A soul was alone.
It figure was unaltered, stilled atop the ground he stands, and covered only in pale white cape that matched its sick pale skin. It was as if the soul is already dead.
The only sign that prove its life was it lightly heaving chest and pouring tears from its dead eyes. However, its distinguished face was unnerved, motionless, and calm as a lake without a ripple.
The ground beneath it was burning while the sky atop it was crackling, and he was betwixt those. It was a disturbing sight that can drive one affright. It was as if the world has falling apart, failing to hold the burden she held until now.
Another figure stepping closer at him, with its slightly longer hair flapped by the raging windstorm so as the distinct white robes they wears. A melancholic smile adorn it gentle face.
"What did you see?"
The stranger question. Yet the first didn't answer.
"Are you scared?"
The stranger question. Yet the first didn't answer.
"Do you want to be guided?"
The stranger question. Yet the first didn't answer.
"Or do you want an answer?"
The stranger question. And the first answered.
"Can I run away from this?"
The first question. And the stranger answered.
"Alas, the answer is no."
"Will I be alone?"
The first question. And the stranger answered.
"Alas, but only the time can answer."
And the first stopped. It fixed its gaze over a surreally colorful flower bed in the middle of vast catastrophes. They are too beautiful for this land. They are too dazzling for it eyes to sight upon. They are too fragile to touch.
"It is your choice to ignore them. It is your choice to enjoy them."
The stranger gives. But the first didn't choose
Yet.
"Could you guide me?"
"Yes, I could. Yes, we should."
"Then will you help me?"
"Yes, I will. Yes, we will."
"Will you help me find my choice?"
"I shall not set your path. You shall choose where you want to step. However, I will help you from your misfortune if you encounter one."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"Please take care of me from now on."
"I will. We will."
The first stride toward the stranger. The stranger gives it hand to the first and it gently accepted it.
"From today onward, you're my brother. From today onward, you're one of my siblings. And thus, I welcome you, as your elder sister, as your newly found sister, to our house, to out sanctuary, to our family and to eternality, my dearest brother."
OooOooO
It was her graduation party. It was same as the prom party they held last year; however this time, the one who prepared this wasn't her and her clubmates, but their beloved kouhai was.
Last year, she somehow missed the chance to confess her feeling to him. She missed the chance to put an end to this club emotional journey. To put an end and set a new one for her. For them.
Dressed in a white dress, she strides in the park, surrounded with flower all over her side while her pale visible skin was glowing from the bewitching radiant light of moon. Her serene blue eyes, lacking the usual iciness and lonesome, were fixed upon the colorful flower field that enveloped in the embrace of serene moonlight. Such a sight was to captivate any soul, including her, in peacefulness and lull.
The brisk breeze sent her long, black raven hair fluttering slightly, making the sight of the mesmerizing garden under the moonlight much more magically picturesque with her presence. It was as if the moon goddess has graced her very presence to be sight upon by this beautifully tainted world.
Her step is steady and calm. However, her hands were slightly shaking and her heart was beating hard, filled with nervousness and anticipation. She can't stop it. Each step bring her fear clawing grew stronger, eating her mind slowly with anxiety.
Getting closer to where they would meet today, her gaze finally found him. He was there, standing beneath a tree while staring straight at the pale moon. She can saw his rotten eyes same still, his black hair gently fluttering and his pale face bathed by the moonlight.
If the sight of the garden before was magically beautiful, then the sight of him staring at this moment would be surreally breathtaking. For her, it was as if such a great sin to set her gaze upon him at this moment. But she glad she felt like that because the moment she saw him, she felt all her worries gone.
"Hikigaya-kun."
She called him, with the amount of courage that surprised herself, and the abyss stared back at her, unfortunately, she can't run away from it. Today was surprisingly an another day she found the deep darkness captivated her eyes once again.
"Yukinoshita. You've come, I'm sorry."
God know how she loved the way he called her name.
"No need, Hikigaya-kun. I was gladly accepting your call. A-are you ready to go?" She asked, talking about the prom they're going to together.
"Maybe yes. Maybe no. I'm just... troubled."
"Is it about... Yuigahama-san?" She asked, hesitantly.
"Yeah, this is about her. This is also about you too. I'm worried about you..." Her heart skipped a beat. "...About us. Will you be alright? Will we be alright? Will everything be alright?"
His echoing word and voice sounds so pleasantly melodic today. It was as if she heard a pleasant lullaby, trying to get her into a deep slumber and sent her into heaven. Her heart hammering loudly that she afraid he can hear it right now.
God know how she hated him for playing with her maiden heart like this.
"It's okay Hikigaya-kun. No need to worry. We to have talked about this matter but apparently, she was happy and aware about this already." She was lucky she didn't stammering like an idiot.
A melancholic smile adorned his usually stoic face as he turned away, looking back at the moon. A butterfly apparently visited and fluttering inside her stomach because that smile.
"Say, Yukinoshita. Do you want... to have a kiss?"
And all of sudden, he mercilessly attacked her already weak heart. Her pale face immediately grew red as she stared at him in surprise with widened eyes that looks about to fall out.
"Hi-Hikigaya-kun, what a-are you talking ab-about?"
"Just a suggestion. Take it as my apology to make you to meet a creep like me."
"B-but... that's an inappropriate thi-thing to do..." B-but she wanted to do that. B-but that's a too tempting offer to be missed.
"Okay then. Let me lead you."
Yelp escaped from her mouth as he gently held her cheek, forcing her wide open blue gaze meet the abyss. Blood quickly rushed over her brain, making it dizzy and taking over her face pale color with a deep red. Blankness starts to take over her mind. She don't know what to do, she don't know how to react. Never once in her mind she would ever think he could be this... assertive. This aggressive. This dangerous.
He leaned forward, but stopped midair, waiting for her answer. Oh, how could he be this so gentle and aggressive at the same time. It was so contradicting. It was so unfair. He was too dangerous for her heart and mental health.
But still, she gladly accepted him.
Her lips meet him, giving him her very first kiss that she only will give to someone whom she'd fallen to and want to live with the said person happily ever after until the end of their journey.
She was a person who is not too fond to something unrealistic such as real life romance and spent her time with a more rational literature. However, human can dream. And tonight, it was as if she'd been pulled into rose-tinted fairytale, kissing under the tree and enveloped in moonlight.
His lips, although cold, felt so soft on her. She doesn't know what he felt about her and can only hope he enjoyed as much as her. Her hands were slowly making it way toward his shoulder and cheek. Her eyes were focused on his. Her mind was memorizing every single moment of this. Unfortunately, the world and time still need to move and two souls parted away.
Their lips were linked for only a few second, but she wanted it to be an eternity.
"I'm sorry, Yukinoshita."
And the boy muttered something strange.
"I won't be able to face Komachi, so please tell her I love her."
Her mind tried to understand his words. But only to no avail.
"Tell Yuigahama that I enjoyed our time together."
Her mind tried to understand his words. And she felt her body shaking from unknown fear.
"I love you, Yukinoshita Yukino. And I'm so sorry. I'll leave this city, this place and probably your heart."
"Hi-Hikigaya-kun, what are you saying?" She asked, her voice shaking.
"Sleep tight, Yukino. No need to forgive me. No need to remember me." He said, kissing her forehead.
"Hachiman! What are you saying!?" She demanded, fear swirling in her heart.
But slowly, she felt her eyes heavy and her body grew weak. He embraced her, putting her head on his should as he gently caress her cheek and hair while singing an indefinable beautiful lullaby into her ears, increasing the weight on her eyelid as tear began to drop from her eyes itself.
However, her physical state unmatched her mind that currently screaming to herself to held him down and asks him if this is just stupid joke, completely ignoring the weird fact at how he put her into sleep.
He then gently put her body down on the grass beneath her and blankets her with the glow of moonlight. Her mind grew even more terrified as she fruitlessly commanded her malfunctioning body to move, to catch his arm, to stop him. But alas, she'd never reach him.
She can only be there, lying on the ground, and watch him wiping her rolling tear before walking away with her half-lidded wet eyes. She tried her hardest to keep her eyes open, but it betrayed her as she blinked and found he vanished into the night.
And she can only hope this is just a dream, a mere nightmare that she will wake away from it as the curtain fallen down. And her gaze closed. Driving her mind away.
And her eyes opened.
She awoke from it, panting slightly as tears still rolling down on her cheeks. Her pajama and hair was completely disheveled, revealing some private part of her body. But she could be careless because she currently in her room. She could be careless because another thing occupied her mind. Another thing terrified her mind.
She was awake already, but this is still a nightmare. Worse, she could never wake up from this nightmare.
Week been passed since his disappearance. No one knew his whereabouts, neither Hiratsuka-sensei nor his family. Even his beloved sister Komachi, doesn't even know where he is right now.
He just vanished without leaving any message except his apologize that night.
She can still felt his lips, the sensation and the warmth they share that night, veiled under the moon. And to know that is the last thing he'd left for her was devastatingly crushed her heart and left her crying in the night for entire week. She don't even want to start how's about Komachi. It will hurt her heart even more.
"Yukinon, you got a nightmare again?"
She look to her side, finding her 'best friend', she's still embarrassed with it, gently get up and worriedly looked at her.
"Ah, Yuigahama-san, please forgive me for bothering your sleep."
"Nah don't worry Yukinon, it was, like, already a wake time right now."
She gently smiled at the former. The former smiled back at her.
"Actually, what's really happening that day? Aren't you supposed to confess to him?"
"...I didn't have the chance. Since I arrived, his words were already weird. I thought we're talking about the same thing, but apparently we're not. I can't understand anything he whispered that night."
Her body starts to shake. The memory gives her a very unpleasant feeling. But it stopped as the latter start to hold her, bringing her into warm embrace. A warm adorned both of their face.
"...Thank you, Yuigahama-san."
"Geez, Yukinon. We already become a friend for 2 years; you can just call me by my first name, y'know."
Comforting silence filled the room as they share their warm to each other.
"We should also invite or come to Komachi-chan too. I'm sure she was in rougher shape these past few days."
"Hm. I agree to that. I'm afraid she really needs a company right now, given how Hikigaya-kun left without bringing anything or leaving any clue of his disappearance. Anyway Yuigahama-san..."
She gets up from the bed, moving her aching body, trying to unbind herself from an invincible chain tugging her body.
"How do you think if I cut my hair?"
She asked, without turning her head.
"Eh? Is this because I decided to keep my hair longer? Well, it's up to you Yukinon! I think you'll still beautiful with any hairstyle!"
"...Thank you, Yui."
She smiled, but unfortunately, the chain was still holding her, or fortunately? At least now it was much looser than before. And thus, she tried to face the day. She tried her best to face the unrevealed tomorrow. To walk into the unknown with an uncertain heart and anxious soul.
OooOooO
A bustling sound of people walking filled the big hall. Some were waiting for their beloved with anxiety. Some were greeted by their beloved with happy tears or cheers. Some were also left their beloved behind with sadness concealed under determination. Some were sent their beloved with worry hiden under expectation.
But he's the only alone one. Still in entire black suit attire of jacket, shirt and pair of pants he supposed to wear for the party tonight.
Never once in his mind crossed a thought about leaving this city. About leaving his homeland. About leaving his family, especially his sister. About leaving his peers, especially his newly found love and an old acquaintance.
He subconsciously touches his lips, smiled slightly as he remembers the nice soft and warm sensation while a blush appeared.
But his smile disappears as he felt a figure beside him.
A youthful middle aged woman, clad in black business suit and dress pant, leaned on the railing beside him. She has a short, shining blonde hair and apparently with a piercing of single tiny golden cross on her left ear. A silence shared between them, staring at each other somewhat with familiarity and silence happiness.
His dark abyss stared at her magnificent amethyst.
"This is felt so weirdly natural. How did I can sense you in here without knowing who you are or how you look?"
He start, watching the bustling hallway filled with flow of people walking to their destination. The woman amusedly chuckled.
"I thought you would start with how you put your girl to sleep."
"It's also on my list."
The latter amusedly chuckled again.
"What a charmer. Anyway, you're really amazing with your way delivering your disappearance mysteriously. You sure you're a socially malfunctioning human being? That would worthy enough to put in my list of 'the biggest bullshit I'd ever found in eternity', y'know."
The former unamusedly stared at her.
"Don't even start about it... Anyway, you can afford my needs and necessities, right?"
"Of course I could. Of course I should. What kind of elder sister I am for not helping her brother."
She proudly proclaimed, enticing an irritated sigh from him.
"Are you sure we've never met except in my dream where you only said vague ass dialogue before? No seriously, if it for not some kind of magic before, I would never understand any of your words."
"Who know? But one thing for sure, you're my brother and it's my obligation to guide, provides and protects you. Ready to pack your non-existent thing? We got a plane in a minute right now, Hachiman."
"I'm ready but please, could you tell me what's your name? It somewhat disturbed me to be abducted by an unknown, probably thousand years old foreigner lady."
The latter amusedly chuckled.
"Very well then. You could call me Joan, but you would probably know me as Jeanne d'Arc. The first witch of The Eternal House. And now, you're the eighth witch and the newest brother of our family, Hikigaya Hachiman. Though, it's up to you whether you wanted to change your name into a 'cooler' one or not."
She teased, he bite back.
"My dark history was already buried for a long time ago. And aren't you supposed to be a saint? I guess live for a thousand years really affected your mind."
He scoffed, she hit him.
"Hey, in my defense, I was still less than thousand y'know. And aren't your teacher and mother already taught you to not mention everything about lady's age?"
"I get it that you're my sister, but aren't watching my entire life from afar is somewhat creepy?"
He inquire, she shrugged.
"Elder's obligation, remember? Though, it's not my role to watch over you, well you'll meet her later. For now, we need to move."
She walked away, he followed behind. Somehow, no one glanced at the weird combination of pair who didn't bring any luggage at all, except their current clothes.
"Where will I go?"
At first, she didn't answer him. Until they arrive in service counter and checking in.
"For now, it's Siberia. But my vision said you should be guided by everyone, so prepare yourself for traveling around the world."
She handed him his boarding pass, brand new phone, passport and some sum of money which not a yen. Well, he didn't expect he would get a new phone since he decided to leave it behind. He seriously didn't bring anything here and it was really appreciated to get something like this.
"Wow, what a generous sister you are."
"I'm surprised you're not being sarcastic."
"Hey, I still have a heart, y'know."
And thus they walked away together.
OooOooO
2 years later.
The sound of pleasant jazz music spread throughout the bar room, fancily entertaining all patrons who spent their night drinking wine or any other poison they choose, whether alone or with drinking buddy.
And in dimly place like this, it wasn't rare to see someone who looks like they're just got out from shithole called life. Drowning themselves and their mind in alcohol until they wake up and get a massive hungover in the morning.
It was no exception for certain gorgeous lady who currently had her head planted on the counter in this western styled bar with her hand gripping tightly a bottle of rum. A long time ago, she was rarely come to place like this and drinks some alcohol that's not beer or sake, but a year or maybe some months ago, she started to come here because Izakaya was usually too noisy and too crowded. And now, she became a regular costumer every week or more often and make every other regular became familiar with her all gloomy aura. And if you asking how no one has come to try their luck slipping into her pant even if she's such a massive hottie? Then her 'don't even dare' aura had scared them all off, even the muscled giant type didn't dare to try their luck on her.
She lifted her dizzy head, revealing her still youthfully beautiful face even after all this years. In the other hand, her busty body was covered in her usual lab coat over the dress shirt with vest while her juicy ass and leg were covered in black pants. It was seriously a very dangerous combo for any healthy male.
However, the bartender who currently wiped a clean glass (which still made me questioning, why did they need to wipe it if it was already clean) in front of her was only staring at her boredly. Everyone might think he was such a lucky bastard, however, it was such a curse for having her in here drinking and incomprehensibly rambling until she passed out. It was so torturous even though he would consider himself to be a great listener. Not to mention how horrible her puke smell was.
But apparently, god has saved him and sent someone else to face her usual vomit accident as he saw a man in all suits walking toward them. And apparently, she also feel the stranger presence, who take a seat beside her, too.
"If you wanted to get into my pant, then screw off."
She aggressively barked, but only gets the stranger's ignorance. The bartender however, raised his eyebrow, asking the stranger's order.
"Cosmopolitan and a glass of water, please."
The bartender quickly prepared his cocktail.
"I said screw away."
She barked at him again while the bartender handed the order while looking at the stranger.
"Here's your order. God bless you and may he save you. Good luck."
"Why are you not on my side? I thought we were great buddy."
She looked at the bartender and protested in disbelief.
"Ma'am, this is my job and I need to pay my rent and debt tomorrow. At least give me a few tips if you wanted my support. You're only giving me a horrible scent whenever you came here."
She averted her gaze embarrassedly before she can hear an amused sweet-full chuckle from her side. Her blush disappears, replaced by her eyebrow twitching as she turned her head toward him.
"What are you laughing at?"
She exasperatedly asked to the stranger, turning her head to the man who currently sipping on his cocktail. A young man with black raven hair tied into a ponytail, clad with business suit set of jacket, white shirt and trousers, oh, and he had black tie too!
And at that moment, she remembered how his voice sound and how his face looks awfully familiar to her. As if a distant memory hit her head with a giant mallet, she clutched her already dizzy head tightly. To make it even worse, the stranger stared straight into her eyes, plunging her very soul with his deep abyss that she somehow found herself weirdly enchanted and captivating her sight.
"You're not changing at all. I afraid if someone hasn't marry you, I seriously gonna tempted to try that, sensei."
And then she found her hand, her fist, subconsciously hit his face. She remember how she usually hit his gut, but now, he pissed her off to the extent that she wanted to kill him in the most horrible way she could imagine.
She hit him as hard as he can, but he sits still on there, only his head jerk away awkwardly from her hand. The loud thud rung in the room, quickly silencing it and even the jazz music itself stopped. (Fuck, way to ruin the serious atmosphere.)
"What the fuc-"
The bartender yelled, but only got halfway by her.
"You really got a gut to set your feet back in here after these years disappearing without any word... Now, you better speak if you don't want me to hit your head with this goddamn bottle and slid your fucking throat with its shard!"
She growled, yanking the stranger's collar to face her wrath. However, he's still as calm as unbothered water. He turned his head to and opened his mouth to the bartender.
"Do you have a VIP room for pri-"
"Don't even dare to try ignoring me, you fucking bastard. Did you know what happened to your sister now after your disappearance?"
She growled, taking back his line of sight with a single tuck.
"No need to tell me. It was no surprise for me if she became a walking corpse because of me, and I know I can never be forgiven for that sin."
"Shut up! You don't know anything about her suffering, about my suffering and about our fucking suffering!"
She growled, her voice shaking.
"It was no surprise if I give you guys a lot of pain in the ass."
Now she starts to hold back her tear.
"Shut up goddamnit... you don't know how many hardships Yukinoshita need to pass to be able... to live normally after that night... you... bastard!"
Tear dropping from her eyes, making his trousers wet slightly. The atmosphere in the room turned into awkwardly weird that even the bouncer don't know anymore what to do.
"I know. The way I tortured her was unforgivable aren't it?"
Stream of tears rolled even faster on her cheek, dripping down to his trouser.
"Rotting in hell won't even save your soul from her, from me, from us."
But apparently, her body grew weaker from how her glare softened slightly.
"I know."
And suddenly she puked out on his trouser and passed out, face-planting right at where his crotch located, which also mean she got her face drenched in her own vomit. "Lucky bastard." Everyone else in the room, except the stranger and the bartender, shared a same though.
"Now that was surprising. Do you have a clean cloth? No need to worry, I'll pay her bill."
OooOooO
It still surprised me that you can write something abstract like this. Are you got high when wrote this? You didn't overdose yourself with strawberry milk, aren't you?
Well, I guess this is what happened when you tried to do something while listening to bury the light or any other headbanger in full blast. Which is literally make me-
Okay, stop. Yes, I get it. Now everything kinda makes sense.
I'll take that as a compliment...
And why Jeanne d'Arc tho. You know she's not a witch right?
Long story or short one?
I'm afraid both of them weren't too helpful as long as you're the one who explain that, but, long one, I guess. God please protect me.
Well, I could say I need to blame my big dummy smartass for concluding on something. When I found that the France's hero is burned in stake, my mind just concluded that she got burned by her own people for being a witch, which completely wrong, but then turned out that the one who burned her was England, damn. But it still cool though, so why not?
So, is she from fate?
Kinda, it's more like an OC for me.
And how about your other fic?
Well, I wanted to take a break from it. Y'know, so as I didn't get bored to it... Anyway, I'm also curious too, did you guys won't mind it if yukino have a short hair? Only in your imagination I mean, tho, I wouldn't mind to draw it, but my drawing was still suck but I'll try!
Hope you guys enjoy this fic of mine, me and narra out.