The Dark Bandit

The Dark Bandit

Part Five

Ken managed to get a full two hours of sleep before Princess Hikari knocked on his door. He plastered on his best surprised face when she told him about the night before and then followed her to her chambers to see his friend.

"I'll leave you alone with him for a bit if you'd like," Hikari offered.

He nodded. "Thank you, Princess," he replied quietly, suddenly desperately afraid she'd recognize him.

She smiled sadly at him and opened the door. With guilt running through his veins, Ken entered the room.

V-mon greeted him with a smile and said nothing as he walked past him to exit the room. The scene had an eerie resemblance to the one Ken had experienced the day before with Lady Motomiya. He shivered slightly as he approached the Princess' bed.

Daisuke was smiling when he saw him. His head was bandaged tightly, but he looked fairly well. Ken felt some relief. His friend appeared to be alright. Nervously and without speaking, he sat in the chair next to the bed.

"How are you?" he asked softly.

There was a moment's silence before the other answered. "I'm alright," he replied. "I had a big headache before, but it's fading now. The doctor's been here twice already, giving me herbs for the pain. I feel a lot better."

Ken nodded, avoiding his friend's eyes. "That's good," he replied.

Daisuke frowned. "Ken, V-mon told me what happened," he told him. He glanced around the room momentarily to make sure no one else could hear. "I don't blame you."

The other boy blinked a few times before he finally looked his friend in the eyes. "You don't?"

The redhead shook his head. "No. Not in the least. It was my own stupidity that got me hurt. Not yours."

"But if I-,"

"If you what? If you had been there with me? I told you to go to sleep. You can't keep me out of this, Ken. I'm your friend and I'm going to help you, just like Hikari and Sora said they would. I want to help," he confessed. "I wish I was you sometimes, helping people like that. I want to help Miyako, too."

Ken sighed. "Everyone does," he assured his friend, a slight smile appearing on his face.

"Then let them," Daisuke insisted. He sighed. "Please don't feel bad or guilty about me getting hurt, Ken. It was my own stupidity, and I know it."

Ken smiled wider. "Alright," he agreed, silently promising himself to keep silent about his promise to Daisuke's mother.

There was a soft tap at the door, and Princess Hikari reentered. "I hope you'll forgive the intrusion," she stated. "But I thought you'd want to know I've persuaded Father to postpone the party another few days."

"Why?" Ken wondered.

"I think this intruder is a real problem," she explained. "As long as there are people getting hurt, we have to deal with it. I don't want this party held until he's discovered."

Daisuke smiled. "An excellent idea, Princess," he replied.

"How do you plan to do this?" Ken questioned.

"That's what I don't know," Hikari confessed. She smiled conspiratorially. "Don't tell Father, but I've decided to discuss it with my best advisors."

"And who are they?" the redheaded boy questioned.

"All of my friends," the Princess replied. "You two, Sora, Takeru, Yamato, my brother. And Miyako." She frowned. "I think it's time we stopped keeping her in the dark."

"Another great idea, Hikari," Daisuke agreed.

"And the Dark Bandit," Hikari added. "I think he needs to be in on this."

Daisuke and Ken exchanged glances. "Why?"

"Well, he's been involved from the start. I think it's only right that he see it through to the end," the Princess replied. "I just wonder how to contact him."

"I think I can do that," Daisuke stated. Ken's eyes grew wide with genuine surprise.

"What?" he demanded of his friend. "How?"

Daisuke looked surprised for a split second at his friend's reaction. "I have my ways," he replied with a grin. Ken frowned.

"You don't know who he is, do you?" Hikari asked. "I've been dying to find out."

Ken frowned deeper and glared his patented eye daggers at his injured friend.

Daisuke shook his head dramatically, and Ken heaved a sigh of relief. "Unfortunately, no," he replied. "I wish I did. He seems like such an honorable young man."

Hikari agreed.

Ken felt his blood pressure rising slightly. "If you'll excuse me, Princess," he stated, standing up and trying to calm himself. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll be able to make it tonight."

Hikari looked surprised and disappointed. "Why not?"

"I - uh - think I have another headache coming on," he confessed. "I don't feel so well. And I promised Daisuke's mother I would visit her today. I'm afraid I'm not much in the mood for planning strategy."

Before either Daisuke or the Princess could react, he had marched quickly out of the room. "Ken!" Daisuke called, but he was long gone by then.

"Is he alright?" Hikari asked.

Daisuke sighed. "No," he replied. "But then, he never really is."

***

Ken stepped into Lady Motomiya's chamber after knocking softly. Jun was seated in the chair next to her mother, chattering away. She noted Ken enter the room and paused momentarily.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, bowing slightly. "If I'm interrupting, I can come back."

"No, it's alright," Jun told him. She stood. "I was about to leave anyway." She turned to her mother and said her good-byes. Then she walked to Ken. "I need to talk to you for a moment," she whispered. "Excuse us, Mother." She dragged the boy out of the room.

Ken blinked in surprise as he was pulled into the corridor. "What's going on?" he wondered.

Jun sighed and looked at her feet for a moment. "I'm sorry. I guess I just wanted to - apologize."

He blinked again. "Apologize?"

"Yeah. For everything. I know I haven't really welcomed you to the family, and I know that I haven't made life easy for you. I want to apologize for that. I guess I was being rather insensitive," she explained.

He blinked again. "Um, I'm confused."

She sighed. "Mother won't admit it to me or Daisuke," she told him. "But I know she's dying. She's been sick a lot for the past few years. I guess you know that." She sighed again and blinked away the unshed tears. "I guess I just wanted to show my appreciation and apologize to you. I can't imagine how hard it is to not have a mother around."

He nodded. "Apology accepted," he replied. "And, if it helps, you did make me feel like one of the family."

Now it was her turn to blink and stare in surprise. "I did?"

"Yes," he replied. "You treated me the same as Daisuke. Made me feel like I had a sister."

Jun grinned. "Thanks, brother," she told him.

"Oh," he remembered. "Princess Hikari will want to see you. It seems our dear brother injured himself last night trying to play Dark Bandit or something." He made his words as casual as possible. "He's recuperating in her room."

Jun gasped. "My brother? In the Princess' room?"

He nodded, pleased with himself. "The Dark Bandit brought him there last night after he was injured. The Princess has been helping him recuperate."

"The Dark Bandit? My brother was with the Dark Bandit?" Jun gasped again and sighed happily. "Now that is a good looking boy."

Ken couldn't help but blush in embarrassment. Jun was now his "sister." He wasn't supposed to be considered good-looking by her! She thankfully didn't notice his discomfort, however, as she dashed off to see her brother.

***

Miyako stared at Hikari in shock. "You met with the Dark Bandit and didn't tell me?" she asked. "Why not?"

Hikari bowed her head slightly. "I'm sorry, Miyako. I thought it was in your best interests. I wanted to be sure of his intentions."

The other girl frowned and sat down on a couch in the parlor she shared with Sora and Jun. The Princess had come personally to Miyako to talk to her. She sighed.

"I suppose I can understand that," she replied. "I appreciate you looking out for me."

Princess Hikari nodded as she sat down next to her. "There's one other thing I think you should know. He visited me again last night. Daisuke was injured."

"Injured?" Sora repeated, stepping into the parlor from her chamber. "How?"

"It seems he's another of the Dark Bandit's allies. From what I could tell, he was trying to help when he was ambushed by our intruder. He was knocked unconscious before he could help. Thankfully, the Dark Bandit was able to help and drive off the intruder. Then he brought Daisuke to me."

"Why to you?"

"I suppose because I was the closest person he could trust. He trusted Daisuke, I think, but Daisuke couldn't help himself. I offered myself as an ally, and he took my offer. I offered to help him when he was injured, but he refused. When it came to Daisuke, his worries were more severe. He seemed very distraught," Hikari explained.

Sora nodded. "I think I can understand that. Daisuke was hurt doing a job he shouldn't have been doing. He feels responsible."

"I just wish I knew who he was," Hikari sighed dreamily.

Miyako frowned. She thought about the theories she'd had that Ken and the Bandit were one and the same. Especially when he'd disappeared during the fight. But she had no real proof. For the moment, she decided to remain silent.

***

"So you see, Daisuke was hurt badly last night. That's why he's not here," Ken explained to Lady Motomiya. He sighed and peered at the ground. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect him."

"Will he be alright?" she questioned.

"I think so," he replied. "It was a nasty bump on the head, but he's already recovering."

She smiled. "Ken, you can't protect him from every injury. Some are inevitable. I'm just glad he wasn't hurt worse."

"I know that," he replied.

"I want you to help my son. He considers you a close friend and even a brother. If you help him to grow as a person, it will mean more for his future than protecting him from injury," Lady Motomiya continued. She paused a moment and coughed harshly. "I know it's not possible to protect him from everything. I want you to watch over him and take care of him. Do you think you can do that?"

"I'll try, Lady," he replied sincerely. "I'll do my best."

***

Taichi was not very happy when he entered his sister's room. Hikari had just told him that his friend was resting and recuperating in there. She had also told him most of the story, but he wanted to know Daisuke's point of view.

Daisuke sat up nervously as the Prince entered the room. He'd viewed Taichi alternately as a friend, a mentor, an idol, and someone to fear. Right at the moment, someone to fear was the prevalent view. Taichi had on a stern face that he only wore when dealing with serious princely manners.

There was silence in the room as the elder boy sat in beside the younger. "So," Taichi began. "You got hurt last night."

Daisuke gulped slightly. "Yes, sir," he replied, hoping his voice wasn't shaking too badly.

"From what I hear, it was kind of a foolish way to get wounded, huh?"

"Yes sir. So I've been told."

"Daisuke," Taichi began.

"Yes sir?" Daisuke questioned when the other paused.

"Please stop calling me sir. Last time I checked, we were still friends. Besides, it makes me nervous."

"Oh. Alright."

"Thank you."

"Sure."

"You've been dealing with this Dark Bandit guy?"

"Well, yes," Daisuke admitted. He knew better than to lie to Taichi. At the moment, he was Taichi the Prince, Taichi the one to fear. Lying to him would be considered treason.

"What can you tell me about him?"

Daisuke gulped again. "Are you asking me as my friend or as my Prince?" he asked nervously.

Taichi sighed. "I suppose as both," he admitted. "Can you tell me anything at all?"

"Not much to either of you," Daisuke replied with a shake of the head. "It would be betraying a trust that I've kept for a very long time."

Taichi sighed again. "So you can't tell me who he is?"

He shook his head, no.

"Daisuke. This is very important. I know you won't tell me. But, do you know who he is?" Taichi's stern face was still firmly implanted.

Daisuke looked down and sighed himself. "I know better than to lie to you," he informed his friend. He kept his eyes focused on his hands, which were in his lap. "I do know who he is, but I can't tell you. You can't force me to, because he's a friend I can't betray." He glanced up at his friend.

Taichi's stern expression had changed to an overwhelmed one.

"I'm sorry Taichi," Daisuke whispered. "I don't mean to be a traitor to you or the kingdom. But I can't betray him."

The Prince buried his face in his hands. "I'm sorry, too, Daisuke," he replied. "I know Father won't like this."

Daisuke nodded. Nervous butterflies were fluttering in his insides. He breathed deeply, trying to relax, but was unable. "When are you going to tell him?"

"Tomorrow," Taichi replied. He looked at his friend again with distressed eyes. "I'm sorry. You've got that long."

Daisuke nodded again with a sigh. "Thank you, Taichi," he replied.

***

Ken paced nervously about his room. Things were changing rapidly. He needed to stop and examine them. First, Daisuke had been injured while he himself had rested. He'd managed to save the boy, and he was now doing fine. However, he was supposed to meet, in disguise, with the others that night to discuss strategy.

He was most nervous about groups. Especially when they involved the Dark Bandit.

"Sometimes I wish I'd never started," he grumbled.

Daisuke sat in the parlor, resting on the couch. "Don't say that," he called to his friend. "You've done a lot of good!"

Ken stepped out of his room and paced about the parlor instead.

"I just don't like it," he confessed. "Something's not right. Something I'm missing." He didn't notice his friend's nervous gulp. "But I don't know what."

"You have to meet with the Princess tonight," Daisuke stated bluntly.

"I know," Ken replied. "I plan to."

Daisuke watched his friend pace back and forth and wished he could do the same without dizziness. He'd never been accused of treason before. He wondered what would happen to him. Maybe he'd be executed. He doubted that.

"Daisuke? Are you listening?"

"Oh. I'm sorry. I guess drifted out for a moment," Daisuke apologized.

"It's alright. Are you sure you're doing well? You've been kind of dazed since you moved back down here a few hours ago," Ken observed.

He shrugged, avoiding the question. "Ken, I consider you my best friend," he stated bluntly and without preamble.

The other boy was startled. He paused in his pacing and knelt on the floor beside the couch where Daisuke lay. "And you're my best friend," he replied. "No," he shook his head. "More than that. You're like - my brother."

Daisuke blinked. "B-brother?" he stammered.

"I talked to Jun earlier," he explained. "She told me she considered me like another brother sometimes. And I told her I felt she was like a sister. That means you're my brother."

Daisuke wasn't sure if he was more startled that Ken considered Jun a sister or that he considered him a brother. "I don't know what to say," he confessed. "Thank you. I guess you're like my brother, too," he admitted.

Ken smiled, and his "brother" could see the tears forming in his eyes. "Oh, don't cry!"

"I'm sorry," he answered, sniffling a bit. "It's just I miss my own brother. I never thought I'd get another one."

Daisuke sighed. And now, if everything went badly, he'd loose another one, he thought pessimistically. "I never had a brother before," he told his friend. "But I know you're a really good one."

***

Daisuke gripped his head slightly as he entered Hikari's room. He was still feeling dizzy, but he was determined not to miss the meeting. At his side, V-mon attempted to steady him.

Hikari stepped forward and put an arm around his shoulder. "Daisuke, you shouldn't be here."

"That's what I told him," V-mon agreed.

"I didn't want to miss the meeting," he answered, leaning on her. "I'm alright. Just a little lightheaded, that's all."

"You didn't have to come," she replied. "You need to rest."

"I can't miss this," he insisted. "It was my stupidity that got me injured, and that's the reason we're all talking."

The Princess led him to a chair and helped him to sit. V-mon sat beside him on the floor.

"You really shouldn't be here," Taichi spoke up. Daisuke looked up to see him standing in the entryway. "You should be getting your strength back."

"I'm done recuperating," the other replied. "I need to help out."

Taichi sighed and shrugged as he entered the room. He remained standing, leaning up against the wall. There was silence for a few moments before Miyako and Sora appeared in the doorway.

"Daisuke! You shouldn't be here!" Miyako told him. She peered at the back of his head. "He got you pretty badly."

"You should rest," Sora agreed.

Daisuke sighed and rolled his eyes slightly. "I'm not resting and I'm fine!" he half-shouted. "I'm not going back. I need to be here."

"Fine. Stay, then," Yamato stated brusquely from the doorway. His brother stood beside him.

"Thank you," Daisuke replied.

Hikari turned to Daisuke. "Ken's not coming?" she questioned.

Daisuke shook his head. "No. He's got a headache again," he replied, shrugging. "He doesn't like crowds much anyway."

"Nothing we can do to sway him?" Yamato queried.

Daisuke laughed a little. "I'm afraid not. He's quite inflexible when he gets like this. You won't be able to budge him."

Yamato shrugged slightly.

"Alright. Since everyone's here for the moment, I suppose we should start," Hikari began.

"Not everyone," Miyako spoke up.

Hikari interrupted before she could continue. "No," she agreed. "But almost everyone."

"So where do we begin?" Yamato questioned. He and Takeru had been told what the meeting was about, and the situation with the Dark Bandit, including what had happened with Daisuke. Still, neither brother had a clue as to why Hikari had asked them to come.

"I think I should start by telling you all something. Especially my brother," Hikari explained. She looked to Taichi, who was still leaning against the wall. He raised his eyebrows slightly at this announcement.

"Oh? What's that?" he questioned, moving away from the wall. He became slightly more interested.

Hikari glanced to the floor briefly as she collected her thoughts. "I met with the Dark Bandit," she informed him.

Taichi nearly fell over. "What?"

Yamato, Takeru, and Daisuke appeared surprised at the revelation as well.

"I'm certain he has Miyako's best interests in mind," Hikari replied. Quickly, she told her brother and those assembled of the two meetings she'd had with the bandit.

Taichi stepped forward and gripped his sister by the arms. "Hikari, you could have been killed," he told her.

She shook her head. "No, Taichi," she assured him. "I'm certain he's friendly." She took a deep breath. "I offered myself as a friend and ally."

Taichi sighed. No one noticed the nervous glance he tossed in Daisuke's direction. "Do you know who he is? What his plan is?"

"No. As far as I can tell, he has no idea who is after Miyako, any more than we do."

"Hikari," Taichi began. "This is very serious. Father believes him to be an enemy."

Hikari stepped away from her brother. "I don't agree," she replied. "He's trying to save Miyako's life. He's already done so twice. Remember the picnic? If he hadn't been there, we all could have been killed. We owe him our lives as well. How could Father consider him an enemy if he saved us?"

The seriousness of the conversation was evident to everyone present. Taichi remained silent. "Hikari..."

Hikari turned away from her brother. "I don't care what Father thinks," she told her brother. "I believe he's a friend, at least where Miyako is concerned." She gestured towards the others collected. "Sora and Daisuke concur with me."

"Sora?"

Sora nodded. "Hikari told me about her meeting. I told her that the Dark Bandit could consider me a friend as well." She paused. "I told Miyako's parents I would keep her safe. If he wants that as well, he's an ally of mine."

Taichi sighed. "Have you spoken with him as well?"

Sora shook her head. "No."

The Prince looked around the room. "Anything else I should know?"

Miyako spoke up. "He made contact with me," she told him. "He asked me if anyone had a reason for wanting to harm me. I told him I didn't know. He told me he didn't want me to feel frightened of him. Then he left. That was about it."

Taichi heaved another heavy sigh. "This is a serious situation," he reminded them. "I need to inform you all of what I know about the Dark Bandit."

There was silence in the room. Hikari sat down near Daisuke.

"I'm not certain entirely of his true intentions regarding anything other than Miyako's safety," the Prince began. He glanced towards Miyako and then scanned the room. "Previous to her rescue, he had not been witnessed in that area. In fact, his only emergences were far south of that region."

"Near where my family resides," Daisuke replied. There was a gasp from the assembled.

"You'd seen him before?" Miyako asked.

"Numerous times," Daisuke replied. He braced himself for their reactions. "I know who he is." V-mon gripped his hand in surprise and support.

"Daisuke, don't!"

There was another collective gasp. Hikari stared. "You told me you didn't!" she accused.

"I won't tell you who he is," Daisuke continued. He looked to Taichi. "I know I'm in serious trouble. I told you before, I won't tell you anything about him."

Taichi sighed. "Daisuke, there's no reason to go through this again now."

"I wanted everyone to know," he explained. "So there would be no doubt on whose side he is. We both want to help."

"You don't know anything about who's after me?" Miyako demanded.

Daisuke shook his head. "No," he replied.

"He speaks the truth," a voice collaborated. A dark figure had entered the room through the window. Everyone turned in surprise.

"Is this true?" Taichi demanded. "You've allied yourself with my sister?"

"The Princess offered herself as an ally," the Dark Bandit responded. "I accepted."

Taichi sat down weakly in a chair, heaving a sigh.

Yamato stepped forward. He'd remained silent for nearly the entire meeting. Now, he spoke up. "I guess now would be a good time to ask if there's been any progress made figuring out who's after Miyako?"

"There has," Hikari replied. She stood up, moving away from Daisuke, at whom she'd been staring in shock since his confession. "I spoke with Koushiro today. He told me that the arrows shot at the picnic were coated with a poison."

"Poison?" Miyako gasped. "Wouldn't shooting me be enough to kill me?"

The Princess shook her head. "It appears he's not after your life," she replied. "The poison wasn't deadly. It was only strong enough to knock you out."

"So they were hoping to kidnap her?" the Dark Bandit theorized.

Hikari nodded. "That's Koushiro's theory as well," she replied.

Taichi was deep in thought once more. "But we're no closer to finding out who would want to kidnap her," he noted.

"No, we're not," Hikari agreed.

"A motive is apparent, though," Daisuke spoke up. "If it's a kidnapping, he's probably after money."

"Not necessarily," Taichi disagreed. "He could want her for another reason."

Miyako shuddered.

"What sort of reasons?" Hikari demanded.

Taichi just shrugged.

Takeru spoke up. "Wouldn't it be best if we all worked together to try to figure this out?" he wondered. He glanced pointedly at Taichi and the Dark Bandit. "Instead of arguing who wants what."

There was silence for a few moments as everyone waited for Taichi to respond. Finally, he stood. "Meeting is adjourned," he stated plainly.

There was a silence. Then Sora began to protest. "Taichi, we haven't decided anything," she reminded him.

He shook his head. "No, we haven't. But the meeting is over." He glanced around the room. "Hikari, Daisuke, you stay. Everyone else, out." He turned to the dark figure who was now sitting on the window ledge. "And you. Stay."

"Taichi-," Yamato began.

"Don't want to hear it, Yamato. Out," Taichi replied in a voice that told everyone he wasn't up to hearing a second opinion.

With grumbles and groans, the group left the room. When all but the three Taichi had asked to stay had left, he turned to his sister.

"I need to talk to you. Privately," he said. He stared pointedly at the other two. "You two, wait here." He turned and walked out onto his sister's balcony. Hikari glanced apologetically at the others and then followed with a shrug.

Daisuke heaved a sigh and leaned back in his chair, staring towards the ceiling.

"That wasn't very smart of you, you know," his friend noted. Daisuke shrugged. "Why'd you tell them?"

The redhead shrugged. "I can't lie to Taichi," he replied without looking away from the ceiling. "If I did, and it was found out later that it was a lie, I'd be killed."

"So now, you're in less trouble?" the Dark Bandit slipped off the window ledge and began to pace about the chamber. "You could still be killed. You lied to Princess Hikari."

"I know," he replied with a sigh. "And I'm withholding information. So what do I do? Tell them who you are?"

The other paused in his pacing. "That's it!"

"What?!" Daisuke sat up with a shock, causing his vision to blur slightly.

"We can't do that!" V-mon agreed.

"Of course I can. If I agree to tell him who I am, maybe you would be in a bit less of a mess," the bandit answered.

"You can't!" Daisuke insisted. He stood up, ignoring the dizziness and slight pain in his head. "I said I would help. I told you a long time ago that I would keep this secret no matter what. You can't give up now and just tell him yourself!"

"Daisuke-," V-mon cautioned. He stepped behind his partner and tried to steady him.

"Daisuke," the Dark Bandit said at nearly the same time, noticing his friend's wavering stand.

"No!" Daisuke replied, mistaking the warnings for disagreements and waving them both aside. "I won't rethink this. You can't tell them who you are. Not after all we've done to keep that secret from everyone. Remember Jun? How I wanted to tell her, so we would have another ally, and you said no? No one else needs to be aware of this." The dizziness in his head was stronger now. He put a hand on his head and steadied himself with his chair, but refused to give in.

"Daisuke, this is different. Your life is in danger," his friend protested. "I don't want you to risk execution because of me."

"I'll risk death all I want!" Daisuke was nearly shouting now. "You do it all the time, let me suffer for a cause!" He sank weakly in his chair. "I won't let you give up yet," he said in a slightly more subdued voice.

V-mon visibly relaxed when his injured partner finally sat down again. The Dark Bandit did the same. Then he heaved a weighty sigh. "If this is what you want," he said. "I know when you're stubborn. I'll give you your way."

"Darn right you will," Daisuke replied. He held his head slightly. "That guy hits hard. Watch your head," he warned somewhat jokingly.

The atmosphere relaxed somewhat. "I will," replied the other with a slight chuckle.

***

Taichi is faced with an interesting ethical dilemma. Both Daisuke and his sister have admitted to allying with someone his father and King considers an enemy. If Daisuke is imprisoned (or even executed) for such treason, then Hikari should rightly be punished as well. But will Taichi have the guts to do such a thing to his sister or his friend? And what will happen when he finally speaks with the Dark Bandit?

Fear not anyone who likes Takeru, Yamato, Koushiro, Jyou, Iori, or Mimi. I assure you that everyone has a pretty decent part in this story, so just keep waiting. I start out with focusing quite a bit on Daisuke, Taichi, Miyako, and Ken, but that's mainly because they're my favorite characters. Not to say that I don't like the rest, I just can write these guys better.

Anyhow, enjoy the story! Nothing but the plot is mine, in case you thought I might just be a millionaire and own all these characters. Nope, sorry!