by Karma
He smiled a sad smile and gathered the power to him.
And there was a flash of blue-light...
There was a flash of intense blue light, followed by someone crying out.
Kurama blinked, temporarily blinded. When he could see again, the sight that he saw before him was Arslan, on the floor, unconscious. In front of him stood Genkai, in her youthful teen form.
He swished his silver tail in thought.
His...tail. He glanced at himself and found that he was, indeed, in his youko form.
"Well, that didn't work out too well," the kitsune noted wryly.
Tusuzuku ran in the rain.
Once more, he silently cursed the shorter fire demon. Being a Ryudo, Tsuzuku *was* fast. Hiei, however, being a demon of a smaller size and used to traveling quickly, was much faster.
Somehow, he managed to keep the other boy in sight, though he suspected that it was because Hiei occasionally stopped to watch him run, as if taunting him.
Like now. The fire demon paused again, turning to watch from the top of another park tree.
The red dragon was mildly surprise to find that this time, though, for whatever reason, Hiei did not run off again upon his approach. Without his target moving, he arrived at the tree relatively quickly, stopped underneath it, and waited for the demon's next move. Tsuzuku expected to hear Kurama's lover give some insulting words and move off again, but to his surprise, such was not the case.
"Get up here," Hiei commanded softly, his eyes looking in the distance.
The Ryudo was tempted to disobey and tell Hiei where he could shove his order. Such vulgar words, however, were not his style and he held his tongue. For a brief second, he debated on whether or not to listen to the demon's command. Finally, he acquiesced, on the grounds that the sooner he was up there, the sooner Hiei would get moving again.
In a few leaps, he was up on the tree and standing carefully besides Hiei.
"What?"
The demon gestured towards the direction from whence they came with a nod of his head. "Look at the rooftop of the building on the street next to yours. Do you see anything?"
"A building on the street next to mine," Tsuzuku muttered to himself in disbelief. I live in Tokyo. Could he *be* any more specific? Nevertheless, he followed Hiei's gaze and stared across into the distance. At first he didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. Then his attention was attracted to a small flash of light on a building not too far away from his own.
"Your house is being watched."
"That's nothing new."
Hiei snorted in response, which Tsuzuku interpreted as a "why do I bother with this idiotic friend of Kurama" kind of response. "By different groups. I scared off some other ones earlier, but they're persistent."
Hiei returned his steady gaze to Tsuzuku's face. "Your cow enemies were probably watching you for some time now, and sent Bodon to look for you when you disappeared into the other dimension."
Tsuzuku stared at the demon in shocked realization. So stupid! Of course! Bodon was probably working for someone else. That means they found Arslan through us.
Another sudden realization.
They could have been watching and sent someone to follow Kurama and Arslan!
"We have to hurry," he said urgently to the fire demon.
"You're the one slowing us down," Hiei pointed out. He turned to leave and then abruptly stopped in his movement, stiffening for a fraction of a second.
The Ryudo watched him in surprise.
"Kurama..." Hiei whispered in a low voice. Stiffly, he turned and gave Tsuzuku a hateful glare. A strong arm shot from him and grabbed the latter by his shirt.
"If anything happens to Kurama because of your friend," Hiei whispered threateningly, "Then I will personally take it upon myself to kill you."
Tsuzuku tried not to laugh at the threat, considering the fact that he had heard it before and that their last battle had ended in stalemate. That eager to break another sword? The amusement in him left as soon as it came, however, when he saw the look on the demon's face.
Hiei's expression was hardened and completely serious, reminding Tsuzuku of his first encounter with him. It was tense with anger and hatred, but he also sensed an undercurrent of worry.
"I'll kill your lover and then you."
At the mention of Arslan, anger shot through Tsuzuku. He reached out his right arm, gripped the arm that held his shirt, and forced Hiei to let go.
"Something bothering you?" he asked, in a calm, sarcastic tone.
"Kurama's changed into his true form."
"Your Highness?"
The voice was ragged, speaking through clenched teeth as the speaker bore the pain the best he could. "Your...Highness...why do you do this? Why were you willing to risk so much, to save me?"
"Because I could not keep my other promise to you." It was his duty, and the very least he could do.
Arslan woke up a few minutes later. Wincing slightly, he sat up groggily.
"How are you feeling?" asked the creature beside him, a being of great beauty-- Youko Kurama. The fox demon stood to his side, watching with tentatively.
Arslan waited until he was no longer dizzy before answering. "Not bad. I will recover in a few minutes." He looked at Kurama. "I do not feel any different..."
"It didn't work," another voice responded, startling Arslan. The voice was young, and without a doubt, female. Puzzled, the prince glanced in the direction of the voice and saw, where Genkai had previously stood, a pretty pink-haired girl in her teens was now in her place. Then he realized that she was wearing what Genkai had previously been wearing, and it took him another moment to realize that she *was* Genkai.
There was a long pause.
"Oh," was all he could say in response.
"Apparently, there was some sort of side effect when Baa-san tried to bring out your power," Kurama explained. "The result was me in my youko form and Baa-san in her youthful form."
"Ah." What a strange world they live in... Arslan, by now, gave up all hopes of trying to understand Tsuzuku's world and simply accepted what he saw before him. Unsteadily, he attempted to stand on his feet. Kurama helped him, one strong arm reached out to pull him up.
"Why don't you rest a bit before we try anything else?" The kitsune offered him. "We're not sure why it didn't work, and we don't know if it drained you of your power or not..."
The prince steadily shook his head. "If it is possible, I would like to continue," he said, his eyes determined. I don't want to waste anymore time napping. He straightened up and smiled at the other two. I want to return. I like Tsuzuku's company, but I have my responsibilities. Guibu, Darun, Narcasse, Farangis, everyone... I am Palse's prince, and I cannot forget that. I have a duty to Palse. I had forgotten that when I first arrived, but now...
Now, after his dream, he was suddenly reminded that he *was* a prince, and was subject to everything that would entail, especially the responsibilities. He had been entranced by this new world, true, by the company within it even more so, but he suddenly remembered that others needed him. A bolt of realization had struck him, and he suddenly now wished to be elsewhere. Home. Strangely enough, he now found himself feeling rather nostalgic for his world. "I am fine," he lied.
Both Youko Kurama and young Genkai observed him silently for a pause, before they mentally agreed to the sincerity of his determination.
"So. Your other options," Kurama began. He exchanged a look with Genkai before returning to speak with the prince. "As I've said before; we can try calling your old form upon you, if you so desire. We did discuss the risks before, and they still hold."
"Although it's risky," Genkai noted. "I think it would be the best solution. It would reveal to you truths of your past and give you an upper edge over your power, which we can teach you to control." She paused and watched Arslan critically.
"And," Kurama interjected, "we can minimize the effects of the risks by making it temporary. Still, it's easier for Obaasan and I to say this than it is for you to decide. We're not the ones at risk. We don't even know exactly how powerful you are, so we may not be able to teach you how to control it, and it can consume you. What do you say? There might be other ways to send you back without you having to use your powers, so..."
"I'll do it." Arslan decided firmly. I'll do it... Not because of the power. Not because of the memories of how I used to be. Not because of any of those things... I'll do it because I need to know what draws Tsuzuku to me and I to him. And because I have to go home. I have responsibilities to other people.
"You're sure," the kitsune asked, stating the question.
"Yes."
"I can give you something that will regress you to the last few moments before your death. You may experience a few visions of the most vivid memories you had before your death-- I don't think it's strong enough to go farther. The potion will last about fifteen minutes and take five minutes to activate. I used it once before, when I was experimenting to find what would change me back to the youko of my own will. Does that sound good?"
"Yes."
"All right then. Give me a moment to prepare it." Kurama nodded at Genkai and Arslan and left the room.
"It may be the best way," Genkai told Arslan. "But it's still too early for us to decide so positively, considering the fact that we haven't really gotten a chance to test your limits or anything else about you. If you want, I can tell Kurama to forget it and we can concentrate on finding a better solution for you. Like what we tried before; we can try it again." She paused. "This just seems like the best solution, since the other didn't work."
"Then I will do it." Because I need to know.
Kurama returned with a drink a half-hour later.
Tsuzuku ran. He ran not like a human, but like a Ryudo. At full speed, following the dark figure before him. His shoes pounded against the wet pavement just as his shirt soaked in the rain.
He was a shitty mood.
No longer simply irritated at Hiei for the demon's indifference, he was now angry--angry, yes, and worried. Angry that *that* little pompous, arrogant ass of a demon would dare, *dare* threaten Arslan, again. For the second time that day.
The first time it had happened, Tsuzuku had been willing to let it go, to pass it off as one of the eccentricities of Kurama's lover.
The second time reminded him of the first attempt, which only augmented his fury.
Part of him realized that a large portion of his anger was a product of anxiety, an emotion that he did not enjoy feeling. The other part of him ignored this fact, however, and simply relished in hating the little demon before him. It was not entirely a foreign feeling to him, after all.
He kept the anger as long as he could, knowing how ridiculous it was for him to be angry. Gradually, however, as the rain poured against him, he felt the anger melt away to reveal what it had been shielding him from: fear.
Arslan...
The memories flooded in him, engulfed him as water does to a drowning man. They crashed into him, faster and faster, more and more, over and over again, so many so many so many! Images, visions, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, emotions, so many sensations so quickly so fast his mind couldn't absorb them all! It was too much, much too much and he knew that this was a mistake, that he should have tried another way to get home, that it wasn't worth it and he felt confused, lost, trampled.
He made a strange sound, sort of a cross between an "urk" and an "ack" and stumbled back, leaning against the stable wall, clutching his head and trying to clear himself of the visions. Faces, people, events-- it was all too much!
"Your Highness, why?"
And in one instant, he melted away and became another.
~
"Your Highness?"
The voice was ragged, speaking through clenched teeth as the speaker bore the pain the best he could. "Your...Highness...why do you do this? Why are you willing to risk so much, to save me?"
"Because I could not keep my other promise to you." It was his duty, and the very least he could do.
Hisui took another shallow breath. "Where...where is everyone...?" He leaned against the prince's shoulder, and they walked quietly through the tunnel.
Hoshiki gave a smile of reassurance, a feeling that he did not feel in the least.
"I'm taking you to them."
Hisui closed his eyes, leaning heavily against him. Hoshiki inwardly was grateful. He did not know how much longer he could carry conversation and help along his husband's former lover. Hisui is a lot heavier than he looks.
"This is the farthest that I can take you," said Faris, his servant. She smiled at him sadly. "All of the other servants will be punished for his disappearance if no one steps up, and I cannot leave them to suffer their fate alone, since I was the one who helped you."
Hoshiki looked at her, eyes with sorrow. "Come with us, Faris. Of all my servants, you have always been my favorite and the only one that I have considered a friend. Do not leave this guilt upon my head. I cannot leave knowing that you will be punished for my sake."
Faris smiled sadly, her green eyes holding a tender look as she glanced at Hisui. "It is not for you alone, Master. I have heard him play before, and his music entranced my entire being. I loved him for it, though he had never returned the feeling. It was never to be and I can accept that. But I love him and I am glad that I had this chance to help him."
The simplicity and sincerity of her actions touched him. Hoshiki smiled back, wishing that he could be as honest with his own feelings as the woman before him. "I thank you. Your actions have touched me deeply."
She bowed once, her black hair covering her eyes. "You must hurry. I will try to delay the discovery of his disappearance for as long as I can."
Hoshiki nodded.
Faris started walking down the end of the tunnel to her doom. And Hoshiki knew that she knew that she would die for this crime, but that her heart was content, and that she felt no regret. She stopped a few feet behind the prince, turned, and smiled, the tears running down her cheeks.
"Perhaps we will meet again, one day."
Then she turned and ran off.
Hoshiki slowly, inch by inch, moved through the tunnel and out of the side of the mountain that the Imperial Palace had been built into. The wound on his side throbbed terribly, and it hurt to walk, let alone help carry Hisui. He felt that he would faint at any moment, but doing so would make Faris's sacrifice in vain. Doing so would anger and endanger the dragons. Doing so, Hisui would be taken back for certain.
He could not, would not, faint.
Finally, for what felt like an eternity, they moved far away enough from the Imperial Palace and Hoshiki gathered his power to him. The familiar blue light flashed, and in the next instant, they were outside of the Quartz Palace.
He walked slowly, taking his time, and moved, foot by foot, into the protection of the Quartz Palace. There, he wasted no time and headed towards the direction where he knew they would be. His bedroom.
Hoshiki entered the room quietly, limping slightly as the pain in his side throbbed once more. The body in his arms was heavy, and he did not know how much longer he could carry him.
Moving slowly across the room, his eyes met the shocked faces of the Go brothers.
"Hoshiki...?" he heard his husband whisper in shock.
"Aoiki!"
"Hoshiki-niisama!"
Seiryuu-ou, unlike the others, acted rather than spoke. Immediately, he moved over to his brother-in-law and lifted the burden from his arms.
"Careful..." Hoshiki found himself whispering quietly as Hisui's body was taken from him. "He needs medical attention..." He faltered, and stepped back, feeling weak. Blood gushed from his side, but he did not bother to heal it. He knew that he should save his energy for worse, as they would need it soon.
And suddenly, he felt warm arms carefully hold him, as his husband slipped an arm around his shoulder, helping him stay up. He closed his eyes as he savored the moment when the one that he loved had his arms around him. He knew it would be one of the lasts.
Seiryuu-ou carried the unconscious musician and gently placed him on the crystal table.
"We have to quickly get you to a bed, where you can rest and we can heal your wound," Kouryuu-ou whispered in his ear, helping his match walk.
He shook his head, and spoke sharply. "We don't have time for that." He winced in pain and then spoke again. "Too summarize," he said tersely, "I went to the Imperial Palace to rescue Hisui."
Behind him, he felt his husband stiffen in amazement. He continued. "It...was relatively easy for me to sneak into the palace. It was harder to find Hisui and retrieve him..." He paused to take a breath of air, then continued. "One of my servants led me to him. And she told me what was going on.
"My father's been taken. There's no doubt about that. I'm not sure who did it or who is replacing him, but right now, the castle is under tight control. I'm not positive it's the Gyuushu, but I sensed their presence, so they are involved somehow. And I overheard some soldiers speaking...
"They're planning to attack here, soon, if we don't officially leave in exile. They will come with an army, to arrest us or to drive us away, saying that WE'RE responsible for my father's disappearance."
Hakuryuu-ou snorted in defiance. "So what? They can come here if they want. We can take them on!"
"They're too cowardly to attack us directly. They would rather attack the entire Go clan before attacking us, the leaders, directly. They have the emperor's forces under their control, and are willing to do whatever it takes to bring us down. In other words, there will be a war, unless we meet their terms."
"But we don't even know their terms!" Kokuryuu-ou protested violently. "They never sent us anything... Did they?" He looked at his older brother for confirmation.
"Actually...I just got something today," Seiryuu-ou sighed. He unrolled a large, sealed scroll that had clearly come from the palace. He read it silently for a moment, then wordlessly dropped it on the ground and stepped on it.
"Niisama..." whispered the youngest Go brother in shock.
"They want...everything..." Seiryuu-ou shook in fury. He clenched his fist and bowed his head for a moment. After a pause, he looked up.
"Why did you risk yourself to rescue Hisui?"
Hoshiki felt Kouryuu-ou's arm tense around him.
He considered lying, to save his match's dignity and pride. But he knew that Seiryuu-ou, more so than anyone else, needed to know everything that was happening. The information might or might not be useful. But it was vital that they were all aware of the dangers they were in. Every secret kept could be something that would interfere with their plans. Seiryuu-ou had made an effort not to keep secrets from him, and he always tried to return the favor.
Besides, part of him could not understand why either, and he felt that he had to justify to that part of himself as much as to his brother-in-law.
"If I did not leave to get him, Kouryuu-ou would have."
There was a moment of shocked silence.
Instantly, Hoshiki regretted his choice. He did not have to turn to see the angry look that Kouryuu-ou was giving him right now, nor the betrayal and hurt that would be in those gorgeous auburn eyes.
Seiryuu-ou was quiet. He stared at his younger brother, who avoided his gaze. Finally, he said, "I see." There was another pause. "Hoshiki, you should get that wound looked at. When it's wrapped, come back out and we'll discuss our options. Chuukei, take him to the other room, where there's an empty bed."
His husband was furious, his blood hot and angry. Hoshiki could feel it within him-- the fire of rage that was coursing through his body. He knew that Seiryuu-ou would reprimand Kouryuu-ou later, and that was why his match was so angry.
But suddenly, he was too tired to care. He leaned against Kouryuu-ou, and this time it was him that was supported by another. Seiryuu-ou sent a servant after them.
Kouryuu-ou took him to the next room. He laid him gently on the bed, and for a brief second, Hoshiki thought that he had been wrong, that maybe Kouryuu-ou was not angry with him.
But then his husband let him go, and walked back to the entrance of the room. He closed the door, then leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, his eyes narrowing as he watched his husband.
Silently, the servant began to tend to his wound.
"Hoshiki."
There was a thick silence.
"I," Kouryuu-ou began angrily as the maid washed the wound, "cannot believe you did that."
Hoshiki said nothing in reply.
The servant finished washing and moved to apply bandages.
"What were you thinking? Did you think that I was incapable of the rescue? That I couldn't do it because I was blinded by my emotions? Was that it?"
"Nothing like that."
"Then what? Did you honestly think that when I asked you for help, I was asking you to do it for me?" The Red Dragon King uncrossed his arms and threw them up in exasperation. He moved to stand before his match. "You USED your powers on me, made ME unconscious just so that YOU could run off and put yourself in DANGER?"
Hoshiki felt himself burn with anger. How dare he... How dare his husband question him so? He had left FOR Kouryuu-ou! Because his husband was still in love with his servant! Still loved him enough to go after him, into the hands of their enemies! How DARE he! Was this wound ALL that he received for his effort? Was THIS the gratitude he received for putting himself in danger, rather than the one he was tied to?
That was it, wasn't it? Tied. Forced. Not by choice, no, never by choice.
The servant finished binding the bandages and then left. Hoshiki didn't notice.
"You should talk. You're willing to risk yourself, risk the possibility of being a threat to your clan all for the sake of your former SERVANT?" He smiled bitterly, the anger pushing past the control he usually had. "I don't know the Imperial Palace all that well, but at least I know it better than you! I at least know the servants! I had a better chance at finding him and you know it! Whenever YOU visited all you ever did was mope in your room while Hisui played music for you.
"Your brothers explored the palace and played in the garden, but all YOU ever did was play with Hisui!"
Kouryuu-ou struck him across the cheek.
He reeled with the blow, stunned. Gingerly, he touched his cheek while his husband continued.
"YOU have a better chance? You've been trapped in one room your whole life! I've been in battle and I've killed many enemies. All you've ever received was training, and for what, I don't even know! What were you trying to do? Prove your courage? What obligations did you think you owed me that you would make yourself do something so stupid?" He gave a short laugh and then spoke his next few words more quietly.
"We may be bound together politically, but by nothing else."
With that, Kouryuu-ou turned to leave. "My brother will be telling us the conditions of the surrender. Don't be late." He headed for the door but stopped when he heard his match's voice.
Hoshiki stood up, his hand leaving his face. His voice was quiet but firm.
"What you said is now true."
Kouryuu-ou left the room.
Ten minutes later, Hoshiki found himself back in his bedroom. He did not know how his room had become the default meeting place, but there they all were, gathered before his bed while Hisui lay there.
Hisui...
Another servant had tended to Hisui's wounds while he had been away having his own looked at. Satisfied to see that the other was, indeed, alive, Hoshiki pulled up a chair and sat down beside him.
The brothers began to talk about their options.
"If we don't consent to their demands, then they'll destroy the members of the Go clan. There will be a war in the Tenkai."
"If we fight, we'll win for sure!" declared Hakuryuu-ou.
"We'd win," agreed the Seiryuu-ou. "We won before. But at what cost? Every member of the Go clan? The lives of innocents not involved? The destruction of other clans? They mean to warp the powers in the Imperial Palace and have everyone in our clan executed for our 'traitorous treachery.' "
"Can they do that?" Kokoryuu-ou.
"I'm afraid they can. They can turn everyone against us, by the sealed orders of the Golden Emperor. No one else knows that the emperor has been taken, and we have no evidence. None of the other clans would believe such a claim without proof. And--" A pause, as realization struck the speaker.
"And...?"
"And I just realized that I never really got a good look at the Emperor. The throne is always concealed behind the curtains of the throne room. And out of respect, we bow to him at the bottom of the steps. I've only heard his voice. If I've never seen his face, I doubt that there are many who have."
"I have," Hoshiki muttered, so quietly that he doubted they had heard him.
"Not to mention," Kouryuu-ou broke in, voice sounding tired more so than angry. "We don't have many allies. Everyone seems rather surprised that we were able to beat the Gyuushu clan so easily. They fear us, Seiryuu-ou. I'm positive of it now. You would not believe that such a thing was possible, but it is."
That was when Hisui woke up, wincing in pain.
"Hisui," Hoshiki said, relieved. "How are you feeling?"
"Awful," he replied.
Hoshiki smiled at that. "That's something, at least."
"Where am I?"
"The Quartz Palace."
Kouryuu-ou crossed over to join their conversation. He stood behind his husband, not looking at the latter, a worried expression upon his perfect countenance. "Are you all right?"
Hisui stared at him for a moment, and Hoshiki felt a stab of jealousy.
"Awful. But it's nice to see you again," he noted wryly.
Kouryuu-ou smiled at that. "It's nice to see you too," he said in a dry voice. But Hoshiki could hear the genuine pleasure behind it, and for a moment, the jealousy he felt was so strong that he had wished that he had left Hisui behind. He closed his eyes, not looking at anyone, his head bent in a feeble attempt to prevent Kouryuu-ou from seeing how much pain his words cost him.
"So what exactly do they want?" Hakuryuu-ou asked the clan leader.
"Everything. They want our half of the Jikai. Our half of the Human Sphere that we earned when we beat the Gyuushu in battle for it. They want us exiled, where, no doubt, they will send others to kill us. They..." Seiryuu-ou's voice faltered. "They want Prince Hoshiki, for reasons unknown to me..."
Hoshiki jerked from surprise, and then winced from the unpleasant pain that resulted from it. "Funny," he said, touching his side gingerly. "They certainly did not act like they wanted me."
Kouryuu-ou frowned, looking at his husband with an unreadable look.
"They WANTED you specifically," the King of the Southern Seas said unhappily, "And you snuck back into the palace?"
The Star Prince gave him an angry look. "Well, it's not like I knew that I was part of another unhappy barter!" He lowered his voice. "Again."
Kouryuu-ou flinched slightly from the words and then gave his match a cold look. "We'll talk about this later."
"Of course."
Seiryuu-ou's voice broke in.
"They want all of this...otherwise there will be a war and everyone on our side will be eliminated."
Stunned silence.
Finally, Hoshiki spoke hesitantly. "I have an idea..."
All eyes went to him.
The prince gathered his courage to himself and then spoke.
"We are to be banished. That much is clear. We have been accused of a kidnapping the Emperor. The other clans, sworn loyalty, will repeatedly attack us in war, over and over again, until we are defeated. With all the other clans united, we do not have much hope.
"But we can leave."
He looked at Hisui, patted the latter's arm, and then stood up.
"For the sake of the members of our clan, we /should/ leave. Exile. Nothing in the Tenkai holds us here anyway. We have been accused of a high crime: the taking of the Emperor. And although it's false, the other clans believe it."
"It's not that they believe it," Kouryuu-ou noted dryly. "It's that they wish to be rid of us. We scared them when we defeated the Gyuushu in battle. They did not realize how powerful we were, and they are afraid of that power."
"So what's your plan?" Hakuryuu-ou, ever impatient, asked.
"I will take us."
Silence.
"I don't know if you have ever heard, but I do have my father's abilities. And as you all know, the Golden Emperor has a certain degree of control over time and space. Among other things. I do not know many things, but I do know how to use my power.
"I can send us to the Earth. We can hide there, disguised as humans.
"Your armies are still recovering from your last battle, as you all are. But if we left, we could recover your energies while, at the same time, we can see what the Gyuushu's plans are for the Tenkai. We can see what they do and assess the situation then. After a month has passed, the ceremony for the coronation of a new emperor will come. We can gather our forces and attack them then, on our own terms. Maybe find my father, if he's still alive then, and restore proper ownership of the throne. Or, if there is no one else...take it for ourselves." He was, after all, the son of the emperor and heir to the throne, though everyone knew that day was unlikely to come. The marriage then gave the Dragon brothers claims to the throne, though he knew that they would probably not want the extra responsibility. Still, better power than death.
"But--" Seiryuu-ou began.
Hoshiki cut him off, knowing what he was thinking about. "Of course, we should take Her Majesty with us. She's the only one left in the palace who has not fallen into the Gyuushu's hands. Someone will have to rescue her. They will not leave her alive for much longer."
Seiryuu-ou closed his eyes, thinking. "I see. In other words, if we leave, we will prevent a war between our clan and all the other clans of the Tenkai. If we relinquish our power, then they will send someone else to control the Ryuushu. Clans that lose their leaders do not pay for their former leaders' crimes. That is the law of the Tenkai. They will not harm the other members of our clan in our absence."
Seiryuu-ou paused, considering. Finally, he asked a question that Hoshiki had hoped he would not. "Do you have enough power to send all of us?"
Four pairs of dragon eyes watched him.
Reluctantly, he admitted, "I'm not certain. My power is weak compared to my father's. There is a chance that I do not have enough power to send all of us." He thought privately, And that I will perish trying. "But regardless, I promise that your family will arrive safely and together."
Seiryuu-ou frowned. "You are family as well. Will you?"
Hoshiki forced himself not to cringe under the blue dragon's sharp scrutiny. "It is...easier to use my power on other people than myself. But I will try." He looked up and met the Blue Dragon King's eyes. "But regardless, the marriage between Kouryuu-ou and I was one of blood and fate. They cannot deny it. Even if I am not there, your family has claims on the throne. Claims you can use for you and your clan's safety." He paused, then tried to explain the urgency. "If we are to do this, then you must first send word to your clan that you are leaving. Otherwise the bulls may attack them trying to get to you, though you are no longer there."
Another pause of silence.
"You can't!" Kokuryuu-ou pleaded. He looked at his brothers. "We won't let him do that, will we?" he begged desperately.
Seiryuu-ou looked away, unable to answer. Clearly, he thought it was the best solution.
Hakuryuu-ou shook his head vehemently. "No. We can take care of the problem ourselves. Forget it. It's out of the question." He looked at his older brother, angrily. "He's your husband! Aren't you going to say anything?"
Kouryuu-ou was still staring at him in surprise. "Hoshiki, do you know what you're saying?"
"I'm saying what I believe is our only choice left."
"Of course that's not our only choice!" Hakuryuu-ou protested. "We could..."
"We could what? Go to war?" He smiled gently; he knew it was the only way. A smile formed on his lips, and he looked at Seiryuu-ou, who everyone listened to. "You know you have a duty to your clan to do otherwise. Seiryuu-ou, you know that this is the best solution."
"It sucks! It's no solution--"
Seiryuu-ou cut him off. "Shukukei...Hoshiki's right. It's the best plan."
"But..."
Hoshiki smiled. "Go," he whispered, forcing back the tears.
Seiryuu-ou gave him an understanding look at spoke volumes. Gratitude. Respect. Sorrow. Gently, he pushed his two younger brothers away from the prince. "Let's go."
"But--"
"Don't forget," he found himself able to say ", to pick up Her Majesty on the way."
Seiryuu-ou nodded. He pulled away his two youngest brothers, and they climbed onto the balcony.
"Bye..." Kokuryuu-ou sobbed.
"We'll be back," Hakuryuu-ou vowed. He was about to say more, but Seiryuu-ou shoved him off the balcony. "Don't be long," the Go leader warned Kouryuu-ou, and then he jumped off himself.
And in the sky, dragons appeared. One blue, one white, and one black.
Kouryuu-ou turned and looked at Hoshiki. Hoshiki watched him calmly, as if there was nothing to discuss between them, as if they had not just, moments before, had the worst argument in their history together. Hoshiki guessed that Kouryuu-ou was surprised that even after their argument, he was still willing to help his family so much, especially since his family were the ones that dragged Hoshiki into their political problems.
Kouryuu-ou said tersely, "We'll talk when we come back."
Hoshiki gave him a strange look.
"Certainly."
Kouryuu-ou nodded, then turned and jumped off the balcony.
Hoshiki sighed. The others did not know what this would cost him, though Seiryuu-ou guessed. But Seiryuu-ou's obligations always went to the clan first. If this were the only way he could spare the slaughter of his clan, then he would do it. Seiryuu-ou would not interfere with him.
"Your...Highness?" A weary voice croaked.
Quietly, Prince Hoshiki moved to the side of the bed. "Yes, Hisui?"
"Your Highness...I heard your plan...What will become of me?"
Hoshiki smiled reassuringly. "Do not worry, friend of my friend. I will send you with--" his breath caught in his throat as he thought of the other, and what the person before him meant to him. "Kouryuu-ou, so that you may be reborn with him and his family." The thought suddenly made him jealous, though he did not resent the person before him so much as wish he was also one who received Kouryuu-ou's affections.
Hisui turned and faced him, his violet eyes watching him steadily. "Your Highness, why? Why did you rescue me? Was it for Kouryuu-ou's sake? Because you were afraid that he would endanger himself for me?"
The Star Prince hesitated. "That was...part of the reason." He paused, and examined the one who still evidently held the heart of his husband. "The other part is just as I have told you before. I failed my other promise to you."
"Your promise to me...?"
"You asked me to take care of Kouryuu-ou. You asked me to forgive him, to love him." He laughed, and the sound was bitter. "It is true that I have forgiven him and that I love him. But I have failed in the first. I have failed to take care of his heart, for it still rests with you. He still loves you, and you are the only one he loves. He has cried for you, tears of rage and sorrow when he heard of your situation. He is willing to risk his entire family for you, something he certainly would never do for me. He loves you. He always has and always will. For that reason, I have failed in my promise to you, and that is why I rescued you."
Hisui shook his head weakly. "You are wrong."
Hoshiki touched his own cheek, which still burned from the memory of Kouryuu-ou striking him. "I am not wrong."
Hisui closed his eyes. He breathed heavily, and then spoke.
"I...I do not want to go with him."
The Star Prince frowned. "What?"
"I do not wish to be reborn with my former master. As much as I love him, I do not want to be tied down to him, to anyone, ever again." He looked at Hoshiki desperately. "You see, don't you? I love him, but his love is a cage. Forever I weep for losing him, and the pain is unbearable. I hope that he finds happiness with you, then hope that he does not. I cling to the hope that he will one day call for me again, though I know he will not. But because of this hope, this sick, false hope, I never leave so far as to be out of reach. I am always close by. That is how they found me.
"If you say that you owe me a favor, will you grant me one wish? Will you give me what you yourself lack?
"Will you give me my freedom? Freedom from Kouryuu-ou, freedom to love who I wish, to choose who I would, to serve who I would? Freedom from the Tenkai? If I am reborn with him, his magnificence will have me following him like a dog until the end of my mortal days. But he cannot return my affections, for he is always and forever, bound to be yours.
"I am...so...tired...
"Please...will you give me my freedom?"
And understanding the pain the other was going through, Hoshiki could do nothing more than nod his head.
"Thank you."
Hoshiki smiled bitterly. "Do not thank me for destroying you."
There was a flash of blue light as he used his power to lure the other into a deep, tranquil sleep from which there was no awakening.