*Disclaimer: Digimon doesn't belong to me. Taichi, Yamato, Sora and Mimi don't belong to me. So leave me alone! Ugh, I'm getting tired of writing these disclaimers. T_T

Feathers in the Sky

By: RaspberryGirl

Taichi appeared at the edge of the lake, twenty paces from the enchanted maidens. "Good evening," he said, ever so courteously. He faced Sora. "Good evening, my princess." He gave a mocking bow.

Sora made a disgusted sound. Moments earlier she had wept for Taichi, but now, seeing the thing that he had become, she had no more pity and sorrow left for him.

"It's a fine night for a marriage proposal," Taichi said playfully.

"Don't toy with me," Sora spat. "Release us from your spell immediately."

"No matter how many times I ask you to wed me, you refuse. And no matter how many times you ask me to free you, I refuse." Taichi laughed.

Sora's handmaidens shrank away in fear. The princess noticed this and gathered them around her. "Don't be afraid," she bid them. She threw a defiant glare at Taichi.

Taichi gave Sora an admiring smile in return. "Brave words, Your Highness." He looked up at the sky. "Since we cannot reach an agreement tonight, I will be on my way as I have other matters to attend to. But think carefully about my proposal, Sora. One day, you might change your mind." Whirling around, Taichi left.

Sora stared at Taichi's retreating back, then sank to the ground. She knew very well in her heart that Taichi's spell would probably last for eternity if he wished so, but Sora was determined to fight him and his sorcery until her dying breath. She had done so for two years, and she could do so for twenty more.

She would never give in willingly.

She gave a fleeting glance at her handmaidens. They looked tired and worn. The nightmare of the past years clung to them like spider webs. They had nothing to do with Taichi but had been pulled into it because

Of her.

It's all my fault, Sora thought, and she let out a sob of despair.

* * *

Taichi walked in a hurried pace through the forest. He had kept his calm when he confronted Sora at the lake, but now, he was angry.

Why didn't she just give in? Sora was very stubborn and in Taichi's opinion, very foolish. Her resolve was strong, but one day, that would break.

A new thought came to his mind. Was she defying him because she wanted to marry someone she loved?

Senseless girl.

He had never proposed to her out of love. What he did was for his own personal reasons. Taichi's face darkened as he remembered.

Allemar.

That was who was behind all this.

Even though the sorcerer was long dead, all the things Taichi had done in the last two years had been in Allemar's name.

Stupid

Those were about all the things Allemar ever attributed to Taichi for as long as the young man could remember. And yet, Taichi had remained faithful to the sorcerer. Almost too faithful. After Allemar's death when Taichi was fourteen, the boy redoubled his efforts to master Allemar's craft with more fervor than before. Taichi's self-taught lessons had been hard and exhausting—sometimes even painful as he let the Dark magic meld with his blood. But finally, Taichi had achieved his goal. And he had come back to Takenouchi Castle to carry out Allemar's revenge.

In his view, the revenge was just, for the King was Allemar's half-brother. Allemar had told the story to Taichi when was seven. The sorcerer had drilled the tale into Taichi's head so that the boy would never be able to forget it, even if he wanted to.

When the previous King—Sora's grandfather—had been a young man, he had ventured into the woods one day on a hunting expedition. A storm rose up midway through and the King was separated from his men and got lost in the forest. As he wandered blindly through the trees, he caught sight of a tiny little cottage in the middle of an ash tree clearing. He hurried to the cottage and knocked to see if it was inhabited. The door opened and a beautiful woman offered him shelter from the storm. Her beauty entranced him and he stayed many nights. A few months after the King had left her, the woman found herself pregnant with the King's child. Eight years after the child was born, the woman fell ill and died. But on her deathbed, she revealed to her son that he was of royal blood and that she was a sorceress. Her final wish was for him to follow in her footsteps with the Dark arts.

And so he did.

When the sorceress's child learned to wield his powers and grew up into a young man of twenty, he traveled to the royal palace and demanded an audience with the King. The King had, of course, married by then and had had other children. He'd forgotten about the sorceress, and hadn't known she had borne him a child, but when he looked upon the young man's face—which greatly resembled his mother's—the King's memory was revived. The young man proclaimed himself as the King's first son and thereby, the heir to the throne. The King grew frightened. He knew what the young man was capable of, he knew the young man carried the mark of the Dark arts. Panicked, the King could think of only one thing to do. He called for his guards, and by force, had the sorceress's son thrown from the castle.

The young man was furious. He vowed revenge upon the royal family until he had gained control of the kingdom that was rightfully his.

A few weeks later, the King held a celebration for his eldest son's twelfth birthday. On that festive day, the sorceress's son disguised himself as a servant and was able to slip into the royal castle, poising as a servant at the feast in the King's hall. A few weeks after the event, the king grew sick and died. The sorceress's son had slipped poison into his drink.

The young man thought he was safe, but little did he know that his father had told the eldest prince of his first visit to the castle. The King had told his royal son that the dark-haired young man was his half-brother, but to beware because his half-brother was evil. After the King's death, the young prince suspected the sorceress's son, and he too, vowed his revenge. When he became the new King, he and his men hunted down his half-brother. The sorceress's son was tried, tortured, and finally, banished from the kingdom.

Yet, Allemar never forgot about his vow of vengeance or his ambition to gain control of his father's kingdom.

Over the years, no matter how hard he looked for a secret entryway, Allemar could not penetrate the fortress of the royal castle since it was so heavily guarded. He was growing weaker and weaker as the years passed, since sorcerers of his type do not live very long. That was why he decided to have an apprentice.

Taichi.

Allemar's hopes for revenge had gone up as he watched the royal family from his mother's cottage. And when he found out that the young prince—who was now King—had not born a son, but a daughter, he knew it was his time to strike.

Allemar taught Taichi everything he knew and when the boy was eleven, the sorcerer sent him off to the castle to observe the enemy. But, of course, things didn't go as Allemar had planned.

But one important thing had been accomplished.

Taichi had managed to get close to the princess.

Sora...Taichi smiled wryly. Her feelings for him had changed so much since the time they first met to the present. When they'd been children, Taichi had liked her very much, perhaps even loved herbut that had been a long time ago. And that was before he had chosen to wipe out all emotion from his heart. What was love be to him now? He was bound to his duties to Allemar because—as the sorcerer had liked to remind him everyday when he was alive—Allemar had saved Taichi's life when the boy was a baby.

That was the greatness of his debt. And Taichi didn't like it at all.

But of course, he had no choice, but to repay it.

* * *

"Princess, please," Miyako pleaded. "Don't cry."

Sora raised her head dully. She still remembered, clear as ever, how she had felt those first moments when she had been changed into a swan. There had been that awful feeling of confusion and the dreadful knowledge that her world was forever changedshattered...

It was all too much.

"Your Highness," Miyako whispered.

Sora heard the weariness in her handmaiden's voice. Her companions depended on her for strength and comfort. If she gave up, there'd be no hope for them of being released from the spell. She couldn't let that happen.

With much effort, Sora got to her feet. She could sense the invisible sigh of relief that swept through her attendants. "Our human time draws close to an end," Sora whispered. "Go now and spend what remains. But remember to return to the lake whenwhen..." Sora faltered, but her maidens knew what she meant and with silent curtsies, they disappeared into the wood.

Sora remained by the edge of the lake until the last of her maidens had left. Quietly, she turned her eyes on the silver surface of the rippling water. How long it seemedbut in reality, it had only been two years.

But so much had happened.

The princess's eyes grew blurry. The next day after her disappearance two years ago, her parents had been frantic. They'd turned the kingdom upside down in their frenzied searches for her.

After the first few months, the King and Queen's hopes dwindled and by the time two more months had passed, it vanished all together.

Many nights—during the midnight hour, when Sora was allowed back her human form—she had yearned to go to her grieving parents. But she never did. She couldn't stand the pain it would bring them to know that their only child was imprisoned under such a spell. They would try to free her from it, but it would be to no avail. She herself did not know the cure, only Taichi did. Her parent's efforts would only be a false light of hope and Sora did not need its illusionary comfort.

Still, Sora stayed at Takenouchi Lake for the two years, watching over the King and Queen. She had to make her home at the lake anyway, for the spell only let her return to human shape at midnight if she touched the lake. She never let any of the servants who came to the lake see her or her handmaidens though, for fear that they might report the sighting to her parents. Instead, she would slip near the castle in the shadows of the night, near windows or open crevices, hoping to catch drifts of information.

She did this no longer for the castle was abandoned and both the King and Queen were now dead.

A year ago, she had heard her father had mysteriously died in his sleep. The cause of his sudden death was still unknown, but the castle servants rumored it was murder, others saying he'd died of poison. The Queen was devastated. She had lost her daughter and now her husband in such a short interval. A few months after the King's death, the Queen wasted away, and died herself, soon after.

Since the royal Takenouchi family had no other heirs and no other living relatives, the cousins of Ishida's royal family took over. It had been an easy gain for Ishida and Takenouchi were on peaceful terms. The House of Ishida now ruled over Takenouchi, but the kingdom's name remained unchanged.

Sora was only all too glad that Takenouchi hadn't destroyed itself in civil war.

A rustling in the nearby bushes reached Sora's ears and the princess whirled around. She heard the faint sound of voices and the crunching of twigs and leaves underfoot.

Someone was out there.

Sora looked around, panicked. She needed to hide. If whoever was in the woods came to the lake and saw her they would surely be frightened out of their wits. After all, what would a lone girl, dressed in eerie white, be doing out in the middle of the woods at midnight? Just as Sora was about to move, she heard a scream.

It was one of her handmaidens.

Sora heard more voices rise up and the sound of a struggle. Immediately, she sprinted in the direction of the noise.

Not too far into the woods, amid a close cluster of trees, she caught sight of a skirmish. Two burly men—huntsmen, by their clothes—held onto one of her attendants. The girl was obviously in a state of panic for her long dark hair flew wildly about her, and she would not hold still. Miyako was also there, trying to come to the girl's aid but another man held her back.

"Look over here, I found another one!" a voice cried. Three men submerged, holding fast to another one of Sora's companions. This girl looked close to tears.

"What do you suppose they are?" asked one of the huntsmen holding onto the dark-haired girl.

It was then that Sora noticed the regal young man who stood in the center of the group. His face was unlined, youthful; appearing much less experienced than the others. He was richly dressed in brocaded clothes, a gem-studded sword hanging at his side. His blonde hair shone pale in the moonlight and his blue eyes appeared thoughtful.

"Maybe they're pixies, or nymphs" the man holding Miyako suggested.

"Or witches," the first man said. "Who knows what ungodly beasts roam about this forest during the night."

"What should we do with them, Your Highness?" Another man asked.

Your Highness? Sora looked at the young man sharply. Could that youth be

"Perhaps we should take them back to my father," he said. It didn't sound like he was serious. "At last, something interesting after six months of boredom."

A member of the new royal family of Takenouchi?

"No," the man holding the dark-haired maiden said. "Perhapsperhaps we should do away with them"

"They could be dangerous," another chimed in. "After all, this isn't Ishida. Who knows what creatures roam in the woods of Takenouchi."

"No!" Sora cried, bursting from her hiding place. All of the men turned their attention to her, startled. "Please, I beg you, don't harm them!"

None of the men moved. Sora's eyes shifted from one face to the next. Now, I've done it, she thought bitterly, they're probably going to capture and kill me too.

As if reading her mind, Miyako gave a desperate cry, "Princess, run!"

All heads whipped to her. The men stared, their eyes flitting from Sora to Miyako, then back.

"Princess?" the blonde-haired young man said softly. He appraised Sora.

Sora ignored the young man's eyes. "Please don't hurt them."

"We won't," the young man assured her. "Now tell mewho are you?"

Sora disregarded his question. "Let them go and I shall be forever grateful," she said.

The young man signaled to his men. "Let them go."

The three maidens were quickly released. They rushed to Sora's side.

"Now," the young man repeated, "who are you?"

Once more, Sora didn't answer. "Away," she hissed to her companions and with that, all four turned and fled into the trees.

Don't let them pursue, please don't let them pursue, Sora thought wildly as she rushed with her attendants to the lake. She could already feel the spell drawing her to the water's edge. Her human hours were almost up. Sora caught the glimmer of water as she neared the edge of the forest. Bursting from the trees, the princess and her three gasping handmaidens raced to the lake. The rest of her companions were already there. The attendants followed as the princess entered the water, and in moments, nothing remained of them but a flock of seven majestic swans.

* * *

Prince Yamato stared in surprise as the four maidens suddenly turned and ran.

"Should we follow?" one of his men asked.

"No," Yamato said. "No." He stared at the spot where that girl had been. The maiden with the hair that was like the autumn leaves. The defiant brown eyes. Who was she? Yamato didn't know, but he swore he'd find out.

"Your Highness," another of his huntsmen said, "it is getting late. We should head back to the new castle. We wouldn't want to find any more surprises in this wood. Ones that are considerably more unpleasant than those maidens."

Slowly, Yamato consented. The maidens had headed in the direction of the old lake. And tomorrow night, he would wait for them there.

* * *

A brown-haired girl watched as the swan princess and her companions in the lake. She held a reed basket containing dried fish and bread. With a sigh, she walked to the lake's edge.

"Good evening, Sora," Mimi said without much emotion.

Sora, of course, could not respond.

Mimi took away the cloth that covered her basket and began throwing the food to the swans. She looked at the enchanted princess with pity, but also with a tinge of jealousy.

"Look at you now," Mimi taunted. "Great daughter of the Kings of Takenouchi. Your mother and father are dead; your glorious castle reduced to ruins, Ishida ruling your land. What good are you to your kingdom and people? Under the enchantment, you are powerless. And yet, why do you still stand in my way?" The last sentence was a high-pitched shriek.

Sora only pecked at the food that drifted on the lake, not looking at Mimi.

"Why doesn't Taichi pay attention to me, yet frets over you day and night?" Mimi went on. Jealously and hatred rang in her voice. "Why does Taichi ignore me?"

Sora stopped pecking and began swimming farther away from the enraged girl.

Mimi only watched. "I know the secret to the spell, Sora," she whispered softly. "Perhaps one day, I will tell you." With that, she walked away.

* * *

Taichi looked up at the sound of the cottage door opening. It was Mimi.

"Good evening," Mimi said softly.

Taichi said nothing in return. Instead, he resumed looking at the ancient tome before him.

Tears of hurt threatened to overflow and without another word, Mimi ran into her small room and shut the door. Taichi looked up again.

Foolish girl, he thought, Just like Sora. His brow furrowed in frustration. Why were all women this way? Taichi's fingers tapped absently on the ancient volume of spells. Why didn't Mimi just leave? Taichi wasn't about to stop her. Why did she feel so obliged to stay with him? Was it because Taichi had saved her from those bandits a year and a half ago? The young magician smiled slightly. That hadn't been on purpose. The ruffians were in his way and threatened to attack him so Taichi had killed them. It was after they were all dead that he had discovered their young captive, a girl, around fourteen or so. She'd told him that the thieves had ransacked and burned down her village. They'd stolen her away from her family as they departed with their swindled merchandise, hoping to sell her into servitude in the next town. In tears, the girl thanked Taichi for saving her, and Taichi—who'd been in a gracious mood that night—let her stay at Allemar's—now his—cottage. He had expected the girl to depart immediately after a day or so, but she didn't. Her stay stretched to a few weeks, then months, and finally, a year.

Sometimes, Mimi was somewhat of a bother, but mostly, she was good help around the cottage. She cooked and cleaned and washed the clothing, giving Taichi more time to concentrate on his magic. Mimi, by this time, knew that Taichi was a sorcerer, but that didn't scare her away. When Taichi had told the girl of Sora and the spell she was under, Mimi still showed no sign of wanting to depart.

Why she persisted to stay and did all she did for free, Taichi had no idea.

Probably because she has no place else to go, Taichi decided and with that thought, went back to his books.

__________

Another midnight came and once more, Sora and her handmaidens were restored to their human forms. Taichi appeared before them shortly and spoke curtly with Sora. This night, he didn't persist in asking for her hand in marriage and left quickly, which told Sora that he had probably stumbled upon some interesting spell in his practice of the Dark arts. She didn't care. As long as he left her and her companions alone, she didn't care what he did.

But her feelings disagreed with her mind, and her heart still hurt at the sight of him.

"Would you like us to leave you to your thoughts, Princess?" Miyako asked.

"It's all right." Sora managed a smile. "I—"

"Good evening," a voice said.

Sora whipped around. A figure walked toward them from the shadows of the forest's edge.

Had Taichi come back?

Sora let out a gasp as the figure stepped into the glow of the moonlight. "You!"

The blonde-haired young man smiled at her. "Yes."

"What do you think you're doing here?" she cried angrily. "Leave this place!"

The young man raised an eyebrow, "Oh? This place is more mine than yours. The prince of the kingdom is free to go where he pleases."

"The prince?" Sora repeated. "Then you are a son of the Ishida House?" She bowed her head. "Thank you," she said softly.

The young man gave her a puzzled look. "For what?"

Sora shook her head. "Never mind."

The young man looked at Sora's handmaidens, then his gaze shifted back to Sora. "My name is Yamato, what's yours?"

Sora looked at the ground. "I cannot give my name away. And it's better if you don't know it."

To Sora's surprise, Yamato laughed. "You are clever with your responses, my lady," he said heartily. Then his tone turned serious. Once more, he appraised Sora and her companions. Finally, he said in a low voice, "Are you the swan maidens of this enchanted lake?"

"Swan maidens?" Sora pretended to be baffled by what he was saying. "Enchanted lake?" But her voice couldn't help the slight tremble.

"Yes," Yamato said. "That is the rumor around here. Two years ago, the princess of the previous royal family, along with six attendants disappeared without a trace. The last place the princess and her maidens were ever seen was by this lake. After their disappearance, a group of white swans began to inhabit this lake, earning it a new name—Swan Lake. Some of the peasants who live near here believe that an evil magician turned the princess her companions into swans. And seeing you, I can't help but wonder"

Sora's heart pounded. He knew. Or at least, he had a suspicion.

"And yesterday night, one of your companions called you 'Princess'."

Sora opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

Yamato moved closer. "Please, don't look so afraid. You don't have to answer any of my questions. I came here because I wanted to apologize for the way my men acted last night." Yamato's blue eyes bore deep into Sora's.

The girl's heart beat faster and she could feel a blush creep up to her face. "Sora," she suddenly blurted out. "My name isSora."

Yamato looked surprised at her sudden answer, but then he smiled. "Sora. It's beautiful, like the sky. That's also the meaning of your name, isn't it?"

The girl nodded.

"Sora." Yamato was so close now that the princess could reach out and touch him. "She was—you are—the daughter of the deceased King and Queen of Takenouchi, aren't you?"

Sora hesitated, then looked into Yamato's eyes. They were so innocent, filled with compassion. With a sob, Sora broke down, and proceeded to tell Yamato her story.

* * *


"Mimi!" Taichi called, as soon as he stepped into the cottage.

"Yes?" The girl appeared in the doorway of her chamber. "Do you need me for something?"

"Go and tend to Sora," Taichi said impatiently. "I just remembered that I saw some men in the forest last night. They looked like they could cause trouble. I must make sure that they do not go near the lake. Well? Don't just stand there!" he snapped. "Go! Leave me so I can find a warding spell to keep those meddling idiots away."

"As you wish," Mimi said quietly. She fetched her reed basket and hurried out the door.

Mimi half-ran, half-walked through the wood, feeling miserable. Brooding, the girl continued her trek in an absent-minded fashion. As Mimi approached the lake, she realized that someone was in the lake clearing, someone that didn't look like Sora or any of her maidens. Darting behind a tree by the forest's edge, Mimi watched.

* * *

Yamato looked at Sora with sympathy after the princess had finished her story. "I'm sorry," he said softly.

"It's not your fault," Sora said glumly.

"This Taichi, where can I find him?" Yamato asked.

Sora's head shot up. "What?"

"Where can I find him?" Yamato repeated.

The princess did not like the look in the prince's eyes. "Why do you want to find him?" she asked quietly.

"I want to break the spell. I swear I'll do it. I'll find a way." He took Sora gently by the shoulders. "And then" He trailed off.

Sora shook her head, knowing Yamato's pledge was no use. "Your words are honorable, Prince of Takenouchi, but I fear that's all they'll be. Words."

"I will find a way to set you free," Yamato said determinedly.

"Perhaps," Sora said skeptically. She didn't dare hope.

"I promise," Yamato said solemnly. "Even if I have to kill the magician myself."

"No!"

Yamato was caught of guard at Sora's outburst. Then he asked softly, "Did you—do you—still have feelings for thismagician?"

Sora froze at the question. Did she?

Yes once, perhapsa long time agoBut before she could answer out loud, a noise sounded in the fringe of trees surrounding the lake. From the corner of her eye, Sora thought she glimpsed someone moving back into the shadows of the trees.

"You must go," Sora said quickly. Yamato looked at her with an expression of hurt. Sora felt guilty, but she knew they were being watched. "I'll see if I can find out the cure," Sora said. She hoped it would make Yamato feel better. "Now, hurry!"

Reluctantly, Yamato took a few backward steps in the direction of the trees. Then he turned around and sprinted.

Sora watched him go. What had just happened tonight? She wasn't sure. Had she finally found a hope for freedom? Or had she found something else

* * *

Thoughts raced through Yamato's mind as he ran back to the spot where he had left his horse. SoraThe thought of her left him a little light-headed. She was the lost princess of Takenouchi—the subject of the sorrowful tale behind Swan Lake, the indirect cause of the Takenouchi family's demise. He felt pity for the beautiful princess.

No.

More than thatHe felt much more than pity.

* * *

Mimi had seen what she'd needed to see. What she'd hoped to see. Almost giddy now, she waited for quite an amount of time after the young man had departed before stepping into the lake clearing.

"A fine night isn't it, Sora?" Mimi greeted.

"Yes," replied the princess slowly.

Mimi went over and handed the basket's contents to Sora. "Do you miss being human?"

Sora was taken unawares. Then with a sigh, she answered, "Of course."

Mimi cast a careful glance at Sora. What was Taichi doing, wasting his energy on this girl? The Dark magic woven into his blood would make his life span short. After all, you can't have powerful magic without paying a price. But just how many years did Taichi plan to devote to Sora?

"Ihave something to tell you," Mimi said cautiously. "But you mustn't tell Taichi that I told you."

Sora only looked at Mimi warily.

"The spell," Mimi began, "you want to know the cure, don't you?" She caught a trace of astonishment on Sora's face, which quickly disappeared.

Mimi didn't wait for a response. "The cure" Did she really want to do this? "The cure is"

Of course she did.

With Sora gone, Taichi would notice Mimi.

"If you get someone to propose to you, out of true love, I believe the spell will be broken," Mimi rushed. "That is the cure."

Sora looked stunned. "Th-thank youMimi," she stammered, still unable to believe what had just happened.

Mimi knew exactly what the princess was thinking. She could almost see the idea form in Sora's mind.

She smiled.

Author's Note: *Warning* I was listening to Yubiwa (from the Escaflowne movie), Sora (also from the movie), and Scarlet (from Ayashi no Ceres) when I was typing this chapter. Be warned that those songs do very strange things to my mood. ^_^ For authors afflicted with writer's block, go download those songs and I swear: you will get your inspiration back! ^_~ Just a little tip! Oh, and I decided to add Miyako to this fic because I dislike her, so she'll probably never get a story of her own. Since she appeared in this fic, it makes up for it. -_-