My Extraordinary Childhood Friend (#Wattys2016)

5 - Gift

Lily's POV:

"Ugh...where...am I?"

I got up and saw...nothingness...everywhere I see is just...white...

I walked around to see where exactly am I, and why I am here...but in vain, all I can really see is white...until...

"Ah.aah...aaah!!! Umph! Ouch!!!"

I was suddenly tripped and fall face first. Then I notice a growing shadow...of a apparent monster...drawing closer towards me...I tried to speak the spell to protect me from the monster...but alas! My voice suddenly become muted...

The monster shadow stopped at my front...and is about to take a blow over me. My fate is sealed...with my voice out...I only closed my eyes and waited for death to come to me.

But death never arrived...I opened my eyes and saw...another shadow...a shadow of a boy...with a sword...protecting me. He smiled and offered his hand...to get myself up and slowly...the shadows began to fade...as I begin to wake up.

December 24, 2004

Tokyo, Japan

11:45pm

My vision began to form...lying in the bed...with some tubes connected around me. I look around and saw...the familiar boy...yes! That boy who I met before I collapsed...I saw him...I hear him... I felt him...he...he saved my life...

"You...you sa-saved me?" I speak my weak voice as hard as I can

"Well...yes. I administer CPR to you so that you can brea- He-hey! Wh-why are you crying?!"

"Thank you...sniff...for saving me...Huhuhuhu!!!"I broke down to tears...I thought I'm gonna lose everything... "I'm so scared to die! I lost my parents, my friends, everything! Huhuhuhu!!!"

"Don't cry, milady..." The boy smiled at me and embraced me. "Everything will be alright..."

The boy accepted me...and embraced me...even we've just met. He made me his friend...he's my very first friend...in this new unfamiliar world that I've entered. The boy's embrace reminded of my final embrace to my parents...it assured me that indeed...everything will be alright.

After I brought out all that I feel...I tried to move my body...especially my legs...but after moving an inch...nothing else happens. I cannot move my legs!

"He-hey! What ha-woah!!!" I tried to sat up but I just started to fall back into the bed, only to be caught by the boy.

"Just calm down, milady! You need to rest up." The boy then placed me gently back in the bed. "But I need to tell you something about your condition..."

"Yes, what is it?"

"You broke some parts of the spinal cord, losing her use of the legs and the ability the breathe." I explained. "Your heart actually stopped beating if not because the medics and I treated your injuries and been injected by a ventilation machine."

"Is that so? Watch this..." I smiled at him and demonstrated my hidden spell to heal all of my possible injuries.

"Vetita Novae Caesareae Carmen Ascia..." A magic circle formed around the bed and...

"Sanitatem Divina Persona!!!"

The boy startled as I began to illuminate and feel myself a little bit comfortable. Slowly, I started to breathe on my own. And when I stopped glowing, I sat up once more and remove the ventilation tube from my throat to test whether the magic works...

"He-hey! What are you doing?! You will gonna die if you continue that!" The boy panicked on what I just did.

I stopped speaking and breathe both with my nose and mouth for a minute to prove that I am really breathing on my own.

"Whoa! You're so cool! How did you..." I giggled when he didn't finished the question but... "How did you did that? Are you...a witch?"

"Hey! I'm not a witch! Hmph!!!" I was pissed by what he called me. "I was supposed to tell you a secret. But since you pissed me, hmph!!!"

"Hehehe! Sorry! My bad!" The boy scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Okay...I'll tell you. But promise me that this will be our secret...and you will believe me in everything that I said."

"Of course!" The boy smiled at me...motivating me to tell him everything...

"I am the Princess of an empire: the heiress to the throne of Nova Ascia. I'm Princess Alyssa Lynnette Isabella Nicolette Ascia, you can call me Lily. I was teleported to your world because of the magic I possessed like you've seen earlier, and probably the reason why I collapsed and sustain the injuries you are describing earlier. I am the most powerful mage in Nova Ascia and that's the reason why my parents were overthrown and I was pursued by...bad guys...so right now...I need your help..."

And before I know it, I saw the boy taking a bow on me...making me blush...

"He-hey! Wa-wait! Ple-please don't do that! I'm not a pri-princess anymore!"

"But you already said that you are a princess! If you need my help, then sure! Why not?!" The boy finally stand up and accepted my offer. "By the way, my name is Akihiko Koizumi, nice to meet you, Lily!"

"Yes, nice to meet you too, Akihiko. Hehehe!"

Then, the wall clock in my room sounded. It's already midnight. Suddenly, Akihiko was jolted with joy and greeted me...

"Merry Christmas, Lily!"

"Huh?! What is Christmas?" Being a newcomer, I was confused in this new joyous culture.

"Well...this is where everybody is giving gifts as gratitude for what they've done for the past year." Akihiko. "Good thing that I have some spare in my bag that I didn't sell yet so...just wait a moment..."

And then Akihiko gets his large bag...some kind of a storage and stuff...and he is getting something from it, until...

"Here you go!" He took out a some sort of a coat and red colored shoes...with the soles that are flat and colored white...

"I'm sorry for asking but...what is this?"

"This is a blazer and sneakers, Lily." Akihiko smiled at me and responded.

He then helped me to wore the blazer and sneakers that he is talking about. As I try to wore the sneakers, I noticed that my legs is still not moving, despite casting the spell to heal all the wounds. I can't reach my feet to put the sneaker on...so Akihiko come to my aid...putting it on my feet and tying the soles for me...

"Thank you, Akihiko."

"Your welcome, Princess." He smiled at me once more then... "Hey! I know! How about a pseudonym to conceal your identity so that the bad guys will never catch you? Hmm...how about this...Azusa Otosaka!"

"Woah! Well...umm...that's actually a cute name...I'll take it. Thanks!" Though embarrassed a little, I accepted my new "artificial name"

"OK! Your welcome, Azusa-chan!"

I thought...that I will be alone...when my parents transported me to this new world. But I was wrong...Akihiko showed up...and save my life. With him on my side, I look forward to a new adventure...to reclaim my throne...to avenge my parents...starting from the another world far away...

However...

"What magic did that girl do?" A voice suddenly heard in the room. Someone is already watching us for a very long time. If this is the bad guys that I was talking about...we're busted.

"Oh...uhh..."