Chapter Fourteen-point-Two: Childhood's End

Schenburg International School, Vienna, European Union, August 2010 ATB

News.

More news. The same news as five minutes ago, as an hour ago. The same news, scrolling across the screen over and over and over again. The same talking heads, the same scrolling banner, the same videos.

…of Kyushu is confirmed to have fallen to Britannian occupation as of…"

Saji Tsuji was no longer watching the news. He had been for a while, looking for some news of his country, his family. But after a while it had all become a blur, an endless, meaningless mumbling. So he just sat where he was, in the junior students' common room, clutching his phone, waiting for some news.

Any news.

…have not responded to last-minute calls for negotiations. Government sources are…

He brought up his phone; the one his parents had given him for his birthday. He tapped at the screen, and the messages and emails began to update. His heart clenched as the icons danced, waiting, waiting.

Nothing. Still nothing. Just the last message from his sister, hours ago.

"We're going for the ship now. See you soon, Saji-kun."

So he had waited. Waited for hour after hour. Waited for them to contact him, to tell him that they had reached Hong Kong safely. But still nothing.

He slumped in his chair, staring down at his knees, his heart aching with a longing he knew only too well. He had felt that way ever since he had arrived at the school, and spent his first night away from home; his first night with his family more than mere walking distance away. The first time he had learned what homesickness really was.

It wasn't that he disliked the school. It was everything he had dreamed of, everything that brochure had promised. He loved the classes, which were so much more interesting than anything at his old school; at least in the subjects he liked. He loved the facilities, the science labs and engineering workshops best of all. He even liked his room, which was bigger than his room back home, and came with its own vidscreen, phone, and ensuite bathroom. It was the kind of school that he had thought only existed in anime.

Except he was lonely.

Just how lonely had actually surprised him. He hadn't had anyone he could really call a friend back home, not the way other kids seemed to have friends. It was his family that he missed; his mother and father, his sister Kinue. He hadn't realised until then just how much he had taken them for granted, how he had just assumed they would always be there. He never expected how much he would miss his mother's cooking, and her kind words, his father's weary smile, his sister's bossiness. He had never imagined how much it would hurt.

It was his sister who had made him keep going. It was she to whom he had confessed his cold feet, and his desire to back out. It was she, in the end, who had convinced him not to abandon his dream.

"Saji…if you wimp out now, I'll be ashamed of you!"

He knew she hadn't meant to hurt him. He knew she had been at her wits end, trying to convince him not to blow the greatest opportunity he had ever had, or was ever likely to have.

But it hurt.

At least he had been able to call home whenever he wanted. And it wasn't as if he hadn't seen his family at all. He was supposed to be going home for the summer. He'd been looking forward to it, to seeing everyone again, and seeing what had become of his old classmates.

But then he suddenly wasn't. He had gotten an email, saying that his travel plans had been cancelled. He had called home to ask what was happening, why they had stopped him coming home, but there had been no reply.

Didn't they want him to come home? Were they tired of him? Did they not want him for their son any more?

And then he'd finally gotten an email from Kinue. At first he had been glad to hear from her, to learn that his dire imaginings had been false. But then he had read on, and learned why they had all been out of contact.

Britannia had invaded his country. Japan was at war.

No one had said anything. The other students had walked on eggshells around him, always playing it safe, only saying bland, meaningless things. Maybe they were worried about hurting his feelings; as if they could get any more hurt than they were already.

He was alone. He was all alone.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

He barely heard the voice. It wasn't talking to him, that was for sure. Few ever talked to him if they could avoid it. Even the other Japanese kids, all of them Nisei or Sansei born in Europe, paid him little attention. He couldn't shake the feeling they found him an embarrassment.

"Does your tummy hurt?"

Seriously? Had some kids' show come on without him noticing? Nobody was that cliché, not around him anyway. It would be some scene with the boy curled up trying to hide his crying, while some girl tried to get his attention.

"Wanna get married?"

Saji blinked. That, at least, was a new one. Sheer curiosity made him lift his head, and he found himself staring into a pair of big blue eyes.

He let out a yell, and nearly fell off his chair.

"Yay!" proclaimed Louise Halevy, smiling brightly. "Saji's back to normal!"

"L…Louise!" Saji yelled, his funk replaced by utter mortification. "What are you doing? You can't just say something like that!"

"And why not?"

"You…you just can't!"

Louise giggled, and Saji, as always, found that he couldn't speak.

Louise Halevy…was Louise Halevy, the girl who did not make a blind bit of sense. For one thing she was pretty, with her big blue eyes, her long blonde hair, and her round, doll-like face. There had been pretty girls back home, but none had anything to do with Saji Tsuji. The only one who ever did was the class rep, and that was only when she wanted to unload some chore on him.

But Louise didn't just notice him. She wouldn't leave him alone! Ever since that day when she had walked up to him in the cafeteria, and demanded to know why he was sitting by himself. Ever since then she had been dragging him around the place, telling everyone that he was her boyfriend. He had never been so embarrassed in all his life.

But for all that…he didn't completely hate it. If she would just calm down a bit!

"Anyway, Saji!" Louise put her hands on her hips and leant forward to berate him; the way the class rep used to. "You've been sitting here for hours staring at the vidscreen! You haven't even had any lunch! We have afternoon classes, you know!"

He had completely forgotten. Normally he spent his free periods studying, or working on his semester project. But he'd been so busy worrying that he'd let the whole morning slip away.

"Seriously, what's wrong?" demanded Louise. "You're making everyone worry."

Saji was taken aback. Worried? About him? Impossible!

"I…it's my family."

Louise faltered, her countenance softening a little.

"Are they okay?"

"Uh…yeah, I think so. They said they're getting a ship to Hong Kong, then they'll get a flight here."

"Great!" Louise beamed. "Are they okay for money? I can ask my parents!"

"Oh, oh no, it's fine!" pleaded Saji, feeling his cheeks heat up. He couldn't possibly ask her for something like that. What would his parents say?

"So then, cheer up!" insisted Louise. "It's gonna be fine! Your family's gonna come and live with you here, so you won't be lonely any more!"

Saji opened his mouth to object, to insist that he wasn't lonely, that she was jumping to conclusions. But that would be a lie. And he didn't like lying to Louise. It didn't seem right somehow.

"So, come and get some lunch!" commanded Louise. "We need to talk about…!"

The PA tannoy crackled, drowning out her words.

"Saji Tsuji. Please come to the Dean's office. Saji Tsuji, please come to the Dean's office."

Louise's smile faltered. Saji paused, wondering what it could mean.

"I'd better go." He stood up, and headed for the door. As he reached the threshold he paused, and glanced back at Louise. Her smile was back in place, but for a moment, just a moment, he thought he saw something else.

Was she worried?

"Louise."

"Saji?"

"Thank you."

"Saji, where are you?"

Louise was getting worried. She had last seen Saji at lunchtime, when he had answered the summons to the Dean's office. She had expected him to be back fairly soon, and they would have lunch together before their afternoon classes.

But he hadn't come back. He hadn't come to his afternoon classes, and he hadn't come to dinner that evening. She had started asking around, but no one had seen him anywhere. What was going on?

She felt sad for Saji; more so than she had felt for anyone else ever before. He had always seemed so lonely, even before all this had happened. But now his country was being destroyed, and he was worried about his family.

But of course, it would all work out in the end. Her parents had insisted that it would. Saji's family had gotten on a ship, and sailed to safety in Hong Kong. After that they would come to Vienna, and Saji could see them whenever he wanted. Everything was going to be fine, and everything would get back to normal.

She looked forward to that. She liked spending time with Saji; even if it meant having to be assertive with him sometimes. He was clearly the type that needed a helping hand in becoming more sociable, and learning how to enjoy life. If it wasn't for her, he'd spend all his spare time in his room, or the library, and end up a total dweeb.

A strange sound drew her from her thoughts. It was coming from the common room.

The common room was almost full, with her fellow students packed in, staring at the vidscreen mounted on the wall. Standing in the doorway, she turned her eyes to the screen. It was some vaguely important-looking man in a suit standing at a podium, with loads of journalists gathered in the foreground. The podium had the EU's emblem of a double-eagle in a ring of stars emblazoned across it.

"…confirm that at 19:00 hours this evening, the Central Hemicycle voted to issue a final demand to the Empire of Britannia, requiring their immediate withdrawal of all military forces from the territory of the state of Japan, and the Russian Federation."

A final demand. Did that mean…?

"The Central Hemicycle has furthermore enacted that, if a satisfactory response to this demand is not received by midnight tonight, the European Union will declare war upon the Empire of Britannia. It is the common hope and wish of the Central Hemicycle, and the Council of Fifty, and the Presidency, that this final sanction will not prove necessary."

Louise's heart skipped a beat. War? The EU was going to declare war on the Britannians?

There hadn't been a war in Europe since the Russians had invaded, back in 1984. She hadn't even been born back then, and her parents had been kids themselves. But she had learned about it in school, and it didn't sound much fun; at least not for those who got their countries trashed.

But if Britannia was already fighting Japan and Russia, and causing trouble in Africa, and the EU got involved…

"This is great!"

All present turned, and looked at her as if she was wearing her underwear on her head. But Louise didn't care.

"Britannia can't fight everybody!" she went on, exuberant. "We'll beat them, and Japan will be okay! I have to tell Saji! Has anyone seen him?"

"I think he's in the gardens," someone cut in. Louise bounded past and out into the gardens, ignoring what might have been a warning or objection. She had to find Saji! She had to tell him the news! Everything was going to be all right after all! His family were safe, and Japan was going to be saved too! So where was he?

She walked through the gardens, looking left and right, trying to catch a glimpse of him. In the distance she could hear the sound of singing, probably from crowds in the Heldenplatz. She paused a moment, and could make out the song.

Stars of gold our hearts inspire

Help us see and understand

Peace is all the world's desire

To the peoples give your hand

If as one we stand united

We'll defeat the people's foe

Let our paths by peace be lighted

That our stars may evermore

On Europa shine

On Europa shine

She grinned. Ordinarily she found anthem singing a bit embarrassing, but if she had been down there with the rest of them, she would probably have joined in. Europa was going to save Japan, and the whole world!

She continued looking, wandering further and further into the gardens, until something caught her eye. It was a faint glow, reflecting off the water of the ornamental stream that snaked through the gardens.

Hopeful, Louise drew closer. The stream and path were lined with solar-powered lamps, but that was not the only source of light.

Her heart rose as she saw the little lights, dancing in the air over the stream, and the wisteria bushes all around. She looked around, hoping, knowing.

And there was Saji, seated on a bench nearby, staring down towards the water. Of course! Of course he would come to see the fireflies! His people loved them so, and they would hibernate soon as the summer passed.

"Saji!" Louise called out to him, stepping closer. "Saji, wonderful news!"

Then she faltered, as she saw his face. It was utterly empty, utterly bereft. As she drew closer, she saw the light reflecting off his face, tiny silver streaks illuminating his cheeks.

"Saji?"

Her heart sank, her exuberance drifting away as suddenly as it had come.

"Saji?" She sat down on the bench beside him, hoping and praying that it wasn't what she feared it was.

"They're gone…" he whispered, his voice hoarse. "The ship…"

"Saji…"

"It sank. They sank it. They're gone."

And her joy was gone. And her hope, and her pride. All of it hollow, all as insubstantial as smoke on the wind.

"But why?" The question came out as a plea, a cry for meaning in a world gone utterly wrong. "Why did they do it?"

"I don't know!" wailed Saji. "I don't know!"

His cry cut through Louise to her very soul, a rebuke to the joy and hope she had felt a moment earlier. This wasn't going to be some wonderful adventure, not some story with everything turning out well in the end. Even if Britannia lost the war, and Japan was liberated, for Saji things would never be the same again.

In that moment, she felt utterly unworthy. What had she been doing for all this time? Her idea of a bad day was her hair refusing to cooperate. But Saji had lost his entire family! What sort of person was she by comparison? What had she ever suffered to compare?

"Saji…" She felt tears welling in her eyes, a lump rising in her throat. "I'm…I'm so sorry."

How hollow. How cheap. How meaningless. So much for Louise Halevy, who could offer him only platitudes.

"Louise…"

Saji turned to face her. For a moment Louise feared a rebuke, a condemnation. But there was a terrible longing in his eyes, a longing that stilled her breath, and clenched her heart.

"Please…"

"Saji?"

"Please…don't leave me…"

Louise threw her arms around his shoulders and pulled him to her. Saji buried his face in her shoulder, and wrapped his arms around her back. As the tears ran down her face, and she sniffed with every breath, she could hear him crying softly.

All around them the fireflies drifted, and glowed, and died.

(X)

Just a short one here, to establish this pair, and the beginning of the war. There'll be another one up soon, covering Alexander's graduation, and his rivalry with Michael Trinity.