Senso no Hime is mine. My characters, my plot, blah blah blah. Please don't steal my story or my people, ok?? ^_^* If you wanna use them, tell me first.

Yokoji Himizu was your average high school student, save for the part of him being a loner. All this changed, however, when a certain shooting star crossed the night sky.Yokoji was walking home from his after-school job, and he watched as it flew across the vast blackness of space. Shrugging, he continued his walk home.

When he got to the small studio apartment he called home, he sensed something was different. Entering the main living quarters, he found out what was so different: there was a girl sitting on his bed looking straight at him. She had silver hair that was extremely long, large blue eyes, and an interesting looking outfit on.

With eyes wide with confusion and surprise, Yokoji stumbled back towards the door. "Sorry! I must have come into the wrong room...." he shouted as he opened the door.

"Wait!" cried the girl as she ran over and grasped his hand.

The boy turned around and faced the girl. She had this look of helplessness about her, and seemed out of place with the surroundings. "Wait," the girl said again. The two stared at each other for about a minute. Then realizing that the girl was still holding his hand, Yokoji's cheeks turned pink.

The girl didn't seem to notice and clung onto the hand as if it was the only way she would live. After making sure that Yokoji wasn't going to run out on her again, the girl's personality changed. She carried about her a sense of dignity, and she carried it with a high degree of pride. The way she talked, moved, and everything else didn't seem to be like oridinary girls. She was something else, something different.

She was, in fact, a princess.

"You're a what?!" came Yokoji's surprised voice.

"I'm the youngest princess from the planet Vanth," came the proud reply, "And my name is Mizuka. Princess Mizuka."

Yokoji slowly sat down on his bed. He had the most peculiar look on his face. "You...are a princess from outer space? What do you want with me?!" The girl giggled and smiled at the boy. "You are my guardian."

"WHAT?! Are you crazy?! I just met you...and I'm supposed to be your guardian?!"

"No! I'm not!! You see....on Vanth, each member of the royal family has a guardian," said the girl, "But...for whatever reason, I didn't have one. Then the Asaka family came. They imprisoned my family, and the guardians. Except for me. I slipped out. That was when my older sister, Vera, told me about you. Just as I was about to leave she told me that a long time ago, a guardian and his family went to Earth. And...well, I found you! You're the descendant of that guardian. You're name is Yokoji, isn't it?"

A smile bloomed on her face as she awaited Yokoji's answer. The boy was a bright pink as he looked at her with a startled look. How did she know my name? And what is she talking about? Guardian? Planet Vanth? Is she insane? Yokoji slowly scooted away from the girl. "I think you've got the wrong guy."

"Uh uh. You're my guardian," was the earnest reply.

Yokoji looked away. I almost wish I could believe her. I never did know my family...and maybe she could tell me, but this entire guardian thing is just too crazy! The girl's smile drooped. "You don't believe me, do you?"

At that moment, there was a large crash outside. Yokoji scrambled towards the window to see what it was. There was nothing. Suddenly, a black thing streamed through the window. Mizuka screamed.

"It's a Hakan! Help me, Yokoji!!!"

Yokoji blinked. What is that thing? He didn't have time to think when he heard the girl's voice again. "You have to believe what I tell you! That's the only way you can help me!! Please!!" she screamed.

Looking away again, Yokoji had to make up his mind, and fast. Fine. I'll believe her. Looking up and at the girl who was frantically running away from the black, formless creature. "I believe you. Now what?!"

The girl immediately calmed and an aqua glow surrounded her. She murmured something under her breath. Yokoji was frantic now because the Hakan was creeping towards the girl. "Mizuka! What are you doing?!" he shouted. Just then, wings appeared on his back, and an outift appeared on his body. He let out a yelp of surprise before turning back to the girl. "What's with the wings and costume?!"

"Now use your magic to get rid of that thing!" she called out. Being very confused, Yokoji hoped that just thinking about using magic would make it work. Unfortunetly, it didn't. As he tried to get to the girl, he noticed that his wings were getting in the way. "How do I use my magic?!" he asked as he made his way towards the girl.

"Silly. You just think about using your magic. Use your head...as well as your heart!" she said, the aqua aura still glowing about her. Yokoji blinked again and then closed his eyes. Use my head...and my heart. I am Mizuka's guardian. I must protect her. Opening his eyes again, he opened his left palm. A stream of silver colored magic streamed forth and struck the thing and made it disappear.

The glow around the princess disappeared. "You did it!!" she exclaimed happily. Yokoji shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts. "What did I just do?! This is a dream. I know it is. I don't have wings," he mumbled. The girl laughed and pinched his right wing.

Yokoji glared at the girl. "Hey. Watch it," he growled. Mizuka giggled. "See. You're not in a dream. You are my guardian. Like it or not. You believed me, and now it's too late to reverse the effects."

"You mean I have to live with wings the rest of my life?! I don't want wings!!" he shouted, his face turning slightly pink with anger. As he said those words, the wings glimmered and vanished. He blinked his aqua eyes and looked at the girl. "Lemme guess. I just think about not having wings and a costume, and my wings and outfit disappear."

"That's right. If you want your wings and your outfit, you just think about them. Easy as that. Now...are you going to be my willing guardian or not?" she questioned. The boy let out a sigh. "Fine. I'll be your barely willing guardian."

"That's great! Now...I'll be with you all the time. At school, at home, everywhere!" she said while clapping her hands. He let out a groan. This can't be happening....

"Now! I've gotta get ready to go to school with you tomorrow. I'll need..," her voice drifting through the small studio apartment. Yokoji hid his face in the pillow on his bed.

The next day, the two walked to school together. Mizuka was feeling better than ever, but Yokoji looked like he hadn't slept in ages. The poor guy had to sleep on the hard floor while the princess slept in his bed. As Mizuka bounced around her new found guardian, she further explained his new role. "WELL! Your great-, great-, great-, great-, great-, great-to some degree grandfather left Vanth because there was no Princess for him to protect. (Your family is in charge of taking care of the youngest princess.) So, he came to Earth. Now, I didn't know I had a guardian...until Vera told me, like I said before. She told me to escape to Earth, find my guardian, and come back to reclaim the Hinoka family throne."

She paused momentarily to see if Yokoji was listening. "Are you listening to me? It's very important that you do," she prodded when she saw the sleepy look on the boy's face. "Anyways. As I was saying, I'm taking you back to Vanth with me. Then we can rescue my family and the guardians...and we'll be together forever!!" She grinned at the boy who glumly nodded his head. "Yeah...whatever...," he muttered.

Then it hit him. "WHOA!!!!!! LEAVE EARTH?! WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" he shouted. The girl merely blinked and replied, "Well, you already said yes! And you can't break your promises. Especially ones you make to me."

Yokoji couldn't believe it. I have to leave Earth to help this girl out? Man...I knew I shouldn't gone home that night. Royal disputes. Eesh. As he trudged along with the girl at his side, a bicycle whipped past them and stopped in front of them.

Looking up, Yokoji found the school bully grinning at him. "Well! If it isn't for Jiji! And what's this? A girl friend? Now when did you get one of those? Yo, chick, wanna come with me? I'll treat you the way you should be treated, not like that dork. C'mon." He winked at Mizuka and beckoned for her to come over.

Yokoji glared at the bully and looked at Mizuka. She still had a grin pasted on her face as she began to speak. "I'm sorry, young man...but I'm not up for going with you. I'm perfectly happy with being with Yokoji. Yes, his name is Yokoji, not Jiji, mind you." She nodded at him, and she walked off with Yokoji trudging behind her.

"Hey Jiji! You've got a special girl there!"

"Shut up Zuno."

Later that day, Zuno decided to try bothering Mizuka again. The way the girl had blown him off had injured his pride, and he wasn't exactly the kind of person who was willing to have his pride hurt. So, after school was over, he walked up to Mizuka and grabbed her wrist. She glared at him and then her wrist before demanding, "Excuse me! Let go! I command you to let go!"

Zuno only smirked and tightened his grip. She let out a high pitched scream. To her dismay, there was no one near them. Zuno had warned his fellow schoolmates to stay away if they wanted to remain alive. Mizuka cried out again and again. Nobody heard her cries. Zuno raised his hand and prepared to slap the girl, since he wasn't bad to the point that he would punch a girl. His hand came down at an alarming speed.

*SLAP*

The sound of skin on skin echoed throughout the school yard. But Mizuka hadn't been slapped. Miraclously, Yokoji had appeared and had taken the slap for the girl he was sworn to protect. As Zuno stepped back with a look of shock on his face, Yokoji ran his hand across his reddening left cheek. It stung slightly, and he winced. "Ouch."

Mizuka heard the whispered call of pain and immediately began asking if he was ok. "Yokoji!! Are you all right? Let me see! Do you need medicine? Do I need to call for help?" she said as she fluttered around the boy. The blond simply shook his head and answered, "I'm fine. Now step back. Zuno's the school bully you know...it won't look too good for you to have a big black eye."

Zuno had regained his bully attitude by this time and confronted the shorter blond standing in front of him. "Hey, Jiji. What is with you and that girl?! You took a slap for her? Are you feeling ok? I mean...I've never seen you act like that before. Are you getting girly?" He laughed as a deep blush appeared on Yokoji's face. "I'm not getting girly!! And nothing is going on between us two...it's just that you were about to hurt a girl. I never knew that you so low that you'd bully a girl."

"Neh...she's not worth the trouble anyways," Zuno said as he walked away. As he disappeared around the corner, Yokoji faced Mizuka. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine! Thanks to you. See! You've proved yourself to be a true guardian! I know you didn't hear my calls, but I know you heard them with your heart. Did you know that guardians and the ones they protect can feel when the other is in trouble? That's how you knew to come!" she said in a chipper voice. Yokoji nodded understandingly and said sarcastically, "Right....whatever you say."

All Mizuka would talk about on the way home was how she had had so much fun at school and how she wanted to back again tomorrow. All Yokoji did the entire time was groan and mumble. He still wasn't too happy with the idea of being a guardian. The thought of perhaps giving up his life for this girl he hardly knew bothered him greatly. He had thought many times about ditching the girl, but something in his heart said that he couldn't. He was stuck with the girl, and he knew it.

He was, however, happy to discover that all of the princess business had some good to it. She kept him from being lonely, and that was something very special to him. But whenever he was around the girl, he felt a odd sort of aura around her. It was special and felt like something soft and gentle, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Finally, as they entered the studio apartment, he asked the princess. "Mizuka-"

"Yes?" she interrupted with a beautiful smile.

Yokoji's face reddened under that smile, but he managed to continue while turning his face towards the ground. "Umm...I have a question. Why do I feel something around you...something soft and gentle?"

"Oh! That's a simple question. I should've told you when you first became a guardian. Now that you have magical powers, you can "sense" others with magical powers. Isn't that great?! So, what you're sensing from me is my own personal power. It's not too strong and can't really help me. All it can do is give me the right to be one of the royals. All of the royalty have this time of power: soft and gentle. Guardians, however, have a stronger, more powerful magic. When you sense it, it just washes over you. It's like a wave of...something. My sister and brother have reviving powers, and my father and mother have healing powers. I don't really have a power yet though. Pretty neat, though, huh?" she answered. She smiled once again at the still-blushing Yokoji. He simply nodded his head and headed for the kitchen part of the studio apartment.

"So..umm...what do you want for dinner?" he asked as he rounded the corner and disappeared into the kitchen.

All went well for a week. Mizuka made no immediate plans to return to Vanth and was enjoying herself greatly. Yokoji had finally accepted the fact of being guardian and had lightened up greatly. He was still very much a loner, but something about the girl always made him smile. Emotions he never even knew existed washed over him and left him confused. Mizuka never seemed to notice the slight pink in his cheeks, and if she did, she never mentioned it. Everything was great, until one morning when two new students appeared.

"Class, I would you like to meet our new friends. Please introduce yourself," the teacher said as the class sat quietly. Mizuka was busy reading a new book and did not look up, and neither did Yokoji. Yokoji, however, felt a new aura wash over him. It was much stronger than Mizuka's and did not have that soft feeling, but rather a strong, piercing feeling.

"My name is Yamoto Hurogizawa," one of the new students said in a voice that sent chills down the spines of the students. Then the student next to him spoke up.

"And my name is Nanoko. Yamoto and I are very good friends," the girl said, her voice just as chilling as the boy's.

That was when Mizuka froze. She muttered the names under her breath and remained frigid. Yokoji noticed her strange reaction and leaned over to where she was sitting. "Hey...are you all right? What's wrong?" he whispered.

"It's them. Nanoko is the youngest daughter of the Asaka family! Yamoto is, well, was one of our family's guardians. His father led him astray, I guess. We banished his father, Asuko, for treason. We were expecting to keep his wife and son with us, but he stole away with the young boy. His mother soon died of grief. Somehow he ended up with the Asaka family. They're here for me, Yokoji! They've come for me!!" she whispered in a nervous voice.

Yokoji looked up and saw that the teacher had already seated the two at the other end of the classroom. Yamoto saw Yokoji was looking at them and sent him a dark glare. A cold wave swept over him, and he froze for a moment. He could sense the boy's magic. He was strong - extremely strong. Making an estimation, Yokoji guessed that the boy was about twice as strong as he was. Obviously he had been training or something. The old fear of dying for Mizuka came up again. No...not this again. I thought I had won that battle...

He cast a sidelong glace at Mizuka. The girl had paled drastically and seemed to be a paper white. She kept her calm composure, however, and made an attempt to smile at Yokoji when she noticed he was looking. The smile was rather fake, and Yokoji could see the faint signals of fear on her face. She hid them well, which was probably a part of her princess training, but not well enough to escape a keen eye.

With the coming of Yamoto and Nanoko, things were going to start to change.

At the end of the school day, the usually chipper Mizuka hid behind Yokoji as they made their way home. She clung tightly to his arm and was continuously casting nervous glances about her. Yokoji could sense the fear coming from the girl, and he felt sorry for her. So young...so beautiful...so fragile. Why would someone every want to hurt her? Stupid. She's royalty. That's why. But I must protect her, no matter what....

The twosome had a silent dinner together at a small cafe, and began the walk home. As they walked down a dark street a rustle in the trees above caused them both to look about them. It wasn't only the rustle that had caused them to pause, however, but also the amazing wave of power washing over both of them. In a second, Yokoji had transformed into what he liked to call his "guardian" form. The silver dragon wings spread wide open and formed a protective wreath around Mizuka. The plain school outfit was gone, and the guardian outfit appeared.

Mizuka was seriously worried and clung on tightly to the boy's clothes. Usually the boy would have been beet-red, but he wasn't. The potential seriousness of the situation made only one thing occur in his mind: he had to protect Mizuka.

A chilling laugh came from the trees, and two figures leapt down. One had wings just Yokoji, and the other had the slender figure of a girl. The two stepped out of the shadows into the moonlight that was shining through the clouds above. It was Yamoto and Nanoko. Nanoko cast a cool glance at the girl several meters away and called out, "Well, well, well, if it isn't for Mizuka Hinoka of the former royal family of Vanth. What a surprise to find you here." The girl sneered at the quivering princess.

Yamoto smirked and looked at the girl. "Look at her, Nanoko hime-sama. The girl is quivering like a leaf in the wind."

Fury was building inside of Yokoji as he protectively wrapped his arms around the poor girl. How dare they talk about Mizuka like that! The boy grit his teeth and continued to glare at his enemies. Nanoko was wearing an outfit similar to the one that Mizuka had been wearing when they first met, but instead of the gentle pastel colors that Mizuka wore, Nanoko's consisted of dark hues of blue as well as black. Yamoto was clad in an outfit that seemed to resemble a warrior's version of what Nanoko wore. His jet black hair matched perfectly with Nanoko's. In the dark night scene, the two almost melted into the night. The moon, however, was on their side and cast a silvery ray down in the dark street.

"It's ok, Yokoji...it's ok," Mizuka whispered, her voice barely audible, "I'm fine." She moved away from the boy's protective arms and brushed aside the silver wings. Stepping out into the open, she was instantly surrounded by an aqua glow. The aqua glow engulfed her, and when it vanished, she was in her princess outfit once more. She was the proud princess once again.

"What do you want, Nanoko Asaka?" she demanded. Nanoko laughed and smiled coldly at the girl who was standing before her. "Oh...nothing much. All I want is that you return to Vanth. You're the only missing member of your family at the royal prisons. Please, Princess, follow me," Nanoko said, her voice dripping with false sincerity. With a smirk evident on her face, Nanoko curtsied.

"I refuse your offer."

"Well, then I'm afraid that I have only one option. Kill her, Yamoto," the darkly-clad girl said.

"As you wish, hime-sama."

In a swift silent move, Yamoto spread his wings to their greatest width and took flight. In his hand a ball of navy-blue energy formed. Mizuka stood proud as she faced him and didn't budge even though Yokoji was shouting for her to get out of there. The black-haired boy was about to send the ball of energy at the girl, when a shout stopped him.

"STOP!"

The navy glow vanished, and Yamoto looked up. In the air right in front of him, Yokoji hovered, his hands containing the silvery glow of his magic. "Stop," he growled. Yamoto looked down at his princess and laughed. "Hime-sama...this fool wishes to stop your intentions of killing the former princess. What shall I do?"

Nanoko's eyes danced with pleasure. "Kill him first then. The princess can wait," was the reply. Yamoto nodded and faced Yokoji. "Well, it is a pleasure to meet you. It's a pity that we can't chat though."

Yamoto then disappeared. Yokoji was bewildered and looked all about him, but his enemy was nowhere to be seen.

"YOKOJI!! BEHIND YOU!" Mizuka screamed.

Yokoji turned around just in time to see Yamoto slam into him. The blond boy plummeted down towards the ground and smashed into the bushes lining the street. Mizuka cried out and struggled against the magical bonds that Nanoko had placed on her. "Don't bother trying Princess. Your family is so weak...unlike the Asaka family. We all have strong magic and can easily defend ourselves. A guardian on our side is a plus, but I could easily take you out by myself. Now, don't worry. You'll get your turn after we're done killing your little friend here."

No... Mizuka thought, No...I dragged Yokoji into this. I could get him killed! NO! She screamed. A warm feeling swept over her, however. It was the feeling of Yokoji. She suddenly felt safe, and she relaxed. "Yokoji...," she murmured as the boy got up from the bushes.

"Are you all right, Mizuka?"

"Yokoji! I'm fine! Don't worry about me...get out of here!! He's too strong for you!" she screamed. Nanoko then cupped the girls mouth. "That's a no no. Well, Yokoji, we had plenty of fun tonight. We may decide to come back for you, but I doubt it. You're not worth the trouble. Farewell!" Nanoko exclaimed. In a flash, the three were gone, and Yokoji was alone in the street.

The boy sank down onto his knees, and tears flowed down his cheeks. He grit his teeth and slammed his fists on the ground. "MIZUKA!!!!!!"

Yokoji slowly trudged home with his spirit broken. He had lost her. It wasn't until the moment she had disappeared that he realized that he loved her. He was sure that Nanoko and Yamoto had gone back to Vanth, and they had taken Mizuka along with them.

Upon entering his studio apartment, an aqua glow floated toward him. He looked up at it with an exhausted glance. "Mizuka...," he whispered, "I'm sorry...I've failed you." He sank into a chair, and the tears came again.

"No...no, you haven't," a voice echoed.

"What? Who's there?" Yokoji asked as he glanced about him. There was nothing there except for the aqua glow. It was speaking to him.

"Yokoji...I am Mizuka's pet. Oh, forgive me for appearing so odd," it said. In an instant, a creature that looked like a small mountain lion with angel wings appeared. It was rather bizarre because it was aqua in color. "I am here to help you find her. Please, Yokoji, do not cry. Mizuka would be sad if she saw you crying like this for her. We must set out immediately. Can you feel her, Yokoji?" it said, its voice still like an echo.

Running a hand through his hair, Yokoji nodded. "Yeah...I can feel her. She's troubled. And afraid."

"Come. We will follow her."

"But how? They're probably in space by now," said the boy, his voice strained. The creature winked at the boy. "They are definitely in space. But - "

"Just great! How are we supposed to get her back now?!" Yokoji yelled. His face was flushed with anger, and the little green pet could tell. "Calm down...we will use Mizuka's ship. It is fully armed and ready to go. If you are ready, we will head out now. But, mind you, once you leave, I'm not sure if you will ever return to Earth. If the other guardians discover that you have returned to Vanth, they won't want you to leave. Especially since you have Mizuka to protect."

"I don't care. Mizuka's in danger," he shouted, "Let's go now!"

The creature nodded and returned to its glowing form. In a flash, everything was back to normal. They still appeared to be in Yokoji's room, but they weren't. The little creature had transported all of the rooms contents onto the ship, including Yokoji. The room they were currently in had a clear ceiling, and they could see the millions of stars around them.

The aqua-colored pet leapt up into the air and spoke, "This is Jinv. Yuresko, commence to follow the Asaka ship that has just left the area."

Yokoji didn't feel the ship begin to move, but he did notice that the stars were moving. "Welcome aboard Yuresko - Mizuka's personal ship," echoed Jinv. Yokoji was in a bit of shock at the surroundings, but managed a nod. Jinv nodded and turned away from the boy. As it was about to walk away, Jinv faced Yokoji again. "Oh yes. I should tell you that this ship is fully capable of flying by itself, but if we run into any enemies...you'll be needed to pilot it."

"WHAT?! Me? Pilot a ship?! I don't have any experience!" Yokoji exclaimed. Jinv chuckled and replied, "Don't worry, guardian. Yuresko is a very smart ship. She'll help you out as much as she can."

"She? The ship is a she?"

"Well, not really, but you know what I mean. Please. Come with me to the bridge of this ship," the green creature leapt into the air and drifted towards the left side of the giagantic room. "Don't worry about your stuff. Yuresko will take care of it. Just follow me," Jinv echoed. At that moment, Yokoji's things disappeared. A look of shock crossed Yokoji's face, but Jinv just laughed. "Told you."

So, without another word, Yokoji went with Jinv through the enormous ship.

All went well until they reached the space surrounding Vanth. Jinv was constantly looking at the rather complex radar and kept Yokoji on alert. As they neared the planet even more, their luck ran out.

"Yokoji! Enemy battleships approaching!" the creature shouted. Yokoji nodded and leapt into the piloting seat. The piloting seat was set in the middle of the bridge and had a large dome that closed over it. It was moveable, and the way the pilot moved was the way the ship moved. As Yokoji settled himself into the seat, the dome closed around him and filled with the space around them. Then Jinv's voice came through. "Yokoji, pretend that you are fighting the ship hand to hand. Don't be afraid of the ship not being manueverable enough. Just fight with your heart. I will no longer be able to help you, but Yuresko will."

"Got it," Yokoji said as he gripped the controls of the ship. A bright red triangle then appeared on the dome surrounding Yokoji, and then another and another. Soon much of the screen had red triangles covering it. For a moment, Yokoji felt overwhelmed. Then a soothing voice came to him. "This is Yuresko, Yokoji. Do not be afraid. I am here to help you," it said, its voice like smooth silk. Yokoji nodded and got ready for the upcoming battle with the Asaka space force.

"Locked on target. Cannons are ready to fire," Yuresko confirmed as Yokoji tightened his grip on the trigger. With a mere squeeze, beams of aqua flew through space towards the oncoming enemy. The triangles in the dome shifted and avoided the attack. The enemy retaliated with a volley of their own beam cannons. The blond boy gritted his teeth and swung the piloting seat to the left. "Aqua Diamond is ready to be fired," the ship said.

"The Aqua Diamond?" asked Yokoji.

"The Aqua Diamond is this ship's most powerful weapon. It's much like the cannons, but they are much stronger, though they are slower to load," Yuresko answered as Yokjo continued his aqua barrage of fire. "I see. Fire Aqua Diamond now!" Yokoji shouted as he pressed the trigger.

There was a faint glimmer from above, and then the entire area was surrounded by an aqua light. The light quickly vanished. "Huh? Nothing happened," Yokoji whispered as he looked at the scene in front of him. Just as he finished his sentence, the enemy ships exploded all at once. As the area cleared again, Yuresko's voice came again. "Area cleared of all enemy craft. Shields on ship down to 80%. Weaponary on ship down to 70%. All systems operational. Proceeding to open dome."

The dome opened, and Yokoji stepped out. Jinv padded up and nodded. "Good job. Now we can proceed on the Vanth."

"Jinv, can you explain to me why everything on this ship is aqua, including yourself?" questioned Yokoji as he sat in the bridge. The aqua mountain lion creature laughed and answered, "It is Princess Mizuka's color. Aqua. This is her flagship, of course it is going to be aqua. As for myself, I am her pet."

"Right. So does everyone have a different colored ship?"

"Yes," Jinv answered, "And if the aqua bothers you, get used to it. As Princess Mizuka's guardian, this is your flagship as well."

Yokoji sighed and looked at Jinv. "Jinv, I'm a bad guardian aren't I? I can't even protect her from some rogue guardian! That was the first time she was in any serious trouble, and I failed her. How am I supposed to protect her?! I'm not worthy of this job..," he trailed off. Jinv's face saddened as it looked at the blond boy. The creature felt bad that Yokoji felt that way, and it said to the boy, "Don't say that. You're a great guardian. Unlike all the other guardians, you've never received training or anything! If it were any other new guardian that got struck like that by an enemy, they probably would've died."

"I don't believe it. I was just hit in the back. I came crashing into the ground...that's all," Yokoji said.

"No. Really. You are a rather unusual guardian, you know that? I'm very sure that once you find your true power, you will be the strongest guardian there is. I'm not sure if you can sense it, but I can. There is a great power waiting to be released from inside of you," Jinv replied. Yokoji looked up from the ground and at the aqua-colored creature sitting several feet away. "You think so?"

"I know so," answered Jinv.

Yuresko had no trouble entering Vanth's atmosphere, and they quickly landed in a densely wooded area before any Asaka patrol ships could spot them. Vanth was quite similar to Earth, save the inhabitants. The vegetation appeared to be exactly the same, but the animals that roamed the planet were differently colored and didn't really look like Earth animals. "Yokoji, no time to look at the animal and plant life now. We've got a royal family to save," Jinv said earnestly as he noticed Yokoji looking about him in wonder.

"But what about Yuresko?" asked Yokoji.

Jinv winked at the boy and turned to face the ship. "Yuresko. Transform into your other form," Jinv commanded. In an aqua flash, the ship disappeared and an aqua glow floated into Yokoji's hand. "There. Does that answer your question?" Jinv said with a smile.

Yokoji laughed and looked at the glow. "So, where do I put it?" asked the boy. Jinv nodded, and the glow transformed into a jeweled collar around Jinv's neck. "That should keep it in place," Jinv answered as it padded off further into the forest. Yokoji blinked with astonishment before following Jinv. This is one strange world...

As they walked through the silent forest, Yokoji couldn't help but notice that Jinv seemed to be getting larger. After walking for several hours, the blond finally came up with the courage to ask what was happening to Jinv. "Jinv, why in the world are you getting larger? And another thing. Why didn't Mizuka say anything about you?" he asked.

Jinv looked at him with his clear eyes and answered, "Princess Mizuka did not say anything about me because she did not know that I was aboard the ship at the time. As for the increase of my size, I am merely gathering my energy for the battle, or battles, that are to come. May I suggest you transform?"

The last comment surprised Yokoji until they came to the edge of the forest. They were atop a very high cliff that was overlooking a majestic castle in the distance. "I take it that that is why you said I transform?"

"Yes."

In a silvery glow, Yokoji transformed into his guardian form. Jinv cast an odd look at the boy and his outfit. "May I ask why your outfit is different from all the other guardians'? I don't think I usually see trench coats, tank tops, and jeans as part of the guardian attire," the creature commented.

Yokoji shrugged and answered, "Well, I just thought of it, and my outfit came out like this. I have no idea why."

Jinv gave Yokoji another funny look before saying, "Whatever. I'll get you into a proper guardian outfit once we get back to the palace."

Suddenly, Jinv took off into the air. Slowly beating its wings, Jinv hovered in the air and waited for Yokoji. "Come on. Flying is really not that hard," it encouraged. Yokoji gulped and looked down the sheer cliff's edge. "Jinv...I've flown a few feet above the ground, but this-"

He didn't have time to finish his sentence. While Yokoji was looking over the edge of the cliff, Jinv had flown behind him. With a gentle push, the boy was in the air. There was a shout, and he plummeted toward the ground far below. Several seconds later, a very shocked Yokoji flew up to where Jinv waited with a smirk on its face. "Thanks a lot, Jinv. I always wanted to take a crash-course in flying," he muttered.

"No problem. Now, let's go. The royal family is waiting for us," Jinv replied with a laugh.

Flying across treetops was not exactly Yokoji's definition of fun, but he had to go through it anyway. Jinv, however, was enjoying itself greatly. The rather large creature was flying in circles and was doing spins all over the place. "C'mon Yokoji!" called Jinv as it raced ahead. Yokoji nodded unhappily and increased his pace.

Several minutes later, Jinv came to a sudden stop. Yokoji flew beside the creature and asked, "What's wrong?" Jinv didn't need to answer when the boy saw what was wrong. A hoard of shapeless Hakan was flying towards them. "Just great...more of those things," murmured Yokoji as he beat his wings to gain altitude.

The black demons were gaining on them fast, even though they had no wings to propel them forward. When they got close enough, the Hakan started throwing globs of black at the two. Obviously, this was how their attack. "Yokoji! I think you know what to do!" Jinv shouted as it closed its wings about him.

"Yeah!" Yokoji shouted back. There was a brilliant flash, and several Hakan vanished with a howl. Jinv winked at the boy who was looking at the creature in bafflement. "That was my own attack," it said with a cool grin. Yokoji grinned back and prepared to face some more demons.

With a silver glow in his hands, he threw a sphere of magic at a group of Hakan. They too vanished with a howl of anguish. After several more bright flashes and spheres of magic, the airspace around the palace was cleared, thus allowing Jinv and Yokoji to proceed with their rescue mission.

As the two landed in front of the moat of the palace, they noticed something: there were no guards anywhere. "The guards were those Hakan we just defeated," whispered Jinv, "We should be able to get in rather freely." Without another word, Jinv crossed the moat in a single bound. Yokoji looked at the rather large distance between the land he was on and the land the palace was on. "I think I'll fly there," he mumbled.

When they were both safely on the ground of the palace, they silently crept into through the main gate. "Jinv, why do you guys still live in castles when you guys are also so technologically advance?" asked Yokoji, his voice a mere whisper. Jinv continued to look about him and did not look at the boy when it answered. "We are not 'technologically advance'. We have magic. Yuresko is magic and is, therefore, not part of any technology."

Yokoji nodded at the logic in the answer and asked no more questions. As they reached a large room, they finally ran into an obstacle. "Well, I never wanted to see you again, Yokoji," a cold voice growled.

"Yamoto!"

Yamoto stepped out of the shadows he was hiding in and faced the intruders. "Yes, that's right. I'm sure you remember me....not to mention how I beat you up so easily," the boy said, a giant smirk on his face. Yokoji glared back at the boy and said, "I remember you, how could I not?! You took Mizuka. Where is she?!"

The black-haired boy laughed cooly and began to walk around on his side of the room. "I'm not telling you. Why should I tell you? You are the enemy, and I do not share secrets with enemies," Yamoto answered. Yokoji clenched his fists and shouted, "You're a guardian! You're supposed to protect the royal family!"

Something Yokoji said hit home in Yamoto. The boy's black eyes burned with fury, and he grit his teeth. "I am protecting the royal family! I am protecting the rightful royal family of Vanth!!!" he screamed as he flew straight at Yokoji.

A small gasp escaped Yokoji as he saw the other boy coming. Spreading his wings, the blond took flight and avoided the attack. "Jinv! Get outta here! Save the royal family...I'll take care of Yamoto," Yokoji shouted. Jinv nodded and quickly flew off before Yamoto could do anything to stop it.

Yamoto howled in fury. "I will protect the royal family! I am a guardian, and it is my duty to protect them!" he screamed. Yokoji was still hovering in the air, and he glared down at the other boy. "You fool! Don't you know? You're supposed to be protecting the family of Hinoka, not Asaka! You've got it all wrong, Yamoto!"

Yamoto's reply was to chuck a ball of energy at the other boy. "No! I'm not wrong...you are the one who is wrong! The Hinoka family banished my father! What is right in that?!" he demanded. He threw another glowing ball at Yokoji.

Yokoji slipped past the attack and continued to try to work with the other boy. "He didn't tell you, did he? He stole you away from your mother," Yokoji said calmly. Tears streamed down Yamoto's face as he continued to throw his magic at the other boy. "No...you are wrong! My father saved me from the Hinoka family. He protected me from their evil hatred."

"But -"

"SHUT UP ALREADY!" Yamoto screamed as he leapt into the air. Yokoji didn't have time to react when the black-haired boy was upon him, slamming him into the ground. Expecting Yamoto to strike out at him, Yokoji held up his arms in defense, but Yamoto didn't hit him. It took a mere second for Yamoto to place his hands around Yokoji's neck, and it took another mere second for Yokoji to react by reaching for the boy's hands.

Yokoji gasped for air as Yamoto tightened his grip around his neck. "Die...die...die...," Yamoto chanted, his eyes burning with anger and dispair. For several minutes, Yokoji fought back, but soon he ran out of air to breathe. With his eyes glazed, Yokoji went limp. Yamoto held his throat for another minute then released his tight grip. Taking several steps away from the body, Yamoto ran off towards the throne room. I will protect the rightful royal family. I will.

Jinv had reached the royal prisons without too much of a holdup. It was fairly easy for him to clear the hallways of the Hakan with his attack, and it wasn't long before he had reached the cell where the royal family was being kept. With several attacks by Jinv, the cell door collasped. Mizuka was the first one out of the cell; her face was a pasty white. "Yokoji...he...he...," she murmured.

"Yokoji, your majesty?" Jinv asked in a puzzled voice.

"He's dead!" Mizuka cried. Her older sister Vera stepped over and held her in a warm hug. "Don't worry, Mizuka. I'll revive him."

Mizuka looked up at her sister with teary eyes. "But Vera, you know that that drains your magical powers...."

"Yes, but it doesn't kill me. The royal family was given different powers than the Asaka. They were given powers that could kill and destroy. We, on the other hand, received powers that could heal and restore," Vera replied. She smiled at her younger sister. "Come on. Let's go save your guardian."

"Wait," said a stern voice, which was King Hinoka's voice, "Let Jinv release the guardians first. We shall reclaim the throne!" The entire royal family smiled at the man. The king nodded at Jinv who bowed and then turned to another cell. With two bright flashes, the guardians were free.

Each guardian quickly hurried to the one they were bound to protect. The leader of the guardians, who was the king's very own guardian, turned to Mizuka. "Hime-sama. Allow us, the guardians, to help you in reviving our fallen comrade."

Mizuka faced the tall man with light blue hair, emerald green eyes, and emerald green wings. "I acknowledge your request, Guardian Tanozu." The man bowed deeply and walked in front of the royal family. "Allow me to lead, your majesties," he said with another deep bow.

"Of course you may," answered the royal family.

Yamoto ran into the throne room breathless. Kneeling down on one knee, Yamoto spoke to the royal family. "Your majesties, the intruders have come in. I killed one of them, but the other ran off to the prison cells."

King Asaka stood up and lashed out at Yamoto. "Well, what are you doing here?! Kill them!" The king then struck the boy with a invisible wall of magic. "That should teach you to fail us. Now leave us," he commanded.

The humiliated Yamoto looked to Nanoko, who he had served so loyally, for sympathy. She made no notion to comfort him, however. She simply turned aside and spoke to her older brother, who was the crown prince, and with her older sister. Yamoto was shattered. With his eyes downcast, he bowed once more and took his leave.

Mizuka and all of the royal family and guardians arrived in the room where Yokoji was. He was cold and lifeless, but Vera knew she could handle that. She turned to her older brother, Hiresku, and said, "Hiresku, I might need a little help. You're the only other person in our family who has reviving powers." The crown prince nodded and knelt down beside his sister who placed her hand on Yokoji's forehead.

She then began her magic. A pastel violet covered Yokoji's body, and life was slowly reinstilled in him. Vera wavered slightly, but then Hiresku stepped in to help. Now Yokoji's body was wrapped in pastel violet and green magic.

After several tense minutes, Yokoji's eyes flickered. There was a sigh of relief, and the magic surrounding Yokoji was removed. To keep them safe, the guardians moved all of the royal family to a safe room. All the guardians, except for Tanozu and Yokoji, were to stay with them. Jinv also made the decision to stay with Yokoji.

Tanozu turned his green eyes on Yokoji. "You're strong. Very strong...but that strong magic hasn't been released. Here, let me help you." He placed his palm on Yokoji's forehead and murmured something that Yokoji couldn't hear. Then the leader guardian stepped back and murmured something else. A silver orb surrounded Yokoji, and when it vanished, Yokoji was no longer wearing his "Earth" guardian outfit. He was in the "proper" guardian outfit. He also felt different. He felt stronger, a lot stronger to be exact.

"I've released your inner power. Come on, let's remove the Asaka family from the royal throne," Tanozu called out as he flew away. Yokoji nodded and flew after him. Jinv followed close behind them.

They were stopped by Yamoto, however, in the room leading into the throne room. When he saw Yokoji alive and stronger than ever, he scowled. "I thought I killed you...," he growled.

Yokoji didn't answer and plowed right into the other boy. Yamoto kicked him off however and sent several balls of energy flying at him. Yokoji used his wings to form a shield in front of him, and the magic hit his wings. The impact pushed him back several feet, but did him no harm. Reopening his wings, Yokoji sent a string of magic at Yamoto.

Yamoto took to the air and made several attempts to evade Yokoji's attacks. But then, someone attacked him from behind. It was Tanozu. Yamoto fell to the ground and was struck with magic from Tanozu, Yokoji, and Jinv.

The three finally ceased their attack and waited to see if Yamoto still had the fight in him. He didn't stir.

With the rogue guardian out of the way, Tanozu, Yokoji, and Jinv had access to the throne room. They were not sure, however, if they would still be there. There were several escape routes in the throne room, but they were well concealed. Not only that, but each escape route was meant for only one certain member of the royal household. This, the Asaka family did not know. They had only found the escape route that could be used by Mizuka, or in this case, Nanoko. Thus, Nanoko escaped, but the rest of the family had to stay and fight.

As the throne room doors swung open, orbs of black, crimson, dark purple, and pine green surrounded the separate members of the Asaka family. Then they unleased their fiercest attacks on the three "intruders". After attacking for several minutes, they awaited to see if anything was still there from their powerful attack. They had exhausted all their magic, so they hoped that the threesome were no longer there.

To their greatest dismay, they were still there. What horrified them even more was that they didn't even receive a scratch. Tanozu let out a battle cry and unleased a wave of emerald green magic on the royal family. That wave was then followed by an extremely bright flash of magic from Jinv. And to finish it all off, it was Yokoji's turn. He had the most serene look on his face, and his eyes were closed. But when he snapped open his eyes, a gigantic silver sphere formed in front of him. With a shout from Yokoji, the sphere flew straight at the "royal" family. There was a horrible scream, and the king, queen, princess, and crown prince were gone.

Nanoko reached the end of the escape route when she heard the horrible screams. She cringed, and tears formed in her eyes. "Father, mother, sister, brother...no....," she whispered. Then her voice became resolute as she then said, "Don't worry. I'll kill all of them. I'll kill them in honor of you all...and then I will rule in your stead." She ran through the various hallways, using her sixth sense to hone in on where the royal family was.

She found the room. The guardians had felt her coming, and they had begun to evacuate the royal family through the window. By the time Nanoko reached the room, only Mizuka was left. She was waiting anxiously by the window for one of the guardians to come and get her, and there was one coming at that exact moment. "It'll be too late when that guardian gets up here. You'll be dead by that time," Nanoko screeched as her maroon magic cascaded towards Mizuka.

Mizuka screamed in fear of the magic that would probably kill her. Then someone stepped in front of her and protected her from the attack. "Yokoji? No...," she whispered to no one in particular. By this time, the guardian had reached Mizuka and had wrapped his arms and wings around her in a protective manner.

At the same time, Tanozu killed Nanoko with a hard blow from behind. It wasn't until all of the excitement was over that they all realized who had take the hit for Mizuka. The guardian who had flown up through the window, Tanozu, Yokoji, Jinv, and Mizuka stood around him.

"Mizuka hime-sama. Forgive me...I had been protecting the wrong family this entire time," Yamoto said, his voice weak. Mizuka knelt down with Yamoto's head in her arms. "You'll be all right," she said softly. But it was too late, he died in her arms. "No...how horrible," Mizuka whispered, her voice racked with tears.

A teardrop dropped from Mizuka's face and fell on Yamoto's cheek. A bright aqua orb surrounded the two as Mizuka let out a scream of grief. The others gasped as they watched. When the orb finally receded, Mizuka was still crying, but Yamoto was alive again.

The boy blinked several times and asked in a puzzled voice, "Where am I? Am I dead?" Mizuka gasped and hugged the other boy. "YOU'RE ALIVE!!" she exclaimed. Yamoto jumped up and moved away from Mizuka. "Wait. I was your enemy....why are you hugging me? How come you don't hate me?" he asked, still puzzled.

"It's easy to see, Yamoto. You saved her. That is what all guardians of the Hinoka family are pledged to do. Protecting the royal family is our first priority," answered Tanozu, "It looks like you've come to our side. So, do you wish to become an official member of the guardian force?"

Yamoto looked around him. His eyes looking about when his eyes met with Yokoji's. "C'mon Yamoto. Join. It'll be nice to have another guardian about my age," Yokoji said with a confident smile. Yamoto shook his head in disbelief. "I don't believe it. You guys have such open hearts...after what I've done to you guys."

"The past is the past. This is now. It would be nice to have another guardian around," Tanozu said.

There was a period of silence and then Yokoji asked, "Well? What about it, Yamoto?"

Yamoto looked at the ground and then looked at Mizuka. He knelt down on one knee in front of the girl and said, "Please, Mizuka hime-sama, I would like to become a guardian of the Hinoka royal family. Will you please grant me my wish?"

"OF COURSE!" Mizuka exclaimed happily. It was official: Yamoto was now part of the guardian force of the Hinoka royal family.

It took several months to get everything back to normal, but it was worth it. Yokoji had decided to remain on Vanth and stay with Mizuka, who he was having a splendid relationship with. Yamoto had become Yokoji's best friend, and the two were together much of the time. As for Jinv, it had returned to its smaller pet form and was always around Mizuka. The peace had been restore on Vanth, and all was well from then on.