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: "Fude no Umi" (from Mushishi) for the opening dream sequence, and "Theme of Shuurei" (from Saiunkoku Monogatari) for Mizu's flashback scene. Once that flashback scene is over, playing "It's Only the Fairy Tale" is, as always, a good idea. Everything's available on me blog, as usual.

My roommate should win an award for her ability to put up with random fanfic crap. Last episode, I had her help me look up information on Chinese gateways because I needed to know whether Tasuki and Ritsuka would open the door or crank it up… And the best part is that I wound up forgoing the main gates altogether! (Ha-HA! Wasted efforts.) At least I searched for Chinese medicine on my own, this time... (Sweatdrop)

--Episode Twenty-Five: A New Arrival--
The Memories of a Former Ally

Yui glanced up at the clock, somewhat surprised to see that it was nearly three in the morning. "Hey, guys? Maybe we should take a break or something. After all, it is getting kind of late."

Keisuke tossed the high school girl a can of coffee as he plopped back onto the sofa, breaking open a bag of pretzels in the process. "Aw c'mon Yui, a good student like you should be used to all-nighters by now."

"Besides," Tetsuya added, "I couldn't sleep even if I tried, wondering what was gonna happen next."

Yui chuckled. "I guess you've got me there." She popped the top of her drink and took a quick sip, shaking her head and smiling. "Ah, much better." She glanced back down at the book, blinking sleepily and setting her finger to the top of the twenty-fifth chapter. "'While the bandit and the young woman led their new arrival to the main hall, a certain monk lay on his floor in a restless, fretful sleep...'"

oOo

Chichiri's feet sloshed through something cold and wet as he tried to grope about in the darkness. Every footfall brought forth another loud splash that echoed through the chamber, but beyond that no sound greeted his ears, and not a sight met his eyes. He stared hard into the gloom, pressing one hand forward and one hand back, when—

"Where are we?"

The monk whirled towards the familiar voice, surprised that he hadn't sensed a presence before. "Kiori? Is that you?" He reached through the darkness until their hands met and their fingers locked. "Stay close, okay? We'll find a way out of here soon no da."

"Mm," she replied, and Chichiri could picture her sad, cheerful smile even if he couldn't actually see it. "I trust you, Chichiri."

Side by side, the pair took a couple of tentative steps forward, the chill liquid splashing and soaking Chichiri up to his knees. One, two, three steps – and then the tips of his feet hit the side of a ledge, and the water at his feet turned into a sharp current. He jerked back in a hurry, almost falling over in his attempt to stay away from the watery precipice. "Kiori, wait—"

Chichiri heard a squeak next to him and felt Kiori's hand pulled roughly from his own. "Chichi—" But the word was drowned out by a hollow, echoing plunk, as if a stone had been thrown into a very deep lake, and then even that was swallowed by the darkness, and there was nothing but Chichiri and the gloom and the invisible, raging current.

"Kiori? Kiori!" He took a breath and braced his legs beneath him, ready to dive into the sweeping stream, when a pair of arms threw themselves around his waist and jerked him sharply backwards.

"Yamete! Yamete kudasai, Houjun!" a female voice cried, and Chichiri felt the strength slip out of his body as if swept away by the current. He opened his mouth to say something – he didn't know what – but that voice called out again, frantic, desperate, "You mustn't! It's too dangerous! You could – something might... I'm afraid for you. I can't stand it. Please, Houjun, just let her go."

He tensed again, shook his head, tried to get his arms to move but they refused, as if some invisible force held them pressed to his sides. He could use his voice, at least, and tried, however weakly, to break her hold on him. "But I have to – otherwise, she'll—"

"Please." Her arms tightened, her mouth tickled the back of his neck, her voice was a whisper that he remembered more than heard, tender and afraid but so certain of itself, just as it'd been on their first night together. "It's not worth it."

"But she—"

"Doesn't matter. After all, you don't even love her, right?"

Chichiri's eye snapped open only to find itself staring at a shadow-covered ceiling. He forced a heavy breath out of his mouth, pressing one shaky hand to his forehead and down over both eyelids. "Gods…" he whispered, pushing himself into a sitting position and fumbling with the little lamp on his nightstand. It took him nearly three tries to light it, but at last the flame took and the soft beams flooded the room, throwing him back into the safety of reality. Chichiri grappled for his mask, pressing it hard into his skin as he forced his breathing to return to normal. 'Calm down,' he scolded himself. 'You're acting like a child. It was just a dream, after all. It wasn't real, so calm down…'

His eye flicked to the bed at his side, then over to the young woman curled up at the foot of it, her chest rising and falling with a steady, peaceful rhythm. He sighed and rose, taking a timid seat on the edge of the bed, his eyes still studying Kiori's sleeping features. 'You were so confident in me, weren't you?' he found himself thinking, perhaps a bit dazedly. 'Gomen. I really did want to save you, there at the end… only, for some reason…'

"After all," the dream's voice echoed back through the room, "you don't even love her, right?"

He frowned, reaching forward to touch at her cheek as if he needed to assure himself that she was real, that it really had only been a dream. 'That's… a complicated question… isn't it, no da…?'

Kiori's eyelids flickered and Chichiri pulled his hand away. "Mm..." she murmured, and he realized with some measure of guilt that there was a lot of happiness in that sound. Her eyes fluttered open halfway, and she blinked in the lamplight. They trailed across the ceiling and towards the monk's masked face – and then, without any warning whatsoever, her eyes snapped open and her ki screamed danger! so loudly that Chichiri glanced away, half-expecting to see someone standing behind him – which was the exact moment that Kiori screamed and lashed out with her foot, catching the monk square in the chin and sending him head over heels off the bed with a surprised "Daaaaa!"

The young woman sat up, fully awake and blinking wide, though this was all lost on Chichiri as he had somehow found his head buried in the floor. "Chi-Chichiri?" she squeaked, leaning over the edge of the bed, her hands clutched nervously to her chest. "Da… daijoubu ka?"

He flashed a shaky, upside-down victory sign. "Daijoubu na no da."

Kiori rubbed at the back of her head and blushed to the tips of her ears. "I… Sorry. When a girl wakes up with a guy leaning over her, and she's already half-asleep, she sort've... er… It's instinct, y'know?"

"My fault no da," he muffled from within the cracked floorboards. "Do you think you could give me a hand?"

She nodded vigorously. "Oh right sure!" She took a hold of the monk's feet and tugged as hard as she could, until after a few pulls Chichiri came free with a resounding pop! He sat on the floor for a few minutes, shaking his head to clear it of the sawdust, while Kiori fluttered around him, dusting him off and apologizing the entire way.

"I really am sorry about that, but I didn't have any idea who you were right away, so I just sort of reacted... I hope you didn't break any bones, no concussion or anything, right? Next time I'll wait until I'm completely awake before beating the living daylights out of the first thing I see, ah-heh-heh..." She flushed a bit and glanced around. "Er, speaking of which, can I ask what I'm doing in your room in the middle of the night?"

"Oh, we were working on the legend, and you fell asleep no da. I didn't want to wake you, so I just gave you the bed and slept on the floor. No harm done, right?"

She chuckled. "Not until I woke up and put a crater in your floor." Kiori hesitated, uncertain about her second question. She took a seat on the floor across from Chichiri, frowning a bit. "So... why were you, y'know, leaning over me just then...?"

Chichiri's shoulders tensed. "Well, about that..." He took a deep breath and looked back up at her, and for the first time in a long time Kiori sensed open honesty on his masked face. "The truth is, I—"

The door to his room flew open with a clatter and in barged Ritsuka, swinging her arms, scowling, and looking terribly self-important. "Wake up Chichiri-chan, we got ourselves a Code 1-2-4 in the main..." she trailed off as she realized that Chichiri was awake – and that he wasn't alone. Ritsuka cocked her head to the side for a long moment, taking in their mussed clothing and rumpled hair, then pressed a hand to her mouth to hide her smile. "Oh-ho, I didn't know I was interrupting anything..."

Kiori felt her face heat up and she hurriedly stood, looking away from Chichiri. "You weren't interrupting anything, baka. We'd only just woken up, is all—" Ritsuka smirk grew wider "—because Chichiri let me sleep in his room—" and wider "—because I'd already fallen asleep on his bed—" and wider still "— after reading through a bunch of scrolls!" Kiori finished in a breathless hurry, her face a flustered shade of crimson.

"I'm so sure," Ritsuka drawled, shooting the pair a sideways glance and a knowing shrug. "Well, I was going to tell you we've got an interesting visitor, but maybe it's better if I just leave you alone." Her eyes widened as she noticed the growing knot on Chichiri's forehead, and she could barely contain her giggles as she snaked an accusing glare at her best friend. "Damn, Kiori, I never knew you liked it so rough—"

Kiori tackled her friend to the ground, clapping one hand over her mouth and thumping her over the head with the other, punctuating each word with another thwack to the skull. "Just – shut – up – already – and – lead – us – to – this – visitor!"

Chichiri grabbed Kiori from behind and dragged her off the redhead. "Take it easy no da! It was just a stupid joke, and besides, it's too late to get into a fistfight!"

The redhead pointed a wobbling finger in the general direction of the pair. "I agree completely with those three Chichiris... Itai..."

oOo

Ritsuka arrived in Houki's private sitting room, leading the parade of yawning Konan Warriors to where Tasuki sat, guarding their new arrival. The seishi's sword lay unused across his lap, though he kept his eyes placed firmly on the former shogun and a hand near his sword hilt. He only paused to glance up when he heard the door open and the tromp of feet march into the room.

"Okay Tasuki-sama, who's this 'guest' Ritsuka-san keeps mentioning?" Akai grumbled, rubbing at a tired eye. "And is it really so important that you had to wake all of..." she trailed off, gaze falling on the man in the chair at the far side of the room. She stared at him for a few moments, confused by the gloom and his injuries, until finally the face found a match in her memories and she jumped back a full yard, pointing a disbelieving finger at his nose. "You?"

Hataku managed the flicker of a humorless smile. "Nice to see you again as well."

Houki glanced back and forth between the repulsed Konan Warrior and the stranger. "Have the two of you… met before?"

"I'd say we all know him, Houki-sama," Chichiri said, hands already half-gripped in a spell. "That's Shogun Watanabe Hataku, you met him the first day of the war no da."

The Empress' hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, my! What in the world is the shogun of Takkan doing here?"

"Former shogun," Hataku corrected.

"Former?"

He nodded, pushing himself out of his chair with a small grimace. He took a step towards Houki, then checked himself when he saw the two seishi flicker crimson, and settled for a low bow from across the room. "I apologize for being unable to kowtow, Dowager Empress, but recent injuries have rendered me incapable of displaying the proper amount of respect to a leader such as yourself. I hope you will not think the less of me for that. As it is, I am truly honored to stand in your presence."

The words flowed out of his mouth smoothly, with the exact amount of humility and respect that ritual demanded. Houki couldn't help but feel her mouth quirk upwards into a little smile. "Such apologies are quite unnecessary. I would like to extend the same greeting to your honorable self – however, I am a bit puzzled by your arrival at the palace. So for the moment, why don't we forgo ritual and make ourselves comfortable, Former Shogun-sama?"

Hataku rose from his half-bow and Chichiri angled himself forward so he was standing between the Takkan man and the Empress. Hataku did not miss the subtle movement, and couldn't suppress another sardonic smile. "Calm down, Suzaku no Chichiri. I have no intention of attacking anyone in this palace, and even if I did I wouldn't be stupid enough to try it now. I've seen the sort of damage you and your friend can do to a soldier who is in a condition to fight – imagine what might happen to an unarmed cripple?"

The monk nodded, dropping his hands but never letting himself relax. "Tasuki, what's he doing here no da?"

The bandit seishi put his hands behind his head, shrugging. "He says he wants t'give us some information on Setsuka. He won't tell me nothin' else, said he didn't wanna have t'repeat everythin' t'the rest of you."

Akai sat cross-legged on the floor as far away from the former shogun as the cozy room would allow. She glared at him through narrowed eyes. "Well, we're here. Let's hear some explanations."

"Akai, there is no reason to be so hostile," Houki reprimanded. Chichiri offered her the final chair in the room and she accepted it, scooting in so she could sit a bit closer to Hataku and nodding to the others to do the same. Warily, they followed suit. The Empress signaled to a servant waiting in the wings. "Hataku-san, is there anything you need? I imagine you have been traveling for some time." The former shogun sat up a little straighter in his seat, then relaxed again and shook his head. Houki noticed the slight movement and whispered a few directions into the servant's ear, who nodded once and disappeared through a back door.

Once he had left, Chichiri set his chin in his hands, watching the disfigured man carefully. "If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you a couple questions about yourself and Setsuka no da."

Hataku held up a hand. "Before I tell you anything, I need to be sure that you won't simply kill me afterwards."

Kiori's eyes widened. "You really think we'd do something like that?"

Hataku shrugged. "You'd be surprised what some people might do in the middle of a war. I'd rather not take chances – I've been 'killed' once already, and once was quite enough."

"If you already don't trust us, then what'll a promise do for you?" Ritsuka asked.

His eye flickered over to the Empress. "I've studied Konan's brand of diplomacy for the past couple years. You may not always tell your opponent all the details, but you are always true to whatever you do tell them. And, you've allowed me into your palace on my word. It seems to me that the least I can do is trust you on yours as well."

Tasuki smothered a yawn. "Yeah, yeah, we ain't gonna kill ya. Swear on our lives, 'r whatever y'want us t'swear on. That good enough for ya?" He nodded. "Great, now can we get on with this b'fore I fall asleep?"

"Then I'll tell you everything you wish to know about Setsuka to the best of my ability, and questions about myself to a certain extent. Is that fair?" Nearly every head in the room nodded in assent. "Then what do you want to know?"

"Why did you leave the Takkan army no da?" Chichiri asked at the same time that Ritsuka said, "What made you turn on Setsuka?"

Hataku's hands clenched in his lap. "We had been at odds with each other for some time. Disagreements about the nation, among… other things. Even so, I had no real intention of turning on that woman... she was the one who turned on me. How else do you think I wound up looking like this?"

"Setsuka tried to kill you?" Kiori whispered.

"She had me beaten to death, or at least that was the intent. I happen to have an odd streak of luck, though, and thanks to some friends I managed to survive." He flashed another dry almost-smile in the young woman's direction. "More or less, anyway."

The Empress patted at her arms to ward off a shudder. "But why in Heaven's name would she do such a thing to you?"

"I was, in all likelihood, the only person in Takkan with the ability to overthrow her," Hataku said, but the words sounded hollow, almost as if he had rehearsed them. "Someone like that can either be your greatest ally or your most bitter rival, and Setsuka chose to make me her rival. Because of that, I became a threat to her position and had to be disposed of. I imagine a leader such as yourself, Majesty, would understand that."

"I cannot say I do," Houki murmured. "Oh, but I can tell you do not wish to speak of this. Shall we change the subject?"

"Good idea. I got a question, actually," Tasuki said, drumming his fingers across his knee. "Well, it's really more like a couple questions. Th' Elements, an' their connection t'Setsuka... how's that work out? An' why're they attackin' Konan? More importantly, who the hell prophesized this stupid legend in th' first place?"

Hataku blinked at the long string of questions. "I was hoping for one at a time, not ten all at once. Still, being an Element yourself I can understand why you'd be curious."

"I'm no Element, an' don't you ever ferget that!" Tasuki snarled.

His hand reached for his sword hilt, but Hataku never flinched. "You know you are, so why try to deny it? You should be proud that you are one and still managed to resist her. Even those who aren't directly connected to that woman have a hard time saying 'no' when she uses that power of hers."

"Power?" Chichiri repeated. "What kind of power no da?"

"And while we're on the subject," Akai began tersely, speaking up for the first time, "why would you know so much about Setsuka anyway?"

"Hm..." Hataku considered this for a moment, rubbing a hand absent-mindedly against his injured knee. "Well, to answer everything you want to know, I'll probably have to go into a bit of Takkan history."

"Oh, joy," Ritsuka said, voice dripping sarcasm. "Nothing like a good story at three in the morning."

Hataku's eye narrowed a fraction of an inch. "Would it be more convenient for you if we continued this in the morning, Konan Warrior?"

"My name is Ikido Ritsuka, Ikido-sama to you, and—"

But before she could get any farther Tasuki whacked her over the head with his tessen, eyebrow twitching into his hairline. "Oh, give it a rest. Believe it 'r not, I kinda wanna know why the hell I'm supposed t'be Setsuka's little pet." He nodded to Hataku. "Ignore her, she jus' likes t'get inta pissin' matches with newcomers."

Ritsuka rubbed at the quickly forming lump on her head. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Sorry."

"Very well, then..." Hataku leaned back in his chair, eye sweeping across the room until at last falling on the open window, and the few stars twinkling outside of it. "As you might already know, seventeen years ago the late Toushi-sama – Setsuka's father – began a concentrated movement in Takkan to bring down the lord who had been oppressing our people for years. I was fourteen at the time, and really much too young to join his military..."

vVvVvVvVvVvVvVvVvVvVv

The boy pressed his arms to his sides, perhaps a little tenser than etiquette demanded, yet despite his nerves he never once recoiled from the searching, puzzled gaze of the lion-like man sitting at the desk across from him. Rei Toushi, commander of the Takkan Revolutionary Forces, set his brush back down atop his ink stone, pressing his hands to the table and scrutinizing the child for another long, silent moment. At last he offered a quirked eyebrow and an uncertain frown, and said, "Are you... lost, maybe?"

"No, Rei-sama," he said, his voice cracking for a fraction of a second on the end of the man's name. He winced at his own youth but continued. "I'm here to sign up. To fight."

"Fight?" Toushi bit his lip and looked down, but the boy didn't miss the snort of a laugh that snuck out between his teeth. "Listen, son, I don't think you understand what you're getting into. And anyway, no one under seventeen is allowed to join. Sorry." He took up his brush again and resumed his correspondence. The boy didn't budge, though, and eventually Toushi's eyes flicked up again. "Well? What now? Go on home, you should be helping your father in the fields, not trying to sign up for the army."

"My father's dead, sir," the boy said flatly.

The commander's head jerked up at that. "What's your name, son?"

"Watanabe Hataku, sir."

His eyes widened. "The loyalist's son?"

"No, sir. Tadashi was my uncle. But – but he did teach me how to use a sword, a little bit, before he…" he swallowed, hands clenching at his sides. "His brother, the former Vice-Minister Eisai… he was my father, sir."

"I thought after that bastard Chou took over he just stripped the former officials of their titles – I didn't think he killed them."

"He didn't, sir. It was the Wet Summer Sickness, this past season."

Toushi softened a bit. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that. I respected your uncle greatly, and I only ever heard good things about the former Vice-Minister. You come from a good family, son – see that you take care of it."

"That's just it, sir," Hataku said, straightening again. "I don't see how I can take care of it right now. My family, we might have a 'good name' but that's all Chou left us, and with my father and uncle gone… we need money, sir. That's why I have to enlist – it's the only job available anymore. I can fight well enough, so I won't get in the way—"

"Absolutely not," Toushi interrupted, all steel once again. "I'm not so desperate that I'd send a child out into that bloodshed. The very idea is sickening."

"There has to be something I can do, though!" he pleaded, composure at last giving way to desperation. "It doesn't really matter what, so long as it pays enough to keep us off the streets. Please, Rei-sama?"

"Listen, I—"

"Chichi-ue (Father)!" Man and boy alike turned towards the tent's entrance just in time to see a girl, golden hair unbound, throw back the flap and race in, nearly bowling over Hataku as she ran to the side of Toushi's writing desk. She held up the torn hem of her skirt, flicking a bit of dirt off of it as she smiled winningly at the older man. "Chichi-ue, can you fix this for me? I had an… accident."

"Don't tell me you got into another fight?"

She stared back at him with hard, stubborn eyes. "Some of the soldiers' boys were teasing me again, saying all sorts of nasty things about my hair color and Haha-ue (Mother). I can't stand it! Haha-ue might've been a foreigner, but I'm also the daughter of a former Takkan emissary who's gonna be the future Lord of Takkan! I'm just as much one of them as they are, and even more!"

Toushi pressed thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose. "Be that as it may, you are the daughter of a former emissary, and as such you need to carry yourself with grace. Getting into fights all the time is absolutely unacceptable."

Her lower lip quivered. "I'm sorry, Chichi-ue… I just…"

"Oh, don't cry," he said in a hurry, reaching forward to pat at her cheek. "I'm to blame as well. You don't have a mother to teach you these things, and you're by yourself so much that it's only natural that you'd get into trouble from time to time."

Hataku shifted, and the sound drew the girl's attention. "Mm? And who's this, Chichi-ue? He's too young to be a soldier." She marched right over to him, her enchanting silver eyes scrutinizing him from top to bottom. "Doesn't look like a normal commoner, either. Hey, Nii-san," she said, and Hataku felt himself stiffen up so tight he thought he might snap right down the center, "what're you doing here, hmmm?"

He swallowed hard and opened his mouth to attempt a reply, but Toushi swept forward, stepping between the two and smiling winningly at first Hataku and then at his daughter. "Actually, this is your guardian. I've only just hired him to look after you during the war, to keep you out of trouble and make sure that nothing happens to you."

"You have?" the boy gasped, at the same time the girl asked, "You did?"

Toushi nodded, setting a hand to his daughter's shoulder and nodding at Hataku. "That's right. I think the two of you will make a suitable pair. Of course, it's only temporary, but—"

"Nice to meet you," the girl interrupted. "I'm Setsuka. And what's your name, Guardian-san?"

"Hataku," he said quietly, bowing low towards his young charge and mistress. "My name is Watanabe Hataku… Setsuka-sama."

vVvVvVvVvVvVvVvVvVvVv

"Wow, so you've known her for seventeen years, huh?" Ritsuka chuckled, flopping back onto the floor. "That must've been seventeen years of hell."

"On the contrary, some of the best years of my life were when I was serving under Setsuka and her father," Hataku said. "That woman is sometimes a difficult person to deal with – she's the daughter of a lord, after all, it's really only natural that she'd be as stubborn as she is – but things were always…" he hesitated, as if searching for the correct word, then finally settled on, "pleasant between us, until recently."

"Have you been serving Takkan all those years?" Kiori asked.

"I didn't spend all of that time fighting – by Toushi-sama's own laws, I wasn't even allowed to see real combat until I was seventeen." He shook his head. "But I'm getting off-topic. You wanted to know about that woman and her Elements."

Tasuki leaned forward, hands gripping his knees. "That's right. Tell me what gives her th' ability t'get a hold on all of us – on all of them, I mean. How's she got that power t'try t'control 'em?"

Hataku opened his mouth to reply, but paused as the rear door of the study opened and the servant returned, bearing a tray filled with teapot and cups. He slid it wordlessly on the little table in front of Houki, Hataku, and Tasuki, then bowed and left once again. Hataku looked to the Empress, eyebrows raised in a silent question, but she merely smiled and poured out a cup of tea, pushing it across the table to him. He stared at it for several seconds before accepting it, watching with a puzzled frown as she did the same for the rest of her companions. Houki must have noticed his eyes on her, because she glanced up and waved her free hand at him. "Oh, please, do not let me distract you. I believe you were explaining the relationship between Setsuka and her Elements?"

"Oh, of course…" he said, taking a pensive sip of his tea. "Well, when Setsuka came to Konan, did you notice the necklace she wore?"

Ritsuka nodded. "It caught my eye right away, what with the different colored gems and all."

"That's her link to the Elements."

"That's it?" Tasuki snapped. "Some stupid jewels on a string? You've gotta be bullshittin'—" he stopped short, the memory of Setsuka pinching at that bright red gem right before he'd doubled over in pain running through his head. He sat back hard in his chair. "Oh."

Chichiri frowned at his friend, then turned his attention back to Hataku. "Let me guess: seven gems, one for each Element no da." The former shogun nodded. "That makes some sense, but... you wouldn't happen to know exactly how it works, would you?"

"Not exactly, no. That woman – Setsuka," he forced out her name through clenched teeth, "never spoke to me about it. All I can tell you is what Toushi-sama told me, five years ago, and just months before he passed away…"

vVvVvVvVvVvVvVvVvVvVv

"Setsuka, I want you to have something before I leave."

"Oh? A going-away present, Chichi-ue? What is it?"

The Lord of Takkan chuckled as his daughter flounced up to him, childlike in her excitement despite the fact that she was already several years past adolescence. "Just a moment." He reached into his satchel, digging around until he pulled out an embroidered handkerchief. He unwrapped it slowly, presenting his daughter with a seven-jeweled necklace strung onto a thin strand of gold. "Here. I've been meaning to give this to you for a while. It belonged to your mother, a long time ago. Now seems like an appropriate time to give it to you."

The young Lady accepted the gift, holding it lightly between her fingers and turning it in every direction to watch the different colors sparkle and shimmer. "Ara! It's beautiful! But why did you wait so long to give it to me?"

He took the jewelry back from her, reaching behind her with both hands so he could clasp it around her neck. "Because this, my dear daughter, is no ordinary necklace. When you were born, the midwife found that golden string wrapped around your hand, sparkling and shimmering just as it is now."

"Be serious!"

"I am being serious," he assured her. "Your mother said it was a gift from the gods, a charm for her daughter's protection, so she wrapped it in silk and kept it tucked in her dresses wherever she went. When she passed away, she gave it to me, and now I'm giving it back to you. That's the truth of it."

She pursed her lips in a teasing challenge. "Very well, then. If I was born with the gold, then what about the jewels? I suppose a dragon floated down on a cloud and gave them to you?"

His smile faded half an inch. "No. Your mother discovered them, just a few years after you were born, at the shrine that belonged to her parents' tribe. Do you remember that?" She nodded, a little uncertainly, and he continued. "The night your mother found them, they were all lackluster, nothing worth mentioning. Over the years, though, they've gained that inner shine, see?" She fondled the white one between her fingers, eyes sparkling at the little glow that seemed to emanate from within the gem. "Your mother told me, when she gave them to me – she told me they were another gift, to protect you, because you were going to be someone very powerful and great one day. She said that she dreamed of your future. I'll never forget the words she told me, that night when – well, let me recite it to you."

"Please do! I didn't realize my life was so exciting!"

Toushi managed a weak chuckle, then recited:

"A piece of a soul
Living within each gem
Give it to the child
Who can rule over them
Take the great nation
And make it your own
With the help of the seven
Yours is the throne."

"Lovely words, Chichi-ue," Setsuka remarked with a pensive frown, "but what are they supposed to mean?"

"That," he said with another forced laugh, "I don't know. But it can't be anything but good fortune, I think. The way I see it, you might just be destined to possess seven powerful allies, connected to you by this necklace which the fates have granted you."

"Just like a miko!" she said excitedly.

"That's true. And you'll be taking a 'great nation' and making it your own – I'd say Takkan is going to be in capable hands, don't you?"

"You think it refers to Takkan?" she repeated, still frowning down at the sparkling jewels. "I wonder…"

"Whatever it's about, I'm sure you'll handle it capably. But Setsuka, there's no need to rush into anything. A good leader always bides their time, like the patient bird of prey. Remember?"

She nodded, now moving her fingers on to the blood-colored gem. "Of course, Chichi-ue. I never forget anything you teach me, especially if it involves governing Takkan."

"Good," he patted her cheek fondly, tossing his satchel back over his shoulder. "Well, that border won't hold itself. I need to be going. If for any reason I don't come back, then I want you to seek out those 'souls' of yours as soon as possible. I imagine those gems will lead you to them, and if you're ever lost, then don't hesitate to pray to your mother's memorial shrine for aid. It's always done me a world of good when I've been in a bind." He glanced over her shoulder at the dutiful young soldier standing by the doorway, now a taii (captain) in the Palace Guard. "And I'm sure you'll have plenty of help from Hataku as well."

"Don't you dare talk like that!" Setsuka cried, hugging him fiercely. "It's bad luck to act like you've already been killed on the battlefield! I don't even see why you have to go in the first place, just because Konan asked for some extra help. It's not our border that Kutou's sneaking up on."

"No," Toushi agreed. "But if Konan were to fall to Kutou, where do you think that bloodthirsty nation would look next? A small patch of fertile ground just to the north would be pretty tempting, I imagine. Besides," he added, untangling her arms from his neck, "they were good to me during my campaign against the Deposed Lord Chou. I intend to settle those debts."

"I suppose," Setsuka agreed reluctantly. She opened her mouth to say something else, then shook her head and forced a smile. "Well, I'll make sure to keep the nation running smoothly while you're away. And when you and the rest of the men return, I'll play hostess for the victory celebrations."

"That's an excellent plan. Be a good girl until I come home, then, and don't go beheading any unruly guards."

She stifled a giggle behind her sleeves. "I'll do my best, Chichi-ue!"

Toushi headed for the door of his private study, pausing for just a moment to sneak a glance at the young taii out of the corner of his eye. "Oh, Hataku. Spare a minute of your time and walk me to the gates, will you?"

His eyes widened at the sudden request, but he nodded and, after bowing a short farewell to Setsuka, followed the Takkan Lord into the halls. They walked in silence for some time, until at last Toushi sighed heavily. "I don't think I'll be coming back alive this time, Hataku."

The sudden remark made the young taii pull to a sharp halt. "What? B-but how can you say that when—?"

Toushi chuckled dryly. "When what? When I'm the best swordsmen in Takkan? When I've won so many campaigns in the past? When my daughter will miss me so terribly? When you will miss me so terribly?" Hataku's eyes dropped to the ground on this last one, so he missed the sympathetic smile that flickered across Toushi's lips. "Those are all compelling arguments, but I don't think the Kutou attackers are going to take that into account. They're skilled, Hataku, and they have the numbers. I'll do what I can to help discourage them from declaring an all-out war, but at this point I think we're just prolonging the inevitable. I only hope Konan can hold out when the time comes. Tell my daughter to give them some aid, would you? I don't think I'll be here to do it myself."

"Ha…Hai, Toushi-sama," he agreed in a defeated murmur.

"Oh, now don't act as if I'm already in my burial garments. I could be very wrong about this." Hataku merely nodded, so Toushi shook his head and pushed open the front doors of the palace building, stepping out onto the path that led to the stables. "At any rate, that's not why I asked you to escort me. Hataku, you joined my military because you needed the money, do you remember that?" He nodded again. "It doesn't pay as much as it should, does it?"

"My family… has what they need," he said carefully. "They get by."

"True, but there is better work for a well-educated man like yourself, isn't there? After a few years of study, you could even take and pass the exams, I'd imagine. Get yourself a respectable position in one of the outer villages; settle down with a wife, perhaps?" Hataku nodded again, reluctantly this time. "So why haven't you, Hataku? Why do you stay around here when you could be doing so much better for yourself?"

"Why?" The young soldier glanced away. "Because I… well, I respect you, Toushi-sama. I wouldn't feel right simply deserting you after everything you've done for me. And besides, Setsuka would be upset if I left." He stiffened, practically coming to attention as he added in a nervous rush, "S-since we're such close friends, I mean to say, sir."

"Indeed," Toushi agreed, a brief smile twitching at the corner of his mouth. The little grin did not last long, though, as his gaze traveled out across the courtyard, towards the gardens and the palace gates, and perhaps even out into the sprawling cities and villages of all of Takkan. "Hataku, I'm a talented campaigner, but I can't for the life of me figure out what's going to happen next to this country. Setsuka has a good heart, but she's never really had to work for anything, not the way you and I have at least. I'm glad I could give her this privileged life, but it's left her with an innocent sort of selfishness that, quite frankly, makes her unfit to rule Takkan. Do you remember when she met that homeless boy in the marketplace?"

Hataku chuckled. "I remember chasing her down the hallways while she raged at Vice-Minister Bu, demanding that he find a way to appropriate funds to build a proper orphanage in the city."

"And I remember Vice-Minister Bu chasing me down the hallways, begging me to explain economic policy and budgeting to my 'stubborn daughter,'" Toushi finished with a little laugh of his own. "That's what I mean, though. She's so passionate and creative, but I see her trying to do great things for one person at the cost of the entire nation. And now that I've given her that damned necklace, I'm even less certain of the future. No doubt she'll attack the mystery of those 'seven souls,' maybe ignoring Takkan entirely. It's a shaky situation, Hataku."

"If it's such a concern, why did you give it to her in the first place, Toushi-sama?"

"Because it was the last thing my wife begged of me." He paused, pressing a hand to a nearby cedar tree and rubbing the other over his eyes, and for the first time since Hataku had met him he truly looked like a man with a nation pressed upon his shoulders. "Those jewels killed her," he said, so suddenly that the young taii jumped a bit. "I was still stationed on the Kutou border, as a foreign emissary. Setsuka was barely a toddler. Eimin and I went to visit her parents' tribe, and she left me for a few hours to offer libations at her people's shrine. We needed to get back for an important meeting, though, so I went looking for her. I found her on the floor of that shrine, seven jewels cradled in her hands and blood covering her from chin to chest. She didn't survive the week."

"Gods," Hataku gasped. "So… so one of her gods put those things… they put them inside of her?"

"She accepted them willingly," Toushi said. "She told me so. And she knew, I think, that she wasn't going to survive it. That last week, she could barely recognize or remember anything, but she begged me again and again to make certain I gave 'the gifts' to Setsuka when she was of age. She said it was 'his' will, and she seemed genuinely terrified of what might happen if I didn't. After she died, I thought about throwing the damned thing into the ocean, but I loved my wife too much for that. I couldn't betray her last wish. Whether that was the right decision or not… There's a power in that necklace, Hataku," he said. "I've been protecting it for over twenty years, and it's not even intended for me, and I can feel it. There are people inside of those gems, and their pain and joy and anger is all there, and when you touch them, it's as if all of those emotions belong to you as well. It would be only too easy to drown in something like that, I think."

Hataku frowned, his eyes flickering back to the palace stretching out behind them, and to the carefree young woman within it. "I don't think I'd wish that kind of power on anyone, if you don't mind my saying so, sir."

"Neither would I," Toushi agreed. "But I think this has progressed far past something that either of us can wish or not wish for, Hataku. All we can do now is look out for my daughter, and help her and protect her, and hope that her own strength and good heart will allow her to conquer whatever it is the stars have planned out for her." His gaze followed Hataku's back to the palace, and he finished in a wistful murmur, "More and more, though, I'm beginning to think that I won't be around to do that."

"You know I'll always be with her," Hataku assured him. He flushed as soon as the words had left his mouth and added in yet another frantic, stammering burst, "I-I just mean, for as long as she needs me to protect her, as you yourself hired me to do, my Lord."

Toushi chuckled. "Setsuka is going to need a lot more than a guardian in the years to come. She's going to need someone who will take care of her, no matter the circumstances. Someone who she can always count on to stand beside her, and catch her if she stumbles, and make sure her feet never stray too far from the proper path. What my daughter needs, Hataku, is a husband."

"S... Sir?"

Toushi studied his jacket, brushing a fleck of dust off of the sleeve. "How would you like to be the Lord of Takkan, Hataku?"

The young soldier felt his jaw drop open. "B-but my Lord, I'm not – I mean, I'm just a commoner, really. Politically, it wouldn't—"

"What? Are you suggesting I marry my daughter to some empty-headed foreign prince just so Takkan can enjoy a few extra trading privileges?" Toushi snorted. "I'm not building this nation on the broken principles of the empires. You should know that by now. I want the next Lord of Takkan to be someone who can handle the responsibilities of running a nation, and I'd give the title to a farm boy if I thought he could meet those requirements."

"A-and… you think that I…?"

Toushi looked up at last, smiling at the young man across from him. "I took a liking to you the moment you arrived in my office, you know. You've got a good, solid head on your shoulders, and a streak of toughness that my daughter could never hope to possess. You know how to deal with adversity, and you're familiar with the sometimes desperate conditions of the common people. What's more, Setsuka likes you. I'd dare say she's in love with you, but I suppose you'd know that far better than I would. And naturally your family could come live with you in the palace, which would help their situation a good deal, I should think. Of course, if you oppose the idea…"

"Oh, no, Toushi-sama!" Hataku yelped. "I'm actually quite, er, fond of your daughter, to tell the truth. And I… that is to say, if you honestly think that I'm the best one for it, then… then yes. I'd be honored to accept your proposal. Thank you so very much, sir."

vVvVvVvVvVvVvVvVvVvVv

Kiori watched the former shogun in the dim lamplight. "Setsuka... you were in love."

Hataku shrugged, rotating his teacup slowly between his hands. "Maybe we were, but who can say? 'What could have been' and 'what is' are two completely different things."

Ritsuka frowned. "But you were gonna—"

"Yes, but I doubt you were 'going to' fight in this war, and yet here you are and here's the battle," Hataku replied, unable to mask the harsh edge in his tone. "I've given up on all of that, and I can guarantee that she has as well, so it's irrelevant, don't you agree?"

"Not really..." Ritsuka grumbled, setting her chin in her hands. "Well, whatever. There anything else you wanna tell us?"

Hataku glanced over at Tasuki, who had been sitting stiff-backed in his chair the entire time, listening with rapt attention to the former shogun's story. "You said you wanted to know why Takkan decided to attack, and where this legend came from in the first place?" The seishi nodded. "Well, I can answer part of that. That woman chose to attack Konan because she, like her father, wishes to make Takkan one of the great nations, and to do that she needs more land and extra resources. Konan will provide her with that." He smiled sardonically. "That's the answer she'll give you, anyway. The real reason is that she hates this nation. Konan sent her father to his death, or so she believes, and she's never forgiven her for that. She doesn't just want to conquer Konan – she wants to grind it and its people to dust."

"All of this for revenge?" Houki asked.

"Mm, though I think there might be more to it than that, too. About a year ago, after a sudden and severe illness, she started talking about 'other reasons' for her conquest. She became much more determined to destroy Konan instead of simply conquer it. She never explained that part to me, though."

"A year ago…" Chichiri murmured to himself.

Kiori glanced at him expectantly, but when he just laced his hands in front of his mouth and fell into silence again, she turned her attention back to Hataku and said, "What about the legend?"

"That's the part I can't help you with, actually. If Toushi-sama's story is any clue, then I think the gods have gotten all of us mixed up in a very complicated mess, but anything past that is just guesswork on my part. I'm sorry." The Konan Warriors shifted, clearly displeased with this answer, so Hataku offered to make amends. "Is there anything else?"

"There is one thing no da," Chichiri said, glancing up again. "Why did you decide to come to Konan? You had to know there was a good chance you'd be shot before you even made it to the gates no da. What would make you risk coming to an enemy city?"

Hataku spread his hands. "Couldn't it just be that I wanted to help? 'The enemy of my enemy,' and all that?"

"Don't make me laugh," Akai snorted. "Your kind doesn't think that way. To just come onto enemy land, deliver some news, and then waltz off? Yeah, and I'm the Empress."

Houki frowned and opened her mouth to reprimand the young soldier, but a dry chuckle echoing from Hataku's throat cut her short. "Am I really that transparent? But then again I don't know anyone stupid enough to do something like that, so I shouldn't be too surprised. No, Konan Warrior, I didn't come here selflessly. I have my own goals as well."

"Your own goals?" Kiori repeated, watching out of the corner of her eye as Chichiri and Tasuki tensed in their seats.

He nodded. "I was hoping that your honorable selves would allow me to stay in the palace. As I said, that woman wants to take her revenge, and to do that I think – no, I know she'll make it a point to travel to Konan herself. I want to be here when that happens. I'm not asking for charity, though," he assured them. "In exchange, I'd be willing to work with your soldiers. Meaning no offense, but they could use some proper training from an experienced shogun."

"Former shogun," Akai growled.

Hataku ignored her. "I don't need money, just a place to stay, the occasional meal... and a small favor."

Chichiri raised an eyebrow. "What sort of favor no da?"

"Nothing extravagant, I assure you." He paused for a moment to rub at his aching kneecap, then said, "I'd like you to allow me to be the one to kill Setsuka."

Tasuki jumped up, hands slapping the table. "No deal, Hataku! Setsuka's mine, an' I'll kill anyone who tries t'interfere with me!"

The former shogun's eye narrowed. "You'll have to finish her off fast, then, because as soon as I found out that that woman hadn't killed me, I swore that I'd make her regret that mistake. I plan to follow through on that, and I'll kill anyone who tries to interfere with me."

The room filled with silence for a long, tense minute, then Hataku and Tasuki both nodded, grinning at one another across the table. The bandit laughed, maybe a little dangerously, and extended a hand to the shogun, who clasped it in a brief gesture of camaraderie. "First come first serve, then, an' let's try not t'kill each other too much – someone's gotta be alive t'finish her off, after all."

"So does that mean I'm to stay here?" Hataku asked.

"I'm okay with it," Tasuki told him. He jerked his head at his friends. "But I gotta talk it over with them first."

Hataku leaned back in his chair, rubbing one hand against his sore knee and waving the other towards the group of warriors. "Understood. Take all the time you need – I'm not going anywhere, after all."

The six Konan Warriors nodded and stood, moving towards the back of the small room to confer. Chichiri waited until they were all formed into a loose circle before offering the group a reassuring smile. "I can't sense anything hostile about him, not directed at us anyway, no da."

"I got nothing against the guy," Ritsuka said. "The way I see it, if someone goes through so much trouble to get somewhere, I don't see any harm in letting him stick around for while. And to be honest, the army could use some help – ever since Koji died," Tasuki and Akai both shifted uncomfortably at the words, "there's been a huge lack of leadership." She looked to Kiori, who stood to the side chewing at her lip. "What do you think, Kiori?"

"A blend of tochuu and teasel, with maybe a little myrrh, mixed with a cup of Oolong, or maybe Jasmine."

"What?" everyone said at once.

Kiori blinked. "Mm? Oh, for his knee. It looks like it's really bothering him." (1)

Ritsuka sweatdropped. "And Kiori just welcomed him into the Konan Family. Okay, now…"

She trailed off as her eyes, like the rest of the warriors', swept over to Akai. The palace champion glared back at them, fists clenched at her sides and body quivering with rage. "Absolutely not!" she hissed. "It makes me sick to even think about accepting that man in here!"

"What've you got against him?" Ritsuka asked. "I'd say he's been a big help so far."

"Have you all forgotten that he led the army that's killed hundreds of Konan soldiers?" she spluttered. "And besides that, soldiers of any nation are supposed to live by a code of honor and loyalty, and this man – and I use the term loosely – has none of either! He's a slimy traitor who's turned on his own people, and it's just a matter of time before he does the same to us, so—"

"Akai, that is quite enough," Houki interrupted. "I understand your feelings, but you are judging a person before you know him. I think that Hataku deserves to stay at the palace, even though – no, especially since he was exiled from Takkan."

"But Houki-sama—"

"I am sorry that you disagree, Akai, but you have been outvoted," Houki reminded her. "I believe that it would be in your best interests to learn to at least tolerate his presence, seeing as how the two of you will be fighting in this war together."

Akai opened her mouth to object, then seemed to think better of it and snapped her jaw shut. She ducked her head, hands clenching hard into her tunic. "Well, then... if that's decided, then may I be excused? I think I'm… really very tired, is all..." She didn't wait for an answer, but just bowed low to the Empress before turning on her heel and rushing out of the room, frustration still blazing from her body as she closed the door behind her with a forceful slam.

Chichiri frowned. "Maybe I should go talk to her no da."

"Leave her for now," Houki said with a sigh. "She is quite unreachable when she is like this. Give her time to calm down, and I am sure she will see reason."

They turned back to face Hataku, but his eye was still on the main door. "Is she okay?"

"She will be," Houki assured him. "She just has... a few objections to our decision." Hataku's gaze flicked back to the Empress, and she offered him a genuinely warm smile. "Welcome to Konan, Hataku-san."

The former shogun allowed a fleeting grin as he stood, though it disappeared as his leg nearly buckled under him. He righted himself with only a small grimace and turned, bowing low from the waist towards the Empress. "Doumo arigatou gozaimashita, Your Majesty."

"You are quite welcome. Please, though, enough of these formalities – it makes me feel a bit uncomfortable."

He hesitated, then nodded and straightened himself with another small wince. Kiori stepped forward. "Would you excuse me for a minute, Houki-sama? I need to get something for Watanabe-san."

"Oh, of course." Houki paused to stifle a yawn. "As a matter of fact, you are all excused – it really is quite late. Hataku-san, why don't you come with me? I can give you a bunk with the other soldiers or, if you would prefer it, a private room."

"If it's not too much trouble, I would appreciate the privacy," he said.

"No trouble at all," she said with another smile. "There are plenty of spare rooms in the palace – I can put you in the one next to Tasuki, if neither of you mind."

"I wouldn't, Houki-sama," Tasuki told her. "As a matter-a fact, I'll take him there myself. I still got a few questions about Setsuka."

Hataku followed the seishi out of the room. "I'll do what I can to answer them, though I can't think of much else to tell you."

"Don't worry about that, I got questions practically comin' outta my ears. I wanna know more about that stupid necklace, an' the Elements' powers. I'll need t'know everything I can if I expect t'defeat her."

"You defeat her?" Hataku snorted, but his tone was amused. "Perhaps you can defeat what's left of her after I'm finished with her."

Chichiri trailed behind the two, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, before the two of you kill her, do you think I could get in at least a couple whacks with my staff no da? She has hurt a lot of people so far, and I'd like to teach her part of the full lesson no da."

Tasuki looked over his shoulder, smirking at his friend. "Only if you promise t'do my cleanin' fer a month. Oh, an' once we win this war and we start wanderin' again, yer carryin' me on your back whenever I get tired fer the first... oh, six months 'r so."

He sweatdropped. "Da... you take Setsuka, I'll take my health no da."

oOo

"Tsuchi-kun?" Sora called quietly, pulling back the curtain that separated her lonely room from his. The light from her chamber spilled in through the entryway, casting a soft golden glow across Tsuchi's drawn, pale features. The female Element stood in the doorway for another moment, hesitant, her figure casting a long shadow across a room filled with shadows, before she finally stepped through the portal, the curtain swishing closed behind her and throwing both into darkness once more. "Tsuchi-kun?" she called again. "Are you awake?"

The lump on the bed stirred. "Sora… senpai?" he whispered. "I haven't... seen you in so long. What are you doing in here?"

"I'm not really sure," she admitted. "Only I was having a hard time breathing in the other room, so I thought I'd see if it was better in here." She paused, looking around for a moment. "It's not. Anyway, I can't stay. It's a seven-day. I have a vigil in the shrine tonight."

"For Kaze, right?" Tsuchi struggled into a sitting position. "Mizu-chan told me what happened. I'm really… I'm really sorry about it, Senpai."

"Don't be," she said, expressionless even at the mention of her dearest friend. "He wanted to be free of Setsuka-sama's bond. He received his wish the only way he possibly could. You should be envious of his good fortune, not sorry for it."

"The only way possible…?" Tsuchi repeated. He reached forward, trying to feel through the gloom for Sora's hands. "Listen, Senpai, it doesn't have to be that way! I'm too weak, but I'm sure you... and Mizu-chan... you could leave!" He shivered so hard Sora thought he might collapse onto the floor, but at the last moment he righted himself, curling back up on the bed. "You could... break free of her... I know you could..."

Sora walked to his bedside, leaning forward and tucking the blanket up around his shoulders, though the action held little warmth. "You still don't understand. Can a sword ever escape its maker? All of us, that Element in Konan included, are connected far too deeply with Setsuka-sama for a simple rebellion to free us from our bonds. We'll be free when our jewel shatters, and not a second sooner."

"Is that... is that really true?"

"I am sure of it," Sora said with a nod. "We're not capable of really turning against her. It's impossible, as ridiculous as a puppet cutting its strings and running away. You must understand that, or you would have escaped after you betrayed her."

Tsuchi buried his head in his blankets. "You're right..." His body stiffened under her hands and he jerked up, reaching out with a hand and snapping it down on her wrist. "But if that's true, then... Senpai, please... please kill me!"

Sora's eyes widened and her free hand flew to her mouth. "What? But I—"

"If that's the only way I can be freed from her power – if that's the only way I can keep her from drawing her strength, her terrible strength from me – then please, you've got to kill me! I don't want to help her, not now or ever again!" His innocent eyes stared pleadingly into hers. "Your power would make it painless... wouldn't it? Just one quick sword thrust, and..."

The Element jerked her wrist out of his hold, clasping it to her chest and taking two, three, four hurried steps backward. She opened her mouth but no sound came out; she shook her head from side to side, slowly at first and then with greater and greater intensity; and very, very slowly, two tiny tears sprang into the corners of her eyes.

"No," she finally whispered. "Don't make me do it to you, too, Tsuchi-kun. Hate me, that's fine, but don't make me be 'the thing that kills' to my allies again."

"Again?" Tsuchi repeated, puzzled, but Sora was already backing out of the doorway, still shaking her head, though now with her hands pressed tight to her lips. His voice softened to a soothing whisper. "It's fine, Senpai. I…I didn't really mean it anyway. Don't worry about me, okay? Just take care of yourself. You look like you need to."

She didn't reply, but instead just darted out of the room as quickly as her feet would allow. As soon as she reached the other side of the curtain she pulled up short, nearly crying out in alarm when she found Mizu standing in the middle of the room. She swallowed back her long-dormant misery and forced composure into her words. "What are you doing here?"

Mizu winced under the blunt question. "Oh… sorry. I couldn't sleep, and then I remembered that you'd be awake too, so I thought I'd keep you company a little bit. I thought you might get sad down here, now that it's just you and Tsuchi-kun." She nodded towards the back room. "How is he?"

"The same," Sora answered shortly. "I can't stay very long. And thank you for your concern, but I'm not sad."

The younger Element took a seat on the edge of Tsuchi's old bed, frowning at her comrade. "You don't have to pretend to be so strong, Sora-san. I mean, you and Kaze went really far back, so…"

Sora ignored her, moving towards her bed and reaching for the ceremonial supplies she would need for her midnight vigil. "I told you already, I'm not upset about his death. That's impossible. So your sympathies are wasted on me, Mizu-chan. Yes, it's true that I knew Kaze for half of my life, that we fought through tragedy together, that we were taken in by Setsuka-sama and Hataku-sama together, that we trained and began our proper educations together, but that's doesn't matter. It stopped mattering the moment we met Setsuka-sama. So I can't be sad, Mizu-chan. I can perform the rituals, and I can continue to serve Setsuka-sama. That's all."

"But whenever you say that, somehow you look like about the loneliest person in the world."

"We're all of us alone, Mizu-chan. Some of us just choose to be sensitive about it."

Mizu looked down. "We are, now, aren't we?" She perked up again, forcing a timid smile onto her face. "But you know, Sora-san, as sad as things are now, sometimes I find myself thinking about the poetry contest." The sky Element blinked, a flicker of recognition and nostalgia shimmering briefly across her eyes. Mizu took that as a sign to continue. "Remember? It was after Setsuka-sama had found Tsuchi-kun, but before we'd gotten Taiyou-san and Tsuki-san. We were on our way to find them, actually. Do you remember that, Sora-san…?"

vVvVvVvVvVvVvVvVvVvVv

Kaze yawned wide, leaning over the rail and watching as the sea waters passed slowly beneath the ship. "Maaaan, this is borin'! When're we gonna get t'Hokkan so we c'n actually do things again?"

"Complaining as usual, Kaze?" Sora said with a teasing smile, joining her friend along the railing.

"How can I help it? I'm bored!" He set his head into his arms, grumbling under his breath, "You'd think those two Elements'd have the good sense t'stay near Takkan, like th' rest of us did, 'stead-a gettin' themselves born way up in Frozen Wasteland Empire."

"I think it's exciting. It's not every one who has the opportunity to visit a faraway, foreign empire."

"If visitin' a foreign empire means sittin' around with nothin' t'do fer a million years, then count me out."

She smothered a laugh into her sleeve. "Just because you can't run around getting into fights and footraces doesn't mean there isn't anything to do. Tsuchi-kun and Mizu-chan just finished a game of go, Hataku-sama's been reading this morning, and Setsuka-sama—"

"My goodness, I'm bored!" Both Elements whirled around to see the Lady of Takkan glide up behind them, stifling a yawn into her long sleeve. "We really must find something to do, don't you agree?"

Kaze stuck his tongue out at Sora, who rolled her eyes before turning to bow to her mistress. "Kaze was just saying the same thing, my Lady. What did you have in mind?"

"Hm…" she glanced across the deck to the two youngest Elements, leaning over the rail just a short distance away. "Tsuchi-kun! Mizu-chan! Come here, won't you? I've just thought of a marvelous way to spend the afternoon!"

The two trotted over to the rest of their companions. They offered their lady a pair of brief bows. "What is it, Setsuka-sama?"

"Listen, would you all be interested in having a poetry competition? It's been ages since I've been in one of those, and they always make slow afternoons like this go by so much faster. We'll have the cooks make us something cool to drink, and maybe a few manjuu buns to munch on as well. How does that sound?"

Mizu and Tsuchi exchanged excited glanced, clenching their fists and nodding their agreement. Sora smiled and asked, "What'll be the rules, Setsuka-sama?"

"Let's make the first one a ten-syllable, four-line stanza in couplets. As for our subject…" The Lady of Takkan swept out her arms. "Why not the sea? Oh, and," she turned, cupping a hand around her mouth and calling out, "Hataku!"

He glanced up from his conversation with one of the many sailors that roamed the deck of their expansive ship, unable to stop a smile from sneaking across his face as Setsuka waved excitedly towards him. He excused himself from the sailor and strode towards the little group, waving off the bows from the Elements and offering a brief one to his lady. "Did you need something?"

"The five of us are going to have a poetry competition! You'll judge for us, won't you? Oh, and you'll have to think up a good prize for the winner! I'll buy it if I lose, but if I win then the rest of you all have to pitch in to get it for me! And be warned, you are facing a formidable opponent! I used to write the most marvelously horrible poetry when I was younger, didn't I, Hataku?"

"It was splendidly bad."

She laughed, striding forward and taking a seat near the bow of the ship. She bade the others to do the same and one by one they followed, Kaze dragging far behind the rest. Setsuka noticed his reluctance and frowned. "Is something the matter?"

"Huh?" the young Element flushed. "Oh, n-no, my Lady, it's just… er…"

Sora guessed at his troubles and leaned over, whispering in her Lady's ear. Setsuka's eyes widened and she smiled, brushing away the girl's statement and waving Kaze forward. "Oh, you needn't fret about your writing abilities! The point is to enjoy yourself, not worry about whether your poetry is any good or not! Now, just take a seat between Sora-chan and Hataku, and any time you have a question about how to write a particular character you just ask one of them and they'll help you. How does that sound? And who knows? You might find that you have a poetic soul."

"Pffft…!" Sora had to clap her hands over her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

Kaze scowled. "Heeeey, don't laugh! Maybe she's right! Maybe I'm a scholar who just ain't been scholared!" Sora just laughed even harder, so Kaze plunked down between her and Hataku, signaling to one of their attendants to bring him a brush and a paper. "We'll see how much yer laughin' after I beat yer poem all across this boat! I'll be so poetic you'll wanna sell my work t'the public, an' the price of paper'll have t'go up, it'll be so popular! Now, er… what does 'ten silly bull, four line standers' mean?"

vVvVvVvVvVvVvVvVvVvVv

"Yes," Sora said, keeping her gaze on her work. "I remember."

Mizu smiled. "We had a lot of fun that afternoon. Kaze struggled so hard that Setsuka-sama felt sorry for him and started whispering suggestions. But Setsuka-sama's own poetry was so awful, and Hataku-sama was teasing her, saying that she was making Kaze's even worse. And yours were so lovely, Sora-san, and Tsuchi-kun's were really amazing. And we all laughed so hard at the third one of mine, because I couldn't think of anything to rhyme with 'crane' except 'pain and 'brain,' and so my poem was about getting pecked on the head…"

"I remember, Mizu-chan," Sora said again, a little more forcefully this time.

"I think… I think it's important that we remember those times, Sora-san," Mizu whispered, reaching down to fiddle with her sash. "To remember what it was like before the war. And I think that, if we work hard… even though there aren't as many of us, when this war is over, maybe… maybe Setsuka-sama will forgive Tsuchi-kun and, and the three of us, at least, could start to build that happiness again. Because—"

Sora whirled on the younger Element and smacked her across the face.

"Eh?" Mizu heard the confused squeak, though she didn't remembering actually saying it. Her hand wobbled upwards uncertainly, as if she couldn't quite believe what had just happened, her fingers brushing against her reddened cheek. She stared up into the older girl's eyes, searching for the fury, the frustration, maybe even the sadness that would explain what had just happened, but all she could find was a cold blankness that revealed nothing – that was nothing, even. A whimper snuck out of Mizu's throat. "S…Sora…san…?"

"You're disgusting," she said, her voice a dull, emotionless thud that seemed to kick Mizu right in the chest. "I used to find Tsuchi-kun's naïveté a little endearing, but this is just repulsive. You've spent more time with Setsuka-sama than any of us. You of all people should know that we can't ever go back to those days, because they never existed in the first place. But instead, you keep up this pretense of optimism, as if someone is going to clap their hands and suddenly Hataku-sama and Kaze won't have died, and Tsuchi-kun won't have betrayed us, and Setsuka-sama…" She shook her head, sliding her bag over her shoulder and facing Mizu with an expression devoid of even scorn, which somehow made it so, so much worse. "You know what we are, what we've always been, what we'll ever be to our Lady, yet you sit there and you speak of happiness, as if we even have the ability to feel happiness. You're willfully naïve, Mizu-chan, and it's the most disgusting thing I think I've ever witnessed."

Mizu, eyes filled to overflowing with tears, opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but the effort was too much and she clapped her hands to her face, whirling on her heel and running out of the room. Her sobs echoed down the stairwell, but Sora just shook her head and looped her satchel over her shoulder. She turned to leave, but her eyes caught sight of the two empty beds across from hers, untouched since their occupants' departures. A book lying on Tsuchi's old pillow; Kaze's bed unmade, a bag of go stones spilled out across the comforter. Sora bent over to scoop the stones back up into the sack, then seemed to think better of it and pulled her hands away again.

"But you know, Kiba-kun," she whispered to nobody, brushing the string of water droplets away from her eyelashes as if she were hardly aware of them, or perhaps just too used to them to notice anymore, "that forced innocence of hers… I think I'm a little envious of it, sometimes."

oOo

"'The sky Element stared down at her dead friend's bed for another long moment, then turned her head back towards the room where Tsuchi lay, then shook it softly and walked to the doorway, her steps smooth and composed and betraying nothing, not even the hands trembling at her sides.'" Yui glanced up to give the book over to one of her friends, but they waved her forward around mouthfuls of pretzels and pocky, so she flipped the page and moved on. "End Chapter Twenty-Five."

--

Kiori: Our new arrival's given us some valuable information, but he's not finished just yet. Tasuki's still trying to find out as much as he can about the Elements, and he's not afraid to keep Hataku up all night to hear it! That's good luck for me, though. At least it means I won't have to wake him once I get that medicine put together… oh, and I'll have to have the cooks boil me a pot of Oolong tea while I'm at it. Actually, Hataku-san, as long as I'm here, would you mind if I asked you a few questions as well…?

Past and present meld into one another, old emotions mix with new, and the mysteries behind the Takkan Lady and her Elements at last begin to come together. And, as the moon rises high in the sky, I find myself questioning nearly everything I've believed about our enemy in the north.

The Next Episode of Fushigi Yuugi: The Next Chapter: "Over Oolong – Weaving Patterns of Dark and Light."

I'm sure I'm just over-thinking things, but… well, what do you think, Hataku-san?

--

End Notes
(1) Tochuu is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese du zhong, which is the Chinese pronunciation of the classification Eucommia ulmoides – which is an incredibly fancy way of saying "rubber tree bark." That, along with myrrh and teasel (which I decided to just keep in English) is an herb used in traditional Chinese medicine to reduce pain, strengthen joints, and increase mobility. In short, Kiori's Miracle Elixir for Hataku.

Ye Olde Author's Note: May 7th, 2008; 6:36 PM
Ni-hao, minna-san!
Kind of an awkward ending for the episode, I know, but what happened was that this and Ep26 were originally one chapter, and I wound up adding a bunch of scenes and decided to split it more-or-less in half. So there'll be tons more plot advancement and flashback-o-ramas in the next episode as well. But hey! Good news for those seeking romance – the next chapter is a doozy! Why, I dare say someone might even get (sings) phy-si-cal! Phy-si-cal! (dances around, hoping that her readers will catch the obscure 80s song reference)

Like I did in the last free talk, I'm going to talk about the imaginary seiyuu of my cast. This time: the Takkan Version, Part One!

Setsuka – played by Inoue Kikuko – best known as Belldandy (Ah! My Goddess), Kasumi Tendo (Ranma ½), and Uraha (Air). If you've only heard her in her "sweet girl" roles (like Belldandy) she comes across as kind of a strange choice, but she has a tougher side in roles such as Miria (Claymore) or Sephiria (Black Cat). I first heard her as Panther (Saber Marionette J), and I was so impressed by her combination of sweetness and malice that I knew she had to be my Setsuka. When I hear her, it's in her "normal voice," the one that she uses to sing in (check out Setsuka's Image Song on my blog for more details!).
Hataku – played by Ryoutarou Okiayu – best known as Shigure (Fruits Basket), Dark (DN Angel), Scar (Fullmetal Alchemist), Treize (Gundam Wing), and… you know what? This list could go on for years. Okiayu-san is something of an acting god. He is also the most perfect voice for Hataku. When I hear him, it's in his more serious, slightly deeper adult voice.
Mizu – played by Hayashibara Megumi – best known as Lina (Slayers), Rei (Evangelion), Momiji (Blue Seed), Faye Valentine (Cowboy Bebop), Musashi (Pokemon), and… well, like Okiayu, the list could go on. She was one of the first seiyuu I knew by name, so I had to get her in my cast. When I hear Mizu, it's in Hayashibara-san's shy little-kid voice.
I'll hit up the rest of the Elements at the end of the next episode, and then we'll slide back into character profiles after that. Sound like a plan?

One last bit of silliness to add to this chapter. It's almost like a Fushigi Akugi, except it's really more shameful than funny. (sweatdrop) I bring you a new – and probably never-to-be-seen again – feature in the Free Talk entited:

Why You Should Never, Ever, Ever Edit Your Work at 1am…
(READING TO SELF) "…The seishi's sword lay limp and unused across his lap." (JUMPS UP, POINTING AT SCREEN TRIUMPHANTLY) "That's what she said!"
(And it took every last ounce of writing integrity that I possessed not to add that into the fanfic itself, which is really the saddest part of this adventure. Instead, I edited out the "limp" part, because otherwise I'd giggle every time I read the stupid line.)

(READING TO SELF) "Some of the soldiers' boys were teasing me again…" (ANNOUNCES TO NO ONE) "And from what I hear, they also tried to superman that ho."
(This one, thankfully, was followed by a lot of head-grabbing and groaning, and the painful realization that it was at last time to go to sleep. Midnight editing is a dangerous, dangerous thing)

Thanks to Halogazer, Draconis, MagicAnimeGirl, RK9, Ayriel, NikkiNikNaks, Ane-san, and roku kyu for reviewing! I hope to see you again this time around!

Till next time! – Dee ;)