The Year Of Rain

We walk, lost and with no purpose

You woke up, vision blurred by tears, cradled in Pure's arms, Ghost and Hornet staring at you concerned. You were crying in your sleep, again. You quickly wiped your eyes, trying to put on a smile, feeling guilty at having woke them up.

"(Y/N) are you alright?" Hornet asked, placing a hand on your shoulder, her stare filled with worried.

"I'm fine. Sorry." you tried to assure her, amazed at having managed to keep your voice from trembling and give yourself out.

The princess was looking at you with doubt in her dark eyes. She didn't believe you; it was painfully obvious.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, and you vehemently shook your head.

No. It wasn't going to help anyway. But falling asleep wasn't going to make it better either, maybe only worse.

"I need air." you found yourself saying, eyes darting towards the balcony, the trees and the stars almost calling you.

The siblings said nothing, only nodded. You all got off the bed and after you changed in the bathroom, helped by Hornet. Living with only one arm was far harder than you thought, the lump on your side, an eternal reminder of the tragedy that still hurt when you tried to move it, forgetting that once was there now was gone forever. You tried not to think about it. There was already enough pain to add more to it, but just like the memories that haunted you day and night, so did this. Just breathe. Hold back the tears and try to accommodate. No need to burden anyone more. When you and Hornet got out of the bathroom, you stared a bit at the room, the little ones sleeping in the cat bed, their faces so peaceful you could only pray your pain will not stain them too much. The moonlight peering through the room caught your attention, the silver rays falling upon the clear, blue surface of the egg resting in a basket on the other side of your bed. You approached it, your fingers gently running over the glowing shell, warmth emanating from beneath. You sighed, wondering when he will awaken, grief tugging at the string of your heart again, the longing being just as strong as the yearning for your parents. Another innocent fallen prey to that cursed accident.

"Come back to me, Kuro." you whispered softly, leaning your face closer to the egg, your breath blowing over the shell, a single tear lingering down your eyelash and falling onto the clean surface.

Feeling your heart about to shatter from the weight, you broke away from him, going back to Hornet who was waiting for you at the door, her dark eyes stuck on the egg. She placed a hand on your shoulder, trying to offer comfort.

"He will come back, (Y/N). We just have to be patient." she said, opening the door and letting you go out.

"I know." you whispered, but the words didn't sound convincing.

Still, neither of you said a word more and got out, throwing one last glance towards the egg in which the owl was sleeping, a rest whose end none could foresee. He's been like that since the day of the accident, the grief and the possibility of losing another dear one, being too much. Thus, he felt into a deep slumber, encased in a blue shell that his lingering magic formed around him, its purpose unknown. To break it was too dangerous, and so the only option left was to wait and see, pray for the day when he will return to come faster.

You met the other two siblings in the hallway, where Ghost was trying to climb in Pure's arms and be carried, their older sibling continuing to refuse to obey their desires, but you could see that they were becoming less firm every time the small one was asking. You chuckled seeing them, the sound taking everyone by surprise, at its genuinely. How long has it been since you actually laughed without having to force yourself? Too long for them. You could hear their synchronic sigh of relief and Ghost shifted their attention from their sibling to you, their arms outstretched and begging. You bend down and swooped them in your arm, them nuzzling their mask into your chest. You looked at them, placing a hand over their head and caressing it gently, or that was what you wanted to do, but you couldn't, and that mere fact pained you so, but this was not the time to cry. You had to be strong. You had to, if not for yourself, for them. Jealous, Pure wrapped their arms around you and put their chin on your head, their shoulders slumping in what was meant to be a pout.