Main / Fics / 04.22.03
disclaimers
One Rainy Day
by Aphraelsky
reikai@digitelone.com
He sat on the window seat of his room, head bowed. Nothing shielded him from the force of the elements as the veritable storm that was raging outside drenched him from the open window. But he didn't care, nor did he abandon his now-dampened seat. Nothing mattered now, save his sorrow.
The door opened slowly to reveal a beautiful girl with sky-blue hair. Botan, his ferry girl and confidante. She paused in her tracks, afraid of intruding, but he didn't even look up. Her heart ached as she saw him reduced to this state. He was in his older form, wearing elaborate metal cuffs to hold his energy instead of his fuumakan. She went to him and laid the cloak she was carrying across his shoulders. "Koenma-sama," she said softly.
He looked up, surprised, meeting a pair of sympathetic rose eyes with his hazel-gold ones. "Botan...ohayou...welcome back " he murmured, with an involuntary smile. Somehow, he thought, however dispirited he was, she could never fail to draw out a smile from him. He had missed her badly when she insisted on having a month-long vacation, and had come back after only a week. He was very grateful for that. She sat at the other corner of the seat, facing him. "Do you really want to stay here? You'll just get as wet as I am now, you know," he said.
"Hai, I do, Koenma-sama, if you don't mind," she replied, gazing out at the rain, which had slowed to a mild drizzle. "Suit yourself," he said, shrugging. They lapsed into a companionable silence for a while. She eyed him from beneath hooded lids, and was dismayed at how forlorn he looked. It was one thing to see and another to hear what all of Reikai knew: that the prince was grieving for his father. Nobody really knew if he was dead or alive, or if a demigod could even die. All they knew was that Enma simply disappeared, leaving no trace when one day, the council of the higher gods called him. Now, Koenma was the new ruler of Reikai, but he did not seem to care. Whatever the others thought, he had loved his father and had worked so hard to please him.
She did not know that seeing him in pain could hurt her so much also. Silently, she blamed herself for leaving him in a lurch, though she had rushed to be with him as soon as she heard the news and was technically on vacation still. He noticed her gaze and gave a wry smile. " I expect you've heard by now..." he said simply.
She nodded. Summoning her courage, she got up and hugged him from behind as she did when they were children, resting her cheek on his head. "I'm sorry, Koenma-sama," she said softly. "I know it seems hard now, but it may not seem so bad by and by."
He was surprised by the sudden warmth and understanding he felt in the woman behind him. He looked into her eyes, and his heart leapt oddly... He allowed himself a tiny seed of comfort. Maybe, just maybe, things weren't really that bad since he had her by his side.
They sat there for a long while, just listening to the wind howl and the rain fall, while she stroked his hair occasionally. At last, the rain slowed to a mild drizzle, and the sun came up. Botan turned to the window and beheld the most beautiful rainbow she had ever seen in Rekai. Making a decision, she stood up and began to drag the prince outside.
"Nani?! Botan, what are you doing?" he said, trying to keep his balance as he allowed her to drag him away. He may be the emperor now, but Botan could pull.
"Come on," she said, "I wanna show you something." He gave a gasp and protested as he was dragged outside, as barefoot on the muddy ground as Botan was. She paid no attention to him and instead continued on until they reached a beautiful fountain in one of the palace gardens. There, she stopped and turned to him, grinning. He did not grin back.
"Alright, Botan, what's the idea?" he said, frowning. "I'm soaked and muddy, and look at you!"
She only laughed and twirled round and round, not minding even when her hair came loose. Koenma stood fascinated, watching her. She looked just like a woodland goddess, he thought, especially since she had on a beautiful dress that had blue trimmings that matched her hair, and a pink ribbon on her white throat
She finally stopped in front of him, still smiling. "Do you remember this place, Koenma-sama?" she said softly.
He looked around, and his eyes widened, catching sight of the statue of stone lovers on the fountain. "Yes, of course, " he said, smiling softly, as he remembered...
======
FLASHBACK
A little girl came running to the secluded fountain and curled up on the ground, not caring if the ground was muddy from the still-falling rain. She was very pretty, with shining sky-blue tresses and milky skin. Her eyes were streaming tears and she was making little hiccuping sounds.
"Botan! Botan," a little boy, quite handsome with his hazel eyes and hair, and an unmistakable "Jr" sign on his head, said, appearing suddenly. Spotting the girl, he sighed and said, "Thank goodness I found you. Hey, you'll catch cold if you just sit there."
She cowered back and murmured, "Go 'way, Koenma-sama, leave me alone. Please."
He sighed and sat down beside her. Seeing how sad she looked, he patted her back awkwardly. "Don't listen to them, they dunno anything," he said softly.
"No, Princess Kotennyo was right; I can never become a ferrygirl," she said, eyes downcast. She had stopped crying but she was still sad. "...and it's not right of me to hang around you and the other kids, either, coz I was a ningen. Before."
Koenma looked at her sympathetically. He had caught the princess harassing Botan just because she was not 'royalty,' as she put it. The very thought made him so angry for some reason that he made up his mind to not speak to her from now on. "No, she's wrong," he said, letting Botan's head nestle on his shoulder as he patted her back. "You're gonna be the best ferry girl there is, and you'll have the chance to rub it in until her stuck-up nose becomes snub, just you wait" he told her firmly.
She giggled at the thought, then smiled at him. He smiled back, feeling contented.
"Thanks." She said. They sat together for a while, not minding the rain, which had slowed to a drizzle. Suddenly, Botan gasped and sat up.
"Nani?" Koenma asked, surprised.
"Look!" she said in awe, offering him a hand up and pointing to the rainbow in the horizon.
"Wow," he could only say as he, too, looked. Then, Botan laughed gleefully and grabbed his hands. Ignoring his protests, she swirled them round and round, laughing. Koenma gave in too and laughed along with his now-cheerful companion.
======
"I'm glad you remember," Botan said softly. She was glad that even for a moment, she could make him forget his sorrow.
"Thank you," he said softly.
"Thank you, too," she answered, just as softly. No other words were needed. They understood each other too well.
He hesitated for a moment, then "Dance with me?" he said shyly, looking her in the eyes.
"Yes," she said, mesmerized by his dark-hazel eyes, and thinking how handsome he had become. He held her to him, and they danced slowly. The gates to his sorrow opened, and he cried freely onto her shoulder. "Goodbye, father," he thought, as his tears finally stopped flowing. "I'll make you proud, wherever you are." Then, he stood, straight and tall as his father taught him to, and watched the rainbow fade with Botan, her hand clasped in his. And, hand-in-hand, they walked to the palace with something more than peace lying in their hearts.
In one of the palace balconies, two figures hidden in shadows, stood and watched Koenma and Botan leave. "They're leaving, Enm-I mean, Kage-sama," one of them, a female under her dark cloak, said to her companion in a soft voice.
After a moment, he answered, "Yes, and we should go, too. We have a long way to travel tonight before we reach the other kingdom. Did you leave the note for the head ferry girl, by the way?"
"Yes, I merely told Botan, the blue-haired girl you saw with Koenma-that I was going to visit somebody." She answered.
"Good." He paused, then asked in a low voice, "Are you sure you want to go with me? You're gonna leave your friends-your only family -and your work. I-I can't bear to think you'll regret this, Ayame."
His companion faced him and said vehemently, "No! I will never regret going with you!" she touched his face under his hood and said softly, "I love you, and it's you I can't be without." She leaned her head on his shoulder and continued, " How about you? Are you regretting going away...and-and leaving your son?"
He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. " No, not really, "he replied. "Being free-with you-is all I ever wanted for so very long. Since I was little, I wanted to escape my duties and get away from here, not because of business, but because I really want to. The only thing I regret is not telling my son how proud I am of him. But--" he said with a grimace "-the great Enma Daioh would never do that."
"Yes, I suppose so, but the great Kage can," Ayame said firmly.
"I guess so, after a few years," he said thoughtfully, watching the disappearing figures of the ferry girl and his son with a warm glint in his eyes, never seen except by those nearest and dearest to him. " I want him to make me really proud."
"How?" she asked, a bit confused. She knew how hard Koenma worked and what a great king he would be.
"By going after his real heart's desire-" he bent over to give her a small kiss"-the woman he loves."
She smiled broadly under her hood and hugged his body to hers. "I guess it'll be a real test for him," she admitted. "...But Koenma and Botan will rock the Reikai more than we ever will, you know?"
"I've known since they were kids," he said easily, beginning to lead her outside, being careful to avoid anyone.
"Get out of here!" she said, laughing softly.
"We will, don't worry," he answered, "and don't be too polite with me from now, alright?"
"Okay, Kage." She paused. "By the way, I love you."
"I love you, too."
~ Owari ~
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