A/N: Any budding artists, please read the note at the end! Thanks, and enjoy:
Re:Shuffle! P4
The Princess' tale, part 4
Tsute stared out the window of her hospital room, a slight frown on her face. She had been surrounded by these white walls for days, weeks, it could have been months from how it felt. The only thing to reign in her imagination of the length of time she had spent there was the calendar on the wall.
Looking at the calendar, she realised it had been three days since Risago had kissed her. Her frown deepened, as she thought of what she had told him. It had not been a strict lie. She would be going home... in a wooden box.
As she was thinking this, she heard a knock, and Risago entered. She turned to him with a smile, then noticed the look on his face: depression.
"Are you alright Rigo-kun?" she asked him.
He frowned at her, "Why didn't you tell me...?"
"T-tell you what?" Tsute stuttered as she answered.
"You're... not as well as you said are you...?" Risago was straining not to say outright that she had lied.
Her face fell, "Who told you?"
Risago bit his lip slightly. He did not want to mention Lupi, as it would take a lot of explanation, "I asked the doctor how you were..." he did not need to continue.
"I'm sorry... I just..." Tsute felt a few tears begin to threaten her, as she tried to find the words to express herself, her orange hair falling in front of her eyes in a desperate attempt to hide the tears from Risago.
"Didn't want to hurt me?" Risago said, surprising Tsute. That was exactly what she had thought when she had first told him she would be leaving... when she was first dishonest with him.
"Yes..." was all she could reply. She then slumped forwards on the bed and began to cry. She felt Risago put an arm round her, and hold her tightly.
"Rigo-kun..." she gasped out, "Rigo-kun... I don't want to die... I don't want to leave you..." She raised her head to look at the boy, brown eyes staring into green, "Because I love you..."
Risago gave no answer, at least not in words. He simply leaned forwards and kissed the girl. Their lips pressed together, and Risago felt a wetness run down his cheeks. He first thought the feeling was Tsute's tears, but then he realised otherwise...
...they were his own.
Risago managed to drag himself through the door to his room. He then slumped on his bed, and stared at the ceiling.
He lay there without moving for some time, then suddenly swung his fist at the wall next to him. He pulled his hand away, seeing a slight hint of red along the side of his hand, and a tiny dent in the wall. His hand dropped to his side again, as he continued to think.
He had told his parents that he had seen Lupi in the park, and that she refused to come home.
He had, however, hidden the rest of their conversation from them. He had not mentioned the telepathy, or the feelings Lupi had semi-expressed. He felt that at least that much of their conversation should remain between them.
He was now very worried about Tsute, that she could be lost to him any day. He wondered if there was really no cure. His mother had suffered from it, and she survived. But he remembered what his father told him, Rin had nearly been killed himself trying to save her.
Could he do the same? Could he, Risago, risk his life for Tsute? He was unsure, and that made him even more scared, because what if...
What if he did not love her enough?
He had been confused by his feelings when Lupi kissed him. What if he had feelings for her, and was lying to himself and Tsute? What if he had no feelings for either of them? What if...?
Then a hazy memory appeared, then fully formed in his mind. It had only been a few weeks ago...
"My parents both knew your father well. You doubtless know of the situation he was put in, and its similarity to yours. They told me that he did the right thing, so it might be the right thing for you too." Tensai said.
"What did he do?" Risago asked.
"Chose, then stuck by his choice through thick and thin. In his case, he chose your mother. In your case, it's up to you. But I hope you make the right choice for you."
Risago half-smiled to himself. "Tensai you bastard... you were right, for once."
Risago swung his legs over the side of his bed, and stood, walking over to his bedroom window, and looking out into the darkness.
'Lupi, if you're listening, I've made my choice, you don't have to worry about Tsute now.'
He could have sworn he heard laughter, resonating in his skull, before he heard just two words:
'Good boy.'
The next day, Sunday, Risago went to see Tsute again, early in the morning so that they could spend the whole day together. When he reached her room though, he saw her parents there, Sia talking angrily to a doctor.
"We couldn't possibly agree to that! And neither would Tsute! Risking somebody else for her? Out of the question!"
The doctor, to give him his due, did not back down of cower from the god's wrath, but spoke calmly, if slightly hesitantly, "I'm just saying that there is a way to siphon off the excess magic, but that the only place we could move it to is another part-blood god or demon. That sort of magic would kill a human outright, and a pureblood has too much magic to take in more. This is the only way to save your daughter. I understand if you don't want it, but I am obliged to inform you of it."
Risago had heard all of this. There was a way to save Tsute, that made him want to save her even more. But at the risk of somebody else's life.
"But we can't ask somebody to die for our daughter." Sia said, this time a little calmer.
"I know madam, but if there were somebody who were willing, and I didn't tell you..." the doctor sighed, "If you don't want anything to do with the treatment, then I fully understand, but..."
"I'll do it," Risago suddenly blurted out from where he was standing.
The adults turned to him, "Risago-kun!" Kaede said with shock, "What are you talking about?"
"If somebody risks their life, Tsute can be saved, right?" Risago asked, waiting for confirmation.
The doctor nodded, "That is true... but young man, the risks are very high, I need to warn you..."
"I don't care about that! If I can save Tsute, I'll risk anything!"
Sia stared, then frowned, before muttering "He's too much like his father..."
Kaede smiled at her wife, "Maybe that's a good thing... but Risago-kun," she continued turning to the boy, "You need to talk to Tsute, and your parents, about this. I don't want you throwing your life away for Tsute, and I don't think she'll want it either."
"But if she dies, I'll die too," Risago said, softly, "Because I love her..."
Kaede and Sia seemed a little surprised by this, but Kaede recovered quickly, "In that case, there's nothing more that I can say..."
"No! Rigo-kun! Please don't do it!"
Risago had known as soon as he had made up his mind on this that the hard part would be this: convincing Tsute to go along with it.
"Tsute... if I don't do this, you'll die. I can't live if that happens, even if not literally, I'll die inside."
"But it's better that you should lose me than die yourself Risago!" tears were beginning to fill Tsute's eyes.
Risago put his arm round the girl, holding her to him tightly. "No, if I lose you, I won't be able to live, I will die."
Tsute shook her head, "No... you won't! You won't!"
"I will... because I love you."
Tsute stopped moving at his words, then slowly looked up at the boy, "You... me..."
"I love you. Now think how you feel about losing me, that's just the same way I feel. So if one of us dies, we both do." He smiled sadly, as he intertwined the fingers of his right hand with those of her left. "And if we live, we live together, always."
Tsute pulled the boy closer, "Risago... my love."
Risago gave no words, just one soft kiss.
Wolfie: "Well... it didn't take me as long this time to update..."
Risago: "Still took you long enough."
Wolfie: "Yes but shut up. Now, before I end this chapter, I'd like to make a request. I've had a couple of people saying they'd like to see artworks of the girls from this. Now, much as I'd like to oblige, there is one minor problem..."
Miku: "He can't draw for shit."
Wolfie: "I would have put it more elegantly myself, but yes. As such, I am looking for an artist who would be willing to do artworks for them. If you are able to draw/create them somehow, then please PM me or review this saying you'll do it. I'd like them to be in the same sort of style as the original Shuffle! but obviously I'm not expecting masterpieces. This is just something for fans, by fans!"
Tsute: "There should be loads of people willing to draw me!"
Wolfie: "Yeah... your poll-status did shoot up rather quickly..."
Lilisu: "Yeah... conceited little..."
Lupi: "Look who's talking!"
Lilisu: "Why you!"
Wolfie: "Before this gets out of hand, Miku, notices!"
Miku: "Thanks for reading and please review. And if you haven't already, please vote on the poll!"
Wolfie: "That said and done, see ya soon(ish)..."
Bis Bald
BW
