The days since Youko's arrival in Kei had brought only battles. Likewise, the nights offered no peace, despite the silence that pervaded spent battlefields and the steady swish of the wind above the sea of clouds. It swept away the night noises made by the guards on duty and the sound of rubble being cleared, of corpses heaped onto wagons and carried away. It left her alone with her thoughts - the most dangerous enemy of all.

Her sword remained silent, but she didn't need it to see their faces; each slash of the blade and grimace of pain played back in her mind in a grotesque montage, like a preview of a particularly gruesome movie, before twisting back to the beginning again. She'd managed not to kill any humans until the battle for Kei began, but when the first man had fallen, and then the next, she'd promised to learn their names and find their families - to remember them, if no one else would. It was her misfortune that her mind chose these moments in which to do so. She hadn't had a full night's sleep since leaving En.

She turned her back to the glittering sea and pulled her hair out of its ponytail to let it fly free on the current of the wind. It brought to her ears the faint crunch of footsteps on the garden path, and she leaned back against the stone rail with a sigh, watching her hair drift as her visitor came closer. She would have straightened to meet one of her officers, but of the few who would come to see her this late, none would want her to stand on ceremony.

When, by the sound of it, he'd crossed onto the terrace, Youko spoke. "How much longer do you think it will take?"

His shadow swept into her vision and he paused beside her, cloak snapping in the wind. "How long does any battle last?" She watched from the corner of her eye as Shouryuu turned to face the sea. His hair streamed out behind him. "It will take as long as it takes."

"I should be patient," she said, and there was no response, which was as good as confirmation. "It's... hard to resign myself to that."

He turned slightly, but his expression was a blur to her when she watched him this way. It was probably serious, maybe even sympathetic as it was when he found her after that first battle, ready to cry over the blood staining her hands. He hadn't laughed or smiled since leaving En, just as she had yet to sleep.

This was she'd always believed was the standard for an emperor: serious, reserved, authoritative when necessary. It was sombering and discouraging. Now she missed his easy-going attitude.

...


This has nothing to do with the 20+ challenge - it's something I started writing ages ago after watching the end of the Shadow of the Moon story arc. I meant to make it much more than this, but time and distance have changed my plans. ^^ I want to continue it someday, but not now.

And no, it's not a pairing, even if I think Shouryuu/Youko could be really funny. The title hints at the story's original purpose.