[[Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yuugi or any of its characters]]
Only You
It is so warm, unusually warm for this time of year, the boy thought to himself as he walked through the market place of Eiyo. Good for the venders though I suppose. I wonder what mother wants in the way of fruit, she never did say exactly. He moved along the carts and selected a few different kinds of fruit, only the types that were the best this season. He handed the merchant a few coins and gave a wave as he turned towards the next cart. The air was a bit dusty because it had not rained in a few weeks and he began the walk home hoping that his mother would be satisfied with his choices. He passed the old lady selling her cloth as he did every day. She smiled and waved to him.
"Hello Ryuen. Having a nice day?" Her voice was old and crackly, but still pleasant in that grandmother kind of way.
"A little too hot for me." He gave her a quick but respectful bow and continued walking.
"Well then, you best run along home, as a matter of fact, I just saw your sister a moment ago… I think she was looking for you." The woman called back to him.
Ryuen paused, "really? Did you see where she went?" He watched for a moment, but the old women shook her head. Well, when she doesn't find me, she'll come along home. She's a big girl now, and knows the way. He decided this as he continued weaving through the shops. As he reached the Main Street, he paused for a moment to let a cart pass by. It spewed dust into the air and into Ryuen's face. He coughed and shook his head. Can't they slow down; they're going to hit someone someday if they aren't careful. Once the cart was far enough down the street Ryuen quickly walked across it, fruits in hand. He had no sooner gotten to the other side when heard a familiar voice calling for him.
"Brother!" The voice called. Ryuen turned to see a girl calling him from across the street. His mirror, his sister, they were identical in ever way. Their face, their eyes, the way they wore their long violet hair, even their laugh and smile. The only difference, besides the fact that she was a year younger, was that he was a boy and she was a girl. But that had not stopped them from being inseparable. He smiled and waved as he looked at her, but his eyes soon moved. Now, all he saw was the car headed down the main road, and it was out of control. The driver had lost hold of the reigns and was franticly trying to slow the horses.
Now Ryuen looked back as his sister as she ran for the main road, trying to catch up to him. No Korin, don't run across there. Stop running. "No Korin, stop, stop." He flailed his arms and shook his head. She only grinned and copied his motions, still running. Then it was as if the world ceased to exist. Now only… it was the cart, and Korin, and then a crash, and then just the cart.
"Korin… Korin…. KORIN!" Ryuen screamed.
"Korin, no!" Ryuen's shot up in bed, soaked in sweat and breathing heavily. He looked around the room at the bare walls as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. His gaze drifted to the empty bed across from his own. "Korin." He whispered. He slipped out of his own bed and crept across the room to the empty one his younger sister had once occupied. Oh Korin, I'm so sorry, this is all my fault. If I had found you, or waited for you. If I had run out to you or even yelled louder, then maybe you would have heard me. He wiped his arm across his face and streaked tears away. Why you? Why not me? Why wasn't I the one crossing the street? If I had stayed to talk to the cloth lady longer, then the cart may have hit me and not you. I should have protected you. I'm you're big brother, it was my job. I let you down. I hate myself. This time Ryuen did not even bother trying to wipe away the tears. He let them fall down his cheeks and land on Korin's pillow. You had a future, a chance, to make mom and dad proud. I'm not good at anything. But you, you were NO are…. so beautiful. You would have married a great man, and been so happy, but now… now… He shook his head. What will I do without you Korin? You and I, we were the same; we shared a common spirit. We were supposed to be together forever. Me with my family, you with yours, but we would have always stayed close. He picked up her doll and hugged it so tightly to his chest that it was as if he wanted to pull it into himself. Don't you remember? We talked about living together, even when we were grown up. At that thought, Ryuen laughed quietly, the kind of laugh one has when they are crying. A laugh of pure despair and emptiness. But in the vacant room, it was only a haunting echo. Mom and Dad never loved me as much as they loved you, but I was okay with that. I never could do the things that you were destined to do in their eyes; I never could have made them happy like you could. And now what, because of some idiot driver, you're…. you're… gone. And I am left with the knowledge that it should have been me. What am I supposed to do now Korin? What am I supposed to do with out you?
For a moment, Ryuen stopped and sat in the room with out a sound. To his surprise there were other voices floating through the house. It was his parents; Ryuen could hear them through the small opening in the door.
"Haven't you heard him?" Ryuen heard his mother say. "He cries all the time. He has been in that room for days, and not come out even once. When I go in, he pretends to be asleep. But I hear him crying at night, I hear him calling her name like some possessed demon. As if he believes that if he calls to her enough she'll come back to him… to us."
His father replied. "He's young, he'll move on, get over it. I miss Korin too, but there is nothing any of us can do. I told him that the moment he got home, after it happened. I told him that Korin was dead. She's gone forever now, and it was best for him to try and forget all this." Ryuen's parents continued talking, unaware that he was listening.
"But Ryuen and Korin were so close, inseparable even. How can you just expect him to get over it?"
"He has too. It's only him and Rokou left now."
"I don't understand you." He heard his mother say. "I'm going to bed."
Ryuen heard his mothers footsteps disappear and soon after, his father got up and also went into their bedroom. "Get over it. Are they crazy? How can they talk about you like that?" He whispered to the darkened corners of the room. "Korin, tell me what to do. I don't know how to live with out you here. Tell me?" He looked around, as if expecting to hear her whispered voice in reply. He laid the doll back down on her pillow and moved over to the window. It was still warm out; the sky was clear and the moon very bright. He glanced around the room. It was so empty, as it had always been two beds with a chest at the foot of each, and mirror that stood in the corner of Korin's side of the room. It was so dark, except for a single beam of moonlight that shown down on Korin's chest. Ryuen focused his gaze upon it intensely. He quietly shuffled over to it and opened it up. Her clothes lay inside, perfectly folded. "Is that it Korin? Is that how I can keep you close to me?" He picked up one of the dresses that lay on the top of the pile. Pulling his own shirt over his head, he threw it across the room so it landed on the bed; and pulled the dress over his pale form. Standing up he smoothed the fabric and marveled at how perfectly the dress fit him. I truly am your mirror Korin. He reveled in the soft silky feel of the fabric on his skin and as he wrapped his arms around himself, he could almost picture hugging Korin. He knelt back down in front of the mirror and pulled Korin's lip color out of the trunk. He dabbed his finger into it and smoothed some of the red color onto his lips, just as he had seen Korin do every morning. He picked up her brush and ran it through is hair until the violet formed waves around his soft face. As he gazed into the mirror again what he saw was not his own reflection, but Korin, his sister gazing back at him from the depths of the glass. I told you we were the same. I love you Korin and I could not forget you even if I wanted too. You should not forgive me for letting you down, I know I never will, but I won't let your memory die. "I won't forget about you. We always, always, will be together; because I'll become you. I'll live on in your place. I am you now Korin, from this day on… I am you." He gazed into the mirror now, again, the tears still running down his face, but it was still Korin that he saw. And in the reflection, she was smiling at him, proud that he would never let her memory die. Only you now Korin, only you.
A/N:
Hey guys I know it's a little corny… but I actually wrote this one years ago when I first watched FY (Many thanks to my best friend Gwen for getting me into the addiction). I thought it was somewhat cute so I put it up on here. There is obviously no continuation, but if you like it R&R. Maybe I will do a few more quick one shots.