Made For Each Other
~*~
Part X
(Author's Note: Just as a little FYI: I turned this chapter into a songfic! ^.^ I'd love some feedback on what you think, when you finish reading it. The song is "Half Pain" from the Witch Hunter Robin soundtrack, and it's a beautiful piece of work. So I take no credit for it. ^_~)
~*~
"How far back should I have to go? Tell me.
Everything is so painfully vivid."
The plane touched the rolling, sun-warmed ground with a slight jarring that made all of its passengers wince. Yawning and stretching lithely, Hiryuu stepped out into the airport and almost suffocated as she was bombarded by people on all sides.
"Hiryuu! You're back!"
"You've finally decided to come home again, huh?"
"How was your trip, sweetie? Are you hungry?"
"HIRYUU!"
Shrieks and the clamor of voices assaulted her ears and Hiryuu cringed inwardly. She had grown so used to the quiet of the Reinhardt's household that she would have to adjust to being surrounded by more then a few people and their noise. Outwardly though, she was grinning from ear to ear, giving hugs to anyone who entered her field of vision and catching several people more then once.
She felt herself being swept out of the terminal amidst a gaggle of people and a gale of laughter; she vaguely remembered someone saying they'd get her bags, before she was taken outside.
A few whispered words from one of her many cousins, and the entire family found themselves back in the small town where Hiryuu lived. Friends now surged forward and crammed themselves in among the family, smiling and joking and adding to the cacophony. Hiryuu felt as if her face were going to split in half; her grin was so wide and she just couldn't stop laughing.
It was good to be home again.
"The truth is, we couldn't understand each other,
so I left and didn't look back."
While she was here, the pain in her heart could be soothed and covered by the love of her family and friends; while it would never fully diminish, Luka had cut her too deep for that, she could at least be comforted by those she knew would never betray her in such a way.
Obviously, her and Luka were not meant for one another, and as she looked back upon it now, she had her regrets, but in the big scheme of things, she forced herself to think it was for the best.
"Hiryuu? Hiryuu?" An obnoxious hand waved itself in front of her face and she automatically pulled her head back and glared down at the offender.
"Kyatto. I should have known," she said with a smirk. The pigtailed little girl smirked back at her as a myriad of other children came and latched onto every available part of her. Their chorus of 'Hiryuu! Hiryuu!' drowned out even the laughter and chatter of the adults.
With a mock look of annoyance, the blonde mage scooped as many of them up into her arms as she could, almost tripped as the others continued to cling to her legs. "It's a good thing I tied my hair up this morning."
Hugs and kisses were exchanged, the ones from the children sticky wet, the ones from Hiryuu loving and benevolent. Finally, her aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, and friends managed to yank all the children off her and take them home, already making plans for a feast that night.
Shaking her head, the young woman suddenly found herself alone with only her mother, father, and grandmother. With a sigh, she hugged them all tightly, reveling in the sudden silence.
"Come on, dear. Let's get you home." Her mother's voice was soft and caring and Hiryuu found herself fighting to hold back tears she had been stifling for hours.
"I never carry out my promises.
So long ago I threw away my brightness,
and like the light from the morning sun, it can never return."
The small house where she had grown up was as welcoming and warm as she remembered it to be. With a sigh, she flopped down onto one of the plump chairs and rubbed her face with her hands. Arms wrapped around her from all sides and she kept her eyes closed, sensing whom each person was by their feel. Her father's burly arms held her firmly, but tenderly, afraid of squeezing his daughter too tightly. Her grandmother's thin arms; though they were thin and seemed brittle, they held as much strength as her father's, and they were gentle. Lastly, her mother's slender arms, not as strong as her husbands but still firm and loving.
Finally opening her eyes, she looked up at all of them with tears sparkling at the corners of her eyes. "It's so good to be home," she explained, seeing their questioning gazes.
One last hug was exchanged and the little family seated themselves with the newly returned Hiryuu, talking quietly of her travels and of things that had happened while she was gone. They knew of her mission, but none wanted to ask; they had seen the quick flash of pain in her eyes when she had looked at them through the tears. She would tell them when she was ready.
"-and Daina had her baby. That's pretty much it, I guess." Her mother finished speaking and grinned at her daughter; Hiryuu grinned back, both knew how much this baby had been anticipated. Both Daina and her husband were pretty talented as far as magical skills went and everyone wanted to see how their child would shape up.
"Your cousin Kyo finally mustered the courage to ask Skye to marry him; she said 'yes' of course," her father added, snorting.
The wizard laughed out loud at this. Kyo was known more for his temper and fighting skills rather then his ways with women.
"It lies beside this cold heart, frozen,
so completely mindless that it persists forever."
The day slowly darkened outside, and as it did so, Hiryuu found herself once more surrounded by people and clatter as the little town gathered together in the dusk for the promised get-together.
Tables of food were laid out and lanterns were lit; children ran and played in the jumping shadows, the sound of their laugher was long-lost music to Hiryuu's ears.
But try as she might, she just couldn't ignore the anguish in her heart. Seeing Kyo come up to her with his future bride on his arm had only made things worse. She had forced a smile and a hug for their sake, but behind her mask she was crumbling.
"Numbly, I gather the remnants of my emotions,
and searching for redemption I . . .
Fall into a light sleep on a lonely night."
As the night wore on, an aching exhaustion set in and Hiryuu found herself becoming more and more numb. Her smiles were more forced and her laughter rang out less and less often. People didn't seem to notice, however, as someone brought out a guitar and someone else yanked out a flute. The dancing began and Hiryuu found herself on the receiving end of many dance invites. Accepting a few and declining the rest, she allowed herself to be twirled around for a few songs before politely excusing herself and wandering a little away from the others.
The stars shone cold and beautiful overhead and the young wizard sighed as she gazed up at them, the music floating faintly to her on the perfumed breeze. She touched cold hands to her face to try and cool the heat that flushed her cheeks, sighing.
One tear slipped down her face, further cooling her skin, and she didn't bother to wipe it away as she watched the moon rise.
Many long moments later, she heard a soft voice from behind her. "Hiryuu?"
Turning around, she caught the gaze of one of her cousins, Sousuke. "What's wrong?" he asked, eyes overflowing with concern.
With a strangled sob, Hiryuu threw herself into his arms. Sousuke had been her best friend ever since they were little. The two were the same age and had grown up together, their birthdays being only days apart. Oftentimes they had turned to the other when things grew too hard for them, and each time they had found counsel and comfort, safety in their bond.
"I'm beginning to learn the designs of sorrow,
makes me fear the overflowing darkness."
Sousuke sank to the ground, cradling her to his warm body as he felt hers tremble with sobs. "Oh, Hiryuu . . ." Spiky brown hair fell into his eyes as he bowed his head over hers protectively.
"I never carry out my promises.
So long ago I threw away my brightness,
and like the light from the morning sun, it can never return."
"What have they done to you. . .?"
Part XI
