The Twelve Kingdoms: Shadow of the Moon

anything other than myself. Call me king or kaikyaku, that has nothing to do with me! Rakushun, you're the one I've come all this way with."
    Rakushun continued to hang his head, showing his sad, rounded back.
    "So what's different? Nothing's changed! I thought I was your friend. If becoming a king is going to change that, then I don't want any part of it!"
    There was no answer from her small companion.
    "Well, that's discrimination, pure and simple. You didn't discriminate against me because I was a kaikyaku. But now you do because I'm some sort of royalty?"
    "Youko . . . . "
    "I'm not the one who's far away. It's your feelings that are. You and I are standing no more than two steps apart."
    She reached out with her foot and indicated the distance between them. No further than that, she meant.
    Rakushun looked up at Youko. He worried at the fur on his chest with his forefoot, fluttered his silky whiskers.
    "Am I wrong, Rakushun?"
    "It's three steps for me."
    Youko couldn't help grinning.
    "Forgive me." Rakushun reached out with his forefoot and touched Youko's hand. "I am sorry."
    "It's okay. I'm the one who should be sorry. I got you mixed up in all kinds of weird stuff." She was being pursued. If Rakushun said she was a king then it was probably true. And her being chased probably had something to do with it.
    Rakushun's black eyes brimmed with laughter. "I came to En for my own reasons, so it's nothing you need to blame yourself for."
    "Oh, I've caused you no end of trouble."
    "No trouble at all. If I thought you were trouble, I wouldn't have stuck with you from the start. If it was so disagreeable, I would have gone home."
    "You even got injured on my account."
    "I knew there would be difficulties, I knew there would be dangers. But I figured sticking with you would be worth it, so I stuck with you."
    "You are a good person, Rakushun."
    "I suppose. But I think I'm much better off heading into danger with you than playing it safe without you."
    "Oh, c'mon. You didn't think things would get this chancy, did you?"
    "In any case, my expectations were a bit uninformed. But that's my fault, not yours."
    Youko couldn't think of a way to respond, could only nod. Holding his small hand, feelings of guilt and regret welled up inside her.
    Rakushun had likely committed a crime by giving shelter to a kaikyaku. The youma pursuing her may well have attacked Rakushun's home after she left. He had said to his mother when they left, "You're tough as nails, Mom. I'm sure you'll be okay on your own." There was no escaping the implication in his reassurances that her attackers or some other calamity might soon be visited upon her.
    Youko pulled him to her and clasped the soft, furry body against her own. She ignored Rakushun's odd cries of protest and buried her head in the charcoal gray fur. It was as gentle and comforting as she imagined.
    "I'm really am sorry for messing up your life like this. And really grateful."
    "Youko."
    She released the flustered Rakushun. "Sorry. I was a little overcome there."
    "It's all right." Rakushun awkwardly combed his ruffled fur back into place. "But it'd be better if you acted with a bit more restraint."
    "Eh?"
    Rakushun's whiskers drooped. "It looks like we need to study you up a bit more about this world. You think?"
    He spoke in a concerned tone of voice. With no real idea what he was referring to, Youko could only nod and say, "Yeah, sure."

Chapter 53
    T hey stopped at the next city and got a room at an inn. As soon as Rakushun finished writing the letter, they rushed over to the municipal building.
    If the letter was received, Rakushun said, a reply would be sent to the inn. Youko still was not convinced of the gravity of the situation, to say nothing of the complete lack of any feeling that there was anything "royal" about her. But she did not venture to stop Rakushun from doing what he was doing, and did as he asked with all due diligence.
    "How long do you think it will take?"
    "Hard to say. I've described our circumstances and requested an audience with the Saiho, but I have no idea how long it will take to get into his possession. At this point, we're dealing with something I have no experience with."
    "Can't we go grab a bureaucrat and do a lot of begging and pleading?"
    Rakushun laughed. "Do something like that and they'll throw us out on our butts."
    "And what if they ignore us?"
    "We'll keep on calling until they pay attention. This letter I'm sending gets straight to the