Disclaimer: I do not own or create any of these characters

Sup! Here's the second part of the All our secrets!

All our Secrets:

Strange

It's not strange. Really it's not.

Seeing Rita and Yuri together is not a strange thing to everyone. When their friends looked more into it, it made a lot of sense. They are both form a darker past. They have seen things many people their age shouldn't have, and in battle the two were unstoppable. As soon as they got serious everyone just sat back and watched; it was obvious that they would seek each other out. So when they saw Rita seating by a tree studying intently in a book, with Yuri snoozing next to her no one minded. When they see Yuri leaning over Rita's shoulder glancing in her book, no one batted an eye. When Yuri would sneak out for the night for some private time, everyone already knew where Rita is going to be.

However, there is no felling of love between them. Just simple friendship. If one were to ask the two why they have such a symbiotic relationship you won't get any gushy romantic responses.

"He's not as annoying as the old man or the brat, he keeps his mouth shut when I am working on something and he's a great test dummy." Is what the mage would say with a shrug, yet she wouldn't say out loud that she just felt comfortable around him.

The swordsmen would chuckle, "I can sleep a lot more around her and Repede doesn't mind either. She's also a great sparring partner." Although he wouldn't mention how fun it is to get a rise out of her.

That's how they would respond and no one would find it weird, Estelle being one of the main supporter of their closeness. Most of the time she would be around them chatting with one or the other; always the mediator between the two.

So it wasn't odd to have the three lead the pack as they walked through the woods. Yuri on the left listening to Estelle as she spoke on the knowledge of the local flora and fauna, Rita was right beside her nose deep in a book, studying a new spell. Everyone else was behind them, Karol was talking with Raven about future of his guild, with Judith adding her own two cents into their conversation.

The dense woods were quiet and surprisingly there were no monsters trying to attack them. Although that doesn't mean they shouldn't be on guard.

"Well well lookie what do we have here?"

The shrill dark voice caused everyone to stop in their tracks; well almost everyone as Rita kept walking.

A few feet away from them was a gang of bandits all of them carry daggers, axes and deadly smiles. Their leader had the deadliest of them all, his slim muscled figure was shown through open vest and his dirty torn pants weren't helping either.

"Looks like we got our selves some free cash boys!" His men laughed with him.

"Uh sorry to disappoint you guys but were just as broke as you." Yuri shrugged at the man.

"That's because Estelle wanted to buy the three hundred thousand gald book." Karol deadpanned at the princess who puffed her cheeks out at him.

"You're the one who brought that really expensive sword!" Estelle responded.

"Uh…" The bandit leader didn't know whether or not to jump into the conversation.

"I can use my sword in fight what are you going to do with that book? Throw it at them?"

"No we meant the bounty on that guy's head." The leader pointed at Yuri, with the badly drawn wanted poster in hand.

Yuri looked at the poster, then frowned, "What the? Only forty thousand gald? Come on I 'kidnapped' a princess." He pouted childishly at the how little he was worth.

"Yuri I don't think that's the point." Estelle sighed.

"Didn't you do a whole bunch of other stuff besides kidnapping kid?" Raven raised an eyebrow, wondering why his bounty was so low as well.

"How come you're the only one with a bounty Yuri?" Judith pouted.

"Enough!" The bandit leader pointed his blade at the group in rage. "Now you all…will…hey what you are-"

"No that's not right…"

While the others were having their witty banter, Rita had continued walking right into the group of thugs her nose even deeper in the book muttering to herself.

"Uh Rita…" Raven voiced his concern while Yuri's hand met his forehead with an annoyed sigh.

"Hey you brat you wanna be first!" One of the bandits, a bigger one with an axe over his shoulder, and red and black armor.

"Hmmmm." Rita didn't even acknowledge the large man, trying to figure out how to complete her new formula. But she couldn't figure out the last part of the formula.

The axe wielding thug, tired of being ignored, bellowed. "Hey squirt!"

Said squirt looked up from her book for once to find the offensive noise.

"That's it! How could I have been so stupid?" As soon as Rita looked up at that the man she broke into a megawatt grin.

"Wha-"

"Hey stand right there could you." Rita took a few steps back while writing in her note book.

"Ok let's give it a shot." She flipped the pages of her book, a blue light glowing around her. "The frozen tundra, deep in the coldness realm of hell strike my foes with an icy sting," Like dancer Rita spun with her sash twirl perfectly won her toes chanting her spell.

"Shard!" She shoot her hand at the axe man who gasped in shock of the light the shined at him.

"H-H-HEY!?" He shivered in his ice prison that shot form the ground, his head and hands were the only thing that were free.

"Huh, that was supposed to impale you…." Rita grumbled.

"Your dead!" The leader rushed the young mage with his dagger ready to bath it in her blood.

"Whoa!" But Yuri was quicker, blocking the attack with his own blade. "I have a feeling your mom didn't teach how say excuse me huh?"

The bandit growled, "Get these bastards!"

His men wasted no time in rushing the group, an axe man was the first to attack but he as quickly taken an arrow to the chest killing him in one shot.

"Gezz young'un's these days. No tack or style." Raven shook his head in disappointment, his bow and dagger at his side.

To raven's left a bandit with a dagger came at him swiftly to silence the old man.

"Di-gah!?" Too bad he was impaled by Judith's spear as she flew down from above.

"Aw are all of us young people so bad? ~" Judith pouted as she leaned on her spear, crossing her arms under her cleavage.

"Oh but not you Judy baby! You have all kinds of style!" Raven drooled.

Karol rolled his eyes at the two, he knew black and blue demon fang blade relaxed on his shoulder. He placed his foot the head of one axe men that tried to take him down, "Could you two be serious for one minute?"

Karol shook his head at his friend's antics, not noticing the dark shadow looming over him. Until he heard the meaning laugh behind him.

"Eep!" Karol turned slowing to his giant aslant, holding his blade over his head ready to giving his killing blow.

But for some reason his movements ceased and he fell to the ground with a thud, a large whelp on his skull. Estelle stood behind him, her new and very large fantasy book in her hands.

"See? It's no so useless now is it?" She giggled while Karol just sighed in relief.

Yuri dance around his two opponents as they hacked him with axes and blades. He ducked under one of their swings with a smile, and deflected the other with grin.

"Come on aren't you guys professional at this?" He spun low, his smirk sadistic as he slashed his blade up wards. His shining eagle blasted gold form the ground and lunched the bandits through the air.

Laying his katana on his shoulder Yuri laughed, "Huh I guess not."

Admist his joy at others pain Yuri's dark eyes caught Rita standing in the middle of the battle field her nose still in her book. Completely unaware to the large man bearing down his axe on her, until Yuri fiercely intercpeted him.

"Whoa!" He blocked the heavy axe with his sword, "Hey Rita get your head in the game!"

He sent a quick glare at the mumbling mage, then harden that glare at his enemy. Swiftly Yuri knee the large brute in his stomach breaking his balance, and allow him to come face to face with Yuri's azure.

After sending another bandit flying, Yuri turned to Rita who was still head deep in her book. He has half a mind to snatch that book away from her, but the last time he did that he nearly lost an arm, and all ten of his toes.

"Argh this is so stupid!"The young girl raged, attempting to burn the pages of her notes with her eyes.

Yuri looked over her shoulder, glancing at the swirly unimportant lines in her notes.

"Wow a spell even the great Rita Morido has a problem with?" He jested with a haughty grin.

Another bandit rushed the two form behind his sword raised high. Yuri, his eyes still trying to figure out Rita's dilemma, took a step to her right and stuck his foot out just before the man's weapon could connect making him trip.

"That's not the problem moron." Rita didn't move form her spot as she quickly raised her fist as the bandit fell right into it. Hard enough to break his nose and a few teeth as he slumped to the ground out like a light.

"There's not a single spell I can't handle…." She muttered her eye scanning the pages of the book, "No that won't work."

"Then what's the problem?" Yuri asked, twirling his blade, his head still over Rita's shoulder.

Two more bandits ran to them, thinking the little girl and the girly looking man would be easy prey. Suddenly Rita couched low allowing Yuri to blast both men with two roaring azure shoots.

"I just can't get it to do what I want it to…" She was trying to configure the ice spell to impale her enemies not just freeze them.

Bending down to her level in front of her, Yuri look into her book; Rita was too engrossed with her study to care.

"Well I don't much about magic,"

"Or anything really…"

He gave a look then sighed, "But what about changing that curved line doohickey blue and the red thingamajig I don't know green?"

Rita finally looked at him with evil green eyes, "How assian-Wait!" She looked at her book then smack her forehead in shock.

"Of course, I've been so blind!" Quickly she took out her pencil and rescribbled over her notes.

"Alright!" With a maniac smile Rita faced the group of bandits before them.

"Let's do this!" She took out her sash and danced elegantly as she chanted. "Frozen heart of Shirayuki, silent my foes with your icy song!"

With a trust of her hands, and a yell of "Hell frost!" stories of ice shot form the ground incasing and impaling many of the bandits on the large spikes of ice that nearly over took the tree tops.

Rita put her hands on her hips, thoroughly satisfied, "Huh that worked better than expected."

Yuri walked beside her with a grin. "See I am not totally useless."

"Yeah. " She grinned too, "But you're still an idiot."

With that grin Yuri retorted, "If this idiot fixed your problem then what does that make you?"

While Rita yelled Yuri's ear off for insulting her, the bandit leader growled in fury.

'They're not even taking this seriously!' With that raging thought he braked out his orders.

"Martha! Do it!" His secret weapon, a powerful witch, jumped form out of her hiding spot in the bushes and let loose her powerful spell.

"Ground diser!" the earth erupted, giant stones shot from the ground ignoring even her allies as they blasted even one in their path. Judith and raven barely dodged the onslaught while Estelle pulled Karol fast enough for the one of the rocks to just scratch the tip of his nose. Rita was right in the path of the pillars.

"Watch it!" Yuri acted fast and grabbed Rita hugged close to his chest, Turing his back to exploding boulders.

"Yuri!" Said man heard Estelle yell for him beyond the wall of rock.

Yet he didn't respond.

On the other side of the wall Yuri let out a sigh of relief when he realized he was still alive.

"Hey," he looked down at the mop of auburn hair that was currently buried in his chest, "Are you…"

He didn't finish as he noticed something a little off.

'Was she always this soft…?' He never really noticed it before but Rita actually is nice to hold. He never really took to the time to notice, or care really, but he always thought that Rita felt like her attitude; rough and loud. But she felt soft, not womanly soft like Estelle or Judith it was still a little rough but there was gentle tough to her he just couldn't pinpoint. And if felt…good to hold her like this.

'Huh?' Yuri's nose twitched when something sweet slipped by it.

'Sakura? But…' The gentle smell of cherry blossoms drifted from Rita's auburn hair that seemed to be glued to his chest.

And that's what caused him to shake himself out of his thoughts and focus on the young girl didn't move for the past minute.

He put on his poker face of a smile, trying to hide those uneasy feelings, "Hey come on Rita I am flattered that you like me this much but I think you should let go now."

Said girl didn't answer. For the first time in Rita's life, her mind was in a haze. She couldn't tell what was left and right, she didn't know where was up or down. But she did know that Yuri Lowell smelled like woods and the sea, and she didn't hate it. She thought she would hate it just like she thought she would hate being hugged by anyone. Yet the closeness didn't bother her, in fact she felt safe. Something she thought she could never feel; not even in her own home in Aspio did Rita ever feel this calm. Yet in his arms, Rita felt safer than she ever felt, at this very moment in the middle of a fight Rita could fall right asleep in Yuri's arms.

Her scientific mind asked why she could feel so safe in a man, who wields a sword like a demon, yet not in her own home. Is it because of his strength? But he is not invincible, and there are times she's even beaten him in a spar. Maybe the fact that he was a male? But then she would feel the same around the brat and the old man and she is not hugging them even on her death bed.

She wanted to find the answers but her thoughts were too preoccupied with the protective arms around her, the firm chest her forehead was pressed against and the relaxing scent of Yuri.

'I…want to stay like this…' She wanted to push her head deeper into him, actually hold him close and-

"Hey come on Rita I am flattered that you like me this much but I think you should let go now."

Until Yuri opened his big mouth.

Green eyes burned up at him. She was about to releases a fury of insults, but her eyes widen at the shadow over his shoulder.

Yuri grinned at the young spitfire under him until he noticed an axe wielding bandit rushing behind her.

"Yuri!"

"Rita!"

When asked what had just happened they would say there was no instinct, no thoughts. They just acted.

Interlocking their hands, Yuri and Rita danced. Spinning and crossing one another as they fought. They spun, high kicking the bandits in their chins. While the rouges staggered form being hit, Yuri spun agian, taking Rita along with him. She let her leg slam into the axe man's head as Yuri lunched an upper slash with his sword. The sword barely blocked it before Rita twirled taking Yuri with her. As she charged up a spell Yuri brought his sword back while the bandits tried to regain their stance.

"Azure edge!"

"Fire ball!"

They fired off their attacks, giving one last twirl as the bandits were basted by their artes. Their dance ended they fell back into each other's arms, intelligent greens looking deeply up at deep dark orbs. Their fingers still creased each other, her rough callous hands tickling his smooth ones. His other hand stop at the mid of her back along with her own, too captured in her gaze to even notice how close they were to each other.

"…Wow…" She whispered as if he stole the air away from her.

"Yeah…" He struggled to find his voice, her eyes seem to drag his soul away for him.

"Yuri! Rita!"

Estelle's voice was like a lightning bolt through their bodies. They shot of form one another as if on fire. The others came running behind Estelle who nearly knocked Yuri to the ground with a hug.

"You're ok!" The princess glowed, glad that her friends were unharmed.

"O-Of course we are!" Rita boasted with dastardly grin, the red fading form her cheeks.

"These guys are nothing but a bunch of push overs."

"Ack! E-Estelle! Lungs! You're crushing them!" Yuri gasped for the air Estelle was squeezing out of him.

"Ah! Sorry Yuri!"

Raven chuckled a little, "I told ya not worry 'bout those two princess. The little mage's fury alone can take on a whole army."

"What was that you old goat!?" Rita growled.

With a jokers grin Yuri address the fuming mage, "You did just create a gaint pillar of ice to take out five guys."

Rita's grin became playfully evil as she turned to Yuri, "And don't you forget it buster!"

It really isn't strange how good a team of Yuri and Rita are together to their friends. Yet to Yuri and Rita, it didn't seem so normal.

Ok a little something before I go.

I am working on Master, and I thank everyone whose been giving me so much support with your favas and reviews. However it's still going to be a while for me to post it up, and even longer for Damn the Consequences which will be three and half chapters in one with an added scene; and that's not adding to my personal life that I want to punch in the face. So please be a little patient with me until the next chapters for both. In the meantime I will be posting one shots for Fire emblem, tales of Xilla, the third chapter of lone wolf, and hopefully the next chapter to height problem.

Once again thank you all for your endurance and support.