Part 5
The blond boy never stopped running toward his destination, despite the tiredness in his legs, despite the ache in his side, despite the lack of air in his lungs—and even despite the gaping hole in the sky. Somehow, he knew that, sooner or later, that had been bound to happen, and he should find his way toward it before it was too late.
Nearing the park, he became more determined than ever to save Sora.
He would save everything.
The trees of the park came into full view, their branches almost bare from the coming of winter. Red and gold leaves were scattered about the ground. Yamato dragged his tired feet through them, a sudden anxiousness boiling at the pit of his stomach. He knew he was close to something.
And then she was there in front of him, illuminated by the brightest light Yamato had ever seen. It came from the gap in the night sky, and the blond wondered, fleetingly, if anyone else besides him could see this light that night. Beside his orange-haired friend stood a man Yamato did not recognize. He was also illuminated by the light, but looked strangely transparent in it. One of his white, nearly transparent hands was clasped loosely with one of Sora's, and Yamato could feel his heart grow cold. Who was this man, to be holding the hand of his friend?
Yamato stepped forward, and a branch cracked under his foot. Upon hearing the sound, the man holding Sora's hand turned instinctively, and his eyes widened at the blond boy. "You!" he breathed accusingly, his voice sounding hollow. Sora also turned to look, and Yamato immediately found himself looking into her eyes, questioning. Who was this man she was with? Why did she leave him? Worry him? Her usually vibrant eyes gave no reply, however. They were as dull as the eyes of a china doll, and Yamato, for some reason, found it hard to breathe.
What was wrong…?
"Sora…" the blond boy whispered tersely, his voice thick with building emotion. The orange-haired girl's eyes centered on him, and, unintentionally, her hand slipped away from the man's to touch the pendant at her throat. It was only then that Yamato noticed how strangely the pendant glowed, a deep, velvety blue that danced around the girl's fingers and seemed to reflect the sky.
"How do you know my name?" Sora questioned dully, her voice a severe monotone. "I don't think I know you…"
Yamato choked on her words, slowly processing them in his rushing mind. He pretended as if not to hear them as he continued speaking, though they had hurt him deeply. "Sora, you need to come back with me," he told the girl softly, attempting to coax her. "You're not safe here—"
"No!" The stubborn reply came from the man, who Yamato was surprised to see staggered as he stood. He clutched at his stomach with one hand, looking pained. His voice was fierce as he spoke, however. "I've been ordered to take her with me, no matter what. She's the only one who can save my realm, we need her!"
Yamato faltered. This is what the Tool had spoken of; this man must have been one of the Sun's foolish children, come to take Sora to mend things for them. A real star. Recalling Mrs. Takenouchi's other words, he realized the horrible position this man was in. The man was deliberately going against Prophecy, attempting to speed up the process of things by taking Sora, rather than her coming to them. This was what he needed to stop.
"Do you realize what you're doing?" Yamato asked the man suddenly. "You're going against Prophecy! Sora's not ready to lead you yet. Do you realize what that could do to the Universe?"
The staggering shadow of a man grunted defiantly. "What do you know of Prophecy?" he asked scornfully. When Yamato didn't reply, he roughly grabbed Sora's wrist and turned her away from the blond boy. "Come on," he rasped, "We've been on this Earth too long."
The orange-haired girl merely nodded, her eyes resembling the smoldering wax of a burnt-out candle. She seemed so lost, so dazed… Without thought, Yamato lunged for the man who held the wrist of his friend. He wasn't sure what he had intended to do to the man, but he needn't have thought about it. The instant he got within a foot of the Star, a pain swept through his entire body, like an electric shock. He fell to the ground, quivering with hurt.
"What…?!" he sputtered, clutching his stomach as confusion pervaded him. What was happening? He squeezed his eyes shut painfully, afraid he might throw up if he kept them open. World spinning, spinning. What had that man done?
The man's—the Star's—breathing came in heavy rasps now. Obviously, whatever he had done had drained him significantly. Feeling himself slightly regaining his composure, Yamato opened an eye, daring a peek. The man before him held his grip on Sora's wrist tighter than ever, no longer facing Yamato but the light from the sky once more. And looking more transparent than ever. The world went dizzy for a moment, and Yamato closed his eyes briefly, knowing he should keep them open, but knowing also that it would do no good for him to throw up just then.
When he assured himself that he would be all right again, he squinted open an eye. Then, abruptly, both shot open in horror at the sight he saw.
They were floating.
In the beam of light, both were floating, now three feet from the ground, now five feet, ascending gradually higher. Yamato sprung to his feet, despite the pain deep in his stomach, hurriedly racing toward the beam of light. Almost above his head now. Had to save her, had to hurry and save her.
"Sora!" he called out desperately, his vision slightly blurred from the dizziness that plagued him. She turned to him, her eyes cold and lifeless one moment; the next, a flash of life. A horrified look painted the features of her face. What was happening?! Going up, up, into the sky. Yamato down below her, looking desperate, hurt, sad, terrified. In a desperate, almost natural movement, Sora reached out toward the blond. He reached back, his fingers penetrating the beam of light, making him feel lightheaded.
But he reached on desperately, even as she went higher and higher, the man's grip still tight on her wrist. She could not escape. But Yamato continued to reach, until his fingers touched hers, then something more solid, cold. The pendant. Without quite knowing why, he grasped it firmly in his outstretched hand, as if it were a lifeline. A lifeline to Sora.
Quite suddenly, the chain broke. Yamato fell backwards, landing smartly on his head, the necklace still clasped in cold, shaking hands. And Sora began to ascend faster than before, going twenty feet up, forty feet up, up, up, up.
"Yamato!" she called suddenly, terror eminent in her voice. That voice made Yamato ache inside, pain fully renewed inside him, making him dizzy, nauseous. And yet he continued watching Sora go, even as she ascended out of his sight, the beam of light following her and the Star closely, the sky closing up. He continued to watch the sky in disbelief, mouth agape, sudden wetness stinging his eyes. No. No.
"Damn it…" the blond boy choked, a sob escaping him at the same moment. How he hated himself, loathed himself. He clamped his eyes shut, forcing the water back. Shut everything back. The pain, the tears, the world. Everything but the hate for himself. He doubled over, unable to bear it. Too much, too fast.
"Damn it!" he screamed hoarsely, the tears escaping him, pouring down his pale cheeks as he pounded his fists on the ground. He continued to scream, with no words. Terrible screaming, the kind produced by one who had truly lost. And Yamato had really lost, this time.
He had lost Sora forever.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The pain was sudden, immense, hitting like lightening bolts through her body.
Screaming, Mrs. Takenouchi—the real Mrs. Takenouchi, the messenger having left her--bolted upright, knowing immediately what was wrong, what had awoken her on the grass of the Cemetery. Near his grave.
Sora. Sora…
The pain still raging through her body, the dark-haired woman clutched her throbbing head, shouting with terrible hurt. Shouting to block out the voices that were slowly consuming her mind, voices she knew and had once loved dearly. The voices belonging to his kin.
Sora, Sora…
Like a chant. The voices repeated it over and over in her mind, as if to gloat. They had Sora. They had their Queen. Mrs. Takenouchi rose to her feet, limbs thrashing wildly. Stop, stop! Give her back!
Sora, Sora…
Why are you doing this?! She wanted to scream the words, but her voice was locked, could only shout nonsense. They wouldn't listen to her. Refused to listen to anybody. I thought you were my friends! Her mind echoed frantically. Why are you hurting me?! Hurting Sora…?!
A pause. An excruciating pause, in which, for a fleeting, wonderful second, the pain stopped, the voices stopped.
Then came back more powerful than ever, forcing the dark-haired woman to her knees, crying agony.
Took him away, they said, bodiless voices in unison, filled with what one could only distinguish as hatred. You took him away.
Him. Her husband. Her love. She hadn't taken him away. He had come to her willingly. Why did they hate her for this?
Still clutching her head in dire pain, Mrs. Takenouchi retaliated. I never took him away, she echoed. He came to me. He loved me. He—
She screamed, high-pitched, wailing. STOP! Stop hurting me! Even in her mind, she struggled with the words. Everything was going blurry, spinning, never stopping. Wouldn't stop, not 'til the pain did. Would the pain stop?
No, they replied. Cold. Better off without you.
Screaming, louder and louder, pain only intensifying. Why, why… you're killing me…
Could feel them grinning. Perfect. Out of the way, for good. The boy next.
The boy… Yamato. Mrs. Takenouchi wanted to scream out, cry the tears that wished to pour forth. But, nothing, except pain. But her voice was gone now, too weary. All she could do was gasp for air, hope for a miracle.
So little air, so much pain.
Laughter. Cruel, cold laughter. As if they were declaring something: these were not the beings she once knew.
Gasping for air now. Blurry, dark, spinning. Shots of pain.
Then his face, shining brilliantly before her. She smiled, reaching out to him. I love you, I'm sorry to let you down. I couldn't protect her, I couldn't. I'm sorry…
And his face smiled, that same smile she had loved, as if to say, don't worry. I love you. You did your best. I love you. Love you…
Pain fading, darkness enclosing her. She reached her hand toward his face, wanting to caress it, to feel him once more, to join him. Reaching, reaching…
Then dark.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Realization struck him, like a lightening bolt to his brain. He nearly jumped to his feet, the tears stopping their flow immediately, and his eyes wide with horror and excitement.
All at once he had heard the voice of Sora's mother, and in that moment, he had seen her in pain, seen her cry for him and for Sora—like a vision, a dreadfully horrible vision. She had fallen to the ground, in too much pain, too much pain… and then her voice was gone.
However, the small voice, along with the 'vision' left him with a stunning realization of what he had to do. Reaching into his shirt, Yamato pulled out his own pendant, which he had almost forgotten in the chaos. Along with Sora's pendant, he held them both upward, like an offering to the stars. Impatiently he waited, for that same kind of magic to work that he had seen earlier…
It didn't surprise him when the sky opened up for a second time, this time at his bidding. In fact, he grinned proudly, and silently thanked Sora's mother, wherever she might have been, just then. For a moment, he stopped, and wondered if he should find Mrs. Takenouchi—but quickly decided against it. It was too risky, there wasn't enough time.
Taking a deep breath, Yamato put one foot in front of the other until he was inside the beam of light that came from the gash in the sky. And, almost immediately after doing so, he felt his two feet being lifted off the ground. He shut his eyes tight, his stomach suddenly turning with nausea. Higher and higher he felt himself lifted, almost as if he were a feather on an upward breeze. He clutched both the pendants in his hands, his blood pulsing rapidly, making his hands hurt. How long a trip was this, exactly? Already he wished to feel solid ground again.
It was a few minutes later that he opened his eyes and realized that his upward flight had stopped. His jaw dropped as he surveyed the area.
Dark blue, everywhere. Like what the night sky would be like, minus the stars. The stars! He had made it to where the stars dwelt… and yet, not a one of them was in sight. Curious, all sense of caution lost on him, Yamato took a step forward, not really noticing that there was no ground underfoot. It was solid, what did it matter? He continued forward, feeling his way around in the darkness. How could it be so dark? The stars were supposed to be here.
And then, all at once, there was a light, brighter than he had seen before. Not bright enough to blind him; it was bright in the sense that it was something more wonderful, more holy than anything in existence. A soft glow so bright and holy, immediately he wanted to bend to his knees and bow his head in respect. However, something pushed him onward, a sense of foreboding that had delved itself deep in his heart.
So onward he went, drawing nearer and nearer to that soft light that was bright as the sun. A shape began to form itself as he drew closer, resembling something much like a building. He stopped to observe it for a moment.
"A building…?" he murmured to himself, again drawing closer. No, not just a building. A shrine or a temple, it seemed, one with gigantic white pillars that stretched upward toward the darkness. Like a Greek temple that lived normally in myth, it stood before him, huge and white and beautiful. Yamato walked toward it, entranced.
There were steps, not as huge as the pillars, but many. Yamato placed a foot on the first step, taking his other foot and placing it on the second, slowly making his way up. A daze was wearing on him, and he wasn't sure where or why his body was leading him, but he followed. This procession of one foot after the other led him to the final step, where he stopped himself (not he, in reality, but his body) on a white marble landing. His eyes trailed across the sleek floor, taking in his blurry reflection, until they fell upon something different; a few smaller steps led up to something looking very much like an altar, and upon it…
Yamato held his breath, his eyes widening at the sight.
On the altar… was…
…Sora.
Looking more beautiful than he had ever seen her, the orange-haired girl wore a dress made of cloth white as light itself, folds hanging over the edges of the small alter. Twisted in her hair were ribbons of the same color and radiance, making her face glow. Her face…
Was unusually pale. Far too pale for Sora. Far too pale to be healthy.
The blond-haired boy's eyes suddenly stung. Could… she be…?
Immediately his legs pulled him into flight, forcing him to stumble clumsily up the stairs to reach the orange-haired girl now clad in radiant white. All the while his eyes stayed focused on her face, her frighteningly pale face. What had that man done to her? Why had they killed their own goddess…?! Finally he reached her, and immediately he bent over her, touching her face with a shaky hand. Don't be dead, don't be dead…
He let out a long sigh of relief as he felt a small breath escape her lips. The blond boy slumped down next to the altar, feeling suddenly at a loss for energy, but feeling thoroughly relieved. He'd located Sora; he could take them both home in only a manner of seconds! He hadn't imagined it would be so easy. He smiled a little, and felt one of Sora's hands. He could find a doctor for her once they got home, and he could finally tell her how he…
The music started in quietly, almost unnoticeably. If the boy's subconscious hadn't been on guard, he wouldn't have noticed it at all. He might have even fallen asleep, holding the hand of the orange-haired girl, one of her cold hands…
Cold hands.
Yamato rose to his feet once more, observing the girl's face more carefully. With horror welling inside him, he realized what was happening, what was about to happen. They had reduced Sora to a shell, a thing that simply lived. Drained of all her energy, the life that made her Sora. And now they were on their way—chanting—to finish their job, make her their "Queen."
The boy's breathing began coming in quick, sharp gasps. They were going to destroy Sora, and then destroy him. Horror, pure and terrible, filled his veins. Their music drew nearer, their hollow voices filling the endless void of their realm. Soon they would be upon him, and it would be all over.
Thinking irrationally, Yamato grabbed the orange-haired girl by the shoulders and shook her with all the might inside him, commanding her over and over in a panic to wake up, wake up, Sora, wake up, we have to hurry, wake up…
The music was so loud now. Yamato's eyes began to water, without permission. Tears poured down his cheeks as he hugged Sora to his chest, begging, pleading, screaming at her to wake up, please wake up…
"…Ya…ma…to…"
Her eyelashes fluttered open, slowly, to reveal a pair of dull, brown orbs that seemed not to focus on anything. Simply staring, as if blind, but seeing everything.
Yamato stared down in disbelief at the girl in his arms. "Sora…" He murmured her name, loosening his grip around her. She was so cold, he realized, even through the layers of cloth she was wearing. So cold… The music drew nearer, and Yamato knew with a sudden sureness that they were upon him, that they knew he was there. And so he simply hugged the girl to himself, waiting until the moment that they came up those steps to worship their "Queen," their so-called savior…
Did they really think that this lifeless girl they had taken could really save them…?
The singing stopped, and so the footsteps began. Up the altar, not really a clatter, but a soft patter-patter of each individual foot up the steps. There had to be hundreds of them, Yamato thought, closing his eyes in anticipation. And once one of them gets up the steps…
All noise stopped altogether, at once with a deep, harmonious hum. No feet, no music. But Yamato could feel them now, their cold eyes upon him as he stood near the altar, their "Queen" still in his arms. Their gazes dug into his back, making him shiver. He didn't want to face them, but knew he should. He opened his own eyes, and turned toward them.
One of them grinned, something out of place on that cold, lifeless face. The one—a she, dressed in robes of the same color as Sora wore and a face as cold as ice—took a step toward him.
"We knew you'd come," the Star woman said to him in a voice equally as cold as the polar ice cap itself. "And that's why—" she indicated to the hordes of others that stood behind her, and Yamato rose to his feet once more, reaching for a sword at his side that he knew wouldn't be there. "—we've prepared to kill you."
Their faces were malicious, filled with hate—for him. Why did they hate him? He pondered this as he took a step backward, at a loss. He bumped into the cold stone of the altar, nearly collapsing as he did so. Fear was coursing through him so strongly that it was weakening him, making his breath come in gasps and his eyes dart around. Why did these strange, cold people wish to kill him? Why him?!
Without his mind's consent, one of his quivering hands reached behind him. The feel of her cold hand beneath his is what jolted his mind again, erasing a large amount of the horror inside him. There was this girl, cold and lifeless on an altar, and he submitting himself to his inevitable destruction. Without a fight. He turned to look at her, and realized that her eyes were dull as ever; he would have normally presumed someone in that condition dead, had he not been able to feel her short breaths on his wrist. He turned to glance at her. When he turned back, his stomach turned at the fresh looks of hatred he received from the Stars.
"You dare touch her…" one of them—he couldn't see which—hissed furiously. There were murmurs of agreement among the many, and it was only then Yamato realized how many really surrounded him. Millions. There had to be, he could feel it. A sense of being trapped suddenly overwhelmed him, and he felt as if he were being strangled. Millions of them…
The female that had earlier spoken to him took a step forward menacingly, letting him know that, yes, he was definitely outnumbered. Far outnumbered.
"Why do you still stand there?" she asked him in a hiss, a sneer curling her upper lip. "Do you think you can protect her?"
His voice jammed in his throats, and the words slipped out of his mind. What could he say to that? Yes, he intended to protect her, but…
"It would be wise of you to give up," the transparent woman continued, sounding smugger than ever. "It is her destiny to become our Queen. It is written in Prophecy."
The Star woman's words struck him like a boulder. Destiny? Prophecy? Didn't they realize they were killing her? His mind was a jumble as he attempted to speak. "But…" The words caught in his throat like a lump of disagreeable food. He swallowed, but still the words would not come.
The Stars grinned at him, clearly amused. His eyes darted about, and once more he swallowed. This time, the words found their way out, but barely. "You're wrong…" he told them, in a voice so small he could barely hear himself. However, the Stars seemed to hear it, and immediately took on the defensive. One of them—a man, this time, sad and transparent-looking—pushed through the crowd to stand by the woman.
"What would a boy know about Prophecy?" he scorned. However, his words seemed to light something in Yamato, and he felt some of his fear melt away.
"I know that…" He raised his voice, aware that he still sounded timid. "I know that what you're doing is wrong! You're forcing this to happen too quickly! You're—"
A wave of the hand from the woman cut him off. "Enough of this," she hissed, her dull eyes suddenly blazing. "You couldn't know anything. We need this girl, and we need her now. We've taken steps to insure our own safety—"
"But what about the safety of the others in this Universe?!" Yamato cried, feeling a deep hatred start to replace his fear. Were the Stars really so cold…? "They'll all die if you continue this—this madness!"
"Madness?" the woman scoffed. "I assure, boy, we are quite sane." She shrugged nonchalantly. In doing so, a glow surrounded her so brilliant, Yamato could only gawk. This was the light the stars were made of… The others that surrounded her began to glow with the same light, nearly blinding the boy. And with a sudden, mind-consuming terror, Yamato knew what was about to happen. Blindly, without even a thought toward the action, he reached behind him and took one of the hands of the orange-haired girl in his own, and waited.
The woman let out a high-pitched giggle as she raised a palm to face the blond boy, revealing a white ball of light—his death. "Who needs the Universe anyway?!" the woman nearly screamed, hurling the ball of light straight at the blond boy.
The blow sent him to his knees, others following suit. He was beaten down to the ground, against the altar, his clothes ripping in several places. He felt that his bones would break, that he would break as a whole if this kept up much longer. The Stars would not relent, however, not until they had insured his death.
Feeling beaten, lost, he allowed the tears to pour down his cheeks as his heart broke. And raising his head to the darkness above him, he let out the most terrible cry the Universe had ever heard.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Sora… Sora, wake up!"
His gentle voice in her ear stirred her out of her dreams. He smiled when she had rubbed her eyes open to look at him.
"Papa?" the girl questioned sleepily, being only a small child still and not used to being woken up in the middle of the night. "What's wrong?"
Again her Papa smiled, and picked her up out of her bed. "Don't tell mommy," he said quietly, "But I want to show you something."
Warm in her Father's arms, she consented, excited and awake, now. She giggled to herself, wondering what it might be that her Papa would want to show her in the middle of the night. She snuggled against him as he brought her outside on the porch that went out from their living room. Gently the man set her on her feet, kneeling down next to her and putting a warm arm around her shoulders.
"Look up, Sora," he told her, and she did so. Her jaw dropped at the night sky. It was so bright and beautiful! She told her Papa this and he nodded.
"Of course it is," he responded, and hugged her around her tiny shoulders. "Just for you, my little one."
Her eyes refused to blink as she stared upward in awe. Just for her…? Were the stars really that bright just for her? She looked to her Papa to ask him about this, but he was gone, replaced by someone new and just as warm.
"They really are bright in Autumn, aren't they?" Yamato questioned, his bright blue eyes reflecting the night sky. Sora fingered the pendant about her neck—the one he had given her—and smiled.
"Yes they are," she responded automatically. "And they're beautiful too, aren't they?"
But his eyes were no longer on the stars, but on her. She could feel her cheeks turning warm with color as his piercing blue eyes gazed at her—into her. So she turned her eyes back to the stars, not wanting to look into those eyes anymore.
However, when she looked back to the stars, she suddenly felt sick and dizzy inside. The stars had made her dizzy? A twinkle in one of them told her 'yes.' They had been the ones to make her ill. If she became ill, her mother would become hopeless and entrust her to them. It would all work out; she could come live with them.
Why are you…? She tried to question them, but found herself unable. All she found was a deep trust in them. They knew what they were doing. They wouldn't hurt her. She trusted them, more than anything. Even if they were the ones making her sick, she trusted them…
Abruptly, she fainted, only to be caught by someone warm. She smelled flowers, and immediately associated the scent with her mother.
Turning her head, she found that her mother had tears in her eyes. "You'll be all right, Sora," the dark-haired woman said. "I'll find some way to help you. I promise you'll be all right."
"Help… me…?" Sora questioned weakly. "But… what's wrong with me…?"
There was no reply, however; her mother was gone, replaced by darkness. The orange-haired girl stood, feeling woozy and disoriented. Where was she? Why was it so dark? Where were her Stars?
A light appeared in front of her, and in that light was a man looking very much like her father. However, Sora knew this time… that wasn't her father. How could she be so easily tricked? The man reached out a hand toward her—a cold hand—and, without thinking, Sora took it.
Immediately she heard a voice screaming out her name. It was familiar, and yet… Who? In this man's grasp, she couldn't think of who it was. This man… her father… who was calling her?
A blond boy appeared before her, his arms outstretched toward her, tears glimmering in his perfect blue eyes. "Sora!" he called desperately, sounding forlorn. "Sora! Wake up!"
She stared at him, realizing only then that she was no longer in the man's grip. Him gone, the thought suddenly registered—but she still felt weak… so weak…
"Ya... ma… to…?" she murmured, finding that she could no longer stand, much less speak. She was so tired; she just wanted to sleep forever. Where had all her energy gone?
The blond boy was suddenly surrounded by light, and he stood in front of her, quivering with fear. Where had all the light come from? The boy reached back and took one of her suddenly limp hands—she could feel against his warm hand that her hand was cold. Why was she so cold?
And suddenly a ball of light struck the boy in the chest, and then another. He fell to his knees, weeping, continuously calling her name. His hand, however, continued to clutch her own, his warm grip never letting up. Again and again he was struck with that same, powerful light, his clothes tearing in different places all over. She wanted them to stop. Them, she realized, was the Stars themselves, the light that menacingly surrounded the boy. They were the ones pounding him with light, tearing apart his clothes… killing him.
Her stars were killing Yamato.
He let out a horrifying, desperate cry, so terrible Sora had never heard the like. Her head reeled and spun, and then all at once…
Her eyes fluttered open.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
All at once the pain stopped, and with it, so did everything else. Curious, too weak to be terrified anymore, Yamato slowly opened his eyes to peer around him. The Stars still stood about him, their hands still raised as if to strike him again, but they no longer had their lights surrounding them. They simply stood frozen in place, eyes focused on the same thing. Questions buzzing through his mind now, Yamato trailed their gazes back to the altar, where Sora lay.
Awake.
Painfully, all sense of caution lost on him, Yamato inched his way to his knees and turned to face the orange-haired girl. He noted with a well-worn sadness that her eyes were duller than before. Though he still felt pain in every part of his body, the blond boy managed to raise himself to his feet. The girl's almost lifeless eyes followed him, though it almost seemed as if they were not really seeing him.
"Ya… ma…"
The task of speaking seemed almost too much for the girl. Yamato looked around at the Stars to see if any of them had noticed her speak. However, none out of the millions of them had moved so much as a centimeter, looking, for the very life of them, terrified. Why would they possibly be frightened? Yamato wondered, his eyes widening in disbelief at all of them. Are they afraid of Sora…?
"…ma…to…"
Her tiny voice caught the attention of the blond boy once more. Turning back, he found that her eyes met his immediately. Looking into her eyes suddenly made the blond boy shiver with fright. There was something in her eyes…
Yamato recalled when his grandmother died, when he was still very young. He remembered looking into the eyes of that kind, old woman in her last hours. Dull eyes, on the verge of lifelessness. The eyes of the dying life form.
Death was what was in Sora's eyes. His heart suddenly skipping a few beats, Yamato realized this. Grief swept over him, though no tears came, and he pulled the girl to him, burying his face into her neck and her hair.
"What's happening to you…?" he whispered, so only she could hear—if indeed she really could. "Why is this happening to you…?"
"…You're…" Yamato turned to look into her face, surprised by the sudden change in her voice. She sounded almost stronger that time. "You're… warm…"
Despite himself, the blond-haired boy managed a weak smile. "Am I…?" he questioned, the smile fading almost immediately. "Funny… I don't feel warm inside."
The girl attempted to raise a hand, perhaps to touch his face, but the hand fell listlessly back to her side, as if getting it that far had used up much energy. Yamato wasn't surprised if it had, considering how weak she was. He tightened his arms around her, and in doing so, caused something to fall out of his shirt.
The pendant caught Sora's attention immediately, and, struggling, she smiled. "The pendant…" she commented, gazing at it with what might have been warmth, had her eyes not held that terrible dullness. Suddenly remembering, Yamato released the girl with one arm and reached into a pocket. Sure enough, the pendant that he had given to the girl was there. Still supporting her with one arm, Yamato managed to put the necklace around the girl's thin neck, fastening it tightly so that it would not fall off again, as it had earlier.
It was only once one of her delicate fingers touched his face that the boy realized tears were there. Without his consent, the tears had begun to silently pour forth down his pale face, falling onto his shirt and staining it. He mentally scolded himself for doing something as useless as crying so often. Crying wouldn't do anything, not at all…
Without realizing it, one of his tears fell onto Sora's own cheek, trickling down as if it had been her tear, not his. Automatically, Yamato wiped it away for her, knowing she was probably too weak to do so herself. His hand lingered on her cold face, noting that, despite the coldness, her face was still soft and full of beauty.
The girl's lip suddenly quivered, and she sobbed, wetness flowing from her eyes and onto her cheeks. Yamato watched her in silence, afraid to say anything. Her onslaught of tears was so sudden, he found himself unable to do anything but hold her tighter.
"Yamato…" the orange-haired girl whispered. "I don't… want to be here anymore…!"
She rested her head against his chest, her tears soaking into his shirt where his own tears had dried. Instinctively the boy stroked her hair, still at a loss of anything to say.
Behind him there was silence, still. Suddenly curious, Yamato turned to look behind him. The Stars still stood there, each one of them wearing disbelief on their faces. A few of them looked close to crying themselves. The blond boy knew what was on each and every one of their minds, and nodded to them gravely.
Yes, their "queen" really was that weak.
Footsteps sounded again, this time quieter, as a few of the Stars shuffled backwards, unable to stay there any longer. Why, why was their queen—their goddess—being so weak? Was it just as the boy had told them…? In a manner of minutes, many of them were gone, leaving a select few to surround the boy around the altar. Many of them stood staring in disbelief at the weeping girl, but one set of cold eyes met with Yamato's.
"We thought she could help us," the Star woman said coldly. "But she is so weak…"
"Of course she's weak…" Yamato responded, his eyes intent on the woman's cold face. "She's only a girl. She doesn't know how to be what you need her to be. All she knows is to live… and now you're taking that away from her."
The woman's cold eyes suddenly softened and wavered as if something were sweeping over her. Looking around, Yamato realized that the eyes of the other Stars were softening, also. With wonder, the blond boy watched as all of them backed down the steps, as a different set of feet made their way upward. A man appeared at the top of the stairs, facing Yamato with an expression as grave as death itself. The man wore clothes highly contrasting to that of the stars; robes of bright red, orange, yellow, white. What caught Yamato's attention, however, was the chain he wore about his neck for, attached to that chain, was a pendant much like the one he and Sora wore.
The man, without looking away from Yamato, barked an order at the Stars. "Go," he said, his voice deep and resonating. With a start, Yamato realized that this brightly-clad man must be the Sun, the father of the Stars. The Stars meekly turned and walked away, keeping their heads low and looking, for the life of them, like five-year-olds after being yelled at for running across the street without looking both ways. His eyes focused back on the Sun, however, as he took a step forward.
The boy tightened his grip on Sora, who he barely noticed had stopped crying. He wondered if she noticed the Sun in front of them, and if she were as terrified as he was.
"Give her to me," the Sun ordered, but not as harshly has he had spoken to the Stars. Yamato only tightened his grip on the girl in defiance.
"What will you do to her?" he demanded, though somewhat unsure of himself. The great aura the Sun carried with him was enough to bring any normal person to their knees. The Sun's terrifying eyes, a mix of all the colors he wore, bore into him.
"I will save her," the Sun responded, as if the task were something he did every day. "You realize she is dying, don't you?"
"It's because of them," the blond boy spat. "They made her sick and brought her here!" Fear was lost on him now. "Why didn't you stop them?!"
The man's eyes softened, suddenly, as if he now understood the boy's plight. He took in a breath and let it out, slowly. "Do you not think I tried to stop them?" he asked the blond boy patiently. "In Autumn I become weak, for I am farther away from the Earth. With me weakened, my children almost have more power than I do." He suddenly put on a wry smile. "There's also that little sickness called corruption, something too much focus on old lore and prophecy can invoke. Since I cannot alter prophecy, it was harder to stop my children in their decision to take that girl."
Yamato's azure eyes trailed back to the girl he held so protectively in his arms. Her eyes were still open, but they were still dull and staring. There was a long pause, one in which there was no noise and neither Yamato nor the Sun spoke.
"If you give her to me, I will make her well again," the Sun finally said, his deep voice floating on the air. "She has power—immense power. I can make her well and put that power inside her to use."
Taking this in, Yamato's heart sank. "She won't… be coming back with me…" he wondered. "Will she?"
"Not if she is to live, boy," the Sun said, taking on his air of cool impatience again. He put forth a hand in offering to Yamato. "Or would you rather have her die, because of you?"
Sora stirred in Yamato's arms, causing the boy to look down at her again. Her eyes were sparkling with tears once more, and she refused to look at him as she spoke. "I don't… want to… go anywhere…" she said weakly, her voice barely audible. "I want to… stay with you…"
The boy's eyes widened with disbelief, and he shook his head at her. Was she serious? Did she really wish to die? "Sora, you'll die if don't go with him!" Yamato said in a shaky voice that sounded much different than his own. "I don't want you to die…"
A few tears fell from her eyes as she tilted her head downward, as if to study something. She let out a stifled sob. "But… I…"
"It is her decision," the Sun said suddenly, in a softer voice than before. "If she wishes to stay here, then let it be so. It does not make a difference to me, or the Stars, who will receive a thorough punishment, come the Spring season."
"Sora…" Yamato murmured, his voice quivering. "Please, don't do this!"
The Sun turned, as if to go. As he did so, Yamato finally felt that all really was lost. Despite the fact that he knew the safety of the Universe was insured, now that the Stars knew how weak Sora really was, all was lost if Sora were gone.
"Sora, please!" Yamato cried desperately. "You have to go with him! You can't die!"
A rueful smiled played the girl's pale lips. "Won't it… be the same…" she murmured, the tears in her eyes building up but not coming out. "If… I never see you again… won't I be dead to you anyway…?"
Her eyelids began to close, and immediately Yamato panicked. He shook her fiercely, forcing her to keep her eyes open so he could at least see part of those dull brown orbs that still sparkled with tears that would not come out.
The boy's own tears poured out once again; he was surprised he wasn't all dried out. "Sora!" he cried, his tears falling on his shirt, and her face. "You can't die! You won't die! I… Sora…!" Sobbing uncontrollably, he buried his face in her neck and her hair again, saying the same things over and over again. Unnoticed by him, the pendants both of them wore began to glow again.
"I'm… sorry…" the orange-haired girl whispered, sounding weaker than ever. Yamato raised her so he could look into her eyes, those dull brown orbs, once more. They were partly closed, and in them the glitter of death was almost overwhelming. Looking into them at that moment, the blond-haired boy felt something consuming him, delving itself into his very heart.
And in a moment that felt like foolish, blissful madness, Yamato pressed his lips against hers.
The feeling that overtook him was like nothing he had felt, or could ever describe easily. In that moment, it felt as if everything turned completely upside-down, and that he was melting. In the process of this melting, he seemed to feel Sora melting, also, but melting into him. A shock ran through his body—and Sora's, he realized he could feel—and set him almost to screaming. But, no, he wouldn't let go of her. Never again would he let go of her. He held onto that melting kiss, pouring his entire being—everything he had left in him—into that single kiss. He could feel Sora inside him, could feel her heartbeat, her breathing, her fear of what was to happen to her. He could feel every emotion that passed through her—as if they were the same being. He held on to all that was Sora, and savored it.
What had earlier been a small shock turned into a large one, and Yamato suddenly wanted to cry out in pain. The shock ran through Sora and himself, more painful than anything he had ever felt, even more painful than what the Stars had done to him. He held Sora tighter, closer, realizing that as he held her, she felt safer. He would take care of her, she knew with assurance. Despite the pain that coursed through both of them, he would take care of her. That's why she loved him, her protector.
Blackness suddenly surrounded them, and both wondered if it were death, come to take them away. However, neither Yamato nor Sora cared very much. They were together, finally together, and they loved…
Unnoticed by both of them, the pendants they had worn around their necks suddenly cracked and shattered into millions of tiny pieces. With the pendants, and noticed by the entire Universe, two Prophecies suddenly vanished.
And blissful darkness suddenly consumed them both.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sora opened her eyes, the beautiful light of morning shining about her, illuminating the grass she lay on. Beside her, Yamato lay with his eyes closed, breathing softly. Briefly, Sora wondered what they were doing out there, in the grass in some place she hoped wasn't too public. If someone were to see both of them just lying there…!
Though her very bones ached and protested the action, Sora sorely raised herself on one elbow and nudged the blond boy on the shoulder. He stirred, but did not wake. She shook him with as much strength as she had in her, then, finding some energy in the small bit of early morning sun that shone around them. Yamato did open his eyes this time, blinking a few times, and then focusing his tired eyes on Sora. Immediately he shot up, and Sora nearly fell over when he engulfed her in a crushing hug.
"Sora, you're alive!" he breathed, burying his face in that place between neck and hair, causing the girl to blush. "I can't believe that we're both alive!"
Before she could respond, he was kissing her, on her lips, first, then all over her face; her cheeks, her nose, her eyelids, her forehead. Like some puppy after having been lost for days and finally finding its master. He kissed her lips a second time, this time longer, and it all came rushing back to Sora, all the memories of what had transpired among the stars. Coldness found its way into the pit of her stomach, but just as soon evaporated. She was alive, and Yamato was with her. What had she to worry about anymore?
Feeling warm inside again, she pulled away from the blond boy, resting her head against his chest as he put his arms around her, his lips against her soft orange hair. They stayed like that for as long as they dared before the sun became too high. Rising, Yamato pulled Sora up with him, carefully, as if she would break. He put a protective arm around her shoulders and used another hand to steady her. Remembering something, Sora led the boy along.
"I have to find my mother," she commented. "She's probably worried to death by now…"
It was later in the day, almost toward nightfall, that Sora found her choice of words to be horribly accurate. The girl's auburn-haired mother they found by her father's grave, a cold, lifeless hand outstretched toward the gravestone. Though she grieved, Sora was not surprised by this, and instead of weeping, she laid a hand on her mother's cheek. Immediately, the still form of the woman began to glow, then sparkle, then… disappear. Sora watched in awe as some of the shining dust that had been her mother's body ascended, spiraling upwards toward the sky that was gradually turning into night.
"She's going to where father is," Sora said respectfully, watching as the first star found its way into the night sky. Yamato stared at her in disbelief and awe, then also watched the star. It twinkled for a moment, then dulled as another star joined it close by. Both smiled.
"Perhaps…" Yamato murmured, pulling Sora close to him. "Perhaps this is all fate. Maybe everything that's happened, even though some of it's been awful, was meant to happen." He pecked Sora on the lips and pulled away, smiling despite himself. "I mean, in the long run, hasn't everything turned out okay?" He glanced at the two stars, which had just been joined by several others. "You're mother's probably happy where she is right now, where she can always keep an eye on you."
All at once, tears began to pour from the orange-haired girl's lively, no longer dull eyes. She rested her head on Yamato's chest, where he held her until she was finished.
"Fate…" she murmured after a period of silence, staying close to the blond boy for all the warmth and love that came from him. She could hear his heartbeat, faintly, but it was there, as if it were inside of there. She noted with a deep but brief interest that her own heartbeat went at the same rhythm as his, and smiled. "Fate… makes sense to me."
And for the rest of the night, neither of them spoke a word, the silence comfortable between them as they watched the two stars among the many, which appeared brighter than all the others. Occasionally those stars would flicker, as if in greeting to the pair who watched them, and would continue to watch them every night. And after a short time, the two ran away together to a small cottage, where the two stars were brighter than ever before. For a long time afterward, both were content to be with each other, their matching heartbeats a fine proof of their love.
So for a long, long time, they simply lived and continued to live until they could live no longer, never again see an Autumn sky sparkled with stars.
But until that time, they lived.
Happily.
^ ^ ^
Thanks to all those readers who managed to stick with this story long enough to see its end. I is proud o' you. And also a big, big apology for making you wait so long to see its end, also. Was it worth the wait? Inspiration does not come easy to me, unfortunately, so I hope so. It was a lot of work, but all of your encouragement (those who reviewed and sent me e-mails--THANK YOU!!!!) kept me going. ^_^! and thanks specifically to all those who visit me site's oekaki board on a regular basis. And all those who sent me pretty pictures based on the fic (GundamNymph!! Blue Tears!! *hugs*). Oh, and anybody who ever wrote a Sorato—specifically, Soratos in large numbers (points accusingly at Kawaii L'il Lia J!). You guys make my day bright and shiny.
And even though this is over, please review? I'd like to know that all my work went somewhere. ^^; thank you, all!
Oh yes, and a very special thanks to Yoko Kanno, who made the oh-so-inspiring Escaflowne soundtrack. Helped me loads to get in the writing mood. *pops in Escaflowne tapes* weehee!
And finally…
~*FIN*~ ß 'cause it amuses me to no ends
Tekno Danish J!