First Love at Second Life ( HAKUOKI FANFIC)

What the Heart Chose

The sky was... on fire.

It was in the middle of summer where the sun at its peak, but the helpless girl who's just had her coming-of-age, never thought that her throat that burn with thirst could get even hotter than it already was.

" no... why... why... "
Muttering all the useless words... wrecking her brain in and out... scavenging her questions, yet there's none to be found.

What was it again?

What did exactly her mother said before she pushed the girl away?

What was she about to do when she slumped in a pit of endless despair like this?

" ——un! Sh—n! "
There was someone beside her who's shook her body back and forth roughly, trying to knock some sense into those haggard expression of her.

"——— ... . . . Heiji... "

" Shun! We must go from here! The fire will spread soon! "

"—— But... mom... she's there... I-i need to... get her— "

Trembling, bleeding, not knowing what she will reach with those tattered hands. Then the image of her mother pushed her away came back like a chain tying her to the earth.

The weight of her words... what was it again?

" What... should I do... Heiji? Why does... everyone... leaving me like this...? Tell me... Heiji... should I just follow them? "
There wasn't any tears to be spared when the fire broke out, but when she finally realized there's nothing in her hands that she could protect anymore... the tears just went on and on.

The fox, for the first time in his long life, felt something more than just pain... felt something that there's truly a wound without bleeds. And he had just experienced a constant pain with more reason he could explain.

" —Shun... just... just stay here... I-I'll do it... I'll do anything... so please... just... stay alive... "

The fox that used to play a prank on human and are them, now had the desire to wanting one of them to stay alive. This whole situation, in the middle of fire where there's only tears as the water source, the two different soul... the two different life... the two different race... they locked on each other's teary eyes...

" Hei...ji... I... I don't want mom to die... "

".... "

" Or at least... let her have a painless death... "

"... Shun... please... protect yourself... I'll come back in a minute... "

" —Hei— "

.

.

.

The crackle of fire has slowly shifted into that chirp of a bird. The hellish burn in her throat has replaced with a soar throat from the harsh coldness of a winter also.

" ... Why... that dream... "
She muttered after realizing the familiar small garden on her sight before her.

Straightened her body from the wall, the memories of her wanting to take a short nap in her office now came back. She took a sip of water beside her to wet her freezing throat. Probably, the only thing that kept her warm all those time when she was accidentally asleep with an open door is her red haori.

Just when she's still trying to regain all her senses and strength, she heard footsteps coming closer to her room.

" Shun? "
A man standing in front of the door, making a faint silhouette with the purplish sky behind him.