Fanfiction: The Seventh Lesson (Chapter 4/5)
Characters: Tackey, Pi, Kame and Tsubasa
Genre: AU, angst, fluff, friendship
Rating: PG13
Summary: The wind blows and the journey continues.
Disclaimer: The wind tells me that I don’t own the boys.
Chapter 1/5
Chapter 2/5 (Special Guests: Jin and Ryo)
Chapter 3/5 (Special Guests: Ueda and Pi)
The Seventh Lesson (Chapter 4/5)
Time flew and Takki had fun. It was the first time he stayed anywhere for a length of time. He was always travelling and searching. But it seemed his heart had finally settled. What could possibly have tamed it? Was it the vast countryside, the welcoming company, or the smile that lifted his heart?
Pi, his pig farmer friend wasn’t the only one who made Takki feel at home. His family was equally thrilled at having him. Pi’s mother treated him like a second son and pampered him to bits. When Takki sat beside her and accompanied her as she cooked, she never once allowed him to lift a finger to help. She would cook the dishes he liked and would stash the best bits of food for him. Despite her blatant favoritism, Pi was far from offended. He even happily jumped onto the bandwagon. Meals at the table were often a contest of who could pile more food onto Takki’s rice bowl.
Takki couldn’t be happier. At long last, he felt like he belonged. He had a ‘mother’ who doted on him, a ‘brother’ who adored him and pig friends who worshiped him so much that they followed him around.
When Pi worked in the farm, Takki would often tag along. Although he was strictly forbidden to help, he was allowed to play his flute to entertain the pigs. Takki thought his presence on the farm rather trivial but Pi insisted that his playing of the flute was instrumental in the pigs growing bigger and tasting better. Even Little Runaway Piggy had stopped running away. It had taken up a new interest - stalking Takki.
Before Takki realized, he had spent the turn of a season with Pi. The green leaves above his head had turned red and the red leaves had turned brown. As the season got colder, Pi got closer. Often, he would snuggle up to Takki when they took their afternoon break. As Takki drank his oolong tea, Pi would sometimes lay his curly head on his droopy shoulders or on his cross-legged lap. It was times like this Takki wanted so badly to stroke that thick inviting mane and those glowing bronze cheeks. But he didn’t. If he did, he would remember.
And remember he did. With Pi’s ever increasing tenderness, from the not-so-accidental touches to the tell-tale longing gazes, Takki remembered.
‘What are you looking at?’
Pi wrapped his arms lovingly around Takki. His best friend had recently been quieter than usual and it was beginning to worry him.
‘The wind. I think it’s calling me, calling out to me.’
For some reason, hearing those words, Pi’s heart fell and his arms slipped.
Tsubasa once said that he loved the wind. To him, wind was air saying ‘I love you.’
At that instant, Takki was suddenly overwhelmed with an urge to share that thought and say those words. They made Tsubasa happy. Would they make Pi happy too? But he didn’t utter those precious words. He couldn’t.
……………
Like the leaves tossing by in the wind before him, Takki’s blissful and carefree summer dream was over. He was once again on the road, without a home, on a journey to where the wind blew.
The wind didn’t have to blow far for Takki to meet his next friend.
‘Hit me! Just hit me! Do something! Anything!’
Takki looked on flabbergasted. Why would anyone want to be hit? He waited patiently until the retreating figure had almost disappeared before approaching the shouting man.
‘Why do you want to be hit?’
Kame was startled by the unexpected question.
‘Because I’ve hurt him, him and his family.’
It turned out that Kame used to be a famous prophesier. People came far and wide for his advice. He soon became arrogant and it angered the Gods.
‘After I lost my powers, I continued dispensing prophecies, pretending to still be endowed with the gift. He and his family are just one of my many victims.’
Kame wanted to come clean. But he had too much to lose, not just fame and fortune but his identity and self-worth as well. What was he if not Kame, The Prophesier?
‘Ultimately, I came clean. But it was too late for some. The damage was already done.’
‘Then why did you do it, come clean?’
‘It took a lot of soul-searching and courage. Maybe it was guilt? Maybe it was my ego refusing to be defined by my gift? Am I nothing without my gift? Surely I'm more than just a prophesier.’
Takki nodded. To him, Kame was more than a former prophesier. He was a proud and confident warrior.
Stirred by Kame’s self-belief, Takki was now anticipating the journey ahead. Maybe, along the way, he would discover what it was that defined him.
End of Chapter 4/5
Next up, tomorrow, Chapter 5/5.