Veeery Veeeeeeeeeery sorry for the excessively late update. But rest assured that although this may be my least popular fanfic, it's probably my favourite :)
I'm also glad to say that my bribery seemed to work, making me the proud owner of 10 chapter 2 reviews(that's an increase in reviews of 200%)! I'm sorry that I didn't send out the bonus scene straight away, but I wanted to send out the bonus and the new chapter at the same time, because the bonus is like an extension of the first 100 or so words of this chapter.
Anyhow, thankyou very very much to the generous reviewers:
I3VA (unless it's l3VA? I'm not sure, L or A?)
bluechibi (I have included the definition of a usurper in the chapter, because I think a lot of people are confused about what it means)
XxMidnightPrincessxX (Same to you ^^)
Lydiacatfish (I just checked your profile and you're juggling 10 stories o.O I don't envy you, I think 2 is more than enough for me...)
Ritu (I feel a little guilty about turning Luna into the bad guy, but I would rather use her than use some random OC that no one will remember)
Vampire princess Mika (You'll find out the answers to your questions soon enough, most will probably be next chapter though)
Amai Youkaiko (Thanks for story alerting, although by now you've probably forgotten about this story...sorry!)
Rissi-chan (That's because this story is based on that, I'll explain more at the end of the chapter.)
akadabra-kaching (Sometimes I find it difficult to sit still and write for 2000 words, so on the rare (or not so rare) occasion, I may skimp on the length)
Evermore888 (Well, you'll finally get to read it! (Now that I've finally updated))
So finally, (drumroll, just imagine it) the main act!
The Usurper
Chapter 3
Alone
u·surp
v. u·surped, u·surp·ing, u·surps
.
1. To seize and hold (the power or rights of another, for example) by force or without legal authority.
2. To take over or occupy without right: usurp a neighbor's land.
3. To take the place of (another) without legal authority; supplant.
.
To seize another's place, authority, or possession wrongfully.
Mikan was breathless. They had finally crossed the Great Divide. She remembered Arrow's fear, the fear of the tumultuous river toiling away at the bottom of the ravine. Even though it was so far below them, the river gushed with such fierceness that a fine spray of water still managed to layer itself on them. But Luna had reassured them that the bridge was safe, so they reluctantly crossed. Just thinking about the sheer length of that bridge was enough to make Mikan feel dizzy; it had taken her 10 minutes to get across.
"That was the longest 10 minutes of my life"
"It wasn't that bad, Arrow."
"For you, you're meant to be half merperson or something. I'm a horse, I don't do rusty old rope bridges dangling precariously 10 metres or so over a violently turbulent river."
"Luna said that it was reinforced with magic, and it's not like the bridge broke or anything." Arrow snorted and flicked his tail in irritation.
"It's not far now." Luna led them off the path and down a game trail. "Here"
Mikan's breath caught in her throat as she viewed the smooth expanse of clear water. It gave off a feeling of tranquillity, with the grassy hills gently sloping towards the bank. Grinning like a child she ran down to the water's edge and stretched out her hand, resting it on the surface and feeling the pulse of the lake. She closed her eyes and listened to the water spirits. With a jolt she realised that she was in the Fire Kingdom, the homeland of her ancestors.
She would have jumped into the lake, clothes and all, but Luna stopped her.
"You can't just jump in! Your clothes'll get wet and we'll have to stop and wait for them to dry. And take off that necklace too; it might fall off while you swim." Mikan was a little reluctant to take off her necklace, but in the end the call of the lake was too great. She jumped in, submerging herself completely, eyes wide open. It was a whole other world. Silver fish darted around her like small arrows, red water plants billowed gracefully to every change in the currant. The light that filtered through the water danced and rippled.
"Arrow, come on! Stop sulking and swim with me!" But Arrow was silent.
"C'mon, stop ignoring me, I'm sorry, alright?" Still no reply. Mikan kicked her way upwards and looked around once her head broke the water.
"Arrow…?" There was water in her eyes, so she shook her head and looked towards the shore. She could see Arrow lying on the floor, probably asleep. Mikan smiled. So it was him who was tired after all. Luna leant down and stroked his mane before bowing her head to kiss his closed eye. A sudden jarring pain... All Mikan could feel was pain, an excruciating agony. It shot through her body, piercing her every bone, bathing her nerves in an icy cold fire. It was a relief when everything finally went black, and she felt her body being claimed by the water.
Shiki was furious at the guards for not clearing the princess's trip with him. He was furious at the maid for what she was attempting to do. But most of all he was furious with himself. Careless! He should not have let Mikan stray from his sight, especially when there was so much at stake. He was racing full speed, with the entire guard trailing 20 or so metres behind him. He didn't even pause at the bridge, although by now his mount was speckled with sweat. He was halfway across when his horse reared in distress. The rest of the guard slowed as they approached him.
"Captain-"
"Quiet!" Shiki shushed them. He could hear an odd creaking from behind the party. It was the sound of snapping steel, and metal pushed to its breaking point.
"FULL CHARGE FORWARD!" yelled Shiki. The bridge was breaking, it made no sense but it was breaking. Didn't a maintenance team come ahead of time to reinforce it for the trip? The damn maid must have somehow sabotaged it. His horse was charging at full speed, he had almost made it to the other side. He could hear the shouts of his comrades being cut off one by one, and the cracking of wood and snapping cables from behind him. He urged his horse on faster, but it needed no encouragement. He was so close, he could count the trees, when suddenly the fell from beneath him. As he fell his only thoughts were of saving the princess. Of saving the daughter of Yuka.
Mikan woke to a cold hand pulling her up by her hair.
"Mikan, Mikan, wake up, your highness." The voice was cold, sarcastic. She looked up to see Luna, dressed in the clothes she had taken off before swimming.
"Luna? What are you doing? Where's Arrow, he was in pain…a lot of pain, I've got to help him! He probably got a stone stuck-"
"Shut up, Mikan. I don't have to listen to you anymore."
"Huh? What?"
"Oh, you still don't understand? Because from now on, we are switching places."
"Luna? Oh, I mean Mikan, right? Umm…if you're me then am I you? Could you explain again?" Luna slapped Mikan.
"STOP! Stop treating this like a game, do you think I'm joking? Is it so far beyond your mind's capacity to even consider that I hate you? That this whole time I've only been pretending to like you? Because I don't. I hate spoilt, childish little girls like you." With one sharp jerk of Mikan's hair, Luna's face was only and inch away from Mikan's. "And I want people like you to suffer."
Luna released Mikan and threw her back to the ground.
"Listen closely, darling, because I won't repeat myself. Right now I have placed a blood curse on Arrow. If I so desire, I only need to think it and his heart will stop. No doubt the pain you say he felt earlier was due to the curse being placed. No, don't say anything. Just nod if you understand." Mikan turned her head looking for Arrow, only to find him tied to a tree, his head bent in defeat. He wouldn't look her in the eye.
"Arrow…"
"It's true, Mikan" He looked up, and Mikan gasped. Blood was streaming from the spot where his left eye used to be. "It was probably one of the conditions of the curse."
"Arrow!"
"There's nothing we can do for now, so just nod, before she kills us." Mikan nodded
"You do, of course, realise that if his heart stops, so does yours and vice versa, so don't even consider disobeying my orders." Another nod.
"First of all, I am now Mikan Sakura, sole princess of the Water Kingdom. You are now Jun, my servant. On the way here the bridge failed and broke, sending all of our guardsmen to their deaths, and we were the only survivors. Arrow will pretend to be my familiar, and you will not let on that you're the one bonded with him. Once we reach the city, you will tell no one of your true identity. You will never reveal the skin on your back, in case anyone realises that that tattoo you have is a bondage mark. You will be set free to make your own way in the city, and make sure not to die. I would rather keep Arrow alive as proof that I am the princess, but if it becomes evident that you will not comply, there are other options, expensive, but I will have the means. Do you understand, Jun?" Mikan nodded.
"Good, Jun. And don't get any false hope. No one in the Fire Kingdom has seen you before. They only know that you have brown hair, blue eyes, a bonding mark in the form of a rearing horse and a familiar named Arrow. All of which I now have." At Mikan's questioning look, Luna pulled up the back of her shirt and turned around. This revealed a tattoo almost identical to Mikan's bonding mark. "Do you like it, Jun? It's not exactly the same, but it'll do. And don't think your guards are going to come to the rescue, they actually did fall into the Great Divide. Their corpses will have washed up in the Bay of Reconciliation by this time tomorrow."
"Shiki…" Mikan found herself crying. Everything was wrong. Shiki should be alive, with her. Luna should be smiling, a friend and not a monster. She should never have to see Arrow's head bowed so low.
"Shut up, Jun, I don't want to hear your pathetic wailing. From now on I give the orders, and nothing you say is worth hearing."
"I HATE YOU!" Mikan braced herself, expecting to be slapped again, but Luna knelt down and caressed her cheek gently.
"That's good. Hate me. Despise me. I love seeing you despair, Mikan. Because up until now, your life has been a fairy tale. And now you get to see the princess ride off on her white horsy to meet prince charming and live happily ever after, and it won't be you. But you know the thing that I love? No one will know the difference. Nothing will change if you and I swap places, that's how insignificant you are. You were never special. I'm actually doing you a favour. It's not like you wanted to marry the prince of the Fire Kingdom anyway. Admit it, you would have considered swapping with me if you weren't so damn concerned about the Water Kingdom." Mikan shook her head, staring into the distance.
"Not…not like this. Murder and blackmail, only a coward resorts to that! There are peaceful ways to deal with issues!"
"No, it's not cowardice, it's strength. The cowards are the ones who are too scared to dirty their hands. The people who are too scared to face the reality of the world. The world is not a pretty place, happiness can't be achieved without sacrifice. Oh, and one last thing." Luna grabbed a stick off the ground and walked over to a rock by the lake. Mikan could see something glinting in the sun, blue…it was her necklace. Luna used the stick to lift the necklace off the ground, holding it up briefly to make sure Mikan knew what it was, before tossing it, stick and all, into the middle of the lake.
"There. How does it feel, Jun, to know that you are completely alone?"
Okay, now for my afternote. A couple people have mentioned that this reminds them of another story, that's because this is actually based on a fairy tale. I didn't mention it earlier, because I didn't want this chapter to be spoilt, but seeing as the chapter's over, it's fine. If you know what fairy tale it's based on, then feel smug, if you don't, then don't worry, this story'll probably be better if you don't know.
But don't worry, this fanfic won't follow the said fairy tale that closely, and won't be quite so morbid either ^^
Review if you feel like it, and if you want to read bonus scene, just mention it in your review.