Just a little note that I'm putting in here. I glanced over this fic for old time's sake and realized something: it sucks horribly. While the entire thing won't be rewritten, I will be editing some things and rewriting them, as well as combining a few of the chapters that are painfully short. In addition, I'm also cutting out the review replies and author's notes at the beginning and end of the chapters, as well as most of the ones I put into the actual story (since they seemed to take away from the moment in some cases). So, with that said, welcome to the revised (and hopefully better) The Happiness of Those Who Believe.
Edit: The lemon I said I was putting into chapter 23 clearly only half-happened. I must have been distracted or not paying attention. Anyway, with the new chapters (some being condensed, combined, etc.), it is now Chapter 24 and the lemon is there this time. Sorry about that. Enjoy!
Eyes laid on his stomach in a rather large pool of his own blood, looking around to the best of his ability. He managed to pull out a small note pad and pen from his jacket and scribble something on it with his left hand since his right arm was conveniently broken at the time. Eyes couldn't help but smile the faintest bit to himself at the great irony in all of this. "I suppose I should have paid more attention when he tried to teach me to write with my left hand. I never thought it would truly come in handy." Eyes thought to himself, "Of course I was so naive back then...I'm not as foolish now, but that's not currently helping me. You would think being one of the Blade Children I would have gotten used to the idea of dying, when I was young I surrounded myself with death until Kanone came along, yet now sitting here realizing that I am truly about to die I'm...terrified. Maybe it's just because I'm alone. Though I've been alone my whole life, and he's been the only one to make me feel differently, but he's not here. And he's not coming to rescue me or help me, I am truly alone and it doesn't even matter because I'm about to die. Be that as it may, I don't think I would mind death as much, if he were here. Guess I'll finally have to accept my fate. Ironic how I have thrown that word around so much yet never bothered to really contemplate my own fate, it was always our fate, the fate of the Blade Children, and yet I am the only one dying. Facing my fate alone...that is what terrifies me so much."'With that final thought Eyes Rutherford closed his brilliant piercing blue eyes, now dulled from his impending death. His hand still grasped the pen he used to write out his note to Kanone, hoping beyond reason that Kanone would find it.
As Kanone entered the warehouse where Eyes lay dead, the brown haired Blade Child walked over to his old friend and gazed down at him, only the tinniest bit of sadness evident in his haunting eyes. And that sadness was not for the loss of his friend, but for the handwriting on the note pad. "I knew he never paid attention in those lessons," Kanone thought, sighing, "always complaining that he would never need them, well Eyes, my friend looks like you were wrong. Guess I won that bet."' Nonetheless, Kanone rolled Eyes over on his back and suddenly felt the urge to check for a pulse. He did. There was none. Of course, he had known there wouldn't be, but that letter was only meant to reach Kanone's eyes after his friend was dead, so he felt that he had to confirm it. Looking down at the letter Kanone became even more depressed. This time the content of the letter was the reason:
I wonder, what do you suppose it means, "the happiness of those who believe". That's what it means, or rather, what it symbolizes, correct? Purple irises. Happiness. Belief. Do we have the right to those things? Tell me, Kanone. Do we? No. Us sinners don't have those luxuries. At least we're cursed...together, right? I love you, Kanone. My angel, my deadly angel. I believe in you.
"Your deadly angel am I, Eyes?" Kanone asked the corpse, "Yes that's right, I was the deadly one, and you...you were the fallen one. You were my fallen angel, and it looks like you have finally crashed...how sad." Kanone had pulled Eyes into his lap when he turned him over and now he looked down at his friend's face. "I always thought when you died you were supposed to look peaceful," Kanone remarked, "but you just look...lost. And alone. Well, you never used to be Eyes, but now I'm afraid you are alone, in a world where I couldn't reach you even if I traveled to the brink of death. No I cannot protect you anymore." Kanone slowly bent down and kissed Eyes lightly on the lips, "I can't protect you, but I can still love you." As Kanone's eyes welled up with tears he smiled a little, "And I can still cry for you Eyes, so you will never have to." Kanone thought back to when he promised Eyes he could cry for him, right after his mother had passed away. "When I agreed to cry for you then, I never imagined this, though I suppose it was inevitable. But I don't mind crying for you Eyes, and I don't mind loving you." Kanone hugged his friend and held him tightly one last time before standing up and walking outside, tightly clenching the note in his hand.
Kanone took one look back to the body and looked down at the ground, "I do mind being alone, though."
Kanone had just left the warehouse and he was now intent on wiping the few, stray, unwanted tears from his eyes. "Well Eyes, I'm crying for you. But why does it hurt so much? Did I truly love you? Yes, of course I did." Kanone smiled faintly at this realization. He loved Eyes with all of his heart. "If only you'd known..." Kanone was lost in his thoughts for a few minutes until his cell phone rang. He sniffed one more time and flipped it open, "Yes?"
"Kanone? Where are you? The voice on the other end sounded panicked. Kanone recognized the voice as Kousuke's.
"I was just on my way home. I'm about two blocks from my apartment." Kanone lied, well no really. He wasn't sure where he was going, for all he knew he was going home.
"Well get to the hospital. Rio was ambushed by the Hunters. Get here now! And bring Rutherford with you!"
"Kousuke, I can't. Eyes is..." Kanone started to tell him the horrible news.
"I don't care where he is," Kousuke interrupted, "Rio wants to see him. I tried calling him but I didn't get an answer. Just bring him." And with that Kousuke slammed his phone shut and the line went dead.
On the other end Kanone stared at his phone with an expression of worry and annoyance, "That boy is so rude." Kanone commented to no one. Fortunately he wasn't too far away from the hospital and he got there in no time. As he entered the building he walked up to the receptionist's desk and began to ask for Rio's room number when he heard a familiar voice shout out his name.
"Kanone, over here!" Kanone turned to look at Ryoko.
"Ah, hello Ryoko." Kanone greeted her with a smile, "You're looking well."
Ryoko stared at him for a second in confusion but shook it off. "Come on. I might be fine but Rio is far from it." She turned to lead Kanone to Rio's room but stopped when she saw that Kanone had come alone. "Kanone, where's Rutherford? Rio's asking to see him."
Kanone got depressed at the mention of Eyes' name, "Eyes is..." He glanced at the receptionist and the others in the lobby, "Let's talk in private." Kanone said motioning for Ryoko to lead the way. The female Blade Child nodded and they arrived at room 27, Rio's room. As they entered, everyone's attention turned to them. Kanone scanned the room and saw that besides Ryoko and Kousuke, Ayumu and Hiyono were there as well. Kanone glared at Ayumu and got the same response back. The two men had somehow agreed to not kill each other, but the hatred was still strong between them and everyone knew it.
After a few moments of uncomfortable silences and stares of hatred, Hiyono broke the silence, "Hi Kanone, long time no see!" Hiyono smiled brightly.
Kanone glanced at Hiyono and nodded in recognition, "Hello, Hiyono." Kanone had never liked the girl, but it wasn't her bubbly personality that he found so annoying, though it could get tiring. No, it was her undying faith in Ayumu and the fact that she made Ayumu believe in himself that Kanone despised.
Ryoko piped up next, "So Kanone, you never told me. Why isn't Eyes with you?" Everyone's attention turned to Kanone, the same question on their minds.
"Eyes is...he's...dead." Kanone's eyes closed as he said this, as if he had only just then admitted it to himself. He looked up with tears in his eyes and saw their bewildered expressions.
"Wh-what?" Kousuke asked, "H-how?"
"A Hunter." Kanone replied simply. He surveyed the crowd and was not shocked by their tears, except for Ayumu's. Kanone expected Ayumu to be smiling smugly with a guess-you-can't-win-them-all look on his face. Instead Kanone found Little Narumi with his head bowed. "Little Narumi is upset?" Kanone thought, "Does he really care that Eyes is..." He stopped there, unable to finish the thought. '"No, I won't believe it. I couldn't have had him pegged wrong. Could I?" Kanone hated the self doubt that Ayumu was making him feel so he directed his thoughts elsewhere. He walked over to Rio's bed and placed a hand on her shoulder, "How are you doing, Rio?" Rio had had her fits clenched fighting back tears but when Kanone placed a hand on her shoulder she broke down and hugged him, burying her face in his chest, crying.
After Rio calmed down they all made idle talk until the nurse arrived announcing that visiting hours were over. Everyone bid farewell to Rio and made their way to their homes. Ayumu walked Hiyono home and as they stood at her door, she sighed. "What's wrong, Hiyono?" Ayumu asked, though he already knew the answer.
"I just can't believe that Eyes Rutherford is dead...it just seems so unreal."
"Yeah...but I guess it's more likely than anyone else. Him being one of the Blade Children and all. Well, goodnight, Hiyono. I'll see you tomorrow.
"Goodnight, Ayumu." Hiyono replied. She went inside and Ayumu was left alone to walk home.
When he got home, Ayumu called out to see if Madoka was home. He got no reply and just assumed she was working late, so he started to cook dinner. He was so lost in his thoughts that he barely noticed a knock at his door. It was already pretty late and he wondered who it could be. He left his food cooking and opened the door to find a pair of golden eyes staring back at him.