Author's Note:
Thank you for continuing to keep your reviews coming, Streamer255. I too have wondered why no-one else is saying anything. The traffic stats show that you aren't the only reader out there. I'd love to hear something (even something brief) from the rest of you. Your words are the fuel that keeps me going.

Blue Drop: Angel's Partner: Chapter 11

In the Fields


One day, Mari is out walking in the fields dotted with bush clover near school, and as always, Hagino is with her in the form of a tern: this time sitting on her shoulder. She stands closer than usual, leaning against Mari's neck and resting her head against Mari's cheek. No words are needed, but the two take great pleasure and comfort from the closeness.

Mari reaches up and strokes Hagino's back in a loving caress, and a couple feathers come loose and stick to her hand. Mari stops and just stares at her hand holding the two feathers. ``Hagino,'' she asks, ``are you all right? You've seemed tired the past few days, and now this.'' She holds up the feathers.

``I'm fine,'' replies Hagino.

Mari senses some reluctance on her part, so she pushes. ``Come on Hagino, tell me the truth. Are you all right?''

Hagino prepares to lie again, wanting to save Mari from any hurt as long and as much as possible. She then looks over at her and senses as much as sees Mari's deep love and concern for her. She realizes that she can't lie to Mari—both because of their telepathy, and more importantly because she truly does not want to: lying will just end up hurting Mari again. ``I'm sorry,'' she continues, ``I didn't want you to worry. But yes, I'm not all right.''

``Oh, Hagino!'' Mari sits down and brings Hagino down to sit on her hands in her lap. This way they can look at each other, and still have the closeness of shared contact. ``What's wrong?''

``Mari,'' Hagino beings to explain, putting all her love into that name, ``I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you or make you worry.''

``What could hurt more than seeing you sick like this?''

Hagino pauses to collect her thoughts, then launches into an explanation. ``You know this body isn't exactly a normal tern, right? It's closer to one of the surveillance remotes we used.'' Mari nods, and Hagino continues speaking mind-to-mind. [[ The problem is that those depended on a regular recharging from Blue's engines, and obviously that hasn't happened. So, I'm running out of energy. I'm sorry. I don't know how much longer this body can last—how much longer I can stay. ]]

``No!'' cries Mari. ``Don't leave me! Please, I never want to be parted from you again.''

[[ Mari-san, ]] Hagino replies, [[ I can't stay like this much longer. There may be another chance, but I don't know if it can happen, and I don't know if it might hurt you. I also don't want to give you false hope or step into your head uninvited. ]] She looks down. [[ I never ever want to hurt you. ]]

Mari sees what Hagino is thinking, and responds, ``You are never uninvited, anywhere with me. Please, stay with me, even if I can only hear your thoughts. Please! I never want to be parted from you again, that's to painful. I don't want to live without you.'' She lifts Hagino up to look her in the eye. ``Please.''

Hagino feels the sincerity of Mari's wish and agrees. [[ But first, ]] she lifts her right wing and with her beak plucks out two primaries, then turns and holds them out to Mari. [[ In case this doesn't work, please keep these in memory of a flawed Arume who loved you very, very much. ]]

Mari's hand shakes as she moves to take the feathers, and tears blur her vision. Her throat is too tight to speak, but thankfully in her mind she can say, [[ Hagino, I love you too. Oh Hagino, Ekaril, my love. Please, stay with me. ]] She bows her head and places a tender kiss on her feathered head, then just holds the tern close as her tears cover her cheeks and its feathers.

They stay like this for a bit, then Mari feels the tern's rapid heartbeat weaken and finally stop. Pulling her head away, she looks down to see the bird lying, lifeless, in her hands.

``Hagino!'' she screams in anguish. ``No! Don't leave me!''

Mari collapses forward, as though her scream took all of the strength from her body too. She lies there, as still as the tern in her hands, the breeze ruffling her hair giving the only life to the whole scene.

.

[[ Mari-san? ]] comes a reply in her mind.

[[ Hagino? ]] asks Mari, hopeful but unsure. [[ Did it work? Are you still with me? ]]

[[ So it seems, ]] replies Hagino. [[ I'm so glad to still be with you. But first, set down my old body. ]]

``No!'' replies Mari, clutching it tighter.

[[ Put it down now, ]] orders Hagino, [[ before the self-destruct activates. Now! ]]

Reluctantly and tenderly, Mari places the tern's body on the ground in front of her. No sooner has she pulled back her hands than it vanishes in a flash of flame, leaving only a wisp of smoke behind, along with the two feathers Hagino gave her.

``Hagino?'' a shaken Mari asks, ``are you still here?''

[[ Yes, my dear. I'm still here, and I will never leave you again. I hope never again to put you through anguish like this. ]]

[[ Oh, Hagino, ]] cries Mari, clutching the two feathers to her heart. [[ You are still with me! ]] Though her eyes are still full of tears, the corners of her mouth curve up and an expression of joy shines through the pain on her face.

Hagino's laugh of shared joy echoes through her head. [[ I wanted to be able to always stay by your side, but I didn't expect it to be inside. ]] She sobers a bit and continues, [[ I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll be able to do much here to protect you anymore. ]]

[[ But Hagino, ]] contradicts Mari, [[ you still protect me from loneliness, and you've saved me from having to live without you. ]]

Hagino understands, and is touched that Mari sees it this way. The feelings of gratitude and love that she return bring a deep blush to Mari's face and smile to her eyes.

ooo OOO ooo

Mari returns to the dorm that evening with the two feathers in her hand and an enigmatic smile on her face.

``Mari, did something happen?'' asks a concerned Tsubael who is the first to see her.

``Yes,'' Mari answers. ``It's... a bit complicated, and... I don't really understand it all myself.'' She gestured toward the dorm. ``Let's go somewhere we can talk quietly.''

As they enter the dorm, Mari asks, ``Do you think Micchi's in your room? I should tell her too.''

Tsubael leads Mari down the hall to their shared room where they do find Micchi. The three sit down on the floor, unconsciously taking the same positions they had that first night when Tsubael came to the dorm.

``Mari?'' asks Micchi, who also notices her odd demeanor.

Mari nods and takes a deep breath. ``Micchi, Tsubael, I... I... I don't know what to say about this... or even how to describe what happened.''

Her friends look on, concerned and wanting to help, but not knowing how. ``We're here for you,'' says Tsubael as they each take one of her hands.

With much stuttering, many pauses, and a sob or two, Mari tells them of her experience in the field with Hagino. She is only able to make it through the story with their support and Hagino's comforting presence. Some of Mari's pauses are for her to talk with Hagino. They hope that eventually Mari won't have to relay like this, as Hagino is already learning to pick up some of what Mari perceives.

``That's amazing,'' says Micchi after Mari finishes her story. ``I'm sorry to see Senkouji-san go like this, but I'm really glad she's still with you.''

``Yes, I'm so glad,'' adds Tsubael. ``If only she could have stayed here in her own body...'' She stops and shakes her head. ``What's important, though, is that she can stay together with you.''


Author's Note:
I was sorely tempted to end this chapter right after: ``She lies there, as still as the tern in her hands, the breeze ruffling her hair giving the only life to the whole scene.'' But I felt that might be a bit too cruel. Plus, that's not the rest of the chapter just kept coming. So if it wouldn't leave me alone, then I figured I'd let you in on it. But then maybe I should have just kept you hanging there.