A/N: So, I'm back!! ^_^ So, how're you guys doing? I'm glad at least some people like my story... And it's for you guys *points to reviewers* that I write this new chapter!! Thanks for letting me know you liked and actually read my story... Now on with this, ne?

Disclaimer: No own. No sue. Depression is my friend! *cries*

Pairings: Mimato, with bits of Takari, Taiora, Kenyako and Davis/OC.

Keys: "lala" is talking and italic is thinking

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A Knight's tale

Chapter 2: War

By: Lily Maxwell

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9 years later...

*At the Hire's Castle*

"Prince Yamato!" one of the soldiers called, and the now 19 year old turned around, facing him. The young prince, now a man, had marvelous blonde hair, and ocean-like eyes, in which the dream of becoming a knight still remained.

"Yes?" he asked, in a deep voice.

"Your father, the High Majesty, summons you." The soldier said, bowing to him.

"My father?" Matt asked, and the soldier nodded. The young prince sighed slightly, and walked silently towards the throne room.

He wondered what his father wanted to him, and expected it was something important, since his birthday was only a week away...

"Yes, my father?" he asked, walking towards his father's throne.

"Matt, my young and beloved son. We are only a week away from your birthday." He spoke, and Matt blinked.

"Err... and...?" he said, and his father continued.

"In a week, you shall be 20 years old." He said, and Matt nodded.

"That I know, but..." he tried to say, but his father cut him off before he could finish.

"It's already in the day for you to get a fiancée." The king claimed, and Matt's jaw fell.

*At the Kazind's palace*

"What? A fiancé... for me? But why?" princess Mimi asked her father, the king of Kazind, who summoned her, claiming he needed to talk about something very important with her.

The long light-chestnut hair of the princess' fell down to her waist, and her light-brown eyes were wide with shock. The 19 years old young-woman had no idea that her father wanted her to marry already.

"Well, my sweet daughter... You have completed 19 years it's been a month, and you're a beautiful girl, a woman in fact. And it's now the time for you to get a fiancé. I indeed have already someone in my mind..." the king said.

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"What?!" prince Matt exclaimed. "Mimi Tachikawa? Daughter of the king from the Kazind's Kingdom?!" he asked, still shocked.

"Exactly." His father nodded calmly.

"But... but I don't even know her!" Matt said, trying to get out of this one.

"That's a big opportunity to do so." The kind, looking into his son's eyes, as if pleading for him to accept things already.

"But, dad..." Matt said, looking away. "I... I don't even... love her..." he whispered, and his father sighed heavily.

"That'll be just a matter of time." He replied, and Matt looked at him again, not more than ever determined to stop this.

"I won't marry some that I don't know! She can be annoying, stuck-up, snob, and the worst of all: she can be ugly!" he said.

~ ~ ~

"Are you kidding me?!" Mimi asked, perplexed. "Yamato Ishida, from the Kingdom near us Hire? I don't know him, father! He can be a skinny, annoying, snob, and the worst of all, HE CAN BE UGLY!" she exclaimed. (A/N: Whoa, did they read each other's mind? And what's the thing with being ugly? lol, guess, they dun wanna marry ugly people...)

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"Matt!" the king of Hire said. "Mimi is not like that! She's sweet, nice, sincere, and has an incredible beauty!" he said, drawing every word.

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"Mimi!" the ruler of Kazind spoke. "Matt is a young man very noble, a gentleman, strong, fair, and all the other girls from his kingdom would give everything to be in your place!" he told his stubborn daughter.

"Right, but what if I don't like him?"

~ ~ ~

"You'll love her, my son!" the king said, getting rather annoyed by this argument already. "At least try and meet her..."

~ ~ ~

"I WON'T MARRY SOMEONE THAT IS A TOTAL STRANGER TO ME! NEVER!" both heirs of the throne yelled to their fathers. Both exit the throne room of their respective castles, and hurry to their rooms.

*At Kazind*

"I can't believe he wants me to marry someone I don't even know!" Mimi said, throwing herself on her comfy bed.

"Mimi!" her best friend Sora said, entering her room. Now the princess' guardian, her friend wore equipment and clothes of a noble knight, having a sword placed on her waist. Her red-hair came to her shoulders, and her eyes, the light-brown orbs were still as soft and gentle as when she was a little girl. "I've heard everything, and how could you talk like that to your father?" she asked in disbelief.

"Sora?! Have you really heard everything? He wanted me to marry this... Yamato, and I don't know him! Worse, I... don't love him.." Mimi said, her voice trailing off.

"But Mimi, why didn't you accept what your father said? Like that, you could meet him..." Sora tried to say.

"Me? No! Imagine if he was like those dragons from Draco Mountain?" she asked, frowning. "I really don't want to take the risk. And I really don't want to marry yet..." Mimi said, shaking her head.

"Mimi..." Sora said, feeling bad for her friend.

*At Hire*

"He has to be kidding me." Matt said, falling on his bed like a rock.

"Yo Matt, I've heard everything, and... don't you think you're being a little... precipitated, man?" Tai asked from the doorway. The prince's guardian looked strong and courageous, but acted like a boy... and had the mentality of one too.

"Precipitated, Tai?" Matt asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, cause look... She could be as beautiful as a goddess..." Tai said, in a dreamy-like tone.

"Yeah, and who knows? Maybe she may look like the ravens that fly over the Fear Forest?" Matt asked, and Tai became silent.

"You're right. That's really a risk I'd NEVER want to take..." Tai finally said, and Matt sweatdropped.

"Tai, has anyone told you you're a really animating type of guy?" Matt asked, and his friend shook his head. "Well, there's a first time for everything..." Matt sighed.

Meanwhile, somewhere, in the forest located between the two Kingdoms of Hire and Kazind, the Fear Forest...

"So, Ishida and Tachikawa are planning on marrying their heirs? And these ones, on other hand, don't want to..." a figure said, wearing a black cloak with a hood that covered its face, located in a shack, looking through a crystal ball, that was indeed black. "Interesting, really interesting... I guess it's time for me to put my plan into practice." It continued.

Then, the figure caught a staff that was located just beside the table where it was sitting, and murmured...

"Sgnik lo of owt es eht neew teb mo olb etah d na droc sid eh te kam d na nois sim siht niem pleh, ssen krad eht fo sdog." The words echoed...

*At Kazind*

"Ken!" the king Sid calls.

"Yes, your majesty?" enters a boy with navy-blue hair, and blue eyes, bowing low before his king.

"Where is Miya?" the king asked, and the boy known as Ken looked up.

"Miya?" he asked. "She's coming, why does your majesty asks?"

"I need her to do me a favor." The king said, just as another one entered the throne room.

"You called for me, majesty?" a little fairy asked, positioning her small self in front of the king. She had lavender hair, and light-brown eyes, and her wings were transparent but long, looking like a butterfly's wing.

"Miya, I would like you to deliver a message for me to king Isadore, from Hire." The king of Kazind said, and the fairy nodded.

"Yes, your majesty." She said, and bowed, grabbing the king's message, and flying off.

"What was that, may I ask your majesty?" Ken asked, turning to the king.

"It was a small message about a very important subject..." the king was saying, but trailed off. He was hearing something, really low, that was reaching his ears, non-stop.

Sgnik lo of owt es eht neew teb mo olb etah d na droc sid eh te kam d na nois sim siht niem pleh, ssen krad eht fo sdog. It kept saying. Soon, the king started to see the world blurry, and was feeling horrible. Ken, with his magic, noticed that the king's aura was different, and looking at his face, noticed that something was really wrong.

"Your majesty?" he asked slowly.

"He.... help... me..." the king muttered, and the boy's eyes widened.

"Yes!" he said, and ran off. In the way, he still saw Miya, flying lazily, almost getting out of the window.

"Miya!" he called, and she looked back at him.

"Ken!" she exclaimed happily, and went to him, a big smile on her face. "Huh? What's wrong?" she asked, noticing he was in a hurry, and looked perturbed.

"Where's Princess Mimi?" he asked urgently.

"In her room, why?" Miya said, but Ken had already gone, and didn't look back at her, leaving her very mad at him. "That Ken..." she said, and hmph-ed, finally leaving the palace.

The room's door was open, so Ken hurried to the doorway, and screaming for help.

"Princess Mimi, help!" he exclaimed, and Sora and Mimi looked at him instantly.

"What is it, Ken?" Sora asked.

"The... king..." he said, panting. "There's something wrong with the king!" he finished, and Mimi's eyes widened.

"Dad!!" she exclaimed, and ran out of the room, towards the throne room. When she got there, she saw her father sitting normally on his throne. "Dad?" she said.

"Well, what's wrong, my daughter?" he asked simply. To Sora, the king Sid looked normal, but both Mimi and Ken noticed by his aura that something had changed.

"What happened, daddy? Ken went to call us, saying there was something wrong with you." Mimi said, in a serious tone.

"With me? Oh, my young Ken, there was nothing wrong with me, what made you say such a thing?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"But your majesty..." but Ken stopped talking, getting Mimi's glance. She believed in him.

"There's nothing wrong with me, my dear daughter, now you can retire yourselves." The king said.

"Yes, your majesty." Sora said, both her and Ken bowing.

"Yes, dad." Mimi said, leaving along with the others.

*At Hire*

The king Isadore was sitting on his throne, when he heard something.

"Is there someone here?" he asked, looking around. No answer. He got his attention back to some important papers, when he heard something again. But now, it was clear.

Sgnik lo of owt es eht neew teb mo olb etah d na droc sid eh te kam d na nois sim siht niem pleh, ssen krad eht fo sdog. It kept saying. His vision became very blurry, and he tried to call someone, but he couldn't make his voice to come out. Soon, he saw nothing more.

Takeru, the king Isadore's younger son, entered the throne room a few moments later.

"Dad, where is..." but Takeru, that studied magic since he was a little boy, noticed something about his father. His aura looked... darker.

"Yes son?" he asked, looking from his papers to TK.

"I... wanted to know where's Matt?" asked TK, still thinking about the strange feeling he had.

"Probably in his room, Takeru." The king answered, getting back to his papers.

"Yes, sure..." TK said, giving his father one last glance. Walking to his brother's room, TK kept thinking.

Probably it was just my imagination... or maybe not?

When he got to Matt's room, he saw him and Tai talking.

"Hey Tai!" he said, smiling. The boy turned to him, and smiled too.

"Hey TK." He said.

"What's wrong, TK? You look disturbed." Matt said, looking at his brother's face carefully.

"It's nothing really, Matt... Just something that caught my attention..." TK said thoughtful.

"And what is it?" Tai and Matt asked at the same time.

"Matt... Have you noticed something different with dad lately?" TK asked, but Matt shook his head, then frowned.

"No besides the fact that he wants me to marry Sid's daughter." Matt said.

"That's not news, and it's king Sid, Matt." TK said serious.

"What do you mean... you knew?!" Matt asked, his jaw hanging open.

"Well, yes I did." TK replied, and Matt hurried to him, grabbing him by the collar.

"And you didn't tell me anything?!" Matt asked angry.

"Matt!" TK exclaimed, trying to make his brother to release him. "He told me not to, and why are you so mad?!" TK asked, as Matt released him and crossed his arms.

"Oh, because..." but Matt couldn't finish. A scream coming from the throne's room cut him off.

"HOW DARE HIM!?" the king shouted.

"Huh?!" everyone exclaimed, and hurried to their king.

Arriving there, Matt, Tai and TK found the king with a letter in hands, and a little fairy flying around him.

"What does it says? What, what?" she kept asking.

"What is my father?" Matt asked curious.

"That Tachikawa rejects my son, underestimating him? She'll see!" he said furious.

"Tachikawa? Isn't that the name of the real family from Kazind?" Tai asked in a low voice.

"Yes, it is Tai." TK answered.

The king exited the throne room, and soon his footsteps couldn't be heard anymore.

"Where could he have gone to?" Tai asked.

"Probably to the Shadow Mage's home." Said a voice behind them, and they turned around to meet a boy with red hair and black eyes.

"Izzy!" they exclaimed.

"Why would he go see this... what was the name again?" Tai asked dumbly.

"Shadow Mage." Izzy repeated.

"And who is this Shadow Mage?" Matt asked.

"They say she can see the future, and that she helps in crucial decisions. Her family has predicted many wars, but the real problem is that the Shadow Mage uses black magic to do her visions, and her whole family has already been killed by many realities, accused of creating the wars." Izzy explained.

"But... why would my father want to see this Shadow Mage?" TK asked, pale by now.

"Do you... think he wants to..?" Matt tried to say.

"Create a war between Hire and Kazind?" Tai finished.

"Who knows?" Izzy said, looking at the floor.

"Look, if you may excuse me, I'm going, byez!" the little fairy Miya said, and flew out of the castle.

"Who was that thing?" Tai asked.

"She brought the letter to the king." Izzy said.

"It was because of that that he was like that?" TK asked.

"Yes." Izzy nodded.

"What would be in that letter?" Matt thought out-loud, and the room grew silent.

The next day, at Kazind...

"WHAT?!" the king Sid exclaimed, with a letter that had just been delivered to him.

"What is it, dad?" Mimi asked, getting to his side.

"Mimi, my beloved daughter... That had been declared war." The king replied, and Mimi's eyes widened.

"War?!" she exclaimed.

"Yes... Jyou!!" he ordered. Soon, a young knight with long blue hair came to him.

"Yes, you majesty?" he said, bowing on his right knee in front of the king.

"Tell all the others knights, that in a week there will begin a war against the Kingdom of Hire." The king demanded.

"War, your majesty?! But weren't they our allies?" the knight asked, eyes wide.

"Just do as I said!" the king ordered, and the knight shivered slightly.

"Y-yes, your majesty." With that, he exited the room.

War...? Mimi thought. She left the throne room hurriedly, towards her room. When she got there, she opened her wardrobe. She changed in different clothes, and placed a long cloak over her shoulders.

"Mimi, what is this?" Sora asked, getting inside the room.

"I'm going to the Kingdom of Hire." Mimi simply said.

"Hire?! But your father just declared that the war will begin between the two kingdoms, you can't go there!" Sora exclaimed.

"But I will!" Mimi said, determined. "I want to try and stop them."

"I'm coming with you." Sora said firmly, but Mimi shook her head.

"No, Sora!" she said.

"But I am your guardian!" Sora told her.

"Stay here, Sora, and try to change my father's head, or find something out." Mimi said.

"But Mimi..."

"Bye, Sora." Mimi said, hugging her friend. "Wish me luck."

"Goodbye, Mimi..."

*At Hire*

"War, Matt?" Tai asked.

"That was what he told the troop's leader." Matt replied.

"What are we going to do?" TK asked preoccupied.

"We need to do something! Kari is going to come back from Kazind in a week, and she may get herself involved in the war!" Tai said concerned about his sister.

"I'm going to Kazind, to try and stop King Sid." Matt said, now more determined than ever.

"We'll go with you." Tai said, but Matt shook his head violently.

"No, I'll go alone. You two stay here, and try to make my father forget this idea." Matt said, and the two sighed, knowing that he wouldn't let them go with him.

"Good luck, big bro." TK told him.

"I'll need, TK. I'll need..."

Matt and Mimi left their kingdoms behind, towards the other kingdom... But what is really going to happen with these two?

*To Be Continued*

- Whoa!! O_O Long!! Took me 3 days to turn it from Portuguese to English... *phew* I'm very tired right now... Hope you guys are liking it, AND PLEASE REVIEW!! Next week there'll be a brand new chapter for you guys! ^_^ Bye, and until then, see ya! -