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Wolf Princess Aya

Lasting Memories

Yusuke came back from his picnic with Keiko around noon in the afternoon, in a very bright, cheerful mood. He was so thrilled at the prospect of finally having Keiko to grope; he didn't even notice as a horde of beautiful young woman ogle him as he passed them on the streets.

As he reached the castle, he decided he would first tell Botan, since she was Keiko's best friend. And maybe she would have some tips on how to woo Keiko a bit more. . .

But when he reached her room, she wasn't there. And she wasn't in the kitchens.

Or in the halls. Or even in Kurama's room- - - not that he had really expected her to be.

But speaking of Kurama…

Where was the prince?

Scratching his head, Yusuke shrugged and went back to his room, running over and over the day in his mind, almost giddy with happiness.

'Wonder where they went to.'

To answer that question, one must look back to the beginning of the day, the peak of the early morning, where the sun was delightfully radiant, and its golden rays shining with luster down upon Ryu Kingdom.
The morning dawned bright, sunny, and hot. Birds chirped and sang the song of dawn as Botan awoke groggily, only slightly aware of a warm weight at the end of her bed.

"Mmm. . ." she moaned to herself as she moved a blind hand towards the bed side table, looking for her morning note.

But it wasn't there. Sitting up and rubbing her eyes, Botan turned sadly towards the table. 'Huh?' she thought, disappointed, 'doesn't he have anything to-'

"There's nothing there," said a voice from the end of her bed, "so I would appreciate it if you didn't look."

The maid almost died of shock.

Whipping around, she saw that Kurama himself was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a bag, and wearing nothing but some short trunks, a plain old shirt, and, of course, his necklace. Blushing slightly at the fact that she could see his muscles through the shirt, Botan sat up straight in bed.

"Kurama! What are you doing in here!" she hissed, still pink.

"We're taking the day off," the prince announced smoothly, getting up and pulling Botan out of bed and to her feet.

"Wha-?" Botan asked blankly as Kurama began riffling through her almost bare closet.

"Hm. I assumed as much," he nodded to himself. Turning around again, he riffled through his bag and handed her a new dress. It was different then other dresses. Short, white, and tight, this new dress was made of light materials and looked like it would be skin tight.

"What's this . . .?" Botan looked curiously at Kurama, waving the dress almost like a flag. "What on earth are you planning?"

"We're going swimming," the prince grinned. "That's your new bathing suit. Put it on."

"But- but- but-" Botan stammered, looking at the bathing suit and back at Kurama.

"But what? Put it on!" he urged. "We don't have all day!" He stood there, staring expectedly at her.

"Well," she said finally, red in the face and glaring, "at least LEAVE THE ROOM!"

"Oh!" Kurama blushed. "Yes. Sorry." With that, he left. But Botan could tell he was leaning right outside the door. Sighing, she took off her pajamas and pulled on the dress.

She had been right, it was skin tight and sort of thin, but it didn't show anything and it was going to be a hot day . . . So with a nervous look at herself, she opened the door to find the prince leaning against the wall, looking bored yet strained a patient expression.

However, he immediately perked up when he saw her. "Ready?"

"Well, I guess, but-"

"Come then!" he interrupted impatiently, grabbing her arm and dragging her down some dark passages. "We'll have to use the back way, though, so no one sees us." Botan nodded, but knew Kurama didn't see her do so.

'This should be . . . interesting. . .' Botan gulped as the two of them left the halls and entered the castles huge, unused, backyard.

"All right," Kurama said a few moments later as they reached the back wall, "we're going to have to scale it."

"Er- if you say so. . ." Botan replied, looking up the wall, unsure.

"Well, get on my back." The maid looked at the prince oddly. "What . . .!"

"Get on my back," Kurama replied exasperatedly. "It'll be quicker if I carry you over."

"Okay," Botan blushed, climbing on Kurama's warm, strong back. Grabbing some of the vines with his hands and holding his bag between his teeth, the prince began to climb the wall with such grace and skill, Botan had the sneaking suspicion he had done it before. (Youko does have a lot of skill you know.)

"Wow, you're good at this," Botan whispered, since her face was right by Kurama's long, silky mane. He smiled devilishly at her, confirming what she had assumed. As they reached the top, Kurama carefully let her off his back, so they were both standing, as if on a balance beam, on top of the wall.

"So . . . do we just jump?" Botan asked as Kurama took the bag out of his mouth and grabbed it with his left hand.

"Yep," he smirked, grabbing Botan's hand with his right. "On three. One . . . two. . ."

"Three!" Botan cried as the two of them leapt, and landed quite gracefully on the other side.

"You okay?" the prince asked Botan as they stood and dusted themselves off, their hands still clasped.

"I'm fine," she smiled back. They both stood there for a moment, holding hands. . . Until they realized what they were doing and let go immediately, turning away from each other, brilliantly red.

"Err- well, let's go," Kurama cleared his throat. "It's a ten minute walk to my beach."

"YOUR beach?" Botan asked as they started their hike.

"Yep, mine. No one else knows about it," he smiled at her, as they made their way down a small dirt path, hidden by trees and shrubs. "Until now, that is."

Botan liked the sound of that.

"Well," the prince beamed as they emerged from the forested path and walked out onto a small cliff. "Here we are!"

Botan gasped as she looked around. They stood on a small green cliff, but over to the side, a small, narrow path led down to the beach bellow.

Grass grew thick and bright green until it reached the bank, where it disappeared and a small strip of yellow-white sand began. The lake itself was large, deep, and sapphire blue, rippling with small waves. Blooming willows grew around it, their branches floating in the water, and lilies encrusted parts of the shore.

On the bank closest to them, a few leafless trees stood. Between two of them, a hammock was set up, and a clothesline resurrected.

"That was my doing," Kurama explained as he took her hand once more and led her down the narrow path. "I needed some sort of convenience down here when I escaped from the castle."

"You come here often?" Botan asked as they worked their way slowly down the cliff.

"Not so much in the winter time, but in the summer, I try to," he replied, his face contorted in concentration. "Careful, it gets slippery-!" But before he could finish, Botan tripped on a rock that sent her falling into Kurama's arms.

"Sorry," she blushed as she balanced herself again, "I tripped."

"No," the prince smiled sarcastically. "Be more careful next time though." Sticking out her tongue, she grabbed his necklace and took it off his head.

"You're keeping this off, by the way."

"Oh?" Kurama rose and eyebrow, though he really didn't mind, "and why is that?"

"Because I like your ears," Botan replied, placing his hat on her own head. "They're cute."

Kurama said nothing to this, but inside, he was feeling very happy, very, very happy.

"Okay!" Kurama beamed as they reached the shore. "Let's swim!"

He took off his shirt (much to Botan's secret pleasure) and hung it carefully on the clothes line so it wouldn't get wet. Then, climbing the tree, he leapt into the water. Botan watched with a bemused expression on the beach, watching the prince's head bob to the top.

"Well?" he called, "Why don't you come in?"

"If you had let me finish a sentence this morning, you would know," Botan blushed, both in embarrassment from what she was about to say and the fact that the shirtless prince had climbed out of the water and was now sitting next to her. "I- I can't swim."

'Do you go to the lodges by the lakes ever?' Kurama asked as he waltzed around the room with the mysterious girl.

'No,' the girl replied with a wry smile, 'I don't even know how to swim.'

He shook the memory out of his mind.

"You can't?"

Botan looked away. "Nope. I can't even stay afloat." The prince said nothing for a moment, and Botan stole a glance at him. To her surprised, he didn't look angry . . . he looked deep in thought.

"Well," he finally said, pulling her up to her feet, "we'll just have to change that."

"Huh?" Botan asked blankly at Kurama led her to the water's edge. "No! I'll die! I'll drown! I'll sink!"

"I won't let that happen," he replied coolly. "Don't you trust me?"

Botan swallowed, looking into the calm face of the prince. "I- I- Well, of course I trust you, but-"

"Well, there you go!" Kurama interrupted. "You trust me. Do you think I'd let you drown?" Botan shook her head slowly no.

"See? Now, let me teach you how to swim."

"But what if I don't want to learn?" Botan whispered a small smile on her face.

The prince smiled back. "I'll tie you to a tree."

Botan grinned. "Fair enough."

"Now, swimming is really very simple," Kurama lectured, slowly leading her into the cool water. They stopped when the flowing liquid reached their stomachs.

Botan gulped and looked down at the water. She liked sitting at the pond, and splashing around was fun, but . . . swimming. . . "I don't know if I can do this, Kurama."

"Nonsense. You'll be fine," he replied promptly. "Now, first you'll learn the doggie paddle." Botan smiled at the irony of being taught the dog paddle by a Kurama kitsune.

"Watch me," he instructed, letting go of her arm and exampling the stroke. "You simply kick your feet and- well- flail your arms."

"Like if I was drowning?"

"Err- not quite like that . . . more like if you've ever seen a dog swim."

"I haven't."

"Hmm. Well, just try it anyway." Feeling incredibly stupid, Botan crouched down in the water and kicked her feet and flailed her arms. The prince watched with a bemused expression, trying his best not to laugh.

"Well," he said a few moments later, unable to suppress a grin, "at least you're staying afloat. . ."

"Shut up!" Botan barked, standing up and hugging herself. "That was so stupid."

"At least you've almost got kicking down pat," he smirked.

"Really? Maybe I should kick you and totally master it!"

"Whoa, calm down! Let's work on kicking, then, since you seem to have a skill for it." He easily stepped out of the way while she tried to kick him.

"Yes, you do need work on it."

"This is how we'll practice," Kurama told her a few moments later, holding onto her arms gently. Her back was to him so she laid stomach up in the water. "I'll hold your arms to keep you afloat, and you kick. And if it works right, you'll be swimming! Sort of."

"Okay," Botan replied, determined, as she began to furiously kick the water with her feet.

"Not splash! Gentle kicks," the prince instructed. The maid bit her lip and tried to slow the strokes. And after a few minutes of trying, she mastered kicking. Kurama smiled down at her as she looked up at him with excited eyes.

"So was that so hard?"

"Yes."

"Now that you are a master kicker," Kurama proclaimed as they entered the chest deep waters, "it is time to master the arm movements."

"Yes, sensei," Botan replied dryly, earning a glare from the prince.

"Now, all you do it reach and push back with your arms. Like this: Reach out," he exampled, sticking his arm out straight, "and push back." He showed this as well, cupping his hand and pushing water back, until his arms were back at where they had begun. "And it's a continued cycle of that, only you use both hands. Err- like a tadpole or something."

Botan watched him blankly, trying a few of the arm movements herself. ". . . So that's all?"

"More or less."

"What about the kicking?"

"You combine it with the arm movements."

"And that's swimming?"

"That's swimming." Botan said nothing for a moment. Instead, she tried the hand movements. Then she kicked once or twice. And then she tried to combine the two- - -

And began sinking to the bottom.

"Botan!" Kurama cried, grabbing her quickly and pulling her, coughing, back to the surface.

Botan sniveled as her coughs subsided. "I got water in my nose. . ."

"At least you didn't get it in your lungs."

"I hate swimming."

"No you don't," the prince smiled down at the trembling maid, moving her sopping hair out of her face gently, "you just hate drowning."

"That too. . ."

"I don't want to try anymore!" Botan cried as Kurama told her to try one more time. For the past 30 minutes, she had been attempting to swim and sinking to the bottom over and over, until she couldn't stand it anymore. Trying again just seemed pointless.

"Just once more," Kurama pleaded, "you're so close!"

"No!"

"Please?"

"NO!"

"I'll order you to."

"I hate you."

"I know, now please, once more, that is all I ask." Botan sighed and got ready to try once more.

"If I die, it's totally your fault," she glared."I won't let you die," he replied calmly, putting his hand under her stomach so she wouldn't sink. She glanced over briefly at him, took a deep breath, and tried to swim. And to her amazement, even after Kurama removed his hand- she stayed afloat.

She was swimming.

"I- I- I'm doing it. . ." she whispered, looking up at Kurama as she swam all by herself. He simply smiled down at her as she swam past him.

"I can do it!" she cried proudly, getting up and hugging Kurama tightly. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back. By the time they realized what they were doing, it was too late to turn back from the hug.

But they found they didn't really care.

"Thank you," Botan whispered into Kurama's chest, "for taking the time to teach me. . ."

"It was fun," Kurama blushed; glad she couldn't see his face. "Would you like swim some more?"

"Sure," Botan smiled, breaking away and smiling up at the prince, "I love swimming."

Kurama rolled his eyes and dove into the water. "Bet you can't beat me to that willow and back!"

"Of course I can!" Botan replied, swimming after him. Kurama slowed down to give her a chance, but to his surprise, she got slowly faster, until they were neck in neck.

"Ha!" Botan laughed as Kurama stared at her, slightly surprised. "I'm going to win!"

"I wouldn't count of it!" Kurama replied, spraying her with water and laughing.

"Hey! No fair!" Botan squealed, lunging at Kurama and pushing him down and under the water.

". . . Kurama?" Botan asked, looking down at where Kurama's head had been, which was now only occupied by bubbles. "Kurama? Are you oka- EEK!" The maid screamed in surprise as Kurama shot out of the water, still holding onto her, so she was now on his shoulders.

"Kurama no baka! You creep! You scared me!"

"So?" he smirked up at her as she glared back, hitting him over his sopping wet head.

"I hate you!" she laughed as he grinned up at her, position her so she slipped off his shoulder. Falling with a loud splash in the water, she grabbed his back and tried to pull him under again, but he just laughed at her.

"Want a ride?" he grinned, beginning to swim with her, still clinging to his back.

"Okay. . ." she smiled tiredly, the excitement of the day finally taking its toll on her as she closed her eyes.

Noticing her tiredness, Kurama silently swam back to the shore and picked her up bridal style, sitting on the hammock with her. Looking down at her, half asleep, he felt himself turn pink. Then, closing his eyes himself, he fell asleep himself.

Moments later, Botan opened her eyes to see herself sitting in the sleeping Kurama's lap. She blushed, noticing how happy he looked in his sleep. But she was too tired to move, and so she allowed herself to lie back down again.

Cuddling into the prince's chest, she too fell asleep, as they rocked slowly back and forth on the hammock.

Botan awoke later that day, when the sun was high in the sky. It was at least 2 o'clock. To her surprise, she was back in her bed at the castle, wrapped in a towel, still in her wet bathing suit. Sitting up, she looked over at her bed side table.

There was a note.

Hey Mitsukai!

I hope you had fun. I did. 'Course, you had to fall asleep! Oh well. I guess it was time to go anyway.

Well, I'll see you later, okay? Don't forget how to swim! We can go again some other time.

I look forward to the next time!

-Kurama

Botan smiled at the note before placing it under her bed and changing back into her clothes, hoping that some day soon they could go swimming again. . .

"Botan!" Ayame cried as she walked into Botan's room without knocking. "Hari orders that you clean her and Kurama's room, now!" Botan sighed. So much for a little time to imagine by herself.

"All right, all right. . ." she replied slightly annoyed, walking after Ayame.

"Hey, you okay?" the girl asked Botan a few moments later. "You seem tired."

"Nah," Botan smiled, turning the corner to Kurama's room. "I already took a nap."

"Kurama! There you are! Finally!" Yusuke cried as Kurama entered the sitting room. "Your parents wish to see you!"

"They do?" Kurama asked curiously, turning around and heading towards his parent's room in mild interest.

"Yeah, but listen- I gotta tell you about Keik-" the vizier began, but stopped as he noticed Kurama's bare neck.

"What is it?" Kurama asked exasperatedly, suddenly noticing Yusuke's gaze. 'Oh gods.'

Clamping his hands over his ears, he glared at the vizier. "Don't you DARE tell-!"

"Good! You got rid of that stupid piece of jewelry!" Yusuke grinned. Kurama stared, disbelieving.

"What!"

"That necklace. It was dumb."

"But my ears-?"

"I already knew about them. Your necklace fell off once while you were sleeping at breakfast. I saw first and put it back on before anyone else saw. This was way back."

The prince was silent for a moment. ". . . You didn't get scared?"

"Well, I was surprised," Yusuke shrugged. "But anyway, I suppose you need a new sealing charm. Here," he added, handing another charm from out of his pocket. "I now always carry around a charm, after that breakfast thing. Your old one fell in the jelly."

"That's why it was sticky-!"

"Well, here," the vizier interrupted; handing him an identical hat to the one Botan had taken. "This should do. Now, I really wanna tell you about Keik-" But again he was interrupted. This time, however, by the king and queen striding in.

"Kurama," the king said seriously, as Kurama quickly jammed the hat on his head. "We need to speak with you."

Last chapter was all Y/K so this one was for Botan and Kurama (one of my favorite pairings).

Hope you all enjoyed it! Please Review! Ja ne!

Aya-chan