Senshi (Guardians)

Shinto and Una touched down softly on the pier. They had been watching the royal couple for a while.

“We don’t really need him tonight, do we, Una?”

“I was just thinking the same thing, Shinto. I don’t believe they’ve had a real night out together since the day they met. I think we can handle one night of training without him.”

“Yeah, we have enough trainers, and the Shnark trust us now.”

“So, how do we tell him without telling the whole truth? You know how he is about his promise to the Shnark. We can’t lie you know. If he asks us a direct question it’ll be all over.”

“Well… let’s hope luck is with us.”

Una spoke up: “Thael sama?”

Thael turned around and saw the two Guardians.

“Am I that late that you had to come and get me?”

“Actually,” Shinto began, “There’s no need for you to go tonight. So, you get a night off.”

“Yes. You two enjoy your evening.”

Thael stood up. “Is something wrong?” Kyoko stood beside him.

Shinto and Una looked at each other. They both said nervously, “No, Your Highness.”

Shinto continued, “Everything went so well with the training last might that the Queen was very pleased. Besides, you train all night and sleep all day, while Kyoko sama sleeps at night and goes to school every day. You really don’t get to spend very much time together, so it was decided to give you the night off.”

Una added, “We could all use a night off, Your Highness.”

“Oh. Okay then. It’s true that Kyoko and I have had so little free time together; it will be a welcome holiday for us. Ne, Kyoko sama?”

“Yes, yes. Thank you for telling us,” she hugged Thael’s arm.

“Do itashimashitte. It’s our pleasure to bring good news for a change.”

She nudged Shinto and he quickly said, “Oh, yes. Yes, it is. Well we’d better get going. We’re meeting some friends. Don’t want to worry them about where we are.”

“Yes, that’s true. Oyasuminasai, Thael sama. Kyoko sama.” Una nodded to each of them. Shinto bowed too, “Yes you two enjoy your evening. Oyasumi, Thael sama. Kyoko sama.”

They took flight and flew north.

Kyoko put her arms around Thael and held him, her head turned to the side so that her ear was on his heart, “I’m so glad we all have a night off. That was nice of them to come and tell us personally.”

Thael chuckled. “Actually, that was Shinto and Una trying to give us the night off without lying.”

“But they can’t lie.”

“Sonotori desu, Shinto broke into a sweat when I asked him what was wrong. They were afraid I’d ask a direct question because then they would be forced into telling me that they decided, by themselves, to do this for us.”

She pulled away from his chest and looked into his eyes, “Honto? Does that mean you still have to go?” She sounded disappointed.

He took her in his arms and put her head back on his chest, “Not a chance. I wouldn’t dream of spoiling their kindness or our evening by going.”

“So, the friends they are meeting are the Shnark and fellow Senshi?”

“Hai. That wasn’t a lie.”

She hugged him a little tighter, “They really look out for you, don’t they?”

“They look out for both of us, my Princess. They know we need some time to be alone and just be together. So – what shall we do with our unexpected night off?”

“How about…” She pulled his head down and kissed him.

When their lips parted two minutes later he said, “Yes, my love that was the right answer.” He kissed her.

They sat on the pier a while longer, cuddling. Her head was in his lap again.

About a half an hour later: “Thael?”

“Yes, my love?”

“Would you mind if we joy fly for a while? Una said it’s more fun when you are with someone you love. What do you think?”

“Don’t know. I have never done that with anyone before, but there’s a first time for everything. Let’s try it and see.”

She was relieved to hear he had never shared a Joy Flight with anyone. She got up and they held hands. They kicked off from the pier and soared in the moonlight.

They made a large loop in the air, their rings singing and glowing brightly. When they came back to the place they started from, Kyoko let go of his hand. She shot straight up slowly spinning as she ascended. When she reached a thousand feet she did a swan dive toward the ground. Thael was following her close behind. She went into a tailspin. Thael quickly dropped beside her doing the same thing slowly spinning, but in the opposite direction. Anyone looking toward the harbor would see two bright purplish blue lights dancing in the sky.

As they came close to the water they pulled out of the dive at the same time and started climbing again. They turned toward each other. Thael reached out and took her hands in his. They began slowly turning as if dancing in the air. Thael pulled her close. Threw his arms around her and they kissed. They were maintaining their altitude at about two hundred feet.

At the end of the kiss they broke apart. Thael took her left hand in his left hand and they flew in a circle, arms outstretched, slowly descending. Their rings were singing their soul’s duet. They stopped descending about ten feet above the water. As they hovered over the water, he slowly twirled her under his left arm. They were still holding hands. She swung his arm as if throwing it away. Thael began to spin like a top. He circled her, slowly spinning.

When he came to a stop he was facing her. She flew to him, gave him a peck on the cheek, and shot off to his left. He chased her. Just as he was about to grab her foot, she suddenly flew up and reversed direction. She began laughing. When he realized what happened, he turned and took up the chase again.

They played chase in the skies over the town: Flying under bridges, looping up, reversing and then flying over the bridges. They were laughing together. Finally, she abruptly stopped in midair, turned and faced him. He stopped inches from her. She was smiling a smile he hadn’t seen in a while.

She took his head in her hands. “Ai ishite, Thael sama. More than you will ever know.” She kissed him sweetly and gently. Without thinking, they were rotating slowly in the night sky. When she finally pulled away, Thael kissed her forehead, then her left eye. He kissed her all around her face. Then he kissed her mouth.

He smiled when he pulled away. Kyoko’s eyes were a little wet. “O Kyoko sama, I love you too. More than I could ever say to you in words. Let’s go home. There’s something I want to do with you that needs more privacy.”

“What could that be?” She said coyly.

“Well, it’s definitely something I’d prefer our audience of six not watch.”

“Six?” Kyoko immediately stiffened up, “Oh, my! I totally forgot!”

She checked to make sure her uniform was still straight.

Ariella uncloaked next to the hovering couple.

“Make that seven,” Thael added.

“By all means, let’s go home.” She leaned into his right ear and whispered: “I want you to do that thing where you start at my toes and…”

Ariella interrupted her, “Jump in, Your Highnesses, and I’ll take you home.”

“That’s all right, Ariella. I think Kyoko and I would rather fly by ourselves this time.”

“As you wish, Your Highness.” She moved away a hundred yards and shot off into the distance. Thael and Kyoko flew home.

Three hours later they were wearing Japanese robes while having tea in the gazebo in the garden.

“Thael, your house is really…”

“Our house,” Thael interrupted. “Yours, actually, now that you are Mistress of the castle.”

“It’s really beautiful.” She laughed, “And to think I was picturing a small dingy apartment with clothes and beer cans strewn everywhere.” She laughed again.

“I don’t like beer, but we can always throw some empty Guinness cans and saki bottles around the place if you like.”

“Don’t you dare! Don’t you even think of it!”

“Like I said before, ’It’s your house, my Princess’.” He bowed.

“Baka!”

They both laughed.

The next morning, Thael rolled over and reached for Kyoko. What he got was an armful of air. He immediately woke up. He jumped out of bed and rushed into the dining room. It was empty. Leura walked in, giggled and immediately turned her back on him.

She bowed facing the wall, “Ohaio gozaimasu, O Thael sama.”

It was then that he remembered two things. One: It was Monday and Kyoko’s final exam week, so she was at school; two: He was standing in the dining room wearing only his boxers, in front of Leura.

“Ohaio, Leura.” He quickly dashed for the bedroom.

She chuckled with her paw-like hands over her mouth.

At eleven thirty, he, once again, found himself in the doorway of Kyoko’s classroom waiting to take her to the roof for bento. Now that she had moved into the house by the mountains, the flight to and from school would shorten her lunch time too much if she commuted.

Kyoko was surrounded by her classmates. They were talking about the Taelon ceremony and the dresses Hana was making for them.

“Remember, tomorrow is the final fitting, so we’ll pick you all up here at four and take you to the studio.”

“Yes,” Thael added, “Don’t worry, we’ll wait for any stragglers, so don’t hurt yourselves trying to get to the shuttle exactly by four. Now, if you don’t mind me dragging her away, I’d like to have lunch with my wife.”

“Baka.”

They climbed the stairs to the roof. Shinto and Una were already there.

“Where are your friends? We brought bento for an army.”

“Azura…!” Thael called.

She appeared out of nowhere and saluted. “Yes, Your Highness?”

“Please, go downstairs and invite Kyoko’s class up here.”

“Certainly, Thael sama,” she saluted and headed for the stairs.

Thael looked from Una to Shinto. He smiled, “So, what news do you have to tell us?”

“Betsuni, Is there news, Una?”

“What news would that be?”

Thael nodded, “Wakata, this is payback for the singing ring thing isn’t it?”

Shinto smiled, “Yes, Your Highness, it is.”

“Soka. I have one question.”

“Okay, ask away.”

“Una, I understand why Shinto would want to marry you, but why would you want to be my sister-inlaw?”

“I don’t, Thael. I want to be Kyoko’s sister-in-law.”

Kyoko laughed. Shinto joined her.

“Honto? I… I…” He paused with his mouth open, looking from face to face. “But I thought… We… I… I can’t think of a response to that.” He looked down at the rooftop.

Everyone broke out laughing. Kyoko’s whole class had heard that last exchange. They were laughing too. Ami chan sat down next to Thael. Kyoko was on his left.

He said very little during lunch. When the bell rang he congratulated Una and Shinto, kissed Kyoko and took off into the sky.

Shinto had a puzzled look on his face. “Chotto… Doesn’t he always walk with you down to the classroom and say goodbye there?”

“Yes. He didn’t seem himself all through lunch. He hardly spoke a word,” Una said.

Ami chan spoke up: “Sumimasen, he was all right when you were joking around. Then he suddenly turned off.”

Shinto agreed, “Yeah. It happened shortly after Una said she didn’t want to be his sister-in-law.” He looked directly at Una, “You don’t think…” He trailed off.

Una shook her head, “He couldn’t have thought I was serious… Could he? Surely he knew I was joking.”

Kyoko looked at her brother. “He once told me that there is a lot of truth in jest. He said that many people who say terrible things to you as a joke actually mean them. That’s why he never makes jokes to embarrass other people. His jokes are always either childish or at his own expense. He never complains about being the butt of his own jokes. It’s his way of not taking himself too seriously. When I call him ’baka’, he knows I love him and would never really think of him as a fool. He’s one of the wisest, smartest men I have ever had the honor of knowing.”

Shinto took Una’s hand, “You two have been friends and comrades for a year, Una. I’m sure he’ll realize that you were just joking with him.”

Una’s eyes were full of tears. She grabbed Shinto and began crying softly on his shoulder.

The second bell sounded. “I’m sorry, we have to go… math test. Have courage, Una. He loves you as a sister.” Kyoko suddenly realized what she just said, “Gomen… Oh my! That explains it. I’m so sorry, Una. Let’s go, Ami. We can’t be late for this test.” She embraced them both and ran off toward the stairwell. Ami chan nodded her head, “Gomenasai.” She took off after Kyoko.

Una turned away from Shinto, “Baka! Baka! Baka! Of course that’s what it’s about! I’m such a fool! Are you sure you want to marry a fool?”

Shinto took her in his arms, “My love, My Princess, you may be a fool to marry me, but I am the happiest fool in the thirtynine galaxies since you said that you would. As Kyoko said, Thael may be foolish at times, but he’ll come around.” He kissed her temple.

“He already has.”

They jerked their heads around in the direction Thael’s voice came from. He was sitting on one of the benches placed there by the school for the students to use.

“I’m sorry, Una. Lately, I seem to be overly sensitive about things. I knew you were joking. We will always be brother and sister, Una kun. I can’t think of anyone who would be a better wife for Shinto than you. To tell the truth, I think he’s marrying up.”

Shinto laughed, “You’re right there.”

Una went over and sat next to him. She hugged him, “Yokata, Thael kun. I was so worried.” “Forgive me Una. I’ve just been having strange feelings for the last few days.”

“How many days…?”

“A week and a half, I guess. Why?”

“What kind of strange feelings?”

He explained and Una laughed, “Wakata!”

Shinto gave her a puzzled look, “What’s so funny?”

“Men! You don’t know much about Taelon physiognomy do you?”

“Should we?” Thael asked.

Shinto nodded, “Why should we? What are you alluding to?”

“Well… With Thael sama and Kyoko sama, it’s stronger than it will be for us.”

“What are you talking about?” Thael was totally confused now.

“It’s because you two completed the bonding ceremony. You are permanently joined; hearts, bodies, minds, and souls. Shinto and I have only begun our journey.”

Shinto spoke up, “I realize I’m not always up to speed on Taelon rituals, but just what are you talking about?”

“I know why Thael is feeling strange and is on an emotional roller coaster.”

Thael sighed loudly, “Okay. Why? Just come out and say it.”

“Kyoko is pregnant.”

Thael jerked upright, “I beg your pardon? Did you just say my wife is pregnant?

“Yes, Your Highness. She’s carrying your first child. When her hormones started changing because of the child growing inside her, it affected you too. Many times it’s the Taelon husband that knows before his wife does, especially in bonded couples.”

Thael didn’t say a word. He just sat there smiling.

Shinto chuckled. Una continued, “Since bonded Taelons were unheard of for the last ten centuries, I thought – like most people – that that story was just a myth. Now, here you are, making another myth a fact.”

“Another myth…?” Shinto asked.

“Yes, just like the singing Valley of Stones, the Bonding ceremony and the singing rings.”

Shinto looked at Thael, “Are you all right brother-in-law?

“Pregnant?” Thael spoke softly. “I’m so happy I’m at a loss for words. A baby… Sugoi!”

Una hugged Thael, “Omedeto gozaimasu, Thael sama. I don’t know who’s happier: You or me.”

Shinto laughed, but abruptly stopped. “Chotto… Does that mean that when you… you know… that the same thing will happen to me?”

“Probably, you are Taelon now. That doesn’t put you off the idea of marrying me does it?”

“Are you kidding? No way! Nothing can change my heart against you. You are firmly and permanently in here.” He patted his chest, “Not even a golden sword could cut you out. For whatever forever is worth, that is how long I will love you.”

She got up and kissed him.