Broken
Doumeki Shizuka felt as though something inside of him had died. He went to school as normal, continued in archery, and lay down every night to a dreamless sleep. But it was a hollow existence.
He knew Kunogi had noticed. Their silent lunches were something that he wouldn't wish on anyone. And though his grades were passable, the teachers were beginning to become aware of the zombie sitting in their class. In archery as well, his aim was slipping. Where before each arrow had been fired with a purpose, now he strung the bow with careless proficiency, devoid of the passion which usually drove his aim. There was no point now whether or not he made the shot; no one depended on it. And so, eventually, his teammates gave up and let Doumeki's silhouette fade into the shadows.
One day while walking home, he found himself struck by the silence. It was something he thought he'd grown used to by now, but now it was heavy and writhed around him like a living thing. His feet stopped moving as he clenched a hand to his chest, trying to catch his breath at the pain that suddenly hollowed him.
Suddenly, the sound of chimes tinkled on a gust of wind. He turned, and a familiar red gateway loomed ahead, chimes glinting at the top arch like a beacon in the sun. It shouldn't have been such a surprise; he'd always known that hitsuzen would take him here in the end. The past wavered before his eyes.
The two mismatched girls danced in the courtyard as Mokona and the witch sipped sake lazily on the veranda. Sakura blossoms swirled at their feet. A figure in white stood to the left, a frown creasing his brow as a feather duster was wielded like some sort of weapon against the others. He pointed and waved it, shouting his grievances to the wind while everyone laughed and the little girls danced circles in the sun.
The memory was dispelled as Doumeki blinked at his surroundings. The wind whistled through a blank field of grass ahead of him. He stood there for a moment with chimes in his ears before turning back to the street.
Somewhere behind a veil of smoke Yuuko watched the archer leave. She shook her head. Behind her, two soulless girls stood silently.
"So it's true," Yuuko muttered, her eyes dark and omniscient as she let the sake glass dangle from her fingers. "Watanuki's death has broken him." For a moment more she watched the empty street, eyes unreadable, and then she turned around to go back inside, setting her glass down with a clink on the wooden floor.
Birds sang; the sun shone, and the vacant eyes of Doumeki shone with tears. It was April First, and somewhere behind him he could still hear Watanuki's angry shouts dancing amidst the sakura petals on the wind.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed on my last fic for their lovely attention. :D So… here I go with another one! I know this one's a little shorter and angstier, but I was in the mood. :)
Thanks for reading, and tell me what you think! :D