Dark Arrow

By Marie Darkholme

17. Reunited

Sitting over a short large wooden stick near the water, the young blond haired man had been staring vacantly to the open sea. He had been for a while distracted in his own thoughts that like most of the times travelled to a certain brown haired girl that found herself locked up in a castle with a complete psycho like his brother. Takeru couldn't help a sigh from escaping his thin lips. He rested his elbow over his leg, his back bent forward to rest his head on his hand. He was facing the ground.

I miss you so, so much Hikari. Don't worry I'll come back for you and I'll make my brother pay for what he is doing to all of us, to all our friends. His thoughts were of vengeance, but still, deep in the corner of his heart, he knew he would be incapable to make his brother pay for what he was doing. Deep in his heart, he knew he could not lay a finger on his brother. He could not hurt him, much more killing. His heart was filled with grief and pain, anger and fury but it was also filled with compassion and love, even for his hateful brother, and for that, he would never in a million years be able to hurt his brother like he was thinking in his head.

Lost in his own thoughts, completely unaware of his surroundings, he did not notice a red spike haired approaching him, and neither did he noticed a large ship with a black arrow in its flag, approaching. The Captain rested his hand over the youngsters shoulder and Takeru looked up to see the elder smiling to him with a comprehensive smile. They didn't exchange any words and Takeru turned to face the ground again, none of them looking to the sea.

They only broke out of their kind of trance state, when the waters seemed to be a little more agitated and the sound of woods and confusion began to be heard on the small docks. The two men turned to see the large ship ducking near them, just some fair metres. It was, indeed, an imposing ship. The dark woods that built it seemed to shine new, but they both could tell the ship had its long years. Yet every single line seemed to shine. The canon windows, that were now closed, not showing its potent canons, showed that the imposing boat had a fiery fire power. In the sides in large styled letters was written: Dark Arrow.

Something in Daisuke's head seemed to pop, but he wasn't sure of what it was. Nevertheless he had a vague idea that he had heard the name somewhere before. They continued to watch as the ship carefully ducked. Somehow, they couldn't take their eyes off the ship, even if they knew, by the place it had ducked, it was not a passengers' boat and so, the probability of Sora and Koushiro being on board was less than low. Maybe it was just the imposing façade of the dark ship, or maybe, something in their hearts was alerting them to who was coming on board.

It seemed it was a life time before Dark Arrow was finally ducked. Takeru stood from the wooden bench like and looked at Daisuke. The Captain kept his eyes fix on the ship and so the blond turned to it again. He had a strange sensation on the bottom of his stomach.

A small bridge was put outside by the ship's crew and two dark haired men with bags on their shoulders climbed down happily. Takeru immediately noticed how similar they were. "Those two must be brothers." He said to Daisuke. The other just nodded and they continuing glaring, in a somehow unpleasant way, to the newcomers.

On the other side, Ken was jumping around and mumbling some stupid song. Thinking his brother was a little overcome with joy for finally being able to see something more than ports, ships and sea, Sam grabbed his arms and asked him to stop. "Are you crazy?" he scolded him in a low yet reprehension voice. He could spot from the corner of his eyes, two men a little farther eyeing them and he didn't like the attention not one bit. "Shill down, there are people looking at us." Sam told his younger brother. Ken, though, wasn't very discreet when he looked in Takeru and Daisuke's direction.

"They saw us." The Captain replied turning his head away. Both him and Takeru faked disinterest in the two dark haired men, but neither Ken nor Sam really believed them. Nevertheless, they were too excited to be thinking of two strange guys watching them. But then it hit Sam. "What if they are the guys that tried to kill Sora?" he told Ken. The youngster took another shameless look to the two other men. He raised an eyebrow. "They carry weapons, but they don't seem very dangerous." He said with an unworried face. Sam was about to protest when he noticed Koushiro climbing down the bridge as well as Taichi and Sora, following right behind.

Koushiro smiled joyfully as he stepped dry land. "Finally dry land. I don't want to see another boat for as long as I shall live." He exclaimed. Ken laughed. "You're being so exaggerated. I bet you will miss Dark Arrow. Fortunately for you, the ship will always be here." Sam on the other hand, continued to watch the strangers that had not dared to look to them again. He approached the red haired man. "Koushiro, those two men were watching us just a while ago. Do you think they are the ones who attacked Sora?" he asked, concernedly. The red haired watched the two men at distance. Somehow they seemed familiar, but from behind he couldn't really be sure.

Meanwhile, Sora had reached land too, and she and Taichi were sharing one of their long kisses. She rested a hand over the wooden ship and seemed to caress it. "We'll come back, don't worry." She said to it, as Dark Arrow was a little child and she was being left behind in war time. Taichi had joined the others and finally Sora joined them. She looked at them, and noticed they were watching something. Looking to the other side, some fair metres of distance, she distinguished a young blond haired boy and what it seemed a red haired man on the other side. And she recognized them, just at the same time, they turned to see an auburn haired girl and red haired man, accompanied by what it looked like a pirate and the two dark haired.

"Takeru, Captain Motomiya." She exclaimed, just as, from the other side, a scream of joy came from the two men. "Lady Sora, Koushiro." The three strangers that didn't know either the Captain or the young blond stared after them with confused looks. The four met half way. Takeru ran without being able to keep his emotions. Captain Motomiya walked in a quick yet restrained pace right behind him. From the other side, Sora and Koushiro ran to Takeru. The three friends hugged each other, while Daisuke watched them from his side. On the other side, Taichi launched suspicious looks over the new comers and how they seemed to know Sora and Koushiro so well. Besides, he didn't like the idea of the blond being so damn close to Sora. As for Ken and Sam, the brother had adverse reactions. While Ken was excited to meet someone that appeared to have about his age, and what it seemed a very expert young man, Sam was divided between his inconstant search of information and therefore the good things that could come from more two friends and the suspicious that the name Captain Motomiya brought to his mind. After all what king of Captain was he? Taichi is a corsair Captain, but that Motomiya person didn't seem the kind of man who would lead such a cause and the fact that he might be the Captain in Sora's future castle scared him, for he knew corsairs were hunted down and hanged. Unconsciously he caressed his neck and tried to relief his thoughts. Neither Sora or Koushiro would allowed them to be hanged.

The auburn haired woman could feel the tension between her new found friends and her old friend and Captain Motomiya. She was about to make some introductions when a chuckle came from the blond. He was trying his best not to give himself up, but he couldn't hold the laugher. Koushiro eyed them with an inquiring look. "What's so funny?" the girl asked. Takeru held his breath and stopped laughing. "Your hair…you cut it." He exclaimed. Realising what was so funny to her friend, Sora couldn't help but blush. After she cut her hair, she had never really met anyone that knew her with long hair so the question hadn't come sooner. But know that she was going to meet her old friends, the question would obviously be a theme of conversation. In her mind she could picture her cousin lecturing her about how that was un-lady like.

Easing the mood a little, Taichi walked forward. He stopped besides Sora and rested his hand over her shoulder, as to let her know that he was there. The brothers followed their leader's example and walked to Koushiro's side. The auburn haired rested her hand over her beloved brown haired man, caressing his smooth skin, tanned by the blazing sun of many months on the sea. The Captain took his time to arrive. He stopped in front of Sora. In his mind there were no more doubts that this was his Queen, but he could not treat her like one yet. However, he bowed, even though he knew the girl would reprove it. He took her hand and kissed it gallantly. "My Lady."

Sora was a little surprised by his actions and too shocked to reply in a proper way. Something in her mind told her that something wasn't the way it was supposed to be. After recovering from the shock, she coughed a little, clearing her throat. "Takeru, Captain Motomiya, these are our new friends that helped us in our…" she was undecided about what to really call it, but she ended up decided as journey. "Captain Taichi of Dark Arrow and Ken and Sam Ichiouji." She said as she pointed to the person she was talking about. "My friends these are Takeru Takahashi and Captain Daisuke Motomiya from the castle."

There was a bit of awkward silence as the strangers adapted to the new information they had been given. In Sam's mind the name Daisuke Motomiya continued to send him chills. As for the Captain, he confirmed his suspicious. The three men were undoubtedly outlaws, the so called corsairs that refused to be called pirates, because, according to them, they had honour and pirates didn't. As for him, it didn't make him much of a difference. Scum is always scum no matter the name they give themselves. Nevertheless, he absent his comments not only for respect to his future Queen, but also because he couldn't really see them as the menacing people that so many times the villagers had talked about.

As they stayed in the strange silence they had entered, only to be interrupted by the distant voices of some sailors preparing to leave the port or the sound of the ocean waves beating against the hard wood of the ships, certain details, certain marks, unnoticed at first started to be noticed for both parts.

There were some visible scars in Takeru's nose that weren't there before, not the last time she had seen him and besides, they looked fresh, like they had been done not a long time ago. Judging by the healing process they wouldn't have more than two or three days. But Takeru also noticed some differences in his friends besides Sora's hair. The girl had some recent scars in her forehead and above her right eye and Koushiro had a small cut on his jaw.

It was in fact the red haired man that interrupted the silence. And he chose the most complicated question to answer. Remembering the moments that had preceded his departure from the castle, and that rainy day when Takeru had asked him to accompany him. The words he had said came to his mind and the thought that Takeru would never disobey something like that knowing what was at risk, made him acknowledge that something serious had happened. The question however didn't show any of the knowledge he already was beginning to possess. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be taking care of Hikari?"

Takeru's face darkened visibly. He closed his eyes for a second. "It's a long story, but for short, she and Mimi were taken by Yamato and me and Daisuke came to find you so you can both help us rescuing them." He said. Koushiro opened his mouth to say something, but the truth was he didn't know what to say. Mimi, his Mimi had been taken by…Yamato. He could feel the anger and hatred towards the King increase and start boiling in his veins. He unconsciously closed his fists, ready to bang them into Yamato in case he was there. The auburn haired, though, had a completely difference reaction before the news. In her mind, the fact that they had to act quickly was the only thought currently. She had no time to feel hate or anger, to feel compassion for her friend's pain or to feel despair for Hikari and Mimi. Her mind led her only to the path that would lead them to their rescue and pay back time.

But the news had side effects that passed unnoticed by everyone. The name Hikari had risen old feelings, old memories in someone's heart and mind. It was like an hurricane had just crossed his mind when the name Hikari was spoken. Could it be? Was it even possible that this Hikari they were talking about was the same person that he had, for so many years, been longing to see again, to hold and sing her lullabies? Sora had told him about some of her friends in the castle, but she had never really mentioned any names. But by the look on their faces, the familiarity they were having between them, he could tell they were long time friends, at least with Takeru. Could it be possible that this Hikari was his long lost Hikari, his sister? Can it be? Can Hikari be my sister? The thoughts didn't quite leave him during all the time that followed. He was talking and walking, but he wasn't really paying attention to nothing around him, not even Sora. He didn't know where they were going or what were they planning to do. He was just following them.

A hand over his shoulder, made the Captain break from his trance. He blinked a few times, like he had just been woken from a confusing dream and found himself in a stable. Sora was the only one with him, the other had vanished and he felt stupid knowing he had absolutely no idea of what had happened since that word, that name.

"Are you okay?" it took the brown haired man a few seconds to understand that there was someone talking to him. He was having a hard time waking up from his daydreaming. The auburn haired woman before him was eying him with a concerned look. He smiled stupidly to her. "Yeah, I'm okay." He said reassuring, but he wasn't just about to get away with his little lie. "Taichi, I might not be the smartest person in the world, but I can tell whether you're okay or not and right now, you're not." The girl stated. "In fact, you've been completely spaced out since a while ago. Do you have something to tell me?" she asked, her hands over his shoulders, and even thought he was taller than her, she was trying to make eye contact with him.

The brown haired man took a few seconds to re-think his situation, but after a not so careful thinking , he decided that for the time being there was no need for Sora to know what was worrying him, so he just brushed away her worries saying he had just been thinking of some things, but they didn't matter anyway.

Even though she was not convinced, Sora decided to play along. When he is ready to talk about whatever is bugging him, he'll come to me. She told herself. And with that she quickly returned to the issue that had brought her to the stable. It was a nice place. It seemed as nit as it could be in an animal's place and the horses seemed to have enough food to feed themselves without worries. That had been mainly the reason why Sora had left her horse at the care of this place, but also because she hadn't much of a choice in the middle of the night.

She walked through the stable and finally reached a small kind of cell. Thunder wasn't tied like the other horses and neither was Autumn Leaf. When the black stallion felt his owner coming, he stood on his back paws and neighed loudly. Taichi backed some paces when he saw the imposing horse rising, but Sora came to his side and petted him in his torso. She rested her head against the animal's head and whispered him soft words that made the horse neigh, this time softly, like it was responding to the auburn haired words.

"Come closer Taichi." She told the brown haired. The Captain did as she told him. His heart was beating a little faster than usual. He had never seen such a beautiful and yet dangerous looking horse. His mane was long black and beautiful, appearing to shine, even in the dirty day. "This is my fateful horse, Thunder." Sora introduced him. Thunder neighed and moved his back paws as a bull does when he's preparing to attack. "I think he likes you." The auburn haired smiled. "I'm sure he does." Taichi muttered between teeth feeling the horse wasn't very happy about the idea of having to share Sora.

The girl moved to the cell directly in front of Thunder's where a brown furred mare was eating some straw. "This is Koushiro's horse, Autumn Leaf." Sora introduced once again, caressing the horse's torso. "Set her, so we can go meet the others and leave." She asked him. The brown haired man started searching for the material that he needed. Meanwhile, Sora was preparing Thunder. She worked fast and correctly, being sure that all the security measures needed were being taken.

"We're going to the castle then, right?" Taichi asked. The girl nodded but she remembered that perhaps Taichi might not be looking at her so she answered with a small yes before adding: "We're going to get to the castle and take control of it. According to Daisuke, the Queen it's being held there. Then we'll go and rescue our friends, after getting some troops." She informed him. They had discussed a more elaborated plan earlier when Taichi was daydreaming, but she knew he hadn't heard them, even though when they asked him, he always said it was a good plan. Sora knew that something was troubling him and so she decided to give him the short plan.

Autumn Leaf wasn't giving the stranger that was trying to prepare it to leave a very pleasant time. The horse had tried to escape from the Captain's grip several times and even though he was trying to shush her with soft words, the horse kept neighing in complaining. In her eyes, she seemed to be asking why this stranger was trying to prepare her instead of Koushiro. Unfortunately for Taichi, Sora couldn't help him that much. Autumn Leaf was used to her, but there was no way that Thunder would allow Taichi to replace Sora as his preparer. The girl, who was combing Thunder seemed rather worried with something, but Taichi was too concentrated in not getting hit by Autumn Leaf's strong paws and did not noticed.

About half an hour later, the two were back to the place where Takeru and Captain Motomiya had told them to meet them. Sora rode Thunder, but Taichi had to bring Autumn Leaf for its reins, because the stubborn horse refused to let him climb up.

The auburn haired watched as Koushiro and the Captain talked. It appeared that Ken had already made friendship with the blond, but Sam seemed to feel a little out of place, like a fish out of water. She laughed to herself noticing the similarities between her comparison and reality. Sam was, in fact, a fish out of water. She believed that after so many years on board, he would feel misplaced in dry land, but the reason that made him stand awkwardly besides Koushiro, listening the two talking, Sora believed to be a different one.

Her thoughts were brought back to other things when a young woman with brown eyes exited the inn. She immediately recognised her as the woman that Koushiro and her had left in front of someone's door in the middle of the night after the fight in her inn. Seeing her there, made Sora return back to that day and notice how long had she been away and how far she had gone, but mostly how much had happened. However, the question in her mind was an obvious one. What is she doing here?

The thought seemed to cross the red haired man's mind too. His eyes went from Daisuke to whom he was talking to the girl and then again to the Captain. He raised an eyebrow. The girl approached Daisuke and he rested a hand over her shoulder. He waited for Sora and the others to approach. The three corsairs had no idea of what was going on and why where they launching such inquiring looks to the Captain. They had assumed that both Sora and Koushiro knew the girl, but it didn't seem to be that way.

Before anyone could say anything, Haruko approached Sora and bowed. "My Lady, I'm glad to see you and you Sir…" she said as she bowed before Koushiro. "…okay. I haven't yet thanked you for saving my life." The Captain allowed himself to smile to the courtesy that the plebeian woman showed. Once again, he realised how much in love he was with her. Clutching her to him, he put his arms around her waist.

"Sora, Koushiro, new friends, this is Haruko from Okayama. She decided to join us in our search." He informed them. Suddenly realising more than they would initially have wanted the two friends smiled and greeted the new acquisition of the group, which had grown above Sora's every expectations.

"So, now that it's all set, maybe we should leave." The auburn haired said. Nobody protested. The tension that had relieved during the preparations had returned. A cold breeze seemed to want them to know that something unwanted was expecting them in their journey. Sora hadn't told her friends about the things she had discovered about herself. She felt it as less important comparing to what was happening to her closest female friends. She would have time to tell them. There would be a right place and a right hour and that was not now.

Looking a last time back, to the ocean; inspiring the last sea breeze; feeling the last salty taste on her lips, she climbed on the black mare. Takeru climbed Hika, Koushiro Autumn Leaf and Captain Motomiya and Haruko his horse. Sora had offered Taichi a ride earlier that day, but he had refused. "How well would it look if I was riding the back of the horse while you drove it?" He had asked her. She had laughed. "Me and the guys had some horses in a nearby property for when we need to…well… do things." He said, a small blush appearing on his cheeks. So, they had gone for their horses.

The eight were now climbed. From a certain distance, they would appear like some king of gang: armed to the bones, with fast imposing horses and fearless looks on their faces, they seemed ready to face any danger anyone would impose on their path. With a soft hit of her ankle, Sora made Thunder start galloping. The other followed her, they followed their leader and in a way, it was interesting to watch, as even with two battle leaders in the group, Sora had still the guts and the spirit of leadership. This was one of the things that Koushiro was thinking as Autumn Leaf caught up with Hika. The other was what he was going to do to Yamato when he finds him.

I'm so sorry for the long delay and the awfull and short chapter, but I really needed to make it short because its a transition. Hopefully I'll be finishing this soon, but unfortunately not before July because I'm going on vacations and I won't be back till then. So sorry.

Anyways, thank you for keeping reading. I hope you like the chapter though. Don't forget to review.

See ya