Fushigi Yuugi: The Next Chapter

by It's The Dee

Two young women stumble upon an ancient book - but wait! This isn't the ShiJiTenChiSho! What is this new book, and what do Tasuki & Chichiri have to do with it? Final Episode: "Till we meet again..."

21. Episode Twenty One: Skirmishes and

Disclaimer I still don't own Konan, Suzaku and all characters and seishi pertaining to them. Kiori and Ritsuka are and shall forever be mine, and that holds for all the other "originals" (you'll know 'em when they appear, trust me). Obviously the story is mine as well.

Rating:PG-13, for moderate language and violence.

Musical Selection: "It's Only the Fairy Tale" again for the Kaze-Sora scene, because that song just fits the Elements too darn well. And… oh, hell, let's go ahead and throw in a couple new pieces as well. First, "Sunflower" for all the early scenes with Chichiri and others, and "Home country of a water imp" for the final scene (just start it up right around the time Boshin falls in the pond. You'll see what I mean). Both are from Someday's Dreamers, which I have yet to see but do love the music.

I was watching The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya the other day, and I came to the stunning realization that Haruhi IS Ritsuka. Which made me wonder… do Japanese writers read a lot of American fanfiction? (haha, maybe in my dreams)

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--Episode Twenty-One: Skirmishes & Celebrations--
The Failures of an Ambitious Nation!

Yui glanced up from the book. "All right, Keisuke, it's your turn... oh." She couldn't help but giggle; Keisuke was splayed out on the couch, fast asleep. "You think we should wake him up?"

Tetsuya took the book from his girlfriend. "Nah, he can afford to miss a chapter or two. Besides, have you ever tried to wake Keisuke up?" Yui shook her head. "Well trust me, you do not want to."

She opened her mouth to ask why, but remembered how Miaka had the tendency to clobber anyone who woke her up during class. She winced. "We'd better let him sleep."

Tetsuya chuckled and began to read. "'As the Konan Warriors and the Takkan Elements slept fitfully, another group of young fighters made an unusual discovery beneath the waxing spring moon...'"

oOo

The RAFT leader Kita stood in front of the Rebel Bar, her lip curled upwards into a look of absolute disgust. "Bollocks, not this again." She prodded one of the battered, arrow-filled bodies of a Takkan soldier with her shoe, wrinkling her nose disdainfully. "Murders 'er own soldiers 'n' makes us clean 'em up? Ho, an' then she's got t'gall t'wonder why we 'ates 'er so much!"

Aji wiped a fake tear from his eye, placing a hand across his heart and reciting solemnly:

"Rest in peace, scum
Killed by the Lady you served.
Though t'was a grizzly fate
I'd say t'was all you deserved."

"Oi, none o' that, now!" Kisha reprimanded. "I 'ated 'em s'much's you, but there ain't no 'un 'oo deserves this."

Aji chuckled, holding up his hands in defense. "Haha, it's as you say, O Pearl of the RAFT… but still, I can't help but be glad to see dead Takkan trackers."

Otoo-san nodded in agreement. "Mm, mm, at least we know Kiori escaped safely, that we do. Four of the five are indeed trackers, you can tell by the uniforms, you see. Must have failed, hm, good for us but not quite so good for them, no not at all."

"Right y'are, 'Too-san, but 'oo's this last fellow, na?" Kita wondered, gesturing towards the final, broken body. "I c'n hardly tell 'im's is 'uman, she 'ad 'im pummeled so bad. Fuu! Almost feel sorry f'th' poor bastard, would'ja b'lieve that?"

Aji crouched beside the man, studying the bloodied mark on his sleeve. He glanced up at Kita, a twisted grin on his features. "I wonder if you won't take that pity back, now." He ripped the patch off the man's arm in one smooth movement, holding it up to the moonlight. "See there? The mark of a shogun. Looks like that deadly game Hataku and Setsuka were playing—"

"May she die a thousand deaths!"

"—Finally came to an end," Aji completed.

Otoo-san glanced at the almost indistinguishable figure. "Hm, can't say I'm sad to see him go. Still, still, terrible way to be finished off, most painful, and..." but he trailed off, eyes fixed on the body. "Oh, oh my."

"Eh? Somethin' wrong?" Kita asked.

"Ah, well, yes and no, Kita-chan," he stammered, taking a startled step backwards. "It's possible… well, perhaps my eyes are playing tricks on me, that could be it, but I thought I saw Hataku breathe, so I did."

The young man called Iyasu snickered. "Yeah, an' I'm a frog's uncle. No one c'd survive what he went through."

The other handful of RAFT members nodded their agreement, but Aji picked up the general's wrist and held it for a moment. "You'd better start croaking, Iyasu-kun. Otoo-san's right – Hataku isn't dead yet!"

A murmur of surprise went up from the rebels. Iyasu snorted, drawing his dagger and advancing towards the bodies. "Some people jus' don't know when t'die, do they? Well, I'll fix that..."

Kita stepped in front of him, hand on her sword hilt. "Hoi, an' 'oo put you in charge o' this li'l party, na? I'll be th' one t'say 'oo we'll be killin' an' 'oo we'll leave be." She waited until he sheathed his blade, grumbling all the while, before she continued. "Each of us'n'd be no better'n Setsuka – er, may she die a thousand deaths a-course – if'n we killed 'im in cold blood. Jus' drag 'im t'th' river wiff t'others, like. 'Im's won't live t'ru th' night, I s'pects."

"Ah, the lovely Rebel Queen has spoken," Aji said, standing with a flourish. "But I wonder if she'd mind terribly if her lowly servant might add one or two humble ideas of his own?"

Kita whirled on her comrade, hands on hips. "You calls me Queen agin an' I'll toss you int' th' river wiff these trackers, got that? Now, wot's y' plan?"

Aji coughed importantly, glancing at each of the members one by one to make sure he had their full attention, then at last said, "Kita, O Flower of Takkan, while I must agree that I find this shogun as detestable as the next law-breaking citizen, I must pose the question: why must we send this repulsive enemy to his death? If we keep him alive, we'll be striking a rather nice blow, don't you think?"

Iyasu spat. "Ch! How's keepin' a mangled shogun alive gonna hurt th' Lady?"

He looked at his comrade sadly. "Alas, and he wonders why we voted Kita leader and not he? Well, my thick-headed friend, Hataku happens to know every nook, crack and cranny of the Takkan Palace. He knows the army's strengths and weaknesses, and to top it off he hates Setsuka – may she die a thousand deaths – almost as much as we do. I'd say we'd be crazy not to save him."

Kita frowned, crossing her arms nervously over her chest. "Well, y've got a point there, only… er…" her eyes slid sideways towards Otoo-san, and Aji noted that almost everyone else's followed her there as well.

The young actor wilted, but before he could properly apologize Otoo-san blinked owlishly, glancing from each concerned face to the other. "Well, now, why is everyone looking at me, hm? Did I forget a meeting at some point, was I voted in as leader and missed it? Goodness, I'd think Kita-chan would be the one to make this decision, indeed I do, nevertheless if you insist on my opinion then I think it's a marvelous plan, a marvelous plan Aji-kun, yes indeed. In fact, I'll go one step further, I will, and let this former shogun recuperate in my home, it being the only real house any of us possesses, you see."

"Ah… 'Too-san..." Kita took a tentative step towards him, one hand raised as if she wasn't quite sure whether she wanted to hug him or steady him, though he didn't seem to need either. "Y'mean... y'mean y'll really be aw'right wit' this? After everythin' wot 'appened b'fore… wit' y' fam—"

"What, my family, you're saying? Goodness, Kita-chan, you should know by now that you are my family now, that you are, and anything I can do to help with your goals, why, that's the important thing. My, my, don't you think my Mariko would feel the same? I really thought you knew her better than that, that I did."

Kita smiled softly. "Huh, I guess y've got a point there." She clapped her hands hard, jerking the others' attention back to the matter at hand. "All right, 'nuff talkin', 'ere's t'new plan: Iyasu-kun, take four wit' you an' get rid o' these trackers, aw'right?"

His mouth dropped in revulsion. "But I—" Kita silenced him with an icy glare. Muttering unhappily, the rebellious member chose four of his friends and began the unpleasant task.

Kita turned to Aji and Otoo-san. "Aw right, you two comes wit' me! We'll be needin' somethin' proper t'carry t'is bloke on, wouldn't wanna be messin' 'im's up any worse'n 'e is, like. Let's find a mat o' some sort back at'cher place, na, 'Too-san?"

The older man nodded, allowing his two younger companions to lead the way. As he followed a step or two behind them, he couldn't help but muse aloud, "Hm, I wonder who our despised Lady will hire on as shogun now?"

Aji chuckled. "Hataku's the only smart one in the whole group. Finding a replacement among those moronic captains will be a job and a half, no doubt about it."

oOo

Setsuka spent a good part of that night puzzling over the very same question the RAFT members had posed: who would lead the army now that Hataku was gone? Though she found it below her to associate with the captains and common soldiers, Mizu's all-seeing crystals had helped her to learn much about the men she had to choose from, and the choices were not promising. She sat at her desk for the majority of the evening, one long-nailed finger tapping out a pattern against her desk as she mused silently to the evening air.

'Furosaki-Taii has the most promise, that is for certain. He is clever and sharp… however, being so young it is unlikely that the other captains will take him seriously as a shogun. Utara-Taii is a hardened veteran, but he's too ambitious for my liking, and the last thing I need is another attempted coup. Yamashita-taii has the makings of a decent soldier… nevertheless, I do not approve of the way he treats the rest of the men. If he acts that way to me, well, I'll have to have him killed, and then I'd be out another man.'

Setsuka sighed, brushing a tuft of dust off the edge of her desk and watching as the sun began to at last peek through the blinds. 'Now, there is of course Kawahito-Taii. He is as thick as mud, yet he is a determined and talented fighter. Obedient, loyal – he never questions an order, regardless of who gives it. He will never attempt to defy me. As a matter of fact, I doubt he shall say anything more than "Hai, my Lady" and "Right away, my Lady." And perhaps now, that is exactly what I need.'

The Lady of Takkan threw on one of her more comfortable – though no less lavish – dresses and teleported to the camp of her warriors. It didn't take her long to find Kawahito's tent, and once she did she rapped officiously on the wooden pole that held up one end. "Kawahito-Taii?"

A series of shuffles and grunts sounded from within the small tent, then a messy head of black hair poked around the tent flap. "Oi, what's the racket, ah…" his eyes widened and he jerked to attention, apparently ignorant to the fact that he was half-clothed in his mistress' presence. "Ah, er, M'Lady! What can I, er, you...?"

She managed a small smile, though it couldn't quite cover her irritation. "May I come in? I wish to speak to you about something important."

"Uh..." he finally looked down at himself and flushed. "Oh, er, but I, uh…"

Setsuka pulled back the flap before he could say anything else, glancing at the unmade bed and dusty chairs. She decided to remain standing. Kawahito threw on his uniform jacket so fast that he almost became tangled inside of it, then whirled and bowed until his head touched the ground. "Er, what can I do for you, M'Lady?"

"I assume you have heard the rumors about Hataku? How he is no longer in the service of the army?"

Kawahito shrugged, still keeping his eyes fixed firmly on the ground. "I'd heard rumors, but I try not t'listen t'silly campfire gossip, y'see, er, M'Lady. They, er, they aren't true, are they?"

"Hataku is dead," Setsuka said flatly, and so suddenly that Kawahito couldn't stop his eyes from jerking up to meet hers. "He chose to rebel against me, and I had to dispose of him." The captain looked down again, frowning but remaining silent. "I don't want to keep you long, Taii-sama, so I'll make this brief. I need a new shogun to lead my army, and I have chosen you."

"M-me, M'Lady?" he stammered, so shocked he could barely force out the words. "M-my own self?"

She nodded. "If you would stand, please, we shall finish the ceremony quickly. " He did as she said; Setsuka ripped the captain's patch off his uniform and swiftly replaced it with the shining three-starred pattern of a general. "Congratulations... Shogun-sama."

The man's chest swelled with pride at the unexpected promotion. "D-doumo arigatou gozaimashita! I'll do everythin' t'the best of my ability, M'Lady! I'll lead Takkan t'victory, I'll defeat those Konan Warriors, I'll, er, uh..."

Setsuka sighed inwardly, wondering what sort of terrible mistake she had just made. "You may do all of that, when the time comes, but first I have an important assignment for you."

"Ah, yes of course, M'Lady."

The Lady of Takkan, eager to leave the cluttered quarters of her new shogun – 'at least Hataku had kept his tent clean,' she grumbled to herself – explained her new strategy as quickly as possible. "The barrier that once surrounded Konan has disappeared, as you may know. I want you to attack today. Keep your forces concentrated on the north wall, but once the battle has begun send Yamashita-taii and his men out with grappler hooks. I want them to sneak around to the south wall, climb over and take the warriors by surprise. Get them to unlock the side gate, then you will be able to enter the city. From there, I cannot imagine Konan will last long against us, not with their seishi incapacitated and many of their warriors injured. I want this done properly, Shogun-sama. Do not fail me."

Kawahito saluted. "Hai, M'Lady! Yer word is law!"

oOo

Chichiri's sleeping hours were plagued once more by dreams, though when he awoke he could remember nothing except a vaguely unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach and the ghostly image of Mae as he remembered her, so sweet and trusting and frightened all the time. He sighed, shoving himself into a sitting position and rubbing hard at his temples. 'Things just keep getting more and more difficult no da… I wonder—'

But before he could finish his thought someone rapped hard on the door, knocking whatever might have remained of the dream entirely out of his head. He reached for his mask and forced a pleasant, sleepy smile onto his face, preparing himself for what he might tell Kiori – and hoping that it would be enough. "Come in no da."

The door slid open, and a head of red hair poked around the corner. "Rise and shine, Chichiri-chan!" Ritsuka sang, a breakfast tray balanced on the tips of her fingers.

The monk's smile slipped noticeably. "Oh. It's you. Ohayou, Ritsuka."

Ritsuka smiled through gritted teeth. "Ohayou..." She darted across the room at lightning speed, the tray still in hand as she popped him over the head. "What do you mean 'It's you'? Damn straight it's me, and you oughta be happy to see me, too!"

Chichiri rubbed his head, but had to chuckle at the redhead's attitude. "Hai, hai. Gomen. I was just... expecting somebody else, and I needed to talk to them, so – at any rate, it's good to see you no da."

"Kiori?" Ritsuka pried with a knowing grin. He nodded a little, and the woman's smile turned into a devilish smirk. "Oooooh I see! Well I can't blame you for being a little disappointed, then! Soooo… what did you need to talk to her about, hm? Dinner and a movie, maybe? Or do people here skip all that and go straight to the 'happy ending'?"

The monk sweatdropped. "I don't know what you're talking about no da. I just... said something last night that I didn't mean, and I wanted to apologize. Is she coming along soon no da?"

"Nah, but she sent me in here to give you breakfast, and to tell you that you can get out of bed now." She frowned thoughtfully. "I didn't think much of it 'cause she said she had some medical stuff to do with Yukeda-sensei, but maybe that was just an excuse. But then…!" Ritsuka whirled, glaring at the monk. "All right, what'd you do to her, huh? Cheat on her, break her heart, tell her you were gay? C'mon, 'fess up so I know how angry I'm supposed to be!"

The monk stared at her for a moment, then leaned forward and took the tray that she still held raised at her side. "Ritsuka, do youalways make this little sense in the mornings no da? It really isn't anything you need to worry about, and it's nothing that can't be fixed."

'At least, I hope it isn't,' he added silently, unable to stop a small frown from crossing his mask. 'She looked so hurt... like I'd said something a lot worse no da...'

Ritsuka read the troubled expression and completely misinterpreted it. She rubbed her chin and did an impression of the seishi, as if voicing his thoughts. "Oh dear, I sure hope Kiori'll forgive me, I just couldn't live without her na no da!"

Chichiri stared at her, but before he could defend himself the young woman plopped down on the end of his bed, eyes on the far window as if staring at something fascinating in the nearby tree branches. She wore such a sudden look of seriousness on her face that the monk couldn't help but lower his voice as he asked, "Is everything okay, no da?"

"Oh, yeah… it's fine, but, er… listen, all kidding aside, ah… I've been meaning to say this for a while, but, um… thanks, okay?"

"Ritsuka, you don't have to thank me. I know you would've helped me out too no da."

"Eh?" she whirled to stare at him, eyes wide and uncomprehending for what felt like a full minute, before she finally seemed to realize what he meant and promptly burst out laughing. "Oh, no, not about the battle with those Elements! I mean, I'm grateful for that too, but that's why I've been cooking you breakfast for the past couple days! I'd never have the guts to actually thank you for something like that!" Chichiri sweatdropped and she continued. "No, I was talking about whatever-it-is you managed to do for Kiori! I've been wanting to say something ever since that day Setsuka showed up with her challenge, but there was never really a good time."

"Da…" Chichiri raised a puzzled eyebrow. "I'd say 'you're welcome,' but I don't really know what you mean no da. I didn't do anything—"

"Lies!" Ritsuka cried, pointing a dramatic finger at his nose, though she promptly dropped her hand back into her lap when she realized how silly it looked. "Er, what I mean is… Man, I'm so bad at this stuff! Okay, let's try this again." She took a deep breath as if to steady herself, then turned her eyes back to the nearby window and said, "Look, you've only known us for a little while, so you wouldn't notice it like I have, but… see, I met Kiori about two months ago. She walked into my cultures class looking like just about the loneliest person in the world, and right away I thought 'Ha, I bet I can fix that!' I sort of figured she just felt weird transferring to a new university, y'know? So I practically forced her to become my friend, started taking her to volleyball matches and karaoke nights, and eventually she started to smile and laugh a little more. Which was good, but… it just didn't seem like enough. No matter what I did, I just couldn't seem to get those Kyoto ghosts to stop following her around. Two months and I couldn't fix it. It drove me crazy, you really have no idea.

"And then, when I wound up getting her sucked into this place… it was like, the dumbest thing I'd ever done became the best thing I'd ever done. I dunno if it was the change of scenery or what, but, well… Kiori's been a lot happier since we got here. Even moreso since that day we met Setsuka. I don't know what happened that day, on the wall between the two of you, but whatever it was…" she looked down, and Chichiri could've sworn he saw a tiny, happy tear at the corner of one of her eyes, "thanks. You did something in weeks that I couldn't do in two months of bad jokes and impromptu cram session parties. And as much as that pisses me off, I'm about twice as grateful. So thanks. Really."

Chichiri smiled. "Ritsuka, you…"

But before he could even begin to tell her what a good friend she was, or how he was certain that Kiori appreciated all she'd done for her, or even that he doubted he'd really had much to do with it at all, the college student stood and whirled on him, her lip curled upwards into a threatening snarl. "So you sure 's hell bettah make sure you's apologizes ta her, an' don't go hurtin' my buddy no mores, capiche? Oddahwise I might jus' have ta send ya t'da bottom-a Tokyo Bay, kono yarou."

Chichiri didn't know what she was talking about, but she sounded so dangerous that he couldn't help but bob his head up and down in a startled nod. "H-hai, I promise na no da!"

Ritsuka glared down into the monk's frightened face and couldn't stand it anymore. She collapsed onto his bed again, thumping at the covers with one hand and laughing hysterically. "Oh, wow, did you hearthat, Chichiri? I sounded like a real yakuza for a second there! Ahahaha, Yanki Brother Number-Two would be so proud, I finally got the accent and the tone just right! Oh, today is gonna be a good day, I can already tell!"

"Da…" Chichiri chuckled nervously, because he couldn't think of anything else to do. "Well, I certainly hope you're right, but…"

He trailed off, catching the sound of feet thumping their way. Both looked towards the door of the room just in time to see one of the many servants run by, off to the soldier's quarters. "Attack!" he bellowed to anyone who cared to listen. "Every able warrior on the north wall! Attack!"

Ritsuka sighed. "And just when we thought there might be a little break in the fighting." She stood, hopping off the edge of his bed and strolling towards the doorway. "Ah, well, nothin' I can do about it. Koji, Tasuki-chan and I are still forbidden to fight. Guess I'll just go and help myself to breakfast, then. I'm absolutely starving."

"Aren't you always no da?" Chichiri asked with a chuckle. "Say Ritsuka, do you think you'll see Kiori at breakfast no da?"

"Probably not. She said she had a lot of work." Ritsuka giggled. "Though if you decide to move around the palace a little today, you'll probably run into her eventually. I think she and Tasuki-chan plan on stalking you to make sure you don't strain yourself."

"They're going to spy on me forever no da," he said with only a touch of real exasperation. "What are your plans for today?"

Ritsuka shrugged. "Oh, who knows? I might torture Tasuki-chan a little, might find Koji and teach him a couple Uverworld songs. Sky's the limit." Her eyes lit up and she turned to him with a crafty smile. "Oh, that reminds me! Can you sing?"

"S-sing, no da?" he repeated, caught off-guard by the sudden question. When she nodded, he smiled warily and shrugged. "I suppose I'm all right, but why do you ask?"

"I was thinking of starting up a boy band," she told him, that same crafty smile growing wider by the second. "All us invalid Konan Warriors have so much free time, I figured I could coach you boys into learning some pop songs and giving a few performances around the area. Tasuki and Koji are already doing it, though they don't know it yet, and I wonder if Aoi's got a decent voice…? Anyway, you'll sign up, right? You're no Hyde, of course, but you guys are still cute enough that I bet we'd sell out the shows! I know I'd pay good money to see you performing 'Onegai! Senorita,' anyway." (1)

"Da…?"

Ritsuka giggled. "I get that reaction out of you a lot, huh?"

"I've discovered that it's the best thing to say when I have absolutely no idea what's going on, and you're very good at making that happen no da."

"Aw, thanks! Tasuki-chan and Ko-Ko say the same thing!" She paused, setting a finger to her chin and staring upwards thoughtfully. "Hm, speaking of Ko-Ko… I wonder if Koji listened to Yukeda's orders about staying out of the battle today? He doesn't really like that guy, and yesterday he made some remark about being ready to fight no matter when the call was made..."

Chichiri smiled and dove back into his half-finished breakfast. "I wouldn't worry too much about that. Koji's a little headstrong at times, but I'm sure he'd listen to someone like Yukeda-sensei no da."

oOo

"Koji-san, what in the world are you doing up here?" Akai demanded, setting her hands on her hips and glaring at the lounging bandit leader. "Yukeda-sensei gave strict orders that you and the others couldn't fight for at least a week!"

He rubbed the back of his head and leaned against the northern wall, flashing her a lazy, unconcerned grin. "Y'know Akai, that's the funny thing about orders an' rules an' all... I only really listen to 'em when I agree with 'em."

The Palace Champion pursed her lips and pointed towards the staircase. "Off the wall, now!" Aoi and the other soldiers stared at her and she flushed, looking at her feet as she muttered, "Er, with all due respect, of course."

Koji ignored her and accepted the bow that another soldier offered him. "Hey, thanks." He chose an arrow from a quiver attached to the wall, notching it to the string and stretching it back experimentally. "Nice craftsmanship, this'll fly far, oughta kill me a lotta soldiers t'day."

Akai gritted her teeth so hard it seemed that they might crack. "Ko-ji-san..."

The bandit leader at last turned to his friend, though that easygoing smile never once left his lips. "Look, Akai, I understand yer concern an' all, but I ain't lyin' when I tell ya that I'm perfectly fine. Little sore, maybe, but nothin' that'll kill me. I mean c'mon, I got through th' other night okay, an' that was some real fightin', not like this little archery competition we're callin' a battle. I'll be fine. Trust me on this one."

Aoi sweatdropped. "The last time you said that, you almost got us all killed."

"But I got ya out alive, didn't I?" Koji said, winking at the younger fighter.

"Actually, I think Aoi was the one who..." Akai trailed off, realizing that Koji had turned his attention back to the advancing soldiers. "Aaaagh… Houki-sama, Chichiri-sama and Kiori-san will kill meand you when they find out..."

He chuckled. "If Ritsuka an' Genrou don't get me first fer me not askin' 'em t'come along." The bandit leader turned his attention to the soldiers on the wall. "Okay boys, here they come, so ya better get yerselves ready. Everyone down – oi, you, what's-yer-name, you wanna get shot? Get down already! Okay, don't let an arrow loose 'till y'can see a couple-a details on their ugly mugs. Snipe, up 'n' down, don't let 'em get a clean shot at ya! We got the advantage of cover, so we'd better use it.

"All right, now what th' hell kinda formation is this, na? You guys jus' stand in a row and pop up whenever ya feel like it? That ain't gonna win ya many battles, I c'n tell ya that. All right, listen up, here's a simple plan fer ya: form lines two deep, everyone fit an arrow t'yer bow. When I give th' signal th' first row'll fire, then duck t'reload. While they're reloadin', the second row fires, and we keep goin' like that. Pass th' word down, I can't yell loud enough!"

An older Konan soldier stared at his comrades in disbelief as they slowly moved into the instructed positions. "Are you serious? You aren't really going to listen to this wet-behind-the-ears country bumpkin, are you? I bet he's never even seen an actual battle before, much less—"

"For your information, Shou-kun, Koji-san happens to be one of the Konan Warriors!" Akai interrupted, face flushed with indignation. "He's seen more battles this year than you have your entire life, so you'd do well to listen to him and quit judging people by appearances."

The same soldier opened his mouth to argue, but was silenced by the teasing voice of another. "Aw, give it a rest Shou, you're just mad 'cause Akai-san can whip you in a swordfight with one hand tied behind her back!"

A ripple of laughter raced through the ranks. The man sat down unhappily, muttering something rude under his breath. Koji chuckled a little and turned his eyes forward again, taking in the simple Takkan formation in an instant. "Oops, here they come. Get ready... arrows up... watch for it... and... okay, first rank fire! Drop 'n' reload! Second rank, fire! Drop 'n' reload! Keep it goin', don't slow down fer even a second! Hah, we'll make 'em regret eventhinkin' about takin' on this city!"

Akai fired with the second group. As she glanced over, she saw Koji pop up and send an arrow flying down into the soldiers below. His eyes caught sight of something she missed, and he smiled grimly, muttering under his breath, "Nineteen."

The warrior girl watched him with awe-filled eyes. "Koji-san is... so cool!"

oOo

Chichiri had given up on trying to stump around the palace looking for Kiori – his battered body still didn't have the energy for it, and he assumed that her "doctor instincts" would force her to search for him eventually. So, instead of aggravating his injuries any worse than he already had, he opted to flop down beside the palace pond, stretching his unbroken arm leisurely and casting out a fishing line. He leaned back against a nearby tree, finding a comfortable position as he watched the little lure bob about in the calm waters.

As the minutes ticked past, Chichiri closed his eye partway and allowed his mind to wander. Not that that was particularly difficult to do, as there was more than enough to think about: the war, his friends, the future of Konan, Mae-chan... and, of course, Kiori…

Something flickered at the back of his mind and he straightened with a start. He'd been so immersed in his own thoughts that he hadn't noticed the two life forces until they were practically standing next to him. The monk smiled a little, recognizing Kiori and Tasuki's twin ki pulses right away. Just like Ritsuka had promised, the two had come to make sure he spent the day relaxing. 'They're true friends… if not a little weird no da.'

With Chichiri's back turned to them, Kiori and Tasuki poked their chibi heads around a cluster of bushes, watching the monk carefully. "He doesn't seem to be doing anything dangerous," Kiori remarked after a few quiet moments had passed.

"That's exactly what he wants us t'think," Tasuki hissed back, eyes narrowed in an accusing glare. "But then ya look away fer half a second an' he's buildin' barriers and ki blastin' every enemy in sight an'—" both squeaked and dove back into their hiding place as Chichiri turned to glance their way. Tasuki wiped a line of sweat from his brow, shooting Kiori a haggard glance. "Phew, that was close."

Unbeknownst to his two not-so-stealthy friends, Chichiri turned back to the water, chuckling slightly. 'Don't they realize that I can sense them like they're standing right here na no da?' He glanced over his shoulder again, trying not to laugh as their chibi heads ducked back into the bushes, ruffling the leaves so hard it was noticeable from where he sat. 'Oh well, no reason to spoil their fun. They'll come out when they're ready no da.'

oOo

Kawahito was surprised at how organized and fierce the Konan soldiers fought – the last time they'd had a battle, the enemy had seemed on the verge of collapsing. The newly inducted general decided that this was as good a time as any to start up Setsuka's new plan. Better to do it now, before his soldiers started to get disheartened. "Er, Yamashita-Taii! Now's the time t'take your men over t'the south wall. Go through the trees, make sure you ain't seen by anybody. You got that?"

Yamashita had not taken kindly to Kawahito's new position of power, the position he was convinced he should have received. The man was also not one to hide his opinions. "Yeah, I got it all, Shogun-sama," he spat. "I ain't as stupid as you, y'know."

"Er, talk like that t'me again and I'll show you who's stupid, Yamashita!" he snapped, face turning a deep shade of purple and darkening even further as the surrounding men sniggered at him. "Just, er, follow your orders, or I'll report this t'Setsuka-sama."

The captain waved a dismissive hand. "Sure, sure, I'm goin', anythin' to stop yer snivelin'. Oi, c'mon men, we got us a job t'do!"

Kawahito bristled, but could only think to say, "Er, er, see that y'do the job right, er, ah-hem, soldier!"

Yamashita sauntered away, waiting until he was out of earshot of the blustering shogun to chuckle quietly to one of his few friends. "What with the battle'n all, I won't have t'worry about anyone seein' me leave. Those Konan Warriors won't know what hit 'em… an' when 'er Ladyship sees what kinda work I c'n do, huh, I wouldn't be surprised if she went 'n' killed Kawahito too an' made me shogun instead!"

He snuck off quietly through the trees with a group of twenty-five soldiers – just enough to get over the wall, handle the few guards he might encounter, and sneak to the side gate. The captain had disappeared into the woods in an instant, a grappling hook looped over one shoulder, confident that none of his enemies had seen him leave.

Someone had.

Despite being practically everywhere at once – constantly moving through the ranks, offering advice and support, helping the wounded off the ledge, and sniping down at the occasional Takkan soldier – Koji's sharp hazel eyes didn't miss the small contingent marching off through the trees, headed east. "Now that don't look good…"

The bandit leader ducked a hail of arrows, making his way over to where Aoi and Akai were stationed. The Palace Champion smiled at her friend. "Koji-san, there you are! I really can't thank you enough for your help! You're much better at this than I could ever be! D'you know, I think we're actually winning, believe it or not."

"Uh, thanks," he muttered, eyes flitting in the direction of the disappearing Takkan soldiers. "Hey, did either of you notice that group headin' east?" They frowned and shook their heads. "An' if you two didn't, then chances are no one else did, either. Hm... Aoi-kun, you come with me. I think we're about t'witness that plan they were talkin' about th' other night in action. Akai, you better stay here an' keep these guys in order – someone's gotta do it, an' yer the best one fer the job."

The girl beamed with pride. "Arigatou, Koji-san! I won't let you down!"

He smiled fondly. "When have you ever? Okay Aoi-kun, let's see if we can't make life a little harder fer those sneaky bastards."

oOo

Kiori sighed. "Tasuki, maybe we should just go out and visit." She gestured to the half-dozing monk. "He looks like he could use the company."

The chibi bandit glared at Chichiri. "No way. I'm gonna catch him in th' act of... er... somethin'."

Kiori giggled – and surprisingly, so did someone else. The two whirled around, stifling yelps of surprise. "Red?" Tasuki hissed, staring into the woman's grinning face.

Ritsuka flashed a chibi victory sign. "Wow, he knows my name! Smart boy Tasuki-ch – mph!" the seishi clamped a hand over her mouth, silencing the noisy redhead. "Mrn, nr rrt er nnd mph mmphr ah mrrt mu..."

"Whazzat?" Tasuki asked.

"Mrn... er..." Ritsuka snapped her teeth down hard on his hand, causing the seishi to pull back with muttered curses of pain. She smiled sweetly. "I said, 'Gomen, now get your hand off before I bite you.' Shoulda done what I asked."

Kiori smothered a chuckle at Tasuki's string of grumbled threats. "Ritsuka, what're you doing out here?"

The redhead pointed accusingly at her friend. "I think I should be the one asking that question, Little Spy! Here I am, heading to the pond for a quick nap, and who do I come across snooping on our resident monk?"

"Not snooping," Kiori mumbled, looking down and poking her index fingers together. "Just... checking in."

"Uh-huh," Ritsuka drawled. She winked devilishly at her friend. "Why don't you just go out there and ask him how he's feeling? And, if something hurts, you can give it a little kiss to make it feel better..."

Tasuki's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. "You guys're already that far along in th' relationship?"

"No we are not, because there is no relationship!" Kiori hissed angrily, flushing bright red. She sighed, glancing back towards the nearby pond. "C'mon Tasuki, you were there last night. If there was anything between us, do you think he would have..."

"If I say I'm fine, then I'm fine, dammit!"

"...Anyway, Ritsuka's just being Ritsuka, so don't start thinking there's something going on."

Tasuki frowned but couldn't think of anything to say. Ritsuka mirrored his expression for all of two seconds, then in her usual outgoing way decided there was only one real solution to the problem. "Well, whatever happened last night must have been big, which is why you need to go out there and work it out!"

"Ritsuka, I—"

The redhead shoved her friend out of the bushes and into the clearing, whispering, "Off ya go!"

Kiori stumbled out of the underbrush, caught off-balance by Ritsuka's unexpected shove. She sprawled head-first with a surprised shout, landing rather uncomfortably right across the lap of a very surprised, injured monk. "And Kiori makes another elegant entrance," she muttered, flicking her eyes upwards to look at her friend. "Kon'nichi wa."

The monk waved, sweatdropping slightly. "Na no da."

Kiori sighed and scrambled out of the compromising position, dusting off her Konan-style robes and sitting next to her friend. "Er, that was sorta, I guess I lost my balance..."

Chichiri smiled. "That's easy to do when a certain redhead shoves you no da." Kiori stared at him and his smile widened. "I can sense life forces, remember?"

She blushed. "Oh! Guess so. So you knew Tasuki and I...?"

"Mm. But I didn't mind – it's good to have friends that are concerned no da," he assured her. The monk closed his eye and took a deep breath, then turned to his female companion again, an embarrassed, concerned frown on his masked face. "Anou... Actually, Kiori, I'm glad you did come out of hiding no da. I wanted to talk to you about yesterday."

"Oh, that," Kiori forced a smile. "Eheheh, yeah… I wanted to apologize for that."

Chichiri's fishing pole slipped out of his hand. "A… apologize?"

She nodded. "We haven't even known each other that long, and there I was, prying into your personal business like we'd been friends since grade school or something. It was really forward of me, I think Ritsuka must be rubbing off on me or something… er… so…" she trailed off, staring at the ground and twisting a strand of hair between her fingers.

"You don't need to say all that," Chichiri finally said, breaking the nervous silence. "It's natural for a person to be worried about a friend no da. I had no right to snap at you for that. It's just... there's a lot going on right now no da. Maybe I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by it all – but even so, that isn't any excuse for the way I treated you yesterday. I should be the one apologizing no da."

Kiori couldn't help but smile. "Chichiri, a person is allowed to be grumpy when they're broken and beat up in a million places. I'm partially to blame, I guess is what I'm trying to say."

"Anyway, I'm sorry," both said simultaneously.

The pair looked at each other and chuckled, sharing a brief moment of comfort once again. But then Chichiri seemed to remember something and turned his eye back to the water, and Kiori didn't miss the little sigh that escaped his lips or the way his eyebrows curled upwards into the tiniest look of discontentment. She frowned and looked away, chewing thoughtfully on her lip. Chichiri, what's bothering you now? Is it that dream again, or me, or what? I wish I knew, then maybe there'd be some way I could fix it, but...' she stared down at the hands in her lap, clenched together so timidly, just like they always were. 'Sometimes I wish I were as straight-forward as Ritsuka, than I'd just ask and it wouldn't even be a problem.'

oOo

From her hiding place, Ritsuka leaned out as far over the water as she could without toppling in, trying to figure out what was going on. Tasuki crouched beside her, prodding at her shoulder with one impatient finger. "Er, what's happenin'? They looked okay a minute ago but now both look kinda depressed."

Ritsuka glanced at her friend, a dry smile on her lips. "I thought you said you were gonna stay out of all this."

Tasuki scowled. "Well, I was, it's jus'... well, y'know, 'Chiri is my pal an' all..."

"Lucky for us curiosity only killed the cat, ne?" Ritsuka said with a wink. "Okay, Tasuki-chan, slide up here next to me and tell me if you can figure out what the heck is going on with those two."

oOo

Koji and Aoi followed the movement of the Takkan soldiers through the trees and all the way around the east wall, making sure to stay out of sight. They rounded the south wall just in time to see one of the wall guards go down with an arrow through his throat. Aoi opened his mouth to cry out, but Koji slapped a hand over it and threw them both to the ground, safely behind the ramparts.

The bandit leader's face was grim as he took in the bloody scene before them: the guards along the wall had been dispatched one by one, so smoothly and silently that they'd had no chance to send down a warning. "Nothin' t'do fer these guys, not now. Stay down, Aoi-kun, I need t'see what's goin' on." The boy nodded once and Koji released his hold on his mouth, peeking upwards until he was able to chance a glance over the side of the battlements. Their opponents dead, the Takkan soldiers were now in plain sight and moving towards the wall, though Koji noticed a few archers hanging back, no doubt to snipe anyone who might happen to round the corner. He ducked back down, cursing to himself. "Damn, I figgered as much."

"What is it, Koji-sama?"

"That rope looped over their shoulders c'n only mean one thing, Aoi-kun: They're gonna scale th' wall while th' barrier's down." Koji's popped back up to do a quick count on the enemies' numbers. "Twenty-five soldiers and about ten grappling hooks between 'em," he reported aloud. "Too many fer th' two of us t'deal with, an' we're too damn far away from everyone else t'get help in time…" He plopped down again with a muffled "shimatta" – but then his eyes trailed past Aoi towards the Konan Palace, and a brief smile lit up his face. "Aoi," he hissed quickly. "Yer a fast runner, right?"

"Uh, yes. Why?"

"I want you t'sprint as fast as y'can down t'the Palace. Get Genrou an' th' others. Instinct tells me they'll be out by th' pond, they usually are. Bring 'em back here an' don't stop fer nothin'. We're gonna have t'work fast if we wanna hold these guys off. Ike!"

Aoi nodded and dashed down the steps without a second thought, taking off towards the palace.

Koji counted up his throwing knives – he'd thought to bring four with him. Counting his twin daggers there would easily be enough weapons to pass around. The bandit leader chose one of his knives with an ornate carving of Suzaku on it – the match to the one he'd lost the other night – and set to sharpening it against the ramparts, still sneaking glances at the advancing enemy every so often. "This thing's brought me plenty-a luck in the past – let's hope fer Konan's sake it'll do th' same t'day."

oOo

Chichiri wanted to ask Kiori what was wrong, why she looked so worried all of a sudden, but decided against it. 'It wouldn't really be fair of me to ask something like that no da. Not after last night anyway.' He glanced across the water at the sound of rustling bushes, and was thankful to at last have found a good conversation-starter. "Do Ritsuka and Tasuki really think they're fooling anyone no da?"

Kiori glanced up and couldn't help but giggle. "Even without ki-sensing abilities I can tell they're there."

Chichiri sweatdropped as Ritsuka's chibi head popped out for a moment in full view, then ducked immediately back down into the foliage. She didn't even seem to realize she'd been spotted. "What are they expecting to see no da?"

"Who knows? But…" Kiori shot him a sideways grin. "Want to give them something worth spying on?"

"Mm?" Chichiri's eyebrows shot to the top of his head. "What do you have in mind no da?"

"I think I've got something planned to give them some heart attacks and teach them not to spy on other people," Kiori said with a small chuckle. She leaned in next to Chichiri and whispered into his ear. He flushed at the suggestion, but couldn't help but smile.

"Thatwould scare them no da..." he agreed somewhat nervously, and hoped that Kiori couldn't hear the way his heart had just started pounding around in his chest. 'Stop that,' he scolded it mentally, and added aloud, "What do I need to do?"

"Just follow my lead," she told him, leaning forward, her face dangerously close to his own. "This will be amazing."

oOo

Tasuki glared at Ritsuka. "What the hell is Kiori doin', gettin' so close t' Chichiri? Tryin' t'seduce him 'r somethin'? Th' little temptress..."

Ritsuka glared right back. "Well Chichiri certainly doesn't seem to be resisting it, does he? Now shut up, I wanna find out what they're saying..."

The pair watched as Kiori swung her arms around Chichiri's neck, grinning sweetly. Tasuki gritted his teeth and clenched a fist. "Lookit that! An' here I thought she was th' shy one!" His mouth dropped even further when Chichiri smiled back, albeit a little less passionately, and seemed to lean in towards the woman as well. "Holy shit, Red, maybe we oughta leave b'fore they start rippin' each other's clothes off."

"Oh, this is amazing!" Ritsuka practically squealed. "I just gotta find out what they're saying..." Ritsuka stretched herself out over the water… and leaned a bit too far. "Yabbai!" she yelped, losing her balance on the shoreline. She threw her arms backwards and grabbed on to the nearest thing she could find in a desperate attempt to keep her footing, but realized too late that she'd grabbed a Tasuki instead of a tree, and with one last curse the two flew into the water, landing with a glorious splash right into the shallows.

Kiori and Chichiri broke apart, watching as college girl and seishi alike flailed their way out of the pond, coughing up water and panting heavily. Tasuki grabbed for a tree branch above his head, dragging himself to shore and glaring daggers at Ritsuka the whole way. "Curiosity only killed the cat, huh Red? Well I sure as hell feel like a drowned one right about now!"

Chichiri scowled at the duo in mock irritation. "What are you two doing here no da?"

Ritsuka glanced up, looking like a little kid who'd just gotten caught stealing cookies. "Us? Um, we..." she giggled innocently. "I was just teachin' Tasuki-chan how to, um, swim. Yeah, that's right."

Kiori nodded at the seishi, who now sat ringing himself off on the shoreline and picking morosely at his soggy shoulder-cast. "Lovely job you're doing, too," she muttered dryly. "Just admit it, Ritsuka! You two were spying on us!"

"An' with good reason! You tried t'get Chichiri in bed, don't deny it!" Tasuki cried, jumping up and pointing an accusing finger at Kiori. "We saw th' whole thing, you were all up on him, tryin' t'make him violate his code-a monkness 'n' stuff! You oughta be ashamed..."

"Woah, Tasuki, calm down. We knew you were there the entire time," Kiori said with a grin. "I decided to teach you and Ritsuka a lesson for spying on us, though." She laughed. "Actually, you falling into the pond wasn't part of the plan, but it was a nice touch. Made the joke even better, don't you think?"

Tasuki spluttered, trying to find just the right swear words to use on Kiori. Ritsuka chuckled as she hauled herself out of the pond, wringing her hair out right over the already-soaked seishi bandit. "Okay, okay, you got us." She smirked at her friend. "Well done on both sides, I must say. I would've thought you were actuallyenjoying that. Good acting, I guess?"

Kiori forced a laugh and hoped to heaven that Chichiri didn't notice the color that crept into her cheeks. "Y-yeah, guess so."

Tasuki collapsed back to the ground, sighing as he glanced from Kiori, the schemer, to Ritsuka, who had pulled him into this in the first place. "I hate girls."

Ritsuka clapped him on the back and sent him flying straight back into the pond. "Oh, you just say that! We all know you could never live without me!"

A chibi Tasuki jumped out of the water, waving his tessen angrily. "DAMMIT RED! REKKA SHIN'EN!"

"Ow! Tasuki-chan, that wasn't very nice, especially since I let you borrow my MP3 player!"

Kiori chuckled at the scuffling duo. "The sky may fall, and the sun may burn out, but Ritsuka and Tasuki will always be fighting about something. Don't you think so, Chichiri?"

He never got to answer, because at that moment Aoi burst through the bushes, practically collapsing to the ground at the sight of the four Konan Warriors. "Minna-sama..." he took a couple gulps of air, then managed to gasp out the rest. "South wall... Takkan scaling... Koji… need your help... Now!"

The broken message was all the group needed. Tasuki nodded and stood, dragging Ritsuka into a standing position in the process since she currently had her teeth clamped onto his wrist. "Thanks, Aoi. I'll head over there first t'make sure Koji doesn't get himself killed. I'll see you guys there." Before anyone could blink, the seishi had shaken Ritsuka off his arm and disappeared, sprinting towards the southern wall.

Ritsuka smiled at the exhausted boy. "Nice job. You better rest here with Chichiri for a while – Kiori and I can handle things."

Aoi shook his head hard. "Koji... need as much help... can get. Just... give me second... catch breath..." he kneeled next to the pond and splashed his face a bit, then turned and smiled at the two girls, looking almost as rested as they were. "Okay. Ready?"

The redhead shook her head in disbelief. "Sprints from the wall and asks if I'm ready. C'mon Kiori, let's go before Tasuki and Koji take all the glory for themselves."

"Right behind you, though I don't know what you expect me to do." She turned to Chichiri with an apologetic smile. "I probably won't see you until dinner. Don't do anything tiring, or I'll kill what's left of you after Tasuki gets finished, okay?" Chichiri chuckled absent-mindedly and nodded. Kiori frowned, but didn't have time to worry about him just now. "See you later, then."

"Mm," he murmured, waiting until she was out of sight before he picked up his fishing pole again and sighed, tapping the stick of wood against his chest. 'Phew! I thought my heart had stopped for a minute there, she was getting so close… if Ritsuka and Tasuki hadn't come out at that point, we might have…' He shook his head hard and cast the fishing line back into the pond, keeping his eyes focused on the task at hand. 'No, I'd have stopped before the joke went that far no da. I'm sure I would have. After all, I don'treally think of her like that.' He sweatdropped, thumping his head back against the tree and staring up at the rippling leaves above him. 'Mattaku. I'll have to leave this part out of next month's letter to the monastery. Joke or not, the Master would kill me if he found out about this no da…'

oOo

Kiori ran to the wall at a slow jog, partly because she knew she wouldn't be needed until later (if at all) and partly because she had made the mistake of wearing an informal, Konan-style dress that afternoon, complete with a pair of sandals that seemed absolutely impossible to run in. She cursed her bad luck all the way up the stairs, rounding the corner with a cry of, "Okay, what do you need me to…" only to trail off when she saw the others leaning back against the wall, looking more like four friends enjoying an afternoon of sunbathing than soldiers in battle. "Did they give up?"

Koji toyed with a grappling hook, its rope broken off just inches from the metal, and grinned. "In a manner-a speakin', yeah," he agreed, nodding towards the other side of the wall.

Against her better judgment Kiori peeked over the edge. She had to pull back quickly, one hand clamped over her mouth. "What did you do to them?"

"Nothing, really," Ritsuka assured her. "We just decided to let them get a little exercise before we cut the ropes, that's all."

"So you let them climb to the top, and then you—?" The four nodded, seeming quite unconcerned with the whole ordeal. Kiori rubbed at her temples and plopped down beside her redheaded friends. "On second thought, I'm glad I decided to wear a dress today. There's no way I could have helped you with that plan, even if they were the ones who tried to kill us first." She frowned, thinking back to the grizzly scene, and added thoughtfully, "Wait… you said that you just cut the ropes, but I could've sworn I saw some charred bodies down there."

Tasuki waved his tessen cheerfully at her. "Give ya three guesses where those came from."

"Lucky bastard always hangs onta this damn thing," Koji grumbled, though he didn't sound particularly irritated. "Managed t'beat me in th' body count by five 'cause of it." Kiori shot him a mortified look and he smiled back at her, waving a dismissive hand. "Oh, calm down Miss Doctor, we didn't kill all of 'em. Genrou 'n' I were slashing ropes as soon as we saw 'em, it's jus' that they weren't cuttin' or burnin' real fast, an' by the time we got t'the last five 'r so – well, we're jus' lucky Ritsuka 'n' Aoi-kun showed up when they did, otherwise we mighta been sword-fightin' across the ramparts, an' Genrou with a busted shoulder, too!"

At Koji's description, Kiori suddenly had the most amusing mental image of Tasuki and Koji in full swashbuckler garb, battling enemy naval officers as they swung onboard their ship. She smothered a giggle and picked up one of the grappling hooks, pressing the charred rope between her fingers. "It's all right Koji, I'm not mad at you. In fact, I'm glad you were here. This could have been a whole lot worse if nobody had noticed them."

She expected him to soak up the praise, but the bandit leader just brushed it off and stood, sheathing his daggers and looking away. "Ah, any-a you woulda done th' same thing. Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta be gettin' back t'the real battle. Wouldn't wanna make Akai do everythin' herself, y'know."

As he started off towards the northern wall, Kiori happened to glance up and caught a glimpse of his back. His cream shirt was stained with a dark crimson from shoulder-to-shoulder, and it only seemed to be getting thicker by the instant. "Koji, wait! What happened to you?" she cried, standing and hurrying towards the bandit.

"Eh?" Koji glanced over his shoulder, touching a hand to the sticky cloth. "Aw, crap. The little knick I got from that battle with th' Elements musta opened up – I was kinda thinkin' it might, after all th' runnin' around I been doin'. Can't sit still long enough fer it t'heal right, though, so whatcha gonna do?"

The young doctor glared at him. "You're going to go see Yukeda-sensei and get that fixed up right away. The worst thing you can do is ignore an injury!" She sweatdropped. "Geez, I sound like one of those silly apprentices in the infirmary. Anyway, just go get that checked out, all right?"

Koji kicked a rock unhappily, heading down the steps at Kiori's bidding. "Okay, fine, but only t'make you feel better. An' fer the record, I can't stand that pompous doctor. Hope he doesn't try pourin' alcohol on it again, or else I'll pour the stuff on his scratches 'n' see how he likes it..."

Aoi chuckled, glancing over his shoulder towards the north wall. "Well, like Koji-sama said, I'd better get back to the big battle – not much to do over here, watching some defeated soldiers turn tail and run. Sayonara, minna-sama."

Tasuki shook his head at the boy. "That's dedication, right there."

Ritsuka stretched her arms over her head. "Hai, I'll let him be dedicated to the battle, and I'll keep myself busy being dedicated to fine cuisine." She grabbed Kiori and Tasuki by the arms. "I haven't eaten lunch yet, and I'm starved! Come on, you two, let's raid the pantry and see what we can find!"

oOo

Chichiri hadn't been very hungry, so he'd decided to skip lunch and head straight to the afternoon nap. The monk sat with his eye half-closed, trying to clear his head and finding it nearly impossible. He wanted to stop thinking about everything, just for half a second, but his mind wouldn't let him. He sighed slightly, voicing his thoughts to the afternoon air, "Things were a lot easier when it was just Tasuki and me traveling around Konan no da."

"Oh, I hope you do not really mean that."

Chichiri opened his eye at the sound of the familiar, gentle voice. He moved into a sitting position, watching as Houki took a delicate seat on the grass with Boshin in tow. "Ah, Houki-sama. I didn't know you were there. Sorry, I was just thinking out loud no da."

She smiled serenely. "That is quite all right. Sometimes it is the only way to sort out your feelings about certain events... and certain people," she added knowingly.

Chichiri wondered how everyone in the palace seemed to understand his feelings for Kiori except for himself. "What do I owe the pleasure of this visit no da?" he asked, changing the subject.

She shrugged. "I had heard you were feeling well enough to be moving about, and I thought I would see that for myself. You seem to be in excellent condition, considering the circumstances."

The monk nodded in agreement, wincing as Boshin plopped down into his lap. "It's not so bad, as long as I don't move around too much no da."

She looked at him hopefully. "Then, is it safe to say that I will see you and all the other Konan Warriors at dinner tonight?" He nodded and Houki clapped her hands happily. "Oh, that is excellent news! I will need to begin the preparations right away."

"Preparations for what no da?"

The Empress stood, smiling secretively at the monk. "For now, let us simply say that it is a surprise. I really must be going. Boshin-chan, come with..." she trailed off and had to stifle another giggle, for the child had made himself quite comfortable in the folds of the monk's kesa, and looked about ready for a nap.

"Mama... I'm tired... lemme stay here, kay?" he muttered through a yawn.

Chichiri chuckled, patting the boy's head fondly. "I'll look after him na no da."

Houki flashed a grateful smile. "In that case, I will be off. I shall see you tonight at dinner – oh, and Chichiri? Please inform the others that we will be eating in the main dining hall this evening."

"Oh… Okay, Houki-sama. But why there no da?"

She wagged a finger, winking at her friend. "Sore wa himitsu deshou (That is a secret)!" Before Chichiri could ask another question, Houki had bustled off with a swish of skirts, leaving him once more alone. Well, almost alone…

Boshin tugged on Chichiri's robe and straightened up in the monk's lap, eyes wide and alert once more. "Uncle Chichiri, tell me story, one with you 'n' Papa 'n' Uncle Scaryface, okay please?"

The monk laughed, momentarily forgetting his own problems as he tickled Boshin, causing him to tumble backwards in a fit of giggles. "You fraud, pretending to be tired so you could get out of helping your mother no da! I'll give you a story, the one where your dad threw a little boy into the pond for telling fibs to his parents no da!"

oOo

"Eh!" Kawahito cried, nearly falling off his horse. "Yamashita-taii's dead? An' the rest of the men, too?"

The five battered soldiers before him nodded solemnly, several nursing broken limbs or burnt hands. "Hai, Shogun-sama," the oldest and least-injured of the group answered, eyes on the ground. "I dunno where they came from, but it was that Konan Warrior, the one who attacked our camp, and the seishi, too."

"What should we do, Shogun-sama?" another asked, eyes wide and imploring.

"Er… ah, er…" Kawahito stared at the group, then looked back out at the field, where the rest of the men seemed to be growing more tired and disheartened by the minute. "Er…"

"Perhaps a tactful retreat might be wise, Kawahito-shogun?" Furosaki Yuki murmured quietly from the shogun's right.

"Er, er, just what I was about to say! A tactful retreat, that's what we'll do! Send out the message, er, Furosaki-taii! And be quick about it!"

"Hai, Shogun-sama. You've made an excellent decision." Yuki bowed low from his saddle and rode off, sending the word down the lines for the men to put away their bows and head back to camp.

oOo

Seeing the slow retreat, the Konan soldiers upon the wall let out a cheer of victory, then left their stations to check on injured allies and enjoy a much-needed meal. Akai and Aoi welcomed the break as much as anyone, and decided to head off to get some food in their stomachs. As they walked back to the palace, Aoi related the grappling hook incident to Akai with fervent, exaggerated detail.

"...So then Ritsuka-sama and I arrive on the wall, just as fifteen grappling hooks come flying up—"

"Hm, I thought you said earlier it was only ten."

"Oh, yeah, something like that. I won't lie to you, I was a little nervous, but Koji-sama and Tasuki-sama treated the whole thing in such a casual way that I knew I didn't have anything to worry about! So we waited until they'd gotten to the top of the wall – there were scores of soldiers, on those twenty ropes, it was a tough fight, I tell you—"

"Twenty, now?"

"Ah-heh, I lose track, y'see. Tasuki-sama was everywhere, flaming those Takkan soldiers with his tessen, and Koji-sama was hacking at every rope and enemy in sight –Ritsuka-sama held her own, too, of course. There were so many of 'em on those twenty-five ropes that it was hard not to get some action..."

Akai stifled a giggle. "Mm-hm, and how'd you do Aoi?"

"Me? Ha, Takkan soldiers don't scare me, you know that. Wham! Pow!" he sliced at the air for effect. "I took a couple of 'em out with some quick sword swipes, a few more with a little slash, cut a few ropes down, saved Koji-sama's life once or twice, I think..."

The Palace Champion worked hard to stifle her laughter, though it was becoming a more and more difficult task. "Sugoi, Aoi-kun! I'd say you definitely deserve some good palace food right about now."

"Arigatou, Akai. You do too, I'm sure you had your hands full with the soldiers, too—"

They were just passing the infirmaries when a loud, familiar screech echoed from the doorway. The duo stopped in mid-conversation and shot each other looks, saying simultaneously, "Koji-sama/san?"

To confirm their guess, the bandit leader, currently shirtless, bolted out of the building, pausing for just a moment to shout back through the entryway, "Yah, get away from me ya quack!" He glanced up and saw his two friends at the end of the walkway, looking more than a little surprised. "Oi, Akai, Aoi, you know any good hidin' places?"

Akai blinked blankly at the older warrior. "Not… really. Why d'you...?"

He gulped in air, glancing back over his shoulder as if a tiger might burst from the infirmary at any moment. "That... that... doctor! Kiori sends me in t'get this scratch on my back looked at, an' as soon as I take off the bandage Yukeda comes at me with a friggin' spear!"

"A spear?" Aoi repeated, scratching his head. "Why in the world would he do that?"

"How the hell should I know!?" Koji snapped. "He's a crazy, arrogant son of a—"

At that moment Yukeda himself came out of the infirmary, glaring irritably at the bandit. "Would you stop that screeching and come here for one second? I tell you, I'm only trying to help."

"By tryin' t'kill me?" Koji demanded, attempting to hide behind his friends – quite a feat, since they were both at least a foot shorter than him.

Yukeda sighed. "If you had done as I requested and remained out of these battles, the wound would have healed on its own. Unfortunately, you're too stubborn for your own good. The only way we'll ever fix it up properly now is to stitch the thing up." He held up a needle with a long black strand dangling from it as if to make his point.

Akai narrowed her eyes and stared over her shoulder at her friend. "Aspear, Koji-san?"

"...A little spear," he grumbled under his breath.

Aoi pointed at him, a crooked smile lighting his face. "Don't tell me you're afraid of needles."

Koji bristled. "I ain't afraid of nothin'! An' don't you know it ain't polite to point?" Yukeda advanced on the unlucky bandit; Koji immediately went against his own words as he jumped backwards and pointed chibily at the doctor. "You stay the hell away from me, dammit!"

Yukeda looked to the younger soldiers. "Akai-san, Aoi-kun, do you think you could...?"

They sweatdropped and nodded, grabbing Koji's arms just as he tried to make a break for it. The bandit leader fought to scramble out of their hold, but Yukeda joined them, taking a grip on Koji's bangs and tugging him back towards the door, ignoring the string of curses that burst from the bandit's mouth – many of them completely new to Akai, Aoi, and the older doctor. "Aaaagh, what th' hell're you doin'? I thought you were my friends, dammit!"

"Gomen nasai, Koji-san, but this is for your own good."

"You'll thank us later, Koji-sama."

"Thehell I will! Put me down, dammit! Sonofabitch, this sucks! Murderers, traitors! LET ME GO!"

oOo

Kaze stumped into the large, lonely room that had once belonged to so many Elements, flopping down into a chair and kicking angrily at the nearby wall. He glared pointedly at Sora, who sat on her own bed just a few feet away from him, waiting for her to say something. She ignored him, however, and remained focused on her own tasks. Kaze kicked at the wall harder, waited another couple of seconds, then finally gave up and said, "What'cha doin'? Is that a wood block that yer carvin' up 'r somethin'?" When she only nodded, Kaze slammed his boot into the wall again and sneered, "What's it for? Setsuka decide t'make ya take up a hobby 'r somethin'?"

She paused for a moment to shoot him an irritated glare, then turned back to carving the smooth, simple symbols into the wood. "It is a tablet. For Hataku-sama." (2)

"Ain't'cha gonna get in trouble for that?"

"Setsuka-sama allowed it. She agrees that all souls should have a chance at redemption and happiness in the afterlife." She brushed off the wood chips, holding the mahogany tablet up to the light and nodding at her craftsmanship. "It isn't much, and it's a bit unconventional, but it's the best I could manage. I think he would be pleased with it, though."

"Yeah, last thing ya want's an angry spirit bouncin' around this place," Kaze agreed, though he said it with visible contempt. "There's enough shitty karma in here as it is."

"If you're going to treat the dead with such disrespect, then you may leave," Sora snapped.

Kaze scowled and pouted quietly in his chair, watching as Sora strung a piece of silk through the small hole at the top of the tablet. She unbuttoned her shirt a few notches and looped the string around her neck, tying it off in the back. Kaze heard the clatter of other small tablets as she tied her shirt back into place and he frowned even harder, remembering the names on the other two panels and the tears that had come with those, too. "Hey," he murmured, staring hard at the wall. "When Setsuka finally kills me off, you gonna do th' same fer me that'cha did fer Hataku and yer parents?"

She stiffened, and he thought that this time he might have at last hit a nerve, but she still didn't turn to face him, and in the end only said, "Please don't say such inauspicious things. But yes, if you were to die on the battlefield, I would do the same for you, perhaps more." She stood and moved to the bookshelf, barely sparing him a glance as she stepped over his outstretched legs. "And I'd ask you not to doubt Setsuka-sama so much. She would never intentionally have you killed, Kaze. She respects your life just as she does the rest of us."

Tsuchi moaned from the back room and Kaze snorted. "Huh, wonder why I've got such a hard time believin' that? Oh, that's right – it's 'cause she's a heartless, frigid bitch, Sora!"

"Kaze, that is no way to speak of the Lady who we are bound by fate to serve," Sora reprimanded quietly, choosing a thick history from the shelf and moving back towards her bed.

"I'll say whatever I want about her, you got that Sora?" he snapped, hopping out of his chair and spitting contemptuously. "It's her fault Tsuchi's like this, that Mizu-chan's become so quiet 'n' depressed, an' you..." he trailed off, staring at his friend's cold, emotionless back and fighting off a wave of rage.

Sora leaned back against the wall against her bed and opened the book, keeping her eyes on the pages as she murmured, "You're angry at the wrong person. You'd do well to direct that frustration at the Konan Warriors – if it weren't for them, none of this would have happened."

"Yeah, yeah, an' if Setsuka hadn't declared war on Konan there never woulda been no Konan Warriors!" Kaze shot back angrily. "I tell ya, Sora, th' more I think about it, th' more I can't stand sittin' around bein' used like a puppet by that woman!"

At last Sora glanced up from her book, a flicker of worry dancing across her subdued golden eyes. "And what would you do about it, Kaze?"

The boy glared at the curtain that covered the door to Tsuchi's new room, biting at his lip so hard that he drew blood. "I dunno yet, but… I'll think of somethin'."

oOo

"So," Tasuki muttered as he, Chichiri and Koji trooped to the doors of the main dining hall, "does anyone know what this is all about?" He looked down, fingering the yellow-and-blue cloak that he'd thrown on over his bandaged upper body, a surprisingly classy departure from his usual attire. "An' why'd we have t'get all dolled up, too?"

"You call that dolled up?" Koji grumbled. "You could've at least put on an undershirt 'r somethin', Genrou. Houki-sama's gonna kick you out at this rate."

"Well pardon me fer havin' a busted shoulder! An' you ain't exactly Mister Imperial Minister either, y'know!" he retorted, gesturing to Koji's "nice clothes," which amounted to a matching dark blue overcoat and pants that he'd borrowed from a local official. "Chichiri's th' only one outta all-a us who's respectable fer this thing, an' he still looks like he's goin' t' a religious service instead of a party."

The monk glanced down at his own brown shirt, emblazoned with a blue crane emblem across the front and trimmed in gold, with a red kesa draped over the top, and couldn't help but sweatdrop. "Er… itis meant for religious ceremonies no da." The two stared at him and he sighed. "It was the only thing I really had no da… Houki-sama announced this out of nowhere, and I'm not really supposed to own clothing outside of the basic necessities anyway."

The three sighed. "We'll be thrown out for certain."

"Oi, minna-sama!"

The trio looked up in time to see Aoi, also dressed to impress in a long robe of dark green, waving at them from in front of the dining hall doors. Tasuki and Chichiri waved back, but Koji scowled and looked away, making a big show of limping towards the door as if he could barely handle the pain racing across his back. Aoi giggled nervously at the act and nodded towards the two seishi. "Konban wa, Chichiri-sama, Tasuki-sama… Koji-sama." The bandit at last acknowledged the boy, though he looked like it hurt him to do it. "Sorry, Her Majesty said everything isn't quite ready yet, so we aren't allowed to go in."

"Oh, you were invited too no da?"

The young soldier looked down and rubbed nervously at his nose. "H-hai, though I'm not sure why. Anyway, do you know what this is about? Her Majesty wouldn't tell me or Akai anything."

"Yer guess is as good as ours," Tasuki said him with a shrug. "Hey, speakin' of Akai, where'd th' girls run off to?"

"Oh, ah…" Aoi chuckled. "The two of us were coming back from the battle when we ran into Ritsuka-sama and Kiori-sama. Ritsuka-sama said something about finding 'the appropriate articles' for the dinner tonight and then dragged Akai off. I'm not really sure what's going on, but if it's Ritsuka-sama's idea, then I think I'm a little scared."

"Minna-san! We're here!" A familiar female voice drew the four's attention away from the dining hall doors and towards the corner of the building, though the person that came darting around the corner was anything but familiar. Akai hurried forward, three layers of alternating red and white skirts in her hands, pulling to a halt just in front of the others and bowing low to the group. "Konban wa! Sorry we're late."

She looked up again, and Tasuki had to catch Aoi as he stumbled backwards into the bandit. Akai was positively radiant, with the faintest dash of makeup accenting her violet eyes and her short hair pulled up into a small but elegant loop, pinned back with a golden ornament meant to look like a cluster of peach blossom buds. Her overdress shone a blood-red crimson, and across her gold sash flew a hand-stitched pattern of sparrows. She smiled up at the four, noticing their looks and blushing a little bit.

"Aa… Akai-chan, kawaii (na no da)!" Tasuki and Chichiri both complimented.

"H-hai!" Aoi agreed, blushing so dark that Akai had to fight back a laugh.

She looked expectantly at Koji, who sniffed and turned his nose up. "Yeah, it's fine, fer a traitor." Her smile disappeared, and the bandit leader sighed, rubbing at his head and turning to grin at the girl. "Aw, you know I'm jus' kiddin', Akai-chan! It looks great, really."

"Ah, arigatou!" She bowed again, then reached forward and grabbed at both Koji and Aoi, leading them towards the corner of the building. "Well, come on! You too Tasuki-sama, Chichiri-sama! The others should be right behind me, and they worked even harder than I did, so it wouldn't be nice if we didn't give them a good stare, too."

"S-stare?" Aoi repeated, flushing even brighter. "W-we weren't—"

"Tada!" another voice called from around the corner, though this one was followed much more quickly by the appearance of a stunning young woman draped in an emerald robe, the outer garment's sleeves cut off at the shoulders to reveal a flowing, silky undershirt of pearl-white. A matching white sash, decorated with embroidered tigers, completed the ensemble. Perhaps most extravagant of all, though, was the young woman's long hair, which had been pulled backwards into an intricate series of loops, all held together by a winking, lily-shaped hair pin. All-in-all, she looked like a proper Konan woman, which only made her identity all the more surprising.

Ritsuka grinned at the wide-eyed men, pulling a fan from her sash and snapping it out in front of her lightly made up face. She fluttered her eyelashes teasingly. "Struck speechless, perhaps?"

Tasuki took a stuttering step forward, looking the young woman up and down. She smiled and he pointed at her, a crooked grin across his face. "Huh, so ya really are a girl after all, huh Red?"

An anger vein burst out across her forehead, and the others all winced in anticipation of the Tasuki wall-angel that would soon follow. But after a long, tense moment all Ritsuka did was throw the fan up in front of her mouth and laugh coyly, waving her free hand at him as if he'd just made an amusing joke. "Ohohohoho, Tasuki-chan, you are the eloquent one, aren't you? However I shall forgive you this time, as I can understand that you are simply struck dumb by my beauty! Fear not, it happens to the best of men, I assure you!"

Akai and Aoi face-vaulted. Koji marched up to her, peering hard into the surprisingly pretty face. "All right, who are ya, an' what've ya done with Ritsuka?"

She snapped the fan shut and giggled, tapping Koji teasingly on the nose with it. "Don't worry Ko-Ko, it's still me. But I'm dressed like a lady tonight, you see, so I've got to act like one. Think of it like a cosplay…" he raised an eyebrow and she laughed, "though actually that wouldn't help you Konan boys understand at all, would it? Well, don't worry about it! Just enjoy the evening, and wait for the after-party, when I can change out of these things and smash Tasuki's face in properly."

"Well, ya look great. I think Genrou was tryin' t'say th' same thing." The others nodded in agreement.

"Aw, you're all so sweet! However, the final act of this little play hasn't even started yet. Hm, I thought she was right behind me, but…" Ritsuka peeked her head around the corner of the building, apparently staring down the walkway at someone on the other side. "Kiori, are you going to stand there looking at the floor all night, or come out and woo these gentlemen?"

"Ritsuka, this is so silly…"

"Oh, come on…" Ritsuka ducked back around the wall, returning a moment later with a reluctant, embarrassed – and thoroughly beautiful Kiori.

The young woman sighed and glanced at her male friends, the deep blue outer robes shimmering almost like jewels as she turned. Her fingers, draped in sky-blue sleeves, fiddled with the creamy white sash around her waist for a moment, as if attempting to adjust the embroidered flowers, then she seemed to give up and clutched them modestly behind her back. She glanced up at them through a wave of bangs, though most of her hair had been swept up into a small bun atop her head held together by a chrysanthemum hairpin, looking rather self-conscious about this new attire. She still managed to look lovely, however, her usual, 'cute' looks magnified a hundredfold by the dash of makeup across her eyes and lips and the flowing, silken Konan robes. "D…dou (Well)?" she finally murmured. "It doesn't look too weird on me, does it?"

Koji and Tasuki realized that their mouths had dropped. They quickly shut them and shook their heads hard, flashing the young woman a pair of thumbs-ups. "Nah, ya look great, Kiori!"

"Mm! You look really pretty, Kiori-sama!" Aoi agreed.

A small, expectant hush fell across the group, as everyone waited for the last member of the male party to chime in his compliments. Chichiri didn't seem to realize they were looking to him, though, or indeed even seemed to realize that the others had spoken at all. He was looking straight at Kiori, an honest expression of surprise and joy apparent across his masked face, and even as he tried to get his mouth to work he couldn't think of anything to say. Nothing really seemed to do it justice. Only…

Fire raced up his side as someone's elbow jabbed hard into his broken ribs. He winced and glanced out of the corner of his eye to see a glaring Ritsuka, who seemed to be saying 'You say something nice or I'll tear your throat out.That was what he imagined, anyway, and the threat was finally enough to throw him out of his speechlessness. He took a limping step forward, smiling at the flushing college student. "Mm. They're right, Kiori. You look really beautiful." Her wide eyes flicked upwards to stare at him, but he'd already turned towards Ritsuka and Akai. "All of you do no da."

"Ain't that the truth," Koji agreed, since he seemed to be the only one in the group who was still somewhat coherent. "Hell, we gotta be about the luckiest guys in Konan right now, gettin' t'walk inta a party with girls like you."

"You're darn right you are!" Ritsuka agreed, apparently forgetting her earlier decision to behave like a lady. "And you know what that means, don't you?" She darted forward and shoved Akai practically into Aoi's arms, then attacked Kiori and did the same thing with her to Chichiri. Finally, she ran across the little walkway, ducking between Koji and Tasuki and looping her arms into theirs, grinning up at the two bandits. "All right, we are officially ready for this dinner to begin! After all, every proper lady needs an escort, and you boys are just right for the job!"

"Well, I guess that makes sense, but," Aoi glanced down at the lovely girl beside him and blushed again, "how did you decide on these arrangements, Ritsuka-sama?"

Akai and Kiori looked away, terrified at their friend's answer, but Ritsuka didn't miss a beat. "Why, it's just simple logic, Aoi-kun! See, you and Akai have known each other the longest, so it's natural that you'd go in together. And Kiori saved Chichiri's life, so she deserves to have him as her escort. And, since Hareya-chan announced me as Honorary Reikaku Bandit, it only stands to reason that I accompany our two boys here." She squeezed Tasuki and Koji's arms for effect, then nodded towards the dining hall doors and marched the group forward. "Now, lead us to the food!"

Aoi looked at Akai, whose smile made him turn ten shades of red. He looked down and offered his arm stiffly to the girl, who giggled and accepted it, practically dragging him down the walkway after Ritsuka and her two-person entourage. Kiori glanced up at Chichiri, who offered her a timid smile, gesturing towards his injured arm and then to the one holding his staff – which at this point he was leaning on heavily for support. "I'm a little too beat up to be much of an escort, but…" he offered her the arm that held the staff and she took it, adjusting the weight a bit so he could lean on her a bit, and the two trailed behind their comrades, laughing quietly at the picture their little group made.

"So do you know what this is about?" Kiori asked when she finally found her voice again.

Chichiri shrugged. "We were talking about that right before you got here, but none of us has any idea no da."

"I saw a bunch of people heading this way earlier, so it could be a party, or…" a thought seemed to slam into Ritsuka, and her eyes grew large and gooey. "Oh, d'you think she's planning a huge feast, just for us?"

Kiori joined her friend in drooling. "Mm, piles of the finest Chinese delicacies..."

"I want it now!" they both cried, streams of tears falling from their eyes.

Tasuki sweatdropped. "Geez, calm down, it's just food y'know."

Ritsuka whirled on him, about to give him a stern lecture on the folly of a statement like 'just food,' but Aoi interrupted her with his own quiet musings. "A feast or a party would make some sense, but why in the world did she ask me to come along? I'm not a Konan Warrior, or much of anything, come to think of it..."

Akai squeezed lightly at his arm. "Don't lie, Aoi, you've helped out plenty and you know it. How many Takkan did you kill today, hm? One hundred, one-twenty?" The boy blushed and stammered incoherently.

Koji rubbed at his back, glaring at the two youths. "I kinda hope it's a public punishment fer you two fer makin' me endure that torture this afternoon. Dammit, my back still stings."

Tasuki looked at his friend curiously and Akai giggled, supplying the seishi with an answer to the unspoken question. "Don't worry about him, Tasuki-sama. Koji-san's just afraid of needles."

"I AM NO—!" Koji stopped halfway through his rant, watching with the others as the doors to the dining hall opened slowly.

Houki stood in the doorway, dressed in a long, elegant gown of violet trimmed in pale pink. Boshin stood next to her, clutching at her skirt with one hand and waving cheerfully to the group with the other. "Kon-wa! Welcome to the celestialation!"

Houki chuckled fondly. "He means celebration, of course. Please, come in, everything is ready and waiting for you." She took a step back and opened the doors wide, allowing the group of seven to look into the large dining hall – and at the myriad figures that sat before them. Nearly three full tables were lined with food and guests, all of them dressed in their very finest and chatting amiably, though more than a few paused to glance up at the new arrivals. Houki smiled, taking a step backwards and sweeping out one long-sleeved arm, Boshin imitating her with a flashy wave of his own. "May I welcome you to our banquet, my friends."

Everyone but Kiori and Ritsuka paled at the sight before them. "Holy crap…" Tasuki muttered under the general buzz of the crowd. "Is it too late fer me t'fake sick 'r somethin'?"

"Hm?" Kiori glanced over at the seishi. "Is something the matter?"

"Er, you c'd say that…" Koji agreed with a nervous chuckle. He waved weakly at one young man, who seemed to be gazing at him with utter adoration, and explained, "You see b'fore you, ladies, prob'ly th' biggest gatherin' of Konan officials, ministers, and magistrates that you ever will see – an' I'm jus' guessin' at that, seein' as how I only recognize about five faces out there anyway."

"Oo, we're hob-knobbing with the rich and famous, huh?" Ritsuka said with a grin, peering at the crowd with renewed interest. "So who's on the guest list? Somebody fill me in."

Akai swallowed hard, nodding towards a pair of older men near the end of one table. "Well, there's the Minister of the Right, and the Minister of the Left. I think those are their families with them, but I've never met them personally… Oh, and there's Ran-shogun." (3)

"What? The army has an actual shogun?" Ritsuka of all people exclaimed. "I'd seen the guy around but I figured he was just another soldier with the way he took orders from you guys so smoothly. And he's so young, he can't be much older than you, Chichiri."

"He's only a year or two older than me, that's true, and he's not very experienced no da. During the war with Kutou a few years ago, most of our soldiers were killed, including the former shogun. Ran-sama is an intelligent person, but…"

"Akai's prob'ly got more experience than he does," Koji finished out of the corner of his mouth. "Most-a th' army's like that, t'tell ya th' truth – that's why Houki-sama was so worried when Takkan started gettin' hostile."

Ritsuka nodded slowly, taking this new tidbit of information in, then turned and glared at her companions. "And how come I'm the only Konan Warrior who was never told about this? Here I was, yelling orders at some guy I'm supposed to be bowing to, and no one says a word to me?"

"Hey, he took th' orders, didn't he?" Tasuki said with a shrug. "Ran ain't worried about lookin' bad, Red – he's worried about keepin' the nation safe. He'll be a good shogun in a while, but right now he knows he ain't th' man t'be leadin' this army. I guess I even stoppedthinkin' of him as 'shogun,' t'tell ya th' truth. That's why I never bothered bringin' it up." The others nodded their agreement.

Houki glanced over at the wary group, who still hadn't made their way to the table, and beckoned them forward, smiling first at them and then at the long line of guests. "Minna-san, do not be intimidated. All of this is for you, after all. Please, sit down and help yourselves." She gestured towards the platters of food lined up along the main table, as well as the seven empty chairs on either side of the table nearest to her own seat. "I made certain that my chefs prepared only everyone's favorite meals, after all…"

At the allure of food, the Konan Warriors at last forgot their modesty and remembered their stomachs. Kiori and Ritsuka – perhaps because they had never met any of these so-called "prestigious figures" before – led the way, plopping down and tearing into the food with a will; the others joined them soon after, if not quite as passionately. Although the two bandits managed to at least keep up a pretense of forgetting about the other guests, Akai and Aoi kept flushing whenever one of the ministers or magistrates would look their way, and Chichiri seemed positively terrified to be sitting amongst the greatest of Konan's leaders. Houki, noting her companions' nervous expressions, sat herself at the head of the table and struck up a conversation as if they were eating a perfectly normal meal.

"I hear you had a bit of a surprise from Takkan this afternoon."

"We did, Houki-sama, but Koji-san took care of it all! He's really amazing out there, you should've seen him!"

"Oh, Koji fought today? Strange, I thought Yukeda-sensei had ordered him to stay away."

"Ha, you thought right, but my pal never was one t'turn down a good fight. Woulda been there myself if I'd been able to fire an arrow, but this damned shoulder—er, sorry..."

"That is quite all right, Tasuki. You have done so much for Konan that a little language is easily overlooked."

"A little language? You shoulda heard the things he was callin' me this morning, Houki-sama! He said—"

"Can it, Red!"

"Don't look so shocked, Houki-sama, they act like that all the time na no da."

"The language of love is an odd one, isn't it?"

"Language of what, Kiori?"

"You deserve it after all the teasing you've been giving me. Mm, this is good!"

"Teasing? About what no da?"

"Because Kiori loves—"

"FRIED CHICKEN!"

"Da..."

"Ah-hem!" someone at one of the other tables coughed officiously and the group looked over, staring into the stern face of the Minister of the Left. Remembering exactly where they were eating, the Konan Warriors and Aoi glanced around, realizing that most eyes had turned to watch them and their unusual dinner conversation. They quickly fell into silence, waiting for the minister to continue. Once silence had fallen on the room, he coughed again and nodded towards Houki. "Your Majesty, while I realize our esteemed guests wish to continue their conversation, perhaps it would be best to move along with the ceremonies now. There is, if I am not mistaken, much that is scheduled on this lovely evening."

"Ah, yes," Houki agreed with a gracious smile, standing and offering that same smile to all of the guests. "Minna-sama, thank you all for coming tonight. I am aware that it was of some short notice, yet I see that not a person was forced to cancel, and for that I am most grateful. I also have a sneaking suspicion that this was due neither to my request nor to the excellent cuisine, but due to your respect for these exceptional people sitting before me, and for that I can only offer more of my whole-hearted agreement. Is there a more worthy reason to celebrate, I wonder, or more worthy people worth celebrating?" She turned her eyes towards the seven before her, who sat blinking up at her with wide, surprised eyes, then quickly looked back up at the nodding heads of her other attendees and continued:

"Legend had it for centuries that the seven stars of Suzaku would one day be gathered, and the people of Konan would be granted years of peace. As you know, this legend was fulfilled three years ago – with the help of two of the very people who sit here, I might add." Houki paused for rumbled murmurs of agreement and scattered applause, and had to fight back her laughter as Tasuki grinned at the crowd and Chichiri attempted to hide behind his teacup out of sheer embarrassment. "That legend has ended, and yet our people have once more been gripped by the hand of war. In times of need, perhaps what a nation calls for is not the aid of its god, but the aid of its most courageous people." She paused to smile again at her companions, her face brighter and younger than it had looked in many months. "The people who sit before me today were brought together by a strange twist of fate, and a riddle that had been widely dismissed as rubbish. Though perhaps less famous than our miko's legend, I believe that these magnificent soldiers, monks, doctors – and yes, even bandits – have more than proven their valor and dedication to this land, and shall no doubt be remembered as some of the great heroes of Konan's history."

The audience nodded, voicing its agreement in a polite murmur. Ritsuka took the momentary pause to stuff more noodles into her mouth, attempting to keep up a dignified air as she slurped them over her chopsticks. Houki waited until the cheers had died down before going on. "Though this war is not over – in fact, I fear that the worst may very well be before us – amazing feats have already been accomplished by the seven people who sit before me." Aoi's eyes widened at the comment, and Akai flashed him a brief, encouraging smile. "Each of them has bravely set their life on the line to protect our nation, and indeed many of them have suffered greatly for their courageous deeds. Yet despite these risks, these injuries, these moments of desperation, they have continued forward without complaint, doing what they must to protect our nation… and one another. Ladies and gentlemen of Konan, I have gathered you here to ask that you aid me in honoring these brave people of our land, for I can think of no others who deserve it as much."

Some of the younger officials stood, erupting into unabashed applause, and before long the older members joined in as well, banging on tables, clapping hands together, and shouting out their gratitude and respect for the flushing young men and women at the head of the center table. Ritsuka and the two bandits grinned back; Kiori, Akai and Aoi flushed and stared at their plates; and Chichiri seemed almost frozen to his seat. Snatching a glance at him, Houki had to stifle another chuckle. She leaned down and whispered into his ear, "They are cheering for you, my friend. The least you could do is acknowledge it."

"I… I didn't do anything worth mentioning, Houki-sama…"

"Oh? And I suppose you received those injuries fishing, then?"

He opened his mouth to protest again, but the others had noticed the conversation at this point and turned towards the monk. Ritsuka slapped him hand across the back and Tasuki clapped a hand to his shoulder, turning his friend towards the crowd of grateful, excited Konan politicians, aristocrats and soldiers, all gathered in one place to give thanks to those who had so selflessly protected their nation thus far. "C'mon 'Chiri, you oughta be soakin' this up!"

"Enjoy it, baka!" Ritsuka added with a cat-like grin. "If you're gonna get yourself beaten to a pulp and kidnapped by the Wicked Witch of the West, you might as well get a free banquet and some applause out of it!"

"After all," Kiori murmured quietly, "no one deserves it more than you, Chichiri. And I don't think anyone here would disagree with that."

"Hear, hear!" the Konan Warriors and Aoi all agreed with a roar of approval.

"I was… just doing what I had to do… no da…"

"Geeeeez, is this guy hopeless 'r what?" Koji cried with an exaggerated sigh. "I quit! Let's start praisin' someone else, okay? Like, hm… oh, how 'bout th' Empress givin' the speeches, huh? She's tossin' all these compliments on us an' is fergettin' thatshe's a Konan Warrior, too!"

Houki blushed at the remark, and the rest of the group, sensing her embarrassment, immediately added in their own bits, creating an impromptu speech for the young Empress.

"A leader that can't be misjudged, that's fer sure!"

"Always doing everything for the good of Konan!"

"The best Empress that could ever lead a nation no da!"

"Thinking ahead, staying on task, handling all that boring political stuff while we get to have fun!"

"An' a great Mama too!"

The crowd seemed only too happy to throw in another wave of applause, though Houki enjoyed this one much less than the others. "Ah, yes, well... doumo arigatou gozaimasu, minna-sama. I… thank you very much." She coughed nervously, hiding the action behind one of her layered sleeves, then turned to the Minister of the Left with another soft smile in place. "Well, while this is all very nice, I do believe there were some amusements scheduled for the evening, were there not?" The older man nodded and Houki breathed a sigh of relief. "Then it would be rude to ignore our esteemed entertainers. Minna-sama, if you would please retire to the inner chamber, you will see many splendid performances. I believe Kou-sama will be playing a beautiful piece on her erhu, and rumor has it that, if you encourage him a bit, Yuu-sama may regale us with some of his exquisite poetry…"

oOo

Far from the festivities of the Konan Palace, Kaze sat in the tiny back room of his small sanctuary, his eyes on the dim candle, a pellet rolling pensively back and forth between his fingers. The bedcovers at his side rose in ragged gasps as Tsuchi fought for air, conscious for the moment but still caught within Setsuka's cruel grasp. After several minutes his breathing evened out again, and Kaze knew that today's attack had at last ended. He said nothing for another long moment, though, eyes narrowing more and more as he stared into that tiny winking flame, Tsuchi's only light in this endless darkness.

'But maybe not…' he thought, almost timidly, almost as if he weren't quite sure if he should be thinking this – if he were even allowed to be thinking this. He bit hard at his lip, forcing himself not to feel frightened, forcing his uncertain thoughts to continue, to become certain, no matter what.'Maybe Tsuchi-kun, and Mizu-chan, and Sora, too… maybe they got another light they can start lookin' to. An' maybe that light c'n wipe out all-a these shadows fer good. An', jus' maybe… I c'd be that, fer all of 'em.'

"Nee, Tsuchi-kun?" Kaze murmured quietly, so quietly he knew the other boy couldn't hear him. "Whadda ya think would happen t' us if we jus' killed the bitch?"

oOo

The evening's entertainment carried far into the night, until the servants had to light the lamps in order for the performers and spectators to see properly. As the fireflies began to flutter in through the open windows, Houki at last called an end to the celebrations and encouraged her guests and friends to move out of the small rooms and into the courtyard for sake and star-gazing. Needless to say Tasuki and Koji agreed to this idea immediately, hauling their fellow warriors out into the open air and down to the sweeping gazebos and verandas that overlooked the palace pond. As the group waited for the officials to make their way down as well, Boshin tugged at his mother's skirts, waving a hand in front of his face. "Mama, Mama, is hot."

She looked down at the child and smiled. "It's not hot, Boshin-chan, it's just that you aren't used to wearing so many ceremonial layers of clothing."

"Yeah, is hot," he agreed.

"I hear that," Ritsuka agreed, waving her fan back and forth in front of her face. "I dunno how you do this every day, Houki-sama. Phew… we oughta just dive into the palace pond right now, huh Boshin-chan?"

"Yay, swimming!" Boshin cried, apparently taking Ritsuka's suggestion for a real one. He threw off the top layer of his robe and tossed himself into the shallow waters, grinning up at the rest of the warriors with a look of pure delight on his chubby face. "Is nice! Come on, Auntie Ritsuka, you can swim too!"

"Oh, dear, Boshin-chan…" Houki murmured, glancing nervously over her shoulder at the advancing magistrates. "That is no way for a young Emperor to act at all! If the Minister of the Left sees you…"

Akai jumped to her Empress' rescue, already peeling off the bright outermost layer of her garments as well. "It's all right, Houki-sama. I was thinking of going back to my room anyway, so I'll take him to Tai-san for you if you want."

"Wait, Akai! You worked so hard to look perfect for this!" Aoi protested, reaching for his friend's shirt. "I'll get him out, I shouldn't even be here, so—"

She shook her head hard, still hurrying towards the edge of the terrace. "Aoi, it's all right, you should drink sake with the boys and have a good time. I have to – to –" she tried to tug her sleeve out of his hold and threw herself off balance, teetering precariously over the edge of the pond. "Woah, woah, Aoi, let go, or – Boshin-chan, no!"

"Come on Akai, you play, too!" he cried cheerily, grabbing at her skirts and tugging her straight into the water, the off-balance Aoi splashing in after her.

Houki hid her face in her sleeves, but had to look up again at the sounds of mirth echoing from the edge of the pond. The two young warriors sat up to their waists in water, staring at each other and laughing uncontrollably, the smiling Boshin standing triumphantly between them.

"Hahaha, Aoi, you look like a wet cat!"

"Oh, yeah? Well, you look like a soggy carpet, with all those dresses you're wearing!"

"A soggy carpet, huh? Then let's see if we can't make you the matching curtains!" And with that she swept out a sleeve and splashed him straight across the face with a miniature wave of water. Aoi raised a hand to retaliate, but before he could fight back someone cried out "BANZAI!" and jumped into the pond, fancy robes and all, drenching the two young soldiers from head to toe.

They looked up to see Ritsuka standing in the shallows, gazing down at the two and grinning triumphantly. "HA! Now you're both soggy carpets, and I'm the one who's got to throw you out to the garb—!" Another wave of water smacked her in the face, stopping her speech halfway. She spat out the pond water and glared down at the little prince, smiling sweetly back at her as if nothing had happened. "Oh-ho, so the Emperor thinks he can take on Ritsuka the Great, does he? Well, we'll see about that!" She snapped her fingers and glared over her shoulder. "Come, my noble retainers, and vanquish this pint-sized tyrant for me!"

Koji sweatdropped. "She talkin' t' us?"

"Think so," Tasuki agreed with a sweatdrop of his own. "Look, Red, as much as I'd love t'embarrass myself in front-a th' crowd of ministers that's walkin' up that path, Yukeda-sensei'd bust a gut if I got this bandage-a his wet again t'day. He already had t'redo th' entire thing after you dragged me into the pond earlier, so—"

The four in the water silenced him by splashing up a great wave over the edge of the veranda, hitting both bandits squarely in their chests and removing any hopes they might have had of avoiding Yukeda's wrath. Ritsuka smirked up at Tasuki, hands on her hips. "Your excuses have been revoked, Tasuki-chan! Now get in here and help me vanquish!"

"No vankish, no vankish!" Boshin cried, splashing water and Ritsuka, and the chant was soon taken up by Akai and Aoi, who imitated the boy's speech perfectly.

"Yeah… I'm gonna let you work this one out on yer own," Tasuki grumbled, taking a step back from the veranda – and finding himself blocked by an equally soaked fellow bandit.

Koji grabbed him by his uninjured shoulder, staring into his eyes with so much seriousness that Tasuki was momentarily taken off-guard. "Now, Genrou… are you really gonna let one of our Honorary Bandits take a beatin' like that, an' from a bunch-a snot-nosed kids, too?" He clenched a fist and nodded, fire in his eyes. "No, sir, that ain't th' Reikaku Way! BANZAI!" And with a terrific push he shoved the unprepared Tasuki into the water, jumping in after him and immediately receiving a torrent of attacks from his two young friends.

"Snot-nosed kids, huh? Take that! And that!"

"Hah, that th' best you c'n do? C'mon, Genrou, they're gettin'payback from turnin' on me earlier! Let's show 'em how a real Reikaku battle is fought!"

"Hell no! I'm gettin' th' hell outta – eh? Oi, Akai, quit thatalready! Agh, dammit, I… okay, that's it, yer gonna get it now! Reikaku Tessen Special…!" Tasuki whipped the fan off his back and used it like a ladle, shoving a veritable tsunami over the three younger members of the water war and sending them tumbling back into the water. "Hah! Enemies vanquished, Red!"

"RETALIATION STRIKE!"

"Son of a… I need back-up here, Koji! Quick! These little bastards don't know when t'quit…!"

Chichiri shook his head and chuckled at the group's behavior, but his smile dropped when he looked over and saw Houki's head buried in her sleeves. "That…" she murmured to herself, voice muffled through the thick material.

"Hou… Houki-sama…" the monk glanced from the fighters in the water to the approaching, puzzled ministers, then back to the Empress. "Da… Houki-sama, I'm sorry. If they're really embarrassing you that much, I can ask them to stop no da."

Kiori nodded in anxious agreement, moving to place a comforting hand on Houki's shoulder. "Yeah, I know you put a lot of work into making sure this party went well, so…" But Kiori never finished her sentence, because as she drew nearer to the Empress she suddenly realized that her shoulders were shaking, and it wasn't from tears. "Um… Houki-sama?"

"That… that… oh, Chichiri, Kiori, I am sorry, but," Houki raised her head out of her sleeves, her face contorted with helpless giggles, "that looks like so much fun! It does not matter a bit to me what the officials shall think of it, my intention was only to make certain that my fellow warriors were able to enjoy themselves! Oh, and they truly are… I only wish I did not have my duties, otherwise I suspect I would be tempted to join them."

Chichiri and Kiori shot each other knowing looks over the Empress' head. "You know, Houki-sama…" Kiori began, leaning down to look into her friend's face. "The war against Ritsuka the Great and her wicked retainers takes place in a different nation."

"Eh? What do you mean by – oh!"

Chichiri and Kiori threw their weight into Houki's back and knocked her straight into the pond, where she fell with a startled splash right between the two warring sides and received four heavy splashes to the face before the others realized exactly who they were attacking. The battle came to an abrupt end as Akai rushed to her Empress' side, helping her to her feet and apologizing the entire way. "Oh my goodness, Houki-sama, I'm so sorry! Are you hurt? I never thought you'd fall in… here, here, let me help you out, I'm really so terribly sorry, we've caused a huge scene, haven't we?"

"Akai," Houki murmured, raising her dripping head out of the pond. "I have something I must confess to you."

"What is it, Houki-sama?"

The Empress of Konan drew herself within an inch of Akai's face nose – and grinned impishly. "I'm a spy for Ritsuka the Great," she announced, and tossed a handful of water straight into her Palace Champion's face.

"Aaah, Mama's a spy, Mama's a spy!" Boshin cried, attacking her with every bit of water his tiny hands could reach. "Stop her stop her stop her!"

"Waaaagh, we've gotta save the spy!" Ritsuka cried, dashing out further into the water to come to Houki's aid.

The two soldiers and two bandits stared at each other across the water as if trying to make sense of what in heaven's name had just happened… then seemed to realize that there wasn't anything to understand, and with twin cries of "Stop her!" and "Save the spy!" they promptly dove back into the battle, kicking up such a mess that the ministers on the veranda had to take a step back to avoid getting their cloaks drenched.

"You know," Chichiri murmured to the woman at his side, "Boshin-chan's side is outnumbered, now."

Kiori glanced over at him, her eyes filled with a strange mixture of excitement and reluctance. "Oh… but… I mean, you really can't join in, can you?"

"No," he agreed, smiling encouragingly. "But I was thinking of taking a seat on the edge of the veranda anyway, and maybe I'd shout out some advice to whatever team looks like it might be losing no da. People tell me I'm pretty good at that."

Her eyes snaked over to the water again, then back up to the monk. "You sure?" she murmured, maybe a little guiltily. There was no hesitation in his nod, though, and seeing that erased all of her doubts. "Okay, but don't blame me when Ritsuka-tachi come crying for help when my attack sends them running! Here I come, Boshin-chan, help is on the way!" She released her hold on Chichiri's arm and jumped into the water, promptly getting a pounding from four enemy soldiers.

"Oh no, it's Kiori the Terrible! Quick, my loyal retainers, attack, attack! We've got to hold the pass! Konya, oretachi jigoku de taberu!" (4)

Chichiri eased himself into a sitting position at the edge of the terrace, setting his staff at his side and heaving a sigh that was perhaps a little regretful. Someone held out a cup of tea in front of him and he took it, glancing over to see the Minister of the Left standing at his side, looking particularly ashamed at the little group's behavior. "Thank you, Kakka (Your Excellency). Is everything all right no da? You don't seem to be enjoying the celebration as much as the others."

The Minister coughed and straightened his robes. "Begging your pardon, Chichiri-sama, but I have a very difficult time enjoying myself in these situations. On the one hand, I feel it is my duty as Regent to correct the young Emperor's behavior, yet when I see his own mother participating as well… and might I add, Chichiri-sama, that I have never seen the Dowager Empress look as happy as she does now… I haven't the faintest idea what the proper ritual is for this situation."

"Maybe, in this situation…" Chichiri smiled and tipped his cup towards the older man. "One should just enjoy a cup of sake with his friends, and not worry about the proper ritual no da."

The older man's stern face crinkled into a quiet smile. "Hm. Superb advice, Chichiri-sama." The two watched in silence as the war within the pond seemed to draw to a close, the two sides meeting in the middle and convening quietly amongst themselves, throwing occasional glances at the shore. The minister took another sip of his sake and sighed. "I do fear the kind of gossip this will create… and I must ask myself – are these truly the noble warriors who stand between Konan and its enemies?"

Chichiri turned his gaze towards the star-streaked night sky, smiling quietly to himself. "They are, and do you know, Kakka? I don't think there are any better for the job, not on this world or any other." He looked back at the minister, a faint flash of mischief dancing across masked features. "By the way Kakka, could you take four steps backwards, please?"

"Ah… if you wish, Chichiri-sama…" the minister did as he said, watching the monk with a raised eyebrow. "But why—?"

"SNEAK ATTACK!" seven voices cried out as one, and the chibi Chichiri was hit with a wave of water that sent him tumbling over backwards, shouting a startled "Daaaaa!" the entire way.

"We beat the land-monster, we beat the land-monster!"

"I told ya we'd do it if we teamed up, Boshin-chan! Wanna call us friends now?"

"Yeah, I's friends wiff Ritsuka the Great, now! Can we make friends wiff the land-monster, too? I bet he wanna be friends now that we vankished him!"

Chichiri shoved himself into a sitting position, staring across the water at the little Emperor. "Vanquished me?" he repeated, rubbing at his sore ribs. "Well, Boshin-chan…" he smiled cheerily at the group, raising two fingers to his lips. "I don't know if I'd say that no da!"

"Aaaaah, it's a tsunami!"

"No, it's a wa—"

The next several seconds contained nothing but frantic splashing and blubbering noises from the group trapped beneath the miniature waterfall, though at last the deluge ended and they threw themselves across the side of the terrace, gasping for breath.

"Throw up the white flag, Boshin-chan! The land-monster is too strong for us!"

"Wow Mama, that was fun!"

"Fun? I do worry about your sense of 'fun' sometimes, dear."

"Shit, guys, I think Genrou drowned in th' blast! C'n you find him?"

"Waaagh!" Ritsuka fell over backwards, a spluttering Tasuki emerging from underneath her. "Haha, I found him for you, Ko-Ko!"

"Sonofabitch, 'Chiri! I thought ya were too drained t'do magic!"

"Magic? That wasn't magic no da," Chichiri assured him with another grin. "Now, if you want to see real magic…"

"We surrender, we surrender!"

The eight friends and comrades stared at one another, soaking wet and all smiles… and at last broke into helpless peals of laughter, their merriment carrying out past the pond, through the palace grounds, and far away into the starry night sky. The Takkan army sat at the horizon, Elements waited in the shadows, and Setsuka stood forever imposing in the distance. Yet somehow, on that murderously hot evening, surrounded by a gaggle of bewildered aristocrats and drenched from head to toe, each and every one of them – Emperors and Empresses, soldiers, doctors, monks, and yes, even bandits – couldn't help but look at one and chuckle, trading jokes and punches, and think, however wistfully, that they never, ever wanted this evening to end.

oOo

Setsuka paced her bedroom chamber, casting restless glances out her open windows at the winking constellations of Suzaku. She bared her teeth at them, certain they were laughing at her, and strode towards the frame, her nails digging long marks into the wood.

"Yes, yes, I know you're winning, I know it!" she screamed to the night sky. "I know I've been unfortunate, and I know that you are all laughing at my misfortunes! But these are merely minor mishaps, they haven't bothered me in the least! You fools can't keep up this streak of luck for long! I'll bide my time laying out my next plan, carefully, down to the last detail! And when I put it into action, you will die! You hear me, Konan Warriors? I, Rei Setsuka, Daughter to the Late Commander Rei Toushi, Lady of Takkan and future Empress of Konan, swear that I will send each and every one of you to the gates of Hell before this war is over, just see if I don't!"

oOo

"'The enraged Lady turned from the window, slamming her shutters tight and throwing herself onto the edge of her bed. Yet even as the flames of anger faded, a slow smile spread across her face, because her mind had already begun to think up her next move – a move that would, if performed properly, spell death for her enemies… Konan and Element alike.'" Tetsuya shivered and held the book away from him like it was poisoned. "End Chapter Twenty-One."

--
Tasuki: Things've quieted down here at Konan – well, if you count every other day attacks by some third-rate soldiers and their new half-wit general quietin' down. But I guess I can't complain too much - I'm healed up an' back out fightin' with Koji, and those Elements haven't shown their sorry faces in a while, so th' war's goin' pretty damn well when ya think about.

It looks like our break ain't gonna last much longer, though. Setsuka's taken her time cooking up her next plan, and it looks like it'll be time well-spent. Another Element's on the loose an' out fer blood, an' it don't look like this one'll be happy with jus' a simple duel.

On th' Next Episode of Fushigi Yuugi: The Next Chapter: "For th' Future - Th' Breakin' of the Wind an' Sky!"

Keep yer eyes open, guys! One way 'r another we're gonna whip this one, too!

---

End Notes

(1) Orange Range – a pop/rock group out of Japan, who specialize in cute ballads and ridiculously catchy dance tunes. I went ahead and posted "Onegai! Senorita" on my blog, because trust me – you'd pay good money to see the Konan boys singing it, too. :-) Just imagine them going at it karaoke-style when you listen. If you're not giggling before the first verse is over, then you might not be human.

(2) Tablets – In this scene, Sora is making a spirit-tablet (or more specifically, an ancestor tablet) for the "late" Hataku. These tablets are ritual objects usually seen in temples or at home altars, so Sora's method is quite unconventional – the fact that she's making one for Hataku at all is also unusual, as he is in no way related to her, but these are strange times our Elements are living in. They are created after the death of a family member and used as a way of honoring one's ancestor, as it is believed that part of the soul of the departed actually lives withinthe tablet for a time after the person's death. The tablets come from a mix of "popular" Chinese religion and Confucian ancestor worship, but Sora, who seems to be the most religious of the Takkan characters, is also using the tablet to serve another, more Buddhist purpose – for her, it functions as a spiritual medium that she can pray over in order to ask forgiveness for Hataku's crimes during life, in hopes that he can gain good karma and be reborn in a more pleasant form. (Interestingly, this enormous culture note is also proof of something equally important: your author is taking a very in-depth Eastern Civ class).

(3) Ran-shogun – Oh yeah, I made a Saiunkoku reference. Look for another one later. Hint: It involves an erhu. (And for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about – what've you been doing all these months? Buy that first DVD of The Story of Saiunkoku right this instant! Rob a hobo if you must for the money, just make it happen! This show is way too good for you to miss!)

(4) "Konya, oretachi jigoku de taberu!" – Somewhat liberally, it means "Tonight, we dine in hell!" Yes, the pop-culture-happy Ritsuka is quoting 300. Would you expect any less of her?

Ye Olde Author's Free Chat: November 26, 2007; 10:41 PM

Ni-hao, minna-san!

Yes, I've finally returned! And though you'll have to decide if the chapter was worth the wait, one thing is certain… it waslong! I couldn't really help it, though – I wound up revamping a ton, including a complete rewrite of the last few scenes, and one thing led to another… I think it looks longer than it really is, though, seeing as how the last part is mostly (silly) dialogue between the warriors. Hopefully it didn't take anyone too terribly long to read! I didn't want to cut it in half though because nothing terribly exciting happens, and I opted for one chapter of Cute Character Development instead of two. We get plot next time (yay, plot!)… though, with that episode preview, you might be wishing we weren't (sweat).

Now, about my long absence… excuses abound, but you don't need to worry about them. Just know that this might become the norm, and the main reason is this: I'm busy, busy, busy. I don't want to say that "FY:NC is going on hiatus" or anything like that, because that isn't really my intention, but just keep in mind that I've got a lot of other things going on right now, and fanfics are kind of on the back-burner. I'll keep trying, though, so I can give you that much at least. :)

This episode was enormous, so we'll skip on a Character Profile again. And there may not be Author's Notes for the next few of episodes due to various reasons. So… well, let's go ahead and say I'll throw together some more profiles when the "Third Season" of FY:NC kicks up on Episode Twenty-Seven (with a more serious storyline and brand new opening/ending themes!).

Thanks for sticking with me, everyone, and I'll see you in the next update, whenever that may be!

Back to work – Dee ;)