Chapter One-"Cross my Heart"
Aya looked at her husband's face. "Tooya..." Aya whispered. "From now on, I promise to be strong for you and our children... I'll protect you, forever"
"You still awake, Aya?" Tooya asked opening his eyes and looking into Aya's. He reached for Aya's warm face and smiled. Tooya leaned towards her and began kissing her. "You don't have to worry. I won't leave our family this time. I promise you that... Cross my heart." Tooya whispered to Aya's ears.
"What's the matter, Aya? Tell me, what is it?" questioned Tooya with a troubled look on his face.
Aya turned to Tooya who was bare naked on the bed covered only by the blue blanket, and whispered something into his ears. "Nani?" Aya only nodded.
"I'll have to go away soon," Aya started bowing down her head. "If I don't leave in two days, someone will try to kill you and our family," the same delicate hands that nurtured Miku and Aki, trembled as she held her hands to feel Tooya's face. She smiled. "No wonder I fell in love with you..." Aya smiled. Though you've always worn a blank face, your eyes tend to give you away so quickly. I'll still be here tomorrow and the day after that so don't-"
Tooya, not saying a word, unexpectedly stood up and closed the door to their room. As he closed the door, he leaned back to a wall pulling over his head the old black shirt he wore when Aya followed him home. He closed his eyes and then...
"During the hours of darkness of your seventh year as a being, the broken pieces of your past will take shape. Your tomorrow is to remain a silent mystery, which you have made yourself worthy to sacrifice everything that is in place in the present. Once the seal you have closed, re-opens, it can never be closed once more. The shadows are your light, and the imperceptible is your darkness... Be wary of the things that appear real, for they are deceptions of which, will be your downfall."
With a quick deep breath, Tooya regained consciousness the next crack of dawn. A bleeding face was in Tooya's vision; it was Aya with one of her eyes popping out, her hair fallen down, and her mouth spitting out blood. "TOOYA?!" Aya shouted holding Tooya by his shoulders. Tooya awoke suddenly feeling that he had jumped off the edge of a cliff.
Tooya's body forced himself unto Aya, who was disturbed by the look on her face. "If you make her cry again, I'll take her away from you for sure!" Tooya's thoughts uttered to him. "Aya. Don't, just don't be the one who'll leave me this time." He bowed down and closed his eyes. "I vowed to you that'll I'll never leave you, so don't waste all the tears we both shared in just that. If there is someone who wants to kill our family, or just me, I don't want you to feel responsible for it. I'll be here to help you protect our family and all those we love."
"Tooya?" Aya giggled. "What are you talking about? I'm not leaving you or our children! Where did you get that idea?" Aya asked pouring coffee into Tooya's mug. "Drink this," Aya reached out the coffee mug. "You'll feel better after you drink this."
Tooya quietly accepted the mug and drank it silently as Aya watched. Aya stood up and walked out of the room. "I'll just take a shower, Tooya. Want to join me?" Aya smiled.
Tooya bowed down and laughed without a sound. "Maybe later, Aya."
"Okay!" Aya winked. "You know where to find me when something comes up. Don't forget Miku's birthday present! She'll finally be 7 years old tomorrow!"
"During the hours of darkness of your seventh year as a being, the broken pieces of your past will take shape," remembered Tooya. "If that's true, then, I'll have to prevent her from leaving. Seventh year, huh? Tomorrow has to be it. Speaking of which," Tooya clasped his hands together and stood up.
Tooya drank his coffee and walked inside of Miku's room.
Her room was filled with gifts from her Uncle Yuuhi. A drowning scent filled Tooya's nose as he entered the room. Miku again left the light open for the whole night. Miku's room was dyed dark sapphire and the silver paintings of stars and moon her father painted on the ceiling. The curtains were still closed when Tooya entered.
He sat by her stretched body and cleared her face. She looks a lot like her mother. If she only didn't have burgundy hair, I would think she was Aya from long ago, Tooya thought. You're going to be seven years old tomorrow, Miku. How pathetic am I? I don't even know my real age! Even so, your mother accepted me just the way I am. I wish you would grow up to love someone and be someone like your mother.
"Oto-san!" Miku, who has just awoken shouted pointing her forefinger to her shirt. "Nani shiteno? Don't 'ya know I need some privacy? Can you at least knock, like normal people do?" Miku asked hysterically.
"But I'm not a normal person, Miku, remember?"
Miku gets an embarrassed look on her face. "Gomen, oto-san. Why wake me up so early? It's a Saturday!" Miku changes the topic abruptly.
Tooya does not reply, instead he smiles and whispers something into Miku's ears. "Hontou? We're actually going out-!"
Miku's mouth was covered by her father's hand. "Keep it in your system that it IS a surprise! No one should know it! It won't be fun if she knew!"
Just then the doorbell rang. "That must be Yuuhi and the others! They said they'll be visiting us today, Tooya." Aya shouted from the bathroom.
Tooya stood up and gave Miku a last nudge. "Remember, if you don't keep it a secret-"
"I won't be able to watch TV and use the computer for 2 whole weeks! That's called black-mail, dad." Miku interrupted.
"No it isn't. It's called discipline!" Tooya replied.
"That's unfair, ten nights!"
"Just change clothes, Miku."
Tooya walked out Miku's room and opened the front door. "Yo." Yuuhi said patting Tooya's shoulders. "So, how's Aya been doing?"
"She's just fine. You?"
"Ohayou!!!!!!" a high-pitched voice said. "How's everything here, Tooya?" a familiar asked.
"Chidori! Keep it down! Aki's still sleeping so you'd better-" Yuuhi said.
"Or else what? You were the one who begged at my feet 4 years ago to go with you to meet your mother!"
"Oh! Come on!" Yuuhi said sarcastically. "You're still not over black-mailing me about that shit!"
Tooya smiled and then asked them to come in. "Thanks, you two."
"For what?" Chidori asked, distracted by the chocolate Tooya handed them. "Yummy! Itadakimasu!"
"For coming here on such short notice." Tooya answered.
"Don't worry, we get that all the time at the restaurant."
Aya entered the room in her short floral dress. "Yuuhi! Chidori-san!" Aya exclaimed and looks around the room. "Demo... Where is Q-chan?"
"She said she'd visit Shuro's and my mother's grave before coming here with Suzumi." Chidori replied.
"Mama... Papa?" a tiny voice asked. Aki enters the room scratching his eyes and holding a teddy bear on the other hand. "Is Aunt Chidori here to give me more chocolates?" Aki asked still half-asleep.
Chidori is surprised and hides behind Tooya. "You're huge, hide me! Onegai, Tooya?"
"Why?"
"I promised my nephew I'd give him chocolates next time we meet. I forgot to drop by a candy store before coming here."
"That's your fault Chidori-san!" Aya said holding Aki's tiny hand and leading him to the couch.
Aki, who was finally awake, leapt unto Yuuhi's laps and kisses him on the cheeks. "Hey!" Yuuhi exclaims.
Jealous, Chidori unexpectedly reveals herself from Tooya's back and begins to pull Aki away from Yuuhi.
"Mama! Aunt Chidori is trying to separate me from my 'koibito!'" Aki shouts.
"Where did you get that idea?" Tooya asked with a confused look on his face.
"I usually hear you tell that you Mama every night," says Aki. Tooya and Aya only blush in their embarrassment. "Chocolate! Chocolate!"
"Knock it off! People might say things about 'us' when there is no 'us'! Darn it! I'm not gay!!!" Yuuhi shouted pulling Aki's clasped hands off his new shirt.
"Yes there is! Aunt Chidori is jealous because she loves you, Yuuhi-kun!"
Miku entered the living room; she has already taken a bath. Combing her long burgundy hair, "Aki! Don't do that! It's disrespectful to do so! Don't you have any manners?" She asked.
"Only when Aunt Suzumi-san is here for my dance class."
Miku gives a frustrated look and sticks her tongue out to her brother. "Are you telling me, you're actually gay?"
"Eh?" Aki gets a cold face and runs to his mother's arms. He sticks his tongue out in disagreement to her onee-chan.
"That's enough, you two," started Aya. "Aki, come with mama and I'll give you a bath. You," she points out to Miku, "give them drinks and some snacks while waiting for us."
Aya quietly left the room.
Yuuhi cleaned his shirt and gave a long sigh. "That little mutt! He's grown up so quickly, didn't he, Tooya?"
Tooya nodded and gives them an album full of pictures. "That's what's been happening over the past two years."
"Two years since we last went here, right? How's Ceres and Shiso been doing?"
Tooya smiled at Yuuhi and then said, "Aya tells me that Ceres seldom talks to her. Shiso on the other hand comes down to us and often apologizes about what happened in the past," Tooya was a bit sad in saying these. He closed his eyes and then his wrist suddenly started bleeding for no reason at all.
Tooya took hold of the end table with his other hand. His right wrist was still bleeding. When the blood started to clot, Aya was already there in the living room. Yuuhi was still going through this shock while Chidori was busy eating and didn't notice a thing.
The blood that spilled onto the table had the form of a familiar object they all have seen, Tooya's sword.
"What was that?" Yuuhi asked suspiciously.
"Tooya, daijobu desu ka?" Aya questioned Tooya while she was cleaning up the blood that spilled on the table.
"Ah, I'm okay, just might've cut myself or something," he replied. I feel it, he thought, something inside me wants to go out of my body. Did Aya experience this when Ceres tried to take over her? This isn't just coincidence, something bad will happen.
Aya was lost in her own thoughts. What's happening to Tooya? Does this have something to do with what I said last night? Does he remember everything I said? I shouldn't have just told him. Things would be more okay if I didn't tell him and if tomorrow I leave without saying a thing. Bullsh-t! I hate this! Why did I ever agree with that bastard Tomo?!
"Why are you here anyway Yuuhi? Chidori?" Aya asked.
Yuuhi didn't answer her question; instead, he gave a short snigger. Soon after, they were in Tokyo City looking through shops and restaurants. Aya was very delighted and so were Aki and Miku. "Mama!" Aki would shout whenever he saw a glimpse of a small cake or a toy newly displayed in the windows. Aki grew more and more restless on Tooya's shoulders and would occasionally jump down
The crowd was growing thicker as the time passed. They met up with Suzumi and Q-chan near Tokyo Tower during lunch. At about two in the afternoon, just after Aya, Tooya, and the rest of them ate, Aki grew tired of looking at the many chocolates he found and fell asleep in Aya's arms when they were eating.
As they strolled down the busy streets of Tokyo, Tooya carried Aki on his back. As soon as they all grew tired and decided to take a seat, "How's everything been doing since the instance four years ago?" Suzumi asked.
Aya wiped off her sweat from her face and gave a long sigh. "Everything's been good," she answered. "Tooya's off a bit lately, I don't know why." Aya glanced Tooya's way and then started to cry.
"What's the problem, Aya-chan?" Q-san asked.
"Nothing," Aya replied wiping off the tears from her face.
Suzumi motioned her hand on Aya's belly. "I knew it."
Aya's eyes widened as she looked into Suzumi's anxious eyes. Suzumi nodded and gave a small smile. "Does this mean, we're going to... have another?"
"Afraid so, I wanted to talk to you because of this as well as Miku's birthday." Suzumi brought out a small fuchsia bag and fell out of it was a small ring. "I want you to wear this ring. As long as you have it near you, you will not forget your family and Tooya's promise that he'll never leave you."
Aya stared at Suzumi, not understanding a single word that she had just said. Aki tugged on his mother's cloak and pointed to a small pastry shop. "Promise me, Aya?"
"Mama..." Aki argued.
"Hmm!" Aya answered putting her hands on Suzumi's and leaving her with a smile. "Promise."
After a very long day, they all headed home to their perspective houses. "Sayonara, minna-san!" Miku would shout when they reached the front door step of their apartment. Aya freshened up and then placed both Miku and Aki to bed.
Tooya leaned forward to his bride's face and then said, "Cross my heart, I won't leave you, so don't leave us. We need you, nobody else."
"Tooya..." Aya sweat-talked. "I'll be here, always by your side. Remember when you jumped over the end off the cliff to save our daughter, I called to you, deep inside my heart. Promise, when you wake up tomorrow, I'm still by your side."
"Aishiteru, Aya"
"Aishiteru," Aya replied kissing her husband's tender lips.
The next day, when Tooya awoke, all of Aya's belongings have disappeared and all was left of her was a letter and the cross necklace she wore the night before.
"
Aya looked at her husband's face. "Tooya..." Aya whispered. "From now on, I promise to be strong for you and our children... I'll protect you, forever"
"You still awake, Aya?" Tooya asked opening his eyes and looking into Aya's. He reached for Aya's warm face and smiled. Tooya leaned towards her and began kissing her. "You don't have to worry. I won't leave our family this time. I promise you that... Cross my heart." Tooya whispered to Aya's ears.
"What's the matter, Aya? Tell me, what is it?" questioned Tooya with a troubled look on his face.
Aya turned to Tooya who was bare naked on the bed covered only by the blue blanket, and whispered something into his ears. "Nani?" Aya only nodded.
"I'll have to go away soon," Aya started bowing down her head. "If I don't leave in two days, someone will try to kill you and our family," the same delicate hands that nurtured Miku and Aki, trembled as she held her hands to feel Tooya's face. She smiled. "No wonder I fell in love with you..." Aya smiled. Though you've always worn a blank face, your eyes tend to give you away so quickly. I'll still be here tomorrow and the day after that so don't-"
Tooya, not saying a word, unexpectedly stood up and closed the door to their room. As he closed the door, he leaned back to a wall pulling over his head the old black shirt he wore when Aya followed him home. He closed his eyes and then...
"During the hours of darkness of your seventh year as a being, the broken pieces of your past will take shape. Your tomorrow is to remain a silent mystery, which you have made yourself worthy to sacrifice everything that is in place in the present. Once the seal you have closed, re-opens, it can never be closed once more. The shadows are your light, and the imperceptible is your darkness... Be wary of the things that appear real, for they are deceptions of which, will be your downfall."
With a quick deep breath, Tooya regained consciousness the next crack of dawn. A bleeding face was in Tooya's vision; it was Aya with one of her eyes popping out, her hair fallen down, and her mouth spitting out blood. "TOOYA?!" Aya shouted holding Tooya by his shoulders. Tooya awoke suddenly feeling that he had jumped off the edge of a cliff.
Tooya's body forced himself unto Aya, who was disturbed by the look on her face. "If you make her cry again, I'll take her away from you for sure!" Tooya's thoughts uttered to him. "Aya. Don't, just don't be the one who'll leave me this time." He bowed down and closed his eyes. "I vowed to you that'll I'll never leave you, so don't waste all the tears we both shared in just that. If there is someone who wants to kill our family, or just me, I don't want you to feel responsible for it. I'll be here to help you protect our family and all those we love."
"Tooya?" Aya giggled. "What are you talking about? I'm not leaving you or our children! Where did you get that idea?" Aya asked pouring coffee into Tooya's mug. "Drink this," Aya reached out the coffee mug. "You'll feel better after you drink this."
Tooya quietly accepted the mug and drank it silently as Aya watched. Aya stood up and walked out of the room. "I'll just take a shower, Tooya. Want to join me?" Aya smiled.
Tooya bowed down and laughed without a sound. "Maybe later, Aya."
"Okay!" Aya winked. "You know where to find me when something comes up. Don't forget Miku's birthday present! She'll finally be 7 years old tomorrow!"
"During the hours of darkness of your seventh year as a being, the broken pieces of your past will take shape," remembered Tooya. "If that's true, then, I'll have to prevent her from leaving. Seventh year, huh? Tomorrow has to be it. Speaking of which," Tooya clasped his hands together and stood up.
Tooya drank his coffee and walked inside of Miku's room.
Her room was filled with gifts from her Uncle Yuuhi. A drowning scent filled Tooya's nose as he entered the room. Miku again left the light open for the whole night. Miku's room was dyed dark sapphire and the silver paintings of stars and moon her father painted on the ceiling. The curtains were still closed when Tooya entered.
He sat by her stretched body and cleared her face. She looks a lot like her mother. If she only didn't have burgundy hair, I would think she was Aya from long ago, Tooya thought. You're going to be seven years old tomorrow, Miku. How pathetic am I? I don't even know my real age! Even so, your mother accepted me just the way I am. I wish you would grow up to love someone and be someone like your mother.
"Oto-san!" Miku, who has just awoken shouted pointing her forefinger to her shirt. "Nani shiteno? Don't 'ya know I need some privacy? Can you at least knock, like normal people do?" Miku asked hysterically.
"But I'm not a normal person, Miku, remember?"
Miku gets an embarrassed look on her face. "Gomen, oto-san. Why wake me up so early? It's a Saturday!" Miku changes the topic abruptly.
Tooya does not reply, instead he smiles and whispers something into Miku's ears. "Hontou? We're actually going out-!"
Miku's mouth was covered by her father's hand. "Keep it in your system that it IS a surprise! No one should know it! It won't be fun if she knew!"
Just then the doorbell rang. "That must be Yuuhi and the others! They said they'll be visiting us today, Tooya." Aya shouted from the bathroom.
Tooya stood up and gave Miku a last nudge. "Remember, if you don't keep it a secret-"
"I won't be able to watch TV and use the computer for 2 whole weeks! That's called black-mail, dad." Miku interrupted.
"No it isn't. It's called discipline!" Tooya replied.
"That's unfair, ten nights!"
"Just change clothes, Miku."
Tooya walked out Miku's room and opened the front door. "Yo." Yuuhi said patting Tooya's shoulders. "So, how's Aya been doing?"
"She's just fine. You?"
"Ohayou!!!!!!" a high-pitched voice said. "How's everything here, Tooya?" a familiar asked.
"Chidori! Keep it down! Aki's still sleeping so you'd better-" Yuuhi said.
"Or else what? You were the one who begged at my feet 4 years ago to go with you to meet your mother!"
"Oh! Come on!" Yuuhi said sarcastically. "You're still not over black-mailing me about that shit!"
Tooya smiled and then asked them to come in. "Thanks, you two."
"For what?" Chidori asked, distracted by the chocolate Tooya handed them. "Yummy! Itadakimasu!"
"For coming here on such short notice." Tooya answered.
"Don't worry, we get that all the time at the restaurant."
Aya entered the room in her short floral dress. "Yuuhi! Chidori-san!" Aya exclaimed and looks around the room. "Demo... Where is Q-chan?"
"She said she'd visit Shuro's and my mother's grave before coming here with Suzumi." Chidori replied.
"Mama... Papa?" a tiny voice asked. Aki enters the room scratching his eyes and holding a teddy bear on the other hand. "Is Aunt Chidori here to give me more chocolates?" Aki asked still half-asleep.
Chidori is surprised and hides behind Tooya. "You're huge, hide me! Onegai, Tooya?"
"Why?"
"I promised my nephew I'd give him chocolates next time we meet. I forgot to drop by a candy store before coming here."
"That's your fault Chidori-san!" Aya said holding Aki's tiny hand and leading him to the couch.
Aki, who was finally awake, leapt unto Yuuhi's laps and kisses him on the cheeks. "Hey!" Yuuhi exclaims.
Jealous, Chidori unexpectedly reveals herself from Tooya's back and begins to pull Aki away from Yuuhi.
"Mama! Aunt Chidori is trying to separate me from my 'koibito!'" Aki shouts.
"Where did you get that idea?" Tooya asked with a confused look on his face.
"I usually hear you tell that you Mama every night," says Aki. Tooya and Aya only blush in their embarrassment. "Chocolate! Chocolate!"
"Knock it off! People might say things about 'us' when there is no 'us'! Darn it! I'm not gay!!!" Yuuhi shouted pulling Aki's clasped hands off his new shirt.
"Yes there is! Aunt Chidori is jealous because she loves you, Yuuhi-kun!"
Miku entered the living room; she has already taken a bath. Combing her long burgundy hair, "Aki! Don't do that! It's disrespectful to do so! Don't you have any manners?" She asked.
"Only when Aunt Suzumi-san is here for my dance class."
Miku gives a frustrated look and sticks her tongue out to her brother. "Are you telling me, you're actually gay?"
"Eh?" Aki gets a cold face and runs to his mother's arms. He sticks his tongue out in disagreement to her onee-chan.
"That's enough, you two," started Aya. "Aki, come with mama and I'll give you a bath. You," she points out to Miku, "give them drinks and some snacks while waiting for us."
Aya quietly left the room.
Yuuhi cleaned his shirt and gave a long sigh. "That little mutt! He's grown up so quickly, didn't he, Tooya?"
Tooya nodded and gives them an album full of pictures. "That's what's been happening over the past two years."
"Two years since we last went here, right? How's Ceres and Shiso been doing?"
Tooya smiled at Yuuhi and then said, "Aya tells me that Ceres seldom talks to her. Shiso on the other hand comes down to us and often apologizes about what happened in the past," Tooya was a bit sad in saying these. He closed his eyes and then his wrist suddenly started bleeding for no reason at all.
Tooya took hold of the end table with his other hand. His right wrist was still bleeding. When the blood started to clot, Aya was already there in the living room. Yuuhi was still going through this shock while Chidori was busy eating and didn't notice a thing.
The blood that spilled onto the table had the form of a familiar object they all have seen, Tooya's sword.
"What was that?" Yuuhi asked suspiciously.
"Tooya, daijobu desu ka?" Aya questioned Tooya while she was cleaning up the blood that spilled on the table.
"Ah, I'm okay, just might've cut myself or something," he replied. I feel it, he thought, something inside me wants to go out of my body. Did Aya experience this when Ceres tried to take over her? This isn't just coincidence, something bad will happen.
Aya was lost in her own thoughts. What's happening to Tooya? Does this have something to do with what I said last night? Does he remember everything I said? I shouldn't have just told him. Things would be more okay if I didn't tell him and if tomorrow I leave without saying a thing. Bullsh-t! I hate this! Why did I ever agree with that bastard Tomo?!
"Why are you here anyway Yuuhi? Chidori?" Aya asked.
Yuuhi didn't answer her question; instead, he gave a short snigger. Soon after, they were in Tokyo City looking through shops and restaurants. Aya was very delighted and so were Aki and Miku. "Mama!" Aki would shout whenever he saw a glimpse of a small cake or a toy newly displayed in the windows. Aki grew more and more restless on Tooya's shoulders and would occasionally jump down
The crowd was growing thicker as the time passed. They met up with Suzumi and Q-chan near Tokyo Tower during lunch. At about two in the afternoon, just after Aya, Tooya, and the rest of them ate, Aki grew tired of looking at the many chocolates he found and fell asleep in Aya's arms when they were eating.
As they strolled down the busy streets of Tokyo, Tooya carried Aki on his back. As soon as they all grew tired and decided to take a seat, "How's everything been doing since the instance four years ago?" Suzumi asked.
Aya wiped off her sweat from her face and gave a long sigh. "Everything's been good," she answered. "Tooya's off a bit lately, I don't know why." Aya glanced Tooya's way and then started to cry.
"What's the problem, Aya-chan?" Q-san asked.
"Nothing," Aya replied wiping off the tears from her face.
Suzumi motioned her hand on Aya's belly. "I knew it."
Aya's eyes widened as she looked into Suzumi's anxious eyes. Suzumi nodded and gave a small smile. "Does this mean, we're going to... have another?"
"Afraid so, I wanted to talk to you because of this as well as Miku's birthday." Suzumi brought out a small fuchsia bag and fell out of it was a small ring. "I want you to wear this ring. As long as you have it near you, you will not forget your family and Tooya's promise that he'll never leave you."
Aya stared at Suzumi, not understanding a single word that she had just said. Aki tugged on his mother's cloak and pointed to a small pastry shop. "Promise me, Aya?"
"Mama..." Aki argued.
"Hmm!" Aya answered putting her hands on Suzumi's and leaving her with a smile. "Promise."
After a very long day, they all headed home to their perspective houses. "Sayonara, minna-san!" Miku would shout when they reached the front door step of their apartment. Aya freshened up and then placed both Miku and Aki to bed.
Tooya leaned forward to his bride's face and then said, "Cross my heart, I won't leave you, so don't leave us. We need you, nobody else."
"Tooya..." Aya sweat-talked. "I'll be here, always by your side. Remember when you jumped over the end off the cliff to save our daughter, I called to you, deep inside my heart. Promise, when you wake up tomorrow, I'm still by your side."
"Aishiteru, Aya"
"Aishiteru," Aya replied kissing her husband's tender lips.
The next day, when Tooya awoke, all of Aya's belongings have disappeared and all was left of her was a letter and the cross necklace she wore the night before.
"