I once got the idea to this story thanks to the fun-section of a Knuckles website. There also was a "What if..." category and one of the questions was "What if Xenin was the father of Rutan?". And there I had the idea, what if Xenin generally would have been together with Lien-Da?
Gosh, I can imagine them together as a couple but I didn't think it would be that hard to write a story about how they got together. I never needed longer for such a short story. ^^*
This story is playing after my fic The days of Fury but it also can be read without knowing the previous story.
"You could have changed your clothing style at least for this one trip. It's embarrassing if one of the Grandmasters runs around looking like a dominatrix, especially if she's my sister", Kragok teased.
"Oh please, you have to talk", Lien-Da countered, "You run around like a hobo. How much better is that?"
"Oh yes!" He fell down on his knees before her. "I'm begging for punishment my mistress of the night."
Lien-Da let out a loud laugh. "You will rather beg for mercy once I've started."
A lot of people on the street already stared at them but they couldn't care less.
How long had it been since she just had been hanging out with her brother having fun for the last time? She didn't remember but it must have been an eternity. Besides they had never been hanging out in Echidnaopolis before.
Spring had just started and meanwhile Echidnaopolis had grown to a colony of wooden houses. They would only remain temporary though until the Echidnas had gathered enough other materials but for the moment they gave them shelter so they didn't have to live in the Grand Conservatory anymore.
"I still can't believe that someone rather wants to live with them as long as he can have the Legion", Kragok said and shook his head when he watched an Echidna with cybernetics walking by holding hands with his non-cyborg girlfriend.
Lien-Da sighed. "Some people just have no taste. Well, if they want to go I don't want to hold them back - only would lead to enemies within the own team if we did."
"And killing them only leads to bad reputation among the people. But still... I would never get together with one of these brats. Not even if the Dark Legion was dying out and we would need them for reproduction only."
'And still you had an offspring with one of them', Lien-Da thought but she remained silent. Remington had continued ignoring his father as good as he could and she didn't want to be the first one to tell him. Probably Kragok would jump off the island if he ever found out.
"Hey, your monster is there as well", her brother suddenly said and snatched her out of her thoughts.
"My what?" she asked and turned her head.
Xenin walked through the streets with an expression on his face as if he rather would have wanted to wade through liquid manure than to walk through Echidnaopolis.
"Your bodyguard", Kragok answered, "Long time no see. I have nearly missed him when he didn't constantly follow you the past few weeks."
Lien-Da now felt a little bad that she had barely thought about him during that time. Too many other things had been going on. They had to find a place to settle down, the camps were built up, the Legion was split once more - now half of the Legionnaires were under Kragok's control. And all this time Xenin had spent with the technicians who replaced the cybernetics that had been ripped off or damaged during the explosion. He had saved her life and she hadn't even thanked him so far... Well, actually she had but that was while he was unconscious and so it didn't really count.
"Heck, even during times of peace we see tanks", Kragok said with a slight grin.
"Well, do you really think I would visit Echidnaopolis if I wasn't well armed as an octopus?" Xenin simply said when he passed by Kragok. "Grandmaster", he then addressed Lien-Da and knelt down before her. "I apologize for my long absence and wanted to ask you if you accept me as your bodyguard again."
"Oh come on, stand up", Lien-Da said, "There's no need to apologize because if it wasn't for you I wouldn't even be here anymore. And of course I want my monster back at my side."
Now that he was standing in front of her she could take a closer look at him. The technicians hadn't just repaired damage - they improved him even further. Wires that once had been standing out now were hidden and it also seemed as if they had replaced his metal skin by another kind of metal.
"What material did they use", Lien-Da asked when she walked around him.
"I think it's Titanium. That's much lighter and thus better for fast moves while still as sturdy as..."
He interrupted as soon as Lien-Da had let her fingers run over his back. Could it be that he felt her touch? As if he had read her mind the cyborg continued, "I'm also the first to test the improved skin. Sensors tell me when something touches it."
"Ah, now that's interesting", she commented with a slight grin and let her fingers run over his body while she continued her walk around him. She felt her brother's suspicious gaze on her but she couldn't care less. He wasn't her father - and she was no little girl. Xenin on the other hand continued staring straight on and it looked as if he tried his best to keep a poker face. Lien-Da silently sighed. On one hand it was fun to tease him that way but on the other hand she wished he would play along as well. She was sure he had a crush on her but she also knew him enough to know he would never admit it himself. An ordinary soldier - or just a bodyguard in that case - wasn't a partner worth for a Grandmaster. He would even rather die in jealousness when seeing her with another - worthy - male than confess his feelings. Lien-Da knew how to seduce and control people but that wouldn't help her much in that matter. One step forward on her side would cause two steps back on Xenin's side. No, she would need someone else's help. Or...
"I don't know about you but I would prefer to leave this place now", Kragok interrupted her thoughts. "Do you want to continue checking your monster or do you want to come with me too?"
"Uh, yes, I'm coming with you", she quickly replied. "Xenin, can you stay a little longer for me? I heard the Guardians are building up a new lair somewhere but I haven't seen a single Guardian today. Maybe you will be a bit luckier and find one so you can follow him. But it's not that important right now so if you don't see any Guardians within the next hour you can call it a day too."
Xenin didn't seem to like the idea of staying longer in Echidnaopolis than necessary but he still nodded.
"Oh come on, I bet some of these people aren't that bad if you would interact with them a bit more", Lien-Da jokingly added.
Xenin raised his eyebrow. "And what should I talk with them? Tell them jokes that are cheesier than pizza? No, thanks."
She just smiled and patted his shoulder then she followed her brother.
Lien-Da actually had awaited Kragok to ask her about what the heck had been going on between her and Xenin but either he had decided to ignore it because it was her own business or he thought she just had continued joking around with him. Thank goodness he didn't ask since she had enough other things on her mind right now and didn't want to think up a good excuse as well.
Back in the camp she paid one of her female soldiers a visit.
"Kaya-Na, can you lend me some of your civilian clothes?"
"Well, yes of course", the female said a bit surprised, "But I don't think they are your style."
"Oh, don't worry. The less they look like me the better."
She wouldn't even have recognized her own reflection when she left the camp in her new clothes. A hooded sweatshirt - hood pulled over her eyes a bit - and jogging pants - no one would ever have gotten the idea it could be Lien-Da dressing up in them.
Xenin was sitting on a tree trunk in the middle of Echidnaopolis and grimly watched the people passing by. He shot her a glare when she sat down next to him but then quickly relaxed again and turned his eyes back on whatever he had been watching before.
"Oh ... thank goodness it's you, Kaya-Na, and not one of them."
Lien-Da smiled. "Aw, don't tell me a big boy like you is afraid of the people of Echidnaopolis. Besides I don't think they would even want to sit anywhere near you. Not as long as you are looking as if you want to bite their heads off if they came too close."
"You don't know these little pests", Xenin huffed. "They would try everything to keep us as their allies, if we like it or not."
"If you can't stand them, then why are you even here?"
"Because Lien-Da told me to watch out for Guardians. I haven't seen any of them in the whole town so far but I will keep looking. I don't want to go back without any news for our Grandmaster."
"Oh yeah, right, everything to impress the Grandmaster", Lien-Da sighed theatrical - it wasn't her own opinion but she still said it because she thought Kaya-Na would have.
Xenin suddenly turned around and shot her and angry glare. Quickly she lowered her head so that the hood covered even more of her face. She might have looked like one of her personal servants on first glance but she couldn't risk Xenin looking directly into her eyes and discovering who she actually was.
"Hey, no reason to go mad. I only wanted to tease you. You really seem to care a lot about Lien-Da if you want to stay in such a hated place just because of her."
"Of course. I'm a loyal Legionnaire and have to follow her orders."
"Now that's just the soldier in you speaking. But as far as I know Lien-Da only ordered you to stay here for a few hours. No Legionnaire would stay here longer than ordered. But you want to do more for her."
She lifted her head up a bit but not enough for him to see her eyes.
"And from your look I can tell you care more for her than you want to."
Xenin sighed and turned his face away again. "That sounds familiar. I guess that bonkers ex-Guardian wanted to hear the same from me a while ago."
"But I'm not a Guardian and as Lien-Da's personal servant I might actually be helpful."
He only slowly shook his head. "Maybe I like her more than anyone else, maybe not, it doesn't matter. I'm a soldier, her bodyguard, she's my Grandmaster. I'm here to protect her and to carry out her orders, not to love her. And even if I loved her ... loving also means to let go. She has deserved someone her class and not an ordinary soldier. Maybe it will be hard to see her with someone else but at least she will be happy and that is all that matters."
So it was really as she had feared - he rather would die in jealousness than confess his feelings. She took a deep breath. If she managed to find the right words it could get them both a little step further but if not - well, it would mean a big leap back on Xenin's side.
"Listen, there's one thing I know about Lien-Da for sure: She hardly trusts anyone. The only person she ever trusted is her brother - and I think that not even he has her full trust. Her previous bodyguards she only had at her side when she met with the Guardians but the rest of the time they were somewhere near her tent only and she went most places without them. But now she lets you follow her wherever she is. She fully relies on you. That alone already puts you in one of the highest positions in the Legion. You still want her future mate to be in a higher class than you are? Well, then she only has the choice between Kragok, a Guardian or one of the members of the High Council and I don't think she would be too happy about that choice."
She paused and carefully watched Xenin's reaction. He still had turned his face away but from what little she saw it looked as if he was thinking her words over. At least it didn't look as if he disagreed with her. Maybe it was time for yet another step forward.
"I saw you together with Lien-Da and Kragok in the town a while ago. To be honest, it looked a bit as if Lien-Da tried flirting with you. Nothing too obvious of course - not even Lien-Da wants to flirt with someone come hell or high water right in front of her brother - but these little touches were enough for me to know what's cooking."
A smile wandered over her face when she saw the surprise in his non-cybernetic eye.
"She ... actually has ...?" But then he hung his head and sighed. "Oh great, and I just stood there without a single reaction as if I had no interest at all."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that. You only proved that you aren't one of these guys who would jump at her at first chance. Lien-Da isn't someone to give up so easily and since you didn't show any dislike about her flirtation she will try it again. Just take a bit more action as well next time so she won't get the impression she's flirting with a wax doll."
"I will try to keep that in mind", he said with a slight smile.
After a few silent seconds Lien-Da stood up. "Well, I guess it's time for me to go now. But one more advice before I leave you: Just stay the hour she has ordered you to stay in this town. If you haven't seen a Guardian yet you also won't see them after sunset. Guardians aren't really known to become active and run around outside at night if it's for something they could also do in bright daylight. Besides I don't think you want to leave your Grandmaster alone for too long."
Lien-Da, back in her old outfit, waited outside the camp when Xenin returned. If she really wanted him to set his next step on his own she didn't need the whole camp as witnesses for whatever they were doing.
"No Guardians found", he reported.
"Well, that's okay. Guess today simply wasn't our lucky day."
For a little while they silently stood and watched the setting sun.
"I once stayed up all night to wonder where the sun went – then it dawned on me", Xenin suddenly said.
Lien-Da chuckled. "Thank goodness you said something like that. I already was afraid you could have gotten the stupid idea that something like a sunset could be romantic. It sure is beautiful but I also think the sight of my weapon collection is beautiful and no one would say that's romantic."
"I know something ... or rather someone who's even more beautiful", Xenin silently said and watched her from the corners of his eyes.
Lien-Da would have known a few dozen ways to give that one sentence a rocket boost into a flirt - but in case of Xenin it was better to thank him with a silent smile.
"Lien-Da", he finally turned away from the sunset and looked directly at her, "I wanted to tell you something ... uhm ... I don't know how to say it ... but ..."
He sure was rather a fighter than a flirter.
"If you don't find any words to say maybe it helps if you show it."
He looked at her for a few seconds, a hint of unsureness in his eyes but then he closed the gap between them by carefully pulling her closer and placed a kiss on her forehead. A sign of love and protection the same time. Maybe he would never stop being her bodyguard but then again why shouldn't he be lover and bodyguard the same time?
"See, it wasn't that hard, was it?" Lien-Da said with a teasing smile.
"Yeah, it gets better once you do it."
"And it will get even way better over time and with a lot of practice", she promised and this time she pulled him into a real kiss.