Oh jeez, I haven't written anything in a looong time, but I've been thinking about this story for a long time, how I wanted it to go, what characters were who, things like that. Bad guys will still be bad guys, good guys will still be good. Some character's will have different roles and relationships, but nothing toooo drastic.

I also don't know what time period this is set it. I just know there's castles and royalty and swords and horses. Medieval but not really?

Anyway, get ready for a long story, like... two or three arcs. So sit back, enjoy, and follow for more!

What was happening?

She felt like she couldn't breathe, everything was so stuffy. No light, so sense of direction, and no comfort. The only thing she knew was that she was moving, but not by her own action. Her surroundings were harsh, and scratched her with every movement that was made. The stench around her smelled like dirty water, mold, and ash.

Princess Hinata didn't know how she got into this mess.

She racked her brain, trying to think of what events had transpired to lead her into this, but the only things she could remember were guards yelling and her turning to run, as she was told to do. The rest… she just couldn't wrap her seven year old head around.

She wanted to cry, she wanted her bed, her father, sister, and especially her mother- but she stayed silent. She knew not to make a sound to alert them she was awake, as she was taught. That didn't make the trek through the cold January night any easier.

After what felt like hours, she felt that they were moving anymore, and whoever was carrying her dropped whatever they were carrying her in on the cold, snow covered ground. She already could feel the snow melting and soaking into the cloth around her.

"So you actually did it?"

Hinata's eyes widened. This was the first voice she had heard since she was told to run. It was low, grainy, and demanding. It's like she could feel his words sinking into the surroundings. The voice seemed to have a sense of age with it as well, almost like wisdom.

"Well of course, a reward that high is too much to just let slide, especially for a little girl." Another one spoke. Hinata could only assume this was the voice that carried her for who knows how far. That voice seemed more young and alone.

"Well, open the bag up, I can't just give you the money without verification." The man demanded. Hinata could hear the crunches of his feet in the snow walking towards her.

"Alright, I'm doing it, you can calm down." The younger one replied.

Hinata immediately closed her eyes, and pretended to be passed out. She felt him move the bag around, trying to find the opening. She finally felt the cool, fresh air hit her. It was so tempting to take a deep breath and let it fill her lungs, but she knew she couldn't.

"See, there she is, all in one piece, and still alive, like you wanted." The young man huffed to the older one. "Now you can give me my money."

Hinata thought while the transaction above her transpired. He wanted her alive, so would that mean they wouldn't kill her if she started resisting? Then again, what could she do against the two men, probably twice her size? She was only seven and would just end up knocked out again.

"What are you all doing?"

This voice. Hinata would remember it for the rest of her life after tonight. It was a boy's voice, very young.

"Wha- who are you?" The men said in unison. She could hear them taking steps towards the child.

"Me? I live over there, so I want to know what you two are doing near my house!" He yelled at them. The voice seemed too confident for the situation Hinata felt. Then again, the boy had no idea what he just walked into.

"You brat, you just need to be on your way, and forget you ever saw anything her tonight, you got that? Or do we have to beat it into you?" The older man said, getting closer and closer to the boy. The younger one right behind him. Their footsteps echoed through the alleyway.

Hinata finally opened her eyes to take in her surroundings, trying to only move her head. She could see the brick walls leading into the sky, with the stars and clouds above. She had no idea about the moon. She could see the two figures off in a distance and assumed they were the two men. One was shorter, almost with a limp. The other was taller and seemed rather skinny. She couldn't see the boy, as the figures covered him up. She could hear water, but she couldn't see it.

"N-no! This is my home, and you two look like you're doing some mysterious stuff around here, and I don't want that!" They Boy yelled, a bit more shaken now after the threat.

"You dumb kid, keep your voice down." The younger one said.

"I'll speak how I want! You two are the ones in front of my home anyway. What's in the bag over there? You two havin' that bag makes you really suspicious!" The child said, pointing off in the direction of the bag with Hinata in it.

"You dumb brat, mind your own business!" The younger one said, and Hinata heard a punch hit someone, and the kid let out a grunt.

"He knows I'm here…" she thought. And she thought some more. Then, she decided to do something.

She coughed, then she moved a bit.

"H-hey!" The kid responded with, "You have someone in that ba-" His statement was cut off with a kick, then another kick. Soon if seemed like a full on beating was happening. She heard the grunts, the coughs, and the wheezes.

Hinata could hear someone running towards her, and she closed her eyes again. The older man started tying her up again hurriedly. He stopped for a moment to cough before he slung her over his back. She slammed into his body, and it felt so solid she swore it was made of metal.

"H-hey! What about my money!" The young one asked as he stopped beating the boy on the ground.

"BOTH OF YOU STOP!" two men yelled from the entrance of the alleyway. Both men seemed to completely freeze at the sound of their voices. The older man's breathing became more rapid the longer he stood there. Hinata heard the two new men approach closer.

"Sir, I need you to lower that bag to the ground. If what we are searching for isn't in it, you are welcome to be on your way." One of them said.

The old man didn't move. He stood as still as an oak in this one moment. The younger one started walking towards the guards.

"Listen, I'm sure you two mean wel-" The younger man started.

"Sir, I need you to do as you are told. And you back there better not think of moving." The man said again. The younger man stopped in his tracks.

Hinata was so tempted to speak, but she didn't know who these men were trying to take her away from the older man.

"And what is it… that you are looking for?" The older man asked, turning his head slightly behind him to view the two men.

"Under decree 47 of the Royal Military, under a state of emergency I am not obligated to release any details." The man said, grabbing towards his waist.

"Oh? A state of emergency? I didn't know anything had happened…" The man said in a condescending tone, turning his head towards the younger man further down the alley. Then the older man reached for his waist as well.

Hinata knew the Royal Military was on her side, she knew they would help her. So she did what anyone would do in the situation.

She started yelling. Yelling and kicking and pushing herself off of the older man's back. She promised herself she would not stop screaming until she was out of the older man's hands.

"THEY HAVE HER!" The Soldier yelled as they both drew swords.

Hinata was still screaming.

"Shit!" The older man said as he drew his own to block their attack from above.

One continued to stay on top of him while the other spun behind him, swinging at his legs. The older man jumped, then ducked and pivoted to be in front of both of them. One charged him, coming in with his sword across his body, defending. The older man had a disadvantage as he had to carry Hinata with one hand, and wield his sword with the other.

Their two swords clashed together, and the other guard went after the younger man in the back. The younger man didn't have a weapon on him. He had to leave it back at the castle during the kidnapping. The only option he had was escape or be captured.

"The longer you resist, the longer you will be a prisoner!" The guard yelled, swinging the sword towards the older man's side. The older man jumped back and lunged at the guard.

"I wouldn't be a prisoner, I would be a dead man!" He yelled back with menace in his voice. Slowly their fight drifted towards the street that was empty. Shops on one side, a river to the other.

Hinata was still screaming.

The older man looked back towards the younger one. He was on his knees getting tied up by the other guard.

'Worthless…' the older man though.

He knew there was no winning. His balance was constantly thrown off by the girl kicking and screaming on his back, he only had one hand to defend himself, his bad leg was no help, and the snow was slowing down his movements.

He knew his plan, and a death is still a death, even if it's not what he had envisioned…

The older man held his sword out to the guard, slowly backing up towards the building behind him.

"Listen, just give me the bag, and you'll save yourself a lot of trouble later."

The older man look up at the guard and smirked. He swung the bag at the brick wall behind him, not caring what part of her hit it. Both men heard the noise that came from the bag, and the kicking slowed down until there was no more.

The guard lunged after the older man, but he pivoted to the side and threw the bag into the river behind him. The guard dropped his sword and jumped off the side into the water after the bag. The other guard was still preoccupied with the younger man to notice what was going on.

The older man took his leave, climbing onto the top of the roof of a building, and never being seen again.

Hinata knew she was safe from the moment she was awake. She could feel her soft bed around her, the smell of the plants she kept in her room filled her lungs as she stretched out her legs from underneath her warm blanket.

Almost immediately someone was by her side.

"Princess Hinata, do you need anything, are you in pain anywhere?" One of the nursemaids asked as she sunk back into her bed after she stretched. She slowly worked her way up with the help of the nursemaid. Hinata could feel her shoulder wrapped up. She was sure it was broken.

"No, everything is fine. A glass of water would be nice." Hinata asked of her.

"Yes, I will be right back." She said as she scurried out the room.

Hinata took a moment and leaned back onto her pillow, being careful of her shoulder. This isn't the first time something like this has happened, but it seemed like the most… vivid. She would think it would be because it just happened, but the voice of the kid, someone her age just standing up to those men, then getting kicked and punched and stomped on… it just sat differently with her.

There was a knock at the, presumably her water.

"Come in." She said as she sat back up. It wasn't who she expected, but their State Royal Military Commander for their state. She couldn't remember his name, but she knew he took back over after previous one died. He was rather old, but still fought like he was a younger man.

"Miss Hinata" he said, bowing to her. Hinata nodded her head back.

"I need you to tell me all what you can remember about the people that took you. Don't leave out any detail.

Hinata paused for a moment, gathering what she could remember.

"Well… we we're moving and we stopped in an alleyway… The skinny one wanted money from the shorter one... they opened the bag to make sure it was… me in there…" Hinata looked down

"What else happened?"

"Well… there was a boy… he came around and asked them what they were doing in front of his home. The men told him to go away but he didn't… so they hurt him… a lot."

'Well… that would explain the blood we found….' The man thought.

"Did you find the boy?" Hinata asked. "He said he lived there, and he was probably hurt."

"I'm sorry my lady, but we didn't find the boy, and from what I recall there wasn't even a house there for him to have lived in."

"Oh… Well I hope he's okay." Hinata slouched in her bed, but continued her explanation.

"They hurt the kid, and then the guards came. I tried to break free from the older man but I just couldn't. He hit me against something, then he tossed me into the water and the guard saved me." She finished, assuming that he knew what all happened next.

"Then the guards took you and the other guy back here, right right" The man stood up, grunting for a moment until has back straightened.

"Well, thank you for the information. We will be on high alert until this man is caught." He said, exiting the room. "Now you get some rest."

Hinata waited for her water, thanking the nursemaid, and promptly fell back asleep.

Fists slammed on the table, causing beakers, papers, and jars to shake. A bottle of ink spilled over, and he watched it slowing drain out of its container onto the stone floors below. He followed the ink draining into the concrete canals between the stones, making a web between everything.

"I was so close…"