BISHLOV: Fast ne? I told you I'd make it up to you guys. Thanks to LSR-7 for providing me with information. This is my favorite chapter for this story. Enjoy!!!
WARNING: Inaccurate spoilers ahead due to dubbing, faulty memory and revisions for fluff. Some are accidental while most are intentional. Please don't hold them against me.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own MKR or any of its characters. CLAMP does. This plot is a product of my imagination. Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.
FUU'S STORYBy bishounen lovah
Chapter 6
I can't believe I'm stalking her.
Ferio had been spying on her ever since he entered the cafe, even before that actually. He wanted to speak to her again but lacked the courage to walk up to her and introduce himself. So he invited himself to Tooya and Hikaru's table, much to Tooya's irritation. He had the perfect, unobstructed view of her, though she wouldn't be able to see him unless she sought for him.
Fat chance that would happen. It seemed to him that she didn't remember him or had chosen to forget him. Those thoughts hurt him a bit though he didn't know why he should be hurt in the first place. They were nothing but strangers. But if they were how come he felt like he's known her all of his life.
Perhaps he was going crazy. That gave him a perfect excuse to follow her around, didn't it? He didn't know how long he'd been watching her. She had a drink, a snack and few words with her blue-haired companion. She left shortly after Tooya and Hikaru left.
And here he was, following her around again like a lovesick puppy (if ever there was such a kind). Dang! What a pathetic fool he turned out to be. The least he could do was walk beside her and introduce himself. He'd picked up a dozen of girls before. Why couldn't he do it now?
Walk faster, he prepped himself, that's it. Now, get her attention. At the count of three. One...Two...
"Anou...sumimasen..."
I said at the count of THREE.
I can't help it. I'm too nervous.
She turned around in slow motion at least that was how he saw it. The sun was facing her so she blocked the rays from her eyes. He waited patiently for her vision to adjust and even stood straighter when those green eyes swept over him. He expected two things from her. Either she gaped in recognition or smile in polite enquiry.
What he didn't expect was shock. Not the pleasant kind but the mind-numbing kind. The moment she saw his face, she stood petrified as though she just saw an extra terrestrial doing a striptease in front of her. Okay, so maybe sick humor wasn't the best way to handle this but what could he do? Her blank stare was really freaking him out. Maybe she ate something that was disagreeing with her.
"Daijoubu desu ka?"
Her only response was dropping her books. She wasn't being coy or doing the flirting bit. She really was shocked at seeing him. To his recollection, he never had this kind of effect on any girl or woman. It was as if he'd struck her dumb.
Ferio rushed to catch a few loose papers then picked up her books. He placed them back in her arms. While doing so, his hand accidentally on purpose brushed her cold, clammy ones.
It was his turn to be shocked.
In the space of ten seconds various images flashed in his head. The forest, the castle, a gigantic robot, a jumping marshmallow with long ears, a small man, an arrow, his sister, his sword, a jeweled egg, Saito, Tooya, Hikaru, that blue-haired woman, and... His green-eyed beauty.
His temples suddenly pounded. It was unbearable. Rather than faint in front of her, he chose to get the hell out of there. He'd rather she'd think of him as a jerk than a weakling. Without a word of farewell, he staggered away from her, occasionally bumping into people, dogs and poles. Through his blurry vision, he saw a deserted alley. Without second thoughts, he entered that dark alleyway then promptly passed out.
~Dream Sequence~
He was back in the woods, resting against a tree and gazing at a weird looking house. It was another déjà vu, nagging his mind to remember. He was expecting something from that house and as if on cue, the door opened and out came a woman.
Fuu! What's she doing out here at this time of the night?
Wait a minute...how did I know her name?
Ah, yes. That other girl in school called her Fuu.
School? I should be in school. What am I doing here?
Argh! My head's killing me!
Next thing he knew she was right beside him looking down warily with cautious green eyes.
"I've brought some food. You must be pretty hungry."
"Thanks." It was the only answer he could think of. Where she got the food (and the house) was beyond him. She and her companions were not carrying anything when he first saw them.
They stared at each other, sizing up one another. At least she was doing that. He could tell that she didn't trust him. Ferio, on the other hand, could feel an unreasonable pull towards her. Among the three girls, he liked her best. He felt this irrational need to know everything about her.
"Can you stay and keep me company for a while?"
"Whatever for?"
"So we could talk. It gets lonely out here."
I'm lonely.
"I'd better not. They might get worried about me. Enjoy your meal." And then she was gone.
Ferio sighed in disappointment, looked up and was surprised to see the sun up. He then noticed that he was now standing but couldn't move. He was in the middle of a battlefield filled with monsters. The lower half of his body was turning into a stone. He looked back and saw her trying to aim her bow and arrow at the monster beyond him with shaking hands.
"You can do it, Fuu, I know you can."
And she did. With just one arrow, she destroyed the enemy and saved him. He went to her, barely noticing the change in his surrounding.
"I can't accept this," she quietly said as she gingerly held the precious jeweled orb. It wasn't precious because of the stones and gems adorning it but because the Pillar herself gave it to him. It held sentimental value. He normally wouldn't give it to anyone but Fuu was an exception. She was special.
"Take it. It will give you luck and fulfill your wishes. I know you'll take good care of it."
He reached out and closed a hand over hers, making her hold the orb tighter, while an invisible hand clutched his heart in a firm grip as he observed her pink tinged cheeks more closely.
"I don't deserve your trust. Not after the way I acted towards you."
"It doesn't matter. Goodbye, Fuu."
He continued to walk away even though half of him wanted to stay behind...to protect her...to be with her. A moment later his own jeweled orb made a sound. He recognized the voices as Hikaru's and Umi's and he held his breath as he waited for Fuu's wish.
"I wish Ferio is all right."
And his heart felt like bursting.
She cares. I can't believe it.
He wanted to go back to her. He turned around and what he saw drained all the blood from his face.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"
A sand monster was rushing towards her. He yelled for her to run, tried to distract the evil being using his orb communicator. But it was too late. The monster had swallowed Fuu. His knees buckled under him in shock and disbelief. It can't be. This can't be happening.
And then the monster burst into half and Fuu was standing there, holding her new sword, looking more stunning than ever. She was truly an amazing woman. No wonder he loved her.
Love?
Whoever thought a wanderer like him would fall in love? But being the wanderer that he was—the loner that he was—made him all the more vulnerable to the emotion. He unconsciously craved for the fulfillment and security that love could offer...unconsciously craved for her.
Too bad they were gone the moment their duties were completed. He had not only lost his sister but also the only woman he had ever loved. Imagine his surprise and delight when she, along with the other Magic Knights, came back unannounced to Cephiro. He had wanted to pull her in his arms but things were different. She was different, burdened by the guilt of having killed his sister.
"I'm sorry," she apologized, her green eyes downcast.
"For what?"
"For hurting you. If it weren't for us, your sister..."
"If it weren't for you, Emeraude-hime would still be suffering. It was her choice and not your fault."
"You're not mad at us...at me?"
"I could never get mad at you, Fuu, never." He looked hard at her, reacquainting himself of her features, looking for any changes. There were none except, maybe that she lost weight and her eyes no longer shone because of guilt. "I missed you Fuu."
Her eyes widened in surprise and her face flushed either from embarrassment or excitement. "I missed you too, Ferio."
Ah hell, he thought then risked reaching out to her. She disappeared and he found himself running inside Fahren's mother ship, searching frantically for her and doing serious damage to those who tried to stop him.
"Fuu! Fuu!" He cried out as he went from one corridor to another. If they hurt her, I'll... "Fuu!"
"Ferio. You came for me."
"Of course, I did. You didn't think you'd get away from me that easily, did you?"
"You say the most ridiculous things," she replied but he could tell that she liked those ridiculous things.
"Come on, green eyes, let's go home."
"Good bye, Ferio."
He looked up and he noticed that the scene changed again.
She was leaving Cephiro...again.
He didn't think he could take losing her a second time.
He didn't think he could stop her if she really wanted to go either. He wasn't that selfish.
But maybe he should have been. Just once, he should have thought of his happiness. In the least, he should have confessed his growing affection for her...should have asked if she felt the same way.
Perhaps then his remaining life in Cephiro would not have been miserable. He could have at least had some closure. A little bit of peace to help him carry on through every waking hour and lonely nights.
But all he had were memories and empty arms.
Since Fuu went back to Earth, every breath he took hurt. His life went from useless to pointless. He needed her, how he needed her. But she was gone, taking with her a part of his soul and left behind the deep ache in his heart.
His consciousness was beginning to return. He was waking up but he didn't want to. He didn't want to wake up to the pain...to the emptiness.
Fuu, come back to me.
~End of Dream Sequence~
"He remembers," came one whisper.
"It's a good thing you found him. Fuu had been pretty upset when she came home," replied the other in the same hushed tone.
"Everything's drawing to an end."
"Will you go see her then?"
"Not yet. There are some things I have to take care of first."
"Umi misses you badly."
"I know. I miss her too but it isn't our time yet."
"When?"
"Soon, I hope. I have to go. Ferio's waking up."
"All right. I'll see when I see you."
With a brief nod, the man stood up, drew his baseball cap low and all but buried his head in his jacket. He looked left then right then cautiously merged with the crowd in the main street.
Meanwhile, the man who was left behind watched as Ferio groaned into consciousness. The green-haired guy, who was still lying in the now pitch-black alley, took a while before he recognized his unexpected companion.
"Lantis, what...what happened?"
To be concluded...