Chapter Eleven: The Test of Dragons
Hikari stared at her parents; she had no idea why they called her for this meeting. At least Chihiro, Rin, and Zeniba were with her. "Hikari, I do suppose you realize that you are our daughter correct?" Her father questioned her.
She replied courteously, "Of course my highness."
"There's no need after all, you are my daughter. I do want you do to one thing though to prove that you are actually my daughter. Any of my offspring will find this easy enough. Do you see this stone hold it and try to change into a dragon while holding it." Hikari looked at the glowing green stone quizzically; she had never seen or heard of it before.
"Sure, it should be easy enough. After all Haku and Yoshiro told me that they were my brothers and explained to me why. I don't see why they would want to lie to me." Holding on the stone, she found transforming into a dragon a bit awkward, though she managed to do it. The green stone glowed brightly, surrounding her with a light green aura and mixing with her own silvery one. For a second she was blinded by the light from the stone and nearly dropped it.
"Now move around and try to fly with the stone in your mouth." Her father instructed her.
Hikari snorted and gently placed the strange green stone into her mouth; it had stopped glowing and was now issuing a soothing warm feeling. It fit comfortably and she walked towards the window, her emerald green eyes glowing brighter and brighter. She could feel the stone's powers rushing through her veins. Making sure that the stone would not fall out when she flew, she leapt into the air and soared around. She seemed to be pulsing a gentle green light; dragons flew towards her attracted by the light.
"Now Hikari, try to fight them with the stone in your mouth. This is your final test and will prove to me if you really are my daughter." The Dragon King roared. Two dragons lunged at her, and she nimbly dodged them. She watched as her tail hissed through the air like a whip, striking the two dragons and sending them falling towards the ground. There was a loud thud and the dragons watched her astonished. Roaring a dragon aimed summoned a large ball of water, which he aimed towards her.
She snorted and summoned water as well, which it blasted at the ball of water sending it hurling back at its owner. Her father looked pleased and smiled. He watched as another dragon lunged towards her, its mouth opened ready to bite. Hikari quickly flew upwards and sharply dived towards the dragon, smacking it with her tail which was laced with icy-cold water. The dragon roared with the pain caused by the attack and flew away to nurse its wounds. "That is enough Hikari, you may return and changed back into you human form." Her father told her.
Grunting she looked around to make sure no other dragon attempted to attack her before she flew back to her friends. She took the stone out of her mouth before changing back into her human form. Strangely the stone was quite dry when she handed it to her father. He took it and it started to glow again, though instead of a green aura surrounding it was now surrounded by a silvery white one. Hikari watched as the stone's normal green aura slowly came back.
"You have proved yourself to me, only one of my offspring could have done what you just did." Her father told her satisfied. "You probably did not know this, as you lived most of your life alone, but the green stone you see before you is the Emerald of Dragons. It is a very powerful stone that can multiply your powers by up to ten times if you hold it. Unfortunately, unless you are related directly to the Dragon King, you will not be able to transform into a dragon if you do. If you do happen to be able to transform into a dragon you will not be able to fly, move, or fight using magic and the stone may kill you if you hold it for to long."
"I never knew," she replied watching the green stone, "I thought it was just a normal stone."
The Dragon King smiled, "It isn't a normal stone."
Zeniba gasped, "I did not expect you to use such a precious object in the testing of your daughter milord."
"It is the only way to see if she really is my daughter so I had to use it." Hikari quietly walked towards Chihiro, who seemed to be sleeping.
Gently nudging her friend she told her, "Wake up Chihiro, the tests are over." Chihiro drowsily opened her eyes and barely managed to stifle a yawn. Rin looked at her quite shocked that she had managed to fall asleep. Hikari shrugged when she saw Rin looking at her.
"There was a test?" Chihiro whispered to her friend.
"Yes, and only I had to take a test. Well three of them actually."
"Oh, how did you do?"
"Great, passed all of them."
"What did you have to do?"
"Oh carry a stone and transform into a dragon, fly, and fight."
"That sounds easy enough."
"It does but my father explained that it isn't as easy as it sounds." Hikari quietly whispered.
"Your father, who's he? Oh right, the Dragon King sorry I forgot for a second that you were his daughter." Chihiro quietly told her friend. Hikari looked at her, quite surprised, but didn't reply. Her father was looking at her and for a second she felt extremely nervous.
"Hikari, Rin, and Zeniba you can stay with Chihiro if you wish. Rooms will be provided for you. Hikari, I don't suppose you control a river do you?" her father asked her.
"I used to, like Yoshiro's and Haku's it was destroyed by humans."
"I see, well I was going to restore their rivers back to its original state, if you wish to I could do the same to yours."
"Please do, I would like to go back to my river as soon as possible."
"As you wish Hikari, Chihiro do you think you will be ready to train? I am told that your training will begin soon." The Dragon King asked Chihiro.
"I think so," Chihiro said thoughtfully, "yes I am; I hope to begin my training soon."
"Good, good, so do you wish to stay with Chihiro then?"
"Yes we would like to stay with Chihiro. We may leave later, perhaps, to search for Haku and the others that were captured along with him by the Evil One." Zeniba wisely answered.
"Then it is settled, you will stay with Chihiro here until the time comes for you to search for my son. Though I will tell you this, it is not necessary as I have ordered many to search for him." The Dragon King chuckled. "You are now dismissed. I will have a servant lead you to your rooms." Zeniba and the others bowed and followed a quiet spirit to their rooms, which happened to be next to one another. Hikari sat on the wooden floor thinking about Keiko, Natsuko, Yoshiro, and Haku. She silently wept when she realized how much she missed them.
"So my parents allowed you to stay. I would say that was a bad decision on their part." Sora walked into her room and addressed her.
Haku said that I shouldn't talk to her and if I do meet her not talk to her that sounds like good advice. I think I'll do exactly as he says though I wonder what made her that way? I don't think I should ask her though; she might get offended by my question.
She wisely thought to herself. A few more tears fell out of her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away and faced Sora. She walked out of her room and towards Chihiro; the thought of having a nice chat with her friend cheered her up a bit.
"Don't you dare ignore me like that Hikari." Sora sneered. "Oh sure the others do it but you are in no position to imitate them. Besides your parents disowned you, so Haku and Yoshiro aren't your brothers."
"Even if my parents did disown me, they are still my blood brothers." She muttered to herself before entering Chihiro's room and slamming the door behind her. Chihiro looked at Hikari from the way she had slammed her door she knew that she was angry.
"Is there something troubling you Hikari?" Chihiro asked her friend, who was walked towards her.
"No," Hikari grumbled as she sat down next to her, "except that Sora likes to follow me around and annoy me whenever she possibly can."
"Sora…oh that dragon that you attacked and nearly killed, I heard that she was released today during your test because the nurse believed that she was fine. Hmm, did Haku say anything about her?"
"He did say to try to avoid her and not talk to her; he said something about her always being a bit mean and snobbish."
"That sounds like good advice if you ask me, though if she really is following you then you will find it hard to avoid her." Chihiro mused. "Why don't you talk to Haku or something and see if there is anything that you can do that would make Sora leave you alone?"
"I rather not Chihiro, I think I just won't talk to her and try to avoid her as best as I possibly can. Thanks Chihiro, I feel a lot better I think I'll go back to my room now." Hikari stood up and walked out of Chihiro's room, heading back to her own. Luckily Sora had left, so she walked back into her own room and decided to observe the events going on outside as there seemed nothing to do. Her emerald eyes gazed at the guards on the parameter of the palace, beyond there a city gleamed in the sunlight. A large garden was located directly below her window, somewhere in the distance a bird trilled lightly and a horse snorted with fear. A dragon's roar shattered the silence, and Hikari looked about her for the source of the roar. A large flock of pale gray birds soared into the air, the sound of their wing beats strained from the speed at which they were rising.
Sora was seen running down the hall along with her many siblings. "What's going on?" Rin emerged from her room and looked around wearily.
Sora answered hastily, "Someone spotted Haku and Yoshiro, they alerted father and he's calling an emergency meeting."
"They were spotted? Where?" Hikari asked.
"Don't know, but you should come along with Chihiro. Besides Chihiro is Haku's beloved and you are their youngest sister." Hikari smirked and followed Sora, Chihiro running alongside her. Rin and Zeniba exchanged a grim stare and decided to follow them.
In the Central Chamber were the king and queen and two injured dragons. They looked exactly like Haku and Yoshiro, though Hikari and Chihiro immediately knew that they had been tricked. "That's not Haku and Yoshiro. Yoshiro's mane is lighter that I remember it to be and Haku seems…well fatter than he was last." She fiercely whispered to her friend. Chihiro nodded, Sora looked astounded and walked towards the two dragons.
"Be careful Sora." Hikari muttered. Sora walked towards the dragons carefully, acknowledging Hikari's warning silently. The dragon who looked like Haku snorted and his eyes glowed a deadly reddish light. Roaring he lashed out with his tail towards the Dragon King and his wife and Sora, who was approaching him. Hikari looked at the dragon angrily; she was not going to allow her family to get hurt. A silvery white light shimmered in the air around her as she changed into the dragon, her emerald eyes blazing angrily. In a single fluid motion she stopped the dragon's attack. The other dragon roared angrily and lashed out; Chihiro transformed into a dragon and stopped its attack as Hikari had before her. Growling as she changed back she said to the pair of dragons, "You are not Yoshiro and Haku, we know that for certain." She quickly transformed back into her former form as the two dragons chuckled and the images of Yoshiro and Haku shattered, revealing a pair of two black dragons. Their flowing red manes resembling fire in its movement and color, their glowing ruby eyes looked at Chihiro and Hikari as they hissed angrily. Hikari's mane bristled and she snarled angrily, her alabaster fangs showing in the process. Chihiro carefully watched their tails, which seemed to snake towards them as if preparing for a surprise attack.
Rin summoned all of her courage and shouted passionately, "No you are not Yoshiro and Haku; you are dragons who have killed and are now working with the Evil One! I am glad that you have showed your true forms, you are undeserving of any courtesy we would have given to you in your disguises!" Sora and her parents were slowing edging back from the dragons, all three gulped in fear.
Laughing the dragons spoke, this is a warning you will not be so lucky next time. They flew away, towards the large storm cloud that was heading towards the city. Hikari and Chihiro stared after them, their eyes glowing angrily, knowing of the danger that lay ahead.