Title: Last Amber
Author: Blackheart Dracon
Fandom: Utawarerumono (anime based)
Characters: Hakuoro, Oboro, Yuzuha, Kurou, Benawi, Kamyu, Aruru, Eruru
Genre: Missing scene
Summary: Hakuoro comes to take Yuzuha with him.
Warning: CD (character death)
Rating: T
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine.
"Yuzuha! Yuzuha!" cried Oboro. "Yuzuha, please, stay awake!"
"Brother?" her voice sounded as if from a great distance. "Brother… I… I can feel the smell of the earth. Big, warm earth…"
Oboro lifted his head from her bed startled.
"Hakuoro," Yuzuha asked into the air, "Hakuoro, are you here?"
"Daddy?" Aruru blinked.
Oboro instinctively turned around and met eyes with Kurou. The last one sadly shook his head.
"Brother…" Oboro whispered.
"Hakuoro?" Yuzuha asked once more. And then a thing happened, which made Oboro's heart leap – his sister smiled. She hadn't smiled since another attack of her illness started. She hadn't got up since then. And on Oboro's eyes Yuzuha faded away, getting weaker and weaker. The purple amber has ended, and, though he, together with all his big family, had searched for the precious remedy in every country they could reach, they found none.
Oboro's sister smiled and then sighed freely. And everything went still.
"Yuzuha?" Oboro whispered, looking at her with unbelieving eyes. "Yuzuha!"
"No." dropped Eruru, kneeling down near the bed with a full bowl of new healing leaves in her hand.
Oboro could hear Kamyu and Aruru start weeping, he could hear Benawi call his name, he felt Kurou's hand clutch his shoulder, but the world meant nothing for him now. He clutched Yuzuha's hand even more tightly. For years he took care of her and grew patient, all the time waiting for her illness to pass. And now… It was too unawaited, too shocking ever to recover from.
"Brother…" Oboro whispered, his voice harsh from the unshed tears. "If Yuzuha is with you… Take care of her… I know you will"
"You can rely on me" answered a muted voice from behind his back.
Oboro turned so suddenly, that Kurou, who still stood with his hand on his shoulder, nearly jumped away.
"Hey, Oboro, it's only me" treated Oboro's movement in his own way Benawi's captain.
"You…" stammered Oboro. "You didn't hear anything?"
"Oboro," Kurou frowned, "what's the matter?"
"Brother…" said Oboro to himself.
"Oboro, Hakuoro is not here." quietly stated Benawi from behind Kurou's back.
"I know you can't see me, Brother, but I am here" the same muted voice said. "Yuzuha is with me now. She is safe. You must let her go."
Oboro searched the room with wild eyes. Kamyu suddenly stopped weeping.
"Father?" she asked, looking straight at a corner of the room.
All of the gathered turned into that direction. The corner was empty.
Hakuoro looked down at Yuzuha.
"You may open your eyes," he said gently. "For you can see now."
Yuzuha raised her head at him when he spoke.
"I'm not sure." she whispered.
"Try it!" Hakuoro smiled.
Yuzuha's eyelids wavered and then slowly opened. Amber-coloured eyes stared right at Hakuoro's face. She blinked, trying to concentrate on all the light that has suddenly crashed upon her.
"I have never thought you to look like that," Yuzuha laughed. "But I like the way you look."
Hakuoro chuckled.
"Father?" a muted voice called.
Hakuoro thinned his eyes, staring at the real world through the wall of the fog. And locked gazes with Kamyu.
"Father!" she exclaimed and started towards him.
Hakuoro raised his hands in front of him.
"No, dear, you can't come to me yet," he said gently. Kamyu froze in her steps.
"You time isn't come," Hakuoro continued, "for there is much for you to do still."
"I understand," said Kamyu quietly.
"Aruru needs you. And Urutori needs you."
"Yes, Father."
Hakuoro put his arm around Yuzuha's shoulders, as they watched Kamyu take her place next to Aruru and hug her.
"Brother?" Oboro turned his gaze from Kamyu to the empty corner. "I'm coming with you."
"You need to do the last thing after which you may," now Hakuoro's voice was heard by everyone in the room. Eruru wided her eyes and gasped.
Oboro looked at the body of his sister and nodded. Then slowly let her hand go.
"I'll do what I must." he said firmly. "And then I'll come."
"So be it." Hakuoro's voice sounded once again. "Farewell…"
"Hakuoro!" Eruru cried at last. "You can't leave again!"
"I'm sorry, Eruru," his voice was fading. "I had never answered you then - I love you."
"I'll…" her voice quivered, "I'll always be waiting for you…" Eruru whispered and lowered her head.
"Farewell, Yuzuha." Oboro kissed his sister's brow. "We will meet soon."
Hakuoro watched the fog grow thicker. He will come back, sometime.
"Come," he told Yuzuha, "there is much for you to see."
They turned and walked away into the fog.