TITLE: The Princess and the Pauper

AUTHOR: MikeJaffa

SYNOPSIS: Kyo begins acting strangely. Is he going to leave the burst angels?

RATING: M/R

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the rights to Burst Angel, and I don't own the rights to the lyrics from "The Phantom of the Opera." Both are used permission, but I am not making any money off this, so please don't sue me.

AUTHOR'S APOLOGY TO ENGLISH SPEAKERS WHO HAVE BEEN TO JAPAN OR LIVE THERE: I've never been there and am going to muff the geography and the culture six ways to Sunday. Sorry. But enjoy the ride anyway.

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"Sing once again with me

Our strange duet

My power over you

Grows stronger yet

And though you turn from me

To glance behind

The phantom of the opera is there

Inside your mind."

-"The Phantom of the Opera"

Lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stigloe

…NINE YEARS AGO…

It was a clear night with a full moon, and so the beach was well lit as the ten year old girl of mixed Chinese and Japanese descent trudged along it, seemingly oblivious to the waves crashing near her. There was no one else in sight, but a hypothetical passer by might see the girl, note the blood on her dress, see that her hair was a mess, look behind her to the red glow of flames farther up the beach, hear the wails of emergency vehicles in the distance, and conclude the girl had been the victim of some terrible tragedy. But then our hypothetical would-be good Samaritan would also notice what the girl was carrying: In one hand, a plastic shopping bag, apparently laden with a heavy object the size of a man's hand; and in the other, a nine millimeter semiautomatic handgun, carried with the practiced ease of one familiar with such a weapon. Our hypothetical bystander would, quite rightly, conclude discretion was the better part of valor and be on his or her way, hoping the girl had not noticed his or her presence.

In spite of her vacant stare, the girl, for her part, had not been traumatized for the obvious reasons. She was, in fact, in full command of her faculties and fully aware of who she was and where she was, observing the smallest detail of everything happening around her. And yet she was also distracted. Over and over again in her mind's eyes, she saw the face of another little girl, a ten year old Japanese girl, and heard her final words:

'Why are you doing this, Tamiko!? I love you!'

'My name isn't Tamiko.'

BANG!

Over and over again, the scene played in her mind as she marched on.

A man's voice sounded from farther inland: "Over here - I think I've found her." He was a large man, a former sumo wrestler, incongruously wearing sunglasses at night. He jogged down to her, getting in her path, but was clearly deferring to her. "Young miss, this way, please. Your grandfather is waiting."

The girl followed the man to the limousine parked on the roadside. The door was held for her and she got in, sitting in the front-facing seat, across from her grandfather. He was middle-aged and vigorous, but flecks of gray had begun to appear in his hair and beard.

"You weren't at the rendezvous, Sei," he said, only a slight note of anger in his gentle voice. "I was getting worried. And you should have disposed of the weapon as we discussed."

"I'm sorry, Grandfather. I was…distracted."

"Quite all right."

A gesture from Grandfather, and one of the guards took the gun from Sei's hand, then her door was slammed shut. Then she handed the bag to her grandfather. He reached in and took out its one item: an egg just large enough to fit in the palm of his hand, made of solid jade. His eyes lingered on it as he said, "In spite of a few minor errors, you have done well. And this has made you stronger, little Sei, my little Fearless One. The world is a dangerous place, and you must be prepared for whatever dangers you face in the future. We have already thrown a few bones to the local constabulary. You need never worry about your name being associated with this terrible, necessary act."

"Thank you, Grandfather. But still, I wonder, could we have gone to the police in the first places? Was there no other way?"

He turned to her and sighed. "There are some things you are still too young to understand," he said sadly. "We of the Bailan clan are not criminals, not thugs acting for our own selfish interests. We use our wealth and power on behalf of our community in accordance with a strict code of conduct. But our authority can not be questioned. Regrettably, sometimes, we must make examples of those who think they can cross us and get away with it. Do you understand?" He wrapped his knuckles on the panel behind him, and the limo began to move.

"I think so," Sei said, "…but…."

'Why are you doing this, Tamiko!?….'

"…Grandfather?"

'…I love you!'

"Yes?"

'My name isn't Tamiko.'

"Why can't I play with other children?"

BANG!

"Because you are like no other child, Sei. You are the princess of Bailan, and while you have obligations to the people, you must always be above them. In time, you will see that." He straightened her hair and smiled. "After we get home, you will get a good night's sleep. And then tomorrow, I will have Monsieur Leroux prepare lunch for you. Only the best for the princess of Bailan."