Just a fluffy fic (with a touch of angst towards the end) featuring my two favorite siblings being, well, siblings. Takes place the next day after the events in Magi Omake vol. 10.
"Oh, come on Hakuryuu! You misunderstood me, " came Hakuei's pleading voice from the front door leading to the bed chambers of the Kou Empire's fourth imperial prince, Ren Hakuryuu, or better known as her rather stubborn little brother.
To make a long story short, Hakuryuu was not amused, no, not amused at all by the first princess' extravagant fairy tale-like story of being rescued from the evil clutches of the traitorous general Ryosai by Mr. Tall - well, gigantic actually - Dark - very pale blue mind you - Handsome - he was headless - Aladdin('s Dijnn). Even with the persistent reassurance from her most loyal subject and eye witness, Seishun, the young prince was not fully convinced that nothing scandalous occurred.
Hakuei let out a dainty cough, preparing herself to say, in a now honey sweet, hopefully less desperate, voice, "Haku-Little brother ~ Please let me in. All I want is to have a nice chat with my most favorite person ~
"Look!" she exclaimed, rattling a small, silver tray of tea and sweets in her hands at the still closed door, "I even brought some tea and swee-"
Hakuei's words were abruptly interrupted when the door in front of her suddenly swung open revealing a stiff looking Hakuryuu, who casted a suspicious gaze at the assortment of treats on the tray.
Blue eyes then wandered to his sister who stood shocked at his unexpected appearance now sporting a small tea stain on her favorite robe. A feeling of guilt nudged at him at the sight of his dear sister.
"Sister, I'm very sorry. Please, come in. I'll help you get cleaned up," he voiced, removing the tray from her grasp before ushering her inside.
He discarded the tray on a nearby table and quickly retrieved a cloth that could be used as a makeshift rag. He handed it to her all while muttering countless apologies despite Hakuei's ever smiling face.
"No need to apologize," she responded, her smile never faltering as she took his offering. "I'm just glad that you are not longer upset with-What exactly are you looking at Hakuryuu?"
Hakuryuu's eyes were again fixated on the seemingly harmless sweets on the tray as though they were a bomb that could detonate at any moment.
He stammered, "W-who exactly made those pastries sister?"
Hakuei beamed. "I did, of course."
"You did!? Oh, Go-OD!" Hakuryuu finished in the falsely upbeat voice as she stopped rubbing the now faint stain on her robe to shoot him a look.
The princess' skepticism remained until Hakuryuu rapidly strode towards the tray and began devouring the pastries with relish.
She beamed once more and gushed, "Aww Hakuryuu, I had no idea you had such a strong appetite for my home made goodies. I'll be sure to bake a special batch for you before I leave."
Face flushed from joy and pride towards her cooking "skills", she affectionately patted his head before gently taking his hand to guide him towards a place within the room where she could final muse about her most recent adventure. The gleeful young woman was quite oblivious to his face reddening with ever chew he could muster. Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes threatening to shatter his facade.
"There's still so much I have to tell you, Hakuryuu."
Though his inside would never forgive him for his ultimate betray, the prince somehow managed to survive the unknown that was his sister's "cooking." The two now found themselves sitting peacefully in a corner of a room bathed by the red, yellow, and orange hues of an incoming sunset as Hakuei narrated her tales from the Tenzan Plateau.
"That damned Ryosai," Hakuei spat in an uncharacteristically harsh tone of voice. "Because of him, what should have been a gentle breeze was nothing but a hellish storm."
Her chest rose and fell with a deep sigh as she continued her speech in a calmer, sober manner.
"In their eyes, I was no different from that man. I cannot say that I blame them. Had I not been there in the first place, nobody would have been humiliated. Nobody would have been hurt. Nobody would have been killed.
"However," she went on in a more cheerful tone, interrupting Hakuryuu's attempt at comforting her by leaning forward and giving her hands a firm squeeze. "Things are better now. People in the palace have always told me that I have a sort of warmth that could melt the coldest of hearts. Although, I must say that that is a bit...excessive, I suppose it worked in my favor this time around, right?"
He nodded his head in feverish agreement.
"Why don't you come back with me?"
"Eh?"
"It would be a good change in scenery for you. Not that there's anything wrong with the imperial palace, mind you, but the village air is crisp. The background in jaw droppingly gorgeous and the villagers are as bright as the sun itself. Seishun is there to keep me company, but it wouldn't hurt to have another familiar face around. Especially my favorite one."
Hakuryuu's face flushed in delight for a moment hearing his sister's kind words. She always knew exactly what to say to him to cause a prickle of happiness, a feeling that has nearly abandoned him at this point, to stir within him. How he wish he could comply with her request as he almost wanted nothing more than his last beacon of light to stay by his side to lighten his dark path.
Almost nothing.
"Actually, the Emperor gave me permission to study abroad in Sindria," he replied, shifting awkwardly in his seat. His eyes were unable to meet the nearly matching pair in front of him.
"Sindria? For studying? Not that I disapprove, but we have plenty of scholarly resources here do we not? I doubt that you'll find anything novel in Sindira."
Then it hit her.
"Is there something you're not telling me Hakuryuu? I feel as though you have another motive for your travels…."
"Sister," he began, feebly, searching for the right words to say and yet still unable to level his eyes with hers, opting to stare at her lap instead. "Weren't you the one encouraging a change in scenery for me just moments ago? New air. New background. New people. Perhaps I'll even be able to make friends."
Friends.
Just as Hakuryuu expected, that word alone caused Hakuei's uncertainty to melt away and her lips to curl upwards in her trademark bright smile.
"That's wonderful, Hakuryuu. Then I wish you a safe trip. Be sure to write to me when you can, ok? You have always been such a good boy so I shouldn't have to warn you, but if you put a single toe out of line, I'll march all the way to Sindria and bring you straight back home! Understood?"
Judging by the playful tone in her voice and the fact that she pinching his cheeks - much to his slight annoyance - Hakuryuu knew that it was just an empty threat.
Or was it? He was very much aware that she took his safety and well being just as seriously as he took hers. He knew that she would tear down the sky if something were to happen to him. He gulped, imagining the possible consequences that lie ahead.
"I understand sister," he mumbled, gently brushing her hands away from his cheeks which were tinted the palest of pink from the pressure of her pinching fingers.
"Good, good. Say, why don't you and I venture out into the capital together before we part ways? It'll be just me and you."
"Sounds good to me!"
"Remember the last trip we took to the city together? I still recalled the look on your face when I encountered that dashing merchant who tired to -"
"Yes, yes, I remember," Hakuryuu interjected waving his hands dramatically as Hakuei let out a small giggle.
Then, without warning, the princess removed herself from her seat to envelope a still sitting Hakuryuu into a tight hug.
She muttered, "It's been so long since we've bonded like this. Let's do this again more often. My little brother."
All Hakuryuu could do was nod as he found himself sinking into the warm, sweet smelling embrace that was his beloved sister.
Hopefully, there will be a next time.
A/N: To those who have read this from start to finish I must thank you as I have not written a story in about 3 years more or less so my confidence in my writing is rather..non existence. Also, this ended up being a lot longer than I had originally planned it to be. Reviews are highly appreciated, but not necessary.
Be sure to read Magi Omake vol. 10 if you're confused about the part with Aladdin and Ugo. Also, most magi fans should be aware of his, but canon wise, Hakuei's cooking is supposedly so atrocious that she nearly killed Hakuryuu with it. Oops.
