Akatsuki - Chapter Five
Title: Akatsuki
Genre: AU, Fantasy,
Rating : Pg-13 for language
Pairings: YamaJima (main)
Disclaimer: I made the poster from images I got from flickr, heavily influenced by an original, final fantasy/kingdom hearts/legend of Mana but the plot and characterization are my own hard work. The Idols are Johhnys but because they've engraved an irreplaceable position in my heart so I based my characters on them and yeah used their names...the end.
Summary: The young prince of the Kingdom of Akatsuki was the life of the Castle. Cheerful, resilient and optimistic he lived his life in his own way and was well loved by all his people. His only despair was his confinement to the walls of his palace owing to his weak body. Things take an unexpected turn in his easy-going life after the arrival of a cold and mysterious kitchen boy, the only who seems unaffected by the prince's happy-go-lucky attitude.
Note: Sorry for the late reply, finally got my internet back after 5 days...second last chappie from the chibi!Yamajima Arc. Next chappie was kinda sad to write though...Feedback will help me grow...
Five - Escapade
A lonely sparrow took flight from its nest in the royal gardens, soaring above the castle’s intimidating barricades. It flapped its wings, gaining altitude to where the view below was of a patchwork of blocks in the shade of cherry oak contrasting starkly with the pallor of the cobblestone streets. The clouds parted at various points, letting through beams of sunlight that illuminated the sharp colours of life that thronged the many lanes and alleys. The bird finally came to alight on the balcony of a simple shop house, glad to finally be a part of the animation of the ground. It was few seconds later though, that a high-pitched giggle from the adjoining street spurred a new journey for peace.
“This so exciting!”
Ryosuke gulped, feeling fear rearing its ugly head at the pit of his stomach. He was not sure as to why he was so worried. He was following the prince’s wishes after all; there was no need to feel like he had gotten himself and most probably his brother into huge trouble.
Another giggle made him eye the twirling prince with disdain. He was so done for.
“Ryo-chan, what’s wrong?” Yuto queried cutely, bouncing towards his fidgety friend. Ryosuke gave him a sour look.
“If I get executed for this-umph!”
He stumbled as the lanky child latched onto him, tightening his hold with a grin.
“Ryo-chan, you’re my best best best friend ever!”
‘And you’re the most manipulative 12 year old I’ve ever met,’ Ryosuke thought miserably as Yuto jumped off him and pulled his hood lower onto his face, gazing around the street like a child in a candy shop. He hoped Daiki would not notice that his cloak had gone missing, at least long enough for them to return.
“Are you seriously telling me you’ve never left the castle?”
Yuto rounded upon him, eyes big, round and full of melancholy.
“No,” he sighed, posing dramatically.
“Why?”
Yuto shrugged.
“Apparently, I was very weak as a baby and the healers told me that if I stray too far from home, I’ll fall sick,”
Ryosuke felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand at the revelation.
“Knowing that…you’d risk getting me into trouble?”
“Do you only think about yourself?” Yuto shot back, silencing the boy. As Ryosuke began to drown in his little puddle of guilt, Yuto, completely unperturbed at the awkwardness he had caused happily dusted himself before hooking an arm around the slightly shorter figure’s.
“Now, let’s take me around town!”
Yuto felt as if his mouth would tire from all the smiling. His gaze swept everything in the periphery, from the strange pale chunks of stones in the lampposts, to the buntings and wreaths made from blue feathers hanging from balcony to balcony. There were peddlers on the sidewalks selling trinkets, hawkers roasting nuts and sausages and little children running around sporting paper crowns. The shops were packed, whether they be boutiques, eateries or multipurpose stores.
“Is it always this busy?” Yuto asked bemused as he realized Ryosuke, like him was gaping at everything like a guppy fish.
“No, I guess it’s because of Your Highness’s celebration tomorrow, I heard they are planning to celebrate it like a festival,”
“But…I’m just turning twelve…what’s the big deal in that? You’re probably turning twelve soon too right?”
Ryosuke gave him a look.
“I admire your humbleness, and no I’m not turning twelve, I already am,”
“Ehhhhhhhhhhhh?”
“What?”
“You’re older than me?”
“You sound surprised,”
“But you’re shorter!”
Flabbergasted, Ryosuke scowled at the pout on Yuto’s face.
“Since when has height been a measure of age?”
“Well, you do sound like an old man sometimes,”
“What are you saying? It’s not making any sense!”
“It’s not supposed to,”
Ryosuke slammed his head against a nearby pillar. Yuto chuckled.
“You need to relax a bit Ryo-chan,”
The older boy sighed deeply, forehead still pressed against the pillar.
“Feeling better?” Yuto asked kindly.
“Yeah, but I hurt my head,”
Yuto’s eyes widened as he spotted a very pretty display of trinkets a foot from where they stood.
“Come, let’s get something from there,” he exclaimed excitedly.
“Why…they’re roadside accessories…is a prince supposed to even wear that?” Ryosuke asked bemused. Ignoring the developing bruise on the older boy’s forehead, Yuto gave him a look of indignation.
“They were made by the hardwork of my people; I will be more than honoured!”
Ryosuke blinked at the cloaked figure as he pranced towards the stall and sighed in wonder, understanding a bit of why this little boy’s 12th birthday meant so much. He was this Kingdom’s future…and a loud and noisy one at that. Yuto gave him a frown and an impatient wave of the hand to which he responded immediately.
“What do you want to buy?” he asked the prince. After a few minutes of frowning and pouting, Yuto gave up.
“You choose,”
“What if you don’t like it?” Ryosuke responded exasperated.
“It doesn’t matter, you will like what you pick for yourself right?”
“Myself?”
“Ya, since I missed your birthday…I’m ordering you to buy yourself a birthday present!” Yuto announced proudly. Ryosuke rolled his eyes.
The peddler, who had been too busy talking to a companion finally turned his gaze onto Yuto.
“What would you like young man?” he asked with a cheery smile. Yuto glared at Ryosuke who was taking forever to pick an accessory (because he was trying to calculate how much he would have to loose from his wallet) and so he asked;
“What would you recommend?”
The man ran his hands over his products before coming to a stop over a pair of jeweled broaches. Ryosuke bit his lip…there goes his allowance.
“My my, you see boy I have a gift of picking the right ornaments for people…these two were my rarest pieces and I haven’t been able to pick anyone for them yet,”
‘So you want to get rid of an obvious failure by selling it to a couple of young idiots,’ Ryosuke thought matter-of-factly.
“What are they?” Yuto asked curiously, eyes widened in wonder. One broach was of zircon with half a butterfly wing in white and the other was of ruby with the other half wing in black.
“The hunter who sold it to me said that it was infused with traces of the some ancient power that runs deep within our city, if two people with a strong bond hold each piece it will tell them when the distance between them gets too much,”
“Really?” Yuto gasped amazed, Ryosuke rolled his eyes, tugging at his hood.
‘Naïve boy,’
“It will be perfect for you and your pretty girlfriend there,”
Yuto slapped his hands onto his mouth to suppress a strong urge to laugh at the horrified look on Ryosuke’s face.
“Was it something I said?” the man asked confused as the fuming boy stomped away.
Sniggering, Yuto shook his head and paid the man. He looked at where the boy had turned into a side lane and set off immediately, maneuvering through the crowd.
“Oii, chotto Ryo-chan!”
Yuto stumbled in his steps, a sudden wave of dizziness overtaking him. He squinted against the heaviness of his eyelids but could make out no familiar face. He pushed himself forwards, turning into the first alley that came to view. It was a deserted lane between two shop houses with nothing but the ends of rain pipes and a dumpster.
“Ryo…suke,” he called out weakly, leaning against the wall for support. Feeling his vision dimming, he squatted onto the ground, clutching his head. A sudden fear held him. He scanned the busy street from which he had come anxiously, feeling alone and vulnerable all of a sudden.
“Ryosuke,” he called again, breaking into sobs. He heard the crunch of shoes on gravel but was too afraid to look up. The steps seemed too heavy to be his friend’s.
“Hey there little boy, are you lost?”
Yuto tugged at his hood nervously, holding himself close. He could see two pairs of feet standing before him, but kept his face low. He had heard of there being bad people in the city from Kou-nii but he had always found it hard to believe. If their kingdom was as peaceful and prosperous as the royal council always boasted, then why would there be any bad people in the city?
“Come on little one, we’ll treat you to some cherry ice! How’s that sound?”
“I don’t talk to strangers,” he mumbled and flinched as the two burst into laughter.
“Come on Toshi, we’re wasting time, he’s just a kid!” one of the men spoke.
“Check out the clothes he has under that cloak Jun, they’re probably worth enough to feed a village for days…he’s probably the kid of some aristocrat,”
“How much do you think his family would pay for ransom?”
Yuto bit a trembling lip and thought about screaming for help until the roaring thunder overhead dashed his hopes. When had the sky darkened he had not realized. He jumped as an arm nudged his and yelped as it was held in a strong grip.
“Let’s go brat, unless you want to be cut to pieces and left here to rot,”
“Let me go!” he yelled as the man closest to him attempted to pull him onto his feet. An exclamation of pain from the man named Jun made Toshi release the struggling boy.
“What?” Toshi snapped as Jun rubbed his head. They both turned towards the entrance of the alley and Yuto’s eyes widened as Ryosuke stood there, bouncing a stone in his hand.
“You wanna mess with us kid?”
“You wanna keep messing with my friend?”
“Check out the nerve of this pipsqueak Toshi!”
All three jumped as Yuto turned his head away and puked the contents of his breakfast onto the ground.
The two men grimaced and looked at each other, coming to a silent agreement before walking away. Ryosuke rushed to Yuto’s side.
“Are you alright?” he asked anxiously as Yuto wiped his mouth. The prince shook his head, sobbing.
“I’ve never felt this horrible in my whole life,” he cried miserably. Ryosuke sighed, looking up at the sky as it began to drizzle. Placing his arms around the younger boy he realized that the prince had a high fever and so he took off his cloak and covered Yuto’s trembling figure.
“Get on my back, I’m taking you home.”
~*~