I drew a couple pictures of Adrian and Akito in some of my favorite shots in the story. Just go to my profile and there is a link to it. I'm not the greatest artist in the world but it isn't bad.
Thank you once again for reading all the way through Trading Pain. And please let me know what you think of the story over all, unfortunately this is the very last chapter of the story, and unless I get like a mad dream and a great idea there probably won't be a sequel.
Cancel that thought... 2 months later and I am writing a sequel... it's going slowly but... anyway Hopeful Dreams is under my profile if you want to read it. I'm not very far into it though.
'Sobs'
I'm going to start this next chapter off with a little bit of the last chapter since it was such an emotional piece. I'm hoping to make the transition between the two a bit easier emotionally. Since the last chapter was a little confusing for some people I'm going to explain exactly what happened in the piece.
Chapter 21: Morning Glory
A large root had shot out of the cavern walls wrapping itself around the monster's arms and legs. A few rays of sunlight broke through the cavern walls to illuminate the darkness. As the monster slowly died, it's shrill voice echoing as the morning light caused its body to disintegrate into ash.
Then the roots began to whither. It was as though the last act of the monster was to take whatever had killed him into the bowls of hell with it.
When both had disappeared into nothingness, Adrian pushed her body away from Akito's, their eyes met in an inescapable stare.
She reached out carefully offering Akito her hand, and he took it.
Slowly both of their eyes drifted open, as though they were being awakened from a spell. Adrian's head was leaning against Akito's shoulder, and she could find neither the desire nor the energy to move away.
She felt safe.
In her dream she had spoken the truth.
She did love him.
She loved everything about him even his volatile mood swings.
It was something she had been trying to deny to herself for so very long, but she couldn't hide it any longer, and she didn't want to.
Still thoughts of how he would react, made her nervous. Sure they were here under this tree, and Akito was holding her tenderly in his... arms...
Under this tree?
What exactly happened anyway?
Adrian's eyes shot open and her head jerked up hitting Akito right in the chin.
"Sorry!"
This was the first time she had a chance to see Akito's expression. This was probably the maddest she had ever scene him.
"I was worried sick!" Akito blasted at her.
"Worried? Why on earth should you be worried! I said I was going to stay here until the curse was broken didn't I!"
"That's not the point!"
"Than what is the point!"
"Did you mean it?"
"Did I mean what?" Adrian snapped.
"That wasn't a dream."
Akito struggled to stand; in the end he used the tree trunk for support. Adrian studied him; the black aura around him was indeed gone, but how? She didn't do anything, and it was likely now to late for her to save him anyway so then how come? What had happened?
She remembered the last part of her dream and how the tree roots had shot out saving them, if that wasn't a dream than what was it? Maybe... maybe it was a spell.
She stared up into the tree branches, and she watched as the once lively tree slowly died. It's beautiful green leaves turned brown. She reached out with her hand and ever so gently touched the trunk.
The same images flashed in her mind. An image of her in a white kimono, and Akito... yet there was a sense of longing to it. Almost as though the tree wanted to see it, and not just make the possibility a reality. It felt as though it was the trees only regret.
It had done this. The tree had called to them both. Why?
Inside her heart though, Adrian knew why. The curse would have forced her magic to fail, and they both would have died.
The sakura tree knew too.
Trees and plants had their own type of magic it was a magic older and stronger than any humans. It had cared that much about the two of them to volunteer it's own life in exchange.
She could feel Akito pulling her back into his arms, the words that he whispered in her ear captivated all of her senses, and she clung tightly to his kimono, using it both for support, and to hide her embarrassed expression.
"I heard you say it. It wasn't a dream, that was us in there, and I heard you say it."
"Say what?"
The only thing she had said in that whole dream was his name and that she loved him. She thought back desperately, there had to be something else... he couldn't possibly want to hear that.
Why would he want to hear a stupid confession like that? Most people avoided those things, right? Well, unless...
Her face turned a bright red, could he.... Maybe... does he?
"I... I love you."
She could feel Akito's arms tighten around her, and the expression on his face...
She could barely breath.
No one had ever looked at her that way before, no one. The look in his eyes was more than just tender, and his smile was so incredibly gentle. She felt as though everything she had ever stood upon had dissolved and here she was with only him.
Like she was where she truly belonged.
Nothing else mattered, only the two of them here and now.
Akito leaned in closely taking her lips with his own, his hand against the back of her neck giving her no chance to escape if she so desired.
She didn't even try. Right now he was her entire world. She would do everything possible to keep it that way. She had always thought that love would be an overpowering emotion. Adrian hadn't expected such a warm gentle feeling.
She wanted nothing else but to be here forever.
"I love you, too." He whispered against her lips. "I am not going to let you go, ever."
"You still have to free Kyo!" Kagura complained. "I want my Kyo back! I can't even hug him anymore!"
It had only been two weeks since Akito had been freed from the family curse, and Adrian had been working very hard to free everyone else from his or her curses.
All that was left was Kyo.
"He said it was all right, Kagura." Adrian assured her friend. "He said he wouldn't have to worry about you attacking him for a few weeks while Akito and I are in Europe."
"I don't attack him." Kagura pouted. "I love him that's all! It's just that I get so excited when I see him..."
"You attack him."
"That's not..."
Adrian smiled at Kagura assuring her that she understood perfectly, and was in fact only playing with her.
"I promise I'll get the curse lifted off of him as soon as I get back. It will only be a week."
"Are you sure this is a good idea? From the stories you've told us about your family... well..."
"It doesn't matter." Adrian stared at the mirror reflecting her image in a pure white yakata. One exactly as the sakura tree had envisioned. "I've decided. They can do whatever they want. I don't care if my magic is sealed away permanently or whatever. This is my home. This is the only home that will ever really matter to me. Now are you going to help me or not. Akito won't be happy if I'm late! He's likely to storm in and start hunting for me."
"You really love him don't you?"
Adrian smiled brightly. Even trying to say how much she loved him would only insult the true feeling. There were no words in existance to explain just how much she loved him.
I am finally finished! Yippie! I finished one! Maybe I'll stop having random dreams about Akito and Adrian for a while! Yeah!