*The Chronicles of F.R.E.E. Atania's Knight - Raquel Festow* Part 1

Chapter 11 - Familar Surroundings

*Ruth Watson POV - Earth*

Oh my god! We were back!!
The noise from the city reached our ears, the industrial smell of car fumes and other pollution reached our nostrils and a busy high street was visible at the end of the alley way we had been transported to.
I looked at Rebecca and Natalia, who were exchanging strange, disgusted looks with each other.
"What's the matter?" I asked them.
"What's that smell?" Rebecca blurted out, pinching her nose shut.
"It's not clean here at all!" Natalia cried out, looking heartbroken.
"That's the industrial revolution, sweetheart." Darren said, proudly. "You'll see what we mean when we go to the high street."
"Hide your swords!" I hissed.
We all removed our swords and placed them into our sacks that hung across our backs. They were purposefully long enough to hide our swords, so it meant they could be undetected.
"Let's hope there's no metal detectors." I murmured as I put my sack back over my shoulder and turning towards the high street.
We walked to the end of the alley and peered out, looking around at the shops and people that were bustling past. Some on their phones chatting happily, some with serious faces looking straight ahead of them, and others were with friends and nattering away to each other. It was summer, so most of the women were wearing dresses and sandels, but there were the odd few that had hardly anything on.
"Remember, Hodgson!" I growled threateningly. "No looking! I'm armed!"
Darren chuckled. "If you catch me looking, I'm only imagining it on you, babe." He joked.
I stamped on his foot and turned to Rebecca and Natalia who were looking a little apprehensive at some of the outfits and both were looking very out of place in matching Atanian silver armour.
"First off, we need to change our clothes so we don't look out of place." I said, looking down at my black armour and Darren's gold and red.
"You are not putting me in something like that!" Rebecca hissed, pointing at a girl that pretty much had her shorts disappearing up her arse and a boob tube on.
"You'll get to choose what you want to wear, twit!" I hissed back.
"If anyone asks, we have been at a costume party and forgot to pick up our normal clothes." Darren nodded to Rebecca and Natalia.
Natalia screamed excitedly. "Does that mean shopping?!" She squealed, her eyes twinkling.
Rebecca groaned. "I thought I said, no shopping!" She snapped at me.
"Unavoidable and necessary at the moment I'm afraid." I looked back out at the high street. "There's a New Look, let's go in there."
We walked across the high street, earning some very amused and bewildered looks from passers by. I awkwardly gave them a sheepish grin as I strode past towards the door to the shop.
I knew where we were very well. I used to haunt these streets all the time when I was younger, but everything had changed. None of the shops were the same apart from the two large shopping centres. It looked a lot more run down than how I remembered it, shops were boarded up with their shutters down but the shops that were open looked new and very modern, with their massive glass front windows and sparkly displays.
I breathed a sigh of relief when we got inside and it was air conditioned. I was already sweating profusely from being in black armour.
"Right, Hodg, you go and get some clothes. Rebecca and Natalia, you follow me." I instructed.
"Right you are, Watson." Darren laughed and shrugged. "Just like old times." He said and kissed me on the cheek before heading upstairs to the mens department.
"Follow me, ladies." I grinned and headed further inside.
I stopped at a rack of tshirts and started looking through, Natalia had found a rack of skirts and Rebecca was standing there, scowling at me.
"Rebecca, just choose something to change into and we'll head off. The longer you take to choose something, the longer we will be in here." I raised an eyebrow at her.
She huffed and walked off to look through a rack away from us.
"Oh, this is nice!" Natalia said, pulling out a bright pink short skirt.
"Do you know your size?" I asked her.
"I have a size?" She stared at me blankly.
I cast my eyes over her for a second. "I'd say you're a size eight to ten. So, you see these little tags?" I pulled out the tag on the skirt she was holding up. She nodded. "You need to look for a pale blue or yellow tag, ok? That is your size. We will try them on before we buy them to be sure."
"Ok." She then squealed loudly. "I love shopping!!"
I cringed and looked around at the other women all staring at us.
"Nats, tone it down a bit. You're going to draw attention." I hissed at her and she winked back.
I gave up on the rack I was looking through and moved to a rack of dresses. There was a particular one that stood out to me. A short black dress that had zips aross it with some tears at the hip. I decided that would be perfect so I picked it up and went to find Rebecca. I scanned around the racks but couldn't see her. I groaned.
"Fuck sake." I muttered, angrily. "Rebecca?!" I shouted out.
"What?" Came her voice from behind me.
I turned around and she was standing there holding a long, tanned brown skirt and a white button up, short sleeve shirt.
I chuckled. "Is that what you're getting?"
She looked down at it and nodded. "Yeah, thought it felt more like me. Where's Natalia?"
"She's looking through the skirts." I mused.
Rebecca rolled her eyes. "I hope she doesn't take forever."
"Can I check them for you?" I said, but before she answered I took the clothes off her and checked the sizes. "Rebecca, you are not a size twenty!"
"I didn't fucking know that, did I? I just liked the clothes and picked them up. Why do they have to make everything so complicated?" She moaned.
It was my turn to roll my eyes. "Show me where you found them."
She led me to the part where she found the skirt, and I chose her a size ten while putting the size twenty back. "Where did you find the shirt?" She led me to another rack and I chose a size ten in that too. I curiously looked at the size of the one she had chosen.
"Wow! I didn't even know there was a size twenty six." I exclaimed. "Mcdonalds must have really taken over."
We went to find Natalia who had chosen a black skirt and a small vibrant pink crop top.
"Isn't that a bit bright, darling?" Rebecca scrunched her face up at it.
"It'll look fine when it's on." Natalia quipped.
I led them both to the fitting rooms and told them to try the clothes on and show me.
Rebecca was the first to emerge, with the long tan brown skirt reaching her ankles and the shirt hugging her curves very well. I gave her a nod of approval and she sat down with me to see Natalia's outfit.
Natalia came out wearing the high waisted, black, thigh length skirt and vibrant pink crop top. Her legs looked amazing in it, with her midriff bare, and the pink crop top hugged well to her chest.
I grinned and gave her the thumbs up of approval before I looked at Rebecca.
Rebecca was frozen, unable to tear her eyes away from how good Natalia looked.
"My love? Are you ok?" Natalia mused, smiling at the way her wife was staring at her.
Rebecca snapped out of it, and closed her mouth. She looked into Natalia's eyes and gave her a seductive smirk.
"I like this Realm." She murmured. "If you're ever wanting to go shopping again, be sure to come back here and get more clothes like that!"
I stuck my finger down my throat and pretended to gag. Rebecca smacked my arm.
"Ow! That fucking hurt!" I complained, rubbing my arm.
"Don't take the piss then." She sneered.
"Oh my goodness!" Natalia squealed. Rebecca and I looked at her as she covered her mouth with both of her hands, staring, blurry eyed at Rebecca.
"What's the matter, darling?" Rebecca asked, concerned.
Natalia reached out her hand to her and Rebecca stood up and walked over to take it. Natalia pulled her hand down so Rebecca was pulled closer to her and caressed Rebecca's cheek.
"You wore something just like this the first time I saw you."
"I did?!" Rebecca blanched looking down at her clothes.
Natalia hummed, looking like she was about to cry. "The only thing missing is your sword on your hip." She chuckled as a few tears became free.
Rebecca pulled her into a passionate, deep kiss, catching Natalia off guard. Relaxing, Natalia slowly raised her arms around Rebecca's neck while Rebecca's hands took advantage of the short skirt she was wearing.
"WHOA WHOA WHOA!" I bellowed, pulling them apart. "We're in a public place! Not somewhere in Atania fresh out of naked yoga!" I whisper-yelled at them.
Rebecca still couldn't take her eyes off Natalia, but Natalia chuckled shyly, looking very flustered.
"Don't you have clothes to try on too?" Natalia asked me, sweetly, sneaking glances at Rebecca's predatory-like stare.
"I do, but I don't trust you to keep your hands off each other right now." I said, folding my arms.
Rebecca made an innocent face at me. "Don't know what you're on about." She sneered. "Go and show us what you're getting."
I sighed, made a final warning glare at the two of them before going to try on my dress.
Looking at myself in the mirror, I felt amazing! The dress fitted like a glove, bringing just the right amount of attention to my chest and legs.
"You got it on yet?" Rebecca called out from the waiting area. "I'm starting to struggle here."
I rolled my eyes and came out to show them.
"Oh, Ruth! That suits you perfectly!" Natalia squealed.
Rebecca gave an impressed nod. "Not what I expected at all," she said, sarcastically.
I poked my tongue out at her. "Right, lets get changed back and go and pay for them."
I made sure that Rebecca and Natalia went into separate rooms before getting changed back into my armour. I put the dress back on the hanger, slung it over my forearm and quickly opened my bag to pull out a few fifty pound notes. I looked at them warily, unsure if the shop would accept them. I remembered my mum trying to pay with one once and the shop refused it, saying they didn't accept them because there were too many fakes about. Well, don't know if you don't try.
I came out and saw Rebecca and Natalia waiting for me.
I led the way out and saw Darren, with some clothes hanging over his arm, waiting by the exit.
"You done?" I said to him as we reached him, pecking him on the cheek.
"Yeah, all done." He smirked and stole a glance at what I was carrying. "Is that a dress?"
I nodded and held it up to show him.
"Shit. I don't think I'm going to handle seeing you in that." Darren whispered, his face giving away that he found it attractive.
"You should have seen the way Rebecca reacted seeing Natalia in the clothes she's chosen." I joked walking towards the tills.
We queued up, there was only two people in front of us and Natalia started looking at the lipsticks in the dumpbins, wondering what they were. I was showing her what they did when a familiar voice came from behind me.
"OH MY GOD! RUTHIE!"
I spun round and there was a much older looking Lizzie than the one I remembered. My breath hitched, overcome with happiness of seeing my oldest best friend.
"LIZZIE!" I screamed, launching over the dump bins and pulling her into a tight hug.
"You're alive! I knew it! I knew you were!" She wailed, hugging me back just as tightly. "Where have you been?!"
She pulled back to look at me and stared.
"You haven't aged a day!" She whispered in amazement.
I froze. Oh shit! I had broken the biggest taboo. Don't be recognised.
I started to stammer while trying to think of an excuse. "Er, well... I... You know... It's just that..."
"Wait... Why are you dressed like a medieval knight?" She looked down my armour, her eyebrows disappearing behind her fringe.
"Costume party. Had too much to drink and forgot to bring spare clothes for the travel home." I said, quickly. At least that part I had already figured out.
"Uh-huh." Lizzie gave me a smirk. She didn't believe me. "You disappear for almost twelve years and here I find you with three others, all dressed like you work for Henry the Eighth." She sneered. "Where have you been all this time?"
Before I could answer, I felt a hand at my elbow and looked round to see Rebecca, giving Lizzie the dirtiest look.
Lizzie did a double take at her. "W-What? There-There's two of you?!"
I opened my mouth while I waited for my brain to think of something to say, but Rebecca beat me to it.
"I'm her twin. Name's Rebecca. Who are you?" She said bluntly. I scowled at her. She was being rude to my friend.
"Oh, wow!! I had no idea you had a twin!" Lizzie squealed, looking at me.
I let out a short false laugh. "Neither did I." I admitted.
Rebecca shot me a furious look, but Lizzie gasped.
"Fucking hell!" She whispered, dramatically. "Is this like that Parent Trap film? You were split up at birth and then found each other on some camp?"
I thought about it for a second then shrugged, accepting it. "Yup." I popped the P. "That's exactly what happened. We met in this strange camp with a teeny tiny green house in the middle of a forest."
"See, now you're just making it sound like Blair Witch Project." Lizzie moaned, folding her arms. "I'm trying to make it out to be like Disney and you turn it into a fucking horror movie."
"Oh trust me, it was a lot more like the horror movie!" I chuckled.
"Anyway, sorry. Nice to meet you Rebecca. I'm Lizzie. I've known shitface here since she was ten." Lizzie smiled warmly at Rebecca, but Rebecca didn't move or offer any pleasentries back.
Instead she was glaring down her nose at Lizzie. Lizzie started to look a bit uncomfortable.
"Well, I can see you're out on a family day out, so I guess I'll leave you-"
"Why don't you join us, Lizzie?" Natalia asked, politely, appearing beside Rebecca and smiling at Lizzie sweetly. "We haven't met any of Ruth's friends from home before. It would be great to get to know you."
"Natalia..." Rebecca grunted in warning.
"And you seem really nice. Perhaps we could go have lunch somewhere?"
"Natalia!" Rebecca warned again, louder.
"Plus we need someone to give us a tour of round here so we don't get lost."
"NATALIA!" Rebecca grabbed her arm, and glared at her. "Do not think for one fucking second that this girl is coming with us!"
"I'd love to." Lizzie accepted Natalia's invite, smirking victoriously at Rebecca.
"Er, great..." I said, awkwardly. I loved that Natalia had invited her along, it would be amazing to catch up with my friend after so long, but that's only if Rebecca doesn't kill us all.
"Um, Rebecca, is it?" Lizzie said, slowly.
"WHAT?!" Rebecca bellowed at her, her nostrils flaring because she was so angry.
Lizzie backed away slightly, holding up a finger and pointing at her. "Your bag is glowing red..."
Rebecca looked over her shoulder and sure enough it was glowing red. She rolled her eyes, handed Natalia the clothing she wanted and stormed out of the shop.
Darren put a hand on my shoulder and gave me a worried look.
I sighed, defeatedly, handed my clothes to Darren along with the money and went out of the shop after her.
I saw her storming up the high street and had to runn to catch up.
"Rebecca, come on!"
"You know the rules!" She spat at me, staring straight ahead. "Do not get recognised! Yet we haven't been here for five fucking minutes and you're back to your old friends!"
"Rebecca, I know. I'm sorry. I was just so excited to see her. She was my bestest friend and-"
"Fuck off and leave me alone!" She snapped, speeding up her walking.
"You'll get lost! I'm not leaving you alone!" I snapped back.
"I don't care. I want to be alone right now, just fuck off!"
"Rebecca, if you go walking around like this, someone is going to try and make you worse. It's like that around here. You'll be pushed to your limits and you'll end up murdering them and getting arrested!" I said, desperately. "Please, let's just go back and get changed and find Raquel."
Rebecca stopped suddenly and turned to me, her face livid. "At this rate, the only person that I am going to murder is you! I have told you three times now, fuck off!"
"Fine." I said, throwing my arms up to show I was giving up on her. "Fine. Go and pout. I'm going to enjoy being back in my home Realm with my oldest friend, my fiance and your wife!"
I spun round on my heel and marched back to the shop, feeling pretty sure that my sword was glowing red by now too.