Predictor of the Future - Chapter 5
Title: Predictor of the Future
Writer: Tacuma
Pairing: Perfect Pair
Chapter: 5
Genre: AU, romance, friendship, angst
Word count: 1096 words
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis
Previous Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Chapter 5
Fuji got used to the life he lived at the castle. He enjoyed his time at school with his friends a lot. He never really played with other kids before. Sometimes he cried about his family
, especially when he was in pain or when he saw other kids with their families, but his friends would comfort him. He cried less and less about it and felt more at home every day.
He had been at the castle for months when King Atobe first asked him for help. He had heard that the boy had a hard time to get used to his new life and his councilor had advised him to leave him alone for a while, but now he had a question that only Fuji could answer for him.
The young Seer put his special outfit on. The tailor had made him some sort of costume that made him look more mysterious. It was white with blue light blue stones at the end of his sleeves and at the hooded cape. He walked carefully on his white shoes, he didn't want to make them dirty.
Fuji followed one of the servants that had come to get him, because he didn't know the way in the castle yet. Tezuka had tried to explain it to him a few times, but he kept forgetting and he didn't want to get lost in the enormous building.
Shyly he entered the room where he had first seen the King. Everybody was looking at him, so Fuji tried to make himself tall and looked proud. It's what Tezuka had told him to do that, so he would be able to impress the people in the room. Fuji thought it worked, nobody laughed at him.
'You had asked for me, Your Majesty?' he asked King Atobe when he was a few meters away from the throne. That was also something Tezuka had told him to do. He knew nothing of the social rules of the 'important people', but Tezuka did, because one day he would have to take over his father's job.
'Yes,' answered the King with a friendly smile. 'We have a problem that only you can solve, because there are no witnesses. Tell me, Fuji, one of these guys stole food from the kitchen. Not just a piece of bread or an apple, no, my food for dinner was stolen a few times. Some very expensive things were gone. They are accusing each other of committing this crime, so we can't say who it was, but you can. Which of them was it?'
It was easy for Fuji to find out. He looked at the two guys. They were both wearing the same outfit. The outfit of a servant. They both worked for the King and one of them had betrayed the King's trust.
'It was him,' pointed Fuji to the man on the right.
'Are you sure?' asked the King.
'Yes,' said Fuji as he closed his eyes to concentrate. 'He took food from the kitchen a few times.
'I see, thank you very much,' smirked King Atobe. 'You have been very helpful. Guards, take that man away. Throw him out of the castle and make sure he will not ever get near the castle again.
'But my wife!' shouted the servant. 'Please let me talk to my wife first!'
'Why would I let you talk to her? You stole from me! You don't deserve any mercy. Don't worry, your wife is very beautiful. I will take good care of her. Now take him away, I don't want to see his face ever again!'
Fuji watched as the man was dragged out of the room.
'You can leave now, Fuji, thank you for your help.'
Fuji bowed, like he was supposed to do and then walked out of the room. The servant who had brought him in showed him the way back as well. When he reached the square he noticed a group of people. A woman was crying and others were trying to comfort here. The news travelled quick in the castle and the wife of the guilty servant had already heard about what happened. Fuji bit his lip. It was his fault that she was crying.
He quickly entered the boy's bedroom and changed into his normal clothes again. The other kids were still in class and Fuji knew he had to join them, but he didn't feel like it. He sat on his bed and looked out of the window. People were still talking and gave advice to the poor woman.
'She should just leave and go with her husband,' thought Fuji to himself.
But before the woman had time to dry her tears and gather her things she was picked up by the guards and brought into the castle. Fuji wondered if they would throw her out as well. At least the two of them could be together. It would make him feel less guilty if they could be together. But why wasn't the woman allowed to take anything with her? Well, all it mattered that they were together.
Fuji stood up and went to class. He was greeted by his teacher and class mates and listened carefully to everything that was said. He had already forgotten about the incident with the servant until the kids went outside to play together. The woman walked through the door of the castle. Her hair was tangled up, her clothes were ripped and there were bruises on her face. She had a hard time walking, but a few of the other women helped her.
'They hit her,' whispered Fuji. He frantically looked around until he found Tezuka.
'Nii-chan, they hit her! The King hit her! It's my fault!'
Tezuka didn't understand, but when Fuji started to explain Tezuka put his hand on Fuji's shoulder. 'It's not your fault. You have to listen to the King. If you don't, you will get a punishment worse than that of the servant. If you hadn't told the King who it was they would both have been punished and banned. You did the right thing.'
'But they hit his wife!' said Fuji, a tear rolling down his cheek.
'Yes, because her husband was a thief. It was not because of you, it was because of him. It's to show nobody should try to steal from the King, because he will find out.'
'It's not fair,' sniffed Fuji. 'I don't want to do this job.'
'No, it's not fun to work for the King, but we have no choice.'