Chapter Twenty One
It seemed so empty, somehow, within the palace.
Kintsusei drew his robe more tightly around his body, sinking down onto his bed as he contemplated the day's events. Despite the fact it had been another busy, chaotic day within the palace, his mind had not been on politics at all but instead on the fate of his Meihi ally, deep in the south of enemy territory. Since the day that Kikei had put the crown on his head, and before, Hyoushin had always been there at his side - the silent, reassuring shadow in whom he had had complete faith and trust.
"What were you doing in the south, my friend?" He murmured, biting his lip as he fought to keep a grip on his emotions. "Were you seeking the Miko? I won't believe you intended to betray me. I wish I'd had the chance to ask you that, at least...what you sought, when you took that gamble. I've sent you all over the place, gathering treasure and risking your life - yet in the end, did you die because you wanted to help me? Even considering everything that's happened...Hyoushin, I'm sure of it. I know that's why you went to Kounan. At the cost of your life, you went to find the girl."
He buried his head in his hand, for the briefest instant wishing that his fifteen year old soldier self could lose his temper and yell and punch the walls in the way he had occasionally done as a reckless, hot-headed child. But he knew that it was futile, now. As Emperor of Kutou, he had a duty to his people to maintain the calm facade, even when inside he felt like everything he had ever relied on was crumbling apart. He had not slept fully since Kikei had clarified the truth of Hyoushin's exile, and then, when the final blow had been struck, it had felt like someone had taken a sword and plunged it deep into the Emperor's stomach.
"Emperors do not have friends." He whispered, feeling the hot wetness of tears trickle down his cheeks as at last he let his grief get the better of him. "It is not permitted to have favourites and those who get close seek to exploit their position to their own ends. It is a fickle, fake environment full of deceit and ambition, and I despise it. I have always despised it. But I have never been alone with it before. I didn't realise how lonely it would be, if ever you didn't come back."
He got to his feet, pacing restlessly to the window as he rested his hands on the carved sill. Memories flickered through his thoughts and he closed his eyes, drawing on them as they became ever more vivid in his mind.
Me?" The young boy gazed up at the stooped priest, eyes wide with disbelief as slowly he shook his head. "But...Kikei-sama, you can't...I mean...I'm not...I'm just Kintsusei. I'm only..."
He faltered, unsure of how to continue, and his bulky companion rested a gentle hand on his shoulder, slowly nodding his head.
"Kintsusei-sama, you are Shoukitei-heika's only surviving son." He said softly. "Although you have lived and trained as a soldier here for so many years, you can't be ignorant of your bloodline. That your mother was a lady of the Emperor's inner circle, and that your father..."
"Was the sly, treacherous bastard who cheated and killed his way through Kutou's landscape." Kintsusei said abruptly. "I have no connection to that man, now or ever. I'm the Shougun's man, Kikei-sama. I haven't any interest in being Emperor, and I told him so, too. I told him I'd follow him wherever he went. If anyone should be Emperor of Kutou, it should be him. He's the one who's begun to change this world, after all."
There was a silence, and Kintsusei felt for a moment that he'd said something that he shouldn't have done, as the two guards that had accompanied the Priest exchanged looks. At length Kikei sighed, folding his hands absently in the folds of his long sleeves as he shook his head.
"You haven't been told." He said softly. "Have you, my boy?"
"Told?" Kintsusei echoed, staring at his companion blankly. "Told what?"
"Nakago is dead." Kikei said quietly. "He will not be coming back to Kutou - now or ever."
"Dead?" Shock wracked through the young boy's form, horror glittering in his dark eyes. "But...that isn't...Shougun is...noone can...it can't be! He can't be dead...he's Nakago! He's Seiryuu's chosen...why...how...I don't understand. I don't understand!"
"He went to the Miko's world, Kintsusei-sama." One of the guards bowed his head respectfully, as again the silence threatened to become oppressive. "There, it's said, he fought the warrior Tamahome and did not survive the encounter."
"Tamahome?" Kintsusei repeated blankly, and Kikei nodded, bringing his fingers together in a gesture of prayer.
"Fighting for Kutou, the Shougun was cut down by Suzaku's people." He said gently. "And Kutou...Kutou has noone else to whom they can turn. They need an Emperor, if they are to recover and rebuild - to take hold of things and pull them together under one sky once more. If not...anarchy will reign over all of the East and people will suffer far more than they have already done. I have done what I can - helped orphans of the war here and there as I've been able. But the cost...will be incalculably higher if central government cannot begin to function. Without Nakago's influence, there is noone to keep the army in check. The Emperor is dead, as is all of his family, and most of his court. You, my boy...you are the only one of his blood descendants not slain by the Shougun's wrath. He respected your loyalty to his cause enough to spare you - I think he would approve of us anointing you King."
"But..." Kintsusei was floored, and he shook his head, swallowing hard.
"But I'm only fifteen." He whispered. "I don't know anything about being a King or any of that shit."
He flushed, realising suddenly how coarse his language sounded in front of the finely dressed, officious man of Seiryuu.
"I...I mean...any of those...things." He amended awkwardly. "I...I've been a soldier since Mother...since I was seven. I've never been allowed at court - Father didn't want me there, and shunned both Mother and I most of the time. I can't be Emperor like that, can I? I don't know...I don't know how."
"That is why I'm here." Kikei offered him a gentle, sympathetic smile, and Kintsusei felt a faint sense of comfort at the man's kindness. "And those of us loyal to you. You are the only heir - there is noone to contest your throne. Kutou will soon bow to you, when they realise that you want peace. And change, too. Don't you want that? To finish your Shougun's work and cleanse Kutou of corruption?"
Kintsusei bit his lip, his gaze darting across the chamber to where the room's only other occupant had been sitting on his own makeshift bunk, listening to the whole exchange in measured silence. There was no expression on his face, but even in the few months they had known one another, Kintsusei was able to guess what his Meihi companion was thinking and he knew that Hyoushin was concentrating intently on every word spoken, straining to decipher their meaning and understand what was going on. He frowned, turning back to the priest.
"I can't." He said firmly. "I promised the Shougun I'd train Hyoushin to be a proper soldier, and I don't want to break my word. Especially if...if Shougun isn't coming back. I have to..."
"You'd put that slave over the future of the whole country?" The second guard demanded, and anger flared through Kintsusei's young body as he sprang to his feet, slapping his hand hard across the man's face.
"Hyoushin isn't a slave!" He exclaimed. "If Shougun had heard you speak like that, he'd have vaporised you where you stood! Hyoushin is my comrade and my ally - and I made him a promise!"
"Kintsusei-sama." Kikei held up his hands, gently guiding the indignant young soldier away from his startled victim. "Please. Remember what it is we're here for. His words may be coarse and careless, but the man is right. For Kutou's sake...we need you. All of us. Not just one man, but everyone in Kutou."
"But I said...I promised..." Kintsusei faltered, meeting Hyoushin's gaze again as he did so. The Meihi's amethyst eyes did not display either emotion or opinion, but even so, Kintsusei knew that there was little protecting his companion from the teasing or bullying of the other soldiers. With his broken language and odd appearance, he mused bitterly, it was only a matter of time before someone returned Hyoushin's existence to little better than what it had been before. Even though Nakago had accepted the pale-skinned man into his ranks, behind closed doors not all of his fellow soldiers had done the same, and whilst most were indifferent to his presence, some had already begun to treat him with disdain. Kintsusei was well aware that, without his own interference and continued presence, there was a very real chance of his protégé coming to harm. And despite the differences in their background, the young soldier was determined not to let that happen. They were from totally different worlds, yet in the harsh nature of their mutual loneliness they had forged a bond which Kintsusei knew would not be easily broken.
He had saved the Meihi from slavery, true enough - but in his quiet, unquestioning way, Hyoushin had begun to be something that Kintsusei had never truly had before - a friend who was willing to give everything, and ask for nothing in return. Hyoushin's simple concept of loyalty and dedication had made a distinct impression on the young soldier's heart, and as this crossed his mind, Kintsusei decided that he would not repay that trust with betrayal.
He frowned, taking a deep breath to calm himself, forcing himself to rationalise what Kikei had told him. The Shougun who had led them so determinedly towards Kutou's new dawn would never again stand before them, giving orders that seemed strong and reassuring in their certainty. His powerful aura was no longer hovering over Kutou, ready to bring down the East's enemies in a blaze of blue flame. For an instant, panic and confusion ruled the young boy's senses, as he registered the depth of loss this man's death had caused.
"Since I became a soldier, Nakago-sama has been the only one who has given my life a purpose." He murmured. "How can he be dead?"
"It is a harsh fact for us all to accept." Kikei said gravely. "I am sorry to be the one to bring you this news, Kintsusei-sama."
Kintsusei closed his eyes briefly. Then, as he drew his thoughts together, he felt a surge of determination rush through him, intoxicating his senses and giving him a new, fixed sense of purpose. Somewhere in the daze and confusion he suddenly saw a way through, and his eyes snapped open, a glitter of resolve in his dark gaze.
He shook his head, holding up his hands as he made up his mind what was to be done.
"If you want me to be King, Kikei-sama, then it's on one condition." He said softly, realising as he did so that he spoke not as a boy under Nakago's command but as a man who was about to take his first steps alone. From here on in, he knew, the decisions and choices would rest with him.
"And that being the case, I will be heard." He told himself inwardly. "If this is what they want, it will also be on my terms, too. Nakago-sama taught me that. To never compromise when you can win - I will win. If I am the only one they can turn to, I will be the Emperor I choose to be. If they truly want me...they can accept me on my own conditions."
Kikei's eyes widened with hope, and he nodded, offering the boy a smile.
"As Emperor, you can make all the conditions you want, Heika." He said evenly. "What is it, then? What is your request?"
Kintsusei did not answer right away. Then he spread his hands.
"Emperors have those in whom they trust. Advisors, and protectors, and things like that. Don't they?" He said evenly. Kikei nodded again.
"All those will be assigned you...your life will be in no danger, so long as I have anything to do with it." He agreed. "If that is your concern, my boy, I will see to it..."
"Then I want Hyoushin." Kintsusei interrupted. "As my protector."
At this, even the Meihi's impassive gaze flickered with surprise, and Kikei's words died on his lips as he stared at the young soldier in mystified silence.
"I made him a promise." Kintsusei took advantage of the silence, resolution in his gaze as he glanced at the Priest and his armed companions. "And I won't break it. Shougun was trying to change Kutou, and that's what I want, too. People like Hyoushin aren't slaves - they should never have been slaves. I don't want that any more. My Father and his allies did horrible things to people like the Meihi and the Hin and I want to stop it. And I'll start with Hyoushin. I'm not going to abandon him."
"But...Heika...as your protector..." Kikei protested feebly. "A man whose training has been a bare few months...a man...who...forgive me, but whose presence may excite an already unsettled court..."
"Let it." Kintsusei's gaze became obstinate. "I don't know those people. I don't trust them. My experience of Court is a place full of people who bullied and tormented my mother till she killed herself - backstabbing people whose hearts I can't read and whose loyalty is never guaranteed. If I'm going to go anywhere near that world - if I'm going to be dragged into the pretence of it - I intend to take Hyoushin with me. Because I can trust him, Kikei-sama. Even if I can't trust anyone else."
"Trust..." Kikei hesitated, turning to glance at the young Meihi doubtfully, and Kintsusei bit his lip.
"Hyoushin...will you come, if I ask you to?" He asked softly. "If I...let them make me Emperor...will you come?"
Hyoushin's eyes flickered with something that bordered on gratitude for a moment. Then, very carefully, he got down on the floor in an imitation of Kikei's own original gesture, raising his head to meet his confused friend's dark gaze.
"If is Emperor's will, I come." He said softly, and somehow Kintsusei felt better, hearing such simple words from his enigmatic tribal companion. He smiled, reaching down to pull Hyoushin to his feet.
"I'll keep my word, you know, so long as you keep yours." He said frankly. "I'll train you and make sure you're all right. And you...will you use those skills you learn to protect me? I don't trust anyone else to do it."
"Meihi keep promises." Hyoushin said gravely. "I am sworn ally of Kintsusei. I will never harm him. To break promise is shame. I will not."
"And what if he does turn on you, Heika? Betrays you out of vengeance for his people?" The second guard asked hesitantly, sending Hyoushin a wary, distrustful look which the pale man returned with a blank one of his own.
"He won't betray me." Kintsusei shook his head. "Will you, Hyoushin?"
Hyoushin frowned.
"I do not understand this word." He admitted. "Be...tray. I do not know...what is this?"
"To turn against someone who trusts you." Kikei said quietly, and Kintsusei saw a flicker of cold rage surface in Hyoushin's eyes. He shook his head emphatically.
"Meihi not do this." He said firmly, indignation in his tone. "Never. Is death first. Not this."
Kikei sighed.
"Heika, I wish you'd think about this a little more carefully." He said reluctantly, and Kintsusei shook his head.
"This is my decision." He said bluntly. "If you want me to be Emperor, then that's the only way I will be. If Hyoushin comes too."
Kikei eyed him for a moment, and Kintsusei met his gaze steadfastly, knowing as he did so that he had won. At length the priest held up his hands, bowing his head in defeat towards his young sovereign.
"As my Emperor wills it." He murmured quietly. "I will make the necessary arrangements."
Kintsusei smiled, suddenly feeling giddy at the sense of triumph and achievement that welled up inside of him. He nodded.
"Do so." He agreed. "I'll keep my word, Kikei-sama, and so will Hyoushin. And I'll rely on you to keep yours, too. If you really want me to be your Emperor - I'll need your help to be the best one I can be."
It seemed such a long time ago.
Kintsusei opened his eyes, resting his head against the cool glass as he fought once more with his emotions. Eighteen years had passed, during which time he had never once had reason to doubt his steady, inobtrusive companion. Though he had never openly expressed his emotions, Kintsusei knew that Hyoushin had worked quietly and diligently in his name, keeping the promise he had made the day they had first met. And yet, in the end, they had been parted by politics - in a way that no matter how hard he tried, Kintsusei found impossible to understand.
"I have become a weak king, and relied on you too much." He whispered. "The friend on whom I have depended, the one man in whom I always had trust. I have asked too much of you, Hyoushin - and I have paid the price. You're beyond my reach, and I...I must make this decision alone. I have always asked your advice...and yet...this time...what would you have me do? I must not go to war with Kounan to avenge your death - you would not forgive me, if I did something like that. And yet...why do I feel like everything is slipping out of my hands?"
"Do you really think I'll be all right, if I do as Kikei-sama says?"
His own boyish words echoed in his senses, teasing at his thoughts once more, and he frowned as he remembered the Meihi's soft, simple reply.
"Is Kintsusei-sama." Hyoushin had said quietly. "Kintsusei-sama is different. Is kind. Has helped me...will help others. If King is this way, Kutou will heal. I will help. Kintsusei-sama will be good King. For Kutou...for all people. I believe this."
"And yet in the end, even though I didn't intend to, I seem to have betrayed your faith somehow." Kintsusei sank back down on his bed, burying his head in his hands. "All I can do is cling on to Kikei's information and hope that somehow Seiryuu no Miko comes into Kutou's range soon enough to salvage something from this. I don't want to be Emperor of the East alone, but if that's my punishment for being such a weak King, so be it. Somehow, I will face it. And I will find a way to avenge you, my friend. No matter what. Even if Kutou gains peace, I will not - not until the one who killed you is also dead. You would not approve, but even despite that, I can't do anything else. So this I swear, Tou Hyoushin whose true name I never knew. On my crown and my blood-stained heritage as a King of Kutou - I will see your killers dead before me. I will have justice in this...no matter what!"
"It's really getting late out there now."
Hikari peered out of the entrance to the underground cave, a pensive expression on her young face as she took in the darkened landscape. In the dim glow of the silver moonlight, somehow the war-ravaged land seemed even more sinister and unwelcoming than it had before, and she stifled a shiver, turning to rejoin her companions.
"It's so spooky." She murmured. "I wouldn't be surprised if there were ghosts, the way it looks right now."
"Even if there were, it's not ghosts we have to worry about." Myoume pointed out softly. "Unless they're celestial spirits, ghosts can't wield weapons. And it's swords and arrows we have to keep an eye open for. Tomorrow is going to be a big day for all of us…it's better you spend less time thinking about people who are already dead and more time about those who are still alive, Hikari-chan."
"We're very close to the capital and the palace here." Aoiketsu reflected, as he spread out the battered map he had brought with him on the ground. With the flicker of firelight all around them, it was quite clear to make out the tracks and pathways, and Hikari peered over his shoulder, watching him trace his finger along the most direct one.
"That's the main thoroughfare." He added. "I suppose it depends on whether we trick our way in the front or sneak our way in the back. Either will be guarded though – so neither one will be easy."
He sighed, pushing the map back.
"No matter how much we plan it, it's not going to answer any of our questions." He said sadly. "We don't know what's been going on in that palace for the past week or more. That's our main problem strategising. We're here – fine, we are. But as Myoume said earlier – we only have one chance to do this. It's got to be the right choice."
"Well, Hisei said that we needed to find the Shinzahou and somehow neutralise the mage spirits." Hikari hugged her knees tightly to her chest as she thought things over. "I don't know how we should do that, but maybe wherever the treasures are is where we should be aiming."
"The shrine of Seiryuu, in which case." Hyoushin murmured pensively, and Hikari glanced up in surprise, shooting the injured Meihi a startled look.
"Hyoushin-san? You know where they are?"
"Unless they have moved them in the interim, I imagine so." Hyoushin agreed. "At least, the shrine was where Kikei had them the last time I was here. At that time I was permitted unrestricted access to that place – even armed, if in the presence of my Emperor. But in light of that knowledge, Kikei may have felt it better to relocate them. Even so, I can't imagine he would have taken them far. The shrine is, after all, the core of Seiryuu's holy presence in Kutou. And Kikei may not be a true-hearted Priest, but to fool the Emperor he would have to at least appear devout."
"The shrine will be heavily guarded, then, won't it?" Aoiketsu frowned. "And ordinary soldiers don't go inside of there often unless summoned by someone more important. I've been inside a few times because of that – when I woke Suiko's spirit, for example – but otherwise…"
He trailed off, shrugging his shoulders helplessly.
"Do you think they know we're coming?" Shishi asked at that point, hopping down from the rock she had been perched on to sharpen her blade as she slipped it back into its sheath. "Kikei and the Emperor, I mean. Can they tell?"
"Kikei's magic may or may not be strong enough." Myoume spread her hands. "I can't detect his taint from here, so I doubt his spiritual presence is equal to Chichiri's or any other like-minded sorcerer. However…it isn't just Kikei we have to concern ourselves with. I can sense Miramu…and no doubt he can also sense me."
"Miramu." Aoiketsu's expression darkened. "And you think he might come here? Or at least, tell Kikei where we are?"
"I have no idea what he might do." Myoume admitted. "He's the unknown element in all of this. I don't know what he knows or how he intends on using that information."
She sighed heavily, smoothing out her skirt as she glanced down at her hands.
"The only thing I know is that he's here." She murmured. "And I feel it – probably as strongly as he does. Tomorrow we will face one another. Tomorrow we will be opponents. And tomorrow, one of us will die."
"Myoume…" Hikari bit her lip, reaching out to grasp her friend around the wrists. "You don't know that. I told you – I came here to change things and I won't let anything happen to you."
"I know." Myoume offered her a faint smile. "But I've always been aware of this confrontation, since I was a girl of ten years old. I've never known with such certainty before that tomorrow is the day – but I know it is, now. And how it must be. Only one of us will live through this fight, Hikari-chan. And I can't kill my brother. No matter what he's done…I can't kill him. I just don't have it in me."
"He deserves it." Shishi said shortly, and Myoume shrugged her shoulders.
"Maybe." She said helplessly. "But I still remember the other Miramu – the one I grew up with and the one I still love. So I can't."
"So you're going to let that jerk kill you?" Maichu demanded, and Hikari started, turning to stare at him.
"I thought you were asleep!" She exclaimed, and Maichu shook his head.
"Some hope, with you lot yappin' on." He said frankly. "Besides, there's a buzz in the air. Sleepin' ain't on anyone's agenda tonight – that's for sure."
"No kidding." Aoiketsu said ruefully. "But listen, Myoume. Maichu and Hikari are right – you don't have to let Miramu hurt you at all. If we can keep the two of you separated till sundown tomorrow, well, then the prediction will be broken. Won't it?"
"I don't think it's as simple as that." Myoume shook her head. "I'm not a killer by nature, Aoi, but I've seen death's shadow stalk my family for ten years waiting for this opportunity to strike. It's growing darker by the minute…I don't think, no matter what you do…you can prevent us from meeting."
"Then slit his throat." Shishi said pragmatically. "Or even better, let me do it. Then you won't be to blame, an' you'll be safe. Won't you?"
"This is turning into an unpleasant discussion." Hyoushin said mildly, and Shishi cast him a quizzical look.
"I would've thought you'd have wanted to cut his head off, considering what he did to you." She said bluntly, and Hyoushin offered her a faint smile.
"I see you have the same approach as Maichu does when it comes to truth over tact." He observed softly. "Is that, perhaps, a trait of the mountain folk? Or something peculiar to you yourself, Shishi-san?"
"I'm not being rude." Shishi reddened, despite herself. "I'm just saying it how it is. He poisoned you and you nearly died. Don't you want to get your own back on him, too?"
"I could." Hyoushin said evenly. "But if I did, then someone would have the right to wreak vengeance on me, also…would they not? The killing may never end. Myoume cares for her brother. Therefore Miramu must have some saving virtue to justify that faith. And I do not believe in unprovoked killing, Shishi. So no. I have no desire to get my own back."
"That's messed up." Shishi objected. "You talked about the Kaiga family being killed like it was nothing, out there. But Miramu…dammit, Miramu's killed lots of people. He's hurt Myoume by doing all the things he has – he's hurt my family, by killing my brother and assaulting my cousin. He's hurt you by poisoning you with his arrow…don't you think that someone should stop him doing what he's doing?"
"Yes." Hyoushin agreed. "He should be stopped. But stopping someone and taking vengeance on them is not the same."
He sighed, stretching his good arm as he held his fingers up to the light.
"If I sought to avenge every scar on this hand, I would never have had any form of freedom." He added. "I was a slave for seven years, so I understand how precious that freedom is. But to shackle yourself to the deed of hunting down and slaying those who hurt you…you taint your own soul, you know, with every life you take. This is why as a soldier I have only ever fought on my Emperor's orders. I have only ever taken lives to defend those I believe in. And I have never sought revenge for any deed done to me. If I did, it would have consumed me long ago. It was Nakago, after all, who slew the Kaiga-ke. I was just a survivor in the aftermath. Nothing more."
His lips twitched into a rueful smile.
"I believe, at Kutou's court, there is much gossip about the Meihi ghost whose first ever swing of a sword parted a man's head from his body." He murmured softly. "I won't deny that it's true. And the man was one I knew - one Kaiga Gin relied on to keep the slaves in line through any method possible. I had many, many reasons to hate him – many things I might have wanted to avenge. But in the end I think I slew him for one reason and one reason alone – that in that instance he threatened Kintsusei-sama…and Kintsusei-sama had proven himself my ally. To my mind, that is the only reason we fight. To uphold justice and defend our allies. Not to settle private grievances. At least, as a Meihi, that is my only understanding of it. My tribe, after all, choose not to. In order for me to do so…the reason had to be just."
"I've never heard you talk like this before, sir." Aoiketsu murmured, and Hyoushin nodded his head.
"Many things are going through my mind at present." He admitted. "But I have decided to relay those thoughts only because I don't want more innocent people to die unnecessarily. We have come to Kutou to avenge many things. But the way in which we seek to do that is to raise Seiryuu from his sleep and have him act on our behalf. Isn't it?"
"What if Miramu had killed your Emperor?" Shishi demanded. "What would you do then?"
A flicker of something surfaced in Hyoushin's amethyst eyes, then he offered a rueful smile.
"I believe I may have told Miramu that if he dared harm Kintsusei-sama, I would be his vengeance." He admitted slowly. "Perhaps my words are hypocrisy after all."
"Well then." Shishi looked satisfied. "So killing Miramu isn't such a bad thing, whatever the reason for doing it. If it's to avenge Jin or to help Kutou – what does it matter, in the end? He's a jerk. He's got karma owing him. It's not wrong to want to deliver it."
"But Myoume is Miramu's sister, is she not?" Hyoushin pointed out. "In part I now owe her my life. To repay that by slaying one she loves – even one who is touched by darkness – would hardly seem to be a fair return. Would it?"
"I bet you wouldn't be so calm about it, though, if it was your Emperor's blood he'd spilled." Shishi said flatly, and Hyoushin shook his head.
"Doubtless not." He admitted regretfully. "Threats against the man who freed me make me angry, and I am a different sort of soldier when my temper is aroused. I suspect you are right, Shishi. That for all my words…if it came to it, I would still choose to act the same way."
"I suppose that's honest." Myoume glanced at him, and Hikari noticed the faintly apologetic look in Hyoushin's eyes.
"For your sake I can forgive his assault on me." He admitted. "Because of the debt I now owe you, such things are considered equal in my mind. But if he were to harm my benefactor – I would find it hard not to strike. Even knowing it would hurt you to do so."
"Well, Miramu rather incites that feeling in people. You're not alone." Myoume sighed. But this really isn't a nice topic at all. Let's not get carried away by hot tempers and petty grievances before the fact, all right?"
"Petty, you say, when you're talking about being killed by your own brother!" Shishi protested, and Myoume smiled.
"It's all right." She said quietly. "I'm prepared for it. It's something I accepted when I undertook Byakko's tasks for me in the first place. A Seishi is born to sacrifice themselves for the Beast God's calling, after all. Byakko chose me, and I'm not afraid. If my death goes some way towards our success, I won't run from it. Don't look like that, Shishi. You either, Hikari. This is how it is. It can't be changed. So lets not dwell on it any further."
"Maybe it could be changed." Hikari said obstinately. "If I wished for it to change, maybe then it could."
"I forbid that." Myoume said sharply, and Hikari's eyes widened in surprise.
"But…"
"Your wishes are for Kutou and this world. Not for me." Myoume held up her hands, shaking her head. "I've manipulated and schemed and schooled enough destinies to understand that. If you don't use Seiryuu's power for what it was meant for, then you'll be as bad as Hongou Yui and you'll let everything go to dust. Do you understand, Hikari? The wishes of the Miko aren't something to be taken lightly."
"I guess…I know that." Hikari bit her lip. "But…I don't take your life lightly. Or Jin's. Or anyone else's. Besides…I've been thinking hard about the wishes and what Hisei said. And I think…I only need two wishes. To save Kutou – I only need two."
"How so?" Aoiketsu looked curious, and Hikari shot him a wan smile.
"One, to raise the beast Gods from their sleep." She said simply. "And two, to command them to protect and defend their lands from harm. If I can make it so they defend united not divided, then surely that will be enough. Right?"
"I suppose so." Aoiketsu shrugged. "Which leaves you one wish left."
"And I could still wish for Myoume." Hikari added. Myoume shook her head.
"By the time you raise Seiryuu, it may already be over for me." She said frankly. "No, Hikari. I forbid it. You must not waste that wish on me. Besides, surely there are other things that are important to you, too? Or hadn't you realised that, no matter what happens tomorrow, your acquaintance with this world is coming to an end. You and Aoi will part, Hikari-chan, just as you will leave Kounan and Shishi and Chichiri's family far behind. Isn't that something you'd rather fix your attention on, as opposed to me?"
"Aoi…" Hikari faltered, and Aoiketsu reddened, slowly shaking his head.
"Gods don't make people fall in love." He said firmly, brushing his hand absently against the shinken as if somehow asking it to confirm his assertions. "Even if Seiryuu connected you and me, Hikari, that's not why we ended up the way we did. I told you in Hokkan that it's enough just to be together now, after all."
"But if you could wish for it…" Shishi frowned. "Didn't Suzaku no Miko do that? Didn't she wish to be with Tamahome, and Suzaku granted it?"
"So I've been told." Myoume nodded her head. "So there is a precedent."
"Why is it okay for me to use my wish for that and not to save you?" Hikari asked suspiciously. "It doesn't seem like Aoi and I are anything to do with Kutou's future beyond this adventure either."
"Well, I'd like a happy ending for someone." Myoume admitted sheepishly. "And you two – I pushed you together, so…I suppose…I'd like it to work out. Somehow."
Hikari glanced down at the ground, turning this over in her head for a moment. Then she raised her gaze to Aoiketsu's, reading the expression in his seiran eyes. Slowly she shook her head.
"Mother took Father back to my world because it was Father's wish." She said softly. "And…Aoi wouldn't be happy in my world. I know that. He wouldn't. And I'm…I'm the Miko, aren't I? Mum and Yui-san can't come back here now their duty is over…so even if I wanted to stay – even if I wished to – I guess I couldn't do it. So that's no good. Besides…besides, Aoi's right. I…I love him. I love him a lot – more than I've ever loved anyone before and I know I'm going to cry like hell when we have to say goodbye. But I…I don't want to have him because Seiryuu made it happen. It isn't about that. Even if it worked for Mum and Dad. It's not the same – we're not the same. And I…I don't want us to be together because of a wish. That's all."
"Hikari." Shishi murmured, and Hikari smiled, dashing away the sprinkling of tears that glittered on her lashes.
"I'm not wishing for that, because Aoi and I don't want it." She said decidedly. "Not that way. Even if people from my world can change this one, I don't want to take advantage of that. It…it would be selfish. And I…I'm trying not to think of myself any more. At least, not when so much is at stake. Everyone here has made sacrifices, after all. I guess, in the end, mine will be saying…saying goodbye."
"Brave words." Hyoushin murmured, and Hikari shrugged.
"That's how it is." She said evenly. "When I think about what you said, Hyoushin-san – about the Kaigas and what they did here – my problems seem pretty pathetic anyway. So it's all right."
"Aoi – are you goin' to let her jus' disappear, then, when this is all done with?" Maichu demanded, and Aoiketsu offered him a sad smile.
"Hikari's right." He said simply. "Love isn't about being forcibly tied together by magic. It doesn't work that way. I don't know why Seiryuu bound us together or whether he intends on it ending when Hikari summons him to Kutou. The way I feel…it seems stronger than that, and I…I guess I'm willing to hold onto that hope that somehow it is. Somehow…I don't know how. But even if it means saying goodbye – it's better to love someone you chose to love, not feel obliged to love. I don't want it to be like that, with Hikari. I don't want Seiryuu's magic involved either. Not in something like this."
"Then I guess there's still one wish left." Shishi reflected. "If Myoume won't allow it, and neither will Aoi – what will you do with it, Hiki?"
"Don't know, yet." Hikari pinkened. "I may not even get to that point, anyway. But so long as I do – so long as I make the first two wishes, the third one isn't so important. Not if I can do everything I have to with those two."
"When Kutou is safe, you can think again." Myoume offered her a smile.
"You won't change your mind?"
"No." Myoume shook her head. "And I want you to promise me on your honour as Suzaku's Shinzahou that you won't try to do it against my will, either. I'm not as good a person as you think I am – and I've made things happen to fit Toroki's predictions and Byakko's will. If I die tomorrow, I'll just be completing that cycle and facing my own destiny. I don't want you to intervene. Do you understand?"
Hikari chewed down hard on her lip, then she sighed.
"I guess." She said unwillingly. "If you feel like that, I can't go against you. Although I think it sucks, Myoume. Shishi and me, we know you're a good person, whatever you think about it. Even if you have guided people – including us – it's all been for a good reason. And I really don't want to lose another friend. Jin was bad enough."
"Then why don't you wish for that?" Myoume suggested, and Hikari looked startled.
"For what?"
"Jin."
"Would any God bring someone back from the dead?" Aoiketsu looked doubtful, and Myoume shrugged.
"I've no idea, but if Hikari was willing to try it on me, she could equally try it for Jin." She replied. "Then you'd only be dealing with one friend's absence, Hikari-chan – and Jin has far more future purpose in this world than I do. Once this ends, so does my reason for being here. Toroki's curse, the lot of it. I exist to stop the destruction in Kutou. No other reason. Jin, on the other hand…he was different."
"Jin." Hikari murmured, seeing the flicker of hope spark in Shishi's eyes as she spoke the word. Slowly she nodded.
"I guess I could try." She agreed. "I mean, I want…I want him back too. I miss him…a whole lot. And…for Shishi and everyone…"
She sighed.
"I just don't want anyone to be dead at all." She said plaintively. "Do you think I could just wish for that? For dead people to not be dead any more?"
"Some people are better off remaining dead." Hyoushin said quietly. "For their own peace of mind as much as anyone else's. I think it is unwise, to wish to bring anyone back. One passed is passed. I won't pretend I don't have people I would like to see again – but even so, there are some lines you shouldn't cross."
"Well, there's no point in worrying about the last wish just at the moment, is there?" Maichu pointed out. "We've gotta get into the friggin' palace first - right?"
"Right." Aoiketsu looked thoughtful, and a flicker of unease stirred in Hikari's heart as she interpreted the resolution in his blue eyes. "And I've got an idea regarding that."
"An idea?" Myoume looked quizzical, and Aoiketsu nodded.
"You all aren't really welcome in these parts, and the Commander and Maichu are probably known outlaws now." He said evenly, getting to his feet as he brushed the dust of the cave floor from his clothing. "But there's just the chance that I'm not included on that blacklist – yet. Miramu did see me, and he may have reported it to Kikei – but he's a slippery shadow of a character and he may have kept it to himself. For some reason known only to him, he doesn't seem to want me dead. With that in mind…I might be the only one who can infiltrate Kutou's court without being harmed."
"Infiltrate…" Hikari trailed off.
"It would be dangerous." Hyoushin warned. "An unknown situation exists inside those walls."
"I know." Aoiketsu agreed. "And with so much going on, I wouldn't try and stay there long. But if I was to go, now…I might be able to find out at least where the Shinzahou are, what kind of guards are on duty and how difficult it would be to get past them. Even if it is dangerous – and even if I am suspected of treason too. I'm the only one who might manage it…so I'm going to go take a look around."
"You could be killed!" Hikari exclaimed.
"Perhaps." Aoiketsu said frankly. "But you're the only one who has to be in place tomorrow, not me. You're more important than I am right now – you're the only one who can save Kutou. So better I risk it than all of us – don't you think?"
"Be careful." Hyoushin said quietly, and Hikari turned to stare at the Meihi, dismay in her gaze.
"You're letting him go?"
"More, I'm commanding him to." Hyoushin said simply. "Aoiketsu is correct. This is his duty and he must fulfil it."
"Are you sure?" Myoume frowned, and Hyoushin nodded.
"I know better than any here what Aoiketsu is capable of if faced with a conflict situation." He said evenly. "He will not be killed so easily, Hikari. Don't look so afraid. You should have faith in your knight. I have faith in him…after all, I trained him."
Aoiketsu's lips twitched into a smile, and he nodded his head.
"I won't let you down." He promised. "I'll be back as soon as I can – hopefully with some answers."
With that he was gone, and Hikari bit down hard on her lip, a mixture of anger and frustration swirling up inside of her.
"What if he's hurt?" She demanded. Hyoushin frowned.
"I told you. Have faith in his skill." He reproached her gently. "Besides, I made a promise a long time ago to his mother, before she died. I told her that I would do all in my power to teach and sculpt Aoiketsu into a man that Kutou could depend on. I will not break my word. That he sees these things must be done, and does them is just a culmination of all he has been taught. I will not stand in his way. He is no longer a child and he does not need my protection – his decisions in Kounan have proven that beyond all doubt."
"But doesn't it worry you?"
"Yes." Hyoushin admitted. "I won't pretend otherwise. Aoiketsu is dear to me, and if something should befall him, I would probably not forgive myself. But even so, Hikari – I must let him act. Do you understand that if I try to hold him back, he is useless to you in all respects? One day, I believe, he will be more even than he is now. He is a fine soldier, but he has the potential to be a skilled official and to work as much for peace as in war. He will come back safely…of that I am sure."
"I guess…" Hikari faltered, rubbing her temples. "At least, I hope you're right. Please, Aoi-kun – come back soon!"