Epilogue - Out of the Blue
An annoyed grunt sounded at the news his subordinate had given him. With the flick of his wrist, the flip phone was closed, the only lights remaining being the ambient of the city lights beyond the low balcony wall. Sighing at the lack of adequate subordinates as of late, he took another sip of his fine white zinfandel, the city lights shining off long silvery tresses. "Looks as though I will need to take matters into my own hands. Sabine?"
"Yes sir?"
"Get in touch with Kalium and the twins. Kaname Chidori will not be gone from us for long."
"Understood sir."
Low beeping filled the quiet room as Kaname began to slowly come awake. Trying to turn on her side to keep sleeping for a while longer, pain shot through her shoulder as soon as she had put her weight on it, both annoying her, as well as making sure she was indeed awake. Blinking slowly against the slight glare from the morning sun, she sat up slowly, gripping her shoulder as her gaze settled on the person sitting in a chair across the room from her. Trying to sit up, Kaname whimpered when the pain shot through her again, giving away to the other occupant that she was up. "So, have you woken up?"
"Ugh,...I-I guess so. What happened?" The other woman came over and helped her to sit up, offering Kaname a glass of water when she had finally made it. Glancing down at her bandaged shoulder, Kaname looked at it in confusion, until the last of the sleep wore off, her memories coming back to her. Sousuke had shot her there. He had done it so that the bullet would go through her and kill Gauron. Another aching wave hit her when her shoulders began shaking, unable to hold back the tears from the memory of what he had looked like the last time she saw him.
"Ms. Chidori? Do you remember everything now?" Oh how she wished she didn't. He had looked tired and desperate, his hair falling wildly about his shoulders and his clothes ripped and torn. And the blood. There was so much blood, it was everywhere. His arm had been covered in it, and she was almost certain it was broken in a few places. A crimson black patch had begun spreading on his abdomen, seeping through his clothes as he fell to the floor. It had flowed through her fingers, and from her shoulder as it dripped down her arm, gathering in a sick puddle on the floor and smearing on her knees. And it had covered his hand as she held onto it with the last of her strength, before everything had gone black.
Her eyes stung with tears, just as they had then. Kaname felt her head lower as the tears spilled from her eyes. Raising a careful hand, she placed it lightly over her bandaged shoulder, squeezing it despite the emanating pain. "Why? Why did I have to wake up? I don't want to."
"I know it's hard, but-"
"What the hell would you know about what I just went through!" Kaname wanted to go on, but her throat clenched, visions passing by her mind's eye and reminding her of just how much she had lost. Rationally Kaname knew she had no right to yell at this woman, but her heart wouldn't listen to her head just then. He had given his life for her, and she was never going to see him ever again. Who wouldn't be devastated by something like that?
"Chidori, I need you to listen to me a minute alright? I don't have much time." Glancing over at the woman, a sarcastic snort came out as she cleared her throat enough to speak.
"No offense, but you're a nurse. You don't have to go far for anything here."
"Normally you'd be right. Except, I'm not a nurse." Kaname stopped at that, turning to look at her fully. She wore the uniform, but when she really looked at her, she could tell the woman was not lying. The calluses on her hands were not of someone who was normally found in a medical profession, and something in those violet eyes told her that she had seen far more than other women her age.
"Who...who are you?"
"I'm one of the soldiers who helped Sousuke Sagara to rescue you that night. Both myself and my subordinate were searching the stadium while he fought, and we called for help the moment we found you both in the hallway."
"So...then, where am I?"
" You've been in the Sengawa General Hospital for the last seven days. Welcome home." The woman stood and pulled back the semi-transparent curtains, the view of the Tokyo skyline greeting her. Looking between the woman and the window, Kaname had so many questions, but she wasn't sure if she would get any answers, so she settled for the easiest and most obvious.
"...How? How did any of this...?"
"As I told you, I was one of the soldiers looking for you Ms. Chidori. We were contacted first by Mr. Kalinin, then later by Sagara, who asked us for help in getting you home safe. Now, I can't say too much, but I have been given clearance to tell you at least a little more." Kaname sat and listened as Melissa explained everything. How they were supposed to have been there to prevent her from being abducted that day, and that they felt that they should have found her sooner. As Melissa went on, Kaname began to feel frustrated again. She couldn't change the past, but there were pieces of it that she wouldn't have traded for the world, and now, a good portion of those had only been able to happen because she had been taken. Another flash of his face went by her mind, and Kaname had to force the tears back at the memory.
A short time later, Melissa announced that it was time for her to leave. Melissa had moved across the room as she spoke, relaying that if Kaname found herself in danger again, that she would be back to help. Barely taking hold of the doorknob, Melissa halted when Kaname called out to her. "Wait!"
"Hm, yes?"
"Uh...um, I...is he...do you know if...?"
"I'm really not sure. When help came, it seemed that Mr. Kalinin had brought Mr. Majid with him. I really couldn't say if he is alive or not." Melissa had to resist the urge to hug the girl, her face looking more depressed and dejected at the prospect of not having any sort of closure about the young man she had loved for a short time. Regretfully, Melissa couldn't stay longer to help the girl, and left after quietly telling her goodbye.
Alone again, Kaname reached over to take her glass of water when she noticed the small table next to her bed. Laying in the very center of the small table was the piece of lapis he had given her, still shining brightly as it had the first time he had set the small stone in her hand. Holding onto it tightly, Kaname felt the tears returning, and though it still hurt, she vowed she would force herself to press on. The woman he had met was too strong to be broken by the heartless scientists that had taken her, the least she could do was push forward, and live the life he'd given everything to give back to her.
Three months later...
The moment Majid had opened the door to the small hospital room, he had felt great need to roll his eyes. The young man he'd taken in, taught everything he knew, and who had almost died twice on the medic's table three months earlier, was trying to do pull-ups using the ceiling mounted privacy curtain. Withholding his urge to toss the boy out the window, since he obviously wanted to kill himself, Majid sighed and crossed the room, taking a seat in the metal chair in the corner. "Kashim, you woke up only three days ago. The doctor said you needed rest."
"The doctor *grunt* doesn't know *grunt* my body like I do. I can *grunt* feel myself getting weaker. That, *grunt* is unacceptable." As if on cue, Majid's point was driven home when he twisted too sharply, and caused a sharp pain to shoot through his abdomen. The pain caused him to temporarily lose his grip, harshly reuniting him with the cold tile floor and knocking the air out of him and landing on his left arm, the muscles still badly bruised, even though the bone had healed while he had been asleep . "GYAH! Shit..."
"Will you listen to the doctor's orders now Kashim? Or would you prefer to continue in your attempts to kill yourself?" Managing to hold back only half of the smirk he was entitled to, Majid sat quietly while Kashim carefully picked himself back up and sat back onto the bed. Still looking annoyed, Majid waited patiently for the young man to quit his brooding.
"I'm not trying to kill myself."
"Then what would you call it?"
"I was unconscious for three months, I need to get my body back into the shape it once was if I am to be useful."
"Useful to whom, exactly?"
" A soldier who cannot fight is just another body waiting to die."
"Do you honestly still believe that?" The silence that filled the room at that was almost a tangible thing between them, and though it wasn't uncomfortable, it was certain that the air around him wasn't as it used to be. Resettling in his chair, Majid coughed to get the young man's attention. "Kashim, I must admit, I did not come here just to see how you were feeling."
"Am I needed sir?"
"Possibly." It was then that a knock came to his door frame, and he felt his eyes widen at the next person to visit him.
" It's nice to see you again, Kashim. Or, should I be calling you something else these days?" Still a bit surprised that he had come back, he accidentally moved his bad arm to salute him too quickly, the muscles reacting painfully with the sudden movement. He'd obviously been pushing himself too hard again, and refused the fact that he needed rest to recover instead of training. Chuckling at the young man's expression, Andre stood quietly and waited for him to recover. "I take it your arm is still in quite a bit of pain from the incident?"
"Now what would give you such an absurd idea, sir?"
"Seems you've developed a bit of an attitude since last I saw you as well."
"Is that a problem?"
"I never said it was." Simply sitting within each other's company for a moment, Andre waited patiently for him to notice the manila folder he had brought with him. When finally he saw his eyes drop down to it, Andre brought it up to offer it to Kashim. "This is all the paperwork necessary to come with me, if you wish of course. All you have to do is sign them, I should be able to take care of the rest."
He stared at the folder, not really sure what he should be thinking about at a time like this. Leaving had never been something he had ever considered, and yet, all he had to do was sign a few papers, and then he would disappear. It wasn't as if he would especially miss this place, being a nomad for so long had given him no real grasp of the idea of a permanent dwelling anyway, but still, recent times and events had given him a new perspective on a few things he had never bothered to think on before. "I...I-I don't know..."
"If this is what you want, the offer will not expire. I now know for a fact that the machine you used is picky at the best of times, and the A.I. seemed to have taken a shine to you. The damned thing refuses to work for anyone else after you. Either way, you are welcome, if this is something you truly wish for." Kashim watched as Andre retreated out of his room, glancing back down at the folder that now lay across his leg. So many things were passing through his mind, it was difficult to make sense of any of it. Catching the action when Majid stood and went toward his door, Kashim watched as he stopped a moment, curious about what he would say.
"Sir?"
"Do not play me a fool Kashim. I may be old, but I don't need eyes to see that your heart has not been your own for a long time now. You mind can tell you every reason why you should stay, but only your heart knows the truth."
Now alone with his thoughts, he stared down at the papers in his lap. These papers meant an entirely new life, and steady pay for what he had been doing for years now. It was strange though, how for the last nine years he had never even considered a different way of life, and now, so many options seemed to come out of literally nowhere. Turning to look out the window, the brilliance of the sky had his heart clenching, the memory of sitting on the top of a cold snowy mountain with a beautiful young woman settling in the forefront of his thoughts.
Majid was right. Even though he could stay, he just didn't want to. After so many years, Sousuke wanted something different than wandering the vast terrains. He wanted something new, different challenges with a different place, and as much as a part of him argued, he wasn't going to find that staying in this country. His mind made up, Sousuke threw off the sheets and grabbed his shirts and boots, making sure to remember the folder he had been given before running out the door.
Andre had just set foot on the chopper when he heard the roof access door slam open, the metal door creating a loud commotion that not even the motor of the aircraft could drown out. As soon as his mind registered what it was he was looking at, a grin spread on his face. Catching his breath from sprinting up the stairwell, Sousuke leaned on the doorframe a moment, the papers he had been given grasped tightly in his hand and a lopsided yet determined smile on his face. "And here I thought you might need more time to decide."
"No decision was needed, I don't belong here anymore. And besides, I've got someone waiting for me out there."
Late one October evening...
The small room was quiet beneath the slight hum of the fluorescent lights. Still staring at the reflection in the mirror, a quick gesture brought the knife in his hand to stand on the sink's edge, his other hand undoing the tie that held back the long hair that fell down his back. Finally making a decision, he carefully took a chunk of the long, unruly locks and brought the knife up, slicing through it easily. The strands falling helplessly to the floor, he took another chunk of hair and repeated the process. For almost ten minutes this action repeated itself, the chosen strands becoming shorter as he went, until it was finally a length he was satisfied with.
Turning his head this way and that to see it at different angles, he had to admit he had done fairly well. It was far shorter than it had been in a long time, but it felt good to be able to feel the air on the back of his neck again. Heavy strands still fell haphazardly over his eyes, but he could still see, and with his current line of work, that was all that really mattered. Hearing a knock at his door, he called for whoever it was to enter, leaning over his sink and running water through his now shortened locks and taking out the shavings that still clung to the rest. "Have I caught you at a bad time? You look busy."
Recognizing the voice, he continued rinsing his hair until he felt he had it good enough. Taking up the towel he'd hung next to the mirror on his wall, he placed it over his head and began rubbing out the water. "No sir. Just...making a change."
Andre's eyes widened when the young man took the towel off of his head, surprised at the drastic change to the appearance he'd had for almost ten years. Glancing behind him to see a few of the long strands still on the floor, he smiled, folding his arms and leaning up against the door frame. "You'll remember to clean those up?"
"Affirmative. I was going to take care of it before retiring for the night."
"Good to hear. It looks good by the way. You did well." Watching as he took a small section win his fingertips, Andre chuckled as he just let it go and shrugged, blowing at it before allowing it to fall back into his face.
"Was there something you needed sir?"
"Actually there is. I just received these orders from the Captain, and she asked me to find someone suitable for a new job. Think you're up to it?"
Brushing off the towel and putting it back up on the small wrack, he shrugged again before reaching for the small broom and dustpan he had stored in the corner, sweeping up the long discarded tresses. "If that is what's required of me, then I'll do it. I don't see why you would feel the need to ask when all you would have to do is give me the order."
"Well, I just wanted to give you the option of turning it down if you wished. There are a few others I could offer this to, but I came to you first."
"What is it?"
"Undercover bodyguard, for a very important person." A frown coming to his face, memories of the last time he had guarded anyone played in front of him. Finding her in that darkened electronic prison, learning about her, falling for her...he'd missed her so much over the past months. No, he still wasn't ready for a personal guard mission. It was strange to think, but it almost felt that by taking such missions, that he would be betraying her somehow. She may even be happy with someone else now, but there would be no one else for him. No one could ever be her.
"My apologies sir, but you should probably ask someone else."
"Is that so? Even if I told you that you would be guarding her?" The inflection in his voice had him stop mid-sweep. Turning slowly, he met the older man's face, searching for any sign that he was possibly playing a cruel joke. It wasn't in his nature to do something quite that cruel to a comrade, but people were never creatures set in stone. He waited a full minute for any sign that he wasn't telling him what he thought he might be telling him. When no chuckle or any other indication came, he felt his heart jump into his throat.
"Y-You mean...?"
"Yes, I do." Handing over the clipboard, he was shown a small picture of a girl in her school uniform, and printed pages of her recorded information. His eyes went wide at the small photo, not daring to touch it for fear that it might be a hallucination. Her hair was still endless, just as he remembered it, and though she had a smile on her face, it didn't quite reach her eyes. Still, there was no doubt that it was her, and he let out the breath he hadn't known he was holding. "So? Do you accept or should I find someone else?"
Kaname walked slowly down the street, the light rain coming down on her umbrella helping to keep people from noticing the melancholy air around her. Her school bag hanging from her hand, her thoughts wandered as she continued moving forward down the street. Finally turning down her street, she briefly looked down to her shoulder, the scar beneath her clothing being only one of a few things she had to remember him by. Already it had been almost seven months from when she had made it back to her home, but the lingering pain of loss had yet to dissipate, and Kaname now had her doubts that it ever would. True, in the grand scheme of things they had only known each other for a short time, but even still, the time she had spent with him had been special.
Since returning home and school, a few boys had tried asking her out, but she really hadn't been very interested in any of them. They were just boys, and though they were all nice enough, she couldn't find it in herself to go back to that. Somehow now, every other boy just fell short now. It was her own fault for comparing them all to him, but she couldn't help it. None of them could come close to what he had been.
Letting her hand fall back down to her side, Kaname picked up her pace, wanting to get home before the sun dipped any lower. She would carry on, just like she had promised herself she would. It wasn't her way to simply give up whenever loss decided to barge its way back into her life, and she wasn't about to start now. She'd survived her mother's passing, and her father and sister leaving her, so she could get through this too. Like the others, she wasn't expecting it to ever stop hurting, but the pain would dull enough in time. Resolving herself to fight the pain of being alone again, Kaname turned into her complex and decided to take the stairs. Proud of herself for not bending to the will of the Fates once again, she took the stairs two at a time, only slowing once she reached the last few steps to her floor.
Taking the last few steps slowly, she caught her breathe as she dug through her bag for her keys, her folded umbrella dampening the side of her uniform as she held it close to her. Halfway to her door, Kaname lifted her head a moment, catching sight of a figure near where her front door would be. From a distance, she couldn't make out a face, but it looked to be a boy in her school's uniform. 'Probably another guy trying to ask me out,' sighing as soon as the dreaded thought occurred to her, Kaname would just ignore him and make sure the door was locked behind her. "Excuse me, you're blocking my door."
"I am aware of this."
"Look, I'm sorry but I'm not interested, so just get lost or I'll call the building manager."
"I understand."
"Then just freaking move! I'm tired and I'm trying to go home you jerk! What class are you in anyway? I've never even seen you before!" Her anger was only fuelled when she heard him chuckle at her frustration, the hand holding her bag squeezing the handle so tightly that it was shaking. "You...you...freaking asshole! Just get the hell out of my way!"
The darker shadows that had concealed the boy from the shoulders up were drawn back as he leaned in toward her face, her own eyes going wide as steel grey stared down at her with a cocky grin, his words coming out slowly as shivers ran up her spine. "Make me."
Her things fell from her hands as the limbs went limp, hardly able to believe the sight that was in front of her. How it was possible she couldn't say, but the moment her gaze fell on the scar on the left side of his jaw, there was no mistake. Though the wild strands had been cut far shorter, they still shadowed over his eyes and fell into his face. There were no words, all she could do was stare back and pray that this was not just another dream. Still a bit unsure, she surprised him when she reached out and pinched hard at his arm. "Ah! Kaname that hurt."
"So...it's...you're really here? I-I'm not dreaming again?" Realization for why she had pinched him came through, and he smiled down at her, her expression still hoping it was real but holding herself back in case it truly was just another dream. Closing the distance between them, he quickly moved to take hold of her shoulders, holding her in place as he pressed a firm kiss to her lips. In the moment that she felt his lips on hers, she knew it was real. The warmth of his hands on her shoulders, and the feeling of pure confidence as he kissed her, Kaname felt her knees weaken.
Quickly wrapping her arms around his neck, he moved his own from her shoulders to wrap tightly around her waist. Finally, after waiting so long for an answer, Kaname felt overwhelming relief flow through her in the knowledge that he was alive. Living for so long, not knowing one way or the other, each day had been torture. But now, she could see him, feel him against her, kiss him...
Breaking the kiss just far enough to still feel his lips against her own, she opened her eyes just enough to stare back in his, the same burning need reflected in darkened silver. The rain still coming down, she spoke just loud enough for him to hear her, hopeful but still afraid of what his answer might be. "How long are you here?"
"My base of operations is in the building across from yours; as of today I am to be your immediate protection from anyone who tries to take you as they did before. And as of tomorrow, I am the newest transfer student for your-" He was halted immediately when Kaname lifted herself to kiss him again, already receiving more than enough information to make her happy for the moment.
"You talk too much."
"You may be the first to ever think that." A small grin came to his face as his back softly hit the wall next to her door, his head dipping down to capture her lips once more. "You know, I never answered you before."
"Answered me?" Confused at his words, Kaname backed up slightly, only to meet smoldering grey eyes that bore into her own. Shifting so that he gently held her face in his hands, he made sure she was able to continue looking directly into his eyes. Waiting a moment for the pounding in their blood to calm, he rested his forehead against hers, finally allowing himself to truly feel what she had stirred within his heart so many months ago. "Sousuke?"
"I love you too..."
~The End~
Well, there you have it, and I hope it's an ending everyone enjoyed, cause that would be all I could ask for. Thanks to everyone who stuck with me through this story's ups and downs, I hope it was worth the wait. I'm gonna take a short break, but I'll be back soon with another story as soon as I'm able. Thanks again and see you all soon!