Chapter Two
***************In the Hyuuga Kingdom**************
All five boys lined up on horses outside the gate dressed in commoner's clothes with travel gear ready for departure. (In other words, wearing jeans and normal shirts.)
"You all ready?" Natsume asked as he climbed upon his horse, his companions doing the same.
They all nodded as the gate opened and the galloped out of the palace. They continued galloping until they reached a small clearing with a ravine.
"Let's follow the ravine. It'll probably lead us to the outskirts of the kingdom." They all nodded and slowed from a gallop to a canter, giving their horses time to catch their breath.
Suddenly Ruka noticed something from the corner of his eye. He abruptly stopped his horse and quickly back tracked until he came to what he saw. It was a rabbit. And it was injured. A soft gasp escaped from the boy's mouth.
"Ruka!" Tsubasa's voice shouted, "You okay there?"
"Huh?" Ruka said distractedly, "Oh, er, yes." He quickly picked up the poor rabbit and was surprised when it jerked. It was still alive! He quickly tore a bit of his shirt of and wrapped it around the baby rabbit's leg before placing it on his lap and cantering back to the others.
"Why'd you stop?" Koko asked curiously.
"I found an injured baby rabbit. I couldn't just leave it. It'd die."
"Wait, what if it has rabies?" Koko's eyes widened in mock panic.
"I'm pretty sure it doesn't. I don't even think rabbits can get it." Ruka said while frowning before he began examining the rabbit as Koko snorted in laughter. Yuu let out a quite chuckle as Tsubasa and Natsume just smirked.
Suddenly they entered a clearing with a small cottage and stable. They all stopped laughing. Even Koko payed attention. They quickly dismounted and crept stealthily to door. They all looked at Ruka as he quietly groaned and approached the door before knocking. They all leaned in as no one opened the door. Ruka looked to Natsume for approval before he opened the door. Everyone looked in before they confirmed that yes; in fact, there was no one in the cottage.
"Tsubasa, Yuu. Check the stables." Natsume ordered as they nodded and left.
Ruka walked in. It was a nice place. A nice place in the middle of nowhere. A nice place in a secluded area. His eyes narrowed. A perfect place to hide somebody and be sure that it would be unlikely to find this place. He turned to Natsume to see that he had already come in and had gone to what looked like a girl's bedroom.
Natsume picked up something that looked like a piece of paper and began examining it. While he examined it, Ruka started opening all compartments of a wooden wardrobe. The stuff was messily hanging on the hangers and strewn all over the floor of the wardrobe as if the person who owned it was searching for something. He examined the clothes and confirmed his earlier suspicion. This room was indeed a girl's room. A variety of dress drooped onto the hangers and stocking were on the floor of the wardrobe. He inwardly sighed at the mess. Natsume suddenly tapped Ruka's shoulder surprising him as he hit his head causing him to shout. Koko raced in quickly, thinking that something was wrong. Natsume handed Ruka the piece of paper he had been examining earlier. Koko curiously read of Ruka's shoulder.
Dear Grandpa,
You haven't come back from the town for almost a month now. I'm starting to get really worried. I hope you're alright. If you're reading this right now then you have probably come back. Unfortunately, I have left to go to the town to look for you. I'll be staying with my best friend; you know the one that I see every year on my birthday? Hint! Her name starts with H! Anyway, I've taken Hinata with me. H said last time on my 14th birthday that I could visit her school the next time I saw her! Maybe while I wait for you I'll attend her school. I think that it's called Gakuen Alice or something like that. I'm leaving you some freshly baked bread and some left over cheese in case you get hungry, but I don't know if it'll be any good once you get it. Anyway I took enough food and water for me and Hinata. I also took some back up money as well. I hope you're okay and that you'll come get me soon. You're the best grandfather anyone could ever hope for! Even though you aren't my real one, I do hope that you'll continue being my grandfather.
Love as always, ~ M
Koko whistled, "She could be the princess."
Natsume and Ruka nodded their heads in agreement.
"She probably is." Ruka said his gaze landing on Natsume. 'Come to think of it, how did you know that the princess was still alive?"
Natsume avoided Ruka's gaze.
"Natsume!" Ruka's voice held a warning in it. Natsume wouldn't put it pass him to do something terrible to make him say how he knew.
"Minister Kurosawa." Natsume muttered quietly.
Ruka made a strangled noise and Koko choked on his saliva.
"Did you just say Minister Kurosawa?" Ruka asked, not believing what his friend had just told him. Natsume avoided his gaze again. "Unbelievable. Natsume, he is your father's right hand man! You of all people should know that. I can't…" Ruka ran a hand through his hair and sputtered, "He could be watching us right now and now and tell the King that his own son is planning a rebellion against him."
"Who say what now?" Tsubasa's voice asked confused.
He and Yuu had come back to report that the stables were clear only to find a guilty looking Natsume, a shocked Koko and a very angry Ruka.
Ruka ran a hand through his hair again before turning to Natsume, "You deal with this." He exited the house and went back to the horses, leaving Natsume to deal with everything.
"What's Ruka so angry about?" Tsubasa asked curiously.
"Kurosawa told Natsume that the princess is still alive so that's why we're all going on a journey to find her. Ruka's angry because he thinks that Kurosawa cannot be trusted." Koko blurted out then shivered and weakly said sorry as his eyes meet Natsume's glare.
"I got to say Natsume; I'm sorta disappointed in you." Yuu said shaking his head sadly.
"But as far as I'm concerned, the past is in the past. It doesn't matter how we ended up here but as long as we have a lead then we should keep trying to find what we're searching for." Tsubasa stated.
All the people in the room just stared at him as he sweat dropped.
"Wow Tsubasa! Didn't know you had it in you took make such a heart wrenching speech about whatever you were talking about." Koko made a teary eyed expression after slapping Tsubasa's back and leaning on his shoulder.
"Urg get off me! Your heavy you know that!"
They exited the cottage leaving everything left the way that they found it. They approached their horses before freezing abruptly and staring at Ruka who leaning against his horse, talking to it.
"Ha ha! I know what you mean. The grass is greener in somebody else's garden. Sometimes I wonder if he'll tell me what's wrong, I mean, it's not as bad in your case but-"
The horse let out a long whinny. And for a moment they all though that they had been found out.
"I know but that doesn't make it any less difficult! Leaving the palace to try and find someone that none of us know just seems so absurd! I didn't even have time to say good bye to her."
If they weren't fully frozen before, now they were. Her? Ruka had a girlfriend?
The horse sighed before turning away leaving Ruka to his own thought before letting out a quick, sharp whinny.
"Huh? She did?" Ruka said distracted before staring at something behind the horse.
They followed his gaze and saw Tsubasa's horse standing there.
"Go! Here's your chance! Ask her!" Ruka said suddenly excited.
Ruka's horse nuzzled Tsubasa's and before long they began mating.
"Ah no! My beautiful horse!" Tsubasa said before flicking his gaze back to Ruka and laughing.
"Fudge! What were you guys doing there?! Were you planning on giving me a heart attack?!"
Everyone besides Ruka and Tsubasa chuckled before Koko broke the silence.
"Hey, were you actually talking to that horse?"
Ruka shifted his feet nervously and gazed at them uneasily. Should I tell them I was? Would they harm me for having magic when no one else should? His thoughts bounced off the walls of his head.
Koko stared at him hard before answering Ruka's thoughts, "Yes you should tell us. Does it look like we'll harm you? We've all been friends since we were in diapers!"
Ruka blinked. "Did I just say all of that out loud?"
Koko's grinned widened. "I dunno. It gets hard to determine the difference between thoughts and words. Am I right?"
Yuu and Ruka stared at him unsure and Natsume and Tsubasa furrowed their brows trying to see what Koko was talking about.
"Never mind. Ruka you were about to say why you were talking to a horse?" Koko divereted.
"Ah. You won't believe me if I tell you." Ruka laughed awkwardly.
"Try us." Tsubasa smirked.
"Before Natsume's dad took the throne, I had the power to communicate with animals. Control them even. But I kept it a secret. But when he banned magic, I didn't completely lose it all. I just can't control animals anymore but I can still talk and understand them."
Koko smile lessoned a bit before he started talking, "I've been keeping a secret too. Before Ruka, I thought that I was the only person that the King's power hadn't got through. I don't know what I would call mine though. Before the King used his power I was able to talk in people's minds, read people's mind, and show them images and everything connected to that. But now the only thing I can do is read their minds."
Tsubasa's eyes widened before he thought about what Koko said. "As long as we are confessing whatever awesome powers we had then lost, I'd like to share mine. Shadow manipulation. Before I could control anyone's shadow without having to lift a finger. Now I have to physically move to step on their shadow with my foot and then only then can I control them."
Everyone turned to Yuu. "I-I-illusion. I can only make pictures now."
'Fire," Natsume said lighting a small flame on the tip of his finger, "But unlike you guys, I've had full control of it before and after except it has a bigger impact on me. It takes more energy to use it."
There was an awkward silence as everyone allowed each other to accept the fact that they all retained some or all of their powers.
Yuu broke the silence, "If we all retained some of our powers, then the kings power must be weakening or less than we had expected it to be."
"If that's the case then we need to find her whilst the king is still weak or before he has less power"
On the outskirts of the Yukihara Kingdom
~~~~~~~~With Mikan ~~~~~~~~
Today was a big day! Today was going to be the day that Mikan leave to go to find Grandpa and Hotaru! She wore white and red leather riding pants, a white short-sleeved blouse and a white floor length travelling cloak, with red trimmings. She finished her breakfast and left the cheese and bread out in case that her Grandpa came back and left a note for him on her neatly made bed. She felt like she was forgetting something. Oh! Her bow and arrows! Mikan ran back to her bedroom and opened her wardrobe. She searched through her once tidy wardrobe until she found her bow and arrow set. Last year, on her birthday, Hotaru got her a travelling cloak, riding pants and bow and arrow kit. Hotaru had said that the arrows were special and that Mikan was never to use them unless her life was in danger. She slung quiver (the thing that holds the arrows) over her shoulders and then slung the bow over as well so that the string piece was across her chest. Mikan left her room, silently apologising for not cleaning up her wardrobe, and grabbed her satchel and left the cottage, giving it one last look before heading over towards the stables. She took the saddle of the wall and began saddling up Hinata. She attached the satchel to the front fork of the saddle and climbed aboard. She trotted Hinata to the middle of the meadow, allowing him to get a quick drink of water before heading onto their journey.
"Heya!" Mikan kicked his flank lightly and he started galloping. She guided him through the trees and onto a small dirt road. If we continue this pace, they we just get there before nightfall! After a couple of hours, she noticed Hinata getting tired so she slowed him down from a gallop into a slow canter, into a fast trot, into a brisk walk. Suddenly Mikan spied a couple of moving figures moving quietly and stealthily along either side of me. She slowed a bit and they did as well. She went a bit faster and then so did they. My instincts were right they were following me! She stopped in the middle of the dirt road and slowly reached for her crossbow as they crashed from either side of her. They glared as they pulled out knives from their sheaths wrapped across their waists. Mikan silently thanked herself for putting on the bow and arrows. She closed one eye and aimed at the figure who was about to fling his knife at her. She shot her arrow at his hand as the blue metal tip hit the knife causing the figures wrist to snap back violently. What she didn't expect to happen was for a thin layer of ice to start to form around the figures hand and start to travel up his arm. The guttural yelp that was shouted out from the figure confirmed her earlier unsaid idea about him being a male. The ice started to thicken until it was several inches thick and was encased around the entire figure. A small puff of frost came out of where the male's mouth was confirming he was completely frozen. The other figure screamed.
"You monster!" He then flung to knives at her, their sharp tips glinting in the sunlight.
She ducked the first one and jumped over the second one before shooting an arrow at the man. It pierced his right thigh and blood started to spurt out. The man howled in pain as the blood that had started to run down his leg began to freeze and the same thing happened to the other man that happened to this one.
She quickly climbed back onto Hinata and they galloped away from the scene of the crime. I wonder who those men were. She focussed on guiding Hinata along the road and away from all the large looking boulders that littered the path.
