Ch10: Resolution
After that day Taiki remained unconscious for quite some time. According to the nyosen, a side effect of subduing a shirei was the kirin became weak until the stench of a blood soaked youma faded, and in extreme cases with particularly powerful youma sometimes the kirin fell unconscious. As no kirin had ever before successfully subdued a toutetsu, the nyosen were not at all alarmed at Taiki's coma, and were completely unsurprised when he wearily opened his eyes a week later. Everyone except the nyosen had been barred from Houro Palace to allow Taiki to rest, so Gyousou hadn't seen him since he handed him over.
The first day afterwards he had gone about his normal business and kept glancing out the tent flaps thinking there must be something he was forgetting. He couldn't for the life of him think what it was until one of the people passing by commented in disappointment,
"The Kou's not with you today?"
Once he realized that what he was waiting for was Taiki to show up, happily calling his name, Gyousou felt disturbed. There was no reason for Taiki to come visit him every day, so he certainly shouldn't expect it, but now that Taiki was unable to leave Houro Palace Gyousou felt his absence keenly. Once Risai woke up Gyousou went to visit her often and spent much of his time talking with her. Somehow, the topic seemed to wander to Taiki more frequently than Gyousou thought it should have, even considering he was the one acquaintance they had in common that both knew equally well. Finally, Gyousou admitted to himself that he partly went to see Risai to talk about Taiki, because he was missing him.
This, he thought, was dangerous ground. Taiki may be the sweet boy who came to visit every day, but he was also – as the confrontation with Gouran had proved – the holy kirin of Tai Kingdom. And he wouldn't remain a child forever. Kirin are born to choose a ruler and serve at their side for their whole lives, and it was already painfully clear Gyousou had not been chosen. At the next Ankou Day Gyousou would leave Mt. Hou, and the next time he saw Taiki would be when he had chosen a ruler. Once Taiki had a ruler and responsibilities as Saiho he would no longer have the free time to visit the General of the Left every day. Doubtlessly Taiki would always be friendly to Gyousou and might even visit him at times when his schedule was not full, but it would not be the same.
Additionally Gyousou had already noticed, when talking with Risai, every time she shared something Taiki had said to her that he hadn't also shared with Gyousou, even if it was merely an amusing comment one of the nyosen had made, he would feel put out. The knowledge that Risai was visited every day the same as Gyousou was neutral, but the fact that she was visited first irked him, no matter that it was completely irrational. And this was just with another friend! Kirin were completely devoted to their chosen rulers, and whenever he pictured Taiki serving some other person it was extremely distasteful to him. Gyousou knew he couldn't serve whoever was chosen, no matter how qualified they were, without thinking that was his place.
He had never felt this way towards KyouOu, but then KyouOu had been selected before he was born. Even if KyouOu was incompetent, it wasn't like he had been chosen over Gyousou. Gyousou may have longed to become king to set the country right, but there was always the quiet thought in the back of his mind that he would be chosen once the king fell. Confidence or arrogance, call it what you will, but Gyousou had truly believed it. To have the king fall and not be named king meant that when he returned to Tai he would be just as powerless to stop the next king who lost their way, but without the feeling that in the future he might have a chance to correct it. Also, he had been posted outside Tairin's chambers to make sure no one would try to assassinate the dying kirin, and had glimpsed the effects of shitsudou. If Taiki's king caused him to suffer that disease there was no way he could just stand by and watch.
Also, the more he discovered how remarkable Taiki was the more he'd see himself with Taiki beside him as Saiho. He had never particularly thought that having Tairin as an advisor would be pleasant; in fact he had considered it would be a complete drag no matter how necessary it would be, and had carried those feelings toward the miniature, male Tairin he expected to meet on Mt. Hou. But Taiki was as opposite to his predecessor – who was quiet, morose, and aware of the merits of her status – as two members of the same species could be. He had honestly not even thought about what type of person Taiki would be, only assumed Tairin's successor would be like her.
To be presented with such an unexpectedly remarkable kirin was like being shown the contents of the Imperial Treasury (before KyouOu had emptied them, at least) and then being told, "You can't have this, it belongs to the king."
There was absolutely no way to simply return to being a general with that kind of feeling.