Midori's teacher kept droning on and on about various treaties and proclamations, and it seemed to Midori as though he'd heard them thousands of times already.  He tuned the teacher out and let his mind wander off to more recent history, namely his first meeting with Kuyashii, five years ago, in the marketplace of Yakusoku

	Sometimes, riding in a palanquin could be fun.  After all, Midori didn't get tired walking, and people automatically got out of his way because of his importance.  However, he could never get a really close look at things, nor could he get a coherent conversation out of someone that didn't consist of 'Midori-sama, this...', 'Your highness, you do me great honor simply by deigning to speak with a worm such as myself.', and a hundred other responses which were initially gratifying to his ego, but very frustrating to a boy who just wanted to have a normal chat, for Seiryuu's sake!
	This frustration had prompted him to 'borrow' the clothing of one of his servants and sneak out of the palace.  He had a moderate amount of money in a purse at his waist, and he intended to waste the better part of the day wandering about the marketplace and spending every last ryo that he had on him.  What he was going to spend it on, he hadn't decided yet, but he was sure that he'd think of something.
	To start things off, Midori bought a couple of dumplings from a food seller and munched them while he walked.  There were a lot of things to choose from.  One stall sold cloth that he knew Fushi would like, but that stuff was kind of bulky.  He didn't want to be stuck carrying that the whole time, so he continued onward, promising himself that he'd stop by on his way back.
	Suddenly, he felt a tug at his waist.  Midori turned and saw a boy about his age fleeing with Midori's purse in hand.  "Hey!  I'm not going to let you get away with that!" Midori yelled and chased after him.
	It was hard to keep track of the pickpocket in the crowded streets, so Midori scrambled up a stack of crates and ran along the rooftops.  He hoped he didn't encounter a roof that wasn't thatched properly, or his mad dash would send him crashing down into the building below.  He gained on the pickpocket and passed him, pretending as if he no longer saw him.  Then, he flattened himself down on a rooftop overlooking what he hoped would be the side street that the thief carrying his money would take.
	Seiryuu must have been with him, because the thief did go down the street that Midori had chosen.  Midori jumped off the rooftop, catching the other boy in a flying tackle.  "Give... me back... my money, you thief!" Midori spat out as they rolled around on the ground, each struggling to gain the upper hand.
	The sound of horses' hooves sounded faintly over the din of their fight, and it was drawing nearer.  The thief stopped fighting and said, "Here, take your stupid money back if it means that much to you.  I'd rather lose some much needed cash than get caught by the guards.  So long, speedy."
	Midori picked the pouch up off the ground and said, "Wait for me.  I don't want to be caught by the guards, either."
	"Eh? Don't tell me you stole that money..." the thief said, hesitating on the point of flight.
	"Of course not!" Midori said indignantly. "I just..."
	"No time to explain," the thief said, cutting him off. "Just follow me if you're serious about wanting to avoid the guards."
	Midori followed the thief through a twisting maze of streets until they arrived at a small building, one that no doubt dated back to before the end of the war if its decrepit condition was any indication.  "Well, this is my place," the thief said, indicating the building with a wave of his hand. "Glamorous, isn't it?  Come on in.  Just test every board carefully before you place your weight on it.  You never know when one of these timbers is going to give out on you."
	Once inside, the boy thief pointed to his somewhat scraggly bedding and said, "That's the only thing I've got that passes for furniture around here, so help yourself."
	The two of them sat on opposite ends and Midori said, "As I was saying earlier, I didn't steal it.  It all belongs to me, but...  I'm not supposed to get up and walk out of the palace without telling anyone."
	"Ah, I thought those clothes looked like palace livery!" the thief crowed triumphantly. "I guess the Emperor keeps close tabs on his servants' whereabouts, huh?  What's he afraid of?  An assassination attempt?"
	'He... thinks I'm a servant?  Well, that is what purpose the clothing was supposed to accomplish.  I guess it worked,' Midori thought and said, "Ah, actually, it's the chamberlain that manages the servants, and the Empress Dowager gives him orders.  It won't be until the Emperor turns fifteen three years from now that he'll begin to take on those kind of responsibilities.  And no, the Emperor isn't afraid of anything."
	"Whoa, there," the thief held his hands up defensively. "I'm not trying to insult the Emperor or anything.  I was just curious.  I haven't ever been inside the palace, so I haven't got a clue what it's like."
	"Well..." Midori chose his words with great care, doing his best to describe the inside of the palace without giving away who he was.
	The thief whistled.  "Whew, that sounds like quite a place," His stomach growled and he grimaced, "I guess you can tell I wasn't joking about needing the money, huh?  This is so embarrassing."
	Midori made a decision and said, "How about this: I give you half of what I've got and you can show me around town.  I don't know my way around town too well, but I know that you probably do."
	"You mean that?  Then, it's a deal," the thief said, shaking hands with Midori. "Well, I guess should introduce myself.  I'm Kuyashii, the unwanted one.  And you are?"
	'I can't just give him my real name.  How about...' Midori answered, "Sokudo."
	"Speed," Kuyashii snorted. "How apt.  Come on, I'll show you around the wonderful city of Yakusoku."
	When Midori finally returned, the sun was on the verge of setting.  He'd almost been too late to get Fushi's cloth, but he'd managed to convince the shopkeeper to make one last sale before going home for the night.  He crept through the lengthening shadows in the hallways until he came to Fushi's door.  He knocked and straightened, wondering whether he looked as grubby as he felt.
	The door opened and Fushi gasped, "Midori-sama, is that you?  Everyone in the palace has been looking for you.  They sent guards out and everything.  Where have you been?"
	"Outside... shopping," Midori answered, holding up the cloth. "I got this for you.  It's blue, just like your eyes."
	"Oh, Midori-sama, it's beautiful," Fushi gushed, running her fingers over the silken cloth.
	"Hey, Fushi?  There's no one else around, so you can just call me Midori if you want to," Midori said.
	Of course, that was just the first of many times that Midori met with Kuyashii.  In him was the friend that Midori had been craving his whole life.  In fact, Midori felt like going to see him right now, so he stood.
	"Ah, your highness?  I'm not done yet," the teacher said somewhat timidly, for Midori was quite imposing when he wanted to be.
	"Yes, but I am," Midori replied. "I can't stand to be stuck in this place a moment longer.  Just take the rest of the day off.  I promise I'll look over that history book later."
	The teacher bowed and Midori left the library, keeping his pace just short of running towards his own room.  Just a quick change, and he'd be ready to take to the streets as Sokudo once more!




	"It's ridiculous... running around as if he didn't have an entire country resting on his shoulders. preposterous..."
	Kenjou rolled his eyes silently beside his father, was there no end to the stories of the emperor. 
	"Reckless, useless... like his father."
	"You're just bitter the Empress favored HIM." a small, victorious smile escaped Kenjou's lips as he calmly eyed the servant girl pouring his drink.  His father gave him a deafening glare, shattering the silence of Kenjou's calm. Ever since he was young he knew the power of that stare, and ever since he was young... he struggled to stand his ground. "I grow weary of your rambling father..." his eyes turning back towards his drink, "Take the throne... if the sucessor is so unsatisfactory to you, you have the ability, you have the loyalty of those that REALLY matter, the army..." And in a blinding instant he was on the floor.
	"I grow weary of your insolence..." 
	Waving away the servants that came to his aid, Kenjou stood up and bowed to his father, not even a flinch or a blink of the eye at what had just occured. "You are dismissed." Kenjou raised his eyes at his father's solid figure and dropped them in an instant. 
	"I shall burn an offering to seiryuu for my transgressions..." barely a whisper...
	"You are dismissed" and an even quieter roar.
	Kenjou turned his back on his father as he exited the main dining room, the blood from his cheek dripping silently from his chin. 


	"You... fight me... now." Rage coursed through his veins as he made his way to the servants quarters. His robes discarded, the mark of Seiryuu burned coldly on his shoulderblade. 
	"Really now Ken-chan... I have a name." smirked the young man he pointed at.
	"Excuse me... Bastard... fight me... now"
	A shrug from the servant "close enough..." and Kenjou was kicked out the window and in the pond before he could retort. "Don't worry, dear... see? We're out of the house." he kissed his wife's cheek and jumped out the window after Kenjou. Only... he jumped straight into Kenjou's foot. His wife heard the window go 'Oof' and sighed a helpless sigh. 
	"So servant boy... ready for a beating?"
	"Sorry, honey, I'm married"
	    And he was dropped on the ground, only to flip out of the way of a roundhouse sweep. "You know, I really don't understand you Teru-kun..."
	"There's nothing to understand"  He smiled as he tapped at the scab on Kenjou's cheek "What happened to you now?" Kenjou shifted his face away from him as his backhand punch was blocked by Teru's forearm. 
	"Nothing... I was practicing with the wire and it slipped from my..." 
	"It's too wide.... and wayward..."
	"I said it slipped..." the two of them stopped at a stalemate in their sparring. "Why do you stay loyal to my father?"
	"Because... he saved my life... he's the greatest General in all of Kotou and the wisest by far. Well, in my humble opinion at least... and his son's a seiryuu shichiseishi..." Kenjou laughed.
	"Oh, of course... and the empress should bow down to me because I'm the savior of Kutou"
	"Don't get cocky or anything" and with a back kick to his head, Kenjou was on the ground. "Powers or no powers... a servant boy can still kick your..."
	"Kenjou-san... please... the General sends for you."




	"So, Sokudo's being delinquent and not doing his chores at the palace," Kuyashii grinned. "You sure the Emperor's not going to kick you out when you keep disappearing like this?"
	"Of course, I'm sure.  He'd never do a thing like that.  Besides, I've finished all the important duties.  The others can wait a bit with no problem," Midori said confidently, thinking. 'I have sword practice in the morning before eat and Imperial affairs taking up the rest of the morning, now.  Then, everybody keeps shoving books at me to try and keep me busy the rest of the day.  They haven't tried pressuring me to marry yet, but do they really think I don't notice when we start sending out a lot more correspondence to the provinces than is usual at this time of year?  My time may be running out, and I intend to enjoy every minute of it that I can.'
	"Well, if you're that sure of yourself...  Let's go!" Kuyashii said, motioning for Midori to follow him through the crowd.
	"Where are we going?" Midori asked.
	"There's a new kind of religion going around.  Since you've got an in with the Emperor of some sort, you might be interested," Kuyashii replied. "But first, if you've got some money, we'll stop at a vegetable/poultry stall."
	"Kuyashii...  Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?"
	"Who, me?" Kuyashii's expression was so full of pretend innocence, that Midori knew he'd probably guessed right.
	'What is it about this new religion that he thinks I'm going to find distasteful enough to want to throw food at?' Midori wondered.
	A short while later, Midori had acquired some eggs and rice balls that were probably just a little shy of being inedible.  He didn't intend on eating them anyway, and that would just make them all the more effective if and when he decided to throw them.  He divided the food equally with Kuyashii, and they both hid their soon-to-be projectiles inside baskets covered with cloth.
	They headed towards the gathering crowd in the plaza and stationed themselves on opposite sides where they could both get a clear shot when the time came.  Then, Midori settled back to listen and wait for the perfect opportunity.
	There were two people that were the focus of the crowd's attention.  One was a clean-cut man with black hair and piercing green eyes.  The other was a quiet seeming girl that looked to be his sister.  He was the one that was speaking, and most of the people kept their eyes on him.  However, Midori had a strange feeling that she was the one that he should be wary of.
	He kept one eye on her while listening to the man's speech.  As what the man said sunk in, Midori stiffened with anger.  'How dare he!  Promoting his own god, I can understand, but calling Seiryuu a false pretender...  He shall pay for this!'
	Thinking quickly, Midori whipped the cloth of the basket and ducked down.  He tied the cloth around and over his face, leaving only his eyes visible.  When he came out of his crouch, he already had a rice ball in one hand and threw it with all his might.  Kuyashii must have seen him start to move, for it was not one, but two rice balls that found their mark on the speaker's face.
	Before anyone had time to react, Midori had sent another rice ball and two eggs sailing through the air towards the man.  Then, with a mighty heave, he sent the whole basket flying through the air over the crowd's heads.  Miraculously, not so much as a single bit of egg yolk hit the girl, who was glaring at him with a ferocious intensity.  He gave her a venom filled look of his own before diving deeper into the crowd.
	As he was pushing his way through the masses of people, Midori heard the sound of several more inedibles striking the ground and others hitting their targets.  'Kuyashii, you idiot!  What do you think you're doing?  We've got to get out of here, and I'm not leaving without you.'
	Midori changed course and headed over to where he'd last seen Kuyashii.  Since Kuyashii hadn't had enough sense to get out while the going was good, he'd managed to get himself backed up against the wall of one of the buildings bordering the plaza, and the people surrounding him appeared to be devout supporters of this 'new god'.  Despite that, Kuyashii didn't seem to be the least bit worried, and when Midori looked up, he could see why.  'A low hanging roof...  I suppose I'm not the only one that's been learning new things since we first met.  I'd better get up there, too, just in case.'
	It took him less than a minute to gain the rooftops, but Midori was grudging every wasted second that left Kuyashii open to attack.  He risked a glance downward to see that his friend was still facing the crowd with a cocky grin on his face.  Midori groaned.  Not only did Kuyashii not know when to quit, he'd not even bothered to hide his face!  'Oh, Seiryuu, what else could possibly go wrong?' he wondered as he leapt the gap to the final rooftop.
	When Kuyashii heard the familiar footsteps thudding on the roof behind and above him, he jumped, catching hold of the roof's edge in both hands.  It took every ounce of strength he possessed to lever himself upward, and, although he'd realized it would be a strain on his muscles, he hadn't thought it would feel this bad.  His left arm felt like it was on fire.  That was when he noticed the dagger protruding from his forearm.
	Inwardly, Kuyashii was screaming in agony, but he managed to school his facial features into maintaining their sense of defiance.  He made a great show of yanking it out of his arm and brandishing the bloody blade, saying, "Well, it's been fun, but I've got better things to do than stand around and play with a bunch of delusional zealots.  Later!"
	Midori shook his head at his friend's foolish display of bravado and paused long enough to make sure that Kuyashii was really ready to leave before leading him across a maze of rooftops that was every bit as confusing as the city streets below.  Behind him, Kuyashii spoke, "Hey, Sokudo.  Did you get turned around or something, buddy?  We passed my place a couple blocks ago."
	"I'm not turned around, and I know exactly where I'm going," Midori replied.  "You need to get that arm looked at, so I'm taking you to someone who will."
	"Nonsense.  It's just a scratch," Kuyashii grumbled.
	"Oh, sure.  Just a scratch...  I suppose if someone chopped your head off, you'd consider that a minor setback, too," Midori said sarcastically. "And here I thought you'd be jumping at the chance to get a look inside the Imperial Palace."
	"The palace?  That's where we're going?  Are you insane?"
	"No, you're the one that's insane," Midori retorted. "I can't believe you didn't even try to camouflage yourself just a bit.  What were you thinking?"
	"I wasn't thinking at all, okay?  I just got caught up in the heat of the moment," Kuyashii admitted.
	"Uh huh...  Anyway, just a couple more jumps, and we'll return to ground level.  Then, I'll take you to someone inside the palace who'll patch you up, no questions asked," Midori said, thinking, 'Hopefully, I can sneak him in to see Fushi without getting spotted by anyone too important.  I really, really don't want to have to explain this...'

	Once off the rooftops, Midori led Kuyashii through the painfully slow process of sneaking into the imperial palace.  They had to wait until a cart carrying a delivery of feed for the stables passed by, and they promptly burrowed deeply into the hay with hardly a rustle, although Kuyashii had bitten his lip bloody in his efforts to keep from screaming every time they hit a rough spot.
	The moment the cart driver and stablemaster's backs were turned, they slid off of the cart and ducked around a corner, where Midori brushed stray bits of hay off of them to remove any evidence of how they'd gotten in.  Kuyashii smiled wryly, "Is the Emperor aware of the horribly lax security standards around here?  If I'd known, I might have snuck in before now...  Just to visit you, of course."
	"Uh huh... Sure," Midori said skeptically. "And the heirlooms and other expensive stuff within has nothing to do with it, right?  And yes, the Emperor is quite aware of the situation and intends to do something about it.  However, don't think for a moment that the treasury is ever left unguarded.  Possibly the only place more protected is the women's quarters.  No one wishes to risk the Dowager Empress' wrath should she and her companions be left the slightest bit unprotected.  Come on, let's get going."
	As they walked, Midori wondered what he was going to do.  He might escape being revealed for who he was today, but he had a feeling that his friend was quite serious about coming in to visit him, probably without warning him beforehand.  Sooner or later, he'd have to tell Kuyashii, and then, he'd lose the only friend he had who didn't see him through the filter of imperial authority.  'Oh, Seiryuu...  Life is getting so complicated,' he thought, crouching low to avoid the notice of a passing guard.


	'Almost there.  Just a few more turns and I'll be home free...' Midori froze in his tracks at the sound of footsteps coming towards him.  Behind him, Kuyashii also stopped, and by this time, his breathing had grown somewhat ragged as the pain in his arm increased.
	From around the corner, there came into view a man dressed in armor and carrying a helm under one arm.  'Oh...  This is just great.  Of all the people I didn't want to run into right now, Taki's definitely in the top five,' Midori straightened and self-consciously adjusted his headband.
	Taki, a sub-commander in the Kutou army and Midori's elder brother, turned their way and grinned wolfishly.  "Looks like I caught you red-handed this time, little brother.  Running off without telling anyone and then trying to sneak back in like nothing happened.  Shirking your responsibilities in favor of fun definitely hasn't been earning you any brownie points with mother, you know.  Speaking of which, she's been calling for you this past hour or so, and if you don't appear soon, heads are going to roll," Taki paused, looking Midori up and down, and added, "Of course, you have enough sense to realize that appearing before her like that would be a big mistake."
	'Oh, good.  He didn't mention anything too incriminating.  Maybe I can still get out of this without blowing my cover,' Midori thought and, gather every ounce of humility that he could, said, "I am most sorry, elder brother, that I have given both you and my mother cause for distress.  I would make haste to see what she wants right away, but I have another, more urgent obligation.  My friend, Kuyashii, is in need of medical attention, and since I am, in part, responsible for his condition, it is my duty to take him to see Fushi myself."
	For the first time, Taki glanced over Midori's shoulder and took a close look at his brother's companion.  Soon, his grin changed into something bordering on furious rage.  However, it was not Midori's inexpert attempts to bandage Kuyashii's arm that bothered him, but something else entirely.  He leaned forward until his face only a few inches away from Midori's and ordered, "Don't worry yourself on that account.  I will see to it that your friend gets the necessary care.  You, on the other hand, are going straight to mother to see what it is that she desires.  You will make no detours other than one to your room to make sure that you don't disgrace yourself in front of her.  After she is finished with you, you will proceed directly to my room where I will be waiting with your friend for a full report on your activities.  If you fail to show or give me a reasonable explanation for your behavior, I will hunt you down and beat you within an inch of your life, and Seiryuu take the consequences!"
	Midori was totally stunned by Taki's outburst and couldn't seem to form a reply.  Finally, Kuyashii cleared his throat and said, "I know it's not much, Sokudo, but if you get booted out of the palace, you could always stay with me.  I wouldn't leave a friend out in the cold like that."
	'Sokudo, is it?  At least my irresponsible little brother had enough sense to use an alias.  Aie, if mother finds out about this...' Taki suppressed a shudder and said, "Despite my brother being such a deplorable scapegrace, it's hardly likely that he'll be looking for a new home any time soon.  I'm more likely to be... asked to leave than he is.  Now, Sokudo, you will do as I say, won't you?  It pains me to even think of resorting to such drastic measures as I've threatened, but I will do so if you force me to."
	Although Midori still couldn't understand what Taki was so angry about, he did realize that his brother picked up on the pseudonym, saving him the further embarrassment of being revealed for who he was.  He bowed, "It shall be as you say.  I submit to your superior wisdom and judgment."
	Taki nodded shortly and the fire in his eyes dimmed a little as he calmed down a bit.  "Do not fear that I'll take my wrath out on your friend.  That privilege is reserved solely for you," he replied, only a hint of the tension remaining in his voice. "Now, go before someone else encounters you looking like that."




	Midori frowned at the mirror.  He looked as though he'd just thrown his clothes on haphazardly, which he had.  "Won't do..." he muttered. "She'll kill me."
	He spent another five minutes straightening out his clothing and trying to regain some semblance of his imperial dignity once more.  Then, he walked out of his chambers with his head held high, doing his best to pretend that everything was perfectly normal.  However, his attempt at presenting an emotionless mask began to slip soon after he entered the women's quarters.
	'New servants...  No, additional servants,' Midori mentally corrected himself when he realized that the familiar faces he remembered from childhood were still there. 'What are they doing here?  Mother's never complained about not having enough staff before.  In fact, she's always been rather frugal when it comes to hiring new help.  Then, why...'
	Midori suddenly had a horrible feeling that he knew why there were more servants, and his suspicions grew when he noticed them looking at him with eyes that were not merely curious, but seeming to weigh and calculate his every move.  'Last day of freedom...  Oh, Seiryuu, please let me be wrong!'
	Upon entering Empress Dowager Yoshiko's presence, he gave her the same respect that any young man would to his mother.  The fact that he was the Emperor was meaningless.  She could still make his life miserable if she so chose, and she sometimes did.  With a wave of her hand, she indicated the chair next to her, and he sat, trying not to betray his anxiousness.  "What is it, mother?" he asked. "I came as soon as word reached me."
	A small frown marred her countenance.  "No doubt you did, and I would lecture you again, but you seem to suffer from the same bout of selective hearing as your father did," Yoshiko fixed him with the same stare that he'd seen on the servant, only it was more unnerving coming from her.  Midori resisted the urge to fidget while she continued, "There is no doubt that you have the abilities required to be Emperor, otherwise you would not have been chosen to succeed him.  However, there is one duty of yours that you can no longer be allowed to set aside.  In order for our family line to continue, you must choose a woman to take as your wife and Empress."
	Midori groaned mentally, 'Sometimes, I just hate being right.'
	"To that end, I and selected members of the council have sent out invitations throughout the provinces to those young women who have been deemed suitable because of their lineage or outstanding skill in craft.  The first of them has just recently arrived with her entourage.  You will be given a time period, perhaps slightly over a year, to make your choice between this country's fairest maidens," Then, she smiled slightly, saying, "Don't be so ill at ease, my son.  Surely, you can find one among so many that you could grow to love."