Forced Emotions
Chapter 14 - Practice Day 1 - Fluttery Things
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rue pulled away from Mint, staggering backwards for a few steps, his hands and arms trembling severely. All he did was stare at her wide, beautiful eyes. Had he...did he...? He went as pale as a ghost, his blood freezing in his veins, him not even breathing. His big brown eyes lay still, unmoving. He broke out into a steamy-hot sweat, beginning to hyperventilate slightly.
"...I...I...I..." Rue's voice shook with such fear, he didn't see how he could even look at Mint. She didn't seem to be breathing, just standing there, gravity letting her hair lay still as she went on through her silence.
"M...M...M-M...Mint..." Rue couldn't even say her name without studdering. He had no choice: his legs began to move, then finally got into a run past Mint.
"Rue," Mint said loudly and in a very weird, rusk voice. The doll froze emediately after hearing her speak his name, panting.
(No, you can't stay! Run away and never come here again!!!)
"Rue," Mint repeated, ever so slowly turning around, her eyes still wide with no emotion whatsoever.
"..." Rue said nothing, not even turning around to face her. "...I...I'm...I'm sorry, Mint!!" Rue dashed off again, his eyes burning with his tears that came from his guilt.
He ran for a few minutes, the front doors to the castle coming in to his sight. He hadn't heard Mint follow him, which meant that he was home free.
Rue sprinted faster, the doors only about fifteen feet ahead of him, when a blur of pink ran and stopped in front of him, coming from a side hallway closer to the doors.
Mint stopped in the middle of Rue's path, him coming to an abrupt stop a few feet from the princess.
They stared at each other, (gasping for air,) looking deep into the other's eyes, waiting for something to happen. Mint started the dialogue, slowly forming her words with care.
"Rue...I...I don't understand..." Mint confessed, heaving her shoulders, still panting. "Why...What just happened..?"
"..." Rue looked hurt, the look of guilt spread across his face. "I...I said that I'm sorry..."
"For...for what?" Mint asked, redness moving across her cheeks as she said those words.
"..?" Rue was confused... Mint, she... She wasn't, mad at him? For what he had done..? "What..? You're not...angry?"
"Oh, Rue... How could I ever get mad at you?" Mint sighed, bending her knees weakly and hunching her shoulders over, her hair falling over the sides of her face. "I..."
He took a step forward, reaching out a hand to the air in front of him. "Mint..."
The princess bolted up and ran to Rue, holding him so tightly around the waist, it shocked him, his arms planted loosely at his sides, Mint burrying her face in his chest.
"Rue..." Mint all of a sudden began to sob. "I could never get mad at you... Never... Not you. Everyone else I could easily get mad at, but you're different..." Mint sniffed, trying to make her tears go away. "You're 'you,' Rue. My best friend, my rival, my comrade, my buddy, my..."
She looked up, wiping the tears from her eyes and looking up at the astonished Rue. "My...the one...the one I--"
The princess couldn't even get her most valued words out of her mouth in time to stop the guards from coming.
"Unhand the princess!!!" a guard yelled, about ten guards surrounding the two. They held out their lances and spears and swords, all pointed directly at Rue's head.
"N-no, you got the wro--"
"It is alright, your majesty," another guard stated, two guards going and removing Rue from Mint's arms. "We will make sure that this ingrate gets what he deserves for harming you."
"Harming me!? He didn't do anything!!!" Mint yelled, watching as some guards put handcuffs and feet chains on Rue.
"Then why might you be crying, my princess? He must be the reason for your tears," the same guard replied. "He will be put to death for touching a royal in such a state."
"Nooo!!!" Mint shrieked, the guards stopping their actions. "Did you not hear me!!? He didn't do anything to me!!! He just kissed me and that was it!!!"
The guards talked in low voices to each other, whispering about what to do next.
"If he had indeed kissed you, he will for certain be put to death in only a matter of a days," the guard confirmed, making Mint's tears reappear in her eyes, as well as a look of fear on her face.
"Stop it!!! STOP IT!!!" Mint shouted again, running towards the emotionless Rue. The guards, however, did not let her through, and she threw some punches and kicks, (some biting as well,) at the guards, but couldn't make it to Rue. She finally kneeled down, her tears streaming down her red cheeks, dripping onto the floor, making a puddle of her pain.
~Judging Room
The guards pushed Rue towards a podium, then returned to the straight line formed behind him.
"This foul man has done a wrong, and we ask that you judge him," one of the guards requested. The judge didn't respond, (for his chair was turned around, not facing them.)
"...What might this fellow have done?" the judge inquired, not turning around.
"He kissed the princess without her permission," another guard answered hurriedly, wanting to slut Rue's throat for what he did.
"Hmm...I see..." the judge replied slowly. "You. The wrong-doer. What do you have to say to this?"
Rue stared at the bottom of the podium, not really thinking.
"I...I'm not sure..." Rue said weakly, still staring. "It just happened. I had first hugged her, then when I thought it was long enough, I let go, but Mint held on to me, then I...kissed her..."
"Enough! Blame it all on the princess!? You bastard!!!" a guard growled, a few others agreeing.
"Silence, all of you," the judge said harshly, everyone quieting down. "...Under the circumstances, I sentence you to be put to death two days from now. You will be locked up until the end of the tournament that is being held, and will be executed when the winner is announced."
"..." Rue didn't say anything. Everything was happening so fast, he didn't know what else he could do but follow the guards down the dreary staircase, towards the dungeon.
"Get in there, you scum!" a guard ordered, unlocking a cell and shoving Rue into it, making him fall on the mold-covered, dusty floor. The group of guards all laughed at him, one locking the cell and twirling the key around his finger. "Ha! Stay down there where you belong!!"
They continued to roar with laughter, departing from the dungeon area, the chuckles echoing to Rue's ears.
"..." Rue leaned up and sat on his knees, head low. "Huph...look what you've gotten yourself into..." he grumbled to himself.
"Yes, well, we all make mistakes," a voice suddenly said, Rue jerking his head up. He looked around the cell and found someone on the cot. It was!?
"Mel!!?" Rue exclaimed, his eyes going wide as his friend came out of the shadows.
"Hello, Rue," Mel said with a smile, her yellow fluttery things purring in a hello. "How are you doing?"
"How am I doing!?" Rue started, gazing around the damp cell. "I'm just fine! I got the chance I wanted to have with Mint and took it, and ended up here because I was a wuss!!!" Rue was more surprised than Mel to hear him say such harsh words about himself.
"So?" Mel said. "What does that have to do with you getting out of here?"
"What..?" Rue looked confused. Was she here to help him escape?
Mel let out a sigh, standing up from the cot, still in her old bunny attire. "Don't you want to take place in the tournament? To win Mint?"
"N-no! I mean, yes! Yes, I want to take place in the tournament, but no, I'm not doing it to get Mint. She asked for everyone's help, not just mine," Rue said, shaking his head. "She doesn't want a forced marriage..."
"That's the old Mint I remember," Mel said happily. "Never wanting to be todl or ordered what to do."
"..." Rue didn't say anything. He just wanted out of the dungeon to tell Mint he was sorry...again.
"You shouldn't have said sorry to her," Mel began, Rue slowly looking up at her as she continued to lecture him. "You shouldn't have ran away. You shouldn't have been afraid. You shouldn't have hid your feelings from her this long. It is your fault for being here. I don't mean to be so head-on and get right to the point, but you seem to want out now rather than later."
"...I know..." Rue replied gloomily. "But... I can't break out. The guards would just throw me back in here."
"Hm, I'd figure you'd say something like that, forgetting your gift," Mel said, Rue putting a confused expression on his face.
"What are you talking about?"
"Here. Take this," Mel said, her two fluttery things dropping a coin in Rue's extended hands. "You should know what to do with it."
And with that, Mel disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Rue to indentify the coin.
"...It's a..!" Rue grasped it harder, and he glowed pink, the same way he always used to change his form.
~Throne Room
"Mint! Oh my precious Mint!!" the king shouted out to his daughter, speed- walking down from his throne to her. "What did that monster do to you!?"
"Dad!!!" Mint yelled, still teary-eyed. "He didn't do a damn thing!!! Why does everyone keep telling me he did something wrong!!? He's not a monster!!!"
"Mint, my dear, please try to calm down," the king said lowly, standing in front of Mint. She turned away from him, not wanting to face her father.
"Why!? What's the use!? No one's going to let him out!!" Mint growled, gritting her teeth.
"Well, look on the bright side, my dear," the king said, laying a hand on her shoulder. The angered princess slapped it away. "You always have Troy."
"WHAT!!?" Mint echoed, spinning around to face her father in disbelief. "WHAT did you just say!!?"
"Actually, I was thinking that you shuld go talk to Troy about this," the king stated. This was strange... He never acted like this...
"TROY!!? HE'S THE ONE WHO STARTED THIS ALL!!!" Mint exclaimed, stomping her foot in anger. "Oooh, the next time I see him, I'll beat him to a bloody pulp!!!"
"Mint..." her father said sternly, putting on a serious face. "I would really appreciate it if you would enjoy his stay. He is only going to be here for a few more days until he returns to West Heaven. Go spend some time with him."
"WHY SHOULD I!!? I was going to spend my day with Rue, but NO!!! Your stupid guards saw me hugging him with tears in my eyes, and they threw him in the dungeon!!! Does THAT sound fair to you!!?" Mint protested, glaring at her dad.
"Yes, I think that it is perfectly fair." Mint did a face-fault. He thought it was a GOOD idea!!?
"What do you mean by that!!?"
"What I am trying to say is, the Rue character is not for you, and that you should stick to your own kind."
Mint let her jaw fall open, dumbfounded that her father would say such a thing about her best friend.
"He--"
"No, Mint. Go spend time with Troy. He will understand you a lot better than I ever will." After that being said, the king of East Heaven descended back up the walkway, up towards his throne.
"But I--ARGH!!!" Mint didn't even bother to talk to him any longer, and stormed out of the throne rom only to find the person she hated the most right now.
"Are we still on for today, my swe--"
Mint jump-kicked Troy in the face, (oh, the classic jump-kick!) beginning to stomp on him repeatedly as she yelled at him.
"NO WAY IN HELL WOULD I EVER BE WITH YOU!!! DO YOU GET THE PICTURE!!? I DO, NOT, WANT, A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G TO DO WITH YOU!!!" Mint shrieked, kicking him to the side of her, walkign past him.
"Orgh...Mint..." Troy grumbled, going to a sitting position. "I was just trying to help."
"HELP!!?" Mint barked again, turning around and making Troy flinch. "You've helped enough already!!! You put my friend in the slammer!!! You've ticked me off a great deal!!! I'd say your job here is pretty much finished, as in GET LOST!!!"
"Mint, Mint, Mint..." Troy said, shaking his head left to right. "Oh, little Minty... You have not changed a bit. You are still so head-strong and stubborn. Now, let us go. Our lunch is being served as we speak."
"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU!!? I'm taking the 'l' out of 'lover' and saying IT'S OVER!!!" Mint snarled, Troy standing up and wiping some blood from his nose.
"Oh, but it has just begun, Minty," Troy said, continuing to call Mint 'Minty.' "I know you have the same feeligns that I have for you. There is no need to deny it.
"Remember that one summer we spent together? You know, the one where just the two of us were on that boat...all alone..." Troy taunted, smirking.
"ARE YOU DEAF!!? I DO NOT LIKE YOU ANYMORE, TROY!!!" Mint yelled, stomping her foot down again, balling up her fists.
"I remember that. Don't you? Those words you said to me--"
"Stop it!"
"Let's see, how did they go..?"
"Troy!!"
"Ah yes, now I remember!"
"ARGH!!!"
"They were--" Troy continued, the princess glaring at him with such hatred, it made him want to laugh. "--'I love you, Troy.' Do you no remember that?"
"Get lost, you jerk!!!" Mint shouted, darting off, Troy running after her. Troy was much faster than Mint, and tackled her easily, grabbing her by the fists and pinning her to the ground, although she struggled a lot.
"GET OFF--" Mint began to yell, but got cut off as Troy kissed her hard.
"Shh..." he whispered through the forced kiss. "You used to like this, remember?"
Mint jabbed her knee in his stomach, scrambling to her feet, heading towards the front doors to the castle.
Troy recovered quickly, and ran after her, seeing Mint look over her shoulder to see if he was following. As Mint continued to turn her head, she ran into a guard, the guard embracing her protectively.
The perverted noble went to a walk, grinning.
"Good afternoon," Troy retorted. "Would you mind letting the princess go? I was merely trying to give her this." Troy flashed a diamond necklace at the guard. "See? She dropped it earlier."
"What!!?" Mint couldn't believe Troy had becoma such a sleeze!
"If I am correct, you do not wear any jewelry," the guarded stated calmly. Troy looked confused, still clutching the necklace in his hand.
"N-no. No, I saw her drop it..." Troy confirmed, shaking his head 'no.'
"That's right!!! I don't wear any jewelry! Ha!" Mint stuck out her tongue at Troy, who didn't believe that his back-up plan hadn't worked.
"Are you sure--"
"Of course I'm sure. I know Mint better than you do," the guard retorted back in a different voice, cutting him off.
"You are but a mere guard!!" Troy fought, raising his eyebrow. "What could you know that I already didn't know!?"
"What is Mint's goal?" the guard questioned.
"That's easy! Mint wants to rule East Heaven!" Troy snorted, thinking that that was the correct answer.
"W-r-o-n-g! You're wrong! That's not what my goal is!!" Mint smirked, knowing that Troy couldn't guess what her goal was if hhis life depended on it.
"Mint's goal is world domination," the guard answered, looking down at Mint. "Isn't that it?"
"Yup!! I'm gonna rule the world!!" Mint said, coming out of the guard's arms and putting her hands proudly on her hips, holding her head high. "But first, I'm going to find the most powerful [relic] and THEN take on the whole world!! Hahaha!!!" Mint laughed thinking about it. She still hadn't given up on her dream, not once forgetting about it in the year she had returned to East Heaven.
"What!?" Troy jerked back, not knowing Mint wanted to conquer the earth. "Why would you go and do a dangerous thing like that!? You're a princess!! You should be kept safe!"
"Ha! Don't gimmie that load of crap!! I'll do whatever I want! A year ago, I went on a search for the Dewprism and went through a whole lotta stuff, AND even defeated Valen with the help of Rue!!!" Mint roared, leaning forward and eyeing Troy sharply. "Now what do you think?"
"Minty!!! You went and fought Valen!!? YOU released the lock on the Dewprism!!?" Troy didn't know that Mint had so much power and determination.
"Actually, my buddy Prima opened the seal; we just went and kicked Valen's stupid Aeonic butt!!" Mint answered happily, wanting to be back on the adventure. "Yeah, that was the good days..."
"Yeah... Weren't they?" the guard sighed, remembering as well.
"Huh..? You were there?" Mint looked puzzled as the guard walked in front of her, (facing her,) being a 'block' between Troy and the princess.
A bright, pink light angulfed the guard, him disappearing for a split second, and being replaced with the silver-haired friend Mint knew oh so well.
"You..!" Troy cried out, pointing a finger at the doll.
Rue brought up a hand to say, "Hi, Mint."
"Rue!!!" Mint exclaimed, jumping into his arms once again. She balled up a fist and then punched him on the chest repeatedly, (softly,) adding, "How the heck could you get sent to the dungeon with only staying here not even a week!!?"
"Heh, I hang around you too much," Rue grinned as he hugged her back, then chuckled when Mint glared up at him.
"So you're saying all this was MY fault!!?" Mint began, giving him an even eviler look. He chuckled, then held up his hands.
"Basically," Rue replied, laughing a little more.
"Oooh you are so SO dead when I catch you!!!" Mint said. "And you even have an advantage! I'm without my Dual Haloes!!"
"Well, then you better keep up!" Rue said through another laugh, darting off to the side of Mint.
"Hey--" Mint darted off after Rue, yelling threatening phrases at Rue, (like 'I'M GONNA BEAT YOU TO A BLOODY PULP!!!',) him only laughing at her. Troy stood there, wondering how the heck he could have escaped. He had sent several guards to spy on Mint and Rue, made sure that Rue got sent to the hardest cell to break out of if he did something worth sentencing... So what had happened!?
"Hehehe..." a giggle came from the banister, attracting Troy's attention, (him facing her,) a hand on his hip. She was oddly dressed in a bunny hat, a short, pink dress, and yellow fluttery things flapping their little black wings by her sides.
"Who are you?" he inquired hastily.
"Oh, just another friend of Mint's...and Rue's..." the woman answered, her and her 'bats' giggling. She jumped down gracefully and faced Troy in a perfectly straight posture. "You must be Troy, the nobleman."
"Yes, that is right. And who might you be, wench?" Troy asked, spitting the word wench into his sentence.
"Oh, that's not a very nice word to call me," Mel made a laughing gesture with her hand, her fluttery things going over to fly around Troy, who still awaited an answer to his question. "I'm Fancy Mel ^_^" She blew a kiss to Troy, and the two fluttery things both ramming into Troy's head, making him cry out in pain.
"Ow!! Wench!!!" Troy growled, reaching for his knife down by his boot.
"Oh! That's not my name," Mel taunted, batting her eyelashes at him, (giving him a sexy smile,) one hand on her hip, the other on her leg that she was leaning on, looking down upon him as he was about to get up. Just as Troy got to his feet, a giant purple/black cat with tiny wings fell on top of him, you only being able to see his flailing arms and legs. "Thank you, Gorotan. He was being rather rude..."
"Mrreow!" Gorotan replied, getting of the pancaked Troy and walking over to Mel, the magician scratching his chin.
"Let's go see how Prima's doing, shall we?" Mel questioned, Gorotan nodding and motioning for her to get on his back, which she did with a light jump.
"Ugh..." Troy groaned as he attempted to stand, although his body told him otherwise, going limp on the cold tile flooring.
(How much did that monster weigh..?) Troy thought before he fell unconscious.
~~~~~~~~~~~
He he! ^_^ Gorotan's a sweet little *cough* kitty with wings! More humor is on the way!! And Rue/Mint stuff will either be in the next chapter or the one after that, so sit tight! *laughs while pointing at the swirly-eyed Troy* HA! That's what you get, you perverted noble!!! ^_^
Chapter 14 - Practice Day 1 - Fluttery Things
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rue pulled away from Mint, staggering backwards for a few steps, his hands and arms trembling severely. All he did was stare at her wide, beautiful eyes. Had he...did he...? He went as pale as a ghost, his blood freezing in his veins, him not even breathing. His big brown eyes lay still, unmoving. He broke out into a steamy-hot sweat, beginning to hyperventilate slightly.
"...I...I...I..." Rue's voice shook with such fear, he didn't see how he could even look at Mint. She didn't seem to be breathing, just standing there, gravity letting her hair lay still as she went on through her silence.
"M...M...M-M...Mint..." Rue couldn't even say her name without studdering. He had no choice: his legs began to move, then finally got into a run past Mint.
"Rue," Mint said loudly and in a very weird, rusk voice. The doll froze emediately after hearing her speak his name, panting.
(No, you can't stay! Run away and never come here again!!!)
"Rue," Mint repeated, ever so slowly turning around, her eyes still wide with no emotion whatsoever.
"..." Rue said nothing, not even turning around to face her. "...I...I'm...I'm sorry, Mint!!" Rue dashed off again, his eyes burning with his tears that came from his guilt.
He ran for a few minutes, the front doors to the castle coming in to his sight. He hadn't heard Mint follow him, which meant that he was home free.
Rue sprinted faster, the doors only about fifteen feet ahead of him, when a blur of pink ran and stopped in front of him, coming from a side hallway closer to the doors.
Mint stopped in the middle of Rue's path, him coming to an abrupt stop a few feet from the princess.
They stared at each other, (gasping for air,) looking deep into the other's eyes, waiting for something to happen. Mint started the dialogue, slowly forming her words with care.
"Rue...I...I don't understand..." Mint confessed, heaving her shoulders, still panting. "Why...What just happened..?"
"..." Rue looked hurt, the look of guilt spread across his face. "I...I said that I'm sorry..."
"For...for what?" Mint asked, redness moving across her cheeks as she said those words.
"..?" Rue was confused... Mint, she... She wasn't, mad at him? For what he had done..? "What..? You're not...angry?"
"Oh, Rue... How could I ever get mad at you?" Mint sighed, bending her knees weakly and hunching her shoulders over, her hair falling over the sides of her face. "I..."
He took a step forward, reaching out a hand to the air in front of him. "Mint..."
The princess bolted up and ran to Rue, holding him so tightly around the waist, it shocked him, his arms planted loosely at his sides, Mint burrying her face in his chest.
"Rue..." Mint all of a sudden began to sob. "I could never get mad at you... Never... Not you. Everyone else I could easily get mad at, but you're different..." Mint sniffed, trying to make her tears go away. "You're 'you,' Rue. My best friend, my rival, my comrade, my buddy, my..."
She looked up, wiping the tears from her eyes and looking up at the astonished Rue. "My...the one...the one I--"
The princess couldn't even get her most valued words out of her mouth in time to stop the guards from coming.
"Unhand the princess!!!" a guard yelled, about ten guards surrounding the two. They held out their lances and spears and swords, all pointed directly at Rue's head.
"N-no, you got the wro--"
"It is alright, your majesty," another guard stated, two guards going and removing Rue from Mint's arms. "We will make sure that this ingrate gets what he deserves for harming you."
"Harming me!? He didn't do anything!!!" Mint yelled, watching as some guards put handcuffs and feet chains on Rue.
"Then why might you be crying, my princess? He must be the reason for your tears," the same guard replied. "He will be put to death for touching a royal in such a state."
"Nooo!!!" Mint shrieked, the guards stopping their actions. "Did you not hear me!!? He didn't do anything to me!!! He just kissed me and that was it!!!"
The guards talked in low voices to each other, whispering about what to do next.
"If he had indeed kissed you, he will for certain be put to death in only a matter of a days," the guard confirmed, making Mint's tears reappear in her eyes, as well as a look of fear on her face.
"Stop it!!! STOP IT!!!" Mint shouted again, running towards the emotionless Rue. The guards, however, did not let her through, and she threw some punches and kicks, (some biting as well,) at the guards, but couldn't make it to Rue. She finally kneeled down, her tears streaming down her red cheeks, dripping onto the floor, making a puddle of her pain.
~Judging Room
The guards pushed Rue towards a podium, then returned to the straight line formed behind him.
"This foul man has done a wrong, and we ask that you judge him," one of the guards requested. The judge didn't respond, (for his chair was turned around, not facing them.)
"...What might this fellow have done?" the judge inquired, not turning around.
"He kissed the princess without her permission," another guard answered hurriedly, wanting to slut Rue's throat for what he did.
"Hmm...I see..." the judge replied slowly. "You. The wrong-doer. What do you have to say to this?"
Rue stared at the bottom of the podium, not really thinking.
"I...I'm not sure..." Rue said weakly, still staring. "It just happened. I had first hugged her, then when I thought it was long enough, I let go, but Mint held on to me, then I...kissed her..."
"Enough! Blame it all on the princess!? You bastard!!!" a guard growled, a few others agreeing.
"Silence, all of you," the judge said harshly, everyone quieting down. "...Under the circumstances, I sentence you to be put to death two days from now. You will be locked up until the end of the tournament that is being held, and will be executed when the winner is announced."
"..." Rue didn't say anything. Everything was happening so fast, he didn't know what else he could do but follow the guards down the dreary staircase, towards the dungeon.
"Get in there, you scum!" a guard ordered, unlocking a cell and shoving Rue into it, making him fall on the mold-covered, dusty floor. The group of guards all laughed at him, one locking the cell and twirling the key around his finger. "Ha! Stay down there where you belong!!"
They continued to roar with laughter, departing from the dungeon area, the chuckles echoing to Rue's ears.
"..." Rue leaned up and sat on his knees, head low. "Huph...look what you've gotten yourself into..." he grumbled to himself.
"Yes, well, we all make mistakes," a voice suddenly said, Rue jerking his head up. He looked around the cell and found someone on the cot. It was!?
"Mel!!?" Rue exclaimed, his eyes going wide as his friend came out of the shadows.
"Hello, Rue," Mel said with a smile, her yellow fluttery things purring in a hello. "How are you doing?"
"How am I doing!?" Rue started, gazing around the damp cell. "I'm just fine! I got the chance I wanted to have with Mint and took it, and ended up here because I was a wuss!!!" Rue was more surprised than Mel to hear him say such harsh words about himself.
"So?" Mel said. "What does that have to do with you getting out of here?"
"What..?" Rue looked confused. Was she here to help him escape?
Mel let out a sigh, standing up from the cot, still in her old bunny attire. "Don't you want to take place in the tournament? To win Mint?"
"N-no! I mean, yes! Yes, I want to take place in the tournament, but no, I'm not doing it to get Mint. She asked for everyone's help, not just mine," Rue said, shaking his head. "She doesn't want a forced marriage..."
"That's the old Mint I remember," Mel said happily. "Never wanting to be todl or ordered what to do."
"..." Rue didn't say anything. He just wanted out of the dungeon to tell Mint he was sorry...again.
"You shouldn't have said sorry to her," Mel began, Rue slowly looking up at her as she continued to lecture him. "You shouldn't have ran away. You shouldn't have been afraid. You shouldn't have hid your feelings from her this long. It is your fault for being here. I don't mean to be so head-on and get right to the point, but you seem to want out now rather than later."
"...I know..." Rue replied gloomily. "But... I can't break out. The guards would just throw me back in here."
"Hm, I'd figure you'd say something like that, forgetting your gift," Mel said, Rue putting a confused expression on his face.
"What are you talking about?"
"Here. Take this," Mel said, her two fluttery things dropping a coin in Rue's extended hands. "You should know what to do with it."
And with that, Mel disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Rue to indentify the coin.
"...It's a..!" Rue grasped it harder, and he glowed pink, the same way he always used to change his form.
~Throne Room
"Mint! Oh my precious Mint!!" the king shouted out to his daughter, speed- walking down from his throne to her. "What did that monster do to you!?"
"Dad!!!" Mint yelled, still teary-eyed. "He didn't do a damn thing!!! Why does everyone keep telling me he did something wrong!!? He's not a monster!!!"
"Mint, my dear, please try to calm down," the king said lowly, standing in front of Mint. She turned away from him, not wanting to face her father.
"Why!? What's the use!? No one's going to let him out!!" Mint growled, gritting her teeth.
"Well, look on the bright side, my dear," the king said, laying a hand on her shoulder. The angered princess slapped it away. "You always have Troy."
"WHAT!!?" Mint echoed, spinning around to face her father in disbelief. "WHAT did you just say!!?"
"Actually, I was thinking that you shuld go talk to Troy about this," the king stated. This was strange... He never acted like this...
"TROY!!? HE'S THE ONE WHO STARTED THIS ALL!!!" Mint exclaimed, stomping her foot in anger. "Oooh, the next time I see him, I'll beat him to a bloody pulp!!!"
"Mint..." her father said sternly, putting on a serious face. "I would really appreciate it if you would enjoy his stay. He is only going to be here for a few more days until he returns to West Heaven. Go spend some time with him."
"WHY SHOULD I!!? I was going to spend my day with Rue, but NO!!! Your stupid guards saw me hugging him with tears in my eyes, and they threw him in the dungeon!!! Does THAT sound fair to you!!?" Mint protested, glaring at her dad.
"Yes, I think that it is perfectly fair." Mint did a face-fault. He thought it was a GOOD idea!!?
"What do you mean by that!!?"
"What I am trying to say is, the Rue character is not for you, and that you should stick to your own kind."
Mint let her jaw fall open, dumbfounded that her father would say such a thing about her best friend.
"He--"
"No, Mint. Go spend time with Troy. He will understand you a lot better than I ever will." After that being said, the king of East Heaven descended back up the walkway, up towards his throne.
"But I--ARGH!!!" Mint didn't even bother to talk to him any longer, and stormed out of the throne rom only to find the person she hated the most right now.
"Are we still on for today, my swe--"
Mint jump-kicked Troy in the face, (oh, the classic jump-kick!) beginning to stomp on him repeatedly as she yelled at him.
"NO WAY IN HELL WOULD I EVER BE WITH YOU!!! DO YOU GET THE PICTURE!!? I DO, NOT, WANT, A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G TO DO WITH YOU!!!" Mint shrieked, kicking him to the side of her, walkign past him.
"Orgh...Mint..." Troy grumbled, going to a sitting position. "I was just trying to help."
"HELP!!?" Mint barked again, turning around and making Troy flinch. "You've helped enough already!!! You put my friend in the slammer!!! You've ticked me off a great deal!!! I'd say your job here is pretty much finished, as in GET LOST!!!"
"Mint, Mint, Mint..." Troy said, shaking his head left to right. "Oh, little Minty... You have not changed a bit. You are still so head-strong and stubborn. Now, let us go. Our lunch is being served as we speak."
"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU!!? I'm taking the 'l' out of 'lover' and saying IT'S OVER!!!" Mint snarled, Troy standing up and wiping some blood from his nose.
"Oh, but it has just begun, Minty," Troy said, continuing to call Mint 'Minty.' "I know you have the same feeligns that I have for you. There is no need to deny it.
"Remember that one summer we spent together? You know, the one where just the two of us were on that boat...all alone..." Troy taunted, smirking.
"ARE YOU DEAF!!? I DO NOT LIKE YOU ANYMORE, TROY!!!" Mint yelled, stomping her foot down again, balling up her fists.
"I remember that. Don't you? Those words you said to me--"
"Stop it!"
"Let's see, how did they go..?"
"Troy!!"
"Ah yes, now I remember!"
"ARGH!!!"
"They were--" Troy continued, the princess glaring at him with such hatred, it made him want to laugh. "--'I love you, Troy.' Do you no remember that?"
"Get lost, you jerk!!!" Mint shouted, darting off, Troy running after her. Troy was much faster than Mint, and tackled her easily, grabbing her by the fists and pinning her to the ground, although she struggled a lot.
"GET OFF--" Mint began to yell, but got cut off as Troy kissed her hard.
"Shh..." he whispered through the forced kiss. "You used to like this, remember?"
Mint jabbed her knee in his stomach, scrambling to her feet, heading towards the front doors to the castle.
Troy recovered quickly, and ran after her, seeing Mint look over her shoulder to see if he was following. As Mint continued to turn her head, she ran into a guard, the guard embracing her protectively.
The perverted noble went to a walk, grinning.
"Good afternoon," Troy retorted. "Would you mind letting the princess go? I was merely trying to give her this." Troy flashed a diamond necklace at the guard. "See? She dropped it earlier."
"What!!?" Mint couldn't believe Troy had becoma such a sleeze!
"If I am correct, you do not wear any jewelry," the guarded stated calmly. Troy looked confused, still clutching the necklace in his hand.
"N-no. No, I saw her drop it..." Troy confirmed, shaking his head 'no.'
"That's right!!! I don't wear any jewelry! Ha!" Mint stuck out her tongue at Troy, who didn't believe that his back-up plan hadn't worked.
"Are you sure--"
"Of course I'm sure. I know Mint better than you do," the guard retorted back in a different voice, cutting him off.
"You are but a mere guard!!" Troy fought, raising his eyebrow. "What could you know that I already didn't know!?"
"What is Mint's goal?" the guard questioned.
"That's easy! Mint wants to rule East Heaven!" Troy snorted, thinking that that was the correct answer.
"W-r-o-n-g! You're wrong! That's not what my goal is!!" Mint smirked, knowing that Troy couldn't guess what her goal was if hhis life depended on it.
"Mint's goal is world domination," the guard answered, looking down at Mint. "Isn't that it?"
"Yup!! I'm gonna rule the world!!" Mint said, coming out of the guard's arms and putting her hands proudly on her hips, holding her head high. "But first, I'm going to find the most powerful [relic] and THEN take on the whole world!! Hahaha!!!" Mint laughed thinking about it. She still hadn't given up on her dream, not once forgetting about it in the year she had returned to East Heaven.
"What!?" Troy jerked back, not knowing Mint wanted to conquer the earth. "Why would you go and do a dangerous thing like that!? You're a princess!! You should be kept safe!"
"Ha! Don't gimmie that load of crap!! I'll do whatever I want! A year ago, I went on a search for the Dewprism and went through a whole lotta stuff, AND even defeated Valen with the help of Rue!!!" Mint roared, leaning forward and eyeing Troy sharply. "Now what do you think?"
"Minty!!! You went and fought Valen!!? YOU released the lock on the Dewprism!!?" Troy didn't know that Mint had so much power and determination.
"Actually, my buddy Prima opened the seal; we just went and kicked Valen's stupid Aeonic butt!!" Mint answered happily, wanting to be back on the adventure. "Yeah, that was the good days..."
"Yeah... Weren't they?" the guard sighed, remembering as well.
"Huh..? You were there?" Mint looked puzzled as the guard walked in front of her, (facing her,) being a 'block' between Troy and the princess.
A bright, pink light angulfed the guard, him disappearing for a split second, and being replaced with the silver-haired friend Mint knew oh so well.
"You..!" Troy cried out, pointing a finger at the doll.
Rue brought up a hand to say, "Hi, Mint."
"Rue!!!" Mint exclaimed, jumping into his arms once again. She balled up a fist and then punched him on the chest repeatedly, (softly,) adding, "How the heck could you get sent to the dungeon with only staying here not even a week!!?"
"Heh, I hang around you too much," Rue grinned as he hugged her back, then chuckled when Mint glared up at him.
"So you're saying all this was MY fault!!?" Mint began, giving him an even eviler look. He chuckled, then held up his hands.
"Basically," Rue replied, laughing a little more.
"Oooh you are so SO dead when I catch you!!!" Mint said. "And you even have an advantage! I'm without my Dual Haloes!!"
"Well, then you better keep up!" Rue said through another laugh, darting off to the side of Mint.
"Hey--" Mint darted off after Rue, yelling threatening phrases at Rue, (like 'I'M GONNA BEAT YOU TO A BLOODY PULP!!!',) him only laughing at her. Troy stood there, wondering how the heck he could have escaped. He had sent several guards to spy on Mint and Rue, made sure that Rue got sent to the hardest cell to break out of if he did something worth sentencing... So what had happened!?
"Hehehe..." a giggle came from the banister, attracting Troy's attention, (him facing her,) a hand on his hip. She was oddly dressed in a bunny hat, a short, pink dress, and yellow fluttery things flapping their little black wings by her sides.
"Who are you?" he inquired hastily.
"Oh, just another friend of Mint's...and Rue's..." the woman answered, her and her 'bats' giggling. She jumped down gracefully and faced Troy in a perfectly straight posture. "You must be Troy, the nobleman."
"Yes, that is right. And who might you be, wench?" Troy asked, spitting the word wench into his sentence.
"Oh, that's not a very nice word to call me," Mel made a laughing gesture with her hand, her fluttery things going over to fly around Troy, who still awaited an answer to his question. "I'm Fancy Mel ^_^" She blew a kiss to Troy, and the two fluttery things both ramming into Troy's head, making him cry out in pain.
"Ow!! Wench!!!" Troy growled, reaching for his knife down by his boot.
"Oh! That's not my name," Mel taunted, batting her eyelashes at him, (giving him a sexy smile,) one hand on her hip, the other on her leg that she was leaning on, looking down upon him as he was about to get up. Just as Troy got to his feet, a giant purple/black cat with tiny wings fell on top of him, you only being able to see his flailing arms and legs. "Thank you, Gorotan. He was being rather rude..."
"Mrreow!" Gorotan replied, getting of the pancaked Troy and walking over to Mel, the magician scratching his chin.
"Let's go see how Prima's doing, shall we?" Mel questioned, Gorotan nodding and motioning for her to get on his back, which she did with a light jump.
"Ugh..." Troy groaned as he attempted to stand, although his body told him otherwise, going limp on the cold tile flooring.
(How much did that monster weigh..?) Troy thought before he fell unconscious.
~~~~~~~~~~~
He he! ^_^ Gorotan's a sweet little *cough* kitty with wings! More humor is on the way!! And Rue/Mint stuff will either be in the next chapter or the one after that, so sit tight! *laughs while pointing at the swirly-eyed Troy* HA! That's what you get, you perverted noble!!! ^_^