Day 6: Heartbreak

Somebody will love you

The gentle breeze blowing sways the trees around her on her walk, their branches dancing in synchrony at the rhythm of an unknown melody as the Sakura petals embellishing them fall, fluttering around of a certain pink haired priestess while enveloping her in their sweet scent.

A soft smile spreads across her lips as Yae closes her eyes to inhale such a sweet scent deeply, letting it calm her down as her mind drifts towards a familiar moment hundreds of years ago, the faint sound of a sword being brandished mixing with the rustle of the trees in her memory.

It was a sunny day in the middle of the heat of summer, a much younger Yae was taking a calm stroll contemplating the beauty of the Sakura trees surrounding her on her way to do some errands, when such peace was broken by little noises followed by the sound of a sword being brandished in the air.

Yae, far from quickening her pace to hurry away and avoid any possible danger, could only venture in between the Sakura trees curious about such sounds to find a beautiful long purple braided haired woman dressed with a samurai kimono gripping a sword tightly.

She couldn't help but watch captivated the swift movements of the woman in front of her training by herself, little noises escaping her lips as her sword cut the air and timid lightning crossed it, prompting the young woman to take a closer look, her quiet steps disturbing the warrior in front of her for a brief moment.

In the blink of an eye, Yae observed the warrior's lavender eyes glowing with such an intensity that it took her breath completely away, before a gust of wind blew and loud thunders began to roar, making the Sakura petals around them flutter and obliging her to close her eyes, before the calm reigned over the place once again.

- I'm sorry, are you okay?

Yae heard the warrior asking worriedly as she walked closer to her.

- Y-yeah.

It was the only thing Yae could say, before she felt the warrior's hand on her cheek removing a spot of dirt to then took a Sakura petal from the top of her head, the previous worry adorning her features melting and leaving room to a soft smile that made the young priestess blush almost as hard as the red of her shrine-maiden uniform.

A fond smile takes over Yae's lips as she remembers that distant moment, the warm touch of Ei's hand on her cheek as she looked at her with nothing but a soft smile on her face that made her heart beat fast, before her smile turns into a sad one as she recalls how Ei's hand does no longer feel warm, how her smile doesn't make her heart beat fast any longer. How she doesn't make her feel anything but pain…

A shaky sigh escapes her lips as Yae remembers with sadness the sad smile adorning Ei's beautiful but tired features weeks ago.

- I… I'm sorry, Miko. I don't think this is working…

Yae remembers Ei's quiet and broken voice telling her as the God tried hard to hold the tears threatening to fall from her beautiful eyes.

She still remembers as if it was yesterday how Ei's hands cupping her cheeks to wipe the tears falling from her own eyes, far from bringing her any comfort, only made her felt cold as she agreed with her with a heavy heart.

- I'm so sorry, Miko. I know how hard you fought for us to be together again after so many years apart.

It was all Ei could repeat, her tears flooding down her eyes freely now as she stroked Yae's cheeks, feeling her shaking her head as she took the God's hands in hers to brush her knuckles.

- It's okay, Ei. At least we've tried.

And even though they tried their hardest to make their relationship work after hundreds of years apart, they couldn't do anything to make their hearts feel the same as they did time ago.

Even though she said it was okay, it didn't hurt any less, Yae's heart breaking with each stroke of the woman that hold her heart after hundreds of years of fighting and waiting for her lover to return to her, only to feel it all slowly fading into the air like the fluttering Sakura petals around them in such a heartbreaking day…

- Do you think somebody will ever love me as you did?

As unconditionally as you loved me all this time?

Ei asked her insecurely, coyly, leaving the second question hanging in the air, and Yae could only smile at her softly, stroking her ex-lover's cheeks to wipe her tears away in an attempt to comfort her.

- I'm sure somebody will. But if not, I hope that at least you love yourself.

Yae answered sincerely, eliciting a smile from the God who could only pull her into a tight hug, before they shared a last tender but heartbreaking kiss.

- I hope you also find somebody that can love you as unconditionally as you deserve, Miko.

Ei wished her from the bottom of the heart, her comforting words and the heartbreaking memory vanishing into the thin air as Yae opens her eyes again just in time to watch the Sakura petals fluttering around her getting lost into the clear blue sky, the beaming sun blinding their flight into the horizon.

A shaky sigh escapes her lips, before she inhales the sweet scent enveloping her, letting it calm her down once again to then continue with her calm stroll to the city with a heavy heart.

As she moves forward on her walk, the quiet rustling of the trees that accompanies her is replaced by the cheerful laughs of the kids playing around her, running wildly to get lost in the sea of people crowding Inazuma's streets.

Yae can barely hold back the wide yet soft smile spreading across her lips observing how the once quiet, almost empty, streets of Inazuma are now filled with hustle and bustle and also people taking calm strolls while buying goods to the merchants placed along the streets, bringing life to it as time ago.

The pink haired woman can't help but notice how those who used to go to her in seek of help, miserable upon have been snatched of the visions they showed off so proudly, walk now with their families and significant ones hand in hand, happy smiles replacing the bitter track of tears running down their faces without comfort whatsoever.

And yet her heart can only clench painfully upon have been witness of the pain and suffering they had to go through over the absurd ideal of pursuing the Eternity from their worshipped Almighty Shogun.

But especially, upon the memory of seeing a certain dark purple haired loyal general having to fight and confiscate the visions of the people she swore to protect while pain flashed in her mesmerizing golden eyes.

Upon the memory of seeing her on her knees in front of the Sacred Sakura praying for their people and future, her strong back shaking as she crumbled down upon having to carry with such mission.

Another heavy sigh escapes her lips as she continues with her walk trying to forget about such a dark chapter in Inazuma's history, silence replacing once again the hustle and bustle of the city as she goes into the forest.

The sound of her heels crunching onto the soil and the gentle chirping of the birds fills the air as Yae keeps going deeper into the forest, letting the nature surround her and its vivid green color envelope her as the different colors of the flowers cheer up her walk through the most unexplored paths of the forest.

Yae can't help but smile softly as her hand brushes the flowers at her feet, letting the sound of the running water from a nearby river guide her steps while her mind drifts once again to the thousands of times she went through these same paths with her now ex-lover, with Ei.

The sound of their laughs filling the air as she recalls how they used to come to take a stroll and relax from their busy days and duties, having an improvised picnic at the bank of the river.

But soon enough, her smile slowly drops at the thought of those past times, at the smell of the rain she used to love so much hitting her as hard as the absence of the woman that became her lover and captured her heart.

The one she loved the most, before Ei decided to cloister herself to meditate in the Plane of Euthymia and let her puppet rule the region in her attempt to pursue Eternity after everything that happened and they went through, and before everything started to crumble down and the love and relationship they once had and cherished vanished until staying as best friends was their best option even if that meant to get their hearts broken.

A shaky sigh escapes her lips as she clenches her eyes tightly to hold the tears that threaten to fall, the hold around the handle of her umbrella tightening as she snorts at the ridiculous idea of having to carry it in the middle of the heat of summer to shelter herself from the memory of Ei's absence tormenting her.

Yae can only shake her head, gazing up to take a look at the clear blue sky, just to see the beaming sun becoming cloudy, sadness tarnishing such a lovely day the same way her heart breaks in pieces with every step she takes, with every memory that fills up her mind.

And yet Yae smiles despite of the pain clenching her chest and of the lump in her throat until the light touch of a raindrop on her face makes her resolution crumble down, looking at the now dark grey sky to watch how it begins to drizzle, more raindrops wetting her face and mixing with the tears flooding down her eyes.

A heartbreaking sob escapes her lips echoing around the quietness reigning over the forest, before the loud thud of her umbrella crashing onto the ground scares the birds around her.

Another sob shakes her body, making the pink haired woman hug herself tightly, before she begins to run through the forest aimlessly, her feet guiding her towards a beautiful meadow in where she crashes into the strong frame of another person.

Yae can only tense against their body, the smell of rain hitting her harder than ever, before a light sandalwood scent fills her nostrils and a pair of strong arms pulls her into a warm but awkward embrace, the sound of a thunder roaring loudly making the ground beneath them shake as a lightning strikes, illuminating them.

The pink haired woman can only flinch at it, feeling the arms around her tightening their embrace, before the sound of the thunders roaring loudly is soon quieten by the soothing heartbeat against her ear helping her to calm down, the cold air lashing at her and the rain soaking her fading, being replaced by a warm and safe sensation as a pair of large majestic wings are unfurled to shelter her fragile body in them from the raging storm.

- Are you okay?

Sara's deep voice surprises Yae, expecting the stoic general to ask about her beloved Archon's well-begin and not hers.

- I… yes.

It's the only thing Yae manages to say in a whisper, before Sara pulls her away to oblige her to look at her, her calloused hands stroking her cheeks wiping her tears away as she looks at her worriedly.

- Are you sure? Please, tell me if there's anything I can do for you.

Sara asks worried yet serious, the warmth of her touch making the pain clenching Yae's heart alleviate, before it flutters with such a tender gesture.

Yae can only shake her head with teary eyes and a lump on her throat, giving Sara a weak trembling smile as she circles the general's strong back with her hands to end up gripping the fabric of her damp uniform tightly in her fists, burying her face in the general's chest, before she lets out all the pain her still broken heart carries within it as more tears flood her eyes.

- It'll be okay Yae, I'm here… I'm here…

Sara comforts the pink haired woman, tightening her hold around her while still sheltering her from the now pouring rain as the soothing sound of her heartbeat slowly helps the woman in her arms to calm down and believe that everything will be okay as the stoic general claims.

A timid smile spreads across Yae's trembling lips as she buries herself more into the warmth, the safety and comfort of Sara's body not expecting the stoic general being the one who slowly and awkwardly mends her broken heart.

Time slowly does its thing, making the heartbreaking sound of Yae's sobs turn into a melodic laugh filling the quiet air of a rare sunny day in the middle of winter, a pair of large majestic wings keeping her warm in the cold as she and Sara have an improvised picnic by the meadow, the heart of her once lover and now best friend healing as hers does too thanks to a certain tall dark purple haired general and her unconditional love and support.