Angel of Light: Phew! It's been a while. Between the power outage, camp and P.E.I. I've had no time to write. But now I do! This chapter will be a long one, and the last one. This story didn't turn out as I had expected, but, I still like it. I just hope you do too…lol, anyways; you probably don't want to read anymore of my babbling, so on with the fic!

Gracefully and without effort the dragon flew through the sky. He did a few dips and twirls, forcing the two on his back to hand on tighter. A huge grin of enjoyment was spread across his face. His golden armour reflected the sun, making him shine. His powerful wings beating to keep himself airborne. Every once and a while a flame or two would escape from its mouth, but nothing to do much harm.

Takeru held on tight to the beast's neck, afraid that it would do more corkscrews. He was also aware of the Princess's tight grip on him, but he said nothing about it. He told himself that it was only out of fear that she had such a death grip on him.

Hikari was beginning to feel sick, but wasn't going to admit it. One more loop and it would send her insides into a whirlwind. She didn't care what he would say after, but she hung on for dear life, almost wishing she hadn't come.

"So, what made you want to come?" the Prince finally asked. It had been bothering him, and it would eat him from the inside out until he knew the answer.

She obviously didn't hear, as she didn't respond, or even move for that matter.

"Why did you come?" he repeated, slightly louder.

Her grip loosened, and she looked up at him.

"I-I wanted to see my father and my brother. I miss them…" she replied softly. It was partly true, but not the main reason.

"Oh." he turned back, and said no more.

To Kari, he looked rather disappointed with her answer. But what was she supposed to say? It wasn't as if she could tell him why she really came. She wasn't even sure why she came. It seemed that those words had just popped out of her mouth, and she did nothing o stop them.

To say the least, Takeru was in fact disappointed with the answer. He sensed that she was lying, but didn't push it. Once again, he got mad at her. He didn't tell her that, but he started cursing her in his head.

'Stupid girl! She has to play with me, doesn't she? She doesn't care. She probably knows this is tearing me apart. And do I have any say in it? No, I never asked for this, I never even wanted to go on this stupid journey. I hated every moment of it, and I hate her!'

The rest of the trip was flown in silence, save for the steady thump of the dragon's wings.

Slowly, they neared the battle grounds. Hikari loosened her grip almost all the way, and peered out over the dragon's shoulder. Takeru did the same. What they saw shocked them both.

A thick black cloud loomed in the distance. Below, were the remnants of a battle. Bodies lay strewn across the ground. Dried blood pools surrounded the area, a telltale sign that this was one of the earlier battles.

The two noticed something. There were men down there, but there was something else. It was a human shape, but it was slightly different. Takeru motioned for the dragon to fly lower.

As they got closer, they were horrified by what they saw. They were the same things that had chased them across the ravine. The same twisted faces stared at them, and they were no less frightening dead then they were alive.

The dragon was flying so low, and was watching the ground so intently that he didn't see the tree up ahead. Neither did the other two. Only when he hit it, did he realize that it was there.

When he did, something fell out. One of the creatures landed on the dragon's back, behind Hikari.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" she screamed. The dragon was also startled by the impact, and he bolted upwards, causing the carcass to fall to the ground.

The Princess began to sob. It had scared her to death.

Takeru looked at her sympathetically. She was genuinely scared. He reached out and put a comforting hand on her shoulder, not knowing what else to do. Hikari sobbed more, and leaned in and sobbed into his shoulder. Slowly, he placed his arms around her and gently stroked her.

"Shh, it's okay. It's gone now. There's nothing to be afraid of", he soothed.

As soon as he had finished, she pulled away and looked at him.

"Are you okay?" she said mockingly, though her voice was still shaky.

He gave her a sceptical look, not knowing what she meant.

"Yeah…why?" he asked.

"Because I think that that was the first nice thing you've said to me."

He opened his mouth to object, but soon closed it again. It was the first nice thing that he had said to her. He blushed.

"You're blushing." she said bluntly.

"Am not! It's just hot out."

"Actually, this is the type of weather that one catches Hypothermia, unless you're way out of whack."

She thought for a moment.

"Wait, never mind. I believe you."

He looked at her a moment.

"Hey!"

They were interrupted by the shouting of voices. The two looked over, and saw soldiers scurrying to their posts. An arrow whizzed passed them.

Desperately, Hikari grabbed the Prince.

"Quick! Tell them who we are! They're getting ready to shoot, and we're flying in their range!"

"Why me?"

"'Cause you have the louder voice, not do it!" she ordered.

"Sheesh…."

"DON'T SHOOT!" he yelled at the top of his lugs.

The soldiers looked at each other, but did nothing more.

"IT'S PRINCE TAKERU AND PRINCESS HIKARI! SHOOT AND YOU WILL BE KILLED!!"

This time, they lowered their bows.

The dragon lowered itself into the courtyard of the base. The soldiers cleared out, unsure of the beast.

"Where's my father?" Takeru demanded.

One of them stepped out timidly. "At the castle, your majesty."

The Prince nodded, "Thank you."

Once again, the dragon lifted off, sending the dust swirling beneath them. They headed for the castle.

Takeru decided that they wouldn't wait to tell them who it was before landing. He was growing impatient. The Prince turned to Hikari.

"Hang on." he told her.

"Why?"

"Just do it. You'll see in a moment."

The dragon picked up speed, and headed for the courtyard of King Stephan, Hikari's father.

As they neared, they picked up more speed. He was hoping that the soldiers would shoot right away at them, and would wait until they saw who it was. Watching all the soldiers running around frantically, he hung on tightly, as did the Princess.

With a loud thud, they landed. The dragon skidded a little before stopping, crushing a large portion of the palace garden. As Takeru had predicted, the guards were lining up, ready to fight.

"Calm down, it's just us." the Prince said, gathering his senses.

"Could you please get off of me?" said Hikari.

The Prince looked down and realized that he was sitting on the Princess's back.

"No thank you, I'm fine. I think I'll just stay here."

Annoyed, she started to struggle. Finally, she was able to get him off. He only laughed at her.

"Ahem."

The two looked up. A big smile came across Hikari's face. The two kings were standing in front of them. The girl jumped up, and ran to her father, embracing him.

"I see that you two are alright." She could only smile brighter.

"Where's Taichi?" she asked.

"He and Prince Yamato are at the other castle keeping watch there."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but we're in the middle of a war here." the other King stated.

"Oh, don't be such a stick in the mud. Aren't you happy to see your son?" Stephan asked.

"Of course, but I'd much rather spend time with him in the comfort of my own home, and not having to worry whether or not I'll get to see tomorrow."

Takeru stood up, and dusted himself off. The dragon too stood up. It rested back on its haunches and stared curiously at the two kings.

"Would you mind explaining this?" Takeru's father asked, or rather, demanded.

"Well, he's nice, he really is. He saved us a few times." Takeru answered.

"And he's really cute too. He doesn't mean any harm, he just wants to help." she laughed slightly, "And he's really taken a liking to the Prince."

Takeru glared at her.

"So, what about the reinforcements, did you get any?" Stephan asked.

"Yes father, we did. A cavalry of about 3 000 will be arriving tomorrow, along with King Samuel form Tohuw. About two days after that, a foot army of approximately 7 000 men will be joining us, led by King Philip of Asterix." She looked up at her father, "I hope that's enough…"

He patted her on the head. "It's perfect. You did a wonderful job. I'll alert the army now. It will give them a heads up not to attack the newcomers, and it will give them hope as well. Hope is what they need right now. And maybe a little bit of light to brighten the dark skies. The sun hasn't been out in weeks, and it's beginning to take a toll on the men." Stephan explained gravely.

Takeru's father stepped forward. "We would like you two to report to my kingdom. It is farther from the battle, and you two should be safe. It seems that you two have been through a lot, and you deserve a break. I'm sure your brothers wouldn't mind hearing some of your stories."

"But father, I want to help too!" Takeru objected.

"I'm sorry, but that is out of the question. I'm not even letting your brother go out to battle, so don't think that you will. Besides, I'm sure you've seen enough adventure to last a lifetime." He placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "I also need you to escort the Princess over."

Takeru shot a look at her, but she wasn't looking at him. It confused him, as there was no way that she didn't hear it. He looked back at his father, and sighed.

"Fine, I'll go."

"And don't do anything reckless like leave for battle. I'm sure that the other boys can find some work for you to do."

The Prince raised an eyebrow.

"That you would enjoy, of course."

"Well, I guess we'd better get going, then. Hikari?"

She turned back, and nodded. The two headed back for the dragon. Just as they reached it, Hikari broke into a run.

"I get the front this time!" she exclaimed with a smile.

The Prince only rolled his eyes, and climbed on behind her. They once again set off. This time, for the last leg of their journey.

Once they were in the air, Takeru realized something. Blushing, he stared at the Princess., and hoped that she wouldn't turn around. He also hoped that the dragon wouldn't be doing any more of his tricks.

As fate would bring it, the dragon started setting up for a corkscrew. You could tell this by the fact that his wings were folded at his sides. Quickly, Takeru threw his arms around her waist. It was just in the nick of time, as the dragon immediately stated to spin.

Once again, they headed for the courtyard of the castle. Takeru was happy to see his home again, for it seemed like ages since the last time he saw it. He thought back to the initial incident. He was completely against going. He wanted nothing to do with the Princess, and now he found himself dreading the end of the war, for he knew that things would go back to the way they were before.

This time, the landing was cleaner. The guards lowered their arrows once they saw who it was. One of them ran inside to inform the other two princes.

"Ahem."

Takeru looked up. "Oh…s-sorry." Blushing again, he quickly let go of her, and slid off the dragon, as did she.

"Finally!" a voice said.

"Taichi!" Hikari exclaimed as she ran towards him. He gave her a big hug, and spun her around a few times.

"I missed you, Tai."

He stopped spinning. "I missed you too."

The dragon let out a small moan, and rested its head beside Takeru. He looked up at him, looking much like a dog giving puppy eyes.

"So T.K., who's your friend?" It was Yamato.

"Oh, this? It followed us. I really don't know where it came from."

"I see."

"Well then, why don't we go inside?" Tai suggested.

"Sounds good." Yamato replied.

"Sure." responded Takeru.

Hikari nodded at her brother.

The four of them headed inside. They went into one of the sitting rooms, where the two younger ones re-counted their stories. This took a few hours, with all the interruptions by the older two.

Dusk had settled and it was beginning to get dark. With the war in progress, there was an eerie silence that hung in the air. Any living creatures that had once lived there, were now gone. No birds to wake them up, no wolves to howl at the moon. Even all the insects were gone.

"I think it's time to go to bed. We've all had a long day, and you two look tired." Tai remarked.

Without objection, the two of them got up, and headed up to their respective rooms. The older ones stayed behind a little while longer.

"So?" asked Matt with a smile.

"Man, they got it bad." he replied.

"You're telling me."

"How long do you think before they realize it?" Tai asked.

"Oh, a few days at the most, but, maybe even tonight."

"What makes you say that?"

"Just a hunch."

"Whatever, I'm going to bed." Tai got up, and headed out. Yamato wasn't far behind.

~*~

Hikari sat awake in her bed, staring at the ceiling. Though she was extremely tired, she couldn't sleep. Her mind was still spinning, replaying every detail of the trip. Frustrated, she got up. She changed into a simple white dress that was there, and snuck out of the room. She headed out of the castle, and out into the garden. She stopped on a small stone bridge, and leaned against its rocky ledge. She looked up at the stars, at the trees, and into her reflection.

~*~

Takeru was having the same problem. He was pacing back and forth, not knowing what to do. His emotions were all out of whack, and his mind was a flurry of thoughts. Frustrated, he opened the door and left his room. He had changed into nicer clothes than the rags that he'd been wearing. He too went out of the castle and into the garden.

~*~

He walked out, expecting to be the only on there. He was shocked to see that the Princess was already out there. A small breeze blew through, rustling her hair and her dress. Takeru couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked. The full moon reflected off of her body, making her seem to glow. He couldn't see her face clearly, but he knew that she was troubled by something. Slowly, he made his way over.

~*~

Hikari was so occupied with looking into the water, that she didn't hear him come up. Only when she saw another reflection, did she notice him. This gave her a start.

"Oh my goodness! You startled me…"

"Sorry."

"It's alright. Can't sleep?"

She shook her head, "You?"

"Nope."

Hikari nodded lightly in response, then turned back to her reflection.

There was a silence in the air, but it was far from peaceful. The tension of war hung in the atmosphere, and the tension of the two royals was now added to it. The sky was cloudless, and the moon shone through in all its glory, with the starts as its helpers. A soft breeze blew across the plains, rustling the leaves gently. In the distance was the ominous dark cloud that loomed over the battle field.

"So, what now?" Takeru asked.

"What do you mean?" Hikari asked softly, still starting into the trickling creek below her.

"Well, I mean, in terms of when this war is over. What happens to…"

She looked up, "Us?"

Shifting his gaze to the trees behind her, he nodded softly.

Her face saddened slightly, "Was there ever an 'us' to begin with?"

"I guess not."

She studied his face while he looked intently into the trees. It was remarkable to her how truly handsome he was. She knew he was good looking, but never really took the time to realize just how good looking he was.

Her gaze averted to the castle. It looked so dark and dreary with no one around. She decided that it would be best to go to bed, feeling like she had just lost something. She felt like there was a void in her life, a void that had always been there, but she just took notice of it. She looked once more at the Prince, sadly, then looked back at the castle. It was getting late, and she decided that it was time to go in.

"I'm going to go to bed now." she whispered.

He snapped out of it, and nodded. "Me too."

The two of them walked back into the castle.

~*~

The next morning, Takeru went down for breakfast. Tai and Matt were there, but it seemed that Hikari hadn't woken up yet. As soon as they realized he was there, they both jumped at him.

"So?" Matt asked.

"So what?"

"Oh, come on. You know what we're talking about. We both saw you two out in the garden last night." Tai remarked.

The young Prince studied their faces.

"Nothing happened." his voice was empty and emotionless.

"That's what they all say. Now tell us the truth, come on, don't be shy, spill already!" Yamato almost yelled.

"I already told you, nothing happened. If anything, we might respect each other a little more than we did, but nothing more." his voice still carried no expression.

His older brother backed off, and analysed his face. His expression softened. "Sorry, bro."

"I want something to eat." Takeru stated flatly as he went to find something.

Tai and Matt exchanged glances.

"Give it time."

~*~

Not long after, Hikari come down. She was still dressed in her evening gown, as she had not bothered to change. Takeru emerged from the kitchen as soon as she had come out. They locked eyesight for a split moment, then Takeru quickly broke it. He left the room.

Hikari turned to her brother, and smiled sleepily.

"Morning sleepy head." he teased.

She gave him an annoyed look, then smiled it off. "Am I too late for breakfast?" she asked.

Taichi shook his head, "Nope. Just talk to the workers in there, and they'll fix you something. You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just not quite awake yet, that's all."

"Okay."

Tai watched her go into the kitchen.

~*~

It was well into the morning, and almost into the afternoon. Hikari had finally gotten ready, and went outside. There, she found her brother talking to Yamato. She took a look around and saw no sign of Takeru. Come to think of it, there was no sign of the dragon either. She walked over to her brother.

"Hello, Taichi."

"Hi, what are you up to?" he asked.

"I was wondering if I could borrow your horse. I want to go for a ride and, well, I don't have a horse at the moment."

He nodded, "Yeah go ahead. Just don't go too far from the castle. The war is still going on and I don't know whether or not we have any unwanted visitors, so, just be careful."

"I will!" she replied as she ran to the stables.

Inside, she found her brother's flame coloured horse in his stall. She was greeted with a soft nicker as she approached the gate.

"Hello, there. It seems that you haven't been out in a while, have you? Well, let's go."

She led him out of the stall, and put him on crossties. He watched her as she went to get her brother's saddle and bridle. They weren't hard to find as they were the only ones that were gold and red, her home kingdom's colours. She walked out with them and gently put them on. She tightened the girth, and shortened the stirrups. Untying him, she led him out. Outside, she hopped on.

Just as she had thought, he was full of energy. He only needed the slightest tap, and he was off at the speed of light. She smiled as she felt the wind blowing through her hair.

She came upon the gates to the city quickly, and was soon outside its walls. She stopped the horse, though with some difficulty, and looked around. The day was gloomy. She thought she spotted where the sun could be, but she wasn't too sure. Looking out at the vast field ahead of her, she set off once again.

~*~

Takeru flew across the skies atop the dragon. He was well above the clouds and couldn't see anything, but that was just what he wanted. He didn't want to see the problems on the world below him. The Prince just wanted to forget everything; all the cares and worries, and just fly.

To him, the day was bright and sunny. With the clouds below him, there was nothing blocking the sun. He let everything go as the serpent soared through the endless sea that was the sky.

They stayed like this for quite some time, until Takeru finally decided that he'd had enough. He motioned for the dragon to lower its altitude, and start heading back to the castle.

~*~

Hikari figured that the stallion had had enough running, and slowed him down. His breathing was heavy, but she could tell that he enjoyed every minute of it. He pranced along the ground, holding his head proudly and lifting his feet high. He danced right and left out of pure enjoyment.

The girl leaned forwards, "I guess you haven't been out in a while, huh." She scratched behind his ears.

They went along like this for a little longer, until Hikari realized that she should probably head back. She wasn't sure how far she was from the castle, as she had lost track of everything. She looked back, but couldn't see it.

'I guess I went a lot further than I had hoped to.' she thought to herself. 'Oh well, better be getting back then.'

She turned her mount, and started heading back. She had him at a relaxed canter as they passed by the forest.

A loud snap was heard, and the horse bolted away from it. Hikari managed to stop him before he went to far, but decided that she wanted to get out of there. She gathered the reins, and kept alert.

The horse's ears swivelled around, picking up any and every noise. His head was dangerously high as the Princess tried to get him to lower it. It took her a while, but she finally got him to calm down.

Still, there was something that bothered him. It bothered her too.

~*~

Takeru and the dragon broke through the clouds. He became depressed almost immediately at the sight of it. He had forgotten just how dreary it really was. The dragon flew close to the ground.

~*~

Another snap was heard, and the horse spooked once more. Once again, she was able to calm him. She was coming to a hill, and couldn't see over the top. The horse was at a walk as they began to near its top.

~*~

The dragon flew slowly, neither of them in a rush to get back. The Prince spotted some hoof prints and began to wonder about them.

~*~

Just as she was at the top, something jumped out at her. It startled the horse, who reared up. Hikari wasn't expecting it, so she went flying. The horse turned and bolted, leaving the Princess alone.

Kari looked up at the figure looming over her. It was dressed it black, and had a hood. In its hand was a huge, bloodstained sword.

~*~

The dragon came over the hill just as the figure jumped out at the Princess. Alarmed, the Prince urged the dragon on. He was horrified as he watched the shining blade raise up into the air.

The shrill scream of the Princess spread across the plains. Aghast, Takeru watched as the blade came down upon her. He closed his eyes.

~*~

Hikari watched in fright as the sword rose above her head. She screamed, knowing that there was no escape. Tears streamed from her eyes as she watched the blade come down. At the last moment, she moved slightly to the side.

A searing pain ripped through her body. She looked over and saw the blade resting in her shoulder. She stared at it with unbelief. Apart from the blade wound, was the pain from the wounds that she had gotten from being thrown. Her whole body ached. Never in her whole life had she felt such pain.

~*~

Takeru opened his eyes, expecting to see a gruesome sight. Instead, he saw a stunned princess staring at the blade in her shoulder. Relieved that she wasn't dead, he rushed in. The dragon was low enough, so he jumped off. If he could get the figure away from her far enough, then get away himself, the dragon could do the rest of the dirty work. At the moment, this hooded thing was too close to her. The fire from the dragon's mouth would consume them both.

The Prince ran over, blade drawn. He knocked away the blade of the other, and forced it back. Unfortunately, it had a strong grip on the sword, and didn't let go.

The clanging of metal on metal could be heard throughout the plains. Hikari watched with horror as they fought.

The Prince resorted to dirty fighting. He kicked the thing in the shin, and sent it squealing with pain. Still, it came back with more blows.

Takeru was beginning to tire, and hope was draining from him that he would ever win. It seemed to have an endless source of energy, and it didn't look to be tiring one bit.

Despite her pain, Hikari forced herself to her feet. If she could get them separated for long enough, the thing would be toast. Literally. She dragged herself around the fighting pair, and looked around. She saw a huge rock, but it was too big for her to lift, much less throw. She couldn't risk distracting the Prince, either.

The dragon, who was circling above, saw her. It landed behind her. Hikari got an idea.

"Takeru!" she shouted as loud as she could.

He glanced over to show that he had heard her.

"Hold it still for a moment! Just a few seconds, that's all!"

He nodded, then fought back.

Hikari turned to the dragon. "Please, I don't know if you can understand me, but you have to help." she looked at it. It seemed to understand, but she couldn't be too sure. She tried anyways. "See that rock over there?" she pointed at it. The dragon looked, and nodded. "pick it up and drop it on the black thing. Don't hit Takeru."

The dragon lifted off, and picked up the rock, and flew over.

"Wait!" she yelled.

It looked back at her.

"Wait 'till I say! You can't risk hitting Takeru!" she yelled.

Strength was draining from her body. She sank down to the ground, but still kept watch. She had to hang on for a few more moments.

The Prince fought furiously, trying to get the thing into a deadlock for a few seconds. After that didn't work, he got an idea. The Prince backed off offensively, and let the thing attack him. He blocked every blow. Finally, it brought its blade down at him, and he stopped it. They stood still.

"Now!"

The dragon flew faster than it had ever flown. He let go of the rock, and pulled up. The speed forced the rock forwards, and it hit the thing square on. Unfortunately, it hit Takeru's sword, and broke it.

Not minding that, he backed away. He covered his ears as the thing was screaming and screeching with pain.

The dragon threw his head back, and came forth with a burst of flames. The thing screeched louder and louder, then eventually stopped. The dragon ceased fire, and all that was left were some ashes and a burnt rock.

Relieved, Hikari let go. She collapsed from the pain.

Takeru saw her, and rushed over. Fortunately, she was still conscious. He picked her up gently, and held her.

"You alright?" She asked him weakly.

"It's not me that matters right now, it's you." he responded.

"Who are you and what have you done with Takeru?" she joked.

"Shut up."

He looked down and noticed her bloodstained dress. He had also gotten some on his own clothes.

"Aw, now look what you did. These clothes are stained for life!" he remarked.

She gave him the dirtiest look she ever had. She couldn't believe that he had just said that. Here she was, horribly wounded, and he was thinking about his clothes??

"Relax, I'm kidding. I couldn't care less about that right now."

She chuckled slightly, which only resulted in her coughing.

"We need to get you back." He said, concerned.

"I can't move."

"I'll carry you."

"Did that thing hit you on the head or something? 'Cause you're really out of it." she couldn't help but smile after she said this.

"I hate you." he only smiled back.

"You've already made that point very clear."

The two of them laughed…well, he laughed, she tried to.

They stopped laughing, and looked at each other.

"You know, I think that we've been missing something." he whispered, face now soft.

"Yeah…"

The Prince leaned down, and gently pressed his lips to hers. She gladly accepted.

They hadn't been like this for long, when Takeru pulled away slowly.

"I think we should get back now. The others will be worried about us." he said.

She nodded lightly.

Very gently, the Prince lifted her, and walked to the dragon. He placed her on, then climbed on himself. They took off, and headed home.

Epilogue

The next day, reinforcements arrived, then a few days later, the others came. With all the help, they were able to end the war in a matter of weeks. The dark lord was driven from the land, hopefully, to never return. He had lost all but maybe a hundred.

Soon, the kingdoms and everything else was back to normal. As for Takeru and Hikari, well…

THE END