After the sudden running away from the cottage incident, the five continued to walk towards the north mountain. The wasn't as hard as it looked. They walked through a continuous thick pile of snow until they reached a very huge tree. It didn't have any leaves on it. Rather sparkling thick vines made of ice. They weren't at all sharp and pointy. Instead, they sparkled as the barely seen sun shined on it.
Kano was bedazzled. "I never knew winter would be this beautiful." he exclaimed while he looked around.
"So you never really went out of the palace, did you Shuuya?" Ayano asked the curious Shuuya with a smile.
"Nope." he said as he shoved up a handful of snow. "Not even when mom and dad passed away." she then formed the snow he shoved up into a ball. "Hey, onee-chan, do you still like playing?"
"Because I'm the next in throne in the second high standing kingdom, I don't think I've been able to play so much." Ayano said and the next thing she knew, a snowball had hit her in the face.
Kano laughed while Ayano brushed off the snow form her face. After, she gave Kano an angry look and Kano stopped.
"Uhh.. Onee-chan,.. I- ahh... Hehe.." he said scratching the back of his head.
"You should have given me a warning." Ayano said, shoved a handful of snow, formed it into a ball and threw it at Kano. She then laughed.
Kano then repeated and threw the ball at Konoha. "Right at ya buddy!"
The ball hit Konoha's face but he had no reaction. Instead, he kneeled on the snow filled ground and gathered up snow, unsure of what he was making.
Ene on the other had started throwing snowballs continuously at the two. Ayano and Kano laughed while running from Ene who didn't stop.
"Master, come on! Join us!" Ene told Shintaro.
"I'm good." Shintaro said as he leaned on the trunk of the tree.
Suddenly, just like Ayano, Ene hit him on the face with a snowball.
He brushed it off and said in an angry tone, "I told you I don't wanna play!" at Ene.
"Shintaro," he heard Konoha's voice say from beside him.
"What?" as he looked at Konoha, his eyes widened seeing the spirit had a very huge ball made of snow on his hands right over his head.
"Let's play." Konoha said as he dropped the huge ball on Shintaro.
Shintaro got covered in the ball of snow until he managed to get out. He gasped for air and glared at Konoha. "You're going to pay for that."
And suddenly, Konoha notice the light was changed into a shadow. He then looked over his head and saw a very huge snow ball floating above him. "Uhh..." and the snowball dropped on him. Everyone laughed including Shintaro.
Shintaro then got up from the pile of snow and ran towards the others.
"Master does know how to have fun." Ene said smiling.
"Of course I do." Shintaro said.
As Konoha got out of the pile, everyone looked at him. They were actually confused at weather to run or just stare at him, because he was pointing at something. Them? Was he pointing at them?
Suddenly, Shintaro's senses tinged. He quickly looked at what was behind them and saw the same dark figure.
"You guys, run!" Shintaro said and everyone started running. Shintaro on the other hand stayed and struck the figure with different elements which it dodged. He began to get tired until he stomped his foot on the ground. The earth shook and everyone feel on their knees. The dark figure flew upwards and let out a girly scream. What? A girl's scream? And it had hit Shintaro. AW COME ON!
The figure was about to hit the groun. Luckily Shintaro cam up fast and caught it.
"You okay?" he asked.
Dark figure pushed Shintaro and she landed on her feet. She wore a dark cloak with a hood on covering her hair and face (similar to Shintaro's first get up). "Onii-chan, what was that for?!" she yelled at Shintaro.
Ayano and Kano, who were not so far, got shocked at what they had just heard. "Onii-chan?" they said together in shock.
Shintaro looked behind him and saw Ayano and Kano both on the ground with Ene and Konoha. He ran towards them and helped them up.
"Shintaro, you're an older brother?" Ayano asked in shock.
"Uhh, yeah.." Shintaro said as he helped Ayano up.
Ayano then looked at what was behind Shintaro. "I think she really is your sister." she said remembering the first time she and Shintaro had met.
"Yeah..."
"Oi, onii-chan!" Shintaro's younger sister said as she approached him. "You had better explain things to me now. Why did you run from me, why did you shoot those stuff at me, and where is Kuroha?"
"But before answering those.." Shintaro said and he pointed at what his sister was wearing. "Why are you wearing that?"
"This?" she said pointing at the cloak. "I found it lying on the ground outside the troll's cave."
"Take it off and throw it away." Shintaro said.
"Why? I started growing on it."
"Just throw it away! You made me think you were Kuroha." he said.
"Oh." she said. "Okay."
Like what Shintaro did, she took off her hood. A girl with short blonde hair was revealed. She was about Ayano's height and she had round black eyes. "Happy?" she said afterwards and winked at her brother.
Shintaro sighed and pinched his sister's cheek. "Still as stubborn as ever. Momo, what are you doing here?"
"I was just wondering where Kuroha was." she said in pain. "Stop pinching me!" she said as she pushed her brother away.
"Um.." Ayano interrupted. "Sorry to bother you guys, but.. Aren't you going to introduce us to your little sister to us, Shintaro?"
"Oh, yeah." Shintaro said. "Guys, this is my little sister, Momo." he said introducing them to his sister. "Momo, the guy in black is Prince Shuuya Kano of the highest standing kingdom and the girl in the red scarf is the Princess of the second highest standing kingdom, Princess Ayano Tateyama."
"Nice to meet ya!" Kano said as he raised one hand up.
"It's an honor!" Ayano said with a bow.
"The honor is all mine your highness." Momo said with a bow. "It's so weird how Onii-chan got a chance to see you. He's a really big admirer."
"Admirer?" Ayano said, smiling yet shocked.
"Momo! No!" Shintaro screamed.
As Shintaro was about to cover his sisters mouth, Ene held him back. "Go on little sister!" she said.
Momo understood what Ene had said and smirked. "In his diary, it said, 'I couldn't afford to loose such a precious gem so I saved her.' He even asked Konoha to draw you on that certain page."
"Momo!" Shintaro screamed.
"Also, he placed hearts all over your name." Momo said.
"Can you just stop!?" Shintaro said angrily and the ground shook.
And suddenly, two snow made horses pulling an ice made sled with two kids riding suddenly came out from the woods.
"Uwaah!" Ene yelled and let go of Shintaro as the horses appear.
"Stop!" Momo said and the horses calmed.
"Hiyori?! Hibiya?!" Ayano said in shock as she spotted the two kids at the back. "What on earth are both of you doing here?!"
"Ayano-nee?" Hiyori said in shock as well. "What are you doing here?! I thought you were back at the palace."
"No." Ayano said as she went over to them. "I thought you were back at the second high standing kingdom. Who sent you to the highest standing kingdom?"
"Dad did." Hiyori said. "He said I'd meet up with you guys."
"What? Why would uncle do that!?" Ayano said in shock.
"Wait, would your uncle even be sending out two kids out to the highest standing kingdom?" Shintaro asked.
"My uncle isn't that dumb." Ayano said. "Why would he send up Hiyori and Hibiya?"
"Then..." Shintaro said, trying to examine everything. "Asahina-sama," he said looking at Hiyori. "DId you notice anything weird about your father?"
"How do you know my name?" Hiyori asked looking at Shintaro with a confused look.
"This little freak here saved your life." Shintaro said pointing his thumb at Momo.
"Excuse me!?" Momo said angrily.
"So," Shintaro said ignoring Momo. "Did you notice anything weird with your father."
Hiyroi shook her head. "I didn't. But... Hibiya did."
"Hibiya?" Ayano said. "Why? What about uncle."
"Hiyori wouldn't listen to me." Hibiya said as he scratched the back of his head and Hiyori hit him on the stomach. He let out a small cry and said in a weak painful voice. "F-fine... I'll be serious." he said and regained strength again. "The duke of the second high standing kigdom had red eyes just like everyone we saw back in the palace here. He didn't act like his jolly self, and when he told Hiyori to catch up with Ayano-san, he had no emotion. That's it."
"Kuroha." Kano and Ayano said together.
Shintaro nodded. "He must have hypnotized your father," he said looking at Hiyori. "and made him let you come here so you would be joined into the madness."
"Kuroha is so cruel." Ayano said in a sad tone. "Who would create someone like him?"
Momo and SHintaro glanced at each other.
"So," Momo said. "What do we do with Hiyori and Hibiya here?"
Shintaro thought for a while. "I don't think taking them to the troll's cave would be the greatest idea. Since we're the only ones left who haven't been hypnotized by Kuroha, I think we should all stay in a group." Shintaro said.
"So, wht are we waiting for?" Ene spoke up. "We haven't got all day!"
"Actually, we do." Ayano said with a smile. "Come on!"
And once again, they all started walking.