Author's Note: Wow, guys, it has been far too long since my last chapter! Between tax time at work and traveling and a sinus infection and preparing to move, I am not exaggerating when I say I've had no time to write! Today, I finally found time (after midnight, of course!).
Anyway, back to the story. I knew where I wanted this chapter to go but had trouble getting it down a few days ago. Everything seemed forced and awful. But then tonight, it really clicked. So I hope you enjoy and thanks for reading. Hope it was worth the wait - and yes, there is more to come.
Finally, please review! I am forever grateful for your feedback. It really keeps me going.
Misa blinked her eyes open, her nose and chin still pressed into Hikaru's sternum. The dull, thundering din had finally ceased. Metallic fragments no longer dropped capriciously from above. Yet, the ground still shook. She shifted her weight from one foot to another, bending her knees slightly to absorb the impact. It was only after a few moments of stillness that she realized the vibrations were hers alone—she was trembling.
Misa swallowed, willing her body to be still. You're a Captain, born and bred from a proud military family. You've seen fellow soldiers die and your home planet laid to waste! You're one of two people to know the true origin of the human species—act like it! She thought to herself angrily. She clenched her jaw, trying to be as hard and cold as the ground beneath her. But despite her training and her best efforts, she couldn't deny feeling any longer, not after what she—they—had seen together as castaways on their own ruined world. She scowled to herself, knowing that her days of practiced detachment were officially over.
Hikaru lifted his face from Misa's locks, releasing her slightly from his chest, sliding his hands down her arms until he caught her elbows. He held them gently, waiting for her to shrug him off. She didn't, not yet. He told himself that he was protecting her, keeping her safe from falling debris, but even his subconscious knew that wasn't the whole story. We're friends now, and friends help each other. He nodded, satisfied with the tale he was telling himself.
"Are you alright?" Hikaru asked earnestly, his bright eyes looking for hers. She nodded, lifting her head to make eye contact.
"I'm fine, just shaken up—literally," Misa replied, trying to keep her voice brighter with humor. She smiled weakly, looking deep into his eyes. They twinkled as if he was up to something, but she knew this was no place for a pilot's pranks.
Reluctantly, Hikaru released her elbows, offering her a hand instead. "Let's go outside and see the settlement." She had to give him one thing—he certainly had a knack for changing the subject at the right time. Misa smiled gratefully, but her slightly furrowed eyebrows betrayed anxiety. While she longed to discuss what they had just witnessed with the computer and the distress call and the captain's log, she knew she wasn't ready, and suspected Hikaru might not be either. Accepting his hand, she let him lead her out of the door they had entered.
As the portal to the outside opened, Hikaru shielded his eyes with his one free hand. He was careful with his steps, knowing she would echo his footfalls. After a few paces out the door, he stopped. She halted a step later. The small column they had landed upon had been surrounded by gray-green-blue ocean when they entered. Now, they stood in the center of an entire community, dotted with scores of buildings and ruins of all shapes and sizes, all of it covered in calcified slime. Misa inhaled audibly, impressed by its sheer size.
"Wow," Hikaru murmured. "It's so big." His voice trailed off.
"There must have been thousands of people living here," She mused thoughtfully.
"Who would have thought we'd be the only ones to return?" Hikaru wondered aloud, turning his head toward her. To that question, Misa had no answer.
Together, they walked to the edge of the domed platform, hands still entwined. Hikaru hadn't let go, so Misa kept her hand in his. More and more, she found herself enjoying his presence, even in silence. Especially in silence, she thought. She stole a quick look at him, and embarrassingly, caught his eyes. There are a hundred buildings to behold, none ever seen by human eyes, and instead we're looking at each other. She smiled incredulously at Hikaru, and slowly returned her gaze to the city before her. His eyebrows crinkled questioningly at her, but she had already turned her head.
After a few moments in the open air, it was evident that the platform they stood on was the highest point on the artificial island. Several stair paths radiated from its surface like spokes on a wheel. Misa felt compelled to start exploring, though she wondered if her mind had the capacity to store anything new after all the discovering they had just done. I'm maxed out for shocking revelations, she thought to herself wryly.
Hikaru pointed. "Let's start over there," he ventured He was gesturing toward cluster of small, domed buildings spaced evenly apart.
"Sound good," Misa replied, grateful that for once, she didn't have to make the decision or give the order. She would never admit to it aloud, but in moments of particular stress, she often sank into indecisiveness, a trait she loathed in military officers—herself included.
Hikaru led the way down one of the stair paths, toward the group of rounded structures that he estimated to be a few hundred meters in the distance. At some point, their hands had separated. Hikaru strode a few steps ahead, Misa following a little slower, trying to take in the details of the city. She failed to commit anything to memory but not for lack of trying. To her tired eyes, it all looked more or less the same—a swath of ancient metal formations that were either rusted or covered in sea rot, all of it smelling of stale moisture and salt.
Suddenly, Hikaru sped up, practically jogging toward something. Misa kept her pace, eventually making her way to him. He was crouched near one of the freestanding metal objects, inspecting it close up.
"It looks like some kind of transport machine!" He exclaimed. "I wonder if it still works?" He pondered. Sure enough, it had what looked like a cockpit hatch, though time had turned the once-clear material translucent. Even alien glass wasn't impervious to Earth's atmosphere.
Misa pressed her lips together. "I'm sure whatever communication systems inside have been inoperable for thousands of years," she replied flatly.
Hikaru opened his mouth in surprise, clearly on a different page from his Captain. "I meant, I wonder if it still flies!" He clarified, a rakish smile on his face.
All Misa could say was, "Oh."
He chuckled at her response. Of course, he knew the machine would never see the air again. What a pity, Hikaru thought to himself. All this technology and culture, wasted by the warring giants.
Misa had turned her interest to the structure next to the decaying machine. It had a domed roof and stood about 4 meters high. She wandered in its open threshold, its door presumably lost to time and the ocean. The light of day filtered through several open window holes, illuminating the interior. After her eyes adjusted, she did a double take. In one corner was a deep basin, flanked on its sides by waist-high shelving units. Misa instantly knew they were counters and cabinets. This is a kitchen! She felt somehow comforted by the realization.
She walked over to inspect the little nook more closely and was surprised to see an array of unbroken vessels floating in the basin, which was still half-full of shockingly clear water. Even the Protoculture leave dirty dishes in the sink! Misa thought to herself. At first, she felt wistful, knowing that she shared something with the ancient civilization. But reverie soon gave way to feelings of dread—imagine how quickly they must have evacuated to leave simple chores undone. She shuddered.
Hikaru interrupted her thought. He had apparently followed her inside, though she hadn't heard him enter. He strode over to her. "Hey, wow, it's a kitchen. This must be someone's house," he remarked idly. He ran his hand through his hair, fairly uninterested in the dwelling. "Let's go check out some more machines. Maybe we can get inside one of them. I'd love to sit in of one of those cockpits," he suggested.
"I think I'll just stay for awhile," Misa replied dreamily. "I kind of like it here, though I couldn't say why." She blinked quickly, trying to keep her eyes dry. She didn't know why she felt on the brink of tears, but she angled her head away from Hikaru, hoping he wouldn't catch her misty gaze. He could sense that something was amiss, and decided to give her time to breathe.
"Okay then, I'll be back in a little bit," he said warily, hoping not to upset her further.
As Hikaru walked out of the little home and down a row of living quarters identical to the one he had just been inside, he realized that his feelings towards Misa had changed dramatically in the short time they had spent alone together on Earth. At the start, he'd been furious at her stubbornness, resentful of her various commands, and contemptuous of her opinions. Now he was holding her hand—and her body, he gulped to himself—and trying to comfort her.
He stopped suddenly outside one of the small homes, abandoning his plan to inspect more vehicles. Slowly, he sank to the ground, back pressed against the rounded exterior wall. He tried to make sense of his thoughts. It's different now, with Misa. I'm different now. He thought back to their intimate tent moment, when, freshly awakened from a nightmare, he'd pulled her into a close embrace that lasted until morning. He shivered, his body electric from head to toe. He stood up and decided it was time to go back to the kitchen where he'd left her.
When he returned, he found Misa sitting at a table for two, surrounded by various containers. He walked over silently and took a seat across from her. Hikaru eyed the bounty before him—it was an array of what appeared to be drinking glasses, eating utensils, oddly shaped dinnerware, and a large pitcher with a square spout. After a moment, he looked up at her. She looked back at him, eyes shining and yet pained.
"Care for a drink?" She asked huskily, motioning to the glasses.
"Uh, sure," he replied hesitantly, suddenly uncertain in her presence.
Misa handed him a glass and took another in her right hand.
"Cheers," she intoned, her voice gravelly, clinking her glass with his.
"Cheers," he echoed. For effect, he pantomimed a drinking gesture, bringing the glass within an inch of his lips. He smiled and slowly set it back down on the table, not knowing what to do next.
With a deft motion of her right arm, Misa swept the alien housewares off the table angrily, sending the lot crashing onto the floor. Miraculously, nothing shattered. She buried her head in her hands, arms resting on the table. Hikaru could hear her choking back angry sobs, which tore at his heart. After a few moments, she raised her head, sucking air in greedily.
"I want to go home," she cried. Hikaru immediately knew that she did not mean Earth.
Tears streamed down Misa's face, which was quickly flushing. Hikaru darted to her, pulling her up from her chair. He wrapped her in his arms, patting her back and stroking her hair as she buried her face into his shoulder. After a few minutes, she grew quiet. She took a step back, bringing her face back into the open. Feebly, she brushed tears from her cheeks with one hand.
"I'm sorry, I—" she stammered, but he shook his head, silencing her.
Hikaru pulled Misa in close, bringing a hand to her chin, tipping it up gently, He looked down at her, and slowly inched his face toward hers. Her jade eyes were wide and wild. Soon they found his gaze, and she took in a quick breath—his eyes were intensely, devastatingly blue. Her body was coursing with adrenaline at the feel of his touch, He closed his eyes and finally brought his lips to hers, kissing her chastely, unsure how she would respond.
A few days ago, Misa would have frozen in such a situation. But after all she had been through, and all she had learned, and all she had yearned for, she realized that she wasn't the same person anymore. Unfettered, she returned Hikaru's kiss deeply. It was his turn to be surprised.
