A Samurai's Pledge
A/N: And the next chapter is up! I've tried to keep everyone as close as possible to their characters in the anime though I'm sure there will be a few OOC moments. Comments and reviews are much appreciated. Enjoy!
For those of you who left unsigned reviews, see my replies below:
Love thus story - Thanks for the review. ^^ Aside from NanoFate, Signum x Shamal is my other favorite pairing of the series. I have been waiting to write a story about them for a while and am happy I can finally do it. Expect more fluffy moments and just plain awkward situations to come. Hehe. :P
Tobi - Thanks for the review. ^^ I agree with you, there needs to be more stories about Signum x Shamal. :) It's a shame the anime didn't expand more on the relationship between them. It would have been awesome to see. Thanks again for the review. ^^
Guest - Thanks for the review! It's always nice to hear people enjoy reading the chapters. :) Here's the next one for you.
Disclaimer: The characters and the worlds I write in do not belong to me. The stories that I write are intended for entertainment purposes. I do not make any money from them.
*** ~ Chapter 2: Some Friendly Advice ~ ***
Signum sighed heavily, her footsteps barely audible as she patrolled the inner hallways of the Imperial Palace. Just yesterday she had finally gotten over that damn cold and was able to move around freely on her own again. She wasn't cleared for duty until this afternoon, once Shamal checked her over for the last time. Heat instantly rose to Signum's cheeks at the thought of the blonde haired head attendant.
"S-S-Shamal-san!"
"Good morning, Signum." A breath taking smile. "Did you sleep well?"
Signum was ready to have a heart attack, in the moment she awoke in Shamal's bed, cuddled up against the other woman. She was so bewildered at first, that all she could do was stare at the blonde with her mouth hanging open in surprise. This prompted a giggle from Shamal, Signum's shock soon turning into embarrassment.
"You look better. How are you feeling?"
The soft touch of gentle fingers through her hair.
"Focus, Signum!" the Captain of the Samurai scolded herself. Clearing her throat, Signum took a deep breath in an attempt to push aside the thoughts and images currently flooding her mind. Thoughts and images of a certain blonde haired head attendant.
Yagami Shamal.
Shamal. Shamal. Shamal.
The blonde's smile. Her gentle touch. That beautiful voice. Shamal's brilliant eyes.
Signum shook her head again. "Focus on the task at hand," she told herself, rubbing her eyes with her thumb and forefinger. It was careless to get distracted, especially while on patrol. Not that anyone would be so bold to break into the Imperial Palace at this time of the night. Not after the JS Incident. But Signum could never be too careful. The whole mishap with the crazy alchemist had proven that.
Squeak.
Levantine was out in an instant, the samurai captain in a defensive stance. Looking to her left, where the sound originated from, Signum found herself staring at the double doors leading into the Imperial Kitchen. Double doors that were currently ajar. Blue eyes narrowed. The lights were off in the kitchen, but Signum could just barely make out someone moving around in the dark.
A thief? Signum clenched her jaw. Nanoha had mentioned something about food disappearing lately. Specifically her pastries.
The pinkette quietly crept towards the kitchen, ready for a fight.
"Nanoha-san?"
At the sound of footsteps approaching, Shamal looked up from her book, surprised. She was clearly not expecting to see the said brunette walking into the Imperial Library, otherwise known as the Infinite Library. Shamal currently sat at one of the large tables in the middle of the library, researching healing techniques from the west. Books crammed the shelves lining the entire room, rising upwards to over thirty feet tall. Ladders were strategically placed nearby to allow for easy access of the books on the higher shelves. And this was only the first floor of the Infinite Library.
"Shamal-sama, good evening," Nanoha said, smiling brightly. She walked up to the table. "I didn't think anyone would be in here at this time of the night."
Shamal smiled back, gesturing towards the chair opposite her. "I'm surprised to see you here myself. Is everything okay?"
Takamachi Nanoha, otherwise known as the White Devil, gratefully took a seat opposite the Empress' head attendant with a sigh. She was currently dressed in her favorite pink kimono with a white sash. "I'm looking for Fate-chan."
Shamal tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Fate-san? I haven't seen her all day."
Aside from Shamal, Scrya Yunno was the only other person to be found in the Infinite Library for longer than an hour. Though, on occasion, the other blonde amongst the Empress' company was known to make an appearance or two.
"I know," Nanoha said with another sigh. "I think she's lost."
"Testerossa-san, what are you doing?"
Fate Testerossa, otherwise known as the Thunder Reaper, sweat dropped, smiling wearily. "Trying to avoid getting my head chopped off by Levantine?" Currently, the blonde had her back pressed up against one of the many kitchen cabinets in the Imperial Kitchen, Levantine just half a inch from her throat.
Signum sighed before re-sheathing her weapon. "You know that's not what I meant. Why are you in the kitchen at this hour? And in the dark no less. I thought you were an intruder."
Fate breathed in relief, slowly peeling herself off of the cupboard. When the kitchen suddenly illuminated, Fate didn't know what to expect. Had it not been for her quick reflexes and Signum's restraint, she would have lost her head.
"Well?" The Captain of the Samurai crossed her arms over her chest, looking as imposing as ever.
Fate swallowed nervously. "Would you believe me if I said I was lost?"
"Lost?" Shamal's eyebrow raised.
"Hai," Nanoha said before giggling. "Even after all this time, Fate-chan still gets lost.
Shamal giggled too. "That's understandable," she said. "I too, lose my way from time to time. And I've lived here for many years."
"Just how big is this place?"
Shamal stared at the book in front of her, stroking her chin in thought. "It's... very big?"
Another round of giggles.
"Lost, huh?" Signum was not buying it. "Lost with one of Takamachi-san's pastries in your hand?"
Fate looked at the confiscated sweet bun in her grasp before looking at the samurai guiltily. Busted.
"I was hungry..." Fate quietly admitted.
Signum sighed again, pinching the bridge of her nose. "No wonder Takamachi-san's pastries have gone missing lately."
"That big, huh?" Nanoha laughed. "Nyahaha, I'll never find Fate-chan at this rate. Maybe I should just wait in our room until she wanders back..." The brunette scratched her cheek in thought.
"If you'd like, I can have some of the attendants look for her."
Nanoha dismissed the offer with the shake of her head. "Ile, I'm sure she'll be back soon. She's never away from my side for too long."
"Never too long, huh?" Shamal smiled again when a dreamy expression appeared on the brunette's face. "I'm really happy for you two. It was driving the rest of us crazy to see both of you head over heels for each other but not know it."
"Ehhhhh?" Nanoha flushed instantly. "You knew?"
Shamal laughed. "We all knew."
"No way!"
"I'm just surprised you two didn't realize it earlier."
Nanoha was absolutely mortified, causing Shamal to giggle once again. It was the cutest thing the head attendant had ever seen, aside for a sleeping Signum in her bed. Nothing could beat the peaceful expression on Signum's face as the pinkette cuddled her. That was one of Shamal's most fondest memories to date.
Nanoha smiled. "Thinking about Signum-sama again?"
"Eh?"
"Please don't tell Nanoha about this Signum-sama, please!"
The Captain of the Samurai frowned. Fate's hands were clasped together in front of her, the pleading blonde already halfway between getting down on her hands and knees and standing.
"Testerossa-"
"If you don't tell her, I won't tell Shamal-sama about those glances you steal all the time."
Signum did a double take. "W-what?"
"So has she confessed yet?" Nanoha asked, the brunette literally bouncing in her chair with excitement. Shamal, on the other hand, was flabbergasted.
"She?"
"Signum-sama, of course!"
By all the gods in the heavens, the smirking Nanoha in front of her reminded Shamal so much of Hayate right now. It was horrifying.
"W-what?"
"Oh come on now!" Nanoha chided, leaning closer to the blonde. "It's very obvious that she loves you, and that you love her back. So how come you two aren't together yet?"
"What did you just say?"
Fate sweat dropped for the second time in the span of five minutes. She hadn't meant to let that observation slip, Fate being very observant of her surroundings. At first, she thought she was seeing things, when it came to the looks Signum gave Shamal and vice versa. But then one night, she and Nanoha got to talking, and the brunette mentioned the kiss in the Imperial Hospital. It wasn't a full on kiss on the lips, but still. After that, Fate paid much more attention when those two were in the same room.
"I... uh..."
Shamal was at a loss for words. To say she expected such things from Nanoha's lips would have been a grave error. It was no secret she liked Signum. It wasn't like she hid that fact. But to hear that the samurai captain returned such feelings was just preposterous. As much as Shamal loved to tease Signum about it, the head attendant had already accepted the fact that Signum probably didn't like her in the same way. Why Signum even tolerated such behaviour from her was a mystery, but that didn't stop the blonde from having fun with that.
Shamal gave Nanoha a sad smile. "You're very sweet Nanoha-san," she said. "But as much as I would like to believe it, I don't think Signum cares for me in the way I do for her."
"What?" The smile Shamal wore was truly heartbreaking to look at. But Nanoha couldn't but look at it. "But how can you say that? What about the kiss that one time and the-"
"We're just good friends," Shamal interrupted. "Just really good friends."
"That can't be though..."
"For you, out of everyone," Signum began, rubbing her eyes again. "To think that-"
"Sir is not wrong," Bardiche piped up, in defense of his master.
Signum's attention immediately snapped to Fate's golden magatama bracelet in shock. "Excuse me?"
Not only was Fate delusional, but so was her legendary weapon.
Fate sighed. It seemed like it was up to her to knock some sense into the samurai. "I didn't realize samurai were allowed to lie."
Blue eyes narrowed at the insult. "Omai-"
"If you don't tell her soon Signum-sama, you could lose her forever."
That statement left the samurai silent and reeling.
"I know how quickly things change," the blonde continued. "From personal experience." Fate walked up to Signum and put a hand on the samurai's arm. "Don't wait for some life threatening event to happen before you finally bring your feelings to light. In our line of work, who knows when that will be? Today. Tomorrow. A year from now."
Signum frowned again, turning her gaze away. As much as she didn't want to hear it, Fate was right. "Testerossa-"
"You are not a coward Signum-sama." Fate squeezed the pinkette's arm. "If you love her, just tell her. That's all there is to it."
BADAHM!
Nanoha slammed her fists down on the table making Shamal jump. "I don't believe that and neither should you!" There was such fury in the brunette's eyes, Shamal seeing the Nanoha's alter ego coming to light.
"You two love each other," Nanoha continued. "If you don't tell Signum-sama soon, you may lose her forever. Like how I almost lost Fate."
"Nanoha-"
"Don't make the same mistake that we did," Nanoha said, not skipping a beat. "It took the JS Incident for us to finally admit our feelings for each other. Thankfully, everything turned out for the best, and all of us survived. But if it hadn't, if one of us died..."
Shamal swallowed back the lump in her throat. Just the thought of one of them or both of them dying, that was just too much to bear. Even more so if the same had happened to Signum-
Shamal jumped when she felt hands on her own. Nanoha smiled at her. "Don't you think it's about time that both of you talked?"
Wide violent eyes softened. Shamal smiled at the brunette. "Hai," she said. "Thank you, Nanoha-san."
Nanoha smiled back. "Nyahaha. Don't thank me just yet, Shamal-sama." Nanoha pulled Shamal to her feet and dragged her towards the doors of the Infinite Library.
"N-N-Nanoha-san?"
Nanoha laughed. "Go get her!"
Shamal stumbled out of the Infinite Library with a yelp, flailing to keep her balance. In the end, that really wasn't necessary as she practically fell straight into the shocked arms of Signum.
"S-Shamal-san?"
Signum's cheeks were pink, the samurai reacting on instinct the moment she caught sight of the tumbling blonde in green. It was pure coincidence they had run into each other here. Or rather, that Shamal fell straight into her arms. Fate had practically kicked Signum out of the Imperial Kitchen after their talk, citing she needed to get back to her room before Nanoha sent out a search party after her. That left the samurai alone to sort out her thoughts while she walked around in a daze.
"S-S-Signum-san?" Shamal's cheeks were red, both from shock and embarrassment. The last person she expected to run into, here of all places, was Signum.
The pair stared into each other's eyes in silence, neither moving, neither trying to escape from the other. They only breathed.
"I'll... leave you two alone," Nanoha said with a cheeky grin. The brunette half walked, half jogged down the hallway, smothering a giggle with her hands.
Getting her wits about her, Shamal immediately righted herself, pulling away from Signum's grasp to straighten out her robe. Signum reacted in the same manner, clearing her throat to hide her nervousness while she looked away.
"Are you alright?"
"Hai," Shamal said quietly, remembering the feeling of Signum's arms around her. She liked that feeling a lot.
"I am glad."
Shamal looked up to find Signum's gaze everywhere else but on her, a soft blush on the samurai's cheeks. Signum was gorgeous.
"You're up late."
"On patrol," was Signum's quick reply, the pinkette finally turning to look at Shamal. "And you?"
Shamal looked back to the library doors behind her. "Just some late night studying."
"I see."
Shamal looked down at her feet.
"If you don't tell her soon Signum-sama, you could lose her forever."
"Don't you think it's about time that both of you talked?"
More seconds passed by in awkward silence, neither Signum nor Shamal knowing what to do or say. Ever since the JS Incident, and especially as of late, both knights found it rather awkward to be in each other's company. Not the unpleasant awkward but the too pleasant awkward. It was very clear their feelings for each other had grown during that horrible event just over a year ago. But as how to address those growing feelings, that remained to be determined.
Then Signum spoke up.
"I shall escort you to your room then."
Shamal looked up in surprise. "Would you?"
Signum looked away again, the moment their eyes met. "I would... feel safer knowing you made it back to your room alright."
Shamal stared at the samurai, opened mouth for a moment, before a brilliant smile stretched across her face. She then took a hold of Signum's arm, much to the surprise of the Captain of the Samurai, and leaned against her. "Thank you, Signum-sama," she said. "For walking me safely back to my room."
"It's... no trouble," Signum said, the flush on her cheeks darker now. She stole a glance down at the humming blonde next to her, before a smile of her own appeared on her face.
While it wasn't a full out confession of feelings, it was a start.
A/N: For those of you unfamiliar with the non-English words, I have translated them below.
Hai = Yes
Ile = No
Omai = You
For an explanation of Japanese honorifics (eg. [name]-sama), please check out: http[colon][doubleslash] wiki/Japanese_honorifics