Author's Notes: This is a takari chapter. There isn't really anything in this one, BUT takari. That means that it's short, but I'd like to think it's sweet, too.
Disclaimer: I don't own ANY of the characters in this story. If I did, do you really think I would bother writing fanfiction?
The ARROW, the STAFF &the SHIELD
Part 8
By Android Eleven
Princes Hikari woke the next morning from a beautiful dream where a blonde haired, blue-eyed young man had taken her flying through a land of sunsets. It had been a wonderful dream, one she had regretted waking from. But the thought of seeing the real Prince Takeru was just as wonderful and so the Princess got up from her bed and readied herself for breakfast.
When she emerged from her room, Hikari was wearing a bare-shoulder, silky pink and white dress with short, tight sleeves. She was making her way towards the dining hall when someone gently grabbed hold of her elbow. She whirled around. Behind her stood Takeru, who was still holding her elbow and smiling shyly at her. From behind his back he produced a beautiful pink rose.
"Good morning, Hikari. I was hoping to see you before you went down to breakfast." He looked down at his fidgeting feet distractedly. "Oh, uh, this is for you," he said, pushing the rose towards her.
Hikari took the rose and smelt it. "Beautiful," she replied, smiling at Takeru. "Thank you."
The young Prince blushed slightly while she looked at him. "It was nothing, my Princess. I, uh, *ahem*," Hikari could tell that Takeru was trying to say something that he'd practiced saying beforehand, "I only wish that... uh, that I could have found one as beautiful as you."
Now it was the Princess's turn to blush and Takeru smiled in spite of himself. He was unaccustomed to giving compliments to people, especially "women" people and he was proud of himself for delivering one good enough to make Hikari blush.
While she was recovering from her blush, Hikari examined the pink rose more closely. The thorns had been scraped off so that she wouldn't cut herself. 'How thoughtful,' she thought to herself. Then she used her fingernail to try and cut off the bottom part of the stem. She glanced up at Takeru's questioning face. "Would you mind if I cut it? I thought that I might put it in my hair."
His face turned into a look of understanding. "Oh, yes, of course! Here, allow me," he said taking the rose from Hikari and broke it cleanly. Then he reached over and pushed some hair behind the Princess's ear, out of her face. He gently pushed the rose behind her ear and looked into her eyes.
For the longest time they stayed like that, locked in each other's gazes. Then, slowly, their heads started moving closer together. Their lips were almost touching when-
"Prince Takeru! Are you here, majesty?" Takeru and Hikari jumped apart just as Count Iori came around the corner. When he saw the two of them, Iori bowed, mostly for the Princess, as he knew that Takeru hated such formalities. "I'm glad to have found you, Take- uh, I mean, my Prince. Your brother, King Yamato, has been asking for you."
Takeru nodded. "Very well. I'll go and speak to him in a moment. Thank you Iori."
Iori bowed. "It was no trouble, your Highness." He bowed to Hikari also, "Princess." Then he retreated down the corridor.
When the two were alone again there was an uncomfortable silence. After a while Takeru cleared his throat nosily. "Umm... I guess I should, uh... I should go and see what, uh, Yamato wants... because, well-"
"Uh, yes. Yes, of course. You should go and see why your brother wishes to see you-" Hikari broke in, babbling along with Takeru. After a while, Takeru finally managed to realize that he should probably go and see Yamato.
"Well, I'm going to go," he said and started on his way. But before he'd gone more then ten feet he turned back. "Hikari?"
She had started back towards the dining room before Takeru spoke. She turned. "Hmm?"
"Well, I was wondering... would you like to go out horseback riding with me this afternoon?" Hikari smiled and nodded.
"I would love that."
Author's Notes: Kay, I know this was short, but there is a reason for that. This used to be the first third (maybe even the first quarter) of Part VIII, but to make the Takari scene have more feeling, I decided to cut the chapter off here. But hey! That means that I've already written Part IX, so it'll be out that much sooner! Anyhow, Toodles! ^_^
