Tari's Story

[KeshmarCurlyHair]

With The Princess
Tari's Story

Tari stood with the other recruits before General Sekai. Like the other cadets, she was wearing a brand new Junior Royal Guard uniform. Her orange hair was short and neatly cut, making her indistinguishable from the otherwise all-male Junior Guard team. She stood nervously on the far left side of the auditorium, occasionally looking around at the boys surrounding her, as General Sekai was starting his speach.

"Welcome, cadets, and allow me to give you a brief speech of my gratitude." the General started. "May I start first by saying congratulations to each and every one of you for passing your tests. From this day fourth, you are not merely cadets. You are the Tophiopolitan Royal Guards of the future. You have stepped up from mere citizens of Tophiopolis, you have become the hope of tomorrow. Your future duty is not only to defend the honor and well-being of King Mao Tophio and Queen Sayu Tophio in their old age, but also Princess Megumi Tophio before and after she succeeds the throne."

"Psssst!" Tari heard, coming from a cracked door on the left side of the auditorium. She glanced at the direction it came from, to see the princess peeking in waving at her. She looked back, trying to pay attention to the General.

"...and train hard for your kingdom. Your determination will be a key factor on the roads ahead of you." the General continued. "Not go forth young cadets, to use your strength to build a future for all of Tophiopolis."

The General stepped down from the podium, letting the cadets' squad leader to step up. "That's it for today, we'll see you in the mess hall at 5 for supper." he said.

As the other cadets went about their business and left, Tari snuck out the door to the left. She looked up and down the empty hallway. "...M-Megumi?" she quietly called out.

Megumi peeked around the corner to Tari's left. Tari spotted her and walked over to her. As she turned the corner, Megumi glomped her. "That outfit makes you look so heroic!" Megumi squealed.

"Does your parents know where you are?" Tari asked.

"Hehehe... they think I went off to pick up more homework scrolls."

"Ugh... is that all parents know?" Tari said. "Let's go outside, away from the guards."

Tari took Megumi's hand as they snuck out the back door. The building was almost against a mountain, so there was little open areas, besides the meadows behind the mountains. The two girls headed there, as there were no guards there.

Tari fell to the grass as Megumi sat beside her. "You think it'll always be like this?" Tari said.

"Of course!" Megumi replied. "We just need to grow up. I can do whateeever I want then."

Tari sighed. "Yeah. Then we can get married too, and have this place all to ourselves."

Megumi giggled. "That sounds nice."

Tari sat up toward Megumi. "That's why I'm going through with this training. So I can protect you."

Tari's eyes then widened as she remembered something. She reached in her pocket and pulled out a note. "The certificate... I got it when I was accepted into the academy..."

Megumi sat up. "What's it for?"

"They said it's proof that I'm a Junior Royal Guard." Tari explained. "I wonder if..."

Megumi looked at Tari, confused.

Tari stood up. "I gotta go."

Megumi stood up as well and kissed Tari on the forehead. "I'll be waiting."

"You better go back before someone notices you're gone." Tari suggested.

Megumi nodded, then ran off. Tari put the certificate back in her pocket and headed out from the guard station, running aside the dock to find a weapon dealer. She looked around, trying to find the place. She pulled her sleeve back, looking at her watch, then sighed. "I forgot to wind it this morning..."

Turning a corner and seeing a wooden sign next to her with a hammer printed on it leaning against the small corner building, Tari spotted the smithery right away. "This place looks like it would have something."

Tari walked right in the open doorway, looking around at the tools hanging from the walls. "This don't look like the place to buy a weapon..." she thought.

A grease-covered man with a red hat on came from the back. He noticed Tari's Junior Royal Guard uniform quickly. "Hey there, little boy... what can I help you with?"

"You uh... you don't well weapons here, do you?" Tari asked, looking around in confusion.

The man chuckled. "No boy, I don't. I only repair them here... why would a little guy like you need one?"

"Well I just entered the Junior Royal Guard, and I thought I'd need a weapon or something..."

"I see, I see." the man interrupted. "I believe they'd hand practice weapons out when you're supposed to start."

"Oh..." Tari said, disappointed. She looked to her right as an unusual weapon caught her eye. "Hey, what's that one?"

The man walked over to it and picked it up. "Ah, this is a special one. It was left here by a mysterious woman who never returned for it. Called it 'Splinter'. It's a rare firearm, but luckily for me, I figured out how to produce new ammo for it."

"...ammo?" Tari asked as another man walked in the front door.

"Her there, Kapnim." the man greeted the blacksmith.

"You sure are a curious young man," Kapnim said to Tari. "I'm afraid I have a customer now though. Go on and play."

Tari sighed, walking out the door. She then looked around, then saw her grandmother over by the marketplace shopping. She ran over to her. "Hey, Gramma."

"Oh hey, Tari." her grandmother greeted as she purchased some fruit. "That outfit looks good on you. Finished up at the Guard Academy for today?"

"Almost... I should go back and meet the general soon." Tari responded.

"Okay then. See you tonight, hun." her grandmother said.

Tari nodded happily, then started back to the academy. "Bye Gramma!" she said, waving.

"Tahna and Eir had a wonderful son." her grandmother thought, as she was waving back at Tari.

Tari walked in the side of the building and want past the stadium. She noticed someone still in there, and backed up to peek in. "...General Sekai!" she exclaimed.

"...'ello, you're one of the new cadets, right?" General Sekai said, as he sat down on a nearby chair.

"Yes sir." Tari said, walking in nervously. "Cadet Tari Kallio."

"Ah, so you're Kallio." General Sekai said. "I was told the princess really likes you."

Tari smiled. "We're pretty good friends, sir."

"That's great to hear." General Sekai commented. "It's good to have someone who knows one of the royal family personally in the Royal Guard."

"...it is?"

"All the more reason to serve and protect them."

"I'll do my best." Tari said.

"Make sure you do, for the princess." General Sekai said.

Tari nodded, listening intently.

General Sekai stood up. "Well, see you tomorrow in class."

Tari nodded again.

"I'll expect you to be the best in the class." General Sekai said.

"I'll try not to dissappoint you, sir." Tari said, saluting.

"That's good to hear." General Sekai said, then walked away.

Tari sighed. "Wow, he seems tough." she thought as she walked out.