A/N: Hello, hello. Thank you for all the nice reviews, I hope you continue to like the story. So, without further ado… enjoy! XD
Anyway, Brave Hero
four.
"Here you are, princess. Just like you asked."
Mello looked up from the floor he had been busily staring at to see the guard who had just come into his room. He was holding out a bar of chocolate, neatly wrapped, in one hand and offered it to Mello. When he didn't take it, only glared at him, the guard who was very unsure what to do, said, "Well, King Near said you were out of chocolate so he arranged for some to be sent to you. You haven't been eating… so…" He offered it again.
Mello only continued to glare at him, not sparing a word.
"Listen," the man continued, looking down, "you have to eat! Even if it's just chocolate."
"I don't have to do anything," Mello suddenly retorted, "And don't go thinking I'm going to eat this shit Near's giving me just because it says chocolate. Hershey's for God's sake. I want Godiva." And with that, he turned around in his chair, facing the wall.
This was ridiculous, the guard thought, standing there, aggravated, with a bar of chocolate in his hand. He had heard the princess was difficult on all things, mostly on matters of chocolate but this was just childish. If Mello didn't eat something, he would surely collapse. Since he had arrived in Navariel three weeks ago, he'd eaten only a little. Near had been concerned as to the princess's health initially but then he considered that perhaps Mello was a naturally light eater. He left his well-being to his servants mostly, which was a huge inconvenience for them all, though they would never say so.
Mello was mean and Mello was picky and most of all, Mello was a bit of a fighter. It took about six well-armed guards to simply force him into his room where he now stayed in one of the higher towers of the castle. And the first few times they had to enter to bring him food, Mello would scratch and bite and punch and they had to eventually put light sedatives in his food so he would not be such a big problem. But lately, he didn't seem to want to eat. All he did was pout and stare at the wall and occasionally write letters which was one thing Near had allowed him.
The guard, still standing by Mello's side, looked up at a camera on the high ceiling. "Sir," he almost whined, "he won't eat."
He waited for a reply, unsure if Near was watching at that exact second. Then, there came a voice lined with static, "Mello, what is the problem?"
"It's not Godiva! I told you already, if you're going to kidnap me, whatever, but give me my Goddamn chocolate!" he shouted. "It's not like you don't have the money!"
"All right," he said after a long pause. "But in the meantime you must eat something."
Mello snorted.
"Leave it in there for him," Near instructed.
The guard nodded, relieved to be able to leave and set the chocolate bar down on the desk by the chair Mello was seated in. He backed up slowly, wary of an attack, and finally reached the door. He bowed a little but Mello didn't see it, or took no notice of it if he did, and then the guard left.
When Mello heard the door shut, he redirected his gaze towards the camera again. "So," he said, sighing, "when do you plan on letting me go? Have you even sent a ransom to Oriciel yet? They won't know what you want unless-"
"I will not be sending a ransom. I don't want anything in return."
"… Then what are you going to do, huh? Wait until I'm rescued. 'Cause I will be, you know. No way Rodger will let this carry on for long."
"I wish to keep you."
Mello took this in and frowned. "That's creepy."
"Perhaps."
"Well, how in hell is this any fun for you?" he asked, confused. "Sure, you get to watch me naked and stuff but…"
There was no reply.
"I do have stuff to do," Mello said, irritated. "This wasn't planned, you know! You guys came and, bam, surprise, I'm gone! What's it like out there? How's Oriciel doing?"
"Fine."
"… You're fucking with me, aren't you?"
"Yes."
"Your goons better not be over there!" He finally stood, knocking the chair down in the process. "I mean it, Near!"
"Please, princess-"
"Stop calling me that!" he protested. "I'm a fucking boy! You know that. And if I hear one of your stupid guards calling me princess again, I'll-"
"Right. Prince."
"…" Mello settled a little. "Also," he said, a bit calmer, "we have to talk about this wardrobe you sent up for me. It's not working." Mello looked down at himself in a light blue dress that hung down mid-thigh. His feet were bare, as he refused to wear high-heels and he kept the pony-tails holders on his wrist when he didn't want his hair up. The spaghetti straps on his shoulders kept falling.
"Would you like different colors?"
"No, I would not like different colors, you ass. I'd like pants!"
"I see."
Then, there was a minute click that came from the camera and Mello knew that Near wasn't listening any longer. Whenever Mello started to rant about his dislikes, Near always, sooner or later, tuned out. That didn't mean he wasn't still watching though. So with a forceful flick of his middle finger to the camera, Mello sat back down heavily in the chair which he had righted.
Come on, Rodger, he thought to himself, what's taking so fucking long…?
Matsuda had been on his way back to Rodger's house to relay Matt's farewell message but, of course, he was distracted and ended up chasing a butterfly around the gardens for a few hours. Then, after the butterfly had grown tired of him and flew away, Matsuda sat up in the bed of flowers and was welcomed with the sight of an angry townsperson who shooed him away with his rake and shouted at him to stop rolling around like an idiot in flowerbeds.
When he was far enough away, he hadn't had the slightest idea what he was supposed to have been doing. Before he pondered greatly on that, he saw L's shop again and went in for another visit, thinking maybe he was supposed to do something involving the somber, obsidian-eyed man.
"Matsuda, I'm very busy," the man droned as he walked about the back closet of the store, putting things up on the shelves.
Matsuda stood by the open door, leaning up against the jamb. "L, when are you going to let me work here with you?"
"Never."
Matsuda laughed.
"I was not joking," L said, bending down again.
The younger man's laughter slowed and he continued to watch L with lively interest. "You know," he said, to which L groaned loudly, "I think I had something to do before I came here."
"Good – do it."
"But I just can't remember," he said thoughtfully. "Something about… about the princess… and Matt. Matt said… oh! Oh my God, I remember now! I-I gotta go, L, sorry! Bye!" He ran quickly out of the storage room and L could hear the bell jingling above the main room as Matsuda left the shop. He sighed, thankful for peace.
"Rodger! Rodger!"
Rodger nearly fell out of his chair as Matsuda entered his house, slamming the door shut and shouting his name. He came across the floor in a big hurry and looked nearly menacing as he planted his hands on the desk, panting, "Rodger… I have… something to tell you…"
"W-Well then tell me," he sighed, righting himself in his seat once more, "don't come in here like some madman!"
"It's about Matt. He says for you to hold back the troops – he can't have a war going on while he's trying to rescue Mello."
Rodger raised an eyebrow at him. "Hold back the troops? The princess is in trouble, Matsuda, we can't just-"
"That's what Matt is for though, right?"
"What do you mean?"
"He's going to rescue the princess. So, really, there's no need for all of that, right? If we were to go to war with Navariel while Matt was crossing the border, he could be killed in the mix of it."
Rodger looked at the younger man for a moment before shaking his head sadly and looking back down to his desk. "Matsuda," he said seriously, "you must know very well that there is no way one teenage boy can make it through Navariel. You know this. He will surely be eaten, ripped apart or burned alive. It is a suicide mission."
Matsuda gasped. "What? How can you say that, Rodger? Matt is-"
"Delusional if he thinks he can make it. He is on a march to his death, Matsuda. And I must do what needs to be done. I am not sure what King Near's plan truly is but I intend to find out. Once I do, I can plan properly how to carry on."
Matsuda was speechless. He stood there for a moment, looking down, hands twitching on the desk. His mouth was open but no words came and he finally turned and left, closing the door quietly behind himself. He sat on the top step by the door, his chin in his hands and sighed.
Poor Matt.
Matt mourned the loss of his PSP. He'd had it for about a year and a half and had looked forward to celebrating its second birthday but, alas, there would be none. Still, it was for Mello. Matt shook his head as he thought about it. It seemed he was always giving up things for Mello but that was okay. As long as he got laid at the end, it would all be worth it.
As Matt walked, the sky overhead had turned from the bright sunshine that had lit up the sky when he left Oaken Villa to a twilight glow that followed the setting of the sun. There was only a bit of sunlight left over in east and that was soon fading.
Matt watched as the last bit of light left the sky, and there he was, walking in a large field, having lost a plain dirt path quiet a while ago. He was coming up to a forest and headed towards it bravely, hesitating only when he looked down at his map again.
"Okay," he said aloud. He squinted in the darkness to see. "Well… if I go straight through this forest, it'll take me to Tarian Boroughs… but, if this is right then I can go around the forest and it'd be close to the same distance…" He looked up again, at all the darkness flooding through the trees and the rustling of the leaves, something moving, maybe something watching him.
"All right, stop," he ordered himself and looked back down. "Yeah. Definitely going around." He rolled the map up and stuck it in his other back pocket that wasn't occupied with his item from L's shop. He began walking diagonally and it took him a bit but he was finally around the front of all of those trees in his way and he walked about ten feet from the trees at all times, carrying on as if he were in a bright sunny meadow like a few hours ago. He looked at the trees from time to time, heard something rustle, maybe the shuffle of some feet and picked up the pace. After a bit of speed-walking he would tell himself to calm down and then would walk normally again for a while until the process repeated itself.
The night sky which would have normally been strewn with stars was veiled, much to Matt's chagrin. He thought he maybe wouldn't be so freaked out if he had just a little natural light. As it was, he could only see far enough not to trip over and rocks or twigs and he had to constantly look down to remember the shuffling of leaves under footsteps was his own. He went on that way for maybe two hours and a bit of sleepiness was starting to set in when he heard something else again.
Ugh… Jesus. All right, what have I told you, self? It's your own steps! And if it isn't you, it's probably just a little animal. That IS a forest, after all. Little animals need homes too. Just chill out. He sighed and looked towards the thicket, sleepily rubbing under his goggles. I don't think here would be a good place to camp out for the night, little animals or no…
He determined to keep going until he found a suitable clearing, even if it took all night. Right as he started walking again, he heard another noise and out of paranoia, he looked to his left and saw a bush rustling madly. His once sleepy eyes widened immensely and he stared, taking a step backwards and away from the brush as well.
Then, a sound, and Matt instinctively reached for his rolled up map, perhaps to use as a weapon even if it was only paper.
"W-Whoever is there, c-come on out," he stuttered madly. He took out his map and pointed it like a sword towards the moving bush. "Right now!"
Suddenly, something jumped out, obeying Matt's orders and the redhead almost died of fright at the little cat that came into view. Upon realizing what it was, Matt's heart slowed and he gradually lost his look of sheer terror. The cat moved it's tail lightly around its body and stared curiously at Matt, wondering perhaps if it was okay to approach him what with that rolled up paper in his hand.
Matt looked down at it and gave the cat a sheepish grin, tucking the map away. "Ah, hey," he said, kneeling down, "I'm sorry about that. I got scared. I didn't know it was something so cute." He held out his hand and smiled. "Come on, don't be scared."
The cat hesitated.
"Here, kitty," Matt coaxed.
Finally, the cat took a step forward, cautious, and then another and another until it was at Matt's feet, waving it's bushy tail curiously.
Matt reached out, sort of scared from the thought of rabies but shook it from his head and began to pet the animal which the cat seemed to enjoy. He'd spent nearly all day without any sort of companion, no one to talk to but himself and no one to think of but Mello so this was a nice escape, just him and this strange little cat together in the woods.
"You wanna come with?" Matt asked, scratching the cat behind the ears. The cat closed his brown eyes, enjoying it. "Or do you have a family or something?" he continued. "Nah, you probably have your own stuff to do, huh? Wish I could bring you to Mel, though. He likes cats. Well, sort of."
The cat began to purr then and Matt laughed, continuing to rub him. "You're really enjoying this…"
It opened its large red eyes as if to answer yes.
"Huh… you know, I could've sworn… that your eyes were brown a second ago… that's kinda…" Matt blinked when the cat's body began to move underneath its fur, bubbling and swelling inside itself as the thing began to stretch out, legs and body growing larger, causing Matt to fall back on his behind, staring wide-eyed at the thing that soon was looming over him, towering some sixteen feet from Matt's form sprawled out on the leave-covered ground. The monster lowered its large head down to Matt and looked onto him with those red eyes, reflecting the teen in them.
"F-F-Fuck…" Matt mumbled, entranced as he stared into his reflection. He forced his stiff body to just move, anything, now, but it would barely obey his commands and he finally got the word across and began to crab-walk backwards. The thing above him made a growling noise and opened its large jaws then and Matt's body suddenly busted with energy and the desire to move and before he knew it, he was on his feet and flying down the side of the woods faster than he knew how.
The giant cat took off after him, tearing down the clearing with its paws stamping hard into the ground. Matt was screaming inanely, things that he knew would probably work for help in a big city but out here, with no one around and that monster chasing him, just who was going to help him? What could he do? He pumped his arms and legs up and down as fast as he could, hearing all the while that thing behind him, maybe only a few meters and gaining. He was running in a straight line, for God's sake. He tried to think of some way out and the only thing he came up with was to try and lose it in a unfamiliar environment so he cut into the forest through two intertwined trees and continued to run.
The thing jumped in through the leaves of the trees, bounding from bough to bough, still behind Matt but racing faster as it jumped. Matt shouted in disbelief, hearing it panting hard up in the trees, "YOU HAVE GOT TO BE SHITTING ME! HOLY FUCK! HELP ME!"
There were branches breaking under the thing's weight and Mat began to feel them hitting at the heels of his shoes. It was nearly directly above him and Matt tried to run faster but it was no use and he was about to try and pull out his purple rock to see if it did anything but…
"Oof!" Matt ran straight into something while his head was turned to see his back pocket and he fell over, hearing some other cry as well. He fell tumbling to the forest floor and felt something soft and fleshy beneath him. He looked up and saw a familiar, perturbed face staring up at him.
"Yagami," Matt exclaimed, breathless. "What're you-"
The young postal carrier shrieked, interrupting Matt and the redhead was then reminded of what was after him. He and Raito scrambled up, hearing that growl directly above them. The monster came slamming down onto the ground on top of them and they managed to escape it's paws, running on either sides of its legs and rolling down a small hill.
"What the fuck is that?" Matt shouted, picking himself up again and running for his life, Raito bringing up the rear.
"S-Shut up! Run!" he shouted back, pumping his legs faster and almost passing Matt. Matt struggled to keep up, not wanting to be left behind. Raito began to swerve to the left. "We have to get out of here! Get into the clearing!"
"It'll catch us!" Matt panted, looking around, dry-sobbing when he saw the shadow directly over him again.
"Just trust me!"
"But-"
"There are more of them in here!"
And that was all it took to get Matt to follow him and in a matter of minutes, they rushed out into the clearing, covered in leaves and dirt and sweat. They came out darting into the grass and Matt was cramping hard in the side of his stomach, not used to all this physical activity, and as he was about to look behind them to see if they had lost the monster, Raito, who was beside him, shouted, "No! Don't look! Don't look!"
So Matt didn't and they kept running, leaving the question of "where to?" in the wind.
To be continued.
A/N: Thanks so much for reading. Please tell me your thoughts.