Promises of the Past pt. 13 Yasei no Kaze no You Ni; Wild Wind
(Like the Wind in the Wilderness; Wild Wind)
In Saturn's distant kingdom, few people strolled the streets staring up into the stars and into Saturn's icy rings. Then, an explosion rang out. The peaceful night turned into mass chaos of people of screaming, running, and looking at the smoldering palace in wonder. A man watched as an army of demons flying on chariots drawn by black winged horses. His eyes went wide.
"We're under attack!" he screamed.
A flood of people stampeded through the streets.
Loud banging on the Princess's bedchambers startled them. Botan stood and opened the door.
"We're under attack!" the guard outside the door cried. "The palace on Saturn has just been destroyed!"
Kohaku gasped.
"The King and Queen are..." the guard trailed off.
Kohaku cried. Jin pulled her close.
"Shh," he comforted stroking her hair. "It will be all right. Everything will be okay."
The Moon Queen placed a hand to her mouth. Her brown eyes filled with tears.
"Where are the attacks coming from?" Makoto questioned urgently rising to her feet.
"From what we've gathered, Your Highness," the guard began, "the attacks are coming from earth."
Gasps echoed around the room. Prince Kurama's eyes went wide. Accusing eyes glared at him.
"I had no planning in this I swear," he defended shuddering with fear. "Believe me, I did not order this!"
"He's right," a voice added meekly.
Worried eyes turned to the bed. Kizna, he thought gasping softly. He reached for her only to stop when he felt the sharp blade of Kohaku's glaive resting on his neck.
"Don't you touch her," she sneered holding back her tears. "You've caused enough trouble. Guard! Arrest him and throw him in the dungeon!"
Kizna opened her eyes weakly. She watched the guard restrained Kurama and pull him out of the room against his will.
"Kizna!" he cried. "Kizna! Forgive me! This wasn't my doing!"
"S-stop," she stuttered weakly,"he did nothing wrong."
"Don't defend him, Princess," Jesscheaux commanded sternly. "He's very dangerous."
The guard turned to them.
"Your Majesties better report back to your home planets quickly," he ordered. "We have a decisive battle coming, and you all are to take the heads as it is your duty. Princess Kohaku, go with Prince Jin to Uranus. You should be safe there."
The nobles nodded and marched out of the room. Jin, Kohaku, and Rei remained. Jin pulled Kohaku away from Kizna's bedside and guided her out of the room. Weakly, Kizna turned to Rei.
"Rei," she murmured,"I know you and I haven't been exactly getting along on this matter, but Kurama has done nothing wrong. Please, you have to believe me. He would never do this. Nor would the Generals."
Rei sighed and walked to the Princess's bed.
"I know,"she whispered. "Since it's already happening, I might as well tell you. I've always known something like this was going to happen. I just didn't know when."
Coughing, Kizna forced herself to sit up. She climbed out of bed on weak legs wearing only her night-shift. Rei watched shocked.
"What are you doing!" she cried. "Princess, you'll strain yourself!"
"Take me to him," she begged softly. "I command you to as your Princess."
Rei nodded and held her up by her shoulders. Slowly, they made their way down to the dark Moon Palace dungeons.
Kohaku and Jin walked into Jin's bedchambers. He'll be going off to battle soon, Kohaku thought despairingly. I can't lose him too. I just can't. Tears filled her crystalline blue eyes. Immediately, Jin rushed to her side and kissed her tears away.
"Don't go," she whimpered. "I don't want to lose you."
"You'll never lose me," he comforted pulling her into a tight embrace. "But I must tell you one thing."
She continued crying.
"What is it?" she sniffed.
"Kohaku," he began unsurely, "I honestly do not know the outcome of this battle, but no matter what will happen whether we die or we live, the only thing I know for right now is that I don't want to go out there unless I know you'll be there when I return..."
He trailed off gulping.
"I will be there, Jin," she muttered softly. "I'll always be there."
"But," he continued. "I want you to be there not as my fiancé but as my wife."
Kohaku gasped and looked up into his blue eyes. Please say you will, Kohaku, his blue eyes pleaded. Please.
"Yes," she replied. "Yes, I will, Jin."
He smiled. Grabbing her hand, he led her to a chest sitting in an unnoticed corner of his chambers. He opened the chest. Kohaku gasped. Inside the chest a long sleeved, lace dress sat. It's my dream wedding dress, she thought. But, how could he?
"I just knew," he whispered. "From the very moment I first saw it. It was the one for you."
Kohaku stared with her jaw agape.
"Quickly," he coaxed to her leaving the room, "you get dressed as will I, and then, we'll say our vows."
He lowered his eyes.
"I know it's not the best wedding a Princess could have," he apologized. "But with the current situation–"
"Jin," she interrupted holding up the dress to her frame. "It's perfect. It'll be a wonderful wedding as long as I have you by my side."
Jin smiled and nodded. Slowly, he walked outside the door and closed it quietly. Kohaku looked at her dress one last time and smiled.
A soft knock on the bedchamber door startled Kohaku. She opened the door to find Jin outside wearing his white and blue armor. He gasped.
"You look wonderful," he said softly walking into the room.
Kohaku blushed.
"I'll start?" he asked.
Kohaku nodded.
"Well, in the heavens, the stars are twinkling," he whispered. "In the ground, the flowers are blooming. And now, in my universe, my love for you is shining."
With tears in her eyes, Kohaku stared deep into his sky blue orbs.
"It won't stop," he continued. "It won't be stopped. Love, like breathing is irreplaceable. I'm glad I was born, because I exist for you. I live with pain as I fight with fate."
"Even if you're far away, whoever you may be with," she picked up after him, "I have only one wish: your happiness."
"Beyond the blue sky, are the stars that watch over you," he continued again. "My feelings that shine for are eternal. Looking up at the heavens with my arms spread wide, like I'm a bit asleep, alone, I force a smile, my heart beating wildly."
"It won't stop," she whispered nearing the end of their vows. "It won't be stopped. Lovingly holding you. I saw it in my dreams."
"In the sky, there are stars," they whispered together. "In the ground there are flowers blooming. And in my universe, there is you. Boku no uchuu ni kimi ga iru."
They leaned in planting a gentle kiss on each other's lips. Hesitantly, Jin pulled away and walked out of the bedchamber door.
"Kohaku," he whispered longingly, "don't leave this room, and let no one enter."
She nodded, and he walked out closing the door behind him. She turned to look at the night sky and saw a massive demon army flying towards the planet.
Down in the dungeons, a guard slept at his post. Stealing the keys, Rei and Kizna crept inside.
Kurama sat in a dark cell where the earth and stars shined through a distant sky light. Then, soft footfalls echoed in the dark dungeons around him. He looked around worriedly.
"Kurama," a weak voice whispered making his eyes go wide. "I'm here. We'll get you out."
From the shadows, Rei and the Princess made their way to him. Kizna leaned on Rei's. She held her Time Key and another set of keys in her free hand.
"Kizna," he whispered back to her. "What are you doing out of bed?"
"Don't worry about that now," Rei snapped setting Kizna down beside the cell. "You're going to get out of here."
Kurama crawled to Kizna's side and studied her pale face through the cold metal bars. She placed a weak and gentle hand on his.
"Will you be all right?" he questioned softly.
"Yes," she murmured softly smiling. "I'll be okay as long as you're with me."
"I thought I had lost you," he said sadly pressing a warm hand on her cold, clammy cheeks.
"You'll never lose me," she replied.
Rei fumbled with the keys trying to open the cell door. Then, a loud click resounded through the dungeons. Quickly, she slid the door open.
"There," she whispered. "You're free. Forgive me Your Highness, but I have to go. My troops are waiting."
"I understand," Kizna nodded. "Go."
"Wait!" Kurama began stepping out of his cell. "Why are you helping me? Do you not trust me like the others?"
"I know you and your Generals are thought to be dangerous," Rei began, "but I know the Princess well. She's got a pure heart, and she knows how to see the good in all things. If she sees the good in you, then you can't be as bad as we all think."
"Thank you," Kurama whispered.
"You're welcome," Rei replied walking off in a hurry.
They watched over their troops from their balconies on their respective planets. Tension hung thick in the air. In the distance, the massive shadows of the demon army loomed over them.
On a planet filled with oceans and floating castles, Jesscheaux looked over the vast and endless sea. Her troops sat and watched from their war vessels. They waited for her to speak.
"My people!" she cried out to them. "This is the start of a decisive and holy battle. Our land is worth fighting for. We'll know that we fought with everything we had and never gave in!"
"No matter what!" Botan proclaimed from her palace looking over the royal gardens on Venus. "We fight with all our strength! And should we be defeated, betrayed, or humiliated, we will stand strong..."
"Yasei no kaze no you ni! Like the wind in the wilderness!" Sakura exclaimed to her troops. "We will be wild and strong, a wild wind. A dream, now matter how painful it is, spurs us on. May it fan the fires in your hearts. Like this wild wind, we will fight for our dreams..."
"We will fight for our futures!" Yukina announced with the troops watching her with determined eyes.
"We will fight for our people!" Keiko declared.
Her eyes filled with tears.
"We will fight for our Queen!" Rei heralded. "We will not stand and watch as our kingdoms which we worked so hard to build be destroyed! Our desire is freedom! Freedom to dream, freedom to decide the futures with our own hands..."
"And freedom from the pain of the past!" Jin yelled.
The many troops cried out defiance bearing their weapons high in the air. A sharp wind howled throughout the planets. The Royals looked up into the night sky.
"The battle is about to begin," Rei whispered as the demon army landed on her planet covering it like a plague of locusts.