Shinobi Hime
Author's Note: The word "Hime" in Japanese translates into the word "princess" in English. The word "Shinobi" translates into the word ""ninja" in English. I hope you enjoy Shinobi Hime.The inspiration for this story came from the short oneshot manga Kohime Soushi. It's by Koge-Donbo(better known as the author of Pita-Ten and A Little Snow Fairy Sugar). I highly recommend it because it has played a huge role in this story. I dedicate this story to my BFF Laura and my most faithful reviewer The Phoenix Feather! Please R&R!
A seventeen year old girl rested her head under a sakura tree as pink blossoms danced around her snoozing form in the breeze.
"Princess?" a familiar voice disturbed her slumber.
The girl yawned and stretched as she drowsily opened her eyes, "Leon-san how did you ever find me this time?"
"Princess I've sworn my allegiance to the king as your protector, I'm avowed to my duties." He stated.
"How many times have I told you to call me Sora?" she complained.
"Your surname is your sacred identity princess, and I'm unworthy to bestow upon you such a title." He responded as his long silver ponytail wafted in the wind. Sora felt her heart catch in her throat at the sight of him. Leon was tall and muscular with long lustrous hair. He had been her alleged guardian ever since she could walk, and he'd always been by her side, and she secretly loved them.
"Nevermind." She murmured as she sauntered towards the tallest tree and began to climb.
"Princess what are you doing?" Leon demanded fearfully.
"Climbing this tree, what does it look like?" she remarked sarcastically.
"Princess the king has told me I must keep you safe, and I forbid you to climb that tree!" he objected.
"You and what army?" she said testily as she stepped onto another branch. She loved testing Leon's patience and getting him all riled up. She was pretty sure she was responsible for most of the silver pigment in his hair. She was about to climb onto another branch when she felt a dead weight on the branch she was standing on.
Leon had jumped onto the branch and threatened to grab her but she was too quick and quickly jumped on the next branch leaving him baffled by her sudden move.
"Princess I will and can use force!" he warned as he moved to the next branch.
"Catch me if you can!" she teased giving him a raspberry and flitting to the next limb but her parade was soon cut short as the limb snapped from her weight.
"Princess!" Leon gasped as he grabbed her arm in an attempt to save her but the branch he was standing on snapped as well and they both tumbled to the ground. Sora landed safely on Leon but Leon landed on his back knocking the wind out of him.
'"Leon-san!" Sora gasped rushing to his side checking his pulse.
"Leon-san please wake up!" she cried shaking him.
He coughed as he tried catching his breath and winced as he sat up. "Princess why are you set on giving me a heart attack?" He sighed weakly.
"Oh Leon-san, you're alive!" she cried throwing her arms around him happily.
"Princess, I'm fine just please stop putting yourself in danger! One day I may not be there to protect you." He warned.
"I promise Leon-san…" she solemnly swore.
"Thank you now it's best if I get you back to the castle, it will be getting dark soon and there are many dangerous things that could harm you at night." He retorted as he jumped to his feet and led them both back to the castle.
~X~
That night at dinner Sora's mother and father showered her with questions:
"How are your studies coming along?"
"Are you still giving Leon-san a hard time?"
"What do you plan to do with your life?" and it continued on something like this until Sora felt as if her brain had turned to mush.
"Sora your mother and I have made a decision; we have set up an arranged marriage meeting for you." Her father announced. Sora felt as if the chicken and the bone had become lodged in her throat by this statement.
"What do you mean an arranged marriage!" she choked out.
"Well your father and I think it's high time you consider marriage, you're not a little girl anymore Sora and it's time to grow up." Her mother stated.
"You want me to marry a complete stranger!" she gasped.
"He won't be a complete stranger after you get to know him sweet pea." Her father remarked taking a long drink of his water. Sora felt as if she really had fallen out of that tree but hadn't been caught by Leon-san. She wished after the casual dinner conversation she had.
She retired to her bedchamber as a wave of queries kept her awake,
What was she going to do now?
How could she marry someone she didn't love?
Could she run away?
They all seemed too difficult to follow through with at the moment as a restless sleep finally overtook her.
~X~
The next day while sitting under the sakura tree with her private tutor Mia she felt herself dozing off several times.
"Sora what is the square root of nine?" Mia repeated again.
"Huh?" Sora asked completely awake.
"Sora have you been listening to anything I've been saying?" Mia scolded.
"Yes it was square roots correct?" she inquired.
"Yes but what's the answer?" Mia probed.
"I have no idea…I'm sorry Mia but my brain is a bit fuzzy today, you see I didn't sleep-"but Mia cut her off.
"Sora, you're going to have to start taking your studies more seriously if you ever expect to lead your people one day." Mia chastised as she shut the book of arithmetic.
"Mia my parents are making me get married!" she shot out tears streaming down her face.
"They're what!" Mia exclaimed with a dumbfounded look on her face.
"My parents have set up an arranged marriage meeting for me." She said quietly looking down.
"But why!" Mia questioned.
"Because they said it's time I grow up…" she said quietly.
"Well maybe it won't be so bad." Mia remarked trying to lift her spirits.
"What do you mean it might not be so bad?" Sora remarked distastefully.
"Yes you're right nothing good can come from this." Mia sighed adjusting her glasses.
"Besides I'm in love with someone else." She whispered inaudibly.
"Who?" Mia pried.
"Who what?" Sora acted confused.
"You said you were in love with someone else so who is it?" Mia questioned.
"You weren't supposed to hear that!" Sora growled.
"Well then keep your thoughts to yourself then!" Mia scowled.
"Fine I'll tell you!" she sighed in defeat.
"So who is it?" Mia prodded.
"Leon-san…" She muttered quietly.
"You're going to have to speak louder I can't hear you!" Mia bellowed.
"Be quiet! He's right over there!" Sora hissed referring to Leon standing only a few yards away. He was always a short distance away always watching over her.
"You're in love with your bodyguard! That's a little weird." Mia sneered.
"I knew you wouldn't understand!" Sora accused.
"Woah calm down princess! I'm just saying maybe it's not such a good idea, I mean do you even know anything about him?" Mia queried.
Sora thought about her friend's statement for a moment, in all truth she really didn't know much at all about her mysterious guardian, maybe she should start.
Later that afternoon when she was alone with him she decided she would ask him a few things about himself.
"So Leon-san could you tell me a little bit about your life?" Sora inquired.
"Princess the only life I have that matters is here serving you." He retorted and that was the best answer she got all day. She began to wonder about her mysterious protector. Was there any substance to the man at all? He seemed to give her generic answers to all of her questions or turn the conversation back to her. He was hiding something from her, from everyone and she didn't like it. Who was this man she'd known her entire life yet knew so little about?
She tossed and turned in her bed that night as thoughts of her arranged marriage and mysterious protector plagued her mind. She was startled when she heard a noise awaken her in the middle of the night. She was a light sleeper and having so much on her mind hadn't helped much either. She decided to investigate.
She crept out into the courtyard holding a brass candlestick in both hands standing on guard. She heard something or someone in the bushes.
"Halt! Who goes there!" she demanded.
Suddenly she heard lots of sounds rustling in the bushes as a band of ninjas surrounded her standing alert and in formation.
Sora dropped the candlestick helplessly. She just knew this was the end, so she closed her eyes anticipating the worst but none came. She opened one eye to see Leon holding off the band of ninjas and using fighting techniques she'd never even seen before.
"Run princess!" he cried and she did as he commanded but instead of escaping she ran right into an oncoming ninja. He approached her with a dagger in one hand but before he could harm her he fell to the ground with a blade sticking out of his back. She screamed but could hear no sound as she was hit hard across the back of her skull.
"Leon-san…." She called out before she met the darkness.
A/AN: I hope this didn't seem a bit rushed…I was going to turn it into a one-shot but the further I got into it I decided that it would just work better as a story. Please read and review! Thanks!