The Diamond From the Fairy King's Sword

"So, This must be the famous 'Cat's Claws' bar. It looks a little...Run down." Gregory said as he looked up at the bar sign blinking on and off, the building looked shabby and dull of color. There were holes in the windows and the walls.

"It sounds lively though." Azure said. He moves in front of Choey as two drunk men are thrown out of the bar. "No wonder." He says in a hushed tone.

"Jus' ya wait, Zebastin! We'll be bak fur the thurnament tummorow nigh." Said one of the drunk men, burping between words before barfing on himself.

"Yeah yeah, get outta here Ronnie. You're causing a commotion with my other customers." Said another man from inside the bar.

"Sounds like he's the guy we need to be talking to." Gregory said. The three of them walked into the bar. Gregory and Chloey sat down while Azure leaned against the wall beside the entrance.

"What's going on guys. The name's Sebastion. What can I get for you two?" The bartender fairy asked.

"Well this is a nice surprise. A fairy that owns a bar. I guess the laws are slowly changing for the better." He said as he smiled.

"It's thanks to Anne, Mythril, and Challe Fenn Challe that we fairies are treated with a little more respect, and have a bit more freedom for the past couple of decades. It'll still take a while for fairies to have complete freedom from humans. I heard that they're working on a law that will allow fairies like us to take part in the sugar confection campaign next year, as well, as a protection law that will allow companion fairies to disobey certain orders given to them by their masters." He explained.

"Challe may not look it, but he does care for fairies who are being mistreated by humans." Gregory said as he smiled.

"Speaking of, I take it this young lady here is the owner of that companion fairy over there." He smiled as he looked over towards Azure.

"He may appear to be a companion but truth be told, he's actually a warrior. We've owned him since she was three so she's always seen him like an elder brother." Gregory explained.

"No kidding? That pretty boy, a warrior type?" Sebastian asked in a doubting tone.

"No kidding." He replied.

"I'd love to see what weapon he uses sometime." The fairy said.

"But if he brings it out here and attacks someone with it. I'll order him a 'Knuckle Sandwich' and stuff it down his throat." Chloey mumbled just loud enough for Gregory and Sebastion to hear.

"Colette, isn't that a bit harsh for your brother?" Gregory asked.

The fairy bartender looked at her with a slight frown then leaned down to the two of them."I take it the two of you want to enter your fairy in the tournament, yes?" He asked in a hushed tone.

Chloey nodded her head. The bartender stands up and walks to the back of the bar. Seconds later another man comes out. He wore a nice black suit with a red tie. He leans down towards Chloey and Gregory. "So, I 'ere you two wan ta enter yer fairy in tomorrow's tournament. He don' look tough, he's betta off as a companion fairy for ye. He'll die in da first round." He said as he looks at Azure.

"I assure you, good sir, he is a lot stronger than he appears to be. If you would like, I would be happy to have him test his skills for you." Gregory said.

The man looks at Azure, then at Chloey and Gregory. "So, are you his coach, old man?" He asked.

"Indeed I am sir." He replied. The man looked back at Azure then at Chloey as he reached into his back pocket and brought out a notepad, appearing to look like an order sheet.

"What're yer names, Sweetheart?" He asked.

"Colette, George, and Rein." She said. He writes their names down on the notepad then puts it back in his pocket.

"Well then, Miss Colette. I wish you luck." He said as he stood up and walked off back to his office. Seconds later the bartender fairy comes back holding some papers.

"Here are some forms we'll need you to fill out and here is the schedule for tomorrow's events." He said as he handed her the papers.

A couple hours later, They made it to the inn they were staying at. They met up with the royal guards, who were now undercover, to eat dinner. The two guards had also signed up for the tournament with a tall, bold warrior fairy, with broad shoulders. He was as tall as Azure and Challe, but had some more muscle to his stature. He wore white samurai armor and a straw hat. He leans against the wall next to Azure, with Rosette sitting on his shoulder. "So, you're the pretty boy everyone's been talking about. I get a slight Challe vibe from you, yet you look like you are of noble birth with how you're dressed. If it were possible, I'd say you could be a reincarnation of the Fairy King himself, if we ever believed in that kind of thing." He said.

"I doubt I'd be capable of even being nobility. I take it you three have aliases as well?" Azure asked.

The samurai nodded his head. "While we are here, we must call ourselves by our aliases. It would be a shame if our covers were blown." He said in a whispered tone.

"And just what are you trying to Imply, 'friend'?" Rosette asked in a low tone. He didn't answer.

"Calm down Rosette, I don't think he was implying anything bad." Azure said.

"Hey guys, Why don't you come over and sit with us!" Gregory said as he waved at them.

"Is that even okay? Most humans don't like it when fairies sit among them." She asked.

"Well, it's fine with all of your friends at this table and if the people around here don't like it then they can leave my restaurant." Said the waitress. Some of the other customers got up and left.

"Guess the bridge of equality is still far from being completed." Rosette said as she crossed her arms.

"And it'll forever remain incomplete, no matter how many humans accept fairies as equals. There will always be some that will never see us as equals. To them, we will never be more than slaves or enemies to humans." Azure said. He glances at Chloey and smiles before closing his eyes. "Even so, it is our main job as warrior type fairies to protect them from each other in times of war...….Even if it means to fight against them." He frowned.

"Until eventually, This unfinished bridge will end up being destroyed and everything Challe and Anne are working so hard for will all be in vain." The samurai fairy said.

"Well aren't you a cheerful one." Azure said sarcastically as he glanced at the fairy in white.

"And you are making your lady wait, that's not very noble of you." The samurai said as he gently pushed Azure towards Choley and Gregory's table. Rosette jumped onto the white armored fairy's shoulder. Azure turns around to look at them and sees them smiling at him. "I have the ability to look into someone's heart and see their true desires, just by looking at them. You do not need to fear, though your true desires are hard to obtain now, I am sure that you will obtain your truest desire, just as my elder brother did." He said as he took off his hat and opened his eyes. They were rainbow colored cat like eyes, similar to Challe fenn Challe's and Lafalle fenn Lafalle's. His snow white hair that was once hidden with the straw hat, glistened in different colors of a rainbow in the candle light of the inn.

Azure's eyes widened. "Who-Who are you?" He asked him quietly.

"My brothers have never met me, yet they know of my birth. My true name is Rentalle fenn Rentalle. But around here I am known as 'Yukimaru'." The samurai said.

The name "Lafalle fenn Lafalle" came to his mind. Challe had told stories about three stones on a sword's hilt when Allen and Chloey were little. Two of the stones gave birth to those fairies. The opal to Lafalle and the obsidian to Challe. "Y-You're the fairy that was born from that diamond?" He asked surprisingly. Yukimaru nodded his head yes.

"Now go. You mustn't keep your lady waiting any longer." He said.

"Y-Yeah" He said. He sits down at the table beside Chloey.

"So, now that the prince of the fairies has finally arrived, let's start talking about strategies." Said the captain.

"Strategies? Why would we talk about them if we're going to compete against each other?" Chloey asked.

"Because the preliminaries are tag team matches. Meaning, Rein and Yukimaru will have to team up." The lieutenant said.

"And since the two of them will team up, Shiza and I will team up as well." Gregory said.

"Of course, while Yukimaru and I are in the ring, Lady Colette will be safe with you. Right, Ca- uh Mister Kazuki, was it?" Azure asked.

"Of course she will, Don't worry about a thing, kid. She'll be safe with me." The one called Kazuki said.

"So, What's the story with Yukimaru? He appears to have been born from a precious stone, like our Rein here." Gregory asked.

"Believe it or not, he was born from a diamond that was embedded in a necklace that was being sold in Lewiston about thirty years ago. The merchant said that a fairy gave him the diamond and told him to sell it." Kazuki said.

"Did he tell you who the fairy was that gave him the diamond?" Azure asked.

"No, he just said that a small fairy gave him the diamond and told him to sell it." He said.

"So I take it you don't know of the stone's origin before the merchant sold it to you?" Azure asked.

"Nothing." He simply said.

"I see." He said as he glanced at Yukimaru.

"What's wrong, brother? Know something about him that you aren't telling us?" Chloey asked.

He looks at her and smiles. "Nothing important, Milady. It's starting to get late. I would suggest you get some sleep after dinner. We have a big day tomorrow." He said.

"Alright." She replied as she nodded her head and smiled at him.

"See? What'd I tell ya, boys? She only listens to her big brother." Gregory teased.

"P-Papa." Chloey said shyly, looking off to the side with a slight blush on her cheeks. The captain and lieutenant chuckled.

Half an hour later, Chloey fell fast asleep as her head fell onto Azure's shoulder. "Looks like it's time to put our princess to bed." Gregory said quietly.

"I shall take her to her room." Azure said as he picked her up and walked towards her room.

"It's hard to believe it's already been fifteen years since Rain and Rubina were born at the King's Castle. I wonder where the stones they were born came from." Shiza asked.

"From what the King told me, the sword and shield were given to his grandfather from a far off land, shortly after the fall of House Chambers." Gregory said.

"That would explain why his weapon is a giant sword. I've never seen anything like it before. He must be very powerful to wield a sword that big. It looks like it weighs a ton too." Kazuki said.

"It's at least thirty pounds as far as I can tell. Yet he carries it with such ease" Gregory said as he looked down in thought.

"I wonder why he was asking about Yukimaru's Origins. You think he knows something about him and isn't telling us?" Shiza asked as he looked at his captain.

"It's possible that he does, if so then I'm sure he'll tell us on his own terms. He looked surprised when I saw them talking earlier. And it takes a lot to surprise him." Gregory said as he looked at the captain and lieutenant.

"He's mature for a fairy his age." Kazuki said.

"He and Rubina are both mature for their age. The thing I still don't understand is why he calls her 'Lady' or 'Milady' and he won't tell us why." Gregory said.

"Maybe, at first it was to be polite or that he thought she was nobility, but now those names might have a deeper meaning for him." Shiza said. "We just don't know what that meaning would be."

"He is like Challe fenn Challe in a way when it comes to that particular human." They heard Yukimaru's voice from behind.

They looked to see him standing behind them. "Like my father, How so?" Gregory asked.

Yukimaru smiled slightly. "In a way that he doesn't want her out of his sight for long." He said.

"He's just protective of her like a big brother would be." Kazuki said.

"Hold on, he might be onto something. The last time he was surprised like earlier, was when he saw her get hurt two years ago. He never left her side and he tended to her wounds every day and night. He wouldn't let anyone help him, not even Allen and Rubina." Gregory said as he looked at them.

"You think he's got a crush on her?" Shiza asked.

"No doubt." He said as he smiled. He looks over as he sees Azure standing guard at Chloey's door.

"Well I'll be damned. A warrior fairy has a crush on a human." Kazuki said as he smiled.

"I think he's always had a crush on her ever since she was about fifteen. I first saw him blush on their fifteenth birthday." The half fairy said. He smiled, leaning back in his chair. "Regardless, if he does then Dad and I will give him our blessings. She's known him since she was three, so I can already take a wild guess that she likes him."

"From what I heard, the twins were the ones that gazed at their stones when they were three years old. That would make the free fairies fifteen now, right?" Shiza asked. Gregory nodded his head.

"It's getting late, we should all hit the hay. We have a big day tomorrow and our fighters need as much rest as they can get." He said as the three of them stood up and walked towards their rooms.

The next day, they returned to the bar where the bartender led them down a secret path of stairs behind a hidden door in the wall. The stairs lead to the underground fighting ring. They saw Warrior fairies of all types talking to their coaches. Their masters were looking at the matchup board. Kazuki and Chloey looked at the matchup board to see who they were going to fight against. "Looks like we'll be up against a team called 'Stealth Hawks', sounds like one of them might have an ability that causes them to become invisible." Kazuki explained.

"Rein has practiced against Aunt Cathy's invisibility. He was able to sense where she was but he wasn't fast enough to dodge her attacks. That was five years ago. Let's see how fast he is now." Chloey said.

"I heard he had little footprints on his face for the rest of the day." He said as he smirked. She nodded her head.

"I'm sure that Yukimaru senses those things as well, being a samurai and all. But it looks like we won't fight for another hour, so we have some time to help them get their strength up." She said.

"I have noticed that Rein hasn't gotten any sleep last night. Probably stayed up all night on guard duty." He said.

"As always. I keep telling him I'm not a little kid anymore so he doesn't need to protect me all the time, but he never listens." She explained with a sigh.

"He's just concerned for your safety, you are his sister after all. And with him in the ring, he can't protect you as much as he wants to. That's why I'm here in his place." He said as he smiled. She looks off to the side with a slight blush.

"GENTLEMEN, WARRIOR FAIRIES, AND COACHES! LEND ME YOUR EARS. FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER IN HISTORY, WE HAVE A YOUNG LADY JOINING US WITH HER OWN WARRIOR FAIRY! THIS NEWCOMER WILL BE COMPETING ALONGSIDE THE MYSTERIOUS SAMURAI IN WHITE! LET'S GIVE THEM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE!" The announcer said as the fairy in charge of the lights, put the spotlight on Chloey, then on Azure and Gregory. Everyone applauded them but laughed when they saw Azure. "HE LOOKS LIKE A COMPANION FAIRY PRINCE, DOES HE NOT FOLKS? YET I HEARD THAT HE IS STRONGER THAN HE LOOKS, SO DON'T UNDERESTIMATE HIM! WHOEVER WINS THIS YEAR'S TOURNAMENT WILL NOT ONLY HAVE BRAGGING RIGHTS FOR A YEAR, BUT WILL ALSO WIN ONE THOUSAND GOLD COINS! NOW WITHOUT FURTHER ADIEU LET THE TOURNAMENT BEGIN" Everyone cheered as the first two teams entered the ring.