Part Two
Morning
dawned sooner than Miyako would have liked. Shortly after sunrise, Sora knocked
on her door, awakening her.
"Good
morning!" the redhead said, a bit too cheerful for Miyako's taste. Piyomon
behind her rubbed her eyes.
"How
can you be so awake?" Hawkmon wondered, sitting up from his sleep at the
foot of Miyako's bed.
Sora
shrugged. "I can't help it," she replied. "Every time I'm here I
just feel so - alive."
Miyako
yawned. "I feel exhausted," she half-complained.
"Well,
you'd better wake up soon," Sora warned. "We've got to get dressed
and meet the King and the Queen and Prince Taichi and Princess Hikari before
breakfast."
"Before
breakfast?" Miyako asked. "Why can't we eat first?"
"It
would be rude," Piyomon explained. "If we don't greet the royal
family before breakfast we'll be seen as freeloaders who are just here for the
food."
"Besides,
don't you want to meet Princess Hikari?" Hawkmon reminded her.
Miyako
nodded with a sigh. She slipped into the bathroom, where she found a servant
was just finishing drawing her a bath. She thanked the woman and undressed,
bathing quickly so she could get started on the complicated process of
dressing.
"What
does one wear to breakfast?" she asked Sora, who was still in her bathrobe,
peering over her trunk.
"Something
light, yet simple," the other girl replied. "Formal, but not too
fancy." She fumbled through her trunk and finally found a light blue,
light weight dress with white trim. "This will work, won't it?"
Piyomon
nodded from where she stood perched in front of the mirror, preening her
feathers. "It's perfect, Sora."
Miyako
frowned momentarily while she thought of her own wardrobe. "I suppose my
purple dress will work, right?"
Sora
nodded in agreement. "That'll be perfect," she replied. She picked up
her clothes and began to undress. "Call me if you need any help," she
added as Miyako departed.
***
Daisuke
knocked on the door of Ken's room. "I sure hope he slept at least a few
hours last night," he commented to V-mon. "The King sure won't like
it if he falls asleep in the middle of introductions."
"No,
he won't," V-mon agreed.
A few
seconds later a visibly tired boy yawned as he opened the door. Daisuke was
slightly annoyed and rather frustrated. "Did you sleep?" he demanded
of his friend as he burst past him into the room.
"Of
course I slept," Ken replied. "A few hours."
"A
few hours too little," the other shot back. "Come on. You've got to
bathe and dress or we'll be late for the introductions."
"Oh
my gosh, I almost forgot," Ken remembered as he dashed to the tub. While
he frantically bathed, Daisuke, Wormmon, and V-mon searched through his trunk
for a good outfit.
"Purple's
always looked good on him," Wormmon nodded appreciatively.
"And
dark blue," V-mon agreed as Daisuke held up an outfit.
"Perfect."
A few
seconds later, Ken dashed out of the bathroom, his hair still dripping wet.
"Am I late?" he wondered.
"Relax.
There's plenty of time. I've still got to dress," Daisuke assured him. He
pointed to the outfit on the bed. "Dry off and change. I'll meet ya in the
parlor in five so we can check and make sure you didn't forget anything."
***
(Ten
minutes later)
Iori
tapped softly on the younger people's doors, hoping they'd be ready in time. He
stepped back and waited for them to emerge.
Jun
arrived first. Her hair was done up in an almost outrageous fashion, and she
dressed in a pale yellow dress with a purple sash around the waist. Iori forced
himself not to react to her outfit. Beside him, his Armadimon groaned almost
inaudibly.
Though
Iori noticed, the two females were oblivious to Armadimon's discomfort.
"Don't I look fabulous?" Jun questioned, spinning around slightly.
Beside her, Alraumon did the same. Iori gulped slightly, thankful, for once,
that he had met Jun before and knew what to expect.
The
door of the room next to Jun opened, and Sora, Piyomon, Miyako, and Hawkmon
exited, saving the young advisor from a potentially life-threatening situation.
Both girls were infinitely better looking then Jun, in his opinion, and he was
pleased things were moving along.
"Well,
I'm ready," Sora decided. She patted her hair to make sure it was still
looking the way it should, and looked over Miyako to make sure she was looking
decent enough as well.
"Where
is my brother?" Jun wondered. She stepped forward, ready to pound on the
door, when suddenly the door opened and the boy in question exited.
Daisuke
was dressed in a simple yet elegant outfit - a pair of dark blue pants, a white
shirt, and a maroon colored jacket. V-mon next to him had a single bow tied
around his neck, making him look adorably cute and dapper.
Miyako
and Sora both grinned at the cute blue digimon's accessory and complimented him
on it. Jun simply rolled her eyes and looked disgusted.
The
last door opened and Ken appeared, still carrying his green companion in his
arms. His outfit was similar to Daisuke's only with a darker purple jacket
instead of a maroon one. He bowed slightly to the others.
"Sorry
for the delay," he apologized simply. The others simply nodded in
acknowledgement as they all followed Iori to the main throne room.
Daisuke
and Jun's parent's had already presented themselves and had been excused, as
Lady Motomiya was still feeling a bit tired from the trip. Lord Motomiya had
decided to stay with his wife, and they were taking breakfast in their room.
Miyako
was impressed with the throne room. It was most certainly the largest room in
the palace. Iori led them through a pair of tall polished wooden doors and down
an incredibly long red carpet. At the end of the hall, the King and Queen as
well as their digimon, their children, and their children's digimon sat on
magnificent thrones.
The
King was dressed in a regal outfit, a long red cape flowing behind him. On his
right side and slightly behind him was Leomon, one of the strongest digimon in
the land. To his left sat his wife, the Queen, and her digimon, an Elecmon
which sat on her lap.
To the
right of Leomon was a young boy with a wild amount of brown hair. He looked
about Sora's age, and Miyako guessed that this must be Prince Taichi. He had a
serious face plastered on, but she saw his eyes twinkle happily when he must
have noticed Sora. His Agumon sat beside him, also looking rather serious but
playful at the same time.
To the
left of the Queen was a young girl about Miyako's age. She had short brown hair
and light brown eyes, and she was dressed in a simple yet elegant pink dress.
Tailmon, her digimon, stood next to her, looking pleased but quite protective.
The Princess Hikari looked slightly bored, but pleased when she saw the group
of young people enter the hall.
Iori
walked first, followed by the Motomiya siblings, who walked side by side. Sora
and Miyako fell behind them, and Ken followed, still carrying his digimon.
The
leader of the small group stepped forward when they reached the thrones and
knelt. Beside him, Armadimon bowed his yellow head. "Your majesty,"
the boy began.
"Yes
Iori?" the King questioned in a booming yet kind-sounding voice.
Iori
nodded and stood. "The Lord and Lady Motomiya have sent their children to
be presented," he announced, stepping to the side. "May I present
Daisuke and Jun Motomiya."
The two
siblings stepped forward in unison. Daisuke bowed, Jun curtsied, and then they
knelt on the ground. The king nodded, and the siblings rose.
"My
digimon, V-mon," Daisuke announced.
"And
this is Alraumon," Jun declared.
The
King and Queen both nodded, pleased, but said nothing else. Prince Taichi was
smiling, but remained silent, as did his sister.
Daisuke
and Jun stepped to the side, their digimon following. Nervously, Miyako
approached, following Sora's lead.
"Lady
Takenouchi's daughter, Sora," Iori announced. Sora curtsied slightly and kneeled
momentarily before rising and announcing Piyomon, who bowed as well.
The
King and Queen nodded in response, and Sora stepped to the side. Miyako glanced
nervously at Hawkmon for a moment before she heard the young man announce her
name.
"Lord
and Lady Inoue's youngest child, Miyako," Iori stated.
Miyako
nervously curtsied and then kneeled. She rose again when she noticed the King
and Queen nodding their appreciation.
"And
this is Hawkmon," Miyako introduced, pleased to see her voice didn't waver.
Hawkmon, always a fan of formalities, stepped beside her and bowed low. The
King and Queen nodded again, and Miyako could see a soft smile on the face of
the Princess.
"Finally,
Ken Ichijouji," Iori concluded. The dark haired young man stepped forward.
He bowed low and knelt before rising again. He placed his green digimon on the
floor and stepped to the side.
"Wormmon,"
Ken stated plainly. The green digimon bowed as best he was able before
scuttling back to his partner and standing beside him.
'So
that's his digimon,' Miyako noted.
The
King arose. "Welcome," he told the guests. "It is good to see
you again that I have seen before, and those that are new visitors as
well." His eyes rested briefly on Miyako before he continued.
He
turned to the digimon on his right. "Leomon is my loyal companion and
advisor," he stated, and the tall feline bowed low. The King turned to his
left. "The woman of my life, and her advisor, Elecmon," he continued.
The Queen nodded briefly, and Elecmon in her lap did the same.
"To
my right, my son, Taichi, and Agumon," the king continued. Taichi smiled
proudly and nodded slightly. Miyako noticed his eyes again smiling in Sora's
direction, and noticed a slight blush on her friend's face. "And on my
left, the birthday girl, Hikari, my daughter, and Tailmon, her friend and
protector."
Hikari
blushed slightly and smiled as she nodded.
"Now
that the introductions are complete, let us eat," the Queen declared, and
the rest of the room agreed.
***
Miyako
had expected a grander ceremonial breakfast, but it was a light meal. The party
ate in a sunny parlor, and the meal was filled with conversation.
The
King sat in the center of the table, his wife beside him. To the right was his
son, to the left his daughter. Miyako was seated next to Hikari, and Sora
beside her. Jun sat on the left end of the table. To the right of Taichi sat
Daisuke and then Ken, and finally Iori on the right end of the table.
"Normally
there are more people here for meals," Hikari explained to Miyako as she
sat down. "But it's only breakfast, so we wanted to keep it simple. At
dinner tomorrow there will be more people."
"Especially
when Lord and Lady Ishida arrive," the Queen added. "Along with their
sons."
Miyako
felt her stomach twist over itself at the thought of meeting more people, but
she simply nodded in response to the information.
"Don't
worry, they're all very nice people," Sora assured her.
"Especially
Yamato," Jun agreed, turning pink as she thought of the boy in question.
Miyako
noticed Sora rolling her eyes slightly, but said nothing. "Yamato?"
she questioned instead.
"The
older Ishida boy," Hikari explained. "He's about Taichi's age, and
one of his closest friends."
"The
younger is Takeru," Sora continued. "He's your age."
"Who
else will be here?" Miyako wondered.
"Probably
Lord Jyou," Hikari continued. "He's the palace doctor. Another close
friend of my brother."
"And
Koushiro?" Sora wondered. At the Princess's nod, she explained. "He's
a very talented young man. A wizard type. Brilliant."
Jun
nodded but looked bored. "His parents were killed when he was young and he
was raised as a commoner," she explained with a snort. "Plain little
guy."
"Yes,
but very smart," Hikari replied. "And Lady Tachikawa will be here in
a few days with Mimi. She's very nice."
Sora
nodded. "Mimi is my age," she informed Miyako. "Her father is a
workaholic of sorts. You never see him. She travels mainly with her
mother."
"There's
so many people," Miyako groaned slightly. She was beginning to feel
queasy.
"Don't
worry," Hikari assured her. "They're all very nice. I'm sure you
won't have to worry."
***
Across
the table, Ken was finding it difficult to stay awake. Daisuke and Iori were
talking with Taichi, and he found his attention wandering from the
conversation.
"Ken,
are you alright?" he heard Wormmon question. Although the digimon were
eating and talking together in another room, his partner had wobbled back to
him and was now on the floor at his feet.
"Yeah,
just tired," he whispered back. "Get back to the others."
Wormmon
nodded reluctantly as he scurried away. Ken drank another glass of orange juice
and tried not to fall asleep in his porridge.
***
After
breakfast was completed, Jun excused herself to nap. She was still worn out
from the night before, she explained as she returned to her room. The King and
Queen left to begin the stately duties of the day, and Iori went with them.
The
rest of the young people followed Hikari and Taichi out to the grounds.
"I
was thinking we could have some archery practice for a while," the young
Prince suggested.
"Good
idea," Hikari decided. She turned to Miyako. "Have you ever practiced
archery?"
"Once
or twice," Miyako replied. "I'm not that good at it."
"Don't
worry, we'll fix that," Taichi assured her with a grin.
Hawkmon
stepped forward as they were turning to depart. "Miyako, I've been invited
to head for a tour of the grounds," he informed her. "I shall return
by lunch."
Miyako
nodded. "Have fun!" she told her partner as he rushed off with the
other digimon.
"Archery
is really a good skill to know," Taichi was saying as he led the group to
the targets. "You never know when you might need to defend yourself and
there are no bodyguards around to protect you."
"That's
for sure," Sora agreed. "Why, just the other day, Miyako's life was
in grave danger. If it wasn't for a friendly but strange young man, she might
have been badly injured or even killed."
Miyako
blushed slightly. Hikari looked interested. "What happened?" she
wondered.
"It's
nothing, really," Miyako mumbled.
Taichi
was interested. "Your life was in danger?"
Miyako
nodded. "I was in the marketplace with Sora, Piyomon, and Hawkmon,"
she explained. "And a stranger saved me from a wayward arrow."
"A
wayward arrow?" Daisuke questioned the use of her words.
"It
wasn't wayward! It was deliberately aimed for you!" Sora agreed. "He
said so."
"Well,"
Miyako mumbled.
"He?"
Taichi asked his friend.
"This
strange man. He was dressed mostly in black and wore a mask," Miyako spoke
up. "He saved my life."
"He
also said that it's possible someone is after Miyako's life," Sora added.
"How
horrifying for you," Hikari stated sympathetically, grasping her new
friend's hand in her own.
"It
was alright," Miyako explained. "I wasn't injured. He saved me."
She found her eyes wandering past the Princess and rested on Ken. He had a
similar digimon, she was certain of it. And he had appeared at around the same
time.
"Any
idea who it could be?" Sora asked Taichi.
Taichi
frowned in thought. He remained silent until they reached the archery grounds.
Hikari
volunteered to go into a nearby shed where the bows and arrows were stored. She
passed them out to the assembled group.
For a
few moments, the only sounds were the whizzing of arrows and compliments as the
group of young people practiced their shooting.
Daisuke
turned to his somewhat more awakened friend as he lodged a perfect bull's eye.
"You'd better watch out," he whispered. "The Dark Bandit is
known for his sharp shooting."
Ken
merely snorted and glared at his friend with a look that warned him to be
quiet. But his next few shots were slightly off.
"Any
thoughts yet, brother?" Hikari questioned as the group paused in their
shooting to retrieve the arrows from the targets.
Taichi
vaulted the fence between the archers and the targets. "Just one," he
replied. "I've heard Father speak of a Dark Bandit."
"That's
him!" Miyako realized. "When I asked the stranger who he was, he said
his enemies referred to him as a Dark Bandit!"
Taichi
paused behind the fence, arrows still in hand. "We're still not certain of
this bandit's intentions," he informed them. He handed a few arrows to
Hikari.
"Why
not?" his sister questioned.
"His
actions have been mixed," the Prince replied. He passed some arrows to
Sora and Miyako as he spoke. "Sometimes they're good, sometimes they're
not."
Daisuke
took the arrows from Taichi. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.
Taichi
paused and climbed onto the short wooden fence. "Well, he has helped to
free some dangerous criminals, but he has saved a few people's lives as
well," he explained.
He held
out the last arrows to Ken. "Perhaps there is a meaning behind his actions
that you haven't yet deciphered," the dark haired boy speculated. Daisuke
shot him a worried glance.
"Most
likely," Taichi replied with a shrug, not noticing the glance exchanged.
"I don't know all the details."
"Saving
lives and liberating criminals seem to be two separate and unlinked
actions," Sora noted.
"Maybe
he thought the criminals were imprisoned wrongly," Miyako suggested
meekly. She was uneager to get involved in the debate, but felt her thoughts
must be known.
Taichi
nodded. "Perhaps. I don't know all the facts," he replied. "I
think that I'll ask Father for more information on the subject." He
notched his bow and shot an arrow into the center of the target. "How
about a match?" he proposed.
"A
match?" Miyako questioned.
"Great
idea!" Hikari agreed. "We'll see who's the best archer then!"
The
match was underway a short while later. Each competitor would shoot four
arrows. Those with the most accurate shots would go on to the next round.
The
first round went quickly, and Daisuke was eliminated. Groaning, the redhead
hopped the fence to retrieve the remaining arrows, and the next round began.
The
archers began the second round. Taichi and Ken scored bull's eyes all four
times, Hikari and Sora were next closest with two each, and Miyako scored only
one.
"I
guess I'm done, then," Miyako decided. She sighed and began to walk around
the fence to get the arrows.
"I've
got it." Daisuke leapt over the fence and retrieved the arrows before she
could continue.
In the
third round, Hikari was able to best Sora by one bull's eye, leaving the elder
girl to retrieve the arrows. Before Daisuke could move, she had leapt over the
fence herself, leaving the boy to stare.
Taichi
laughed heartily at his friend's surprise. "Should have known,
Daisuke," he reminded him. "Sora's not gonna let you get the better
of her."
Daisuke
nodded and laughed in agreement.
The
fourth round was tough, but Hikari was finally eliminated when the other two
boys were able to bull's eye each time, continuing their perfect streak, and
she missed one.
"I'll
never be as good as you, Taichi," she commented appreciatively as she
retrieved the arrows.
"I
guess it's just us two, then," Taichi grinned to his opponent. Ken smiled
slightly back.
Daisuke
stepped up to his friend. "I'd be careful here, Ken," he warned. Ken
nodded in acknowledgement but merely brushed the warning aside.
The
three girls sat behind the competitors on the grass where they could easily
view the match.
Daisuke
flopped down beside the Princess and sighed. "We could be here a
while," he grumbled.
"I
didn't know Ken was so good at archery," Hikari commented.
"He's
been practicing," the other explained. He sighed. "I wish he could
teach me better."
"You're
not that bad, Daisuke," Sora told him. "I've seen you shoot before.
You just had an off day."
"Yeah,
I have an off day every day," the boy grumbled.
"Hey!
We're trying to shoot!" Taichi interrupted. "Could we have
quiet?"
As
Daisuke predicted, the last round lasted quite a while. Seventeen times the two
boys shot their four arrows and hit bull's eyes. Each time they retrieved the
arrows and shot again. Daisuke was beginning to tire. He leaned back in the
grass and let his eyes droop.
After
the nineteenth time, the digimon returned and observed the contest for a bit.
After
the twenty sixth shot, Hikari began to wonder if it would ever end.
After
the thirty first shot, Miyako's stomach began to growl as lunch neared.
By the
thirty fifth shot, Daisuke was desperate. He stood up and marched to his
friend.
"Ken,
we can't keep this up forever," he pleaded. "Come on!"
Ken
narrowed his indigo-colored eyes at his friend and Daisuke argued no further.
"He's
being stubborn," the redhead informed the Princess as he returned to the
group. "We're lucky if they're done by midnight."
Hikari
sighed. "Taichi's just as stubborn," she agreed. "Neither can
call it a tie."
"I'm
hungry," Miyako half-whined. "I don't want to wait until midnight to
eat!"
"Hey!"
Taichi shouted again. "I can't concentrate if you're talking!"
As he
was yelling, Ken notched his shot and scored another perfect bull's eye.
Impressed, but increasingly frustrated, the Prince frowned and aimed his own
shot.
His
anger and frustration joined with his increasingly tired arm. The shot was off.
Only by a slight bit, but enough to sway the contest.
The
arrow landed on the line between the bull's eye circle and one of the outer
circles.
There
was a tense moment of silence. Daisuke held his breath. Ken turned to the
Prince. Taichi was silent as well.
"Should
we be scared?" Hawkmon whispered to Miyako, who had no idea.
Finally
the silence was broken. Taichi stepped forward and held out his hand to his
opponent. "Good match," he congratulated.
Daisuke
let out his breath, nearly choking as he coughed.
Ken
grasped the Prince's hand and shook it. "It was. You are a worthy
opponent," he complimented the other. He smiled and bowed slightly, and
Taichi did the same.
***
Later
that evening, Daisuke paced back and forth across the shared parlor.
"Worthy opponent," he grumbled under his breath. "I was sure we
were both going to be killed on the spot."
The
door to Ken's chamber opened and the boy stepped out, dressed in loose dark
pants and shirt. A dark hat with a purple sash around it was in his right hand.
"Why would you be killed?" he wondered. "You didn't defeat the
Prince in an archery tournament. Besides, Taichi's a good looser. It's his
father I'm uncertain of."
Daisuke
just sighed as he sat down on a couch. "You're going out again?" he
demanded. "Why?"
The
other shrugged. "There's still work to be done," he reminded his
friend. "Her life is still in danger."
"I'm
not sure I get why we're protecting her, anyway. Aren't we supposed to be
protesting the King's injustices?"
"Perhaps."
Ken shrugged. "She needs to be protected though."
"You're
not falling for her are you?"
The
Dark Bandit shook his head. "Of course not," he replied. He wrapped
the dark cloth that served as a mask over his eyes. "Just doing good, the
way I'm supposed to."
"You're
going to get killed if you don't watch out," V-mon stated bluntly.
"I
wish you wouldn't go out without me. What if there's trouble?" Wormmon
questioned.
His
partner, now in disguise, knelt before the green digimon. "Don't
worry," he assured him. His eyes were soft and kind. "I'll be
alright. You need to stay here so that we're not recognized. I promise, as soon
as we get back home we'll work together again. Here, it's just too
dangerous."
Wormmon
nodded. He understood, but wasn't happy about it.
"I'd
better go. If I stay much longer I'll get you three in trouble." He turned
towards the picture window and opened it.
"If
I was gonna be in trouble, it would have happened already," Daisuke
commented. He turned towards the window, but Ken was already gone. "I wish
he wouldn't do that," he sighed to V-mon.
"Disappear?"
V-mon wondered.
"Go
out like that at all," Daisuke replied. "He worries me."
"Me
too," Wormmon sighed. "Me, too."
***
Miyako
stood next to Hikari on a balcony. Jun was already in her room for the night,
and Sora was with the Prince. Daisuke and Ken had already decided to retire,
which left only her and the Princess together.
"The
stars are beautiful," Miyako commented. She had only known Hikari for a
few hours, yet she already felt as though she could trust her as much as she
did Sora.
"They
are," Hikari agreed. She pointed to a building in the distance.
"That's the greenhouse," she informed her new friend.
"There
are plants there?" Hawkmon asked.
"Yup,"
Hikari smiled. "That's what they grow in a greenhouse. Rare and beautiful
plants."
"Alraumon
and Palmon like to go there when they visit," Tailmon explained.
"Palmon
is Mimi's digimon," Hikari explained to Miyako's confused look. "She
looks a bit like Alraumon."
There
was silence for a few moments as the two surveyed the landscape.
"Miyako,
you're sixteen already, right?" Hikari questioned. Miyako nodded.
"Yes,
why?"
"Well,
I turn sixteen in two days. I'm kind of nervous," the Princess confessed.
"Why?"
Miyako asked again.
Hikari
sat down on a nearby chair. "I guess I'm afraid about getting older,"
she confessed. "Afraid of getting married and stuff."
"You're
afraid you'll have a bad husband or something?" Miyako wondered.
"Yes,"
Hikari replied. "I'm afraid I'm not sure quite yet who I want that to be.
What if Mother and Father arrange it for me with someone I don't like?"
"Do
you have anyone yet you'd like it to be?" the other questioned.
Hikari
blushed slightly. "I like a couple different ones," she replied.
"There are quite a few that I'm friends with. I'm not sure if I'd like
them as husbands, though."
"Who
are they?" Miyako asked. She sat down near Hikari.
"Well,"
the other began. She blushed again. "I don't like to admit it to many
people, but Daisuke is one of them."
"Daisuke?"
Miyako repeated.
"My
brother would be pleased if I did. He's quite fond of Daisuke."
"But
-," Miyako prompted.
"But
I'm not sure if I like Daisuke that way. I mean, he's a good friend,
but...," she trailed off. "I'm not sure if I'd like to marry
him."
Tailmon
bristled slightly. "I'm not sure I'd like to either," she agreed.
"He's rather loud and obnoxious. Hot headed."
Miyako
couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the feline digimon's assessment.
"Who else?"
"Well,
there's the younger Ishida brother, Takeru," Hikari continued. "He'll
be here tomorrow. He's very nice. And Taichi wouldn't mind me marrying him
either. He's good friends with Yamato."
Miyako
nodded. "But -."
"But,
I'm not sure I'd like to marry him either. I've known him forever as a friend.
Going past that -," she trailed off slightly again. "I'm just not
sure."
"Both
my older sisters were married young," Miyako informed the princess.
"Momoe, the next youngest after me, was married at fifteen. She thought
she was ready, but she isn't happy. I think it's best if we wait as long as
possible."
"Fifteen?"
the princess paled slightly. "I think I'll wait, too," she agreed.
Miyako
yawned. "So will I," she agreed. She stood, stretching her arms.
"If you'll excuse me, Princess, I need to get some sleep." She bowed
slightly as she turned to leave.
"Miyako,"
the Princess spoke up. "Thanks for the advice. And, please, call me Hikari."
Miyako
smiled. "Certainly," she replied. She bowed slightly as she left,
Hawkmon following her. "Good night, Hikari."
"Good-night
Miyako," Hikari replied.
***
Far
above the two girls, a lone dark figure watched Miyako depart. The Dark Bandit
peered over the edge of the building and watched her return to the building. A
few minutes later, Tailmon followed her inside.
Hikari
stood up and peered over the ledge again. "You can come down now,"
she stated.
The
dark figure paused momentarily.
"There's
no use in hiding," she continued. "I know you're there. If you don't
come down willingly, I'll have Tailmon out here and you'll come by force."
There
was a flutter in the wind and the Dark Bandit was then standing on the balcony
ledge. "How might I assist you, Princess?" he questioned, bowing low.
Hikari
stepped back from the ledge and faced him. "I want to know what interest
you have in Miyako," she demanded.
"Her
best interests, your majesty," he replied. "I'm watching out for
her."
"Are
you going to tell me who you really are?"
He
shook his head. "Apologies, Princess, but I cannot."
She
frowned. "Why are you watching out for her?"
"An
attempt was made on her life," he replied simply. "Since the
attempted assassin has not been found, it's logical to assume she's still in
danger." He stepped down from the ledge and knelt before her. "Excuse
my rudeness, Princess, but I do have a mission."
"Do
you know who wants her life?"
The
dark bandit remained kneeling. "No," he replied. "That's why I'm
watching her."
"Are
your intentions good?" she questioned.
"I
like to believe so, Princess," he replied.
The
princess frowned again. "If my brother finds you around here-," she
warned.
"I
assure you, my lady, he will not."
She
stepped forward and reached out to his face. Against his better judgment, the
Dark Bandit remained kneeling and did not move. Hikari lifted his chin so he
was facing her. She peered into his dark eyes.
"Can
you promise me?"
"I
will do my best, Princess. Miyako will not be harmed, and your brother will not
know of my existence here tonight." His eyes were kind and soft, but
sincere.
Hikari
frowned slightly once more. "What reasons have I to trust you?"
"None,
your majesty," he replied.
She
sighed and stepped away from him. "Very well. If my brother or my father
find you, I don't know that I'll be able to help you," she warned him.
"I
am aware, Princess," he replied.
"I
cannot vouch for the rest of your actions. But where Miyako is concerned, I
suppose I have no choice but to trust you."
"As
you wish, Princess."
She
smiled slightly. "Consider me something of an ally," she explained.
"Miyako's safety is my concern as well."
He
nodded, smiling back. "Thank you, your majesty."
"Hikari?"
a voice called from the inside. Hikari turned to see who it was. She turned
back, recognizing the voice.
"That's
my brother. You'd better -," she trailed off. The Dark Bandit was already
gone.
"Hikari?"
"Out
here, brother."
"Ah.
There you are. I was getting worried. What are you doing out here?"
"I
was talking to Miyako," Hikari replied. "She left, and I was watching
the stars."
"And
Tailmon?" the Prince wondered.
His
sister shrugged. "Around, I suppose. Don't worry, brother. I'm safe."
Taichi
nodded nervously. "I know," he replied with a smile. "I'm
heading to bed now. Are you sure you're alright?"
"I'll
be fine," she assured him. With reluctance, he turned to leave.
"Good
night, brother," she told him once they were inside again.
"Good
night, Hikari," he replied.
***
Yeah! Another part posted. Ff.net stopped being a
pain today! ^_^
Well, I'm really happy about all the people who reviewed
this story so far! I really appreciate it!
To anyone who asked me about couples – I think there
were a few of you – this will have small and, much later, blatant hints of
Kenyako and Daikari. Originally, I was thinking of Takari, but, to be honest, I
think Takeru is really really underdeveloped in this story, and a lot of the
focus is on Daisuke, after all. I don't dislike Takeru, I just can't write him
well. And he's not focused on in this at all. I try not to ignore him but I don't
always succeed.
As for Kenyako? I just like it. The couples will NOT
be the main focus of the story at ANY point. If you want romance, go look for
romance. This story focuses on the friendship between Ken and Daisuke and a bit
on the sibling relationship between Taichi and Hikari. The romances come second
to the story.
That said, I henceforth end my little rant and hope
you keep reading. ^_^ Enjoy!
