[ Watashi ]

[ Tomodachi ]

[ Saint Seiya ]

[ Clamp ]

[ Fanfiction ]

The man in red armour was coming right for me. I looked for a way to escape, frantic, but there was none. My own protection was in pitiful state, there was no chance it could whistand another assault. I suddenly realised I was going to die this time. I closed my eyes as his attack hit me.

A shrill sound cut through the darkness.

The day had not yet dawned, and my damn alarm clock was still resounding in the room. Awkwardly, I groped for it and eventually managed to turn it off. Very slowly, I got up and massaged my head. "I'll be okay, no problem...". Yeah... Sure... If I hadn't had such a terrible headache, I would have laughed at my stupidity. Too much wine. I had certainly been a bit drunk when I had said that to my friends before going back home. I turned on the light and swiflty found an interesting dark spot to look at. My last nightmare was slowly receding to nothingness in the back of my mind. This time, it didn't bother me. This vision of dying had definitely not been agreable.

I looked at myself in the mirror, and tried to imagine the day of work ahead of me without dread, unsuccessfully. The simple thought of eating some cereals made me feel sick. Sighing, I gathered my hair in a pony tail and decided it would have to do for today. I was too late to braid it anyway. Taking a deep breath, I went out of the bathroom and bravely went to confront the outside world.

This had to be my lucky day. It had to be. Road closed for two weeks. The bus stopped, while the driver explained how the itinerary would be affected. I got down and coughed as I breathed its fumes. Splendid. I looked at the still distant skyscrapers. I only had a twenty minutes walk ahead of me. Well, at least that would wake me up... And maybe, just maybe the exercice would help the pouding beast in my head to calm down. I chuckled bitterly.

"I've got it ! I've got it !"

The shrill voices of children pulled me out of my dark mood and I got a look around me. There was a school entrance about fifty meters away, and a group of boys were gathered around a small dark shape. As I walked in their direction, I saw them throwing stones at the shape, and I heard a pitiful croak. A raven. They were stoning a raven. There was no time to think. Forgetting my headache, I ran towards them, yelling :

"Stop it ! Stop !"

They looked at me curiously. Panting, I shook my head.

"You have no right to torture this poor animal like that !"

They laughed.

"We're only playing... Miss... If it minded what we do, it would say so and we'd stop... But it's not saying anything so..."

Furious, I ignored them and went to the great black bird. It looked at me, unmoving. I kneeled and reached out to it, whispering :

"Shhh... Don't be afraid, I only want to help..."

I expected it to try and move away, or to peck me, but it didn't move. I touched it gently, and cautiously gathered it in my arms. Still no reaction. I got up and faced the children. The eldest smirked.

"Grown-ups are fools ! It will bring you bad luck !"

I gave them a withering glance.

"It's so easy for you to attack one who cannot strike back. But believe me, sooner or later you'll go for something you won't be able to chew and then you'll understand that poor beast. Maybe then you'll be lucky enough to have a fool like me to help you... But you sure don't deserve it !"

As I walked away, I sighed, thinking I jad lost my energy and my time talking to them like that. They were only children. And they revolted me, as the human race in general revolted me. I shook my head, thinking that this was going to be one of those days when I ought to have stayed comfortably tucked in bed. Suddenly, I realised the raven hadn't stopped looking at me during all this time. I smiled soflty and said :

"You must think me strange now... Don't you ? Don't worry, I have a friend who'll help you."

Forgetting the skyscrapers and the time, I turned on the right.

"What is it this time Fiona ?"

Xavier smiled as he said that. I held the unmoving raven to him and said :

"I stumbled upon kids who were having fun with this bird... I think it needs your help."

He nodded.

"I can see that..."

He sighed good-naturedly.

"And I guess it can't wait my usual consultation hours... Okay, come inside."

As he turned away, the raven moved its head for the first time, as if wanting to be sure there was no threat from him, and then his eyes immediately locked on me again.

My friend gently laid the bird down and smiled.

"Well, it's perfectly okay. I guess it was simply shocked. You must have come in just in time. It can fly away when it wants to."

As if to prove him right, the raven croaked and spread its wings. Xavier moved to prevent it, but it was faster. It flew off, and came for me. Too stunned to move, I looked at it, unable to hear anything but the sound of its wings. Very gently, it settled on my left shoulder, and playfully pecked my hair. Xavier laughed, relieved.

"Looks as if you had made a friend."

I reached with my right hand and the black bird nestled its head under my palm during a few seconds. Reflexively, I stroked it softly and it croaked. In the meantime, my friend went to one of his office's windows and opened it wide. Truning to me, he said :

"There, that should do it. Come here slowly, and it should decide to leave on its own."

A gentle breeze was blowing. The raven looked at the outside, and then fixed me. I whispered :

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you're trying to do... You are free to go..."

It cocked its head to the side, then very gently pecked my left cheek, as if kissing me, and flew away. I looked at its vanishing shape and said :

"I only hope you'll never let yourself be caught again."

A hand softly squeezed my right shoulder, and I looked at Xavier.

"Don't worry. I think that bird is very smart..."

His eyes searched my face.

"You really are too tender-hearted you know... Life is hard and unfair for every living thing on this world. It's always been this way, and it's not likely to change any time soon..."

I smiled both bitterly and sadly.

"I know that, never fear. I know."

I looked at my watch, and saw with horror it was already ten o'clock.

"Oh my... I'm gonna be in trouble. I really have to fly now !"

Xavier's hand fondly patted my shoulder.

"Sure, I understand. Go quickly. And for the raven... Well, let's say your visit is payement enough... Okay ?"

I blushed and laid a kiss on his brow, smiling warmly.

"Okay."

I hurried to the door, wondering what my next problem would be. I had a sudden vision of my boss' face and sighed. My lucky day. Indeed.

"Cut it Cloud !"

The big chestnut snorted and whipped me with his tail. I looked at the tall fool of a stallion and sighed.

"Behave !"

I could have sworn the light in his beautiful eyes was laughter. With a little smile of my own, I began to brush him vigorously at the junction of his left foreleg and his belly. He tried to move away, but I followed him easily. He was really tickly. As he moved his head to bite, I slapped him gently on the mouth and held his chin, saying earnestly :

"Enough. I'm not in the mood for this. It's been a hard day so try and be nice for a change !"

Suddenly, a deafening sound broke the quiet atmosphere of the riding club's yard.

Hooves.

I looked around and saw a horse coming through the main gate, running like the wind. Distantly, I thought that its owner had to have made a mistake while getting it back from the pasture. The yard's ground was dangerous for a running horse. It could get hurt. Resolutely, I put myself on its path and spread my arms wide, saying :

"Ho there... Stop... Slow down big fellow..."

For a moment I thought it would run me down. But at the last instant it stopped, and I quickly grabbed its mane and its nose. It tried to escape my hold but I refused to let go. Cloud whinnied, unnerved, and I thought with a sinking feeling that this day was going to end in an even worse way than it had begun.

Suddenly, the runaway horse calmed down, and I saw a tall figure on the other side of it.

"Thank you for catching my horse."

I abrutply relaxed the hold I had on the horse, and stammered.

"Ah... It's okay... No problem... Really..."

The man was so handsome it was a crime. His dark hair shone with the setting sun, and his smile...

"Nevertheless, you prevented him from hurting himself. I'm grateful to you."

One could lose one's soul in his deep purple eyes... And one's foolish heart beat so fast it was going to burst soon. Suddenly, he laughed.

"Oh, I'm sorry, you must think me very impolite. I don't think we were ever introduced. I'm known as Kujaku..."

He wasn't from around here, that was certain. His horse snorted and he smiled good-naturedly.

"Okay, okay we're going you monster !"

He looked at me.

"Well I was glad to meet you..."

Abruptly, I remembered I hadn't given him my name. Blushing furiously, I said :

"Fiona..."

His eyes locked on mine and he said softly :

"A very beautiful name... Fiona..."

One's heart was doing a strange drums solo, and one felt very very foolish and young and defenceless. His horse blew in his neck and he laughed again, freeing me from the spell.

"Well, I really have to go or he'll be a pest during the whole week. I hope we'll see each other again soon."

He walked away, and I distantly noticed that there was a soft blue reflection in his raven black hair. I sighed inwardly and went back to Cloud who snorted indignantly, vexed to have been ignored for so long. As I resumed my brushing, I thought this day might not have been so bad after all. As soon as I completed that thought, I shook my head, laughing at myself. I was really a fool if I thought I could be of interest to someone like that for more than a minute. He had simply been nice because he had to thank me for helping him. No more, no less. If one's brain knew that, why on earth did one's heartbeats keep on being erratic ? Xavier's diagnosis would have been "incurable foolishness". With good reason. I chased the handsome Kujaku - now where had he gotten such a weird name ? - from my mind and tried to pay a bit more attention to my horse.

End of part 1.

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