S.t.a.r.d.u.s.t part IV
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the stuff I make up.
Summary: I'm sure if you've gotten this far, you must be somewhat aware of the storyline.
Author's Notes: Once again, thank you to all my wonderful reviewers, special mention going out to both AC_Ishida and Mystique Meowth. They've emailed me very supporting compliments, which (to me, anyway) are fundamental to being an enthusiastic writer. Thanks!
~
*
~
James's happiness toward finding Yume was short lived. No sooner had Ash seen a break in their motto, he sent out pikachu and ordered it to blast the three into the horizon. The rodent complied, and soon James and his partners felt the ever familiar electricity jolting through them, and the ground disappear beneath their feet as they soared ever higher into the sky.
Jessie half heartedly noticed James screamed a lot louder and longer than usual. Meowth complained about their imminent landing, and grumbled at Jessie for doing such a bad job of putting everything together. James's eyes remained on the four figures growing ever smaller and further away.
He knew what he had to do, and hopefully he could make it look like an accident. Jessie's gloved hand was holding tightly onto his own, so they could stay together this time when they landed. How could he find some way to break free without his partner getting suspicious? Their arch in the air was reaching a high point. His time was running out.
Jessie felt James's hand suddenly wrench out of her own. The sheer force of it was so great that when she turned around enough to get a glimpse of him, he was already well on a different course.
"James!" she cried over the rushing air. What was he doing?
"I'm sorry!" he shouted back to her, but she could no longer see him. "I promise I'll be back later!" Fainter, now. "You don't have to wait up!"
Jessie was still reaching for her partner and friend when her form grew smaller and finally vanished from his eyes. He felt guilty, that much was the truth, and he wished there were some other way he could have done things. His landing was hard, but not enough to distinguish it from all the others he'd felt. James got to his feet and looked around, wondering where he was. His surroundings were a thick forest which he had never been in (or at least he thought he had never been in, it was hard to tell these days). The tree trunks were wide and close together, and their leaves almost completely covered the space above him, save for a few rays of light which escaped and gave a thin beam down to the earth where they landed in small spots.
He lifted one boot up and realized the ground below him was muddy. His head snapped back to survey the damage this could have done to his uniform. Much to his chagrin, the originally clean white shirt and pants were now dirty and no matter how hard he tried, he just could not get all of it off. So, he was dirty.
A strange bird called somewhere deep in the forest, and the lonely cry echoed across the trees. James looked up, and then around. The thought of his location came back to him: where was he? What was the way out? He didn't know which way was which. So, he was dirty and lost. But Yume was somewhere out there.
He began walking towards where he thought the trees looked the thinnest, but he soon found that the trees weren't thin anywhere. He wandered around until his legs hurt, and still seemed like there was no end to the ocean of trunks and leaves. Finally he looked down and saw an indent in the mud where he had originally landed. Collapsing against the nearest tree, he drew his knees up to his chest and put his head on his knees, trying not to lose his hopes, which were fading fast.
He reasoned with himself. Yume was here. She was here, and she recognized him. But a voice tugged on the back of his mind. How could she be here? it said, how could she be here if she's not in your future?
The thought made his blood run cold. It was true. Yume was nowhere in his future. That would mean the girl he just saw wasn't really her. Hot tears began running tracks down his cheeks. Yume wasn't here. Yume wasn't here. Yume wasn't here. Those words chanted like a sutra through James's mind over and over.
After a time he absorbed himself in his miserable thoughts and lost track of time. He realized he must have fallen asleep, because the woods were much darker and cooler when he came back into reality. "Great…" he muttered, and was about to rise to his feet when he heard footsteps coming toward him in the forest. He let his head fall back down on his knees. Whoever they were, he didn't want to talk to them or anyone at the moment.
The sound of crunching leaves and snapping twigs grew louder, and James could tell that whoever this was, they didn't want to get dirty. Their steps were light, dainty, and carefully placed. Finally the person was in front of him, he could tell by the shadow cast over the spot where he was sitting. "What," he muttered bitterly, not particularly caring who he offended.
There was a rustling sound and James could tell they had bent down to stare at eye level, probably because he was so reluctant to look up. A voice cut through the air.
"Please don't say you've given up on me," it said, brimming with sadness. He knew that voice. His head lifted just a little, and was greeted with the sight of a bleach white sundress. Startled, he glanced up and found himself staring into two orbs of molten gold. Yume.
She reached out a hand, long slender fingers reaching towards him, and he took it. With surprising strength, she hauled him to his feet. "I've searched this whole forest for you," she said simply, as if stating the time or the date.
"H-how-" James stuttered, still to disoriented by her sudden appearance to form coherent sentences.
She gave him a mischievous smile. "I bet you're wondering how I got here," she said slyly, and James nodded dumbly.
Yume looked proud. "Did you get my note by at the fountain?" she asked.
James stepped closer. "Yes," he said, "I didn't mean to leave you there. I passed by that place several times, but if I had looked I know I could have seen you. I'm sorry, Yume! I didn't mean to just walk by like that, but…"
She put her hands on his shoulders reassuringly. "Don't worry about it," she said. "We're together now, aren't we? That's enough."
James smiled for a brief moment, and then sighed. "But how long will that last?" And then, as an afterthought, "Why do you look so different? How were you able to come back? How long are you staying? Why wasn't this in my future?" etc. Yume rolled her eyes, but was thankful this was the same person. She would have been utterly crushed if he turned out to be a different type of person on Earth than he had been in Heaven. But, he wasn't. He was the same old James, the one she loved, and that was the one constant thing she wished for.
"Allow me to explain," she said dramatically. Next she began to pace. "Exactly where should I begin…?" she questioned aloud.
"How about when you got back to Heaven after coming to Earth?" suggested James.
"Alright. I'll start there." She cleared her throat.
~
*
~
Remember what I said in my note, about how my return would be expected? It was. They were waiting for me, all of them. The Higher Beings, the ones who were, in essence, Fate. I was afraid. They were all dressed in black, and I couldn't see their faces. Each of them was lined up side to side when I appeared. After what seemed like an interminable amount of time, one stepped forward, and spoke. His voice was so emotionless and cold it seemed to shudder right through me.
"You have departed from your duty and gone down to Earth," he hissed. I was so terrified I couldn't reply. He kept talking. "That is a violation which cannot be ignored."
He paused so I could put a word in. There was no use in explaining myself, for they all knew what I had done and my reasons. They were Fate. "I'm eternally sorry," I said, getting down on one knee. "It was irrational behavior on my behalf."
His head bent down to stare at me. I thought I could almost see his eyes peering through the darkness. They looked like two cold diamonds. What was going on in his mind was beyond me. Probably beyond everyone and everything else in the universe, as well. We stayed like that while he deliberated.
Once again, his empty voice sounded through me. "There are ones who can repress their feelings of loneliness." He turned and gazed at a star cluster. "Then, there are ones who can't." He faced me. "After one has felt love, there is no way they can ever go back willingly to a desolate life, and wander through their-" He turned to me, "-endless, in your case, days lacking such an emotion."
I nodded, half in agreement and half just trying to appease him. I knew what things like him were capable of.
He continued. "Before this incident, your records have been clean, and your duty fulfilled. You have been here, and done what you were created to do. I understand that you have never before left your station. That is commendable."
I looked up at him, wary. It was so hard to tell what he was planning, because his facial features weren't visible. It's true, though. You never know, do you? You never know. It is impossible to try to guess what Fate will hand you next.
"That is why, along with the reprieve you have been granted, you will be permitted to go back to Earth. For a time."
My eyes widened. I couldn't speak, let alone thank him. All I could manage was gasping out bits and pieces of what I needed to say. He seemed to understand.
"I am Fate," he said. "I know the future, past, and present. But I am not heartless. You have served your purpose well. Therefore, you shall be rewarded through my allowance of your return to Earth. You will come back to this place, but as far as I can see, there will be no charges for you to escort in the time you will be on Earth."
A thought occurred to me, but I was too afraid to say it. However, he seemed to read my mind.
"This is unnatural. Your duty is your duty, and do not expect another absence to be granted." He glided back a few feet and raised his robed hands. A light came over me and I felt warm. I could feel my body stretch and grow. And then I felt something different. A strange, thudding sensation deep in my chest. I was a little frightened, but I remembered I had heard the same sound in you when we hugged last time. It was a heartbeat. I'm a mortal. I'm alive.
~
*
~
Yume reached up and unceremoniously wiped away tears that were forming at the corners of her eyes. James took her hand. "They are giving you a vacation?" he said softly, amazed.
"Of sorts." She smiled warmly.
James had an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face. "How long can you stay here?" he asked, still clutching her hand.
"One lifetime," said Yume.
"One…?"
"Your lifetime."
James stood, struck by her words. Then, slowly and deliberately, Yume leaned forward and kissed him. They stayed that way for a while, oblivious to the world darkening around them, bathed in starlight.
~
*
~
James and Yume were heading back. It was late. The two walked close, holding hands, both smiling and staring deep into the other's eyes while they talked. Trees lines either side of the road, and the moon was full. A light breeze blew over the whole area, making Yume's hair sway slightly. Everything seemed perfect. Even though James didn't want to jinx any of it, a dark thought wormed its way into his head. What about his future?
"Yume, what about my wish?" he asked. "Do you remember how I asked to see what would happen for the rest of my life? Why wasn't this in it?" He looked down. "Is this going to end?"
She considered him for a moment, and then laughed. "Stupid," she chided, "Haven't you listened to a word I said?"
"Yes, but…"
"I showed you your natural future."
James's mind jolted. "What are you talking about?"
"Future and fate doesn't take unnatural events into consideration," she said. "There is a good chance that when you saw your future, the tree incident was left out."
His mind played the vision over again. She was right. At the very beginning, he had landed next to Jessie. He hadn't thought anything of it. She kept talking.
"And, like the Higher being said, my coming is also unnatural. That's why you saw neither in your vision."
"So… the future you showed me…?" he mumbled, having a hard time getting coherent words past the emotions that were flooding over him.
"Null and void."
Something like a mix of relief and joy and love exploded inside of James, so strong his legs very nearly gave out. He was laughing and crying at the same time. Crystal tears sprang to Yume's eyes, and dripped down her cheeks. She ran up and hugged him, and he was hugging her back, joy spilling from sorrow.
James raised his eyes toward the sky once more, taking in the vast expanse of Heaven. The stars twinkled and glittered, shining as bright as his future.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the stuff I make up.
Summary: I'm sure if you've gotten this far, you must be somewhat aware of the storyline.
Author's Notes: Once again, thank you to all my wonderful reviewers, special mention going out to both AC_Ishida and Mystique Meowth. They've emailed me very supporting compliments, which (to me, anyway) are fundamental to being an enthusiastic writer. Thanks!
~
*
~
James's happiness toward finding Yume was short lived. No sooner had Ash seen a break in their motto, he sent out pikachu and ordered it to blast the three into the horizon. The rodent complied, and soon James and his partners felt the ever familiar electricity jolting through them, and the ground disappear beneath their feet as they soared ever higher into the sky.
Jessie half heartedly noticed James screamed a lot louder and longer than usual. Meowth complained about their imminent landing, and grumbled at Jessie for doing such a bad job of putting everything together. James's eyes remained on the four figures growing ever smaller and further away.
He knew what he had to do, and hopefully he could make it look like an accident. Jessie's gloved hand was holding tightly onto his own, so they could stay together this time when they landed. How could he find some way to break free without his partner getting suspicious? Their arch in the air was reaching a high point. His time was running out.
Jessie felt James's hand suddenly wrench out of her own. The sheer force of it was so great that when she turned around enough to get a glimpse of him, he was already well on a different course.
"James!" she cried over the rushing air. What was he doing?
"I'm sorry!" he shouted back to her, but she could no longer see him. "I promise I'll be back later!" Fainter, now. "You don't have to wait up!"
Jessie was still reaching for her partner and friend when her form grew smaller and finally vanished from his eyes. He felt guilty, that much was the truth, and he wished there were some other way he could have done things. His landing was hard, but not enough to distinguish it from all the others he'd felt. James got to his feet and looked around, wondering where he was. His surroundings were a thick forest which he had never been in (or at least he thought he had never been in, it was hard to tell these days). The tree trunks were wide and close together, and their leaves almost completely covered the space above him, save for a few rays of light which escaped and gave a thin beam down to the earth where they landed in small spots.
He lifted one boot up and realized the ground below him was muddy. His head snapped back to survey the damage this could have done to his uniform. Much to his chagrin, the originally clean white shirt and pants were now dirty and no matter how hard he tried, he just could not get all of it off. So, he was dirty.
A strange bird called somewhere deep in the forest, and the lonely cry echoed across the trees. James looked up, and then around. The thought of his location came back to him: where was he? What was the way out? He didn't know which way was which. So, he was dirty and lost. But Yume was somewhere out there.
He began walking towards where he thought the trees looked the thinnest, but he soon found that the trees weren't thin anywhere. He wandered around until his legs hurt, and still seemed like there was no end to the ocean of trunks and leaves. Finally he looked down and saw an indent in the mud where he had originally landed. Collapsing against the nearest tree, he drew his knees up to his chest and put his head on his knees, trying not to lose his hopes, which were fading fast.
He reasoned with himself. Yume was here. She was here, and she recognized him. But a voice tugged on the back of his mind. How could she be here? it said, how could she be here if she's not in your future?
The thought made his blood run cold. It was true. Yume was nowhere in his future. That would mean the girl he just saw wasn't really her. Hot tears began running tracks down his cheeks. Yume wasn't here. Yume wasn't here. Yume wasn't here. Those words chanted like a sutra through James's mind over and over.
After a time he absorbed himself in his miserable thoughts and lost track of time. He realized he must have fallen asleep, because the woods were much darker and cooler when he came back into reality. "Great…" he muttered, and was about to rise to his feet when he heard footsteps coming toward him in the forest. He let his head fall back down on his knees. Whoever they were, he didn't want to talk to them or anyone at the moment.
The sound of crunching leaves and snapping twigs grew louder, and James could tell that whoever this was, they didn't want to get dirty. Their steps were light, dainty, and carefully placed. Finally the person was in front of him, he could tell by the shadow cast over the spot where he was sitting. "What," he muttered bitterly, not particularly caring who he offended.
There was a rustling sound and James could tell they had bent down to stare at eye level, probably because he was so reluctant to look up. A voice cut through the air.
"Please don't say you've given up on me," it said, brimming with sadness. He knew that voice. His head lifted just a little, and was greeted with the sight of a bleach white sundress. Startled, he glanced up and found himself staring into two orbs of molten gold. Yume.
She reached out a hand, long slender fingers reaching towards him, and he took it. With surprising strength, she hauled him to his feet. "I've searched this whole forest for you," she said simply, as if stating the time or the date.
"H-how-" James stuttered, still to disoriented by her sudden appearance to form coherent sentences.
She gave him a mischievous smile. "I bet you're wondering how I got here," she said slyly, and James nodded dumbly.
Yume looked proud. "Did you get my note by at the fountain?" she asked.
James stepped closer. "Yes," he said, "I didn't mean to leave you there. I passed by that place several times, but if I had looked I know I could have seen you. I'm sorry, Yume! I didn't mean to just walk by like that, but…"
She put her hands on his shoulders reassuringly. "Don't worry about it," she said. "We're together now, aren't we? That's enough."
James smiled for a brief moment, and then sighed. "But how long will that last?" And then, as an afterthought, "Why do you look so different? How were you able to come back? How long are you staying? Why wasn't this in my future?" etc. Yume rolled her eyes, but was thankful this was the same person. She would have been utterly crushed if he turned out to be a different type of person on Earth than he had been in Heaven. But, he wasn't. He was the same old James, the one she loved, and that was the one constant thing she wished for.
"Allow me to explain," she said dramatically. Next she began to pace. "Exactly where should I begin…?" she questioned aloud.
"How about when you got back to Heaven after coming to Earth?" suggested James.
"Alright. I'll start there." She cleared her throat.
~
*
~
Remember what I said in my note, about how my return would be expected? It was. They were waiting for me, all of them. The Higher Beings, the ones who were, in essence, Fate. I was afraid. They were all dressed in black, and I couldn't see their faces. Each of them was lined up side to side when I appeared. After what seemed like an interminable amount of time, one stepped forward, and spoke. His voice was so emotionless and cold it seemed to shudder right through me.
"You have departed from your duty and gone down to Earth," he hissed. I was so terrified I couldn't reply. He kept talking. "That is a violation which cannot be ignored."
He paused so I could put a word in. There was no use in explaining myself, for they all knew what I had done and my reasons. They were Fate. "I'm eternally sorry," I said, getting down on one knee. "It was irrational behavior on my behalf."
His head bent down to stare at me. I thought I could almost see his eyes peering through the darkness. They looked like two cold diamonds. What was going on in his mind was beyond me. Probably beyond everyone and everything else in the universe, as well. We stayed like that while he deliberated.
Once again, his empty voice sounded through me. "There are ones who can repress their feelings of loneliness." He turned and gazed at a star cluster. "Then, there are ones who can't." He faced me. "After one has felt love, there is no way they can ever go back willingly to a desolate life, and wander through their-" He turned to me, "-endless, in your case, days lacking such an emotion."
I nodded, half in agreement and half just trying to appease him. I knew what things like him were capable of.
He continued. "Before this incident, your records have been clean, and your duty fulfilled. You have been here, and done what you were created to do. I understand that you have never before left your station. That is commendable."
I looked up at him, wary. It was so hard to tell what he was planning, because his facial features weren't visible. It's true, though. You never know, do you? You never know. It is impossible to try to guess what Fate will hand you next.
"That is why, along with the reprieve you have been granted, you will be permitted to go back to Earth. For a time."
My eyes widened. I couldn't speak, let alone thank him. All I could manage was gasping out bits and pieces of what I needed to say. He seemed to understand.
"I am Fate," he said. "I know the future, past, and present. But I am not heartless. You have served your purpose well. Therefore, you shall be rewarded through my allowance of your return to Earth. You will come back to this place, but as far as I can see, there will be no charges for you to escort in the time you will be on Earth."
A thought occurred to me, but I was too afraid to say it. However, he seemed to read my mind.
"This is unnatural. Your duty is your duty, and do not expect another absence to be granted." He glided back a few feet and raised his robed hands. A light came over me and I felt warm. I could feel my body stretch and grow. And then I felt something different. A strange, thudding sensation deep in my chest. I was a little frightened, but I remembered I had heard the same sound in you when we hugged last time. It was a heartbeat. I'm a mortal. I'm alive.
~
*
~
Yume reached up and unceremoniously wiped away tears that were forming at the corners of her eyes. James took her hand. "They are giving you a vacation?" he said softly, amazed.
"Of sorts." She smiled warmly.
James had an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face. "How long can you stay here?" he asked, still clutching her hand.
"One lifetime," said Yume.
"One…?"
"Your lifetime."
James stood, struck by her words. Then, slowly and deliberately, Yume leaned forward and kissed him. They stayed that way for a while, oblivious to the world darkening around them, bathed in starlight.
~
*
~
James and Yume were heading back. It was late. The two walked close, holding hands, both smiling and staring deep into the other's eyes while they talked. Trees lines either side of the road, and the moon was full. A light breeze blew over the whole area, making Yume's hair sway slightly. Everything seemed perfect. Even though James didn't want to jinx any of it, a dark thought wormed its way into his head. What about his future?
"Yume, what about my wish?" he asked. "Do you remember how I asked to see what would happen for the rest of my life? Why wasn't this in it?" He looked down. "Is this going to end?"
She considered him for a moment, and then laughed. "Stupid," she chided, "Haven't you listened to a word I said?"
"Yes, but…"
"I showed you your natural future."
James's mind jolted. "What are you talking about?"
"Future and fate doesn't take unnatural events into consideration," she said. "There is a good chance that when you saw your future, the tree incident was left out."
His mind played the vision over again. She was right. At the very beginning, he had landed next to Jessie. He hadn't thought anything of it. She kept talking.
"And, like the Higher being said, my coming is also unnatural. That's why you saw neither in your vision."
"So… the future you showed me…?" he mumbled, having a hard time getting coherent words past the emotions that were flooding over him.
"Null and void."
Something like a mix of relief and joy and love exploded inside of James, so strong his legs very nearly gave out. He was laughing and crying at the same time. Crystal tears sprang to Yume's eyes, and dripped down her cheeks. She ran up and hugged him, and he was hugging her back, joy spilling from sorrow.
James raised his eyes toward the sky once more, taking in the vast expanse of Heaven. The stars twinkled and glittered, shining as bright as his future.
