Disclaimer: I disclaim all rights of Fushigi Yuugi. I claim the rights of all original characters except Riyu.

Warning: Unless you get queasy at the idea of dead animals, you should be good. Again, this is another revised chapter so I hope you enjoy it just as much as the others. Shout-out to Ryuen for her original beta-reading of this chapter - she's so awesome!

* * *

"Tell us everything that happened."

As soon as he was sure Shun'u, Kishuku, and the ketsu were safe and in good hands, Ryuuen dove into the story. Lau-sama and Doukun, her young helper, were listening with attentive ears and worried eyes, occasionally interrupting when they felt something wasn't adding up. Ryuuen's story varied little from the one he told Shun'u, the only difference being one little thing Kohana had told him that he "failed" to bring up before.

"You're kidding!" Lau's jaw dropped a good foot while Doukun covered his mouth in shock. "Seishi attacking Seishi? But… it doesn't make sense…"

"The boy's right," Donai came up next to the trio, his usually open face clouded with a distraught expression. He and the ketsu were in the alley, studying the tigers with great hope that the bodies could give some clue as to why they were there or even who they were. "Come look."

They moved together but Donai stopped when he saw Doukun following. "Not to insult you Doukun, but you may be a little young to see this," he spoke with gentle sympathy.

Both Lau and Ryuuen agreed with that, silently nodding their heads. What we did to them was not pretty and no kid should have to see it, he mentally sighed. No point in making him lose his innocence like this…

However, Doukun surprised the group. He tilted his chin up in defiance and proudly declared, "I am a Suzaku Seishi. I am not too young to be strong."

Lau-sama caught her breath while Donai-san studied the young boy with a look of newfound respect. Ryuuen felt a spark of pride radiate from deep within, even though he had never met Doukun before today. If this boy can show such strength… then we can surely do no less, he smiled.

'You humans,' Kohana said in an exasperated tone - one that she seemed to use quite often actually. 'When will you learn not to judge a Seishi by his looks or age? Doukun is afraid of what he may see (which is wise of him) but he knows that because he is a Seishi there are things in life he must eventually face, and become thus stronger for it. And that's what Chie is here for - to offer him support and love and everything he needs when things become too hard to take.'

'Hmmm! I knew I kept you around for a good reason,' Ryuuen teased her, though the panda was less than amused.

But all levity disappeared as the four turned the corner and came upon the wreckage that was once a pair of tigers and their Seishi bonds. The bodies weren't completely destroyed, but blood and internal organs were cast helter-skelter so that most features were hidden under the butchery. In fact, the only thing that was obvious was that two bodies belonged to tiger-ketsus and the two others were identical human males. The smell of viscera and death was nothing new to him, but it still made Ryuuen wrinkle his nose in complete loathing.

Donai's expression didn't change but Lau had to look away almost immediately, a strangled sob escaping her throat. Doukun had turned white as a sheet and his step faltered. Ryuuen quickly caught him under the shoulder and balanced the young Seishi; his own mind already numbed to the savage sight that he helped create.

"Thank you," Doukun mumbled.

"I wish you didn't have to see this," Ryuuen said, knowing exactly what he was thinking. "I wish I didn't have to see it again."

And I wish I didn't have to kill… but if wishes were horses I'd be riding instead of running.

Doukun looked at him with raw eyes, his face torn with pain. "W-w-why did this happen? You didn't want to kill them - I can see it in your eyes. How could Suzaku let it happen?"

Ryuuen didn't have an answer. He just put his arm around Doukun's shoulders, comforting the boy with his actions rather than words. Chie had flown into Doukun's arms and allowed the life to be hugged out of her while Kohana sat next to the bodies, mourning the deaths with uncharacteristic solemnity. Lau was holding a snowshoe hare close to her chest and visibly regaining her bearings as Shioki impatiently pawed the ground around the tigers/humans.

Donai broke their thoughts. "Etsuo-san is going to be joining us shortly. He may be of some helping in figuring out which Seishi they were and their intent in coming here."

Remu Etsuo was one of the higher-ranking Priests and one-time teacher of Ryuuen back before he had even come to the Center. Whenever problems occurred where the parties involved could not speak or otherwise communicate, Etsuo was brought in to help extract the facts. Ryuuen also knew that he was extremely well versed when it came to animals in general, and might be able to glean more from the bodies than they could.

"I have a funny feeling that they're not Suzaku, though," Ryuuen said, trying to raise the mood.

"No, they can't be," Doukun agreed. "Someone would recognize them. And they're twins - the only twins at the Center are two pairs of identical females and one fraternal twinpair of male/female. These are identical males."

Ryuuen pulled his arm back, knowing now that Doukun had control over his emotions. He apparently switched mindsets so logic could take over.

That's one way to protect yourself, he thought with no small amount of sadness.

"But that doesn't explain where they came from," Lau-sama frowned, still stroking her ketsu. "We could all venture a guess, but it would be biased and of no good objectively."

Ryuuen snorted and shared a look with Donai-san. "She's got a point," the Chief Warrior admitted. "Even the ketsus aren't making conclusions about this, which bothers me more than I'd care to say."

'To us, where they came from is irrelevant. All I know is that they followed their Seishi's orders and attacked two ketsu brothers,' Kohana spoke to the group, her tone causing everyone to look at her. Never had Ryuuen heard her 'speak so vehemently before, and it obviously affected the others as much as him. She walked over to him and rubbed her head into his stomach, showing him how upset she was. Ryuuen bent down and buried his face in her neck, both giving and taking comfort from the other's presence.

Chie continued where Kohana left off, sounding equally incensed and not bothering to hide it. 'To attack another ketsu… it is to turn your tail on your kindred. And no decent Seishi would force his or her bond to go through such actions.'

"Then maybe Seishi aren't as decent as we like to think," Ryuuen said, unable to keep the bitterness from his voice. He clenched Kohana's fur, holding her for dear life and sanity.

"Or maybe we only hear about the dark side of life rather than the bright, forgetting what goodness we're capable of?" a calm baritone voice gently suggested. Everyone turned to see a scarlet-haired man part the crowd surrounding the Seishi group and Ryuuen wondered Where did all the people come from?

Then he gasped, realizing that he had an audience and had probably had one for quite some time. He quickly let go of Kohana and jumped to his feet, praying that his face wasn't too flushed.

"All right now," Donai-san turned to people, his voice firm and strong. "This is Seishi business, so unless you feel the need to take up a problem with Master Haon or Emperor Saihitei, I suggest you get back to work."

A petulant bull and panda forced the people back, who grumbled and muttered as they drifted away from the curious sight. Meanwhile, Etsuo bowed to Ryuuen and the Judges as they returned to the scene of the crime.

"Thank you for coming," Lau smiled at him, expressing her gratitude that there was someone around who knew how to best deal with this situation.

"All in a day's work," he smiled back.

"Sorry to bring you two out here on such… depressing business," Ryuuen apologized to Etsuo and Shuchuu.

He shook his head. "Don't apologize. You did what you had to do."

But the Nuriko Seishi sighed deeply, emphasizing his displeasure with himself. Etsuo just looked him in the eye and said, "Ryuuen, you always pull this small guilt trip on yourself. If you keep this up I'm going to suggest you become a Judge."

"Ew no!" he objected, then turned a lovely shade of pink when he saw the looks on Doukun and Lau-sama's face. "Ehehe… he set me up for that!"

Etsuo merely laughed and went to work, unaffected by the overall morbidity of the scene. Despite his current profession, Etsuo had been drafted as a Warrior when a harsh battle between Konan and Kutou had broken out a few decades ago. As a result, he had to become hardened to the sight of pain and death, but it also made him an incredible Priest because of his endless compassion for those who were still alive and dealing with what the world had given them.

First he studied all four bodies, touching nothing but getting so close to them that his breath could parts hairs. After a few minutes of silence, he started muttering to himself. "Twins, obviously. Boys about 16, pushing it. Twin tigers for ketsus, and judging by your accounts they must be Warriors. I doubt, however, they're of the Suzaku Seishi type." Ryuuen and Doukun glanced at each other, smiling slightly at the repeated conversation. The bat stayed on his Seishi's shoulder, the two of them conversing back and forth. "I wonder…"

Etsuo bent down and put his fingers into a nearby puddle of blood. His talent for psychometry required that he come into contact with an item relevant to an incident and the liquid life was as relevant as you could get.

And immediately, he yanked his hand back and hissed in pain. Shuchuu began shrieking with earsplitting force and flew as far from the tigers as possible, high up in a nearby tree.

Ryuuen went next to the Priest immediately, worried beyond belief. "What? What's wrong? Are you all right?"

Etsuo looked at his bloodied fingers as if he's never seen them before. "I… I've never felt… such unbridled hate before," he gasped, his Chiriko symbol throbbing a pained crimson. The rest of the Seishi and ketsu gathered around him with the twinfold need to try and soothe the pain but also to hear what else Etsuo learned. The Priest closed his eyes and gritted his teeth in an effort to concentrate on the feelings, to move past the anger and grief. "One of the ketsu's. Lost his Seishi and brother before he died. Pain overriding all senses…" And then he said one word that summed up everyone's worries.

"Seiryuu."

Ryuuen began swearing up and down a red streak, causing Lau to look at him with mild shock. If she's upset by words after this mess, she must not get out much, Ryuuen figured. But shit! I thought the dispute between Kutou and Konan had died down.

"So then Kutou must have sent them," Donai voiced everyone's thoughts.

"Not necessarily," Doukun shook his head. "If they are rogues or mercenaries, they could have stumbled upon Toshi and Genrou-ketsu by accident and fought for the sake of fighting. Or perhaps there is a third party involved." He turned to Etsuo. "Can you tell anything else, Etsou-san?"

He shook his head. "My mind has been too saturated with this to get a clearer picture…" he looked at the blood on his fingers. "I could try again with a different person but would most likely only receive the same knowledge I have garnered already. I have gathered a good deal from this drop of blood but it'll take me some time to part the emotions from the truth."

Etsuo flicked the blood off his hand and Ryuuen could see he was wishing desperately for a tub of water to boil in. Shuchuu had flown down and was currently hovering above the mutilated bodies and shrieking at them, as if that would be enough payback for his Seishi's unwanted headache.

Like the one hitting me in the back of the head like a brick, Ryuuen sighed.

"When we return to the Center, I'll find Sahiro to do dictation for your findings," Lau told the Priest, who nodded vaguely.

"Should we bother keeping the bodies?" Ryuuen suddenly asked, not exactly fond of letting a bunch of bodies waste away in such a busy city. The sight was enough to make anyone sick, but the smell had potential to kill.

"No, I don't think it's necessary. I'll send a couple Warriors with fire and earth talents to clean this up," Donai figured, then turned a mocking grin to the Lau and Doukun. "Unless you two wanna keep the evidence."

Lau went pale again as Doukun chuckled. "No thank you, Te-sama. I am quite sure I have all the information I need, but I thank you for the offer in any case."

This kid's pretty cool, Ryuuen thought. "Why are you here, anyway?"

The boy replied, "Genrou passed me by as he was retrieving a few doctors and he told me what happened to you three. It is quite fortunate you were here to help them."

"Yeah, well I'm glad they could help me," Ryuuen told him. "Come on, let's head back to the Center and check on them."

Doukun looked at Lau for further instruction, but she was in the middle of a conversation with Etsuo so the Seishi/ketsu pairs headed off without the adults. Doukun shifted and flew with Chie, but Ryuuen decided against shifting. Kohana by herself was already pretty conspicuous so adding a second panda to the mix would draw more attention than Ryuuen really wanted to put up with.

'Kohana… what now?' he strolled with his ketsu by his side, parting the crowd with negligible ease. 'I mean, if Seiryuu Seishi are attacking Suzaku Seishi, what does it mean? I know the gods can't be liking this much.'

'It means that there is more to this than we know, and next time we may not walk away from a battle.'

*

The Hospice, despite being a place of sickness and death, actually had quite a comforting feel to it. It was connected directly to the Palace, in case the Emperor or his family were to ever have need of said services, and thus furnished quite well with bright lanterns and comforting wall hangings to lift the spirits of visitors and shut-ins alike. The recovery rooms were spacious and ventilated, providing the patient with the illusion that he or she was merely resting instead of lying in a state of broken health. Doctor-Priests wandered in and out of rooms, doing routine check-ups on their patients while a few Judges maintained a level of organization rarely seen outside the Center walls. It wasn't anything like village infirmaries, which were hardly more sanitary than the outdoors. This was clean, spacious, and all around homelike.

Not that Ryuuen planned to spend any more time there than he had to, but it was nice to know that if he ever got clawed in the chest he'd be well taken care of.

Heh… with my luck I'll end up missing my head before getting here, but reassuring nonetheless. Now… where are those two???, he looked around, trying to catch a nearby room number. Thankfully Doukun had managed to get him the rooms where Kishuku and Shun'u were mending in, saving him about 20 minutes of aimless wandering.

Shun'u was still unconscious when Ryuuen finally found his newfound buddy. Although he didn't ask questions about his health to any of the nearby Priests, Ryuuen could see the flush had returned to Shun'u's face and there was an even rise and fall of his chest, as opposed to his previous ragged breathing and pallid coloring. His shoulders were expertly wrapped and, thankfully, devoid of all red stains. Ryuuen quickly bent his head in grateful prayer to Suzaku for taking care of His own Seishi.

I'd like to be able to keep the friends I make, you know, he told his god. He added a few more words of healing before a scratching sound caught his ear.

Ryuuen turned to see Genrou lying at the foot of his beloved's bed, looking for all the world like a lost dog. "Hey, you all right?" he knelt and offered his hand to the wolf.

Genrou raised his head and licked him as a sign of accepted friendship. 'I think so. Are you?'

'I'm not the one that was hurt. I take it Shun'u's doing better?'

'Doctor Chu said he'd be awake tomorrow and walking around in a few days. My Shun'u is tough.'

'No kiddin! I saw him take on that tiger like it was nothing!'

'It was my fault!'

The comment caught Ryuuen totally off guard, so much that he fell on his backside. 'Wh… what?!'

'I should have seen it coming! I should have protected him better, and now look at him! My Seishi was hurt because I was careless,' the poor ketsu curled into a furry red ball, hiding his tail between his legs and his eyes under his paws. Genrou's thoughts were so loud and hurting that a pitiful whine escaped his throat.

Oh no… oh Gen-kun… 'Hey, it's all right. You did everything you could do, and Shun'u did what he had to. Shun'u was protecting Toshi and Kishuku as much as he was watching out for you. He knew what he was doing. Besides, it's not like Shun'u blames you or anything. I think he would die before doing that and you know it,' Ryuuen 'spoke strongly, gently laying his hand on the ketsu's head to soothe the burning soul.

'But I'm not the one lying half-dead in that bed right now!'

Ryuuen winced as the pain and guilt Genrou radiated was starting to backlash onto him. That told him just how upset the wolf was - the ketsu are famous for their ability to block all thoughts and emotions from Seishi without a problem, but Genrou was broadcasting his feelings so strongly that even a normal unbonded human would be overcome with such traumatic sensations. And because he was never one to let other people suffer alone, Ryuuen sat and stroked Genrou's fur.

'Hey hey… it's going to be fine, I swear. Look, I mean Shun's hardly dead. And you guys are Warriors - both of you know the dangers of fighting. Shun'u still took the attack because he knew the tiger would hurt someone else if he didn't. He's noble like that,' Ryuuen rubbed his thumb on the wolf's forehead, right over the glowing yoku symbol, and smiled slightly. 'You two are such gentlemen; no one would ever believe it, but I can tell. You two would do anything for other people and that's what Shun did.'

'I know, I know. In truth, it is no more my fault than Shun's, but I suppose it is easier to blame myself than my beloved,' Genrou sighed, lifting his head and butting it against Ryuuen's palm. 'Sorry for dropping this on you. But thank you very much, Ryuu-kun.'

'Hey, save the apologies for Shun. Let him deal with 'em,' he grinned, getting to his feet and petting down Genrou's untidy ruff. 'I'm gonna go visit Kishuku, then probably head back to my room and relax. Come get me if anything happens, all right?'

'Of course,' he agreed and pawed the Seishi's leg. 'Now get going before I chase you out.'

Ryuuen laughed and left the duo, walking down a few doors before he reached Kishuku's room. Like the other Warrior, he was unconscious and resting peacefully with his leg and chest cleaned up. Toshi was nowhere in sight and Ryuuen supposed it was due to the fact that Toshi himself didn't come out of the fight unscathed. Thus the leopard was probably being taken care of in the nearby Animal Hospice, specifically designed for creatures both wild and ketsu.

He knelt at Kishuku's bed and prayed again, though this time his words held a more fevered pitch about them.

Suzaku… I beg of you my Lord, continue to take care of these two. Even though I just met them today, there's such a connection between us that it hurts to see them like this. And they have fought bravely for you, so in your name I ask that they may be able to defend your country, people, and Seishi another day.

Though not a very religious man, Ryuuen was well aware of the pressure that being a Seishi weighed on his spiritual side. It's hard to deny the existence of a god when you are the proof. Brushing a few stray strands of hair off Kishuku's cheeks and eyes, Ryuuen softly touched his fingertip to the other's forehead.

Seishi brother… he smiled, thanking Kishuku for his courage and heart. The conversation with Doukun came into his head; the boy telling him where and when he had met the Warriors. Poor Kishuku… and he's only been here a few days. What a welcoming!

He quickly left the Hospice, desperately needing some personal time to take in the last 4 hours. Ryuuen just let his feet carry him through the maze of the Center until he reached his hallway and his room. He slid the door open and was eternally grateful to see the room was dark and empty.

I can catch a quick nap before Riyu comes in and rakes me over the coals, he breathed a sigh of relief. Riyu was his roommate and had this bad tendency to be rather protective when it came to Ryuuen's health and well being. Riyu had known that Ryuuen was going out to pull Watch at the edge of the city, and also knew that he would never have been asked to work in the more dangerous area unless Ryuuen requested it. Eh, screw it. I'll deal with that later.

And he promptly fell face-first into his pillow and was out like a candle.

Some unknown amount of time had passed before Ryuuen awoke to the feeling of something hard and thin hitting him on the back. Crud…

"Riyu, for pity's sake isn't there a better way to wake me up?!" he demanded, the words somewhat muffled by the blankets thrown over his head. "Like, with loving words or something equally not-painful?"

"You idiot! You knew something was going on today!" Kaito Riyu berated him. "Why didn't you tell me? Why??? I could have helped you three and you know it!"

Yeah… about as loving as Riyu's gonna get…

"Everything worked out fine," Ryuuen replied, completely lacking the interest to re-explain the situation. "And how did you hear about it? I thought Donai-san was keeping things quiet."

"How??? Ryuuen, you're kidding me! I mean, only everyone's talking about the Seiryuu Seishi found in Eiyou! Seiryuus in the Capital of Konan! If that's not big news than I don't know what is" his roommate continued to shout. "If you had just let me switch my post, I would have been with you when you met them!"

Ryuuen realized that at this rate he wasn't going to get back to sleep. He turned over and tossed off the covers, trying to focus on the figure looming over his bed. It didn't help that the sun had already set, making Riyu look twice as imposing under all that shadow. He sighed and decided the lesser of two evils would to just tell the story again even if he didn't want to think about it. "Listen, this is all I wanna say about what happened. They were tiger-bonded and a pain. You're a good fighter and all, but even a pair of wolves and leopards couldn't take them down without help. I doubt falcons could have done much more."

"We couldn't have hurt! Ryuuen, don't make me hit you again, 'cause I will if you keep dancing around the subject."

Dammit, she's not going to drop this, he rubbed the bridge of his nose and let his eyes adjust to the darkness. "Look, Ri-chan, I-"

"Don't even start that with me," Riyu interrupted. "Ryuuen… I'm just worried about you. What if you were hurt? Suzaku forbid, but what if something bad happened to you?"

Despite the gravity of the conversation, Ryuuen couldn't help but smile. Riyu, for all her toughness and shields always looked out for him like a big sister even though she denied it at every turn.

"So… ya worried about me?" he asked slyly.

And she replied by pounding on his back and shoulders with her handy practice staff and repeating, "You ass!" over and over.

Around the seventh repetition Ryuuen rolled to the side off the bed, sprang to his feet, grabbed Riyu from behind and pinned her arms to her sides. She let out an outraged sound and tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but his strength kept her from doing much more than breathe unhindered.

"Thanks Riyu, for caring about me…" he whispered to her, meaning the words as deeply as possible. They were the same height, making it easy for Ryuuen to rest his head against hers as he spoke. "I'm sorry for worrying you, honestly. I just… I wanted to keep you safe too."

Riyu stopped struggling and dropped the staff so she could put her hands over his. "Well someone's gotta look out for you," she murmured back. "Me and Shi would be a little upset if you left."

"Ah, you know you love me," Ryuuen teased. "Just can't admit it."

"Jerk." He kissed her cheek and let her go, and in return she lightly punched his shoulder. "Making me worry like that…" she grumbled as she lit the lanterns in the room.

Riyu was the definition of a tomboy; the Warrior maiden looked to be more masculine than Ryuuen. With her short-shorn hair contrasted against Ryuuen's inhumanly long braid, people usually figured Ryuuen to be the girl rather than Riyu when they were spotted together. It also explained how she managed to get into the restricted boy's dorms. Still, she was one of Ryuuen's closest friends and would do anything for him, and he would do the same for her.

"So what really happened?" she asked, sitting down on the floor. "You look like you need to get this off your chest."

Ryuuen nodded in defeat as took a seat across from her.

"All right… it went kind of like this…"

He told her the condensed version of the day, unwilling to repeat his entire experience for the third time. Ryuuen left out the fight scene, not because he thought she couldn't take it but because it wasn't relevant at the moment. Right now Riyu was more worried about Ryuuen's mental health than a bunch of dead Seiryuus. He told her about Kohana's forewarning, the sickening fact that they had killed a group of Seishi rather than wild animals, and everything that related to his emotions about the ordeal. It was therapeutic and he needed the outlet more than he wanted to admit.

Through it all, Riyu didn't comment except for a few nods or thoughtful noises. When he finished, she propped her head on her fists and began to talk.

"OK, so it sounds like this was just another pissing contest between Kutou and Konan, to check out the strongest Seishi," she said. "Not that I like Kutou screwing with us, but it's nothing new. It's actually been rare these past years."

"I think it's more than that," Ryuuen thought aloud. "I mean, you don't send your Warriors onto enemy territory; it's too dangerous. The enemy has the upper hand by knowing the land and having backup. And even though they were strong, we still won because of reinforcements."

"Then maybe that Doukun kid was right, that they were renegades," she shrugged. "And they just happened to be Seiryuus looking for trouble. If it were Genbus or Byakkos you wouldn't be half as upset."

"I suppose…"

Riyu leaned forward to get a better look at her roommate. Within a heartbeat, the symbol of Nuriko Seishi rose onto her forehead and she began to speak in a smooth monotone. "You're having doubts about that. You really think that they came here with a purpose in mind; here to slaughter either Seishi or innocent people or even both. And it really bothers you because it offends that sense of honor you have, and because you don't like the idea of people being hurt. Softie," she smirked at him, then continued. "You don't think you could have prevented your friends from being injured, but you wish that they didn't get pulled in when they did. Right now, all you want to do is turn into a panda, go wander the forest, and forget everything that happened in the last 12 hours."

Her insightful comments forced Ryuuen to come to terms with said repressed feelings. He mulled over her words and finally responded with, "Damn you and your empathy."

She countered smugly. "You know you love me."

Ryuuen chose not to comment back. Instead, he looked outside the shadowed windows and asked, "What time is it?"

"A few hours past sunfall."

His eyes popped out of his head. "How long did I sleep?!"

"Shi and I came in about two hours ago and you were sleeping. I actually tried to wake you up but you were really out of it. He got bored and took off like a half hour ago - I think he's with Kohana actually."

Hmmm, I suppose the stress of fighting and killing is getting to me, Ryuuen thought darkly. He stood up and stretched, cracking and popping his bones back into place. "Well… I don't suppose you heard any news while I was out," he half-asked, half-requested additional info.

Riyu followed his motions and came to her feet. "No, nothing I can really tell you. I think the upper echelon of the Center and Palace are having a meeting of the minds about it but no one's done anything." She strode to her side of the room and picked up a sword and scabbard. Belting them around her waist, she commented, "But I don't see what you're so worried about. I mean, yes I understand your emotional reasons and all that crap, but it's not like this has never happened before. Enemies exist and they'll take down whoever they can."

"I know, but it still isn't sitting right with me," Ryuuen tried to explain and failed miserably. "Come on, you're the one with empathy and a truth-seeker; don't tell me you can't sense that something's not right too."

Riyu sighed. "I do… but not the same as you. My unsettled feelings come from the fact that I'm worried about war between countries. Yours comes from the idea that no matter what you do you won't be able to save the people you care about."

He closed his eyes and rubbed his fingers over the tired orbs, her words hitting so hard that his heart had sped up. I'm so bloody sick of these games people play and I'm so bloody sick of not being able to do anything when it really matters.

"Hey."

He looked in time to catch a sheathed blade as it flew through the air at him. Ryuuen yelped in surprise, not because he caught it but because he wasn't exactly used to weapons flying through the air. He turned and glared angrily at the reason why said sword had become airborne.

"Wanna spar? Get some energy out?" Riyu had a somewhat mischievous grin on her face that spoke of only bad things. "It'll be good for you."

Ryuuen wasn't really in the mood to spar - he really just wanted to be left alone. More fighting… that's just what I need… he thought sarcastically. But he reflexively lifted the blade a couple times, his body remembering the balance and weight of his personal sword and finding some measure of comfort from it.

Although he relied much more on his strength or even a favored tetsubo during rigorous tests and battles, Ryuuen was no slouch with a blade. All Warriors were given swords once they passed their first initiation rites, regardless of their weapon of choice, and were very good at using them. Riyu far outdid him in actual skill with one but he was hardly worried about her killing him. Both of them were well trained in the Warrior arts and, although it could be seen as a practice bout, this was more for a release of tension rather than an actual showing of proficiency.

He looked at the sparingly decorated sheath, the pattern of a single orchid plant twining up the blade reflecting his incredible love of nature and simplistic look on life.

Suzaku, what on earth possessed me to become a Warrior???

"Come on, it'll be good for you," Riyu said good-naturedly, grabbing his arm. "I doubt the Emperor would mind if we borrowed his practice room, right?"

Ryuuen allowed himself to be dragged somewhat reluctantly to the largest, most well equipped practice room in both the Center and Palace. He didn't bother to tell Kohana what he was up to and the panda could take perfectly good care of herself for hours and return whenever she felt she had to. Plus, if she really needed him their telepathic connection could find him in a heartbeat.

At least someone around here has a nice measure of freedom, Ryuuen thought sourly. He didn't feel like talking, which was OK since Riyu wasn't talking either, but he could see her character coming up every so often and knew she was wrapped up in his thoughts. Checking up on me… she can be such a girl sometimes. And I hope you heard that, you little snoop!

If she did, she didn't respond to the jibe.

Although evening had fallen so far that darkness was quite prevalent around the Center, there were lanterns and torches lit to give any wandering Seishi the gift of sight. Even a bit of moonlight managed to drift down as they crossed the open pathway between the Center and Palace. When they actually arrived to the War Room, as most Warriors dubbed it, they found that no one was around. Usually there was someone practicing inside and Riyu chalked up the absence of humans to the Seiryuu incident.

"Everyone's probably talking about it rather doing the healthy thing of doing something," she shrugged, opening the door and shooing Ryuuen through. "Ladies first."

Ryuuen somehow managed to bop her on the head with the flat end of the sheathed sword as he passed, ignoring her curse in favor of taking in his surroundings. The room was lit up and weapons were hung all around the room in sets of twos or threes, since Warriors found the best practice was had when done with another person. In this case, both Seishi had a weapon and thus rendered the rest of them to mere decoration, albeit dangerous decoration.

He went to the opposite end of the room, giving both of them some space to warm-up and flex a bit. Ryuuen unsheathed his sword, feeling a warm shiver run up his back at the silvery echo, and the sensation repeated itself when he heard the same song come from Riyu's sword. He slowly brought the sword up and down, getting a little quicker as he let his wrist adjust to the weight. He waved the blade through the air and allowed himself to be swept away in the routine of the actions. Smiling, he twirled the sword above his head in a complicated figure, finally bringing in the rest of his body to begin the kata.

Kata are a set of techniques performed in an order for the sake of balancing oneself, and all Seishi learned some kata form, either to use as a warm-up before fighting or simply to clear one's minds. Ryuuen himself fit into both categories. In fact, it was in rituals like this that reminded him of why he was so contented in his choice of Seishi duty. He enjoyed the strength that the kata gave him, honing his physical senses to a razor-fine point, but he really loved the feeling of pride it gave him.

To know that another great Warrior performed this kata makes me feel like I'm part of this amazing tradition, he smiled. Combine art and combat and you get something indescribably wonderful.

His kata routines were lighter and quicker than most of the other males, simply because he wasn't built heavy or strong like them. Although his Seishi strength was invaluable, it didn't help if he couldn't hit the target or couldn't get out of the way of an attack. Thus this practice seemed to fit him quite well. His sword spun and sang through the air of its own accord, as if he was an expert dancer using the blade as a living responding partner. Ryuuen moved with such fluid grace that if this was a real battle he could dart from one enemy to another without a wasted breath.

Just let my body take control, let it remember all the motions, Ryuuen closed his eyes, trusting his body that he wouldn't hit anything before finishing. Cut, spin-kick, and backflip… he freed his thoughts and burned away the day's pain with every stroke and turn. Step, step, parry, strike!

But as it was, this was merely practice for the harder test. Ryuuen finished his set of kata and watched as Riyu went through hers. She was much more forceful in her actions, stabbing and slicing with greater frequently than Ryuuen did. She used a more moderate kata generally practiced by men, but was better at it than any women-preferred routine she may have encountered.

Although Ryuuen didn't feel completely better about the events, he did appreciate her taking the time to help him cope. Of course, it could all be an intricate plot to get me to spar with her, he let his thoughts become amused. She does complain I don't practice enough, but I can blame Oushi for that too.

When both felt that their kata had sufficiently warmed them up, the two Nuriko Seishi stood across from each other.

"Which version?" Ryuuen asked.

"The usual," and Riyu tossed him a pin with a black dot attached to it. "Touch the circle, win the round. Only sword, no Seishi talents, so forth and so on." He pinned it to his chest, right in front of his heart, and saw Riyu had hers on already. Generally in practice, Warriors also wore protective covering of some sort but neither felt particularly inclined to put on the weighty and uncomfortable pads. The vulnerability would make them more cautious anyway. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

They bowed respectfully to each other and prepared for action. Ryuuen stepped into the natural Warrior's stance, holding his sword over his head with his right hand and his left in front for balance. Riyu, on the other hand, has pulled her sword back in a position that would allow her to make one quick thrust in and out, as if planning to skewer her partner.

Which I can only pray she won't do, Ryuuen felt the rush of adrenaline start up as they stood there in silence. He listened to his heartbeat and watched Riyu with all the focus his training had provided.

Riyu make the first move. Not bothering with subtleties, she rushed at him and pulled her arm back in a deadly swooping action. Ryuuen parried it easily and slid his sword down hers as if to cut her off at the midsection. She quickly brought her sword back in a parry, spun in a 360º circle, and was promptly blocked again. With a clang of twin metals, the duo leapt back from each other to regain their bearings.

Boy, this feels GOOD! Ryuuen's mind soared. Energy to spare!

"So you're not too upset," Riyu joked.

"Just enough so I can kick your ass," he said back, this time taking the initiative. He stepped forward and made a backhanded swing, trying to force Riyu to expose the pin.

Which was something of a mistake.

In his exuberance, he had forgotten that Riyu was almost twice as good with a sword as he was and saw the move coming. All she did was bend backwards, spring back up as it passed overhead, and give his sword a whack to offset his balance. As Ryuuen pinwheeled his arms to catch himself, she had taken her blade and tapped the dot on his chest.

"I win." Riyu said, her grin just this side of gloating.

He fell over backwards, giving up the fight with gravity. "I don't like you."

"Don't make me win again."

Ryuuen got to his feet. "I declare a rematch!"

So they fought four more times. Ryuuen managed to beat her twice, though the first time was out of sheer luck rather than any prowess. The second he had spotting an opening and took advantage as quickly as possible.

I'm feeling pretty damn proud of myself! He couldn't help it - it was a rare day when he could beat Riyu in any sort of swords-play and he felt he earned the right to preen.

By the time they had finished, an hour and a half had passed and they were ready to call it quits. Sitting down, the Nuriko Seishi were cleaning their swords and mopping up their soaked skin.

"Feel better?"

"A bit. Somewhat healthy."

"I hardly expect you to feel exceptionally well after just a few hours, but it's good to hear you're not wallowing. You're a pain when you wallow."

"Me? Wallow? I never wallow! Maybe drown, but not wallow."

He managed to make Riyu giggle, something that the boy-like girl would never do in public. This is such fun.

"I'm going to go grab a shower before bed," she informed him. "What are you up to?"

"Think I'm gonna shower too, then visit the duo before turning in," Ryuuen shrugged.

Riyu stood up, apparently satisfied with her work at cheering the other Seishi up, and offered her roommate a hand up. They walked back to their dormitory room, both of them bantering easily and freely about some of the smaller events of the day.

Dropping his sword off, Ryuuen took the fastest shower in the world and then ran off to check on Kishuku and Shun'u and maybe even the ketsu if he got lucky. However, since it was so late he found that all the rooms were closed for the night and no visitors were allowed.

Too bad, he sighed. Thought maybe the guys would be up by now.

Yeah, like they ignore sleep the way you do.

It could happen!

Realizing the voices in his head were taking over, Ryuuen chuckled to himself to silence them, rather amazed at how much better he felt. Normally an exhausting day carried over for a long time, delving into multiple bouts of depression, but today was different. It felt warmer, more fulfilled.

Maybe Suzaku's decided he likes a happy Ryuuen better than a pissy one, he thought lightly. Or maybe all that energy is just giving me a temporary high.

Whatever the case, Ryuuen knew better than to fight it. Instead of heading immediately back to the room, he wandered the halls until he reached the garden and pond, one of his favorite places in both the Center and Palace. There was a little walkway that jutted into the giant pond's center and at the end of the path was a lovely open alcove that Ryuuen had just recently discovered. He sat down and leaned against a beam, looking up around the canopy at the brilliant stars dotting the sky.

I think I'd like to stay outside tonight. The night's got so much more to offer if you're close to it, he decided, and tentatively reached out with his mind to his ketsu. 'Kohana?'

'You rang?' Her voice was distant, meaning she was probably at the other end of the Palace or forest.

'I'm spending the night in the gazebo,' he informed her. 'Care to come and join me?'

She sighed dramatically. 'I suppose…' But it only took a few minutes for her to arrive and lay comfortably against her Seishi. 'You sound refreshed.'

'Yup. It's rather sad that this excitement is going to go to waste by sleeping, but what'cha gonna do?'

'Like you said. I'm going to sleep.' She curled inwards, tucking Ryuuen into her body like a mother to a child.

He gave a soft laugh and pillowed his cheek upon one large paw. 'Such a hard decision.' And soon joined his beloved in peaceful dreaming.

*

The garden was one of the few places that denied access to the general population. It provided quick and easy passage between the Palace and Center, and since it was situated right between the two it had the prospect of being a vulnerable spot in Konan's otherwise invincible layout. It would not do the country any good for Emperor Saihitei to be attacked while on a daily stroll or to have both the Palace and Center overthrown in one fell swoop. So even at night, when some of the most secretive but important gatherings took place, there were always guards or in-training Warriors wandering the terrain on a regular schedule. This is not to say that it was impossible for expert assassins to penetrate the garden's defenses, but it would be no small feat for anyone to enter without alerting someone to their presence. Still, it was imperative that the place be kept guarded and private at all times for the safety of Konan itself.

So perhaps it was simply good skill that allowed a lone figure to slip past all the eyes and ears of the guards without the hint of a problem. It moved swiftly and silently, as if it had been born and bred for living in darkness.

Too easy, he thought smugly. Konan is too trusting and open. But what is their downfall is our advantage.

He sat there in the fragrant bushes, closely watching two sleeping bodies under the cover of a wonderfully crafted alcove. One was a large panda, the other a pretty girl with violet hair. Obviously a Seishi/ketsu pair and looking rather exposed at the moment. The temptation to attack was strong, knowing that he could kill the girl without too much effort, but his sense of duty was stronger.

No, not now, he reminded himself and pulled his attention away from them. Some other time, but not now. There are more important matters to attend.

He sat there for quite some time gathering all the information necessary before it was time to report back. Without disturbing the grass beneath his feet, the cat turned his back and headed for home, leaving the silence unbroken and the darkness unmarred.

And so the duo slept on, unaware of how closely death had lingered over their heads.

* * *