Title: Hands Held High
Author: Umi-chii
Pairing: Shuda/Sieg
Fandom: Rave
Theme: #15 – perfect blue
Disclaimer: Umi-chii don’t own Rave. Hiro Mashima still does.

Warning: This is set after the manga, so obviously, spoiler alert.

A/N: Title inspired by a Linkin Park from their Minutes to Midnight album. The quotation followed is an excerpt from the song.

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Hands Held High

For 30_kisses, #15

‘With hands held high into the sky so blue

As the ocean opens up to swallow you.’

Months had already passed since the last war. There are no more grey clouds covering the sky, no more frowns and sadness. Lives were sacrificed, and though it may have brought a lot of pain to those concerned, the reward is worth it. This Shuda has come to face and even after all these years, he still tells himself to simply accept the truth. There isn’t much to be done about the past, especially when a life is lost. All he could do is to learn from it.

The redhead is walking along a street of Mildean, its road still bricked. The only thing that has changed is that instead of a grey and stormy sky, it’s now perfect blue. Puffy clouds take up most of the space in the sky, yet the sunlight would still radiate through them. The sky here in Mildean is exceptionally different. It reminds him of something, something that he couldn’t pin-point. In the end, he has traveled to the reminiscent city just to watch its sky.

Musica had asked him why he find sky-watching as his favorite past-time. The question made him think about it, made him thinking about that day when he met that blue-haired boy watching the sunset. At first he suspected that the boy would jump off the cliff he’s standing on, hand leaning on an old cherry tree. When the boy made no notion of acknowledging his existence, Shuda had made his presence known. But the boy didn’t even bother with him and Shuda didn’t feel like bothering him so they just stood next to each other, staring at the setting sun. The next day, when Shuda went to the cliff again, he couldn’t find the boy anymore. So he left Mildean a few hours after.

It was many years, during his time as a Demon Card general when he met the boy again, only this time he had matured, his pristine face now marred by the Guardian’s mark. Shuda couldn’t recognize him at first if it wasn’t for the solemn look the boy—young man still wears. This time, the blue-haired man is watching the darkening blue sky from a balcony of the huge fortress. And the redhead didn’t want to miss this chance of asking the Mildea.

“It won’t be long before the sky completely darkens. Then the time will come, where darkness rules everyone’s heart, and we’ll have no stand in this world. Yet it also won’t be long thereafter for the darkness to go away, before the sky becomes blue again.”

Shuda reckons he had been staring at the young man that entire moment, eyes fixed at the tattoo of the Guardian. When he blinked, the other’s back had already turned and was walking away from him. But Shuda had let him leave, despite of the urge to hold out his hand and tell him to stay a bit longer. That was the last time Shuda had met the young man with that sad face, as if there’s no more hope left, because the next meeting they had, the young man had become a changed man.

“I had wondered at first why I find it strange for you to change sides. But then again, when I tried to picture it beyond the obvious, I realized that maybe; the reason is the same as mine.”

Shuda didn’t object when the mage shared his thoughts with him that night they’d spend together. It was that time when Shuda realized that despite of not being together that much, they’re able to connect, as if like they’ve each other for so long. That was when Shuda recalled the blue-haired man hadn’t answered his question at all during their last meeting, so he asked him again.

“The sky… it makes me feel peaceful. The blueness of it makes me feel like nothing will go wrong, that everything is perfect. It keeps me from thinking negativity.”

That night, they watched the sky littered with twinkling stars. With hands held high, a promise was made, sealed with a chaste kiss. The promise to leave out all the rest, but not too much that they’ll drift away from each other. The morning after, they both made the decision to go opposite paths. One to the east whiles the other to the west.

“After this insanity… please go back to Mildean… and I’ll wait for you there.”

Walking past an old woman selling cherry, Shuda moves his right hand over his remaining eye, covering it from the glare of the sun. Then he caught sight of a dove flying across the sky, its wings gliding across it, its eyes sparkling with happiness and freedom. It has made Shuda think of the mage he had grown to fond. Without thinking, the hand over his eye had moved to his lips, fingers caressing it softly as he remembered the promise they had made that was sealed with a kiss. Even without the other anymore, Shuda still believes that the promise has been kept and fulfilled. Out of whim, the redhead let a small smile creep up to his scarred face.

‘I’m back.’

END