The Story of the Moth and the Bulb [Prince of Tennis: Fuji, Echizen, Tezuka]
A part of a bigger idea. Fuji tells Echizen a story. There's reference to Tezuka in there, too. 370 Words.
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The Story of the Moth and the Bulb
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"Fuji-senpai?" When Ryoma sticks his head round the door to the locker room, he finds Fuji in the dark, standing on a chair in the middle of the room as though it's perfectly normal. "What are you doing?"
"Ah, Echizen-kun." Fuji smiles. "The light went out. I know where the spares are kept." He gestures to the box of lightbulbs he has obviously pulled out of the open supplies cupboard. Ryoma nods, and watches a moment longer until Fuji smiles an even wider smile; one that is pitying and set to humour a small child. "Could you hand me one possibly, Echizen-kun?"
Ryoma blinks, and steps into the room fully, reaching for the box of bulbs and offering them up to Fuji on the chair. With the burned out bulb between his teeth somehow, Fuji screws in the new one.
"Okay, if you turn the light on it should work now." He says, jumping down from the chair and now holding the burned out bulb in his hand. Ryoma walks over to the light-switch like a good kouhai, flicks it on, and turns to look at Fuji again.
"Who are you, Fuji-senpai?" He asks, and Fuji hides his smile.
"Let me tell you a story, Echizen." He replies, holding up the used bulb. "Now see, inside there's that hot wire? And for a long time, until it burns itself out, it shines brightly. It shines so brightly in fact, that sometimes it's the only thing to be seen. And so it begins to attract moths, little fluttering creatures who just want to be as close to the light as they can, not realising that if they get just a little too close they'll be destroyed."
Fuji pauses, and Ryoma squints harder, wanting to understand, desperately hoping his senpai is about to start making some sense. It's like Fuji can sense his impatience, and stopped on purpose.
"The purpose of the bulb itself..." Fuji says eventually, and Ryoma begin to breathe again, "Unseen but unyielding, invisible but strong. It's purpose is to protect, Echizen-kun." He opens his eyes a fraction. "I am here to make sure that nobody gets stupid and flies too close, or burns too bright, and destroys themselves."
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The Story of the Moth and the Bulb
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"Fuji-senpai?" When Ryoma sticks his head round the door to the locker room, he finds Fuji in the dark, standing on a chair in the middle of the room as though it's perfectly normal. "What are you doing?"
"Ah, Echizen-kun." Fuji smiles. "The light went out. I know where the spares are kept." He gestures to the box of lightbulbs he has obviously pulled out of the open supplies cupboard. Ryoma nods, and watches a moment longer until Fuji smiles an even wider smile; one that is pitying and set to humour a small child. "Could you hand me one possibly, Echizen-kun?"
Ryoma blinks, and steps into the room fully, reaching for the box of bulbs and offering them up to Fuji on the chair. With the burned out bulb between his teeth somehow, Fuji screws in the new one.
"Okay, if you turn the light on it should work now." He says, jumping down from the chair and now holding the burned out bulb in his hand. Ryoma walks over to the light-switch like a good kouhai, flicks it on, and turns to look at Fuji again.
"Who are you, Fuji-senpai?" He asks, and Fuji hides his smile.
"Let me tell you a story, Echizen." He replies, holding up the used bulb. "Now see, inside there's that hot wire? And for a long time, until it burns itself out, it shines brightly. It shines so brightly in fact, that sometimes it's the only thing to be seen. And so it begins to attract moths, little fluttering creatures who just want to be as close to the light as they can, not realising that if they get just a little too close they'll be destroyed."
Fuji pauses, and Ryoma squints harder, wanting to understand, desperately hoping his senpai is about to start making some sense. It's like Fuji can sense his impatience, and stopped on purpose.
"The purpose of the bulb itself..." Fuji says eventually, and Ryoma begin to breathe again, "Unseen but unyielding, invisible but strong. It's purpose is to protect, Echizen-kun." He opens his eyes a fraction. "I am here to make sure that nobody gets stupid and flies too close, or burns too bright, and destroys themselves."
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