[oneshot] Magic in the Rain
Title: Magic in the Rain
Author: theivorykeys
Fandom: Yamada Ryosuke
Pairing: Yamada Ryosuke/OC
Genre: Romance
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I own YamadaRyosuke and nothing save for the plot
Type: OneShot
Notes: Originally written for my finals based on one word: Trees. It has been edited with extra elaboration. Enjoy. (:
Summary: Rain cursed by a shaman brings the darkness in a forest to life. When the only way home is through the forest, Kiritani Saaya pushes aside all thoughts of the old wives' tales and enters.
The sky was dark as rain clouds rolled across the sky to block out the blue. The wind blew harshly as it threatened to rain cats and dogs. Saaya pulled the collar of her threadbare coat higher, hoping in vain to prevent the wind from blowing into her clothes. The basket that she held in her right hand had been stripped of the beautiful flowers that she had picked just a while ago. Now she would have nothing to sell. She would have to go another day without food.
The forest loomed darkly before her, their leaves seeming to scrape the sky. Saaya swallowed hard and stared at the pathway that winded through the thick, oppressing forest. In the daylight, the forest was a magical place with its lush greenery and the music of the forest birds. Now, it looked as if it was going to swallow her and not spit her out. Yet, this was the only path that led back to the village. She could take the longer way around and go through the town but she didn't want to be caught in the rain.
Taking a deep breath, she put one foot forward and then the next until she was heading straight into the claustrophobic darkness. There have been stories that the old folk told to scare the little ones about not entering the forest when it rained. Her grandmother used to tell her that the rain that fell in Everglade Valley had been cursed by an old shaman and that the rain could bring the whole forest to life. Older, Saaya didn't really believe in that anymore but her heart thumped like a frightened rabbit in her chest.
Inside the forest, the wind was calmer and Saaya could stop her shivering. It was dark. As dark as twilight but she knew that her eyes would adjust. Besides, she knew this forest like the back of her hand, having played here as a little girl. As she ventured deeper into the forest, the darkness seemed to swallow her and her eyes had yet to adjust. She was beginning to get frightened and wondered if there was any truth in the old folks' tales. The trees seemed to close in on her the further she walked. She started to shiver, not out of cold but fright. She was beginning to wish that she had taken the long way around.
She could make out the vague shapes of the tree trunks and the low branches, yet she still could not see. Little droplets of water splattered on her head as she walked and she had to take off her coat and drape it over her head to prevent herself from being entirely soaked. It probably had begun to rain outside. Hopefully, by the time she made it out of the forest, the rain had slowed to a light drizzle. She added as an afterthought, If I ever get out.
As she walked on, she occupied her mind with thoughts on how to look for food since her source of income had been carried away with the wind and how to explain to her mother that she had nothing to sell. Oh, her poor mother. She needed the money to also buy her mother's medication. She could see a faint light between the trees and she chided herself for being frightened. There was obviously nothing to be frightened about a forest. Yet, just when she thought she was okay and that fairy tales were just fairy tales...
CRACK! She froze. She had not stepped on a branch. The pathway through the forest was cleared constantly to make it easier for the villagers to travel to and from town. She strained her ears to see if her mind had been playing tricks on her. There was no other sound save for the raindrops hitting the leaves and her frightened breathing. She reassured herself that it was just her mind playing tricks on her and continued walking, now wary of her surroundings. CRACK! It was closer this time and Saaya instinctively pressed herself against a tree trunk, the wet bark against her back.
Then, there came a low chuckle, almost growl-like. She managed to croak out, "Who's there?"
There was no response. Only the pitter-patter of rain. "I said, who's there? This isn't funny," she yelled, pressing herself against the tree.
There was a soft growling. Saaya took a deep breath to steel her nerves. It would do her no good to be a snivelling, frightened baby if some sort of animal was going to attack her. It didn't occur to her at that moment to remember that the dangerous, life-threathening animals had already been removed from the forest. The growling grew louder and her heart seemed to stop as warm breath tickled the side of her neck. She turned her head ever so slightly and stared straight into a golden eye as large as a dinner plate.
A scream tore from her throat as she dropped her basket and ran. Ran for her dear life. She could hear the creature in hot pursuit behind her, it's hot breath stirring the air around her. She could hear it's pants, hot and heavy and suspected it to be a large, overly large dog of some sort. She could hear the soft thud of paws hitting the ground. Normally, she wouldn't be able to run so hard but with the adrenaline coursing through her body, she did. She ran and ran and ran until...
SMACK! She hit a damp tree trunk and realised that beyond the tree trunk was the road that led to town. Muttering a prayer of thanks, she stepped forward and instantly, she connected with air. She probed slightly, her fear elevating. She could hear the panting creature coming closer, sniffing out her scent. There was an obstruction where there should be nothing. As if some sort of invisible wall had been erected around the forest. The creature came closer and with the slight light that poured in, she could vaguely make out the creature's shape.
It was black, large and shaggy. With two giant horns sprouting from it's head. It's eyes were golden and as large as dinner plates, the pupil black. Globules of saliva hung from it's jaw even though it was closed. All in all, it looked like something that came from the depths of fire and brimestone. She was so frightened that she couldn't even scream. The creature loomed over her, it's hot breath blowing onto her. She could smell something horrifyingly rancid on it's breath and shuddered. It lowered it's head, it's jaw hanging open. Saaya could see each of its razor-sharp teeth.
She closed her eyes and prepared for the inevitable as there was nowhere else to run. She was caged in by trees on both sides. She wished that she had time to say goodbye to her mother who would be wondering where her only daughter was. She wished that she would have listened to the elders and not entered the forest when it was raining. Then...
She was being lifted into the air and deposited into a little nest-like nook in the branches. She could smell chocolate, one of life's most luxurious items and before her eyes, a pale, shiny figure shimmered before taking the solid shape of a boy about her age. "Tsk, tsk. Little girl, you know better than to enter the forest when it's raining," he said, his figure a pale green and he wore leaves for clothes.
"I am not a little girl, I'll have you know. I've seen seventeen summers."
"Ah, good for you," the boy said, straddling a branch, leaning back against the tree trunk. "Still doesn't give you an excuse to come into the forest when it's raining."
"Then what are you doing here?" Saaya asked, sarcastically, sneering slightly at him.
"Well, my dear, this is my home."
"Your home?"
"Yes, my home," he muttered, rolling his eyes and clicking his tongue impatiently. "Didn't the elders tell you? I'm a tree spirit. We can only come to life when it rains. As can the other creatures in the forest."
"Tree spirit?"
"Gosh, you're exasperating," he grumbled. "Everything has a spirit, silly. Don't you?"
Saaya nodded, wondering if she had died and this was some sort of in-between world. "Well, I'm Yamada Ryosuke. You are?"
"I'm Kiritani Saaya," she muttered, blinking a few times and pinched herself to see if she was dreaming.
The tree spirit sighed deeply and said, "I'm very much real. No, you're not dreaming. You can stop abusing your arm."
"But trees don't have names."
Yamada looked hurt at that statement. He sighed softly. He said, pointing out the respective trees, "They do to. That one over there is Chinen and that tiny shrub down there is Takaki."
Saaya stared at him in disbelief. Yamada grumbled softly under his breath. "Oh, well. The rain isn't going to stop for a few more hours. The wind told me so," he said, peering slightly into her eyes. "You'd best be getting some sleep. You look like you need it."
"Sleep? In a tree? Are you nuts?" she scoffed.
Yamada smiled beautifully. "Don't worry. I'll keep you safe, ne?"
He leant over her and gently brushed her forehead with a kiss. She felt herself getting sleepy and she felt him gently lay her down and the tree branches closed gently over her. "Ah, finally," she heard him mutter before she fell asleep.
[paragraph]
When she awoke, she was in her bed, on the rough straw mattress in her drafty room. She was sure that she had been dreaming until she saw that her clothes were covered in leaves and mud. From that day on, try as she might, she had never been able to see the tree boy-as she had come to think of him-again. Even when it was raining.
Some people said that the curse had been broken. The rain could no longer bring the forest to life. No one knew that to break the curse, a human had to enter the forest when it was raining and elicit help from one of the forest spirits. No one knew that the one forest that had saved her life had been in love with her since the first day he saw her.
Author: theivorykeys
Fandom: Yamada Ryosuke
Pairing: Yamada Ryosuke/OC
Genre: Romance
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I own YamadaRyosuke and nothing save for the plot
Type: OneShot
Notes: Originally written for my finals based on one word: Trees. It has been edited with extra elaboration. Enjoy. (:
Summary: Rain cursed by a shaman brings the darkness in a forest to life. When the only way home is through the forest, Kiritani Saaya pushes aside all thoughts of the old wives' tales and enters.
The sky was dark as rain clouds rolled across the sky to block out the blue. The wind blew harshly as it threatened to rain cats and dogs. Saaya pulled the collar of her threadbare coat higher, hoping in vain to prevent the wind from blowing into her clothes. The basket that she held in her right hand had been stripped of the beautiful flowers that she had picked just a while ago. Now she would have nothing to sell. She would have to go another day without food.
The forest loomed darkly before her, their leaves seeming to scrape the sky. Saaya swallowed hard and stared at the pathway that winded through the thick, oppressing forest. In the daylight, the forest was a magical place with its lush greenery and the music of the forest birds. Now, it looked as if it was going to swallow her and not spit her out. Yet, this was the only path that led back to the village. She could take the longer way around and go through the town but she didn't want to be caught in the rain.
Taking a deep breath, she put one foot forward and then the next until she was heading straight into the claustrophobic darkness. There have been stories that the old folk told to scare the little ones about not entering the forest when it rained. Her grandmother used to tell her that the rain that fell in Everglade Valley had been cursed by an old shaman and that the rain could bring the whole forest to life. Older, Saaya didn't really believe in that anymore but her heart thumped like a frightened rabbit in her chest.
Inside the forest, the wind was calmer and Saaya could stop her shivering. It was dark. As dark as twilight but she knew that her eyes would adjust. Besides, she knew this forest like the back of her hand, having played here as a little girl. As she ventured deeper into the forest, the darkness seemed to swallow her and her eyes had yet to adjust. She was beginning to get frightened and wondered if there was any truth in the old folks' tales. The trees seemed to close in on her the further she walked. She started to shiver, not out of cold but fright. She was beginning to wish that she had taken the long way around.
She could make out the vague shapes of the tree trunks and the low branches, yet she still could not see. Little droplets of water splattered on her head as she walked and she had to take off her coat and drape it over her head to prevent herself from being entirely soaked. It probably had begun to rain outside. Hopefully, by the time she made it out of the forest, the rain had slowed to a light drizzle. She added as an afterthought, If I ever get out.
As she walked on, she occupied her mind with thoughts on how to look for food since her source of income had been carried away with the wind and how to explain to her mother that she had nothing to sell. Oh, her poor mother. She needed the money to also buy her mother's medication. She could see a faint light between the trees and she chided herself for being frightened. There was obviously nothing to be frightened about a forest. Yet, just when she thought she was okay and that fairy tales were just fairy tales...
CRACK! She froze. She had not stepped on a branch. The pathway through the forest was cleared constantly to make it easier for the villagers to travel to and from town. She strained her ears to see if her mind had been playing tricks on her. There was no other sound save for the raindrops hitting the leaves and her frightened breathing. She reassured herself that it was just her mind playing tricks on her and continued walking, now wary of her surroundings. CRACK! It was closer this time and Saaya instinctively pressed herself against a tree trunk, the wet bark against her back.
Then, there came a low chuckle, almost growl-like. She managed to croak out, "Who's there?"
There was no response. Only the pitter-patter of rain. "I said, who's there? This isn't funny," she yelled, pressing herself against the tree.
There was a soft growling. Saaya took a deep breath to steel her nerves. It would do her no good to be a snivelling, frightened baby if some sort of animal was going to attack her. It didn't occur to her at that moment to remember that the dangerous, life-threathening animals had already been removed from the forest. The growling grew louder and her heart seemed to stop as warm breath tickled the side of her neck. She turned her head ever so slightly and stared straight into a golden eye as large as a dinner plate.
A scream tore from her throat as she dropped her basket and ran. Ran for her dear life. She could hear the creature in hot pursuit behind her, it's hot breath stirring the air around her. She could hear it's pants, hot and heavy and suspected it to be a large, overly large dog of some sort. She could hear the soft thud of paws hitting the ground. Normally, she wouldn't be able to run so hard but with the adrenaline coursing through her body, she did. She ran and ran and ran until...
SMACK! She hit a damp tree trunk and realised that beyond the tree trunk was the road that led to town. Muttering a prayer of thanks, she stepped forward and instantly, she connected with air. She probed slightly, her fear elevating. She could hear the panting creature coming closer, sniffing out her scent. There was an obstruction where there should be nothing. As if some sort of invisible wall had been erected around the forest. The creature came closer and with the slight light that poured in, she could vaguely make out the creature's shape.
It was black, large and shaggy. With two giant horns sprouting from it's head. It's eyes were golden and as large as dinner plates, the pupil black. Globules of saliva hung from it's jaw even though it was closed. All in all, it looked like something that came from the depths of fire and brimestone. She was so frightened that she couldn't even scream. The creature loomed over her, it's hot breath blowing onto her. She could smell something horrifyingly rancid on it's breath and shuddered. It lowered it's head, it's jaw hanging open. Saaya could see each of its razor-sharp teeth.
She closed her eyes and prepared for the inevitable as there was nowhere else to run. She was caged in by trees on both sides. She wished that she had time to say goodbye to her mother who would be wondering where her only daughter was. She wished that she would have listened to the elders and not entered the forest when it was raining. Then...
She was being lifted into the air and deposited into a little nest-like nook in the branches. She could smell chocolate, one of life's most luxurious items and before her eyes, a pale, shiny figure shimmered before taking the solid shape of a boy about her age. "Tsk, tsk. Little girl, you know better than to enter the forest when it's raining," he said, his figure a pale green and he wore leaves for clothes.
"I am not a little girl, I'll have you know. I've seen seventeen summers."
"Ah, good for you," the boy said, straddling a branch, leaning back against the tree trunk. "Still doesn't give you an excuse to come into the forest when it's raining."
"Then what are you doing here?" Saaya asked, sarcastically, sneering slightly at him.
"Well, my dear, this is my home."
"Your home?"
"Yes, my home," he muttered, rolling his eyes and clicking his tongue impatiently. "Didn't the elders tell you? I'm a tree spirit. We can only come to life when it rains. As can the other creatures in the forest."
"Tree spirit?"
"Gosh, you're exasperating," he grumbled. "Everything has a spirit, silly. Don't you?"
Saaya nodded, wondering if she had died and this was some sort of in-between world. "Well, I'm Yamada Ryosuke. You are?"
"I'm Kiritani Saaya," she muttered, blinking a few times and pinched herself to see if she was dreaming.
The tree spirit sighed deeply and said, "I'm very much real. No, you're not dreaming. You can stop abusing your arm."
"But trees don't have names."
Yamada looked hurt at that statement. He sighed softly. He said, pointing out the respective trees, "They do to. That one over there is Chinen and that tiny shrub down there is Takaki."
Saaya stared at him in disbelief. Yamada grumbled softly under his breath. "Oh, well. The rain isn't going to stop for a few more hours. The wind told me so," he said, peering slightly into her eyes. "You'd best be getting some sleep. You look like you need it."
"Sleep? In a tree? Are you nuts?" she scoffed.
Yamada smiled beautifully. "Don't worry. I'll keep you safe, ne?"
He leant over her and gently brushed her forehead with a kiss. She felt herself getting sleepy and she felt him gently lay her down and the tree branches closed gently over her. "Ah, finally," she heard him mutter before she fell asleep.
[paragraph]
When she awoke, she was in her bed, on the rough straw mattress in her drafty room. She was sure that she had been dreaming until she saw that her clothes were covered in leaves and mud. From that day on, try as she might, she had never been able to see the tree boy-as she had come to think of him-again. Even when it was raining.
Some people said that the curse had been broken. The rain could no longer bring the forest to life. No one knew that to break the curse, a human had to enter the forest when it was raining and elicit help from one of the forest spirits. No one knew that the one forest that had saved her life had been in love with her since the first day he saw her.