We Cannot Hold Raindrops

Author's Notes: I think in-story links are not possible so I apologize about the missing link to My Only Correct Decision

:D anyway, I apologize deeply for not updating early on because of my examinations and I had to study XD… thank god they are over. If ever you encounter parts that aren't clear please tell me in your reviews and I'll clarify it…aside from those stuff I post at the end of the fic. Thanks again and gomen ne!

[Chapter I: Strangers and Meetings]

Today is another of those bright and clear days you can perpetually witness the gay birds singing and the villas splashed with bright crimson, yellows and purple buds as if the land was infected with them. Nothing compares to the beauty of spring at the Ailes Verauche where Hisoka currently lived. It was a small but beautiful country along the coastlines and numerous harbors. Everything was awake, glorious about the morning, except for someone still sleeping in his bed; past the time he was supposed to wake up. No one would suspect Hisoka to be asleep late in the morning as he was the one who usually wakes up early in the morning and be seen around.

No one would be fussing why a sixteen-year-old (or to be exact a hundred and eighteen) boy would not wake up early. Or probably not because someone was already tutting at his bedpost, holding a cold glass of water. It was no other than Oriya, his fencing teacher and also Hisoka's guardian. He did not like to see his best student, forgetting to wake up in the morning. The glass of cold water will serve its purpose later when Hisoka fails to wake up.

"Oi. Lazybones, wake up," Oriya said sternly to his student. He looked at the slumbering figure with contempt as though Hisoka committed a crime against him.

"Hnnn…." Hisoka replied in a grumbling tone, accompanied by a pillow thrown towards Oriya. The teacher sighed after deflecting the pillow thrown at him unconsciously.

"OI. WAKE UP," Oriya repeated, this time, stressing the words loudly so that Hisoka would finally rouse from his sleep. Still, no avail and that the young sensei resorted to his final means of waking his student: splashing the cold water on Hisoka. The result was a loud yelp from Hisoka and another crash on the floor because Hisoka fell after being surprised.

"Finally. I thought you did not have any intentions on getting up because it will cause more reason for me to even make your training harder."

"Eh? Aa! Oriya-sensei!" Hisoka immediately got up from his bed and suddenly noticed the pillow on the floor. Upon realizing what he did, he blushed deeply and bowed low, "Gomen sensei, I-I didn't mean to throw…"

"Enough of those nonsense. Just get dressed."

With that, Hisoka complied and rushed to the screen divider and began changing his clothes, emerging at the other end after a minute or so. After that, he went down to the dining hall and ate his breakfast with haste and got up, after finishing his glass of milk. The grass was still wet with the morning's dew and the sun wasn't hot enough but will soon become so, because of the nearing mid morning. There, Oriya sat amidst the thick bushels under the tree. He stood up after seeing Hisoka arrive and assumed his role as his teacher. Hisoka followed his sensei at the garden where he will practice fencing with his rapier.

"We shall now move to advanced techniques. As far as I remember, your progress is remarkable. However, you still lack form. So we will begin by reviewing the different positions and I will comment on your form. Is that understood?"

"Hai, sensei."

Nothing disturbed Oriya and his pupil for quite a time. Both of them failed to realize that they were practicing for a good two hours. So finally giving up to the prospect to continue, Oriya let Hisoka have his break. They went to the garden table and sat there for a while. Hisoka drank much waster from the pitcher set at the table by one of the servants and inhaled deeply. He followed his expression of a sigh and looked far away into the woods. His mind was disturbed, he was thinking about Muraki and Tsuzuki. Where are they? Will he be ever back in his life?

"Oi. You seem to drift again into your own little world. Tell me, you looked stressed since this morning. I want to know what that is," Oriya said, in a low, concerned tone. Though he was not the man to be compassionate, he did care for his student a lot. He had grown affection for Hisoka, as it was his responsibility to take care of him especially after the estate owner, a merchant, who adopted Hisoka died shortly after for an unknown cause.

"Ne, sensei…nothing. Maybe I just lacked sleep, that's all." Hisoka faintly said, not looking into his sensei's eye. He knew he was deliberately lying to the only person who he could trust right now. It was painful to think that a hundred years ago, he could talk to Tsuzuki for any matter. Not in good spirits, Hisoka stood from the chair and took his rapier lying on the ground.

"I suppose you are not fit to practice any longer for today. Get some rest; that's my suggestion," Oriya said while casting a look at Hisoka. He remained nonchalant outside as to not make Hisoka even more anxious. He just sighed inwardly and rose from the table and approached his student, first taking the rapier from Hisoka's hand and then facing him.

"Hisoka, I am sure you will practice if I don't take this. I am serious about you having some time to rest. Fencing just not test how good your form is but also your wit. If you lack wit, you will definitely not be able to perform seamlessly."

"Ha…hai, Oriya-sensei," Hisoka just looked at his teacher who was returning his look more intensely. He did not know what to say. He could not even confide anything to Oriya about his past. Nor could he divulge anything about Muraki unless he knew the man. So he chose to keep silent and let his teacher finish. Oriya, on the other hand, ended their training with a wave and he turn away from his student to leave.

It was only high noon during that time, but the trees in the garden shaded the place where Hisoka sat. He thought it was a slow day, nothing to worry about. Taking the liberty to lay his back on the grass, he stretched comfortably from his sitting position, placed his hands behind his head and lay on the cool, shaded grass. Everything was quiet and nothing dare disturb him from his peace. The clouds took part in Hisoka's slow feeling; they drifted lazily in the sky as if they had a kind of drag, floating and watching all the towns and lands before bulking together and produce rain. The birds sang sweetly in the air. It was like a disturbing cliché reciting its word again and again to nature. Gently, the wind lulled Kurosaki to sleep.

Nature has her own ironies. Something good with her is contrasted by something else, or maybe that is how we think. Later on, the clouds did turn gray, no longer did the sun shine nor did the birds sing. There was a loud explosion and there were shrills from the city people downtown. Hisoka woke with a jolt of surprise as one of his servants tapped him slightly on the shoulder. It seemed that there was a great commotion and that the servants were worried enough to wake him immediately and be brought inside the mansion. He followed the servant inside but stopped midway in the guest hall. Hisoka asked to the girl servant that woke him, "What is going on in the city?"

She replied trembling, "Master, a man has just set fire to quite a number of houses downtown. He did it in the brightness of noon."

"Is that all you know?" Hisoka asked another question and looked directly to the girl. She was deathly pale and was now trembling badly. Still she managed to reply, "Master, do not go to the city for a few days. If so, master Oriya has gone here and said that if this worsens, we must leave!"

"Tell me Riuma what do you know!" Out of frustration, Hisoka grabbed the poor girl's shoulders and held her firmly in front of him. The servant did not look at him even the slightest.

"The madman was…was shouting your…your name! I am afraid for you master!" Riuma sobbed hysterically, and fell to her knees on the cold marble floor. Could have Riuma seen this man that she was so afraid? Was the madman she was referring to the man that he was thinking of a few hours ago—Muraki? He needed to know and he needed to see him at whatever cost. He must know how come he came to live a hundred years later and yet he was not cursed to immortality similar to him, Tsuzuki, Tatsumi or his former confidante, Watari.

"Riuma, Riuma, don't be afraid. I want to know how this man looks like. Have you seen him?"

Riuma gave a look with her bloodshot eyes and nodded lightly before replying, "He is different…he may look normal but his eyes, his eyes were not human…they were amethyst…"

Hisoka dropped his arms to his side; he could not believe what he was hearing. Tsuzuki. Tsuzuki Asato is here? Only one man can have those startling eye color aside from his livid green ones that came to become more brighter after he received the curse of immortality in his body and that man was unmistakably Tsuzuki.

He felt numb and was inhibited by nothing. His brain's impulse was to run, run as fast as he could towards the place where the fire was going on. He ran there, and found himself in front of a crowd, watching as the terrible fire claimed into ashes everything the houses were made of. In one of the poles untouched by the blazing fire stood an unrecognizable figure. He was only too familiar that Hisoka was able to identify him.

"Tsuzuki!!!" He yelled at the figure. It seemed to have noticed him for he stood there and then after a surge of fire, he disappeared.

"Tsuzuki!!! YAMETE!" Hisoka called again, readying not realizing he was about to lunge himself to the flames in pursuit of him. Then, a pair of strong hands pulled him backward before he was able to do so. Hisoka angrily shook his shoulders and turned to face the one who pulled him and was surprised. The one who pulled him back was Tatsumi and was followed by Watari behind him.

"Ta-Tatsumi-san! Tsuzuki is…Tsuzuki is…" Hisoka desperately wailed to him, his words finally failing him. Tatsumi gave a small shake of his head and pulled the wide-eyed Hisoka away from the crowd that had been watching the scene he was making.

--

Hisoka knelt on the ground like a limp vegetable. He did not want to move nor speak. Tatsumi just sighed as he watched Hisoka on the couch of his hotel room.

"I just arrived with Watari yesterday. I heard your name at the city east from here, saying you were the son of a rich merchant. That merchant died recently and nobody knew the cause of his death. They were rumoring so I thought I would try to see if it was you. And God knows, he sent me here."

Watari brought in hot tea and poured some for Hisoka in a teacup. He inquired whether Hisoka wanted his tea to be with milk and sugar of sugar only as both were favorable to Hisoka.

"Nothing."

Watari looked at Hisoka and then passed the saucer and cup filled with strong tea before speaking. "Hisoka, I am surprised that Muraki has done nothing yet to you. I have heard that he is influential at the other city and so is your name. Are you aware that he is still alive?"

"Yes, I know he is alive. He has started; he visited me last night in my room and strangled me…"Hisoka stated in a matter-of-factly tone. He gave sour expression and continued, "I can't believe he is alive."

"I am very interested on how he gained such a lifespan such as ours," Tatsumi said. "So am I," Watari chided Tatsumi's remark.

"I am more interested why Tsuzuki is here and why hasn't he come to me?"

Watari and Tsuzuki gave a weary look at each other and then looked back at Hisoka. "We know why."

Watari explained began explaining the time the civil war broke three years after they destroyed of the fortress of Muraki that they all got separated. A year later, Watari discovered that Tatsumi was just hiding at the nearby town he was staying in. The worst part came when they heard that Hisoka was gone. Nobody could even tell where you are. They both assumed Hisoka was alive since he could not die. However, the chance of finding him in the hopes that he was together with Tsuzuki was slim.

It was until one day, they learnt that a man was found wounded and badly burned at the old monastery. They said he had unusual eyes, so they concluded that it was Tsuzuki. However, when they attempted to find him in the monastery. Not a single person could tell who took him nor did anyone take him in. He just disappeared like thin air. Similar incidents occurred until one townsfolk identified him as the man living at the convent with the priests. From there they tracked him stealthily and soon discovered Hisoka's location. Tatsumi and Watari never introduced or showed themselves to Asato-san. They believed that there was something wrong with him.

Both men's beliefs were right, there was something wrong with Tsuzuki. He was as if out of his own mind.

[To be Continued]

Author's notes: (again) I would like to apologize about the convent…I couldn't think of another name for it. Anyway, I hope this chapter was good enough to satisfy my reader's umm (maybe feelings of annoyance) wait for my long uploading of this chapter. I had to study for my exams…well, I did get good scores but a bad one for Algebra…anyway, I do not know if I explained the situation quite okay. If it is or is not, please do tell me and put a reviews ::chibi kitsune mode:: please?

Arigato! Ja mata!