Part VIII "Darkest Night"

The weather reflected Yamato's mood as he woke up that morning although the past few days had been brighter today the snow was back with a vengeance. The TV weather report was saying something about air fronts changing so today would be the very last day of winter. It seemed the winter knew this too and was going to go down fighting. Yamato had woken up early, after his dream he could not get back to sleep so he sat up alone watching the snow fall from the sky for the last time. I wish I could do that, risk everything on one last desperate gambit. Although, thinking about our promise I guess I'm doing something similar. It's nice the weather is doing its best for the atmosphere.

The weatherman was now warning people that driving conditions were treacherous, and that people shouldn't make non-essential journeys. I wonder if perhaps Kari won't be able to go, she's meant to be going late tonight, maybe if it keeps snowing…No that idiot father of hers would go whatever, no sense getting my hopes up.

TK was the next to wake up, he and Yamato decided to go out to a café that they used to visit for breakfast, it was also a convenient excuse to try to visit Kari, since it was not far from her house. The two brothers talked as they walked through the early morning snow.

"I can't believe she's going" TK had been oddly silent since he found out, Kari was still one of his best friends. Then again he's always dealt with things by bottling them up, just like me I guess. Still he'll have Davis when Kari's gone what will I do?

"Matt, are you alright?"

"Yeah, sorry I was just thinking"

"Ah, me bringing up Kari, right?"

"I don't know what I'm going to do"

"What ever happens, I'll always be here for you"

"Thanks, but it's not quite the same"

"Well there's always Tai"

"I know you were listening to us when we were having a private conversation, so you'll know that's not going to happen"

"Oh come on, you are so dense. He was only saying you two could never be because he thought that's what you wanted"

"Whatever" What? No way, no chance there's now way Tai still likes me…Is there?

The café was fairly empty and Yamato and TK were happily eating when Mrs. Kamiya walked in, she walked over to where the two were sitting, smiled, dropped a note on the table and left. Yamato looked totally baffled and stared at the letter not sure if he should open it. TK made his decision for him, ripping open the envelope and read out the contents.

"It says 'My house at five, lets keep a promise' what's all that about?"

"Just what it says, I get to keep a promise"

Yamato now had to wait for it to be time to see Kari; this was going to be a long day. By midday Yamato had eaten everything in the house in an effort to stave off thinking about Kari. By one o clock he had walked up and down the front room so often Tai was starting to lose patience, twenty minutes later it ran out.

"Davis, what time is it?"
"Less than two minutes since you last asked"

"Oh, so how long is it now?"
"Stop it! Look I know your excited and everything but it's beyond a joke"

"But Tai, it'll be the last time we're together"
"So what are you so excited about?"

"I…I can't say"

"Then don't, we'll do something to pass the time"

"Like what?"

"We could play computer games, you like doing that"

"Can we play the wrestling game?"

"Yes, if you promise not to ask what the time is again"

"Well me and Davis are going, we hate the wrestling game"
"Hold on, if TK doesn't join in, no deal"

"But, it's stupid, and Yamato sulks if he looses"

"TK, if you want him to keep on asking how long it is until five O clock…"
"…I'm Hulk Hogan!"

Yamato was not sure what to expect when he reached Kari's house. Would her parents be there, of course not if were going to…do it then they're probably going out. Kari let him in, and as predicted her parents had gone out for a meal. If it were me I'd have guessed Kari would do something like this, thank goodness for the fact they didn't.

"Matt, I'm not really sure what we're supposed to do, I've got wine though"

"Yes and I like the candles, their a nice touch"

"I read a lot of romance novels, I always thought my life would turn out like one"

"It will, someday"

"Maybe today, just for a little while our lives can be perfect"

It just happened, one minute we were talking, then we were in each others arms, I was holding her tightly hoping that if I did we would never have to part stupid perhaps, but it seemed to work. At that moment the whole world didn't matter there was just me Yamato Ishida, whose world was about to collapse around him, whose favourite response was '…' and Kari Kamiya, the most wonderful girl, no woman in my life. How it changed from holding her, and kissing her into our two bodies and souls becoming one I can't say, no words could do justice to the feeling of ecstasy as we kept our vow. This was the first time in my whole life I had ever been this close to anyone. As we lay there together we both knew that what ever happened from that moment of total happiness until the day we both died, we would have this one perfect memory. I could not care less when we heard the front door open, but Kari told me to go, the tears in her eyes as we said goodbye were too much for even me, and for the first time Kari made me cry. Leaving her was the hardest thing I could ever have done, every part of me wanted to say 'No' to take her with me and run away. To run from her father, from the uncaring world to a place where we could be together forever. Kari just smiled and told me that whenever I looked up at our star we would be together, and then I left climbing out of the window like a thief.

Yamato hid in the snow watching as everything was packed into the removal van, and then finally Kari and her parents got into their car and sped off into the night. Yamato prayed to whoever might be listening to watch over Kari, and then made his way back home, he never felt the cold, thinking only of Kari and their love, which now seemed like the snow, melting away gone forever. He had told Kari about this metaphor, but she had just said that spring followed, a time of rebirth and new life. I don't want new life, I want Kari back, she was the light of my life and now…Now I'm just in the darkness all alone.

Yamato took a long time walking home, every step he took reminded him of things they had done together, and he took a detour to the convention centre, the place all his dreams had focused on recently. Kari, have I let you down again?

When he got home Tai was watching the TV, although Tai wanted to talk he didn't really feel like it, until he remembered Kari had told him to be there for her brother.

"They've gone then?"
"Yeah"

"I wish I could have said goodbye"

"She knew how much you cared Tai."

"I know, how are you doing"

"I feel numb to honest"

"Do you want to do something"

"No, I'd rather be alone" Might as well get used to it.

Yamato left Tai watching the TV news, apparently the bad driving conditions had caused several fatal road accidents along the main highway. Yamato felt sorry for Kari, the major tailbacks would mean longer in the car, and she had always got carsick. Yamato sat down, he felt the only thing to do was to try and write a song. It was something he always did when upset. He was just getting into it when he heard the phone ringing disrupting his creative flow. Tai will be sat next to it waiting for me to answer it for him

"Tai! Answer the damn phone would you"

Yamato turned his mind back to his song trying to find a good rhyme for the word change, but seemed to be getting nowhere, and decided to get himself a drink.

He saw the phone fall from Tai's hands, and didn't need to see his best friends tears to know that the brightest light he had even know had been extinguished forever.