A Broken Heart
By Hillary Nguyen
"Alcor! No, don't leave me!" I cried, tears flowing limitlessly down my cheeks.
"Abel… We've already gone ahead and defeated Polaris. I have to take the throne and create a new world for Hiro… Like I have promised," Alcor stated calmly, holding my cheek in his hand.
"Please… Don't do this… For me…" I pleaded as he wiped my tears away with his other hand.
"I… I'm sorry," He whispered.
His lips met mine for at least a full minute before he pulled away. Alcor leaned into my ear, whispering the three words I wanted to hear: I love you. That me cry even harder. I was paralyzed and couldn't move; even when Alcor left me and went to the throne. Io and Hinako quickly went to my side while Makoto wrapped her hands tenderly around my ruby eyes. I felt an odd sensation, and then everything changed. I heard the ruffling of grass, the splashes of waves in the great sea, the pounding of the waterfall when it hit the bottom, and the whispering of the wind.
"Wow… It's beautiful," Makoto whispered.
I peeled her hands off my face and observed my surroundings. Truly beautiful. High, spring mountains overflowing with cherry blossoms- all with different shades of lavender. The grass was lush green and swayed gracefully in whichever direction the wind blew it in. The blue waves, gently carried by the ocean currents, were playing with my feet. It was perfect. Everything was perfect… If only Alcor was here and could see this along with me now…
"Whoa..! This is amazing!" Daichi exclaimed.
"Yes, it is, isn't it?" Alcor's voice agreed.
"Alcor? Where are you?" Hiro questioned.
"I am this world. I have no physical form… Not anymore," Alcor replied, then added. "Abel, do not cry because you cannot see me. I am always at your side no matter what happens."
"I need to see that you are here! I have to know! Efveryone and everything that I knew and love has left me! You were the only one I truly loved! Now you just leave me that simply… I don't… I can't believe this!" I screeched as I ran off into the unknown wilderness.
"Abel! Abel! Come back!" My comrades called.
Despite their calls, I kept running. I had no idea where I was headed. I only stopped when my legs gave out. Tears slowed like an endless river from my eyes. I pounded the ground due to my frustration and then passed out.
-Dream-
"Alcor? Alcor? Where are you?" I called frantically.
I was in a world of darkness that was decorated with stars of all sizes and clouds. I looked up and could make out what seemed to be Alcor's face.
"I'm right here, Abel," Alcor's voice said.
I whirled around and saw him. I ran towards my beloved and held him tightly in my embrace.
"I… I miss you already, Alcor. I was so used to me being at your side… And you being at mine. I miss how you would always soothe me whenever I'm troubled… I miss how you would hold me so that I can sleep… I miss you scent… You aura… Your presence. I love you Alcor… Come back to my side… Do you not love me?" I questioned in a frail and weak voice.
"Abel, please… Don't be like that. Of course I love you. But I warned you ahead of time that I could not be with you forever… And neither could you be at mine..." He reminded.
"I… I… I hate you!" I suddenly cried out. "You… You're so stupid, Alcor! I love you no matter what you are! I didn't mind when I found out you were a Septentrione… I didn't care when you said you had to leave me to help someone else… I truly loved you! How could you, Alcor? Why?"
"… I am truly sorry…"
After that last word, he disappeared. Just like that…
-End of Dream-
"Abel! Abel! Are you okay?!"
I heard some voices call my name. I groaned and opened my eyes- only to be greeted by the darkness and my comrades. They smiled and cheered.
"We were looking for you everywhere!" Airi told me.
"You had no idea how worried we were," Jungo added.
"I told you it would work," Fumi grinned smugly.
"Abel, we all know you're sad about Saiduq, but you have to let it go… Like we did," Hiro advised.
"It's not easy! You still have each other to depend on! You still have everything! I lost my will to live at nine years old! My whole family died and I had to live with my aunt. I only lived with her for a month and then she also passed away in a car accident! I was an orphan then. I hated my life and desperately wanted to die… That is until Alcor came along… He sympathized with me and became my best friend! Slowly, we became closer and closer to each other… And this is where we are now!"
I poured out all my emotions and most inner-thoughts to them. I told them everything. My body felt a lot lighter, but I could tell I felt more depressed. I took a deep breath and let it out once I was finished telling them my tale.
"You... Really did have a close bond," Keita commented after a while of silence.
"I didn't think your relationship would be that deep… I'd thought it was like mine," Joe agreed.
"It's deeper than mine and Koharu's," Otome mumbled. "Oh dear…"
"That's right. You never had a relationship like mine and his… You would never know what I'm going through right now!" I hissed as I turned away from them. "Now leave me be… I don't need you to pretend to feel bad for me."
"But—"
"I SAID LEAVE ME BE!"
I got up and immediately walked away. It was tough to do that… I didn't want to… But I had to. I didn't want them to bear my pain… I began sobbing again- knowing that Alcor would never return to me. I wish all the good times we had together would come back… All our happiness… It seems as if all our memories were an illusion… A mirage that I loved. I could feel my heart breaking to tiny shards and crumbling- losing its color and drained of all emotions and warmth.
"Abel…" Hiro's voice said as I felt an arm on my shoulder.
"Don't touch me!" I snarled, pulling his arm off.
"Please… He still loves you. Don't be like this. I beg you…" He said.
"You'll understand how I feel! You've never been in a relationship like mine! How many times are you going to make me say that?!" I screeched angrily.
"I do understand. I've had worse than that. Allow me to tell you my tale…" Hiro started. "There was this girl I loved. She was beautiful and beyond perfect. She was everything; so nice, kind, lovely, outgoing, brave, and clever... her smile could brighten up a room of dull, saddened people. But she was already in a relationship with someone else. I could only watch from afar and only be her friend. I wanted to be more than just friends.
"One day, her boyfriend disappeared. She was mortified. She cried and was deeply hurt. I wish I could have done something about her… But she kept running away. She was hurt. She kept pleading for him to come back to her- already knowing that he can't. He has chosen to disappear from the world for me…
"And that person… The girl that I loved… It was you."
"W-what..? What kind of sick joke is this?! You choose this time… O-of all other times to make fun of me?! How could you?" I cried. "You're just cruel, Hiro! I… I hate you so much! You're the worst person I know!"
"He is being sincere, Abel. You deserve someone else… Someone better than me. Someone who won't give you up to help someone else… I'm not good enough for you," Alcor's voice sounded.
"Not you too, Alcor..! You… You sick morons!"
"Abel, don't!" Hiro called as I ran off again.
He caught up to me and wrapped me tightly in his embrace.
"Don't leave me… Don't run away anymore, Abel… Please… I love you… With all my heart. I promise never to leave your side… I'll be like Alcor… Exactly like him. Not worst, not better. We have this entire new world… Let's start over…"
I cried into his shirt. That was the exact same words Alcor had used with me. He said those same words…
"Abel, I am sure Hiro will be more suited for you than I am. I will be watching you from the above as a star. Do not fret, you will all have a place with me once your elderly time has passed."
Hiro and I looked into the night sky and found the biggest star… The big dipper.
"Don't worry… Everything will be okay. I promise," Hiro promised. "Come now, let us head back to the others. They are worrying about us."
I wanted to resist, but I was terribly worn out from all the crying. I clung tightly onto Hiro to prevent myself from collapsing. I could recognize the others when I saw that they had built a little bonfire to keep themselves warm.
"You're back…" Otome smiled.
"You must be hungry. Have something to eat," Joe offered, holding out a bag of dried fruits.
"Where the hell do you get all those stuff, man?" Daichi questioned.
"Stole a couple of them before I went into battle with that Bipolar guy whatever his name was. Poleris, I think?"
"Even in a new world like this, you never change, do you?"
I saw them… Smile and laugh. Like real friends. My comrades… All excited and happy because of the new world. No… They are no longer comrades. They are my friends. We have all suffered and laughed together. We are real friends now.
And somehow, I could feel Alcor smiling with everyone. I smiled, and then laughed. Everyone looked at me strangely, but then laughed along with me as Hiro broke into laughter as well.
Above me, I can tell that Alcor was happily laughing as well.
