Takato’s affairs

“Hey, Ruki.” Sakurako said.
Ruki had spotted her friend a while ago, but she had chosen to ignore her for a while. After she had returned, she had not felt like talking to anyone. She just wanted to deliver her report to Takato, and then spend some time in the bath, or in the forest. But apparently she had not been able to hide herself that well, not surprising in the small wooden house, hidden in the ancient forest.

“Hey, Saku.” Ruki said.
Her friend Sakurako, a bright pink pony who Ruki had met on her first mission, now two and a half years ago, which had almost gone terribly wrong. Ever since they had gotten out of that alive, in one piece and unseen, Ruki and Sakurako had been close. In fact, Sakurako was the only person Ruki was close to in the Bond. But that didn’t stop Ruki from thinking Sakurako could be annoying and noisy, too.

“I’m glad to see you’re back, and safe. How did your mission go?” Sakurako asked.
”Okay. I got the information Takato required, and I did not get caught. But, Sakurako… If you’ll excuse me now, I will have to report to Takato.” Ruki saw the disappointed face of her friend.
“Oh… okay. Promise me we’ll meet later and you’ll tell me everything.”
“Yea. Sure.” Ruki half-heartedly promised, hoping it would not be today.

Ruki left her friend behind, and walked through the small house to Takato and Flora’s room. She was pretty sure Takato was there. Their room was bigger than most of the other rooms in the house but it not only held their bed but also lots of books, paperwork, and Takato’s desk, and it was where Takato did most of his work when he was not away. She knocked on the door, and heard Takato’s voice say “Enter.” ‘Ruki opened the dark wooden door and entered the room.

Paperwork was spread all over the room, from the dark desk to the door and on his side of the bed. Takato sat behind his desk, bent over something. The window was slightly open, allowing the fresh air from the forest to enter. As soon as he noticed it was her who had entered, he jumped up and left whatever he was working on behind.
“Ah, Ruki. It is good to see you back. Did you have a pleasant journey?” He asked, smiling slightly.
“It is good to be back… your highness. My journey has been swift and safe.” Ruki said.
Takato seemed to grow taller still, every time she saw him. He was almost a head bigger than her, and his body was strong. She could see the well-trained muscles in his legs. He was their leader, but he never refrained from having to do work.

“You came to report?” He asked, and Ruki nodded.
“Very well. Tell me what you have found.” Ruki sighed, and started to tell the tale she had rehearsed in her head her entire journey.
“The capital seems to be gathering silver. For what purpose, I have not been able to find out, but they give out fake reports on the amount of silver that has been found, so they can sneak more silver to the capital. The ponies seem to be suffering because of this; they have less to sell, so they have less income, and it seems too hard for them to provide for their families. I have found this information hidden in the desk of the mayor.”

Takato sighed deeply, looking concerned. Ruki knew this was confirming his worst fears. The capital was up to something, and every day that passed by brought them closer to their goal, whatever it was, and as long as the Bond could not figure out what it was… they could do nothing to stop them.
“This is troubling.” Takato said. “Even I have to admit… I can see no reason why they need more silver, apart from enriching themselves… but the capital, the High King… surely he has money and resources enough. He does not need extra silver for this purpose. Why is he gathering it? What on earth is he trying to do?”
Takato said, not only to Ruki but also to himself, as if asking the questions out loud might bring him closer to the solution.

“I am sorry I could not bring you any more concrete information, your Highness.” Ruki said.
“Nah, you did well enough. The reason would never be stated in those papers anyway. They’re too paranoid to be discovered. I guess the reason only exists in the minds of ponies.”
Takato turned back to his desk.
“You are dismissed, Ruki. Go and relax a bit. Enjoy the bath, the forest, the good food.” Ruki bowed slightly, and turned around.
Just when she was about to leave the room, Takato said:  “Ruki… wait.”

She turned once more.
“I would like you to come with me. To the breach. In a few days. Apparently… something has changed.”
 Ruki did not reply. Takato did not expect her to. She would come, and he knew she would. She walked out of the room and closed the door behind her. She took a deep breath, trying to calm down her heartbeat. Another trip…

Ruki walked to the kitchen, but no one was there. She grabbed herself some freshly baked bread and some cheese and left the kitchen again. She wanted to go to her room first, but decided against it. Better to rest and enjoy the forest first. She left the house, and was happy to see that no one was around to ask her questions. She longed for solitude, even though she had only just returned from her trip, on which she had been alone.

She walked slightly into the forest, and sat down on a fallen tree trunk. She ate her sandwich, observing the late fall in the forest. Winter would come swiftly now, there was no mistake about that. The sun set quickly every afternoon, and it rose late. On the open plains, Ruki could have sworn it had already been freezing a little during the night.  Of course, here under the shelter of the trees, that had not been the case… yet. Ruki didn’t like winter. She much preferred fall, with its delicious smells and beautiful colours.

“Ruki.” Ruki almost fell off her tree, startled by the voice that had silently appeared behind her.
“Oh… Sakurako.” Ruki said, surprised and annoyed that her friend had managed to find her.
“Already done with your report?” Sakurako sat down next to Ruki, who had not yet finished her sandwich.
“Yea.” Ruki said. “It’s not like I had little to report… but Takato didn’t require much more than the things I had to say.”
“I see…” Sakurako said, pondering over the implications of Ruki’s words.

“So? How was the trip?” Sakurako asked after Ruki had finished her sandwich.
“Yea, it was okay. Rather uneventful, really. I already found what I needed to know on the first time I broke into the house… so I could leave instantly again.”
 “Broke into… He made you break into a house?!” Sakurako exclaimed, obviously surprised.
“Sssssh. It’s not supposed to be known.” Ruki said, trying to silence her pink friend. That the Bond did things like breaking in to acquire information was not something known to most members. Even Sakurako had not known, apparently… but Ruki had decided long ago she would not keep any information from her friend.

“But that’s like, illegal!” Sakurako whispered.
“Yes. But it had to be done. This information might really help Takato, if he finds out how to use it. It’s for the greater good. And it’s not like I stole anything. I just looked up information and put everything back.” Ruki said, irritated by her friend.
She liked Sakurako, she really did, but sometimes Ruki wished that her friend stuck to her own business. Sakurako stared at Ruki for a few moments, before she turned her head away.
“I know you didn’t. But still, it’s not good. Even if the reason we’re doing this is good… It doesn’t mean you should blindly follow Takato’s orders.”

Ruki stared at her friend, remembering why Sakurako had joined the Asana bond in the first place. Sakurako had been an admirer of princess Asana. A daughter of a rich and influential family, she had been pushed to the back her entire childhood, not being allowed to learn and study or do anything else. Therefore, when she learned of princess Asana having access to the earth’s powers, she had ended up idolizing her… and had joined the Asana Bond when it had been created. She wanted avenge for her idol’s death. She had always been of the opinion that

“He asked me to come with him. To the breach.” Ruki said without looking at her friend, already knowing how her friend would respond.
“Alone?” Sakurako asked.
“I guess. Do you expect anything different?” Ruki said irritated.
“You’re… going?” Sakurako asked.
Sakurako was one of the few who knew about Ruki and Takato’s journeys alone. Well, everyone was aware of it, of course. Takato thought Ruki was special, and he treated her as such, and he taught her things only she could know. But Sakurako knew.

“Yea.” Ruki answered plainly.
“Ruki…” Sakurako said softly.
“What?” Ruki snapped. “It’s my own decision.”
“Is it?” Sakurako asked sharply.
Ruki didn’t reply. She did not feel like having this conversation –again-, but she also did not want to walk away from her friend.
“You know what is going to happen, and still you want to go? You know what he will do to you Ruki… what he will ask you to do. How can you be okay with that? Are you still having hope that he will love you one day? That he will give up on Flora, and come running to you begging for your love and forgiveness?”

Ruki remained silent. Of course, she did not hope that. She had given up on that long ago.
“No. But I will still go.” Ruki said.
“Ruki…” Sakurako whispered, “He does not love you. Takato is the prince, the future high king,  and he’s smart and powerful and he will lead this country properly. Everyone knows that. But that man… he has no love in his heart. It has been closed the day his sister was murdered. I don’t know why he does what he does to you… or why he pretends to love Flora so. But he does not love you, Ruki. And he does not love Flora.”

The soft autumn breeze played with the evergreen branches. The sun would set swiftly behind the mountains, and early evening would fall upon the forest. Ruki heard no birds, no animals walking in the shadows around them. She didn’t even hear any ponies back at the wooden house. It was truly a forsaken place. Ruki got off the tree stump, and stood before her friend.

“Sakurako… on my journey, no, even way before that… I have been thinking about the meaning of love. But not a single answer came to mind. Therefore… I will go with Takato. I don’t care what he does to me. Or to Flora. I just want to… get this over with. Can you understand that?”
“Oh, Ruki…” Sakurako whispered, and jumped off the tree. She grabbed Ruki and held her, and Ruki did not know for how long they stood there. A minute, half an hour… All Ruki knew was that for those fleeing moments she felt a little bit of warmth and safety in her life.

When she opened her eyes again, she was surprised to see it was almost dark outside, and she could feel her eyes hurt from all the tears they had been forced to produce. She had not even realized that she had been crying. Sakurako let go of her, and she could see her friend had been crying also.

“Ruki… please don’t lose yourself. Don’t let him do that to you. He’s not worth it. A future king he might be… he’s not worth it. You’re my friend, the only one I have… and if you lose yourself… who do I have left?” Ruki could see the diamond tears reappearing in her friend’s eyes, and she felt sorry, so sorry, for being irritated with her earlier. Sakurako only cared for her.

“I know. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry Sakurako… but I don’t know how to fight him. I don’t know how to say no to him anymore.” Ruki sobbed softly.
“It’s okay. It’s okay, Ruki. We’ll get over this. One day soon, he will become High King… and we no longer have to fight. Keep hoping for that, okay?”  Sakurako asked.
“I will.”
“Good. Now… shall we go get something else to eat?” Sakurako asked, and Ruki happily agreed, hoping dinner would be served soon.

Ruki followed her friend back to the house. As they walked, they passed Takato’s window. It was still open, and Ruki could see Takato bend over his desk in the candlelight. He did not see them pass his window. As she saw him working, Ruki knew Sakurako was right; maybe he did not feel any love. But that was just… another reason to give in.