Mobile Legends Anthology

Dusk 'Til Dawn (Gusion|Hanabi)

(A/N: You might want to listen to Dusk 'Til Dawn by Zayn ft. Sia while reading.)

The moon was shining brighter that night as Hanabi gazed at its unending beauty. A mixture of joy, sadness and longing reflected on her ocean-blue eyes, her small smile was a sad one.

That day was the 12th full moon after Gusion left Iga town and went back to Magical City. She wanted to go after him yet she was not allowed to leave her responsibility as the guardian of the Scarlet faction.

Just like what she had always been doing, she walked towards the huge gates of their village, the only entrance and exit existing.

"Under the moonlight of the full moon, I shall come back for you. I promise."

Those were his last words that Hanabi holds onto. There was no guarantee that he would truly return for he was a son of the Paxley household, the strongest lineage of magicians. He himself had responsibilities of his own as a Paxley yet Hanabi still believed in him that someday, he would come back.

She sat down on the ledge of the huge walls, looking ahead of the trail that led to Magical City, a city she had never seen. She tightened the cloak around her as the chilly wind touched her.

"How long will you wait?"

Hanabi was startled upon hearing someone from behind. She turned around, only to see Hanzo. He was a ninja from the Shadow faction who came in their village for official business.

"The night has gone deeper, may I ask why the akuma ninja is still awake?" she asked upon turning her back on him and fixed her eyes on the moon once more.

The soft footsteps of Hanzo could still be heard as he walked towards her and leaned on the wall where he could have a clear view at the emo Scarlet beauty.

"I would not dare miss seeing the beauty of the Scarlet faction's guardian as she looks up at the moon," Hanzo responded.

Hearing those words from the known evil master of shadows made Hanabi giggle. Such flattery does not really affect her that much, unless it was said by the man who holds her heart.

"I wonder how many women had fallen for that statement of yours," she said.

Hanzo stared at her even though her attention was fixed on something else. It was as if he was drawing every detail of her in his mind. To show his sincerity that seemed to be taken as a joke, Hanzo removed his mask that had always covered half of his face. His emerald eyes were the remarkable feature that everyone knew yet his face remained a mystery.

"I would only say such words to you, Hanabi," he stated, making the Scarlet guardian look at him.

She did not expect that his mask was removed and the rumor that had been going around saying that he has the face of a terrifying demon was nothing but a pure rumor. He was the guy that every girl would swoon over just by his looks yet she was not one of them.

"Hanzo, you are a ninja. And I bet you know what it means to remove your mask in front of me," she said, her eyes staring right back at him. Such simple gesture may be nothing but a plain action yet it was different in the town of Iga.

Removing one's mask and revealing one's face to opposite sex meant a proposal, proposal of marriage.

"I know that," Hanzo stated, "I shall wait for your response on the next full moon, Hanabi."

That being said, Hanzo left, leaving Hanabi feel heavy hearted for she felt sorry for him. He probably knew the answer from the beginning yet he chose to not hear her reply that moment.

"Why must there be someone that needed to be broken when people are in love?" Hanabi mumbled, feeling the cool touch of the wind.

It took two weeks for another full moon to appear and just like the old times, Hanabi grabbed her cloak and ran towards the village gates. The moon was still as dazzling as ever, giving light under the darkness.

She waited by the ledge, her feet folded as her arms hugged them and her chin rested on her knees. The wind was almost freezing that night and her cloak was not enough to keep her warm, yet it was no reason for her to return without seeing Gusion.

"When shall you return?" she asked as if the man she loves was just in front of her. Her tears betrayed her, falling down on her cheeks as she whimpered. She buried her face on her arms, her shoulders quivering and her sobs taking over her.

"When shall you... return?" she repeated, tightening her grip on her feet. The longer she waits for him, her anxiety grows as well. What if Gusion had found another woman? What if he had fallen out of love?

This night, the 13th full moon was the mark of her life as a guardian. If she was not to be wed, she would fade away and her existence shall be forgotten. Such was the fate of the guardians, thus, love is not something they take lightly for it is the only thing that shall keep them alive. Gusion knew that fact yet where is he?

Hanabi felt something warmer around her and as she lifted her gaze, her eyes reflected the sharp features of the man who just proposed to her two weeks ago. He wiped off the tears from her cheeks and wrapped the cloak around her, making sure that she would stay warm.

"Will you wait until you fade away?" he asked, still hoping that she would change her mind and be with him instead.

Though the truth pained her, Hanabi nodded for she cannot bear to see herself with another man except Gusion. She would rather be forgotten in this world for she had waited for someone who did not even return rather than to live and remember how a single promise broke her.

As the sun starts to rise on the east, Hanzo watched in pain. Hanabi was fading in front of him, his touch unable to reach her anymore.

"Thank you for seeing me off," Hanabi stated as her tears once again fell from her sad eyes. She looked at her hands that was once held by Gusion, they were vanishing just like how the moonlight dissolved under the rays of the sun.

"Hanabi!"

Her eyes widened as that familiar voice resounded. Without hesitance, Hanabi jumped off the ledge and just like she expected, under the rising sun, a man with a silver hair wearing that purple scarf around his neck was running towards her.

Hanabi spread her arms, her eyes full of tears of joy as Gusion welcomed her. Hanzo witnessed their reunion, though it pained him to see the woman he loves ran towards another man, he still felt joy for she had seen Gusion before she vanishes.

"Gusion!" she exclaimed yet before the Paxley mage could feel her warmth again and hold her in his arms, Hanabi had faded away. He knelt down on the ground, his head lowered and his eyes shut as tears fell on his cheeks.

"Hanabi," he whimpered.

He was too late.

The disappearance of the Scarlet guardian did not just break one heart but two.

Why must there be broken hearts when all they wanted is to seek true love?

(Thank you for waiting. I do not know why but for the previous days, I have been feeling down so I decided to take a break. I hope that you would continue walking with me in my journey.)