Kaze no Sasayaku ~ Whisper of the Wind
By Lily
**********************
The wind whistled as it blew down the empty alleyway.
The wind, so familiar...
The wind...
A dark figure stepped from the shadows. A seemingly young man, with shoulder length black hair and hidden eyes. The silhouette of his profile was stark against the bright lights of the street entrance.
"Silk," the seductively deep voice whispered.
In response a second shadow fluttered down from above, leathery wings beating slowly.
A small draconic like creature, with a single horn protruding from its forehead perched on the outstretched forearm of the mysterious man.
It growled, but didn't get a reaction. His master was distracted, once of many times recently.
With a light flap and a moment's silence a seemingly young boy stood by the taller man's side.
"Noin-sama?" he asked questioningly, his head cocked to the side.
The man looked down, black bangs hanging over his eyes, "Yes, Silk?"
The boy lowered his head, he was thinking of Her again.
"Silk misses her as well, but Noin-sama," he began quietly, "Noin-sama is hurt over her...even more..."
He was cut off by a swift slap and stepped back, staring at the raised hand of his master.
The moonlight reflected off of Noin's watery eyes as he gazed up to the stars, he then shut them tightly and shook his head.
"Come Silk, we have work to do," he said sternly, turning on heel, his shredded cape billowing out behind him. Silk nodded his head solemnly and returned to dragon form, flying after his master. Then the two vanished.
**********************
The night air was crisp and he shivered as a wind played with his jacket, pulling at it.
Nagoya Chiaki waved to Miyako and Yamato as he hurriedly walked down their walkway to the street. "Make sure she gets to sleep at some point," he called back to them. A little girl poked her head between the two in the doorway and waved as well, "Bai bai papa!" she called after him.
Chiaki blew her a kiss and continued away from the house down the barren street.
The streetlights cast an eerie glow as the young man quickened his pace. He didn't have much time to do this in. *Just be glad you got a babysitter,* he reminded himself.
After a long walk he found himself at his destination: a random abandoned alley in the middle of Tokyo. "I'll start around here and work my way to the outskirts of the city," he said to himself as he reached into his jacket and gripped something inside the pocket. He slowly drew out his hand and gazed at the object for a moment. The small cross looked so uninteresting. He hadn't even looked at until now, not since she had left them. A single tear fell from the man's face and splashed quietly onto the cross.
"Sindbad, you have work to do," he said firmly to himself and the masked kaitou took off at a run.
**********************
A cold wind played in the air, seeming to carry the moonlight itself.
Silk growled. The small dragon sat on Noin's shoulder as he stood on the roof of one of Tokyo's many buildings.
Noin glanced at him questioningly, but as his eyes darted forward seeing a flash of movement, he did not need Silk's explanation.
"You," Noin said softly, a dark smile pulling at his lips, "I knew you would come..."
The eyes above the mask narrowed in anger and hatred.
"Stay out of my way, Noin! I'm not in the mood!" Sindbad called back from the adjoining rooftop.
Noin simply smiled wider at the foolish man. "I have my job to do, and you yours..."
Silk tensed, sensing a battle ensuing, but his master's hand restrained him from leaping off his perch.
Sindbad glared, and then suddenly his expression changed and his eyes sparkled with challenge, "Then so be it..."
He leapt nimbly at dark figure, bringing a small dagger out of the folds of his sleeve.
Noin was surprised, he didn't actually expect the man to attack, and the thought crossed his mind that mayhap this was out of anger rather than duty. He stepped to the side just as the dagger was within inches and watched as Sindbad collected himself into a roll and sprang back up to face him again.
The look in his eyes was one Noin knew well from this young man, one of loathing.
"Noin, as much as I love to sit here and play with you, I have demons to seal away," Sindbad spat. He then turned and ran, jumping to the next building and then the next.
Noin glared after the 'boy' and Silk whimpered, knowing his master's anger would not be pleasant if taken upon him. As the creature thought this, he flew off the shoulder and landed beside Noin's as a human. The two stared after the kaitou.
"W..what shall we do?"
Noin's scowl twisted into a sick smile, "We follow him...all the way home if need be...."
Silk shuddered at the insidious tone and realized that it wouldn't be 'if need be', but that Kaitou Sindbad was going to have houseguests. He gazed up at his master and nodded silently. They again vanished.
**********************
The wind.
It felt good on his flushed face.
The wind.
She was his wind.
He ran faster, allowing it whip past him, throwing his blue-silver hair behind him.
He wanted to go home.
To be alone for a while. Miyako and Yamato would take care of Natsuki for the night.
As midnight fast approached and moon shone down brightly on him his hair seemed to melt into a dirty blonde, streaks of blue fading away. Chiaki stood at his back porch and heaved a sigh of exhaustion. At least there hadn't been any demons. But he had to try.
He pulled open the back door and entered the darkened kitchen. A pair of glowing eyes peered out at him from the black.
"IYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Chiaki jumped back and managed to flip the light switch on. There sat Silk, stretched out on the counter, doing a dragon's version of laughing at him. Chiaki immediately scanned the rest of the room. His eyes seemed to darken as he went into living area. It was a fairly tidy room, but only because him and Natsuki had his father over for dinner the previous night, normally it would have a random amount of toys scattered across the floor. While as of now drawings were strewn about the low set glass coffee table. Some having been done with a thick child's crayon of a happy family or a cat or other 'happy' things. Others were done with pencil, sketchy pictures of an angel. One of these particular drawings that Chiaki had done in the later hours of the night was sitting in the pale hands of the intruder.
"KISAMA!" Chiaki hissed, "Drop that!"
Noin looked up surprised from his seat at the sofa and slowly, now back to staring at the picture set it back upon the table. He then turned his gaze back to the angry house owner. "Konban wa Nagoya-kun," he said casually.
"What no disguise, Hijiri? Just plain ol' Noin?" Chiaki spat. He stalked over and snatched the various papers up from the table and put them into a nearby desk's drawer. He stopped as he was about to stuff the last one in and held in his hands for a long time. The same that Noin had been examining.
"Why are you here?" he finally asked softly, his back still to the demon knight. Meanwhile Silk had come and was sitting on the backing of the sofa quietly.
Noin waited, expecting some sort of angry remark to follow, but none came. He gave the back of Chiaki's head a puzzled look and stood. He walked over to face Chiaki and was taken aback to find the boy crying softly. Chiaki then realized Noin was staring at him and he viciously turned his back to him again, desperately wiping tears on the back of his hand.
"Why?!" he exclaimed, his voice harsh and broken. "Just leave us be! Leave ME be!"
Silk jumped at this sudden outburst and was shocked to see his master take a few steps towards Chiaki only to stop, his hand poised, outstretched to the others shoulder.
And there it wavered, unsure.
**********************
A shivering breath from above.
A gust of wind blew through the slightly open window, blowing the drapes into a carefree dance. The wind blew through the room and brushed each man.
"What was that?!" Chiaki demanded the boy as he walked into the kitchen.
**********************
A breeze blew the curtains around wildly.
Silk shivered and whimpered as the wind whipped about his hair.
**********************
A breeze blew down the hallway.
Chiaki sighed. He could have SWORN he had shut that window. He sighed again and entered the living room.
Chiaki smiled warmly at it. She would love it. "Arigatou Silk..." he murmured. Then he noticed a second sheet lying underneath where Silk's drawing had been.
Strong and serious, matchless and marvelous, cheerful and courageous. Wife and soulmate. Friend. Kaitou. When she passed on, a light went out in the universe. She was our wind~
Chiaki stared at the paper for a moment and then clutched it tightly to him. He knew the dark stranger was right, and Chiaki swore that he'd see to it that it would be remembered forever....
And the wind blew again, making the blonde hair dance as he stood quietly, remembering...
~fini~
Author's Notes:
Disclaimer: No, unfortunately I don't own any of these characters or the stories behind them. Don't give me that shocked look, that is why I'm telling you here. ^.~ Jeanne-tachi, etc. belong to Tanemura Arina-san. (VERY talented woman btw ^.~)
And thanks to all of those who read this far. Love ya all. ^.~
Each shuddered and slowly Chiaki turned to look Noin in the eye only to find that he wasn't the only one unable to hold back tears. Noin's pale face was streaked with slow falling tears.
Another breeze caressed the air about them.
"I...didn't know demon's could cry....." Chiaki said slowly.
Noin simply smiled somewhat sadly, "Since when did you think they did not? Did you think we could not love either?"
A heavy silence settled over the room and its occupants.
A sigh finally shattered it and Noin lifted his head to look at Chiaki.
He had the strangest look on his face.
"I suppose I didn't...but, I also suppose that I was wrong." A very slight smile played at the younger man's lips.
Noin cocked his head at the dirty blonde. "Really now...?"
Chiaki put his hands on his hips, the smile now genuine, "BUT you went about it ALL wrong....." There was a hidden threat in his words to say otherwise that didn't go unnoticed. Noin nodded his head.
"I think she made that very clear herself," his deep voice said holding back a hurt laugh.
Silk meanwhile watched all of this, the confusion obvious in his eyes. Those eyes darted from Noin to Chiaki. Noin to Chiaki. Then a boy sat on the back of the couch and still his eyes darted back and forth.
"Sindbad?"
......
The two were just staring at each other. If Silk didn't know better he'd think they were sizing each other up as if for the first time.
Suddenly Chiaki stuck his hand out, extended to Noin. "She taught me that people need second chances...I don't know if she meant you, but here goes."
Noin's eyes widened and they fixed upon the outstretched hand. Then back to the younger man's face.
Chiaki smirked, "It doesn't mean we're friends or anything, just that I'm giving you another chance... I don't think that is against any rules."
Noin nodded his head slowly at this, as if that answered an unvoiced question. He took a deep breath and looked back down at the hand.
Silk followed his master's gaze and gasped quietly as Noin stretched his hand out, but it didn't meet Chiaki's. Instead he set it on Chiaki's shoulder, "I don't think I deserve it...nor need it. Just the thought mattered. And you never needed another chance from me, Sindbad. You didn't lose the first one."
"My name is Nagoya Chiaki," he said shortly, the shock still evident in his wavering voice. He hadn't expected that.
Nor did he expect what came next.
"Do you have any coffee?"
Silk fell off the couch and Chiaki sweatdropped as Noin smiled expectantly.
"Silk that was rather rude," he commented over his shoulder. The sound of hurried standing and brushing oneself off followed and Silk was by Noin's side.
Chiaki blinked and shook his head. "I must be dreaming all this," he muttered and then louder, "Hai, I have some. Is that a hint?"
Noin simply turned and sat on the couch and folded his arms silently in answer.
Chiaki glanced at Silk who only looked back as if to say, "How should I know what he is thinking at any given time?"
Chiaki ran his hand through his hair distractedly and finally shrugged. "Okay then, I'll make coffee." He shook his head again and walked off towards the kitchen muttering again.
Silk looked to Noin.
Noin grinned, "What? I'm thirsty. If you want anything, you'd better go ask him while he is in there."
Silk blinked several times. Then turned and followed the path Chiaki had taken.
Silk took a step back in surprise and shrugged. "I...don't know..."
He glanced up to find the much larger person glaring at him, "Really!"
Chiaki sighed and gave up glaring and turned back to the coffee maker.
"This...this is so odd," he finally said, fiddling with buttons as coffee began to pour into a pitcher below.
"Hai."
There was another long silence.
"There is too much of that, makes everything awkward!" Chiaki laughed out after a moment, "Don't you think?"
Silk sweatdropped, "Hai, I guess it does. It certainly made things tense in there." He thumbed back towards the living room where Noin could be barely seen sitting quietly in the same place.
"Well, back to the Twilight Zone," he said quietly, turning around a tray with two mugs of coffee, a glass of milk, and several cookies.
"Twilight Zone?" Silk asked in spite of himself.
"Just something I heard somewhere," Chiaki answered casually as he passed the dragon-boy, "I hope you like chocolate chip."
Silk had to stifle a yelp of joy, the cookies he had been eyeing were for him! He turned around and followed their host, almost stepping on the man's heels.
Chiaki stood and shut the open window quickly. He then settled himself back into the chair across from the sofa on which Noin had been sitting. Silk looked up gratefully and took another drink from his third glass of milk. It was well past any reasonable hour and the two were still sitting and talking. Only one argument had erupted and Silk was rather happy. He had cookies and milk, Noin-sama didn't seem so upset and there had only been one argument. Actually, that was reason number one. The boy looked at both men again who now silently drinking what must have been their fourth cups of that odd smelling coffee stuff. He shrugged and went about doodling again on the piece of paper in front of him. It was of Jeanne, happily holding her ribbon as it and her hair were swept to the side by the wind. It looked messy and sloppy, but Silk loved how it turned out. So it looked like it could have been done by the child who did all the drawings that Silk had seen earlier on the table, he didn't care.
Noin then looked down and grinned. Chiaki followed his gaze and chuckeled, "That's pretty good, little dragon."
Noin nodded and ruffled Silk's hair. Silk beamed. Master liked it.
Chiaki then stood and stretched, "I'll be right back." He then stood and headed off down a hallway.
"He said that so casually, like he expected us to be here when he got back," Noin said quietly, his eyes still on the drawing.
"Silk, come, we must let him get rest, I assume that little girl is as troublesome as you. He'll need the rest if that is true."
Silk pouted for a moment, "I'm not troublesome...."
Noin shook his head, chuckling and stood, "We must go. Are you taking that with you?"
Silk stared down at the drawing. An idea hit him.
"Iie, there is someone else I'd like to have this..." He leaned up and Noin leaned down and Silk whispered something to him.
Noin stood and looked at Silk for a long time. Silk cringed, he must have done something wrong... He braced himself, waiting.
And then Noin laughed, quietly and then a bit harder. Silk looked up to see Noin smiling broadly down on him. "That is a grand idea Silk. Hurry, I have something I want to do before he comes back..."
They were gone.
"Noin? Silk?"
Nothing but the wind.
"Figures...." he muttered, "Ah well....."
He yawned and went to shut the window again. Just as he reached up to slide the upper pane down, a powerful gust blew past him and he heard the rustle of paper behind him on coffee table. He turned, leaving the window as it was and picked up the paper.
It was Silk's drawing. But there was a scrawled message in large letters off to the side:
His eyebrows creased and he gingerly picked it up. It was a note, done with twisting, graceful calligraphy.
She taught us many things, but this was the most important. I will be at the funeral... and perhaps we will meet again after that as well. Sayonora...
The wind, so familiar...
The wind.
Wow, I finished it... This is my first ever finished fic...
*sweatdrop* Well I PLAN on finishing the other one, it is just rather long. I have finished individual episodes of it, so stop giving me that look!
*glares back at those who may be glaring*
*ahem* Anyway, I hope you all like this, I did enjoy writing it. Normally I don't write things that don't have plot, but I got this idea one very late night and I had to write it. Or so some people *cough* marina *cough* told me. ^.~ But I like how it turned out. This actually takes place before both of my friend's fics and does coincide storyline wise with them. And those fics actually helped inspire this (at least I think they did, it WAS rather late at night). Once again I hoped you enjoyed this and I'm rambling so I'll get on to the business part.
Japanese words:
~-sama= an address of great authority or position i.e. gods/goddesses, masters, king, etc. Silk uses this when speaking of his master, Noin.
~kaitou= well...*sweatdrop* for those who don't know the series this means mysterious thief.
~iyaa= is less of a word than it is an exclamation, like a scream. Which is exactly what Chiaki was doing when he 'said' that.
~kisama= this is a VERY rough way of saying you. To say the least it is not a nice thing to say ^^;
~konban wa= good evening.
~hai= yes.
~iie= no.
~arigatou= thank you.
~sayonora= goodbye.
~Sindbad= this isn't really a word, but more of a note on his name spelling, this is how they spell it and it is pronounced 'shin do bad o' with the 'o's not being very hard.
