Chapter II- Beyond Dreams

Fear... Hatred... I am fear... I am hated... Cometh thee... Jointh thou...

ARISE!

"-i ! Kao-! Kaori! Wake up!"

***

Kaori woke up with a jump. He took a few seconds for his breath to come back.

"Kaori! Are you alright!?" Shiori looked to her lord anxiously, hoping that nothing was wrong.

"I'm fine, never better!" He smiled reassuringly,"Why are you asking?"

"You started breathing heavily all of a sudden, I was really concerned," She murmured sweetly,"I couldn't think of anything that could cause it... Good to know your fine..."

"Yep!" They looked at each other's eyes and smiled, then something hit Kaori,"Wait! Wasn't I on watch duty yesterday!?"

"..."

"Shiori...?" He glared and leaned in closer.

"Okay fine! I used the sleep spell..."

"I had a feeling you did..." he got off the ground and dust himself off. Although they had made a leaf cot, it wouldn't do well protecting from the sand and gravel,"Welp, ready to get moving again?" He clutched his cloak off a wooden pole and started off, his partner following behind.

The previous day, they took refuge in the forest to ease the idea of danger. While Kaori was still conflicted, Shiori put his safety into recognition and as a top priority, considering she knew, she'd be put to death if he were to be seriously injured or killed. Risk are not easy to turn a blind eye to, For they could become more than risk, but hazards. Thereforth, they both agreed that risks couldn't be made, but still swore to protect one another, no matter the cost.

They weaved through the brambles and thorns that sealed away the forest and separated it from the ruins. The harsh winds that came in rough as the two walked together, stride by stride.

"Today's an ugly day, isn't it," Kaori said, attempting to start a conversation between the two.

"Cloudy with a chance of meatballs..." she chuckled while her lord stared in confusion.

"Wha..."

"It's a book."

"Oh... make sense now," He nodded forward and paused,"Now what's the plan, we can't just charge into the village and hope to find the spawn..."

"I thought that was going to be the plan, so I didn't make a plan B..." Kaori face palmed himself and sighed,"However, if you give me a few minutes, perhaps I could come up with an almost foolproof strategy."

"I'll give you that time..."

***

"WOAH!" Deirdre cried as she fell, the plate of omurice landing on the floor. She looked up to see the dish she created successfully, smushed, with shards of glass all over the floor,"Aww... no..."

"Are you okay sis?" Her twin sister Kibo rushing over. Kaguya glances over and sighed.

"Your absolutely hopeless..." he groaned and looked back out the window he was leaning towards. He watched as his mistress practice her swordsmanship skills with her elder brother Hajime.

"Why do you have to be such a jerk to me!" Deirdre cried as Kibo comforted her.

"Sugarcoating is for the weak..." He re-reverted his eyes to the two sisters and plastered a smug look on his face,"Of course, it wouldn't matter much if I did, since you are pathetically weak already." His words only made the platinum blonde haired maid cry more.

"Shh, shh... it's okay..." She patted her sister's shoulders after helping her up the cold tiled ground, then glancing at the snarky butler,"Truly you didn't mean that, if so, please refrain from speaking like that."

"And if I didn't?" He tilted his head upward as a sign of dominance,"Nobody truly cares about what we do,"

"But what about the siblings..."

"Obviously, But we all know that they're too busy to pay any mind," He smiled,"Us both especially... isn't that right, Kibo?" The tension in his stare made the beige blonde feel weak and lightheaded, so she took a few steps backward and said nothing back,"Glad to see we met a point..." he got off the wall and started walking off,"I'll be doing the laundry if you two fools need me."

"..." Kibo walked back over to her sister and sighed.

"What made you go all silent?" Deirdre questioned her twin, noticing the cloudiness in her eyes.

"You know how much I hate it when he yells at me... it hurts..." she murmured and snatched a broom and scoop from the supply closet that was luckily close by and started sweeping the broken china and omurice from the spot it was in.

"Still crushing?" The clumsier of the two asked while getting a mop and bucket. Her question caught Kibo off guard and she squeaked,

"N-no... I was never crushing to begin with!" Her face went from surprise to a messy smile,"I've recently fallen in love..." Deirdre sighed and started mopping the area that her sister cleared.

"Just remember Kibo... there's a thin line between a deep crush, and desperate love..."

"I know Deirdre... I know..."

***

"Hiya!" Naso shouted as her blade collided with Hajime's. Disregarding the fact that she left and opening, she twisted her body, forcing her brother to recoil. He wasn't having any of it though. He let his sword slice open the ground, allowing himself to keep steady.

"You've gotten better," He panted slightly, maneuvering over to his steed,"Let's top it up a notch."

"What!? No!" Naso whined,"You said one round and that's all!"

"You truly believed I was going to stick by that?" He asked while scoffing, pointing his épée at her,"Let's spar, sister." Knowing Naso, she instantly found an excuse to stop.

"B-But... your on a horse!" She complained.

"Problem?"

"Yes! A big one!" She stomped her foot,"You have an advantage! Higher ground!" They both remained silent for a moment until he sheathed his blade and clapped.

"Good job, you remembered," He smiled, then murmuring,"I'm such a good teacher..."

"Hajime... can I ask you a question?" His younger sister asked,"Why do we practice this stuff? There hasn't been a war in at least 5 centuries!" Her eyes pleaded for an answer, but she was only answered with a sigh.

"You wouldn't understand..." he muttered. She rolled her eyes.

"Of course I wouldn't! I'm always being cooped up in the castle against my will!" She yelled,"It's like I'm a prisoner!"

"That's how you felt!?" He growled,"Well you never spoke up about it!"

"Then you've obviously never cared about me and my dreams!" She was growing angrier but every second passing. She was about to slash his face with her rapier until a long shiny arrow shot between the two.

"Could you two please stop your bickering..." Arisu yawned,"I was trying to sleep in..."

"Well you were bound to wake up advenually, so you're welcome," Hajime replied snarkily, expressing his mood with his voice.

"I don't need your snarkiness, brother," She walked on over, her bow over her shoulder. She bent down and picked up her arrow,"No dents..."

"What's that?" Naso asked while observing the mystical aura that radiated from the tip.

"It's an enchanted arrow, it's difficult to make them," Arisu was saying silently,"Mother and father manage to obtain the materials for me so I could make it."

"Always being spoiled," Hajime rolled his eyes and unmounted his horse.

"Well I'm the one who gives requests to our parents, you assume you'll get something," She scoffed. The two twins glared at each other and then broke it when the youngest of the three asked a groundbreaking question.

"Why can't I leave the castle?" She demanded to her siblings,"Surely, there's a good reason! Come on! Say something!"

"..." Just as Naso was going to shout, a voice from behind came up.

"Milady, Lord Hajime, Lady Arisu," Kaguya spoke sternly,"Your parents demand to speak to you two," he said directing his head to the elder siblings.

"Okay, many thanks Kaguya," Hajime nodded and padded away with his sister.

"HEY! WAIT! You didn't answer my question yet!" Naso started running after her siblings until her butler tugged her back gently.

"Milady, please," He started while closing his eyes,"I think it would be best if you didn't go after them, you need to... cool down, a little" Naso sighed and nodded.

"I guess you're right..." She exhaled and stretched,"Hey, Kaggy?"

"Yes my princess?" He glanced softly. The princess started walking inside.

"Tell everyone I'm skipping lunch and dinner," She looked back, her eyes showing her sentimental exhaustion,"I need to sleep, and cool off, as you recommended." She smiled and waved.

"Milady Wait!" Kaguya rushed over,"You mustn't sleep now, you may accidentally wake up in the middle of the night, then this cycle will keep on repeating... nobody, especially me, wants that to happen."

"I understand your concern... but I'm sleeping anyways!" She gleamed and waved,"Night! Or Afternoon!" Kaguya sighed one last time as his lady left the training grounds.

"This is unhealthy... I shouldn't allow myself to let her do this..." he muttered,"I'm afraid doom will fall upon us all..." Everyone in the castle agreed on one thing, to never talk to Naso when she's angry or tired, especially if she's both, because a cranky and tired Naso, was the worst Naso of all.

***

Naso wandered through the castle's empty hallways, the luminous sun tarnished in the sky as she ran hurriedly.

"What is going on..." she whispered as she took glances of the dying sun. She burst through two open doors that separated the garden from the entrance of the castle,"When did I get here!?" She muttered and shook her head, looking back.

The castle was fading to darkness, and she could hardly think, let alone question anything anymore. She just had this dying feelings to run. To run out and through the gates. To runaway...

So she followed her gut feeling that told her to run and run and run, and she was rewarded with peace...

"Swaying and being swayed...

One thoughts flow, like bubbles, down the stream..."

"What's that sound...?" She directed her head to her left, realizing she was somewhere else,"Is that... singing?"

"That hand will open up...

The twisted path...

To tomorrow"

She didn't know what possessed her. She just felt herself being entranced to the melody that was being sung, and before she even knew it, she felt the world lightening before her eyes...

***

Naso awoken, the dream lingered in her mind.

What was that about!? Suddenly, a knock came from the door.

"Who is it?" She said, sounding a little irritated.

"It's Kibo, your majesty" she heard a faint chuckle.

"Come in!" She smiles as Kibo came in with some food.

"Your parents requested me to bring your dinner up, assuming you are hungry..." Naso nodded and wiped away drool that came from her mouth. She stared at the o-hitashi and beckoned her head.

"Thank you Kibo, I don't know what I would do if I didn't have you as a maid! Sometimes I wish you and your sister didn't have to be here though..." her grin became a grimace,"You should be back home in The Frost Village... with your father..." they remained silent but then Kibo exhaled a breath she held.

"It doesn't matter to me, I am honored to serve you anyway I can," she trailed off but then picked up again,"Daily in the castle, or if life turns, on the battlefield..."

"But let's be honest! When would that ever happen?"

"You'd be surprised Milady... very surprised..."