Chapter
VII
After spending another whole day of
travelling, Master Ronin and Nobuko soon arrived at the palace. It was dark by
the time they reached the palace, so Prince Hayato was in his human form and
General Masato was in his wolf form. Nobuko and Master Ronin explained about
the plan to Prince Hayato. Prince Hayato agreed with the plan and had his
father placed in a cage. Right now, they were all traveling in Master Ronin’s
carriage and Nobuko’s horse and General Masato’s horse were tied to the
carriage. “Okay,” said Master Ronin “time to enter the palace grounds”. Prince
Hayato was getting nervous by this because he had never entered the palace
before. “It’s all right Hayato,” said Nobuko, in her male voice, “everything
will be all right”. Prince Hayato was happy that Nobuo was with him and felt at
ease at once.
When they reached the gates, a guard
halted them. “What business do you have here?” he asked. “My sons and I wish to
present this wolf as a gift to the emperor” said Master Ronin. Prince Hayato
and Nobuko presented the wolf in the cage to the guard. “Wow, that’s a good
wolf,” said the guard “I’d like to have a go at it”. He was about to draw his
sword, but Nobuko stopped him. “I wouldn’t do that if I was you sir,” she said
“because the rules are that if an animal is a present for the emperor, that
animal has to be kept unharmed until the emperor sees it. And if someone harms
it before them, he would get a very severe punishment”. The guard gulped at the
word ‘severe punishment’ and just let them through. “Was that rule that you
said to the guard true Nobuo?” asked Master Ronin. “Yes it is,” said Nobuko “the
last person who harmed an animal gift before the emperor could deal with it got
a real beating”. Master Ronin and Prince Hayato were surprised by that.
After successfully getting into the
palace grounds, Master Ronin, Prince Hayato and Nobuko took shelter in the
palace stables for the night. Prince Hayato let his father out of the cage and
huddled up to him. “We’ve made it into the palace grounds successfully,” said
Master Ronin “now we get some sleep for tomorrow. It will be a long day for the
both of us”. Prince Hayato and Nobuko agreed with Master Ronin and Prince
Hayato went to sleep with his father at once. “I feel scared about tomorrow
Master Ronin,” said Nobuko, in her real voice, “especially since we don’t know how
this will all turn out once it’s finished with”. “That’s why I will pray
tonight for our success and victory Nobuko,” said Master Ronin “so you go to
sleep now too and have faith for tomorrow”. Nobuko nodded and then went to
sleep. Before going to sleep himself, Master Ronin prayed to the gods for
protection and he prayed to Princess Annika and Nobuko’s family in heaven to
watch over them. “May the gods be with us tomorrow” he whispered, and then fell
asleep himself.
Next day, Nobuko and General Masao
got ready to invade the palace throne room. Nobuko had a plan; “I’ve been
listening to what the servants have been saying all morning,” she said to
General Masao “Emperor Hisashi, General Takeshi and the councils are holding a
meeting in the throne room in just a few moments”. “Good,” said General Masao
“I will confront Emperor Hisashi and General Takeshi then. Nobuo I trust you of
helping me get into the throne room”. “You can count on me General Masao” said
Nobuko. Master Ronin was watching the sun in the sky. “The sun and moon will
come together as one soon,” he said to General Masao “and then both you and
Hayato can confront Emperor Hisashi as one”. “I only see the sun in the sky old
man;” said General Masao “and the moon wouldn’t be out at this time”. Master
Ronin sighed; General Masao still didn’t believe him. “Master Ronin, you keep
watch over my son. I don’t want him involved while I’m doing this. Come Nobuo,
it’s time to enter the palace”. Master Ronin wished them luck and waited for
the sun and moon to join together, with Emperor Falcon. He was also relieved
that General Masao did leave his falcon with him; so he could watch what
happens when the sun and moon join together.
Nobuko brought General Masao to the
palace kitchens. “We can get to the throne room quickly from here,” she
explained. When they entered the kitchen, they asked the cook if they could
walk through. “We are meant to be in the throne room for the meeting by now,”
said General Masao “and we are running late already”. The cook saw nothing
wrong and agreed to let them through. Nobuko was worried about walking through
the kitchen; she feared if any of the kitchen servants would recognize her.
After all she did work in the kitchen before she left the palace. But none of
the kitchen servants recognized her in her male disguise. It also seemed that
none of them recognized General Masao either. So Nobuko and General Masao
managed to get through the kitchen with no trouble at all. “Phew that was
close,” Nobuko sighed, after they passed through the kitchen, “I was worried
there that we would have trouble or that they would recognize us”. “So was I,”
said General Masao “but I haven’t been here for twenty years now, so I had a
feeling that the servants wouldn’t recognize me now. Come Nobuo we must hurry
now, I want to get to the throne room before Emperor Hisashi and General
Takeshi get there”.
General Masao and Nobuko ran through
the hallways of the palace, until they finally reached the throne room. Nobuko
opened the doors of the throne room a little bit, took a quick peak of inside
and then shut the door again. “I saw the councils in there,” she whispered “but
the emperor and general are not in there yet”. “Good,” whispered General Masao,
putting his black mask on his face, “we enter now”. Nobuko opened the door
again and she and General Masao walked in. The councils watched them walk in.
“Are you some of General Takeshi’s men?” asked one. “Yes we are,” Nobuko
answered, in her male voice, “we were given orders to come here right now just
in case there was any trouble”. The councils understood and let them in with no
trouble at all. Nobuko and General Masao stood by the right wall, feeling
relieved that their plan of getting into the throne room worked.
Soon Emperor Hisashi and General
Takeshi entered the throne room, and ten guards entered the throne room too.
They did notice the two samurais in the room, but the two samurais bowed to
greet Emperor Hisashi and General Takeshi. Emperor Hisashi and General Takeshi
suspected nothing suspicious when they were greeted, so they just continued
with walking up to the throne. Nobuko felt relieved that the emperor and
general didn’t recognize them.
Emperor Hisashi sat down on the
throne, with General Takeshi standing beside him, and began to talk.
“Councillors,” he said “I gathered you all here today because I have
devastating news to tell you. It is about my missing sister Princess Annika”.
“Has Princess Annika been found your majesty?” asked one of the councillors. “She
has,” replied Emperor Hisashi “but the news I got is rather a sad one. I have
just been told that my sister had died two years after she ran away”. The
councillors gasped in shock and couldn’t believe that the princess had died.
Nobuko turned to General Masao. “I
thought he told them about Princess Annika’s death eleven years ago,” she
whispered “I mean a spy told him everything about what had happened to you and
her and Hayato”. “Yes,” replied General Masao “but what has happened though is
this; since both my son and I have been alive all this time, Emperor Hisashi
has always known that his nephew’s existence may cause him to lose his rights
to the throne. That is why he sent Shigeo to get rid of me and Hayato, so that
his position as emperor would be safe”. “So he thinks that you and Hayato are
dead,” whispered Nobuko “which is why he’s telling the councillors right now
about Princess Annika’s death”.
“Councillors my sister’s death is a
true tragedy,” said Emperor Hisashi “especially since she and I are the only
heirs to the throne. And now I am the only living heir left”. Nobuko was in a
bit of a shock after hearing that. “The councillors don’t know anything about
Hayato” she whispered to General Masao. “You’re right,” whispered General Masao
“Emperor Hisashi never wanted anyone to know about Hayato’s existence, and
that’s why they don’t know about him”. Nobuko shook her head in disbelieve.
“Councillors,” said Emperor Hisashi “as the only living heir to the throne, I
will continue to rule over Japan. And I intend to find a wife soon and then have
her give me an heir in the future”. “Not if I can help it!” shouted General
Masao.
General Masao stepped forward and
took off his mask. “It has been a long time Emperor Hisashi” he said. The
councillors were surprised by the appearance of General Masao. “I thought he
was dead” one whispered. “Unbelievable” whispered another. “I can’t believe
that it’s really him”. “I thought he was never coming back here again”. Emperor
Hisashi and General Takeshi were in shock to see that General Masao was still
alive. “Emperor Hisashi,” said General Masao, bringing out his sword, “I will
now bring you and your evil ruling down once and for all”. Emperor Hisashi ordered
his guards to dispose of General Masao. Nobuko was about to step forward to
help General Masao, but he raised his hand to stop her; apparently he wanted to
handle this fight alone. So Nobuko just stayed where she was and waited to see
what was going to happen.
Suddenly Nobuko saw something
happening in the sky through a window. The sun was being blocked by something
black. ‘Could that be what Master Ronin said?’ she thought ‘is it the sun and
moon becoming one with each other?’ General Masao noticed it too and realized
that Master Ronin had been speaking the truth all the time.
At that time, Master Ronin was
watching the sun and moon becoming one with each other. “It’s happened at last”
he said. Then when the moon blocked the sun completely, Emperor Falcon changed
back into Prince Hayato. Prince Hayato couldn’t believe that he was human
again, as it was still day time. “Master Ronin?” he said. “The curse is broken
your highness,” said Master Ronin “you are now permanently human again and so
is your father”. Prince Hayato was happy, and then he turned serious. “Master
Ronin take me to where my father is please,” he said “I want to face my uncle
now”. Master Ronin understood and gave Prince Hayato some clothes and a sword
to fight with. He also handed a golden pendant to Prince Hayato. “This was your
mother Princess Annika’s pendant,” he said “before she died she asked me to
keep it safely until it was the time for you to wear it. It will be proof to
everyone that you are her son and an heir to the throne”. Prince Hayato understood
and then he and Master Ronin ran off for the palace throne room.
Right now General Masao was sword
fighting against the guards. It was a bit of a struggle for him because the
guards proved to be strong fighters, but General Masao managed to kill them off
one by one. Then he got ready to kill Emperor Hisashi. Emperor Hisashi started
to smirk. “You realise General Masao that if you kill me the curse would go on
forever,” he said “surely you think of your son”. “Even so,” replied General
Masao “but I will now avenge him and his mother by sending you to hell”.
General Masao was just about to attack Emperor Hisashi, when a voice behind him
interrupted him. “Wait Father” the voice said.
General Masao turned round and saw
that the voice belonged to Prince Hayato, in human form. Emperor Hisashi
started to turn pale in the face for seeing his nephew in sight. Prince Hayato
and General Masao walked slowly towards each other, and then pulled each other
into a hug. “Father” whispered Prince Hayato. “My son” whispered General Masao.
Nobuko was surprised to see Prince Hayato in his human form again and walked
over to Master Ronin, who was standing by the doorway. “Is it over?” she asked
him. “Yes it’s over, the curse is broken” replied Master Ronin, with a smile.
Nobuko was happy to hear that and also happy to hear that the curse was broken
at last.
Prince Hayato stopped hugging his
father and spoke up to the councillors. “Everyone,” he said “I am Prince
Hayato, the son of Princess Annika, who died after giving birth to me twenty
years ago”. He held up his mother’s pendant to prove it to the councillors.
“That is Princess Annika’s pendant” said one of the councillors. “Then that young
man is her son” said another. “Then he’s an heir to the throne” said a third.
All of the councillors were surprised by all of this, as they never knew that
Princess Annika had a son. Prince Hayato then turned to his uncle. “Uncle
Hisashi,” he said “I have been hiding from you ever since my birth twenty years
ago, but not anymore. I have come here to reclaim my right to the throne”. He
took out his sword to help his father fight against Emperor Hisashi.
Emperor Hisashi started to turn
really pale in the face and started gritting his teeth. ‘All my plans of
disposing those two have failed’ he thought ‘my curse upon them, my men and my
hunter Shigeo, they all failed’. “The throne belongs to me,” he said angrily
“and no one else”. He took out a sword to fight against General Masao and
Prince Hayato. ‘If this is all I have to do to dispose them myself, so be it’
he thought. The fight was about to begin, when it got interrupted by a laugh.
