Dear Readers,
Updating is coming along… I've got really nothing to say except please review and give me some input! Please!
Love,
Wolf Princess Aya
Lasting Memories
Botan sighed as she carefully closed the door to the courtyard silently behind her. Looking up at the setting sun, she smiled a small smile, a smile she had hidden a long time ago.
It felt good to have the warmth of the sun on her face. Walking over to the pond, she sat where she had that morning.
It really was peaceful here, she thought happily. Humming to herself, Botan took off her shoes and dipped her sore feet into the water, enjoying the coolness of it.
While making designs with the tip of her finger, Botan giggled as a small gold fish nipped at her toe.
"Hello," said a voice from behind her. Jumping, she whirled her head around, widening her eyes.
It was the prince.
"I thought you were having dinner!" the maid cried, standing up quickly and grabbing her shoes. "I'm so sorry-!" Kurama grabbed her arm and gently pushed her down to sit next to him on the bank.
"Calm down. I was waiting for you," he said, looking up into the orange and pink sky.
"Waiting- - -? But why?" Botan asked, looking at the prince while leaning her head on her knees.
"I wished to talk to you. You always seem to be running away when I try. What are you afraid of?" Botan looked away as he turned to look at her.
"Are you afraid of me?" Kurama asked coolly, putting a hand on her shoulder gently so she would look at him.
"No. . ." she replied softly. "I just . . . never mind." They sat in silence for a moment, that awkward silence that always seemed to be around them. Then Kurama put his feet into the water and Botan followed suit. Kurama smiled to himself as he watched the maid relax slightly. She began humming to herself.
"Will you sing for me?" he asked suddenly. The girl looked at him in surprise.
"Why?"
"I enjoy hearing you sing." Botan blushed slightly, looking away.
"I wouldn't know what to sing to you. . ." she whispered.
"Whatever you want," he smiled gently at her. 'I just need to hear her voice. . .' She glanced over at him, as if reading him. The look almost made him nervous.
"If you don't sing out of free will, I'll order you to," Kurama said, but smiled to show he was kidding. He was pleased to receive a small smile back. She looked to the sky, took a deep breath, and then, looking back down, sang right to the prince.
"Everybody's got something they had to leave behind
One regret from yesterday that just seems to grow with time
There's no use looking back or wondering
How it could be now or might have been
Oh this I know but still I can't find ways to let you go!
I've never had a dream come true
Till the day that I found you
Even though I pretend that I've moved on
You'll always be my baby
I never found the words to say
You're the one I think about each day
And I know no matter where life takes me to
A part of me will always be with you. . ."
Kurama looked deep into the girl's eyes as she sang. Her gaze never left him for a moment. As he drowned in her azure orbs, he saw sadness in her he had never seen in anyone else.
A longing, angry, overwhelming sadness that made him feel terrible. And all the while, Botan continued to sing.
"Somewhere in my memory
I've lost all sense of time
and so my road can never be 'cos yesterday is all that fills my mind!
There's no use looking back or wondering
how it could be now or might have been
Oh this I know but still I can't find ways to let you go!
I've never had a dream come true
Till the day that I found you
Even though I pretend that I've moved on
You'll always be my baby!
I never found the words to say
You're the one I think about each day
And I know no matter where life takes me to
A part of me will always be-
You'll always be the dream that fills my head
Yes you will, say you will, you know you will!
Oh baby, you'll always be the one I know I'll never forget
There's no use looking back or wondering
because love is a strange and funny thing!
No matter how I try and try I just can't say goodbye!
No no no no!"
At this point, Botan looked away from the prince, unable to contain eye contact any longer. 'And it doesn't help. . .' she thought sadly as she finished her song, 'that he doesn't realize this song is about us. . .'
Picking a dandelion, Botan looked at the large white puff that was on its end, singing the rest of the song just loudly enough for the prince to hear.
"I've never had a dream come true
till the day that I found you!
Even though I pretend that I've moved on
you'll always be my baby!
I never found the words to say
you're the one I think about each day!
And I know no matter where life takes me to!
A part of me will always be. . .
A part of me will always be with you. . ."
She smiled a small, sad smile at the dandelion puff and gently blew on it, making the seeds float gently away on the wind. Kurama watched her silently, feeling a longing to comfort the girl next to him for what ever had happened.
"Where did you get the emotion. . ." he asked quietly a few moments later, "for a song like that? What happened?" Botan smiled her sad smile again, looking up at Kurama.
"We all have our stories."
They sat in silence for a few moments, both silently happy to find there was nothing that needed to be said. Sometimes, words are unnecessary.
So instead, they sat next to each other, both lost in their own thoughts and emotions.
". . . You've got a dandelion puff in your hair," Kurama said a few moments later, pointing to the puff that, indeed, was in Botan's hair.
"What?" she asked, not really paying attention, turning to look at him.
"Here," he replied, laughing, and taking the little puff of seeds off of her head. Chuckling, he gently blew them towards her, so they danced past her face.
He was rewarded with a giggle and a true smile on her part. Right then, he realized that he loved her laugh. He loved to see her smile. It was genuine smile, nothing faked, but pure.
"Of course, now I've probably got all those OTHER seeds stuck in my hair. . ." she smirked jokingly. Kurama laughed as the maid gently whapped him over the head.
It was amazing; he could be himself with this girl. And she was okay with it.
She even let herself go, for after a while. He wondered briefly if Hari would act the same as Botan if he blew dandelion seeds into her hair. Botan laughed as Kurama moved away from her, jokingly angry.
"How dare you hit me!"
"Well, you started it," she laughed, flicking a leaf into his hair.
He grinned. "So I did." Botan smiled back, but her eyes suddenly flew to a window. With a stifled gasp she got up so quickly, she knocked Kurama over in her rush.
"My gods, I've got to go, I'm so sorry my prince!" she cried, racing into the castle before he could react.
"Wait-!"
But she was already gone.
Up in the tower, exactly 'what the hell' had gotten into Botan stood watching silently.
'Seems you're going to fight,' Hari thought as she briskly turned around and headed towards Botan's room, 'to give up my prince.'
Hari stopped right outside of Botan's room. Opening the door, she looked down at a terrified Botan, who slunk back into the corner when she saw the older girl.
'Very well,' Hari thought coldly as she advanced on the younger girl, 'Two can play at that game.'
Darn Hari! Just as the two were having some alone time, Hari had to come in and crash the party…
Aya-chan