Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men.— Lao Tzu

Emperor Koenma was only half-asleep in the comfort of his study. He took a moment to yawn and absent-mindedly continued stamping documents and signing his signature on others. He wearily murmured.

The door gave a gentle knocking. "Emperor Koenma?" said a quiet voice. Botan made a humble entrance, and greeted him politely. Her looked on him painfully with pity.

"Koenma, it's late. Please go to sleep, I'll take care of the paperwork."

"I'm fine Botan." he yawned and wiped his eyes. "Just fine."

"But sir..." She insisted, but sighed. It's no use. She thought. He's too dutiful to listen to reason.

"The poor thing." She whispered staring at the floor. She became afflicted by the sudden, unexpected visual recollections that followed. Koenma was forced to arrest his own father, King Enma just two years ago. She recalled. Ever since, he's had to take on his own responsibilities with the added burden of his father's.

Botan abandoned her train of thought, hearing a loud snoring. The sovereign had given into his urges and was already fast asleep. Moments passed, and then a minute. Botan smiled warmly, quietly turning to his door to embark. But when she turned, Botan curiously began to notice a tiny tremor rattling Koenma's calligraphy ink closer and closer to the edge of his desk.

He snorted and subconsciously stared up. "Just my imagination...Time for some sleep." Koenma yawned and dozed back into slumber. Moments later, he could have only spoken too expeditiously. The black calligraphy ink abruptly splattered the wooden floor. Betwixt moments, rattling had surcharged into a coercive tossing, and upheaval of his study. Papers flittered from cabinets.

Koenma awoke and bit his pacifier, infuriated. Just from outside his study, Koenma could hear the sudden hollering of his worker ogres. "What the heck's going on around here?" he demanded.

George rushed briskly into his master's anteroom. "Emperor Koenma sir, you called?" He bowed respectfully. And replaced a globe he had carelessly knocked over.

"What's all the racket? I'm trying to work!"

"Why s-sir! That's why I was on my way to see you." George's voice was panicked and oddly frightened. "We're being—well…"

Koenma frowned. "What're you talking about?"

George wasted little time. "Just look at what's outside sir! You won't believe this!" He escorted Koenma and Botan to a high balcony.

The emperor's eyes widened and his face began to sweat. The pacifier in his mouth unwittingly met the ground. "Oh my god..."

Botan gawked and placed her hands on her face. "It's horrible!"

In an instant, the palace beyond anyone's warning looked like a war zone. Outside within its borders, ogre subordinates went scurrying for safety. From veranda, Koenma saw an incursion of explosions on the ground. Some of the unfortunate were thrown high in the air by titanic blasts, and pinned impetuously into trees, walls, or one another. They occurred like helpless ants drowning in an assault of combustion.

"No one's sure why this is happening! What should we do, sir?" the ogre asked.

A sudden ungovernable quake threw everyone off his or her feet, but George managed to ease Koenma's fall. Once Koenma regained his senses, he looked above. "Look!" He ordered. Amongst all the confusion, a staggering number of shadows began to quietly climb to the rooftop. So, this is just a diversion and set-up! I sense they're up to something, while we're distracted.

Another tremor in the ground stirred Botan to shout, but this time everyone was properly braced. Koenma looked at Botan very sternly. "We have to stop them."

"Yes sir."

"Koenma!" Said an approaching ogre. " Those intruders on the rooftop--They've managed to breach into the royal reliquary!"

"Oh no!" Our top-secret archaisms are stored in there! Koenma reasoned in trepidation. These imposters, what are they? He flew ahead, and up yonder he noticed an elevator.

"Wait, lord Koenma! Lord Koenma! " Botan called far behind him, futilely pounding against the elevator entrance upon its closing.

The elevator quickly passed every floor; Koenma took a step out of the elevator upon its reach to the top. His eyes widened. His face began to sweat. The floor was upturned with superlatively large boulders of broken wall. Debris dusted the air. Unconscious guardsmen matted the marble floor. Koenma heaved breathlessly. "I'm too late!"

Koenma hid behind a column; the scene was incredulously suspicious. Who are these people, their aura's are so unfamiliar. He pondered. It's as if they don't have one at all.

The familiar black suit men surrounded the reliquary. Each bore a pair of soulless eyes. And of them one stood alone, exclusively exhibited in crimson and black. In their palm, admired their illustrious trophy: a golden orb illuminating with veins and crevices.

Koenma immediately recognized the item's apparent value. "Not that one!" He instantly covered his mouth. He had foolishly earned their attention while he was defenseless.

The rouge cast down the orb, and placed it into a satin pouch. They looked at their men and gave a brief hand gesture.

"Wait!" The majesty exclaimed running towards them. He tripped on a piece of boulder on the floor. Anticipating his presence, the men threw marbles onto the floor that readily exploded in smoke on impact.

Koenma kneeled coughing and breathing for air.

"Emperor Koenma!" Cried some voices. George, and Botan, who had joined him, was amongst other servants that had finally caught up to him. And just as his plight subsided.

"Are you alright Koenma?" Botan asked.

When he looked again where the men had stood as the smoke relieved, he realized that the theives had all vanished. Yet struggling to satisfy the others, he smiled and told her that he was all right.

"Koenma sir, was anything stolen? What happened?" An attendant asked.

Koenma sighed calmly and stomached an ill, straight face. "No. Nothing at all... Nothing happened."

Botan nodded as she gripped the neckline her kimono, watching him suspiciously and perturbed.