A fat glob of sweat fell from Teito Klien's brown eyebrow, splashing onto the white
tiles of the courtyard. He stood breathing heavily for air, his small shoulders rising
and lowering as he glared at his opponent from across the courtyard. Another boy
stood facing Teito, his short blonde hair dripping sweat from its ends, his golden
eyes focused on Teito alone.
Both boys were wearing the Military Academy's uniforms, black with gold furnishes
with the emblem of the Barsburg Empire on their breasts. A country that turned
Teito into a fighting Skalve.
The two boys stood facing at each other with fixed gazes, their gloved hands
twitching from the use of their Zaiphon power, waiting for the other to make their
move. The tense silence was broken when the boy with the crossed shaped scar
on his cheek smiled and laughed cheerfully " Okay, Teito, I think that's enough
exercise for one day. I'm done."
Teito relaxed from his battle ready stance and sighed
" You're tired already, Mikage?"
Mikage exclaimed in defence " That was the longest and most intense Zaiphon
battle I ever had! You made it sound like it was a stroll in the park!"
Teito replied with a expressionless look " The exam will be a lot harder than this.
We have to be ready by the end of this week."
Mikage stretched his arms over his head as he walked across the courtyard to
Teito.
" Yeah, thanks for reminding me. I'm not going to make it. I know you will." he
yawned.
Teito said " Mikage, of course you're going to pass." Mikage grinned
" You think so? Hey, I have an idea!"
Teito shook his head. " Whatever it is, it's a pass. I'm going to the library to study."
Mikage quickly grabbed Teito's arm before he could turn to leave. " Ah, come on!"
Mikage whined " Stop being a party pooper and have some fun for once! We don't
have any classes today and we already studied like crazy! Let's go out to the city!"
Teito looked at him. " And do what?" Mikage shrugged
" I don't know, pick up some girls. Look, it doesn't matter. I just want to get out of
here, and we have permission to do so. Come on, old man, it's a beautiful day!"
Teito sighed as he let Mikage pull him across the courtyard and down the corridors.
They reached the Academy's main entrance and signed out at the office. They went
down the marble steps and ran across the street to venture into the Capital city of
Barsburg.
They strolled along the sidewalk while Mikage talked and jested to Teito who kept
quiet most of the time. They passed tall glass sky scrapers that shared the skies
with Hawkziles and giant dragon like war ships, taking no heed of them as they
continued to the river canal.
They were walking along the wide, silent river when they heard a high musical note
dance over their heads. Teito and Mikage stopped to listen, looking in all directions
to find the source of this pure, enchanting music.
" I think it's a violin." said Mikage with awe. " I wonder where it's coming from?"
A loud cheer echoing between the buildings answered Mikage's question.
" Up there!" cried Teito, also curious and ran with Mikage to follow the cheering the
music to a crowd of people circling street performers.
They easily made their way through the thin crowd of clapping spectators to see
girls dancing to the violin's jig. And these weren't just any street performers.
Gypsies.
These exotic women dancing and signing for the spectator's money, all had dark
brown skin, long raven black hair and light brown eyes. They wore typical gypsy
tops and long colourful skirts that swirled around them as they danced to the
violin's beat. They also wore multiple thin bracelets around their wrists and ankles,
heavy necklaces that chimed to their movement and the huge loop earrings they
were famous for.
These travellers were not often seen in the Capital because of the prejudices the
military had against them. Gypsies had a reputation for thievery and prostitution,
but the citizens watching these ones today didn't seem too worried by the fact.
Teito and Mikage watched the beautiful women dance when their attention was
drawn by the violin player. It was a girl, the same age as them, that held a deep red
and brown violin against her shoulder, expertly drawing the bow back and forth
with skilled accuracy, producing that beautiful high note from its perfect tuned
strings. Both boys were drawn by the sight of her and forgotten all about the
dancers.
The girl had thick, black hair that curled around her shoulders to her back, parted in
the middle to cascade around her face. Unlike her older sisters dancing, she had
honey coloured eyes with a hue of milky orange. Her lips were curled into a
delighted smile, her perfect white teeth flashing as she played. She wore a yellow
summer top with straps, a long green skirt with traditional patterns and a red sash
with coins sowed at the hem wrapped around her waist. She had the same
earrings and bracelets, but wore a simple silver chain with a tiny gold disk pendant
around her neck. Her shirt showed her broad shoulders and her long, bare arms
that were muscled. She was a thin but healthily portioned girl who showed pure
enjoyment on her pretty face as she danced to her playing without straying a
note.
" She's good. " thought Teito out loud, staring at the energetic girl who attracted
most of the spectators attention and were actually clapping for her.
" She must've been playing since she was little. Mikage? " Teito turned to him to
see Mikage blushing while he gazed at the girl, his mouth gaping with a bit of drool
at the corner of his mouth. Teito followed his gaze and made an unamused frown
when he understood why Mikage was looking like that. The violin player had well
portioned breasts which was unusual for her age.
" Mikage, " Teito sighed, noticing other men were looking at the gypsy girl in the
same way. " You shouldn't stare like that. It's unsightly." Mikage exclaimed without
moving his eyes." But Teito! She has the biggest melons I've seen on a girl! How
did she get them to grow so big?" Teito answered with a calm face " Puberty."
The dancers soon slowed their movements as the violin made low, slow draws to
end the dance. When the girl withdrew her bow from the strings, the crowd
applauded loudly, clapping and whistling for the top notch performance. The girl
and the dancers bowed as they were showered with coins and gifts. The girl picked
up a red rose thrown at her bare feet and smelled its fragrance with a smile, getting
a whoop from the lad who threw it.
She then spread her arms, her violin and bow in each hand, to cry out over the
cheering crowd with a musical accent " Thank you! Oh, you're all too kind! I think
you're the best audience we had, and just because of your abundant donations."
Everyone laughed at her jest, including Mikage. Even Teito smiled. The girl
continued , clear and loud for all to hear " And now, my darlings, I must bid adieu
for today. We are most very tired, but don't worry! We'll be back tomorrow with more
performances ; magic, fire breathing, juggling and etc! We'll be here every day until
the end of this week. Farewell for now and I hope to see you all again!"
The crowd gave one last applause before dispersing, leaving the gypsies to gather
their gear and money. Except Teito and Mikage. Mikage grabbed Teito's arm and
said while showing Teito a coin in his fingers " Let's give this to the violin player in
person! I want to meet her!" .Teito struggled as Mikage dragged him. " No,
Mikage…!"
The cheery girl was whistling a tune as she packed her violin in its case when a
coin was thrown into her case. The kneeling girl stopped her whistling and turned
her head to look up into Mikage's friendly smile with Teito blushing intensely
beside him. " That was incredible!" exclaimed Mikage " I heard other professional
violinists play, but man, you beat them all! Where did you learn to play like that!"
Teito was embarrassed by his friend's enthusiasm, but the girl didn't seem to mind.
She laughed " Why thank you, young master. It was a pleasure."
The girl closed the case and picked it up by the handle to stand and meet the boys'
gazes. Teito glanced at her honey coloured eyes which met with his green ones
and instantly looked away shyly. The girl giggled at Teito's cute bashfulness and
said to Mikage " My grandfather taught me when I was just a babe. He was a great
violinist , the best if all the caravans. I remember him playing the violin to me for the
first time and,ah, I swear it was the heavens playing through him! I hope to be as
good as him one day!"
The passion in her voice as she told her story mesmerized Mikage and Teito. She
didn't sound at all like a liar or an pretender, like they believed most gypsies were.
She spoke with pure honesty, , her bright expressions showing her true , less
mysterious nature.
" Well, well. What do we have here?" sneered a snobby voice that Teito and
Mikage knew and hated. They turned to see the blonde haired, blue eyed Shuri
Oak with his two goons behind him. Shuri continued as he smirked
" Two military students flirting with a gypsy girl? How scandalous."
" Bug off, Shuri! Before you get a black eye!" growled Mikage.
" Oh, I get it. You were going to ask this girl how much she was for the night."
Teito snarled " Shut up!" and was going to lunge at the weasel when a flash of red
came between them. A red cape flurried around a figure wearing a black cap
before the surprised faces of both sides. A dark hand touched the cap and smiled
appeared under it.
" Behold!" shouted the stranger as it swished the caped behind him to reveal the
girl, pointing her violin bow into the sky with a fist on her hip. " Gather around! " she
called to the crowds. " For I , Mercuitio of the Montague house, loyal friend to
Romeo and Benvilio, challenge the villainous Tybalt of the cursed Capulets to a
duel for disrupting the peace in fair Verona!".
Nearby strollers crowded in a circle around ' Mercuitio', Teito, Mikage and Shuri
and his goons, cheering for another show to begin. The boys looked about the thick
crowd in confusion as the spectators chanted Mercuitio's name.
" What is she doing?" Teito said to Mikage. He smiled " We'll see I guess."
After the girl took her extravagant bows, she straightened to face Shuri with a grin.
" Now," she said as she pointed her bow at Shuri like a sword, taking her fighting
position while the crowd grew silent in anticipation. " En garde, fiends!". Shuri and
his goons looked almost terrified but Shuri ordered the two " W-Well don't just stand
there! Get her!". The numbskulls nodded and charged straight for the girl.
Mikage and Teito were going to jump in to fight when the girl took her cape off and
ran at the goons. She stepped to the side and blanketed the two in her cape while
cheering " Olle!"
When the boys passed through the cape, their pants had disappeared to their feet,
revealing their colourful boxers to everyone. The cowd roared with laughter as the
boys tried holding up their pants with no belt. They heard the girl giggle behind
them and turned to see her twirling their belts in her hand.
" Oh behave gentlemen! There are ladies watching!" she laughed before whipping
the belts at their bottoms with a snap of her wrist, sending them to run into the
crowd crying. " Where are you going, you idiots! " screamed Shuri angrily.
The girl threw away the belts and spun around to Shuri. " Aha!" she cried with a
smile " Tybalt, at last we fight! Thou are a wretched villian, sly and silver-tongued!
Thou should be named Tybalt, Prince of Cats! Meow!". The girl made a clawing
motion with her hand to suggest a cat and received more laughs.
" How dare you make a mockery out of me, you bitch!" Shuri snarled, " You'll pay for
shaming the Oak family name!". Teito and Mikage jumped when Shuri made a
movement with his hand to summon his Zaiphon, but the girl was quicker , she
flashed over to Shuri to swipe at his hand with her bow. He yelped and caught his
throbbing hand when the point of her bow was at his neck.
Shuri froze, staring at the girl in fear as she glared at him with a frown. Everyone,
went silent, children held on to their mother's skirts fearfully, wondering if Mercuitio
was going to slay Tybalt. The girl suddenly drew her bow at her side and cried out
in staged pain " No! He has slain me, mother! Aaargh!"
She backed away from Shuri , crying and gasping for air as she grasped her bow
sticking out of her stomach. " The houses of Verona are cursed!" she screamed at
the top of her lungs. She stumbled back into Mikage, falling into his arms, his hands
catching her and supporting her as she stretched her body . " Oh Romeo!" she
gasped with a convincing grimace as she spoke to Mikage. " I have failed
! Forgive me for I'am dying. Benvilio, protect Romeo…Promise me!".
Mikage didn't hear a word she said as he stared at her breasts just inches away
from his perverted expression. Teito smacked him from behind the head and
hissed " Stop making that face!" .
The girl made a small, pained smile as she wheezed " Farewell my friends…I see
the light…I must go…" The girl gave out a long sigh as she fluttered her eyes
closed and her body went rigid in Mikage's arms.
The audience started to weep for Mercuitio's death when the girl suddenly sprang
to life" And now, I have revived!". She leaped from Mikage's arms to stand proudly
before the cheering crowd, taking bows with a flourish wave of her arm. Teito and
Mikage watched the girl receive more coins with confused gazes.
" That's not how it went…" said Teito. Mikage was still grinning perversely. " They
were just within my reach!" he sighed dreamily. Teito ignored him but noticed Shuri
scampering off into the crowd with a mixed look of fear and confusion. Probably
thinks she's a lunatic, Teito thought, but that look on Shuri's face was priceless.
Suddenly, metallic whistles shrilled over the spectators, silencing their cheers as a
group of men pushed their way through to the circle. Teito and Mikage
straightened at the easily recognizable military police that wore black coat with the
same gold trimmings and hats. They noticed one of them wasn't wearing a hat,
which was unusual for a man of his station. He was glaring at the gypsy girl with a
furious face, his clenched teeth bared in outrage at her smiling, cool face. Teito
gasped when he recognized the hat the girl was wearing was an officer's hat. The
balding, angered man before her.
" You! " he spat" You stole my hat! how dare you wear an officer's hat in public!"
The girl laughed as she took the hat from her head and began twirling it around her
finger. " Forgive me, boss. I meant no offence. I was merely using it for my act,
which was a huge success. I thank you for lending it to me."
She threw the hat from her fingertips like a frisbee at the man's head, landing in the
perfect position on his thinning hair. Mikage and Teito quickly acted and ran to the
girl's side . Mikage scooped her up to throw her over his shoulder as Teito grabbed
her violin. Mikage yelled " Mercuitio! I hear Juliet calling my name! We best be off!"
The girl cheered " After you, my liege!". " Y-Yes." Teito joined lamely. " Adios!"
Mikage waved before he and Teito sprinted away while taking the gypsy girl with
them.