Note : This story was started by Haru Glory who was unable to finish it. I read the original, and by some insane impulse, I had to keep it going. I hope you enjoy.
CH 1
It's the heart afraid of breaking
that never learns to dance
and the dream afraid of waking
than never takes the chance
it's the one who won't be taken
than cannot seem to give
and the soul afraid of dying
than never learn to live
.
And when the night has been too lonely
and the road has been too long
you might think that love is only
for the lucky and the strong
.
just remember in the winter
far beneath the bitter snow
lies the seed that with the sun's love
in the spring, becomes, The Rose
-Bette Midler-
Kouta stood at the top of the steps where Lucy told him to wait. This place where under the glow of a lamp post, he had held hands and hummed Lilium with her when he was young. The place he came to when Professor Kakuzawa had taken her from him. This place held a powerful meaning for him, and her.
Now, he stood here, watching Lucy walk away. She had told him about her miserable life and her only desire to even keep living was to apologize to him. He had confessed his love for her. And she had confessed hers, as well as telling him he was her only friend in the world. As she walked away, he also remembered that she'd said he would not be able to live in this world if she made it into hers as she was suppose to do. She then had to leave.
Lucy had just disappeared into the night when Kouta finally grasped the meaning of what she said. He knew those soldiers had to be looking for her down by the water. The same place she was headed to now. She said she had endured her life only to apologize to him. She said he could not live in this world if she did.
"No!" Kouta blurted out as he realized Lucy was going down to where the soldiers were to let them kill her. "No!" he cried again and went down the stairs as fast as he could. He had to stop her! Taking the steps two and three at a time on his way down, he slipped and tumbled, bruising himself. Getting back up, he went slower, now with a limp, but he had to catch her.
Reaching the bottom, Kouta broke into a run. He hurt, but to slow down meant Lucy would die. After all her life living in agony he could not let that happen. Up ahead, on the coast road, he saw the light of the military vehicles. He also saw Lucy step into that light. His pains forgotten, Kouta ran as fast as he could as she walked to the middle of the road and stopped.
A loud speaker announced, "Ready!"
"No!" Kouta's mind cried, he was almost there. He closed on Lucy, who stood waiting to die.
"AIM!"
"NO!" Kouta cried as he ran into the light, Lucy snapped her head to stare at him, an open look of shock on her face. The soldier's guns were up. Kouta grabbed her and hugged her tight, shielding her with his body.
"Kouta!" she gasped.
"FIRE!"
"Kouta, no!" Lucy cried in a whimper.
At first, the gunfire was just noise as Lucy used her vectors to shield him. Then Lucy's head recoiled and hard slams tore into Kouta's back He tried to stay in front of her as he felt a hundred burning bees drive into him. He fell, still clinging to Lucy in a vain attempt to save her. They hit the pavement together, Lucy's limp arm over him, his limp arms were around her. Lying face to face, he felt his life drain away as he looked into her vacant eyes. He wanted to tell her to run, to save herself, but his breath was gone. He wanted so badly to do it all again, to see her happy and smiling, to not be tortured or hunted down like an animal. He saw a tear drip down from her eye, then the world faded away.
.
Before Kouta, a bright white light burst into being. He felt ... nothing. Even his mind was numb. The light encompassed him as he floated in nothingness. It felt familiar to hm, yet he had no idea why.
'You wish to live again?'
He felt more than heard the question. He did. He wanted to be able to save Lucy from all the heartache she'd lived with.
'Your selfish wish is granted. Let's see what you do with it.'
Selfish wish? The light burst so bright it hurt. Then as mysteriously as it appeared, the light vanished, leaving him in the dark.
Dark, a warm feeling. He was warm and comfortable. Kouta let out a sigh, this was nice.
"Kouta."
A voice. A voice that tickled at his memory. He knew that voice. He felt pain and yet happy at hearing it.
"Kouta, wake up!"
He wanted to go find that voice. So innocent, someone he had lost. Yes, he'd lost his little sister in one bloody instant. Lucy did it, but who was truly at fault? He was also sad to remember his last words to Kanae. He would give anything to be able to apologize to her.
Shifting around he realized he now felt things, He was in a bed, blanket over him. The faint smell that came to his nostrils felt like ... home. Kanae used to wake him up in the mornings.
Wait, Kanae? He had just heard Kanae? Kouta snapped his eyes open. Over him was his little sister.
Frowning, she said, "Kouta don't hate me but you have to get up."
Kane was here? She was alive? Not believing it, Kouta reached out and touched her. "Kanae," he said weakly. How could she be here? He sat up and studied her. He pet her shoulder, her cheek as she eyed him curiously. Kanae was real. His little sister was alive! He grabbed her and pulled her into a hug.
"Kanae, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me," he said in an emotional choke. He let out a sob of guilt for what he'd said the last time he'd seen her. 'apologize or I'll hate you forever!' He didn't hate her, he'd always wished he could take those words back.
Slowly, Kanae said, "That's OK, big brother. You didn't even yell at me today."
Kouta laughed. He laughed a hearty laugh from seeing his sister he never thought he would ever see again. It was hard to believe this was real, but he heard, saw and felt his little sister. He petted her hair, thrilled beyond words that he got to see her again.
Kanae called, "Dad? Kouta's acting really strange."
"Ah, now there's a sight. Isn't this a cute moment? Wish I had by camera."
Kouta looked to see the doorway filled with, "Dad?" he asked. His father was here too? Without thinking, Kouta got up and ran over to hug his father. "Dad, I,... you're alive!" he announced happily.
Junso looked down on his son. "The meal you helped make last night wasn't that bad," he quipped. By how tight the hug was he was getting was, he asked, "Did you have a nightmare?"
Kouta looked up at his Dad. He had a nightmare all right. "It was pretty horrible ..." he agreed. Then another thought hit him. Was he in some land of the dead now? Looking around he asked, "Dad, where are we?"
"You forgot?" Junso asked with a smirk. "That must have been one bad dream! We're in Kamakura, seeing Aunt Takami and your cousin Yuka? Does that ring a bell?"
Kouta looked up at him again, then quickly looked over at Kanae, then back to his father. "The festival, the train station," Kouta said thoughtfully.
"Yes, to bring you back to the proper time and place, space traveller," Junso said with a grin. "We're staying in the vacation house a few blocks down from Aunt Takami's. In five days is the festival, and we go home on the train that night." seeing Kouta's dazed look, he asked, "Earth to Kouta, do you read?"
"What? ... yeah," Kouta said as his mind worked. It hadn't happened yet. Meeting Lucy, the festival, the train ride, none of it had happened. Since it had yet to happen, that meant he could change it! As he thought about it, he remembered lying to Lucy and the repercussions. "It was my fault," he said vacantly. "Everyone dying, it was my fault!"
"Whoa, that was some dream you had." Junso said. He scrubbed Kouta on the head and said, "I know! How about some breakfast. Food always makes things better! Get dressed, Kanae, may I have your excellent help?" They left, leaving him alone in his that he had a chance to think about it, Kouta realized he'd been put back into the one place where he had the chance to change the future.
Going over to the mirror, he looked at his nine year old self. "OK, so I'm nine again. I meet Lucy, and we have fun until ..." he stopped as he remembered the night atop the stairs by the sea, holding hands as they hummed his music box tune together.
In his head, Kouta heard, 'You have been given a second chance very, very few are offered. You can avoid the Diclonius girl and live happily knowing nothing about her. Your fate is in your hands.'
"Avoid Lucy?" he asked no one. How could he do that? WHY would he do that? He was Lucy's only friend and he loved her. "No, I won't abandon Lucy!" he said firmly. "I have to make it right. I have to save Lucy!" Whoever this deity, or whatever it was, gave him this chance, he was not going to waste it. He certainly wasn't going to back out and hide from saving the girl he loved.
Quickly, Kouta got dressed. Thinking hard, he tried to remember what day it was he had met her. If he was right, it was tomorrow. Maybe today? It was so long ago he had trouble remembering. It was critical that he met Lucy then took her to the zoo. She'd had so much fun there, as did he.
He got his clothes on and ran downstairs. He had an important job today, and he had to do it right.
Outside, it was a nice day. Kouta was sure that today was the day he'd met Lucy. He had to make it a perfect copy of their original meeting. He told his father he was going out to draw, grabbed his sketch pad and his music box, then headed out the door.
He tried to walk the same path, but he only remembered wanting to head up into the mountains. Seeing the easiest way, he walked that way. His death, and Lucy's was still fresh in his mind. The sting of the bullets driving through his body. The pain of knowing he'd let Lucy die. He had to stop it. He had to make tings better.
A familiar path showed itself uphill in the greenery. Kouta took it. He huffed his way up, becoming more certain that this was the day he'd met her. He thought about one thing he would change right away. Instead of going all the way up the mountain to sketch, he'd pick something nearby the tree where Kaede had buried her dog. As he thought about it, that was another agony she had suffered. Maybe he'd have a chance to stop it if he got there earlier in the day instead of in the afternoon.
He hiked on and recognized the small cave/ shrine he and Lucy had huddled in the day it rained. He smiled, although they hadn't done anything, he remembered that place clearly. Although he wa sure the shrine was for some diety, to him, it was a shrine with a different meaning.
A little farther on, he saw the statues carved into the cliff and the big tree where Lucy had buried her puppy. Searching the base of the tree, he didn't see the little grave with the stone. Kouta breathed a sigh of relief. If he was able to save her puppy, then Lucy would be spared one less agony. Intent on his task, Kouta turned and tripped on something. The something yelped. So did Kouta.
"Ghaah!" Kouta cried. In trying to keep his balance he'd kicked the puppy. He went down on his hands and knees anyway. Looking up, he saw the puppy run to Lucy. Another girl with her scowled at him and pointed. ""Did you see that? He kicked your puppy!" the girl snapped.
"What? No, wait, I didn't kick him, I didn't see him and tripped!" Kouta explained as he got up.
Lucy scowled at him. "Boys are such bullies, I hate them all!"
"I swear, I didn't mean it," Kouta cried, "I was looking at the tree, and when I turned around he was right there at my feet. I'm really sorry."
Arms folded over her chest in indignation, Lucy held him in a burning gaze. "If that's true, why were you looking at a tree?" she asked.
Kouta held up his sketch pad. "I draw things. Mountains, trees, all kinds of things. That tree looked interesting." Seeing she wasn't buying it, he held the pad out to her. "Here, look at it if you don't believe me. Can't we be friends?" he asked.
Lucy frowned at him a bit longer, then something in her face changed. She tipped her head slightly and her face softened.
Seeing his chance, he said, "Lucy, my name is Kouta."
"My name isn't Lucy, it's Kaede," she replied, taking on a hard tone.
The other girl laughed. "First he kicks your puppy, now he want to name you. Forget that boy, I bet he's nothing but trouble!"
"Lu ... Kaede, please, just give me a chance," Kouta begged.
Kaede eyed him a bit longer. She didn't know what it was, but she felt Kouta was different. Instead of the mean grin most boys had, he was looking at her, opened faced as if begging for acceptance. He was also a bit clumsy. "All right. We can be friends," she said. "As long as you call me by my real name."
Kouta smiled. "Thank you, Kaede," he said and asked, "Do you want to see my sketch book? I know I'm not the best, but I do have some cool scenes I drew."
Kaede went to take his sketchbook. The other girl became angry. "Kaede, he kicked your puppy!"
Kaede paused, eyeing her. "He said he was sorry, and it did look like an accident."
"I won't be fiends with a puppy kicker!" the girl announced, "Or friends with anyone who IS friends with a puppy kicker. If you want him as a friend, than I can't be your friend!"
"Why?" Kaede asked, looking confused.
"HE'S A BOY!" the girl yelled. "You said it yourself, boys can't be trusted, they are mean and end up hurting you. Do you really want that?"
Angered at her insinuation, Kouta said, "I'm not mean, and I'd never do anything to hurt Kaede! Why would you say that?"
"You're just another mean boy!" the girl snapped. "Come on, Kaede, we don't need to be around HIM!" The bread she had for the puppy, she threw to the ground and stomped off.
"Wait!" Kaede cried. "Why are you doing this?"
The girl's behavior also made Kouta suspicious. "I have the same question. Why can't Kaede be friends with more than one person?"
The girl spun in place. "Because you're a puppy kicking BOY!" she yelled in a red faced rant.
"I said I was sorry, I didn't mean it," Kouta replied.
Kaede nodded. "He did." she agreed.
Glaring at Kaede, the girl said, "Make your choice, Kaede, that puppy kicking boy, or me."
Kaede gulped. Something just felt right about being friends with Kouta, but he didn't live at the orphanage. She only had one friend there that she was bout to loose. To have no friends there would make her life even harder. She frowned and said, "Sorry, Kouta. I ... can't be your friend." She turned to walk away.
Kouta hurried up beside her. "Kaede, please, that girl ...something is wrong if she won't let you have any other friends but her."
"Goodbye, Kouta," Kaede said softly. "Please don't follow me."
Kouta was scared. Kaede was rejecting him. He had to win her over. "Kaede, I don't want to see you miserable!" he blurted out.
Kaede stopped and turned to him. With a touch of anger in her voice, she said, "Too late. I already am. Out here was the only peace I can get. And now ... that has been ruined!" she said, casting him a pleading look. "All I want is just a few minutes of not being picked on or bullied!"
Gazing at her, Kouta said, "I'm so sorry you life is like that."
"Kaede, come on!" the other girl snapped.
Kaede turned to her and shouted, "Why did you have to start a fight? Why do you hate Kouta so much?"
The girl planted her fists on her hips and grated, "Do you want Tomo to find our about your puppy?"
"What?" Kaede asked in a gasp. "You promised not to tell."
"I may change my mind if you don't stop talking to that boy!"
"Is that what our friendship is? You'll be my friend as long as I do as you say?" Kaede asked.
"Who's Tomo?" Kouta asked. He was ignored.
"Who's the only one who helps you? The only one who calls the teachers when Tomo and his gang bullies you?" the girl asked. "I don't have to try and help you, Kaede."
"So, that's how it is. If I don't do as you say, you'll help bully me," Kaede stated.
"Just stop talking to that boy, and we'll be fine," the girl retorted.
Kaede dropped her head to frown at the ground. "I managed fine before you said you were my friend," Kaede told her.
"Fine!" the girl spat and stomped away.
"I'm sorry, I never meant to break up your friendship," Kouta offered.
Seeing the puppy wagging his tail at her feet. Kaede sat down and fed him the bread she'd brought.
Kouta sat facing her.
"I can bring him some food too," Kouta offered. Thinking about the other girl's threat, he said, "If this Tomo might do something to him, I can ask Dad to keep him safe, and bring him to come see you."
Kaede looked at him blank faced and asked, "Why are you so interested in me? Don't you know I'm a freak? Don't even say you didn't notice my horns."
"You're suspicious of me," Kouta realized aloud. "Yes, I see your horns, they're kinda hard to miss. Actually, I think they're kinda cool. You do look cute like that. Forget your horns, Kaede, they aren't important, at least to me ..."
"Why did you call me Lucy?" she asked quickly.
Without thinking, he said, "That's what I knew you by before." Seeing her frown slightly, he realized his mistake. To cover it, he said, "I did know you before ... you were at that orphanage. I liked you. I saw you again, and I had to talk to you."
"I've always been there," Kaede said, watching him closely. "All I can remember is being there my whole life."
"Yeah," Kouta said in a huff. Dropping his head, he saw the puppy was also looking at him. He scratched the puppy behind his ear. The puppy wagged his tail. "What's his name?"
"I haven't given him one," Kaede admitted.
Seeing a chance to connect with Kaede, Kouta said, "Well, let's name him. How about ... Mr. Young dog?" he asked with a smirk.
Kaede snorted out a chuckle and asked, "That's the best you can come up with?"
"I don't know, I never named a dog before," Kouta said defensively. "Mr. Four paws?"
Kaede laughed. "Or maybe ... Outdoor dog?"
They both laughed. Seeing the puppy licking Kaede's fingers, she said, "He's still hungry. I don't have anything else to feed him."
"I'll go get something for him," Kouta said and got up. "Wait here, I'll be back." He handed her his sketchbook, "Here you can look at this while I'm gone." He sat his music box down too and ran off.
Kaede watched him go. To the puppy she said, "We'll find a name for you. What do you think of Kouta? I think he's nice. From the things he's done, I got the feeling he does know me. That is strange because I've never seen him before." Petting the puppy, she looked at the sketchbook and opened it up. Kouta had made pencil sketches of a beach, hills and one was an old, limbless tree. They were good. There were a few erasures Kaede first thought were mistakes. Looking at the picture of the tree, she realized Kouta had used the light erasure marks to make a shadow for the tree. He was very good at this.
Kaede then eyed the music box. She put the sketchbook down and picked it up. Opening the lid, it began to play 'Lilium'. She listened to the pretty yet sad tune. For some reason, she equated this song with Kouta. After it played through a couple times, she started to hum along with it. She liked this song. As it went on, she also equated the tune with where she was and how she was feeling now.
Either Kouta had grabbed this box by accident, or somehow he knew her feelings. That couldn't be. Just like it was impossible that she had no idea who he was, but he seemed to know her, and was happy to see her.
Kouta was a pleasant mystery. She'd seen TV shows where the girl was miserable and alone, and this hero arrived to sae her. Was Kouta her hero? "He would be a nice hero to have," she mused aloud. A hero not with a mighty sword or packing an arsenal to mow down enemies, but one with a sketch book and a music box. Both, which she greatly appreciated at the moment.
The puppy got down and went to go sniff something. She head his bark, then a yip. Turning, she saw one of Tomo's goons holding her puppy by the scruff of his neck. Tomo stood nearby grinning like a wolf. His other goon stood to his other side, grinning evilly at her.
"This is perfect!" Tomo announced. "There's no one out here so we can do whatever we want to make you cry and scream!"
