Before you say it, yes it took me awhile. I've been busy with some stuff in real life and circumstances have been keeping me from writing. I'll try my best to update as soon as I can on my stories, but don't worry, I will never abandon these ;)
And just in case you haven't seen, 'Secrets' was updated last week. XD
Xoxo Lexi1989
Previously:
"Why are you crying?" He asked.
"I don't know why I have these." She said as she looked up at him, her cheeks tearstained.
"I can explain that." Both looked towards the sound of the voice, surprised there had been another person who had witnessed the bizarre thing that happened to them.
"HOTARU!"
CHAPTER 3: A Journey For Truth
"Hota-who?" Natsume looked at the stoic looking girl before him, clearly puzzled at her smoldering gaze despite her bored expression. Mikan had left the room to check on her grandfather.
"It's Hotaru, stupid." She eyed him curiously.
"What are you doing here in the middle of the night?" He asked her, his eyes appraising her appearance. She didn't appear to be of royalty. She was wearing commoner's clothes albeit neater than most villagers from the Kingdoms he'd seen on his travels.
"Mikan is my best friend. My brother is head of the medics in the Kingdom and he asked me to deliver Mikan's grandfather's vials."
"Vials?"
"His medicine. As you can see he's already old and needs some sustenance to aid in his ailments." She rolled her eyes at him.
"I see." They both fell silent, having nothing to talk about and he eyed his wings with curiosity. He tried to move them without touching them but it proved a difficult feat without training and knowledge on how to do so.
You're the missing Prince of the Hyuuga Kingdom, aren't you?" The change in her demeanor began to sound warning bells in his head.
"What makes you think that?" He had to be careful not to blow his cover.
"Because the Hyuuga Kingdom has sent ravens all throughout the country announcing that the Prince has been missing since yesterday afternoon." He made to rebut but she held up a finger to him rendering him silent.
"Don't even try to tell me that I'm wrong. You were head to toe on fire but there's not a single burn on your body. Your wings are black with red accents, a clear descendant of the Hyuuga Clan. Should I go on or will you tell me what you are doing in the outskirts of the Yukihira Kingdom?" She gave him a deadly look.
"Keep it down you guys, grandpa might wake up." Mikan spoke up amidst the silence. She had just come back from checking on her grandfather who was still snoring in his bed despite the commotion that had just occurred. She ushered both Natsume and Hotaru outside of the house so that they wouldn't accidentally wake him.
"I don't need to explain myself to you." Natsume said as he turned his back on the two girls and began walking towards the forest, still slightly limping from his leg wound.
"WAIT! Where are you going?" Mikan called out to him.
"Away from here."
"Your wound is still fresh. You can't travel like that."
"Plus the guards from the Hyuuga Kingdom will find you easily now that your wings have emerged." Hotaru added.
"The Hyuuga Kingdom, wait, why are they looking for you?" Mikan turned towards Natsume, surprised at what Hotaru said.
Hotaru and Natsume stood at across from each other, the former taunting the latter with a look that clearly expressed how she would tell Mikan the truth. The latter just gave the former a death glare.
"He's from the Hyuuga Kingdom." Hotaru said after awhile, slightly omitting his title.
"Wait, you lied to us? You told me you were from the Koizumi Kingdom!" Mikan shrieked as Natsume just shrugged.
"I didn't completely lie, I am travelling."
"You told my grandfather you were trying to get a job in the Nogi Kingdom! Liar!" She retorted angrily.
"I didn't plan to stay for long. I didn't have to lie if you didn't shoot me in the leg with your arrow." He said unfazed by her reaction. Hotaru seemed amused by that fact.
"You can leave then!" Mikan said in a huff.
"Can you two stop bickering? We still need to address the fact that you both have wings." Hotaru said in a bored tone.
That seemed to stop the fighting between Natsume and Mikan and they turned towards Hotaru with an expectant expression on their faces.
"Well, since we know your origin, there's nothing much to explain about you." She pointed towards Natsume.
"I expected as much. I already knew what was coming, I just didn't expect it to be that painful." Natsume glanced over his shoulder where his wings were. They shined in the moonlight.
"Mikan, you've been reading up on your History right?" Hotaru asked to which the brunette nodded.
"The only reason you would have wings like that is if you're a true blood fairie."
"But I'm not. I'm an orphan. Grandpa isn't a fairie. He's a commoner."
"There are fairies that aren't true bloods. But fairies have been scarce in this Kingdom for the last few years. The last known true blood fairie in the Yukihira Kingdom had been gone missing a few years back." Hotaru replied.
Silence ensued as Hotaru appeared to be in deep thought. She had known Mikan for years. It was odd that her wings manifested beyond her name day when they were supposed to. Her birthday was on January the 1st. That was 10 months ago. Hotaru didn't know anything about Mikan's mother, only that she died in childbirth. She'd met Mikan when they were both 6 years old.
Nonno had taken Mikan along on one of his town trips to the market to buy food. The Imais had been the designated temporary rulers of the Kingdom, while the ongoing dispute between the others remained unresolved. It was on that fateful day that Hotaru met the cheerful brunette. Although she was loud and sometimes annoying, Hotaru had silently appreciated Mikan's presence in her life. The other kids would shy away from her, sometimes afraid, sometimes thinking that she was a snob. But Mikan didn't. She had walked up to the young Hotaru back then and introduced herself. And spent an afternoon by her side just chatting and watching what Hotaru was doing.
At first Hotaru tried to shoo the noisy girl away. She was busy reading up on her books and the brunette's presence was unnerving her. She wasn't used to anyone hanging around her. Most of the time, she ignored the brunette. But eventually, she began to look forward to those weekly get-togethers and soon enough, they became the best of friends.
Nonno didn't send Mikan to the local school since it was too far to travel by herself and he wasn't feeling well enough to take her there everyday, so Hotaru would visit from time to time, bringing her books so she could read and be tutored. It was safe to say that Mikan was her closest friend, as Hotaru was an aloof person. She was considered a genius in her family. She tinkered with materials found lying around and created extraordinary contraptions that greatly helped the Kingdom's regeneration. She knew a lot about the Kingdom's history. She had heard about the rumors that Queen Yuka was with child when she disappeared, and though it had been years and there was scarce a picture found of the former Queen, she had a heavy feeling in her stomach that Mikan was that baby. They just had to confirm it. And she knew just the way on how to do so.
"You can't stay here anymore." Hotaru said amidst the silence.
"What? Why?" Mikan's voice rose up an octave. It was all too much life changing news to bear in just one night.
"Because there's a slim chance that you could be the true heir to the throne. If anyone finds out you're a true blood fairie and you know word travels fast in the Kingdom, your life could be in danger."
"What do you mean her life could be in danger?" Natsume was quick to ask.
"Fairies in this kingdom have gone missing one after the other for the past few years. And recently there have been reports of attacks on the royals in the Nogi Kingdom. The Queen, no less. Even if they aren't even involved in the dispute but some of the hearsay is that the Koizumi Kingdom is pressuring them to overthrow the Hyuuga Kingdom on their fight for the throne. Whoever is behind these attacks and disappearances want the remaining fairies in the Kingdom to disappear to eliminate any chance of the true blood heir from reappearing."
"If there is an heir, then they could be anywhere by now. It's been years since King Izumi died and Queen Yuka disappeared. The Koizumis can have that stupid throne, I don't want it. I just want a normal life." He said in response.
"Good luck with that, considering your wings are so easily spotted, you stick out like a sore thumb. Plus you know too much. I can't have you blabbering around about what you know about Mikan."
"You're not even sure if she's the heir." He countered.
"Which is why we must set out to find the answer to that question."
"And where would we go to get such answers?"
"To the Glade of the Fairies."
"But nobody knows the way to the Glade of the Fairies. It's been hidden for centuries. Even the elders in our Kingdom know nothing about it. It's been said that only the true blood heirs to the throne can…" Natsume's sentence was cut short as he realized it was the answer to the question.
"Exactly." Hotaru nodded her approval. As rugged as this Prince of the Hyuuga Kingdom was, he wasn't dumb. And he was the best companion she could get for their impromptu travel.
"Only the true blood heir is granted entry to the Glade. I know part of the way leads beyond the ocean. We must set out on that course."
"But what about grandpa?" Mikan asked with pools of tears in her eyes. She wanted answers but at the same time, she was frightened about leaving Nonno alone to fend for himself.
"We need to leave as soon as possible. The less he knows, the better. Go home and pack light. Just the bare essentials and some food that can last us for a few days. I have some money we can use for trade once we get past the border of the forest and down to the shoreline. I know someone from there that can help us get a boat. Meet me at the edge of the forest in half an hour. I've got to get my stuff." Hotaru said as she pushed Mikan silently towards the house.
"You, will help us get there. Then once we have the answers, you can be free to go wherever you choose. Or else, I will send my fastest raven to your parents telling them I know where you are." She said.
"How do I know you haven't already done that?" He asked her.
"If I did, then the Flame Guard would have already been here and I would be swimming in the hefty sum of reward that your parents are offering for your return. The offer is actually quite tempting if I think about it." She had this glint in her eye that made him silently shiver and consider his options.
"Fine. I'll help you. But once you get to the Glade of the Fairies, I'm done." He said curtly.
"You've got yourself a deal. Your Highness." She bowed to him as she would to any royal. She didn't trust him completely but she wasn't stupid enough to disrespect a royal true blood fairie, regardless if he was the heir or not to the throne.
"Why didn't you tell her I'm the Prince?" He asked the lavender eyed girl.
"I have my reasons."
Natsume just pushed past her to get inside the house to gather his meager belongings. He opened the door to find a startled Mikan on the other side, her hand outstretched as if she were to open the door at the exact same moment. She had tearstains on her cheeks and her eyes were puffy and bloodshot. She'd been crying. He hated it when he saw girls cry. He used to comfort his younger sister Aoi, whenever she cried.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
She was about to answer him softly when she remembered that he'd lied to her and her grandfather. He saw her expression harden as she pushed past him and went out into the garden. He let out a sigh and trudged silently to the guest room where his belongings were kept.
'This is going to be a long journey.' He thought to himself.
END OF CHAPTER 3
So they are going on a journey beyond the magical country of Alice to find the truth.
Is Mikan the true heir? I think that one's pretty obvious to us regardless if they don't know it, right?
But what will happen on their journey? Who will they meet?
Stay tuned to find out!
Anilissa – try to google 'boy fairy wings' to get an idea of their wingspan ;) But Natsume's isn't the girl kind that makes him look like a sissy. XD
YoNaMe – yeah, it's hard not to fast pace this one. And even if I keep some elements to myself, you guys keep on guessing anyway. But do stay tuned for some plot twists and cliffies in the future ;)
newroz – Thank you! And yeah, I hope I have more time to write soon. It's just been so busy recently at work and at home I rarely get a chance to sit down and write.
HaCel – Well part of this chapter states that her name day is different. And that does seem to be the case. Or is it? LoL. Stay tuned for more details on that. And yeah both of them are 16 although Mikan turned 16 first. And the rumored KK alliance is scary. Although it's just a rumor for now. We'll find out soon enough, stay tuned!
Seiren Rindo – yeah, just a spelling twist, to make it different ;) and yeah I did enjoy the music festivals. Sunscream was a blast LoL. Sorry it took awhile to update kouhai, I've been so swamped at work.
Lady Monroe – Thank you! I hope you keep on following! Do check out my other stories if you have time ;)
KaiHyuuga – humans or commoners as called in the story do co-exist with the Fairies of the different Kingdoms. The Wings appear on True Blood Fairies and have prominent colors. The half blood fairies may or may not have wings. XD
Gakuenalicelover – I hope this is soon enough. Sorry to keep you waiting, enjoy!
miramisa90212 – thanks! Enjoy!
chewybillabong – OMG! I missed you! How have you been? And I'm glad I make you smile still with my stories. It's been awhile since I've heard from you! I hope your studies are going well!
STORY CYCLE UPDATE
Starting Over Again - The Scam - Time After Time - Secrets - Fairie Tales
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Ja Ne!
xoxo Lexi1989
