The Bishonen of February
Chapter 9
A motion from Kina's body caught Yue's eye. At first he didn't think much of it, as she had started moving slightly ever since Nuriko gave her the medicine. Then he noticed the sweat on her forehead, and the panicked way she was attempting to thrash her arms.
"Mama...Daddy..." she whispered brokenly.
Yue's heart flip-flopped. It was an unfamiliar feeling to him. Suddenly, nothing mattered more in the world than making Kina stop being afraid.
*Snap out of it, Yue!* his mind sneered at him. *She's a human. Why would you want to comfort a human?*
Yue jumped slightly. He should have been used to these inner conflicts by now, but somehow it always startled him when his conscience yelled at him.
*Why should you care about this worthless life? Humans are worth nothing. You don't owe her. Why do you care?*
The silver-tressed bishonen searched for words to express this new, profound feeling, looking for some way to validate himself. No words came except:
"Because...because she's Kina."
*What is that worth? You're the Judge, Yue. This girl is worthless to you!* the voice in his head screeched. *Why would you comfort her? Where were the humans when you needed comforting? When you were lost and alone, where was she? Probably warm and safe, not concerned about anyone else at all. Typical human. She's been judged, Yue, and she's worthless! Leave right now! No one would blame you for leaving a dying trainer. She'll never know. She probably won't even notice, the worthless thing.*
Somewhere inside Yue, something snapped.
"Who judged her?! WHO?!" he screamed in a voice raw with emotion. "I am the Judge, and I never judged her worthless! Kina is anything but worthless, anything but typical! She will never, ever be worthless!!!"
His declaration echoed throughout the house. The only noise that Yue could hear was his own ragged breathing. Suddenly, the door opened.
"Eh, Yue? Are you all right?" Hotohori asked him concernedly. "What's going on in here?"
"I'm fine," Yue replied, still breathing hard. Looking up, he noticed something that looked suspiciously like a kiss mark on the side of the Konan emperor's face. He raised one silvery eyebrow. "But should I be worried about what's going on out there?"
"HOOORIIII!!!" Nuriko's voice rang out from the other room like a bell. "Hurry back, I'm lonely by myself!"
Hotohori flushed a deep crimson. "No-I'm-fine-thanks-keep-watching-Kina- tell-us-if-she-wakes-up-now-bye!!"
The slamming of the door resounded throughout the small room.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"So I have the same disease as my mother?" Kina asked shakily. This was all still a big shock to her.
"Yes. You are so much like your mother," Kodachi smiled. "She had no regrets and she loved you with all her heart. So did your father. She knew she was sick, but she didn't want to live all cooped up like you don't want to live either."
"I won't let the sad fate that happened to my parents happen to Yue and I." Kina clenched her fist. Kodachi and the dream world were fading. "Wait, I still have so much more I need to ask you!" Kina ran towards Blue.
"I'm sorry, but I must go now. Ja ne, little one, so much like your parents. And remember, you have bishonen blood in you, and in that you have exceptional power. The strength, hope, and heart of your mother and the determination and faith of your father, and your own will. You are who you are, Kina."
The dream faded, gone and no longer in Kina's reach. "Thank you," she whispered.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0 Her eyes fluttered slowly as they opened. Sluggishly she sat up, running her hand through her hair. Something caught her eye suddenly, and stumbling Kina made her way over to the medicine cabinet. It was opened and she knew she had locked it. Anger began to flash inside her. Kina had given Nuriko and Hotohori direct instructions to never open the cabinet and to never use her medicine.
Yue walked over and set his hand on her shoulder gently. "Are you OK?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"It doesn't matter."
"It does matter!! That day at the beach, while Nuriko and Hotohori were gone, what if your heart had given out? I would have had no idea what to do. You could have died, just like today. It was lucky we had the medicine. What would I do if I lost you?" Yue smiled at her to cheer her up.
"I don't care what happens to me! Just forget about me. I hate this medicine. If it is fate for me to die on the beach, then so be it!!"
"I don't care about fate! If I would take the chance of losing you, I wouldn't care. I would do anything for you," said Yue. He took a step toward her. "If a train was coming toward you at full speed, I will jump in front of that train to save you."
Kina looked up and into his eyes. His eyes were filled with reassurance.
"No! Stop being so damn nice!!" Kina grabbed onto her pill bottles and threw them at Yue. They bounced off of his body. Kina was now shaking with sobs, reaching for more bottles, dumping the pills out, and throwing them at him.
"Hate me! Just hate me!!!"
Yue just stood there, gaping at her amongst the broken glass lying at his feet.
The door opened with a muffled click. Nuriko's head poked into the room.
"I heard the screaming match. What's wrong? And are you feeling better, Kina?"
Kina glared at the purple-haired bishonen. He gulped.
"Why did you tell him? I specifically told you not to ever speak of that! And to never use or even open that cabinet!" Promises of painful death flashed in her eyes.
Nuriko looked away. So softly that she could barely hear him, he murmured, "I thought it was for the best."
"Since when do you know what's best for me?"
He met her gaze, tears shimmering in his eyes. "I...I'm sorry. Call me selfish, but I just didn't want to lose you yet."
Her eyes turned cold as the words tumbled out of her mouth, even as her brain screamed for her not to utter them, "What does it matter to you anyway? You have your Hori-Darling!"
Nuriko lifted his head to meet her eyes again. "That hurt, Kina," he told her, shades of quiet anger behind his words. "You know how much that hurt. I'm sorry I made you hate me so much."
He looked at the floor as he trudged out of the room sadly. The door closed behind him with an air of finality.
Kina let loose a scream of frustration and hurled the nearest medicine bottle at the door without bothering to empty it of its contents. Glass and brightly colored spheres were littered across the floor. Tears continued to pour down her face as she turned away from Yue. For a moment he thought she had calmed down, but that idea was laid to rest as she grabbed an ornate perfume bottle and heaved it at the door. The floral scent seemed completely out of place in the violent setting as tinted glass carpeted the floor.
"That's enough, Kina!!" Yue yelled, trying to regain some control of the situation.
Her response was an angry, threatening glare in his direction. Her breathing was as ragged as Yue's had previously been, and her eyes were tinted red with hot, angry tears. She looked almost possessed, nothing like the Kina Yue knew.
"Leave me alone!!" she growled.
"No! I can't! It's impossible for me to leave you alone!" Yue told her forcefully, crossing the distance between them in two lengthy steps. She picked up another perfume bottle and readied her aim. Before she could make a move, though, Yue had encircled her tightly in his arms. Her eyes filled with tears again, but this time they were tears of regret. All she could see was silver and feathers as even Yue's wings held her to him. Her arm dropped to her side and the perfume bottle fell to the floor. She wrapped
her arms around him and wept with all her heart.
Chapter 9
A motion from Kina's body caught Yue's eye. At first he didn't think much of it, as she had started moving slightly ever since Nuriko gave her the medicine. Then he noticed the sweat on her forehead, and the panicked way she was attempting to thrash her arms.
"Mama...Daddy..." she whispered brokenly.
Yue's heart flip-flopped. It was an unfamiliar feeling to him. Suddenly, nothing mattered more in the world than making Kina stop being afraid.
*Snap out of it, Yue!* his mind sneered at him. *She's a human. Why would you want to comfort a human?*
Yue jumped slightly. He should have been used to these inner conflicts by now, but somehow it always startled him when his conscience yelled at him.
*Why should you care about this worthless life? Humans are worth nothing. You don't owe her. Why do you care?*
The silver-tressed bishonen searched for words to express this new, profound feeling, looking for some way to validate himself. No words came except:
"Because...because she's Kina."
*What is that worth? You're the Judge, Yue. This girl is worthless to you!* the voice in his head screeched. *Why would you comfort her? Where were the humans when you needed comforting? When you were lost and alone, where was she? Probably warm and safe, not concerned about anyone else at all. Typical human. She's been judged, Yue, and she's worthless! Leave right now! No one would blame you for leaving a dying trainer. She'll never know. She probably won't even notice, the worthless thing.*
Somewhere inside Yue, something snapped.
"Who judged her?! WHO?!" he screamed in a voice raw with emotion. "I am the Judge, and I never judged her worthless! Kina is anything but worthless, anything but typical! She will never, ever be worthless!!!"
His declaration echoed throughout the house. The only noise that Yue could hear was his own ragged breathing. Suddenly, the door opened.
"Eh, Yue? Are you all right?" Hotohori asked him concernedly. "What's going on in here?"
"I'm fine," Yue replied, still breathing hard. Looking up, he noticed something that looked suspiciously like a kiss mark on the side of the Konan emperor's face. He raised one silvery eyebrow. "But should I be worried about what's going on out there?"
"HOOORIIII!!!" Nuriko's voice rang out from the other room like a bell. "Hurry back, I'm lonely by myself!"
Hotohori flushed a deep crimson. "No-I'm-fine-thanks-keep-watching-Kina- tell-us-if-she-wakes-up-now-bye!!"
The slamming of the door resounded throughout the small room.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"So I have the same disease as my mother?" Kina asked shakily. This was all still a big shock to her.
"Yes. You are so much like your mother," Kodachi smiled. "She had no regrets and she loved you with all her heart. So did your father. She knew she was sick, but she didn't want to live all cooped up like you don't want to live either."
"I won't let the sad fate that happened to my parents happen to Yue and I." Kina clenched her fist. Kodachi and the dream world were fading. "Wait, I still have so much more I need to ask you!" Kina ran towards Blue.
"I'm sorry, but I must go now. Ja ne, little one, so much like your parents. And remember, you have bishonen blood in you, and in that you have exceptional power. The strength, hope, and heart of your mother and the determination and faith of your father, and your own will. You are who you are, Kina."
The dream faded, gone and no longer in Kina's reach. "Thank you," she whispered.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0 Her eyes fluttered slowly as they opened. Sluggishly she sat up, running her hand through her hair. Something caught her eye suddenly, and stumbling Kina made her way over to the medicine cabinet. It was opened and she knew she had locked it. Anger began to flash inside her. Kina had given Nuriko and Hotohori direct instructions to never open the cabinet and to never use her medicine.
Yue walked over and set his hand on her shoulder gently. "Are you OK?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"It doesn't matter."
"It does matter!! That day at the beach, while Nuriko and Hotohori were gone, what if your heart had given out? I would have had no idea what to do. You could have died, just like today. It was lucky we had the medicine. What would I do if I lost you?" Yue smiled at her to cheer her up.
"I don't care what happens to me! Just forget about me. I hate this medicine. If it is fate for me to die on the beach, then so be it!!"
"I don't care about fate! If I would take the chance of losing you, I wouldn't care. I would do anything for you," said Yue. He took a step toward her. "If a train was coming toward you at full speed, I will jump in front of that train to save you."
Kina looked up and into his eyes. His eyes were filled with reassurance.
"No! Stop being so damn nice!!" Kina grabbed onto her pill bottles and threw them at Yue. They bounced off of his body. Kina was now shaking with sobs, reaching for more bottles, dumping the pills out, and throwing them at him.
"Hate me! Just hate me!!!"
Yue just stood there, gaping at her amongst the broken glass lying at his feet.
The door opened with a muffled click. Nuriko's head poked into the room.
"I heard the screaming match. What's wrong? And are you feeling better, Kina?"
Kina glared at the purple-haired bishonen. He gulped.
"Why did you tell him? I specifically told you not to ever speak of that! And to never use or even open that cabinet!" Promises of painful death flashed in her eyes.
Nuriko looked away. So softly that she could barely hear him, he murmured, "I thought it was for the best."
"Since when do you know what's best for me?"
He met her gaze, tears shimmering in his eyes. "I...I'm sorry. Call me selfish, but I just didn't want to lose you yet."
Her eyes turned cold as the words tumbled out of her mouth, even as her brain screamed for her not to utter them, "What does it matter to you anyway? You have your Hori-Darling!"
Nuriko lifted his head to meet her eyes again. "That hurt, Kina," he told her, shades of quiet anger behind his words. "You know how much that hurt. I'm sorry I made you hate me so much."
He looked at the floor as he trudged out of the room sadly. The door closed behind him with an air of finality.
Kina let loose a scream of frustration and hurled the nearest medicine bottle at the door without bothering to empty it of its contents. Glass and brightly colored spheres were littered across the floor. Tears continued to pour down her face as she turned away from Yue. For a moment he thought she had calmed down, but that idea was laid to rest as she grabbed an ornate perfume bottle and heaved it at the door. The floral scent seemed completely out of place in the violent setting as tinted glass carpeted the floor.
"That's enough, Kina!!" Yue yelled, trying to regain some control of the situation.
Her response was an angry, threatening glare in his direction. Her breathing was as ragged as Yue's had previously been, and her eyes were tinted red with hot, angry tears. She looked almost possessed, nothing like the Kina Yue knew.
"Leave me alone!!" she growled.
"No! I can't! It's impossible for me to leave you alone!" Yue told her forcefully, crossing the distance between them in two lengthy steps. She picked up another perfume bottle and readied her aim. Before she could make a move, though, Yue had encircled her tightly in his arms. Her eyes filled with tears again, but this time they were tears of regret. All she could see was silver and feathers as even Yue's wings held her to him. Her arm dropped to her side and the perfume bottle fell to the floor. She wrapped
her arms around him and wept with all her heart.