Sorcerer Stabber Orphen Fan Fiction ❯ Singing a Lullaby ❯ Singing a Lullaby ( One-Shot )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

:: Singing a Lullaby ::

Sorcerous Stabber Orphen Revenge

Disclaimer: Sorcerous Stabber Orphen Revenge does not belong to me~ ^^ And neither does one of the songs Majic sings; it belongs to his seiyuu, Omi Minami, and... Uh... The people that wrote them. You can find them if you look for songs under Martian Successor Nadesico.

The first song -- the little bit I showed -- is called Fuyuno Hana. That one has been officially copyrighted. The second song, however, some of you may recognize as the lullaby I made for Majic in "Silken Fire." It's the same thing, only the full version this time. I made it up myself, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't steal it. >.>;; And the final song is the first translated part to Dearest, another Omi Minami song.

Rating: PG

Pairings: Majic+Orphen, Orphen+Majic(?)

Warnings: slightly AU, SSOR spoilers, mild language, mild shounen ai

Notes: I was listening to a few tracks Omi Minami sings. Yes, I realize that they're mostly songs for Ruri from Nadesico, but it's essentially the same seiyuu, right? Anyway, I was listening to them, and I was picturing Majic singing-- Majic would have a very beautiful voice if he sang in the series, he really would.

And thus the strange idea for this fic. Plotless, pointless, probably just here for some fluff and sweetness since Ivy-san's prize-fic doesn't feel like working with me. >.>;;

Oh... This takes place sometime between episodes 15 and 16. For those who haven't seen the Revenge series, the nightmares mentioned really did happen. And, um... If Orphen seems a bit different from the first series, it's because he retained more of his manga characteristics in Revenge, so don't anyone hassle me about making him OOC, 'kay?




It was, perhaps, a trite thing to say, but Majic was unusually restless this particular evening.

Night had long since settled in, taking the place of the sun as it faded out over the thicket of trees. It was routine. Every day the sun would shine, and when it began to burn out, it would sink into the distance to rest, to get its precious few hours of sleep before rising again the next day to warm them all, begin a new morning with so many possibilities.

Unlike the sun, which was pleasantly sinking to its peaceful rest, and unlike the moon, which only came out for the few precious hours the sun slept -- though occasionally the moon wouldn't come out at all; it was a selfish thing -- Majic was feeling far from restful, and far from tired.

He shifted in his sleeping bag, lacing his fingers behind his head as he gazed up at the dark sky. Pinpricks of light had pierced the vast, endless blanket of the night, some forming intricate patterns he liked to connect the dots to. Unfortunately, the view wasn't all that great with the trees blocking much of the sky. Even so, he loved the day, loved the fresh air, loved the smell of life, but night in itself was a whole other beauty. It had more than its fair share of mysteries, even as it had more nightmares than anyone would ask for.

It wasn't that it had been hard lately, Majic reflected. He *was* tired, just not... Sleepy. There was a difference, after all. His body was lax, wishing to drift off to sleep, unwilling to move much, but his mind was wide awake, keeping his eyelids from drooping.

It was a mild case of insomnia. It happened to everyone at some point, after all. Majic simply assumed tonight was his turn.

Well, if it would help his master sleep well, all for the better! It was only a guess, but from the mild hints Majic had picked up -- the more-irritated-than-usual morning attitude, the sudden bouts of short tempers, the dark circles beneath his eyes -- he could safely assume that Orphen either was suffering insomnia as well, or was having nightmares.

Considering what had happened the last time Majic had awoken in the middle of one of the more experienced sorcerer's silent fits, it was most likely the latter.

Majic's hand slipped out from the warmth of his sleeping bag, tracing careful patterns in the dirt. To anyone else, such as Cleao, their friend and Orphen's partner, or maybe even Licorice, Cleao's new closest friend, it may not have looked like much, but no doubt his wicked-eyed master would recognize it. They were sorcerous runes, simple scribbled nonsense...

Or perhaps not. Majic blinked, sitting up as he squinted down at the runes in the dirt. Though his shadow obstructed the light given off by firelight, he could clearly read what he had written. He quickly swiped at the ground, sending dirt scattering harmlessly away.

Stirring distracted him. Blinking, Majic was careful to turn to see what was wrong, but he needn't have been so cautious; Orphen was also wide awake, giving him the most peculiar look.

"What in the seven hells are you doing?"

The question was barely above a whisper, but it was chastisement enough. Majic winced, offering in a hushed tone, "I can't sleep, Oshou-sama. I... Did I wake you? I'm sorry."

Heaving a sigh, the brunette sorcerer shoved the blankets away from his formerly prone form, drawing one knee closer to his chest. "No. I've been awake the entire time. But *you*," he added suddenly, making the boy start. "*You* should be asleep."

"I know, but... I can't."

Orphen said nothing to dignify the statement. Fire crackled beside both of them, and Majic found himself momentarily entranced by it's exotically flickering flames, performing a ritual dance of old in the night. Harmless sparks flew into the air, dying before they even reached a foot away from the fire.

Without warning, his master moved to stand. "Come on."

Taken aback by the invite, it took Majic a moment to get to his feet as well. "Oshou-sama-- Ah!" he cried, forgetting the two girls were sleeping as he hurried after the older sorcerer's quickly retreating form. He blended into the night so easily with his dark appearance; it would be easy to lose him.

"Hush," Orphen hissed. Rebuked, Majic silenced himself by biting inside of his cheek. Instead he followed the older sorcerer through the brush, wondering where he was being led to.

It wasn't far from the campsite; if either of the girls called, they would be easily heard. It wasn't a remarkable spot; there was a creek, most likely ice cold, damp grass, trees and brush. They seemed to be far enough away so that they could speak without worry of waking anyone up, which Orphen finally did after he'd settled down on the grass. "Care to tell why you can't sleep?"

Majic hesitated, sinking to his knees. Dew on the grass seeped through his pants; there might be stains come morning, but at the moment he didn't really notice. "I don't know. I just... Can't." He sighed, shifting so that he was actually sitting this time, knees drawn to his chest as he looped his arms loosely around his legs.

His master sighed, leaning forward so that his elbow was on his knee, chin resting on the palm of his hand. "Nothing's been bothering you lately?" he prodded, rather uncharacteristically, thought Majic. The blonde shot him a suspicious look, which caused the older youth to smirk. "You don't think I can care for any of you, do you?"

"No." Realizing that it had come out wrong, Majic hurried to correct himself whilst Orphen's smirk broadened. "I mean, I... I know you do, Oshou-sama. It's just..." His voice trailed off, aqua eyes filled with uncertainty. He shifted his gaze to the gently streaming creek, not looking up even when he was spoken to.

"It's just that it's unlike me to show it openly, right?"

"Right," Majic whispered, feeling a warmth burn his ears. This was very embarrassing, talking about emotions even this slightly openly, and he was afraid of letting something slip... After all, it wasn't good for an apprentice to be attracted to his own master, was it? Especially if that master was a *male*. Growing up, Majic had been taught what was considered acceptable and what was not.

But it wasn't the fact that he liked *guys*. Majic didn't, not really. It was just Orphen.

The sienna-eyed sorcerer gazed at him thoughtfully, wetting his lips before he spoke. "I see."

The blonde finally turned back to him, guilt transparent in his innocent features. "I'm sorry, Oshou-sama, I didn't mean to offend--"

The brunette waved a hand, cutting him off. "Don't worry about it," he replied. This time it was he that shifted his eyes away, and Majic was unsure whether to be hurt or to blush furiously. Somehow, he ended up doing both. "It's perfectly understandable..."

Oh, now it was just guilt. Majic couldn't conjure up anything to say, feeling as though it were one of those times he simply couldn't think up the proper name for one of the spells Orphen had taught him. So he kept silent, tugging on the sleeve of his shirt absently.

He had to say something to fill the silence, but what? Only one thing came to mind, and it made him very embarrassed to voice it. "Oshou-sama, why did you make me dress like a girl?"

Orphen started, catlike eyes swinging to face him. Something sparked in there, most likely wicked amusement. "You didn't like it?"

"Oshou-sama!" Majic protested, hands tingling as he blushed crimson. "There was no reason for it, and you knew it! That's not fair!"

The older sorcerer tipped his head to the side, grinning to match the wicked look in his eyes as they mahogany depths perused the small blonde. "Well," he drawled, clearly enjoying watching his apprentice squirm. "I suppose for laughs, just a bit." At the hurt that flickered in the boy's eyes, he broadened his smirk as he added, "That, and you looked awfully *cute* in a dress."

A muffled, undignified squeak escaped Majic as he teasingly emphasized the word "cute." Orphen was pleased and vastly amused to see the boy's embarrassment grow, swelling to the point he looked as though he would keel over from sheer humiliation.

"O... Oshou-sama!" Majic spluttered, trying to calm himself down. He inhaled deeply, fixing his eyes on the ground, eyes narrowed as he determinedly tried to keep his heart from bursting out of his chest. Cute? Orphen had thought he was... Cute?

It didn't help to calm him when the young man stretched out beside him, eyes closing slowly. He looked relaxed, something Majic suddenly realized hadn't happened in quite a while. He was reminded of a baffling encounter one morning quite a few nights ago, when he had found himself awaken by... Something. He couldn't remember *why* he'd woken up, but he had felt a sort of thrumming tension. He remembered having blinked, only once, and the next thing he knew he was hogtied, hanging upside down from the back of the carriage the four travelers had been riding.

Compliments of Orphen, naturally. It was one of many signs of his current short-tempered attitude that worried the boy.

"Um... Oshou-sama..."

"Hmm?"

"Have you been... Having nightmares lately?" he asked tentatively, bracing himself for any sort of unnecessary punishment that Orphen seemed keen to use on him.

It was much to his surprise when his master did no such thing. Rather, he sighed, slitting amber eyes open. "Yeah," was the quiet admittance. "You could tell." It wasn't a question: rather, a simple observation. Majic had occasionally been told he was a bright boy -- if a bit dense to matters unrelated to him -- but it was really Orphen who was keen of mind, sharp and always quick to catch on.

It was one quality he admired greatly. It was no wonder Majic wanted to grow up to rival him in the ways of sorcery. Orphen was powerful, usually logical, tended to know what he was doing, and really just admirable in the things he did pertaining to his skills. True, his personality was one thing Majic did *not* wish to acquire, even if he wouldn't have had Orphen act too different himself, but there were other ways he could practice to be just like the older sorcerer.

"Not really," Majic said quietly. "I just thought you were irritated at the rest of us... But I guess even Cleao's on your good side." Reflecting back to a recent incident, he realized -- with a little jealousy -- that Orphen had actually been concerned at the blonde's overnight disappearance, despite his insisting he couldn't stand the girl.

It caused a spark of wonder. 'I wonder... If I disappeared, would Oshou-sama care...?'

He'd said earlier than he knew Orphen did concern himself about them, but there were times he really wasn't sure of that. If he died, sure, Orphen should care. Orphen hated seeing death.

But if he just vanished...

Majic shook his head to clear his mind of such depressing thoughts. No, he could be more optimistic than that! He was grateful, he really was, that the black sorcerer Tower of Fangs runaway had even taken him under his wing, whether it was for the money or not. Thinking things like *that* would only make him feel lost and even more confused than he already was!

Orphen's voice tugged him away from his thoughts. "It's funny, really... D'you want to know about the nightmares, Majic?" His apprentice opened his mouth uncertainly, thinking it was rude to prod but also curious. The brunette saved him from answering by continuing without pause. "I'm always running from something. It's powerful; that's all I know. Extremely powerful..." His eyes glowed bright amber in the reflection of the glowing silver orb that rose higher and higher into the sky as the minutes stretched on. "Even more powerful than Azari... Childman... Sorcerer, powerful..."

Majic couldn't suppress the cold shiver of apprehension that stroked his spine, hands coming up to embrace himself tightly in a sort of self-comfort. "And then," Orphen murmured, "I'll always run into something. Once, actually, I was running from a bunch of Cleaos." Majic's dark eyebrows shot up despite himself. Orphen was wearing a wry smirk of amusement. "I had the feeling she was trying to, I dunno, jump me or something. She just multiplied and multiplied and it kept going until I was drowning in a sea of glowing teenage girls."

It seemed more humorous than frightening, but given the sibling vibes Majic sometimes felt from the two, he could see why it would disturb Orphen. It would have been like dreaming your sister was trying to kiss you or something.

"In this other one--" Orphen snorted in mid-sentence, turning his head to grin wickedly at the boy. "I was attacked by a bunch of shrimps and crabs."

Majic couldn't help it; he laughed. It was a joke that an outsider never would have understood without a thorough explanation, but the short version was this: Both Orphen and Majic had an acquaintance of sorts-- friends, if you must. Hartia, Orphen's childhood classmate and friend, loved to cosplay as his favourite manga character, the Black Tiger. Erris, Majic's short-time classmate (who also seemed to have a very off-putting crush on him) had made up her own character to be the Black Tiger's apprentice, the White Club.

Upon first meeting the Black Tiger, Majic had announced that black tiger was a sort of shrimp. Thus, the name Shrimp Man had stuck with Hartia. When Erris had made her entrance as the White Club, Cleao had decided that she must be Crab Girl. When pronounced in their native language, "Ko-ra-bu" could mean either "club" or "crab." Because of Cleao's interpretation, Crab Girl had stuck.

Which was why Majic found the thought amusing.

Orphen didn't scold him for laughing; he had a faint smile on his face as well. "Another one involved a giant Vulcan and something about Dortin wanting his ketchup back... I don't know. It was more strange than frightening." Sienna eyes darkened, drawing Majic back into his stare. "But the most frightening one was, by far... Was when Licorice insisted on cutting my hair like Flamesoul's."

Majic's eyes widened slightly; he was torn between wanting to collapse in a fit of giggles and screaming. A bit extreme reactions in both cases, but suitable nevertheless.

Flamesoul was, ironically enough, Childman's old rival Flameheart's, brother. He was bent on revenge, wanting to kill Orphen. He'd never succeeded, not yet. But the resemblance between the brothers was striking; they may have been twins. The only difference was in their taste of clothing. Whilst Flameheart had been more traditional with his sorcerous robes, Flamesoul had a bit of a... Frilly touch.

"Why would she want to do that?" Too late Majic realized it was a stupid question, but his master seemed to take it seriously.

"I dunno." Orphen laced his fingers behind his head, still peering through slanted eyes at the younger boy. "But you, Cleao, even Leki... She'd gotten to you. It was *the* most disturbing sight I've ever seen, Majic."

That had to say a lot, the blonde decided wryly. They'd certainly seen a lot of strange things. Some of them a bit more frightening than strange, but Majic had to admit that the monsters after Orphen -- called Creature, if what little he'd overheard from Hartia was correct -- were both ridiculous-looking and very powerful enough to be... Well, it was enough to unnerve even Orphen, so maybe they had a right to be worried.

After a few moments' pause, Majic asked softly, "So what did I do to you, Oshou-sama?"

"Pardon?" was the lazy inquiry.

Scuffing the dirt with his toe, Majic asked, "Well... You've had dreams of everyone else -- even Shrimp Man -- doing strange things to you. What did I do?"

Why was Orphen smiling so strangely? Majic prepared himself for something twisted, possibly even sick, but what he got was a cool reply of, "Nothing."

He frowned, not sure if he could believe that. Majic hated being sheltered just because people thought he couldn't handle things or ideas. "Oshou-sama..."

"I mean it," the brunette insisted. "I haven't had a single nightmare where you did anything. You were *in* one," he reminded the boy, still not moving from his lying position. "But you did nothing."

Unsure whether to feel pleased or not, Majic fell silent. Silence was never a good thing, of course, because it got him thinking... And right now, given the current situation, he couldn't help but think of Orphen.

He didn't know how long these foreign feelings had been residing inside of him, much different from the blissfully pleasant feelings he shared with Fiena. This was more of a mystery to him, keeping him wondering. Each day there was something new to learn about his master, and yet the puzzle was never solved. Often Majic knew, or could sense, exactly what the older man was thinking, but even more often he found the older youth to be such a complex person to understand. You *couldn't* understand Orphen completely; there were too many levels to get through until you could. No one could complete such an amazing feat in one lifetime.

A strong grip on his arm made Majic start. He glanced down at Orphen, the latter's eyes half lidded lazily as he smirked. "Na, Majic, did you really hate having to dress up as a girl?"

"Yes!" Majic snapped without thinking, automatically quailing before Orphen as a simple narrowing of mahogany eyes told him he'd overstepped his boundaries as a pupil. "I mean... Yes, Oshou-sama. I did."

"So much you'd never want to do it again?"

Majic groaned, covering his face with one hand. "No, Oshou-sama. Not if I could help it." Which basically meant that if Orphen told him to do it, he'd do it. And Majic refused to think of it as being weak, pathetic, or whipped-- He just wanted to please his master in any way he could, even if it went to a ridiculous extent. He didn't *like* wearing the dress; he was a *male* and he hated being mistaken for a girl even without wearing their clothes. It had happened on occasion, and each time had caused a bubbling fury to build up inside of him, never once released as he'd always forced himself to calmly deal with it.

Orphen jerked on his arm to get Majic's attention again, his smile turning up at one corner in a nearly unbearably cocky fashion. "How about performing, then? You ran away that time."

His apprentice reddened. "Oshou-sama, I didn't--"

"I want you to perform now."

Majic blinked, utterly baffled. "Eh?" was all he could think to say, and even that wasn't considered a coherent answer, or even a question.

"Perform," Orphen repeated, rolling his eyes as though his apprentice were completely stupid.

Offended, Majic bit his lip, appearing more worried than hurt. "I don't..."

The older sorcerer said nothing for a few minutes, seeming to be turning an idea over in his head. At long last, he glanced up at the sky. It had only darkened as they'd talked, nearly black with far-off gleaming dots of stars. "Well," he mused, drawing the word out so much it nearly made Majic squirm. "You could sing."

Majic was flustered. He didn't know many songs, for one thing, and even then he rarely sang. Most of what he knew were old songs his mother had taught him as a child, beautiful songs, and one single one he'd made up on his own. But to sing... For Orphen... Now... He tried to explain this, but the young man was adamant.

"I don't care about the words," Orphen said firmly, tightening his hold on the boy's wrist. "Just pick something. Anything will do."

Majic was still uncertain and embarrassed, but he knew there was no backing out of it. He scooted back until he was resting against the rough bark of a tree, racking his memory for something soft; soothing.

"Dou iki na shirokuu kemuru asanimo,
Furi yamanai fuyuno hana ni mezameru...
Ne oboeteru hajime tette wo tsunaida.
Kise tsunmo onaji sora noiro datta...

Don'na niko moeso wo na yorumo,
Anata no tonari ni ite.
Attaka kai kimochi ni nareta no,
Nanai yoru wo koete..."

He trailed off, glancing down as he saw that Orphen wasn't moving. Had he fallen asleep?

The answer seemed to be no, as Majic quickly discovered. The young man did yawn, but he opened his eyes, clearly wakeful. "Did your mom teach you that? What's it called?"

"Fuyuno Hana," Majic replied.

"Hmm," Orphen mused. "Winter Flower? It's nice."

Pleased, Majic tried not to smile too broadly, lest Orphen think he was being arrogant. "My mother had a very pretty voice. It wasn't beautiful, but it was pretty enough." Which was the truth. Her voice had been light, occasionally a bit off-key as his own voice was, but soothing, peaceful, and pleasant.

Perhaps it was just the mood he was in, or maybe singing a small excerpt his mother had taught him had made him less shy. Whatever the reason, a slightly more foreign tune hummed through his mind, refusing to leave him alone until he voiced it in the form of a soft lullaby.

"Smile, sing, laugh and play,
Run around in joy each day.

Watch the sky bleed at sunset;
Baby, don't cry, darling, don't fret.

Let the night scare you naught;
Fall to sleep you have sought.

Silent stillness in your dreams
Is not all that it seems.

Chase night mares in your wake
With smiles entirely unfake.

Goodbye, baby, goodbye,
Watch tears fall as you cry.

Good night, darling, good night,
Leaving you in darkness fright.

I love you, sweetie, I love you,
As dawn comes to break through.

Stringing dreams with turquoise beads
Watch in horror as it bleeds.

Salty tears streak down your face,
Kneeling, you're in my embrace.

Are you lonely? Are you afraid?
Are you frightened of the fear we made?

Hush, sweetie, sleep in my arms
Your fragile mind nighttime harms.

Rocking gently, ocean waves,
Soothing as the ominous caves.

Goodbye, baby, goodbye,
Watch tears fall as you cry.

Good night, darling, good night,
Leaving you in darkness fright.

I love you, sweetie, I love you,
As dawn comes to break through."

Heavy silence rang between them after that, making Majic nervous. His heartbeat quickened, pulsing blood through his head as he nervously glanced away from his master to avoid his blank stare.

Orphen pushed himself into a sitting position, staring long and hard at his apprentice. "Did your mother teach you that one, too?"

"No," whispered Majic, who was only vaguely aware of what he'd said.

Again quietness began to settle, causing the younger of the two to shift in discomfort. Perhaps that had been letting his master too deeply into his darker thoughts-- Yes, even Majic had a dark side, though he tried to deny it for the longest of times. It made facing it nearly unbearable, and the worst part was that he had no *reason* to be upset. With friends, a father, and *life*, what reason did he have to even occasionally wish that everything would fall into darkness so that he couldn't feel anything, especially not pain?

He was only fourteen years old, nearly fifteen. Though wiser than most his age in many ways, Majic was not yet an adult. He'd been sheltered most of his life, which was the biggest cause for what density and innocence he had.

What he had was a much larger amount than even most girls his age. It only made his knowing he had dark thoughts that much more depressing.

Gentle fingers tugging on the hair just beside his ear brought him back to reality with a terrible jolt. He gazed up at his master, unable to conjure any other expression than puzzlement.

Orphen's sienna eyes were unreadable beneath his tousle of chestnut hair, delicately blocking the boy off from his own true emotions. Even so, the little touch was soothing. It didn't stop the tiny warm ball of contentment from growing, expanding to change his mood from content to a little more happy.

Strange as it was, even if he possibly didn't know how Majic really felt, Orphen was still *there* for him. That security meant more to him than a tumble of blissfully joyful feelings, because with ignorance came the lack of foresight, which usually led to a lack of defense. But with security, even if he was scared, he was *safe*.

"Thank you, Oshou-sama," he whispered faintly, so that the words were nearly lost in the gentle breeze.

Orphen shrugged one shoulder, the tiniest of smiles only visible in his eyes. "One more before we head back."
Majic's breath was slightly hitched as he inhaled, but he nodded and Orphen's hand dropped from him. Closing his eyes to keep the image of those normally wicked eyes looking at him with such reassuring kindness imprinted in his mind, Majic sang softly.

"My revolution on which I walk alone,
How many things I found out when I met you.
Such as gentleness and sadness,
The canvas which enlightens my heart
Is getting damaged and becoming dirty,
But on it, a faint emotion began to be drawn..."