"Yes... and I promise that I will meet with you before the sun sets tomorrow," said a young man in his mid-adolescence.
A young woman of the same age nodded her head, and gave a slight bow before hurrying away as fast as her kimono would let her.
The young boy gave out a mischievous smile before running towards the town gates where his home was to be found. He jumped over the rotting, wooden fences and silently crept past the guards. He stopped when he came at the foot of the kingdom's hills, then taking a deep breath, he positioned himself to dive into the flowing river's water. With that, he was stopped by a pair of soft, gentle hands.
"To where are you swimming off to sir?"
The boy looked over at the young girl in a fancy forest green kimono with a lake scene and a sun rise imprinted on it. Her obi held real woven gold. The only sight on her that was plain was a single black fan to her left, but the boy didn't play much attention to it. He smiled at this. He has always fancied beautiful young women and he chose them to be his courtiers, but he had never laid eyes on a beautiful, rich young woman before. "I am not swimming off to any place Miss...?" he asked.
"Call me Saiyuri. Itaki Saiyuri. And yours?" she asked, taking her hands away from his shoulders; entwining them together.
"Taichi. Yagami Taichi," he answered as he took a step back from the river.
"Taichi... Hm... Where have I heard that before?" the young woman asked, placing a delicate finger upon her chin, making it look as if she were pondering about it.
Taichi gave her a lopsided grin and brushed her thoughts away. If she ever heard of him, she must have heard it from one of the other young women in the town. One of his other courtiers. "My name? I would be surprised if anyone in this world would know my name except for my mother... and you now," he said, slowly trying to enchant the girl. As he spoke, his eyes finally landed on her face, after being so amazed from her clothing. Her eyes had a startling ruby color, and her face was of a perfect oval. Her perfect skin was of soft cream, and unlike most of the other kimono-wearing women he saw, she wore no make-up.
"It is quite strange meeting a boy of about my age here in this town now. Ever since that war we had with the other kingdom, many men did not return home. Were you one of the combatants that the king order to fight?"
"Yes. In fact, my guess is that is where you have heard of me," he said. He had just remembered about that war. He was the youngest most skilled fighter in the group, all thanks to his mother who urged him to take martial arts and swordsmanship when he was only of the age of four. This he told Saiyuri.
"Amazing," she said sincerely. Her eyes were now round and full, truly amazed of Taichi's story. "I would love to hear more of your stories Taichi-san but unfortunately the sun is setting and the darkness is always dangerous." she turned around just slightly.
"Then... let us meet again. Tomorrow. When the rose color touches the tops of the mountains, here, on the same grounds."
Saiyuri's eyes brightened at this, and she gave Taichi a beautiful smile before replying, "Saiyuri would think of no other other words but a 'yes' for Taichi-san's wonderful offer." With this, she bowed to Taichi, and scurried away.
~*~
As Taichi walked back to his home, he finally realized that he had asked to meet Saiyuri to meet him during the same time he was supposed to meet... What was her name again? Well it didn't really matter- the girl had a pretty face. In his thoughts, he figured that Saiyuri was a much better catch than... the alternative, so he would meet with Saiyuri and leave the other girl to wait for him until the sun set and she finally realizes that he would not come.
~*~
After slyly picking bread off of one of the market stands without paying, Taichi walked towards his path home. He stared up at the sky noting the slight pink aura off the mountain tops. The sun was setting and Saiyuri would probably be waiting for him there. If he were lucky.
He once again jumped over the wooden fences and crept past the guards until he saw a person , keeling down in front of a rock, at the foot of the kingdom's hills. Taichi understood her stance. It was harder to sit with a kimono on, than to kneel.
He walked over to the figure and smiled. Saiyuri was wearing another exquisite kimono filled with beautiful prints, outlined with precious jewels, but once again, she held that peculiar black fan which Taichi once again ignored.
"Taichi-san stopped after he said he fought with that large man , preferably the gate captain of the village. I would love if Taichi-san continued back at that scene," Saiyuri explained.
Taichi smiled and nodded and offered her some bread which they shared until the sun began to set.
~*~
Everyday before the sun set, Taichi and Saiyuri met. After awhile, the two began to take long walks, telling stories of their interesting pasts. Everyday the two did this... everyday for many weeks.
One day, as Taichi was preparing for his meeting with Saiyuri, he had realized something: he had fallen in love with the girl. He, Yagami Taichi, the young man with man courtiers had finally fallen in love. He would tell her of this news before they parted that day.
~*~
"Saiyuri-san!" Taichi called as he ran down the hill towards her. Just as he stopped at her front, he noticed a very unpleasant look on her face.
"Taichi... What in the worlds did you take me for? Did you think that I was such an idiot? That I would never figure out who you truly were?" Saiyuri yelled at Taichi. Tears began staining her perfect cream skin, leaving a salty, moist residue.
"What is this? This isn't such a warm welcome Saiyuri. Now will you please lower your voice and tell me calmly what in the world you are talking about?" Taichi said, trying to hush the hysterical girl.
"NO Taichi! No! I truly did think that we were falling in love... I truly did... but you... You took it for granted didn't you? Didn't you?! I don't understand although I wished that I did. I love you Taichi, and yet... you go around behind my back, teasing other young women such as myself and Aki-san!" she continued. That was the girls name! The girl whom he had not kept his promise to. The girl he failed to meet before sun set all those weeks back.
"Saiyuri! Please understand that I was a fool to hurt so many women. I was wrong, but please believe me when I say that I am sorry. I have learned from my lesson. I had explained it to all the others whom I had been with, telling them that I could not meet with them anymore because I had fallen in love-" Taichi tried to explain.
"No more... I am truly sorry about your predicament Taichi but I cannot listen to any other words that decide to escape through your mouth! Goodbye Taichi..." she said, as tears flowed out even quicker than before. She opened that peculiar black fan that Taichi always decided to ignore. On the outside, Taichi thought it to be plain, but on the inside folds, he had realized there was the most spectacular painted dragon that Taichi had ever laid eyes on, but it's eyes were made of jewels that he had never seen before. "This is for your own good..." she whispered.
"Saiyuri... what-?" Taichi was about to ask, but just then, the dragon was brought to life. Saiyuri was chanting some words that he could not comprehend. The dragon began to coil itself around Taichi until only his face was left uncovered. "Saiyuri!" he called out, scared and confused.
"I am sorry that it has to end like this but you had been so unfaithful after all those days that we had spent, building up our trust. I will miss you... There will never be any other man that I will fall in love with Taichi... I have just always wanted it to be you and only you."
Saiyuri stood on her toes and kissed Taichi's lips softly. He had wanted it to last forever, and he was sure that she wanted to to last forever too, but all good things must come to an end, and with that, Saiyuri pulled away. "May you be but a mere voice my love. From now until forever. The only time this will be broken is when someone else would ever fall in love with you," she said with such melancholy in her voice.
The dragon finally wrapped itself up around Taichi's head, and a bright green light emitted from the whole dragon. As it began to pull away, Taichi was no longer there. All that was left was an orange glow that only witches could see. Saiyuri trapped this glow inside a portable candle lamp, and she walked off as guards around the town ran to the sight, wondering what that bright light was.
~*~
After what seemed like hours of walking, and crying a river, Saiyuri stopped in in front of a cave. Taichi recognized this cave. He passed this when he walked the shortcut home.
"This is where I will leave you now Taichi, and you can never escape from this," she explained as she mumbled ambiguous words.
As she did, a pinking aura grew, blocking the entrance of the cave that once again, only witches could see. "There is a barrier. If you touch it, you will only receive a painful reward. Goodbye Taichi... I must leave now before I change my mind and forgive you..." she said as she left the cave, never to return again..
~*~
Taichi tried to escape; he tried to follow her, but she was right. He would only receive pain from the barrier. He tried to see himself, but he couldn't. He had no eyes. He had no body. He had nothing... but his voice. What had Saiyuri done to him? Didn't she hear him say that he fell in love with her? What would become of him now? How could anyone fall in love with just a voice? How could he fall in love, and not see the person he would fall in love with?
~*~
Author's Notes: Okay, a new story, I know. I couldn't help myself. I wrote down the beginning, the ending, and everything in between.
It just popped into my head, and I just wrote everything down on a sheet of paper before I went to school (the beginning, the ending, and everything in between... yes it's all planned out now.)... then I was late, but I guess it was worth it. It's a new fairy tale... originally created. I hope that you enjoyed.
Oh yeah... Saiyuri is a witch. Actually... you know what? If you have any questions, please take note of it, and save them. I have a feeling that your questions will be answered in the following chapters.
Please review!