~"The Bird That Could Heal."~ Kaitou Joker AU

○Chapter 9○

Midori was peacefully asleep in her bed meanwhile Jack was missing? He wasn't in his bed sleeping or anywhere around, this worried the others that were awake asking themselves where was Jack? Queen came running in a hurry, bursting open the door frantically. "Usagi! Is miss Midori awake!?" Queen asked in a panic. She overheard and saw some of what happened earlier in the morning. "No she's still sleeping, what's wrong? Did something happen?" Usagi responded. "No time to answer that, I gotta inform Midori about this!" Queen yelled.

Queen ran up the stairs fast to get up to Midori, she wanted to hurry incase they were too late to what happened. "Your majesty! Please wake up we gotta hurry this is serious!" Queen said panicking. Midori got up sluggishly she was still sleepy, her hair was ruffled, she stretched and yawned. "Queen... what's wrong? I'm so tired... I could sleep all day." Midori yawned. "I'm sorry lady Midori but this is really bad! You see Jack is missing I saw him being taken away, I couldn't see where but we need to find him!" Queen said. Midori shot up from her bed her eyes widened in shock, she was afraid of what could've happened if they don't hurry right now.

"W-w-what!? We better hurry we don't know where he could be or if anything happened! We better gather the others." Midori panicked. Midori got up frantically in a panic with her and Queen running down to find the others and find Jack, Usagi found Shawn and Rose, once they all gathered together they huddled to split up. "Alright everyone Jack is missing and we need to split up and search for him! Usagi, Shawn, Rose, search around the town me and Midori will search in the woods." Queen said. "Please find us if you see him anywhere and bring us to him, I'm very worried." Midori said. The group split up and the search for where Jack went was on.

Usagi, Rose, and Shawn searched high and low through out the kingdom. They went around asking others if they know where he went, there was a few who saw but were unsure where the kidnapper took him. "So far we only have witnesses but, they're unsure where he was taken." Rose sighed. "I wonder if Queen and Midori had any luck yet, nobody around here knows." Usagi said. They all were losing hope looking around the kingdom, he was no where to be found everywhere they looked. Arsene came out from the library to see them worried.

"What's going on with you three? I'm overhearing something about Jack is he okay?" Arsene asked concerned. "You see... he was kidnapped from what everyone saw, Midori and Queen went to look in the woods. He's nowhere to be found around here." Shawn said. Arsene got a bit worried, after all he did task him with an important job and wanted him to stay safe. "This is bad, if those two don't find him who knows what could've happened or if he's already gone to the other kingdom." Arsene stressed. "Let's hope they find him, and that Jack is okay." Rose said.

Going down further into the woods, Queen and Midori looked around the area. They looked through bushes and brush everywhere, until they looked down at the grass, they saw some blood. "Midori look here, this blood is leading us somewhere let's hope for the best that he's fine." Queen said. "Oh dear... now I'm worried." Midori muttered. They followed the blood spots to see where it would lead them, Midori was worrying as she continued forward with Queen, she held onto her to keep close and comforted. As the two continued Midori saw something in the distance she ran forward to get a closer look.

Apon further approach Midori saw what it was, it was Jack he was laying against a tree seemingly not moving at all and covered in bruises, scars and bleeding. She covered her mouth in shock as she stared at the injured caladrius, tears forming in her eyes. "O-o-oh no Queen... we're too late, he's not moving he's dead!" Midori cried. Tears rolled down her face, Queen caught up to where she was to see the scene of what she witnessed. "He's badly injured, let me check if his heart is still beating though." Queen said. Queen approached him and felt his chest, there was still a beat and he was still breathing. "He's alive but I think he's knocked out from whatever happened." Queen responded. "That's good to know, I hope that he'll recover well after this." Midori said.

"It was thanks to me that saved this guy right here." A voice said. Walking out from behind a bush was someone that Midori knew, they wielded a bow, short horns, and a lower goat half. "King!? You saved Jack?" Midori asked. "Yeah I saw everything that happened, I was in town getting something to eat until I overheard someone yelling for help. That's when I followed them and saw Jack getting badly hurt, before they could get the last hit on him I fired the sharpest arrow I had." King added. Everyone picked up the unresponsive bird and carried him back home.

They made it into town holding him Usagi, Shawn and Rose saw them holding him, they ran over to see. "Let's get Jack inside the castle quick everyone! We need to wrap him up with bandages and treat his wounds." Rose said. They took him and carried him away to the castle, Queen, Midori and King followed along back inside. "Rose... is he going to be okay?" Midori asked nervously. "He should be okay, he should recover after some time and some rest." Rose responded. They put rubbing alcohol on the open wounds with bandages, they cleaned the blood off of him and put him in his bed. "It seems like his head got cracked a bit too, explains why he had blood dripping down from his head onto his face." Usagi added. The bird rested in his bed, everyone stood around him for a bit just to make sure he would be okay while resting.

"Jack shall rest and until then, we'll wait for his recovery from his injuries." Shawn sighed. "Well let's thank King for saving him and taking out the kidnapper, I'm sure Jack will be happy to hear about you." Queen said. "Thanks guys... I didn't want to see someone get hurt nor taken away." King responded. King was happy to hear the positivity, he'd been practicing his archery skills for a long time and to see it save a life made him proud. Everyone left the room except Midori, she walked close up to Jack laying down in bed. "Jack... I don't know if you can hear me but.... I hope you're okay and that you eventually wake up from this, maybe even meet my friend King he saved you after all. Please be well..." Midori pleaded. She got up and left the room, looking back at him she smiled a bit while still a bit worried and sad, she closed the door and let him sleep.

Jack stayed sleeping in his bed for the entire the day, everyone was eating in the dining hall being concerned about him the entire time. As the time passed and crickets began to make their chirps outside, it got late and dark outside, Midori left to her room and sat on the edge of her bed, weeping silently afraid of what could happen to him. "(Please be okay.... I don't want to live with knowing I failed to keep you safe.)" Midori thought to herself. Wiping her tears away trying not to be sad, but it was hard for her. She stayed up the rest of the night, worrying, being concerned, she couldn't sleep. She left her room to find her brother, walking down the long hall to his room and opening his door. "Huh...? Midori shouldn't you be sleeping?  It's really late at night." Usagi said. He rubbed his eyes tired after today looking all around the kingdom. "Sorry Usagi... but I need to talk to you." Midori muttered. "Alright then... come here and tell me then." Usagi said. She approached him and sat next to him. "I can't sleep at all... I'm so scared for Jack... he slept half the day away after we found him not moving." Midori said. "Maybe think of this, we know that he is alive and fine, but I get why your upset." Usagi added. "But.... I'm concerned for how his health will be after this, he's probably still going to be in so much pain." Midori cried. Usagi patted her head and gave her hug, he always made sure to keep his sister in comfort during her hard times. "I'm sure it will still hurt but, he'll be happy to be awake and see you at least." Usagi said. "Your right... I think I feel a bit better now." Midori responded.

She said goodnight to Usagi, closed his door and went back to her room to sleep. She walked quietly down the hallway not to wake up anyone, and silently opened her door and went to her room crawling back to her pillow covered bed and going to sleep.

Will the recovery go okay? Or will it be a long time until he becomes okay again? This is the start of the Mayonaka rising...

To be continued...