Chapter Text
When Hime opened their eyes, all they saw was the sky. The wind whistled in their ears as they groggily blinked. Hime reached out, clinging to nothing but air. Hime looked around, and saw the crumbling castle above them, moving further and further away.
No, it wasn’t just moving away. Hime was falling.
The sudden realisation brought Hime to their senses. Twisting their head left and right, Hime realised their predicament. In just a few moments, they would be meeting their end at the forest below. Hime flipped over on their stomach, to try to slow down their descent. A pointless act, made out of desperation. There were chunks of debris, broken masonry and pillars falling around along with Hime. None that Hime could use. Suddenly, the steep cliffside that led to the castle zoomed pass Hime, making the Prince gasp out loud. Some of the large masonry bashed against the mountain-side, sending rocks and dirt everywhere.
“Hey!”
Hime looked up to find a dark figure leaping from the shadows of the masonry. They used whatever foothold they could, moving from each piece of debris until the dark figure jumped from one, freefalling towards Hime. Hime reached out to the dark figure, grabbing their hand.
“Hang on!” The dark figure, now that they were closer, was actually a woman with silver hair, and wore a black mask over her eyes. She raised her other free hand to the sky. Hime saw a gadget around their wrist, and it fired a thin grappling hook into the air. Hime followed the rope’s trajectory, and it flew towards something. Or someone. It was a human female figure, but at the same not human. Its arms and legs were machine-like, while its head and body resembled a human. The machine grabbed hold of the hook. There was a burst of fire and smoke from their feet and calves, propelling it towards the cliff. It reached out towards it, grabbing on whatever it could get its fingers on. Gravity pulled down on both Hime and the woman, as they held on the rope, and they jarred to a stop. But it didn’t end there. They were still falling. Despite its best efforts, the machine only slowed their descent, as it couldn’t find a proper hold on the cliff. Rock and dirt and small debris flew into the machine’s face, as the machine’s hand tore through the cliffside. Hime saw the forest below still coming closer, and all they could do was close their eyes.
No! Not yet!
“Get closer!” Hime shouted out at the machine. Almost immediately, it responded. It raised its hand from the cliffside, and pulled at the grappling hook with the other. Hime and the woman with them were sent upwards, so all three were suddenly together. Now that Hime could see the machine close-up, it was a beautiful creation, almost too perfect with its features- but Hime had no time to admire them! “How long can you use those things on your legs?!”
“Another 30 seconds before my boosters stall-” the machine responded. Hime threw their arms around it, and the woman with the mask did the same without question.
“When I give the signal, you fire it up!” Hime had their eyes on the ground. It was terrifying, seeing it getting closer and closer. Too late, and they would die. Too early, and they would still die. But Hime had so many more things to do, and dying wasn’t part of their plans.
“Now!”
The machine fired off its ‘boosters’, and Hime could feel the furious heat from the machine’s legs. All three jarred once more in the air. The falling masonry and rocks and debris fell around them, and Hime suddenly realised - what if some of the larger ones landed on their heads? The thought was too pessimistic! They just needed to get on the ground alive! Just as the debris crashed onto the forest around them in violent chaos, Hime and their new allies did the same - They went into the forest trees, they tumbled and crashed. Branches and leaves slapped and broke against Hime, the masked woman, and the machine. All three was unable to hold on together, and they spiralled away from each other. Hime’s world spun and turned and went upside down, until they found themselves on the grassy floor. More rocks and masonry fell around Hime, and they instinctively covered their heads, but then it was suddenly quiet. With only the sound of their breathing, Hime stayed still before they pushed themselves off the ground with a groan.
“Is everyone alright?” Hime shouted out, as they got up on their feet. They took a couple of stumbled steps, before Hime was able to stand straight. Hime heard rustling, and looked up to find the masked woman, coming down from a tree with her hook lowering her. The machine just suddenly sat up from crushed bushes a few steps away, rising to her feet.
“I’m still operational.” the machine replied, looking at the hand that grabbed the cliffside earlier. “My fingers need some adjusting, but I can do that later.”
“As much as that was fun, let’s not do that again.” The masked woman said, the gadget on her arm zipping the rope back into it. “That was some fast thinking back there. Prince-”
Hime was taking out twigs and leaves from their hair. Once they looked more presentable, despite the given circumstance, Hime placed a hand over their chest and lowered their head in a greeting, while maintaining eye contact with the woman. “I am Prince Hime, from the country of Liebe. And you’re right, fair lady. Once is more than enough.”
“I’m-” the woman paused, staring at the bushes where the machine crashed. She walked up to the bushes, before bending down to pick up a large black top hat. She grinned, putting the hat on her head with a flourish. “I’m from the country of Oshiina. You may have heard of me. I’m known as Gentle, the phantom thief. So there really is no need for courtesies.”
“Why would you announce your profession just like that?” Hime asked with a wry grin.
Gentle smiled back at them, a hand on their waist. “You introduced yourself as a Prince. I need to match that with something.”
“I’m Princess Emiru’s designated Guardmek. RUR-9500.” The machine stepped forward, doing a small bow of her head at Hime and Gentle. “But you may call me Ruru. That’s what Princess Emiru has named me.”
“Princess-” Hime and Gentle said the word at the same time. Suddenly, they looked up, followed by Ruru. All three scanned the skies. It didn’t take long for all three to find what they were looking for. Hime’s heart has been beating violently during their fall, but now held itself still as they stared upwards.
In the sky, there was a large dark blot. A massive black dragon flapped its great wings, as if in triumph. There was a shadowy figure standing on its back. Hime’s eyes glared daggers at the figure, but they weren’t important. What mattered more to Hime was the three giant glowing orbs that followed close to the dragon like it was its shadow. In each orb, held a princess. They were trapped, and they were banging against their prison with closed fists.
“Princess Emiru.” Ruru simply stated, and started walking towards the dragon’s direction.
“Princess Ran.” Gentle had a determined glare in her eyes, and walked beside Ruru.
It was only after a moment that Hime would join Ruru and Gentle, their gaze fixed at the sky as the dragon soon became a dot and soon was gone after a distance. They knew where they had to go. It’ll take them days, but that was fine.
“I’ll save you.” Hime said quietly under their breath. “Yano.”