Blue Drop: Angel's Partner: Chapter 4
At the Harbor
Before Micchi and Tsubael come down for breakfast, Mari goes down to the harbor once more and stands on the same dock where Blue left. Looking out toward the sea and sky that took Hagino from her, she asks them, ``Hagino, did you have to leave me?'' Even though she understands why she had to leave, she wishes they'd been able to stay together.
A pair of terns fly up and circle around her, crying as if to get her attention. She turns to look at them and one comes to hover in front of her. Almost instinctively, she brings her hands up and the tern lands on them. She hears it distinctly say, ``Mari-san,'' then hears a familiar voice echo in her mind, [[ I hope you can hear me. ]]
Mari looks at the tern in her hands and her face darkens in a blush. ``Hagino?...But how? Am I dreaming?''
``Mari-san!'' cries the tern, ``You can hear me! It is me, Hagino.''
``It is you! Hagino!'' cries Mari, collapsing to her knees. During her collapse, Mari's tender hold shelters the tern and it never even has to spread its wings for balance. Mari brings the tern up and rubs her cheek against it, murmuring, ``Hagino. Hagino, you're all right. Hagino!'' She sits down on the pier and lowers her hands and the tern into her lap, tears streaming down her face.
The other tern briefly lands on the dock and says, ``Commander Ekaril, I'll leave you two for a bit and come back later,'' then takes off and flies off down the harbor on strong wings.
.
``Hagino, is this real?'' Mari smiles tenderly at the tern in her lap. ``Will you come back to me?''
``Yes, Mari, this is real. But I'm sorry,'' the tern dips its head, ``This is as much as I can come back to you.''
``So this is the real you?'' asks Mari, gently stroking the tern's feathers. ``It's not just a communicator?''
``No, this is all there is of me,'' replies Hagino, leaning into the caress. ``That we have even this much is beyond my hopes, but I'm sorry, this is `me' as much as anything is anymore. It's not just a surveillance remote.''
``But you did come back to me. Thank you Hagino.''
``I didn't know how I could, but I had to come back to you Mari.'' The tern again tenderly rubs her head against Mari's hand. ``I had to come back again to tell you I'm sorry, ...and that I love you.''
ooo OOO ooo
Mid-morning comes around and, Micchi and Tsubael realize that Mari still hasn't returned and head out to look for her. Too much has happened of late for them not to be concerned for their friend. Intuition also takes them to the harbor, where they find he sitting on the dock.
``Mari-san,'' Micchi calls out, ``are you all right?''
Mari turns to them, her face aglow with a smile. ``Yes,'' is her simple answer.
Tsubael notices the tern sitting calmly in Mari's lap at the same time it turns its head and looks straight at her. Some silent communication seems to pass between the tern and Mari who carefully lifts it to stand on her shoulder then stands up herself. Mari takes a few steps toward her friends.
``Micchi, Tsubael! You'll never believe it,'' she tells them, spreading her arms wide. ``Hagino came back to us.''
``Tsubael, Kouzuki-san,'' adds the tern. ``I'm so glad to see you again. I'm sorry, this is all I could manage, but I had to come back to Mari-san.''
``Are you ...a ghost?'' asks Micchi with a quavering voice.
Without noticing she is doing so, Tsubael squeezes her hand, as though her subconscious wanted to reassure Micchi.
Ekaril replies, ``No, not really. But there's still a lot I don't understand and can't explain.''
``See, she's not,'' says Mari, taking the opportunity to give the tern another tender caress which Ekaril leans into.
Micchi nods, not quite understanding but accepting her friends' reassurance. She doesn't consciously notice Tsubael's holding her hand, but neither does she let go of it, subconsciously drawing reassurance and more from this gesture.
Tsubael then asks, ``How did you survive, Commander Ekaril. Can we come get you since you're talking via this surveillance remote?''
Ekaril and Mari explain to her that this isn't a surveillance remote—the tern is all that is left of her—and that they really don't know how this happened or why. ``But,'' concludes Mari, ``I'm so happy that Hagino could come back, no matter in what form.''
Micchi and Tsubael agree that it is good to have her back. Though it takes a bit to explain how this tern really is Hagino, and also fully convince them of this, Mari and Hagino are finally able to.
.
Micchi suggests that they head somewhere more convenient to talk, but Ekaril asks them to wait here for a bit. After a brief word to Mari, she takes off and flies down the harbor.
Mari stands watching after Ekaril, and soon sees a pair of terns flying back toward the three girls. They circle and one comes to land again in Mari's hands.
``Hagino, you came back,'' says Mari.
The tern shakes it's head. ``You know I'll never leave you,'' says Hagino.
The other tern makes another circle and lands next to the them. It looks up at Mari and the tern and asks, ``Hagino? Is that what these Forime call you?''
While Micchi and Tsubael are a bit surprised, Mari looks straight at the other tern and calmly replies, ``Yes, that's how she introduced herself to me.''
``That was my name as a student here when we met,'' answers Hagino right after Mari. ``And Mari,'' she continues, looking up at her, ``This is Onomil. She was an operator on Blue, and she saved us and it several times.''
Mari kneels closer to Onomil, greeting her and thanking her for saving Hagino and Blue. She also tells how she saw her hologram in her room, surprising Onomil by commenting, ``You were also pretty as a girl.''
Tsubael also kneels to join them. ``Onomil, is that really you? Where have you been all these years?''
Onomil cocks her head, looking at Tsubael for a bit, then responds, ``Tsubael? Is that you? That's a cute disguise you have there. I like your dress. Anyway, yes, this is really me, and where I've been is a bit hard to explain. Maybe later?'' Tsubael agrees. Onomil then turns to look at Micchi. ``Tsubael, who's your cute friend here? She looks nice, and wow, finding a Forime girlfriend really helps with your disguise. Good for you. You two make a good couple.''
Tsubael and Micchi are both and rendered speechless and red-faced. Tsubael looks down and murmurs, ``But I didn't do it to help with my disguise.''
Mari changes the subject, introducing her friend Micchi to Onomil. Micchi is able to recover from the surprise observation enough to greet Onomil in return. Soon everyone recovers from embarrassment and four continue their conversation, finding Onomil to be outgoing, friendly and caring—just like Ekaril silently told Mari. She meant no harm by her comment, really was happy for Tsubael, and just spoke what came to mind. She is embarrassed to find that she was may have been reading too much into Micchi and Tsubael closeness. Tsubael accepts this, offering Onomil her hand and shoulder as a perch so they all may continue their conversation more easily.
The five continue talking, building and rebuilding their friendship and also telling Onomil about this world and the school here. They also tell her Tsubael's cover story, even though she probably won't have much need to use this as a talking tern.
Dinnertime approaches and Micchi suggests that they should head back to the dorm to eat. Onomil begs off, saying she wants to go search for someone.
``I hope you find Azanael,'' replies Ekaril.
``Azanael was in that hologram with you, right?'' asks Mari. When Onomil agrees, she adds, ``I really hope you can find her and get back together. You look like a good couple.''
Everyone agrees, wishes Onomil luck, and watches as she flies off down the coast.