Kagamine
Disclaimer- I own nothing
A/n: please accept this as an apology for never posting anything anymore. There will be a small one shot sequel to Hunting the Hunters as well, which I hope to post soon.
-IXN-
In a land where singing means everything, having your voice taken away is the worst punishment a person can be dealt. The glorious land of Kagamine was a prosperous land that believed your heart was reflected in your song, and when you found someone who could mirror it perfectly, they were destined to be your soul mate. To find the Mirror of your Heart was everyone's ideal dream, except for one young man, who had had his voice stolen from him.
His name was Neji, and he was defended from the lesser branch of the noble Hyuuga clan. When he had reached puberty and his voice had completed it's development, he had become revered as the best singer not from the royal family, the Uchiha.
The Uchiha bloodline was as pure as water from a glacier, and every member of the clan could sing well enough to put the most beautiful birds to shame.
Now King Fugaku was planning on handing the throne down to his eldest son Crown Prince Itachi, the most talented singer of the family and by far the most handsome.
The Crown Prince had taken to isolating himself, because whenever someone saw him, they would start to sing in hopes he would join in. For now he was content to sing only in the company of his Spirit Bird, the bird who had chosen to be his protector at birth.
Every person had one but Itachi was the only one who had a legendary Phoenix to care for him. He'd heard rumors of another legendary bird choosing someone to protect, but that had been when he was very young.
"Itachi," a voice called, and both the prince and Phoenix, whose name was Koh-en, both turned to see the King standing in the doorway of the courtyard.
"Yes father?" Itachi asked quietly while Koh-en trilled a sweet note.
"We go tonight to the Hyuuga family for a formal affair, if we are lucky your Mirror of the Heart will be among such a noble family," Fugaku said softly, and Itachi nodded before standing to make his way to his room.
Kou-en and the giant albino peacock that was his fathers Spirit trilled with excitement and preened. Itachi gave a small smile and departed to make himself presentable, though many would be quick to say he would looked good in a stable boys outfit.
-IXN-
Deep in the heart of the Hyuuga mansion the head of the clan, Hiashi with a nightingale for a Spirit, sneered in disdain at the sight of his eldest daughter with his no good nephew, the bastard child with a legendary Spirit Bird, it sickened him.
"Hinata! Go back to your room and prepare yourself for the evening! Leave your cousin to his chores!" he barked both of them jumping and scurrying to obey him, Neji with a blank face while Hinata looked about ready to cry.
Hiashi's scowl deepened when he saw Neji lay a hand on her shoulder, and her answering smile.
"Boy! Return to your duties!" he barked, and Neji bowed deeply before returning to tending Hanabi, Hiashi's youngest daughter.
"Hurry it up you blasted roua!" Hanabi snapped, and frowned when Neji didn't react to the worst insult a person could be called, it annoyed her. So she took every chance she could get to remind him of his voicelessness.
Her little sparrow Spirit fluttered about and generally made Neji's life as miserable a bird could do. Hinata's spirit was a shy little chickadee that had a beautiful voice, just like Hinata did.
Neji shook himself and went back to preparing Hanabi for the affair he was not to be attending, which suited a voiceless roua like him perfectly fine.
-IXN-
Itachi practically felt his eyes glaze over when another Hyuuga of marrying age was brought forth to sing, supposedly the last one. After the girls' song was over he nodded for her to sit like all the rest, and heard his father sigh in disappointment.
After a small silence Fugaku shifted to look at Hiashi.
"Hiashi, my friend. Did your brother not have a child shortly before his untimely departure?" the King asked to the Clan heads clear discomfort. Hizashi Hyuuga had been Hiashi's younger twin brother, and had offered himself in place of his older brother when another clan had demanded Hiashi's death.
"Yes, but my nephew is not here tonight," Hiashi said, feeling confident that Fugaku would drop it.
"And why is that?" Fugaku persisted, interested in the life of his former best friends son.
"He is in one of the villages, performing a healing ceremony," was Hiashi's quick reply, playing on the fact that Neji was a healer, along with his eldest. Itachi saw the girls eyes flash with something akin to anger.
"Neji-nii-san returned not long ago," she spoke up, earning herself a glare from her father and an interested look from the King and Crown Prince. She ran her fingers down her Spirits back to calm herself.
"My Spirit was to come back to me only when he had arrived," she explained quietly. Itachi nodded and admired her sudden flash of courage on her cousins' behalf.
"Then please, summon him so that we may converse about his honorable father," Fugaku said, noticing the slight grimace that graced Hiashi's face as he did so.
A few minutes later there was a small knock on the door, and it opened to reveal the most beautiful person Itachi had ever seen. Long coffee black hair fell in a silky waterfall to a trim waist, a sharp contest to porcelain pale skin and lavender colored eyes. His broad shoulders tapered down to thin, rounded hips and long legs that seemed to be a mile long, putting him at just under the chin of the Crown Prince.
"This is my nephew, Neji," Hiashi said while Neji bowed deeply.
"Very good to see the son of my best friend in such good health," Fugaku said, and frowned in confusion when Neji only nodded and made a few gestures in Hinata's direction. There was something odd about the way the boy moved, as if his limbs were weighted with heavy chains.
"He said he is very honored to be brought before the King and Crown Prince, but humbly requests that he be allowed to leave and rest with your gracious permission," Hinata said while Neji bowed his head.
"Why can he not speak for himself?" Itachi asked, and saw Hiashi squirm under his unyielding gaze.
"He is a roua," was the reply, Neji nodding in confirmation.
"I'm very sorry to hear that," Fugaku said with a disappointed look. He had been hoping Neji would sing and be the one to evoke a reaction from his son.
"Where is your Spirit?" Itachi asked, watching Neji's hands falter before his signed something.
"She is resting," Hinata said, and Itachi saw something wrong in both the cousins.
"May I see her? What kind of bird is she?" Itachi pressed, watching the pair and Hiashi grow more and more uncomfortable. The other Hyuuga in the room started whispering about the interest he was showing in a roua. Neji signed more, though now Fugaku could see his hands shaking.
"She had been sick as of late, and under quarantine your Highness," Hinata said, a waver both the King and his son caught in her voice.
"My Spirit and I are immune to sickness, bring us to her and we shall see if we can help," Itachi said with authority as he scooped up Koh-en and stood. Neji fidgeted before nodding and bowing.
Itachi strode across the room and Fugaku smiled, glad his son was showing interest in someone.
Itachi followed behind Neji and watched him intently, Koh-en trilling happily. Neji led him down a myriad collection of hallways before walking into a small room.
On a pedestal in the middle of the room lay a sick starling, which could barely lift it's head to look at them. Itachi saw Neji's eyes barely glance over the bird in the middle of the room before landing on a large tapestry in the back of the room, which was embroidered with the Legendary Birds.
The largest and most revered flew parallel to each other. Koh-en trilled and gazed at her embroidered self in clear interest.
The other was a blue and silver bird to the Phoenix's red and gold. Everyone knew the two most powerful Spirit Birds. One was seated on Itachi's shoulder, and the other had supposedly never chosen a person.
The Zhen was also known as the Poison Bird, because dropping so much as a single feather into a cup or meal made it the deadliest poison. On the flip side a Zhen's blood could cure any poison, which made court members covet it jealously.
Itachi moved over to examine the beautiful tapestry, reaching out and moving it aside to reveal a door, just as he had suspected. A slender, delicate hand clamped tightly around his wrist as he moved to open the door. He looked over to lock his eyes with panicked lavender.
"I could have you hanged. Let me pass," Itachi said while Koh-en opened the door. Neji dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead to the floor.
Itachi said nothing, walking into the room and freezing when he saw the bird strapped down to the floor in the middle of the room.
He darted over and dropped to his knees while Koh-en cried out in a mix of emotions. He undid the chains and ropes holding the beautiful blue and silver Zhen down while Neji silently wept, the weight of his Spirits chains lifting from his shoulders.
Itachi scooped the bird up and stormed out, Neji quick to follow him.
Neji took the lead again and lead him straight back to the large hall where the King and other guests were. The roua threw the doors open wide and darted back into the shadows to let the Prince enter.
Itachi's glare silenced the last few who hadn't cared about the loud sound the doors made. The Prince strode over and laid the bird gently before his father, glaring ice at Hiashi.
Everyone in the hall was shocked to silence by the appearance of the second Legendary Guardian bird. Fugaku immediately turned on Hiashi with rage in his eyes.
Itachi and Koh-en leaned down over the poor abused Zhen, tears leaking down their faces, sealing up cut skin and regrowing feathers the moment they landed.
Once the bird was fully healed it ruffled it feathers and let out a joyful cry, which was echoed from across the room with surprise.
Everyone turned to see Neji with his hands over his mouth, eyes staring at his Spirit. Itachi motioned him forward and Neji hurried to his side, movements as fluid as a dancers.
The Zhen cooed when Neji bowed deeply to it, pressing his forehead to the floor in a plea for forgiveness. The Zhen leaned forward and nuzzled against Neji's cheek, raising his head.
Neji and the bird stared at each other for a few moments before starting to sing in perfect harmony.
Itachi's eyes widened and he almost collapsed from the torrent of emotions just one note brought him.
He listened, enraptured by the song that Neji and his Spirit crooned. Itachi saw the song passing between them and the bonding of Spirit to Charge finally complete, Neji's eyes darkening to a deeper shade of purple, the color of poison.
Itachi stepped forward as the heavenly sound faded away and started his own song softly, inviting Neji to sing with him. Neji started and whirled around, his Zhen trilling and flapping up to his shoulder.
Itachi knelt down and continued to sing, holding his hand out in invitation while Koh-en cooed invitingly.
Neji seemed nervous until his Zhen rustled his feathers in encouragement. Neji took Itachi's hand gently and started to sing in a perfect mirror octave that blended to make them sound like the most divine choir.
They stopped for the briefest moment and Neji sawed that they had actually moved a few people to tears. His gaze was drawn back to Itachi when the Prince laid a hand gently on his cheek.
"Marry me," the Prince asked quietly, but in the dead silent room was heard by everyone. Neji focused his poison colored eyes on Itachi and smiled, and opened his mouth to speak his first words in years.
"I will,"
-IXN-
Yeah, that's kinda it
Inspiration hit while watching the movie Alpha and Omega, which is hella cute btw
Roua= deaf/mute
Adieu
Kira