After The Rain: The final ending - Ryoko and Azusa
Tell me this isn't cute...surely...you have to find it cute...right?
The bond between Azusa and Ryoko, and the original way I planned to end part 3 of After the Rain if I ever actually wrote it. It's set not long after the death of Aiko - and is shortly following the scene that Ryoko flashbacks in Dark Heart about Kichi's death on Yubisu.
And so a new legend began ;) Or something like that!!

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"Azusa, you can't keep her."

Haru gazed across the royal chamber, a mixture of disapproval and resignation on his thin features as he took in the small girl sitting atop his brother's bedcovers. "You don't know who she is or anything about her. You're Crown Prince of Jurai - you can't just go round adopting waifs and strays."

"I know." Azusa sighed, his gaze flitting to the infant. "But Haru...what else could I do but bring her back here? Funaho will understand, if I take her to Jurai. And everything has been so crazy these past few weeks. Aiko's death, Kagato's death...Yosho's departure for pastures new. I know we both swore that we'd not reveal any of the details about that to Father," As Haru parted his lips to object, "And I'd never risk speaking the truth at court about his departure, even if it's just between the two of us. Here on Yubisu, I think I can be a little freer. After all, he was my son, you know. Now Kagato is gone, Misaki can come safely back to Jurai and bring your little Ayeka with her. But my son is gone into the wilderness and who knows if or when I may ever see him again. I suppose I've lost too many people recently...and this little mite - she's lost people, too."

"Yes, true." Haru sank down into a seat, aware that the baby's gaze was on him. "But there's something about her. I don't know what it is, Azusa, but I just don't like it. How she appeared conveniently in front of us like that. How her mother was so butchered inside, but the little one escaped. And those eyes...something in them. I don't know what...but something."

"You don't like her eyes?" Azusa scooped up the little girl, touching her gently on the nose. "I think they're beautiful. They remind me of Aiko."

"Aiko had ruby eyes." Haru said flatly, and Azusa smiled sheepishly.

"I didn't mean in colour. I meant the expression." he said. "When you and she were small, she'd always be getting into mischief. And she had just this kind of look about her. I'm sure that whenever Ryoko here is naughty, she opens her eyes wide and bats her lashes at her mother, as if to say "It wasn't me."

At the sound of her name, Ryoko eyed him curiously, as if trying to understand the complex language the two men had been speaking. For the sake of the child, and partly from their own paranoia, they had taken to conversing in Old Era Juraian, rather than the Galactic tongue which most of the universe spoke, and the words had been completely foreign to her young ears.

"When is Okaa-san coming?" She asked at this juncture, and stricken, the two princes exchanged looks.

"Not for a while, Ryoko." Azusa said at length. "Why...are you unhappy being here?"

"I'm hungry."

"I'm sure you are." Azusa nodded. "It's been a long day and I'm sorry. We didn't think about feeding you. What do you like to eat, Ryoko?"

"Lots of things." Ryoko told him. "Okaa-san cooks fish and rice on a Wednesday."

"What are we going to do with her, Azusa?" Haru asked heavily, speaking now in words that both his brother and the child could understand. "Take her with us when we rendezvous with Misaki and Ayeka?"

"Yes, I think so. For now." Azusa agreed. "Since her mother has entrusted her to us for the time being."

He smiled at Ryoko.

"Your mother wants you to stay with us, just a while longer." He added. "We're going to visit a planet with lots of flowers and fields, where you can play all you like. Don't you think that will be fun?"

"Is Okaa-san coming?"

"No." Azusa admitted. "No, she can't come. Not this time."

Ryoko frowned.

"Is this her game?" She asked at length, and Azusa nodded his head.

"Yes. That's right." He agreed gently, sitting down on the end of the bed and placing the small girl down beside him. She scrambled up into his lap, gazing up at him with curious golden eyes.

"What's your name?" She asked. "And when do we have food?"

Azusa laughed.

"My name is Azusa." He said softly. "Although if you like, you can call me Ojisama. Would you like to do that?"

Ryoko stared at him for a moment, then she smiled.

"Are you my uncle?"

"Well, not really, but it will do for now." Azusa smiled back at her. "Do you have any uncles and aunts, Ryoko? Any family, other than your mother? I'd like to meet them, if you do."

"I don't know." Ryoko shrugged, dismissing the question as if the matter wasn't important to her. "I have Okaa-san. And me."

"I see." Azusa pursed his lips. "You said your Daddy was away - do you know where he went?"

"I don't know." Ryoko repeated.

"His name, then?"

"Okaa-san called him Father." Ryoko screwed up her tiny brow as she considered this question carefully. "Why? Is this a game, too?"

"Not exactly. I was just curious to know if you had any other family you might visit sometimes. That's all." Azusa said gently. "But I guess you don't, huh? Well, that's all right. You can meet my family, instead. In fact, you already have, some. This is my brother, Haru. He's hungry too, so he's just going downstairs to ask for all of us, aren't you, Haru?"

"Apparently I am." Haru grimaced at his brother, getting to his feet and heading towards the door. "Fish and rice, I suppose."

"If they will oblige us, yes." Azusa nodded. "Thank you, Haru-kun."

Haru pulled another face, then withdrew from the room, and Azusa was left alone with his charge. He eyed her keenly, noting the intelligence that sparkled deep in the active amber eyes and the quick, curious way with which she scanned her surroundings.

"I need you to tell me something else, Ryoko." He said softly. "If you know the answer. If you don't, then it's all right - but I'm curious to know. How did you get out onto the street to see us, this morning? Did you climb all the way down those stairs on your own?"

"I don't know." Ryoko seemed surprised by the question. "I was in Mother's room and then I was outside."

"Just like that?"

"Yes."

"Has it happened before?"

"Sometimes." Ryoko shrugged, clearly unconcerned by the unusual nature of her ability. She giggled. "Once Mother was cooking and she told me to go out of the kitchen but then I was in the cupboard and I scared her because I was behind the pans."

"And you don't know how you got into the cupboard?"

"I just wanted to, that's all." Ryoko said simply. "So I went there and Mother screamed when she saw me. Then she laughed because it was funny. She said she could cook me for dinner instead."

Azusa chuckled.

"But she didn't do that, did she?" He teased. Ryoko shook her head.

"No. You don't eat people." She replied seriously.

"Your mother didn't think it was strange, your appearing like that? Did she do it, too?" Azusa asked. Ryoko looked bewildered.

"No." She said. "It's not strange. It's fun."

"Well, you see, where I come from, people can't just appear in cupboards or on streets." Azusa explained. "So it's a bit strange to me. That's why I want you to tell me about it, Ryoko-chan. I'm interested."

"Mother didn't do it." Ryoko shook her head. "But she said that when I was older I'd be able to...to...con...con...control it properly. Then I could go wherever I wanted to."

"Did she tell you anything else? Any other tricks she said you could do?"

"Yes." Ryoko nodded eagerly. "She promised me that I would be able to fly and then she wouldn't be cross if I came up the steps but they were so high and she didn't like me doing it. In case I fell down and hurt myself. But I never did. Only when I went up the stairs she got cross with me."

A confused look touched her babyish features.

"Only she wasn't cross today. She was just sad." She remembered. "Because she was dirty and there was mess everywhere. And then she fell asleep and she didn't wake up. I didn't like it."

"I know. But it's all right now." Azusa said hurriedly, not anxious for his companion to dwell on her mother's unpleasant death. "Because you're safe here and Haru has gone to see about dinner. I'm sure you have a good appetite, Ryoko-chan. You must do, with all this just appearing you do."

Ryoko giggled and Azusa grinned at her, tickling her gently as he did so.

"We'll take you back to Jurai." He decided, speaking once more in the archaic language of Jurai's ancient tongue as he reflected upon his decision aloud. "Who knows, we might be able to track down your family from there. And if not, well, you might prove a companion for young Ayeka, anyhow. She's about your age and it will be lonely for her, now she's the only child of her generation and with so many burdens hanging over her young head. It might be nice for her to have a friend in all this. Either way, it looks like you're coming back with us, Ryoko...whatever happened to your mother, I'll see you safe and well."

He hugged her more tightly, shifting her into a safer position on his lap as she reached across to explore the fine weaving on the edge of his cape.

"Nothing will happen to you so long as you're my responsibility, Ryoko-chan." He murmured. "I promise."