Title: Of Shadows
Genre: Slamdunk/Romance/Angst
Disclaimer: Slamdunk and its characters do not belong to me. They belong to Takehiko Inoue.
Chapter 1: And So It Begins
The kiss was fervent, hot and needy. They fumbled around in the dark, tangled in the bed sheets, tasting and drinking in every part of each other's body. Hot tears threatened to leak from the corners of his eyes and he willed himself not to cry as the beautiful harlot beneath him caressed him with fervor and tenderness. It reminded him of a love long lost and it made his heart twinge in pain.
She caressed his face, cupping part of his cheek with a hand, tender to the touch. Wiping away the tears that threatened to fall, she pulled him closer towards him. Their lips met and he willed his memories away, to the back of his mind. It did not matter, not now…not anymore. It was over. That was why he was here.
"Make love to me," he whispered against her lips, in the midst of a passionate kiss. She smiled dazedly and happily obliged.
'Now this was hot sex.'
He awoke to find himself tangled in stained white linen sheets. The girl, he did not know her name, was still soundly asleep, naked under the blankets. He looked down at her dispassionately; disdain reaching his eyes.
Yes, she was pretty, beautiful to the point of angelic, but even then…she was not who he wanted, and it was not enough. Not enough to make him forget his past when dawn came once again.
He got out of bed and proceeded to wash up, cleaning himself from the sticky trails left on his body from last night's passionate tryst. Once he was done, he donned his rough tunic and pants. Slinging his leather cloak over one shoulder, he fished out three silver coins and placed it on the bedside table. He left, never once looking back.
People unanimously agree that he was a handsome young man, with looks that could grant him any common girl on the street. His eyes were intense, the color of chocolate. Not too long ago, some people would have said that they looked passionate. Now however, most agree that the uppermost emotion would be anger, and mostly irritation. Anyone who saw him now would say that he was no longer who he used to be.
His skin was tanned golden, and he stood at a proud height of 1.88 metres. His build was sturdy, arms and torso solid muscle. He had an athletic build, and many were envious. His clothing, though not rich and exquisite, fitted him well, giving him the air of a vagabond. The sword he slung on his hip added to that effect.
Yet his most striking feature was his hair. It was as red as flames and gave him a dangerous aura. People know him as Hanamichi Sakuragi.
It was dawn and the streets were still dark and dangerous. The air was damp and tasted of dew. His footsteps echoed on the cobbled pathway as he walked forth. The streets were empty, for everyone woke up late in these areas. He liked it better that way.
A rustle over at the patch of dead autumn grass made him falter in his footsteps. He paused, a thoughtful frown gracing his fine features. He fingered the hilt of his sword, ready to strike if necessary. A figure stepped out of the shadows and his whole body tensed.
"Relax." Hanamichi cocked his head to a side, on reflex. He recognized that voice. "It's just me." The voice sounded amused. The tone was light and casual and as he stepped onto the street, light revealed his fair features.
His eyes were large, and his skin was pale. He was lean and lanky, and looked too innocent to be out on the streets at such a time. The clothing on him looked expensive and from the feeble light, no weapon could be seen on him.
"Jin?" Hanamichi asked incredulously. "Jin Soichiro?" He nodded his head in emphasis at every word. "What the hell…" He exclaimed, a little too loudly for such an hour.
Jin shrugged, smiling. "Who else could it be?" Hanamichi spluttered in reply, all cool composure forgotten. Then, as if he remembered something (which he did), he stopped spluttering.
"Hey!" He asked, a frown marring his features. "Aren't you supposed to be with Fujima?" he paused then, a conspiratorial look in his eyes. "You escaped, didn't you? You finally had enough of the lovebirds and decided to escape before you had to witness anymore of that…" he made a face. "Passion. Though you do know that the King will kill you if he finds out that you abandoned your prince, don't you?" he paused, growing smug. "Is that why you're here? To seek the great Hanamichi's protection?"
Jin blinked. "Well, actually no." He smiled as Hanamichi still looked smug, as if he was lying to him. "Fujima sent me to find you-"
"He needs my protection too?"
"Err…no." Jin replied lamely. "In all truths, something's cropped up." Hanamichi smiled winningly.
"We found him." At that, Hanamichi's face lost the winning smile and the teasing wink. His face turned intense.
"Him? Are you sure?" He asked, voice strained. Jin nodded. "So that's why you're at these parts of Kyon." Jin nodded once again.
"How?" Jin blinked. How?
"How did you guys manage to find him? I've been looking for him for so long, and I've never been able to find him. So how?" Hanamichi repeated.
Jin sighed tiredly. "Ayako's knights found him in the snow, off the trails. They –"
"In the snow?" Hanamichi asked incredulously. Jin nodded.
"We haven't a clue as to why he was there. In any case, Ayako's knights alerted her, and she alerted the rest of us. The whole group's gathered up north. And well…Hanamichi, he's not in good condition."
Jin observed, as Hanamichi turned rigid. His knuckles turned white and he looked furious. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Hanamichi finally calmed down.
"Define not in good condition." He said curtly.
Jin swallowed. "He's feverish, in distress, and…well, we think that he's lost his memory." At Hanamichi's look, he quickly elaborated. "He doesn't recognize us to be his enemies. That's why Fujima and Ayako told me to find you."
Hanamichi raised an eyebrow. "I thought I made it clear last summer that my only goal regarding him was to kill him." Jin sighed inwardly. Yeah right…
"It's not as simple as that, Hanamichi. Why don't you come with me to the Northern plains? When you meet him, everything will come to light."
Thus, Hanamichi found himself trudging his way through snowy paths with Soichiro Jin, aide of Kenji Fujima, Prince of the Western plains, instead of wandering aimlessly around the dark corners of Kyon. They slept little and moved quickly towards the great northern empire. Both were anxious to move on.
Their journey was uneventful, until they reached the northern borders.
"Hanamichi Sakuragi, Soichiro Jin, it's been a while since anyone spotted you." The leader of five men, clad in black, stepped out of the shadows of the tall pine trees. Hanamichi narrowed his eyes as he took in their appearance. Black on black on black. The color scheme never changed.
"Umbra." He spat out with much disdain. Jin tensed up beside him. The leader's eyes glinted dangerously, as the five men shifted closer towards them.
"Indeed." He could almost imagine smirks on their faces, judging by their cold and calculating looks in their eyes.
"This isn't one of your frequent haunts, so what the hell are you doing here?" His hand fingered the hilt of his sword and a low growl formed in his throat. The leader laughed, though it sounded more like a bark to him.
"We're looking for something…but," his eyes took on a look of menace. "I think we found something better." Hanamichi scoffed before drawing his sword. Simultaneously, the five men drew their swords.
"Stand back, Jin. I'd take care of this and then we can move on." Hanamichi said before shifting to his battle stance. Jin nodded, retreating a few paces to take refuge in the surrounding trees. The leader smirked and the five of them shifted their positions to surround Hanamichi.
"Well guys, I'd have to apologize, for I won't be able to play around with you all for long. I've got matters to attend to." With that, Hanamichi struck. Jin watched in awed silence as Hanamichi moved fluidly as one with his sword, slashing at the enemies and drawing blood. He weaved in and out, parrying blows and blocking attacks. He's gotten better, Jin realized as the last of the enemies fell dead to the ground with a soundless thud.
He left his refuge and approached Hanamichi, taking in his bloodied appearance. " Are you okay?" he asked hoarsely. Hanamichi nodded.
"None of these is mine, though" he sniffed at his tunic. "I'd need a long bath. I reek." At that, Jin couldn't help but laugh.
"In any case," Hanamichi frowned. "We'd better move on. These men, I won't be surprised if they're looking for him. They must realize his absence."
"Right." The gentle man nodded. "In that case, let's go." With that, the duo headed towards the central of the northern empire, Shohoku.
They made short work of the journey, reaching Shohoku by evening. The city was bustling with activity as people rushed to close shop, go home and spend time with their families. Others were giving vast discounts as they tried to sell off the last of their wares, especially that of fresh fruit and vegetables. Hanamichi paused in his stride to survey the fresh fruit sold at one of these stores.
Randomly, he picked an apple, throwing it up and down in his hand, taking in the redness of the fruit. "How much is this?"
Jin paused in his footsteps, frowning. "Hanamichi, you do know that Ayako would have prepared food for you, don't you?" Hanamichi nodded.
"Of course." He said, back still turned to Jin. Returning to the old man manning the stall, he cocked his head to a side. "So?"
"Five cents sir, after discount." The man replied eagerly. "Right," Hanamichi nodded as he fished for his shillings.
"Here you go!" he said as he casually threw the coins on the counter before continuing towards his destination.
Jin raised an eyebrow. "So what's with the apple?" He asked as he watched the man place the coins into the tin. Hanamichi shrugged. "It's for Haruko." Ah…so that was what it is. Jin shook his head as he hid a smile, falling in step behind Hanamichi.
It was dark when they reached the twin gates of the palace. As predicted, the guards recognized them and let them through as soon as they saw Jin. "This place hasn't changed much." Hanamichi whistled as he took in the night scene of the palace. It was, as to be expected of a rich kingdom, magnificent.
"Well…" Jin shrugged. "Ayako's taste hasn't changed much." Hanamichi laughed.
"Hanamichi!" A very familiar voice greeted him. Footsteps followed and he came face to face with the Princess herself. "Took you long enough to get here!" Hanamichi laughed. From the corner of his eye, he noticed as Jin nodded to Ayako before exiting through a door at the side of the hall – probably on his way to find Fujima.
"Well, I was busy." His eyes took in her appearance. She did not change much. Her hair was still the same black with soft curls and her figure was still something to die for. Though…he had to admit, she looked different in princess garb than a warrior's cloak and tunic. "So, Ayako, I heard that Fujima's here as well?"
Ayako nodded. "He is." She paused, pursing her lips as she looked at him, as if wondering if she should continue. Hanamichi sighed and signaled her to go ahead. "Right now, he's with him. We're quite afraid to leave him alone for long periods of time." Hanamichi's face turned serious once again.
"How bad is he?" he tensed. Not exactly wanting to know the answer. He must have looked odd, for Ayako gave him a look that implied something along the lines of 'and I thought someone said he wanted to kill him…'
"Bad enough…" she paused, worrying her lower lip. "For Fujima to make an appearance." Hanamichi sighed. Well, that just meant it was really bad.
Kenji Fujima, crown prince of the west plains, and his companion Soichiro Jin, came here just because of this?
"Hanataga?" he inquired. Toru Hanataga, elite knight of the west plains, also Fujima's lover. Ayako shook her head.
"Currently, he's out scouting with Miyagi." At that, a blush crept into her cheeks. Ryota Miyagi, ardent worshipper of Ayako and personal guard of Ayako. Hanamichi raised an eyebrow at her flamed cheeks. He'd need to congratulate Ryota on that.
"In any case," she said, ignoring the look on his face, "you're a mess. Let's get you cleaned up before you do anything else." And before he could protest, she had one of the servants escort him into a room. "You reek!" he heard her say as the door was closed behind him.
Warm water was soothing to the soul and refreshing for the mind. Hanamichi realized for the nth time in his life. It soothed the muscles and allowed one to think. He wondered what exactly happened as he lathered himself thoroughly. How on earth did they manage to find him in the frost, unconscious no less? From what he knew, and he knew too much, it was almost impossible for him to be in such a state. Umbra's elite, one of the most notorious killers, found unconscious in the snow? That was hard to believe.
Something must have happened before that. Not to mention the appearance of Kenji Fujima in the north. What exactly happened that made Kenji Fujima grace the north with his presence? And most importantly, why did they send for him? Did something happen while he was away on his quest?
He sighed, sinking lower in the tub. It was ironic. To think that the person that he'd wanted to slay for so long was presented to him in such a way. He didn't even have to go looking for him. And now that he's here, Hanamichi did not know if he could trust himself to hold true to the promise he made to himself. There were so many questions.
He sighed, blowing softly at the bubbles that came his way. Well…at least Haruko was nearby. His mood went up several notches and he brightened up.
Yay!
Jin had left as soon as Hanamichi caught sight of Ayako. Purposefully, he headed towards the room. Knocking twice on the large oak door, he entered as he heard a 'Come in' from the inside.
Kenji Fujima, regal prince of the western plains, was sitting inert on a chair beside the bed, keeping vigil. His hair was slightly mussed and dark rings encircled his royal blue eyes. For him, he looked quite haggard. Hanataga, the ever-protective lover, would butcher him if he saw Fujima like this.
Fujima looked up, smiling in recognition when he saw Jin. "You found him?" He asked, voice hushed. Jin nodded a yes as he stepped further into the room, eyes shifting towards the prone figure on the bed. He didn't look much better than when Jin last saw him.
"He's taking a bath now." Jin said, turning his attention back towards the prince. "We met with some Umbra members at the borders, so he was quite tainted with their blood." Jin said wryly.
Fujima frowned. "Does Ayako know about this yet?" Jin shook his head.
"Nope, I haven't got the chance to tell her yet." He said, turning his gaze back to the figure on the bed. "That aside, how is he?"
Fujima's gaze followed Jin's, resting on the pale figure lying prone on the bed. "He woke up once, yesterday. He still doesn't recognize anyone. All he does is lie there and blink, staring at some unknown thing that no one else can see." Fujima sighed, running a hand through his tousled hair. "He hasn't spoken, not while he's conscious anyway…though, in his sleep, he calls for Sakuragi."
Jin frowned. "It hasn't stopped then." Fujima shook his head. "On the contrary, it's gotten more frequent.
Well damn, now what? Jin thought, perplexed. His eyes trained on the prone figure on the bed. Beads of perspiration dotted his forehead as he slept fitfully. It was hard to imagine, really; the trained killer, one of Umbra's best, lying on the bed as the prince of his enemy kept vigil.
Silence enveloped them as they both watch him toss in bed, black raven hair sticking to his forehead. Tears leaked from the corner of his eyes as he whispered soft words brokenly. Fujima brushed his raven locks away from his forehead, hushing him.
"Hana-kun." He cried softly.
Kaede Rukawa, Jin thought. How thou have fallen.
-End Chapter 1-
HNO3 - So...how is it? Like it, hate it? Should i continue uploading this?
