Heaven's Land-Two
"Feuds will be forgotten.
And peace will spread the land.
The angel will find a loved one,
And hold out its shiv'ring hand."
-Still part of Takeru's poem
It had been nearly a half-hour with the two discussing different things. Hikari brought the subject of music, dance, and arts into their chat. Takeru talked about adventures, plays, and the latest ship called La Princesse.
"Have you ever been aboard such a ship?" she questioned.
"Of course. Twice in fact." He answered with a sly little shrug.
"Wow, really? What were you assigned to do?"
"Assigned? Ha! I was asked to come on the ship by the captain himself."
Hikari brought her hands to her heart and her eyes became glossy. "How glorious. What was the captain's name?"
"Eh," Takeru blinked. His lies nearly got the best of him; "The crewmen and I just called him Captain. He didn't like to be called anything else."
"Oh," she nodded. "How was the ship?"
"It was magnificent. There were beautiful paintings of other lands, people, and sunsets all up on the walls. Several red carpets were laid out to give you the way to the important people on the ship. The beds were the most comfortable and the dinner was enough to send you to heaven."
"Oh! That sounds so wonderful." Hikari smiled brightly, "Promise me that you'll take me on it someday? Please, Takeru? Please?"
He looked at her eyes and gave a swift nod. "I'll get you onto that ship. I promise."
More topics of how life came to be or why carrots were orange flowed into their talk. They pondered on how the game of cards became so popular when so many people can lose. And then they came across the sky.
"Why is the sky blue, Hikari?"
"Because the sky steals from the ocean."
"What?" Takeru raised an eyebrow.
"It's a fairytale that my brother used to tell me." She said simply, "There's an Ocean Goddess and a Sky God. They used to be friends, best friends at that, but then they began to quarrel over who was better and wiser than the other."
"The sky won?"
"Not exactly. You see, the Goddess tricked him into thinking that his plain sky wasn't worth anything without her secret touch."
"Why that bi-"
"And when he discovered her trick, he stole the blueness of her waters and held it in his own kingdom. So he stole the blue out of the water to turn his colorless skies blue."
"That's kind of mean." Takeru leaned against the wall. He looked out at the darkened sky. "Besides, it doesn't describe why the sky turns black at night."
"Well then," she said, "what's your excuse?"
Takeru thought for a moment then said, "The sky is blue because it couldn't be green."
"Strange are you…"
"You are too." He told her a bit harshly and sat down. Looking at Hikari out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that she had become bored from the slight silence already.
"If you could have one wish," he asked, turning his head to look out his chamber window, "what would it be?"
"To get away from this place," Hikari answered. She sat up on the bed and tossed her hair over her shoulders.
He blinked, "Why? This place is wondrous."
"To be forced to be someone I do not want to be is not my idea of ecstasy, Junior Warrior."
"Don't call me that; I have a name."
"See?" she said, "you would not want a life like this."
"But you're you, I'm me."
"That is good to know…"
"Hikari, you're respected. You're like that Goddess… Always able to obtain things with ease. I'm just a stone underneath of you, not able to make a difference in the world."
Hikari pulled her feet onto the bed and crossed her arms over her shins. "What would you wish for?"
Takeru looked up at the shining stars. One twinkled just like his best friend's eyes. Sora… he wondered how she was doing. Was there enough food going around? Was she well? And the kids…
"I would wish to go home." Takeru finally answered.
"Junior Warrior," Daisuke knocked on the door, "your ceremony is to start in uh, ten minutes."
"Thank you, Sir Daisuke," Hikari called.
"You're welcome--Hikari?!" he threw open the door and looked at the girl on the bed with her hair a bit tangled. His eyes focused on Takeru who had a slight smirk on his face. "Did you…" he started.
"No way!" Takeru jumped. Grabbing his battle badge, the blond rushed out of the bedroom.
"Daisuke," sighed Hikari, "you jump to conclusions too easily."
"I-I-I'm just looking out for your well-being!" he claimed while she walked out.
At the ceremony, Takeru stood beside Taichi and Daisuke, unknowingly fiddling with his badge. While Pierre spoke of accomplishments and expectations, the youth thought of different things.
"What am I doing here?" he questioned in his mind, "I have no reason. Hell, I'll be damned to the ends of the world if I don't do what I'm told. And if I do obey, I'm not me anymore. I mean, I'm a person who can outsmart someone. I can barely lift Daisuke's sword for crying out loud!
"Hikari doesn't understand me. Daisuke still hates me from that first impression. Taichi just needs a "Junior Warrior." Sora… She's the only one who befriended me for who I am. These people around me know me as a warrior. Sora knows me as… me. But if I leave… Hikari… Damn it, I want to go home. At least there I could've walked into Sora's garden to smell those beautiful flowers. Damn it, I just made myself homesick. Damn it, Sora said that I cuss too much. Damner. Damn it! That's still a cuss word. Damn it, Sora! I hope you know you're making my life miserable."
"This leads me to present, Sir Takaishi Takeru," Pierre announced, "our Junior Warrior."
Takeru stepped forward with his hands behind his back.
"Well boy," said the leader with is thick accent, "anything to say?"
"N-not really, sir," he answered with his cheeks a bright red.
"How old are you again?"
"Fuh-fifteen."
"Nervous?"
"Very." He nodded. Several of the people in the room let out a laugh. The rest of the ceremony was full of performances and stories.
"All this for the first day?" Takeru whispered to Taichi.
He chuckled and replied, "This land doesn't celebrate for a single warrior. It's my sister's birthday."
"Her… and she didn't tell me?" Takeru blinked, "I need to get her a gift and--"
"You're better off leaving her alone. She doesn't like the attention."
"Does Daisuke know that?" Takeru asked and looked at the fellow hanging off the girl.
"Yeah…" Taichi answered, "but he still tries."
"When's this thing over?"
"In a matter of minutes. Why?"
"Can we take her to the soldier's party?"
"What kind of a question is that!"
"Well," the blond smirked, "maybe she'd like it."
Takeru walked on the path in the garden and towards the sleeping quarters of the soldiers. Behind him was the pretty Hikari. As they made their way to the door, sounds of music, singing, and laughter filled their ears. Throwing open the door, Takeru waved to some people and pulled Hikari in.
"My goodness," she blinked wildly at the people. There in the center of attention were her maid friends, Miyako and Mimi. They danced with two young men with innocent looking faces.
"Mm! Hikari!" Miyako waved. "I want you to meet someone."
Hikari was pulled away from her blond friend and pushed up to a tall blue-eyed boy. "Hello," she nodded.
"Ichijouji," the boy kissed her hand gently, "Ken."
Before she could say anything else, Hikari was swirled around to face an older boy with glasses.
"Kido Jyou," he nodded.
Hikari looked at the so-called soldier. "Are you a fighter?"
"No," he chuckled, "I'm a doctor. I'm here so they don't die."
"Funny sense of humor!" Taichi yelled from across the room.
"Hear that, Hikari?" Mimi beamed, "a doctor."
The three-man band started to play an unfamiliar song to Hikari. It had a fast beat and many of the people around her were starting to dance. She was quickly swept into Takeru's arms and her cheeks immediately turned pink.
"Dance?" he asked.
"I don't know how." Admitted she.
"I'll teach you?"
"Teach me," she smiled. Takeru smiled handsomely back and slipped his hands into hers.
"The first thing you have to remember is never let your partner get the best of you." He said above the noise. Moving his arms into a sturdy hold, he then told her to do the same.
"Never let your partner get the best of you?" Hikari scrunched her nose in confusion.
Miyako leaned over from her dancing partner and added, "Especially when it's with a boy like Takeru! I swear, last night… My feet still hurt from it!"
Hikari looked up at him and laughed. "You sure do know how to make first impressions last."
"That's who I am." He smirked and then swirled her in a circle. When she stopped and caught his eye again, he whispered, "Try to keep up."
In the beats of the music, Takeru instructed her to move which foot and to turn which way. She tripped and fell and bumped into him. Mainly, she did everything he said not to do. It didn't worry him, he kept directing her and by the second cycle of steps, she was dancing just as fast as her partner. The song ended in a swift last note and the two ended with a fierce dip that brought Hikari's heart into her throat.
"That was great," she laughed breathlessly.
"Quick learner."
"Great teacher."
"Thanks, birthday girl," he winked. "You danced majestically."
"Takeru!" Taichi waved him over, "I want you to try a game."
The Junior Warrior slid to the table and sat down. Tens of empty glasses were in the middle and to the sides sat Daisuke and Taichi. He sat down on the stool and Hikari sat behind him.
"I'm challenging you to a contest." Taichi glanced towards the glasses. "Do you accept?"
"I do," Daisuke nodded assertively.
Takeru blinked and replied, "I suppose."
"Right," the older brunette smirked. "Whoever can drink ten glasses-"
"Ten?" Daisuke and Takeru echoed.
"Fine… five. Whoever gets five first," Taichi said, "wins."
"Wins what?" questioned Daisuke.
"I dunno," he answered and poured some of the rich liquor into the mugs. "The losers get punished by the winner."
Takeru stared at the bubbles and his skin tone faded. "I might as well be punished now."
Several seconds later, the mugs were filled and the three guys waited for Miyako to say when to start.
"Ready… set…" Miyako raised her arms, "go you bloody fools! Go!"
Taichi started to gulp down one glass and Daisuke did the same. It was Takeru who stopped the game. Just as he swallowed the disgusting beverage, he spit it out.
"What the hell!" Daisuke glared.
Takeru's cheeks burned. "Sorry. It didn't taste right."
Miyako laughed out loud, "I take it you've never touched alcohol?"
"I can lie, I can joke, but I can't drink."
"Where are you from?"
"Cherbourg."
"Jeez, you'd think a town like that would be full of drunks."
"What's that s'posed to mean!"
"Nothin'. Other than the fact that you're weak."
"I'm not weak!" Takeru raised his voice.
"Prove it!"
"I will!" he grabbed the glass and started to swallow the liquor. Within a few seconds, he finished the glass and slammed it down. Miyako as well as the other started to laugh at the gagging noises he made.
"Oh come on, you guys." Hikari rolled her eyes, "That's one less drunkard roaming the area. Mama would abhor it if she saw Takeru drunk like Father."
"Live life, Sis'." Taichi smirked. "Miyako, count us off again…"
"I warned you after you finished your third drink, Takeru," Hikari said and leaned against a tree.
"God, I know," groaned the boy from the ground. He was on his knees with his head in his hands. "You should've warned me after my sixth, too."
"I did."
"You did?"
"I did."
"Why don't I remember it then?"
"That was the glass that you fainted on."
"Damn, I'll never touch that poison again."
Hikari kneeled down and looked at him. "That's good. Do you promise to that?"
"Yeah, sure. I promise."
"Come now," she pulled on his hand. Stumbling to get up, Takeru set his arm across her shoulders. Together they walked back to Takeru's bedroom. Hikari acted kindly and went to fetch an empty bucket. When she returned, Takeru had only gotten as far as taking one boot off before he had fallen asleep.
"In many ways, he acts twice his age," Hikari whispered and pulled off his other boot, "but in many more, he acts half."
She started to push him to the center of the bed. Just as she got him there, she began to pull the covers out from beneath.
"I wish to never have kids if they would come home like this," she grunted and stopped. Hikari brushed her hair out of her face and slipped off the bed. Walking to the window, she reached to pull the curtain, but the glow of the moon made her stop. After a minute of staring, she then let the curtain drop and she turned to look at Takeru.
His blond hair caught the light from the candle and it cast a slight shadow under his eyes. Hikari wondered how she ever came across such a ruffian.
"Running from trouble?"
"You could say that."
She had forgotten about her feeble attempt to escape the place she called home.
"It really wasn't a problem. I was just on my way 'round town and you bumped into me. No big deal. It was lucky for me I guess."
"Why do you say that?"
"I like meeting new people. Especially when they're gentle and pretty like you."
Hikari bit her bottom lip and whispered, "It must be his eyes."
She went to kiss Takeru goodnight, but she stumbled over the basket that the boy brought with him. The fabrics tumbled out, including the little memorable locket that Takeru had always kept with him. Hikari curiously lifted the little pendant into her fingers and opened it. Instead of seeing her blue-eyed friend's name written in it with his parents' like all other birth necklaces would, she saw a simple name of "Sora" inscribed in the right side.
"Sora?" Hikari closed the necklace and looked up at Takeru. She dropped it onto the clothes, blew out the candle and left the room.
"Hey! Sleepyhead, wake up." Mimi ran into Takeru's room and jumped onto his bed.
"Gah! You bi-"
"Get up already."
Takeru sat up and groaned. "I never get to finish that swear word."
"Breakfast is ready." Mimi giggled and pulled him off of the bed.
"Head! Hurt!"
"Your fault."
"Shut up."
Mimi laughed again and led him to the bathroom. "The bath is ready. The breakfast is ready. So why are you ready?"
With a simple push, Takeru was in the tub. He struggled to get himself out of the water and he stood up. "I could've drowned!" he shrieked.
"Sorry, sweetheart. But breakfast doesn't wait for lazy ones." Mimi grinned and left him alone.
Several minutes blew by and then Takeru stumbled out of his bedroom. He pulled on his boots just as he opened the door to the breakfast table. Everyone who was already there looked up and made him feel … "welcomed."
"Sorry I'm late," Takeru cleared his throat and slipped into his seat. His hair was still wet from the bath.
"Glad of you to join us." Hikari's father said, making him feel even more … "welcomed."
"Yes. What did you do? Take a tour?" Hikari added on. That made him feel … "welcomed."
"I-I said I was sorry." He nervously squeaked.
"Ready for your day's training?" Taichi asked. That was the only remark that morning that made him feel actually welcomed.
"You bet."
"All right," he nodded. "We'll be in the green lands."
"W-w-we?" Takeru repeated. He had never trained with just Taichi before.
Daisuke set his fork down. "Yeah. You, me, and Taichi.
"Oh," the blond said, apparently upset.
"Do you have a problem with that?" Daisuke shoved him in the shoulder.
"No." Takeru shoved back.
"You do," he shoved back, "don't you?"
Takeru returned the push again, "When I say I have a problem, I have a problem. Right now, I don't."
"Liar," Daisuke pushed.
"Shut up," Takeru shoved.
"No!" (Push, push.)
"Yeah!" (Shove, shove.)
"Dammit!" they both yelled and pushed each other out of their chairs. They started to wrestle on the ground, shouting things at each other.
"So," Taichi coughed and looked at his sister, "how was your birthday?"
No matter how hard Hikari told herself to remain upset with Takeru, she ignored Taichi and watched the meaningless fight between the two boys. She laughed at them when they finally stood up and returned to their seats.
"That was a delicious breakfast," Takeru said and fixed his cufflink on his left wrist.
"You didn't even touch it," Mimi replied, pouring fresh milk into his glass.
"Uh, I meant it looks delicious." He saved his statement. "Thank you, Mimi."
"Hikari, dear," her mother spoke, "how was your birthday?"
"It was…" she searched for the word, "great."
"That's nice to hear," Mimi winked and purposely nudged Takeru with the spatula.
"Ouch, hey!" Takeru grumbled.
"Sorry," she said and hit him again as she turned, "I sometimes slip with my grip."
"Ouch!" he rubbed his head. "Yeah, I bet."
Hikari giggled.
"Left, left, right, left, up, left, punch, kick!" Taichi yelled towards Takeru and Daisuke's direction. They were practicing with straw dummies. "Right, down, punch, left… Damn it. Give me a break."
Takeru looked at Daisuke then at Taichi. "Give you a break… yeah. Huh-huh. Funny."
The two younger warriors sat on the ground and against their dummies.
"Why do you hate me so much?" Takeru questioned.
"First impressions tell a lot about a kid."
"Ah." Takeru nodded. "So why do you hate me?"
"Why not?"
"I asked you first. I don't see what's so bad about me. I mean, if I give you a break, you give me one. Right?"
"Nah."
"Is it Hikari?"
"What? Of course not."
"It is Hikari."
"It is not!"
"It is so."
"You don't know anything."
"I know that two and two is four."
"So?"
"There. I know something."
Daisuke rolled his eyes. "Tch. Do you know something useful?"
"Two and two is useful. Say you and me are faced up with two enemies. How many of us are there? Four." Takeru shrugged. "You go wonder off and fight one and I'm left with the other. Now it's two and two again."
"So?"
"Being in a group of two against two is stronger than two groups of one against one and one against one. So if you wonder on back we could beat those two people with ease."
"How do you come up with that?"
Takeru shrugged again, "You know, one sweep-kicks, the other attacks. Badda-bing badda-boom, you've got your enemy."
"You have a weird way of saying, 'It's better to have two in a group.' "
"So?"
Daisuke stood up and kicked at the other's boot. "Let's get something to eat."
"I'm going to get us some fancy food. Just you watch… I'll get us some of that fish crap that all the rich people eat."
"How would you pull that off?" he chuckled.
"Dreaming is the base of doing." Takeru smirked and jumped up.
"Yeah, well, while you're at it… dream me up a steak."
Late that night, Takeru wandered back into the main building and walked through the dimly lit corridors. They seemed strangely damp and chilly despite the warmth outside. Just as he set his hand on his wooden door, a young girl's hand rested on his.
"What are you doing up so late, Hikari?" he turned his head to look at hers. She quickly bowed her head to rest her chin on her shoulder.
"Where were you?" she interrogated.
Takeru pushed open the door and stepped in, "Daisuke and I went to get something to eat then we watched a few things."
"Like?"
"We watched some men work on some cargo wagons and we helped them load the cargo for a while."
"And that would take you until night?"
"Wait, wait, wait. Let me finish," he mumbled and sat on his bed to take his shoes off. "We were going to come back, but the bar opened and-"
"You promised!"
"I didn't touch a drop. Neither did Daisuke. They have those one contests that make you stand up in front of everyone and sing. We thought it'd be fun to watch."
Hikari sat on the edge of his bed. "How do I know you didn't taste any of it?"
"Can you taste it in my breath?"
"How am I to do that?"
"Come here," Takeru smirked and patted the area next to him.
She slid next to him and blinked, "Now what?"
"Now, if I have been drinking the poison, I would have the stench. Do I?" Takeru studied her expression of confusion. "Confused?"
Hikari glanced into those mischievous eyes of his and a slight smile formed from her lips.
"See?" he muttered and touched her nose with his. "I keep some of my unbelievable promises."
"You're right," she said and twisted her finger in his blond hair. "Too bad this promise was one that you didn't keep."
"Geh!" Takeru fell over onto the bed. "I'm sorry, Hikari! It was only one little cup. I'm sorry!"
"How little was this cup?" she queried harshly, "ten glasses?"
"They were giving out samples! Daisuke said it'd be alright!"
"If Daisuke told you it was just fine to jump off a bridge, would you jump?"
"If the rocks aren't too sharp."
Hikari threw her hands up and walked to the door. Her friend immediately slipped off the bed and crawled to her legs. Latching his arms around her shins, Takeru started to beg her not to go.
"Really I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to lie either. I didn't want you to be mad with me. I didn't want you to leave. I didn't mean to, Kari. I didn't mean to." Takeru said in about… five seconds.
She started to giggle. "Be quiet, Takeru. It's okay. I'll stay."
"Really?" he stood up.
"Just prove to me you are not drunk."
"But I'm not."
"It actually seems like you are," she said in a sarcastic tone.
Takeru blinked, "T-tell me what to do."
Hikari directed him to count from one to twenty and then from thirty to fifteen. He passed. Then she told him to walk in a straight line. He passed. Telling him to do a simple cartwheel was just that: simple. He performed like a monkey for ten minutes before he caught onto the girl's sneaky little game.
"You little… little…" Takeru stepped in front of her and shook his finger.
"Little what?" she smiled and wrapped her fist on his finger. He chuckled and fell onto the bed.
"You little… girl."
"That is the best you can do!" she giggled and set her head on his back.
Takeru turned around and lifted her head with his finger. "So… how was your day? I mean, I'm talking to a sixteen year old now."
"Nothing differed from any other day," she said. "Mother still tied the bows too tight. Father was still away for the days. But, something has changed."
"Oh yeah? What?"
"Now everyday instead of wishing I were someplace else… Well, I still wish I was away, but now I do not wish so hard. I have someone to talk to now. Someone who is adventurous and wise. Equal to the world around him."
"Do I know 'im?"
Hikari looked at him and blinked. "You, my friend, have an awkward sense of humor."
"I know," he grinned and folded his arms behind his head, "but it works."
There was a minute or two of just silence before Hikari spoke again, "Who is Sora?"
Takeru's eyes widened. "Sora? She's this girl back home. She and I-"
"A girl back home, huh?"
"Yeah. She and I take care of a bunch of kids."
"Kids?"
"Some of them are still around three."
"Three! Oh, Takeru-"
"And unlike what you think, they're all orphans."
Hikari blushed and laughed at herself. "B-but then… Sora?"
"She took care of me when I needed her." Takeru sat up and explained his story to her. "You see, she said that my mom had to keep me away from danger so when she met Sora on the ship from England to Cherbourg, my mom knew I'd be okay. Sora took care of my mom, too, when she was sick. When she was too sick to continue… Well, I was old enough to take care of Sora by then."
"How old were you?"
"Seven or something. But then well, you know… moms come and go and Sora told me to leave for awhile so I wouldn't see the death."
"But why?"
"Sora said that if I were there, I'd only make it harder for my mom. I didn't want to leave, but I didn't want to stay either. So after all that commotion was over, I started to realize what Sora's been doing for me. The only way I thought of repaying her was to help her just the way she did for me. We became better friends because I kept the food on the table and she kept it warm. Soon enough, we started helping other kids that didn't have anyone to look up to."
"You are somebody…"
"Gee, thanks. At least I know that now." Takeru joked. "It's actually half of what it seems. Sora does a lot more than I do."
"Why do you have her locket?"
"So you're the one who fell."
"Oh, hush up."
"She gave it to me when I first lost my mom. She told me that I'd always have someone looking over me." He looked at the piece of sky that was given to him through that little window of his. "I wonder how she's doing nowadays."
"I apologize for making you homesick." Hikari sighed, rubbing her head against his stomach. "When I begin to get tired from the day, I tend to get-"
"Cranky? Bossy? Plain and outright weird?"
"Sure," yawned the girl. Takeru stared at the ceiling and light that danced on it. He lifted Hikari's hand in his and laced their fingers. Soft words were spoken between them before Hikari finally fell asleep. Slipping away from his friend, Takeru then placed a pillow underneath her head. The blanket fell onto her body with ease and Takeru took a look at the situation.
"I went from living with no comfort to too much comfort." The blond sat down and studied the face of the girl. Innocent was she; her skin was soft to touch and her body easy to hold. She was a lost angel in her surroundings, watching everything that went on rather than taking part. He thought of her as the angel that his lullaby mentioned. Takeru reached out to touch his angel. His fingers brushed against her flocculent cheek and trailed down to her red lips.
"Takeru," Hikari flinched a little bit, "it is cold…"
He propped his head up with his free hand and moved the few strands of hair out of her face. She drifted off to sleep again while he started to recite his lullaby that both his mother and Sora sang to him at one time or another.
"In Heaven's Land… the angels speak your name. They dance around the stars and the moon."
Takeru tilted his head against Hikari's and whispered in her ear.
"In Heaven's Land, the angels hold you near. And whisper that the paradise comes soon.
While in this land, you walk amongst the angels. And they keep you 'til the midnight noon.
And in this land, you're one of those great angels and you can dream up on the crescent moon."
Hikari, though still asleep, listened and waited for the heavenly song and voice. But it didn't come. Takeru had already gotten up and exited the room. She sat up, alarmed from the sudden silence and searched for him. Footsteps echoed from the hallway then faded into silence. Like any curious one, Hikari stood up to follow.
She followed him into the garden and watched as he stood with his hands in his pockets. The moonlight caught the ripples of the water that ran from the fountain and into the small tile ditch. At one minute, Hikari could have sworn her life she saw the brave young warrior rub his eye to rid a tear.
Meanwhile, in Cherbourg, the young girl named Sora sat up against the home of which Takeru once lived it. Her arms were folded in front of her stomach and her eyes gazed at the stars. Thinking of how the careless little blond was doing, she quietly sang the small verse that he would say whenever she sang the first few sentences of his lullaby.
"Will the angels keep you… from this day on? And will I keep the promise, though you are gone?
Will the angels remember you… and sing this song? And will you come back to me… after so long…"
Sora pulled back her hair from her eyes and warned to no one in particular, "If you don't come home in a week… I'll… come look for you."
Takeru pulled the locket out of his pocket and held it by the chain. It didn't take him too long to decide to finish his favored bedtime song.
"In Heaven's Land, angels say goodnight. And they stand beside the brightened stars.
In Heaven's Land, the angels tuck you in. Then they sing this precious lullaby--from afar.
In Heaven's Land, you sleep beside the angels. And they let you be who you really are.
And in this land, you can close your tired eyes… And the angels will let you dance among the stars."
The youth nodded blankly and put the locket away. He stared up at the stars and bit his bottom lip. Hikari couldn't tell what kind of emotion he was feeling, but she knew he was downhearted.
"And the angels will let you dance among the stars," Sora whispered to herself.
A little child tugged on her arm and asked, "Mama-Sora, are you sad? Because Takeru isn't here?"
"…Yeah, I'm sad. But I'm not worried," she lifted the girl into her arms and grinned. "You don't have to worry either. I'm sure he's on his way home with great stories to tell about his adventure."
"Will he bring us presents too?"
"It's Takeru… what do you think?"
"He's gonna bring presents!"
Sora smiled faintly, "He won't give you a doll for your birthday if he finds out you've been staying up past your bedtime."
The girl looked up at Sora and asked, "Will you sing me that pretty song? I heard Takeru singing it just now."
"How do you hear someone so far away?" Sora questioned.
"It's easy when you know he loves you. And he sang that pretty song to me when I was sick. Don't you remember, Mama-Sora?"
"Of course I do."
"…When will Takeru be home?"
Sora stood up with the child in her arms and answered, "I'm not sure. Takeru comes and goes. But don't worry, again. Keep dreaming until the day he does come home okay?"
"I'll dream so hard that he'll have to come home tomorrow!"
The older girl giggled. "You and I both."
"Takeru?"
He turned his head to look at Hikari. "I thought you were asleep."
"Are you okay?"
"Course I'm all right." He grinned, "Why wouldn't I be?"
"It just seemed like you were sad."
"Nah, I got over that sad thing awhile ago."
"Stop being so… falsely brave."
"What?"
Hikari sat down on the wooden bench and looked up at him. "You cannot be this sure all the time."
"There's nothing to worry about though," he pointed out and sat down beside her.
"You sang that song like you missed something."
"Sure, I'm missing my home. But it's nothing to fuss over."
"Why are you staying here, Takeru? You do not want to be the "Junior Warrior" everyone sees you as."
He shifted himself on the bench and looked at the ground. "But I'm somebody here."
"What about Sora and your friends back home?"
"They're doing just fine I bet."
"Tell me, Takeru."
"Tell you what?"
"Why you are staying here even though you have so much to live for back in Cherbourg. You can deftly fool our guards and get away… yet you have not done anything to escape. Why?"
Takeru scratched the back of his neck and stared hard at the ground. "There's just some things in Paris that I can't get in the town I live in."
"Such as?"
"Such as the action, the lights. Such as the dances and foods, the--"
"Takeru…"
"Such as you, Hikari." Takeru finally said and stared harder at the ground, nearly expecting it to stare back. "Back home I could flirt, back home I could do something and a girl would notice. But it wouldn't be the same anymore. Because now that I've met you everything's changed. I bet if I tried to flirt, I'd mentally get kicked and think it was you."
Hikari blushed and held her hand over her mouth to mute a laugh.
"Yeah, go and laugh." He grumbled and stood up.
"I ask forgiveness," she giggled, "I can just imagine you failing to impress a girl."
"Oh. H-hey! Insult!" Takeru twitched his lips into a smile.
Hikari looked towards him, "Do you really propose that? That if you would attempt such things, I would hold you back. Even if I weren't there?"
"Hell yeah. I mean, damn… I can't picture myself going home and uh, forgetting about you."
"So I hold you back?"
"No, not at all. You push me forward because if I didn't meet you, I would've been home already. And I would've missed the opportunity to you know, meet you."
"Takeru,"
"Don't go saying that I would be better off not knowing you or something. 'Cause for all that I know," Takeru lifted Hikari's hands in his, "as strange as it may seem, you're what I've been looking for. In every adventure that tore me away from home, I've come up empty handed. This time, I don't want to go home. Not if it means leaving you."
Hikari looked into the hopeful blue eyes. "You are telling the truth?"
He nodded and leaned towards her. "Please believe me."
The young girl cradled his right cheek with her hand and pushed her lips onto his. Takeru returned the kiss and lifted her chin with his finger. Their first actual kiss was shared, bathed in the moonlight and surrounded by love. However, their first kiss wasn't shared alone.
"Hikari?" Daisuke spoke, standing on the stone path that twisted its way through the garden. She rose her head to break the kiss and she looked at him, the same with Takeru.
"Daisuke?" Takeru's eyes twitched a little bit.
"My god," the other soldier lurched forward, most likely of the silent snap of his heart breaking. "But I thought-"
"Sir Daisuke, are you okay?" Hikari stood up. Takeru never took his eyes off of Daisuke and the sword he always had. That whole day they spent, mending the friendship that they knew they had. During those hours, Daisuke told him everything about Hikari. And this is how he told him he listened.
"Just fine," Daisuke walked away, "I'm just fine."
Later that night, Takeru awoke to a ruff push. He sat up in bed and turned in every which way to see who was there. When the stranger lit the candle, Takeru only saw the hand the punched his face to know it was Daisuke.
"Ack-shit!" Takeru fell off the bed and sat up. "Morning, sunshine."
"Shut up! What's the big idea!" he demanded, glaring down at him.
"Look, I don't know what happened or how it happened, but everything that we talked about made me realize-"
"That you'll go steal my girl!"
"She's not your girl!"
"Not anymore!"
"She never was!"
"You yourself said that dreaming is the base of doing!" Daisuke growled, "Let's battle it out."
"Battle? What? Over a girl?"
"Over Hikari!"
"Daisuke!" Takeru tried to reason with him, "she's just a girl-"
"One of which I love. I'm not going to let her leave my dream. A dream that you intercepted."
Takeru gulped and looked at his momentary friend. "Is that what you want?"
"That's what I desire."
"Set a day, a place, and I'm there." He clenched his fist.
"In a week, in the green lands, before sunset." Daisuke demanded and left.
Takeru jumped up and yelled after him, "Yeah? Well… fine! I'm there!"
He rubbed his jaw and went to sit on his bed. His foot tangled within the sheets and he tried to shake it off. Before it finally slipped off, he fell flat on the ground with an echoing thud.
"Damner," he whined, "what did I get myself into now?"
Third part is in progress…
Geh! I know it sucks! Go ahead and flame! @.@ If you think this is leading to a pile of nothing, you're wrong. There's actually one last part that has the most drama in it. O.o; But um… please review and tell me if it's okay. I think I'm losing the little writing touch I had such a long time ago. ::sighs:: Well, thanks for putting up with me. Especially since I seem to be the queen of stupid stories for a while… ~.~