Disclaimer: Them, not me. Don't own, never will.

I-O-U

"GET BACK HERE!"

"Why don't you try and make me!"

A fourteen-year-old spiky-black-haired boy clad in a black fighting outfit ran down the slippery, rain-drenched path toward nowhere, or at least, that's what he thought. Several angry-looking men with swords were chasing after him furiously, but the wind, rain, and slight hail, was damaging their vision. The men were screaming vehemently and the boy was yelling back insults while he was running. Occasionally the boy would lose his predators in the rain, only to discover them preparing to lunge at him moments later. The boy didn't know where to go.

Until he saw a towering structure in the distance, that is. The word "safety" rang in his head several times before he took a deep breath, and sprinted as fast as he could down the sodden dirt road that quickly turned into cobblestone, which quickly turned into brick. The men were screeching in fury—where had their victim gone! Their victim, however, was halfway to the entrance of the castle. The wind and rain strengthened, and the boy was safe in the castle…for now.

Twelve-year-old Princess Tomoyo (Hime-san or Tomoyo-hime to her servants) sat on a mat in a beautifully decorated room, depressed. In her hands she clutched a picture of the deceased king and queen—killed in a recent war. She had been saved by the head ninja (who had also been killed later in the war), and now she was the underage princess. Her protection was a team of ninjas that had been put together at the last moment, but were efficient enough.

Normally, if the princess was under sixteen, the kingdom would have to surrender. But Princess Tomoyo was very different. She was intelligent and sensible enough to rule her kingdom, even at such a young age. And her magical powers were rivaled by few—and still getting more powerful. This princess could save their kingdom, with her powers. However, Tomoyo still did not have complete control over her amazing powers.

But right now, Tomoyo was far from sensible and composed. Sometimes…when she was alone…she desperately missed her parents. How her father assured her, how her mother cared for her. And now they were gone…so soon. There were a million things they could've done together…and it would never happen. Tomoyo felt her eyes starting to get wetter…. But she couldn't cry—she couldn't. She was a princess…if she showed a weakness…! The counsel had doubt in her ability. She had to show them she could rule Japan—and well—at that.

The black-haired boy was inside the warm castle, panting heavily and shaking. The men might just burst in right now…! But no…they wouldn't. They couldn't; it was storming way too hard outside. He felt relieved…then suddenly realized he was in a place he didn't recognize in the slightest. He slapped himself on the forehead. Now what?

The boy shed his long-sleeved top, leaving only a messily-ripped sleeveless black top and the same dirty, loose black pants, with wooden sandals. There was a silver sword slung across his back, with a black sheath and a dragon's head for a hilt. The boy ran a dirt-flecked hand through his rain-drenched hair and decided to roam around…maybe there was a bath or something around here. Or maybe there was a kitchen; he was starving. The boy's reddish eyes looked around…this place was gorgeously decorated, with very expensive ornaments and pricey things all around. Was this like, the royal palace or something? The boy scoffed.

Well who cared, really? It was time to look around. And by look around, he meant find a bath—or kitchen—and relax. This place was way too big for those two morons who were supposed to find him. Yes…it was time to look around.

Princess Tomoyo blinked hard, trying to keep in her tears. But then again, no one was in the castle this time of night…she could cry and no one would know. And she could tell her parents how sorry she was…not like they'd ever hear her, though. Tomoyo felt so overcome with sadness. She leaned against a large, ornamental pillar and sadly stroked the portrait of her parents, tears running down her fingers.

"…and now you're gone…" she whispered in a shaky voice.

The tall, gangly fourteen-year-old boy stood at the entrance of Tomoyo's chambers. His reddish eyes were narrowed curiously at Princess Tomoyo and her near-silent sobs. Of course, he didn't know this was Princess Tomoyo. He thought it was just some girl…crying. And of course, despite how tough and manly this boy liked to seem, he didn't like to see anybody crying. Except, of course, his enemies cry. But that was different.

"The hell are you crying 'bout?" he asked bluntly. Princess Tomoyo turned around in surprise, her reddish-from-crying lavender eyes widened. The boy blinked twice. Even when crying, this girl was very pretty. And even if the boy tried to seem tough and untouchable, his eyes did widen a little and he felt the tiniest hint of a blush creeping on his mud-flecked cheeks.

"W-Who are you?" stuttered Tomoyo, caught off-guard. Normally, she would've been composed and calm, and used her magic to whisk the intruder away. But right now, he did not seem like a threat. And Tomoyo felt like she needed someone—anyone—right now.

"My name's Kurogane," Kurogane stated. He was pretty proud of his name, and a glint flashed in his eye…but it disappeared as suddenly as it came. He suddenly looked very sullen.

"I am Tomoyo," Tomoyo said, not adding "Princess" in front of her title. But she should've known he'd realize.

"HIME-SAN!" exclaimed Kurogane, shocked. He bowed deeply, and stood up extra-straight when he faced her again. After a few seconds of silence, Kurogane summed up the courage to ask, "Hime-san, why were you crying?" Kurogane said, feeling rather humble at the moment.

Tomoyo fumbled with the small portrait, trying to put it away, but it ended up slipping out of her slender-fingered hands and onto the floor. Tomoyo gasped, and went to pick it up, but not before it was scooped up by Kurogane. Kurogane glanced at the picture quickly, and handed it to Tomoyo.

"Um, thank you," Tomoyo said.

"Uh-huh," Kurogane replied. "So, were those your parents?"

"…Yes."

"Assassinated?"

"…Yes."

"By Samurai?"

"…Yes."

"You don't want to talk about it, huh?"

"No."

Kurogane looked away apologetically. He ran his hand through his hair again, and looked up, noticing more tears running down Tomoyo's face.

"C'mon Hime-san," Kurogane said, thinking of what to say. He paused for several moments, and then said, "Do you really think your parents would want you to be here, crying for them, when they aren't comin' back?"

Tomoyo's eyes widened and more tears came flowing. Kurogane slapped himself on the forehead.

"What I mean," he said, sighing, "is your parents probably don't want, you know, you crying like this. What they probably wanted you to do is rule the kingdom and murder the samurai!"

Tomoyo stopped the flow of tears and donned a very unsure look. "I'm only twelve," she brought up. "And I can't control my magic very well at all. I have a team of ninja to protect me, though. But what can I do? The kingdom counsel hardly trusts me at all…and…." She looked up, plainly saying "Look how much my life sucks…!", just not really saying it.

"Hey," Kurogane responded, "listen to me, okay? You gotta work on controlling your magic. And as for the counsel…well, screw them, because they don't know shit about what's good for the kingdom. They have the archers as security guards—when they should be hunting down samurai. But anyway, you gotta show them how you can help. And as for your ninja team…well, I would help you if I could…."

"Aren't you a ninja?"

"I was."

"You quit?"

"No…today, I was to be executed."

"WHAT!" gasped Tomoyo, her eyes wide and mouth open. "E-Execute?"

"You heard me right," Kurogane replied, his looked more sullen than ever. "Yeah…I screwed up by disagreeing with my…" Kurogane scowled here, " 'Sensei'. And then, I guess I got insanely pissed and I started…sparring. With him. I ended giving him a very bad injury…and he was furious. So yeah, I was sentenced to execution. But before they could catch me, I ran away. That's why I look like this." He made an indicating motion, to his dirt-flecked, rain-drenched, mud-covered clothes, skin, and hair. Tomoyo looked like she was about to laugh, but then she looked very sad.

"I can't believe they're going to assassinate you," she said softly. "As if they can afford to assassinate at a time like this…!"

As if on cue, the two executors burst into the Princess's chambers. They both took one look at the princess, then Kurogane, who was now seated on the floor next to the princess, Kurogane's sword, and the princess's tears, and yelled furiously. Kurogane slapped his forehead again.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!" the two of them boomed in unison. "GET YOUR HANDS OFF TOMOYO-HIME!"

"Look, this ain't what it looks like!" exclaimed Kurogane. "I was—"

"Trying to assassinate the princess, huh!"

"No!" cried princess Tomoyo.

"It's all right, Tomoyo-hime," assured one man, "we'll dispose of this filth immediately. What a disgrace to your nation…and your father." He added with a smirk.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" roared Kurogane. "Shut…the hell…UP!" Tomoyo looked very frightened.

"You shut it!" snapped the other executioner. Kurogane promptly butted him with the hilt of his sword. He roared in rage. "HOW DARE YOU…!"

The two men whipped out their swords and started taking on Kurogane. It was very unfair, especially considering Kurogane was fourteen and still in training, whereas they were grown men, and experienced warriors, at that. Tomoyo winced. She wanted to yell out, but she knew even if she did, no one would listen. She was just a twelve-year-old.

"Well, you gotta show them you can help."

"Shuushi!" whispered Tomoyo, and everyone froze. Their eyes still moved, but their bodies couldn't. "Hanasu!" the men were flung to one side of the chambers, and Kurogane stayed in his place. "Ayumikata," uttered Tomoyo, and the three others stared, awed.

"T-Tomoyo-hime…."

"I want," Tomoyo ordered, with a rather forceful tone, "you to get out. I want you to leave Kurogane-kun alone. And I do not want him executed. Obey me or face the consequences." Her normally calm lavender eyes flashed angrily. "You are disgraceful; murdering people when we need them most! Send a message out to all other executors that they must not do their duties and for them to enroll in the army. We must not lose this war."

After the men left, Kurogane remained, sitting next to the princess again, avoiding her gaze. Tomoyo was feeling quite uncomfortable herself. Had she intimidated him with her magic? Kurogane was feeling nervous—he had gone so out of control. The two sat side-by-side in silence. Until Kurogane felt he had to break it.

"Thank you," he said, as if it was a foreign word to him. "I…I owe my life to you."

"You owe your life to yourself," Tomoyo replied calmly. Kurogane shot her a curious look, but didn't say anything. Tomoyo finally decided to ask. "But, um…who was your father?" Kurogane's eyes widened, and his lips tightened. There was another long silence. Tomoyo opened her mouth to apologize, but Kurogane held up his hand. It was Tomoyo's turn to be surprised. No one had ever done that to her before.

Kurogane shut his eyes for a moment, and then started speaking in a choked voice, "My father was the greatest ninja. He was unbelievably skilled and unrivaled. But he couldn't take on an army of samurai. He was killed after the king and queen, since he was their head ninja." Tomoyo gasped.

"T-Then he's the one who saved me!" her hands both clasped around one of Kurogane's, and he was sure his blush was visible now. It must have been, because Tomoyo let go. She looked terribly sad.

"Hey—hey, no don't think that!" Kurogane said, holding a hand up. "It was his duty. And…it'll be mine."

"What?"

"I'll be your Personal Guard—I'll protect you," he announced firmly. "I vow. I'll be the best ninja they've ever taught. I owe my life to you. That is…if you choose me."

"I will," Tomoyo vowed seriously. "I promise, I will."

"Here," Kurogane slipped a silver band off the hilt of his sword, Ginryu, and pressed it into Tomoyo's hand. Now there was only one silver band on the hilt. He looked into her eyes. "Take it. So you won't forget."

"Thank you," Tomoyo thanked him serenely. He shrugged and got up to leave.

"So…uh, see you for now, Hime-san."

"Please, call me Tomoyo." Kurogane almost smiled.

"Okay…I'll see you in a few years…Tomoyo."

Epilogue

Today was the day. Today was the day Princess Tomoyo would choose her Personal Guards. The former Personal Guard had called upon ten different ninjas who were candidates. Half were the best sword-fighters, the other half were the best at thrown weapons and archery. Tomoyo would pick one of each. Today was the day.

Kurogane, now eighteen, had changed during the past four years. His ninja training was intense, and he took it very seriously. Some of the others thought he was insane to take it so intensely, but he always replied with the same answer: "I owe her." That was all he said when they asked.

At the moment, he was standing as straight as he could, a neutral expression on his face. He still had not forgotten that fateful day he had met with the princess. However, this time he was bathed and not dirt-flecked, dry and not drenched in rain. Maybe she still recognized him. That wasn't a hope—it was a maybe. Because when hopes shatter, it hurts more than when a maybe does.

Princess Tomoyo, now sixteen, gracefully entered the area, which was her private garden. She looked at the ten ninjas, all with neutral expressions, but all their eyes wanting. They all wanted to be her personal guard, but she needed to find one that she was compatible with—that didn't disagree with her, and treated her like a princess. Of course, Tomoyo wanted no one of the sort. She wanted someone who would treat her like a person, not a goddess.

"Well, have your pick, Tomoyo-hime," the former Personal Guard addressed, "You may speak to them."

She looked at the first candidate, spoke to him, turned away. She did this to the second, third, but she chose the fourth; a woman named Souma. The rest of the archers/throwing weapon skilled were dismissed. Now to choose a swordsman (there were only guys there, go figure). She eyed all their swords, and not them. Until she found the Silver Dragon sword with an identical band on it.

"You."

She was pointing at Kurogane, who looked slightly surprised, but bowed, went up to Tomoyo, muttered in her ear,

"I owe you."