Ren's footsteps echoed down the empty and darkened library stacks. A single candle held in her hand illuminated a small area around her. The stacks which once held a great repository of texts now held only a spattering of unimportant trivia.

In the darkness, Ren saw the flitting image of the man she'd always know as Yusuke, hurrying about with fire in his soul, copying texts at a rate beyond normal human capability. She paused at a desk where he had sat and recalled the image of him slouched over the catalog, meticulously recording information on a number of works which ancient scholars had spent their lives writing.

A forlorn curvature of her lips came to her face as she reached out her open hand to gently caress the image's hair. The fire which drove him to write with such fury and speed was something that had always been a part of him...

She remembered the much younger and cuter Yusuke diligently working on his characters on a tree stump in the woods. She remembered one afternoon where she hung upside down from a nearby tree branch and watched him write... waiting to see how long it took for him to realize she was there. She hung there until her head began to weigh as much as a millstone and the dizziness threatened to dislodge her from the tree.

She hopped down and landed in front of him, only to see him glance at her momentarily before returning back to his drills. She smiled then... and she smiled now at the focus which had been a part of him even as a small boy.

There were many moments to remember... many stories of mischief, fun, and not a few fights... but the warmth he left in her heart despite his outward coldness was what Ren had always kept with her even in this moment.

She viewed the image as it turned towards her as if it was aware of her touch on his head.

"No more studying tonight Yusuke... To paraphrase Shinsei, 'When you are in the grave, you have nothing more to learn'."

The image at the table gave the softest of smiles as it looked up at her and then dissipated into the night.

She remained standing there at the table silently for an amount of time which couldn't possibly be measured. Eventually, in her mind she reached out to the realms which her fingers couldn't touch...

Until we meet again... dear cousin.

_________________
Lion Clan * Courtier * Monk * Sage * Ascetic * Paragon of Courage *
Status: 1.0; Glory 2.7; Honor: What is Expected
Carries/Wears: Bo, Robes, Scrolls, Travel Pack, Fancy Courtier Fan