Hikary’s task

“Alone? You are really planning on going there all by yourself?” Taira asked as they walked through the candle lit corridors to the kitchen.
“Yes, Taira. You said you had to do things before you could even think of becoming heir, well, I have stuff to do too. I did some very wrong things while under his influence, and I want to make up for them.” Rain explained.

Of course, she had already decided this the day before, after her talk with her sisters and their mother. Regina did not agree at first. She did not think it was a good idea that Rain returned to the hidden lair of Aras all alone. But Rain was able to convince her that she could handle it, that she could take perfect care of herself, and that now that Aras was gone there was no real danger left there, anyway.

“So? I did some horrible things too, Rain. I want to make up to them too and besides, I need you with me. All these ponies here… they’re very nice to me but I know they still don’t trust me completely, which is only logical, but it’s nice to have you around, you know?” Taira said.
Rain knew her sister would come up with this and if she was honest with herself, she was relieved to be away from this castle for a little while.

Not that she did not like it here. In fact, now that she’d been here for quite a while, Rain began to enjoy the quiet life. The silent valley, the lovely little villages, the farmers and their problems… If those things would have been her major problems, she would not have left at all. But these ponies, even though they were family, still regarded her as someone they could not yet trust, and the same was for Taira. They had every right to be suspicious, of course.

That was why she was longing for an opportunity to prove herself. And this stone had to be retrieved. Whether it belonged to them or not, it should not rest in his lair. So she had to go back there, one last time, to retrieve the thing that she had once stolen.
 “I know it won’t be the same. But they will trust you, in the end. Regina does. And you have your own things to figure out. Your memory… You need to get back what you have lost. I can not help you with that, Taira. You know I can’t.”

“Yes… I know. But it’s comforting somehow, you know, to have you around. At least you… know more about me than the others. We’ve been through the same together.”
“I know. We have. But, Taira… it might not even be such a bad thing to travel our own roads for a while.” Rair replied honestly.
She needed it, and she knew Taira needed her solitude for a while, too. To remember that which she had lost…

“Yes, you are right. I know you are. But that doesn’t make it easy.” Taira smiled as they walked up the stairs. Rain’s room was at the far end. She had already received a large bag from Tsuyo filled with food. Now she just needed a hat and a scarf, which were in her room.
“Of course it isn’t easy. Do you really expect that anything in your life ever will be easy?” Rain asked.

“No… I don’t think so. Right, well, I know you are right, of course. And if you feel this is something you will have to do then I will not stop you of course. I will just… miss you, I guess.” Taira confessed.
“I will miss you too. And I promise, I will get back as soon as I find that stone.” Rain promised.
“I know you will. But please Rain, be careful. Now that he is no longer around… who knows what his minions will do. I don’t think they will still see you as their superior.”

Rain opened the door of her room and walked to her closet. She opened it and took out the scarf and hat she had received only a few days before, and put them in her bag.
“I will be careful, Taira. I promise.”
 “Thank you. I will be careful here, too. Not that there’s any danger here, but, you know…” Taira rolled her eyes and Rain had to laugh.
“I know you will. Just promise me to stay here… no matter what happens, no matter what you remember. Don’t go wandering off on your own. Not that I don’t trust you, or that I don’t think you can take care of yourself… But I think it would be good for you to stay calm for a while. Get used to the world here.”

Even though Rain said these things she wondered if her sister would follow her advice. What if she would remember… about her most precious person? Would she just wander off looking for him or her? Rain did not know much about this person but she was well aware that every time Aras had to seal Taira again it was because she suddenly remembered about this person and she wanted to leave and look for him or her. It was odd that now that her seals were lifted she slowly remembered other things, but not this which used to be the first thing to break through.

“Listen, Rain…” Taira said softly while Rain packed her scarf and hat.
“What is it?” Rain asked without looking up.
“Why is this… so important to you? Yes, I know what you all just said,” Taira said before Rain could interfere, “But I can’t escape the feeling that there is another reason why you are doing this. I know you said you wanted to make up for things that you did but why this? Why won’t you go looking for something to fix Ivy’s powers?”

Rain sighed. She knew her sister would ask this question sooner or later.
“Because… Taira, the night I stole that stone… it talked to me.”
Taira blinked. “Right. It talked to you.”
“Yes, it did! It told me… my real name. It whispered to me, Hikary… that was all.” 
“What?” Taira gasped. She clearly had not seen this coming.
“You mean, the stone actually spoke to you? Are you sure?”

“Yes… I’m sure. Afterwards I guess I simply forgot all about it. The name Hikary did not mean anything to me back then, or maybe he even made me forget about it. But now it all comes back to me, and I know for sure it was that stone that spoke to me. You see, Taira, I will have to find it.  I have to find out… how it could be that it knew me.” Rain explained.
Thankfully, her sister seemed to understand.
“I… see, Hikary. Yes… maybe this is something that you have to do. Just… be careful, okay?” Taira said once more.

Rain and Taira silently walked downstairs. Rain had insisted upon setting off at once so that she might have returned before the deep winter arrived. She knew it was about fifteen days for her to get to the lair, assuming she still had the stamina she used to have when Aras was still alive. So that was at least thirty days of travelling… but she had no idea how much time she would have to spend looking for the stone. And there were also his creatures to deal with.

To Rain’s surprise, Regina was standing by the door, waiting for her.
“My queen.” Rain said, surprised. “Why are you here?”
“I just wanted to see you off, Hikary. I will miss you dearly. I know you’ve only been here for a month or so.. but you’re my daughter. I’ve been forced to miss out on so many parts on your life without even knowing I was. So I guess I’m just sad… to see you go.”
Rain was shocked when she saw the tears in her mothers’ eyes. She had not realized how attached her mother had gotten to her in such a short time.

“I will miss you too, mother. And I will be back as soon as I can, I promise you that. I really like it here. I will be back soon, and with the stone.” Rain promised.
After saying her goodbyes once again to her sister and mother, and to her other sister Stelline who also came to say goodbye together with her two adorable children, Rain took off.

It was not even noon yet, and she hoped to get far real soon. She was surprised to find that when she looked back and no longer saw the castle on the horizon, she actually felt hurt. She would miss the place… the warmth, the comfort, the love, the family… It was something she had secretly longed for for so long, and now she temporarily gave it up for something far more important. Well, it were choices a princess sometimes just had to make.

Taira kept staring into the distance even long after her sister had disappeared. She would miss her… Even though she liked and trusted this castle, these ponies, her family… her connection with Rain would always be special. They had been through the same things together… there was simply no one in the world who could relate to that. She just hoped her sister would be careful. The entire afternoon she wondered if she should not have been more persistent. Shouldn’t she have gone with her sister?

“Taira… here you are. I have been looking for you.” Taira looked up and saw her mother approach her over the wall, wearing her purple cloak.
“Oh… my queen. I was just… thinking.” Taira replied. To her surprise the queen did not ask her to come inside but instead sat down beside her.
“Yes… this is a great place to do that, isn’t it? I used to come here a lot while Ivy and Fleur were still small and I thought I had lost everything else. Now it seems I can hardly find the time to leave my throne room.”

“It is busy, isn’t it… the life of a queen.” Taira whispered. It was her future… Even though she did not officially acknowledge it yet, in her heart she knew it was.
“Oh, yes, it definitely is. But not for one second have I ever wanted to do anything else. I can help so many ponies… it’s very rewarding.” Regina replied.
“I bet it is.” Taira said while she still kept staring over the plains.
Her future… It was al stretched out before her like the plains. It felt safe, somehow… but scary as well. Because even tohugh she knew what she would have to do, there was still… someone missing. Someone to stand beside her.

“Mother… Rain said something to me about the stone before she left, and I think you should know.” Taira said, forcing herself to think of other things.
“Oh, please do call her Hikary. It’s her real name,” Regina pointed out,  “but, what did she say?”
“I know it is her real name, she just doesn’t want it to be used unless she feels she deserves it. Anyway, she said the stone… when she took it from here last year, it spoke to her.” Taira said.

“It spoke? What do you mean, it spoke? It’s a stone, I don’t assume they can speak, even if they’re magical.” Regina said sceptically
“Yes, that’s what I thought at first. I thought she was mistaken. But she seemed so very honest about it. And the stone… according to her, it had said her real name… Hikary.”
“Hikary? How could… anyone know her real name back then? Even she herself had forgotten.” Regina gasped.
“Exactly. That’s the weird part, isn’t it? Nobody could have known. That’s why she’s so convinced it was the stone. If it really is special… it wouldn’t be that surprising that it knew her name.”

“No… you are right. We will have it examined the moment Hikary brings it back. Perhaps I can ask my sister to come here. Her seal has to be lifted now, too. Maybe she remembers more than I do. After all, she was destined to become the new stone keeper. She is bound to know more.” Regina said.
Taira did not reply. The stone was still a mystery, and it would not be solved unless they actually had the stone, and for that all they could do was trust Rain.

The evening was coming quickly now. More and more the half lit day seemed to turn into night in only an instant. The coming winter… would it clean every wound made? Well… there was one would it would not, and could not clean.
“The stars…” Taira whispered as she saw a star appear on the horizon.
“I know, Taira, I know. They’re still fading… and it is getting worse.”