Mayumi's knuckles were white from gripping the balustrade as she told her tale. The only noise that could be heard for a while afterwards was the chirping of the crickets.
"May I see your pendant?"
Mayumi was surprised. Kurama's voice sounded breathless, hopeful, and yet fearful. She pulled it out from under her shirt.
She was right: It was a beautiful thing. She smiled sadly.
"We would have known each other for two thousand years today," she said softly. "But he died."
Kurama touched her pendant gently. "So it's true," he said in a ragged whisper.
"Excuse me?"
The redhead reached under his shirt and pulled out a pendant set with a large white stone.
Mayumi stared at it for a minute. "No," she said finally. "It's not true."
Kurama was taken aback. "Why not?"
"You aren't a kitsune."
"I told you that if I had the pendant, you'd know it was me," he said softly, then smiled. "Your Highness."
They were silent for what seemed to be hours. Then--
"KURAMA!!" Mayumi screamed, barreling into him with the force of a cannonball. She hugged him tightly, sobbing. "I thought you were dead," she cried. "I thought you were dead…"
The redheaded boy stroked her head gently. "It's all right," he whispered, burying his face in her hair. "It's all right…"
They both held each other for a long time. Mayumi was the first to break from the embrace.
"You escaped to the Ningenkai, then," she whispered. "That's why you're here."
Kurama nodded. Mayumi looked away, ashamed. She withdrew her hands from his own.
"Why do you still love me?" she asked softly. "I don't possess the beauty that used to be mine in the Makai. I'm a cripple."
"I don't care how you look," the reply came from behind as Kurama took her withered hand in his own perfect one. "I care about you. I care about the Princess Mayumi that loved an unworthy kitsune with all her heart." He spread out his arms.
Mayumi withdrew into her lover's tender embrace. "I have something for you." She took a small, thin branch with white blossoms scattered over it, handing it to Kurama. "It's a dogwood branch," she said. "As long as both of our hearts belong to each other, the blossoms will never wither." She smiled. "It's a love pact."
Kurama put the branch with his rose and held Mayumi tightly. "Your heart will be mine forever."
They kissed.
"May I see your pendant?"
Mayumi was surprised. Kurama's voice sounded breathless, hopeful, and yet fearful. She pulled it out from under her shirt.
She was right: It was a beautiful thing. She smiled sadly.
"We would have known each other for two thousand years today," she said softly. "But he died."
Kurama touched her pendant gently. "So it's true," he said in a ragged whisper.
"Excuse me?"
The redhead reached under his shirt and pulled out a pendant set with a large white stone.
Mayumi stared at it for a minute. "No," she said finally. "It's not true."
Kurama was taken aback. "Why not?"
"You aren't a kitsune."
"I told you that if I had the pendant, you'd know it was me," he said softly, then smiled. "Your Highness."
They were silent for what seemed to be hours. Then--
"KURAMA!!" Mayumi screamed, barreling into him with the force of a cannonball. She hugged him tightly, sobbing. "I thought you were dead," she cried. "I thought you were dead…"
The redheaded boy stroked her head gently. "It's all right," he whispered, burying his face in her hair. "It's all right…"
They both held each other for a long time. Mayumi was the first to break from the embrace.
"You escaped to the Ningenkai, then," she whispered. "That's why you're here."
Kurama nodded. Mayumi looked away, ashamed. She withdrew her hands from his own.
"Why do you still love me?" she asked softly. "I don't possess the beauty that used to be mine in the Makai. I'm a cripple."
"I don't care how you look," the reply came from behind as Kurama took her withered hand in his own perfect one. "I care about you. I care about the Princess Mayumi that loved an unworthy kitsune with all her heart." He spread out his arms.
Mayumi withdrew into her lover's tender embrace. "I have something for you." She took a small, thin branch with white blossoms scattered over it, handing it to Kurama. "It's a dogwood branch," she said. "As long as both of our hearts belong to each other, the blossoms will never wither." She smiled. "It's a love pact."
Kurama put the branch with his rose and held Mayumi tightly. "Your heart will be mine forever."
They kissed.