Every time Mikleo cried, it rained.
Everything started when the first greeting Sergei gave them was the question of how Sorey was doing. Rose shifted uncomfortably – the general had such a bad timing, when the purpose of their trip to meet him was to tell what truly happened afterward.
Watching the man's face contorted with respect and grief had become too much, and Mikleo wished for nothing more than their conversation to end. However, Sergei invited them to stay, and Rose gladly took the offer. Mikleo subtly excused himself after the dinner, saying he wanted to go stargazing. The seraph noticed Lailah's expression, which seemed to mean he would get comforted, and even some scolding later, but they still let him alone for now. Mikleo gratefully retreat through the main door, and headed for the empty balcony where he and Sorey used to stand the night before everything ended.
"Sorey, I miss you."
Mikleo realised his breath was trembling, even though the middle-summer night was hot and humid. The cold he felt was not because of the weather, but the lack of a certain radiating smile. Those stars suddenly blurred at the thought, before drops and drops of water started to fall: the first few ones from his eyes, then came the rain and its accompanying refreshing smell.
It was a normal summer rain, and a wonderful timing one at that.
Soon enough, he could no longer distinguish those raindrops and his own tears as water damped his hair, face and clothes. Mikleo did not mind getting wet at all – he was a water seraph, he could dry himself whenever he wanted to. In this rain, even though Mikleo was definitely crying, it didn't feel like he was. Or at least, not alone anymore, for the whole world was sharing Mikleo's sadness, and the rain was actually trying to wipe away his seemingly never ending tears in its own way.
Maybe because of that, this summer rain seemed really warm - as warm as the smile Mikleo was longing for.
"Maotelus..."
Sorey took a step closer before his gentle hand touched the ancient white dragon, and its light covered him in return. Closing his eyes, Sorey could feel Maotelus's power surging though his veins, while memories, one after another, flooded his mind. There were happy ones as well as sad ones, but not a single one of them wasn't worth cherishing, because in those memories, he was never alone.
Green eyes followed the direction the four orbs of light went one last time, now having nothing but darkness. Sorey knew that everyone, especially him, didn't need thanks, but this time he really wanted to say it, and even if his friends would be able to hear, they wouldn't stop him.
"Thank you."
The farewell was sad, yet inevitable. Still, Sorey's courage lay at the hope that reunion would surely come.
Sorey could feel them – the scenes overflowing in his mind.
All of his senses had definitely been cut off, since neither were those images seen by his eyes nor those sound were heard by his ears, but he still knew – simply knew – what was happening. Maybe this was because of his connection to Maotelus: both Sorey and the land were vessels for him after all.
But it didn't matter for now. The first thing he did upon the realisation was eagerly searching for that person, because he was burning to see the familiar white hair and violet eyes again. After following the call of his heart for a moment that lasted as long as eternity, Sorey's found himself in Lastonbell, the city of artisan, on the balcony where he and his loved one used to stargazing together.
Ah, there he was.
Mikleo was standing all alone, in the humid summer night, looking down the quiet street below with elbows placed on the railing for support. Wind passed by once in a while, gently caressing the white strand on his head. Sorey had already been familiar with this scene as he had gazed at the same one quite a lot in their hometown, Izuchi, but it had never failed in taking his breath away.
Mikleo was so beautiful.
And tonight, so sad.
Mikleo looked as if without the hope for reunion, he would easily crumble apart. Violet eyes that always sparkled with love and care, was now embedded with longing and sadness, looked through Sorey to the other side of the balcony in a way that human without resonance would look at seraphim.
Mikleo's voice was trembling – "Sorey, I miss you."
Oh, how much Sorey wished that he could touch Mikleo's face, could dry away the tears running down from his eyes. How much he wanted to pull Mikleo into his chest, to hug the seraph tightly, to bury his face in those white locks while whispering in Mikleo's ears reassuring words Mikleo, please don't cry, I'm right here, I'm by your side always.
This must have been how Mikleo felt when he lost his resonance, Sorey thought – hopeless, frightening, and desperate. Despite not having a body, he tried to embrace the crying seraph, knowing full well that if he did, it would also be shaking.
Rain started to fall, and his tears were also falling. Sorey's tears and the rain were one, damping Mikleo's hair and clothes. He could hear Mikleo exhale deeply, and when the seraph turned around, Sorey was surprised to see a smile blossoming on his face.
The seraph extended his hand, so as rain could fall on his palm, before an orb of light appeared and regained its form as a staff. Seraphic arte circle glowed under his feet, and with a wide swing of his weapon, Mikleo commanded the raindrops to dance, to swirl around his body or form different shapes. An exciting laugh the same as ones Mikleo let out during his childhood once again escaped his lips.
The scene happening in front of Sorey was mesmerising, yet utterly heart-breaking. In spite of the tears, Mikleo was also smiling - or was it the other way around, Mikleo was laughing even though tears kept running down his cheeks? Sorey could only watch in bewilderment as the seraph went full out with a mix of sorrow and joy, exhausting himself with his own artes.
Sorey followed Mikleo back to his room on the second floor of the inn, where he fell face-first on the soft cushion of the bed and immediately drifted to sleep. If only he could tell Mikleo how much he was loved, Sorey thought as he tried in vain, once again, to touch Mikleo's face.
White light suddenly covered his vision, and when Sorey opened his eyes, he was standing on the cliff near Izuchi's entrance where they used to make the promise of 'next time'. This must be Mikleo's dream, he guessed.
Mikleo was standing in front of him, and seemed to be able to see Sorey clearly this time. The eyes looking at him were timid yet affectionate, which made Sorey's heart flutter, slipping the confession he had bottled up for so long out of his lips.
"Mikleo, I l-..."
Mikleo snapped out of his sleep when the door to his room burst open. Zavied, who had definitely just barged in, looked taken aback.
"Sorry, I didn't think you were sleeping."
"It's fine, Zavied." – Mikleo smiled softly before saying the last part, which left Zavied confused – "Thank you, actually."
For stopping that dream, because I would rather hear those words from the real Sorey, face to face.
The seal to Camlann had been broken yet again, but being sealed, Sorey couldn't do anything about it, not even when Mikleo took the burden upon himself – through Maotelus and the source of seraphic power Sorey could hear the conversation running inside his mind.
No, Mikleo, don't!
"If I can protect Sorey that way, then I..."
I beg you Mikleo, please, please don't make that oath!
"... will accept any condition."
Drops of water running down the other side of the glass window partly blocked Mikleo's vision as he stared into the grey, thick clouds above.
"It has been falling for a week now. I wonder when the rain would stop."
Mikleo didn't regret the choice, because it was probably the best one he could make in the eternal lifetime of a seraph.
Sorey kept staying by Mikleo's side in his own way as years became decades and decades became centuries. During that time Sorey found out that due to the connection with Maotelus, a strong emotion of his could actually affect the weather a little, and such emotions would always be concerning Mikleo's.
But to Sorey, how they were shown by the world was irrelevant – the one he wanted to send them to was Mikleo, even though he knew never in his life would Mikleo believe that Sorey was right beside him like this, or those sudden changes of weather were actually messages meant for him alone.
However, the brunette reminded himself to be more careful on occasions when he could enter Mikleo's dream, by pressing down the confession that always threatened to jump out of his throat – Mikleo would never think of it as anything more than a trick of the mind, and Sorey didn't want to hurt him more than he already was.
"I miss you, Sorey."
Hang in there, Mikleo – His voice wasn't heard, because Mikleo was just a step away, but also in another world Sorey couldn't reach.
Too close, yet too far.
"How much longer would I need to wait?"
Sorey kept staying in his isolated dimension, watching Mikleo went through important moments in his life, becoming wiser and more powerful in the process, and was respected by many human and seraphim alike.
ooo
'This book is dedicated to Sorey – the legendary Shepherd, whose guidance leads us forward.' – The hand-writing on the first page read.
That is really sweet of you, Mikleo. Well done!
Sorey was there, silently congratulating Mikleo on finishing his first book, even though the seraph couldn't hear it.
ooo
He silently agreed as Mikleo left after accompanying generations of Shepherd to resume ruin exploring.
"Are you sure you will be fine on your own?"
"Don't worry Lailah, I'm 250 years old already."
Mikleo had been so selfless for the past centuries, so it is finally time for him to chase after his own dream, is it not?
ooo
"Could it be... Mikleo-sama, are you afraid of dogs?"
"Because they barked at me first! Don't laugh, it's not funny!"
Despite becoming a powerful and respected seraph, something about Mikleo never changed: how he was so caring yet always hid it, how he was continuously teased by everyone, how he never got over the fear of dogs... They were all adorable, Sorey smiled to himself.
The world was slowly changing, Sorey could feel it with his entire being. Malevolence had ceased thanks to people like Alisha and Sergei, and Maotelus was regaining his strength step by step. The grand seraph's power was leaving Sorey's body as well: his emotions no longer shifted the weather, and entering Mikleo's dream wasn't possible anymore. Soon enough his mind received less and less scene from the world, and ones it did was also blurring significantly, images and sounds alike – Mikleo's was no exception.
Sorey understood that the time of reunion was coming closer, bit by bit: once Maotelus didn't need to depend on him anymore, they would be separated, and Sorey could finally return to where he truly belonged. Yet every second seemed to drag on forever; its torturously slow pace was driving him insane.
How much longer did I need to wait?
"... I'll be going to that new found ruin, Sorey, and don't worry, I can take care of myself." – Mikleo whispered his goodbye to the pillar of light where Sorey's body lay before turning around and exiting through the deepest door of Elaine's ruin – "See you in a while."
Sorey followed the water seraph as always, but suddenly a strange force pushed him back, the same as when Mikleo's seal drove away the intruders.
Wait!
Everything turned to white and blinded his eyes as the last thing Sorey saw was Mikleo walking further and further away from him.
If only...
"Where am I?"
When opening his eyes to the clear blue sky above, the seraph had no recollection of anything, but somehow he felt that it was right for him to be here.
A strange thought resounded in his mind.
If only I was able to remember...
What was he searching for? The seraph didn't know, but he could sense it right ahead.
With a rumbling sound the ancient door slowly closed, hiding someone's figure from view, leaving him just enough time to catch a glimpse of that person.
Mikleo?
As the single name sent a jolt of electricity through his vein, the seraph stood up, tailing that figure into the depth of the ruin. A familiar feeling greeted him as if this was something he had done countless of times before, as if he had spent much more than a lifetime only following that person.
And when those hands finally clasped around his, without understanding why, another thought echoed.
Ah, I can reach you, at last.
How is the world in your eyes? To me, it is beautiful, because you are here.