Dark Arrow

By Marie Darkholme

20. Fallen Queen

The friends eyed each other, uncertain about what was going to happen next. Haruko was the most surprised. She had heard the Sora's story, but she had expected a different confront between the Queen and the auburn haired. She had expected her to deny all the accusations they were making against her, but no. Everything had happened the exact oppose. The Queen was on her knees, not claiming that the person there was a forgery, but begging for her daughter's life. The brown haired girl had no idea about what Sora was planning to do, as neither the others, but in her mind, the simple fact that there was no fight, no lies, and that the Queen had humbling accepted everything showed that she wasn't such a bad person. However, and even not knowing all the details from the day when the real King and Queen of her own kingdom had been murdered, she could understand if the auburn haired wanted the woman on her feet dead.

They stayed quite, no one daring to speak, as if there was an enchantment spreading through the atmosphere and a simple whisper would break the magic. Sora closed her eyes, not really believing what was happening. The woman was begging. Queen Natsuko, her aunt, Miyuki, Mimi's mother was begging. But not for her life. She was begging for Mimi.

When she had first heard the truth about her parent's dead, she had been revolted, filled with anger and thirst of revenge. She had felt like going on a killing rampage and avenge her beloved ones, not only her parents, but Jyou as well. And then, when Miyako was killed too, her fury seemed to take its pitch. She could only dream about the day both Miyuki and Yamato would be lying at her feet, drown in a pool of their own blood, killed by the blade of her mother's katana. But that was before she cool off. Yamato could be a tyrant worst than its own father, but he had no fault on her parents dead, and he was Takeru's brother. She would not confront with him unless he provoked her. And Miyuki…she was just a pawn, used, just like Mimi, poor innocent child, driven into the middle of a war, just like herself. She knew how much a mother's love was ready to go. The real killer was already dead, killed by his own cruelty, flesh of his flesh, blood of his blood. He had tasted what he had provoked. Yamato had killed his father; she had no doubts about it.

So, by coming back, she was not preparing to slaughter anyone. She was just coming back to take her seat in her rightful throne and drive Yamato away from her kingdom. But hearing about what he had done to her friends, to two of the persons that she considered as family, he had arouse in her that anger and rage again. However, she had not come to kill Miyuki and still, the woman was ready to accept it as her faith, as long as her beloved daughter would be spared. She had understood Miyuki's actions. She had forgiven the woman. As her aunt she had never treated her badly. She had given her all the liberty she had wanted; she had not pressed her in any way. And the auburn haired had forgiven the old woman. And now, seeing her humiliating herself like that, raised in her heart another feeling: pity and admiration. Miyuki had courage to fight while she could and to admit her defeat and assume her mistakes.

Sora suppressed a tear that was beginning to form in the corner of her eye. She bent and kneeled in front of the woman. "Raise your head." She ordered, strong and authoritarian. The Queen eyed her. The auburn haired stared at her orbits, that honey like colour reminding her of Mimi, but still, more decadent, more dead. "We must think of a way to save Mimi." she finished. The woman's eyes seemed to regain a light that Sora had noticed missing. She took Sora's hand and kissed it, a kiss of gratitude. The auburn haired smiled and rose, motioning Miyuki to do the same. The queen obeyed. She stood, her high shorter than Sora's and made a bow. "What are your commands, My Queen?"

Some stairs away, a man was beginning to recover his senses. He looked around, trying to figure what had happened. Then it suddenly hit him. They had failed. He could tell by the silence that had spread through the castle. Silence, except for some words, but he could not hear them well. He picked himself up and slowly climbed the stairs. "…spare my daughter." The voice sounded familiar, but he wasn't sure of who it belonged, so he went a little further until he spotted the group that had so bravely defeated them. They had indeed failed. It was the voice of the Queen, undoubtedly. He stood there, like a little child, divided between the curiosity and the fear of getting caught. He had to inform King Yamato, but at the same time, the bottom of his mind told him not to. The consequences of his failure and his comrades would certainly be punished with death. However, if he was caught by the returned Captain, his faith wouldn't be much different and he had vowed obedience to His Majesty, King Yamato. He could not break his ought. He was between the wall and the sword and the second was pushing him pretty hard.

The man sighed and finally came to he conclusion that if it arrived to Yamato's ears what had happened by second ways it would be worse and so he prepared to leave. Unfortunately it seemed it wasn't his lucky day and when he turned, he did not notice a lance that was lying on the floor and kicked. The metal made a huge sound that echoed through the entire hallway, but that might not have been anything if it wasn't for the invaders that heard him.

Ken picked Sam in his shoulder. The older brother turned to his sibling. "What!" he asked annoyed by the intromission. "I think someone's is watching us." The younger boy said. Sam shoved it off. "It's your imagination. The guys are all taking a nap." He replied, but he wished he had never said it, when a cling from metal and stone echoed through the hallway and he spotted a soldier standing some feet away, watching and hearing, in a word, spying them. "Catch him." he shouted to his brother as they both started running. Ken only blinked his eye and made as gesture as saying I told you that Sam completely ignored.

The two brothers started a run after the soldier while the others jut eyed each other. "Should we follow them?" Daisuke asked. Sora shook her head. "That won't be necessary. If we were to catch him, Sam and Ken would do the job just fine." She replied. The rest of the group just stared at her, a little taken back. Was she saying that it was of no use to even try and catch the soldier? But the girl had it all covered. After defeating all those soldiers, she had begun wondering how possible it was that none of them would eventually escape and inform Yamato, or maybe, even a servant spy. The possibility that Yamato wouldn't be informed that a group had taken over the castle and that between them was a auburn haired woman was very low, and so, she had started in her mind a back-up plan to rescue her friends. She was sure than once Yamato knew she was still alive he would try and attack the palace. He wouldn't trust anymore in any assassins, he would have to kill her with his own hands to be sure that this time she would stay dead.

The problem was that during an upcoming war, that she would have wanted to avoid anyway, her two friends would probably be killed. She didn't fear so much for Mimi's life, but for Hikari's. The young maid had no use to Yamato and, if she wasn't already dead, a possibility that Sora tried her hardest to keep away, he would use her as a human shield or kill her. In her ever moving brain, plans were being made, accomplished and failed. She tried to consider all the varieties that could have come, but it was hard as there were so many people involved. She still didn't know what had happened to the Death Crawlers, the only person that she would like to haunt down and kill for murdering Miyako, poising her and worrying all her friends. In spite of that, they would have to wait, because there were priorities.

"…kay?" she felt someone touching her shoulder and speaking to her. "Hmm. What?" she asked, turning to see who was talking to her. Taichi had a face of confusion and concern in plastered on his features, and so had the others. She suddenly realised she had blocked in her thoughts. She smiled widely, a sheepishly smile as to say sorry. She was about to explain her ideas when Ken and Sam arrived, dragging the frightened soldier with them. "We've caught him." they said with proud. Sora eyed the man for a second and in the soldier's mind, he could clearly hear her voice saying Hang him or off with his head. He was already imagining the scene when… "Lock him up with the rest. Takeru, Captain Motomiya, help them." She ordered. Only after saying it, she noticed her authoritarian look. But the men didn't seem to mind. In fact, they were treating her like a real Queen already. Both Takeru and the Captain bowed before leaving. But the auburn haired called out to him. "Captain, Takeru I don't want those formalities, at least not until it is absolutely necessary." She said to them. Takeru just smiled. Good old Sora. No ladies and no bows, just Sora.

"As for us, let us get in." she told to the rest. Miyuki opened the way and allowed Sora to pass. She then walked behind her, followed by Koushiro, Taichi and Haruko. The first thing she did was light some torches to brighten the dark room. Then she walked around for a while, lost in her thread of thoughts once more. But this time she was aware of her surroundings. She could see both Koushiro and Taichi eyeing her. Haruko was looking around, probably amazed by the greatness of the castle. Miyuki was standing, as a soldier ready to battle.

The auburn haired started thinking. It had been a long day. Some of them could use some treatments and all of them could use some rest. There was no use in planning such advance. First she needed to know how things were around the castle. How many spies there were; unlock the high patents that had been locked; form an army, just in case. However she could not assume her position as ruler, before she knew whether Yamato knew about her being alive or not. Till then, she would have to order through Miyuki.

"Lady Miyuki,…" she started. The woman was surprised by the courtesy on her voice. It was Lady Miyuki and not just Miyuki or something worse. She really looks like her parents. She thought. "…until we know what Yamato is exactly planning, you will be on the throne and do as I ask you to. Then, after this mess is over, we'll sort things out." Sora said. "Whatever you order, Your Majesty." The woman replied. "Call a servant here. Tell him that you have visits. Do you know who Yamato's spies are?" "Most of them, yes." The woman replied. "Good. Be sure to call one of ours. We must do a clean up. Tell them to arrange…let's see…" Takeru, Koushiro and I have our own rooms, but I can't take mine. The best thing would be a room for Ken, Sam, Haruko and me, and Taichi. "Four rooms." She informed her. "We'll be in Mimi's chamber. When Ken and Sam arrive, tell Takeru to meet us there. Keep Captain Daisuke next to you and give him all the spies. Once that is done, meet us there too." She finished. And with that, she exited the chamber, dragging Haruko, Koushiro and Taichi with her, the two guys looking strangely at her.

Later that evening, things seemed to have calmed down a little. In fact, as Sora and Taichi rode through the hoods in the castle surroundings, the auburn haired felt as like she had never left the castle and Mimi and Hikari hadn't been kidnapped and she hadn't been told she was the legal heir to the throne. But it was true, because a certain brown haired man was there with her to prove that her journey had happened, and that she hadn't just dreamed. She realised how tired she was. Her legs and her entire body ached, but she had not noticed it until then.

Behind them, the sun was setting, but they could not see it, as the sky was covered by a thick layer of dark clouds that threatened to pour down on them at every second. Thinking of it, the auburn haired wouldn't mind feeling some rain on her face again. She had become used to her through the journey. It made her feel alive more than anything else, even fighting. It made her feel balanced, in union with nature and the rest of the world and in peace of mind. She closed her eyes and faced the sky. She repressed the will to raise her arms to the skies. However there was no rain drops and so, she opened her eyes again, only to stare at the person by her side.

Taichi had his face down, almost as he had fell asleep over his horse, what wouldn't be so admiring since they were all dead. The auburn haired doubted that even if they wanted to keep their way and enter directly Yamato's kingdom, that they would be able too. Takeru had fell asleep almost after the dinner. His weary eyes could not be as strong as his spirit and even though he was in awful distress asking himself why they hadn't gone rescuing Hikari already, but knowing the reason at the same time. It was a fight between the brain and the heart and in this case, Sora guessed the heart was winning, but had a break down and the brain took over his functions. Koushiro was much stressed too, but being more rational, he decided to skip dinner and have a long good night of sleep, thing he had neglected since a while. As for Sam and Ken, the youngster couldn't keep his eyes open during the entire chess game and ended up sleeping over his few soldiers and King, since Sam had completely knocked all his other pieces. The Captain had explained that he had too much work to do, to go and sleep, and when they left for a ride, he was talking to his released subalterns. As for herself, she had thought that a ride would clear her thoughts. Taichi agreed in accompanying her, but he had been quite through the entire journey. In fact, she had noticed he had been less talkative since some days ago.

Stopping, she took a closer look at him. He surely wasn't asleep, since his eyes were open, but he wasn't there either. She could feel he was distant, lost in his own thoughts and world. "Taichi…!" she called him out. The man didn't seem to hear her and the auburn haired begun to get concerned. It was time that he told her what was going on in his head, otherwise, he could end up getting lost inside himself.

She pushed Thunder's reins, and the black stallion moved closer enough for Sora to touch Taichi shoulder and pull his head up. His eyes looked to hers, but he wasn't there. "Taichi!" she called him softly, as a mother calling a child from is sleep. "Are you there?" but he wasn't responding. Then suddenly his eyes moved and his mouth opened. "Huh, what!" he asked, seeming a little confused. "Oh, yeah! You were saying something?" he asked as he saw the auburn haired eyeing him.

"You got lost in there again. I haven't heard from you all the ride." She replied. Her voice denoted a little of sadness, but mostly concern. He smiled and caressed her hair, curling his fingers in it. "Sorry, I was thinking about…something." He replied, suddenly avoiding her eyes. His hand slowly felt from her hair and into his lap. The girl sighed. "I think it's already about time that we have a talk don't you think?" she said. Her voice was not demanding explanations, but noting simply the fact that he should tell her what was bothering him. The brown haired eyed her with guilt in his eyes. "I think you're right. I should tell you…everything." He replied.

A rain drop hit Sora's face and the girl looked up, closing her eyes as the rain began powdering on them. Taichi's thoughts and worries were suddenly slightly driven away as he watched her. Her auburn hair was falling behind with the rain and he wondered how she would have looked with her hair long. The rain drops touched her skin and rolled perfectly down, feeling her softness, and the brown haired found himself reaching for her face. His fingers touched her smooth skin, and the girl opened her eyes. Her hand met his and she smiled. He smiled back. He looked funny and cute at the same time, with his hair falling over his headband. They didn't notice what was happening until their lips met in a soft, slow kiss that seemed eternal. And then another, as if they were tasting the last of a special candy that they would never flavour that same sweetness. And their kisses seemed to melt with the rain.

They stopped, realising that maybe that wasn't the best time to be goofing around. The auburn haired smiled, holding the brown eyed man's hand. Thunder begun a slow walk and heir hands started to part. She threw a last naughty smile, and then she speeded up. Taichi laughed and followed her. He noticed they were getting deeper into the forest and as they did, the rain seemed to begun ceasing. But it wasn't. The hoods were just so thick that few raindrops could break through the high, strong leafed trees.

The auburn haired stopped in what seemed an entry to somewhere, but as he discovered seconds later, it was a large old tree's log. It was large enough for the both of them to get in and tall enough for them to enter standing. On his branches, there were still some leaves and the trees above it provided a good shelter. The floor was covered with something and he realised it was some kind of fur. When he touched it he noticed it was dry and soft, but he couldn't tell what it was made off. He looked at the girl standing before him and smirked. Sora motioned him to take off his cloak, as she too took hers off. They were soaked, but at least their under clothes were drier. She entered the log and retrieved the soft fur and then walking out, she motioned him to get in.

He walked in to find another cover in there. Wow, she really had things thought through, hasn't she? He thought as he sat. He had expected to be hard and uncomfortable, but it wasn't. It was rather cosy. Sora followed him in and sat between his legs, her back against his chest. Then she proceed to put the fur cover over them and the brown haired checked that it wasn't just soft and dry as it was warm too. Bu maybe that's just the feeling of Sora's body against mine.He thought, and a sudden image and its familiar feeling invaded him. The feeling of having the girl's skin touching his, her soft lips on his neck, and his hands on her hips. He shook the thought away as he felt the girl slightly turning to meet his eyes.

"Feeling comfortable?" she asked amused by his red cheeks. He nodded. Then her eyes became darker and she leaned her head on his chest, cuddling herself in his arms. "I used to hide here when I wanted to be alone…to think about my parents." She sighed and then the comfy smile returned. "But now, we're here so you can tell me what is bothering you." She told him.

Taichi's eyes hardened and he took one long breath, sighing heavily afterwards. The girl grabbed one of his hands, that was resting on her lap, and squeezed tightly, keeping it between her two hands and hugging it against her chest, encouraging him to keep talking. He took another deep breath and claimed her lips for a second. "I guess I better start in the beginning."

I wasn't born in Oita or even close to the sea whatsoever. But I guess, destiny has this strange purpose and that's where I ended up.

Sora interrupted him. "Not quite. You ended up here, with me on your arms." She smiled sweetly. He laughed and struggled to continue.

I was in fact born not far from this property, because my father was an important servant at this palace. I can't tell you what he actually did, but he won enough to provide us with a good life. We had a large house, with a garden and a swing hung from a tree. I had a mother and … a sister. Sora raised an eyebrow but made not questions.

I loved my family, but mostly and above all, I loved my sister. She always seemed so small and fragile at my eyes. I made her a promise that I would never leave her, but one day I did… Not by my choice though. Things happen and sometimes we can't fight it back.

My father died victim of the flu. He had always been a strong man, but that year it seemed to get everyone. Many villagers died that year from the same disease. However, and even though I loved my father very much, that wasn't the reason that drove me away. I would have never abandoned my sister. By that time, more than ever, I had to be with them, to take care of them. Unfortunately the task was not confined to me.

My mom was a very beautiful lady, if I may say so, and in her youth she had been largely purposed by some rich, powerful man. But she loved my father and she married him. But now he was dead, and she had a family to take care off. I guess any mother in the same situation would have done the same, and I don't really blame her. It wasn't her fault, not even close.

She married a count that already had a son too, and who's wife had died during childbirth. The boy was younger than me, but I never saw a real problem to it. At that time I was too young to understand. He tried to convince my mother to send me away to be an apprentice of sword-mastering or even a servant. But my mother could not bear seeing me leave after my father and neither could my sister. She was more attached to me than ever, and she didn't want to let go.

Time went by, and I began to think the Count was beginning to like me. Was I ever so wrong? My father had promised me that he would teach me to fish, but he had died before he could really take me to do it. He had, however taught me some skills. That day, when the Count came by my side and ask me to go fish with him, I felt pretty happy. He had finally accepted me in his family. I grabbed a fish cane and followed him happily. I was just a child, I could not see what was coming until I had my head under the water and I couldn't breathe.

Sora suppressed a scream, covering her mouth with her hands. More than the drown was frightening her. The story itself, seemed like one she had been told some years ago, by someone else. It could be told as the second version of the same story, and in her mind and heart she could see where this was leading to, and even if she wanted to ask him about it, she knew it would be for the best to let hi finish and so she suppressed the anxiety she was feeling and remained quite in is arms.

I regained conscious in a completely different place from the one I'd left and completely clueless about my past. I had lost my memories, but to good or bad, they came back to me, slowly, through the years that passed I began remembering who I was, who my family was and finally what had happened to me. When my memory had been completely recovered, years had passed. I had become a brother to Ken and Sam and their father treated me like a son. I had already made contact with piracy and I already had gained a passion to the sea and to the ship where we occasionally helped out our father. I thought I had lost everything and had no reason to go back.

One day, when me, Ken and Sam were riding, feeling the last of our freedom before we sailed off again, I noticed a small house that looked awfully familiar, but I could tell it wasn't my old house. However, the swing was hanging from a tree and sitting in it was a girl that I recognized as my sister. Right there, some metres away, I could have returned. But I froze. They were talking, incredibly they were talking about me. About how my sister couldn't believe I was gone, even though my mother had already buried me. To them I was dead.

You could say that I was a coward and didn't want to face them. It is truth, but I also didn't want to hurt them. They thought I was dead. Why should I ruin their hearts by showing them that I was not dead and that the man that my mother had married had tried to kill me? I was afraid, but I was also looking out for their best. And so I left.

Few years later, I became Dark Arrow's Captain and the rest of the story you already know.

For the first time, in what could have been a few minutes, or hours, he didn't know, he looked back down to her and noticed the fresh tears on her eyes, and the ones falling down her cheeks. He involved her deeper into his arms and tried to shush her. "It's okay, It's in the past now, Sora." He told her, but the girl looked back up at him, her tears rolling down her cheeks. "But it isn't, is it, Taichi?" she said. The brown haired looked surprised and confused at her. "What do you mean?" he asked. "I mean it isn't in the past. It might have been a while ago, but not now. Because what is bringing down these memories again it's not as lost as you thought." She told him. The brown haired struggled with himself to try and apprehend what she had just said. She was right, but how could she know? "Hikari is your sister, isn't she?"

The view from above the skies was magnificent. But it would have been even better if it wasn't raining. However, that fact didn't seem to bother the small falcon as it crossed the sky with accuracy and speed. It made a three hundred and sixty degrees pirouette in the skies and dived. Not far away, the rapine could see with her astonishing eyes a castle rising between the darkness of the evening.

It made a circle around the highest tower of the castle, hearing the calling of others like it. Then a hand stretched out from the window of the tower. The hawk spotted it almost immediately and dived to it, landing on the gloved hand. The other hand gave it her sweet, a piece of fresh meet that the bird took in his claws rapidly. It stretched its feathers, trying to keep some of the water away. Then it made a small flight to his place, a small branch sticking from the wall, and started eating.

The owner of the hand, an old man with wrinkled face and weary eyes, waited patiently for the bird to finish its feast. As he waited, he wondered aimlessly through the small place where he kept the royal messengers, hawks, pigeons and even some eagles. They had all been trained by him, and they all responded to its call. He wondered what message the bird had attached to its small paw, but he didn't dare reading, not even touching it. He knew he could be severely punished if King Ishida thought for a second that he had read the message. However, the curiosity still hit him strongly. Lately that had been many hawks flying around bringing messages to His Majesty, and the older man, experienced and wise was beginning to think that something major was about to happen.

Finally the small female hawk finished the meat. The trainer extended his gloved hand, and felt the bird clutching his claws around his fingers, but he smiled. He loved his birds and he would rather be unaware of what was happening than to leave them to some nasty person that wouldn't understand them. Pushing away his dreadful thoughts, he started his way down the tower, allowing the bird to fly freely whenever she wanted.

It took him about ten minutes or so to get to His Majesty's presence. King Yamato was sitting on his throne, a thoughtful look showing on his face. The old man was announced by one of the guards, and His Majesty raised his eyes to look at the man, who promptly bowed, showing his respect for his ruler. Recognizing the man as the trainer of his messenger birds, Yamato motioned him to get closer. The hawk had lifted fight, but quickly returned to his place on the old man's hand. The King waited for the man to untie the message from the hawks paw and giving it to him. Once the procedure was done, he sent the man back to where he belonged, in the tower, watching out for new coming messages. He didn't even say thank you. But the old man was used to this behaviour. His previous King, Yamato's father was just the same, always treating everyone like animals, sometimes even worse. It seemed to be a family problem. Of course there was an exception, but the old man didn't like to remind himself of him. It made him wonder how life would have been if it was him who was ruling and not Yamato, but mostly, it made him think of what might have happened to him. For this, he obliged himself to forget the thought and quickly left the King's presence, returning to his safe wet tower.

Yamato waited for the man to leave him. He didn't trust him, as he didn't trust anyone. In his mind, there was always someone plotting something against him, against the throne that he held. Choosing a better position on his chair, he untied the small ribbon that held the paper and unfold it. In small letters a message was written and that message shocked him, to say the least. The more accurate description would be that enraged him. Had not the man exited the room seconds before, he would have sentenced his dead with his sword right there.

Standing abruptly he threw the message onto the table next to him. "Guards!" he demanded their presence, furious. Three entered the room almost immediately looking around for any signs of danger. "Get me the Death Crawlers, now!" he yelled. The three men did nothing besides bowing and murmuring incomprehensible answers, and left running.

Yamato walked back to his chair and sank himself in it. This changes everything. Everything! He screamed in his mind, the paper folded in his closed hands, his fingernails craving deep half moon marks on his palm. His eyes were colder than ever and he released a chilly scream of anger into the night that echoed through the hallways. In the paper it read:

A group entered the castle unnoticed and took over it. Everyone has been locked up and the soldiers released. The group was composed by eight people, a blond, who we suspect to be the stable boy, Takeru, two dark haired man, the professor Izumi, a brown haired man, Captain Motomiya and two ladies. We do not know who they were, but they were said to have dark brown hair and auburn one, possibly, Lady Sora. We await your orders, but most of us has been captured and questioned. Situation is critical.