So this must be where Nakago was keeping Amiboshi captive after he helped Yui escape. "You're correct," he approached him so they could speak in hushed voices. "It's me, the real Chiriko."

He gave him a strange look. "What are you talking about?"

"Nevermind. For what it's worth, Yui is safe in Konan."

"Good. Now get me out of here."

"Get you out?" he was aghast. In light of the precarious 'summon Suzaku and I'll start a war' predicament, releasing a prisoner from under Nakago's nose seemed thoroughly stupid. It was anyone's guess if Nakago even knew about Yui being in their care, but granting asylum to someone right after a delicate diplomatic meeting would only invite trouble. At least having discovered him, he could return to let Yui know he was unharmed.

For the time being, anyway.

Looking over both shoulders, he took on an even quieter voice. "I can't have you leave with us. If you can make it to Konan on your own I don't mind helping you, but it might be a better idea to use this as a chance to escape back to Sairou. I highly doubt Nakago would pursue you there."

Kaika smiled in relief as Chiriko loosened the chains enough for him to wriggle his arms free.

"Thank you."

"I have to go," he whispered back. "You're on your own now."

After winding back through a halls at a hurried pace, Chiriko was fortunate enough to run into a servant to set him back in the right direction, and along the way he found Boushin already being escorted to the banquet hall. Boushin gave him a glance to suggest he had taken an extra long time in the latrine, but said nothing.

During the banquet, they were able to act as though nothing of serious consequence had taken place behind closed doors. Nakago looked relaxed at the table, and the servants were excited to catch glimpses of the boy emperor who was visiting.

The ministers of Kutou's court were all present, and they joyfully toasted Boushin time after time with the imperial wine that had been opened in his honor. Thankfully, since he was a child, he was excused from drinking with them at each raise of a glass. Unfortunately for Chiriko, he was not. "A toast to the prodigy of Konan!"

"Thank you—oh no, I—" he was too slow to cover his cup as they filled it for him and shoved it into his hand, and Boushin laughed as his counselor reluctantly took a cup, followed immediately by another, and another. The jovial atmosphere was even starting to make Boushin's head spin, and he started to get a little concerned as Chiriko looked like he was enjoying the party less and less. Though he couldn't help but smile in that atmosphere, the lack of solemnity made him feel as though the court didn't recognize his position. Was their little occupied territory too meek to take seriously?

Nakago drank every cup along with them, but didn't seem bothered in the least by the alcohol. "A toast to the Suzaku warriors," he added with a raised class, then downed it.

Chiriko forced himself to hold one up to Nakago. "To the Seiryuu warriors."

The ministers who were already drunk by that point added Genbu and Byakko, and whatever other mythical-sounding warriors they could think of, laughing as the names got sillier and sillier. Boushin enjoyed it for a while, but their behaviors eventually grated on his nerves as well.

"Going on twenty-four soon, aren't you?" one minister elbowed Chiriko as he filled a cup back up and then forced it in his hand. "Pretty unusual to be in the inner cabinet by your age!"

"Yes, it's highly unusual. I'm still astounded by it myself," he replied bashfully, tipped cups with him and then forced the wine down his throat. Almost as soon as he pulled it from his lips, a minister at his other side filled the cup up again.

"That's just what you can expect from a prodigy."

"Only children are prodigies. At some point expectations even out for everyone. I still have to work very hard."

"Even a normal prodigy wouldn't be given such a position so soon," the second minister scoffed, tipped cups, and then downed his own. "The Konan cabinet is full of sentimental saps. They jumped at the chance to have a celestial warrior among them, for old times' sake!"

"That's right, they are!"

"I won't deny that," Chiriko smiled wryly before forcing another cup down.

Boushin felt he should have been angry about what they were saying about the advisors who raised him, but instead he was curiously surprised at how apt their comments were. No wonder Chiriko always seemed so oddly displaced among the old and grey members. If the circumstances had been normal, they probably never would have met there in those dry meetings that would drag on forever. How many hours and how many days had he spent letting his mind wander?

And fast could all of those hours pass in the span of a single sentence, written on mere paper?

The thought made his mood sink immediately.

"Your Highness," a female servant quietly whispered behind him. He turned to see her there standing bashfully with another servant. "My friend would like to know if you resemble your father. She's heard rumors, you see."

"I have been told that I resemble my father, but as I have not met him, I cannot say for sure."

"I told you!" they giggled shamelessly. The second one had a wide smile as she asked, "I heard your mother was a Suzaku warrior too, right?"

"What? No! That must have been Nuriko you heard about. What is it you were told?"

"Oh no, we wouldn't want to tarnish a child's pure ears with that!"

"Do you hear many rumors about the Seiryuu warriors?"

"Hmm," they looked to each other. "That was before I worked here."

"Me too, but my aunt worked here then. Based on the things she said, we all concluded she was crazy."

"Oh, that's right. Something about facial make-up and feathers? She must have been pretty far gone by then to mistake an actor for someone of rank."

"Oh," was all Boushin could muster for a response.

It seemed to take an eternity, but the banquet eventually drew to a close, and Nakago saw them out to their carriage. The escorts they had brought from Konan had to help Chiriko walk upright and climb inside, and Boushin stepped inside after him. Before closing the door, he turned to Nakago. "Thank you again for the invitation and for your hospitality. We will give you our response once we have considered everything carefully, and I hope you will do the same."

"You can be assured of it," he replied with a nod. "Please bring any other concern to me as you see fit."

"And the same to you."

"I would note, then," he changed his tone, "that my priestess is missing. I sincerely appreciate your help in returning her to me if you happen to find her."

Boushin fought the impulse to gulp. "Of course."

"Thank you," he smiled. "I look forward to much cooperation with you in the future."

Once the carriage took off and they were comfortably out of ear-shot, Chiriko let out a loud groan as he held his head, and then spoke to Boushin with as sharp and irritated a tone as he could muster. "Don't worry t' much 'bout ev'ything he said, Boushin. Even if he believes it, he prob'ly said a lot of it just to bother you. That's prob'ly why he wanted t'-hic- try t' make sure I wouldn't be able t' rememb'r anything that 'appened t'day. Ow! Please go slower ov'r t' bumps on the road!"

"Yeah, you're probably right."

"Don' feel pressured t' make any kind of decision right away. We've gone this long without summonin' Suzaku already, so waitin' a little longer won' hurt anyone."

"Right."

"Ow… my head... my stomach..."

They fell quiet, listening to the gravel beneath them as they passed, but then a strange sound on the bottom of the carriage caught Boushin's attention. "Chiriko! Did you hear that?"

"Quiet down, I can 'ear everything just fine!"

"Then you heard it too, right? It sounds like there's something crawling under our carriage!"

"While it's movin'? Don' be silly."

"I'm sure I heard something! It sounded like someone—"

They both stopped as they heard something on the edge of the carriage. They looked at each other, then to the window, when suddenly the door was pulled open and someone jumped in on top of them, causing them both to scream. At the sound of the commotion, the driver of the carriage swerved, and all three smashed into each other.

"It's Suboshi!" Boushin screamed once he caught a good look at the intruder.

"Your Highness, are you alright?" a voice came from outside. The escorts stopped the carriage to go open the door and take a look, where they were shocked to see a third person. They pointed their spears at him and ordered him to halt (perhaps not the brightest order when he was already half-way on top of the emperor), but they were more surprised to hear Chiriko yell at him.

"What the hell, Amiboshi! I didn' mean our carriage!"

"You only told me to find a way to Konan. That's what I'm doing!"

"And makin' us look like we rescued you!"

"You did rescue me. And I need to know everything Nakago may have said to you!"

"Wow, Chiriko," Boushin eyed him suspiciously as he sat back up in his seat. "What have you been up to?"

"Um… would you like us to get rid of this man, Counselor Ou?"

"No, he can -hic- stay," he groaned and got himself comfortable again. "Just don' talk t' me right now. My heads 'urts."

"Not to mention he's drunk," the young boy said under his breath. This is going to be a long ride back.

After what seemed much longer than the trip there, the carriage finally arrived back at the palace Boushin knew. The counselors, relieved that he had returned safely and eager to hear how things went with Nakago, crowded at a respectful distance from the door on the carriage as the guard opened it for Boushin to step out. He did so in a hurry, leaving Chiriko asleep inside, alone.

They hadn't had so much room to themselves for most of the trip. For a while, a scruffy man who Chiriko called Amiboshi sat between them, furiously scratching at his arms, until at one point he abruptly called for the carriage to stop and wait as he pushed past Boushin to force the door open and dash out. Before doing so, however, he gravely said to Boushin, "I don't know what he told you, and I don't know how much of it is true, but you absolutely cannot trust his intentions and methods."

"I understand."

"My brother and I need to discuss what to do with Yui. Until then, please take care of her."

"Of course."

They had waited for some time, but he didn't return.

The counselors who surrounded Boushin were filled with as anticipation as they gave him their formal welcomes. He acknowledged them and continued walking past, until they asked directly, "Um, Your Highness? What did you learn?"

"I learned that Counselor Ou is an angry drunk."

"What?"

He didn't bother explaining and walked faster to his room to go change clothes to appear in court. Any moment of respite and solace was all he wanted. He had no such moment, as his quarters were crawling with servants ready with clean attire to dress him in, and the court had already assembled in his throne room. He entered quickly, wanting to get it over with, and didn't look around the room until he was seated. Everyone was obviously anxious, but silent. To his right, Miaka stood in front of Chichiri and Tasuki, and she was the first to speak. "Boushin," she said as she locked worried eyes with him, "What did Nakago say?"

"It didn't go as we planned," he announced carefully, turning back to face his court instead. "We were unable to find out how much he knows, but he is aware of our intentions to summon Suzaku. He has asked that we desist in exchange for his consideration of decreasing the tax burden."

The silence melted away into a hubbub of voices talking among themselves, until Counselor Chou raised his voice above the others. "That can't be all he said, is it? Was there talk of retaliation?"

Boushin frowned before answering. "He alluded to it."

"We're facing war!" cried Counselor Shu. "Oh, I knew it would come to this! Oh, dear me! Our dear country!"

"Stop your blubbering! We have our hands tied, but we can still negotiate new terms."

"That would mean never summoning Suzaku!"

"We could just change the terms and wait until it would more difficult for them to launch a war."

"That would take another ten years!"

"That would never happen! We either summon Suzaku and die, or—"

"Or continue to grovel before them for the rest of our lives! Where has our pride gone?"

"Not to mention our taxes!"

Boushin said nothing else, and stood to leave them to themselves. There was no sense in telling them everything, he decided, and at least this way they would keep themselves occupied arguing about those matters. He would have slipped out quietly, had Miaka not called out his name again. He flinched. "Did he say anything else?" she asked. "He didn't threaten you, did he?"

"No," he replied. "He was very civil."

"That's good," she smiled in relief. "I'm glad you're alright."

"I'm tired," he forced a response. "I'm going to rest now."

At last, with the court caught up in arguments they would assume over his head to understand, he left alone. Back in his bedroom, he excused the servants after they had taken his heavy robes, and he sat and sighed. They can argue about war and taxes all they want. Little do they know the fate of the world may be at stake. The fate of a world only made of ink and paper! But I can't tell anyone that.

"Your Highness?" came his mother's voice at the door before she opened it. He stood at attention in her presence, and she smiled gently to him after closing the door behind her. "Welcome home again, my son."

"Thank you, Mother."

"I'm sorry it didn't go as you had hoped, but this is what could be expected. I think you must have done very well."

His lips quivered as tears rushed to his face. Putting his dignity aside, he stifled hard sobs against her as he hugged her and cried. Houki didn't say another word as she stroked his head, staying there as long as he needed her to.

The following morning, Chiriko's head was still pounding, although not as harshly as it did on the journey home—not that he could recall much of the trip. The conversation with Nakago, however, was clear. Though he was suspicious of Nakago's intentions in telling them so much, he couldn't help but find the model he proposed compelling. From an objective standpoint, it was fascinating, but that didn't mean he had taken a liking to it.

Headache or no headache, he still had much work and discussion ahead of him in the court. On his way to present himself bright and early, he was approached by a trio of ghosts with menacingly forced smiles. "Good morning, Chiriko!" Nuriko sing-songed.

"Good morning," he returned the smile. They all shared a chuckle.

"Say, Chiriko, could we have a minute?" Tamahome asked, his grin growing more tense.

"I suppose," he sighed.

In the relative privacy of the pavilion on the pond, they spoke in low tones. "Boushin's been acting standoffish," started Nuriko. "He's avoiding everyone."

"He told the court yesterday that Nakago threatened war if Suzaku were to be summoned," added Hotohori.

"What else did Nakago say?" asked Tamahome.

Chiriko looked back at their expectant glances, measuring how much he should say. "Perhaps you should ask Miaka how she came to this world."

"What?" Tamahome looked confused.

"Or not," he shrugged it off. "The matter does pertain to her world. Nakago isn't especially concerned with ours anymore."

"How is that even relevant?"

"Summoning Suzaku would be a hindrance to his plans, since, at least to me, they're obviously malicious in nature. If Miaka had the power of Suzaku, she would stop him from exacting any of his misplaced revenge against the heavens."

"That has nothing to even do with Konan! Is he threatening another war of convenience?"

"It's not beyond him to do so, but I believe he doesn't mind whether Konan thrives or falls into ruin. Controlling Konan, at least for now, may merely a way of controlling us—the Suzaku warriors."

"Then why did he have to bring Boushin into this? He's hurting," frowned Hotohori. "Perhaps I should go talk to him."

"You could try," Chiriko replied, half-sarcastically. "Both he and the court are going to be very busy considering whether or not to summon Suzaku with the predicament Nakago has given us."

"You mean, figure out how best to deal with it once we summon Suzaku."

"Yes, or that," he acknowledged. "I'll buy Boushin some thinking time by occupying the court a bit longer. I'll be tied up with that this morning." And after that, I'll need to talk to Miaka and Yui.