Chapter Ninety-Two

Breaking Reflections

 

 

The hallway was a picture of numb terror.

Everyone who looked at Nekohiko was shaken with the release of his powers when he'd broken down the doors. Of course they would cower in front of his Binder's aura. If anyone here had before served Abihiko and had been impressed with Abihiko's powers, now -- they were exposed to the real deal for their first time.

And there was no mistaking Nekohiko's aura for the Imperial one.

Nekohiko didn't bother to savor their expressions. He flicked his hand and used a Nagare shove of all the bodyguards on one side of the hallway to free his way out.

People toppled into each other from his shove and cried out in fear. Some tried to get out of his way on their own feet, others merely plopped to the floor, watching him up in rigid panic. Most were speechless and trembling.

"The Emperor..."

"This cannot be--"

"B-but King Morokata said--"

Nekohiko halted on his path over the petrified soldiers on the floor and turned to whoever had said that last thing.

"King Morokata -- said what?" he asked menacingly.

Which only prompted the nearest bodyguards to blanch away, squeezing their sword hilts and glaives with their hands as if pondering an attack but debating with themselves if they should.

"King Morokata said nobody leaves these rooms," a petite Towa guard said with her ringing voice. She stood a bit away from Nekohiko, but looked every bit as though she was willing to fight him if she needed. "He said that a horrible wretch had snuck into the ritual seclusion to try and seduce the Supreme Divine Emperor after his marriage to Empress Sakami! One of those countless prostitutes the Emperor had favorited for so long. Obsessed and jealous of the Empress. We have to arrest that person no matter what for disrupting the Emperor's marital bliss with his true love."

...

Prostitute? Favorite?

Jealous...?

These people thought Nekohiko was one of those disgusting fake-Nekohikos now?

Were they blind? Or just brainwashed?

"Do I look like an Emperor's favorite prostitute to you?" Nekohiko tilted his head menacingly, looking at the Towa officer,

"Irrelevant! Your identity is of no matter to us. Whoever you are, sir, please allow us to restrain you and take you to His Majesty Morokata's audience immediately for further decisions on--"

Her matter-of-fact tone instilled courage in those around her.

High-level Towas, Hisomes, and almost an entire squad of Imperial bodyguards. All armed, if perhaps, not ready to battle someone of Nekohiko's level. But all prepared to keep him here -- by Morokata's orders.

Nekohiko's guess of a few days ago ended up being correct.

Morokata didn't mind that Abihiko and Nekohiko were trapped together in their honeymoon bliss. He probably couldn't give less of a damn about what they inside, too.

But he could not allow anyone to find out about the Imperial Bride switch. He was fully ready to keep this issue secret no matter what.

Too bad Nekohiko couldn't give less of a damn what Morokata wanted.

He turned away from the Towa officer and marched on through the hall, as indifferent as ever. These people weren't his enemies. Morokata was. These people were merely following orders and would follow Nekohiko's own just as decently if they knew who they were talking to or if they thought with their brains more than with their fear of losing their jobs if they didn't do Morokata's bidding.

So he did not intend to harm them. But he also did not intend to entertain their delusions of taking him under custody or even bringing him to Morokata. Especially on his own volition.

He didn't walk far before another officer, now from the Imperial bodyguards, blocked his way with his glaive. Nekohiko hardly motioned his hand to throw a swift spell. It pushed the man away as gently yet as powerfully as possible.

"Nobody stand in my way," Nekohiko warned the others grimly.

That worked. But only until Nekohiko encountered another obstacle that was harder to intimidate than the humans.

At the edge of this hallway was a damn stack of spell barriers meant to ward off whatever was inside from ever leaving. The translucent veils of several layers of Hisome mist barriers, Towa ice and water sheets, even a few Nagare electric traps and Hira fire walls stretched at the mouth of the hallway, blocking Nekohiko's path.

The air sizzled and cracked with the power in all these barriers while outside them, Nekohiko could clearly see the masking Hisome illusions to protect this place from seeming like the spell prison this was.

Wonderful.

It showed just how much Morokata cared to keep the Imperial mishap hidden.

Nekohiko let out a sigh, irritated. Not because he would have much trouble with dispelling these barriers -- he didn't doubt that he could. But because some of them were also alarm spells, Bound to alert their caster if any of the barriers were broken.

It was possible to destroy the alarms themselves, though. Yet if Nekohiko tried to get rid of them all without ringing the alarms, he would waste a lot of time he didn't have. Even right now, he was still aware he was acting on borrowed time away from Abihiko.

Yes, Abihiko was trapped for now -- inside the dome of the ritual seclusion that nobody could enter and help him untie his binds. But Abihiko would get out of the ribbon, probably soon. Nekohiko hadn't wanted him to hurt himself while trying to shred through the silk ribbon with his teeth, so he hadn't reinforced the ribbon too much. It was still prone to being destroyed if Abihiko tried hard enough.

In about half an hour -- to an hour. Thus, he expected that Abihiko to follow him out and try to stop Nekohiko from finding and questioning Arata.

That secretive asshole.

In such a short span, Nekohiko could not allow himself to waste even a minute on dismantling the alarm spells, especially when there were so many. Morokata would find out sooner or later anyway. So why loiter?

"You are trapped and clearly cannot run! Please listen to reason and surrender!" the same Towa officer from before cried after him as she came close behind.

Nekohiko made note of her.

She would be useful to him, too, once he got rid of this nonsense of barriers.

He closed his eyes and lifted his hands, fingers splayed. With the fingertips, he touched the first layer of Hisome mist barrier, then extended his aura through it and toward all of the others.

A mighty concoction of spells. But against whom? Him? The true Emperor?

As if the Spirits of the Land would ever choose anyone else's will compared to his own.

Like a thunderous clash, the cracks of breaking ice spread through all the barriers, lighting up their luminescent surfaces and breaking them apart. Some chimed like glass, shattering, others rumbled like deep fissures in the earth. But all of them broke apart in an instant.

The Towa officer gaped at all the intricate spells being crushed so easily before her eyes, but she did not have any chance to digest what she'd just seen. Nekohiko's fingers clutched her elbow and yanked her to himself.

"Let's go. I need you," he told her.

Then he picked up a merciless pace down the freed hallway.

The stunned gazes of the servants and the guards around them as they walked didn't bother him. It was time they all learned who was the master here and why.

Unfortunately, the Towa officer was of the boisterous kind. "Release me, prisoner prostitute!" she demanded in a shaken voice. "I am going to put all of your transgressions into my report!"

...ah, so annoying. So shrill.

She tried to stall him and pull him back, but Nekohiko cast a quick spell of sapping all friction from her boot soles. No matter him much she struggled, she couldn't stop and jerk him backward. All ground beneath her feet was too slippery for her to take a stand in, and all she could do was follow where he took her.

She tried to cast her Towa spells at him, too.

Which was slightly irritating, but not so much that Nekohiko had genuine trouble. She was the strongest Towa who had been holding guard behind the Imperial chamber doors -- and part of the reason why Nekohiko had chosen her as his guide now. But her meager power level was no match for the martial arts beast and spellcaster that was Arata. Let alone someone like Iokirihime.

Thus, Nekohiko diverted or unmade all of her spells easily.

"Your Majesty?" a few councilors called once they saw his luminous Emerald-green robes, but then stopped dead once they saw his face.

"What is going on? Someone, inform his Majesty Moroka--"

Nekohiko snapped his finger formations of the Hush spell, forcing anyone who dared invite even the mention of Morokata, to keep their mouths shut. At least while he was here.

He wasn't a monster, after all. Let them blabber all they want once he was out of earshot. The Towa officer he was leading wasn't as lucky. Her demands to release her and her threats to report to Morokata had put him in such foul moods, he shut her mouth with Hush for a much longer time.

Some of the servants and even the smarter of the dummies balked, too, when they came too close to him. Nekohiko nodded at them politely and even waved at others whom he recognized from his time spent here as Abihiko's seashell. But he did not slow down and he did not respond to their concerned questions and dumbfounded expressions.

"Who is this mad person? Why is he wearing the Emperor's clothes?"

Nekohiko chose the side entrance into the gardens instead of the main staircase to go out. Swift and busy, he descended the short steps into the garden and headed toward the closest swinging bamboo fountain he saw.

"Mnnnnnn!" the Towa officer grumbled at him through his silencing spell, looking as though she was saying something very rude in her mind now.

Nekohiko tried to be as gentle as possible as he pushed her in front of him and to the bamboo fountain. Only then did he release both the Hush spell and the slippery spell off her feet.

"--will destroy you down to the splinters, criminal!" she finished her previous sentence, not expecting her voice to come at this moment.

It was hard to see her face shielded by her icy helmet visor, but Nekohiko noticed the slight pinkness of her skin.

He cocked his head, curious. "Who will destroy me down to splinters? You?"

"...His Majesty... Morokata..." she whispered, now paling.

"Of course he will," Nekohiko soothed her, then nodded at the fountain before them. "Cast the Towa water-seeking spell."

Like the one he had seen Iokirihime use to search for Abihiko back in their childhood. Towa water spells were a very nifty way to connect most Towas between one another. Nobody could travel through the water like Iokirihime or her late elder sister could, but most Towas could use the water network to locate the nearest Towa Binders easily.

Provided their skill level was enough. This Towa officer seemed to fit Nekohiko's needs perfectly.

"What? No--"

She tried to jerk her arm out of his grasp, but Nekohiko was not in the mood.

"Towa water-seeking spell," he repeated, graver. In the blackness of her pupils, he saw just how hollow and eerie his dolly-like face looked when he was looming over her like this.

The inhuman nature of his appearance usually came handy in freaking people out, didn't it?

"I am looking for a person," he explained, pushing the Towa officer down to the fountain and squatting before it himself. "He is a Towa soldier, too. An elite one, actually. I can find him with the other means as well, but the inter-connections between Towa water magic is a much faster way, is it not?"

"I would not betray my fellow Towa kin!" The Towa officer wriggled out, wanting to cast an offensive spell at him, but Nekohiko didn't even need to prepare for it.

She probably wasn't ready for him being able to fight without any magic at all.

He smacked her spell formation aside, then drove his boot into the underside of her knee. The officer dove backward to avoid falling, but Nekohiko was already there -- right at her side. Bringing his elbow down on her chest. Hard.

The force of his strike drove her into the grass. All breath exploded out of her along with a crushed yelp.

Her eyes stared at him in shock, her lips mouthing.

Who are you--? she seemed to be asking.

Nekohiko lowered himself beside her, then took one of her arms, peeling her combat gloves off. Only after he dipped her naked hand into the fountain water, he resigned to answering her mute question.

"I am Nekohiko, the true Emperor. Tell everyone else if they want to know. You will be fine. The strike wasn't dangerous, just disorienting," he said calmly. "Now please cast the Towa water-seeking spell. I can force you to cast one if I need to, but I prefer not to kill or abuse my own people."

He turned to her, his gaze softening.

"You are my people, after all. I'll make sure to never disappoint you, but I do expect the same in return."

He already cast the memory-sharing spell through the use of water and this Towa officer's affinity to it. The name of the woman flowed smoothly and gently into his mind, without meeting any resistance.

Why wouldn't it? 

Even though this Towa officer didn't wish him to gain this information, he could. Legally and Spiritually, her name, her job, even her very life belonged to him, the Emperor. Nothing she could do about that.

"Do we understand each other, lady Hanae?" Nekohiko asked her, sweet. His forced smile didn't last, though. "I am listening very carefully if not. Any objection you want to make?"

...

...

...

Ah, well. Thought so.

 

 

---

***

 

He should have known. As if Morokata and his henchmen would let Arata go after the defeat he'd suffered at Nekohiko's hands. He was too valuable to lose, and knew some things deemed too important to share with anyone. The only way to properly deal with him -- was to imprison him.

The last traces of Arata the Towa officer's spell found were in Hibiki's Doll Palace. The trail was faint, days long.

Nekohiko wondered if Arata was being tortured, mind-sucked to get all of his memories of Nekohiko out of him, or simply stashed far away so that nobody would see or hear from him ever again.

In either case, Nekohiko had to get him. And now that he had nothing much to lose and was already legally and Spiritually acknowledged as the true Emperor -- Nekohiko didn't feel all that threatened to go anywhere he wanted.

Hibiki? Pfff. No longer restrained, Nekohiko's powers could take care of him easily. Only Morokata himself or any of the Great Lords would pose a challenge for him, but he was confident that he could get rid of them too if he put his mind to it.

He was not some kind, noble soul to save someone in need, and he didn't hold much warmth for Arata in his heart either. But he was going to rescue him. And not solely for the information about five years ago.

He was going because any human held hostage in Hibiki's Doll Palace was a fate worse than death. Nekohiko could not allow that.

He'd left the Towa officer back in the Palace garden and had used a speed-augmenting spell to have himself flee the Palace grounds faster. The Palace complex was massive and he would spend half an hour just walking through it. More and more, he missed Mikawa's presence. The Nagare powers of flight were incredibly useful. He only wished he didn't have to use and manipulate a real person these powers were attached to, in order to gain access to them. 

But just enhanced speed was enough to bring him out of the Imperial grounds and to the main Nara streets. He'd shifted his speed to normal once he was within the pedestrian roads because using Binding in such a flamboyant manner among other people was impolite and sometimes outlawed. It was his first day as the reigning Emperor out in the city. Breaking one of the most common laws was not in his plans.

The city astounded him with its brightness and vivacity. And he actually didn't mind it today! Because after a couple of days alone with Abihiko, stewing in his conflicted feelings, he was just so happy to be outside, getting reacquainted with his Empire and its people.

His cheeks almost hurt, so merry he felt, watching the mundane sights of merchants and hawkers overwhelming the crowd with their cries, the small kids snooping around, the prim matrons and uncles strutting around under paper umbrellas, the young ladies and masters flirting with each other from the balconies of different houses! And the scents of fried and stewed food!

And the kaleidoscopic colors of the festive autumn decorations spread over the eaves and across the street! The sounds of music everywhere! Nekohiko half-wondered why there were no longer any Imperial Wedding decorations hanging about because he thought the city would still be in celebrations. But he spied many souvenir stalls on which the peddlers sold small plates and novelty postcards and even ceramic figurines representing Sakami and Abihiko, marrying.

It was when he found himself walking over to these stalls that he realized why he was so happy today in Nara.

He had always hated big cities and turmoil, but today -- he didn't?

How come?

Thoughtful, he picked up a beautiful postcard on which Abihiko was drawn next to somebody covered with the bridal veil, in those white and red robes Nekohiko had worn several days ago.

And as he did, his lips couldn't help but ease out in a smile.

He was happy because... he knew the truth. At last, he knew.

Not all of it -- not the most important parts, of course. But he knew enough to know that Abihiko would never betray him quite in the heartless manner Nekohiko had been so afraid of.

He and Abihiko were together and married and... not enemies.

Perhaps not allies either because Abihiko still hid too much stuff from Nekohiko to not arouse suspicions and anger in Nekohiko's soul. But not being enemies was enough.

For now, it was perfectly enough.

"One day, you'll marry someone as gorgeous as that, I promise you," the merchant told Nekohiko creepily, trying to sleaze his way into Nekohiko's good spirits.

And you know what?

Nekohiko didn't mind that at all today.

"Which one are you talking about?" Nekohiko failed to wink, as usual, and turned the postcard over to show the merchant. "The one in the Imperial robes or the one in white?"

"Whichever your heart desires, good master!" the merchant replied with a perfectly trained grin on his lips.

"Aww. You bet I did."

Nekohiko didn't have money, though, so all he could do was stare at the souvenirs lovingly as he walked back on track down the street. But as he strolled on and on, gradually closing in to the Artists' District where The Doll Palace was, he started realizing something else.

People were oddly agitated, and not in a good way. If before the wedding, he had witnessed the euphoria of the city and its inhabitants preparing for the grand event, now everyone looked as though they were barely holding off from snapping at each other while others leaned in to share some seemingly urgent news, their faces concerned and somber.

Strange.

He had seen people act in this manner only once. More than five years ago, during the first worrying rumors about the upcoming war.

The war...

Wait, did it mean--?

Nekohiko hastened his footsteps as he dashed down the alley, spooking merchants and tourists with his mad search for a specific establishment. He didn't need to look long for it.

Even from afar, the news-sharing exchange building was choking full of people wishing to know what was going on in the Empire. Men and women stood in lines outside while the inside of the building churned with motion and frequent eruptions of aggrieved moans and exclamations of anguish.

What? Wait, what was going on? Why was everyone gathering at the news-exchange?!

Nekohiko halted dead, not wanting to believe. His heart throbbed with pain and he readied himself for the worst. Then, decisively, he headed for the main entrance of the news-exchange.

People always wanted to learn the latest news of what went on in the Empire, but only the biggest cities could afford a huge-enough network of Towa Binders who were willing to spend their entire lives serving as news-sharers. The Towa magic allowed for sharing memory and visualizing it in an accessible manner for the outside viewers. The Reflections spell could allow one to view a memory like they would a stage performance right in front of them-- complete with sound, scents, and even the overall feel of the place the memory had been taken from.

But in order to spread these important Reflections of some political events out in the open, the Towa who held this memory would need to travel far and too quickly to share it with others. Which was not feasible. Thus, the Towa Binders could instead create a connection network between each other using their Towa water search. Through it, memories flowed unrestricted, far and wide -- and they could share whatever memories happened in the northernmost Utsuro regions with the people in the southernmost Hisome lands.

It was convenient. The public liked this service because it let them be in the know of what was going on across the Empire.

But at the same time... this was strictly a Towa prerogative. And obviously, the other Great Houses did not like the influence Towas commanded over the news-sharing.

No other Great Lord could allow such a method to propagate unless they could benefit from it. Thus, the Towa news-exchange buildings were rare across the Empire. Most were concentrated solely in the Towa Kingdom, and only a few others were in Hisome.

The capital was a separate case, of course. It needed to have news-exchange buildings to keep tabs on the most significant events in the Empire. And because of this, all Towa news-sharing announcements were solely devoted to interactions between the Great House Lords if there was an issue. Or to foreign diplomacy and the Emperor's reforms. Nothing else.

So, whatever was happening now in that news-exchange building could not be good in any way, Nekohiko knew.

Only the worst of news could have gathered such huge crowds so early in the day.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" some lady barked at him when he slipped past her.

Another man elbowed at him as well, but Nekohiko didn't stop until he reached the entrance. Several people were hollering and spitting insults at him for breaking in outside the queue, yet he didn't even hear them.

His hearing was already on the Reflected memory that was displayed inside the building.

He heard... Morokata's voice. Suminoe's voice.

Okinaga's.

And... Kasuga's -- all of them arguing with each other in high agitation.

"...the traitors of the Emerald Throne need to be given back to the public to decide their fate!" Morokata was screaming, his voice tinged with genuine exasperation while Okinaga was droning on the background, calling him to calm down.

"I did not betray the Throne!" Kasuga wedged in a word here and there.

But on Morokata's side, there were three allied voices.

"Your brother Mikawa was caught wearing a Mirror Image spell during the wedding, Your Majesty," Sakai, King of Utsuro said.

The moment at which most people around Nekohiko gasped in turmoil.

Sakai was speaking?

An exciting event, already!

And speaking against the Nagare Queen?

And about such treachery, too?

"And young Mikawa was wearing the image of the elite Towa officer, no less!" Morokata added triumphantly. "I wonder if Her Majesty Iokirihime has something to say about that offense?"

...

Nekohiko pushed and shoved people out of his way, trying to get a look at the actual memory rather than only listening to it. Where was the memory from? When had it happened? Was it happening right now?

He needed to know!!!

People were too engrossed in the Reflection, so most didn't give a damn he was threading through them like a busy ox.

At last, Nekohiko managed to stand on tiptoe and see the actual memory being displayed. 

In the dark confines of the crowded circular hallway, a translucent sheet of watery glass swerved in the center, the ripples passing through it, coalescing into the imagery of what was the point of the memory.

Underneath this memory spell, several Towa Binders were standing, their minds submerged in some kind of a trance to be able to share the memory with the public. They stood in a tight circle, dipping their hands into the small fountain in the middle with the glacial water inside. The water in the fountain purled and froze over and sputtered, resulting in the malfunctions to the Reflection spell above them, but so far -- most of the memory shown was of very high quality.

People craned their necks from over the ground level to see it, others leaned down from the balconies and tiered galleries on the sides of the hall, to see better.

Yet what astounded Nekohiko most was that the memory was not played for the first time, today. He could clearly see that this was a replay from a previous announcement earlier.

But the crowd was still so huge, even for a replay...

"We only need to search the memories of your brother, Taira Mikawa," Suminoe was telling Kasuga in the memory in his usual reserved tone. "Your Majesty Iokirihime, can you provide the means to ensure the young master Mikawa's safety?"

"Mn," Iokirihime's cool voice chimed.

"NO TOWA will come a step closer to my brother!"

People gasped and held their hands to their mouths, watching, but all of Nekohiko's went cold when he saw something else across the memory displayed.

The date of the memory taken, which was the same day as today. Yet on the other hand...

Today was -- when?!

Huh?!

How had almost ten days passed after the Imperial wedding?!

No. No, something was wrong. Nekohiko could not have actually missed more than ten days wallowing around with Abihiko! This was some sort of a mistake...

"Excuse me, how long ago was the Emperor's wedding?" he whispered at the nearest lady who looked reasonable to him.

She stared at him numbly, then shook her head in dismay. "It was as though yesterday, wasn't it, dear?" she lamented, then nodded at the Reflection being played. "And now, it seems all the Kingdoms are going into war because of treason... ah, so, so tragic! The poor Emperor and his beautiful wife don't even know what hell broke loose while they are resting..."

Spirits, lady. Answer the actual question!

"Yes, but how long ago exactly?" Nekohiko prodded her again, jittery. "A week, right? Less than a week. It certainly felt only like... four days to me," he mumbled on, refusing the accept the truth.

Both the lady and one of the other people -- a young scholar -- gave Nekohiko grim looks. "It's been ten days. Have you been drinking this entire time due to the festivities?" The scholar scoffed, sizing Nekohiko up and down. "Disgusting. Doesn't even know what day it is..."

Hey! I was in forced seclusion with my husband! It's not my fault we lost the track of time in there!

Nekohiko shrugged their judging gazes off and went on listening in on the vehement arguments inside the Reflection. The gist of it he understood pretty soon:

Morokata had found out about who had been involved in helping Nekohiko in his wedding plans and was clearly persecuting them. He couldn't find Kotone and Haehime, obviously, so the only person he jumped into attacking was Kasuga.

Nekohiko's jaw hardened as he watched.

Right after getting to Arata, he had to do his best to get his message to Kasuga about him being on her side -- as the true Emperor. He couldn't do it earlier, though. Just one glance at the map where the area in which the Reflection took place was enough for him to temper his ambitions.

The place where the memory had been taken was somewhere in Nagare. Too far from here for Nekohiko to get there sooner. The good news? It was far for Morokata and Suminoe to go back to Nara either.

For now, they were all safely removed from Nekohiko's vicinity. Which was all the better for his plans.

Going into The Doll Palace and rescuing Arata to question him. With Morokata being so far away -- what better time to launch an attack than now?

But as he made his way out of the news-exchange place, being shoved and tossed around just as hard as he'd been on his way in -- all his immediate plans came down crashing.

"Nekohiko," said a familiar voice right in his ear.

...

Nekohiko swerved, peering around madly in search of the voice's owner. For the first few heartbeats, his mind was both annoyed and exhilarated with the prospect of Abihiko having found him so soon after they'd separated.

But then he recalled the voice's tonality...

Nowhere near Abihiko's low, velvety voice. He was even embarrassed for jumping to conclusions by reflex -- when there was no way Abihiko could have found him already!

What was he, a lovesick youth, to expect Abihiko to jump out at him from beyond every corner?

Ugh, please, Nekohiko. Gather your wits. Only two people in the world could talk through the winds while being nowhere near you.

"Thank Spirits, you're here!"

Another whisper in the wind reached him, and then the next one, this one not carrying any words but rather brushing Nekohiko's body up and down as though assuring his presence. But the voice's owner was nowhere to be seen.

The street was a trouble to get through with all the distraught people in front of the news-exchange, but Nekohiko jumped and swiveled his head left and right, trying to glimpse the young Nagare boy nearby.

"Mikawa? Where are you?" Nekohiko asked under his nose, scaring some old man away by talking to himself. "Please tell me you and Kasuga are all right! What about Aomi?"

Probably everyone involved in the wedding ceremony scheme would be under threat now... Nekohiko could not bear the idea of letting them suffer for his sake.

He hadn't planned this! He'd wanted to return as soon as he was done with Abihiko in the Palace -- just after two or three days, tops!

Yet somehow he'd ended up spending there more than a week. And now... all of his previous engagements had simply gone astray in the worst ways possible! Damn it, why had he lost the track of time like this?

"We're on your right -- from the alley behind the bakery," Mikawa told him through the winds. "And everyone's fine. They will survive... But somebody else... might not."

Tsk, damn it.

Nekohiko wanted to ask who those "we" were who were coming along with Mikawa, but the idea of somebody he knew who was in grave danger overpowered every other thought.

The sweet scents of baked goods pulled him in toward the next street, and Nekohiko dashed that way.

"Who?" he demanded, beelining through the lively alley filled with Bound wagon traffic -- and toward the bakery on the opposite side of the road. "Who's in danger?!"

"I'll tell in person," Mikawa squeaked at last.

Indeed, there was no longer any need to speak through the winds.

Because Nekohiko rushed around the bakery's side and came face to face with--

Oh.

When Mikawa had said "we're coming from your right side" -- Nekohiko had certainly not expected to see him here. Now. Of all places.

And much worse -- of all times.

Kataji.

Nekohiko froze mid-stride, eyes going wide and his heart bumping in his chest in a sudden chill.

It had been ten days since he'd seen Kataji last. And what had been the only thing he'd promised Kataji to do?

To come back to him within a week. Otherwise Kataji would get worried and would start searching for Nekohiko whatever it cost him, just to make sure Nekohiko was safe.

...

Agh!

He did not have time for that right now!

Kataji held Mikawa by the hand, leaning toward him as though consulting with him on something. From the brief glimpse of the two of them, Nekohiko could tell Mikawa hadn't been the one to want to find him on this specific day, all of a sudden.

It must have been Kataji -- begging Mikawa to search for Nekohiko wherever he could sense him. But since Nekohiko had been within the ritual seclusion spell that didn't allow anyone to read anything about him while he had been inside it, Mikawa probably couldn't even help Kataji with his search. Until today.

Within the very first hour of freedom Nekohiko had experienced outside of the ritual seclusion spell, he had already been found. And caught. And trapped, for all it seemed.

"You're here!"

Relief washed over Mikawa's pale face when he lay his eyes on Nekohiko in the middle of the dirty alley. But Kataji was the opposite of this restrained and subtle joy.

Kataji erupted into a mad run, darting down the alley and right into Nekohiko's arms.

"Itsuki!" Kataji was a blur in Nekohiko's eyes, so fast the young man rushed to him and swept Nekohiko into his choking embrace. "Itsuki, at last! You're safe! I can't believe... I thought we lost you! With all these talks about the war between the Kingdoms and my brother being away and unable to take care of it... Gods, Itsuki... Damn it..."

Kataji's voice shuddered as he squeezed Nekohiko harder to himself. His hands patted Nekohiko's arms and sides down in an almost cursory fashion -- checking to see if he was fine even before Nekohiko could respond.

Taken aback, Nekohiko didn't even know what to say.

He only patted Kataji back on his shoulder. To make him know he was well. To have him calm down a bit... and back off and let him take a breath!

"You're... strangling me," Nekohiko choked out.

"Ah, sorry!" Kataji finally unglued himself from him and met his eye for the first time in so, so long.

The first thing Nekohiko saw was of course Kataji's red lips -- stretched in a relieved smile. But then, these lips paused and slowly, gradually, Kataji's beautiful smile faded off his face as he was taking in Nekohiko's appearance in his arms.

Perturbed, Kataji stepped back a bit to see better.

A wary frown marred his forehead.

"Are these my Eldest Brother's robes?" he asked Nekohiko, his tone colder than ever.

...

Nekohiko gulped, paralyzed.

Of course...

He had forgotten to change out of Abihiko's Imperial Emerald robes before leaving the Palace, hadn't he? He still wore not only Abihiko's robes he had become so used to during his married days, but also some other things he had taken a habit of wearing -- like Iokirihime's small bracelet he'd received during the wedding as a gift for Sakami's sake, and the damn Imperial crownlet at the top of his head!

...

Shit.