"Pinkie where's Yoshiko chan?" Ruby asked her trusty bird who jumped in circles avoiding her question. "Pinkie don't tell me you-" she didn't need to finish her sentence. Right before her Pinkie choked and out came a teeny tiny Yoshiko covered in bird spit. Unluckily she landed on the ground face first from and height. "How did she get so tiny zura?" Hanamaru looked at her somewhat amused, poking Yoshiko trying to wake her up. Pinkie tweeted and chirped as her answer.
Pinkie, a pink robin, was Ruby's soul bird. It meant that the bird and her shared an unbreakable bond. The bond is formed at an early age usually the first bird one interacts with. After finding their human the bird usually stays at the Forest of Birds where it waits to be claimed by its human. Due to this Ruby could understand whatever her bird said. Unfortunately not many people know of this type of bond and it's importance. Birds having found there soul human usually live for long when compared to those who are never claimed.
"She says Yoshiko drank a potion," Ruby translated, "then turned tiny." Ruby though happy her friend was saved she knew the bird had other intentions. "But Pinkie you shouldn't eat Yoshiko chan." the bird tweeted in reply, almost like it was whining. "Even if she looks tasty don't eat her its not nice." Ruby gave her a disapproving look. The bird chirped and flew to Ruby's shoulder, nuzzling into her neck as a way to say sorry. "It okay Pinkie as long as you don't do it again. Now, Maru chan is she awake?"
"Almost zura." Hanamaru examined the pinto bean sized Yoshiko in her palm who shuffled every time Hanamaru poked her sides with her eyes still closed. Ruby's attention went back to Pinkie, this time asking her if she had found the bandit's lair.
And were they in luck. After days of searching they had found it. It became tough for the three after Chika and Riko had gotten injured terribly. So hearing this made Ruby smile happily as if someone handed her a lollipop. It was the first good news they have heard in days.
"Maru chan, they found it!" She turned on her heels facing Hanamaru who seemed to be stifling a laugh as Yoshiko who was finally awake rambled on about something. Yoshiko breaking away from whatever she was explaining to Hanamaru giving an annoyed expression. "My fourth little demon, your sidekick's mouth is worse than Cerberus' ass." Yoshiko said belching, remembering her horrible trip down that bird. Yoshiko's voice had made her laugh. It was so high pitched, nothing she'd ever heard before, similar to that of a chipmunk. "Yoshiko chan watch your language zura."though more than a scolding it was more of a fit of giggles.
"My little demons let us go to the forsaken land of destruction and raise our flags." it took every fibre within Ruby and Hanamaru not to burst into laughter as Yoshiko talked.
"Mirai zura!" Hanamaru looked around her in awe as they walked around a room filled with gadgets she had never seen in her entire life. "Shh, Zuramaru let's say they're here?" "Right." Ruby pulled Hanamaru out who was trailing behind her, mainly because Ruby was scared of what was yet to come.
They had been walking down the deserted hallway for minutes now, opening each door to find no one there. According to Yoshiko and Pinkie there were bandits roaming each and every corner of the camouflaged building. This only made it weird. How can so many bandits disappear without a trace?
"There is a door here." Ruby whimpered. Ruby did not want to meet those bandits. "Open it Ruby chan, zura." Ruby nodded hesitantly groaning inwardly. She touched the door and contact she contracted, jumping behind Hanamaru, squeaking. "It's ice cold!" "Why, my little demon can't bare the coldness of Niflheim? This is nothing for I hold the power of a fallen angel." Yoshiko chortling was cut short when Hanamaru moved her hand on which Yoshiko was standing on to the door. Yoshiko yelped due to the sudden metallic coldness that touched her body. "Hey!"
"So do we go inside?" Ruby asked. "I guess so zura." Hanamaru kept her hand on the door. They were tight it was cold, probably below freezing. With a bit of effort the metal door swung open to want seemed like a bedroom covered sheen in ice. Even in her usually warm armor, Hanamaru was shivering.
They did the normal procedure. Search for any doors, if so prepare for battle and open it. If not rule out the room and continue the search down the hallway.
Hanamaru held Yoshiko in her hand as she did so. As she searched by the table something caught her eyes- a book. Now she knew that if you were searching enemy territory you must search through everything but being in a bandit territory that statement could be contradicted cause who knew if it were a magical book used to trap you in or a normal story book.
She placed Yoshiko down on the table who protested as she placed her down on the table. Ignoring her soulmate, she took the book in her hand wiping the ice off of it, examining the front cover.
"The BTL Book." it read. She turned to the first few pages where a set of rules had been written down by hand. The book was literally named "The Bring To Life Book" as it did what it said. Whatever was written in the book was brought to life. There was obviously a catch. You bound to the guardian spirit of the owner or if alive can contact them. Owning meant that you bound by a curse that-
"What horrible manners do you have, snooping into other's room without permission." the voice scornfully said. Hanamaru turned around, to see that Ruby had been frozen into a block of ice, in mid-action as she seemed to be looking under the bed. Whatever happened she was attacked aware of her attacker's presence as it would have been obvious someone had entered the room. The voice seemed familiar. Was it from the time she was kidnapped by them? "Now, I'm guessing you're here as a quest to hopefully bring the bandits down."
Both of them quiet in response. "Of course you are it's obvious no need to hide it from me, the cool and cute Elichika."
"You're to late you know the plan's already in action. Sure with you Hanamaru things would have been a bit more easier but you declined an offer that may have just brought this kingdom to its former glory." the bandit played around with a speck of ice that bounced on her fingertips. "There is no use in trying to defeat us."
"So can we go home zura?" she could hear her stomach ask for food. She could just pick out the final piece of bread in the pocket of her armor or she could ask Yoshiko to telport her back home to eat. "You've come to my lair and you ask for going back home, without a fight? That's not going to happen." the bandit pulled out on odd looking sword. It was a sword that seemed to have a thin rock center that glowed a faint light blue and on the edges of the rock was embedded a sharp thick metal that intimidated Hanamaru.
If you had a scared girl who was not very experienced at using any weapon and a person coming to kill you with one what would the girl do? Obviously its throw the closest thing near you. That's exactly what she did just that, the closest thing was Yoshiko.
Hanamaru felt guilty but luckily for her, the bandit had not expected Yoshiko to suddenly grow back to her normal size and fall only top of her. The bandit threw Yoshiko off of her easily. She threw a chair at the bandit. She just froze it and it fell to the ground. She contemplated if she should throw her final price of bread or not but decided not to. Food is more important. Instead she pulled out her knife that she unskillfully used.
Fumbling she extended it in front of her trying to drive her away but obviously that didn't happen. The blonde disarmed her like she was plucking a orange from a tree, the knife flying away from arm's reach. The blonde raised her sword to make her move. Hanamaru curled up in fear not knowing what to do. Was this going to be her end?
Suddenly the bandit was blasted away from her with a powerful strike of magic hitting her side. The bandit hit the wall with a bam, laying still there. "Don't you dare touch her." she heard Yoshiko say behind her angrily. Hanamaru let out her breath she didn't know she was holding in relief. She turned Yoshiko who was standing behind and got the shock of her life. Yoshiko's body was missing only leaving her head floating in the air that stared at the bandit angrily, also being another reason for Hanamaru's fear. She never knew Yoshiko could get so angry. Yoshiko radiated an aura of immense power something Hanamaru had never really noticed before.
Hanamaru yelped, "Where's your body zura!?", Yoshiko's facial features softened as Yoshiko turned to her, then forming a cocky grin as she blushed, "Fallen angels are powerful whose powers can only be looked at by their little demons, but my power is too strong for you at this point of time my little demon."
"What does that mean zura?"
"I'm naked Zuramaru…" a blush creeped up Hanamaru's face. She was staring at Yoshiko's naked form(though it's invisble). Maybe she could see her tattoo if she looked closely or maybe… no no no why was she thinking of such things? "What happened to your armor?", Yoshiko pointed to a small black cloth that would be the size of Hanamaru's palm on the floor. "I-I'll get you something to wear…"
Chika and Riko had been talking in the infirmary. There wasn't much to do. They were injured, Chika's wounds being the worst when it came to terms in physical damage. "Hehe Riko chan dogs are cute not scary." Chika chuckled. "No they are." "You haven't closely interacted with them Riko chan." "I'm fine with that." "Next time we go to my house I'll show you-"
A portal had opened up before them, silencing the two. Why was the portal in the middle of the infirmary? They looked at each other confused before looking beck at the portal. Not soon after three things came out from the portal. A ice cube, a bandit and Hanamaru. The ice cube just slid on the floor with Ruby inside it blinking, the bandit fell face first on the floor still and Hanamaru stood with a book clutched in her arms shivering. "Why is there a bandit with you Hanamaru chan?" Chika looked at her confused and terrified. "It's Yoshiko chan zura." "So you completed the quest!?" Chika's eyes glowed in happiness. "Not really zura." "Why is she dressed up like that?" "It's a long story zura." "Why is Ruby chan stuck in a ice cube?" "Another long story zura." "Does Yoshiko chan always faint every time she uses a teleportation spell?" "I guess so zura. She can be a wimp at times zura." 'A cute one while she's at it…' Hanamaru added within her mind
"Chika chan leave Hanamaru chan alone for sometime she just came back." Riko chided. They began to talk of something much lighthearted. Hanamaru could feel the book weigh down in her hands. She would need to go to Nozomi.
Her head ached. She could feel her forehead pulse and her eyelids felt heavy. Her body felt numb and weak. She groaned her eyes fluttering open slowly. She squinted as bright light entered her eyes.
Where was she? It was the first thing that struck her was to panic but she calmed down once she remembered where she was. She made the mistake for going offensive and she still didn't know who those people were. If they were dangerous You would have to fight till she falls. She needed to get back home.
She had woken up much before and panicked. The person in the room- a burly man at the moment had no control whatsoever over You till another man much younger than the other entered and once again placed his hand over her nose and mouth. She had inhaled the contents on his hands and fell unconscious once again.
She got up the hammock, shakily. She steadied herself swiping away the hair strewn across her sweat covered face. In her hand was a sphere of water just in case she needed to break out. She looked around the room. She definitely made some damage to the room as some places seemed to be breaking apart. Behind her there was a window. She was definitely on a ship in the middle of the vast blue ocean. Where ever she was she was far away from her friends. She would have to fight alone and get to them as soon as she could.
She opened the door of the room quietly, and scanned the corridor. There was absolutely no one. Instead she could hear cheering. She tip toed her away to the end of the corridor, following the intensity of the clamoring. She took a deep breath and pushed the door.
Suddenly everything went silent, as the door creaked a bit too loudly. So much for stealth. The only sounds were the waves crashing onto the ship's frame and the seagulls screeching. She stood in a fighting position wondering if she should attack or not. Everyone was staring at her.
The man who had been in the room when she had woken up the first time smiled happily and rushed to You's side. You attacked the man but he deflected the water, some aimed at her, stunning You. He smirked and before You could react he gave her a tight hug. He released You but held her wrist with a tight grip she couldn't break out from.
"Everyone, I present to you my daughter You Watanabe."