"Run, Soleil! Don't stop running!"
"The trees are so pretty! And look at the grass! And the flowers!"
"Don't let go of my hand! Keep running!"
"Ciel, have you ever smelled anything like this before? It's beautiful!"
Soleil's golden hair bounced on the nape of her neck as she pumped her legs harder than she knew her body wanted her to. Summer air rushed past her as she made her way higher into the mountains, hand in hand with Ciel who lead her along without looking back. His short ponytail and bangs of the same golden blonde colour as his female friend fluttered in all directions as he made the great effort to climb the steep way through the forest on the mountain. Ciel was still on edge, wary of the danger behind them. But Soleil had never felt freer from the troubles they had fled from.
"No one will find us out here, we don't need to go so fast!" she forced the words out through ragged breath.
"I'm not taking any chances. That woman lost her mind trying to keep us locked up in that place, she'll come looking for us when she knows we're gone," Ciel's breathing was steady, his body much stronger that Soleil's.
They had lived together since they were young children, growing up in an orphanage in the countryside that was run by a vile and standoffish woman who completely mistreated the children in her care. Both Ciel and Soleil, who were now 14-years-old, were abandoned as infants. Ciel was the first to arrive with Soleil turning up on the orphanage doorstep only a couple of months afterwards. Before they even learned to talk, they had been inseparable friends.
Through all of the cold woman's neglect, the one thing that led Ciel to finally flee the orphanage with his friend was her failure to care for Soleil's medical needs. She had been born with a weaker immune system than most others, making her prone to illnesses and causing her to take long periods of time to recover from something even as minor as a cold. While Ciel had done his best to care for the frail girl, the treatments administered by the woman running the orphanage were far from effective. And this was only if she bothered to care for the sick children in the first place. The living conditions weren't helping either; mould growing on the walls and glass missing from the windows. Ciel hoped that wherever they were running, they would find decent shelter and proper medicine. That they could make good lives for themselves there.
"Ciel, can we… stop for a second?"
Still holding Soleil's had, Ciel pushed his feet into the dirt as he came to a quick halt, turning around to check on her.
"Do you need to sit down and rest?" he looked her over, hoping he wouldn't find any signs of her health declining.
The short blonde shook her head and a closed smile made her cheeks glow and her green eyes sparkle.
"No, I just wanted to get a chance to look around a little. Aren't you excited about being in a place like this?"
Ciel narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips, slightly irritated that she had made him worry for nothing. Still, as he let out a sigh, he lifted his gaze to the treetops above them. Spots of yellow light broke through the green and he shielded his glittering green eyes as he admired the picture of perfection he saw. Now that he could fully take it in, the forest was like a paradise compared to the endless pasture the orphanage had been built on. The soft wind that tickled the tree branches was like gentle music and the birdsong was like a chorus of angels that sang to Ciel and Soleil from the sky.
Soleil felt something brush against her hand and looked down to see Ciel's fingers on her palm.
"Come on, let's keep going," he said as he gripped her hand protectively, smiling warmly.
As they were reaching the very top of the hill, Ciel finally saw something that resembled a house through the trees. The summer breeze blew crisp green leaves across their path as they finally made their way out of the wood.
"Look over there, can you see it?" Ciel pointed.
Soleil was trying her best to hide her exhaustion and gave a small "Mmhmm" as she looked out at the house that was now in plain view.
"We made it, Soleil," Ciel stopped, sensing her true feelings and turning to put a comforting hand on her arm.
He pulled at the shoulders of her faded and dirty pink dress, trying to straighten it for her. He then attempted to brush the dirt off his own green shirt and grey pants. Ciel couldn't wait to find garments more presentable than the threadbare clothes the orphanage provided.
"Let's go and see who lives there. Maybe they'll be nice and let us stay…"
Ciel crouched down in front of Soleil who was glad to get a rest from walking, climbing onto his back and letting him carry her the rest of the way.
They found themselves at the backdoor of a quaint brick house that was small but sturdy. While most of the building had been constructed using sand-coloured bricks, there were a few placed randomly that were dark grey. The black tiles on the roof reflected the rays of the summer sun. To Ciel and Soleil, it was a palace compared to the rundown orphanage in the countryside.
As Soleil slid down from his shoulders, Ciel knocked on the wooden door and waited. After a few seconds, he tried again.
"Try calling out to them?" Soleil suggested when there was still no response.
Ciel nodded. "Hey, is anyone there? Can we come in?"
Even as he raised his voice, no one came from the house to greet them. Ciel looked at Soleil and shrugged before trying to open the door. Surprisingly, it wasn't even locked and the door swung open to allow them entrance into the house.
"W-wait, are you sure we can just go in?" Soleil held Ciel's sleeve to stop him before he went inside.
"I really don't think anyone's here," he assured her. "We could just stay and wait until the person who lives here comes back?"
"Well… Yeah, all right. I guess we do need a place to stay…" Soleil slowly released her grip on Ciel's sleeve as she stepped through the door with him.
There were a total of three rooms in the house. The living room doubled as a bedroom and included a writing desk, a table, a chest of drawers, a fireplace, a bed and a beautiful coffee-coloured piano. There was also a kitchen and a bathroom area in the other rooms. But while the house seemed furnished with everything one might need to live there, it was showing signs that it had been uninhabited for some time with a thin layer of dust on the table and windowsills and a few cobwebs scattered about the place. Whoever owned the house had obviously left and hadn't returned for at least a couple of weeks.
"Come on, you go and lie down and get some rest," Ciel led Soleil over to the bed at the far left corner of the living area that was well made with blankets and a soft white pillow.
Soleil climbed on top of the plush brown duvet and rested her head on the pillow, not needing to lie in the blankets as the summer air kept her warm.
"What would I do without you, Ciel," Soleil smiled as she turned on her side, feeling sleepy even though it was only mid-afternoon.
"I don't even want to think about that. You all alone in that orphanage… I'm so glad we got out of there, Soleil. Now we can…"
Something suddenly caught his eye out of the window beside the bed. He leaned closer to it and peered through the glass.
"What is it?" Soleil blinked the sleepiness out of her eyes before pushing herself up into a sitting position.
Ciel drew in a slow gasp as he registered what he was seeing. "Look, Soleil… It's beautiful!"
Soleil tilted her head in confusion before kneeling on the bed so she could lean on the windowsill. As she looked out, she saw it standing there at the front of the house. The most beautiful tree she had ever seen, big and lush and filled with pink and white blossoms raining softly from its branches that looked perfect for climbing on. It was truly a majestic sight.
"It's… It's a sakura tree!"
"This place is so beautiful…" Ciel closed his eyes and smiled.
"Ciel… Let's stay here. Let's live here forever, okay…"
"Just the two of us, right…"
"The two of us. We'll be all we ever need. We'll live a good life here. One where we're always happy."
Ciel felt Soleil get closer to him and he opened his eyes to embrace her. Their former lives had ended and they were now beginning anew. A brand new adventure and a brand new story to tell was waiting for them and they couldn't wait to start the first page, to sing the first verse of their song. The cherry blossoms swirled past their window and gave them hope for the future. Things would get better for them now. Nothing would ever break their spirits again.