Verse Six: Midnight Blue

"Say, when they're in love,
Does everyone get this lonely?
Say, do they embrace the pain
That's even deeper than the darkness?"
--Sakamoto Maaya; "Yakusoku wa Iranai" (I Don't Need Promises)--

It was only one, so it was okay. That was what he kept telling himself, anyway. So long as it was just one little voice whispering around inside his head, then he didn't have to worry about his sanity. Crazy people – the really crazy ones, at least – never heard just one person; it was always three, or five, or a whole village if they were particularly off their rockers. But his was just one, and not a particularly rude or angry one, either; and besides, he knew it was only a voice, just something inside of him. He knew it wasn't really another entity. And as long as he knew that – and as long as it stayed at just one – he didn't have anything to worry about. Nothing at all.

And even then, you might not be insane. I may have just invited a few friends over for a party.

Koji scowled at Doro's jab, as well as at the chuckle that followed. Very funny, he snapped back, hardly in the mood for jokes. His side was aching with a particular fierceness – it had ever since Shuu left, taking her special tea recipe with her – and he suspected that it would result in yet another sleepless night. The Reikaku co-leader had had far too many of those in the past few weeks, whether due to pain, planning against Akutsuki, or questions over Hikaru. And speaking of Hikaru…

"Maybe yer damn friends could at least be of some use," he grumbled aloud. Genji was gone for the night; off to town with Tasuki and Shuu, so there was no reason to keep his thoughts private. "It's been a whole week an' I ain't made any progress with her at all." He didn't have to say her name – Doro always knew who he meant. "Didn't'cha say ya were gonna help me with that?"

And I am. I successfully managed to get the two of you alone – in a manner of speaking at least. Koji could almost feel the triumphant smile in his strange comrade's voice. Let's not forget whose idea it was to send Tasuki into town in your place, and to let Genji go with him. And many thanks to Hikaru for dispatching that sister of hers – I didn't know how I was possibly going to get her out of your hair.

"Yeah, yeah. A lotta good it's done me. Th' only time I ever see her is when she comes in t'change my bandages. Otherwise she's either with Chichiri 'r runnin' 'round takin' care-a the others…" Koji snorted, remembering the exaggerated groans of pain the other bandits often used to get attention from the lovely Asatenshi sister. Hah, if they thought they were in pain, they ought to try walking around in his shoes for the day. "Buncha pansies," he grumbled somewhat fondly.

You really ought to take it easier on yourself, you know. Doro remarked with a bit of concern. You aren't going to heal quickly if you keep thumping around the stronghold all day.

"Oh, an' I s'pose I oughta jus' expect everythin' t'run smoothly on its own?" Koji retorted. "There're things that gotta be done, Doro-kun, especially now that Genrou ain't around, an' I'm th' only one who knows how t'do 'em. If I let myself rest, I'd be riskin' the whole stronghold's safety."

Not to mention you look rather brave and tough, fighting through a near-crippling injury so you can take care of the mountain and bandits.

"That is one of th' perks," the co-leader admitted with a grin.

There was a small pause in their conversation, though Koji knew Doro was still there, sifting through the bandit's thoughts and ideas. Koji had very quickly grown used to his unusual friend remarking on some passing thought of his, even if he hadn't said it out loud – even if it had barely crossed his mind. The bandit sighed, rolling over onto his side and wincing at the stabs of pain that followed the action. He heaved a sigh, putting a hand to his forehead and finding it lined with sweat. "Damn," he muttered. "I'll never get any rest at this rate…"

Her watch should be starting just about now.

The bandit blinked, surprised by the sudden – and seemingly random – remark. "Eh?"

Hikaru. She usually takes watch with Genji around this time, correct? Koji nodded his agreement, still not quite following the line of thought. She must be lonely, having to sit outside for nearly two hours by herself…

"Maybe I oughta give her some company," Koji suggested, a tiny smile twitching at his mouth.

Our thoughts exactly.

The co-leader nodded, then paused, raising a curious eyebrow. "Our thoughts?"

Why, my twelve friends and I, of course.

Koji rolled his eyes, giving Doro a mental shove. "Ha, ha." He groaned his way into a sitting position, putting a hand against his injured side and feeling around in the darkness for his shoes and makeshift cane. His hand came into contact with the smooth wood first; the co-leader took a firm grip on the temporary walking stick and heaved himself to his feet. He slid quietly into a pair of slippers, then thumped his way not-so-quietly across his room and out into the Reikaku halls. The bandit had to stop to catch his breath a few times – he made a mental note never to get injured again – but made it to the main hall with little trouble. As an afterthought, the co-leader snuck into the kitchens and grabbed a pair of cups and a small pitcher of cold tea – Genji had boiled some before he left. He heated the liquid up quickly, then made his way towards the west doors of the stronghold. He opened them just wide enough so he could slip out, and hurried down the somewhat chilly slopes of Reikaku towards Hikaru's watch spot.

He didn't have to look very hard to find her. The Asatenshi sister was perched on a small slab of stone that jutted out from the mountainside, laying back on her elbows and looking out towards the horizon. Koji could understand why; the west side of Reikaku sloped almost straight down into the nearby valley, and from here a person could see almost everything for miles around. The co-leader couldn't count the number of times he and Tasuki had, as kids, climbed onto the Reikaku roofs and stared for hours at the surrounding countryside. That was before Hakurou's death, though; that was before he'd become co-leader, before he'd grown too old and too busy for sightseeing. He smiled a little, watching the beautiful Asatenshi sister thoughtfully. Maybe it was time he took another good look at the scenery he'd grown to love so much with the woman he'd grown to love so much.

"Nice view, eh?"

The young woman jumped at the sound of the bandit's voice, emerald magic already crackling around her hands as she snapped her head in his direction. She blinked twice, eyes wide with surprise, then smiled and allowed her power to seep back into her skin. "Oh, Koji-san," she breathed with a small sigh of relief. "Thank goodness it's only you. I thought for a moment… well…" she blushed with embarrassment, flashing a tiny smile. "I suppose I don't make a very good guard without Genji-kun. I'm sorry."

"No need t'be sorry," he assured her. "You're awake, ain't you? That's more'n most of th' others c'n say – an' they have partners t'keep them in line!" Hikaru giggled, nodding her agreement. The co-leader gestured towards the smooth stone that she sat on. "I couldn't sleep, an' I figgered ya might be lonely out here by yerself." He nodded towards the tea in his hands. "Brought ya somethin' t'drink, too. You mind if I join ya?"

"Not at all. To be honest, I'd appreciate the company. Genji-kun always makes our watches so entertaining, so without him around it seems especially boring."

"Yeah, I bet he c'd keep ya busy fer a while," Koji said with a chuckle, taking a careful seat beside the young woman. His abdomen screamed in protest at the awkward movement, and the co-leader couldn't stop the grimace from flashing across his face. Before he could blink Hikaru was in his face, one hand on his forehead and the other probing gently at his side. "Uh, Hikaru-san…?"

The Asatenshi sister frowned, pulling her palm away from his head. "You've got a fever, again. And here I'd thought we'd seen the last of those." He winced as her other hand touched a particularly sensitive region of his injury. Hikaru didn't miss the look. "And it's still so tender? Koji-san, has it been doing this all week? Bothering you this much, I mean?"

He rubbed the back of his head; he had never been a very good liar, but this was one time when the skill was definitely needed. "Well, off 'n' on, I guess, but it's not that big of a deal. Shuu-san's tea keeps th' pain down a lot, an' it ain't so bad that I can't get around on it or nothin'… I mean, you seem t'think I'm real messed up, but I honestly don't feel what y'think I oughta be feelin'."

"Uh-huh," Hikaru drawled.

"No, really, it ain't so bad at all…"

The young woman poked her index finger directly into the arrow wound; the co-leader let out an involuntarily screech of surprise, followed by a series of particularly harsh curse words. "Not so bad, is it?" Hikaru muttered, and for a moment she sounded like Shuu at her most sarcastic. The Asatenshi sister sighed, putting a hand against the bandages and letting a burst of cool magic flow into the injury. Koji relaxed immediately; the sister used her powers sparingly, but when she did it was always welcomed – it was the only time the pain completely disappeared, and it was a feeling the co-leader longed for more and more.

"I really wish you would tell me about these sorts of things," Hikaru was saying, though Koji wondered how she expected him to pay attention when she was pumping pure nirvana into his body. "None of the other bandits ever hesitate to tell me about their cuts and bruises, and with the exception of Ken-san they can't even compare to you… but then again, I suppose you aren't like the other bandits, are you, Koji-san? No, you won't complain or even relax, not when there are things to be done. It's an admirable quality, but infuriating nonetheless." She pulled her hand away, though the coolness still remained, and met the bandit's eyes once again. "Still, if it gets as bad as it was tonight, you really do need to come to me. There's no shame in it, you know – I'm always happy to help you."

It was an order, not a suggestion. Koji flashed a crooked smile. "Or maybe you'd prefer if I jus' lie in bed an' shout fer ya every five minutes, like Junpei does?"

"Oh, gods, anything but that!" she groaned, putting a hand to her forehead. "I swear, the next time he begs for one of my 'Magic Treatments,' as he calls them, I'm going to give him a ladleful of Umadura Oil!"

"What's that do?"

"Nothing," she replied with a wink. "But it tastes so awful he'll think I've poisoned him."

Koji laughed, picking up his cup of tea and holding it out for a toast. "To yer bewitched brews; may they teach those whinin' babies a lesson I been tryin' t'pound inta their heads fer years!"

The pair clinked cups regally, falling back against the slab of rock and sipping at their separate drinks. They were silent for a while, watching the stars wink in and out as they danced between the treetops. After a time, Hikaru set down her tea, smiling a little. "Arigatou, Koji-san. I feel like I say that a lot, but you've deserved it every time. You're always doing everything you can to help me out – me, and my sister as well."

"Hey, you don't gotta thank me. It's my pleasure t'do anythin' I can fer ya. Really."

"Still, I feel somewhat guilty. Here you are, sacrificing your sleep for my sake, and I never even thought to keep you company on your watch. Shuu-chan isn't here either, after all…"

Koji cut the young woman off, laughing at her awkward apology. "Don't worry about it, Hikaru-san. Like I said, I couldn't sleep anyway, an' besides that I kinda enjoyed the quiet. I gotta lotta things t'think about, so bein' on watch by myself gave me some time t'do that." He leaned back on his elbows, turning his eyes upwards to the skies. "Though I gotta admit it was a little lonely without that spitfire around t'keep me on my toes. Huh, y'know, irritatin' as she sometimes is, I almost miss her."

"I don't," Hikaru admitted with hardly any hesitation. Noticing the co-leader's sideways look, Asatenshi blushed and explained. "No, don't get the wrong idea Koji-san. I do love my sister, and I think – no, I know she feels the same about me – but sometimes…" she sighed, waving a hand as if that action alone explained the situation. "Well, you know how she can be. And I suppose I'm not much better, at times. It's just…"

"Why d'you think that is?" Koji wondered, startling himself by his interest in the Asatenshi sisters' unusual relationship. "I mean, th' two of ya really don't get along at all. I know ya say ya love each other, an' I guess I b'lieve that, but Shuu-san sure never acts it, an' t'be honest I don't usually see th' two of ya hangin' 'round each other much." He shrugged, trying to feign disinterest. He didn't know why he should be this concerned about the pair. "Ah, not that I know anythin' about siblin' relationships – never had any myself, not a real one anyway, and, uh…"

Asatenshi giggled. "There's no need to explain, Koji-san. It's nice to find someone who's interested in my sister and me for reasons other than our magic. I don't really know how to answer your question, but I suppose we don't get along because…" her eyes curled upwards into an embarrassed smile, "well, because Shuu-chan and I have always been horribly jealous of one another."

The answer was so unexpected that Koji almost fell off the cliff. "Yer WHAT! Okay, now I c'n see why Shuu-san might be jealous of you, but why in Suzaku's name would you be jealous of Shuu-san?"

"Is it really so hard to understand?" Hikaru asked with a tiny frown. Koji noticed that she wasn't watching him anymore; rather, her eyes were turned towards the star-streaked skies. She was gazing at them oddly, he thought, not with the longing he usually saw in people's eyes, but with familiarity, and something nearing sadness. "I was born the eldest daughter in our family, and the first child with magic. That automatically marked me as the next Guardian – as the Priestess – of our shrine to the Mother. From the moment I opened my eyes, I had the responsibility of the future on my shoulders. It's a privilege, and an honor… but it comes with a good many burdens, as well. Did you ever realize that, Koji-san?"

"But you've got power. Leadership. Freedom t'do anythin'…"

Hikaru snorted. "Power isn't freedom. Power is a prison. It binds you to responsibility, to the constant knowledge that everything you do is being watched by others, is being judged by others. Worse still, though, is the idea that your decisions affect a community. They can save, or they can condemn. It's a very large amount of weight to put on a child – to put on anyone – you know."

"I s'pose so," Koji agreed, though he really didn't. He couldn't imagine the idea of not wanting leadership, since he had spent most of his early life striving for a position like that. "But I still don't—"

"Shuu-chan, as you know, has nothing to do with our temple. That was partially her choice, and partially the decisions of our parents, but I don't think she ever quite forgave me for inheriting the title of 'Guardian.' I think she always hated the idea of having to live within someone's shadow." Hikaru frowned. "But Shuu-chan has something amazing, only she's too busy glaring at her problems to see her blessings."

"Her blessings…?"

"Freedom, Koji-san," Asatenshi said, an exasperated note in her voice. "She can do whatever she wants to do, go wherever she wants to go, and be whatever she wants to be. She isn't bound by anything but her own limitations. Only she can't see the beauty in her freedom because she can't stop looking at what she doesn't have."

Hikaru softened suddenly, her eyes turning back to the skies. "But I'm the same way, ne, Koji-san? I have something lovely as well, don't I? Privilege, command, respect – things people spend their whole lives dreaming about," the sister sighed wistfully, reaching a hand up as if to pluck one of the shining diamonds from the sky, and for a moment Koji thought she really might be able to do it. "But I guess that's in our nature, isn't it, Koji-san? Even a star wishes for the feel of the grass sometimes, though they can never leave their pedestals in the skies. And even if you have the whole earth…" she closed her fist around the star, a sad smile touching her face when her fingers clasped nothing but air. She brought the hand back down to her chest, finishing her thought in a nearly inaudible whisper. "Even if you have the whole earth, all you can gaze at is the sky."

"All you can gaze at…" the co-leader repeated under his breath, turning his own eyes towards the heavens. For the briefest of moments he felt an amazing bond with Hikaru, as if the two of them truly were meant for one another – but the feeling disintegrated within seconds, because he realized that when she spoke of wanting the sky, she wasn't referring to herself. Hikaru had the sky. It was another young woman who looked towards that star-filled dome with a yearning, with a yearning as powerful as his, and she… Koji pulled that line of thought to a screeching halt. He didn't like the implications that came with it. He didn't like the treacherous little thoughts that came with it. Because if that one thing was true, then all of this… At any rate, the conversation was too complicated for this time of night. It was time to change the subject. But what could he say…?

Tell her you love her.

Koji jerked a little at Doro's sudden interjection. He glanced at Hikaru quickly to make sure she hadn't noticed, then turned his attention inward and demanded to know if Doro was out of his mind.

No more than you are, my friend, he retorted. Now, tell her how you feel.

That was the craziest thing he'd ever heard. Tell Hikaru he loved her, just like that?

Why is it so hard? You love her, don't you?

Of course, he answered automatically. Of course he loved Hikaru. She was never very far from his thoughts. She was the only woman he'd ever thought about this much, except… no, she was the only woman he'd ever thought about this much. And she was certainly the only woman he related to, who he cared for and understood. That was right; it was just Hikaru. Of course he loved her.

Koji knew Doro had heard his frantic inner thoughts, but the strange voice went on as if it had never happened. Then all you have to do is turn those thoughts into words.

It wasn't that easy, he argued.

And why not?

Because… because it just wasn't! There were too many things that could go wrong, too many answers that might be given…

Are you afraid that she won't return your feelings?

... Yes, came the reluctant reply. He was terrified of hearing her say those kinds of words. As long as he never asked, then she never said what he knew she was going to say, and then he still had a chance. When everything was a dream, a fantasy, an idea, then there was always a chance.

Women are strange. By now, you ought to know they have their own complicated games, their tricks, and their oddities. And their emotions are certainly no less complicated than a man's. How can you be so sure she doesn't return your feelings?

Doro had him there. Women did do unusual things, especially in affairs of the heart. Could she just be flirting with Tasuki to get his attention? Could she just be too shy to say anything? Was she afraid that he didn't return the feelings? She was always telling him what a nice person he was, and how she thought of him as such a good friend… could she maybe be trying to say something more…? Though a part of him knew it was impossible, the other half of him – that half that wanted it to be true – wasn't so certain. Well, only one way to find out, he and Doro thought almost simultaneously.

"Ne, ah, Hikaru-san…"

But the bandit trailed off. Whatever he had prepared to say was forgotten when his eyes fell on the young Asatenshi woman. She was watching the clouds once more with that same thoughtful look on her face, as if she were quietly debating the secrets of the universe. A light breeze picked its way through the trees, dancing across her features and pulling a few black strands of hair along to gently play against the side of her face. Her mysterious emerald eyes shone in the moonlight, glimmering with the answers to hundreds of questions and playfully withholding her knowledge from the world. With a sort of guilty pleasure, the co-leader's eyes fell from her face and to the rest of her body. Her plain-tailored dress fell in soft folds against her breasts, accentuating them perfectly in the silver glow of the moon. A thin inward curve followed by a supple outer one made up her back and hips, and below that…

"You're beautiful," Koji said suddenly. "Absolutely beautiful."

Hikaru jerked her head in his direction, her pale skin now partially cloaked in shadows. Her green eyes widened in surprise and something nearing fear for a moment, but quickly narrowed again into a modest smile. The tiniest bit of a blush snuck across her cheeks, and she looked away hurriedly, a chuckle escaping her lips. "Koji-san is too kind."

"I mean it," he insisted, propping himself up on one elbow. His injury complained loudly about the awkward position, but the co-leader was too busy watching the young woman to notice. "Yer gorgeous, Hikaru-san. Everythin' about you, inside 'n' out… yer an absolute goddess." Her back stiffened, but Koji didn't know or care what that implied. This might be the only time he was brave enough to say it. And he'd never know anything if he didn't. The co-leader gathered up his courage, pushed back his doubts, and stumbled forward. "An' I'm not jus' sayin' that t'be nice. Th' truth, Hikaru, is that… well, y'know, ever since ya got here, I…"

"Please, Koji-san, don't say it!"

The co-leader stopped short, his hazel eyes widening at the young woman's sudden words. "What?"

"You don't have to say it," Hikaru said again, a slight tremor in her voice. She turned her eyes back to meet his, and Koji saw honest fear in them, and pain, and something akin to sympathy. It was the sympathy that hurt him the most, even more than her next words. "If you don't say it, then we can pretend it doesn't exist. We can keep playing this fragile little game, and things can stay the way they are, and nobody has to get hurt. And I desperately don't want anyone to get hurt." A tiny, distressed smile crossed her face, the sort of smile born from a hopeless hope and a deep sense of regret. Because, despite her words, she knew as well as he that there was no going back now. "So please, Koji-san… just please don't say it."

The painful realization struck him as if she'd slapped him across the face. Koji fell back to the ground, landing with a thud and earning a screech from his abdomen that only accented his sudden, shocked pain. Hikaru knew – had known, for some time, about his feelings, and had chosen to ignore them, to try to push them away. Because she didn't want to hurt him. Because she didn't feel the same way. The words "I love you" caught in his throat, and were replaced by a strangled: "Why?" that tore itself out of his body and took a tiny part of his heart with it.

"Gomen nasai," she said quietly, turning her face away from his again. "I never wanted to have to say that. I was hoping we could avoid this, but I should have known better. I should have told you sooner, so you wouldn't… I do care about you, please understand that, but I don't care about you the way you want it. Because I…"

"Because you love Genrou," he finished bluntly, head turned downwards and hands clenched at his sides.

Hikaru's head whirled around. "What? That isn't what I was going to—"

"But you are," he insisted. "Yer in love with him, right? Since the day ya got here, he's th' only one ya ever really noticed, but…" he looked up again, his voice cracking like a whip. "But did it ever occur t'you that jus' 'cause he's the leader doesn't mean he's the best man in the stronghold? That there might be someone else worth noticin' too? Didja even think about that?"

The young woman's face clouded over. Her lips tightened into a thin, angry line. "My sister has been speaking with you. I should have suspected."

"But it's true, isn't it?" Koji wondered when he had closed the distance between them, when he had practically pinned Hikaru against the rock wall, but was too busy flailing amidst his boiling emotions to care. "If I'd been the leader, an' not him, then you woulda—"

"No!" she snapped, the uncharacteristic intensity silencing the Reikaku co-leader. Hikaru took a breath and went on, her emerald eyes meeting his evenly. "I admit it, Koji-san, that when I first arrived here I was attracted by Tasuki's position. Hah, how can't I be attracted to leaders, when they're the only people on this world who truly understand my situation? Yes, Koji-san, I bonded with Tasuki immediately because he possessed the burdens that I, too, possess. However…" and here a small, gentle smile crossed her face, a smile that both infuriated and softened the co-leader at the same time, "the more time I spent with him, the more I realized that it wasn't just an attraction. I realized that there were things – deeper things than a station in life – that drew me towards him. And now I, I believe I may truly be in love with him."

The bandit almost pulled back at that. Hell, she said she loved him. She said she truly loved Tasuki. How could he argue with that?

Easily.

And Doro spurred him on. "But why?" he demanded, one hand clenching against the young woman's shoulder and unintentionally digging her into the rock wall. "Why him instead of me?"

Hikaru winced against the tight grip, but didn't try to pull away. Instead, she straightened her shoulders, looking him square in the eye. "Why do you call him your best friend?" Koji paused, but not for the right reasons. Asatenshi noticed the look, misunderstood it, and smiled. "You see? It isn't all as simple as that. To explain exactly why I love Tasuki would be to map out his entire personality, and I believe there are things about him that he doesn't want openly discussed, even between two people who care about him like we do."

Like we do…?

Blushing, the young woman continued. "However, suffice to say there's something beautiful inside of him, something I can't stop gazing at even when I know I'm acting a fool. Because he is brave, and loyal, just like Chichiri said, even if he doesn't realize it himself. I think I need to help him realize that, as much as I feel he needs to help me understand a few things about myself. And sometimes, when we're together, it feels as if… perhaps that strange cohesion, that feeling of my own wholeness, is what draws me to him. Perhaps that's what love is." She chuckled, flashing a confused smile at the co-leader. "It doesn't make much sense to me, either, Koji-san, but I didn't have much choice in the matter – that's just how things happened."

"Yeah," Koji agreed numbly. Her words were too strange to be false – it felt as if she really did love Tasuki, in spite of his weaknesses, in spite of how much the co-leader didn't want it to be true. But that didn't stop it from hurting. And it certainly didn't stop that hot, intense feeling of… well, he didn't know what it was, exactly, but it was burning him up from the inside out, and it was only increasing with time. "That is just how it happens."

"Oh…" Hikaru turned her eyes away. "I am sorry Koji-san, truly I am. And I honestly don't know what to tell you. I want us to remain friends, but I feel like things are going to change so much because of this. I didn't want that. You're a wonderful person, Koji-san, and if things were different… well, things aren't different, so I couldn't say, but…" she glanced up through her lashes, attempting a smile that fell just short. "But you are a wonderful person; don't ever think that isn't true. And there are others out there who will – and who do – love you very deeply. In fact—"

"I don't care about the others," he barked, his hands tightening against her shoulders. "Don't you get that, Hikaru? There's nobody else I want, there isn't another person in the world who I've ever felt this strongly about!"

Asatenshi grimaced under his hold, struggling to loosen his grip. "Koji-san, please…"

Her breasts brushed up against him; her dress licked at the folds of his pants. The co-leader pulled in closer, almost without realizing it. She was so beautiful, and she was so close… and, oh gods, she was so fragile, so helpless, she couldn't do anything against him… he could have her, right here…

The thought had snuck up on him, and it was that more than anything that caused him to release the young woman, pulling back as if he'd just been burned. His hazel eyes were wide with repulsion – had he really… had he really thought that! – and his hands trembled unintentionally at his sides. He took a couple steps back, trying to distance himself from the young woman, trying to prove to them both that he wasn't going to do what he'd just thought about doing. Not now. Not ever. "Hikaru-san, I…"

She pulled herself from the stone, her hands clasped tightly over her chest. She couldn't possibly have guessed his thoughts, but for a moment she looked at him with the same amount of disgust that he felt for himself. Worse, though, was the fear. Hikaru looked absolutely terrified of him – of him! Koji took another step back, feeling like he needed to get as far away from her – and as far away from where that horrid thought had snuck in – as possible.

"My… My watch is over," she said, her voice wavering with each word. "I'm going to bed. You… should probably do the same. Oyasuminasai, Mitsuragi-san." The formality was like a kick in the stomach. She offered him one last, fearful backwards glance, then disappeared up the steep mountainside and out of sight.

Koji sat down hard, one shaking hand traveling towards his mouth. He thought he might be sick.

Well, that didn't go exactly as planned.

"Shut up!" the co-leader snarled, jerking around and lashing out at an invisible enemy with a fist. "Shut the hell up! Yer th' one who made me think that, you bastard! Yer the sick thing that's made everythin' go t'hell! That's fuckin' made me go t'hell…" his shoulders shook with an involuntary shudder, and the wound in his side ached with a fierceness he hadn't felt since the day of the battle. "Sonofabitch, I hate you…"

Nonsense. I never made you think anything – and anyway, it was only a thought, so where was the harm? What can a passing idea do? Nothing, if you know how to control it. It was passion, my friend, that's all. It has nothing to do with your character. Doro's voice lowered to its familiar hypnotic purr, that purr that was so very easy to believe when it spoke everything the bandit wanted to hear. And it certainly has nothing to do with the outcome of the fight for Hikaru.

"Fight fer Hikaru?" Koji asked, slumping further to the ground. Emotionally and physically, he didn't remember ever feeling this worn out. The night seemed to have drained just about everything out of him; glancing up, he thought that even the stars seemed farther away. The co-leader heaved a tired sigh. "There's nothin' t'fight for, you idiot. She loves Genrou, an' after t'night I doubt she'll even wanna stay friends with me. Not that I really blame her…"

So that's that, is it?

"Yep. That's that."

That's how you want it to end?

"I don't care how it ends anymore, Doro-kun, I'm jus' ready for it t'be over. I'm jus' ready fer things t'go back t'normal."

Is that even possible, now?

"No," he admitted. "But at least I c'n stop losin' sleep over her. At least I c'n stop all these stupid li'l fantasies, all these damned dreams. I c'n start focusin' on what's important. On Reikaku, an' that Akutsuki gang. On what's real."

Hikaru isn't real?

"Hikaru's part of th' sky. Only other stars c'n ever have her. Us here on earth can't do nothin' but look."

So what about Tasuki?

"Well, Genrou's a star. He's always been a star. I'm jus' th' damned tree that manages to catch him b'fore he gets knocked down t'earth, then pings him back up inta th' sky again. That's how it's always been."

And you're happy with that?

Koji offered no outward response. But Doro heard his thoughts.

That's what I thought.

"…Didn't I tell ya t'shut up an' leave me alone?"

Didn't I tell you that I'm here to help you? That I'm here to give you everything you desire? And what is it that you desire?

To beat Tasuki. Just once, he wanted to beat Tasuki!

"I want Hikaru. You know that."

Well, then you can't stop trying. There are other ways to win.

"To win?" When had it ever become about "winning"? And whom exactly did he need to beat?

But Koji knew the answers to his own questions, so there was no need for Doro to answer them. The whisper of a voice only smiled and repeated: To win.

"Yeah… there are other ways to win." Koji looked up, watching as a star fell from the heavens, sending up a shining trail of dust as it went. Some people said there was sadness in that. All Koji could see was an extra place in the sky – a place that someone else might be able to occupy, if they tried hard enough. He stood, shaking out his shoulders and brushing away the rest of the night. Love was a war. One lost battle meant nothing in the grand scheme of things. And Hikaru had said: "If things were different." Well, it was time to see if he couldn't do something about that.

"Okay, Doro-kun. Let's see if you can't get me inta that sky."

With a new sense of purpose in his step the Reikaku co-leader limped his way back to the stronghold, keeping his shoulders straight in spite of the pain it caused his nagging injury. He wasn't about to let anyone think the night had beaten him. He wasn't about to let himself think it. With little trouble and only a few throbbing stabs of fire hampering his movement, he reached the entrance of the stronghold. Koji spared the quiet landscape one last, challenging look, then slid open the doors and disappeared inside.

A shimmer of green appeared in the air a few feet from the door. The small sparkles glittered softly in the moonshine, coming together to form a long, thin line of emerald light. The particles gave a small sighing noise, then abruptly drew apart, opening a small curtain into the Spiritual Realm. Hikaru stepped soundlessly out from the mass of nothingness, the faint hint of her magic dancing around her thin form. Her face bore no expression but a grim surety, but her expressive emerald eyes revealed the turmoil of thoughts and emotions that raged within the young Asatenshi woman. She spoke quietly, voicing only the tip of her thoughts to the midnight blue sky.

"Oh, you poor fool, every time we give you a chance to break out, you only fall in deeper."

---

Tasuki, Shuu, and Genji arrived later that afternoon, Genji almost falling over from the stack of supplies he had "volunteered" to carry. Hikaru and Koji were waiting at the front doors to meet the trio, and while they didn't offer Genji any help they did shower him with some sympathetic words and direct him towards the supply sheds out back. The young bandit, withholding himself from smothering Koji in a hug, did as they said, making tiny moaning noises as he went.

On the surface, things seemed almost frightfully normal. Tasuki and Koji exchanged friendly punches and a few teasing remarks, then headed back inside the stronghold so the seishi bandit could tell his comrade about the trip – and complain about what a hassle it had been. Genji arrived at the dinner table bearing another perfect meal; he received compliments from both bandit leader and co-leader, and bounced away beaming and blushing with pride. The meal was carried out peacefully, Shuu and Hikaru both sitting in relative quiet while the pair of friends bantered back and forth about recent happenings and their next attack plan against Akutsuki. Reikaku life continued as it always had, moving smoothly forward as if nothing at all had changed.

But Hikaru noticed how Tasuki seemed to only pay partial attention to Koji's stories, and how he kept sneaking guilty, almost yearning glances at her out of the corner of his eye. And Shuu didn't miss the tension in Koji's voice, nor the way he'd turn inwards from time to time, as if listening to a private speaker.

Hikaru spared a quick look at Tasuki, and then glanced across the dinner table at her sister. One well-shaped eyebrow rose in a silent, suspicious question. Shuu jerked her own eyes at Koji, then turned them back towards her sister. Her sharp gaze never wavered, and her expression never changed, but very, very carefully, she raised an inquiring eyebrow right back.

The real war was only beginning.

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Author's Mundane Ramblings: July 5, 2005; 1:40 AM

Hao, minna-san!

Look! A relatively quick update! I hope that pleases my little crowd o' readers! I'm trying to spit out as many chapters as I can before school starts, but summer isn't exactly a time of absolutely nothing, either. Still, with luck I'll have another update out before the end of August, and with my senior schedule as easy as it is, I might even be able to stick to bimonthly updates after that as well! (Cross your fingers on that one, though)

Random Chapter Comments This one was surprisingly easy for me to write. The whole thing just flowed from start to finish, probably because I've had it mapped out in my head since I started writing "RFS." The verse pretty much spoke for itself, so there isn't a whole lot to say about it, 'cept that it's clearly marked the start of the Second Movement's "downward spiral," as I'll call it for now (Why does it take me so many chapters to get the "spiral" set up? The world may never know). Guess we'll move on...

Regarding ReviewsNo questions this time, but I really must thank everyone who stuck with me over that long break and brought themselves to review (without yelling at me, too!). So thanks to Mie-chan, Amaya-chan, Jolly-chan, Shinju-chan (so many chans!), and Roku-senpai! Val-chan, too - she didn't review on ff, but she's given me plenty of morale boosting and critiquing through e-mails, and that's just as important! I honestly can't believe all of you stuck around, but I'm so very glad that you did. How did I get lucky enough to have such a loyal following?

Quote of the Week "I'd be angry right now... but I have cheesecake!"

Verse Preview? Tension grows, bonds are formed, and the threads of a friendship begin to tear apart...