"Well, this is the night," I said.
"The night of departure," Kurogane finished.
It was a sad time for these people in this small village. Their loved ones were about to die…again. I couldn't imagine their sorrow or relief. Some smiled, others cried.
While Kurogane and I stood on the ridge, we watched the kids with Mokona talk with the living and the soon departed. Sakura smiled at those who smiled first. She still had a hint of pain behind her eyes. She still thought this was all her fault.
Syaoran stood loyally by her side. He was there to protect the one person he treasured the most. He sympathized with these people. He knew the pain they felt of having someone so close but knew they were gone anyway. He was there to show respect and to keep an eye on the princess.
I sighed and sunk further into my coat. I didn't need to wear it for it was fairly warm here but I needed to hide from the world just a little longer. I was grateful the hood was wide enough to hide my face in the shadows. I didn't need him to see my face while I watched these people.
I thought of Fai, the real Fai, my twin, my brother, my friend. I wanted him back with me. Actually, he should have been here, not me. I thought of my deal. How I might be able to see him again at some point. I figured I would be in a situation similar to the people of this world. I didn't want to lose my other half again.
I must have made a sound because Kurogane stirred from his own thoughts, "You okay?"
"Just thinking."
"Me too."
We lapsed back into silence and retreated back to our own thoughts. Instead of thinking of Celes, I began to wonder what he had been thinking about. Did he lose a loved one too? Was he sympathetic to the situation? Or was he just softer than we thought he was?
The sky suddenly began to glow. There was a shift in the air and things felt different. I looked down into the circle. Those who were meant to vanish began to glow. Pieces of their lives began to separate and disappear into the night.
The couple in front of Syaoran and Sakura hugged each other. She finally spilled her secret. I was surprised that she held out this long. Her eyes were so sad.
"It's so beautiful," I commented.
"Yeah," Kurogane replied.
We watched and we waited. I wanted to ask him questions about his life and what he thought about while watching these people, but I knew he would turn it back on me. I was not ready to share yet. In time I would tell him my secrets and he would tell me his, if not, we were both doomed to tear ourselves apart. We needed each other more than anyone else right now. Suffering is easier to get through when you have a friend close by; I just wasn't sure how to reach out to him.
I turned to start walking down the hill, "Hey." I stopped and kept my back to him, "I know you're thinking about the same things I am. One day."
I smiled under my hood, "One day," I whispered.