Mercy wiped a drop of sweat off her forehead with the back of her gloved hand even as her eyes remained fixed on the man in front of her. Every surgery was hard of course, but she felt such great pressure on her just for this one man. Sure he came from a wealthy family and sure she wanted him to continue on with his life, as with every other. He was a handsome young man she supposed, one with much potential and charm that could carry him far in life. However, these were only memories now, memories that she forced from her mind. In a surgeon's work, there was no room for hesitation, emotions, or distractions. Every second matter, especially when the case was so dire. At that moment, the man in front of her was less of a man than half a corpse at best. But regardless, she knew that she could not give up, not while he was still breathing and she was still standing.
At last, she was done. She could only take a few steps back and glance nervously between the many machines that assisted her in her work and the patient in front of her. She watched as the body moved gently, in soft breaths as the machines told her that his vitals were stabilized. With a long sigh of relief, she approached him and ran her hand over his body. It was no longer the body of a man, but of a machine. Only his face remained visibly human, though even then it was covered by a layer of bandaging to prevent further damage and infection. She gritted her teeth as she held his hand, begging that he would make it through even as all her emotions and stress finally caught up to her. They were cold steel hands that showed neither warmth nor life in them, yet she knew that he was still there, fighting to stay in this world.
As she stood there, she felt a tingle on her skin that climbed up her arm and ended at her right shoulder. As she looked, she saw the faint green glow that resembled the shape of a dragon. A mighty dragon that most likely was one to be feared from the stories of the old, brought down to such a small form and on its last breath. Yet as she watched silently in awe, it stood up by its tail and looked at her with glowing eyes that she could not see clearly under the operating table's light yet can feel intently on her own face. Then, it spoke a single word before returning to the man on her table in a small trail of green vapor. It was a word that she had learned long ago, one that tied her so closely to this man. It was a word that he had personally taught to her.
"Arigatou."
Some years in the past
The moon brightly lit up the cloudless night sky, shining down beautifully on the city below. In its light, the city's inhabitant wandered this way and that, all wearing festive clothing on the occasion of the Lunar Festival. It was a big event in Japan after all, plus who did not want to show themselves off in their own yukatas. All over the streets were stalls here and there, showing their wares to those interested. Many allowed people of all ages to challenge themselves with classic yet rather enjoyable games. Others simply sold various food products, filling the street with their sweet aromas. Lights filled the street, illuminating every last corner, person, and item presented there. It was a night where anyone can feel safe simply walking around, whether alone or with friends. Some were couples and some who came looked for their own partner. After all, the pleasant mood provided an excellent opportunity to do so.
Angela walked through the streets, a soft smile on her lips as she gazed around her thoughtfully. She absorbed in every last detail that was presented in her sight, from the people to what each was doing. This was her first time here in Japan, and perhaps her last until who knows when. She was eager to travel the world, a wish that was made possible by her parent's wealthy and influential background. With their work bringing them to Japan, Angela was more than happy to accompany them here, especially during such a festive time. While she already knew much about their culture and traditions from her readings, going out was a whole new exciting experience for her. It was a great way to see everything that she had learned about in person. Plus, she got this beautiful outfit from her family as a souvenir from Japan, she figured she might as well use it where it was meant to be used.
Angela shivered slightly, finding a cold breeze brushing past her neck. She sighed before her eyes lit up, spotting what appeared to be a stall serving coffee. She was always fond of coffee, even when she did not need it to help her stay awake. Making her way over, she found the line to be cleared relatively quickly due to the nature of the product. Soon enough, she was in front of the counter, only to be met with the face of a young man. A handsome one at that.
He had a well built body, though she wasn't exactly sure exactly on his physique other than his arm due to his choice of clothing for the festival. She supposed that it was fitting for him to wear a yukata as well, considering that he was working at a stall there. He had a Japanese look to him she supposed, though he had a strange charming aura of assertiveness that even she couldn't quite place. Bringing her focus back to the task of ordering a drink, Angela frowned at the menu on the wall and wondered just how she was going to order without any knowledge of Japanese nor any photo assistance.
"Ah, and what would you like on the beautiful night, Miss …" a, accented yet smooth voice in front of her said. Angela looked down in surprise at the smiling face of the same person she had just been admiring a few moments ago. She was relieved to find someone who understood English of course, especially one so dashing. She also found her heart racing slightly at the suave voice that beckoned her, a feeling that she quickly fought off as she calmly replied. "Angela. Well, Ziegler is my family name but you can just call me Angela." She watched the man nod, clearly amused at the sight of her obviously rosy cheek, before shaking off her awkwardness.
She knew that in Japan the customary way to politely address someone was by their last name, and so she gave it. But the man seemed quite young, right around her age, that she couldn't help but want to be friendly with him. It didn't help that she had a large lack of experience in social encounters, especially when it came to males and in a foreign land. That, and the fact that she had gotten caught off guard by the handsome English speaking man, made her thoughts get jumbled for a moment. She blinked for a few moment and placed a finger on her lips for a moment before attempting to describe her favorite blend. With a few nods, the man picked up an empty cup and wrote down the order, turning away after he finished with a small smile back at her as he said, "Just one moment."
In a few moments, she found herself holding a warm cup of coffee, already more than satisfied just from the aroma that was leaking from the cup. She looked up to thank the man, only to find that he was talking to a coworker. Looking down at the cup, Angela blinked twice as she read the neat cursive handwriting there, though not because it was something she could not read. Rather, she found there neatly in English characters simply the word "Angel." She looked up with a smile on her lips, only to find the culprit of the apparent misspelling next to her, this time outside of the booth. The man raised an eyebrow in amusement at her reaction before asking, "Is something wrong?"
"Oh, sorry I was surprised to see you here. Ah, it's just that you wrote 'Angel' but my name is Angela." The response made the man look at her silently for a short moment, though a sly smile was on his lips. When he spoke, the smile was replaced by a mischievous glint in his eyes that she couldn't quite comprehend at the time. "Oh, my mistake then, Ms. Ziegler."
"You seem to be new here. As a mean of apology, would you like me to accompany you around the festival? I'm sure your Japanese is magnificent but I would be more than happy to help in any way I can." Angela's eyes lit up as she nodded, though making sure to restrain her excitement from bursting from her. While she thought that she could make her way around Japan at least, she realized that without a translator with her, she could barely figure out the male restroom from the female ones, let alone saying anything more than "hello" to anyone. With the sweetest smile she could give him laced with a hint of mischief that tried to match his own, Angela said, "A token of apology you say … Well, I'd be hard pressed to decline such a kind offer from a dashing young man such as yourself." She perked up for a moment and tilted her head at him, looking back at the stall. With that, she asked, "Oh! Where are my manners. I haven't asked for your name! And what about the booth …"
The man waved his hand in front of his face dismissively as he said, "Ah don't worry about it. They got more than enough people now, I only came to help them out because they knew my father and needed help a little while back while the rest got more supplies. Making good appearance and reputation for the family and all that. They told me it's fine to go enjoy the festival, especially with a lady such as yourself. Ah, and you may call me Genji. Genji Shimada"
Angela's cheeks flushed under the streetlights as she didn't know exactly how to respond to his flirtatious comment other than with a nod and a small smile. They set off on their journey, walking side by side but never quite touching. The pair walked all around the streets, with Genji pointing out spots of interest and sharing some of his local knowledge, some of which were a bit too scandalous for Angela to bring herself to comment beyond a small nod and smile, coupled with glances toward the man's face. It was natural for someone of his age and appearance to know such information about the local area of course, unlike herself. She gazed at the sights around her, from the beautiful cherry blossoms that made her love Japan to the lively sight of couples, friends, and children alike all happily roamed the streets around them basking in the festivities.
He bought a few snacks for her regardless of her insistence against it, all of which pleasantly surprised her after her first bite. In between, they visited game booths where Angela pouted at the futility of each game, though only for a short moment before Genji masterfully win every last one of them, and subsequently their prizes for her. It was nothing too big, seeing as she did not want to spend that much time or money there. However, she won a small teddy bear along with a few treats and trinkets to take home with her. Finally, their night came to an end as the moon reached its peak, signaling the time for people to begin heading home. The streets were still vibrant with life and light, giving them all plenty of time to return before needing to worry about being alone in the dark should they not have a partner. It was much later than she had anticipated, though it was fine she supposed. The pair sat down on a nearby bench for her to reorient herself and gather her belongings, knowing that their night must come to an end.
Before long, a small black car stopped near them, at which point Angela stood up and bowed to Genji to his surprise. With a sweet smile, she said, "Thank you so much for everything tonight. I really enjoyed myself. Perhaps, I'll see you another time?" He smiled back at her gently as he nodded, waving at her as she walked away and got into the car. They gazed at each other for an extended moment that made each of their heart race more than they could have anticipated, before the car drove away and out of sight. Genji sat there for several minutes, happy at the result of the night regardless of the lack of normal action that he used to obtain with his charm. Then again, she did not seem like such a woman. To him at least, the night had been one that was delightful in the presence of a foreign female, one that held a strong quiet charm that drew him in with every word she spoke in her accented but sweet voice, regardless of how little she had spoken. It was only then that he realized that she had left the teddy bear she won on the bench next to him, considering that it was the only item to have not fit in her purse. She had been so happy to receive it, yet here it was, all alone without its beautiful owner. He picked it up gently, gazing at the happy smile that was on the plush's face that reminded him of the one on the angel who had just left, before making up his mind and rushing off. After all, she had told him where she was staying in Japan, meaning that there was no reason for him to not give it back to her. There was something about her that made him want to see her again, even if it was under the guise of returning her teddy bear.
He arrived by the side of a cliff after half an hour of biking, whistling at the size of the cliff and the mansion that sat on top of it. He looked around and scratched his head, realizing that he had clearly gone the wrong way had he wanted to arrive at the front gate. Then again, perhaps this was his best option as he would have had no chance of ever seeing her anyways even if he came up to the front gate. After all, why would any security guard in this massive mansion let him go up there for such an unimportant reason when they could just deliver the item to the mistress themselves. As such, he grinned to himself as he snugly secure the teddy bear inside his backpack and leaned his bike out of view against the side of the cliff. With that, he began climbing speedily, jumping between footholds and climbing the vertical ascent with the ease of the ninjas of the old. Within minutes, he made it to the top of the jagged cliff edge, brushing his clean of the brown dirt that he had picked up on his way up due to his forgetfulness to utilize a glove in traversing the vertical obstacle. He coincidentally found himself in front of a balcony, one with the silhouette of a slender lady that he had learned to recognize from his numerous discreet glances during his walk with her. With two leaps and a simply vault, he was on the simple yet elegant balcony that welcomed him in manner that was reminiscent of the way she had. He took a deep breath and fixed his dyed green hair by means of the reflection in the glass window that was covered by a curtain before knocking on it gently with the back of his index finger.
The figure froze before approaching the door, clearly surprised to hear the sound coming from the window as anyone would be if they were to live next to a cliffside. He was pleasantly surprised to see the shadow move toward him, confident and curious rather than simply brushing the noise off as being a bird, leaf, or the wind as most would have. There was something about her that told him she was more keen than the average person after all, which was perhaps why she interested him so.
Genji stepped back a pace to give her space as she brushed apart the curtains to look at the mysterious figure on the other side, the one that had not been visible behind curtain with the backdrop of the beautiful moonlit sky overwatching the bright city below the cliff. Angela's blue eyes widened as they were met with familiar green ones. In the next moment she swiftly opened the curtain and the door, dressed in a casual nightgown that complemented her petite figure beautifully, a fact that Genji engraved in his mind quite clearly but did not betray with the gaze of his eyes. Instead, they gazed at each other with eyes locked in silence for a few moments before Angela spoke with a somewhat flustered stutter. "Genji! What are you doing here? While I'm extremely happy to see you again and amused since it is quite a lot like a scene out of my romance novels, what are you ..."
Genji blinked at her for a few moments before looking away as he laughed softly, covering his mouth with one hand. He met her eyes once more before blinking in remembrance, taking off his backpack to pull out the teddy bear from there. She took it in the palms of her hands in surprise, looking up at him once more with her eyes glimmering in awe and her mouth slightly agape, displaying the full softness and modest volume of her naturally rosy lips. Genji scratched his head sheepishly as he said, "You forgot it at the bench so I thought I should return to you. I know I know, I could have given it to the guards in the front but … I just wanted to see you again."
Angela's cheeks were flushed with a deep shade of red, one that she quickly tried to hide by bring the head of the teddy bear up to cover her mouth. However, she smiled from behind it as she said, "I see ... Well thank you very much, I did miss it." In the next moment, she brought down the teddy bear from her face as she wrapped her arms around his body, embracing him gently and giving him small peck on the cheek before backing off. She dared not look at his face, though she would have found a similarly red face there that was staring at her in awe at the audacity of the angel of the balcony.
There was a small space of awkward silence between them, one that contained only the gentle whisper of the wind that seemed the beckon the green sparrow to return to his home. Angela looked beyond the balcony at the cliff, her expression changing slightly even as she brushed a stray strand of the loose golden hair that flowed down past her shoulder away from her eye. She raised an eyebrow as she looked back at him, questioning his choice of approach though the light in her eyes showed that she was clearly just intrigued, impressed, and quite amused at his antics. He finally noticed her look and glanced behind him before giving her a conspiratory wink, opting to not say a single word about the matter. Angela sighed and laughed before saying sweetly, "If you would like, I'd be more than happy to accompany you back down the proper way."
Genji pretended to consider for a moment before shaking his head and saying slyly, "I do not know what you are implying when you say 'the proper way' Miss Ziegler. Besides, that might cause unwarranted trouble for you, especially if I get tempted to hold your hand. And, more importantly, my bike is still down that cliff." Angela sighed, one that was broken by a highly amused giggle at the wit of the young man, and shook her head before looking down at the ground in thought. She fidgeted with her fingers for a moment before meeting his gaze tenderly once more to say softly, "Well, I suppose this will be our farewell then."
Genji nodded with eyes that seemed to not want to break away from hers, giving her a small wave before turning around and getting up on the balcony. In the shadow of the night, his darken back paused as the wind blew his green scarf across his neck. He turned his head as he asked quietly, "May we go out together at a later date?"
To this, Angela sighed dejectedly as she said, "Unfortunately, no. I already caused some inconvenience by asking my family to postpone their trip to our next destination just to enjoy this festival. I really do not regret that decision, but sadly we cannot do so even if I wanted to. Before you go, may I ask how you would say thank you in Japanese?"
Genji paused for a moment in face of such a sudden request but nodded, telling her the word in its simplicity. Angela took a moment to memorizing it before giving him a bright smile.
"Arigatou, Genji-san. Perhaps when we meet again, in another life. "
With a small sad smile that was hidden by the shadow of the night, Genji nodded as he looked out at the cliff again as he said, "Perhaps it will be so. Farewell, Angela." With that, he leapt off and descended, first to the ground before agilely making his way down the cliff. As he biked away into the night, he took one last glance back at the balcony to see the waving girl who had spotted him, a girl that he believed would never be in his life again after that wonderful night. With one last wave, he retreated back into the bustling city, and Angela back into the comfort of her room.
The cyborg figure woke up with a sharp gasp, causing Mercy to snap from her thoughts and rush over to the man. He quickly found that he could not move at all, leaving him to look around frantically. In the next few moments, he settled down as the memories before he became unconscious returned to him and his mind registered the equipment around him. He knew not why he could not move, other than that he should be worse than dead at that moment. And yet, he could see the shine of the white light above him and hear the beeping of the machine, along with the footsteps approaching him from a direction that he could not turn his head to look at. In the next moment, he heard a voice that he had not heard for many years.
"It's going to be alright Genji, you're ok now." The soothing voice washed over his senses, causing him to shut his eyes even as tears escaped uncontrollably. They were tears that he could not even feel on his cheek, ones that choked him up as he asked painfully, "But why. Why did you not let me die." There was a stunned silence before he saw the shadow of a hand approach his face, appearing to wipe off the tears that lined his cheeks. As he opened his eyes to meet a pair of familiar blue eyes, accompanied by the sweet voice of an angel by the name of Angela who touched him so tenderly even if he could not feel it at all. The one who told him softly, "Because I made a promise. I did promise you that we can spend more time together when we meet again, don't you remember?"
He blinked the tears away as he looked up at the gentle face of the lady looking down to fondly at him. It was a face that he knew and never forgot, one from a wonderful festival from so many years ago. It was the face of an angel, the same that he had mistakenly written the name for on her coffee cup. Yes he remembered the promise. Of course he did. With that, he drifted off to sleep again, this time more calmly as he recalled those sweet memories. He came to realize that perhaps this was not so bad after all. After all, this was his second chance to do everything he had not done, regardless of what had happened. A second chance to truly cherish every moment.
Another life.