11. You and Me: Our Destinies Entwined
Rukawa woke up and was confused, 'Where am I? Sendoh…'
He tried to move but found himself chained to the wall, by his wrist. He struggled for a while and gave up, 'It's useless. I'll be trapped here, forced to watch yet another person I love, die.'
Rukawa laughed bitter, 'Everyone thinks I'm important. They have no idea the limits to my powers. Powers? No, it's a curse. I can't change anything, I can't give them any advice. I merely tell them what I see. Whether I tell them or not, doesn't alter the outcome. They act like I see the future and teach them what to do, to obtain the best outcome. Bakas.'
'Why? Why did Jin-chan trap me here? It has to be her. No one else uses a psych-whip but her,' Rukawa sighed, unable to feel anger or hatred for her, 'even if she didn't stop me and locked me in here, someone else would have. '
The one he truly loathe was himself, 'I'm so sorry Akira. I should've told you how I really felt. I should've been nicer to you. Instead I tried to keep our distance, and hurt you so you would back away from me. I should've opened myself to you but I was scared. Scare that you'll leave me behind and I'll be alone again. Scare that we will grow close and you'll be torn away from me. I should've realized the inevitable will happen, that I will fall in love with you because…'
'I really want to tell you I'm sorry. Sorry for being such a cold-hearted bastard, sorry for hurting you, and most of all, sorry for not telling you the truth and that I love you,' Rukawa reflected as tears cascaded down his cheek, 'I still have tears? I haven't cried since okaasan died…'
Thinking about his okaasan and crying made him remember an incident that seemed surreal and yet at the current moment was so vivid in his mind.
~Flashback~
I was playing in the back woods, running after this lovely looking deer and tripped over a fallen tree branch. I scrapped my knee and began crying loudly. Through my tears I could see this long, hissing, worm. I think okaasan called it a snake and warned me it was dangerous. But it was just looking at me and I was much more concerned with the pain on my knee.
Okaasan came running, "What's wrong?"
"Boo-boo," I sobbed pointing at my knee.
Okaasan looked worried and blew cold air on it, "Better? I'll take you home and make it all right again, ok?"
I sniffled and nodded.
She picked me up and walked hastily towards our house. I looked at the coiled up worm. As okaasan walked by it, and it sprung. This ball of energy flew out of my hand and hit it.
~End of Flashback~
Rukawa frowned and wondered if his recollection could be correct, 'Was that really what happened? Is it possible to use psych energy without using a receiver and converter? I was just 3 at the time. Is that memory correct? Can it… Yes. It has to be real. I have to believe that it's real and my believe will help create that reality.'
Feeling renewed, he turned his hands around so, his palms were against the wall and focused, 'Akira, wait for me.'
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Ryota fell back as Fukuda swung his psych-double sided hatchet at him. Fukuda attacked again this time Ryota couldn't avoid it. Kogure appeared out of nowhere and blocked it, he looked very worn out, and pallid.
"I'm out of needles."
Kogure was straining to keep up the shield, "I can't sustain this for much longer…you better run…"
Ryota remembered his earring, it was made of a metal capable of concentrating and converting psych energy. Kogure's shield broke upon the impact of Fukuda's hatchet and the hatchet plunged into Kogure.
"No!" Ryota cried as he jabbed the psych-needle into Fukuda's heart
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Maki held his psych-sword over his head to block Akagi's axe from connecting with his skull, "You're good. Very good. But not good enough."
Maki allowed the blade of his psych-sword to fade and side stepped as Akagi lost his balance and fell forward. He drove his sword right into Akagi's spinal cord, severing it. But Akagi made one last move, twisting his body to the side as he swung his axe at Maki's neck.
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Jin looked at the empty cell and the 2 holes in the wall, 'He escaped.'
Sorrow filled her, knowing she'll never see her brother again. Someone who sacrificed so much for her, including his freedom to protect and guard her secret. She shut her eyes.
'This is no time to cry. Oniisan made his decision. I have to make mine as well. I can't stay here,' she decided holding tightly onto her whip and walled out the room cell without glancing back.
She walked down the hall.
"Jin-san. Where are you going?"
"Away from here. Out of my way."
"No, I can't."
Her whip went around his neck and with a tug the man's limp body fell to the ground. She felt nauseas, 'No. I can't stop. I got to continue.'
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Sendoh leaned back against one of the tree to rest. He was exhausted and bleeding, but alive. He felt no triumph and all he wanted to do was go back to Rukawa and be with him.
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Kiyota grasp the handle to his psych-sword and looked at Sendoh resting against the tree. His enemy was so close. An enemy that kept Jin-chan trapped. He knew he was going to die soon, his vision was blurred and he felt numb.
He focused on Sendoh. He knew his sword would never reach that far but if it was a long lance or a pole with a spear head at the end… He focused all his energy and watch the pole rushed towards Sendoh, it was going to hit him. But someone appeared before him.
'Rukawa?! Jin-chan, I'm so sor-'
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Sendoh was in a trance as Rukawa's body fell into his arm.
It was Rukawa's words that brought him back to reality, "I couldn't save okaasan, but I saved you…"
"Don't worry," Sendoh said crying as he picked Rukawa up, "I'll take you back to Ryonan. Yayoi will heal you. She can sew anything back together."
He shook his head and said with a gentle smile, "Too late. Please put me down. I…I have a lot…I want to tell you."
He knew that Rukawa was right and accepted defeat. He sat against the tree trunk and placed Rukawa across his lap, with Rukawa's head resting on his shoulder.
"Please don't cry, Rainbow."
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Sendoh looked confused and wiped his tears quickly with the back of his hand, "I won't cry."
Rukawa smiled, there was so much he had to explain but he'll never be able to explain everything. But he'll try, "I'm sorry. I am Yuu. I'm so sorry…I should've told you. But Yuu, that optimistic part of me…really did die, along with okaasan. And I became Rukawa, cold, gloomy… I didn't mean to cause you any pain…will-"
"Hush," Sendoh said softly, "it's ok. You never caused me any pain. If you had told me, I never would've been able to fall in love with you, Kaede. Most people never find true love, their entire lives. I found it twice, within Yuu, and Kaede, both the same person, yet so different. One was an angel that provided me with a haven whenever I slept. The other was also an angel, deeply caring and forever protecting me while I was awake. I so very lucky."
Yuu smiled feeling drowsy, "You once asked me, why Rainbow. I can tell you now. Rainbow symbolizes hope. It can only appear after lots of rain. The bigger the storm the lovelier the rainbow. You are my rainbow…my rainbow after a big storm…knowing you are there, make everything tolerable…"
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"There's so much more I want to say, to explain… But I feel sleepy…" Yuu said faintly taking sharp breaths, "I use to love to sleep…because that was when I get to see you…when I can escape from reality…"
'Me too.'
"But now…I want to stay awake…be with you…but I can't."
"It's alright. You're tired. Sleep."
"You sure?"
Sendoh nodded, "Because you will dream and this time it will be a long, lovely dream and we'll meet in there."
There was concern in his eyes, "Promise me…you won't do anything silly…because I love you…I want to see you happy."
Sendoh gave him a reassuring smile, "I promise. I won't do anything stupid. I'll be happy. For you, because of you. I love you."
He smiled and whispered softly, barely audible, "Made a promise…kept…forever, can't…be broken. No. Not. Ever…"
Yuu closed his eyes and his breathing got grew more shallow and eventually stopped.
Sendoh pulled Yuu closer to him and continue to smile, "Don't worry. I'll keep my promise. Fate isn't that cruel, is it? In the end it gave you hope and happiness. And it gave me love. You never regretted coming did you? Because if I had died and you had live, life would've been nothing more than a nightmare for you, wouldn't it? I'm glad you don't have to suffer. You've suffered enough."
"Remember how you said you wanted to be call Light? Well, you are. If I really was a rainbow, you'll have to be the sunshine. I can't exist without you. Have you ever seen a rainbow at night, in the darkness?"
Sendoh fingered the deep wound in his abdomen, caused by the very weapon that had pierced through Yuu…and into him. Sendoh smiled, "I will disappear from this world the moment you're gone. Because I can not survive in a world without you."
Sendoh closed his eyes and rested his head against Yuu's, "Very soon…very soon I will join you in our dream."
End of You and Me: Our Intertwined Destiny