Author's Notes: Well, sorry for yet another highly delayed, disappointingly
short chapter. I've been suffering from a bout of doubt in my ability so
your reviews have really helped. Thanks! ^.^
The world shattered.
He had always been suspended between those two souls: his firm, solid support and his beautiful, unapproachable aspiration. The earth beneath his feet and the sun in his sky.
Suboshi stumbled backwards into a tree and slid down until he sat at the base, staring blankly forward as Amiboshi smoothed Yui's hair.
"You never…you never needed me that way. Why? I loved you…I always loved you…why was my love never enough…never enough for you," Suboshi whispered. He wasn't sure whom he meant the words for. They didn't need him anymore. He had tried so hard to be something, anything to them. He had loved them so much that there was nothing left for himself, but it hadn't been enough. They didn't need him, didn't want him. They wanted each other.
A sudden surge of anger and jealousy choked Suboshi. He rose shakily to his feet, hands clenching into trembling fists.
But it subsided as quickly as it came. There was no focus for his anger. He couldn't be angry with either of them…he loved them too much. He realized that he had started to cry.
"Last time I cried," he thought out loud, "was when I let you go, brother." He looked up sadly at his twin. "I've let you go too many times, but…I have to do it again. I have to let both of you go."
He started to turn away, empty, blasted to the core. He had turned his back on the last lights of the universe.
But then, he remembered.
Nakago.
There was no way they could be together. Nakago had sent him to look for Yui and if he didn't come back with her… Eventually someone would find her, and then they'd find Amiboshi…and he couldn't allow that to happen. He had sacrificed too much to keep his brother away from war to allow Nakago to find him again.
He turned slowly back to the two most important people in his world, and he knew what he had to do.
"Please forgive me."
Yui walked in silence back to Amiboshi's home, his arm around her shoulder. She knew that she would have to leave as soon as possible. Probably that night, so she wouldn't have to fight with Amiboshi. She knew that it was the right thing to do, but Seiryuu help her, she didn't want to.
She suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. Amiboshi stopped also and looked back at her questioningly.
"Seiryuu help me, I don't want to," she whispered. She felt the beast- god inside her stir at her mention of his name. "It's possible isn't it…I never thought of it, but…."
"What's wrong, Yui?" Amiboshi asked, concern touching his voice.
"Nothing!" she laughed suddenly. "Except that I'm the biggest fool in all of Kutou for not thinking of this sooner. I was to set on using them against Miaka that I never even considered…"
"What are you talking about?" Amiboshi asked, hopelessly confused. Yui smiled at him.
"That's a secret, but you'll know soon enough," she said mysteriously. She still had two wishes left, if she wanted to, she could use one to keep Nakago away from her, away from Konan for that matter. She could stay here without fear of Nakago or a war.
Laughing again, she started back down the path towards home, practically dancing.
Keika stood staring after her for a second, shocked at the sudden change. Yui seemed like an entirely different person. She turned back and smiled at him.
"You coming?" she asked. "Or are you just going to stand there until you take root."
"Sorry," Keika apologized, running a little to catch up with her. He didn't know what her secret was, but it had brought her smile and laughter back and he would give anything to keep it that way.
The world shattered.
He had always been suspended between those two souls: his firm, solid support and his beautiful, unapproachable aspiration. The earth beneath his feet and the sun in his sky.
Suboshi stumbled backwards into a tree and slid down until he sat at the base, staring blankly forward as Amiboshi smoothed Yui's hair.
"You never…you never needed me that way. Why? I loved you…I always loved you…why was my love never enough…never enough for you," Suboshi whispered. He wasn't sure whom he meant the words for. They didn't need him anymore. He had tried so hard to be something, anything to them. He had loved them so much that there was nothing left for himself, but it hadn't been enough. They didn't need him, didn't want him. They wanted each other.
A sudden surge of anger and jealousy choked Suboshi. He rose shakily to his feet, hands clenching into trembling fists.
But it subsided as quickly as it came. There was no focus for his anger. He couldn't be angry with either of them…he loved them too much. He realized that he had started to cry.
"Last time I cried," he thought out loud, "was when I let you go, brother." He looked up sadly at his twin. "I've let you go too many times, but…I have to do it again. I have to let both of you go."
He started to turn away, empty, blasted to the core. He had turned his back on the last lights of the universe.
But then, he remembered.
Nakago.
There was no way they could be together. Nakago had sent him to look for Yui and if he didn't come back with her… Eventually someone would find her, and then they'd find Amiboshi…and he couldn't allow that to happen. He had sacrificed too much to keep his brother away from war to allow Nakago to find him again.
He turned slowly back to the two most important people in his world, and he knew what he had to do.
"Please forgive me."
Yui walked in silence back to Amiboshi's home, his arm around her shoulder. She knew that she would have to leave as soon as possible. Probably that night, so she wouldn't have to fight with Amiboshi. She knew that it was the right thing to do, but Seiryuu help her, she didn't want to.
She suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. Amiboshi stopped also and looked back at her questioningly.
"Seiryuu help me, I don't want to," she whispered. She felt the beast- god inside her stir at her mention of his name. "It's possible isn't it…I never thought of it, but…."
"What's wrong, Yui?" Amiboshi asked, concern touching his voice.
"Nothing!" she laughed suddenly. "Except that I'm the biggest fool in all of Kutou for not thinking of this sooner. I was to set on using them against Miaka that I never even considered…"
"What are you talking about?" Amiboshi asked, hopelessly confused. Yui smiled at him.
"That's a secret, but you'll know soon enough," she said mysteriously. She still had two wishes left, if she wanted to, she could use one to keep Nakago away from her, away from Konan for that matter. She could stay here without fear of Nakago or a war.
Laughing again, she started back down the path towards home, practically dancing.
Keika stood staring after her for a second, shocked at the sudden change. Yui seemed like an entirely different person. She turned back and smiled at him.
"You coming?" she asked. "Or are you just going to stand there until you take root."
"Sorry," Keika apologized, running a little to catch up with her. He didn't know what her secret was, but it had brought her smile and laughter back and he would give anything to keep it that way.