Knights of the Crests World Wide
Switzerland
A/N: Hikaru-chan, you are going to LOVE this chapter.
A/N: This can be considered the "love" chapter, as this will involve more of the love lives of the Bearers.
Disclaimer: I OWN NO SHOW. This disclaimer will apply for future chapters and future shows that MAY come out.
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The Meeting of the Council
Takato slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was four blurry faces above him. One was red-haired and had a cross-shaped scar on his face, while the others were that of Legolas, Angelique, and Aragorn.
"Kenshin, how is he?" asked Legolas.
"Not too good I'm afraid…he must have gotten a nasty shock." replied the man with the red hair.
Takato then remembered the request the image had made and shot up. The man reared his head just in time, but Legolas was not so fortunate. Takato's head hit Legolas' at full speed. Legolas then was knocked down to the ground by the impulse of the blow. Takato put a hand to his forehead, but Kenshin took it off. He then checked Takato's head but then gave a thumbs up. He left the room after saying a few words to Angelique and Aragorn. They both nodded and got Legolas to his feet. After repeating whatever Kenshin had told them to him, he nodded and went to Takato.
"Takato, listen, it seems that the Council wants to meet you in person. For whatever reasons, I don't know. Yet in fifteen minutes you will sure enough know." he told him.
Takato nodded. He was then given a pair of red robes bordered with gold by Angelique, and soon, after he was changed, the door burst open and in came his team, all dressed the same way he was, but in different colors, even Kari, Matt, and Izzy were there. Kenshin came right behind them.
"Sorry, Angelique, Legolas. I couldn't stop them from coming in. They were so persistent." he apologized, to which Legolas laughed and Angelique giggled.
"Kenshin, my friend, you apologize far too much. Anyway, I was about to let them in. An injured boy should have his family around him, and that includes friends." Aragorn told him. Kenshin nodded in reply and left.
After bombarding Takato with questions, Legolas told them it was time for Takato's meeting with the Council. The kids nodded and calmed down. Legolas and Aragorn flanked Takato as they left the room, and Angelique was right behind him, one hand on his shoulder. They walked for five minutes through a long hall, until they finally came to a big golden door. Legolas went up and said something in another tongue, but the door seemed to know what it meant, for it opened slowly, but surely. Takato suddenly felt nervous, but Angelique gave him a sweet smile, taking away all nervousness. They then walked through the doorway and entered a room that was wholly white. At the back was one long stone slab, in the shape of a crescent. Behind that one was another one, but much smaller, in the same shape. Seated along the slabs were many different kinds of people. He could recognize Kenshin at one side, talking to a black-haired girl. On his other side was a dark-haired man with a kimono. Beside these three was a brown-haired boy and a brown-haired girl that sat next to the previous. These two were talking to each other and, from time to time, the girl would giggle. Beside the girl was a black-haired man and beside him was a man with glasses. Beside him was a girl in her late teens, and beside her were three empty spots. Beside that spot were four little people, whom seemed old, but their stature seemed inappropriate. In the smaller crescent were seated another one of these creatures, but much older than the others, a full-grown man with brown hair and a brown beard, and finally, at his side was a full-grown woman with ocean green hair. On both of the previous was a crown on their head.
'Oh boy…am I in for it now…' though Takato.
'Only if you think you are, my boy' came a reply, form practically nowhere.
Then he saw that two other people had come into the room and taken two of the seats unavailable. One of them, the one with the messy golden hair, winked at him. Takato was about to say something when the King, as it appeared, rose, making all chattering stop. He then spoke up with a loud, yet royal and kind voice.
"I, King Elsin, declare this meeting of the Council opened. Can Takato Taikashi please step forward?" he asked aloud.
Takato felt as if he was rooted to the spot, but a gentle shove by Angelique allowed him to move once more. He stepped forward until he was in the middle of the room. A murmur arose from the Council, but quickly ended.
"Very good. Now, will his guardians, or should I say, parents please step forward?" he asked once more.
Legolas and Angelique stepped forward to Takato's side. The King smiled and then sat down. Then, the old, yet short man at the King's side rose onto his stool and in a clear voice asked:
"My young fellow, you are the Knight of Hope, correct?" asked the old man.
"Indeed, I am the Knight of Hope, sir." answered Takato
"Quite a polite fellow we have here, eh, Bilbo?" asked one of the smaller creatures.
A small laugh spread through the room, including Bilbo, the King, and the Queen laughed. Then, the man next to Kenshin gave a small, but very audible cough, bringing them back to reality. The old man got out a pair of glasses from his pocket and read from a piece of paper.
"Takato Taikashi, yes…hum…it says here that you saw the image of TK, or known to us as the Dark Prince, appear in front of you while you waited for news of Kari Kamiya?" he asked to make sure.
Takato nodded in reply. He did not like where this was going.
"For a while, in your sleep, Councilor Kenshin Himura, here present, told us that you have been whispering in your sleep something about a request." further said Bilbo
As Bilbo was about to continue, the brown-haired boy lifted a hand.
"Bilbo, I think we should give this kid a rest. You've been talking and asking too long. Can you cut to the cheese?" he asked.
"Uh…quite right, Kenchi, my boy. Very well…here's the direct version of what I was saying. We know of the request that was made by TK's image. Our question is: Will you do it?" he asked
"Although he asked me to, I will NOT kill him" answered Takato in a firm, unbreakable voice.
"I see…and the reason would be?" asked the King
"He is the closest thing I have to a best friend. My team is made of other kids not of my family, I know that, yet they have no parents, like me. We became a family when Angelique appeared and from then, we consider ourselves brothers and sisters, with Angelique as our real mother. Back to the question, though. As I said, he is the closest thing I have to a best friend, no wait, he IS my best friend, and to kill him would not only kill me, but also his girlfriend Hikari. I would rather be torn apart by blade, steel, spear, and bullets before doing that kind of damage to anyone, no matter if it is my enemy, or if it my friend." he vowed
The King and Queen seemed impressed and agreeing to the statement that was just made. The rest of the Council was quiet for a while, before one by one, they all started clapping. The first one to start applauding was the golden-haired man. From behind, Angelique and Legolas were smiling. Angelique had been deeply touched when he had told them all that they considered her their real mother. Aragorn, right beside Legolas, was smiling broadly. The King, from where he sat, at seeing this site, gave a smile.
"From what has been heard here today, I think we have found our Chosen One. Takato Taikashi, We hereby name you the Defender of Hope. You will be charged to bring the Prince back to good. The Emperor will be brought back by a similar way, but with another Chosen. In order to fulfill your mission, new skills will have to be learned. Some of the Council members will be your teachers. Congratulations!" he declared with a smile. "This Council is now dismissed!" he then said.
The Council members then slowly got out of the crescents and all joined Takato, Legolas, Aragorn, and Angelique. The King and Queen were just getting up and leaving their crescent when through the door burst in the rest of the Pendant Bearers. Takato smiled at them, and then Kim gave him a hug. The man with the golden hair had just finished shaking hands with Aragorn when he stepped up to Takato.
"Greetings Takato. You did very well today." said the man.
"Thank you, councilor." he replied
"Call me Luke. I hate being called councilor. It makes me sound old. I hear Wedge is to be your flight instructor. You've got a great teacher. Congratulations!" said Luke
'Just remember, our last hope lies with you and the other Chosen.' said a voice to Takato.
Takato looked at Luke, but he in turn just smiled and winked before going away. Next up was Kenshin, who at his sides were the man in the white kimono and the girl that had sat beside him. Kenshin had a smile on his face as he looked at Takato.
"Very good up there, Takato. I'm going to be your sword-fighting teacher. I never planned to teach my technique, the Hiten Mitsurugi, but I'm afraid I have no choice. Meet my friend, Sanosuke, or Sano, your martial arts instructor, and Kaoru, my girlfriend." he presented. The man just nodded while the girl bowed. In return, Takato bowed too.
"You did well during the meeting, kid" said Sanosuke
"Thanks" replied Takato
The three then left, Kaoru and Sano in a talk-fight about manners. Next up was the man with the dark hair and the man with glasses.
"Hey, name's Angel. This is my partner Wesley. Nice going kid." he said.
"Thanks. Say, weren't you with a girl during the Council?" asked Takato
"Yeah, but she's somewhere in this room, talking her head off." he replied.
"Nice going up there, lad. You showed them quite good." said Wesley.
"Thanks…I think." answered Takato
The two men gave a nod and left to talk to Luke and, what Takato made out to be, Wedge. Next in line was the brown-haired kid and the brown-haired girl.
"Let me guess, you're Kenchi, correct?" asked Takato
The boy gave a smile
"I see you were actually paying attention to the meeting. I sometime get bored and don't listen much." he said.
"Until I get him back to reality" the girl beside him corrected.
"True. Takato, meet my girlfriend Holly. We kinda met under strained circumstances." he introduced
"I can imagine…don't ask." said Takato
"So, Takato…do YOU have anyone in your life?" asked Kenchi.
"Nope, no one." he replied
"But how can that be so? You're handsome, to say the least. Girls should be chasing after you." exclaimed Holly, but no one but Kenchi and Takato heard.
"You'd be surprised…" he mumbled.
But, unfortunately, both Kenchi and Holly heard that.
"Oh…so girls DO run after you?" asked Kenchi
"Like you wouldn't imagine…and I'm talking literally…they RUN after me." he said
Kenchi seemed impressed at this.
"Man, what are you? A rock star or something?" he asked, half jokingly.
"Yep…though I'm only the singer…" he said
Kenchi's jaw dropped and looked at Holly, who gave Takato an impressed look.
"Whoa…dude, no wonder the girls dig you." Kenchi said in amazement.
"gee, ya think?" asked Takato sarcastically.
"How many are in the band?" asked Kenchi.
"let me see…five. Two of them are Jonathan and Hyryuu, then there is our drummer Zidane. Last of all is our pianist, Kang-Lin. The only female in the group. When we need a female voice, Lin-kun is fit for the job." he said.
Kenchi nodded and Holly and he then left after a small farewell. Next where the four small creatures he had seen. They all bowed to him before straightening themselves.
"Frodo, Merry, Pippin, and Sam at your service!" they all said in unison.
Takato had to fight back a small laugh.
"Takato at yours!" he answered
"I trust that uncle Bilbo didn't bore you?" asked Frodo
"Not in the least, Frodo." he answered.
"Glad to hear it!" exclaimed Pippin
"If you would excuse us, we must go see something." said Merry
"You are excused." said Takato.
The four then bowed and left. Takato was then overwhelmed by his two brothers, who wanted to know everything. After explaining everything, the King and Queen stepped forward to him. Takato gave a bow, Jonathan and Hyryuu doing to the same after him and then straightened up. The King and Queen smiled at them.
"I hope we did not bore you too much, Takato." said Elsin.
"Not in the least, your majesty." replied Takato
"I suppose these are your brothers?" asked the Queen
"Indeed we are, your highness. Jonathan and Hyryuu at your service!" they both said.
The queen gave a small laugh.
"And Queen Kirenna at yours." she replied.
"Well, Takato, it seems you have new duties now that you are our Defender of Hope." said Kirenna.
"Quite right, your majesty." said Takato
"We shall leave you then, you will be shown to your rooms. From now on, you will stay here until your training is complete. Your family is also to stay here, plus the two other girls, for I think your two brothers are quite fond of them." said Elsin with a wink.
Takato had known about Jonathan and Christina, but Hikaru and Hyryuu? This was new, but it was also new teasing material for him. After the three had bowed once more, Elsin and Kirenna departed. Yet, just before leaving the room, he approached Aragorn and whispered something. Aragorn nodded and left the room, accompanied by Legolas and Boromir. Elsin then said something to Gimli, who also nodded and stayed at the door. The night was coming, and the kids had to go to bed, so Angelique showed them to their rooms. After about five minutes, they all went out like candle lights.
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In the halls of the Council Palace…
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Aragorn was striding tireless through the halls, Boromir and Legolas close behind. Then, he stopped at a red door and opened it. Legolas and Boromir kept quiet through the whole process, then entered the room. There was a brief flash of light, and then the door shut itself.
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They landed in the streets of a small town. They were in, what we call, normal clothes. They quickly got up and went to the sidewalk. Boromir and Aragorn looked around in wonder, as they had never seen anything like this. Legolas, on the other hand, had already come to our world and so was not very impressed. They strode by a large building that had the sign 'Primary School' hung up on a wall. They strode by it and then found a park. There were lots of children there, all playing and laughing gaily, unaware of the other world who were in constant chaos and in danger of destruction. They walked across the park and came onto another street. This one had house upon house lined up along it's sides. Since they all looked alike, Aragorn got a little frustrated, as they were here to get a girl, but how would they know where she lived? Then, a man passed by, and Aragorn stopped him with his arm.
"Excuse me, but would you know where lives the girl named Kang-Lin?" he asked.
The man straightened himself and looked at Aragorn.
"Yes, I know her, but what do you want from her?" he asked them suspiciously
"Listen to me…that is none of your business…just tell us where she lives, NOW" ordered Boromir.
The man back away a little before pointing to the north
"She lives in house 53, the one with the red roof, you can't miss it!" he said nervously, before running away.
Aragorn sighed, while Legolas stood there, shaking his head. Boromir looked at them with a inquisitive look
"What?" he asked
"Boromir, you should really learn some talking skills…" said Aragorn.
"Hey, at least we have the place, right?" asked Boromir
"Gotta agree on that." agreed Legolas
"Never mind, let's just go and finish this business" said Aragorn.
They resumed their walking, watching for a number 53 or a red roof. After about ten minutes, they finally found it. From inside one could hear screaming going on. One voice was young and fair, while the other old and mean. Aragorn looked at his companions and nodded, and soon, they were all in their old clothes. Aragorn led the way to the door and unsheathed his sword. Legolas got his bow out and adjusted an arrow on it and Boromir got out his sword. From the inside you could hear a clear distinct scream come out.
"I wish you would just leave me alone and I could leave this horrible place! You've never approved of Takato-kun, but I don't care anymore, I love him, and I am not changing my mind! He is my knight and his knights will come and save me on his behalf!" the younger voice said.
Aragorn and his friends looked at each other in dumb disbelief. What a stroke of luck for this young lady, her wish was coming true. Aragorn then stepped back and hurled himself against the door, making it fling open. He and Boromir dashed inside and Legolas followed, covering their backs. The young girl was up a stairway and the old woman was at the bottom. Both had stopped screaming and looked at what was happening. Aragorn then spoke up.
"Young lady, I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. I was sent to retrieve you and to bring you back to Takato, the Defender of Hope." he proclaimed.
"Man, I didn't think my wish would really come true. But anything is better than this hell-hole." said Kang-Lin in surprise.
The old woman was about to protest when Boromir stopped her with his blade.
"I would really reconsider any protest against Aragorn, old woman. You would have to be executed on the spot for protesting against a king." he said coolly. Then, a shriek came from behind. Another woman, younger than the old one, just as well Kang-Lin's mother, though they both seemed from very different nationalities, had appeared from the living room. Legolas quickly shut her up by pointing his bow at her.
"Now then, lady, you shouldn't scream like that, unwanted attention is not rewarded, but punished." said Legolas.
Kang-Lin had just come down the stairs when a voice from the outside shouted.
"This is the police, Come out with your hands up!" said the voice.
"For crying out loud! We don't have the time for this!" shouted Aragorn.
"We agree wholeheartedly!" shouted Kang-Lin, Legolas, and Boromir.
Boromir drew the old woman close.
"Listen, lady, we don't have time for this, so tell them to back off, or die. Their choice." he ordered her.
He then shoved the old woman to the door and flung it open. The old lady came outside slowly.
"They are saying that they want to see you all dead first!" she shouted
Boromir gave an exasperated sigh and threw a dart at the old lady, making her stumble and drop to the grass. She was not dead, but unconscious.
"Okay, plan B. Call them" ordered Aragorn.
Legolas nodded and took out a small communicator. After talking in some weird language, he put the communicator back in his pocket. Ten minutes later, the voice shouted once more.
"We are told to leave you alone and let you leave, you may come out freely!" it shouted this time.
Legolas peeked his head through the door and saw about ten elves with their bows ready to kill beside each policeman. After giving his friends an ok, they left the house, still guarding their backs. They then broke into a run and then, after Legolas said something in the other language, they disappeared. Soon after, the other elves said the same and they too disappeared. For weeks, the incident would be told about once and again, but afterwards it was dismissed as multiple hallucination.
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They were back in the room with the red door. Beside Aragorn was Kang-Lin, who was a bit startled by everything that had happened. Elves, Knights, and Magic. It was all too much for her. Aragorn then led them outside and into the halls. Aragorn then turned to the girl.
"Listen, we are to take you to Takato's room, but he's quite asleep I'm afraid." he said.
"What we're asking is if it's all right if you slept with my son in his room?" asked Legolas.
Kang-Lin looked at Legolas in surprise. As far as she knew, Takato had only brother and sisters and a mom, but she never knew he had a dad.
"He didn't know I was his father till he met me." he said, as if reading her mind.
"Your answer?" asked Boromir.
"Well…yes, I guess…but…isn't this kind of bad?" she asked.
"No need to worry about that, Jonathan and Hyryuu are also sleeping with the girl of their dreams. Though they won't know until they wake up." laughed Boromir.
"Well, then, let's go…just one thing…No funny stuff with my son during the night, okay? You two may be in love, but you are too young for anything." said Legolas.
Again, Kang-Lin was surprised, as she never knew Takato returned the feelings she had for him. She always thought he didn't have an interest in her. Though he was kind and polite, he never showed any real display of emotion. He always seemed apart from everyone except his brothers and sisters and his friends from the band, including her. Now, he heart had skipped a beat, the boy of her dreams loved her back! She practically skipped as they led her to Takato's room. She expected it to be messy and all disorganized, but instead, it was neatly organized and clean. Above his bed was a real, bladed katana, present from Kenshin. On his bedside table was a book and a small necklace. It seemed to shine orange in the dark, it's light never dying.
"The Pendant of Hope…it will never go out, no matter what. Hope will exist as long as the Crest and the Pendant exist." explained Legolas in a whisper. She nodded and found out that some of her stuff was already here. Legolas and his friends went outside the bedroom and left for their respective rooms. Legolas back to Angelique, Aragorn back to Arwen, and Boromir back to his studies. Boromir seemed to have no desire for love, as he kept reading and thinking throughout the night. He needed little sleep to feel refreshed. Back in Takato's room, Kang-Lin had just finished changing into her night-gown and was slowly getting into the bed. Then, Takato rolled over and she stopped. After making sure he wasn't about to wake, she got into the covers and got beside Takato, snuggling into him. She was about to go to sleep when she heard him whisper in his sleep.
"Must…get back TK…damned if I die…without saving him…" he whispered, before a tear came out from his eyes. She looked at him with a kind and caring look. She then gently brushed off the tear and kissed him lightly on the lips. Then, she got herself comfortable and went to sleep. Boy would Takato be in for it. The next morning came and Takato slowly awoke from his deep, but pleasurable sleep. Though he felt that something was not quite right. He took his Pendant and put it on and then stretched. That's when he felt someone roll against him from his side. Takato stopped his stretch and slowly looked to his side. His eyes then widened as he saw Kang-Lin at his side, in only a nightgown! His face flushed red and he had to very hardly suppress a yell of surprise. He then decided that it was bets not to wake her up, so he got out of bed, into the bathroom, locked it, and took a shower. After he was done, he also changed in the bathroom into his red robes and went out. Kang-Lin was still asleep. He then was about to leave the room when she awoke. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Takato by the door. She got up, as if everything was quite normal and looked at him with a sleepy expression.
"Good morning, Takato-kun." she said.
"Good…Good morning, Lin-chan." he stammered.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" she asked
"Uh…let me see…robes, belt, books…Ah yes! My Katana! Thank you, love." he said, as he got his katana.
She smiled at him. Though she wasn't really meaning the katana, she was glad he called her 'love'. Quite love-struck you could say. She had before thought that Takato was cute. But now, in his robes, with his katana and books, she thought he was absolutely gorgeous. As he got out, she went to the bathroom herself and took a shower. After finishing, she noticed a pair of robes laid on the bed, neatly folded. The robes were sky blue, with golden streaks along it's borders. She put them on and found them quite comfortable. She then went outside and in the halls she found Jonathan and Hyryuu, talking to each other with pale faces. She went towards them with a curious face.
"I'm telling you, first, I go to sleep, and then, next thing I know, Christina-kun is right beside me in my bed!" exclaimed Jonathan.
"Tell me about it…for me it was Hikaru." said Hyryuu.
"Hey guys!" she exclaimed, startling both of them
"Kang-Lin! What an awkward and yet splendid surprise!" greeted Jonathan
"How's it going, Kang-Lin?" asked Hyryuu
"Good! Marvelous! Splendid!" she said in a cheerful mood.
"What? Did our brother finally confess his feelings for you?" asked Jonathan
"Better! We actually got to sleep together!" she said
"So we aren't alone…good and bad to know…" sighed Hyryuu
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In the sword-fighting training room, Kenshin and Takato were in the middle of a deadlock between the fully mastered Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu and the un-mastered Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. It was a wonder to Kenshin how powerful this kid was. Kenshin broke the deadlock by back flipping and charging again. Takato saw it coming and side-stepped it, and then hit Kenshin in the back of the neck with the butt of the katana. Kenshin fell down and when he turned, Takato's katana was pointing straight at his heart. Kenshin smiled and gave a stifled laugh.
"Very good. Even if you haven't mastered the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu technique, you can still beat me! I'm impressed, kid." complimented Kenshin.
"Thanks, Kenshin." replied Takato.
"I guess we're done here for today. Next time, though, we'll have the whole lesson made up of fights, got it?" Kenshin asked.
"Yes, sensei." replied Takato.
Takato bowed to Kenshin, who returned it and then left with his gear. From the training with Kenshin he knew he would get cut all over his body, and boy, did he get it. He had a nasty, yet shallow gash on his forehead, and a cut that ran through his whole back. His left arm was nearly all stained with blood and he was still spitting some blood. Yet Kenshin was in no better shape. Takato had managed to catch him off-guard and cut him at his sides and make a gash across his chest. Kenshin was also bleeding a bit from his head wound that Takato had just done. Takato left the hall from which he had his training and went to his room. He had about two hours of rest before lunch and then Martial Arts class with Sanosuke. Just as he entered his room, he heard three gasps from inside. Hikaru, Christina, and Kang-Lin were all three inside, having tea around a small table.
"Uh…hello girls…am I interrupting anything? I could leave you know…" stammered Takato.
"Takato! What in the world happened to you? You're hurt!" shouted Kang-Lin
"Oh, these…they're nothing…really…just training wounds. I'll be okay. Really." he assured them.
But Kang-Lin would have none of it. She grabbed Takato and flung him onto the bed. She then turned to the two other girls and gave them a nod. The two girls rushed out and quickly came back with a med kit.
"Girls, I'm fine, really! I'll heal fast!" he shouted, but the girls were not paying attention to his cries.
Soon, every part of him that had been wounded had been cleaned and then bandaged. After seeing his blood, he then remembered he hadn't cleaned his katana yet. He unsheathed his blade once more and saw that it was indeed still stained with blood. He looked at the girls and saw that they were shocked.
"What?" he asked
"Is that blood?" asked Christina
"Well, what else would it be? Kenshin and I had a little real live practice." he said
"But, isn't that dangerous?" asked Kang-Lin
"Dangerous? Lin-chan, running around with nine Dark Riders, one dark army, and a malevolent Prince after you is dangerous." he said incredulously "This was just practice! Kenshin would never kill me and I wouldn't kill him. Besides, I've already bled far worse than this." he finished with a shrug.
Kang-Lin looked at him with renewed wonder. She had always admired Takato, from the first day of school, when she didn't know where to go, he was there to help her. He had always been kind and polite to her and the other students, and always like to laugh. Now, he tells her that he has fought and bled and ran from a terrifying amount of enemies. Takato was expecting her to start being worried, but instead, she hugged him, in the process, she accidentally hugged the back wound he had. Takato gave a little yelp in pain. Kang-Lin then retreated back in worry.
"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" she asked him
"No, not at all…I'm fine." he said wincing a bit from the pain
Kang-Lin nodded and then the two other girls said good-bye to Takato and Kang-Lin and left. After they had left, Takato got up and went to a nearby couch and slouched down. Kang-Lin came to his side and sat beside him.
"Kang-Lin, what are you doing here?" he asked, with his eyes closed.
"What do you mean? are you not happy that I'm here?" she asked, worried that was the case.
Takato turned his head and smiled at her.
"I'm always glad to have you near, Lin-chan. But this is not really the best place for you. You might get hurt, and I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something happened to you." he explained. He then turned his head back to it's former place. "I'm sorry if my question made you think I was not glad." he said.
Then, a bell rang from outside.
"Drats, I still have an hour before eating and then Martial Arts. I'm going to get creamed." he said.
"Then you better get changed, you smell of blood. After you're done, I'll get changed myself." she said.
"Yeah, no kidding…that "medical emergency" I just had made you sweat too much." he said with a playful tone.
Before she could reply, he had got up and went to the bathroom. He always let one of his spare tunics in the bathroom for such cases as these. Through the door, Kang-Lin could hear the shower turning on.
"Lin-chan? You better get changed into something nice. It's going to be one of those official lunches." he said through the door. Kang-Lin nodded and went to her wardrobe to find something nice. She looked and looked but found nothing. Then, on the floor of the wardrobe, she saw a package with a note on it. It read:
'I trust this dress will be in your good taste,
A friend'
She looked inside the packet and behold! There lay a pair of golden robes with a small necklace on top of one. The necklace bore the crests of Hope inside of a circle that surrounded it. The dress was bordered with silver and on the neckpiece was a small green jewel. She got the robes out and hung them in her wardrobe, but put the necklace on. After Takato came out in his red robes, his black hair still dripping a bit, she got into the bathroom and took a shower herself. When she came out, Takato left the room to give her, her privacy. When she had changed into the golden robes, she went again into the bathroom to apply finishing touches. While she was, Takato had sneaked into the room and quietly changed into another set of robes. These were of a silvery color and he was told his brothers would be using them too. The robes were bordered with gold and he put on his Pendant necklace. He also attached his katana at his side and put on a pair of black boots. Then, quietly, he slipped out of the room, as if he had never come into it at all. Soon, Kang-Lin was ready and when she came out, she gasped in surprise at how Takato was dressed. He looked like a knight to her in those silver robes. The sword made it appear even more so. To Takato, he had to stifle a whistle at how beautiful Kang-Lin looked in those robes. She looked like a queen to him in those robes. Her dark hair was neatly brushed and any slight breeze made it flow like the wind. He then nervously put out his hand, which she nervously took and they were off. At the door, they stopped. They both watched the door nervously, as they were both not used to this sort of event. Then, right up to them came Jonathan and Christina. Takato expected Jonathan to be in his silver robes so he made no gasp. He was interested though, as to why he had made his long blond hair into a pony tail, though it did look good on him. Christina and Kang-Lin, though, did gasp. They were both wearing the exact same thing except that their necklaces had different crests on them. Soon after, Hikaru and Hyryuu made their way to the others. The same kind of reactions passed. After the boys gave each other a nod, they put out their hands to their respective girls, which they took. Then, leaded by Takato and Kang-Lin, they opened the door and went inside, flanked by Hyryuu and Jonathan. Inside, they could see that the lunch had already started. It was more like a buffet lunch, as tables were set up everywhere and a long table to a corner was filled with food. Soon after they had greeted the King and Queen, they got their food and sat down, each couple at a different table. From his table, Takato could see Kenshin and Kaoru at a nearby table. He also saw Sanosuke having trouble believing that he could eat all he wanted without having to pay. He also saw some people he didn't know. He saw a little boy about ten years old dressed in red robes and carrying a katana being accompanied by a small brown-haired girl in pink robes. He judged that the girl was about nine years old. He then saw Angel and his partner Wesley at another table, seemingly waiting for someone. Then, he saw his sisters. His jaw dropped as he saw them. Catherine was sitting at a table with a young swordsman Takato had seen somewhere before, but couldn't remember, and Kim was just arriving on the arm of one of the Council Guards. Jin was right behind her with a small boy her age with dark hair and dark green eyes. Catherine and Kim, ok. But JIN?!?!? For him, she was still far too young to have a boyfriend. Kang-Lin hadn't noticed his shock though and just kept eating her food. When both had finished, they began to talk, mostly about Takato and his adventures. After about two hours, Takato saw Sanosuke make a sign at him and leave the room. Takato nodded and excused himself to Kang-Lin, saying it was time for his next lesson. She nodded happily and took a sip of wine (she's fifteen, but has high tolerance). Takato left the room and then went down the hall. Soon, he came to a black door with a Japanese sigh on it that meant "Aku". Takato nodded to himself and went inside. Sanosuke was waiting for him near the other edge of the room.
"Got boring, huh kid?" he asked.
"Very, let's get this on!" replied Takato.
"Right, here we go!" shouted Sanosuke, launching a shower of fists at Takato, who remained where he stood.
Takato could sense where things would come from because of his Knight abilities. One after another, he dodged every punch and kick that was launched at him with a cocky grin. After he felt that Sanosuke left an open spot, Takato launched a kick to that spot, making Sanosuke stop and step back, and then launch again. After Sanosuke seemed beaten, he smiled evilly. He then launched a spin kick at Takato, who ducked, but then Sanosuke used his other leg to kick backwards, hitting Takato's unprotected back. Right after the impact of the first leg, the other leg came crashing down on Takato's back also. Takato fell because of the impact on his stomach. He then swirled and grabbed Sanosuke's foot and made him fall to the ground too. After about an hour of sparring, the match ended in a deadlock, though both fighters were bleeding from more than one place. Takato returned to his room feeling practically dead. Kang-Lin was waiting for him already in bed, reading a book. Takato came in and wanted to drop to the floor and go unconscious, but decided against it. He went to the bathroom and got himself cleaned and got into the Council sleeping clothes and went to bed. As he got into the covers, he took off his Pendant and put it on his night table. Kang-Lin looked at him with somewhat worry.
"Rough lesson?" she asked
"Very rough. Man, Sano can really pack a punch." he answered, rubbing his jaw.
"If you're not careful, you won't survive the training, Takato-kun!" she said.
"I know, Lin-chan, but don't worry, I'll be careful. Right now, I feel like a deadbeat so I better get some sleep…"he said drowsily.
"Yes, you should. Goodnight Takato-kun." she said, turning off her light.
"Goodnight Lin-chan" he said in reply, before going out himself.
And so it was, that for nearly a month, Takato Taikashi, the Defender of Hope, trained for his ultimate task. At the ends of April, Takato had finished every course he had been trained in. He had successfully mastered the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu technique WITHOUT killing Kenshin in his last test, which was a wonder to him, and also finished his martial arts test by beating Sanosuke almost into a bloody pulp. He had mastered the art of flying at high speed with Wedge very fast, as he seemed to love flying. That last day, the Council met again, to decide which of the Bearers would accompany him on his different quest. It could only be one person, as the others had much else to do. At last, the Council chose. Since the other bearers had a respective other already in the group, they chose Kang-Lin, for she would raise Takato's spirits when low, encourage him when needed, and restore faith in himself when he felt down. She would be his support when injured and his healer when sick. Takato had brought up a fierce debate, saying that there was no possible way he would let Kang-Lin come with him because she had no powers to protect herself and he couldn't possibly look out for himself and her at the same time.
"Perhaps you are afraid to lose her, no?" asked Angel, from his seat.
"You're damn right I am! She's one of the only things that matter in my life, and I ain't taking the chance of losing her!" he shouted in reply.
"You make a good point Takato, but we still say she is he one." said Elsin gently, from his seat.
"Point or not, HOW THE HELL AM I TO PROTECT HER AND MYSELF WHEN THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN FIGHT THESE PEOPLE IS ME????" he screamed at the Council. He was really getting fed up with these people. They would not see the logic in his argument.
"Takato, we unders-" started Bilbo, before Sanosuke stood up from his seat and shouted back to Takato.
"Takato, listen to me. HAVE YOU BEEN PAYING ANY ATTENTION TO MY LESSONS?????" he shouted at Takato "IF YOU DID, YOU WOULD KNOW BY NOW THAT EVEN IF WHE CHOSE SOMEONE ELSE, SHE WOULD STILL GO! SHE LOVES YOU, YOU BAKA! SHE WOULD FACE OFF THE EMPEROR AND PRINCE, AND ANY OTHER BASTARD THAT LIVES, FOR WHO? FOR YOU! SHE CAN TAKE CARE OF HERSELF, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!" he finished. The whole Council looked at both Sanosuke and Takato with awaiting eyes.
Though he wouldn't easily admit it, there was some logic to what Sanosuke said. She would follow him to the ends of the earth and face off the devil himself for him. Takato stood there thinking for about fifteen minutes when he finally nodded in surrender. The Council stared at Sanosuke with wonder. He had managed to get Takato to agree to something as dangerous as this.
The next day, Takato and Kang-Lin were in Elven clothes and ready to go. Takato had his katana hanging at his side and Kang-Lin was carrying a bow. After saying goodbye to everyone, they walked through the red doors and then, with a flash, they disappeared. The journey to bring back the Prince had begun. Soon after, the other Bearers also left with Legolas, Aragorn, Boromir, Gimli, and Gandalf as their guardians once more.
Switzerland
A/N: Hikaru-chan, you are going to LOVE this chapter.
A/N: This can be considered the "love" chapter, as this will involve more of the love lives of the Bearers.
Disclaimer: I OWN NO SHOW. This disclaimer will apply for future chapters and future shows that MAY come out.
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The Meeting of the Council
Takato slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was four blurry faces above him. One was red-haired and had a cross-shaped scar on his face, while the others were that of Legolas, Angelique, and Aragorn.
"Kenshin, how is he?" asked Legolas.
"Not too good I'm afraid…he must have gotten a nasty shock." replied the man with the red hair.
Takato then remembered the request the image had made and shot up. The man reared his head just in time, but Legolas was not so fortunate. Takato's head hit Legolas' at full speed. Legolas then was knocked down to the ground by the impulse of the blow. Takato put a hand to his forehead, but Kenshin took it off. He then checked Takato's head but then gave a thumbs up. He left the room after saying a few words to Angelique and Aragorn. They both nodded and got Legolas to his feet. After repeating whatever Kenshin had told them to him, he nodded and went to Takato.
"Takato, listen, it seems that the Council wants to meet you in person. For whatever reasons, I don't know. Yet in fifteen minutes you will sure enough know." he told him.
Takato nodded. He was then given a pair of red robes bordered with gold by Angelique, and soon, after he was changed, the door burst open and in came his team, all dressed the same way he was, but in different colors, even Kari, Matt, and Izzy were there. Kenshin came right behind them.
"Sorry, Angelique, Legolas. I couldn't stop them from coming in. They were so persistent." he apologized, to which Legolas laughed and Angelique giggled.
"Kenshin, my friend, you apologize far too much. Anyway, I was about to let them in. An injured boy should have his family around him, and that includes friends." Aragorn told him. Kenshin nodded in reply and left.
After bombarding Takato with questions, Legolas told them it was time for Takato's meeting with the Council. The kids nodded and calmed down. Legolas and Aragorn flanked Takato as they left the room, and Angelique was right behind him, one hand on his shoulder. They walked for five minutes through a long hall, until they finally came to a big golden door. Legolas went up and said something in another tongue, but the door seemed to know what it meant, for it opened slowly, but surely. Takato suddenly felt nervous, but Angelique gave him a sweet smile, taking away all nervousness. They then walked through the doorway and entered a room that was wholly white. At the back was one long stone slab, in the shape of a crescent. Behind that one was another one, but much smaller, in the same shape. Seated along the slabs were many different kinds of people. He could recognize Kenshin at one side, talking to a black-haired girl. On his other side was a dark-haired man with a kimono. Beside these three was a brown-haired boy and a brown-haired girl that sat next to the previous. These two were talking to each other and, from time to time, the girl would giggle. Beside the girl was a black-haired man and beside him was a man with glasses. Beside him was a girl in her late teens, and beside her were three empty spots. Beside that spot were four little people, whom seemed old, but their stature seemed inappropriate. In the smaller crescent were seated another one of these creatures, but much older than the others, a full-grown man with brown hair and a brown beard, and finally, at his side was a full-grown woman with ocean green hair. On both of the previous was a crown on their head.
'Oh boy…am I in for it now…' though Takato.
'Only if you think you are, my boy' came a reply, form practically nowhere.
Then he saw that two other people had come into the room and taken two of the seats unavailable. One of them, the one with the messy golden hair, winked at him. Takato was about to say something when the King, as it appeared, rose, making all chattering stop. He then spoke up with a loud, yet royal and kind voice.
"I, King Elsin, declare this meeting of the Council opened. Can Takato Taikashi please step forward?" he asked aloud.
Takato felt as if he was rooted to the spot, but a gentle shove by Angelique allowed him to move once more. He stepped forward until he was in the middle of the room. A murmur arose from the Council, but quickly ended.
"Very good. Now, will his guardians, or should I say, parents please step forward?" he asked once more.
Legolas and Angelique stepped forward to Takato's side. The King smiled and then sat down. Then, the old, yet short man at the King's side rose onto his stool and in a clear voice asked:
"My young fellow, you are the Knight of Hope, correct?" asked the old man.
"Indeed, I am the Knight of Hope, sir." answered Takato
"Quite a polite fellow we have here, eh, Bilbo?" asked one of the smaller creatures.
A small laugh spread through the room, including Bilbo, the King, and the Queen laughed. Then, the man next to Kenshin gave a small, but very audible cough, bringing them back to reality. The old man got out a pair of glasses from his pocket and read from a piece of paper.
"Takato Taikashi, yes…hum…it says here that you saw the image of TK, or known to us as the Dark Prince, appear in front of you while you waited for news of Kari Kamiya?" he asked to make sure.
Takato nodded in reply. He did not like where this was going.
"For a while, in your sleep, Councilor Kenshin Himura, here present, told us that you have been whispering in your sleep something about a request." further said Bilbo
As Bilbo was about to continue, the brown-haired boy lifted a hand.
"Bilbo, I think we should give this kid a rest. You've been talking and asking too long. Can you cut to the cheese?" he asked.
"Uh…quite right, Kenchi, my boy. Very well…here's the direct version of what I was saying. We know of the request that was made by TK's image. Our question is: Will you do it?" he asked
"Although he asked me to, I will NOT kill him" answered Takato in a firm, unbreakable voice.
"I see…and the reason would be?" asked the King
"He is the closest thing I have to a best friend. My team is made of other kids not of my family, I know that, yet they have no parents, like me. We became a family when Angelique appeared and from then, we consider ourselves brothers and sisters, with Angelique as our real mother. Back to the question, though. As I said, he is the closest thing I have to a best friend, no wait, he IS my best friend, and to kill him would not only kill me, but also his girlfriend Hikari. I would rather be torn apart by blade, steel, spear, and bullets before doing that kind of damage to anyone, no matter if it is my enemy, or if it my friend." he vowed
The King and Queen seemed impressed and agreeing to the statement that was just made. The rest of the Council was quiet for a while, before one by one, they all started clapping. The first one to start applauding was the golden-haired man. From behind, Angelique and Legolas were smiling. Angelique had been deeply touched when he had told them all that they considered her their real mother. Aragorn, right beside Legolas, was smiling broadly. The King, from where he sat, at seeing this site, gave a smile.
"From what has been heard here today, I think we have found our Chosen One. Takato Taikashi, We hereby name you the Defender of Hope. You will be charged to bring the Prince back to good. The Emperor will be brought back by a similar way, but with another Chosen. In order to fulfill your mission, new skills will have to be learned. Some of the Council members will be your teachers. Congratulations!" he declared with a smile. "This Council is now dismissed!" he then said.
The Council members then slowly got out of the crescents and all joined Takato, Legolas, Aragorn, and Angelique. The King and Queen were just getting up and leaving their crescent when through the door burst in the rest of the Pendant Bearers. Takato smiled at them, and then Kim gave him a hug. The man with the golden hair had just finished shaking hands with Aragorn when he stepped up to Takato.
"Greetings Takato. You did very well today." said the man.
"Thank you, councilor." he replied
"Call me Luke. I hate being called councilor. It makes me sound old. I hear Wedge is to be your flight instructor. You've got a great teacher. Congratulations!" said Luke
'Just remember, our last hope lies with you and the other Chosen.' said a voice to Takato.
Takato looked at Luke, but he in turn just smiled and winked before going away. Next up was Kenshin, who at his sides were the man in the white kimono and the girl that had sat beside him. Kenshin had a smile on his face as he looked at Takato.
"Very good up there, Takato. I'm going to be your sword-fighting teacher. I never planned to teach my technique, the Hiten Mitsurugi, but I'm afraid I have no choice. Meet my friend, Sanosuke, or Sano, your martial arts instructor, and Kaoru, my girlfriend." he presented. The man just nodded while the girl bowed. In return, Takato bowed too.
"You did well during the meeting, kid" said Sanosuke
"Thanks" replied Takato
The three then left, Kaoru and Sano in a talk-fight about manners. Next up was the man with the dark hair and the man with glasses.
"Hey, name's Angel. This is my partner Wesley. Nice going kid." he said.
"Thanks. Say, weren't you with a girl during the Council?" asked Takato
"Yeah, but she's somewhere in this room, talking her head off." he replied.
"Nice going up there, lad. You showed them quite good." said Wesley.
"Thanks…I think." answered Takato
The two men gave a nod and left to talk to Luke and, what Takato made out to be, Wedge. Next in line was the brown-haired kid and the brown-haired girl.
"Let me guess, you're Kenchi, correct?" asked Takato
The boy gave a smile
"I see you were actually paying attention to the meeting. I sometime get bored and don't listen much." he said.
"Until I get him back to reality" the girl beside him corrected.
"True. Takato, meet my girlfriend Holly. We kinda met under strained circumstances." he introduced
"I can imagine…don't ask." said Takato
"So, Takato…do YOU have anyone in your life?" asked Kenchi.
"Nope, no one." he replied
"But how can that be so? You're handsome, to say the least. Girls should be chasing after you." exclaimed Holly, but no one but Kenchi and Takato heard.
"You'd be surprised…" he mumbled.
But, unfortunately, both Kenchi and Holly heard that.
"Oh…so girls DO run after you?" asked Kenchi
"Like you wouldn't imagine…and I'm talking literally…they RUN after me." he said
Kenchi seemed impressed at this.
"Man, what are you? A rock star or something?" he asked, half jokingly.
"Yep…though I'm only the singer…" he said
Kenchi's jaw dropped and looked at Holly, who gave Takato an impressed look.
"Whoa…dude, no wonder the girls dig you." Kenchi said in amazement.
"gee, ya think?" asked Takato sarcastically.
"How many are in the band?" asked Kenchi.
"let me see…five. Two of them are Jonathan and Hyryuu, then there is our drummer Zidane. Last of all is our pianist, Kang-Lin. The only female in the group. When we need a female voice, Lin-kun is fit for the job." he said.
Kenchi nodded and Holly and he then left after a small farewell. Next where the four small creatures he had seen. They all bowed to him before straightening themselves.
"Frodo, Merry, Pippin, and Sam at your service!" they all said in unison.
Takato had to fight back a small laugh.
"Takato at yours!" he answered
"I trust that uncle Bilbo didn't bore you?" asked Frodo
"Not in the least, Frodo." he answered.
"Glad to hear it!" exclaimed Pippin
"If you would excuse us, we must go see something." said Merry
"You are excused." said Takato.
The four then bowed and left. Takato was then overwhelmed by his two brothers, who wanted to know everything. After explaining everything, the King and Queen stepped forward to him. Takato gave a bow, Jonathan and Hyryuu doing to the same after him and then straightened up. The King and Queen smiled at them.
"I hope we did not bore you too much, Takato." said Elsin.
"Not in the least, your majesty." replied Takato
"I suppose these are your brothers?" asked the Queen
"Indeed we are, your highness. Jonathan and Hyryuu at your service!" they both said.
The queen gave a small laugh.
"And Queen Kirenna at yours." she replied.
"Well, Takato, it seems you have new duties now that you are our Defender of Hope." said Kirenna.
"Quite right, your majesty." said Takato
"We shall leave you then, you will be shown to your rooms. From now on, you will stay here until your training is complete. Your family is also to stay here, plus the two other girls, for I think your two brothers are quite fond of them." said Elsin with a wink.
Takato had known about Jonathan and Christina, but Hikaru and Hyryuu? This was new, but it was also new teasing material for him. After the three had bowed once more, Elsin and Kirenna departed. Yet, just before leaving the room, he approached Aragorn and whispered something. Aragorn nodded and left the room, accompanied by Legolas and Boromir. Elsin then said something to Gimli, who also nodded and stayed at the door. The night was coming, and the kids had to go to bed, so Angelique showed them to their rooms. After about five minutes, they all went out like candle lights.
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In the halls of the Council Palace…
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Aragorn was striding tireless through the halls, Boromir and Legolas close behind. Then, he stopped at a red door and opened it. Legolas and Boromir kept quiet through the whole process, then entered the room. There was a brief flash of light, and then the door shut itself.
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They landed in the streets of a small town. They were in, what we call, normal clothes. They quickly got up and went to the sidewalk. Boromir and Aragorn looked around in wonder, as they had never seen anything like this. Legolas, on the other hand, had already come to our world and so was not very impressed. They strode by a large building that had the sign 'Primary School' hung up on a wall. They strode by it and then found a park. There were lots of children there, all playing and laughing gaily, unaware of the other world who were in constant chaos and in danger of destruction. They walked across the park and came onto another street. This one had house upon house lined up along it's sides. Since they all looked alike, Aragorn got a little frustrated, as they were here to get a girl, but how would they know where she lived? Then, a man passed by, and Aragorn stopped him with his arm.
"Excuse me, but would you know where lives the girl named Kang-Lin?" he asked.
The man straightened himself and looked at Aragorn.
"Yes, I know her, but what do you want from her?" he asked them suspiciously
"Listen to me…that is none of your business…just tell us where she lives, NOW" ordered Boromir.
The man back away a little before pointing to the north
"She lives in house 53, the one with the red roof, you can't miss it!" he said nervously, before running away.
Aragorn sighed, while Legolas stood there, shaking his head. Boromir looked at them with a inquisitive look
"What?" he asked
"Boromir, you should really learn some talking skills…" said Aragorn.
"Hey, at least we have the place, right?" asked Boromir
"Gotta agree on that." agreed Legolas
"Never mind, let's just go and finish this business" said Aragorn.
They resumed their walking, watching for a number 53 or a red roof. After about ten minutes, they finally found it. From inside one could hear screaming going on. One voice was young and fair, while the other old and mean. Aragorn looked at his companions and nodded, and soon, they were all in their old clothes. Aragorn led the way to the door and unsheathed his sword. Legolas got his bow out and adjusted an arrow on it and Boromir got out his sword. From the inside you could hear a clear distinct scream come out.
"I wish you would just leave me alone and I could leave this horrible place! You've never approved of Takato-kun, but I don't care anymore, I love him, and I am not changing my mind! He is my knight and his knights will come and save me on his behalf!" the younger voice said.
Aragorn and his friends looked at each other in dumb disbelief. What a stroke of luck for this young lady, her wish was coming true. Aragorn then stepped back and hurled himself against the door, making it fling open. He and Boromir dashed inside and Legolas followed, covering their backs. The young girl was up a stairway and the old woman was at the bottom. Both had stopped screaming and looked at what was happening. Aragorn then spoke up.
"Young lady, I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. I was sent to retrieve you and to bring you back to Takato, the Defender of Hope." he proclaimed.
"Man, I didn't think my wish would really come true. But anything is better than this hell-hole." said Kang-Lin in surprise.
The old woman was about to protest when Boromir stopped her with his blade.
"I would really reconsider any protest against Aragorn, old woman. You would have to be executed on the spot for protesting against a king." he said coolly. Then, a shriek came from behind. Another woman, younger than the old one, just as well Kang-Lin's mother, though they both seemed from very different nationalities, had appeared from the living room. Legolas quickly shut her up by pointing his bow at her.
"Now then, lady, you shouldn't scream like that, unwanted attention is not rewarded, but punished." said Legolas.
Kang-Lin had just come down the stairs when a voice from the outside shouted.
"This is the police, Come out with your hands up!" said the voice.
"For crying out loud! We don't have the time for this!" shouted Aragorn.
"We agree wholeheartedly!" shouted Kang-Lin, Legolas, and Boromir.
Boromir drew the old woman close.
"Listen, lady, we don't have time for this, so tell them to back off, or die. Their choice." he ordered her.
He then shoved the old woman to the door and flung it open. The old lady came outside slowly.
"They are saying that they want to see you all dead first!" she shouted
Boromir gave an exasperated sigh and threw a dart at the old lady, making her stumble and drop to the grass. She was not dead, but unconscious.
"Okay, plan B. Call them" ordered Aragorn.
Legolas nodded and took out a small communicator. After talking in some weird language, he put the communicator back in his pocket. Ten minutes later, the voice shouted once more.
"We are told to leave you alone and let you leave, you may come out freely!" it shouted this time.
Legolas peeked his head through the door and saw about ten elves with their bows ready to kill beside each policeman. After giving his friends an ok, they left the house, still guarding their backs. They then broke into a run and then, after Legolas said something in the other language, they disappeared. Soon after, the other elves said the same and they too disappeared. For weeks, the incident would be told about once and again, but afterwards it was dismissed as multiple hallucination.
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They were back in the room with the red door. Beside Aragorn was Kang-Lin, who was a bit startled by everything that had happened. Elves, Knights, and Magic. It was all too much for her. Aragorn then led them outside and into the halls. Aragorn then turned to the girl.
"Listen, we are to take you to Takato's room, but he's quite asleep I'm afraid." he said.
"What we're asking is if it's all right if you slept with my son in his room?" asked Legolas.
Kang-Lin looked at Legolas in surprise. As far as she knew, Takato had only brother and sisters and a mom, but she never knew he had a dad.
"He didn't know I was his father till he met me." he said, as if reading her mind.
"Your answer?" asked Boromir.
"Well…yes, I guess…but…isn't this kind of bad?" she asked.
"No need to worry about that, Jonathan and Hyryuu are also sleeping with the girl of their dreams. Though they won't know until they wake up." laughed Boromir.
"Well, then, let's go…just one thing…No funny stuff with my son during the night, okay? You two may be in love, but you are too young for anything." said Legolas.
Again, Kang-Lin was surprised, as she never knew Takato returned the feelings she had for him. She always thought he didn't have an interest in her. Though he was kind and polite, he never showed any real display of emotion. He always seemed apart from everyone except his brothers and sisters and his friends from the band, including her. Now, he heart had skipped a beat, the boy of her dreams loved her back! She practically skipped as they led her to Takato's room. She expected it to be messy and all disorganized, but instead, it was neatly organized and clean. Above his bed was a real, bladed katana, present from Kenshin. On his bedside table was a book and a small necklace. It seemed to shine orange in the dark, it's light never dying.
"The Pendant of Hope…it will never go out, no matter what. Hope will exist as long as the Crest and the Pendant exist." explained Legolas in a whisper. She nodded and found out that some of her stuff was already here. Legolas and his friends went outside the bedroom and left for their respective rooms. Legolas back to Angelique, Aragorn back to Arwen, and Boromir back to his studies. Boromir seemed to have no desire for love, as he kept reading and thinking throughout the night. He needed little sleep to feel refreshed. Back in Takato's room, Kang-Lin had just finished changing into her night-gown and was slowly getting into the bed. Then, Takato rolled over and she stopped. After making sure he wasn't about to wake, she got into the covers and got beside Takato, snuggling into him. She was about to go to sleep when she heard him whisper in his sleep.
"Must…get back TK…damned if I die…without saving him…" he whispered, before a tear came out from his eyes. She looked at him with a kind and caring look. She then gently brushed off the tear and kissed him lightly on the lips. Then, she got herself comfortable and went to sleep. Boy would Takato be in for it. The next morning came and Takato slowly awoke from his deep, but pleasurable sleep. Though he felt that something was not quite right. He took his Pendant and put it on and then stretched. That's when he felt someone roll against him from his side. Takato stopped his stretch and slowly looked to his side. His eyes then widened as he saw Kang-Lin at his side, in only a nightgown! His face flushed red and he had to very hardly suppress a yell of surprise. He then decided that it was bets not to wake her up, so he got out of bed, into the bathroom, locked it, and took a shower. After he was done, he also changed in the bathroom into his red robes and went out. Kang-Lin was still asleep. He then was about to leave the room when she awoke. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Takato by the door. She got up, as if everything was quite normal and looked at him with a sleepy expression.
"Good morning, Takato-kun." she said.
"Good…Good morning, Lin-chan." he stammered.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" she asked
"Uh…let me see…robes, belt, books…Ah yes! My Katana! Thank you, love." he said, as he got his katana.
She smiled at him. Though she wasn't really meaning the katana, she was glad he called her 'love'. Quite love-struck you could say. She had before thought that Takato was cute. But now, in his robes, with his katana and books, she thought he was absolutely gorgeous. As he got out, she went to the bathroom herself and took a shower. After finishing, she noticed a pair of robes laid on the bed, neatly folded. The robes were sky blue, with golden streaks along it's borders. She put them on and found them quite comfortable. She then went outside and in the halls she found Jonathan and Hyryuu, talking to each other with pale faces. She went towards them with a curious face.
"I'm telling you, first, I go to sleep, and then, next thing I know, Christina-kun is right beside me in my bed!" exclaimed Jonathan.
"Tell me about it…for me it was Hikaru." said Hyryuu.
"Hey guys!" she exclaimed, startling both of them
"Kang-Lin! What an awkward and yet splendid surprise!" greeted Jonathan
"How's it going, Kang-Lin?" asked Hyryuu
"Good! Marvelous! Splendid!" she said in a cheerful mood.
"What? Did our brother finally confess his feelings for you?" asked Jonathan
"Better! We actually got to sleep together!" she said
"So we aren't alone…good and bad to know…" sighed Hyryuu
--------------------------------
In the sword-fighting training room, Kenshin and Takato were in the middle of a deadlock between the fully mastered Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu and the un-mastered Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. It was a wonder to Kenshin how powerful this kid was. Kenshin broke the deadlock by back flipping and charging again. Takato saw it coming and side-stepped it, and then hit Kenshin in the back of the neck with the butt of the katana. Kenshin fell down and when he turned, Takato's katana was pointing straight at his heart. Kenshin smiled and gave a stifled laugh.
"Very good. Even if you haven't mastered the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu technique, you can still beat me! I'm impressed, kid." complimented Kenshin.
"Thanks, Kenshin." replied Takato.
"I guess we're done here for today. Next time, though, we'll have the whole lesson made up of fights, got it?" Kenshin asked.
"Yes, sensei." replied Takato.
Takato bowed to Kenshin, who returned it and then left with his gear. From the training with Kenshin he knew he would get cut all over his body, and boy, did he get it. He had a nasty, yet shallow gash on his forehead, and a cut that ran through his whole back. His left arm was nearly all stained with blood and he was still spitting some blood. Yet Kenshin was in no better shape. Takato had managed to catch him off-guard and cut him at his sides and make a gash across his chest. Kenshin was also bleeding a bit from his head wound that Takato had just done. Takato left the hall from which he had his training and went to his room. He had about two hours of rest before lunch and then Martial Arts class with Sanosuke. Just as he entered his room, he heard three gasps from inside. Hikaru, Christina, and Kang-Lin were all three inside, having tea around a small table.
"Uh…hello girls…am I interrupting anything? I could leave you know…" stammered Takato.
"Takato! What in the world happened to you? You're hurt!" shouted Kang-Lin
"Oh, these…they're nothing…really…just training wounds. I'll be okay. Really." he assured them.
But Kang-Lin would have none of it. She grabbed Takato and flung him onto the bed. She then turned to the two other girls and gave them a nod. The two girls rushed out and quickly came back with a med kit.
"Girls, I'm fine, really! I'll heal fast!" he shouted, but the girls were not paying attention to his cries.
Soon, every part of him that had been wounded had been cleaned and then bandaged. After seeing his blood, he then remembered he hadn't cleaned his katana yet. He unsheathed his blade once more and saw that it was indeed still stained with blood. He looked at the girls and saw that they were shocked.
"What?" he asked
"Is that blood?" asked Christina
"Well, what else would it be? Kenshin and I had a little real live practice." he said
"But, isn't that dangerous?" asked Kang-Lin
"Dangerous? Lin-chan, running around with nine Dark Riders, one dark army, and a malevolent Prince after you is dangerous." he said incredulously "This was just practice! Kenshin would never kill me and I wouldn't kill him. Besides, I've already bled far worse than this." he finished with a shrug.
Kang-Lin looked at him with renewed wonder. She had always admired Takato, from the first day of school, when she didn't know where to go, he was there to help her. He had always been kind and polite to her and the other students, and always like to laugh. Now, he tells her that he has fought and bled and ran from a terrifying amount of enemies. Takato was expecting her to start being worried, but instead, she hugged him, in the process, she accidentally hugged the back wound he had. Takato gave a little yelp in pain. Kang-Lin then retreated back in worry.
"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" she asked him
"No, not at all…I'm fine." he said wincing a bit from the pain
Kang-Lin nodded and then the two other girls said good-bye to Takato and Kang-Lin and left. After they had left, Takato got up and went to a nearby couch and slouched down. Kang-Lin came to his side and sat beside him.
"Kang-Lin, what are you doing here?" he asked, with his eyes closed.
"What do you mean? are you not happy that I'm here?" she asked, worried that was the case.
Takato turned his head and smiled at her.
"I'm always glad to have you near, Lin-chan. But this is not really the best place for you. You might get hurt, and I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something happened to you." he explained. He then turned his head back to it's former place. "I'm sorry if my question made you think I was not glad." he said.
Then, a bell rang from outside.
"Drats, I still have an hour before eating and then Martial Arts. I'm going to get creamed." he said.
"Then you better get changed, you smell of blood. After you're done, I'll get changed myself." she said.
"Yeah, no kidding…that "medical emergency" I just had made you sweat too much." he said with a playful tone.
Before she could reply, he had got up and went to the bathroom. He always let one of his spare tunics in the bathroom for such cases as these. Through the door, Kang-Lin could hear the shower turning on.
"Lin-chan? You better get changed into something nice. It's going to be one of those official lunches." he said through the door. Kang-Lin nodded and went to her wardrobe to find something nice. She looked and looked but found nothing. Then, on the floor of the wardrobe, she saw a package with a note on it. It read:
'I trust this dress will be in your good taste,
A friend'
She looked inside the packet and behold! There lay a pair of golden robes with a small necklace on top of one. The necklace bore the crests of Hope inside of a circle that surrounded it. The dress was bordered with silver and on the neckpiece was a small green jewel. She got the robes out and hung them in her wardrobe, but put the necklace on. After Takato came out in his red robes, his black hair still dripping a bit, she got into the bathroom and took a shower herself. When she came out, Takato left the room to give her, her privacy. When she had changed into the golden robes, she went again into the bathroom to apply finishing touches. While she was, Takato had sneaked into the room and quietly changed into another set of robes. These were of a silvery color and he was told his brothers would be using them too. The robes were bordered with gold and he put on his Pendant necklace. He also attached his katana at his side and put on a pair of black boots. Then, quietly, he slipped out of the room, as if he had never come into it at all. Soon, Kang-Lin was ready and when she came out, she gasped in surprise at how Takato was dressed. He looked like a knight to her in those silver robes. The sword made it appear even more so. To Takato, he had to stifle a whistle at how beautiful Kang-Lin looked in those robes. She looked like a queen to him in those robes. Her dark hair was neatly brushed and any slight breeze made it flow like the wind. He then nervously put out his hand, which she nervously took and they were off. At the door, they stopped. They both watched the door nervously, as they were both not used to this sort of event. Then, right up to them came Jonathan and Christina. Takato expected Jonathan to be in his silver robes so he made no gasp. He was interested though, as to why he had made his long blond hair into a pony tail, though it did look good on him. Christina and Kang-Lin, though, did gasp. They were both wearing the exact same thing except that their necklaces had different crests on them. Soon after, Hikaru and Hyryuu made their way to the others. The same kind of reactions passed. After the boys gave each other a nod, they put out their hands to their respective girls, which they took. Then, leaded by Takato and Kang-Lin, they opened the door and went inside, flanked by Hyryuu and Jonathan. Inside, they could see that the lunch had already started. It was more like a buffet lunch, as tables were set up everywhere and a long table to a corner was filled with food. Soon after they had greeted the King and Queen, they got their food and sat down, each couple at a different table. From his table, Takato could see Kenshin and Kaoru at a nearby table. He also saw Sanosuke having trouble believing that he could eat all he wanted without having to pay. He also saw some people he didn't know. He saw a little boy about ten years old dressed in red robes and carrying a katana being accompanied by a small brown-haired girl in pink robes. He judged that the girl was about nine years old. He then saw Angel and his partner Wesley at another table, seemingly waiting for someone. Then, he saw his sisters. His jaw dropped as he saw them. Catherine was sitting at a table with a young swordsman Takato had seen somewhere before, but couldn't remember, and Kim was just arriving on the arm of one of the Council Guards. Jin was right behind her with a small boy her age with dark hair and dark green eyes. Catherine and Kim, ok. But JIN?!?!? For him, she was still far too young to have a boyfriend. Kang-Lin hadn't noticed his shock though and just kept eating her food. When both had finished, they began to talk, mostly about Takato and his adventures. After about two hours, Takato saw Sanosuke make a sign at him and leave the room. Takato nodded and excused himself to Kang-Lin, saying it was time for his next lesson. She nodded happily and took a sip of wine (she's fifteen, but has high tolerance). Takato left the room and then went down the hall. Soon, he came to a black door with a Japanese sigh on it that meant "Aku". Takato nodded to himself and went inside. Sanosuke was waiting for him near the other edge of the room.
"Got boring, huh kid?" he asked.
"Very, let's get this on!" replied Takato.
"Right, here we go!" shouted Sanosuke, launching a shower of fists at Takato, who remained where he stood.
Takato could sense where things would come from because of his Knight abilities. One after another, he dodged every punch and kick that was launched at him with a cocky grin. After he felt that Sanosuke left an open spot, Takato launched a kick to that spot, making Sanosuke stop and step back, and then launch again. After Sanosuke seemed beaten, he smiled evilly. He then launched a spin kick at Takato, who ducked, but then Sanosuke used his other leg to kick backwards, hitting Takato's unprotected back. Right after the impact of the first leg, the other leg came crashing down on Takato's back also. Takato fell because of the impact on his stomach. He then swirled and grabbed Sanosuke's foot and made him fall to the ground too. After about an hour of sparring, the match ended in a deadlock, though both fighters were bleeding from more than one place. Takato returned to his room feeling practically dead. Kang-Lin was waiting for him already in bed, reading a book. Takato came in and wanted to drop to the floor and go unconscious, but decided against it. He went to the bathroom and got himself cleaned and got into the Council sleeping clothes and went to bed. As he got into the covers, he took off his Pendant and put it on his night table. Kang-Lin looked at him with somewhat worry.
"Rough lesson?" she asked
"Very rough. Man, Sano can really pack a punch." he answered, rubbing his jaw.
"If you're not careful, you won't survive the training, Takato-kun!" she said.
"I know, Lin-chan, but don't worry, I'll be careful. Right now, I feel like a deadbeat so I better get some sleep…"he said drowsily.
"Yes, you should. Goodnight Takato-kun." she said, turning off her light.
"Goodnight Lin-chan" he said in reply, before going out himself.
And so it was, that for nearly a month, Takato Taikashi, the Defender of Hope, trained for his ultimate task. At the ends of April, Takato had finished every course he had been trained in. He had successfully mastered the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu technique WITHOUT killing Kenshin in his last test, which was a wonder to him, and also finished his martial arts test by beating Sanosuke almost into a bloody pulp. He had mastered the art of flying at high speed with Wedge very fast, as he seemed to love flying. That last day, the Council met again, to decide which of the Bearers would accompany him on his different quest. It could only be one person, as the others had much else to do. At last, the Council chose. Since the other bearers had a respective other already in the group, they chose Kang-Lin, for she would raise Takato's spirits when low, encourage him when needed, and restore faith in himself when he felt down. She would be his support when injured and his healer when sick. Takato had brought up a fierce debate, saying that there was no possible way he would let Kang-Lin come with him because she had no powers to protect herself and he couldn't possibly look out for himself and her at the same time.
"Perhaps you are afraid to lose her, no?" asked Angel, from his seat.
"You're damn right I am! She's one of the only things that matter in my life, and I ain't taking the chance of losing her!" he shouted in reply.
"You make a good point Takato, but we still say she is he one." said Elsin gently, from his seat.
"Point or not, HOW THE HELL AM I TO PROTECT HER AND MYSELF WHEN THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN FIGHT THESE PEOPLE IS ME????" he screamed at the Council. He was really getting fed up with these people. They would not see the logic in his argument.
"Takato, we unders-" started Bilbo, before Sanosuke stood up from his seat and shouted back to Takato.
"Takato, listen to me. HAVE YOU BEEN PAYING ANY ATTENTION TO MY LESSONS?????" he shouted at Takato "IF YOU DID, YOU WOULD KNOW BY NOW THAT EVEN IF WHE CHOSE SOMEONE ELSE, SHE WOULD STILL GO! SHE LOVES YOU, YOU BAKA! SHE WOULD FACE OFF THE EMPEROR AND PRINCE, AND ANY OTHER BASTARD THAT LIVES, FOR WHO? FOR YOU! SHE CAN TAKE CARE OF HERSELF, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!" he finished. The whole Council looked at both Sanosuke and Takato with awaiting eyes.
Though he wouldn't easily admit it, there was some logic to what Sanosuke said. She would follow him to the ends of the earth and face off the devil himself for him. Takato stood there thinking for about fifteen minutes when he finally nodded in surrender. The Council stared at Sanosuke with wonder. He had managed to get Takato to agree to something as dangerous as this.
The next day, Takato and Kang-Lin were in Elven clothes and ready to go. Takato had his katana hanging at his side and Kang-Lin was carrying a bow. After saying goodbye to everyone, they walked through the red doors and then, with a flash, they disappeared. The journey to bring back the Prince had begun. Soon after, the other Bearers also left with Legolas, Aragorn, Boromir, Gimli, and Gandalf as their guardians once more.