Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Broken Worlds ❯ Dethroned Queen ( Chapter 2 )

Broken Worlds 2

Dethroned Queen

"I don't want to hurt you," Ryo whispered.

"Then," Ruki moaned as she pushed herself back on her feet, "all the easier for me to finish you off! Prepare to die, Gladiator King!" She walked to him, trying to find more strength to finish him. As she raised her sword to him, he grabbed his arm and shook it away.

"It's over, Ruki," he said. "They'll make me kill you!"

"Do it! Only one of us is going to leave the arena," she said, "and the only way I'm leaving here is if I bathe in your blood or drown in my own!"

"You've already done that." He told her. "I bathed in yours too. It's over. Just give up."

"Never."

"Will it be so bad to fight next to me?"

"I'd rather die!"

"Forgive me," he said, pulling back his fist and punching her in the face hard enough to knock her unconscious. She passed out and he let her fall but he wanted, ached to hold her and tell her that he loved her.

Immediately, men in the crowd demanded to finish her. Ryo just walked away. "If you want her dead," he said, "then get the executioner to do it. I'm not touching another hair on her head. Disqualify her, punish her with death or make her leave, but I've fought her and I refuse to kill her."

"She'll never fight here again," Yamaki said.

"I know."

He sighed, "so be it. The execution will be at dawn. You're the victor, Ryo the Gladiator King."

The crowd began to cheer. "HAIL THE GLADIATOR KING!" Ryo could barely hear the cheers. He drowned them out as he saw guards enter the arena to get Ruki through the corner of his eye. His chest tightened and tears swelled up in his eyes. The guards picked her up rather roughly.

"Careful with her!" Ryo barked instinctively.

The guards looked at him in shock and carried her inside to a cell until her death in the morning. Ryo sighed and clenched his fist. Why did Ruki hate men so much? He just didn't understand it. He was madly in love with her and saved her life a couple of times? Hid she not see that? He saved her before they became gladiators and on a few occasions inside the training arena and again today. He wanted nothing more than to have her by his side. If not in his arms, then at least by his side.

Now, her hate of men will become the death of her. If she had only accepted Ryo's proposal, she would've lived. Yes, fighting along side a man may be different, maybe even preposterous and stupid, but the man loved her. How could she even hate the man that loved her more than anything on Earth? It didn't matter now. She only had twelve hours left to live. Ryo ignored the praises and cheers and even his rewards for defeating the gladiator queen and left to his quarters. His queen, his everything, will die first thing in the morning and he didn't know what to do. He felt compelled to save her again as he always did when she was in the least bit of danger. But what could he do? She hated men and him especially. If he offered to help her escape she might spit right into face.

He groaned at sat up from his bed. He raked his brain over and over for a way to save her. Then, around midnight, an idea struck him. It might be a little risky and he'd be executed himself for it, but he didn't care. He just wanted to get her out of the arena as quickly as possible.

"I'm coming for you, my queen," he said as he left his room.

*****

Ruki had woken shortly after the guards placed her in the cell and now she was unable to fall asleep again. It wasn't her usual room. She was sitting on a cold stone floor with her hands shackled to the wall. Fear gripped her, even though she was a gladiator and have faced many frightening things. Ruki tried shaking her arms to break free from the wall but it was no use. She bit her lip and tried not to cry. She heard a news outside the room, like a muffled gasp and hard smash. Her fear rose higher and she shook her arms again.

Someone was coming in to kill her while she was unable to defend herself. Her heart raced and she kept telling herself not to panic.

A key entered the keyhole and she moved back in the wall. The door came unlocked and started to open. Ruki forced to show that she was unafraid.

"Who are you?" she demanded. "What do you want?"

"It's just me," answered a familiar, quiet voice, "my queen." Ryo entered the room and approached her.

"You!" she hissed.

He put his finger to his lips, "Shh. They're going to kill you in the morning." He knelt down in front of her.

"What?"

"They've sentenced you to death."

"Oh," she said, "then at least I'll go honorable."

"You want them to?"

"It's better than being next to you for the rest of my life," she snarled.

"You won't even try to escape?"

"I've tried," she said, shaking her arms. "But…the chains are too strong, even for me. I've fought all my life and I'm ready to die. I'm not afraid."

"Then can you answer some questions for me?"

She glared at him, un-answering. He asked her anyway.

"Why do you hate men?" he asked. "What happened?"

"I just do!" she shouted in a whisper. "Damn you for asking me that! You've got no right!"

"There may be some selfish, evil men in the world," Ryo stated, "but I swear that I am not one of them."

"I don't care." She muttered bitterly. "I hate them. I hate men, all of them."

"So you would hate all men," Ryo questioned, still unable to understand, "all men, even there was one among them that loved you?"

"There's nothing you can say to change my mind."

"My queen--"

"Quit saying that!" she growled, "I'm not your queen! I belong to no one!"

But he was just as hard headed as she was. "But you are my queen." He insisted, "There's no one else I want. You're strong, beautiful and some day I'll hope you'll understand." He moved closer to her, pinned her arms down to her sides with his arms and pulling her close to him. She started to wiggle and even spat in his face.

"Let me go!" she hissed.

Ryo didn't let go. He held her even tighter. "If you wish to die tomorrow, then I want to say goodbye to my queen."

"I'm not your queen!" she yelled. "Stop calling me--mmphh!"

Ryo planted his mouth on hers and she now startled to struggle even harder. She tried pulling her arms up but she could only move her hands and the fact that they were chained to the wall didn't help much either. Pushing him away was useless. He was still too strong and she was tired, weak and sore from the battle. The more she fought, the more he held on to her. She tried to imagine it wasn't happening, that she was somewhere far away. She wanted to believe that he wasn't really there with her, holding her in his arms, kissing her. His tongue--and the taste of it--moving freely in her mouth was only an illusion. It couldn't be happening. She tried hard not to give in, not to become emotional and kiss back and run her hands up and down his back. She resisted the temptation with all her heart because she knew that was what he was just trying to do. He wanted to get some affection back but she wasn't going to give any, no matter how good the kiss may have been. He moved a hand to her hair and scrunched it between his fingers. She felt his chest heave and knew he was either emotional or running out of air. The kiss was great, unimaginably wonderfully exciting but she told her self not to think that. She was not like other women who longed to be kiss. Then, when it was over, she fought not to pout for more.

He took in a deep breath and she glared at him as he got to his feet.

"Why you--" she began.

"Goodbye, my queen," he said, "I'll always love you." He turned on his foot and left her alone.

"I'm not your queen!" she growled. The kiss was so heavy she could still feel his tongue in her mouth. But it wasn't his tongue. "Hmm?" There was an object in her mouth and she lifted her hand to spit it out. She gasped as she looked into her palm to find…

"A key?" she whispered. She looked at the door he just walked out of and back to the key in her palm. She squeezed her hand over it and almost threw it far to the other side of the cell and stopped. He had passed the key to her mouth from his so that she could use it to escape. Again, he was trying to save her. She didn't like the idea accepting a man's help. She didn't accept help from anyone. If she just sat here and waited until dawn, they'll kill her and she'll be free of him. She'll be free of all men. She wanted to die, to put an end to her suffering.

She looked at the key again, trying to decide whether to use it or not. Then, a thought occurred to her, if she allowed herself to die and then it would be the end of the gladiator queen. The things she'd learned in the arena will not have a chance to be shown elsewhere. There were still more men she wanted to slay. She couldn't allow herself to be put to death. Oh no, the world has just begun to see what she could do. There was much more, much, much more. She'll make her own weapons and armor. No more battled in arena, but in the real battlefield outside the arena where others would be watching. Her battles would not be chosen for her. She'll chose them her own. There was much bigger fish to fry out there.

A grin spread across her face and she unlocked the shackles from her wrists. "Thank you, my king." She tiptoed to the door, opened it slowly and looked both ways. She took long, quiet strides to the exit and taking one last look at the gladiator arena, the place she called home for the last seven years, she climbed the gate and sprinted away. After running for some time, she stopped to catch her breath by a stream. She knelt down and cupped the water in her hands to drink. The moon reflected on the water. Ruki heard strange noises but she was not afraid of them.

"I must not show fear," she told herself. "I will slay demons, men and those who stand in my way. But whom shall I call myself? I'm not the Gladiator Queen anymore. It will only be a matter of time until someone takes my place." She sighed and leaned back a large rock to rest. Hearing footsteps, she awakened and jumped to her feet. "Who is there?"

Expecting a man or a demon, she turned ready to defend herself. Movement caught her eye and she looked up at the cliff on the other side of the stream. It was no demon or man, yet a fox. A white fox that glistened silver and blue in the moonlight. The creature looked at Ruki and Ruki looked back, as if they were communicating with their eyes. Then the fox walked to the water to drink and ran away, with Ruki watching.

"That was the most beautiful fox I've ever seen," she said breathlessly. She gasped, "That's it! A fox." She looked up at the moon and back at the way fox had retreated. It was slightly passed midnight and the first creature she saw since she left the arena was a fox. It was perfect to call herself after the time and the animal of the day she left the arena. "Midnight. Fox. From this day forward, I shall be known as the Midnight Fox. I will not rest until the world is rid of every man and demon!"

Immediately, she picked up the sand from the streambed and made it into clay. She hardened the clay and shaped it into a shape of a fox's head. After living in the arena for most of her life, she learned how to make weapons and armor. She made blue paint and painted the dried clay fox head, which she planed to wear as a mask. When the paint dried, she took leather strips and put it on the back of the mask. She took her hair down, shook it and tried the mask on for size. It was a perfect fit. After killing deer and skinning them, she created leather boots, gloves and an armor top and a loincloth then painted them blue, like the fox had looked under the moonlight. She took three long and sharp strips of metal and attached them to a metal fragment around her wrist. She tested its strength on a tree trunk and grinned after leaving three deep gashes in its bark.

"What's a fox without a set of claws?"

She then made a scimitar, a short curved sword; and bows an arrows. But they were not ordinary arrows. The arrowheads were diamond, diamonds she found in a cave. After creating her weapons, armor, cape and mask, she stood over the stream to admire herself.

"It's time for the fox to hunt," she said, slashing the air.

***

The next day when the guards went to get Ruki, they found her missing. "She's escaped! How could she escape?"

They sounded the alarm and alerted everyone, but only Ryo knew how she left and was quite surprised. While everyone was shocked by her disappearance, he stood on the roof looking out to the wilderness with a smile on his face.

'I don't believe it,' he thought, 'she accepted my help and escaped.'

Though he was happy about her escaping and that she was free from the execution, he was saddened also. He let out a sigh, looking out to where she may have gone. He ached to be near her. Someone walked up to him.

"I know the truth."

"What?" Ryo looked behind his shoulder to see Yamaki.

"You let her escape, didn't you?" he asked.

Ryo sighed and looked back at the wilderness, "so, you'll execute me, wont' you? Kill the Gladiator King?"

"No. Instead, I'll give you permission to leave."

"Leave?"

"That's what you were thinking about, weren't you?" Yamaki grinned and nodded passed the arena. "You were wondering where she ran off to."

Ryo nodded somberly.

"If you want her, then go and find her."

"She hates men."

"You saved her life," Yamaki said, "once she realizes that there'd be one last man in the world she would hate."

"You'll let me leave the arena, just like that?" Ryo questioned, turning to Yamaki.

"I think I've trained you well enough," Yamaki said, "You can handle anything out there. Time for me to train the newcomers."

Ryo grinned and glanced out to the wilderness again. Yamaki put his hand on his shoulder, "Go after your queen. There's nothing left for me to teach you anyway."

"Thank you," Yamaki stepped back, bowed and left, with Yamaki smiling after him. When he went back inside, he met with Reika.

"So they're both gone," she said.

Yamaki nodded, "I knew from the start they were the chosen ones. The demon seekers."

"You think he'll find her?"

"Oh he will," Yamaki said, "I know he will."
****

It was beyond human ability to go days without sleeping, but Ruki was able to do it. It was hard at first but became easier for her. All she did was fight and kill and sometimes she would eat. The way she thought people feared her for a demon posing as a woman. They were half right. Ruki became so full of hate towards men that she became a slave to her own hatred. It consumed her and she became bloodthirsty. After killing a demon, it influenced her with its dark spirit and making it able for her to go without sleep or food or even water. She killed in the night. She killed in the day. Ruki could not stop. After a battle she hungered for another and another. She was never satisfied. She didn't care of the man she killed was a father or a brother or a son. It mattered not how good or bad the man was, she just wanted him dead. She didn't attack women first but if they got in her way to protect their brother, son or husband or lover, she killed them first so that she wouldn't have any disturbances. There was a bounty on her head for over 10,000 gold pieces but no one was brave enough to capture her, except for the Raiden Bounty Guild. The leader of the bounty guild, Michio, commanded all his bounty hunters to go and find her before another innocent man was assassinated. Hirokazu was ecstatic. He grew bored of capturing thieves and robbers and the occasional killer, but he longed for a challenge. His partner, Kenta, however, tried to talk him out of it. No matter what he said, didn't get through to him and here they sat in Juri's tavern until they got a lead.

"Perhaps we should look for the thieving siblings Makoto and Ai?" Kenta suggested.

Hirokazu nearly choked on his ale. "Theives? I'm tired of thieves! I bet this Mokoto and Ai are just a poor brother and sister trying to survive the only way they know how, stealing!"

"But Hirokazu," Kenta said, "they could turn up like Huyo and his gang!"

"Look, they're just kids, now if they steal things from people and then slit their throats, maybe I'd look into it." Hirokazu said. "There's a difference between thieves and robbers!"

"There is?"

"Yeah, a thief steals something when you don't know it and a robber demands that you give him money or he'll kill you! Do the math!" He groaned.

"We'll never find a lead here," Kenta said, "We've been here for hours! I think you just like flirting with the barmaids."

"Another round, my good sirs?" Nikari asked, one of the barmaids with bluish-black hair in a bun.

{Author's note: Remember the girl Jeri was with when Takato was telling Kenta and Kazu about digimon and Jeri asked if that was all they think about? Then Jeri said, "come on Nikki, let's go do some more important things." And she replied, "Well, you know, Jeri, kids will be kids?" Or something like that…well, I think they're best friends so I decided to put her in the story and give her a more Japanese name}

"Certainly, Nikari," Hirokazu said, winking at her and she giggled. She gave them two more mugs of ale.

"Oh, you're so brave to track down Midnight Fox," Nikkata said, "She's a real outlaw."

Hirokazu puffed out his chest, "I know. But don't worry we'll find her and put her to justice."

"As soon as we find a lead," Kenta mumbled, making Hirokazu groan. "Besides, some people say Midnight Fox isn't really a woman, but a demon in disguise. We've got to be careful."

"Shut up!" Hirokazu muttered.

"But it's true," Kenta said, "She hates men! Maybe we should get one of the women to do it!"

"No way!" Hirokazu yelled, "I'm not letting someone else get my money! I'm going to be the one to capture Midnight Fox!"

"Then I wish you luck," Juri said, walking up to their table with some empty mugs on a tray. "I've never seen her, thank goodness. She would've been after my father and half brother, but those who have seen her, see nothing more."

"You mean, they go blind?" Kenta asked, bewildered.

Hirokazu bonked his friend on the head, "no, idiot! Juri means is that the Midnight Fox kills them!"

"Do you have good weapons?" Juri questioned.

Hirokazu patted his crossbow, "oh, yes. I have different crossbow bolts too. Some can paralyze."

"Good," Juri said with a nod, "but not good enough."

"Not good enough?"

"Are you a bounty hunter too?"

"No, but," Juri whispered, "I know a little about battle. I see a fight here almost every night." Juri giggled. "I hope you get a lead, I really do. It's only a matter of time until she kills again."

****

Juri was right. Midnight Fox was about to kill again. She was coming close to Jenrya and Shuichon's campsite.

"I'll go get some water," Shuichon stated, picking up the bucket. "I think we'll have stew tonight."

"Rabbit stew?" he asked with a grin.

Shuichon face faulted, "Jenrya, that's not funny!" She playfully hit him with the bucket. "But we'll have carrots in the stew. They're good for your eyes."

"How did you know that?"

"Rabbits told me," she replied and ran off to the creek. Jenrya remained by the fire, and he was about to learn that it was wrong. He didn't feel alone anymore.

"Shuichon, back from the creek already?" he asked.

He heard something whiz by his ear and land by the ground. Jenrya hunkered down to see it. It was an arrow, with a diamond for an arrowhead. "A diamond arrow head?"

Someone jumped out of a tree and he whizzed around to see the Midnight Fox.

"Time to die!" She charged him and he got out of the way. Her claw got lodged in a tree but she managed to bring it out.

"Why…you are…"

"That's right, I'm the Midnight Fox!" she exclaimed, swiping his arm, "and you will be one less man in the world!"

Down by the creek, Shuichon had now idea her brother was in danger. "I should put bugs in his stew for saying such a thing." She muttered, putting her pail in the water. "I guess that's just what brothers do."

A raccoon came up to her and pushed the pail into the water.

"Why did you do that for?" she demanded.

A few birds landed on her head.

"Hey, stop? I can't play now," she said, "I have to make dinner. I'll play with you tomorrow."

More animals came to her. A jackal pulled on her pant lead.

"What's going on?" she questioned as she got up. "I told you all I can't play now."

The jackal took her hand in his mouth carefully and started walking back to the campsite as other animals pushed her forward. Then Shuichon gasped when they told her.

"Jenrya's in trouble?" she asked. "Why didn't you tell me so?"

She heard him scream from the campsite.

"Jenrya!" Shuichon cried, pulling her wrist from the jackal's mouth and breaking into a run. She jumped over a fallen log and her animal friends followed her. If it weren't for her animal friends, she might be too late. She came just in time to see Midnight Fox about to finish her brother. Midnight Fox had him pushed up against a tree with her right and her left, was raised in the air ready to stab him through with her claw. Jenrya couldn't move. She was too strong, unbelievably strong. He looked up at her with his silver-gray eyes and as Midnight Fox looked into the eyes, she paused.

'Why is he looking at me like that?' she thought, 'Argh, those eyes!'

"What are you doing, fool?" demanded an angry, inhuman voice in her head, "destroy him!"

Jenrya noticed her stop. 'Why hasn't she killed me yet?' he thought. 'Doesn't she want to?'

'I can't,' Midnight Fox thought.

"Do it!"

She gave head to the voice in her mind and went to finish him through. But before she could move her arm, she heard, and felt a jump and something landing right next to her. Something grabbed her arm.

She turned to see Shuichon. As Shuichon held her wrist, she felt something strange and evil inside Midnight Fox. Shuichon twisted her arm and kicked her in the ribs so hard that she flew back six feet.

"Jenrya, are you all right?" Shuichon asked her choking brother.

"She's...too…strong…" he gasped. "Shuichon, look out!"

Midnight Fox got up and Shuichon went to kick her again.

"Careful, Kicking Rabbit!" Jenrya exclaimed.

"Kicking Rabbit?" Midnight Fox asked with a chuckle. "You know that rabbits are food to foxes?"

"Not this rabbit," Shuichon snarled with her teeth clenched. "And I'm not just a rabbit, I am every animal!"

Shuichon prepared to strike Midnight Fox with a snake technique but Midnight Fox grabbed her fist, picked the girl up and tossed her to the ground.

"You will pay for getting in my way," Midnight Fox growled, walking to Shuichon as she tried to get up.

Shuichon feared that Midnight Fox was really a demon inside a woman's body. The mask was to hide the ugly, hideous face and once the demon got close to her, it would take off the mask and devour her. She forgot everything her brother taught her. Every tactic she learned from watching animals all her life left her mind. Shuichon was scared out of her wits to defend herself. Because of her fear, she and her brother were going to die.

'I'm sorry, Jenrya,' she thought.

"And just for that," Midnight Fox said, "you will die first!"

Shuichon closed her eyes, waiting for the weapon to go through her body. She heard the sick, plunging sound but she didn't feel anything. Shuichon was afraid to open her eyes but she opened them anyway. She looked up and saw…

"Jenrya! No!"

To Be Continued