"Misty Onee-san!!! Lookee!!!"
Misty chuckled as she watched Karu hung upside down from a set of monkey bars, giggling in never ceasing mirth. Indeed, she found the toddler's enthusiasm to be infectious, as she clapped in appreciation of the child's antics. "Very good Karu-chan! Now just be careful will you?"
Standing at the nearby ice cream van, with a look of sheer panic on her face, Ezra was obviously not as appreciative of Karu's hijinks as Misty was. ""Karu! Get down from there right now! That's dangerous!"
Karu only took one glance at her mother before making her escape, scampering to the nearby fort; a now even more flustered mother in her wake. Watching all of this, Misty's chuckle became a full-blown laugh; earning her a dirty look from Ezra that said more clearly than words, "Wait till you have one of your own!"
Later, when the laughter had passed, and the three were now all seated calmly on a bench, Karu now more interested in icecream than in running amok, Misty found herself smiling in contentment. Sitting in the sun, beside mother and daughter, she could not remember such days as these.
And at that moment all was right in the world for a certain blue haired girl.
Once upon a Christmas Eve – A Vandread Fiction by KTXDisclaimer – check previous chapters for disclaimer
A.N. – Same ol notes here
Italics = Thoughts/memories
A.N. part II – Ok, here's a little catch up part for those who have forgotten the setting and where everyone is. Meia/Misty/Karu etc. – Pirate base on two week leave, Hibiki- Nirvana. That pretty much covers the important parts… enjoy people!
Meia grimaced, the overhead light seeming overly harsh to her newly opened eyes. Looking at her bedside display, she noted that it was well into the early hours of the morning, two a.m. to be exact. Meia yawned as she sinuously stretched out sleep-laden limbs, before deciding that she wanted a drink and stepped out of bed.
Feeling more alert after having downed a glass of water, her mind suddenly registered what had woken her up. Someone was quietly knocking on her door.
*****
"Onee-san… Are you awake?"
Misty felt slightly foolish standing outside Meia's door so early in the morning. For all she knew, Meia could very well be asleep and she was just wasting her time. Yet the feeling of bliss had left with Karu and Ezra, and in its wake a question had risen from the back of her mind. It had not left her since and would not allow her to disappear into the blackness of sleep. She had to find the answer, and her chance came as the door to the apartment opened, revealing a very confused Meia. "Misty?"
"I'm sorry Onee-san… I couldn't sleep," Misty hesitantly said, suddenly realizing how silly she looked, standing outside the door at two am in the morning. "Would you mind going for a walk with me?"
*****
Meia found herself wondering why she had EVER assented. They had been walking for at least half an hour now, and Misty had been talking non-stop about Karu and Ezra, and a million other inconsequential things. At the very least it was a nice night…
"Onee-san," Misty whispered, her tone loosing the somewhat jovial quality it held just a moment ago. "Can I ask you something?"
"Hmm?" Meia turned to face Misty. Perhaps now Misty's reasons for calling her out would be revealed, and she could return to bed.
"Why have you been avoiding Karu-chan?" Barely a whisper, Meia had to strain to listen to her words, but upon doing so, wished she did not.
"Avoiding? I don't know what you're talking about," Meia instinctively replied. Having been caught unawares, the surprise on her face was clearly evident. Running on instinct, her defenses came in place as her face took on a neutral expression. One she had come to use all too often since Dita's death. A faint rumble in the sky warned of an incoming storm, but neither of them heeded the omen.
Taking a breath to steady herself, Misty continued, her voice wavering slightly. "Then why won't you go see her? She really misses you…"
"The reasons I do things, are mine alone," Meia replied, her cool calm tone cutting Misty off in mid-sentence. "I'm going back now. Good night." Had not Misty grabbed onto her arm first, she probably would have left right then.
"Why do you refuse to see Karu-chan?" Misty asked quietly, repeating her question. "I can understand why you might want to push me and everyone else away, but why Karu? She is only a child."
"I still don't know what you are talking about." Meia did not even turn to face Misty.
Misty found herself at loss for words. Everything she said was either dodged or ignored, and frustration tore at her already wavering control. "Why won't you even give me a straight answer? What are you so afraid of, Meia?"
*Crack*
Hearing her name said with such spite felt as if she had been slapped in the face, and before Meia knew it her left palm was stinging and Misty had let go of her arm.
"Is that all you can do? Hurt those who care about you?" Misty shouted as her control gave way. She found herself unable to speak as tears began flowing down her cheeks, more from her own frustrations at her inability to reach Meia, then from the stinging on her cheek. "All we want to do is help you, but you keep pushing us away!"
Choking back a sob, she continued. "What happened to the Onee-san I used to know? The one who smiled as she held Karu-chan in her arms? The one I care about?"
Meia remained silent for a while, the realities of Misty's words slowly sinking in. Finally she spoke, a dreaded finality to her words. "She died when Dita died."
Overhead, a single thunderclap heralded the arrival of the storm.
*****
It was almost hypnotizing- the way that the pexis seemed to pulse, almost as if it was alive. Ripples flowed across its surface, momentary disturbances of seamless ethereal luminescence.
Watching the pexis had fast become one of his favorite past times, when he wasn't throwing pebbles in the lake. So much so, that the engineering team generally left him alone, knowing that he preferred it that way. This precedence however, did not apply to a certain Navi droid.
"What do you want Pyoro?" Hibiki asked, not even bothering to turn around. Every single time that he went to the pexis room to think, it wouldn't be long before Pyoro would make its presence known; much to his irritation.
"What are you doing-pyoro?"
"Thinking."
"About what-pyoro?"
"Go away Pyoro," Hibiki growled, not bothering to hide the menace in his voice.
A threat which the Navi droid promptly ignored. "But Hibiki always says that-pyoro."
"I don't want to talk to you."
"Hibiki always says that to-pyoro."
"So why are you still here?"
"What is Hibiki thinking about-pyoro?"
"That's it!" Hibiki shouted as he turned around in one fluid motion and lunged for the source of his current annoyance. "I'm really going to dismantle you this time!"
"Is Hibiki thinking about Dita?"
The words slammed into him like a sledgehammer. In an instant, all his anger left him. Turning around, he rested his elbows on the railing and returned to watching the pexis, Pyoro forgotten. This time, even Pyoro knew that the discussion was over and floated away.
And among the multitude of greens, a red ripple formed.
*****
She was exhausted. Or she would have been had Meia actually paid attention to the signals her body was shouting at her. Rather, her mind was focused on the aftermath of her fateful argument with Misty. Since that night, and it had been five days since, she had been avoiding her. Even now, as they sat on the shuttle back to the Nirvana, Misty was seated as far as she possibly could from her.
Meia sighed, unable to reconcile her thoughts with her feelings. Her mind told her that this was for the best. After all, this was what she had wanted: to be distant from others? This way Misty had stopped trying to break through her defenses. Behind her walls she would be safe; from hurting others and being hurt by them. Wasn't this the way it should be?
Yet her heart told her otherwise.
Was it really for the best? To have lost someone who actually cared enough about her to persist in being her friend, even when she tried to push her away? Who only wanted to see her happy?
Unable to answer her own questions, Meia closed her eyes and attempted to escape into the freeing emptiness of sleep.
*****
It's dark. Meia blinked as she attempted to study her surroundings, yet she could barely make out the outline of her outstretched hand. Tentatively walking forwards, she searched for an exit, an escape from the now oppressive darkness.
"Why do you hurt me?" A voice spoke up from her left.
Meia spun around, falling instinctively into a combat stance; but relaxed as she realized who the speaker was. Misty stood motionless, her face clearly visible save eyes which were shrouded in shadow.
"Why do you hurt me?"
Momentarily unnerved by Misty's voice, which was undoubtedly her's, yet was not, Meia ignored Misty's question and asked one of her own." Where are we Misty? What is this place?" Yet she did not reply, in fact Misty did not seem to react at all.
"Meia Onee-san, why do you hate me?" A new voice spoke from the darkness, this time from her right. Meia spun around once more to find herself looking at the minute form of Karu-chan.
"Karu-chan? What is going on here?"
"Why do you hurt me?"
"Meia Onee-san, why do you hate me?"
"Why are you two asking me these questions?" Meia shot back, greatly unnerved. Tentatively, she backed away for her two questioners, only to be stopped as another voice spoke up from behind her.
"Tell me Meia, what happens when you run out of road to run to?"
Before she realized what she was doing, her foot had struck Gascogne square on the head; yet she did not even flinch.
Then the questions began again.
"Why do you hurt me?"
"Meia Onee-san, why do you hate me?"
"Tell me Meia, what happens when you run out of road to run to?"
She did not understand what was going on. Indeed she felt as if each question was a physical blow. Dropping to her knees she clutched her ears in a futile attempt to block out the unending questions, yet they continued.
"Why do you hurt me?"
"Meia Onee-san, why do you hate me?"
"Tell me Meia, what happens when you run out of road to run to?"
Faster and faster, the questions came, until there was no pause between each word- a never-ending chant that she could not block out.
"Why do you hurt me?" "Meia Onee-san, why do you hate me?" "Tell me Meia, what happens when you run out of road to run to?"
"WHY ARE YOU ALL ASKING ME THIS?" She finally screamed, unable to take the questions any longer.
Silence fell.
Lifting her head, Meia gasped as she recognized the lone figure that stood before her. She found her voice failing her as green eyes stared into familiar green eyes.
"Because this is what you wanted," Meia answered.
*****
2:35
Hibiki sighed, unable to decide what to do a king of spades, a queen of spades, a jack of hearts, a jack of spades, and a ten of spades; an almost perfect hand. Now was he going to take the chance that his next card was going to be an ace, or even better, the ace of spades, or was he going to keep his double and attempt a full house…
2:01
"Gotta make a decision soon…"
Hibiki grumbled a reply as he continued staring at his cards. She always does this. Why can't she give me the time I need… anyway, where was I?
1:35
"Time's passing Hibiki."
"I KNOW! I KNOW!!"
Gascogne smiled at Hibiki's reply. It was nice to see that while many things had changed, some things remained the same; such as Hibiki ineptitude at playing poker. He was just too easy to read. Made things a lot of fun for her of course.
1:04
Full house? Or try for a Royal flush? ARGH! I don't know!!!
0:35
Gascogne yawned languorously, drawing an annoyed growl from Hibiki who still fiddled with his cards. Stretching her arms, she got up and placed her cards facedown on the table.
"Hey where you going? I still have thirty five seconds left!"
Gascogne waved a hand dismissively, before turning and exiting the room. "Calm down, I'm just going to get me a cup of coffee."
"Fine… as long as I get to keep this hand."
Her only reply was to chuckle as she walked out of the room.
0:00
"YOSH!" Hibiki cried, his mind made up. Taking a look at the timer, he had made his decision just in time; so what if it had been at zero for the past five minutes. She didn't have to know.
"You ready yet?" Gascogne said as she entered the room, carrying a cup of strong black coffee in each hand. Gingerly, she placed both mugs down as she sat down in her regular position on the other side of the table. "Here, I got you a cup."
Hibiki stared suspiciously at the black liquid set before him. "What is that stuff?"
"Coffee."
Shrugging, he picked up the cup and took a gulp, and it took all his self-control not to spit the bitter liquid out again. Gascogne only laughed at Hibiki's expression, his face set in a tell-all grimace.
"Too strong for you hmm?"
Hibiki stared daggers at her before forcing himself to finish the rest of the cup. He was not going to let a challenge like that go unanswered. Of course that did leave him with an even more pronounced grimace after all was said and done. "Hah!"
Gascogne seemed not to notice as she calmly sipped at her coffee. "You ready to make your decision yet?"
"Yes." Hibiki predatorily grinned, the caffeine entering his system. He felt very awake, and very alert. Her joke had backfired, and now there was no way he was going to lose. "Give me one card…"
As he looked at the card he drew, his grin grew. The nine of spades. While it wasn't the card he was hoping for, it would do just fine. "Yosh!" Hibiki shouted as he leaped to his feet, throwing the cards on the table, "Beat this! Straight Flush!"
"Five of a kind," Gascogne nonchalantly replied as she revealed her cards.
The sound of Hibiki's forehead hitting the table was soon joined by renewed laughter from the manager of the register.
Yes, some things never changed.
*****
Hibiki was grumpy, very grumpy. To be fair, he would have been asleep hours ago save for his new discovery concerning the side effects of caffeine. After an hour of futile twisting and turning, he was now resigned to not get any semblance to a normal night's sleep. Sighing in defeat, he trudged down the now familiar walkway to the lake. Throwing pebbles into the lake seemed a much more interesting prospect than merely sitting in his bunk. At least he'd be doing something.
"Stupid Gascogne and her stupid coffee..." he grumbled to himself, stopping in mid-sentence as he realized that he wasn't alone on the beach. Sitting by the shore, Meia looked very small and forlorn as she stared out to the lake, chin resting on knees cradled to her body.
"Shouldn't you be asleep?" Hibiki nonchalantly asked as he walked the distance between them. Meia did not reply, rather she seemed not to notice him at all. Something was bothering her, he could tell, and getting annoyed would serve no purpose here, so sighing, he pushed his earlier irritation aside and sat down, albeit noisily, beside her. Picking up a stone Hibiki lobbed it into the blue expanse beyond, if only to break the monotony of the silence.
*Plop*
Another period of silence, another stone…
*Plop*
And another…
*Plop*
And so it continued…
*Plop*
*Plop*
*Plop*
"That's it!" Hibiki shouted suddenly, annoyed at the silence and the constant prodding from his conscience. "What is wrong with you woman? All you do is sit there like a statue. If you keep this up I'm going to get sad as well!"
Once again her only reply was silence.
"Women," Hibiki grumbled as he flopped onto the ground, arms splayed out behind him. "I give up." The silence returned, but this time Hibiki didn't even bother throwing stones to break it. So be it, if she wants to act that way…
"Why are you still here?" Meia whispered, her voice containing no malice, only sadness.
Hibiki turned slightly, biting back the sarcastic remark that came unbidden to him. "I couldn't sleep, and I want to know what's wrong with you."
"Why?" Another whispered question.
"Because you're my friend. I don't like seeing my friends sad." Hibiki's voice became more serious as he continued; "I've had enough sadness in my life. I don't want to see people I care about be sad too."
"Why does it matter to you? Friends only bring pain." Her quiet voice unsure, "Why let people get close if they only hurt you?"
"What is with all the questions? I only want to help you," Hibiki flared, the whole question and answer thing beginning to annoy him. "Friends hurt each other, but friends also make life worth living. They can hurt you, but they can also give you strength, make you laugh. Didn't you learn anything from Dita…" Hibiki stopped in mid-sentence suddenly unable to continue.
Silence returned, yet this time both welcomed it. Much had been said, and while there was more still to be said, both were content on leaving it at where is stood.
It would only be much later that they realized the significance of this night. For him, he would begin to question himself, and his actions. For her, she would realize that her walls had collapsed with one single realization.
He doesn't want to see me sad…
****
Lieutenant Juno Torres mentally kicked himself for agreeing to accept orientation duty for the new commander. At the time, it had seemed like an easy way to skip out on the more mundane things that he had to do; yet it had been anything but easy. It didn't help that he found himself intimidated to no end by the new commander either.
Now, for the record, Juno was not one to be easily intimidated, in fact he hardly ever was. Yet as he watched the way that his eyes seemed to absorb every single detail going on around him, he couldn't help but feel unnerved. The commander walked with a certain single-mindedness that disturbed him.
"Sir, this is your personal study," Juno said as he stopped in front of a pair of nondescript double doors. Surprised at the cool tone he managed to maintain despite himself, he was glad that his duty would soon be over. "The reports that you have requested prior to your arrival have already been sent to your personal folder for your perusal."
Kiros nodded as he took the offered reports, hardly paying attention to the nervous lieutenant. He had noticed earlier that he intimidated the younger man, but it was not something he particularly cared about. Indeed, it suited him if those who worked under him were afraid of him. In his opinion, fear was not that far from respect, and infinitely more malleable.
Indeed, he would have it no other way.
A.N. Well hasn't this taken long enough? Sorry about that, I've actually been waiting awhile for my pre-readers, save that they all seem to have gone AWOL on me, so I've had to call up the auxiliaries *grin*. Anyways, this is still the un-preread version, so it'll be modified once my pre-readers get back to me. =) just kinda wanted to get this out there. Till next time.
Oh and btw, this chapter has been a heavily Meia centered one because I couldn't exactly have her all reclusive and introverted in one chapter, and open and caring in the next. Hope I pulled it off ok…
Next chapter – First skirmish, Ties newly born are sent through the trial of fire.
LaterZ,
Ken