Kingdoms (kaimaki fantasy AU)

Chapter 31: Arrested

Maki moved so swiftly between people, Kaito wondered how on Earth she was human in the first place. He just about kept up with her as he pushed past the morning market goers. They shouted at him for being so rude, but he ignored them completely. He needed to keep up with Maki. He ignored his tight his chest felt and the burn in his legs as he and Maki exited the town. Maki kept going , occasionally glancing over her shoulder to make sure that he was still following her. He didn't understand what was going on. Why was Maki panicking so suddenly? She never acted like this. It was like something truly spooked her. All because she saw his pendent. Did she know something? She had to know something. She must know something. Did she know something about his family? Was he finally getting the answers he needs about his family?

"Maki! Wait! Stop!" Kaito shouted as he grabbed Maki's shoulder. She stopped, but tried to drag him to keep going. They were both exhausted, and hungry. They ran so far. They were only 40 or so metres away from a small stone wall that could easily be climbed over. The border. They were so close to it. But Kaito didn't care about that right now. He was more concerned about getting the answers he needs.

"Maki, what the hell's going on?!" He demanded, holding both of Maki's shoulders with a firm grip.

"Kaito! There's no time! We need to get you over the border!" Maki argued, trying to get out of his grip.

"Why me?! This has always been about you getting over it! Why is it suddenly about me?" Kaito demeaned, tightening his grip a little more on Maki. It stopped her from trying to get away from him all together.

"Kaito, I promise I'll tell you everything, but we need to get you over the border! Now!" She promised, looking more and more desperate with every word that she said. Kaito eases his grip on her a little, his face softening a little.

"Why me?! Just tell me!" He begged. He needs to know now. He can't wait. He doesn't want to wait. He lived for a whole year not knowing his family's secret. If there was something that Maki knew, he needs to know now.

"You said that you trust me, right?" Maki asked, recalling what he had said the night before Web Valley.

"Of course, I trust you." Kaito said, starting to become impatient.

"Just let me get you somewhere safer than here." Maki begged, putting her hands to Kaito's face gently. "Kaito, please!" Kaito opened his mouth, but he was cut off by the sound of horses. No! Not now! Kaito and Maki turned around and felt the colour drain from their faces. The ones that they feared were in sight. The guards and Monokumas that had been perusing them relentlessly. They had three carriages with them, two of them for prisoners. They were charging towards Kaito and Maki, determined time catch them. The couple didn't need to say anything to each other. They ran right away without hesitation. However, their sprint wasn't as fast as they would like it to be. Their energy was almost burnt out from their rush back in the town. While Kaito kept up with Maki, she could tell that he was starting to slow down. They were so close. She doesn't care about herself anymore.

"Keep running! No matter what! Don't stop until you get over that wall!" She shouted. Kaito didn't seem to notice that she stopped suddenly. He kept running. Perfect. Maki raised her fists. Without weapons, she knows that she's not going to last long. She doesn't have to last long, just long enough for Kaito to get over the border. That was her priority now.

Kaito kept running. He had to. He needs to get Maki over there and get her to safety. She will be able to go home. She'll be alive and safe. He'll stay with her. It's too dangerous for him to go home now. He didn't have too many regrets. He'll miss his friends. He'll miss his home. He'll miss the horse and the land he grew up with. However, there was one thing to keep him going. Two actually. Maki. And the fact that he would be going back to a lonely and empty house. As much as he will miss it, he was starting to get sick of that house and being lonely anyway. He was so close to the border. Just one step, and he and Maki will be free!

"I wouldn't go there if I were you!"

Kaito skidded to a stop, his feet making deep imprints on the ground. He pivoted around and felt his heart stop. He didn't know what had happened. He was stupid enough to focus too much on getting over the border to realise that Maki had stopped in her tracks. She had obviously stopped to try to fight back without a weapon. Now she was pinned down by three Monokumas. Maki was looking at him with wide and desperate eyes. She was silently begging him to keep going. Something that he couldn't bring himself to do. The carriage had pulled over at this point. The door was wide open allowing a young woman to step out. She had long blue hair and blue eyes that were behind a pair of glasses. She wore a dark blue dress and boots with a black blouse. In her hands were a familiar looking orb with Junko's face grinning gleefully in it. It was clear that she was watching everything that was going on.

"You go over there, they'll rip her to pieces!" The woman said, gesturing to Maki. Kaito and Maki made eye contact. Again, Maki was silently begging him to keep going, to forget about her. Kaito briefly looked over the border. Seemingly endless countryside faced him. No guards. No Monokumas. He could be safe. However, Maki wasn't going to be there with him. He can't leave her behind. Hesitantly, Kaito stepped away from the border. He wanted to fight, but he can't risk Maki's safety. Two guards immediately walked over to him. They forced him down onto his knees. They robbed him of his sword, dagger and satchel, discarding them carelessly.

"Let him go! He has nothing to do with this! He's just a hostage I used to get to the border!" Maki suddenly shouted desperately.

"It's plain to see that he isn't. Otherwise you wouldn't be defending him." The woman disagreed, glancing back and forth at Kaito and Maki. She then glanced down at the orb in her hands. "Well, your Majesty? I knew that if we waited here long enough, we'd catch them. It was plainly obvious that they were going to the border."

"Good work, Tsumugi." Junko smiled. As his hands were cuffed behind his back, Kaito could see that the demented Queen was relishing in the despair around her. He and Maki were so close to getting away. Escape was at their fingertips. Now everything was crumbling around them. They weren't careful enough. How could this have happened?

"He knows nothing of the assassination attempt! He has no business with the other kingdom! He's just an idiot! A nobody! He's innocent!" Maki pleaded, still trying to give them an excuse to let Kaito go. The Monokumas had crawled off of her at that point and her hands were now cuffed behind her back too. Kaito almost couldn't believe it. Why was she so determined for him to be safe all of a sudden? It wasn't just because she loved him. There was something else that Kaito couldn't see.

"I'll be the judge of that." Junko sighed sounding bored. She glanced over at Kaito, ready to see if he was worth the trouble as well. However, her eyes suddenly narrowed at him. "Tsumugi, show me what that is around his neck." Kaito glanced down in horror. In his rush to follow Maki, he completely forgot to hide his pendent. It was right there for the whole world to see now. Tsumugi saw what Junko had meant and walked over to Kaito. Without hesitating, she yanked it off from his neck, leaving harsh burns on his neck from the force of it.

"HEY! That's mine! Give it back!" Kaito protested, trying to jerk away from the guards to get back what was his. The guards held him down securely. Tsumugi showed the pendent to Junko. The look on the Queen's face suddenly changed. She grew pale. Her eyes almost bulged out of her head. She actually looked surprised and in the verge of going into despair herself.

"That's-" she exclaimed, literally shaking a little. Her face suddenly turned red as she glared daggers at Kaito. "Arrest him too! Now!"

"You heard her! Load them both up!" Tsumugi ordered before loading herself back into the carriage. "And have them separated too!" The guards picked Kaito up to his feet. He kicked and jerked furiously to get away. Maki was doing the same. They were both as desperate as each other to get away. Kaito kept his eyes on Maki, hoping that she could get away and over the border. He lost sight of her when she was shoved into a prisoner carriage. Kaito pushed harder to get away. He felt deflated when he too was shoved into the other prisoner carriage. The door was bolted tight behind him. He stood up ready to shout and bang against the cage he was in. The carriage jerked, knocking him off of his feet. Kaito looked desperately around him, trying to find something that can help. There wasn't anything. Not sure what else to do, Kaito rested his back against the wall.

He and Maki were so close. Now what are they going to do?