Akatsuki - Chapter Nine
Title: Akatsuki
Genre: AU, Fantasy
Rating : Pg-13 for language
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 home he once new is no longer the same. Where there was once love, there is now anger and detest. When he left, they gave him best wishes. As he returns, they look at him with despair. On his 18th birthday, his father hands him the kingdom…and his mother…a power he never knew he had.
As war rages on the borders, it’s a race against the clock…to form the right alliances and strengthen the walls of his fortress. With time, he will begin to realize though, that the enemy is far more powerful…and far more closer to heart than he ever thought possible.
Chapter Nine - Homecoming
Yuto smiled at the little creature as it hobbled about, its translucent wings giving off a splendid shine under the moonlight. His eyes took in the view before him, from the garden of flowers surrounding him and the grassy descent of the hill to where the large waterfall fell in grace. He then swept his searching gaze over the route of the slithering river that wound away from its pool and then to the dense forest beyond where he knew was the road to home.
He reluctantly looked back at the large collection of stone-gray buildings, magnificent under the full moon and sighed deeply.
This academy had been his home for 6 years, and in these 6 years…he hadn’t been back to his kingdom, even for the holidays.
You have to study hard, they said to him. You have to come back knowledgeable about the sciences and the arts and the cultures of the world. You are the future they said, and you are to live for your people.
He stretched, lying back down upon the grass. The little winged creature alighted upon his chest, staring down at him curiously.
“I miss home, Kouta-nii…I wonder how he’s doing?”
He smiled at the inaudible question in the sprite’s eyes.
“He’s my guardian but he’s like an older brother, I haven’t seen him for ages though so I wonder how he looks like now…,”
The sprite sits down, cross-legged and looks genuinely interested. He chuckles.
“It’s not that I didn’t like it here, the academy was amazing…I had great teachers, wonderful friends from all over…but don’t you think it’s unfair that I haven’t seen my parents, Kou-nii, everyone at the castle back home ever since I came here. It’s like they’re doing something secretive and want me to stay out of the kingdom,”
The sprite folds its arms and pouts.
“Yes I know you’ve been keeping me updated about conditions back home, but most of the time you come back with the most irrelevant information possible, like I don’t care about alley-cats fighting or rumors about a phantom haunting the streets at night…I mean…I don’t know, I’m just happy to be graduating tomorrow I guess,”
He stifles a yawn and gazes up at the navy blue heavens above. He reaches out to the sky, feeling as if he would fall into its sea of stars. There is a warm feeling within him, and it makes him smile.
‘I’m going home.”
~*~
Daiki yawns, doing the last minute checks to the shop. Light flickered upon the snow as the breeze taunted and teased the flames in the nearby street lamp. Daiki remembers, back in the days when they need not light up their streets with fire but the beautiful fairy-like glow from the blue stones that now lay dulled in the small compartment below the torches; as useless as pebbles from the street.
It seemed to him that even the mysterious force that powered their city had long died. His eyes flicked from the torch to his younger brother who stood by the plowed road, gazing up at the sky with a dazed smile on his face.
“Hey sleepyhead, let’s go in unless you’re planning to freeze to death,” said he, rubbing his hands together before blowing into them. He frowned as Ryosuke raised a hand, as if reaching for the heavens and grinned wider.
“Dai-chan, do you think it’s possible for us to just fall into the sky…and if we do…would we just keep falling and falling forever?”
Daiki rolled his eyes, reprimanding himself for letting the younger one have that last slice of strawberry cheesecake and marched towards him before grabbing him by the collar and hustling him indoors.
~*~
The following morning was chilly, but not cold enough to hinder the hype of the new graduates. Congratulations and hugs were exchanged, graduate caps flung high into the air and a significant quantity of tears had been shed.
According to Keito though, the sorrow was only temporary and for some clearly over-exaggerated because nothing beats the happiness of life-term achievements and a long-awaited homecoming.
Aoi thought he was being surprisingly insensitive, Yuto didn’t really care as he unlatched himself from a close friend, eyes desperately searching for a lone figure.
“Make sure you write to me Yutti!”
He nodded rather absent-mindedly at which his shorter companion launched into protests against the lack of attention he was receiving from his best friend.
“See you Keito,” he then said turning to the well-ignored boy.
“Take care Yuri,” he replied with a polite bow watching as the boy dashed towards a carriage waiting for him and his tall, lean, rather malicious looking attendant. He then looked to the girl on his right and found her engrossed in a book.
“Aoi?”
“Yes my lord?”
“Why don’t I have my own carriage?”
The girl flipped the book close, took off her large round glasses and looked back at him thoughtfully.
“I think it’s because your parents and his Highness’s parents want us to stick together during travel, it's safer that way that’s all,”
“Oh,” said Keito, a little bit happier before Aoi resumed her reading.
Yuto pouted as he spotted his carriage but with a random driver. His face lighted up though as the carriage door popped opened and a tall, gangly young man with chestnut brown hair and small eyes jumped out onto the grass.
They both smiled at each other before Yuto launched himself at him with full force.
~*~
“Seriously?”
Daiki shook his head at the surprise and excitement on Ryosuke’s face as he continued to wipe the counter. Yuya placed his mug onto the small round table with a clunk, taking his time to swallow the hot chocolate in his mouth and nodded.
Ryosuke waited patiently for the older boy to finish gulping down the beverage and let out a contented sigh before leaning forward on that table, eyes twinkling with curiosity.
“I’ve heard it from a very reliable source; they spotted the carriage a few miles from here,” Yuya said finally, leaning back into his chair and fighting the urge to fall asleep right there.
“Your source isn’t Hikaru right?” asked Daiki, his voice laced with disbelief. Yuya coughed. Daiki rolled his eyes.
“Hey, he’s the best scout in our guild!” Yuya retorted defensively.
“Sure, sure, when he’s not in his prankster mood probably which is like never,” Daiki snaps.
Ryosuke sniggered at the exchange. He turned his vision towards the glass window and frowned at the slight glow emanating from the street lamp by their shop.
“Daiki?” he called and the other two boys in the room followed his line of vision to be equally surprised.
“The stones?”
They rushed out of the shop, gathering around the light.
“It’s really getting brighter by the second!” Yuya exclaimed. They were not the only ones, other people had begun gathering around the lamps, whispering in low voices.
Just then, down the street, a carriage came to view.
~*~
A/N: Sorry this one took ages! I've been writing this chapter little by little ever since I finished Beautiful Insanity cause I have to study and only write when I take breaks. Also, Aoi is an OC based on my friend who's doing a cameo in this story! I will reveal more as the story progresses. Thoughts on what happened in this chappie? Do share! Please and thank you!