Summer would soon be expiring. The days were shorter, and the world seemed to get ready for its autumn reprieve.
The friends were in a quiet place in Penguin Park, away from prying eyes. Tomoyo was filming Sakura twirling in a cute gingham romper, and the pattern just so happened to match the blanket on the ground.
Although they were mostly secluded, Sakura cast the Illusion just in case, not wanting to take any sort of risk. Kero freely fluttered before Sakura and eyed up her ensemble.
"You outdid yourself this time, Tomoyo…Sakura looks just like that American film. You know, the one with the red shoes and the witches!"
Tomoyo smiled at the compliment. "You could be the perfect animal companion, Kero. Just hop in our basket…"
Kero darted toward the woven container in question. He landed, opened up the top, hopped in, and began yapping.
"It certainly suits you," Tomoyo calmly quipped, capturing the moment on film.
Sakura burst out in laughter, giggling at the site of the plush-like guardian. She fell to the grass, missing the picnic blanket entirely, and clutched her sides in giddiness. After a moment, Kero descended from the basket, now also laughing at his silliness, and joined her on the ground. Tomoyo contently filmed the wondrous moment.
Upon a small hill, Yukito could see Sakura's merriment, and hear the song-like melody of her elation. A week ago, this little girl - nay, young woman - had handled a near-tragedy with perfect grace. And now, here she was, laughing and smiling again as if the past was far behind her.
The young man clutched his bandaged hand, quietly contemplating the events in question. All wounds take time to heal, Yukito thought to himself, but they do heal eventually.
Yukito turned his back on the scene, grateful for the distraction. He entered the brush, cool and shaded from the late-August sun. Leaves crunched and cracked underneath his feet as he delved deeper into the forest.
As he drew closer to the leafed path, Yuki could see movement in the shadows. There was no chance it would be a stranger, thanks to Sakura's spell. It could only be one person.
Touya.
The young man glided into Yukito's line of vision, wearing a sincere look of neutrality. Shadows splattered a pattern of dark spots on his face. The wind rustled the branches, and light poked in, shifting the blobs and creating little movements all over his features.
There was a ping in Yukito's heart. It had been a full week since the two men had seen each other. Yukito missed Touya deeply, but knew it was best that they got some space.
For Yue, anyway.
A pulse of nerves flickered within Yukito's subconscious. His other half was now awakening, and was fully anticipating the conversation to come. With the two alone, there was no escaping the reality of the situation.
Yukito stepped into the foliage, allowing the trees to cover his own form. He was the first to speak.
"I know someone wants to talk, To-ya."
Touya, too, stepped forward and only nodded, choosing not to answer with words.
In an instant, wings emerged from Yukito's back. Touya looked on at the scene as the majestic, angelic humanoid emerged from within the white plumes.
Yue stood before Touya. For a few moments, the two just looked upon each other, neither one of them choosing to speak. Then -
"Touya," Yue acknowledged the elder Kinomoto. He noticed that Touya was looking much better than their previous exchange. The young man's healthy, glowing complexion returned - clearly, he had rested. However, his demeanor remained stony and resolute.
Touya took another step forward. A breeze carried the laughter from the picnic scene, but neither man seemed to notice.
The young man finally responded, and his voice soft yet strong, "I'm sure I don't need to tell you…" he began. Each syllable was clear, but there was an wicked edge to his words as they dripped with muted anger.
"Do you even know…what you put us all through?" He continued, even as his words clipped off his tongue. Yue simply listened, understanding that - while this conversation was difficult - it was something that needed to openly occur between the two.
"You promised to protect them, Yue. My sister…my best friend. You put this family through too much."
Touya once again stepped closer. His own pupils contracted as he stared deeply into the Moon Guardian's features.
"You tried to kill him, Yue. Kill. Him." The distance between the two was closing. "Sakura may have been able to move on easily. I, however, am having trouble getting past this."
Yue felt something churn within him as Touya's words reached his ears. His own anger flared, a mix of guilt and self-defense.
"Touya," he hissed, just as clipped, "Enough." He let the word slide off his tongue. "Enough," he said again, stronger this time, gripping his fingers tightly into fists. "Your anger is valid, however…I do not expect you to understand fully." He took a breath. "But I do expect you to respect that this was between myself and Yukito."
Touya's brows deepened, creating sharp lines of anger on his face. "When it involves my family," Touya pronounced just as slowly, "it automatically involves me."
At this, Yue actually began to glower. He inhaled a sharp, deliberate breath as if to steady his own thoughts. "Of course, ever-so-noble Touya protects his family…" He could not help the air of sarcasm in his voice. "Ignorant to the fact that both Sakura and Yukito are my family, as well." He searched for a reaction on Touya's face, and when there was none, he continued. "You are focused on those you love, yes, yet fail to consider the experience that I, myself, have been through."
There was no movement from Touya as Yue concluded, except for his eyes. They widened slightly, as if tuning into an invisible force.
Yue realized he had the other man's full attention, so he continued. "Consider yourself fortunate," and the words left a bitter taste in the Moon Guardian's mouth, "to act upon those notions of love." Yue went on, growing uncharacteristically louder with each word, "There has never been a time where you needed to hide, or experience life second-handed.
"I am grateful that Yukito understands and forgives my severe lack of judgment, and…" At this, his eyes narrowed into feline slits, "My Mistress understands, and forgives me, as well. That is truly the important part of this story."
There was a ripple of warmth that flowed through Yue's fingertips. Yukito had listened to the speech, and was mentally applauding his other laugh. I'm proud of you, Yue.
A noise broke the tense moment, and it took a second to pinpoint it. Touya's PHS began to ring. Leaving Yue's gaze for just a moment, Touya picked the phone out of his pocket to glance at the number at the screen.
"Kaiju," he mumbled, but with a softer tone. He concealed the phone once more.
I'm sure Sakura wants him to join us, Yukito surmises. I bet she was hoping you two would talk.
Yue agreed, but noticed that Touya had already turned his back to him. The young man began striding away, yet cocked his head to the side in one last look of acknowledgement.
"You are lucky," Touya stated, neither angry nor pleased, "that Sakura was chosen as your master." With that, Touya carved his own path through the trees, leaving the scene behind him.
I am eternally grateful, Yue silently acceded, and began his own journey back to the clearing.
Yue stood upon the hill and looked down at the happy space below. Sakura was using the Bubble Card to create swaths of bubbles, and the Card was responding with gusto. Mountains upon mountains of soapy orbs floated through the air, creating an ethereal scene as the sun set on the horizon. Kero, Yue dryling noted, was trying to bounce from bubble to bubble. Sakura laughed at her Sun Guardian, again nearly doubling over as Kero continually popped through the flimsy, glittery spheres.
Yue's wings emerged as he began to prepare the transformation, but he felt an immediate thought enter his mind. Yukito was attempting to stop him. Yue, you go down this time. His words were firm, but kind. The Moon Guardian could almost feel Yukito willing his body to step forward. I want you to. And I know Sakura wants it, too.
A blush creeped upon Yue's face. But he relented, and Yue instead used his wings to float down to the meadow below.
The Bubble Card noticed him first as he landed, then Kero, then finally Sakura. Tomoyo, still filming, simply pivoted to record Yue's entrance. Bubbles stopped her escapade upon seeing the Moon Guardian, but there were residual spheres. A few iridescent bubbles floated into Yue's line of vision. He gently, slowly, raised a hand to touch one, as if cupping a flower. It popped immediately, but he smiled. It wasn't a huge grin like Yukito's, but it was genuine. And the sight of it made Sakura all the more gleeful.
The Card Mistress took his hands and pulled him in, beckoning Yue to join. She attempted to spin in a circle, but Sakura's hands were too slippery from the bubbles, and she accidentally let go and fell back.
Yue panicked for a second, but noticed his Mistress was laughing. "Uh oh!" Kero commented, clearly catching the fleeting look on Yue's face, "It looks like someone does care!"
A feeling bloomed inside of the Moon Guardian's body. It was soft, but familiar and foreign at the same time, and it filled him up with a sparkling new energy.
The storm had passed, and summer would reach a peaceful end.
You must fix your heart
And you must build an altar where it rests
When the storm decays and the sky, it rains
Let it flood, let it flood, let it wash away
And as we stumble through your last crusade
Will you welcome your extinction in the morning rays?
And as the swarming calls, we lay in the foundations…
My Chemical Romance, Foundations of Decay
A/N
To all my readers, especially those of the past - I cannot thank you all enough for accompanying me on this multi-year journey.
MCR released this song only a few months ago, but I found it so fitting to this situation. A part of Yue is dying, and he is ready to be reborn and experience a new life. I think everything has a path and purpose, and while it took forever to complete this (Chapter 5 literally took years to get just right), I think it was meant to be released with the words of this song.
Please keep an eye out for more to come. Again, I thank you from the very bottom of my heart.
PS - Please support me on *another major archive* as HerWrittenUniverse.
xoxox Chella