Dark Arrow

By Marie Darkholme

15. Destiny

The young red haired man slowly walked towards the room where his friend was. In his mind questions built, questions that through the day that had passed and the night had been almost erased from his thoughts, but that now, knowing exactly what the auburn haired girl wanted to talk with him, started to fill his mind again. He travelled the short path that separated the kitchen and Sora's little dorm in a longer period of time than would be expected, but he made to there, nevertheless. He hesitated for a second or two before knocking at the door. He didn't wait for the girl to tell him to come in, and opened the door, entering.

Koushiro's first reaction when seeing Sora sited on the bed was of joy, but that feeling was immediately overcome as he watched her still pale features with the seriousness related to the issue they were about to discuss. But now that he was there, he began to wonder what was there to discuss. He only needed the confirmation to the suspicious that Miyako had rose. Still, Sora had no idea that he could even have a clue over the issue, since she had been told Miyako was death.

He approached her bed and sat on the border. Sora smiled and grabbed his hand between her two, trying to find an easy way to broach the subject that had nothing of simple. Koushiro spared the girl the trouble to begin a conversation that would inevitably lead to the answer to his question by asking how she felt. "Alright, I guess." She said with a smile. Then, silence fell between the two again.

Sora invoked her courage to start speaking and never being a girl with trouble into speaking her mind, she found extremely difficult to start this conversation, even though, she was speaking with her long time best friend, the man that in so many way had always been there to back her up and help cleaning the mess. With a long sigh, she deviated her eyes to the small skylight.

"Taichi told me that Miyako was dead." She started. Her voice was slow and hoarse, but it left no space for Koushiro to think that she was hesitating in any way. "So, I suppose that you don't know what she told me back in her house." She affirmed. Koushiro pondered between intervening, and telling her what Miyako's last words had been and allow her to keep talking, but finding that maybe it would be easier to tell her after, he let her continue, not confirming, though, her suspicious.

"Well…Miyako… I guess I better start from where she started." The auburn haired gave in, not really knowing how to start. Very resumed she described her conversation with the diseased nanny, excluding some details less important. Then she quickly told him about the Crawlers of Death and how they had attacked them. She described with emotion and a slight sparkle in her eyes how Miyako had stood up for her and gave her life to try and save her. for Koushiro it felt like he had been hearing the story in less than a minute, but in fact it had passed more than an hour since he had entered Sora's room. The auburn haired didn't stop for nothing and even when her throat threatened to fail her, she kept telling him what had happened, feeling that she wouldn't be able to continue after any break. The red haired heard everything in silence, pondering in all that his friend's words meant. He was no longer before the rebellious orphan girl, but before the only legitimate heir to the throne, Princess Sora… no, Queen, for when she got back and claim her right to the throne she would be made queen without any type of doubt. It seemed all so unbelievable, but yet so right, like he had always known that Sora was destined to be more than what she appeared. He remembered often thinking that Sora would be a better queen than Mimi, but he thought that was just his hope talking, because if that was truth, he would be able to marry Mimi.

As Sora finished relating the events, she gave a loud sigh and relaxed, laying down again, feeling the effort she had made on her throat coming back on her. Koushiro seemed to be thoughtfully by her side. In his head he could picture events to come, the way that he would like things to happen: both he and Sora arriving to the castle and communicating to Naoko that they knew the truth; Sora being crowned; he and Mimi finally able to be together, side by side testifying the great event; Hikari and Takeru also there, holding hands… But as more as she pictured the scene the more he thought there was something missing.

"I was distrusting something like that." He finally replied. Sora eyed him with surprise. "You were? I mean, when I left the castle, I never thought… I never thought I would stumble into what I did." Sora said. "Yes, I know, but... that's not what I mean." He said. "When I arrived, Miyako was still breathing." He told Sora. The girl's eyes widened in surprise. She had been awake by the time Koushiro had carried her but she had been delusional and could not remember anything. "She said that I should help the Princess… at first, well, I didn't give it much attention, but after you were here and I had calmed down, I started remembering it again. I tried to convince myself that she had been delusional at the time, but the fact was that she was pretty logical at the moment… I mean, I knew she was talking about you, I just couldn't believe it." He explained.

"So, what are you going to do next?" he asked, after a long sigh with a smile. "You are the legal Queen." The girl smiled, but soon the grin faded between a sad sigh. "I don't know." She finally replied, not quiet giving to Koushiro the answer he expected. "You don't know! C'mon, you can make the difference you always tried to input on Mimi about…all that things that you dreamed about. You have the power. You…" he was interrupted from his daydreaming by her cry off anguish. "I know, but that was before…" Sora tried to explain her problem, but Koushiro didn't seem ready to understand. "Before what?" he asked, obviously confused by her. "Before I met Taichi." She replied.

Koushiro allowed himself to stand up. There was in fact something missing from his picture. He had thought about all their old friends, but he had forgot about their new friends, that, thought they were important for him too, one of them meant more than a friend for Sora and he knew it. Taichi. The only man he had ever met that was able to melt his best friend.

"Do you understand now?" she asked. The red haired nodded, but suddenly something came to his mind. "But why don't you ask him to… well, you know, it's obvious to everyone that you are both in love. Why don't you ask him to be your King?" the red haired asked as a matter of fact with a wide smirk on his face. Sora couldn't help to blush. "I would, but I cannot ask him to leave everything he has behind. I can't ask him to give up on the freedom he has, to leave the only family he knows…" she trusted him her worried.

The red haired man thought for a while. It was in fact something that might be difficult to Taichi, but more than that, would be going back to the kingdom he had left for love to his lost family. The kingdom where he had suffered so much. Asking him that without even knowing would be much more difficult. But we have to try, nevertheless.

"I know what you mean, and that only shows how thoughtful you can be about others even when you can come out of the situation badly." He said proud on his best friend. "But don't you think you should leave that decision to him?" Koushiro finished in a wisdom tone of voice. Then, without saying another word, that was, nevertheless, not needed, he left Sora alone to think things over.

After long hours of galloping, the trio allowed themselves a first stop since Okayama. Takeru was the first to stop, making Hika neigh as he pushed its reins so the mare would slow down and eventually stop. The Captain and Haruko stopped a few metres ahead, since their horse needed a little more time to stop.

The blond climbed off his horse and stretched his arms and legs. He allowed Hika to trot around, like it too was stretching its legs. He looked around to the place they were. Certainly it was not the better place to stop, since it seemed perfect for an ambush, something that was still not off Takeru's thoughts. His sadistic brother would do almost anything to catch him. But he could no longer go on with the rhythm they were on, since the animals were getting excessively tired as well as them. Like Daisuke had said, they didn't need to hurry, at least, not for now, but Takeru somehow doubted that that would keep for long.

The Captain directed his horse back, next to Hika and climbed off as well. He straightened himself and was about to offer a hand to his lady when Haruko jumped off the horse with a small laugh. "I am not a Lady from Her Majesty's court, Daisuke. I've learnt to ride a horse and climb it off any time at any pace quite effectively." She replied amused. The Captain shrank his shoulders and walked next to the blond, that was walking around in circles as he was thinking of something. "I think Haruko is going to be great friends with Lady Sora." He commented with a smile. In spite of that, the blond gave him no attention. Daisuke rested a hand over the young Prince's shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm sure that King Ishida will do no harm to Lady Hikari or Princess Mimi." he tried to reassure the blond. Takeru retributed the gesture with a smile.

Meanwhile, Haruko had picked up her sais and was playing some tricks with them. Daisuke that had his back turned on her did not noticed, and only acknowledge it when Takeru smiled widely, with laughter spread over his features. The Captain looked back to see the black haired woman training with her weapon. He shook his head as he walked over to her side and started showing her some things. Takeru watched them for a little while, amused at how cute the Captain and the girl looked together. He had never thought he would someday be watching something like that happening to Daisuke. He had always seemed the kind of men who were born to fight to death, not leaving widows behind. He quickly shook the thought away as the image of Haruko in black garments, crying Daisuke's dead appeared in his mind.

Feeling like it was a good time to practice he took his hands back, and got a hold on his two blade sword. Retrieving to a more secluded place in the nearing woods, he closed his eyes. He tried to abstract from the place he was, still never really forgetting where he was; he could hear the sounds of the birds lowing and mixing with new sounds, until then passing unnoticed. He could hear the leaves moving by the breeze, the soft pace of a fox nearing the place. The two blade was in his front, held by his two hands in a vertical position, when he swung it making a complete turn with it and turning himself at the same time. He stopped. Once again, the sounds invaded him. he could hear his own feet has he moved it slowly and almost noiseless into the next position. But then something seemed to be out of place. A sound, unheard till them rose from the woods movement and reached Takeru's ears. It had been short, too short for him to really acknowledge what it was. It could have been a bird on a tree branch or a wildcat.

The blond put his two blade sword back on its place on his back and quickly returned next to his new acquired companions and friends. Haruko seemed to have slightly improved, at least in the way that she held the ninja weapons. He still could not believe that a peasant like Haruko could possess such weapon, but, like she had said, they had belonged to her father, probably an old unfinished apprentice in some ninja art before becoming a man with family.

"Hey, Captain, we should keep going." The blond informed. He took his fingers to his mouth and whistled. A distant gallop was heard and Hika and Daisuke's horse, that had meanwhile gone for a ride of their own stopped abruptly. Takeru smiled to his fateful friend as he caressed Hika's mane. The mare neighed happily and the blond quickly climbed on. Daisuke gave Haruko a push up and climbed on his horse as well. His eyes searched Takeru's for a reason for their departure, but the younger man had already started his ride again and was galloping at medium speed in front of them. Beating with his heels on the torso of the horse, Daisuke put the animal galloping as well and followed the blond.

The three companions had been galloping for quite a time, at low speed, nevertheless, when Daisuke heard something, a sound coming from the woods. He stopped on his track, raising Haruko's curiosity that immediately asked what was going on. The Captain shushed her by putting his index finger over his lips as he looked around him. not hearing anything besides the normal sounds of a nature, he started galloping again.

Meanwhile, the blond had kept going, without noticing that his friend had stopped, so absorbed he was in his thoughts. It was only when a sharp object just passed in front of him, touching his skin superficially and making a cut on his nose. He stopped abruptly, making Hika stand on its back paws. From a quick glance, he concluded that he was alone. He cursed his stupidity and quickly redrew his double blade sword. He could not figure the exact position from where the arrow had come, even though it was now stuck in a tree at his left, so he did not even thought about picking up his small bow. He tried to evaluate his status, and as he did it, he could easily figure he wasn't in a good position. There were at least four men, from what he could distinguish between the sound of paces in the leaves and dry branches over the floor. He just hoped that Daisuke wasn't being attacked too, because that would mean more men and their chances of escaping would diminish significantly.

He didn't climbed off his horse, knowing that was an advantage that the attackers hadn't, since he couldn't hear any skulls near the place, besides Hika's anxious pacing. He decided to wait for his adversaries to attack him. If you want me, come and get me. He thought. As one of them had telepathic abilities, a man with dark clothes and the symbol of a crow at his back, came from his right and attacked. His movements were quick, like a feline, and while jumping in the air towards Takeru, the attacker redrew his two nunchaku. The first attack hit Hika on the torso making the horse stand again and knock down Takeru. The blond wasn't affect by the sudden change of positions and agilely rolled as his back hit the floor, avoiding a rather painful impact and stood from a ducked position.

Two other attackers had appeared. One of them was holding a pudao and the second was holding a katana. The blond knew that there was still missing the archer and so he had to be extra careful not to be hit by an arrow by the back. He was surrounded and his chances didn't seem too good.

The Captain tried to regain the lost space that Takeru had travelled in the brief minutes that he had stopped, but another unexplained sound made him turn his attention to more immediate things, as the stalker that was pursuing them. From a quick glance he could distinguish what it seemed to be a shadow, but as he would quickly discover, it wasn't only one.

"No matter what, stay on the horse and keep galloping." He murmured to Haruko. The girl, that was sitting in front of him, even though Daisuke was the one controlling the reins nodded. The Captain handed her the command of the horse and with an acrobatic movement turned, having now his back with her back. He reached to his cloak and retrieved four small darts. He held them between his fingers with know-how. Spotting the shadow that revealed as being a man with black clothes and the symbol of a snake on the back, he quickly aimed. It was going to be difficult to hit him, so Daisuke didn't even try to aim at an incapacitating place. He just threw the darts freely, hoping to hit the man. He had his confirmation when the shadow seemed to fall at his third shot.

Daisuke smiled thinking he had taken care of his opponent, which he had, but the problem was that that wasn't his only opponent. As soon as the first one fell beat to the ground, two more appeared from nothing. He sighed exasperated. "What's going on?" Haruko asked from the front of the horse. "Don't worry; I can take care of them." Daisuke assured her. By the time he was saying that, the couple had finally caught up Takeru. Haruko couldn't help a small squeak. "You might want to look ahead." she informed Daisuke, as the horse began to slow down, and though that wasn't the best of things to do right now, there wasn't much of a choice, since Takeru and his three opponents were blocking the road.

When the Captain dared to look back, his face darkened. Oh my goodness! He thought worriedly. By the time he searched again for his adversaries they were closer than he would have liked. He jumped off the horse that was now almost stopped, drawing his katana. The first attacker was already upon him and Daisuke barely avoided the impact of his wakizashi.

Metres ahead, Takeru debated to get rid of his three opponents. He had managed to injure one of them on the arm, but nothing that would keep him from continuing the fight. Meanwhile, he was having a hard time avoiding all their combined attacks. Fortunately for him, the attackers seemed a little uneasy, containing some of their attacks. For instances, they avoided to make attacks that were hard to avoid and possibly mortal. Yamato is really willing to put all the kingdom's assassins on my back, but telling them he wanted me alive and possibly unharmed might not have been his best choice. When they contain their attacks they give me just the space I need to back up and contra-attack. He thought.

The older man, on the other hand, was having troubles in avoiding the attacks of his two opponents. In spite of not wanting to harm the blond, the attackers didn't have the same orders concerning the captain. No one besides the blond matters. Whoever is with him you can kill them. Were the orders of the evil Captain of Ishida's court had gave them, and they weren't about to make any hostages, since they wouldn't gain nothing with it.

Takeru avoided another attack by the carrier of the katana, followed by a pudao directed to his feet. He made a small jump and was able to trap the blade under his feet. Taking advantage of his adversary temporarily surprise, Takeru swung his blades and hit the man in the already injured arm. This cut was deeper and the man immediately shielded his arm with a protective hand over the wound, that, in spite of that, kept bleeding, having soaked already his black garment. One out, three to go. Takeru thought, still wondering where the archer was.

Although the blond couldn't see it, so involved in his battle, the archer had already showed his face. Haruko backed from the man, avoiding the sharp point of his stick. She held her sais, but she was having some difficult in getting close enough to the man to hit him. She deviated another struck with her left sais, but the man quickly regained the control. The girl kept backing up, not knowing what else to do. She looked around. Daisuke was on the floor, a man over him, struggling to cut his throat, and their blond friend was also having some difficulties with the two men attacking him. She was on her own and suddenly the idea of putting up to drunk mercenaries didn't seem as bad. No, no. I wouldn't be able to stay there after meeting Daisuke. I must stand up for myself instead of always waiting for other to do it for me. She said. Not to her full surprise, the face of the auburn haired that both the Captain and Takeru were looking for, the girl name Sora, came to her mind, as she remembered her fighting along with her red haired friend at her establishment. Yes, I must do like her. Without fear always stand up and fight. And with her courage renovated, the brown eyed woman stepped forward and deviated the stick from her path, blocking it at the same time, between one of the two spaces. Happy with her accomplishment, and taking advantage of the man's sudden astonishing, the used the other sais and with a strong blow, she broke the lance. Founding himself unharmed, the man tried to reach for his arrows, hoping to use them as a weapon, but Haruko was quickly over him, making him back up with a closed fist over the his face.

The Captain struggled to keep the small tanto away from his throat. Having already knocking down one of his opponents, he was now in deep troubles. He could feel the sharp blade cutting the thin skin of his throat. Suddenly, the weight over him disappeared and Haruko appeared offering him a hand to help him up. Daisuke accepted, a little surprised by the turn on the events, but before he could say whatever, the archer launched himself on Haruko's back, making the girl fall to the ground. The black haired winced in pain as her chin met the hard floor and a thin thread of blood made its way from her bitten bottom lip and her injured maxilla. With the impact, Haruko had released her said that lied now a significantly centimetres away. Daisuke was preparing to help her when he too was, again, knock down. Unarmed, both men required the good old manly strength and started a fist fight.

The blond was still occupied with his two opponents, not knowing what was going on with his two friends, which presence he had already notice when he saw their horse, running from the battle field, probably to meet Hika. The man with the nunchaku swung its weapon at the blond, hitting him square on the nose. Takeru was blinded by the strong pain resulting from his broken nose, along with the tears that immediately came to his eyes. The blood then started to drip. Takeru though couldn't stop to press his nose and try to stop the bleeding. He invested forward and luckily hit someone that ended up as being the person who had broken his noise. He hadn't hit him in the best place. The man was clutching his stomach, but Takeru didn't need to see the wound and the blood coming from it to know he was as good as dead, so he decided to end the man's pain quickly and gave him a mercy blow, hitting him on the throat. The man fell dead to the side. Now there was only one left.

Haruko struggled under the man to get her sais, but the man was way stronger than her and heavy as well. He didn't bother turning her to stare her in the eyes when he killed her, but simply reached to his boot and took a small knife. Haruko struggled harder, trying to reach the handle of her sais. When the man relieved the weight over her as he reached to his boot, Haruko made a final effort. She turned around and hit the man on the chest. The knife on his hand fell, sticking on the ground just by Haruko's right side when he felt the sharp point of the girl's sais penetrating his skin. He coughed and a puddle of blood fell from his mouth, before he fell dead over Haruko. The girl pushed the dead body over her and just sat there, mouth wide open in surprise. She had killed…she had killed someone.

The attacker hit the Captain on the face with a strong punch, but not without a revenge shot on his stomach that made him bent in pain. Daisuke then kicked him and the man fell to the ground, but like a stone. He rolled over and stood again, now with a branch on his hand. He swung it at the captain, but Daisuke easily avoided the attempts of the man to hit him. He simply stepped back. That was until a misfortune made him trip over a large rock and fall backwards. He waited for the hit that would be coming from his attacker, but it didn't come. Instead, there was a small wince and the man fell dead showing Takeru behind with its blooded blade.

The three companions stared at each other, holding the same positions. They had survived without major injuries. Captain Motomiya was the first to recompose himself. He stood and dusted himself off. "Thanks." He said to Takeru. "Don't mention it." He replied as he too got out from his shocked trance. Daisuke helped Haruko up and whistled. His horse was immediately heard, but Hika was nowhere to be seen. The Captain raised an eyebrow. "She only replies to my call." Takeru explained him, as he took his fingers to his lips and whistled. An extra double pair of skulls was heard and the mare arrived shortly after Daisuke's horse.

"Your nose is bleeding." The Captain pointed to Takeru's injured nose. The blond shrugged. "I had completely forget it." He replied, touching the nose with his right hand. It hurt now that he thought of it and it was certainly broken. The bleeding had slowed down, but it was still bothering him, so he picked a small piece of tissue, that could not quiet be described as a scarf and pressed it over his nose. It hurt him but the blond just ignored the pain. "Are you fit to ride?" Daisuke asked. The blond simply nodded and climbed on Hika. "You weren't joking when you said your brother would do anything to catch you." The red spiked haired man replied as he helped Haruko climbing onto the horse. "I never joke when it comes to my brother." The blond coolly replied. "We better keep going."

In a darkened room, a lonely figure seemed to be mumbling something to herself. The once Queen Natsuko was sitting on her once throne. There wasn't a moment that the guards that Yamato had infiltrated on her palace wouldn't be watching her, and that was driving her insane. She felt like a prisoner, what she was in fact. Her chestnut hair with white strikes was falling loosely to her shoulders, replacing the neatly bun that she used to wear. Her clothes also showed untidiness, some parts of her dress even dripped when in anger she had invested against the doors and had torn her dress with rage. There was no crown on her head. She was finished, or was she?

Whispers, like a secret murmured to some unknown shadow or spirit. "I must react…I must…he cannot kill…I'm still the Queen…" confused thoughts murmured into nothing, but yet, thoughts that revealed a last strength on her punished mind. Revenge. That was the thought that more constantly affected her mind. Revenge even with her death, she didn't care anymore.

"I am still the Queen…I can order…I need my Captain…Daisuke Motomiya….rebellion…" the words, mumbled in an inexistent context would seem like the ones of a crazy, but Miyuki hadn't reached that point, yet.

So, I know this chapter was a little smaller than usual, but besides I hadn't time to write more, if I continued then it would be bigger than usual and wouldn't come even later.

Hope you've liked anyway. I think the story is getting a little boring, so I'll try to turn it more interesting.

Reviews are accepted anyway. Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing.