Title: Into the East
Author: A Paper Moon
Pairing: Narumi Ayumu/Yuizaki Hiyono
Fandom: Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna
Theme: #15—perfect blue
Rating: G
Disclaimer: All characters of Spiral are the property of Kyou Shirodaira; I allege no possession of said characters. I only request to take them to over-rowdy soccer games and force them to play at gunpoint. Inspired by The Band Perry's song, "If I Die Young."
Summary: It was never too late to hear those words.
Thanks for hanging on guys. I don't know why, but music is really inspiring these last few. Blame it on a lack of symphony right now. :)
Dedicated to: SnowCharms for helping me smooth out a few errors like how Hiyono hid her disease. I know the reasoning is short and a bit shotty but I hope it'll hold you over. Thanks a bunch, dear!
-.-.-
If I die young,
Bury me in satin.
Lay me down on a bed of roses.
Sink me in the river at dawn.
Send me away with the words of a love song.
-.-.-
I guess it was safe to say that I took my life for granted. I mean, I'd always walked around under the golden sun, never the wiser that other's couldn't. I inhaled the sweet, gentle perfume of the white irises without a thought that soon, I wouldn't have anything to smell. It wasn't until I'd died that others realized what I was to them and I guess it made me sad to know that, even though he loved me, it wasn't until I was set in the wooden canoe, heading east toward the rising sun, that he voiced his feelings.
It was on the twenty-sixth of April that I was diagnosed with stage four leukemia and it was by the sixteenth of June that the disease overtook me. I hadn't told a soul and I'm somewhat glad I never did; it made parting that much easier. When I learned of my disease, I went away to a humble cabin owned by uncle. It was modest and nestled adjacent to a glistening, peaceful river. I told everyone I needed to be alone to work on another novel and they took my excuse. Was it fate or coincidence that the day they eventually became curious and came to see me was the afternoon that I passed away? Who knows; God works in mysterious ways.
When I died, it was strange and not in the "I see a white light!" kind of way. It was more of a calming warmth and the feeling that everything would be okay. I was on the bank of the river when I passed away, the sun's heated rays warming me to my bones and the soft singing of the magpies lulling me to sleep.
I could hear Asazuki-san's voice calling out to me and then Ryoko-chan's worried scream and, though I wanted to say goodbye, I couldn't be bothered.
I felt myself lighten and soon, I was watching my death play out before my eyes. Asazuki-san, Ryoko-chan, and Rio-chan were sprinting down the grassy hill to my body which had collapsed against the lush carpet of green. Staggering further behind was Rutherford-san and Narumi-san and when they both saw what had happened, they too were running to my side.
Rio-chan was holding my head in her lap calling out to anyone to help and it was a minute later that Ryoko-chan pulled her away, tears in both their eyes.
Rutherford-san and Asazuki-san grabbed Narumi-san by his shoulders and lead him from my body. Narumi-san was, to say the least, heartbroken. He looked like a fish gasping for breath as reality set in and I wanted to run to him and tell him it was okay; I was okay and he shouldn't worry, but I couldn't. Narumi-san was yelling at me and I wanted to laugh at his antics—only he would berate me for dying.
It was weird; I hadn't been pulled away into a blinding light by any means. In fact, I stayed in the darkening evening, watching the boys come back for my body, sans Narumi-san and I waited as the sun set and the moon rose, my spirit unable to leave that spot.
It was when the sun began to peak out from behind the willows that I saw a line of people walking back down to the riverbank. Asazuki-san in front and Rutherford-san in back, they carried my body in makeshift, wooden canoe, an iris held in my hands, my precious usagi-chan and kuma-chan by my side. Ryoko-chan, Rio-chan, Madoka-chan, even Wataya-sama were following behind. And in the back, alone and walking at a much slower pace, was Narumi-san, his face tired and sorrowful.
I wanted to reach out and tell them all to be happy; I was alright, I had a good life. I remember telling Narumi-san a year ago that if I died before him, I wanted people to be joyful at my funeral. I wanted them to dance and sing and eat and be merry and yet, even though I told him, he was still here with everyone else, crying over my cold body. How selfish, Narumi-san.
With grace, Asazuki-san and Rutherford-san slipped the boat into the gently lapping river and waited for everyone to make it down to the water's edge. Narumi-san stayed on the hilltop and looked down upon the scene. Quietly, I made my way up the grass path to his side where I stood, near but not touching, taking in the boys setting me into the water and the rest of the group surrounding me. Rio-chan bent to say a quick prayer in my ear which I heard from my spot on the hill and I thanked her. The smile on her face told me she heard my thanks.
Ryoko-chan laid a soft kiss upon my forehead and I felt the pressure above my eyes. I wanted to hug her and the warmth that spread over her face let me know she understood. Asazuki-san gave me a proper send-off: he yelled into the sleepy morning that I was leaving and I'm sure he threatened God to take good care of me. Silly, Asazuki-san.
Rutherford-san was silent and Madoka-chan patted my head thoughtfully.
That's when Asazuki-san pushed me into the river and I watched my body float gracefully toward the sun's light.
Narumi-san's voice was near-impossible to hear when he told me he loved me but I heard him. He told me that he wished he'd said something sooner and I smiled, letting him know that I always had a feeling he cared for me. I reached out and laid a hand on his shoulder, causing him to jump. I was dead after all; you shouldn't be able to feel a dead person's touch.
He turned to look at me and for a split second, we were staring into each other's eyes and everything around us disappeared into nothing. I smiled at him and then, in an instant, he was off, tearing across the hill and into the water where his hand shot out to stop the canoe. His legs were soaked but his face had broken out in a very thin smile and he leaned in closely, muttering a soft bereavement and kissing me on the forehead before sending me off again into the world unknown, his hand outstretched toward the golden reflection of my body and the cresting sun. The deep blue of the river carried me down and soon, I couldn't be seen.
"Silly girl. You knew didn't you? You knew I loved you."
Yes, Narumi-san. I always knew.
I was nineteen when I slipped away from this world. I was nineteen when I heard my best friend tell me how much he loved me and I was nineteen when I let him know that I loved him too.
-.-.-
Go with peace and love.
Gather up your tears,
Keep in them in your pocket.
Save them for a time,
When you're really going to need them.
The sharp knife of a short life.
Well, I've had just enough time.
So put on your best boys,
And I'll wear my pearls.
If I Die Young|The Band Perry
It was sad, it was short, and it was completely random! I'm not sure why but that's they way this one is. I also apologize for all the sadness. Maybe it's because my life is so good right now? :D Anyway, sorry I killed off another character. Let me know your thoughts, mkay? :)