A/N: This came to me as I finished "Koori no Kaji." The song is "Do you
still Remember?" and it's from Legend of Dragoon. Enjoy.
Do You Remember?
Misao shivered in the cold draft the drifted inside the Aoiya. It was winter. The cold seemed to bite at every one, even Aoshi. Aoshi... even the name brought tears down her frozen cheeks. Frozen, like Aoshi.
I had a dream that I could fly.
I can feel each moment as time goes by.
Time had passed for her. She had grown into a young woman, but he'd remained the same. Sort of, anyway. He was still heart-stoppingly handsome and stoic. But now he was just so distant.
We'd never be too far away.
You would always be here
I heard you say.
It was as though he wasn't even there. Like he didn't exist. She closed her eyes, rmembering how Okina had told her so many years ago that he had left, taking with him Beshimi, Hyottoko, Shikijo, and Hannya.
I never thought,
Thought that this would be our last good bye.
They were dead now. And she missed them dearly. They had sacrificed their lives for Aoshi. So that Aoshi could come back to the Aoiya. To her. Funny, she had lost her best friends because they were protecting him, and she still loved him with all her heart.
I still can dream
That one day love will fall out from the sky.
She stood and went outside. The Oniwaban had a small shrine in the back erected for their fallen comrades. As she headed there, she was surprised to see someone was already there. Aoshi. He must be thinking about his deceased friends
Do you still remember
All the time that has gone by?
She remebered once asking him where love came from. He had thought for a moment and had pointed to the sky. "It comes from the heavens," he'd said.
Aoshi always had an answer.
Do you still believe that
Love can fall out from the sky?
She made her way over to the shrine and stood next to him. He did not not look up to acknowledge her presence, she knew he knew she was there.
If from where you're standing
You can see the sky above
He still blamed himself, she knew. She wished with all her heart and soul that she could help ease his pain. He volinataraly barricaded himself away from the world in order to heal. Misao, however, knew that that only prolonged his hurt. The only way he'd ever be able to move on was to let someone else comfort him. Love him.
I'll be waiting for you
If you still believe in love
She wished she could bring her friends back. To take away the scars, both emotional and physical that he'd accumulated over the years. There had to be some way...
Find a way
To bring back yesterday
Find a way
For love
"I'm leaving again."
They were the first words that had been spoken that night, and they cut Misao like a knife.
"Don't. Please..."
I hope you'll stay
When tomorrow becomes today
"Why should I?"
Love will find a way
"I need you."
"You don't. You have Okina, Omasu, Shiro, Okon... all of the Oniwaban."
"I love you."
"...That changes nothing."
I'll be waiting for you
In my heart you are the one
"If you leave, I will follow you to the ends of the Earth to bring you home again."
"What if you can't find me?"
If I cannot find you
I will look up to the sun
"I will."
Aoshi turned to stare at her and she glared back defiantly. He sighed.
"I...I cannot stay."
"Why not? Aoshi..."
If from where you're standing
"I still feel so...guilty. For all of the pain I've caused."
"By leaving, you'd be causing more pain. Pain to Okina, who's worked so hard to forgive you. To the Oniwaban, who'd be losing their Okashira again..."
"You're the Okashira though."
"And more pain to me."
You can see the sky above
I'll be waiting for you
"..."
"I don't know if I can handle the heart break again."
If you still believe in love
She suddenly smiled. "Do you remember..."
Do you still remember
All the time that has gone by?
"...when I was little, I asked where love came from?"
"Of course. I said it came from the heavens as a gift."
"...Do you still believe that?"
Do you still believe that
Love can fall out from the sky?
"Yes..."
If from where you're standing
"Then maybe, it still will for you and you can finally heal."
"It already has."
You can see the sky above
"And for me, it's taken the form of a young, genki weasel girl name Misao."
I'll be waiting for you
She closed her eyes and turned to leave. "Then I'll be waiting for your return..."
If you still believe in love
"...if you still believe in love."
And then she left him alone in the night, to choose which path to take.
Lalalalalalaaa...
Do You Remember?
Misao shivered in the cold draft the drifted inside the Aoiya. It was winter. The cold seemed to bite at every one, even Aoshi. Aoshi... even the name brought tears down her frozen cheeks. Frozen, like Aoshi.
I had a dream that I could fly.
I can feel each moment as time goes by.
Time had passed for her. She had grown into a young woman, but he'd remained the same. Sort of, anyway. He was still heart-stoppingly handsome and stoic. But now he was just so distant.
We'd never be too far away.
You would always be here
I heard you say.
It was as though he wasn't even there. Like he didn't exist. She closed her eyes, rmembering how Okina had told her so many years ago that he had left, taking with him Beshimi, Hyottoko, Shikijo, and Hannya.
I never thought,
Thought that this would be our last good bye.
They were dead now. And she missed them dearly. They had sacrificed their lives for Aoshi. So that Aoshi could come back to the Aoiya. To her. Funny, she had lost her best friends because they were protecting him, and she still loved him with all her heart.
I still can dream
That one day love will fall out from the sky.
She stood and went outside. The Oniwaban had a small shrine in the back erected for their fallen comrades. As she headed there, she was surprised to see someone was already there. Aoshi. He must be thinking about his deceased friends
Do you still remember
All the time that has gone by?
She remebered once asking him where love came from. He had thought for a moment and had pointed to the sky. "It comes from the heavens," he'd said.
Aoshi always had an answer.
Do you still believe that
Love can fall out from the sky?
She made her way over to the shrine and stood next to him. He did not not look up to acknowledge her presence, she knew he knew she was there.
If from where you're standing
You can see the sky above
He still blamed himself, she knew. She wished with all her heart and soul that she could help ease his pain. He volinataraly barricaded himself away from the world in order to heal. Misao, however, knew that that only prolonged his hurt. The only way he'd ever be able to move on was to let someone else comfort him. Love him.
I'll be waiting for you
If you still believe in love
She wished she could bring her friends back. To take away the scars, both emotional and physical that he'd accumulated over the years. There had to be some way...
Find a way
To bring back yesterday
Find a way
For love
"I'm leaving again."
They were the first words that had been spoken that night, and they cut Misao like a knife.
"Don't. Please..."
I hope you'll stay
When tomorrow becomes today
"Why should I?"
Love will find a way
"I need you."
"You don't. You have Okina, Omasu, Shiro, Okon... all of the Oniwaban."
"I love you."
"...That changes nothing."
I'll be waiting for you
In my heart you are the one
"If you leave, I will follow you to the ends of the Earth to bring you home again."
"What if you can't find me?"
If I cannot find you
I will look up to the sun
"I will."
Aoshi turned to stare at her and she glared back defiantly. He sighed.
"I...I cannot stay."
"Why not? Aoshi..."
If from where you're standing
"I still feel so...guilty. For all of the pain I've caused."
"By leaving, you'd be causing more pain. Pain to Okina, who's worked so hard to forgive you. To the Oniwaban, who'd be losing their Okashira again..."
"You're the Okashira though."
"And more pain to me."
You can see the sky above
I'll be waiting for you
"..."
"I don't know if I can handle the heart break again."
If you still believe in love
She suddenly smiled. "Do you remember..."
Do you still remember
All the time that has gone by?
"...when I was little, I asked where love came from?"
"Of course. I said it came from the heavens as a gift."
"...Do you still believe that?"
Do you still believe that
Love can fall out from the sky?
"Yes..."
If from where you're standing
"Then maybe, it still will for you and you can finally heal."
"It already has."
You can see the sky above
"And for me, it's taken the form of a young, genki weasel girl name Misao."
I'll be waiting for you
She closed her eyes and turned to leave. "Then I'll be waiting for your return..."
If you still believe in love
"...if you still believe in love."
And then she left him alone in the night, to choose which path to take.
Lalalalalalaaa...