Title: Worth The Wait
Authoress: SailorChibi
Rating: PG
Summary: After ten years of following the Bracelet, Cassis gets her reward in the form of the man she loves. One-shot J/C
Disclaimer: I don't own Jing or Cassis or Kir, although I wish I did! The concept of the Empress, the bracelet and the other things you don't recognize from the anime or manga are mine.
Note: Cassis is the girl who appeared in Jing's dream in the Jing OVA. She is NOT a random OC. She DID have an appearence in the anime AND the manga.

The young woman hoisted her groceries higher up on her hip, sighing to herself as she gazed up at the cloudless, darkening azure sky. It was a warm day, almost too warm. The hotter days were beginning to arrive, which made most people grumpy. No one liked the days where it was too hot to do anything but sit and complain about how hot it was. It was days like that where she pitied the rich, for they wore clothes made out of satin and silk and she knew those fabrics did not breathe well at all.

"Cassis-nee-chan! Hurry up!" a child's voice beckoned. "Mama says she wants to cook the soup now cause it's about time for us to go!"

Starting, the young girl turned towards the hut and entered it. Inside the dim space, she wove her way around the many children and deposited the bag on the table. She picked up the few coins she was paid for her work and slipped them into her skirt pocket as she retreated out of the musky place and back into the warm, late afternoon sunshine.

Once safely on the shoulder of the road, Cassis patted her pocket as she began the short walk back to her own home. She was oblivious to the appreciative stares she received from the other people on the street. Her faceted blue-green eyes were focused on the ground as she strode leisurely towards her destination. Her mind was occupied, as it often was, by the thought of someone she had known and loved a very long time ago.

Arriving at the place where she rented, Cassis entered silently and hurried up the stairs. Once safely inside her room with the door locked, she stripped off her dusty clothes and sponged herself down with cool water, sighing with relief as she did. The bath offered a bit of a break, however meagre it was.

After drying herself off, Cassis dressed herself in a knee length brown skirt and a pale blue sleeveless shirt. Then, she seated herself on the edge of her cot and began to brush the one feature about herself she liked the best – her hair.

Carefully and methodically, she stroked the brush through her thigh length golden curls until her hair shone. Picking up a wide blue ribbon, she laid it across the back of her neck with her hair on top of it. She then grasped the end of the ribbon and tied them into a tight bow, leaving her hair gathered into a low ponytail.

Rising to her feet, she examined her appearance in the fragmented piece of mirror taken from a broken one. The mirror reflected a moderately tall young girl with an average bust, rosy cheeks, and excited turquoise eyes.

"It's time," she said out loud in a clear, musical voice. A thrill of anticipation went through her as she took up her black cloak and fastened it around her neck with trembling fingers. It was much too warm for a cloak, of course, but if things went as she planned, she was not returning to this room ever again.

Fetching her case, she placed the two changes of clothing she owned inside, along with the few sentimental items she still had. There was the hairbrush, which had been her own mothers, a miniature replica of a baseball bat that her father had whittled for her out of wood when she was a baby, a golden locket that was not really hers and a second silk cloak that was a beautiful shade of emerald that complimented her eyes perfectly. The mother of the man she loved a long time ago had passed the last two items onto her.

After painstakingly tying the edge of a ribbon around the handle and the other end around her wrist to ensure that she would not loose the case, she exited the room and closed the door behind her. Making her way down the rickety steps, Cassis stepped into the bar and sat down at the counter. When the waitress came over, she asked for the special.

"Yeah 'n' the em'press is givin a speech tanight," one of the men drawled from the corner. Cassis lifted her head from her bowl of soup and listened.

Another man, younger than the others, leaned forward conspiratorially. "You think the Bandit King will make his move?" he asked, eyes glittering with anticipation. "I heard he's a sight to see."

"Naw," said the first, scoffing. "He's smarter in that! He'll get caught if he comes this early. Mark me words but that bracelet will be gone by mornin and no one will've been the wiser..."

'No one except me,' Cassis resolved, taking her last sip of the drink in front of her. 'I won't let him leave without at least saying something! I've waited so long for you... Jing...'

The clatters of the men as they ambled out jerked her from her thoughts. Jumping to her feet, she tossed down a coin before hurrying outside into the cool pre-night air. Her case jolting painfully against her legs, she joined the stream of people walking north.

Night was beginning to fall by the time Cassis approached the courtyard with the masses of other residents. She paused before reaching the center, not wanting to get caught up in the crowd. Lingering on the outskirts of the mob, she breathed in deeply and released it slowly. Although night was on its way, she estimated another hour before full darkness had set in, which would give the Empress more than enough time for a long-winded lecture.

Sighing, Cassis shifted from foot to foot and frowned slightly. She had no urge to listen to the Empress, who lacked in a decent voice and who tended to be wordier than was appreciated. However, not attending could draw unwanted attention to herself. These people had the tendency to be overtly suspicious over the smallest thing. She gave another deep sigh and obediently raised her eyes to the balcony far overhead when a hush fell over the crowd.

The immense doors of the castle swung open and a woman stepped out into view. Known as the Empress of the city, this woman was clearly of an important stature. The enormous crown that was perched atop her glossy crimson hair was a dead giveaway. Her skin, already pale, was dusted with powder. Her pale brown eyes were accentuated by face paint. She was dressed in a draping gown of sapphire blue and black. Around her neck was a lovely necklace set with expensive stones. It was her bracelet, however, that drew most people's attention.

It was a very delicate piece of work. A tiny diamond between each link connected the slim silver links of the chain. The sole charm on the bracelet was in the shape of a six pointed, pure gold star. At the end of each star point was a round dot of silver upon which a black opal had been set. On the star itself was a miniature piece of every known jewel, pearl or stone in existence. The bracelet was positively priceless; there had never been an actual value set upon it. The sheer enormity of such a price was enough to send anyone's mind reeling.

Rumour had it that the bracelet was well over a hundred thousand years old. No one was exactly sure when it had been made, but it had never been sold. Such a thing could not be paid for in money. Instead, it received new owners by being passed from person to person either as a gift or an inheritance.

Cassis had followed the progress of this bracelet for the past ten years of her life. Despite the fact that it was the sort of thing one thought a person would hold on to, it changed possessors rapidly. In the last few years alone, six different women had worn it upon their wrists. Each time someone new acquired it, she followed, even if it meant packing up her things and moving to a different city just to be close to it.

Her reasons were simple. The bracelet was the sort of thing that any thief in the world would give his or her right arm to get his or her hands on. She had long since suspected that sooner or later, the King of Bandits would catch wind of the bracelet and decide to come steal it. Every night, she prayed that the next day would be the day she would see the one she loved again.

"Did you hear?" one woman murmured to a nearby friend. "The Bandit King is around. That's what all them guards are for. I hear he's awful handsome, too."

"Heh," her friend replied, a speculative look in her eyes, "He's still a thief, or have you forgotten? Besides, I bet even the Bandit King couldn't get that bracelet. It's guarded better than the Empress herself."

'You're wrong', Cassis thought, clasping her hands to her chest. She smiled to herself. 'The Bandit King can steal anything, and he's cuter than heck.' She knew this from experience. After all, hadn't he managed to steal her heart?

The Empress began to speak; her voice sounded as if she had not spoken for years and had a bad cold on top of that. Cassis winced and tried to ignore the rough speech as she circled around the massive group, her pretty eyes scanning the rooftops of the castle. She was trying in vain to figure out where he might enter, but it was hard to decide. For a place with as many guards as this one had, they were very open to anyone who really wanted to enter.

Cassis decided to risk someone wondering at her lack of presence and strolled towards the east of the castle, looking for a spot where she might wait in peace until it was very late. Very few bandits worked in the light of the day. Most preferred to work under the cover of darkness when most people were asleep and there was less chance of being caught.

It took a little while in searching and disregarding a number of places, but finally she found one she thought would do. It was a niche between two stalls, hardly big enough for her to squeeze in. Delighted with her find, she held her breath and eased herself in between the wooden booths. The two stalls she had chosen to hide between were at the end of their aisle, which meant she could easily keep watch over the castle.

Satisfied with her view, Cassis muffled a yawn. She had barely slept the night before, and listening to the Empress drone on while the people below listened in rapt fascination was hardly exciting, especially when the woman spoke of nothing that wasn't already common knowledge. Subsequently, it wasn't long until Cassis head dropped onto her knees and her breathing evened out into sleep.

The sounds of shouting roused Cassis from her deep sleep. Bewildered and groggy, she lifted her head and rubbed her eyes, wondering why she was sleeping upright and not laying down on her cot. Then, recollection came to her and she bolted upright, smacking the back of her head on the wood behind her.

"Ow!" she yelped, her hand flying to the wounded area. Grumbling, she edged her way out of the space, dragging her case along behind her. She stretched and gazed around, wondering what the screaming was about.

"He's here! He's here! He's here! He's here!" a feminine voice in the distance shrieked continuously until someone shushed her.

"He's here!" Cassis repeated, glee dawning in her sleep fogged eyes. She took off at a run towards the castle, wincing absently as her muscles protested their sudden use after being immobile for so long.

Part of the castle was on fire, she realized with amusement. Obviously quite a few people had been panicking. Out of a sudden sense of preservation, she stooped and seized a metal bar that was the length of her arm. One of the things she definitely did not want was being caught without some sort of protection. The bar wasn't a bat by any means, but it would have to do.

Striding closer to the place, Cassis walked through the front door. No one opposed her; they were all too busy rushing around and yelling at each other. Suppressing a smile, she climbed the staircase to the second floor where she guessed the bedrooms and thus he would be located.

"AHA!" a man bellowed. Cassis jumped about a foot into the air as a door crashed open and burly fellow tumbled out wrestling with a raven ball that was shedding feathers everywhere. "I knew one of ya could be caught! Where is he!"

The 'ball' gave an undignified and irritated squawk. "Like I would ever tell you."

Cassis knew that voice and did not approve of the current situation in any way, shape or form. Dropping the case out of her hand so that only the ribbon connected it, she adjusted her grip on the bar and swung it with all of her strength before she was noticed. It may not have been a bat, but she still had her sense of aim. The guard slumped to his knees, releasing the ball, then collapsed forward onto his face with a decent sized bump on the back of his head.

"Humph," Cassis said spitefully, glaring at the prone form. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself."

"Ooooh, my saviour," the creature she had saved now hovered before her and kissed the hand from which the case dangled. "I now realize that it was destiny that I took a wrong turn, blundered into that guard and for us to have met..."

Despite herself, Cassis grinned at the well-sized ebony bird. "Sorry, Kir," she replied. "I'm already taken by Jing."

If it was possible, Kir's jaw dropped to the ground. He now recognized the playful tone. "Cassis?" he exclaimed.

She gave a laugh of pure joy, her eyes sparkling. "Yes, it's me," she said vibrantly, restraining herself from bouncing up and down. She had waited for this moment for years.

"Well... what are you doing here?" Kir asked, still trying to wrap his mind around the seemingly impossible thought of Cassis being there.

"Oh, I was just walking through," Cassis giggled, feeling giddy. "I walk through the palace every night."

Kir shot her a look of amused disdain and said, "I suppose you're looking for Jing," he mock grumbled for a moment, "Every other young girl is."

Reaching out, she scratched the base of his neck. "I'm sorry, Kir," she said sincerely, "If I were sane, I would so be after you in an instant. It would be much easier if I could make myself love you instead!"

"Of course it would," he replied, "Now, come on. Jing is waiting."

Cassis followed the bird back down the stairs and out the front door. She knew better than to speak and draw unwanted attention to where they were, but she was curious as to where Kir was taking her. Just where did he think Jing was going to go?

Kir led her to a place to the west of the castle and told her to wait there. Then, he vanished back into the shadows, leaving Cassis to stare blankly after him and wonder if after all her years of waiting, she was going to go without seeing Jing.

Her fears were soon assuaged. She had been standing in silence for about five minutes, her eyes trained on castle, when sounds of more shouting broke her concentration. The distant sound of a voice calling out 'Kir Royale!' and the appearance of green flames that quickly faded to orange made her heart jump.

Then, the rest of her tensed and jerked as well, because a slender figure leapt down in front of her, missing her by about a foot. As the person straightened, she stopped breathing, for she would know that coat and the familiar array of hair anywhere. The man turned to face her, his smoke grey eyes widening at seeing her there. He froze when they faced each other fully and stared at her, shocked.

"Cassis?" he whispered.

She felt as if a hand had seized her heart and violently squeezed when he spoke her name. "Jing," she said, and stumbled towards him on legs that didn't seem to want to work anymore. "Take me with you."

His eyes searched hers, for what, she was unsure. But she must have passed the test, because finally, he nodded once, and his hand found hers in light of flickering fire of the palace. He began to run, and she matched her pace with his, hardly able to believe what was happening. She still felt as if she was going to wake up any moment in her cot, hungering to see him for real.

Jing had planned the escape route well. Within minutes, they were free of the city and the shouts of the guards who had lost sight of them died with the roar of the fire. He didn't stop until they were a good distance away, and by that time, she was exhausted from lack of sleep and exertion she wasn't used to.

He searched the horizon while she quietly regained her breath. When she lifted her head and tossed her blonde hair back, she realized he was staring at her. Before she could stop herself, she blushed, and he smiled, but his eyes were unreadable. The unthinkable urge to cry swept over her without warning, and she blinked back tears, longing for the time when she had been able to read him without problem.

"What were you there for?" she asked to cover the uncomfortable silence.

With the hand that wasn't still holding onto hers he held up the bracelet, as she had known he would. Her eyes danced over the fine workmanship and she sighed in gratitude to this trinket, which had brought her back one of the only things she had ever loved.

Jing looked at her for a moment, then raised her hand in the air. With a quick movement, he had the bracelet neatly fastened around her wrist. Cassis' mouth dropped open as the weight of the bracelet settled against her skin. She darted an incredulous look towards the boy standing beside her.

"Jing – " she began, wanting to ask and answer so many of the questions she knew they had both had. She didn't get the chance to finish her sentence, because he kissed her.

And was he ever good at kissing. Cassis stiffened for a moment before she relaxed and tilted her head to the side slightly. Her whole body was tingling, and a surge of happiness flooded over her. Vaguely, she registered that Kir was watching them and muttering under his breath. This insight caused her to jerk away from the kiss, her cheeks crimson.

"You jerk!" she yelled, shaking her hand out of his grip. She half-turned away and rubbed her cheeks, trying to get the color to fade. "I didn't say you could do that! You're lucky I don't have a bat, or I would use it on you!" Somewhere along the way, most likely during their run, she had lost the metal bar.

For a minute, he seemed shocked. Then, slowly a grin spread across his face, causing butterflies to appear in her stomach. She had fallen in love with that grin so long ago, and had craved to see it ever since then.

He took her hand for a second time and she curled her fingers around the case she was still carrying, lacking the strength to protest the contact. If Jing really wanted to do something to her, he could, and she knew that he knew it.

They started to walk across the grassy plains. Kir flew through the sky above them, a dark silhouette on a pitch black sky. Cassis mustered her courage and laid her head on his shoulder. Although he tensed in surprise, he did not pull away, and she closed her eyes in contentment.

The King of Bandits had definitely been worth the ten year wait.

This was my first Jing fanfiction, so I hope it was okay. Please leave a review, I'm begging you! Even if it's only one or two words... Ciao!