Memories
By TsukiNeko
Author's Note: This story was an inspiration from a dream as well as from Beyond the Clouds. It was a great Anime movie! Oh, and I do not own the Anime or its contents. The dream and characters are mine, so please refrain from stealing them...
It started about four years ago amongst the shadows of the empty night. That was the first time I ever met him, but it wasn't the last time I would ever see him. Soon enough, I found our meetings had become numerous – was it our destiny? Our paths crossed on such an important time as well; it was the day when I decided upon discarding my title as a bounty hunter. I can clearly remember how mesmerizing his eyes were, how entranced I was, and how it was full of longing. But as I watched him, he disappeared in a blink of an eye, and my night went on like any other night.
As time passed by from that fateful night, I lived those following days like a normal person would. I ate food, slept, and enjoyed some entertaining leisure activities alone. Though, even as I continued on without the bloodshed, without the silent pleas for mercy, the feeling would never part from my body. Suddenly, paranoia swept through me one night, tickling along to the top of my spine every other second as I tried to quickly return to my home to avoid as much contact as possible. And then… I saw him again. This time, we came closer to each other than before.
The boy seemed to be running from something, since his panting breath could be heard along the empty streets. As he came to the corner of a six-story building, he passed a familiar face nearby. It was that girl he saw on the rooftop a few nights before. Without a moment's hesitation, he ran in her direction and stopped beside her, placing a tiny peck against her soft cheek. He averted his eyes from her sight; his body continued to run. She stood there gawking at the boy's retreating form, noticing their height and age difference. Then soon enough, a few men dressed in dark uniforms, representing city authority figures, chased after the boy that disappeared into the darkness.
His eyes seemed so depressing when I last saw him that night, but he turned his gaze from mine. He ran away, and I didn't see him again. A few more days later, I found a job piloting newly designed aircrafts created by an old acquaintance of mine. Honestly, the both of us had once worked together as hunters of the night, but the constant sight of flowing blood got to him. This job, in my opinion, was a sincere way of living. Yet, it wasn't too long into the job that I came under surprising circumstances. For some unknown reason, HE was there. The boy that I have been searching for was working in the same place I was. And thus, our relationship bloomed from there.
Our conversations started off as mere 'hellos and goodbyes,' but they soon grew longer and I found that he didn't seem to be such a bad person at all. The quality that he had that did hurt me the most were all the scars he received for only attempting to survive in this cruel humanity. A person shouldn't be punished for trying to live even if it is by stealing… the facts didn't hurt him. Life did continue and he was content on that one idea. I was able to tell him my secrets, my past, and what my hopes of the future were. I guess meeting him caused quite some evident changes in me. Even my companion had told me that I appeared to be happier than I ever was. And truly, I was glad.
Days and days passed without any trouble stirring. It was another particular day when my heart skipped a beat at what I saw. He hadn't shown up for work all day, and I merely thought it was due to a small cold that incapacitated him. As I walked home that rather gloomy, rainy night, I noticed a few punks, letting their black leather coats get drenched under the pouring rain and beating someone to near-death with metal bats. It was unlike me to interfere with such things, but that boy who was always in my mind had displayed compassion towards me and it changed me. They underestimated me and I won the fight. When I went towards the huddled bleeding pile against the wet cement, I noticed who it was. It was him! And the sight nearly tore me to pieces.
I tried leading him towards my apartment, yet he stopped me and asked to be taken to a shrine that was on the far side of the town. I complied with his desire and brought him there without hesitation. Once we arrived, we rested under the aging wooden rooftops of the shrine and remained there in silence. His body had begun trembling from the icy gripping winds of the rainwater, and without another thought, I held him closely to my body to warm him. It didn't matter if the blood stained and ruined my clothing. I was content to be with him; I was content to be alive. For a while, we just stayed under the roofing until the rain finally stopped pouring, and he agreed to permit me to care for his wounds at my home.
His voice resonated in the hollow darkness of the night. A soft yet clear 'thank you' was spoken with his remaining strength as ounces of blood poured out of some gashes along his body. The girl held him closely, trying to keep the shivering boy warm and alive. The expression upon her face was kept well hidden, but it was clear. She didn't want him to die. She didn't want that boy with no home, no past, to die without leaving behind a memory. At that moment of their lives, all they could hear was the sound of the slowly dripping water drops along the roof's edges.
It was a miracle, but I was joyous to see him survive through it even though he refused any medication or a visit to a physician. He begun worked extra hard as well. The one thing that frightened me the most was his change in attitude. He was more distant from everyone – more than he ever was – and he avoided any confrontation with me. Heartache was an emotion that I never won a battle against. Did I really care for him that much? At that time, I didn't understand a thing. I didn't know… until I lost my chance.
The sun glared daggers of heat upon the hardworking citizens. Sounds of bustling people moving blocks, fixing machinery, and detailing the planes grew louder and overwhelming. It was to be the first time a new model was to be piloted in live action. She knew the risks were extremely high, but she took the assignment fearlessly. As she put on the suit over her undergarments, her eyes glanced towards the boy in the distance. He didn't even budge under the weight of her eyes. He never even snuck a few glances towards her. She turned her head and walked towards the aircraft. Once she was in the skies, her heart seemed to sore freely without a care in the world, being able to distract her from all the worries and suffering. But before she knew it, a second aircraft had exited the docks and was roaring behind her. Quickly messaging the control center, she received the dreaded answer. The boy desired to test out another model at the same time, yet refused anyone's right to let her know. The two flew in circles beside each other like a pair of lovebirds – inseparable even in death – and flying freely from their bounds, together at last. Yet the moment didn't remain. That last smile she saw from him disappeared as the sound of an enormous crackling explosion pierced the skies. She watched as the boy struggled to eject from the aircraft, but found it futile as the ejection had also malfunctioned. They circled the skies at a fast declining rate, and soon enough, the cockpit was forcibly opened. Her eyes flickered with despair as she opened her own cockpit easily, knowing the dangers that could occur and reached out her hand. The two held onto each other's hand, and the sight of a burning phoenix falling from the sky and plunging itself into the sea could be seen by the gathered mounds of workers and civilians along the coastline. "P-Please hold on… I-I don't want to die!" he screamed out desperately with fear piercing across his face. It was the last words she heard from him. No matter how much they clung onto each other, his gloved hand slipped out of hers. The black smoke engulfed the falling boy as he plunged into the sea of flames.
If I could've held on tighter… maybe even let go of the wheel for a moment's notice, I could've saved him. I wanted to keep holding on and never let him go. Through the pouring rain… I wanted to keep holding him close against my body – his form seems to still be shivering in my arms. Through that last moment I saw his eyes and heard his voice… I wanted to keep holding on. But… I couldn't. How am I still alive? I held on to the memories. I just held on…