The Last of Her Kind

5. Respect Is Earned

Chapter 5 : Respect Is Earned

I lay awake under the stars, listening to Akane's calming breathing helping me to relax a little. We had a bit of a ruff day. This is how it went...

...

We reach another village after walking for days on end. When Akane sees it, she starts running like mad towards anyplace that has food or water. I calmly walk behind her for the fact that I do not want to eat anything. I'm not hungry. I don't eat much. Just a little food and water at one time can last me for months on end. I think that is due to the fact that I am do not have human needs like them. I have heard that other Pokemon generally eat daily but I think it's due to the fact that I am in a human form, I do not need to eat much. It's rather sunny out today so I bask in its soft light. Now this is something I enjoy. A lot. In the dungeons you don't have this. You have darkness. That's it. I have a certain respect for the darkness. It's quiet and intense. It helps balance the light. For that, I respect darkness as much as I love the light.

Akane comes running to me with canteens dripping with water in one arm and loaves of bread in another. I am now laying down underneath a cool oak tree. It's very large. I feel privileged to do so. To lay here underneath the leaves without a care in the world. I look up to Akane staring down at me with a huge grin on her face.

"I got food!" She says with a that same grin on her face. It suits her. Her smile. It lights up her face.

I must have been really out of it or something cause the next thing I though, Akane is shaking me like mad.

"Can you not hear me or something? I got food and water!"

"I'm okay. I don't want any."

I just want to stare at the sky, letting its endless emptiness consume me.

That must have surprised her cause she is staring at me like I said something strange.

"What do you mean your okay? We have been walking for days. Are you not hungry? Are you sick or something?"

She starts to feel my head and my wrist.

" I'm fine really-"

"I would like some ladies." A

man from behind her comes up to us and says that.

"But it would be nice to have a little company don't you think-"

Before he can even finish his sentence, Akane has already elbowed him in the mouth and pulls me up and brings me away from the scene.

"Well it's been a good day hasn't it?" she completely ignores the man laying on the ground holding his nose.

"Um... but what about..." I try to ask her about the man but she cuts me off.

"Very nice weather huh?" She is acting as though the man was never there. Strange. I wonder what's her problem?

I don't say anything and just follow her.

I end up following her into the village where Akane looks at the other food ingredients. Men try to come onto her with cheesy punch lines but she punches them instead. She's not in the best mood it seems. I continue to say nothing for fear of her getting angry at me as well. So I just stay quiet. Silent is how I am anyways right? It's not different anyhow.

We approach a kingdom just by the village we passed but far enough for the village to be considered to be on the outskirts. All around banners hang for some celebration.

They read,

Long live the king! Long live the country! Respect his power!

Though this looks as though it should be some kind of celebration, no one seems to be that happy. Everyone looks sad or scared. Not a single soul is smiling. No one except a big man being carried on a portable throne that is. He has a gold circuit on his head. He must be a person people call "king". I don't know exactly what that word means but I heard it means someone with power over countries, wielded at their command like a sword. Though this man doesn't seem like even hold a sword let alone a country. The men holding the chair seem to break under his massive weight. I wonder who he is?

The man looks straight at me and a sly grin comes to his face. Kinda like the grin that the guards used to have when they would make me entertain for them. Uh-oh... What does he want?

"You there! The girl with the green hair! You shall be my bride! Come here this instant!" He yells to me.

I don't want to go. What should I do?

I shake my head. I'm not going to him.

"What?! You dare defy me?! I am the king! Guards! Take her to me now!"

He shrieks.

The guards seem hesitant but have to do as their told. They are about to take my hands but someone stops them. I look over and it's Akane! Akane has stopped them!

"You will do no such thing to this girl."

Silently she speaks this but loud enough for all to hear her menacing voice. The man in the throne named king looks dumbstruck. Obviously he has not been defied before.

"Excuse me?" He cries. "Do not defy me! I am king! I will have the respect I deserve!"

Akane looks amused at his words.

"Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. Sand to sand. Blood to blood. Life to life. Something does not come from nothing. For us worldly beings that is. All has a beginning and all must come to an end. When we live we create, bind, destroy and leave memories in our place. When we die we leave the ashes from once we began. We cannot make something that is from nothing. We have to maintain balance. That also is respect for respect. Do not expect anything in return for something you have not done. In time all is rewarded. That goes for your thirst for respect as well. Do not step on everyone, and then demand that respect and love you as a leader. A kingdom with tirany for its rule is surely to crumble. Though why listen to me? I'm just a lowly travelling woman. Why there is no need for you to listen to me. It's not like you should or anything." Akane stops at that.

The whole town has gone silent. No one makes a single sound. The royal looks shocked at her truthful words. It obviously struck him deep. But maybe not...

"WENCH! YOU DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING! YOU ARE A USELESS GIRL! LEAVE BEFORE I EXECUTE YOU!" He bellows.

In a split second Akane is behind him with a dagger to his neck fat. He is very fearful at what might happen next. She's going to do it. I can see it in her eyes. She's going to kill the man.

"NO! DONT DO IT AKANE!"

I yell.

She looks over at me obviously startled at my out burst along with everyone else in the gathering.

"What is it Melody?" She asks.

"Don't kill him. It's not his time to die. This is not the end of his path. Do not end his life for him. Please."

I plead this with all my might. I do not know why I am saving him. He treats people like dirt. He deserves what's coming to him... But for some reason I feel like he has a greater purpose. That his destiny isn't to be murdered by Akane.

Again she smiles. She looks back at the man in the chair.

"I can see it in your eyes. Fear. Fear for your riches, your kingdom, but if not for my friend here I would have cut you down where you stand ages ago. It seems she sees something good inside of you. Something I do not. I trust her judgment. Be gracious, she did not have to stop my hand, but she has. For that, you owe her a debt of gratitude. Even your life for it was your life that I have spared. Not another man or another woman's life. Your's. Now show her you can be who you swear to be. I swear that if you do not I will come back and kill you myself. If you have already died I will dig up your grave and kill you once more. Got it?"

The man hurriedly nods. Again she smiles and then releases the man. Quickly Akane runs over to my side, gently pulling me away from the crowded area to avoid much notice.

When we reach a clearing in the woods we finally stop. It's already dark. We were running for a while now. There she stops to catch her breath while I stand by waiting for her to finish. She then proceeds to picking up large prices of wood and putting them in a pile which she lights on fire. It's beautiful. The flames dance into the starry sky. We both lean up against an fallen log and close our eyes in hope of sleep.

I take one last look at the crackling fire, and the twinkling stars and then let sleep wisk me away to the dream world. Their dream. My nightmare.

Thanks for reading...

-EmberUchiha :P