Ice Flow

AN: Terribly late, I know.  It couldn’t be avoided, I’m afraid.  Anyway, back to the story.  Doumeki had just received that history from Alastaire (who’s going to receive hell from his aunt when she realizes it’s missing XD).  So what can you expect from this instalment?  More answers.  For Doumeki and for you ;D  Everyone, really.  Pay attention, my dears :D  There's a lot going on here XD 

Entwining Fates:

Concealing Mists

I

Of all the things that could be said about Alastaire, there was one fact that couldn't be denied.  He always managed to lay hands on something that couldn't be found elsewhere.

The history he had provided was a good example.  It was not only one of the few remaining copies that dated back several centuries, it was probably the only complete copy of its kind in existence.  It was complete and unabridged, containing information that was omitted even from the history kept at the Southern Ward.  The Woodrows, whose eccentricity had bred true through the generations, did not shrink from the misdeeds of their ancestors.  Instead they had lovingly copied and recopied their histories, immortalizing their ancestors’ indiscretions along with that of every other prominent figure in the empire's history.

Doumeki wouldn't be surprised if Alastaire had already started on his memoirs to commemorate the more embarrassing moments in the lives of his noble peers.

The history he held in his hands was a public embarrassment for his own relations.  In particular those of his mother's line.  Instead of the neat tale of a capital established peacefully and without opposition, he found a morass of opposing political agendas and armed conflict.  It had taken several years for the situation to be resolved and that had been largely the result of the actions of one man who served under the king at the time.

A commoner known as Clow Reed.  A man later given the title of Lord Watanuki in honour of the date of the city's founding.  He had been instrumental in settling what were termed 'local disputes' and involved in planning the layout of the capital.  It was never quite clear how he had come to his prominence within the king's service but his actions had been critical.  A service for which he had been rewarded not only his title but the hand of the king's first daughter.

After that he was a prominent figure in the royal court.  But once most of the building had been completed, Clow had retreated to the lands that had been granted to him in the south.  The reason stated for his sudden withdrawal from the spotlight was deteriorating health.  His presence within the capital, however, still continued sporadically.

While publicly lauded, though, not everyone approved of the favour shown to the new lord.  Barely three years after he had retired to his estate his lands were attacked.  The lord and his lady survived but there was a brief reference to Hikideshi Takemura, Clow's right-hand man.  He was mentioned as perishing in the ensuing battle.

A clear fiction since the man still resided in the Watanuki mansion to this very day.  Though how the man was still alive after nearly a thousand years was a question Doumeki would have liked answered.

The instigators of the attack, a group of nobles and their followers, were eventually arrested.  Punishments ranging through execution to banishment were carried out.  The nobles were stripped of their titles and were subsequently unnamed in the accounts.  Nor were their followers mentioned except for the most generic of terms.  The feel of the entire incident was of a crime so heinous that none of the instigators’ names, let alone the details of what had happened, were to be spoken.  As if not talking about it could somehow erase what had happened.

It must have been serious if even the Woodrows had forborne to give any details.

Doumeki had continued to read in hopes of some clue to what had occurred, a passing reference that might have shed some light on the matter.  But there was nothing, not even information about .  After the trial, there was no special mention of Lord Watanuki or his wife.

Carefully setting aside the volume, Doumeki had sent Riku to retrieve one of the lists of heraldry, to trace the noble bloodlines.  The marriage was still there, written in abbreviated shorthand.  The sun dragon which had been Reed's personal crest incorporated with the symbol of the royal house.

And that explained the Watanuki crest.  A gold dragon wrapped around a pink cherry blossom.  Doumeki had noticed that Kimihiro eschewed the cherry blossom in favour of the dragon and he now frowned.  It was almost as if he was hiding the connection he had to the ancient ruling line of the empire.  It was a curious action when several noble houses had similar links in lineage.

Doumeki's gaze fell to the drawer that held the gift he intended to give to Kimihiro.  His resolution had only grown firmer in the following month.  Kimihiro was gradually opening up to him.  Had even recently shown some signs that further advances might not be entirely unwelcome.  It was enough to give him hope that Kimihiro would come to regard him as more than just a colleague, a friend.  It was slow work but Doumeki was used to being patient to achieve his goals.

There was a knock at the door.  Doumeki looked up to see Riku opening the door.

The aide bowed in apology for the abrupt entrance, "Your Highness."  He straightened, "Lord Watanuki is here to see you."  After the first time, Riku had never used Kimihiro's slighting title.  He seemed resigned to the fact that Doumeki was determined to pursue the connection and the aide was doing his best to preserve some sense of decorum. 

Doumeki glanced at the glass doors.  It was still dark outside; the winter dawn not yet arrived.  To say it was early was an understatement.  Even though Kimihiro kept weird hours, it was still strange to have him come to the Southern Ward at such a time.

"Let him in."  It was likely that Aurion was the cause of Kimihiro's sudden arrival.  Lord Grantham had delivered the shimme late the previous day and Doumeki had been expecting Kimihiro to show up.  Even so Doumeki couldn't help the small flicker of hope that the visit had been in part to see him. 

~x~X~x~

Doumeki was surprised to see him at such an early hour.  Or at least that was what Kimihiro interpreted the blink and long stare to mean.  As the silence lengthened, he began to suspect that the prince was still half asleep.  No matter that he had been assured that Doumeki was awake and was willing to see him.

“I heard that Aurion arrived yesterday.”  Kimihiro looked around Doumeki's study.  It was much the way it had been the last time he had visited the Southern Ward.  The same wide doors with small panes of glass that provided a view to the garden beyond.  The same piles of paper that showed he had interrupted the Keeper’s paperwork once more.  And on the desk, exactly where it had been the last time, was Haruka’s arrow.  His gaze lingered on the broken shaft and the pale fletching before he realized Doumeki was watching him with a narrow gaze.

“I offered to ensure that he was properly settled in.”  Kimihiro crossed his arms, irritated at the prince’s continuing silence.  It wasn’t as if he had simply dropped in unexpectedly (something he put up with all the time).  Doumeki had agreed – he just hadn’t set a time.  “Unless you would rather that I didn’t?”

That finally got a response.  Doumeki’s gaze rose from the arrow to his face.  “You’re early.”  With the tone of his voice it could be a complaint or simply observation.  But Kimihiro knew Doumeki well enough to see it as the question it was.

“It would have been yesterday,” Kimihiro’s arms relaxed their fold, “but it’s best that I’m not seen here too often.”  He cast a glance at Doumeki to see the pale eyes fixed on him, the prince’s eyebrows lowered in a slight frown that threatened to deepen.

Kimihiro found himself explaining further.  He didn’t want Doumeki to get the idea that he was avoiding being seen with him for the wrong reasons.  It was a caution for his safety rather than personal preference.  He had reluctantly come to the conclusion that when he wasn't being actively annoying, Doumeki wasn't entirely bad company.

Not that he would have usually socialized with Doumeki.  Their association wasn't appropriate.  Kimihiro frowned.  That wasn't quite right either.  The fact of the matter was that for all of his annoying habits, Doumeki had stayed with him.  And while Kimihiro appreciated the gesture, he wasn't going to let their association be the source of trouble for the Keeper.

“My situation is politically precarious.”  That was a slight understatement but it was the best way to put it.  Any more might lead Doumeki to interfere and that was the last thing he wanted.  “It’s wiser that you’re not linked to me more than you already are.”  Despite the precautions he had made, it would be idiocy to think that everyone was oblivious.  He could only hope for it not to become public knowledge.

Doumeki was still frowning.  Dressed in his kimono and sitting behind the familiar desk, Kimihiro had a sudden memory of his predecessor.  That day Haruka had been frowning down at the letter he had received.  It had vanished into a smile as soon as Kimihiro had entered the room but it had stuck in Kimihiro’s mind despite what had happened later.  Haruka had been dead barely three months later.

Kimihiro reached for his left wrist, feeling the thin links of the gold bracelet press into his flesh.  The same wasn’t going to happen to Doumeki.  Kimihiro was going to ensure that.  He wasn’t here just for Aurion.  He was checking the Ward.

Kimihiro was uneasy after searching through the library.  Compiled over centuries, it was one of the most comprehensive collections of accounts and treatises on inhabitants of the second world.  After talking with Yuuko, he had been chasing down information on what could be loose within the wards of the city.  While Hikideshi was intimately familiar with all of the entries and had helped him search, Kimihiro had found nothing that would explain what was happening.  The powerful goryo and elementals which had the intelligence and means to stalk through the city had been expelled long ago.  And the current modernisation had not been gathering force long enough for any more to form within unchecked.  Not with the wards still holding as they did.

And it was clear that they did hold.  If the wards had fallen, They would have arrived.  But it was certain that something was shifting.  More cursed objects were turning up and accidents happening that should never have occurred.  Kimihiro had to face the fact that it seemed he was facing a human enemy.  One who was trying to pull down the wards from the inside.  It was unthinkable that someone was deliberately trying to pull down the city’s protections.  But Kimihiro had learned that people were rarely motivated by the good of others when they saw some sort of gain for themselves.

But even though a human agent was the most plausible cause, Kimihiro couldn’t help but entertain one fearful possibility.  That despite the state of the wards, something had slipped in, against all the odds.  Something he had learned to fear.  It shouldn’t have been possible but it could have happened.  If He had found the right vessel and cloaked himself in human flesh. 

Kimihiro felt ill simply thinking about it.  For Him to be moving through the city…Whatever the cause, he had to counter such a move.

His priority was ensuring that Doumeki and the Southern Ward were safe.  Happily installing the shimme within the bounds of the Ward was as good as having a taint detector on hand.  If anything was wrong, Aurion would sense it and Kimihiro would know accordingly.

Kimihiro came back to himself with the realization that Doumeki was staring at him.  It was hard to identify what expression the Keeper was wearing but it made Kimihiro uneasy.  He was starting to think that maybe the early visit had been a bad idea.  Perhaps he should have waited until after breakfast.  “I can come back later, if you already had plans.”  It was clear that he had made a mistake.  Doumeki wasn't as pleased to see him as he had expected.

Doumeki was still staring at him.  Or more precisely his mouth.  "What?"  Did he have something stuck between his teeth?  He was getting embarrassed just at the thought.  His hand rose to his mouth.  "Is something wrong?"

Doumeki blinked, suddenly looking away.  "No."  He suddenly stood.  "I'll take you to the stables."

Kimihiro followed him out with the unsettling feeling that he had just missed something.

~x~X~x~

Despite the early hour, the second enclosure of the Southern Ward wasn't quiet.  Workers were already starting for the day, beginning preparations for the activities that would be carried out during the daylight hours.  But there were still few around to see the curious procession that made its way to the stables. 

Two men walked through the empty yard outside the stables.  Doumeki had changed into a warmer suit.  In different circumstances he would have just gone out in his kimono, an act he suspected would appal Kimihiro.  He'd have to do it in warmer weather if he got the chance. 

Kimihiro was mostly silent, hunched up against the cold.  It was rather mild by Doumeki's standards but it was clear that Kimihiro wasn't used to the weather.  Doumeki was trying not to look at him too much.  He could tell that Kimihiro was getting confused by his behaviour but the truth was he was having difficulty not reaching out and touching the lord.  Now that Kimihiro's moment of weakness had passed, Doumeki had to consider what Kimihiro's acceptance had meant.

Doumeki didn't want to be accepted as anything but himself.  He wanted Kimihiro to see him as he was, not as a substitute or a temporary comfort.  And the only way to do that was to keep trying as he was, angry glares and all.  If Kimihiro still accepted him when he was at his full capacities, when he wasn't vulnerable, then it would be because he accepted Doumeki.

And there was no time like the present.

Doumeki glanced at Kimihiro.  The lord wasn't paying much attention to him, looking at their surroundings.  He had regained his coat, a plain black affair, and a hastily wrapped scarf round his neck.  Doumeki reached out and flicked one end of the straggling scarf over Kimihiro's shoulder.

Kimihiro turned his head to give him a glare but otherwise didn't protest.

Doumeki hid a smile. So far, so good.

The Southern Ward's stables were considerably smaller than Lord Grantham's.  While the lord's stables had housed several hundred horses, the number lodged within the Ward was considerably less.  It housed all the horses used by the Southern Ward, from the heavy teams that were used to bring in wagons of supplies and the sturdy quarter horses that were used by the Ward's messengers.  But there were also horses kept for the Keeper's personal use: the high-bred teams that pulled the Doumeki carriages and a number of riding horses that belonged to the Keeper.

Aurion had been stabled in one of the stalls reserved for Doumeki's personal mounts.  Doumeki's horses were given the pride of place in the stables, housed in the large stalls that had been constructed for shimme in times past.  Three of the stalls were occupied now and only one of the horses was a shimme. 

There was a white mare in the first stall.  She had been Haruka's last mount and was reaching her last years.  Her eyes fixed on Kimihiro as the two men approached and she set her nose into his palm as he stopped at the stall.  Doumeki's eyes narrowed as he took in the sight.  It was obvious that she knew Kimihiro.

Kimihiro saw his glance and immediately gained that defensive look that Doumeki was all too familiar with.

~x~X~x~

Doumeki was regarding him with that narrow look again.  The look that shouted out his suspicions.  And he had cause this time.  He'd just revealed how close to Haruka he had been.

Perhaps it had been a mistake to reveal he knew Yuoko but the thought of ignoring the sweet-tempered mare only made Kimihiro angry.  The situation wasn't her fault.  So Kimihiro strangled his anger and continued to stroke a hand down her long nose.  "She looks in good health."  He commented and it came out normally enough, even pleasant.

Doumeki had a hand in one pocket.  But cast Kimihiro a glance at his words.  "She belonged to my grandfather."  But you already knew that.  The unspoken words were heavy in the air.  A barely concealed challenge.

"I only visited the Southern Ward a few times when your grandfather was Keeper."  It hadn't been wise to be seen here often.  "His Grace introduced us during one of my visits."  One of the early ones when the older man had shown a shy child an awkward filly.  He'd actually ridden her once or twice but Doumeki didn't need to know that. 

Doumeki was staring at him, unblinking.  Silently asking for more information.

Kimihiro kept his eyes on Yuoko, who stood silently, her dark eyes fixed on him.  No recriminations, no questions, just silent acceptance.  "He was a good man."  One of the best.  "A man who had time for everyone, no matter who they were."  And that was a virtue that had lead to his death. 

"Someone like you?"  Doumeki was watching him closely.

Kimihiro flinched, even though it was true.  He knew Doumeki didn't mean it the way it had sounded.  Probably wasn't even the aware of the way it had sounded.  "Yes."

Doumeki had finally fished out a peppermint and held it out.  Kimihiro stared at it for a moment, not quite sure whether it was meant for him or Yuoko, before picking it up from Doumeki's hand, their fingers brushing.

"I never saw you at the funeral."  Doumeki's words stopped him before he could offer the peppermint to the mare.  It was a questioning of how close he had been to the former Keeper - whether he had gone to the last rites would have been a definite indicator (1) - and Kimihiro had been expecting it.

But the words still cut Kimihiro to the quick.  "I was ill."  So ill he couldn't have crawled from his bed if he wanted to.  But he would have if he had known when the rites were being held.  "I would have been there if I had been able." 

He held out the peppermint to Yuoko, glad that there was no betraying tremor in his hand.  She lipped it from his palm like the sweet lady she was and Kimihiro left her to it.  After one last pat, he turned and continued down the aisle, leaving Doumeki to follow as he willed.  Looking for Aurion and relief from topics that were still painful.

The shimme colt wasn't in the next stall.  The horse inside had turned away, presenting its glossy, finely-shaped glossy rump to the stall door.  Just as antisocial as its owner, apparently.  Kimihiro didn't even bother stopping but kept walking down the aisle.

Aurion was at the end.  A dark head turned at their approach, revealing the tell-tale stripe that trailed down the elegantly-formed head.  Ears pricked and eyes alert, there was no trace of the apathy or listlessness he had displayed before.  If anything he was livelier than the other horses they had seen.  Aurion was leaning out as far as he could from his stall, clearly happy to see them.

A glance aside at Doumeki provided part of the answer for the colt's excitement.  Doumeki had a hand in a pocket again, reaching for more peppermints.  Kimihiro almost sighed but didn't say anything.  If Doumeki wanted to feed the shimme sweets, it was up to him.

He looked over the colt, taking in Aurion's condition.  His coat was better, regaining some of its former glossy shine, and he wasn't as thin as the first time Kimihiro had seen him.  Lord Grantham had clearly done his best to reverse the colt's state before he was sent to the Southern Ward.  Kimihiro had no doubt that now he was in the Southern Ward and being fed a steady diet of peppermints, Aurion would make a full recovery.

Kimihiro took in Doumeki's hand stroking down the colt's neck as he offered a peppermint with the other.  He watched the sight quietly, a strange feeling slowly coming to life.  Despite his irritating quirks, Doumeki possessed a strange gentleness that was his own.  Not Haruka's and certainly not his mother's.

A small movement in the corner of his eye had Kimihiro turning his head.  A young man was standing in the shadow of the lanterns hung up along the stable row, the bucket in one hand suggesting he was a stable worker.  He ducked his head as he noticed Kimihiro’s gaze, tucking his long gangling body shyly against a stall.

Doumeki had noticed that his attention was elsewhere.  His pale gaze flicked to the young man Kimihiro was watching.  "Kouki."

The man shyly took a few steps forward and gave a small bow.  "Your Grace."  His words were slow, as if he was thinking through each syllable.

"Kouki has been set in charge of Aurion."  Doumeki commented quietly.  His voice took on a gentler edge, like one would use to calm a wary animal.  He set a light hand on Kimihiro's shoulder.  "Kouki, this is Lord Watanuki.  He's come to see Aurion." 

The young man's eyes flickered to Kimihiro and he gave another bow.  His eyes flicked nervously from Kimihiro to Aurion, hand tightening its grip on the bucket he held.

Kimihiro noticed the look.  “You like him, Kouki?”

Kouki’s eyes flicked back to Kimihiro.  He gave a slow shy smile and nodded.

A gentle smile softened Kimihiro’s face.  “I’m sure he’ll be very happy with you to take care of him.”

Another shy nod.  Kouki lifted the bucket in his hand.  “I have to go get his breakfast.”  With another small bow he continued past them down the aisle.

Kimihiro watched him go.  The look he gave Doumeki held more warmth when he turned back to the Keeper.  He hadn’t really considered the people Doumeki had in his employ.  That Doumeki was familiar with one his stableboys, his name and his nature, suggested the antisocial Keeper kept a close eye on all of his people.  Doumeki might not have been the most outgoing of individuals but he did look out for those around him.

Doumeki interpreted his look as a question.  "Kouki came with me from the palace."  His hand, in a seemingly idle gesture, rested on Kimihiro’s forearm.

It was the third time (not that he'd been counting exactly) Doumeki had touched him since they had entered the stables.  He looked down at the hand on his arm then looked up at Doumeki.  "It there a reason you keep doing that?"

Doumeki didn't answer the question.  His pale eyes fell to his hand where it rested on Kimihiro's arm and then rose back to his face.  "Is it bothering you?"

Of course it was bothering him.  Since when did Doumeki start touching him at every given opportunity?  It was distracting.  Not annoying exactly but it kept pulling his attention to Doumeki every few minutes.  A reminder that he was close by and...  He was somewhat appalled to realize the sensation was somewhat pleasant.  

He glared.  "Don't do it all the time."  The last thing he wanted was for Doumeki to think that he could do whatever he wanted.

~x~X~x~

But don't stop entirely.  Doumeki smiled internally. 

Kimihiro had entered the stall with one last glare and Doumeki, feeling better than he had all morning, watched him from the door.  He could tell that Kimihiro was still somewhat irritated - it showed in his movements and voice.

"This stall was purposefully built to house a shimme-"  Kimihiro’s words were interrupted when Aurion nudged him sharply in the chest.  The colt was livelier that he had been in his former residence.  One of Kimihiro's hand's rose to Aurion's neck, while the other reached up to rub between his eyes, automatically acceding to his wishes for contact.  "-So he'll be buffered from any side effects arising through his blood line.  All his food and bedding is encompassed within a purifying ward."

Doumeki followed Kimihiro’s gaze to lines that arched up across the supporting beams holding up the roof.  They were carved with twisting lines that met with a ward carved and painted on the ceiling.  A design that was highlighted in greens and blues, curving lines that reflected the warding lines like a stream of water or quick-flowing mist.  A similar ward was on the stall floor, now covered with hay.  "But?"  Kimihiro hadn't come to admire the stable wards.

"You'll still have to keep a close eye on him.  He still hasn't recovered fully."  Kimihiro's eyes were serious.  "If he shows any signs of relapse call me immediately." 

Doumeki nodded and, after one last pat, Kimihiro stepped back and started looking Aurion over.  "I'll check to see how much taint remains."  He shot Doumeki a distracted look as Aurion enthusiastically nudged him again.  "It would help if you distracted him for a few moments."

That turned out to be an understatement.  As the lord moved around the stall, surveying the shimme from different angles, the colt became more curious.  Aurion kept turning his head to watch Kimihiro, every so often reaching out to lip at his coat.  It was obvious that he found the lord fascinating.  Doumeki sympathised but distracted him with more peppermints.  Kimihiro wouldn't thank either of them if he was covered in horse drool.

"Lord Tatsuya has been asking for a renewal of the winter festival."  Doumeki kept his eyes fixed on Kimihiro as he fed another peppermint to the colt.

Kimihiro was peering at Aurion's legs, one hand resting on the colt's back.  "Lord Tatsuya has been petitioning for years."  His reply was distracted.  He didn't seem very interested in the matter.

It was not the reaction Doumeki had expected.  "I haven't given him an answer."

Kimihiro slowly turned.  "The festivals were abolished."  His eyes were wary.  He seemed curiously reluctant to discuss the situation.  "Re-establishing them would take either a royal edict," Kimihiro's eyes darkened, "or a resurgence of the populace."  It was clear that he thought both unlikely. 

Doumeki was quiet for a moment.  "If the festivals were reinstated would it help to counter recent events?"

Kimihiro was frowning.  He gently pushed aside Aurion's questing nose and slid out of the stall, letting Doumeki close the door behind him.  "Perhaps.  It would depend on several factors-" Aurion was lipping his hair at this point and Kimihiro guided the big head down over his shoulder in an effort to distract him.

"My lord."

The familiar voice had Doumeki turning to find the source.

It was Riku.  That he had come himself rather than send a servant, suggested that the interruption was urgent.

The aide took in the situation with a glance and then turned his attention to the prince.  "A messenger just delivered a dispatch."  Riku's eyes slid sideways to Kimihiro who was still occupied with Aurion.

"What is it?"  Doumeki didn't mind if Kimihiro heard.

Riku looked somewhat resigned as if he had expected that but answered the question.  "A missive from Lord Woodrow.  It appears that one of Lady Leighton’s servants went missing yesterday at the gala held by Lady Durham at Highbridge."  Riku paused.  "They've gathered a number of the wardens to begin searching for the young woman."

Highbridge was one of the two large gardens in the Southern Quarter open to the public.  While many of the institutions under the Southern Ward’s governance had been parcelled away over the last century, the two public parks remained under the authority of the Southern Ward.  Mainly because they entailed expenses for their maintenance rather than conveying a sense of privilege – it was a duty that wasn’t enticing enough for it to have been wrested from the traditional Keepers’ authority.  As a result the parks remained in law as lands belonging to the cardinal Wards and any business in the gardens still required the formality of seeking the Keeper’s permission.

By rights Alastaire should have informed Doumeki before plans were made to search the area.

"Did you say Highbridge?"  Kimihiro was looking up, one ungloved hand still resting forgotten on the colt's dark hide.  But Aurion wasn't protesting.  He was still, ears pricked up alertly as if he had sensed some possible threat.

Riku inclined his head.  "I did, Lord Watanuki.  The maid went missing in Highbridge Park."

Doumeki was staring at Kimihiro, taking in the alert pose Aurion had adopted.  "It's a short carriage ride."  It was a question of sorts.  Whether it was something to be alarmed at.

Kimihiro stepped away from the stall.  "I'll go with you."

It was then.  Doumeki's eyes narrowed.  It wasn't a supernatural matter yet Kimihiro seemed determined to go, despite the fact that the park was a public space where they would both be seen together.  Something the lord usually avoided.  It must be something more than the disappearance of a servant woman.

"Riku.  Order the carriage to be readied.  Lord Watanuki and I will be going out."

Riku's eyes ran over both of them, his face becoming impassive.  "Yes, Your Highness."

~x~X~x~

1) The last rites (and this is referring to the preparation of the body, rituals carried out separate from the ceremony said for the mourners) are thought to be fraught with dangers.  Death is the passage from one world to the next and the transition is said to attract the attention of evil spirits.

~x~X~x~

Ahahaha.  Awkward courtship indeed XD  Doumeki’s got the ingredients right (visits, gifts, physical contact etc), it’s just the way he goes about it XD

And no, Aurion's fascination with Kimihiro doesn't spring from nothing.  Kimihiro's like a walking chum barrel for spirits and he has a similar effect on creatures that are linked to the second world.  There's a good reason for it that I'm not going into it now but here's a hint: What did Aurion do the first time they met?  Or more precisely what was he most interested in about Kimihiro?

~x~X~x~

On to Part Two

~x~X~x~