Words from The Lightings

-I think my clan is best suited to rule the Empire, our diplomats are the best in the land; in fact Yasuki-sama has done such a great job that he should be named Emperor... but that cannot be done, we all know it too well.
Although I stand firm in saying that my clan is the best suited, I know that it must not happen, for we have a great flaw: pride and arrogance. That pride would lead to opression and that arrogance would lead to war. I want the Yasuki lands for my clan no less than any of my clanmates, they are ours by right, but I don't want to see the Imperial Army marching there once the Crab refuse to hand them over

-I know how you feel old friend, nothing would please me more than one own in the throne... but it's unlikely to happen. People don't trust us, and it's our fault; how does my daimyo deals with one that has angered him? He makes him disapear... I don't mean "he kills him", dying, I think, would be a much more desirable fate. Belive me when I say that I don't want to be the one to make the Emperor disapear... my blood brother's fate stills haunts my sleep.

-The Emperor should and must rule with honor! He must be flawless, and following the bushido is the way of honor and through that one can truly be flawless... that's the teacing of my clan, but I just hope it would be truth, for in our pusuit of honor we would become corrupt in our cause and quest. The Scorpion and the Mantis ways would be unaceptable in the eyes of a Emperor such as the one we would become... but regardless, the Empire needs the Scorpion and the Mantis.

-I know many good people in all of our clans, people that rule marvelously within the little realms they are given and call "home", but power corrupts, and what is worse: there are those that would seek those in power to corrupt them... we have seen this, we all saw how the leaders of the Lotus used the hitokiri Shigeru as a puppet and almost unleashed a power too great for them to control. Yes power corrupts and if my clan ruled the study of elements would be top priority and the land would be left to be forgotten; eventually we would turn to the blood, in search for more knowledge.

-Our insight would fade from us, why? Because we would try to spread that insight... Our monasteries would fill the land and monks would be everywhere. We cannot, we must not, make our lands an example of spiritual rightgeousness nor an example of what the world should live and think like... that would not be "protecting"...

-By our constant war are your lands kept safe from the shadows. We have the right to rule for it is us who keep this Empire free of taint... but war is what we know and war is what we would give to the land. War against the Crane for taking the lands of the Yasuki; war against the Shadowland, something that would leave the Empire bankrupt and wasted; war against the Unicorn for dealing with the gaijin and war to the gaijin should they ever dare show their face arround here. We are warriors, not rulers.

The last of the Lightnings fell on the battle of the Naga Spirits, he dances with the fortunes as I write, but he would have said something like this:
-We are not interested in ruling although we'll do it if we must. I'd just hope our flaw wouldn't cast it's shadow on the land... our free spirits would leave or desert the Empire... and that's my fear.