The Princess and The Mage (Tenmiko)

Chapter Eighteen - Fairest

The fairies were sitting with Tenko in her bed, all watching the mirror in front of them. A thunderstorm roared and rushed water in the background. Darkening the sky by covering the sun with the gray clouds. They were awaiting for their reflections to morph into Himiko's. Before Hiyoko and Mahiru left the mage's hut, she would call around noon. It was noon.

"You guys really think you can get me out of here?" Tenko sighed, staring at herself in the mirror.

"Tenko, you're working with five fairies and a mage," Sakura reminded her, "The possibility of getting you out of the castle is much more believable than our own existences."

"You're right! I will never doubt Himik-"

"Tenko!" The princess glanced down at the mirror and saw the face of the admirable mage. "Don't worry! We're gonna think of a way to get you out of there! Now... we need a plan."

"Hey hey, Tenko, is there any time when the castle isn't being monitored closely?" Chiaki asked the princess. Tenko put a finger to her lip as she thought about any weak spots in the castle. None came to mind. There used to be plenty of ways to get out from the inside but now, there was so much patrol around who were instructed to make sure Tenko did not escape.

"Hmm... maybe when I have to leave for classes? But he always has those two guards escort me to school and back. Even when you guys went with me, remember? We could try to convince them to let me stray off but I doubt it. If father is so particular that it must be this pair taking me there and back, so they must be loyal to him or something," Tenko sighed, waiting for someone else to come up with ideas as she currently found herself at a dead end, "Why can't one of you just fly me out of here?"

"Our wings are designed to carry our own weight and that alone...!" Mikan remarked, looking quite happy with herself to be of some kind of use, "Well... a pound or two heavier will perhaps due but carrying a person would just be completely impossible."

"Mikan knows a lot of medical stuff," Chiaki told the others, moving in a bit closer to Mikan, "Me and Ibuki were telling her she should be the royal nurse or something."

"Is there absolutely nothing we can do...?" Tenko looked away from the mirror to stubbly wipe her tears. The mage saw this.

"No, Tenko! We'll figure something out! We'll-"

"TENKO?! WHO'S IN YOUR ROOM?" It was her father's voice sounding from all the way down the hall; accompanied by booming footsteps just coming closer.

"Shit! It's my dad! Uh... Himiko, we gotta go! Still have your mirror in hand. I'll put mine down! Bye!" Tenko quickly slammed the mirror onto the table, glass facing down. Then, she clutched her hands, waiting in fear as the king's footsteps drew closer to her room.

The door swung open, making his steps louder than every without the barrier. "TENKO! WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT THESE THINGS?" He took a deep breath, "Ladies, the princess must not have told you but she's not allowed to have visitors in her room or talk to girls. Well, expect for a few conditions. Excuses yourselves please." The girls looked around, but knew in order to keep peace and their jobs, they must follow the king's orders. So they left, leaving Tenko and her father be. "Ugh... Tenko. What shall I do about you? How do I even punish this behavior?!"

"Yeah, ha, I have nothing left for you to take now, do I?" She smirked to herself. At least it was a bit reassuring he couldn't do anything about it.

"UGH! FOOLISH CHILD! I shall take...." He looked around, "this!" His hand reached for the handheld mirror. The magical one.

"No!" Tenko took it before he could, pushing the glass against the ground so that the magic would not resume. However, this only made her father more pleased with himself, now seeing there was something more he could take. The king stepped on Tenko's hand, causing her reflects to pull it back and leaving the mirror lone on the floor for her father to pick up.

"Ha! I have-" He looked at the mirror, seeing Himiko's face. Once she saw the man, Himiko put the mirror down, ending the effect. But he knew what he had seen, "WHAT WAS THAT?!"

"Huh? What was it father?" Tenko played dumb.

"So that's why you were so protective over this mirror! It's... it's... WITCHCRAFT!" He dropped the mirror. While Tenko watched it fall, it seemed to move in slow motion; hitting the mirror and causing the glass to break within it. She didn't care that the magic had been uncovered. She just lost the only way she had to communicate with Himiko and plan her escape back to the girl.

"No, no, no, no, no," Tenko crawled towards the glass, desperately trying to gather the fragments back together. Her hands were getting bloody from the glass shards. Yet again, she didn't care.

"ENOUGH! Witchcraft has no please in this kingdom much less for a princess. Atuta, help us all!" He sighed, "Now, who is this girl and where do we find her?! Is this a witch? Tell me girl!" Tenko looked up at him from the ground, glaring through his soul. "Fine. Don't tell me. But for you... you'll be looked up till your wed, child!" The king grabbed Tenko's arm and dragged her out of the room; she managed to grab one piece of glass. Quickly, Tenko tore from his grip and went to defend herself with aikido. However, she could barely seem to carry balance. Had she... lost aikido?

"Damned child!" He yelled, grabbing her arm once again, "Akane! Nekomaru!" Quickly, the same guards who took Tenko to school everyday, ran down the hall.

"WHAT IS IT KING?" Nekomaru yelled, in his loud as usual voice.

"Take her to the tower prison. I shall have her locked up for years to come!"

"Wait... the princess?" Akane rubbed her head, looking quite confused.

"This child is practicing witchcraft. That is strictly banned here! Take her away!"

"I-" Akane cut herself off, "Uh, okay." The king left and the two started dragging Tenko towards the tower. "Sorry about this, hun."

"Sorry!? If you're sorry let me go!"

"I can't... this is the best paying job I can get to provide for my siblings. No one else has a job fit for us all to live. I hope you understand. I can't defy the king or me and my family are in deep shit and I can't go back to..." The girl shuddered, tightening her grip on Tenko, "Eh, I hope you understand."

"Yeah... I do. Thank you," Tenko sighed.

"YEAH! And seeing how the guards take their job, I'd rather it be me then them! They have no clue on how to be compassionate. Although," He chuckled, "I'm working on training them otherwise!"

"Yeah!" Akane smiled back and shoulder bumped him. Well, at least they were a friendly pair. After walking up many stairs, they arrived at the tower prison. "Well, princess, this is it." She sighed, opening the prison door, bringing Tenko in, and locking the door behind her. "Bye..."

Akane and Nekomaru left, giving Tenko a pitiful look as they did. Tenko opened her palm to where the piece of glass was. After the mirror broke, the individual pieces lacked the magic that the full mirror possessed. However, it was still a part of the mirror Himiko gave her. And that's why it was special. Tenko held it close to her heart as she peered out the tower window of what was below. She could see all of her kingdom, Nagito's kingdom, and even the forest where beloved resided.

"Himiko..."