Laurus Nobilis (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
laurus_nobilis) wrote2006-05-23 01:59 pm
laurus_nobilis) wrote2006-05-23 01:59 pm
Race for the Emerald [Card Captor Sakura; English]
Title: Race for the Emerald
Rating: G
Genre: Romance / humour/ AU
Pairings: Fujitaka/Nadeshiko
Summary: He's an archaelogist with a Robin Hood complex. She's the granddaughter of a rich and powerful sheik. Are they meant to be?
Notes: Written for Tsukimine Shrine's Harlequin Romance challenge. Believe me, it's corny on purpose...
It was close to midnight already. The palace was very near now, a dark shape against the endless desert sky. There was no moon tonight; a myriad stars shone over the cold sands, showing the way to his destination. He left his horse at a safe distance, where it wouldn't be heard or seen by the guards, and reached the high walls completely alone.
He had studied the place carefully before attempting this. It was a very old and famous building, after all, which meant that any archaeologist could get a map of it without drawing any suspicions. He knew that this wing was unguarded, because it seemed almost impossible to break in from there. The walls were smooth, without any entrances, and the only windows were too high to climb to them. However, he had also counted on this; he knew exactly at what height they were and how to reach them.
As he prepared the rope, he reminded himself one more time that he was doing the right thing. It always made him feel somewhat uncomfortable, getting in this kind of trouble... But he was doing it for a good cause, after all. The greedy sheik was keeping a wonderful jewel all for himself, one that was renowned among the people he ruled; they claimed that it would solve most of their problems. They spoke about this Emerald with such a reverence that he had no reason not to believe it, especially after seeing how poor most of them were. A single stone from the sheik's treasure would easily feed a whole tribe, and the old man's riches wouldn't have changed too much. It wasn't fair at all, so he shook away his doubts.
He was about to throw the rope to the closest window, but never managed to do it – something fell on him before he could let it go. Or, rather, someone.
It was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was very young, barely out of her teenage years. The clothes she was wearing were very light, almost transparent, and flattered her perfect figure. Her long, black hair fell in waves around her face; it smelled of the sweetest perfumes.
“Are you all right?” she asked him, looking concerned. “I'm so sorry... I thought the veils were long enough.”
Looking away from her at last, he noticed the colourful veils tied one after each other, dangling from the window he had been aiming at. The last one of them was a few meters above them. She must have tried to climb down from there while he was preparing to get in. However, he didn't say any of that. He was too entranced by her eyes – the greenest eyes in the world, he was sure – and the revelation that they brought with them.
“You are the Emerald,” he managed to say. She blushed.
“That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard...”
He chuckled, and was about to explain what he meant when they suddenly heard voices and footsteps approaching. The girl gasped, jumping up at last.
“They must have noticed I left!” she exclaimed.
“Don't worry,” he assured her, taking her hand. “Come with me, quickly.”
“But I don't know who you are! I don't even know your name,” she said as he led her towards the place where he had left his horse.
“It's Fujitaka,” he said, without looking back. “Fujitaka Kinomoto.”
“I'm Nadeshiko,” she replied, with some difficulty; it seemed she wasn't exactly used to running on the sand, and much less to talking at the same time. “Are you a thief?”
They had reached the horse by then, thankfully. He grinned at her as he helped her up.
“I'm an archaelogist.”
“You were trying to break in,” Nadeshiko pointed out. He jumped up too and took the reins before he answered.
“Yes, well...” he began to say, “that doesn't happen too often. Hold on.”
She put her arms around him just in time, as they galloped away into the desert. However, Fujitaka soon discovered that she wasn't going to give up so easily.
“But still,” she insisted, now louder so he could hear her in spite of the wind, “you were going to take something from grandfather, weren't you?”
“I think I did,” he laughed. “Although you were running away from him to begin with.”
“Not from him, from the palace,” she corrected. “Grandfather is a good man. He's just a little overprotective, that's all.”
“Then why were you leaving?”
She was silent for a moment, as if looking for the right words.
“There wasn't much I could do from there,” she said at last. “The few times I've been out of the palace, I've seen how our people live. I really do want to help them, and I can. But not from where I was.”
“We both want the same thing, then,” Fujitaka told her, smiling to himself. It looked like what the people said about her was true. He wondered if she knew that there were so many rumours about her kindness.
He didn't have any time to ask her. All of a sudden, the sound of dozens of hooves surrounded them. Their chasers were close now: he could see the dark shapes of the riders, coming nearer and nearer.
“Your grandfather's men?” he asked, spurring his horse.
“Worse,” Nadeshiko said. “They're my cousins women.”
Soon enough, they were surrounded. Fujitaka had no other choice but to stop, hoping there was a way out of this; the idea of having to watch her go seemed far worse than any punishment her relatives had in mind. One of the riders, right in front of them, came closer until they could see her face. It was a woman of about Nadeshiko's age.
“Give her back,” she said simply, pointing an accusatory finger at him.
Fujitaka blinked. Was that it? Behind him, Nadeshiko sighed and let go of him. She jumped down from the horse and walked towards her cousin. Gently, she took the other woman's arm and lowered it.
“You don't need to worry, Sonomi,” she said. “It's all right; I left on my own. We just... happened to meet.”
“It doesn't matter! He has no right to take you away just like that!”
“I think she should choose for herself,” he intervened, but it was no use.
“We'll race!” Sonomi exclaimed. “To the palace and back. If you dare.”
Nadeshiko sighed yet again, looking resigned. But she was smiling when she turned to look at him.
“Go ahead,” she told him. “She won't have it any other way.”
Although he still found everything very strange, Fujitaka discovered that he simply couldn't say no to her. If she was so confident... He smiled back at her, and then looked up to face her cousin.
“All right. You choose the horses,” he said politely.
Sonomi gave him a sidewards look, as if she suspected he was up to something, but there was nothing incriminating to find. She gave an order to two of the riders, who approached them and jumped off their horses. They were equally good, he noticed. It seemed that she was determined to win fair and square.
“They've run the same distance,” she told him. He nodded.
Nadeshiko wished good luck to both of them, much to Sonomi's annoyance. Fujitaka tried to wish her luck, too, but his rival's only answer was a deathly glare. Once they were ready to go, one of the women gave the agreed signal and they galloped into the distance.
For the first few minutes, it seemed that neither of them would be able to get an advantage. The horses were head to head, speeding over the dunes, and there was still a long way until they reached the palace.
“I'm not going to let you win!” she snarled at him, spurring her horse. She managed to get a few meters ahead of him after all. Fujitaka didn't worry for the moment; he still had time to catch up.
It was only when the palace was near that he spurred his own horse again. He zoomed past her and reached the building first, turning around immediately. The wind brought him her enraged screams as she tried to recover her advantage. She was close to making it, a couple of times, and for an instant he wondered if he would lose...
But then Nadeshiko appeared before them, waving and smiling, and her beauty was such that she shone over all the other women that surrounded her. Both of them made one last effort, a final gallop; but Fujitaka got there first. She cheered happily, throwing his arms around him as soon he jumped off the horse. The only thing that made her change her expression was Sonomi's arrival, seconds later. Fujitaka had never seen someone look so furious, not even in his most dangerous travels. Nadeshiko smiled at her as if nothing had happened.
“I promise I'll visit you, Sonomi,” she said, and kissed her cousin on the cheek.
Rating: G
Genre: Romance / humour/ AU
Pairings: Fujitaka/Nadeshiko
Summary: He's an archaelogist with a Robin Hood complex. She's the granddaughter of a rich and powerful sheik. Are they meant to be?
Notes: Written for Tsukimine Shrine's Harlequin Romance challenge. Believe me, it's corny on purpose...
It was close to midnight already. The palace was very near now, a dark shape against the endless desert sky. There was no moon tonight; a myriad stars shone over the cold sands, showing the way to his destination. He left his horse at a safe distance, where it wouldn't be heard or seen by the guards, and reached the high walls completely alone.
He had studied the place carefully before attempting this. It was a very old and famous building, after all, which meant that any archaeologist could get a map of it without drawing any suspicions. He knew that this wing was unguarded, because it seemed almost impossible to break in from there. The walls were smooth, without any entrances, and the only windows were too high to climb to them. However, he had also counted on this; he knew exactly at what height they were and how to reach them.
As he prepared the rope, he reminded himself one more time that he was doing the right thing. It always made him feel somewhat uncomfortable, getting in this kind of trouble... But he was doing it for a good cause, after all. The greedy sheik was keeping a wonderful jewel all for himself, one that was renowned among the people he ruled; they claimed that it would solve most of their problems. They spoke about this Emerald with such a reverence that he had no reason not to believe it, especially after seeing how poor most of them were. A single stone from the sheik's treasure would easily feed a whole tribe, and the old man's riches wouldn't have changed too much. It wasn't fair at all, so he shook away his doubts.
He was about to throw the rope to the closest window, but never managed to do it – something fell on him before he could let it go. Or, rather, someone.
It was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was very young, barely out of her teenage years. The clothes she was wearing were very light, almost transparent, and flattered her perfect figure. Her long, black hair fell in waves around her face; it smelled of the sweetest perfumes.
“Are you all right?” she asked him, looking concerned. “I'm so sorry... I thought the veils were long enough.”
Looking away from her at last, he noticed the colourful veils tied one after each other, dangling from the window he had been aiming at. The last one of them was a few meters above them. She must have tried to climb down from there while he was preparing to get in. However, he didn't say any of that. He was too entranced by her eyes – the greenest eyes in the world, he was sure – and the revelation that they brought with them.
“You are the Emerald,” he managed to say. She blushed.
“That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard...”
He chuckled, and was about to explain what he meant when they suddenly heard voices and footsteps approaching. The girl gasped, jumping up at last.
“They must have noticed I left!” she exclaimed.
“Don't worry,” he assured her, taking her hand. “Come with me, quickly.”
“But I don't know who you are! I don't even know your name,” she said as he led her towards the place where he had left his horse.
“It's Fujitaka,” he said, without looking back. “Fujitaka Kinomoto.”
“I'm Nadeshiko,” she replied, with some difficulty; it seemed she wasn't exactly used to running on the sand, and much less to talking at the same time. “Are you a thief?”
They had reached the horse by then, thankfully. He grinned at her as he helped her up.
“I'm an archaelogist.”
“You were trying to break in,” Nadeshiko pointed out. He jumped up too and took the reins before he answered.
“Yes, well...” he began to say, “that doesn't happen too often. Hold on.”
She put her arms around him just in time, as they galloped away into the desert. However, Fujitaka soon discovered that she wasn't going to give up so easily.
“But still,” she insisted, now louder so he could hear her in spite of the wind, “you were going to take something from grandfather, weren't you?”
“I think I did,” he laughed. “Although you were running away from him to begin with.”
“Not from him, from the palace,” she corrected. “Grandfather is a good man. He's just a little overprotective, that's all.”
“Then why were you leaving?”
She was silent for a moment, as if looking for the right words.
“There wasn't much I could do from there,” she said at last. “The few times I've been out of the palace, I've seen how our people live. I really do want to help them, and I can. But not from where I was.”
“We both want the same thing, then,” Fujitaka told her, smiling to himself. It looked like what the people said about her was true. He wondered if she knew that there were so many rumours about her kindness.
He didn't have any time to ask her. All of a sudden, the sound of dozens of hooves surrounded them. Their chasers were close now: he could see the dark shapes of the riders, coming nearer and nearer.
“Your grandfather's men?” he asked, spurring his horse.
“Worse,” Nadeshiko said. “They're my cousins women.”
Soon enough, they were surrounded. Fujitaka had no other choice but to stop, hoping there was a way out of this; the idea of having to watch her go seemed far worse than any punishment her relatives had in mind. One of the riders, right in front of them, came closer until they could see her face. It was a woman of about Nadeshiko's age.
“Give her back,” she said simply, pointing an accusatory finger at him.
Fujitaka blinked. Was that it? Behind him, Nadeshiko sighed and let go of him. She jumped down from the horse and walked towards her cousin. Gently, she took the other woman's arm and lowered it.
“You don't need to worry, Sonomi,” she said. “It's all right; I left on my own. We just... happened to meet.”
“It doesn't matter! He has no right to take you away just like that!”
“I think she should choose for herself,” he intervened, but it was no use.
“We'll race!” Sonomi exclaimed. “To the palace and back. If you dare.”
Nadeshiko sighed yet again, looking resigned. But she was smiling when she turned to look at him.
“Go ahead,” she told him. “She won't have it any other way.”
Although he still found everything very strange, Fujitaka discovered that he simply couldn't say no to her. If she was so confident... He smiled back at her, and then looked up to face her cousin.
“All right. You choose the horses,” he said politely.
Sonomi gave him a sidewards look, as if she suspected he was up to something, but there was nothing incriminating to find. She gave an order to two of the riders, who approached them and jumped off their horses. They were equally good, he noticed. It seemed that she was determined to win fair and square.
“They've run the same distance,” she told him. He nodded.
Nadeshiko wished good luck to both of them, much to Sonomi's annoyance. Fujitaka tried to wish her luck, too, but his rival's only answer was a deathly glare. Once they were ready to go, one of the women gave the agreed signal and they galloped into the distance.
For the first few minutes, it seemed that neither of them would be able to get an advantage. The horses were head to head, speeding over the dunes, and there was still a long way until they reached the palace.
“I'm not going to let you win!” she snarled at him, spurring her horse. She managed to get a few meters ahead of him after all. Fujitaka didn't worry for the moment; he still had time to catch up.
It was only when the palace was near that he spurred his own horse again. He zoomed past her and reached the building first, turning around immediately. The wind brought him her enraged screams as she tried to recover her advantage. She was close to making it, a couple of times, and for an instant he wondered if he would lose...
But then Nadeshiko appeared before them, waving and smiling, and her beauty was such that she shone over all the other women that surrounded her. Both of them made one last effort, a final gallop; but Fujitaka got there first. She cheered happily, throwing his arms around him as soon he jumped off the horse. The only thing that made her change her expression was Sonomi's arrival, seconds later. Fujitaka had never seen someone look so furious, not even in his most dangerous travels. Nadeshiko smiled at her as if nothing had happened.
“I promise I'll visit you, Sonomi,” she said, and kissed her cousin on the cheek.