The World of the Moon
Twenty One: Almost Heaven
Nothing much to say here. Hope it's an enjoyable read.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Shiki Tohno opened his eyes, staring up at his bedroom for the last time.
Taking a deep breath, he sat up in bed. Hisui hadn't come in yet, so it had to be before seven, and a quick glance at his bedside clock confirmed this. He didn't usually wake up this early, but then again this wasn't a usual day at all.
Putting on his glasses, he glanced outside the window at the pale sunlight, noting absently that the clouds were thicker than normal – enough so that the rays of the sun cast a cold light through his room. Under the pale glow, everything seemed more… lonely, somehow.
Just then, the door creaked open, and Hisui stepped into the room, a slight widening of her eyes the only indication that she was surprised to see him up.
"Shiki-sama… you've woken already?"
"I'd just gotten up, as a matter of fact," he nodded once, giving her a slight smile. "It wouldn't do to wake up late today of all days, would it?"
Hisui didn't reply, merely bowing her head low so that the fringe of her hair covered her eyes.
After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Shiki threw back the covers on his bed, sighing as he stood up – by now, the rush of dizziness was an all-too familiar feeling, and he instinctively steadied himself against the bedside table.
"Shiki-sama," Hisui moved to his side, offering her arm to support him, and with a grateful nod, Shiki leaned over, letting her take some of his weight. After a moment, Shiki drew in a deep breath of air.
"I'm all right now, Hisui."
"If you say so, Shiki-sama," stepping away, she looked at him again, not hiding the worry in her eyes. "I'll be waiting downstairs, then."
And, bowing once more, she turned to depart the room.
Just before Shiki left, he turned to regard the room as well – for what would probably be the last time.
It was almost empty. It had been like that when he had first arrived, and come to think of it, he'd never really settled in that much – it wasn't like he had that much personal stuff, after all. And now, here he was, departing it again, leaving nothing behind.
Shaking his head once, he closed the door to the room behind him.
Akiha was already at the dining table, as usual. However, unlike other mornings, the food Kohaku had prepared and set in front of her was virtually untouched. As Shiki watched unnoticed, Akiha picked up her fork and began twirling it around idly, obviously lost in thought and contemplation.
It was at that moment that Kohaku emerged from the kitchen.
"Oh, Shiki-san!" for the briefest of moments, Kohaku's eternally cheery smile faltered, then it was back there, as bright as ever. "I didn't hear you come in."
"Nii-san?" Akiha sat up in her chair, looking at him. "You're… here…" her words trailed off as she stared at the ground.
"Just wait a few minutes, and I'll have breakfast ready for you!" Kohaku promised before ducking back into kitchen, leaving Shiki to settle himself down on the table opposite Akiha.
There was a long silence before the head of the Tohno family broke it with a question.
"You've finished all your preparations?" she asked in a quiet voice. Shiki nodded before he realized that she hadn't raised her gaze from her food.
"Yes," he answered out loud. "Not that there was really all that much to do in the first place." Most of the standard stuff that came with the hassle of moving didn't really apply here – no need for passports, arranging accommodation, or anything of the sort. Just his clothes and personal effects.
"I see. That's good, then." The expression on his sister's face belied her words as Kohaku entered the room, carrying a tray packed with food.
"Breakfast is ready, Shiki-san!"
"Whoa, Kohaku!" Shiki sputtered as he stared at the small mountain of food piled in front of him. "There's no way I can eat that much!"
"You should try!" Kohaku wagged her finger at him. "After all, this will be your last meal in the Tohno mansion! I have to make sure to send you off properly!"
That was true, at least. And yet-
"It's not like I'm never coming back here, Kohaku," Shiki said even as he picked his fork up and began to attack the pile of food in front of him. "I'll visit often."
"It's not the same, Nii-san," Akiha said softly. "It just won't be the same."
A quiet descended upon the four of them – soon five as Hisui emerged from the study to stand dutifully behind her master as he finished his meal – or as much of it as he could.
Brother and sister sat in the living room, not talking or doing anything, just waiting next to each other for what they knew would be coming soon. Akiha technically had work to do, but Shiki knew that it didn't make any difference to his sister.
And so the two of them sat, listening to the steady tick-tock of the grandfather clock as the minutes slipped by.
Suddenly, the sound of someone knocking on the front door. Akiha straightened up, blinked, and swallowed.
"Kohaku, would you get the door, please?"
"Of course," with a bow, Kohaku turned and left for the lobby, leaving Shiki and Akiha alone once more.
The sound of the door being unlocked and opened – a soft greeting, and then the sound of footsteps approaching the living room.
"Good morning, Little Sister!"
Akiha raised her head to look at her, her expression carefully neutral. "Good morning, Arcueid." She said softly.
"Morning, Shiki," Arcueid's smile was warm, but it lacked her usual exuberance. Well, even Shiki himself wasn't sure if this was a happy occasion, so perhaps Arcueid didn't really know either. "Are you ready?"
Shiki considered the question carefully. A new chapter in his life was about to begin… and not for the first time, Shiki thought of what he would leave behind in doing so.
"I don't know." He finally answered.
Arcueid nodded once, a rare thoughtful expression crossing over her face. "Shiki…"
"It'll be fine, Arcueid," he smiled gamely at her. "We made that decision together, didn't we?" he paused as he glanced at Akiha out of the corner of his eye. "All of us."
"That's right," Akiha continued in her quiet, detached voice, as if she were trying to not let it show how much all of this affected her. "This is for the best, Nii-san. This way, you won't…" she drew in a deep breath. "This way, you won't die."
At least, not quite so soon.
"I'll get my things, then," Shiki said after a brief moment of silence.
Arcueid's eyes didn't miss the slight wince on Shiki's face as he pulled himself to his feet – he had been suffering bouts of dizziness more and more often lately, and his stamina was fading fast. Amongst most it might simply have been dismissed as not being as fit as before, but those close to Shiki knew the truth.
His life energy was simply running out. In between having only half that of a normal human's, the repeated strain that using his eyes placed on him had taken his toll – and Arcueid knew that if he carried on like this, it wouldn't be very long at all before his body gave out altogether.
Closing her eyes, she resisted the urge to let out a sigh.
"Arcueid."
She looked up to see Akiha staring at her intently.
"Yes, Little Sister?"
Another awkward pause between the both of them before the black-haired woman drew in a deep breath.
"Please take care of Nii-san."
Arcueid sat silent for a moment, looking at her. In some sense, she almost felt insulted that Akiha would even feel the need to tell her something like that. Didn't she know that Arcueid cared as much as she did for Shiki, if not even more?
But that feeling passed. More than a simple request, this was ultimately a statement of acknowledgment; that from now on Arcueid would be Shiki's primary – almost sole – provider, and that she was willing to accept it as such.
As much as she could, Akiha Tohno was giving up her brother to Arcueid.
And so she smiled and nodded once.
"I promise."
And from behind them came the clatter of footsteps as Shiki returned to the living room, two heavy bags in hand.
They had lined up in the hallway of the lobby, staring silently at Shiki, and suddenly he found that he simply didn't know what to say. He remembered what he'd told Kohaku earlier – that he would visit as often as he could, but as Akiha had said, that wasn't the same.
In a few minutes, everything would be different, perhaps forever.
He stepped forward towards Kohaku, the closest of the girls.
"Did you remember to pack warm clothing, Shiki-san?" she smiled at him. "It gets really cold in the mountains, you know."
"I know. Thanks for everything, Kohaku," he paused, unsure of what to say. "Please take care of Akiha for me, okay? I… I just get the feeling that she'll need all the support she can get."
"Yes, leave it to me, Shiki-san," the maid's smile never wavered. "I care about Akiha-sama too, you know."
"Yeah, I know…"
A brief silence, then Kohaku sighed and shook her head once.
"When I was young, I watched you look at me through the window before you walked away. And now I'm doing that again."
"Kohaku?"
"It's different now, though," she brought her hands together, a tiny chuckle escaping her lips. "You came close to me for a while, Shiki-san. And even if you leave now, I'm not alone anymore. It'll be fine, Shiki-san."
He smiled and nodded at her. "Good bye, Kohaku."
"Take care, Shiki-san."
Kohaku stepped slightly to the side, letting Shiki see Hisui, who was standing quietly, arms clasped together in front of her.
"Hisui, thank you for everything," Shiki finally said softly. "You've always looked after me ever since I came to the mansion. I'm really grateful."
"No, Shiki-sama," Hisui whispered, not looking him in the eye. "That was my duty."
Another expectant pause, before Hisui spoke up again. "Shiki-sama? Have you thought about… whether I should go with you?"
"Yes, I have," Shiki took a deep breath. "But Akiha will need you more than I will, won't she?"
"That is… that's true…" Hisui's bowed her head low. "I… Shiki-sama, when you came back to the mansion, I'd believed that you would remain here forever. That was always foolish of me, wasn't it?"
"No, it wasn't," Shiki shook his head once. "But… everything changes in the end, doesn't it?'
"Yes," Hisui nodded one more time. "Yes, I suppose it does, Shiki-sama," she swallowed, audibly. "Good bye."
"Good bye, Hisui."
And then finally, standing by the doorway, was Akiha. Shiki stood in front of her, once again feeling a sense of awkwardness wash over him. What was the right thing to do? What was the right thing to say?
"Akiha, I-" He was cut off as he felt arms wrapping around his body, Akiha burying her head into her shoulder.
"Nii-san…" her voice was soft.
"Aki… ha?"
"Nii-san," she repeated, and Shiki could feel her body shivering as she pressed herself closer to him. "Promise me… promise me I'll see you again. No matter what."
Slowly, Shiki brought his arms up to embrace Akiha as well.
"I promise, Akiha," Shiki said softly. "I'll come back to see you again. No matter what."
A long moment of silence, and then Akiha abruptly broke their embrace, taking a single step away from Shiki. A hasty rubbing at her eyes, and she nodded once to him.
"Well, Nii-san. Don't waste time. Don't you know it's rude to keep others waiting?"
Shiki almost smiled.
And then stepping out of the mansion into the sunlight, he saw Arcueid leaning against a stone ornament, staring idly at the garden. At the sound of Shiki's footsteps, she got to her feet and turned to face him.
"All done, Shiki?"
He nodded once.
"Don't look so sad, Shiki," Arcueid said as she stepped closer to him. "You'll make me feel bad too! Don't worry – as long as I'm around, you can pop back here whenever you want."
"I know," Shiki said. "But… everything still feels different."
"… Do you want to change your mind?" Arcueid asked after a brief silence.
"No," Shiki shook his head once. "Under other circumstances, maybe. But if that time will be by your side… then it'll be worth it."
Arcueid's smile grew wider. "Flatterer," she said softly before reaching out to grasp his hand in her own. "Don't move too much, Shiki. This will take a moment or two."
Shiki drew in a deep breath –
And the world around him dissolved, changing from the sunny gardens of the Tohno Mansion into an endless field of silver flowers under a cloudy, grey sky. To his left was a lake, a vast expanse of crystal clear water, and ahead of him was a vast, imposing bastion – the Millennium Castle.
At his side, Arcueid took in a deep breath, as if she wanted to inhale the very essence of the place. "Welcome home, Shiki." Her voice was soft.
"… Home, huh?" Shiki said softly as he began to walk forward, his legs carrying him directly ahead towards the vast bastion. "It looks different from the last time I saw it."
"Well, the last time I was asleep," Arcueid replied. "Now though, we'll can be together, won't we?"
Together. The word resonated in his mind as he continued walking.
A gentle breeze whipped up around them as they continued walking towards the castle, rustling the flowers and carrying the sweet scent on the wind to Shiki. He breathed deeply, feeling refreshed even as he did so.
The air here was pure, untouched and unsullied by humans. Here, a realm where time seemed to have no meaning. A world empty and silent, and yet filled with life.
A place of rest for Shiki Tohno.
Arcueid had been the one to come up with the idea, sitting by his side in the hospital after he had come to again. He supposed that suddenly collapsing in the middle of the day must have been alarming to her.
She had been unusually withdrawn after that incident, sitting to side and waiting quietly as Akiha and Hisui and Kohaku and hurried in, looking over him to make sure he was okay. It was only after they had left that Arcueid had walked over and sat by his side.
"You've been getting worse lately, Shiki." That statement had not been a question.
"I'll be fine," he smiled weakly. They both knew that his display of bravado was just that, and that he was burning through the very end of his sharply limited lifespan. Even simple acts like walking across town had been taxing him lately, and now his latest collapse…
Silence descended once more upon the two of them. One look at Arcueid let Shiki know that she was troubled, and that she was trying to decide something in her mind.
"Arcueid?" He prompted after a moment.
Arcueid raised her head to look at Shiki, worry in her eyes. "Shiki, what if there was… what if there was a way to help you recover?"
"Huh?"
And so here he was, standing in the endless field, staring at a moon far too large to be natural.
"Shiki? Anything the matter?" Arcueid asked as she walked up behind him.
"No, just… thinking," he replied. "I don't think I've gotten fully used to the idea of living here yet."
She nodded once. "Honestly, everything feels a little unfamiliar to me right now, too," she paused. "By the way, I got your room set up already. Do you want to go take a look at it?"
He returned her nod. "I might as well."
Together, they entered the depths of the ancient castle.
Shiki's eyes snapped open abruptly and he sat up in the bed. A quick glance around the room revealed nothing that would have been the obvious source of waking him up.
He hadn't expected to be able to fall asleep so quickly, but he had been tired – more than he'd realized.
From the window of his new room, moonlight poured in, a shining ray of silver-blue illuminating the far wall of the room. For some unknown reason he found himself climbing out of bed, walking slowly over to the window and looking outside.
The lonely, desolate beauty of the fields surrounding the Millennium Castle was even more breathtaking under the light of the moon, and for an endless moment Shiki simply stood there, his breath taken away by the sight.
And then, after a long moment, he noticed movement on the fields far below him, and his attention was drawn to Arcueid, far below him, walking slowly through the fields. Maybe it was simply a quirk of the light, but at that moment, she seemed… ethereal. A divine being, one beyond the reach of mere humans.
In fact, the entire place appeared different, radiating a presence that Shiki had never really felt before and couldn't understand. In some ways, it was almost like he was not only in a different part of the world, but a different world altogether.
For a brief, single moment, Shiki could almost believe that this place was paradise on earth.
Almost. Because regardless of whatever Shiki said, he and Arcueid both knew that there was more to Shiki's life than just the two of them, that while this was the only thing that could be done for him, it had still made a hole in his life that would not mend easily.
But still.
For now.
He could gaze down upon a lonely figure bathed in silver moonlight, and forget that this was merely almost heaven.
I wanted to try on a Shiki/Arcueid fic that didn't actually focus all that much on Shiki/Arcueid, if that makes any sense.
I hope you all enjoyed it.
Next: Happy Birthday, Arcueid