The Promise: Phoenix x Iris
A strong alpine breeze pirouetted its way through the air, whistling softly as it passed through the old stone arches of the temple. The noise was so familiar to her, so calming and beautiful. The serenity of the remote temple, 3000 feet above sea level. The fall had left the trees barren and the air moist, and the sting of winter had begun to fill her rosy cheeks. It was almost certainly going to snow soon.
The young nun shut her eyes, kneeling peacefully on the tatami mats of the main hall. From the doorway, the soft smell of a warm roast entranced her, and her stomach rumbled. It was late Sunday afternoon, so the older nun would've naturally made the largest meal she could possibly make. (in order to top last week's meal) Nevertheless, Iris would not be distracted by the lustrous scent. She screwed her eyes shut and began to meditate, dreaming of everything and nothing, the whipping of the wind her only companion.
Then, the noise was broken by something else. Another sound, coming from outside. Tyres, crunching their way up the gravel pathway. Hazakurain had a visitor.
She listened intently but didn't move from her spot. The noise made her nervous, it was very rare to get unannounced visitors. She heard the car door slam, which lightly echoed through the valley. Then, she heard boots crunching their way towards the door of the temple. Only one set, although it was difficult to tell. She decided to ignore them and continue meditating, but she knew she was waiting for the visitor to knock.
It felt like decades between the pause of the bootsteps and the sharp thud of the door. For a moment, the wind was the loudest sound for miles around and all was tranquil once again.
Nevertheless, the knock came, and Iris begrudgingly stood up to answer it. Probably someone wanting a look around. Maybe it was a good idea for her to work up an appetite before dinner. She pulled the large stone handle, and slowly peeled open the door.
Outside the door, a man in a blue suit stood nervously, a parka draped over his head and large wellington boots on his feet. He was tall, middle aged, and his hand ruffled the back of his own spiked locks. She knew exactly who it was.
"Oh my- "She exclaimed. This was a surprise, she was taken aback. A rush of memories poured through her head, about the events many years prior.
"I was going to call you," He said, a stammer in his voice. "I'm so sorry, I never came back to ask after you,"
She was pretty aghast. "N-no, don't worry about it, I should've called you." She replied, the same awkward stammer in her voice.
There was a short pause.
"D-do you mind if I come in?" he asked. "It's a little chilly,"
They both knew it wouldn't help, the temple was as frigid inside as it was out. But she let him anyway and gestured for him to sit at the central table. He had made himself small when he sat down on the stool, as if he was a nervous teenager. She offered him a green tea, which he graciously accepted, but didn't touch. She sat down opposite him. It was a very awkward reunion.
"…I need to apologise," He said after a few moments. "I chose to ignore you all these years after you made such great sacrifices for Maya and me. I owed you a thanks, after all you did and… said, and I didn't do anything. I'm sorry."
She didn't really know what to say. She hadn't expected an apology from him. "Ph-Phoenix." She said, "I'm not mad, you don't have to apologise. It's very good to see you."
He looked up at her, and she beamed. He cracked a nervous smile back. "So… How are you?" He asked.
"I-I'm good," She replied, "Very good. It's been nearly 9 years now, and we've been keeping well up here in the mountains, living life. What about you?"
He sighed wistfully. "Well, life's been very hectic these past few years, it'd take too long to explain. But in general, I'm doing very well."
"And are you still in law?"
"Absolutely!" He exclaimed proudly. "My office is at its prime. I've even got a subordinate, a young woman, doing as many cases as I dare throw at her. She's a genius."
"W-wow, you must be quite the teacher." She said. A moment of silence arose, and they both took sips from their steaming cups of tea, which scalded them the moment it touched their tongues. The silence was broken.
"Hey," he said, in a stage whisper, as if an imaginary audience observed their awkward conversation. "Shall we take a walk for a bit, leave the tea to cool down? I haven't been here for ages."
This was a good idea. Perhaps they needed a bit more mountain air in their systems. "Of course," she replied. "Let's walk to the river."
After hauling on her tough mountain shoes, they pulled the door open and were greeted by a rush of cold air. They both grimaced, but moved on anyway, it wasn't cold or windy enough to justify staying behind. They trudged down the gravel path, initially in silence.
"How is Bikini?" he asked after leaving the temple courtyard.
"Age is getting the better of her." she said frankly. "Her back is never in check, and it's harder and harder for her to reach the inner temple. But I'm here to look after her and the acolytes."
"No one else?"
She sighed. "We get a lot of acolytes, so there's usually some friendly faces to talk to. Maya Fey comes here a lot to catch up."
"Yeah," he said, "Actually, she was the one that made me come to visit." This made her giggle. The Head medium could be very forceful if she wanted to be.
"And, you have a daughter?" She asked, a tremor in her voice.
"Uh, yeah." He replied. "I took her into my care when there was no one left for her."
"That's beautiful." she said. "I'm sure you're a great father."
They said nothing more until they reached the ravine. A jagged brown cliff lay on either side of a gushing river, producing a powerful roar as the water thundered down the pass. A rickety bridge ran across it, old, but clearly different to the one seven years prior. It looked much more sturdy, and much much safer. It brought back memories.
"I really need to apologise properly." He exclaimed, gazing across the canyon. "Not for not visiting. For what happened to you. What you did, what you underwent, and… how you felt… all those years ago."
She didn't say anything for a moment. "It's in the past now, and none of it was your fault. I learnt, while I did my short sentence, that yesterday is gone. It doesn't make me sad that things weren't always peachy. It makes me excited for tomorrow. That's how I've spent the last 9 years training myself. That's how I live."
He didn't speak for a moment. Then he exclaimed, "That's a great way to think. Only looking to tomorrow, never wallowing in the past."
She smiled. "I like to think that if I see tomorrow optimistically, I can always live a good life. For example, I see great things happening in yours, you've successfully surrounded yourself with the people you love. I have lost the people I loved in the past. My sister, my mother, and… you."
He gazed at her silently. She turned to face him.
"But even if I don't have that anymore, I can be optimistic, and I will get through to tomorrow. Every time."
He stared at her beautiful face, her jet-black hair falling delicately over her right shoulder, and her eyes dazzled. He realised how broken she really was. She had lost so much. And yet she was so optimistic, so full of shine and wonder. It was… beautiful.
Then he made the decision. He slowly bent down to her level and pressed his lips softly to hers. It was barely a kiss, but it was enough. Iris got the message. They pulled apart quite quickly, and Phoenix gazed at her.
"I'm still me, Iris." He said, "I'm still here, and I can still be with you. If you want."
They pulled back in for another kiss. This one was long, tender, feeling more like a promise, yet no words were spoken. She had loved that man, and now the same man stood in front of her, promising to get to know her once more, to give her some kind of hope. It was in this moment that Iris felt like smiling, and not wanting to stop.
Eventually they broke apart. Phoenix grasped her hands lovingly. "Let's head back, our tea will be getting cold."
Iris and Phoenix wandered off back towards Hazakurain holding hands, full of hope for all of tomorrow. The dancing mountain wind fell down, and snowdrops slowly began to flutter to the ground once more.