When The Snow Falls

PART X

28 February 1941

Yurari kneeled in front of a grave.

"Tsubasa Hasegawa"

Although they had never found his body, The family had decided to make a grave in his name.

Fuyu and Akira sat playing nearby as she prayed for Tsubasa's soul to find peace. She came here every week. Even as Yurari prayed, somewhere in her mind she had never believed that he had died.

Tsubasa... I want to welcome you back...

She heard someone step next to her and guessed that Kouki had come to pick them up. 

I must have taken too much time again.

She opened her eyes and turned towards the man.

'I'm so sorry, I took....' Her voice trailed off as she realised who was standing in front of her.

She took in every detail of his face, as her eyes blurred. 'Yurari...'
That's Tsubasa's voice...

but....

but...

She reached her hand to his face, to make sure she was not dreaming, that this wasn't a figment of her imagination like always.

Her hand trembled as she cupped his face in her hand. Her knees felt weak and they gave away.
He caught her before she could fall.

'I asked Father and Kouki where you were and they told me that you came here every week.'

Her mind didn't seem to be able to take anything in. There was only one word echoing over and over again.

Tsubasa.

His voice trembled as he spoke trying to be casual, when at last it gave away. He hugged her tightly as unshed tears streamed down their cheeks.
They'd finally found what they had been looking for.

Each other.

'Okaeri'

'Tadaima....'

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After falling down the cliff, the natives of the area had taken care of him.
The girl he had saved had been the chieftain's daughter and in turn they had taken care of him for 2 months as he recovered, and also let him stay and wait for the next ship to Japan.

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