WELCOOOOME BACK TO LIOOOON everyoooooone, sorry if I made you wait an awful long time. I had stuffs in school and all, anyways, I hope you guys are doing well there. And Kichhin is here to bring the updateeee! Wow so has anyone guessed the song yet? Hmm, if you haven't I think you will find LOTS of clues in this chapter, and for another clue, if you listen to nico nico douga or utaite I'm sure you have somehow stumbled upon this song. If you haven't heard the song or has no clue exactly, its okay I will elaborate somehow in the story, also note that I do not in any forms own that song, or any of the vocals used there. I would suggest the English version as well.
Anyhow, just wanna thank everyone reading LION and giving it LOOOOTS of love. Thank you sooo much, its a huge thing for me, to know there are people out there from all over the world reading this. Thank you to our reviewers Maiokoe, Ern Estine 13624, vennestephany, Alyssa-chan, LittleShyCloud, Sanara278, AyaRaiden, FionaEve-chan, kroscetish and seastar529. I'm sorry guys if I cant reply to your reviews one by one, unfortunately were short with time. But I hope you do like today's updateee!
Please leave a review and tell me where you think this is going?
PS. The title of today's chapter is a flute piece(a traditional Chinese music with the same title) you can go find it on youtube and I hope you liked it as much as I did as I was writing this chapter
Chapter 36: Half Moon Lute
There was once a prince who lived a very long life, he was cursed by an evil spell he casted on himself, and he transformed himself from an ugly human and into a beautiful beast. He resided alone in a brick castle up a hill.
He believe that with such hideous physical appearance no one would ever dare to step a foot in his castle, that was fine he thought, he didn't need anyone else anyway, because people, human lives are too short and living or knowing them brings him no benefit at all.
Humans live an inconveniently short life, he knows this and it is pain he rather not feel again.
Inside that castle, it was dark and cold and the loneliness was so deep that it could drown any normal humans.
The beast convinced himself that all he needed was himself, there were nothing else in the world to know because he had all the knowledge he needed—until one day a brave peasant happened to wonder up in the hill.
The brick walls of the castle towered over the peasant, but the peasant stepped on, jumped over it and went right over it to the prince. The small peasant looked at the prince but not a fear laced the sweet and fragile expression, just like the beauty of a shining sun.
"You are cold." The peasant said holding the prince's hand, "You must be lonely."
The peasant saw right at him, saw how the prince really ached at the fact how the world had been utterly unfair, how frightened the prince is to speak of this affair. The peasant shed the light at his dark castle just like the sun in the sky.
The prince envied the light in the eyes of the peasant, how the walls of the peasant's heart was stacked carefully, so meticulously with love something that he did not see due to the time he spent inside the castle because of his pride that he used to close the doors of his soul and heart. Unlike the brave peasant, the prince was a coward, he could not face the fact of the human life, he ran away and convinced himself there was nothing more there is left.
He feared to lose everything that he has left, of every precious thing he had, but a hand swayed him and pulled him out of the lonesome brick castle.
"Spare me from your sympathies, you would never understand." The prince roared.
But the peasant didn't give up on him, the peasant fought until he managed to make the prince understood, it wasn't merely sympathies.
Finally, the prince was amazed by the very first beautiful taste of love.
And finally he saw the world in a different color, the world that seemed to be unfair was now defined by the calmness and comfort of a human's warmth. It was fragile that it scares him, but it was beautiful that he loved it. He realized the world was not as empty and said as he used to think, it was painted and stacked with connections, bonds, and love.
However…
He could not forgive the fact that he needed someone help in other to truly live, trapped with these thoughts he tried to cage the same feeling inside him behind the brick walls of his heart again. The prince who was so used to being all alone took his sun's existence for granted, and before he knew it the sun was starting to burn itself down. He had forgotten that time exist, that humans live an extremely short life.
With trembling fingertips he slowly retracted them from the warmth as it slips off the sun's skin.
"There are things that I rather leave unsaid." The prince whispers one last time as he quietly retreats back into the palace.
That one thing he was unable to say…was his desire for a love that even time could not part, to someone who lived a very long time it was the only thing he could ever wish for.
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"Seijuuro, you have heard of this for so many times already." The Empress said a small smile grazing her lips as she pulled the blanket on the young prince.
"But it is beautiful." The young prince replied.
"It is." The Empress said as she placed a hand on the head of her young prince.
"It must have been difficult for the beast." The prince said to his mother. "He shall live in a very long time watching humans come and go, seeing numerous faces and still none of them would be the peasant's face."
"Indeed." The Empress said as she combed the bright red locks of her son with her fingers. "No love is ever the same."
"Really?" The boy asked wondering, "Is your love different from others?"
The Empress chuckled at the question of his six years old son, a very tiny prince and yet so much intelligence.
"Of course," she replied taking the small hand in hers and kissing the top of it, "Do you love me, Seijuuro?"
"Yes Mother."
"Do you love your brothers as well?"
"Yes."
"Do you think it is the same?"
The small child blinked and shook his head.
"We love people almost with the same intensity, but not the same." She said quietly, "One day, you will find someone that could hurt you more than anything in this world, and that is because you love them a lot."
"I don't want to be hurt, mother."
The Empress smile fell at the answer of her son. Something bitter and sad danced in her chest as she looked at the heterochromatic eyes of her eldest son. She pursed her lips and looked at him with warmth in her eyes.
"You will be hurt, and when you do it will be very painful." The Empress whispered.
"Why?" The small child asked, "I am the crowned prince, people protect me to keep me away from hurting, why do I need to be hurt?"
"Sometimes people need to feel, to be hurt to understand what truly is important." The Empress answered. "Because the things that hurts the most, the people who hurt you the most are the people that mean a lot to you. Your enemies may inflict you injuries but none of them would be able to hurt you as much as the people you love most. And you need to know who the important people to you are because you wouldn't want to spend the rest of your life regretting that one time that you didn't."
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A light knock in the door of his room ended the weeks of silence of his room. After arriving back in the palace everything seemed to feel even gloomier than before, than the time that his brother left him, than the time the Queen died. The servants were told not to speak to him, all information about the war was forbidden to discuss with the prince and he was not allowed to leave his room either, anyone who saw him were mandated to bring the prince back in his room and if he does manage to escape anyone who should have been able to bring him back will be punished severely. The last thing he wanted was someone to be hurt because of him.
"Who is it?" Furihata asked standing from his seat.
"It is I."
Furihata's eyes widen at the familiar voice, the door opened revealing his father. The former King, Kiyoshi Teppei walked into the room alone. The man closed the door behind and waked towards his son. It felt like years since the man saw the young boy. He noticed the barely touched food in the prince's table and it almost made his heart fall in his gut. He wanted to ask him how he is fairing but somehow he knew already the answer to that.
"Father." Furihata said as he bowed his head in greetings to the man, it was a habit that had stuck in him with his constant servitude to the court of the Emperor of Teiko where everyone is of higher rank than him. "I am not aware you are allowed to visit me."
"I am not." The former king answered. "But I am your father, I could not seem to sleep knowing you might not be sleeping well either."
"Please do not worry of me, if anki would realize your absence he might do something." Furihata said with genuine concern.
The King chuckled, "Your brother sound very frightening when he is angry, however deep inside he isn't like that."
The prince didn't know if he should trust that word now, pain changes people, anger and rage as well. Sometimes people do things they normally don't, he wanted to tell his father that but he would love to divulge himself of this for now. For a moment he wanted to close his eyes, speak his name, and the face that he would be reminded of would not of an angry King but the kind hearted and grinning brother he has.
"Seat, it has been so long since we spoke." The King said.
Furihata did just as his father told him, and they sat facing each other next to a tall glass window. When he was younger his father would seat him in his lap and asked about his day, sometimes despite his busy days he would come to their room and wish them good night. He may not be the best king, they may not have ruled over the greatest kingdom or most powerful one, but he is a great father.
"You still have not told me why you left." The man said with a hint of bitterness in his words, "Truth to be told, I am a bit sad of your departure."
"Are you angry?" Furihata asked. "Are you mad that I left the Kingdom?"
The former king shook his head. "I have always told you and your brother that no matter what your decisions would be I will support that, I believe in both of you."
"Thank you…father."
"Tell me, what made you leave us. Was it me?" the King asked, the last three words came in a whisper, almost shy and sad. The King was always told by the ministers that he lacked to control the two princes and that was why both of them never grew up like most royalties did, he let them interact with the commoners, the servants and let them befriend the normal kids. People had always challenged his ability as a parent, especially when the Queen died and he refused to take any more consort or wife.
"Father, it is not you." Furihata answered resting his hands in his lap, "It is not you, you are the best father that aniki and I will ever have. You did your best raising us, and I must apologize that I grew up the way I am."
"What do you mean?"
"I am…I left like a coward, disguise myself into a servant to a faraway land…and I have caused a war." Furihata said with lips quivering.
He closed his eyes briefly and he was filled with horrible images of the day he left Teiko, his brother's horrified expression, the tears that slid down the Fifth Prince's cheeks as he bare his blade at his brother, at the man he loves, and the expression in Akashi's face as if he was a whole different person.
"When brother declared war, he declared it in the context that they had held you captive without telling us, that they should have known and yet they decided to keep it from him." Kiyoshi said. Unlike what most people think, Kiyoshi doesn't think the reason behind the war is the Furihata's disappearance. When Furihata didn't seem to understand what the former King is getting at the man sighs and looked at the tall window beside him. The clouds were looming sadly in the horizon. "Your brother is not angry because you were there, he is angry that the Fifth Prince knew of this and didn't tell him."
"Aniki is angry because Kuroko-denka withheld him the information?"
"That is how I see it." Kiyoshi said quietly. "He felt betrayed, perhaps."
"Betrayed…"
"Did you know that your brother was planning on asking The Emperor of Teiko for the hand of the Fifth Prince in marriage?" Kiyoshi asked quietly.
Furihata nodded his head remembering the day when the Fifth prince told him of his feelings for his brother. He remembers the bliss in his face, the rose color tinting his cheeks when the Fifth Prince said he is speaking with Furihata's older brother. And that was why it pained him to see Kuroko raise his blade to his brother.
"Yes." Furihata said in a small voice, "The Fifth Prince told me so."
Kiyoshi nodded his head, "He loves him, I know…I've never seen him with that look in his face." The man said lacing his fingers together. "And it must have felt horrible, he thought that the prince lied to him by hiding you, hiding information about the person he should have known meant the world to him. It made him irrational because this is the person he loves the most. Understand that he felt betrayed and lied to by the person he was ready to give everything to."
Furihata's eyes widen. His lips quiver.
"Kouki."
Furihata's heart curled into his chest remembering the smooth and cold voice that used to call his name with this strange tone of both endearment and indifference.
Betrayal…pain…anger…Furihata bit his lower lip, he finally understood. The Emperor, he and his brother felt the same. Akashi had been nothing but kind to him, he tried to do his best to spare him from everything that his idiocy had put him into, he listened to him, spoke to him like he was not a bother that he really is. Akashi had done nothing to deserve his lies and yet he did, for all his selfish desire to walk away from his previous life, from his title, he let him fall into his lies.
"Tell me what happened there." Kiyoshi said inching closer to reach his son's hand. "I know that look."
"I did something horrible to the people that treated me nothing but kindly." Furihata answered feeling the tears threatening to stream down, "I-I want to say sorry to that person, father. I-It wasn't the fifth prince's fault…i-it is really mine. I-It should be me out there!"
Furihata tightened his grip in his father's hand trying to find some kind of solace in him. The pain was great, tears streamed down his face messily, like a pitiful child he once were.
"All these people are in pain, because I was selfish!"
Kiyoshi shook his head and stood up and brought his son in his arms. After his eldest son left, Fuirhata was told to not become like his older brother, to put the interest of the kingdom first, always, before himself, it was drilled into him. He never did anything for himself, he sat quietly in every gathering listened to people and how they made decisions for him. Unknown to Furihata, Kiyoshi was sadden to see this, to look at how people spin his son's fate. Sometimes he wish and wanted him to be selfish, to do something for himself.
It was never his son's sin that he wanted to have something that he can call himself, to do something for himself.
"You were not." Kiyoshi said almost in a whisper, "You were…very courageous."
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The dusk was going to break soon, the silence of his room is deafening. He stood there quietly, alone in his room looking at his armor laid in the table. He closed his eyes and Aida's words came flooding in his ears. He felt regret for raising his voice at his own brother, he was supposed to protect him but somehow he didn't feel like he was doing it right. He clenched his hand into a fist, he swore on the deathbed of the woman who treated him like a real son, the Queen, that he will protect Furihata as his brother, and as a way of thanking her for looking after him despite them having no relations at all. He thought what he had been doing is right, he thought that this way he will be able to protect Furihata…but somehow now it seems like he was merely salvaging his feelings, the anger and frustration from the fact that Kuroko lied to him about everything.
And yet somehow he couldn't let that go, because he trusted him most. He loved every words he wrote to him, despite their distance he never once took him off his mind, not that he could though. Kuroko had always known that Furihata was that close to him, he could have told him that his brother is with them, in that palace, probably in the same court as him that very night they first met and yet he said nothing.
In a context it could be seen that they had taken captive the prince of Seirin and decided to withheld the information to Seirin despite their peace agreement before. The people saw it that way, and somehow, Kagami felt as if he was lying to them as well…for that wasn't why he declared war. Aida was right, this was just some pitiful call for anger, to establish his pain, a pitiful cry, but he isnt a child anymore, nor a simple soldier who raised his fist to everyone who offended him. Today he is a King and thousands of people were battling outside for a cost that never existed in the first place.
The wind quietly blew and Kagami sighs at the cat like steps in the balcony of his room. It could have fooled everyone.
"You found the palace." Kagami said quietly as he placed a hand over his weapon, "Somehow, I'm not surprised."
The King didn't need to turn to know who it is. He knows well who is it, it had always left him wondering before why his footsteps were like that, it was different from everyone else, most people's footsteps would give off their weight, their gait and their physique but this one is different, back then he thought it was perhaps because he was the fifth prince and he rarely needed to walk around that his footsteps became as quiet as the wind, however after that confrontation he realized it was different. He is so skilled that he is able to hide his own footsteps from others, a critical information to know a person before even looking at them.
"Are you here to kill me?" Kagami asked. "Is that what you do?"
"It is." The soft voice finally answered.
Kagami wanted to cry and fall in the floor on how much he missed that voice that it made his knees buckle. He wanted to turn around so bad and collect that body in his arms, then he would knew his warmth once more. He would smell the rain and the wind in his skin once more. But today he is there to kill him, to finish what he was unable to do.
"I figured that this is how you do things," Kagami said quietly, "to weaken the whole flock you just need to kill the one who leads them, right?"
"It is sometimes very strategic." Kuroko answered.
"What are you waiting for then?"
"Do you wish to die that badly?"
The room fell in complete silence, Kuroko noticed that despite the man's words his hand never left the sheath of his sword. Kagami is a great soldier and it is his instincts that make him unable to leave the weapon when an obvious threat is present.
"You seem so ready to kill me." Kagami said breaking the silence before turning to face Kuroko. He was shocked when he realized that instead of covering his features he simply wore a ruqun, the upper garment was pale blue almost washed to white while the skirt is ash gray which was tied with a white sash. On top of the garmets was a wide sleeved beizi, which was colored like the fading blue of the sky and the almost similar to Kuroko's hair. It was beautiful. His skin glowed as he stood behind the darkness of the sky. It was ironic that he dressed beautifully just to kill him tonight.
"Are you not even worried that I have passed unscratched from your men?" Kuroko asked.
"I thought it was given." Kagami said, "After all, it is you."
"Your brother is a few doors from this room I know, aren't you at least concerned that after I kill you I would go after him?" Kuroko asked as he took another step forward. Unlike the ones he killed before Kagami didn't show any signs of fear, the King stood there looking at him.
"Your job is to kill me." Kagami said plainly, "There is no need to do more than that. Once I am killed my brother would be disposable for you and your pals."
"You underestimate your brother." Kuroko said.
"Oh, yeah…of course you should know."
Kuroko stopped from his tracks as he heard the bitterness in the man's words.
"You should know since you've been all chummy with him these past few, what again, months?" Kagami laughed humorlessly, "Wow, they were right about me, I'm an idiot. My brother was right under my nose and I didn't know, I didn't even see it coming."
"You know that I am here to kill you yet you chose to speak of this?"
"Well, why not?" Kagami said as he unsheathed his sword. Kagami was fast and caught Kuroko off guard, none of his body language suggested him that Kagami would weild his sword. The tip almost reached Kuroko's chin however the King didn't press any further he stood there watching the other's expression. "I would fight for the answers I need to hear from you, even if it kills me in this room."
"You are upset."
"Well isnt that good for you…you don't seem to feel the same." Kagami said in sarcasm, "Well good for you because you know it fucking hurts. I believed in you, because that's what I should do right? I trusted you, I told you everything."
"I can't say I am sorry." Kuroko murmurs. "I would have done the same if given the chance."
"Well that was comforting."
Kuroko clenched his fist remembering the first time he saw Furihata, the words of a courageous soul who wanted to break the shackles of the fate he was destined. He would have done the same even if it were to be repeated, he would have taken Furihata's hand once more.
"I lied and I would do it again for a chance to change someone's fate, to take them away from what they thought were their destinies, destiny that was decided for them…it could have been change, that was what my mother always told me…and yet I was a product of one." Kuroko replied. "I was told the moment I learned to speak that my destiny is to keep my eldest brother safe…from everything. I was told that my purpose is that, to wield a sword and pass judgement to the wrongdoings, anything that shall tarnish the gold and the flame of the Phoenix Emperor is a threat and I must eradicate it. I never know anything aside from that, I never questioned it. I continued blinding obeying like a good son that I thought I am. Then I met your brother. He was scared when I saw him, inside a steel cage, I know he could have been praying that you come that night and rescue him but he never spoke your name, he could have gone back here, back to his old life where he would be comfortable, where you will be there, these walls as well to protect him. But he didn't. He told me that he would give me everything, his name, his belongings, all for the sake of change.
To you or maybe to other it was selfish, but what I saw isn't that. I saw someone who wanted to evolve; I saw a courageous risk taker who dares fate. I saw a man I always wanted to become."
"But you are different…because you would rather be here and kill me."
Kuroko shook his head, "This is not how I wish to meet you…or see your end."
"Then why are you here?"
"You wanted my answers."
Kagami looked at Kuroko and noticed the other didn't bring any weapons with him, a really stupid decision if anyone would be asked. But Kuroko isn't stupid, he should know that he stand no chance with a well-trained warrior like Kagami with no weapons. Did Kuroko purposely went there to explain himself…to Kagami?
"Today, I want to say good bye." Kuroko said in a soft voice. "I may not be able to do so later."
Kagami noted Kuroko's words, later, it meant that the troops from Teiko knew of that they will be launching an attack at the break of the dawn. Kagami swallowed thickly, they knew they would attack today, and they have prepared.
"Are you asking me to stop, are you doing this to tell me to step back?"
Kuroko stared at Kagami's eyes for a moment, the young King's crimson eyes were darken by the room making it look like the color of dried blood, however something in it seemed alive, it always had this sense of realness, of rawness in them, a fearsome rawness and rough truth, it was almost opposite of Furihata's eyes.
Kagami was like the fearsome fire, warm but it could be wrathful, it burns and at the same time it is attractively bright, while his brother, Furihata was like the earth, people look down upon it, sees it as an unchanging, stagnant and common but the truth it is a kind and generous soul, ever giving and selfless.
"Would you?"
"You know my answer that is a stupid question." Kagami answered plainly looking back at Kuroko's almost glowing blue eyes.
"I wanted to…try still." Kuroko said almost whispering. "I wanted to say my good bye, perhaps I wont have the time later…to afford to bid you good bye. A battlefield is very unpredictable. I am as unprepared as you are to what would be the result."
"You are saying that you could be killed." Kagami said, his chest tightened as an image of an injured Kuroko Tetsuya flashed in his mind.
"Yes." Kuroko replied. "As I said nothing is definite in the battlefield. You and I, who would know if any of us would return, perhaps I am merely salvaging what is left of me…of this, of what we had."
"Then just turn away." Kagami said clenching his hands into a fist.
"Would you leave Furihata-kun if I ask you to run away with me, now?"
Kagami opened his mouth to answer but he found himself lost for the right words, was he ready to leave his brother in the middle of this war, for Kuroko, to leave his brother again?
"My answer is the same Kagami-kun." Kuroko said quietly. "Just like you…my brother needs me, right now especially."
"But you love me."
"I do."
Kagami felt his jaw tighten at the other's words. Kuroko had always been straight forward, he spoke with certainty, however if one would look closely they would see his broken pieces that he tries so hard to lace with that confidence. Kuroko's eyes glisten in the dark, he looked down on the floor for a brief moment enough for Kagami to see his inside break. His feelings for him were not to be questioned, Kagami saw the pain in it, it almost was the same as his.
"It's not a question." Kuroko said in a light manner, "However, I understand if my previous actions caused you to think otherwise. Before I leave this room, the last thing I want you to know, if this would be the last time words we shall speak to each other, is that not for a single moment I have forgotten of you, I think it is impossible to un-love someone."
"Don't do this." Kagami begged as he finally took one step forward, his hand leaving his weapon and aching to reach to Kuroko.
Kuroko shook his head putting a hand on his chest feeling it melt at the other's voice pleading him. Kagami is a King, he is armed and Kuroko isn't and yet he chose to beg him instead to take him there, kill him when he had everything tipping in his side. His lips quiver, his body finally betraying him and he froze in his spot, and as Kagami's footsteps resounded in the floor he felt his body uncontrollably shaking in anticipation of the other's warmth.
"I love you." Kagami said.
Kuroko felt the hard wall he placed between him and Kagami break and crumble into pieces.
"Just turn around and leave." Kagami begged. "Please."
Kuroko bit his lower lip as he took a step back, he raised his head to look one last time in Kagami's face, he could feel hot wet tears running down his cheeks like a helpless child. Shaking his head, Kuroko bid his good bye with an apology.
"I'm sorry."