the ungrateful dwarf (7/7)
Title: The Ungrateful Dwarf (7/7)
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Pairing: Jun/Aiba, Ohmiya
Rating: PG
Disclaimer. Do now know or own.
A/N: Another finished fic. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about writing fairy tales, aside from having an insane amount of fun in doing so. Before I started, I read a ton of obscure fairy tales - the kind you don't hear about every day - and I was amazed by both the simplicity and the complexity of the language used. Something about it just flows and it's difficult to pinpoint exactly what. Nevertheless, I hope that I managed to capture that spirit in these seven short chapters. Thanks so much to everyone who has read, commenters and lurkers alike. ♥
Loosely based on the fairy tale Snow White and Rose Red, which you can read here.
beta'ed by "no! not the neen-peen!" eva_lee
________________________________________________
7.
The wind had picked up overnight, and so the day had a sort of blustery quality about it, leaves whipping about back and forth over the paths between houses and the shutters around the windows slapping harshly against the wood paneling of the outside walls. The blacksmith and his wife had stood in the doorway to send Kazu and Masaki off (after the boys had done a few chores around the house), but couldn't go any further than that without the fear of being blown away. The old woman fixed them with a basket of cornbread and fresh buttermilk and ordered that they eat every last crumb before the day ended, “Because you two need to put some meat on them bones. You're both too skinny to be wandering the forests!” The old man just shook his head and pushed them away before his wife could continue her little rant.
“They were a nice old pair, don't you think?” Masaki asked as he turned to wave one last time, though the elderly pair had already sought shelter from the wind in their tiny house. “They were really nice to make clothes for us - nicer clothes than Sho-chan could ever make.”
“But what happened to the coat she made for you?” Kazu asked. He kicked an empty milk jar down the road, one hand pinching at the tail end of Masaki's new shirt in an unconscious gesture he'd been prone to since they were small children. There were some habits he'd probably never be rid of. “I'd give you mine, but I don't really feel like freezing in this wind.”
“That's okay. I'd give you mine as well, but I gave it to the angel last night. His robe was really worn and dirty, and I didn't want him to catch a cold.”
Kazu blinked in surprise, freezing in place and tugging at Masaki's shirt until the older boy was forced to stop as well. “You gave your coat to an angel? Not that angel. I've already told you there was no angel. It was all in your imagination,” he said, referencing the first time Masaki had supposedly seen the angel. Kazu hadn't heard of it since then, but he'd be more than willing to bet that his brother had been thinking of the make-believe creature all along.
Masaki's lips thinned out in unusual disapproval. “Because talking panda bears don't exist either,” he countered, and Kazu knew there would be no arguing with him after this. They'd seen all sorts of talking animals thus far, and if animals could talk, then angels could exist - to Masaki anyway; he knew what he'd seen that night and so many nights after.
A thought appeared to Kazu and he let go of his brother, raising his hands to run them over his face slowly in disbelief. “Please tell me this angel isn't what we're searching for.”
Masaki shook his head with a smile. He could honestly say that wasn't it at all, since he'd not felt the urge to leave home until many, many weeks after he'd first seen the angel. “No. I can't exactly put it into words, but I feel as though we're being guided to something, maybe to help someone. It's good to help people, Kazu. That's what grandfather always said, and that's what Sho-chan would do.”
“Sho-chan can't even leave the house,” Kazu laughed. “And besides that, who could we possibly help?”
The question was left hanging in the air as they came to the edge of town, fighting against the wind and the sudden dust that had built up all around them. For the first time since they'd left, they wondered if maybe they should have stayed with the blacksmith and his wife for one more night. The boys began having trouble moving forward, hands shielding their eyes from the dust, and Masaki slung an arm around his brother's waist to steady him. They walked forward, step by step, every breath filled with a gritty sourness that made them long for the comforts of the lake and its cool, refreshing water.
There was a large rock formation at the edge of town, and they wordlessly decided to seek shelter there from the sudden dust storm inside the small alcove that was situated in the middle. It was a sandstone with striped orange and white walls that ran horizontally and reflected years of wear and tear. Racing toward the entrance, Masaki happened to notice something out the corner of his eye that looked like a small red flag whipping in the wind, and straining to see what it was, he pressed his brother's face into the crook of his neck to buy them some time and keep Kazu from breathing in more dirt.
“What is it?” Kazu shouted, his voice muffled against Masaki's skin.
Masaki's eyes widened for a moment before the dirt started to burn and he was forced to narrow them once more. “It's Mr. Dwarf!” he yelled out above the howling winds. They moved slowly to the little man, who was clinging to a rock like his life depended on it - and it probably did. Masaki scooped him up while still holding on to his brother, and the dwarf seemed to take it as though the wind had picked him up instead of warm arms, and he howled in fear all the way to the alcove, his eyes clenched in fear as he prayed for his nightmare to end.
Though the alcove was shallow, the sound from outside was dampened and they once again found themselves able to think clearly, the panic from before dissipating though it took a while more for their heartbeats to calm. Masaki settled his brother against the farthest wall and placed the dwarf down nearby, dropping to his haunches as he set his arms on his knees and tried to slow his rapid breathing, coughing every now and again to dislodge some of the dust that had flown into his mouth while talking. When they were finally calmed down enough, a conversation began, exchanging light remarks about the surprise wind and how lucky they were (or weren't, according to the dwarf) to run into each other again.
“You looked like a flag out there, Mr. Dwarf,” Masaki laughed, though his throat was dry and it hurt just to inhale. The dwarf glared at him and Masaki noted that the flag-like quality could probably be attributed to the dwarf's nice, new red coat. It looked familiar and Masaki found himself cocking his head to the side without realizing it. “You got a new coat to replace your other Mr. Dwarf? It looks just like the one I gave to the angel last night. I wonder if you know him as well,” he remarked innocently, glad that the angel seemed to have found a worthy cause for his jacket.
The dwarf pouted, his face turning that same shade of rosy red that seemed to follow any conversation with the tall boy. “I don't know who gave it to me,” he said, mumbling as he played with the edges of his coat in an awkward manner. “I was wearing it when I woke this morning and did not question where it came from.”
“A likely story,” Kazu snorted, more from the dust than anything else, but it set his tone nicely. “I find it odd that you seem to crop up in all the places we do. It's almost like you've been following us. And if I didn't know any better, I'd say you took that coat from my brother, as revenge for the one that was torn yesterday.”
“He didn't take it, Kazu,” Masaki replied. He placed a hand on his brother's shoulder in reassurance as Kazu turned to him with a raised brow, suspicious and unsure whether to believe the words that were coming out of the older boy's mouth. “I told you earlier. Last night, while you were asleep, the angel came to see me again and his robe was all full of holes, so I gave him the coat because I didn't want him to get cold.”
“There is no angel,” Kazu reiterated. “I was there the whole time and I didn't see any angel. You probably fell half-asleep and this little menace stole your jacket; it was a dream; nothing more.” He clicked his tongue in annoyance as he examined the red material of the dwarf's coat; it looked exactly like the one the seamstress had given to Masaki, right down to the elaborate stitching over the sleeves and the lapels. He had no doubt that the little man had stolen it and resized it using some of his dwarf magic. “I think you should give it back now,” he finished and it was less of a request and more of an order.
Before Masaki could interfere, Kazu had gotten one sleeve off the poor little dwarf, pulling at the garment with quite a bit of force. As soon as he realized what was going on, the dwarf began to fight back, taking hold of the sleeve he still had in possession and tugging it to his body in a frenzy. For such a tiny man, he put up an admirable fight, but was soon pulled closer to Kazu, no matter how much he tried to protest, and when he came close enough, kicked ferociously (and repeatedly) at Kazu's shins.
“You little cretin!” Kazu called out in pain as he grasped at his legs, rubbing the sore areas. “Let go! Let go!” And though he tried to knock the dwarf away, the little man was too quick and continued to deliver a series of kicks and slaps with his one free arm. Masaki rushed forward and tried to separate the two, desperate in his attempt, but ultimately ended up being kicked as well.
The struggle continued for a great length of time, until they heard a growling coming from the entrance of the alcove, and all three froze immediately in their tracks, the coat held aloft in the air and stretched taut between Kazu and the dwarf. The trio turned their heads slowly, as though afraid of what they might find coming forth from the shadows at the entrance's edge where an overlap kept light from rushing in. Beady eyes peered at them as a dark mass approached, large and intimidating, and eliciting another low growl. The boys shook, the dwarf trembled; everyone was afraid.
Masaki and Kazu pressed against the stone wall, their backs flat against the surface and they laced their fingers together, ready for what may come. The dwarf seemed to notice the movement, even as he pulled his coat back on slowly, never unaware of the large creeping animal coming toward them. It would be a lie to say that the idea of disappearing never crossed the dwarf's mind, and in all reality the boys thought he would (Masaki hoped he would, for the sake of safety). But then the unexpected happened and the dwarf stepped forward, spreading his arms wide as though he were attempting to shield the brothers behind him, though it did little good given his short height.
“If you're hungry,” he stated in a shaking voice. “Please eat me and not the boys. I am aware that they are much bigger, and therefore look like they would be more filling, but they are also very stupid, which as you should know tastes very badly. So if you must eat, then please treat me as a snack and move on to something more delicious.
Masaki and Kazu gasped in unison, unable to believe what they were hearing.
“Why would I eat my friends?” a familiar voice came from the general direction of the frightening blob. As it came farther into the light, they could make out white patches that seemed to cover its face and shoulders, similar black ones on its torso and ears and even around its eyes. When it was fully into the light, they could recognize the nostalgic lines and patterns of its body and eyes.
“Panda-san!” Kazu cried out with a smile and ran to embrace his friend. He threw his arms around the bear to feel that familiar warmth he had so many weeks before, burying his face in the panda's fur. The bear welcomed the hug, falling back into a sitting position and wrapping his overly large paws around Kazu's thin waist.
“Eh?” the dwarf sounded, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his coat sleeve. He was so very confused, and rightly so, having been willing to trade his life for the safety of two strangers not minutes before. “I don't understand exactly.”
Masaki stooped to sit next to him, and placed a hand at the dwarf's back. “He is our friend, Panda-san, who lived with us throughout the winter.”
“I thought you were going to hurt my friends,” the panda explained to the dwarf over the top of Kazu's head. “I really don't like hurting other people... and I don't really like meat except for fish. Is fish a meat?” he asked, getting off track. “But I don't like people hurting my friends even more than all that.”
The dwarf simply nodded in a stupor, satisfied that he was not going to be eaten alive today.
The two brothers seemed to be amused in their own little worlds, Kazu with the panda and Masaki with the dwarf, while outside the windstorm died down and more light was able to wash in around them. Quiet settled in and they were left with nothing but the sound of their own breathing, familiar and content, and they felt their tense, aching muscles smooth out, filling them with a great comfort.
“Panda-san,” Kazu said as he nudged the bear wryly, almost in chastisement, “did you really think that such a tiny man could hurt us? He's not even half our size - really more the size of a pet than anything else.”
The bear seemed to think for a moment. “It looked painful though, the way he was kicking you.”
“Silly Mr. Dwarf,” Masaki said and clapped the dwarf's shoulder, nearly knocking him over. “Did you really think that a mean bear (though Panda-san is surely not one) would eat you alone and spare us? He's twice our size and not easily filled by such little food.”
The dwarf knocked against his hand. “He would spend hours eating you, all tall and gangly. One bite and he would be done with me in an instant.”
“It's too bad you couldn't have swatted him just a little. You would have done it, right? For me?” Kazu asked the panda.
“I don't know whether to be happy or upset,” Masaki commented, his eyes wet at the corners as he rested his attention on the dwarf. “Would you have really been eaten alive just for me?”
The panda and the dwarf nodded shyly to their respective questions and each received a kiss on the forehead in return, short and sweet in its entirety.
And then a bright light came in, swirling around them blindingly until it gathered at the ceiling of the alcove and looked to be a great star shining high above. Out of it rained a sea of sparkles, all in different colors, and bouncing off their skin (and fur) lightly, spreading out at their feet like a pool of water, clear as day. The group marveled at it, their eyes filled with wonder as they looked above and around at the many colors, most in shades of the lake and the trees, the sun and the flowers; and if they looked hard enough, a bit of red as well.
“You have done a good deed each,” the star seemed to sing above them. Kazu and Masaki looked solely to it, the light almost unbearable to look at, but they did their best. “And as promised, I release you from your transformation. Go and continue your good works.”
The light died away with a great flourish, exploding much like a firework in the summer sky, and they were left with only the natural glow of the outside world to light the space again. And when their eyes adjusted, Kazu and Masaki saw not the panda and the dwarf before them, but two young men, both beautiful in their own ways. One short with tufted golden hair that seemed to stand up on end, all messy and wild, and the other taller, his hair much darker and styled just so. They looked to one another with wide eyes in a flash of recognition.
“You're Panda-san?” Kazu said hesitantly to the short man, reaching up to run a hand through his fluffy blonde hair. When he recognized it to be the same as the patch left behind by the panda in the doorframe, he knew it was the truth. “You really are Panda-san.” He threw his arms around the man's neck and felt it was only slightly more preferable to hugging a bear. That was until the man returned his embrace, slinking arms around Kazu's waist, when it became much more preferable.
“You're the dwarf,” Masaki said to the darker haired man, “but you look like my angel as well.” His head went to the side as he examined the man; he was without the angelic glow, but he was still wearing the red coat, this time more its original size. Masaki reached forward and cupped his face between dirty hands and with a bright smile (possibly brighter than the star they had just seen) proclaimed to the once-dwarf: “You are both!”
Afterward, as they exited the alcove hand in hand, the once-dwarf explained how he and his childhood friend had tricked a star and took away its melon pan (no one questioned what a star would do with melon pan in the first place) in hunger. It had been the star's plan to split the bread amongst an entire hungry village, but the two boys did not know, and so they ate it all themselves. When the star found out, it became very angry and cast a spell on them, that they should roam the land in altered forms until they learned to do good deeds. Naturally, for such a lazy panda and an ill-tempered dwarf, it took many, many years.
“So you know each other?” Kazu asked, swinging Masaki's arm in the middle as the once-panda walked along on his other side. “Then why did you not recognize each other at first?”
“It has been many, many years,” the once-panda replied. “He is my good friend Jun, and I am his good friend Satoshi.”
“Then will you not come home with us and live from now on? We don't have melon pan, but we have a fire where it is warm, and a brother who reads us stories at night,” Masaki said, as if those reasons alone were enough to convince them.
The once-dwarf smiled, and Masaki thought he was just as beautiful, if not more, outside his angel form. “I think we'd like that.”
Their adventure complete, the group of four made their way home, through the town and over the rocky glade, by the lake (where Satoshi stopped to catch the fish he'd promised), and through the woods. By the time they made it back, they all felt a little older, a little wiser, and a lot more loved. Sho welcomed the lot with open arms, making room for two extra in their small family, only lamenting the fact that he'd have to feed more people from now on.
In the end, Sho burned the fish.
♥
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Pairing: Jun/Aiba, Ohmiya
Rating: PG
Disclaimer. Do now know or own.
A/N: Another finished fic. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about writing fairy tales, aside from having an insane amount of fun in doing so. Before I started, I read a ton of obscure fairy tales - the kind you don't hear about every day - and I was amazed by both the simplicity and the complexity of the language used. Something about it just flows and it's difficult to pinpoint exactly what. Nevertheless, I hope that I managed to capture that spirit in these seven short chapters. Thanks so much to everyone who has read, commenters and lurkers alike. ♥
Loosely based on the fairy tale Snow White and Rose Red, which you can read here.
beta'ed by "no! not the neen-peen!" eva_lee
________________________________________________
7.
The wind had picked up overnight, and so the day had a sort of blustery quality about it, leaves whipping about back and forth over the paths between houses and the shutters around the windows slapping harshly against the wood paneling of the outside walls. The blacksmith and his wife had stood in the doorway to send Kazu and Masaki off (after the boys had done a few chores around the house), but couldn't go any further than that without the fear of being blown away. The old woman fixed them with a basket of cornbread and fresh buttermilk and ordered that they eat every last crumb before the day ended, “Because you two need to put some meat on them bones. You're both too skinny to be wandering the forests!” The old man just shook his head and pushed them away before his wife could continue her little rant.
“They were a nice old pair, don't you think?” Masaki asked as he turned to wave one last time, though the elderly pair had already sought shelter from the wind in their tiny house. “They were really nice to make clothes for us - nicer clothes than Sho-chan could ever make.”
“But what happened to the coat she made for you?” Kazu asked. He kicked an empty milk jar down the road, one hand pinching at the tail end of Masaki's new shirt in an unconscious gesture he'd been prone to since they were small children. There were some habits he'd probably never be rid of. “I'd give you mine, but I don't really feel like freezing in this wind.”
“That's okay. I'd give you mine as well, but I gave it to the angel last night. His robe was really worn and dirty, and I didn't want him to catch a cold.”
Kazu blinked in surprise, freezing in place and tugging at Masaki's shirt until the older boy was forced to stop as well. “You gave your coat to an angel? Not that angel. I've already told you there was no angel. It was all in your imagination,” he said, referencing the first time Masaki had supposedly seen the angel. Kazu hadn't heard of it since then, but he'd be more than willing to bet that his brother had been thinking of the make-believe creature all along.
Masaki's lips thinned out in unusual disapproval. “Because talking panda bears don't exist either,” he countered, and Kazu knew there would be no arguing with him after this. They'd seen all sorts of talking animals thus far, and if animals could talk, then angels could exist - to Masaki anyway; he knew what he'd seen that night and so many nights after.
A thought appeared to Kazu and he let go of his brother, raising his hands to run them over his face slowly in disbelief. “Please tell me this angel isn't what we're searching for.”
Masaki shook his head with a smile. He could honestly say that wasn't it at all, since he'd not felt the urge to leave home until many, many weeks after he'd first seen the angel. “No. I can't exactly put it into words, but I feel as though we're being guided to something, maybe to help someone. It's good to help people, Kazu. That's what grandfather always said, and that's what Sho-chan would do.”
“Sho-chan can't even leave the house,” Kazu laughed. “And besides that, who could we possibly help?”
The question was left hanging in the air as they came to the edge of town, fighting against the wind and the sudden dust that had built up all around them. For the first time since they'd left, they wondered if maybe they should have stayed with the blacksmith and his wife for one more night. The boys began having trouble moving forward, hands shielding their eyes from the dust, and Masaki slung an arm around his brother's waist to steady him. They walked forward, step by step, every breath filled with a gritty sourness that made them long for the comforts of the lake and its cool, refreshing water.
There was a large rock formation at the edge of town, and they wordlessly decided to seek shelter there from the sudden dust storm inside the small alcove that was situated in the middle. It was a sandstone with striped orange and white walls that ran horizontally and reflected years of wear and tear. Racing toward the entrance, Masaki happened to notice something out the corner of his eye that looked like a small red flag whipping in the wind, and straining to see what it was, he pressed his brother's face into the crook of his neck to buy them some time and keep Kazu from breathing in more dirt.
“What is it?” Kazu shouted, his voice muffled against Masaki's skin.
Masaki's eyes widened for a moment before the dirt started to burn and he was forced to narrow them once more. “It's Mr. Dwarf!” he yelled out above the howling winds. They moved slowly to the little man, who was clinging to a rock like his life depended on it - and it probably did. Masaki scooped him up while still holding on to his brother, and the dwarf seemed to take it as though the wind had picked him up instead of warm arms, and he howled in fear all the way to the alcove, his eyes clenched in fear as he prayed for his nightmare to end.
Though the alcove was shallow, the sound from outside was dampened and they once again found themselves able to think clearly, the panic from before dissipating though it took a while more for their heartbeats to calm. Masaki settled his brother against the farthest wall and placed the dwarf down nearby, dropping to his haunches as he set his arms on his knees and tried to slow his rapid breathing, coughing every now and again to dislodge some of the dust that had flown into his mouth while talking. When they were finally calmed down enough, a conversation began, exchanging light remarks about the surprise wind and how lucky they were (or weren't, according to the dwarf) to run into each other again.
“You looked like a flag out there, Mr. Dwarf,” Masaki laughed, though his throat was dry and it hurt just to inhale. The dwarf glared at him and Masaki noted that the flag-like quality could probably be attributed to the dwarf's nice, new red coat. It looked familiar and Masaki found himself cocking his head to the side without realizing it. “You got a new coat to replace your other Mr. Dwarf? It looks just like the one I gave to the angel last night. I wonder if you know him as well,” he remarked innocently, glad that the angel seemed to have found a worthy cause for his jacket.
The dwarf pouted, his face turning that same shade of rosy red that seemed to follow any conversation with the tall boy. “I don't know who gave it to me,” he said, mumbling as he played with the edges of his coat in an awkward manner. “I was wearing it when I woke this morning and did not question where it came from.”
“A likely story,” Kazu snorted, more from the dust than anything else, but it set his tone nicely. “I find it odd that you seem to crop up in all the places we do. It's almost like you've been following us. And if I didn't know any better, I'd say you took that coat from my brother, as revenge for the one that was torn yesterday.”
“He didn't take it, Kazu,” Masaki replied. He placed a hand on his brother's shoulder in reassurance as Kazu turned to him with a raised brow, suspicious and unsure whether to believe the words that were coming out of the older boy's mouth. “I told you earlier. Last night, while you were asleep, the angel came to see me again and his robe was all full of holes, so I gave him the coat because I didn't want him to get cold.”
“There is no angel,” Kazu reiterated. “I was there the whole time and I didn't see any angel. You probably fell half-asleep and this little menace stole your jacket; it was a dream; nothing more.” He clicked his tongue in annoyance as he examined the red material of the dwarf's coat; it looked exactly like the one the seamstress had given to Masaki, right down to the elaborate stitching over the sleeves and the lapels. He had no doubt that the little man had stolen it and resized it using some of his dwarf magic. “I think you should give it back now,” he finished and it was less of a request and more of an order.
Before Masaki could interfere, Kazu had gotten one sleeve off the poor little dwarf, pulling at the garment with quite a bit of force. As soon as he realized what was going on, the dwarf began to fight back, taking hold of the sleeve he still had in possession and tugging it to his body in a frenzy. For such a tiny man, he put up an admirable fight, but was soon pulled closer to Kazu, no matter how much he tried to protest, and when he came close enough, kicked ferociously (and repeatedly) at Kazu's shins.
“You little cretin!” Kazu called out in pain as he grasped at his legs, rubbing the sore areas. “Let go! Let go!” And though he tried to knock the dwarf away, the little man was too quick and continued to deliver a series of kicks and slaps with his one free arm. Masaki rushed forward and tried to separate the two, desperate in his attempt, but ultimately ended up being kicked as well.
The struggle continued for a great length of time, until they heard a growling coming from the entrance of the alcove, and all three froze immediately in their tracks, the coat held aloft in the air and stretched taut between Kazu and the dwarf. The trio turned their heads slowly, as though afraid of what they might find coming forth from the shadows at the entrance's edge where an overlap kept light from rushing in. Beady eyes peered at them as a dark mass approached, large and intimidating, and eliciting another low growl. The boys shook, the dwarf trembled; everyone was afraid.
Masaki and Kazu pressed against the stone wall, their backs flat against the surface and they laced their fingers together, ready for what may come. The dwarf seemed to notice the movement, even as he pulled his coat back on slowly, never unaware of the large creeping animal coming toward them. It would be a lie to say that the idea of disappearing never crossed the dwarf's mind, and in all reality the boys thought he would (Masaki hoped he would, for the sake of safety). But then the unexpected happened and the dwarf stepped forward, spreading his arms wide as though he were attempting to shield the brothers behind him, though it did little good given his short height.
“If you're hungry,” he stated in a shaking voice. “Please eat me and not the boys. I am aware that they are much bigger, and therefore look like they would be more filling, but they are also very stupid, which as you should know tastes very badly. So if you must eat, then please treat me as a snack and move on to something more delicious.
Masaki and Kazu gasped in unison, unable to believe what they were hearing.
“Why would I eat my friends?” a familiar voice came from the general direction of the frightening blob. As it came farther into the light, they could make out white patches that seemed to cover its face and shoulders, similar black ones on its torso and ears and even around its eyes. When it was fully into the light, they could recognize the nostalgic lines and patterns of its body and eyes.
“Panda-san!” Kazu cried out with a smile and ran to embrace his friend. He threw his arms around the bear to feel that familiar warmth he had so many weeks before, burying his face in the panda's fur. The bear welcomed the hug, falling back into a sitting position and wrapping his overly large paws around Kazu's thin waist.
“Eh?” the dwarf sounded, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his coat sleeve. He was so very confused, and rightly so, having been willing to trade his life for the safety of two strangers not minutes before. “I don't understand exactly.”
Masaki stooped to sit next to him, and placed a hand at the dwarf's back. “He is our friend, Panda-san, who lived with us throughout the winter.”
“I thought you were going to hurt my friends,” the panda explained to the dwarf over the top of Kazu's head. “I really don't like hurting other people... and I don't really like meat except for fish. Is fish a meat?” he asked, getting off track. “But I don't like people hurting my friends even more than all that.”
The dwarf simply nodded in a stupor, satisfied that he was not going to be eaten alive today.
The two brothers seemed to be amused in their own little worlds, Kazu with the panda and Masaki with the dwarf, while outside the windstorm died down and more light was able to wash in around them. Quiet settled in and they were left with nothing but the sound of their own breathing, familiar and content, and they felt their tense, aching muscles smooth out, filling them with a great comfort.
“Panda-san,” Kazu said as he nudged the bear wryly, almost in chastisement, “did you really think that such a tiny man could hurt us? He's not even half our size - really more the size of a pet than anything else.”
The bear seemed to think for a moment. “It looked painful though, the way he was kicking you.”
“Silly Mr. Dwarf,” Masaki said and clapped the dwarf's shoulder, nearly knocking him over. “Did you really think that a mean bear (though Panda-san is surely not one) would eat you alone and spare us? He's twice our size and not easily filled by such little food.”
The dwarf knocked against his hand. “He would spend hours eating you, all tall and gangly. One bite and he would be done with me in an instant.”
“It's too bad you couldn't have swatted him just a little. You would have done it, right? For me?” Kazu asked the panda.
“I don't know whether to be happy or upset,” Masaki commented, his eyes wet at the corners as he rested his attention on the dwarf. “Would you have really been eaten alive just for me?”
The panda and the dwarf nodded shyly to their respective questions and each received a kiss on the forehead in return, short and sweet in its entirety.
And then a bright light came in, swirling around them blindingly until it gathered at the ceiling of the alcove and looked to be a great star shining high above. Out of it rained a sea of sparkles, all in different colors, and bouncing off their skin (and fur) lightly, spreading out at their feet like a pool of water, clear as day. The group marveled at it, their eyes filled with wonder as they looked above and around at the many colors, most in shades of the lake and the trees, the sun and the flowers; and if they looked hard enough, a bit of red as well.
“You have done a good deed each,” the star seemed to sing above them. Kazu and Masaki looked solely to it, the light almost unbearable to look at, but they did their best. “And as promised, I release you from your transformation. Go and continue your good works.”
The light died away with a great flourish, exploding much like a firework in the summer sky, and they were left with only the natural glow of the outside world to light the space again. And when their eyes adjusted, Kazu and Masaki saw not the panda and the dwarf before them, but two young men, both beautiful in their own ways. One short with tufted golden hair that seemed to stand up on end, all messy and wild, and the other taller, his hair much darker and styled just so. They looked to one another with wide eyes in a flash of recognition.
“You're Panda-san?” Kazu said hesitantly to the short man, reaching up to run a hand through his fluffy blonde hair. When he recognized it to be the same as the patch left behind by the panda in the doorframe, he knew it was the truth. “You really are Panda-san.” He threw his arms around the man's neck and felt it was only slightly more preferable to hugging a bear. That was until the man returned his embrace, slinking arms around Kazu's waist, when it became much more preferable.
“You're the dwarf,” Masaki said to the darker haired man, “but you look like my angel as well.” His head went to the side as he examined the man; he was without the angelic glow, but he was still wearing the red coat, this time more its original size. Masaki reached forward and cupped his face between dirty hands and with a bright smile (possibly brighter than the star they had just seen) proclaimed to the once-dwarf: “You are both!”
Afterward, as they exited the alcove hand in hand, the once-dwarf explained how he and his childhood friend had tricked a star and took away its melon pan (no one questioned what a star would do with melon pan in the first place) in hunger. It had been the star's plan to split the bread amongst an entire hungry village, but the two boys did not know, and so they ate it all themselves. When the star found out, it became very angry and cast a spell on them, that they should roam the land in altered forms until they learned to do good deeds. Naturally, for such a lazy panda and an ill-tempered dwarf, it took many, many years.
“So you know each other?” Kazu asked, swinging Masaki's arm in the middle as the once-panda walked along on his other side. “Then why did you not recognize each other at first?”
“It has been many, many years,” the once-panda replied. “He is my good friend Jun, and I am his good friend Satoshi.”
“Then will you not come home with us and live from now on? We don't have melon pan, but we have a fire where it is warm, and a brother who reads us stories at night,” Masaki said, as if those reasons alone were enough to convince them.
The once-dwarf smiled, and Masaki thought he was just as beautiful, if not more, outside his angel form. “I think we'd like that.”
Their adventure complete, the group of four made their way home, through the town and over the rocky glade, by the lake (where Satoshi stopped to catch the fish he'd promised), and through the woods. By the time they made it back, they all felt a little older, a little wiser, and a lot more loved. Sho welcomed the lot with open arms, making room for two extra in their small family, only lamenting the fact that he'd have to feed more people from now on.
In the end, Sho burned the fish.
♥