Yui glanced up at the clock, somewhat surprised to see that it was nearly three in the morning. "Oi, minna, maybe we should take a break or something. After all, it is getting kind of late..."
Keisuke tossed the high school girl a can of soda. "Aw c'mon Yui, cutting class just this once won't kill you."
"Besides," Tetsuya added, "I couldn't sleep even if I tried, wondering what was gonna happen next."
Yui chuckled; she had to agree with their logic. She took a quick sip of the highly caffeinated drink, shaking her head slightly. "Ah, much better." The high schooler glanced back down at the book, blinking sleepily and beginning chapter seventeen. "'While the bandit seishi and college girl led their new arrival to the main hall, a certain monk was sleeping... or, at least, trying to...'"

Chichiri was dreaming again, and like many of his recent dreams an air of foreboding seemed to hang in the atmosphere. The monk found himself in almost complete darkness, blinking hard and trying to find his way around in the murky area...
Chichiri's feet sloshed through something- water, he realized suddenly- as he tried to grope about in the dark room. He stared hard, attempting to see something, anything...
"Koko wa doko?"
The monk whirled towards the familiar voice, surprised that he hadn't sensed the ki before. "Kiori? You there?" He reached through the darkness until his hand touched hers. "Stay close, okay? We'll find a way out of here soon, ya know."
"Hai," she replied confidently; Chichiri could almost see the sad, cheerful smile. "I trust you, Chichiri."
The two took a couple of steps forward, the chill water reaching up to their ankles. Suddenly, the monk ground to a halt. He had felt the ground give way before him- Suzaku only knew how deep the water was. "Kiori, chotto-"
Chichiri heard a screech next to him and felt Kiori's hand pulled roughly from his own. "Chichi-" a splash, then nothing.
"Kiori!? Kiori!?" Chichiri started to dive into the water, when something slammed into his back and wrapped it's soft arms around his neck.
"Yamete! Yamete kudasai, Houjun!" the female voice cried.
The monk's single eye widened- and here he'd thought she'd left his dreams again. "Kouran."
She hugged him tighter. "Don't, it's too dangerous! You could, something might... Just let her go, Houjun."
"But I-"
"Please." She kissed his neck once, twice. Kouran put her mouth near his ear. "Stay with me. It's not worth it..."
Chichiri's arms dropped to his sides in the water; he felt a tear trace it's way down his face as he mouthed the college girl's name, but he didn't try to break free from his former fiancee's hold. A part of him wanted to, but when Kouran sounded so desperate...
"After all, you don't even love her, right?"
Chichiri's eye snapped open; he panted hard, shivering and staring up at the darkened ceiling. He blinked his mahogany eye hard, bringing a hand up to wipe away the tears that had formed. "Oh Suzaku..." he shivered again, reaching over and fumbling to light the lamp by his bed. The monk blinked against the light, sighing in relief when he saw that Kiori was still curled up comfortably at the end of his bed.
Chichiri slipped his mask on with trembling fingers, running a hand through his hair and trying to force himself to breathe normally. "It was just a dream... just a horrible, nightmarish dream... it wasn't real, after all, so calm down..."
The monk's words couldn't reassure the nagging voice in his head that warned that dreams weren't JUST dreams. 'A premonition, maybe?' an inner part of him wondered. 'No, maybe not that... a reflection of emotions, and thoughts, then... that might make sense.'
"My past is hanging onto me," he muttered under his breath, nodding slightly. Now that he was starting to think rationally, the dream wasn't as terrifying, but definitely just as disturbing.
Chichiri watched Kiori's chest rise and fall slowly as she slept on, oblivious to all else. He remembered vividly the sound of her surprised scream, and how confident she'd sounded in the fact that he'd get them out of that place... He had wanted to save her, in the end... so... so why couldn't he?
"After all, you don't even love her, right?"
The monk touched a hand to her cheek, almost as if to make sure she was real; that the dream really HAD been just a dream. "But do I...?"
Kiori's eyes fluttered open slightly. "Mm..." her green orbs flicked upwards; she looked moderately confused as she saw the man leaning over her... the man leaning over her!?
The college girl screamed and automatically lashed out with a foot, hitting Chichiri hard on the chin and sending him head over heels off the bed with a surprised: "Daaaaa!"
A chibi Kiori sat up, now fully awake. She blinked wide green eyes as she realized what she'd just done. "Chichiri?" She leaned over the bed, watching him with concern. "Ano... Daijoubu ka?"
The chibi monk, whose head had somehow managed to become buried in the wooden floor, flashed a shaky victory sign. "Daijoubu ya know."
Kiori rubbed the back of her head, sweatdropping and blushing slightly. "Gomen, I... It's instinct."
"My fault, ya know," his voice muttered from within the floor. "D'you think you could gimme a hand, ya know?"
The college girl nodded vigorously. "Oh right sure!" She took a hold of the monk's feet and tugged as hard as she could, until after a few pulls Chichiri came free with a resounding pop! She dusted him off slightly, apologizing the entire way.
"I really am sorry about that, I just woke up and saw some guy, and it's just sorta the thing a girl does in that situation... I hope you didn't break any bones, no concussion or anything, right? Next time I'll wait until I completely wake up before beating the daylights out of the first thing I see, ah-heh..." she blushed slightly. "Er, speaking of which, can I ask what I'm doing in your room in the middle of the night?"
Chichiri nodded, glad that she hadn't asked the question that he really didn't want to answer. "We were working on the legend, and you fell asleep ya know. I didn't want to wake you- you sounded like you were having a good dream- so I just let you sleep and took the other side of the bed, ya know. No harm, right?"
She chuckled. "Not until I woke up and put a crater in your floor." Kiori paused slightly, wondering if maybe she should just drop the subject. Knowing she couldn't, the college girl took a breath and looked away. "So... why were you, y'know, leaning over me just then...?"
Chichiri poked his index fingers together nervously, staring at the ground and wondering how he could possibly explain. "Well, I..." the monk sighed heavily; he didn't want to lie his way out of this, especially when it had so much to do with her. "The truth is, I..."
The door to his room slid open with a bang, Ritsuka barging in as if she owned the place. "Wake up Chichiri-chan, we got ourselves a Code 1-2-4 in the Main..." the redhead trailed off, noting that the monk was wide awake. She cocked her head slightly at the interesting picture of Kiori and Chichiri both in the room, clothes slightly mussed and hair looking as if they'd just gotten out of bed. As realization struck, Ritsuka put a hand to her mouth and tried very hard to stifle giggles. "Oh, I didn't know I was interrupting anything..."
Chichiri blushed bright red, glad that his mask managed to cover most of the crimson. A chibi Kiori waved her arms wildly. "Ritsuka it's nothing like that! I swear!"
Ritsuka nodded, shooting the two of them a sideways glance. "Uh-huh. Well, I was going to tell you we've got an interesting visitor, but maybe it's better if I just leave you alone..." she noted the lump on Chichiri's head. "Wow Kiori, I never knew you liked it so rough-"
Kiori tackled her friend to the ground, clapping one hand over her mouth and thumping her over the head with the other. She punctuated each word with a punch. "Just- shut- up- baka- and- lead- us- to- this- visitor!"
Chichiri grabbed Kiori and attempted to pull her off the redhead. "Take it easy ya know! It's too late to get into a fistfight!"
A dazed Ritsuka pointed a finger at her college friend- quite the task, as she was currently seeing doubles of everything. "I agree completely with those Chichiris... Itai..."

Five minutes later Ritsuka arrived in the main hall with the rest of the Konan Warriors to where Tasuki was sitting, guarding their unofficial prisoner. The seishi had eventually put his rapier away, though he kept his golden eyes placed firmly on the former general and a hand near his tessen. Hataku had said little since they'd gotten there, merely staring into the brightly glowing lamp and thinking his own, private thoughts.
"Okay Tasuki-sama, who's this 'guest' Ritsuka-san keeps mentioning?" Akai muttered sleepily as she walked into the room, rubbing at a tired eye. "And is it really so important that you had to wake all of..." she stopped, seeing who it was. Akai remembered the old Takkan general too well for some injuries to keep her from recognizing him; she jumped back a full three feet. "You!?"
Hataku managed the flicker of a humorless smile. "Nice to see you again, as well."
Houki looked from the thoroughly repulsed Konan warrior to the impassive stranger, wondering why he looked somewhat familiar. "Um, do the two of you know each other?"
Chichiri was instantly on the alert, entire body tensed for action. "I'd say we all know him Houki-sama, ya know. That's Hataku, we met him the first day of the war ya know."
The Emperess racked her brain to place the name with the face, finally coming to the young man who had confronted them with Setsuka's "terms." The Konan leader's eyes widened as she stared at the man. "Oh, my! What in the world is the general of Takkan doing here?"
"Former general," Hataku corrected.
"Former?"
He nodded slightly, doing what came naturally to him and respectfully bowing to the Emperess. Not knowing how things were done in Konan, Hataku simply touched his head to the floor as he would do with his former Lady. "And you are the Emperess, if I'm not mistaken."
Chichiri moved so that he was between Houki-tachi and Hataku, just in case this turned into some sort of trap... though it would certainly be an unexpected move by Setsuka, sending in what appeared to be her crippled army leader to do some dirty work.
The quick movement was not missed by the former general; he chuckled slightly. "Calm down, Seishi, I have no intention of attacking anyone here, and even if I did I wouldn't be stupid enough to try it now. I've seen the sort of damage you can do to a soldier who is in a condition to fight- imagine what might happen to an unarmed cripple?"
The monk nodded, dropping his hands but not letting his guard down. "Tasuki, why exactly is Hataku here, ya know?"
The bandit seishi put his hands behind his head, shrugging. "He says he wants t'give us some information on Setsuka. He won't tell me anythin' else, said he didn't wanna have t'repeat anythin' to the rest of you."
Akai sat down on the floor as far away from the former general as she could possibly get. She watched him suspiciously through narrowed eyes. "Well, we're here. Let's hear some explanations."
"Akai, there is no reason to be so hostile," Houki reprimanded. She took a seat a bit closer to Hataku and Tasuki, nodding to the other Konan Warriors to do the same. Warily, they followed suit. The Emperess signaled to a waiting servant. "Hataku-san, is there anything you need? I can tell you have been travelling for a while."
The former general was moderately surprised by the gesture of hospitality, but decided not to show it. He shook his head slightly. "I'm fine, though I appreciate the offer."
Chichiri put his chin in his hands, watching the disfigured man carefully and trying to figure him out. "If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you a couple of questions about yourself and Setsuka, ya know."
Hataku held up a hand. “Before I do that, I need to be sure that you won't simply kill me once I've given you the information you need."
Kiori's eyes widened at the ridiculous suspicion. "You really think we'd do something like that?"
Hataku shrugged, turning his single brown eye to the college girl. "You'd be surprised what some people might do in the middle of a war. I just don't want to take chances- I've been 'killed' once already, and once was quite enough." His eye went back to Chichiri. "So, do I have your promise?"
Tasuki smothered a yawn. "Hai, hai, we promise. Swear on our lives, 'r whatever y'want us t'swear on. That good enough for ya?" A nod. "Great, now can we get on with this b'fore I fall asleep?"
The former general’s eye flicked from one Konan Warrior to the other, deciding that he could trust them. “I’ll tell you everything you wish to know about Setsuka to the best of my ability, and questions about myself to a certain extent. Any objections?” Several headshakes. “Then what do you want to know?”
Hataku was hit with the two similar questions, one from Ritsuka and one from Chichiri.
“Why did you leave the Takkan army, ya know?”
“What made you turn on Setsuka?”
Hataku paused for a moment, wishing he didn’t have to bring those memories back but knowing there was no choice- for them to trust him, it was the only way. “I had no intention of turning on that woman... she was the one who turned on me.” The Konan Warriors didn’t miss the pent-up emotion in the former general’s voice, or the way his fists clenched angrily. “How else do you think I wound up looking like this?”
Kiori frowned, having a pretty good idea what Hataku meant and not liking the thought at all. “Setsuka tried to kill you?”
“In the most painful way possible, though I don’t suppose I should have expected anything less from her,” he growled. “I was beaten to death, or at least that’s what she thinks. I happen to have a very odd streak of luck, and the job wasn’t done quite right- something she’s going to live to regret.”
The Emperess shuddered at the thought, feeling a twinge of sympathy for the former general. “Demo... doushite? I do not understand why a person would do such a thing...”
His eye flicked up to meet hers. “I was the only other person in Takkan with brains, power and a will of my own. Someone like that can either be your greatest ally or your worst rival, and Setsuka chose to make me her rival. Because of that, I became a threat to her position and had to be disposed of. A leader like yourself should understand that, Majesty.”
“I cannot say I do,” Houki murmured unhappily, the very thought of ever doing such a thing upsetting her. “Oh, but I can tell you do not wish to speak of this. Shall we change the subject?”
“Good idea. I have a question, actually,” Tasuki said quietly. Hataku turned around to face the seishi bandit, whose golden eyes were filled with a curious fire. “Well, it’s really more like a couple questions. The Elements, an’ they’re connection t’Setsuka, the whole deal... how’s that work out? An’ why’re the attackin’ Konan? More importantly, who the hell prophesized this ‘legend’?”
Hataku blinked at the long string of questions. “I was hoping for one at a time, not ten all at once. Still, being an Element yourself I can understand why you’d want to know.”
“I’m no Element, an’ don’t you ever ferget that!” Tasuki snapped angrily, hand on rapier hilt.
Hataku wasn’t in the least bit phased by his attitude. “You know you are, so why try to deny it? You should be proud that you are one, and still managed to resist her. Even those who aren’t directly connected to that woman have a hard time saying ‘no’ when she uses that power of hers.”
“Chikara?” Chichiri queried with a raised eyebrow. “What kind of power, ya know?”
Akai glared daggers at the former general, still not trusting him. "And while we're on the subject, why would you know so much about Setsuka anyway?"
Hataku fiddled with the end of his cloak, watching the shadows from the firelight play across the wall. “Hm... well, to answer everything you want to know, I’ll probably have to go into a bit of history.”
Ritsuka clapped her hands together. Her voice dripped sarcasm. “Oh, joy. Nothing like a good story at three in the morning.”
Hataku actually sounded somewhat annoyed. “Listen Konan Warrior, do you want to know about Setsuka and the Elements, or do you just want to complain?”
“My name is Ritsuka Ikido, Ikido-sama to you, and if I want to complain then you, practically a prisoner on enemy land, will just sit back and deal with it, or my friends and I will personally tear you a-”
Tasuki whacked her over the head, eyebrow twitching irritably. “Oh, shut up. Believe it ‘r not, I kinda wanna know why the hell I’m supposed t’be Setsuka’s little pet.” He nodded to Hataku. “Just ignore her, she’s an idiot anyway.”
Ritsuka rubbed at the quickly forming lump on her head. “Hai, hai, whatever. Gomen.”
“Very well, then...” Hataku’s eye flitted from the wall to the floor, as if trying to stare a hole through it. “As you might already know, fifteen years ago the late Edo-sama- Setsuka’s father- led an army into Takkan to wage a war against the leader who had been oppressing his people and our own for years. Edo-sama was recruiting every soldier he could find- I was fourteen at the time, and really much too young to be fighting...”

~~Commander Edo looked the young, determined boy in front of him up and down, wondering what in the world a child was doing in his tent. “Are you... lost, maybe?”
“Iie, Edo-sama,” he said, voice giving away that he couldn’t be any older that fifteen, probably less than that. “I’m here to sign up. To fight.”
“Fight?” the commander tried very hard not to laugh. “Listen, son, I don’t think you understand what you’d be getting in to. And anyway, no one under seventeen is allowed to join. Gomen.” Edo turned back to his paperwork, thinking the boy would go away. He glanced up a moment later, realizing he was still standing there. “Well? What now? Go on home, you should be helping your father with the chores, not trying to sign up for the army.”
“My father’s dead, Edo-sama. A Takkan raider killed him five years ago,” the boy said flatly. “My family and I need the money, sir. That’s why I have to enlist- it’s the best-paying job around. I know how to fight, so I won’t get in the way-”
Edo chewed on his lip. “You’re still a child, I CAN’T send you off to battle even if I wanted to. Sending kids into a war, what a sick idea...”
“There has to be a job, anything I can do!” he said somewhat pleadingly. “It doesn’t really matter what, so long as it pays enough to keep us off the streets. Please, Edo-sama?”
“Listen, I-”
“Otoo-san!” a ten-year-old girl trotted into the tent through a back flap, tugging at the ripped hem of her dress. “Otoo-san, can you fix this for me?”
The commander turned his eyes from the boy to the girl, sighing. “Don’t tell me you got into ANOTHER fight?”
She stared back at him with hard, stubborn eyes. “Those boys in the market were teasing me again, and I can’t stand it when people tease me! I’m the daughter of a commander, after all, and I shouldn’t have to put up with that!”
Edo rubbed his temples. “Maybe that’s true, but as the daughter of a commander you should know that you need to carry yourself with grace. Getting into fights all the time...”
Her lower lip quivered as tears filled her silver eyes. “Otoo-san...”
Edo sighed again. “Oh, don’t cry, it’s partially my fault. You don’t have a mother to teach you these things, and you’re by yourself so much it’s only natural that you’d get into trouble at times...”
The girl glanced over to the young boy in the tent. “Who's that, Otoo-san? He’s too young to be a soldier..." she marched right over to him, staring him straight in the eyes. "Looks like some kind of commoner to me. What’s he doing here?”
Edo looked from one to the other, a small smile tracing his hardened features. Maybe there was a win-win scenario to this after all. “Actually, this is your protector. I’ve only just hired him to look after you during the war, keep you out of trouble and make sure that nothing happens to you.”
“You have?” the boy asked, at the same time the girl queried, “You did?”
Edo nodded, putting a hand on his daughter’s shoulder and nodding at the boy. “That’s right. I think the two of you would make a decent team, for the moment anyway. Setsuka, dear, I want you to meet, er...”
“Hataku,” he said quietly, blushing slightly- young or not, she was still a surprisingly beautiful girl, especially those enchanting silver eyes... “Hataku Watanabe, miss."~~

"Wow, so you've known her for fifteen years, huh?" Ritsuka chuckled, flopping back on the wooden floor. "Musta been fifteen years of hell, considering the way she is."
"Quite the contrary, the first ten years or so were some of the best years of my life," Hataku corrected her. "That woman is a difficult person to deal with- she's of noble blood, it's really only natural that she'd be a trial- but things were never really rocky between the two of us until those Elements starting popping up."
"Have you been serving Takkan all those years, Watanabe-san?" Kiori wondered.
"Just Hataku, please. Watanabe's such a common name where I come from that even my men- former men, I should say- called me Hataku. And those fifteen years weren't always spent in battle- come to think of it, I didn't do much fighting at all until I turned seventeen." He paused, realizing that the conversation had shifted towards himself and not Setsuka- something he hadn't wanted it to do. "But I'm getting off-topic. You wanted to know about that woman and the Elements."
Tasuki leaned forward slightly, watching the former general's eye to see if he could catch him in the act of lying. "I definitely do. Tell me what lets her control 'em- or at least try to."
Hataku cleared his throat slightly; wordlessly Houki motioned for a nearby servant to bring them some drinks. "When Setsuka made her appearance here, did you notice the necklace she wears?"
Ritsuka nodded. "It caught my eye right away, what with the different colored gems and all."
"From what she's told me and what I've observed, that's her link to the Elements."
"That's all!?" Tasuki queried angrily. "Some stupid gems on a string are what causes her t'be able t'turn those kids into her puppets!? You've gotta be-" he stopped, remembering how Setsuka had pinched the red gem between her fingers right before he'd doubled over in pain. "Naruhodo."
Chichiri frowned thoughtfully. "Let me guess: seven gems, one for each Element, ya know." A nod. "That makes some sense, but... you wouldn't happen to know exactly how it works, would you?"
Hataku shook his head, but stopped. "Wait... when Edo-sama first gave the necklace to Setsuka- five years ago, right before he died in battle- he mentioned something to her- and me..."

~~"Setsuka, dearest, I want you to have something before I leave."
"Oh? A going-away present, Otoo-san? What is it?"
The Lord of Takkan chuckled; though his daughter was nearing twenty, she was still just a little kid when it came to receiving gifts. "Just a moment..." he reached into his satchel, digging around until he pulled out a seven-gemmed necklace. "Here, Setsuka. This is something I've been waiting to give to you ever since we arrived in Takkan, and now I think is the appropriate time."
The young Lady held the jewelry in her hand, turning it in every direction to watch the different colors sparkle and shimmer. "Sugoi, Otoo-san. But why did you wait so long to give it to me?"
He took the necklace back from her, looping it slowly around her neck. "Because there's something a bit unusual about this necklace. You see, my dear, before I decided to raise an army to take Takkan, I had a very strange dream. The dream told me to conquest the country we live in today, and that when I did I'd find an item of infinite power. Along with the item there was a scroll- I burned it long ago, but the words are still etched in my memory...
'A piece of a soul
Living within each gem
Give it to the offspring
Who can rule over them
Take the city of the South
And make it your own
With the help of the seven
Yours is the throne'"
Setsuka held up an orange gem in her fingers, feeling a life force pulsing strongly within it. "Lovely words, Otoo-san, but what are they supposed to mean?"
He cupped her hand in his, shrugging and chuckling slightly. "I don't know, not completely. But what I can gather is that a part of seven different souls are stored within these gems- your allies, I think. With their help, I believe that you, my daughter, may one day be the ruler of Konan."
"Konan... the city of the South..." Setsuka's silver eyes lit up with the idea of conquest- a good battle was something she and her father both relished, though from different standpoints. "I can feel them, their powers... Otoo-san, do you really think that one day I'll be the leader of THAT Empire?"
"If it's something you really want, then why not? The current Emperor is as young as you, and the city doesn't know fighting the way we do," Edo could see the fires of impatience in his daughter's eyes. "But Setsuka, there's no need to rush. A good commander always bides their time, like the patient bird of prey. Remember?"
She nodded, now moving a blood-colored gem in the light. "Of course Otoo-san, I never forget anything you teach me, especially if it involves leading Takkan."
"Good," he patted her cheek fondly, tossing the satchel over his shoulder. "I have to leave soon, to help with the battle in the north. I don't know if I'll return or not- something tells me you may not see your father again. If that happens, then I want you to seek out the Elements as soon as possible. There's some writing in the throne room that may be of help- Suzaku only knows how long it's been there- and the gems should do their own work, too." He looked over her shoulder at the dutiful young soldier, now a Captain, who had stayed near his daughter's side for such a long time. "And I'm sure you'll have plenty of help from Hataku-kun, as well."
"Oh Otoo-san, don't act like you're already gone!" Setsuka cried, throwing her arms around his neck. "You'll come back, you always do. And until then, I'll keep an eye on things around here, waiting for when you and the others come riding back in, victorious as always."
"Hm. Maybe." The Lord of Takkan broke his daughter's hold. "I really must leave, though. Be a good girl until I return, and don't go beheading any unruly guards."
She chuckled at the joke. "I'll try not to, Otoo-san!"
Edo started out the door of the small living area, glancing at Hataku out of the corner of his eye. "Ah, Hataku-kun, spare a minute of your time and walk me down to the stables, will you?"
Not knowing exactly what he was needed for, the Captain waved a quick good-bye to Setsuka and followed his master out the door. They walked in silence for some time, Edo waiting until they were well out of hearing distance of the room Setsuka was in before sighing heavily. "I don't think I'll be coming back. Last night... I dreamt that I had to give my daughter that necklace, because I wouldn't have another chance."
Hataku's eyes widened; he respected the Lord of Takkan to a high degree, almost as much as Setsuka adored him, and to have him die would be like losing his father again. "Edo-sama, are you sure...?"
"Don't question my words, Hataku-kun, I've been right far too many times for you to do such a thing," Edo said softly, closing his eyes halfway. "Let's talk about something else, for the moment. Hataku-kun, you joined the army because you needed money, you remember that?" A nod. "Doesn't pay as much as you'd like, does it?"
"My family is... alive and fed, at least," he said carefully. "They get by."
"Hai, but in this city there are better-paying jobs for a well-educated man like yourself, aren't there?" Another careful nod. "So tell me: why do you stay with the army, the place for suicidal men and violent idiots?"
"Why?" Hataku looked down, placing his words carefully. "Because I, well, I respect you, Edo-sama, and I wouldn't feel right simply deserting you after everything you've done for me... And... I mean... Setsuka and I are..." he blushed, clasping his hands behind his back. "That's all, Edo-sama!"
"Hm. If you say so." By now they had reached the stables. Edo put a hand on the door to the building, looking surprisingly grave. "Hataku-kun, I don't know what's going to happen next. Setsuka is a normal girl, for the most part, but that necklace holds a dark power that you and I can't imagine- you sensed it, you must have. I've been hanging onto that thing for the past seven years or so, and there's a force to it... very strange... the souls of those people, whoever they may be, it's almost as if you can feel when they're happy, grieving, angry, in pain..."
Edo watched a small bird fly across the sky, Hataku keeping his eyes on the Lord of Takkan. "It's a strange thing, that barrage of emotions. Now, Hataku-kun, I ask you: if that jewelry could have such a power over me, imagine what it might do to the person it was destined to?"
"It could drive someone over the edge," Hataku murmured. "It seems like an awful lot of power and responsibility to be leaving with such a young leader, if you don't mind my saying so, my Lord."
"Exactly, but I didn't create this strange legend we seem to be a part of," Edo said with a nod. "I hope that Setsuka will give up on the idea of conquest altogether, but I know her far too well for that to happen." He sighed heavily. "And unfortunately, I'm not going to be around when my ambitious daughter sets off on the quest, as I know she will. Which means someone is going to have to keep an eye on her, make sure she doesn't do anything stupid."
"You know I'll always be with her," Hataku told Edo. He blushed, realizing what that sounded like, and stammered a nervous addition. "I mean, for as long as it's needed to protect her, and all..."
Edo chuckled. "Hataku-kun, Setsuka is going to need a lot more than a bodyguard in the hard years to come- she's going to need someone who will protect her, care for her no matter what. Someone who she can always count on to help her, and keep her on the right path. A husband, if you will."
Hataku stiffened, nearly falling over in surprise. "S... Sir?"
The Lord of Takkan studied his nails. "How would you like to be the Lord of Takkan, Hataku-kun?" the Captain wasn't given a chance to stutter a reply. "I took a liking to you the moment you arrived in my office, you know. You're one of the few people who my stubborn daughter will listen to, and one of the even fewer people she seems to enjoy the company of. But, if you have someone else in mind..."
"I-ie, Edo-sama!" Hataku yelped quickly. "I'm actually quite fond of your daughter, truth be told, plus my family could come and live in the palace, and... and I wouldn't mind... I mean, that is to say, if your blessing is involved... I'd be honored, I s'pose... ano, Sir..." ~~

Kiori watched the general in the dim lamplight carefully. "Setsuka... you were in love."
Hataku shrugged his thin shoulders impassively, nodding in thanks to the servant who had brought him a small glass of alcohol. "Maybe we were, but who can say?" He sipped the drink reflectively, not giving any of the Konan Warriors eye contact. "What could have been and what are are two completely different things."
Ritsuka ventured to protest. "But you were going to-"
"Hai, but I doubt you were 'going to' fight in this war, and yet here you are and here's the battle," Hataku said somewhat snappishly. "At this point in my life there isn't one speck of love for that woman in my heart, so my past feelings are irrelevant, don't you agree?"
"Not really..." Ritsuka murmured, snatching the glass of sake out of Tasuki's hand and taking a couple gulps. "Anything else you wanna tell us?"
Hataku glanced over at Tasuki, who had been paying close attention to his every word. "You said you wanted to know why Takkan is attacking, and who wrote the legend?" A quick nod. "Well, I can answer part of that. Setsuka is attacking Konan because she, like her father, has a lust for power and battle. I don't think she would have tried such a risky thing- attacking a city protected by Suzaku and the seishi, I mean- if it weren't for the legend and the help of the Elements, though."
"And the legend...?" Kiori left the sentence unfinished.
The former general's answer was, to say the least, disappointing. "I'm sorry, but I don't know where it came from, or why, or anything like that. I don't even think Setsuka does, or if Edo-sama ever did." Hataku could tell that his answer wasn't what they had wanted, but couldn't help that. "Is there anything else?"
"Just one thing, ya know," Chichiri said somewhat carefully. "Why did you come to Konan? What would make you risk coming to an enemy city, ya know?"
Hataku spread his hands. "What makes you think I didn't just come here to be a good person and give you valuable information?"
Akai hadn't stopped glaring daggers at the former general. "Because your kind doesn't work that way. To just come onto enemy land, deliver some news, and walk off? Yeah, and I'm the Emperess."
Houki opened her mouth to warn Akai about manners, but was silenced by a dry chuckle coming from- surprisingly enough- Hataku. "Am I really that transparent? Very well, then, I suppose I may as well reveal my true objectives now."
"True objectives?" Kiori asked cautiously. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Chichiri and Tasuki tensed slightly.
A nod. "I came here because I was hoping I could stay in the palace. In exchange, I'd be willing to work with your soldiers- no offense, but they could use some proper training from a seasoned general."
"Former general," Akai growled.
Hataku decided to ignore her. "I don't ask for pay, just room and board... and a small favor."
Chichiri raised an eyebrow. "What sort of favor, ya know?"
"Nothing extravagant, I assure you." The former general paused for a moment to rub at his crippled leg- it occasionally ached in the evenings- then continued. "I'd like you to... to allow me to be the one to kill Setsuka."
Tasuki jumped up, hand gripping his tessen. "No deal Hataku! Setsuka's mine, and I'll kill anyone who tries t'interfere."
Hataku's single eye looked the seishi over, the brown orb finally meeting the pair of golden ones. His smile was somewhat crooked and humorless, but a smile nonetheless. "A kindred spirit, I see. Well, you'll have to finish her off fast, because I swore three weeks ago that I'd be Setsuka's killer. I plan to follow through on that, and I'll kill anyone who tries to interfere."
There was silence for a moment, and once again Hataku and Tasuki seemed to meet on a level of understanding. The seishi's hand dropped from his tessen as he grinned. "First come first serve, then, an' let's try not t'kill each other too much- someone's gotta be alive t'finish her off, after all."
Hataku seemed to perk up, just slightly. "So, does that mean I'm to stay here?"
"I'm okay with it," Tasuki told him. He jerked his head at his comrades. "But I'll have t'talk it over with them first, of course."
Hataku gestured for them to discuss the issue. "Understood. Take all the time you need- I'm not going anywhere, after all."
The six Konan Warriors huddled together to take a vote, though everyone knew that Houki's word would be the only one to truly determine Hataku's fate.
Chichiri shrugged. "He did go through a lot of trouble to get here, ya know. I doubt that anyone would risk all of this unless they were telling the truth. I think he's safe, ya know."
"I got nothing against the guy," Ritsuka said. "And to be honest, the army could use some help- ever since Koji died," she seemed to be the only person who could ever talk about that, "there's been a huge lack of leadership."
Kiori was thinking about a salve she could give Hataku for his injured leg, and her answer was a distracted one. "Hai, hai, looks like he's had enough trouble without us adding to the list."
All eyes went to Akai. The warrior girl practically quivered with emotion. "Absolutely not!" she cried, barely keeping her voice down. "It makes me sick to even THINK about working with that man!"
"What've you got against him?" Ritsuka asked. "I'd say he's been a big help so far."
"Have you all forgotten that he led the army that's killed hundreds of Konan soldiers!?" she spluttered, getting ready to work herself into a fine temper. "And besides that, soldiers of any order are supposed to live by a code of honor and loyalty, and this man- and I use the term loosely- has none of either! He's a scummy traitor, and-"
"Akai, that is quite enough," Houki stopped her; her voice was quiet but firm, and almost angry. "I understand your feelings, but you are judging a person before you know them. I believe that Hataku deserves to stay at the palace, even though- no, especially since he was exiled from Takkan."
"But Majesty-"
"I am sorry that you disagree, Akai, but you are out-voted," Houki reminded her. "I believe that it would be in your best interests to at least try getting along with him, seeing as how the two of you will be fighting in the war together."
The warrior girl looked like she was about to object, but changed her mind at the last second. She ducked her head so the others couldn't see the hurt in her eyes. "Well, then... if that's decided, then may I be excused? I apologize, but I just don't think I can stay in this room much longer..."
Akai didn't wait for an answer; with a hurried bow to the Emperess, she turned and walked swiftly out of the room, angry at herself for blowing up and devastated that her older friends would allow a traitor into the palace.
Chichiri watched her go. "Maybe I should go talk to her, ya know."
"Do not bother, Chichiri," Houki said with a sigh. "Akai is a good person, but she has a stubborn streak. I doubt that anything you say would change her mind on the subject."
Hataku's eye was still on the door Akai had left through with the others turned to face him. "Is she okay?"
"She will be," Houki told him. "She just has... disagreements with our decision." Hataku's brown eye watched the Emperess closely. She smiled. "Welcome to Konan, Hataku."
The former general allowed a fleeting grin as he stood- wincing slightly as the action sent a knife of pain down his bad leg- and bowed to the Emperess. "Arigatou gozaimasu, Majesty."
Houki chuckled. "You are quite welcome. Please, though, enough of this bowing- it makes me feel somewhat uncomfortable."
Hataku was moderately puzzled and a bit wary to hear that coming from an Emperess, but was relieved with the order. He gratefully stood- Kiori didn't miss the slight grimace. She turned to Houki. "Would you excuse me for a minute, Highness? I need to get something for Hataku-san."
"Oh, of course," Houki paused to stifle a yawn. "As a matter of fact, you are all excused- it really is quite late. Hataku, why don't you come with me? I can give you a bunk with the other soldiers, or if you would prefer, a private room."
"If it's all the same to you, Majesty, I'd prefer privacy," Hataku told her. "But if that's too much trouble..."
"No trouble at all," Houki assured him. "There are plenty of spare rooms in the palace- I can put you in the one next to Tasuki, if neither of you mind."
"I wouldn't, Houki-sama," Tasuki told her. "As a matter-a fact, I'll lead him there myself. I still got a few questions about Setsuka."
Hataku followed the seishi out of the room. "I'll do what I can to answer them. Setsuka confided a lot in me during those last moments, probably because she didn't expect me to live to tell anybody. I know a lot more than I used to."
"Tell me everythin' you can remember. I'll need t'know it if I expect t'beat her in battle."
"You beat her?" Hataku snorted, and there almost seemed to be a faint hint of amusement in his voice. "Perhaps you can beat what's left of her after I kill her."
Chichiri tailed the two, rubbing the back of his head and sweat-dropping. "Well, before the two of you kill her, do you think I could get in at least a couple whacks with my staff, ya know? She DID manipulate a lot of people to do what she's doing, and I'd like to teach her part of the full lesson, ya know."
Tasuki looked over his shoulder, smirking slightly at his friend. "Only if you promise to do my laundry for a month. Oh, and once we win this war and we start wanderin' again, you're carryin' me on your back whenever I get tired for the first... oh, six months or so."
Chichiri facevaulted. "Da... you take Setsuka, I'll take my health, ya know."

Sora hadn't been able to sleep well since her friend's death; she was awakened once more by a pitiful moan coming from Tsuchi's room. "Poor Tsuchi. He's been tortured so many times that even when Setsuka-sama isn't squeezing the ki out of him, he's still in pain."
There came another soft whimper again. With a tired sigh, Sora stood up and went back to his room. She pushed a strand of midnight blue hair out of her face, taking a seat next to Tsuchi's bed. "Tsuchi?" she called quietly.
"Sora," his voice was tight with pain, and he spoke in halting tones. "I haven't... seen you in a while. Mizu-chan... told me about Kaze. I'm sorry."
"Don't be," she told him. "He was finally freed from Setsuka-sama's bond; it is something we three can only imagine the pleasure of. Kaze is much better off than we are, I assure you Tsuchi."
The boy tried to sit up. "It doesn't have to be that way, Sora! You... Mizu-chan... you can leave! You can... be free of her... I know you could..."
The warrior girl shook her head. "Poor boy, you still don't understand. Setsuka-sama is connected with us far too closely for a simple escape to work. No, the only way we could ever fully escape that damned woman is through death."
"Is that... is that really true?"
"I am sure of it," Sora said with a nod. "Otherwise, I would have left long ago, as soon as I heard of Kaze's fate. But I can't- my bond with Setsuka-sama will not allow it. You yourself must understand that, or you would have escaped after you betrayed her."
The boy understood her words far too well. "You're right..." Tsuchi grabbed her wrist tightly. "If that's the case... then... Sora, please... please kill me!"
The warrior girl's eyes widened. "Tsuchi, I-"
"If that's the only way I can be free... free from her power! If that's the only way... I can keep her from drawing... her strength, her evil strength... from me... then kill me! I don't want to help her in any way!" His innocent, boyish golden eyes started into hers pleadingly. "Your magic... would make it painless... wouldn't it? Just one... quick swordthrust..."
'He's far braver than any of us combined,' Sora realized with a start. 'To ask something like that... and all just to stop aiding in Setsuka-sama's evil cause...'
"Sora. Please."
The Element jerked her wrist away from him, standing up hurriedly. "Iie, Tsuchi! I could never do that to one of my companions! No matter how much you beg... I can't!" She stood, taking a step towards the door. "You can hate me all you want, but I just could never do that."
He smiled slightly. "You're... a good person, under it all. I couldn't... hate you for this. I'm sorry I asked you... to have a such a burden on your shoulders."
Sora felt her eyes fill with tears, though she wasn't sure why. "I should be the sorry one. Good night, Tsuchi."
She darted out of the room as quickly as her feet would allow, throwing herself onto her bed and punching the wall angrily. "Damn you Setsuka-sama! Tsuchi is one of the strongest, bravest people I've ever met, and yet you still sentence such a good person to this fate! How could anyone ever be this cruel... this evil..." she sighed, closing her eyes halfway and rubbing her sore fist. "I just don't understand it all."

Kiori had spent a good twenty minutes preparing the medicine for Hataku; former enemy or not, the healer in her wouldn't let him continue in the obvious physical pain he was in. The college girl knocked on his door quietly, hoping that he wasn't already asleep.
She only had to wait a few seconds for the door to open. The former general, having only just gotten the curious Tasuki out of his room, was still fully awake. "Oh, it's you. For a moment I thought that Seishi had decided to ask me another barrage of questions."
Kiori chuckled. "Nope, just me." She held up a small bottle. "I brought something that I thought you might need. Do you mind if I...?"
Hataku stood aside. He had decided long ago that the best way to live in this palace was to treat the Konan Warriors with respect, and he didn't plan to slack off just because this girl wasn't a seishi. "Not at all. Come in, just please try to make this brief." He glanced at the bottle as she past. "May I ask what that is, uh..."
"My name's Kiori Sakamoto, and it's a salve for your leg. I noticed it giving you trouble earlier."
The former general couldn't help but show his surprise at the kindness a total stranger was giving him. "Arigatou, Sakamoto-san."
"Oh, just call me Kiori," she told him. "Sakamoto is such a common name where I come from."
Hataku chuckled just slightly, listening as Kiori lectured him on dosages, when to use the medicine, and so on. "...Okay, give it a try and tell me I didn't screw up the ingredients."
"What happens if you screwed up the ingredients?" Hataku asked warily.
Kiori smile dripped innocence. "Either an explosion, or nothing." The general sweatdropped; Kiori giggled. "I'm just kidding. I'm sure I didn't mess it up, but if I did the worst that would happen is a slight swelling."
Kiori tossed him the bottle, which the former general barely managed to catch- he hadn't realized how much of a hit his depth perception had taken. He stared at the small item in mild confusion before quietly asking, "Why are you doing this for me? I was your enemy a short time ago, practically Setsuka's right-hand man."
"Well, you aren't now, right?" Kiori reasoned matter-of-factly. "You became our ally on your own free will, and no matter the circumstances that still makes you a friend."
"How do you know this entire thing isn't a set-up? That I'm still working under that woman?" Hataku queried.
"Hm..." Kiori paused for a moment, stroking her chin as if in deep thought. She looked up, smiling. "I suppose... we don't!"
Hataku sweatdropped. "Ah, now it makes perfect sense."
Kiori giggled. "I never figured that you had a sense of humor, even a dry one." She took a seat on the floor, smoothing her skirt slightly. "We just trust you, I guess."
The Takkan man had been betrayed too many times by his former Lady to trust someone that easily, and it was almost beyond his comprehension that someone else had that ability. "Demo... doushite?"
"You may not believe this, but the answer's really pretty simple." Kiori looked at the floor for a moment, trying to figure out exactly how to explain it to him. After a slight hesitation, she decided to just be truthful. "I think you have a good heart. I can sense it. I know that sounds odd..."
"Not as odd as you might think," Hataku interrupted. He sipped at a glass of wine he'd poured for himself. "Though I must admit, you're one of the few people who's ever said something like that to me."
"I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true. You've been through hell, but you seemed to come out with your values still intact. Unlike that woman you work for- ugh, I only met her once, but once was enough..." She scratched at her arm, remembering a question she'd been meaning to ask the former general. "Hataku-san, may I ask you something? You don't have to answer if you don't want to, it's just... it's about Setsuka..."
"I told you before that I'd answer anything about her that I could," Hataku reminded her.
"Hai, of course," Kiori bit her lip. "Well, it's kind of a strange question, actually, but... from what you told us before, it sounds like Setsuka used to be a decent person- a bit difficult, but not so bad." A nod. "So what... what changed her into who she is now?"
Hataku frowned thoughtfully, eye once again staring into the flame of the lamp. "I don't know, not completely. She was always spoiled and power-hungry; maybe those traits just worsened as she got older."
"Well, maybe," Kiori sounded unsure, "but that wouldn't explain how... how damn sadistic she seems to be! I mean, she captured our friend when he was injured to the point of death, she's sending out kids to battle and she doesn't seem to give a rip when they die..." he looked at her, and the college girl turned chibi and quickly added, "not to mention what she did to you, Hataku-san."
The former general didn't say anything for a while; he was fighting a decision between answering Kiori's question and revealing more about himself, or leaving her ignorant. Finally, he decided to keep his promise from earlier. "The necklace. I always noticed a dark power radiating from it- though these days the power seems to come from her and not just the gem. I'm sure that must be it; she started to change right around that time. I'm sure it has something to do with that."
"Change? How, exactly?"
He nodded. "I first noticed it three months after Edo-sama died- it was the first time she'd spoken to me or anybody since his death. The two of them were very close, you know..."

~~Hataku walked quietly into Setsuka's chamber, a tray of food in one hand. Normally he wouldn't dream of performing a chore that was much better suited to servants, but the captain was the only person the grief-stricken Lady of Takkan would see.
"Um, Setsuka?" he said timidly. "I brought you some dinner."
There was no response, but Hataku hadn't expected one- Setsuka hadn't said a word since Edo's death. The relatively young captain cleared his throat, shifting from foot-to-foot as he stared at his unofficial fiancee's back. "I'll just... leave it here, and you can eat some when you're ready."
"I can feel them," she said quietly.
He stiffened, not liking the dark note in her voice. "Beg pardon?"
"I can feel them, Hataku," she repeated, sounding almost in pain. She touched the gems around her neck. "For three months, now, I've felt their pain meshed with my own, their sorrow and mine combined, their anger as well as my own... and their joy, which still cannot ease my own heart." Setsuka hugged herself, closing her eyes tightly. "It was horrible, but... I've finally learned how to control it, a bit." She stood decisively. "As well as my own emotions."
Hataku didn't understand her words exactly, but the last part sounded somewhat hopeful. "Does that mean you'll be out and about again?" The thought of her in this room with nothing but her own sorrow had worried him for a long while, and if she was ready to move on then it would certainly lift a weight off his shoulders.
"Hai," she said quietly. "I have no choice. They're calling for their Lady, they must be."
"'They' are?" he asked cautiously.
A nod as she turned towards him. "I have to fulfill my father's last wish. I have to find these seven people, and take Konan." She walked right past him, barely looking at her childhood friend and heading out the door. "I'm going to the throne room, where Otoo-san said there might be some clues. Stay here, I'll return shortly."
Hataku did as she said, though he was uneasy about the idea of leaving- what he thought to be- his unstable mistress alone anymore. A few minutes later she came back, looking better than she had in a long time. Setsuka even smiled at him, the same charming smile that had intrigued him when they were kids. "All right, then. I know where I can find the first two Elements. From there, I might be able to get clues on where the next ones are. Once we've got the first six, we can attack Konan and it's warriors."
The captain's face was a picture of bewildered confusion. "Nande-"
"I'll explain later, my dear captain," Setsuka said with a secretive smile. "I'll be leaving tomorrow, though, so there isn't much time to pack and prepare. I'm going to need your help, Hataku." He respectfully waited for her to finish. "Come with me, be my bodyguard as you once were, all those years ago. It'll be just like old times- together, we'll find those Elements and make Takkan even greater than it is!"
Hataku was an intelligent man, but his Lady was speaking in riddles. "I'm afraid I don't understand. Elements, Warriors, and leaving so soon?"
"I'll explain it while we're on the road, Hataku," she replied easily. "And we must leave soon, I don't think I can relax knowing there's a country to be conquered and warriors to gather."
Hataku shifted from one foot to the other, not liking this idea very much. "Permission to speak freely, my Lady?"
She laughed, a sound the captain had missed hearing. "Hataku, you know you always have my permission to speak. And enough of that 'my Lady,' business. You're my friend much more than my underling, you should know that by now."
"Right, gomen," he relaxed slightly. "I understand your wanting to get these, er, Elements, but you're the ruler of Takkan now. You can't just get up and leave like that."
Setsuka's frown was borderlining a childlike pout. "Oh, damn. I forgot about all that annoying leadership nonsense." She paced slightly, chewing on her lip and thinking hard. After a moment, she clapped her hands and smiled. "How simple! I'll put father's advisor, that Mamoru fellow in charge while I'm gone. He can handle everything."
"I still don't think you should-"
Setsuka put a finger to his lips. "No arguing, now. I'm really not in the mood to get into a discussion about it. If I say it's okay, then it is. I am the Lady of Takkan, aren't I?"
"H-hai," Hataku didn't like the slightly dangerous, commanding look in her eyes. "Do you have to leave tomorrow, though?"
"Why not? Is there a banquet or something?"
"Iie, Setsuka," the captain fidgeted slightly. "I just thought, well, Edo-sama talked to me about, er, the two of us..."
"Right, right, all that," Setsuka said it in such an off-hand way that it actually hurt Hataku a bit. "Listen, how about if we forget all about that ridiculous marriage?" He looked at her, trying to keep his face void of emotions. "I mean, after all, the entire thing is just for convenience, you must know that was well as I do. It's all for my father's peace of mind and your family's welfare. A person should get married because they want to, not because they have to, and I have no desire of sharing the ruling of Takkan with anyone at the moment."
Hataku opened his mouth to object. "But Setsuka-"
She waved a hand to silence him, grabbing a brush from her dresser and combing her golden hair out in long, quick strokes. "Oh, don't worry about your family. As a matter of fact, I had a better idea anyway. How does this sound, Hataku: I will make you my general. You're the smartest person we've got in the army, and old Yukari is getting to old to manage anyway. As general, you'll get paid a bit more than you do now, which will help your family out."
"But Setsuka, I-"
She frowned slightly. "It isn't MUCH more, I know, but after we've defeated Konan, I'll need someone to rule over Takkan. I think the position would suit you well, general."
The idea of being the Lord of Takkan WAS a promising one, but something was still bothering Hataku, though he wasn't sure exactly what it was. Setsuka frowned at his face expression. "Oh, don't look so sad! Your family will live in the palace with you, once the war is over, and I will rule over Konan as your close ally. This way, we both win."
Hataku clasped his hands behind his back nervously. "Hai, Setsuka, but... well, I guess I was kind of... I mean... you and I..."
She leaned in suddenly on tiptoes, grabbing Hataku's chin and touching her lips to his. The newly inducted general's eyes widened in surprise at the gesture, but he didn't try to pull away. There was a fire of sorts that raced between them- Hataku doubted it was love, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.
The kiss was over as quickly as it had started; Setsuka took a step back, smiling and shaking her head. "There. Does that make you feel better? Really, the things a person must do to get a man to comply with their wishes." She put her hands on her hips. "So, old friend, are the terms agreed to?"
Hataku blinked, stumbling over his words as he tried to shake off the shock at the kiss, and the fact that it meant absolutely nothing to Setsuka. "Hai. Deal. Hai..."~~

"It wasn't, was it?" Kiori asked suddenly.
Hataku's head snapped up. "Wasn't what?"
"A marriage of convenience," Kiori told him. "You were in love with her, and she with you, at some time. Weren't you?"
The former general's brown eye flitted back to the floor. "I fail to see the relevance of that question. It's far into the past, so it really doesn't matter."
"But it does matter!" Kiori cried, surprising herself by the anxiety in her voice. "Because you loved Setsuka, right? And... and she loved you back... didn't she?"
"Why does this matter so much to you?" Hataku asked somewhat irritably.
"I guess because... If someone could love a person, then they can never be truly evil. If Setsuka really did love you, then there must be SOME good in her!" The college girl blushed in embarassment. She wasn't usually this out-spoken- Ritsuka must have been rubbing off on her. "That's what I think, anyway."
Hataku was silent for a moment. After a couple of seconds had passed, he answered carefully. "I wanted power, and money. Edo wanted Setsuka's safety. That's all there was to it. We were friends at one time, but that soon ended as well."
She could tell he was lying, but decided not to press it- yet, anyway. "But what... why did the two of you wind up on such poor terms?" Kiori continued, knowing she should stop pestering the former general but unable to. "To make her do... what she did..." A small shudder coursed it's way through Hataku's body at the mention of what she had done to him; the college girl wished she hadn't mentioned the incident. "Gomen, I shouldn't have brought all this up. You're tired- I'll just-"
Hataku held up a hand. "Wait, now. I've got this far, you may as well hear the rest. Besides, it might help you realize exactly what you're up against."
Kiori nodded, watching as the former general once again sunk into a world of bygone days. "During our trip of gathering the first six Elements, I noticed that Setsuka seemed to get, well, snippish, commanding, and more ruthless. Some of the Elements didn't want to leave their homes, so she had to manipulate them into believing that they were doing some fantastic favor for the world. I think it was somewhere along there that she realized she had the power to basically bend their will to match her own; she exercised that power often.
"She was more distant with me, as well, spending more and more time with the Elements and hardly giving me the time of day. I was busy, though, so it was understandable- the economy had plummeted while the two of us were away, and Setsuka had been forced to raise taxes. Some people thought the extreme raise was unfair- it was, but it wasn't my place to tell her that- and started rebelling. Naturally, it was my job to root them out, so I didn't have much time to talk to Setsuka.
"I don't think I really understood how much she had changed until I spoke to her one day, nearly three years after her father's death, about the first couple of rebels I'd caught..."

~~Hataku entered Setsuka's gardens as quietly as possible. His brown eyes darted around the area, finally resting on where the Lady of Takkan was sitting, watching something.
"Hataku, come here," she said in the commanding tone she had gradually adopted since her father's death.
The general did as she said, blinking in surprise at the bloody, beat-up body of a bird that Setsuka was watching. The Lady of Takkan spoke before Hataku could. "This animal got in a fight with a fellow member of it's species. The two of them were of the same experience level, size, and age." She scooped the pitiful animal in her hands. "So, tell me, why did this one lose?"
"Ano-"
"I'll tell you, Hataku. It it because the other one was fiercer, more ruthless... cruel, almost. In life, the ruthless fighter will always prevail." She was quiet for a moment. When she finally did speak, her voice trembled slightly. "I was told that my father was killed by a traitor, by someone he called friend, and for three years I have wondered how that could have happened to him. Over the years, I think I finally figured it out."
"H-hai?"
"My father was a good, brave fighter, but he was a fool, Hataku. To be a true leader, you must be willing to step on everyone's necks, no matter who that person is, and you cannot afford to have silly things like friends. To show mercy, kindness, trust to anyone are the stupidest things you can do. A person like that, when all is said and done, will ultimately fail. Just like this bird..."
Hataku winced as Setsuka carelessly snapped the neck of the small animal, dropping it back into the grass. "When my Elements fight Konan in a couple years, they will win. Not because of their skill, necessarily, but because I will be the one to lead them. I, who understand the secret to victory."
The general tried not to look at the dead bird. "Fighting in two years? They're so young, doesn't that seem a bit soon? Perhaps, if you want to fight that quickly, the army should just attack Konan on it's own..."
"Don't question me, Hataku," Setsuka's voice was like a whip. "As the Lady of Takkan, I demand more respect than that. My Elements WILL fight, and die if I so desire. Just as you and your men will, my dear general."
Hataku remembered how disgusted Edo had always been at the thought of children fighting. He had to agree with the old Leader, though it made little difference now- Setsuka's word was law. "Hai. Of course, Setsuka."
The general tensed at the razor-sharp edge in her voice. "What did you call me!?"
"Ano... I called you Setsuka. What else would I..."
Hataku was cut off sharply. "Am I, or am I not the Lady of Takkan?" her voice sounded tight, as if she was fighting to control her temper.
"You are."
"Then I expect to be addressed as such, general."
Hataku blinked several times in confusion, remembering what she had told him before. "But before, you told me that we were friends; that I shouldn't call you by the terms of nobility-"
"Times change," she said shortly. "I have no need for friendship- only servants and soldiers. Is that clear, or do I need to... make it clearer?"
Hataku saw her nails dig into her dress slightly; he gulped involuntarily, feeling as if his pride and closest friendship had just taken a fatal blow. "It's clear... my Lady."
"That's more like it," Setsuka stood, turning to face her general. She looked at him expectantly; Hataku knew what she wanted. Face burning in embarassment, the general touched his forehead to the ground. "You catch on fast. What did you have to report?"
"We caught a few of those rebels, Setsuka-sama," Hataku explained, trying to keep his voice void of emotion. "They're to be put on trial, and-"
"Don't bother," Setsuka said icily, studying the blood-red gem of the one Element that hadn't been revealed. "Have them executed tomorrow. Publicly."
Hataku's head jerked up in surprise, but he somehow remembered his manners. "My Lady?"
"Let it be a demonstration to those other maggots. None shall oppose me and live: they will learn that lesson, or die."
"But Setsuka-sama, law says a trial is-"
Setsuka whirled on him, eyes flashing dangerously. The former general had been through a lot during his past twenty-seven years, and considered himself a fairly brave man. Even so, he found himself more afraid than he'd been in years when his Lady turned towards him. Her voice was low, but it dripped anger and contempt.
"None shall oppose me and live, Hataku," she said quietly. "That includes citizens, soldiers, AND generals.. Don't think that just because you are who you are that you are indispensable. My orders are to be followed at all costs, without question or complaint. If you have a problem with that, then I can quite easily... 'dispatch' you from the army and have a little, mm, chat with your family."
Hataku's eyes widened slightly at the threat. "You wouldn't-"
"Wouldn't I?" Setsuka smiled up at him, a cold-hearted expression that held nothing but malicious greed. "I doubt that I will have to worry about that, though. You have been loyal to me through it all, and that is something that will, over time, be rewarded well."
As she had done once before, Setsuka grabbed her general's chin and forced her lips upon his own. Hataku was too worried about the safety of his own life and his family's to resist, though he would've liked to do just that.
The last time this had happened, there had been something enjoyable about the action; maybe not love, but at least a bit of flirtatious passion. This time, the gesture held nothing in it but a cold, greedy malice; possibly lust on Setsuka's side, but nothing more.
They broke apart quicker this time, Hataku taking a step back. Setsuka flashed that same, wicked grin at him. "Everything is understood, then?"
The general averted his eyes from hers, feeling a spark of resentment in his heart and a feeling of- could it be?- sadness; where had the woman he had once known gone? "Hai... my Lady."~~

Kiori frowned. "How awful! You know, the more I hear you talk the more I start to think that Setsuka's a victim of a very strange legend's power, and not really such a bad person at all."
Hataku actually laughed, a noise that sounded somewhat hoarse, as if he didn't use it often. "You'd be wiser to pity the devil himself! Kiori-san, I understand where you're coming from- believe me, I used to spend hours trying to rationalize her actions. But know matter how many times I tried, I kept coming back to the fact that some good children grow into evil adults. That's really all these is to it, as far as I'm concerned."
"So why did you stay with her for so long?" Kiori wanted to know.
"Fear," he admitted. "For my own life and that of others," he didn't feel comfortable telling the young woman about his family.
"Any other reasons?" Kiori pressed.
Hataku said nothing. He briefly considered telling Kiori how many times he'd tried to connect with his old friend, only to be turned back by a couple of harsh orders; how many times he'd prayed that whatever had come over her would pass, only to have his hopes destroyed each time; how much it still hurt, to think of everything she'd done to him and others for the past five years- he, her closest childhood friend...
"No other reasons," he said emotionlessly. "It's late. You should probably go on back to your room."
Kiori knew it to be more of a command then a suggestion. She stood, bowing politely to her senior. "Hai. Oyasumi, Hataku-san."
"Oyasuminasai, Kiori-san."
The college girl walked quickly out of his room, shutting the door behind her. She sighed slightly. 'Now there's a man with a lot on his mind,' she thought to herself. 'There's a lot more to him- and her- than I ever thought. I wonder if Setsuka really is all that bad, or if it's just that dark force he mentioned...'
Kiori remembered the one time she had met the Lady. That woman simply reeked with an evil power- not just from that necklace, though; it was everything about her. 'You've got to stop being so sympathetic, Kiori. Setsuka IS evil, otherwise she never could have done everything she did... Right? she tightened her jaw; her other allies didn't have any questions about Setsuka, after all. 'Right.'
Setsuka woke up in her bedroom, surprised to find herself breathing hard from a disturbing dream. The details were blurred, but she distinctly remembered Hataku; had he tried to kill her at the end? Was that why she had woken up in a cold sweat?
"Why in the world would I be having dreams about that troublesome general?" she murmured sleepily to herself. "He's dead, anyway, so there's nothing to worry about. Dead men can't harm a person, after all."
Setsuka chuckled to herself, laying back down and envisioning the gruesome death her former general had endured. A fitting end, and an enjoyable one, though it would have been nicer if he'd at least screamed in pain a few times...
A small, almost insignificant part of her cried out from the far recesses of her mind. 'There's nothing enjoyable about that, about killing Hataku! He had his faults, but he was a good person! He loved me, for Suzaku's sake! How could I do that, and like it!?'
Setsuka frowned. "He got in the way. Anyone who interferes with my plans with die," she muttered to herself. "He deserved it- his uses had worn out long ago. I'm surprised I didn't dispose of him earlier..."
The Lady of Takkan was able to get that nagging voice to quiet down, but her fun had been spoiled. Turning off all evil thoughts, deeds and ideas, she allowed her somewhat troubled mind and heart to sink back into sleep.

"'Under the same sky the Seishi, Elements, Lady and former general all slept fitfully, troubled by memories, emotions, and scars that went far deeper than the skin.'" Yui looked up from the book. "End Chapter Seventeen." The high schooler wiped her forehead. "Phew! Quite a lot to take in, isn't it?"

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Tasuki: Well, it looks like Hataku's here for a while, an' fer better or fer worse I've got myself a rival to deal with. Ah well, he seems t'know what he's doin' when it comes to war, so havin' him around won't be too bad. ...Then again, maybe bringin' him to the palace wasn't such a good idea. C'mon Akai, don't act like Hataku's still an enemy- at least TRY to be friendly... uh, Akai?... {sigh} Oh, forget it. Like talkin' to a brick wall.
The Next Episode of Fushigi Yuugi: The Next Chapter: "Crimson Tension! Building Troubles for Takkan?"
Who ever knew asking for tolerance would be askin' so much...
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