The Innocent (A 'Finder' Fanfiction)

Shadow of Pluto - 18 - Maxim

He sat on the edge of the bed for a long while. Just like this, he had before in those days when Ryuichi had still been sedated, so his injuries would heal better and his attempts at fleeing would not hurt him further. It had been a different room, of course, but what did it matter?

Like back then, he stared out of the window, waiting for night to slowly fall in the gardens, which never turned fully dark because of many lamps illuminating it.

Often, he could not sleep well – a side effect of the drugs he used to forget about his aching back – and then he would wander around outside, listen to the noises of the world, which never fully rested.

From some places in his garden, he could spot the Adriatic Sea, and everywhere he could smell it. Swimming was one of the very few sports he could still do, but when there was any danger of waves or the water being too cold, he had to forgo that little joy. The Ocean or the Sea anywhere had therefore been mostly off limits for him.

Now he listened mostly to the breathing of his younger brother. Ryuichi had lost some weight, in the last few days especially. Not knowing what had happened had been cruel to him, yet, finding out and being then confronted with his own helplessness, that was something new.

If Maxim had allowed any hard feelings to thrive in his chest, then maybe he would declare this to be a strike of atonement after all: to see his brother forlorn and deprived of his power and wisdom.

'Justice and divine vengeance pursuing crime', was the name of Pierre Paul Prud'hon's painting, which's spot in the Louvre Fei Long had lamented. The very same powers might have swept down upon his brother to judge him for his deeds and life – that was a thought someone hating him might be capable of. It swooped through Maxim's mind for a moment, then it had passed, never to return.

He had not once in his life been envious of Ryuichi. He had never been angry with him or sought revenge. What had dispossessed him of becoming the next master of their organization had not been the other's fault, even if he had been the trigger.

Still today, there were beautiful horses in his stables, and he paid excellent trainers to work with him. But not because he would ever sit on one of them again. He just loved to marvel at them, and never would he have allowed for his own proud and lovely mare to be shot, if he had been consulted back then.

Their father, however, did not ask or confer with them. He had never cared. Both of them had had to function, and after the accident Maxim had not been able to anymore.

It had been a day as lovely as this one, but he knew by experience that dreadful things could happen on them as well.

It had been all sunshine, chirping birds and sparkly water in the fountains when his mother had cut her wrists in a bathroom he had never ever entered again after that. Back then, he had been seven.

And it had been gleaming blue sky and white and pink blossoms everywhere when his brother had attempted to ride a black stallion, which was the only horse that had made it out of a fire only weeks ago.

Their father had given the trainers one month to make the stud recover. If they weren't successful, he would just shoot it, no matter that it had cost him a fortune once.

Ryuichi had besought him when time was running out, yet their father had not listened. He never had. So, the boy had tried to prove that the stallion had become pliable again.

There had been no saddle, but the bridles were still on around the black, beautiful head of the creature because it had fought against anybody trying to take them off. Ryuichi had climbed onto the low walls of the stable and had jumped onto the horse's back.