Hagi.
There it was again. That same voice had been calling his name for some time now.
Hagi. Wake up.
He didn't want to, but he had no other choice. With some effort, he managed to open his eyes, finding chocolate brown ones staring straight into his.
"Saya?," he said in disbelief. What was she doing here?
"Hagi," she smiled, stroking his face tenderly, "I was so worried about you. I thought you were really gone…"
He grasped her hand firmly, staring intently into her eyes. This was too good to be true.
"Am I dreaming…?" he asked, hoping she would say otherwise.
"Yes," she replied. He fell silent.
They lay there in silence for quite some time. Hagi looked around, trying to figure out where he was. It looked like the meadow they used to always sit in in Joel Sr.'s manor before it went to ruins. He lay flat on his back, looking up at the cloudless sky. It reminded him painfully of the days they shared before Diva had broke free. They felt like a distant memory now. A fairy tale that had never existed.
"I wish I had never left your side that night," he finally spoke, "I wish things didn't end the way they did."
Saya sat up, drawing her knees close to her chest. She remembered the smile on his face as he confessed his love for her. She remembered wanting to run and save him from Amschel, but it had been to late. She turned her head, gazing at his guilt ridden face. This was not a time to reflect on the past, but to help each other mold their futures together.
"Hagi," she started, "Remember when I told you I wanted you to end my life after we had killed Diva?"
He did. He kept his gaze focused upwards, remaining silent. That was a painful memory.
"You grabbed me and took the sword from my hands, telling me to live on. To live on for you… Kai… and everyone else. You told me that tomorrow was a brand new day, a fresh start from all we've been through…. That I was free to live my life the way I wanted to and always dreamed of…"
She took his hand in hers, giving it a firm squeeze.
"Hagi… it's time for you to do those things. I don't want you unhappy while I'm gone. There's a big world out there for you to explore and it's time for you to live life to it's fullest. Don't worry about what I would want. Do what you wish. Follow your heart."
"Saya…," said Hagi, speechless. She brushed a few strands of hair from his eyes.
"I don't want to see your eyes filled with sadness anymore, Hagi."
"I'm afraid that if I were to do all those things you ask of me… I would forget you," he confessed.
She gave him a warm smile, "Hagi, I'm still here, and always will be. You know that. I know you'll be right there waiting for me when I awake."
Hagi pulled her in a close embrace, burying his face into her hair. He closed his eyes, inhaling her scent. He could spend forever like this… but after she awoke, they would only have three years. He hated it, but that was the deal he had made when he became her Chevalier that fateful day. The day she had single-handedly saved his life and changed it forever.
"I wish these thirty years would come to a pass," he said wistfully.
She cupped his chin in her hand, giving him a soft kiss on the lips, then pulled away, staring deeply into his eyes.
"I'll be with you in no time."
That was all he needed to hear. It felt as if a great burden had been pulled off of his chest. All those worries… they were finally put to rest. They lay beside each other, enjoying their company, waiting for the moment when life would intervene between them once more.
