Thief In The Night

by RySenkari

Namaari acquires a new dragon scroll, but a familiar thief has come to steal it. Soon, the princess of Fang finds herself in another sticky situation... while a certain princess of Heart has a chance to make her wildest dreams come true.

"I know I've met the real Sisu, but this dragon scroll is still beautiful..."

A pair of long hands traced over the parchment, feeling the bumps from the ink and the material. A pair of eyes glanced across it, admiring the beautiful painting of Sisu that adorned the center of the scroll. The painting glimmered, flecks of gold giving it a bright glow in the moonlight that shined into the room and the bright lanterns that hung on the walls, bringing out the many colors of paint that the artist had used to depict the former last dragon of Kumandra.

Namaari had been given the scroll as a gift, from the team of explorers who found it in an ancient temple at the edge of the Fang heartlands. In the weeks since the destruction of the Druun and the unification of the realm, explorers from all the lands had begun fanning out once more across places that had once been no man's land, places where the Druun had petrified anyone who set foot within. Though the realms were no longer hoarding treasures for themselves, and many of the things that were discovered were exchanged between the people of the realms as a sign of goodwill, Namaari couldn't help but ask for this particular scroll to remain within Fang.

She was, after all, Sisu's biggest fan.

I know we should be giving this away as a gift to one of the other realms, but I couldn't resist keeping it for myself... thought Namaari, biting her lip softly with a childlike glow in her eyes. I mean, Raya can come and see it any time she wants, so it's not like I'm hoarding or anything.

Indeed, Raya had been the first person to see the scroll after it had been given to Namaari. The two admired it together, and though Raya had admitted that she was slightly jealous that Namaari had kept the scroll for herself, she didn't seem too upset about it.

Besides, we gave them back the one that Raya had stolen from us before. Now each of us has a Sisu scroll... though I think this one's much better.

Namaari gave the scroll one final look before walking back toward her bed. It was getting late, and though she wasn't very tired, she felt that she needed to rest a while for what was probably going to be a busy day tomorrow.

As she slipped off her boots and started to climb into bed, she thought she saw a shadow out of the corner of her eye. She quickly looked over toward the window. There was nothing.

Maybe it's the reflection from the dragon scroll playing tricks on me, thought Namaari. She looked back toward the dragon scroll... which was no longer there. "What?! The scroll, where-"

Namaari's exclamation was suddenly silenced by a hand clamping tightly over her mouth. She let out a muffled shout, and threw her elbow back at her attacker. She heard a grunt, but the hand only clamped down tighter. She started to scream... but then, a comforting recognition.

Small hand... soft skin... naughty girl.

Focusing her strength, Namaari flung forward, using her legs to gain leverage on the intruder and send them hurtling over her shoulders. The intruder's grip released from Namaari's face as they landed on the floor at Namaari's feet. Namaari looked down and saw a smirking Raya, holding the rolled-up dragon scroll in one hand and waving with the other.

"Seriously, dep la?" said Namaari, raising her eyebrow. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Getting in some training," Raya replied. "And taking this."

"Oh no, you're not!" Namaari shouted, as Raya began to stand up. "We already gave you the one dragon scroll back, you're not getting that one!"

"But this one's shiny," said Raya, putting it in a pack that she had slung over one of her shoulders. "If you want it, you're gonna have to stop me!"

Namaari, rather than being annoyed, just smirked. The two had indeed begun training together... mostly sparring, but also practicing other skills as well. Scavenger hunts, raids on each other's castles... but mostly for small trinkets, not for a valuable dragon scroll! Raya was upping the stakes for sure, likely a motivational tactic to get Namaari to really throw herself into trying to stop her.

"Okay then," said Namaari, taking a fighting stance. "You're not leaving here with that scroll!"

Namaari grabbed at Raya's arm, only for her grab to be deflected and followed up by an open-palm strike to her chest. Namaari grunted and stumbled back, and Raya came forward with a fierce kick, which Namaari easily blocked.

"That move's not gonna work on me ever again, I thought you learned that back in Spine."

"Had to see if it was a fluke," said Raya, before throwing another kick at Namaari's head. Namaari grabbed Raya's ankle and dropped her back down to the ground. "Guess not!"

"Still better than you, Raya," said Namaari, leaping down on top of Raya and attempting to pin her, only for the agile Heart princess to squirm just out of her grasp. "You might be sneakier, but that's all you've got!"

The two stood back up and traded blows again, both of them aiming punches at each other that the other managed to deflect. Raya tried to punch Namaari again, only for her wrist to be suddenly grabbed and yanked forward. As she was pulled in, Namaari struck at her with a fierce headbutt, aimed squarely at Raya's face. Raya couldn't dodge in time, and Namaari landed the blow, followed up with a powerful shove that knocked her onto her back.

"Ouch..." grunted Raya, rubbing her tailbone. "Guess you really want that scroll back, huh?"

"You guessed right," said Namaari, attempting to tackle Raya. Raya gasped and planted her feet upward, hitting Namaari in the stomach and then flipping her back. "Nnnngggh!"

Namaari landed on her feet, and charged at Raya as she tried to stand, tackling her backward and pushing her toward the nearby wall. Raya slid to the side, forcing Namaari to keep moving forward and nearly making her slam into it before she managed to stop herself, just in time to dodge another fierce punch.

Though the two were fighting fiercely, they were still holding back somewhat, not wanting to truly hurt one another. Their blows mostly consisted of open-palm strikes and kicks aimed away from the head, but even though they were holding back, they were still giving it almost everything they had, with both pride and that dragon scroll on the line.

"You know," breathed Namaari, as she aimed another blow at Raya, "I could have you severely punished for coming in here and trying to steal Fang's royal property."

Raya just laughed, ducking away from the strike and trying to get behind Namaari again, only for Namaari to suddenly spin around and grab her by the collar of her top.

"Your pride won't let you," said Raya, shrugging even as Namaari prepared to strike her. "You want to do it yourself, just like when you told your army to stand down when we were fighting in Spine."

Namaari remembered that day, and the fight the two had had against one another... coming to blows, fighting with all their strength, actually trying to hurt each other... she had been quite proud that day, maybe a little too proud... though when she thought back to that moment, and felt regret for how much she'd wanted to hurt Raya, another thought usually comforted her.

And Raya could just about read her mind.

"Or maybe you told them to stand down because even back then you didn't really want to hurt me."

"That's... that's not true! We were sworn enemies!"

"Even back then you hesitated... just like you're hesitating now."

Namaari growled and thrust her palm forward... and struck nothing but air, as Raya had slid out of her grasp again. She turned around, hoping to catch Raya with another strike, when suddenly she felt her arms yanked roughly behind her, and something being tightened around her wrists. She tried to move her arms again, but couldn't... her wrists were bound behind her back with several loops of rope and a tight knot, and she could do nothing but struggle. Then she saw Raya in front of her, laughing loudly.

"Hey!"

"Oooh, got lost in thought again, didn't you?"

"That's not... this is cheating!" said Namaari, furiously tugging at the ropes.

"Mmm, no it isn't, it's exactly what a thief would do," said Raya, walking around behind Namaari. "They'd tie you up, take what they wanted, and leave you squirming as they fled into the night. Looks like you just failed the training exercise!"

"I did not!" shouted Namaari, launching a spinning kick at Raya's head. Raya ducked under the first kick and caught the second, then tried to take Namaari off her feet to put her on the ground. Namaari struggled away, hopping backward on one leg as she continued to struggle in the ropes. "When I get out of this...!"

Namaari hadn't expected to be tied up, though she wasn't as upset at Raya about it as she was at herself for not being able to quickly squirm free. She hadn't yet resumed her escape training, even though she and Raya had talked about making it a part of their "sparring" encounters in the future. As she kept testing the ropes, Raya continued to come at her, fended off only by the Fang princess' powerful kicks.

"Not bad, Namaari..."

"I can do this all night if I have to!" she shouted at Raya, taking a standing pose with one foot on the ground and the other in the air, poised to strike.

"You sure? Having your hands tied behind you can't be good for your balance."

It wasn't, and Namaari was wobbling, though it was almost imperceptible thanks to her training. As Raya began to walk toward her, Namaari stood firm, her eyes locked on Raya's, ready to strike.

As soon as I get my hands free, she's gonna pay for this.

Raya then lunged forward, and Namaari struck out with a kick... catching Raya's cheek and sending her falling back. She fell, and Namaari smirked after briefly waiting to see if her friend was okay. Raya got to one knee, a determined look in her eyes, and Namaari continued to glare at her, readying another kick.

"You really think you can beat me with both hands tied behind your back, huh?"

"It's working out pretty well for me so far."

Raya smiled again... then dove to the floor, lunging at Namaari's legs. Namaari kicked out, and Raya rolled past her in one motion and flung out another rope with her second motion. Namaari's planted foot shifted, and her other foot came back, and Raya's rope caught them both around the ankles. Then, she tugged, and Namaari gasped.

"Gotcha."

Namaari fell to the floor with a loud grunt, and Raya seized on the opportunity, binding her ankles with one strong tug of the rope.

"Dammit!" Namaari screamed, struggling fiercely as Raya took a third, shorter rope and used it to connect the ropes binding Namaari's wrists and ankles, connecting them and keeping her from standing up again. A few knots later, and the rope between Namaari's limbs was tightly secured, keeping her in a short hogtie and preventing her from doing much more than rolling around on the floor of her room. "No...!"

"Well, now I win for sure," said Raya, pulling the dragon scroll from her pack and unfurling it to admire it briefly. "Still love how this gold brings out the shine in Sisu's fur."

"UNNNNGH!"

Namaari twisted in the ropes, her pride more wounded than anything else.

"Raya...!"

Raya began to walk toward the window, humming to herself as she looked back over her shoulder. Namaari was still struggling fiercely, dragging herself along the floor to try and stop her from leaving. She grunted loudly with each movement she made, pulling herself along at a pretty good pace, though not nearly as fast as Raya's brisk walk.

"I'll be taking this scroll back to Heart now... it'll look really good in my room, next to the other dragon scroll and all my awesome Sisu memorabilia. Enjoy your bare walls, binturi."

Raya was really laying it on thick now, and Namaari was starting to get extremely pissed off. She kept squirming toward Raya, nearly making it all the way over to the window as the Heart princess was making an exaggerated show of climbing out.

"If you don't give back that scroll, I'll scream for the guards!"

"Oh... we can't have that, now can we?" said Raya, stopping and sliding over Namaari's bed to the table on the other side. She bent down, and gave a quiet laugh as she quickly found what she was looking for. "Good, you left it here."

"I mean it!" said Namaari, as Raya walked back over to her. "I'll let them all know you're here!"

Raya bent down over her, still smirking as she held up a roll of familiar beige-colored sticky paper.

"Remember this?" asked Raya, stretching out and tearing off a strip from the roll. Namaari's eyes widened as Raya's hands moved toward her face.

"Don't you dare!" said Namaari, who started to open her mouth only for it to be sealed up tightly by Raya pressing the tape down over it, shushing her quite effectively. "Mmmmph! MMMMMPH!"

"Shhhh," taunted Raya, holding her finger to her lips and waving the scroll teasingly in front of Namaari's face. "Wouldn't want to wake anyone up, now would we?"

"Rmmmya, ymmm bmmmnttrrri!" grunted Namaari, tugging at her ropes with all her might, then letting out a loud yelp as Raya picked her up from the floor. "MMMMMPH!"

"Can't leave a princess laying on the dirty floor," said Raya, her voice slightly strained as she lifted up her fellow princess and set her gently down on top of her bed, laying on her stomach with her bound limbs pointed toward the ceiling. "Whew... that was a lot of work, I think I deserve this scroll, wouldn't you say?"

"Nmm ymm dmn't, gmmmf mmmt bmmck!" shouted Namaari, launching a flurry of insults, protests, and swears at the triumphant Raya, who put the scroll back in her pack and sat at the head of the bed, relishing in her struggles. "RMMMMYMMMPH!"

"Oh wait, I forgot... you can't say anything," said Raya, tapping Namaari's taped mouth with her finger before next reaching up and tapping the tip of her nose. "Boop."

Namaari's eyes narrowed fiercely, and instead of shouting, she emitted a furious, guttural growl that sounded more like an angry kitten than a fully grown princess. Raya looked right down at her, her own smirk matching the frown on Namaari's tape-covered lips.

Namaari was bound, gagged, and humiliated before her rival and new best friend Raya... her prized new dragon scroll was in Raya's pack, and Namaari could do nothing to stop her from taking it.

And as the two looked into each other's eyes, Raya still smirking and Namaari still fuming... they both had to resist the urge to start laughing.

O-O-O

"I'm gonna steal it."

"What? Oh, come on Raya, you've already got the dragon scroll I gave back to you..."

"I'm gonna come in here in the middle of the night and steal it."

"Don't you dare."

"Think you can stop me?"

It was a day earlier, and Raya was admiring the dragon scroll that had just been presented to Namaari by the returning explorers. The two had been looking at the scroll and discussing it for more than an hour, and never once had Raya expressed any desire to steal it. After all, Fang, Heart, and all of Kumandra were united... Raya and Namaari were friends now, quickly becoming best friends as they always should have been. Raya loved the scroll, but surely she'd never steal it from a friend, right?

"...Raya, come on!"

Raya began to snicker, and Namaari raised her eyebrow.

"What's so funny?"

"Namaari, come on, did you really think I'd take something like that from you? I love your scroll, but you're my friend now and I'd never take something you clearly love even more than I do. But... seeing that scroll gave me an idea. I'll bust into your room and try to steal it, and you try to stop me. If you do, you can... I dunno, capture me and do whatever."

"...whatever?"

"Well, you know..."

A hint of a blush crossed Raya's face.

"I'd be your prisoner... you could... you know, watch me squirm... tickle me... like you did last week, remember?"

"Oh... yeah."

Namaari blushed, even more than Raya. Raya giggled, then took Namaari's hand.

"But... if I beat you-"

"Which you won't."

"If I beat you... I get the scroll."

Namaari started to protest, but then realized what Raya was getting at. She trusted Raya when she said she'd never really take the scroll, and instead of protesting, she listened.

"I get the scroll for the night, and I get to leave you... well, you remember what I mentioned to you before? When I told you how I always imagined that daring Dragon Gem heist?"

"Yeah...?"

"If I beat you... my dream comes true."

Namaari knew exactly what Raya meant, and she blushed even harder... and could see Raya blushing as much as she was.

"So... escape practice, then?"

"Yeah, pretty much. I get to watch YOU squirm."

The smile returned to Namaari's lips.

"Okay, dep la. But what if... what if one of us changes our mind?"

"Oh? Oh, that's okay... all you have to do is say 'stop' and I'll stop. So like... you'll be squirming around, shouting, you know, 'let me go!' or 'you won't get away with this!' and it'll be part of the game. But if you say 'stop', we'll stop. I'll let you go, or, you'll let me go, you know... simple as that."

Namaari nodded.

"Can I try something, real quick?" asked Namaari.

"Sure, what?"

Namaari reached forward, gently but firmly pressing her hand over Raya's mouth.

"Say something, anything," said Namaari, trying to push her hand as tightly over Raya's mouth as she could without hurting her.

"Hmm?"

"Just do it," said Namaari.

"Ymm hmmve bmmg hmmnds," said Raya, looking down at Namaari's hand. Namaari could feel the warmth of Raya's blushing cheeks, and was continuing to blush herself, even as she kept her hand in place.

"Now say 'stop'."

"Stmmph?"

"All right," said Namaari, lowering her hand. "So... when will you be coming to steal the scroll?"

"That's the fun part," Raya replied with a laugh. "I'll show up when you least expect it!"

O-O-O

I expected her to show up tonight, thought Namaari. She and Raya were still staring at each other, and though her anger was mostly for show, she was still going to try her best to escape... she knew Raya would be trying her best to motivate her. She didn't disappoint.

Namaari could end all of this by telling Raya to stop... but she wouldn't, not now, not ever. She'd lost... maybe not entirely fairly, as she hadn't expected Raya to break out the ropes until after their sparring was done... but she really should have expected it.

Always clever, always sneaky... dragons help me, I think that's what I like most about her.

"Mmm, well, this is a sight almost as beautiful as your scroll," said Raya, still leaning in. "You, all tied up, me, victorious again. How's it feel to be beaten once more by Raya, Princess of Heart? Oh, I keep forgetting, you can't talk!"

"Mm cmmm stmml kmmck yrrr mmmss, ymm thmmff!" Namaari raged, rolling around on the bed and trying her best to get her legs free, or at the very least, to separate them from her wrists by tugging as hard as she could on the rope forcibly connecting them. As she struggled, Raya just enjoyed the show, watching as Namaari gave everything she had to get out of her bindings.

She's so fierce... thought Raya, one hand on her chin as the other rested at her side. Namaari's ferocity was what Raya admired most about her... how brave and strong she was, how she never gave up, how she always fought with courage and honor. She'd never been afraid to battle Raya one-on-one, just as Raya had never been afraid to take her on. Come on, Namaari, you can get out of those ropes! You're not like those dumb binturi guards of yours, you're a warrior princess, those ropes are no match for you!

Though Namaari felt completely safe, and trusted Raya not to hurt her or take the scroll, she still didn't hold back in her struggles. She genuinely did want to get free... Raya's taunts, though obviously good-natured, were still slightly abrasive to her pride, the pride her mother had instilled in her from when she'd first started training. She desperately needed to get free and get Raya back... that was part of the game as well.

"If one of us gets free of our bindings, we can turn the tables," Namaari had remembered Raya saying, when the two laid out the rules of this 'game' the previous day. "Anything goes. I trust you not to hurt me, and I know you trust me."

As Namaari struggled, Raya resisted the urge to taunt her again. She knew her friend didn't need any goading on. Namaari seemed to be focusing more on getting her legs free than her wrists, knowing, as Raya did, that if she was able to separate the two, she could get her arms in front of her, remove her gag, and chew off the ropes.

Namaari had been tied like this before... a slightly looser hogtie, placed on her during training by her instructor. It had been more complicated than the previous simple bindings that had been placed on her in earlier exercises, and it took her some time to figure out, but soon, she'd been able to slip out of the bindings connecting her wrists to her ankles, and from there, it wasn't hard for her to struggle free.

This time was different... the knots were tighter, the connecting rope was much shorter. Namaari kept at it, but the more she struggled, the more time she had to spend catching her breath. The gag complicated things as well, forcing her to take in air through her nose instead of her mouth. Finally, after several minutes of constant struggling, she had to stop to catch her breath. She laid on the bed on her stomach, nostrils flaring rapidly as she quickly tried to regain her composure so she could resume her struggles. As she rested, she saw Raya lean in more.

"Giving up already?"

"Nmmm...wmm..." Namaari muffled, glaring up at her. Raya was now reaching out, toward her bound feet, and she let out a brief grunt of exclamation. What are you doing?

Raya then slid a single fingernail down both of Namaari's bare soles. Namaari gasped, then let out a loud, shrieking laugh before yanking her feet away as best she could.

"Nmm tmmmcklmmng!"

Raya listened for Namaari to say 'stop', and when she didn't, she reached down and grabbed Namaari's feet again. This time, however, she didn't tickle them... instead, she gently lifted them back up and slid her thumbs against them. Namaari twitched, but didn't giggle. Instead, she just glared up at Raya, growling while also looking slightly intrigued.

"You really should relax, dep la..." Raya said softly, gently pushing the tips of her thumbs up and down the center of Namaari's long, slender feet. Namaari quivered at Raya's touch, closing her eyes for a moment as she felt Raya's soft skin against her own. Her fists clenched tightly, then relaxed, and her breathing slowed as she felt Raya's thumbs going up and down repeatedly, pushing into her soles and easing out the tension. Her toes curled, then, like her hands, relaxed, and she kept her eyes closed and continued to breathe slowly, humming under her gag. "See? Isn't everything better when you're calm?"

Namaari could feel Raya's hands quivering slightly, and when she opened her eyes again, she could see Raya smiling... while her cheeks were glowing bright red, and her eyes went wide at Namaari's stare. Namaari couldn't help but giggle... even as she felt her own face flushing to the point of making a bead of sweat trickle down her forehead.

"Still keeping these nice and clean for me too, hmm?"

As Raya smirked, Namaari found her determination once again, and yanked her feet away from Raya. Raya laughed, and Namaari quietly cursed her.

"Gmmt yrr hmmds mmf mmm!" she shouted, before resuming her struggles once more. "GRRRRMMMPH!"

Raya just laughed, sliding off the bed and starting to pace the room. Namaari's eyes followed her, and she even began scooting herself wherever Raya walked, 'following' her every step with her own impeded movements.

"Wonder what else I could steal?" taunted Raya, glancing over at Namaari's closet. "You've got some really nice dresses... I wonder if they'd fit me? You are kind of buff, they might be too loose..."

"Gmmt yrr mmmn!" shouted Namaari, scooting to the foot of the bed as Raya stood there admiring her.

"I already have my own," said Raya. "I want yours."

As Namaari lunged forward, Raya caught her, gently holding Namaari's chin in her hand. As Namaari tried to move her head, Raya's grip tightened, enough to hold her in place but not nearly enough to hurt her. Namaari's head remained still, while the rest of her body thrashed, her muscles beginning to flex as she jerked at the bindings, her shoulders wildly shifting up and down as she tried to free her wrists. She kept her gaze fixed on Raya the whole time.

"If you don't get free soon, I'll take all your dresses... maybe your swords too..."

Raya then had a thought, and she blushed again. Namaari was able to yank her head away, but she looked up at Raya, curious as to just what had made her blush. Raya bit her lip, looking at Namaari suddenly before looking away.

What's on your mind, dep la...?

If I used one of her blades to start cutting off her clothes, I wonder when she'd tell me to stop? thought Raya, looking back into Namaari's eyes. ...I wonder IF she'd tell me to stop?

Raya dismissed that thought, and wondered why it had even entered her mind. She kept looking at Namaari, watching as her bare shoulders continued to move up and down in her struggles, as her upper back flexed and tightened with her movements... she watched Namaari's long, pretty hands clench and unclenched as she tried to get her wrists free... she watched her legs bend up and down, thighs crunching, ankles flexing as they tested the hogtie... she watched a bead of sweat slowly trickle down Namaari's long, smooth feet... she watched her hair swish back and forth, another bead of sweat making its way down her undercut... the ferocity in her eyes, the way her nose moved in and out with every breath she took, even the faint curvature of her lips underneath the tape pressed over them.

She knew exactly why that thought had entered her mind.

This is the hottest thing I've ever seen.

"MMMMGGGH! MMMNNPHHH!"

Namaari's loud, powerful cries echoed through the room, and her struggles reached a crescendo. The hogtie holding her limbs was pulled taut repeatedly, and Raya could see a few small strands of rope fraying from Namaari's bindings during a particularly hard tug.

"Mlll gmmmt ymmm... mmml gmmt frrmm... lmmm gmmmph...!"

Raya bit her lip, transfixed by the intensity of Namaari's fight. She didn't know whether to keep watching or to get back on the bed and start taunting her again. She felt a pang of guilt for taking pleasure at this sight... Namaari, tied, gagged... it could just as easily be one of their enemies that did this, what if Namaari had actually been in real danger?

And yet, despite her guilt, Raya couldn't stop looking. She smiled, not a taunting smirk, but a smile of admiration, and silently hoped that Namaari didn't notice, even as her own eyes flashed back and forth between Raya and the ropes.

"Rmma... mmphh...!"

"Namaari..." Raya whispered, starting to climb back onto the bed with her. She didn't know whether she wanted to tickle Namaari or to do something else, but she knew she had to be closer, even if she risked getting kicked in her friend's struggles. "You know, it's pointless to try and escape... those ropes are too strong, and...!"

Raya's speech was increasingly awkward as her voice began to shake. She reached out toward the struggling Namaari... and almost caught a foot right in her face.

"Whoa!"

Namaari had slipped her legs entirely free, and now she was kicking wildly at Raya, who barely had the reaction speed to deflect the blows. As she did, she could see a confident smirk under Namaari's gag, and moved quickly to regain the upper hand.

"You think you're free, huh? Your hands are still tied, binturi!"

Raya leapt onto Namaari, managing to pin the Fang princess' legs beneath her own, while also trapping Namaari's bound wrists between her back and the bed. Namaari continued to squirm, but try as she might, she couldn't get out from under her captor.

"Gmmt mmmf!" grunted Namaari, swinging her head up at Raya. Raya clapped her hands against Namaari's cheeks, catching her between them and stopping her head just two inches away. "MMMNGH!"

"Oooh, so close," cooed Raya, leaning in so that the tips of their noses were touching. "Just admit it, I won and you lost, now be a good princess and calm down so I can re-tie your legs. Maybe we can finish up that foot massage, hmm?"

"Ymm lmmk mm fmmt sm mmch, mml mmk ymm kmms thmm," taunted Namaari, her expression calming suddenly. Raya could feel Namaari relax, and her struggles ceasing. Namaari then smirked, and Raya smirked in response. "Lmme gmm mmnd mml gmm mmsy mmmn ymm whmm mm gmmt frmm."

"I didn't understand a word of that," said Raya. "Oh, wait, I understood one of those words... is this what you wanted?"

And then, Raya leaned in a bit more... and pressed her lips against Namaari's taped mouth. Namaari's eyes widened, and Raya kept the kiss going, closing her eyes as she pushed her lips against Namaari's slightly harder.

Namaari... thought Raya, waiting for Namaari to push against her... but instead, she felt a sudden blow to her gut. It wasn't enough to hurt her for more than a split second, but it did stun her slightly, forcing her to let up. "Nnngh!"

That moment was all Namaari needed, and Raya suddenly felt herself being pushed upward and onto her back on the bed, giving Namaari the leverage to scoot forward. Her wrists were still tied, but her legs, strong and free, scooted forward.

"Binturi!" shouted Raya, trying to sit up, only for Namaari's legs to pin her on both sides, keeping her down.

"Mmm nmm ymm mrr," replied Namaari, using her leg strength and leverage to wrap her legs tightly around Raya's arms and chest. Her thigh muscles tightened, and soon, Raya found herself pinned down and trapped, as unable to move her arms as Namaari was as the Fang princess knelt on top of her.

"NNNGH!" Raya grunted, trying her best to push upward and get her arms out of Namaari's grip. She squirmed desperately, her own legs kicking wildly up and down, but to no avail. She looked up and could see Namaari, her taped lips curved into an unmistakable smile. "Get off me!"

Namaari shook her head and leaned over Raya, who leaned up to meet her gaze. Their eyes remained fixed on one another's, and Raya's struggles resumed anew, but despite twisting and thrashing as much as she could, Namaari's legs were much stronger than Raya's arms, and the princess of Heart was unable to extricate herself. Meanwhile, Namaari had once again resumed her efforts to get her wrists free. Raya's bonds held fast, but now, she had all the time in the world.

Until then, they were both trapped in each other's bonds.. and neither was willing to give a single inch.

"If you think I'm untying you, you've got another thing coming," said Raya with a smirk, leaning back with a taunting grin. "I'll stay here all night if I have to."

Oh, I know, thought Namaari, repeating it out loud for Raya to hear. Once I get free, you'll be the only one who's trapped... and I'll win.

Raya watched as Namaari calmly worked on freeing her wrists, taking the time to admire the Fang princess' beauty. She leaned up again, and Namaari caught her looking. Raya blushed, and so did Namaari, and they both looked away from each other before locking eyes again.

Namaari... thought Raya, whose rapidly beating heart had to be giving her away. She knew Namaari could probably feel it, and she thought she could feel something warm against her body as well, where Namaari's crotch was pushing against her waist. Namaari, I...

Namaari stopped struggling again, and Raya could see her face... her eyes wide, her nose once again quickly flaring in and out... a stifled sound of breathing as Namaari's lips moved slowly under the tape.

Raya... thought Namaari, looking down at her friend's beautiful face... her wide eyes, filled with emotion... her mouth, slightly open, her chest, heaving rapidly. Raya, there's something I have to tell you, but I won't say 'stop'.

Namaari leaned in, down toward Raya, as much as she could.

"Rmmm... tmmk mmf mm gmmg."

"Huh?"

"Thmm gmmg, tmmk mmt mmf!" shouted Namaari, a commanding expression in her eyes as her thighs tightened their grip around Raya's arms.

"Do you... need to breathe?" Raya asked, continuing to squirm under her. "I can't take that off unless you unpin me..."

"TMMK MMT MMFF!" shouted Namaari, louder, leaning in more. "Wmmf yrr mmf!"

Wait... it's part of the game too, thought Raya, once again starting to smirk. "Mmm... if I take off the gag, you'll scream."

"Dmm mmt!" Namaari shouted fiercely, bending down toward Raya as much as she could. Her eyes were narrowed in simulated rage, a mask concealing the hope and nervousness she was truly feeling.

"...if I take off the gag, you let me go," said Raya, starting to lean up as well. "Got it?"

Namaari didn't say anything, and didn't nod her head. This was a command, and even if she was bound and gagged, Raya still had to obey.

"Fine," said Raya, finally leaning up just enough to reach Namaari's taped mouth with her own. "Just so you know, this is really going to hurt coming off."

I can handle it, thought Namaari. You've given me worse, after all.

Using her tongue and teeth in tandem, Raya was able to peel off a corner of the tape. Then, she gripped that corner in her teeth and yanked it off as hard as she could in one powerful tug, freeing Namaari's mouth and leaving a slight red mark all around her lips.

"There, the gag's off, now-"

Raya was cut off in mid-sentence by Namaari's open mouth capturing her own. She let out a surprised squeal, and felt Namaari's tongue push against her. Blinking, blushing, not knowing what to do but knowing immediately that she wanted this, Raya opened her mouth and allowed Namaari to take it. Namaari's lips embraced hers, and her tongue began to slide past Raya's lips. Raya finally pushed back, letting her own mouth open all the way, and exchanging a passionate kiss, her first true kiss with nothing holding them back, and closed her eyes and felt Namaari's lips and tongue continue to push against her own. She pushed back again, her lips engulfing Namaari's, and when she felt Namaari's legs start to relent, she tried to slid her arms out, only to feel Namaari's thighs tighten around them again, locking her in place.

"No way, dep la," said Namaari, before resuming the kiss once more. "Yrr nmmt gmmtmng mmff thmt mmsy..."

I think I'm about to... thought Raya, feeling an intense warmth between her own legs as she felt Namaari continue to trap her. She closed her eyes and let Namaari take charge, her own tongue helpless to fight back as Namaari kept going, kissing her over and over and even softly nibbling on her lower lip a couple times. "Nmmri..nnmd...tmm brmmth...!"

"Breathe through your nose," whispered Namaari, parting from the kiss just long enough to taunt Raya. "I had to for the last half hour. ...unless you want me to stop?"

Raya paused for a moment, before leaning forward and kissing Namaari again, taking a deep breath through her nose and keeping her mouth occupied with Namaari's, their lips staying pressed against one another's for nearly a minute before both of them finally relented.

Namaari's wrists were still tied, and her legs were still pinning Raya's arms as the two let up to catch their breath, looking at one another as sweat poured down both of their faces. They shifted slightly to get comfortable, but stayed as they were, neither one wanting to let the other go... both of them trusting the other completely.

"So..." said Raya, finally leaning up and breaking the silence. "You like me too, huh?"

Namaari smiled, nodding softly. Her face was still red, though Raya didn't know if it was from exhaustion or affection.

"You're the strongest person I've ever met," said Namaari, who looked away slightly. Kissing was easy... telling someone why you loved them was a lot harder. "And... the kindest too. You were willing to trust me when you had no reason to... and you still do."

"Namaari... I always cared about you... from the moment we first met. Now that we're getting a second chance, I... I'm just so happy to know I was right."

"Right to trust me?"

"Right from the moment we met," said Raya. "I might not have been right to trust you then, but... I was right to want to. You were always a good person, Namaari."

A tear slid down Namaari's face, and Raya could see her arms jerking fiercely. She snickered.

"What's so funny?"

"You trying to wipe that tear away with your hands tied."

"I'm not...!"

"It's okay," said Raya, looking into her eyes. "You don't have to hide anymore."

Namaari's legs shifted, and with a powerful tug, Raya freed her arms out from under them. Then, she reached up and wiped the tear from Namaari's face herself.

"We don't have to hide anymore."

Raya then reached around and freed Namaari's wrists from their bonds. The moment she did, she felt Namaari's embace, and returned it before kissing her passionately once more. Despite the intensity of the arousal both of them had worked up, neither had the strength left to go any further... but they were both content to lay in each other's arms, holding each other close and continuing to kiss softly.

"So... tell me, dep la," said Namaari, giving Raya a sly smile. "What were you thinking about before, when you were talking about stealing my dresses? For a moment, you were blushing more than I'd ever seen... was it something naughty?"

"Naughty? Me?!" exclaimed Raya, putting her arms up defensively as she started to blush again. "N...no, I was just thinking about... how good you looked is all! ...totally wasn't thinking about cutting off your clothes with one of your swords."

Raya let out a gasp... an exaggerated one, trying to pretend like she hadn't blurted out another of her fantasies completely on purpose.

Last time I did that, Namaari let me do it, so you never know...

"...not letting you do that," said Namaari. "...not to my best fighting outfit. Now, if I should happen to get captured in one of my stuffy formal outfits, and a thief should just happen to cut that off..."

"Wouldn't your mom be upset?"

"Not if I tell her a thief did it. Wouldn't exactly be lying, after all."

"Oh, you..."

"Me what, dep la?"

"...I don't know if I can call you a binturi again, now that we're... together."

Namaari smiled, leaning over and giving Raya another tender kiss.

"Even if I gave you a reason?"

Namaari then reached down and took Raya's wrists, briefly holding them together. Raya squirmed softly, and Namaari tightened her grip with a naughty smirk. Raya bit her lip, blushed, and looked away.

"Only if you gave me a really good reason."

Namaari released her grip on Raya, and the two leaned into each other, pressing their foreheads together softly.

Guess I'll need more rope then, thought Namaari, rubbing her forehead against Raya's. The two lay there together, enjoying each other's warmth, grateful for the peace and trust they now shared together.

Neither of them knew what would happen next... but whatever happened, they could get through it as long as they had each other.

"Good night, Raya."

"I love you," whispered Raya, pulling Namaari close and holding her as if she never wanted to let her go. Namaari closed her eyes and shed one more tear, thanking every dragon in the heavens that fate had granted her another chance, and promising herself that she'd never let Raya regret trusting her.