Disclaimer: Do I really hafta repeat that I don't have any claim for Flame Of Recca?

CHAPTER I: Unforgettable

[Fuuko's POV]

I always get curious of who he really is. He looks so calm yet invulnerable, but despite his girly appearance I can sense that he's got more than meets the eye. (A/N: Don't forget a certain girlish-looking Ensui master that can be deadly in fight)

The first time I saw him, I noticed that he is really...okay, say it: cute...well, he's quite handsome...Ah, forget about it. He was a nice gentleman; he offered to give me a quick tour around Mori Kouran's mansion. But I fled from him to find my own interests, fell down to a water trap because of my own sloppy attitude, and fell unconscious.

Back there when I was out of it, I dreamt about being a mermaid and waiting for a prince; one of my favorite childhood stories. I woke up only to find out I was on my guide's lap.

When I opened my eyes, I almost believed that it was really my prince who had come and rescued me...with a kiss...I was so surprised and embarrassed that I gave him a hard knock on his head in return for saving me.

That wasn't the only time he saved me. Since that water trap accident, I'm afraid if I see him again it'll cause more trouble. But there doesn't seem to be, like when he came to me while I was training with Domon. Bringing along with him two cans of soda, I wonder why at that hour he was at the park with only drinks with him...and accidentally met me. But he was quite amusing for a stranger; he showed me how happy he was to see me again by grabbing my shoulder. He even asked me out!!! After that I still met him occasionally, which was why at those times I believed that he felt 'something' for me. I also found that my heart was pounding a little faster whenever he was around.

My prince...

What a silly title, he made that up by himself...

But I was glad that my 'prince' was the one who returned me to reality from the depth of darkness inside Soukakusai's cauldron. I was thrilled to found he disguised as a fortune-teller just to give warning and train me for future battle. Somehow I also felt his presence and believed my 'prince' had come for me again when I woke up from unconsciousness in a deep cave at S.O.D.O.M. and found remnants of robots were all scattered around me.

It seems that I always bumped into him, "our meeting is fate", but I was delighted. That meant I could always meet him, see him, that we were also there whenever the other wanted. But...is that really him that I met in S.O.D.O.M.?

What I can't forget about him are his eyes...for the first time I saw his dreamy eyes turn dark in. How can warm blue-gray eyes turn dark, freezing gray in just seconds?

That was just a cheerless person with cold eyes, grim attitude, and lying mouth...He said he would kill me, for his master's sake. Did he really mean it? Aren't princes supposed to protect their princesses? I know he meant it...He was really trying to kill me. I felt all my expectations crack into pieces, and my heart as well...in a bitter fight.

"Raiha...

I...want to forget you..."

I miss you...so much...

"I believed once that you had feelings for me...

And now, apparently you don't..."

It's too late for me to realize how deeply I feel for you...

I always think to have feelings of romance like Yanagi makes you weak, but the truth is that it's not really bad at all. I always think, after all things are over, I can cope with my feelings...they all are my own feelings after all. I still got Recca, Yanagi, and Domon at my side, and Mi-chan, who isn't so cold anymore, Ganko as my little sister and Kaoru (once he gets back like I know he will).

"But why..."

Doubts are still in my heart...

I made myself believe that Raiha wouldn't be coming to me anymore, he had his own life to live and our bond is gone with the destruction of Hokage, all about Hokage...and especially our counterpart's madougus...

I'm not throwing away all Domon's affections, I soon returned his caring, in my own way...I hope soon I can smooth things over and find something or someone truly meant for me.

"Why...I still can't forget...

I'm still remembering things...things that I'm not supposed to remember..."

But those things...are unforgettable...

"This is not me...I'm stubborn, strong...ain't supposed to think things like these...

Kami-sama...Onegai, help me find my way..."

Help me find my prince...I want to see him...

It has been 10 months, quite a long time. I have to focus my mind, not to get all confused all over again. I won't let fate keep playing with me; it's I who control myself! If we aren't meeting for bliss, if we aren't searching for a relationship, if we have to fight then overlook each other...then why were we always calling for each other? Why did we always meet? Is it really Raijin and Fuujin who call for each other? Raijin and Fuujin is always a pairing, but are we too? I can't believe that he has some influence on me, making me think things like this. It's not like the usual "me", after a long time still remembering a person like him. I can't totally forget him...Something just keep me recalling Raiha...even past a period...

Because you still had faith in him...

"He betrayed my trust once...who or what will assure he won't...?"

Your love...and his...

[Raiha's POV]

10 months...

It's nearly a year...

It's funny how time seems to slip away so fast...

My princess...

How are you? Are you happy?

I'm sorry for what I've done to you...

Ever since Tendou Jigoku had been destroyed, all of us should be happy that everything is over. It's finally time for us to rebuild our life and working for a new future. That's all I had tried to do these past months. Waving goodbye to our Kurei-sama must not be a habit, since we never had a chance to do it. So we also don't expect him to come back, especially to return from the past. Uruha itself has been officially dismissed by its very own leader, Kurei. Our beloved master; Kurei...

To forget everything in the past and never look back sometimes are right to do. But things in the past are also things that always bound me. Part of my loyalty to Kurei is because I'm too chained with my treacherous ancestor's blood, and the other part is a fact that I really admired that man.

My incapability to not be too tied up with things in the past made it hard also to forget some people; people who had a special place in my heart. At this time, I still believe somehow Joker is still alive and will soon find us to join a new life. But soon I will have to face up to the fact that he is dead.

There's a person who I'll always remember also...

A girl...

My princess...

Whom I had hurt ...body and soul...with my own hands...

Kirisawa Fuuko...

I never remember how I could be attracted to a girl, even considering a girl as my princess. That's what makes her so special. Blush spreading over her face when I took her hand to keep her from falling. I'd loved saying to the guards that she 'is' my girlfriend, how I wish for it to be true. That was the first time I felt really attracted to a girl, due to the lack of females and available relationships in Uruha. Unfortunately she dislikes being in my guidance traveling Mori's mansion, and being a careless person she fell down to one of traps in the building.

I listened in her mumbling speak while she was unconscious after I saved her. I almost thought that she had passed out when I came but she was just collapsed for being in water for a long time. I put her on my lap and waited for her to wake up. She said she was a mermaid waiting for a prince charming. Hmm...she was more like a sleeping beauty to me in her sleeping form. When I nudged her a couple times she finally woke up and said dreamily, "Who is it? Is it my prince who is calling me?"

I just smiled.

After a moment's pause, I murmured, "Yes indeed, I'm the prince who had saved you"

Instead of "thank you", I received a knockout from her. She must be really mad and embarrassed. Since then, I've been really interested in her and decided she is my 'princess'. The fact that she is a Fuujin master just adds more reasons why I am attracted to her. I paid more attention to her and saved her neck a couple of times subsequently. Besides watching her progress with Fuujin as my madougu's counterpart, I also had progress in my feelings for her. And I'm also aware that she began to care about me too.

"How cruel, I just want to be with you..." I said that with honesty from my heart. How I began to realize I'm growing love from affection seeds, but she was still trying to figure out what had happened to her heart. That heart I can feel pounding faster from her reaction and more blush spreading over her face than last time.

My princess...

My sleeping beauty...

"Your prince has come to save you..."

It was exactly what I said to her in Soukakusai's cauldron. I said that to her even I knew she won't be able to understand it that time. I just wanted to make sure I was there for her. Also I'm glad I could help her train and sharpen her senses before going to S.O.D.O.M. I showed myself to her again and gave her the main crystal of Fuujin as a prize. But the last time I saved her in S.O.D.O.M. I didn't show myself up to her...I just left her unconscious...even as I wanted so badly to see her cheerful face and spirited voice, to make her realize that I had come once again for her and hope we can share the same feelings after all of this is over.

Because I knew that our time has come to a bitter fight between our madougu, wind and thunder, and to redeem my treacherous ancestor's blood of Hokage. To prove my high loyalty to Kurei-sama as his ninja. I told her I would kill her for Kurei-sama's sake. I forced her to fight me against her own will...and mine. I told Neon soon after that I didn't want to run away from that battle, but I didn't tell her it was hard for me.

Our fated battle was over. I already gave my best to help Kurei-sama fight Tendou Jigoku and it's over as well. I'm supposed to undergo a new life and repair things, but can I undo what I had done to her? After all the kindness and affections I gave to her, I hurt her by betraying her trust in me and attacking in our final fight. Even I did that under control of Raijin, it was me who let that creepy madougu have power over me. Despite my will to protect her, I destroyed her...

I denied my feelings over her...

Because love never exists in Uruha...

But Uruha has been dismissed now...

So is it still exist now in my heart?

Yes it does...

A/N: Yep, here goes the prologue and the first chapter. Hope you all like it guys, this is my first fic and at first I have no guts to post it. Thanx a lot to shukuchi who willed to be my beta!!! BTW minna, I need to have a vote about my fic's ending. I'm gonna decide the ending by the vote, so tell me what you really want. How do you want it? Happy end/ Sad end? I might add some angst later...R&R plz!!!