Through Their Eyes by Child of the Faeries
This is set in the future.....everyone is in their twenties.....
Yamato looked out at the stars. Once the stars had meant so much to him..... now they were cruel reminders of a forgotten past.
"Thinking of the past?" Ken whispered from the shadows, his voice harsh against the sound of the rushing wind.
"I don't think that's any of your business, Ken," he said coarsely, turning to face his friend. "Leave my past to me."
"I need you, Yama. Don't forget that," Ken said softly, walking inside the palace.
Yamato continued to look at the stars.
He thought back to the days when he was young and innocent. Sweet, shining blue eyes filled of compassion and trust. But his father...... Anger filled Yamato, threatening to overflow. Angrily, he punched the wall. His father became a drunk. He didn't care about Yamato. He didn't care about anything...
Now Yamato stood here. Anger. Bitter. And powerful. His heart, once sweet and kind, was now ice cold. Nothing could penetrate his cool interior. His shining blue eyes were now filled with a coldness that never left. He wore black like a second skin, his long blond hair tucked behind his ear.
His father was dead. Yamato had seen to that. His father's blood had been spilled on his own hands. Not that Yamato cared.
He threw his cigarette on the ground and thrust his hands in his pocket, his arrogance obvious in every thing he did. He was so proud...
I don't need the past, he told himself. He looked back at the stars one last time before he went inside, his eyes hardening.
Jyou was already in his room. He knew that Yamato wanted to be himself, which meant that Ken would be off alone also. Sighing, Jyou closed his eyes and tried to sleep.
But he couldn't sleep. His nightmares haunted him still. Every time that he would fall in a deep sleep, he would remember the beatings his father used to give him. Punching, hitting, slapping.... blooding pouring down his face.......
He would remember his mother crying out in agony for his father to stop, that Jyou was only a boy, he wasn't perfect. That would only warrant another hit, blood gushing from Jyou's temples.
Finally, bloody and bruised, Jyou would crawl away to his room that he shared with his brother. There he would hide for many days until the wounds healed. Then he would return to school and work hard at getting perfect grades.
Perfection. That was all his father had ever wanted. Jyou ran his hand through his bluish hair. He knew that he could never have reached his father's expectations. But it had to stop.
And the beatings did stop. But it was at a cost...
Tears rolled down Jyou's face as he thought about a night that was still too fresh in his mind. The last night Jyou had spent at his home. He bowed his head and let the tears fall freely.
His father had become angry with him after Jyou snapped back at him. Jyou tried desperately to fight back, but he was no match for his older and larger father. He was violently beating Jyou's brains out when Shin stepped between them.
"Stop!" he cried out miserably. Their father just ignored him. " I said stop!" Shin screamed again, striking his father on the arm. Their mother fled, and Jyou's dad turned on Shin.
There was nothing Jyou could do. He was too weak to even get up. He watched helplessly as his father beat Shin's body to a pulp. When Shin finally passed out, he dropped his son like a rag doll and walked out of the apartment.
"Shin? Shin, you have to wake up!" Jyou's voice whispered across the room. Shin didn't move for a long time. "Shin! Shin, wake up!"
Then he saw his brother's eyes flutter open for a brief moment. "Jyou?" he whispered softly, through much pain.
Jyou couldn't say anything. He couldn't breath. "I'm dying, Jyou....." Shin whispered. "But.....I.......want.......you........to.....know......." he struggled with the last words," that..........I..........love.........you......."
"Shin......" Jyou said breathlessly as he watched his brother's chest heave up and down for the last few times in his life.
Several hours later Jyou managed to get up enough strength to leave their home. As he passed Shin, he said a soft prayer for his soul. "And I will avenge thee..... brother."
That was the night that he had met up Yamato and Ken, and the first night of the rest of his life.
On the other end of the house, Ken sat in the darkness. Servants moved back and forth silently, trying desperately not to be noticed by any of the three kings. He smiled, thinking about all of the power he now had at his fingertips.
As he stretched out, he noticed the ugly scars that ran across his wrists, twisting and turning where Ken had once pierced himself, trying to drain the life right out of him.
But it hadn't worked. He couldn't bring himself to end his life forever. He had cheated Death too many times to end it on his own terms.
That had been back when he was friendless and lonely. The smartest boy in all of Japan, and yet, all he was filled with was emptiness. Then he had taken over the Digital World, making it his own personal playground. That was, he ruled it until those Digi-Destined brats showed up.
Still, he had his fun messing with them. But one day, he was walking in the woods and met one of them. But this one wasn't like the rest. The rest were genuinely good, pure and noble. This one was not.
Their eyes met, and Ken saw the misery and sadness that Yamato was enduring. It was like looking into his own soul. Yamato's face had hardened, but a bond had been formed between them- one that would never be broken.
Playing along, he finally surrendered to the Digi-Destined. They weren't any fun to play with anymore. He pretended to be sweet and kind... but inside he had never changed.
The loneliness had never left him. But he met Yamato in the real world and they started to hang out. They had so much in common that soon they became very good friends. And then one day when they were walking around the bad part of town they found Jyou beaten and crying.
He was a mess. But the two friends helped him. They gained his trust. And thus the three kings were reunited in one last stand.
Ken thought about the last few months. Yamato raised an army of powerful young men, much like themselves, who were angry at the government. Yamato knew how to dig deep into your soul and use the most usefully part of you- your emotions. Ken himself had trained these warriors. Jyou, ever trust-worthy and genuine, rose quickly in Japan's political arena, soon becoming well-known by everyone in Japan as Shin Jyou.
Then Yamato and Ken's army killed the ruler of Japan.
Their rebel troops destroyed Japan's government, leaving the country frail and defenseless. The three of them had taken over the palace, their soldiers frightening everyone into submission. More and more young men were recruited into their army, making Japan a dangerous and hostile place to be. But there was no way out. All of the ships, planes and otherwise were under control of the three kings. Everything was theirs.
They were the rulers now. No longer would the three of them be victims. They were the victors.
"Cursed be me if I ever fall in love again," Mimi said softly, her tears mixing the blood that had tried on her face. So much of her life had been uprooted and destroyed in the last few months she didn't know what she was going to do.
She looked down at the small package she help in her hands- filled with small, black ashes. Ashes of her beloved.
"Oh Takeru..... I miss you!" she whispered bitterly. "You were my only hope..... now what shall I do?"
He had died trying to protect her. The three king's soldiers had invaded their home. When Mimi tried to stop them, one of the soldiers fired at her, but Takeru pushed her out of harm's way, taking the bullet in the head. He died instantly.
They had been engaged to get married. Now everything was ruined.
"Mimi?" Daisuke asked softly, walking into the destroyed room. "Are you okay?" His eyes shone with concern, but that only made Mimi's eyes fill with more tears.
"I'm fine.....I just......miss him......." she confessed brokenly, pulling her hands to her face.
"Mimi...it's okay....." Daisuke said softly, putting a comforting arm around her. "Everything will turn out okay in the end. We'll get those three kings that did this to us."
Mimi looked up at him, her eyes pained. "Do you really think so?"
Daisuke smiled, and cupped her face in his hands. "I do." He paused, then stood up. "But I think the only way we can get revenge is if we join up with the others- Taichi, Koushirou, Sora, Miyako, and Hikari. They are all hiding up north, forming a rebellion." Mimi bit her lip and looked up at Daisuke, who reminded her very much of Taichi.
"It would be good to see old friends again," she said softly. He held out his hand, and she took it, allowing herself to be pulled to her feet. And the two of them walked out into the sunlight to join Iori, who was keeping guard.
The three of them gathered food and everything else they would need to get to the place where the others were hiding. They were preparing to leave when Mimi disappeared.
"Where's Mimi?" Iori asked, looking around to see where the pink-haired girl had disappeared to.
"I'll go look for her," Daisuke said with a sigh. He walked around the grounds. Then he heard her voice over the hedge, and peered through.
She was sitting on the ground next to an oak tree. "...And all my love I still send to you, Takeru. I love you more than words can express. But I have learned that love is a bitter and ugly thing. I do not think I could taste it's painful sting and live again. Therefore, I cast this upon myself.... May I love no one but one who is a rebel. A rebel with eyes as dark as dark itself and a cold heart that is unbreakable. He must be scornfully and powerful, and have the ability to break my heart. He must vicious, so I will love him not. I do not want to love again, Takeru. You are my one and only love. There will be no other."
She wiped the tears from her eyes and took out a small knife. Cutting herself in the wrist, she dumped Takeru's ashes onto the bloody wrist, black ashes mixing with her innocent blood.
"This I do swear," she whispered, standing up. Daisuke moved backward, so Mimi wouldn't see him. Stumbling through the underbrush, he hurried back to Iori's side. Mimi joined the two of them a few minutes later, her left hand wrapped in a bandage. Iori looked at Daisuke questioningly, but Daisuke shook him off.
As the three of them walked away from their house, Daisuke turned to look back at the ruins. "We will avenge you, Takeru."
Yamato blinked as warm sunlight fell on his face. "Mmm.... what time is it?" he asked groggily, looking around.
"It's the middle of the afternoon, sleepy-head," Ken teased, throwing a book at Yamato's head. He caught it and set it on the floor.
"Where's Jyou?"
"I don't know. He's around, somewhere. I heard him crying last night, so he might be working on finding the location of his father."
"He still hasn't found him yet?"
"Nope."
Yamato paused, then asked, "Jyou really hates his father, doesn't he? He wants to kill him."
"Didn't you do the same to your father?"
"Yes... but that was different."
"How so? What if, in a drunken rage, your father killed Takeru?"
"I would kill him. I love my brother more than anyone else on this earth."
"Aww.....sweet brotherly love."
"Hey guys, I think we might have a problem," Jyou said, walking into the room.
"What is it, Jyou?"
"It appears that a group of rebels is starting to form in the north. Now, the numbers of followers is uncertain, but we do know one thing."
"Which is?"
"The rebels are being lead by Yagami Taichi."
The reunion between friends was bittersweet. No one knew who had died and who had still survived.
"Where's Takeru?" were the first words out of Hikari's mouth. Takeru was her best friend in the world.
Mimi shook her head sadly, willing her tears away. This was not the time for tears. Now was the time for action.
Taichi was the same. He was quick, active, ready to take off and attack any of the three king's soldiers within sight.
Sora, too, was almost identical to the person she always was. Fierce love and devotion soared out of her eyes, making her almost unstoppable.
Koushirou was devastated. Both of his parents had been killed in the fight for Tokyo. He had been hiding in his apartment, and the soldiers passed over his house. Now he had to live with the realization that he had lost four parents in his lifetime instead of only two.
Hikari also was saddened by the loss of Takeru. But she had not loved him like Mimi had. She had not lost her parents like Koushirou. She did not had a sibling missing like Daisuke.
"You have to be our hope now, Hikari," Mimi said softly while they were all eating their dinner. "Please be the shining light that will guide us." Hikari nodded, small tears forming in her eyes.
"Taichi, have you heard from Yamato? He doesn't know that Takeru is dead. I need to tell him," Mimi asked their brave leader later that night. Taichi shook his head.
"I haven't heard from him in ages, Mimi. No one has. It's like he disappeared off of this earth."
"What about Ken? Yamato and Ken were like best friends," Mimi pleaded softly.
"I don't know where he is, either."
"Jyou?"
"Mimi, you know that if I knew where any of them were, I would have them here, with us. We're only as strong as we are united. We need everyone." He looked at her angrily." You know what I see when I looked at our group? I see Love. Knowledge. Courage. Light. Sincerity. A little bit of Love and Sincerity. A mixture of Knowledge and Reliability. Courage and Friendship. Mimi, Daisuke is not Yamato. Iori is nowhere near being the person Jyou is. We need them. I would have them here if I could."
"But Taichi, Yamato needs to know about Takeru. He loved Takeru more any one, save myself. I have to tell him."
"What do you want be to do, Mimi? I can't do anything. I'm helpless here. Yamato was my best friend, okay? I know how much Takeru meant to him, how much he meant to all of us. But I can't find someone who doesn't wish to be found." Taichi's eyes flashed angrily and he stormed away, leaving Mimi all alone.
The three kings were sitting in the throne room. Servants brought prisoners in, and they decided the fate of all who stood accused.
The doors opened again, and a strong man thrust a girl with spiky hair on the floor. "Motomiya Jun. Outright disobedience of your majesties' laws."
Yamato's eyes flared with compassion. She looked up, and recognized him. "Yama-chan...."
"Lock her up. Get her away from here," he said, his voice trembling slightly. She was beaten badly. He never meant anyone he knew to get hurt. That had never been part of the plan. Only those who were evil or wrong.... "I never want to see her again."
"Yama-chan...." she pleaded, but he turned his head.
"I have spoken."
Mimi sat by herself inside the shelter. Koushirou and Miyako were working on their computers, trying hard to figure out the identity of the three kings. Taichi, Iori and Daisuke were working on strategies, and Sora and Hikari were talking on the other side of the room.
Mimi just wanted to be alone. She looked at her hand wrapped with a bandage. No one had asked about it. She was glad. She wouldn't have been able to lie.
She looked at her engagement ring and wondered why love had to go so deep and hurt so much.
After awhile, she drifted off into sleep.
*~* She was in a dark place. There was no light- only darkness. She walked around the room, silence cloaking her. Then she heard the sound of a door opening, and three people walked in. The three kings, she realized. One blond and two with darker hair. They lit a candle and moved into a circle.
With a horrific fascination, she moved closer to the three men. They didn't look much older than herself...
"Kido Jyou," the tallest said, and Mimi's heart stopped. Jyou??
"Ichijouji Ken." No, please not.....
"Ishida Yamato." They moved closer into the light, and Mimi could see their faces clearly.
"United in anger."
Mimi shook her head, trying to free herself from this helpless trance. This wasn't true. It couldn't be true..... no no no no no no no no *~*
She woke up drenched in sweat. She looked around, panicked. Everyone was asleep. Daisuke lay beside her, his blanket keeping her warm.
No, that can't be true, she thought to herself. "It was only a dream."
"What was only a dream?" a harsh masculine voice asked from the other end of the room. Koushirou moved into the light.
"I had a dream..... and I saw the three kings......and they were......"
"Jyou, Ken and Yamato." He looked at her oddly. "I had that dream, too."
"So did I," Daisuke said softly, his eyes shining gently. He looked venerable and childish.
"It can't be true," Mimi whispered softly. "They would never......"
"But maybe they did," Koushirou said softly, coming to sit with Mimi and Daisuke.
The three friends looked at each other sadly, hoping it wasn't true.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Should I continue?? I really don't know what possessed me to write this.... oh well.
This is set in the future.....everyone is in their twenties.....
Yamato looked out at the stars. Once the stars had meant so much to him..... now they were cruel reminders of a forgotten past.
"Thinking of the past?" Ken whispered from the shadows, his voice harsh against the sound of the rushing wind.
"I don't think that's any of your business, Ken," he said coarsely, turning to face his friend. "Leave my past to me."
"I need you, Yama. Don't forget that," Ken said softly, walking inside the palace.
Yamato continued to look at the stars.
He thought back to the days when he was young and innocent. Sweet, shining blue eyes filled of compassion and trust. But his father...... Anger filled Yamato, threatening to overflow. Angrily, he punched the wall. His father became a drunk. He didn't care about Yamato. He didn't care about anything...
Now Yamato stood here. Anger. Bitter. And powerful. His heart, once sweet and kind, was now ice cold. Nothing could penetrate his cool interior. His shining blue eyes were now filled with a coldness that never left. He wore black like a second skin, his long blond hair tucked behind his ear.
His father was dead. Yamato had seen to that. His father's blood had been spilled on his own hands. Not that Yamato cared.
He threw his cigarette on the ground and thrust his hands in his pocket, his arrogance obvious in every thing he did. He was so proud...
I don't need the past, he told himself. He looked back at the stars one last time before he went inside, his eyes hardening.
Jyou was already in his room. He knew that Yamato wanted to be himself, which meant that Ken would be off alone also. Sighing, Jyou closed his eyes and tried to sleep.
But he couldn't sleep. His nightmares haunted him still. Every time that he would fall in a deep sleep, he would remember the beatings his father used to give him. Punching, hitting, slapping.... blooding pouring down his face.......
He would remember his mother crying out in agony for his father to stop, that Jyou was only a boy, he wasn't perfect. That would only warrant another hit, blood gushing from Jyou's temples.
Finally, bloody and bruised, Jyou would crawl away to his room that he shared with his brother. There he would hide for many days until the wounds healed. Then he would return to school and work hard at getting perfect grades.
Perfection. That was all his father had ever wanted. Jyou ran his hand through his bluish hair. He knew that he could never have reached his father's expectations. But it had to stop.
And the beatings did stop. But it was at a cost...
Tears rolled down Jyou's face as he thought about a night that was still too fresh in his mind. The last night Jyou had spent at his home. He bowed his head and let the tears fall freely.
His father had become angry with him after Jyou snapped back at him. Jyou tried desperately to fight back, but he was no match for his older and larger father. He was violently beating Jyou's brains out when Shin stepped between them.
"Stop!" he cried out miserably. Their father just ignored him. " I said stop!" Shin screamed again, striking his father on the arm. Their mother fled, and Jyou's dad turned on Shin.
There was nothing Jyou could do. He was too weak to even get up. He watched helplessly as his father beat Shin's body to a pulp. When Shin finally passed out, he dropped his son like a rag doll and walked out of the apartment.
"Shin? Shin, you have to wake up!" Jyou's voice whispered across the room. Shin didn't move for a long time. "Shin! Shin, wake up!"
Then he saw his brother's eyes flutter open for a brief moment. "Jyou?" he whispered softly, through much pain.
Jyou couldn't say anything. He couldn't breath. "I'm dying, Jyou....." Shin whispered. "But.....I.......want.......you........to.....know......." he struggled with the last words," that..........I..........love.........you......."
"Shin......" Jyou said breathlessly as he watched his brother's chest heave up and down for the last few times in his life.
Several hours later Jyou managed to get up enough strength to leave their home. As he passed Shin, he said a soft prayer for his soul. "And I will avenge thee..... brother."
That was the night that he had met up Yamato and Ken, and the first night of the rest of his life.
On the other end of the house, Ken sat in the darkness. Servants moved back and forth silently, trying desperately not to be noticed by any of the three kings. He smiled, thinking about all of the power he now had at his fingertips.
As he stretched out, he noticed the ugly scars that ran across his wrists, twisting and turning where Ken had once pierced himself, trying to drain the life right out of him.
But it hadn't worked. He couldn't bring himself to end his life forever. He had cheated Death too many times to end it on his own terms.
That had been back when he was friendless and lonely. The smartest boy in all of Japan, and yet, all he was filled with was emptiness. Then he had taken over the Digital World, making it his own personal playground. That was, he ruled it until those Digi-Destined brats showed up.
Still, he had his fun messing with them. But one day, he was walking in the woods and met one of them. But this one wasn't like the rest. The rest were genuinely good, pure and noble. This one was not.
Their eyes met, and Ken saw the misery and sadness that Yamato was enduring. It was like looking into his own soul. Yamato's face had hardened, but a bond had been formed between them- one that would never be broken.
Playing along, he finally surrendered to the Digi-Destined. They weren't any fun to play with anymore. He pretended to be sweet and kind... but inside he had never changed.
The loneliness had never left him. But he met Yamato in the real world and they started to hang out. They had so much in common that soon they became very good friends. And then one day when they were walking around the bad part of town they found Jyou beaten and crying.
He was a mess. But the two friends helped him. They gained his trust. And thus the three kings were reunited in one last stand.
Ken thought about the last few months. Yamato raised an army of powerful young men, much like themselves, who were angry at the government. Yamato knew how to dig deep into your soul and use the most usefully part of you- your emotions. Ken himself had trained these warriors. Jyou, ever trust-worthy and genuine, rose quickly in Japan's political arena, soon becoming well-known by everyone in Japan as Shin Jyou.
Then Yamato and Ken's army killed the ruler of Japan.
Their rebel troops destroyed Japan's government, leaving the country frail and defenseless. The three of them had taken over the palace, their soldiers frightening everyone into submission. More and more young men were recruited into their army, making Japan a dangerous and hostile place to be. But there was no way out. All of the ships, planes and otherwise were under control of the three kings. Everything was theirs.
They were the rulers now. No longer would the three of them be victims. They were the victors.
"Cursed be me if I ever fall in love again," Mimi said softly, her tears mixing the blood that had tried on her face. So much of her life had been uprooted and destroyed in the last few months she didn't know what she was going to do.
She looked down at the small package she help in her hands- filled with small, black ashes. Ashes of her beloved.
"Oh Takeru..... I miss you!" she whispered bitterly. "You were my only hope..... now what shall I do?"
He had died trying to protect her. The three king's soldiers had invaded their home. When Mimi tried to stop them, one of the soldiers fired at her, but Takeru pushed her out of harm's way, taking the bullet in the head. He died instantly.
They had been engaged to get married. Now everything was ruined.
"Mimi?" Daisuke asked softly, walking into the destroyed room. "Are you okay?" His eyes shone with concern, but that only made Mimi's eyes fill with more tears.
"I'm fine.....I just......miss him......." she confessed brokenly, pulling her hands to her face.
"Mimi...it's okay....." Daisuke said softly, putting a comforting arm around her. "Everything will turn out okay in the end. We'll get those three kings that did this to us."
Mimi looked up at him, her eyes pained. "Do you really think so?"
Daisuke smiled, and cupped her face in his hands. "I do." He paused, then stood up. "But I think the only way we can get revenge is if we join up with the others- Taichi, Koushirou, Sora, Miyako, and Hikari. They are all hiding up north, forming a rebellion." Mimi bit her lip and looked up at Daisuke, who reminded her very much of Taichi.
"It would be good to see old friends again," she said softly. He held out his hand, and she took it, allowing herself to be pulled to her feet. And the two of them walked out into the sunlight to join Iori, who was keeping guard.
The three of them gathered food and everything else they would need to get to the place where the others were hiding. They were preparing to leave when Mimi disappeared.
"Where's Mimi?" Iori asked, looking around to see where the pink-haired girl had disappeared to.
"I'll go look for her," Daisuke said with a sigh. He walked around the grounds. Then he heard her voice over the hedge, and peered through.
She was sitting on the ground next to an oak tree. "...And all my love I still send to you, Takeru. I love you more than words can express. But I have learned that love is a bitter and ugly thing. I do not think I could taste it's painful sting and live again. Therefore, I cast this upon myself.... May I love no one but one who is a rebel. A rebel with eyes as dark as dark itself and a cold heart that is unbreakable. He must be scornfully and powerful, and have the ability to break my heart. He must vicious, so I will love him not. I do not want to love again, Takeru. You are my one and only love. There will be no other."
She wiped the tears from her eyes and took out a small knife. Cutting herself in the wrist, she dumped Takeru's ashes onto the bloody wrist, black ashes mixing with her innocent blood.
"This I do swear," she whispered, standing up. Daisuke moved backward, so Mimi wouldn't see him. Stumbling through the underbrush, he hurried back to Iori's side. Mimi joined the two of them a few minutes later, her left hand wrapped in a bandage. Iori looked at Daisuke questioningly, but Daisuke shook him off.
As the three of them walked away from their house, Daisuke turned to look back at the ruins. "We will avenge you, Takeru."
Yamato blinked as warm sunlight fell on his face. "Mmm.... what time is it?" he asked groggily, looking around.
"It's the middle of the afternoon, sleepy-head," Ken teased, throwing a book at Yamato's head. He caught it and set it on the floor.
"Where's Jyou?"
"I don't know. He's around, somewhere. I heard him crying last night, so he might be working on finding the location of his father."
"He still hasn't found him yet?"
"Nope."
Yamato paused, then asked, "Jyou really hates his father, doesn't he? He wants to kill him."
"Didn't you do the same to your father?"
"Yes... but that was different."
"How so? What if, in a drunken rage, your father killed Takeru?"
"I would kill him. I love my brother more than anyone else on this earth."
"Aww.....sweet brotherly love."
"Hey guys, I think we might have a problem," Jyou said, walking into the room.
"What is it, Jyou?"
"It appears that a group of rebels is starting to form in the north. Now, the numbers of followers is uncertain, but we do know one thing."
"Which is?"
"The rebels are being lead by Yagami Taichi."
The reunion between friends was bittersweet. No one knew who had died and who had still survived.
"Where's Takeru?" were the first words out of Hikari's mouth. Takeru was her best friend in the world.
Mimi shook her head sadly, willing her tears away. This was not the time for tears. Now was the time for action.
Taichi was the same. He was quick, active, ready to take off and attack any of the three king's soldiers within sight.
Sora, too, was almost identical to the person she always was. Fierce love and devotion soared out of her eyes, making her almost unstoppable.
Koushirou was devastated. Both of his parents had been killed in the fight for Tokyo. He had been hiding in his apartment, and the soldiers passed over his house. Now he had to live with the realization that he had lost four parents in his lifetime instead of only two.
Hikari also was saddened by the loss of Takeru. But she had not loved him like Mimi had. She had not lost her parents like Koushirou. She did not had a sibling missing like Daisuke.
"You have to be our hope now, Hikari," Mimi said softly while they were all eating their dinner. "Please be the shining light that will guide us." Hikari nodded, small tears forming in her eyes.
"Taichi, have you heard from Yamato? He doesn't know that Takeru is dead. I need to tell him," Mimi asked their brave leader later that night. Taichi shook his head.
"I haven't heard from him in ages, Mimi. No one has. It's like he disappeared off of this earth."
"What about Ken? Yamato and Ken were like best friends," Mimi pleaded softly.
"I don't know where he is, either."
"Jyou?"
"Mimi, you know that if I knew where any of them were, I would have them here, with us. We're only as strong as we are united. We need everyone." He looked at her angrily." You know what I see when I looked at our group? I see Love. Knowledge. Courage. Light. Sincerity. A little bit of Love and Sincerity. A mixture of Knowledge and Reliability. Courage and Friendship. Mimi, Daisuke is not Yamato. Iori is nowhere near being the person Jyou is. We need them. I would have them here if I could."
"But Taichi, Yamato needs to know about Takeru. He loved Takeru more any one, save myself. I have to tell him."
"What do you want be to do, Mimi? I can't do anything. I'm helpless here. Yamato was my best friend, okay? I know how much Takeru meant to him, how much he meant to all of us. But I can't find someone who doesn't wish to be found." Taichi's eyes flashed angrily and he stormed away, leaving Mimi all alone.
The three kings were sitting in the throne room. Servants brought prisoners in, and they decided the fate of all who stood accused.
The doors opened again, and a strong man thrust a girl with spiky hair on the floor. "Motomiya Jun. Outright disobedience of your majesties' laws."
Yamato's eyes flared with compassion. She looked up, and recognized him. "Yama-chan...."
"Lock her up. Get her away from here," he said, his voice trembling slightly. She was beaten badly. He never meant anyone he knew to get hurt. That had never been part of the plan. Only those who were evil or wrong.... "I never want to see her again."
"Yama-chan...." she pleaded, but he turned his head.
"I have spoken."
Mimi sat by herself inside the shelter. Koushirou and Miyako were working on their computers, trying hard to figure out the identity of the three kings. Taichi, Iori and Daisuke were working on strategies, and Sora and Hikari were talking on the other side of the room.
Mimi just wanted to be alone. She looked at her hand wrapped with a bandage. No one had asked about it. She was glad. She wouldn't have been able to lie.
She looked at her engagement ring and wondered why love had to go so deep and hurt so much.
After awhile, she drifted off into sleep.
*~* She was in a dark place. There was no light- only darkness. She walked around the room, silence cloaking her. Then she heard the sound of a door opening, and three people walked in. The three kings, she realized. One blond and two with darker hair. They lit a candle and moved into a circle.
With a horrific fascination, she moved closer to the three men. They didn't look much older than herself...
"Kido Jyou," the tallest said, and Mimi's heart stopped. Jyou??
"Ichijouji Ken." No, please not.....
"Ishida Yamato." They moved closer into the light, and Mimi could see their faces clearly.
"United in anger."
Mimi shook her head, trying to free herself from this helpless trance. This wasn't true. It couldn't be true..... no no no no no no no no *~*
She woke up drenched in sweat. She looked around, panicked. Everyone was asleep. Daisuke lay beside her, his blanket keeping her warm.
No, that can't be true, she thought to herself. "It was only a dream."
"What was only a dream?" a harsh masculine voice asked from the other end of the room. Koushirou moved into the light.
"I had a dream..... and I saw the three kings......and they were......"
"Jyou, Ken and Yamato." He looked at her oddly. "I had that dream, too."
"So did I," Daisuke said softly, his eyes shining gently. He looked venerable and childish.
"It can't be true," Mimi whispered softly. "They would never......"
"But maybe they did," Koushirou said softly, coming to sit with Mimi and Daisuke.
The three friends looked at each other sadly, hoping it wasn't true.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Should I continue?? I really don't know what possessed me to write this.... oh well.