uh, i cant think straight and im being plagued by a damn woodpecker. he's gone for now, but i know he'll be back in the morning....i feel like im in that edgar allen poe story 'The Raven', only in my case its a woodpecker. well enough of my rambling, here is the next chapter.

Falling from Grace

Chapter 11

After nearly four hours of driving, Takuya glanced down at the fuel gauge.

"Shit! I only have a quarter of a tank left!" He exclaimed.

Kouji and Ami looked down at their own gauges, realizing that they too were down to only a quarter.

"Dammit. I really hope there's a gas station close by," Kouji said nervously. "We haven't seen a single one since we left the kingdom."

"Many of them were destroyed while Reuben made his way to the castle," Zoe told them. "To help ensure him that less people would try to escape."

"Maybe he's not as stupid as we thought," Takuya groaned.

Ami smirked. "He may not be completely stupid, but his army isn't exactly the brightest. I'm sure they forgot to demolish at least one or two along the way."

"Is this the direction he came from before he arrived at the palace?" Takuya asked.

"We're not a hundred percent sure of this, but it seems that he was heading away from Oakwood," Zoe said.

Kouji glanced at her. "And they didn't try to overrun the town?"

"No, at the time, they didn't have enough power to get away with it. They needed direct control of the castle in order to take over Oakwood." Zoe tiredly rested her head against Takuya's back. "They would've been in for a battle if they tried to take over so soon. And at the time, Reuben wouldn't have wanted any casualties."

"Makes sense." Takuya looked around slightly. "But I really hope there's a station close by or we're screwed."

Ami sighed. "Yeah, it'll still take us another twenty-six hours just to get there by motorcycle. If we have to walk, it'll take several days."

"Kouji and I have dealt with worse. But with the princess at stake, I refuse to walk to the next town. I'll fucking steal a vehicle if I have to," Takuya said.

"That is, if we even see one." Kouji glanced around at the surroundings.

Although they were not driving through the woods, there were thick bunches of trees creating walls on both sides of them.

"Just keep your eyes open," Ami advised. "I can't remember exactly, but I know that there was a station a few miles down the road. But that was a long time ago."

Kouji looked at her for a moment, then concentrated on the road again. "How long ago since you've been through here?"

Ami paused, looking as though she didn't want to answer. "Thirteen years ago."

"Shit.....Well, we'll just have to wait and find out," Takuya said.

Luckily for them, about fifteen minutes later, they finally came across a gas station. However, it was run-down and looked as though it hadn't been used in years.

"Maybe if we're lucky, there'll still be some leftover fuel in one of the pumps," Zoe said hopefully.

"We gotta try." Takuya parked his motorcycle beside one of the four pumps.

The four of them looked around one last time, then pulled their helmets off. Takuya killed the engine, then helped Zoe get off. Kouji and Ami had pulled in beside two of the other pumps, shutting their engines off as well. While Takuya went to pull the cap off of his bike to put the nozzle in, Zoe looked to her right. There was a small boarded-up shack, and a sign hung loosely off the corner of the door. It read 'Gas, Snacks, and Cigarettes'.

Takuya sighed in relief as his tank filled up. "Good thing this pump didn't demand for me to pay first. There's no one here to start the stupid thing...."

Ami filled her tank as well, while the pump Kouji had parked next to was completely dry. Fortunately for him, the empty one beside it seemed to hold a substantial amount of fuel.

Takuya glanced at Zoe. "You hungry at all?"

The blond shook her head, the thought of food making her stomach churn.

"You gotta eat something," he insisted. "Even if it's a cookie, just get something in your stomach."

Zoe sighed in defeat, then began to rummage through one of the burlap saps hanging on either side of the seat. She fished out two cereal bars, tossing one to Takuya.

"Take your own advice," she said, tearing the wrapper off.

Takuya shrugged, ripping the wrapper off of his. He wasn't a big fan of cereal bars, but he was not about to complain at a time like this.

Kouji glanced at Ami, then dropped his gaze. "So.....What were you doing around here thirteen years ago? Seems kind of out of the way from the palace."

Ami looked uncomfortable, but answered him nonetheless. "I was traveling with my parents, and we went by here. I'm actually surprised that I still remember."

"An elephant never forgets," Kouji joked.

Instead of being yelled at by her, he was bewildered that she did not respond. Ami's eyes appeared to be somewhat glassy, as if she was remembering something.

He suddenly felt guilty for his joke. "I was only kidding....."

"Huh?" Ami looked up at him.

"I called you an elephant. Didn't you hear me?" Kouji asked.

The dark-haired girl dropped her gaze again. "Oh. Well, next time I'll kick your ass."

She removed the nozzle from her tank, screwing the cap on a moment later. Kouji stared at her for a few seconds, then followed suit. Takuya had already finished filling his tank and was already sitting on his motorcycle again, starting the engine.

"You guys may want to scarf something down real quick before we leave," Takuya suggested, his mouth full.

"Nah," Kouji and Ami replied unanimously.

Takuya shrugged. "Alright. Just don't bitch to me when you're hungry."

"Food's the last thing on my mind," Ami muttered as she pulled her helmet on.

Kouji threw a worried glance at her but said nothing. He had a feeling that she was in no mood for talking. A minute later, they were speeding down the endless road again, hoping to get to Oakwood quicker than they expected.

Meanwhile

Reuben smiled at the stack of contracts in front of him, satisfied with his work.

"We killed five people," Akira informed him. "They refused to sign, so we disposed of them. After that, I think everyone understood the message a bit better."

"Idiots should've known I wasn't screwing with them," Reuben growled. "Did they really think I was going to let them do as they pleased?"

Akira rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, I guess. But other than that, everyone cooperated."

"As they should. They better get used to the fact that there is a new king," Reuben said. "In order to gain their respect, I must make them fear me. I want them to shudder at the sound of my name. Intimidating them will make them more obedient."

The young guard looked down uneasily. "Yeah, I guess."

Reuben threw him an annoyed look. "No, you don't guess. You know for a fact that it is true."

Akira stiffened his body. "Yes, Your Highness."

"Filthy maggots," Reuben muttered. "Every last one of 'em."

"Yes, sir."

Reuben drank the last mouthful of his whiskey. "Go fetch me another bottle. And don't screw around while you're getting it."

"Yes, sir." Akira hurried off in pursuit of a new bottle, leaving Reuben peace and quiet.

The man sighed, reclining back in his throne as far as it would let him. This was the life. The life he should've had in the first place.

"Oh, dear brother. If only you could see me now," he said quietly. "How your stupid little brother made your precious kingdom fall to its knees..."

He glanced over and saw a framed photograph he hadn't noticed before. Frowning, he gingerly picked it up and stared at it. The picture was of Malcolm and Selene, holding each other in a tight embrace. Clutched in one of Selene's hands was a tiny crown, a gift for their unborn daughter. Disgusted, Reuben threw it across the room, where it slammed into a wall. The glass covering shattered into a million pieces, causing the picture to become damaged. Not that he cared, of course. Now if only his niece would break that easily....

Two minutes later, Akira hastily returned with the demanded beverage. He looked down at the shattered glass and bent frame, as well as the tattered photograph.

"Is everything okay?" He asked, handing the bottle to his king.

"Just getting rid of some unwanted garbage," Reuben replied, an irritated tone in his voice. "Pathetic how she chose him over me."

Akira did not know the full story, as he was only a few years older than Zoe and had not been around to see what went on in the kingdom. All he knew was that Reuben had lusted after Selene. Though in the end, she had obviously chosen Malcolm over his younger brother.

"Any idea why she chose him?" Akira dared to ask.

"Because he was in line to be the next king," Reuben hissed. "She claimed that she loved him and would've married him regardless. I don't believe that was the reason, however."

Akira hesitated, then asked another question. "Why didn't you believe her?"

"I just didn't!" Reuben slammed his fist down into the table. "Plenty of women wanted me. But the only one I actually gave two shits about fell for Malcolm."

The guard decided to drop the subject, as he did not wish to make his ruler angrier.

"You are dismissed," Reuben said absently. "Just go away."

Somewhat grateful, Akira left the room once again. Reuben looked at the bottle of whiskey, then took a long swig. For now, if there was any hope of him forgetting about his brother for the time being, he would have to just drink the memories away.

okay, im done with another chapter. i hope it came out alright, so let me know. see ya later ^_^