Whispers above the Wind.
Birds broke into flight when Fugen Shinjin opened his window. Wintry sunlight filtered down and gently warmed his face. He closed his eyes for a brief moment before glancing back at the shadow-shrouded bed.
A figure tossed and turned on it, long soft strands of dark blue hair slicing across well-tanned skin. A smile fluttered across the sennin's face. Not even he himself could decipher what expression that smile was. It was not of happiness, nor of sadness. Fugen drew the curtains, blocking out whatever weak sunlight there was, leaving the entire room in muted half-darkness.
"Good morning, Bou-chan."
Taikoubou looked up from the scroll he was reading. Fugen stood in front of him, casting a shadow over the miniscule words. A knit appeared in Taikoubou's brow. There was something wrong with Fugen. He could sense it, but he could not put a name to it. There was something gripping onto his best friend's heart and it was worst than a fish hook.
"Oh..Fugen…" Taikoubou rolled up the scroll slowly, his eyes affixed on Fugen. The sennin sat down slowly on the rock outcrop beside Taikoubou. Fugen looked very pale, his skin a stark contrast against the dark purplish garment he was wearing. His eyes looked tired and dull. Taikoubou leaned forward, his face concerned.
"Are you alright?" Taikoubou lifted his arm to touch Fugen's pale cheek. Fugen shied away immediately, turning his head to glance at the swaying pine tree near them. Taikoubou's hand stopped in mid-air. Surprise alighted on his face.
"I am fine, Bou-chan. I am…I think I should go and eat something…hot.." Fugen's fingers laced tightly together, until the knuckles turned white. He looked up and smiled. In his heart, Fugen knew it was so fake, so fake that his heart felt nauseated. Taikoubou nodded, although disbelief was apparent in his eyes.
"I will go now, Bou-chan. I will see you later….during Genshitenson-sama's lecture."
Fugen stood up and fled, his clothes flapping out behind him, like the broken wings of a mutilated butterfly. Sunlight caught something glittering on the sennin's ear. Taikoubou's fingers tightened around the scroll, crushing it.
"Best friends?"
"Best friends!" Fugen beamed and twisted his littlest finger around Taikoubou's pinky. "Bou-chan and I will be best friends forever, won't we, Bou-chan? We will tell each other everything!"
The two young men laughed and the wind blew autumn leaves around them.
Best friends…
Fugen sat alone on of the floating rock islands orbiting around Kon Ron Mountains. He put his hands to his head, twisting blue strands around his fingers. It was painful, the tug on his scalp, not as painful as this. He lied to his best friend. The dull ache grasped at his heart again, like the cold fingers of a corpse.
The wind rose, blowing hair and garments, cutting into the skin of his cheek. He huddled to himself, hugging his knees. He wanted to cry, but to cry was to escape from reality. The wind laughed and whirled away merrily.
"Fugen-sama."
Fugen's head jerked up, but he looked straight ahead, fearing to turn. Something settled next to him. The wind returned, and with it, a sweet scent, and long strands of silky, dark blue hair. A hand, and five warm fingers laid themselves on his bare shoulder.
"Last night…"
Fugen stared straight ahead, not moving, not turning. The fingers gripped his shoulder, squeezing gently. The sweet scent came closer, together with smooth lips and moist tongue, slowly inching their way to his cheek. Fingers parted his hair, and the silky strands loped itself upon his body.
"Fugen-sama…Why did you leave me there? I woke up all alone…." Warm breath traced its way into his ear, and rushed into his brain. "You left me there all alone…"
The wind blew around them, singing a song with words which only Fugen would understand.
A hand found its way to his jaw and deliberately rested there. Fugen's heart thumped. Sharp teeth nibbled on his earlobe, gently biting the brilliant earring that he wore there.
"You are wearing my gift….I am touched!" The voice was happy and the lips kissed his neck in gratitude. "Did Su-suu see it?"
Fugen did not answer. But the voice was satisfied, answer or not answer. The wind rose again, bringing with it, another familiar scent.
Fugen pushed voice, lips, teeth and kisses away from him and staggered up.
Bou..Bou-chan….
Bou-chan was here. Bou-chan saw everything!
Trembling, Fugen turned to face the voice.
Only to see bare rock and feel the laughter of the passing wind.
Birds broke into flight when Fugen Shinjin opened his window. Wintry sunlight filtered down and gently warmed his face. He closed his eyes for a brief moment before glancing back at the shadow-shrouded bed.
A figure tossed and turned on it, long soft strands of dark blue hair slicing across well-tanned skin. A smile fluttered across the sennin's face. Not even he himself could decipher what expression that smile was. It was not of happiness, nor of sadness. Fugen drew the curtains, blocking out whatever weak sunlight there was, leaving the entire room in muted half-darkness.
"Good morning, Bou-chan."
Taikoubou looked up from the scroll he was reading. Fugen stood in front of him, casting a shadow over the miniscule words. A knit appeared in Taikoubou's brow. There was something wrong with Fugen. He could sense it, but he could not put a name to it. There was something gripping onto his best friend's heart and it was worst than a fish hook.
"Oh..Fugen…" Taikoubou rolled up the scroll slowly, his eyes affixed on Fugen. The sennin sat down slowly on the rock outcrop beside Taikoubou. Fugen looked very pale, his skin a stark contrast against the dark purplish garment he was wearing. His eyes looked tired and dull. Taikoubou leaned forward, his face concerned.
"Are you alright?" Taikoubou lifted his arm to touch Fugen's pale cheek. Fugen shied away immediately, turning his head to glance at the swaying pine tree near them. Taikoubou's hand stopped in mid-air. Surprise alighted on his face.
"I am fine, Bou-chan. I am…I think I should go and eat something…hot.." Fugen's fingers laced tightly together, until the knuckles turned white. He looked up and smiled. In his heart, Fugen knew it was so fake, so fake that his heart felt nauseated. Taikoubou nodded, although disbelief was apparent in his eyes.
"I will go now, Bou-chan. I will see you later….during Genshitenson-sama's lecture."
Fugen stood up and fled, his clothes flapping out behind him, like the broken wings of a mutilated butterfly. Sunlight caught something glittering on the sennin's ear. Taikoubou's fingers tightened around the scroll, crushing it.
"Best friends?"
"Best friends!" Fugen beamed and twisted his littlest finger around Taikoubou's pinky. "Bou-chan and I will be best friends forever, won't we, Bou-chan? We will tell each other everything!"
The two young men laughed and the wind blew autumn leaves around them.
Best friends…
Fugen sat alone on of the floating rock islands orbiting around Kon Ron Mountains. He put his hands to his head, twisting blue strands around his fingers. It was painful, the tug on his scalp, not as painful as this. He lied to his best friend. The dull ache grasped at his heart again, like the cold fingers of a corpse.
The wind rose, blowing hair and garments, cutting into the skin of his cheek. He huddled to himself, hugging his knees. He wanted to cry, but to cry was to escape from reality. The wind laughed and whirled away merrily.
"Fugen-sama."
Fugen's head jerked up, but he looked straight ahead, fearing to turn. Something settled next to him. The wind returned, and with it, a sweet scent, and long strands of silky, dark blue hair. A hand, and five warm fingers laid themselves on his bare shoulder.
"Last night…"
Fugen stared straight ahead, not moving, not turning. The fingers gripped his shoulder, squeezing gently. The sweet scent came closer, together with smooth lips and moist tongue, slowly inching their way to his cheek. Fingers parted his hair, and the silky strands loped itself upon his body.
"Fugen-sama…Why did you leave me there? I woke up all alone…." Warm breath traced its way into his ear, and rushed into his brain. "You left me there all alone…"
The wind blew around them, singing a song with words which only Fugen would understand.
A hand found its way to his jaw and deliberately rested there. Fugen's heart thumped. Sharp teeth nibbled on his earlobe, gently biting the brilliant earring that he wore there.
"You are wearing my gift….I am touched!" The voice was happy and the lips kissed his neck in gratitude. "Did Su-suu see it?"
Fugen did not answer. But the voice was satisfied, answer or not answer. The wind rose again, bringing with it, another familiar scent.
Fugen pushed voice, lips, teeth and kisses away from him and staggered up.
Bou..Bou-chan….
Bou-chan was here. Bou-chan saw everything!
Trembling, Fugen turned to face the voice.
Only to see bare rock and feel the laughter of the passing wind.
