Everyone's hearts sang.
That was what little Cagalli learnt from Mother when she complained that she could hear sounds from people. Another thing Mother taught her was that not many people were gifted and she was both lucky and unlucky she was gifted. Cagalli didn't understand what it meant, but Mother said she would, as she grew up.
Her, being gifted, was known only by their family of four.
Everyone's hearts sang differently.
That was what little Cagalli noted on her fifth birthday.
Her teen brother, Kira, who share the same birthday as hers (she always wondered how could it happen), had the most melodious song played in his heart. He finally got himself a fiancée. Lacus, with whom he had been in love for as long as Cagalli could remember, finally accepted his proposal on the same day as the birthday. Her heart sang merrily, and Cagalli could not stop smiling as she listened to both newly engaged couple's songs; their songs were in tune with each other. It was like a present for Kira, so Cagalli thought it was okay that the present from Father and Mother was for her to take (it was a thick book, the same as the previous year and the previous years—being the only kind of present for her and Kira to share; their family was not exactly rich).
Everyone's hearts sang differently.
When happy, Kira's heart would beat like the sound of singing birds, melodious to ears and calming the mind. Cagalli loved the sound of her brother's heart. Father's heart also sang beautifully. It was deep and warm, like sunshine. She loved Father's song. But, she loved the sound of Mother's the best. It was like the lullaby she always sang before she slept. It was soothing, gentle, and comforting. When Mother was upset, the lullaby turned slightly disarray and sound ugly. It was still the same lullaby, but it was not soothing or gentle. Cagalli hate the sound of that song. Kira and Father in bad mood was also giving out bad songs that couldn't help but made her flinched inwardly.
Cagalli was glad that Mother was mostly happy. She was glad that everyone in the family rarely played ugly songs.
On her seventh birthday, she learnt that there was something scarier and uglier than the song of Mother's upset heart, or the songs of moody Kira and Father. The chorus of angry songs made from the drumming beats of village folks were the scariest and the ugliest. Their hearts sang ugly chorus, hurting her ears; she was not hurt only inwardly, but also outwardly. It was even worse; with the bad words shouted and yelled at them, the bad words Mother said not good to utter. She couldn't help to cover her ears from the impeding sounds (she inwardly wondered why the villagers came to their door when they never once came to the village; the villagers always shunned them).
"Get away from here, you monster!"
"Witch!"
"Evil shall be gone from the world!"
"No one is gonna accept a fiend!"
Cagalli wondered if the villagers were jealous because they were a bunch of happy family; she and Kira and Father and Mother love each other and happy with their life. Father said some unfortunate people might be jealous of the littlest thing. Cagalli felt sad for them.
They escaped the village that night, leaving the house of thousands of memories since her birth (like the 'I love Mother Father Kira' on the wall from when she learnt how to write, or the scratch on the table from when she was angry with Father, or the small crack on the floor from when Kira fell down). The house was on fire by the time they reached the border of the village. She cried; everything including the thick books from her previous birthdays were in flame. But, she was glad they were safe. Their happy family could make new memories somewhere else.
It was not until her tenth birthday that she finally knew why they were chased; it was not because they were a bunch of happy family, it was because they were different. It was not nomal not to eat any veggies, it was not normal not to sleep. Her very first (supposed) friend called her monster. Their family escaped the village that night; now together with Lacus and Uncle.
000
[For AsuCaga Valentine's Day Parade 2016]
Melody of The Hearts
by: nom dp
Warning: May be confusing from my rusty English and bad choice of words (and even the incorrect grammar), a bit angst ahead (I think), but I promise a happy ending (I think).
000
"We are not monster, Cagalli," Mother told her softly on the night their latest escape, on the night her first friend called her monster. "We are Vampire, yes, but we are not the monster they depicted in books."
Mother caressed her hairs as she told her. Her embrace was warm.
Cagalli nodded, because Mother was never wrong, because she herself knew they were not like monster.
What monster had kind smile like Mother's? What monster had loving embrace like Father's? What monster was awesome like Kira? What monster was nice like Lacus? What monster was warm like Uncle?
They did nothing like a monster's doing. Monster didn't smile. Monster was not hug-able. Monster was neither awesome, nice, nor warm. They were not monters.
Everyone likes good people, was what Mother told her.
They will eventually accept us, was what Cagalli started believed that night.
Father patted her blonde tresses when she told him that.
Years passed by, and Cagalli kept believing that humans would understand them eventually, even when she had stopped counting on how many times they had been chased out by humans, because they are good people, and everyone liked good people. It was when she turned on her sixties that everything crumbled. Uncle, kind Uncle, died by the hands of the very human he helped. They couldn't help him as more humans visited his home, burnt him and the house to the ash. Lacus' tears kept falling as they ran away to save the life of the baby inside her womb.
Sixty-four years old, Cagalli stopped believing.
000
Sixty-four years old, Cagalli no longer could understand why Lacus (and every member of her family) still loved humans, putting them highly. In her own mind, they were lowly beings with unreasonable reason for hating them (Lacus said they hate because they were afraid of what they didn't know about, of the unknowns, but for Cagalli, it was not a reason. Humans were stupidly unreasonable. Period.). They even killed Uncle, who did nothing wrong. (The only thing he did wrong was helping the dying human in the wood (the same human who brought misfortune to him, who brought people to burn his house and bring him to his tragic end).)
It was funny, she found, that humans were afraid of them, of her and her family. They hadn't done cruel things to humans. For years, they only ate and drink from the wild. Never humans. She herself hadn't tasted even a drop of human blood. They only ate wild animals, drink their blood.
Humans themselves did the same (minus the blood-drinking). What made them different then?
Cagalli always heard the songs of humans' hearts. They were not so different from the songs of vampires' hearts. When they were in good mood, they played good songs. When they were in bad mood, they played bad songs. What made them different?
Why humans couldn't accept them?
What did they do wrongly?
Mother and Father, who lived separately from their children and child-in-law, said they did nothing wrong. They still talked to her occasionally, about life in general. They were on a vampire community, far in the mountain, with deep snow to protect them from any humans, a good place to live a peaceful life until their time was up.
Kira said the same thing. He added that it was fate that most humans hated vampires. As he sat with her that night on the fallen tree, he told her that it was wrong of humans to hate them for who they were, but he could understand them. He then smiled, telling her that he didn't dislike humans, after all, part of Lacus was human and he terribly loved her.
000
Cagalli carried her niece as she sat on the balcony of a tall building. They were new on the city of diamonds, a city where people were prosperous. After century, they decided to keep moving every several years, jumping from one city to the other city to evade humans' curiosity and humans' hate of their being. (She was still unable to grasp the reason why Kira and Lacus still wanted to live within human society, after the things they did to them; burning the house, shunned them, and even killed Uncle. She would kept sticking to them until she knew; the couple with a daughter pleasantly let her do so.)
Her niece, her sweet little niece who was sleeping, was one fourth human, had a mix of human blood and vampire blood in her veins. She had peaceful heart, beating slowly and faintly as she was deep in her sleep. She was caressing the chubby cheek of the newborn baby when she caught that particular scent.
Curiously, she jumped down carefully, then walking in the shade to follow it.
Everyone's heart sang differently.
Mother's beautiful melody was replaced with that of stranger with blue locks and emerald eyes. Not only his heart sang beautifully, he also smelt good. The only bad thing about him was that he was a lowly human. Even with the heavenly smell, she wouldn't sip his blood. She wouldn't let herself being tainted with even a drop of lowly human blood.
It was unexplainable why she found his melody was better than Mother's. (Cagalli disliked humans and Mother's melody should be always the top on her favorite things.)
The man was gone from the city after a week, bringing a caravan full with presents for his bride-to-be.
(Not even after years later she could forget about the melody of his heart as well as the tasty smell he waved every time he moved (the smell that made her thirsty). She couldn't help but remembering the lowly human's heart melody.)
000
When her nephew turned seventeen, she decided to go on a journey.
On her first journey away from Kira and Lacus and Anne, Cagalli finally knew why humans were afraid of vampires. It was Azrael, one royal pure vampire blood, that showed her.
She didn't purposely met him. It was coincidental. She was taking a route to the North when she caught conspicuous smell of strong iron. Following it, she found him and his big army of vampires were taking a rest on a crumbling village; a village that happened to be on her way. Standing a few feet away from him, she heard nothing other than the melody of lust and fear. Vampires, her kind, were feasting on humans, blood spilled and lives gone. None of the child was even spared.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked the currenly drinking male; he was enjoying the blood of a dying teenage girl on his lap.
"Daughter of Hibikis, are you not?" he asked as he wiped his lips. When Cagalli nodded, he laughed. "Of course. I recognize your smell, it faintly reminds me of your mother. She was a sweet woman, someone I knew since her borne. It's saddening that she chose that path. She should have chosen my path, Azrael's path."
Azrael apparently knew of her and her parents, the ones amongst little number of vampires who chose different path. "What did you ask before? Ah, why I'm doing this? This is the era of vampires to take over! You see them?" he asked as he flunked out his arms. "They are mine and they are strong. Far stronger than the humans. This is my path, the path to be a king!"
Cagalli creased her nose. Her nose was itching as the smell of iron got stronger. There were more humans' veins torn by the fangs of the vampires.
The proud pureblood laughed boisterously, taking attention from nearby vampires. "It was dumb of your parents and family to evade drinking from them. They have sweet smell. The best over the world. Teenage girls' was the best. It was funny to see you crease your nose like that just because you smell humans' blood."
Cagalli shrugged. "It was true the humans smell good. But my family found it unsightly to drink from humans."
"You and your family's foolish idea. Suit yourself."
Cagalli found the reason of why humans were so unreasonably afraid of vampires. Vampires like Azrael made them afraid. Azrael were vampire. Vampire was Azrael. With fear came the hate. Humans hated vampires because of the likes of Azrael.
Cagalli left the area, leaving the sound of merry hearts of vampires. They were having a feast upon the dying humans.
It was two years later that she heard about the royal blood's death. Uzumi Attha was a king amongst others. The elderly vampire had long stopped from drinking humans blood. And it was him and his generals who made a pact with human kings to work together punishing Azrael for his crime. The northern region of Orb was painted in red from both humans and vampires blood, on the end of the year after Cagalli met Azrael.
000
Cagalli kept going on her journey, following her instinct to keep moving forward. It was forty year after she started her journey that she went back to Kira's home. It was located in the middle of a wood, somewhere on the hidden area where humans rarely passed. Anne had grown into a fine young girl. Cagalli could see Lacus in her. With her flowing pink hair, she was like Lacus' twin.
Cagalli looked for meal sometime before the sunset, getting herself a snake who intercepted her effort to catch a deer.
Thirst gone and feeling full, she decided to sit under a big tree near the river, watching the sky turned orange. She was reminiscing of her past journey. It felt nice to be back with family.
She learnt many things.
She learnt to accept humans and their fear and hate of vampires.
She learnt to appreciate the good things about humans. Despite their short living age (at least compared to vampires that could even reach thousands), they lived to the fullest. Sure, some of them were wasting their life, hurting their hearts to the point that Cagalli didn't want to hear their songs. Even when they were happy, their hearts didn't play good songs.
Not many people had beautiful melody. It was even rarer to find the melody in par with Mother's. The most similar melody came from mothers who loved their kids dearly. And Cagalli was glad she could hear the calming melody of Mother's; Mother definitely loved Kira and her dearly.
Cagalli was yet to meet two people with the same melody, the same heart song, and even smell. Yet there was her, frozen on her seat, smelling what she remembered of blue haired man with emerald eyes. It was when the sun had gone that across her, the bush rustled. A male in black attire suddenly walked out.
The boy looked young, someone in his late teens, perhaps around twenties and he looked not older than Cagalli. With him, there was a barking brown dog, baring its teeth to her.
"What are you doing here, Lady?" he asked her, restraining his dog who seemed wanting to approach Cagalli; its heart beat erratically, she guessed that it knew of her true nature.
Cagalli didn't answer. She kept sitting and watching him as he walked across the river to approach her. His dog, who already stopped barking, was in his embrace.
"Is a woman not allowed to venture inside the wood?" she asked when he was close enough.
Green eyes as green as the leaves around hin, and long navy tresses braided, tied simply with black tie. He looked skeptical, walking to her like he was approaching a wild animal (Good, she thought, I might be dangerous for you). On his back were a basket full with a dead body of a deer. It smelt fresh blood. Cagalli realized belatedly that that was the same deer she failed to catch.
"Not really. It was dangerous inside the wood. Wild animals are around."
Cagalli closed her eyes as she leaned on the tree. "I'm well and healthy. The wild must be somewhere else."
"Are you perhaps lost? Do you need help to be back to the village?"
Cagalli didn't answer him.
"My name is Athrun, Lady. I'm the son of village chief. I can bring you back to the village."
Cagalli didn't know when she was into her trance (something a friendly grandma taught her on her early journey, something akin to sleeping for vampires—she taught Father and Mother when she visited them, Kira and family the first week she arrived at his home). She was surprised to find a cloth covering her body and burning woods that warmed her. On her left was some slices of roasted deer. Across her was Athrun who slept curling around his dog. The dog was glaring at her. Baring its sharp teeth when it realized she was awake.
Cagalli left them.
The next week and following weeks, it seemed that she always met Athrun in the wood. Not only once she fled to avoid meeting him. But not only once he caught her. He kept coming back there, to the point where his dog no longer barking upon her sight. It was Athrun who decidedly approached her actively. He sought her name and the reason why she was in the wood.
On their seventh encounter, Cagalli finally told him her name. "Don't call me 'Lady'. I have a name. Cagalli. Call me Cagalli."
"Cagalli. That's a nice name, Lady."
"I told you not to call me 'Lady'!"
Even after that, not once Cagalli told him of her true nature. Yet, Athrun kept coming back. He often brought her something from the village. It had been countless that he asked her to visit the village with him, yet she refused. She couldn't be closer than that. Athrun was human. And humans hate vampires. (Athrun heart sang merrily every time they met each other, under the same tree from their first encounter, under the starry sky, right under the watching eyes of Sebastian, the dog. Athrun seemed to have fallen in love. Yet, Athrun was human and human hated vampire.)
On his thirtieth visit, he was bitten by a venomous snake, leaving himself half dead a few feet away from the river; Sebastian already dead not so far away from him. He was almost losing consciousness completely when she approached him. Without further ado, she bit him, sucking the last drop of venomous blood. It was the first drop of human blood flowing into her body. Her feeling shattered that moment.
Athrun completely lost consciousness, probably with the memory of glinting fangs stuck in his flesh.
When he wake up, Cagalli was cleaning his wound.
Surprised, the young man flinched, accidentally kicking Cagalli's hands. "I'm sorry!" he squeaked, before hissing in pain.
"It's okay."
Cagalli smiled, yet her eyes didn't reflect her smile.
Anne, Lacus, and Kira, continued to nurse him to health. Cagalli never came anymore. And when he asked them where she was, they only smiled before shaking their heads. Until one day, Lacus was bringing foods for him, some vegetable soup that tasted good and a glass of water. She then sat stood near the window, watching some birds passed by. Athrun ate the food slowly.
When he was done, Lacus suddenly asked him. "Do you love Cagalli?"
"…I don't know."
"Cagalli never told us where she went. But one day, I followed her. You were with her near the river."
"We often met there."
"You are special. That was what I concluded that day. You might be special for Cagalli. Is Cagalli not special for you?"
Athrun didn't answer her.
"Do you love her?"
Athrun didn't answer her once more.
But when the day he was fully healthy and able to reach his village, he stood in front of Kira and Lacus who saw him off. His face expressed mixed feelings. "Lady Hibiki, if I love Cagalli, will it be okay? She won't drink my blood, will she?" he asked slowly.
Kira and Lacus exchanged look.
Kira shook his head. Without saying anything, he turned to leave.
Lacus called him, but got ignored. She sighed. "Pardon Kira's doing, Athrun."
"I … did I say something wrong?"
"You know, Athrun. My father was a vampire. My mother was not." She said softly before she turned to follow her husband, leaving Athrun alone. The sky was blue without cloud. It was sunny day.
That night, Cagalli left her brother's house when the pair were out hunting for meals. She only asked Anne to extend her farewell to her brother and sister-in-law. With a hug, she told Anne to send the address of their new home when they moved somewhere to Father and Mother so that Cagalli could keep track like usual. She would be visiting.
(Years later, when she visited to meet her newly born nephew, Kira told her that Athrun came back the day after she went travelling, determined to see her. She asked him a question: "He died old age, with children and grandchildren, didn't he?"
It didn't matter for her. If his was not a true love, he didn't matter for her.)
(Even when in reality, she cried for him. Fear made their love crumbled.)
(She knew Athrun was in love with her.)
(She was in love with him.)
(Her heart didn't really sing joyous song.)
000
It was another century when Cagalli met Athrun. The era had changed. In this era, not so many vampires were around, and most of them lived somewhere far away from humanities. They were not easily found and somehow, only glitter of people believed the existence of vampires. Cagalli didn't know how to feel about that.
It was Lenore Clive who introduced Cagalli to Athrun, her only son.
Rainy season was prone to accident. It was the Clive household that was unlucky enough. Their carriage, that was on their way back from the central, slipped down a cliff. The carriage was completely wrecked. The passengers, one coachman and one maid died from blood lost, leaving one middle aged woman in the verge of death.
Cagalli found a woman, blood drenching her blue dress. She smelt wonderful, tempting Cagalli to drink her blood, strongly tempting. However, the faint song from her heart stopped Cagalli. It was the melody of longing and love. It reminded her of her Mother's song. That night, Cagalli brought the dying woman to her hideout in the middle of the wood.
Cagalli nursed the bleeding woman as much as she could. She was glad the woman was not poisoned of something that she had to sip her blood. The memory of her very first sip of human blood still fresh in her mind. It was still hurting.
"Nnngh," the woman moaned.
Cagalli was frozen. She was in the middle of having a meal from a bunny (she hadn't eaten for weeks, and with the woman in her home, it was better for her not to take a risk). Her lips were still wet and red from the bunny's blood. Heart beating fast, she waited for the woman to completely aware of her surrounding. She knew, the woman would be afraid. Indeed, when she gained clear consciousness, her eyes were finally dilating with what Cagalli believed as horror. Even though Cagalli expected her fear, she didn't expected it to hurt.
Even after decades, it still hurt to see people think of you as monster. She had feeling, and it hurt. It reminded her of her first friend who called her monster.
Cagalli slowly wiped her lips with a rag before she smiled. "It's good that you gained consciousness. Your wound seems almost healed."
The woman didn't react. Her eyes were still dilating.
"I'm sorry for surprising you. But I didn't do something bad to you," Cagalli smiled, but her lips were a bit trembling. "There was honey in the jar and bread on your left. If you feel strong enough, west from here was river. I made a small boat. I hope you know how to use it. Because if you follow the current, you eventually will find a village. Seek help to return home from there."
The blonde girl said before she went out, bringing the bunny with her. Spots of blood trailed behind her. She paused by the door and informing the woman: "The people with you didn't survive the accident. I buried them near the river."
Two weeks later, Cagalli was unsurprised to find the woman gone from her home. Of course. Of course she would go as soon as she was able to. Not all humans would accept vampire's existence. Cagalli believed that that awkward moment was the last time she met the beautiful middle-aged woman. However not one month later, the woman came back with a little girl and a bulky man on her toe.
"My name is Lenore, the matriarch of Clive House. What could be the name of my savior?" she asked after she sat down on the same table where Cagalli ate her bunny. The little girl and the man were waiting outside the house.
"I'm not a savior. You were just on my way home."
"But still, you saved me. Please tell me your name."
Cagalli was close-lipped.
Awkward silence was what followed that until Lenore cleared her throat. "I ... truly feeling gratitude towards your help. What may become of me if you didnt help me? I kept thinking about that. I also kept thinking about the thing I did back then. It was not right of me."
Cagalli sighed. "No, it was a normal reaction. It was not your fault to have normal reaction."
"I think it was even mild reaction," Cagalli added. "Many people would scream and shriek upon that sight. Yet you were only getting speechless."
Lenore's cheeks were tinted red. "Still, it was ungrateful of me to do that. I'm still embarrassed."
Another awkward moment followed after that. Outside the house, the little girl was talking with the man in soft voice. She was asking about almost everything in sight. From what kind of tree that was, to how old was a tree to grow that tall and if she could grow as tall. It was sudden that Lenore suddenly said: "Come with me, Child."
Her eyes seemed determined.
"Lady Clive ("Please, call me Lenore," said Lenore), I'm not a child. I'm far years older than you, borne even before your parents' parents were born."
"You look young, as young as my son. Although I admit you have mature eyes. But still, for me, you are a young lady. It was dangerous for a lady to living alone in this kind of place. Please come with me."
Cagalli refused.
It was the matriarch's tenth visit that Cagalli gave up. She brought with her husband. The husband already knew of her nature. And even so, he still wanted Cagalli to move in to their house. He even promised with difficult roundabout that they would provide Cagalli her meal (known as blood, mostly). However, it was not the promise of the patriarch that moved her. It was the melody of his heart. It sang harmoniously with his wife's. Their melodious songs reminded her of her parents whom she hadn't visited for a while.
She told them her name during the way to their house.
A young man (the one Lady Clive proudly informed her as her only son) was waiting outside the door alongside the lines of servants and maids. He was soft-looking. A bit pale, compared to the skin tone of his parents. He seemed having problem with his health. When the carriage stopped, Lord Clive helped his wife out of the carriage. While the young man approached to help her out.
"My name is Athrun of Clive. It was a pleasant surprise to finally meet Mother's savior."
Twice might be coincidence, but three times were fate. It seemed that the fate brought Athrun back to Cagalli. They met one more time. Cagalli didn't want to put her hope high. Learning from her first two times which ended in the sadness on her part. But Athrun's eyes, his green eyes were loving and vibrant, despite the sickly look he had. And his hairs, were dark blue, tinted with grayish color.
"Thank you, Young Master."
Athrun smiled.
True to Lord Clive words, they provided Cagalli with her every needs. Cagalli could stomach the meats, but not vegetables. And every day, she sat with The Clives on the same dinner table, given the same foods (minus the vegetables). And every few weeks, the Master of the house asked her if she wanted to drink blood. She more often than not, refused his offer.
Over all, for the first time, Cagalli felt warm among humans. Only some trustee of The Clives knew of her nature, but it was okay. It was better that way, because it might cause uproar if suddenly a vampire was living in the house.
Lady Clive was kind woman. She often brought Cagalli to shop with her.
And Lord Clive liked to play chess with her. He hadn't once beat her in the game. And somehow it made Cagalli proud.
And Athrun. Athrun was a curious human being. Being a sick since kid made him lack experience upon the outside world. He liked to hear stories from her journey (and on occasion, Lord and Lady Clive joined them in the garden to listen). She would explained everything as detailed as she could. From the time she met Azrael. To when she was in the island of females where males were prohibited from entering.
"They do?"
Athrun was staring in awe. Cagalli found herself enjoying Athrun's company. He was different from the Athruns from before. He was curious and liked to smile and laugh. Some bad days when he was only able to lay in his chamber, Cagalli companied with Lenore, would visit him and tell him stories. The smile on his lips before he dozing off was worth it.
Cagalli was telling him a story on how certain males in a tribe propose to females.
"They do," Cagalli answered him.
Athrun stood on his left knee in front of Cagalli who sat on the bench in the garden. His left palm was facing upwards with a single red rose. "Is it like this?"
"Yes. But the right hand should be holding the girl's right hand."
Athrun held Cagalli's right hand inside his hand. "Is it like this?"
"Yes," Cagalli answered, laughing. Athrun was often like that, posing and imitating the stories Cagalli told him. He was truly like a child.
Cagalli liked this Athrun. His heart always sang beautifully. And if Cagalli thought the previous Athrun had the most beautiful melody played. She was wrong. Because this Athrun, this Athrun had far best melody. The melodious song and the rumbling of his heart. Somehow, it reminded of something from long long long time ago. It was—
Cagalli gasped as realization hit her mind.
"Cagalli, would you give me your hand in marriage?"
Athrun was proposing.
After few weeks of thinking and much more encouragement from both Athrun's parents, Cagalli finally accepted his proposal. It was happy day on their marriage. Cagalli sent letters to her family of her marriage. The following week, letters and gifts were sent to her and her newly husband. Everyone she held dear was happy for her.
Everyday following that day was happy days (occasionally it turned less-than-happy when Athrun's sickness came).
As many thing had their ends. Cagalli's happy life with Athrun also came to end.
Twenty years after marriage, after passing the days together in happiness and sadness, after Cagalli told him about the previous Athrun and the more previous one, she had to accompany Athrun on his deathbed. He looked so pale and sick that Cagalli felt hurt. Her tears might fall any moment. And if it was not because Athrun made her promise him not to cry, she might have cried.
"Athrun...," Cagalli caressed Athrun's face softly, her face were pained.
"I love you, Cagalli. Remember that. If, if we ever meet again in my next life, I'm sure I will love you again, so promise me you will."
Athrun was buried on the backyard the mansion, along his families (Lord and Lady Clive had passed away the previous year during a genocide in the central city; it was lucky that both of their bodies could be retrieved). Cagalli didn't come out of their room for a month before leaving the mansion with a single letter for Hawke's family to take care of the mansion (they were the most trusted by the Clives; the little girl outside of Cagalli's house had transformed into a beautiful young lady).
Cagalli went back to Father and Mother, bringing only a single ring as a reminder of her married life with the last of The Clive House.
Everyone's heart sang differently.
After her most favored song died with her most beloved man, she didn't think she would be able to mend her heart from the heartbreak. She cried in Mother's embrace.
("Cagalli, if you are destined to meet him, you will. Until then, keep waiting and looking, he may be there. Just like before, but with better ending.")
(Father only patted her tresses, much more like when she was little and reached only Father's knees.)
000
Centuries passed to the point when vampires were no more than a myth and animals were no longer aware of the nature of vampires. For them, vampires were only humans with slightly different smell. But then, smell could be manipulated. The smell of rose, of jasmine, of both; it was easy. Perfume was too many kinds to remember. It was already modern where everything could be manipulated, could be covered.
Cagalli favored the modern era. It was not because her scent could be disguised, leaving her to walk calmly even in front of a house with a dog. No. they have the best thing called music and headset and walkman. It was the best thing. Ever since her birth, the only music for her was the melodies from people's hearts. They were sad, she was sad. They were happy, she was happy.
She was now six hundreds.
She liked listening to music.
Suddenly, as she was listening to her iPad, there was breaking through the music, breaking through the cluster of voice around her, there was that sound. The sound she longed to hear. Surprised, she stopped walking. People bumped into her, but she didnt care.
A young boy in uniform walked past her. Not unlike his previous lives, he had navy locks reached his shoulder and green eyes, now framed with black rimmed glasses.
Badump. Badump. Badump.
Frantically, Cagalli turned her body, looking for the boy with her eyes. Finding him, she quickly moved her heels, following his trace. He stopped on the bus stop, ready to going up a yellow bus. She was only flicker of seconds later after the bus drove past her.
"A—"
It was miracle when through the bus window; a pair of green eyes met hers. Cagalli finally found him before losing him again.
The second time it happened, the boy was walking down the street with a guitar case. Cagalli was riding on a cab. It was a luck that they clashed stare one more time since the first time she saw him on the bus stop. When she stopped the cab and went loking for him, he had left, leaving nothing but impression of deep green eyes from their locked stare previously.
Maybe they were not destined together after all.
000
Everyone's heart sang differently.
And it had been long time she listened to them secretly. She just needed to stand still and she could hear, she could listen. The song from mothers' love for their children was her favorite. When she couldn't hear Mother's song, she would listen to mothers' song. They were beautiful, but not better than Mother's. The only song ever passing hers was of Athrun's. Only Athrun's song could made her own heart sing.
Sitting on a bench, Cagalli hummed a tune, following one of mothers' melody who played with her daughter. Smiling lightly, she start making up lyrics. Eyes closing, she tapped her leg lightly and sang softly.
It was not until the melody she followed turnes softer (as the mother and daughter went farther from where she sat) that she realized there was another melody more beautiful. It was loud and close by. Opening her eyes, it was clearer. Her right side was warmer with someone's body heat.
"Excuse me."
Cagalli took a deep breath before turning her head to meet eye-to-eye with a boy's. "Yes?"
"My band is looking for a vocalist. Your voice sounds nice. If you are interested, maybe you could audition?"
It had been too long since she heard that voice. Athrun's voice was velvety, and smooth with an edge of roughness. It was one of her favorite sound over the world; as long as her long age she couldn't stop liking the sound.
"Miss...?"
"Ah, I'm sorry. I was blank for a while. Could you repeat?"
"My band is looking for a vocalist. It's a local band with friends as members. Next month there will be a competition for a label, but our vocalist dropped out because he need to go abroad."
"...and you want me to audition for your band?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
The boy looked hesitated. Clearing his throat as he scratched his blue tresses, he answered: "I listened to you just now and couldn't help but thought that yours is nice and may be compatible to my band's music."
"What kind of band is it? Aren't I too old? I'm not in school any longer," Cagalli stated as she gestured towards the uniform he wore.
He looked flustered, "No, no. We have wide range of age. I'm the youngest. But the oldest was almost thirty."
Cagalli lifted her left brow. "You will be surprised of my age, you know."
"But you don't look that much older than me."
Cagalli laughed at the bluenette's response. "Thank you. I'll take it as a compliment, " Cagalli smiled as she extended her hand, "My name is Cagalli Hibiki. Whats yours?"
In each live, the blue haired male with a pair of green eyes were named the same. His parents could be Eric and Lauren, or Albert and Joanne, or Pat and Lenaire, or even Redra and Gladts. But his name was always, always...
"Athrun," he accepted her handshake. "Athrun Zala."
Everyone hearts sang differently.
One could be like the singing bird. Or it could be like the falling rains. But, Cagalli was awed by the sound of one human named Athrun. He was what she despised, but there is only one Athrun in every era she found him. yesterday he was Athrun Clive, the curious young man who was sickly but loving. Today he was Athrun Zala, the boy with blue tresses and green eyes framed by black rimmed glasses, heart sang like the sound of the wind amongst trees. Her own heart felt complete, singing altogether with Athrun's.
Her heart soared.
The melody was joyous, melodious.
Happy.
She was happy.
(Athrun's heart sang not so differently than hers.)
(Athrun would be in love with her, like he promised.)
(But maybe, he had already been in love with her.)
000
end
000
#dies
I got sidetracked. I mean, I was just gonna write it short, but it turned out this long, and the heart part was almost disappeared completely from the content. It was originally about 2k+ when I wrote it in my mobile. I have no idea how it could be three times longer when I only wanted to edit in my notebook yesterday uwu (which was one of the causes of me delaying publishing, I couldn't resist to add more :x sorry!)
Happy Valentine's Day, fellow AsuCaga shippers! *hearts flying*
Thank you for participating! *sending everyone virtual chocolate cupcakes* It's warming my heart that so many are joining. I didn't see it coming! ;;w;; I'm so touched! I don't know what else I could say to express my gratitude ;;w;; Thank you. Danke schön. Terima kasih! Hopefully next year, too, there will be ACVDP :") I'll try to send more invitation! :)
(Do pardon the cover pic. She was supposed to be Cagalli :x)