AN: Yay, people reviewed! So encouraging and it makes me feel happy ^_^
Big thanks to..:
Cous-Cous: yeah, I felt bad killing Hitomi off, but things get happy in the end ^_^
Bee-Wow, I was kinda nervous when I saw another fic with a person named Rose in it, thanks for telling me it's different ^_^
Megumi of the Moon- Appreciate the mention of Rose's characteristics, she's like that for a reason ^_~
Also to Dryad and all my friends, thanks for taking the time to read my fic! I hope you enjoy the rest ~smile~
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Rose walked through the city, clenching and unclenching her fists and jaw. How could he say that to her? 'Not that I care,' she added to the train of though rather quickly. She sighed, reaching the edge of the city.
" Ooooooh, he is SUCH a jerk," she muttered to herself, earning a few curious glances by some nobles. She flushed slightly, and then raised her head defiantly. 'There's no way I'm gonna bow down to those prissy stuck up little snobs. And, since I'm almost out of the city entirely, I might as well take a walk. It might make Merle and Allen worried, but it'll be good to keep them on their toes for a while.' She smirked, turning her direction to the forest, humming to herself.
" How is it that I ALWAYS MANAGE TO GET LOST???" Rose shouted in pure frustration, glaring at bushes and shrubs. Grumbling, she continued walking, shoes in one hand, the other occupied with holding up the hem of her dress. Stepping carefully around rocks and such, she had managed to avoid making her feet bleed, but she was sure they were going to be spectacularly bruised and incredibly sore in the near future. Entering a clearing, she let out a groan and sank to the ground, giving up on keeping the dress remotely clean. Rubbing her arms, she winced as she hit the various scrapes of tree branches. Luckily there was a small pond in the clearing, although not deep enough to bathe in it.
" Too bad," she muttered under her breath, stretching. A sudden impulse stopped her mid-stretch however, and she got up and walked over to the pond, kneeling and looking into it. 'Although now probably isn't the best time to be appraising my appearance.' The thought managed to bring a tremulous grin to her face as she looked at herself critically. After a few minutes of speculation, she drew back, sighing. 'Maybe he was right after all. Stupid, letting that poet-boy's words go to your head like that…' she sighed, wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her chin on her knees. Boy, he sure knew how to make a girl feel special though. Van, on the other hand…here she grimaced, glaring at blades of grass.
" Ok, disagreement I can handle. But thorns?" She whispered to the grass. As if in response, something nudged her elbow. She sighed.
" Go away Van, I don't want to….wait a minute, how'd you get here?" When there was no response except for more nudging, she turned and looked behind her. Then she nearly screamed. A baby dragon peered up at her, blinking its many faceted eyes at her in wonderment. Resisting the urge to back away, Rose held her ground, taking a deep breath. 'That's right, mama told me about these. Come to think of it, it IS really cute." She smiled gently, and the dragon came closer. Taking another deep breath, Rose went with her second instinct and reached out her hand, scratching gently at its eye ridges. Hey, they did it in books, so why not try it out? To her relief, the dragon closed its eyes and nudged her hand harder.
" Phew. So, I guess you're not gonna try and eat me, are you?" Rose asked, smiling. Suddenly, the dragon squeaked and ran off into the forest. Before Rose could even blink, it appeared again. Rose looked up, eyes wide.
" Oh…look…you brought your mommy…." Standing in front of her was a large dragon, peering down at her. Muffled rumblings surrounded her, and soon she was staring into the many muzzles of dragons.
" Oh no….." Rose backed into the center of the clearing. The one the baby brought advanced, closing the distance between them. 'I'm going to end up as dragon fodder…' Rose fumbled at her leg, trying to undo the makeshift belts that held a small dagger to her shin. 'Not that it will do any good, but it's better than just sitting here,' she thought determinedly. However, before she could do anything, the dragon folded its two front legs under itself and lowered its head. It was….bowing to her? 'No….way…' Rose blinked as the clan of the dragons came into the clearing and bowed as well.
" Ummmmmmm……thank you?" She said, in a half-reply, half-question. The baby dragon had perched on her shoulder, giving it a feeling of being weighed down, although it wasn't quite uncomfortable. It nuzzled her hair, and Rose laughed. The leader's head nudged forward, head still lowered. Taking a hint, Rose scratched its eye ridges as well. The restraining wall had been broken, and all of the others came forward, heads lowered. A quiet giggle escaped from her lips as she watched them shoving each other aside for a better scratching position. 'I can't believe this is happening…this HAS to be some sort of dream, or something.' She thought dazedly, smiling like an idiot. That is, until she heard something racing through the bushes. In a blink of an eye, all dragons except the elder were gone, and the dragon was standing a bit farther back and reared up to its full height. That was when it…winked…at her, just as Van came crashing through into the clearing, shouting her name.
"…Van?" She shouted incredulously. How in the world did HE get here?? And that was when she lost all coherent thought, seeing as the dragon took that moment to roar directly in her face. Screaming in pain, Rose clamped her hands over her ears, eyes squeezed shut. 'By all the gods, that HURT!!!' (at least, I think it would 0-o). Van ran over to her, standing in front of her. The dragon gave a half-hearted roar, turned, and ran into the forest. Removing her hands from her ears, Rose blinked rapidly, trying to clear the ringing from her ears. She was dimly aware of Van grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her, calling something, but she couldn't hear him. And, because he was holding her shoulders, she couldn't give him any sort of sign that she was ok because she couldn't move. So, she did the only thing that she could think of at that moment. Taking a deep breath and letting it out in a quiet sigh, she closed her eyes an let herself relax, trusting Van to catch her. Which he did.
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Van caught her just in time. Setting her down on the ground, he looked at her for a moment. He never thought that she would be one to faint. 'But, to be realistic, having a dragon attack you would be frightening enough,' he reasoned, then went back to staring at her. How on Gaia was he supposed to get her back to the castle? He couldn't just carry her out, rumors would start. He flushed pink at that one. Nor could he leave her lying there in a forest alone. There were things worse than dragons around, of that he was certain. Casting another look at her, he came to a conclusion. Looking around, his eyes scanned the clearing. He remembered dropping something as he ran over to her….ah, there it was! A flash of light against metal caught his eye. Going over to it, he was surprised to see his ceremonial sword. Had he really gone to protect Rose with this? It wouldn't have done anything. Shrugging, he placed it back in it's sheath and went back to Rose.
" Oy, she's probably going to kill me for this, but it can't be helped. After all, she's unconscious anyway." With that, he scooped his arms under her and picked her up, cradling her head against his shoulder. He thought he felt her body stiffen for a moment, but it was relaxed again so quickly that he brushed it off as his imagination. Pushing his wings through his shirt, after a moment of arranging them so that they opened around his cloak, he flapped into the night, taking care not to be seen as he headed back for the castle. ' I just hope she doesn't scream when she recovers.'
As if summoned, Rose picked that moment to stir and groan, eyes fluttering open and blinking slightly. She frowned slightly, staring at his shirt, and he smirked gently down at her. Like this, without her mask on…she really wasn't that bad.
" Ah…Van?" She looked up at him, an eyebrow raised.
" Yes?"
" Why are you carrying me?" He chuckled.
" Because if I let go of you you'd drop at least 100 feet onto very painful ground." She blinked for a moment, then looked over her shoulder and down. Instead of the scream he was anticipating, her eyes lit up in excitement.
" COOL! I've always wanted to do this!!!" He blinked at her and she looked at him, saw his expression and blushed horribly.
" No no no, not like…well, you know. I've just always wanted to fly without being stuck in a stupid seat…" she grumbled, the blush fading. He decided to let it go, it was late, she was getting over being terrified, and he had already made her mad that evening. He landed on her balcony, setting her down.
" Would you like me to get a healer for you?" He asked anxiously, he hadn't looked for injuries. She shook her head, sending a dismayed glance at her dress.
" Merle's gonna kill me…but no, I'm fine." She turned to go into her room, opening the balcony doors. Just as he was ready to go to his own room, she turned, head lowered.
" Um…Van?" He stopped, turning his head.
" Yes?" He steeled himself for a blistering insult.
"….thank you." Van's eyebrows somehow managed to pull together in a puzzled expression.
" I mean…you didn't even have a real sword and you put yourself in front of me…I know it's just 'cause I'm Hitomi's daughter, but…" she raised her head, smiling slightly, albeit a little sadly.
" Even these thorns know how to appreciate an act of apology." With that, she ran into her room, shutting the doors behind her. Puzzled, Van scratched the back of his head for a moment, then shrugged and headed to his room.
Cous-Cous: yeah, I felt bad killing Hitomi off, but things get happy in the end ^_^
Bee-Wow, I was kinda nervous when I saw another fic with a person named Rose in it, thanks for telling me it's different ^_^
Megumi of the Moon- Appreciate the mention of Rose's characteristics, she's like that for a reason ^_~
Also to Dryad and all my friends, thanks for taking the time to read my fic! I hope you enjoy the rest ~smile~
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Rose walked through the city, clenching and unclenching her fists and jaw. How could he say that to her? 'Not that I care,' she added to the train of though rather quickly. She sighed, reaching the edge of the city.
" Ooooooh, he is SUCH a jerk," she muttered to herself, earning a few curious glances by some nobles. She flushed slightly, and then raised her head defiantly. 'There's no way I'm gonna bow down to those prissy stuck up little snobs. And, since I'm almost out of the city entirely, I might as well take a walk. It might make Merle and Allen worried, but it'll be good to keep them on their toes for a while.' She smirked, turning her direction to the forest, humming to herself.
" How is it that I ALWAYS MANAGE TO GET LOST???" Rose shouted in pure frustration, glaring at bushes and shrubs. Grumbling, she continued walking, shoes in one hand, the other occupied with holding up the hem of her dress. Stepping carefully around rocks and such, she had managed to avoid making her feet bleed, but she was sure they were going to be spectacularly bruised and incredibly sore in the near future. Entering a clearing, she let out a groan and sank to the ground, giving up on keeping the dress remotely clean. Rubbing her arms, she winced as she hit the various scrapes of tree branches. Luckily there was a small pond in the clearing, although not deep enough to bathe in it.
" Too bad," she muttered under her breath, stretching. A sudden impulse stopped her mid-stretch however, and she got up and walked over to the pond, kneeling and looking into it. 'Although now probably isn't the best time to be appraising my appearance.' The thought managed to bring a tremulous grin to her face as she looked at herself critically. After a few minutes of speculation, she drew back, sighing. 'Maybe he was right after all. Stupid, letting that poet-boy's words go to your head like that…' she sighed, wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her chin on her knees. Boy, he sure knew how to make a girl feel special though. Van, on the other hand…here she grimaced, glaring at blades of grass.
" Ok, disagreement I can handle. But thorns?" She whispered to the grass. As if in response, something nudged her elbow. She sighed.
" Go away Van, I don't want to….wait a minute, how'd you get here?" When there was no response except for more nudging, she turned and looked behind her. Then she nearly screamed. A baby dragon peered up at her, blinking its many faceted eyes at her in wonderment. Resisting the urge to back away, Rose held her ground, taking a deep breath. 'That's right, mama told me about these. Come to think of it, it IS really cute." She smiled gently, and the dragon came closer. Taking another deep breath, Rose went with her second instinct and reached out her hand, scratching gently at its eye ridges. Hey, they did it in books, so why not try it out? To her relief, the dragon closed its eyes and nudged her hand harder.
" Phew. So, I guess you're not gonna try and eat me, are you?" Rose asked, smiling. Suddenly, the dragon squeaked and ran off into the forest. Before Rose could even blink, it appeared again. Rose looked up, eyes wide.
" Oh…look…you brought your mommy…." Standing in front of her was a large dragon, peering down at her. Muffled rumblings surrounded her, and soon she was staring into the many muzzles of dragons.
" Oh no….." Rose backed into the center of the clearing. The one the baby brought advanced, closing the distance between them. 'I'm going to end up as dragon fodder…' Rose fumbled at her leg, trying to undo the makeshift belts that held a small dagger to her shin. 'Not that it will do any good, but it's better than just sitting here,' she thought determinedly. However, before she could do anything, the dragon folded its two front legs under itself and lowered its head. It was….bowing to her? 'No….way…' Rose blinked as the clan of the dragons came into the clearing and bowed as well.
" Ummmmmmm……thank you?" She said, in a half-reply, half-question. The baby dragon had perched on her shoulder, giving it a feeling of being weighed down, although it wasn't quite uncomfortable. It nuzzled her hair, and Rose laughed. The leader's head nudged forward, head still lowered. Taking a hint, Rose scratched its eye ridges as well. The restraining wall had been broken, and all of the others came forward, heads lowered. A quiet giggle escaped from her lips as she watched them shoving each other aside for a better scratching position. 'I can't believe this is happening…this HAS to be some sort of dream, or something.' She thought dazedly, smiling like an idiot. That is, until she heard something racing through the bushes. In a blink of an eye, all dragons except the elder were gone, and the dragon was standing a bit farther back and reared up to its full height. That was when it…winked…at her, just as Van came crashing through into the clearing, shouting her name.
"…Van?" She shouted incredulously. How in the world did HE get here?? And that was when she lost all coherent thought, seeing as the dragon took that moment to roar directly in her face. Screaming in pain, Rose clamped her hands over her ears, eyes squeezed shut. 'By all the gods, that HURT!!!' (at least, I think it would 0-o). Van ran over to her, standing in front of her. The dragon gave a half-hearted roar, turned, and ran into the forest. Removing her hands from her ears, Rose blinked rapidly, trying to clear the ringing from her ears. She was dimly aware of Van grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her, calling something, but she couldn't hear him. And, because he was holding her shoulders, she couldn't give him any sort of sign that she was ok because she couldn't move. So, she did the only thing that she could think of at that moment. Taking a deep breath and letting it out in a quiet sigh, she closed her eyes an let herself relax, trusting Van to catch her. Which he did.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Van caught her just in time. Setting her down on the ground, he looked at her for a moment. He never thought that she would be one to faint. 'But, to be realistic, having a dragon attack you would be frightening enough,' he reasoned, then went back to staring at her. How on Gaia was he supposed to get her back to the castle? He couldn't just carry her out, rumors would start. He flushed pink at that one. Nor could he leave her lying there in a forest alone. There were things worse than dragons around, of that he was certain. Casting another look at her, he came to a conclusion. Looking around, his eyes scanned the clearing. He remembered dropping something as he ran over to her….ah, there it was! A flash of light against metal caught his eye. Going over to it, he was surprised to see his ceremonial sword. Had he really gone to protect Rose with this? It wouldn't have done anything. Shrugging, he placed it back in it's sheath and went back to Rose.
" Oy, she's probably going to kill me for this, but it can't be helped. After all, she's unconscious anyway." With that, he scooped his arms under her and picked her up, cradling her head against his shoulder. He thought he felt her body stiffen for a moment, but it was relaxed again so quickly that he brushed it off as his imagination. Pushing his wings through his shirt, after a moment of arranging them so that they opened around his cloak, he flapped into the night, taking care not to be seen as he headed back for the castle. ' I just hope she doesn't scream when she recovers.'
As if summoned, Rose picked that moment to stir and groan, eyes fluttering open and blinking slightly. She frowned slightly, staring at his shirt, and he smirked gently down at her. Like this, without her mask on…she really wasn't that bad.
" Ah…Van?" She looked up at him, an eyebrow raised.
" Yes?"
" Why are you carrying me?" He chuckled.
" Because if I let go of you you'd drop at least 100 feet onto very painful ground." She blinked for a moment, then looked over her shoulder and down. Instead of the scream he was anticipating, her eyes lit up in excitement.
" COOL! I've always wanted to do this!!!" He blinked at her and she looked at him, saw his expression and blushed horribly.
" No no no, not like…well, you know. I've just always wanted to fly without being stuck in a stupid seat…" she grumbled, the blush fading. He decided to let it go, it was late, she was getting over being terrified, and he had already made her mad that evening. He landed on her balcony, setting her down.
" Would you like me to get a healer for you?" He asked anxiously, he hadn't looked for injuries. She shook her head, sending a dismayed glance at her dress.
" Merle's gonna kill me…but no, I'm fine." She turned to go into her room, opening the balcony doors. Just as he was ready to go to his own room, she turned, head lowered.
" Um…Van?" He stopped, turning his head.
" Yes?" He steeled himself for a blistering insult.
"….thank you." Van's eyebrows somehow managed to pull together in a puzzled expression.
" I mean…you didn't even have a real sword and you put yourself in front of me…I know it's just 'cause I'm Hitomi's daughter, but…" she raised her head, smiling slightly, albeit a little sadly.
" Even these thorns know how to appreciate an act of apology." With that, she ran into her room, shutting the doors behind her. Puzzled, Van scratched the back of his head for a moment, then shrugged and headed to his room.