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-by SwordSkill |
| Author's Notes: I got the title from one of the lines of Xena from Xena: Warrior Princess. I actually planned to call it "What Makes a Man" from one of Westlife's song called by the same title, but I changed my mind. This fic is dedicated to my best friend Ressie, who has always been an avid fan of my works. I remember how she used to hole up in her bedroom reading notebooks and notebooks of my fanfictions.^^ (sighs wistfully) Wish you could read this now, buddy. You'd love it.^^ Miss you. |
It has been years since we last saw our faithful little paladins. Each had blossomed as the flower that opens in spring, and had seen many things. They were now considered as adults, as eighteen-year-olds, master of their own destiny. They had learned of many things: of wisdom, of patience, of fear, of courage, of hope, and most importantly, of love. And it is here where we pause and look at the handsome, raven-haired young man standing on the balcony, with a far-away look in his eyes. It is the young Knight Shiine, whose powers are of Sorcerer-caliber and are known far and wide, and rightly feared. His arms are placed lethargically on the balcony fence, his eyes glittering with what may be tears, and his head erect towards the view of the setting sun. His mouth gives a quick quiver, and he closes his eyes. A tear rolls down his cheek, and he brushes it off with the back of his hand, as a child would. To know the cause of his sadness, we travel back an hour ago, in the Princess Chacha's bedroom, where she had summoned the young Magician to discuss of important matters.
"You called me, Princess?" Shiine knelt down in the presence of the beautiful, golden-haired Chacha. From a plump little clumsy girl, she had grown into an epitome of loveliness, a voluptuous lady of dignity, of beauty, and of magic. Her powers may not be as accurate as Shiine's, but it was magic nontheless.
Chacha nervously fingered her necklace and said, "Oh get up, Shiine, you don't have to do that."
Shiine stood up obligingly and said, "Just manners, Princess."
"And...and don't keep calling me Princess," said Chacha, quickly walking across the room. Not watching where she was going, she tripped on the hem of the gown, and luckily Shiine had the alertness to catch her in his arms.
"Oh, now isn't this a pretty scene," teased Shiine, a grin spreading across his comely face.
Chacha hastily disengaged herself from Shiine's strong arms and moved away from him. Reddening, she said, "Don't do that, Shiine."
"Hey, I was just kidding," said Shiine, although he had enjoyed the feeling of Chacha near him.
"Well, it wasn't funny," snapped Chacha, wringing her hands.
Shiine sensed that something seemed to be wrong. "Chacha, is something bothering you? You've been acting awfully edgy since lunch."
Chacha stopped pacing and held up her hands. "I'm fine, I'm fine, thank you." Her face was flushed, and this only made her more beautiful than ever.
Trying to lighten up the mood, Shiine said cheerfully, "You know, you look really pretty when you turn red like that-"
"Shiine, please don't!" cried Chacha as if she had been stung. "You're only going to make this harder for both of us!"
The Knight was completely taken aback. "What?" he said, befuddled at Chacha's strange behavior.
Chacha opened her mouth, then shut it just as quickly. She began to pace across the room again, her face turning pinker and pinker by every step, until she finally sat down on her bed and gestured at Shiine to take a seat on the overstuffed armchair.
"Are you sure you don't want to pace around a couple more times, lovely lady?" asked Shiine good-naturedly.
"Shiine, I said STOP IT!!" A gold aura surrounded the Princess and shot out to Shiine, shoving him across the room and slamming him to the wall.
It was at this moment that Shiine realized that this was really serious. Chacha's magic never manifested by itself unless something was truly wrong with her.
Realizing what she had just done, Chacha ran over to him, picking him up.
"I'm sorry, Shiine," she said with horror in her voice. "I didn't mean to-"
"It was my fault anyway," interrupted Shiine, helping himself up to the armchair. "Go on, tell me what's wrong."
Chacha slowly walked back to the bed and sat down quietly. Looking away from Shiine, she said, "This is really hard for me to say, Shiine."
Shiine nodded agreeingly, having no idea what Chacha was talking about. But it was best if he humored her. "You can tell me anything," he said sincerely, which was exactly as Chacha feared.
The Princess held up her hand and said, "Please, Shiine, not another word. It's hard that I have to get this off my chest without you patronizing me."
Shiine felt a trifle bit hurt, but he decided not to show it.
Chacha took a breath. "I..."
Nothing came out. She faced away from Shiine and tried once more. "I..."
Shiine said helpfully, "You can do it, Chacha. What could be so hard to tell to me?"
Chacha abruptly faced him, and Shiine was horrified at the tears that were rolling down the Princess's rosy cheeks.
Shiine immediately stood up and hurried to Chacha, wanting to hug her and comfort her, but Chacha shook his arms away, moving away also from him.
"You don't know how hard it is to tell you," she said, her voice breaking, "and have you do that to me!!"
Shiine was completely perplexed and hurt by the reaction. "Do what?"
Chacha tried to regained her composure as she said, "Acting like you care about me."
Shiine was suddenly overcome with a pain in his chest. "Acting like..."
Then he couldn't help it. "I don't act like I care about you!" he said with passion. "And that's because I do care about you!"
"Shiine..."
"You've known that for years, and now you tell me that I act!"
"Shiine!"
"Haven't you ever stopped and think that I truly care for you?! That I actually-"
"Shiine, Riya asked me to marry him!"
Shiine stopped, tense. Suddenly, his heart was thundering in his rib cage and his breath was strangling him. But first he would have to find out.
Hoarsely, he asked, "And what did you say?"
Chacha was not looking at him when she said quietly, "I accepted."
What happened next to Shiine was something he had never experienced before in his whole life. His emotions threatened to flood him: anger, grief, sorrow, sadness, bitterness and millions more feelings hitting him across his chest like a sledgehammer. His head was thudding with pain, his sweat was beading down his face, his hands were shaking, and his knees were feeling weak. He felt like locking himself in his room and throwing away the key and get rid of all the volley of emotions that was being thrown at him, but those were nothing compared to what hurt him most: his heart.
Chacha came over him, trying to say something, but he stepped away from her clumsily, trying to fight off the tears that were washing over his eyes.
"Shiine, I'm so sorry," said Chacha, her own tears flooding her eyes. "I just couldn't-"
Shiine felt the lump in his throat as he said lowly, "I understand."
"You-you do?"
"Yes," he said bitterly, standing up as dignified as possible. "That love is a wild-goose chase that actually isn't real."
"No, Shiine, it's just that-"
"No, let me tell you what it really just is," said Shiine, unleashing his full emotions. "If you had once loved me, you would have at least had given me the chance to ask you to marry you, and not just say yes to anyone who happens to be first in asking you!"
"Please-"
Shiine whirled his cape in bitterness. "It's not fair, you know, Chacha. But then all's fair in love and war, isn't it? We don't have any code of honor to follow, isn't that right?"
Chacha was quiet as she tried to unravel her own thoughts and force down the lump on her throat. When she couldn't think of anything to say, she ventured through a mist of tears, "But Shiine, couldn't we still-"
"Don't say it, Chacha," said Shiine warningly.
Too late.
"...friends?"
Shiine closed his eyes in fury. When he opened them, they were blazing with fire. "Do you know what friends mean, Chacha?" he asked dangerously. "It means loser, loser, loser!!!"
There was a deathly silence. Then Chacha gave a strangled choke.
It woke Shiine up. He was appalled at the realization of what had happened. Had he really just said 'loser'?
He held up his hands, his face a mask of expressionlessness. "Forget what I said," he said, his voice in a near-growl. "Forget it." He turned on his heels and walked away from Chacha's room. When he was sure no one was watching, he let the tears stream down as he ran for his room.