Disclaimer: Again, I own nothing except the plot, Tony, Marie, Aaron,
Tammy, Aunt Sally and Georgia. I don't own the song "I Don't Have Anything"
by Vast. So please don't sue me or else you'll only get what I have in my
pockets- lint. ^_^;;
One Last Breath
~By: Lauren~
M Y S T E R I E S
A sixteen year-old Meimi pulled up the front wheel of her motorbike as a shrill giggle of excitement escaped her throat. A gigantic grin spread from both corners of her face as she struggled to catch up to the two other bikes in front of her.
Aaron and Marie both glanced back to yell there approve of her stun. Normally she would be the one leading the 'pack' but for some reason Tony had insisted he lead for 'old time's sake'. Whatever that meant.
"How had time flown by so fast?" Meimi thought to herself as she followed the group. It seemed she had just joined them yesterday but now, in the blink of an eye, two entire years had gone by without her even realizing it. Most of them had matured physically and mentally but Marie was still a bit behind on the last one. Meimi was now sixteen, Tammy was seventeen, Tony was eighteen, Marie was fifteen and lastly, Aaron was fourteen.
Meimi smiled to herself, her still very long silky red hair fluttering in the breeze along with her old, familiar black trench coat that flew behind her like black wings. The rest of her clothing she had grown out of and had purchased new ones. She had grown to love these people, this strange group of kids who wandered town to town. And because of them...her sadness had lessened. It wasn't a throbbing pain in her heart anymore. It was more like a dull ache. It was still there and if she wanted to, she could detect it clearly but it had changed over time and she was now able to think about her past without her eyes filling with tears and her body trembling with regrets and sorrow. She didn't wake up with a start at night, doused with cold sweat from the dreams that haunted her. In fact, she hardly dreamed at all.
She remembered when she would fight with herself, saying things like, "I should have never left home! I should have never accepted that mission." She would tell herself
But then another part of her would ask, "Never? Never means not meeting Tony, Marie, Tammy and Aaron. Never means not seeing the world. Never means not learning how to live again."
She floored the motorbike until she was riding alongside the two other bikes. "So where are we going?" Meimi questioned for the hundredth time.
"None of your business." Marie cruelly chuckled as Meimi imagined two devil horns poking out of her raven hair.
"Yes it is my business!! I ALWAYS pick where we go, why the sudden change?! Was I THAT bad at it?" Meimi pleaded for an answer as she pushed the itching annoyance into the back of her mind.
"Well, we just wanted a change." Aaron smirked as if he was hiding something. Their strange actions caused Meimi to feel uneasy, bringing butterflies into her stomach.
"It's a surprise!!" Marie chirped suddenly, bouncing in her seat.
"HOLD STILL!!" Tony snapped at his sister while he gave her a death glare. "And shut up!!" He hissed.
Tammy laughed at the two while she faced forward. Her chocolate colored hair was now grown out to about two inch above her shoulders and it was currently fluttering around wildly as a chilly wild blew. She still insisted on keeping it short for reasons Meimi wasn't quite sure about but she had the feeling it had something to do with her father.
Meimi rose her left eyebrow. "A surprise for me? What kind of surprise and why?"
"It's nothing, forget it Meimi." Tony sighed, obviously ticked off at his younger sister for her big mouth. His black hair hung in his eyes, showing he needed a haircut. Aaron had kept his usual style as the years before and Marie's hair was now almost to her waist.
Meimi shrugged, hiding her suspicion as she slipped Ruby a bit of an apple. The hedgehog squeaked with joy from her pocket inside Meimi's backpack. With the same free hands she pushed her sunglasses back up high on her nose before quickly returning it to her bike handle. Her eyes darted back and forth as Marie giggled out of the blue and it was obvious she found something very funny while she kept glancing at Meimi.
Meimi raised her eyebrow as she called out to the Italian girl. "What is so funny?! Do I have something on my face? In my teeth?"
"Oh.....NOTHING!" Marie retorted before turning back to face forward. Tony rolled his eyes as he sped up a bit, leaving Meimi in the dust.
Tammy kept up with him as Meimi struggled keep up at their fast pace. They seemed to be in a big hurry for they hadn't even stopped for lunch yet and it was already dinnertime. Meimi's stomach could vouch for that. Tammy smiled warmly at Tony who replied with a wink.
Meimi hid a tiny smile. Those two were so adorable, she just wished they would finally announce they loved each other to each other and everyone else. "They belong together." Meimi thought to herself. She once again received many suspicious looks from her friends. She sighed, shifting her aching backside in her seat as she gnawed on her wad of bubble gum. Raising her voice to a high level, she exclaimed. "WILL SOMEONE JUST TELL ME WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE?!?!?"
And what was the answer she received?
More laughs, strange looks and chuckles.
Since Meimi figured no one was about to answer her question and it was useless to purse it, she just decided to let the subject drop and to just follow them wherever they were leading her. As she glanced at the trees around her, the road signs, the black asphalt and the call boxes that lined the road, and the red head got a strange sense that these roads felt strange and eerily familiar. She quickly brushed the feelings to the back of her mind. I mean, she had traveled on so many roads so it was natural that some felt the same and plus, it's not like a lot of roads look all that different...right? But for some reason...this road felt different. It WAS different. She could feel the asphalt under her bike, she could breath in the deep strong smell of pine trees, she could feel the heavy weight of an recent rain hanging in the air and it felt as if she had traveled on this road many times before. To be truthful, it scared her a bit so she did the only thing she really could think of. She forgot about the feelings and let her body melt in with the vibrations of the motorbike.
They soon found a rest stop were they pitched out tents and all of them, too tired from the days ride, just went straight to sleep without any words or conversations.
~*~
Someone was shaking her.
Meimi awoke with a start, her eyes flaring open, a startled breath leaving her lungs...and she felt the blood in her veins run cold. Her heart froze in her chest...she was...she was here...beside her sleeping bag...in the tent...kneeling there in a simple white gown, thick red hair tumbling in waves over her frail shoulders, worn fingers clutching onto Meimi's arm, dragging her from her sleep...
"Meimi!!" Her mother whispered. "Get up Meimi!!"
A hot, scorching wetness sprang to her eyes, creeping down her cheeks. "M...Mom..." She managed, crawling from the bed and placing her feet on the cold tent floor. Her mother's face smiled down happily with her eyes wide open and sparkling...but there was something about her that seemed strange, something that seemed wrong.
"Mom" Meimi said at last. "Mom...y-you're...dead...." The last word was a whisper.
Her mother paused, looking down at her daughter. Then, suddenly, she slid forward, wrapped her arms around Meimi's shoulders and she held her daughter tightly...the top of Meimi's head pressed lightly against her mother's chin. She was...she was here...but, she wasn't...she wasn't real. Meimi knew it...even as she felt the warmth of her mother's body against her own, the heat of her breath against her cheek...she knew it wasn't real.
It was a dream. Meimi knew it...her mother...wasn't really there.
Her mother released her, took a step back and stared up into Meimi's eyes. She smiled and reached out a hand, touching it lightly to her daughter's cheek. "Silly," she said, smiling softly. "Of course I'm really here. Just because it's a dream doesn't mean it's not real."
Her mother smiled down at her daughter. "Don't worry Meimi. He'll help you." A soft giggle slipped from her lips, and Meimi watched as she grabbed onto her hands and held them loosely with care. "But, you have to love him, Meimi." She commanded, eyeing her sternly. "You have to love him." She smiled. "But, I know you will. You already do."
Something stabbed into Meimi, making her draw a sharp breath. Abruptly, the world began to fade out around her, to draw her back to reality and her own bed. No...it was...ending?
Her mother nodded slowly, sadly. "Yes, it's time for me to go now honey." She smiled again, sorrowfully. "You knew I had to...but it's all right, isn't it? Because, we're always together. You, father and I. We still are a family darling. In our hearts. We ALWAYS are."
"No..." Meimi whispered, tears stinging her eyes. "No...d-don't leave me mommy...don't leave...you just came...after t-two years...DON'T LEAVE!!"
"I know it's hard honey but I have to go. You're a strong girl. I'm sorry I didn't come sooner but...I was unable to. You never were close enough for me to reach you until now." Her mother replied softly. "What did she mean by that?" Meimi wondered but her thoughts ended quickly. She was fading...drifting away into the darkness...leaving her...leaving her forever...!! "I have to go." Her mother almost whispered. Meimi's throat almost immediately tightened, feeling a strangeness to her mother's words, making her want to scream that what she expected wasn't true, but by the broken way Meimi returned her mother's stare and the hopelessness that flooded her eyes, it only came to be an evident inevitable. Her mother's face softened with the look a mother could only give her daughter. A look saying she would never changed having a child, how she raised her daughter, a look telling her child to live, a looking saying she loved her daughter with all her being. "If your happy days are ruined, well...if they're destroyed...then just build them up again." "NO! Why do you have to leave? You are here mom!! You are so close I can FEEL you...why do you have to go? Why did you have to...have to...die..." Meimi stopped. Something had changed suddenly.
She felt the change in the very deepest part of her heart, felt it explode in the dark spot of her mind, the very core of her soul. It...it was them. Her parents. She was changing, growing, expanding, learning, living...but, always growing...always growing. As she looked at her mother for that one, last, fleeting instant, she saw that she was beautiful in her crisp while gown, the one from the cherry blossom picture. Her red hair was in curled wisps, framing her face. Her lips were painted a glistening pink and she looked down at Meimi, speaking soft warm words in a voice she'd never heard. But the voice she knew, unmistakably, was her mother's.
They were strange words...words that didn't make sense, words that made her frown, question, wonder...but, words that, somehow, somewhere, struck a chord...words that MEANT something somewhere within her.
"Don't cry, my lovely little girl. One day you'll understand it's not your fault. It never was. He'll help you see that." The woman before her whispered, and she felt those soft fingers brush against her face, warm, strong arms holding her close. "Don't cry...my Meimi."
Then, it all faded...and she woke up. Hot tears stained her face. She felt the presence gone. Was it just a dream? But it felt so real. And why did she say she could only visit her now? Why couldn't she before? Who was she talking about? Who was Meimi supposed to love? Who would free her from this horrible pain? Who would help her? Why was the gang acting so strange to her lately? Where were they taking her? All the mysteries filled her mind up with confusion, which quickly turned to anger. She wanted answers and she wanted them now...and yet when she went to shake Tammy awake and demand what was going on, she found herself unable to. Something inside her stopped her and she knew...she knew she would have to wait for the questions to be answered. She would have to be patient.
~*~
I stood on mountaintops
That overlooked the world
I can't find anything
Except a void inside
~*~
Author's Note: Hey everyone! Oh my gosh, I love you guys so much. I NEVER expected this much attention for my ficcy. Want to know something funny? This story first started off as a 'going to be' 1 chapter fanfiction but then I decided to divided up the song to make it a bit longer and suddenly I got ideas and it's this big story! But along with that....I've realized that I'm now OUT OF SONG LYRICS TO USE!! *twitches* Not very hard to believe but....yeah. So I've been searching for a new song, tell me if you think it fits or not! Thanks so much again! *hugs* You all rock!!
Meimi: FINALLY I GET A CHANCE TO TALK!! LAUREN! You're like killing me and ruining my life! *cries*
Lauren: Ehehehehe....! Sorry! But it's for the story! A good cause!
Asuka Jr: *grabs Meimi protectively and hugs her* Leave my poor Meimi alone!!! And WHY am I barely in this fanfic?! I demand an answer or else I'll call my lawyer and find a reason to sue you!
Lauren: *falls to the floor, cherry petals fly past her, reaches out to Asuka Jr.* NOOOOOOO!!!!!! Then I can't buy more anime and Saint Tail comics!! I NEED WHAT LITTLE MONEY I HAVE SAVED!!
Asuka Jr: MUAHAHAHHAHAHHAA!!!
Lauren: OH YEAH ASUKA!! *flames rise around her* If you don't be patient and nice I'll pair you up with LINA!!
Asuka Jr.: GAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!! NOOOOOOOO!!!!!! *runs and hides*
Meimi: I'm sick of always crying and being depressed! Plus those motorbikes are dangerous!!!!
Lauren: Oh my gosh. *rolls eyes* Just shut up and read the story! *grabs Asuka Jr. and Meimi by the shirt collar, dragging them off away* There, much better! Peace and quiet!
One Last Breath
~By: Lauren~
M Y S T E R I E S
A sixteen year-old Meimi pulled up the front wheel of her motorbike as a shrill giggle of excitement escaped her throat. A gigantic grin spread from both corners of her face as she struggled to catch up to the two other bikes in front of her.
Aaron and Marie both glanced back to yell there approve of her stun. Normally she would be the one leading the 'pack' but for some reason Tony had insisted he lead for 'old time's sake'. Whatever that meant.
"How had time flown by so fast?" Meimi thought to herself as she followed the group. It seemed she had just joined them yesterday but now, in the blink of an eye, two entire years had gone by without her even realizing it. Most of them had matured physically and mentally but Marie was still a bit behind on the last one. Meimi was now sixteen, Tammy was seventeen, Tony was eighteen, Marie was fifteen and lastly, Aaron was fourteen.
Meimi smiled to herself, her still very long silky red hair fluttering in the breeze along with her old, familiar black trench coat that flew behind her like black wings. The rest of her clothing she had grown out of and had purchased new ones. She had grown to love these people, this strange group of kids who wandered town to town. And because of them...her sadness had lessened. It wasn't a throbbing pain in her heart anymore. It was more like a dull ache. It was still there and if she wanted to, she could detect it clearly but it had changed over time and she was now able to think about her past without her eyes filling with tears and her body trembling with regrets and sorrow. She didn't wake up with a start at night, doused with cold sweat from the dreams that haunted her. In fact, she hardly dreamed at all.
She remembered when she would fight with herself, saying things like, "I should have never left home! I should have never accepted that mission." She would tell herself
But then another part of her would ask, "Never? Never means not meeting Tony, Marie, Tammy and Aaron. Never means not seeing the world. Never means not learning how to live again."
She floored the motorbike until she was riding alongside the two other bikes. "So where are we going?" Meimi questioned for the hundredth time.
"None of your business." Marie cruelly chuckled as Meimi imagined two devil horns poking out of her raven hair.
"Yes it is my business!! I ALWAYS pick where we go, why the sudden change?! Was I THAT bad at it?" Meimi pleaded for an answer as she pushed the itching annoyance into the back of her mind.
"Well, we just wanted a change." Aaron smirked as if he was hiding something. Their strange actions caused Meimi to feel uneasy, bringing butterflies into her stomach.
"It's a surprise!!" Marie chirped suddenly, bouncing in her seat.
"HOLD STILL!!" Tony snapped at his sister while he gave her a death glare. "And shut up!!" He hissed.
Tammy laughed at the two while she faced forward. Her chocolate colored hair was now grown out to about two inch above her shoulders and it was currently fluttering around wildly as a chilly wild blew. She still insisted on keeping it short for reasons Meimi wasn't quite sure about but she had the feeling it had something to do with her father.
Meimi rose her left eyebrow. "A surprise for me? What kind of surprise and why?"
"It's nothing, forget it Meimi." Tony sighed, obviously ticked off at his younger sister for her big mouth. His black hair hung in his eyes, showing he needed a haircut. Aaron had kept his usual style as the years before and Marie's hair was now almost to her waist.
Meimi shrugged, hiding her suspicion as she slipped Ruby a bit of an apple. The hedgehog squeaked with joy from her pocket inside Meimi's backpack. With the same free hands she pushed her sunglasses back up high on her nose before quickly returning it to her bike handle. Her eyes darted back and forth as Marie giggled out of the blue and it was obvious she found something very funny while she kept glancing at Meimi.
Meimi raised her eyebrow as she called out to the Italian girl. "What is so funny?! Do I have something on my face? In my teeth?"
"Oh.....NOTHING!" Marie retorted before turning back to face forward. Tony rolled his eyes as he sped up a bit, leaving Meimi in the dust.
Tammy kept up with him as Meimi struggled keep up at their fast pace. They seemed to be in a big hurry for they hadn't even stopped for lunch yet and it was already dinnertime. Meimi's stomach could vouch for that. Tammy smiled warmly at Tony who replied with a wink.
Meimi hid a tiny smile. Those two were so adorable, she just wished they would finally announce they loved each other to each other and everyone else. "They belong together." Meimi thought to herself. She once again received many suspicious looks from her friends. She sighed, shifting her aching backside in her seat as she gnawed on her wad of bubble gum. Raising her voice to a high level, she exclaimed. "WILL SOMEONE JUST TELL ME WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE?!?!?"
And what was the answer she received?
More laughs, strange looks and chuckles.
Since Meimi figured no one was about to answer her question and it was useless to purse it, she just decided to let the subject drop and to just follow them wherever they were leading her. As she glanced at the trees around her, the road signs, the black asphalt and the call boxes that lined the road, and the red head got a strange sense that these roads felt strange and eerily familiar. She quickly brushed the feelings to the back of her mind. I mean, she had traveled on so many roads so it was natural that some felt the same and plus, it's not like a lot of roads look all that different...right? But for some reason...this road felt different. It WAS different. She could feel the asphalt under her bike, she could breath in the deep strong smell of pine trees, she could feel the heavy weight of an recent rain hanging in the air and it felt as if she had traveled on this road many times before. To be truthful, it scared her a bit so she did the only thing she really could think of. She forgot about the feelings and let her body melt in with the vibrations of the motorbike.
They soon found a rest stop were they pitched out tents and all of them, too tired from the days ride, just went straight to sleep without any words or conversations.
~*~
Someone was shaking her.
Meimi awoke with a start, her eyes flaring open, a startled breath leaving her lungs...and she felt the blood in her veins run cold. Her heart froze in her chest...she was...she was here...beside her sleeping bag...in the tent...kneeling there in a simple white gown, thick red hair tumbling in waves over her frail shoulders, worn fingers clutching onto Meimi's arm, dragging her from her sleep...
"Meimi!!" Her mother whispered. "Get up Meimi!!"
A hot, scorching wetness sprang to her eyes, creeping down her cheeks. "M...Mom..." She managed, crawling from the bed and placing her feet on the cold tent floor. Her mother's face smiled down happily with her eyes wide open and sparkling...but there was something about her that seemed strange, something that seemed wrong.
"Mom" Meimi said at last. "Mom...y-you're...dead...." The last word was a whisper.
Her mother paused, looking down at her daughter. Then, suddenly, she slid forward, wrapped her arms around Meimi's shoulders and she held her daughter tightly...the top of Meimi's head pressed lightly against her mother's chin. She was...she was here...but, she wasn't...she wasn't real. Meimi knew it...even as she felt the warmth of her mother's body against her own, the heat of her breath against her cheek...she knew it wasn't real.
It was a dream. Meimi knew it...her mother...wasn't really there.
Her mother released her, took a step back and stared up into Meimi's eyes. She smiled and reached out a hand, touching it lightly to her daughter's cheek. "Silly," she said, smiling softly. "Of course I'm really here. Just because it's a dream doesn't mean it's not real."
Her mother smiled down at her daughter. "Don't worry Meimi. He'll help you." A soft giggle slipped from her lips, and Meimi watched as she grabbed onto her hands and held them loosely with care. "But, you have to love him, Meimi." She commanded, eyeing her sternly. "You have to love him." She smiled. "But, I know you will. You already do."
Something stabbed into Meimi, making her draw a sharp breath. Abruptly, the world began to fade out around her, to draw her back to reality and her own bed. No...it was...ending?
Her mother nodded slowly, sadly. "Yes, it's time for me to go now honey." She smiled again, sorrowfully. "You knew I had to...but it's all right, isn't it? Because, we're always together. You, father and I. We still are a family darling. In our hearts. We ALWAYS are."
"No..." Meimi whispered, tears stinging her eyes. "No...d-don't leave me mommy...don't leave...you just came...after t-two years...DON'T LEAVE!!"
"I know it's hard honey but I have to go. You're a strong girl. I'm sorry I didn't come sooner but...I was unable to. You never were close enough for me to reach you until now." Her mother replied softly. "What did she mean by that?" Meimi wondered but her thoughts ended quickly. She was fading...drifting away into the darkness...leaving her...leaving her forever...!! "I have to go." Her mother almost whispered. Meimi's throat almost immediately tightened, feeling a strangeness to her mother's words, making her want to scream that what she expected wasn't true, but by the broken way Meimi returned her mother's stare and the hopelessness that flooded her eyes, it only came to be an evident inevitable. Her mother's face softened with the look a mother could only give her daughter. A look saying she would never changed having a child, how she raised her daughter, a look telling her child to live, a looking saying she loved her daughter with all her being. "If your happy days are ruined, well...if they're destroyed...then just build them up again." "NO! Why do you have to leave? You are here mom!! You are so close I can FEEL you...why do you have to go? Why did you have to...have to...die..." Meimi stopped. Something had changed suddenly.
She felt the change in the very deepest part of her heart, felt it explode in the dark spot of her mind, the very core of her soul. It...it was them. Her parents. She was changing, growing, expanding, learning, living...but, always growing...always growing. As she looked at her mother for that one, last, fleeting instant, she saw that she was beautiful in her crisp while gown, the one from the cherry blossom picture. Her red hair was in curled wisps, framing her face. Her lips were painted a glistening pink and she looked down at Meimi, speaking soft warm words in a voice she'd never heard. But the voice she knew, unmistakably, was her mother's.
They were strange words...words that didn't make sense, words that made her frown, question, wonder...but, words that, somehow, somewhere, struck a chord...words that MEANT something somewhere within her.
"Don't cry, my lovely little girl. One day you'll understand it's not your fault. It never was. He'll help you see that." The woman before her whispered, and she felt those soft fingers brush against her face, warm, strong arms holding her close. "Don't cry...my Meimi."
Then, it all faded...and she woke up. Hot tears stained her face. She felt the presence gone. Was it just a dream? But it felt so real. And why did she say she could only visit her now? Why couldn't she before? Who was she talking about? Who was Meimi supposed to love? Who would free her from this horrible pain? Who would help her? Why was the gang acting so strange to her lately? Where were they taking her? All the mysteries filled her mind up with confusion, which quickly turned to anger. She wanted answers and she wanted them now...and yet when she went to shake Tammy awake and demand what was going on, she found herself unable to. Something inside her stopped her and she knew...she knew she would have to wait for the questions to be answered. She would have to be patient.
~*~
I stood on mountaintops
That overlooked the world
I can't find anything
Except a void inside
~*~
Author's Note: Hey everyone! Oh my gosh, I love you guys so much. I NEVER expected this much attention for my ficcy. Want to know something funny? This story first started off as a 'going to be' 1 chapter fanfiction but then I decided to divided up the song to make it a bit longer and suddenly I got ideas and it's this big story! But along with that....I've realized that I'm now OUT OF SONG LYRICS TO USE!! *twitches* Not very hard to believe but....yeah. So I've been searching for a new song, tell me if you think it fits or not! Thanks so much again! *hugs* You all rock!!
Meimi: FINALLY I GET A CHANCE TO TALK!! LAUREN! You're like killing me and ruining my life! *cries*
Lauren: Ehehehehe....! Sorry! But it's for the story! A good cause!
Asuka Jr: *grabs Meimi protectively and hugs her* Leave my poor Meimi alone!!! And WHY am I barely in this fanfic?! I demand an answer or else I'll call my lawyer and find a reason to sue you!
Lauren: *falls to the floor, cherry petals fly past her, reaches out to Asuka Jr.* NOOOOOOO!!!!!! Then I can't buy more anime and Saint Tail comics!! I NEED WHAT LITTLE MONEY I HAVE SAVED!!
Asuka Jr: MUAHAHAHHAHAHHAA!!!
Lauren: OH YEAH ASUKA!! *flames rise around her* If you don't be patient and nice I'll pair you up with LINA!!
Asuka Jr.: GAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!! NOOOOOOOO!!!!!! *runs and hides*
Meimi: I'm sick of always crying and being depressed! Plus those motorbikes are dangerous!!!!
Lauren: Oh my gosh. *rolls eyes* Just shut up and read the story! *grabs Asuka Jr. and Meimi by the shirt collar, dragging them off away* There, much better! Peace and quiet!