Hey all, welcome to my short story, Last Granted. I wrote this awhile after watching the Fushigi Yuugi episode where Suzuno and Tatara get together again...and it moved me to tears. And –poof- this idea comes out. I hope you all like this!
And now I present...
Last Granted
"But Byakko, the great tiger God, did not grant the miko's wish to be with her beloved seishi forever...'That is one wish I cannot grant' were the god beast's exact words."
"How come Byakko refused to get the miko and the seishi together?"
"Even now, I don't know child...I don't know, and I'm sure I will never know. My guess would be that even the great power of the god beast could not interfere with the power of true love."
"But it was a God! A God should've been able to keep the two of them together! You said Byakko could've granted ANY wish to the miko, so why not that one?"
"If only it did...if only. Who are we to understand the ways of the god beasts? Now come along child, that's enough storytelling for tonight. Go on to sleep."
"Okay. Goodnight grandma."
"Sweet dreams, child."
'I can't stop these tears once they start...why do I even bother bringing up the past? It hurts so much, and yet...and yet...you promised you'd find me…'
"Tatara!"
~*~
Who are these people around me? Well, one of them was my idiot grandson, I knew that much...the others were a mystery. Oh well, no point in getting to know them...they shouldn't need to worry about an old woman like this.
But now, as I lay here in the warmth of the blankets against the cold, harsh weather outside, I wish with most of my heart that he would've believed those stories I told to him every night. Ha, now even I'm believing that they're only stories...that he was merely a character. How could that be, though? Every day, every minute my heart aches to be held in his arms again, a longing I've had since I left so many years ago. True as I might, I couldn't forget him even when I married another man here in this world. I can still faintly feel his pain, his longing, his sorrow.
Something lurched in my old, worn heart. That fool, what was he doing now? Oh no, was something going on in the book? Was it finally time? The aching died down. No, not now. Not yet.
I closed my eyes, ignoring the talk from my grandson and those strangers. Hmph, here I am, practically on my deathbed, and that idiot can't even kick these people and say goodbye to be properly. Baka...are you going to chose now to call me a liar? They weren't just stories, for how can love be merely a tale told in a book? It's so true, as real as the hair on your head.
Oh Byakko...it was the only wish I really wanted to come true. You granted me everything but what I wanted the most. So even though the legend was not a lie, you didn't make all of my dreams come true as I was promised...my dream was to forever be with him and I wasn't granted that. I wasn't even given a chance to say good-bye, and now here I am, practically dying and I never did anything about it. Forgive me...
Gomen ne...
I felt another lurch in my heart. He was going, same as me. Had he really stayed alive all this time, just for me? Could it be that...maybe...
"Grandmother?"
Oh, not now you idiot...I can feel him again. All of these years that I've waited, only for you. I've dreamt of only you, cried only for you...wanted only you. I've cursed the god beast for not granting my one true wish, but perhaps now it's time to make amends. Now is the time, my love...can we please meet again? I've waited all these years just to see you again...to be held in your arms...no matter what anyone else thought. Nothing, no one else mattered, and we chose to ignore them until it was too late. Is it too late now to tell you Wo Ai Ni again?
My chest twisted in pain and I knew it was over for him. Without opening my eyes again, my old body ceased to exist. But wait...something else was happening to me. Years flashed before my eyes as I awoke again, not to the heavens, but for something so much more.
I ignored the shocked looks on everyone's faces, though I did want to smirk at my grandson for not believing me until this moment. Yes, you fool, this was my teenage spirit, the one I was see who I was destined for all along.
I seemingly floated past everyone, not acknowledging them whatsoever, as I had only the eyes for him. I could hear their tears of wonder, but I did not respond.
Light flowed in front of me. Was he really coming? Was he here for me, to hold me as we closed our eyes and prayed for time to stop?
I couldn't speak. I couldn't cry. I couldn't make a single response but keep on flowing towards him, my two long brown braids floating behind me. He was there with open arms, as he had always been all of these years.
"Suzuno..." he whispered, only for me. Oh Byakko, it was him! After all of these years of pain, wondering, and waiting, we were finally together again. As I had imagined, he pulled me into his arms and I buried my head in his chest, still not open to any other emotion other than the relief that he had come back for me. Everyone below us cried out, not believing would be together...but now, here we were, in each other's arms for all of eternity.
"Tatara..." I said so quietly, it only reached his ears. "Wo Ai Ni"
Wo Ai Ni forever and ever, my love...you've finally found me...after a lifetime of emptiness we are finally together again.
~*~
The End.
Like? Didn't like? Doesn't matter either way, but please review! And check out my other fics...I'm working on a couple of other FY ones, so please keep checking back! Thanks!