Dark Arrow
By Marie Darkholme
17. An unexpected arrival
The morning of the following day rose dark. Clouds that had passed rather unnoticed during the night had joined together, giving the sky an air of upcoming storm. The thunders could be heard from the distance and the ocean was getting disturbed. The waves were growing by the minute and on board of Dark Arrow the corsairs were preparing everything to face any possible storm. They were close to arrive to Oita's port, but they could not risk taking full advantage of the strong winds that had risen. Instead they had folded several sails, preventing the ship from being bent to the wind's will. Every single soul on board was at watch.
From the steering wheel, Sam watched the rest of the crew working, always attentive to any wind changes and the sudden blows that made the ship shiver dangerously. His feet seemed to be glued to the floor and his hands did not leave the wheel not even for a second. At his side, Ken was tying some barrels with tools to the borders so they stopped moving around with the undulation.
Koushiro was also on the main deck, helping the expert sailors; he was folding a smaller triangular sail. He wore his boots and Sam had lent him a pair of shorts that reached a little under his knees. He didn't have his katana at his waist, but at the moment it would only serve as an obstacle. In fact, the corsairs weren't armed at all, except for a small knife at their boots just in case they would need to cut themselves loose from any rope.
Taichi was ordering around, conducting his disciplined men. The wind was getting stronger and suddenly, heavy raindrops started falling unstoppably from the skies. He cursed upon the stupid weather, knowing he was close to the port, and yet he could not dare to reach it with the storm. His brown hair was already soaked and if it wasn't for his headband, it would be falling on his eyes, and keeping him from seeing. But the blue band prevented that kind of situations, holding his hair up. He didn't carry his sword either. His black under knee length shorts didn't kept the water running in the deck from soaking his legs. His sleeveless torn shirt showed off his muscled arms as he gesticulated to the men, motioning them to turn the sails.
He was not admired when, from between all the confusion, he spotted an auburn haired woman. Sora had been in the lower deck accommodating the things so they wouldn't fall to the ground and now that she was done, she had come to help them through the storm. Like Jyou always had said to her an extra pair of hands is always welcome in battle, and though it wasn't a true battle in the meaning of the words, it was a battle against nature herself. Her boots had become wet the first step she had taken in the deck, with water running as the ship oscillated dangerously. Her pants, that she had thorn so they wouldn't drag through the wet floor, her long, lent from Taichi shirt and the scarf around her neck gave her a pirate like look.
"What do you need?" she yelled between the howling winds, but no one seemed to ear her. Just then, a giant wave ran the deck, sending several men, including Koushiro to the floor. He rolled as the ship turned to the opposite side and hit in the border of the ship. Standing, he helped a man that had fell through the border and was holding it. The man thanked him with a nod but knowing there was no time for those formalities both of them got back to work. The thick beam that held the master sail began spinning when the wind changed direction and the men run to hold it in its place.
The rain had begun falling even harder. The storm had begun at his full strength and wasn't about to spare anyone. Waves tall as houses run the main deck over and over again and men were tripping everywhere. The wind seemed to come in every direction and change at every second. Sam was having a difficult time holding the steering wheel. Ken had tried to tie it, so it wouldn't be steadier but it was useless.
"Taichi!" the dark haired man called out for his Captain. The brown haired turned his head and immediately understood. Leaving a man in his place holding the beam of the master sail, he run to his friend help. Ken had meanwhile come down and was trying to tie two canons that had been forgotten by the rest of the crew and were now bouncing in the middle of the deck, making several men trip or hit their heads on it. He tied a rope to one of them and began pushing it to its position, but another wave rose over the ship and fustigated it. He was caught out of guard and lost his balance, falling as the ship oscillated once again, but to his misfortune, the canon slid with him and hit him squarely on the back of his head.
"Ken! Man overboard, man overboard!" one of the men yelled as he saw the youngster being throw overboard. Sam looked around to search for his brother, his hands not leaving the wheel that he and Taichi were trying to keep steady. But before he could even react, Sora grabbed a safety buoy and jumped off the ship and into the cold waters. She dived immediately searching for any signs of Ken. Being almost out of air, the girl surfaced and searched around with her eyes slightly above the sea, but the waters were too agitated and she could not see the boy anywhere. "There, over there!" a man over the ship that was holding the end of the rope tied to the safety buoy floating in the waters yelled as he saw Ken surfacing.
The dark haired boy had lost his senses when the canon had hit him in the head and had only awoken when his skin had made contact with the cold waters. He was a good strong swimmer but he was confused and his body wasn't responding in its best form due to the blow in his head.
The auburn haired woman swam as fast as she could to the place where the man was pointing, still unable to see whatever but as she got closer, she could distinguish between the rain and waves Ken's hair. She swam with doubled strength at the sight of him and got his hand, seconds before he sank. Ken coughed as Sora put her arm under his arms and held him in the chest, beginning to swim back to the safety buoy.
On board, Koushiro had been too occupied to see whatever it was going on, but both Taichi and Ken was being driven insane. They struggled between the knowledge that they had to steady the ship and the will to jump overboard and find Ken and Sora.
The two had almost reached the safety buoy but the strong undulation was making Sora's job of holding it harder. She reached a little more and got a hold on the buoy. However, before she could steady her hold, another giant wave rose and clashed over the boat and the two of them. The girl felt her hold on both Ken and the buoy lost and was pushed down. Fighting with the darkness of the sea, she grabbed what it felt like to be Ken's arm and pushed him up with her. The two coughed as the air entered their lungs again and the auburn haired searched for the safety buoy again. Oh no, it is getting distant. She thought as she saw that they had been dragged a few more metres away from the ship. "Can you swim?" she asked the youngster, knowing perfectly that holding him she would not reach it in time. Ken slightly tested his faculties. To his luck the effects of the blow were being undertaken by the adrenaline in his blood and he nodded. "Then let's swim together. Don't you dare staying behind." She threatened as she gulped water.
Trying their hardest to fight the current and the strong winds, the two began swimming back to the ship. Sora had to dive two or three times, losing from sight the safety buoy, in order to avoid waves that tried to push her down. Ken followed her closely, breathing heavily between the gulps of water that unaware entered his mouth. The girl reached her arm a little longer and grabbed the safety buoy, immediately putting her arm around it so she wouldn't break contact with it again. She stretched her hand and grabbed Ken's arm, pushing him too to the buoy. "Push, push!" the two yelled at the man onboard. Three more came and together they started pulling the two up. Yet the storm seemed determined to not let them reach the coast alive. Taichi could already see Oita, but it wasn't the port that he saw. From between the waves he could see pointing rocks to where the storm was leading them. Nevertheless, they were corsairs and had faced worst torments.
As soon as both Sora and Ken were in the ship, the three sailors dispersed back to their duties. Ken coughed heavily. "I think I swallow a fish." He playfully said to Sora, but the girl's eyes weren't on him, they were in the coast that she had seen was too close. Ken stood by her side and his eyes fell upon the pointed rocks. Immediately he turned back his eyes to his brother and Taichi, but the two were already doing everything they knew to avoid the rocks.
The wind was blowing too strongly to that side, but they couldn't lower the sails or they would be completely lost. Their only hope was trying to get advantage of the wind to turn back. Yet it was a risky move. Taichi looked down onto to Sora. He smiled as she looked back to him. "Prepare the sails. Turn around." He ordered. there was no need for more specific orders, because the old sea dogs were used to this kind of things happening all the time. Nevertheless, there was always that small fear that only was needed to show courage, in all their hearts.
The girl immediately went to help the man preparing the sails. Ken was by her side along with Koushiro. A stronger wave, made some of the sailors fall to the ground and hit the boarder, but they quickly stood and got back to their positions. The sea was pushing them closer and closer to the rocks. A sudden bump, made them acknowledge that they had already beat against one, but none of them got desperate, they just tried harder. Sam and Taichi held the steering wheel and tried to turn it. It was being an hard task but they weren't about to give up just yet, and suddenly the two felt the steering wheel light turning and sending them both to their knees. The sails were suddenly filled with the wind and the ship seemed to fly at the ocean's surface. The rocks were quickly put behind and the sailors allowed themselves a quick breath of relief.
"We made it." Koushiro said not really believing it. On the other hand, Ken was jumping happily. "Of course we made it. At any time, did you have any doubt?" he asked enthusiastically, his loose black hair jumping around and falling into his eyes. The storm was far from over, but the danger had been overcome. The wind had become more normal and now there was just rain falling from the sky. Heavy rain, but still just water and to that were the sailors very used.
The auburn haired girl hugged her friends. "Of course we made it. We have the best Captain in the world." She replied, eying Taichi has the brown haired begun to climb down the stairs that led to the steering wheel where Sam seemed to be controlling things from now one. Ken and Koushiro exchanged smiles and some corsairs smirked also as the young couple got closer.
Taichi grabbed the girl, his hands on her waist, raising her in the rain. Her auburn hair was lovely falling on her face, and Sora found herself thinking how cute Taichi's hair looked when it was wet and falling. "That was a stupid thing you did." He scolded her, not really with a serious tone of voice, but mocking. The girl laughed as he embraced her in his arms, their waist closely together, his hand caressing her face, putting a lost thread of hair behind her ear. "What was stupid?" she said, in the same mocking tone. "Saving Ken, obviously." He said, knowing perfectly how to irritate Ken. The dark haired immediately contested behind him. "Hey, who said I needed to be rescued?" he replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "Well, you seemed like a damsel in distress to me." Koushiro mocked him. Some of the sailors immediately agreed, ready to enter the play. "Yeah, that's right." "You passed out, kid." "The pretty lady saved your life." They said. "From up here, I saw everything and you did need to be rescued, little bro." Sam smirked. "Hey, not you too, Sam. You were supposed to be on my side." A contagious laugh spread through the deck.
"That was really courageous." Taichi whispered in Sora's ear, breathing to her neck. "But it was dangerous and a disrespect of your Captain's orders, my Lady." He started as he prepared to raise her in his arms, the girl completely absorbed in his seductive voice. "So I'll have to punish you." Sora smiled. "But my Captain, I saved a man's life." She contested. Just then, Taichi picked her in his arms, her arms around his neck, and her face leaned against his chest. He walked in silence to her room, his eyes not leaving hers. Koushiro, Ken and Sam watched them as they headed for the stairs. The older dark haired and the red haired looked the other way, with a small cough, but Ken kept eying them with a naughty smile. He laughed low, putting his hand over his mouth. "Hmm, going alone to her room, huh?" he mocked, receiving, almost in the same moment a strong hit in the head by Koushiro. "Hey." Ken complained. "What was that for?" but before Koushiro could even reply, the dark haired replied playfully. "For being inconvenient, I know." He laughed.
The two lovers stared immensely at each other's eyes. Sora lied on the bed that had become hers during her stay on board of Dark Arrow. Her arms were still around Taichi's neck and he was bending softly over her, his hands on each side of her body. "You could have drown." He said. "Ken could have died." The girl replied. He smiled. Lowering his head over her, he placed a small kiss on her lips. "I love you and I don't want to loose you." "I love you too, Taichi." She said. She pressed his neck and the boy surrendered falling on top of her, his weight slightly moved to the bed. He could just stay there, watching, getting lost in her eyes, feeling her hand tracing his face, her soft gentle touch on his lips, her heavenly smile. He could just remain quiet to eternity, listening to the air coming out of her mouth, or the soft beat of her heart. He could just keep his hand over her face, feeling the smoothness of her now tanned skin.
The auburn haired stared at his eyes. How she loved to just keep watching him, not daring to move, afraid to disturb the soft smile that played on his lips. How she loved to just keep tracing the outlines of his features, feeling the skin of his lips on her fingers. How she loved to just keep quiet, hearing his soft breath coming out of his mouth and touching her face like a gently breeze. Outside the rain kept falling harder but for her the day couldn't seem more beautiful and not even their wet clothes seemed to a problem.
The loving moment was interrupted by a sneeze that made the two of them chuckle. "We better take off these wet clothes." Taichi said. He only came to notice the implication of his words, when he felt her lips against his, her hands on his back, tracing his ribs. They parted for him to look into her eyes, those beautiful sunset eyes, more beautiful than any jewel he had ever laid his eyes on, and for him more precious than the world itself, more precious than his life. He felt himself being dragged through the moment, as he was no longer controlling his body, but at the same time as he was in complete control. He felt himself fill with passion and lust that seemed to pulse through his veins. He lowered himself to taste her lips once again. Sora herself felt like a sudden strange force possessed her and all she wanted at the moment was to feel his lips over hers and his hands floating on her bare skin.
The rain outside the palace kept falling, but the girl inside didn't seem to care anymore. In fact she didn't seem to care if she was going to ever get out of there anymore. Maybe she was just loosing her hope; maybe she didn't care at all. In her mind, Yamato's words were still too fresh. Her cousin, whom after all wasn't her cousin at all, but perhaps more than that, her friend was dead. One of the persons whom she was sure it would never forget about her. The person besides Koushiro in which she was trusting to be her rescuer, was dead. Sora was dead and in Mimi's little world that was throwing her down.
Lied on her bed, her torn dress, her arms by her sides, she too could be though as dead. Mimi was still wondering why the evil Prince hadn't taken advantage off her fragile state. He had thrown himself on her pretty hard and she hadn't been able to fight back. In her mind, the fear had been taken over by the acceptance of what was happening to her. He torn her dress; he touched her deeply in ways and places she had never thought a man would touch her, but yet, he had not consumed the act. He seemed rather bored by her lack of resistance and he had left her, crying alone over the bed in the exact same position in which she was now. Nothing had changed. Her eyes had close for a few hours but her body had not moved from the same place. The maids or anyone else had entered the room and she had not made an effort to stand or even sit up.
After a long time in the same position, Mimi's body started to ache and her arms and legs were numb. She turned her head to the window, where the curtains were wide open and she could see the storm outside at its full range. The wind howled, shaking the top of the trees so much that it seemed possible that they would be ripped off the ground with roots and all. Then it started to relent but the rain kept falling for the several hours that followed.
Mimi made an effort to get up and walked to the window. Outside somewhere Sora was… No, I can't believe it. He only said that to bend me down. Sora can't be dead. Koushiro, my Koushiro is with her and he would never let anything happen to my best friend. She thought. In a deep part of her heart she was beginning to realise that the old says were true. You only miss someone when she's gone. She though sadly, the realisation that she had never gave the due value to all that Sora tried to tell and teach her.
Princess Mimi walked in her bright new dress. It was beautiful and even she had to admit it. It was of a pale pink and white with several falling ribbons. She held her small matching parasol and her hair fell freely to her shoulders. Hikari walked by her side, her hair covered by a small hat protecting her from the strong sun. Both Ladies were giving a small walk in the afternoon, after the hour of heat.
The chestnut haired asked her maid and friend if she didn't think the day was beautiful and Hikari laughed and said that for Mimi every sunny day was a beautiful day. They walked through the woods, enjoying the freshness of the shadows provided by the trees.
Suddenly they began to hear the sound of metals. As they got closer they could clearly hear two blades encountering each other in a fiery duel. Mimi smiled as she spotted Koushiro sitting over an old log. The red haired smiled back to her and stood. He courtesy picked her gloved hand and kissed it. "My Lady." He said in a longing voice as he clutched her hand in his two. Then, the two women followed the red haired to the opening in the woods. Two swords could be heard, but when they arrived the clearing, Mimi came to the discover that there weren't two swords but one katana and a strange double bladed weapon.
Hikari smiled as she watched Takeru fighting, a small blush crossing her features as she watched his exposed chest. His blue ocean eyes were deep in concentration and so were the eyes of his opponent. Sora had Takeru almost pinned down and she fought with a smile on her face.
As she revived the moment, Mimi took some more noticed to a small detail she had not noticed before. Jyou was there and he was just observing. But she had never noticed the shine in his eyes when Sora disarmed Takeru. That day she had been taking more notice in the un-Lady behaviour that her cousin was having.
With his blade on the floor and pined against a tree, Takeru felt Sora's blade too close to his neck. He smiled as the auburn haired woman put down her katana and extended a hand to help him up. The blond had accepted thankfully and they congratulated each other like sword companions. Mimi had made a disgusted face as she watched ever more closely what the auburn haired was wearing. A pair of pants covered her legs and some wrist bands seemed to protect her from wrist to elbows. Her lower chest was exposed as she wore only a kind of top that was tight and covered her up chest. Her long hair was tied up in a long braid that seemed to be getting a little loose.
Mimi heard Jyou compliment Sora for the good job and giving her come advice for the next time. Koushiro had joined them and the quartet was discussing techniques. She was not amazed at how Sora seemed to know more than Koushiro and Takeru about techniques and sword fighting, but she was shocked. The auburn haired seemed to finally notice that the two girl were there. She grabbed her small water container and spilled some onto herself and then cleaned her face with a piece of cloth that Takeru threw her as she walked over to Mimi and Hikari.
The younger girl complimented her for the good fight, but Mimi did nothing except staring at her. When the two had stopped exchanging words about how well Takeru had fought and how he had improved since last time, Mimi took her time to look at her cousin. "Sora…" she started. She didn't really know how to call the girl's attention to her behaviour but she had to do something. "Don't you think you should leave this to the men?" the chestnut said. Sora contemplated Mimi with an inquiring smile but then released a small chuckle. "You never know when you are going to need to defend yourself, Cousin." She had said. Then, she whistled and her black stallion came galloping to her. "I'm going to ride a little. Tell Aunt Natsuko that I'll be home at dinner time, okay?"
Now Mimi wished that she had given more attention to her and hadn't put her down so many times because of her somewhat manly manners and habits. Sora was a tomboy and nothing could change that. Maybe if I had listened to her I wouldn't be in this mess. She thought sadly. With that, she made a new resolution for her captivity. She had fought in the beginning and nothing of what Yamato would say would make her stop fighting. She had fallen once in front of him but that wouldn't happen again.
Some rooms away, Hikari was curled up in the corner of her room. She had lost the track of time since she had been locked up in that space. She had been spoken since then; maids came in silently and walked out speechless. They left her boards with rotten fruit and late stakes. She felt herself obliged to eat them from hunger. She didn't know what had had happened to Mimi, where she was or what Yamato had done to her. He hadn't been visiting her for a long time now. She guessed he might be angry because he couldn't capture Takeru. She didn't know what Yamato had done with Li either, but the girl was one of the maids that came to bring her food. Sometimes she left her hidden fruits and cookies in the board, but she didn't dare to speak with her. the attitude of each one of the girls of pure fear, and they all dropped their eyes on the floor when they were obliged by the guards to leave her the rotten fruits.
She was awoken from her slumber state by the sound of her stomach, claiming for more rations. Hikari looked into the board that was over the small table that was in the room. There were some small rotten apples with even a larva and a stake within which she hadn't been able yet to cut through. She searched through the board and under the napkin she found a cookie. She smiled, thanking Li for her sympathy. She quickly put a small portion of the cookie in her mouth and bit, but for her surprise there was something inside the cookie. She took it off her mouth and was amazed to find a small folded paper inside it. She instantly unfolded the paper and read its container. Princess Mimi is alright. She allowed herself a small sigh of relief and smiled once more at Li's smartness.
Standing up, the brown haired girl approached the window and pushed away the curtains that covered it. A lightning crossed the sky. It was raining like hell. She sighed and tried for an uncountable time to open the door. But there was no use. It was locked like always. She threw herself into the bed, thinking about her blond man. Why hasn't he come to get me already? She asked herself, but deep in her mind, she knew that something must have happened for him not to have come get her already. And then there was Koushiro and Sora. Where could they be? Takeru must find them and then come to rescue me and Mimi. I must keep my hope high. But it is so difficult. Every hour that passes here seems like days trapped like an animal. She punched the pillow in anger. "I hate you, Yamato Ishida, I hate you and you will rot in hell for what you are doing." She yelled like an insane person, her screams resonating through the hallway. The guards were alerted by her sudden burst of anger and couldn't help a cold chill to come up their spines. Would they rot in hell too because they were helping their King? Many of them had already began to wonder if they were doing the right thing for their kingdom and many had come to the conclusion that they weren't, but still, they were afraid to tell their mates what they really thought, knowing perfectly that the King had ears everywhere. A revolution could turn out to be a difficult thing around the place.
King Yamato was sitting at his desk, waiting patiently for the arrival of his two assassins. He knew they had the night before. Their horses were fast and they wouldn't rest until they received their payment so he was expecting them soon. Now all he had to do was waiting.
He was surprised away from his thoughts by the arrival of his Counsellor and Captain Fujitso. The awful man with his black skinny hair entered the room with a smirk upon his lips. Yamato couldn't help to wonder the motive of such happiness, or what Fujitso usually replaced it with. "What is the motive of this sudden visit?" The king asked in an harsh tone as he continued writing in a huge parchment. The man didn't seem troubled by the harsh tone and continued towards the secretary. "I overheard about your little encounter with the Princess, Your Highness." He replied with a smirk.
Yamato raised his head from the parchment and looked the man in his dark eyes. For moment Fujitso thought that the King had not found the amusement in his statement, judging by his hard look and inflexible straight lips. But they slowly turned into a small mischievous smirk and the King put down his feather pen. "The news travel rather fast in this palace." He said, his true emotions hidden by his cold blue eyes. "So! Was she any good?" the man asked, his thin lips reaching a maximum opening in a large smirk. Yamato leaned back on his sumptuous golden embroider chair. "I will answer your questions if you tell me why all the…un-sadness." He couldn't bring himself to say happiness, since in his mind, he found difficult to think that Fujitso could feel true happiness.
The wicked man smiled and motioned a servant to bring him a chair. Sometimes, Yamato wondered if the easiness of the man around him couldn't be count as insubordination. He was used to fear even his most fateful servant and he didn't have a doubt that if Fujitso could he would take over his throne, but still he was handy and as the dictation says: keep your friends close and your enemies even closer.
A servant came back with a chair and Fujitso quickly made himself comfortable. "I was in the village this night." He replied, his dark eyes starring at the ceiling as he remembered his night. The King rolled his eyes. "There was this young woman serving at the bar. She was so tasteful. I kidnapped her and raped her in the middle of the woods four times and it felt so good. Then I killed her." he replied amused showing a small group of brown hair in his hands. He smelled it and put it back on his pocket. The King made a distasteful face. "Don't you get enough with the servants you rape here?" he asked, slightly disturbed by his Counsellor barbarian behaviour, but quickly shook his hand, as to say that he did not need to reply to that.
"What about my question? Was she good?" Fujitso asked, his eyes widening in anticipation. Yamato sighed. He was reluctant to tell him that he had not done what the man thought he had. It was just something that he didn't feel comfortable to say. He could already hear his laugh. You didn't do it. You are getting soft, my King. Yamato knew that he had a reputation of bad guy to defend and if even for once he would deviate from his bad behaviour, that might not be very well see among others like Fujitso.
For his luck, in the moment Fujitso was about to claim his right for an answer, a messenger came in the room. He bowed fearfully, his eyes not daring to look directly to Yamato's. "What is it?" the King asked in an annoyed tone of voice that made the servant shiver. "Two men are outside, and they want to talk with Your Highness." The boy informed. Yamato gritted his teeth. "Then send them in, your piece of shit." He replied angrily to the servant, standing from his chair and making a violent movement with his large mantle. The man bowed again and left with quick paces.
"They have finally arrived." Yamato said more to himself than to anyone else. He was anxious to hear from them that the stubborn auburn haired girl was dead, but more than that, he was anxious to hear all the morbid details about her death.
The guests were happy to be received and quickly walked inside the room. Like always, they were dressed in shadows with long hooded cloaks. They bowed to no one and therefore they did not bow to Yamato either, but the blond seemed less worried about it. He had sat back on his chair and awaited them with a huge smile covering his lips. The two men stopped in the middle of the room, some metres away from Yamato's secretary. They appeared to have not noticed that Fujitso was also there. "Welcome." The King greeted them with a sadistic smile. The two man took simultaneously their hands to their hoods and uncovered their faces, showing their black pitch hair.
Daisuke yawned in his bed and stretched his arms. He looked around surprised to see that the morning was almost gone and that the sun was not shinning and had been replaced by a fierce storm that made the people walking outside bend to oppose its will. He languidly walked out of bed and quickly put his clothes on. Haruko was nowhere to be seen so he just guessed that she had left the room already. They had been very lucky to know that the girl had a long time friend in Oita and that same friend had offered them the stay at her pension.
The red haired Captain walked outside to find Haruko helping her friend with the cooks. He greeted her with a small kiss on the lips, which made Haruko's friend, a short rounded woman with always blushing cheeks, giggle. "Where's Takeru?" the Captain asked, remembering he had not seen the blond on his way to the kitchen. The brown eyes girl smiled as she turned back to unpeel the potatoes. "He woke up early and said he was going to the port." The girl replied. The Captain granted her another small kiss on her forehead and said he was going to meet him.
As he walked out of the small kitchen he couldn't help but to think that, if it wasn't for the circumstances that had brought him and the rest of them there, this could be thought as a very familiar environment. Shaking those thoughts away, knowing he had more important and urgent things to worry at the moment he proceed to search for his new found friend, Takeru.
The rain had finally eased up a little. Koushiro had not changed his clothes for obvious reasons, but was now beginning to think that that might be a good idea. After all, they were reaching Oita's port. As he walked downstairs to the middle deck, he couldn't help to send an occasional glance to Sora's room where she and Taichi were. Walking into his common room with Ken and Sam, he found the youngster changing clothes. He smiled to hi, but Ken didn't retributed the small gesture. Instead he remained in silence, sitting on the bed, his naked chest and a pair of pants pushed halfway. He had a sad look on his face.
The red haired quickly changed clothes and seeing as his friend still was in the same position with the same unhappy look, he sat be his side. "What's the matter?" he asked. Ken sighed and stood, pushing his pants to his due place. "You and Sora are leaving again, and this time you are taking Taichi again." The youngster said, and for the first time that day, Koushiro thought about the issue. In his anxious feeling of seeing Mimi again, he had not thought about the friends he was leaving behind. Still, he could not ask them to come with him like Sora had done with Taichi.
"You can always come to visit us at the castle." He replied heartedly. "I know, but…" Ken started. "…it won't be the same thing." Koushiro looked at the ceiling. He didn't know what to say to that. Well, he knew, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. He knew that the ship and the sea meant a lot to both Ken and Sam, and even to Taichi, but he had decided to leave them because he wanted to be with the woman of his life. With the brothers it was slightly different. They had spent most of their lives on board Dark Arrow.
"You can always come with us." The words escaped his thoughts and crossed his mouth without him wanting them to. Yet, the dark haired smiled. "Yeah we could." He said, the reply coming as the most normal thing in the world, but it suddenly sunk in him. They could go with them. Ken had always wanted to meet places behind the sea. He had never really been into many places, meet many people or ride his horse for very long. Only for the necessary time and always to known places, mostly the place where he and Sam had born. "Yes, we could got with you." He replied with a happy face. Koushiro eyed him as he was crazy when the boy left the room in naked chest and ran upstairs to meet his brother at the steering wheel.
Koushiro ran after him calling out his name. He saw him climbing the stairs and grab Sam. He couldn't get what he was saying to them, but the elder dark haired seemed a little surprised. Ken made a serious look and shook Sam. The red haired could hear something as it would be a great adventure, and then Sam smiled and nodded. Ken then started shouting, making half the ship stare at him. "We can go, we can go." He jumped around the ship. Koushiro than heard a burst of laugh behind him and saw Sora and Taichi standing behind him. They were dressed to leave, Sora with her katana at her waist, her cloak over her shoulders, and her bow on her back; Taichi with his katana at waist, his headband and a small bag on his hands.
"I guess they are coming too, right." Sora said with a wide smile. Koushiro was perplexed with all the things happening and more than that with the speed they were happening. Taichi took the wheel and minutes later, Sam and Ken were back with their stuff. The five watched as the port came closer and closer.
So...? I updated earlier than I was exepcing. I'm so happy with myself. yet, I still have to study math. Yack.
Well, hope you've like this chapter. Thanks to all reviewers and don't forget to review this one.
Bye bye