Chapter Ten: Great Surprise
Chihiro and her friends bowed in front of the Dragon King and his wife as well as the ten council members. "We have gathered today to discuss the issue of the Dragon of Nature, Zeniba I see that you have brought her." The Dragon King said.
Zeniba nodded, "Yes I have brought the Dragon of Nature, Chihiro." Chihiro stood next to Zeniba, fear present in her eyes as she did not know what would happen. The Dragon King's gaze rested on her, and he thought long and hard.
He then said, "I see, you will start your training as soon as you and your friends are rested. You do not have to tell me Zeniba for the news came, Chihiro I believe you know for you were there the day they took my son away. You loved him did you not? He was equally devoted to you; I hope that you will be reunited with your beloved soon."
"Your son, but that would mean…" Chihiro gulped and Hikari stared at the king. Her emerald eyes turning a shade of jade, her face paling.
"Yes, Kohaku my eldest son, I believe you know him as Haku, though I hear that they also took Yoshiro my second oldest son."
Chihiro gasped and fainted, Hikari said to herself, "Then that would mean that you are my…" She didn't finish the sentence instead she fainted as well. Rin looked at Hikari in shock; she hadn't expected this kind of reaction from her or even from the Dragon King for that matter.
The Dragon King looked at Hikari curiously. "She looks familiar, who is that girl?"
Rin opened her mouth to say something but was silenced by a fierce glare from Zeniba. "Your highness she is Hikari, a mere dragon who was with Haku and Yoshiro. She escaped with a message from Haku." He turned white and looked at his wife who looked equally as shocked.
"Kohaku and Yoshiro mentioned her, though I never thought that I would see her again." She gulped. "She was my youngest daughter, though not my youngest child." A silvery tear emerged from one of her jade eyes. It fell to the floor, though none followed it. Rin looked at her friend sympathetically, she vowed to find out what her parents did that troubled her so. Chihiro's bracelet started to glow, but Zeniba touched it before anyone noticed and the glow promptly disappeared.
"Forgive my bad manners; guards please take Chihiro and Hikari to the infirmary and have someone watch over them." The Dragon King boomed. "Zeniba and Rin, as I believe your name is, please meet with me in the Council Chamber."
Chihiro opened her eyes to find that herself in a bed, she looked around her to find Hikari in a bed ten feet away from her's. Her bracelet was glowing brightly she quickly covered it when she heard someone approach them. "How are you feeling miss." A nurse asked her.
"I'm fine, I think. Where am I?" Chihiro asked.
"Why in the infirmary in the palace of the Dragon King."
"The Dragon King… oh right I forgot. Wait I only see Hikari, where are Zeniba and Rin?"
"If you mean your friends, they are currently talking to the Dragon King." The nurse promptly walked away and Chihiro stared at Hikari, hoping that she would get better. Hikari moaned she was having a nightmare about her parents. Her eyes opened suddenly and she woke up sweaty.
"Where am I?" She whispered to herself. She looked around and found Chihiro, but Zeniba and Rin were nowhere to be seen. She quickly pulled herself into a sitting position and then remembered where she was. Spiteful thoughts filled her mind.
A spirit happened to be passing the infirmary; she smirked when she saw Hikari. "I heard that I had a younger sister," she said, "Kohaku and Yoshiro found you correct? I also happen to know that you were abandoned by my parents that I believe was a good decision. After all you look like nothing but a worthless piece of junk! Yoshiro and Haku, they were right in perhaps taking you in and caring for you. You're probably weak though undeserving of the help they could give you."
"Take that back, true I was abandoned. True I was found by Haku and Yoshiro, but there are invisible lines that should never be crossed. You just crossed at least a hundred of them!" Hikari leapt out of her bed with amazing speed and agility. Her emerald eyes flashed angrily.
"So you're challenging me to a fight. This should be easy!" Chihiro watched as Hikari transformed into a dragon, a fiery silver aura surrounded her. She roared angrily at her opponent. The other spirit shrugged and changed into its dragon form. Hikari roared her challenge, her eyes gleaming dangerously and her fangs hungry for blood and the essence of spirits. She lashed out with her tail, but her opponent dodged nimbly. Chihiro watched in horror as her friend opened her jaws and clamped them tight onto her opponent's neck. Ruby blood and silvery essence flowed out at the same time. The other dragon roared and tried to shake free, but Hikari would not let go of her prey. The dragon turned white and strange sounds emerged from her throat. Slick red blood soon covered the floor. Rin and Zeniba ran into the room the Dragon King along with them.
"Hikari!" Rin shouted. "Stop before it's too late." Hikari though would not listen; Zeniba was worried that she would kill the dragon. If she did then she would perhaps go mad and join the Evil One. She gulped, spirits never killed one another perhaps make them sick, yes, but never kill. Only those of evil killed others. An idea suddenly occurred to her.
"Chihiro use your bracelet to contact Haku!" She shouted. "It may be Hikari's last chance!" Chihiro nodded and touched her bracelet and thought about her beloved.
Haku! It's an emergency, Hikari's killing another dragon.
His response was that of shock. Hikari, kill another? That can't be, but it has happened hasn't it. Oh no, I hope it isn't too late, if she successfully kills that dragon we'll all be in big trouble. Okay then, don't touch you're bracelet Chihiro I have an idea. Hold the hand with the bracelet out towards Hikari.
Chihiro did as she was told and watched in wonder as a large stream of water emerged form her bracelet completely drenching Hikari and the other dragon. With a deafening roar Hikari let go of her prey and watched as she weakly transformed back into her human form. There was a large gash on her throat. The water streamed back into the bracelet and Chihiro watched as it flashed twice and stopped glowing. Hikari also changed back into her human form.
"Sora, I hope you're okay!" the Dragon King told his daughter walking over to her. "Hikari if act like this again I will be forced to make you leave!"
"I didn't want to come here anyway! Who wants to spend time with parents who disowned them at birth?" Hikari shouted angrily. "I'll tell you who! No one, you don't have to make me leave! I am leaving to find my brothers as soon as possible! They were right, it would be better if I didn't know who my birthparents were!" She angrily transformed back into a dragon and flew out of a nearby window.
"Hikari, come back!" Rin shouted after her friend. Zeniba stared at Hikari sadly; she knew that she didn't have a good chance of survival with the Evil One dominating both worlds. Her greatest fear was the Hikari would join the Evil One, she silently hoped that Hikari had enough sense not to choose that path. The Dragon King gently put Sora in a nearby bed and walked away.
"Hikari, please don't go." Chihiro whispered. Tears fell out of her eyes and she wept. Rin tried to comfort her but to no avail. Hikari turned around and looked at Chihiro and the others, she thought about her friends and decided that she'd rather be with them. She changed into her human form as she landed in the infirmary. Chihiro smiled and they followed Zeniba and Rin.
"I am glad that you came back Hikari, please don't do that again." Zeniba told the dragon. Hikari nodded and watched as her mother and father approached them. She frowned and walked away, as if to leave.
"Hikari please stay, your father and I would like to talk to you." Her mother told her.
Hikari stopped shook her head, "You will never be able to ease the pain that you caused me that day. I choose to live a life away from you two; I know Yoshiro and Haku would have wanted me to do the same. They were pretty shocked when they heard my story; no river spirit with any sense would ever abandon their child at birth. The king and queen of dragons should have known better, they are after all the rulers and would be setting a bad example for their subjects. Nothing could ever make me forgive or forget what you have done to me. I'd rather I live a more solitary life." She continued walking away. Zeniba stared nervously after Hikari, she had gone through much pain and suffering. She wisely decided to follow her, and motioned for Chihiro and Rin to come with her.
A single silvery tear fell out of her eyes as she thought about her brothers. "I wish you were here to guide me." She said to herself. Her mother started to follow her but her father stopped her before she could continue any further.
Zeniba told Hikari when she reached her, "Hikari, I know what they have done have caused you a great deal of pain."
"Why me, what did I do wrong? I didn't deserve it." More tears fell out of her emerald eyes.
"True you were undeserving of what they did but you must forgive, or at least corporate, with your parents. I myself do not approve of what they did, you were right the king and queen of dragons should know better. I believe it was Yoshiro who told you that am I correct?" Hikari nodded.
Zeniba smiled before continuing, "Think of what your brothers would do now. Would they get mad and storm off, or would they stay and try to talk to their parents?"
"They would stay and try to talk to their parents." Hikari answered. She sighed and turned around. Her parents were looking at her curiously. Chihiro nervously glanced at her friend. Rin was trying to stay clam, but her fidgeting revealed her true feelings. Zeniba watched as Hikari walked back to her friends and parents, she followed closely behind. Chihiro touched her bracelet suddenly for it had started to glow.
He always tries to contact me at the wrong times. She thought crossly to herself. The Dragon King looked suddenly at Chihiro and at the bracelet she wore on her left arm, he had noticed that it had glowed.
"Zeniba, I don't suppose that you gave her that bracelet? Could I see it for a moment?"
Zeniba stared nervously at Chihiro who was shaking badly. Rin gasped and nearly fainted. Hikari turned a pale shade of white. "Yes your majesty as long as it is okay with Chihiro." Zeniba looked at Chihiro who barely managed to nod and handed her the emerald bracelet.
Zeniba promptly handed it to the king who examined it carefully. Turned it over it started to glow, but because he was touching it the glow promptly stopped. Chihiro why are you avoiding me? Haku suddenly shouted. Unfortunately it was his father who received the message.
Kohaku, is that you? His father replied frowning.
Dad? I thought that… oh no she wasn't attacked was she.
Yes son it's me, no I had Chihiro hand over her bracelet.
Oh okay then um, is Hikari there?
Yes why do you ask?
Uh Yoshiro and Natsuko want to talk to her about something.
Natsuko? Isn't she that nice dragon that Yoshiro always talks about?
She is, and she's also our friends. Could you hand it over to her? They say that it's urgent. Haku begged his father.
Sure, if it's that important then why not? He handed the bracelet to his daughter who looked at it curiously.
Hikari, I wanted to ask you who you attacked. Haku told his younger sister, hoping that she would answer.
I think her name was Sora, she claims to be my sister. Hikari frowned, now she understood why Zeniba insisted on having this bracelet made.
Did you say Sora? Great, she can get you into a lot of trouble. You see she's the third born child, and our parents always valued us above my other siblings. Stay away from her my other siblings have enough sense to. Don't try to talk to her she was always a little bit mean and snobbish.
Oh now you tell me, okay avoiding her shouldn't be too hard. I'll take your advice.
Good now hand the bracelet to Chihiro and tell her to stroke it. Hikari shrugged and did as she was told. The bracelet flashed twice before Chihiro had the chance to touch it. She sighed and looked at Hikari and her parents and the drama that was about to unfold.