Uploading this exactly one month after uploading the previous chapter. Sadly, that's a new record for me. This baby ended up being over 11,000 words, so I'll be brief.
The chapter title is a quote from The Walking Dead, from a speech Ezekiel makes on the show. I love that scene, and I felt the quote encompasses the themes of this chapter nicely.
Enjoy!
"I already told you guys, nobody knows who Tsukikage is."
"You gotta know something about her." Ryo said, "Her favorite food, or where she hangs out…"
"Are those stripes in her hair natural?" Ryoko asked, clearly hoping that the answer would be 'yes'.
"Really?" her brother deadpanned.
"Don't knows to all three." Seiko replied, "In Yaksha, we don't ask questions. She wants to keep her private life private, it's her business." Her face suddenly turned dark. "I don't suppose you're one of those people who thinks Yaksha's a kingdom full of nothing but crooks and snoops, are you?"
"No, not at all! It's just…" Ryo struggled to find the right words. "Why go to all this trouble for someone you hardly know?"
Seiko chuckled. "It's fun. That's all the reason I need."
"Seriously?"
"Look, buddy, life sucks!" Taro interjected, the abrasive declaration catching the warlords by surprise. "No matter where you are or what you do, there's nothing but problems. I don't get why people are so excited about Ransei being unified, to be honest. I guess it's, like, historic or whatever, but come on. There aren't going to be any more wars. Okay. People don't have to constantly worry about a new warlord coming in and taking control of their kingdom. Great. All that means is that people have more time to worry about all their other problems."
He grinned. "Tsukikage just gets it. You hear all these other singers trying to sell you on this happy, sugarcoated facade they call life. They're such fakes. But Tsukikage's songs are like, "Yeah, life sucks! So what?!"
"It's one catastrophe after the next; don't you find it hilarious?!" Seiko sung, "'Tragic Comedy'; that's one of my favorites! She sang it when she announced her plan to organize the festival. Powerful stuff."
Three pairs of eyes widened in response to this revelation. Ryo was the one to speak. "So she was the one who put together this festival." he breathed.
"We aren't calling it 'Tsukikage's Festival' for nothing." Taro said, "She did a show after Lord Kotaro left, all about how she was sick of feeling down about everything. She said she wasn't going to let the world tell her how to feel, and she was going to be happy no matter what life threw at her. I tell ya, it really turned the entire city's perspective around. People had completely lost hope before she stepped up. I guess that's why we're all willing to go out of our way for her. She's got this way of making everything seem alright, even when it's not. That helps a lot more than you think."
"I bet it does." Ryo agreed, somewhat at a loss for words. Incredible to think that the thing keeping the people's hopes up in this city was a singer. Something suddenly caught his eye, reminding him of a different mystery he wanted to solve. "Uh, hey… do either of you know what the deal is with that Meowth?" He pointed to the center of the stage. The black Meowth had leaped up, pouncing onto one of the discarded paint cans from the performance. Its paw accidentally hit the nozzle too hard, causing a spray of violet to cover its face. It recoiled in shock, but came out of its stupor only to once more assault the can.
"You mean Kuro?" Taro asked. "He started showing up around town 'bout a year ago. Right after Aurora's army took over, I think. People started noticing that he'd always come around when Tsukikage sang. So folks like to say that's Tsukikage's Meowth, but he's more like a mascot for her."
"It's not her partner?"
"Y'know, I'm not sure she cantalk to Pokemon." Seiko spoke up, absently scratching her Zubat behind its ear. "She'll talk to people behind stage prepping for a show, but she kind of gets weird around Pokemon."
"Weird how?" Ryoko asked.
Seiko shook her head. "I don't know, just… weird. I mean, it's not like she hates them. She has warriors and Pokemon on stage with her all the time."
Ryoko grinned. "Well, that's good. Even if people can't talk to Pokemon, I think they should still be a part of everyone's lives."
Ryo nodded. "Yeah. The world is just a better place with Pokemon in it!"
"I take it you guys are warriors, too." Seiko noted with a smile. "So where are your Pokemon?"
"Ah, they're around." Ryo answered. Nene had been patrolling the kingdom before they met with her earlier that afternoon. Rumors had already spread that several warlords had been spotted in the city and entering the castle that morning. Even before they left to go into town, they had seen a sizable crowd forming outside the castle gates, attempting to get a glimpse of the other kingdoms' leaders. Nene had actually directed them to a ninja passage into the city so that they could leave without any heavy fanfare. While some of the other warlords would be able to walk about the city without being recognized, Espeon and Umbreon would have made Ransei's Uniters known to every person they crossed. For the time being, it was best that they stay behind at the castle. In a way, they wore their own masks right now.
"We just wanted to give them a rest after walking all the way from Cragspur this morning." Ryoko cut in.
"You guys walked from Cragspur?!" Seiko grimaced, "Ugh, I do not envy you! I don't care if it's the next kingdom over; I'll travel by airship any day." The trio of warlords joined her in a laugh at this.
"It was just something we wanted to do." Ryo replied.
"Well, it's been real, guys, but I've got to hurry to work." Taro said, turning to leave. "Lord Nakaba doesn't tolerate slackers… Enjoy the festival!"
"Better than Lord Ittoparou." Seiko called after him, "I haven't seen either of my brothers in almost a week."
Taro snorted. "I'd sooner leave Yaksha than work for Ittoparou Mines."
"That's what my father said before he left. I bet he could get you a decent job in Valora."
"Don't tempt me."
Seiko laughed. "I should be heading off, too." she stated, "Nice meeting you guys."
"Same to you." Ryoko replied.
"I don't know how long you plan to stay in Yaksha, but rumor has it Tsukikage will be performing every night this week. If you want to try talking with her in person, maybe catch her before or after her shows. You'd have to be insanely lucky, though. I'd encourage you to go to tonight's concert, anyway. The Hekkusu Sisters will be opening the night, and they're pretty hardcore!"
"Sounds amazing! We'll definitely be there!" Ryoko promised.
– – –
"What do you mean we're not going?!" Ryoko cried a few minutes later, as the three of them were making their way back to the castle.
"I'm sorry, Ryoko, but we've got more important things to do." Ryo insisted, "I told everyone that tomorrow we would decide what our course of action would be. We need to do the responsible thing, and that's to come up with a plan of attack and get plenty of rest once we do. Like it or not, the other warlords are looking to us to solve this thing."
"Aw, I can't think of sleeping, now!" his sister declared, jumping on the balls of her feet. "After that show, I'm so full of energy!"
He rolled his eyes. "It'll wear off. Yaksha's only going to get worse if we can't find a warlord for it. We can't waste our time on anything superficial. The only reason we came out here was to investigate what was keeping the capital afloat."
Ryoko stopped bobbing, glaring at Ryo with a despondent pout. "Yeah, and we just saw the person who organized this festival on stage back there!" she reminded him, "You heard what they said. Tsukikage was the one who rallied the city around this idea. This is her festival!"
"She certainly seemed like a leader, up on that stage." Oichi agreed.
"Wait…" Ryo began, baffled by what his sister and best friend were getting at. "You two aren't actually saying that you think she'd make a good warlord, are you?"
"It's like Lady Nō was saying earlier; how the kingdoms choose their warlords! She's inspiring the people of this city, she's connecting with both the people and the Pokemon. She's able to bring an entire city together to plan a huge festival."
"That's just a myth, though." he dismissed.
"So was Arceus until we met them on top of the Infinity Tower." Ryoko reminded him. "It's as good an option as any we have right now."
"Some singer we saw for less than five minutes?" he barked, "We don't know anything about her!"
"We don't know anything about anyone in Yaksha!" she shot back, "Unless we end up choosing one of the warlords to take charge of things here, we'll inevitably be trusting Yaksha to a stranger. There's no way around that." Ryo tried to think of a response to this, but realized she was right.
"Maybe she's not the right person for the job." Ryoko continued, "But we have to start somewhere. The only way we'll know is if we try talking to her." she grinned, "So taking that into consideration, I say that we try to go see her at the concert tonight!"
Ryo groaned. "Okay. Let's assume for a minute that you're right. Maybe we were astoundingly lucky enough to find Yaksha's next warlord by chance. How are we going to explain that to the other warlords? "Hey everyone, good news! We've chosen the new warlord of Yaksha! We know nothing about her, apart from some rumors a few locals told us. We don't know if she's a warrior, we don't know if she has any combat experience. We don't even know where she is, or how to contact her. Apparently, she only shows up in town whenever she feels like singing, and then disappears without a trace." There's no way they would support something like that."
"He's right, Ryoko." Oichi agreed, "The other warlords are willing to put their faith in the two of you because you were able to unite Ransei, but that trust isn't unshakable. Lord Shingen warned us what might happen if you give the others a reason to doubt your judgment."
"Well, how are we supposed to get any of them to take a chance on whoever we select?" Ryoko questioned.
"I think the only way to do that is with a battle." Ryo answered.
"The tournament?" Oichi queried. He nodded.
"Seems it's the best idea we've got. And Ryoko," he turned to his sister, "If Tsukikage is a warrior, maybe she'll compete with her Pokemon. If she can impress the other warlords, then we can seriously consider her."
Ryoko sighed. "I guess that's fair." she agreed.
The trio made their way back to Yaksha castle in short time. They had planned to get back in through the secret tunnels again, but a rather large commotion at the castle gates caught their attention before they got there. "Wonder what this is all about." Ryo thought. Curiosity overpowered the group, and they made their way towards the center of the crowd. As they got closer, the medley of voices they heard cleared the situation up right away.
"Wow! It's Hideyoshi Toyotomi!"
"He was one of Nobunaga's right hand men!"
"I heard he was on top of the Infinity Tower when the Legendary Pokemon came down to Ransei's Uniters!"
"Ha ha! That's right, folks! The Amazing Hideyoshi is here in the flesh!"
"Oh, boy…" Ryoko groaned as their neighbor from Ignis came into view.
"I told you guys I saw him at the air docks this morning!" One kid said to his friends.
"Lord Hideyoshi! What brings you to Yaksha?!"
"Well…" he started, tone taking on a mysterious air, "I really shouldn't say! It could compromise the whole mission."
"Mission?" a child repeated.
"That's right." Hideyoshi said with a smirk, "You see, the Uniters of Ransei entrusted me with a top secret mission of the highest importance. The fate of Ransei depends on me." Ever the showman, he and Infernape struck a cool pose.
"Whoa! That's so cool!"
"Sounds kind of scary…"
"Oh, it's scary, all right!" Hideyoshi insisted, "I'll probably have to fight lots of dangerous bad guys, and survive in the wilderness using only my incredible strength and wits." He snickered. "Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll even get to sweet talk secrets out of some pretty femme fatale!"
"He realizes that he's making this story up, right?" Ryoko whispered to Oichi, causing the pink-haired girl to giggle.
Ryo slapped his face in disbelief. "He's so embarrassing." he grumbled under his hand, looking up only to see that his fellow warlord had started flirting with some women.
"So do you pretty ladies have any secrets I should know about?" he asked mischievously. To his credit, Ryo thought, he at least seemed to have gotten better at flirting, if the girls' bashful giggling was any indication. If he was going to make a fool of himself, he might as well be good at it. Even so, he couldn't stand the sickening display any longer.
"Help me out here, Ryoko." he muttered to his sister, moving forward to where the fire warlord was. She nodded, immediately knowing what her brother had in mind, and followed in his stride.
Ryo got to Hideyoshi first, and linked his arm with his. "Alright, that's enough of that." he growled. Ryoko came up to them a second later and looped Hideyoshi's other arm with hers. "You're coming with us."
"Oh, what d'ya know?! My two best frie- whaa!" Before Hideyoshi could finish, he found himself being dragged away, Oichi following close behind.
"Hey! Are those the warlords of Aurora?!"
"It totally is! They're the real deal!"
Despite being dragged against his will, Hideyoshi was not yet ready to lose the attention of his adoring public, his mind quickly coming up with an explanation. "Well, ladies and gentlemen, it looks like I'm being called away. I need to get briefed on that super secret mission! It pains me to have to leave you all! Parting is such sweet sorrow-!" Hideyoshi's ramblings were cut short as the gates closed behind them.
Ryo shoved Ignis's warlord into the castle with no sympathy. "Idiot!" he spat, content to speak his mind out of the public view. "The hell was that about, Hideyoshi?!"
"I could ask you the same thing." he huffed in response, "I was in the middle of a conversation with my adoring fans until you showed up!"
"This isn't a holiday, you know! This kingdom is in a real crisis, and it's depending on us to set things right!" Ryo yelled, barely holding back his anger. "But no one seems to be taking this seriously! All everyone wants to do is fight and goof off and treat this like some game, but it's not! There are people and Pokemon at stake if we can't find this kingdom a warlord! And here you are cracking jokes and making up stories! I wish everyone would just treat this serious matter seriously!"
"Take it easy, pal!" Hideyoshi snapped back, an uncharacteristic frown darkening his face, "Don't assume I'm not taking this seriously just because I'm willing to crack a smile! If all you do is worry and fear the worst, people are gonna pick up on that, and they'll start to feel the same. It's better that people see us out there smiling and laughing, to put their fears at ease!"
Ryoko blinked back some surprise. "Wow, Hideyoshi, that's… surprisingly good advice coming from you." she marveled.
"I know, I'm a pillar of wisdom." He stroked his chin in satisfaction, but his expression soon turned sheepish. "I wish I could say it's my own advice, but Nobunaga is the one who deserves credit. He taught me to always smile in the face of uncertainty. Oichi knows what I'm talking about."
"I-I do?" she stuttered, brows knit together in thought. Realization fell on her eyes, and she lifted her head. "Oh, yes, you're right! My brother would always respond to defeat with laughter. Before difficult battles, I remember he would walk through Dragnor castle and sing."
"What?!" Ryo asked. "He would sing?"
"It's true." Hideyoshi insisted. "When I'd first entered his army, I thought he was nuts! Every time he lost a battle, he'd be sitting in a room with all his generals, and he'd just laugh on and on. It was so bizarre. But I started to realize that he wasn't scared! He spent months trying and failing to break through Illusio and Terrera's borders, yet no matter how many times he lost, he kept smiling. He really believed that he had the power to overcome anything, and watching him laugh at impossible odds, that made his soldiers believe in him, too. When you two took Nixtorm and left Dragnor as the last kingdom standing in Ransei, Nobunaga had spent that entire evening singing in main square of Ryū City! People heard him across the city, and joined in by the hundreds!"
Ryoko's face scrunched in befuddlement. "So is that why people were weirdly singing at us in Dragnor after we defeated Nobunaga?" she asked.
"Probably." Hideyoshi shrugged, "Hearing Nobunaga able to sing even when it was clear he had no chance of victory, it put the people of his kingdom at ease. It chased away the fear of an uncertain future. They found their strength in his."
Ryoko gasped, a sudden revelation hitting her. "Nobunaga laughed at tragedy." she whispered. Ryo glanced at her, noticing the gears turning in her head. A brow raised, wondering what connection she had just made.
"Look, I completely understand you wanting to keep people's spirits up." he conceded, returning his focus to Hideyoshi. "Be we all agreed that the warlords should keep a low profile until we had a plan. And that still doesn't excuse you from telling people that we sent you on some secret mission."
"Hey, I never agreed to that!" Hideyoshi retorted, "There's no way I'm staying cooped up inside this empty castle for who knows how long. Especially not when there's a super fun festival going on outside! I was wandering through the crowds before, and I heard the most amazing music. The lady singing was all like, "There's a PARTY in YAKSHA To-NI-Ight!" he sung in an off-tempo screech that sounded nothing like the original song, to the cringed reactions of his companions. "From the way she was singing, it's gonna be a really cool show! No way do I want to miss out on that!"
"See, Hideyoshi agrees!" Ryoko cried, causing her brother to hold his hand to his face once more, shaking his head in annoyance. "We actually saw her! It was the most incredible performance I'd ever seen, and she's gonna be putting on a full concert tonight! I told Ryo we should go see her, but he doesn't want to."
"Well, with such praise from Lady Ryoko herself, how can I not go!" Hideyoshi proclaimed. "Tell me, was she cute? She sounded like a dark, mysterious goddess from where I was."
"I don't know how to answer that question." she replied, voice dry with annoyance and indifference towards the subject.
"Oh, well." Hideyoshi sighed, "I guess I'll just have to go see for myself…"
"No one's leaving!" Ryo firmly commanded, "We're staying here, and we're discussing a solution to finding a warlord." Hideyoshi and Ryoko both began to voice protests, while Oichi attempted to play mediator and help both sides see the other's point of view. Her being in the middle of things didn't really help matters. Fortunately, Lord Motonari was walking past the squabbling scene accompanied by a well-dressed man, and caught sight of the dispute.
"Ah, Lord Ryo, Lady Ryoko!" he called, his softer voice somehow able to cut through the heated discussion. The group stopped to observe the new arrivals, taking particular notice of the stranger in the extravagant kimono. He was of an average build, perhaps a bit too thin, though his thick garments hid this well enough. He had the look of a business-savvy entrepreneur. Eyes that held a sheen like the carapace of a bug-type Pokemon, and a grin that was all teeth stretched across his face. He regarded the Aurora twins with an ill-contained glee.
Motonari continued, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything important, but this gentleman was interested in speaking with both of you…"
"My dear Lord Motonari, there's no need for you to speak on my behalf." the man assured him, "Allow me, please, the honor to explain my presence here." He took large steps over to the teenage warlords, presenting them with a deep bow once he had made his way to them.
"I am Lord Kuran, head of the noble Kojouru house. It is a deep honor to be in the presence of the most venerable Uniters of Ransei." he professed, taking a hand of each twin into one of his.
"Uh… hi?" Ryo returned, not sure what else to say. He noticed Ryoko smiling politely, but carefully trying to wiggle her hand out of the nobleman's admittedly clammy grasp. Ryo for his part just tried to focus on the top of the man's bald head while waiting for him to decide to let go.
"What a blessing to see that the rumors were true, and that you have graced our beloved Yaksha with your presence!" he carried on, finally satisfied to rise and give them back their hands. Ryo tried to wipe his off without drawing attention. "What's more, you are accompanied by some of the greatest leaders in the seventeen kingdoms. Lord Hideyoshi Toyotomi! Your own presence has not gone unnoticed. The joy it brings me to see Ignis's legendary warlord has no comparison!"
Hideyoshi beamed. "Yeah, I get that all the time."
"Ah, but enough pleasantries. I was asked to come here with a purpose, and naturally you are all busy men." Lord Kojouru turned his smile back to the young uniters. "I come on behalf of the honorable Lord Seiryu, selected to be representative and spokesman for Yaksha City's esteemed Kizoku Council. Rumors had reached our ears this afternoon that the warlords of many kingdoms across Ransei had been sighted coming and going from the long-abandoned Yaksha Castle. Lord Seiryu charged me with discovering if these rumors were true."
"Yeah, we're certainly… here." Ryo agreed awkwardly, "Is that all?"
"The Lord Seiryu also asked that in the event you were here, I extend his warm regards. Lord Seiryu is a most considerate man, and he wished to give an open invitation to Seiryu Manor to dine with he and the other heads of the Kizoku Council."
"The Kizoku Council?" Ryoko repeated.
"Forgive me, Lady Ryoko. Of course, none of you would be familiar. Our council is comprised of the most affluent families in the kingdom. They are responsible for the continued running and maintaining of our fair city. Sadly, we've struggled to keep order in the event of Lord Kotaro's disappearance, but we remain devoted to our sworn duty to this kingdom that we love!"
"Wait, so does that mean this Kizoku Council is in charge now?" Ryo asked in alarm.
"Oh, they certainly wouldn't go that far! Lord Seiryu is a wise enough man to know that there is no substitution for the leadership a warlord brings to a kingdom. We view the Council as but a temporary stand-in until an appropriate replacement for our lost lord could be found. We fully anticipated that Lord Ryo and Lady Ryoko of Aurora would take immediate action once word had reached you. Forgive me for prying, but I can safely presume that is your purpose for being here now, yes?"
Ryo nodded. "We're seeking conference with the other warlords now, though nothing has been decided as of yet."
If it was possible for Lord Kojouru's smile to get any wider, it had been achieved just then. "Surely you don't mean that all the warlords from the other sixteen kingdoms are present in Yaksha?!"
"Well…" Ryo had started, about to mention the absence of Nobunaga, but Kojouru was clearly too caught up in his own thoughts.
"Oh, what great joy! To have our poor, beloved kingdom blessed with the presence of all the great warlords from every corner of Ransei! An offering will have to be made to the holy temple before the day is out! Please, my lieges, extend Kizoku's most heartfelt greetings to the other warlords, and know that if you require anything of our humble council, we will spare no expense on your behalf."
"W-well, thank you for that. We appreciate the thought." Ryoko said. "But I'm sure we'll get along just fine. There's no need for anyone to make a fuss."
"But of course. You are the greatest warriors in Ransei, after all. Nevertheless, Kizoku's gates will always be open to you, whether you have need or not."
"That's kind of you." Ryo said. "You can pass on our gratitude to Lord Seiryu."
"Certainly, my lord. And what of the invitation to dinner?"
"Uh…" Here he hesitated. This was a lot of information being put on him all of a sudden. Ryo didn't have much experience with Ransei's nobility. During the campaign against Nobunaga, they felt pressured to never stay in one kingdom for too long; it was necessary that they conquer one kingdom and move on to the next as quickly as possible. They had appointed dozens of advisers, delegates, and generals to handle things in their territories in their stead. The other warlords had been especially helpful in the day-to-day operations of the kingdoms, mostly understanding that he and his sister had little experience in such matters. So he didn't know what his reaction should be right now. From what he understood about nobility, they were families that had one way or another come into a great deal of wealth over time, and usually had a very extensive family lineage, often being descended from former warlords. They had no part in the normal operations of a kingdom, and usually put their names and money on elaborate personal projects. Was it expected that nobles take charge in the absence of a warlord or other authority figure? Was this Kizoku Council only created to deal with the aftermath of Kotaro's disappearance, and the lack of attention Yaksha had been given?
"As Lord Ryo and Lady Ryoko's best friend and most trusted adviser…" Hideyoshi's voice suddenly broke through the young warlord's thoughts. "I can tell you that they will be honored to dine with Lord Seiryu tomorrow evening!"
Before anyone could object to this proclamation, Lord Kojouru responded, "Wonderful news! I'll make the council aware immediately! Unfortunately, I must leave, as I have other business to attend to. Thank you, gentlemen, for your time. Lord Motonari, you were a most gracious companion while I awaited Lord Ryo and Lady Ryoko's arrival. It is almost a shame that we had to cut our discussion short."
"Yes, our talk was certainly enlightening." Motonari agreed, rubbing the back of his head.
"Enlightening it was. Do kindly give our regards to the Kojikatou family upon your return to Greenleaf, my lord. Good day, and may you all be blessed." Then with a quick bow and a swish of his expensive robes, he left the castle.
"…That was weird, right?" Ryoko asked following an awkward moment of silence. "I'm not the only one who thought that was weird."
Hideyoshi looked perplexed. "What, that?" he then scoffed, waving his hand in dismissal. "Just some nobles trying to get comfortable with the greatest warlords in Ransei. You know how it is."
Hideyoshi's casualness caught the twins by surprise. "Uh, we don't, actually." Ryoko replied, she and Ryo matching with faces of confusion.
"Oh, come on, you two." the fire warlord continued, "It's a basic part of being a warlord. Some rich guy wants to build a private resort or a summer home or something, he goes to you to get permission to build on the land. You do a little haggling, maybe they try to offer you a little 'persuasion'. You scratch their back, they scratch yours. Eventually, the noble gets their land, and you receive a 'generous donation' that you can put back into your kingdom. Everyone knows that!"
"We've never had anything like that happen for us before." Ryoko stated bluntly.
"Seriously?!" Hideyoshi looked dumbfounded. "How is that possible? There's so much that I just wouldn't be able to do if I couldn't depend on Ignis's nobility financing me! I never could have made those renovations to the castle, or paid to have the roads repaved after that recent earthquake. And if I hadn't given Lady Mikuzi the land to build her second spa, I never would have gotten that forty percent discount!"
"Taking bribes from rich people doesn't sound like something we should be doing." Ryo asserted, looking disapprovingly at Hideyoshi.
Hideyoshi looked taken aback by this accusation, becoming a bit more serious in his tone. "Don't get the wrong idea; it's not like I'm just for sale to the highest bidder. You can't call yourself a good leader if you only care about filling your pockets, but ignoring the wealthiest of your kingdom is a bad idea. A kingdom isn't made by just a warlord and their army. It takes all the people and Pokemon that live there working together to make it a success, and everyone has something that they can contribute. For the nobility, that thing is money. Lord Motonari, you know what I'm talking about. Help me out here!"
Motonari chuckled. "I'm sorry, Lord Hideyoshi, that's not quite how things work in my kingdom, either."
"You've gotta be kidding me!" he exclaimed, "Just what is it with you southwestern kingdoms?!"
"Well, it's really not surprising that your interactions with nobles has been minimal." Motonari regarded the two Aurora leaders. "From what historical records say, Aurora was originally one massive city not unlike Valora is today, and it was ruled by a long line of royalty. It was written that the kings of the city were brutal in their reign, and that the people had no rights or freedoms of their own. They were given only what resources they needed to survive and serve the king and his court effectively. Inevitably, the anger of the people reached a breaking point. They overthrew the old kings and took control of Aurora for themselves. For the last one hundred years, all of Aurora's warlords have been selected by the people of the kingdom to lead them."
The twins looked between one another, surprised and astounded. Their entire lives, they had lived in Aurora, and this was the first either of them were hearing of their kingdom's troubled history.
"I… I never knew that." Ryo muttered, trying to find something more profound to say in response. "Lord Mushoku never taught us anything about Aurora's past. No one has, really."
Motonari smiled, not seeming surprised. "I'm sure not many people remember. Great effort was taken to bury the old kings' legacy. The city was completely dismantled, and much of the land was returned to the wild. You can probably still find ruins scattered here and there if you have an interest in seeing with your own eyes. I know that some of the old city went into Greenleaf's territory, and it's still standing. It's really a fascinating remnant of history."
"That's quite a story." Hideyoshi stated, "Do you have one similar for Greenleaf to explain why you don't associate with nobles, Lord Motonari?"
The old warlord chuckled. "I'm afraid not. The simple truth is that I'm really only interested in associating with those who share my interests. I've taken steps to encourage a culture of patronage within Greenleaf's nobility. The wealthiest of my kingdom use their money to fund the research of scholars. They finance historians, scientists, and artists, rather than their own personal ventures."
Hideyoshi was baffled. "You mean Greenleaf's nobles are just willing to give their money away without expecting anything in return?! There's just no way that's true!"
"Well, I've certainly had my fair share of problems." Motonari considered nonchalantly. "There have been those who come before me with unreasonable demands. But I've made it clear that their name and fortune has no place in my decisions as warlord."
"Hmm." Hideyoshi contemplated this, crossing his arms as his face became more severe than any around him had seen in some time. "I can respect that, Lord Motonari. But snubbing nobles is a tricky business. These are people who expect their family names and their gold to get them anything and everything, and many don't know how to accept rejection. I've had enough sour experiences to know these aren't the people you want to make enemies of. They may only have their own self interests in mind, but I've found that doing business with nobility can be a mutually beneficial relationship."
He turned to the twins. "Trust me, it's in your best interest to meet with this Seiryu guy. I know rubbing elbows with a bunch of rich snobs is the last thing on your mind right now, but if this council thing is really all he says it is, I'd say it's a good idea to have these people on your side. They could be a great resource in helping us to find Yaksha a new warlord."
The siblings considered Hideyoshi's words, both coming to the conclusion that what he said made sound sense. Ryo himself almost wanted to shake his head. Hideyoshi constantly acted like a fool, but he found it difficult to deny that the fire warlord was a competent and clever leader.
As if to bring that point home, Motonari spoke up, "I'm in agreement with you, Hideyoshi. My conversation with Lord Kojouru has me interested in meeting with this Lord Seiryu myself."
"Well, thanks to our 'most trusted adviser' over here," Ryo gestured in annoyance to a once more grinning Hideyoshi, "it seems that we'll be paying him a visit tomorrow. For now, we've got a lot to prepare for when we resume council with everyone. So we should get started now, and if we're quick about it, we can-"
"Finish in time to go see the concert!" Ryoko shouted excitedly, looking expectantly at her brother along with Hideyoshi and Oichi.
Ryo was not amused. "Finish most of the preparations before dinner." he concluded, causing everyone to slump in disappointment.
Motonari smiled. "Ah, that reminds me, Lord Ryo. I was speaking with some of the other warlords, and questions were raised regarding what should be done about dinner tonight."
Ryo was taken aback for a moment, suddenly realizing that this would be a problem. Every conference up until now had been overseen by the warlord of whichever kingdom was chosen to host for that month. They were responsible for providing the sleeping arrangements, meals, and various other amenities for the visiting warlords. With Yaksha leaderless, and the castle devoid of any staff, nothing had been planned for them. He felt stupid for not considering this up until now, though realistically, it was more than understandable that he and Ryoko had overlooked it. But what was to be done about it now?
Hideyoshi and Ryoko exchanged glances, Hideyoshi giving a coy wink before throwing an arm around Ryo. "Huh, that's a shame. If only there was some, ah… event going on nearby that had quick access to lots of foods."
Ryoko caught on, smirking and nudging Ryo's arm from the opposite side of him. "Yeah, that would be great. It would be even better if, by sheer coincidence, there was some sort of performance taking place to watch while we were eating. It's too bad there's nothing like that around here…"
Ryo groaned. "Alright! It looks like we'll be seeing the concert after all!" he relented, flinching as a loud "YAY!" was shouted into both his ears.
"Just see to it that the word spreads to everyone else." he said, "And we're still discussing-!"
"Of course! And I promise that I'll be 100% focused while we make our plans!" Ryoko insisted, reassuring her brother with a hug. Oichi came up behind him, giving his a sympathetic smile and a pat on the back.
He sighed. This was going to be a long week.
– – –
Later that night…
Tsukikage would be on in an hour. Right now, the massive stage set up in the grand plaza near the castle was being dominated by another up and coming Yaksha-born talent. The Hekkusu Sisters. Now there was a band Mitsubachi could listen to all night. It was a shame she was missing the act, and so far away from the plaza that their music barely reached her ears on the wind. Her disappointment was fleeting though. It was much more important that she get to experience Total Eclipse with her friends.
…Or so she tried to tell herself. The mantra was losing some of its pep after stopping at 'weapons booth number three'. They had spent fifteen minutes between booths one and two already, and then Keitatsuo dragged them to the black and red canvas tent they were under now, henceforth 'number three'. Number three was the largest so far, featuring every type of weapon under the sun. But after staring vacantly at dozens of swords and bows for over a quarter of an hour (closer to a third now), even the most unusual weapons could not keep her attention. The same could not be said of Keitatsuo and Rin. It was as if their goal was to lay their hands on everything with a price tag attached to it. Realizing they were going to be there a while, she poked her head through some of the nearby stalls selling other goods. Paintings, pottery, food, masks. Yuuki followed her for a while, until she spotted some other friends of hers, and went off to say hi to them. Once the night crowd had started to take off, it seemed that Yuuki couldn't go more than a few minutes before running into someone she knew. Despite the friendly girl insisting that she introduce her to them, Mitsubachi declined the offer and continued looking around on her own. Five minutes later, and Rin and Keitatsuo were still examining the wares of number three. Sighing, she returned to them, and picked something at random to focus on while she waited for the two warriors to decide they were ready to move on.
Mitsubachi had always been under the impression that there were two sorts of people in the world: Those who liked and used weapons, and those who did not. She used to think of herself as someone in the latter category, but over time she realized that her opinion was more complicated. There were so many things about weapons that fascinated her. The care, the engineering, the craftsmanship, quite frankly, the artistry that went into something so utilitarian. At the moment, a tempered, steel-headed spear had caught her eye. It seemed that the shaft had been made with much cheaper copper, but whomever had designed it had put as much attention there as they had the steel head. Intricate patterns of cherry blossoms and diamonds swept across the cold metal's surface. Such meticulous detail had surely taken days to create, requiring a level of patience and passion that Mitsubachi herself could not claim to possess. Contemplating the spear left her with both a sense of awe and sadness. This was truly a work of art, yet it was not destined to last. Weapons were a tool, made to serve a specific purpose. They were used to destroy, and be destroyed in turn. A weapon was only good if it was tearing flesh and drawing blood. It would serve its master in battle, cutting through enemies with no remorse nor satisfaction. Perhaps it would spill so much blood that those intricately inlaid designs would be permanently stained red. Maybe the master would carelessly drag it through the mud and sand, leaving it dirty and weathered. Eventually, the blade would dull, it would grow less and less effective in combat. At that point it would be discarded, and all the care and time and passion the creator had put in to it would have been wasted. She couldn't see it as anything but a waste. How could weapons smiths do it, she wondered? Put their hearts into creating something so beautiful, knowing that it would be used for something so ugly, and that its fate was to be broken and abandoned. Rinse and repeat about a thousand times. Did warriors appreciate those extra little touches that were purely cosmetic and made no difference to the weapon's effectiveness? Did they notice at all?
That was just regarding the tool itself. To wield a weapon effectively was something that required skill and talent all its own. This was where she had initially believed herself to be against people using them.
The tragedy was that any fool could pick up a sword and be regarded as an effective warrior, even while mindlessly flailing the thing about. What's more, it was usually fools who were drawn to the blade in the first place. It had painted a very distasteful image in her mind of what it meant to be a warrior, at least at one time. She had read many myths featuring magical swords that could only be taken up by the worthy, those with honorable and pure hearts. She wished that all weapons could be enchanted in this way. That would put a stop to countless wars, perhaps even end them altogether, if weapons could recognize unworthy warriors the same way Pokemon could. Sadly, there were many Warriors in Ransei who saw Pokemon as little more than weapons themselves.
She glanced to her left, where Rin appeared to be quite taken with an arm-mounted crossbow. That was rather unusual for her. Mitsubachi had learned that just as Pokemon could be of many types, humans similarly had an affinity for different combat styles. Keitatsuo had experimented with different weapons over the years, but no matter the tool, he was consistently a dual-wielder; always two weapons at a time. Rin meanwhile had never relied heavily on weapons. Her specialty was hand-to-hand combat. That wasn't to say she never used them. She had trained herself in every variety of ninja tools, from shuriken to kusarigama. She was especially skilled with kunai. Rin was powerful, and she knew this well enough. She didn't need any help to knock out even the biggest brutes out there. Mitsubachi's heart pounded seeing her and Charmeleon battle some six and a half foot behemoth and his partner Walrein, just to name one of the epic battles she had watched Rin win. She hadn't even been wearing her spiked gloves that day. Yet in four swift, forceful moves, she had managed to disarm her opponent of his 8-foot spear and throw him to the ground. Rin always said that she possessed the power of a dragon, and watching her battle, Mitsubachi could believe it. She admired Rin more than anyone in the world. She was fearless in a way that Mitsubachi could never be. Rin had traveled all the way across Ransei to find her Pokemon partner when she was just a kid. She had been to so many different kingdoms, where she had braved the wilderness, fought battles and made friends. Just the thought of leaving Yaksha terrified Mitsubachi. No, that was understandable. The truly pathetic fact was that she was scared to do something as simple as talk to people. She could pretend well enough, but being forced to interact with another human being was more frightening to her than the idea of stepping beyond Yaksha's borders. The irony was that Rin absolutely hated people most of the time. Even now, she could be seen scowling at other customers who were three feet too close for her liking, slowly inching away from them with narrowed eyes. But she had a charisma to her that made conversation effortless when the need arose.
"Alright, I've come to a decision." Keitatsuo determined. Sending up her silent gratitude, Mitsubachi turned to observe what he was talking about. His back was to her, but then he turned to reveal that he was holding a pair of giant battle axes. She felt a sort of sick churning in the pit of her stomach. Well… if his aim was to appear as a bloodthirsty maniac, he was succeeding with flying colors. It would be a challenge to find something more intimidating than the twin axes he had picked out. They were monstrous in their scale, almost as tall as Zweilous, with the obsidian blades taking up about half of their mass. Not to be outdone, the hilts were black metal with twin dragons snaking over their surface. They appeared to her as if they were made to be used in executions rather than an everyday battle. Sadly, it was a fitting match for her childhood friend. As was the psychotic grin he fixed her with, clearly taking pride in his find. "What do you think? Pretty badass, huh?"
Her face remained neutral, but upon responding with, "Oh, it's very manly." she couldn't help the splash of sarcasm that entered her voice. It seemed that Keitatsuo himself didn't pick it out, though, as his self-satisfied grin persisted. He casually propped one of the axes over his shoulder, the blade facing upwards. The other was brandished in a confident power pose.
"You know, battles aren't just about a warrior's physical strength." he told her, "It's also about getting into your opponent's head; breaking their will and crushing their confidence. There's a warrior named Tadakatsu Honda, who they say is the most powerful warrior in all of Ransei. No man has ever been able to defeat him in battle."
"Yeah, I know who Tadakatsu Honda is." she interjected, a bit put off by the condescending tone he was taking. In all likelihood, she probably knew more about Ransei's heroes than even her warrior friends. One small silver lining regarding her family's shoddy situation was that she had an abundance of time to do with as she pleased. Reading about Ransei's legendary warriors, for example. She might not know a kodachi from an odachi, but she could certainly name every warlord to rule Valora in the last 300 years. She could even give the name and date of every noteworthy battle they had collectively fought, including the ones Tadakatsu Honda had been a part of. Beyond that, Tadakatsu had been one of Nobunaga's five chosen generals present during Dragnor's siege of Yaksha four years ago. Rumor had it that he and his Metagross almost single-handedly wiped out Yaksha's entire army. Such stories were not easily forgotten, and Tadakatsu Honda had his name attached to dozens of them.
"Exactly." Keitatsuo stated, "That infamy is his greatest weapon. When your very name strikes fear into the hearts of your enemies, then you've won before you even set foot on the battlefield! That's the kind of fear I want every single person who faces me to feel; I want them to look at me and realize they don't stand a chance!"
Mitsubachi chuckled. "I'm sure you'll have them running for their lives in no time. 'Oh no! It's Keitatsuo! Don't mess with him; he wears a black coat and partners with dragon Pokemon! He's sooo edgy and manly! Now I hear he's… dual-wielding axes?! What an absolute badass!'"
"You looking to be my first victim?" he growled, the mockery deflating his enthusiasm. "Make fun all you want; I'm still getting them."
"You should; they really are cool." she encouraged, deciding to give her honest opinion as they went over to the owner of the booth. "It's a shame to see your katana go, though. You put all that time into mastering your technique with them, just to toss them away for a completely different weapon that you'll have to learn a different fighting style for."
He shrugged. "Well, it's time for a change. Being able to adapt is the mark of a true warrior, and giant battle axes seem like a fun challenge."
"So what are you gonna do with your swords? Trade them in for a bit of pocket change?"
They found the owner standing behind one of the tables towards the back. Keitatsuo laid down the axes in front of him, and dropped down a small pouch of money next to them. He turned to his hooded friend and grinned. "How about I give them to you?" he asked.
The offer was unexpected, causing her to do a double take. After a moment to pull herself from her stupor, she forced out a laugh, assuming he was joking. "What? You're not serious."
"Sure I am." he replied. "You can consider it a late birthday present. I'll clean them up a bit," he snickered, "Maybe stick a big bow on 'em-"
"I don't have any experience with swords!" she cried.
"Well, I'll train you." he declared, "It would do you some good to know a few fighting moves." Somehow, he had managed to find the one idea more ludicrous than giving her his swords. In her mind, it was akin to him saying he planned to teach a Treecko how to breathe underwater or shoot flames. It was something that endemically went against what that Pokemon was, and the last thing she ever wanted to be was the fool swinging around the sword. Perhaps she could be taught technique, and develop some level of skill, even with everything working against her in such a scenario (Keitatsuo had never been the most comfortable teacher in the past, and she had always been a poor student). There were some aspects of combat that couldn't be taught, and she knew she didn't have what was needed for her to be an effective fighter.
"I really don't think that's a good idea." she firmly replied.
"Of course it is." he said, "Things are only gonna get worse around here, and Rin and I won't always be around to keep you safe. Warrior or not, you should be able to protect yourself."
"You should listen to your friend here, missy." the owner spoke up. Mitsubachi had been trying to ignore him up until now. Right from the start, this tent had given her a bad feeling, and this guy was a major contributing factor. There was something about him that was… off. He seemed normal; there was nothing about his physical appearance that sent up a red flag. Yet something in his body language made her really uncomfortable, like he was a predator ready to lunge at any moment. "You can't be sure of your safety these days unless you've got a way of defending yourself."
She held back a plethora of thoughts that came to mind in response to this; the last thing she wanted was to get on this guy's bad side. "Forgive the skepticism, but it seems like you would be biased on that subject." she joked. Keitatsuo chuckled at the cheeky remark. The owner remained stoic, however, no change in his mood apparent.
"I'd tell you the same thing if I were selling clothes." he continued flatly, gesturing with his thumb to a sign hanging on one of the support posts for the tent. "It's our store's motto, you could say." She reluctantly glanced over to the sign, already having an idea of what she might find. She turned a few shades paler taking in the sloppily written red characters.
'Peace is today. Tomorrow is uncertain.'
'Be prepared.'
She didn't respond, hoping for the guy to drop it and finish selling Keitatsuo the axes. He seemed unbothered by her silence, and proceeded to do just that. Good. She wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. Just having Keitatsuo give his money to this guy felt wrong, but she could hardly tell him to reconsider now. Her eyes glanced behind the table, catching sight of a long, metallic object laying on a mat on the ground. She didn't know the exact name, but she knew they were outlawed in most of Ransei, barring a few kingdoms. It had a price tag on it, and there was more than one.
"You a noble, missy?"
Mitsubachi realized to her horror he was talking to her. She scoffed. "Do I look like a noble?" she asked, raising her arms slightly to bring attention to her tattered clothes. He didn't seem to care.
"You talk like a noble." he explained.
"You look, talk, and act like someone who's operating in the Under." she bit back, "In either case, I don't think that's the conclusion you want a surface dweller coming to."
He crossed his arms. "I wouldn't say that." For the first time, his tone gave away some actual emotion, and she was sickened to hear it was pure malice. With a sneer, he leaned towards her. "People around here know not to cross an Under Dweller, not unless you want to become merchandise. If people are afraid of me, I'd say that plays to my benefit, don't you, missy? Or should I say princess?"
"You could say 'Thank you, and have a good evening.'" Keitatsuo cut in with a smile, trying to take his purchased axes and change out of the guy's hands. He looked unsympathetic to the dark-eyed warrior's insistence, but relinquished the goods without qualms. His customer nodded in turn, walking towards the exit without another word. Mitsubachi, despite the owner still staring her down, followed in his step, not before first going to collect Rin. Just in time, it seemed, as she noticed her hand gently running over the flat surface of a shuriken, inching it closer to her body, and more specifically her pockets.
"Hey, sis! We're heading out." She called, opting not to use any of their names in here lest the guy was paying attention. She'd rather not say anything, but the last time she had approached Rin from behind without warning, it had resulted in her getting red scratch marks on her face, and an unrelentingly apologizing, bawling Rin. She leaned over her shoulder, making sure she was close enough to not be overheard. "Trust me, this is not the place you want to steal from." she whispered. Rin wasn't so quick to remove her hand, but under Mitsubachi's disapproving glower, eventually relented.
"I've never seen you go off on someone like that before." Keitatsuo acknowledged as they left number three, Mitsubachi forcing them into a quick pace to get as much distance as possible.
She exhaled a frustrated groan. "I know; it was incredibly stupid of me to get smart with someone like that." she admitted.
"Actually, I thought it was kind of hot." He grinned, two annoyed females frowning in response. "It would be even hotter if you could beat the guy in a brawl. Just another reason to let me teach you some fighting moves."
"So I can fight for your pleasure?" she surmised, "You're lucky no veteran warriors can hear you say that."
"If anyone's teaching her how to fight, it's going to be me, anyway!" Rin huffed.
"I can't see Mitsubachi jumping from trees and impaling enemies with kunai." Keitatsuo rebuked.
"I'm trained in traditional combat, too, jackass." she snapped.
"No one's teaching me anything!" Mitsubachi exclaimed. "I have no interest in fighting; I'm not looking for trouble. I just want to spend this week with my friends, and that's it! Now where's Yuuki?"
"…Ah, I see her." Keitatsuo pointed into the distance, where Yuuki's conversation had turned to a more intimate one with only a single young man. "Looks like she met up with her boyfriend."
"Is that who that is?" Mitsubachi asked.
"Probably. I haven't actually seen the guy yet." he responded.
"He seems nice…" she observed.
"We could go over and have Yuuki introduce us." he suggested.
The hooded girl didn't consider the idea for very long. "…No, it's fine. She'll catch up with us at the concert. I don't want to butt in."
"Speak for yourself." Keitatsuo cackled, walking in their direction before Mitsubachi pulled him back into line with she and Rin. They meandered through a few other shops with various trinkets, none of which held their fascination for very long, especially since none of them had much spending money in the first place. Mitsubachi had to stop Rin on a few other occasions from swiping something off a shelf, but was sure that along the way the thief had managed to sneak something past her notice. They talked sparingly. About Keitatsuo's new axes, about battles the two warriors had that day, joking about various things they found amusing. Keitatsuo eventually stopped at another booth.
"Hey, over here."
Mitsubachi and Rin turned as they noticed he had fallen behind, and the former unleashed a frustrated groan as she noticed what had caught his attention.
"Another weapons shop?!" she exclaimed in disbelief.
"It's an armor store." he corrected. "They specialize in defense, not offense."
"Is shopping for battle equipment really the only thing you want to do?" she asked.
"I don't think either of you want to know about my other hobbies." he replied.
Mitsubachi sighed. "That last place left a bad taste in my mouth. You can go yourself, if you want. I've had enough talk of war for one night."
A small part of her hoped that he would choose to keep walking around with them. It didn't surprise her though when he shrugged and walked towards the large green tent with barely an, "Okay; catch up with you guys later." thrown over his shoulder. It was down to her, Rin and Charmeleon now. Admittedly, Mitsubachi was a bit stung to see Keitatsuo and Yuuki go off on their own. Even if in Yuuki's case, that likely hadn't been her intention. But with just she and Rin, she found the conversation grew more comfortable. Referring to each other as sisters may only be a nickname, but it was appropriate. She had known Rin her entire life, and their relationship had naturally grown to be as such. At any rate, it was a much warmer bond than she shared with her actual sister. That bridge had been burned a long time ago.
It was no surprise that Rin could pick up on how she was feeling, even if she tried to hide it. "You're disappointed, aren't you?" the ninja remarked.
"No; I wasn't expecting to literally spend all week together." Mitsubachi assured her with a smile. "I would have to return to the house at some point, and you know how my mother gets."
"You could spend the night with me, you know." Rin offered, "You don't have to go back there if you don't want to."
"I know I don't have to. It's not like my only options are home or the streets; there are plenty of places I can go."
Rin frowned. "In any case, don't spend another night at the castle. I had heard rumors that some Under Dwellers were planning to deactivate the traps and set up a base of operations there. If the warlords got in without issue, I'm worried that means the Undwells already beat them to it."
"I certainly can't go back if the warlords are there." she mentioned, "Considering this makes the second time I was almost in huge trouble for sneaking into the castle, I think it's a sign that I should stop."
"You should have stopped after the first time, because you were almost killed then!" Rin scolded. "You never should have gotten involved with Kotaro and the Fuma, either."
She sighed. "I was never 'involved' with them. Believe me, I wish I knew what I had done to attract Lord Kotaro's interest in the first place. But does it really matter now? They're gone."
"It matters to me. I think you're just about the only good human in the world, sis." the masked warrior told her. "You don't deserve to have all this rotten stuff happening to you all the time. I guess that just goes to show how awful the world is though, huh?"
The taller girl sighed. "I'm not a good person, and the world's not awful."
Rin snorted. "I don't know how you can think that."
"You see the world through the eyes of a dragon, even though you're in a human body. Compared to that, is it really so crazy for me to see the world through the eyes of an optimist? Actually, that reminds me of something cool I read. There's a school of philosophy which believes that each person exists within their own unique reality, and that our realities only temporarily cross whenever we interact with other people."
"…Okay. So how did I end up in such a crappy reality, then?"
"You tell me. It's your reality." Mitsubachi chuckled, a statement that only seemed to confuse her companion. They made it to the end of the street, and Rin paused as they walked passed the store on the corner. Mitsubachi noticed her sudden stop, noting that her eyes seemed to be fixated on the store. It was a shabby little building, with a cheap metal sign hanging outside that simply read, 'GAME'. Realizing that they were standing before Yaksha's worst kept secret, she groaned.
"You're not serious." she chastised the ninja, "You can't yell at me for hanging out with Lord Kotaro when you're getting involved with people ten times more dangerous than he ever was. That's hypocritical!" If Rin was planning on going in there with her, she had another thing coming. Her interaction with the man at number three tonight was the first and only time Mitsubachi ever wanted to associate with an Undwell. She had yet to convince Rin to break the habit, but hopefully one day she would stop doing business in the Underground.
"What?" Rin asked, before realizing what Mitsubachi was getting at. For the first time, she noticed where they were standing, and realized what message her sister was getting from that. "O-oh, right. Sorry." she muttered, before returning her gaze back towards the store.
The response left Mitsubachi suspicious, and a closer look brought a tall, armored man with a Luxio into her sight. He seemed to be ordering food from a cart that was just in front of the store. Ah, so that was it, she thought with an amused grin and a twisting stomach. She lowered her face to Rin, so that she could be heard over the crowd.
"He's cute." she said. She didn't really think so herself, but that was how girls talked about men, right? Either way, the notion got Rin to turn as red as her mask. "Do you know him?"
"I-I've seen him around town lately." Rin blubbered, uncharacteristically flustered. "We've talked… a bit." The young man in question seemed to have noticed the two, for he smiled and waved bashfully from where he stood. Rin stood still, eyes fixated.
"You should go talk to him." The words came without effort, though they were painful to say. Her insides throbbed, though in a different way from how they did with number three.
Rin looked conflicted. "N-no. I'm spending time with you right now. Besides, I hardly know him..."
"I've got to get Tsukikage ready, anyway. It won't be long before she goes on. I'd feel bad if you were by yourself for an hour." she rationalized, more to herself than Rin, if she was honest. "So go on."
She gave a gentle push to Rin's back, enough to force her to take the first step. She wondered if Rin would have walked forward had she not made her do so. The young man had turned to the food cart as the cook handed him his order, but he appeared happily surprised to see the short woman approaching him when he looked back. Mitsubachi watched them regard each other shyly for a moment with a warm grin. They eventually seemed to find a comfortable flow of conversation, and her smile turned bittersweet. But it did not fade.
She was happy, after all. Her insides may feel like they were on fire right now. Her thoughts were cutting her with memories of three children who she thought would always be the one constant in her life. That didn't mean she still couldn't be happy, right? Happy to see Yuuki, so vibrant and friendly, able to touch so many people's lives with her own. Happy to see Keitatsuo and Zweilous grow stronger, and achieve ever-loftier goals, even if she found his ever-growing hostility towards the world troubling. Rin, her best friend, her sister, and the most important person in her life. Someone so quiet, stubborn, and anti-social as her, was actually making a connection with a man.
Best of all, they were all growing and making something of their lives, and she wasn't holding them back. She wasn't a burden to them, she wasn't a festering limb that needed to be removed before the disease spread. She loved these three people more than anything else in this world; there was so much she owed to them just for being in her life. But she knew she had nothing to offer them. That's why they had been drifting apart from her. She worried that they felt some sort of obligation to keep maintaining their waning friendship with her. Spending one last week together with them would have been ideal, yet she had expected it wouldn't be the perfect last hurrah she wanted. Ultimately, it made her much happier to see them spend time without her, than be tasked with entertaining her for a week. Yes, this was better for everyone.
She was alone, and yet she smiled.
You know, it's funny what you can learn about yourself when writing stories. What I've learned is that I really enjoy writing Hideyoshi! I debated cutting his scenes just on account of how long the chapter was getting, but I simply enjoyed writing him too much!
My only concern is that I'm not reaching the right tone with Mitsubachi's lack of self-worth and her feelings of abandonment. Her entire character arc is defined by doubt, and it's really difficult writing her shifting between her moments of optimism, and her moments of self-loathing. At some point, I'll have to go back and make edits to chapters to correct writing errors and adjust conflicting/changed information, and the end of this chapter might get an overhaul.
The next chapter was supposed to be the first concert, but because this chapter ran long, it probably won't be until chapter 8. I'll be focusing on writing my own original story that I hope to get published in the next month or two, so I can confidently say that it will be a while before I get up chapter 7. But I intend to have several characters make cameos in that chapter, so look forward to that!
Until then, I bid you adieu. Farewell 'til next time.