Chapter 2
追憶
Reminiscing
6 months later.
"Wow! She's pretty nano da. Who is she nano da?"
"She is my mother." Vanilla said closing a small locket she was holding.
"Where is she right now nano da?"
"Somewhere far away."
"Like another planet or something nano da?"
"Yes. Something like that. Only further."
"Oh. You sure are far away from your mama, Mama. Nano-Nano hopes Mama's mama isn't lonely nano da."
"I hope so too. But its time for bed now Nano-Nano. Tomorrow you're going somewhere else to see one of my dear friends."
"Who is it, nano da?"
"You'll find out. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Mama."
Vanilla tucked Nano-Nano into bed, kissed her on the forehead and turned off the light.
"Mama?" Nano-Nano said as Vanilla was closing the door.
"Yes?"
"I love you."
Vanilla paused; it had been a quite a while since she had heard those words directed at her. Vanilla looked back into Nano-Nano's room and smiled. "I love you too, Nano-Nano." Vanilla closed the door and began walking to her room.
Vanilla reached into her pocket and pulled out the locket she held earlier. It was silver, oval shaped, had gold trimming around were it opened, and easily fit into the palm of her hand.
"Vanilla-san?"
Vanilla looked up quickly from her locket to see Lazan, the man who was with her in the laboratory. Vanilla put the locket away. "What is it, Lazan-san? Why aren't you with Forte-san?"
"Well, that's just it. Forte-san sent me here to retrieve Nano-Nano. It seems I'm a bit early though." Lazan chuckled as Vanilla stared at him expressionlessly.
"Would you like some tea?" Vanilla said moving to the kitchen.
"If you don't mind." He followed Vanilla into the kitchen and found that Vanilla's nano machine was sitting on the table staring at him as well.
"Wasn't Takuto-san supposed to pick up Nano-Nano tomorrow?"
"Yeah, but Takuto-san is still in a meeting on planet Magic. I hear Ranpha-san is going to be some sort of ambassador there."
"I see." Vanilla removed the kettle from the stove and pored some of its contents into a cup. "Here." she said handing it to Lazan, "It's hot, so please be careful."
"Thank you."
Vanilla sat down at the table and the nano machine hoped over to her and sat on her shoulder.
Lazan was a tall man, about 6'2". He had black hair that came down to his shoulders and wore the standard military uniform. His right eye was green while his left eye was completely white. His face was long, and he was missing a finger on his left hand. On his face was a scar that started just above his eyebrow and cut across his left eye and down the left side of his neck, disappearing into his uniform. He was about 25 years old.
"So anyways, you'll never believe what Forte-san did with the new recruits the other day. I mean I knew Forte-san was strict when it came to training but I had no idea she would do that. Anyways she…"
"I'm going to sleep, Lazan-san." Vanilla said as she stood from her seat.
Lazan was surprised. Vanilla never interrupted anyone when they were talking, at least not as far as he knew. He sat in his chair looking at Vanilla with his mouth half open and his cup of tea in his hand. "Va- Vanilla-san?"
"I'm sorry to interrupt you, but it has been a long day, and I need to regain my strength. With Nano-Nano leaving tomorrow, I'll be able to continue nanotechnology research here for planet Pico." Vanilla lifted the nano machine off her shoulder and placed it back on the table.
"Vanilla-san…"
"You should probably get some rest as well. You may sleep in the guest bedroom tonight." Vanilla turned and began walking to her room.
Lazan watched as Vanilla walked away. As he did he looked back at the nano machine. It looked at him with sad eyes before jumping down from the table and disappearing into the next room.
Lazan couldn't help but feel as if Vanilla wasn't feeling right. It was so difficult to tell with her. "Damn. How did Takuto-san figure her out? He was able to tell how she felt all the time. There's something wrong with her, I know there is."
Lazan stood up and walked towards the guest bedroom. He stood there, looking at the handle trying to make up his mind. "There must be something wrong with her…" As he reached for the door handle to go in, he quickly turned around and began striding towards Vanilla's room. "And I'm goanna find out what it is." Lazan walked briskly but quietly so as to not wake Nano-Nano. Lazan arrived at Vanilla's door and was about to knock when he heard something from inside. At first he didn't know what it was, but he quickly figured it out: sobbing.
"Vanilla-san is… crying?" Lazan said to himself as he backed away from the door. He lowered his raised hand to his side and stood. "Why?" Lazan thought. He turned back towards the guest room and walked slowly and quietly. "Why?"
"I'm going to sleep, Lazan-san." Vanilla said as she stood from her seat.
Lazan was surprised. Vanilla never interrupted anyone when they were talking, at least not as far as he knew. He sat in his chair looking at Vanilla with his mouth half open and his cup of tea in his hand. "Va- Vanilla-san?"
"I'm sorry to interrupt you, but it has been a long day, and I need to regain my strength. With Nano-Nano leaving tomorrow, I'll be able to continue nanotechnology research here for planet Pico." Vanilla lifted the nano machine of her shoulder and placed it back on the table.
"Vanilla-san…"
"You should probably get some rest as well. You may sleep in the guest bedroom tonight." Vanilla turned and began walking to her room. Vanilla walked slowly at first, after a few steps she looked back at Lazan who was looking at the nano machine and, when she saw he wasn't looking, walked faster. For the first time in a while, emotions were beginning to well up inside her and she couldn't hold them back. Vanilla's face slowly turned from calm and collected to sad and distraught as she turned the corner. By the time she reached her door, she couldn't hold back anymore and let out a quick sob before opening her door and shutting it quickly.
In the comfort of her room she ran to her bed, but collapsed a few feet from it and fell to the floor. Tears rolling down her face, she lifted herself up and knelt at the side of her bed burying her face in her covers.
"Mama, Papa…" she said into her covers. "I really do *sob* miss you. I miss you so much. I... I…" Vanilla's emotions finally got the best of her and she began crying. "I love you…" She griped the covers in anguish as she remembered her mother and father, how much she loved them and how much they loved her. She remembered how they would always go to the park on Saturdays. She remembered how her parent's lives were cut short and how she watched it happen and how she almost met the same fate.