Hello everyone! How're you? Fine and safe?

So...here's a new one-shot. I should have written it yesterday because...

It was the birthday of Ray Kon, our dear neko-jin! Belated happy birthday, Ray! :D

The plot is a missing chapter of my story "Kingdom". There wasn't so many RayXMariah moments, that's why I decided to put one for them. :P

Warning: Physical torture.

So...enjoy! :D

The night was dark and discreet just like the inner part of a haunted cave. Black ink was smudged on the canvas of the sky. The lamps, lanterns and torches of every single house of the village had been already extinguished. The doors were tight-shut; saying that everybody was peacefully enjoying the siesta. Tall trees guarding the narrow lane were standing motionlessly like idle men. In the darkness, they were looking like estranged people waiting for their lovers. Comfortably sitting on their branches, round-eyed owls and owlets were keeping an eye on the lands of crops. They knew their responsibilities of eating mice far well. Crossing the skyline, bats were flying away by fits and starts. A jackal cried somewhere far, tearing the tranquil quietness of the night.

Soon, someone's footsteps were heard on the lane. Bit by bit, the figure came to visibility. It belonged to an eight-year old neko-jin. His tiny feet were plodding exhaustedly through the street of the village stood by river Mudan. His heart was banging hard in his chest. Sweats were trickling down from his forehead, drenching his globular face. His left shoulder was carrying an off-white sack containing his daily goods. His temple was attracting his raven bangs to itself. The soaked skin of his chest and back also pulled his shirt and made it stick right there. Throat craved for water, lungs longed for fresh air. His cheek was still paining from the last slap gifted to him by his ruthless father. Slowly, he caressed the stain.

Flashback:

"Thud!"

Receiving a heavy slap on his soft left cheek, the toddler fell on the ground. Perhaps, the torturer wasn't much satisfied with his action. That's why, grasping the hair of his son, he pulled the child up. Despite an arctic weather, the eight-year old boy was sweating. Saline water droplets were dribbling down from his forehead and lower nose, rolling down on his cheeks and chin. Already his cheek had got the blemishes of five fingers. His dry throat became a desert. His lungs were craving for fresh oxygenated air as he felt chocked. But, surprisingly, a single globule of waterworks couldn't be seen beneath his golden-hued orbs. His eyebrows were screwed, his teeth and fists were gritted. The little boy was trying his best to bear all the tortures on his small body.

"Motherfucker!" His alcoholic father thrashed him against the wall and clutched his throat, "Give me that necklace! Otherwise, I'll break your neck."

As his respiratory system was being hindered to work, the raven-haired neko-jin couldn't utter any word. Nevertheless, he shook his head, clarifying that he wouldn't hand the necklace to his father.

"Mannerless!" Taking a bamboo stick, Hal broke it on the back of his foster son, "Why do I pay so much money for you? You're wearing good cloths and having a good meal twice a day. Yet you're so ungrateful?"

Noticing the torture being inflicted on her son, Qi couldn't resist herself. She rushed towards her son and husband, ending up snatching the bamboo stick that had been being used for compelling the little boy to give the necklace.

"Leave my son!" She cried, "He hasn't done anything to you. Why are you beating him?"

"Shut up, you bloody bitch!" The vinous man now clasped the throat of his wife, leaving his son, "Your excessive affection has made him mannerless and idiot! I am telling him to give that pendant to me. Why isn't he listening to me?"

The boy had been quiet. But when he saw his mother in that state, he couldn't help opening his mouth, "Father, please, leave mother! I'll bring more money and wealth to you. But for that, I...I have to have access to our capital. If I reach capital once, I'll manage any job. In order to get permission to enter into the capital, I need to show this necklace to the guards. Please, try to understand, father. Don't beat mother."

As he finished speaking, his father looked at him with a pair of eyes filled with disbelief. Leaving the throat of his wife, he asked, "Are you speaking the truth? Or are you trying to cheat me?"

"No, father, not at all," Ray shook his head, "I'm not trying to cheat you at all. Please, have faith on me, I won't let your faith go in vain. I…I promise, father, I'll give you whatever you want. But please, don't say anything to my mother."

"Alright then," Hal stood up, "I believe you and I'm letting you go to the capital. But...if you fail to earn money, I'll drive both of you and your mother out of this house!"

Done with his words, Hal quickly trudged into the house. Soon, Ray hurried towards his mother and helped her stand up. Cupping his chin, the pastoral woman sobbed, "Son, will you leave your mother in this way?"

"Mother," The toddler wiped the tears from the cheeks of his mother, "Who has said that I'll leave you? I can never leave you. Mother, once I earn money enough according to the wish of my father, I'll return to you. I know that my father is not a good person at all. But I can never see you being tortured by him."

"But son, you're still so young!" Qi patted his head, "Won't you be in any trouble in capital? I've heard that our capital is such a dangerous place. Women, disable, old, children-everybody spends a harsh life under the unbearable cruelty of our emperor. Can you survive there without a family?"

"Don't worry about me, mother," Ray assured his foster mother, "I promise that I'll try my best to avoid all the difficult situations. If any difficult situation comes, I'll bravely confront that. Just arrange my cloths and other accessories, mother. I've to start for capital before the sunrise."

"My boy," Qi embraced her son, "Be careful. Don't be very daring. Watch your steps. And yes, don't forget to pray to God."

"I'll, mother, I'll." The neko-jin closed his eyes and leaned his head against the chest of his mother.

Flash forward:

Huffing, he bent down on his knees. For a long time, he'd been roaming in the darkness. Due to his sharp eyes, he didn't have any problem to move at lightless nights. The main obstruction on his way was his tiredness. While coming out of his house, he hadn't eaten anything. Actually, there'd been nothing to consume at that moment. Getting tired by beating him mercilessly, his father had felt hungry. Whatever there'd been, the drunkard had had. The stomach of the little boy was growling a lot. It wasn't like that he was a glutton but he couldn't control his hunger anymore. Biting his lips, he thought a bit, 'Where to go?'

His eyes lit up with the flames of hundreds of oil lamps as his brain hit upon a plan. Rotating his feet left, he hauled them fast. Though he was quite exhausted, his zeal was easily defeating it.

Soon, he stopped in front of a house. It was two-storied, made of timber and white-washed. Red cobblestone pillars were guarding the balconies. On their floors, still a few ignited clay lamps could be seen. Origami artworks were hanging from the roof. In front of the mansion, a bonsai was placed on a dark-brown gypsum podium. From the tin-made ceiling of the pewter well, a bucket was swinging with the help of a rope. The manor was encircled from three directions with skyscraping birch trees. Ancient Chinese portraits were attached to the walls. His eyes captured the little fishes playing naughtily with one another in the elliptical koi pond. He smiled once, remembering his friends. Well...would they be able to play in this way once again?

Climbing the marble stairs, he gently tapped on the large rectangular door where the heads of lions and mountain cats were engraved.

"Tock tock! Tock tock!"

Within a few seconds, the door was gaped as another neko-jin came out from the house. She had rosy-pink hair crossing her waistline, wavy tresses tangling by her light-complexioned cheeks. She was holding a metal torch from which yellowish-orange flames were arising. In the golden beams, her honey orbs were also spangling. In comparison with the boy, shorter and thinner she was. Her eyes travelled all over the bruised body and the tired mien of her best friend. She gasped, stepping back. Tears automatically filled her beryl pupils. In her lips, there should've been a smile. She should have expressed her joys, meeting him after a long period. But his appearance didn't let her be happy.

"What happened?" The raven pouted, "Why're you standing here and staring at my face as if you saw any ghost? Let me enter!"

"Yes...come in..." She muttered softly, letting him go inside. Moving in, the boy glanced all-around the room. Seeing nobody there, he frowned.

"Father and mother went to a trade fair going on in the nearby city for some important purposes," The girl understood the reason of his being surprised, "Grandpa is on his monthly visit to the temple. This time, Lee has accompanied him."

"What?" The Chinese toddler forgot his physical pains, "Mariah, you're...alone in this house?"

"Don't worry, Ray," Mariah sheepishly spoke, "Maids are here. They're resting in their rooms. If I call them, they'll come."

"I'm hungry," The jet-haired kid stroked his restless stomach, "Can you give me something to eat?"

"Sure," The pinkette smiled, "Sit on the backward balcony. You'll get fresh air there. I'm bringing food for you."

Soft and off-white dumplings were placed on the round platter. Beside it, water was kept in a metal goblet. Three kinds of sauces were encompassing the plate in tiny bowls. The shrimp-made food was emitting warm steams. The aroma of the dish could make anyone hungry at that moment. Taking one of them between two black wooden sticks, the neko-jin dipped it inside the green sauce and pushed it in his mouth. The more he was munching them, the more his mouth was watering. The growl of his stomach had also lessened a bit. Sitting beside him, the pinkette was gently fanning him with a paper-fan.

"Why're you fanning me, Mariah?" Ray gulped the dumpling.

"Have you looked at your face once?" She grimaced, "How sweaty you were! If your sweat doesn't dry, you'll catch a cold and fall ill. By the way, how have the dumplings been?"

"They've been so delicious, Mariah," The neko-jin munched another one, "Have you yourself prepared them?"

"No no..." The pinkette blushed, "Actually, the maids have helped me a lot. Thank you so much for eating them, Ray. Glad you've liked them."

"Umm..." The sharp teeth of the raven ground the crispy-fried shrimps. Looking at him, Mariah continued, "So...what did you do today?"

"Nothing..." Ray sighed, "Remember the day when you hit me with a branch of tree?"

"I will never forget the day," Mariah grouched, turning away from him, stopping fanning him, "I'm still angry with you! Hmph!"

"Silly, let me finish!" The boy glowered, "Actually, that day, I got to meet the princess of our kingdom while coming to meet you."

"I have heard that," The pink-haired girl scrunched her brows, "Then what happened? What did she do with you? Did she want you to be her best friend?"

"She did nothing like that to me, Mariah," Ray answered, "She just wanted to visit a temple. I took her to one. Completing her prayers, she handed me her necklace and told me to come to her birthday ceremony."

"Are you going there?"

"I'm not going there for delicious foods or making new friends, Mariah..." The male neko-jin scratched his head, "When I came home, father saw the necklace. He wanted that from me but I didn't want to give him it. Then, he started beating me. When mother tried to save me, he raised his hand on her too."

"Oh no!" The girl winced, "Then?"

"Then, I requested father to spare mother and let me go to the capital with the locket," The little boy replied, "Now, I'm going there. I have to find any job as soon as possible. If I don't return home with enough money, father will again beat mother. I have to save her at any cost, Mariah."

"You're...you're..." Within no moment, the honey orbs of the pinkette became drenched, "You're leaving this village?"

"I have to leave you all, Riah," Ray sighed, "Otherwise, father will kill mother. But, I'm not leaving you forever. Soon, I'll return to this village."

"Really?"

"Yes," The neko-jin nodded, "Why not? After all, it's my home. How can a person live without his home, Mariah? But...at first, I want to fulfill my dream."

"Which dream?"

"Mariah, if I grow up, I'll never hit any woman," Ray glumly spoke, "Hitting women is a sin. Brave boys shouldn't raise their hands on girls. Then, I'll be a man like king Heian Kon. You remembered his story, right?"

Hearing him, the pinkette gasped. Looking here and there once, she placed a finger on the lips of her friend, "Shush! Don't utter his name!"

"But...why?"

"Grandpa has forbidden us to talk about him," Mariah replied, "If we utter his name, we'll be doomed!"

"Okay, I won't..." Sighing, the neko-jin murmured. Soon, a smile rose on his face, "But I will make all of you happy and proud one day, I promise."

"I have full faith on you, Ray," Mariah beamed, "One day, you'll be a great man."

"Well Mariah..." The raven looked at the open sky, "Soon, it will be dawn. I have to leave now. Otherwise, I'll be late to reach the capital in time."

"Wait for a moment, Ray!" The girl squealed. The boy frowned but didn't say anything. Rather, he kept her request as the pinkette went inside her home. After a few moments, she returned with a white fabric bundle. Placing it on the hands of the neko-jin, she smiled as her friend wrinkled his brows. The packet was quite light. Inside it, he could feel the presence of some trinkets.

"What's that for, Mariah?"

"Cannot you recognize them?" The pinkette grinned, "They are tiny seashells. Remember you brought them for me?"

"But...they are your most favorite objects, Mariah, aren't they?" Ray scratched his chin, "Why are you giving them to me?"

"You're going far from us for a long time, Ray," Mariah leered, "You have to have something that will always remind you of us and our village. Thus, you'll never forget us."

"You're very intelligent, Riah," The neko-jin gave a toothy grin, "But what about you? Shouldn't you have any object that will not let you forget me?"

"The memories with you are enough for me to make me always remember you," The pinkette snickered, "I don't need anything from you, Ray."

"Mariah?"

"Hm?"

"Do you believe in rebirth?"

"Yes, I do."

"Do you want me as your friend in our next life?"

"Yes," The girl blushingly nodded, "I want you as my best friend then."

"If I leave you in that life for getting something better too like this," Ray coughed, "Will...will you be angry with me?"

The little girl gasped, not expecting that sentence from her best friend. Biting her lips, she lowered her eyes. They were brimming with liquid pearls. Clenching her fists, she turned her face away. She wasn't ready to listen something like that from him.

"Tell me, Mariah," Ray insisted, "Will you still remain angry with me?"

"Ray..." She whispered, "If you go away, will our friendship be destroyed?"

"Never, Mariah," The black-haired boy shook his head, "I'll always be your friend."

"Then, I won't be also angry with you," Mariah smiled, looking at him, "No matter what the other friends of us think about you, I'll always be in your support. I promise."

Some moments flew away in a heavy pause. Both the children kept staring at each other without blinking. There was no emotion on their faces. The girl's heart became weighty as silent tears cascaded on her puffy cheeks. On the other hand, the raven-haired neko-jin struggled much against his feelings. Though he was only eight years old, he learnt very well how to control his emotions. The hard life had taught him a great lesson. Maybe, life could become harder for him in the capital. But he didn't bother.

"I'll miss you, Ray..." She sobbed, "Please, come to us as soon as possible."

"Mariah..." The little boy gently wiped her tears, "I will come soon, I promise."

Pinching her nose playfully once, the neko-jin lifted the sack and placed it on his shoulder. Then, he descended from the porch of the ground floor. Before getting disappeared into the bushes, he wheeled once at his best friend and waved a hand at her. In return, the pink-haired girl waved at him too, somehow managing to smile a bit. Her eyes were fixed at his trajectories. Again, like raining cats and dogs, tears blinded her vision. Exhaling deeply, she knelt down on the ground.

'Ray, I'll be waiting for you,' She pondered, trying to clutch the floor, 'Please, come to me soon...'

Come once, o beloved,
Come once.
Poor I, wait for you,
Come once.

The evening is about to end,
And this heart of me is yours.
Your companionship has become its habit.

I am the moon, you are a star,
Come once.

Come once, o beloved,
Come once.

T_T How was that? Good or bad? :P

Guess the song used in the end of the story. Gosh, when I was writing the lyrics, tears automatically came to my eyes :'(

Do read and review. Pardon the grammatical mistakes and spelling errors. Once again, a belated, yet, very very happy birthday to Ray! :D

Take care and stay safe :*

-Misty ^_^ ^_^