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Hikari's stunned silence is all Mikka needs to know that even he might not agree to her request. She's never asked for much in life—always felt like she never could and should—but she had been hoping he would agree.
He looks away for a moment, pensive in that way he always seems to be even before he became king. When he looks back at her, his eyes are searching. She's not sure what he intends to find; she's not even sure what else is left in her for anyone else to find. "Are you... sure?"
"I... y-yes," Mikka manages to say as her hands wring together. The guilt of asking for something when she shouldn't is slowly crawling up her insides, makes her want to swallow down the rest of her words. Thankfully, Hikari speaks again before she can recant her request.
"Ritsu fought so you would never have to hold a weapon in your hands."
"... I know." She does, she really does. She will never forget that for as long as she draws breath.
"And I feel the same, I would rather not see you with a weapon in your hand," he continues. Mikka's heart falls and she understands what he's saying. Her hands twist together and she slowly nods. A life spent being protected by others when others do not have that luxury; she should be glad for this and yet... and yet—
"I understand, Hi—"
"But I know that the world is still dangerous." He reaches out then, resting a hand on her shoulder. When she looks up at him, he's smiling gently at her. "You only ask because there is someone else you wish to protect now, isn't there?"
As close as Hikari is, close enough for her to consider another brother, it still feels embarrassing for him to easily guess her real reason for asking this request, but he had been there when she had given away her earring. She can only nod and bow toward him, hiding the heat of her cheeks. He protests the action but even before she knows him as king, he has also always been prince and she has always been grateful for everything he has done for her... and Ritsu.
Mikka had meant for him to teach her a few basics that she would be able to practice by herself but Hikari himself comes. Despite how busy he is, he somehow manages to make time, coming to see her after the day has ended, meeting in town at the dojo where he once also trained with the others before his exile. Maybe it is his way to atone, he has always been kind like that... and maybe, it is also her way of dreaming about the brother that's no longer here with her. Maybe... it's just what the both of them need to do. She recalls watching Hikari back then, when he had trained with the children back then as well, remembers how Ritsu would hide to watch and he'd scoff about Hikari being too kind, too weak... too trusting. Perhaps, if she had spoken to Ritsu then and wished he'd be more honest with himself, he might still be here with her. Would it be Ritsu standing in front of her now if she did?
She'll never know the answer to that. He is gone, and the only one she can ask for this favor from is Hikari.
She does not blame him; war is terrible. And even then, though Ritsu had always made sure to shield her from its horrors, Ku has always been a bloodstained nation. Her father had been taken during peace and her brother had been taken during war. Hikari promised he would change this, and Mikka has seen all the change he has already done to their home and so she believes that his words aren't merely only words spoken to comfort her. She wants to believe in them. If only Ritsu had done the same.
"You're improving at a fast rate."
Hikari's voice rouses her from her thoughts, a proud smile on his face. She ducks her head, swallowing down the painful knot in her throat. Precisely because Hikari is close enough for her to consider another brother... when he looks at her like that, it reminds her all too much of Ritsu.
They're taking a break from their current training session. Her legs ache, unused to being pushed so much in such a short amount of time. She can stand toiling for long hours at a time but Hikari had told her to practice her footwork.
"You may not always have a weapon but so long as you can outmaneuver your opponent, there is always an opportunity for you to take advantage of, or to find a chance to escape," he had told her. Her footwork has improved since then and so he had picked a spear for her to train with. She presses the butt of her training spear against the ground, leaning against it though she has a feeling she shouldn't.
"Perhaps when Rai Mei comes back from Stormhail, I will ask her to provide you better pointers. She is far more skilled with the spear than I am," Hikari says.
"Ah, no... I couldn't possibly bother Lady Rai—"
"My lord! An emergency!" They hear Benkei first as he leaps up the stairs toward their area as fast as he can. He allows himself a small bow toward them before he continues. "The caravan from the Leaflands that was meant to arrive today has been attacked by bandits! We've already dispatched a group of soldiers to search the area."
Hikari's eyes widen before he sharpens his gaze. His eyes dart over to Mikka's for a split second though, the confirmation all she needs. "Mikka, hold—"
"I'll be arriving sometime later this month with a caravan! Looking forward to seeing you soon!"
She's already running off before she realizes, still gripping the spear in her hands. She can hear both Hikari and Benkei shouting at her but their voices do little but spur her further. She knows she should wait for the guards, she knows she won't be able to do anything if she runs into the bandits, she knows she shouldn't be running off like this.
But she's tired of that, she's tired of waiting, tired of being helpless, tired of not being able to do anything while others important to her run off and fight and die while she's left behind still picking up the pieces of herself. She doesn't want that anymore. She's sick of it.
Mikka is halfway through the road when a hand suddenly grabs her arm and pulls her back. When she looks up, it's Hikari looking at her in worry, and the guilt rushes into her then as she ducks her head, staring down at her feet.
He releases her though he keeps a hand on her arm. "I understand your concern, Mikka. I would never be able to face Agnea if anything happened to her sister... so allow me to accompany you."
Mikka snaps her head up to look at him. He looks at her, solemn and serious as always, and she slowly nods. He sends her a smile and gestures for her to follow him, leading the way now. They take off, moving through the desert.
"We're close," Hikari says suddenly, sending her a look. Mikka understands his message: to prepare herself for what she might see. She swallows, desperately trying to push the terrible images already forming inside her mind.
Her stomach drops at the sight of the scene. Everything's a mess, all the horses are gone, caravans overturned and contents strewn everywhere... and there is no one.
Where... where... where is she—
Hikari grips her shoulder before she runs off again. "If there are no bodies here, then that means they're alive and were taken somewhere." He smiles assuredly at her when she looks at him. "Have no fear, we will find them."
They were alive when they were taken but there's no guarantee they will be when they find them, Mikka wants to say... but she knows that Hikari is also telling himself that as well. His eyes are hard and he hasn't loosened his grip on his sword at all since they've arrived. All she can do is nod, scanning all around them for any hint of where they might have gone.
"The nearest cave..." Hikari closes his eyes in thought. When he opens them, he turns toward the direction of the Leaflands, north of where they're facing, toward the mountains off in the distance. "If I recall, there is a cave near here where a monstrous bug dwelt. My companions and I have already dealt with it on our travels so it should be empty now. They might have been taken there."
Once more, Mikka follows after Hikari as he leads them off the path now. They find the cave easily enough, a giant hole on the side of some rock as if something had burrowed its way through. Hikari gestures for her to pause and though Mikka wants nothing more than to dash right in, she listens, forcing her feet to stay where they are. He creeps closer, carefully looking in through the entrance. Finally, he motions for her.
"There is no one I can see but I can hear voices. They must be further inside."
They sneak in through the cave. Mikka is trying to keep her steps silent. If only the same could be said of her thoughts, though. Every single terrible scenario is flashing through her mind and she can't—she won't—she doesn't know what she'll do with herself if they're too late, if they come upon the caravan and she sees Pala's lifeless body amongst a pile of—
She crashes against Hikari then, not realizing he'd stopped. He snaps his head toward her, surprised, but holds a finger to his lips and quickly jerks his head behind him. Mikka realizes it now, voices, and one of them is so painfully familiar to her that she'd be rushing out of there if Hikari hadn't thought to grab her first.
"Stay behind me. I'll head out first," he says and all she can trust herself to do is nod. Her hand tightens around the spear in her hands and she hopes that nothing has happened to Pala because the tip of this spear will become painted in red—or so she tells herself. She's still shaking, her fears taking hold of her instead, legs ready to collapse where she stands.
Hikari dashes out of their hiding spot, his hand ready to slide his sword out of its sheath—and he blinks rapidly suddenly, his expression stunned. He slowly straightens himself up, his sword still sheathed and he looks equal parts bewildered and amused. Mikka is all parts confused and she's not sure what she's going to expect when he motions for her to come out.
"—ya think ya doin' with yourselves? We're just folk out here tryin' to make an honest livin' and y'all think y'all got a right to mess with that?! Find some honest work and—"
Pala is standing there with her hands on her hips and what look to be the bandits cowering underneath her glare. There are others off to the side and they look just as bewildered and astonished as Hikari and Mikka do, watching the both of them. When they notice Hikari and Mikka though, they suddenly begin to shout, scrambling toward them. The noise makes Pala turn around and once she sees Mikka, the biggest smile crosses her face that makes Mikka's heart flutter.
"Mikka! And Hikari, too!" Pala waves at them.
One of the bandits springs to his feet though—and Mikka rushes forward before she realizes what she's doing, knocking him back down with the butt of her spear.
"Mikka!" Hikari's at her side then, his sword already drawn but all he does is look at Mikka in approval. "Your instincts and reactions have truly improved much. Allow me to handle this though, Benkei will be—"
"My lord!"
"—here shortly," Hikari finishes just as Benkei's voice echoes through the mouth of the cave. It doesn't take long for the squad of soldiers to file in. The bandits get rounded up in no time and they check the rest of the people from the caravan. No one is seriously hurt, which is more than good for what the situation had turned into. What Mikka is more than glad for though, is that Pala doesn't seem to be hurt and despite all the danger, she's still smiling.
"Pala, are you okay?" Mikka asks, looking at her all over. She just wants to make sure, just wants to certain that there isn't anything on the other girl, just needs to be sure that she's fine despite everything.
"Yeah, I'm fine!" Pala grins. "Those bandits weren't worth anything! Jus' a tongue lashing from me was all that took to get them to stand down! Why, if Dad was here, his glare would send them runnin' off!"
"I... I'm glad to hear that. I had heard the caravan was attacked and I feared the worst and I... I was..." Mikka trails off, finding her voice too thick to continue. She hangs her head, biting her lip. She had rushed out here but Pala didn't need her help at all. Mikka had thought that all her tears would have dried up by now but she feels them welling at the corner of her eyes.
"Aw, shucks. I can't imagine how worried ya must have been hearing the news." Arms wrap around Mikka, who gasps in surprise. Pala's standing on her tiptoes, smiling against her. "But all the folk here are good! We've still got the clothes on our back! Our stuff might be ruined but we still got each other and that's all that matters."
"I... yes, you're right." Mikka hesitantly returns the hug with her free arm, awkward as it is as she's still holding her spear. Pala is right; they're alive, and... and that's really all that matters. Relief rushes through her and she hugs Pala tighter, and there's that familiar whiff of the Leaflands that she can only get when she's near Pala, the smell of leaves and pinecones and flowers. It makes her close her eyes, makes her remember that there's still some good in this world worth living for.
A cough startles the both of them and Mikka jumps away, cheeks flushing when she realizes it's Hikari, looking just as abashed as she is. He clears his throat again to compose himself. "I am happy to see that no harm came to you, Pala, despite your... unconventional way of dealing with those bandits. You truly are Agnea's sister."
"Agnie'll be happy to hear that!" Pala smiles gratefully at him. "And thanks for comin' so quick! I wasn't sure how long I could yell at them for."
"Haha... I am glad we were able to find you quick." Hikari looks over at the both of them, nodding. "Let us return to Ku. The soldiers should have already gathered up most of the lost items at the caravan and you should be able to sort through them later."
"Will do!"
Hikari makes for the exit and just as Mikka is about to follow after him, Pala grabs her arm. "Hey, uh, I jus' wanted to say something real quick!"
"Hm?"
"Thanks for comin' to my rescue too!" Pala grins. She steps closer and moves up on her tiptoes, pressing her lips to Mikka's cheek. "You looked mighty fine with that spear back there, whew! Definitely something I'd want in a wife too!"
Mikka can only gape at her in response, the burning of her cheeks growing. Pala only laughs, the sound as free as the wind. She reaches out to take Mikka's hand, leading her to the mouth of the cave. All Mikka can do is follow after her because if she tries to say anything, she's sure that no other sound will be able to come out. Her heart's been pounding the entire time but this one is for a different reason now.
Pala doesn't let go of her hand the entire time they trek back to Ku. Mikka should feel embarrassed but strangely, she doesn't. When the glint of waning sunlight catches on the reunion earring on Pala's ear, she finds herself smiling. Pala's hand in hers is warm, rough and callused as well, but it's alive. Her hand curls back around, and Pala throws her a smile over her shoulder.
Mikka looks up toward the sky, toward the heavens as Ritsu has told her to do. Is he looking down on her now? What would he think if he saw her right now? Would he... be proud of her, too?
Hikari and Pala are conversing with each other and Mikka tunes back in to catch the bits of their conversation, talking about how Pala bringing some raspberries over to bake them a pie, to make up for Mikka treating her out all this time. That makes Mikka squeeze her hand, and her heart soars too when she feels Pala return the gesture, her smile bright enough to make up for the descent of the sun.
How many more reunions will the future bring between them? Mikka doesn't know but... for the first time since she's buried her brother, she finally has something to look forward to.