A Reason To Live

::Chapter Two::

Rain and the Clearing Sky

She wasn't really paying attention to where she was going. The rain seemed to pour even harder than before. The "lightness" that she had been infused with earlier was now gone, leaving her feeling dark and empty. That boy had been right. She had no right to his name. No matter how much he reminded her of him, that little boy wasn't him, but dear gods how she had wanted to see that arrogant child smile. So like Sorata, but so different as well. She should have realized it by now. He wasn't ever coming back.

Wandering through the city she wasn't quite sure where she was going. She was merely wandering, trying to find something, anything, that she could sling to.

Because he wasn't coming back.

She stopped, breathless, as she finally comprehended where she was standing. It was a glade, secluded from the rest of smog-covered Tokyo. The air seemed to be both clearer and cleaner here, as well it should. This was a sacred place.

The grave looked rather old and untended. To her it was an open wound. It was a small graving, lacking in decoration. Only a simple tombstone, because that was all he would have wanted. He didn't need a blatant reminder of the life that he had so recklessly through away. It was enough that she would remember. It was enough that she would hold his death dear to her heart forever.

Inscribed simply on the stone was a singly phrase accompanied by a singles name.

Arisugawa Sorata
REQUIESCAT IN PACE

It sill hurt to go there, and now, in the rain, she could let her barriers down and cry.

She tried to make them stop, but they wouldn't. Once a month she came, and every time she would weep. It was the only thing she could do for Sorata now.

Huddled on the ground in the rain she couldn't top crying. It wasn't until she felt the eyes on her back.

In an instant she sorrow was locked away, and the tears eased. There was a time for mourning, and it was a time alone. Now, in the presence of other, action was called for. Now it was time to once again raise an icy façade and pretend that she didn't feel pain inside herself.

She hated the feeling of eyes on her back. It reminded her of back then. Back then, where they could trust no thing and no one. Back then, when they were always running. Back then, when all she could ever do was hide from them. When everything was dark and bloodied, full of rage and terror. The memories of that life were still vivid in this grew monotony. She could still smell the blood that had invaded her senses in that life. She could still recall the painful grief she felt as one by one the comrades fell. In those days, in that life, they had all lived in fear, ever- looking over their shoulders for the slightly tangible, every-vigilant, malignant watcher at the very edge of their vision.

The days were no longer as dark and the smell of blood was long gone. Still, she could still feel the eyes on her back. Now, even now, she could still sense another's presence. It may just be the vestiges of her dark days, but she could feel eyes on her back, and that was all that mattered.

Back then she would have played a waiting game with them, waiting for the first foolish move that would give away the game.

She no longer had the patience for games.

"Who are you? What do you want?" her voice came out shaky and slightly ragged. She had become impatient with playing psychological games. She let a slight, wry grin escape on to her features. "There's no point in hiding, just come out and tell me what you want."

A slight muffled sound came from the other side of the grove. Then the bush began rustling and a rumpled boy, in glorious disarray, rolled out into the clearing, fear a stark expression on his young face. It took Arashi a second to recognize those hazed eyes. It was the boy from earlier that she had mistaken for Sorata.

Taken aback, Arashi almost burst out in laughter. He looked so strange and out of place, a cheerful smile in a dark, depressing place haunted by such demons of the past. It was almost like Sorata's spirit had been reincarnated in this young boy. This is how he wanted her to be, happy and eternally smiling, like the young boy.

"Yo," he said with a slight smile as the rain began to fade from a pouring torrent to an ever-so-slight pitter-patter of falling water droplets.

On impulse she went over and threw her arms around the shocked boy. Tears were once again flowing freely down her face. Why did her remind her so strongly of Sorata?

"Hey! What're you doin'! GERROFFA ME!" he demanded with a grimace. "Lemme go you crazy pedophile!"

She suddenly pulled away from the boy, stunned by what she had just done. Suddenly she had been overcome with a desire to protect the smiling child. She pushed him away with a cool "I am sorry." Straightening her clothes she stood up calmly, now in control of herself. "Why did you follow me?"

The boy averted his eyes as he stood up and straightened his clothes as well. He walked over and leaned against a oak tree non-chalantly looking everywhere but where she stood.

"You know.." be bean slowly.

The wind began whispering through the trees almost gently, lending a haunting air to the serene clearing. The rain began to pour once more, this time even harder. She urged him to go on mentally, waiting for him to finish in silence.

"You know, I'm not sure why, but I just needed to talk to you. I needed to tell you something." He was still avoiding looking at her.

"And that would be?"

He turned to her suddenly and without preamble. "It's Hiro. My name, I mean, it's Hiroshi. I just felt as if you should know." He stoop there and waited for her expectantly. "Well?":

"Well what?"

"Are you going to tell me you name now? I told you mine. It's only fair" A hint of childish petulance came into his voice as he crossed his arms across his chest.

She looked at him with a bemused expression. "I am Kishuu Arashi."

He cocked his head to the side, eyes focusing on her. "Kishuu Arashi, "he rolled the name on his tongue. He said it as if it was a foreign word, tasting it for the first time, yet at the same time he said it with a kind of familiarity, as if it was a faint, ethereal memory that could almost, but not quite, grasp. Something in the way he said her name was strange. For a moment she wanted to smile at this young boy, but she didn't. Her smile was for one person and one person only. Instead she straightened her clothing again and began walking away.

"Well" he said from behind her.

Arashi turned to look at him. "Well what?"

"you wanted to know my name."

"I did."

"So..."

"So?"

"Is that all?"

She glanced at his now slightly sad, lonely face for a moment and then it occurred to her. With a slight smile she held out her hand. "No. It's not. We're both wet and cold. How about we go get some hot tea to warm up?"

With and equally hesitant smile he took her hand. "I'd like that.,"

Author Note: This chapter took forever to write. It always kept coming out all wrong. By the way, "REQUIESCAT IN PACE" is Latin for "May he rest in peace." Anyway, I hope you enjoyed.

Reviews:

KuramaMyBeautifulRoseBoy: It's going to take a while, but they will get some love.

Goatfish: I tried to make it longer without compromising the writing, but I'm not sure if I did it well enough...

Schwatze: Ah my faithful friend, here is more good fanfiction-ness of mine for you to read!

Setsuna529: I didn't know if anyone would find that funny or if they would just think it was stupid, but I'm glad you found it amusing!

Takako: My computer died a while ago so I haven't been able to update, but at long last, here it is!