Onmyou Taisenki Fan Fiction ❯ Onmyou Taisenki: The Passing Seasons of Life ❯ Onmyou Taisenki: Winter Destiny ( Chapter 4 )

Kogenta cried for the first time in forty years as he watched Riku being laid to rest in the cold earth. The white tiger shikigami could not believe it when he woke one morning and his love and best friend hadn't moved. At first Kogenta had thought the aging man was still deep asleep but upon shaking him the Byakko spirit had found out that Riku was…had past. He refused to think of his brown and gray haired Toujinshi as dead because it would kill the small resolve he had left; the resolve that kept him sane.

 

The white tiger dropped his head to his chest and let out small sobs as he cried in silence for the man he loved. Kogenta had known that Riku was getting on in his years but the age of fifty-seven was too young in his opinion. The fact that Kogenta was near immortal made this fact moot since he knew one day all humans had to…pass on, but Riku… The man had been ill lately and it considered that he would become frail and not be able to get around as much as he used to but to have Riku…pass on like this was tragic.

 

Riku. His Riku. His love. Kogenta wanted to roar into the cloud filled sky as he thought that he would never hear the man's laughter or his warm voice. Never to see Riku get up in the morning or hear him sleep at night was tearing the white tiger apart bit by bit and he didn't know how long it would be before he asked someone to end his misery. It hurt, it hurt worse than any physical pain Kogenta had ever felt before and Kogenta wasn't feeling himself slowly slip away from reality.

 

On this cold winter's day everyone had come to say goodbye to a dear friend, teacher, guide and lover. Old friends Kogenta and Riku had known forever, their children and even other Toujinshi who had come to learn a lot from Riku and Kogenta not to mention their shikigami came to pay their respect. Kogenta wanted to thank all of them for coming but he didn't trust his voice not to give away more of the pain in his heart and so he stayed silent. When Riku had finally been laid to rest and covered everyone left little by little, until only Kogenta remained behind. Though the white tiger spirit's tears had stopped flowing his heart broke a little more with ever moment he wasn't with his Toujinshi and lover.

 

The feelings inside of his heart and soul made Kogenta roar out into the snow filled sky as he looked down to his friend and love. The memories he and Riku made together caused Kogenta think back on all the time they shared with each other; the memory of the fights they had survived through, the love they felt and shared on so many quiet nights, the remembered joy that could only be had when you were in the arms of a love one, and the happiness of times long gone were all Kogenta had now to cling onto. Once the snow began to fall to the ground Kogenta refused to move from his place. The white flakes began to cover he white tiger but he didn't flinch as he looked down to Riku. His Riku.

 

Why Kogneta stilled remained in the human world was a mystery to him. Once Riku had passed the Byakko spirit had thought that he would automatically be returned to the realm of spirits and forever be kept away from his lover's resting place. It could have been that he strong emotional and physical ties kept Kogenta from departing this world but the lose of Riku was driving the white tiger spirit insane. The pain was getting to be so great that Kogenta would ask one of the Toujinshi's shikigami to put him out of his misery if he couldn't end his own existence.

 

Once night had fallen upon the small cemetery Kogenta began to shiver but he settled down next to Riku's grave. The white tiger wished he could freeze to death next to Riku's grave so that at least he would always be beside his Toujinshi and never have to worry about parting with him ever again. Kogenta covered himself with his paws and tail and refused to leave the grounds. All night he sat vigilant by Riku's grave and not once did he move. No matter how bad the snow fell, the winds howled, or even when the chill reached into his bones. If this was to be his last time seeing the face of his love then the white tiger spirit would burn that image into his mind and never let anything replace it. Not rain, not snow, not time, not even death. Kogenta sat by Riku and didn't budge one inch and remained at his position until the dawn came.

 

When the snow let up Kogenta was covered in white crystalloid flakes but he showed no signs of moving. The tiger shikigami was resting his eyes and when he opened them he saw what had to be impossible. Looking and then blinking and rubbing his eyes Kogenta gasped at the sight before him. He slowly got to his knees before taking on step forward and then another.

 

“Riku. Riku! RIKU!!!” Kogenta shouted as he saw the boy he loved standing before him.

 

Riku opened his arms and hugged Kogenta tight when the tiger shikigami ran into him. Both human and shikigami stayed together until Riku released the white tiger and then they stared at each other. Riku's shimmering violet eyes looked into Kogenta's tear streaked ruby orbs and soon they shared a passionate kiss. Somehow Riku was as young as he had been forty years ago and then the two friends began to love each other as they had days ago. When they parted Riku held onto Kogenta and the tiger shikigami returned the embrace with a ferocity that spoke of his love and dedication to his Toujinshi.

 

Time seemed to pass them by and soon Riku looked down at his best friend with sparkling violet eyes. The twelve year old gave Kogenta a gentle smile before laying his head onto the tiger shikigami's shoulder and closing his eyes and sighing. It was the same shoulder that Riku had cried into years ago when he was sad or frustrated, the shoulder he had bit into when the passion was too great for him to contain after hours of lovemaking and the same shoulder the brown haired boy looked for when he needed strength.

 

Kogenta purred as he felt the weight of his friend and lover rest on him and it was a welcomed feeling. The tiger shikigami understood now what he was to do and he gladly accepted his decision. Kogenta wrapped his arms around his human and then cerulean colored energy embraced the two of them. Riku gasped as he felt the life force of Kogenta encircle him and soon that energy filled the violet-eyed boy until he too began to glow with azure sparkles.

 

The life force of both human and shikigami shimmered until they became translucent figures. Kogenta's figure stood and reached out a clawed hand to Riku's figure and once the boy's life force melded with Kogenta's they levitated from their sitting position. The two friends rose higher into the sky until they began to fly and then they sped off into the horizon.

 

It was Yuuma, now much older, who looked into the clearing skies and saw them. The fire in his eyes burned and he waved everyone over to see what he saw. Everyone looked up to see the forms of Riku and Kogenta sailing past a rainbow made of snow and light and they all smiled as they thought that the two would be fine because they had each other and would for all of eternity.

 

It would seem that not even time, nor death could separate such love. Time may command all life but when two souls care enough to transcend the bounds of life to become spiritual…

 

Miracles can happen.

 

 

Owari