Chapter Two

"I can't believe we're really at the Palace."

Jin gazed around him with a flicker of awe in his dark eyes, and, at his sudden faltering, Shishi jabbed him hard in the ribs, shooting him a glare. As she watched her companions, Hikari laughed, amusement in her eyes despite her own apprehension at the task ahead.

"You two are like kids." She reflected. "Reizeitei-sama's a nice guy, both of you...just don't freak him out by cursing in front of him or something, okay?"

"I won't. I'm just amazed we're here." Jin turned to meet her gaze ruefully. "That he wanted to see...us. Before we went. You, I could understand that - you're Suzaku's. But Shishi an' me..."

"You're Suzaku's too now, you know." Chichiri's voice interrupted him at that moment, as he entered the chamber. "You're Hikari's guardians and guides. You've been given that responsibility - you're tied up in this as much as Tasuki and I now, Jin - don't forget that, all right?"

Jin opened his mouth to respond, but as he caught sight of the elegant young man behind Suzaku's sorcerer his jaw dropped, rendering him speechless as he sank to the ground, bowing before Kounan's young and handsome King. Shishi hurriedly followed suit, and Hikari bowed her head in Reizeitei's direction, finding that this time she was a lot less awed than she had been the first time she had visited Kounan's royal palace.

Reizeitei smiled, amusement flickering in his beautiful golden eyes as he surveyed them both.

"Well." He murmured, in his gentle, low tones. "More bandits kneel before me. My father certainly knew how to maximise his resources...Tasuki is not with you, Chichiri? Not on this trip?"

"No. Not this time." Chichiri shook his head. "You know how he feels about coming too often into this kind of company. Besides, it was Hikari and her travel companions you most wanted to see, Boushin-kun. Not tired old Suzaku warriors who seem to have been forcibly retired...for the time being."

Reizeitei chuckled at this, a musical peal of laughter as he shook his head.

"Not at all." He said firmly. "As I understand it, you and Tasuki are remaining here in Kounan in case of further attack. As Suzaku's warriors, it is your divine duty to do so - although in the circumstances I can see it must be trying for all concerned. Particularly for Tasuki - you can tell him that Kounan are honoured that he's given two of his own as representatives in this mission. I know how important his bandits are to him. And..."

He paused in front of Shishi, reaching out to rest a hand on her shoulder and she glanced up at him, uncertainty in her bronze eyes as for once the mouthy young lion cub was completely lost for words.

"You are as Hikari and I are." He murmured. "The blood of a Seishi. It must be hardest of all for Tasuki to part with you to Suzaku's bidding, my friend - but I am not surprised you have inherited the courage to accept his call."

Shishi just continued to stare at him, and Chichiri laughed.

"Something not often seen...Shishi lost for words." He remarked lightly. "Bou...Reizeitei-sama, why did you send for them so urgently anyway? They'll be leaving in less than an hour - but they'll go through the mountain pass, and not from Eiyou. I don't understand why you wanted to see them?"

Reizeitei was silent for a moment, and Hikari caught sight of a flicker of sadness in the young man's gaze.

"At this age, my father fought and died for Kounan's sake." He murmured. "I do not wish to do the same - I do not wish to have to fight. But I also feel...that somehow, there is something that I should do. That I must do...to help. And so...I have thought long and hard about this, and about what my Father would wish me to do. And I have come to a decision."

"A decision, your Highness?" Hikari looked startled. "What kind of a decision?"

"Will you all follow me to the Shrine of Suzaku?" Reizeitei met Hikari's gaze with a slight smile. "I always feel that there's nowhere I can go that is closer to either Suzaku or the man who sacrificed his life for my sake and the sake of all of Kounan's people. I would be glad to have you accompany me - all of you - to say a quick prayer for my Father's soul."

"Of course." Chichiri looked startled. "If that's what you want. Shishi, Jin, you too." As the bandits hesitated. "You're a part of this too now, like I said."

Jin got to his feet, casting Shishi a vaguely confused look, and Shishi shrugged her shoulders, sending him a look which clearly meant, "He's the Emperor. Don't argue." At their expressions, Hikari grinned, coming between them and linking one arm in each of theirs.

"The shrine is pretty." She told them, as they followed the graceful figure of Kounan's young leader across the grounds to the sacred place itself. "You two are acting like idiots. I told you already - Reizeitei-sama is nice. He's not all stuffy and weird like Emperors are in books."

"This must be the first time since you came into this world that you know more than we do." Jin said ruefully. "In a million years I never thought I'd meet the Emperor. Or go to the palace shrine where Lord Saihitei was buried."

"But Saihitei-sama was also Hotohori of the Suzaku Shichi Seishi." Shishi pointed out. "He and Kashira and Chichiri were buddies. So I guess that makes it...sort of different."

"Maybe to you." Jin said frankly. "To me he's still an Emperor, and I'm still a bandit."

"Here."

As they reached the shrine, the Emperor stood back to usher his young companions inside, his eyes bright with life and energy as he watched them. "Truly, I almost do wish I was coming with you. To think that Tasuki's and Tamahome's children are embarking on a quest for Kounan and I am unable to be involved...such is the curse of being King."

He sighed, shaking his head, and for an instant he seemed just like any other eighteen year old youth.

"It's really very boring." He admitted. "But at least, if I can send you on your way with Suzaku's blessing and a little of my father's good spirit - well, it's something I can do. Seeing as you act for Kounan, Hikari, and your friends alongside you."

"We'll say a prayer for Hotohori-sama." Chichiri agreed, nudging Shishi gently with his elbow as he did so, for the young bandit had gaped openly at the Emperor when he had expressed his wish to accompany them. "Shishi, that means kneeling down before the statue...not standing there staring into space."

"Oh. Right." Shishi flushed red, hurriedly dropping to her knees, and Hikari smothered a smile, following suit as she remembered her own discomfitted first meeting with the Emperor of Kounan.

"But he really meant it, that he wanted to come too." She reasoned to herself, even as she pushed her hands together in a semblance of prayer. "And I think, if he wasn't Emperor, he would come. He seems to really want to be like his Father, in some ways...I guess that's logical, though. Everything everyone says about Hotohori-sama is good. When I do get home, I need to ask Mum and Dad a lot of things about him. It's funny to pray at the grave of someone you don't really know, especially if they really did die to try and protect you and your world from harm."

"There is another reason I've brought you to the shrine."

As they finished their prayers, getting slowly to their feet, Reizeitei shot them a smile, faint flickers of mischief stirring in the depths of his gaze as he surveyed each of the young travellers-to-be in turn. "Chichiri and Tasuki cannot travel with you, and nor can I. But some part of my father can. And I would be honoured if you would accept his protection, on this journey of yours West."

"Of your...father?" Jin murmured, confusion in his gaze. "Reizeitei-sama...I...don't understand what you mean."

"How can Lord Hotohori come with us?" Even Hikari was thrown by this. "He's dead...and reincarnated. Isn't he?"

"Oh, I see." Chichiri's ruby eye lit up with comprehension and he smiled, nodding his head. "It is a good thought, Bo...Reizeitei-sama. And one I should have thought of earlier. You are right, of course...but then I suppose that's why you're Emperor and I'm growing herbs in a mountain village."

There was humour in his tone and Reizeitei laughed, nodding his head.

"You see where I am heading, then." He responded. "But your companions do not. So let me clarify what I mean so everyone understands."

He turned towards the shrine, pausing before it as he removed something from its position beneath the claw of the Phoenix. For a moment he hesitated, as if holding some inner battle with himself. Then he turned, a sober expression on his face as he stepped forward, holding the article out to Hikari.

At the sight of it she gasped, staring at him in disbelief.

"A sword?" She murmured. "You want me to have...a sword?"

"Not just any sword." Chichiri said softly. "Hikari, that blade was given to Lord Hotohori by Taiitsukun. It is a divine blade, and it is charged with Hotohori-sama's energy and chi. When we left Kounan on our quest for the Shinzahou, many years ago, he made it so, and gave it to your mother to use as self-protection. In the end, she managed to use it to defend not only herself but all of us against the arts of the warrior known as Soi. And since then, it has remained a blessed sword - a 'shinken' - a protector of Suzaku's people just as Hotohori-sama was in life."

He eyed the weapon for a moment, and Hikari saw the nostalgia in his gaze.

"It's like a small piece of Hotohori-sama still exists within that blade." He murmured. "And Reizeitei-sama is right. Even if you haven't the skill to wield it as a proper sword, Hikari, you should do as the Emperor suggests and take it with you. At the very least, it might prove useful. And even if you aren't sure how to use it, I imagine with her Suzaku ancestry, Shishi might."

"I...all right." Hikari looked surprised, but she nodded, taking the blade as if it were made of delicate glass. "If you think it's a good idea, then I will."

She glanced up at Reizeitei, reading the expression on his face, and she smiled at him.

"I'll bring it back safely." She promised. "I guess it must mean a lot to you, belonging to your Dad and all, your Highness. But I won't let it get broken or stolen or anything, I swear. I'll bring it back. And...and thank you. For trusting me to have it. I...I won't let you down."

"I have faith in you, Hikari." Reizeitei told her gently. "And I'm sure Father would want me to trust Lady Miaka's daughter with his blessed weapon. He would have faith in you too, if he were here. So I know it is the right thing...for Suzaku's sword to be in Suzaku's hands once again."

"It's beautiful." Shishi breathed, gazing at the weapon with any amount of awe. "Seriously, Hiki - I'm going to have to teach you something about swords before we get to Sairou, because a blade like that'll be wasted on you otherwise."

Chichiri chuckled.

"As I said, Shishi, you might be strong enough to wield it yourself, on account of your Suzaku blood." He said lightly, and Shishi's eyes lit up with hope.

"Would that be...all right?" She wondered, eying the Emperor for a moment, and Reizeitei nodded his head.

"As I said before, you are like Hikari and I in that respect." He agreed. "You have your father's spirit, Shishi - I'm glad I've finally had the chance to meet you face to face."

"You are?" Shishi looked confused, and Reizeitei laughed, nodding again.

"Suzaku's legend is very dear to my heart." He murmured. "As are its survivors and their kin. Maybe it's a kind of obsession - I don't know. Rich and powerful men are often kept sane only by their obsessions, so I've heard."

The mischievous flicker returned to his gaze at that moment, and he turned to face Jin, offering him a warm smile.

"Your name is Jintsui, isn't it?" He asked quietly, and Jin nodded, struggling to gather his composure as the Emperor's smile widened.

"Then I trust Suzaku's Shinzahou to you and Shishi, Jintsui." He said amiably. "From all I've heard, you're a fine fighter and almost as good with a sword as your Kashira. Yet I'm sure this journey will be a dangerous and tricky one at times. Thank you for finding the courage within you to undertake it."

Jin stared for a moment, then returned the smile with a sheepish one of his own.

"Well, lookin' out for Shishi's sort of habit for me." He admitted. "An' Hikari too, now. We're a team, your Highness. An' we'll do our best. We'll go West an' we'll find Toroki an' sweet talk her into lettin' Kounan borrow Sairou's Shinzahou. You have my word, Reizeitei-sama - I'll see them both safe an' that's a promise."

"Knowing your leader as I do, I believe a Reikaku-zan bandit's word is his bond." Reizeitei said sincerely. "Take care, all of you, and come back safely. Until you do, all of Kounan will be waiting for you."

--------

So, they were afloat.

Aoiketsu rested his hands against the wood of the boat, peering out of the small porthole of the tiny, cramped cabin with a mixture of anticipation and interest as he watched the waves gently rippling alongside their vessel. Above him, he knew, the mage Suiko was controlling the flow of the water to ward against storms and uneven tides, and a flicker of excitement washed through him as he contemplated their journey. Travelling by sea was something of a novelty for most of Hyoushin's selected men, and Aoiketsu was already relishing the opportunity.

"I swear, I'm going to die."

A voice from behind him made him swing around, catching sight of his room-mate in the doorway, his face pale and distinctly greenish and despite himself, Aoiketsu hid a smile.

"Maichu, what are you talking about?" He asked playfully. "You can't be scared of little boat trip, surely?"

"I'm not scared." Maichu retorted, dropping down onto his bunk with a groan and flopping back against the pillows. "I'm seasick. It's a different thing. I'm a human being - I belong on land, not on water."

"But surely a soldier of your calibre can manage a few dipping waves?" Aoiketsu teased, humour flickering in his eyes, and Maichu glared at him.

"You shut up." He instructed. "And stop grinning like an idiot, too. You're abnormal, you know that? Standing there like it has no effect on you, when you've never travelled on a ship like this before, either."

"I think it's exciting. And I feel fine." Aoiketsu shrugged. "I'm not a wimp like some people are."

"I already told you, that has nothing to do with it!" Maichu exclaimed, and Aoiketsu laughed.

"Well, nor does the fact I don't like blood make me a wimp or a coward either." He said pointedly. "We all have our weaknesses, Maichu. Pull yourself together, huh? No doubt we'll be eating soon and besides, we're going to need our strength for the quest ahead."

At the mention of food, Maichu groaned again, closing his eyes.

"You're a cruel bastard." He muttered. "Go away, will you? Let me die in peace. The last thing I need is your chattering in my ears."

"Fine. Suit yourself." Aoiketsu shrugged, turning away from the window as he glanced at his friend. "But you'd probably be better coming up on deck with me. And if you throw up in here, dammit, you're cleaning it up. I ain't sleeping in a sickroom tonight, so get to grips with it, huh?"

"Yeah, yeah." Maichu opened one eye, grimacing at him. "You're loving this, aren't you, you jerk?"

"Seems like karma to me." Aoiketsu said lightly. ""But you know, the deck is a better place...more air than down here."

"I already made the mistake of stepping on deck, and seeing the sea move." Maichu swallowed hard. "Forget it. I'm staying here. You go up there if it's so interesting. Leave me alone."

"All right, I get it." Aoiketsu grinned. "I'll see you later. Don't die just yet, okay? Because throwing you overboard would be a messy business and a waste of a soldier."

With which parting gambit he left the cabin, his grin widening as he heard his friend cursing him as he did so.

"It might be mean but he teases me like hell all the time." He murmured. "Payback is sweet."

"Well, so there's one of Hyoushin's brave army who isn't caught by the rock of the tide?"

As he reached the deck itself, the smooth, distinct tones broke through his thoughts and he paused, turning to face the speaker with a wary frown on his face. The assassin from the West sat on a wooden bench, his quiver at his side as he busied himself with sharpening an arrow. He eyed Aoiketsu with a mixture of interest and amusement, and at the searching look in his eyes, the soldier's eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?" He asked quietly, and Miramu shrugged, spreading his hands.

"Seems land soldiers don't do well at sea." He said flippantly. "But you seem to be all right with it. I imagined that more men of the East would be comfortable with water travel, considering your patron beast, but I guess I was wrong. Aside from Hyoushin, you seem to be the only one who's none the worse for wear."

A faint, derisive smile touched his lips.

"And as we all know, nothing phases Hyoushin."

Aoiketsu eyed the man with wary dislike. The rumours had already spread among the soldiers in the barracks about the Western assassin that would be accompanying them, and looking at him, Aoiketsu was certain that this was an individual they should be careful of. His indigo eyes glittered with something beyond ordinary interest, and, despite his evident youth, there was an air of danger about him that put the young soldier on his guard.

There was silence between them for a moment, then Miramu offered a smile.

"You're Kaiga Aoiketsu, isn't that right?" He asked conversationally, and Aoiketsu's frown deepened. Slowly he nodded.

"Yes. What of it?"

"Nothing at all." Miramu ran an interested gaze over him, making him feel like some kind of prize in the market place, and he bristled.

"Stop staring at me like that!"

"I like to get the measure of my companions. There's no need to be so abrupt." Miramu said evenly. "I'm on your side - or had you forgotten?"

He winked.

"Just because I was born in the West, it doesn't mean that our interests and intentions on this trip are not the same, Aoiketsu."

"So why would you help Kutou?" Aoiketsu dropped down onto the empty bench, eying his companion warily as he took in the assassin's swarthy, nonchalant appearance and the searching, intense indigo eyes. "What's in it for you, bar money? I know who you are - what you are. We all do. You're an assassin from Sairou who kills to order, and there must be a lot of people in the West who are out for your blood because of it. I don't understand it - why risk your life to help the Emperor succeed in his quest?"

"Why not?" Miramu shrugged his shoulders, pausing in the sharpening of his arrow as he met the young soldier's gaze. "Why do you?"

"Because I'm loyal to my Emperor." Aoiketsu said immediately. "I'm a soldier and I do as my Commander instructs. That's how I'm trained and that's what I do."

"So you're a soulless drone?" Miramu arched an eyebrow. "No thoughts of your own in your head? I thought your name was Blue Blood, soldier. Not Yellow Heart."

"I'm not a coward." Aoiketsu bristled. "And of course I have my own thoughts. I want Kutou to be peaceful, and I'll do what it takes to get there. But Kutou is my land. I'm bound to it irrevocably. I don't understand why you'd abandon Sairou and even lead us to the Byakko treasure? I don't know if we can trust you."

"I don't know if you can either, sometimes." Miramu said philosophically. "But such are the gambles that comprise life, Kaiga Aoiketsu."

He frowned, fixing the younger man with another scrutinous gaze, and despite himself Aoiketsu felt uneasy.

"Now what?" He demanded. "You're not testing your technology on me, so don't even think it! I told you, I know what kind of a creature you are - you can't fool me with smiles while you hide poisoned arrows behind your back."

"Relax." Miramu snorted. "I don't waste my poison on worthless causes. Besides, I've no impulse to kill you. Being irritated by someone isn't much of a motive and I prefer to kill only for financial gain, not for mere comfort reasons. You're safe enough - while I'm in Kutou's pay, I won't be slaying any of you."

He smiled, a predatorial glint entering his gaze.

"You know, Aoi-kun, you speak so patriotically for the East." He reflected. "Are you so sure that you've pledged yourself to the right country?"

"What does that mean?" Aoiketsu demanded, and Miramu shrugged, gesturing casually in his direction with the point of his arrow. Aoiketsu flinched back, glaring at him.

"Hey! Watch what you're doing with that!"

"My apologies." Miramu smirked. "From the rumours I've heard, I understand you have something of an issue with spilling blood?"

"Explain what you mean, about my loyalties." Aoiketsu snapped coldly. "Stop talking in riddles and stop patronising me. You're not so very much older than I am - so speak plainly!"

"Plainly, he says." Miramu's lips curled into a smile and he shrugged. "Very well. You preach about the future of Kutou's peace and how you'd give your life to achieve it. But you look at me with the seiran eyes of a Westerner, Aoiketsu. A man not unlike myself, born in the desert lands. Are you so very sure that your roots are in Kutou? It would be a shame for you to throw your life away in battle for the wrong country, now wouldn't it?"

"I'm Kaiga Aoiketsu. My mother was Kaiga Ruiren and I was born at the Palace in Kutou's capital city." Aoiketsu protested hotly. "So what if my eyes are blue? It's not like there's never been anyone born in the East who had blue eyes before! It does happen, you know - you don't have a divine right to it, in the West!"

Miramu's amusement seemed to increase at this, and he nodded.

"Indeed." He murmured. "On the Eastern borders, and in the dead lands that were once the province of the cursed Hin. I know Kutou as well as I know my own land now, Aoiketsu. There are places which remind me very much of home, it's true. But all the people who live along that stretch originally came from the land of sand in search of the riches brought by the dragon of the sea. They are Westerners, just as I am. And I would wager you were one of them - a man of the tribal lands, or at the very least, the son of a settler."

He tilted his head on one side.

"But wait, how can that be?" He asked slyly. "You're the son of the Kaiga family, aren't you? One of the deepest rooted family trees, before the Shougun of Kutou wiped them out. Quite a mystery then, isn't it? How a couple of such pure Eastern blood should spawn a son with such beautiful indigo eyes...?"

"Why are you baiting me?" Aoiketsu demanded. "My eyes - my heritage - are none of your damn business."

"Because it's fun. No other reason." Miramu shrugged. "I like to create doubt in people's minds. Life isn't worth living unless there's uncertainty. That split second before someone enters the oblivion of death, not knowing what they're going towards or if they're even ready to leave this world behind. One day, I suppose, I'll know those things myself - but there's a certain monotony in knowing your fate and your life's future from day to day. I compensate for it by creating questions in the minds of others. Call it deputising, if you will - life can get very dull, without questions."

"You are insane." Aoiketsu decided, and Miramu chuckled, nodding his head.

"Possibly." He acknowledged. "That might even be interesting, you know. Insanity. At least it would be some form of release."

"Why are you so cocky anyway? From what I heard, you go round saying you can't be killed - why do you think that?" Aoiketsu demanded. "Someone could stab you in the back tonight - how can you be so nonchalant, doing the job you do? An assassin must have a zillion enemies wanting his blood."

"You ask a lot of questions of me, but you're unwilling to comment on the ones in your own life." Miramu remarked softly. "Isn't that a touch hypocritical, Aoi-kun?"

"Aoiketsu." Aoiketsu snapped. "And fair is fair. What's to stop me killing you while you're sleeping? You're far too damn sure of yourself and it's irritating."

"Do you know what Miramu means, Aoiketsu?" Miramu met his companion's gaze with cool indigo eyes and for a moment Aoiketsu saw what the man had meant about the likeness between their eye colour. He frowned, shaking his head, and Miramu smiled, a cold, humourless smile as he glanced at his sharpened arrowhead. He adjusted his grip, then carefully scraped three characters on the grimy floor.

"My name." He said softly. "As given me by my mother, poor wench, when she had the misfortune to bear me into this world. You read, I trust? You are a soldier, so I can't be sure...but I presume you know your letters."

"Of course I do. Don't be so condescending." Aoiketsu retorted. "I can read just fine, thank you - I was properly schooled, and not all soldiers are illiterates!"

"Sore point is it? My apologies." Laughter danced once more in Miramu's eyes and he shrugged. "Fine then. Tell me what my name means."

"To see a pleasing dream." Aoiketsu frowned. "What does that have to do with killing people?"

"Nothing." Miramu shook his head, drawing the arrow sharply through the characters as he scribed three more in the dust. "I find it more appropriate to write it...this way."

"Without future. Mira'mu." Aoiketsu's brows knitted together. "Aside from looking ugly and disjointed, what does that signify?"

"When I was fourteen, Aoi, someone told me what my life would be." Miramu tossed the arrow back into his quiver, sitting back against the wall. "In the eyes and words of a ten year old girl, I learnt that there would come a day when I would either kill or be killed. That day has not yet come. The prophesies of that child always come true - no matter how I fight to avoid it. And on that day, I will not be the killer. Therefore I will surely be the killed."

He smiled wryly.

"I don't fear it." He added matter-of-factly. "I've brought enough death not to fear it in the slightest. But if that day is to come, I can't die yet, now can I? To face a certain opponant in a certain battle on a certain day - that is my destiny. My future. My life. 'Without future' is the truth of my existance. I had no purpose coming into this world except to cause suffering, and I shall, no doubt, leave it in the exact same way. Such is the curse of living, soldier. We are not all noble souls fighting with the freedom of our country at heart. Some of us fight simply to fill time, and kill simply as a means to an end. So now you know, don't you? Why Miramu is willing to fight for Kutou. Kutou is paying, and I have no reason to act other than that. Nothing else exists in my life. Time and money, that's all I keep with me. Until they both run out, I'll keep living this life."

"You..." Aoiketsu stared, and Miramu chuckled at his expression.

"Ah, are you going to find pity for me now?" He asked. "Save it, Aoi-kun. Believe me, I'm not worth your or anyone's pity. I do what I do without shame and without guilt. And I will do so until I no longer have life in me to do it. Such is Miramu's fate. End of story."

"This prophet...this child who told you those things...who was she?" Aoiketsu demanded.

"Who was she?" Miramu echoed, and for a moment he didn't answer. Then he nodded, spreading his hands.

"The one you and your men go to seek." He said softly. "The one who guards Byakko's Shinzahou. Toroki."

"Toroki." Aoiketsu whispered. "The Seishi of Byakko? She...sees the future?"

"The future, the past, everything inbetween." Miramu nodded. "She's worse than a curse, Aoiketsu, because her words are always proven true. No matter how much you fight it, the tendrils of her visions catch you in the end."

He shrugged.

"Is it really life, if you have it all mapped out beforehand?" He wondered.

"So that's how you know where the Shinzahou is." Aoiketsu realised. Miramu nodded.

"And you want us to take the treasure as what, revenge? For binding you into this prediction you think you can't escape?"

"You can think that, if you like. I don't mind." Miramu shrugged his shoulders. "The truth is that I have no faith in Byakko or his methods and trinkets. It would bring me nothing but pleasure to have his treasure ripped from the Western lands and used in a rival's ceremony once again. He deserves such a humiliation - and after all, the girl is a slave to that mirror and her power because of the will of the Tiger. To have the Shinzahou removed would be to give her freedom, would it not?"

He grimaced.

"I cannot abide people whose lives are served only for the good of a cause, not for the good of living." He said frankly. "If they knew what it was to truly not have life, they wouldn't waste their time in such a pointless way. In the aura of that damn mirror, Toroki's power is increased. Do you realise, Aoiketsu, what it is to suffer the futures of everyone, not only yourself?"

"But...are you wanting to hurt this Toroki, or help her?" Aoiketsu was confused, and Miramu's lips twitched into another strange smile.

"Both." He admitted. "I hate her and I pity her. She is the one I will never kill, Aoiketsu...because if I do, I will be fulfilling her prediction and making her right. So I will not face her - nor even speak one word to her, if I can avoid it. I will not kill her and I will not let her kill me. If I can defy Byakko's evil power then my life will have been worth something at least...the proof that at least living and dying is someone's choice, not determined by the stars."

"You really are a weird guy, you know." Aoiketsu reflected, and Miramu nodded.

"Doubtless." He agreed.

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"Who knows?" Miramu shrugged. "Perhaps I see in you a kindred spirit, because of those beautiful blue eyes of yours."

He reached up to touch Aoiketsu's cheek mockingly, and the soldier snorted, pulling away.

"You don't answer straight." He snapped. "And you're mad if you think we have anything in common."

"Suit yourself." Miramu seemed unconcerned by his hostility, which annoyed Aoiketsu even more.

"Why are you really telling me?" He demanded.

"Because you seem to think I'm a danger to you and your friends, Aoi-kun. And believe me, nothing is less important in my mind than the slaying of Kutou soldiers." Miramu said evenly. "You don't even register on my radar. I have other goals - other reasons for undertaking this trip that you can't possibly hope to understand."

"Such as...?"

"Those things are no business of a boy who swears himself to the God of the East."

"But you already said you don't care anything for Byakko or his power!"

"True enough." Miramu inclined his head. "And I feel the same way about your Seiryuu, and all of the damned Beast Gods and the slaves they create. Living under the shadow of 'Celestial Warrior' is nothing but a glorified form of slavery, Aoiketsu. Just as you serve your Commander blindly. Your loyalty is not simply courage. It's cowardice, too. To have someone else take responsibility for your life and your choices. The Beast Gods create such slaves and as human beings, we deify them. It makes me sick."

"You're getting more and more obtuse by the second." Aoiketsu sighed. "So you're doing this because you hate the fact people have faith in the four Gods?"

"No, Aoi. I'm doing it for money, pure and simple." Miramu said softly. "But if I can relieve Toroki of the treasure in the meantime, so much the better."

"You come from the same village as her, don't you?" Aoiketsu realised.

"That was a fine piece of deduction. Yes, I do." Miramu agreed, a faint smile touching his lips. "Though I believe both her parents live, she no longer lives with them and so we will not be going there. I have no wish to return, anyway. I left the place after slitting the throat of my own father, and I swore then that I would never go back."

"You killed your own father?" Aoiketsu flinched back in surprise, and Miramu nodded.

"So would you have, if you'd had the father I did." He said matter-of-factly. Then he smiled, a strange expression lighting up his features.

"But then, maybe you do." He added cryptically. "Since you are a son of the West in body, that's for sure - even if your soul is bound to the East."

"I am not from the West! I was born in the Eastern lands - how many times do I have to tell you that!" Aoiketsu exclaimed. "Ask Hyoushin-sama, or the Emperor. My mother was granted sanctuary at the palace and I was born there after the war with Kounan. How much more Eastern can I be?"

"This is a sore spot for you, I can tell." Miramu said smoothly. "I'm glad to know it. You should never fear your doubts, Aoi-kun. They may yet keep you alive."

"Talking sense with you is impossible." Aoiketsu muttered, and Miramu laughed.

"Probably." He acknowledged. "You are fortunate, Kaiga Aoiketsu, that you don't understand. If you saw the world the way I do..."

He paused, shaking his head.

"You are too young and too naive." He reflected. "But perhaps I envy you those things a little bit."

He tilted his head on one side, shooting him an enigmatic smile.

"You are not Hyoushin's man, nor the Emperor's...you are your own." He said softly. "Soldier of the East with the blue eyes of the West. Remember that."

"I am not going to betray either one of them - to you or to anyone." Aoiketsu said hotly, and Miramu laughed.

"I'm sure you're not." He admitted. "You're idealistic, and idealism gets men killed, Aoi-kun. Keep it in mind...one day you may have use for such advice, even if now your mind and body are too charged with patriotism to see the cold realities of fighting on someone else's word."

"Are you causing trouble again, Miramu?"

Before Aoiketsu could find a suitable response, the cool, impassive tones of the Meihi commander broke through the conversation, and Aoiketsu gazed up at him in clear relief at the interruption.

"Hyoushin." Miramu offered him a smile. "Did noone teach you that it's impolite to interrupt someone else's conversation?"

Hyoushin eyed him long and hard for a moment, but did not reply. Instead he turned his gaze to Aoiketsu, sending him a searching glance.

"You are unaffected by the sea travel, Aoiketsu?" He asked softly, and Aoiketsu shook his head.

"I'm fine, sir." He said evenly. "Maichu's holed himself up in our cabin, claiming he's dying - but I feel all right."

"Then I have a task for you." Hyoushin shot Miramu another glance, and Aoiketsu saw the faintest flicker of ice in the Commander's amethyst eyes. "I'm sure our assassin friend can spare you."

"I don't have anything more to say to him anyway." Aoiketsu said frankly. "I think he's crazy."

Miramu let out a peal of laughter at this, getting to his feet and hoisting his quiver onto his back.

"I can take a hint." He reflected. "But really, Hyoushin, you have some interesting souls with you, on this voyage. Kaiga Aoiketsu, huh? Such an interesting boy, with such interesting seiran eyes."

With that he was gone, and a brief look of annoyance touched Hyoushin's expression.

"That man is not someone you should spend too much time listening to." He said quietly. "He is useful to the Emperor but he is not an ally of Kutou, nor should you trust him, Aoiketsu."

"I don't. Like I said, he's crazy." Aoiketsu responded frankly. "And deluded. He kept talking about doubt and uncertainty and how it's the only thing that makes you alive."

"Mm." Hyoushin's brows knitted together. "But if he can help us locate the Shinzahou we seek...I do not wish to cause bloodshed in Sairou, if it can be avoided. However, with a companion such as him...we shall see how things pan out."

"He said that he and Toroki grew up together. In the same village." Aoiketsu remembered. "And that he wants to take the treasure from her because of that. Because she predicted his death a long time ago, and he wants to prove her wrong - or something. I think he thinks that if he takes the Shinzahou away from her, he can break that prophesy, or something like it. That's what he said, anyway."

"Indeed." Interest glimmered in the depths of Hyoushin's eyes. "Then perhaps there is a greater logic to his sudden affiliation with Kutou than I imagined. If he has a personal association with Toroki, it might explain his unwillingness to face her, also. That was well discovered, Aoiketsu."

"It wasn't on purpose. He just told me." Aoiketsu admitted. "Sir...he said something else, too."

"Such as?"

"He commented...on my eyes." Aoiketsu raised his gaze to his Commander's, and Hyoushin frowned.

"What is wrong with your eyes, Aoiketsu?" He asked softly. "They function properly, do they not?"

"Yes, of course, but..."

"But?"

"Sir...they're blue. They're like his." Aoiketsu confessed. "And he says...I'm from the West. Not from the East at all. Because I have blue eyes."

"Then he is a fool." Hyoushin's lips flickered into a faint, amused smile. "You were born at the palace, Aoiketsu. I can testify to that, and to knowing your mother, also. You have never been to Sairou, and you were certainly not born of Western blood. Perhaps your ancestors were immigrants - as mine were, into the East. Such things are not uncommon, for in times of peace, Kutou is a prosperous, fertile land and it holds many attractions. But just as I am a man of Kutou, so are you. Both of us were born there. And our loyalties quite properly belong to the East - regardless of the colour of our eyes."

At this, Aoiketsu grinned ruefully, running his fingers through his dark hair as he nodded.

"You're right. I'm sorry." He admitted. "I guess he just shook me, when he said it."

"That's the kind of thing men like Miramu do." Hyoushin said evenly. "Do not let him bait you. You are a man of the East as much - no, perhaps more - than some of your fellows. Your dedication to your country and your Emperor has not gone unnoticed, and you should not concern yourself with the ramblings of madmen. You are one of Kintsusei-sama's trusted guard, and one of my most loyal men. That is all you need concern yourself with. That, and the successful completion of this mission."

"I guess so." Aoiketsu nodded resolutely. "All right. For the sake of Kutou and all the people there - I understand. I'm sorry, Commander - I won't let him throw me again."

"Good." Hyoushin eyed him for a moment, and with a jolt Aoiketsu almost thought he saw a glimmer of affection in the amethyst eyes. "And with that in mind, I do have a task for you. Follow me - just because we are afloat doesn't mean there aren't things we can do in the meantime. I have a sea chart from Kikei, and it is scribed with complicated Chinese characters. I am not as skilled in the letters of Kutou's dialect as I could be - but I know that you had excellent tuition in this subject when you were a boy. And I'd like you to translate the text."

"Oh. Of course." Aoiketsu looked surprised. "If you want. I didn't know you had trouble with kanji, sir."

"I can read enough to get comfortably by." Hyoushin said with a shrug, as he led the way towards the cabin. "But it is not my first language, nor the most natural alphabet for me to learn. Chinese has many, many characters and I was a decidedly late starter. So yes, I have my limitations."

"I see." Aoiketsu looked thoughtful, then, "I hadn't thought about it. You speak Kutou's dialect perfectly - without even an accent. I didn't know...it wasn't your first language."

"These days it is my only language." Hyoushin's lips twisted into an empty smile. "But to speak and to read are two different things. And as I said, the map is of some age. But I understood from Maichu that you read the ancient text in Suiko's cave...so I'd like you to try your hand at this, too."

"All right." Aoiketsu reddened slightly as he realised how close he had come to prying into his Commander's past. "I mean, I'll try."

He spread his hands.

"If I can help, I will."