(Disclaimer: Zoids Chaotic Century was authored by Michiro Ueyama. One more thing is that the title is based on Flame of Recca opening theme: Nanka Shiawase, meaning "What is Happiness?")
Chapter 2: Ohjo no Shugo Chuunin(The Princess' Guardian Chuunin)
Twelve years later….
"Congratulations, you are now officially a chuunin! According to our judges, you are the best shinobi in your age bracket!" said a jonin to a twelve year old boy who has shadow-black hair set in a crown-like manner.
"Arigato, Krueger-sensei!" replied the boy to his teacher.
"Van, you certainly made me proud, son!" Dan mentioned to his son.
"Dad, you know that as your son, I have to be as good as you since I would be the next leader of the Byakutaka tribe." Van responded to his father.
"Very well then." said Dan. "His mother is right. He grows more and more like me as each day passes. When he was a kid, he was a little bit dense to be ninja but over time, he became the strongest and most cunning genin in our village." he thought.
"Dan, I am amazed by our son's achievements." Karen told her husband.
"Me too!" he replied to his wife.
"Hey, isn't this day Fiona-Hime's birthday, right?" she asked him.
"Yeah, and it's only a matter of a few years before she and our son get married." Dan retorted to her.
"Does Van know that he's already engaged to the princess?" Karen asked.
"No, he still hasn't the slightest clue yet." He said in return.
"Van, I thought that Raven of the Benitora clan would beat you in this match but at the last second, you managed to bring him down!" said Maria to her younger brother.
"Nee-san, cut it out, you're suffocating me!" Van replied to her sister. "Zeke, help me loosen Maria nee-san's grip!" he said to his eagle.
"Alright Van, you don't need to do that." retorted Maria.
As the Freiheit family was about to head home, a messenger of the feudal family came to then.
"Dan-dono, Atsushi-sama wanted your son to come to his palace tonight." Said the messenger to the ninja leader.
"Is that so, Yabuki?" Dan asked.
"Yes, master. Atsushi-sama said that your son is the best chuunin in your tribe." Yabuki retorted.
"Well then, I guess Van has to go right away." he said. "Van, my friend wants you to come to his palace right away. I think he has something important for you.' Dan said as he looked at his son.
"Really?" Van questioned.
"Yes.' his father replied.
"Yosh!' Van responded as he left his family.
While Van was savoring the praises of most of the people there, a thirteen year old chuunin was sulking at a nearby tree.
"I'll make sure I will beat Van someday!" said a boy in a weak voice.
"Raven, take it easy. At least you still became a chuunin! For me, it's already something to be proud of!" said the man to his child.
"But being the champion at the chuunin promotions is even better!" Raven replied.
"Well son, I guess you have to wait until the Jonin promotions. I hope you'll be able to keep your oath to yourself." Raven's father told him as he tried to cheer him up.
In the middle of the Sawaki forest, a carriage was making its way though the cleared track. However, the supposed occupant of the carriage had walked away from the rest of her company.
"Fiona-Hime isn't this way to far from your carriage? What's more, you should welcome your guests for your birthday celebration today." said a woman with dark, curly hair.
"I know that, Moonbay-san but I can't resist exploring the beauty of the Sawaki forest. I want to find out what lies beyond." replied Fiona to her servant.
"But master…" Moonbay said.
"There is still plenty of time, Moonbay-san." the princess retorted to her as she ran deeper in the forest.
It didn't take long for the princess to get lost in the woods as the time for her birthday celebration drew closer.
"Moonbay-san, Moonbay-san, where are you? Are you still in there?" Fiona yelled in the forest.
"Fiona-Hime, Fiona-Hime, where are you?" Moonbay yelled at the same time.
The two of them had been calling out each other's name with their full voice for nearly an hour but due to their distance from each other, their had not been able to hear each other's voice. Fiona had been exhausted with all of the shouting. And so did Moonbay.
"I wish I had listened to Moonbay-san. Dad will surely be disappointed with what I have done." Fiona thought.
Moonbay had been looking out for her master ever since the two of them parted ways. She was about to ask help from the feudal family's guards when all of a sudden , she heard a loud scream coming from the northeast.
"Get away from me!" Fiona shouted loudly as a mountain lion approached her. She was about to be attacked when someone came.
"Hey you, why don't you try me!"yelled Van, calling the mountain lion's attention. "Miss, run away now! This may get very bloody." he said to her.
The boy and the mountain lion fought for several minutes but in the end, the boy succeeded in slaying the big cat.
"Miss, you're safe now." he mentioned to Fiona.
"Arigato Gozai Mazu! If you hadn't come on time, that mountain lion might have eaten me now." The princess replied to her. "Um, by the way, who are you and what is your name and what are you doing here?" she added.
"Hmm, boku wa Freiheit Van. I'm here because my dad told me to go to the city. I have to go there since he said something important was going to happen there." Van replied. "Soreyori, nani wa anata no namae?" he added.
"My name is Fiona from the Lynette family. I'm grateful to meet you, Freiheit-kun." Fiona replied to him.
"Please don't call me Freiheit-kun, just Van." he requested to her. "So if you're from the Lynette family, then that means your father is none other that the daimyo, Atsushi-sama." Van continued.
"Yes, but how did you know about that?" Fiona asked.
"Well, the truth is that your father had sent a message to our village that he wanted me to come to his palace since according to your father himself, I am the best chuunin there." he responded.
"So you're a ninja?" the princess said to him.
"I absolutely am." Van replied. "So shall I take you to the palace, Fiona-Hime?" he added.
Fiona only nodded in response. Van then quickly carried her out of the woods. As they ventured out of the forest, the two of them met Moonbay.
"Van, if you're going to address me as Hime, please don't add sama to my title. I'm not used to being called Fiona-Hime-sama." the princess demended.
"Hai." Van replied as they approached Moonbay.
"Fiona-Hime, how did you manage to get out of the forest and who is this boy that came with you?" Moonbay asked.
"Moonbay-san, his name is Freiheit Van. He was the one who saved me from the mountain lion that I had encountered." the princess responded to her servant.
"Arigato, Freiheit-kun, for finding my master and saving her from a mountain lion! If it wasn't for you, she might have been hurt." Moonbay mentioned to him in appreciation.
"I'm just doing my job as a shinobi but please, don't call me Freiheit-kun, just call me Van." the chuunin retorted.
"Hey Van, are you the ninja whom Atsushi-sama had called upon when I met Yabuki?" Moonbay asked him.
"Yeah, that sure was me." Van replied. "But don't you think that it is already time for us to head back to the palace?" he added.
"Well then, let's head back." Fiona said.
At the Lynette family's palace…
"Dad, I'm so sorry if I'm late for the party…" Fiona said to her father.
"That's fine. Moonbay told me everything that had happened. She said that you were saved by a ninja." Atsushi answered to his daughter.
"Van, thanks for your bravery! I don't know what would I do if my daughter had been mauled by that mountain lion." the daimyo mentioned to Van.
"I'm just following the rules of our tribe, Atsushi-sama. You don't have to thank me for that!" the chuunin riposted to his master.
"Very well then, let's begin the celebration!" Atsushi announced.
While the guests were celebrating, Fiona walked away from the crowd.
"Hime, where are you going?" Van asked.
"Hum, there are too many people in the hall yet I just want to have a private time for myself. So I went here in the balcony." Fiona retorted to him. "How about you?" she asked in return.
"Huh, well, I'm just a ninja so I have no right to share in the celebration with royal blooded guests." the young shinobi replied.
"No! You have a right to join the celebration. You risked your life in order to save mine." The princess mentioned to him.
"Really?" Van asked her.
"Of course!" Fiona responded.
While the two of them were telling their respective stories to each other, they were unaware that they were being watched.
"Well, Isami, it seems our daughter and her future husband is starting to develop their feelings towards each other." Atsushi said to his wife.
"From what could I see, I would agree that you're right." Isami responded.
Van and Fiona had spent the whole party time with each other alone. They have barely felt the passing of time.
"So you are the heir to the Byakutaka tribe!" Fiona exclaimed.
"Hai." Van responded.
"Huh, good thing you have something to be proud of. I don't have anything to call as my own honor." the princess replied to the ninja.
"Don't say such things, Hime. I'm sure that you have something special to be proud of!" the chuunin replied to her.
"What could that be?" Fiona asked to him.
"I don't know. It's up to you to discover that." Van replied to her. "But there is something I want to tell you." he added.
"What is it?" she asked him again.
"From this day onward, I would be your faithful personal ninja, your highness!" he responded to her.
Fiona was shocked by what Van mentioned to her. Not only that she has been saved by him earlier that day but also by what she heard from him.
"Are you sure about that?" the princess questioned to her.
"A good ninja is always sure about his actions!" the shinobi replied to her.
"Atsushi, did you heard what Dan's son said to our daughter?" Isami asked her husband as they watched the two of them from a distance.
"I heard it clearly. He is definitely like his father in almost every aspect." the daimyo retorted. "I think our decision to engage her to him was right after all." he added.
"It certainly looks like this is the case here." His wife complemented him.
After that, the chuunin thanked them and left with full of energy. At the Freiheit's residence…
"How did your mission went?" Dan asked to his son.
"It went perfectly fine for me." Van riposted to his father.
"Hmmm. From your looks, it seems that you're somewhat inspired." the ninja master mentioned to his son.
"You could say that again. Actually, I met Atsushi-sama's daughter. Man, she's very beautiful and very nice." the young shinobi replied to him.
"So what is her name?" Dan asked once more.
"Her name is Fiona." Van answered.
"So how your meeting with her did went?" he asked again to his son.
"Well, we have had a little conversation." his son riposted to him with quiet a reservation.
"Van, tell me. There is more to it that just a small conversation, right?" Dan mentioned to him
"Actually, I promised her that from now on, I would be her loyal ninja. I will keep that vow for the rest of my life!" Van told his father while he blushed heavily.
"The deal that Atsushi-sama and I had made twelve years ago is now starting to be realized. From my perspective, I could see he has a very deep crush on her that could develop into real love. It's as if God had given the two of them just for each other alone." Dan muttered to himself.
At the Lynette fanily's palace…
"Rhys nee-san, what would you do if a ninja vowed to be your protector for the rest of your life, would you accept his offer?' Fiona asked her sister.
"Why did you ask me about that? Rhys questioned.
"It's because someone promised me that he would be my faithful ninja for the rest of his life." she replied to her.
"What! You mean you have a personal ninja?" Rhys yelled, quiet surprised.
"Yes. And his name is Freiheit Van." Fiona retorted as she blushed.
"Oh, you mean that chuunin who had saved you?" she asked her younger sister.
"Yes, it's exactly him whom I'm talking about." Fiona responded as she blushed heavier.
"I can see that you have a crush on him, isn't it?" Rhys said to her.
"Yes, kind of like that." the princess answered to her sister as she tried her new ao dai clothes.
Well, I don't think this chapter is good enough for you. But I would still appreciate your comments even if they are good or bad. I don't know when I would update next but I would try as soon as possible. My college life is really a hectic one. Arigato Gozai Mazu().