Change In The Air

by LydeaBlaze

Life in the Raiju Clan is never dull when you inherit a realm regularly on the brink of civil war. It's a strange life and those close to the Bride of Conquering Storm are living it. With pals, allies and family along for the ride, surviving the worst political climate in centuries together will be easy - or we all die honourably trying. Uncensored M-Rated Version is over on AO3

Chapter 1: Guardian

October 2008

There was no sound other than the soft tapping of water droplets hitting the floor. Dripping off the edge of a table and feeding a growing puddle on the floor with each drop.

"Why do you always do this?"

A Mobian is slumped over the table, next to an overturned pitcher, knocked over in the chaos. Two more are slumped by the door. The aftermath of a mission gone awry and the agent, a sworn sword lynx of the Raiju Clan, is on her knees and keeled over in the middle of the room. Amongst the chaos that has happened around her. She is panting frantically.

"What do you want from me?" She grumbles between exhausted breaths, "For once just tell me… Instead of dropping pitchers while I'm trying to get the drop on a target."

The stone in the centre of a choker strapped around the lynx's neck exudes a faint pulsing glow. From what anyone knows of it, there may well be an entity sealed inside of a rather ordinary looking necklace. Yet the entity is not fully capable of articulating anything. It has never said anything in response in the years it has been awake, but it will not stop its Guardian, Takara-Mai Sakai, from muttering to it as if it was remotely capable of communicating. Nor from cursing it out whenever it frequently misbehaves. It stops glowing moments later.

"Oh hide away then." Takara exhales with annoyance, rising to her feet, "Gods, hide away from the mess you made. Stupid deity- Kami- Whatever the hell you are in there."

Her ears perk up. Takara hears the subtle clattering of fine porcelain approaching. Before the lynx can even think to make a move, the door opens. She briskly turns to see a maid standing there frozen, holding a tray with tea and cakes she intended to serve. Eyes wide open in absolute horror.

"Uh- Good evening." She awkwardly utters, raising her hand with a slight wave.

The maid drops the tray and begins to back away slowly. Before giving up the goose and simply taking off down the hall in a sprint.

"Shit."

Takara swiftly takes a map off the desk, folding it up as small as she can to shove it into a pocket within her waist belt. She makes a break for it, hurling herself out of the nearest window. Bounding onto the branch of a nearby tree just outside the window then leaping forward toward the rooftop of a lower building. Rolling her landing gracefully before springing back upright, taking off into a sprint. The Guards will be on her tail within minutes, she needs to get away from the scene.

Alarm bells begin to ring throughout the station. They will be searching for the interloper who has made their way into their outpost. They will be onto her any minute now if she is not careful and gets out of there now.

Takara runs to the edge of the rooftop and lowers herself over the edge. Grabbing onto a drainpipe and sliding down the height of the building down to the ground. She remains close to the wall, moving toward the edge. Peering out carefully to check for guards in her path before sneaking to the next obstruction she can hide behind. She moves swiftly, keeping low to the ground. The Assassin weaves herself in and out of hiding spots, lurking in the shadows to avoid detection by the guards.

She hides behind a barrel, taking in the surroundings as she tries to figure out her next steps. The area has guards covering almost every corner. The only way out was the side gate, which was unmanned when she entered, but now has guards crawling all over it. Suppose she may need to find another way around the boundary wall then. Scanning the area of ways upward, she finds a simple enough route. Once the trio roaming guards pass by, she can get moving.

Sure enough, the trio of guards move past where she is hiding. She carefully takes a step, before feeling a sharp sensation through her body. The barrel tips over with a heavy clunk and a crash, sending a torrent of water splashing onto the ground. The trio of guards she was very much intending to avoid turn around to notice the Assassin frozen with disbelief. The Water Soul pulses faintly underneath her cowl.

"Intruder!"

"Oh by Aurora's sake." Takara curses loudly as she takes of running

Takara leaps up and begins to sprint across the courtyard. As long as she moves quickly, she still has a chance to get out of there. She runs toward a goods lift located near the boundary wall, quickly sidestepping any guards who try to get in her path to stop her. She kicks and grabs onto the rope, propelling her into the air toward a walkway along the boundary wall and sending the counterweight crashing down on the guards on her tail.

She snaps her head around looking in both directions. Seeing guards running toward her in one direction, she takes off in the other to keep the pace to evade them. She heads toward the corner tower where one sole guard stands ready to intercept the interloper. She picks up and throws a loose rock in her path toward them, landing square into their chest. Knocking the enemy backwards and down through an open trap door behind them. Takara immediately closes it behind them and latches it, shoving the shaft of an arrow through the loop to make it a makeshift lock.

Takara runs toward the edge of the platform and stops before the edge. There is no ground beneath her; there is a raging river directly beneath her. She looks back toward the guards rapidly encroaching upon her position from two directions. There is a thumping against the trap door she just blocked off, that arrow won't hold it closed for long and even on the second thump it is about to give way.

"Damn it." She grumbles

Drawing in a breath, Takara takes a few steps back before propelling herself forward. She leaps off the platform to plunge into the waters below with a mighty splash. Sinking down and letting the current of the river take her. It will be easier to go with it than exhaust herself fighting it. She can also try to stay beneath the surface to avoid detection. The current beneath the water seems less torrid than appearances suggest, either that or the necklace is meddling with it.

She does feel an odd sensation in her body. The necklace is glowing again, marginally brighter this time. As she floats away, she notices something forming around her hands. She looks around, groups of water starting to clump together, as if trying to make a bubble underwater. Then suddenly, it stops. The necklace is dormant again.

Takara swims upward and surfaces, gasping through fatigued breaths. She flings herself backward to float lying on her back while she recovers herself, using the current to float downstream and away from the scene.

"I don't- I don't get it." She curses exasperatedly, "I don't get how you will manipulate water, but won't help me much when I'm submerged underwater either? This is such bullshit."

She slams her fist into the water in exasperation.

---

Heavy doors slam open as a noblewoman emerges from behind them, stomping away at a vigorous pace. Guards, trailing behind her in an orderly fashion, shadow her as she moves down the hall. They move briskly to keep up with her. She thunders down the hall in a swift stride, the charms hanging off the ends of her hairpins jingling intensely as she storms off. A fitting gait for when The Bride of Conquering Storm is fiercely irate about something.

The stomp of boots, the subtle clangs of shoulder armour and rattling of charms are the only warning to those standing idly by that The Bride and her contingent are marching through the halls of the great castle at the heart of The Citadel of the Raiju Clan. The staff members who find themselves in her path immediately move out of her way, ducking into a swift bow as she passes by. Last thing anyone would want to do when the sovereign is in a bad mood is agitate her fervour by being disrespectful.

The Guards waiting outside of her chambers swiftly open the doors for her – either that or she probably would have slammed them open herself – and she stomps into her apartments. Her handmaidens immediately stopped to acknowledge her presence, ducking into a swift bow.

"Somebody for the Gods' sake please make me a cup of tea before I take a knife and cut somebody's hair off!" Conquering Storm demands as she stomps through her living room, discarding her overcoat on the lounge chair as she passes through

Her handmaidens scamper, immediately answering her demand with great haste. The Bride enters her bedroom and sits herself in front of her dressing table. She takes off the gilded ring on her left hand and places it in an equally as adorned box on the table. She hurriedly begins to remove an intricate headpiece by herself. Removing the structural pins holding down to her head a diadem made of sharp pointed peaks, placing it down on the table. She then removes the hairpins holding her hair in place. Her long raven hair springing free from being contained, dropping down her back.

She immediately breathes a deep sigh of relief, "By the Old Gods and the Neo Walkers, never have I ever wanted to tear my own hair out before."

She begins massaging her scalp to relieve the tension from her tightly wound hairstyle. One of her handmaidens sheepishly approaches her.

"May I store your hairpieces, Your Grace?" Her Handmaiden nervously enquires

"Emika, your practices in the finer points of cosmology are admirable, but if I have to sit through another high profile meeting with two kinds of headaches again-"

Emika ducks into a quick bow, "It won't happen again, Your Grace. I offer my utmost and sincere apologies."

"Just- don't do it again." The Bride sighs, vigorously massaging her tired scalp, "Could you get me something for my head, please."

"Yes, Your Grace."

Emika rises and swiftly moves to retrieve some pain medicine for her matron. The Bride takes up a hairbrush and begins to brush out her hair.

"Your Grace, Lord Toshihiro, to see you." One of the Honour Guard standing at the door calls out

"Send him in." The Bride responds

Emika returns with a couple of pain tablets for her matron. The Bride swiftly places them in her mouth and takes a swig out of a cup of water. She exits her bedroom and into the living room where the rest of her staff are congregated. Tea is waiting for her in the sitting area.

"I would like to have the room to myself while I speak with the Spy Master." The Bride orders while taking a seat on a living room chair.

The handmaidens bow with respect, complying by leaving the room. She takes up her teacup and takes a drink. There is the sound of a door opening and closing and the rolling of wheels approaching from down the hall.

The Spy Master approaches and stops himself before The Bride, bowing his head with respect, "Your Grace.'"

"Aki, may I ask you something?" The Bride replies, gesturing for him to approach the settee, "Have you ever had a pleasant interaction with the Thieves Master?"

"Once. The very day Kesaya and I appointed him to the role, during his appointment ceremony. He wasn't my first choice at all and he knew it." Aki replies, wheeling over and positioning himself across from her, "I heard it didn't go well."

She takes a spoonful of sugar and adds it to her tea, stirring gently, "He was unwilling to accept the ordinance for the separation proceedings. I know he did not show up to the vote out of protest, he was within his right to. Nevertheless, he was petulant when the High Councillor and I delivered the order to him officially. Displeased when he realised all levels from The Crown, The High Council and The Chamber of Governance all agree that we will allow the Merchants to separate their operations from the Thieves Guild."

"So will you tell me why you stormed out of the room or do I have to ask why you did, Akira?" Lord Toshihiro responds, mildly chiding the young woman seated across from him

"He pissed me off. So I left." Akira answers directly, before she takes a sip of tea, "He was about to tear up the document itself until he remembered whose presence he was in. All but one gesture away from defying The Bride of Conquering Storm by shredding the words containing the will of this clan and their monarch before her eyes. Gods- This was just the motion stating the intent to start the proceedings. The actual separation agreement hasn't got the first inked words on the page yet and he is acting like this. I fear this isn't going to go well."

Aki hums, "The Thieves Master is simply unhappy that not everyone in his own guild is subservient to him and his massive ego. They have rightfully grown tired of having their transactions being discredited by it. Not that you can blame them, he is almost emulating a Yagyu Lord at this point."

"It's giving me a splitting headache, that's what it's doing."

"Unfortunately it may not soothe your head to know, he may yet prove to be even more petulant and non-compliant while undertaking this legal process. He will be losing a lot of money, power and influence once the Merchants separate into the custody of the Chamber of Governance."

"He may lose a lot more than that if he doesn't remember whom he answers to. He answers to the realm, not just his guild. Certainly not to the peers he hasn't been listening to in a very long time who wish to separate from him. He is not above the High Council and he certainly isn't above his sovereign either."

"The Merchants in due time will appoint their own Guild Master to control their own affairs. I have a feeling that it will ultimately end up being one of the most vocal Merchant lords, purely out of spite. I suppose once they have their own seat on the High Council and a vote of their own, they will not be as swayed to follow their ex-leader on many topics."

"Oh the horror indeed, heaven forbid the Council has no partisanship with the Thieves Guild." Akira responds sarcastically, with a hearty chuckle

Akira raises a teapot from the living room table, gesturing toward her guest to inquire if he would like some. Aki shakes his head in response. Akira then pours another cup of tea for herself. As much as she would love something stronger and on the rocks, she just took pain medication. It is ill advised to mix the two substances together.

"Two more things, Your Grace." Lord Toshihiro says, changing the topic of discussion, "It has been reported that the weather is making travel across the region difficult. It may mean fervour delays before Lord and Lady Kesaya reach the port to leave for the Western Outposts."

"If I was more superstitious, perhaps The Gods aren't confident that sending my cousin to the Western Outposts in my place is a good idea." The Bride muses while adding sugar to her tea, "Not that I have a choice."

"I have also received quite alarming intel that the Yagyu Clan have come across plans for an Imperial mecha in one of their brazen heists upon an Imperial outpost."

"Oh, really?" Akira raises a brow, "Now what in the Gods' name are they going to do with that?"

"The Yagyu Clan aren't virtuous enough to keep it from falling into the wrong hands. They might even sell it back to The Dominion, if they are arrogant enough to think they would come out of that deal alive."

Akira places down her spoon and takes up the cup in her hand, "Can't hand it over to the Free People either. They're too busy playing resistance to notice such things nor would they have the capacity to keep such things from the Iron Queen."

"The Shinobi and the Gossamer would already have known about it, but won't do anything about it." The Spy Master muses, thinking of his contemporaries in the other houses, "One merely observes the happenings of the world and the other observes but waits for The Gods to will their every move on the Web of Fate. They could also just as well sell it back to the Dominion as well, if they too are too stupid to do such a thing.

"So- What?" Akira enquires, pausing to take a sip of tea, "We do the Region a public service and hide it in our vault?"

"At least until we can get our Wardens in The West to contact the Federation or the government in exile in the Acorn-Mobian Realms."

Akira furrows her brow, "And who do we expect to ask to get the job done now? The Thieves Guild isn't exactly our first choice right now."

"I thought of a solution. One that may also act as leverage in our future dealings with the contemptuous Thieves Master and put him in his place, but I know you aren't going to like it."

Akira's eyes snap open. She places the teacup down firmly on the table, the porcelain clattering loudly from the harsh treatment. If she slapped it down any harder on the table, she could have broken it.

"Absolutely not." Akira firmly decries

Aki closes his eyes and inhales, keeping his composure, "We have no others with the right affiliations who are capable of such a task, Akira."

"She only just got a chance to return to the field and that was only because the Assassin Guild is short staffed from the flooding. No, I cannot ruin this placement for her and drag her into my problems at court. You know how she'll get."

"I am aware Guardian Sakai was reinstated and how she would be- less than inclined to receive orders that may leave her in a difficult position with her Guild Master." Aki speaks plainly, softening his gaze toward the matron much his junior, "However, I believe she and Captain Tanami are more than capable of pulling off such a mission than any other Spy, Assassin or Ranger we send."

Akira turns her head and exhales.

"Akira, it is a high value asset after all. Who else should we send that is as trustworthy and as capable to intercept such an item as one of your own blood?"

Akira downs the rest of her drink and places it down on the table harshly again. Rising from her seat and stomping off toward her study in exasperation.

"You're breaking the news to her then."

---

Somewhere downstream and out of the crosshairs of any remaining search parties, Takara trudges out of the river and onto the riverbank. She pulls some vegetation off her body, dropping it on the ground. She sighs to herself, looking up toward the sky. She is soaking wet and now as she stares into the sky in exasperation, it looks like another storm is rolling in overhead.

"Great." Takara mutters to herself, following with an exasperated moan.

Rather than dwell upon the inconvenience more than she needs to, Takara proceeds forward. Arriving at her meeting place right as the rain begins to fall. She takes what little shelter there is beneath the trees to wait for her ride to come and pick her up. The Guardian catches her reflection in a puddle, seeing a soaked and dishevelled mess who barely made it through her mission looking back at her. She glares at the necklace around her neck, still dormant.

"I'm not getting back to full duties at this rate." She sighs to herself, stewing in her own melancholy

As she continues to wait, the rainfall begins to ease off. Becoming more of a light mist rather than a thundering downpour as it was before. Takara hears the sound of thundering hooves approaching on the dirt trail beside her. She rises to her feet as another lynx, an archer sworn to the Ranger Guild, approaches on his steed.

Takara used to go on missions on her own without the extra attention, but when the Water Soul awoke and began to make her life miserable, the Council decided she would need a supervisor in the field. Captain Masao Tanami, Second of the Ember Forest Outpost, volunteered to act as her companion in the field. A job well beneath his pay-grade, but considering he is a good friend to her and her foster brother, she could not ask for better mandatory companionship.

Masao takes one look at the Guardian as he comes to a halt. He shakes his head with disappointment, "I told you to take a cloak."

Takara raises her arms in exasperation, "Doesn't matter what I wear, it'll get soaked anyway."

Masao dismounts from his steed. Even if he knows it is inevitable his colleague will end up soaking wet whenever she is in the great outdoors, it does not stop him from fretting like a parent with a child. Therefore, he always comes prepared. Masao approaches his saddlebags and takes one of them off. He turns and extends his arm in her direction.

"Try not to soak these as well. Otherwise, you'll be stuck waiting until you get home to change."

She takes a hold of the bag, "Thanks."

Takara takes off her belt across her waist. It is the only part of her outfit engineered to be genuinely waterproof. Suppose when it is mandatory for all sworn members of all four of the houses in Ninja Clan Society to wear identifying bands, they would make them able to withstand all the elements and all the common conditions a ninja is in on a daily basis. It does make it easier to carry crucial, often perishable items.

"The item they want is in the pocket. Keep an eye on it for me, please."

Masao nods in response. Takara walks off and disappears into the nearby brush to change. He turns away; at the very least, he can watch for enemies while giving her some privacy.

"I don't know what kind of kami or elemental soul or whatever it is that makes this necklace work, but it can't stop itself from being a problem. Mission ended up being a mess."

"But did you get it done?" The Captain enquires

She sighs, "Eventually, it still ended up being a mess. Master won't be impressed and frankly, neither am I."

Masao hums in response. He is a rather quiet Mobian of few words, but makes up for it in his observance, listening skills and the many profound thoughts often bounding around within his mind.

"Lightning and Alpha Squadron still went out on a mission in this weather?"

"It was too important to call off the mission. They will be fine. So will you." Masao answers frankly

Takara pokes her head out from behind a tree, "I won't. The Water Soul messed it up. I barely got it under control."

"Have you ever asked Akira as to whether you can leave it in the vault?"

"She won't hear anything of it. Everyone just expects me to live with it or have mastered it by now. It's been seven years and I can't even get it to stop knocking over a glass of water."

"Patience, Sakai." Masao responds calmly, "You and Lightning seem to have trouble with that."

"Believe me, Masao. I've been more than patient with it." She grumbles

"I also don't want you getting pneumonia, so may you please hurry and change before you get soaked again." The Captain retorts firmly, "New orders have come in for the both of us."

"You have got to be kidding! I have to report into The Citadel."

Masao reaches into a pocket, retrieving multiple slips of paper. He approaches the brush where Takara is getting dressed and, while looking away courteously, points the papers in her direction.

"Oh Akira, what did you do now?"

A hand reaches out and takes the papers from him. Takara looks over the pieces of paper. One of them is a paper with the orders on them; one of them is a small note with her name on it and the third-

"Damn it, Akira!"

A Bride's Order. Meaning it is a mission she simply cannot ignore, else she could face any of the big three punishments for disobeying the orders of the Bride herself – Dishonour, Expulsion or Death – or all three at once if it is a serious breach of ordinances. Her master is going to be pissed once he learns of this.

The Assassin Master runs a very tight ship. Partiality and special treatment for having a fraction of noble blood has no place in a guild that has some of the highly trained special agents within the realm. Therefore, he hates when the undue attention and assumed reverence her custodial title brings, the interference it brings. He detests interference in the operations of his guild. Especially when The Guardian receives orders from the single most authority above him, to whom he also cannot say no to.

The Assassin Master only views Takara as a Second-Rank Assassin and nothing more. Being Guardian is inconsequential to him. After all, he had selected her the very day before the previous bearer of the Water Soul Necklace died.

Takara flips back to the note with her name on it. She turns it over, finding the stamp of the Master of the Spy Guild. It must be serious if Lord Toshihiro himself has personally written to her.

'Guardian Sakai. Her Grace asks of you to intercept a very important asset from the hands of our enemies. The Yagyu Clan have acquired Imperial blueprints. It would be within the realm's interest, more correctly the region's interest, to intercept them before they fall into the wrong hands.

Do not be upset with her, Takara. She hesitates to impart such orders given the circumstances of your assignment, but she has no others she can entrust such a task to, other than one of her closest and oldest friends, one of her only cousins.

Lord Toshihiro, Master of the Spy Guild.'

"So I take it the beginning of the separation proceedings didn't go well then?" Masao enquires

Takara folds up the papers and places them in her pants pocket for the moment.

"I suppose not." Takara replies, pausing to place on her uniform shirt, "Master Hiroki is going to be livid once he hears of this."

"Our loyalty is to serve The Bride foremost. It is in the oath we all took when we became Fifth Rank. You'd think a Guild Master would know that." The Captain recollects firmly, giving a slight shake of his head in disapproval

"He doesn't even acknowledge my position as Guardian, let alone acknowledge the oath beyond its functional uses." She retorts with exasperation, adjusting the buttons of her shirt, "It has been five years and he still hates me over what happened in Asamaki."

"He will be happy when another nuisance target is taken care of in exchange for one of his Assassins playing courier service for our sovereign. Now get your pants on already and let us go. There's only so much cover of darkness left in the evening."

Takara rolls her eyes in annoyance while shrugging on her uniform overcoat.

---

Within the sprawling highlands between the Dragon Tail Mountains in the Great Southern Province of the Dragon Kingdom Region, a noble procession travels down one of the remote trails connecting the vast countryside. Members of the Raiju Honour Guard and Ranger Guild side by side on their steeds escorting a convoy of carriages down the thoroughfare. Even through the rain, they are steadfast in their mission to escort their charges on their important journey.

It is not every day that two Senior Members of the House of Hamada of the Raiju Clan travel within a region fighting two different wars amongst themselves, one in the shadows and one in the light of the day.

Inside one of the carriages seats Lord Koji Kesaya, Lord Marshal of the Raiju Clan, who works on his letters and documents to pass the time. He is the closest living relative of the Bride of Conquering Storm. Her second cousin, once removed. An atypical entity within the royal house being a Senior Member of the House of Hamada, but from a delegitimised family line. He is the closest thing the Raiju Clan has to an heir presumptive, given the succession is on the verge of crisis.

Koji gazes out of the curtains, admiring the weather and the passing countryside. As a former scion of the Ranger Guild in his youth, he would have preferred to be riding. As he usually does whenever he travels for business. A thunderstorm would not have fazed him. He has been through worse weather when undertaking vital missions for the realm. Much to his bemusement it was his superior, who is nearly 30 years his junior, who insisted he travel in the carriage this time.

It was a disagreement about maintaining appearances. Not that they have much in the way of appearances they can preserve as in the court of public opinion, they are already losing. It is already the scandal of the Western Outposts. The Bride is sending a cousin from a delegitimised family line on her behalf, instead of undertaking a royal tour herself. To say that the choice offended some within the Western Outposts is an understatement. Especially from those who are increasingly turning toward a concerning movement of radical separatism.

Koji Masahiro Kesaya is not one to turn away from a challenge. By the Gods, he will succeed in this mission. Regardless of what the court of public opinion thinks of him. He has never placed much cadence into what they think of him, only conceding when the matter is dire. Even then, he has never been one to follow along truly with what they wanted of him - if he did, he would not have married his wife.

He snaps back to reality when he hears a knock on the window, attempting to obtain his attention. The Honour Guard Captain who oversees the security for the Kesaya household is riding along outside the window. Koji opens a latch and lowers the window.

The guard bows his head with respect, "The storms are worsening, my lord. We should consider pausing before we run into trouble."

Koji looks around and notices the significant downpour. He looks ahead and notices no imminent danger, no flooding. No signs that the ground is about to give way and send them into the depths of the void. Granted, it is indeed heavy rain, but there is nothing more that he can see which commands they take pause.

"I can't see how a little rain is going to stop us. Everything looks fine." The Lord Marshal replies dismissively, lowering himself back through the window, "We're having a solid run today."

"There are reports that the road ahead may be mildly compromised due to the rain."

Koji sighs with mild exasperation, "We are already quite behind schedule, we should keep going as far as we really can for now. Surely these things have been engineered enough to handle a bit of mud and a bit of uneven terrain."

In the second carriage in the procession sits the Lord Marshal's wife, the Lady Kesaya. Kiori stares out the window, watching the rain pour down. To think they almost were riding in this weather. That was until Lady Akira snapped some common sense into her husband. Not that she could ride for many days of travel, especially during these spring showers. She does not have the aptitude for long journeys like those that her husband can complete without missing a beat.

Her handmaidens sharing the carriage with her are entertaining themselves quietly. Two are playing cards and one of them is knitting. They are accompanying her on part of the journey to the port to leave the Region, but all but one will be accompanying her beyond the border. The Lord Marshal wishes to present themselves as capable of themselves, not requiring a large retinue of retainers to follow them. One assistant at most will suffice with assisting on the small things. The Lord High Warden of the Western Outposts already has a large household with many retainers within his estate that are more than capable of assisting them with mundane tasks they do not have the time to do themselves.

Kiori returns to reading a sizable novel sitting on her lap. At least with the long hours of travel each day, she has time to get into her pile of books that she otherwise lacks the time to sit and read. She lacks the time normally as representing the crown within the social circles of the Inner Court is a full time role. So sometimes, the to-read pile grows quite large, especially if she finds more books to add to it.

There is a bit of shaking within the carriage. They seem to have found themselves on a rather bumpy road. It disturbs the maidens, glancing at each other with concern, but as their matron seems to be unbothered, they settle back into their activities in quick order.

She looks unbothered, but beneath her calm demeanour, Kiori has mixed feelings. She has never left the Dragon Kingdom Region before. Her husband has before, in his many adventures in the last years of the Great Expansion, but she has not. At most, she has travelled from where she was born and raised in the Northern Provinces to The Citadel where she resides now. When she married into the House of Hamada, she knew that attending to the social occasions and charitable ventures that her "niece" the Lady Akira has neither the time nor the patience for would require a lot from her. She also knew that someday she would be here. Undertaking a royal tour, the pinnacle of social occasions on her behalf, but it has not eased her mind of the uncertainty of travelling so far away from home.

A violent jolt ruminates within the carriage, disturbing the peace entirely with the yelps of startled maidens. Kiori's book flies out of her hands onto the floor. The box the maidens were using as a table falls over, spilling cards everywhere. Kiori snaps open the window hurriedly, poking her head out to look for what is causing this unearthly rattling. The trail has become quite uneven, with many holes in the earth that the carriage has been running into.

One of the Honour Guard notices their matron poking her head out of the window and immediately rides over to see her. Taking an umbrella from their side and popping it open to hover it over her courteously as they ride along beside the carriage.

"My Lady, is something wrong?" The Guard enquires, swiftly bowing his head with respect

"We are shaking around in this carriage so violently." Kiori replies as she lowers herself back through the window and sinks back into her seat, "Must we continue travelling in this weather?"

The Guard again lowers their head, "Our sincere apologies, my lady, but we are following orders."

"Then tell my lord husband that he is out of his mind to continue on like this and consider the safety of all of us here." The Lady Kesaya firmly replies, rightfully exasperated at the notion her husband is behind this chicanery, "If he does not order this convoy to stop, I will."

Not daring to say anything in response to the rightfully irritated noblewoman, the guard bows with respect in response. He withdraws and folds down the umbrella before proceeding to the leading carriage to convey the matron's orders to her husband.

Kiori closes the window and sighs to herself before picking her book back up from off the floor. Her husband is a remarkable strategist, but he is often lacking in common sense.

---

The Yagyu have come across plans for the Iron Queen after seizing a mercenary camp and fearing they will use it to bargain against them, they want to even out the playing field by taking the plans for themselves to keep the clan wars from the impurity of western weaponry. Reports suggest that the boss is keeping it close to him – guarding this item of value personally. Take caution.

Yagyu guards make their rounds protecting a large outpost, a figure in the shadows with precise timing a dark blur sneaks past them. The figure moves across the courtyard in the shadows. Ducking and weaving between hiding places, dodging the roaming patrols of guards.

The entry point has two guards loitering beside it. She finds a rock on the ground and throws it against a metal siding. The banging noise gets their attention almost immediately. They begin to investigate, moving away from the entry point in two different directions. Once they are away, she makes her way into the building through the window.

A few more Yagyu guards are positioned in a small outpost tower, overlooking the main courtyard below. They hear a clattering noise, getting their attention a little bit but as nothing seems out of the ordinary, they settle back in. The next noise, the swish of an arrow loose and the thock of arrows is unmissable in comparison.

Masao appears and he takes a seat in a recently vacated chair, staking out the outpost before him. Taking note of the other guards stationed within the vicinity. Should something go wrong in the building or on the ground, Guardian Sakai has support from the air. Failing air support, at least he will not be far away to get on the ground to help her.

Takara sneaks around the outpost building, staying low to the ground and moving deftly. Staying as small, unnoticeable and quiet as possible as she seeks her target. With how these structures are laid out, the office where she will find the commander – and where the plans would likely be - will be somewhere on the second floor. Hiding behind columns to avoid being spotted by roaming guards.

Takara finds the office and slowly opens the door. Tiptoeing into the room and closing the door silently behind her. A Yagyu underboss is reclined in his chair and sleeping at his desk. Sure enough, right ahead of his feet resting on the desk is an ominous looking tube. Covered in Imperial markings and badges, those would be the plans she is looking for.

She slowly crosses the room, taking every step cautiously in case the bat guarding the item stirs awake. Though judging by the heavy snoring, she may have some leeway in getting the plans and getting out with any conflict. Takara slowly takes a step; there is a slight creak in the floor. She pauses immediately. The Yagyu stirs slightly before returning to snoring heavily. She internally breathes a sigh of relief. She continues with caution, eventually making her way to the front side of the desk. As she reaches up for the scroll, she hears a small splashing noise. She snaps her head to the source, the water in a nearby glass next to the plans is wobbling a bit, as if it has been disturbed. She immediately ducks back down out of sight, looking down to check her necklace. It has not changed state; it still appears to be dormant.

"Don't." She thinks to herself while glaring at the necklace around her neck

Internally she takes a breath before she rises to try again. She slowly reaches across the table. The water in the glass beside the plans is visibly moving again. She is almost about to touch the scroll when she senses a disturbance, immediately backing back down out of sight. She glares down back at the necklace and it has not changed. Either she is letting her fear consume her, or the necklace is lying. She closes her eyes, gathering the strength to try again.

For a third time, she rises out of her hiding place. She moves her hand across the table toward the scroll. The water in the glass is moving madly again, but she isn't letting it deter her. She hastily grabs it and recoils away quickly, ducking back down into her hiding place anticipating the glass tipping over and alerting the guard. A moment passes, there has been no movement. She carefully peers back over the edge of the desk. The glass of water is still upright and the Yagyu commander is still sound asleep. She internally breathes a sigh of relief.

She then opens the top of the tube carefully. She pulls the blueprints scroll inside up and finds inscribed on the outside the words EE-MK09. Those definitely are Imperial blueprints for some kind of mecha. She places it back inside the tube and reseals the lid, placing the tube in her coat for safekeeping.

It is time to make her way out of the outpost again. is going to make her way out of this outpost. and as soon as she takes a step, the glass of water on the desk knocks over, waking up the sleeping Yagyu commander.

"Shit." Takara curses, adopting a stance ready for battle since there is no way she is going to get out of here without a fight now.

She fights hard against the raging enemy. Dodging kicks and punches before delivering an uppercut to the jaw, knocking them unconscious in a swift movement. They drop to the floor in a thud as she is met with the unholy shriek of another Yagyu waiting behind her. As soon as Takara approaches them, they then run. Takara goes after the alerted one, grabbing a nearby vase as she chases them down. They're headed straight for the alarm system down the hall. She hurls the vase toward them and while she does hit her target and knocks them over, it is too late. They've pulled the rope. The bells are ringing out. The whole base has been alerted there is an interloper in their midst.

She turns to make her escape, dodging guards and fighting those in her path she cannot evade. She leaps off the mezzanine down to the ground floor. Takara takes off running forward, exiting out into the courtyard, toward the gates where she will find her escape.

Yagyu guards begin to encircle the post where Masao has been camping. Well it was a matter of time before they would realise he was here, a bit slower than he had anticipated. Not something to be proud of in the very least if he was their commander. Masao sighs as he readies his bow. At least it will be target practice. Bit of multitasking while he makes sure to cover Sakai's blind sides.

Takara is coming up to a bridge across a small waterway, a bunch of guards are coming from one direction, she turns before another set is coming from behind and up upon the walls, enemies surround her on all sides. They have her cornered, pushed toward the centre of the bridge. She looks down and her necklace is shining, slightly brighter than usual.

"What do you want me to do? You're the one who got us into this mess!" Takara exclaims while looking at the necklace

"Surrender yourself and no harm will come to you. If you don't-"A Yagyu says as his cronies surrounding her draw up their arms, "There's going to be some pain."

"A Raiju never surrenders to Yagyu scum." Takara retorts

"Wrong answer."

Takara takes a breath, looking around to chart a course to get out of there as quickly as she can. Using the path of least resistance, if she can time it right to leap over the side and make a break for the scaffolding holding up the nearby wall, she might be able to make a way forward from there.

She inhales and looks down at the necklace, "I've got one shot at an escape. You and I have never agreed on how you work, but damn it, if you don't work with me here-"

The Archers amongst them begin to draw their arrows back.

"We're both screwed."

Takara swivels to the side rapidly. The water surrounding the bridge rapidly became sentient, flying through the air to surround her either side, protecting her from the bolts flying toward her. The Yagyu are stunned by the unfamiliar phenomenon and back away. She leaps over the railing of the bridge, landing with a roll and taking off sprinting as fast as she can through the shallow waterway as makes a break for it.

The whine of a steed abruptly fills the air followed by the sound of thundering hooves headed toward a squadron of bats. Masao has taken to riding one of their steeds bareback and is firing at the targets as he heads over the bridge. He takes a hard left, firing off rounds toward more targets, before leaping up onto another set of scaffolding. He climbs up the scaffolding to a nearby fortification, ready to fight the guards running toward him.

Takara is manoeuvring through the scaffolding on the other side of the courtyard, making her way upward through the construction while dodging pot shots from the few archers remaining that narrowly avoided a run over by her companion. She reaches the top of the scaffolding and runs across it. A walkable section of the boundary wall is beyond a gap. She picks up as much speed as she can before she leaps through the air, barely making it across a gap and onto the boundary wall.

Takara crashes and rolls toward the edge of the wall, stopping just short of it. She takes a moment to reorient herself and notices something directly ahead of her where the corners of the walls meet. There is a rope. Tensioned and possibly connected to something on the ground below. That might be a promising way down. She springs back up, not before leaning back to narrowly dodge to avoid another arrow sent toward her, before taking off running once more. She picks up a discarded bow lying on the ground ahead of her without breaking pace, using the implement as a crude handhold to slide her down the rope line. She connects with the roof of an exterior guard building below the wall. She runs across it before jumping off the small building, rolling for a landing. A few arrows trail her as she takes off into the forest.

-o-

As soon as she is in the clear, as far deep and as far away into the forest as she could run, Takara stops. She collapses against a tree out of breath.

"I should not have survived that." Takara exclaims breathlessly with disbelief

"It's been too long since you've been out here, I forgot just how courageous you are, Sakai."

The Guardian turns to see Masao leaning against a tree nearby. Finding him nonchalantly examining his bow for any damage sustained in their little adventure. While most would be alarmed at the uncanny ability to have found her so easily, it is his unique job to find where she is and monitor her whereabouts. He is a highly trained Ranger Captain after all; tracking down a moving target like her would be child's play.

"Then again, you did grow up with Lightning in your household. I suppose you'd share the same boldness." Masao continues with an amused smirk on his face

Takara tilts her head, shooting him a look, "You chose him to be your second. Nobody was forcing you to pick him, but you did anyway because of how bold he is."

Masao hums in amusement.

"Don't act so innocent either, Captain. You have your moments too." Takara retorts, crossing her arms at him, "Like back there- Just where did you steal a horse from?"

"It's simple really, I improvised." He shrugs nonchalantly, "You needed cover and I needed moving target practice. The Yagyu truly are unbecoming archers. They seem to be only good at two things as a society: petty theft and civil wars. Their aim is on par with our dear friend Okamoto - completely useless."

"Did I tell you he got First Rank recently?"

Masao immediately looks at her with visible concern on his face, "With all the uniform and behavioural infringements on his record? Tell me you're joking!"

Takara shakes her head, "I wish I was. Truly."

The Ranger Captain looks down to the ground in stunned silence. His horrified expression saying what the both of them are thinking. He also thinks it is a terrible idea that their rather irresponsible friend received a promotion to one of the highest ranks one can attain in service to a guild. He rakes his hair back with his hand, exhaling a rather distressed sigh before proceeding to shake his head vigorously in an effort to compose himself.

Takara looks into her coat. The scroll is thankfully still there after all that exertion. She pulls it out and examines it once more. It is ominously red and black in colour and covered in the seal of the Iron Dominion, a subsidiary of the Eggman Empire.

"Gods, Akira better know what she's doing with this." Takara expresses her concern about it, "If I get suspended from duties again and this ends up all for nothing, I'm not letting her forget it."

"You'll be fine. You're only stressing yourself out by thinking this way." Masao responds, rising from where he was seated, "Come on. You were just complaining about being late to report, the night isn't getting any younger with us out here just shooting the breeze."

---

The Travelling party have made camp for the night on high ground off the beaten path. Koji stares out of the doorway, pondering into the middle distance. A steward sits with papers beside a table, looking over some documents.

"Once her ladyship joins us and you're ready to commence, my lord, we can go over the adjustments to the travel schedule." The Steward speaks

Koji shakes his head, "Gods, it truly is coming down out there. Kiori was right. Perhaps we should have stopped sooner."

Lord Kesaya is a modest Mobian. Camping to him is not as this concept of a structural tent habitation; it involves more rough terrain and even rougher sleeping conditions. What he is currently experiencing is what his Westerner friends call "glamping" in comparison – and by the Gods, he hates the idea of this. Once again, the insistence on the maintenance of appearances insists they must take upon themselves such a self-indulgent existence.

At least it is comfortable for his wife. Granted, Kiori does not hold high standards for her lodging requirements compared to her contemporaries. The second highest peeress of the realm prefers simple and practical comforts, but she also simply does not share in his enthusiasm for being outdoors. Perhaps because it doesn't take much for her to take ill.

Her Outpost Commander father avoided falling into the trap of affluence that those who rise into the minor nobility do, both his daughters inheriting his steadfastness, grounded nature and dedication to serving the realm.

The curtain dividing the makeshift room moves aside as Kiori emerges dressed in her nightclothes. Wrapped in a rather plush dressing gown to keep her warm and avoid her taking ill from the dreary weather. She floats across the room to take a seat upon a cushion.

"Move away from there." Kiori chides her husband, "Lady Akira will be beside herself with frustration if you take ill."

"I'll be fine, dearest." Koji responds to his wife before turning to his advisor, "What does the weather report look like anyway?

"The weather is predicted to be passing by sometime in the morning, my lord. We don't anticipate we will have any more delays from this point onward." The Steward answers

"May I ask for the rest of the itinerary? How much of it has been compromised?" Kiori enquires

"While we have lost some days in our late departure, rest assured that everything will progress as planned, my lady."

"I can only imagine they're just as eager to see us as much as we are eager to see them." Koji cynically replies, moving away from the door and taking a seat at the table near the advisor. "Well, run us through the plan."

The Steward nods, placing a paper before the diplomat, "Once we reach the port in the Crest of the Four, we will be on-boarding to an overnight ferry to the Dragon Claw Islands. The Warden of Adabat has organised a charter flight from the islands direct to Central City in the United Federation."

"A flight?" Kiori questions

"We're getting on a plane." Koji clarifies in response to her question, "They're uh- a common type of transportation, used to cover long distances easily by flying in the air. We would be using such things if air traffic had not been banned here due to the Iron Queen. As were a lot of things when the extent of her powers became known…"

"In Central City, you will be residing with Lord High Warden and his family. The Warden's Estate will act as your home base on this five-month tour. From there you will travel to each of the outposts, completing engagements for the sake of strengthening ties with The Crown and The Outposts. You will travel to all of the contiguous United Federation Outposts, with the only expected deviations being meeting with delegates representing the Outposts stationed in the more... occupied areas of Mobius."

"Two-thirds of Mobius is already occupied by the Eggman Empire. Surely it's more of a question of what isn't occupied at this point." Koji quips, the joke eliciting no response from the other Mobians within the room

"Once the visit is completed by the start of the next year, you both will be transported to Adabat. Then you will be returned to the Dragon Kingdom Region and naturally, to your home at The Citadel."

Koji looks over to his wife. Kiori is staring off into space, a forlorn expression across her face.

"May we have the room, please?" Koji promptly instructs

Their staff members comply with a bow, swiftly exiting the vicinity to give them some privacy. Koji rises from his chair to approach his wife, moving to take a seat upon the cushion next to her.

"You're still not upset with me that I insisted we persist through this weather?" He asks her plainly

"No." She responds, "I know you didn't have malicious intentions behind it, my love. You simply wish to be over this journey already, as do I."

"So what is it that troubles you, dearest? Surely, you're not scared of flying?"

Koji takes her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. He knows when she is like this, she prefers gentle comfort and the space to speak her mind to peace. He will try his best to listen.

Kiori turns to him, the worry plain across her face, "I've simply never travelled this far in my entire life."

"It has also been a very long time since I have left the Region myself. I believe many things have changed between last millennium and the one we're now firmly in."

"I worry that it'll be- too different there. The Court here I can manage, but the rest of Mobius does not operate the same way as we do here. I fear that- I will encounter trouble along the way. That I will do something wrong. A grave misstep will only exacerbate tensions between those who align themselves with us and those who don't and wish to remove us from the governance of their realm."

"I- worry it'll be too different for me as well." Koji admits, any admission of weakness is not spoken of aloud, but he can confide them to her in earnest, "I only have hearsay and the second-hand accounts of others to work off. So I have organised for a cultural analyst to bring us up to speed and fill us in on the details. They'll be meeting us before the flight over to the Federation."

Kiori sighs deeply, looking downcast, "I know it is my duty to undertake this tour. I know that my life is in service to the crown, to our dear Akira. It doesn't change how I fear that I will falter and bring failure upon us by travelling beyond here."

"You could never do such a thing, my love." Koji replies with a shake of his head, "You have had so much patience and grace for the antics of the contemptuous sorts at court. More than I have ever had with them. Out of the two of us, you are so better at this than I am. They'll adore you, perhaps even more than I presently do."

Kiori smiles earnestly. Even when she feels the weight of the world upon her shoulders, he always finds a way to lift her spirits. She places her head upon his chest as he wraps his arms around his wife lovingly, protectively, comfortingly. Koji sighs to himself, closing his eyes as he takes in his own thoughts. Determining whether to undertake this tour and deciding who to send on it was not an easy decision for any of them to make.

"Akira, I don't think this is a wise decision." Koji answers with a disapproving shake of his head

"Do I even have a choice?" Akira counters, gazing at her older relative with concern, "I can't very well go myself, not with the Thieves Guild now looking to tear themselves apart over philosophical differences. Last thing we want is a civil war happening while I gallivant around the Federation. It already sounds like something my mother would have done."

"That is a fair assessment, Akira, but I fear they won't take kindly to you sending us in your place. They are seeking an audience with their lively and enthusiastic young sovereign who would relate well to their modern ways. Rather than greeting some ageing relic of the last century who so has lived through the reign of three members of our family. I might be dismissed as being old fashioned."

"I've also never left the Region before, Uncle. You have. You also have close friends who were born over there. You would have more of an advantage in understanding how to relate to them more than I ever could." The Bride replies before taking a heavy sigh, "I wouldn't be able to learn so easily the culture and advancements they've made for themselves by assimilating themselves into the Federation. I can hardly contend with the court here in my own home."

"You are a capable and wise young lady beyond your years, Akira. I have no doubt you would be able to adapt with the right training." Koji replies before he crosses his arms, "I fear that with sending Kiori and I, we won't be enough to deter the tide of separatism rising amongst their ranks."

"It would be better than doing nothing about it. At least by sending someone over there it looks like we haven't completely forgotten about their existence."

"And what if this is the wrong choice? I fear this will not be enough to stop the Western Outposts from falling into a civil war if the rumours are true and the Lord High Warden is not long for this world. As if there aren't already enough problems in the world caused by Yagyu offshoots, a descent of our own would see to it we would be also plaguing the realm with undue mayhem."

"Surely you have some faith in yourself as a diplomat, Uncle."

"There is so much at stake if I fail here, Akira. The Federation will not take kindly to having an entire congregated state of ninjas fighting a civil war in their yard if this doesn't work."

"We can at least try." Akira replies, her voice shaking from overwhelmed from the stress of this decision, "At the very least, try for me, Uncle."

There have been many challenges he has faced in his life before. Doctrine demands they stand steadfast and ready to take on all challenges regardless of the cost. To concede is to fall into weakness. This always works when rising to the challenge in a combat guild to defend the realm against their enemies. Doctrine never accounted for this ceaseless challenge inherited by birthright.

Lord Marshal of the Raiju Clan is often a hereditary title for those family members who have nothing else to do to make them do something, anything, useful for the realm. Upon the rare occasion there is an appointee worthy of such a role, they become the very backbone of the ruling family and the realm at large by extension. Koji survived the tumultuous reign of his cousin, oversaw regency of a realm breaking apart on itself and was custodian of his beloved niece-figure when she succeeded her mother. No pressure.

Now he must save the Western Outposts from falling into disarray through soft diplomacy for her sake or they may as well prepare to become the laughing stock of the Four Houses, much as the Yagyu Clan did after their implosion. Absolutely no pressure at all. The palpitations within his chest only out of sheer excitement for the impending political nightmare that may await his arrival.

Kiori notes the abnormality in his heartbeat, almost second nature to notice these things as a former Third-Rank Medic. She pops her head up from her husband's chest. Noticing he has taken to a thousand-yard stare while in the middle of trying to bring comfort to her worries. She rapidly waves her hand in front of his eyes to try to catch his attention. He exhales and shakes his head slightly in response.

"Are you alright?" Kiori enquires

"Oh." Koji exclaims while catching back up with reality, "Yes, I'm- I'm fine. I suppose I was just in my own mind."

"Are you sure?" She places her fingers upon his neck to take a reading of his pulse, "Your heart rate just elevated quite a bit."

"Kiori, I'm fine." He replies, gently taking her hand away, "No need to make a fuss. Perhaps what we really need is to go to bed and get some sleep. We have another long day of travel ahead."

Kiori crosses her arms and shakes her head, "And you wanted to keep going on a night like this."

"Yes." He replies before rising from his seat, kissing his wife on the top of her head on the way upward, "But I suppose I need to be reminded of how truly dense I am sometimes."

---

The rain continues to pour into the early hours of the morning. Almost every outdoor walkway connecting together all of the administrative buildings within The Citadel has large puddles coating the ground. Personnel travelling to their morning shift assignment doing their best to step around them in an effort to avoid wading into ankle deep water in some cases. Grounds Stewards are working hard to clear drains to prevent any flooding. Some are using sweepers to push water away from doorways. The rains persist.

Akira is in bed sleeping as the daylight hours begin. The sound of rain pattering against her window acting as soothing white noise against the usual stress-induced insomnia that would normally have her already awake. The door to her bedroom opens, immediately catching her attention and rousing her awake.

Akira yawns, her face still on her pillow "Namiko, don't bother with the curtains. It sounds nice, but it probably looks awful outside."

"Don't complain. You didn't have to be out in it."

Akira immediately snaps up at the strange voice in her bedroom. She reaches over to her bedside to turn on a lamp to reveal Guardian Sakai standing before her bed. Takara is soaking wet from being outdoors in the thunderstorm, but that is all too common a sight with her.

"Takara?" Akira exclaims with surprise

"Morning." Takara replies nonchalantly

Another pair of footsteps approaches and opens the door to enter the room. It is the handmaiden that she assumed was in the room with her to draw open the curtains to start the morning.

"You needed something, Your Grace?" Namiko asks, before upon seeing the guest who has invited herself into the apartment and jumping in surprise, "Oh- Guardian Sakai."

"Namiko, can you please get Takara a towel before she soaks the rug." Akira responds

-o-

Akira walks into an adjoining room. She walks over to her desk, retrieves a piece of paper and starts on a note.

"I have not heard one complaint about you out of the Assassin Master in weeks. Here I thought you finally had it working, but-" Akira begins to softly laugh, "Here you are, soaking wet from the harshest rainstorm of the month."

Takara rests in the adjoining sitting room with a towel around her shoulders.

"I'm glad I can be of comedic relief while I get sent on one of your errands." Takara replies with exasperation, "Akira, you have a Thieves Guild. I'm not a member of the Thieves Guild. Neither is Captain Tanami. You do know what colour all the guild pins are, right? They are ordained in your name, you should know."

Akira inhales, "I know you're probably upset-"

"I get one shot on the field again and you send me a Bride's Order." Takara gestures her hands outward with exasperation, "You know if someone disobeys those things it's a treasonable offence."

"-but those actions we take in the field are for the good of the realm. For a cause most invaluable."

"I suppose keeping your head on your shoulders is a noble cause." Takara responds sarcastically

Akira sighs, "It's not like you weren't conducting matters that aren't within your guild jurisdiction. Captain Tanami was also within his duty. Being assigned to follow you whenever you are on the field."

"Tell that to your Assassin Master." Takara retorts with building frustration, "I'm late to report in and I am not going to hear the end of it. A Bride's Order isn't worth the paper it is written to a guild master who wishes he could have overturned his choice the very minute I became Guardian."

"Takara, I know you're upset that this may cause you undue trouble-"

"Are you kidding? It's only a matter of time before the calls for my dishonour are up in the air!"

"But we all have our roles within this clan and we hold them for a reason. Someday you will master your role and then-" Akira claps her hands together, "Who knows where we will be."

"I suppose after a while you do have to start believing in your own bullshit when it's been parroted over and over and over to yourself."

Akira breaks the pencil in her hand. One of the handmaidens enters the office, sheepishly approaching as she can see that her matron is starting to get infuriated with her guest.

"Your Grace, I hate to interrupt, but do you have any preferences for your attire this morning?" The handmaiden asks her matron

Akira inhales, "For the record. I dislike the idea of dragging you into my business, but it was best for the realm that I sent a trusted blood relative to retrieve such a valuable item to this clan."

"And how much of this is Aki speaking?" Takara retorts

"None of it."

"For the Bride's Advisor he really needs to give you better advice. He should really advise you not to dig yourself into holes that you can't get out of. What did you do to piss off the Thieves Guild that you had to send the Guardian of the Water Soul and a Ranger Captain to do their job for them?"

"Uh- Your Grace?" The handmaiden interjects, trying to get her attention

Akira rapidly rises from her seat, snapping her finger toward her, "Until the day you hold a seat on that council, don't you dare lecture me on how to run this clan!"

The room falls into silence. Takara and Akira glare at each other with malice in their eyes.

"Your... Grace?" The sheepish handmaiden chimes in once more, attempting to cut the tension in the room caused by the arguing relatives

"Oh for-! Clearly, the right choice would be the coat. Before you chime in too, Yori, Guardian Sakai likes berry tea with two sugars. Eri, if you're also lurking around somewhere and can hear me, come here please!" Akira barks exasperatedly before she takes her seat again, "Oh what was I even saying again? There's too many peeresses barking at me before I've even had breakfast!"

"You could always go into the next room and get Conquering Storm. We all know she runs on nothing but pure unadulterated rage." Takara offhandedly ripostes while one of the handmaidens serves her some tea, "Thank you."

"You-! Shut up!" Akira shouts back at her, "The Guardian should know better than to be disrespectful to her superior."

"A superior who is two years younger than me, mind you."

Akira then chortles with exasperation for her antics, "Oh spare me. I get that you're upset, okay, but what's done is done. Now shut up and drink your tea!"

One of the other handmaidens, Eri, enters carrying a basket and ducks into a bow. Akira finishes wrapping the tube with the note she was writing and hands it to her.

"Run this to the Spy Master, he will see to its archival." Akira instructs

The maid bows, "Yes, Your Grace."

The maid exits the office to carry out her orders. The Bride then rises from her chair and exits the room after. She enters the living room and takes a seat in the setting across from The Guardian. The room is again silent from the tension between them. One of the handmaidens places a teacup in front of their sovereign. The only sounds being the clattering of porcelain and the pouring of tea.

Takara takes a sip of tea, "I harshly question the Bride's leadership and all I get is told to 'shut up and drink my tea'?"

"Conquering Storm last attended a brief meeting before nightfall began. It was awful, if you must ask." Akira replies, taking a spoonful of sugar and stirring it into her drink, "Akira on the other hand has known you for the better part of almost two decades. If we can't tear each other apart, are we even truly related?"

"Would you rather me turn up after the Assassin Master tears me apart over orders you gave me?" The Guardian asks

"If it's after breakfast, fine. At least then I would be better prepared for your inane whinging." Akira replies frankly, placing down her teaspoon, "So few are truly honest in the court, I'm almost glad to hear it. I just wish for once that you would save it until after breakfast, Takara. How am I supposed to respond skilfully to your whining when my body is starving?"

"So I assume the negotiations went down well with the first steps of the Thieves-Merchants divorce then?"

Akira scoffs, "Gods no. Aside from the one ruling pain I was dealing with, I had a nagging pain in my head because somebody did it too tight. She was having just as bad a day as I."

"So it is practically treason to pull a Bride's hair?" Takara smirks with amusement

"In any case, Akira is grateful for the company of her most trusted cousin who has returned safely from her successful mission."

Takara snorts, "I'm your most trusted cousin? You'd trust your fourth cousin once removed more than your closest living relative. The one you just sent on a diplomatic mission to the Western Outposts on your behalf."

"Oh don't be silly, I don't play favourites when it comes to my blood relatives. I appreciate you and Lord Kaseya in your own unique ways." Akira nonchalantly answers with a wave of her hand, "Both of you have first degrees of removal in common. You aren't so different from one another in that regard."

"I know Akira doesn't play favourites, but had I arrived later Conquering Storm would have punished me for simply pissing her off." Takara replies straightforwardly, leaning back in her chair

"Oh please, she would have demanded you be on your way to the Assassin Quarters by the time you handed that scroll over." Akira responds before taking a sip of her tea, "All with some acknowledgement of your work just to get you out the door quicker. She would have forbidden you of all non-essential liquids for a week if she slipped in that puddle you created by the door. That's a tripping hazard, Takara."

"Is this before or after the Healing Master visits her, at the behest of an army of concerned handmaidens?"

"If she had to see that dull-brained man first thing in the morning, especially before breakfast, it would be a fortnight. Maybe even a month." Akira replies candidly, "I don't think I would be too happy to see him either, so don't expect any special treatment despite our friendship and the fact that we share a fraction of blood."

Takara smirks with amusement, they may bicker a lot, but they do care for each other.

---

The common areas within Assassin Guild Hall can be rather empty in the middle of the morning. The morning shift has departed to their posts and the overnight shift has gone to bed to sleep off a long night of duties. Only two members of the Guild are hanging out in the main common area, playing a game with throwing knives.

Akatsuki Okamoto, Probationary First-Rank Assassin, stands before the target with a throwing knife balanced in his hand. Measuring up his target carefully, poised to strike. His colleague, Dual Guild Assassin and Honour Guard member Raka Izumi, is many points ahead of him in this competition, but he isn't letting that deter him. There is some hope for him to catch up the points yet.

He throws the first of his blades; it sinks into the outer ring of the target.

"When Masao and Lightning circle back to the Citadel next, I'm warning them that you're throwing your blades worse than a baby." Raka scolds him

Akatsuki sarcastically laughs, "You watching, smart-ass?"

He lines up his shot and throws his second blade toward the target, landing in the direct centre of the target.

"Boom, fifty in the bag!"

"Luck doesn't change how you throw like a baby." Raka chides him, approaching to have her turn with the target, "I may have to consider speaking to the Assassin Master. How anyone promotes to First Rank with a throw like that is such a terrible mistake."

"I'm surprised the Lord Protector let you join the Guard Guild with an attitude like yours. Akira should sleep with a blade under her pillow with you guarding her door at night." He replies at her in response

"Now, now, Raka is clearly good at what she does when the Lord Protector is already taking Guild Games bets on her." Guardian Sakai speaks as she approaches her friends and their friendly banter, "Oh and she's beating you 109 to 77. Face it, Okamoto, you're done for."

Okamoto smirks, "Oh I'm done for? As if you wouldn't know a thing or two about being on the naughty list now wouldn't you, Sakai."

Takara throws the towel from around her shoulders over his head and begins frisking it aggressively, "That joke is getting old, Okamoto. You need to think of something else."

Takara then takes the towel off his head. Akatsuki stumbles a couple steps back and shakes his head to get his bearings.

"Okay, that is the softest towel I have ever felt in my life." He replies

Takara sighs exasperatedly and harshly throws it back over his head, walking over to crash on one of the couches. Akatsuki takes it off his head and then wraps it around his shoulders. Taking in how soft it is by rubbing it against his face. He gestures one of his hands toward Raka, as if to get her to feel how soft it is too. She bats his hand away.

"Takara, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you're about 14 hours late." Raka speaks

"Blame the weather." Takara replies

"Half the Assassins in the North are being told to divert or drown. It couldn't have been that bad in the midland."

"Raka, the Water Soul Necklace is a huge rain magnet. You keep forgetting that every time she comes back looking like- well- that." Akatsuki interjects

Takara then sighs, "The rain is the least of my problems."

"Oh, what is it now?" Raka asks

"You follow Akira around for a living, you should know." The Guardian harshly retorts

"What's the Thieves-Merchants divorce proceedings got to do with you?"

"Well, I'm probably going to be exiled back to the library again because of it. Master won't be so happy to see me at all and at almost…" Takara pauses to check the clock on the nearby wall, "Fifteen hours late. Even if I have the Bride's Order to back up my whereabouts and what I was doing in service to the realm that exists beyond this guild."

Raka crosses her arms, "So Akira sent you orders?"

"Akira sent The Guardian orders." Takara retorts correcting her roommate, "Depending on how this all goes, I'll tell you all about it while I'm stuck filing away the returns in the Western Literature section."

"Before or after Guardian Sakai's book club read for the week?" Okamoto butts in, trying in vain to lighten the mood between his crabby, sullen companions

Takara laughs sarcastically before shaking her head.

"Master in the Guild Hall!" A voice shouts from down the hall

Takara immediately leaps up from where she was sitting. Raka and Akatsuki move away from the playing board to stand to attention. The latter is still holding the towel he acquired from his friend. He takes it off and places it behind his back, in a shallow attempt to hide it as their master's presence is imminent.

The Assassin Master, Lord Taro Hiroki, enters the room on the upper walkway, trailed by his stewards. He sees the trio of underlings in the room below and stops walking, approaching the railing to look down upon them. The three of them bow with respect.

"Ms Sakai. Unfortunately for us, you have returned and you are dishevelled once again." The Assassin Master declares, gazing down upon her from above, "It seems to be a draw between you and Mr Okamoto and his obnoxious hooded jackets for which one of you has the most blatant disrespect toward uniform regulations."

"You and I both know that I am very hard to get rid of, Master." Takara replies candidly

"Ha. So you developed a sense of humour now, Ms Sakai. Seems to be the only thing you've managed to develop the past eight years you have been in this guild." Hiroki retorts scathingly

Akatsuki hardly manages to stifle a laugh in response.

"Find something funny, Mr Okamoto?" The Assassin Master enquires

"No, uh-" Akatsuki clears his throat, "No, Master."

"Sakai, my office, now." The Assassin Master orders before moving away from the balcony, continuing on his path toward his office.

Takara bows, "Understood, Master."

The trio bow with respect and continue to hold the position until The Assassin Master and his subordinates exit into the next room.

Raka then places a hand on Takara's arm, "I'll pray for you."

"I think I'm beyond prayers. I think the Old Gods and the Neo Walkers themselves need to personally intervene." Takara sighs with exasperation

Takara walks across the room and ascends the stairs to the upper balcony, off to report to her supervisor's office for the dreaded mission debrief.

"Do you think Akira will mind if I just keep this towel? It's damp as a drainpipe, but Aurora damn- It's so soft..." Okamoto speaks up, once again nuzzling the towel against his face

Raka exhales with annoyance, looking at him with disapproval, "I'd do Takara the favour and return that to the handmaidens on your way to training."

"Raka, have you felt how soft this is?" He reiterates, once again gesturing the towel toward her so she can have a feel of it

"I've had to help the handmaidens before. I know how soft it is." She answers sternly with a shake of her head, "By the Old Gods and the Neo Walkers, giving him First Rank was a mistake."

---

The rain cleared off and the clouds began to fade away to blue skies by the mid-morning. Akira stands on a balcony overlooking some of the administrative buildings for the combat guilds and the Apprentice Barracks. It is half-decent weather for sitting outside and collecting one's thoughts after sitting through a rather contentious council meeting. The fresh air is a tonic to calm her mind as it becomes clouded with increasing political woes. The Spy Master joins her for this impromptu airing.

"That went better than we thought." Akira speaks

Lord Toshihiro hums, "I felt certain Natsumi would be eviscerated rather than- well- dragged before the council to be shamed and embarrassed."

"Takara was pissed off. Thanks for that by the way." Akira exhales, sharing her bemusement with her advisor for something she knew would happen, "Nothing like waking up to see one of your own blood standing over your bed, looking at you with such disappointment and anger in their eyes."

"Well if you're unfamiliar now to the experience of having family members standing over your bed now, just you wait until you have kids. If they're anything like you, they'll want comfort from their mama and will constantly charge into places where they're not meant to."

"Your late wife comforted me a lot more than my own mother did in the first five years of my life." Akira snaps sharply with a disapproving shake of her head, "Aunt Kiori has yet to bear children of her own as well and yet she shows nothing but maternal kindness to me. Do not view Miyuki through rose tinted glasses like that. She wasn't nurturing like that."

"Forgive me, Akira. You are right." Aki recants with a bow of his head, noting his critical error, "Those were some- difficult years in your mother's reign. I suppose my mind doesn't wish for me to recall those small things from those days for the sake of its own preservation."

"I'm sorry." Akira responds soberly with a heavy sigh

There is a silence between them. Akira notices some action in the courtyard below. The Apprentices have taken to training outside in the courtyard now that the rains have cleared off. Some are running laps and others are practicing their combat moves. The Bride notices a familiar lynx amongst the crowd of teenagers, practicing her moves with one of her classmates. The Spy Master's daughter seems too easy to find in a crowd when she is the only one with natural orange hair and wears her guild colours as hair ribbons.

"Juri seems to be pacing well." The Bride notes to her colleague beside her, "Her forms are improving and flowing much better now than the last time I saw her practicing them."

Aki nods, "If all goes well and she passes the examinations, she should be on track to proceed to Fifth Rank in this coming year."

"Good. It'll be wonderful to see her finally enter guild service."

"Akira, you know I can tell when you're dwelling on something." Aki retorts to her frankly, "I'm sure Guardian Sakai will be fine. Taro may be uncompromising when it comes to the leadership of his guild, but nothing puts him in a good mood like taking the Thieves Master down a peg for his arrogance. It may have helped that we used Doctrine in our argument."

Akira hums in response.

The Spy Master shakes his head, "Some things never change even as the years go on, I suppose. You, Sakai, Izumi, Lightning and Okamoto still squabble like children at times, but you do care deeply for one another. Loyalty like that in lifelong friends can be hard to find…"

Raka is putting on her uniform. It is almost time for her to clock on for her shift with the Honour Guard. She places on her six Assassin Rank pins upon her collar before placing on an ornate purple and silver pin on her chest.

Raka is one of few Raiju to officially Dual Guild. She was initially just a member of the Assassin Guild until a position opened up within the Honour Guard a few years ago. The Assassin Master nominated her for the position, seconded by the Spy Master. She was the frontrunner within the candidate shortlist, but ultimately her appointment had to go to a vote in the High Council over a fear of a conflict of interest. Raka has been close friends with her charge, The Bride of Conquering Storm, since their apprentice days. She was initially introduced to her by her roommate, Takara Sakai.

Raka is placing on her shoulder armour when Takara comes into the dorm room. Upon closing the door, the Guardian leans against it with exhaustion.

"So, how did it go?" Raka asks

"Have you ever seen our Guild Master smile?" Takara replies

Raka immediately perks up at the notion, turning to face her directly, "You did not!"

"Not in the slightest. I won't be calling in those bets today."

Raka continues to tighten the straps on her arms, "So what happened then? Will you be in the field or back in the Great Library?"

Takara approaches her cupboard and opens a drawer, "He didn't say. I know I'm not banished again, but I don't think he'll let me back in the field anytime soon."

"Well I suppose nothing is better than a heavy-handed reaction. Perhaps that is in itself a small miracle from the Gods, but I suppose we'll have to see what comes of it."

Takara disappears behind the screen in the room to change her clothes.

"Apparently, as soon as Akira arrived at the council meeting, she lambasted the Thieves. Absolutely driving home the embarrassment that the job is so easy, The Guardian and a Ranger Captain can do their jobs for them and she may as well dissolve the entire guild then. Even if he can't agree on the methods, our Master did agree that Akira did do something favourable in her actions."

"I suppose seeing Lord Natsumi be put in his place must have put the Assassin Master in a good mood then." Raka replies as she adjusts the straps on her other shoulder, "You should see him when he is in the High Council Chambers, Takara. He really cannot stand the Thieves Master. You're probably only a mild annoyance at best in comparison to- well- that."

"I'm sure Akira will give the play by play once you're over there. That's all I was told."

Takara throws her shirt over the screen and emerges from the other side dressed in her bedclothes. She takes a few steps before plonking down face first onto her bed.

"Gods, I need to sleep this off." Takara yawns

"Well I'll be on duty till late. Make sure you eat sometime today, okay." Raka commands her roommate

"Whatever you say, ma."

Raka scoffs, "Call me ma all you want, but you know I'm right."

"Spare me the lecture please, I need sleep."

"Alright, I'll just lecture you later then."

Takara rolls over to face the wall. Raka walks over to the door of their dorm room, picking up her keys and a few other items off a shelf and placing them in her pockets. She then opens the door a crack before looking back over to her roommate.

"Night, Takara."

"Night."

---

The Crest of the Four is an aptly named merchant megacity, four small trading hubs linked together physically by bridges and metaphysically through the power of commerce. It is the one and only place in the realm that seems to be an agreed-upon true neutral ground between all of the Four Houses and the unaffiliated Free People.

Lord and Lady Kesaya and their travelling party arrived at the Raiju controlled port within the south west point of the peninsula. The staff unloaded their luggage from the carriages and after meeting the crew, boarding the ship and settling into their quarters, before long they left port and began sailing into the sunset on the first leg of their trip outside of the Kingdom.

The couple stand on the deck at the stern of the ship, looking back as the land begins to disappear beyond the horizon. Koji looks at his wife. She looks extremely pensive.

"There's something so scenic about this view. Sailing out on the waters and leaving out of the bay. Nice view of the town over there, picturesque sunset over in that direction." Koji muses with enthusiasm, at the very least trying to lift some spirits, "Did I ever tell you of my journeys beyond the Region?"

"In passing." Kiori replies

"As you know, I served in the Ranger Guild in the last few years of the Great Expansion. One of the last times I was over there, I was accompanying an envoy on orders from Uncle Eiji."

"Akira's grandfather, the last Lord of Conquering Storm?"

"The one and the same. I know, sounds rather informal to refer to a liege lord as just uncle, but he was- sort of. Well he was technically my first cousin, once removed, eons older than me of course, but I digress."

"How many times have you been outside of the Region?"

"Uh- a few I suppose. No trips since the millennium came and went, of course. Been too busy at home with- well- everything that happened here. Gods, when was the last time we went on vacation, huh? We should get out more often."

Kiori shakes her head with a mixture of disapproval and amusement, a slight smile peeking through the dreary façade. She knows he is really trying hard to brighten her mood, but he is doing such a terrible job at it, it is almost comical.

"I saw that little smile there." Koji says, lightly tapping her elbow with his elbow

"You would make a terrible comedian, dear." Kiori responds with a shake of her head in amusement

"I must be doing something right because you're smiling again."

He wraps his arm around her waist and she leans against him. They have a rather unusual dynamic compared to many other couples within the court. Theirs is an arranged marriage, but with the heart of a match made from love. It was not like this originally, but over the years, they have grown to care for each other deeply. Even now, Koji cannot imagine anyone else by his side other than his faithful companion, Kiori.

It was an unwilling agreement initially. The threat of a succession crisis was becoming more and more real. The court pushed him into marriage. Reasoning as always that he must place duty before all else, even his own feelings, for the sake of the realm. He was still mourning and they were pushing and pulling him. Lady Quailan who proposed an arrangement involving her younger sister, someone he knew. Someone he would be comfortable entering this kind of arrangement with and, at the very least, not loathe.

Gods, he was nervous the day of the official betrothal. The day when before the eyes of the law, the Gods and the people, they would confirm the betrothal. The meeting of the families would take place. His only family he really had was his fourteen-year-old niece. Yet despite needing a regent at her age for most political matters and affairs of state, she still had to act as officiant and give her accent to the match as the ruler of the realm.

"You're nervous." Akira says directly

"A bit, I suppose." Koji admits while fussing over his attire for the hundredth time, "I suppose it is the weight of the occasion. We're getting one step closer to the first royal wedding for the millennium."

"Why don't you speak to her? Before the two of you walk past the point of no return. Clear the air a bit. Perhaps it may settle your mind."

Akira has always had profound wisdom despite her age. It may also be because she had to grow up far too quickly in this cruel world and has never spent much time acting her actual age.

Koji did speak with his intended privately as advised. Kiori was feeling the weight of it all too. If they knew what the next decade of their lives looked like after this moment, would they have still proceeded? He asks himself this question often, but there is nobody else he would have left that room and proclaimed before the realm and the gods he will spend the rest of his life with than the woman beside him now almost a decade later. The light of hope and joy he has within the constant gloom being the second highest authority in the realm.

"I know I don't tell you this a lot." Koji says, breaking the silence and coming back into the present, "But I love you."

Kiori smiles sweetly as a blush quickly overtakes her face, "And I you, dearest."

---

In the early hours of the evening, Alpha Squadron of Ember Forest Outpost made camp for the night. They have completed their mission and are on their way back to their hold at Ember Forest Outpost. A few have taken to watch out for enemies while some have taken to rest early before the next leg of their journey. Some of these Rangers also use the time to socialise amongst themselves, huddled around a campfire exchanging tales and laughs after a hard day's work.

The Squadron Leader, Ranger Third-Rank Lightning Lynx, has taken the time to practice. He seldom rests, instead pouring his downtime into improving his form.

"Don't tell me you've gotten lazy since last I saw you. I know you can hit a lot harder than that."

Lightning turns to see his superior Captain Tanami leaning against a nearby tree nonchalantly.

"When was the last time you actually got into close quarters combat anyway?" Lightning asks

Masao shrugs, "Recently."

"Yeah, right. You spend more time either hiding in your office in paperwork or hiding in bushes with that bow these days." Lightning retorts, "Should get out here one time and have a good fight with the Gossamer."

The Captain crosses his arms, "Between that form and your mission report, should I be concerned that my Second needs more than just a good fight to set you right?"

"Don't tell me you didn't just ride all the way here to give me grief for the mission report. Wasn't our fault the place was literally flooding."

"I was just travelling back from the Citadel actually. Heard you were in the area and decided on a detour. I was supervising Takara's mission in the field."

Lightning perks up in surprise, "Takara's back on the field?"

"I hope." Masao says before sighing, "Then again, her master just gave Okamoto first rank. I haven't the slightest clue as to what on Mobius he is thinking."

"You've got to be kidding?!" Lightning exclaims horrified, "He has that many infractions on his service record- The uniform section alone would probably be a hundred pages long. How?!"

Masao shrugs in response, the only thing he can truly say in response. Even in a leadership position himself, with some experience managing squadrons and personnel within a Ranger Guild setting, he simply does not quite understand the decision either.

"Anyway, we will ride to Ember Forest tomorrow morning." Lightning then asks, changing the subject, "Will you be staying or heading off?"

"I have matters to attend to at the Outpost, so I must be on my way. I'll see you there." Masao replies as he mounts his steed, "Oh and- Takara told me to tell you not to go swimming in the puddles in case there are sharks in there. Lady Akira would be rather upset if you perished because of your own stupidity."

Lightning smirks to himself, rolling his eyes in amusement of Guardian Sakai and her stupid, stupid sense of humour. Suppose after knowing each other practically all their lives, a little bit of foster sibling teasing is the norm. He just needs to think of something smart to say to her back once he sees her.

Once his superior rides off into the distance, Lighting gets back to his training. There is no rest for this Ranger, only practice. Preparation for what lies ahead out here in the wild frontiers of the realm.

---

Author Notes: Well, I'm back. Hi there, Fanfiction dot net. It has been a long time between drinks.

Last work I updated was A Game in 2015 right before I went on Hiatus. I have been busy since then of course. Growing up, moving out, getting a degree, surviving the a pandemic, getting my first realm job, breaking an ankle so bad it needed surgery… Being an adult in general just keeps a gal busy. I have been more active on DA in the years since I stopped publishing here. Where you may have seen the artworks related to a certain pet project of mine.

Not long after I went on hiatus, I started a project that would become Caught In The Storm. Which went from simply just integrating the Dragon Kingdom, Monkey Khan, Iron Queen and Four Houses from Archie Sonic into the main storyline of the fanverse I write within into… well... a whole saga. Even more so when I started the third and final draft of the fic. A saga that has taken literally nearly 10 years to finish a final draft for. Along the way I also ended up with cut content that would have been otherwise discarded and this fic is the result of that. It also serves as context for later events and a backstory for many of these morally grey individuals in a sort of episodic format with an overarching story.

To think this was originally based off a What-If Scenario that deviates from established canon. Well everything I do deviates from canon, but I digress.

I still need to fine tune Caught In The Storm before it can debut it, especially after drafting this fanfic prelude that has changed some things in the beginning now. So in the meantime, enjoy the very beginning of this saga from the Raiju side of things.

Now, this isn't the first edition of this fic. It is a crosspost from my newly-minted account over on AO3 where you will be able to find the uncensored version, with a lot more adult themes and cursing than what will be posted here. I am writing maturer content these days, as mature as it gets for Sonic and all. I edited down a version for Fanfiction as I want to make sure my audience here knows I am still alive, but I also do not want to be sent to the shadow realm for taking on an M Rating in the process.

So here is a T-Rated version of the fic here and if you are feeling bold, check out the uncensored, true to form M Rated version over on my account on A03.

Need extra info about some of the whos and whats and wheres, there's a whole bunch of lore and character profiles on my DA account. You can also find the cover art for the fic on there too.