Diclaimer: Whitezetsu does not own Digimon nor does she own the little voices in her head telling her to run into a brick wall. She does however own the plot, Stargazer, Toyo, Ayashi, Sister Mia, Sakura, Prince Kouta, and the 4 pixies.

Chapter 5

Entering Middle Kingdom

Rika sat on the wooden raft bored to death, she kept looking back to see if her horse was still there. And it was. She thought this was rather weird. Wouldn't her horse leave after it got bored? She stuck her legs in to the cold clammy water. Ryo just continued to row.

"We should be there in about an hour." Ryo smiled like he didn't care about the dangers ahead. Rika looked down into the water, she looked at her reflection. She noticed how much she looked like her mother even though she didn't want to admit it.

"I still don't see how we can cross 200 miles of water in 2 hours!" Rika mumbled under her breath.

Ryo just smiled, that was all he was doing. He didn't seem very serious about going to Middle Kingdom, like most people would be.

"Oh that whole fog thing. I wouldn't worry about it." He said looking forward, never looking back. "It's about a mile thick of fog but then it's all cleared out. The people there are rather friendly."

Rika looked at him puzzled. People? In the Middle Kingdom? All she had only ever heard was that there were Nyearths and Shadow creatures there, never humans.

"What do you mean people?" She asked slyly, suspiciously.

"Well everyone there are rather friendly, they look like humans though they may be Nyearths and Shadow creatures," He said still looking forward. "Being under the influence of the evil Master, they are evil but it is all they know."

"How do you know all this?" Rika asked now looking back at her reflection. Was Alice right about Ryo? Was he really someone sent to spy on them or something?

"I grew up in the Middle Kingdom." He said now looking down at her.

"So you're one of them?" Rika asked quietly, she was now scared.

"I left for good reasons, Princess." He smiled reassuringly. "It is nothing to worry about."

"So what are you then? A Nyearth or a shadow creature?" Rika wondered now wishing she went with Alice.

"Why do you fear me?" He asked. He seemed so nice, not like someone who couldn't be trusted. But they always come off as nice but never are.

"I do not fear anything, Akiyama!" She growled.

"Sometimes it is good to fear something." He said, he noticed they were getting closer to their destination. Only minutes away now.

"Just answer my question before my patients runs thin." She growled more viciously this time.

"I was adopted, I am neither. Just human like you." He smiled. Rika looked up and noticed they were only a few feet away from the land she got up and walked over to her horse.

"As long as we stay away from the southern part of Middle Kingdom, you shall not be hurt." He said calmly. He rowed the raft over to the shore line and helped Rika and Blazer off. Walked over to a part of the land and placed his hand down. Some more black aura came out and the land seemed to shrink.

Rika got on Blazer and handed Ryo the reins, he smiled and began to walk into the fog.

--

"Should we inform the Queen she is missing?" Mary asked worriedly. Mia sighed deeply and then put on a little skit.

"Yeah I can see it now." She began. "Queen Rumiko your dearest daughter, I mean your only child has run off and has been missing for 3 days and no one knows where she is. But don't worry she is heading for the North Kingdom, sadly we think she took one of the shortcuts that could kill her." Mia smiled a fake smile. "Yeah I can see her face now." She said blandly.

"Well I didn't mean we should say it like that." Mary sighed.

"It's best we let Sister Rose take care of it. We'll get in less trouble that way." Mia said. Mary looked down and then shot her head up.

"We could also have the pixies go find her." Mary shouted excitedly clasping her hands together. Mia covered her mouth with her hand.

"Leave the thinking to me ok?" Mia said sternly. "I have much more experience and I am older then you!"

Mary looked in the other direction. "You're older then everyone who is alive and that is human." She mumbled under her breath low enough so she thought Mia couldn't hear her. But Mia had excellent hearing bad news for Mary.

"I heard that!" She shouted angrily.

"Well it's true!" Mary said.

--

It was getting dark and Alice noticed from a distance between the trees a light. More then one light a whole little village 2 days from the North Kingdom. She figured this would be a good place to stay for the night. She cantered her horse over to the wooden gates and knocked on them. (Ya know like the seen from the Lord of the Rings were they had just crossed the Brandywine Bridge)

"Weary young traveler where do you come from?" He asked with a British accent.

"I come from the outskirts of the East Kingdom, I have come to seek shelter for the night." She said, she was cold. For the closer she came to the North the colder it got.

The man opened the gate and let the girl in. He handed her a black cloak to keep her warm.

"The inn is straight down, take a left, it's the second building on your left." He said firmly.

"Thank you." She said and road off into the village. The man looked both ways then went back into his little wooden house.

--

Alice had to be careful going along the roads, though it was getting dark the children were out to play. Alice had matured from most of them, but most of them had never left this town. She noticed 16 year olds tossing a pinecone to each other, playing some kind of game. The younger kids were running around playing tag. When some of them ran right in front of her. A girl about the same age as Alice stopped and looked at her.

Her hair was a chestnut brown and so were her eyes. On one side of her head her hair was held up by a ponytail a green one to be exact. She bowed politely.

"I am sorry if we got in your way, I hope you are not harmed." She smiled kindly. She looked like she always smiled. Alice stared at her with her pale blue eyes just gazing at the girl.

"No harm done!" Alice said not very cheerfully, but cheerful was just not her thing.

"Are you staying in this town for the night?" The girl wondered. Alice looked up at the sky and noticed that the stars were shining again tonight. This is weird she thought 2 nights in a row how strange.

"Yeah but just for the night, I have to leave first thing tomorrow." Alice stated looking back down at the girl who was still smiling.

"Where are you going?" She asked. "North Kingdom right? Of course you are why else would you be here?"

"Uh yeah." Alice stated looking away.

"Can I come? I rarely get out, ya know. I think the last time I left this village was when I was 7." she smiled even brighter then before. Alice looked down at her and gave her a weak smile.

"Yeah sure I guess, I mean I'm mostly out of harms way." Alice stated. "But I don't know when I'll be coming back this way if ever."

"I'll take that chance, plus I've always wanted to go around the world." She smiled.

"Uh how about I meat you here first thing in the morning. Bring a weapon with you." Alice stated then directed her horse back on coarse.

"Wait!" The girl shouted running after Alice. Alice stopped her horse.

"What?" Alice asked as she watched the girl catch her breath.

"What's your name?" She asked.

"McCoy, Alice." She said distant, cold.

The girl just continued to smile like her smile had no beginning or end. "Mine is Katou, Jeri!"

"Nice meeting you." She said and road her horse off.

--

They just got out of the fog when it started raining. Ryo pointed to the city. It was huge and beautiful, nothing like Rika expected it would be. She got off her horse and looked around.

"You blend in pretty well here." He smiled.

"Don't push it, Akiyama." Rika shot a playful glare.

"Wouldn't dare." He mumbled.

They walked over to a giant stone water fountain. It had flowers all around it. Rika was amazed at how wonderful the city looked even in the rain and darkness.

"I never pictured this place would be so beautiful." Rika said in amazement.

She was getting drenched and Ryo couldn't help but stare at her. In his mind there was nothing more beautiful then she was. He would hate for anything to happen to her, and now he was starting to regret ever bringing her here.

--

"Is that Ryo?" A boy asked. He had short blue hair and wore big circular glasses. (So what if they have glasses this is all one big fairy tale story if you ask me or at least sounds like one now all it needs is Once upon a time and they lived happily ever after)

"I believe it is!" A brown haired boy said plowing his way over the other boy. This one had tall brown hair with the eyes to match it. He had a headband around his hair because he liked it that way.

Both boys scrambled their way outside and panted then collapsed when they reached Ryo and Rika.

"Well that was interesting." Rika said sarcastically staring at the 2 boys. Ryo just shrugged and turned away from them.

"They're like this all the time." Ryo sighed.

The 2 boys popped up and jumped onto Ryo.

"Ryo, man great to see you!" The brown haired one shouted with joy.

"Yeah!" the other agreed.

Rika sat down on the water fountain, she was already wet almost soaking so it wouldn't matter much if she fell in.

"Hello Kazu, hello Kenta!" Ryo smiled. He turned back to Rika who was gazing off. "Rika, this is Kazu Shioda and the is Kenta Kitagawa. There my best buds."

Rika looked over disgusted by them. "I'm Rika."

Kazu looked at her and his eyes instantly went to hearts.

"Sheesh Ryo where did you pick her up from?" Kazu asked drooling like a baby. "She's way to good for you!"

Rika rolled her eyes and sighed in disgust.

"She's not my girlfriend she's just a friend." Ryo stated and then sighed deeply realizing what he had said.

"So that means she's free?" Kazu said joyfully. Rika walked over to him and fluttered her eyes.

"Yup that's exactly what it means!" She smiled stroking his chin, which made his collapse on the ground. Then she kicked him. "Don't ever try to hit on me!" She growled and started walking over to her horse.

"Wow she's mean." Kenta said adjusting his glasses.

"Yup!" Ryo sighed. He looked over at Rika who was stroking her horse coat with her hand. "Do you know a safe way to get to the North Kingdom undetected?" Ryo asked quietly.

"Yeah, most of the soldiers are down in the South Kingdom destroying what's left." Kenta said. "So it should be safe to go out the normal way."

"So where are we staying for the night?" Rika wondered looking back at them.

"We're staying at Kenta's house!" Ryo smiled patting Kenta on the back.

"What!" Kenta said shocked.

"Look I can't bring her to my house…" Ryo whispered into Kenta's ear. (I did the … cause I can't let you know as of now)

"Ok my house it is!" Kenta stated clasping his hands together.

"Oh joy!" Rika said rolling her eyes.

--

"Look I'm only here for one night that's all!" Alice yelled at the clerk, but he kept being as stubborn as ever. "Now this should be enough to cover one night!"

"I'm sorry lady but we hardly get any business as it is, 200þ or nothing!" He growled. (þmoney system)

"I only have 100þ." Alice yelled slamming her fist down as hard as she could.

"Throwing a fit isn't going to help you." He snarled.

"Ugh! Look I came from the East Kingdom and I need to get to the North Kingdom sometime soon ok? I do not have time for this! And I am very tired and I can't find my friends because they were retards and went into the Middle Kingdom the last thing I need is to put up with crap from you!" Alice yelled as loud as possible making everyone in the room look at her. She glared at every single one of them.

"200þ is 200þ that is as low as I will go!" He stated.

A boy walked over to the counter in peasants clothes but he was dressed warmly like he was from the North Kingdom.

"Two rooms please, one for the lady!" He smiled. Alice stared at him puzzled or was it because she was annoyed with everyone smiling.

"400þ!" The man growled angered.

"I can't pay you back you know!" Alice grunted angered and turned around.

"You don't have to, but you could at least be nice to the person that just paid for your room." He said taking off his cloak. He handed her, her key and started to walk off.

Alice caught up to him and gave him a weary smile. "You didn't have to buy me a room."

"I know." He stated his green eyes gleamed with delight.

"I'm McCoy, Alice. And thanks." She said she wasn't very comfortable taking something from a stranger.

"I'm Prince Henry Wong of West Kingdom." He smiled. " I came here in search of my little sister, she's always finding some way to get here." He sighed.

"You're a prince!" Alice said shocked, she had gotten mad a prince!

"Yup, don't worry about before I don't hold grudges." He stated finally reaching his room. "So why are you here?"

"I'm from East Kingdom, well the outskirts anyway. I'm supposed to meet some friends in North Kingdom in a few days." She stated hoping they were still alive.

"Well it was nice talking to you Alice." He smiled and bowed to her.

"Nice meeting you too Prince Henry." She also bowed back when she stood back up he looked at her and smiled.

"Call me Henry that whole Prince thing bothers me." He laughed. "Well night!" He said and walked into his room and quietly shut the door. Alice went to hers.

--

"Well this is my house it's not much." Kenta said holding the door open. "Tomorrow before you leave I would pick up some new clothes."

"I'm good!" Rika stated walking over to a water pan and wrung out her hair.

"The living room is the only place I have left open for you guys to stay if you don't mind." Kenta said as he walked over to his bedroom. "Well goodnight!"

"Night!" Ryo smiled.

"Night…" Rika said.

Kenta closed the door and Rika walked over to the sofa and sat down. Ryo sat down on the other side not wanting to make her uncomfortable.

"Wonder how Alice is doing." Rika said looking down at the sofa. Ryo moved closer to her, just so he was sitting next to her.

"She's probably fine I'm sure of it." Ryo smiled reassuring, it helped Rika. She didn't know why but she liked the comfort she got from him.

"Yeah…" Rika said as she rested her head on Ryo's shoulder and fell asleep. He looked down at her and smiled. She was very tired he knew.

--

"Hmm what's going on!" The Master shouted angrily. "This isn't supposed to happen!"

The shadow creatures fled wildly. The Master stood up and the remaining looked at him.

"Bring the Princess to me!" He smirked evilly.

Whitezetsu: I was supposed to have this chap up yesterday but my dad wouldn't let me back online so - -;; Now i already have the next chap done so i guess that'll go up tomorrow :sighs:

Anyway i'm back for rping Rika again YaY thats kool and all. (Rp Role Playing) So thanks everyone and I'll C'ya tomorrow.

AzNAnGeL07- Wow exciding huh? lol sry just very weird today might be because it's snowing well C'ya

JyouraKoumi- Aww hope things get better for ya ok?