his lip, allowing himself to be led from the scene with a measure of bitter relief. At least, he mused, it didn't appear that his friend had had time to spill his secrets.

"And that's something. Masaru's spell must've acted quickly." He murmured. "And now I have to put this behind me and move on. After all, there is a greater aim in all of this. More than one man's life. Mikamo is dead, therefore he is no longer a threat to what I do. And I must gather myself for the next move...finding out exactly what my mother's power truly is!"