Author's Notes

This is silly. And short. And rushed. I should be working on my chapter fics. I will definitely as soon as exams are over. My mind always goes wild before them.

Enjoy, and tell me what you think.

Delicate

Sometimes, it could be a problem when one's role-model wasn't exactly…tangible.

Yubel & Judai Y

Yubel never regretted the decision she made to give up her humanity for the boy who was, not only her prince, but her best friend. There were times though when she did regret no longer possessing a tangible form; in the world she now resided in, guardians like her were seen by few and touched by none. It hadn't always been that way; she'd followed countless generations of reincarnations…but that seems like eons ago. None of them had awoken, and she had eventually moved on.

There had never been anything special about them. Any of them.

Except Juudai. Juudai was special. Perhaps it was because he could see her; the last boy hadn't been able to at all. Perhaps because he hadn't run away, screaming of monsters and demons like the reincarnation before that. Maybe because he genuinely cared…and she could tell the difference. After all, she watched him smile day after day at classmates with strings continuing to play their symphony. She also watched the somewhat sad eyes looking after his parents as his small tanned hands waved goodbye. And she saw, most of all, the happiness that came with the time they spent together.

He was a troublesome little kid to be sure…or rather, he attracted trouble to himself like a magnet. Some were innocent, like stumbling over an upturned corner of the rug or slipping on a paper he had left lying around. Others were a little more involved, including a growing problem at school. But home was okay; Juudai's parents were rarely home, but that suited her just fine. Once their relationship had developed to the stage where he could hear her words as she spoke them (it had begun with feelings, then music riding the breeze), spending time with the boy had become times as precious as playing and learning with her Prince. The relationship was different of course; if anything, she was somewhat of an older sister at the present time to the young boy. She'd even been reduced to teaching him the Kanji alphabet.

Her endless cycles of following reincarnations had taught her many things. Unfortunately, it had also caused her to forget certain others. For instance, while she remembered the little ducking approach children normally adopted – although it grew somewhat less apparent with time - it had somewhat slipped her mind that he wouldn't be as capable as her. Indeed she knew it; she was destined to be his protector after all, but floating through solid objects had become an extension to her being, something she did without thinking as walking was to humans over the age of two. For the most part, it was little corners that could be easily skirted, or walls that were so blatantly solid Juudai would stop short and blink until she reappeared. But once, there had been the glass divider of the museum.

She suppressed a wince with great difficulty when the other barrelled into it, having lagged behind to look at Orisis a little more.

She failed to do so a second time when the other started crying.

'Hush Juudai,' she tried, attempting to pet his hair. Unfortunately, being intangible, her hand passed right through the other's brown mass of keratin. 'It's okay. It's just a little bump.'

And it was. The skin was only slightly beginning to lift under the hairline.

He sniffed and looked up at her, then at the security guard who had come up to the pair. He of course couldn't see her, nor her unhappiness at the interruption.

'You okay there son?' he asked.

Juudai sniffed a little, before nodding.

'Where are you parents?'

'Working,' the boy mumbled.

'You're here on your own?' The man's voice had taken on a disapproving tone.

Juudai shook his head, rubbing at his eyes, a little embarrassed. 'Yubel's with me,' he said.

In the end, the security guard assumed "Yubel" was an imaginary friend. The spirit was far from thrilled at that, but Juudai reached for her hand again, and despite not being able to clutch it, she took it.

No, Yubel didn't regret giving up her humanity. But sometimes, she did regret no longer being tangible.

'Yubel?' Juudai asked suddenly.

'What is it?' she returned.

'How come you don't have a boo-boo from bumping?'

That was going to take a bit of explaining.