FIC: Royalty AU

[koushirou]

Prince Taichian

[ w a k e s u p ]


... he's in a

... a


[ t a n k ? ]


Automatically,


he begins

-- BANGING

-- on the glass

-- desperately


he can barely see

the

[ d a r k ]

water --

-- it's everywhere

-- his hair

-- floating in front of

his eyes,

too


-- but,

through the haze

and the darkness --

he --

sees --


across from him

straight across


a boy


[ his age? ]

[ younger ?? ]


( he can't exactly tell )

( when he's choking on water )


[ -- the boy ]

[ -- he has ]



( ... dark red )

( ... hair )


[ ... the boy's eyes ]

[ were closed ]

[ what looked to be ]

[ spiky hair ]

[ now, limp, with wetness ]

[ drifting, slowly, ]

[ in front of those closed eyes ]


Taichian

tries to cry out.


[ " I don't!! " ]

[ " know who you are--!!! " ]

[ " b u t--!! " ]


[ " P L E A S E " ]

[ " W A K E U P !!!! " ]

[ " O R " ]


[ " Y O U ' LL D I E T O O !!! " ]


( " D o n ' t d i e ------ !!!! " )


( " P l e a s e h e l p m e ---- !!! . . . " )


[ " L I V E !!!! " ]



-- the boy's eyes

-- shoot open



-- " K o u s h i r o h "

... opens his eyes.


... Across from him --

... in a

... tank ?? ?


... drifts

... a boy

( h i s a g e ? )

( -- n o , )

( o l d e r )


-- a boy with

-- wild hair

-- swaying,

-- in the water ,


... the boy's eyes are

... closed


... he seems to

... barely be

... hanging on.


... Koushiro

... doesn't know

... how he does it

... but,

... he struggles,

... with all his might,


Flailing, punching, kicking out,

everywhere --

d e s p e r a t e l y --

w a n t i n g t o ----


-- the glass

-- cracks.


Water pours out --

-- everywhere

-- black water.


... Koushiro

... gasps

... as he drifts out with the water,

... falling straight to the floor.


-- He can feel the glass

-- digging into his

-- legs


-- he doesn't care.

-- Gasping for air,


-- he pushes himself up


-- takes in his surroundings --

( if, barely )

-- and runs


-- straight to the other boy's

-- capsule


Warning signals -- error signals --

[ A L A R M S ]

are blaring.


Koushiro ignores them.


As if automatically --

-- he slams his hands down

-- onto


-- the digital

-- panels.


-- he's never used this kind of

... technology

... before


... but,

... Koushiro

... has a gift


... he can

" A n a l y z e "


-- ... whatever lies before him.


... It's why he's

" himself "

... after all.


( " K o u s h i r o , of the KNOWLEDGE KINGDOM, " )


[ ... it's not called ]

[ ... " the Knowledge Kingdom " ]

[ ... for nothing, after all. ]


The alarm's sound quiets

( even if )

( the error signs )

( still flash )


... the other boy's capsule ----


---- it opens.


Koushiro runs over to him ----

-- catches

-- the other boy

-- in his arms.


... The other boy's

... hair

... despite it looking so --

-- wild --


of course, it's limp,

soaked, from all the --

-- water.


Koushiro gazes at him,

as his breath heaves,

a bit desperately,

then,

-- looks

-- around ----



... Taichian

... wakes up.


... He's laid out

... on a hard floor


... groggily, he sits up.

... tries to open

... his eyes, further --



... He takes in the scene before him.

... Tanks.

... Multiple --

-- tanks

-- like the one he was

( j u s t i n ?? )


... There's others.

Others --

-- his age?

-- some younger looking

-- one older looking ?

-- and


... " K A R I !!! "


... Taichian runs over --

-- but --

-- a voice calls out:


" Stand back !! "

" The water can't touch you further !! "


" I ' l l g e t h e r o u t !!! "


Taichian turns around --

takes in the view of --


--- it's that boy

--- the other boy

--- from the other tank.


-- he escaped ?

-- his hands

-- are

-- desperately flying, across--?

-- some sort of panel...??


... Taichian leaps back --

-- just in time.


... The black water spills out.


... Taichian watches, desperate,

... his --

... his little sister --


... " Kari "

... she's lying

... motionless

... on the floor.


" K A R I --- "

He's shouting -- again -- but,


" She should be ok !!! "

" Let me handle this !!! "


" Just don't "

" get near the water !!! "


... As they watch, desperately --

-- work, desperately --


... more and more

... of those 'others'

... fall out of their holdings.


... "Kids"

( or rather, mostly younger teenagers, but -- )

( ... ' their age ' )

( ... if slightly older -- or -- younger. )


... Taichian

( besides his sister )

... two of them --

... he also

... recognizes ?


" S o r a ---- "


" a n d "

" Y a m a t o ---- ?? "


They got caught,

-- too!?...


Then . . . .

... considering

Taichian's -- own --


s t a t u s


... these other --

-- kids

-- they're


... the other

... Princes --

... Princesses --

-- he had heard about,

-- often, in the past, from his m o t h e r --

... Royal children!? --

... like him!? --


His shocked gaze

turns --


-- to

-- t h e o t h e r b o y --


... no,

... that boy

... he's dressed in

... " n o r m a l "

... clothes


... commoner's

... clothes.


( D i d h e )


( h a v e i t w r o n g ---- ?? )


... He's not

... sure.


... More time passes.

... It seems,

... for now,



... they're safe.


Taichian

breaths

a sigh of relief.


" You s a v e d u s "


Taichian says it,

to

the other boy.


... The other boy

... looks a bit

... hesitant?

... as he glances, towards the side


" ... I was in a pinch, "

" ... too, "

" ... though, "


... The other boy admits,

... seemingly unwilling to meet his gaze.


... Taichian

... gives a shaky smile


( still wound up )

( from )

( all of that )


" ... No, "

" ... you saved us. "


Taichian --

-- bows his head --

-- clasps his hands together,

-- in front of him,


" Thank you !!! "


-- The other boy

-- watches

-- a bit

( a m a z e d ?? )


" I owe you ( MY LIFE ) -- one !!! "


... The other boy

... he


... smiles


... genuinely smiles


... Taichian's

... caught by surprise.

... when he realizes,

... glancing up slightly --


... the boy's

... pure black eyes


... they're

... shining.


" ... You're

welcome , "


... The other boy

says,

... shyly,

... looking away, again,

... except now, with a slight ---


... Taichian

... tries to not

... break out into a grin ...


... " Where are--- "

... he tries to ask, instead,

... deflecting, as he stands, back up ----


... " I don't know, "

... the other boy admits.


" But, if my calculations are correct, "

" considering our location, here, "

" and, that -- "


" w a t e r -- "


" ... We may be in ---- "


" . . . The Dark Area. "


" The Dark Area ?!! ---- "


Taichian whirls around ----

-- more voices,

-- had joined in, in their shock.


... The other kids

... were waking up.


" Wait, we're in THE Dark Area !!??? "


That was the -- somewhat older looking boy,

who was taller than the rest,

a panicky look on his face --

-- as he adjusts


--- a soaked, and somewhat cracked,

... pair of glasses.


... However,

even --

his clothes ---


... were " R o y a l " ones.

... Even if

... Taichian couldn't recognize them --

... and they looked

... less dignified

... than Taichian's own ----


... the other boy appeared to, as well, have

... a concealed ----


" But that means --- "

" We're "

" really far from the Kingdoms!!! "

" Someone -- "

" -- must have "

" ... kidnapped us!!! "


"Because, those!!--- tank!!!----"

The boy flails in the direction of

-- the tanks,

-- behind them


... He's right,

Taichian realizes.


" The Honesty Kingdom is miles and miles away from here!!! "

The other boy continues, panicked look growing,

" How are we going to---?!? "


" Calm down, "

a voice cuts in, sharply,


Taichian's gaze

meets


" Yamatoh "'s.


... Taichian

... hadn't

... seen him in a long time,

-- but ,


... it's definitely

... the same

... " Yamatoh "


" We need to figure this out quickly, "

" and get away as fast as possible, "

" -- before whoever caught us "

" -- comes back "


" ... but we can't do that if "

" ... we're panicking. "


... The other boy

... quiets down,

... realizing --


Yamatoh was right.


" That's right, "

( P r i n c e s s )

Sorano --

-- was agreeing.


" We need to get out of here "

" as soon as possible! "


" or the Darkness will ---- "


[ " c r u s h u s !!! " ]


" I think I know what's going on "


... They turn,

... facing --


-- that boy.


" Whoever did this -- "

" they have "


" highly advanced technology "


" they're in the Dark Area too, "

" most likely "


" if you all are -- "

The other boy pauses, temporarily ---


... Taichian holds his breath --


" ... Royalty, "


" ... there must be a reason "

" ... why you were kidnapped. "


" The most likely reason is "

" ransom "

" but "


" ... this, to me, "

" ... looks like the work of --- "


" a n e v i l D i g i m o n "


... The others quiet.

... Look back --

-- at the tanks


" Y e a h "

Yamatoh --

-- admits.


" That sounds right. "


"Then, what do we do---!??"

... That was the panicky boy, again.


" We go home, "

Yamatoh replies, curtly,

-- gathering

-- a smaller boy,

-- scared looking,

-- into his arms,


" We escape from here "

" and warn "

" the rest of our families "


" ... and, "

" ... the Faith Kingdom "


... Taichian realizes --

-- Yamatoh's right.

The only ones --

-- with more status than him --


-- the Digital Worlds'

-- highest ranking

-- Q u e e n


" If there's a new enemy, "

" they'll come up with a plan of attack. "


" Right ? "


... Everyone's gazes

... turns to --


... Taichian blinks.

... Contemplates what was said --


-- looks back up --

-- sharply.


" ... Yeah. "

" Yamatoh's right. "


... He moves

... to gather

... his own ( s h i v e r i n g ) little sister,

... onto his back,


" ... Let's get out of here. "


... The others nod,

... and begin to follow him


... Taichian

... didn't know


... none of them

... would remember



... t h i s


p l a c e


until it was


t o o l a t e



( " I ' v e a l r e a d y w o n " )


the low voice,

coming from

an ARMOR-wearing BLACK DIGIMON

LAUGHS



( " T a i c h i - s a n " )


( " i l i e d t o y o u " )


( " I ' M -------- " )