Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Mai Hime. They belong to Sunrise.
Setting: Alternate Universe. World: Country of Almithara. Set in the Realm of the Woodland Elves, and the Kingdom of the Silver Wolf.
Speech - ""
Thoughts - Italics
Shizuru ran as fast as she could through the forests that made up the majority of the Elven Lands of Almithara. She thrashed through the bushes, darted in between the majestic soaring trees, and never once slowed down or looked back, to see how close or far away her pursuers were.
I can't let them catch me, Shizuru thought desperately to herself. I'm not ready...I'm not ready to do what they want...I'm not...I can't...I wont! Shizuru had this last desperate thought as she burst through a small thicket of trees, and smashed right into a figure which had been standing on the other side of the bushes.
Shizuru released a soft oomph, as she fell backwards and away from the figure, and landed hard on the forest floor.
The figure that she had run into also flew backwards, and landed equally as hard on the forest floor, but instead of releasing a soft exclamation, the person let out a loud curse.
Shizuru slowly raised her crimson-coloured eyes which were unusual even for an Elf, and looked at the person whom she had unintentionally knocked over, all thoughts of her pursuit temporarily forgotten as she got her first look of the stranger before her.
The person had long flowing beautiful raven locks, startlingly clear emerald-green eyes, and was dressed in a pair of dark brown trousers, a forest green top, and leather-bound black boots.
Even though she was dressed like a man, the stranger was the most beautiful Human that Shizuru had ever seen before in her life, and she sat dazed for a few seconds just staring at her.
"What exactly are you looking at so hard, Elf?" You do realize that you just ran me over like a herd of wild Orcs. The least you could do is apologize, and then help me up," the stranger said in a voice that held a slight accent, mainly one that identified the stranger as one born to an upper-class nobility, despite the common clothes that she wore.
Shizuru felt her cheeks heat up slightly, as she realized just how long and hard she had been staring at the young woman before her. Clearing her throat slightly, and then gracefully rising to her feet, Shizuru walked slowly forward, and then held out her hand for the stranger to grasp.
The stranger let out a small grunt as she held Shizuru's hand, and allowed herself to be pulled up. Once back up on her feet she began dusting herself off, removing all the twigs and as much dirt as she could from her clothes. Then once she was done patting herself down, the stranger turned those brilliant-green eyes back on Shizuru, and Shizuru felt her breath catch in her throat at the intensity of that gaze.
"So what's your name? I can't keep calling you 'Elf' now can I? That would be a bit rude, even though you did run me over pretty hard just now," the young woman said with a slight twinkle in her eye, as she tilted her head curiously to the side, and gave Shizuru a slightly crooked smile.
Shizuru felt her heart give an involuntary extra thump, as the power of that smile was directed towards her. Sticking out her tongue a little to moisten her slightly dry lips, Shizuru finally opened her mouth and began to speak.
"I apologize. My name is Shizuru, and I did not mean to knock you over. It was an error on my part, but I was in a hurry to...be somewhere else...and I did not see you before I ran into you. Will you accept my apology...and please also tell me your name?" Shizuru asked in a melodious voice that had the same beautiful lilting quality that most Elves of the land possessed.
"Ahh, my name is Natsuki. And yes...yes of course I accept your apology," Natsuki stuttered out slightly, as she felt her mouth go slightly dry when she heard the Elf's beautiful voice and accent.
She's gorgeous. And she has those lovely, delicate pointed ears that make her race so distinct and entrancing. And even though that flowing white top and bottom of hers are now slightly crumpled, and a little dusty with dirt from the forest floor, she is still very beautiful, Natsuki thought to herself as she admired the way that Shizuru's long flowing, chestnut locks blew gently in the wind, and her burgundy-coloured eyes filled with what looked like slight amusement.
"My my Natsuki, do you see something that you like? You're looking awfully hard this way," Shizuru said in a light teasing voice, as she felt a small grin tug at the corners of her lips, as she watched the young woman before her flush a light red.
"I wasn't looking at anything. There isn't anything interesting to see here anyways," Natsuki huffed, as she crossed her arms over her chest, and looked quickly off to the side with a slightly embarrassed look on her face.
Shizuru raised her hand to cover her lips, as she tried not to let any giggles escape her. She then opened her mouth to make another teasing comment, when a sudden loud cry split the air around them, and the sound of many feet thrashing through the forest canopy reached their ears.
"SHIZURU! WHERE ARE YOU? YOU BETTER REVEAL YOURSELF NOW, OR THE CONSQUENCES WILL BE GRIM!" The voice that shook the very air around Shizuru and Natsuki caused Shizuru's face to grow pale, and her eyes began darting around frantically as she began looking for an escape route.
Natsuki took one look at Shizuru's pale scared face, then she looked over Shizuru's shoulder back into the dark forest where the loud booming voice had come from, before she then grabbed Shizuru's hand, and began pulling the Elf with her away from the sounds of pursuit.
"What...are...you doing? Where...are you...taking me!" Shizuru huffed out urgently, as she felt herself being dragged along at a fast pace.
"You seem to be in a bit of trouble, and I'm just lending you a hand in getting out of it," Natsuki replied, as she looked back at Shizuru and gave her a roguish grin.
Shizuru felt her heart give an extra thump once again as that smile turned on her, and even though she knew that trusting a Human could lead to very bad repercussions for her later on down the road, she tightened her grip in Natsuki's hand, and gave her an answering grin in return.
Natsuki then revealed a full smile that reached all the way up to her crystal-green eyes, and Shizuru decided right then and there that despite being hunted and chased through the forest, and being carried away by a young Human woman whom she had just met...that she would follow Natsuki to the ends of the earth, if that's where Natsuki would lead them.
To be continued...?
AN: I really hope that you all enjoyed this! =D
Please leave me a review letting me know what you all thought about it, and if I should continue it =3
~Yuri-hime~