A/N: Alright chapter 2 is here, please read and review!

Disclaimer: I don't own

Chapter 2: Magic

Hinata stared down at the room key clenched tightly between her fingers, before looking up at the glowing buttons on the inside of the elevator. She had promised to visit the prince, but after what had happened she couldn't help the hesitation that washed over her.

Flash back

"Do you want to tell me what that was about?" Kurenai asked after a moment, giving Hinata a strange look.

"I'm not even completely sure." Hinata answered quietly.

Kurenai nodded accepting this answer before placing a comforting hand on her shoulders and steering her back inside.

"All I know it that I want you to be careful okay?" Kurenai said, smiling warmly at Hinata who looked as if she wanted to say something but decided against it.

"Of course." Hinata agreed, returning her smile.

"Right, you better get back to work before Ino and Sakura notice your missing." Kurenai said, placing a tender kiss on Hinata's head before leaving the kitchen.

End Flash back

The rest of her shift had passed uneventfully, no thanks to Hinata who acted as if she had a ticking time bomb in her pocket every time someone even looked in her direction. Firming her resolve she firmly pressed the button for the seventh floor, where the prince and his entourage were staying. Immediately she regretted it and collapsed against the back of the elevator worrying her bottom lip as her imagination ran wild.

She couldn't possibly imagine why she was being summoned in the first place. Hinata enjoyed helping people, but she failed to see what one average maid could do for a prince who must have numerous servants, more talented and thorough when it came to her job. Part of her still believed that this was just some cruel and twisted joke, that she would get there and be made fun off. The elevator dinged softly and she stuck her head out the door peering down the hall. Slowly she stepped out and crept towards the door at the end of the hall like she was doing something she wasn't supposed to.

'You're being ridiculous Hinata,' she thought to herself. 'He's the one that gave you his room key.'

But that was something else that puzzled the girl. She was a kind hearted person she knew that. She took great pride in the fact that she could call many people her friends, and she knew that no matter what she would always be there for them. But even then, it was a little much to expect her to bend over backwards for a stranger and she was surprised she had even agreed to come see him. However if there was one thing Hinata was without a doubt, it was understanding so she would give him a chance even against her better judgement. Carefully she slid the key card into the lock and grabbed the handle, still giving a loud knock before entering.

"Hold on a second." a bored voice called from deeper within the suite.

Hinata barely heard him, as she was too busy gaping at the room she had stepped into. She knew that the Shinigawa Prince hotel was magnificent, but she never knew it was THIS magnificent. The walls were painted a magnificent gold color, while the furniture in the sitting room where Hinata stood were deep crimson. There was a white marble mantle and two armchairs with a small table in between them. Looking around cautiously Hinata made her way to the two chairs. On the table in between was a chess set. It was ready for anyone to play. Glancing around Hinata leaned forward and slid one of the white pawns forward two spaces.

"You came." the same voice from earlier said, relief clearly present.

Hinata let out a small scream of surprise before turning immediately. Shikamaru stood in front of her, his hands in the pockets of a pair of pajama pants. He wore a light gray wife beater and watched her curiously, his brown hair in the ponytail he had it in earlier. He motioned for her to follow him, and she did without a word. They walked into his bedroom, and he quickly slammed the door shut and locked it. Hinata looked at him wide eyed but he motioned for her to be quite as he made his way out to the balcony. Regaining her composure Hinata followed. As soon as she stepped out into the cool night, he shut the balcony door as well. He sighed, and his shoulders seemed to sag as he finally relaxed. Without a word he flopped down onto the balcony, leaning against the wall and staring at the stars, lighting a cigarette. After a few moments of awkward and tense silence he gestured for Hinata sit. She quickly did as she was told.

"No doubt you're wondering why you're here, and why I brought you out here." Shikamaru said after a long moment. "And as troublesome as it is to admit, I need your help."

Hinata nodded deciding to hear him out before speaking her own mind. He seemed to appreciate the silence as he took another drag from his cigarette.

"So we already got the fact that I'm a prince out of the way, yeah?" He stated rhetorically. "Well few people know this but the reason I'm in Konoha...is for a bachelor party of sorts. One last hurrah before being married off." Shikamaru continued with a humorless chuckle. "I am to be married to Princess Tayuya of Oto, that horrid beast of a woman." he continued shivering at some memory.

He didn't speak for a while, just sat there and let the smoke from his cigarette curl around his face. Hinata, still not understanding the point of everything finally spoke up.

"W-well that s-sounds nice. C-congratulations!" She said weakly.

Shikamaru snorted and flicked his half burned cigarette over the side of the balcony.

"If it was anybody else, then it would be fine, but her...I just...I'm not marrying Tayuya because I want to. Her 'father' the great king Orochimaru, is desperate to link our two kingdoms and he's found a way to blackmail my family into doing just that." Shikamaru spat, showing real anger for the first time. "He has my sister..." he finished quietly.

Hinata looked at him stunned for a moment, before her motherly instincts took hold of her and she reached out and took his hand.

"I'm so sorry." Hinata said, her apology genuine.

"But that's why I need your help." Shikamaru explained, sitting straighter now. "I need you to find my sister, and rescue her from Orochimaru. If you don't..."

"W-why me?" Hinata asked suddenly. "S-surely you have someone more c-competent than me." She stammered.

"No I need you." Shikamaru shook off the idea. "I need someone that Orochimaru and his guards aren't looking for, someone like you. You have to ability to sneak in and sneak out without being detected. It won't be difficult, I promise. Last I heard she's somewhere near here."

Hinata sat back for a minute trying to take in all the information that Shikamaru had given her. She looked over at him and saw the spark of hope in his eyes and her heart skipped a beat. With a look like that she couldn't deny him, he needed her. Taking a deep breath she nodded.

"O-okay." She said softly. "I'll d-do it."

Shikamaru gave her a warm smile, and Hinata returned it, with a nervous one of her own.

"B-b-besides, how hard could it b-be to find o-o-one person?" Hinata asked, shrugging her shoulders like it was nothing.

Shikamaru's smile disappeared from his face quickly making Hinata's heart dropped at the same time. She bit her lip and gave him a questioning look, releasing his hand and folding them in her lap.

"That's part of the problem." Shikamaru muttered, looking out at the horizon. "Do you...do you believe in magic?"

Hinata did a double take, and gave him a questioning look, waiting for him to explain himself. But he didn't. She was confused, he seemed like a practical person, someone who wouldn't believe in things like magic.

"W-what?" Hinata asked, voicing her confusion.

"It would have been so much easier if she was still...her," Shikamaru mumbled, more to himself then to her. "Orochimaru is a powerful wizard, he's turned my sister into a swan."

Hinata stared at him blankly for a few minutes, her mind reeling at what he had just tried to explain to her. Suddenly it occurred to her that this was exactly what she had thought it would be.

"Ha ha." she let out a weak laugh, a small embarrassed smile on her face. "I get it, v-very funny j-joke your highness." Hinata said standing. "I'll b-be going now."

"Joke?" Shikamaru asked stunned. "What are you talking about, what joke?"

"I get it, I w-was the quiet waitress, I'm the o-o-one who gets t-teased." Hinata said, turning to him, her smile painful. "It-it was a f-funny joke." She said again, her voice sounding unnaturally chipper. "But I w-would like to go home now. P-please let me go home." she whispered the last part.

"What?" Shikamaru said, slightly frustrated. "I'm not teasing you." He continued standing and blocking her path. "You can believe I'm crazy, I don't care. But I won't let you leave here thinking that I did this to make fun of you."

Hinata looked up into the princes face, and was taken aback by the sincerity in his eyes, as he stared at her.

"Do you understand?" he asked. "You seem like a nice girl, I wouldn't make fun of you for it."

He placed his hands on her shoulders in a reassuring gesture. Slowly she looked up at him and was again surprised about the sorrowful sincerity his eyes seemed to convey. She took a step back and leaned against the balcony staring at him, waiting for him to either move or speak.

"You think I'm crazy don't you?" He asked, with a sigh, moving to stand next to her.

"N-no," Hinata denied, partly trying to make him feel better and partly because it was true, a small part of her still thought this was an elaborate hoax.

"Don't bother denying it," Shikamaru said. "I went over the idea a million times in my head and I still think I'm crazy. But I know it's true. Orochimaru has used his evil magic in order to capture my sister, and force me to join our kingdoms together." Hinata only nodded at the repeated part of the story. "Do you believe in magic?"

She thought this over carefully, before shrugging and giving what she hopped was a nuetral answer.

"I believe that y-you believe i-it."

"I need you to believe it too." Shikamaru admitted. "Do you believe it?"

"I believe you." Hinata said softly, hoping she gave another neutral answer, it seemed to satisfy him because he turned his gaze away from her.

Shikamaru knew he was losing her, and he needed this girl to help him find her before he had to marry Tayuya, if she didn't... He shuddered. He didn't want to think about that.

"I don't expect you to do this for nothing." He said after a moment. "If you do this. If you find and rescue my...sister. I'll marry you."

Hinata visibly recoiled from his statement. Had he just said what she thought he said? He would marry her if she found his sister?

"W-what?" Hinata asked weakly.

"I'll marry you. I'll marry you and you will one day be queen of my kingdom." Shikamaru elaborated.

Hinata stood there in utter shock for a few moments, trying to let this all seep in. Finally she shook her head as if to clear it. Marry him? Her marry a prince? That would make her a princess, something she always wanted to be since she was a child. She would play pretend in her and Kurenai's living room. She would be the beautiful impoverished girl, until a handsome prince came swooping to her rescue, before fighting for her honor and taking her off to his kingdom. This was her chance to make all of her fairy tale dreams a reality. But it occured to her then, that she no longer had those dreams. She was a different person now and she found that being a princess wasn't important to her. What was important was love. She would marry for love if she could, and while this opportunity was once in a lifetime, she couldn't take it.

Perhaps seeing that exact reasoning on her face Shikamaru spoke quickly. "You would be rich, and wouldn't want for anything, ever."

Hinata was about to open her mouth and inform him that money wasn't important to her, but her protest died on her lips. It was true she didn't care about the money she cared about love and the person she cared about most was Kurenai. The woman who had adopted her, even though she didn't have the resources to provide for her. She could have easily put Hinata in an orphanage instead of struggling everyday of her life to take care of both of them. Kurenai had given up so much to take care of them, and now this was Hinata's chance to give back. If she truly loved Kurenai this one sacrifice could be made for her sake. With this reasoning in her head Hinata looked at him and nodded.

"A-alright." She said softly. "I'll d-do it. I'll find your s-s-s-sister."

In a second Hinata found herself pressed against Shikamaru in a tight embrace. Her cheeks were bright red and she had to keep herself from fainting as his muffled cries of thanks fell on deaf ears. He pulled away from her, and she looked into his eyes and she knew she had made the right choice. Shikamaru was relieved for the first time in about a month. His eyes were shining with happiness and one of his genuine smiles were on his handsome face.

"Thank you Hinata. Thank you so much." he said, the sincerity of his words making Hinata smile in return.

"O-okay, tell me what I n-n-need to know." Hinata said after a moment.

-Page Break-

"What a load of crap!" the brown haired girl with the blue eyes cried, pointing viscously at Hinata with her plastic fork. "Magic? Come on Hinata, he's just messing with you!"

"Sora you don't know that." her twin sister defended quietly.

"Don't tell me you believe in this to Rikku?" Sora exclaimed.

"What are you arguing about now?" Kiba asked, taking a seat next to Hinata.

"Well Hinata here told us..." Sora began but was cut off by the red head.

"Nothing! Hinata told us nothing, isn't that right Sora?" Kasumi said, sending a stern look to her friend.

The girl nodded and Kasumi gave her a glare reminding her not to talk about it anymore. Shino arrived shortly after, sitting on Hinata's other side. The rest of their lunch period passed in relative silence, Sora and Kiba arguing over something pointless while Rikku tried to control her sister and Kasumi attempting to add reason into their discussion. Sakura and Ino had even stopped by to say hi. The rest of the school day passed in a blur. Finally when the last bell rang Hinata slowly packed her bag and allowed herself to be jostled by the crowd of teenagers. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned to see a pale girl with long dark hair. She nodded at Hinata before leaning forward so she could hear her over the bustling of the crowd.

"Hinata-san, live with an open heart. If you do that even magic is possible." She said before pulling away.

"Thank you Yuki." Hinata said, with a smile, as a wave of calm settled over her.

The dark haired girl nodded before disappearing back into the crowd. Steeling herself Hinata made her way to the bathroom. She waited for a good ten minutes before making sure the coast was clear before reaching into her back pack. She struggled for a moment before pulling out a long white cloak with black designs lining the hood and bottom hem. Hinata held it against herself and looked at her reflection, the cloak was lovely, but even now it didn't look like magic.

Flashback

Shikamaru led Hinata back into his bedroom, and over to his dresser. He gestured for her to sit on the bed and she obeyed, waiting patiently for him to say something. Reaching into the bottom drawer he pulled out a long white cloak. He held it out to her, and she took it gently, before he turned to rummage back through his drawers. The cloak looked like crushed velvet and was soft and warm. It had black detailing stitched along the hem and even some around the hood. It fastened together with a black silk ribbon to tie it around ones shoulders. It was beautiful.

"Now that you've agreed to help me, there are a few things I can give you, to help you." Shikamaru said suddenly, breaking through her thoughts.

He gestured for her to hold out her hand which she did. He placed two heavy unremarkable earrings in her palm before turning away again. They looked like brown studs, but when she looked closer she realized they weren't brown studs, they were actually two tiger's eye stones, made into earrings. She looked at him puzzled, wondering how either of these items were supposed to help her.

"That cloak, is magic. You just put it on, and think of the place you want to go and it takes you there." Shikamaru explained seeing her incredulous look. "But you need to make sure you know exactly where you want to go, if you don't and your mind isn't clear, you'll wind up somewhere else."

Hinata nodded dutifully, not believing the story entirely, but she had agreed to give this a try and so she accepted the gift without a word.

"Those earring's will allow you to talk to animals, or more specifically, humans that have been turned into animals." Shikamaru explained.

"A-are there a-a-alot of those?" Hinata asked uncertainly.

"More than you would think." He answered, rolling his eyes in disdain.

Hinata nodded before he stopped in front of her and grabbed her hand sliding a ring onto one of her fingers.

"The ring will bring you luck," he explained, before leaning over her and securing a necklace in place. "This pendant will protect you, this bag will give you anything you need, and this," he said pausing before handing her a small black device. "Will let you contact me any time."

"W-what is it?" she said, slightly amazed.

He let out a low chuckle before taking it from her and flipping it open, showing her the illuminated screen.

"It's a cell phone." he answered, flipping it closed again, and handing it back to her.

"O-oh," she said blushing furiously, he chuckled again, and patted her head affectionately.

She looked down at the pendant, it looked like three intertwining ovals. Her eyes fell to the bag in her lap. It was tiny and looked like it couldn't hold anything remotely useful but she accepted it regardless.

"That cell phone has only one number programmed into it, mine. And you can't call ANYONE else with it okay?" Shikamaru asked.

"W-why?" Hinata asked softly.

The brown haired boy nodded, as if he expected this question sooner or later. He walked to his door, unlocked it and peered outside into his sitting room before closing and locking the door again.

"Look, I don't know who I can trust anymore, not even my own bodyguards." Shikamaru confided. "The only people who know anything, is my guardian Asuma, my body guard Chouji, and you."

"Why m-me?" Hinata asked suddenly.

"Because...well you just have a certain air about you. I can look into your eyes and know that you will never betray me. Your a good person Hinata, dependable and kind. why wouldn't I choose you?" Shikamaru admitted, helping her up.

A few things passed over Hinata in that moment. Gratitude, and affection hearing him talk about her like that, and guilt at having doubted him before. She allowed him to lead her to the door, holding tightly onto all of the things he had given her.

"You better go before one of my guard's show up." he said, opening the door and waiting for her to exit.

She walked out into the hall and turned to face him. He gave her one last smile before he seemed to realize something. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a picture. He looked fondly at it for a few moments before handing it to her.

"It's me and my sister at the beach a few months ago." he explained seeing the confusion on her face.

She looked at the picture. Sure enough it was two teenagers at a beach, Shikamaru had a lazy smile on as he looked at the camera from his spot on the beach towel. A blonde girl with four ponytails and happy grey eyes, sat next to him smiling brightly, giving the peace sign. Hinata smiled slightly folding it carefully and tucking it in her pocket.

"What's her n-name?" she asked quietly.

"Temari (A/N: okay before anyone freaks out see the authors note below!)" He answered. "Please find her Hinata."

"I will." she reassured, convincing even herself in that moment.

He leaned forward and kissed her softly on the cheek, before saying goodnight and disappearing back into his room. She turned away, blushing heading back to her own apartment, in the basement.

End flashback

Hinata sighed and wrapped the cloak around herself, tying the ribbons together in a neat bow. She lifted the hood and put it on her head, grabbing her back pack and taking a deep breath. It was the moment of truth and she was infinitely grateful that there was no one around to see her make a fool out of herself if it didn't work.

"Alright Hinata you can do this." She assured herself in a quiet voice closing her eyes.

She cleared her mind, and in her minds eye she pictured the cramped apartment she shared with Kurenai. Suddenly it felt like she was being squeezed through a tiny tube. Her chest heaved as she tried to regain her breath, but her eyes remained tightly closed. Then it all stopped, and a loud scream pierced through her. Hinata's eye's snapped open and she saw Kurenai on the floor, looking up at her in shock and horror, her knuckles white as she gripped the leg of the chair she had just fallen out of. Hinata looked around and realized she was looking around the kitchen in her and Kurenai's apartment. Her breath caught and she began to hyperventilate.

"How...! Where...! How did you get here?" Kurenai asked, her own voice shaky.

"I...I don't know." Hinata mumbled before she fainted.

A/N: Okay, so for all you Shikamaru and Temari lovers out there don't lose hope! I promise you not everything is as it appears. Anyways this is probably a pretty confusing chapter, I'm just trying to get the basis of the plot out there. REVIEW!