a/n : A very *short* piece I did while feeling a little ill. Character death, but not graphic.. We don't even know how or why.
Written by Anikka Sedai
The sun was shining, a little too brightly, but it was bearable.
A smile, pained but genuine, wrinkled sheet white skin as he blinked against the light. How long had it been since he'd stopped to appreciate a beautiful day? Too long probably.
Regret floated through his mind over things that were dismissed as trivial. It was a shame he had wasted so much time; it wasn't until this moment that he realized how precious it was. There had been no false pretenses of immortality, but nothing ever prepared a person for something like this.
A lone sakura petal danced along the warm morning breeze, teasingly drifting just millimetres from his face. The barest hint of scent made his smile grow a little more.
Tears?
The little one wept, incomprehension and anger visible on his face. He was turning away now, into the arms of the monk - the cold one who never showed any emotion or sincerity until now. He looked shaken, but was trying to hide it, and telling the little one that everything would be all right, even though he knew it wouldn't be.
He felt guilty.
Only one was at his side. The one who was always there, and the one who always needed him. He felt a tight grip on his hand, strong but wavering, too frightened to accept. How would he move on? The other two would not be much comfort. How could they be when they could not even comfort themselves?
His friend didn't cry though. He never cried.
"I'm sorry."
He could feel the light getting brighter, and hotter. So much wasted time with guilt and purpose. Why had he not taken the time to enjoy frivolity?
The sakura petal danced across his vision for a final time before his eyelids became too heavy to keep open. Then a silence. A silence so loud it shattered everything. And still hands gripped each other, as if one could pull the other back.
"It's all right Hakkai. We'll be fine."
But they wouldn't be.