*Before I write my story I give special thanks to 'James Birdsong' and 'Akirafanfic' for reviewing! I also dedicate this chapter for my cousin. Please RnR!
So here goes~
People say 'Life isn't easy.'
Yes, life is hard.
But life won't be so harsh and cruel.
If you just reach out your hand and ask for a chance.
A chance comes to your life.
A chance has long hair, smooth face, and wears running shoes.
The long hair is for you to grab a chance easily if it comes to you at the right time.
A smooth face is for you to make it hard to grab the chance if you lose the right time.
Running shoes are for the chance to run away as quickly as it came.
How does chance come to you?
A handsome teenager was walking swiftly in the darkness. His hair was blonde, but it glowed gold in the moonlight. The wind buffeted his hair, filling his surroundings with the sweet aroma which was strangely similar to his. The boy's face had the most radiant blue eyes that were the same color as the azure southern sea of Japan, a small and pimple-free nose, and light pink lips which practically made a flawless smile. His height was pretty tall for a six-teen year old Japanese high school boy, and the features of his body made every young man in Japan become envious of him.
"What a fantastic spectacle. I am once again amazed by the beauty of the night," then he added "with a full moon too." Imonoyama Nokoru murmured softly to himself as he gazed at the full moon towering above him. As he kept making cordial remarks about the magnificent night, the beauty of his appearance and words made the most gorgeous flowers sigh with jealousy and detest. Pop. A dew from a leaf of an Elm tree slided on to Nokoru's head, and a thick fog obscured his view. "What the?" The beautiful scene dissolved and a deep abyss came to view.
"What , what happened?" Nokoru's voice was filled with panic at the sudden change of the scene. 'Where did my wonderful paradise go?' He thought frantically. He never have been to a place like this before.
As his perfect eyes narrowed to the enlarged abyss, he noticed that there was a bridge accompanied by ropes across it. "Huh?" He tried to think of something that actually made sense to explain this extraordinary situation. Then, he noticed something or someone silver on the other side of the abyss. Nokoru squinted to get a better look at the weird but brilliant, silvery substance that seemed to whisper to him. For a few minutes, all he did was staring at the bright object that was slightly waving in the cool breeze. 'Forget it. I won't be able to figure out what that thing is unless I actually go over to the other side.'
The handsome features of his face made a slight frown as he focused on the swinging bridge that was the only possible way to get over to the other side of the abyss. The bridge didn't look so safe, and it was also questionable whether he was able to put his foot on the bridge or not. Still, Nokoru's curiosity and the eagerness to seek some adventure stirred at the back of his head. 'Okay, here goes.' The bridge swung dangerously. 'Whoa, this is a daring challenge,' he thought with a small grin. He knew he was an extreme dare-devil, but is this wise? Nokoru gasped when he looked down of the abyss. It was pitch dark, and it was just impossible to figure out what was down there. There could be anything. Maybe just that awful darkness or just a cement ground that could break his bones and make him go to hell. Or a man-eating monster!
Nokoru shook his blond hair which was covered with uncontrollable sweat. 'Since nothing makes sense right now. There could be a fire-breathing dragon down there.' He thought with terror. 'Maybe I should just turn back and try to get out of this uncomfortable darkness to my relaxing garden.'
As he raised his head away from the bottom of the abyss, something caught his deep turquoise eye. His legs that were about to run with great speed stayed rigid at the spot when he saw the silhouette of the silvery thing. The figure was not an object. It was actually moving slightly out of focus. Nokoru's jaw dropped and as if he was under a spell, his long legs started to walk towards the silvery person. 'What is happening? Why am I moving?' Nokoru thought frantically, but a part of him was eager to know who this person was. His footsteps made soft creaking noises to the bridge, but he didn't mind how much danger he was in because he was totally focused on the fairy-like creature who kept swinging from side to side. Tap, tap. As he heard his footsteps against the fragile wood, Nokoru was half scared that the silver person might blow away by the wind away from him, leaving him all alone in total darkness.
When he was over halfway across the bridge, he stopped abruptly as if his legs were back in his control again. His eyes automatically adjusted themselves to the silver person who was now apart from him in a short distance. Nokoru didn't have to squint to look at the person now. His fear and dread now completely forgotten, curiosity and intense interest took its' place. Nokoru could make out whether the person was a male or a female now. 'A female.' Nokoru guessed. Even though he could only see the back of the person and couldn't see her face, but he was able to see the attractive hair which was flowing gently down to her waist. Although he couldn't make out the colors of the beautiful person in front of him, he could tell that the she was young and that she was obviously a woman because of her soft looking dress that flowed down to the ground. He wanted to go closer and touch the soft-texture and breathe in the sweet and mysterious scent that was coming from her long hair, but when he tried to take a step toward her, his feet couldn't move against the hard wooden bridge. Nokoru almost wanted to scream from the frustration about the fact that he wasn't able to get closer to the lovely fairy, but before he could do so, sugary but a loud voice rang into his ears.
"Do you remember me?" The figure asked him coldly, but Nokoru couldn't feel any coldness from the woman.
He was only dumbstruck by the sound of her voice. Nokoru's usually brilliant and bright sharp eyes clouded with confusion about what was happening right now. 'Okay, I can't remember this person. I just walked onto this dangerously swinging bridge at my own risk, and now I might kill myself because of curiosity or die of thirst and hunger since my legs aren't moving. How can I be so stupid? The only thing I can do right now is just stare at that girl!' Nokoru's usual playful grin faded and terror took its' place. 'What should I do right now? Maybe I can get some help from her.' He slowly turned to gaze at the girl who was still rooted to the spot except that she was slightly moving from side to side. 'Yes. Think positive. She will help me, since she knows who I am. If she doesn't know me then why would she ask me that I remember her or not?'
Nokoru took a deep breath and made a positive smile on his face. He knew he was positive about everything and he also knew that he was a feminist. Nokoru tried to straighten himself up from the awkward silence. He can do this since he knew almost every single detail about women.
"Excuse me, do you know what part of country is this? This is a part of a Japan, Tokyo right? I have to go back to school quickly as possible before Suoh discovers that I slacked off. If he knows that I ran off again, he will make me do paperwork in the office for weeks, or maybe months!" Nokoru asked kindly in a sweet voice that made all female students in Clamp campus blush with embarrassment. "Do you know how to go back to Clamp school? I think I am lost and I don't know where I am. Will you help me, please?" He gazed at the girl with puppy-dog eyes that practically made females fall on their knees. He patiently waited for an answer with his never tiring, adorable look. 'Why isn't she answering? Didn't she hear me?' Nokoru thought with exasperation, but didn't show any of the frustration on his face.
"Do you remember me?" The girl spoke again coldly, but the sound of her voice was filled with sorrow and grief more than coldness.
Nokoru sensed the sadness that came from the girl's voice, and he felt offended because of the unexpected question and the same meaningless phrase. As Nokoru started to ask the silver female what was going on, he gasped. The girl turned and looked straight at him. Nokoru only had a short time to examine the girl's face since her nose and mouth was invisible. His sky-blue eyes widened as he locked his gaze with the fiery amber ones. Somehow, those eyes seemed familiar. Nokoru couldn't look away because of the intensity that was coming from the girl's eyes.
"Do you remember me?" The question came again and this time, a gust of wind blew towards him with the sharp question making the question echo in his eardrums.
"What are you talking about? Please expla.." Nokoru couldn't finish his question as the bridge rattled violently and knocked Nokoru off his feet from the bridge making him stumble and fall down towards the gaping mouth of the abyss. "Ugh." He grunted as he grabbed one of the violently swinging ropes of the bridge. As Nokoru held on to the rope for dear life not daring to look down, he felt a cold, sweet scent flowing around him. Nokoru finally realized that the girl was standing on the bridge and was staring down at him curiously. "Please, help me!" He yelled as he flung one hand on to the spiky wood even though he silently wondered if the girl had hands, but the girl only looked down at him with merciless eyes that still looked like amber colored flames. Then came the strong wind which was at least as twice stronger than the last one blew towards him.
"Noooooooooooooooooooooo!" Nokoru's despairing scream rang out to the walls of the abyss, but his deep voice of distress got muffled by the echo of the girl's laughter that boomed in Nokoru's ears as he fell down,
down..
down..
down..
to the unknown....
"Nokoru san! Nokoru san! Wake up, sir! My god, I think you had a bad nightmare!" Nokoru opened his eyes so suddenly with fear that his personal maid leaped backwards by surprise. "Are you okay, sir? You look as if you've just been to hell," then she clamped her hands to her mouth at the fact that she said the inappropriate word 'hell' to her young master. "I, I'm so sorry, sir. It just slipped. Please forgive me.." Nokoru's eyes started to adjust to his familiar and luxurious bedroom. As he started to calm down, he looked towards the cowering maid who was on her hands and knees, pleading for mercy. 'I would've looked like that to her eyes.' Nokoru thought silently with slight anger. It was all just a dream, but Nokoru felt deeply offended by the mysterious girl who laughed at him. 'Yes, maybe it's just a bad nightmare, but why I am so curious about that silvery person? She looked somewhat familiar. Her eyes, it is stuck in my head!' Nokoru felt tired and exasperated, but he didn't want to go to bed again since he had a bad feeling about his bed, its' duvet twisted and all five elegant pillows lying on the ground.
"Sir, please." Nokoru woke up from his thoughts and looked at his maid with a crooked smile that was sexually appealing to all women. "It's alright. You should get some more sleep Geiko san. I am sorry if you woke up from your beauty sleep because of my stupid yelping. Gomen," he said as he got back on his usual gentle and relaxing composure. "A, Arigato Gozaimasu. Thank you so much. Well, I'll go back to the servant's chamber, sir. Good night." Geiko murmured with her usual politeness. Nokoru made a small grin of thanks then a thought came up to him like a light bulb. 'I can get my father's advice! If he is awake.' "Um, Geiko san?" Nokoru asked the maid with returning politeness as he looked at his pure gold watch. 5 a.m. "Yes, Nokoru san?" Geiko was still in the other side of his room since his bedroom was so big that it took a bit of time to get to the huge double doors.
"Yes, Nokoru san. What can I help you?" Geiko hurriedly almost ran and tripped on the floor. "I'm sorry to make you fed up like this, but may I ask where my Otto-san is? Is he sleeping?" Nokoru questioned with an apologizing look that made Geiko's frustration and tiredness smolder like fire in the soil. "My master is currently in the living room reading 'Tokyo Today', sir. Do you want to talk to him?" Nokoru paused for a minute and answered. "Certainly. Will you go and ask one of the night-crew workers to go and tell him that I would like a private conversation?" "Indeed yes, sir. I think you should change since you need to leave at 6:30 a.m. for your council duties at school." Nokoru groaned. 'Council duties.' A chill went down his spine as he thought of himself in the dream, worrying about slacking off from work.
He made a silent chuckle. 'I am truly afraid of Suoh's nagging in both dream and real life! My habits since elementary school are still on the run.' Nokoru twirled his remote control and pressed a particular red button.
'Closet section on.' One of the many speakers in his room said in its' robot like voice, and numerous closets opened up at once, lighting up Nokoru's dark room.
"Section 6," Nokoru said in his usual morning voice, bright and determined about starting the day even though it sounded dull than the morning before. Nokoru yawned lazily but attractively as he strolled to his closet section 6. As Nokoru stripped himself from his sweaty, white sleeve less t-shirt, he put on his freshly cleaned and ironed school uniform. 'I guess it's still a bit chilly outside.' Nokoru guessed as he started to choose between his white summer-version, button up uniform and a long winter jacket that was printed 'CLAMP' in gold letters. Nokoru pulled the jacket from its' silver clothing rack and clicked a blue button from the remote control that said 'off'.
'Closet section off,' said the speaker.
The quiet and peaceful feelings of his bedroom faded away as Nokoru opened the grand double doors and walked swiftly down the European style corridor while the night-crew workers bowed 'good day' to him as they left one by one. The current day time workers arrived and they also bowed and said 'good morning' to him. Nokoru waved his delicate hands and returned their friendly greetings. 'I am glad that the servants are enjoying their work so much. Now where is Otto-san.' Nokoru tried to make haste as he half jogged and half walked down the spiral staircase to get to the first floor. When Nokoru finally got to the first floor, he stopped in front of the slide doors of the private living room and started to cool himself with his Imonoyama fan.
"Come in," came the answer and the door slid open. "Coming, Otto-san," Nokoru replied, as he walked in to the grand living room that was filled with the scent of common wild flowers. 'That's strange. The living room smelled like roses yesterday.' Nokoru said in a barely audible voice. "Ohayo, Nokoru san. I heard that you wanted a private conversation with me. What do you want to talk about?" His father prompted. Nokoru suddenly felt a rush of embarrassment for his dream. 'Maybe I shouldn't tell him. This is just so stupid, but it felt so real!' "Speak." His father said as he offered Nokoru a seat by the mantel piece. Nokoru took a deep breath and ignored the big lump in his throat. "I had this grotesque nightmare, and I am greatly in the need of your advice." The eldest Imonoyama zabitsu asked him a question than offering an answer. "What kind of dream was it?" Nokoru's stomach lurched as he thought about the merciless laughter that was still ringing in his ears.
"I was taking a night walk in the CLAMP school garden and in a blink of an eye, the scene dissolved, and I found myself standing in front of a huge abyss that had a dangerous looking bridge. Then, I saw a silvery substance at the other side of the abyss, and I got curious, so I walked across the bridge even though I was afraid," Nokoru stifled a sigh and continued. "When I was halfway across the bridge, I could tell that the silvery substance was a girl though I couldn't see her face. Then, my feet rooted to the spot, and I fell down to the dark abyss while the girl laughed at me as if it was funny." Nokoru hurried on with the phrase, but he didn't tell his father about the girl's voice and what she've said to him. His father's looked a bit serious. "You know what my son. It is the first time you got jeered by a girl like that, dream or no-dream." Then Nokoru felt betrayed as his father muffled a laugh. "What's so funny? I'm so serious, Otto-san." Nokoru just couldn't help it. His father is laughing when he need his advice the most? "Gomen, Nokoru-san, but it is interesting. My son being a grown man. It's just a start of adolescence, so do not worry." His father chuckled. "I guess, but there is this other thing that I have to tell you." Nokoru added as he quickly glanced at the huge grand-father clock to check the time. 'I have to make this quick.' He thought as he stumbled out the words that worried him the most. "The girl had fiery amber eyes!" There was a moment of a pause. The blond teenager could feel his father's interest searing him from head to toes. "Were you scared?" His father prompted wisely. "Not really," Nokoru looked at his toes as if he just couldn't meet his father's gaze.
"I was shocked though," Nokoru answered more bravely.
"I see," the misty eyes of the master of the Imonoyama zabitsu said as he turned his curious gaze to the fire-place, "but remember son. He almost said these words in a whisper as seriousness clouded his eyes, replacing the humor. "Fire may burn your skin and give you pain, but," he flickered his deep blue eyes to his son's. "You can't live without fire."