A/N: I wrote this a while back, like months upon months ago, and totally forgot it was just sitting in my computer. I honestly can't believe I forgot about it for so long. College really was kicking my butt. On the bright side, I'm officially done with school for the summer, so I am free to write on a more regular basis. Thank heaven! I was about to lose my mind in that place.
Warnings: When I wrote this many odd months ago, it was my first attempt at writing for Casshern Sins. This was a fun little one-shot for me to write, so I hope you guys enjoy it. Also, it's Lyuze centric. She may be slightly OC...maybe Casshern too...I'm not sure. I'll let you tell me after you finish reading.
Fun Fact: The title of this story is the Japanese kanji for Dianashi-ame which translates to Ruined Rain.
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Casshern Sins or it's predecesor Cashaan: Robot Hunter. This was made for entertainment purposes only.
~Ruined Rain~
Casshern.
His very existence brings destruction and anguish for all beings on this planet, the planet he sentenced to ruin when he killed Luna. From that day forward, robots and humans alike succumbed to the fate of a long, painful death.
As I traveled, seeking vengeance for his hand in killing my sister, I watched many decay before my eyes. All the while, my hatred grew and transformed into a passionate flame of rage. Every night I heard screams of sorrow echo in the dry, poisonous wind. Their screams resonated within me, strengthening my resolve to find Casshern and kill him. Never for a moment did I consider how the ruin would affect my body nor take the time to think that I would eventually die because of it. In those days of wandering a dying world, I wanted nothing more than revenge.
The desire for revenge kept me breathing, even as the tainted air became harder to breathe in with each passing day. Thoughts of death were never present in my mind. My resolve was far too strong for that. Back then, even death wouldn't have been enough to stop me. The hatred burning inside me gave my life purpose and meaning, and so my feet continued to carry me ahead, guiding me toward the bringer of death.
I hated him because he took my sister Lizza away from me and because he killed Luna, thus plunging the world to ruin. He claimed he couldn't remember any of the horrible things he had done. He attempted to show remorse for his actions, but I saw right through his act. In my eyes, Casshern was a monster. He didn't have the capacity to feel anything, especially guilt.
And yet, when his deep blue gaze locked with mine, I almost believed him.
And it was because of these emotions that I tried even harder to be rid of him.
Still, as time passed, I thought less and less about revenge. Slowly, Casshern began to change before my eyes. Before he fought for no reason, soiling his hands with Luna's blood for no other purpose but to follow orders given to him by Braiking Boss.
And then, seemingly from nowhere he made an effort to fight for others. He even protected me, the person who wanted him dead more than anyone else.
The more I got to know him, the harder he became to understand.
Even now, near the end of my life, I still can't understand him completely. I wish that I could.
I would like to know what he was thinking before he killed Luna, what he was thinking about when he leapt great distances to shield me from harm.
Sometimes I wonder what went through his mind when I reached out to touch him or when I fell into his arms, crying in anguish because the ruin had finally started to affect me.
How it happened I'll never understand. For most of my life I sought retribution for his crimes and yet...I fell in love with him. At first I fought against the complex emotions that were beyond my comprehension, but eventually I allowed myself to feel them fully.
And now...I've reached a point of no return in regards to him. In the back of my mind, I keep seeing the disapproving stare of my sister Lizza. She would hate me if she could see me now with my arms folded around her killer's waist, my dry, cracked lips against his soft ones, and my fingers weakly weaving through strands of hair at the base of his neck. After I had promised to kill him, here I was, losing myself to the sensation of his touch against my decaying body.
He pulls away, his breathing even while mine is ragged from the effort of holding it.
"Lyuze..."
He whispers my name like a plea as he embraces me again. I lean into him as my head comes to rest on his shoulder. For a long while we just stand in place, the light of the moon blanketing us in its light. There was a rumble of thunder overhead. A storm was heading this way.
Casshern began to pull away from me upon hearing the sound. He was ready to rush me back into the small house we lived in with Ringo, Ohgi, and Friender in a vain attempt at prolonging my life.
He and I both know that it's a pointless effort now, but Casshern still continues to fuss over me and the others anyway.
Ringo is fine, living out her life like any ordinary little girl would, but Ohgi and I...
Shaking my head, I wrap my arms around him again. "Casshern, there's no point." Closing my eyes I inhaled more dry air. "My time...it's running out."
His body tensed and for a few seconds I was certain that he would protest and sweep me off my feet, forcing me indoors despite whatever argument I gave him to stay outside.
He surprised me by letting out a sigh while returning my embrace. "The ruin will take you if we stay out in the storm."
I shook my head. "I can survive a night of rain, Casshern." Pulling back briefly I stared up into his eyes. "Besides, I already told you that I want to live life to the fullest."
Casshern frowned, not understanding. "Do you need to stand out in the rain to do that?"
His inquiry caused a small laugh to slip past my lips. "No, I suppose I don't but..." I trailed off, my mind taking me back to a night not too long ago. Just before we reached Luna and discovered that her healing was nothing more but a lie, he and I came across a robotic woman. She and her companion nearly succeeded in doing us in...or me rather since Casshern will never be able to die.
Regardless of that, after the battle ended, I was left uncertain of where I stood in this enigma called life, especially with it coming to a slow and painful end. In the days that followed our encounter with that woman, my body began to rust and at one point I even fell unconscious.
My mental state after realizing my weakened state was shaky to say the least. Only a couple of days before had I come to the conclsion that I was in love with Casshern and that I would never fulfil the promise I made to my sister to kill him. His growing concern for me as I was struggling to cope with those emotions weren't helpful. In fact, at the time, I resented him for being able to recover from any and all injuries within minutes. I wanted to be invincible and beautiful like him.
The fear I had for my eventual death came to its peak on a night like tonight, a night where the clouds loomed darkly overhead, promising the world a downpour of heaven's tears. The first true signs of rusting began and a piece of me broke away, falling to the ground with a small, almost silent crackle.
My fingers had grasped around my neck, feeling the spot where my skin was no longer smooth.
After that moment of soundless terror, I stubbornly went out into the rain. I knew Casshern would eventually follow to make an attempt at consoling me despite not understanding the concept of true suffering.
At least, that's what I had once believed.
It took me baring my soul to him in a violent and twisted way to understand his suffering. In bitter rememberance I noted how the sight of that red liquid seeping from his wounds used to send a chill of satisfaction through me, back when enacting revenge was my only purpose in life. But that night the fire began to die inside of me. There was nothing truly driving me anymore despite the idea of somehow finding Luna alive. I was doubtful though, and with each day I let slip by without fulfilling my sister's last wish, my love for Casshern grew.
Attacking him that night, spilling liquid that no robot should ever be able to shed temporarily destroyed my sense of self. The claim that I couldn't protect myself or stand without Casshern by my side had robbed me of any hope for the future in those moments. To a degree, I believed the words that woman spoke to me. There was a part of me that was truly afraid of dying before reaching the end of the journey, of becomming nothing more than a distant memory Casshern would eventually forget.
I didn't want to go through the slow agony at that time. I wanted something quick and painless and knew Casshern would be the only one capable of granting that wish.
I had seen him kill enough times to know that a couple vicious attacks would be enough to trigger his berserk mode. I would be dead before he even realized it.
Quick and easy. That was the goal.
What I didn't expect were for the words betraying my feelings for him to slip past my lips. I had hoped to keep them inside, for them to never see the light of day. Even so, in those moments, there was no consideration on my part for how Casshern would react to my words and actions. My mind was irreversibly set on a path away from the torture of eventual ruin.
There was no hesitation as I leapt to attack him, my blade raised once again. He had moved into a defensive position, his blue eyes locking on mine for a split second.
And in that brief second...I hestiated.
My blade went through the palm of his right hand instead of through his chest. I distinctly remember watching his blood drip onto the flowers surrounding us.
You wouldn't believe me if I told you how many times I felt the same thing.
It took plunging my blade through his hand and those words he spoke to realize that he did understand what it meant to suffer, perhaps more so. In his world, he couldn't begin to grasp the concept of continuing forward when the possibility of hope existing was so slim. He couldn't understand why humans and robots alike fought so hard to live when all met death in the end.
He probably would if he thought death was possible for him.
And worse still, he has to continuously watch the people around him die. Some of them influenced him and helped to shape the person he is now...and yet most if not all of them are gone.
All his life he'll suffer without end. There is no real hope in his future.
That night in the rain, when he held me in his arms and told me he would find a way for me to live...I decided then that I would try to give him some joy while I could, to fill his days with some degree of happiness.
My end will begin a life where he will forever pay for the sins he committed.
The me that wanted retribution would say he deserved this if not more for his part in bringing ruin to the world.
Now, I would say that he was dealt an unfair hand in life. He deserves better than this terrible world.
Sighing, I look up into his eyes as the clouds finally fill the dark sky above us. "Casshern, dance with me."
He raises an eyebrow at the word. "Dance?"
Chuckling slightly, I pull him closer to the flower pots Ringo and I had slaved over during the last couple of days. "A long time ago, when Lizza and I were still small, I remember seeing two humans out in the rain. They were swaying from side to side as they held each other. They called it dancing."
"That sounds...odd."
"It was odd, but somehow...nice," I thought, placing his hands on my waist before encricling my arms around his neck. We exchanged a few words as I tried to make him imitate what I'd seen so long ago. He picked up on it very quickly, but he remained slightly tensed throughout our dance with a look of clear bewilderment on his face. I laughed aloud at the expression, pulling myself more tightly against him while our footsteps continued on a repeated pattern. A slow downpour followed, drenching us after a few minutes. More than once Casshern tried to end our dance, worried for my well-being, but I was beyond caring about it. I knew I only had days left. I wanted to enjoy them as much as possible with the man I loved.
This concept of love is still perplexing to me. It's such a complex emotion, one that evolved from pure hatred and over time transformed into something strangely and overwhelmingly beautiful. It would be perfect if I could hold on to it forever, if the ruin didn't exist at all.
Casshern.
His very existence brings destruction and anguish for all beings on this planet, the planet he sentenced to ruin when he killed Luna. From that day forward, robots and humans alike succombed to the fate of a long, painful death.
As I traveled, seeking vengeance for his hand in killing my sister, I watched many decay before my eyes. All the while, my hatred grew and transformed into a passionate flame of rage. Thankfully, after many vengeful encounters, I opened my eyes and began to see that the Casshern of old died when the ruin began, leaving behind a kind but tortured man in his wake. This longsuffering man will have to pay for the crimes of a monster for all of eternity.
In my mind, that's punishment enough.
That's why, until the day I meet ruin...I'll stand by his side and make sure that he lives.
A/N: And that's pretty much it. If there were any mistakes in here that I missed while editing, please tell me so. Constructive criticism is welcome. There's always room for improvement after all. Thanks for reading and should you desire to, leave me a review. The feedback is always helpful. Have a great day everyone.