Chapter Text
But that was months ago.
It was only a memory.
Now,
Thoma was going to die.
Ayato made his way through the crowd that had gathered in front of the Statue. He saw each and every Vision that was imprisoned within the stone, and he felt his heart ache at how horrible it must be to have something like that taken from someone.
He couldn’t remember when the Vision Hunt Decree had started, all he knew was that it needed to end. He had done his part in making the Raiden Shogun believe that he was on her side- a plan crafted to ensure the safety of the Kamisatos- So, all that was left was trying to find a way to erase the Decree all together. Which would take a lot more effort.
"Ayato! Wait up!" Ayato heard the familiar voice of his sister, Ayaka, shout out from behind him. He turned around slowly, a soft smile on his lips as he faced his sister.
"Ayaka. Why are you here? I thought you would be with Thoma at the tea house?" Ayato asked, walking with Ayaka through the crowd. Ayaka simply laughed.
"Thoma said I could come and check on you. He’s worried about you, you know." Ayaka said, jabbing Ayato’s shoulder with her finger. "Not being able to see you regularly is really making him sad. It’s truly depressing."
Ayato’s eyes gleamed when Ayaka mentioned Thoma. Ayato hadn’t seen him in days, maybe even weeks, due to the Raiden Shogun’s wish to execute him. Luckily, he was safe and out of reach from the Shogun.
"Tell him that I’ll see him soon. Tell him that I promise that." Ayato replied, his heart beginning to twist into knots from how much he missed Thoma. He wished that he could just take Thoma and get out of this damned place, but he had to keep fighting. He had to keep going, not just for Thoma, but for Ayaka, for the Resistance. For Inazuma itself, he had to carry on. He would see Thoma soon.
Once Ayato and Ayaka had made their way through the crowd, and to the center of the area, right in front of the Statue, they looked around to see what was going on.
"Someone said the Shogun is holding an execution today…"
"Oh, that’s just rumours. The Shogun wouldn’t kill anyone. …Right?"
Ayato sighed exasperatedly at the words of the crowd. Surely that was just a rumour. The Inazuman people were willing to bend and break any story, just for a sliver of drama. Ayato knew this all too well, considering he was the head of the Kamisato Clan. Him and Ayaka had been through their fair share of conspiracies, so Ayato simply ignored them.
Until he heard Thoma’s name.
"Hey, isn’t that the kid that escaped his last execution?"
"Who’s that?"
"That’s him! Right there! Thoma!"
Ayato’s head snapped to the person who had said Thoma’s name. Ayaka saw the look on Ayato’s face when he grabbed their shoulders and shook them.
"Thoma? What about him? Tell me." Ayato demanded, his voice cold. The citizen simply pointed to the center of the square.
"T-There, they’re bringing him out, see, please don’t hurt me-"
Ayato released them and turned forward. His eyes widened when he saw Thoma kneeling on the ground, his hands bound behind him, and two guards on either side of him. He began to run forward, but Ayaka caught his arm.
"Ayato, wait, you can’t blow your cover!" Ayaka whispered, her eyes clouded with panic. Ayato took a deep breath and settled down. Well, as much as he could with seeing his lover about to be executed. Wasn’t he safe at the tea house? Had The Shogun somehow found him?
It’s okay. I can cause a distraction, something to get the crowd and Shogun’s attention away from him. I can save Thoma. Ayato told himself, and Ayaka took his hand and squeezed it tight, which he reciprocated softly.
Ayato had begun to calm down, hope filling his heart, until Thoma turned his gaze towards him.
And Ayato’s heart shattered.
Thoma looked so broken; his eyes were sunken, and he looked like he had a few bruises and cuts across his face. His lips were bleeding as well. Ayato wanted to run out there, to save Thoma. To scoop him up in his arms and run. Run far away, out of Inazuma, and where The Shogun could never hurt them again. Ayato wanted to be able to love Thoma like he did all those months ago.
But he couldn’t.
He couldn’t move.
He couldn’t break his cover.
So he watched.
Ayato grimaced as one of the guards kicked Thoma’s back, knocking him from his knees and onto his side. Ayato had to bite back the urge to yell, run to Thoma’s side, and cut the guard in half, but he sustained himself. If he wanted to have any chance to save Thoma at all, he would have to wait it out.
Ayaka could sense his panic and she leaned to whisper in his ear, "Don’t worry. He escaped this once, he can again. Plus, The Shogun isn’t even here yet."
Oh, but Ayaka spoke too soon. The entire crowd went from bustling about and talking and laughing and worry to silence faster than the blink of an eye. She slowly approached Thoma, who had somehow gotten back onto his knees. He was looking up at The Shogun with a scowl on his face, and she stared down upon him as if he was a mere insect. Ayato wanted to slap that look off of her face.
"Thoma," she said, her voice booming like a drum, "I’m sure you’re aware of what awaits you."
"You’re sick." Was all that Thoma said, spitting his words out at her. Raiden chuckled, but it wasn’t out of amusement. It was out of ire. She began to step towards Thoma again, and both Ayato and Thoma’s eyes began to fill with panic.
"Wait-" Ayato mumbled, his heart and mind beginning to race with fear and worry and no, no, no, this can’t be happening. Ayaka tried desperately to stop Ayato, but he snapped his hand out of her grasp.
Ayato’s screams were lost in the crowd as he pushed and shoved and kicked his way through to the front, his eyes filling with tears as he watched the sight before him. Raiden had knocked Thoma to the ground once more, and Thoma’s face was crushed into the concrete. His head was bleeding, and his blonde hair had come out of his ponytail, leaving a mess of blonde hair coated with red blood drenching it. Ayato clasped the hilt of his sword tightly as he prepared to run.
Then, Raiden drew her sword.
"Thoma!" Ayato shouted, running out into the center of the square as Raiden raised her sword, the blade facing downwards, over Thoma’s limp body. Before Ayato could reach Thoma, Thoma had turned his face to look at him. Blood was dripping from his forehead and down his face, and his eyes were so broken with sorrow and fear.
Ayato froze. He couldn’t bear to see Thoma like that.
But Ayato shouldn’t have stopped running.
Because the moment he froze,
Raiden’s blade struck,
cutting into Thoma’s back. Thoma didn’t even scream, he just stared at Ayato, wondering why he didn’t try to save him.
Blood.
So much blood.
Raiden lifted her sword from Thoma’s back for only a second before driving it back in again. And again. And again. It seemed as if hours were going by as Raiden drove her sword into Thoma’s body, not caring to stop, even after nothing was left.
No. No. No. No. No. No! No! No! No!
The sound of blood rushing to his ears was all Ayato could hear as he surged forward, striking his sword at Raiden. She scoffed and stepped back, having been slightly surprised by the suddenness of the attack. She watched with amusement as Ayato grabbed Thoma’s shoulders and held him in his arms. She knew that he couldn’t save him.
Ayato knew he couldn’t save him.
But god damnit! He was willing to try.
"Thoma, Thoma, please," Ayato shouted, "Don’t you dare leave me!"
Thoma’s entire body was littered with bloody gashes, and his stomach was practically cut open. Blood leaked from the corners of Thoma’s mouth, and Ayato knew that he never wanted to see the colour red again.
Ayato half-expected Thoma to already be dead, but he hoped and prayed with every fibre of his being that they was still at least a little Thoma left.
Then a shaking hand raised to cup Ayato’s cheek. His fingertips were sticky with blood. Ayato didn’t even try to stop the tears from falling. He rambled out words that didn’t make sense, trying to find some reason why this had to happen. But Thoma only smiled sadly, wincing as the pain began to pool into every one of his limbs, destroying him from the inside out.
"I love you, Ayato." Were the last words Ayato would ever hear from him. The light faded from Thoma’s eyes, before…
Ash.
Ayato was holding pure ash in his arms.
Thoma had crumbled into dust.
His lover, the only person who ever understood him, the only man he had ever truly loved,
was reduced to ashes in his arms.
Ayato’s head fell, tears streaming down his cheeks, as he raised himself to his feet. His clothes, sewn with care, and made to fit him perfectly, were soaked with the blood of his beloved. He had no care for it now.
"I had never knew that you would be a traitor, Lord Kamisato." Raiden’s voice was only ringing in his ears. She faced the crowd, turning her back to Ayato.
"This is what happens when you interfere with eternity." Raiden spoke coldly, holding the blade of her sword out to the ashes that remained.
Ayato then raised his sword to strike again.
But it was in vain.
The last thing he could feel was pain.
Blood like a river, gushing out from his chest,
as he looked down at the blade of a sword, already coated in another’s blood,
piercing through his chest.
Raiden whispered something into his ear before she twisted the blade of her sword, ripping Ayato’s flesh apart.
Ayato laughed, and laughed, and laughed,
"I’m sorry, Thoma."
before falling to the ground, Raiden’s sword released from him.
He fell onto Thoma’s ashes,
and he too turned to dust.
Two lovers, destined to be together, and destined to die together.
It was simply Fate.
Their ashes were the only things, besides their memory, left of them.
Ayaka could only stare in shock at the sight before her before she turned around and ran. She ran, and ran, and ran, and ran, and ran, until her lungs ached and her knees gave way and her heart was beating out of her chest.
Her brother, and her best friend.
Gone.
It was only Ayaka left.
But would she even be able to survive this?
Ayaka could only dream of a time when everything was fine.
For this was Life,
cursed and ruined in a Fate of only sorrow.
Nothing was ever fair.
Nothing was ever truly right.
No one could escape Death’s grasp,
not Ayato,
not Thoma.
Not anyone.
At least their love lasted until the end.
A tale of two lovers,
and ‘til death did they part.
« Même si la pluie tombe, le ciel est toujours beau. Mais la pluie qui tombait ne venait pas des nuages.
C'étaient des larmes. »