The briars seemed much higher when you were in the middle of them They grew so closely together there were times when we couldn't see the sky, times when the way back looked as thick and closed behind us as the way forward.
The briars caught on our clothes, holding us back, scratching us and weighing us down.
It felt like they fought us every step of the way.
Daisuke went in front, hacking at the vines with his sword.
I don't know where he'd kept it—I definitely hadn't spotted it. From the way Takeru's eyes widened he hadn't either. But even our curiousity was worn down by the effort required to push past those unending vines.
"Daisuke? Dai!" Takeru called out, jolting me out my weariness. "We should rest."
"We don't have time—" Daisuke said.
"Hey," I put a hand on his shoulder. "Come on—you need this more than we do, you've been chopping those branches away—that's got to hurt."
"A few minutes won't make that much difference."
"No—you don't understand," Daisuke turned back to us, wiping a mixture of sweat and dirt off his face—the briars had not been kind—"We can't stop moving in here. The briars—"
There was a leafy rustle. Takeru and I looked back to see the branches so recently lopped off by Daisuke begin to regrow.
"Holy—" Takeru took a step closer to me.
"I bet an awful lot of people back home would kill to know what fertiliser this Duke of yours uses," I whispered, watching the vines regrow.
"Don't just stand there. The vines'll wrap around you if you stay still too long. That's what gets most people." Daisuke turned back to the wall of briars.
I kicked off a vine that was indeed trying to wrap myself around my leg.
"Dai?" Takeru said. "Why don't you let me take the sword for awhile. You must be tired."
"I . . . I guess so. But make sure you hand it over once you start to feel tired," Daisuke said.
"We'll all take turns," I said. "Come on, let's get out of here."
The vines were getting on my nerves.
We hacked our way through the rest of them in silence, broken only by Takeru's comment that didn't this remind us of Sleeping Beauty? I'd been too tired to respond. It was my turn with the sword. I had no idea how Daisuke had managed to keep going for as long as he had alone.
"There—" Daisuke pointed upwards and we could see a stone wall not too far from us. "We're there! I'll take the sword again—"
Another ten minutes and we'd reached the wall.
"Dai?" Takeru wondered. "How are we going to get in? I mean, there's no door or anything . . ."
A rope was dropped from the battlements. Daisuke grinned at us.
"Ask and you'll receive—"
Takeru was to climb up first, then me, with Daisuke last to make sure the vines didn't hinder us. I watched my brother disappear over the wall anxiously, wondering what we were getting ourselves into—
"Your turn!" Takeru called to me from the top.
It had been awhile since we'd climbed ropes in gym—I pulled myself up as quickly as I could, conscious that the Duke who's castle we were breaking into probably had guards set. A smooth pair of hand helped pull me over the wall and onto the battlements.
"Thanks," I said, letting go of the hand . . . then staring as I saw who it was attached to.
A slender girl, Takeru's age, dressed in a formal dress, elegantly formed from satin and pearl. I knew she was the princess instantly, from the aura of sorrow mixed with wisdom in her face.
"I—you're welcome," she replied after a moment of hesitation, looking past me to Daisuke now pulling the rope up after him. "Daisuke are you sure that these two—"
"Your highness, I wouldn't mess something like this up! He—" Daisuke pointed at me, "has the necklace."
She turned back to me again, a considering look in her eyes. "You do?"
"Your brother gave it to me," I pull it out of my shirt to show her, but her eyes don't move from my face.
I don't really want to complain. Her eyes are the same shade as her brothers and it's almost like seeing him again—
"Your name?" she asked.
"Ishida Yamato."
She nodded. "I welcome you Yamato. And please—do anything you can to save my brother."
I nod. "I—He's important to me."
She smiles. "That's why he choose you. We're not quite sure why—there are many powerful sorcerers and spell casters in this world. But he believes that you can succeed where we have failed . . ."
"I'll certainly do my best . . ." Even though I'm not sure what is expected of me.
She doesn't question that, but motions us to follow her. "The Duke has kindly granted me my own quarters to prepare for the wedding, and some semblance of privacy. However I doubt that we'll be able to make it to him without someone noticing. Are you armed Daisuke?"
"Of course, your highness."
"What did I tell you about that?"
"Sorry, Hikari."
"That's better. And your companions?"
"Us? We're not armed."
Hikari frowned. "Then it's a good thing I brought my rapier."
Takeru and I gape at her. This polished, fairy tale like character is going to fight?
"The plan is simple. We go to my brother as quickly as possible. You two try to wake him, while we try and keep the Duke's men away for as long as possible," The princess detailed in a tone that accepted no disagreement.
"But—I can't let you fight and not help!" Takeru protested, catching Daisuke's hand.
"Takeru," Daisuke said gently cupping his face. "I'll be fine. I know how to use a sword. You don't. It's better you're out of the way—then I know that you'll be safe and I have something to win the battle for."
My brother melted at those words putting his hand out to brush Daisuke's.
Time for that talk now—
"Please," Hikari placed a gentle hand over mine. "Let them."
"But—" I protested. "He's my brother—"
"Love places no stock in claims like that. Let him be. He must discover this for himself—they both must. Love is blind, but not callous. And in the end . . . love can be more powerful than magic."
I looked back at my brother still staring at Daisuke—and Daisuke still staring back, and swallowed.
Although every big brotherly instinct I had wanted to push the two of them apart, I had to admit, they were happy, and they seemed to care about each other.
"I see." I frowned suddenly. "Is love really more powerful than magic?"
"In some circumstances yes. That is why I was rather discomfited by your arrival. We were expecting a girl—not that it makes any difference of course. If you love my brother—"
I choked. "Love him—"
"Yes." She raised an eyebrow. "You didn't come all this way just to say hello, did you?"
I hadn't thought about that. I'd hoped that something might happen, but—
"We should go," Daisuke said. "After all, we can't have much time."
Hikari took the lead again. "Follow me."
Some guards stood at the head of a corridor.
"Forgive your royal highness, but his excellency the Duke forbids anyone to enter this corridor."
"I wish to see my brother," Hikari said crisply. "Out of my way."
"But Highness—"
"Out of my way!"The guards stepped aside, shooting each other worried looks. Hikari stalked past with the rest of us close behind.
"They've gone to report to the Duke," Daisuke said.
"Then we don't have much time." Hikari took my hand. "Yamato, please—for our kingdom, and for my brother, don't fail."
"Takeru, go. Make sure you stay hidden—" Daisuke squeezed my brother's hand.
Takeru nodded. "Just be careful."
"The door at the end of the corridor," Hikari said, drawing her rapier. "Get going, now."
It was the same business like tone she'd used on the guards. It was equally effective used on us.
The corridor ended in a dark high celilinged room, rather like the interior of a gothic cathedral. Takeru and I stepped forward nervously into the shadows. As our eyes grew more accustomed to the shadow I heard Takeru take a deep breath.
"Yamato, this place is fantastic!"
I nodded. "The carving . . . its incredible."
Takeru nodded, tracing the curve of a stone cheek. "They're so life like—I can't believe how real they look!"
I nodded, letting my eyes linger on the carved people decorating the walls for one more moment. We continued to search the room.
The sound of metal upon metal suddenly interrupted our exploration of the corners of the strange room. In silence we intensified our search, knowing we were fast running out of time.
"Yamato, there's no-one in here!" Takeru said finally, admitting the truth that I'd been refusing to believe.
"Maybe we got the wrong place—"
"This is where Hikari said!" I snapped back.
"But he's not here! Maybe the Duke moved him or something—"
"Well we can't do anything now!" Frustrated I spun around, stopping as my eyes came to rest on a carving set slightly apart from the rest.
It couldn't be . . .
But it was.
"Takeru?" I whispered. "We've found him."
Takeru joined me at my elbow. "But—you mean—"
"They did say he was under a spell," I replied, looking at the stone in front of me. It had to be him. There was just no way it could not be—no human hands could have replicated him so perfectly, down to the slight mussed fall of his hair across his face—
"At least he's good looking," Takeru said thoughtfully. "It's nice to know you do have some taste."
I glared at him. He beamed sunnily back.
"Want me to remind you of the last people you dated?"
A scream from the corridor reminded us of how urgent the matter was.
"You better break the spell soon, Yama—" Takeru said, running to the doorway.
"It would help if I knew how—"
Takeru smirked at me from the doorway. "Isn't a kiss usual in these circumstances?"
He would be right.
I placed one hand on his cold, stone shoulder. "Taichi," I whispered, using his name for the first time. "I've kept my promise. I brought your necklace back for you." Then I gingerly bent down and placed my lips over his unfeeling mouth.
And nothing happened.