Alrighty... so here's number three of my card story one shots. This one is a bit more serious, though I'm not entirely sure why (you see, the idea came to me around 1 am and usually the ideas that hit me at that time of night are, well, insane). I'm getting to really enjoy delving into these characters' pasts. It's a good exercise for me. AND I just got a new laptop with nice new systems and SOUND (our old computer hasn't had sound for years... no I'm not joking) so updating on this site is a whole lot easier. I hope you enjoy.
Pairing: Kaho/Touya (not romantically... give it a few years, and I kinda fudged the backstory of the series to fit my needs... hehehe)
Rating: G - angst
Card: Through (though not the same kind of 'through' as in the series... this one is all about emotions)
And no, I still don't own CCS or anything like that...
No Way Around
The field overlooking the shrine remained unchanged. The tree hadn't disappeared by some weird feat of magic, the tall grass still swayed with every whim of the wind, and the shrine itself still stood silently, a tribute an era long forgotten. The same sun continued to beat down on his head, warming his dark, thick hair, though the warmth failed to penetrate farther than his skin. Closing his eyes against the brilliant midday glare, Touya felt gravity overcome him. He sunk quickly to his knees, not feeling the pain as his knee caps jarred against the dry ground, flattening the long blades of grass beneath him. He felt numb inside. Numb, chilled, and utterly confused, as if a November gale was violently whipping around inside of him and turning everything he once knew upside down. The world melted around him. It almost didn't seem as if he were a part of it anymore; everything seemed so surreal.
Time passed as if he were in a dream. Some moments rushed by him, while others dragged on for what seemed like eternity. All the while Touya remained in the field by the shrine, legs gathered underneath him. He wasn't sure at what point he stopped feeling anything below his knees, but it didn't really matter all that much to him. He felt no hunger, no discomfort; he ignored the breeze that played through his hair and the setting sun that marked the end of yet another day. The darkening shadow that bore his resemblance stretched itself until it reached the walls of the shrine itself. Soon it too would disappear from this world, swallowed up by the darkness of the night, as if it had never existed in the first place.
Night flowed into the world slowly, its darkness swallowing the last vibrant vestiges of the sunset like a growing nightmare. Still Touya could not find the will to move from his position. Lights twinkled from house windows. Behind those windows, Touya guessed he would find husbands and wives chattering and eating with their children, happily oblivious to the limited amount of time they would have to spend with each other. All things came to an end, especially those things which one doesn't want to end.
"It is true all things end, Touya-kun, but it is also true that endings are simply beginnings in disguise," a young woman walked up behind Touya, an old fashioned lantern held aloft in one of her hands. The grass sighed as she made her way over to the spot where Touya knelt. She reached out her free hand, briefly brushing the boy's shoulder gently. Her touch seemed to free him from his thoughts and he turned quickly to face her, wincing when the feeling came rushing back to his legs and feet.
"She loved your family's shrine, you know. She always said it was the one place she could go to find quiet," he whispered. It may have been a few weeks, but he still didn't trust his voice. Not when he was talking about her.
"Nadeshiko-san was -" the young lady began, her expressive eyes glassy in the moonlight.
"Don't Kaho-san!" Touya shouted, jumping up in anger. "Everybody says stuff like 'Nadeshiko-san was a sweet woman. We'll all miss her' or 'Your okaa-san was a great beauty. It's a pity she's gone' and I'm sick of it!" Touya went silent again, sinking back down to the ground. Kaho likewise knelt, her traditional robes folding elegantly around her. She could see by the weak moonlight that Touya was shaking; a rough sob escaped his lips. When he turned to face his friend, she could see the shiny trails his tears had left on his face. "Why is she gone, Kaho-san? Why did she have to be taken from us like this?"
"I couldn't tell you, Touya-kun, even if I knew the answer. Death is mysterious even to those of us with insight into such things, isn't that true?" Touya didn't answer and Kaho wasn't expecting him to. "Your otou-san must be very worried about you by now, don't you think." She managed to discern a slightly defeated nod from Touya at this. "You should get home. Let me walk you there."
"Thank you."
The walk home was silent save for the two pairs of footsteps that echoed off the houses of the sleepy neighborhoods of Tomoeda. Touya looked at each one of them, the numb iciness in his chest expanding with every sight of a family eating together or playing with each other. The feeling kept growing; when it reached his throat, Touya was almost certain he would choke on it. Instead, he forced out the words he'd been thinking about ever since that day.
"What do I do now?" he whispered, half hoping Kaho wouldn't hear him. He wasn't entirely certain he wanted an answer.
"What have you been doing?" she replied just as quietly, but with an eternal calmness about her. Touya relaxed.
"Otou-san and I have been taking turns with dinner, and I get home as fast as I can so that Sakura doesn't have to spend a lot of time with the sitter. Otou-san buries himself in papers and stuff from the university and talks a lot about money under his breath, and I try and keep up on my school work, but it's hard. And I don't think Sakura really understands what's going on."
"It sounds like things could be worse."
"But the pain! It hurts, Kaho-san! It's like I live in dreams now; I don't know what's real. I don't even think she's really dead sometimes. It hurts to wake up in the morning. It hurts to smile in front of my friends when I want to cry. It hurts to see otou-san so sad. Everything hurts! Why won't it stop! Can't you make it stop?" By now Touya and Kaho had paused in their walk to Touya's house. Touya's face was again streaked with the now-familiar tears. It took all of her composure for Kaho not to break down and wail for her deceased friend along with Touya.
"There's no easy way out of this, Touya-kun. Death brings the pain of separation, which is possibly the worst pain a human can ever endure."
"Don't I know it," Touya mumbled, wiping his eyes with his sleeves.
"You have to work through the pain. There are no short cuts or magical remedies for this. Getting through the pain is the biggest challenge anyone can face, and how you deal with it will speak volumes of who you are as a person."
"Work through it? Is that the best you can say to me?" Kaho gave one of her small, mysterious smiles. For a moment, Touya forgot his numbness and felt a friendly warmth spread through him.
"Working through the pain is the best anyone can do, but remember this. You will never be alone. You have your otou-san, Sakura-chan, and you have me."
"Will you always be there for me?" Touya asked almost eagerly, boyish energy returning to his eyes.
"I'll be here as long as you need me."
The twosome reached the familiar yellow house. Like all the other homes on the street, lights glowed from the downstairs windows. From the outside, at least, it looked as if nothing had changed. A weary man opened the front door after he heard the doorbell ring. Happiness mixed with relief diffused across his face when he saw his son standing on the doorstep. The man scooped up Touya in a warm hug, profusely thanking Kaho all the while.
"I am glad I could be of service, Kinomoto-san," she replied modestly. "Touya-kun just needed to straighten a few things out. If you ever need to talk, Touya-kun, you know where to find me." Waving slightly, Kaho walked gracefully away, her slender form fading into the night like a wisp of smoke.
"We'll get through this, I promise Touya." Touya hugged his father tightly, as if vowing never to let go of him again. "Nadeshiko wouldn't want us to fall apart now."
"I know. We'll work through this. As long as we're together."
A/N: Well, 3 down. That leaves only... 49 to go. Man, I really hope I don't run out of ideas. And remember: feedback is always welcomed, appreciated, and on rare occasions treasured.
