Memory
She stood on the stone balcony, gazing at the moon. Her silver dress shimmered, making it seem like she wore a river of light. The sounds of a party could be heard, but she had no desire to join.
She waited for someone that she knew would not be there.
A shadow crossed her line of vision and she turned around. She could see the outline of a tall man with…fox ears?
"What are you doing here?" she gasped. "Get away!"
The kitsune stepped into the light. His long silver hair shone. "So you don't want to see me, is that it?" He sounded hurt. "Is it because I'm a murderer? I'll leave you to your party then, Your Highness."
The girl's face softened. "Of course I want to see you, Kurama," she whispered. "But I don't want you to get hurt." She smiled. "And you're not a murderer...just a petty thief."
Kurama rolled his eyes. "Anyway," he said, "I have something for you." He pulled out a box and she took it curiously.
"What is it?"
"Open it!"
There was a beautiful lapis lazuli pendant inside. It was on a silver chain and the dark blue stone was encased in silver. She gasped.
"Oh, Kurama, it's beautiful!" she said, hugging the kitsune tightly. He smiled and held another one up, this time set with a white stone.
"I've got one too, just in case we get separated. If you ever think that someone might be impersonating me, ask them for this pendant. That will tell you."
"Would you be jealous if someone took me besides you?"
"Insanely jealous."
The princess smiled. "That's what I wanted to hear." She embraced him again and got one in return. "Aishiteru."
They kissed, silhouetted by the moonlight.
Which is exactly how the guards found them a few seconds later.
"There he is!"
"Seize him!"
"Take him to His Majesty!"
"Run!" she screamed to the kitsune. "Get away from here!"
Kurama jumped off the balcony and ran. The guards took out their crossbows.
"Iie!" the girl screamed, tugging at the crossbows. "Please! Spare him!"
The guard turned, baring sharp teeth. "You'll be getting a reprimand too, missy, for associatin' with that kitsune!" He grinned. "And now you get to watch him die."
She heard a scream. Kurama had been hit in the back with an arrow. Then another. Then another.
It seemed to take a long time for him to fall.
Her dark blue eyes had filled with tears, which spilled over her cheeks. She didn't seem to register the fact that her lover was bleeding on the ground. Then--
"IIE!!!!!" she screamed, falling to the ground. Kurama looked up weakly in time to see the guards snatch her arms and start dragging her away.
"Stop!" he yelled, stumbling to his feet. Two more guards released the remainder of their arrows.
Four black feather-tipped arrows stuck out of his chest and three were embedded in his back.
Just before they dragged her inside the castle, she saw her kitsune fall, defeated, onto the tall grass that they had played on only a week ago.
She stood on the stone balcony, gazing at the moon. Her silver dress shimmered, making it seem like she wore a river of light. The sounds of a party could be heard, but she had no desire to join.
She waited for someone that she knew would not be there.
A shadow crossed her line of vision and she turned around. She could see the outline of a tall man with…fox ears?
"What are you doing here?" she gasped. "Get away!"
The kitsune stepped into the light. His long silver hair shone. "So you don't want to see me, is that it?" He sounded hurt. "Is it because I'm a murderer? I'll leave you to your party then, Your Highness."
The girl's face softened. "Of course I want to see you, Kurama," she whispered. "But I don't want you to get hurt." She smiled. "And you're not a murderer...just a petty thief."
Kurama rolled his eyes. "Anyway," he said, "I have something for you." He pulled out a box and she took it curiously.
"What is it?"
"Open it!"
There was a beautiful lapis lazuli pendant inside. It was on a silver chain and the dark blue stone was encased in silver. She gasped.
"Oh, Kurama, it's beautiful!" she said, hugging the kitsune tightly. He smiled and held another one up, this time set with a white stone.
"I've got one too, just in case we get separated. If you ever think that someone might be impersonating me, ask them for this pendant. That will tell you."
"Would you be jealous if someone took me besides you?"
"Insanely jealous."
The princess smiled. "That's what I wanted to hear." She embraced him again and got one in return. "Aishiteru."
They kissed, silhouetted by the moonlight.
Which is exactly how the guards found them a few seconds later.
"There he is!"
"Seize him!"
"Take him to His Majesty!"
"Run!" she screamed to the kitsune. "Get away from here!"
Kurama jumped off the balcony and ran. The guards took out their crossbows.
"Iie!" the girl screamed, tugging at the crossbows. "Please! Spare him!"
The guard turned, baring sharp teeth. "You'll be getting a reprimand too, missy, for associatin' with that kitsune!" He grinned. "And now you get to watch him die."
She heard a scream. Kurama had been hit in the back with an arrow. Then another. Then another.
It seemed to take a long time for him to fall.
Her dark blue eyes had filled with tears, which spilled over her cheeks. She didn't seem to register the fact that her lover was bleeding on the ground. Then--
"IIE!!!!!" she screamed, falling to the ground. Kurama looked up weakly in time to see the guards snatch her arms and start dragging her away.
"Stop!" he yelled, stumbling to his feet. Two more guards released the remainder of their arrows.
Four black feather-tipped arrows stuck out of his chest and three were embedded in his back.
Just before they dragged her inside the castle, she saw her kitsune fall, defeated, onto the tall grass that they had played on only a week ago.