A/N: This is an entry to the Rune Haven contest, theme Reminisce, in the Rune Factory forums. It's short, but I wanted to at least contribute even if I won't win. Good luck to everyone participating!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Rune Factory series.
Warnings: Mention of torture, none of it graphic, and some twisting of the storyline and dialogue because I haven't played the game in a long time. Spoilers.
Return
"I missed you…" Soft blonde hair touched her cheek as she held her sister, her other half, to her. Her skin was warm and she knew that her twin must have fed recently, which reminded her of the event that that man had caused. Raguna though, he had created a blood bond with her sister, and therefore with her as well, and was able to release her from that spell. She could be happy again.
"Thank you…" She said, standing and releasing her sister, the chain around her neck clanking loudly, but she ignored it as she faced Raguna. "…I was alone…for so long…" She couldn't speak anymore, but Raguna just smiled to show he understood and Iris Noire finally felt safe. A small hand, nearly identical to her own while everything else about them was opposite, touched her arm and her twin spoke.
"Sister, we need to sing, let's sing together." Returning the smile her sister, Iris Blanche, sends her, she moved to stand by her and everything finally felt right after so long as she closed her eyes and they began to sing.
Joy filled her, such a foreign emotion after all this time, as the sweet sound of her twin's voice sang to balance hers, their powers intertwining with Blanche's light and her own dark. Memories flooded her mind, both good and bad, as the song rang throughout the room.
When she was first created, the laughter and joy they both shared as they fought against the loneliness that had filled their soul. They had always sang then, beautiful music that soothed their hearts and those of the Runeys, that allowed them to stay on this island above the land, separate from the humans that would ostracize them. Blanche naming her and teaching her how to feed, introducing her to tomato juice (her favorite drink from then on) as a substitute to settle the blood cravings, and just living when she should have never existed.
She could remember the scent of flowers, the soft petals underneath her fingertips, and feeling that the beautiful plants would die if she touched them. Noire was darkness, or represented it, and death followed her. It had been so hard to gain control of her cravings even through her sister's teaching, that many monsters had died, and she was terrified to kill those moon drop flowers that flourished in the night she lived in. Gelwein trampling those flowers she had planted with her sister's help as he took her away, pretending to be her friend, and she hated that she hadn't realized his deceit then.
Tears began to flow down her cheeks and Noire could feel her sister's sadness as well, hear it as their song took on a somber tone. Blanche could feel her pain and see her memories of Gelwein, but she couldn't stop thinking of them.
Chains rattling as she shouted for her friend to let her go, asking why he was taking her away from Blanche, but he just dragged her as she fought. Her powers diminished when he forced her into the sunlight whenever she fought, and she couldn't escape as pain lanced though her every time. He starved her, wouldn't let her feed, nor would he let her connect to her twin through song. Not until he had her under his spell did she sing, but she couldn't connect with Blanche, couldn't feel her other half, and she lost herself, giving into his magic as grief of a denied bond filled her. Pain when he forced her to sing continuously, throat raw, but even more pain had awaited her if she didn't, for he would force the sunlight upon her and her skin would feel as if it was burning when it wasn't, weakening her even more and she had sung just to survive. Noire had actually felt happy whenever he made the spell take hold, because he couldn't keep his magic active forever, and guilt had eaten up at her every time it was released.
"Noire…" Iris Blanche whispered and she held her sister, who continued to sing brokenly as sobs racked her body. "There's nothing to feel guilty for and Raguna will stop Gelwein. Then we can sing in peace." Noire nodded, looking around to see that Raguna was no longer there, before slipping into their bed as they watched the first beams of sunlight touch the land below them. As they slept her rest was no longer filled with memories made nightmares, but memories made dreams.
A/N: And that's the end. If people didn't figure it out, this is when the two Irises are reunited. I couldn't really think of much for this theme, but I liked this idea, so I used it.