Whoopa, peoplez. Sorry for the long wait yet again. Many things got my attention and interest the past weeks that made me distance myself from my fic.
I have more pics up in my gallery. The pic called 'Ready to Fight' is my favorite so far. It is also how Steve looks like in this story. Well, add a few more years to his face maybe.
There's a second Steve/Miharu pic and a pic with Chibi Hwoarang and Chibi Steve together. If anyone wishes, check them out!
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A man in his late twenties strode through a dense forest of Janus. The trees there are tall and often block off the sunlight from above. But rays of light still found its way to shine onto the ground where the trees gave an opening. His companion, an elderly man, was trying his best to catch up to his prince, for the younger man's pace was in haste.
"Sir, wait!" Arthur, the pursuer, panted as he dodged branch after branch. "Not so fast!"
The prince finally stopped to look back at Arthur.
"You shouldn't have come. You don't have to follow me like this." he said impatiently.
Arthur caught up and catches his breath. "I...I was ordered…by her majesty…to…to watch over you…at all times, sir…"
The young man sighed. "My mother…she's still treating me as if I'm a mere child."
"She just…doesn't want her only heir to get hurt…"
"I'm perfectly capable when it comes to self-defense. Didn't my father make sure of that?" he replied firmly and continued walking at a slower pace.
Arthur followed close behind. "I'm sure of it, sir. Your powers are growing day by day. You're the strongest man I've ever known. It'll be such a blessing with you as Ariya's future ruler."
The taller man did not reply.
"Sir…may I ask why you came out here today? Did your father request you to for training?"
"…yes, but not in Phyem Forest."
"Then why did you come here?"
"It's hard for me to say…"
When the prince glanced down after a moments silence and saw Arthur's expression telling him to continue, he sighed.
"I don't really understand myself. There was a strange sense I felt earlier today. A sense telling me something is coming…and it led me here to this forest."
Arthur looked at his surroundings as he walked. "Strange sense, you say? Is your power of alertness playing tricks on you, sir?"
The younger man shook his head. "No, I don't think it's alertness…you might think I'm strange when I say this but I've been…expecting this…"
Indeed, Arthur gave his prince a look of uncertainty. "You've been…expecting a coming of…something, sir?"
The young man nodded. "It's a…long story. I'm not sure I've got time to explain it to you, Arthur. And I don't think you're going to believe me either."
The pair walked in silence. Awhile later Arthur was starting to think weather or not the prince had lied to him, and just wants to skip training.
"Sir, if you don't hurry your father will not be satisfied." The elder man warned.
The prince came to a sudden halt, causing Arthur to walk into his extended arm.
"Sir, what—!"
"What is that?" The young man wondered out loud.
Arthur followed the direction of his prince's stare toward the sky. He couldn't see anything at first, but after a bit of help from his long-vision abilities (he use it to watch over the prince from afar) he could make out exactly what his prince saw.
"Oh my it's…it's a person! No, a woman! Falling from the sky!"
He felt something take off during the middle of his sentence and looked at the spot next to him to see the young man had disappeared from view.
"Sir!" he called out.
After moments of failure at searching, Arthur looked back at the falling woman. She was getting close to the ground and his began to thump rapidly inside him. She will die if someone doesn't save her. But unfortunately for him, he does not have a high enough level of telekinesis to help stop her from hitting the ground. His body wasn't capable of it.
Just then, he saw his prince leap into the air, caught the falling woman into his arms, and landed back down into Phyem Forest. Arthur breathed a sigh of relief, then teleported to where the younger man was. He looked ahead and saw that his prince had one knee knelt onto the ground of a small clearing, the sun shining down upon him. In his arms lay a foreign woman clad in strange cloths. She seemed unconscious.
"Are you alright, sir?" he asked as he walked toward his prince.
"I'm fine." The younger man replied without taking his eyes off the woman.
Arthur took a closer look at her. He immediately found her beautiful. She had auburn-colored hair that flowed down to her shoulder blades. Her skin tone was just right; not too pale nor tanned. Her rosy lips shimmered under the sunlight. She also had a flawless complexion and her figure was slim.
Arthur was just about to study her strange clothing when his prince rose to his feet.
Turning toward the elder man, he said, "Take her back to the palace. She can rest in my room. Guard her there until I return."
Arthur hesitated. "But, sir…we don't know who she is…or where she came from—"
"Just do it…please." The prince's tone sounded final but pleading.
"Al…alright. I'll summon a transporting device." As soon as he finished saying those words, a metallic silver and black hovercraft floated from afar and came to a halt in front of them. The backseat door opened and the prince gently laid the woman onto the soft cushions inside.
Before Arthur got into the controller's seat, he looked toward the prince again. "Sir, what about the others? Should they know about this?"
The young man paused for a moment.
"It's probably best if they know nothing about her at the time being. But it doesn't matter, really, whether they know or not..." then, with a darker voice, he said "…it does matter to my father, however."
Arthur didn't quite get why his price kept clenching his fists at the mere mention of his father. And he dare not ask, either, about the price's constant seriousness and his incessantly furrowed eyebrows. Come to think of it, Arthur had never seen the prince laugh or give a sincere smile before. What's not to enjoy in the young man's life? He's got great power beyond imagination, smart brain, handsome features, an extremely well physical build, and lives in a magnificently grand palace with all the servants and ladies at his feet. The prince should be happy.
Arthur shook his head to rid the thoughts out of his mind. "Well then…I shall see you after awhile, sir."
The prince nodded. He watched until the hovercraft was out of sight, and then focused on his destination before he jumped with great agility from the ground of Phyem Forest and flew into the air.
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Dense fog surrounded the prince as he landed near the supposed training area where his father had told him to go.
His current location was at another forest. This one does not have the calm atmosphere that Phyem possesses. Rather, it bore an air of mystery. The creatures that live here never liked light, and always hide in the darkness where they feel a sense of security. The prince could see bright red or yellow eyes here and there as he walked around the place. His father never really told him the exact spot of their training. The prince was only told to arrive at a certain time and nothing more.
With no knowledge of what could happen, the young man could only pay extra attention to his surroundings, turning on his power to sense danger.
The threats that came to him the past fifteen minutes were merely the dark creatures that pounced at him thirsting for blood. He blasted them all to their deaths using their weaknesses, fire and light, to his advantage.
The prince knew perfectly well that this was not the real deal. The challenges that his father gave him never was this easy.
So he walked on. The creatures have all given up their attacks and hid back into the shadows, afraid that they'll be killed by this hazardous man.
His time at this forest had reached half an hour and still no signs of anything. But he never let his guard down. However boring it might be, he knows his father was testing his patience. The Overlord himself was situated somewhere in this forest, watching his son's every move.
It finally came.
In a split second, hundreds of laser bullets shot from all directions aiming for the prince. But he was ready. His eyes flashed blue and all the ammunitions stopped right on its tracks, even the ones that will come after the first group. With a wave of his hand the ammos disintegrated into dust.
That wasn't the only obstacle. An incredibly sharp lance shot from the ground. It could've torn his right leg apart if he hadn't move out of the way with incredible agility. More lances shot up randomly from the ground. Arrows sprayed toward him aiming for his head. He dodged all the lances while placing a shield above him so the arrows just bounce right off from his force field.
Then his body caught on fire. With a quick reflex, he converted his body so that he absorbed the flames without the fire burning too much of his cloths and skin.
The prince took a deep breath, healed the red parts of his skin and kept on the lookout at his surroundings.
"Very good…very good indeed." A voice said from thin air.
The figure of the Overlord appeared out of nowhere and stood in front of the prince. The elder man had wavy dark blonde hair neatly tied in a low ponytail. He wore a pair of unframed square spectacles and had a mustache above his upper lip and some framed the bottom part of his face. He kept his cold deep cerulean eyes on his son and crossed his strong arms.
The young man inclined his head. "Father." He said.
"You've done well." This supposed-praise, when it came out from his mouth, sounded as if he wasn't satisfied at all at his son's progress. "These are just a few of the unexpected dangers that I've forced you to face. You kept your guard on even though nothing happened for quite some time. It's a test of patience, alertness, and quick reflexes."
The prince listened as his father started lecturing him about the types of unexpected dangers and often asked questions about the defensive actions one should do in order to prevent from death.
"Listen, Steven. I gave you these gifts of incredible power so that one day you could take over my position as ruler of Ariya. I want to teach you to become invincible. People will fear you and you will give them a taste of your abilities whenever they turn against you. Make them listen to you. You understand?"
The prince nodded his head slowly. He already knew what path his father wanted him to take. But deep in his heart he did not want to become someone he's not.
"Now, let us see how far you've come on your physical strength."
The prince followed his father out of the fog-infested forest, and onto a huge plain, where a giant rock fiend await him. His mind began to drift to the lady he saved earlier today as he powered his body up for the upcoming fight.
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Arthur looked back toward the woman as he flew the hovercraft toward the palace. He continued to wonder where she had come from. If she dropped from the sky she might have came from outer space. Could she be an alien in disguise? He gave that thought up immediately as that assumption might be a little too foolish. He could never have imagined such a fine and breathtakingly beautiful lady as an alien. She is far from it.
Curiosity never left him when the palace came to view.
It stood proudly at the corner part in the fatherland of Ariya. The structure was held high above all other buildings of the villages and towns below by a small mountain. Trees surround the glowing bastion. One could see the setting sunlight piercing through the many crystal windows of the palace. One could also agree Ariya has the best scenery during sunrises and sunsets. The ocean beyond Ariya glittered like a vast pool of gems and crystals.
After pausing the hovercraft for a moment to enjoy the landscape, Arthur continued his flight headed for his prince's chamber, toward one of the highest part of the palace facing the sea. The balcony has a shape of a half-circle. It was large, therefore making the hovercraft's landing possible. Arthur got out from the front, and opened the backseat door. The woman remained unconscious throughout the trip and was still down for the count when Arthur carefully floated her over toward the prince's mattress and slipped her under the blankets, tucking her in comfortably.
Arthur waved the hovercraft away and sat down in an armchair against the wall to wait for the prince's return.
Ten minutes passed and Arthur was beginning to doze off from the quietness of the room. But a sudden knock from the double doors startled the man at his seat.
"C…come in." He called quietly after a yawn.
The left door opened and a blonde woman stepped in the room. Arthur saw the look on her face that she expected someone else to be here, most likely the prince.
He stood up and bowed low at her presence. "Good evening, your grace."
"Evening, Arthur." She greeted him, and closed the door behind her. "Did you manage to find my son?"
"Yes your majesty, he was in Phyem Forest."
She blinked. "What was he doing there?"
"Well…"Arthur looked uneasy as he glanced at the sleeping form on his bed. "His majesty...did not intend to go there for the Overlord wished for him to be at another location for his training…but…"
"Arthur," The man paused during his thoughts. The queen's eyes, unnoticed by him, have already landed on the woman sleeping on her son's bed. "Who is that?"
"Err…" Now how could he explain this?
"Do you have anything to share with me about this?"
"Your grace…" said Arthur, fumbling with his hands, "this…is the reason your son was at Phyem today. You see…"
The queen patiently absorbed what happened as Arthur explained everything.
"So," said the queen, after a moment's silence, "this lady dropped down from the sky? And my son saved her from death?"
"Yes your grace…at least that was what I saw."
"And you have no clue as to what she dropped from? You don't know if it's a hovercraft or anything?"
"No, your grace. Look," he walked over to the bed and lifted the covers gently, "look at her clothing. It is nothing like what we wear here on Janus."
The queen fell silent as she looked upon the garments. Arthur was astounded that his queen took everything he said without any stunned reaction.
"Oh, and I give my deepest apologies for not keeping my watch further on your son, your grace."
The queen smiled. "It is quite understandable, Arthur."
He gave another bow. "Thank you, your grace. Should I go back to my post?"
She put a hand up. "No need. He's under my husband's watch now. They should be back around bedtime."
"Then…where will she be?" Arthur asked, gesturing the still-unconscious stranger.
"That's up to my son…" she then shook her head, sighing, "or rather, my husband. Her fate and safety here at Ariya lies on either one of them."
"What do you mean by that, your grace?"
She gave him an inexplicable look. "You will see what I mean as soon as your eyes let you."
The queen began to walk out of the bedroom. Dozens of questions filled Arthur's mind as she walked.
"Don't worry, Arthur," she said, glancing back at him, "I won't tell anyone about her."
The man was flabbergasted. She had read his mind. Grinning, he bowed toward her retreating figure. "Thank you, your grace."
She smiled and exited the room.
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Whoa…I've finally updated. Again, I'm sorry to let you all wait so long.
To Karisan-Karisan: Thank you for your review. I'm glad you liked the pics! I might draw a Hwoa/Julia pic next. There's a sketch of them together somewhere in my junk stash. I'll have to look for it.
To thunderxtw: Sorry for the long wait. Hope this chapter is better than the previous ones. Thank you for reading this still.
To Skylight Angel: Yo! Hope you enjoyed this chap! Update your Steve/Miharu fics soon please…
To other readers: Thank you all for reading this. -bows-