Promises of the Past pt. 9 Kuchibue Ga Kikoeru (I Hear a Whistle)
She and Hiei walked in the palace garden.
"Hiei," Sakura began softly.
Hiei turned to her.
"Hm?" he snorted softly.
"Why are you the way you are?" Sakura questioned quietly removing the red mask from her face.
Hiei smirked.
"You mean to ask: 'Why am I such a cold and sadistic little midget with a heart that's ten times too small?'" he retorted smirking.
Sakura blushed.
"W-well," she stuttered.
He placed a silencing finger on her lips. Hiei sighed.
"Because.." he answered with a cold and solemn look in his eyes. "The darkness and suffering I've seen in this world can make anyone turn cold."
"What darkness have you seen, Hiei?" she questioned staring at him.
He gripped the black, cloth mask his hand tightly suddenly tearing the false face of his serious facade.
"I've seen women abandon children just because of something trivial, like a child being born as an unwanted son when the family longed for a girl," he sneered bitterly. "The child's mother cries out in protest only to have her cries fall on deaf ears. I've seen that mother die of heartbreak and suicide only a few moments later. She left a lonely, little girl and an even lonelier, abandoned boy behind."
Sakura's eyes grew wide.
"I've seen the truest of true loves fail miserably thus ending in death and sadness," Hiei continued grimly.
He stared into the night sky gripping the mask tighter in his white gloved hand.
"Do you want me to continue?" he asked with a forlorn hope in his voice.
Saddened, Sakura looked deep into his crimson eyes. She shook her head.
"Hiei," she murmured turning teary-eyed.
She pulled him close and resting his head on her chest.
"There is a lot of darkness in the world, but there are good things in it too," she comforted. "Love doesn't always fail. And there are good people too. Tell me, you were the abandoned boy weren't you?"
Hiei's eyes went wide. He nodded sadly.
"How did you figure?" he murmured gazing up at her.
"Over the years, I've watched you too," she whispered looking down to him. "That little girl was your sister. She disappeared and was never seen again."
Hiei nodded. His eyes shined with starlight and tears.
"The Prince's family took you in when they found you crying on the street only wearing swaddling clothes," Sakura narrated.
Hiei nodded hearing his own life story from her mouth like gentle waves from the sea.
"I watched and felt so sorry for you," she added. "Then, I began to pray. I prayed you could collect the scattered pieces of a broken life and put them back together. I hoped you would hear my distant prayer as the whistle in a moonlit wind."
She stroked Hiei's hair.
"I did hear you," he whispered softly. "On sleepless nights, I would hear the wind softly billow the curtains in my bedchambers. And in that wind, I heard a distant whistling from beyond the stars and the sky. I hoped it was in a way someone's prayer."
"Kuchibue ga kikoeru," Sakura whispered. "I hear a whistle."
Hiei nodded.
"I hear that whistle too," Hiei murmured softly closing his eyes.
He pulled her close burying his face in her hair.
Prince Kurama led Kizna to the long dining table and offered a seat to her. The others followed his example. Kurama sat down next to her. Queen Shiori took a place at the table's head. Whispers went down the table as servants brought out large plates of fine food and glasses of fine wine.
"Where's, Hiei?" Kurama inquired searching the masked faces on the table.
"Sakura, is missing too," Kizna added.
She turned to Botan sitting next to her.
"Botan, have you seen her?" she questioned.
"The last time I saw her, she and Hiei left the dance floor early," she responded shrugging. "They must have wandered off."
"I wouldn't worry," Queen Shiori smiled making Botan and Kizna turn. "Hiei has always been a rather– antisocial– person in this palace. We've learned to get used to it. So tell me, Kizna..."
"Mother," Kurama whined blushing behind his fox mask. "Please not now. I don't think, Kizna, would like to discuss her past at this moment."
"Nonsense, Kurama," Queen Shiori chuckled. "It's not like, Kizna, is from the Moon or something. Besides, I'm very glad you've finally picked a suitable young lady to settle down with."
Kizna and the others cast nervous looks. How ironic, Kizna thought letting out a nervous giggle. Kurama sighed.
Glaring through her purple mask, Ruka watched Kizna, Kurama, and Queen Shiori talk amongst themselves. That insolent girl, she sneered. How dare she.
The music began to drift in the ballroom air as the plates and food were collected. Kurama turned to Kizna.
"Kizna, shall we?" he grinned holding his hand out to her.
"Why I do believe I shouldn't be trusting a fox that's smiling, but I think I can trust you with a dance," she teased grinning back at him.
She nodded. Kurama let Kizna out to the floor. Ruka glared.
"Excuse me," she snapped trying to hide the blatant annoyance in her voice.
The others watched as Kurama and Kizna began to waltz. Slowly, Ruka stepped to Prince Kurama and Princess Kizna's side and pulled Kizna away. Kizna stumbled backwards. Ruka placed herself in the Prince's arms and began to dance. Kurama glared. Kizna and the others were infuriated.
"Oh," Botan growled. "I never liked that, Witch."
"Neither have I," Keiko.
Yukina's head bobbed in agreement. Yusuke turned to them and smirked.
"Don't worry ladies," he boasted. "Koenma, Kuwabara, let's get to work."
Grinning as though they were kids in a candy store, Kuwabara and Koenma nodded. They rose from the table and made their way out to the dance floor.
"May I cut in?" Yusuke asked nonchalantly shoving Kurama out of Ruka's arms.
Ruka gasped. Kurama watched as Yusuke waltzed Ruka ignoring her protests. Yusuke winked. He chuckled.
"Yusuke!" Ruka screamed. "How dare you interrupt! I was dancing with his Highness!"
"Funny!" Yusuke retorted. "I could say the same thing to you when you interrupted Kizna's dance with the Prince."
Ruka glared unable to respond. She and Yusuke continued waltzing. Yusuke smiled.
"Ouch!" she screamed glowering angrily at Yusuke. "Watch it, Yusuke. You stepped on my foot!"
"Sorry," Yusuke answered "innocently". "My fault."
Scowling, Ruka shoved him away. She stormed toward Kurama and Kizna. Quickly, Koenma swept her into his arms.
"Lady Ruka," he greeted suppressing the annoyance in his voice. "How very nice to you again."
Ruka glared struggling in Koenma's firm grip.
"Let me go," she growled.
Koenma pulled her closer.
"But we've just started dancing, Lady Ruka," he murmured excitedly. "You wouldn't want to be impolite and deny me a dance when you danced with everyone else."
He waved his hand to the band telling them to speed up. The fast music swarmed through the room. Koenma led Ruka wildly dancing to the quickening music. Ruka's steps faltered.
"Lord Koenma," she whined dizzily.
She and Koenma twirled rapidly around the room.
"Slow down. I can't keep up," she complained growing nauseous.
Koenma smiled.
"But, Lady Ruka," he responded leading her in fast, twirling circles. "We're just getting started."
Koenma raised his hand signaling for faster music. Sickly, Ruka pushed him away. Her steps swayed. Quickly, Kuwabara rushed to her side and began twirling her around the dance floor again deliberately stomping on her toes. He ignored her cries of pain. Laughter broke out amongst the crowd. Ruka's sickly steps faltered. Ruka felt something sour rise in her throat.
They ran laughing wildly into the moonlit palace gardens.
"Did y-y-you," Botan stuttered between laughs. "See her face! She was so embarrassed!"
The others broke out laughing. Yukina turned to Kuwabara worriedly.
"It was funny, but, Kazuma," she began worriedly. "Your shoes. They were new, yes?"
Kuwabara smiled.
"Don't worry, Yukina," he comforted her wiggling his socked toes. "Having them vomited on was worth it. Everyone has some sort of grudge against, Ruka. They think she's gotten her just desserts." (Author's note: Sorry, Jess, but it somehow works.)
They broke into fits of laughter.
"And I could see why," Botan added. "Yusuke, Koenma are your faces all right?"
Yusuke rubbed a red hand print on his cheek and smiled.
"Absolutely worth it," he smirked. "We must do it again sometime."
"And you Koenma?" Botan questioned worriedly as Koenma pulled her close.
"I'll be all right," he grinned touching a black eye gently.
"What seems to be so amusing?" a cold voice asked.
"Oh, Sakura!" Keiko cried excitedly. "You should've seen it! Ruka was humiliated!"
Sakura pouted. Hiei smirked.
"And you didn't call me?" she whined playfully. "It must've been amusing to see."
"It was," Yukina giggled looking to Sakura. "Where did you go? You and Hiei missed dinner."
"We went for a walk," Sakura answered sitting on the cool garden grass.
The others nodded as they looked up into the depths of a peaceful night sky.