Author's notes: There'll be an OC introduced in this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bakugan.
Chapter 2
Earth
Shun's POV
"Dan?" I prodded him softly, my aggravation increasing with every second he didn't respond. "DAN!" I shouted, finally losing it.
"Yo Shun, what's up? Were you talking to me?" Dan replied.
"YES, you're such an idiot sometimes!" I yelled at him.
It was the second day of school, the day after Dan met Runo, for what he thought was the first time. As to what I knew about Runo: I remembered a bit more than Dan about our battle with Naga, but not that much more. All I remembered was Runo. Something like how overprotective she was of Dan really bugged me so I guess that's why her name stuck.
I didn't realise this now, but that meeting between Dan and Runo was predestined, and our lives would be changing significantly soon.
"Oh, sorry." He smiled sheepishly.
I got taken out of my thoughts by Dan's voice. Ah that's right. We were having that conversation.
"Let me guess–" I started.
"I know what you're about to say – 'you were thinking about Runo, weren't you?' – well I wasn't!" Dan exclaimed.
"Actually I wasn't going to suggest that, so you revealed that little fact yourself. Besides, what's up with the sudden thinking of her? Do you like her or something?"
I felt my heart speed up with worry.
"Eh… Maybe. I mean she's pretty cute and I think she's single. She seems to be into me at least." He smirked.
"O-oh…" I responded, saddened. "Well. I-I'm… I'm happy for your buddy," I clapped his back half-heartedly.
Of course he doesn't like me back, I sighed mentally.
Little did Dan know, I'd been crushing on him since our first adventure… Since I was convinced to join the Battle Brawlers. He just seemed so brave, so passionate, and he was so cute as well. Growing up, his personality had grown and he was even more wonderful. He grew to be quite handsome as well.
I always had to defend him from fan-girls and the like in previous school years, but he thought it was just because I was looking out for him. I was looking out for him, but I was also jealous. I wanted Dan's attention to myself sometimes and it was hard to suppress these feelings.
I was dating Alice at the moment as she literally begged me, with puppy eyes and everything, to date her, and I couldn't find it within myself to turn her down. I told Dan about this situation, though not about my feelings for him, and he suggested ways to break up with her, to ease her pain. Even without his advice, the feelings of guilt as a result of being in a relationship with her and not Dan were starting to tear me apart. I hadn't even understood Dan's reaction to the news as he attempted to remain as blank-faced as possible throughout the conversation.
What happened yesterday was an accident and I thought he'd find it funny as well. I didn't realise he was in a bad mood already, though I don't know why. He'd normally let me in. Why not now?
I sighed. I knew if I spoke now, I'd break down. I know Dan didn't say he liked Runo for definite, but I couldn't even deal with the possibility.
I turned to walk away.
"Hey, Shun, are you okay?" Dan asked, concerned. He put his hand on my shoulder.
"Dan, I–" I murmured, blushing.
He leaned in to hug me.
I stopped what I was about to say when I heard Drago's voice. Huh? I thought Drago was with Skyruss somewhere else, how can I hear them?
"Should we tell her?" I heard Drago ask.
"NO!" Skyruss yelled back. "We don't have a definite answer on if he likes her, plus she isn't sure of her own feelings anyway. We don't want to mess this up, for them, or the royal family. And speaking of the royal family, we need to work on bringing back the prince of Pyrus, so we can start the royal wedding that has been planned for the last decade!"
My ears perked up with curiosity. 'I wonder what they're talking about, and if it has anything to with Runo. I get a really weird vibe from her after al.l'
"Shun…"
I looked up to see Dan looking back at me with concerned eyes. "What's up?"
I shook my head, with a silent smile and snuggled into his arms, not caring that we were in public. I wish I could tell him my feelings one day, but for now… I'm content like this.
I didn't notice the pair of eyes glaring at me.
Dan's POV
I wasn't lying when I said I found Runo cute, though that didn't mean I had feelings for her. Seems to me that Shun took the maybe the wrong way though.
Despite not being sure of what I think of Shun, I think that what I feel for him transcended friendship a long time ago. I was hurt when he told me about this situation with Alice but the pain lessened when he explained it properly. I couldn't bear the thought of him with anyone else.
I hadn't told him about the spam emails putting me in a bad mood, because I thought that everyone got them at some point. Why tell him about something as trivial as that? I know that Shun was put-off though as I usually told him everything. We had been best-friends for years, so there wasn't a thing we didn't know about each other. Neither of us remembered the earlier years of our lives, but we did remember that we'd always been together. I felt guilty for not telling about this spam email as I knew I'd reacted more negatively than if I'd been in a good mood.
As we were hugging, I noticed that Shun's concentration wandered. 'I wonder if it's got anything to what I said earlier?'
No. I shouldn't get my hopes up.
"Shun…" I whispered. He looked up at me with a smile.
"What's up?"
He shook his head and snuggled into my arms.
'Oh Shun...'
I want to tell him my feelings one day, but right now, I'm content like this.
Runo's POV
"She soooooo likes him," I heard Julie squeal.
I'd been having a sleep over with Julie and Alice as I hadn't seen them in a while, but I guess I should have predicted this. It's Julie, after all.
Julie and Alice are my childhood friends and fought with me in the battle against Naga. They, like me, were able to handle the power and responsibility that came with being heirs to the thrones of Vestroia, so got to keep their memories. Meaning, Dan and the others didn't remember them either.
"Ah, morning already?" I yawned, stretching. I usually kept this sort of facade up until I attacked viciously. "Ah, and Julie?"
I shot her a death glare.
"Yes?" she squeaked, scared.
"I told you. I. Don't. Like. Him," I said through gritted teeth. "Just because we're technically engaged, that does not mean I like him!"
I was just flustered yesterday… I mean he has such a cute smile. I sighed. This will not do.
"If you don't like him, how come you're always staring at him, well, everywhere?" Alice enquired slyly.
"Alice, you're exaggerating" I sighed. "Jeez. Just because we're engaged, that does not mean I like him," I repeated. "Besides, before you go on about my love life, how about we talk about your love life. How's it going with Shun?" I smirked.
"Things are great, thank you for asking," she smirked back.
Alice had been dating Shun since the start of the summer and claimed to be totally in love with him. She kind of had to be considering that, even though he didn't know it, he was the prince of Ventus, and she the princess of Darkus, and they also had an arranged marriage.
"Seriously, how are so you calm when talking about dating?" I ranted.
She stuck her tongue out at me playfully, "hehe."
She was also the biggest shipper I'd ever seen, rivalling even Julie's fan-girl antics. Any chance she had to interfere with my love life, and she took it.
"What a pain," I sighed in exasperation.
I knew that if I needed to though, I had leverage I could use against her. Only I knew of the method she got Shun to date her.
I laughed evilly, with Julie and Alice giving me weird looks.
Haos Royal Palace
Vestroia
Ryuu's POV
"Ah what a peaceful day," I exhaled blissfully.
Well, as peaceful as it could get.
Being a Guard in Haos' royal palace could be exhausting. There were days were there was nothing to do and it was quiet. Or there were days like this. It's ironic. Haos is supposed to be the most peaceful kingdom in Vestroia, but after princess Runo left for Earth, we'd been getting threats from other kingdoms demanding her back, so they could marry her into one of their royal families and therefore take Haos' power, due to her being the heir.
My outfit as a royal guard consisted of silver armour, with the symbol of Haos emblazoned on each shoulder. I also wore a cape, with the inner section a dark grey, and the outer section a brighter white, the symbol of Haos similarly on the back of the cape. Each time I put this armour on, streaks of red fought to be present on pieces of it. Nobody could explain it, especially considering this only happened to me. After the combat of colour, my armour and cape always ending up with a slight shade of red to them. In the scabbard present on my left hip, there lay a sword belonging to the royal guard; the hilt decorated with the symbol of Haos. Sometimes, when I looked I could swear I saw a glint of red on my hilt, but the sight didn't last long, and I got laughed at if I told anyone, so I always assumed it to be my imagination or a hallucination.
Today had been especially hectic. We'd had three break-ins, an attempted theft on the treasury and an attempted attack on the queen, Lars Lion. The attacker was stopped well before they reached the queen, at least.
I wish princess Runo was at the palace, I sighed once more.
I knew it was forbidden, but I had loved princess Runo since we were children. We had met by a river in the main forest one day. We always used to play together even when we weren't allowed to. They never explained why though. As I grew up, I realised it may have been because of our differing statuses. That doesn't mean it made sense to me.
Tensions were high between the kingdoms at that point. After all, prince Daniel of Pyrus had been kidnapped by the Darkus/Pyrus hybrids: Druman and Centorrior, a few years prior. Nobody knew where he'd been taken, and rewards were high for anyone that could find him.
I never understood why that would get between princess Runo and I though. I had been raised by a Haos family of farmers, always desiring to one day be a guard so I could protect my beloved princess Runo. I was a full-blood Haos citizen… I at least thought.
My family never explained the red streaks in my otherwise black hair. Haos civilians tended to have bright streaks of yellow, white or blue in their hair. My parents also never explained the shocked expressions that many passers-by wore when looking at me closely. I always asked my parents why they would have that reaction, and even checked my reflection in lakes to see if there was anything on my face. I could never see anything though. My eyes being a combined colour of red and green were also unusual within the Haos region, but I never questioned it, knowing my parents would never explain it.
After a few years of visiting each other, Runo and I were eventually caught by some patrolling guards, and she was taken from my arms forcefully, after a tearful embrace. I never saw her again after that. I heard at some point that she'd been taken to Earth on a mission, but with her memories wiped clean by an external force. Nobody knew if she'd recover any time soon.
When I learnt of this, I was sorrowful for days. My family could not get me out of the stupor I was in. After a few weeks of moping, I finally decided to get out my bed and change myself for the better. I made a vow that day. A vow to bring princess Runo back and protect her no matter what. I couldn't bear to see any harm brought to her, after all.
After the eternally-dreaded battle with Naga was finally over, him having been defeated by the newly famed Battle Brawlers, from Earth, Runo returned to Haos.
I was overjoyed to see her again, despite her not recognising me at first. When she did, after I told her a secret she told only me, her face broke out into the brightest smile one could ever see. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
We started sneaking out into the palace gardens whenever possible, and our relationship from when we were children finally continued. It wasn't destined to last long, however.
The king and queen discovered Runo had been sneaking out into the palace gardens after they couldn't find her in her quarters during a night patrol. Due to various attacks on the kingdom, and events such as prince Daniel's kidnapping, there was an increased sense of security, meaning more patrols, including checking that the princess was in her bed, regardless of privacy.
After she was caught outside, I didn't see her for a few days. The following week, a massive commotion occurred within the royal guard. It seemed that while on Earth, Runo had met a Pyrus Brawler who called himself Dan Kuso. It seemed as if he had some hidden fate.
While on Earth, a mysterious being named Wavern had restored the memories of the members of royalty. Only those who were strong enough at the time kept them, however. Runo mentioned that two other girls, Alice and Julie, also kept their memories after the battle. The other Battle Brawlers did not. The royal palace was in shock after Runo revealed the name of the one who had been claimed as a royal member of Pyrus by Wavern. It was Dan Kuso.
The king and queen of Haos lectured princess Runo for days, as she hadn't told them that, and then used a communications ability card to contact Pyrus. The king of Pyrus, Apollonir, and his wife came immediately. Runo got lectured, yet again, for not revealing such an important fact to the kingdom.
As soon as things had settled down, preparations were made. The arranged marriage that happened between Pyrus and Haos every generation, uniting them for another century, was brought back out of the dark. Princess Runo was to marry prince Daniel.
I was heart-broken. Her tear-filled protests were ignored. As much as she claimed to view prince Daniel as a friend at most, her parents countered her arguments with their belief of the destiny of the princess of Haos.
She came to me one night. She cried on my shoulder, how it wasn't fair that she was being forced into something like this. How she could never force herself to love prince Dan. I comforted her as best as I could. I said words such as how I would always be there to support her, and wanted her to feel happy, above all else.
She smiled gratefully after I said that, and gave me a hug.
A few days later, I heard of the news that princess Runo was to be travelling back to Earth, along with princess Alice and princess Julie, in attempts to reclaim prince Daniel for the throne of Pyrus. She had decided that what would make her happy was making her parents happy, so she had decided to marry him, regardless of her feelings.
When I heard that news, I felt as if I had been stabbed in the heart with a knife laced with poison. The pain was sudden and lasted for weeks after she had left.
Soon I was left with a dull, almost constant, ache in my heart, always reminded of how it was my advice that drove princess Runo to this path.
King Apollonir had been trying to contact prince Daniel but with no success. He discovered that Dan had been taken to Earth at a young age, through various investigations, but as one with dominant royal Bakugan blood, King Apollonir could not travel to Earth to retrieve him. This mission was princess Runo's responsibility.
It had been a couple of years since princess Runo had left the palace to search for prince Daniel. I was always worried for her safety, afraid that something would happen to her while I wasn't able to watch her. I knew she wanted to become stronger though, so I tried to set aside my worries to the best of my ability, deciding to instead have absolute faith in her power.
"Princess Runo…"
Even with what I told myself, I was always concerned for her. She was the one I loved after all.
"Come back home soon…"
Author's notes: I hope you enjoyed that chapter! Hopefully you liked my OC Ryuu's introduction.
I'd like to thank AnimeRoxx and Eagle Master 17 for following! Thank you so much for your support! I appreciate it.
AnimeRoxx: Thank you so much for the review! I'm glad you're liking it so far!
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