Disclaimer: I don't own Tenchi or any of its affiliates, blah blah blah, though I do own the character Sonora and all others I made up (basically all the ones you don't recognize). So don't sue me because I have no money. Thanks, and enjoy! The Prince of Darkness ~ Chapter Two: The Beginning of the End Kagato squeezed his mother's arm in reassurance. At the end of the hallway, a huge crowd of loyal Jurains awaited their appearance. He took a deep breath, turning to smile quickly at his mother, as they stepped up to the grand entryway doors. His mother smiled gracefully at the guards standing in front of it and they stepped aside, pulling the doors slowly open to reveal a huge group of people shifting restlessly and chatting quietly amongst themselves; Kagato truly admired his mother's courage. Outside the doors, down a row of ballroom steps, the crowd quieted with respect as the two stepped out into the bright sunlit afternoon. The two continued down the stairs, smiling respectively at the people lining the bottom of the stairway. At the foot of the stairs, standing alone in the crowd, was his father, King Shinji Amanos. Kagato led his smiling mother to him, and he took her hand, looking so tiny in his great big one. The smiling prince walked behind his mother and father as the crowd parted to let them through. It wouldn't take long to get to the flats, where the troops would be waiting. At the end of the pathway, lined with eager citizens, the tall General Tasuki Osotako stood, bedecked in uniform and looking quite professional. Kagato's parents stepped in front of him, smiling, yet still keeping that formality that they donned in public. Shinji and Tasuki shook hands, and the General fell into step with them, Kagato's mother walking on the other side of the General, and Kagato still slightly in tow. "It was very good of you to come, Lady Katagouya," the General said without turning. "With all the people here, I feared for your safety, should there be a riot." "General, there should certainly be nothing to worry about," Katagouya replied, keeping her focus straight ahead. "These people are loyal Jurains, devoted to the royal families of Jurai. They feel blessed by our presence; they certainly wouldn't do anything to harm us. Not when we are coming to present the soldiers." "Ah, madam, you are too faithful in your people," the General told her matter-of-factly. "They are faithful in me, General," Katagouya replied confidently. "There is no reason they do not deserve the same." Kagato politely strained an ear to listen to their conversation, which wasn't very difficult to do due to the silence around them. Finally the crowd dropped away to reveal a wide, flat landscape devoid of any change in the elevation except for the snow capped mountains in the distance. A few miles away he could just make out the troop settlement, where rows and rows of Jurain soldiers were lined up in rigid formation. Directly before them were two buggies, bedecked with the royal crest and intricate designs carved into the framework. Katagouya, Tasuki, and Shinji boarded the larger one at the head of the two with flowing red velvet curtains covering the entryway, and Kagato silently seated himself in the smaller one to the rear. Once inside he was alone, able to lose himself amongst the rhythmic clacking of the wheels and the steeds' hooves against the ground. Sighing, he leaned his head against the window, gazing out across the barren flats and watching solemnly as his splendid palace faded away. He was stirred from his silent thoughts as the steeds pulled to a halt, and the curtains of his buggy were pulled back by a bowing servant. Kagato smiled, though he felt disgusted; he hated the way there were so many people under them, the way they always seemed to do all work. He continually wondered whether they could be as happy about their jobs as they said they were. Spread out before them was a landscape completely different from the lush landscaping of the palace's gardens. Troops, fighter jets, carriers, and land vehicles attended by scattered mechanics were gathered in clumps all around. Kagato turned his attention to his parents' buggy and watched with false interest as they stepped down to the level ground before stepping up and falling into stride with them. Behind them he could hear the clatter of the buggies as they pulled away. Led by General Tasuki, they stepped before the troops lined up in a rigid formation perfected down to the very inch. As they passed, the soldiers saluted, gathering themselves quickly to attention. Tasuki stopped with instantaneous reflexes and they fell up beside him, without such rigid precision but with the same formality. The General took a few steps forward, keeping his eyes pinned to the soldiers in front of him. Clearing his throat, he began his ritualistic speech that marked the beginning of the presentation of the soldiers: "Today is the beginning of a new era. It will mark the beginning of a battle that you are willing to fight, and you will face it with courage, strength, and skill, as you have been prepared to do, because you, as the best of this nation, will represent Jurai." As the General continued his speech, Kagato began to zone out, since he had heard the General's speech so many times he could practically recite it by heart. His eyes scanned the soldiers in front of him casually, and his breath caught in his throat as his eyes caught on a solitary figure. He raised a tentative eyebrow at the familiar curves, her flowing dark brown hair pulled tightly into dual buns raised high on her head, her hazel eye looking straight in front of her. His mind flashed back to the balcony; it was the girl who had caught his clasp. No one seemed to notice as his keen eyes swallowed her up, inch by inch. It looked as if she had been poured into her uniform, her nicely toned muscles showing through where her white undershirt hugged her curves; but the one thing that really caught his eyes was the other half of his clasp, pinned neatly to her uniform jacket. Though she knew she should have remained at attention and avoid eye contact, she was burning up inside. If any other guy had been staring at her so hungrily for so long she would have nailed him by now, and no matter how hard she fought the urge, it eventually won. She flicked her eyes over to the prince, and they immediately went wide upon recognizing him from earlier. She hadn't even noticed his outfit then, but it fit perfectly. The hair, the eyes, even that mischievous little smile that broadened when he noticed her eyes. As quickly as she could she snapped back to attention, but the damage was already done. "You," Kagato said, desperately fighting back a haughty smile. The General had been interrupted mid-sentence, and he waited attentively for the prince to state his excuse for interrupting such an important ceremony. Kagato stepped directly in front of Sonora, and she could feel the others' eyes glued to the two of them. She remained at attention, retaining her confidence, though it took all her memories of training to keep from socking him right in the face. "What is your name?" "Sonora Okouyama, my prince," she replied as solemnly as her patience would allow. "You stepped out of attention," he told her, trying out his commandeering prince voice. "A soldier is never supposed to look directly at a member of the royal family when they are at attention unless the royal family member presents themselves directly in front of the soldier, am I not correct?" Sonora's rage was building, though it was quite clear to her that the prince was enjoying himself. Reluctantly, she bowed before him on one knee, lowering her head to him. "Forgive me, my prince," she replied, regaining her composure. "I was out of line." "Stand up," the prince ordered firmly, though when she stood he was smiling. >From his belt he drew his sword, facing her at the ready. There was an audible gasp from Katagouya, but the rest of the company remained silent. Flames flared in Sonora's eyes. "You appear quite the formidable soldier." He poked her lightly with the tip of his sword, and it was all she could do to keep from flinching. "Quite strong, good posture. Since I am a warrior in training, I would like to challenge you." "Surely that is not-" his mother started, but his father placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her mid-sentence. She turned to Shinji and whispered something inaudible from where Kagato stood, and Shinji shook his head. "The boy can challenge a soldier to prove their worth," he told her, loud enough for him to hear. "Even if it is in the middle of a very important ceremony," he added, with a sharp sideways glance towards his son. Katagouya gripped his father's arm tightly and watched uneasily as the two exchanged glances. Kagato raised an eyebrow, and Sonora stepped from her rank to face him, slowly drawing her own sword from its sheath at her back. A ray of sunlight danced across the blade of Kagato's sword as he turned it casually in his hands, its power showing through in its remarkable craftsmanship. The two touched swords, then took a step back. "Don't expect me to go easy on you just because you're a prince," Sonora growled, though her tone had a playful tone to it. "Just as long as you don't expect me to go easy on you because you're a woman," Kagato replied, hoping to provoke her into making the first move. His plan worked; nothing got Sonora more enraged than a stuck-up male insulting women's strength. Intent on revenge, Sonora launched at him, thrusting sharply to the left. The short was blocked, then parried as the clash of their swords rang out in a precise and rhythmic dance. She brought her sword up towards his head, which he easily blocked with his own blade and thrust her back and away from him. "You're going to have to do better than that to beat me," Kagato commented with a mischievous smirk on his face. "And you're going to have to stop avoiding me," she shot back, thrusting her sword foreword again. Their swords clanged as they met once again. She pulled back, striking diagonally to the waist, and was blocked, then hit again to the chest, and was again blocked. Attempting to distract him, she made a procession of quick jabs to the left and right at repetitive locations all over his body, though she never expected to actually make contact with any of those hits. Sonora could see his impatience growing in the way his motions became more agitated, and she knew that soon he would make the move that would put her on top of this battle. Her instincts once again proved correct; seeing him draw back, as quick as it was, to make a strong foreword jab, she grasped her sword between her teeth, and, launching off her feet, did a few quick flips backward just in time to escape the taste of Kagato's blade. She landed on her feet, blade in hand, standing at the ready. Kagato, irritated that his best attack hadn't worked, ran towards her, his blade held fast in front of him. The clang of metal rang out as their swords met again, neither of them yielding to the other. "You're pretty good," Kagato uttered through clenched teeth as he braced himself against his sword, their bodies suddenly close together. "You're not so bad yourself," she replied with a playful grin, "but you're not good enough to beat me, whether you're a prince or not." She wasn't about to let the fact that he was a Jurain prince keep her from the victory that was so rightfully hers. With that, Sonora flung him backwards with a strong and unexpected push outwards on her sword. Just as he was regaining his footing, she launched full at him, her blade at the ready. But when he thought she was going straight at his mid-section, she launched off the ground and sailed over him, turning in mid-air and landing with her sword at his throat. They were both panting, but she was smiling triumphantly. She slowly lowered her sword, putting it at rest once again in its humble sheath at her back. Kagato turned around to face her and bowed respectfully. "Thank you for allowing me this battle," Sonora said, bowing respectfully before falling back into rank. "You are the one who does me the honor of allowing a battle," Kagato replied modestly. He stepped towards her, extending his hand. After a moment's consideration, she shook it gratefully before returning to rigid attention. Kagato strode back to his parents, his mother looking quite relieved though agitated and his father with a stern kingly look upon his strong face. He was once again the regal prince he had been a few moments before, as if the entire duel had never taken place. The General looked at the king and queen, one eyebrow raised inquiringly, then turned back to his troops with a sigh, shaking his head slightly. "In the midst of battle you must never forget who you are," he continued, disregarding the prince's rude interruption. "You are Jurain soldiers, proud of your nation and your planet. You will stand tall when faced with danger and will not fall at the hands of the enemy. You are strong, and you will face the future not with fear, but with courage. And so, we welcome a new day, where soldiers will lead Jurai to victory." He stepped back behind the king and queen, allowing them to face the awaiting soldiers with an inspirational speech of their own. "We are glad to have you serving our planet," Katagouya announced, her voice surprisingly willing to carry to all the soldiers. "You are a fine bunch of soldiers, the best of the best, and we have faith in you." "This is the beginning of the end," Shinji continued. "It is the dawn of a new era, in which darkness shall be eminent. But we shall face this darkness with your courageous will to stand against it, and protect this planet. Remember, you are soldiers of Jurai, and soldiers of Jurai never fight losing battles." With these final words, the entire group of soldiers saluted as one, the General along with them. The presentation had been completed, unsurpassed in surprises by any before it.