The Year of Magic

Ok sorry this chapter took a little bit longer but I've been working on a song fic that I hope will come out soon. Oh yeah and not enough people answered my poll for me to list the results but maybe next chapter...

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"What's up Tai?" Kari asked. Her brother looked up and into her face. "I've found their trail." Kari looked confused. "Their trail? As in more than one?" Tai nodded. "It looks like Yolei has been joined by two men and a wolf." He stated calmly. "Well we know who the wolf is. It's got to be the one you caught her talking to before." Kari said, looking at the wolf's tracks. "I know." Tai replied. "But I didn't know that Yolei had any friends besides us." Kari nodded. "I'm worried about her." She whispered. "It's going to be alright." Her brother said as he stood up to comfort his sister. "Yolei's strong she'll be alright." Kari nodded again. "I know."

*****Deeper in the woods

"YOLEI!! STOP!!" Ken ran to her side. She had been attempting to stand. "I told you not to put any pressure on your ankle." He said gently. "If you do it'll get worse." Yolei sighed, but nodded and sat back down. Ken had told her not to stand, but it annoyed her. She wanted to be able to walk on her own again. Not that she didn't like the fact that Ken had carried her everywhere. A few feet away, Davis chuckled. "No one ever could get Yodels to listen." Yolei turned her head toward him. "I heard that!" She yelled. Davis began to chuckle some more. "Come on Ken. We'd better scout ahead. To see if Bart's troops got ahead of us." Davis waved Ken into the bush. Once they had gotten out of earshot, Davis turned to Ken. "Why haven't you told her?" He asked. Ken looked stunned. "Tell her what?" He asked. Davis sighed. "I know who you are and I know you haven't told Yolei. Why?" Ken's eyes widened. "What do you mean?" Davis shook his head. "I know your Prince Ken Ichijoiji of Dentra." Davis said looking right at him. "I also know about the prophecy. I saw how you where holding her last night. How do I know your not using her?" Ken looked down at the ground. "You obviously don't know the history I have with my kingdom." Ken said slowly. "So tell me." Ken looked at Davis' face. "I ran away. I couldn't stand it there any longer." Davis lifted an eyebrow. "Why?" Ken sighed. "Because no one likes me for who I am. They want to be around me because of my looks, my brain, and my title. Yolei is the first person that likes me for me. I'm afraid that if I tell her who I really am, she'll either hate me, or start seeing me as Prince Ken instead of Ken."

Davis huffed. "You don't give her enough credit. Tell her." With that Davis took a step farther ahead. "Tell her now or I will." He said before leaving Ken alone. I guess I'll have to. I hope she doesn't hate me. Ken turned back toward camp. When he reached it, he saw Yolei stroking Prowler. He walked up to her and she smiled. His heart melted, but he knew what he had to do. "Umm...Yolei. I need to tell you something." He looked at Prowler. "Prowler can you give us a minute?" Yolei asked. The timber wolf stood and padded off to where he had last seen Davis. "What's the matter?" Yolei asked when she saw Ken's worried expression. "Yolei I need to tell you something, but I'm afraid you'll hate me." Yolei pulled him next to her; she could tell how hard this was for him. "Ken, no matter what it is, I won't hate you." She said gently. He looked into those big crimson eyes. He took a deep breath and, "I'm the prince of Dentra." He blurted. "What?!" Yolei was stunned. Of all the things she thought he'd say, this was not one of them. She felt betrayed and angry. "Please don't hate me." He whispered meekly. Suddenly all of her angry just melted away. She looked at his face and saw so much pain there. A tear rolled slowly down his cheek. Yolei raised her hand to his face and wiped it away. He looked up and his gaze met hers. Yolei shifted so that she was kneeling in front of Ken. "Ken. I'm going to try something. I want to know if it's alright for me to see your past." Ken looked at her stunned. But he nodded slowly; he wanted her to trust him.

Yolei placed her index and middle fingers of her right hand on Ken's forehead. She closed her eyes and whispered for him to relax. Yolei was attempting to create a temporary connection between her and Ken. There was a sudden flash of purple and then she was seeing his memories.

*****Flash

A young boy with black, no, indigo hair was sitting with an older boy in what was obviously a bedroom. The older boy looked as if he was teaching the younger boy how to read. Suddenly, a middle-aged man entered the room. "Sam, it's time to go. You've got to meet the princess in an hour." The man said. "Alright father just a minute." The man nodded and left. "Ken, I have to go now. Don't worry I'll be back soon and I want you to practice very hard while I'm gone. Ok?" Sam asked the younger boy. "Ok, Sam, I will." The young Ken said happily. The spiky-haired youth patted his younger brother's head, then he stood to leave. When he reached the door, he turned around. "And Ken?" The little boy looked up. "I'm very proud of you." He said simply, and then left. Ken smiled then went back to his work.

*****Flash

A slightly older Ken was sitting in his parents throne room, watching his mother teach the ladies-in-waiting how to act at a ball. Suddenly, the throne room doors were thrown open and a large man ran in. "Caster, what is the meaning of this!!" The queen yelled. "I'm sorry Milady Ichijoiji," The hunter panted, "but your son, Prince Sam." The queen stood quickly. "What's wrong?" Ken heard the worried tone in her voice. "There's...been...an accident." Caster sputtered. Ken's mother dashed out of the room. Large tears began to roll down the small boy's cheeks.

*****Flash

It was cold and gray, Ken held onto his mother's skirt tightly. He saw his brother lying in the casket. He turned his face back to his mother. "Mommy, why isn't Sam awake? Is he sick?" He asked. Fresh tears began to fall from his mother's eyes. Seeing his mother cry made Ken cry also, but he had no one to hold him. His mother had his father but he was alone. A boy with blue hair, and much older than Ken, walked over and placed his arm around the small boy's shoulders. Ken turned to his friend. "What's wrong with him Joe?" Joe hugged the little boy the explained that his brother had been injured while learning to hunt. "He's not coming back Ken. He died." Joe said slowly. "But he still hasn't Robin Hood to me! He promised he would! He wouldn't leave without reading it to me right?" He pleaded. "No Ken, he wouldn't, but he didn't have a choice." The small boy kept crying.

*****Flash

A much older Ken, obviously his current age, stood outside in a dress suit. He just stared into a small pond in his castle's garden. There was a ball going on in the castle behind him, but he wasn't interested in it. "Ken?" He turned to see a much older Joe walking toward him. "Why aren't you inside?" Ken sighed and turned back to the pond. "I can't stand balls, you know that. Nobody in there likes Ken. They like Prince Ken and they'd like him even more if he'd pick their daughter to be his wife." Ken began to rub his forehead. "I can't take this anymore Joe. Ever since Sam died, my parents have been trying to get me to be just like him. Or marry me off so they can have grandkids and forget that he died. I have to get out of here now. If I stay a moment longer, I may end up killing someone." Joe chuckled. "Don't worry." The healer said. "I'll help you escape." Ken turned to his friend. "Thank you Joe."

*****Flash

Ken was running through the forest. A few paces back, a large, sleek timer wolf gave chase. Ken ran to a clearing where he saw a young lavender haired girl being held hostage. Without hesitation, he jumped in to help.

*****End of flashes

Yolei broke the connection. She fell forward into Ken's waiting arms. "Are you alright?" He asked worriedly. She smiled though she was exhausted. "It's alright Ken. It just drained a lot of my energy that's all." Ken nodded. "What did you do?" Yolei snuggled up to him. "I formed a connection between us. I saw your memories." Ken looked surprised, but he said, "I saw yours too." Yolei stiffened slightly. "What of my past did you see?" Ken asked before she could say anything. "I saw you with your brother. He was teaching you how to read. I saw the day he died, his funeral, the day you ran away, and the day we met." Yolei was very weary now, she could barely keep her eyes open. "What of my past did you see?" She asked. All she heard before she passed out in his arms was, "Everything."

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So what did you think? Please review!! Oh and if you do answer my poll, who is your FAVORITE character and which character do you HATE?!! Thanx!!!!