TotA: Goodbye
Title: Goodbye
Fandom: Tales of the Abyss
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Van, Tear
Rating: PG-13
Other:
When he was ten, he saw his sister for the first time. Back then, she was nothing more than a little bundle, dirty, face stained with blood and screaming and crying. He had knelt beside her, had taken off his dusty cape and had wrapped her up in old linen, keeping her close, cradling her in his arms, caressing, gently whispering the words he had learned, waving a melody into the air to soothe her, to keep the fear and nightmares away. Tears gathered in his eyes and dripped onto her fair skin.
She was his sister. And she was all he had left.
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When he was twenty, he left his sister in the care of their 'father', down in Yulia City. He said good-bye and kissed her hand and promised to bring her a present as soon as he came back.
He went to seek for glory; He went to seek for revenge. But all the while, she was on his mind, his precious little sister, and he caught himself missing her feeble smile as soon as he walked out the door for the first time.
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When he was twenty-five, they told him that he should never come back again. He was bringing problems with him - he was like a shadow looming over her - and most of all, she loved him more than a sister should love her brother, right?
Those words hurt, and he felt hurt as well, just staring at them, at the loss of words. This was wrong. They were wrong. He loved her, yes, but not more, not more that he would be allowed to.
'It's a sin that she's still sleeping in your bed when you're here', they said. 'It's forbidden that you help her undressing when she's weak or tired in the night. It's not normal. It is sick.'
Sick.
So 'love' was sick in this world ruled by an emotionless row of prophecies? Love - simple affection between siblings who had nothing left except for each other - was now cursed and demonized?
He had stared and them, suddenly turning on his heel and leaving. Leaving for the last time. Leaving forever.
This time, he didn't say goodbye to her. He didn't sing a song to soothe her mind.
He just left.
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When he was twenty-seven, he saw her the last time. She was grown-up by then, beautiful, strong. He was proud. He wanted to embrace her, like he did with the weak baby over a decade ago. He wanted to sing her to sleep like he did so many years, nearly every evening. And he just wanted to talk to her, to see into her eyes, to have the girl they stole from him - his sister! - back at his side...
And sometimes, when he thought about this, Van only wanted to cry himself to sleep, thinking of her and everything he could not show her. But actually, he never did cry. Because after all, she was alive and breathing and survived this long, even all alone, even without him. And thinking about the fact that he might not be needed anymore by her, he was both unbearably sad and incredibly proud.
Mystearica was such a strong girl, and by now, he probably was sure that she would outlive everyone, even himself.
Fandom: Tales of the Abyss
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Van, Tear
Rating: PG-13
Other:
When he was ten, he saw his sister for the first time. Back then, she was nothing more than a little bundle, dirty, face stained with blood and screaming and crying. He had knelt beside her, had taken off his dusty cape and had wrapped her up in old linen, keeping her close, cradling her in his arms, caressing, gently whispering the words he had learned, waving a melody into the air to soothe her, to keep the fear and nightmares away. Tears gathered in his eyes and dripped onto her fair skin.
She was his sister. And she was all he had left.
--------------------------------------
When he was twenty, he left his sister in the care of their 'father', down in Yulia City. He said good-bye and kissed her hand and promised to bring her a present as soon as he came back.
He went to seek for glory; He went to seek for revenge. But all the while, she was on his mind, his precious little sister, and he caught himself missing her feeble smile as soon as he walked out the door for the first time.
--------------------------------------
When he was twenty-five, they told him that he should never come back again. He was bringing problems with him - he was like a shadow looming over her - and most of all, she loved him more than a sister should love her brother, right?
Those words hurt, and he felt hurt as well, just staring at them, at the loss of words. This was wrong. They were wrong. He loved her, yes, but not more, not more that he would be allowed to.
'It's a sin that she's still sleeping in your bed when you're here', they said. 'It's forbidden that you help her undressing when she's weak or tired in the night. It's not normal. It is sick.'
Sick.
So 'love' was sick in this world ruled by an emotionless row of prophecies? Love - simple affection between siblings who had nothing left except for each other - was now cursed and demonized?
He had stared and them, suddenly turning on his heel and leaving. Leaving for the last time. Leaving forever.
This time, he didn't say goodbye to her. He didn't sing a song to soothe her mind.
He just left.
--------------------------------------
When he was twenty-seven, he saw her the last time. She was grown-up by then, beautiful, strong. He was proud. He wanted to embrace her, like he did with the weak baby over a decade ago. He wanted to sing her to sleep like he did so many years, nearly every evening. And he just wanted to talk to her, to see into her eyes, to have the girl they stole from him - his sister! - back at his side...
And sometimes, when he thought about this, Van only wanted to cry himself to sleep, thinking of her and everything he could not show her. But actually, he never did cry. Because after all, she was alive and breathing and survived this long, even all alone, even without him. And thinking about the fact that he might not be needed anymore by her, he was both unbearably sad and incredibly proud.
Mystearica was such a strong girl, and by now, he probably was sure that she would outlive everyone, even himself.