by crystal tiara
Disclaimer: Yuu Watase is the creator of Fushigi Yuugi; not I.
Notes: Don't read this if you haven't watched the second OVA of Fushigi Yuugi; else you'll be spoiled.
They say that forbidden fruit always tastes the sweetest. Perhaps it is true.
I love him, and I do not care for what they say. They can condemn us and banish us, for all I care; but they cannot take him away from me. They have no right to tell us what is wrong and what is right.
If love has no boundaries, as we are told, then why do humans try to set boundaries to keep people apart? Ren is my brother; I know, but I chose to love him. How could that be a sin? Is love not a virtue; an emotion that is supposed to be good? The humans; they are the ones who do not understand, not us. They try to set standards; to tell us who we are supposed to love. But they are pathetic. They fear anything and anyone that is defies their definition of "normal".
Ren has always been someone close to my heart. He was my younger brother, but he was also my friend and confidant. So it isn't difficult to comprehend how I ever learned to love him. He was always there for me, ever since our parents died. He looked out for me and was always there to help. He provided solace and comforted me during my darkest times. He has always loved me, and I felt the same way. Our love is strong, and not even death can keep us apart.
I can still remember that fateful night so clearly. It was a dark and cold night, and we tried to elope somewhere else. Some place where we could be free from the watchful eyes of those hypocrites. We ran as fast as our legs could take us into the night, but somehow they caught up with us. They surrounded us, armed with weapons, like hungry animals cornering their prey. And below us was a cliff. It was all down to two options; jump or allow ourselves to be captured. Whatever we chose, we would die anyway. But we wouldn't give them the satisfaction of surrendering to them, and so we plunged down the cliff together. The last things I recalled were Ren and I, lying side by side, groping for each other's hand. And from above, the sounds of mocking and jeering resounded, taking pride in their sin, attempting to justify it by saying that our relationship was taboo. After that, everything went black.
We died, because of love; because our love was sinful, or so they said. We never did anything wrong; we never harmed anyone while we were living. But still, Ren and I were damned in hell for sins that we never committed. He never understood why we were both suffering, when in fact, the villagers---they were the sinful ones. We hoped for a time when the gods would hear us, and would give us the justice we so deserved.
Our salvation came in the form of Tenkou-sama. He heard our pleas, and promised to give us a chance to live again as humans in exchange for our service. His promises sounded too good to be true, and while we never fully believed in his promises, the offer was too good to resist. And so, we blindly followed him despite knowing that he was merely using us for his own advantage, desperately clinging to the thought that one day, Ren and I would be able to live together again.
We hurt, killed and used people, as Tenkou commanded us to do. It was never our intention to hurt them, but we were blinded by hate and clouded by false promises. Besides, it was our way of lashing out at the society that condemned us so. If we were sinful, then so were they. They were the evil ones; they were the demons. Humans were no better than predators, who hunted for their prey---the weaker and smaller animals. It was an innate trait of those foolish people to alienate those who were different, and so they did not deserve to live.
Whenever I saw the pained expressions on my victims' faces, I felt satisfied. They deserved it, I would tell myself. It was punishment for their sins against us. There were times when I felt guilty for what I had done, feeling that I was beginning to act like the people I very much hated. I justified my actions by reminding myself that I was doing all of this for my beloved brother; for a chance to redeem ourselves in the eyes of society.
For Ren, I would do anything. I would sacrifice everything just to make sure that he is happy. And I am sure that he would do the same for me. Our love may be forbidden, but we will prevail. I won't lose him again, not when I'm already this far. Nothing can stop us now.
Soon, brother, soon. Redemption will come for us; just wait. And maybe then, we can be free to live without having to endure the prejudice of society. No one can tell us what to do. It'll just be you and me. We will be reunited once again.
Yes...how sweet forbidden fruit is.
Author's Notes: Please review and tell me what you think! I really appreciate constructive criticism. I hope that it was good enough. Tell me what you think, okay?