Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara! or the song that inspired the title of the story.

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Chapter 15

Rescue Me

Ikuto traveled from town to town, listening to many citizens stories of sightings of a young woman on horseback, unconscious, with a man sitting behind her and holding her up. As each story led him closer to the fortress on the outskirts of the kingdom to the Northeast, he grew more and more enraged, driving him to urge his horse onward. Once a good mile or two from the fortress, he dismounted his horse, tying the reins to a sturdy tree. He lightly pat the horse's cheek. "I'll bring her back safely, then we'll all go home together-I swear it."

With that, Ikuto turned on his heel and continued his journey on foot. Another day had passed, and it was once again nightfall. Sticking to hiding behind greenery and under cover of the dark of night, Ikuto succeeded in sneaking past guards and into the fortress through a window on the lower level of the tall building. He listened for footsteps as he carefully and silently made his way through the lower level, where he assumed a dungeon might be. He doubted they would be treating her, a hostage, kindly. The thought made him feel disgusted and angry at the same time.

He soon heard the sound of soft sobbing, a sniffle, and then more sobbing. Having heard her cry before, and her voice engraved in his mind, he knew he had found her. When he was outside her cell door, he looked at the heavy metal lock with fury in his eyes. He took one more cautious look around before pulling a key out from under his shirt-a key on a silver chain. "Dumpty Key, unlock." The key began to glow a soft blue color. Ikuto held his breath as he pushed the key into the lock.

Click.

The lock opened. Ikuto quickly pulled it off the door and quietly set it on the floor outside the cell. He opened the heavy wooden door easily, his determination making it that much easier to open it quickly. The sight before him broke his heart.

Amu, tears streaming down her face with eyes red from crying, looked up at him with a broken look on her face. Her eyes immediately widened with hope. "I-Ikuto?" She whispered quietly.

Ikuto immediately rushed to her side when she whispered his name. He scooped her up into his arms and held her close to his chest. "Shh… it's ok now, I'm here. I'm going to get us out of here-both of us, together."

"Oh, I don't believe that's how this story ends." An icy voice said from the doorway.

Ikuto looked over his shoulder, glaring daggers at Satoshi, who had been sitting around the corner from Amu's cell in the shadows.

Satoshi slowly drew his sword, pointing it at Ikuto. "On your feet, dear prince."

Ikuto took a small dagger from a holster around his ankle and swiftly cut the ropes holding Amu's wrists together before handing the dagger to her. He then stood smoothly and drew his sword just as swiftly as he had drawn the dagger. He pointed his sword at Satoshi, fury in his eyes. "You kidnap my wife and dare to give me orders? You're that prince that danced with her at her birthday ball. Hmph. Jealousy is not kind to you."

Satoshi grew furious. "You're in my fortress, your highness." His voice dripped with disdain. "Don't expect me to torture you-I'll make your death quick and painful. Oh, so very, very painful."

Ikuto smirked unkindly. "Try it, boy."

Satoshi lunged forward, sword pointed directly at Ikuto's heart with a shout of anger. "DIE!"

Ikuto's sword clashed against Satoshi's with a loud clang of metal hitting metal. He pushed the enraged prince back with ease, glaring at his opponent-the reason for his love's tears.

Amu had quickly cut the ropes around her ankles, holding the dagger tightly in her shaking hands, anxious as she watched the duel between the two princes.

After a mere five minutes, Ikuto had knocked Satoshi onto his back, as well as snatched his sword from his hand. "Move out of our way." Ikuto growled with the tip of his sword at Satoshi's throat.

Satoshi snarled, furious at his own defeat. "Kill me if you must. We both know you won't with your precious wife present, though!" He then quickly drew a dagger of his own from a holster around his ankle, throwing it directly at Amu.

However, Ikuto's reflexes were too quick. He immediately shielded Amu from the dagger… the dagger slicing his sleeve and left upper arm due to how he had turned.

Amu's eyes widened in horror. "IKUTO!" She cried.

Ikuto turned back to Satoshi without batting an eye in time to see him running from the room, most likely to fetch his guards for backup.

Ikuto turned back to Amu quickly. "Get on my back, it's the only way I can carry you. You're shaking too much to run, right?"

Amu didn't want to admit it, but he was right-her legs felt as heavy as lead. She nodded, worried about his arm but knowing that they had to escape right now.

Ikuto turned with his back to her and kneeled on one knee. "Let's go."

Amu quickly crawled forward a couple inches and climbed onto his back, holding onto him tightly as he stood in one fluid motion. Ikuto then backtracked the way he came. When he got to the window he had climbed in through to enter the fortress, he quickly helped her through before pulling himself through it, his arm bleeding and in pain. The second Amu was on his back again, he bolted for the forest. Guards were yelling behind them, but even on foot, Ikuto was too quick-his determination to save Amu propelling him forward.

Once they reached his horse, he hoisted Amu up onto the steed's back and climbed up next behind her. Amu had untied the reins from the tree as fast as she could, immediately putting her riding lessons to use. "GO!" She kicked her heels against the horse's sides and he immediately broke into a gallop in the opposite direction of the fortress.

Ikuto knew that with his arm being injured he couldn't possibly steer his own horse. So instead he held onto his horse with his legs and tore a strip of fabric from his cloak, tying it around his upper arm as best he could on his own. He directed Amu where to go and when to turn. It was just before sunrise when the two safely reached Easter castle.

Ikuto and Amu were quickly rushed to the infirmary upon dismounting his horse.

Ikuto began blacking out halfway to the infirmary, hearing only Amu's voice before he passed out, saying to him, "Thank you for rescuing me, Ikuto."

~*~

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