Here we are at a brand-new story. I've been reading this story from the beginning, and despite what some people may say about it, I actually like it. While Inglis may not be pursuing romance as her main goal (she just wants to protect Rafinha and fight strong opponents), I've decided to give her a little romance in her life. I know she had feelings for the goddess Alistia in her previous life, but let's give the other girls a chance too, shall we. There is no big objective in this story. It's just something I did for fun for my own enjoyment. Anyway, I do not own Reborn to Master the Blade. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 1. Enjoy. Warning: if you haven't read the story or watched the anime, minor spoilers in some of these chapters.

Chapter 1: Dancing with Eris

It was a night of celebration after an extremely hard-fought battle. After beating back the legendary Prismer which would've destroyed the kingdom, the royal family and the nobility held a celebration for the heroes and soldiers that fought valiantly to protect their homeland. Among those heroes were Inglis and her friends, who made considerable contributions to ending the conflict and the threat of the Prismer beast. Of course, Inglis made Rafael take the credit since she didn't want to get forced into some kind of command position which would take her away from the frontlines. Even so, many saw her great deeds and consider her a hero. As such, she was invited to the party as were her friends. Inglis certainly wasn't going to pass up the chance to wear fancy dresses and eat delicious food.

What's more, she and her friends even managed to get the usually cold and serious Eris to dress up for the occasion. Eris seemed pretty embarrassed by it, but she didn't fight back against them. Though, she did blush when they all said how beautiful she looked. Secretly, Inglis thought she looked stunning. When Inglis and her friends entered the party, most eyes fell onto them. Here were the girls who fought bravely and helped bring their forces out from the jaws of defeat. Not to mention that Inglis, wearing a gorgeous red dress that showed off her figure, was like an angel sent down from the heavens. Who wouldn't be enraptured by her beauty. Unfortunately, they would all fail in this regard.

Inglis holds her arms, feeling the eyes on her person, "These people don't give up, do they. I certainly hope I didn't look upon women with such looks in my past life," she silently hopes.

"Inglis, come on, I'm starving!" her cousin, Rafinha, begs.

Their stomachs growled. Indeed. They were both famished. The first order of business was filling the two bottomless pits known as their stomachs. They waltz right over to the food table, leaving their friends behind. It's not long before the two have plates stacked and go to town. Despite the noble setting around them, they couldn't care less. Not if they want to satisfy their voracious appetites.

"I see you two haven't changed. Though, maybe you're just hungry after that huge battle," they turn to see Rafael approach them in an outfit similar to his uniform, but more ceremonial than practical.

"Brother!" Rafinha cheers, even with food stuffed in her mouth.

Inglis swallows her food, "I'm glad to see you're doing well, cousin. Hope that punch I gave you didn't leave any permanent damage," she smiles.

Rafael rubs his head, "Heh-heh, I'm alright. Though, I suppose I should thank you for that. Otherwise..." he trails off.

Had Inglis not knocked out Rafael during the battle against the Prismer, he would've used Eris' power. It would've most likely destroyed the beast, but at the cost of Rafael's life. That's the price of using a Hyrule Menace. A way of keeping such power warriors, and weapons, from being used against Highland. Inglis figured it out a long time ago, and recently found a way to bypass that little problem. That's why she was able to use both Eris and Ripple in their weapon forms with no repercussions whatsoever. Inglis remembers how Eris changed after that. The burden she would always carry. The pain of losing a comrade because of her power. When Eris learned she could fight alongside Inglis without killing her, it seemed like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She was much more relaxed now, and smiled a lot more too. Primarily when Inglis was around.

"Yeah, well, I still have a long way to go. I want to be able to beat a Prismer without using someone else's power. It was me, Eris, and Ripple, so it was a three-on-one battle. Not a one-on-one battle. I can't wait for the next time a Prismer goes on the prowl!" Inglis is itching for another brawl already.

"Chris, no! No more fighting for today, please! Let's enjoy the party, and eat tasty food without monsters dropping in to wreck it all like last time," Rafinha pouts, pinching Inglis' cheeks.

Rafael laughs, "Hahaha, you guys truly never change. Um, Inglis, if I may ask, would you be willing-,"

"Ah, there you are," a new voice stops him and they turn to see Prince Wayne.

"Your Highness," Rafael bows his head, while Rafinha and Inglis quickly swallow their food and offer polite curtsies to him.

"At ease. I hope the food is to your liking. Father informed me of your appetites, so I made sure we had plenty of food available, for you and the rest of the guests," Prince Wayne greets them.

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Rafinha bows her head.

"Sorry to interrupt this family moment, but may I borrow Sir Rafael for a moment? His Majesty and I wish to speak with him," Prince Wayne asks.

"Oh, it's no trouble at all," Inglis replies.

Rafael looked like he wanted to say something, but as a knight sworn to serve, he couldn't go against the prince's wishes. With that, the two boys leave the female pair to talk elsewhere. Inglis sighs. She had a feeling he was going to ask her something uncomfortable. However, the situation gets worse when music starts playing. Pairs hit the dance floor to flow with the music. Inglis notices a lot of the men, of at least a few ages, giving her meaningful glances. It's obvious they're hoping to dance with her as a means of getting closer to the beautiful hero that saved their kingdom. It didn't help that she's still single right now, either. Looking to get away from their lustful gazes, Inglis manages to sneak her way out of the ballroom before anyone could stop her. Once she's made sure she hasn't been followed, she finds a balcony overlooking the capital for some fresh air.

"Ugh, all those men looking at me made me lose my appetite. Well, almost," Inglis mutters.

"You two, huh," Inglis turns to find Eris joining her on the balcony.

"Eris, shouldn't you be back at the party?" Inglis asks.

"I haven't been one for parties in a long time. And, in the first party that I was actually looking to enjoy, I found myself surrounded by men looking to cozy up to me or dance with me. To be honest, it took all my self-control not to cut them down then and there. I just... the thought of dancing with them made my skin crawl. So, I escaped and came here, only to find you," Eris explains.

"Believe me, I understand the feeling. I love dressing up and eating delicious food, besides fighting strong opponents and spending time with Rani, but the rest can be a bit taxing," Inglis rubs her cheek.

"To be honest, I was hoping to speak with you privately. I wanted to tell you how grateful I am to you," Eris says, resting her hands on the balcony.

"You mean... because of what happened in the last battle?" Inglis surmises.

Eris nods, "For so long, I have fought with many partners against threats to the innocent. And each time we had to use my power, I had to bid farewell to a comrade, an ally, a friend... and even more. I was stuck in this endless cycle of sacrifice and pain. I had just about given up on hope for a better future. A better choice. And then I met you. Since the first night we met, you've destroyed my expectations of you. You've created one miracle after another. Your very existence is a complete mystery. And yet, you gave me the chance to use my power and fight alongside someone without killing them. To know what that feels like, that joy and relief; it's liberating. You, Inglis Eucus, gave me hope again. And I will forever be grateful to you for that,"

Inglis smiles, "Hey, I was just happy to help. Besides, it was awesome getting to fight with you against that Prismer. Though, next time, I want to fight one one-on-one. I won't be satisfied until I've grown as strong as I possibly can," she pumps her fist.

Eris chuckles, "That's just like you. I can't keep being surprised by you anymore,"

Just then, they hear the faint sound of music from the ballroom and Inglis gets an idea.

"Hey, Eris, let's dance!" Inglis says out of the blue.

"Huh? Dance? You and me?" Eris wasn't expecting that.

"Yeah. I mean, when's the last time you've dressed up this fancy before. And I don't get to dress like this that often either. So, we might as well make the most of it. So, come on, let's dance!" Inglis grabs Eris' hand and pulls her in.

Eris squeaks in surprise but can't stop Inglis. Soon enough, the two are dancing under the moonlight to the faint sounds of music. At first, Eris was nervous about the idea for a number of reasons. But, as they moved, and she stared into the smiling face of Inglis, she became more relaxed. Even came to enjoy it.

"I can't remember the last time I danced like this. Though, this is the first time I've danced with another woman," Eris notes.

"Rani and I would dance a few times as kids just for fun. There's nothing wrong with doing it every now and then," Inglis replies.

"Maybe, but I think I'm still hesitant to dance with a man. However... I don't mind dancing with you, Inglis," Eris says.

"You can call me Chris if you want. Rani always does," Inglis winks.

"Inglis... Chris... Okay," Eris finds herself staring into Inglis' eyes. How they shine. "You know... your eyes really seem to shine in the moonlight. Like precious rubies,"

Inglis finds herself blushing at the compliment. She's had people compliment her before, but from Eris it's different. More. They continue to dance on the balcony, lost in each other's presence. Slowly, their bodies move closer to one another without them realizing. Due to her past life, Inglis has always preferred women over men. When she first met Eris, she thought she was beautiful. Almost as beautiful as the goddess Alistia, but close to her. And, she has a pure heart, a desire for justice and duty. She's practically the whole package. The two are so lost in the moment that they slowly inch closer to one another without realizing it. It's only when they get closer do they realize what they're about to do and Eris pulls away.

"No, I can't," Eris looks away.

"Eris..." Inglis mutters with worry.

"I don't want to betray Rafael like this. I mean-I just..." Eris trails off.

"Rafael?" Inglis looks confused.

Eris feels trapped now. She doesn't want to betray her comrade, but no way can she get out of this without an explanation.

"Rafael... I know you two are cousins, but he wants you two to be more. He's in love with you," Eris confesses, stepping away from Inglis.

"Huh? Rafael is... Oh, good grief," Inglis holds her forehead.

"I'm sorry. I've already betrayed him by telling you this, so please just-," Eris turns to walk away, but Inglis grabs her wrist.

"I'll deal with Rafael. To be honest, I'm surprised I didn't notice sooner," Inglis says.

"Huh?" now Eris is confused.

"Listen. I have no romantic feelings for Rafael. He's my cousin, he's family, so I would never marry him in the first place, even if some noble families do that. Eris, the truth is... I've no romantic interest in men whatsoever," Inglis confesses one of her biggest kept secrets.

Not even Rafinha knew about this.

"Wait, you... what?" Eris still doesn't understand.

"What I'm saying Eris... is that if I ever wanted to enter into a relationship with someone," she steps closer to Eris. "I'd rather it be with another woman," she says with a big smile on her face.

"Inglis," Eris mutters in shock.

Inglis steps closer and takes Eris's hands in her own, "If you're truly against this, then I won't push the matter. But, maybe... you would like to try? With me?"

"Are you serious? You would want to... with someone like me?" Eris mutters, but doesn't pull away.

"You don't have to worry about betraying Rafael. I'll explain things to him. And yes, I would like to try it with you, Eris. To be honest, you possess a lot of qualities I look for in a partner. Eris, it's okay to want things. To be selfish every now and then. So..." Inglis is just a few inches from Eris's face now. "Care to give me, give us, a shot?"

Eris falls into Inglis' eyes. Inglis has always been so different, so unique, so... beautiful and amazing. Eris has been pulled along by her in so many of her little schemes when it comes to fighting. Perhaps she's been pulled along by her in more ways than one from the very beginning. Eris says nothing, but slowly leans in closer. Inglis responds until their lips finally meet. They wrap their arms around each other to get closer. Their eyes slowly close as they succumb to this growing attraction between them. When they finally separate, the air of hesitation and worry between them had been cleared. Now, there was no question about their feelings.

"You just keep taking my breath away, Chris," Eris smiles.

"You'll find I'm full of surprises," Inglis winks at her.

They share another kiss before staring off into the night sky, their hands interlocked to signify their new bond. A bond forged through time and battle, but one that means so much more.

And that's the chapter. Again, aside from the goddess Alistia, if Inglis were to end up with anyone, Eris would be my first pick. Well, plenty more to come with the other girls. Until then, please Read and Review.