Keiji: (The princess... Oh my god. I can't. I can't…)
He set down his binoculars to rub his eyes and ponder over his next bright idea.
Keiji: (She—she’s royalty. Not to mention it's her birthday…)
His heart was heavy with grief. He felt like he could jump off his boat and sink down to the bottom of the murky waters. But then he looked back up to the girl, seeing her sad face once again, her rosy lips limp in a pitiful frown, her pale cheeks colorless, her eyes heavy and shining with potential tears. After a few moments, he began to see things from another view.
Keiji: (Maybe—maybe she's lonely, all cooped up in that palace all day, the only people to talk to being your father and brother...)
She leaned up against the railing again, looking down at the busy street below, her eyes making contact with a particular grocery cart. She tilted her head to the side, examining Keiji from above with a raised eyebrow, curious to why he was looking at her.
Keiji: (Sh—she's looking at me... Oh crud what do I do?)
The princess continued to look at him, a bright, beautiful smile lighting up her face, this one being genuine. Her cheeks turned red with a cute blush, her eyes sparkling even brighter with the stars and lanterns.
Keiji: (Oh my gosh.... She's...beautiful—no, radiant—no, stunning! Such a beautiful smile...)
He lifted his arm and gave a steady salute to her. (If he had waved, he feared she would have found it a bit…fruity...) As she saw this, she chuckled, and then gave a sweet wave back, her eyes bright and happier than Keiji had seen them all night.
King Daisuke: Yume, it's late, sweetheart.
Yume: But father...
She turned behind her to see the king approaching, beckoning her daughter to come closer.
King Daisuke: Come, come. Let's get you into bed.
Yume: Yes...father...
The girl hesitantly took her father by the arm and walked back into the palace, turning back to Keiji with one last smile.
Akio: Oh my gosh, guys...
He spoke as he sat on the railing of the boat, his eyes shining as he still had the picture of that blonde beauty in his mind.
Akio: She was so gorgeous.... I just... I can't get her out of my head...
Mokoto: Don't get too attached, Akio. Remember, as soon as we're done with them, they're gone.
Mokoto spoke flatly and truthfully, though he too couldn’t get the dark-haired amethyst-eyed beauty out of his mind either.
Keiji: Right. We don’t want you to get too attatched, now.
And he couldn’t get his mind off of that radiant smile…
Akio: Yeah....
He sighed as he hopped down from the railing.
Keiji: Well, it's pretty late... You guys ready to go?
Mokoto: Yeah. The sooner we get them, the sooner they'll be free.
Akio: And the sooner I'll get to see her face again...
The love struck boy’s eyes grew sparkly and bright as he thought of the woman that made his heart skip beats.
Both: Ehh...
Mokoto: Should we fear for his sanity?
Keiji: Not a bad idea...
But while both of them were mocking Akio’s new infatuation, their new emotions were not far from that.
Akio stood next to a one-story cottage, excited to see the blonde goddess once again. It was a small abode, perfect for a middle class family with two or three children. It had three windows in the front of the house, and a small door between the first and second, though he didn’t want to walk straight in through the front door. It’d be like asking for a death wish. Instead, he peeked into the first window and saw a small dog snoring on a carpet.
Akio: (That's defiantly not her...)
He stepped to the next window and saw a younger little girl that shared the same golden wavy hair as her big sister. She slept cozily with a blanket tucked up by her shoulders and a teddy bear in her arm.
Akio: (Getting warmer, but a bit young for me...)
Finally, he peeked into the third window, and there she was: that magnificent angel, slumbering quietly in a sunset orange nightgown as a white satin sheet was draped around her torso.
Akio: She’s so beautiful—
He sighed at the sight as he admired it for a moment, just to let the beauty sink in, then quietly pulled open the window and stepped inside. As he placed down his first foot, he heard the floorboards squeak loudly. The noisy squeal made his eyes roll.
Akio: (Perfect...)
He stepped slowly closer now. He felt kind of like a stalker, slinking slowly towards the unaware victim... He shook the thought out of his head and continued walking, slowly, slowly....then.... Squeak.
Takara: Mm...
She moaned gently as she heard the noise and slowly opened her vibrant green eyes, staring into those of the man before her. He was frozen now, and wide-eyed, staring at her like a statue. He probably looked scarier now than he would have been if he were calm.
Takara: AH-mph!
She began to scream but he rushed closer and cupped his hand over her mouth before she had a chance to let out a full-volume cry.
Akio: Shhh. It's alright. I'm not here to hurt you, I promise.
He spoke softly and sincerely, calming her down as much as possible as he looked into the dazzling green eyes mirroring his own.
Akio: Do you think I can trust you enough to move my hand?
The girl nodded slowly, her eyes still wide in fear of this man. Who wouldn't be afraid in this situation?
Akio moved his hand away from the girl's mouth, still moving very slowly. He was afraid that any sudden movements would make the poor kid faint.
Takara: Who...who are you?
Akio: Me?
A sly smile crept across Akio's face and he raised his eyebrows up and down as if trying to show off.
Akio: I'm a pirate.
The girls' eyes grew even wider as even more fear overcame her.
Takara: A...a...pirate...
Her breaths became unsteady as terrible thoughts raced through her mind.
Takara: (If he's a pirate...then that means...He might be trying to...)
This was the girl's worst nightmare. She was petrified. She had to break her promise on this one. Soon after the thoughts began to pour into her mind, she let out a long, high pitched...
Takara: AHHHHHHH!
....Scream.
Akio: Ugh... This one's your fault, love.
With that, he pulled a bandanna from his pocket and wrapped it around his nose and mouth. Next he pulled a handful of the violet pellets from his pocket and hurled them to the ground, letting a cloud of purple fog fill the room, leaving the girl coughing before she fell forward toward Akio, who caught her gently, her head landing delicately on his shoulder as she slept gently.
Akio: It's alright... I'm not going to hurt you...
He whispered softly into her ear before taking her into his arms and exiting through the window. The deed was done.
Mokoto stepped through the door of the one-room cabin, not even trying to be quiet. It was a sad little house, if it could be called even that. It was tiny, even for one person to be living in. Inside there were only a small table and one chair, a few candles lit atop it, a fireplace covered with ash, and a small straw mattress currently containing a thin body with pin-straight black hair spilled over the top of the sheets as she slept calmly with her arm under the pillow on which her head lied.
He slammed the door shut, grinning towards the black-haired girl.
Mokoto: I know you're awake. You don't have to fake it.
She turned her head to face him, Amethyst eyes sparkling in the candlelight.
Amaya: How'd you know?
Mokoto: You made the mistake of flinching when I slammed the door.
Amaya: I see...
She sat up, keeping one hand under the pillow.
Mokoto: Hiding a knife I see?
She smiled slyly.
Amaya: You can read me like a book, can't you?
She pulled a pair of daggers out from under the pillow, tossing one into the other hand while still clutching the second as she stood and walked closer to the man.
Mokoto: Maybe… Or maybe it was just obvious by the way you insisted on keeping one hand under the pillow in such a suspicious manner?
He drew a long, sharp katana from its sheath and held it out in front of him.
Amaya: So it's a fight you want, hm?
Mokoto: Why are you asking me? You were the first to draw a weapon.
Amaya: Good point...
She tilted her head to the side, staring into those dark, grey eyes, trying to read him. She had always had a knack for seeing into someone's mind, but she was having incredible difficulty with this particular man.
Amaya: Well, I'm suspecting that you want your wallet back?
Mokoto: Maybe.
Amaya: Well you might hafta fight it out of me first.
Mokoto: Oh I intend to.
Amaya: Any last words?
Mokoto: Sure.
He pulled a few purple pellets from his pocket and held them by his side, ready to toss them.
Mokoto: Pleasant dreams.
Amaya: What...?
He pulled the collar of his shirt up over his face and tossed the pellets, sending a wave of purple smoke over to her, causing her to cough a few times before falling forward, Mokoto catching her before she hit the ground. He drew his wallet from the young lady's pocket and sneered to the now-sleeping teen.
Mokoto: Thank you and have a nice day.
He took her up into his arms and walked out the door, back into the dark, starlit night.
Keiji stood at the base of the palace, staring up to the balcony of the princess's bedroom on the second story. He was still amazed that he had gotten this far without the guards seeing him.
Keiji: (Of course. I get the girl with the bedroom on the second story…)
Luckily the wall beneath the balcony had overgrown with thick vines—thick enough to where Keiji could climb upon them to reach his destination.
Keiji: (Well... Here goes...)
He took hold of the first vine, clung tight to it, and hoisted himself upward.
Keiji: (Okay....well...all those years working-out were not wasted...)
He continued to climb upward, using all the strength his arms could muster up to reach the second floor. Once he had gotten high enough, he grabbed the vine with one hand and leaned over to the balcony floor and took hold of that with the other hand. Using up the rest of his energy, he swung himself over to the balcony and pulled himself up onto it. He wiped the sweat off of his forehead and then continued on into the princess's bedroom through the open doors.
This place was gorgeous. The walls were painted a soft blue that was accented by the shimmering light emitted from a chandelier that hung above the center of the room, right next to a bed dressed with fine satin sheets and laced pillows, the whole thing covered by a soft white canopy. A small table and chairs sat in the corner next to a roaring fireplace that gave the room a nice cozy feeling.
Keiji: (Whoa. This kid knows how to live...)
He stepped further in, closer to the bed, but as he neared, he saw that it was empty--in fact, it looked as if no one had ever been in it tonight at all.
Keiji: (Hm... Where could she be at this hour?)
He didn't know what to do now. What, was he to go through the guard-infested palace trying to find her?
Keiji sighed. He still felt a bit bad about committing this act; however, he knew that this girl was sad and lonely on the inside. Just seeing someone looking to her made her face light up with the most beautiful smile Keiji had ever seen. Just thinking about it again made his heart skip.
Samuru: WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING!?!
Keiji's heart gave a jolt as he heard yelling out in the hall. He hastily ran to the opposite side of the room and hid beside the door, knowing that it would open into the room toward the wall and hide him if he needed it to. Now that that was taken care of, he had a chance to listen to this heated discussion.
Samuru: SNEAKING OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT! YOU COULD HAVE BEEN HURT!
Yume: I'm...I'm sorry brother... I should have known better...
Keiji knew that voice. That soft, sweet, beautiful voice...
Keiji: (She was trying to sneak out? I guess she was lonelier than I thought...)
Samuru: YES YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER! YOU ARE A PRINCESS! THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT COULD HARM YOU IN WAYS YOU COULD NEVER IMAGINE!
Yume: Well I'm sorry I disappointed you!
Keiji heard quick footsteps and heavy sobs growing louder as they approached. Soon the door flew open, and then closed again, revealing the face of the Hitomi princess, tears flooding her eyes. She removed a dark cloak from around her shoulders, leaving only a silky, white, incredibly short spaghetti-strap nightgown over her body. She flung the cloak onto the bed and stood up against the wall, sobbing uncontrollably. She apparently had not noticed that she was standing right next to another person.
Keiji: (Oh my god oh my god what do I do what do I do?)
Thoughts raced in his head faster than he ever thought possible. He was standing next to the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in his life, about to kidnap her, and he had no idea what he was doing.
Keiji: (Do I...do I hug her? Do I walk away and pretend I’m not here...? Um... Ok I've decided. I'm just gonna stand here, close my eyes, and pray she doesn't see me.)
He shut his eyes tight, hearing only sniffling and heavy breathing from the girl next to him for a while...until the sobs came to a sudden cease. He opened one eye to see the girl staring at him, eyes wide in fear, mouth gaping.
Keiji: Ah…Princess... It's not what you think....
She inhaled, ready to scream, but before she could make a sound, Keiji came closer, quickly reached his hand out, touched her cheek, and drew her face to his in a sweet, tender kiss.
Keiji: (Eh...did I just...?)
Keiji wanted to ask himself stupid questions, but this was not the time. This was too good to be true.
The two slowly drew away from each other, Yume still breathing heavily, staring into those handsome blue eyes. Her tears had faded. Her worries were gone. The only thing she cared about were those turquoise blue eyes...
Keiji was just as surprised as she was. He couldn't believe what he had just done. HE JUST KISSED THE PRINCESS! He shook his head, almost pretending he didn't do what he thought he did.
Keiji: Princess… I'm so sorry. I just couldn't let you scream...
She just continued to stare, not reacting as if in a daze.
Keiji: Um... Listen... I-I know that you were trying to get away... Would...would you like to come with me?
He held out his hand, praying that his excuse had worked its charm. She continued staring, and then gave a simple nod, taking his hand without moving her eyes from his.
-PREVIEW!-
Mikona: Puu! I'm here to help Starlite give a preview for her next chapter!
Phew! Looks like they get away from the island all right. But now the guys have to deal with something worse than getting caught: three girls that hate their guts.
Next time on Beyond the Horizon: "WHERE AM I!?!"
Mikona can't wait!
Mikona: Puu! I'm here to help Starlite give a preview for her next chapter!
Phew! Looks like they get away from the island all right. But now the guys have to deal with something worse than getting caught: three girls that hate their guts.
Next time on Beyond the Horizon: "WHERE AM I!?!"
Mikona can't wait!
