A/N: I'm back! Wahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah aha!
Summary: All he did was fall in love. And now he's paying for it with forever as its price.
WARNINGS: Slight Oc's, AU, major yaoi with tints of shota-con. If you're not into these kinds of stories, better run away now and wash your eyes with whatever holy water you can grab. And of course, definitely ANGST-FILLED!
Disclaimer: I don't own POT...though I wish I did so that Ryoma and I can live happily ever after!
lovelovelovelovelovelovelove
Ryoma was crumpled in a pitiful heap in front of the giant sakura. The tears flowed unabashed as he clutched the grass beneath him. Before him was his mother's, Lady Yuuna's sakura tree, in full bloom. It had been barren for two hundred and eighteen years...the last time it bloomed was when his spirit returned to earth after being cursed by Kobe Chiisa.
And it also became the grave of his beloved family. His heart broke a million times over at the memories of burying his husband, Sendoh, his father Norosuke, both his brothers Soujiroh and Yuujiroh in the very roots of this tree. The four men became the center of his life and yet how tragic it was to watch them die and leave him behind.
This was the primary reason why he didn't want to return to the red estate. No ordinary person could handle watching the people he loved dearly perish before him.
At the young age of fifty, death finally claimed Norosuke. Ever since his youngest' demise, he spent every minute of his life working on ways to free him from the curse. He dedicated all of his spiritual will to the task, leaving the responsibility to lead the clan to Soujiroh and Yuurjiroh.
He used all his spiritual will to break the binding curse and yet until he drew his last breath he was unable to break it.
His brothers, Soujiroh and Yuujiroh suffered rather tragic deaths. Because their secret was out, everyone tried to get to him and use him for his powers. His brother Sourijoh died protecting the estate from invaders, leaving his heir too young to understand his fate that's why the succeeding first born were misled about how to guide Ryoma into breaking the curse.
Yuujiroh's death, on the other hand, was caused by another enemy. As fail-proof, even in death, Kobe Chiisa remained a menace. As she had set it, in every generation of Kobe, there will be someone who will inherit her grudge and hunt down Ryoma and hinder him from breaking the curse. Yuujiroh, and all of his descendants by right and order, was tasked to eliminate the ill will of Chiisa.
He died while trying to purify one particularly nasty descendant of hers who managed to wound the man.
Ryoma was beyond grief...if there was a place graver than death itself then that's where he was. He vowed never to come back to this estate.
And yet fate required him to do so after two hundred years.
love
"He's not staying." Nanjiroh's eyes narrowed as he faced off with his uncle, Yosuke. "He's merely preparing for..." He trailed off. What was Ryoma actually preparing for? Is he expecting a battle? In this these modern times, could there still be a possibility that the ill will of Kobe survived? Over the years, they struggled to hunt down all possible descendants that could've inherited the will, purifying them instead of killing them.
'Is Syuichiroh prepared for such a task?' He mused as he waited for his uncle's reply.
Yosuke gritted his teeth. "But this is where he belongs."
"Shut up!" Syuichiroh wasn't able to control himself anymore. He rushed forward and intentionally pushed his uncle back harshly with his spiritual will. That took everyone by surprise. Nanjiroh's eyes widened as he gaped at his younger brother. The culprit on the other hand was gaping as his own hands like an idiot. "Holy crepe..."
"You shouldn't be surprised." Hongo Tatsumi came up to them slowly. The rest of the council, together with Rinko, was toe stunned to even react. "The beloved returning to the estate meant that the pathway between the gods to the humans is open once more. Not only that the two of you could access your own spiritual wills like the others before you, the rest of the clan can access theirs as well although their spiritual wills, even collective, could not withstand against the two of you."
"It also means that the fortune that was once showered upon this clan will resume."
Nanjiroh shook his head vehemently. "That also means he has to stay here to ensure the continuity of the gods' graces. No! I will never allow that. This family thrived in his pain! I will never allow this clan to feed off my child once more!"
Kirin stepped forth. "This is not your decision to make, Nanjiroh. You are a mere spirit guide."
"Neither is it yours, brother."
They all turned to the source of that deep gruff voice and soon Mikage and Ericka entered the council's hall. The former head of the clan held himself with grace and dignity that could rival the emperor's. He walked slowly towards the group.
A sense of relief filled Nanjiroh's head. "Dad..."
Mikage nodded to acknowledge his son. "I know that this sudden spurt of power may have invigorated you. It is also true that Ryoma's return to this place open the gateway once more. But please do not be blind-sided by power and greed," He glared Kirin and Yosuke, "and pangs of over protectiveness," then to his two sons.
"You must realize now that the conduit is renewed, Kobe Chiisa's ill will is once again reborn in this generation. It is our top priority to hunt down that descendant and purify him before he causes to much trouble for our beloved." His gaze grew hard as he zeroed on Syuichiroh.
"This is the fulfillment of your duty as the descendant of Yuujiroh." He watched as determination dawned upon his son's face.
"Find the one who inherited Kobe Chiisa's ill will and be done with him. Eliminate all those who plan to hinder our beloved Ryoma's plans." He turned to the rest of the council members. "The Beloved had protected this clan for hundreds of years...it is now our chance to return him the favor."
He then took his sons by their arms and started to drag them away.
"H-hey dad!" Nanjiroh protested the manhandling but one harsh look from his father and his sealed his lips shut.
"You must listen to me very carefully..." His voice was down-graded to a whisper. "You must, I repeat, you must stand guard in front of the entrance to Ryoma's estate. I have a feeling he will be opening the entrance soon and the two of you must get inside while I guard the entrance." He briskly pulled his sons towards the red walls that surrounded Ryoma's secret estate.
"All those who inherited Soujiroh-sama and Yuujiroh-sama's will must enter the sacred ground to realize the importance of your quest." His gaze hardened on Syuichiroh. "Your brother had once entered the realms beyond the red walls before but you have not."
"Be prepared."
lovelove
A sudden surge of energy coursed through Sakurako's vein. It was so powerful that she almost toppled over the dresser. It happened in a blink of an eye and it left her very skin tingling after.
"What the fuck!?" She clutched her head as the dull pounding inside her skull returned. "What the hell is wrong with me?!" She swiped the contents of her dressing, flinging everything askew. She braced herself atop the dresser, her breathing ragged and short.
Nothing's wrong with you.
'There it is again, that strange voice inside my head!' She placed her hands over her ears to try and block it out.
You can't run away from me. You need me.
She closed her eyes tightly, wishing that everything would just stop. It must be the depression. Her split with Keisuke cost her so much: her social status, her financial security and even her sanity.
Open your eyes, child and awaken to your destiny. Embrace me...embrace my will.
"NO!" She screamed until her lungs hurt. Pale shaking fingers raked through her damp dark locks. "Why are you doing this?!"
Look up child...and see your destiny before you.
She slowly lifted up her eyes as if an invisible force was coaxing her to do so and she gaped in terror as a fleeting image of girl, no older than 16, skin as pale as death smirked back at her. Her eyes glinted in malice. She was wearing something from eons ago.
"W-who are you?" She managed to gasp out.
I shall become you, Kobe Sakurako. Inherit my will and destroy Echizen Ryoma.
She stood there frozen as that ghostly image dissolved into fits of cackles. The look in her eyes was of pure evil. The image of Kobe Chiisa soon started to fade in the background; her wild cackles still linger inside the room.
He took your happiness away...like he took mine.
love
All four families were gathered inside the television room as they watched the breaking news. Aside from the sudden earthquake, there was something odd included in there too.
"I never thought something like that ever existed." Syusuke muttered in awe as they watched the helicopter coverage of the giant blooming sakura that engulfed an old estate not far from the Imperial Castle within the Marounochi area. He leaned back into the warmth that Genichirou was offering him.
"To think that such phenomenon could still remain unexplained by science." His mother added. There was an odd silence that followed their outburst. Even the older ones dared not to comment at the mystical phenomenon they were watching in the television.
Moreover, they even looked concerned.
Kanna reached over and placed a comforting hand on Go'enmon's surprisingly cold ones. "Father, are you quite alright?" She asked. The old man just gazed at her, still in deep thought.
Kunikazu cleared his throat and stood up. Ever since he became aware after the earthquake, flashes of a distant memory came back to him. "It shouldn't surprise you that much..." he muttered as he eyed his son secretly. "Miracles do happen."
Ayana nodded in approval. "I know that tree. If we go back from history, they often called it the Barren Sakura. There have been records that the last time it bloomed was over two hundred years ago. And the estate it covers belongs to..." She trailed off as if trying to place the right term.
"To whom, mom?" Kunimitsu asked, his interest piqued.
Kuniharu cleared his throat. "To the great priests, the Echizens."
The mention of the name brought a stunned silence amongst the group. Up to this point, Keisuke, Gensuru and Yamato still looked dazed but the mention of the name caused them to snap up in attention.
"Echizen?" Yamato breathed out.
Emiko raised her eyebrow at her husband's gasp. "You haven't been gone that long, darling. I'm sure you still remember the Echizens."
The kids looked confused. They shifted their gazed from one adult to another. "What's the matter with the Echizens?" Genichirou asked. 'What's all the fuss about Ryoma's family?'
Emiko stood up and paced the distance to the wine cart. "Honey, not only that they are at the seat of Shintoism, they control probably one of the largest conglomerates in Japan." She studied the stunned young faces before her through the bubbles of the champagne in her glass.
Keigo chuckled under his breath, "How did I overlook this?" He muttered. 'That must be one of the reasons why he said that our love is shallow. We hardly know a thing about him!' He looked up to meet Kunimitsu's questioning look. "We're such fools." He muttered.
"Didn't you have a kohai named Echizen Ryoma?" Yumiko suddenly asked.
The silence that followed was deafening. Gensuru caught the wild look on Keisuke's eyes, the curious glimmer in Kuniharu's eyes and even the stunned look on Yamato's face. The mention of the name clawed at his heart. There was a united question running inside their heads.
'Echizen Ryoma...who are you?'
lovelove
Just as Mikage predicted, one of the walls surrounding the secret estate immaterialized and opened into a dark, narrow void. He immediately pushed Nanjiroh and Syuichiroh inside just before the other members of the council took notice. The pathway disappeared as soon as it came and it turned back to a normal-looking wall.
"What the hell?!" Syuichiroh spurted as he and his brother stumbles in the seemingly endless darkness. There was no pathway to follow. They were trapped. "What now?"
Nanjiroh gathered his bearings and grabbed his younger brother's hand. "Come on, straight ahead." He said.
Syuichiroh frowned as he allowed the man to drag him forward. "But there's no path." He argued. He noticed though that despite how dark their surrounding was, he could see his brother clearly as if the very matter that composed his body was emanating light. Nanjiroh's brow almost knitted together. His brother was stating the obvious. Of course he couldn't see a path but there's no other way.
"Ryoma wants us to get to him. He will open a path so all we have to do is go straight." He gritted his teeth before he resumed pulling Syuichiroh along.
"Fine." Syuichiroh muttered as he allowed his body to be dragged into nothingness...until they finally saw it.
It started as a glimmer in the dark...almost an illusion but as they continued on, the light grew bigger and bigger. Nanjiroh was right. Ryoma opened the pathway.
"Aniki..."
Nanjiroh stopped and took a deep breath. "Before we cross, bear in mind that what lies before us is anything but earthly." He gave Syuichiroh a stern look. "Mind your manners and behave."
Syuichiroh swallowed hard. For the first time in his life, he didn't want to argue. Nanjiroh's warning was as clear as day itself. They are going to set foot on probably the most sacred piece of land in Japan. "I will. I promise."
Tension eased out of Nanjiroh's face a little. He gave his brother a nod before they stepped into the light...
...and what they saw before them was nothing compared to what their own history books depicted.
They are were in paradise.
love
Keisuke found himself contemplating over a glass of bourbon in his study. How he went to this from earlier, he couldn't remember. The last thought that got stuck in his head was the name Echizen Ryoma. He closed his eyes and another memory came to him.
"We can't be together!" Eyes of gold glowed like coals as they glared at him. The tears came right after.
"Why? Give me one good reason why we should walk away from each other now."
He could feel his chest tightening at the amount of pain reflected in his voice.
"I can't tell you, remember?! God we've been through this a hundred times. Why can't you understand?"
"Because I don't! Not unless you make me understand why you can't tell me you love me!"
Those golden eyes which seemed to be on fire slowly became filled with sadness and fear. All those longing came slamming back to him so fast that it brought tears to his eyes.
"H-how did you—why did you...how did—"
"How did I know? God I'm not a lovesick fool Ryoma! Did you think I wouldn't notice something was wrong? That if indeed I noticed, I wouldn't do something about it?"
"But Keisuke—"
"You should have more faith in me, dearest. My love is so much stronger than your curse. Let me prove it to you."
"So this is where you've been hiding, rich kid."
Yamato's voice tore him away from his flashback. He looked up, still with tears in his eyes, only to meet concerned, troubled gazes from three pairs of eyes. His throat worked up a reply but all he could manage was a strangled groan.
"We didn't mean to interrupt..." Kuniharu trailed off to find a word that best describes the picture before him, a powerful man slumped in a chair with a glass of hard liquor probably hoping for some alone time. "...your moment."
Gensuru tried to suppress a chuckle when the said man let out another groan and buried his face into his hand. "Come on, Tezuka. You make him sound like his son." He deposited his body in the couch before Keisuke. He studied Keisuke carefully. "So you want to talk about it?"
Keisuke looked up, shame pushed aside. "Not really." He muttered.
Yamato sighed and slid into the lounge chair next to his. "Well you're not the reason why I came in here." He reached for the bourbon and poured himself a glass. "It's this baby." He took a sip and sighed in satisfaction. "Well that hits the spot."
Keisuke raised an eyebrow at the arrogant man before he turned to the two stoics. "And what brings you here?" He asked.
Kuniharu shrugged and sat across him. "I don't really know..."
Gensuru leaned back and studied the three of them. He just realized it this afternoon. There were far too many "connections" that exist between the four of them, not just their sons, and he'd be damned if he continued to believe that all of these were mere coincidences.
"I saw how you all reacted to a certain name earlier."
The silence almost sucked all the air out of the room. He almost couldn't believe the surprised look in their faces.
"Does the name Echizen Ryoma ring any bell?"
love
Everything beyond him seemed to have leaped out of a fairy tale. There were flowers of every color and due and it left him in a daze underneath the light shower of sakura. Syuichiroh gave his self a firm shake and noticed that his brother was no longer beside him.
He was alone.
His eyes scoured for a familiar face but all he can see it was trunk of the giant sakura and flowers, flowers everywhere.
"Aniki!" He called out. He waited for a response but none came. His heart quickened its pace. He took a tentative step towards the imposing tree when he felt an ominous, yet gentle presence behind him. He swallowed around the hard lump in his throat as he felt beads of perspiration drip down from his forehead.
Come face me, my dearest descendant.
A soft, melodic voice came to him which seemed to ease his nerves. Syuichiroh took a deep breath before turning around only to come face to face with the ethereal image of Echizen Yuujiroh.
Do you know why you can see me?
Syuichiroh straightened his back in front of his legendary predecessor. Word was, he purified almost a hundred heirs of Kobe Chiisa's ill will. "Yes I do, Yuujiroh-sama."
The image didn't even faze a little before his mind's eye. Was he a spirit? Or a mere projection from the past programmed to appear every time a descendant of his sets foot in Ryoma's secret estate?
Good. You will be facing a lot of challenges, my dearest descendant. The first would be to identify the destined heir of Kobe's Chiisa's ill will.
Syuichiroh nodded slowly, trying to comprehend as much as he can. "D-do I need to kill them?" Came the dreaded question. The idea of bloodying his hands terrified him.
The image before him shook his head.
No, dearest. If we killed all those who bore the ill will then we would be no better than Kobe Chiisa herself.
Syuichiroh took a tentative step back when he noticed the ethereal image was drawing in.
I will show you what you need to do.
A hand reached out for him and he black out from the rest of the world.
love
Ryoma slowly pushed aside the pristine tatami door to his old chamber, afraid to see what was inside. He was gone for far too long. He didn't know if time preserved his tangible memories while he was away.
'I thought I would lose it when I arrived.' He worried his bottom lip as he waited for courage to overcome him.' It seemed that I have adjusted a little after two centuries of grief.' He took a deep breath.
"Here goes nothing." He muttered and completely pushed the door aside.
The tears that he thought were sated came in an overwhelming crash. That room...where he shared his happiness, his youth...his misery and grief...although remained the same seemed so alive.
Ryoma-sama!
He stumbled inside as he tried to get a grip of himself. Fleeting images of the man he once vowed to share his entire life with flashed before his eyes.
You know I love you so much right, Ryoma-sama? If the gods would permit it, I'd die for you.
"My d-dearest Sendoh!" He cried out as he crumpled onto the floor. 'I wanted to shout why...but I've been doing that for the last two hundred years. Up until now I still couldn't comprehend why things happened the way they did.' He hastily brushed his tears away and willed his body to stand.
He slowly scanned the room for its completeness. Tears welled up his eyes once more but he tried to force it back. Shame him for being too weak. He took a tentative step towards his old dresser. He was right...time did preserve this place. The only recent noticeable change was the south wing. It was torn down a few days after Sendoh died and he ascended to the land of the deities.
Flowers grew and covered what used to be a tunnel out of his private estate. His father grew weary that Kobe Chiisa's black aura still lingered so he tore down the building and collapsed the tunnel underneath it.
He gingerly pulled out the chair and sat on it. Before him on the mirror was a reflection of a sad, beautiful nymph with skin as pale as moonlight. This made him sad even more. People are dying around him and yet he remained the same.
"How long should I suffer more, Sendoh-san?" He breathed out as he traced the smooth wooden surface of his dresser. "How long until I find this one true love you are talking about? Aside from you, the one I thought was "The One" was taken away from me as well." His other hand unconsciously grasped the ring that was hanging around his neck. He closed his eyes and an image of his father, Norosuke, on his death bed materialized before his mind's eye.
"Don't you dare stop fighting for your freedom, dearest. It's the only path you can take." He felt tears welled up his eyes once more. His dearest father, the light of his life, faded into darkness as well.
"And even in death...I shall spend an eternity more to unbind your chains."
The tears he had been fighting back were unleashed. The difference now that he had regained his spiritual will, each tear drop slowly turned into glistening diamonds. The soft clattering sound it made as it fell against the wood pulled him back to reality. He stared quite dumbfounded at the tear drop jewels that were now scattered on the table.
He suddenly remembered what he came inside his room for in the first place. He slowly pulled the drawer open and took out a black velvet case. He gently laid in on the table, slowly tracing the soft edge.
"Tomorrow...tomorrow shall become the trigger of what might be another cycle of tragedy." He slowly opened the box and inhaled sharply at the sight of its contents. He reached in and started to caress each jewel gently.
It was indeed a marvel that when at the peak of his power, his tears turn to jewels depending on reason for it. If it was because of happiness, his tears turn into the fairest pearls and if his tears were caused by extreme pain and grief, they turn into diamonds. But as rare as it may seem, his diamond-turned tears do not usually reflect a distinctive color. It only meant those tears were some someone or something special.
"You were my treasures...one unique from another. How can I fathom hurting you? You were born out of my pain just like any mother who underwent excruciating pain to give life to her child."
"I'm at a cross-road and no matter which path I would take, I would end up hurting you. I'm in a war path to gain my freedom back and I'm afraid I'd be leaving a whole lot of you wounded behind."
lovelove
Kuniharu was fighting the haze of the liquor from clouding his judgment. The cards were out...their questions hung in the air unanswered.
"What does this mean? At some point in our lives, all of us encountered a golden-eyed boy that enchanted us and yet we conveniently forgot about him? Surreal." Yamato buried his face in his hands. "So let me get this straight, I have my memories of this boy or man for that matter when I was in Paris. I was about 19 then but he seemed...younger. I believe he's my missing muse." He turned to Gensuru whose brows almost fused from thinking too hard. "How about you?"
Gensuru leaned back and caressed his jaw in deep thought. "I was...about 13 I think. I believe he was older than I. I used to look up to him a lot. I think we met at our dojo before." A light blush colored his each and it was not from the alcohol. He turned to Kuniharu who was massaging his temples as if he's having a migraine attack as of the moment. "And you, Tezuka?"
The bespectacled man snapped out of his daze. "Huh, me?" He blinked a couple of times. He swallowed hard when he saw the earnest nods from his audience. "I mean...my memory of this boy was back when I was around 16 or 15 years old and sick with leukemia." It was now his audience's turn to gape at him.
"Y-you have cancer?" Keisuke felt a pang of sorrow for the man.
Kuniharu brushed off their concern as if it was nothing. "I mean, I had cancer. I had a miraculously complete recovery from it." His expression then turned solemn. "And I believe it in my heart, based from my memory, that this person was my savior."
"And you believe that because?" Yamato prompted.
Kuniharu took a deep breath. "I had a bone marrow transplant and by some twisted ruse of fate, all medical information regarding the donor disappeared. I mean, how it can be possible for me to forget the very person who gave me another lease in life?" His heart was pounding hard against his heart. "Well let's say if it's indeed possible that I had amnesia, then why can't my father remember him as well? Qhy did his information disappear from my medical records, in both physical paper and in the database?"
"This is really getting really messy." Gensuru muttered. Silence dawned upon the four of them as they pondered over what they had learned. Seconds morphed into minutes and it drowned the men in deep thought.
"I believe I married him."
Five simple words whispered into the air felt like a cannon going off by their ears. Kumiharu, Gensuru and Yamato stared as Keisuke as if he grew a second head. The business tycoon gazed back at them with a new found strength. Somehow, finally saying it out load caused his faith to grow and strengthen.
"You married this man." Yamato looked at in incredulously. "You, of all people, married a man and you're still alive? Aren't the Atobes heir-producing die-hards and you are required to produce one or die in poverty otherwise?"
Gensuru rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You're exaggerating, Fuji." He glanced back at Keisuke but his expression did not faze. "He is, isn't he?" He asked.
Keisuke shook his head and reached in for the silver chain around his neck. "He's not exaggerating, Sanada." He showed them the ring. "I have loved and lost this man."
"And I would give up everything to be with him again."
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A/N: I'm BACK! It took me a year to adjust to my new work and return to writing. Hope you guys are still willing to support me. Thank you so much!
Any feedback would be appreciated.
Please make me happy and review!