In a land far away there was a powerful kingdom. In that kingdom lived a princess named Emu, she was the youngest of her siblings and while she wanted to explore and learn more about the kingdom to help out, but her father worried something would happen so he forbade her from leaving the palace grounds and tasked the guards and her helder brothers to make sure she listened. The constant surveillance however did not stop her from eventually escaping to the forest just outside the castle walls, it wasn't the distance from her home that mattered to Emu it was the freedom to explore a new place on her own.
Wondering through the forest the princess' eyes widened in wonder at the beautiful scenery around her. Kneeling down near a patch of flowers Emu went to reach out and pick one when a voice suddenly spoke.
"Don't touch those, they're dangerous!" The voice warned, sounding like a whisper on the wind.
Pulling her hand back Emu looked around her, trying to see who or where the voice had come from.
"Who's there?!" The princess called out, her tone slightly panicked.
"Do not be afraid, I am not going to harm you." The voice said in an attempt to calm and reassure her.
Thinking she'd had enough excitement for one day the princess stood and prepared to leave but as she turned she was halted in place by a large wolf blocking her path. Frightened Emu took a few steps backward before sprinting off in the opposite direction, this action inviting the beast to chase after her. Running through the forest blindly Emu did her best to try and lose the danger not far behind her, but as she ran her footing became careless and she caught her foot on a tree root causing her to fall to the forest floor injuring her ankle in the process.
Seeing an easy opportunity the wolf lunged at Emu, but right before it could land its attack a red ball shot out from the trees and knocked the wolf away and through a tree.
Emu was completely terrified now, tears fell down her face from both the pain in her ankle and fear that something stronger than the wolf was out there.
A few seconds passed before a figure emerged from the trees. The light revealed them as a male who was tall with purple and teal streaked hair that was pulled back in a small messy ponytail. He wore a long gray tunic with black pants underneath and a dark-colored cloak draped over his shoulders, a monocle sat on the right side of his face, and through it, one of two piercing yellow eyes could be seen. Looking in Emu's direction the man walked over towards her which made her flinch and try to move away but that only made her injury hurt worse and a small whimper escaped from her lips.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here to help." The stranger spoke before kneeling down next to the princess.
Emu was hesitant to trust him but she didn't really have a choice in her current condition.
Examining Emu's leg the male moved to reach into the bag he had with him. From the bag he pulled out what looked like a roll of cloth, he used it to dress Emu's wound, making sure it was tightly secured but not enough to cause her more discomfort.
Emu watched him closely as he worked, she'd never seen anything like this before and was genuinely curious.
Feeling her eyes on him and seeing the curious expression on her face a small smile appeared on the purple-haired male's lips, the princess' behavior was amusing to him. Soon he was done with the bandaging and put away the leftover materials into his bag.
"What's your name and how did you know how to help me?" The princess spoke up, an onslaught of questions starting.
Surprised by her questions he took a moment to respond, debating if he should answer truthfully or not.
"My name is Rui Kamishiro, but you may just call me Rui. As for my injury treatment method, a friend of mine taught me some basic medical knowledge." He answered her truthfully, being only slightly vague about his medical education.
Emu nodded as she heard his answers. "Well Mr. Rui, are you a bad person? You are a magic user and my father warned me about magic being used for bad things by bad people." She continued her questioning, curiosity outweighing her logic of respecting privacy.
Rui knew to most people he seemed like a villain or strange, he was told this for most of his life. However he wasn't a terrible person, he just lived life as he wished not bound by rules or laws. Living this way tended to drive people away from him out of fear due to his whimsical ideas and magical power being greater than the average user's.
"I don't believe I am a bad person but I think you're allowed to make your own opinion as we interact with each other." He responded, giving her a chance to make her own choice about him.
Emu didn't think he was a bad guy, he had saved her and treated her wound so he couldn't be all bad.
"I do hope to get to know you better so I can find out for myself." The princess said, a gentle smile on her face.
Seeing her smile made Rui's chest fill up with a warm sensation, he'd never had anyone actually give him a fair chance or show him any kindness. Returning the smile with one of his own, Rui took in the nice moment before he returned to reality.
"Thank you for your kindness but we should get you back home. I will need your permission to lift you, I will be gentle and respectful while doing so." Rui said, giving a request as he knew she couldn't, and he wouldn't want her to, walk in her condition but he would never touch another without consent.
Hearing his words and request Emu knew he was correct about needing to return home. Her family was bound to be worried by now and she was definitely going to get an earful lecture from her parents. Looking up into Rui's eyes the princess gave him a small nod in acceptance, giving him full permission to help her.
Having gotten permission Rui carefully slid his arms underneath Emu's body and lifted her gently off the ground, being careful not to irritate her injury. Making sure she was secure Rui set off on the path, carrying the princess all the way back to her home. Stopping at the edge of the forest that faced the castle entrance, that was blocked by two guards, Rui sat Emu down on a soft patch of grass before making a loud noise to get the guards' attention, disappearing before they reached the area.
Emu was very upset she couldn't thank Rui for helping her but she didn't get to dwell on it long as she had two guards fretting over her and asking a ton of questions before helping her inside.
