D. N. Angel Fan Fiction ❯ Rapunzel's Prince ❯ Chapter 1

Chapter 6:

 

Disclaimer: I do not own DN Angel.

 

Warnings: None that you haven't already seen.

 

The word spread through Khael like wildfire - they were riding to war! And war with the Hiwatari kingdom, no less; the same kingdom with which Khael had been lifelong allies. Messengers were dispatched from the royal palace with messages to be carried to each and every city, town or village with able-bodied young men. Mothers mourned the impending loss of their sons, wives their husbands. Only the children were blissfully unaware of what was to come; all they knew was that Father had been summoned to become a soldier, a noble hero who would surely perform great deeds of bravery in the midst of battle.

 

It was the fourth day of the second week since their arrival in Ginka when the emperor's messenger arrived. “Hear ye, hear ye!” He cried out in a strong voice in the city square. “By decree of the Emperor of Khael, his most revered Majesty, Protector of the Khael Empire and the Eastern Deserts Shi Ryuuki, we are at war with the Hiwatari Kingdom! All able-bodied men shall report to the city barracks by tomorrow morning, no later than noon. The Emperor calls on you to serve your country, and ride to war to protect the Empire which has sheltered and cared for you! Anyone who fails to report shall be punished severely, for failure to obey the Emperor, may he live forever, is failure to serve the realm.”

 

Satoshi could barely keep himself from reeling back with shock. Ryuuki had declared war on the Hiwatari kingdom? How could this be? Surely his cousin would not think of going against his wishes? “Are you all right?” Blinking the black dots that had suddenly gathered in front of his eyes away, he turned to see Quatre looking at him in concern.

 

“Ah…nothing.” Those large blue eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion, but then the blond shrugged and turned away. Satoshi looked at the messenger once more before walking away. I can't fool around anymore, he thought suddenly. I have to get to the border before Ryuuki's troops arrive. Then Heero spoke. “Best stay away from the borderlands then.” He felt someone's eyes rest on the back of his head, and he forced himself not to shift. There was no point in letting them find out who he really was, not before they arrived at the border. He only hoped that the announcement of war would provide the troupe with additional incentive to entertain the soldiers.

 

Later that night, he made his way to Dark's tent, hoping that the other had not already forgotten why Satoshi was travelling with them for the time being. “Dark?” The purple-haired man shot him a wide grin, tossing aside the torn costume in favour of what appeared to be a more entertaining pastime.

 

“Satoshi! I'm glad to see you're settling in. Good performance!” A small glow spread in his heart at the praise; he did not think Dark had any reason to lie to him.

 

“About going to the Hiwatari kingdom…”

 

“Oh, that.” The amethyst-eyed man flapped a hand at him. “Of course…where was it you wanted to go again?”

 

“The Hiwatari Kingdom. Or at least, to the border.” Dark stared at him intensely and Satoshi shifted, feeling slightly uneasy. What if Dark just kicked him out right here, right now?

 

“Huh.” The older man shifted and the sheets rustled. “You really were being serious. I'll be damned.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Now Satoshi was sure that something was wrong. Even back at the palace, when he had begged for permission to return to his homeland, the nobles had not reacted in such a way. The actor stared at him disbelievingly.

 

“It's been news for a while,” he finally said. “When you mentioned the borderlands, I thought you were just addled from the heat, or trying to find your way to a place close by. I didn't actually believe that you intended to get to the Hiwatari kingdom.”

 

“Why not?”

 

The other fidgeted - the first sign of uneasiness he'd seen in the man - before clearly making up his mind. “There's no such thing. At least, not any more.” Catching the incredulous look on Satoshi's face, he snorted. “Good grief boy, where did you live? Under a rock? Everyone knows the Hiwatari Kingdom's little more than a piece of war-torn land.”

 

“W-what? That's impossible! Ryuuki—“ He froze in horror but forced himself to continue anyway. “My cousin - he told me that the kingdom was still standing, but torn by civil war!”

 

At the sharp look on Dark's face, Satoshi knew that he had said too much. “Ryuuki? The same name as our esteemed Emperor?”

 

“He - he was named for the Emperor.” The blue-haired prince immediately said.

 

“Oh? That's an interesting choice. Did your parents not know of Shi Ryuuki's…illustrious background?”

 

“Only that he was the Emperor-to-be,” Satoshi said defiantly. Dark chuckled.

 

“Very well then.” The man heaved a great sigh of resignation. “Looks like we'll have some soldiers to entertain.” He flashed a grin at Satoshi. “The twins will hate you. Soldiers tend to have hands with their own minds, so to speak.” Knowing that this was the most he would get out of the actor, Satoshi bowed and left.

 

Dark watched the tent flap swing closed and then frowned. It was clear that the boy was lying through his teeth, but why? Was Satoshi some kind of noble-born boy who had run away from his family? That would certainly explain his insistence on a mask and bulky robes at first. What if he was the Emperor's cousin, for whom the entire palace had been searching for so desperately? The purple-haired man threw back his head and laughed. The very idea was ridiculous! As if a relative of the Emperor would ever seek to leave the palace and a life of luxury behind, only to toil alongside a group of barely-sociable actors. Still snickering to himself, he decided to at some point start asking about possible routes to the border. He apparently had a fool's promise to keep.

 

When he announced that they would be taking the main road to the Hiwatari kingdom, he was greeted by stunned silence. Even Trowa looked astonished. “We may as well earn good money entertaining the armies,” Dark pointed out. “And it's a main road. There will be plenty of food and shelter, I'll warrant.”

 

Krad abruptly stood up. “I need to talk to you.” He said briskly. The other actor shrugged and the pair left.

 

“Well,” Riku said suddenly, “I guess we'd better get some food from the market. The fishwife at Ryuuzaki's told me that Tsuzuki's is having a summer vegetable sale. We'd better hurry before everything sells out.” Risa jumped up immediately.

 

“Ah,” the younger twin paused, “We need a man to help us carry all of those things. Satoshi, would you come with us please?” A small ripple of laughter ran around the group as the blue-haired youth blushed and stood up. “Thank you!” The girl chirped brightly before grabbing his hand and tugging him towards where Riku waited for them.

 

No wonder everyone had laughed, Satoshi thought as Risa placed yet another basket of straw mushrooms atop the teetering pile of food he carried. “Hey, is there anything else we should put into the stew for tonight?”

 

As Risa immediately danced over to a pile of turnips, Satoshi caught a glimpse of red out of the corner of his eye. He turned to see who - or what it was - but still could not make it out. “Are you the one who came by my father's store?” Shocked that someone could have sneaked up on him so easily, it took everything the musician had not to drop the entire pile of food.

 

“Ah…um, you,” he managed weakly. It would have been rude to shout, he knew. The memory of their last encounter returned in full force and he sincerely hoped that the other did not say anything. The young man smiled beatifically once again and had Satoshi not seen him selling herbal remedies, he would have immediately assumed the other to be a monk of some holy order.

 

“Indeed.” Those odd eyes flickered sideways towards the twins, and Satoshi was suddenly overcome by an urge to protect them from the storekeeper.

 

“I don't know who you are,” his own voice sounded harsh in his ears, “and I really don't care who you are. But don't bother me again.”

 

“Well, that is a shame,” the redhead remarked. “I would have told you about rapunzel. Or more correctly, your Rapunzel.”

 

When he had first started out on this journey, all Satoshi knew was that rapunzel was a type of plant. He knew that it was likely to be near a tall tower, but his father's kingdom; former kingdom, he harshly reminded himself, had quite a number of tall towers. A wry smile twisted his lips. Perhaps he should wait for Ryuuki's forces to sweep the country first; any remaining towers would be easy to find after the pillaging and looting was done. “My Rapunzel?” He asked the other warily.

 

That brilliant smile appeared once more and Satoshi briefly wondered whether this man was one of the strange creatures that his nurse used to tell him stories about. What were they called? Oh yes. Angels. “Certainly. Your Rapunzel.”

 

Making a decision on the spot, Satoshi carefully put the pile of food down next to Risa and mumbled something about needing to relieve himself before following the other. He could not miss another chance to find out more about the elusive name. Surely the mirror would not send him on a quest to find some rare vegetable that only grew back home? He thought of the tower, and the darkness that had followed. What did those other things mean? Were they some sort of warning, or omen? The other man turned every so often to smile at him, and soon Satoshi knew that he was well in the depths of the city. This was nowhere near the markets he had visited during his resting time, and he doubted very much whether he would be able to make it out by himself. As though sensing his thoughts, the redheaded man in front of him murmured, “Don't worry; I'll make sure you get back safely.” There was no other choice, the blue-eyed youth thought. He only hoped that the actors would not leave him behind when they moved on.

 

“I suppose you don't remember my name?” Satoshi absently stared at the cup of tea in front of him.

 

“Aidan,” he replied almost defiantly. He felt as though the other was constantly amused by whatever he did, and he just barely managed to keep the scowl off his face. Back at home, and even in the Khael Palace, no one had ever made him feel young or inexperienced. Here, though…it was as though everyone saw him as just a child trying to act like a grown-up, and failing miserably.

 

The other man beamed. “You remembered.” Satoshi gave him a half-shrug. “About Rapunzel…it is a vegetable. It looks like a lettuce, but has purple-tinged leaves and grows in marshy areas. It flourishes best when nurtured carefully in gardens, but is very hard to cultivate. You can always tell wild-grown rapunzel from farmed ones; the purple in the wild ones will be slightly darker around the edge and taste slightly bitter, a little like chicory. Home-grown ones are generally sweeter to the taste. Rapunzel is a very versatile vegetable indeed…it is good for garnishes and salads; when mixed with French vinaigrette, for example, it makes a particularly tasty dish. It also has healing properties; any herbalist will tell you that it is a good wrapping for poultices, cooling bruises and other hurts very rapidly. It's one of the best cures for a cough; eat a few leaves and it soothes your throat instantly. Finally, it also does your stomach good; it's mild enough to eat even when you're feeling queasy or seasick. There have also been reports of its curing poisoned victims; if enough is ingested, it causes vomiting but will not kill.” Satoshi did not know how to respond to this information; all he knew was that it was not what he was looking for. Nevertheless, he could not help but look at the monk with a newfound respect; he had obviously devoted much of his time to learning about the healing properties of plants.

 

“Thank you,” Satoshi replied stiffly, hoping that he would still have time to return to Riku before it grew dark. “I…shall remember that.”

 

“But rapunzel is not only the name of a most useful herb; it is also the name of a young man. Or so the stories say.” Satoshi inhaled sharply. Was this the person whom he had sought since that fateful day in front of the mirror?

 

“It is said that his mother, when she was with child, craved rapunzel from a garden next to hers. Unfortunately, the garden belonged to a jealous witch, who guarded her plants carefully lest someone try to steal them. The wife would sit at the window of the kitchen every day, never saying a word but it was clear that she wanted the rapunzel. Distraught by his wife's cravings, the husband climbed over the fence separating the two gardens one night and stole a basketful of rapunzel. The witch caught him, but instead of punishing him like all the other trespassers before him, she offered him a deal: as much rapunzel as his wife wanted in exchange for the life of his firstborn child. Frightened out of his wits and at a loss, the husband agreed, and his wife soon gave birth to a healthy baby. The witch claimed her debt and named the boy Rapunzel. Then she took him away and locked him in a tower to keep him from leaving, and to keep his parents from finding him.”

 

Satoshi said nothing; his mind was too busy whirling with the information. Rapunzel was a person? A boy, nonetheless. Was the mirror telling him to go rescue Rapunzel? “Is there any more to hear?” He asked, leaning forward and forgetting himself momentarily.

 

“Well, the tower only appears to those who are truly lost,” the herbalist says. “Naturally, it never appears more than once to the same person.”

 

Satoshi swallowed hard. “So…I have to be lost in order to find the tower?” Aidan shrugged.

 

“Maybe, maybe not. It's just a children's story.” As though sensing the sudden restlessness of his audience, the redhead smiled once more and stood up, picking up a small packet of what looked to be herbs off the worktable. “You should probably get back to your friends now,” he told the blue-haired man with a slight smile. “They're very worried about you.” Feeling relieved, Satoshi stood up and thanked the other profusely.

 

“Thank you so much for your, um, time,” he says. “I hope I wasn't, um, too much of a bother.” He does not understand why he is stammering now; perhaps it is because he was earlier faced with evidence of Aidan's intelligence and the fact that he knew about a person named Rapunzel as well as the plant. He blinked at the small cloth-wrapped packet that the man had at some point gently slipped into his hand.

 

“A little mixture to help you sleep better,” Aidan told him with a smile. “You'll be glad to have it soon.”

 

Satoshi does not know what to say. The physicians back home, all six of them, only agreed on one thing: that herbal remedies never worked. They scoffed incessantly at the kitchen maids, who would inevitably show up after a day at market with some new concoction `guaranteed to cure boils' or some such nonsense, and until today Satoshi had been perfectly content to agree with the physicians. On the other hand, it would be rude not to accept such a gift, especially when he knew that herbalists could not make much money from their craft; poor folk would only pay so much for a love potion.

 

“Take it,” the other offered, white teeth flashing dimly in the shop. “I have plenty of these for everyone, and my trade is not as…ill-funded as you appear to think.” Ashamed, the blue-haired prince took the small sachet and hastily shoved it into the pocket of his tunic. “Place it under your pillow,” the other continued easily. “If you feel it does not work, there is nothing to stop you from disposing of it.” Satoshi slowly nodded and thanked the other once more before leaving, feeling strangely lightheaded as he stepped outside into dusk. Once he was well on his way to camp, Satoshi's fingers flew to the pocket where he had stored the sachet, taking it out and turning it over to look for any identifying marks. He slowly replaced the object and continued on his way to camp, bracing himself for Riku's wrath.

 

He was not disappointed. Upon making himself known, the entire camp came running to make sure that he was all right. As soon as it was established that he was unharmed, most members simply returned to their given tasks, although Wufei muttered something about `hare-brained idiots' and Riku insisted on telling him that she would have willingly resurrected him just to kill him again if he had been found murdered. Dark simply chuckled and told him that he would not have been the first person to wander off on account of a pretty girl.

 

As he pulled his tunic over his head later that night, Satoshi felt something fall to the ground. Bending over and squinting at the ground, he managed to locate a small square shape and instantly remembered the sachet that Aidan had given him earlier. Carefully brushing it off and feeling rather foolish, he slipped the small packet under his pillow and crawled into his bedroll, mind still going over the information he had just learned.

 

The next morning came all too soon, but his tiredness seemed to vanish quicker than usual. Satoshi knew that he was normally slow to wake on account of some imbalance of his humours, but either Aidan had given him something that actually worked or his belief had done the trick itself. Either way, he felt much more refreshed than he ever had. The change did not come unnoticed; even Krad went so far as to ask if he should allow all his troupe members to run away whenever they felt like it, if the results were so clearly beneficial. Satoshi flushed to the roots of his hair, prompting yet another round of teasing and he finally managed to slip away under the pretext of getting his costume. This quiet exit was duly noted by Duo, who spent another fifteen minutes waggling his eyebrows and asking what he really did when he snuck off. Not knowing how to answer and feeling a little off balance, the blue-haired youth grabbed a costume off a rack and walked away, hoping that the braided performer would ignore him. No such luck.

 

“He's no fun at all,” Duo pouts when they return. Heero simply rolls his eyes and goes back to repairing one of the tassels on the hand-drums they use so often. “He won't even tell me her name.”

 

“No one bandies a lady's name about and expects to get away with it.” Satoshi blinks at what just came out of his mouth, blinking when Duo grins and claps him on the back.

 

“Good to see you out of your shell, kid,” the performer laughs before wandering over to Heero. Satoshi paused for a moment, wondering if everyone saw him the same way. Was he really that unapproachable?

 

As though the fates were trying to provide him with an answer, he found that the rest of the troupe was more willing to talk to him. It was as though a barrier had been lifted, and he was now one of the core members of the group. Even if he still did not understand why Quatre flushed bright red at the sight of an old wooden flute, or how Wufei came to know bits of old poetry that he claims were written a hundred years ago, he was a part of the team. It was rather nice, he thought. Even though he still stammered occasionally when Heero fixes him with that unwavering blue stare and holds out a set of bells or a tambourine, and Duo still irritated him now and again, Satoshi realized that he was happy. He felt like he belonged, rather than just being an extra person travelling with them temporarily. It is only when the terrain starts becoming rockier and more shrubs spring up that he realizes that they are approaching the old Hiwatari borders.

 

Their first audience at the border is for a group of bored soldiers, as the dice and cups will testify. At first, they are wary and even outright hostile, but with a few of Dark's `magic tricks' which mainly consist of seemingly pulling various small objects out of the air, the men settle down to watch and by the end of it the battered hat which they normally pass around is heavy and jingles nicely. Krad takes them out for dumplings that night.

 

Satoshi starts to become a little restless on the fourth night, feeling as though he's so close and yet so far. He's busy keeping a beat as usual, painted mask settled firmly over his features because with the army this close, he can never be sure if Ran Shuuei is around, or whether word will get to him of a blue-haired performer. His hair colour is not common, even for the Western kingdoms, and it would almost certainly generate a great deal of interest. He absentmindedly raises the beat to a crescendo, drumming rapidly as Duo leaps off the wire and somersaults on his way down, landing as lightly as a cat. The man bows and the soldiers clap appreciatively, all of them laughing from the group's antics. On the sidelines, Krad beams and Satoshi can just tell that in spite of having to keep the girls well guarded and being very close to a war zone, they must all be earning at least twice as much as they had been in Ginka. Before he goes to sleep, he wonders what all his old nurses and tutors would say if they could see him now.

 

Dark calls him into his tent the next night, those purple eyes now completely devoid of mischief and almost as unreadable as Trowa generally is. “You know you can leave at any time now, right?” It's a serious question, and Satoshi realizes with a pang that leaving would not be as easy as he originally thought. He likes the team, to some extent, and he's already lost enough allies as it is. A small part of him swallows at the thought of having to be alone again, and having to earn money through what little he has learned during his time with the street performers. It won't do to have Dark pick up on that though; he still wants to find Rapunzel, and the mirror still influences him as strongly now as it did back then in the dusty storeroom of the Khael Palace.

 

There is no sign that Dark feels anything other than resignation. “Just tell us before you leave, all right? Otherwise the girls will have my head. I'm sure Quatre will want to say something to you too, knowing him.” Satoshi nods quietly, unsure of what to say in response. The older man sighs. “You know, it was good to have you around. Did you learn anything?” Satoshi is at first tempted to reply that he will never again comment on a soldier's attire, but catches himself in time to prevent anything facetious from slipping out.

 

“I did. Thank you.” He does not know what else to say, but feels that Dark will understand. The purple-haired man is more perceptive than he lets on, and saying too much would just unnecessarily lengthen this talk.

 

“Good. I think you did too.” Satoshi is about to leave when Dark stops him again. “Just so you know, if you don't find what you're looking for, or you need money…we'll still be here. Likely until the war ends.” He almost chokes up at this, and nods, hoping that his voice will not crack like some youngster about to enter manhood.

 

“Good luck.” Satoshi recognizes the dismissal and leaves, heart heavier than it was when he entered the tent. He does not know what it means and once more gets into his bedroll, the small sachet a comforting lump under his head.

 

The next day is windy with smatterings of rain every now and again, which puts everyone in a miserable mood. The troupe has to resort to less dangerous tricks, since everyone knows that wire-walking in the rain has a tendency to lead to accidents, and even the soldiers are less friendly today, cold and huddled together for warmth as they are. Nevertheless, they soldier on and continue to perform, even when Trowa, normally so graceful, slips in the soft ground and gets up slathered in mud. Quatre rushes to his aid, but is stayed only by the sharp look he receives from the rest of the team. The mistake immediately costs them at least a few coppers, but Satoshi honestly cannot blame anyone for it; accidents happen, and the weather is making everyone particularly uncooperative. The day continues like this and after the tenth time they have to interrupt the story of the weaver maiden and her cowherd lover to keep their costumes from being blown away, the soldiers mutter ominously and begin to leave. Krad calls off the entire thing after they conclude their tale, and the performers return to where they set up camp previously.

 

Huddled inside his tent, Satoshi borrows one of Wufei's books and goes through it, glad for once to be able to read a book in peace. It is not his turn to cook tonight, thankfully, and it is unlikely that anyone will be coming to disturb him. It's been a long time, he thinks as he immerses himself in a completely foreign world and culture. He does not realize that the restlessness haunting him only that morning is now completely gone.

 

The next morning, the troupe wakes to find their equipment smashed and stolen. The cart is damaged beyond repair, leaning crazily to one side because of the smashed wheels, and the horse is gone. Their costumes are conspicuously missing and Trowa guesses that they have been taken to be remade into other things; cloth is a valuable asset here. Pots and pans are scattered over the ground, and it is just lucky that the soldiers did not think to take any captives. Duo growls that they must have been common petty thieves; only those would ever think of not waking the people inside the tents up. In any case, they are now all stranded at the border between Khael and the Hiwatari kingdom with five tents and the clothes on their banks without a penny between them. Krad wants to continue performing and earn a little through acrobatics, storytelling and the like, whilst Quatre wants to return to Ginka. Duo is all for stealing the equipment from the army, but is reminded that `he is no longer a thief, and will not act as such.' He glares and mutters, but says nothing when the troupe finally agrees to earn a little more before returning to Ginka. After all, if they do not have money, it is unlikely that they will be able to eat anyway, and it is a long way back to the city. Satoshi decides to stay on until they leave, not wanting to abandon them during their time of difficulty.

 

They work harder than ever for the next few days, even composing an impromptu cheer for the army as it prepares for battle once more. The men's spirits seem to be diminishing by the day; it is unclear whose men are fighting at the border, but Satoshi does not recognize the livery when he sees it; no lord his father ever had at court had used a red eagle on a black background. “It's the emblem of House Tarragon,” Quatre says later when Heero asks. “They've been quiet for the last few years, preferring domestic matters to…international conflict.”

 

Krad adds his opinion, a rarity when it is not related to the troupe directly. “They must not be very powerful then,” he comments dryly. “Only Houses looking to prove themselves stay within the borders of their own countries. They know that foreign houses won't look at them until they gain some standing. Are you sure they've been around long enough to even gain a genuine coat of arms?” There is some snickering at this, but Satoshi frowns a little. If even small Houses were crawling out of the woodwork and fighting the Khael army, what did it mean for the kingdom as a whole? Was it in complete disarray, plundered and no longer a place of peace and prosperity? Or was it ruled by some warlord with an iron fist, who'd schemed his way to the top? None of the Councillors were alive or well enough to gather an army this powerful, and if the Khael army has not yet proceeded further into his father's kingdom at all they must be a substantial force.

 

“I hear they have made an alliance of sorts.” Quatre coolly replied. Satoshi wanted to frown, but did not dare; as far as anyone knew, he was merely an unlucky youth who had run away from home and lost his purse to pickpockets on his very first day out in the streets.

 

Feigning disinterest in the topic, the prince leaned over. “With whom?” He asked casually.

 

The blond shrugged in reply. “I think it was a name beginning with a `C', although I can't be sure. So many men calling themselves warlords these days, who can really tell?”

 

Satoshi thought for a while. He knew that his head would likely fetch a good sum if brought to anyone in the Hiwatari kingdom, and that the Khael men would be looking for a young man with blue hair and eyes. It was a wonder no one had found him yet. Then again, perhaps it was not; most soldiers were so tired after a long day that they would not remember seeing anything unusual about any of the performers, and even if they did, the Emperor's cousin working alongside common street performers was the most ludicrous idea one could ever come up with. If anyone had told Satoshi six months beforehand that he would be performing on the streets, he too would have laughed in their faces, regardless of how rude it was to do so.

 

Thankfully, after that one rainy day, the weather returned to its usual temperate self. The troupe continued to earn what little they could convince the soldiers to give away, and if they were lucky a corporal would come by and toss them a little extra. Satoshi still remembers the feeling of relief and gratitude when a general stopped by and threw a whole fistful of gold coins into the hat, and having to leave hastily when the looks on the foot soldiers' faces went from contented to mutinous in a flash.

 

The day came when Dark and Krad both deemed the amount of money earned sufficient for a trip back to Ginka. When the total amount is announced, both men shoot Satoshi meaningful glances, and he knows that it is time to leave. He certainly cannot return to the city with them, and his journey is almost finished. The thought of deliberately getting lost in the forest makes his stomach churn a little, especially when he will be all on his own this time, but he nods and stands up, his legs trembling as though they're about to collapse on him.

 

“I'm leaving,” he announces. “You, um, probably already know this, but I have to go back to the Hi-former Hiwatari kingdom. Thank you for letting me travel with you, and for teaching me everything about your craft. Thank you for taking care of me, and I wish you all the best in your travels back to Ginka.” He thinks he's missed something, and then remembers. “I am honoured to have been part of your group.”

 

There is a stunned silence when he finishes, and Satoshi cannot think why. Then Duo stands up and walks over, throwing one arm over his shoulders and grinning. “It's been an honour working with you too, Satoshi. Are you sure you don't want to stay some more? I mean, we'll be short a drummer again, and you weren't half-bad at tightrope walking either. You'd have been as good as Trowa if you'd kept at it.” Everyone laughs. Satoshi really, really wishes he could stay; images of a peaceful life wandering across the land with these street performers flashing through his mind and tempting him further. He shook his head and carefully moved away.

 

“There's something I have to do.” Risa is the next to realize and throws herself at him, bawling. There is no doubt her tears are genuine; his shirt is now completely ruined. Riku simply rolls her eyes and walks over to comfort her sobbing twin, but she is just as affected even if she's not showing it.

 

“If you dare get hurt or killed, I'll find you, resurrect you and kill you myself,” Riku threatens as she glares at him. “And I hope you remember that before you do something stupid.” Satoshi nods, not knowing what to say in response. The other girl sniffs and carefully hugs him, gently tugging her sister away. “C'mon Risa, we have to go.” Satoshi awkwardly hugged the both of them and then let go, swallowing as Risa stared up at him with big, teary brown eyes.

 

“You'll remember us?” She asks in that sweet voice she normally only uses for audiences. “Promise?” Satoshi nods, suddenly realizing that he's leaving them all behind. They might be going back to Ginka, but he's still the one who doesn't want to stay on. For the first time, Satoshi feels just a little disappointed that no one wants him to stay on. Clearly, he can't have been doing a very good job if everyone seems to accept his leaving as a fact. Dark surprises him; as soon as the twins let him go, the older man is striding over and pulling him into a tight hug.

 

“You'll do good,” he mumbles roughly into Satoshi's hair before stepping back. “Take care of yourself, you hear? And if you see any other street performers, be nice to them!” Satoshi does not think he could bring himself to ignore acting troupes anymore; not after he's been a part of one for what could easily be the happiest few weeks of his life.

 

“You too,” he tells Dark whilst fighting the hard knot in his throat. Krad formally shakes his hand, Quatre and Duo smile and the rest of the troupe nods as they move away. Satoshi does not even move until the entire group disappears amongst the trees before looking down at his hand, where Dark had subtly pressed something. It was his money bag, much havier than it had previously been. Staring fiercely at the spot where the troupe had been only a few minutes before, the young man swallows hard and bites back a sniff before strapping the pouch carefully to his belt, hoisting his pack onto his back and walking in the other direction, hoping not to run into any soldiers.

 

The next few days pass in a blur. Satoshi is pleasantly surprised to find food in the pack, along with a sling and a tinderbox. He wraps himself in his cloak at night, leaving the fire to merrily crackle, and continues to travel throughout the day. Without even a compass to guide him, he wryly thinks that at least getting lost enough to have the tower appear to him won't be a problem.

 

In spite of his notoriously bad sense of direction, the tower does not appear and Satoshi starts to wonder if maybe everyone was having some sort of sick joke at his expense. Perhaps the information Aidan gave him was faulty; after all, if it was some sort of fairytale, perhaps there were details that had been lost in the telling. Even the stories that his old nurse told him missed certain points out, and it would not be a surprise if perhaps there was some sort of incantation needed to invoke the witch or her tower. What if the entire tale was something made up to entertain young children, and Rapunzel had never existed to begin with? The thought chilled him a little and he could not but shudder into when the thought crossed his mind. Had he really come all this way, back into a war-torn country on the word of a magic mirror and a mysterious apothecary?

 

The seventh day brought him to a small village, with smoke still rising out of the freshly burned buildings. There was no sign of life anywhere; even the animals had fled. As he carefully picked through the remains, he came across a wooden carving of a dog. Its tail and hindquarters had been scorched off and twisted into almost unrecognizable lumps of black, but the front half remained intact, honey-brown wood still lightly scored to show the fur. Satoshi fought back the tears that pricked his eyes even as he wondered about the child who had played with this toy. Was he still alive? What about the person who had carved the figurine? Was he alive, dead or taken? Carefully placing the small object back on the ground, the young man continued on his way after offering up a prayer for the souls of those who had lived in the village.

 

The eighth day forces Satoshi to resort to his sling and the tinderbox for food; his supplies have run out, and hunting is now a necessity. A day of failure forces him to grub for roots and berries, and he finds a small pink flower that Quatre once used to make tea. In spite of the hot liquid, his stomach growls miserably and he huddles under a large tree, hoping that nothing unpleasant makes its way into the bedroll with him.

 

It is foggy and drizzly the next day, and Satoshi wakes to find a number of wriggling things marching over his bedroll. Suppressing the revulsion that comes when faced with such ugly, large insects, he carefully packs up and walks on, batting uselessly at the mist as it clings to him like some damp blanket. At around midday, he stops for a quick rest and closes his eyes, seeing the tower as clear as day behind his eyelids. Opening them once more, he is confronted by a slate grey wall looming over him. As his eyes slowly trail upwards, he realizes that this must be the tower that he's been searching for so long. It is truly an impressive sight; he is forcibly reminded of the Tower of Babel that his old tutors used to talk about, and as he walks around the structure he realizes that there are no doors. Aidan was right, he thought almost giddily. It is a magic tower.

 

The tower is too tall; he can only see up to three-quarters of the way, and then he will have to start moving back. He does not want to leave, fearing that the bilding will disappear as soon as he turns his back on it. Then a soft swishing noise catches his ear, and the fog parts as though someone had cut through it with a knife. A slight, female figure slowly emerges from the mist and Satoshi bites back a gasp of surprise. Although her features are young and fresh, her hair is completely grey. Nevertheless, she moves with the grace of someone of his age, and as she gets closer it becomes clear that she is not unpretty either. In other circumstances, he would have rather liked to make her acquaintance, but some primal instinct to run emerges within him and he bolts for the safety of the nearest tree, hoping fervently that she did not notice him standing there, gawking like a moonstruck calf.

 

The woman reaches the foot of the tower and looks up. “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!” She calls loudly. At first, nothing happens and Satoshi thinks that perhaps there is something more to getting inside the tower. Then, from above, a long red rope appears. Giving the thing a firm tug to make sure that it is secure, the woman begins to climb up. From behind the tree, the young prince takes a few deep breaths to calm himself. After all this time searching, he has finally found Rapunzel! A small curl of triumph rises within his chest and he smiles; it is an unfamiliar feeling, but one that he knows makes him happier. He settles down to wait for the witch, for that is who the woman must be, to come back down so that he himself can climb up and visit Rapunzel.

 

Thank you for reading! Reviews are also much appreciated, and have a very happy Easter!