Akagame No Shirayuki-Hime-The Next Chapterby Mkchief34ChaptersChapter 1-The GateChapter 2-ClarinesChapter 3-Tales and BreakfastChapter 4-GatheringChapter 1-The GateAs Twilight worked on the device connected to the Mirror Portal, Spike bit his claws nervously. "Twilight? Are you SURE this will work?" Twilight turned and looked at Spike, and smiled in an attempt to reassure him. "I'll be fine. The Mirror Portal may not be as understood as I would like, but if this device works, I can connect to other worlds beyond Canterlot High. How great would that be?" "It might be nice, but just BE CAREFUL." Spike said. "I'm not sure this'll work at all." "It'll work. I promise." Twilight said. As she powered on the device, the portal's normal blue vortex turned into a bright red. "Is that okay?" Spike said, remembering Sombra. "It's okay!" Twilight said. "Red means it's connecting!" Then, the portal vortex turned white. As Twilight grabbed her bag, and walked in, the portal closed, then, there was a bright flash, and Spike was knocked out. ============== Twilight groaned and stood up. She looked around and sighed in exasperation. She knew she had made somewhere, but the question was "where is somewhere?". She noticed she was in a large town, and lights were present in several buildings. As she looked at herself in a pool of water, she sighed. she was in her human form, but her attire had changed. She was wearing a white skirt and a blue shirt, with small shoes. Then, as she started to walk out of the alley she was in, she noticed her bag lying near her. As she picked it up, she felt something sharp press into her back. "Whatcha got there?" A voice spoke. "Nothing important." Twilight said. "Whatever it is, I want it." the voice replied. Twilight looked over her shoulder and locked eyes with a human in a cloak. "It's nothing you'd want. Just some texts, paper, pens, the like. Nothing a thief like you could sell." Twilight replied. "So just let me be on my way." The thief growled. "And why should I do that? You could be lying to me." "That's true." Twilight replied. "And then, there's THIS!" Firing a bolt of magic from her hands, the thief recoiled from the impact, and Twilight ran. The thief growled and pursued her, and Twilgiht saw a large castle on the hill. "That's where I'm going." She whispered. "I'll find help there." "GET BACK HERE!" The thief barked. "Not on my watch!" Twilight replied, picking up the pace. A few times, the thief tried to reach out and grab her, but she replied each time with a magic bolt. Then, as the castle gates came into view, she tripped and fell into the bars. She was quickly pinned by the thief. "I can't wait to...GAH!" Twilight saw a blur slam into the thief, and begin to wrestle with him. Twilight's adrenaline-fueled vision returned to normal and she saw a human, clad in a black shirt, tan pants, and some leather gear brawling with the thief. He had black hair and a pointed face. The thief drew a sword and slashed, but the other human drew a throwing blade and parried before landing a punch to the face, knocking him out cold. As footsteps approached them, the human looked over at Twilight. She noticed he had a scar on his forehead before he offered her his hand. "Hey." He said simply. "Hello." Twilight replied. "Friend of yours?" He said, looking at the unconscious thief. "The tried to rob me, so that's not exactly grounds for friendship." Twilight replied. "Fine. You got a name?" "Twilight. You?" "Obi." Obi sighed and placed his hands on his head in exhaustion. As several armored humans approached, Obi showed them a small green medallion, and they hastily saluted him. "Sorry, sir." One said. "What's the problem?" "Thief." Obi said simply. "I'll let you take care of it." "Yessir." A guard said, and as they pulled the unconscious thief to his feet and carried him off, Obi looked over at Twilight, who sighed. "Need a place to stay for the night?" Obi asked. "That would be nice." Twilight replied. "Come on in, then." Obi said. As they walked into the castle, Twilight was taken aback by the size. "Big, isn't it?" Obi asked. "Yeah." Twilight replied, thinking of Canterlot Castle. "I know a castle that might be a bit bigger, though." Obi raised his eyebrows. "Wistal's pretty big. I'll be damned it I hear of one that's bigger." Twilight laughed. "I might tell you sometime." "That would be nice." Obi replied. "Okay, so...we're close to the dorms, so, I'll drop you off at an empty room, and I'll tell Master that we have a guest." "Master?" Twilight asked incredulously. "I'm not a servant, if that's what you're thinking." Obi said, looking at her. "I owe my master a lot. He's a nice guy. It's more of a formality, if anything." "I see." Twilight said as they walked up a flight of stairs. As Twilight and Obi walked into a small, modestly furnished room, Twilight sat down on the bed. "I'll be back shortly." Obi said, walking off. Twilight fell backwards and sighed. "Not exactly the best welcome...but it'll do." she said quietly. =================================== Obi walked into the herb garden, as it was the last place he remembered seeing Zen and Shirayuki. As he walked in, he saw the two of them sitting near the pool. Walking over, he sighed and leaned on a pillar, before clearing his throat. "Obi?" Zen asked, looking over with Shirayuki. "What's up?" "We've got a guest." Obi said. "I might've saved her from a thief, and seeing as she didn't have a place to stay...I dropped her off at one of the dorm rooms." "Well, thanks for telling us." Zen said. "Is he okay?" "It's a she, and her name's Twilight." Obi replied. "Geez." "Well, you didn't exactly give us any indication." Shirayuki said. "True." Obi replied. "Apparently she knows a castle that's bigger than this one." "I find that hard to believe." Zen said, and Shirayuki nodded. "Well, she said she'd tell me sometime. Wanna go meet her?" Obi asked. As the three of them walked towards the dorms, the moon peeked out from behind a cloud. Chapter 2-ClarinesAs Shirayuki and Zen followed Obi, Zen noticed Obi seemed a bit more...relaxed...then normal. Maybe it was the way he was looking nonchalantly at the stars. Or how he had folded his hands behind his head. Either way, Zen had his suspicions about what he was thinking. "Zen?" Shirayuki asked. "Oh, sorry?" Zen replied, snapping himself out of his stupor. "You're looking rather absent-minded." Shirayuki chided playfully. "Well, just...not very often we get visitors." Zen darted back.' "Got me there." Shirayuki replied. "If you two lovebirds will stop chirping, you'll notice we've arrived." Obi shot, causing Zen and Shirayuki to blush. "Sorry." Zen said. As they walked in, they saw Twilight sitting up, writing in a journal. She noticed them and smiled. "Hey." she said simply. "Hello." Zen said. "What exactly led to you meeting Obi?" "Long story involving being chased by a thief all the way up to this castle. Not exactly the best of welcomes I've had in foreign places, but it'll settle." Twilight said. "Well, frankly, I've had plenty of experiences in foreign lands too." Zen shot back. "Though...you sound well-traveled." "True." Twilight replied. "I don't think I got your names. I'm Twilight, by the way." "Zen." "Shirayuki." "Nice to meet you both." Twilight replied. "Whe're you from?" Zen asked. "Long story." Twilight sighed. "You probably won't believe me if I tell you." "I've heard some unbelieveable things." Zen said. "Hit me with your best shot." "Magic." Twilight said. Zen flinched slightly and raised his eyebrows questioningly. "Really?" he said. "Care to show it?" Twilight rolled her eyes and noticed the vase of flowers in the windowsill. She summoned a glass out water and poured it into the vase. As she dispelled the glass, Zen started to laugh. "Zen?" Shirayuki said with some concern at his chortling. "Sorry. That's probably the coolest thing I've seen in quite some time." Zen said. "So, yeah. I believe you." "Thanks." Twilight replied. "I might also mention that where I'm from, I'm...well...important." "How important?" Zen asked. "Royalty-level important." Twilight replied. "Eh, believable." Zen said. "After the magic I just showed you?" "Well, I'm a Prince myself, so it didn't exactly catch me off guard." Zen replied. Twilight recoiled slightly, raising her eyebrows in surprise. "And you're just...casually mentioning that?" Twillight replied. "Well, I'm not one to flaunt my title or my status." Zen replied. "Takes the fun out of a lot of things." "I hear that." Twilight replied. "Top be honest, I earned my royal status. I think you can guess how." "Magic?" Obi said. Zen shot him a look, and Obi shrugged. "Yeah. Very complicated magic, I should say." Twilight said. "You'll have to explain sometime." Shirayuki said, giggling. "I might." Twilight replied. "By the way, Shirayuki, what do you do around here?" "I'm a Court Herbalist." Shirayuki replied. "Took me a while to earn that title." "A friend of mine's a herbalist." Twilight said. "Funny story about how the town I live in reacted when she first came around. Practically everyone there thought she was a witch. Long and complicated series of events later, she's a well-respected member of the town. Even if she lives in one of the most dangerous areas of my homeland." Twilight replied. "That's nice." Shirayuki replied. "I would get the part of being far from my homeland. I wasn't born in Clarines." '"Where are you from, then?" Twilight asked. "Tanbarun." Shirayuki replied. "Long story about how I was raised by my grandparents instead of my birth parents, and how I met Zen, but it's rather interesting." "You'll have to tell me sometime." Twilight said. "Not to interrupt, but it's getting late." Zen said, stretching. "Let's head to bed." "I second that." Obi replied. As Shirayuki got up and said goodbye, Twilight stretched in sleepiness. "Where can I get breakfast tomorrow?" she asked. "We'll come get you." Zen said. "'Night." "Goodnight." Twilight replied as she snuffed out the lamp. As they closed the door, Twilight fell onto the bed, and she was soon asleep. Chapter 3-Tales and BreakfastAs Twilight woke up, she noticed the sun was shining and the birds were chirping. She went for her bag, then she realized she had only packed a notebook, pencils, some ink, and other miscellaneous clutter. A change of clothes was nowhere to be found. "Darn." She said quietly. As she started to rummage around, she eventually stumbled upon a shirt, a skirt, and a small jacket. As she dressed, she smiled. Then, a knock came at the door, and Obi walked in. "You ready, Twilight?" he asked. "Yep." Twilight said, grabbing her bag. "Let's go, then." he replied, and as they walked out towards the keep, Twilight smiled. Obi huffed quietly and as they continued to walk, Twilight looked over at him. "Where are you from?" She asked. "Not important. I have no interest in that life." he replied quickly and snappishly. "Oh." she replied. "Why'd you end up working for Zen, then?" "It's a long story." he replied. "I did some favors, went on a few adventures, the like. There's a lot of things I've done." "Same for me." Twilight replied. "I tend to get into adventures and general mischief quite often." "Seems like you're experienced in dangerous situations." Obi replied. "Well, when my sister in law and I were searching for some medicinal plants for a friend of ours, we got cornered by…" "Bandits?" Obi asked. "A Goliath Worm." Twilight said. "Really?" Obi said. "Yeah. It's not exactly the most….pleasant of creatures from my homeland. Scales cover a good part of its body, gaping mouth, long, string-like appendages that snare, it's really not very nice. The reason it attacked us was kinda...simple." "Hungry?" "It had a head cold." Twilight replied. "It attacked you because it got a cold?" Obi said incredulously. "Yeah. After it...erm...sneezed on us, my sister and I managed to dodge it, butt my friend wasn't so lucky...he got pretty sick and had to be contained in a magical bubble for two weeks." "I thought he was sick already." Obi said. "He was faking." Twilight said. "Wanted too be sure we were and I quote "Still friends." "Seems rude." Obi said, laughing. "He's a nice guy. Mischievous and comedic, but nice." Twilight said as they arrived at the keep. Soon, they found Shirayuki, Zen, Kiki, and Mitsuhide at a small room. While the two of them sat down, Zen looked over at Obi. "What took you so long?" he asked. "Stories." Obi replied simply. Zen sighed and sipped his tea, to which Shirayuki started to giggle. "Shirayuki?" Zen asked. "What's so funny?" "I've never imagined you as the person to drink tea, Zen." she said. "Most of the time when I was growing up, I had to make do with water infused with herbs." "Well, the other option is alcohol, which I don't exactly want to drink liberally." Zen replied. "Didn't they serve wine at the party at the Lion's Village? You drank then." Kiki said. "Well, that's different." Zen said. "It was...more of a formality." "I thought you didn't like formalities." Mitsuhide said. Zen blushed slightly and scowled. Then, Twilight started to giggle. "Sorry." She said. "This had got to be one of the most interesting breakfasts I've had." "Hear, hear." Obi said. As they laughed, atop the balcony overlooking the room, Izana Wisteria watched with interest. The guards had notified him they, along with Zen's messenger, had caught a thief pursuing a girl. They also said Obi had taken the girl to the dorms, something that bothered Izana in a way he could not describe. But there was something about the girl, judging from what he saw, that could only be described as odd. There was a strange...feel to her. "Interesting…" he said quietly. "Your highness." Izana turned to see Lord Haruka walk up. "Ah, Haruka. Any news about the thief from last night?" Izana said. "He is in custody." Haruka replied. "That's not what I wish to talk about." "I can make a guess as to what it is." Izana replied. "That girl is a risk." Haruka replied. "I think otherwise." Izana replied. "She has not been here long, yet she dines with my brother like good friends do. She is an interesting case, I will say." Haruka sighed. "Still, I do not think it is a good idea for people to be that close to the prince." "Do you care for my brother's safety, Lord Haruka?" Izana asked. "Yes." "Then let me deal with this. Do not approach unless approached yourself. I also are for my brother's safety, but something tells me…" Izana smiled as he looked over at Zen. "That Zen will be able to handle this himself." "As you wish." Haruka bowed and walked out of the hall. Izana, after a few seconds, smiled and walked over to the staircase. "Let's see what this girl is made of." He said quietly as he walked over to the table. Chapter 4-Gathering"Ahem." Twilight looked over at the speaker in surpise. He was tall, with silver-blonde hair. He had a pointed but handsome face, with sharp eyes. Twilight heard a chair move, and she saw Zen stand up with a start, as well as everyone else. "Lord Brother!" Zen said, bowing. "I wasn't expecting you." "All is well, Zen." Izana said, sitting down. "You may sit. All of you." As everyone sat, Twilight did her best to compose herself. "I take it you are Zen's brother?" Twilight said. "Yes. I am Izana Wisteria, First Prince of Clarines." Izana replied. "If I may, I have a few...inquiries about how you ended up here." "Fine." Twilight replied. "If I'm being too pleasant with you…" Izana waved his hand. "I understand. To be honest, I remember it fondly when Zen met with me that one time, and he didn't avert his eyes once." Zen nearly gagged on his tea, but composed himself quickly. "I'm honored." Zen replied meekly. "Truly." Izana smiled. "Think well of it, Zen. Also, Twilight, was it?" "Yes?" "How exactly did you come here?" "Well, it's long and complicated." Twilight said. "Even so, It's still hard to believe." "Do your best." "Magic." Twilight replied. Izana looked her in the eye, and Twiligght did her best not to flinch. Then, he chuckled. "I believe you." "Really?" Twilight said. "I mean, I had do show Zen to get him to believe me." "Being a prince means you have experience. Experience can lead to being able to tell whether or not someone is lying to you." Izana said. "One of the many things I value is the truth." "Glad to hear it." Twilight replied. "Then I'm a princess, you should know. Annd I can prove it." Izana stared at her again. "I might require some evidence, this time." Izana said. Twilight smiled, and opened her bag, withdrawing her Crown and handing it to Izana, who eyed it with interest. "This is yours?" Izana asked. "Yes." Twilight said. "Twilight." Shirayuki said. "When we left, I didn't see that in your bag." "Oh." Twilight said. "The bag's enchanted with a spell that makes it bigger that in appears and lighter. Took a while to get that spell working, but, now, I can carry three bags of books, a writing kit, and of course, miscellanious other things without overburdening myself or having a single torn seam." Izana smiled. "That's interesting. Well, I had best depart. By the way, Zen…" "Yes?" "Don't forget that the Noble's Gathering is tonight." Zen nodded. "I didn't. I was going to head out, make sure everything was ready." "I can help with that." Twilight said. "I mean, I planned my brother's wedding and got it set up in less than twenty four hours." Izana smiled. "That would be appreciated. I'll make sure to notify the servants." "Thank you." Twilight replied. Izana nodded and walked out. At this, Zenn exhaled deeply. "Zen?" Shirayuki asked. "That was a relief." Zen said. "I'm normally anxious stiff around my brother." "I see." Twilight said. "Shall we...get to it?" "Let's." Zen said. Kiki, Mitsuhide, Obi, and Shirayuki nodded as they stood up. Twilight got up and followed them out to the garden, where servants were bustling around. Twilight quickly got to work, and as Zen and the others watched, Twilight had the whole thing set up in less than three hours, wiith time to spare. As the Servants gave her a brief applause, Twilight smiled. "That...was something." Zen said. "I have a thing for organizing." Twilight said sheepishly. "You sure do." Kiki said. "Seeing as it'll soon be starting, we'll need to get changed." "Right." Zen said. "Changed?...oh." Twilight said. "I'm going to attend, aren't I?" "You got it set up. Might as well go." Mitsuhide said. "Well, I'll need something to wear. My other dress might be a bit...too formal." "I can lend you something." Kiki said. "Thanks. Let's go." Twilight said. as they headed off to get dressed, Izana watched from a balcony with a smile. "That was something." he said quietly as he headed back to his chambers.
Chapter 1-The GateAs Twilight worked on the device connected to the Mirror Portal, Spike bit his claws nervously. "Twilight? Are you SURE this will work?" Twilight turned and looked at Spike, and smiled in an attempt to reassure him. "I'll be fine. The Mirror Portal may not be as understood as I would like, but if this device works, I can connect to other worlds beyond Canterlot High. How great would that be?" "It might be nice, but just BE CAREFUL." Spike said. "I'm not sure this'll work at all." "It'll work. I promise." Twilight said. As she powered on the device, the portal's normal blue vortex turned into a bright red. "Is that okay?" Spike said, remembering Sombra. "It's okay!" Twilight said. "Red means it's connecting!" Then, the portal vortex turned white. As Twilight grabbed her bag, and walked in, the portal closed, then, there was a bright flash, and Spike was knocked out. ============== Twilight groaned and stood up. She looked around and sighed in exasperation. She knew she had made somewhere, but the question was "where is somewhere?". She noticed she was in a large town, and lights were present in several buildings. As she looked at herself in a pool of water, she sighed. she was in her human form, but her attire had changed. She was wearing a white skirt and a blue shirt, with small shoes. Then, as she started to walk out of the alley she was in, she noticed her bag lying near her. As she picked it up, she felt something sharp press into her back. "Whatcha got there?" A voice spoke. "Nothing important." Twilight said. "Whatever it is, I want it." the voice replied. Twilight looked over her shoulder and locked eyes with a human in a cloak. "It's nothing you'd want. Just some texts, paper, pens, the like. Nothing a thief like you could sell." Twilight replied. "So just let me be on my way." The thief growled. "And why should I do that? You could be lying to me." "That's true." Twilight replied. "And then, there's THIS!" Firing a bolt of magic from her hands, the thief recoiled from the impact, and Twilight ran. The thief growled and pursued her, and Twilgiht saw a large castle on the hill. "That's where I'm going." She whispered. "I'll find help there." "GET BACK HERE!" The thief barked. "Not on my watch!" Twilight replied, picking up the pace. A few times, the thief tried to reach out and grab her, but she replied each time with a magic bolt. Then, as the castle gates came into view, she tripped and fell into the bars. She was quickly pinned by the thief. "I can't wait to...GAH!" Twilight saw a blur slam into the thief, and begin to wrestle with him. Twilight's adrenaline-fueled vision returned to normal and she saw a human, clad in a black shirt, tan pants, and some leather gear brawling with the thief. He had black hair and a pointed face. The thief drew a sword and slashed, but the other human drew a throwing blade and parried before landing a punch to the face, knocking him out cold. As footsteps approached them, the human looked over at Twilight. She noticed he had a scar on his forehead before he offered her his hand. "Hey." He said simply. "Hello." Twilight replied. "Friend of yours?" He said, looking at the unconscious thief. "The tried to rob me, so that's not exactly grounds for friendship." Twilight replied. "Fine. You got a name?" "Twilight. You?" "Obi." Obi sighed and placed his hands on his head in exhaustion. As several armored humans approached, Obi showed them a small green medallion, and they hastily saluted him. "Sorry, sir." One said. "What's the problem?" "Thief." Obi said simply. "I'll let you take care of it." "Yessir." A guard said, and as they pulled the unconscious thief to his feet and carried him off, Obi looked over at Twilight, who sighed. "Need a place to stay for the night?" Obi asked. "That would be nice." Twilight replied. "Come on in, then." Obi said. As they walked into the castle, Twilight was taken aback by the size. "Big, isn't it?" Obi asked. "Yeah." Twilight replied, thinking of Canterlot Castle. "I know a castle that might be a bit bigger, though." Obi raised his eyebrows. "Wistal's pretty big. I'll be damned it I hear of one that's bigger." Twilight laughed. "I might tell you sometime." "That would be nice." Obi replied. "Okay, so...we're close to the dorms, so, I'll drop you off at an empty room, and I'll tell Master that we have a guest." "Master?" Twilight asked incredulously. "I'm not a servant, if that's what you're thinking." Obi said, looking at her. "I owe my master a lot. He's a nice guy. It's more of a formality, if anything." "I see." Twilight said as they walked up a flight of stairs. As Twilight and Obi walked into a small, modestly furnished room, Twilight sat down on the bed. "I'll be back shortly." Obi said, walking off. Twilight fell backwards and sighed. "Not exactly the best welcome...but it'll do." she said quietly. =================================== Obi walked into the herb garden, as it was the last place he remembered seeing Zen and Shirayuki. As he walked in, he saw the two of them sitting near the pool. Walking over, he sighed and leaned on a pillar, before clearing his throat. "Obi?" Zen asked, looking over with Shirayuki. "What's up?" "We've got a guest." Obi said. "I might've saved her from a thief, and seeing as she didn't have a place to stay...I dropped her off at one of the dorm rooms." "Well, thanks for telling us." Zen said. "Is he okay?" "It's a she, and her name's Twilight." Obi replied. "Geez." "Well, you didn't exactly give us any indication." Shirayuki said. "True." Obi replied. "Apparently she knows a castle that's bigger than this one." "I find that hard to believe." Zen said, and Shirayuki nodded. "Well, she said she'd tell me sometime. Wanna go meet her?" Obi asked. As the three of them walked towards the dorms, the moon peeked out from behind a cloud.
Chapter 2-ClarinesAs Shirayuki and Zen followed Obi, Zen noticed Obi seemed a bit more...relaxed...then normal. Maybe it was the way he was looking nonchalantly at the stars. Or how he had folded his hands behind his head. Either way, Zen had his suspicions about what he was thinking. "Zen?" Shirayuki asked. "Oh, sorry?" Zen replied, snapping himself out of his stupor. "You're looking rather absent-minded." Shirayuki chided playfully. "Well, just...not very often we get visitors." Zen darted back.' "Got me there." Shirayuki replied. "If you two lovebirds will stop chirping, you'll notice we've arrived." Obi shot, causing Zen and Shirayuki to blush. "Sorry." Zen said. As they walked in, they saw Twilight sitting up, writing in a journal. She noticed them and smiled. "Hey." she said simply. "Hello." Zen said. "What exactly led to you meeting Obi?" "Long story involving being chased by a thief all the way up to this castle. Not exactly the best of welcomes I've had in foreign places, but it'll settle." Twilight said. "Well, frankly, I've had plenty of experiences in foreign lands too." Zen shot back. "Though...you sound well-traveled." "True." Twilight replied. "I don't think I got your names. I'm Twilight, by the way." "Zen." "Shirayuki." "Nice to meet you both." Twilight replied. "Whe're you from?" Zen asked. "Long story." Twilight sighed. "You probably won't believe me if I tell you." "I've heard some unbelieveable things." Zen said. "Hit me with your best shot." "Magic." Twilight said. Zen flinched slightly and raised his eyebrows questioningly. "Really?" he said. "Care to show it?" Twilight rolled her eyes and noticed the vase of flowers in the windowsill. She summoned a glass out water and poured it into the vase. As she dispelled the glass, Zen started to laugh. "Zen?" Shirayuki said with some concern at his chortling. "Sorry. That's probably the coolest thing I've seen in quite some time." Zen said. "So, yeah. I believe you." "Thanks." Twilight replied. "I might also mention that where I'm from, I'm...well...important." "How important?" Zen asked. "Royalty-level important." Twilight replied. "Eh, believable." Zen said. "After the magic I just showed you?" "Well, I'm a Prince myself, so it didn't exactly catch me off guard." Zen replied. Twilight recoiled slightly, raising her eyebrows in surprise. "And you're just...casually mentioning that?" Twillight replied. "Well, I'm not one to flaunt my title or my status." Zen replied. "Takes the fun out of a lot of things." "I hear that." Twilight replied. "Top be honest, I earned my royal status. I think you can guess how." "Magic?" Obi said. Zen shot him a look, and Obi shrugged. "Yeah. Very complicated magic, I should say." Twilight said. "You'll have to explain sometime." Shirayuki said, giggling. "I might." Twilight replied. "By the way, Shirayuki, what do you do around here?" "I'm a Court Herbalist." Shirayuki replied. "Took me a while to earn that title." "A friend of mine's a herbalist." Twilight said. "Funny story about how the town I live in reacted when she first came around. Practically everyone there thought she was a witch. Long and complicated series of events later, she's a well-respected member of the town. Even if she lives in one of the most dangerous areas of my homeland." Twilight replied. "That's nice." Shirayuki replied. "I would get the part of being far from my homeland. I wasn't born in Clarines." '"Where are you from, then?" Twilight asked. "Tanbarun." Shirayuki replied. "Long story about how I was raised by my grandparents instead of my birth parents, and how I met Zen, but it's rather interesting." "You'll have to tell me sometime." Twilight said. "Not to interrupt, but it's getting late." Zen said, stretching. "Let's head to bed." "I second that." Obi replied. As Shirayuki got up and said goodbye, Twilight stretched in sleepiness. "Where can I get breakfast tomorrow?" she asked. "We'll come get you." Zen said. "'Night." "Goodnight." Twilight replied as she snuffed out the lamp. As they closed the door, Twilight fell onto the bed, and she was soon asleep.
Chapter 3-Tales and BreakfastAs Twilight woke up, she noticed the sun was shining and the birds were chirping. She went for her bag, then she realized she had only packed a notebook, pencils, some ink, and other miscellaneous clutter. A change of clothes was nowhere to be found. "Darn." She said quietly. As she started to rummage around, she eventually stumbled upon a shirt, a skirt, and a small jacket. As she dressed, she smiled. Then, a knock came at the door, and Obi walked in. "You ready, Twilight?" he asked. "Yep." Twilight said, grabbing her bag. "Let's go, then." he replied, and as they walked out towards the keep, Twilight smiled. Obi huffed quietly and as they continued to walk, Twilight looked over at him. "Where are you from?" She asked. "Not important. I have no interest in that life." he replied quickly and snappishly. "Oh." she replied. "Why'd you end up working for Zen, then?" "It's a long story." he replied. "I did some favors, went on a few adventures, the like. There's a lot of things I've done." "Same for me." Twilight replied. "I tend to get into adventures and general mischief quite often." "Seems like you're experienced in dangerous situations." Obi replied. "Well, when my sister in law and I were searching for some medicinal plants for a friend of ours, we got cornered by…" "Bandits?" Obi asked. "A Goliath Worm." Twilight said. "Really?" Obi said. "Yeah. It's not exactly the most….pleasant of creatures from my homeland. Scales cover a good part of its body, gaping mouth, long, string-like appendages that snare, it's really not very nice. The reason it attacked us was kinda...simple." "Hungry?" "It had a head cold." Twilight replied. "It attacked you because it got a cold?" Obi said incredulously. "Yeah. After it...erm...sneezed on us, my sister and I managed to dodge it, butt my friend wasn't so lucky...he got pretty sick and had to be contained in a magical bubble for two weeks." "I thought he was sick already." Obi said. "He was faking." Twilight said. "Wanted too be sure we were and I quote "Still friends." "Seems rude." Obi said, laughing. "He's a nice guy. Mischievous and comedic, but nice." Twilight said as they arrived at the keep. Soon, they found Shirayuki, Zen, Kiki, and Mitsuhide at a small room. While the two of them sat down, Zen looked over at Obi. "What took you so long?" he asked. "Stories." Obi replied simply. Zen sighed and sipped his tea, to which Shirayuki started to giggle. "Shirayuki?" Zen asked. "What's so funny?" "I've never imagined you as the person to drink tea, Zen." she said. "Most of the time when I was growing up, I had to make do with water infused with herbs." "Well, the other option is alcohol, which I don't exactly want to drink liberally." Zen replied. "Didn't they serve wine at the party at the Lion's Village? You drank then." Kiki said. "Well, that's different." Zen said. "It was...more of a formality." "I thought you didn't like formalities." Mitsuhide said. Zen blushed slightly and scowled. Then, Twilight started to giggle. "Sorry." She said. "This had got to be one of the most interesting breakfasts I've had." "Hear, hear." Obi said. As they laughed, atop the balcony overlooking the room, Izana Wisteria watched with interest. The guards had notified him they, along with Zen's messenger, had caught a thief pursuing a girl. They also said Obi had taken the girl to the dorms, something that bothered Izana in a way he could not describe. But there was something about the girl, judging from what he saw, that could only be described as odd. There was a strange...feel to her. "Interesting…" he said quietly. "Your highness." Izana turned to see Lord Haruka walk up. "Ah, Haruka. Any news about the thief from last night?" Izana said. "He is in custody." Haruka replied. "That's not what I wish to talk about." "I can make a guess as to what it is." Izana replied. "That girl is a risk." Haruka replied. "I think otherwise." Izana replied. "She has not been here long, yet she dines with my brother like good friends do. She is an interesting case, I will say." Haruka sighed. "Still, I do not think it is a good idea for people to be that close to the prince." "Do you care for my brother's safety, Lord Haruka?" Izana asked. "Yes." "Then let me deal with this. Do not approach unless approached yourself. I also are for my brother's safety, but something tells me…" Izana smiled as he looked over at Zen. "That Zen will be able to handle this himself." "As you wish." Haruka bowed and walked out of the hall. Izana, after a few seconds, smiled and walked over to the staircase. "Let's see what this girl is made of." He said quietly as he walked over to the table.
Chapter 4-Gathering"Ahem." Twilight looked over at the speaker in surpise. He was tall, with silver-blonde hair. He had a pointed but handsome face, with sharp eyes. Twilight heard a chair move, and she saw Zen stand up with a start, as well as everyone else. "Lord Brother!" Zen said, bowing. "I wasn't expecting you." "All is well, Zen." Izana said, sitting down. "You may sit. All of you." As everyone sat, Twilight did her best to compose herself. "I take it you are Zen's brother?" Twilight said. "Yes. I am Izana Wisteria, First Prince of Clarines." Izana replied. "If I may, I have a few...inquiries about how you ended up here." "Fine." Twilight replied. "If I'm being too pleasant with you…" Izana waved his hand. "I understand. To be honest, I remember it fondly when Zen met with me that one time, and he didn't avert his eyes once." Zen nearly gagged on his tea, but composed himself quickly. "I'm honored." Zen replied meekly. "Truly." Izana smiled. "Think well of it, Zen. Also, Twilight, was it?" "Yes?" "How exactly did you come here?" "Well, it's long and complicated." Twilight said. "Even so, It's still hard to believe." "Do your best." "Magic." Twilight replied. Izana looked her in the eye, and Twiligght did her best not to flinch. Then, he chuckled. "I believe you." "Really?" Twilight said. "I mean, I had do show Zen to get him to believe me." "Being a prince means you have experience. Experience can lead to being able to tell whether or not someone is lying to you." Izana said. "One of the many things I value is the truth." "Glad to hear it." Twilight replied. "Then I'm a princess, you should know. Annd I can prove it." Izana stared at her again. "I might require some evidence, this time." Izana said. Twilight smiled, and opened her bag, withdrawing her Crown and handing it to Izana, who eyed it with interest. "This is yours?" Izana asked. "Yes." Twilight said. "Twilight." Shirayuki said. "When we left, I didn't see that in your bag." "Oh." Twilight said. "The bag's enchanted with a spell that makes it bigger that in appears and lighter. Took a while to get that spell working, but, now, I can carry three bags of books, a writing kit, and of course, miscellanious other things without overburdening myself or having a single torn seam." Izana smiled. "That's interesting. Well, I had best depart. By the way, Zen…" "Yes?" "Don't forget that the Noble's Gathering is tonight." Zen nodded. "I didn't. I was going to head out, make sure everything was ready." "I can help with that." Twilight said. "I mean, I planned my brother's wedding and got it set up in less than twenty four hours." Izana smiled. "That would be appreciated. I'll make sure to notify the servants." "Thank you." Twilight replied. Izana nodded and walked out. At this, Zenn exhaled deeply. "Zen?" Shirayuki asked. "That was a relief." Zen said. "I'm normally anxious stiff around my brother." "I see." Twilight said. "Shall we...get to it?" "Let's." Zen said. Kiki, Mitsuhide, Obi, and Shirayuki nodded as they stood up. Twilight got up and followed them out to the garden, where servants were bustling around. Twilight quickly got to work, and as Zen and the others watched, Twilight had the whole thing set up in less than three hours, wiith time to spare. As the Servants gave her a brief applause, Twilight smiled. "That...was something." Zen said. "I have a thing for organizing." Twilight said sheepishly. "You sure do." Kiki said. "Seeing as it'll soon be starting, we'll need to get changed." "Right." Zen said. "Changed?...oh." Twilight said. "I'm going to attend, aren't I?" "You got it set up. Might as well go." Mitsuhide said. "Well, I'll need something to wear. My other dress might be a bit...too formal." "I can lend you something." Kiki said. "Thanks. Let's go." Twilight said. as they headed off to get dressed, Izana watched from a balcony with a smile. "That was something." he said quietly as he headed back to his chambers.
