I don’t want to kill anymore. Somebody stop me—
“When that time comes, you have to stop me! You, my true friend!”
Yes. Just as he had promised then.
✦ ✦ ✦
Beside him, part of the rose fence had escaped the fire. Harlequin broke off a white rose at its stem.
He slowly held it aloft, imbuing it with the magical power of the Fairy King.
Helbram was still laughing and crying. With a prayer, Harlequin flung the rose at his chest.
The white rose blossomed into a red flower there. Everything was stained a deep red, and the fairy boy fell to the ground.
✦ ✦ ✦
Helbram, I am truly sorry.
His fallen friend’s face looked peaceful.
Harlequin squatted down beside him. Placing his forehead upon Helbram’s cooling one, he let his tears spills out.
They fell onto Helbram’s face and mixed with his.
I have to atone for this.
Crying, Harlequin swore to himself.
I have to atone for the sin of not seeing his suffering…for letting my friend suffer for a long time…for such a long time.
With his sleeve, Harlequin wiped Helbram’s soiled face clean, and then stood up.
He slowly looked around.
The fire had burned down all the houses and was starting to die down. As if the heat had mustered them, clouds thickened in the sky. The full moon, visible shortly before, had disappeared. Rain began to fall.
It was almost dawn.
When the sun rose, the clouds would disperse, and a rainbow would no doubt appear.
Harlequin suddenly remembered Terrence’s words.
“I sincerely regret that I was such a lazy oaf. I thought that tomorrow would continue just the same as today, so if I slacked off a bit, I’d be able to make it up later.”
That was really true, Harlequin thought.
There’s no guarantee that tomorrow will be like today.
There’s no guarantee that you can always fulfill your promises.
He gently floated up into the sky.
He could already see the clouds breaking, and a hint of sunrise in the eastern sky.
In the distance, he could see some humans on horses heading towards him, coming from across the hills.
They were wearing armor. Most likely they were knights dispatched from a nearby kingdom. Someone must have reported the fire and explosions, and they were coming to investigate.
It’s my duty to tell them about what happened here and to bear this sin in Helbram’s place.
As a lazy Fairy King, Harlequin thought that, at least, was his duty.
✦ ✦ ✦
I’m sorry, Diane. I wasn’t able to keep my promise to you.
Harlequin resolved to at least erase her memories so that her feelings wouldn’t be so hurt.
The sun started to shine.
The forest and plains where the two of them had lived spread out under Harlequin’s feet.
There’s probably a rainbow at the waterfall today, too.
✦ ✦ ✦
Harlequin found Diane sitting, clutching her knees, in front of their home.
Holding back his tears, he flew down to her.
✦ ✦ ✦
The sun approached the foot of the western mountains in the west, and a cool breeze sprung up.
In the wake of the vanished rainbow, a white cloud rose up.
“What’s that song’s name?”
Harlequin was startled by Helbram’s question.
“Was I singing?”
“Well, humming.”
Harlequin gulped and went red.
“It’s okay. Nobody heard you anyway. Those two below couldn’t hear you. You were drowned out by this boar’s footsteps.”
Hawk Mama’s footfalls continued shaking the earth rhythmically like the beating of a drum.
“It’s a song I learned from a human child, long ago. It’s called The Promised Rainbow.”
Harlequin didn’t mention that Helbram had killed that boy’s family and friends. More than anything else, Harlequin thought there was no point in telling him because the present Helbram probably knew everything already.
“Perhaps it means that promises are fleeting, like rainbows.”
“Perhaps.” Helbram smiled. “But rainbows will always appear again, in another time, in another place, won’t they? So even if a promise seems to have been broken, you’ll have any number of chances to keep it all over again elsewhere. Just like how you saved me so many times.”
“Helbram…” Harlequin’s voice choked up.
Through the slits in his helmet, he could see Helbram floating lightly in the sky, his arms folded behind his head, as carefree as ever.
“Aah, I can see the first star of the night.”
Just as he said, in the gaps of the clouds in the western sky twinkled a bright star.
✦ ✦ ✦
Before long, the two of them heard the entrance to the Boar Hat open from below, and Hawk’s shrill voice sounded up to them.
“Hey, we’re about to get to the next village! Time to prepare to open shop, so you guys help, too!”
“What a pig. So full of himself.”
Howzer’s disgusted voice. Gilthunder’s low laughter.
Before long, the door closed, and it was quiet again.
✦ ✦ ✦
“…”
Harlequin gave a loud sigh.
Will the day come when I can forgive those people that I can’t right now?
And will the day come when I can fulfill, in a different form, the promise that I wasn’t able to keep?
✦ ✦ ✦
Diane…
Once again, Harlequin made a vow in the depths of his heart to the girl whose whereabouts he didn’t know.
Just like a rainbow appears over and over, I’ll keep remembering you again and again.
I’m sure that someday I’ll be able to fulfill my promise to you.
I’m sure I’ll return to you.
✦ ✦ ✦
Little by little, Hawk Mama slowed her steps and the lights came on inside the Boar Hat.
Far off yet, down the gently sloping road, the lights of the human village flickered.