Disclaimer: Yui doesn't own X. Clamp does.
Deep Inside of You
By Miyamoto Yui
"While you are alive my son, you must fulfill your duty…" one mother firmly told her son. "We have been given this obligation as one of honor by your aunt…"
But for those who are shunned into a gentle darkness…
It might as well have been called a curse.
Chapter 21 – No identity.
Souhi looked across at Hien as she nodded her head to say that the Hime had just gone to sleep. Hien nodded her head to acknowledge that she had understood what her sister had meant.
Then, they both sat down at each side of the dreamseer's bed to meditate.
It was an odd thing, really. Souhi would remember things that had come, but Hien tried to stop her. And when Hien started to even think of a future beyond the immediate, Souhi would give her a silent look.
Everything in Hinoto-hime's presence was silent. You could hear a pin drop on one side of the room and it would be as if it were right in front of you. Even the twins and their footsteps were like that of a ninja's.
From birth, they had been trained to be quiet as the wind, yet swift as they come. It was one treacherous exercise after the other. Well, that was as far as they could remember.
Souhi just opened her eyes as she looked at the wooden floor before her. Quietly, she thought of the trees that used to rustle next to their bedroom when they were little. Out in some village far from Tokyo, their relatives had taken care of them.
And their predecessors, their parents, visited once in a while. So, in truth, Souhi and Hien had only each other.
But, they were opposites as much as the one named Sumeragi Subaru and his sister Hokuto. They only knew this because Hinoto-hime told them of her dreams since they were five years old.
At five years of age, they had mastered what their relatives had taught them in the deep of the woods. And now, it was their own parents they must face when they were taken back to Tokyo.
Souhi and Hien were happy to be with their parents, but what they didn't know was what was the final test.
The only way to inherit the position of being Hinoto-hime's protector…
…was through bloodshed.
The twins refused to fight their parents to the death. But in the end, as with all that couldn't fight destiny, their parents died at their hands…
And for someone they had never met before.
"Never look back," their mother had said as she held both of their cheeks with one hand each.
In the end, they ended up burying their parents under patches of forestry with no markers. The graves were only etched in each of their hearts. How they ever managed doing all this and the pain along with it, no one would ever knew.
No one would ever begin to understand.
Only Hinoto-hime could.
Quickly, they rushed towards the government building where Hinoto-hime would be. When they had entered Hinoto-hime's chambers, they fell to their knees in respect.
But each felt a tinge of resentment deep inside their hearts.
They had been trained since birth to give their total body, mind, and soul to this paralyzed woman who could do wonders with her dreams. They had both thought she was beautiful, but each had their own opinion of beauty.
Hinoto-hime bowed to them politely. "Hello" was all she could say.
They both looked at each other, amazed that she had spoken directly into their minds.
There were no room for 'sorry''s for this was a part of the family line. How could she apologize for something like that?
It was because of that one person…
that one woman who had said she would protect her a long time ago…
"Hello Hinoto-hime," two tiny voices answered.
"I am Souhi," one twin said as the other announced, "I am Hien."
After a moment of silence…
"You are like a beautiful doll," Hien blurted out in childish curiosity.
"Shh! You're not supposed to say that to the princess!" Hien scolded in a loud whisper.
Hinoto-hime lifted up her hand and laughed as Hien blushed.
From then on, they lived with one another. It was also the day that Souhi and Hien were no longer allowed to visit outside of the building unless told to do so.
Together, Souhi and Hien learned to take care of this princess that they had learned to love as if she were their own mother. Though Hinoto didn't know how to even take care of herself, she tried her best to understand them as much as they wanted to understand her.
Hinoto-hime could never scold them. Nor could she even say a word to that boy Saiki she had also grown fond of.
She just couldn't.
Even when Souhi and Hien couldn't concentrate sometimes when they were supposed to meditate…
Hien once went to the Hime and cried on her clothing while Souhi stood there with wide eyes trying not to get too upset.
"I want to go back up there, Hinoto-hime," she pleaded with a soft voice. Hinoto-hime, in a dream, embraced her and shook her head sorrowfully. "I…I'm sorry…"
So, from that time on, Hinoto-hime told them stories. But they were actually dreams of the future as well as the past.
That was all she could do after all.
Many people came and many years passed, but they kept a constant watch over this woman that they had learned to love. And she also loved them.
But it was a maternal love…
Also one of reverence like that of their parents that had served her…
"Can you play the flute for me, Souhi?" Hinoto-hime had asked one day.
Souhi played and it calmed her. And so, everytime the princess felt trouble, Souhi always played. And the quiet Hien would whisper words as if she were singing.
"…No one would care to know the difference.
We are the same, aren't we, Souhi?…"
Souhi just nodded her head while still playing the flute.
At that moment, Souhi closed her eyes as Hien glanced at her sister also unable to concentrate in their meditations. She looked up to the ceiling above them not wanting to go the surface world anymore.
Hien had accepted that this was the life that they had to live though she knew that Souhi longed for the forests of their youth. She stared at the ceiling not wanting to cry at all for those tears weren't meant to be cried anymore.
Then, Hien looked towards her sister's direction to find her sister playing the flute once more. And she found herself in tune trying to say words that she couldn't.
Hinoto-hime opened her eyes but didn't make it known that she was listening with tears.
She listened to Hien's continuous poetry:
"…destiny is gone,
banished from one's own heart. De-
nial is the key…
In the darkness,
one cannot distinguish
one thing from another
when they are in sync…"
"No…" Hinoto-hime had wanted to say. "I can tell you apart…"
Then, she thought, "I should have said sorry…but what would I say it for?"
Deep inside…
Souhi kept on playing her flute while looking at the wooden floor thinking of yesterday…
…as Hien looked at the ceiling wondering if they would live today.
--
Author's note: I tried to make this different. Since I was taking perspectives of two people, I wanted to make it like a story within a story.
Deep Inside of You
By Miyamoto Yui
"While you are alive my son, you must fulfill your duty…" one mother firmly told her son. "We have been given this obligation as one of honor by your aunt…"
But for those who are shunned into a gentle darkness…
It might as well have been called a curse.
Chapter 21 – No identity.
Souhi looked across at Hien as she nodded her head to say that the Hime had just gone to sleep. Hien nodded her head to acknowledge that she had understood what her sister had meant.
Then, they both sat down at each side of the dreamseer's bed to meditate.
It was an odd thing, really. Souhi would remember things that had come, but Hien tried to stop her. And when Hien started to even think of a future beyond the immediate, Souhi would give her a silent look.
Everything in Hinoto-hime's presence was silent. You could hear a pin drop on one side of the room and it would be as if it were right in front of you. Even the twins and their footsteps were like that of a ninja's.
From birth, they had been trained to be quiet as the wind, yet swift as they come. It was one treacherous exercise after the other. Well, that was as far as they could remember.
Souhi just opened her eyes as she looked at the wooden floor before her. Quietly, she thought of the trees that used to rustle next to their bedroom when they were little. Out in some village far from Tokyo, their relatives had taken care of them.
And their predecessors, their parents, visited once in a while. So, in truth, Souhi and Hien had only each other.
But, they were opposites as much as the one named Sumeragi Subaru and his sister Hokuto. They only knew this because Hinoto-hime told them of her dreams since they were five years old.
At five years of age, they had mastered what their relatives had taught them in the deep of the woods. And now, it was their own parents they must face when they were taken back to Tokyo.
Souhi and Hien were happy to be with their parents, but what they didn't know was what was the final test.
The only way to inherit the position of being Hinoto-hime's protector…
…was through bloodshed.
The twins refused to fight their parents to the death. But in the end, as with all that couldn't fight destiny, their parents died at their hands…
And for someone they had never met before.
"Never look back," their mother had said as she held both of their cheeks with one hand each.
In the end, they ended up burying their parents under patches of forestry with no markers. The graves were only etched in each of their hearts. How they ever managed doing all this and the pain along with it, no one would ever knew.
No one would ever begin to understand.
Only Hinoto-hime could.
Quickly, they rushed towards the government building where Hinoto-hime would be. When they had entered Hinoto-hime's chambers, they fell to their knees in respect.
But each felt a tinge of resentment deep inside their hearts.
They had been trained since birth to give their total body, mind, and soul to this paralyzed woman who could do wonders with her dreams. They had both thought she was beautiful, but each had their own opinion of beauty.
Hinoto-hime bowed to them politely. "Hello" was all she could say.
They both looked at each other, amazed that she had spoken directly into their minds.
There were no room for 'sorry''s for this was a part of the family line. How could she apologize for something like that?
It was because of that one person…
that one woman who had said she would protect her a long time ago…
"Hello Hinoto-hime," two tiny voices answered.
"I am Souhi," one twin said as the other announced, "I am Hien."
After a moment of silence…
"You are like a beautiful doll," Hien blurted out in childish curiosity.
"Shh! You're not supposed to say that to the princess!" Hien scolded in a loud whisper.
Hinoto-hime lifted up her hand and laughed as Hien blushed.
From then on, they lived with one another. It was also the day that Souhi and Hien were no longer allowed to visit outside of the building unless told to do so.
Together, Souhi and Hien learned to take care of this princess that they had learned to love as if she were their own mother. Though Hinoto didn't know how to even take care of herself, she tried her best to understand them as much as they wanted to understand her.
Hinoto-hime could never scold them. Nor could she even say a word to that boy Saiki she had also grown fond of.
She just couldn't.
Even when Souhi and Hien couldn't concentrate sometimes when they were supposed to meditate…
Hien once went to the Hime and cried on her clothing while Souhi stood there with wide eyes trying not to get too upset.
"I want to go back up there, Hinoto-hime," she pleaded with a soft voice. Hinoto-hime, in a dream, embraced her and shook her head sorrowfully. "I…I'm sorry…"
So, from that time on, Hinoto-hime told them stories. But they were actually dreams of the future as well as the past.
That was all she could do after all.
Many people came and many years passed, but they kept a constant watch over this woman that they had learned to love. And she also loved them.
But it was a maternal love…
Also one of reverence like that of their parents that had served her…
"Can you play the flute for me, Souhi?" Hinoto-hime had asked one day.
Souhi played and it calmed her. And so, everytime the princess felt trouble, Souhi always played. And the quiet Hien would whisper words as if she were singing.
"…No one would care to know the difference.
We are the same, aren't we, Souhi?…"
Souhi just nodded her head while still playing the flute.
At that moment, Souhi closed her eyes as Hien glanced at her sister also unable to concentrate in their meditations. She looked up to the ceiling above them not wanting to go the surface world anymore.
Hien had accepted that this was the life that they had to live though she knew that Souhi longed for the forests of their youth. She stared at the ceiling not wanting to cry at all for those tears weren't meant to be cried anymore.
Then, Hien looked towards her sister's direction to find her sister playing the flute once more. And she found herself in tune trying to say words that she couldn't.
Hinoto-hime opened her eyes but didn't make it known that she was listening with tears.
She listened to Hien's continuous poetry:
"…destiny is gone,
banished from one's own heart. De-
nial is the key…
In the darkness,
one cannot distinguish
one thing from another
when they are in sync…"
"No…" Hinoto-hime had wanted to say. "I can tell you apart…"
Then, she thought, "I should have said sorry…but what would I say it for?"
Deep inside…
Souhi kept on playing her flute while looking at the wooden floor thinking of yesterday…
…as Hien looked at the ceiling wondering if they would live today.
--
Author's note: I tried to make this different. Since I was taking perspectives of two people, I wanted to make it like a story within a story.