Lost in the Dark
By Meganes Ultimate Fangirl
Chapter 5 – Weeks of Struggle
She still couldn't believe that Tamaki had talked her into this damn tirade. And he was convinced that they had to court every girl that they came in contact with. This made Namahi more annoyed than anything. Not just because she was a girl but because she had to do it because it would be odd if she didn't. A male not courting girls at a party was odd. And she would be automatically assumed to be a homosexual, and this she didn't want.
Being seen as a homosexual would definitely not encourage males against falling in love with her. And that definitely wouldn't do at all. It would completely defeat the purpose of disguising herself as a boy, in fact.
"Namahi! How did you escape?" the girl she was currently dancing with asked, a light blush gracing her cheeks.
Namahi sighed softly, quite annoyed with the constant questions from people, both friends and people that she had just met. "Very carefully and with much avoidance of the blasted Narians that covered practically every inch of forest," she replied smoothly. The girl swooned.
"How brave!"
She loved Tamaki like a brother and she thanked him for throwing a party just for her, but she really couldn't wait for this night to be over.
–
When she finally found the chance to escape the party, if only for a moment, she took it, stepping out on the empty balcony for a few moments of peace in the cool night air. She sighed as she leaned against the railing of the balcony, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Wanting to escape the madness of her life proved more urgent than it seemed. The guilt of all the lies she was currently keeping track of and those that she was probably going to make in the future was bearing down on her shoulders.
"Haruhi?" someone called softly from behind her. She spun around, heart rate increasingly immediately at being called by her Moradian name. She took in familiar amber eyes and red hair. Those that were identical to another.
"Kaoru," she sighed with relief, "You scared the shybrar out of me."
He smiled sheepishly and took a few steps forward, closing the doors that led back to the party behind him. "What're you doing out here?" he asked quietly as he stood next to her. "You'll catch a cold if you stay out here too long."
"I've been thinking," she mumbled, bringing a hand to her chin in thought.
"About?" he prompted.
She bit her lip. Someone had to know the truth before things became even more complicated than they should be. The younger twin was probably the one least likely to overreact as well. Therefore, she made the ultimate decision. "What really happened in Nari."
Kaoru sucked in a sharp breath and let it out slowly. "Alright... Continue."
Namahi swallowed. "You can't tell anyone. Not even Hikaru. If you do it'll get me killed. I just... Need to tell someone the truth before the lies become too much to keep track of."
His eyes widened considerably. "Jesus. That bad?" She nodded solemnly. His hand slipped into hers in a silent promise that he wouldn't speak a word. He squeezed it in a signal for her to continue.
"They caught me," she mumbled, "They did catch me and take me to the dungeon. They probably thought that I was going to be hung right after the interrogation. But Prince Kyoya... He... took interest in me."
"Interest how?" he muttered with narrowed eyes.
She closed her eyes. "I told him that I hated Kira and soldiers had killed my mother when I was younger. I told him that I wanted to help Nari in the war. And... I told him about the barrier. I didn't say specifically where it was, feigning ignorance." She opened her eyes and stared at him hard. "Is it a bad thing that I wanted to live? To see you, Hikaru, Tamaki, and my father again?"
Kaoru shook his head. "It's not bad, Princess," he murmured, squeezing her hand again. "So...?"
"Kyoya gave me his trust and sent me back here to spy for Nari. He's deemed me to be a 'special case.' And sent me back." She let out a harsh laugh. "And I fully intended to give him completely false information on Kira's plans. Until I found battle plans that could claim thousands of lives in Tamaki's bedroom." Kaoru's mouth fell open in shock. "Now, I'm going to give him the information that will save more lives. And the same on the Kiran side."
"Like a peace-maker," he concluded, recovering from his shock quickly. She nodded, smiling at him. "That'll be difficult. I hope you realize the risks."
"I do," she mumbled, "It's worth it if I can bring peace to this land in some way after all these years."
"Good luck with that, Haruhi. I'm willing to help if you want it." She nodded in thought.
"I don't want you putting yourself in danger for my sake."
"As your guard, that would be my job," he retorted with a snort. She shook her head and turned away to go back inside where Tamaki was, no doubt, looking for her. "Haruhi." She turned back. "Seriously. I'm not going to let you do this alone. It's my duty to protect you."
"I know. Thank you," she said softly, "But for this, I order you to stay and hold things down over here. If you truly want to protect me, let me dump the full truth on you and you alone. That's all I need."
Kaoru was staring at her, mouth open, when she glanced over at him. "Yes, Ter Harlen," he muttered in consent at last. "If you get yourself killed though, your father will have my head." Seconds after those words left Kaoru's mouth his twin slipped through the doors from the ballroom, shutting them closed behind him and taking a deep relieved breath.
"Hikaru?" Namahi said in surprise. His eyes were immediately drawn to where his brother's hand was still clasping hers lightly. She noticed the movement of his eyes and withdrew quickly, her chest clenching a bit. "Something wrong?"
Hikaru stared at her a moment before shaking his head to clear it. "Tamaki's looking for you. He's practically tearing apart the ballroom trying to find you."
"Ah," she muttered, nodding. It would just figure that she would step out of all the chaos inside for a mere five minutes and Tamaki would be turning the entire castle upside down trying to find out where the hell she had gone. "Suppose I should be getting back inside then. I swear, if I have to dance with another girl though..."
Both the twins chuckled, Hikaru seemingly forgetting what he had walked in on. He went on ahead. Kaoru lingered a moment, watching her and then followed slowly. He'd probably stick to her like glue for the next few weeks that she was here for. She shook her head and followed them in.
"Namahi! We thought you'd been kidnapped!"
She sighed. "Tamaki. I'm a soldier. I've been trained in self-defense. Do you really think that I'd get myself kidnapped?"
"Anyone's susceptible to kidnapping!" he cried gallantly. She rolled her eyes. He was completely ridiculous.
"And if I told you that I needed air from your crazy antics?"
His face turned pale and fell, scurrying to a corner to mumble and draw pictures in the dust on the floor. "Namahi's so cruel. Cruel, cruel, cruel. All I did was worry." She ignored him for the moment while the twins went over to laugh and bother him.
–
Seeing as the party had been planned in two days, half of her leave was already gone. Leaving two days for her to spend with her father and Tamaki before she and the twins had to ship themselves back to camp.
From there they'd either be sent on missions or allowed to lounge around camp. But for now, they had two days of bliss left. Days of bliss that were to be filled to the brim with trips to the lake and sneaking around the castle.
Namahi almost felt like she had never left for the army in the first place. That she was still that little girl of a playmate for the little boy of a Kiran Prince all those years ago.
But she knew they weren't children anymore. And the memory of finding those battle plans on the Prince's desk still stayed burned in her memory. Yes, they definitely weren't children anymore. They were at war. To the world, it was Nari versus Kira. To her it was Nari and Kira versus her, in her pursuit for peace.
She kept a close eye on Tamaki those next few days. Watching for when he might go to meetings with his father or a general. But those two days that she was there, he didn't have a single one.
Finally she had to ask him on her last night there, "Tamaki... Why were there battle plans in your room?"
His head shot up, eyes boring into hers sharply. "How did you know that?"
"I... I went to your room in search of you when I first came back. They were lying on the desk. I couldn't help myself."
He nodded, smiling slightly but sadly. Then, he sighed and gazed at her. "My father wishes for me to take part in the war. I cannot refuse him or I risk angering my grandmother. You know how she is. Still mad at him for fraternizing with a woman of a lesser country."
Namahi nodded, understanding completely. His grandmother believed in royalty of pure Kiran heritage. Tamaki was the son of Kiran King Yuzuru Suoh and a Chartonian noblewoman by the name of Anne-Sophie Grantaine. Compared to Kira and Nari, Charton was a lesser country, both in size and wealth. Therefore, Tamaki's grandmother disproved of her grandson actually being the heir even though she had no control over the matter. She was but a retired queen now.
She sighed and looked at him sadly. By his taking part in the war, it meant that she was mostly alone in her fight for peace. She and Kaoru. The others had no knowledge of what was happening. "I go back to camp at dawn tomorrow," she murmured, frowning.
"Do you have to?" he whined, not unlike a child.
She nodded. "You know I do, Tamaki. It's my duty. I was given a four day leave so that you people back here would know I was alive." 'Even if you held a funeral for me after only a week,' she added darkly. Obviously, she was still a bit ticked at that.
Tamaki scowled. "I could get you a longer leave."
"No. I've stayed long enough. Besides. I think the General might have a mission for me soon."
"Well," he muttered, "Don't die this time, alright?"
She chuckled softly and nodded. "Of course, Your Highness."
–
When morning came and she was reluctant to leave behind her father, who was sobbing uncontrollably while clinging to her while the twin boys were trying to pry her away from him. "Haruhi!" he wailed, "You can't leave your Papa all alone!"
"Dad," she sighed for the millionth time, "They expect me back later this morning. I have to leave!"
"But what if you die on me!"
"I assure you," she murmured, hugging him and closing her eyes, "I will not die and leave you all alone to care for yourself. I'd hate to think what would happen to you if I did." She briefly thought back to his woeful face as he stared at the Moradian royal portrait from when she was just a baby when she had first come home. Yes, she didn't think that he could stand another scare like that.
"You promise?" he pouted, eyes clearing a bit as he embraced his daughter tightly.
"Promise," she whispered, kissing his cheek as he released her.
"Garbu Litah, sha daementha," he mumbled, pressing his lips to her forehead in silent farewell as the twins both took her arm and led her toward the door.
"Fakellder, Faetha."
–
The next four days at camp were rather uneventful, aside from Sergeant Wari almost walking into the tent she shared with the twins while she was changing. Thank God she'd been mostly clothed by that time and Hikaru and Kaoru had been able to forcefully yank him back out.
And then there was dinner that night. A dinner that General Fusawa had, strangely enough, chosen to have in the mess hall instead of in his tent for once. As did his second in command. They were talking in hushed voices just a few seats from where she and the twins sat with Mori and Hunny, eating in silence.
"Sir, d'you suppose it could work?" the second in command, Lieutenant-General Kari Pike, questioned.
Fusawa snorted. "Of course," he answered just as quietly as his colleague had asked. "The mountains aren't that heavily guarded and if we can manage to capture them that will give us all the more land to work with against Nari."
Pike nodded to himself as her companions started talking amongst themselves. She ate in silence, secretly concentrating on the conversation happening between the higher ups. "So, the south right?"
"Start in the south." He gave a small nod in affirmation, "The north is slightly more protected due to the fact that it's closer to open ground. We can start in the southern end of the mountains and work our way up."
Namahi glanced over at Kaoru, wondering if he were also listening to this. He feigned ignorance and laughed at a joke his twin had told. She turned her ears back to the General but he and Pike had finished talking. She sighed inwardly. Great. Just great. More things to sort of whether to tell or not.
–
She was called back into the General's tent the next day, a day before she was supposed to return to Nari to report to Prince Kyoya. "Yessir!" she saluted, standing at attention.
"At ease, Marioka," he muttered, leaning over a map on the table in front of him. The tent was filled with silence for a minute or two until Fusawa sighed and looked at her. "I'd like to send you back to Nari. See if you can get some grasp on what the enemy has planned for us. And you'll leave immediately. I don't imagine that the mission they think you're on was supposed to be a very long one."
She nodded. "They're expecting me back in a day or two, Sir," she replied curtly. "The journey to the camp over there takes roughly two days."
"Good. You'll be early then. Take enough food for the journey and whatever else you may need. I need some sort of plans, Namahi. We're at threat of losing more than just the Eastern Tip to Nari."
"Yessir!" she muttered.
"You're dismissed. I'm making this one two or three weeks. If you're not back after four I'll assume that they've seen through your ploy."
She nodded again in understanding. "Could you," she broke off, slightly nervous of voicing her request. "Could you send notice to Prince Tamaki then? He thought I was dead after only a week. I'd hate to think what he'd think after three."
"Affirmative. I'll send a messenger to the castle."
"Thank you, Sir," she murmured, saluting once more before turning on her heel and heading out of the tent.
–
Kaoru walked with her out of camp and half a mile down the road seeing as his twin had other duties to attend to back at camp. "You'll tell me of the details once you're back?" he asked cautiously. Almost as if he were afraid that at the ball she'd been lying when she said that she would tell him the sole truth the entire time.
She smiled. "Yes, Kaoru. You'll be the sole protector of the truth."
His smile echoed hers perfectly. "Perfect. I'll be waiting."
"Go back to camp. I'll be fine on my own now," she murmured, stopping and pushing him back down the road. He laughed.
"Trying to get rid of me, Princess?" he asked jokingly.
"Only slightly," she replied with a smirk.
He bowed low and said very softly, "Be safe, Ter Harlen."
Namahi allowed herself another smile before she waved farewell and started on her two day journey to the Narian palace.
–
Hanaru tossed a small bundle of parchment on Kyoya's desk. However, she didn't look amused. He looked up. "Hanaru. Wasn't expecting you for another day or so."
"Your damn guards tried to jump me three times on my way up here," she muttered with distaste. "I got shot at five times and almost had a sword plunged through my chest at least once." He smirked.
"Then, they're doing their jobs," he replied, leaning back.
"You could inform them that I'm not the enemy," she spat unhappily. "I don't particularly like having to dodge attacks left and right when I'm trying to do my job." His smirk only widened with amusement. She shook her head. "Bastard," she said under her breath.
"Now then, what's this?" he asked, turning his eyes to the parchment in front of him.
"Mana Hitoro. Real name: Corporal Kanri Fusawa. He was sent as a spy in replacement of myself," she murmured, "Can you believe it? I was missing a week and they thought I was dead." She shook her head before continuing, "Married with two children, a daughter and a son." She swallowed. "Son of General Fusawa... my division's leader."
Kyoya's eyes shot up from the papers. "His son? He sent his son off to spy?" She nodded solemnly. He licked his lips dryly. "What else?"
"Have a map and a quill?" she asked, scratching her head. He looked at her for a moment with a thoughtful look before pushing the parchment he had been previously writing on. It was absent of any ink except for borderlines and cities spread out all over the place. She gave him a scorching look. He should have actually been working on something instead of leaving it blank.
"Well?" he prompted, pushing the quill and ink closer to her.
She sighed softly and took the quill in her hand, dipping it delicately in the ink. She drew the map that she remembered seeing in Tamaki's chambers when she had first returned home, knowing full well this was a betrayal to her country. "I don't know how accurate these are or if they're actually going to use them because they were in Prince Tamaki's bedroom," she mentioned vaguely as she worked.
She circled Marcria and Irlot, filling in all the arrows in between before turning it so Kyoya could see and explaining. "If they use this, they'll be launching an attack on Marcria– which you now rule– and using it as a distraction to move more troops through Irlot and attack Nari from behind." She glanced up, looking at the look of concentration on the Narian Prince's face.
He nodded, frowning. "Instant, countless deaths for Kirans and Narians alike, Your Highness." They stared each other in the eye.
"You're worried about Kiran soldiers safety too," he stated, looking at her curiously.
She started in slight surprise. "Of course I do. My surviving father, though he isn't a soldier, is Kiran. And I do have a few friends in their army." She shut her mouth, not having meant to admit that much, and bowed her head slightly. "I'm concerned whenever there's a possibility for loss of life."
He shook his head, a slight smile on his lips. "I don't think that's it. Soldiers, even ones striving for peace are never that concerned."
She looked away from his intense gaze and stood, striding over to the balcony. "I'm... not your average soldier, Your Highness. As you yourself know," she murmured, her mind back in the bedroom where she had found Tamaki's battle plans
"That, is true," he replied. "Anything else?"
She sighed and nodded, turning back to the desk and bending over it in concentration. Where exactly had that territory been circled on the MBI plan she had seen? Most of the territories looked the same to her. She bit her lip, wracking her brains as the Prince watched her. Hesitantly she pointed at a single Narian territory that she couldn't remember the name of. "This territory. What's it's name?" she mumbled, slightly embarrassed by her lack of Narian geography.
"Hreeneves. Is there an attack being planned on it?"
She nodded. "It was either that one or this one here," she murmured, pointing to another one close to Hreeneves.
"Vebl Sassg," he muttered, frowning once more. "That's close to the castle. How the hell are they going to attack it without taking the territory in front of it first?" He looked at her intently as she blinked for a moment. "And which city, specifically?"
"This particular plan was incomplete. But either Hreeneves or Bevl Sassg,"
"Vebl Sassg," he corrected quickly.
Hanaru nodded impatiently, waving her head. "Right. Vebl Sassg or Hreeneves was circled with the letters M-B-I next to it. Care to guess what that stands for, Your Highness?" She still tended to screw up when speaking Narian words occasionally, despite her vast knowledge of the language.
"Something with a magic barrier?"
She nodded. "Magic Barrier Infiltration. No specific city was circled. Just the territories. My guess is that Hik-," she cut herself off quickly, pursing her lips briefly. She'd almost given away Hikaru's real name. "Hideki and Michio may be the ones to set this up as they were the ones that set up the one in Ronera."
His eyes snapped up from where they were gazing at the paper. She looked back with surprise. Had she said something she wasn't supposed to? "Your Highness?"
"You said you didn't know where it was."
"Eh?"
"You said that all you knew was it was somewhere by the castle."
Oh shit. She closed her eyes, thinking quickly back to when she had still been in prison. "You mentioned it when you told me they found it. Back when I was still in prison."
His eyes narrowed with slight suspicion before he relaxed. Inwardly, she let out a sigh of relief. She was safe for now. He shook his head and turned back to the paper. "Back to this."
"No specific city was circled, as I said. Just the territories. I can't even begin to guess where they might try to plant this one."
"Well," he mused, "At least we know some inkling so we can expect it when the time comes." He sat up and leaned forward, chin resting on folded hands.
"I'll be the first to tell you when I find out." She hesitated with her next thought, thinking of the sliver of a plan that she had vaguely overheard the General talking about quietly with the second in command back at dinner. "There's..." she paused, attempting to pull her thoughts together completely, to decipher between what she should and shouldn't tell. "There was something about..."
He was staring at her intently now as she furrowed her brows together in concentration, closing her eyes and raising her face to the ceiling. "I didn't quite understand it since I only caught part of it. But, the southern part of the mountains? Maybe not the south. Might've been the north." She shook her head, turning her eyes back to him. "I don't remember. It was a conversation General Fusawa was having with his second in command," she mumbled.
He shrugged. "That's fine. You've already given quite a deal of information already, Hanaru," he replied with an air of aloofness. She nodded, knowing that she'd specifically feigned memory loss with the conversation. She remembered it clearly. They were planning to seize the southern part of the mountains. If she withheld that, there would be little resistance and fewer loss of life. "Anything else I should be aware of?"
"No, Your Highness," she replied swiftly. "Was there anything else you wanted to know?" she inquired politely. He stood and strode toward her, placing his hands on her shoulders and slowly backing her up against the wall. What was he doing? "Y-Your Highness?"
"There is," he said, his voice soft and sounding slightly demented, murderous even, "One more thing that I'd like to know Hanaru. And unfortunately, I'm afraid I might have to torture it out of you." And with that he ducked his head down and smashed his mouth against hers.
Her eyes widened in absolute surprise, her head reflexively jerking to the left away from his lips. She brought a hand to her lips, chest wrenching terribly at something, and stared at him incredulously as he pulled away with a smirk on his face. The only thing going through her head?
What. The. Hell?
–
A/N: Gotta love me and my cliff hangers. And after a 3-week time span between updates for this one, you might be waiting a bit for the next one as well. I seriously need to concentrate on my studies. Especially since I have to work purely from home at the moment due to my current health state.
Kudos to 43ver and derderxp. I find it funny that AN is the most popular of all of my current projects. Anyway, review please? :D