Whoops. I got behind on updates. I'll post all three chapters I have completed at once, then.


Aku was almost too excited to sleep.

Ever since her conversation with Chiyono, she had been in a veritable state of giddy euphoria. Comparable to that she felt around Touke, if perhaps not quite as pure, not quite as intense, but it was still considerable. She had spent the entire time in Provincial Council bouncing up and down like an over-stimulated child. It was quite fun. She got weird looks from the Ten ministers, and they asked what had gotten her so energetic. She just said she was happy today, which seemed to be enough of an explanation for them, so they got on with business. It was even a happy day in Ten—absolutely everything was going smoothly. Which was just perfect.

She bounced on through the rest of the day. Eventually she was laying down in bed, but she couldn't sleep at all. She called Hokumi, and they talked for a while. Hokumi was one of her favorite people in the palace. She was always kind and patient, and had some interesting anecdotes about the other servants and some of the officials. She wasn't the brightest person around, but she was still fun to talk to. It was after midnight when Aku finally bounced herself into exhaustion, and she fell asleep.

A short time later, she woke up. It was still dark in her room. She couldn't have slept for more than an hour or two. Dizzy with sleepiness, she flipped over, opened her eyes.

There was a group of men wearing black, standing just at the edge of her bed. She opened her mouth to call Nansou, even knowing she would be drenched in blood—in retrospect, it had been a bad idea to tell them not to act without her say-so. Before she could get the words out, the closest one tipped over the thing he had been holding over her. Something hit her face. She couldn't even tell what it was—hard, soft, liquid, hot, cold. All she felt was a stabbing pain in her skin, reaching deep inside her, where it formed a heat, a pins and needles sensation of tearing fury. With a sense of rushing horror, she realized it was blood.

After a few drops splashing on her face, bringing heat and pain, one or two made it into her mouth. Quickly absorbed through the thin layer separating inside from outside, the heat intensified, as did the pain with it. It was the greatest agony she had ever known, white-hot, making her feel like her blood were on fire, that the pins and needles were tearing holes in her skin, would shred her to pieces. She would have screamed, but she was suddenly too weak to. But her eyes remained open, staring in terror at the men who had so easily transformed one of the most powerful people in the Twelve Kingdoms into a helpless girl.

With surprising gentleness, the lead man reached down, gathered her up in his arms. Each movement, each touch against her, caused greater pain to blossom within her, incomprehensible agony. She still couldn't scream. She might have heard the man whisper, as he lifted her up, "Forgive me, Taiho." But she was in enough torment she couldn't be sure.

They carried her out of her room, out of Jinjuu Manor, across the gardens. They were headed for the Outer Palace. There were guards at the gate there. Surely they weren't going that direction. They would be seen. They passed through the gate without incident, but Aku could clearly see the guards. She begged them with her eyes to do something, but they just stood there, not meeting those pleading eyes. Someone had bought off the Palace Guard.

They crossed a bridge, around an island, then back into the Inner Palace. A more direct route would have been easier, but they made a wide arc around the Rokuchou—clearly, they hadn't bought off everyone. Again, the guard at the gate didn't stop them. Soon they were walking down the passage to the Forbidden Gate. Surely, the guards at the Gate would stop them, would do something. The stable hands would sound the alarm. Something, anything. But when they got there, the place was empty, deadly quiet. This disturbed Aku. Not in concern for her own safety—she was pretty sure they wouldn't intentionally kill her—but for what this meant. There were only two people in the entire government who could give the orders necessary for the Gate to be empty like this: the Taisai and the Shousai, the heads of the Ministry of Heaven. One was a traitor. If not both.

She had to tell Touke. She had to leave a message somehow. But she didn't know how. She couldn't even move.

Each movement tearing her to pieces, the man carrying her slung her facedown on top of a kijuu, then climbed up behind her, held her in place. They took off, soaring out over Kyou. Aku looked down, watching the scenery pass in helpless silence. Kyou had come so far. What had once been a burned out, blighted, ruined country was now busy, productive, green. They flew over forest, farm, city, Aku watching every centimeter of it. She didn't really have a choice, frozen as she was. She wondered if they really would kill her. It was possible. Perhaps even on accident—she wasn't sure what swallowing blood would do to her. If she were to die, what would happen to Kyou? Without her, Touke would die, and Kyou would die with her.

Who would save Kyou?

Eyes open, unseeing, she blacked out.


Someone slapped her on the cheek. Hard. When she awoke, her torture resumed. Every millimeter of her hurt, with such pain she was sure she would immediately pass out. But she didn't. She was being held in a kneeling position by both shoulders, fixed in place by rough, strong hands. Now that she had a modicum of control over herself, she lifted her head, and opened her eyes.

At first the light blinded her. She gradually picked up details. She was in a stone room, the grayness brightened by metals and silks. Before her was a chair. Not exactly a throne, and not exactly the simpler version one would find in a provincial palace. So she must be in a district or prefectural castle. Standing in front of her was a man. He was too far away to have been the one who had violently forced her to wake up.

"Welcome, Taiho," he said in a voice that wasn't exactly harsh, but not exactly gentle either. He was a tall man, back straight, posture confident, eyes distant. He had violent white hair that seared Aku's mind. "I am Governor Fun Meirou."

Aku recognized the name, but she didn't know from where. "Where am I?"

"The prefectural seat of Ouhan."

Ouhan prefecture. She had heard something about here. Hadn't its capture been in the early stages of the war? Yes, she believed so. She remembered now. The governor of Ouhan had been spared. Aku had commended Touke for having such reserves of mercy. Maybe, though, he should have been removed from office. "Okay. Why have you captured me?"

With a slight smile, Fun said, "Getting straight to the point, I see."

"No use playing around."

"No, I guess not." Fun stepped down from the chair, walking toward her. "It is very simple." He stopped in front of her, only a step away. "All it will take is a simple confirmation by the Taiho."

She was pretty sure she could see where this was going. "What?"

"I need you to make me King of Kyou."

Yeah. Chiyono had called it. "Why? Do you have a problem with Meirei?"

Scrunching up his nose, Fun said, "The Queen—" He spat out the word. "—corrupts the majesty of the Throne."

"How?" Then it occurred to her. "Your real problem is the Chousai, isn't it? You don't like hanjuu."

He bristled slightly. "That is neither here nor there."

Aku barely had the energy to frown at him. "You would raise your hand against the Mandate all because you don't like one person?"

"Your answer," he said firmly.

What a terrible person. "Anyone who would kidnap a Kirin to serve his own ends deserves no title. I will never."

The despicable excuse for a man raised an eyebrow. "Not even to save your own life?"

Kyourin gave him a sad sort of smile. Even such a slight movement hurt terribly. Not as bad as speaking, but bad. "Never. So you may as well just kill me now." She was pretty sure he wouldn't. He had put too much effort and resources into this to give up now.

"You will bow to me." He gestured to the guards with his eyes.

A sudden force pushed at her shoulders and down. The agony was unbearable, and she cried out. Her hands came to the tiled floor, and with strength greater than she knew she possessed, she pushed away, resisting with unstoppable resolve. The men pushed harder and harder, until her shoulders hurt more than they already had, turning her vision white, but gained no ground. One hit the back of her head with bruising force, and she was suddenly very dizzy, but still, Tentei would not let her bow her head to the ground. She wouldn't let herself.

"Alright, stop." The pressure alleviated, but she didn't sit up. Instead she flopped over sideways, laying on the cold, hard floor. The contrast with the heat within her made her shudder, only intensifying the stabbing pain throughout her body. "You are clearly not bloodsick enough. You will be in time."

"You keep me in blood sickness, all you will gain is my death."

She couldn't see his vicious smile from this angle, but she could hear it on his voice. "Well, then, you'll just have to submit before that happens. We have a special cell prepared just for you. Enjoy. Take her," he said to the guards.

They again took her by the arms. She was lifted to her feet. They had probably expected her to walk, but there was no way she had the strength for that. They brought her down a hall, her feet dragging on the ground, then another hall, and another. She tried to make a map of it in her head, but her concentration failed her. Soon they were in a dark, musty place, filled with the smell of mildew and rotting. There was a clang of a metal door opening, then she was roughly shoved inside her cell. She collapsed against the stone, scratching and bruising.

This place smelled terribly of blood. She looked around. High on the walls, certainly too high for her to reach, were little, flat bowls, that she was sure were filled with blood. Outside the bars of her cell, she saw a depression in the floor, covered with a grate, that must also contain blood. That one was steaming slightly. They must be keeping it warm, so the smell would circulate all the easier. She was getting light-headed again, and she knew she would pass out.

There was a bed in a corner. She was sure it would be hard and uncomfortable, but it had to be better than the rock floor. She tried to stand up, but of course that was impossible, so she tried to get up onto her knees instead, forcing herself against agonizing fury. She couldn't do that either, so weak the blood made her. So she crawled on her elbows, pulling with her fingers, pushing with her toes. She inched closer and closer to the bed. Soon she reached it. It was slightly elevated. She looked up at the bed a bare half meter above her. It may as well be above Unkai. She pushed herself up, getting one arm over the edge. She pulled as hard as she could, got a second arm up. From above she pulled, from below she pushed, but she felt her strength ebb away with each movement, with each inhale of the scent of blood.

Before she could make it up, her vision rapidly faded to black. The last thing she knew was the pain of her head hitting stone.


Oblivion faded, and reality rushed in. And by reality, she meant the heat, the agony. She moaned against it, an involuntary cry from deep in her throat, a prayer for release from unbearable torment. But of course, there was no salvation, not with so much blood nearby. Through the pain, she felt something cold and wet against her forehead. She turned her head and it slipped a little. Someone had put a damp rag on her forehead, she assumed to fight fever. And her chest was wet, a rough, back and forth sensation passing over her skin.

"Try not to move, Taiho," came a gentle female voice. "You are not well."

"I wonder why," she groaned. With great effort, she forced her eyes open. She was still in that cell, dark, cold, dreary. She saw the vessels containing blood above her, around her. And, of course, she could smell that terrible, horrifying scent. At the side of her bed was a young girl, probably no older than sixteen. She looked completely ordinary—rough face, dying eyes, coarse black hair, the last of which did nothing but remind her painfully of Chiyono. On her face was an expression of pity, fear, apprehension. The girl resettled the cloth so it would stop sliding off. The girl was washing her, paying special attention to the blood dried on her chest. She guessed the girl had already gotten to that on her face. "What's your name?"

The girl glanced into Aku's eyes, the pity intensifying. Aku supposed her voice sounded terribly weak. "Fu You."

Aku could tell by the slight pause that she was being given a seimei. "I meant your azana."

For only a second, the girl hesitated. Then she said, "Youyou."

Aku tried to smile. She was pretty sure it didn't make it all the way to her face. "Funny name. Youyou."

The smallest of smiles twitched at Youyou's lips. "My baby brother gave it to me."

"That's adorable."

This time she actually smiled, though thin and sad. "I guess it is."

After a moment floating in agony, Aku asked, "What are you doing?"

"Cleaning the blood off you. And you got some grime from the floor. And I have a robe for you. You must be cold."

Aku supposed she must have been. She always slept naked, so of course she was now, having been taken from her bed. But all she felt was the heat and pain. With supreme effort, she lifted her hand from the thin, hard mattress, clasped Youyou's wrist. Youyou flinched, startled by the voluntary contact. "I appreciate your ministrations," Aku whispered, "but I fear they are futile." At Youyou's confused expression, Aku said, "On the other side of this weakness is death. This blood sickness will only end one way."

"Don't say that, Taiho."

"It's like Shitsudou. Either the cause is removed, or the Kirin dies."

There were tears in Youyou's eyes. When she spoke her voice was husky. "Don't say that! Please don't say that." She blinked, wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, and went back to washing. "Make him King. Please. You have no choice."

"I cannot," Aku said, as firm as she could. "Heaven will not permit it."

"Then you'll die." The statement was really a question.

"I don't know how long I can last around this much blood." Aku took a short breath. "Yes, I will die." The thought frightened her. But not for her own sake was she afraid. With her death, so died Kyou. If she died, the youma would return, the floods and earthquakes would come, the Kingdom would sink into ruin. Countless people would lose their livelihoods, would suffer and die. For them she feared, and for them she shed tears.

Who would save Kyou?


Meirou: 盟郎

Fu You: 晡沃

Youyou: 妖羊