First chapter will be Bell/Ryuu, since I had just played the 3rd Anniversary Event, I felt like Ryuu needs a spotlight, and also her hidden feelings to Bell...
Here's my attempt. Enjoy the shot!
---
--Ryuu's PoV--
Ah...the clear sky, don't care if it is unreal...
Real or not, as long as the warmth is worth appeal...
As long as the warm wind acts like a God's heal...
I'll gladly take up this nature's deal...
To be honest, I wasn't the type to enjoy such matter...
At least, not until someone changed it.
--
Eyes locked to the front, I began my slow, trembling walk towards my destination.
The quietness of the area, only seemingly broken very slightly by the occasional gust of wind, did almost nothing to pause the painful steps I was taking.
It had always been like that for...how many years since then? Seventeen years?
My eyes began to pool some tears everytime I tried to count. It felt like I'm counting how many years, months, days, hours, minutes or even seconds I nested the gaping hole in my heart.
At how many years I had been living over regret, confusion, and sadness.
That was how I felt everytime I passed through this ritual.
At least, it was until nine years ago...
---
--at the same time, Livira--
--3rd Person's PoV--
"Dad, where are we going?" A girl promptly asked someone who seemed like to be her father.
The man, who seemed to be a young man on his mid twenties, with white hair and ruby red eyes, could only give a soft smile in return.
"We'll be going to a place that is very important to your mother. But do you remember our promise this morning?"
"Yup!" Another voice, this time a young boy's, replied. "Don't shout, don't be noisy, don't cause ruckus."
"That's easy enough, don't you think, Dylan?" The girl replied.
"Says the one who shouts all day, all night."
"Whoa, that's rude-"
"Dylan, Sera, stop bickering! We're going now!" The mature man "ordered", causing the young kids to clam up and followed the man.
"S-sorry Dad."
The group then exited the inn, with the direction of a place the older man know very well.
"Hihihi..." A giggle startled them, in which the man immediately registered as per whom it belonged to.
"Somebody's being late, I see."
"It can't be helped, Lili." The man replied while smiling. "I'm not a man who breaks promises, especially a promise to your own children."
"Bell-sama, you're too nice..." Lili pouted, "and too good with words..."
"What is that, Lili?"
"N-Nothing!" She blushed. "Anyway, I assume you're going to visit that place again, right?"
"Yes." A short reply is what the pallum girl (or is it a pallum woman now?) got in return. "I promised the children that I'll bring them this time, and I bet Ryuu was already waiting there. Today's the day, after all."
The two older figure frowned at the last sentence. While Bell had only known much less than his other friends in Orario, he knew how hard the blow was to Orario, and even more to his elven wife, who suffered the most because of it. Lili, on the other hand, knew how horrible it was, despite her not being an adventurer, and how hard the blow was to most of the senior Adventurers and citizens.
Seventeen years had passed. Orario had been bustling like usual, despite the blow it had received. But the same couldn't be said for the elfess.
Bell knew how hard the blow was to Ryuu, and how important this day was, and how important the "ritual" was as well.
Which is why, he tried his best for her, and now, with their little angels, he hoped that he would do better.
"Lord Hermes and everyone from Loki, Freya and Ganesha Familia gave these to you. They wanted to pay their respect as well."
"I see." Bell replied as he received the bundles of flowers from Lili. "I'll be going then. Take care, Lili!"
"Hai!"
"Aunt Lili, we'll be going too!"
"Okay! Don't annoy your parents too much, okay?"
The kids just giggled at that.
---
--Ryuu's PoV---
My trembling steps were so slow that it took long for me to finally arrive.
A small crater, where a sheer amount of weapons were planted, each representing the heroes of the darkest day in Orario.
They had shown that justice was there, it's up to us to pursue it.
They had paid the price, for the glory of the dungeon city, for the people, for the peace.
Everyone I loved, everyone I cared the most at that time.
They fell...they too had paid it. The price of justice, something I always asked to my Goddess especially after all that happened.
I can't even save them...
For a few minutes, I just stood there, fighting back the tears that always tried to leak out.
Fighting the pain from the gaping hole in my heart, the tears acted as a catalyst for it to rise.
Then...
"That's Mom!"
"Ssshh!"
The pain somehow increduously began to dwindle, just due to that familiar sound that sometimes I found to be very annoying.
The tears stopped leaking.
And the coldness and bitterness I felt slowly turned into warmth.
And slowly it reached its peak when I sensed it, the most precious treasures that I had been grateful of, now standing beside me.
Behind the remains of the pooling tears, I saw Cranel...no...Bell kneeling before the site while putting a bundle of flowers. And then I too saw my little children doing the same like their father. I didn't have to follow suit as I had done it prior.
"Sorry we're late, Ryuu."
"It's okay, Bell..." I replied slowly. "I was just gotten here myself."
Without hesitation, right after they got up, I began to face the man and smiled. "Then, may I?"
"Sure, I'll be right after you."
As he confirmed with that words, I knelt down in front of the site, and began to speak in a low voice...
---
Seventeen years, that's a long time, right?
Yet, I still felt it, I couldn't dismiss the fact that I really missed you all.
Everyone...I'm really sorry I couldn't do anything at that time, even if you told me that wasn't my fault.
I wouldn't know what would you like to say to me...but Lady Astraea had always told me to live on, to find my own happiness, instead of seeking the justice that I would never deserved.
-
-
Ah, I always repeated the words every year, right. I knew you'd be bored with it. Maybe you'd be sick of it if you were still alive...
...
I looked back and called my little children softly, prompting them to follow and kneel beside me.
Alise, Ardee, the two of you had always known me the most, since I opened up to you the most. I really missed both of you, I missed your smile, I missed you being here beside me.
Even after long, after I finally married someone that I had treasured the most, which I bet, Alise, you'll be giggling in amusement if you knew it. Still, I can't seem to get you out of my mind.
That's why, when my love finally bore fruits, I decided that I'll keep my happy memories with you among them.
Alisera Cranel
Ardylan Cranel
I specifically named them like that, so I could always remember both of you when I was with them.
And here I brought them with me now. I could feel how elated you were if you saw them, maybe you'll talk and squeal for a long time until you annoyed me, like usual.
Ah, if only both of you are still alive...along with our friends...
But it's no use to be stuck looking back, like Lady Astraea said, I had to live on.
I can only wish you all, not only the two of you, but everyone, to watch over me, to watch over my little family, to live on so that your heroic deeds won't be a waste.
---
I believe, my husband wants a little word with you.
I steadily got up, along with Sera and Dylan, and Bell took my place as he knelt down as well.
---
I may not know all of you, o heroes of Orario. But I know that you all are the happiness that Ryuu needs, you're the ones having a special place in her heart.
I can't talk much, nor I can replace you all in her heart. I'll be always full of respect to you.
I'm here to renew the promise I made with you.
I promise to make Ryuu happy, like how you all have made her when she's young. I promise to make her smile, maybe as sweet as the late Alise Lovell, at least how Ryuu had told me.
And in return, I wish for her happiness, for our journey of life that is just beginning, and I wish for your eternal happiness in Heaven.
Short, I know, but it had such meaning for me.
It's one thing I always love about him, to ensure my happiness, to ease the pain that I had been suffering.
---
With that being said, he stood up, and offered me his hand, which I gladly accept this time. The other hands went to two other people that, like I said, were my important treasures.
"So Mom named us after her friends." I heard Sera stated.
"She sure is, they had to be so important to her." Dylan added.
It might be the remembrance of the darkest day in Orario. But as long as they were here, I'll face it with resolve.
Because I know, my friends will always watch over me and my family.
Especially Alise and Ardee, who'll gladly tease me to no end...
---
Yup, that's my take on Bell/Ryuu especially after I played the 3rd Anniv Event. Hopefully it wasn't too bad!
I plan a Bell/Ais or Bell/Lefiya next. Let's see if I can come up with a good shot.
Until then, Thank you and see you soon!
Kage