Chapter Thirty: Signs of War
Hikari sighed as she looked over the plains in the pre-dawn darkness. Now that her brother and the others had been found they would have to return back to the phoenix colony, and the phoenixes had insisted on leaving as soon as possible to avoid any confrontation with the enemy. "Hikari," she turned around to face Kai, "we should leave soon." She nodded and followed him as he walked back towards the camp where the others were situated.
"There you are Hikari." Haku said upon seeing her. "I thought that we would have to leave without you."
Hikari smiled wryly, "Oh really? Well I'm here now, so I suppose that we should leave." They transformed and flew away their supplies clenched within their talons. Kai flew next to her as they flew towards the dragon's palace, where they were to meet with the king. Neither spoke as they flew, it was different with Haku and Chihiro however. They happened to be busily discussing the events that occurred while they were separated. Keiko flew on Yoshiro's back and would sometimes have him fly closer to Hikari so that she could chat with her. Yoshiro didn't mind, he liked being next to his younger sister it made him feel protective of her as well as giving him a chance to speak with her.
The one subject that everyone avoided was Hikari's kiss. As everyone felt that Kai, and perhaps Hikari, would become embarrassed if it was spoken so they avoided it to the best of their abilities. Kai didn't speak to her until they landed at the palace. "Well we're back…" he said, once he and the others had transformed into their other forms.
"Yeah, I wonder if Yoshiro and Haku still remember it."She commented sourly.
Kai turned around to see that the sight of the palace had little affect on the two brothers, who cringed at the sight of the palace but did little else. Natsuko didn't seem especially impressed with it either, following Yoshiro without comment. Keiko was perhaps the only one who was a bit awestruck by the sight of the palace. Luckily Chihiro was there, and she urged her friend to start walking towards it instead of standing there gasping like a fish.
The eight friends walked inside the Central Chamber, Haku and Yoshiro leading them. They found the king sitting upon his throne when they entered the Central Chamber. Kai and Kasumi bowed three times out of respect upon entering. "I am glad and a bit surprised to see both of the spirits that the Ruby of Phoenixes chose before me," the Dragon King said. "What has brought you here today?"
"We have found your son," Kai replied simply.
The Dragon King's gaze hardened and he said icily, "Are you sure the boy you have brought before me really is he?"
"Father…" Haku whispered, in shock.
"In the days that you have left me spirits have come towards me bringing with them a boy that looks like him. They turned out to be hoaxes intended to trick me into letting my guard down, for I found them to be nothing but dark dragons in disguise. The walls of my palace are lined with the marks of bitter fights. Most of which has been meticulously washed away. Prove that the two that you brought with you really are my sons by having them take the test, use Hikari's Emerald as the testing stone." Hikari nodded and untied the Emerald pendent she had constructed and handed it to Kai. Flinching as his hand brushed against hers. No one noticed and so did not comment on it, to Hikari's delight.
Yoshiro and Haku both did as they were told, transforming into dragons as necessary. Once they had successfully completed the task asked of them and transformed back did the Dragon King see that they were really who they claimed to be. Kai handed the Emerald shard back to its rightful owner, who put it on promptly. "Oh my sons you have returned," their father said sighing. "I have worried many a day and night after your disappearance."
Hikari, sensing something wasn't as it appeared to be, replied bitterly, "That is to be supposed dear father, though I wonder what would happen if you were to take the same test."
"What do you mean my dear?"
"It seems a bit suspicious that it was our tutor that just happened to give Chihiro a small black stone that nearly killed her."
"He did? Then I shall have him punished for his horrible deed, though I cannot imagine why he would do such a thing."
"Kai believes that he is working for the Evil One."
The Dragon King gasped, "Then I shall have him banished from our palace at once, in fact I think I shall do it right now."
"Not so fast…" Hikari said coldly. "Not until you shall conceive upon me the answer that I wish to know. Why did you abandon me?"
"Because I didn't want another haughty girl such as Sora wandering the halls of my palace, it would give a bad impression to emissaries."
"I thought you favored the three eldest that includes Sora."
"Well she's only the third eldest. Haku and Yoshiro outrank her according to their birth."
"How could you say that?" Sora screeched. Everyone turned around to see her standing in the entrance to the Central Chamber from where they just entered. "I thought you loved me…but now I find you to be a cold cruel king who cares for his own fiendish gains rather than the good of his people. I see now why you abandoned Hikari…you thought her worthless as you do all females."
"You have changed father," Yoshiro said coldly upon hearing his younger sister, "I too thought you have cared for your three eldest. Now I find that you only care for the two eldest."
"Which proves my point that you're not my father," Hikari said yawning of boredom. She held up her Emerald pendent to prove her point, it was glowing. "I suppose you're my tutor who the Evil One sent to infiltrate the palace and you have placed a spell upon my father causing his form to change into your former one."
The Dragon King roared with fury and transformed into a black serpent with ruby eyes and mane. His eyes glistened furiously, his alabaster fangs seemed to glow with a blood-red light. You are wise young one. He said bitterly. Many would not guess who I really am beneath my clever guise, yet you seem to know almost instantaneously who I am to be and who the minions of the Evil One are. My master warned me of you, but I foolishly thought that you would not go against the form of your own father, I was wrong. He sent a ball of hungry flames flying towards her; she destroyed it with a wall of swiftly flowing water she enacted around herself. He sent two more flying towards her, in a vain attempt to injure her.
Hikari let the waters abate once she was sure that he would not attack her anymore. "I have grown wiser in the days that have come to pass. Do not think me a fool for the actions of my past, for it is done and I have changed."
Such pretty words for one so young, do not let yourself think that they will protect you for they will not. He sent another ball of fire hurtling at her, which she destroyed with a watery shield.
"I know that, now leave my father's palace before I call the guards on you."
Why do you suppose that I shall be afraid of the guards? You call yourself wise yet you still resort to idiotic actions.
"I didn't mean those guards…I was referring to my friends."
Your friends do not look like guards to me so why do you call them that O great dragon.
"I see 'guard' as a term short for 'guardian' which my friends are in a truest sense." Hikari said coolly. "They protect the Spirit World and the Human World from the influence of the Evil One, a threat that has come to our lands. Now begone before they attack you…and I assure you that you wouldn't want that to happen." The dark dragon growled, but left as she asked of him. Next time I won't be so lenient.
"I'm sure you won't," she muttered as the dark dragon left.
Kai watched as the thin black line sailed across the clear blue sky away from them, "I don't understand…why did he leave? I'm sure that dark dragons aren't this easy to scare."
"Because I was implying that Chihiro has the Opal which she doesn't," Hikari sighed, "he wouldn't want to attack us if she did because of the fact that the opal will protect its rightful owner, and the force of its attacks is infamous for killing even the most powerful opponent. Look at what it did to Evil One, before he managed to break free. I'm informed that someone must have assisted him in this as either the Emerald of Dragons, the Ruby of Phoenixes, or the Great Opal is required for the task as only either one of the three has enough power to release the spell."
"Well that would scare him I suppose."
"Anyways we'd better release the Dragon King from his curse."
"I was about to tell you that," Sora gasped, "how did you figure out that father was changed into your tutor?"
"Oh something the dark dragon told me," she followed her sister as she led him to the room where Chihiro and Hikari's lessons took place. They found their father, who looked liked their tutor as supposed, sleeping on the floor.
Hikari walked over to him, and using the energy from her Emerald shard, broke the spell placed on him. She watched as a pale emerald light streamed across him in shinning waves, it took mere seconds before he was fully transformed into his true form. He woke groaning, "Please don't hurt me, what have I done to you that was so wrong?"
"Father," Hikari whispered into his ear, "everything's okay, the dark dragon already left the palace."
Both of his eyes opened and he looked into her emerald eyes, "Hikari you have returned." He looked around him and he found Haku, Yoshiro, Kai, and Kasumi who were looking at him.
"My sons you have returned," he said joyfully. "Oh Kai, you have proved yourself worthy of my trust once more, and you've brought your friend. Kasumi I suppose."
Kasumi bowed three times out of respect, disgusted at the idea that she had bowed to a dark dragon, "You are correct milord."
"I thank you for finding my sons and returning them to me."
Sora walked up to her father at this time and told him, "The changes that were made to you were reversed. You are as you were before."
"Am I?" The Dragon King asked. "Oh that's wonderful news, and to whom should I thank for this reversal?"
"Hikari, she was the one responsible for the change."
"I see, well I suppose that you are all tired. I'll arrange rooms for you momentarily, first there are some important things I must discuss with others of the council." He stood up and walked out of the room. As promised rooms were arranged for them, for Chihiro and those who had been in the palace before it turned out to be the ones they used before.
Zeniba and Rin were overjoyed when they saw that Chihiro and Haku were once more reunited. "I never thought that I'd say this," Rin said smiling, "but I'm glad to see that you're back Haku. Chihiro really missed you."
"I'm aware of that," Haku told them calmly. "I missed her too."
"Well as Rin told you it's nice to see that you're back and reunited with Chihiro." Zeniba said cheerfully. "Hikari also missed you while you were gone. Though I suppose that Sakura will be back soon, she said that she was off searching for you and there isn't reason for her to remain away."
"Actually there is," Hikari told them, "I do believe that she's planning to look for my opal so that she will be able to find the Great Opal."
"You mean that we'll have to compete with her as well for it?" Chihiro asked astonished.
"No rather, you will find her waiting for you in that place where she had disappeared off to."
"Zeniba's cabin," Chihiro sighed. "Don't ask how I know, but Haku helped me figure it out."
"Then I suppose that we'll have to return soon." Zeniba sighed. "Oh well I missed Swamp Bottom and No-face while I was here, I do look forward to going back."
Keiko looked confused, "Who would want to live in a swamp and who's No-face."
"Well I do dear and as for No-face…you'll find out when you see him." Keiko walked into her room which was a few feet away.
"I suppose we should do the same," Chihiro said after Keiko had walked into her room.
"Yeah we should," Rin agreed. The group dispersed and everyone scrambled into the particular rooms they were assigned. Hikari was the only one who didn't seek out her room immediately, instead standing in the hallway thinking. She sighed and walked into her room which, like Keiko's, was also only a few feet away.
She closed the door behind her and looked out the window and at the garden below. She heard the door open and turned around to see Kai leaning against the doorway. "You seem a bit quiet today," he said, "want to talk about it?"
"No," Hikari replied curtly.
"If you're sure…" he turned to leave but stopped. He closed the door and walked towards Hikari.
"What do you want?"
"I thought that you might want to chat."
"What if I don't feel like chatting?"
"Then I'll leave."
"Sounds good to me."
"What's wrong Hikari? I know you well enough to know that you usually don't act like this." Kai asked her worried.
"I'm just tired," Hikari said, "don't worry about me I'll be fine."
"If you're sure…" he walked away, closing the door behind him as he left her room. She sighed and watched as a bird chirped merrily as it flew in the sky. It reminded her of Kai. She looked away, blinking away tears that had gathered within her eyes. I'm going to miss him, she thought sorrowfully to herself, I'll probably never see him again the way that events are turning out. Sure the Council of Phoenixes might want to send someone on our expedition, but how can I be sure that it's him? She slumped against the window, silently crying. No one in the entire building was aware of it, so silent was she, not even Kai, who was sure that it wasn't weariness that was the cause of her actions towards him.