Title: Tale of A Story
Author: DnKS - giRLs
Rating: G to PG
Pairing: So many of them…count yourselves
Warning: Major OOCness, trans-gender (some), rambling, and plot less, over- romantic (again, blame all those verses), mention them all…
Disclaimers: …(don't want to write 'em)…
Chapter 7 – The Beginning
Fuji sat on his bed that night; unable to sleep since the previous conversation he had earlier with the Queen kept repeating itself inside his head. He still could recall how blood seemed to leave his face in an instant after he had heard those words being spoken frankly to him.
She asked him to revive the soul of the man he loved so much, the man whom he thought had been dead yet they said that he could make him alive again. Was that thing even possible, he did not know.
Several knocks were heard and the young prince silently eyeing the door, calling softly.
"Who's there?" he said.
"I am Ryoma, Your Excellency," came the answer from the outside. Having heard the answer, Fuji gracefully stood up, thanking himself for still being presentable in his white night dress. He opened the door and let the other prince in, silently wondered why the other decided to give him a visit in that kind of time.
"Mother told me to accompany you, Your Excellency," Ryoma said, as if he read the other's mind. "She said not to leave him alone in his confusion after these many things happened to him."
Fuji smiled at his new friend's consideration. He gestured the other to sit on his bed and soon he followed the act. He just realised that he had not yet observed the young prince closely during those times they had together. The boy had very beautiful golden eyes; angels only could possess eyes that were said. Indeed the young prince was a half-angel; that could explain the perfect complexion and aura he had.
"Could Your Excellency be kind to me and tell what is he thinking right now?" said Ryoma, nodded. He seemed to realize Fuji's intense gaze that was being directed to him.
Fuji smiled; the prince was so sweet and gentle. "I will do as what you required, Young Prince, if only you would stop calling me 'Your Excellency' and instead, start calling me by my name."
Ryoma rose his face and he too smiled, "I will do as what you required, my Dear Prince if only you do the very same thing to me."
"I have no objection to your demanding, Ryoma," said Fuji.
"Then shall we be friends forever, Fuji, and for now let me kiss your hand to show my true and pure feeling toward you," said Ryoma. He went down from the bed and kneeled on one knee. Gently he took Fuji's right palm and planted a feathery kiss on it. After he did so, he rose up and once again occupied his former place beside Fuji on the bed. They looked to each other's eyes and started to laugh a little.
"Such a gentleman you are, Ryoma," said Fuji. "I'm so glad that we can be friends."
"Pardon me for my beseeching you, Fuji, but I do believe that you have not yet answered my former question," Ryoma smirked. "Oh, it's so difficult to address you like that; you are years older than me after all…"
"Age matters not in out friendship, dear Ryoma. And to answer your former question, my reason of staring at you is none other than to admire your beauty and fairness," said Fuji with his innocent smile still held in place. Disregarding the blush that appeared on the other's cheeks, he gazed out to the world that was displayed through the glass of the window he had on the wall facing them. It was dark outside; the sky was so deep of blue until it seemed like black. He sighed.
"I wonder what we will meet in our journey," he said.
"I too do not know about that but I doubt that it will be easy," said Ryoma. "But no matter what will happen, my soul shall guide your way, my sword shall protect your existence, and my pray shall enlighten your burden."
Fuji laughed. The young prince was so kind and gentle. He would be a perfect king when it was his time to rule over the country. Though he could not say what was the exact reason, but he really thought that Ryoma did resemble Kunimitsu in some way. It was not the face since though they were blood related, almost none aspect of Kunimitsu's face he could pull out from Ryoma's face. The aura that was surrounding the young prince that made him feels that way. They both had the dignity and the sense of power.
"So sweet are your words, Ryoma," Fuji said. "But do tell me something, did your mother mention to you the reason of why I should be awakened at such time like now?"
"I'm afraid even I do not know about it, dear Fuji," Ryoma said. "My mother did mention about what we ought to do, but other than that, there was none."
"And what do we supposed to do, Ryoma?" asked Fuji.
"My mother, The Queen, only said that we had to go to the Inner World and head to The Land of Flower since there is where the soul of His Majesty Lord Tezuka is being kept," Ryoma said. "Tomorrow morning everything shall be revealed. I hope that you can wait until then, dear Prince. For now, let me bide you good night and allow the power of dream to rule over you."
Ryoma silently stood up and bowed before the Prince before he exited himself from the room, leaving Fuji alone. The door clicked softly and after that, silence ruled as nothing could take over it.
Fuji sighed and he laid himself on the bed. His hand reached out and his fingers found their way around The Holy Sword which was entrusted to him long before. He smiled as he brought the sword closer to him, feeling its warmth and radiance. Though he knew it was impossible, he felt like he could sense Kunimitsu's presence evaporate from the sword.
"Faithful Holy Sword, my dear fellow Shishido," Fuji whispered. "I do not know what will happen after this, but you shall be with me forever. For now, let us dream; let us dream of him so his soul will never die. Let us dream of him who have set my heart in fire, but fire too had ruined my heart to ashes. For love can heat up the water but water cools not love. Dear Holy Sword, let us dream about him, to whom I have given my soul and my eternal time, now and beyond."
He spent long time after that to speak, to remember as what his love had told him to do. Years might have passed but he would never betray his words, his love had asked him to remember and remember him would he do in every breath he took. It was long after that he finally closed his eyes to yield before the power of sleep. The Holy Sword was still in his arms, gleaming softly in the eerie lights of the early dawn.
By the coming of the morning, Fuji found himself once again knelt before the king and queen with Ryoma on his side. His heart paced like a horse in the battlefield, and none of his attempt could silence it. The prospect of what they might do afterwards pretty much suffocate him in deep expectation of meeting his love back.
"Rise to your feet, dear ones, beloved ones, and hear what your King has to say," King Sanada said at once.
"Your words are our command, Your Majesty my King," they said in unison and stood up gracefully. Their eyes were fixed to the throne, waiting for a word of command to be ordered to them.
"My dear Prince Fuji, my son Ryoma," this time it was the queen who spoke. "I shall put this holy task onto your shoulder. Please do remember that the destiny of The Two Worlds depends on this."
"We understand that fully, dear mother, my Queen," said Ryoma. "And if I am to speak, I feel so grateful that you can entrust this son of yours to do such a wonderful task."
The queen smiled, "You are really my son, Ryoma, I'm so proud of you."
Fuji, who for all the time had kept his mouth shut, suddenly felt his curiosity could kill him if he did not speak his question soon. Therefore, he moved forward and bowed slightly to the throne before he spoke.
"Pardon me for my rudeness, Her Highness, but may I speak one question that has been torturing me in demand for an answer?" he asked.
"Speak, my dear," said Queen Yukimura softly.
Fuji sighed. "With all my gratitude of your effort to awaken me, may I know why I to be awakened at such time like now have? Some hundreds years have passed without any incident, though His Majesty Lord Tezuka has departed, and why now you, My Queen, wants me to revive his soul?"
The queen, too, sighed. "That, my Dear Prince, is a question that I'm afraid I don't have any answer for. It's all due to out dear Time Keeper Ohtori's plan, which is just beyond what our knowledge can reach. He was the one who decided when you should be put to your eternal sleep, for how long would you be dwelt in it, and when you should be awakened. He was the one who decided when my brother's soul should be revived. All matters connected with time are in his power and we can just follow him. I'm sorry, Dear Prince for I can't answer your question."
Fuji nodded, he could not force the queen to say further then, but suddenly the king spoke.
"If I may speak, let me give you an advice," he said. "We might know not about this matter, but I know someone who can help you. He was the Great Wizard named Oishi who has lived far longer than every living creature in both worlds, spare the Time Keeper himself. You shall ask him about this."
"Indeed, you are right, my King," said the queen with a smile. "And by doing that, you can also get some explanations of what you shall do afterwards. For the only thing we can tell you now is that you will have to find Lord Tezuka's soul in The Land of Flower that is located in the deepest valley of The Inner World. As to how you can go there, you must cross the barrier between The Two Worlds that is guarded by a prince from Blue Mountains named Saeki. That is all my words, which I can spare you, my Dear Prince, the rest of it, you may ask The Great Wizard himself."
Therefore, the two princes bowed low their head and start their journey afterward. They had each a horse for themselves, the queen had also provided them everything they might need for their journey.
They set off that day, recorded in date as the first week of the seventh month of the year. The king and queen rode with them for the first three miles before they finally bade farewell. Separation was always full of sorrow, but they had to move forward. With great determination, they continued their journey and never once, they looked back. The sunshine and the breeze of wind now became their company. What future held, they might not know, but as they looked at each other's eyes, they smiled eventually and all worries were gone.
Fuji took Ryoma's hand in his, and smiled at him. Ryoma held Fuji's hand with his and he too smiled at him. Though until then they did not know what lay before them, they knew together they could face everything.
-end chapter 7-
(A/N : sorry for the long delay, some things (glare to their –untouched- piles of works) are just beyond our control… anyway, please do review, and to answer some questions, yes, Tezuka will be together with Fuji in the end, their love is just too great. Oh, and we still consider rotten veggies and fruit as reviews too, don't worry…. They can't be worse than this (a.k.a. their works) right! )