Arthur's note: This is a translated version for a novel originally wrote in Chinese, and I am the translator. The right of translation released by sakuraumeno, the original arthor.

Fugue of Rain

Main Characters-

London: Eton Kirkland, 168cm, Virgo. Light nut-brown hair, jasper eyes. He usually wear monocle on his left eye because his ineffective vision ("The City of Fog" is his well-known title, isn't he?). He is actually older than Arthur, although his baby face looks younger.

In short, Eton is a polished English gentleman, behaves distantly but soft sense in mind, and he is a stickle for neatness. He acts as a good servant, is the chef secretary and intendant of Arthur. His remarkable feature is using ironic expression to point out actual meaning of other people's polite formulas.

It is a common sense that Eton and York are having an affair, but...It appears Eton dislike Alfred (since he grabs Arthur's attention). He tries to avoid to offer a direct reply to James's loving statement in a fairly natural way (?), but it seems that Eton doesn't totally afraid of getting close to James since realizes his sentiment. Anyway, if they drive him too much to admit his emotion in return, Eton would be flushed with unusual behaviors (to sum up, his distinguish character is tsundere - he is extremely opposite to be straightforward about emotional affairs). Eton is obviously insensitive; either for his own emotion or others' feeling on him...Otherwise, he wouldn't fail to recognize York's sentiment during hundreds of years...

Washington D.C.: James. DC. Jones, 182cm, Scorpius. He was born in 1791, on the purpose of being capital city of the US, thus even actually a younger one, he grows up so quick and looks mature for his age (or even looks old?). He hair is light blond, with a ponytail like the founding father, and his eyes are marine blue. A crop of his hair symbolizes Washington Monument, which is called Ahoge acts as a signal of his feeling. A chain lies around his neck, with a mini photo of the founding father in a silver oval pendant. James has a passion for hardworking, which differs from Alfred's attitude on it. Besides, he is much more conscientious than the former, always needs to deal with odds and ends of accidents arose by Alfred. James usually turns to his dark side when at work or having Eton in sight, and he has been courting Eton with indomitable spirit since they first met. His desire to possess is extremely high, and he is so jealous that his elder brother York can maintain a relationship of being brother cities with London spontaneously.

New York: York. N. Jones, 178cm, Aries. Shiny blond hair, cerulean eyes. York is a man of cheerful temper, and usually wearing fashionable dresses. He seems like an undisciplined one, but he is actually an effective officer when at work. York looks younger than James, however he was born at the same time with Alfred. He used to be Eton's younger brother in the past, however they still maintain a special relationship of being brother cities. York is fond of being with Eton, but he also doesn't willing to be ruled by someone or something, so he always acts as if he doesn't care about anything. Actually, his emotion on Eton is far more than brother love, but it appears that Eton is the only one fails to notice it.

Chapter I Rainy Day

Eton side

Eton/Arthur/Roman

I had always been with Arthur, ever since we met. I had no recollection of the days and years before that. It was happened in distant past, a man called Roman came to me, named me as Londinium - it seemed a little bit mouthful now. Roman said that he would offered me all the wonderful stuff in the world while touching my hair, but he vanished someday - hundreds of years after the day we met - without a word or even a premonition, as other cities or nations I had ever met. He had showed bustling ships to me at ports, told me that everything is in our hands. Roman smiled while stooping to look at me. The smile on his face, which was carved by the hardship of life he endured, was extremely bright.

"Londinium, you'll become one of the strongest cities all over the world, those are just beginning…" He said to me.

However, Roman suddenly disappeared, even before his words ended, I couldn't find him anywhere and his Romans lived in my city also vanished one night, as if they weren't even existed.

I stood lonely on the port, while watching my home that was not anyone there, and realized…

It appeared that I was abandoned.

After a not-so-long period -actually I didn't own a clear sense on time- I met 'him'. Seems as a kid, he stood on the grassland, with uncontrolled shake due to the strong wind. I noticed from his obstinacy eyes that he obviously guarded against everything. The verdant eyes shined as if it covers every island of the kingdom.

How gorgeous the color was.

I've already grown to my 'teenager' period and realized my responsibility gradually during my solo journey enormous of years. Hence, I understood that the charming green symbolized our relationship of being family members. Unpredictable warmth arose when I ensure his identification accordingly.

I lifted his left hand onto my forehead while kneeling in front of him.

"You shall be my lord now, and I promises to be with you till the day I passed away."

The child's verdant eyes opened wildly while shedding tears. The pure liquid landed on my forehead, tip of nose, then on lips. That was the first time I tasted tears, which was salty and slightly bitter.

I tried to dry his eyes by touching his face, and wiped tears from his cheeks. He seemed to be a tearful child since I couldn't stop it.

"Do not cry…"

"…You're crying, too."

If he didn't mention, I might not even notice it. I never dropped tears before, even didn't when Roman abandoned me.

"…Arthur Kirkland, that's my name."

"Someone titled me as Londinium, but no one call the name for long…"

"Then I names you as London." Arthur smiled with crystal clear tears and said to me, '"we are a family from now."

I embraced him tightly, and felt that his body still shivered in my arms. We snuggled and kept being with each other during the following thousands of years.

All I wondered was a family, which would not abandon me anymore.

Arthur, you might have the same sense as well, I thought so.

Arthur became much more stronger during hundreds of years, he sailed across seas and oceans, whether in sight or out of sight, even occurred great bloodshed with twilling. People can only observe decisive and cold-blooded spirit that unbreakably shined in his verdant eyes. Arthur collected trophies by defeating rivals everywhere. He was proved to be an inborn conquer, and titled to be the overlord among seas.

I had been accompanying him all along, seeing all his loneliness and struggles. Deep in the heart of Arthur, there was his born loneliness, which was as natural as the rainy days in this country - chilly and pitiful, but we could only endure them. This loneliness was a burden that he had to bear all on his own. No one else could free him from this burden, and I was no exception.

In order to 'against' the loneliness, Arthur brought so many children to home, they were full of house at peak time. However, they all left us eventually as if it was a dream. When they brought back their lands when returned, the so-called 'sun-never-set' glory of Great Britain apparently eliminated afterwards.

One of those children was unique, and he was the one had been taken to Arthur's heart. Hence, he forked his leave as the deepest hurt for Arthur. Impacts of the unforgettable 'betray' that invaded into Arthur's mind gradually, like the chilling rain in London, without any blocks, although it seemed to be ended in that rainy day.

Arthur always sat besides the picture window in his living room and sensed the rhyme of rain. It nearly became daily route after the war ended. The misty rain appeared to take his attention; he would fall into sleep on sofa soon accordingly. Tear stains could be found on his face, which was slighter than feather, at the time I laid a blanket on him.

However, Arthur couldn't sleep peacefully, his frown eyebrows indicated that how nightmares troubled him, and those awful dreams never fade away even I touched his forehead. I felt helplessness while looking at him. The only thing I could do was staying besides him all day with his loneliness in sight, due to the understanding that I could do nothing for him.

-Arthur, I always though of a child who was lost and failed to find the way home, and there was no difference in between. Even you were the one established a family for all of us.

How could I tell you, I, and other family members, we wouldn't leave you.

I was listening the rhyme of rain beside sleepy Arthur.

CH1 Rainy day –END-

TBC