A Lonely Heart
By Spoon Luv
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey everyone. Spoon Luv, here with what may be my last story for a while. School starts on Friday, so I'm gonna have a HELL of a lot less time to write… My main priorities will be Project Dragonlord (And Still The Darkness Grows) and Time, Space, and Dimension. I dunno how many standalone stories I'll be able to do. But I talk too much. These characters aren't mine, and you know the rest. Enjoy, and remember that Spoonie Luv luvs you!
The Witch Tower was dark and damp. Monsters crawled freely through the halls, and harsh odors filled the air, but this could not deter Ryu and his friends as they fought their way through the halls. Their current mission was to save Jean, the frog, as part of the larger quest to find the female thief that framed Bow.
"Does this tower even have a top floor?" Rand growled as he uppercutted another beast.
"Come on, keep a cool head everyone." Said Ryu as a M. Mummy fell under his blade. "If we don't, we won't make it through here alive."
"Speaking of which, can I have a Help Ball, Ryu?" Wheezed Sten.
Ryu searched his bags. "Um, I only have 1 left. Here you go."
After Sten healed himself, they pressed on and came to a switch similar to the one at the entrance.
"Oy vei, is she gonna make us fight like hell to get past?" Groaned Ryu. But to his surprise, the path easily opened, and the group entered the witch's chambers.
Ryu had no idea what the witch would look like… being a witch, he expected her to be old and ugly… but he was quite surprised. She was beautiful! She had long, pink hair and a sweet face. But he couldn't think about her beauty now, as his mission was more important.
"Well hello there!" She said with a wink as they entered. "My name is Nimufu. What's yours?"
"My name is Ryu." He answered.
"Well, Ryu, what can I do for you today? I'm so glad you came! I've been so lonely here, with nobody to play with…"
"Um… we need to know how to heal Jean, the frog in the woods…"
Nimufu smiled. "If you'll play with me, maybe I'll help you out."
Ryu warily but willingly stepped towards her, finding her smile enchanting.
"Good boy!" She cooed. "How'd you like to be my pet?"
The Dragon's Tear begins to glow.
Before Ryu could answer, Nina and the others stepped forward. "We can't let that happen, you witch."
Nimufu's smile vanished. "What are you, afraid of me? I'm not a bad witch! You don't have to run."
"You're gonna help us or else." Rand threatened, raising his massive fist.
The Dragon's Tear goes dark.
Nimufu's mouth twisted in a growl. "Fine! I'll kill you , THEN I'll play with you!"
Nimufu cast a Spark spell on Nina, who countered by summoning a Sonic Boom.
"Go on, Ryu, give her hell!" Cried Sten.
Ryu reluctantly drew his sword, but didn't swing.
"What's wrong, Ryu? Don't you care about saving Jean?"
Ryu turned to her… "I… It's just…"
Nina's Dragon's Tear begins to fade.
Ryu sighed, and turned back. He closed his eyes and swung. His heart ached when he heard Nimufu cry out in pain. Rand and Sten took their turns, and Nimufu collapsed on the ground, crying of pain and sadness.
"You are so mean!" She sobbed. "I'm so beautiful, and the only man I can get is a God damn frog!"
Ryu was filled with sympathy for her, but before he could speak, Nina spoke. "Alright, crybaby, now how do we fix Jean?"
She wiped her eyes and stood up. "Just kiss him. Geez, haven't you guys read any fairy tales? Now get out of here!"
Nina grabbed Ryu's hand and started to lead all of them from the tower, but Ryu took one last look back at the witch, her beautiful blue eyes dampened and red, and her mouth turned into a sorrowful frown.
"What's wrong, kid?" Asked Rand as they rested at the lakeside campsite for the night. Ryu was sitting on a log near the fire, his chin in his hands.
"Nothing. I'm just…thinking."
Rand gazed at him curiously. "About what?"
He sighed. "Nothing. Just, different stuff. Go to sleep."
"Poor kid." Rand thought to himself. "He has it so hard."
Ryu stared at the dancing flames, remembering the witch, and her beauty, the dazzling smile… seeing her had made his heart tug at him in a way that Katt hadn't done, and not even Nina had done.
On that night, he made a vow that he would somehow get back… to see Nimufu.
The moon completes its trip across the sky…
Ryu had been having nightmares. Not about anything extraordinary or unreal… he kept remembering the pain on Nimufu's face when he chopped at her. He was awoken, however, by Sten's unusually loud stretch as he stood up.
"Wake up! Wake up everyone!" He screeched, jumping up and down. "We got work to do today, yes sir!"
Ryu sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"Hooie, you look like you didn't sleep to good." Sten said.
"I had a nightmare."
"Oooh boy! Not cool, not cool."
"Good morning, everyone!" Yawned Nina, standing up,her long blond hair flowing down her back. Yesterday morning, the sight would have turned Ryu on, but now… nothing.
"Good morning, Ryu." She said with a smile.
"Uh, good morning."
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, why?"
"I don't know…" She replied, a mischeivous smile on her face. "You usually stare at me for like 5 minutes every morning."
"Well I don't wanna today! Leave me alone!"
The Dragon's Tear fades.
He caught himself, seeing her shocked expression. "I…I'm sorry. I just… I'm not myself this morning."
"I'll say." She huffed, turning away.
"Let's just be off."
"Wait!" Called the man by the fire, "Don't you want some stew? It's made with fresh BiruBiru!" But the group was gone.
They restored Jean to normal, and learned he was the prince of the ocean palace, SimaFort. So, where do you think they went to next? Noooo, not Disneyland. Guess again.
When they arrived in SimaFort, Jean naturally expected everybody to welcome him back, but he was instead taken for an impostor and dragged off.
"Not cool, not cool!" Screeched Sten. "Hey guys, we gotta go save him, don't we? Yeah, we do!"
Another frog came forward, alleging that he was the REAL prince Jean, and he asked them to leave.
After seeing their boat get destroyed by the princess, hearing a conversation between the soldiers, and drowning, they were sent on a mission by Petape to rescue Jean from the prison.
They started towards the underwater jail, and Nina checked their bags and said, "Oh dear, we don't have anymore Wild Fruits! How am I gonna use my magic?"
Ryu saw his chance. "I'll go get some. They sell them back in Capitan."
"Well, hurry up!" She said firmly.
"You bet."
He hurried up to the east dock and hopped in the boat, and rode it back to the shore. He wasn't going to Capitan. He wasn't going to save Jean. Not yet, anyway. He was doing what was in his heart.
He struggled back to the top of the Witch Tower, and saw Nimufu sitting on her chair, asleep.
"Hey," He said quietly.
She jumped awake. "Oh…it's you. Why have you come back? Do you want to slice me with your sword again?"
"No, Nimufu. I never wanted to hurt you."
"Yes you did! Everybody hates me!"
He stepped towards her. "I don't hate you, Nimufu. I think you're very sweet."
The Dragon's Tear begins to glow.
"You do? Really?"
"Yeah. I thought so when I first saw you."
She eyed him over suspiciously. "Then why did you listen to the others?"
He sighed. "I had to."
The Dragon's Tear goes dark.
Her eyes narrowed. "No you didn't! You liar! If you liked me, you would have stopped them!"
"Nimufu, listen to me…"
"No! Be gone!" She cast a lightning bolt at him. He jumped aside. "Please, listen!"
She advanced towards him, her staff raised. "You have some nerve," She growled menacingly, "Hurting me so bad, then coming back and lying to me. You probably just want to finish the job!"
She swung her staff at him, and he quickly blocked with his sword, but didn't swing back. She seemed confused, but swung at him again. And again, he blocked, but didn't counter.
"Why don't you fight, asshole?" She snarled.
"I am not going to fight you. I can't hurt such a sweet, beautiful girl." He replied, dropping his sword on the stone floor.
Now she was sure he was planning something. "YOU!!!" She cried, and charged at him. She grabbed his wrists, but he didn't struggle. She stared at him, fire in her eyes. She gripped him tighter and shoved him against the wall.
"Either you kill me or I kill you!" She whispered angrily.
"If you feel you have to…" He responded quietly.
She glared into his eyes, which were soft and caring. Her grip on him softened. "What's wrong with you?"
"Nimufu, I'm not going to fight you. That time earlier, I really, really didn't want to. When I saw you cry, I was going to cry too."
The Dragon's Tear begins to glow.
"Are you…serious?" She asked.
He smiled. "Yes."
Her hands slowly moved from his wrists to around his neck, and he leaned in and kissed her softly. When she pulled back, instead of fire in her eyes, there were stars.
The Dragon's Tear glows brighter.
"Ryu, you are the first boy to ever say that to me. Everyone stays away from me because I'm a witch, and I've been so lonely…"
"I'll stay with you." He offered.
She gasped. "What?"
"I'll stay here with you. So you won't be lonely."
"Oh Ryu…" She kissed him again, holding him tighter.
The Dragon's Tear becomes a small sun.
"I'd love for you to stay with me…" She whispered into his ear. "You will be my pet."
"I won't mind at all." He whispered back.
She grinned. "Down, boy!" She pushed him onto the floor. "Good boy!"
She got down next to him and put her arms around his waist. "Now give your master a kiss."
He kissed her deeply, finally realizing he had done what was right.
"Good boy!" She cooed. "Do it again!"
"Will I get a treat?" He asked with a grin.
"Oh yes! Yes, you will!"
Okay, if you look at the Dragon's Tear right now for 1/10 of a second, you'll go completely blind forever.
3 Days Later…
"Guys, I don't wanna do this!" the boy cried, as Nina dragged him back to SimaFort.
"Come on, Spoon, all you have to do is fight with a sword, turn into a dragon, and destroy an evil God. How hard can it be?"
"But I have school in 2 days!" He protested.
"Shaddup, ya chump." Said Sten. "You're helping us whether you like it or not."
"Hey," Said Spoon angrily, "Who you callin' a chump, chimp?"
THE END!
This story written by Spoonie Luv from Up Above
Email at: Bubbagumpshrimp@email.com