Disclaimer: You do realize the site is called fanfiction for a reason, yes?
He stared at the open night sky, it was cloudless and few would not admit to its sheer beauty. He, however, could honestly say that he despised it. The stars mocked him with their perpetual light. But it was a common misconception that the stars were eternal. They would meet an end, as grand and fiery as their life had been, burning themselves out in the grandeur of an explosion.
He had burnt himself out, and he had stopped trying to figure out how many years it had been since he had felt alive. Though, truth be told, it couldn't have been more then seven. He sighed, knowing that the horrible cliché that was his apathy was something that his former self would have eagerly laughed at.
The stars, however, would shine their light to the world for what would seem like eons before they would finally disappear. And maybe that was why he was so bitter toward them this evening; they represented his fate. He had burnt out, but would never truly be able to fade away like he wanted until an inestimable amount of time had passed.
He shook his head swiftly, as if to rid himself of these thoughts. There was little use dwelling over it now. What was done was done. He decided to occupy his mind in other ways, turning his sharp gaze toward the sea of lights that was the city of Wutai.
Life there had once been good, and he had little idea now as to what had compelled him to leave. But, he supposed, you truly don't know what you have until it is snatched away. Living there was simply not an option anymore. Too much to explain… Too much he couldn't.
Visiting under the cover of night was not something he was incapable of, even if he wasn't taking pride in his stealthy ways. He felt as if he were performing a sacrilege toward the spiritual town. It had been his home once before though, right? It was too much to expect for him to never check in on the beloved town.
Before he realized what was happening, his feet had discovered a mind of their own and began taking him toward Wutai. He half-willed them to stop, but deep down he knew it had been far to long since his last visit. To his surprise, he reached the borders of the city fast, and as far as he dared venture in even faster. His trek in was fairly uneventful, unless one counted tripping over his own foot in an uncharacteristic display of awkwardness.
The city was far from that of a sleeping one. This was credited to the fact that it was dark, but not yet late as the winter days always opted to be, and several children were out playing still, by the light of lit lanterns. A single, middle-aged mother kept a watchful eye on the young ones, her long, dark hair fluttering freely in a light breeze. Apparently the other parents trusted this woman, who held an air of confidence about her that the man felt even from his covert spot that was neither close nor far away.
The children appeared engulfed in their game of tag. One girl was fiercely competitive, and was recognized immediately. Every Wutonian knew who this little girl of no more than eleven was, or Leviathan help them. The woman watched her most keenly, and he put two and two together. He, also, dejectedly realized that this meant the guard was near as well. Which, in turn, meant it was not wise for him to be here any longer, even though he had literally just gotten there.
They would no doubt question his presence, and he often could not answer this himself, if but for a childish, homesick longing. He turned, facing the deep-forested hills from which he came, and meant to leave in a less than dramatic moment.
This was not without a last wistful glance by the man at the life he left, and the life he would never again be able to have. This proved to be a devastating mistake, as he apparently was spotted by the most energetic of the children.
She bounded up to him, short hair bobbing up and down in an almost confused manner as if it couldn't keep up with the girl any longer. "Come play tag with us mister?" she asked with a wide, toothy grin.
"…" He hoped that perhaps if he did not acknowledge her she would leave him in peace. He started walking away, only to feel something small hit the back of his boot. Apparently she had tried to trip him, or something along those lines, but she did not exactly have the advantage of size, and certainly not strength.
"I was asking you a question, mister!"
This was an interesting look on Wutai's future, the man had to admit to himself. He looked down at her, careful to hide as much of his face as possible with his too long bangs. "No…"
She furrowed her eyebrows in slight confusion. "Yes, I was asking you a question."
He almost smiled, and probably would have had he been any other person in any other situation. "You did," he stated simply.
"Then answer me!" The little girl now stomped her foot in frustration. She was apparently unused to such perplexing answers to her simple demands.
"I was under the impression that I already did," she was about to huff another protest but he cut her off and continued, "but my answer is, still, no. I must be going." He could feel many pairs of eyes boring into him, and he did not want to see just whom those owners were. Before the future ruler of Wutai, Leviathan help them, could voice any of her questions he had disappeared from sight. He stalked off most effectively, if he had to say so himself, though he supposed it was due to the fact that it was a practiced habit.
He heard the girl scamper back to join her peers, only to be intercepted by the older woman who he assumed to be her mother, "And who was that you were talking to?" the woman asked sweetly, though anyone out of childhood, even untrained ears, would have noticed her concern and suspicion that laced her words.
He could only guess that the girl had shrugged, as no audible sounds reached him.
"Well, honey, what did he look like?"
Another moment of silence, this time perhaps in thought, then a voiced statement, "He was really tall. With long, dark hair. Almost as long as yours mommy, isn't that funny because boys aren't supposed to have long, pretty hair. But, anyway, he was mean and wouldn't come play tag, and," the older woman cut off her daughter with a half-forced laugh. The man didn't blame her, once started the child could ramble forever it seemed.
"Run along now, your friends are wondering where you went. They're going to play hide and seek soon."
The girl gave a little squeal of excitement.
However, the lady spoke in a hushed voice, which was gentle, yet demanding. It surprised the man that he could even hear her as far away as he was, but he stopped pondering that long enough to listen to what she had to say, "I've never seen that man before. I don't trust strangers… especially ones that won't make their presence known. Go look for him, would you?"
It dawned on the man that it was strange that no one noticed him any longer. True, his hair had grown longer, the cape was new, and he avoided those he was closest to… but had he really changed so much? Had it really been that long? A voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Of course, Lady Kisaragi," a guard, no doubt, spoke then.
But the man would be long gone before they found him. He was unsure how he was able to hear everything, and even more in a dubious state as to why he had stayed so long, but he had been so careful for so long. He wouldn't ruin all of that now because of some little girl who had seen him in the darkness when others could not, though when he worded it that way it would have made those reasons almost plausible.
He knew he would be back, nothing in the numerous past years had kept him away, but he would have to be much more cautious. A pair of eyes would no doubt be looking for him, and he just couldn't have that; he didn't deserve it.
What do you call the people of Wutai any way? For some reason or another, I've always said Wutonian to myself, so unless that really bothers anyone, I'll keep it that way most likely… though I am curious as to what it is. P
A/N: Sooo… What does everyone think so far? Go ahead, click that little review button down there, it doesn't bite! (Unless you don't review, heh.) blinks I'm certain I had more to say.. but I honestly can't remember any of it. Well, guess I'll just address it next chapter if it's that important. Remember, the more review I get, the more inclined I am to write faster as the guiltier I'll feel about procrastinating! I can't feel bad if I don't know you're waiting to find out what happens next! P