AN: Hello everyone! So, I've decided to continue with 'Save Yourself' story, and here's the first chapter of the sequel. I advice you to read first 'Save Yourself' (if you haven't read it yet), and then this story, just to understand the whole plot better.
For now it's rated T, but it may (or may not) change with future chapters, just so you know.
So, it's time for another emotional roller-coaster. I hope you will enjoy it!
The revelation
Early in the morning the sky on Kinmoku has sweet light pink colour. During the day it is changing into a mixture of yellow and orange, and in the evening, into mauve colour. At nights there isn't really as dark as on Earth, because the sky is deep dark purple instead of pitch-black.
It was early evening, as Taiki was working in the garden that surrounded the palace. His hands were dirty with soil, as he planted new flowers and young trees. He didn't mind dirt as much as he didn't mind get messy in kitchen. Yaten however, who was accompanying him by sitting on a garden bench, was a whole different story.
''It's disgusting,'' silver-haired young man said, as he was observing Taiki digging in the ground. Dirt was covering his palms and sneaked underneath his fingernails.
''Well, someone has to do this,'' Taiki responded, as he put roots of a little olive-tree in the small hole he had dug up, and started to fill it up with soil.
Yaten looked at his own immaculately clean palms and pale fingers with perfectly cut nails. ''You wouldn't do that if you didn't want to,'' he stated the obvious fact and Taiki nodded.
''That's true.'' For a brief moment he wondered why Yaten was sitting with him. It was sure that the youngest brother wasn't there to help him in the garden. Oh no. Yaten was the last to get dirty willingly. He didn't like to get dirty or sweaty if it wasn't necessary, for example that was the reason he hated sport. Although he didn't mind when he had to fight, which they hadn't done for a long time. Instead, he was an admirer of beauty. He liked to immortalize everything in his pictures, and lately he even started drawing and painting. Once Taiki caught him sitting on the same bench and painting some trees and flowers that grew in the garden. He had to admit that his brother had a talent for that. But now he didn't have an easel and paints with him so Taiki decided that he just felt bored.
''Don't you have any gloves?'' Yaten asked, pointing at Taiki's hands.
''I don't like working in gloves,'' taller brother responded. ''It's uncomfortable.''
Yaten raised his brow. ''Then you prefer to get dirty? Gross.''
''Where's Seiya?'' Taiki asked, hoping that Yaten would want to annoy raven-haired brother a little bit, instead of sitting there with him.
''I don't know,'' Yaten shrugged and brushed his silver fringe from his bright eyes. In the evening light his hair looked almost violet.
''Have you known that king Anzai sent a message to our queen this morning?'' Yaten asked out of nowhere and Taiki looked up at him.
King Anzai was ruling the planet Akira. Several years ago, before Galaxia started destroying planets in galaxy, Kinmoku was one of the greatest planets outside the Solar System. Akira was a small, unimportant planet so Galaxia didn't pay much attention to it and simply ignored it, doing only small damage. The king and his court managed to hide and survive. When Seiya, Yaten and Taiki traveled to Earth, in order to find their princess, king Anzai and other survivors started to rebuild what had been destroyed. The damage wasn't great so it didn't take long for Akira to function properly again. Kinmoku, the most important planet was destroyed, it's princess absent, and it was then that the planet Akira took Kinmoku's place and became the most influential among star planets.
When four years ago Seiya, Yaten, Taiki and princess Kakyuu came back to rebuild Kinmoku, king Anzai willingly offered his help. To be honest, it was mainly thanks to him that Kinmoku was functioning again so fast.
''What would he want?'' Taiki asked.
''Well, considering the fact that we owe him today's state of Kinmoku, he may want anything. And I think it isn't anything good. The queen was anxious all day.'' After Kinmoku was rebuilt, princess Kakyuu became the queen and gained absolute power over the planet. As queen she became even more prudent, politic and cautious.
The palace door that led to the garden opened and Seiya appeared. He looked around, and after noticing Yaten and Taiki he moved towards them.
''Here you are, I've been looking for you everywhere,'' he said, as he walked up to them.
''Something's happened?'' Yaten asked, looking up at him.
''The queen wants to see us. I guess it's something important.''
''I told you,'' Yaten looked at Taiki who started to get up from his crouching position on the ground.
Queen Kakyuu was pacing up and down marble floor of the throne room, rethinking her decision once again, when she heard sounds of steps. She turned to look at her three stars.
''You wanted to see us, my queen,'' Taiki stated as he, Yaten and Seiya stopped in front of their queen.
''Yes, thank you for coming. I have very important information for you,'' she took a deep breath and straightened herself, holding her chin a little bit up. ''King Anzai made a proposal of making our planets official allies. As you know, without his help we probably still wouldn't be able to stand here today and it would be unreasonable to reject his proposal, to refuse whatever he wants.
Seiya was a little bit puzzled. ''But it's good, isn't it? Being allies with Akira would make us stronger.''
Queen Kakyuu nodded. ''Yes, it is indeed very good and promising idea and as I said it would be unwise to turn it down. Especially when it would mean making Akira our enemy. We are still not as strong as we used to were, so we can't afford to make foes with planets more powerful than us.
''Where's the problem, then?'' Yaten asked.
''Such alliance isn't a matter of words or signatures on the paper. It's a matter of acts.''
Slowly, Taiki started to understand what the queen was talking about. ''What the king Anzai wants us to do in order to be allies?'' he asked politely.
Queen Kakyuu took a moment before answering. ''He wants to arrange marriages between our planets.''
''Marriages?'' Yaten's brows shot up.
''Yes, marriages between his three princesses and my three light protectors,'' queen Kakyuu sat down on the throne, looking almost helplessly.
Only after a moment, Seiya, Yaten and Taiki understood the meaning of their queen's words. They were looking at the queen dumbfounded, before Seiya spoke up, ''My lady, do you mean us?'' He was pretty sure he knew the answer but still had to ask.
Queen Kakyuu nodded sadly, ''I'm sorry.'' She knew that marriage wasn't something any of them thought about at the moment, or even in near future, and especially not with someone they didn't know or couldn't choose by themselves. Unfortunately, the circumstances forced to accept the proposition of alliance, in order to protect Kinmoku and it's inhabitants. ''If there was any other way ... ,'' she started and then shook her head, ''but there isn't. King Anzai and his princesses will visit us tomorrow and we're going to give an engagement party. You'll have a chance to meet your future wives.''
None of the brothers responded. Too many thoughts swirled in their heads. Engagement party? Wedding? ... Princesses?
In a blink of an eye their future was planned without their permission. Well, their future always was planned, but none of them expect something like that to pop out.
''Queen Kakyuu ...'' Taiki started, and although the words came to him with difficulty, he had to say what Seiya and Yaten couldn't. ''We'll be ready for tomorrow,'' he stated, bowing slightly. Seiya and Yaten looked at him speechless, thinking that he was out of his mind, but then quickly understood that there wasn't really any way out of this situation. They had to do that to protect their planet and queen.
''We will,'' Seiya repeated, looking back at the queen, and he and Yaten also bowed slightly.
Princess Kakyuu nodded. ''Thank you. The king and princesses will come in the afternoon and the party will be held in the evening. You can go now.''
The three young men bowed again and turned to exit the hall. As the sound of their footsteps faded, the queen closed her eyes and breathed deeply.
''Please, forgive me,'' she whispered.
''Once again,'' Yaten asked, as he was walking up and down his room, trying to comprehend the latest news.
''Tomorrow's our engagement party,'' Taiki, who was sitting on Yaten's bed, said calmly. ''We can't refuse because that would mean declaring war against Akira, and we need them as our ally.''
Yaten stopped and looked at the tallest brother. ''How can you be so calm?''
''There's really nothing we can do,'' Seiya spoke up. He was sitting on the window-sill, his eyes focused on the purple night sky. ''Besides, we promised to serve our queen to death. There's nothing I wouldn't do for her, or for our planet. Even if it means ... this.''
''I know,'' Yaten run fingers though his hair in frustration. ''I just can't imagine this.''
''Well,'' Taiki started, slightly amused, ''to be honest, I also can't imagine you being a husband,'' he said and Seiya chuckled although the whole situation wasn't really funny.
Yaten pierced Taiki with his gaze. ''Well, I can easily imagine how you bore your fiancée to death.'' His voice changed, as he was trying to imitate Taiki's. ''What do you want to do today? Oh, I know, maybe I'll read you one of my books, or I have even better idea, let's dig in the ground.''
Taiki's brows narrowed and Seiya laughed. However, his laugh quickly died away.
''I didn't expect something like that,'' he said quietly. He never imagined himself being married. Especially not in such circumstances. Maybe, four years ago, there was a girl he could imagine himself being with, for real, but it was long all over. Tomorrow he will be engaged to some strange princess.
He looked at Yaten and Taiki who also were lost in their thoughts. Gloom expressions on both faces. None of them was ready for what was going to happen.
AN: So, the story has begun ... again;)
If you're interested in what's going to happen next and want me to continue, you know what to do!:)