Chapter 8 ( A Song From the Bottom of Her Heart )
Disclaimer: You
should know this by now.
Time: This story is occurring in the winter of 2041.
Warnings: This is not
an AU. It is a post Galaxia
fanfiction about what I now call The One Hundred Year Sleep. This might very well turn into a series under
the name I've used to dub the period of time this, and later stories, occur
within. I'm treating this time of "sleep" to metaphorically describe a
time period where the Senshi are trying to get
themselves together (in this story, only one person is even close to being
labeled as in a sleeping status, maybe). The reality of it is that Rome was not built within a day (and that was
not even close to being labeled as a Utopia).
The period may not even be exactly one hundred years; it too is used as
a metaphor for this time period.
Summary: Kumada Akina has just lost her Father, Kumada Yuuichiro, to disease and
age. However, on his death bed he
requested to not be buried with his prestigious ancestors but to have his ashes
placed at a Tokyo
shrine. From there on out, a trip to Tokyo for the family from Kobe will force Akina
to face a few flaws in her character and discover a city of ghosts. There, through the memory of others, Akina will learn the bonds of friendship and family, one
that she had forsaken long ago in her silent anger at a father she loved and
hated above all others.
Things
That Change
by Blue Jeans
“I
have honored the things I could not change,
but tried to, anyway.
And in
the end, I identified my rewards
from what I have tried
and not from the things I have
changed.”
Chapter 8
Coda
On the platform they
shook hands with each woman. Kumada Akina got to talk to Mars
Reiko for the first time the evening before and they spent breakfast through to
lunch together, along with Mars Reiko's friends. Each woman was truly unique, amazing and
incredibly accomplished in her own way. Akina learned of Makoto's crippled legs but the brunette
seemed to be fine, even if she had to use the silver crutches for many
things. Kino Makoto really held a surprising
amount of determination, along with a very honest and genuine smile. The brunette’s dexterity with her supports
was also surprising, accomplishing simple tasks that Akina
had always taken for granted, in clever ways that left the Kumadas
in awe at first at quite a few of the things the brunette did.
Kumada
Iku was unable to get over the fact that Mars Reiko
looked so much like her supposed mother.
The dark-haired woman was surprised by Iku's
appearance as well, but hid it well.
They ended up clasping hands, Reiko, having clasped Iku's
wrinkled hands in her own, kept her emotions wrapped
up behind a smile. "I've heard a
lot about you," Mars Reiko said with her eyes filled with something that
no one could name. "You were truly
a worthy rival. In the end, I'm so glad
that it was you who won his heart. I-- I
don't think my mother would have been as devoted. Still, everything ended as it should, hm?"
Iku
was dazed and confused but happy at those words. The other, however, did not recognize that the
strange shine in Mars Reiko's gaze was due to unshed tears as those dark,
familiar eyes regarded Iku's own. The old woman knew the meaning of those
enigmatic words well, but it was surprising coming from such a young and
accomplished woman as Mars Reiko herself.
Understanding the past was not something Iku's
children did very well, but it was the past for a reason. "Thank you," Iku
answered. The other really was at a loss
of words for what else to say. Mars
Reiko was more than happy to assure the Kumada family
that she would take care of everything after Iku told
her of Kumada Yuuichiro's
final wish. The dark-haired woman was
entirely too confident over the fact that she knew exactly what Kumada Yuuichiro meant. Still, they had done what they had came to
Tokyo to do, and Kumada Iku
relaxed considerably under the reassurance of the young woman she was sure to
be the daughter of Hino Rei, a woman Iku had once admired and envied with great intensity as a
girl.
Hiroshi got his
signatures from Kai Michi, Wynd
Haru, and Mars Reiko.
Aino Minako
flirtingly gave him a kiss that his sisters both caught on camera. Akina kept hers
with an arrogant smirk, threateningly declaring that she would one day show it
to Yudayo Hikaru -- Kumada Hiroshi's long time girlfriend. Mars Reiko was also in the picture, giving a
wink and a mysterious smile that she was so well known for to her fans and it
was that picture that Mars Reiko signed with a wicked grin of her own when she
handed it to an extremely perplexed Hiroshi.
The Kumada
family was given a huge picnic basket from the beaming Makoto, whom Nami discovered was the actual owner of the exclusive
restaurant Jupiter. But Nami was sworn to secrecy with such knowledge and given a
few recipes from the brunette herself in return for Nami's
loyalty. Mizuno Ami and Tomoe Hotaru spoke of the research they were doing and exchanged
numbers with the females of the Kumada family. Ami told them that if they were ever in need
of serious medical aid, to give her a call should she be in the area.
Only when they got home
did the surprised Hidekai Kiyoshi inform them that
Mizuno Ami was a very renowned doctor in the field of medicine and research for
artificial limbs, as well as the reconstruction of both muscle tissues and
bones. Nami
laughingly waved him away when he lamented the fact that he wasn't able to go
with them on such a wonderful adventure if they were able to meet such amazing
people.
Mars Reiko pressed a
slim envelope into Akina's hand at the very last
moment, and smiled at the other reassuringly when Akina
gave her a questioning stare. Reiko only
shook her head in response as Akina looked down at
her hands. The dark-haired singer gently
closed Akina's fingers over the envelope. "Read it when you're alone," Reiko
instructed her. "It's a secret, and
I trust you with it. Please, because in
your eyes, I owe you and even such debts shall best be paid as soon as
possible. It's— It's
from a very old woman who had loved your father very much, in her own
ways."
With that strange
parting, they said their final goodbyes.
This time, Mars Reiko did not say they would meet again, only that she
wished Akina and her family the best in life. Ironically, this time, Akina
was saddened by the fact that this may be the last time she would be able to
speak to such an amazing woman with equally amazing friends. Still, without further ado, the train doors
closed and Tokyo
quickly grew smaller and smaller in the distance, left behind them as it seemed
to have been left behind in time. Tokyo was a city of
memories, one that refused to change.
But Akina would remember it forever instead as
the city that changed her more than she had thought a place could change a
person.
It was a strange five
day vacation. A lot more happened in
that time period than Akina could have dreamt were
possible. Exhausted from the whole
ordeal, she fell into a deep sleep on the way home to Kobe.
It was a strange relief, but they were all filled with nostalgia already
at the fact that their adventure of a lifetime was over. Still, Akina knew
she would remember this trip forever.
This special journey would forever be kept close to her heart, as would
the song that Mars Reiko sang the night before.
"...our
song..." Kino Makoto's voice came drifting back to her ears. Yes, Akina
acknowledged, it was their song.
It was a song against the great sadness and tears of the world, a song
of hope and love and friendship that endured the test of time.
It was the song of life
and hope, change and growing up. It was their
song.
- - - - -
"I don't think she
understood everything we've told her."
Mizuno Ami said observantly from her perch on the train bench.
"That's
okay." Kino Makoto waved the other
off as she leaned a bit more heavily on one silver crutch. "She's not really supposed to. If she knew everything, we'd have to kill
her!" Makoto joked as she made a
sweeping motion with her crutch, using it like a staff or sword in the
direction of Kobe.
Aino
Minako raised a brow.
"That was not very funny, Mako
Chan," their blonde friend admonished.
"Only I can make such tasteless jokes with a straight face."
"Rei Chan, you okay with this?" Tomoe Hotaru asked
the dark-haired woman who stared still into the empty horizon where the train
disappeared.
"Yes," Rei sighed a bit sadly.
"I just didn't realize how much time had passed till I saw Iku San again. Back
then, we were both so young, her younger than me even. In my mind, Yuuichiro
and she were frozen in time one way and when I saw him dying then... and her
now, it's all very strange. She was so
filled with energy, but now... I was surprised by how much she had
aged." Hino Rei
smiled sadly down as she viewed her own smooth hands. "I didn't want to tell her a lie. Somehow, it hurts for me to say such things."
"You must have
loved Yuuichiro San very much," Hotaru observed.
"That
slacker?" Minako demanded heatedly.
"He can't steal my Rei Chan's heart so
easily after all this time!"
"Mina-ko!" Rei growled and
brushed away the blonde coldly.
"Don't hang onto me so much," Rei
added as she turned an equally cold shoulder to be presented in annoyance.
"Rei Chan," Minako sniffled
as she dabbed her eyes dramatically with a handkerchief, "your affections
are so painful and cruel sometimes."
Exasperated, Rei threw her hands up and tried to escape the trailing Minako. "They
seem to be having fun," Makoto said, smiling ruefully from where she was
leaning. "I wish I could move so
freely once more."
"I told you to use
that wheelchair," Mizuno Ami admonished the brunette. "You've been really straining yourself
lately. If you want my advice, you
should save up your energy so we can begin testing those adjusters I made for
you instead of having to rely on the crutches again."
Makoto only grinned at
her friend without much of a care.
"I'm glad to see you back again, Ami Chan. We've really missed you, all of us."
Ami paused in her
admonishing of the brunette and looked up at the other in surprise. "Really?" she asked in a very small
voice and rubbed her suddenly tearing eyes when Makoto nodded. More tears spilled out as Ami pulled in a
ragged breath. "I really... missed
all of you too!" Ami said through
her tears, happiness shining on her face as well as relief.
"You
okay?" Rei
asked worriedly and Minako echoed her best friend's
concern once they saw the usually composed Ami sobbing on the bench.
"I'm
wonderful," Ami said, grinning. "Absolutely wonderful!" Minako
and Rei exchanged confused glances but chose wisely
not to push for more answers.
"Now that the
winds of change are picking up again," Ten’ou Haruka smirked from the shadows at the drama before her,
"I think she will be showing up again soon. That odango-atama*,
I really did miss her after all."
"Things are
finally changing around here," Kaiou Michiru agreed next to her lover. "I can't wait for this to be over so I
can stop using tacky names to be in the business of entertainment."
"Rei, can you see again?" Meiou Setsuna asked curiously, adjusting the goggles she wore
with a wince at the bright sunlight.
Hino Rei turned her gaze to the horizon, bare and dark with
unknown possibilities. "Yes," Rei answered in one surprising moment. "After all this time, my vision is
finally returning. It's a slow process,
but very soon we'll be able to look into the future once more. It'll be a much harder road ahead, but I am
really looking forward to it." Rei smiled cheerfully at this. "Nowadays, though, I don't know if I
will want to look to see what is to come even when the sight is given back to
me." Rei
said the last part softly to herself.
Setsuna
nodded in understanding. "I am also
regaining my sense of Time and the flowing currents once more. The deep sleep is still in session, but alas,
it is slowly coming to an end. Forty-one
years... who would have thought so short of a time could be so long?"
"We've been
struggling in place all this time," Michiru
agreed. "It'll be nice to be able
to move forward once more."
"When I sang, I
held onto her hands for the first time in a long time," Rei recalled with her eyes closed in remembrance. "Her tears are still flowing, but her
pain is bleeding away at last." Rei held her hands close to her heart and raised her face
to the sunlit skies. "Thank you,
everyone, for helping me out back there on stage. I don't think anyone heard her tears except that
girl. But finally, finally there is a
light after having stumbled so long in the darkness."
"Change is
definitely lifting the stagnant air all around us," Haruka
grinned as she winked and gave a thumbs-up to her friends. "And now we can stretch again and have
some real fun!"
Aino
Minako tightly wrapped her arms around Hino Rei then, and for once, the dark-haired woman let herself
be held without a word of complaint.
"I think," the blonde woman muttered into the silky material
of Rei's winter jacket, "I'm ready to face
Artemis again."
Rei
smiled at this slightly and grasped the forearms of Minako
with a firm and reassuring grip. "I
think I too am ready to face him with you, Mina Chan." Rei grinned as a
light sparked in Minako's eyes at the mention of
this. "And then, we can try to make
that bridge again between those two stubborn cats." Minako's eyes
darkened with emotions even as her mouth quirked in answer to Rei's rueful smile.
"I think it's been long enough since fate has separated those two,
don't you agree? It's what Grandfather
would advise me to do if he was in his right mind." Rei rolled her eyes
in exasperation at the mention of a particular ghost haunting a particular
shrine (and the women that visited there).
Minako
could only nod as she buried her face into Rei's
shoulder blades, hiding her overwhelming smile of joy. "Yes," the blonde answered
fervently. "Oh, yes!"
- - - - -
Akina
had never been so glad to see her apartment.
After Lesta Gin nearly tackled her in the
airport and gave a full report of all the wonderful things Akina
had missed at the Luminarie, the dark-haired young
woman seriously began to doubt if she was really going to give her best friend
the present she had bought for Lesta for the New
Year. Still, it was nice to see her
boyfriend had behaved himself while she was gone, and he was very affectionate
with her. For once, Akina
had allowed such affections to be received and her boyfriend hid his surprise
as well as his gladness for the change expertly.
Akina
realized that she really might have changed when she was in Tokyo.
Normally, she wouldn't have let Wataka Matsuyo drive her back to her apartment, even though they
had been dating for a month. But today,
she let him do a lot of things she usually would have refused without a second
thought. Today, when he got close to
kiss her softly goodnight, she didn't say a word against it. And Matsuya smiled that smile that had
convinced Akina to go out with him in the first place
as he hugged her goodbye and left.
"Did I really
mistrust everyone so much?" Akina asked herself softly after she had bid Matsuyo goodnight for the day and entered her
apartment. She was more than ready to
turn in as she left her luggage at the door of her apartment, too tired to move
them in any further than her own doorstep.
Akina paused in front of her bed and
remembered the note that Reiko had given to her. Akina had taken it
out of her pant pocket when she was undressing to take a bath. "Hm." She looked down at the crumpled envelope
sheepishly. "I guess I'll read this
when I'm done with the bath."
She scrubbed herself
clean and wondered what Mars Reiko could have written to her that the other had
not already said before. What secrets
did this woman want to share with her, when it wasn't so long ago that she had
attacked the said woman for being there at her father's funeral? Still, Akina
thought as she toweled off and walked back tiredly into her bedroom to prepare
to sleep, it was very strange to be given a letter.
Sitting on her bed, she
carefully opened the flap and pulled out a single piece of paper. "Wow, short secret," Akina said to herself out loud, and began to read it. By the time she was done, tears had gathered
into her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.
Each word was painfully filled with emotion, as was each tear that Akina found herself shedding for a woman her mother both
admired and envied, the woman who was a truly worthy rival. But still, through the pain, there was still
an endless amount of hope and longing for the next day to come even with past
regrets that lingered silently in the background. Akina, though, was
slowly learning that the worth of regret was like everything else in life: the
amount it demands is always the amount one thought it was worth, no more and no
less.
"I guess, I was not the only one afraid of getting too close and
being burned." Akina
put down the letter. "That explains
a lot," Akina sighed as she looked down at the letter
sitting next to her again. "I guess
Reiko San just wanted to remind me of my father, mother, and her own mother’s
mistakes. What an idiot her mother
was," Akina sighed again. "In the end, we both ended up the
fool."
She went to bed with
the letter clutched close to her heart.
This woman, Hino Rei, who was once a lot like
her... or perhaps it was she, Akina, who was a lot
like this woman... In the end, even Akina found herself being sucked in by that woman's
lingering presence from the past, a presence that had haunted her father’s
heart till the day he died. It was a
tiring night for such realizations though, so Akina
drifted to sleep with such thoughts racing through her head.
That night Akina dreamt of a pale-haired woman who smiled through unending
tears. She dreamt of Aino
Minako kneeling and touching the pale woman's hair
with a gentle reassurance, backed by all the women Akina
had said goodbye to at the train station, including Mars Reiko. All of the women were dressed in strange
armored clothing except for the one who was crying. That night, Akina
also dreamt of the soft, wordless song she had heard at the concert. Mars Reiko was singing alone by herself on an
empty stage, a bright flame in the darkness, as her voice echoed all throughout
the stadium and then the world.
One day, we will all
have to change, and when that time comes, I hope that I will find that same
song in my heart that resides in your own, Mars Reiko San. Akina slept and
dreamt of change that night with that thought echoing in every corner of her
dreams. And in place of Mars Reiko on
that stage, it was herself, singing into the darkness with her rougher voice
and awkward ways. But, in her heart, Akina knew that someday, someone will hear the honest
emotions in the words she sang and to them, the melody would be beautiful.
As
ageless and as beautiful as the flame is to the moth...
...and as close as the beatings of the heart to the fire.
The
End
- This story is
set in the future. Around 2041 – Hino Rei is now 63 years of age.
However, she only looks 22 years of age.
- I did not
feel like actually dictating what Rei wrote to Akina. I just wanted
to give the sense of Akina's impression from that
letter. Sometimes it's better to be
vague.
- The blood types
are there because it is used to define people in Japan and a lot of people ask about
such things during the first meeting. I
avoided it because this is set in a futuristic fanfiction,
but I still wanted to hint at its importance.
I've read somewhere – I think in the author's commentary in one of the
volumes in the Kare Kano manga – that in Japan, Blood Type O people are the rare
ones on that island, so hence the reason why you can see the O type people are
not dominant in the characters. (Unlike in the West where the O-type is most dominant.) I tried to model the personalities somewhat
to the blood types while keeping the people still as individuals.
- In honor of Yumeko-san, my wonderful editor, I shall given
an answer to you guys about the things that bothered her the most about the
story at the end. Yumeko-san
posed me two questions at the end of this fanfiction:
(1) Which sister visited Tokyo without anyone knowing it (including
the character herself)? And (2) Why was Akina the only one able to hear the crying? My answer: Sequel. ^_^v LOL!
- Again, I
strongly suggest that you read the end notes, there’s a quirky little omake at the end.
It’s not explicit, just a bit of perverse fun on your author’s
part. I blame it on being possessed by
Grandpa’s lecherous spirit!
Special
Thanks To:
My editor, Yumeko
San! She really made this project what
it is today! Thank you so much Yumeko San! I, and
the characters in this tale, would be very lost without you. And though, as readers, you may not see the
wonderful work she has done, I assure you that she has done wonders! Not just grammatically, but when my
characters were out of line, she pointed the fact out to this otaku-writer. This project is where it is today because of
her. [Yumeko-san
writes under the alias Heavenly Pearl, feel
free to check out her writings! Her
latest work is Spirit of Fire
(another wonderful original character piece, centered on Hino Rei’s parents). Feel
free to check her out, and leave her reviews!
She deserves lots of presents and cookies for her hard work!]
Starsea also deserves thanks. She readily helped me when I had asked her
for it. The Michiru/Setsuna
scene would not have been as wonderful without her.
And thank you, readers, for reading. I hoped you had enjoyed this ball of yarn!
– Blue Jeans
