Your Lie In April (Alter)
This will be my first take for a fanfiction about Your Lie In April's story. Definitely, there are some changes here when compared to the original work anyway, specifically this work will be starting from the episode 21 of Your Lie in April/Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso animated series and this story will be taking an alternate path from there (or at least it may seem to be)... So have fun reading!
NOTE: This story is based on a certain manga/animated series "Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso/Your Lie In April". So, knowledge from that series is required in order to understand the events that will happened here in this story. Also, some knowledge from certain anime adaptations, such as the light novel "Fate/Zero" (as of this point) may be required as well. Again, have fun!
Chapter 1: 四月は君の嘘/Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso/Your Lie In April: Snow (Alter) Part I
*February 11*
"Morning!"
"Ahaha!"
"And so..."
"Did you see, yesterday?"
"I see..."
One morning, as everyone in a certain school, Tatsusumi Middle School, was all staying lively in their lives with their friends, a certain black-haired, dark-blue-eyed 14-year-old male student (with glasses) sit on his chair within a certain classroom thinking about something, and felt nothing but sorrow...
Why did those things happened to me? From my mom... then to her... I cannot try anymore... This is indeed my punishment... "Eh?"
He eventually reached out a certain pink-colored letter he received from someone named Watari, as indicated in the words being written in a small paper.
I was asked to.
-Watari
Seeing that cute black cat sticker in front of the letter made him realized something...
*Flashback*
"Hey! Isn't this stationary set cute?!" said a certain long, curly blonde-haired, blue-eyed 14-year-old female student who had went to a shopping spree in a mall along with him, whom she considered her 'substitute' and found the shelves where those stationary sets can be found.
"Isn't texting fine?!" said the guy, who carried all the things that girl had bought the whole time which included her clothes and some stuffed animals, much to his dismay.
"Not for a modern girl!"
"Kaori Miyazono... I guess, that makes sense now after what will possibly happened to her since then. Just like in that book..."
He remembered that time where he and a certain female friend named Kaori Miyazono went to a certain mall after school on that only day where that certain friend went to school for a certain reason since she had been hospitalised. [1]
He then opened the letter only to see one certain sentence...
I want to eat canelé.
That fourteen-year-old student named Kousei Arima slowly sighed after seeing it.
On that afternoon, in Totsuhara University Hospital...
"Thanks for doing these things for her," said Kaori's mother after Kousei decided to work for pastries for Kaori.
"No, I should be the one who will be thanking you, Mr. Miyazono, Mrs. Miyazono," said Kousei as he placed the canelé.
"No, Arima. It is really you whom we should be thanking for..." said Kaori's father as he smiled genuinely to Kousei.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Neither of the parents nor Kousei did response for that duration due to some reasons Kaori's parents may say something to him.
I hope this is not going to be about Kaori's...
Then Kousei broke that silence. "Wh-what do you mean, Mr. Miyazono?"
"Thanks for bringing the colors to her life... and please continue to do so for her, along with us and her friends. But right now, she needs you the most, Arima," said Kaori's father as he and his wife revealed something for Kousei.
"..."
Kousei felt surprised on his close friend's father's words. Then Kaori's mother speaks to the pianist about anything, "In the past..."
*Flashback*
A certain short-blonde-haired young girl was running to her home, feeling excited about something. As she arrived to her home...
"Mom! Dad! Buy me a violin! I am quitting piano! I will play the violin!" said the young girl as she only felt excitement in doing so.
"Why so suddenly, Kaori?" said the young girl's mother.
"I want Kousei to play the piano!" said the young girl after witnessing a certain event that might change her life forever. [2]
"Furthermore, Arima..."
Anything else that might be important about Kaori has slowly been revealed to Kousei by her parents, which made Kousei to be shocked that they actually did that...
After some few more minutes of conversation between Kousei and Kaori's parents...
"Please take care of her for now, Arima."
"Thanks," said Kousei as he is about to go to Kaori but, "Mr. Miyazono, Mrs. Miyazono, do you believe in miracles?"
"Miracles... We believed on those... miracles," said Mrs. Miyazono to Kousei, even she felt sad about it.
"Do you think it will work on her too?"
"Yes, we do... We really do... and hope that she will survive... for more..." said Mr. Miyazono even if he also showed such sad expression towards Kousei about their only daughter, in spite of the weak smile he showed.
"Thanks again." said Kousei with a weak smile and a bow in return before he finally left that friend's parents. As he continued now on his way to the Totsuhara University Hospital where that certain female friend of his is currently confined, along with the homemade canelé he did for Kaori.
As Kousei had finally left, Kaori's father says something, "If Kaori will survive for more..."
"I hope for that." said Kaori's mother, then followed by their weak laughs.
"But for now, we should just think for the positives and believe on those miracles."
Kaori's mother nodded.
"Kiritsugu Emiya... I finally understand it now; you're a man without morals. I had originally thought that even if our paths differ, our goals are the same; but I was far too foolish…"
"..."
"Up till now, I've believed in Irisviel's words and never doubted your character. However, even if a man like you now says that you'll save the world with the Holy Grail, I won't believe a word of it anymore. Answer me, Kiritsugu! Did you deceive even your wife? Just what is the true reason that you seek the omnipotent wish-granting vessel?!"
"..."
"Even if my sword does win the Holy Grail, if I am to entrust the Grail to you, then I… Answer me, Kiritsugu. No matter what, this time you have the obligation to explain..."
As a certain anime was being shown on a certain flat-screen television within that hospital room, a certain worried female patient wearing pink sweater on top of that patient clothes she had was looking at that lonely snowy sky while having constant medication due to her condition. On that afternoon, Kousei Arima entered the room, still in a breakdown since that female friend of his may have the same fate as his late mother in the past, even though he had already been thanking his late mother for her care to him in his thoughts during his performance. But, Kaori Miyazono is the same as she always is. Acting as if nothing had happened, and is back to her upbeat personality.[3]
"Heya." said Kaori, after seeing Kousei for few seconds since his arrival, but eventually looked down, knowing his thoughts.
"No, I've got nothing to say with that Servant. There's nothing to be said to a killer controlled by glory and honor."
"..."
"Don't you dare to humiliate chivalry in front of me, you beast!"
Even with her worried thoughts towards the young pianist, she decided to try something to cheer him up.
"Yesterday, they let me back into my room. Well, they got me good! That was my first time in the intensive care unit (ICU). It is really unsettling over there. All those lights flashing."
"..."
"Chivalry cannot save the world. It was so in past histories, and it will be so in the future. Those people promoted the idea that there is a difference of good and evil when it comes to the method of battle, and acted on the battlefield as if they have pride. Just because all the heroes of the ages were cloaked with that illusion, how many youths do you think were deceived by the glory of such courage and finally bled to their deaths?"
"You saw an embarrassing side of things. This is why I told you, 'Don't come to the hospital.'"
Nothing happened in response.
"..."
"..."
"However, humans did not realize that truth no matter how high they staked their mountains of corpses. That's because in no matter what era the courageous and fearless great heroes have always bedazzled the eyes of the multitude with their splendid heroic legends. Because of the wistful actions of those idiots and their refusal to admit that bloodshed is by itself evil, the essence of humans has stayed on the same spot since the Stone Age!"
The young violinist then picked a certain stuffed animal she had on her side and then...
"Hey!"
"?!"
Kousei was then caught off-guard as Kaori threw that stuffed animal towards his face.
Please don't throw me. "Wh-what are you doing?!"
"Don't come to see me and then stand around looking so gloomy!", shouted Kaori as she tried to do something for Kousei's depressed thoughts.
"Eh?!"
"You are going to make my condition worse!" shouted Kaori. However, upon seeing a certain stuff he had held in his left hand, her violent expression changed to almost cheerful one, "Ah! Canelé! I wanna eat it outside!"
Said stuff happened to be the pastries he bought from his parents.
"But it is too cold."
"The hospital room's no good!" said Kaori, which will followed by a hand gesture that says, "Come on, come on, come on, come on!"
"?"
"I will stop the endless cycles. That's why I need the Holy Grail. I'll use this miracle to complete the revolution of this world, the revolution of all human souls. I will make the blood shed within Fuyuki City as the final bloodshed of all human beings. For that, even if I am to carry 'all the evils of this world', it won't matter. If that can save the world, then I'd gladly accept it."
"Was that anime...?" said Kousei as he looked up to the television, as he puts his gray coat around Kaori's fragile body.
Kaori nodded as she immediately answered his question afterwards, "it happened to be the one of the shows I am currently watching while being hospitalised, you know."
"Then, Miyazono, who do you think the one who is deserving to get the Holy Grail?"
"I want Waver Velvet and Rider to get the Holy Grail. They never cheat in the war and they really deserved to win, unlike any of the other participants... Ah!" answered Kaori. Then, she realized something, "... Arima, did you also watch it?"
"Yes, though everything that happened until now started to get tragic... the death of that serial killer and Caster."
Kaori nodded in agreement and answered back.
"And in this episode... even Lancer and his Masters had already fallen as well."
"Even Lancer?" said Kousei as he felt slightly surprised, though he continued speaking, "so there are only five remaining Masters competing in that war."
"And among the Servants, there are only Saber, Rider, Archer, and Berserker that remained alive..." said Kaori as she shows a four-fold pattern on her right hand to Kousei and then continued, "then... for you, who do you think deserve the Holy Grail?"
"Kiritsugu Emiya and Saber... After all, their wishes for the Holy Grail for humanity's salvation might definitely be impossible. Only miracle can make that happen... and I believe it would happen."
"..."
"Is Kiritsugu… gone already?"
"– Irisviel?"
On the television show the two musicians had watched, the long-white-haired beautiful lady, with her empty and wondering gaze, her pallid face, and the sweat pouring down from her forehead like a waterfall, fainted as soon as she relaxed, and collapsed as if she was a puppet cut loose from her strings. Although the blonde-haired lady in knightly armor immediately moved up and held her, the strange heat coming from the slender body in her arms made her realize that the white-haired lady was already in a critical condition.
"Irisviel!? Hang on!" [4]
When the two saw that white-haired lady fallen to the ground, Kousei looked down immediately, feeling depressed about anything that might happen sooner or later. At that point, the ending sequence of the show has been played... Said sequence happened to follow a story of a certain married couple of that show they watched...
~"どうして空はこんなに青くて 何も悲しみを知らぬように いつも躊躇わず明日へと崩れ落ちる..."/"Why the sky is so blue like it does not know any sadness and it keeps crumbling towards tomorrow without hesitation..." [Sora Wa Takaku Kaze Wa Utau - Luna Haruna]~
"L-Let's go..."
Kousei then gave Kaori a ride to his back and shoulders and Kaori responds to do so.
"..."
Realizing that pain Kousei has after seeing that lady, Kaori thought of something as the two musicians are about to leave the hospital room.
~"いのちは足りないまま生まれて来るのね 欠け落ちた心に貴方が触れて ..."/"Life was born with something missing to begin with and this runaway heart is touched by you..." [Sora Wa Takaku Kaze Wa Utau - Luna Haruna]~
As the two musicians are slowly heading to the rooftop of the hospital though the stairs...
"One word about me being heavy and I'll beat you up, all right?" said Kaori as she was still carried by Kousei in his back.
"I think you could stand to eat more." said Kousei.
For Kaori in Kousei's perspective, everything seems like it's back to normal, but as he carries her to the rooftop he can't help but notice that these days won't last much longer. She acts as if nothing has happened, but her pale skin and weight loss are too obvious for him (and everyone else) not to be noticed. Then he thought, Light... You're so light. Somehow I was sure that things would be all right... that you were just kicking around the hospital... because you were a strong person... I thought things would always be like this... You love stuffed animals... You also love sweets... You're fragile...
~"二人で行く未来は 穢れの無い強さで..."/"Two of us walk the future with stainless strength..." [Sora Wa Takaku Kaze Wa Utau - Luna Haruna]~
...Even though you are an ordinary girl and yet... I am a moron.
~Played music ended~
As they had finally reached the rooftop of Totsuhara University Hospital...
"Wow!" Kaori felt happy as Kousei stopped walking to look for the surrounding as the snow had already falling in the city, "It's snowing!"
Kaori then decided to raise her hand trying to reach the snowy sky and as she had felt the warm welcome being given to her by the cold weather, she felt refreshed as she smiles.
After some time, Kousei then puts Kaori in one of the benches around the rooftop, having her sit there, like in one of their meetings where she had given herself and Kousei hope for her survival. She then opened the pack of canelé that Kousei had given to her and pick one of said pastry and eat it. As she felt the sweet flavor of the pastry she ate, she felt satisfied.
"Mm! Yummy! How did you do this?!"
"Your mother had decided to help me in doing so before we went here." said Kousei as he then faced Kaori with a fake smile.
"Thank you, Arima..." said Kaori. Then after some few seconds of noticing Kousei's obviously depressed expression... "By the way, are you playing the piano?"
"No, I am not." said Kousei as he looked down to the ground.
"I knew it. You are losing your nerve."
"I can't do it... anymore." Precious loved ones are leaving me... I just wanted to play the piano to help my mom get better... I also just happened to be in love with you... Music is taking away my precious loved ones... I am going to be left all alone...
As Kousei thought of those things, Kaori then responds...
"But you have me."
"..."
The answer surprised Kousei a lot. After all, he already had a thought that Kaori will be having the same fate as his mother two years ago. Then Kousei faced her again, with that surprised expression, still standing in front of her.
"But you have me... You know, I am going through with the surgery on the 18th of February."
"That's the day of Eastern Japan Piano Competition..."
"I know... I have been frantically struggling, struggling, and struggling... and continuing to struggle..."
"..."
Kaori then point her left index finger towards him as she continued to speak.
"It is all your fault. All of it is your fault." The reason I am putting up such an unseemly struggle and why I am so fixated on living... It is your fault. You gave me this desire to cling to the time that I spent with you. Kaori then put her left hand down as she speaks again... "Are you not struggling? Isn't struggling our forte? Aren't we musicians who risk our lives struggling?"
My head and my heart are a complete mess... "But... I have not touched the piano in a week. My fingers..."
"Wasn't it the same when you were my accompanist?"
"Back then, I was always playing the piano for my part-time job..." Kousei then looked down again in pain... "It is not like I can just sit down and play! It would take a miracle for me to play in this condition."
After few seconds of silence...
"You are looking down again."
Kaori raised her hand... and stood up, with Kousei's coat fell onto the bench. She then mimicked an act as if she is playing music with her violin in her left hand and its bow on her right, even if her violin (and the bow) is not with her, or even with Kousei. Eventually, a music had been heard within their thoughts.
The music that she played and that both she and Kousei heard right now was the Rondo Capriccioso by Camilla Saint-Saens. She's been doing this for more or less a minute while Kousei was witnessing a moment he did not expected, much to his surprise. Yes, it is a miracle...
After finishing said piece in both of their thoughts for a whole minute with Kaori ended up with her right hand raised in mid-air, just like she did previously in her performances, but she felt really exhausted in doing so, given her condition...
"See? Miracles can happen just like that!"
She said that as if she will still be there for him. And yet...
~Painful, Fate/Zero OST I~
"Whoa!" Kaori then fell on her knees, still feeling exhausted. When she fell like that however, Kousei immediately grabs her, with her hands on his arms and Kaori was smiling... "Hah... Hah... You exist inside me, Kousei Arima. You like egg sandwiches... You like the Moo Moo brand of milk... What else do you like? What bugs do you like? What have you collected?... What anime have you liked? There are so many things I don't know. I am jealous of Tsubaki who knows everything about you. I want to know so much more about you..."
"..." Kousei felt shocked as she said those words, despite all of her support for him to play the piano again to inspire others.
"I am scared... I am so scared! I am so scared!" said Kaori as she started to cry and pressed her hands more firmly on his hands, "Please don't leave me all alone!"
For the first time, Kaori really shows her fears about her deteriorating condition to Kousei, and perhaps, Kousei (and her parents) alone. She had once accepted her condition and lived without regrets. After meeting Kousei on that time, everything changed for her. She's frustrated that she can't spend more time with him, and how she can't become closer to him, mainly because of her condition.
I am a moron... You are incredibly violent... You have a nasty personality... You leave the worse impression... But... you are beautiful... You are so beautiful in the snow... He thought.
~End Music~
With anything that had told him by her parents previously and with the time that may have left for the two musicians to see each other, to say the least. He then told her... "Nothing takes the taste out of peanut butter quite like unrequited love - Charlie Brown." [5]
NEXT CHAPTER: Chapter 2: 四月は君の嘘/Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso/Your Lie In April: Snow (Alter) Part II
REFERENCES:
[1] "Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso/Your Lie In April" Episode 16 - Two of A Kind
[2] "Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso/Your Lie In April" Episode 22 - Spring Breeze
[3] "Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso/Your Lie In April" Episode 13 - Love's Sorrow
[4] "Fate/Zero" Episode 16 - The Terminus of Honor
[5] "Peanuts" comic strip from December 15, 1964