The Diary of Tsara Shikamuno: 21

I woke before dawn, jumping at the touch of a hand on my shoulder. "Relax, it's me Satoshi."

"Get… Out." My ears were back as I mumbled.

"Why? I'm trying to say something."

"Don't make me go spider-monkey on your…"

"As I was trying to say, I have no control over Krad, so don't hold a grudge."

"Krad needs you to be here so I blame you for his being and not being able to contain him."

"So what, he's not here now!"

I used my magic to catapult him out of my quarters because all I knew was that I was tired and I didn't want to be bugged. I got under the covers again and stared at the ceiling, "Darn it Satoshi! Now I can't get back to sleep!" I jumped up and walked out of the room still in my nightgown to get revenge for waking me up too early. I walked out at looked up and down the hall acting clueless, but as I turned to go back into my room light flicked into my eyes and the ceiling above me shifted a little and Satoshi came to the ground as I stepped through the doorway. "Take that as a lesson to not wake me up." I took a step back and closed the door.

Satoshi wouldn't give up and spoke through the door, "I came on official business; your father is worried about Ento and Pontel so he is going out with a search party. You have been invited to help, but it isn't so much of an invitation as an order."

I sighed and turned the latch so the door was locked. The palace mages could easily unlock the door and force me onto the trip to find Pontel and Ento. I walked to where I hid things to keep the servants away from them, and picked up my clothes and a small vial half filled with an almost clear liquid. From there I went and changed into my clothes and opened the window, "Pachamama, lend me your strength." I sat on the wall that formed the bottom of the window, took in a deep breath, and jumped. I made this jump last time, I can do it again. I landed on the roof of a small tower and started running on impact. I jumped off the tower and landed with a soft tap on the roof of the servant's quarters. I stopped and looked up, Satoshi was watching with great attention through my open window.

"How the?" The door was locked, how could he have gotten in.

"You'll need this!" He tossed me a necklace with a red gem at the center of it. "It works like the one Dark gave you!"

"Thanks, but keep it down, it's not exactly the safest time or place to be yelling during my escape plan," I hissed in a whisper.

"Yeah, yeah just get to work with whatever it is you're doing."

"Thanks again." I guess he's not that bad after all. I jumped off the roof and left for the center of town.

-

"Now that wasn't so hard," Krad's voice filled my room. "Wherever she goes we'll know."

Satoshi fought with Krad for control and managed to get out the sentence, "It's not fair she thinks it was me who did it, when I was being forced to watch this plan come together."

Krad overpowered Satoshi and said, "It's fair; you just aren't strong enough to stop me. I'm glad we had this little chat, but now it's time I finish up the plans to steal her magic."

-

Reaching my destination where all the water sources connect, I dumped what was left in the vial into the water. The sleeping potion took effect in about an hour after people woke up in the morning last time I used it.

After finishing my business I went back to the castle and practically ran back to my rooms. A servant was standing in my room panicking over the fact that I had left without her knowing. "Oh my, oh dear, she must've run off again."

"Or I just went out for a while." She whipped around and started to cry with joy. Jeez, everyone here is too spastic.

"Your father is preparing to go out to find your betrothed and you should be too."

Trying to stall I said, "But there is still so much to do for the wedding!"

"There won't be a wedding unless there is a groom. Now get dressed and I will prepare Nashiki." I sighed, knowing it was useless to argue against a servant with direct orders from the king.

I changed into my riding clothes and hid my normal outfit and left for the stables. Give it time the potion'll kick in soon. Soon, just, relax. Even after saying these things I could still feel my muscles tense up. I jumped onto Nashiki's back when the servant brought her to me.

"There was some dirt on the breastplate so I had it cleaned." Sure enough the plate was where it was always worn. Bury it next time, darn you!

Tukuno was sitting on Agro waiting for me to join him. Start working you stupid potion! "We flushed out the water today," He said, noticing I was glaring at the ground. I looked up and gave the glare to him. "Krad is a good lookout."

I took off at a canter towards the woods, feeling the two crystals from Dark and Satoshi hit each other on their separate chains. Satoshi! I thought I could trust him; why didn't he tell me that Krad was going to be watching. Oh well I'm going back to the village no matter what. I had Nashiki dodging through the trees and a high speed that she couldn't keep it up much longer.

"Relax, I'll take it slow now." It's not like we'll get far; the least I can do is find the idiots and hide them or even better kill them. Darn I forgot my spiky mace. Eventually I reached a clearing; Ento and Pontel were asleep and tied to a tree. I couldn't help but to laugh at them. Even better Ento was tied upside-down. "That's what you get."

Pontel woke up and stared at me for a second and then realized who I was. "My dear! Please untie us." I giggled and prodded Nashiki forward, out of the clearing.

"Don't worry they'll come soon." I muttered before vanishing into the forest again.

Before I made it too far into the woods, Krad was flying overhead. He swooped down and landed in front of Nashiki causing her to rear up, almost knocking me off. When Nashiki finally settled enough to stand, Krad had her by the reigns. I was about to slide off her back, when Tukuno and the rest of the search party came into view with Pontel and Ento riding lazily on the backs of other men's horses.

"Come, my daughter," Tukuno said with a hint a disappointment in his voice. "Clearly you will not stay put long enough to prepare for the wedding, so we'll just have to finish the preparations tonight and hold the wedding at sunset tomorrow."

I couldn't take it all in and just stared blankly at Tukuno. When it set in I tried to come up with an excuse, "But father, umm," I looked around for something to use and my eyes rested upon the exhausted Pontel. "Pontel is in no condition to be wed so soon."

"We have healers back at the palace and he can sleep it off during the day."

Not giving up I added, "But Ento is too tired and who is to say that I will not run in the night?"

Tukuno sat for a moment and thought, "Krad will guard you tonight." I'm out of excuses. This isn't going to end the way I had hoped.

I took the reigns from Krad and rode Nashiki past the party who made a path so I could return to the palace. "I give up."

"Beg your pardon," Tukuno asked thinking it was an insult.

I nearly shouted, "I give up. There are no more ways I can think of to escape; I'm tired and I just can't go on. That's why I give up trying to run from all of this!" I noticed warm tears starting to stream down my face and I sent Nashiki off at the fastest she could go.

Pachamama is something Carlito says in the game "Dead Rising" it means something along the lines of Mother Earth, it's been a while since I heard the characters explain but that's what I think they said. It's fun to say it fast, but I'll stop rambling.