Act XI: I Forsake Thee, Love

     Munenori enters another slow transport ship on it's way to Pluto. The ships slowly takes
off and makes its short trip to from Charon to Pluto. Once it arrives, Munenori immediately exits
and begins searching for a temple similar to the one from Charon.
     Unable to find any such temple quickly, he resigns to find a place to stay having only
slept on his initial flight to Charon. He enters his room and lies down on his bed, he slowly
begins to drift into sleep. A dream comes to him.
     He finds himself in blinding light. Shielding his eyes against it he can make out to figures
fighting. Suddenly the brightness goes down and he can see two dragons fighting. One a
brownish color, the other greenish. Every time the brown one strikes a flash of darkness breaks
out. If the hit is critical, the whole area becomes dark. Every time the green dragon strikes a
flash of light glares. If that hit is critical, the whole area becomes blinding in light.
     Munenori notices the area being more dark than light as when he first entered. The green
dragon is faltering beneath the brown one. Backing away from the brown dragon, the green one
notices Munenori watching whilst they fight. It starts flying away from the brown one, who
chases it, and the dragon appears to fly into Munenori. When it does, Munenori feels a strength
greater than his own combine with his own inner strength. Together, the green dragon begins
matching the brown one. The fight evened, Munenori wakes.
     He sits up in his bed trying to figure out what the dream means. He blankly climbs out of
his bed and takes a walk. After awhile of walking he stops and sits on the steps of an abandoned
building. He takes out his weapons. He stares at his reflection in the blade. He closes his eyes
and holds a hand to his chest as a searing pain enters. He drops his weapons and falls to his side
leaning up against the building. He opens his eyes but there is nothing within them but
emptiness.
     The blank Munenori rises and gathers his weapons. He then walks to the nearest bar. He
walks in and immediately stands on a table to grab the people's attention.
     "To all of you who wish to have a safe government, this warning is for you. A demon
grows behind the rulers of the empire."
     A man calls out to him, "What do you mean?"
     "Forsake!" Munenori shouts back. "Forsake the marriage of the king. Your controller is
controlled by the evil that corrupts."
     Another person speaks, "Are you referring to the Nouri-Sugai wedding that's taking
place later today?"
     "That I am, you will see. Do not be conceived by her acting. Know this now and see what
happens. When you are convinced, join me. A new empire is to be built."
     
     The many people of great title congregate for the marriage of Aritsune Sugai to Kourou
Nouri. The full controller takes the hand of the only person he trusts with everything. The
married couple leaves the event to their short honeymoon.
     Kourou speaks to Aritsune as they arrive at the place they will stay at the Earth colony,
"You think the empire will be okay with me leaving so soon after they selected me to run it?"
     "Sure, but don't worry about that," Aritsune answers him. "This is suppose to be our
time."
     "You're right," he says smiling to her and she smiles back at him.

     A news anchor appears on a television.
     "Riots on Transmuted Venus continue as the Kano Establishment appears to have started
more uprising in multiple isolated places on Earth. At this time, the settlements of Pasiphae,
Thebe, and Sinope from Jupiter are demanding to be recognized as one independent sovereignty
of the planet. The settlements at Oberon and Ariel of Uranus are also demanding independence.
Revolts are taking place at the settlement of Triton at Neptune. Military forces have put down
these revolts with devastating results. Controller Nouri will be addressing these issues in
meetings today. Representatives from each settlement will meet with him."
     "What the hell happened to make everything fall apart so quickly!?" Kourou screamed at
his newly selected group of advisors.
     One of them speaks to him, "The people were tired of seeing one leader after another
somehow assassinated or put out of power. First the original emperor, then Hachimonguu, then
Hitoshi, then Kout-"
     "Okay, I get the picture," Kourou says angrily as he turns away from the advisors. "But
do they expect the same from me? And what would creating their own nation solve? It'd be just
another leader."
     "Apparently, they think it's this government that is causing the trouble with not keeping
it's leaders safe," one of the advisors say.
     "Propaganda from the Kano establishment has fueled the anti-government morale,"
another says.
     "Wait a second, establishment? Since when did they become some sort of unified group
of bureaucrats when all they are some pigs wanting to cause trouble."
     The first advisor speaks, "Well, weren't they involved in ending the old emperor's reign?
They've used to that to show they are too politically active."
     "What!?" Kourou continues his rage. "You and I both know they participated in the
resistance only because Hitoshi told them they could cause trouble and kill."
     A third advisor, who had stayed silent until this moment, spoke, "People are not as smart
as you think they should be. That was what they were fed, and they believed it."
     Kourou stares at the man and his long black hair tied neatly behind him.
     "Who are you? I selected these two, but I don't remember you."
     The man's green eyes burn a hole into Kourou as he speaks, "I was selected by the
council to be a third advisor. Your own wife was one of the sponsors for my being selected."
     "Well, I guess I can trust her," Kourou states. "What else do you have to say?"
     "Propaganda, this is not a government with full control over it's citizens. We do not have
an emperor with a tight grasp on us, the people need to be led by a leader who can win us over
by proving that he can be what they want. Show them what they want."
     "So you want me to become both an actor and a leader, is that it?" Kourou asks
flabbergasted.
     "Well," the man begins. "At least you'll still BE a leader."
     Kourou stops to think of his remark. He looks at the man, "What do you suggest?"
     The man tells him, "The people think their leader is not safe, that he will just die or leave
like the others," Kourou listens intently to the man's words. "I suggest that you surround
yourself with your best military officials. Have decorated soldiers as your personal bodyguard.
Show that you will make sure nobody will touch you."
     Kourou thinks to himself for a little while when he suddenly lights up, "No..."
     A grin forms at the corners of the man's mouth.
     Kourou continues, "I will do the opposite. The people want to know I'm safe? Well let
them see I'm safe, all by myself. Conserving money by not hiring tons of protection. I can handle
myself with who I already have."
     "But, sir, is that wise?" one of the other advisors ask.
     "I need to look good, don't I?" Kourou questions the man. "What looks better than
showing I can hold my own."
     "Well, if you say so," the advisor says.
     "Come, let us go release to the press a message, that I am not scared of whoever tries to
harm me."
     They begin leaving and the man with green eyes thinks to himself, I knew a smart man
like yourself would find that way so much more appealing. But are you safe when the one who
sleeps in your bed could do so many a horrid thing?
     The man exits the group with permission and walks outside. The moment he is there he
quickly undoes his hair and tosses the string that was holding it down, "I hate having to look so
official."
     He undoes the top button of his shirt and lets the wind blow his hair on his shoulders and
down the front of his shirt. He walks to an alleyway. He stands looking at the tall building he just
left. He then says, after making sure there was no one around him, "He took the bait."
     A woman's smile slightly hidden by a cloak appears from behind the man as he speaks,
"They are sending out a press release saying that he will not let any threat come to him, that he is
willing to face it all."
     The woman laughs a little. The man joins in with a short chuckle before saying, "Poor
bastard, he won't know what hit him."

     Kourou sits with Aritsune's arms around him while she sits behind. They have finished
dinner and Kourou is just looking for some time to relax.
     "I met an interesting man today," Kourou begins. "His eyes were kind of spooky, but he
has a smart mind."
     "Really?" Aritsune asks interested.
     "He suggested that I increase my security, but I felt that would create an adverse response
from the public."
     "Since when have you cared about public image?" Aritsune asks.
     "Since that Kano "Establishment" has been using it to their advantage. I leave for one
week and when I come back everything is falling apart. We were lucky those riots on Earth
didn't disturb us."
     "They wouldn't have," Aritsune slyly comments.
     Kourou questions, "How do you know?"
     "Simple," she says. "They were started by Kano, and his group wouldn't hurt me."
     Kourou turns to stare at her, "Why would they not?"
     "Because," she says with a smile on her face. "They wouldn't get any power otherwise."
     Now Kourou stands up very confused, "Aritsune, what are you talking about?"
     Aritsune stands too, grabbing Kourou by the shirt and pulling him close to her. She
presses her body up against his and gives him a kiss, Kourou falls back into his love for her.
     Holding him close, she speaks in between the kisses Kourou gives her along her neck,
"I...will...be..."
     She lets Kourou move her to the couch, as he begins to pull the shirt she is wearing, she
reaches behind her on a table next to them. She grasps a hold of a knife with a metal handle and
finishes speaking as Kourou makes his way to her chest, "...empress."
     She quickly drives the knife into Kourou's shoulder and he shouts with pain whilst
staring at Aritsune dazed. She lets electricity flow through the handle, blade, and into Kourou.
After a short while she rips the knife out and Kourou falls on his side by her feet. Staring up at
her he says, "I could have given you all you wanted."
     She says coldly, "I'd rather do it myself."
     She leaves Kourou and the house. Kourou begins breathing heavier while he thinks to
himself, Never could I be given love. People are incapable of love, real love, and when we think
we have it, it gets taken away. I forsake thee, love.