A/N: To those who'd like to listen to the song, go to your favorite search engine and type in "Tales of Symphonia: The Animation - Omoi no Yukue". I do not own the song!
Enjoy~! And special thanks to ER0R for helping me!
* At the Docks. *
"There's not much time left..." Yuki mumbled to no one in particular. Tears streamed down her face as she buried her face into her hands.
After a while, Yuki had sat down on the docks with her feet submerged in the water. She rested her hands at her sides as she stared up at the full moon. Yuki began remembering a song that her mother used to sing to her.
Just thinking of the memory brought a smile to the angel's face as she recalled her mother's beautiful voice.
Yuki closed her eyes and began singing:
"My heart, my bonds, they may disappear, but...
I will never let thing, things that were here fade away.
My pain, my memories, they may disappear, but...
The wish I want to protect will be left behind and become hope."
As Yuki continued singing, she remembered that when she was young, she'd often ask her mother what the song's meaning was. Her mother would just smile. The young Yuki would often pout and ask her mother over and over, but her mother would still just smile.
Now I understand, Mother... What this song meant. Yuki thought as she sang.
"Happiness, sadness, they may disappear, but...
The smile that I exchanged with you, that is the truth.
My pain, my memories, they may disappear, but...
The wish I want to protect will be left behind and become hope.
Reach and become hope."
Yuki swung her feet back-and-forth, causing gentle ripples to form on the water's surface.
A tranquil atmosphere surfaced as the only sound that disturbed it was the sound of water splashing quietly.
"I've been looking for you."
Yuki's feet stopped moving and she turned around, only to meet a pair of garnet-colored eyes.
"Setsuna," Yuki called with a smile. She then pulled her feet out of the water and stood up. "How did you find me?"
"Does that question need an answer?" Setsuna asked as he moved himself closer to Yuki.
Yuki shook her head. "No."
"Finally, you've regained your memories... Auriel."
Setsuna extended his hand towards Yuki, reaching for her face, but Yuki turns her head away, evading Setsuna's hand.
"I do not have the right to be called by that name, nor do I have the right to be touched by you." Yuki said as she looked up at Setsuna. "Please understand, Itherael."
Setsuna's hand went to his side as he looked into his sister's eyes. "I expect an explanation..."
"Thank you for understanding," Yuki said with a smile.
"Now, your eyes tell me you want something. What is it?" Setsuna asked as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.
Yuki's smile disappeared and she lowered her eyes. "I need― no, I ask of you to please let me have more time."
"More time? Ah, you mean Judgement..." Setsuna said as he uncrossed his arms. "I need a reason as to why you want an extension."
"I have committed a sin..." Yuki answered.
"What is the sin?" Setsuna asked.
"Do you remember how I was assigned to a human infant?"
"Yes. I forgot the name though."
Yuki smiled. "Her name is Yui."
"You mean..."
"Yes. I had asked Hadriel about Yui's future and her life was supposed to be filled with love and happiness, but..." Yuki closed her eyes. "I allowed her future to be changed. I put my life over a human's life... The greed of wanting to live and not die."
Setsuna placed a hand on Yuki's shoulder. She opened her eyes and backed up, brushing his hand away.
"Don't touch me!" Yuki screamed as she fell to her knees. She looked up at Setsuna. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have raised my voice."
Setsuna knelt on one knee in front of Yuki. "I understand. I'll grant you extra time, but in return, you cannot escape or leave the Sakamaki estate."
Yuki looked up at her brother with a sad, but relieved smile.
"I, Yuki, formerly Auriel the Archangel of Hope, will not leave the Sakamaki estate and will accept Judgement without any resistance." Yuki pledged. "Thank you, Itherael."
~ Later ~
* In the Sakamaki Manor. *
After Yuki gave her pledge to Setsuna, who left right after, Yuki headed back to her room for a change of clothes. She donned a white dress with the hem that stopped right at her knees. On her feet, she wore a pair of black flats.
* In the hallway. *
Yuki decided that she search through the manor again for Cordelia.
Where could Cordelia be...? Yuki asked herself.
Suddenly, the door that she walks by opens up and she's pulled through. Yuki shrieks in surprise before she hits the floor with a thud. She winces in pain and then sees that Shu was the one who pulled her into his room.
"Shu!?" Yuki exclaims in surprise.
"Idiotic woman," Shu calls Yuki. "Are unable to fall safely?" He asks her.
"Normal people do not need to know how to fall safely, so how am I going to possibly do that?!" Yuki sighs.
"Is that the ability of the what the human body amounts to?" Shu asks with a smirk.
Yuki ignores his question and says, "You're heavy. Can you get off?"
Shu presses more of his weight onto her, completely doing the opposite of what she just said.
"No... I'm cold." Shu grunts.
Yuki touches him and her eyes widen a bit.
"You're always cold," she states and removes her hand.
Shu leans in towards Yuki's ear and his voice lowers as he murmurs: "Aa... That's why you need to produce enough heat for the both of us, or else I may just freeze."
Yuki blushes at how close he is and feels her heart rate speed up. She squeezes her eyes shut and wishes that her heart to calm down.
"Why don't you take a bath then? It'll make you warm..." Yuki quickly says.
"No... It's too troublesome and, besides, you're enough to warm me up since you have such a warm body."
Then, Shu gets off of her and the two sit quietly on the floor. Yuki glanced at Shu and then begins to create a plan to escape his room so she can continue to search for Cordelia. Yuki got so engrossed with her plan that she wasn't paying attention when Shu leaned closer to her, and once again, murmurs into her ear.
"Hey... Hurry up."
Yuki flinches from his cold breath and backs up, creating space between the two. Her face turned red again as she stared at Shu. Suddenly, an idea came and tells herself that it might work. The idea was that if she listens to him, she may be able to leave.
Yuki gets up and begins to strip, making Shu's eyebrows raise in surprise. Yuki looks away in embarrassment.
"You're so perverted," he comments.
Yuki quickly pulls the dress back on after realizing that he wasn't talking about this.
"That's because you're the one...!" Yuki begins.
"You shouldn't blame other people when you're doing it out of your own will."
Yuki opens her mouth to deny Shu's statement, but she couldn't think of anything to say and so, closes her mouth. She scolds herself for not being able to think of anything to say.
It doesn't matter... What's done is done. Yuki says with a sigh. What am I going to do...? I have to quickly find Cor- Huh?
Yuki was pulled out of her thoughts as her attention moved onto Shu, who was making his way to his bed. He sits down and adjust his earplugs.
"Is there... something wrong?" Yuki asks as she thinks about how Shu's acting.
Shu faces Yuki and chuckles.
"You have a very greedy look on your face," he points out. "You're even drooling."
Yuki quickly checks herself which just makes Shu laugh louder than before.
"I was joking," Shu says between laughs and earns a glare from Yuki.
I was wrong for thinking that he was acting strange. Yuki tells herself and turns her head away, not wanting to look at Shu.
"When did you start to have such wild eyes? Women are terrifying creatures..."
Shu's remark makes Yuki smile and forget about his joke from earlier. She made her way towards Shu and stops right in front of him.
"I'm one of those terrifying creatures... Are you scared of me then?" Yuki asks confidently with a smile.
Shu shrugs. "What do you think," he replies.
Yuki sighs and her smile disappears. "Jeez. You answered my question with a question!"
"What kind of answer do you want then?"
That's a good question... What do I want Shu to say? Yuki thinks and finally finds the 'answer'. She blushes and turns her head away.
"Any answer will do..." Yuki says quietly.
"What a lazy girl," Shu remarks with a smile.
Yuki's confidence comes back and faces the vampire with a grin.
"Oh? It's really contagious." Yuki giggles.
To Yuki's surprise, Shu chuckles along with her, but that surprise soon disappears. Yuki fully knows that she must find Cordelia without delay, but she can't bring herself to leave. She questions whether the reason she can't leave is because of her feelings for Shu. Yuki is pulled out of her thoughts, once again, when Shu speaks.
"You're giving me such a... obscene look." Shu teases.
"D-Don't say that!" Yuki says as her cheeks redden. "Besides, I'm not giving you an... an obscene look!"
Idiot Shu... Yuki says.
"Yuki," he calls and Yuki looks at him. "Come here." Shu orders.
"I'm already in front of you." Yuki points out. "But... What is it?"
Shu smirks. "Seduce me."
Yuki's eyes widen at his order and looks away.
"T-That's a little..." Yuki stammers.
"Do it quick. It's getting colder..." Shu says.
Yuki faces Shu and then closes her eyes.
"I-I can't do that...!"
Shu then shrugs and lays down on his bed. Yuki opens her eyes when she hears the bed sheets rustle as Shu prepares to sleep.
"I'm going to sleep then. You can leave now," he tells Yuki and closes his eyes.
"Shu..." Yuki calls as the room went quiet.
I guess this is my chance to leave and search for Cordelia...
Yuki turns around and heads for the door. She starts to ascend the stairs, until she rethinks her decision of leaving.
This may be my last chance talking to Shu... Do I want to risk my chance being here with Shu and have regrets? No, I don't want that! Yuki turns around and descends the stairs. She runs to Shu's bed and climbs onto it.
"Shu," Yuki calls as she gets on top of him.
Shu opens his eyes and smirks.
"You really are perverted." Shu says.
"I'm following orders," Yuki says and she leans closer to him. "I'll do as you say, so please..."
Yuki's attempt to seduce Shu makes the vampire smirk.
"If you insist on it then," Shu says and Yuki's eyes widen in surprise. In a blink of an eye, Shu had flipped the their positions with Yuki on the bottom and him top, pinning her on the bed. Shu leans close to Yuki's ear and whispers: "But, if looks like you'll need more training."
Yuki was too shocked to respond and stayed silent.
"Are you sure you're able to properly do what I ordered you to do a while ago?" Shu asks as he eyes her bare neck with hunger. His ocean-blue eyes glow and before he bit her neck, he added: "If you want it, then you'll have to move yourself."
Yuki gasped in pain as Shu devoured her blood hungrily.
I've submitted to my desires... and prioritized my feelings for Shu over saving a human. I really have become a Fallen. Yuki says to herself as Shu retracts his fangs from her neck.
"Your world... must have this kind of saying as well, 'Ask and it shall be given to you'." Shu says. "Heh... Despite the human origin of these words, they're the nice ones."
Yuki smiles and places a hand on Shu's cheek.
"They are, aren't they?" Yuki says as she lifts herself off the bed and kisses him.
Shu's eyes widen a bit, then closes them as he wraps his arms around Yuki.
The two break the kiss and breathes heavily.
"Metallic..." Yuki remarks with a smile.
"I find it... Sweet." Shu says and pecks her on the lips.
Shu begins to place kisses on her neck and once he finds the bite marks he made earlier, he pierces her neck again. And instead of a gasp, Yuki moans.
As Shu unhurriedly drinks Yuki's blood, he slowly pulls Yuki's dress off.
When Shu retracts his fangs from Yuki's neck, he silently stares at her. Yuki's rosy-pink eyes soften and smiles.
"Shu..." Yuki calls as she wraps her arms around Shu's neck.
Shu kisses her before calling out Yuki's name. He breaks the kiss and closes his eyes, lowering himself. Tears stream down Yuki's face as she lets out a gasp.
Before Yuki fell asleep in Shu's embrace, she says to herself: I've undoubtedly became a Fallen.