Title: A Sad Fairy Tale
Author: nhaara
Rating: R
Pairing: Asami x Akihito
Spoilers: Suppose there are none
Warnings: Drama, the death of main character
Summary: Do fairy tales always have a good end? Do fairy tales really have the end?
Disclaimer: Characters belong to Yamane Ayano.
Author's note: AU, Supernatural, Character death! The basic idea arose after reading passages from the book by Marina and Sergey Dyachenko 'The Ritual' and Leah Lubomirska 'The best summer of her life'. I know some people don't even try to read fics with the death of the main character, but, please, give this story a chance.
This Oneshot was checked by kawahimes_world, therefore a great THANK YOU to her. If you still will find any mistakes, they are all mine and this means I wasn't attentive to remedy them. Sorry.
Kawa, I decided to leave everything as it is and about a continuation... who knows... ~_^
ooOooOoo
Akihito was lying on a large bed and looking through the open door leading to a huge balcony of his castle. The upper part of his body was lifted with pillows, so he could see a piece of the darkened sky. Curtains swayed gently from the warm breath of the day's ending.
Almost exactly a year ago Akihito traveled to the border areas of his kingdom, after the alarming rumors about a witch. Tedious months of searching brought success and the King with his loyal knights were able to catch her. The witch was burned at the stake according to the rules necessary in this case. Unfortunately for Akihito, the captured woman brought upon him a curse in the last moments of her life.
Soon the King fell ill. Successive doctors shrugged, not understanding what type of illness it was and how to save their ruler. Wizards also proved powerless. During the year, the disease weakened Akihito. Now he is sixty-three years old and he is lying on the bed, staring at the sky and wondering when will come the very last day.
Akihito couldn't say that his life was bad. There had been everything, good times changed bad ones. Over time, only the good memories stayed and the bad ones were no longer important. Takaba was the King, he was a husband, he was a father and even grandfather, but he always thought about how his life might become, if he made a different choice at one particular moment.
Takaba Akihito's most important and valuable memories happened forty years ago, and they were associated with the dragon named Asami Ryuichi. Each time the King remembered that time, he smiled gently and sadly smile, his eyes took on a lost look.
Asami Ryuichi was one of the ancient dragons with golden eyes and had a huge smooth body in the form of an animal covered with black scales. He was old-fashioned and always followed dragon's traditions. One of these traditions was the ancient ritual, an important part of which was a stolen princess. Asami didn't like this part, but still adhered to the rules. So until now he from time to time held this ritual in a purpose not to lose his grip and remind himself about his nature.
One summer the Dragon heard about the upcoming wedding of a young twenty-three year old Prince Takaba Akihito and decided, that the time has come for another round, and he has to follow a tradition.
Asami impressively fell from the sky right in the center of the wedding procession, which was moving in the church direction. He made small fuss and enjoyed the running and screaming. The dragon was ready to grab the princess, but at the last moment stopped.
Asami absolutely didn't like the girl, she looked at him with disgust and wrinkling her nose, strong chin testified to a stubbornness, that she was ready to go to her goal stepping on corpses. Asami trusted and tried not to ignore his intuition, so he decided not to get involved with a young lady. The Dragon was sure, he could handle the princess, but he decided that there was no need in the unnecessary headache.
The fate was comical, Asami was ready to fly away, as he felt that he has been poked with a blunt ceremonial sword. The Dragon immediately and disapproving looked down and saw the Prince Takaba Akihito, who decided to protect the Princess, his wedding and his people. Asami could see the wide pupils of his eyes, which meant that Takaba didn't expect such action from himself.
Nowadays the Dragon himself could admit it was his major mistake or maybe contrariwise his major miracle. He felt as an ancient magic happened between him and the prince, while they had looked into each others eyes. Asami had no name for this magic in his experience, because he was never faced with it before. The dragon noted the beauty of the prince, but he was more attracted to inner fire that was visible in boy's eyes.
The result was unexpected to everybody. The Dragon has kidnapped not a princess, but he took the prince.
Akihito repeatedly tried to escape from captivity during the following month, but all attempts were futile and only led to a deterioration of the situation. Time passed, and oddly enough the young prince became used to the Dragon's presence and even began to seek his company.
A year had passed to Akihito quickly, but upon its ending a large number of knights led by Akihito's bride burst into the dragon's dungeon.
The Dragon sadly let him go, and the prince with sadness went away. Then there was the wedding, the coronation, the children and now there was illness, but Takaba always remembered his time with dragon with a gentle sadness. Asami, in his turn, had never done that ritual again.
ooOooOoo
On the balcony there was a slight rustling sound. Akihito's every fiber felt that the air around became filled with the presence.
"I knew you would come to me..." The King said hoarsely from his bed. "This can only mean one thing, that the time has came and you here to say goodbye to me."
"Yes." Terse answer sounded from thick darkness of the balcony. "Almost time, I can feel it."
"I also feel it." Akihito said sadly, but with considerable relief. "You know I just thought about you, reminisced about our time together and how it was good."
"You look tired." A man stepped out of the darkness. Time had no effect on the dragon and his human form. Everybody like him lived a very long time. Akihito heard only about dragon's death at the hands of knights or wizards and he never heard about natural one. A man from the past stood near the King with the same toned and beautiful body, with the same dark hair and all the same golden eyes, that held wisdom and experience. The dragon was gentle with him, but in relation to an intruder he can become cruel and ferocious.
"Yes I do, and it's not surprising, given that I won't live for long. Every day when I see the sunrise, I expect that this will be my last day." Akihito coughed. "You can't cure me... Can you?" Akihito said more claiming, than the asking.
"It's too late." The Dragon put a cool hand on the forehead of the King. "I'm sorry that I'm so late."
"No, don't apologize." Akihito smiled weakly. "It's not like the cocky dragon whom I know." Asami chuckled. "I think that 's the way it should happen. My lived life wasn't bad."
"I see." Asami said sadly. Then he held back of his hand over aged cheek. "How's your wife?"
"Ha... As always active and fights against injustice." Akihito chucked. "The other day she decided to go to war with the neighbors, so for now she is coaching the army."
"The poor one..." Dragon said at Akihito's face.
"Who specifically is? She or I?" Akihito smiled slyly.
"The both. Then now I think that I shouldn't have let you go... I had seen from the start the way she was." Asami answered.
"And you could allow not to let me go?" The King looked straight into the dragon's eyes.
"You know, what I could." The dragon didn't avert his own eyes.
"Then why did you?" Takaba asked.
"..." Asami didn't answer, but decided to change the subject . "How are your children?"
"..." Akihito from his age now maybe did understand the reason, but now the truth already wasn't needed. "The older son runs the country, while his mother is engaged in a new military project. And the younger son is growing up. Dragonslayer in tears. He wants to became a dragon fighter." Akihito laughed lightly. "Today he came here and said to bless him to the march on the damn monster."
"And? So what? Did you bless him?" The Dragon grinned.
"Oh, yes, twice, as much as a half. I said that, if he stops his studies and doesn't get over with this idea, I'll bless him this time with the scepter over his ass." Akihito snorted. Asami laughed.
"What words do you use? Is the prince should say the word 'ass'? The Dragon teased.
The sick King looked at Asami, then suddenly took dragon's hand in his and held it to his cheek.
"The prince ought not, of course, but you forget, that I have long been the King." Akihito said, making sure that the dragon looks him straight in the eye.
"Of course I remember." Asami continued thoughtfully. "I will never forget our one year long story. I wish everything was differently."
"..." This time was Akihito's turn not to respond. "How's your dragon's wife?" The King changed the subject.
"..." Asami knew that it was pointless to dream about what didn't happen. These thoughts always bring only sadness. "There's no dragon's wife."
"Hmm? No? Then how's your dragon's girlfriend?" Akihito tried again.
"And there is no dragon's girlfriend too." Asami said quietly. "The dragons are monogamous by nature. If we meet our soul mate, we will never be able to be with someone else."
"And you..." The King began quietly, but stopped himself.
"Yes, I met my mate, but it so happened that he isn't with me." The Dragon replied to the not asked aloud question.
"How sad." Akihito lowered his sad look.
"Yes, sad that understanding of our own errors come later." Asami leaned on the bed stand, supporting the canopy.
"Yes, indeed" The King confirmed.
The silence filled the room, but it was comfortable. There wasn't need in words. Curtains still swayed by the breezes of a warm summer wind.
"Ryu?" Akihito called.
"Hmm?" The Dragon said subduedly.
"Do you know how fairy tales usually end? " The King asked.
"Of course. All princesses returned to the princes." The dragon's voice was filled with sorrow.
"Yes, it's a common end, which all imposed by storytellers to hide the truth." Akihito muttered indignantly.
"What is the truth then?" The Dragon raised an eyebrow.
"Well, the truth is that all the princesses stay with the dragons. Then they live happily ever after. For a long time, of course. Do you know how long can live a normal, healthy, happy dragon?" Akihito said solemnly, and coughed.
"How long can a dragon live? Really long, but I still check this theory, so don't know real answer. Why is it with dragons? And what is about the decent prince?" Asami asked in amazement.
"About the Princes? The Princes have disastrous habit to be late." The King said thoughtfully. "You see, while the Princess is waiting for the Prince, all the free time she spends with the Dragon. She slowly falls for him. Initially, everything seems to begin just from chat with him, as it were, out of boredom. As they say, who else do prisoners talk to in the cave." Asami chuckled, but Akihito didn't pay attention to it. "The Dragons as it turns out are a great orators. The first of all you start to be friends with him. You are friends, are friends, are friends - and suddenly can't live without your dragon. That is all."
"Hmm... I see..." Asami said thoughtfully. "But I will correct you, the prince stayed with a dragon. I absolutely wouldn't want to get stuck with your wife for long."
Akihito laughed, then coughed again.
"Yes, maybe. You wouldn't long tolerate her character." The King smiled. "You love to have everything your way. She is by the way too."
Asami chuckled.
"So how is the fairy tale going to continue? I understand, that in the end the Prince comes after the Princess. Well, in the sense and our case there was the Princess to come after the Prince." The Dragon went on with a funny conversation.
"Yes. But, as you know, he... Akhem... she is already late." Akihito said, and looked into the dragon's eyes.
"And you? What is about your princess?" Asami asked.
"And what am I? I've fallen in love with a dragon." Akihito smiled sadly, and the dragon's heart sank.
"What did we have to tell the Princess then?" Asami asked quietly.
"I don't know. Maybe we just should have said, that there was no one at home..." Akihito said, not taking his eyes from the man.
The Dragon closed his eyes, swallowed, then opened them filled with a deep sadness.
"Hmm. Good ideas often come after." Asami approached Akihito, bent down and gently kissed him on the lips. The Dragon sat on the bed and began gently stroking his long-lost prince's hand.
"Ryu?" Akihito called to the dragon so he looked at him. When the eyes closed on each other, the King continued. "Do me one last favor."
Asami slightly tilted his head to the side, waiting to hear the continuation.
"I want the last flight, as we were flying back then. But I can no longer stay on your back so you have to hold me." Akihito eyes were absent for a few seconds, when memories passed before his eyes. The King stopped smiling and continued staring at the dragon. "And then, at the sunrise I want you to burn me in your flame. I can't lie down here and wait for the inevitable, all this eats me up inside. Please, Ryu..."
Asami froze and didn't move a few minutes. Akihito waited patiently, he has learned to be patient over the years, even though it was given to him not so easy.
"I do understand." The Dragon leaned over and kissed Akihito again. "I will do as you ask."
ooOooOoo
A procession consisting of the Queen, her elder son with his wife and the youngest son walked down the hall to visit a sick husband and a father. When they entered the room, they saw an empty bed, and disappearing black dragon's tail between the balcony's curtains.
They all rushed to the side of the balcony, but when they came out on it, there was nobody there, only the sound of wings dying away on a dark sky.
ooOooOoo
Asami wrapped Akihito in a blanket and carried him in the front paws. They flew not very high, above forests and lakes. An hour before dawn, Asami landed on the high rocky bank of the river, with a wall of forest six meters from it. The Dragon made a bed of twigs and laid Akihiro on it. He was kneeling beside him in human form, leaning his forehead against the dying King's. On the horizon, the dawn began to flare up.
"It's time, Ryu..." Akihito stroked dragon's head. Asami pulled back a bit and tried to catch the last moments with his mate.
The Dragons don't cry and don't regret anything, Akihito knew this, so he said nothing and just wiped lonely tear from Asami's cheek.
Asami stood up and turned into a beautiful black dragon. Dawn was steadily approaching. Asami blew his best fire on a bed of twigs and golden flame with blue splashes blazed over it. The Dragon could have sworn that at the moment, when flames shot up, the laughter, which he hadn't heard for forty years, echoed over the river. The black beast gave painful wail and set on the bank waiting while only the embers would be left, then got up, shook himself, spread his wings and flew in the direction of the mountains.
ooOooOoo
Year alternated year, century followed after century. Dragons became scarce and to keep their species, they had to adapt to a changing world. All supernatural creatures had to adapt to the changing of the time. All united under the banner of people. Everyone began to hide their true self and their magical abilities. They didn't show it openly, but didn't deny it's existence.
Asami Ryuichi built his empire, which a lot of people and other creatures knew about in Tokyo and over the world. He is a successful businessman, an influential and wealthy member of society during the day, and one of the most dangerous crime lords during the night.
People working for him respected him, but feared him. Asami didn't show anything to the people, although there were rumors, but he always made sure to clean all evidence of his supernatural nature and magical possibilities. Only two werewolves learned of his nature when Asami saved them. Later, these men became his faithful companions and helpers.
In recent months, Asami was restless, though he didn't show it outwardly, but inside there was a sense of maturing storm that something should happen. The dragon couldn't tell what it was, and this uncertainty is only just irritated him. He would often go to his country house with vast surrounding territories forests, mountains, rivers and lakes. He always took his dragon form there. This times the Dragon also hoped it would help to lessen a sense of tension, but with each passing day this feeling only became stronger.
This May was wonderful weather and Asami wanted to spread his wings and to lie under the sun. Unfortunately, his business required his presence in the city. The dragon felt that the tension reached its peak and he really wanted to be out of town, in case if it would be beyond bearing and his emotions took control.
Asami decided to quickly finish quickly all his work the next day, hurry to nature and stay longer in his natural form. He took a shower, dragged his body to the bed and was even able to go to sleep.
Asami suddenly woke up and sat on the bed, he had a feeling that the bubble of voltage has burst and something has happened. Asami listened to his house. There was quiet, no one has broken in his home territory, all protective spells were in place. The Dragon moved his hand before him to the side and obeying his will curtains opened revealing a panoramic view of Tokyo from his penthouse. A warm sunrise was appearing on the background of buildings. The dragon looked at the clock and the time confirmed that there was nothing unusual with sun.
"Hmm... The 5th of the May... what exactly has just happened?" Asami asked aloud. And at this moment his whole being heard as somewhere the child began to cry for the first time in his life just being born. A wide smile appeared on dragon's face and his whole being was filled with happiness. Asami fell back on the pillow. 'I'm not alone anymore' He thought. 'This time I will do everything right... And will never let go.'
And rays of the rising sun slowly crept to the bed, filling the room with cheery light.