Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The evening had been wonderful thus far.

A party was held in the emperor's honor. Yet again. The emperor had always been fond of festivities, especially those dedicated to him, and those of his guests who did not know (or perhaps care) where the funds for such events came from did as well.

But in the depths of the palace sat Mitori, cradling the corpse of their oldest sibling.

It had only been moments ago when Iyozane had tensed up, taken their final breath and gone limp in their arms, but it already felt like an eternity had passed.

Mitori's eyes were glazed over. They couldn't even bring themself to weep. That would require accepting that Iyozane was gone.

They really shouldn't have been in such a state of shock. They had planned this days ahead. They had brought the poison. They had handed it over to Iyozane. They had watched as their sibling downed it. And they had done nothing to stop them. They had killed them.

It's not as if they were simply unused to death, or taking someone's life, or even assassinating their own family for that matter. But it never fazed them like this.

They wanted to forget. They just wanted to walk back out, re-join their friends, have fun for the rest of the night and pretend nothing ever happened, pretend that Iyozane would still be there the next morning, alive and miserable as ever.

But they couldn't do that now, could they?

Mitori would be the last person to be seen with Iyozane alive. Their body would soon be discovered, and at that point their guilt would be made obvious, no matter how many attendants, and therefore suspects, there were. The royal council might overlook their massive transgression purely to save face, but Mitori had a coup counting on them, and they could not take such a risk. 

It was their own fault really. The plan had been so simple, the easiest assassination yet. Just smuggle the poison into Iyozane's room, leave, and let them take it once they were alone. But that had been the problem. As excited as they had been all week, when the time actually came Iyozane had become clearly afraid to die. They still refused to back out however, arguing that whatever death had to offer had to be better than their life possibly could. Mitori had thus insisted on staying by their side, so that they would at least feel safe in their final moments.

Even if it now meant they were trapped in a heavily guarded palace with the dead body of the emperor's oldest child on their hands.

Mitori laid Iyozane down on their futon, trying not to look at them. They dried their eyes and tried to compose themself. They had to think of something. Iyozane's body could not be found, and Mitori could not be the last known person to have seen them alive. 

They stood up and walked out of the room. Spotting a servant walking past the corridor, they waved at them. "You there!" they called.

"Huh?" the servant looked over. "Ah, y-yes, Your Highness...?"

"Would you please fetch Sanra and Kunimitsu for me? The crown heir requests their presence."

"Of course, Your Highness."

"Thank you. Oh, and ask them to bring sake as well, if you would~" Mitori smiled.

The servant nodded and continued on their way, as Mitori walked back into the dark room.

Iyozane's corpse lay perfectly still, gazing at them with lifeless eyes as if taunting them. Mitori refused to let it get to them. They sat down beside their dead sibling, closing their eyes for them and turning their body away from themself so they didn't have to look at their face.

A few minutes passed as they waited for their friends. Mitori found themself making small talk with Iyozane as if they were still alive to hear it. Perhaps it had started out as an effort to throw off eavesdropping passerby's, but it quickly devolved into a rather pathetic coping mechanism.

A knock was finally heard on the door — something the servants rarely ever bothered with. "Iyooo, we're here," Kunimitsu called from the other side.

"O-Oh, yes. Come in," Mitori said.

The door slid open, and Kunimitsu and Sanra walked in, each holding a bottle of sake.

"Ah, there ya are, Mitori-sama," Sanra said, closing the door behind them. "We were beginnin' to wonder if somethin' bad had happened, ya were gone for quite a while..."

Mitori didn't respond.

Kunimitsu walked up to Iyozane. "That's weird..." they mumbled. "I thought they wanted to see us, did they fall asleep already...?"

"They died," Mitori said.

"What?"

"They are dead." 

Their friends stared at them, then at Iyozane. Kunimitsu knelt down beside their body and turned them over. They realized Iyozane wasn't moving at all. Not even breathing. 

They shook them lightly. "H-Hey, Iyo...?" they laughed nervously. They shook them a bit harder, to no avail. "I-Iyo...!?"

Sanra gave Mitori a horrified look. They had a terrible feeling they knew where this was going.

Mitori walked over to Kunimitsu and put an apologetic hand on their shoulder. Kunimitsu looked up at them as if begging them to reveal this to all be some sick joke. Mitori did not.

Kunimitsu looked back at their friend's lifeless body, unable to process what they were seeing.

"This... This can't be happening..." they whimpered. "H-How could they just die, I, w-what happened...?"

"I poisoned them," Mitori answered.

Kunimitsu decked them.

Mitori sat up again, rubbing their cheek. "That, that was fair..."

"YOU DID WHAT!!?" Kunimitsu screamed. 

"No, no, not this again...!" Sanra groaned.

"AGAIN???"

"P-Please, keep it down!" Mitori said. "I, I am aware that this looks bad, and I am terribly sorry, b—"

"Sorry!? You're SORRY!?" Kunimitsu yelled, beginning to tremble. "T-That's all you have to say for yourself!!?"

"Honestly, this is way over the line...!" Sanra said. "The others is one thing b-but Iyo-sama..!? They've done nothin' wrong, why would y—!?"

"S-Sanra, Kunimitsu, please!!" Mitori begged. They lowered their voice again. "Please, if anyone finds out about this I would be executed immediately...!" 

"Maybe you should've thought of that before you killed the god damn crown heir," Kunimitsu whispered.

Sanra sighed. "... Fine." 

"THAT EASY!??" 

"Hey I've already lost one sibling tonight, I'm not losin' another one!" Sanra whispered.

"You lost the first one to the other one!"

"Well do you wanna lose 'em both...!?"

"O-Of course not, but...!"

"Uhm, is everything alright in here...?" a servant popped their head in.

All three froze. Mitori felt their life flashing before their eyes, as did Kunimitsu, and Sanra also felt Mitori's life flashing before their eyes.

But the servant simply stood there, looking confused about their expressions.

Mitori realized that, the way they were all positioned, the servant could not see Iyozane's body very well.

They had not yet realized that Iyozane was dead.

"Ah, y-yes, of course!" Mitori smiled. "We were merely having a, er, bit of an argument, you see. Alcohol can make people so passionate, after all..." they lightly patted Kunimitsu on the back, much like poking a small dog that's about to snap.

"What in the world could you possibly have been arguing about...?" the servant asked.

"M-My my, did nobody ever tell you it is rude to pry...?~"

The servant gave them an odd look, then glanced at their friends.

"'S all okay now...!" Sanra assured them. "Er, sorry fer the commotion..."

Kunimitsu looked Mitori in the eyes, who looked back as if begging for their life,because they were.

"... Yeah. Sorry..." Kunimitsu mumbled.

"... Well, do try to keep it down...!" the servant finally said. "We do not wish for the future emperor to be exposed to such hostility. Are they alright...?" they tried to look past them.

"Yes! T-They are just, resting a bit," Mitori said, inconspicuously stirring Iyozane's corpse to make them appear to agree. "We are very sorry. It will not happen again."

The servant appeared convinced. "I should hope so... Have a good evening, Your Highnesses, Ooya-san."

They closed the door again, and the three remaining living people listened for their footsteps to disappear before collectively letting go of their breaths.

"Thank you for not giving me away," Mitori smiled at their friends.

"I feel like I'm gonna have a god damn panic attack...!" Kunimitsu put their face in their hands. "How can you two be handling this so well!? Your sibling is dead!" they whispered.

"We lose siblings in the army all the time," Sanra sighed. "We can't exactly stop 'n' grieve in the middle a' battle, so ya just learn to prioritize in times o' crisis..."

"Well I'm not in the army!"

"Would you like to be?" Mitori lit up.

"No!" Kunimitsu shoved them. "Mitori, how could you do this to them...!? They were your friend!"

"I did it precisely because they were my friend," Mitori said. "A couple of days ago, Iyo was having a... particularly rough night..." they grimaced remembering how distraught their sibling had been. "... They asked that I put them out of their misery. So, I agreed."

"What...? Why would you ever agree to such a thing...!?"

"Because I wanted to help them. I wanted to set them free and, well, they told me this was the only way..."

In all honesty, Mitori felt rather ashamed of how little pushback they had given when Iyozane made the proposal. Of course they had attempted to talk them out of it, convince them of how much they had to live for, but they had run into the problem that they could not actually think of anything Iyozane had to live for, nothing they had found to be worthwhile anyhow. Unable to give an actual argument against it, and seeing how desperate their dear friend was for a way out, Mitori had caved far easier than they would have liked to admit.

"... It does not matter now," they said, standing up to stretch. "We ought to hurry."

"Hurry...? W-With what...?" Kunimitsu asked.

"Why, hiding their body of course."

Kunimitsu looked at them. 

They looked at Sanra who seemed more mildly bothered than in disbelief. 

They looked back at Mitori. "... I'm not helping you hide a body."

"And why is that?" Mitori asked.

"You can't be serious..."

"Of course I am serious Kunimitsu my sibling is dead."

"YOU KILLED THEM!!" Kunimitsu hissed.

"L-Let us not get caught up with who did what..." Mitori waved their hand dismissively, as if uncomfortable with the very true accusation. "You are an assassin yourself and yet you act like you have never hidden a body before."

"I haven't! That's the complete opposite of my job! I present bodies — of youkai mind you — to my employer and I get paid for doing so!"

"I'm sorry but I doubt that will work in our situation."

"That's not be point!!"

"Oh will you two shaddup!!?" Sanra shouted. "Mitori-sama, we will talk about how ya keep ambushin' me with dead family members to dispose of later but fer now can we please just dispose of 'em!?"

"No!!" Kunimitsu shot up. "You two take care of it, I don't want anything to do with this!"

"Ya don't have a choice, blockhead! The servants know we're here, we'd be the last people to be seen with Iyo-sama before they died, we're all suspects now!"

"Oh yeah, thanks a lot..." Kunimitsu glared at Mitori.

"But Mitori-sama 'n' I are well respected members a' not only the royal court but the army as well," Sanra continued. "If the three a' us are found out, you as an outsider are by far the most convenient suspect, and with our corrupt system o' justice the blame is sure to fall on you for that reason alone. In other words, unless ya got yerself a death wish it's in yer best interest ta help out."

"Are... Are you threatening me...?" Kunimitsu grimaced. They sounded even more betrayed than they already had.

"I'm sorry but I said I'm not losin' another sibling tonight and I mean it! Kunimitsu, I am tired, I don't want to look at Iyo-sama's dead body anymore, I just wanna get this over with and go home and grieve so will ya PLEASE just cooperate...!?" 

Kunimitsu looked at Mitori for a defense, but they had nothing. 

"They are right, you know..." Mitori shrugged apologetically. "I am truly sorry to involve the two of you in this mess I have created, and I do not expect to be easily forgiven, if at all. But you are my most trustworthy friends and allies, and I don't know who else to turn to. Besides, I felt that you deserved to know what really happened to them, and a chance to see them off..."

"You couldn't have let us see them off before you killed them...?" Kunimitsu muttered.

"We agreed you would have stopped us."

"Of course we would've!"

"And Iyo did not want you to, so they told me not to inform you beforehand. I had to respect that. They asked that I tell you they are sorry, by the way..."

Kunimitsu grit their teeth hearing Iyozane had felt the need to apologize for dying.

They looked at their lifeless body.

"... Do you promise they were in on it?" they mumbled.

Mitori nodded. "I would never have done it otherwise."

Kunimitsu kept their gaze on Iyozane a little longer. They sighed. "... Fine. What do you need?" 

Chapter Text

“We’re going to die."

Kunimitsu had (with deep shame) used the Bankuruwase to cut Iyozane's white hair and bangs to the same length as Sanra's, and now sat hastily attaching the locks onto comb clips stolen from Iyozane’s jewelry box. It was a menial task, one they weren't even sure they were doing right, but it at least kept their mind busy.

Behind them Sanra was propping Iyozane's corpse up on its feet as Mitori dressed it in the silver kimono the former had been wearing up until then. 

“We aren’t going to die,” Mitori rolled their eyes. “Fine, it may be a bit primitive, and I usually have more than 10 minutes to come up with an escape plan, but they do say limitation breeds creativity~”

“You came up with this in 10 minutes…?” Kunimitsu asked.

“Impressive, right?~”

"We're going to die..."

“Just trust ‘em,” Sanra said, finishing the first of the sake bottles the two had brought. "Even if it seems implausible, Mitori-sama always picks out the right course a' action, so I'm sure it'll work itself out in the end."

"How has any of this been the right course of action??"

"I dunno, but if it's what they chose then it surely must'a been..."

Their voice trailed off as if they really weren't sure, their unwavering faith in Mitori wavering ever so slightly and attempting to assure themself.

"... You're right," Mitori assured themself as well. "As deeply unfavorable this path may be, I do feel it will lead to the best possible outcome... There is nothing to regret."

"So Iyo being dead is the best possible outcome now..." Kunimitsu mumbled.

"In terms of their happiness, yes. They were never going to find fulfillment in this life, so barring the odd chance that they rise from the dead and begin a new life as some kind of boater in secret, death was sadly the best option available to them... We should at least take solace in that."

Mitori thanked Sanra for holding Iyozane and gave them permission to let go, instead setting them down against the wall beside the door to finish dressing them alone for the sake of efficiency.

Sanra cringed seeing their oldest sibling's corpse dressed up to look like them — it played on a form of psychological horror they would have preferred to remain ignorant of. "H-hey, Kunimitsu, ya done over there...?" they tried to distract themself.

"Mostly," Kunimitsu sighed, "Although I'm worried the hair will just fall out again..."

Sanra sat down beside them. "All I hafta do is lie down and pretend t'be asleep, so it oughta be fine." They picked up one of the combs, taking care to not let the locks fall out, and slid it into their hair close to their scalp. "Duss'at look alright...?"

"I think so...? I'm not much of a hair stylist you know."

"We know. Help me out wit' the rest, will ya?"

Kunimitsu wasn't sure if they had been insulted just now, but decided to ignore it and began inserting the remaining combs regardless.

Meanwhile, Mitori finished tying the obi around Iyozane's stomach. Sanra's style of formal wear had been a long journey of trial and error finding the most comfortable thing they could wear without being chastised by somebody for its simplicity. Hence, though still elaborate by the commoners' standards, it was very easy to take on and off, which was a god-send in these strangely specific circumstances. Mitori sat back to appraise their work, appearing quite proud of it, all morbid things considered.

They faintly heard footsteps approaching from the other side of the wall.

Mitori darted over to their friends, hid the remaining hair under a blanket, and ensured Sanra's hair covered the make-shift extensions.

"Ow, hey...!" Sanra yelped.

"Mitori, what are you doing?" Kunimitsu asked.

"Don't turn around, act normal," Mitori told them respectively, and the door slid open.

"Your Highness," a different servant said, thankfully also not realizing what was going on somehow. "It is nearing your bed time. Are you and your companions finished soon?"

"Oh...? My, is it really 9PM already?" Mitori asked. It sounded like they were pretending not to know, but they really had lost track of time amidst everything.

"It is. I hate to interrupt your time together but it is of utmost importance tha—"

"That the crown heir does not have their schedule disturbed, yes yes, I'm aware, we shall leave in but a moment..." 

It suddenly hit Mitori that, even after they and Kunimitsu left, the servants would soon start preparing "Iyozane" for bed, and Sanra would surely be discovered when they did.

"... Actually, we were just helping them get ready, as a matter of fact," they quickly added.

"Oh, please, that is not something you must concern yourself with, Mitori-sama...!" the servant said. "I shall inform my colleagues and we will gladly take over from here."

"T-That really won't be necessary...!" Mitori shot to their feet as the servant was already closing the door and about to leave.

"Wait!" Sanra said in an uncharacteristically high pitched, soft voice. "... Er, uhm..."

"Is something the matter, Your Highness...?" the servant stopped.

"T-They're really tired...!" Kunimitsu exclaimed. "Er, today has been very stressful for them! So many people, and all, y'know..." they laughed nervously.

Mitori smiled at them and nodded in agreement. "They told us they would simply like to go directly to sleep as soon as we are done here. Isn't that right, Iyo?"

Sanra didn't respond. Kunimitsu elbowed them discretely.

"Ah, mhm...!"

"I-I see..." the servant said. "Well then, we shall take care to not disturb your rest. Sleep well, Your Highness."

Mitori began ushering them out of the door. "I'm certain they will, now if you'll excu—" 

"Er, by the way, is Sanra-sama alright...?"

They pointed at something behind Mitori, who turned to look at it, noticing Iyozane's corpse was still there.

"Aah!! Yes, they are fine!" Mitori said, attempting to inconspicuously cover it from further inspection. "They simply passed out from the alcohol, is all."

"Oh goodness, do they require assistance...?"

"No no, we can handle it, no need to worry."

"But..."

Sanra cleared their throat, in the stern yet much more refined way their oldest sibling would have.

"A-Ah, my apologies, your highness, I will be on my way...!"

Mitori waved the servant off and watched as they walked out of the corridor, closing the door again and letting out a sigh of relief.

Sanra coughed and groaned like they had something stuck in their throat.

"Good impression," Mitori handed them the second sake bottle to help wash Iyozane's voice down. "This is perfect, now we shouldn't have to worry about anybody seeing your face while we are gone, and they have hopefully been assured that Iyozane is still alive!"

Kunimitsu watched Sanra down the sake too fast and choking on it.

"Hey so why does the real one have to get drunk...?" they asked.

"Well when we retrieve them it would be strange if they weren't, would it not?" Mitori answered.

Sanra forced down the rest of the sake despite their body's protests. "B'sides. 'T helps with the grief..." they chuckled.

"I don't think you should be encouraging this, Mitori."

"Oh, they'll be fine, right Sanra?~" Mitori patted their sibling on the back.

"God don't, don't do that..." Sanra choked something back down. 

"See, perfectly fine."

Mitori took the empty sake bottles from them and stood up. "I believe we should be ready to leave then. Kunimitsu, will you take Iyo's body please?"

"What, why me...?"

"You are taller and have more upper body strength."

"Flattery will get you nowhere..." And yet it clearly did, since Kunimitsu walked over to the body as they said this.

Looking down at it, the human instinct to stay away from the dead kicked in, feeling physically ill at the thought of picking the corpse of their old friend up.

"It helps to try and forget you are carrying a former person, especially someone you once knew," Mitori chimed in as they pocketed the remaining hair they hid earlier — they clearly wouldn't be necessary.

"Hm, thanks..." 

"You're welcome!"

Kunimitsu sighed, shut their eyes and reluctantly pulled Iyozane's corpse over their shoulders in a fireman's carry, intensely trying to apply Mitori's unsolicited advice. 

Mitori took a moment to make sure Iyozane's face was hidden by their recently cut bangs and that the whole thing looked authentic enough. "... Everything looks good. Sanra, we will be leaving now, you remember what to do, yes?"

"Wha's there ta remember...?" Sanra yawned, laying down on the futon with their eyes closed. "I jus' gotta pretend ta be asleep, don' I...?"

"Yes, pretend..." Mitori said. "You must be alert in case anything happens, staff will come check on you every half-hour and you can't let them suspect anything when they do."

"Hmm, yessir..."

Mitori looked them over, as if suddenly a little reluctant to leave them on their own in such an incriminating position and intoxicated state to potentially also die.

They knelt down beside them, grabbing their face and looking them sternly in the eyes. 

"Sanra, I know you are tired, but it is really important that you do not mess this up. It is not only your life on the line, but mine and Kunimitsu's as well." That did actually seem to sober Sanra up a little. Mitori continued: "We won't be gone for long, so please just try to stay on guard until then, alright...?"

Sanra took a moment to make sure they had actually processed what their superior had said this time. They gave a serious nod.

Mitori looked at them a little longer, then simply smiled and patted them on the cheek. Sanra pushed their hand away in embarrassment, counterproductively just making Mitori give an affectionate giggle instead.

Sanra sighed. "B'careful out there, yeah...?"

"We will," Mitori stood up and walked over to Kunimitsu. "You too," they smiled back at them.

Kunimitsu waved a little — which Sanra returned — before being helped out the door by Mitori, and the door closed behind them. Sanra listened as they walked off to confirm that they did so without trouble.

They turned their back to the door, intent on keeping their eyes open until the two returned. With nothing else to do, they started wondering how their life ended up like this.

Chapter Text

Kunimitsu had been to the palace many, many times since Mitori hired them, but it was so strangely laid out and ever expanding (in no small part due to how strangely laid out and ever expanding the imperial family was) that they were certain there were large sections of it they had never been to before. Iyozane was (or had been) restricted to the deepest reaches of the palace — the largest and centermost building whose long corridors were like a labyrinth to navigate — and it had taken years before they'd even memorized the way from the entrance to the handful of places their friend might be found in.

As such, they found it odd that they did not recognize where Mitori was leading them now.

"... Hey, aren't we going the wrong way?" they asked. "I'm pretty sure the exit's that way..."

"It is, but this is a shortcut," Mitori explained. "There is a backdoor this way which will take us to the northern gate, it is much quicker than leaving through the main gate and tends to be less densely crowded at events such as this, meaning we are less likely to be caught."

"What, do you do this often or something?" Kunimitsu laughed.

"Perhaps," Mitori laughed, Kunimitsu stopped laughing.

On their way out, the two occasionally passed some members of staff who appeared very concerned for "Sanra's" well-being and offered to help, but Mitori simply explained the made up situation and insisted there was nothing to worry about. When they finally did reach the backdoor they were greeted to two dozen members of the royal court drinking and shouting over each other by the porch, yet this was indeed still the less crowded area of the palace at the moment.

Kunimitsu suddenly felt petrified, as if inflicted with a very justified version of stage fright. 

Mitori however simply kept walking like they weren't smuggling a body. They spotted something out of the corner of their eye suddenly. "Oh, wait here, I'll be right back!~"

"What?" Kunimitsu snapped out of it. "H-hey don't just leave me here...!" 

But Mitori had already disappeared into the crowd, leaving Kunimitsu alone carrying the corpse of the crown heir in front of a sea of people.

One of the younger members of the family stared at them. Kunimitsu gave an awkward smile and waved slightly. The heir furrowed their brow and walked as far away from them as they could.

Mitori finally returned having discarded the empty sake bottles and replaced them with with two slices of swiss roll, one of which they had almost finished already.

Kunimitsu couldn't even muster up a reaction anymore. “... Could you please try to take this seriously...?” they begged.

“I am, I'm stress eating,” Mitori said. They offered the remaining slice to their friend. “Here, you seem stressed.”

“Yeah, Mitori, I am...”

Kunimitsu glared at them as Mitori kept the offer standing. Kunimitsu caved and accepted it — it tasted very good and did make them feel a bit better.

Mitori began walking again, Kunimitsu trailing after them. "You know, being nervous will only make you stand out more."

"That's making it worse...!" Kunimitsu whined.

"Just try to relax. It may feel like everyone is judging you, but trust me, you can get away with anything so long as you act as if what you are doing is perfectly normal."

Kunimitsu was about to protest but realized they themself were currently letting Mitori get away with murder, so maybe they did have a point.

Mitori stopped suddenly, causing Kunimitsu to walk into them and nearly drop Iyozane's body. "Woah, what are we stopping for...?"

Mitori pointed towards the north gate leading out of the palace grounds on the other side of the moat. It took Kunimitsu a bit to realize what they were referring to. There were two members of the goefu stationed inside it keeping a close eye on any guests passing the gate as if aching to catch someone in a nefarious act and actually do something of use for once.

"The guards...?" Kunimitsu whispered.

Mitori nodded. "I did not consider that they might become curious of the body we're carrying, especially seeing as we aren't exactly on the best of terms with the goefu..." they mumbled. 

"How did you not think of that before we got here...!?"

"I had 10 minutes...!" 

Mitori racked their brain for a solution. "Hmm, I suppose the chance that they look at their face is admittedly somewhat low, but I don't know if I'm willing to risk it when the stakes are this high..."

"Why can't we just fly out?"

"Do you see anybody else flying? We would stick out too much."

"Do you see anybody else carrying a body?"

Mitori looked around for a moment, then pointed at a military officer carrying their passed out friend over their shoulder and laughing hardily.

"Oh," Kunimitsu said. "S-So what are we supposed to do then...? Should we go back...?"

"Well well well, I was beginning to wonder where the two of you had disappeared off to!" a theatrical voice boomed behind them.

Kaoru Kashiwagi approached them, clearly more than a little inebriated. "... Oh, please forgive me, I can see now that you have got them with you as well..." they scoffed, pretending to not have noticed the entire body on Kunimitsu's shoulders, and yet clearly intending for specifically it to hear.

They waited for it to snap back at them, appearing increasingly confused that it never did.

"... My, are they alright...?" they asked, attempting to look at their face.

"Y-YEAH, of course!" Kunimitsu said, moving it away from them.

"Well, they blacked out a bit though..." Mitori added.

"Hmph! So the Imperial Military's full general truly cannot hold their liquor, as I have heard... How pathetic!" Kaoru said as if Sanra would have heard even if they really were there. "Do you not find this to reflect rather poorly upon your military, Mitori-sama?"

Mitori was about to tell them, once again, that they would not be reconsidering Sanra's promotion. But then a thought struck them.

"... Hmm, perhaps you're right..." they said instead.

"They are?" Kunimitsu asked.

"I am?" Kaoru asked.

Mitori nodded. "While I do believe that a soldier's merit should ultimately be determined by their skill and not superficial aspects unrelated to the subject of warfare such as this, I suppose those superficial aspects are what counts towards people's first impressions of us..."

"... O-Of course!!" Kaoru said — they never thought they'd get this far. "I am delighted to hear you finally see my point of view on this matter, Mitori-sama."

"Well, I haven't decided anything yet... In any case," Mitori suddenly changed the subject. "We figured it would be best to get them away from the crowd, so we were just about to leave, but there are just so many people... Oh! Would you mind escorting us out perhaps, Kaoru-san?~"

"Oh...? Why it would be a pleasure...!" Kaoru beamed, eager to prove their usefulness while the iron was hot. "Tis my duty to serve His Majesty's kin, after all. It certainly beats serving His Majesty himself..." they mumbled.

They caught themself badmouthing the emperor in front of his own child (not that Mitori disagreed) and gave a nervous laugh. "My apologies, Your Highness...! Er, please, come with me."

Kaoru began leading them through the crowd, and Mitori beckoned for Kunimitsu to follow, who still had no idea what was going on.

"Say, come to think of it..." Mitori said. "We were discussing youkai extermination earlier, wouldn't you please tell Kunimitsu of your encounter with that ushi oni all those years ago?~"

"Hmmm, the ushi oni? Don't mind if I do!" Kaoru said. They cleared their throat and put on an overly serious voice. "'Twas many moons ago..."

Mitori pretended to listen as Kunimitsu caught up to them.

"You're not really gonna demote Sanra, are you...?" they whispered.

"Of course not," Mitori scoffed. "But I see no harm in getting Kaoru-san's hopes up for just a bit if it means we get out."

"Tell that to Sanra, I can't see them getting to live this down anytime soon..." Kunimitsu laughed a little to themself.

"I know, I know, I will be sure to repay them somehow... You too of course, Kunimitsu. I greatly appreciate that you're helping out, by the way."

Kunimitsu sighed. "I don't know how you ever could repay us, to be honest..."

"Are you two listening?" Kaoru interrupted.

"Of course!" Mitori smiled at them. "Please, go on."

Kaoru eyed them for a moment. "... Ahem, well you see, when I arrived at the harbor I immediately sensed a certain toxin in the air, suspecting this must have been what had claimed my subordinates ... Of course, miasmas such as this happen to be my precise field of expertise, so I quickly shrouded myself in a neutralizing fog and ventured on forth..."

Kaoru told of poisonous gas that killed anything it came into contact with, human remains scattered across the shore, a giant monster with the head of an ox and the body of a spider, and how they bravely took it on by themself despite it all. A lot of the details were a lot grander than Mitori recalled them being last time they heard the tale, where a lot of the details were already grander than the time before that. Kaoru soon became so immersed in their own story that they began dramatically acting out their narration. Kunimitsu had to admit it was rather captivating once they actually started listening. They even found themself forgetting what it was they were carrying and didn't even notice as they passed the guards at the gate, who were too unwilling to interrupt their captain to inquire about the body.

"The beast had me pinned, and for a moment I feared I was done for... It bared its monstrous fangs at me, unleashing its toxic breath — but I quickly thought to shroud myself in a miasma of my own and neutralized its attack!" Kaoru did an odd spin. "My fog disoriented the creature and caused it to rear, exposing its thorax, and I swiftly drew my bow and fired an arrow straight into its heart point blank!!" they fired an arrow into a nearby tree, sending a flock of birds flying out of it. "The ushi oni collapsed, writhing for but a moment more, before shriveling up and returning to the hellish realm from whence it came... I was unable to save the lives it had claimed, but at the very least, it would never claim another life again..."

They took a bow indicating they were finished. Mitori applauded, and Kunimitsu did as well, as best they could with their hands full anyways.

"Wow, that's... actually kind of impressive...!" they laughed in awe. "I really didn't expect that of you!"

"Why thank you!" Kaoru grinned proudly. "... Wait—"

"Well we have greatly appreciated your company, Kaoru-san, but I believe we will be alright from here on," Mitori said. "I wouldn't want to keep you from your duties at the palace. Ah, and thank you for the story, it was as intriguing as always~"

"Hm...? O-Oh, think nothing of it, Your Highness...!" Kaoru said. They cleared their throat. "Very well then! I wish the two of you a good night and safe travels!"

"You mean three."

"I know what I said," Kaoru turned and walked back towards the palace and out of view.

Mitori waved them off, walking a little further down the street instead to make sure they were alone. Kunimitsu followed them, although they weren't quite sure why anymore.

"Three...?" they mumbled to themself.

They suddenly remembered what they were carrying.

Kunimitsu jumped and instinctively let go of the corpse, but Mitori caught it before it could hit the ground.

"Careful, have you no respect for the dead...!?" they hissed.

"Have I no respect for...!?" Kunimitsu hissed back. "... Oh my god we actually made it out of there?"

"Of course we did," Mitori said proudly. "You really ought to trust me more, you know."

"I'm helping you hide a body what more do you want?"

"Hm, touché."

Mitori pulled Iyozane's arm over their shoulders — now that they could fly they figured they should take some of the load off of Kunimitsu. "Let us hurry. The sooner we can get this over with, the less opportunities there are for us to get caught. Could you take their other arm please?"

Kunimitsu begrudgingly did as they were asked. They just wanted to get it over with as well.

With that, the two began flying towards the Gloomy Strait.

Chapter Text

Mitori and Kunimitsu landed on a particularly secluded part of the Gloomy Strait's shore, a little under half an hour from the heart of the city. It was a small, overgrown cove, surrounded by raised land which gave the impression of a drought or particularly low tide, and there hadn't been a person in sight for at least a mile.

They carefully laid Iyozane's body down against the bank.

"There..." Mitori heaved. "That would be the hardest part taken care of... Thank you again, Kunimitsu."

Kunimitsu didn't respond, only nodded. They hadn't spoken the whole way there, despite their friend's efforts.

Mitori gave up on it, sitting down beside the body to get back to work. Their job wasn't over after all, they still had to get Sanra out of the palace too, and in that case they needed to bring their clothes back to them. 

Their eyes accidentally landed on Iyozane's unobscured face for a moment, which they had purposefully tried to avoid looking at ever since they killed them. They felt something uncomfortable well up inside them, so they quickly pushed it back down, and began undressing the corpse. 

It was quiet. The waves crashed against the cove's opening, few surviving to make it to the beach. The subtle sound of fabric rubbing against itself could be heard as Mitori fiddled with the sashes, placing them in their long sleeves.

The silence was suddenly broken by a hic beside them. Mitori turned their head to its source. 

Kunimitsu sat staring down at the sand, their hair covering their face. Occasionally they twitched a little as they breathed unsteadily.

"... Kunimitsu...?"

They looked up at Mitori, causing them to unfortunately make eye contact. Kunimitsu's eyes were wet with tears and now that their head wasn't aimed at the ground their cheeks started getting streaked by them. They quickly dried their face again and tried to hide it.

"Hey, it's alright," Mitori gave them a reassuring smile. "We're alone now, you're allowed to cry. For god's sake, your friend just died."

Kunimitsu choked, unable to hold back a wail. Mitori bit their tongue. "Sorry."

Kunimitsu grit their teeth. "God, what is wrong with you!?" they shouted. "I don't understand how you can be so nonchalant! Iyozane is dead and it's like you don't even care!"

"Wh— Kunimitsu, of course I care...!" 

"Well you sure don't act like it!"

"I don't have time to act like it, I have a job to finish!" Mitori shouted back. "I loved Iyo I just...!"

They cut themself off. They weren't sure why they were getting so defensive all of a sudden, why that had hit them so hard. In any case, it was getting them worked up, and they could not afford to get worked up at a time like this.

They contemplated what to do for a moment, eventually choosing to set aside Iyozane's body as they moved closer to Kunimitsu. They did look a little remorseful for the accusation, recognizing that this couldn't have been much easier for Iyozane's family than it was for themself, despite how they were making it seem. Although they still wouldn't look at their friend, even as Mitori pulled them into a hug.

"... I'm sorry, Kunimitsu," Mitori said. "Look, this is my fault, alright? I got us all into this mess, so it is my responsibility to get us out of it, meaning I cannot let anything go wrong. I have already gotten Iyozane killed tonight. I do not want to have gotten the two of you killed as well..."

Kunimitsu wasn't sure if they even wanted to return the gesture or not. Not only had Mitori taken the life of someone they loved dearly but were also making them cover up the murder — they felt justified in being a little upset with them. 

They idly placed a hand on their back if nothing else but to be polite. It did feel nice to be held, they thought. Their fingers dug into Mitori's clothes, as did their other hand's, and they soon had buried their face in their neck. They decided that needed someone to hold more than they needed to hold a grudge.

Mitori stroked Kunimitsu's hair as their friend wept. It was difficult not to cry themself now that they were given the opportunity and their empathy was being so directly attacked, but they managed to resist the urge. They let out a deep sigh instead to relieve the stress.

Kunimitsu's breathing eventually started to calm down again. It was still heavy and unstable, but they had clearly gotten the worst out of their system. They opened their mouth to speak, seeming difficult like their throat had forgotten how to.

"... Why did this have to happen...?" they managed to get out.

Mitori felt a pit in their stomach. "... It, it was for the best..."

"I know it was but it shouldn't have been!" Kunimitsu cried. "It isn't fair, they didn't deserve to die, it's not fair...!"

"Little is, I'm afraid..." Mitori said. It didn't do much to make Kunimitsu feel better, not that Mitori had really been trying, so they figured they probably should start. "... B-But, they will be! Eventually... We will make sure of that," they pulled back to dry their friend's tears. 

Kunimitsu nodded. "... You know, I always thought everything would just be magically solved by the coup," they said, laughing a little at themself. "That Iyo would be free to rule without anyone controlling them, hell they could even abdicate if they wanted to. We could all ensure no one restricted them ever again, they could finally have been happy..."

Mitori smiled, almost nostalgically. "I used to believe so as well... But it was foolish of me from the very start. The coup is still only in its infancy, and it will surely be years before we are ready to safely go through with it, especially with the Senri priest breathing down our necks... It would have been cruel to force Iyo to wait all that time for a life I'm not even certain they would have been content with in the first place. Strictly speaking, I should have done something earlier. So many years they have suffered in vain, all because I naïvely held out hope that I could save them one day..."

"Well... I guess you eventually did, in a very... twisted sense of the word..."

It got quiet between them again.

"... I'm really sorry, " Mitori mumbled.

"... I know," Kunimitsu replied.

Mitori glanced back at their dead sibling, remembering the time sensitivity of the situation.

"... We should hurry up. I don't want to leave Sanra for too long," they let go of Kunimitsu and returned to Iyozane's corpse to finish undressing it. "... Would you rather stay here, actually?" they asked suddenly. "I don't wish to put you through more than I already have."

Kunimitsu wiped their face, nodding slowly. "I don't think I'm in any condition to go back anyways," they chuckled.

"Yes, that too," Mitori laughed along. "I figured I shouldn't mention that."

Finally, Mitori slipped the kimono off of Iyozane, leaving only the base nagajuban, and stood up. They carefully brushed off any and all sand that may have stuck to themself and the garment before folding it as flat and tightly as they could and placed it in their other, empty sleeve. It weighed quite a bit and only barely fit without looking strange, but it would have to do for the time being.

"I have to go now," they said. "Are you sure you will be alright on your own...?"

"I'll be fine..." Kunimitsu reassured them with a small smile. "I could probably use the time to process everything by myself anyways. You go on and get Sanra."

Mitori nodded. "I will be back as soon as I can. I don't believe anyone should come by, but do try to stay out of sight just in case."

"Don't worry," Kunimitsu said. "I don't think I'll be leaving Iyo's side for a while."

Chapter Text

Mitori caught a few eyes as they re-entered the palace grounds. Some people they had passed earlier questioned why they were back and where their friends had gone, but they quickly explained it away. In fact, this questioning was a relief, they would imagine every visitor to have known if the crown heir had been discovered to be gone. Or maybe not, considering how much the royal court kept from outsiders. Mitori wouldn't have been too surprised if news of Iyozane's disappearance never got out at all. It's not like anyone would notice, their oldest sibling never exactly got to have a presence outside of the palace. They barely even had one inside of it.

They walked through Iyozane's (now former, they rather uncomfortably realized) residence. It filled them with an odd sense of nostalgia for a time before around an hour ago, for a place they never missed.

As they were about to turn the last corner they heard a knock. 

"Your Highness...?" somebody said. "Are you alright in there...?"

Mitori felt their blood run cold. They looked around the corner to see one of the servants opening the door to the room they had left Sanra in. 

"Oh, e-excuse me!!" Mitori jumped out.

The servant stopped, shutting the door again. "Huh? Oh, Mitori-sama, you're back already?"

"Yes! Err, we left with Kunimitsu not long ago, but Sanra went back to look for something they dropped and they have been gone for a while now, do you happen to have seen them...?"

"Not since you left, I'm afraid."

"That's too bad..." Mitori lied through their teeth. "Well, would you please be so kind as to help me look for them, in that case?~"

"Ah, of course, in just a moment. I must tend to the crown heir first, I believe they are not feeling well, you see."

"W-Well it is hardly anything out of the ordinary is it? Iyo hasn't been feeling well for quite a while after all, so I'm sure they'll be alright..."

The servant gave them an odd look. Mitori was usually one of the few people who seemed to care about Iyozane's poor condition.

Mitori must have realized how suspicious this seemed as well. "... You know they don't like to be surrounded by palace staff in times of distress," they explained. "I think it would be best to just leave them alone for a bit."

"... Hm, I suppose you know your sibling best..." the servant hesitantly agreed.

"Of course I do~" Mitori smiled. "So does that mean you can help me search for Sanra then?~"

"... Yes, Your Highness. I shall get to it immediately."

The servant walked off. Mitori thanked them sweetly yet again and pretended to walk in the opposite direction to continue their own search. They glanced over their shoulder to check if the servant was gone, which they were, then immediately flew back to Iyozane's bedroom and slipped in, careful not to make a sound.

It was difficult to see through the darkness, but there was definitely a body under the covers in front of them, laying determinately still.

"Sanra...!" Mitori whispered. "It's me, Mitori."

Sanra looked behind their back. They let go of their breath. "... Mitori-sama, thank god y— Aeuh..." they tried to sit up before getting struck with vertigo and having to lay back down.

Mitori helped them back up. "Goodness, am I happy to see you," they sighed in relief, taking the opportunity to squeeze them a little in a hug. They pulled out their kimono from their sleeve and quickly began dressing them. "Did everything go well?"

"Almost di'n't..." Sanra said. "Y'really saved me jus' now. I owe ya."

"Er, let us just, call it even..." Mitori said, knowing they already owed them a lot for the evening. "May I ask what caught their attention anyhow?"

Sanra seemed a little embarrassed suddenly. "Ah, well... I've kinda been left alone wit' only my thoughts fer the past— how long were ya gone for...? Ehh 's not import'nt. I might'a gotten m'self a lil', er, worked up, in that time, all things considered..."

Mitori gave them a confused look. They squinted through the darkness and realized their face was indeed somewhat damp.

"... Oh..." they frowned. "... Are you alright...?"

"Ah, yeah, 'm okay..." Sanra gave a small smile at their consideration. "... Sorry I almost got us caught," they added. "I really tried ta keep it t'gether but..."

"You did fine, Sanra. I could not have asked you for more," Mitori stroked their cheek. "Thank you. Really."

They finished dressing Sanra and helped them remove the hair clips, then placed Iyozane's locks in their sleeve and returned the clips to the jewelry box, making sure to wipe any fingerprints off as they did so.

They looked around the room one last time to make sure they hadn't left any incriminating evidence behind. "Alright," they said. "Let's hurry on out before anyone else comes by."

Mitori put their ear to the door and listened intently, then cautiously cracked it open. After confirming the hallway was empty, they grabbed Sanra's hand, pulled them out of the room and shut the door quietly behind them. They opted to hover slightly off the ground to get out of the hallway quickly without making any noise before continuing on foot a good distance from the crime scene.

They made it out of three hallways without being seen, but turning the corner into the fourth somebody bumped into them.

"Ow, why I...!" Kaoru groaned. They looked up, passing over Mitori entirely. "... Oh. I see you have awoken..." they muttered. Sanra tried to ignore them.

"Kaoru-san!" Mitori exclaimed. While Kaoru's presence had been a blessing the first time around, now they could not have picked a worse person to run into. "Er, now what are you doing in here...?"

"I should like to ask you the same!" Kaoru brushed themself off. "I witnessed you return without your companions and became curious of their whereabouts, but I'm afraid you disappeared before I could inquire about it...! I can see one of your companions is (unfortunately) still here. Although I must say I do not recall ever seeing them return..." they narrowed their eyes at Sanra.

"Ugh, 'course ya di'n't, you mannequins wouln't see somethin' if it hit'cha in the face...!" Sanra pushed them away from them. It didn't even sound like an excuse, coming straight from the heart instead.

Kaoru appeared taken off guard, almost having forgotten Sanra could fight back now. They couldn't help but feel a little complacent to have gotten a rise out of them however, especially remembering their discussion with Mitori earlier that night.

"Well, clearly you underestimate our abilities once more...!" they insisted. "I am certain I saw Mitori-sama return alone, why I would not have come here had I not taken notice of this very fact!"

"Oh, no, I did," Mitori said. "Sanra woke up and realized they dropped something at the palace, so they went back to look for it it, but they were taking a while so I figured I should make sure they were alright. They must have simply retraced their steps back here. You must simply have missed them."

"Hmm how careless... Tis what happens when you don't pace yourself, I'm afraid! I truly hope you have learned something from this experience, Sanra."

"What are ya, my parent?" Sanra muttered.

"Goodness, what an insult..." Kaoru scoffed, although it wasn't clear if it was meant as a jab against Sanra or the emperor, most likely both. "Now, what ever happened to Kunimitsu, may I ask?"

"Ah, they simply went ahead without us," Mitori said.

"I see, they did appear awfully anxious..." 

"Yes, uhm... A small argument broke out and all the festivities simply got too overwhelming, I'm afraid. They are waiting for us now actually, so if you would please excuse us..."

Mitori started walking away, but Kaoru grabbed them by the sleeve before they could get far. "Are you certain you should not be heading home instead, Mitori-sama...?" they asked. "You all looked very tired, ahem, some more than others..." 

"Oh mind yer own business will ya!?" Sanra snapped, yanking Kaoru's arm off of Mitori and immobilizing them. "I'm not in the mood ta deal with yer incessant naggin' tonight! How about'cha focus on doin' yer damn job fer once, yer supposed to be the royal guard damn it do you've any IDEA how easy ya make it ta get away with mu—!!?"

"S-SANRA WE REALLY OUGHT TO GO!!" Mitori quickly cut them off before it was too late.

"'M not finished...!" 

"YES YOU ARE!!"

Sanra needed a moment to figure out why Mitori was glaring at them with such panic all of a sudden. When they did, they reluctantly set Kaoru back down.

Kaoru made an effort to collect themself, even though they were clearly still shaking in their socks. "Ahem. T-thank you, Mitori-sama... However I can tell when I am not wanted!!" they said, despite all evidence to the contrary. "I do hope you will consider what we spoke about..."

"Huh?" Sanra asked.

"I'll tell you later," Mitori patted them on the arm. "It was, er, very good seeing you tonight, Kaoru-san, but we shall be on our way now. Good night!~" they gave a strained smile and a wave and pulled Sanra along. Kaoru dramatically turned the other cheek and made it a point to walk in the opposite direction of the two, even though it would only lead them further into the building and they had no more reason to be there.

Sanra glared at them as they walked away. "... Hey d'ya think we could frame 'em for this?" they asked.

"No, no, we will need the Goefu's approval for all to go smoothly..." Mitori shook their head. "You know, you could at least try to get along with Kaoru-san."

"Believe me, I'm tryin' m'best..."

"Sanra you just asked if we could get them falsely charged with capital punishment."

"Right so when I s'ggest we sacrifice some useless mannequin that's wrong but you can jus' kill anyone whenever ya want..."

Mitori noticed the bitterness seeping through in their expression. They shrunk back a little, glancing up at them sheepishly. "... Sanraaa, are you angry at meeee...?"

Sanra glared at them like this was a stupid question. It clearly wasn't though as upon seeing Mitori's puppy eyes they remembered they couldn't stay mad at them for long.

They sighed. "... No, Mitori. 'M not angry atcha..." Sanra mumbled. "I understand why ya did it. Can't say it never crossed m'mind ta do it m'self honestly. I just could never go through with it..."

"I almost couldn't either," Mitori said, quietly enough to ensure no one else heard. "I put it off for a long time because there was always a convenient excuse to wait. But at the rate they were going, they would surely have starved themself to death if nobody took them out first. At least their death was swift and painless this way..."

"... Are ya sure...?"

"Certain," Mitori lied. They didn't want to consider the alternative, so they chose not to.

The two walked in silence for a moment. Sanra tightened their grip on Mitori's hand, and Mitori gently stroked their thumb over theirs.

"... I feel sick..." Sanra mumbled after a while.

Mitori sighed deeply. "Me too, Sanra..."

"No really I think I need ta throw up."

"Oh," Mitori said. "Well let's, let's get you outside then."

"Please..."

Chapter Text

Kunimitsu lay on the sand, their head resting against Iyozane's chest, as if waiting for their heart to ever start beating again. Their eyes were wet, but had run out of tears long ago, now only sending any left over down the bridge of their nose as they blinked. None of this felt real, no matter how long they stared at Iyozane's dead face.

They turned onto their back, looking up at the sky instead. The moon must have been full, its light being dispersed by the fog that so often permeated the Gloomy Straits, although usually not this close to the shore. It was unusually cold for this time of year too...

A silhouette suddenly appeared in the clouds out of the corner of their eye, descending onto the beach.

Kunimitsu shot up and hastily dried their face as Mitori landed with Sanra practically hanging over them. 

"We're back~" Mitori said cheerily. They looked at Kunimitsu and Iyozane's corpse and was forced to remember what exactly they were doing again — it had been nice to take their mind off of it while they could. They carefully sat Sanra down but they immediately fell over anyways. "How are you feeling...?" they asked.

"B-Better I guess..." Kunimitsu sighed. "How uh, how did it go?" they quickly changed the subject.

"... Well, smoothly enough..." Mitori agreed. "We ran into Kaoru-san again but it got, er, taken care of..." they glanced at Sanra, who gave a very proud thumbs up.

"So... we did it then...?" Kunimitsu asked. "We're in the clear now...?" 

"Well, no, we still need to dispose of the body, not to mention the heavy investigation that is sure to follow from all this..." Mitori said. "But I believe we can be at ease for now at least, yes."

"R-Right, disposing of them..." Kunimitsu said, looking at Iyozane's body. 

Their gaze lingered. "... We... We're going to hold a funeral for them, right...?"

"Of course we are," Mitori replied. "Although, I can't say I have much experience in the hosting of one..."

"I thought you said you'd done this before."

"Well I typically don't pay respects to the people I kill, typically because I don't respect them," Mitori shrugged as they sat down beside the corpse. "The same, of course, cannot be said for dear Iyo here. It won't be anything formal, but I expect something more official will be held eventually anyhow."

"Hm, I don't suppose I'll be invited to that one?" Kunimitsu asked.

"Prob'ly not," Sanra stretched a little. "How'll we dispose of 'em anyways...?" they asked Mitori. "We usually just leave 'em out for the crows, but..."

"Well, we never really discussed how they would like their remains to be handled due to the er, sudden change of plans..." Mitori replied. "They did seem to look forward to their sea burial however, so I figured it would be the most appropriate method of disposal. It is customary, after all."

"Oh. Right, that's a thing you guys do..." Kunimitsu said, sounding oddly disappointed. 

They were quiet for a moment as Mitori tied the cut off locks around Iyozane's belt to ensure even the slightest evidence would disappear with the body.

"... Hey," they eventually continued, "is it true that members of the royal bloodline return to heaven when they die...?"

Mitori's heart sank, already knowing what they were getting at.

"Ah yeah, that ol' legend..." Sanra said. "Didn't'cha say ya saw gramps in the mausoleum when ya snuck up there as a kid, Mitori-sama...?"

"... And others, yes," Mitori said. "So I suppose they do."

"... Well... Do they have to...?" Kunimitsu asked. "... Sorry! Sorry, I know that's stupid of me," they quickly added, even though no one had implied it. "It's just, well... It's a little disheartening, knowing I'll never get to see them again, even in death... I'll really miss you guys, y'know? I've thought about that a lot. If either of us die, then, that's really gonna be it, isn't it...?"

Mitori gave them a look of understanding, wishing they could assure them somehow. They glanced at their adoptive siblings, dead and alive alike. "... Yes, I, I have thought about that too..." they mumbled. 

Sanra took notice of how downtrodden their friends had suddenly gotten, but their mind was too foggy to figure out the reason for it. "... Well... I'd sure hope we've a choice in th'matter..." they said. "I dunno who'd wanna spend the rest a' eternity wit' the likes o' the past few gen'rations of emperors... Sounds more like hell ta me!" they let out a chuckle. "'M sure Iyo-sama feels the same... So, I wouldn't worry 'bout it."

Mitori looked at them dumbfounded. They had considered the possibility that the spirits of the royal bloodline might be able to leave the mausoleum, even descend back to Earth should they so choose, but they had simply assumed none of them ever would. They smiled, though Sanra would never know why.

Kunimitsu couldn't help but blush a little. "You really think they'd give up heaven just to be with some ordinary person like me?" they laughed. 

"... You mustn't sell yourself short now," Mitori said. "Iyo loved you dearly, Kunimitsu. I'm certain they will find their way to you, wherever they go~"

"H-Heh, I guess an earthly afterlife would be more exciting to them anyways..." Kunimitsu flushed red, clearly trying to change the subject. "It would be a shame for them to have died to get out of the palace only to end up stuck in the mausoleum instead..."

"Hmm, that's true..." Mitori said. They pretended to think for a moment. "... Say, do you think it would be possible to kill a ghost?"

"If it is then that's where I draw the line," Kunimitsu choked. They could never tell when Mitori was kidding or not.

"Well I appreciate that you don't draw it sooner at least~" Mitori giggled, but it didn't really clear up the matter. "In any case, whatever death has in store for them, it must certainly be better than what their life had to offer..."

They finished preparing the corpse for burial, grabbing a large rock and placing it in Iyozane's robe so that their body was sure not to resurface. They took a good look at their sibling's face, gently touching it, knowing it might be their last chance to do so. Iyozane looked peaceful, like they were merely asleep. Mitori sighed. "So then, I suppose there is only one thing left to do..."

They picked the body up, walked to the edge of the shore, and kicked off the ground. Kunimitsu helped Sanra up to follow.

The water rippled as the three flew across its surface. Mitori made careful note of how far they went — they didn't want to go out too far for fear of being seen, but also had to go far enough that Iyozane's body would not easily be found, or at all preferably. They held them close, their grip only getting tighter the further out they got.

Finally they stopped not far from the cove's opening. As the dense fog surrounded them on all sides, making it impossible to make out the shore nor the sanctuary on the other side of the strait, it really seemed as if the open waters were endless. To someone stuck inside a palace their whole life, they might as well have been.

Mitori figured someone should probably give some form of eulogy. Anything to delay the inevitable. They turned to their friends. "Do either of you wish to speak...?"

Both seemed to wait for the other to respond first.

"... I got out what I needed to say while you were away," Kunimitsu said. "I don't think I could handle getting into it again..."

Sanra was quiet for a moment longer, but eventually shook their head. It seemed less like they didn't wish to speak and more like they couldn't find the strength to.

"... Very well..." Mitori said. They had sort of hoped they wouldn't have to do it themself. It was only fair though, they supposed, after the emotional turmoil they had already put the others through that night.

They cleared their throat, trying to find the words to do their sibling's life justice somehow.

"... We are here to bid farewell to Fujiwara no Iyozane," they nervously started. "... While most may not regard it as such, Iyozane was born into a very unfortunate position as first heir to the throne. But they were far more than just their birth right, no matter what anybody says.

"Iyozane was one of the most inspiring people I knew. They were ambitious almost to a fault, dreaming of getting to explore the world outside the palace and hold that real, tangible power that had been promised to them, and no matter how their caretakers tried they could never quite stamp that flame out. Most of all, they always longed for the sea. I suppose it is poetic in a way, being the final resting place of all past emperors... Although, all those grand tales of pirates unbound by all laws on the open waters certainly couldn't have helped their fascination. I believe they were meant to warn them of the dangerous people lurking outside the palace, actually, but that never stopped them for admiring the lifestyle regardless." Mitori laughed as they reminisced. 

They soon turned melancholy. "... We promised we would take them here one day, didn't we...?" they mumbled.

Kunimitsu pressed themself against Sanra, who lowered their head and put a comforting arm around them. 

Mitori was aware, but too lost in their own thoughts to pay any closer attention. They sighed.

"Well, we finally did, in a way..." they tried to smile. "I'm certain that is enough for them. They were excited for this part. They were excited for all of this. Iyozane was never granted much choice throughout their life, but, after all was said and done, their life ended on their own terms, and I believe we should at least cherish that... It may be selfish, but I'm glad they held out as long as they did. Every additional second we got to share was truly invaluable. The palace won't feel the same now that they're gone. They always managed to make it feel like home to me, despite everything... I, I'm very grateful, that I got the chance to be their sibling..."

Mitori found themself clutching the cold body tightly, dreading having to release it soon. They desperately tried to think of something more to say. Eventually, they had to give up.

They couldn't stall forever.

"... I love you, Iyo," Mitori concluded. "We all do. May you enjoy your freedom at last..."

With that, they lowered Iyozane into the water, then held them there for a moment. They looked at their sibling one last time as the reality of that statement was rapidly catching up to them. 

They took a deep breath, forced their eyes shut and, finally, let go. 

Hesitantly they opened their eyes again, watching as Iyozane's body sank into the dark abyss of the strait before soon disappearing entirely. It took every bit of self-restraint to not go after them.

Small bubbles floated to the surface as what little air was still trapped in Iyozane's lungs managed to escape. It stopped in a matter of seconds, leaving the surface eerily calm once more.

For the second time that night, time seemed to stand still. Each passing moment felt unreal, like it never happened, like any moment now they'd wake up from this nightmare. But as time marched on regardless, the odds of that were becoming more and more bleak.

Rings suddenly reappeared in the water below them, catching them off guard. This time however it hadn't come from below the surface.

It came from their tears.

Mitori had managed to go the whole evening without breaking. They'd had to, if they'd let their grief take hold then everyone would have known something was wrong, and they would have lost everything. But it was over now. They were finally allowed to process everything, to properly grieve.

Only now they just didn't want to. It hurt too much to think about. To remember what they had lost, what they had done, the unfairness of it all. To think about their childhood together, how Iyo had always been there for them, always patiently waited back home, their starry-eyes, their high hopes and dreams, their resilience as it all fell through, the joy of finding ways to make them smile again even if just for a moment. It was all gone.

... It didn't matter anymore. It was all gone. Iyozane was dead, and they would never come back. There was no use in bemoaning it now. What right did Mitori have to be upset anyhow? They only had themself to blame. Clearly Iyozane couldn't have even been that important to them if they were willing to end their life. Why would they have been? It's not like they were actually siblings, as pleasant as it was to cling to that particular lie. This was just like all the other assassinations, all the other strangers who mistakenly called them family despite never so much as acting as such. Right? Right. 

And yet despite that, they still found it in them to pity themself like this. How hypocritical. How weak.

"Mitori-sama...?"

They snapped out of it, hearing their younger sibling's voice. Sanra was giving them a concerned look, clearly having noticed their increasing distress. 

Mitori blinked at them, as if they hadn't just been trembling a moment ago, not that they had been aware of it themself. They hadn't taken notice in their own sorrow, but their friends clearly weren't faring much better. Sanra uncharacteristically had their face soaked in tears, and Kunimitsu clung to them as they sobbed, eyes locked firmly on the spot Iyozane had been lowered in, seemingly afraid of losing track of it and never being able to find their grave again should they look away. 

Mitori felt sick to their stomach with guilt, knowing they were the cause of their grief.

"... W-We should get back to the shore," they said suddenly, beginning to fly back. "It isn't safe out here."

Sanra's eyes trailed them, only more concerned now than they were before. They shook Kunimitsu gently to tell them it was time to go.

Kunimitsu took a moment to accept this before nodding and following them. Iyozane would be carried away by the currents anyhow. They would have liked that , they thought to themself.

When the three landed on the beach again, Kunimitsu noted that Mitori seemed unsteady having to carry their weight on their legs again. They reached out a hand for them.

"H-Hey, Mitori... Are you oka—?"

Mitori started to scream.

All at once every thought of grief, love, loss, shame, hate, injustice, and most of all an overwhelming sense of regret was finally forcing itself to be processed, and it was all too much but it just wouldn't stop.

They wished they could take their grief out on someone, on the person who made them feel like this, on the person who had taken Iyozane from them. But they were that person, so they were left simply thrashing about in frustration, cursing the world and the royal court and their parents and themself.

They shook uncontrollably, they couldn't seem to catch their breath no matter how fast they breathed, it felt as if the world was coming to an end, surely it was, they couldn't imagine how it could ever continue after this.

Finally, their legs buckled in from under them and they collapsed onto the sand where they continued to wail.

"... I guess not," Kunimitsu mumbled. 

For as inappropriately unaffected Mitori had acted throughout this whole ordeal, they had never seen them so distraught in all their time knowing them. 

It seemed neither had Sanra, despite having known them their whole life. It clearly wasn't a normal part of the process anyhow, one which apparently existed. They hesitantly stumbled over to where Mitori lay desperately trying and failing to hold themself still, kneeling down beside them.

Mitori's eyes met theirs, and their rapid breathing gradually calmed down upon seeing them. They soon averted their gaze and laughed a little, embarrassed to be seen in such a pathetic state, unfortunately only appearing more pathetic as a result.

Sanra viewed it more as pitiful. They picked them up in their arms the way one might a small child, and held them in a tight embrace. 

Mitori rested their head against Sanra's neck, feeling their warmth and pulse, and slowly gave up on even trying to compose themself.

Their cries were muffled as they could be heard whimpering that they loved them and that they were sorry and to please forgive them at a rate faster than Sanra could reassure them that it was alright. It didn't help that Sanra was clearly having trouble keeping it together themself. They buried their face in Mitori's hair, seeming to never want to let go of them. 

They held onto their sibling as if they feared they would die too, and Mitori clung to them with the same sentiment, even though it had all been the latter's fault to begin with. Perhaps they were less afraid of losing each other and more grateful that they were still there despite everything.

Kunimitsu watched them from where they stood. They were starting to understand how the two had managed to keep it together for so long, now seeing the effects of it. They themself were upset enough having lost one of their dearest friends, they couldn't imagine losing a family member at the same time, not to mention being the one to blame.

They thought about what Iyozane must have meant to their younger siblings, and what they had meant to Iyozane. Iyo had often talked about how proud of them they were, Kunimitsu was well aware of how much they had loved them, and that the last thing they would have wanted was to see them hurt because of them.

They walked over to the pair. Mitori looked up at them, before shrinking back in shame to once again apologize for the damage they'd caused. 

Kunimitsu sat down on the sand and wrapped their arms around the siblings. Mitori leaned into it, almost seeming guilty about it, and Sanra gratefully returned the gesture.

They sat like that for a while as Mitori slowly tuckered themself out — seeing them more at ease seemed to help Sanra calm down on their own. Kunimitsu squeezed them tight. Though the loss of Iyozane was insurmountable, it felt nice to remember they still had each other.

Mitori broke the silence eventually.

"... Thank you," they sniffled. "... For everything. I really don't know what I would do without you two..."

"Apparently die," Kunimitsu said.

It managed to get a giggle out of Mitori. "Exactly..."

They nestled further into their friends' embrace.

"... I love you," they sighed, exhausted by the long night.

Their eyes were drawn to the ocean in front of them. They smiled lovingly at it. "... I love you all."

Nobody had felt ready to leave at the end of it all. The sooner they left, the sooner they would have to accept the fact that life would go on as normal, without Iyozane, and that was a fact too daunting to confront at the moment.

Sanra had quickly passed out not long after the make-shift funeral, Mitori still in their arms. They had a feeling the following morning would be the worst of their life — the remaining grief, the inevitable interrogations, not to mention the hangover — and intended to at least tackle it well-rested.

Kunimitsu had managed to stay awake a while longer. They sat with Mitori for hours reminiscing about the time they'd spent with Iyozane, telling stories they had never thought to share from their time alone with them, though Mitori obviously had a significant advantage. Kunimitsu seemed to have finally made peace with Iyozane's death, now simply praying that they were finally happy. Before long, they too had fallen asleep, resting soundly against Mitori's shoulder.

Mitori, however, could not fall asleep. With the other two dormant, they decided they would sit vigil the rest of the night. Somebody had to be awake in case something went wrong, after all. It was a good excuse, to whoever there was left to excuse their feelings to.

It was oddly peaceful for the otherwise bustling capital. By this time of day you would usually hear the sounds of people leaving for work or coming home from night shifts. The only sounds now were that of the waves and the cry of a lone bird. 

Mitori looked up at the pagoda piercing the heavens over the horizon. They wondered if Iyozane really was up there somewhere, in the Heavenly Mausoleum. 

... One day, when the dynasty had fallen, they would get the chance to climb back up to it. Then, just maybe, they would get to see their dear sibling again after all.