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31_days2006-02-04 08:39 pm
mingyi.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2006-02-04 08:39 pm
[Feb 4] Fushigiboshi no Futago Hime] Tears of Yesterday
Title: Tears of Yesterday
Day/Theme: February 4 - 4. drowned fields
Series: Fushigiboshi no Futago Hime
Character/Pairing: Altessa x Bright
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: All characters are related titles are copyrighted to BIRTHDAY, Hal Film Maker, TV Tokyo, etc.
Princess Altessa lived in a very wealthy kingdom. She had servants that would cater to her every whim, lots of beautiful gear for her daily wear, a warm bed, and enough food to make her bloated every single day. Nothing could possibly go wrong in her life, except for a few nitpicky things, such as a misplaced jewel on her rings. Eventually, a day came when she would feel very grateful for what she currently had.
Recently, a storm passed by the kingdom and blazed for days. Winds screeched, rain drizzled heavily, thunder roared, and lightning made its dangerous presence. It was strange; things like this usually wouldn't happen. Later Bright said it was because of an error with the cloud machine at the Water Drop Kingdom.
Luckily, very little damage occured around the kingdom, but Bright reported that the Water Drop Kingdom was in critical condition. The usually calm streams surrounding the castle and minor villages reduced the houses into rubble. The debris was terrible, and it would take a long time to rebuild the entire kingdom.
Other kingdoms were affected by the storm as well. Near the Water Drop Kingdom, the water had made its way into the Seed Kingdom, flooding the fields and destroying many of the small mushroom villages.
A week later, things hadn't gotten any better. Bright, with the permission of his parents, penned a letter to the royal families of the Water Drop Kingdom and the Seed Kingdom, offering them help in rebuilding their ruined civilization.
Altessa knew that the situation was horrible, but somehow was unsympathetic. As Bright spoke about dozens of citizens stranded in poverty with no place to live or work, Altessa simply asked,"Why can't they just move and get a job?"
Bright sighed heavily, brushing his bronze bangs out of his forehead. "Altessa, life is harder than we think. While we live in a rich province there are some unfortunate people who don't. Moving out and traveling is very complicated -- we'd also have to find shelter for the people to rest in, and if too many people try to get jobs in other kingdoms, the job competition would be much rougher. The weak would die out quickly, especially in a capitalistic society."
Altessa blinked, not understanding half of what Bright meant.
Even so, he continued, his voice residing in that same, tired tone. "It's impossible to completely understand how they feel, especially when we've never lived their lives. Perhaps maybe if we visited the Seed Kingdom, you'd know more."
"Ah.... sure, Onii-sama,"said Altessa.
There was nothing else to say.
In the next few days, Altessa and Bright traveled along the border between the Water Drop Kingdom and the Seed Kingdom with Bright's mount, Ruby. Instead of the strong, glorious huts and houses that once stood proudly against the sheer blue of the sky they were now a heaped, crumpled mess.
Altessa turned her head towards the Water Drop Kingdom half-expecting to see the blue-and-white building, but instead a dusty, ragged pile sat pathetically before her. She tugged at her brother's sleeve. "Onii-sama, where's the castle?"
"That is the castle, Altessa,"answered Bright in a dull tone.
That was certainly not the worst part. As the two siblings crossed the flooded fields of the countryside, they saw people chasing and beating each other into pulp over a small crossaint. Muddy water flung into the air as they tackled one another, and dirty fists flew in punches, causing some to spew blood. The younger and weaker of the proles were sitting by their mother, crying out of famish, while senior citizens waved their canes angrily, swiping at competition for their food.
"Mine! It's miiiiiiine!"
"Get your grubby hands away!"
"Go to hell, you little--"
"Why don't you screw off?"
The princess of the Jewelry Kingdom was shocked, stricken with fear as the proletariats continued their mad brawl. They were no longer acting like humans, but heartless monsters, complete with insanity out of hunger, starvation, and grief.
Altessa grasped onto Bright. "Onii-sama... what happened? Why aren't they leaving? Why aren't they getting shelter?"
Bright solemnly stared at the scene. "They have no money, nor do they have enough to travel off into a distant kingdom. They are not as lucky as we are."
Altessa turned and saw bodies floating in the water, except none of them appear to be swimming. At a closer look, the pallid face of a corpse had its lips slightly parted, and eyes rolling off in an interminable glare.
It almost made her sick.
Turning her head in the opposite direction, Altessa saw a younger child chewing on what looked like -- no, it really was -- a human arm. By the shape of the fingers and the curves of the slender rod, there was no doubt that cannibalism had accompanied hunger.
The experience was a living nightmare.
One of the starving citizens noticed Bright and Altessa, rubbing his eyes delicately as if God had answered his prayers at last. "I-It's... you're... it's really you!"
Other people quickly noticed as well, suddenly making a run towards them. Various shouts of their names and demands for help suddenly filled the air, the fight over the crossaint forgotten. "Prince Bright-samaaaaa! We're so glad you're here! Help us! Help us!!"
They were seen. It was too late to leave without saying anything. If they happened to ignore the needy people, then Bright and Altessa would be in obvious shame and could be publically scorned for the rest of their lives. They had nothing to nourish the people's undying need and could not do anything.
Altessa shot a glance at Bright. He always knew what to do, but this time, she sensed his uneasiness. If Bright couldn't do anything then.... a tear quickly streamed down her cheek, followed by others, and she squeezed Bright's arm, whimpering. She did not want to endure any second of this horrific scene any longer.
Bright made a fast decision. He quickly placed his younger sister on Ruby and mounted as well, waving a shaky hand towards the public. "Everyone!" he called in a loud clear voice. "My kingdom has been notified of your situation. We will arrive with food and shelter as soon as possible!"
The crowd started cheering, but one of the participants stopped. "And when will that be?" he grumbled hoarsely, shifting his eye into a glare.
"I can't say when,"admitted Bright, "but --"
"What good are you, then?" he roared, reaching into the mud and revealing a huge ball of wet dirt. "We need food now! We're starving, our children are starving, and you come here with nothing!"
"Wait, I --" Bright started, but soon other members of the party, in their fatigue of hunger, joined the man's suit. Praises suddenly became insults and pretty soon mudballs were flying in the air.
The violence and hate had escalated to the point where Bright found it useless to try to reason with them. He had no choice but to turn Ruby around and ride off.
For a long time, Altessa did not dare to plant a foot in that area again, especially after that day. Even after the kingdoms were renewed, and the poverty dimmed, she was still afraid to see the insane people, the corpses in the water, and the children with blood smeared shamefully over their lips. Even when the citizens apologized for their cruel behavior Altessa would still never forget the day where her dress was splashed in brown from the angry mob who demanded food and supplements.
Day/Theme: February 4 - 4. drowned fields
Series: Fushigiboshi no Futago Hime
Character/Pairing: Altessa x Bright
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: All characters are related titles are copyrighted to BIRTHDAY, Hal Film Maker, TV Tokyo, etc.
Princess Altessa lived in a very wealthy kingdom. She had servants that would cater to her every whim, lots of beautiful gear for her daily wear, a warm bed, and enough food to make her bloated every single day. Nothing could possibly go wrong in her life, except for a few nitpicky things, such as a misplaced jewel on her rings. Eventually, a day came when she would feel very grateful for what she currently had.
Recently, a storm passed by the kingdom and blazed for days. Winds screeched, rain drizzled heavily, thunder roared, and lightning made its dangerous presence. It was strange; things like this usually wouldn't happen. Later Bright said it was because of an error with the cloud machine at the Water Drop Kingdom.
Luckily, very little damage occured around the kingdom, but Bright reported that the Water Drop Kingdom was in critical condition. The usually calm streams surrounding the castle and minor villages reduced the houses into rubble. The debris was terrible, and it would take a long time to rebuild the entire kingdom.
Other kingdoms were affected by the storm as well. Near the Water Drop Kingdom, the water had made its way into the Seed Kingdom, flooding the fields and destroying many of the small mushroom villages.
A week later, things hadn't gotten any better. Bright, with the permission of his parents, penned a letter to the royal families of the Water Drop Kingdom and the Seed Kingdom, offering them help in rebuilding their ruined civilization.
Altessa knew that the situation was horrible, but somehow was unsympathetic. As Bright spoke about dozens of citizens stranded in poverty with no place to live or work, Altessa simply asked,"Why can't they just move and get a job?"
Bright sighed heavily, brushing his bronze bangs out of his forehead. "Altessa, life is harder than we think. While we live in a rich province there are some unfortunate people who don't. Moving out and traveling is very complicated -- we'd also have to find shelter for the people to rest in, and if too many people try to get jobs in other kingdoms, the job competition would be much rougher. The weak would die out quickly, especially in a capitalistic society."
Altessa blinked, not understanding half of what Bright meant.
Even so, he continued, his voice residing in that same, tired tone. "It's impossible to completely understand how they feel, especially when we've never lived their lives. Perhaps maybe if we visited the Seed Kingdom, you'd know more."
"Ah.... sure, Onii-sama,"said Altessa.
There was nothing else to say.
In the next few days, Altessa and Bright traveled along the border between the Water Drop Kingdom and the Seed Kingdom with Bright's mount, Ruby. Instead of the strong, glorious huts and houses that once stood proudly against the sheer blue of the sky they were now a heaped, crumpled mess.
Altessa turned her head towards the Water Drop Kingdom half-expecting to see the blue-and-white building, but instead a dusty, ragged pile sat pathetically before her. She tugged at her brother's sleeve. "Onii-sama, where's the castle?"
"That is the castle, Altessa,"answered Bright in a dull tone.
That was certainly not the worst part. As the two siblings crossed the flooded fields of the countryside, they saw people chasing and beating each other into pulp over a small crossaint. Muddy water flung into the air as they tackled one another, and dirty fists flew in punches, causing some to spew blood. The younger and weaker of the proles were sitting by their mother, crying out of famish, while senior citizens waved their canes angrily, swiping at competition for their food.
"Mine! It's miiiiiiine!"
"Get your grubby hands away!"
"Go to hell, you little--"
"Why don't you screw off?"
The princess of the Jewelry Kingdom was shocked, stricken with fear as the proletariats continued their mad brawl. They were no longer acting like humans, but heartless monsters, complete with insanity out of hunger, starvation, and grief.
Altessa grasped onto Bright. "Onii-sama... what happened? Why aren't they leaving? Why aren't they getting shelter?"
Bright solemnly stared at the scene. "They have no money, nor do they have enough to travel off into a distant kingdom. They are not as lucky as we are."
Altessa turned and saw bodies floating in the water, except none of them appear to be swimming. At a closer look, the pallid face of a corpse had its lips slightly parted, and eyes rolling off in an interminable glare.
It almost made her sick.
Turning her head in the opposite direction, Altessa saw a younger child chewing on what looked like -- no, it really was -- a human arm. By the shape of the fingers and the curves of the slender rod, there was no doubt that cannibalism had accompanied hunger.
The experience was a living nightmare.
One of the starving citizens noticed Bright and Altessa, rubbing his eyes delicately as if God had answered his prayers at last. "I-It's... you're... it's really you!"
Other people quickly noticed as well, suddenly making a run towards them. Various shouts of their names and demands for help suddenly filled the air, the fight over the crossaint forgotten. "Prince Bright-samaaaaa! We're so glad you're here! Help us! Help us!!"
They were seen. It was too late to leave without saying anything. If they happened to ignore the needy people, then Bright and Altessa would be in obvious shame and could be publically scorned for the rest of their lives. They had nothing to nourish the people's undying need and could not do anything.
Altessa shot a glance at Bright. He always knew what to do, but this time, she sensed his uneasiness. If Bright couldn't do anything then.... a tear quickly streamed down her cheek, followed by others, and she squeezed Bright's arm, whimpering. She did not want to endure any second of this horrific scene any longer.
Bright made a fast decision. He quickly placed his younger sister on Ruby and mounted as well, waving a shaky hand towards the public. "Everyone!" he called in a loud clear voice. "My kingdom has been notified of your situation. We will arrive with food and shelter as soon as possible!"
The crowd started cheering, but one of the participants stopped. "And when will that be?" he grumbled hoarsely, shifting his eye into a glare.
"I can't say when,"admitted Bright, "but --"
"What good are you, then?" he roared, reaching into the mud and revealing a huge ball of wet dirt. "We need food now! We're starving, our children are starving, and you come here with nothing!"
"Wait, I --" Bright started, but soon other members of the party, in their fatigue of hunger, joined the man's suit. Praises suddenly became insults and pretty soon mudballs were flying in the air.
The violence and hate had escalated to the point where Bright found it useless to try to reason with them. He had no choice but to turn Ruby around and ride off.
For a long time, Altessa did not dare to plant a foot in that area again, especially after that day. Even after the kingdoms were renewed, and the poverty dimmed, she was still afraid to see the insane people, the corpses in the water, and the children with blood smeared shamefully over their lips. Even when the citizens apologized for their cruel behavior Altessa would still never forget the day where her dress was splashed in brown from the angry mob who demanded food and supplements.