train to tokyo [shui]

Epilogue

It's been ten years.

Also known as 120 months, 521 weeks, 3650 days and 87600 hours since the albino last saw their faces. Although it was still day, dark clouds blocked any sunlight reaching the ground. It would have been pitch black in the park if it wasn't for the candles that lined up each headstone. It was winter again, and even though it wasn't snowing today, waterfalls of rain poured down.

The low hum of the wind could barely be heard over the sobs and soft pitter patter of the rain. However, the silence had never been louder. Some people who had barely known the deceased began to leave. Shu stayed behind. 

The flickering light of candles illuminated the marble stone. The stones had grown old over the years, losing it's shine and with dirt speckling what used to be a stellar white. The golden letters were fading slowly, but still readable. These four stones were no longer the newest stones in the graveyard, but they were still the freshest losses to him. Scars can't heal, remember? 

He thought about the things that would be a crime to forget. A bright, close-eyed smile came to mind just like it did every single years that had passed. Then the motherly touch Grandma had. He just wished I had got to known Lea and Hiroshi more before they...passed away. 

And like every year, Shu relived the whole experience through memory. From when Dad called me to when Lui and him confessed their love to each other. The whole thing every year. He couldn't help it. The rain and the cold just brought him back. Always.

He didn't even notice the tears rolling down my cheeks. He stood still, hunched a little, as the rain mixed with his tears and washed them off his face, dripping off at his chin.

I miss you all.

Shu lost track of time and reality as he stared at the gravestones and the names carved into the marble. The world cracked and fell apart, making way for the world of his happy memories to be whole where he just thought about them. Them and their smiles.

Golden light pierced his vision, dragging him back to reality. He glanced up in wonder, noticing that the rain had finally stopped. The dark clouds above him were slowly but surely beginning to open, allowing the bright and pure sunlight to cascade down onto him and the gravestones, causing him to smile softly, though the tears were still fresh.

'Why?'

He voiced the question like he did every year. Why them and not me? He should have died instead of Lea. Why couldn't they be the ones to walk this planet for another couple of years?

'Because I need you.'

And like every year, the answer was voiced back to him. Shu hadn't even noticed the absence of everyone who had gathered at the gravestones. This voice, this voice that he recognized straight away stood behind him. Shu didn't answer or move, but rather stayed still, feeling the sensation of the wet tears dripping down his face.

Snow crunched, the noise getting closer to him. Soon he felt another body's warmth next to him, then a ball of blue flames nestling it self on his shoulder. Even though the bluenette's head only laid on his shoulder, it felt like the warmth went right to his heart. It felt so comfortable, so right that Shu wanted to stay in this position forever. 

'It's been a hour Shu,' Lui whispered into his shoulder. 'Get lost in memory lane again?'

'Guilty,' Shu grinned sadly. 'The atmosphere just pulls me in.'

'Yeah, I get that,' he hummed. 'Well, c'mon. Let's go.'

He pulled away and began walking towards the road, where a series of cars had lined up along the side. Shu sighed, the cold capturing his breath in white gas before quickly dissolving away with the wind. He knelt down and brushed his hand across their names, which seemed to glow much more than the other pieces of their gravestones.

He stood up, wiping the snow and dirt from his hand. Ever since the train to Tokyo he hasn't really felt the cold. Then his illusions appeared again, like every year it did for him. All four of them, standing and waving at him, all smiling and happy. 

Shu smiled back as well, the first smile that wasn't sad. Instantly, all of their smiles widened. He wasn't going crazy or anything. They were just always there every year, always smiling at him. Shu wondered if Lui sees them as well. He hadn't told any of them about his illusions. 

'Goodbye,' he whispered, his voice slightly hoarse and thick from crying. 

He turned his back on the cemetery, where the four of them slowly started to fade away, their bright, shining smiles last of all, glimmering like something he had found on this day ten years ago. Now they were completely gone, but they would be back next year.

Just one of many spectral illusions. 

His back was now on the past, his eyes facing his future and those closest to him, these not one of his many spectral illusions. Everyone was here. Their smiles reminded him of how many people he could save, and it eased the pain a little better.

Mum...Dad...Valt...Xander...Haruto...Sam...Annie...Tanaka-san...Ayumi...Leila...Daigo...Rantaro...Wakiya...Ken...and...Lui.

He smiled, holding on to that thing that he found ten years ago in Lui. 

'Let's go,' smiled Lui softly. Shu nodded as their hands wrapped around each other. Warmth exploded inside of him, finding that thing again from the matching silver jewelry that donned both of their hands.

Hope.

-----------------

omg we finished i feel happy and sad at the same time ;-; 

this book will probably not have a book two, so i'm just gonna say thank you so much for reading this book and sending so much love, it really makes my day <3

usually i would write individual thank yous out, but this time there's so much of you that have supported me, i love each and everyone one of you 

i enjoyed writing this book, and it's probably been my favorite to write. i found my passion to write again and even though i didn't mind getting lots of views and votes, i wrote for mostly myself and the freedom i feel when i write.

i also wanna start a poetry book(ive said that so many times), but idk maybeeee ? 

some of you are asking me for my next books. on a previous book i did say i was making two new books, Scars Don't Heal (lui sister x shu) and White Tyrant, but i don't think i'll write any of those. 

they're currently sitting at the bottom of my drafts, each with like two chapters. I've just lost inspiration to write both of these stories, the ideas just kinda popped in my head like, "Oh! I want to write about Lui. Oh! I want to see Lui's reaction when Shu dates Lui's sisters, so I'll just go ahead an write a whole freaking book because I want to see that." 

i'm not saying those ideas are bad, i actually enjoy some books like that. and that's one of the reasons i'm not gonna publish those two books. there are books like that out there, and i don't want to make a story that's already been done.

i want it to be original and unique, so that's partly why i'm stopping writing x readers bc there are a whole lot of shu x readers out there. also, i actually enjoyed writing this book bc i made it up, it's original and just overall fun to write about bc i actually enjoyed writing everything about this story, not just one particular scene. 

i think i might do a book for little stories and scenarios, bc i do have a lot i want to write but just never are enough words to be a story.

i'll get back to ya'll soon on new books, so be sure to follow me so you won't miss my announcement, bc I'M POSTING IT ON MY ACCOUNT. NOT HERE. 

again, ily all and till next time <3

~ Otaku-chan

word count: 1364 (ew short)