Disclaimer: Characters depicted in the story aren't mine. They belong to
Konami.
Fire and Water (Final Chapter)
Blade clashed against blade as the fight continued. Hugo swung while Chris parried his attack. The knight countered with a double swing and Hugo dodged each one of them. Both paused for a quick breather by distancing themselves from each other. Hugo wiped the rain from his eyes as he prepared himself for another attack. Chris stood ramrod straight, waiting. Both were breathing hard from exertion. A distant rumble in the sky sounded as the rain continued to pour hard, soaking them altogether.
"Aren't we foolish fighting in this rain or what?" Chris said over the rain.
"Fools we are then." Hugo grinned then proceeded to attack.
"Five swings all in all." Chris recognized his move as Hugo swung his blade several times. She blocked one after another, trying very hard to break his sword dance. She saw an opening when Hugo turned for the fourth swing. She lunged and directed her attack to his side. Her aim was perfect but Hugo anticipated the move and swiftly shifted to his safe side. Both moved back but neither let down their guard.
"Very smooth, Hugo." Chris smiled betweens breaths. But Hugo didn't return her smile. In fact, he frowned.
"You aren't fighting me in full strength." Hugo accused. "Think I'm not a worthy opponent?"
"What?" Chris demanded. "Why do you think that?" Instead of answering, Hugo charged again toward her. All she could do was fend off his attacks.
"You noticed." Chris thought. "I really am not fighting back. Do you want to know why?" Hugo's swings became swifter and more precise as each moment passed. Chris barely dodged each one. "It's because I can't fight you anymore!" In a quick swing, Hugo was able to unarm the knight. Chris stood, disbelieving of what has happened. Hugo won the duel. But in angry frustration, he threw away his own weapon and leapt toward her. Chris lost her balance and fell, taking Hugo with her.
"Hugo!" Chris exclaimed when she regained her breath. "What--?"
"Why can't you fight me anymore?!" Hugo demanded as he pinned her to the ground. Chris realized that she spoke her mind a while back.
You did it again, idiot! She mentally chided herself. "Why are you hesitating?" Chris looked back at him as he continued to stare her down. His eyes were dark with anger... and with something else.
"I didn't---"
"Ah, damn!" Hugo groaned and proceeded to do what he had always wanted to do when he saw her again. He lowered his head to hers and kissed her.
The downpour slowly began to let up. The soft rain engulfed all the sounds around them as the sky turned to the colors of dusk. Hugo finally released her soft lips and sighed. He rested his forehead against hers and waited for his heartbeat to slow down. What in spirits did he just do?
He noticed that Chris was lying beneath him unmoving. He lifted his head and met her wide-eyed stare. "Will you relax for a change?" Hugo laughed nervously at her rigid form. "You're looking at me as if I've lost my mind."
"W-Why did you do that?"
"Because I wanted to." Hugo answered. She continued to stare up at him. He sighed again. "Spirits, Chris, I've always admired you. And more." Hugo confessed. "Didn't you ever notice?"
"No." Chris collected herself. "Because I have always believed that I will never earn your forgiveness over your friend's-"
"Well, I have to cover up my feelings for you with anger." Hugo moved back from her and ran his hand through his sodden hair. Chris sat up. "I thought it wouldn't be right for me to have these feelings for you." He blushed as he looked back at her. "But now that I have forgiven myself, I can forgive you."
"Then this duel.?"
"I just wanted an excuse to see you again." He looked up at the dark sky. "May Lulu forgive me for this but I wanted this fight to prove to you that I'm worthy of you. That is why I want you to fight me seriously."
Chris couldn't believe what she was hearing. There she was, worrying her head off with her feelings for Hugo but in fact, he was reciprocating them back to her. Hugo, the Karayan who had sworn to kill her for vengeance. Hugo, who was just an impatient boy to her then but suddenly, became a respectable warrior to her now.
Yes, she has loved him even from the beginning.
"Please say something." Hugo beseeched, not looking at her. He was suddenly looking vulnerable. Chris smiled and secretly thanked the goddess for making Hugo bare his soul to her. This way, it would be easier for her.
Before she could say anything, a sound of thundering hooves caught their attention. A lone rider was fast approaching them.
"It's Percival." Chris stood up and waited for the other knight to reach them. Hugo sighed and got to his feet. He shook the rainwater off him and collected his blade and sheathed it back.
"I better go." Hugo said as he turned to the opposite direction. He was about to call for his horse when he felt Chris grab his arm. He turned to look at her.
"Hugo, wait." Was all Chris said before she leaned toward Hugo and placed her lips over his. It was Hugo's turn to become immobilized. The rain has turned into a light drizzle and the sky started to clear up. But Hugo never noticed any of this. Before he could kiss her back, she moved away from him.
"B-But Percival-" Hugo stammered, a flush staining his cheeks.
"Don't worry." Chris smiled shyly. "He knows how I feel for you." She turned to look at her friend. From where she was standing, she could already see a wicked smile forming on his handsome face. She was in for it now. Percival finally reached them.
"Well now," the dark haired knight dismounted from his horse, "I was about to ask how you two are but with those blushes staining your cheeks, I can already tell." He laughed when both of the rune bearers flushed deeper.
"You're soaking wet." Chris nodded at him with a frown. He must have been searching for her everywhere. He was terribly worried but, of course, he'll never admit that. She was touched by his concern for her. He needs a break, she thought, but not now. "You might get sick because of your negligence." She tried very hard to reprimand him but knew she failed miserably when Percival merely raised his eyebrows.
"I can say the same thing to you." He grinned. "Anyway, the rain has stopped. Perhaps we should go back to the castle and change." He winked at Hugo. "Everything all right with you, Hugo?"
"Er, yes." Hugo replied. "I should be heading back to the village as well."
"All right." Percival sighed when none of the two moved an inch. "I'll be waiting by that tree over there." He mounted on his horse and grinned at his captain. "Be quick with your sentimentalities and come to me when you're finished, Chris." He then nodded toward Hugo. "See you around." The latter nodded back at him. Percival rode away whistling.
"I swear, Percival, one day I'll shave that head of yours." Chris shook her head as she watched Percival's retreating form. Hugo just laughed at Chris' empty threat. Percival has already won Chris' affection, and she with his. A friendly squabble was nothing to worry about.
Hugo stood behind Chris and wrapped his arms around her. "Spirits, this armor of yours is a hindrance." Hugo muttered. "I liked you better in those clothes you wore back in Chisha."
"I might consider wearing that one when we next meet." Chris promised as she turned in his arms to face him. Hugo smiled and leaned his head toward hers.
* * *
Fire and Water (Final Chapter)
Blade clashed against blade as the fight continued. Hugo swung while Chris parried his attack. The knight countered with a double swing and Hugo dodged each one of them. Both paused for a quick breather by distancing themselves from each other. Hugo wiped the rain from his eyes as he prepared himself for another attack. Chris stood ramrod straight, waiting. Both were breathing hard from exertion. A distant rumble in the sky sounded as the rain continued to pour hard, soaking them altogether.
"Aren't we foolish fighting in this rain or what?" Chris said over the rain.
"Fools we are then." Hugo grinned then proceeded to attack.
"Five swings all in all." Chris recognized his move as Hugo swung his blade several times. She blocked one after another, trying very hard to break his sword dance. She saw an opening when Hugo turned for the fourth swing. She lunged and directed her attack to his side. Her aim was perfect but Hugo anticipated the move and swiftly shifted to his safe side. Both moved back but neither let down their guard.
"Very smooth, Hugo." Chris smiled betweens breaths. But Hugo didn't return her smile. In fact, he frowned.
"You aren't fighting me in full strength." Hugo accused. "Think I'm not a worthy opponent?"
"What?" Chris demanded. "Why do you think that?" Instead of answering, Hugo charged again toward her. All she could do was fend off his attacks.
"You noticed." Chris thought. "I really am not fighting back. Do you want to know why?" Hugo's swings became swifter and more precise as each moment passed. Chris barely dodged each one. "It's because I can't fight you anymore!" In a quick swing, Hugo was able to unarm the knight. Chris stood, disbelieving of what has happened. Hugo won the duel. But in angry frustration, he threw away his own weapon and leapt toward her. Chris lost her balance and fell, taking Hugo with her.
"Hugo!" Chris exclaimed when she regained her breath. "What--?"
"Why can't you fight me anymore?!" Hugo demanded as he pinned her to the ground. Chris realized that she spoke her mind a while back.
You did it again, idiot! She mentally chided herself. "Why are you hesitating?" Chris looked back at him as he continued to stare her down. His eyes were dark with anger... and with something else.
"I didn't---"
"Ah, damn!" Hugo groaned and proceeded to do what he had always wanted to do when he saw her again. He lowered his head to hers and kissed her.
The downpour slowly began to let up. The soft rain engulfed all the sounds around them as the sky turned to the colors of dusk. Hugo finally released her soft lips and sighed. He rested his forehead against hers and waited for his heartbeat to slow down. What in spirits did he just do?
He noticed that Chris was lying beneath him unmoving. He lifted his head and met her wide-eyed stare. "Will you relax for a change?" Hugo laughed nervously at her rigid form. "You're looking at me as if I've lost my mind."
"W-Why did you do that?"
"Because I wanted to." Hugo answered. She continued to stare up at him. He sighed again. "Spirits, Chris, I've always admired you. And more." Hugo confessed. "Didn't you ever notice?"
"No." Chris collected herself. "Because I have always believed that I will never earn your forgiveness over your friend's-"
"Well, I have to cover up my feelings for you with anger." Hugo moved back from her and ran his hand through his sodden hair. Chris sat up. "I thought it wouldn't be right for me to have these feelings for you." He blushed as he looked back at her. "But now that I have forgiven myself, I can forgive you."
"Then this duel.?"
"I just wanted an excuse to see you again." He looked up at the dark sky. "May Lulu forgive me for this but I wanted this fight to prove to you that I'm worthy of you. That is why I want you to fight me seriously."
Chris couldn't believe what she was hearing. There she was, worrying her head off with her feelings for Hugo but in fact, he was reciprocating them back to her. Hugo, the Karayan who had sworn to kill her for vengeance. Hugo, who was just an impatient boy to her then but suddenly, became a respectable warrior to her now.
Yes, she has loved him even from the beginning.
"Please say something." Hugo beseeched, not looking at her. He was suddenly looking vulnerable. Chris smiled and secretly thanked the goddess for making Hugo bare his soul to her. This way, it would be easier for her.
Before she could say anything, a sound of thundering hooves caught their attention. A lone rider was fast approaching them.
"It's Percival." Chris stood up and waited for the other knight to reach them. Hugo sighed and got to his feet. He shook the rainwater off him and collected his blade and sheathed it back.
"I better go." Hugo said as he turned to the opposite direction. He was about to call for his horse when he felt Chris grab his arm. He turned to look at her.
"Hugo, wait." Was all Chris said before she leaned toward Hugo and placed her lips over his. It was Hugo's turn to become immobilized. The rain has turned into a light drizzle and the sky started to clear up. But Hugo never noticed any of this. Before he could kiss her back, she moved away from him.
"B-But Percival-" Hugo stammered, a flush staining his cheeks.
"Don't worry." Chris smiled shyly. "He knows how I feel for you." She turned to look at her friend. From where she was standing, she could already see a wicked smile forming on his handsome face. She was in for it now. Percival finally reached them.
"Well now," the dark haired knight dismounted from his horse, "I was about to ask how you two are but with those blushes staining your cheeks, I can already tell." He laughed when both of the rune bearers flushed deeper.
"You're soaking wet." Chris nodded at him with a frown. He must have been searching for her everywhere. He was terribly worried but, of course, he'll never admit that. She was touched by his concern for her. He needs a break, she thought, but not now. "You might get sick because of your negligence." She tried very hard to reprimand him but knew she failed miserably when Percival merely raised his eyebrows.
"I can say the same thing to you." He grinned. "Anyway, the rain has stopped. Perhaps we should go back to the castle and change." He winked at Hugo. "Everything all right with you, Hugo?"
"Er, yes." Hugo replied. "I should be heading back to the village as well."
"All right." Percival sighed when none of the two moved an inch. "I'll be waiting by that tree over there." He mounted on his horse and grinned at his captain. "Be quick with your sentimentalities and come to me when you're finished, Chris." He then nodded toward Hugo. "See you around." The latter nodded back at him. Percival rode away whistling.
"I swear, Percival, one day I'll shave that head of yours." Chris shook her head as she watched Percival's retreating form. Hugo just laughed at Chris' empty threat. Percival has already won Chris' affection, and she with his. A friendly squabble was nothing to worry about.
Hugo stood behind Chris and wrapped his arms around her. "Spirits, this armor of yours is a hindrance." Hugo muttered. "I liked you better in those clothes you wore back in Chisha."
"I might consider wearing that one when we next meet." Chris promised as she turned in his arms to face him. Hugo smiled and leaned his head toward hers.
* * *