Fifty-three lanterns - that was her task.

Carried along by the remnants of winter's winds, the cool night air brushed across her face. She had to pause to flick a strand of hair out of her eyes before turning her attention back to her work, fighting the urge to yawn.

A young woman clad in simple white robes knelt at the edge of a pristine pool of water, a miniature lake in a immaculate garden. Wispy pockets of mist drifted across the water, the dark surface reflecting the light of the full moon. Ornamental columns and bridges spanned the pond, offering a place of reflection. Rows of flowers and impeccably maintained bushes formed rows and spirals to walk amidst nature's beauty, and a large patch of gravel held a vast, seemingly erratic array of large pebbles - a rock maze for when one simply needed to wander for a while.

When spring fully arrived in the coming weeks, the trees would regain their blossoms, and the garden would be breathtakingly beautiful. It was a shame, then, that she feared she may not be around to appreciate it.

The woman was alone in this garden, and she would remain so until her task was done. Fifty-three lanterns...no more, and no fewer.

Her name was Kiyoko, and she was nearly finished. Taking strips of paper in hand, she bound them together to a framework of wooden sticks, affixing four of these paper walls to a tiny wooden platform. Next, she took a small, clay dish, holding a miniature pillar of wax within it. Taking another, already lit candle, she covered the flame with her hand to protect it from the wind, and held the candle down towards the new one until the wick caught the flame.

The final lantern ignited, she extinguished the first candle with a quick pinch of its flame. Carefully grasping the sides of the paper lantern, she stood up, and carried the light source to its destination.

She had been saving this spot - the largest and oldest cherry tree in the garden. It had been his favorite spot to rest, stealing a quick nap from the stresses and endless responsibilities of the palace.

When she had been a young girl, she had been keen to run about these gardens, laughing and playing with the other children. He had been perhaps too lenient with her, but she always appreciated his watchful eye - and even his participation, when he was still spry enough to join in.

Now, though, she was a young woman, and fully aware of what was expected of her. The wight of that knowledge hung heavy on each breath, making her doubt that she would ever be able to feel such carefree mirth again.

"So be it," she muttered to herself. With age came greater freedom, but also greater responsibility.

Kneeling down, she set the raft holding the paper lantern down upon the water's surface - and gave it a gentle push. With a flick of her hand, she invisibly manipulated the air currents, sending the lantern boat gliding across the pond, moving to join its fifty-two siblings already floating there.

Her task was complete, but she could not leave yet. Something still bound her to the garden...

Clenching her right hand, she took a deep breath and pressed her fist over her heart, tilting her head up to look at the full moon.

"Grandfather," she began, voice calm and steady, "I will always honor the sacrifices you have made for the good of our people...and for my own. I pray that I will be half the ruler that you were...and that no matter the outcome of the challenges ahead, that Aurora will remain on the proper path."

The moon did not answer, continuing to silently stare down at her, basking the world in pale light.

"Rest well, grandfather..."

Inclining her head down for a moment of silence, Kiyoko was finally ready to leave. This would not be the last time that she paced this garden, but it would never be the same.

"Blessings of the moon upon you, Kiyoko-sama," the priest said in his low, rumbling voice, flourishing his arms and performing a deep bow of respect, "Tonight will weigh heavily upon all of us for some time."

"Thank you, Diviner," Kiyoko replied, giving a brief nod. "Grandfather was beloved by a great many. He will be sorely missed."

Kiyoko noticed the lingering looks of the other priests and priestesses behind the Diviner - searching her face. Already, her tests had begun. If they were scouring her countenance for dried tears, they would find none, for none had fallen tonight.

She had known that his passing was imminent for some time, now. Grandfather was very old, and his health was failing, stricken by illness that he would surely not recover from. She had already finished her lamentations, forced to accept his death long before it had actually happened.

"Please, allow me to guide you to the ritual chamber," the Diviner nodded, sagely stroking his long, white beard. "In these midnight hours, Aurora is without a leader. We must begin the communion at once."

"Lead on," Kiyoko nodded. It was a well-practiced maneuver - she had drilled in front of the mirror for hours, carefully putting as much wise authority into her expressions as she could manage.

She wondered how much of it actually carried over to reality.

The Diviner turned and began to lead the growing procession of priests, servants, and guards up the steps of Aurora's castle. Aurora's castle was one of the smallest in the land, and yet it was surprisingly grand in its humility. Sturdy walls of rock served as the foundation, with great pillars of dark wood acting as support. The rock formed walls and miniature towers, with a plenitude of arrow-slits and elevated, defensible positions to repel any would-be attackers.

The top of the castle was crested with multiple roofs, each elegant and sloped, adorned with charcoal-black shingles. The black contrasted tastefully with the decorative white wood forming the curves of the many roofs, and was a testament to the artistry of the castle's architect.

The guards escorting the group began to drop off in pairs, taking positions along the steps and turning to salute Kiyoko as she ascended the steps. She glanced at one from the corner of her vision, but his eyes went straight through her, piercing forward in valiant professionalism.

The garden was not far from the heart of the castle, and it took only a few minutes to reach the castle's main hall. From there, they turned and began to descend a new set of stairs. Thankfully, these were considerably shorter than the first. A grand, ornately decorated door awaited at the bottom of these steps, growing larger and more imposing with each step.

Once the group reached the bottom, the final pair of guards stopped and took their post, saluting Kiyoko before reaching out to push against the door. Their faces contorted in exertion, grunting as they strained to move the heavy door. With a look towards the Diviner, Kiyoko waited for him to move first, as she knew she must.

Beyond the threshold of the door, only trained priests and priestesses were permitted to pass, along with Aurora's current or imminent ruler. Whatever lay beyond the door was bathed in darkness. Kiyoko had never been permitted to enter before, and had little idea of what the room looked like. She had asked her grandfather about the ritual many times before, but he had always given her vague answers, never truly satisfying her curiosity.

"Step forward into the darkness, Kiyoko-sama," the Diviner nodded. "When your eyes fail you, you must follow your faith."

"I understand."

Kiyoko stepped forward and entered the darkness, as instructed, and paused for further instruction. Two priestesses followed in after her, and the guards grunted again as they closed the door behind them.

"Here you stand," the Diviner's voice said, rumbling throughout the darkness, seemingly coming from all directions at once. "As blind as the moment you were born."

"Tell us, Kiyoko-sama," he continued, "what is your goal?"

"To preserve Aurora," she answered immediately. "To ensure peace and prosperity for our people."

"The winds of winter have brought news more chilling than the cold," a priestess's voice declared. "Conflict and strife spread across the land. How do you intend to react?"

"You know my position well," Kiyoko responded. "Aurora is prosperous and defensible, but we are small. Our neighbors know this, and already begin to prod us for weakness. My grandfather was wise in his strategy to build and prepare - our walls are sturdy, our blades sharp, and our granaries full. We have never been in a stronger position."

"But we cannot withdraw to safety like a Squirtle tucking into its shell," she continued. "We must expand. Preferably by diplomacy and alliance, but failing that, by war and conquest, wretched as it is."

Taking a deep breath, Kiyoko steeled her resolve. There could be no turning back at this point.

"I aim to pursue the legend," Kiyoko declared. "I aim to unify this broken, bickering land."

"Hundreds, if not thousands, have followed this course before you," the other priestess countered. "Many with larger cities and stronger armies than you, and all have failed. Do you believe you can succeed where so many have failed?"

"Show me a new leader assured of their total victory, and I will show you either a puppet or an arrogant fool," Kiyoko said gravely.

Silence hung in the air for a moment. She had learned that line from her grandfather himself - she hoped it had the intended effect.

"I can not proclaim a victory before it has happened," Kiyoko continued, softer and more gently this time. "Nor can a leader truly be judged before history begins to weigh their successes and failures. All I can offer is myself, the training I have received, and the trust given to me by those that would follow."

Silence drifted in the air again. Kiyoko shuffled her feet, straightening her stance further and taking another breath.

"You speak well, Kiyoko-sama," the Diviner chuckled. "Your grandfather would be proud that you finally took your tutor's lessons to heart."

"So we are allowed to smile during this," Kiyoko said, the ghost of a smirk appearing upon her face. "That's comforting."

The Diviner and priestesses smiled at her words, soft laughter echoing through the dark cavern.

"Indeed," the Diviner sighed. "Indeed. Your goal is clear to us, and we recognize it as a noble purpose."

A blue, ghostly flame suddenly fwooshed into existence, hovering in midair. The flame illuminated only a small area around its surroundings. Kiyoko could see thick, gray slabs of stone in the ground, a part of a path leading forward.

"And yet, no man can possibly hope to see a clear path to such a goal," the Diviner continued. "For such things are ruled by the stirrings of fate. Only the gods themselves may discern the future so clearly."

Several more ghostly flames burst into life, illuminating a large portion of the chamber. Kiyoko was forced to turn away and blink, covering her eyes as they adjusted to being in light again.

The Diviner and the priestesses remained out of sight, hidden somewhere in the darkness. Kiyoko could see now that the ritual chamber was long and rectangular, featuring a cobbled path of stone and gravel that lined the way to the opposite end. And at the end of the chamber lied a pool of crystal-clear water, faintly shimmering in the eerie light.

The path was erratic and broken, incomplete and scattered into many segments, some of which went nowhere at all. The symbolism of it all was perhaps a bit heavy-handed, but the importance of its meaning was not lost on her.

"Proceed into the water," the Diviner declared. "Sit and meditate for as long as you need. When you are prepared...submerge yourself by lying down onto your back. Shut your eyes, and hold your breath for as long as you are able."

"What should I expect from this?" Kiyoko questioned.

"Tales are wide and varied," the Diviner explained. "Not all of those who pursue the legend of unification undertake this holy rite. Those who do are a decreasing number, and those who are willing to give consistent testimony are rarer still. I can not tell you what you will see, Kiyoko-sama. Whatever you find, I pray that it will give you wisdom and courage."

"...I understand," she nodded, swallowing down the hesitation in her throat. "Then, I shall begin at once."

Stepping forward, Kiyoko strode towards the pool of water, following the long path of stones. She moved with slow, measured steps, the gravel crunching beneath her sandals. At some instances, she was following the obvious path laid before her, and at other times, she was not. Still, she pressed on to the water, and although the room was long, she arrived at the edge of the water before she realized it.

Leaning over and looking at the water's surface, she was just barely able to make out her reflection. Did she look brave? Did she look like a leader, like someone others could depend upon? She couldn't tell.

Perhaps that was for the best.

Without any further hesitation, she walked into the water and knelt down. The water was cool, but not unbearably so, and she paused for a moment to adjust herself.

The Diviner's words were wise, but Kiyoko was already well aware that the future was uncertain. If a clear, easy path to unification existed, it would have been taken decades ago.

Taking one last, deep breath, Kiyoko turned around and slunk backwards, shutting her eyes as she slipped beneath the surface of the water, resting her back on the soft, earthy floor of the pool.

Whatever the future held, she would lead her people on the path that she believed to be right. It was her right, as well as her responsibility. She simply lay there beneath the water, waiting quietly for something to happen.

...

A stream of bubbles escaped, trailing upwards as she exhaled through her nose. How much time had passed? She couldn't have been submerged for more than a minute.

She could begin to feel the pressure building up in her lungs...

Nothing but muted silence, warped by the water around her. Was the purpose of this ritual entirely symbolic? Was she to come up gasping for breath, having learned and seen nothing? Perhaps that was the point?

Just as she was about to resign herself to counting away the seconds, something began to tug at her. It was a peculiar sensation, and an incredibly alien one, although it somewhat reminded her of the feeling of teleportation. A flash of panic sparked through her, but she shut it out, keeping her eyes firmly closed. Somehow, she knew that as soon as she opened her eyes, the feeling would vanish. She simply needed to endure this.

The tugging sensation grew in power, spreading all around her. Was it the water itself? No, that couldn't have been it. This feeling...it was growing exponentially more powerful...as if it was spreading through her...

She would have yawned if she weren't underwater. Something was making her sleepy...so very...tired...

Even though her eyes were closed, a brilliant, blinding light encompassed her being, and she was taken away.

Kiyoko awoke to find herself in an empty void, a barren expanse full of nothing but pure, white light. Trying to look around, she found that she had no eyes. Glancing down to look at her outstretched palms, she found that she found no hands, either. Indeed, she seemed to have no self at all, here, wherever this was.

A torrent of questions raced through her mind, each without answer. How did she get here? Why was she here? Where was this place? What was this place?

This is not a place

It is a fragment of frozen time

Words and meaning steamed directly into her consciousness, sending a horrible shiver down her spine. Kiyoko whirled her nonexistent self around, scanning the white expanse for the source of the voice.

"Who said that?" she asked aloud.

I did

"Okay..." she frowned. "Where are you?"

Here

"That is not very helpful." Try as she might, Kiyoko could see nothing else at all. Was this all some grand hallucination? She had hoped her imagination might have been a bit more inspired than this.

Turn around

Complying, Kiyoko turned around and saw...light. Unbelievably bright, radiant beyond comprehension, it was staggeringly beautiful, even terrifyingly so. She yearned to keep staring, but the light, stronger than the sun itself, was so intense that she didn't dare risk it. Staggering backwards, her mind spun as it tried to comprehend what little it could see, making out the silhouette of a quadrupedal creature somewhere within the light.

"You're so bright," she winced. "Are you...a god?"

Others like you have called me that

"Does that mean you are or aren't?" she asked. This creature was frustratingly taciturn.

I was the First

I awoke in a void

Dark and cold

Empty

So I created

Kiyoko suddenly felt like an ant looking up at a infinitely large boot. God or not, she sensed the power in its words...this entity was ancient and powerful beyond comprehension. Her mind felt like it was turning to mush...too far past the limits of expectation to be stunned any further.

"Oh," she gulped. "Okay..."

I filled the void with light

Light gave way to matter

So I fashioned time and space to govern it

and I created a perfect world

Gulping again, Kiyoko fought the urge to curl up into a ball and kept listening.

Life began to spread

Unexpected

Imperfect

Temporary

It erased itself

Devoured itself

I intervened

There was a long pause in the creature's thoughts. The light dimmed somewhat, and it gave off a feeling that was almost...remorseful.

Two forms of life

Tied together

I sought harmony

Unity

A harbor for endless dreams

A partial success

The silhouette of the creature moved, turning as if noticing Kiyoko for the first time.

I brought you here to learn from you

Show me proof

"S-show you proof of what?" Kiyoko asked. "What am I supposed to teach you?"

Your lives are short

Chaotic

Violent

Pointlessly self destructive

Prove that you can be more

This...this was getting to be too much. Was this real, after all? Was her mind just conjuring up a hallucination of an almighty god to motivate herself? And just how did it expect her to speak for all of humanity?

I am real

You are not alone in this task

Your time is short

Create

Improve

Prove you can be more

"If you're so powerful, why don't you just intervene like you did before?" Kiyoko asked, as gently as she could.

A mistake

I am not perfect

Too great a risk

Never again

The creature was silent for a long while. Kiyoko decided to wait for it to speak first, hoping that an awkward pause didn't last a millennium for the god.

I was the First

I am not your god

Do not pray to me

I will not help you

You must improve by your own power

I will give you only one thing

Light

Use it if you wish

Wincing, Kiyoko clutched at her chest and throat, suddenly gasping for breath. The immensity of it all was just barely beginning to sink into her. She was speaking with the creator, the first being!

Questions! She had so many questions; why couldn't she voice them?

You are drowning

Leave now

Prove that you can be more

And we shall meet again

Coughing and sputtering, Kiyoko burst out from the waters, her hand flying to her chest as she struggled to gather her breath.

"Wha-" whatever question she tried to voice died in her throat, cut off by another fit of coughs. Seeing that the Diviner and the priestesses in her peripheral vision did not look especially concerned, she took this to be a normal happening.

Finally managing to collect herself, she shakily rose to her feet.

"Did that...really happen?" she muttered.

"Whatever you saw or heard, Kiyoko-sama," the Diviner chuckled, "the task of discerning whether it was a mere hallucination falls upon you."

"It was so surreal, and yet...I can recall it so clearly. You aren't the least bit curious?" she prompted.

"Oh, I am quite curious!" he laughed, a hearty booming that echoed throughout the chamber. "I would be quite eager to hear your tale, but this is neither the time nor the place. For now, let us focus on completing the transition of Aurora's leadership."

"Right," she nodded. "I'd like to get out of these wet robes, so...lead on."

Just under an hour later, preparations had finally finished. Having discarded her soaked clothing, she was now clad in the traditional armor set that had been prepared for her. She wore a thick, white tunic with a purple sash looped around her stomach, with a circular ball motif sewn into the fabric. She wore long purple leggings, and had curved plates of black, steel armor over her shins and shoulders. It wasn't especially protective, but this was a ceremonial outfit. Finally, a long, black scabbard on her left hip held an ornate, curved sword - a traditional blade made by a master blacksmith in her family's name nearly a century ago.

Kiyoko was standing just outside the castle's central balcony, overlooking the capital's main plaza. The lantern ritual had taken so long that the sun was now cresting over the hills far in the distance, bathing the world in the fire-gold light of the morning. Small bird creatures flew to-and-fro across the wood, clay, and shingled roofs of the capital, happily chirping and singing to each other.

News traveled quickly in Aurora, and the passing of her grandfather was already known to the capital's populace. A bustling crowd had gathered in the central plaza, the area's mercantile operations temporarily suspended to provide an audience space for Kiyoko's coronation.

There was a small crowd inside the castle, too. There was a gaggle of rich merchants and highborn nobles behind her. Here, her grandfather's reputation was a great boon. No ruler can claim to be truly loved by all, but Aurora's previous ruler certainly came close. Each who came before her greeted her with honored tradition, and she did not need to rely on her powers to glean the true feelings behind some of their smiles.

They were curious...and worried, but that was to be expected. Thankfully, few smiles seemed openly malicious and manipulative.

An imposing figure in full-body, black plate-armor approached her, planting the hilt of his naginata on the ground and saluting firmly at her. Ryu, the Captain of the Guard, and one of Aurora's finest Warriors...a bipedal humanoid followed him, a red-bodied creature seemingly made of steel, with its stomach and wrists covered in razor-sharp, bladed protrusions. Its head resembled a war-helmet with a yellow, double-bladed axe protruding from the top.

With a dour expression, the Bisharp stopped beside its master and gave Kiyoko a stiff nod. She doubted she was going to get much more than that, and returned the many-bladed creature's nod with one of her own.

"All preparations are completed, Kiyoko-sama," Ryu announced in that deep, gravelly voice of his. "You may begin whenever you wish."

"Thank you," she nodded. "I will begin momentarily. There is one last thing I need to do."

Turning to look past the crowd, she saw what she was looking for, hovering in the air at the far end of the room. A great orange rock with eight pointed spines created the appearance of a miniature sun - Solrock, her grandfather's beloved companion. It had large eyes with thick, yellow eyelids, revealing a small amount of black sclera and red pupils. The creature's eyes were always emotionless, rarely blinking and betraying no hint of its feelings.

Silently hovering above the castle floor, it slowly descended as Kiyoko made her made through the crowd.

"Solrock," Kiyoko greeted, offering a sad smile, "it feels like it's been a while, doesn't it? I know we just saw each other yesterday, but...a lot has happened, hasn't it?"

Solrock stared at her, motionless in the air.

"I know," she sighed. "We knew this was coming. I suppose it's simply going to take time."

Solrock was a tremendously rare Pokemon, and one that few in Ransei had seen before. Judging by the curious minds she felt behind her, Kiyoko guessed that some of the guests were visitors.

"They think I'm talking to a rock," she sighed. "I'm sorry. I know you don't like crowds, Solrock, but I could use your help. I need to talk to the people in the plaza. Will you use your power to amplify my voice?"

Solrock blinked at her.

"Thank you," she smiled. "I appreciate that."

Cocking her head back towards the balcony, Kiyoko turned and began to move, with Solrock hovering over the crowd and following behind her. The guests inside the palace sensed that the moment had finally arrived, and a hush fell over the room, snuffing out conversations.

People in the massive crowd below her muttered excitedly, pointing her out as she took her place on the balcony. Some whooped and cheered for her, causing Kiyoko to answer with a well-practiced royal wave before holding out her palm, silently calling for silence.

"People of Aurora!" she began, Glowing a faint, virulent purple, Solrock hovered in the air beside her, psychically magnifying her voice to a volume that would reach the entire crowd.

"I am Kayami Kiyoko...granddaughter of your late ruler, Kayami Ren, he who was the last truly loyal daimyō. As per the traditions of our people, I have lit fifty-three lanterns...one for each year of peace and prosperity that he brought to Aurora. He was a truly great man, and I can only hope to reach a fraction of my grandfather's capacity for leadership."

"My friends," she continued, "my people...I fear that I may not be remembered with any lanterns of my own. Our once great land of Ransei is blighted with chaos and uncertainty. A once proud and unified people...now shattered, split into countless clans, each distrustful of the other."

"I do not crave war, but I hear its cries in the distance, and they are drawing closer with each passing day. This winter, in the north, the Imagawa marched against the vastly smaller Oda, and in their presumption of victory, were utterly defeated by an unexpected attack. Their clan, now leaderless and broken, is nothing more but a footnote in history, trampled beneath the feet of dragons."

Whispers and murmurs spread the crowd like wildfire.

"I do not crave war," Kiyoko repeated, louder and more forcefully than before, "but I will not cower from it! My grandfather was right in his decision to focus on Aurora's internal affairs, to learn, build, and prepare. Our walls are strong and our granaries are full...but that is not enough!"

"No, we cannot sit here and wait for our foes to come to us! For Aurora is more powerful now than it has ever been, but we are small, and we are alone! If we are to wait for our foes to strike first, they will have swallowed up their opponents and taken their strength. They will be as a great wave, and no amount of preparation will be able to stop them."

"I shall say it once more," Kiyoko said, dramatically flourishing her arm. "I do not crave war. I shall endeavor to use trade and diplomacy to prevent conflict at every opportunity. But if war is the only way to restore peace...to protect the prosperity that you all endeavored to create? Then war it shall be!"

"So I ask you now, people of Aurora!" Kiyoko shouted, thumping her fist against her chest, "I ask that you stand with me! I ask that you lend me your support! I ask that you lend me your hearts, your ears, your minds and your hands, so that I may lend mine to you!"

A bellowing roar rose up from the crowd, a great rumbling of applause and affirmation that shook every window in the castle. Kiyoko smiled, jokingly wondering if the crowd's cheers would be heard all the way over in Ignis. And although she was unaware of it, another light was beginning to radiate from the balcony, one much brighter than Solrock's. Kiyoko herself was beginning to shimmer, emitting a gloriously bright light, radiant and pure.

"But I aim for more than just our own prosperity," Kiyoko continued, relying on Solrock's power to carry her voice over the crowd, "I aim to restore peace to all of Ransei! I will pursue that great legend, and will seek to unify our fractured land! So stand with me! I swear that for as long as I have breath in my lungs, for as long as I have even a drop of blood left in my body, I will fight tirelessly for peace! If you agree with my dream, then join me now!"

"Glory to Aurora!" Kiyoko shouted, pumping her fist into the air and striking a powerful stance. Her amplified voice boomed louder than ever, cracking like thunder, and the beautiful light coming from her grew to the point where it was nearly blinding.

"Glory to Ransei!" she finished. The crowd echoed her, roaring with approval as they accepted their new leader.

Some distance away, a pair of women stood atop one of the city's flat rooftops. A young woman dressed in blatantly unassuming peasant's clothing leaned forward off the raised side of the roof, a huge smile spreading across her face as she was taken in by the energy of the crowd below her.

'Did you see that?'

'Lady Kiyoko was shining!'

'I've never seen anything like that.'

'Her speech was almost as good as her grandfather's coronation...'

'She must be chosen by the gods!'

The woman's older companion was clad in loose, dark clothing, with several deep pockets that could conceal any number of items. A strip of brown cloth wrapped around her head concealed the lower half of her face, and her eyes did not share the younger woman's enthusiasm.

"Please take a step back from the roof, my lady," she said in a calm voice, softly chiding her companion. "It would be rather tragic to come all this way for you to simply fall off a rooftop."

"I'm not going to fall," the younger woman huffed, folding her arms and pouting. "Honestly, you worry too much, Yukiko."

"Worrying too much is my life's purpose," Yukiko countered with a hint of what might have been amusement. "One can never be too careful. 'Accidentally' falling from a great height is a staple method for removing undesirables...like ourselves."

"Must you always be so grim?" the younger woman sighed. "I know, I know, we have to be careful. But...how can I not be excited after that display? She was incredible! I mean, you heard her speech, right? And then how she started glowing!"

"It certainly was a spectacle," Yukiko blinked. "It would seem that your brother is not the only one that the gods have taken a shine to."

"Do you think..." the young woman trailed off, swallowing her words before shaking her head and taking a deep breath to compose herself. "Do you think we should approach her? I think...I feel like we should help her."

"Do not be hasty," Yukiko chided, clicking her tongue. "She is a skilled speaker, certainly, but we know little of her qualities as a leader or a Warrior. I admit, the fact that she also possesses the light is intriguing...but we cannot rush into an alliance with an unknown factor."

"And when can we make that decision?" the younger woman groaned, stomping her foot. "We've been on the road for months! And Aurora is as far away from Dragnor as we can possibly get! Where else are we going to go, Yukiko? The bottom of the ocean?"

"Keep your voice down," Yukiko warned, eyebrows slightly furrowing. "Your anger is not unjustified, my Lady, but a single mistake could cost us everything. Remember, that while it took us months to walk here, a single rider atop a Pidgeot could have made the journey in a fraction of that time. And while I am fairly confident that we escaped without being detected, we cannot discount the possibility of an enemy lurking in the shadows, even here."

"Besides," she continued, "Ignis will hear of this speech before the day's end. If Lady Aurora has any wisdom at all, she is well aware of this, and will have already made plans to challenge her belligerent neighbor. I believe the people of Aurora will find themselves at war far sooner than they expected."

"You think she's planning to attack Lord Hideyoshi?" the younger woman blinked. "I know that Ignis has been raiding Aurora's farmlands ever since the snows began to melt, but...does she really plan to fight him head-on?"

"We'll find out soon, I suppose," Yukiko shrugged. "Now, come. Let us take our leave before the crowds complicate things."

"Alright," the younger woman sighed. "I suppose we shouldn't keep Jigglypuff and Gliscor waiting. They're probably hungry for their breakfast."

"Indeed."

With one last look towards the castle balcony in the distance, the young woman paused for a moment and stifled a sigh. Yukiko was right, of course...they had to be cautious. But there was just something about Lady Kiyoko, something that intrigued her...

"You're not following, my Lady." The stern voice of her sworn bodyguard drew her out of her musings.

"Right," Oichi muttered, turning away and following Yukiko. "Right."