The Last Rain
Chapter Five: Howls In The Dark
The King stumbled through the thick black forest. He had no idea where he was going. All he felt was the need to find the girl: to find her, and bring her back. And be done with this anonymous kidnapper.
Yuki had left after reading the letter. He couldn't stand the guilt. He had quickly pulled on a cloak and ran before anyone saw him.
And now, unsurprisingly, he was lost. He had only been into the forest a couple of times. It held memories, nonetheless. But tonight, none of those memories were visible. The woods were a new and twisted place. He had come into them alone, only once before. And he was then unaware of why he was there. And what he was to do. Besides. The girl he had not yet known to be his future wife had quickly joined him.
Now he was alone. And aware of where he was. It was the knowledge that frightened him.
-
"What…You mean… He's gone out? Alone!" Tohru exclaimed, the fear sounding in her voice.
"Yes. He's probably going through the forests, that's the only way he knows to get out of the city." Haru said, stony faced.
Haru and Tohru were in the hall, Haru was holding the letter in his hand, and Tohru had just finished reading it.
"I'm going after him." came a determined voice from behind them. Tohru turned around. It was Kyo. He must have heard the whole conversation as he came down the stairs.
"K-Kyo-kun…" She paused as he put on the cloak he had only just taken off. She had been about to stop him. She realised that he had every right to go after Yuki. His brother and his daughter were both in danger. Who was she to stop him? "Be careful."
-
The three remaining royals solemnly closed the door to the main hall. Momiji began to walk up the stairs, slowly and quietly.
"Where are you going?" Haru said, pushing the door untill the click of it closing echoed around the hall.
Momiji sniffed. "Bed. This is all too much for me. Besides…" He said, smiling sadly. "What more can we do?"
Tohru said goodnight to Momiji, and Haru stayed quiet. Momiji slowly disappeared.
"Let's go into the drawing room, shall we?" Said haru. "There's no point the both of us freezing out here when there's still a fire going."
Tohru forced a smile.
-
They sat down in the warm room. Through the tall windows, the stars glinted, but reflections from the bright fire repeated themselves in the crystal.
Haru breathed out slowly, and inhaled even slower. He glanced at Tohru from next to her. Tears were glistening in her eyes. She was staring into the fire, the warm orange glow of it resting on her sad face.
Without looking at him, or changing her expression, she spoke. Her words sounded through the awkwardly silent room like birds in the stillness of a winter morning.
"If I never knew him…" She said, a tear dripping silently down her rosy cheek. "…He'd be so much better off."
Haru frowned. "You can't blame this on yourself. He wrote back to this person. Not you."
"Don't you see, Haa-kun?" It was one of the first times Tohru had ever questioned Haru. He found it disturbing. "If I had never met him… He would be safe. He'd still be in that room. No danger at all."
"That's exactly why it's so wonderful that you did meet him." Said Haru softly, smiling. "He'd be safe, but he'd still be a prisoner of his own ignorance. You… Freed him. Don't you see? He loves you more than life itself. I know it."
Tohru looked at him. He smiled at her, his pale eyes warm and comforting. She turned back to the fire. "You're a great friend, Haa-kun."
-
Kyo pushed his way back through the woods he had come through when looking for Keiko. He called out Yuki's name, and occasionally that of his daughter. But he found no reply.
There was a sound in the distance. Something like the howl of a wolf or feral dog. He winced. He'd forgotten about the wolves. It only made him press on.
The rain was still falling lightly. But the amount that lay on his face grew with every step. It began to trickle down and dampen his clothes. The dirt below him churned up with the water and mixed itself into mud. The thought of all the things that could be happening to his little girl was sickening… For comfort he pulled the white handkerchief out the pocket of his waistcoat.
As he did so, he took his hand away from the tree he had been leaning on for support. He fell forward, one hand outstretched, into the cold mud. He picked himself up a little, and looked at the white cloth, now stained with the black mud. He used it to wipe some of it off his face. As the rain began to fall harder, he held it to his face and smelt it. Even with the rain and the mud, and the fear in the moist air, it still smelt like her.
"Take this when you go, won't you"' She said, handing me the handkerchief. I took it, confused yet smiling.
"Why?"
"It'll be like I'm there with you. I wish I could come… I hate the thought of not being with you for that long." Her brown eyes looked at the floor, sadly as she smiled.
I put my hand on her cheek and rubbed away the tears welling in her eyes with my thumb. "Don't worry. We'll be back before you know it."
I felt my right hand being grasped by another. I looked down, and smiled at Keiko. I turned towards the door.
"Kyo?"
"Yes?" I turned back to her.
"Be safe."
Kyo looked at the handkerchief. He felt he didn't have the strength to go on any longer. So he confided in the only person who's spirit he knew was guiding him.
"Kagura… I don't know what to do…" He said, his eyes welling. Unlike he would normally, he didn't try to blink the tears away with his frustration. He just carried on talking. "I lost the baby. And… I looked everywhere… But I just can't find her… I don't know what to do… She's so little… There's still so much she doesn't know… She won't be able to…" He took a deep breath. "What should I do?"
-
Yuki blinked. The rain was getting in his eyes. It didn't make much difference though. He could hardly see a thing anyway. He was in a part of the woods he didn't know. (Though that could apply to most of it.) The trees thinned out, not so closely grouped together. There were rocks, -one of which he was sitting on-, and the landscape seemed to slope upwards. As if there were mountains. He didn't know what to call these rocky hills, so he just decided to call them mountains anyway.
He rapped the cloak around himself. The rain was icy cold, and his body was tense from trying not to shiver. The surrounding trees provided no protection form the rain, and he wondered whether he should find a more dense part of the forest. But he knew there was no time to worry about things like that.
He had to find Keiko.
-
AN: Yay… I am finally getting to the part of the story where I make everyone get lost! I love those bits…
AN2: Yeah… For anyone not reading First Rain, Kyo is married to Kagura. Muwahahaha… I know, most people hate that. But I like it! But only in fics… not the actual thing…
AN3: No-one's thought of a better name for it, so I will have to carry on calling it S.T.O.A.N.F.I.
Kagura; Take this before you go… -gives handkerchief-
Kyo: Er… Thanks… -blows nose on keepsake-
Kagura: - . – Ew.
S.T.O.A.N.F.I take two!
Kyo: Don't worry. We'll be back before you know it.
Kagura: Kyo?
Kyo: Yes?
Kagura: DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT KISSING ME GOODBYE! WHY YOU LITTLE- -attacks-
Yuki: Are you sure she's growing on you…?
AN4: OK, next chap may be a while…