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Part 67: The Wedding and the Trial (Part II)

Info

Writer

Dougurasu

Character Introductions

Kanshi

Character Deaths

-

Arcs

Hikari Crystals Arc

Nagata's Trial Arc

Siren's Love for Zesshou Arc

Zesshou Loves Hitori Arc

Timeline Entries

The Story

Endless Rain

Part 67: The Wedding and the Trial (Part II)

© Dougurasu

"Hana? Have you seen Zesshou?" Hitori asked, "He's nowhere to be found."

Hana looked up from her notes. "What? The groom is still unaccounted for?!! What about the wedding? We can't have a wedding without the groom, we'd need a replacement quick!"

Hitori rolled her eyes. "You can't just replace the groom!"

Hana thought for a moment. "Oh, drat, you're right! I'll go look for him." Within a moment she was gone.

"Maybe you should ask me where I already looked!!" Hitori called after her, but she didn't respond.

"Kino!" A voice called out outside of Kino's house.

After Kino had returned from being under Lana's spell, he had never once left his house. Outside people had shouted names at him and trampled his garden and even broke one of his windows. He was a traitor! A collaborator! He sided with the enemy and let the leader of the Sendo out of her prison. Of course everything was true, but it wasn't his fault. He was not in control. He tried to tell them time after time again, but no one listened.

"Kino!!" Mr. Shikai called out, "Nagata has asked you to be his lawyer, we need you!"

Kino opened his front door. "Nagata... asked for me?" He couldn't believe his eyes. Half a year ago they could taste each other's blood. They were sworn enemies in the council and now... now they seemed to be friends. He even liked Nagata. "I will support Nagata. But under one condition."

"Why won't you tell me where Nagata is? You HAVE to tell me!" Wevles ordered.

"Yes, but I don't have to answer to you, Mr. Wevles. And I have noooo idea," Pyro answered. He smirked tauntingly at Wevles.

Wevles growled. "I thought you knew everything!"

"I do!" Pyro said, "But I won't tell you. What I will tell is that you should try and keep your distance from Nagata. He's in enough trouble as it is and he needs his space right now."

"Yes, whatever, but you NEED to tell me where he is!"

"Alright, if you want to know it that badly... he's right behind you," Pyro smiled.

"Wevles! I'm ready for the trial!" Nagata stated re-assured.

"Thank you-" but when Wevles looked back, Pyro had disappeared. "Well, I'll- Why does everyone keep disappearing like that?!"

"Zesshou! Get here this instant!" Hana commanded.

"Yes, Hana-sama!" Zesshou hurried to comply.

"We need to get your measurements right, and of course the ring! You can't forget the ring!" Hana pulled him by his arm and dragged him to the tailor's shop.

"Yes, I've already been told!" Zesshou said.

"You've found him!" Hitori came practically out of no where. Probably been looking for Zesshou as well.

"Hitori?" Zesshou stammered, "Hitori..."

"Yes?"

Tears formed in Zesshou's eyes, but before they were completely formed and able to leave his eyes, Zesshou closed them and ran off in the direction of the tailor shop.

"Just now, was he..." Hitori started but didn't finish her sentence. "Hana? Hana!"

"Ah?" Hana snapped away from her notes. "Oh, you were both talking so long, I must've... Hey, Zesshou! Wait up!"

"Presenting Nagata, the accused!" Mr. Shikai's dark voice echoed through the hall of the council. Again Nagata was sitting in the middle of the hall and on either side were council members sitting on a tribune.

A person dressed in a cape and his head covered with a hood walked into the hall.

"Presenting Kino, the lawyer!"

Kino removed his hood. This was the only way he could move through the village without being recognized. Until now... On both sides council members stood up and complained.

"What? That collaborator?" "How can we trust him?" "He betrayed us!"

"SILENCE!!" Mr. Shikai's voice thundered through the halls, "Hitori has assured me that Kino is completely fit as a lawyer. His acts were done under Lana's spell and therefore Kino was not in control."

Even though Mr. Shikai had said this, the council member still sat down with protest.

"Presenting Yamome, the accuser and Pyro, the failsafe."

Both entered the room.

"After every statement that is made, Pyro Phoenixtruth will tell if it was true or false. When the accuser is done, seven council members will be asked to choose a side; either the accused or the accuser's side. The one with the most council members will win this session. To prevail in this trial, two sessions have to be won. Please Yamome, begin."

Zesshou's clothes were perfect. Completely black with a white sash. You wouldn't even notice he was still just a kid. Zesshou entered the jewelry store to see if the rings were done yet.

"Well, Kanshi?" Zesshou asked.

"I was just finishing it off," Kanshi said while he stepped outside of his atelier, "Here you go." He handed him two rings, both were gold with a small crystal in them.

"It's beautiful!" Zesshou said, and almost forgot that he didn't want to get married at all.

"Yes, it is, isn't it. It's made from crystals we bought once from the Tiko tribe. So you KNOW it's valuable," Kanshi explained.

"Ah... the Tiko Tribe..." Zesshou said.

"Zesshou?" Hana opened the door and looked inside for him. "Ah, there you are! It's time!"

Yamome continued her barrage of questions. "So, you were in command of the soldiers at that particular moment."

"Yes." Nagata answered.

"True." Pyro confirmed.

"And you were the one to come up with the plan, weren't you?"

"Yes, that was me."

"True."

"So... you climbed up on the village wall and looked over it didn't you?"

"Correct."

"True."

"And what was the first thing you looked for?"

"Uh... well..."

"The first thing you looked for... It was Lightning, your horse, right?"

"Yes, it was."

"Thoughts question, no answer." Pyro said. He didn't know people's motivations, only their actions.

"So... your horse. And that part of your plan?"

"Yes."

"True."

"Where was Shousha, my husband, at that particular moment?"

"At the base of the wall I was standing on, patrolling."

"True."

"And that was part of the plan as well, wasn't it? You ordered him to stand there."

"Yes, it was part of the plan, and yes, I ordered him."

"Both statements are true."

"Were you concerned with his safety?"

"Of course I was! I was concerned with the safety of all my soldiers!"

"No answer."

"What about Lady Hitori? She was gone wasn't she? If I may ask, Pyro, where was Lady Hitori just after she disappeared?"

"She was drifting unconscious in a river." Pyro answered with reluctance.

"Drifting unconscious in a river... So... weren't you concerned about her?" Yamome continued.

"Uh... yes... of course I was. But the mission came first. I had to save Baku and the village. That's what Hitori had ordered me to do."

"False. Hitori had not directly ordered you to save the Baku and the village. She said you should take command." Pyro noted.

"Objection!" Kino exclaimed, "That Hitori wanted Nagata to save Baku and the village is the logical conclusion. Besides, this has nothing to do with Shousha."

"No, it does!" Yamome replied. "The fact that Nagata neglected Hitori is for the same reason as the reason he neglected Shousha."

"Please get to the point, Yamome." Mr. Shikai said.

"Did you, or did you not, think only of Lightning, and how much you wanted to see him again?" Yamome asked.

"Uh... no. Well, of course I wanted to see Lightning again! But he was also-"

"...part of the plan," Yamome finished, "But because of Lightning, you were distracted and when that happens, those people are unfit for command, and probably unfit for a council as well!"

"It's your turn now, Zesshou," Hana said and pushed him into the throne room. In the center of the throne room was Hitori, dressed in black. Everyone who did not have to present at the trial was present here. Zesshou walked down the path between the tribunes and reached Hitori.

"Zesshou... here are the rings..." Hitori said and gave him one of the rings. She grabbed his other hand and put the second ring on his ring finger. "With my power as Lady, I hereby give you permission to take a wife."

Zesshou looked at her. Hitori had never seen such a sad face and was almost stunned for words. "Are you okay?" she whispered. Zesshou shook his head.

"Will the seven selected council members please stand up?" Mr. Shikai asked with his dark voice.

Seven council members stood up and stood between Mr. Shikai and Nagata. On Nagata's left was Yamome and on his right was Kino.

"If you think Nagata is guilty, go stand with Yamome. If you think Nagata is innocent, go stand with Kino. One by one now."

The first council member had no hard time choosing and practically ran to Yamome. The second one didn't even look at Kino.

'Oh, no... They're choosing for Yamome mainly because I freed Lana...' Kino thought.

The small fairy floated in her bridal dress over the long path. She was gorgeous, that was for sure, and Zesshou liked her, even though she could be so very annoying, but he wasn't ready to marry her. "To help us out, you promised Siren to marry her," he remembered Nagata say, "You are hiding from your problems as well." Zesshou shook his head. "You will be the one who'll be blamed."

"You are not only Hitori's advisor, you are not only second in command of the Mikomi tribe, you are our friend, a fellow Mikomi," Zesshou had said, but it all seemed so pointless now. "Unless you face it in a trial your shame will never go away." 'Who cares right now about shame?' Nagata thought, 'If I get imprisoned, I won't survive. I can't bear the fact of being imprisoned. I can't bear the fact of never riding Lightning again... Lightning... Was it true? Was he the only thing on his mind? I can't remember!'

Three of the council members had already decided for Yamome. The fourth turned in the direction of her too. But then he turned around and approached Kino.

"Zesshou," Hitori started, "Do you give this ring to Siren and make her your lawful wife?"

Zesshou looked at the ring in his opened hand. The crystal in it shimmered in the light. He closed his hands in a fist and looked at Siren.

The fourth council member stopped right in front of Kino and spit him in the face. Because of shame Kino collapsed and started to cry.

"Kino..." Nagata said, but he didn't do anything, but stand there.

"I'm sorry, Siren. I can't..." Zesshou said, "As Nagata said, you're probably the guardian of the last Hikari Crystal... But I can't accept this challenge. There's someone else I like... I'm sorry I failed you. I'm sorry I failed the entire tribe."

Siren looked disappointed. "Zesshou... you misunderstand... You passed the test." In a bright light Siren grew to a young teenager about the same age as Zesshou. "You are worthy of the Light of the Soul. But you did ruin my moment..." She giggled at her own joke.

Zesshou's mouth turned into a smile. But when he saw Hitori's face again he turned and ran away.

"Ah, Zesshou!" Hitori called out, but he was already gone.

Nagata looked at the ground, tears started to form in his eyes.

"Nagata! The council has spoken! In this session, you are found guilty. We will reconvene tomorrow evening for the second session." Mr. Shikai said.

"Come... let's go home," Wevles said. He too was sad.

"Siren... or should I say Serenity Soulheart?" Hitori started.

"Siren is fine," the Guardian smiled.

"Where is the Light of the Soul?"

"Oh, I hid it in the South-Eastern cavern! We should get it as soon as possible."

"Merchant! Are you sure this is the place?" Tebok growled.

Chounin looked away to hide his face. "Yes, sir! The South-Eastern cavern should be the place where tha..."

"I found it, Empress!" one of the soldiers called out, "I'll get it."

"NO!" Lana commanded, "If anyone of you touches it, it will turn dim and it'll be useless. Merchant! You get it."

"Uh, yes of course, your excellence!" Chounin obeyed and ran to get it.

"That's one down, four to go..." Lana smirked.

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