The Final Note
One last song for you…
He was playing for her.
He was putting his life into the flowing music; it was his life.
And she listened, captivated by the elegant sound.
All he ever wanted to do was to please her because he needed her, the Sacred Maiden who belonged to someone he envied.
So he offered his gifts to her, things a young maiden would love: a beautifully embroidered dress and a vase of fragrant flowers to say the least, but she rejected all those offerings. In his opinions, she defied human laws. By all means, a girl was supposed to squeal happily at the sight of what he has given her, but she was terrified. He did not understand her. Nothing pleased her.
His creator once said that humans like to be awoken by music. So he tried, and it worked; the only time she would behave quietly was when he plays the piano. From that moment and on, he would place all his efforts into his songs. He expressed them so differently than normal humans did. The results intoxicated her senses. She relished each time when she saw him settling before the instrument.
He was trying to speak to her using the music. He could not find any other ways because she would appear frightened every time he spoke to her in words. He told her so many things through his songs, but she could not understand. She was different from him. She was but a human, and he was but a piece of artwork created out of men's hands. Their depths of knowledge were nothing alike.
She listened nonetheless, tasting the music through the little understanding she had. Lying peacefully on her side, she fingered a strand of hair absent-mindedly. She mused over the pianist. He was a maze full of mysteries and surprises. She did not know who he was; she did not know why he had taken her away from her home; she did not know what he planned to do with her; and the things he said were like riddles to her.
So, she rejected him naturally.
Before long, there began a little sense of betrayal in her. She had felt something from within: an inclination toward his songs. Little by little, there was appreciation toward him. She breathed hard. She was betraying all reasons by feeling sympathetic toward the one who has imprisoned her, but there was magic in his songs. Transfixed, she found herself giving in to the powerful force.
Little did she know, the magic was his life…
However, all his pains went unnoticed by her. A flash of acute sting in the pianist's rigid fingers caused him to gnash. Jaded, he took glimpses at her small, fragile frame from the corners of his eyes. She seemed so oblivious. Humans are such ignorant creatures. He thought dryly.
Little did she know, this was his last song for her…
Almost instantly, the song progressed into a melancholy bellow, professing its sadness and regrets. All his memories came flooding the entire room as the pianist breathed his last. Drowning in the barrier of such sorrow, she was astonished by the sudden change of mood. Soon the notes were diminishing as rapidly as the emotional surge had come. They were growing fainter by the second…
Finally, the music came to a slow halt. He knew it was time, time for the grand finale. His fingers had become practically immovable. The searing pain pierced his joints sharply. There was an undoubtedly taunting look in his eyes as he gazed down at his shaky hands. He sneered mockingly and bitterly to himself. The art itself was about to expire…
"The final note…" he declared to his audience in a ghostly whisper. The eerie glow faded from his once breathtaking eyes. His body went limp, barely hanging on to his original sitting position. Alas it gave out, and his head fell forward automatically toward the keyboard.
Bang…!
The sound echoed ever so loudly in the room, ending the sad song. For a long time, it would not die out as if in a desire to have everlasting life, perhaps the same desire its creator yearned for.
Feebly, she straightened herself to sit up on the bed and faced the pianist. She saw his dulled eyes were looking at her directly as the side of his head continued to press down the keys awkwardly. A low rumble could still be heard from the piano.
His last gift for her…
Risa could only stare dumbly at his lifeless form in all her pity. A distorted smile crept up to her twisted face. Somehow, she found an odd feeling of satisfaction as she lingered over that "final note"…
Author's Notes (once again…):
At last, the second and the last one-shot is posted. What a mindless drabble that was… slightly morbid at the end. I hoped you all liked it despite its unsatisfying length. I wasn't talented enough to make certain parts more descriptive. Anyhow, I thank all of you who have read the first one-shot and the reviews.
Who knows, maybe I'll start another Argentine x Risa multi-chaptered fic in the future. It'll be quite a challenge. I honestly don't know how to make a plausible plot for themto gettogether and NOT make them fall madly in love with each other in one second. That kind of fics always makes me gag. Okay, maybe an AU might work, but I'd really like to stay in the same environment as the original manga. I know: I'm picky.
Gah! I'm seriously addicted to AR! It makes me want to cry when the relationship will most likely to be unrequited in the end. I wish there will be more AR fics going around the fandom, especially when everyone has seen the English version of vol. 11 which comes out in September. Oh ya, I've also done some AR artworks. Check 'em out at my dA account if you wish. The link should be posted on my newly revised bio page.
Now that I blabbered all that much… feedbacks are welcome as always. Also, please lemme know if any of you have or planning on writing an AR-related fic. I'd be more than happy to pay a visit to the story.