Aki, The Little God of Rain, was once a human. A normal beautiful and kind human. A human that despite of being good and kind was killed by unruly people. Punished, as what they call to what they have done to the young man. Brutally hurt and just left to die under the blue sky. Bruises all over, black and blue, bones were cracked, flesh was torn.
Aki, who was then known as Akihito could no longer be identified. A beautiful human as him could no longer be called as such after looking at the result of their cruelty. Open wounds that bled the life out of him, no help came.
The dragon, the God of Rain, saw it all. One little human being, fragile and torn, yet even with the power bestowed upon him, he couldn't rescue him. Save him from his suffering. If there was only a way to save him immediately from the hands of those murderers, he would. But as the rules of the Gods, written by the name he didn't know, he could not. The dragon wanted to descend and help him but with his massive body, he would crush him instead. He wanted to blow a massive fire, to burn the humans as they play with Akihito's limping body, he couldn't, it would burn him also. The dragon don't want to see him to suffer further more. His fire would not die even if they descend to hell. And that was one thing he couldn't do to the precious little human. He died from torture and with his fire, it would lengthen the pain he was going through.
From that moment on, the dragon made a decision that he knew would anger the prideful Gods.
He saved the young man. He waited till the murderers had left and he waited until Akihito drew his last breathe. It was pure agony, watching the beautiful man slowly die.
When Akihito's heart stopped beating, the dragon made his way to the gates of hell, ceasing Akihito from entering.
Upon descending, Akihito was back to his beautiful self, no bruises, no dried tears, no torn flesh. A beautiful and precious one. Glowing, as if he was full of life. Truly not belong to the darkness that lingered on his surroundings.
'Thank you.' Akihito said on the massive creature as his boat reached the gate where he was waiting.
'It was you, right?' He asked. 'It was you who guided me as I fall here. Thank you.' He continued with a warm smile.
The dragon could not understand it. The little human was thanking him. For what? He couldn't save him. He belonged to the heaven as he was kind and good but he dragged him to hell. Was there something the human be thankful for? If there was something, he didn't know.
He dragged him to hell because it was more convenient for him. Hell was the dragon's playground but it was not as beautiful as the heaven above. Hell was for the tormented souls. And the dragon knew Akihito was not meant to be there but he thanked him instead.
'Thank you...'
Not fully understanding why the was thankful for and before Akihito's boat passed the gate, the dragon snatched his soul and flew away.
Reaching the heaven, bright and light, the massive dragon made him drink his powerful blood, bringing him back to life. Giving back the life that was harshly taken from him. However the consequences was, it made Akihito forget what his life had been. The little human was resurrected without any sin of the mortals. Cleansed and new. Giving him another chance different to what his life before.
Seeing once again his beautiful eyes, the dragon gave him his final gift.
The God of Rain, the dragon, protector of the realm, gave his title to the young man.
The dragon believed that the person he save do not belonged to the land of mortals, thus, he made him one of the Gods.
Nonetheless in exchange for his actions, as well as for the punishment for bringing someone back from land of the dead, the other Gods were furious and brought down their judgment.
They forcefully wiped out the former God of the Rain's memories and turned the dragon into a human, changing his very proud name Ryujin into Ryuichi.
Raijin watched the two, the Little God of Rain do his responsibilities while he ridicule Ryuichi on his new form.
No memories, human and powerless.
Yet, he did not expect that the God of the Sea would guide the Little God of Rain to the land of mortals. It was beyond his calculations. Raijin could not stand those two as they had their reunion. Even though they have no recollection of their past lives, Raijin could not stand it. It irritated him, getting on his skin.
Why? Why Raijin hated them? Why of course, for it was him who convinced the other gods before to punish the dragon after all. He cannot stand the human emotion they had for each other that it kept on bringing them together.
'DISGUSTING EMOTIONS!'
Thus, Raijin planned to destroy it. Controlled the God of the Sea and made a pact with God of the Sun. The Sun that made his heat truly deadly and God of the Sea, despite of his objection towards its plan, made his waves larger than any trees killing everyone. With them, Raijin destroyed everything precious to the former dragon and to the former human.
And it was truly successful.
And since then, Raijin watched Ryuichi as he live his immortal life without the little human who took his everything especially his heart.
Asami Ryuichi lived a life without any purpose other than to aim high. He built his empire from scratch until he was back in control. He may not remember the years where he was a dragon but the time he had with the village was something important for him.
Important for it was the source of his hatred.
His memories of Aki were still fresh as if it was yesterday. The skin he loved to touch, his hair that he used to attend, his voice that was so sweet especially when he was calling his name. And his eyes that looked at him always telling him that he belonged only to him. Those were the memories he cannot let go. The one that he truly felt being alive.
Yet, despite of their mutual feelings, Aki left him. Left him without any goodbye, without explanation. Without saying it to his face. Nothing at all.
He betrayed the people who helped him, accepted him even if he was a foreign for them. He turned his back to them, leaving them when they needed him the most. When Akihito finally showed when he was about to die, Ryuichi knew that he was not normal. That he was a God that was sent from above, but he did nothing to save the drowning people, except, to save him alone.
Giving him another life which he didn't asked for, punishing him with the life he cannot kill. He survived the disaster that landed up them yet killing everyone he knew making him stand in the middle of a land full of dead bodies.
Ryuichi, for the first time in his life, cried in front of the natives he once called family.
The rain continued to pour. Sky's crying at the gloomy afternoon however, Asami Ryuichi went on to his last designation for the day ignoring how damp the atmosphere was.
'Asami-sama, we are here,' Kirishima greeted his boss as he opened the car door.
'This way please.'
The hospital may not as grand as his but it was a special place for him. It was just a coincidence before that he met someone that reminded him of what life supposed to be.
'Alenna-san's condition has improved since your last visit, Asami-sama,' Explained by the director who welcomed them as soon as they entered the hospital. 'The baby is getting stronger that we finally removed him from the ICU.'
'That's good then.' Asami passed the nursery where he used to watch the newborn.
'We transferred the baby to Alenna's room since he was strong enough to breathe on his own.' The director further explained.
They may not the same people he lived with but Alenna and her baby became somewhat special for him. Feeling that this time, he would do anything to protect them. Asami would not allow to repeat the same tragedy again. He would not allow the gods to play the game again.
It was time for them, the humans, to fight for their lives for they were no longer a piece of thing they could play. Their time has passed. The game play was not on their hands anymore.
'Asami-san!' Greeted by a lively woman who was then breastfeeding her babe. 'Thank you for coming, as always.'
'How are you, Alenna-san?' He asked.
'I'm great! Especially now that he's out of danger,' She looked at the sleeping child and smiled. 'I couldn't ask for more than to see him good and healthy, Asami-san.'
Alenna reached her free hand into Asami and said, 'Thank you, if it is not for you, I could've lost him. Thank you, Asami-san.'
Asami felt that the guilt he had been carrying ever since he buried Alina's child has been lifted. One of the heavy feelings he had been keeping has been removed and somewhat, Asami felt lighter. He felt that it was okay to keep on living. To keep on moving forward even though he was being dragged down by his past.
'It is my pleasure, Alenna-san. Thank you also for letting me witness something special,' Asami then smiled.
The visit became longer than expected but it was not something to be worried for. Asami's mood improved and that was his men hoped for. The dangerous aura he had been emitting vanished as soon as Asami had a talk with the woman.
'It's not yet too late, Asami-san. You're still young. You can still find someone who you can spend for a lifetime,' Alenna's words replayed on his mind as he took the path towards the exit. 'She or he is just somewhere out there, Asami-san. Maybe like you they are looking or waiting for you. Who knows, someday you'll meet them halfway. Don't lose hope, Asami-san. He's just out there...waiting.'
Asami would love to believe it but it was impossible, especially now that Aki was just be a memory. A source of hatred for him.
Someone who was dead for him.
Or was it? Was it truly hatred that he was feeling for Aki? Was it really? Hatred?
After the talk with Alenna, Asami was now not so sure anymore.
Hatred? Did he really loathe Aki for all those years? Or was it something else. Was is the opposite of it?
Asami and his men were nearing the exit when suddenly a commotion happened.
Someone bumped him as that person was running towards the exit.
'STOP HIM!' Shouted by a doctor behind.
Asami had a grip on the man's arm before he could pass the glass door but the man pulled himself and escape.
The young man has been wearing a straight jacket as Asami watched him trample on the stairs, resulting him to fall. Too bad the man has a long beautiful hair like someone he knew very well from the past. Someone he kept on thinking from the past.
'Capture him!' Said by one doctor, panic on his voice.
'I'm truly sorry Asami-sama. You have to witness that.' Apologized by another.
'What happened?' Asami asked feeling off all of a sudden.
'Stooop! NOOOO! STOP IT!' The patient fought and shouted as they tried to make him still.
'He is one of the patients on the ward for mentally ill. He used to behave well. We could have passed him since he was getting normal. He truly was. But all of a sudden he's telling stories and became aggressive. We tried to reason out since he was getting better. We had to put him on another room when he suddenly ran off. Saying hiss dragon will pick him up.'
A cold shiver came on his back making Asami stop on his track. No.
'Don't lose hope, Asami-san. He's just out there...waiting.'
'He's waiting for me, please! I beg you please! Let me go! He's waiting for...me. My dragon's waiting for me.' His voice was on agony. Body trembling, he cried and cried and cried. Calling for his dragon to pick him up.
A group of nurses assisted him back but as the young man made his way, he fall on the ground...just in front of Asami.
The young man was at mess. Long hair, straight jacket, bruises on his knee and feet, visible enough due to his fall earlier. Thin physique that could not pass being healthy. But...
'No. Impossible.' Asami could not believe it. 'This should not be happening...again.' Memories of before came rushing. Memories of the shore, the sea, and the bright smile he used to receive. Memories of Aki that he hated and at the same time, missed.
'IMPOSSIBLE. NO. THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE! HE'S GONE!'
The young man looked up and saw a pair of golden eyes staring back at him. A pair of eyes that emotions could not be identified. A man who scream authority and power.
A man who was just like his dragon and his...man. The man who he has been waiting and looking for many many years. Years he could not count of. The man who saved him from hell. The man who took him into an embrace every night before they sleep. The one who protected him, cherished him even though being different.
The very same man who he took everything including...his heart.
'Ryui-chi?'
Ƭнɛ ɛи∂.
AN: Thank you guys for keeping up with me till this last chapter. :) Though, I may or may not do an epilogue, torn between this being the last chapter or having an epilogue for once and for all. STILL TORN BETWEEN. Sorry. lllOrz