The first time this fire coursed through you, you'd just gotten out of high school. Your friend had become a King with all the powers that included and the building he'd been fighting in had been incinerated in that first blast of power. Both Totsuka and you hadn't hesitated when he'd offered his flaming hands to you--you'd just looked at each other and took his hands. That was the first time this warmth had made its home in your body.
That fire hadn't left when Totsuka died. In fact, it had flared when you saw him lying on the rooftop, blood all around him and the phone he called you with lying on the ground beside him. Its too much for you to control and do other things--you were used to not showing emotions, but this, this was attacking you on more than one front. You stay standing there, forcing the flames that live in you down so they don't burn away the rooftop as you fight to hide your anger and helplessness as one of you clansmen, one of the younger ones, the one who used to be part of your duo of vanguards before his partner left the clan, holds Totsuka to his chest.
Even now, Totsuka's trying to say that everything will work out somehow. He mangles his catchphrase, ending it with sorry, and you pull out your phone to call the other member of your now broken trio, saying, "I've got bad news."
It was just past midnight into your adoptive daughter's birthday--Totsuka had gone onto the rooftop to film a birthday gift for her after all. You hang up and head back to your bar with his body in your arms, telling your clansman to carry the mangled camera.
You plan to burn his body the next day, and you brush some of Totsuka's hair out of his eyes (not that it matters, he can't see anymore) before Mikoto comes in and you see the red reflecting in the earring that used to be Totsuka's. It's in the same spot. You ask Mikoto what he's going to do now, and he smiles sadly at the two of you, one dead and one alive, the ones who made this kingdom with him.
He carries the body out to the rest of the clan, setting him in a coffin gently while you all watch. With tears in their eyes (your own remain dry), you chant your clan's cry with the others and Mikoto ignites it. His power used to cancel out at Totsuka's touch--this is the real proof for all of you that Totsuka's gone. The body disappears without any ash remaining, only the blood in the earring in Mikoto's ear remaining of Totsuka's body.
Two weeks later, the flame in your body sputters and returns with less force than before. Your daughter cries out and your clan knows what you've known for a long long time--Mikoto died. You hold her as you pay your respects, the remnants of his power floating up like red lanterns into the sky.
Months later, you feel the fire come back to life with as much force as the first time--your daughter has taken his place. Now she's the King, and you are her knight as well as her father.
Years later, you feel the warmth one more time. You'd gotten into a fight and, unlike before, you couldn't handle it. As that warmth leaves you, another finds its place inside.
You look up, and Totsuka and Mikoto are there.
"You're early..." Totsuka says, a sad smile on his face.
You shrug. "The kids have grown up. They'll be fine now." You pause, "well, better than when you two died, anyway."
Mikoto hits you on the head--funny thing, that, apparently ghosts can feel each other.
"Besides," you continue, glaring at Mikoto without much feeling, "I wasn't nearly as early as you two. If I hadn't been this early...You both died too young."
"Shut up," Mikoto grumbles, pulling on your ascot.
"I guess it really did work out somehow," Totsuka says, grabbing one of your hands with a smile.
You frown--that still makes you think of him dying, but...you suppose it did. You're all together again, and the kids are alright. It'll still hurt, but they'll be alright.
I still like writing in second apparently - warmth/warm
That fire hadn't left when Totsuka died. In fact, it had flared when you saw him lying on the rooftop, blood all around him and the phone he called you with lying on the ground beside him. Its too much for you to control and do other things--you were used to not showing emotions, but this, this was attacking you on more than one front. You stay standing there, forcing the flames that live in you down so they don't burn away the rooftop as you fight to hide your anger and helplessness as one of you clansmen, one of the younger ones, the one who used to be part of your duo of vanguards before his partner left the clan, holds Totsuka to his chest.
Even now, Totsuka's trying to say that everything will work out somehow. He mangles his catchphrase, ending it with sorry, and you pull out your phone to call the other member of your now broken trio, saying, "I've got bad news."
It was just past midnight into your adoptive daughter's birthday--Totsuka had gone onto the rooftop to film a birthday gift for her after all. You hang up and head back to your bar with his body in your arms, telling your clansman to carry the mangled camera.
You plan to burn his body the next day, and you brush some of Totsuka's hair out of his eyes (not that it matters, he can't see anymore) before Mikoto comes in and you see the red reflecting in the earring that used to be Totsuka's. It's in the same spot. You ask Mikoto what he's going to do now, and he smiles sadly at the two of you, one dead and one alive, the ones who made this kingdom with him.
He carries the body out to the rest of the clan, setting him in a coffin gently while you all watch. With tears in their eyes (your own remain dry), you chant your clan's cry with the others and Mikoto ignites it. His power used to cancel out at Totsuka's touch--this is the real proof for all of you that Totsuka's gone. The body disappears without any ash remaining, only the blood in the earring in Mikoto's ear remaining of Totsuka's body.
Two weeks later, the flame in your body sputters and returns with less force than before. Your daughter cries out and your clan knows what you've known for a long long time--Mikoto died. You hold her as you pay your respects, the remnants of his power floating up like red lanterns into the sky.
Months later, you feel the fire come back to life with as much force as the first time--your daughter has taken his place. Now she's the King, and you are her knight as well as her father.
Years later, you feel the warmth one more time. You'd gotten into a fight and, unlike before, you couldn't handle it. As that warmth leaves you, another finds its place inside.
You look up, and Totsuka and Mikoto are there.
"You're early..." Totsuka says, a sad smile on his face.
You shrug. "The kids have grown up. They'll be fine now." You pause, "well, better than when you two died, anyway."
Mikoto hits you on the head--funny thing, that, apparently ghosts can feel each other.
"Besides," you continue, glaring at Mikoto without much feeling, "I wasn't nearly as early as you two. If I hadn't been this early...You both died too young."
"Shut up," Mikoto grumbles, pulling on your ascot.
"I guess it really did work out somehow," Totsuka says, grabbing one of your hands with a smile.
You frown--that still makes you think of him dying, but...you suppose it did. You're all together again, and the kids are alright. It'll still hurt, but they'll be alright.
They can look after each other now.