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Prologue

6 parts in six weeks and around 600KB of text. Not bad :-)

There are a couple of new characters but I only have a picture for Kitsune, a performer who sometimes improves her income by picking pockets. But then, a girl has to do what she can to get by(1).

Friendship

The next morning, everyone was pretty exhausted but not physically. The day before had been very demanding but in a mental way. Still, everyone was looking forward to the next session.

After the breakfast, Tai asked Sanshobo to lead the first round of the day. Sanshobo was surprised but he accepted after a moment's hesitation. They took their places again.

Sanshobo spoke the introducing words. "I'm Sanshobo. Who asks for my help?"

Kinuko rose and went into the middle of the room. "Kinuko, do you trust me?" Sanshobo asked seriously. She nodded.

"Is there someone in our group which you cannot put your trust in?"

Kinuko hesitated. "It's important," Sanshobo encouraged her, "that you are true to yourself. Otherwise, you will waste your strength to force you to do something you don't really want."

Everyone expected her to reject Jei but finally, she said quietly: "Tai."

Tai rose and went smiling in the far corner of the room. Usagi could see Kinuko giving a sigh of relief. Still, she hadn't overcome her fear of Tai. He wasn't surprised; all too well, he remembered how hard that had been for himself.

"Are you ready?"

Kinuko nodded.

"Then we begin. As the first aspect, I call fulfillment of duty." Gen stepped in front of her.

The aspect of honor came next, followed by loyalty and lastly responsibility impersonated by Kan, Neko and Tomoe. They took each others hands and together, they created an impenetrable wall around Kinuko. Composed, she endured the restriction.

Jei became the aspect of heteronomy. Seamless, he did fit into the wall.

Keiko, the longing, revolved around the wall.

As the last aspect, Sanshobo called Usagi as the aspect of love.

Usagi immediately felt that this was wrong. He couldn't really say why but he was sure that he wasn't love. Calmly, he stayed where he was. Sanshobo had also noticed and also from Kinuko, there was no reaction. Thoughtfully, the monk walked around the rigid structure, revolved around it like the longing.

Usagi thought about what he might be. Freedom? Self-determination? All these didn't feel quite right. Instinctively, Usagi and Sanshobo knew they would be sure when they had found the right thing.

Sanshobo thought if he should ask Tai for help but that would hurt the trust that Kinuko had put in him and he didn't dare to risk that. Then he had an idea.

"Usagi, please try to find your position," he asked.

Usagi rose slowly. "But what am I?"

"I don't know, yet. Try if you can find your position even if you don't know what you are."

Straining his senses, Usagi also began to walk around the wall. A while, he followed the longing but that didn't help. Eventually, he stopped, looked pensive at the invisible Kinuko. Somewhere in there, she was, all alone.

He was too small to be able to look over the shoulders of the aspects that imprisoned her but if he bent down, he would be able to look through the legs.

He couldn't see it but inside of the wall, Kinuko had followed his every movement. Even if she could not see him, she always seemed to know where he was.

So, Usagi knelt on the ground and spread his arms. He lay his hands with the backside on the ground and opened himself for Kinuko. All he could see were her legs like through the bars of a prison cell.

Kinuko also bowed down and stared out of her prison at Usagi.

"Without asking anything, I offer you my friendship," Usagi announced. And that he was. The aspect of friendship.

Tears ran down Kinukos face. She extended her arms through the bars of her cage but Usagi was too far away. Then, the longing came, took her begging hand in one of her hands and with the other, she gently touched Usagis lowered head.

Kinuko screamed.

Never before, Usagi had heard something like this and he hoped he never would have to, again.

The wall didn't yield when the desperation in Kinuko forced its way out.

Desperately, Sanshobo searched for a way to reach her but there was no gap. Like a blow in the face, he felt the rejection of the wall which surrounded Kinuko. He could not reach her.

He ran around her cage and Kinukos scream faltered for a moment but only until she had taken a breath. Distinctly, he felt that the situation went out of control. If he didn't do something and quickly, he would loose Kinuko. Panic spread in him. Had he asked for too much? Sacrificed a soul for his arrogant wish for knowledge?

He looked at Tai who was calmly sitting in his corner, meditating. Sanshobo could not see if he noticed at all what was happening here. What should he do? Go over to him? Sacrifice the trust which Kinuko had put in him to save her?

What could he do?

That instant, he saw Usagi sag. Without a second thought, he sprang to help his friend and held him. Immediately, he felt the enormous energies which the longing sucked out of the friendship and transferred to Kinuko. He had to help Usagi.

This way, Sanshobo also became the aspect of friendship and became one with Usagi. Together, they gave Kinuko what they could. Without giving a second thought to the consequences, without asking for anything in return.

Kinuko stopped to scream and started to cry. The longing left her and her arms sank to the ground. Just like Sanshobo, the longing became part of the friendship and all three together recovered a bit. Selfless, they waited for Kinuko to tear down the walls which she had erected by herself so they could reach her.

Eventually, Kinuko stopped crying. Exhausted, she sat down in the middle of her prison. Thick walls surrounded her but the support they promised was only an illusion. To lean on them would only reduce her strengths instead of helping her. Instead of protecting her, the wall only restricted her. Almost imperceptible, it deprived her of her strength.

Finally, she lifted herself. Straight, she looked into the dead eyes of the heteronomy. "Leave me!" she commanded. Jei fell back a bit but he was still held firmly by the others.

Kinuko rejected one after the other: "You are only as powerful as I allow!" she said seriously. "You have no power over me if I don't allow it!"

Slowly, the aspects of the prison let their arms drop. In the end, they still surrounded Kinuko but each on his own. Again, Kinuko rejected every aspect of her prison and the first gaps showed up.

A third time, Kinuko refused her shadows but they didn't fall back anymore. She had obtained herself a bit of freedom but not much. Still, her duties restricted her.

Kinuko realized how much she had sacrificed these invisible aspects of her life. How much she did identify herself with them already. What else could she do? How could she get rid of them to be able to decide on her own, again?

As if from a deep dream, Sanshobo woke up. He was still part of the aspect of friendship like the other two but somehow, things had stopped. He couldn't quite explain it. Something was still missing. His gaze fell on Tai, who was still sitting in his corner.

"Tai," he said composed, "I call you as the aspect of refusal."

"What?" Kinuko screamed, "how can you do this to me?"

Slowly, Tai came for Kinuko. She tried to fall back before him but she bumped into the wall who had become such a terrible and familiar part of her life. She could not flee, could not escape.

Effortlessly, the refusal stepped through her protective walls, walked between heteronomy and duty towards her, unstoppable.

Panting, she fell back as far as she could but the walls would not yield. Desperate, she tried to squeeze herself through the gap between honor and loyalty but the refusal had already reached her.

Brutally, the refusal grabbed her and held her so tight that she almost could not breathe anymore. Once more, she could walk around effortlessly in her self-made prison but she could not shake off the refusal.

She wriggled but the refusal had her under control. No part of her protection could help her, neither honor nor loyalty nor duty nor responsibility. The heteronomy only smiled scornfully.

Friendship was still out of reach. It was driving her to despair. She felt that she could not bear it much longer! Sooner or later, she would collapse under the burden and die.

Like a stone, a weight, the refusal hung on her, pulled her down, took her strength. It wasn't just any refusal; it was her refusal against her duties, against honor, loyalty and responsibility that had taken so much from her.

Her refusal against heteronomy which controlled her life. She wanted to be free, free from all those social constraints of her rank, her clan. She wanted a life for herself.

To be able to choose a friend. Of course, she could have named someone. She could have ordered to see Usagi. But her honor did forbid this.

Her responsibility held her back. But in the end, it wasn't those things which depleted her strength but her refusal. To overcome this refusal. Every day. Every week. To sacrifice her happiness for an abstract ideal. Against and at the same time on her own will.

When she realized this, the refusal weakened and she could breathe more easily, again.

For a few moments, she just stood there, enjoying her newly won freedom. Still dragging her refusal with her, she went to her responsibility.

"You have been a great burden and a great help to me. You have taken the happiness out of my life. You have given me the strength to rule. You are a part of me and as a part of me, I will accept you."

And responsibility became Tomoe again who sat down.

Kinuko went to her honor, that had held her back to run away from her predetermined life. Which had prevented this way that she had been the undoing of herself and others.

She accepted her honor as a part of herself and Kan could sit down.

Her loyalty became a normal part of herself once more and Neko could sit down.

Composed, she finally stood between refusal and heteronomy. She looked straight into the face of Jei. "Since I was born, my life has been controlled by others. Others did choose what I would wear. How I had to walk and sit. Where I had to walk to and when. My husband has been married to me without my consent. After I was married, other people controlled my life."

She lowered her head for a moment. Then she went on with a determined voice. "That will not change when I return into my normal life, tomorrow. But I don't want to waste my strength refusing something that I cannot change. Therefore, I accept you as a part of my life." Jei bowed and went away to sit down.

And with this, the aspect of refusal vanished. Tai stepped out from behind her and went around the aspect of friendship. Behind it, he knelt with his face towards Kinuko and bowed until his brow touched the ground. In this position, he waited.

Kinuko stepped towards the aspect of friendship. Keiko and Sanshobo rose and Usagi bent into a ball. Effortlessly, Kinuko stepped through the loosened up aspect.

After she had stepped through, the three rose and stood around her. Kinuko stopped before the aspect that Tai had become. She closed her eyes and lowered her head a bit.

Solemnly, she spoke: "Humbly, I welcome the friendship which is offered to me without ulterior motives, without asking anything."

Tai, the fourth aspect of friendship, rose, too. Happily, she thanked each of them.

This way, the torn Kinuko became one with herself again.

Exhausted but happy, all sat down around the fireplace. Kinuko went over to Usagi and thanked him for the wonderful present which he had made FOR her.

Then she went back to Kan and leaned on him. Kan, who would never have dreamed that he would ever experience his wife showing such intimacy in public and he being able to enjoy it instead of having to reject it, put an arm around her.

"Sometimes," Tai explained, "we don't starve for love or affection. Sometimes, we just need a friend. Someone, we can talk to. Someone, who doesn't ask ANYthing. Someone, we don't have to give ANYthing. As soon as possible, you should try to look for a friend, Kinuko."

"That won't be easy," Kinuko thought aloud.

"Now, since you have accepted honor, loyalty, duty and responsibility as part of yourself, you will notice that you can now use the strength which you had to use on your refusal of the heteronomy to change the world around you."

"You will find it much more simple to distinguish between a real friend and a toady who just offers you something to gain something."

"I think," Tai laughed, "that Kan will be able to give you a couple of tips in this respect." Kan almost grinned and nodded.

"Our emotions are a part of us just like our reason. But just as a strong reason can strangle the emotions, the same can happen if we let ourselves be controlled only by our emotions. Like in anything else in nature, there must be a balance between the extremes."

"Only this way, we can achieve what is possible for us. If we allow one side to oppress the other, we deprive ourselves of an option. And the oppressed side will fight for itself. That uses up some of our energy. And the other side will have to use more energy to stay in control."

"In the end, neither side can win because the goal would be a place where we don't want to be. Sometimes, we deceive ourselves and then, we find ourselves at such a place. When that happens, we ask ourselves how could we end up like this? How could it have happened?"

"But that's not important. Important is: How can we get back?"

Tai gave them time to think over this.

"I'm Tai. Who asks for my help?"

Neko and Kan looked at each other. "I'm not yet ready," Kan said openly. Neko nodded and rose.

"I'm Neko and I ask for your help."

"In that case, we want to help you, Neko, with everything that we are."

Again, they sat down near the wall except for Neko who remained in the middle of the room.

Tai made him into the aspect of wealth. The next aspects were shame, luck, reputation and satisfaction. More and more clearly, they could see that Neko was unhappy that he could not offer his wife more wealth and security. He wasted his energies wishing for these things rather than making more of the things he already had.

Kan noticed that he did not judge Nekos situation. The very thought that Nekos problems could be more or less important than the ones of anyone else in their group, actually felt odd. He thought this to be so important that he shared this thoughts with the others. Many in the group nodded in agreement.

"I think, a few days ago, I would have thought differently about this," Kan said and looked thoughtfully at Tai. "This is what you meant when you said in the beginning that we would not return."

"Life means change," Tai replied. "What we experienced in these two days will change us forever. The people who have stepped through this door into this house are gone, forever."

Again Tai gave them time to ponder over this.

"How about lunch?" Tai proposed. Just like the day before, they ate outside below the canopy. It was much colder and they wrapped themselves in their blankets warming each other.

During and after the meal, they discussed their experiences and insights they had had in the morning and the day before. They were astounded to see that everyone had experienced something else. While some had noticed a vague longing in the gaze of the responsibility towards the wealth in the positioning for Neko, others had noticed sorrow.

"The reason for this is that no one of us can see the world as it really is," Tai explained. He knocked on a beam which carried the canopy.

"Brown wood, we would all agree. Even the color seems to be the same for all of us. We would all agree that this beam and the one over there have a similar color."

"But comparing emotions is not so simple. Furthermore, the emotions which we notice in others are influenced a lot by what we feel in that instant and which experiences we have made. Someone, who has grown up in poverty will think differently about the wealth that Edo shows off as if it was the most natural thing in the world than someone who was born in Edo."

"Some will be offended by that much wasting. Another will wonder about the poverty he would see when he leaves Edo for the first time. A woman who has grown up with aggressive brothers will think differently about her aggressive husband than a woman who has just fallen in love with that man."

"Kan," Tai asked, "what did you think when you saw Gen for the first time?"

"Um ..." Kan, who was sitting with Gen under one blanket, hesitated, "before I answer, can I get myself to safety?" They burst out laughing.

"I've felt it somehow," Usagi said calmly, "that there is more to him than the liar, the cold."

"Hey! Some friend you are," Gen protested.

"Your experience has taught you to question your first impression. This was once something that was most difficult for you and therefore, you worked hard on this," Tai confirmed.

"Most people immediately rejected Gen but Usagi couldn't really decide. On one hand, he rejected Gens way but he was also sure that below the surface, something else lay waiting."

Tai looked over to Gen. "Do you remember your first encounter with Stray Dog?"

Surprised, Usagi looked up. He was even more surprised, when Gen stayed calm and just nodded.

"At that time, Usagi already told you that there was more to Inukai than met the eye."

Usagi could see Gen nod thoughtfully. When Inukai had betrayed them, Gen had gone berserk for hours. "What happened?" he asked Gen.

Gen thought for a moment. "Do you remember when he was broke again when we met him for the first time? I had heard that shortly before, he had collected a reward for a bandit but still, he was already broke again."

"Well, I've found out, why," Gen finished.

"And you're not going to tell me?" Usagi probed him.

Gen shook his head. "You will have to ask himself when you meet him the next time."

"This reminds me that I have forgotten to thank you," he said to Tai.

"This is not necessary," Tai replied.

"It is," Gen reaffirmed. "I do thank you. For everything."

"I do thank you for accepting my help."

A while, they stayed quiet. Only their breath froze in the air.

"Some of you still believe that I'm doing some kind of magic or something like that. All what has happened yesterday and today, has happened because you allowed it to happen."

"When I offered Kan my help for his wife, she didn't want to. She didn't trust me because she had already heard so many bad things about me. This didn't change yesterday and therefore, I trained Sanshobo that far that he could do a positioning on his own. This way, I created the trust in Kinuko that she needed to endure this."

Usagi laughed out loud. "This is how you manipulate us."

Tai grinned quietly to himself. "That's what I do best. But what I do today, anyone can do. Shall we go on?"

One after the other, they rose and assembled in the house again.

"I'm Tai. Who asks for my help?"

Kan was about to rise when Usagi stood. Without being able to say why, he went to everyone and thanked him or her, smiling. The reactions where very different. Jei thanked back but seemed to be as unmoved as ever. Sanshobo just looked surprised. Gen rose and hugged him. Neko grinned and thanked back.

Keiko bowed. Tomoe took his hands and held them for a moment. Kinuko flung her arms around his neck and kissed him! And Usagi wasn't embarrassed nor did he bother. He just let the feelings flow. When they separated again, the blood pounded in his ears. A bit embarrassed, she sat down again but neither Tomoe nor Kan seemed to bother, quite the opposite. They were happy for Kinuko and him.

Seriously, Kan thanked him. "To know you, enriches my life. I do thank you."

Usagi bowed and went into the middle of the room and knelt down before them. Quietly, he spoke: "I'm Usagi. I ask for your help to be able to see into my self. Deep inside me there is a ... force. Something that drives me on. When I see that someone needs my help, then I can't decide - I have to help."

"I like to help but sometimes, my help harms the ones I want to help. That happens, when the ... something in me doesn't stop. When I can't think because I have to help. In a rush, I plunge myself into trouble, without thinking or hesitating and those next to me get involved, too."

"I want to understand why this happens and dissolve it," he finished and looked openly at the others.

"Is there someone amongst us you cannot trust?" Tai asked seriously.

'Kan,' Usagi thought surprised. He didn't know why and he felt bad about the thought. Wasn't Kan the only one who had not stepped in front, yet? Hadn't he, Usagi, taken something from Kan because he was here now and not Kan?

Tais expression gave Usagi no hint. Should he speak or remain silent? But that already gave the answer.

"Kan," he said aloud. Kan looked perplexed and the others also had expected him to name someone else.

Usagi lowered his head. "I don't know, why."

"Only Kan," he added excusingly.

"Can you explain to us why?" Tai encouraged him.

Usagi thought it over once more but all that happened was that the feeling got stronger. Finally, he shook his head.

"Kan, can you think of why Usagi doesn't trust you?"

Kan shook his mighty head. No emotions showed on his face. "No," he reaffirmed.

"But in your soul, a torrent of emotions rages," Tai went on calmly.

Kans head jerked around. Carefully, he held his face straight. His lips parted as if he was about to say something but no sound escaped him.

"Everyone except you has asked for our help," Tai explained. "That you keep your emotions from your face in this situation shows us what happens inside of you right now."

"This takes a lot of your strength. This strength would be missing when you tried to help Usagi. You are very experienced to look unmoved but still, everyone notices."

"You can deceive the reason but not the emotions. Usagi doesn't know but he feels that you are no help for him as long as you use all your strength to control your emotions."

Only then, Tai turned to Kan. "You have to decide if you want to help your friend Usagi or not. No one can do this for you. No one can help you with this. But as long as you can't help Usagi, we can't help you. Without your willingness to accept help, you can't help yourself."

Without reproach, Tai waited for Kans decision. "But I want to help!" Kan protested but not very convincing.

"Yes," Tai confirmed, "but not because of your own wish but because you think you have to. This is the reason why you are here. Why you have not yet stepped in front. You cannot accept anything from someone else."

Gen was about to say something but Tai held him back. "There is nothing we can do but to wait for Kans decision and accept it."

Patiently, they waited. "I'm afraid," Kan finally admitted.

"Yes," Tai confirmed, "but you can only loose that part of yourself which is not Kan."

"You must be very lonely," Usagi said sympathetically, "Is there anyone you do trust?"

Unseeing, Kan stared right ahead. His face twitched but still, he couldn't let go. Open himself. Trust anyone.

All his life, he had been surrounded by people he mustn't trust. Distrust had become part of himself. He knew that he desperately needed the help of the others but he couldn't say so. Couldn't overcome his own feelings.

"Kan," Tai said forcefully, "to want something doesn't help. You have to do it. You allowed Gen to step behind you, touch you. At that time, you didn't think about it. You just did it. That is something you can do. If you just think about it, then your reason will just come up with more excuses, why it won't work, why you cannot, should not, must not."

"We don't ask you to think, we ask you to decide."

"I'm afraid," Kan weakly fended the notion off. It took all his strength to speak these words.

"No one here will think bad about you if you just rise and go away," Tai offered.

"That, I don't want, either. I don't want to run from myself."

"But you also don't want to decide."

Sighing, Kan put his head against the wall and stared at the roof.

Tai rose and went over to Kan. He waited until Kan looked at him. "Please go to each one and look into his or her face," Tai told him.

Slowly, Kan rose and went over to Neko. Neko was a small peasant and the lord towered above him, large and mighty. A long time, they looked directly at each other, without blinking or lowering their gaze. Then Kan went to the next one.

At last, he went over to Usagi. Without thinking anything, Usagi just looked directly at Kan. Offered himself without any second thoughts. He felt the pain which Kan did hide so carefully. The raped soul in the pretty shell. As he had learned, he held himself back, didn't even dare to think to make Kan do anything. Kan had do decide on his own.

Kan looked at him for a long time. Then he let his head drop and without looking back, he left the house.

Unhappy, the others followed him with their looks.

"The hardest thing in life," Tai said, "it to learn when we cannot help. To accept the will of someone else even if it seems to be wrong to us and to give them the time they need to evolve."

"Will he come back?" Gen asked worriedly.

Tai looked at the door. "I don't know. He is standing next to an abyss and he would have to make only a small step but instead of looking forward, he looks down."

"It doesn't matter. Soon, Sanshobo will have learned enough to use this technique on his own. He will then be able to offer his help to Kan again, some time in the future, if he doesn't come back."

"Usagi, is there someone else, you cannot trust?"

"No."

"Then we will help you. Please sit down once more. For the first aspect, I call grief. Neko, would you like to be grief for us?"

In the following hours, Usagi learned how his devotion controlled his willingness to help and how this tension was vented when someone needed his help. This was always the moment, when he lost control and when his help became a problem in itself.

Now, Usagi really understood what Tai meant when he thanked everybody to have accepted his help and why it was so important that others did accept the help.

Trust

After everyone had recovered a bit from helping him, Usagi went outside to look after Kan. Kan sat under the canopy, wrapped in one of the blankets. Without saying anything, Usagi sat down next to him. Together, they looked at the thin layer of snow which was broken at a few spots by trails.

"What do you think about me, now?" Kan finally asked.

"The truth?" Usagi asked back.

Kan snorted. "That bad, is it?"

"I don't think anything," Usagi admitted.

Surprised, Kan looked at him. That wasn't what he had expected.

"It's your decision. I have my own opinion about it but I will accept your decision," Usagi explained calmly.

"For me, it was more simple than for you," Usagi went on, "Tai has already healed me several times. If he had told me in advance what I would be going through, I'd probably have run away. But now that it is over and I can enjoy the fruits of my efforts, I don't regret the pains."

Kan gave no reply.

"We don't ask anything. No explanations or excuses. All that we want is that you make a decision. To go back inside and accept our help or to say that you don't want our help. Then, Tai can bring you back to your home."

Usagi rose and went back inside.

A few moments later, Kan followed.

Usagi sat down next to the wall with the others and Kan stepped into the middle of the room. Lost in thought, he stood there.

"Do you remember your biggest mistake?" Tai asked and Kan looked up.

"A decision which has turned out to be completely wrong afterwards?"

"Well, ..." Kan started.

"Do you regret to have made a decision at that time?"

Just like out of an open waterskin, the tension seemed to flow out of Kan. "No," he admitted, "I regret what came from it but I don't regret that I made a decision."

A visible jerk went through his body. "I'm Kan and I ask for your help."

He swallowed hard.

"I don't know what might happen, now. But I made a decision," he added determined and also relieved that he has made a decision.

Tai nodded. "Is there someone here whom you do not trust?"

Humorlessly, Kan laughed. "Myself." His gaze fell on Usagi. "You were right not to put your trust in me."

"We will see about that," Tai replied.

"I call the aspect of distrust." Gen, Kinuko, Keiko, Neko, Usagi and Sanshobo rose like one person and pounced on Kan.

Kan tried to avoid them but they grabbed and lifted him. As soon as Kan lad lost the contact to the ground, he hung in their arms as if paralyzed. Effortlessly, the six carried the heavy body.

"Jei, please become Kans self-confidence." Jei rose and sat down in the far corner of the room like misery himself.

"The ground," Tai knocked on it, "is the reality. Kan, can you see how our distrust keeps you away from it?"

Instead, Kan looked at his self-confidence. "Surely, it's not that bad."

Tai went over to him. "You mix your distrust with your self-confidence. It has become so natural for you to distrust others that you think of it as an important part of yourself."

In the next hours, Kan learned to recognize different aspects of his distrust and their causes. Just like Usagi during his first healing, Kan had a complete breakdown and the others also almost couldn't keep themselves upright near the end. Keiko didn't even see the end of the positioning. Tai carried her to her bed after she had collapsed and they finished it without her.

When it was finally over, Kan laid unconsciously on the ground but something in him had loosened up. His self-confidence had risen and a part of his distrust had transformed into caution.

Tai brought Kan and Kinuko back into the castle. Servants carried the unconscious lord back in his rooms. Tai told the healers exactly what they had to do and left medication and some of his energy bars.

Before he left again, he took Kinuko to the side. "Lord Hirano should try to share more of his responsibilities with his advisers. Adviser Sakajato, who stood in for the lord during his absence, is someone who would be just the right person to start with."

Kinuko promised to discuss this with the lord. Happily, she said goodbye to Tai. "Will we meet again?"

"Certainly," Tai promised, "when Usagi marries Tomoe."

"Oh, how wonderful!" the princess was delighted.

Tai bowed and left the castle with the little Keiko. Thoughtfully, Kinuko followed him with her gaze. Adviser Sakajato came to see her and to report what had happened in the last two days.

"Is there something you have to report that cannot wait until tomorrow?" she started the audience.

Humbly, Sakajato said no to this but Kinuko noticed something about him. Something made her uneasy. In the last two days, she had learned to trust her emotions. But hadn't Tai asked he to trust this adviser?

"Is there anyhing else, you would like to discuss with me?" she probed him.

Alarmed, he said no once more. She asked herself what he was afraid of and decided to cheer him up. "My husband and myself are very grateful for what you have done for us."

Oddly, this didn't seem to make him happy. "In the next few days, I will spend much time with my husband until he has fully recovered. I would be very glad if you could go on leading the official duties during that time."

Astonishment spread in the face of Sakajato. "Of course, Princess. You can depend on me."

"I do thank you," she ended the audience.

After all the servants had left and Kinuko was once more alone with her husband, she thought for a long time about the strange behavior of the adviser. She was positive that different emotions fought in him. Tomorrow, she would discuss this with her husband. Surely, they would be able to help him as Tai had helped them. Relaxed, she fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Adviser Sakajato returned to his rooms. For a moment, he just stood there and stared at the chest in which the money was which Lord Hikiji had payed him for his betrayal of Lord Hirano.

When Pau returned to the house with Keiko, everyone else had gone to bed already. While Keiko went to sleep next to them, Pau sat down in front of the house and weighed up his next steps. Sanshobo would stay with them for a while longer to learn more about this way to heal and Jei, too, of course.

Gen would leave them once more. That left the inhabitants of the house, Keiko and her husband Neko. If fate would go on undisturbed, they would die in two days.

Without any emotions, Pau thought about different ways to influence fate. In the end, he always came up with the same result. It was better to leave everything as it was. Tomoe would not like it but under all other alternatives, more and more important people would have to suffer.

After he knew that he would not prevent the attack of the brigands, Pau planned how to relate the news to the others. After this has been done as well, he turned to the question where they should go next.

On the side, he checked what the other people were doing which he had identified as important junctions of fate. Attentive, he examined the various plans that Lord Hikiji was pursuing, what the Shogun did this instant, where Lord Noriyuki was and many more people who mostly didn't even knew that Pau deemed them important.

When the next morning dawned, Pau had planned over fifty manipulations of which some would only yield results in a few hundred years. Soon, his time here would be over and he would have to attend to other issues. For this, there were still some more preparations to be made.

In the house, the others began to stir. "Good morning," Keiko greeted him cheerfully. "I hope you haven't spent the whole night out here?"

Friendly, Pau smiled back: "Good morning, Keiko. I've given up to sleep many years ago. I spent the last night with the others inside because I wanted to be polite."

Perplexed, Keiko stared at him and then laughed: "You know how to astonish someone! Come, the others are already having breakfast."

Together Keiko and Pau went back inside. Gen was teasing Usagi because he had asked Tomoe for her hand in marriage but to his annoyance, Usagi didn't respond much.

They had a good time while they were eating. As if by unspoken agreement, everyone told a funny story of his own life. They enjoyed each other greatly and the parting took accordingly long.

Outside, Gen looked around. "What I had already noticed yesterday ...," he started slowly, "there were no footprints of you on the path ..."

The scenery changed. The others were now used to this but Gens mouth fell open.

"Teifu," Pau pointed to a small village which was hugging a small hill in some distance.

"Farewell, Murakami-San," Pau said goodbye and Gen sighed.

"I hope that you will attend our wedding," Usagi asked his friend cheerfully. Gen nodded and surprised everyone by hugging Usagi once more. Then he went off. For while, they followed him with their looks as he went for Teifu with determination.

"What now?" Usagi asked when Gen was out of sight.

"How about a bit of relaxation?" Pau proposed.

The Freedom Above the Clouds

Pau transported them to the coast of the Geishu province. The sea rushed on the beach below them. The day was a a bit hazy and the air smelled strongly of the sea.

They followed the coastline for a while, stopped in a couple of villages and cities. Jei tried out his new ability to move amongst other humans. One day, he simply vanished but since Pau didn't seem to bother, the others didn't really care.

They had a rest on a high point of the coast. On the sea, small boats of the fishermen could be seen and the swarms of seagulls that followed them.

"I have a wish," Usagi said to Pau. Pau looked up to him. "I want to fly once more."

Pau just nodded.

"Fly?" Sanshobo asked.

Usagi turned to him, held his arms up and lightly, he leaped from the ground. Like a feather, he floated up slowly, rotating slowly around himself. Again, this incredible feeling spread in himself and his face shone. With closed eyes, he enjoyed the experience.

Astonished, Sanshobo looked at his floating friend. "Would you like to give it a try, too?" Pau offered.

"I can fly?" Sanshobo asked unbelieving.

"As long as I'm near," Pau clarified.

"Oh, yes!" the little Keiko cheered who hopped around Usagi.

"Usagi," Pau called and Usagi stopped to rotate. Quietly, he hung in the air. "Fly to the other side," Pau asked.

"Take each others hands," Pau told them. He took Sanshobos hand, who in turn took little Keiko, who took Tomoe, who was held by Usagi.

Then the ground separated itself from them. Sanshobo who had never before experienced this, held tight to Pau but no force pulled at him. Nothing sucked him back, he was free!

Little Keiko had less problems with this new experience. After a short time, she let go of the others and shot away. "Keiko!" Tomoe called worried after the laughing, small body who darted away quickly.

"Don't worry," Pau comforted her, "nothing can happen to her."

"But you said that one has to stay close to you," she said not completely reassured.

"Since I make this ability available, it's not possible to fly too far away from me. If you reach my limits, then you simply cannot go farther. You also cannot overshoot the limit or something like that."

Gently, he pushed Sanshobo away. The Zen-priest immediately tried to get back to Pau and astonished, he noticed that he immediately moved exactly as he wanted. When he wanted to go back to Pau, his flying body obeyed instantly and when he wanted to stop, he stopped immediately.

Marveling, he began to accept this wonder. Carefully and without any problems, he landed on the ground. He jumped up and floated. When he imagined to rotate around his own axis, then that just happened. It was a simple and easy as breathing.

A bit off, Tomoe and Usagi flew close together like two pigeons. Laughing, Usagi orbited around his girlfriend and future wife, who couldn't accept the strange feeling that easily.

Below them near the waves, one could see Keiko who shot along the beach and hunted seagulls that were very astonished about this strange new bird. Pau stayed close to Sanshobo and watched as the monk slowly but surely got used to his new ability.

"This is incredible!" Sanshobo called and passed Pau slowly. Effortlessly, Pau followed the movements of the monk. "What incredible power," Sanshobo went on reverentially.

Pau just smiled. We waved and they flew to him. "Follow me!" he called and dived for the sea.

After a small delay but without any problems, the others caught up with him. Close to the water, they flew. A group of dolphins followed them under the surface. When one of the animals jumped, they could touch it.

One especially cheeky dolphin found it amusing to follow Usagi, jump and splash him until Usagi laughed and flew higher. The dolphin seemed to be genuinely unhappy that his new toy withdrew itself because it snorted protestingly.

Carefully, Pau kept them away from the fisher boats. "Otherwise, they will fall off from their boats with fright," he laughed.

They flew some time until they reached a small, uninhabited island in front of the coast. They looked around and Keiko immediately started to admire the nature, the unknown flowers and plants. Sanshobo and Pau stayed close to her while Tomoe and Usagi separated themselves from the others.

Hand in hand, they went along the beach and flew over small rivulets that streamed out of the core of the island. Eventually, Tomoe pulled Usagi into a thicket and in this isolation, looked at him full of desire. Usagi was uneasy to give himself to her here. What if the others would come looking for them? But is resistance was melted by a passionate kiss.

They hadn't had much time for themselves in the last weeks and full of ardor, they gave themselves to their love. They flew in the treetops and experienced the ecstasy to make love while flying.

Pau carefully respected their privacy and led the others away.

While Keiko made the island her own, Sanshobo used the quietness to talk with Pau about the new way to heal he had learned. Pau showed him more details by working on Sanshobo.

Late in the afternoon, they met again. Tomoe and Usagi were swimming in the sea, washing the treacherous traces of their love making from their bodies. Just a short time later, Keiko and Pau jumped into the water, too and only Sanshobo stayed exhausted at the beach. But eventually, he had to give in when they threatened him to come out and throw him in the water with his clothes on.

Despite being exhausted, Sanshobo realized that he could float effortlessly in the water. He still had the ability to fly and therefore, it was easy for him to hold his head above the surface while Keiko flew below the surface and frightened fishes.

Later, when they let themselves dry from the astonishingly strong spring sun, Pau distributed sushi and fruits. Tomoe and Usagi sat lovingly together and leaned on each other. Sanshobo noticed that they were as exhausted as he was and he was happy for them. Without regret, he remembered the happy times he had spent with his own wife. How his sun had grown up and made him proud. Wholeheartedly, he wished them best luck.

Sleight of Hand

"Well?" Usagi turned to Pau.

"Kitsune," Pau proposed.

In the next village, Usagi met with his old acquaintance Kitsune who was entertaining a large crowd of spectators with her skillful play of fans and koma(2). After the crowd had started to dissolved, Usagi stepped to her with the others and introduced everyone.

Conspiratorial, Pau bent down to her. "I'm going to tell you a secret," he said so quietly that everyone could hear him. "My other sleeve is also empty!" With a straight face, he straightened up again.

Kitsune laughed her charming laugh. "A girl has to do what she can to get by."

"Of course," Pau confirmed friendly. He held one of her tops in his hands. "You are very skilled. My compliments!" With a small bow, he handed the top back to her which she took with a bit of surprise.

"Why, thank you," she said gladly and began to collect her things.

"And I see," Pau went on, "that you can make quite a living from your arts," and poured the contents of a purse in his palm.

Surprised, Kitsune looked up. "Hey," she called out and snatched her purse out of Paus hands. Usagi had to laugh when he saw how Pau had surprised her with picking her purse. Kitsune sulked a bit when she put it carefully away while Tomoe frowned.

"Think nothing of it," Usagi said cheerfully to her, "it doesn't happen often that Kitsune meets her match."

"She steals?" Tomoe asked just a tad indignant.

"She survives," Pau corrected her smiling. "Oh, a handkerchief."

Kitsune gave a start and looked up to Pau who held a white handkerchief in his hands. But his excessively surprised expression made her laugh and the others joined in. Pretending to be upset, she held out her hand invitingly.

"What is it?" Pau asked surprised.

"Give it back to me," she ordered laughing.

"Give back what?"

"My handkerchief!"

"Your handkerchief? This is my handkerchief," Pau defended himself.

For a moment, Kitsune was bewildered, then she reached in her sleeve and pulled her own handkerchief out. Laughing, she shook her head.

Pau patted her shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry. But tell me, are you sure you don't want your purse back?" He offered it to her.

Kitsune held her sides, laughing. On the way to lunch, they learned that nothing was ever safe from Pau. Generously, he took and distributed their possessions, pulled eggs out of their ears and other, even more strange things out of their pockets. One time, he pulled a pole, three steps long, out of the bag of Sanshobo and asked the completely perplexed monk how on earth he had got something so long into that small bag.

Pau handed the pole over to Usagi who started to examine it more closely but he could not find anything unusual about it. It seemed to be a pole made out of wood like any other. Meanwhile, Pau had put his head into the bag. "Aha!" he called and began to feel around it with an outstretched arm. Up to his shoulder, he went into the bag. Nothing could be seen on the bag but Paus expression changed from concentrated searching to feeling to surprised to a serious frown.

One could easily imagine what he was doing in the bag. Laughing, Sanshobo waited and held his bag open for him while Pau seemed to have found something. He pulled but whatever he had found, it seemed to resist. Every time, when he had pulled his arm a bit out of the bag, it fought against him and pulled him back. Laughing, the others helped him to pull.

Suddenly, it gave way and everyone fell on the ground. Out of the bag, a dragons head wound its way and Pau let go of the horn by which he had pulled it out of the bag. The head rose from the bag which was lying on the ground on a neck at least 15 steps long! It hissed annoyed and angry and then withdrew quickly. Everyone stared at the bag that now lay limp and harmless on the street. Wordlessly, Pau took the pole, put it back into the bag and handed the bag back to Sanshobo with feigned terror.

Over their fright, they had to laugh and it took quite some time until they had calmed down again. To be on the safe side, Sanshobo emptied his bag onto the street and turned it over. Neither the pole nor the dragon showed up again.

During lunch, Kitsune tried to make Pau explain some of his tricks to her. Amused, he explained some of his tricks which he had played on them on their way. Only how the trick with the pole and the dragon worked, he didn't tell no matter how much they begged.

Once, Kitsune looked up in surprise when another guest payed for his meal. "I gave his purse back to him," Pau explained.

"You villain!" she complained cautiously outraged.

"Don't bother," Pau comforted her and began to count money out of her purse to pay their meal. Giving a laugh, they all pounced on him and hit him gently until he begged for mercy laughing and promised to never do it again.

"... after I've given you back all the things that I took while you have hit me, that is!" he laughed.

During the afternoon, Kitsune and he amazed a growing crowd of spectators with illusions and magic tricks. Even Tomoe and Usagi, who knew Pau for the longest time, were sometimes struck with astonishment.

Virtuously, Pau played with the crowd and Kitsune, whom he often imitated clumsily and this way, made the crowd roar with laughter. In the evening, he counted his share of the money out of Kitsunes purse. Everyone looked at him with fake anger until he looked up.

"What is it?" he asked surprised.

With a frown, Kitsune reached in her pockets and surprised everyone when her hand came out with her purse again. Laughing, Pau have her part of the money to her and put the purse which looked so much like hers away again.

On the next day, a big event started in the city on which many fighters from all over the land would compete against each other in a tournament. Kitsune hoped for even more people she would be able to entertain. Many street traders had come into the city and erected their booths. Several arenas had been marked out in order to be able to hold several competitions at the same time.

Fighters from all over the land and various schools had traveled here, some with their pupils. Usagi looked forward to be able to see the various styles and techniques. While Kitsune set out to transfer more of the people's money into her own purse, the others walked over the marketplace. One time, Usagi let himself fall back and caught up with a blank face again which told Tomoe that he was up to something.

On the verge of one of the arenas, they sat down to watch the fights. In the beginning, there were many unknown fighters who had not yet reached a high mastership in their profession. As it was to be expected, most injuries happened during these fights. Not much was to be seen and they were expectant to see the first better fighters.

Tomoe began to suspect that Usagi had done when after a few rounds, Pau Tai was called to fight. With an ironic smile, Pau passed Usagi to go to his match and Usagi had to laugh when a short time later, he was called himself. He had announced Pau to the competition who seemed to have done exactly the same thing with him.

Now Tomoe had to decide which of the fights she wanted to see and in the end, decided to follow Pau. She already knew Usagis style and she was pretty positive that Pau would show something special, today. The thought that even someone like Pau couldn't stop himself showing-off with his skills comforted her. Furthermore, Usagi would have liked to watch this fight himself and this way, she could report to him, later.

Paus first opponent was an old sword-master. While the sword-master performed reishiki(3), Pau relaxed himself with an exercise from Tai Chi. Both just nodded when the referee asked if they were ready.

"Fight!" came the command and the sword-master immediately attacked. Carelessly, Pau let go of his bokken and made a wide step to the side when his opponent had reached him. His opponent swirled but Pau made him stumble by pulling one of the feet of his opponent away with his own foot. While his opponent rolled over skillfully, Pau stepped next to him. When the sword-master was on his feet again, Pau stood so close that he could not make use of his bokken right away.

He tried to get some distance between them with a quick step back but Pau caught him again with a foot and this time, Pau grabbed his sword-hand. Skilled, he twisted the arm so his opponent had to turn on his belly.

Pau put a foot into the armpit of the arm and twisted the hand until the sword-master had to release his grip on the bokken. For a moment, nothing happened until the sword-master had to accept the fact that he could not break free by himself.

"I give up," he said breathing heavily. Immediately, Pau let go and offered his help to stand up. The sword-master hesitated a moment but then, he took the offered hand. With one flowing movement, he rose.

Pau bent down to pick up the bokken of his opponent. With a bow, he handed the weapon back. "I thank you for this lesson," the sword-master thanked him. In the crowd, the first fighters had taken notice of Pau. Lively, they discusses details of his technique.

"It was a honor for me to be your opponent," Pau bowed. With a skillful movement of his foot, he hurled his bokken back into his hand. Both turned to the referee, payed their respect to him and left the field. Pau was announced winner shortly afterwards.

A short time later, Usagi met with them. "And?" Tomoe teased him. Usagi snorted. "He wasn't very skilled," he defended against the unspoken suspicion that he could have lost his fight.

A few fighters had gathered and discusses something. Every now and then, one of them would shoot a glance at Pau. Pau himself went to the referees and spoke with them about something. Seriously, they listened to what he said. In the end, they nodded and Pau came back.

"What did you tell them?" Usagi asked.

"Wait and see," Pau smiled.

A short time later, the referees from the other arenas came over and they discussed something. In the end, they all nodded in agreement. The announcers spread and told the crowd of the decision of the referees.

"By request of one of the fighters," they started, "the following rules will be added."

"If both fighters agree, then the fight goes over five points. Each direct hit of the opponent earns a fighter one point. Stepping over the border of the field, earns the opponent one point. An exceptionally or exceptionally well performed technique can be rewarded with an extra half point. Whoever reaches five points or more, is announced winner."

Interested, the fighters discussed this proposition. This way, fights between two fighters that were very evenly matched, would be much more interesting. Over the day, more and more fighters decided for this new system and in the evening, it was practically the new standard.

Usagi had to fight seven more times this day and Pau twelve times. In every fight, he showed a different technique. News had spread quickly and after each fight, he was surrounded by other fighters who asked questions about certain details. A fighting school asked if he would join them to teach. There were even people who asked to become his pupils. All requests were turned down by Pau friendly but firmly.

On the next day, the wheat had separated from the chaff. Only the best fighters were left and when Pau appeared for his fights, marshals had to step in to keep control over the crowd. Obviously expectant, the spectators waited what Pau would perform this time and even his opponents began to step into the arena with a mix of respect and anticipation.

One opponent was defeated by deflecting all his attacks until he gave up. Unbegrudgingly, his opponent admitted that he simply wasn't good enough. Pau bowed respectfully before his opponent and the referees honored his performance by standing up and bowing before him.

The afternoon, only seven fighters were left and Usagi got lucky when he was drawn to go directly into the next round. The other six fighters fought one after the other in one arena. This way, he could enjoy to watch the best fights.

And good they were. It was great honor for him that he had made it that far at all. Usagi didn't belie himself to be able to win the next round. Each fighter who would win this round, was much better than him.

Still, he was happy for the opportunity to measure his skill with someone better. Only seldom, he had such a chance and he wanted to make good use of his last fight to improve his own technique.

He was even more surprised when he made the first point and even with the half extra point. His opponent seemed to be even more perplexed than him and Usagi actually won this fight. After the first hit, his opponent seemed to just have not been able to find his own rhythm while Usagi had fought almost relaxed. After the battle, he spoke with Pau about this.

"Your opponent just wanted to win while you had more options. If you can keep this up, you might be able to win this whole competition," Pau explained calmly.

"Against you?" Usagi asked unbelieving, "surely, you're not serious?"

Pau just smiled and went to his own fight. He met with Master Heroito. Unlike many others, Heroito had prepared himself well. For a while, none of the two fighters could notch up an advantage for themselves and the spectators got to see something for their money.

Then Paus foot slipped just by a tiny amount and Heroito immediately used his chance. "One and a half points for Master Heroito," the referees announced.

Respectfully, the opponents bowed before each other and went into their starting positions again. There, they sat down to meditated for a short time to prepare mentally for the next round and to recover a bit. When they were ready, they rose and nodded slightly to indicate that they were ready once more. "Fight!"

This time, Heroito used a completely different technique and Pau as well. It was almost as if they were two different fighters, now. While Heroito had cared about his defense in the first round, he now attacked determined and fought the defense of Pau down.

Pau answered with an incredible difficult technique. All the time, he changed his rhythm. This way, it was very hard for Heroito to adapt. Sometimes, Pau attacked as quick as a flash then again slowly, almost leisurely but still quickly enough that Heroito had to defend himself. A short time later, Pau had found the right speed. Slowly and determined, he hit the hearth of his enemy with his bokken who just stood there and stared at the bokken which touched his chest. "One and a half points for Brother Pau!"

Pau had found the speed for his attacks where the reflexes of his opponent didn't took effect, yet, but that was too quick for his consciousness to counter. Helpless, his opponent had had to look at the attack while his reflexes waited for his consciousness to do something while his consciousness waited for the reflexes. Now, Pau could win the fight easily and sweep his opponent away.

But of course, he didn't. Again they went to their starting positions and meditated. Still, it didn't take longer than in the first round until Heroitos breath came evenly again. Again, they rose and waited for the signal of the third round. "Fight!"

And Heroito could come up with one more technique. Had he fought more or less conventionally up to now, that is composed with short attacks, he was now always in motion, used subterfuge, sprang around in the field. Pau responded with a technique of defense where he never took an attack directly but always held his bokken in such a way that his opponent slipped from it. Usagi recognized it as the technique which Pau had used to fight the Taja ninjas. Again, like water, Pau flowed around the movements of his opponent. Still, he had to accept another hit.

Again, the referees gave Heroito the full one and a half points and Usagi had to agree. While the two fighters meditated once again, a murmur went through the crowd while they quietly discussed what they had just seen.

The spectators could enjoy three more rounds of best sword-fighting. No fighter before Heroito had been able to withstand Pau that long. Pau was slightly ahead with four and a half points but Heroito also needed only a simple hit with his four points to win the fight.

Meanwhile, Heroito began to show definite signs of exhaustion and it took long until he had recovered enough to be able to go on. Then the signal of the referee came to get ready. Heroito went into the classic basic stance while Pau went on all fours.

He held the bokken in his left hand, the arm slightly bent and parallel to the ground. The bokken pointed backward. The right hand and the feet were dug into the ground.

When the signal: "Fight!" came, Pau disappeared in a cloud of dust. Dirt sprayed to all sides up to the spectators.

"Oops," Pau laughed, "the ground is softer than I estimated."

When the dust had settled enough to see again, they could see that Heroito held his left side where Pau must have hit him when he had darted past. Pau himself lay at the end of a long furrow out of earth and dirt near the spectators behind Heroito and outside of the field.

To the question if Pau had hit him, Heroito just nodded. "One point for Pau, one penalty point for Pau," the referee decided, "It's a draw!"

Cheerfully, Pau dusted the dirt from his clothes and came back to bow before Heroito. Meanwhile, the referees discussed whether they should declare Pau as the winner since he had half a point more than Heroito.

Meanwhile, Pau chatted with Heroito who looked over to Usagi and bowed before Pau. Pau laughed and offered Master Heroito his hand who took it and shook once. "I give up," Pau told the referees.

Those had almost decided to declare Pau as the winner and looked up in surprise. One of them asked Master Heroito while the bookmakers, who had accepted bets on this fight, paled. "Do you accept his decision?"

"I do," Heroito announced calmly.

The referee nodded. "Then it's decided. The last fight was won by Master Heroito of the Kamamitsu School," he announced. "The next and last fight will take place tomorrow," he made a face, "after the arena has been repaired again and it will be between Master Heroito and Master Miyamoto."

Usagi almost blushed when he was announced as master. "I do congratulate you, Master Miyamoto," Tomoe said formally and Sanshobo joined in.

"Call me like this once more and I will add you to the list, too, next time," he threatened not completely seriously.

"Oh, as I see, the nomination as master shows it's first drawbacks," she shot back.

Sanshobo was still laughing when Master Heroito and Pau came over to meet them. A man with a pinched expression joined them for a short time and gave Pau wordlessly six packs of money a 50 ryo each. Pau thanked him politely while the man just nodded and turned to walk away.

"You did bet?" Master Heroito asked reservedly.

"Yes," Pau admitted while he put the money away.

"On what?"

"That is something, I also would like to know," the voice of one of the referees sounded who had joined them unnoticed.

"Excuse me!" Pau called after the bookmaker who stopped once more and then came back.

"Would you please tell these people here what I did bet?" Pau asked friendly as always.

Still upset, but with a controlled voice, the bookmaker replied. "You have bet 30 ryo with the odds of 10 to 1 that Master Miyamoto would reach the final round."

"Anything else? Win or defeat of me or Master Heroito?" Pau inquired.

The bookmaker just shook his head. "At least not with me."

"I do thank you," Pau told him and the bookmaker went away to find out how much Paus decision had cost him.

Master Heroito and the referee bowed excusingly before Pau. "Please, forgive us our distrust," each asked.

Together with Master Heroito, they walked through the market. With a growing calmness, Usagi spoke to him. In contrast to him, Master Heroito seemed to pay no heed to the fight tomorrow while Usagi could almost not think of anything else. Not polite, no, genuinely interested, Heroito asked him about details of his technique. A bit embarrassed but also proud, Usagi gave the requested information to still his thirst for knowledge in return.

Some way behind them, the bookmakers tried to estimate the odds for the fight tomorrow. Some of them had had to cough up quite some money but only a few of the were actually stupid enough to try to take revenge during the night.

Nevertheless, the police was amazed to find a couple of more or less injured people in their cells the next morning who could not quite explain how they had got in there. They just knew that they belonged there. Willingly, they confessed their crimes.

On the next morning, Usagi found he wasn't very rested. He wanted to win the fight but if Pau was right, then this attitude would make him loose. But he just couldn't bring himself to want to loose, either. The fight would take place in the afternoon, much to the pleasure of the street traders. This way, Usagi had a lot of time to ponder about his problem.

He politely declined the proposal of the others to visit the market once more. He would meditate some time and then go directly to the fight.

When it was time, he still hadn't the right attitude. So he just gave his best.

Heroito wiped the arena with him.

He could avoid the first hit for quite some time but only because Heroito overestimated him and attacked only carefully. The next two hits followed soon after that.

"Three and a half points for Heroito," the referee announced. The spectators remained silent. Usagi didn't belie himself. They had expected much better from the best fighters.

Before the next round, Heroito asked him if he didn't want to give up to avoid the shame of a complete defeat. Usagi looked up to his opponent who was almost one head higher than himself. "If you don't mind, then I would like to go on," Usagi asked, "never again in my life, I will be able to measure my skill with someone as good as you."

Master Heroito laughed friendly at him. "Well, maybe your skills don't measure up with your courage but your honor does," he said and went back to his position.

While Usagi readied himself, he remembered something. When he had tried by force to help Kenichi, he had failed miserably. Only when he had given up, relaxed, he had succeeded. 'Was this what Pau had meant?'

'What can I loose?'

He put the bokken on the ground next to him and went into the basic stance of the Tai Chi. After eight deep breaths, he found composure in himself and level-headedness. He let go of every thought, just stood there and rested in himself. When he felt ready, he picked his bokken up with one flowing movement and nodded slowly to show that he was ready.

As if from a distance and at ease, he waited for Heroitos attack. And it came once more slowly and cautiously. But also his own movements were suddenly slow and cumbersome. Still, he had no considerable problems to fend off Heroito. All his attacks were easily predictable and soon he saw the first gap in Heroitos defense and stabbed immediately.

Perplexed, Heroito froze. "Point Usagi!" the referee announced.

Without feeling anything, Usagi received the message. It had become meaningless. Nothing was important anymore. His bokken was not held by his hand anymore but had become a part of him like his ears. Motionless, he waited for the next attack and just nodded once when the referee asked if they were ready.

And once more, Heroito's attacks were painfully slow. Again, Usagi fenced off all his attacks easily until he saw another chance ... and let it pass. Instead, he sucked the technique of Heroito inside, the play of his muscles. Almost led him through the pattern of attack and defense.

Only when he was sure that he had seen everything important, he touched Heroito gently with his bokken to finish the round. Away from any feeling of triumph, he went back to his position and waited with lowered bokken for the next attack.

In the next round, he learned the basics of a completely different technique. Interested, he lured pattern after pattern out of Heroito until the performance of his opponent suddenly worsened by a large degree. Usagi saw that Heroito had reached his limits. He finished the round so Heroito could recover.

In this new world between tension and relaxation, he waited until Heroito gave the signal that he was ready once more. Without any disappointment, Usagi realized that Heroito relied on a classic technique for this round which he had mastered perfectly but which offered no incentive to Usagi.

He weighed his wish for knowledge up against the humiliation of Heroito. He decided against both and forced Heroito with patterns from the technique which he had just learned to go on the defensive. Without regret, he noticed that he fought remarkably well but didn't lean any faster than usual and the round was won by Heroito.

While he waited for Heroito to recover, he thought about his defeat. 'Has my pride induced this mistake?' he wondered. He didn't feel anything. He didn't even feel that it had been a mistake. 'What does it matter who will win?'

Nevertheless, he didn't hold back in the next round and was rewarded with new patterns from Heroito. Actually, Heroito seemed to improve. Usagi noticed clearly that the time he had to react on Heroitos attacks, got smaller. To be able to think about this phenomenon, he finished the round.

Thoughtfully, he went back to his position. Still, he observed himself and Heroito as from a distance. He didn't feel anything, no fear, no happiness, no triumph, just nothing. His body seemed to belong to someone else. He decided to talk with Pau about this after the fight and nodded when the referee asked if they were ready.

He couldn't say why but suddenly, he had the impression that he was running out of time. So he didn't wait for Heroitos attack but attacked himself. After a very short time, he had fought down Heroitos defense until he was practically without any. Usagi could choose freely where to hit him. A strange look was on Heroitos face. 'Is he surprised about his defeat?'

Then the world suddenly toppled.

As emotionless as he had fought, Usagi noticed that his left leg didn't carry his weight anymore. Heroito left his vision to the right. He didn't think about the reason but pulled his arm around hard, to the back, felt resistance. He couldn't say what he had hit. 'Me? Heroito?'

Suddenly, his thoughts were lethargic, wading like through mud. Something squeezed his chest together like a band of steel. Like someone drowning, he left the state in which he had fought and desperately tried to reach the surface. With his left cheek he lay on the ground but his head didn't turn when he wanted it to.

His tongue was swollen, his throat felt as if he had eaten sand for the last few hours. Something whistled unevenly. His breath, he realized astonished. A pain in his chest. 'Has someone run me through with a sword? Maybe a bookmaker, who wanted to avoid another loss?' he wondered but it was so hard to focus on the thought.

His eyes burned and he wanted to blink but nothing happened. Suddenly, there were people everywhere. Someone turned him over. The whole sky way full of faces. Heroito, who still looked at him with this strange expression. Pau was there. And Tomoe.

Then the world went black for the first time and brightened up once more. The people had changed. They ... glowed. He saw Tomoe with her bright, soft light. Heroito whose glowing was uneven and colored. The other people who glowed only slightly or even more. Pau who seemed to consist only of a complicated web of thin, bright lines.

Once more, it became dark and bright again. Usagi slowly rose. Again, he didn't feel anything anymore. He could breath effortlessly, no band of steel squeezed his chest anymore. The pain in his chest had gone.

"Thank you," Usagi said to Pau, "for your help. I do seem to have overdone it a bit." He smiled excusingly.

"You can say that aloud," Pau replied without moving his lips.

While Usagi thought how he could have heard Pau so clearly, Tomoe shrieked: "Do something! He's dying!"

Confused, Usagi turned to her and saw himself, motionless in her arms. Just as he hadn't felt anything during the fight, he accepted the fact that he was dead. 'What happened?'

"You have to decide," Paus voice sounded once more, "if you want to live or not."

No one except him seemed to be able to hear Pau. The look in Tomoes eyes left him no choice: "Please, I want to live!" Usagi begged suddenly uneasy and then, not.

"Good," Pau said and suddenly, Usagi felt something tugging at him. Desperately, he tried to resist but like a large wave, it took him with it whatever it was. He was dragged towards one of the bright lines which surrounded Pau. Pau turned to his body and stretched out his hand slowly while Usagi was pulled by some irresistible force into the line that was thinner than a hair.

Still, he passed through it without problems. Blinded, he closed his eyes but that didn't help. What he had seen as a line was in fact a gap, an opening into something. Behind it was a sun. Something that shone much brighter than the sun. It shone and blinded him and then, not. He was confused but it was more as if he knew that he was confused because he didn't really feel confused. A strong calmness prevented any strong feelings.

He had the impression that he was moving towards it but instead of growing bigger, it got smaller somehow. It blinded him less instead of more. It fell into lots of smaller suns, that seemed to move by a random pattern. There had to be thousands of them.

Amazed, Usagi saw what was hidden inside of Pau. As he got closer, the number of the small suns seemed to grow. More and more, he could make out. Heard a murmur as if from a large river. Or a crowd. It seemed to get more quiet the closer he came.

Eventually, he was so close that he could make out gaps between the small suns. He saw that he had greatly underestimated their number. There were much more then he could count. Maybe millions.

A few of them came to meet him. Slowly or fast, he couldn't say, he drifted towards them or them towards him until they had formed some kind of circle around him. He could not say if he was still moving. He felt no movement anymore but he also hadn't felt to have slowed down.

He turned around himself and saw that they slowly came closer. He could turn but he couldn't leave the center of the circle.

"Hello," a voice sounded. Despite being sure that he had no ears anymore, Usagi understood without problems and he also knew where the voice had come from.

He turned to the speaker and greeted him back. "Hello."

Then the others were near him and he could see that the suns were in fact living beings almost like him. Some were really strange but others almost familiar. Since Usagi had the impression that he still looked as he had before he died, he guessed that the others also had looked as he saw them, now

"I do greet you, Miyamoto Usagi," the small being with its long, thick fur said. It almost looked like a ball of fur out of which small, intelligent eyes looked out. "I'm called Ha'ar."

Before Usagi could ask a question, the small being continued. "Don't be alarmed, we will transport ourselves in a moment. On this level, you are able to experience it."

The world tilted once more, turned his insides out and then, not. Usagi was confused but not afraid. He had the strong feeling that Pau had just moved, in his strange way from the arena to another place not far away.

"Close your eyes," the small being asked him. Despite no longer having any, Usagi tried to follow the request. A picture in strange colors formed in himself. He saw something which looked like a room. The whole furniture was green, the sunlight much more red than he was used to. A dark-red rabbit lay on a bed.

Because of the strange colors, it took Usagi some time to recognize himself. Clearly, he could make out the body below the clothing. He could still make out the clothing but it was just a shadow as were the things which he carried with himself.

Slowly, the red got darker and weaker. Light-red hands of Pau, criss-crossed by the thin lines, moved about his body. Sometimes, a bit of light flowed out of one of the gaps into the motionless body and seeped away in it.

Then Pau pulled the whole bed next to a beam that supported the ceiling. It was odd to see all this from his point of view and to lack any control about the movements. Pau pressed a nail into the beam and hung a small bag containing a liquid on it. To the bag, a thin hose was connected which ended in a small metal ball.

With his thumb, Pau moved about the forearm of the dead body and hairs flaked off the ground. Suddenly, Pau held a bracelet in his hand. Even from the inside of Pau, it was impossible to tell where it had come from. It was about one finger thick and had the width of a hand. Many lines made from light criss-crossed it but it was a different light than that which Pau exuded. It was colder.

Carefully, Pau closed the bracelet around the arm of the dead body at the place where he had removed the hair. With a quiet hum, it closed itself around the arm. As if it was breathing, it heaved once and then sank back to the skin.

In one of the openings on the bracelet, Pau put the ball at the end of the small hose which came from the bag. The lines on and inside of it began to chance in random patterns. Slowly, the murky liquid from the bag began to flow out of the bag and into the bracelet.

Then the vision changed once more or the colors did. At first, Usagi could not make out anything, just a wild kaleidoscope of colors and forms. But after some time, he got used to what he saw. Pau still looked at the motionless body but it looked very different, now. Sharply, he could make out his ribcage and bones out of the amorphous mass of his body. His clothing had almost completely vanished in this new look of the world but the floor was better to see than before.

The ribs began to expand, air streamed into his dead body. Strange clouds made of blue mist pressed his heart together and pulled it wide again. For an eternity, Pau forced the dead body to breathe and the heart to beat. Then the corpse coughed and breathed on his own. Pau pulled back a bit and the colors became what they had been before, once more.

Someone ripped the door open. Despite the fact that Pau didn't take his eyes from the body, Usagi could still see clearly how Tomoe ran into the room, completely out of breath, shortly followed by Sanshobo who carried Keiko. Usagi wondered a bit how he could make them out so clearly when Pau looked at something else with his eyes.

"There was no need for haste," Pau greeted them calmly, "there was nothing you could have done."

"How is he?" Tomoe gasped, "why isn't he moving?"

"He will live," Pau promised, "I have to look for Heroito, now."

The voice of Ha'ar could be heard again. "You must now return into your own body," he told Usagi, "or it will suffer further damage."

Usagi could already feel the pull but something held him back. Only when he gave his agreement, he started to move. This time, he moved much faster, he was speeding towards the black gap in the sky, then he was through. With an irresistible force, he was sucked up by his body. Into nothingness.

While Tomoe held the hand of her lover, Pau went down and met with the delegation of the referees. "Please, no questions at this time," Pau turned them away before they could say anything. "Has someone seen Master Heroito?"

Master Heroito stepped out of the crowd which had assembled in the inn. "I'm here," he reported.

"If you allow, I would like to have a look at the spot where Usagi did hit you," Pau asked composed.

Heroito rose one of his eyebrows. "Do you think this is necessary?"

Pau just nodded. Together with the referees, they went upstairs.

With four referees and Heroito, the room became quite crowded. Keiko sat next to Sanshobo and Tomoe didn't leave her place next to Usagi.

Calmly, Heroito took off his kimono. When Pau stroke his fur the wrong way where Usagi hat hit him to be able to see the skin, Heroito breathed in sharply.

"There is a bruise, about this size," Pau reported and showed a distance of about two hand widths.

"That quickly?" escaped Heroito's lips and the faces of the referees darkened.

Pau nodded. "Just one or two finger widths to the left and we would not talk."

"What technique is that? I almost didn't feel the hit!"

For a while, Pau just held his hand over the injury without touching the fur. "It's variation of the technique to relax which I use to prepare myself. It's called Tai Chi Chuan."

"Tai Chi? Life force?"

Pau nodded. "I taught Usagi a couple of patterns of Tai Chi but with his knowledge about fighting, he seems to have developed a new form."

"In principle, he has used up his life force specifically to win the fight. That's why he got so fast and skilled but he isn't immortal and eventually, his energy was just spent and he died."

"He is dead?" Heroito asked shocked.

Pau shook his head. "I called him back. He will live and so will you."

He took a container out of his sleeve which was wrapped in a blue cloth. After he had unwrapped the cloth, a transparent container turned up which was closed with a lid made from the same material. Inside, there seemed to be a thick rod made of metal.

Pau took the cloth in his hand, opened the lid, put it beside himself and let the rod glide into the cloth. He held the rod upright with one hand and put the container away.

"That will feel a bit odd," he prepared Heroito and held the rod with its front to the injury.

The rod began to go out of shape. While he got shorter, the end which touched Heroitos fur began to widen. Then, the metal started to seep away in the fur. Heroitos uneasiness could be clearly seen in his face.

Heroitos breathing got faster while more and more of the strange metal disappeared in his fur. Slowly, the fur came out of the metal while it moved further inside. Pau looked concentrated at the process.

In the end, a thin layer of metal sprouting fur covered the injury but most of it must now be inside of Heroito.

"The healing should be finished in two days," Pau promised, "then I can remove the healing metal, again. After that, you should be as good as new."

With an uneasy voice, Heroito thanked him. Carefully, he moved his hand over the metal. Astonishingly, it seemed to be flexible and gave way. Muted, he dressed again.

"When will Master Miyamoto wake up again?" one of the referees asked.

Pau rocked his head. "In about three days," he guessed.

"Hmm. Can you tell us why he fought that bad in the beginning despite having mastered such an oustanding technique?"

"Certainly: Usagi hasn't mastered this technique. I'm positive that before the fight, he had no idea that something like that was possible at all. My guess is that he has a natural talent for this and he discovered it by accident."

"You do not really expect us to buy this, do you?" was the unbelieving answer.

Pau looked calmly at the referee. "It's just the truth. What you choose to believe is up to you."

"How do you know that he didn't know about this technique before?"

"To be as good as we have all seen him to be, he whould have had to use it before but that leaves traces in the body. A while ago, I had to heal Usagi and when I did, I could not find any such traces. And since then, we spent all the time together."

"Nonetheless, it's a technique which is illegal according to the rules of this competition and you will have to disqualify him," Pau went on.

The referees thanked him and withdrew to discuss after they had also spoken with Heroito.

Almost as a compensation, Pau invited Master Heroito for dinner. Before they went away, Tomoe apologized formally at the master for what had happened.

"I assure you," she finished, "that he would never have endangered your life deliberately or from base motives."

"I accept your apology," Heroito answered formally. "Please be assured that I do not hold a grudge against your friend."

"You are a remarkable man," Heroito said to Pau during dinner. "Is Master Miyamoto a pupil of you?"

Pau said no to this. "He asked to become my pupil but I turned him down."

"May I ask for the reason?"

"He is not yet ready to make such a decision."

Heroito nodded. Thoughtfully, he looked at the street outside. "When I learned to know him better yesterday evening, I saw his potential. Oddly, he didn't seem to know."

"When we met to compete, I almost couldn't make out his potential anymore. In the first few rounds, he fought well but that was nothing compared to what he could have been. Then, he suddenly changed. All of a sudden, I had to use all my skills to defend myself against him."

"This Tai Chi which you teach, is this a martial art? When I saw you doing your exercises, I saw patterns which reminded me of a martial art but I would have never believed that something like what had just happened was possible. Almost, I still don't believe it."

"Tai Chi pays attention to getting the life force flowing again, in the good and the bad sense. Usagis demise was that in this state, one doesn't feel pain, fear, anything. One is here, completely concentrated, but one cannot feel anything anymore. Therefore, he didn't notice when his life force just flowed out of him," Pau explained.

"Yes, I noticed. Suddenly, he was full of strength, could foresee my every attack long before I could perform it. Did you notice how he toyed with me after his first point?"

Pau nodded. "He sucked in your technique."

"There are only a handful of people who have mastered my techniques. I'm sure that Usagi is none of them. Therefore, I was shocked when he used my own technique against me after he had hit me for the third time."

Heroito snorted and shook his head. "In a couple of moments, he had understood the most important basics of this technique and was even able to use them, roughly but nonetheless potent. He didn't succeed but it wasn't much that was lacking and I wouldn't have been able to defeat him anymore."

"He's full of surprises," Pau confirmed.

"Yes, that is something you two share," Heroito replied with a mix of respect and frustration.

"Why did you let me win?" he went on.

Pau shrugged. "Well, for one, to win was meaningless for me but not for you. You have invested a lot of time and work to become as good as you are while for me, it would not have mattered at all."

"Furthermore, Usagi would not have given that much, if he had competed with me because he knows exactly that he wouldn't have stood any chance. Unfortunately, he overdid it. He would have been able to win without this."

The next morning, the referees announced that Usagi had been disqualified for using an illegal technique just as Pau had predicted. Master Heroito was declared as the winner. Since they had come to the conclusion that Master Miyamoto had not used this technique for his personal advantage or to harm his opponent intentionally, they did without dishonoring him and thus the performance of Master Miyamoto in the previous fights was not questioned.

This way, Usagi became second best but Tomoe had to hand over all her money to a bookmaker where she had bet on Usagis victory.

The market stayed one more day, then the traders dismantled their booths one after the other and quietude returned to the small city. Still, Tomoe didn't leave Usagis side even when his condition didn't change.

Pau made the healing metal leave Heroitos body again. In the cloth, it didn't simply drop to the ground but formed back into the thick rod which Pau put back into the container. He wrapped the cloth around it and put the whole thing away. After a short examination, Pau could confirm to Heroito that there were no traces of the injury left.

"What will you do now?" Heroito asked while he got dressed again.

"Well, we'll wait for two days until Usagi awakens again and then we'll return to the Geishu province. He and his future wife intend to marry."

"Congratulations!" Master Heroito said to Tomoe.

"Thank you," Tomoe smiled.

"And you?"

"Well, I have to look after my pupils again. And who knows, maybe I will visit the Geishu province sometime," Heroito answered friendly.

"It would be a great honor for us," Tomoe thanked him.

Friendly, they said farewell to Master Heroito. Then they waited for Usagi to stir.

Marriage

The next day, he did. Without any transition, Usagi was awake. Immediately, Tomoe and Pau were with him. "Pain," Usagi pressed through gritted teeth.

"Your muscles ache, that is to be expected," Pau comforted him, "just take it as hint not to try it again."

With a gesture, he held Tomoe back. "We don't want to be too much for him, right away." Turning to Usagi he went on. "Just the most important things: You have been disqualified and Heroito has almost died."

Usagis eyes showed his alarm. "Died?" he said with a strained voice.

Pau nodded to Tomoe: "Now, it's your turn."

"Usagi," Tomoe said angrily and hit his face so hard that his head bounced from the ground. The pain was so intensive that he fell into unconsciousness again. Therefore, he could not see the alarm in her face because she had not expected this.

When he regained consciousness the next time, Pau was not there, just Tomoe. "Never do this to me, again," she said threateningly.

Usagi didn't reply, he was happy that he could lay still without having to scream. By force, Tomoe pressed his jaws apart and put something between. By the sound it gave when he bit into it, it was some kind of wood.

Then she began to move his muscles. A short time later, tears ran down his face and more then once, he puffed. Tomoe didn't let herself be put off. As Pau had explained to her, she relaxed the tense muscles of Usagi.

That went on for two days. Usagi swore to himself to never try this fighting style ever again. After Tomoe could not find anything on him that hurt when she moved it, Pau continued his torture. He loosened muscles of which Usagi now wished he wouldn't have them.

After another day, he could at least sit without hurting. He was pretty sure that Pau could have given him something against the pain and probably would have if he had asked but instead, he chose to endure his punishment.

Pau brought them back to White Heron Castle where Usagi cured his pains completely. Despite his mishap, Lord Noriyuki congratulated him for his new title.

"How should I call you now? Master Miyamoto or Master Usagi?" the lord asked friendly.

"Since everyone calls me Usagi-san, Master Usagi seems to be better. Otherwise, people will be confused about whom you are talking," Usagi answered respectfully.

"Have you decided yet what you are going to do after your wedding?"

Usagi sighed. "I must admit that I have not yet found the time to think about this and I also have to talk about this with Tomoe. I think it would be unwise to decide this without her."

In the evening, Usagi turned his thoughts into reality. They were standing on the east wall of the castle from which one had a wonderful view over the land.

"Lord Noriyuki has asked me again today what our plans are for the time after the wedding," he started undecidedly.

"Well, while you rested, I have had a talk with Pau," she told him.

"I was under the impression that you can't stand him?"

"That is true, but his advice is still good. It would be foolish not to make the most of this. And we don't have to do what he recommends."

"And what did he recommend?"

"He said that we should wait until after the wedding. There would be some new possibilities then and we should decide after we having seen them."

"He's up to something again," Usagi suspected.

"Probably," Tomoe sighed.

On the next day, Pau left them once more. He promised to be back in time for the wedding. He also asked Usagi to take care for Katsuichis pupils while he was away because their new master still hadn't arrived. Not because he had nothing better to do but because he actually enjoyed this, Usagi immediately agreed.

And so, the last month until the wedding passed. Lord Noriyuki oversaw the preparations for the wedding of the two and made sure that the wishes which Pau had passed on to him, were fulfilled. With some, he had no idea why Pau asked for them but he was sure that Pau had his reasons.

The little Keiko and Waytiki soon became inseparable. She was a bit clumsy but quick to learn, she took part of the exercises as good as she could. Usagi decided to have a serious talk with the next master of the pupils to accept Keiko as well if she wanted for this.

Then the month was over. Three days before the event, Pau returned with Jei in tow. Carefully, he checked all the preparations which Lord Noriyuki had made and found almost everything to his liking. Together, they discussed the necessary changes and Noriyuki promised that everything would be perfect until the wedding.

Sanshobo agreed to carry out the marriage ceremony. Pau told him some important details that he would have to take into account. Sanshobo promised not to relate anything that Pau had told him to the couple.

But Tomoe and Usagi were completely occupied with other things. Relieved, they had accepted Lord Noriyukis offer to take care of all the preparations. This way, they had more time for themselves. Tomoe was very pleased with the progress Nega had made, who would take her place, and she would be able to hand over her duties to him with an easy conscience.

While Sanshobo was on his way to obtain all the things he needed for the ceremony, Pau went once more to his house in the city and checked the works of the tradesmen. Still, there were some minor details to be fixed but that was nothing which couldn't be done afterwards. All in all, he was satisfied with the result.

He made some small modifications by himself and went back for the castle after sunset. On his way back, he met with Gen.

"I beg your pardon," Gen joined him who had just arrived in the city.

"Gen," Pau nodded friendly.

"Um ...," Gen wriggled to finally ask for some money to be able to buy a wedding present for his best friend.

Pau laughed out loud. "So you're broke once more," he teased the unhappy Gen.

He calmed down again. "Gen, trust me. Try to find something which you can give them as a present, which one can't buy with money."

"But what? Everything costs money."

"Think about it," Pau asked him, "I know that you will come up with something."

"Hm," Gen was still uneasy. "And there is something else."

"Yes?"

"Do you know where I can find Kan?"

"You went to Usagi already and he refused to tell you," Pau suspected.

Gen flew into a temper but calmed down again quickly. "What's the matter? I just want to talk to him, that's all."

Pau laughed friendly. "Don't worry. Kan will be present at the wedding. But," he said conspiratorially, "not a word to Usagi! I want that to come as a surprise for him."

"You can depend on me," Gen promised openly relieved.

"I know," Pau answered ambiguously and left the confused Gen.

On the day before the wedding, Pau left again and promised to be back by next morning. The day seemed to be endless until it was suddenly over. In that night, neither Tomoe nor Usagi got much sleep despite sleeping in different rooms.

The next morning, two large delegations of servants of Lord Noriyuki descended upon them and dressed them up. Despite the fact that there was really nothing about which they should have worried, both were very nervous.

Then it was time. The servants lead them to the big hall of the castle. The weather was bright, dry and warm. The sun was laughing from the sky and the day promised to become glorious.

Usagi wondered why the were going to be married in the big hall. Surely, there wouldn't be many more than a handful of guests, mostly relatives of Tomoe would attend. All his relatives lived in the north of Honshu, much too far away. But surely, Lord Noriyuki would have ordered to build an extraordinary decoration. There had been rumors going round that the tradesmen had worked a whole week in the hall. He was expectant and Tomoe, too.

A servant opened the door, Usagi took Tomoes hand and looked at her while leading her inside. So, he could see her jaw dropping in amazement. In surprise, he also looked at what she saw and saw it, too. His jaw dropped in amazement, too.

The hall was filled with people.

There must have been hundreds of guests. All were standing and looking expectantly at the bride and the groom.

Automatically, Usagi set into motion and as in a dream, he went through the small alley that had been held open for them. A few faces, he could make out as through a haze. He saw the kaiso(4)-farmer Kichiro(5) whom he had helped a few years ago, Kenichi was there with his wife Mariko, next to Lord Noriyuki stood Lord Hirano with his wife.

Tears of joy ran down his face and there was a catch in his voice when he said "Yes!". And then, finally, Tomoe was his and a deafening cheering filled the hall.

During the day, they tried to meet with every guest and thank them, accept their presents and have at least a few words with them but it was impossible. Eventually, Pau stepped in and led them to those guests which could not stay until the next day. They would be able to meet with the others, tomorrow.

Usagi had no idea how Pau had achieved this but he was immensely grateful. By a long way, this was the happiest day in his life. At last, he could talk relaxed with Lady Hirano who gave Tomoe a wonderful piece of jewelery for a present.

Every guest had something for them, some brought small things and others something more extravagant. With every present, Usagi was genuinely unhappy when he had to pass it on to one of the servants who stored it away because he just didn't have the time to do it himself.

The day went by in a flash. Usagi spoke to an immeasurable number of people until his voice was hoarse. He met Tomoes family and people he hadn't seen for years.

Gen at last met again with Kan. Adviser Sakajato almost dropped dead on the spot when the ungroomed head-hunter suddenly showed up from out of nowhere and hugged Lord Hirano jovially. He was even more amazed when the lord seemed to be happy with this treatment and let it happen without resistance. The lord even gestured him to stop when he was about to intervene!

Curiously, Lord Noriyuki came over to them. Before he could say something, Lord Hirano spoke: "Gen, have you already met with Lord Noriyuki?"

"Of course," Gen claimed proudly, "after all, I spent a lot of time with Usagi. His Lordship did already offer me a job but that's nothing for me. I want to be free with no cares."

"Oh," Lord Hirano, "now that's a pity because I have a letter of recommendation for you here."

"Uh, really?" Gen didn't sound completely negative anymore.

"But if this is nothing for you, then of course, I wouldn't want to force you into anything."

"Um," Gen hesitated with an answer. "But it would also be a pity to just throw it away after you have written it already, now wouldn't it?"

"Maybe."

"Well, I could at least use it to visit you once in a while," Gen thought aloud.

Grinning quietly to himself, Lord Hirano handed the letter to Gen who unfolded and read it.

"Oh! That's not for Lord Noriyuki," he said in surprise, "you are living at the court of Lord Hirano? What kind of guy is he?"

"Oh, I think you will like him," Lord Hirano said easily and Adviser Sakajato didn't trust his ears. Lord Noriyuki excused himself hurriedly and almost ran away before he lost control over his laughter.

"Well," Gen said disparagingly, "I think for you, I can take this upon myself."

"I'm glad to hear that," Kan said with a strange smile.

Meanwhile, Lord Noriyuki had sat down on a bench and tried to get his fit of laughter under control again. Next, he went to Usagi. "Gen just hugged Lord Hirano," the lord started the talk with rapt attention for the reaction.

"Oh no!" Usagi called out, "I completely forgot about this!"

He was about to run to save what was left to save but Noriyuki held him back: "It seemed to me that Lord Hirano survived it without problems and Gen was talking for quite some time with him when I had to leave them. Is there something which I should know?" he asked friendly.

"Uh, ..." Usagi hesitated, "that's a long story. I would be glad to tell it to you but maybe not just right now."

FIXME Attribute href of /body/xxx-group/div[2]/xxx-group/p[592]/a is null. Amongst the guests was a couple which neither Tomoe nor him had ever met before. Pau introduced them with an amused smile as if there was a joke about this that only he could see.

With broken Japanese and a strong accent, the man introduced his wife and himself. His name didn't tell Usagi anything and he was sure he would have remembered him if they had ever met before because he looked really strange and also their clothes were very uncommon.

"I'm an ... artist," the man explained nervously. Usagi tried to comfort him with a reassuring smile but for some reason that seemed to make him even more nervous. Pau showed a wide grin but didn't take part of the conversation in any other way. Paus grin made Usagi immediately suspect that the joke was on him but he was also very curious about what was going on.

"I make a living by drawing picture stories," the man blurted out, "and I brought a copy for you as a present."

With slightly shaking hands, the man handed his present to Usagi. It was wrapped in red rice paper and unexpectedly heavy. A sticky strip kept it together after Usagi had removed the bow and with regret, he had to tear the expensive paper to unwrap the present.

In the end, he held some kind of book in his hand. On the front was the picture of a rabbit, with drawn sword and a mean expression on his face. On his kimono was the mon(6) of Lord Mifune. Above the picture was in oddly frayed kanji letters his name, Usagi. Below, smaller and clear, 'Yojimbo(7)' and below that, even smaller 'Grey Shadows'. Besides was some text with a strange image below composed from many vertical lines and many numbers and some more symbols which were unknown to him.

On the back was a colored picture of the rabbit from the front and a bowed man who held a jitte(8) and a lamp.

Indecisive, Usagi leaved through the book. The pages were filled with small pictures which contained bubbles with text. Somewhere in the middle, he stopped. He saw a scene where the rabbit and the old man from the backside were just stepping into a room which contained shelves full of books. The text explained that it was an archive.

The bubble over the man contained the text 'I am Inspector Ishida. I have come to examine certain records - those fifteen years past.'

Usagi remembered(9) it, he had helped Inspector Ishida to investigate a series of murders. Concerned, he turned the page but that seemed to show what had happened before. So he looked in the other direction. And there was it, the theft of the document with which they had finally solved the case, documented in clean pictures. The theft he had committed. It was all there.

How could that man have known? Had Ishida told him? That was most unlikely. Usagi looked up and saw that Pau was having a wonderful time and probably at the expense of him.

With a loud sound, he closed the book. The man who had given it to him as a present looked at him expectantly and a bit fearful but Usagi decided to ignore him for the time being. "Well?" he asked Pau.

"Actually, it's pretty simple," Pau replied, "something which is a dream for one person might be reality for someone else. Not all the things which someone imagines are real somewhere else, but some are."

"For the people, that live in the same reality as Sakai-san, his stories about the rabbit he has invented and who experiences all kinds of adventures, are pure fiction. Ridiculous. Impossible."

"But Sakai-san honors your values and attitude of morality. Therefore, I thought I should give you two a chance to meet. Just for fun. No harm can come from it."

"Er... except my stories are not to your liking and you decide to behead me," Sakai Stan remarked.

Usagi was already one step ahead. "Do I experience my reality and he dreams of it or does he dream it and I have to experience it?" he demanded to know from Pau.

"Well," Pau hesitated with the answer, "that's not easy to answer. It's hard to say if something you experience happens before or after he dreams of it."

"Don't worry," Stan tried to comfort him, "all my stories have taken place before your marriage with Tomoe! Therefore, it has already happened for you."

Usagi wasn't satisfied with that. "Then you might still be responsible for a lot of suffering of those dear to me or even their deaths!"

Alarmed, Stan turned to Pau. "Did his father die because I drew it?"

Pau thought about this. "No, I can't find any reality in which Lord Hikiji would have spared Magistrate Miyamoto. As Usagi in later times, Magistrate Miyamoto had the amazing ability to irritate Lord Hikiji in the extreme."

Stan seemed to relax a bit but he was still uneasy. Pau finally redeemed them. "Sakai-san, there are people which can change the reality by dreaming of it but you can only do this in your own reality. No matter what you dreamt of, it had no influence on Usagis life nor will it ever have."

The man gave a sigh of relief. Annoyed, Usagi made a face. Why was Pau pestering the man for nothing?

"You see, Usagi," Pau read his mind once again, "I only do that if it might help and won't harm." With that, he left them alone.

"If you would allow," Stan asked Usagi, "this is a once in a lifetime chance for me and there are a couple of questions, I would really like to ask ..."

After a short time, Gen, Jotaro and Kenichi joined them. It was odd to talk with Stan. He seemed to know much more than he admitted but on the other hand, he knew things that were completely wrong. Eventually, Usagi had to leave him and look after the other guests. Carefully, he kept the book safe. It mustn't fall into the wrong hands.

In the evening, Stan Sakai and his wife said goodbye to Tomoe and him. Usagi did regret that they had to leave this early because it had been very interesting to meet with someone who was so extraordinary and whose connection with one was, too.

Pau brought Mr. Sakai and his wife back to their home. When Pau had left, Mr. Sakai suddenly remembered that in all the excitement, he had completely forgotten to take photos. Now, he had no proof except for the notes he had taken. But in the age of digitally manipulated images, probably no one would have believed them, anyway.

In the castle, more and more guests said farewell to the bride and groom and Pau brought them back home, too.

Gen was still clinging to Lord Hirano, when the lord bid his farewell. Usagi apologized for his friend. "I hope he didn't create too much trouble for you."

Lord Hirano laughed. "Not at all, I was in fact glad to meet with him once more."

Even Gen now started to realize that something was going on. "Um," he started, "what exactly are you doing at the court of Lord Hirano?"

Lord Hirano laughed even more. "Do you promise that I'm still Kan for you after I tell you?"

"Sure," Gen said lightly.

With his face still twitching, the lord asked his adviser to introduce him who followed the suitable protocol. "You have the honor to talk to his Lordship Hirano Kanzaburo." Gens jaw dropped. Usagi definitely found the sight was worth it. Even Adviser Sakajato had to use all his self-control to keep his face straight.

Pau came over to bring the lord and his companions back home. "I would like to apologize for this charade but I feared that you would turn away from me if you knew who I really am. I still hope that you will follow my invitation," the lord said to Gen seriously.

"I will," Gen promised weakly who was still recovering from the shock. When Pau had disappeared with the lord, he had to sit down. Usagi stayed with him.

"Damn!" Gen cursed, "and I even hugged him like an old pal of mine! If that ever comes out, he is dishonored and I will never be able to see him again!"

"Don't worry, only about 200 wedding guests have seen it. And Lord Noriyuki."

Gen made a face. "Damn!" he cursed indignantly.

"You never cared before about such things?"

"Well, if it would just have been Noriyuki, things wouldn't be that bad."

"What wouldn't have been that bad?" Noriyuki asked politely who had just joined them and who had overheard the last sentence. Right next to him was Tomoe, who looked at Gen with a pinched expression. Gen did bite on his tongue. Today, he really had bad luck.

"Gen and I discuss new ways to receive a visiting lord in the future," Usagi replied smoothly.

"Oh, indeed ?" the lord said interested and Tomoe frowned.

"Yes, we call for a peasant, who has no idea what is going on ..."

"Hey!" Gen protested.

"... make him hug the lord, ..."

"Not that loud!" Gen hissed.

"... and tell him afterwards who that was ..."

"No!"

"... and enjoy the expression on his face."

"A nice friend you are," Gen complained, "taking pleasure in my misery!"

"You really didn't know who he was?" Lord Noriyuki asked curiously. Gen sighed and just shook his head.

"Well, since Lord Hirano doesn't seem to mind, I will not comment. I would just like to point out that I would not take such manners that easily," the lord explained almost seriously. He congratulated the couple and bid his farewell for the night.

"You really had no idea?" Tomoe asked amusedly.

"Stop it, will you? How should I have known? Everyone called him Kan all the time and he even behaved decent," Gen protested.

"Really, decent," Tomoe said amazed.

"Here," Gen offered a letter to her, "he even gave me a letter of recommendation for Lord Hirano!"

"Before or after hugging him?"

"After!"

"In that case, he really doesn't seem to mind," Tomoe answered.

"He doesn't! But you should have seen the faces of his companions! After this, I can't show my face there, anymore!" Gen almost cried out.

"Calm down, will you," Usagi comforted his friend, "surely, Lord Hirano has his people under control and can put a stop to all rumors about this incident. Furthermore, it is well known how proud he is and no one will give a second thought to a rumor that he let himself being hugged by a head-hunter who just came along."

Gen sighed heavily. "I would never forgive myself if I had ruined my friendship with Kan with such a stupid act."

Usagi had never seen Gen like this. He was dead serious. "Don't worry. I would propose that you should follow the invitation in a few weeks. Until then, no one should remember anymore and you can have a look at the situation in calmness."

"Thanks," Gen sighed, "and I don't even have a present for you two. Only myself and my friendship."

"And a wonderful present it is," Usagi thanked his friend and hugged him. Tomoe also gave him a hug and even a kiss.

A bit uneasy, Gen stood up. "Uhm... it has been a long day and I think, ... I should go ... now ... to bed and, yes, to bed," he said farewell with an uneasy voice. A servant showed him to his prepared rooms. No one saw him cry.

What a lucky man he was to have friends like that. And three of them at once.

When the last guests had gone to bed, Tomoe and Usagi also returned to their room. They were very exhausted and no sooner they fell into a deep sleep than they had undressed and laid down.

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