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And I know things cant last forever
But there are lessons that you'll never learn
Oh just the scent of you it makes me hurt
So hows it you that makes me better
Why can't you hold me and never let go
When you touch me it is me that you own
Pretty baby oh the place you hold in my heart
Would you break it apart again… oh pretty baby
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Nothin left to say
Would you fight it or would you lay down
At the hand of your God could you see the light
Oh my prince cant you see what's been found
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¤ Chapter 7: Crossroad ¤
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A/N:
New layout. Those two songs are by Vanessa Carlton… I don't own them, they are extracts.
This is very much a Vanessa Carlton story, I got all my inspiration from her songs, so I decided to put the certain extracts from songs that gave me the inspiration for each chapter onto the chappie. I redid all the other chappies with this as well, you may want to take a look.
I'm so sorry, this chapter has been written for ages, but my parents blocked fanfiction, so now the only time I can go on it is at school, but its been the holidays recently, and there isn't really much time to do anything during school time, so im very sorry, but blame my parents, k? .
I don't really hate Yama and Take's dad, actually I think he's really cool, but he just needs to act this way in the fic.
Also in this chappie stuff happens and we get to see some more of Daisuke and Takeru's best friend relationship… Enjoy the Chappie!
♥Em
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Review Responses:
Yukata: Thanks… yeah…. -
D-3: Thanks
Hazy: Yeah, probably… my friends in Japan right now… I should have asked her to check! Thanks
Tabbycat411: dun worry, I'm definitely continuing! Thanks so much!
Curtis Zidane Ziraa: We'll just have to see about that (I think Ive been reading to many Lotr fics… they always have some form of torture in them…!) Anyways… I'm glad you found it sad, that's the emotion I was going for! - Thanks.
Takari AAF: hehehehe…! -… I'm happy you enjoyed it this much, hopefully this chappy will keep u on the edge of your seat as well! Yep… that's pretty much wat the king is hoping for, but we'll have to wait and see if his wish comes true or not… ne? I'm heaps glad you loved it that much! - Thanks for the review!
Overlord of Darkness: Merci beaucoupe! MWAHAHAHA! cough Hahahahaha… you'll just have to wait and see what happens!!!!! Ah well shrugs any form of darkness is good enough… but u haven't met my friends… shudders they can b particularly scary at times. I feel v. special, dun worry, and I'm also particularly happy that your digimon friends are on vacation in Hawaii… their threats can get scary… I mean cough they needed a vacation! Yes! Thanks for the review… I hope this is soon enough not to send me into those lovely hot pits of yours… smiles innocently
Wolf runner: Yay! I'm glad I got all the emotions right! - I know what you mean with TK and Kari falling in love rather quickly, but its more that when they first met, it was a form of love that they needed someone to help them through hard times, and they needed someone special in their life to love, and then through more and more meetings it grew into a very strong love… yeah… I couldn't really put that in, cause then this story would end up being 20 or so chapters… but that is sort of what their love was like at the beginning if it helps. Thanks!
Luna Wolf aka Matt4eva: Thanks so much! Is this soon enough? - thanks for the review!
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The first thing Hikari realised when she woke up the next morning, was that the sun was shining brightly into her eyes through a particularly large window.
The second thing she realised was that she didn't have a very large window in her room.
And the third was that she wasn't in her room, but in someone else's.
She groggily opened her eyes, to find herself in a room of glamour and royalty; more than she had ever seen in her entire life. The walls were painted a light yellow, with green on the edges, and there were dressers and a mirror, toys and clothes, and even a small crown upon the dresser table (although it looked like it hadn't been worn in quite a while).
She then wondered what she was doing in here, before her eyes turned to the bed. It was a double bed, and it seemed she was on one side. A small smile appeared on her face when she realised that Takeru was on the other side. His blond hair was matted and ruffled as he slept soundly through the blinding sun, which was obviously supposed to wake him up.
A sudden rush of nervousness rushed over her still waking up mind as she realised she was in Takeru's room- A princes room. That explained the royalty and glamour, and the enormity of the room. She softly pushed herself off the bed, and realised she was still in the clothes she wore yesterday. They weren't exactly in the best of shape; crinkled and messy.
The sun suddenly appeared completely over the mountains, and let in such sheer light that Hikari had to close her eyes tightly, and shield them from the sun with her arms.
This was amazingly only for a few seconds- this sheer brightness- and with amazement Hikari realised that the castle and rooms were built in such a way that this would happen. She'd never seen such brilliance, and the sun was enough to wake Takeru up, he was stretching and looked across at her with that cute lopsided smile she loved so much.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked in a boyish manner, but still yet with a matter of elegance. The fact that he was a prince may have escaped her once, but now that she knew she could see little things about him that had a manner of grace that only a prince, and one of royalty could have.
"I slept very well, Keru" She said and he smiled. "Until of course I woke up to a large amount of light from a window I did not expect in that of my own room."
Takeru's smile widened and he shrugged his shoulder. "Sorry about that, I didn't think you'd want to go back to the servant quarters again, not now that you don't have to. I also didn't really want to draw more attention to myself by having another nice chat to the guards, and Daisuke and the rest of the Motomiya family are using all the guest rooms."
"That's alright, it was just a bit of a shock, you know…"
"I understand. I should have told you, but you fell asleep."
Hikari blushed, before changing the subject back to Takeru. "You're quite the heavy sleeper."
"That's what Yama always tells me. Its also why I have this room, mine is the only one that gets that last blinding light, Yamato and the rest of the palace can wake up to the first." Takeru glared at his princess, who was trying to hold in her laughter.
The princess broke into laughter and contagious as it was, Takeru smiled. "Laugh if you must, but its no laughing matter when your seven years old and miss breakfast and your first two lessons because of it!" He shook his head at the memories "My teachers were definitely not please, nor the cooks, but my brother found it endlessly amusing and therefore swapped rooms with me, as my father did not like it either."
"I'm sorry, Takeru… But it really is quite cute."
Takeru raised his hands in the air "Fine! Enough teasing me! We need to get you ready, we are leaving with Daisuke and Lara at Noon, and that is no long time."
Kari's eyes widened. "Really! How come you didn't tell me that! Today! I have so much to do!"
"Really, like what?"
Hikari's face took on a puzzled expression. "Well, I'm not actually really sure…"
TK smiled. "Come on. Lets go and wake up Daisuke, he's an even heavier sleeper than me!"
"That's hard to believe."
"You just wait, last time he didn't even wake up when we rolled him off the bed!"
Hikari's looked very unsure. "Really? Well then I suppose we might as well help them."
They opened the door of Takeru's bedroom, and Hikari gasped. Sure she expected magnificence in the Royal hallway upstairs, but nothing could have prepared her for this. She spent several moments looking at the gold and silver tapestries, and staring at the carpets and wallpapers. Takeru finally had to take her petite hand and lead her to the marble staircase, and still she couldn't take her eyes off it.
"It looks even more magnificent from up here." She whispered softly to him, in awe.
"What does?" He asked, looking around himself, puzzled.
Hikari laughed. "Everything!" She said before she twirled around.
"Wow. Don't hurt yourself…" he said, she didn't stop twirling so he added as an after thought. "Or the tapestries."
With that, Kari shrieked a bit and stumbled, only to have Takeru catch her gracefully. Yamato had just opened his door after getting changed and waking up. He stared at the two, Takeru holding Hikari with a guilty look on his face and Hikari not noticing him yet. Slowly he raised an eyebrow.
"hehehe" Takeru laughed nervously. "Mornin' Onii-chan."
Kari gasped again and pushed herself out of Takeru's arms, straightening her dress and smiling a 'Taichi guilty smile.' It seemed she had been able to pick some quirks from her brother before her capture, even though she didn't realise it.
Unfortunately the smile didn't have the same effect on Yamato, who was looking her up and down with disdain. The crown prince looked back at his brother not liking the reminder off his past best friend. Hikari looked more like her brother than she knew.
"I'm not even going to ask, Ototo-chan. Do what you may, but breakfast is at the quarter sun, don't be late."
"Hai, Yamato." Takeru replied, before quickly grabbing Hikari's hand and pulling her down the hallway. Yamato watched them go, shaking his head slightly before looking to the ground with a frown on his face. He had no love for that girl.
"Ah!" Kari shrieked a bit as Takeru walked fast. When he finally stopped once they had run down the beautiful marble stairs, she looked at him; puzzled. "Take?"
"Yes?" He answered. She still wasn't exactly used to this royal Takeru, but she ignored all of his politeness.
"Why did your brother look at me like that?"
Takeru looked away. It was a harsh subject for him, and even the question seemed to be a blow to the stomach. He didn't hold it against her though; it was obvious she had no idea.
He looked from place to place, his eyes seemingly unfocused on random things. "Its… Its…" he started. He meant to tell her, but it just didn't seem right. "It's a complicated mess, Hika." He stuttered a bit. "Don't worry about it."
Hikari nodded, unsure. She could feel in her heart that he was hiding something from her, but she was not stupid and saw how he reacted to the question. Realising it was a touchy subject she dropped it.
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It was mid afternoon by the time the stable horses were out and ready and their supplies all packed in their saddle bags. Davis and Takeru came up from the stables, leading two horses behind them, which both girls hadn't seen before.
Both horses were stable horses that the Motomiya's had bought from the Ishida's recently, as they were not needed anymore. Davis had asked if they could ride them home, and take Lara home in the process.
Hikari stroked the horses neck gently. "Why aren't you taking Hiro, Take?" she asked.
Davis' eyes darkened, being the only other person who really understood what his best friend was doing.
"The land around the Kamiya grounds are to dangerous for the horses to pass through." Takeru explained. "And besides, someone has to help take these horses to the Takenouchi kingdom. It's a lot easier this way."
Hikari nodded, understanding, as Takeru showed her how to mount the horse, before mounting up in front of her, asking her to place her hands round his waist so that she doesn't fall off, and taking the reigns, as Davis did the same with Lara.
The butterflies multiplied in Hikaris' stomach as she suddenly realised what was happening. She was going home, back to her kingdom. Where all her family was. It was hard to believe after all those nights of dreaming of meeting her family, it was finally happening. Leaning her head on Takeru's shoulder she smiled at him as he looked down. "Thankyou." She whispered softly, barely contained excitement and love was flowing through her voice.
It wasn't much, but those two words meant a lot for Takeru. At least he was doing this with a purpose, whatever happened from here on was worth it if it meant Hikari's safety and happiness. He smiled back at her.
Davis, who had been watching the exchange with a nervous, almost sad expression on his face, locked eyes with Takeru. Realising that he wasn't going to turn back, TK nodded at Davis, and he kicked his horse foreward, and down the path, with TK following close behind.
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"Takeru?" Daisuke asked, they had stopped and made camp a few hours ago. The girls were asleep, and TK had first watch, sitting on a log as the fire flickered soundlessly, its light reflecting off the trees; shadows dancing.
"Hai.." TK replied as Davis sat down next to him.
"Why are you doing this T.K?" Davis whispered.
"Nani?" Takeru's face was the embodiment of confusion. "What do you mean, Davis?" What?
"I mean this!" Davis' whispered voice raised slightly in an urgent manner, as he opened his arms out indicating to his surroundings. Takeru's eyes closed as he realised what his friend meant.
"T.K, I may not say this much, but you're my best friend, and I don't want to see you hurt." he said. "I'm not stupid. Your walking into a death trap, TK, theres a lot more than a chance that you wont come back to us alive."
"I'm not stupid either, Davis." Takeru replied softly. "I know what I risk venturing there… but." His voice whispered and he turned to the sleeping form of Hikari. "I would see her home, with a family. She deserves to be. She has a chance"
"I don't want to see you die, not me, not Yamato, not anyone." Daisuke assured convincingly.
Takeru's eyes turned sad, as he gave a sadistic chuckle. "Yes, see how much my father is doing to prevent me."
The fact that Takeru's hand came up to touch the latest bruise on his cheek did not go unnoticed. "Your Father loves you Takeru, he is just blinded by shadows and grief."
There was a long silence, as Takeru contemplated the unnatural wise words that came from his best friends mouth. His expression was solemn and sad, as his battled to keep the more visible emotions down. When he spoke it was barely audible and his voice wavered under that pressure of keeping tears down.
"Trust me, Daisuke, if he called my presence back to the castle, saying that I was needed, I would return in an instant to be by his side." Takeru was staring deep into the fire, his voice a little bit lighter. "Perhaps now, I can only hope, that one day he will regret the last words he gave me."
"He will."
Takeru smiled, "You know what the strange thing is, Dai?" Davis shook his head, but TK kept looking in the fire. "Even after all he's done to me, all the words he says… I think I still respect him, and love him in a perhaps fatherly way, even though he has been anything but. I still, more than anything in the whole world Dai, want to gain his love and respect." The fires seemed to burn brighter, and his eyes were full with tears. "More than anything." he whispered.
"I don't think I'll ever understand you," Davis said. "You're stronger in both spirit and physical ways, stronger than I'll ever be. You're the perfect prince, brother, friend, and son. Your father just has to realise that. And he will, Takeru, he will."
Takeru looked away from the fire to his friends eyes, and spoke barely a whisper. "I wish I had your confidence, Dai" he said softly "I really do."
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First light appeared over the horizon in a flash, and the day seemed to go quite quickly. They came to the crossroad by noon, and were off the horses again, eating their last lunch together, before going separate ways. Daisuke and Lara would take both horses to the Takenouchi kingdom, and see Lara's family again, while Kari and Takeru were taking the other path, the west path across Kamiya territory, before turning north again and heading to the castle. Davis and Takeru had stayed up last night with a map, looking over Kamiya land, and planning the safest route.
Even though any Kamiya land would be dangerous land, it at least put their hearts at ease, and they would be approaching the Castle from the back, and taking a path through the wilderness, as far away as possible from any civilization.
The boys finished lunch early, and got the horse Takeru and Kari had been riding ready, taking off some provisions that they might need to use.
At last, Hikari and Lara said their last goodbyes.
"Takeru…" Davis started, they were in a secluded area away from the girls. "Be careful. You've been a great best friend, if you have a chance to get away from trouble, take it."
"I'll still be a great best friend when I get back, Dai. Nothing will change. Next time you visit, I'll be there and we'll have to practice even more, and I'll beat you better than I ever have. We didn't get to have any fun this trip."
Davis smiled. "'kay" he said. " You watch out!"
And so they were off, Hikari clutching Takeru's hand nervously, and Takeru clutching just as hard, with feelings mirrored. They were finally passing into Kamiya territory, and from there, who knows where.
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Kari sighed, as they ducked behind another tree, hiding from another group of soldiers. They'd been doing this, stop and go, ever since they came into her territory. She would follow Takeru to the ends of the earth, but this was getting very confusing.
Her lover looked over both of his shoulders, before creeping from behind the bush, still clutching onto Kari's hand, trying to put on a brave act. But Kari knew. This was her soulmate they were talking about, she felt, in a disconnected/disorientated sort of way, exactly what he felt, and she could feel his nervousness getting the best of him.
Besides, he nearly jumped a mile at the smallest sound made. It wasn't that hard to guess.
::Don't worry:: she heard his soft reassurance inside of her head ::I'm sorry, but it'll turn out fine.::
That was the only comfort she had. The tingling in her brain as she heard him reach out to the connection between them comforted her in a way nothing else could, and she trusted him with all her heart.
Kari looked up to the sky as they ducked behind another tree, it was turning slowly turning a lighter blue. Sunset would be soon, she realised, and then they could rest from this constant hiding.
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Prince Taichi rode up around the forest, something seemed to be calling to him from there. His sword was secure at his side, and his stallion restless as the wind blew through Taichi's hair. Tai had everything he needed, he was a prince, and a knight, but still there was something missing, that cheerful laughter he last heard when he was 8 years old. The voice of his little sister....
Shaking his head, and removing the memories from his brain he sighed. This wasn't the time for happier memories, they were just disturbances when other things needed to be done. His scouts and knights were searching these grounds for Ishida scouts, and he should be doing the same.
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Takeru was spent, completely and utterly spent. Not in the physical manner, but he was truly emotionally recked.
The sun was now quite low in the sky, and spotting a large, concealed area, he led Hikari to it.
"We'll rest here for a while." He whispered, and she nodded smiling.
They didn't stay there long though, soon they heard the sound of footsteps approaching, and immediately Hikari was by his side, as he pulled her behind a bush, and tree, concealing themselves.
Takeru kissed Hikari passionately for a second, before closing his eyes tightly shut, and resting his forehead against Hikari's. She kissed both of his cheeks softly, running a hand through his hair.
"I love you." She whispered in his ear, almost inaudibly.
He immediately stopped shaking, and looked up at her with bright blue eyes, once again filled with courage, as the footsteps stopped, obviously very close.
:: … I love you too:: he replied.
"Who goes there?" The Kamiya prince ordered. "Come out."
Takeru's head snapped up, and he gripped Hikari's hand, realizing whom it was and not knowing to call it good fortune or extremely bad luck. He knew that he would be in danger by showing himself to Tai, but it was safer than actually going into the palace.
Making a decision he squeezed Hikari's hand, standing up and pushing her behind him. He slowly walked out from their hiding place, and showed himself.
For a few minutes, Tai and Takeru studied each other. Takeru kept his face nonchalant, and Tai's eyes were wide, surprised that the person actually came out, before he took a closer look at the details.
"Those eyes" Tai's eyes narrowed as he looked at the dishevelled blond hair and bright blue eyes that were staring, hopeful yet suspicious and daring at Tai, who continued. "not Yamato.." too young
"No." Take said shortly. "I'm not Mato."
Tai's eyes widened in realization as he took out his sword, placing it to Takerus neck.
"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you" He said, glaring at the younger boy. Although now he was extremely surprised and confused. His sworn enemy, showing up, by choice, in front of him?
"Hikari." Takeru said to the unnoticed girl standing behind him.
Kari looked up, confused. Take? You never call me by me whole name she asked in his head, and he ignored, Tai's eyes widened at the name.
What does my sis have to do with him? He questioned, involuntary placing more pressure on the knife as the girl came out from behind. Takeru's head was up, and he caught Hikari's eye.
"Hikari, I want you to go with this knight." Takeru said. Tai heard that name again, and realised that the girl looked exactly like his little 5 year old sister, just older, but now she looked scared and confused, he pressed his sword closer to Take's skin, cutting in quite deep (although not against any veins/ateries) and drawing blood. Takeru flinched, but still kept his face nonchalant, as a trail of red blood trickled down his neck.
Hikari gasped, seeing the predicament that her lover was in, and understanding what he just asked her to do.
"But… But why?" she stuttered confused, the boy she loved was asking her to go with that Knight? She chocked back a sob, addressing her lover her voice raised as she became anxious and her eyes widened. "Keru! He's trying to kill us!" she screamed frantically, trying to get the message across to him, her pretty eyes filling up with tears.
Take's eyes softened as he looked at her, ignoring the sword which seemed to be shaking against his skin now, as Tai was completely off guard and confused. The sword left his skin, giving Takeru a bit of room, and he turned his head to face the girl he loved, her hands placed on his shoulder with that desperate look in her face, and his heart bled.
"No… No Hika, he's trying to kill me." He said softly, allowing a moment for these words to set in before he continued, Hikari's eyes widened. "Hikari, I want you to meet your brother, Prince Taichi Kamiya."
Tai's eyes widened, and so did Hikari's. Tai let the sword clatter against the dirt, Takeru's blood staining the ground it landed on.
"Hikari?" he asked, Takeru took this time to squeeze Hikari's hand one last time before running away unnoticed. He felt as though he was losing a part of himself, but he kept running. Just keep running and don't look back he thought to himself.
Now she was desperately confused, the adolescent Takeru had introduced her to came up to her, his hands were shaking. Slowly he brought a hand up to touch her cheek, and she flinched, and drew back.
Looking up, she saw the knight looked hurt. Until he realised her confused stance, and the look in her eyes as she looked around, desperate for the boy she loved to come out.
She felt she knew this knight though, she felt glad about something, for him, and all those emotions confused her even more.
Tai's eyes widened. "You don't remember." He said dejectedly.
She looked confused again… "…I…don't…know" she stuttered, and a shear pain attacked her head, and pictures floated across her memory.
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flashback
"Onii-chan! MATTE!" a 4 year old princess tried to make her legs run as fast as her 7 year old brother was. "Onegai, Onii-chan! I want to see it- wow…" while saying the last part she had walked through huge barn doors, coming face to face with an enourmous dark brown creature.
"Wow… Onii-chan! What is it? Is it dangerous?" she asked in an enormously cute voice as she ducked behind her big brother, who was carefully patting the creature.
"Nope." Tai smiled, starting up his big-brave-brother act. "Mama said that its called a" He stumbled for a second, trying to remember, as Kari's eyes shone with curiosity. "a H-Horse." He finished.
"ooooh!" she looked up at the big creature. "A horse?" slowly she let her hand out to touch its leg.
"Yep! Papa said the stable manager is going to teach me how to ride it, so I can be like a knight!"
Hikari squeaked. "Ride it?! You mean you have to sit all the way up there?" She asked, her eyes wide and her little finger pointing pointing up to the back of the horse. "And how can you be a knight, Tai? You're already a prince!"
"Yep, but when I'm older, Mama said I was going to be as important as Papa, and I'm going to have to lead all our Knights to victory against all kinds of enemys."
"That sounds dangerous though." Chibi-Hikari's eyes shone with concern. "I don't want you to get hurt, nii'-chan." She thought for a second as she saw Tai's become disappointed. "But it'd make you the bestest Nii'chan ever, as long as you come back! And keep Papa safe, and all my friends would be soo impressed!" Her smile widened to a huge grin, and Tai nodded.
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When the pain subsided Hikari slowly took her hands off her head (although she hadn't even noticed she'd started clutching it) and looked up to see the Knight looking at her, a concerned expression on his face.
The new, fresh memories floated across her mind, and she realised that this boy looked exactly like…
"Onii-chan?" she gasped through tears of remembrance. "Taichi?"
"Kari" He whispered, breathless. "Oh god, Hikari!" he said, he ran up to her, and they hugged.
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"Tai?"
Taichi looked up from where he his place on the dirt floor to his newly recovered sister, who was supposed to be going to sleep. Instead she was actually sitting on a rock, her eyes portrayed a painful expression, that was also confused.
"Yes, Imouto-chan?" for some reason he knew he wasn't going to like the question that was about to come.
"Why'd you try and kill Take?"
He flinched at the nickname. Perhaps she just couldn't be bothered to say his whole name. "why should you care."
Kari looked up, surprised joining all those other feelings, she felt as it she didn't know something. "Well, because, because… I love him."
Tai looked up, at her, an annoyed expression across his face. "In that case." he spit out almost vicously. "I suppose you haven't been told that the Ishida's and Kamiya's have been at war since Takeru was born."
"war?" Hikari's expression changed to one of pure terror.
"Takeru will always be my enemy, and I to Takeru. Before he was born, there was peace between us, and an agreement between 2 close families, well, at least close mothers of families. Our fathers had never gotton along, but for the sake of their wives, didn't fight."
It was at this moment a memory resurfaced in Hikaris memory, something that Takeru had said not long ago. 'I don't want to hurt anyone else anymore, Ri, I've done enough damage, I don't want to be a burden of death. You're the first thing in my life that ever had reason, and now I'm afraid I've hurt you too, please, don't cry, don't waste tears on me.'
"His mother died giving birth to him…" Hikari whispered, as the jigsaw puzzle made sense.
"Yes, and his gender is also an issue, I cant exactly get engaged to a 'he' can i?"
Tears overflowed Hikari's eyes. "But he didn't want it! He didn't mean any of it!"
"I didn't ask if he meant it, or wanted it, but things still happened, and they all turn out to be his fault." Tai said. "He ruined my life, and the war will be over with his downfall."
"No…"
"I'm sorry, imouto-chan"
"But-… but…" Kari hiccupped. "There… there are other ways… you don't have to fight." Her body was racked with sobs now.
Tai looked away from his sister, her sadness only making his anger towards Takeru grow… now thanks to the youngest prince of Ishida, his sister was against him as well.
He couldn't meet his sisters eyes, as she continued to cry. "Get to sleep" was the soft but deadly order. Telling her this conversation was at a close, full stop. "We should reach the palace tomorrow, perhaps you will change your mind about that youngest ishida scum when we get there, but nothing can be done about it now, Imouto-chan."
Hikari didn't stop crying though, and Tai swallowed his pride, and got up from his place on the ground, squatting down next to his little sister and reaching out to touch her shoulder.
she immediately flinched.
and that hurt Tai more than he could fathom. "Come on imouto-chan, dry your eyes… I'm sorry, really I am." He muttered the last part with disdain.
"Your not" she hiccupped. "The two people I love most are mortal enemies, and… and… will… end up… killing each other." she broke down again.
"Shush, hush, please Kari." he comforted, in an urgent manner. He heard a twig snap in the bush and it became more urgent. "Hikari, Quiet." His whispered harshly, with a tone of uttermost importance. Hikari was about to retort with something rude, but the look on her brothers face stopped her, his eyes were darting around the trees, searching for something.
"What is it?" she whispered softly and rubbed her eyes. she could think about the problem later.
Tai's face became pale. I should have been prepared for something like this. he turned his head to his sister "We have attracted scout soldiers, it seems."
"Scout Soldiers?" She asked, cocking her head to one side, a trait she picked up from Takeru, which annoyed Taichi immensely.
"Ishida scouts, on the look out, for well, Kamiya scouts." he said. "Although, it seems that they have found quite a catch, ne? The prince and princess of Kamiya"
"What do you mean? Takeru and Yamato wouldn't…" she said, remembering their kind faces, and her heart started to ache. "… their father is behind this."
"Really?" Tai raised his eyebrows. "Ishida's are all the same…" he muttered, cursing them silently.
"You'd be surprised Tai…"
"GET DOWN!" Tai screamed, practically jumping on top of her, as an arrow flew passed her ear.
Drawing his sword, he began to fight off the soldiers, as they lept out of hiding places. Kari held her own for quite a while as well.
Suddenly she realised she was in grave danger without a weapon, she breathed in, as tears returned, she had lost a lot of her strength from running for hiding place to hiding place with Takeru ever since they came into her territory, although she knew now why he did it.
She was loosing more energy quickly… and there was so much blood. Suddenly she felt all the air around pushed out of her, as a man came up and punched her in the stomach. She fell down onto her knees, trying to breathe again. She heard Tai's war cry as he started to attack the man who hit her, his rage overtaking him, as all he cared about was destroying this one man, forgetting about the rest.
That mistake was fatal. Kari was gulping for air as she felt hard metal clash against her head.
And as she fell into dark oblivion, a sharp pain attacked her head and the images she had grown accustomed to, familiar images, seemed to fade along with her, but then softly she heard Takeru's last words to her echo in her mind, although they sounded so far away now, so distant and unreachable.
'Aishteru, I'll come back for you someday. Please don't forget me.',
…and her last feeling was that she failed him, failed Takeru, the one she had loved.
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She felt no more, as her body crumpled into the blissful ignorance of unconsciousness, her red blood staining the ground from a large head wound on the side of her head, running freely…
…and the last soldier fell at Taichi's sword.
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[to be continued]
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A/N:
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Coughs and regains composure
I never knew how fun these cliffhanger things could be…
Er… right… that'll do… That chapter was pretty confusing, in a way, if you are totally lost at the moment, and really don't understand the chapter, you can email me, but, I left quite a few open ends so its open to the imagination, but they will be closed by the time this story is through. Its one of those ones where everything comes out amazingly slowly and you're left on the edge for a while, and since I don't want to ruin anything, I may not be able to answer your questions, but ANY FEEDBACK IS GOOD FEEDBACK!
Now there is the infuriating problem that I've finished this chapter on a Friday, and I cant put it up till Monday… that is sooo annoying glares at parents
Don't kill me too much!
Luv
Em
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review!!
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Friday 7th May 2004