Thursday, September 13, 2007,7:34 AM
Traveler ch. 27
hii! I'm back! XD and I hope that this time last long XD

27


It’s her fault!

Her fist crashed against the first thing she found, what ended being on of the columns of her room. Something that she regretted immediately.

“You shouldn’t have done that” said Matsuura walking towards the Princess and taking her aching hand “You’ve hit an innocent column, you know?”

“I can’t help it!” Miki let go Aya’s hand with rage “You were there! You know what’s going to happen!”

“Don’t shout at me ‘cause that’s not my fault, ok?!”

Matsuura shouted back. She knew that the only way to make Miki calm down was being firm against her. It was a reckless attempt; it’s true, because, as the whole country knew, was better go to hell than make Princess Fujimoto angry...

“I’m sorry” said the Princess lowering her voice and looking at the younger girl in front of her with submission.

Maybe she was a demon, but with Aya, when it was just them, alone, away from curious eyes, she let out her true self. Indeed, a wolf with sheep’s clothing.

“It’s ok” replied Matsuura taking tenderly Miki’s hand again “I understand how you’re feeling, but you can let the rage take control on you”

“Nothing would have happened if she...”

“Stop saying that,”

“She...”

“She nothing. I know you love her, Miki. After all, she’s the one who brought me back to you” Aya smiled and caressed the older’s cheek before letting her hand rest on her face “You’re angry because she disappeared, because she makes you worry about her...” suddenly Aya stopped talking and stared at Miki, narrowing her eyes with concern “You’re ok?”

“Yeah. Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Miki, you’re burning. You’re really really feeling well?”

The Princess looked at her friend who seemed really worried. She was feeling well; in fact, she was feeling better than ever, but Aya wouldn’t believe her and Miki couldn’t tell her what was really happening either ‘cause didn’t even her knew it yet.

“Maybe I’ve caught the flu or something” she lied “Last night I went to the river and it was a bit cold...”

“You went to the river?” Aya’s expression changed. She was now angry “It was freakin’ cold outside, Miki!”

“And you weren’t here to warm me up...” complained the Princess with a playful grin, taking Aya’s waist and attracting the girl towards her.

“Not this time, Fujimoto” Matsuura needed all her will to stop her before Miki could touch her lips. Then, she moved away and began to walk towards the door of the room “I don’t want to get sick, too”

“Aya~ stay with me” begged the Princess “Come on~”

“Change your clothes and go to bed” Matsuura’s expression softened “I’ll bring you some soup”

Miki nodded happily and smiled at her friend, but once the door closed behind Aya, her smile dropped from her lips.

“I can’t let you know...” Miki stared at her hands. She could feel the blood in her veins boiling “I can’t”

***

Rika was walking back to her chambers thinking about the letter. They were in deep trouble. It wasn’t the first time that her uncles menaced the kingdom, but they’d always had her father to stop them. The only war she knew about was the one that happened when her grandfather died and the four brothers fought for the throne.

Now they were alone. Their kingdom never had a great army and their best soldier, the only one her father would had trust enough to lead them, was now the most wanted criminal.

If only you could remember...

“Not even our first kiss...” she sighed.

------------------------------

“Take your hands off of me!”

“Why we should do that?”

“You’re going to be in trouble! You don’t know who I am!”

The four bandits burst in laugh.

“Of course we know, Princess” answered the one that seemed to be the leader “That’s why you’re here”

“Boss, we should keep going. The soldiers are probably following us already and this place is dangerous”

“You’re afraid of a few little soldiers?” laughed him making fun of his men “Give me five minutes. I wanna have some fun with our guest”

“But boss, this is Inaba’s territory...”

“I don’t care about that woman and her little minions” he said while approaching her face dangerously to the Princess’s “We are... OUCH!”

The bandit stood up quickly and brought his hand to touch his bleeding lip.

“BITCH!” he shouted taking a knife from his belt “I’m gonna teach you...”

“Oh no, you won’t” said another voice coming from the shadows.

The four men turned to look at the intruder, well, the intruders, to be exact, ‘cause they were two. Two stunning girls, with rough boots and loose-fitting trousers. The one with long hair was wearing a vest over a simple t-shirt and the short haired, the one that had stopped the bandit’s leader, just a dirty white tank top and a black scarf around her head. All that combined with two beautiful swords aiming towards the bad ones.

The leader was still looking at them with rage, still cleaning the remains of the blood with the sleeve of his shirt.

“You know? That serves you well” said the taller of the girls.

“Who the hell are you?!”

“How he called us, Gocchin? Minions?” she asked turning to her friend that had followed her outside the shadows.

“Atchun will laugh when we tell her”

“Anyway, I think we should be the ones asking, since you’re inside our territory”

Two of the bandits jumped back when the girls walked towards them. The other one stayed next to their leader and whispered at her ear.

“Boss, they’re Yoshizawa and Goto... we can’t win...”

“You think I’m scared of two little girls? We are four”

“Yeah, you’re four” interrupted Yoshizawa “It’s a bit unfair, don’t you think, Maki?”

“Maybe a little”

“We are bandits” replied the leader laughing “We don’t play fair!”

Without warning, the bandit took the Princess by her wrists and held her with the knife dangerously near her neck.

“Maybe you didn’t understand me” Yoshizawa raised her sword and a serious glare replaced the smile that she’d been wearing on her lips ‘till then “This isn’t fair for you

The bandit’s hand shook and she just need that heartbeat, while the man doubted, to make the Princess free form his grip. She was so fast that not even the air noticed her movements and, just seconds later, Ishikawa was safe on Goto’s arms while the taller returned her attention to the bandits.

“I’ll give you two options” she began to speak again to the man that someway had ended with his ass on the ground “One; you run as fast as you can out of our territory, without the girl, of course, or two; you stay and fight”

“If I was them I’d choose the first one” whispered Maki to the dazed princess’s ear.

Of course, the man was too arrogant to let a woman trample on him and, with a signal, he ordered his men to surround Yoshizawa.

“Bad choice”

“You’re not going to help her?!” asked finally the Princess to Maki while they walked out of the dangerous area where was going to take place the fight.

“Don’t worry, those are just mere exercise for her. Besides, she likes to play the heroine all the time”

Rika stared at her saviour from the distance. She didn’t look like the typical girl from the city and, looking at her clothes and after hearing what the men had said, she probably was a bandit from a rival gang. But, there was something. She had felt it when Yoshizawa took her away from the man. Ishikawa couldn’t tell what it was, but it was strong.

As strong as the thrust that sent the leader back to the ground. One of his men tried to surprise her from behind, but he had no opportunity ‘cause, before he could notice it, the girl had already torn his thigh with the sharpen edge of her sword. The other two hesitated for a moment. Their leader was still trying to get up and the other cried like a baby on the ground holding his leg. They looked at each other and thought the same. Better two at once.

The girl just kept the sword in its scabbard and smiled. Soon, there were two other men unconscious on the ground. Then, she walked slowly towards the leader, who was on her knees and holding her bleeding right arm.

“Next time...” she began to say “...you’ll choose the first option”

And that was the last he heard before a fist sent him to make company to his friends at dreamland.

“You’re slow”

“I was just having fun” replied the taller girl to her friend. Then she looked at Rika “Sorry for the mess, lady. Are you ok?”

“I... uhm... much better... Thank you”

A kind smile appeared on the taller’s lips. She couldn’t tell why, but the way that girl was looking at her made the young bandit feel the same excitement than when she was in a fight, a real one. The blood pumping in her veins, her muscle tensing up, the warm invading every inch of her skin, the butterflies in her stomach... No, wait... That last one was new.

“It was a pleasure” she finally replied.

“Come on. Stop flirting with that girl and let’s go home” said Maki interrupting and taking the taller by the arm “I’m hungry”

“But we can’t leave her alone here”

“Didn’t you hear them?” asked Goto pointing at the bandits on the ground “They said that there were soldiers coming after them. She’ll be fine”

Yoshizawa wasn’t sure about it, but maybe was better that way. They didn’t need a confrontation with the soldiers. She nodded at her friend and turned to the lady just to say goodbye in an apologetic way.

“Wait!” suddenly, Ishikawa took her hand and made the bandit turn again.

“Something’s wrong?”

“No... just... How... how can I repay you?”

“Re...pay?”

“Yochan! Come on!” called her Maki “Someone’s coming!”

But she didn’t pay attention to her friend. She just stared at the beautiful eyes looking at her before taking her reward without even thinking.

It could have been just a goodbye kiss, but it was just the beginning.

------------------------------

“Yocchan?” asked the Princess after closing the door of her room and being sure that nobody can hear her.

No answer.

“Come on, it’s not funny” she began to look around a bit worried “We have to talk about something important, please”

Nothing.

Her things weren’t there, the plate of food untouched... Then Miki’s words came to her mind again.

Maybe people don’t change after all.

To be contiued...

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