Angel Eyes
Rated: PG for swearing, violence, and romance in future
Key:
". . ." - speaking
'. . .' - thinking
Disclaimer: MKR is © CLAMP, but Angel Eyes is © FuuHououji
A/N: This is a F/F story, but we don't get much of it in this chapter. Sorry. This is basically an intro. So please read it, and I hope you enjoy it!
Chapter One: The Flight ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The small girl ran through the trees. Her breath came in ragged gasps, as she stumbled along at what might've been a fast pace when she began her flight. Every so often she would turn her head, golden hair flying, to glance over her shoulder. Her big, luminous green eyes flickered, peering into spaces between the trees. They showed no human emotion, but a stronger fear than one can imagine. The desperate fear of prey running from a predator. The fear that comes of knowing that there is no hope, no chance that you'll escape. Her feet left barely a print on the ground, she seemed to be floating. The wind pushed at her, tugging, as if to urge her along. She was so preoccupied with what might be lurking in the shadows, that she missed her footing and fell. Kneeling on the ground, she clenched her fists as her eyes welled up with tears, willing herself not to cry. As she uncurled her hands, trickles of blood told her that she had dug her fingernails into her skin. Knowing that she could not tarry, she forced herself to stand and continue running, until she collapsed in a small clearing. Slowly, she sat up and looked at herself. Her dress was filthy and torn to bits. In every place, she was scratched, scraped, and bruised. Feeling light-headed, she faintly realized that she was bleeding from deep gashes on her back and side. Looking around, she knew she must find a place where she could hide from them. Crawling into a hollow tree, her last conscious thought was 'Pillar, don't let them find me.' Then all was black.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"C'mon dearie. Time to get up!" A kindly voice pierced the blackness, along with some not so kindly shaking. "Now, now hun. Ya must get up!"
The girl slowly gained consciousness. Opening her eyes, she saw an old lady's careworn face. "Ach, now tha's more like it! Get up."
The small child shook her head and sat up, immediately regretting it. Bolts of pain shot through her body as she remembered all the wounds she had received. The old woman looked at her and tsked. "Well, gonna sit here all day, are we?" The girl shook her head and finally found her voice.
"Sorry ma'am, b-but . . . w-where else can I go?"
"Come outside. I've got a fire goin'."
The girl stood and followed the woman out of the tree where she had slept. The sun shone brightly, and there was no hint of the terror of the night past. She noticed for the first time the appearance of her rescuer. She wore a full-length brown dress with a minute flower-and-vine embroidered edge. Her white apron was patched many times, but looked sturdy enough. The woman turned around and winked. "A bonnie lass ye may be, but I don' like ye looking me up an' down like a buyer checkin' a horse."
Looking at the ground to watch her footing, and hide her embarrassment, the child noticed that the lady in front of her left no footprints on the moist ground. 'A faerie! Well, we must be on our guard, mustn't we!'
"Ach, dear. Come an' eat."
The child was startled out of her thought, and began to take notice of her surroundings. There was a small fire going at the feet of the lady who had rescued her, and there was a pot of something simmering on it. If there was one lesson that had been drilled into the girl every day of her short life, it was that she should never eat faerie foods. Eating would cause her to forget and be entrapped forever. At this time, the child wouldn't mind forgetting, but it would be hindersome to have to be a slave to a faerie, no matter how kind. She replied in a polite but cold voice.
"I do not hunger."
"But ye do, ma dearie. Now, don' argue an' eat!"
But the child protested, and eventually the woman began to eat by herself, muttering all the while.
The sweet aromas of porridge and muffins drifted to where the child sat, torture to a young girl who hasn't had anything to eat for days. And still the child held out, not letting a word pass her lips until the lady had finished, fearing that if she said anything it might be a plea for food.
At last, the faerie finished and looked at the girl. "Now, hun, do tell me abou' yerself. An' mind that ye tell the truth. I've very sensitive ears an' I can tell the difference."
The girl swallowed, fearing to tell the faerie of her venture, but there was no other alternative, so she began.
"My name is Hououji Fuu. I am a daughter of the royal family of the kingdom that bears my name. We have been at war with the country of Autozam for many months, as proof of our alliance with the kingdom of Cephiro. However, as soon as we entered the war on Cephiro's part, Autozam left off attacking Cephiro and centered its forces on Hououji. We have been steadily losing ground ever since then.
"A few weeks ago, my family received news that my father and his generals had been killed in battle. With the loss of its leaders, our army fell apart, leaving our capital defenseless. My mother, the queen, refused to leave her home and her people. We were not prepared for a siege, just as we had not been prepared for war. When the forces of Autozam reached us two days ago, it took them but a day to break down our defenses.
"Yesterday they stormed the city and the castle. My mother and my elder sister Kuu fought till the very end, but the vile prince of Autozam horribly murdered them. I was not killed, but brought before the prince. He decided to keep me as a token of victory. He was going to wait until I was at a marriageable age, I being only eight now, and then marry me to spite the prince of Cephiro who I was betrothed to at birth.
"I could not contain my rage, and swore at him, expressing my wish that he go to hell. He was extremely offended and had me whipped and thrown in the dungeon. Little did he realize that I had spent half of my childhood playing in the dungeons and knew their ways. I easily picked the lock and escaped from my cell. I hid in the gardens until sunset. At that point I tried to scale the palace walls and reach the forest. Unfortunately, as soon as I had escaped, the prince posted guards. I got the wounds on my back and side from their blades.
"I did escape them and make it to the forest. I collapsed and crawled into that tree, where you found me. It was my plan to go to the court of Cephiro and appeal to them. Now that I've told you my tale, may I call you friend or foe? And will you help or hinder me?"
The woman's eyes were misted with tears. She spoke, disguising accent gone. "Oh, you poor darling. I did not realize what a trial you'd been through."
There was a blinding flash of light, and the faerie discarded her disguise. She now wore a beautiful cream and gold kimono. Her golden hair was swept back into a bun, with part of it falling down to her shoulders. Her forehead had a bright blue dot on it, marking her as a faerie at guardian level. She opened her blue eyes and gazed at little Fuu with concern. "I am friend and I will help." She said. "I am Ayame, spirit of these woods. I was doing my job as guardian by trying to hinder you, until I heard your tale. Now, darling, tell me, what is the name of your betrothed? And what is the name of Autozam's prince?"
"My betrothed is Prince Ferio of Cephiro. The damn prince's name is Eagle."
The faerie considered this for a moment, and closed her eyes. The blue spot grew brighter until it looked like it was burning. She opened her eyes and sighed. Then she turned to Fuu again. "All will be well, my darling. My ancestors have told me this, and given me instructions. Now, darling, I can do one more thing for you. What is it that you want most in this world right now?"
Fuu looked as if she were about to cry. She was exhausted from the trials of the day and night past. She murmured. "All I want to do is forget. Forget all of it. I despise my life and I want to start anew."
The faerie looked surprised and then laughed. "Oh! Is that all you want? Ancestors! Now I understand!"
She began to do a whirling dance and chanted.
"Hito wa isa
Kokoro mo sirazu
Furusato wa
Hana zo mukashi no
Ka ni nioikeru"
The small princess's eyes slowly closed and she fell into a deep sleep on the forest floor. The faerie leaned over and kissed the sleeping child's forehead. "Don't worry my dear, all will turn out right in the end. Now, sleep and forget. Only the bloom of true love's flowers shall awaken you."
She flew away, leaving the sleeping girl on the forest floor below, with no memories of her life thus far.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Well . . . did you like? Good? Bad? I'll continue this if I get at least one review. I think that this is off to a really good start!
Fuu: But you half killed me and erased my memories!
Ferio: And my name is only mentioned once!
Eh . . . well, now I have my favorite characters mad at me, so I better stop before I get hurt.
Fuu and Ferio: ::Look at Author with evil glint in eye::
Well, review please! Sayonara!
-FuuHououji
Rated: PG for swearing, violence, and romance in future
Key:
". . ." - speaking
'. . .' - thinking
Disclaimer: MKR is © CLAMP, but Angel Eyes is © FuuHououji
A/N: This is a F/F story, but we don't get much of it in this chapter. Sorry. This is basically an intro. So please read it, and I hope you enjoy it!
Chapter One: The Flight ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The small girl ran through the trees. Her breath came in ragged gasps, as she stumbled along at what might've been a fast pace when she began her flight. Every so often she would turn her head, golden hair flying, to glance over her shoulder. Her big, luminous green eyes flickered, peering into spaces between the trees. They showed no human emotion, but a stronger fear than one can imagine. The desperate fear of prey running from a predator. The fear that comes of knowing that there is no hope, no chance that you'll escape. Her feet left barely a print on the ground, she seemed to be floating. The wind pushed at her, tugging, as if to urge her along. She was so preoccupied with what might be lurking in the shadows, that she missed her footing and fell. Kneeling on the ground, she clenched her fists as her eyes welled up with tears, willing herself not to cry. As she uncurled her hands, trickles of blood told her that she had dug her fingernails into her skin. Knowing that she could not tarry, she forced herself to stand and continue running, until she collapsed in a small clearing. Slowly, she sat up and looked at herself. Her dress was filthy and torn to bits. In every place, she was scratched, scraped, and bruised. Feeling light-headed, she faintly realized that she was bleeding from deep gashes on her back and side. Looking around, she knew she must find a place where she could hide from them. Crawling into a hollow tree, her last conscious thought was 'Pillar, don't let them find me.' Then all was black.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"C'mon dearie. Time to get up!" A kindly voice pierced the blackness, along with some not so kindly shaking. "Now, now hun. Ya must get up!"
The girl slowly gained consciousness. Opening her eyes, she saw an old lady's careworn face. "Ach, now tha's more like it! Get up."
The small child shook her head and sat up, immediately regretting it. Bolts of pain shot through her body as she remembered all the wounds she had received. The old woman looked at her and tsked. "Well, gonna sit here all day, are we?" The girl shook her head and finally found her voice.
"Sorry ma'am, b-but . . . w-where else can I go?"
"Come outside. I've got a fire goin'."
The girl stood and followed the woman out of the tree where she had slept. The sun shone brightly, and there was no hint of the terror of the night past. She noticed for the first time the appearance of her rescuer. She wore a full-length brown dress with a minute flower-and-vine embroidered edge. Her white apron was patched many times, but looked sturdy enough. The woman turned around and winked. "A bonnie lass ye may be, but I don' like ye looking me up an' down like a buyer checkin' a horse."
Looking at the ground to watch her footing, and hide her embarrassment, the child noticed that the lady in front of her left no footprints on the moist ground. 'A faerie! Well, we must be on our guard, mustn't we!'
"Ach, dear. Come an' eat."
The child was startled out of her thought, and began to take notice of her surroundings. There was a small fire going at the feet of the lady who had rescued her, and there was a pot of something simmering on it. If there was one lesson that had been drilled into the girl every day of her short life, it was that she should never eat faerie foods. Eating would cause her to forget and be entrapped forever. At this time, the child wouldn't mind forgetting, but it would be hindersome to have to be a slave to a faerie, no matter how kind. She replied in a polite but cold voice.
"I do not hunger."
"But ye do, ma dearie. Now, don' argue an' eat!"
But the child protested, and eventually the woman began to eat by herself, muttering all the while.
The sweet aromas of porridge and muffins drifted to where the child sat, torture to a young girl who hasn't had anything to eat for days. And still the child held out, not letting a word pass her lips until the lady had finished, fearing that if she said anything it might be a plea for food.
At last, the faerie finished and looked at the girl. "Now, hun, do tell me abou' yerself. An' mind that ye tell the truth. I've very sensitive ears an' I can tell the difference."
The girl swallowed, fearing to tell the faerie of her venture, but there was no other alternative, so she began.
"My name is Hououji Fuu. I am a daughter of the royal family of the kingdom that bears my name. We have been at war with the country of Autozam for many months, as proof of our alliance with the kingdom of Cephiro. However, as soon as we entered the war on Cephiro's part, Autozam left off attacking Cephiro and centered its forces on Hououji. We have been steadily losing ground ever since then.
"A few weeks ago, my family received news that my father and his generals had been killed in battle. With the loss of its leaders, our army fell apart, leaving our capital defenseless. My mother, the queen, refused to leave her home and her people. We were not prepared for a siege, just as we had not been prepared for war. When the forces of Autozam reached us two days ago, it took them but a day to break down our defenses.
"Yesterday they stormed the city and the castle. My mother and my elder sister Kuu fought till the very end, but the vile prince of Autozam horribly murdered them. I was not killed, but brought before the prince. He decided to keep me as a token of victory. He was going to wait until I was at a marriageable age, I being only eight now, and then marry me to spite the prince of Cephiro who I was betrothed to at birth.
"I could not contain my rage, and swore at him, expressing my wish that he go to hell. He was extremely offended and had me whipped and thrown in the dungeon. Little did he realize that I had spent half of my childhood playing in the dungeons and knew their ways. I easily picked the lock and escaped from my cell. I hid in the gardens until sunset. At that point I tried to scale the palace walls and reach the forest. Unfortunately, as soon as I had escaped, the prince posted guards. I got the wounds on my back and side from their blades.
"I did escape them and make it to the forest. I collapsed and crawled into that tree, where you found me. It was my plan to go to the court of Cephiro and appeal to them. Now that I've told you my tale, may I call you friend or foe? And will you help or hinder me?"
The woman's eyes were misted with tears. She spoke, disguising accent gone. "Oh, you poor darling. I did not realize what a trial you'd been through."
There was a blinding flash of light, and the faerie discarded her disguise. She now wore a beautiful cream and gold kimono. Her golden hair was swept back into a bun, with part of it falling down to her shoulders. Her forehead had a bright blue dot on it, marking her as a faerie at guardian level. She opened her blue eyes and gazed at little Fuu with concern. "I am friend and I will help." She said. "I am Ayame, spirit of these woods. I was doing my job as guardian by trying to hinder you, until I heard your tale. Now, darling, tell me, what is the name of your betrothed? And what is the name of Autozam's prince?"
"My betrothed is Prince Ferio of Cephiro. The damn prince's name is Eagle."
The faerie considered this for a moment, and closed her eyes. The blue spot grew brighter until it looked like it was burning. She opened her eyes and sighed. Then she turned to Fuu again. "All will be well, my darling. My ancestors have told me this, and given me instructions. Now, darling, I can do one more thing for you. What is it that you want most in this world right now?"
Fuu looked as if she were about to cry. She was exhausted from the trials of the day and night past. She murmured. "All I want to do is forget. Forget all of it. I despise my life and I want to start anew."
The faerie looked surprised and then laughed. "Oh! Is that all you want? Ancestors! Now I understand!"
She began to do a whirling dance and chanted.
"Hito wa isa
Kokoro mo sirazu
Furusato wa
Hana zo mukashi no
Ka ni nioikeru"
The small princess's eyes slowly closed and she fell into a deep sleep on the forest floor. The faerie leaned over and kissed the sleeping child's forehead. "Don't worry my dear, all will turn out right in the end. Now, sleep and forget. Only the bloom of true love's flowers shall awaken you."
She flew away, leaving the sleeping girl on the forest floor below, with no memories of her life thus far.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Well . . . did you like? Good? Bad? I'll continue this if I get at least one review. I think that this is off to a really good start!
Fuu: But you half killed me and erased my memories!
Ferio: And my name is only mentioned once!
Eh . . . well, now I have my favorite characters mad at me, so I better stop before I get hurt.
Fuu and Ferio: ::Look at Author with evil glint in eye::
Well, review please! Sayonara!
-FuuHououji