A Magic Knight Rayearth story by Rob Barba
MKR belongs to CLAMP, Kodansha, Sega, and whoever the hell in the US who owns the rights until further notice – last week Mixx, Working Designs and Media Blasters, maybe next week Fisher-Price, Atari and National Geographic. The way the US anime industry is, who knows?
Light streamed into a room. Coming into the window, it highlighted the dust motes as they did their ballet movements, ebbing and flowing, all coordinated by the exterior force that was the air conditioning in the room. Outside, a bit of snow sat on the ledge, a gentle reminder of this winter period, this cold part of the year that seemed to mirror the mood of the quiet, relatively empty room.
The room itself was barren, with the exception of a small table, a dressing screen, a chair in the corner, a bed, and a table. The table was adorned with a large bouquet of reddish-yellow flaring roses, adorned with the card, GET WELL SOON, ‘KARU. LOVE, ‘KARI. A small Hello Kitty plastic doll sat there, with a note that read FROM EMILY, and a imported Ranma-chan doll sat in its box, with a Post-it note saying, ALL THE BEST FOR YOU, LOVE, LANCE. The rest of the table was strewn with cards, some from relatives and the like, but quite a few from friends and associates.
Next to the table, was the bed, occupied. The current occupant was a young woman of 16 years, half-Japanese. The Japanese side of her ancestry was showing in her facial features and body structure, while the Caucasian blood in her was evident in the flaming red hair of hers that would have been more common to someone of the Scottish highlands. At the moment, the young woman, Hikaru Marie Shidou, sat up in her bed, wearing nothing but a hospital set of pajamas, and stared out the window, both watching the clever interplay of the sunlight and the specks of dust that danced to its inaudible tune, and the bleak emptiness of the snow outside.
It had been a month since she had been admitted to the Everett Grove Mental Health Center, a month since her best friend Umi Ryuzaki had been killed in a car crash just outside of Fort Lewis, on the way home for the Washington State Swordsmanship Championship. Hikaru took home the trophy amongst the kendo artists, while Umi had placed a respectable third for fencing masters. By contrast, Scott Le Fevre, the captain of the Seattle Hills High School Fencing Club, placed a dismal fourteenth in the fencing tournament. However, the victory had its own price to pay, as both Umi and Scott had been killed in the head-on collision with the semi, and Hikaru, while saved by the backseat air bags, had the shocking view of seeing Umi turned into so much pulp before her eyes. The event had seared into her mind, causing her to mentally retreat into a new world, into a new life. She’d had her adventures in that new life, but had returned back to this one, still thinking herself to be a child of that reality, and not of this one.
It had been a hard road the past few weeks for young Hikaru, but through the patience of her family, remarkable progress had been made. She had begun to remember things, remember who she really was, how things really were. Now, they were at a fragile point. She’d identified some members of her family easily, such as her father and aunt Rachel Zagard, when she’d come to visit. Others, such as Dr. Joyce Choi (who for some reason Hikaru had been calling Kuu Hououji) and nurse Lazlo Emerson (who had been turned into a technocrat named Zazu) had been more difficult to be pinned down.
However, the majority of the Shidou family was still in the unrecognizable zone. For starters, Hikari, on fear that she would be mistaken as the doppelganger Nova, was not allowed near Hikaru. Young Emily, when presented to her, elicited tears over what Hikaru called her unwanted slaying of Princess Emeraude. Older brother Lance had come by once or twice, until an amorous Hikaru had made a move on her beloved Lantis, unnerving him. Even her mother Priscilla had suffered, as she’d been referred to as the weaponsmaster of Cephiro, Presea. At the moment, though it pained them much, only Clef had come by as the family representative.
The second week into her treatment, Thomas Zagard and his family moved permanently from Boston to Seattle, in a home not too far from the Shidou residence. Taking a permanent position with Everett Grove, Thomas threw himself into a dedicated frenzy to help his niece return to sanity. Alongside him, Rachel, a medical doctor, was able to visit regularly as well; the visits from Hikaru’s aunt helping the young woman along nicely. Initially, Hikaru’s female cousins Lila and Lily had come – twins in the Zagard family were commonplace – but she identified them as a pair named Tatra and Tarta, they soon joined the non-visiting list; the younger Zagard, Kenny, fit no stereotype, and thus came to visit often.
Today, however, no one would probably be coming. It was a Sunday morning, and with most of most of the medical staff gone for the weekend, it would be a lonely, dull weekend. Maybe there would be something on TV, but she doubted it; the staff had a dull, non-offensive set of movies that they showed on a closed-circuit system that pretty much was the epitome of bland. Only that cute guy who was one of the regular nurses had come by to drop breakfast off for her, and that was about it, really. Hikaru sighed, consigning herself to a droll, dreary Sunday.
There was a knock at the door, and the young woman called out, “Come in…” Much to her surprise, it was Zagato – or Zagard –whatever he was calling himself. Composing herself, she said, “Good morning, Doctor.” In her mind, she still wasn’t sure if he was who he said he was, or if she was who he said she was, but there was no need to be rude,
“Hello, ‘Karu,” he said, in a tone that sounded sad; perhaps it was because of the address she’d used? As it was, she hadn’t completely adjusted to “’Karu,” although her father called her that; there seemed to be something more to that, though she couldn’t pin it down. “How are you feeling this morning?”
“A little lonely, I guess. No one’s come to see me since….” she choked off the final words, determined not to cry in front of this man. No one had come to see her since she had been rejected by Lantis. He’d come out of nowhere, come to see her, come to rescue her from this place, or so she’d thought. She wanted so much to leap into his arms, to go away with him, to marry him and have a life forever at his side…or, considering the fact that she was the Pillar of Cephiro, he at hers, but that was a minor detail. She asked him if he loved her, to which he said yes, always. So she kissed him.
She refused to play the rest of the scene in her mind, the pain of rejection too much for her. The fact that he actually pushed her away as though she were anathema, to shuffle to the door quickly, as though he were spooked, saying, “I hope you’ll recover soon, ‘Karu,” then left. She hadn’t seen him since. And that was the better part of a week ago.
Now, Zaga-whosis was here, saying he’d come to visit. Well, while he was, surely there had to be more to it than that. “So, is that the only reason that you’re here?”
He held up his hands in a surrendering gesture. “You got me, ‘Karu. No, I have to work today. However, you do have a visitor, someone that would like to see you.”
The redhead perked at that. “Is my father here? Or Aunt Rachel?”
“I’m afraid not. Your father went to New York for a week to meet with his publishers. And your aunt and the rest of the ladyfolk went off to the mall to shop.” However, he flashed her a warm grin and said, “But I do have someone here to see you. “ Walking to the door, he cracked it open slightly and said, “You can come in, Europa.”
Into the room, walked a young woman, slightly older than Hikaru by maybe just a few years, Japanese in ethnicity, just as the redhead was, though by the look of this woman, she was full-blood. She had black hair that seemed to be already streaking with gray, and lively brown eyes. She had an athletic build to her that was clear despite her clothing. She wore a black leather jacket, a black scarf, blue jeans, a white turtleneck, and a sweatshirt that simply read WEDEuro. She was also carrying a duffel bag with her, and a pair of boots stuck out of one of the side pockets. “Hey squirt,” the woman said, her voice a tone of impropriety, “what’s a brat like you doing in a classy place like this?”
Hikaru stared at the woman. There was something familiar about her, a strange sort of elegance to her that she couldn’t pinpoint. A part of her said something like Debonair, but the thought vanished from her mind as quickly as it had come. Another name came to her mind, but it lodged itself her in her throat, and she was left to sit there with her mouth agape, staring at the woman incomprehensibly.
The woman, as haughty as an anime character, wagged her finger disapprovingly as she tossed the bag next to a chair by the side of the bed. “You’ve passed the two-second rule with your mouth open, squirt. You’re now fair game for flies to enter your mouth.”
Somehow, that brought recognition to the redhead’s face. “’Ropa?”
Europa Shidou rolled her eyes and looked at Thomas. “She must’ve really had a few screws knocked loosed, eh Tom? Doesn’t even remember her aunt, and I’m only a couple of years older than she!”
Thomas cautioned, “Now Europa, she’s been under some strain la–“
“Yeah, yeah,” the woman said as she went over to the chair by the redhead’s side, plopping into it. “I got it, Tom. I ain’t gonna let her go Big Chair on you or anything.” Amused by the look of frustration in the older man’s eyes, she winked at her brother in law and shooed him out of the room, dryly commenting, “don’t you have work to do, Tom? Geddouddahere, already!” As she shooed her the man out of the room, she focused her attention on the girl. “Hikaru.”
Hikaru stared blankly at her aunt. With Europa Shidou being the unexpected child of Hikaru Sr. and Hizashi Shidou, she was the same age as Lance. However, Europa was certifiably brilliant, enough so that she’d graduated from college at the age of 14 and held a doctorate in engineering. On her own already, she was living the high life in Europe as one of the senior engineers over at Disneyland Paris. Hikaru treated her more like an older sister than an aunt and never even bothered to use the honorific with her. “What are you doing here?”
The woman smiled. “Well, I heard you had some problems as of late, ‘Karu, and I came to see what I could do about it. You’re a Shidou, and you shouldn’t be here in the psycho ward.”
“You’re right. I should be in Tokyo, or Cephiro, or–”
“–Paris, staying at my place in Ponthieu. Then we could do the mall hopping on the Champs, or hit the Louvre, or what have you. Remember last summer, when you girls stayed at my place? The guy next door who kept trying to get in your pants?”
Hikaru blushed furiously at that memory; Jean-Claude had almost talked her into it, if someone hadn’t saved her at the last moment by starting an insult-fest with him. But who was it? A name flashed in her mind: Hikari. But that’s impossible, she mentally annotated, animals do not start verbal wars with assholes. But was there more to it?
Not really noticing her pause, Europa continued. “Guy’s a complete wretch, that’s for sure. He knocked up that one girl in the downstairs apartment, and Ysabeau is younger than you! But enough of that,” she commented, dismissing the subject with a wave. “I’m here because of you, and frankly, I needed a break from all that French cooking, anyway. That stuff will wreak havoc on a girl’s waist, if she’s not careful.”
Hikaru caught that. “But you came all the way out from Europe just for me?” And how would I remember that, unless….
Europa smiled. “Look, I think that EuroDisney can get along well enough without one of its senior engineers for a while. Besides, they think I’m spying for the Anaheim office anyway, so they were glad to see me bail for a few.” Europa got to her feet, and in a swift motion, yanked Hikaru out of the bed. “C’mon, squirt. We’re going outside. Got something to show you.”
Hikaru, dragged along until she hit the floor, winced from the cold linoleum. Looking up at her aunt, she commented, “But I don’t have–“
Europa gently booted the duffel bag over to where Hikaru was on the floor. “Yes you do. Hope you like the Space Mountain jacket; it’s a limited edition and pretty hefty in the francs department, thank God and union perks for employee discounts. Now, I’ll step outside and let you change. I’m gonna go grab some coffee, so I’ll be back in a couple of minutes or so.” As the younger girl opened the bag and began to pull out its contents, Europa stepped out of the room, and went down the hall to the visitor’s lounge.
Waiting in that lounge was Lance, and another male. The second male had a roughly handsome face, and blazing green eyes. He also had pale blonde hair, which he had a habit of dyeing a bright green just to piss off his parents. This was Rick Ferios, Lance’s best friend and sometime antagonist, as he was being at the moment:
“I can’t believe it, Lance,” he said, trying his best not to laugh, though not entirely succeeding. “Hikaru – your own sister – giving you the heavy tonsil check?”
Lance’s face was a study of embarrassment at that issue and annoyance at his friend. “You know, Rick, there are times when I really want to pound you into the floor.”
Rick scrambled away from Lance like a bird from a snake. “Hey, hey, hey, c’mon, Lance, chill, okay? You know I was kidding. I just find it odd that ‘Karu did that – let’s be honest for a second, and acknowledge the fact that your sisters aren’t the most up-to-date on the Birds and the Bees, natch?”
Lance said, “And personally, I like it that way. I’m very protective of them, and I like not having to worry if my sisters are on the pill or not. Look at how much Dave La Farga brags about how he’s nailin’ Danni Caldina. That could have been ‘Karu. I’m not going to put up with that.” He turned that grimace on Rick. “And that includes whatever you’re trying on ‘Kari, too, pal.”
Rick blanched. “Wha-what makes you think I’d do that to Hikari? Chill, wouldja?”
Lance’s eyes tightened for a second before he let Rick off the hook as he grinned and said, “Touché.”
Rick huffed. “Thank you. Thank you very little, Lance.”
“No one bothers to, Rick,” Europa said as she strolled in. “It keeps his ego in check.”
“Gee, thanks, ‘Ropa,” Lance drawled sarcastically.
The woman smiled as she poured herself a cup of coffee then poured hot water into a second cup, adding cocoa powder to it. “Yeah, whatever. So’s everything set?”
Lance smiled. “Yup. The last member of our coffee klatch is setting up the final details before it’s showtime.”
“Gotta admit: this idea is pretty golden, and certainly ballsy,” Rick commented, “But I gotta ask: do you think this’ll work?”
Europa suddenly went quiet as she admitted, “I hope so. There’s something that these doctors and even Tom hasn’t realized: ‘Karu’s special. Despite the way she acts, she’s not like your average girl. Pop said it best when he picked her to learn the family kendo skill: she has the Spirit of Bushido in her – whatever the hell that means. Personally, I think it means that there’s something inside her that drives her in that department, not simply going through the motions.”
“I don’t think that Hikari’s gymnastics or my karate is ‘going through the motions,” Lance countered.
“And I didn’t mean that, so turn down the sensitivity volume, Lance. What I mean is that for all intents and purposes, a girl ‘Karu’s age would have either given up on the skill, or tried for Olympic fame and glory. Despite her awards, ‘Karu doesn’t really go for the ‘big-name sports hero’ halo that goes with it. She’s dedicated to her skills, in that way that old samurai were. You and ‘Kari are as well, but I think it shows in ‘Karu the most.”
She was about to elaborate further, when she looked at her watch. “She’s probably ready now. Keep an eye out for the hand signals, guys. It’s important to the plan.” As both boys nodded, Europa grabbed both cups and made a beeline back for Hikaru’s room.
Right on time, Europa entered the room, coffee in hand for her and cocoa for the redhead. Handing the other cup to the Hikaru, Europa drawled, “So, ready to go on outside?”
“I guess. Why outside?”
Europa’s answer was to drag her out of the room and eventually out of the building. “Remember when we were kids? Building treehouses in the summer, or snow fortresses in the winter? Gee, where did all that time go? It seems so long ago. You know what I loved most about it, though? Remember the time that we three built that raft over by the lake near your old house. Us three, we called ourselves a name, after that old Thomas Dolby song…do you remember? ‘Europa and the Pirate Twins’. We must’ve been the only three pirate girls in all of Washington state!” Europa laughed softly, savoring the old memory, but more importantly, hoping that Hikaru would remember as well.
“Yeah, I remember those times,” the redhead replied, as images filled her head. “Man, it was fun, wasn’t it? You, me, and….” Hikaru let her words trail off. There seemed to be someone else. A couple names flashed in her head, but they weren’t there for long, and faded away as quick as they came.
Europa, however, noted the moment of thought on the features of the young girl. “Drawing a blank already? It wasn’t that long ago, kiddo.”
“I know, I know. It just seems like a part of….” Hikaru’s words faded off without prompting, and for a second it seemed that the redhead was at a loss for words. That problem was rectified, however, when Europa gazed in the same direction that Hikaru was. Standing in front of them, over by a freshly-made snowman, was Hikari, looking at them with a cast clear on her face: she hadn’t expected them to come out so soon.
“Oops,” Hikari blurted.
A guttural snarl rose from Hikaru’s throat, followed shortly thereafter by a blood-curdling roar of “NOVA!!!!! THIS IS IT!!!! YOU AND I FINISH THIS NOW!!!” With no fanfare, Hikaru bolted towards Hikari, murderous intent in her eyes.
“Oh shit!” Europa cried. “’Kari, run, damnit!” But the girl needed no such prompting, as she saw the enraged look in her sister’s eyes. Fearing for her health, Hikari turned tail and bolted immediately in a random direction. Hikaru bounded hot on her tail, and Europa screamed for help from Lance and Rick, cursing how her plan could have gone awry even before she had a chance to put it into action.
In the meanwhile, Hikari was finding out all sorts of interesting things about her sister that she never knew. For starters, normally due to Hikari’s gymnastics ability, she tended to be faster on the feet and more nimble than Hikaru. However, now, either fueled by anger, adrenaline or something else, Hikaru was not only keeping up with her twin, but also closing the distance between the two. While the snow and other factors might have been a cause, the fact that the normally slower Hikaru was able to keep up was showing that something was clearly wrong.
Hikari filed the basic situation in her head. Yes, she was faster. But that didn’t seem to apply here. Hikaru, on the other hand, was stronger, due to her kendo skills. Whether that still applied, the girl was not in the inclination to find out. If she lays one good hit on me, oh, is it gonna really hurt….
So, with no other immediate hope of getting away, the gymnast leapt into the air, grabbed the nearest tree branch, and swung herself up to the nearest wall. Once up there, she felt very much safe, as Hikaru didn’t have the agility to swing up here, much less run flat out on a wall with the width of a balance beam. This was, after all, Hikari’s element, and there was no wa–
What the hell?!?! Hikari reacted in shock as she heard a scuffling of feet behind her. Peeking over her shoulder, she saw the impossible – Hikaru had managed to not only climb up to the same wall without losing a beat, but was running along it even more nimbly than Hikari was!
From where they were, Europa, Lance and Rick blinked rapidly in astonishment. They’d seen Hikari’s upswing to the top of the ten-foot wall via the tree branch, and considering her mastery of gymnastics, seeing her racing across the narrow top of the wall was not anything to be concerned about. What did catch their attention though, was Hikaru’s completion of the same maneuver, without skipping a beat. Hikaru was less quick on her feet than her twin, but she managed to make the move as though it was the easiest thing in the world. There was no way that the kendo artist could have performed such a difficult acrobatic maneuver, especially in light of the fact that she wasn’t anywhere near as flexible as Hikari was.
“Did I imagine that?” Europa blurted out.
“If you did, that was definitely a group hallucination,” Rick breathed.
Hikaru approached within striking distance of Nova. Apparently, her dark doppelganger was free once more, wreaking havoc on the countryside. Of course, nightmarish world or not, Hikaru was obligated to do something about it before everything came undone.
Nova turned and shouted out to Hikaru in sorrowful, panicked tones, “‘Karu, snap out of it! Please!” Something about being called “‘Karu” rang in Hikaru’s head, and for a second she almost lost her footing on the wall. Conflicting thoughts sang in her mind, she shouldn’t have been able to do what she did, she was able to because she had the power of the Pillar of Cephiro, that such a claim was impossible because Cephiro didn’t exist, Cephiro had to have existed because she was able to remember every detail about it with a clarity that couldn’t be a mere hallucination.
And just a couple of feet ahead of her was proof of Cephiro’s existence – Nova. But she didn’t totally look like Nova. Her hair was darker, for starters, and her ears were not of elfin length. She didn’t wear that black spandex suit and armor that was so normal for the magical clone, and Nova was usually much more aggressive than she was acting now. A word rang in her head again: sister.
No, Hikaru yelled back at the voice in her head, I have no sister! And Nova has to be stopped before she does any damage! But still, Hikaru felt sorry for the mixed up, self-destructive clone who felt romantically attracted to her. Perhaps she could merge her back into herself once more, as she did last, although she had no idea how they’d separated again. Still, worry about that later, she decided, because the time to act is now! With a battlecry, launched forward, tackling the other girl.
Both fell from the top of the wall, fortunate to land in a soft snowdrift that only knocked the wind out of Hikari; Hikaru had instinctively steeled herself for the drop and landed rather easily. Taking a second to shake off the daze, she got back to her feet and grabbed the dazed mirror image, painfully slamming her against the cold, hard barrier. Cocking back a fist, Hikaru seethed, “Your reign of terror is over again, Nova.”
Gasping for air, Hikari asked, “Hikaru! Why are you doing this? I’m your sister, Hikari!”
“That trick may have worked on me once before, Nova, but not again, never again! I’m going to end this, once and for all!” There was a regal yet militant look in Hikaru’s eyes that Hikari had never seen before, a look that implied that Hikaru had seen far more in her life than had been expected.
Head still swimming with pain, Hikari looked back at Hikaru through eyes that were beginning to tear and said, “Do what you must, Hikaru. But no matter what, I’m still your twin sister, and I still love you.”
“Lance, stop her!” Europa shouted. “She’s gonna kill ‘Kari!” The woman had no need to shout that, as Lance had bolted forward as fast as he could in the foot-deep snow and readied to knock out Hikaru, something he didn’t relish in the least. Following close behind him was Rick, also concerned.
Rick shouted out to Lance, “Suggest we pin her against the wall, Lance. She’ll still be conscious, and you won’t be harming her.” Lance merely nodded agreement. There was a distance of thirty yards between the girls and the two guys, and hopefully nothing would happen in that time frame. If something were to happen now, Hikaru might not be the only family member suffering severe tragedy.
Hikaru held her fist at bay, ready to unleash it in an instant. However, something was preventing her from doing so, as though it were wrong, something so out of tune with the universe, that she just could neither punch forward nor unclench her fist. Her fist merely shook and shuddered as though something within it were keeping Hikaru from moving the hand, or giving it any sort of command.
In that moment, Hikari acted. Out of desperation and sorrow, Hikari lunged forward and grabbed her sister in a fierce hug, saying, “Please remember! You have to remember! We lost Umi, and I won’t lose you too!” Tears rolled unashamedly down Hikari’s face as she sobbed, “Please, for me, ‘Karu. Please….”
Hikaru’s fist began a downward descent, even as her mind erupted.
…a pair of six-year-old girls,
sitting on swings in a park, both dressed in matching overalls and ballcaps,
both holding Barbie dolls with short hair and green clothing. The one with the topknot turns to the one with the loose hair
and says, “Will you always be with me, ‘Karu?”
“Sure
I will,” the other replies. “’Cause
you’re my sister, ‘Kari!”…
…a
thunderous, stormy night, with lightning splitting the skies.
The girl named ‘Kari, is frightened and afraid of the storm and the
noise. Too afraid to leave the room
because of monsters and things that go bump in the night, she crawls out of her
bed and into the one of the girl named ‘Karu.
‘Karu, not afraid of the storm, hugs the girl closer to her and said,
“I’ll protect ya, ‘Kari.” Satisfied
with that answer, the girl named ‘Kari falls asleep in the arms of her sister,
feeling safe and protected…
Images blazed through faster and faster through Hikaru’s mind, a kaleidoscopic montage of memories, a deluge of sensations that overwhelmed and slam-danced within the mind of the redhead. It grew, faster, stronger, brighter, darker, all these at once and so much more. It grew stronger and stronger still, beyond the point of control, beyond the level that the fragile barrier that was Hikaru’s mind could accept.
The redhead let go of her twin, then grabbed her head, shaking and moaning, “No…make it stop…make it stop…” She fell silent for a second before an inhuman sound came from her throat that rapidly grew in intensity. Hikari let go of Hikaru, as the other reared her head back and unleashed an unearthly howl of madness and pain, of sorrow and delusion, of darkness and despair and everything in-between. The scream was enough to stop Lance, Rick, and Europa in their tracks, scaring them out of their wits. Upon hearing it, several members of the medical staff inside, Tom included, immediately headed outdoors, fearing the worst.
Hikaru’s scream lasted for a few minutes more, before she pitched forward into the virginal white snow. She lay there for a second, unmoving, as though the scream was her soul cutting free from the bonds of its body. Without thinking, Hikari snapped to and grabbed her sister, pulling her close to her and whispering, “Hikaru….”
“Hikari?” a soft, shaky voice said.
“‘Karu, is that you?” Hikari squeaked, unsure if believing it to be the truth or not. Unsure of what to believe, she whispered to herself, “Please, God, let it be her….”
“Wha…what happened to me?” Hikaru said, shaken to the core. “I…I almost attacked you!” She broke from Hikari’s hug with a fear in her eyes. “I was almost going to kill you!”
“But you didn’t, ‘Karu,” Hikari said, in a tender voice. “I knew you couldn’t. I knew I meant too much to you.”
“You do, sis,” Hikaru said, as she broke into tears. “More than you’ll ever know.” A second later, Lance reached the pair, and Hikaru reached for her older brother, breaking down in his arms in shame and utter sorrow.
Once Hikari had broken through to Hikaru, the wall of Cephiro in Hikaru’s mind was smashed, totally and instantly. By the end of the day, she was able to see things and people for who they really were. The recovery was so instantaneous and rapid, the medical staff initially feared that this was the calm before the storm, a brief period of lucidity before they would lose her again. However, those fears proved foundationless, and Hikaru remained clear, with her personality climbing out of the marked depression, coming to its original forte of joy and bright bubbly cheerfulness, as though they rose with a kind ferocity that could only be described as Hikaru.
Though Europa and Lance were mildly rebuked by Tom and Clef for the hare-brained plan they neglected to mention, it was clear that it was done with Hikaru’s best thoughts in mind, and that pretty much got them off the hook. Neither had mentioned Rick’s involvement, so he was held pretty much blameless, though Clef knew that usually where Lance was involved, Rick wasn’t that far behind. Even so, Europa was made to promise not to play amateur psychiatrist anytime soon.
Released back to the world a few days before Christmas, Hikaru got the chance to spend the holidays with her family, finally as they were and not as she imagined them to be. All her relatives came to visit, and both sets of grandparents even flew in from Hawaii and DC, respectively. For Hikaru, it felt both as though it was great to have all her family together, and in a strange sense, it also felt as though it was the first time she was actually spending time with them. Also, she knew where she was, finally and totally; Cephiro was banished back to the dark recesses of her mind like the phantom reality it was. She was sane and her true self once more; she would never be troubled by those traumatic imaginings again.
Now, all that remained was to put her mind at rest, and to close that chapter of her life. On the 28th of December, the day after Europa returned to France, she chose to make that step and move on.
“I’m here to say goodbye, Umi,” Hikaru murmured softly as she placed the yellow roses on Umi’s grave, a raised headstone with Shinto marks on it and engraving in both Japanese and English: UMI RYUZAKI, DEVOTED DAUGHTER AND SISTER. MAR 03 1982 ~ NOV 14 1998. The redhead’s voice was breaking, and the tears rolling down her cheeks threatened to freeze in the wintry ground. The snow-covered ground of the cemetery was a pristine white, a stark contrast to the girl with the flaming red hair and black clothing. There was nothing around, save for a sea of other gravestones and the occasional bare tree. In the relative distance was a black Mitsubishi Eclipse, over by which stood a girl dressed similar to Hikaru, and another, with long black hair and glasses, dressed slightly different but no less somber for the situation.
“I-I’m okay now,” the redhead said. “It was hard for me, losing you and watching you die. I lost it completely, and I couldn’t handle the strain.” Hikaru fought to keep her voice straight, as she didn’t want to bury her words under a mountain of sobs, a river of tears. Nevertheless, she cried still, teardrops cascading in synchronicity with the light snowfall that had begun to pour down on the cemetery site. “I lost my mind into a fantasy world, and if it weren’t for my family, I would still be there.
“I wish you were there with me. You were, but it was all a dream, all my imagination. I wish you had only suffered that, and not what happened to you in the end.” Hikaru’s heart ached, far more than when David had dumped her like a bad memory. Her heart of hearts was shattering, and for a brief instant, she was unsure if she could continue with what she had to say. “I wish that you were here now, more so than ever.”
“Umi, you were my best friend – you’re still my best friend. We only knew each other for a few years, but it felt like all of my life, and maybe even more than that, sometimes. Most of the world saw you as just a girl who moved here from Tokyo, a girl with a funny accent and a talent for fencing, but none of them really saw you as you were: one of the kindest, sweetest souls that ever was.” Hikaru began to shiver, though whether it was from the cold or the sorrow, she didn’t know. There was really no way she could know; she felt numb long before she stepped out of the car and onto the frozen ground.
“Don’t worry about your family. We’ll watch them for you, and ‘Kari and I will try to be the big sisters for Mutsumi that she’ll need. We’ll never take your place of course, but….” Hikaru was stunned at the clarity of what she said, as though a great dawning had set in. She’d spoken the truth–there would be no more of Umi’s smile, her demure honesty, her need to wear Japanese school uniforms to high school, her broken English, or any of that. Not anymore, and never again. Hikari had already faced that, and now it was Hikaru’s turn.
“I miss you so much already,” Hikaru moaned. “But I’ll hold together, because you’d want me to, because ‘Kari, Lance, and all the others would want me to. I’ll survive. I only wish you had, as well.” Hikaru found herself sinking to her knees, hugging the cold stone for comfort, but it felt automatic, as though it was instinct rather than a planned motion. “I’ll miss you so very much, Umi.”
Finding the strength within her to wipe the tears from her eyes, Hikaru got back to her feet. “I guess I’ve gotta get going now, before I freeze solid out here. But I’ll be back again soon, I promise.” Shakily, she rose back to her feet and, looking at Umi’s grave one last time, she turned and headed back towards the car.
From where she was, the look on Hikari’s face didn’t read that placid, either. Not only was the other redhead torn between trying to stand directly behind her sister for comfort, or trying to give Hikaru the needed distance to say her good-byes, but bringing Hikaru here was still bringing back the pain of her own trials of Umi’s loss. Although both Shidou twins had been best friends with the Ryuzaki girl, Hikari had already said her farewell; Hikaru had not, and like it or not, this was very much a personal moment that could not easily be shoved away under a guise of sorrow. In the end, Hikari simply decided to wait by the car, saying her own personal Godspeeds for the soul of Umi Ryuzaki. To her side she said, “Thanks for coming, Allison.”
“No need to thank me. I’m more than just your brother’s girlfriend, you know; I’m your friend as well.” Standing at her side in front of a car and shivering from the cold was Allison Danvers. A relative newcomer to the group due to her relationship with Lance, Allison became a source of strength for Hikari while Hikaru had been hospitalized. Now, in a very bittersweet sense, Allison had filled a hole in the heart of the Shidou twins, though she could never take Umi’s place. “’Sides, Lance thought it would be best if it were a ‘Ladies Only’ gig.”
No immediate answer came from Hikari, as she merely nodded agreement. “It just might be for the best. I know this is hard for Hikaru, but it’s not any easier for me. It wasn’t that long ago that I said bye to Umi, and the pain hasn’t really healed yet.”
“Know what you mean. My grandmother died a year ago, and I still can’t totally get over it. You never forget your loved ones, do ya?” Taking an extended sigh that crystallized once it left her lips, Allison said, “So, do you think she’s emotionally ready to start school again?”
“Well, my uncle said she should be fine,” Hikari responded, “though he made it clear that he wanted her to call him at any time she felt disturbed. Europa told her that if she ever feels the need to get away from it all, just hop the first plane to Paris, and she’ll help out. Lance is being more protective than usual, and has even hijacked Rick into that. In fact, the only problem will be her reputation when she gets back to school.” Hikari ran a gloved hand through her long, loose red hair in a sign of frustration. “While most of the students are going to be pretty supportive of her, I don’t know how she’s going to handle those taunts of ‘psycho girl’ and the like. You know that Danni Caldina’s going to dig into her at every chance she gets, and since she’s got Dave P-whipped, he won’t stop her. And Lance is a senior, and you’re a junior, while Hikaru and I are only sophomores–you can’t be there all the time, and there’s only so much that I can do.
“Mom and Dad suggested that Hikaru would be better off going to a private school like Lily and Lila, but ‘Karu said no, that she had to face it head on. I just hope that she doesn’t run into a train in the process.”Author's Notes:
I'm supposed to have notes?