Author's Note:

This is where the story will diverge more from the PL manga. It gets more AU here, so don't act surprised, lol.

Taken

Chapter 9 (Bambi's Perspective)

Finally the moment had come. My chance was being realized; I had not stayed with Kura completely in vain. I would see my Princess today, and the moment of truth would arrive. She would choose, not a world to survive, but whether to stay with me. She would choose whether all of my wishes would be fulfilled or whether they would die out. One of those things would happen today. I was going to retrieve my beloved.

Despite my coldly determined attitude on previous missions for Kura, my stomach fluttered like leaves in the fall as I dressed on this morning. Even though, from previous experience, I knew I would get dirty, I chose a better ensemble than usual and left my hair down. I flattered myself that the Princess liked my hair. I chose a red and rust-brown set of clothes, complete with scarf for the windy day. I would be warm inside today. This time there would be no army with me, and I would have no commanding officer. It was my expedition alone.

I approached the palace, already through the star collapser. I had ended up reasonably close, but I was still outside the garden wall. The landscape was pretty empty, not that I cared much about the landscape. I checked it only because it was a good habit to make sure no surprise allies were scattered around the castle at Seeu's command. They were not. I climbed the plain wall, ready to look warily through the castle for the Princess, but prepared in case I found Seeu or the doll first.

It was a pleasant surprise when I found the Princess in the courtyard onto which I looked from the wall. The doll was there, so after a mental curse, I made my presence known in a less appealing way than I might have if the Princess was alone. My orders were to destroy the doll; it was the only condition Kura had set upon my absolute control over this particular mission. It was the only way I could secure my future with the Princess that would follow if she accepted me. The hated fiery death flew from me, flattening the doll, but the princess walked toward it, not away! My attack nearly killed her as well as destroying the thing that had walked with the two of us while we were in hiding. I screamed, and the princess looked up.

I went to her. I could have killed her then, and how could I have lived with myself? I had just crushed this thing I was not sure if she felt any attachment to or not, but which surely she didn't wish to see mutilated before her in this manner. I had had no choice, I wanted to tell her, but I could try to make her understand that later. For the moment, there was only her. There was Kaguya, whom I had almost killed with my carelessness, who was walking carefully around the flames I had created, looking for the doll. There was the Girl, whom I had not seen since Seeu took her away, and for whom I had labored ever since. I had to satisfy myself that she was really there, that I was not dreaming. I flew to her.

When I reached the Princess, I heard my name struggle out of her mouth. She could not believe I was there, and probably could not believe I had manifested myself so violently. It could not be helped, but she wouldn't see that. She didn't know. She wouldn't understand right now; I could see her shock. She didn't understand. The robot, slowly ceasing to function, haltingly told her to go with me. Even though I had destroyed him, he had given his blessing for her to join me. I owed that robot everything, and yet I had killed him. I said a prayer to him in my mind, but my tears distracted me as Kaguya, my Princess, fell forward onto me. I caught her and squeezed her unconscious, beautiful form, and kissed her unresponsive cheek.

My reunion with the object of my desire was interrupted when Seeu appeared. I might have battled him any other time, but I had the princess and needed only to get away. Seeu did not attempt to stall me, but I was soon gone anyway. I had the Princess. I had Kaguya. That was all I had hoped for, and everything that had led me here felt well worth it.

Dirty, sweating, and stained with tears both happy and sad, I carried Kaguya's limp form into the splendid palace that had been my prison for so long. Kura and others expressed pleased surprise, asked questions, and were completely unanswered. I didn't say a word to anyone as I walked back up to my room, a small procession following us as I carried my love up to the only little place that was mine. Although a swarm of heads looked into my room from the doorway, even Kura had the decency to stay out as he reminded me that I had been sent to get her for him, and commanded that everyone leave us, finally closing the door as he became the last to go.

I wanted to lay down with her, splayed on my bed as she was, but she had not yet chosen. She had not said she would accept me, and so even if I were gone before she awoke, I still felt it would be wrong to touch her. I would not force my attentions on her. I left her to sleep in peace, knowing servants would tend to her if she appeared to need anything. I wanted to do everything for her myself, but could not allow myself until she chose me. If she would choose me at all. If not, there was no reason to keep her here. Kura would only use her, and if I could not love her as I wanted so desperately to do, I would simply protect her. I could do that best by getting her away from here. If she did choose me… I hadn't thought beyond the point of hearing her say so. I could not think beyond that point.

I left, waiting for her to awake so I could speak to her. The servants were washing her, changing her into comfortable sleeping clothes while hers were laundered, and in general making her comfortable. I was impatient, but I didn't want to disturb her, so I let her sleep. I didn't trust myself not to be too jittery and annoy her, so I paced outside her room waiting to be told she was awake and healthy. The echoes of my footsteps on the marble floor were staring to elicit angry admonitions to stand still, but I didn't pay them any attention. They didn't understand what was happening, the enormity of the situation for me. They were only unnerving me further. I paced, listening to the annoying echo of my own footfalls… yes, they were annoying, but stillness was impossible…

"You've probably already woken her up with your stupid noise, Bamviverie-sempai," one of Kura's consorts retorted, showing her disdain for the superiority with which Kura required that others address me. My feet stilled.

I sat in silence, finding quieter ways to work out my nervousness. After endless, agonizing hours of this, one of the servants attending Kaguya quietly told me she was awake, lucid, and whole. She hadn't been injured by my heartless attack on the doll, and hadn't sustained any damage from her loss of consciousness. I breathed deeply, finally allowing myself to relax because she was all right, but experiencing a welling up of anxiety at the thought of what I was about to say to her and how she might reply. I stood and smoothed my hands over the front of my clothes, taking stock of my appearance. I had been so nervous it hadn't entered my mind to shower or change before speaking to the princess. It probably would have calmed me down some, too. It was too late, so I just walked in, still smudged with the soot of my weapon.

I walked between the women who had been watching her, and saw the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Princess Kaguya was here with me, she was in my bed, and she was looking up at me. She looked comfortable, sitting up with blankets over her legs, and she wore an airy, white nightdress. Her hair had been brushed and she was fresh and clean. The only thing that marred it all was the look on her face: confusion.

"Bambi-chan, you brought me here?"

"Yes, I did."

"But, Seeu…"

"Seeu did what he thought was best. You did want to come here before, didn't you?" I was starting to think I'd done something horribly wrong; maybe she was angry at me for taking her from Seeu. Maybe she had… f-fallen… fallen… in…

"Yes, Bambi-chan, I did," she smiled. I breathed a huge sigh of relief. "I wanted to come here and see if Kura could help me somehow with this choosing stuff… but Seeu said the same thing you did."

"I still believe that," I answered. "Kura is not the person you want to guide you."

"Why are you here, then? Why are we here?"

"I brought you here, weeks ago, because you wanted me to. I knew it was a bad idea, but I couldn't convince you of that, and I couldn't just forbid you to come… so I came with you to protect you in whatever way I could. When Seeu took you, I was glad you were safe, but I missed you. I stayed so… so Kura would help me find you. I knew he would send meto getyou at some point, and I couldn't get to the castle on my own, so… I… stayed with him," I paused to collect myself, guilt washing over me, but the princess interrupted.

"You're not… you know… with him, are you?"

"No, no… ugh, no,of course not… but I've been working for him. It was the only way I could find you, Kaguya, it was my only choice! I know that doesn't excuse it, but… I couldn't just let you disappear with Seeu!" I pleaded with her to understand, all those things I'd done, all my work at Kura's bidding, everything had been only for her.

The princess didn't speak for a moment, but I had said my piece. I had to wait for her reaction, her judgment, and her choice. It was the moment of truth.

"So you… you stayed here with a man you hated, and did whatever he said… you worked here so… so you could see me again?"

I nodded mutely. That seemed like such a pathetic reason, but… it was the whole world to me. She was the whole world to me.

"And then you brought me here, so… so now what?"

"Now… what do you want to do? Will you stay with me?"

"Oh, Bambi-chan…" she threw her arms around me, "of course I'll stay with you! I thought you didn't like me, but… Bambi-chan, you didn't have to do all this for me!"

"It was for me, too, princess," I answered. More than you know.

"Bambi-chan, are you still working for Kura?" She pulled herself out of my embrace and faced me seriously.

"I don't see any reason to continue… if we stay here he'll use both of us. We should leave. We can run away again and live in hiding like before, Kaguya!" I got swept up in the idea of it… the romantic lifestyle we'd had as renegades… it was how I'd discovered I could want things, and could have them if I wasn't too afraid.

"But then… what about Seeu? I could never thank him for saving me… twice… and he's all alone… we can't just leave him, Bambi-chan."

"If we go to his castle, it'll be the first place Kura will look. He'll come after us, and… we might have a chance, but against his armies… and two living weapons… there will be a lot of death if we go to Seeu."

"Could we get a message to him somehow, to tell him where we're going?"

"Maybe, if we…" I cut off immediately, hearing the door begin to open.

Author's Note:

Dun dun duunnnn… who's coming? Are they gonna die? Stay tuned to find out!