Author's Notes ============= ..I'll put my hands up and admit that this story wasn't as well thought out as it could have been. And there are a few liberties that I take. Esperanza's one-hundred-and-twenty-percent straight, Natsuna's nowhere near as bitchy, and Keiya was never so shy. But I had to pull the characterizations a little wider than normal to make them seem as an 'odd bunch'. For the most part I like the union my girls have in this story. But whether it works or not... that will be for you to decide. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Catering for the Princess ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Shinjuku District, Forbidden Tokyo Just another normal day in Forbidden Tokyo... ...But it wasn't like Rinako had asked to come here. God knows why she even agreed to this. Shopping was never her thing. Not with her sister, back home, nor here in Forbidden Tokyo. But for the most part; she had no choice. Princess Umi couldn't be walking around alone in these days of trouble, not even if Forbidden Tokyo's populous were in ignorance of her. The martial artist ran a finger through her amethyst locks of hair, tugging a tress behind her ear. Rinako really didn't have any options in the matter. All she could really do was guard Princess Umi while she bought what she wanted... although you would have believed that a woman such as her would have more on her mind than buying a few dresses... The Princess of Forbidden Tokyo ambled down the peaceful but busy streets of her city, shopping bags in one hand, Rinako's hand in the other. And the young woman smiled sweetly as she peered into another glassy window of the high street. "Ooh!" Princess Umi pointed with her bag-filled hand to a dress that had been draped on a dummy behind the glass window, "Would that not look simply wonderful on me? What do you think, Rinako? It's me, correct?" Rinako heaved a perturbed sigh. "...Uh... sure. Look, I'm really not cut out for this sort of thing, Princess Umi. Forbidden Tokyo may be the same as the Tokyo I left behind, but I didn't like shopping in the old one, either. So do you think we can cut this short...?" Umi looked away, snobbishly. "I do not think so. I am a princess, remember? You follow my orders. And my orders are simple. Tell me how I would look in that dress. Understand me?" Rinako scowled, unwinding her hand from Umi's. "Listen you, I don't take orders from anyone! And I didn't come to this reality out of my own free will, remember?" Well, that was no lie. But still, Rinako was needed, whether she liked it or not. And she was too honourable to turn her back on a city that needed her. The young Umi pouted at Rinako, shutting her eyes and looking away. "...You are a very stubborn woman. But I suppose I can put up with it for now. It makes you that much cuter. But if you are to be my queen then you will have to learn good etiquette at some point." Again, Rinako scowled. "Lookie here, Princess! We've been over this! I'm not your--" "Ooh! That would look wonderful on me!" Whatever Rinako had planned to say, that had been swiftly cut off from Princess Umi's zeal. Nobody seemed to love shopping as much as that girl did. While gazing back at the clothes on offer in the window display of that shop, Princess Umi unconsciously grabbed onto Rinako's hand again. And there really was nothing she could do about it. Rinako released a puff of air to keep from getting angry. Umi was so hard to deal with. If she wasn't falling all over Rinako with affection, she was bossing the others around. Telling them how to work, fight, eat, sleep, dream, think! And it was driving Rinako insane! Still, Umi was 'royalty' in this world. Even though her true identity was concealed, this woman was fated to rule all of Forbidden Tokyo. And until she turned eighteen, Rinako and the others had to protect her from anything that might upset her ascension. Only then could she get back home... And so, Rinako Ikatsuji just settled for a stalemate. Not like she was going to get any better in arguing with Umi. That girl had this annoying habit of winning every verbal argument. It was just a shame that her pompous mouth couldn't do her own fighting for her... "...So are you gonna buy anything?" Rinako said in defeat, "Or are we just going to stand here all day, hand in hand?" "Stop complaining," Umi retorted, "You are worse than Natsuna. We have got a lot to do today. And Miki said that you and the others planned on training later, did she not? Therefore we must be careful in what we buy. The only thing that seems to excite you is the prospect of fighting. And that's just not becoming of someone under my command." Though Rinako was really getting sick and tired of being referred to as somewhat of a subordinate, she ignored that and moved on to another issue. "...What do you mean we?" Umi gave a confident grin as she looked back at her guardian. "Well, I did not just come here for myself! We are going to gather together a whole new wardrobe! All for you!" "You're kidding me, right?" "Well of course not," Umi replied, "Princesses should never joke about the wardrobes of their consorts. We must to have you dressed in the finest clothing money can buy. Because... to be ruthlessly honest... your current wear is not exactly... becoming of my future queen." The taller girl blinked, then looked down at her wear. The same schoolgirl outfit she had come to this world in. The brown and white sailor uniform that she was appointed to wear at her school, Tomeishuu High. "...These clothes suit me just fine, thanks." Umi shook her head, sagely. "You must learn to be more cooperative, Rinako." "Me?!" Rinako yelled aloud, "I'm the one who has to learn to be cooperative? Now you listen here, you're the one who forced me to come shopping with you! You damn near dragged me out of my bed just so I could come here with you! And now you're telling me that I don't know how to dress!?" "I did not say that you do not know how to dress," Umi replied. "I just said that the clothes you're wearing... are in need of a change. If you have poor dress sense, well, we can remedy that in the future, right?" Rinako gave a third, annoyed scowl. She could never argue with Princess Umi for long. The moment Rinako got angry, she'd see that little innocent smile of the Princesses' and then forgive her. Though Umi had a horribly bossy and snobbish personality; she had a kind of beauty that was hard to find. Soft pale skin, long locks of elongated silver-blonde hair that touched to the globes of her cute behind, as well as those big bright emerald eyes. Though she absolutely hated to admit it; Princess Umi really was beautiful. It made her almost impossible to argue with or be mad at. Rinako whispered to herself under her breath. "Geez. You are so damn lucky that you're gorgeous..." Umi blinked, looking at her 'consort' with a stunned glare. "What did you just say...?" "Uh... n-nothing at all..." Here we go... "D-Don't take that the wrong way... I uh..." Too late. Princess Umi giggled for joy, hopping off her feet and wrapping her arms around the taller, stronger Rinako Ikatsuji. Umi grasped Rinako tightly, not caring about the stares they was receiving from the other consumers. "Oh I heard what you said, Rinako! You care about me! You know you do!" "...Damn," Rinako sighed, feeling Umi's soft cheek against her own, "...You just don't take no for an answer, do you...?" "Nope!" Umi replied with glee, still clinging to her guardian. "Not until I get what I want. And believe me, Rinako, I always do." Rinako would probably have made a retort to that comment, if not for the sound of a few screams behind them. Princess Umi unwound her arms from Rinako's neck, dragging her bags in front of her. And the martial artist cast a glare behind her. Across the busy road of this Shinjuku high street. It was exactly as Rinako had feared. A crowds of people gathered together and stood in awe as a shifting black hole appeared before the window of a cake shop. They were all captivated by it... like it was a tear in the fabric of space and time. Which it was. It was a portal. But all their wonder turned sharply into fear as something less than human appeared from that portal. A huge hulking hand shot out from it, covered in a thick slime and tainted with vein-loaded, roasted black flesh. The claw was soon joined by the rest of the body. And the large, gruesome mass of the creature stomped into the Shinjuku street. Women and children screamed at the hideousness of the thing, as its powerful jaws opened up, revealing sharp scattered teeth, foul breath and a beastly roar. "RAAAAAAGH!" It bellowed. The people around began to scatter. All falling over themselves to get away, dropping their shopping and escaping into nearby buildings and shops. Rinako sighed, lowering her arms. The last thing she needed was to have to deal with this. Another of the Jikininki's mindless drones. But she had to protect Princess Umi. Umi was her only shot at getting back home. "Princess," Rinako said, "You'd better take cover while I deal with this. Okay?" Umi nodded, knowing that the best thing to do in this situation was to let the other woman handle it. Rinako Ikatsuji wasn't leader of the Silver Valkyries for nothing. And so Rinako dashed over to the gigantic creature, tightening her fists and gathering her Chi. It looked like this thing wanted to taste a little bit of the Rai shou en ken style... Rinako's feet skidded to a stop. Her dash brought her face to face with the demon that had been summoned to this section of Forbidden Tokyo. Her fists flicked up into a defensive position by her upper body. And that slimy eyeball of her prey rolled around in its socket until the two were staring right at each other. "You," Rinako yelled, "You're working for the Jikininki, right? Well you can tell them this from me. I won't let you guys lay a single paw on Princess Umi!" A firm but low growl escaped the demon's lips. "Graaaagh..." as it continued to eye off with Rinako. To be honest, she was sure that this beast couldn't understand a single word that she said, but according to Princess Umi... A Princess' Guard and Consort must state her business before beginning any sort of fight. The usual sort of posh nonsense that Umi spouted every now and again. Strangely enough, thinking of the Princess of Forbidden Tokyo made Rinako want to check up on how she was doing. The martial artist cast her eyes back and took a glimpse at Princess Umi. The high and mighty girl was standing behind a large dumpster that had been slammed into the side of an alleyway. And Rinako couldn't help but snigger at how uncomfortable Umi looked standing next to the trash. "Looks like Princesses don't often get their hands dirty..." It wasn't until Princess Umi gave an urgent look in Rinako's direction that she realized she should have been keeping her focus on the monster. Rinako turned around to see what the problem was and met with it. The slimy ogre of the Jikininki thrust its fist forwards and bellowed a deep roar. Rinako blinked right before her beautiful face was pounded with the raw knuckles of the ogre. "Ugh!" The girl was sent straight off her feet and across the street from the swinging force of the punch. While her body was sent through that windy air, Rinako reopened her eyes and looked forwards. She was still moving! And headed for the brick wall of the department store that Princess Umi had been window shopping at. Well that was enough of that. The Japanese girl rotated her body mid-air and launched her feet at the wall. Both flat soles of trainers kicked off it as a support for her (minimal!) weight and her body vaulted forwards as a result. Rinako landed on the stone of the street, sporting a new mild purple bruise on her face. The abrasive girl rubbed her jaw a little. That hulking piece of flesh had actually hit her! "Dammit!" Rinako expressed, "...Looks like I'm gonna have to get serious..."
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