Chapter 17, Passage Tears

As me and Neph stayed close after hearing the voices in the air, I suddenly hit my face against something. I looked up to see a wall, tall and doesn't seem like it can be climbed. We were about to turn back when I saw Neph looking at the gems that were on the wall.

"Is there something there?" I asked him.

"It's... something..." He said as he stared at them and when he touched one suddenly an image appeared on the wall.

Haruki?! This one... shows him talking to Lita. Could these stones be Haruki's memories? What's going on?

"Could these be Haruki's memories?" I asked.

"Then maybe we can understand him more if we watched a few!" Neph exclaimed. He immediately began to scan the walls for more gems.

"Wait, I feel like this is an invasion of his privacy." I told him but I wanted to know more as well. Like what he thinks and more.

"Big bro, I want to know more about Haruki." He said with firmness in his eyes. "He wasn't the type to tell others his worries which is why I felt like he was always hiding a pain in his chest."

"I know that." I sighed. "Alright, only a few."

After about half an hour of sitting there the two of us were crying. We never knew what kind of burdens Haruki had been carrying. All his pains, his emotions, everything, he was hiding it all.

"Haruki... is too nice..." He said as he cried. "I know he... he was hiding something... but... I... I never knew how much it was!"

"Haruki... is someone who doesn't want worry any of us." I answered him. Haruki... has always been that kind of person.

"Are you sure he just doesn't trust us?" He asked as he cried. "He's like a brother to me, he could've told us about this."

"I feel the same way." I told him as I held him close. "He is our brother but we couldn't even help him."

"I wouldn't say you couldn't help me." Haruki's voice ringed and he appeared in front of us. "Yo."

"Haruki, why didn't you tell us?!" Neph exclaimed.

I have noticed it, it has been eating away at him for a while now, the fact that he wasn't able to be of help to Haruki. The same thing has been eating away at me as well.

"I never told you because I didn't want to worry you." He said as he held our hands. "Because, you guys already have so much to worry about, I can handle it myself."

"We can always help you!" He exclaimed. "We're your brothers, even if we aren't related by blood, we're related by bonds!"

"That bond is the very reason I could fight." He smiled. "Because people are waiting for me I could bare the burden and pains by myself. I just... wanted to get it all over with."

"I see now." I said as I realized what he meant.

Our bonds are brothers are the reason he was able to push through, because he wanted to be with his brother like us he was able to persevere past the wall that he couldn't overcome on his own.

"Alright then." I said.

He holds our hands one last tome before giving a strong grip reaffirming us that he trusts us and believes in our bonds before disappearing.

We come to, trapped in a barrier but no longer trapped in a cage in of tears. Haruki will reeturn and he will be with us again.

----

As I held Queen's handI made sure that we wouldn't get seperated. We don't know what kind of dangers there are but we know we can't lose anymore hands. Haruki was a strong person and a reliable one too, he was trusted by everyone. Maybe, that trust was even one of the reason's why he couldn't tell us his pains.

As I continued to move I felt Queen's hand loosen and when I turned around she was gone. What's going on?

"Queen?!" I began to panick as I called out.

No voice answered. She's gone, no one's here. I thought that when I heard a voice in tears. I turned my head to see Storm, crying his heart out. I know this day... it was when he lost his granparents. He cried and cried till his voice was hoarse. Why am I here?

As I was about to touch him another voice went off and I turned my head to see Queen, her body covered in wounds. This was when she came back from a mission! I treid to help her but she immediately turned to dust when I touched her.

Thus went on for a while, people I held dear all turning to dust when I tried to help them. What is this? Is this an illusion? Or is it the fear that has been haunting me for a long time now? Despite being a guild master, I'm weak, I can't help much... I don't have strength like Dia, the bravery Spark has, Storm's mental strength.

No matter what, no matter how many times I try to help I'm always too late. If only... if only... I was faster, smarter, stronger, then maybe I could've helped.

I'm a disgrace to Shooting Stars, I'm so weak that I couldn't even help out a friend in need.

"I wouldn't say that." Haruki's voice came ringing. I raised my head and he was there, standing with a smile.

"Haruki?" I asked. "Why are you here?"

"To help a friend in need." He said as he sat beside me. "You've been struglling haven't you?"

"I don't know anymore." I answered him. "I couldn't help you, help Storm, help anyone."

"That's not true, you've been helping us." He said as he held his hands to the sky and images began to play. "It's true you're not strong like Dia, smart like Storm or brave like Spark. But you're far kinder than anyone I've ever met."

"Haruki, do you think, one day, I'll be a good enough master for our guild?" I asked him.

"You already are." He said as he helped me up. "You are the best guild master for your guild."

"H-Haruki, thanks." I answered as I wipped away my tears.

"Just believe in yourself, you'll be fine." He said

I opened my eyes to find Queen beside me unconscious, there's a big barrier around us. I hope she comes to soon.

----

Where is Clover? He was here a minute ago... where is he? I frantically search for him. He may not seem like it but he us very easily worried. Just then, I hear someone's cries and I trun to see Aria sobbing. I immediately sat down beside her and I saw her holding Sky's hand.

These two, they're cousins but I hears from Sky taht Aria has a special ability. That despite her appearance she is actually weaker and easily scared than others. I watched as teras dripped down her face and unto Sky's face and slowly, the bloody, wounded and badly injured Sky's eyes open, her wounds disappear and soon there were no more injuries.

Aria told me she didn't have an affinity for healing magic but this is... could she be an Inactive? A type of magician who is unaware of her powers?

As I was thinking this I turned my head to see her huddled up, hugging her knees as she hid her tears, this is... when she was younger?

I know so little of Aria despite being close friends with her. I guess I really didn't want to pry into her past. Maybe, I also knew that she didn't want to talk about it as well. Her past, which according to Sky was something that she never wanted to recall. But, maybe if I knew about her past I wouldn't think of her the same way when I first met her.

When I first met her, I thought she was just a spoiled nobility who knew nothing of the real world. After a lot of talking, I learned a lot about her but not about her past. She only said that she ran away from home.

This poor girl, she has been through a lot, she lost her mother, fought with her family, lost her lover, so much at such an age. Maybe if I knew I could've done more for her?

"You've alreayd done a lot for her." I turned my head to see Haruki beside me. "You've done a lot for Aria."

"Have I?" I asked doubtful.

"You have, You've been there for her whenever she needed you." He said as he patted my head. "I'm glad she has someone like you."

"I think she'd be happy when you're back though." I said. "Which is why I want to help her more."

"You're here now because you want to help here, no?" He asked and I nodded. "Then you're already helping her. Just watch over her the same way as always and you'll see, Aria trusts and relies on you a lot."

"Thanks." I said and he nodded before the world turend dark and when I opened my eyes, a Clover with an extremely worried loook was watching me.

"Thank goodness." He hugged me.

After he let me go, I saw that we were in a barrier, we'll probably be trapped here for a while.