Because after six stories I obviously need EVEN MORE Japan angst in my life so...enjoy!
The little boy in the blue kimono giggled silently as he sprinted through the bamboo forest, everything was so peaceful here. He liked it, but it was also lonely. That was nothing new. Sometimes he played with the pandas. But it was not enough to satisfy that feeling inside for companionship.
The little boy was curious, as he looked out into the yard, watched the man with the long brown ponytail tending to the flowers there. Who was he? Why did he smile and hum as he worked? As he edged forward, a sandaled foot snapped a twig, and he darted quickly back into the bamboo, hiding behind a tall grove as the man turned and looked toward him.
Why, the little boy wondered, were his eyes golden? They were so beautiful. The man looked out into the green rods, his brow furrowing slightly.
Why does he not look scared? People in the village look scared when they hear him creeping in the woods. The little boys questions grew, but all the while he did not speak. He did not like to speak. He recalled, his voice had caused that black thing to come. That black thing hiding in his heart. The less he talked, the less he got talked too, the less it came. It would just stay in hiding. That is why, when the stranger he'd been spying on took a step forward, the little boy turned and fled into the green forest before he could be spotted.
It was a curious existence, the little boy thought. Watching this man who never seemed to change or age through his daily routine. Why did he never change? It seemed a question too easy to pose. To walk out to the man and quietly introduce himself with a polite little bow, to speak to him and ask these questions that so pestered him. How long had this existence been so? The little boy tried to remember, remember before he wandered this forest, but it seemed he could not. The little boy drew his blue kimono in closer, a soft huff escaped his lips. He wanted to go and speak with this stranger. This man with the golden eyes. But it was not safe. He could not recall the last time he'd held a conversation. In fact, did he even speak the same language as him? Now that was a question. The little boy took a timid step forward, now just at the edge of the border that separated his safe little grove, where he could observe without being seen, from the neat grasses of the garden.
The man leaned back as he wiped his forehead with an overly long sleeve.
"Very hot today, aru..."
The boys eyes widened, he'd heard the voice. He saved it into memory, pulled it deep into his heart, deeper then the black thing could ever reach, and held onto it tightly as he stepped backwards into the grove, turning and running away as he had so many times before.
He understood the mans words, the little boy could speak with him if he so desired. The man could speak back. They could share a joke and laugh together one day, if he ever worked up the courage to cross this border he'd drawn for himself. The little boy in the blue kimono fled far as he could into the green and a small smile came onto his face.
If he tried hard enough, he could imagine that sweet, kind, wonderful voice speaking his own name.
The little boy had sat in his preferred napping spot, outside the place he'd built to shelter him from rain and wind. Here was where he kept his single spare set of clothes and the purple sheath that held a sword he couldn't remember ever getting from anywhere. He'd just had it, strapped to his back, from the dim first memories he could pull from his brain. His home was within a large alcove in a boulder in the forest.
There were many similar rocks in the area, and dozens all mapped out within the little boys head, he could recall all of them from when he explored his forest. He picked this one because it was closest to the deepest part of the creek, the one where it was easiest to catch fish.
He'd used the purple sheathed sword to cut rods of bamboo and make something to hold the tarp that had fallen from a wagon on one of the paths through his forest. The tarp was a steely gray, but this boulder was so deep within the forest that the little boy knew only he, the birds, the fish, and the pandas would ever see it. It covered the entrance to his home. A soft pile for a bed, made from pillows and blankets smuggled, picked up, or taken when no one else seemed to notice.
He could also recall that day he'd been watching the road, so long ago, and had seen that large wagon stacked to the brim with tables, chairs, and teetering piles of furniture. When that small, low, old, unwanted table that had been tossed onto the edge of the pile fell and didn't crack. When the driver didn't stop to pick it up. The boy from the forest had ventured out when the road had calmed, taken the table, and carried the prize back to his home. More things that had fallen from wagons were other prizes to collect.
When the market season came, great carts stacked high with goods with make an appearance and the little boy would glean what he could. One very useful thing was a lantern, about half as tall as he was. It had enough oil in it to last through many dark nights. That had become something he was often forced to snatch from travelers, the oil that lit his lantern.
Now he had a good stock with of it, still in the small containers, stacked neatly against the wall next to his lantern. That was currently his entire homes furnishings, with several collected rocks with interesting colors, bits of bamboo he'd found and carried with him. A small fire pit he'd constructed from larger stones. He'd spent several an afternoon digging out a small pit in the earth outside the tarp, and made sure the fire could not spread. After so long living alone, he knew how to get food, water. He was rather good at catching fish, and the creek water was clean. He had a small jug of it, another tossed away item he'd gotten over the stretch of time he had lived here, in his home.
But now, the state of his home was far from the boys worry, he was concerned with the war that had been raging in his head for hours now.
He wanted to go speak with that man.
He wanted to keep that black thing hidden away.
He wanted the answers to his questions.
He wanted to be able to stay in his forest and watch the man forever.
The little boy pulled his knees up to his chest and tried to think of a way to hear that mans voice again. He clung tight to that one, three words phrase, ended with a vocal tick, as hard as he could, but it was now to far away to repeat in his mind over and over like he wished he could.
Finally, after a great warring debate in his mind, the little boy decided that he would leave the safety of his forest, if just for a few minutes, if it meant that he could hear that strangers voice again.
Coming to a stand, he turned and raced toward the village. Another question long buried in his mind, why was it that he was fast? He was rather quicker then any other children his size he'd seen playing in the village. He arrived at the edge of the forest, just outside the village gates with his chest heaving. He watched as the man came walking elegantly into the gate, a small skip in his step just as always. His golden eyes alight with the prospect of a days shopping at the market. He was wearing a plain gold robe with white pants underneath it, and slippers. The sleeves were too long, the stranger always seemed to have his sleeves like that.
Taking a shaky breath, the little boy edged from the border of his safe place, his forest, and followed the golden eyed man.
He followed into the market, weaving around trying to avoid anyone looking at him, seeing him. He was not even half as tall of the golden eyed man, and no one seemed to look at him as he passed.
His dull brown eyes slid all around curiously, he'd never been into the village before. Long hours had he humored himself with what might lay within the walls of the town, but he had never been brave enough to come explore.
"...two please, aru. Thank you."
The little boy in the blue kimono's eyes lit up at the sound of that voice.
The man was speaking with a stall owner, it seemed he was purchasing some of his vegetables. Trying his best not to be seen, the little boy edged closer to the stranger, eager to get another listen of the voice he loved so well. He did hear more, the man spoke to every stall owner, inquiring on goods and engaging in playful banter.
That is, until the little boy, who had not realized he was getting to close to the stranger and trailing behind him, was finally revealed.
"Who is the child?" A lady shop keeper questioned.
The golden eyes peered down and met his own, widening with surprise at the sight of the little boy so close, yet having not even noticed him.
"...I...I do not..." The golden eyed man began, confused.
The boy from the forest let out a tiny gasp at being seen, he had been seen by those golden eyes he had observed for so long from afar.
Should he say something?
"I'm sorry, but who are you, aru?" The man bent down, sitting back on his haunches in front of the little boy.
They were so close that a small hand could have reached out and rested upon the brown haired mans own hand.
The little boy didn't realize he was trembling until the concern was echoed in the man before hims voice.
"Are you lost, aru? Can you not find your family?" He asked.
The little boy turned and ran.
"Oy! Where are you going?" The man called after him.
Tears were hot, the little boy had always wondered how they never burned his eyes. They were for when he was alone in the darkness of the night, frightened by shadows and the dark piece of his heart. Not for right now, in such an unfamiliar place, with his voice threatening to escape in a strangled scream at every turn where the people were staring at him.
All of them were looking at him, all of them. Why did they not leave him alone? He should have never left the safe place. He should have just remained, watching the golden eyed man from afar, just as he usually did.
It had never failed him until now, but now, he'd allowed his curiosity to get the best of him. Now he knew. He knew that voice and he had heard it enough times to lock it away for good inside his heart. He knew it and now it was time for him to say goodbye to the man with the ponytail and the golden eyes. Ever since the little boy had started watching him, his curiosity had grown, more questions had formed, and that black thing had gotten bigger and bigger.
He remembered the last time the black thing had come out. There had been people in his woods. His forest. He had taken up that purple sheath and opened it. He'd pulled out that sword he'd never used for more then cutting wood and had chased them out. One of them got hurt, and that scarlet stain had never fully come out of his spare kimono, staining the dark purple color with red. Therefore, he tended to try and keep his usual blue one clean. Every time people came into his forest it enraged that dark piece of his heart. His vision went red and he didn't consider what he was doing.
The little boy couldn't see with his tears. Every time the black thing came he ended up hurting someone. They came into his forest, the place that was his, and no others. It was his safe place. There were paths all throughout it. Those paths were not part of his safe place, so why didn't they just use them? There fault for not using the paths, there fault. That was why they got the scars, it was no his fault. Not his fault that when the dark piece of his heart took over his vision went red and he couldn't control his own actions.
Only watch in a daze.
The safety, the beautiful rods of green, they came into sight and the little boy dove into the comfort of the criss crosses of shadows tossed onto soft green grasses.
Safe.
Until that golden eyed man appeared.
"Come back! The forest is dangerous! There is a shadow that hurts the people that go in! Come back, aru!" That voice he so loved called.
The little boy huddled behind the grove, covering his mouth with his hands, his entire body was trembling as he sank to the ground.
He closed his eyes, he clenched his fists, he gritted his teeth.
Sobbing slipped out.
Everything had come up to him again, and his voice was being forced out in quiet, half held back sobs. The little boy was scared, of course he would be. He'd made his safe place into a dangerous place to everyone else.
Before his thoughts could drift further, the golden eyed man was there.
Somewhere off in the distance, a bird cawed, and the watery, tearful brown eyes stared in stunned surprise.
"Please don't run off like that. You scared me, aru." The golden eyed man said, yet again bent down in front of him.
The little boy struggled to stop crying, he covered his face and pulled into himself, he wanted to be alone.
He wanted everyone out of his forest. It would make that dark part churn angrily if anyone dared to invade.
So why wasn't that happening with the golden eyed man?
"Let me take you home."
The golden eyed man whispered.
"Just tell me which way to go. Or do you not know, aru?"
The little boy swallowed hard and stopped sobbing, trembling still, he looked up at the man he had so long watched from afar and shook his head.
"So you do know the way, aru?" He asked, eyes lighting up cheerfully.
The little boy pushed himself to his feet, coming to a stand, and turned to walk deeper into the woods.
"Do not go in there, aru!"
A hand was on his shoulder.
A hand.
Was touching him.
When was the last time he'd been touched by another person?
The little boy flinched away from the touch and looked up at the ponytailed man again.
"Where is your home?" He asked.
The blue clad boy pointed into the forest.
The golden eyed mans eyes grew concerned.
"We should not disturb the shadow." He said.
The little boy felt his voice bubbling, it was moving up his throat and out his mouth before anything else could cross his mind.
"I am the shadow."
A small streak of horror slipped onto the brown haired mans face, mouth dropping slightly open as the little boy looked up at him with blank eyes, cheeks red with tears.
The golden eyed man swallowed, then let out a heavy breath.
"Do you realize what you did, aru?"
"I lost."
The little boy was referred to his war against the dark piece of his heart.
The man seemed to think over what to do about this in his head before finally offering his hand.
"Would you like me to walk with you home, aru?"
The little boy was deeply shocked by this, but it did not show across his face. Other then the break down of tears a few minutes ago, he rarely did show any amount of emotions. A small smile or frown was the most he was usually capable of.
The little boy considered this for a moment, taking the golden eyed man with him to his home? Was that really a good idea?
The little boy swallowed.
Maybe he didn't like other people in his forest, but if it were the golden eyed man, then he didn't mind.
Well, there ya go. This will be continued, a shorty of about four-five chapters I think. I'll post again if I get a good reaction, so let me know what you think! Please favorite, please follow, and please review! Thanks for reading!