Chapter Twenty-One: The Warning of the Stones
Kai woke up; a sensation of extreme heat originating at his chest had spread throughout his body. Despite the fact that he was a phoenix and phoenixes were used to extreme heat, the warmth that he felt was enough to energize him into wakefulness. No it can't be. He thought to himself. He grabbed a pendent that hung around his neck, a thick leather strip with a single ruby hanging from it. As he expected the ruby was glowing, its soft pulsing light illuminating the room with its brilliant red light. But it has. Kai concluded.
He softly stroked the stone, its glow an ominous warning. For the ruby was a tiny fragment of the Ruby of Phoenixes, a magical stone whose own powers rivaled that of the Emerald of Dragons. A thought formed in his mind, there was something he had to know. If his Ruby was glowing, then was the Emerald glowing as well? Kai looked around himself and at the moonlit gardens located outside. There is no time to wake Hikari, Sora, or any other member of the royal family. If I did it would be too late! Determined, Kai swiftly ran out of the room. He wasn't exactly sure where the emerald was being held, but he had a clue. "Kai, where are you going?" A sleepy voice made him stop and look around. A single solitary figure stood there, illuminated by the pale moonlight that streamed through her room. The moonlight cast its light on an angle that made her emerald eyes seemed to glow with a light of their own.
Kai looked at the young girl, her eyes pleading for answers, deciding whether he should tell her or not. "I'm going to see something, feel free to come with me if you wish." Footsteps followed him as he ran towards the Royal Chamber, his ruby glowing ever stronger. The darkness we are facing is strong and grows stronger with every step. He thought grimly to himself.
"Want to explain why you're up so late?" Hikari gasped as she caught up with him. "I have this feeling that it's a same reason I woke up thinking that something went very wrong."
"It is the same, my pendent woke me. The pendent contains a piece of the Ruby of Phoenixes. Perhaps the Emerald of Dragons woke you through your dreams sending you a warning through a vision; it has been known to do that."
"I suppose that the Ruby of Phoenixes does the same thing?"
"It does, though it was the light and heat generated by the ruby that caused me to wake." Hikari nodded.
"So, uh, where are we going and what are we about to do?" She quickly asked.
"We're going to the Royal Chamber to look for the Emerald of Dragons. The task should be easier as you are one of the royal family." Kai said grinning.
"Never mind that, so we're going to steal the Emerald of Dragons? I only hope that dad will forgive me for this."
"We're not going to steal the Emerald, but rather look at it when we find it. If my suspicions are true, then it should be glowing." Hikari was still unsure of Kai's intentions, but decided not to ask any more questions. Two guards stood in front of the door to the chamber they sought.
Hikari bravely stepped forward, "I Hikari, last daughter of the Dragon King, seek entrance into this room with my friend, the messenger Kai." The guards bowed respectfully and parted as to let the two spirits run into the room. The door was closed as soon as they entered the Royal Chamber.
"Well that was quite easy." Hikari commented shortly afterwards, Kai wordlessly agreed for he had nothing to say about the matter. The large chamber was lit by silvery blue lanterns that lined the thick stone walls. Pale to dark blue shadows lurked everything and were continually shifting as the lanterns seemed to be turning. A large traditional screen door separated them from the garden that lay outside. There were few ornamentations and furnishings in the room, yet everything still looked quite spectacular.
"Wow its beautiful here," Hikari said looking around the room, "I've never actually been here before. How do you know that the Emerald of Dragons is being kept in here?"
"That's surprising," Kai replied, his eyes searching for what they sought, "this room was meant for the royal family to spend their leisure time in and to entertain their guests. All members of the royal family are told about it when they were quite young, and in your case, you should have been told about it as soon as you proved you were a member of the royal family. As for your question, I was invited here once before and during that visit I noticed a pale green glow coming from one of the closets. I believe that was the Emerald of Dragons." Hikari carefully thought over what Kai had told her, he was obviously very respected among her own family to have been invited into this room if what she heard was true.
Kai glanced over Hikari's shoulders to find a pale emerald light emerging from a closet. "I found it!" he exclaimed. He walked over to the closet and opened the door, indeed hidden within the darkness of the closet was the Emerald of Dragons. As he had expected it was flashing wildly, sending rays of green light to dance around the room.
Hikari walked over to him, and lightly picked up the sacred stone. "Hikari what are you doing?" Kai asked her in amazement, "we were only going to look at the stone, not touch it. We have found the information that we seek we can leave now." When she did not answer, he grew more and more nervous. He watched as the Emerald's pulsing light surrounded Hikari, all of her features seemed to be given the haunting appearance of untamed beauty in the Emerald's green aura. A feeling of madness rushed through Kai, a feeling so strong he struggled to control it. You must learn to control your feelings, love is a powerful weapon that some may choose to use against you. His mentor's wise saying flooded his mind and the madness passed.
Hikari gently placed the Emerald of Dragons back into the closet, in the exact position they had found it. As she did a tiny fragment of the Emerald broke off and fell into her hands. Hikari stared at it in amazement as she closed the closet door; it was pulsing as the Emerald of Dragons was.
Kai spoke when he saw what she was staring at, "Rarely does the Emerald break, if it does it signifies that someone great will protect the world from evil and fight it in all of its forms." Kai smiled when Hikari looked at him. "The same thing happened to me after I touched the Ruby of Phoenixes."
Hikari grinned as a thought weaved itself through her mind. "We're alike then, both destined to fight evil and protect the light left in the world."
"Yes, it does seem that way. I wonder if the parents knew or even thought of the same thing when they named you Hikari." Hikari looked at him in shock; she knew what he was thinking. Surprised and frightened by the sudden realization she slowly backed away from the phoenix.
Kai blinked, at first unable to comprehend what Hikari was trying to do. You fool; you should have masked your feelings for her. Now you'll have to convince her that you don't like her. He told himself angrily. But I don't like her, so why did I say that? Confused and utterly befuddled, Kai walked towards the door; Hikari closely following him. Despite the fact that she was a member of the royal family, Hikari concealed the sliver of the Emerald when they left the Royal Chamber her hands tightly clenching the sacred stone as to prevent any light from escaping. Only when they were a safe distance away did Hikari finally loosen her relentless grip. Soft pulsing light illuminated the hallway in a delicate shade of pale green.
"You didn't have to do that you know." Kai told her coldly. "Your parents would understand if they see it."
"You don't have to tell me, I was going to show them in the morning. I just didn't want anyone else to know and besides, I was worried that the guards might doubt my statement about me being part of the royal family when they saw it." Hikari snapped. She eyed Kai closely; he was the same as he was when they first walked into the Royal Chamber. She was sure that he hadn't changed a bit, she blinked. I must have been imagining things; he really hasn't changed at all. Hikari walked towards her room, her hands still clenched around the tiny Emerald shard.
Kai walked to his own room when she walked away his Ruby flashing wildly, conveying the same message as the Emerald. The darkness was growing stronger and rapidly approaching, soon he would have to leave. A message would come telling him that it was the council's wish that he be among the warriors' present. He stared at the bright moon set upon the night sky when he reached his room, casting its pale light upon the garden below it, making it look like an enchanted fairyland. The stars twinkled brilliantly in the dark heavens above him. He glanced at the Ruby which rested on his chest, never ceasing its wildly flashing light.
Kai quickly decided that he should he get some rest. He fell asleep despite the fact that the heat generated from his Ruby was enough to wake him every two seconds or so. In another room farther down the corridor, Hikari was having a hard time falling asleep.
She continually stroked her Emerald, as if seeking answers from it. She couldn't fall asleep no matter what she did, and the Emerald's pulsing light wasn't helping. I should just hide it. She thought to herself as she placed it underneath a pale emerald kimono, hoping that the color would help remind her exactly where she hid it.
Hikari closed her eyes in another futile attempt to fall asleep. The moon shone on the restless girl, her emerald eyes blazing with anger. Why can't I fall asleep? She asked herself angrily seeking answers that she herself did not know. Tears fell out of her eyes, crystals illuminated by the pale silvery light of the crescent moon. Why can't I fall asleep? She questioned herself yet again. Why?
The thought lingered in her mind, as she pondered the simple question. She closed her eyes and more tears fell, soon she had fallen asleep. The wind blew through the night as the light of the Ruby of Phoenixes and the Emerald of Dragons grew stronger a stronger. Sadly, no one noticed. Their pulsing light fell into a steady rhythm like the beating of drums. A chant could have been derived from their ominous glow. Both Kai and Hikari were plagued by nightmares and dark visions that night, yet hidden among the darkness was light. There were dreams of happiness and of peace, of the darkness being forever banished from the world. They were cherished by both Kai and Hikari although they were few.
The pale moon slowly set and the rising sun found the two slowly waking. Hikari moaned as the sun's golden rays fell across her face, shielding herself from the light she tried to fall asleep. She opened her eyes when the attempt proved futile. A memory slowly aroused itself in her mind as she dressed, remembering the events of the night she grabbed the Emerald sliver from under the pale green kimono. Good I didn't forget. She thought to herself.
In another room, Kai was slowly rousing himself from his fitful night of sleep. The Ruby was still flashing; it was obvious that the situation was now very grim from the intensity of its light. He gently stroked it and quickly untied the knot that kept the leather strip in place around his neck. Gently he placed the Ruby pendent next to him as he dressed; the heat generated from the Ruby was starting to annoy him. He quickly retied the leather strip when he was finished dressing, careful to place the precious stone on his shirt in order to lessen the warmth of the powerful stone. He emerged from his room at the exact same time Hikari walked out of hers.
The two were silent as they walked towards the Indigo Room for breakfast. Chihiro, Zeniba, Rin soon joined them. Unnerved by the silence that seemed to completely encircle them, Rin attempted to start a conversation. "I wonder what they're going to serve us for breakfast. Did your dad or some else tell you Hikari?" She asked.
"It's as much as a surprise to me as it is to you. You should know that already Rin." Hikari muttered quietly. She hid the her Emerald of Dragons sliver within the sleeve of her kimono and desperately hoped that no one noticed the flashing green light that seemed to illuminate it. As the evil grew stronger so did the light and it became increasingly harder for her to hide the Emerald. Kai pretended not to notice the pale flashing light that originated in Hikari's kimono sleeve; she faced the same troubles that he did with the stones. For once I wouldn't mind the Ruby breaking and shattering into pieces, now would be a good time for that. He thought to himself dryly. As his Ruby's light grew stronger, the stone itself only seemed to grow stronger. He recognized the warning, but could do nothing about it until he met with the Hikari's father. I'm sure he'll be proud of her when she shows him the Emerald sliver. Its magic is strong enough to prevent it from breakage whether it is accidental or deliberate. The only way it will break is if it senses someone who is good and powerful enough to help defeat the darkness and evil in both worlds.
Rin tried to continue the conversation, but neither Hikari nor Chihiro choose to speak to her. Everyone's so preoccupied with the Evil One's proposals. She thought dismally to herself. I doubt that even Hikari or Sora thinks or anything else. Fortunately, she didn't notice that Hikari was hiding something.
Despite all of Hikari's efforts, Chihiro glimpsed something glowing from within Hikari's sleeve. At first she blinked and thought that she was imagining things, but when her friend's sleeve continued to glow it became apparent that Hikari was hiding something. What is it that she could be hiding? Of what importance could this particular item be? Chihiro questioned herself. I should ask her, but when the others aren't around. I wonder if Kai can be trusted with this secret, he seems to have something that resembles the object Hikari is hiding in its glow but not its color. As Chihiro pondered this dilemma, Rin was still desperately trying to start and continue a conversation.
"No one notices me anymore!" Rin whined. "No one seems to care!"
"Well you are getting quite annoying with all that talking of yours." Sora told her as she leaned against a doorway from which she emerged. "They probably have more important things to think about."
"I know that I was trying to distract them from those 'important' thoughts."
"Why would you want to do that? If people have more important things to think about, shouldn't' you let them think about those things?"
"Yes, but I think the 'important' things that you mentioned involved the Evil One and his…" Rin hesitated for a moment before continuing, "proposal. I want distract them from thoughts involving that incident." Sora nodded, before joining their little procession to breakfast. Their group immediately dispersed when they reached the Indigo Room. Sora went to join a small band of her brothers and sisters, Kai and Zeniba went to sit with the king, and the rest sat together.
Kai showed the Dragon King his Ruby when he sat down. The Dragon King carefully examined the Ruby he spoke when he returned it to his rightful owner, "These are sad tidings that you bring us Kai, and there are no words that can convey the emotions that overcome me at this moment. I can only hope that my sons will be able to survive in this disaster. I assure you that I will alert all in my kingdom and beyond of this disaster." You better. Kai thought to himself as he retied his pendent, its brilliant light had subdued at bit its message conveyed to one who had to power to stop the darkness. His eyes unconsciously wandered towards Hikari, she was still hiding the Emerald. He wondered for a second why she hadn't approached them and showed her father the Emerald; then the answer came to him. Don't do it, she will tell him when she thinks it fit. He told himself and restrained his impulses to shout out to Hikari or tell her dad about the Emerald.
Hikari glanced at her kimono sleeve, I should tell dad. She looked at her father, surrounded by important people with Kai and Zeniba among them. Though not now, maybe later. She sighed and clenched her Emerald Piece even tighter, hoping that no one would notice it.