"Lonely's Tale."
By LonelyRider

James LightningSword was eager to visit his young friend Natalie, today she met him in a beautiful grassy meadow and he sat down by a tree, adjusting his massive wings. In his hand he held a handsome tome.
"Natalie!" He said, holding out his arms, she squealed and hugged him, feeling him give her hair a quick nuzzle of liking. "Is that ok?" He whispered shy and sweet.
"What are you doing today?" Natalie laughed, ignoring his respect. He let out a guffaw.
"Oh, well, Lonely made a book just for you!" He said excitedly.
"Whoa, seriously? Hang on then." Natalie ran to her mother's nearby roadside wagon and brought hot buttered bread for them; her mom was a baker who sold to spectators who came to watch the gladiators, of which James was one.
"Mmm, good Nat!" He mumbled through chewing.
"Read to me!" Natalie demanded, James laughed harder, finding her absolutely adorable.
"I will. Settle in anywhere you'd like." He said kindly, she sat on his armored lap and he put on a beautiful gold and purple amulet, which she played with. "Lonely sent this too, it's part of the story!" James whispered to her excitedly.
"Read!" Natalie shrieked, hitting him in her fervor.
James laughed, finding her cute again.
"Natalie! If I see you hit him again we're getting in this wagon and going home, there will be no visits from him or pony for you. Stop it." Natalie's mother growled from her wagon. Natalie pouted.
"It's okay Mrs Baker, no worries here! Ok...once upon a time....there was a beautiful warrior princess with chestnut hair. Her name was Natalie The Fearless, and she rode a pretty bay pony. The pony was a gift from her friend, James The Enviable, a strong, stalwart, smart and sweet tanker. I...I...oh...the enviable...smart....oh I..." James stuttered and blushed, flattered and touched by what Lonely had written. Natalie pointed at him and laughed and he grinned sheepishly and blushed more which made her laugh harder.
"You can't talk! She likes you!" Natalie teased.
James cleared his throat.
"O...okay, let me try to talk for you here. James had a magic purple amulet...look Nat, here it is." He whispered, she held it, fascinated, he smiled at her fondly, still blushing and worked up from what his girlfriend had written. Natalie's mother looked over at them and smiled, seeing James reading fondly to her daughter. "The amulet will grant you a wish, if you only promise to do one good deed on the day you wish for it."
"James I wanna make a wish!" Natalie screamed, jumping on his lap. He laughed at her enthusiasm, finding her sweet.
"Any good deed. Go on." He said. Natalie rubbed the amulet and mouthed something, then went over to her mother and brought out several loaves of bread without being asked. She then ran back to James' lap.
"Whatever you did, do more of it!" Natalie's mom shouted. James laughed hardily.
"Your wish has been received, and surely granted! One day...a merman spied James in the battle arena. He was envious of the magic amulet and its powers, of James' strength and endurance in battle. So, he slipped a potion into James' beer, and once he was out cold, abducted him!" James gasped after more blushing and a fond voice, he and Natalie really into the story Lonely had woven. "Oh no Natalie. But all was not lost, for riding to his aid came Natalie, with her armor, cardboard wings, and double swords. "Unhand that fighter!" She told the merman." James read.
"Then what!" Natalie begged, tugging on his short groomed beard.
"Let's find out, honey." James turned the page and read to her, "She got into a sword fight with the merman. He tried to skewer her on his trident, but she was too fast on her pony, and she stuck him instead! Now, either you let my big strong friend go, or I'll have to finish you. Wow Nat." James read.
"More!" She insisted.
"Natalie untied James and when he woke up, he gave her a great big hug in his arms and wings." James squeezed her tight for real and she laughed, "Natalie, you've saved the day! Oh thank you, strong brave warrior princess. Where would an angel be...without you? The End." James smiled sweetly at her and closed the book.
"I want more!" Natalie laughed, hyper in her exuberance.
"Oh, I'd love to, but there is no more! I want more too!" He nodded. "In the meantime, I'll settle for...tickling you!" He teased her, chortling and blushing as he did just that gently, making her squirm. "Mwuhaha!" He laughed evilly.
"Stop it! I'll pull your hair!" She shrieked, and she did, he laughed, and squirmed cause she was tickling under his armor. "Natalie don't!" He laughed, he was very careful when he tried to jokingly restrain her as he was at least 6 times her size and he knew it.
"Natalie! What did I say earlier to you, young lady? I saw you pull his hair! That's it. We're leaving!"
"Mom! No! I'm having fun with him!" Natalie whined. James was panting from their play and had a friendly arm around her.
"Natalie, get in the wagon, now."
"I don't want to!"
Now James felt guilty seeing this.
"Nat, I'll come too, okay?" He said softly. She hugged his neck; he closed his eyes and hugged her tightly with a big grin and a growl of affection, his muscled arms and big wings wrapping around her to hold her close. Natalie's mom sidestepped his wing as it swung.
"James I know you mean well, but she needs discipline, what with her father gone. Natalie, come."
James kissed her cheek sweetly, feeling sad for his precious friend; he too had been abandoned by his father, who was a dark sorcerer and had recently had run ins with James, Natalie & Lonely. How he felt for her with all his heart.
"No, I want James!" Natalie fought as her mother pulled her off him, he reached out, a look of concern, guilt and empathy on his face. In fact he was fighting tears. "No mom, no let me stay with him!" Natalie squirmed and fought.
"Natalie, when I say no it's final! He means well but he's been spoiling you rotten and now look at you! You're too old for this! I'm sorry James, no offense meant. Let's GO." Mrs Baker scolded.
"No! I want my friend! I want my big brother! Mom..no, don't take him from me, no!" Mrs Baker put a squirming Natalie in their wagon and with an apologetic look at James, shook the reins and drove off. She saw James was shaking and there were tears on his face as his huge draft horse nuzzled him, wondering what was wrong. As she looked back his arm was still held out and he fell against his horse and cried, after making sure he was alone. Mrs Baker wiped her own tears and shook the reins harder.