The Lion sighed and rested on a stone bench. He had not slept that night, not since his Emperor's return, not since he declaration of war upon his Clan.

Who was that man on the Jade Throne?

"An odd morning," A voice brought Hatori back to reality from his thoughts, and the Lion turned to see the Phoenix, Asako Sano, behind him. "It's as if Lady Sun's rising is slower each day," he commented, almost as if Hatori was not there.

"It is still the morning," The Ikoma said, rising to his feet, "And another day given to us by Her." He bowed to the Phoenix, "I did not hear you come, Sano, forgive me."

Sano bowed in return, and waved a hand dismissively, "No matter, Hatori-san. You were thinking of the future, were you not?"

Hatori's eyes narrowed in confusion, "No, I was not, actually. I was thinking about..." His voice trailed off as he realized his mind was already considering what he would have to do now before Sano had interrupted him. Hatori laughed a little and shook his head.

"You seek answers, Hatori." Sano said turning to look at Lady Sun rise slowly. "The answers you seek are held by the Dragon," The Asako paused a moment, as if considering something, then said quietly, "Kaze lives, Hatori-san."

The Ikoma froze for a moment, then almost stammered, "Togashi Kaze?"

"Your old friend, Hatori." Sano nodded, "He is still in those mountains, though he is no longer a Togashi. I suggest you take what little power you have in the Court to leave in safe numbers..." The Phoenix's voice deepened to a warning tone, "Before you are forced out."

Hatori nodded in understanding, though his mind was racing. Numbly, he turned away from the Asako and made his way to his chambers.

Sano smiled again, to himself, as he straightened his kimono. "So they gather..." He muttered quietly, and walked towards the Emperor's Court, "Now two remain..."

The shugenja pulled his hood over his long black hair, and scratched the beard the was beginning to grow on his face. As Kanjin approached, the gunso knelt at his feet. "Two, on one horse. They bear no mon, but the man in front wears the armor of a Mantis."

Kanjin nodded and motioned for the soldier to stand and retake his post. He looked across the grassy fields of the Lion, the Clan his Emperor had ordered him to destroy. "I will receive them," he nearly whispered. The gunso took a quick, almost worried, look at his commander's bloodshot eyes, his paling face, and unshaved stubble. It was not the same man Iuchi Kanjin was weeks ago, but it was still his lord.

The Iuchi magsitrate watched his gunso leave, and straightened out his robes. He had slept little since he had met with his old friend, and each day his army had warred with the Lion seemed to take a small bit of his, and his men's, soul away.

As the rider neared, Kanjin's eyes grew wide with surprise. He did not flinch as the horse came within feet of him and the two riders dismounted, both wearing the green of the Mantis. One was a large samurai with an impresseive no-dachi strapped to his back. The other was a fairly attractive, but hard-looking, woman in the robes of a shugenja. At the samurai's motion, they both knelt before Kanjin.

"Iuchi Kanjin-sama." The man said, his face cast downward.

"Yoritomo Hatori-san," Kanjin said, his surprise evident. "I... Why are you here?"

Hatori rose, but the woman stayed on the ground. "I am of the Mantis no longer," He said, sadness carrying on his tones, "I have come to ask if the Unicorn armies, the hand of the Emperor, require two more soldiers."

Kanjin stood there, staring in open shock. The man standing before him had watched Kanjin shame and force his Mantis lord into seppuku a month ago. "I do not understand, Hatori-san. Why are you a ronin? Who is this with you?"

Hatori motioned for the woman to stand, and said, "This is Saiko, of the Fox Clan," He hesitated for a moment, then added, "My wife."

Realization dawned on Kanjin's face. The Fox Clan had been cast out from the Alliance, and Hatori had to choose between his lord and his love.

"To my tent, then, my guests." Kanjin turned and walked into the camp, the two following close behind, "Strange times forge strange alliances, it seems."

So close, he thought. It was here somewhere.

The man moved his hand to a shoji, and slid the panel open. Another deserted room. His mind blurred for a moment, and he felt the weight of another will upon it. No, not now! The man fell to his knees in the room and pressed his hands to his head. The world seemed to spin for a second, and a thousand whispers raced through his mind. He heard them all clearly, behind him, in front of him, above him. He reached into his obi and pulled out a katana, and stumbled, slashing into the air at the voices.

And then it was over.

The man looked up and saw the room was still empty, and his sword rested in the stone wall, buried halfway. A long gouge trailed along the wall where he must have swung into it in his fury. Confused, the man tugged on his sword, then realized it was not stone at all as the blade came free easily.

It was a fake wall. He kicked in the rest of wall, and watched the mock stone crumble like sand on the floor.

In the hidden enclosure, an odd blade rested on a table.

My sword, he thought, dropping his katana without thinking, and reaching for the heavy thing. It was straight, bladed on both sides, and pointed. The metal glowed softly, but the glow seemed to come from a warping of light around it. The hilt was wrapped in the flesh of an animal, and there was a huge black jewel set in the crosspiece. Odd markings and designs crawled all over the weapon.

As the man's hand reached out, he hesitated. It was not a sword of a Rokugani... was it his sword? Who am I? he thought for an instant.

And in that instant, he was lost.

Behind him, four other figures crept silently into the room, also black-garbed. One held a bow at the ready, trained on the figure leaning over the table. "Do not move," He said in calm, even tones. The archer, Bayushi Tashiro, then noticed the sword on the floor. He recognized that katana.

"Amadan?" He whispered silently, lowering his bow.

A hollow laugh came from the man, and with blinding speed, he grabbed the gaijin weapon on the table and turned to face Tashiro. Where his mask was open for eyes, there was nothing but smooth skin. The laughter continued as the man once called Amadan brought his sword over his head in a sweeping arc, and Tashiro was engulfed in exploding blue fire.

As the archer dropped to the ground, Amadan picked up his katana and turned to the other figures. Before they could react, he charged into them with inhuman speed and cut them all down within seconds.

The smell of blood wafted down the hall with the sounds of laughter.