(A/N: this is not a reciting of the current Kanae)
The warm rays of sun danced as they fell on the clear water of a spring. Cool breeze made slight ripples on the cool water. The lush green of the trees and grass, complimented the bright blue sky. Lying on the soft, dewy grass was a girl, dressed in a simple emerald coloured dress. She was lying down, with a hand covering her face to avoid the sunlight.
It was as if her entire presence had mingled with the trees and grass. No one would notice her, but at the same time, her absence would make the system unbalanced. A fierce wind made her dress flutter in the air, along with the long grass.
When her hand shifted, a pale coloured face came into view. Her eyes remained close, the sunlight highlighting her cheekbones, making them glow slightly. Dark hair whipped wildly with the wind. The wind slowly reduced and the girl's hair returned to its original position, hiding her eyes.
She slowly sat up, thin hands clutching the grass, as if soothing herself. Sharp eyes looked around as she straightened up her robes. It seemed as if she had no wish of moving from there.
A piercing pain in her stomach made her frown. She finally got up with a sigh. The emerald green dress did little to accentuate the girl's frail body.
With slow, deliberate steps she searched around for edible plants. The banks had numerous flowers, with only one or two edible. She nibbled on a flower as her eyes took in the huge forest in front of her.
Having no other option, the girl walked into the forest, where the darkness was prominent, even during the day. A few insects clung to the small amount of light entering the forest. Thin arms lifted the flexible branches of the trees, and broke off a stick. The stick prodded around carefully, to be safe from stepping on any sleeping animal.
The girl let out a satisfied sigh on finding a clearing. Since there were less trees and many edible plants, it seemed like the perfect spot for the girl to rest. The girl proceeded to feed herself and drank water from an animal skin container.
Outside the forest, the sun had set. Streaks of red and orange coloured the sky, the moon already out. Soon, the night sky was filled with countless stars, but all of them fell short, when compared to the bright moon.
The girl gazed at the night sky, with her arms supporting his head. Her eyes were different from usual people. They were dull, as if all meaning had been lost. As if they no longer remembered who they were. Only a lingering emotion of loneliness remained in those dark, desolate eyes.
Just then, a broken star shot across the sky, making the girl raise her hand, almost like she was trying to catch it. When her fist closed, the star disappeared. The girl's eyes closed on their own. Her body, soul and mind, only spoke of one wish: 'Remind me of the reason of I'm still alive. Remind me what my purpose is.'
The starlit sky, was now shadowed by dark grey clouds that gathered together. A rumbling sound caused the girl to immediately get up. Wrapping her rations in a clean cloth, she quickly went to find shelter. The forest was too dark, and she stumbled quite a few times, falling flat on herself. The clouds had already started precipitating and huge droplets of water fell from the sky.
The rain increased and before long, the girl was drenched from head to toe. Nevertheless she ventured deep into the forest. After a few hours of blind stumbling, she finally reached a cave.
A sigh escaped her mouth as he entered the cave. The cool temperature made her shiver slightly, drenched clothes giving him a slightly erotic look. To dry herself, she rubbed a few dry sticks till they gave a small flame.
Fortunately, dry grass bits were lying there, so she didn't have much trouble.
But what made the girl shocked was when under the yellow light of the flame she saw a figure lying on the cave floor, unmoving.
She scrambled back, scared, but calmed down when she noticed that the person seemed unconscious. Cautiously, she went near the person. The unconscious figure was of a man, who looked slightly older than the girl, but his looks were undeniably better than the girl's. Long hair was tied up in a pony tail and dirty robes adorned his body. The handsome face looked tired and was flushed an unnatural red. The girl noticed that the man's breaths were short and hurried, his body drenched with sweat.
She bit her lip, contemplating whether to help or not. In the end, she chose the former and laid a wet cloth on the man's burning forehead. With a slightly forceful jab, she opened the man's mouth and pushed in a few edible plants and medicinal herbs.
The man's breaths were restored to normal but he still shivered. The girl's brows furrowed and she picked up the man, who was heavy but she managed not to fall. She made him lie close to the fire and settled down herself.
When daylight entered the cave, the one to wake up first was the man. With a startled cry, he pushed away the girl who had unconsciously wrapped herself around the man. The girl awoke startled, and she blinked, eyes unfocused.
The man quickly took out a dagger, pointing at the girl with a cold gaze. A slightly deep voice rang out, "Who are you?"
The bewildered girl answered with a stutter. "Ka-Kanae."
Her voice was surprisingly soft and shy.
The man, slightly hesitant, nodded and replied, "Roku."
Time went by. It had been a few days since they had met.
Needless to say, Kanae was mesmerised by this cold man. Roku himself felt an attachment so surreal that he refused to give in. Give in to the urge of grabbing hold of the frail girl and wrapping his arms around her. Maybe because it had been too long since he had kinship with anyone.
He resisted the urge to feel her cold skin, slightly soft, slightly rubbery.
But that thought soon broke when he saw the girl crying out in his dreams, struggling like something was binding her down.
Kanae felt that she was alone... Again. Just like before. She was searching for someone, desperately, someone she wanted to be with.
Who was it?
A worried face met Kanae's eyes as she blinked, dazed. A crystal-like tear dropped from her lashes, trailing past her cheeks, reaching her lips. She glanced up at the handsome man above her, feeling helplessness surge in her.
It felt like a woeful midsummer night dream.