Author's note: ;_;…Thank you all who reviewed my story so much!!! I just can't believe I have 74 whole reviews….;_; (passes out then wakes up again) that's just beautiful… Very sorry for taking so long to put this chapter up…I unfortunately have no excuse…other than I'm lazy and pathetic, but that's ok!
Chapter 4,
A dream of the stars…
It was a beautiful island, where you could see out of the endless glimmering blue
sea. The sky was perfectly blue, as soft white marshmallows glided across the blue sky, and reflecting on the peaceful ocean. Here, the sand wasn't irritating, just warm as the sun heated it to a perfect level of comfort. Boarding the beach was a jungle of beautiful assortments of tropical trees, so green and lush that they seemed they'd never die. There on the edge of the beach sat a young woman, dressed in her usual outfit, which was a fuchsia dress and small green jacket. Staring out onto the ocean, she couldn't figure out why she was here or how she got here in the first place.
"It's so strange…I can't remember how I got here or how to get back to where I was at …but it is sort of nice here…maybe…maybe I'll just stay…stay here in this paradise." She thought as she lay down on the sand and stared into the beautiful sky. She lay there for a few minutes, simply letting the sun warm her and trying to remember how she's gotten there or even where she had come from before getting her, but then something happened to break her thoughts. A voice called out to her,
"Rain! Please, come back to us…come back to me!" It was Domon. She immediately got up and thought,
"Rain…that was my name…yes, I'm sure of it…and that voice it seems so familiar…wait…" She closed her eyes, allowing fond memories to come back to her, memories of when she was very young, then slowly came the memories of meeting Domon again and deciding to be his crew, his partner, and stand by him as his friend once again. She slowly opened her eyes and whispered,
"Domon…" to herself and then thought,
"He…must be worried about me…but how do I get back to the Guyana Highlands from here?" Meanwhile…
Domon lay beside Rain's bed, his head resting on the edge of it. He'd sat by her side all that night, after Dr. Smith had told him about how serious "sleeping sickness" was…
"What…what does sleeping sickness do to a person…?" he'd nervously asked.
"Well Mr. Kasshu…it causes a person's body to slow down, feel as though it needs nothing but sleep and is dependent on that. It mainly causes the heart to slow down, and if not cured will eventually cause the heart to completely stop operating at all…In fact, if you hadn't called me when you did, and if I were to arrive later than I did, it may had already claimed her…" Was the doctor's shaky reply. He'd just stared down at the floor then finally gotten enough courage to ask what he dreaded to hear an answer to,
"W…will she…make it?" he asked even more nervous then before, sorrow now choking back his words.
"That only fate can tell…" he'd answered, then shooed him out of the tent in order to hook Rain up to all these strange machines.
One was for regulating her breathing so that she wouldn't suffocate because of her lungs now barely operated; another to keep track of her heart beat so that if it were to stop they would know it, and another to circulate fluids into her body so that she wouldn't dehydrate. But after all that was done he was aloud to go back into the tent, and the doctor left to go set his own up. (Mainly because Domon wouldn't allow him to stay in their tent for any longer.) He'd stayed awake for a very long time, watching over Rain, so worried about her now that he felt he shouldn't go to sleep, that he should just stay awake and watch over her. It was now fairly early in the morning and Domon was beginning to wake up. He barely opened his eyes, looked over to the entrance and saw it slightly move then heard whispers. Knowing it was just other shuffler alliance and co., he laughed a little to himself, knowing they were trying to spy on them. He then rose up and looked sadly down at Rain; even after a watching over her for so long, pain still burned in his heart even at the simple sight of her, still sick, still frozen in a pale memory of herself. After shaking off the cold chill that came over him each time he had to look at her in such a horrid state he called over to the door,
"I know you all are there! You all can come in if you'll all fit in here." They all came rushing in, but more people had come to see Rain than he expected. Most of the time only, George, Sai Sici, and Chibodee yet this time Argo had came along too, along with Raymond who'd decided to come along with George, and Marie Louise who'd came to the Guyana Highlands under "special circumstances" after George had called her and informed her that she may not make it and since Rain was considered a friend of George's she'd decided it was reason enough to come visit. Then there was the Shaolin Monks who'd come with Sai to chant a prayer for Rain's wellness, and then Nastasha came as well, saying that since she had done them all some sort of favor then it wouldn't hurt to visit her when she was ill. As soon as they all walked in all of Chibodee's crew started talking about how she seemed so bad off.
"She looks so pale…I hope she makes it…" Bunny said entering the tent and seeing Rain in the state she was in.
"I really hate to say this but…with the way she looks and all right now…I don't think she will." Shirley whispered back. Though she was being quite somehow or another Domon heard her words and turned, ready to yell at her but Chibodee lead all his crew outside the tent to talk to them.
"Listen, I know you girls are all worried about Rain and all but you have to understand. We got'a give Domon a little hope. Of all people you should know that he's taking this the hardest, and hearing you all talk about how you don't think she'll make it is just enough to make him snap." He said, trying his best to keep his voice down so that Domon wouldn't hear him. They all nodded in agreement and went on in again, this time all very quite.
"I bet Rain will be just fine! She's strong willed so she'll get over this very soon!" Marie Louise announced, trying to bring some bit of life in the all but cheerful tent. No one really knew what to say, and too afraid to try and cheer Domon up, almost everyone stayed completely quite with someone breaking the silence every once and a while to change the silent, depressive mood of the tent but always failing. One by one they eventually left, having things that must be done as well, not to say that they were too busy to stay by Rain's side but they did have their own lives and had to continue with them no matter if they were concerned about Rain. The last to leave was Sai Sici, who didn't have anything to do in the first place, and secondly he felt bad about just leaving Rain in her state and leaving Domon all alone to deal with his sorrow, but it was beginning to get late and a fact was a fact, he couldn't just stay there forever. His last words before leaving were simply,
"Hey, don't worry Bro…I know Sis'll be just fine…you have to remember, she still has plenty to live for so she wouldn't let herself die." But it didn't matter, Domon couldn't even hear him over all the thoughts rushing though his head, so Sai left without a single goodbye, though he did understand. There was an overcoming feeling of guilt that came over Domon, the fact that he felt as though he was just being a big jerk to her the entire time, and that she may pass away before he could ever tell her just how sorry he was for everything and that she was a dear friend to him. He hated to stay with her in the condition she was in but this guilt bound him to this one spot, right by her bedside, right by her until she awaken and so the guilt could then fade away, because he would always have tomorrow to tell her just how he felt. He'd always have just one more day, or that's what it seemed. The cold fact that lay in front of him was proof that his belief was very false and shallow, and deep inside he know, but somehow, something still allowed him to say,
"She'll be fine…in the morning she'll wake up and everything will be normal again. And then…I'll always have some other day that I can tell her that I'm sorry and how dear of a friend she has been to me. I'll always have one more day…" Many days passed, as visitors came and left, and still seemed almost on the edge of death now, then it happened one night…everything was to now crumble or stand new and healed and it all began with two dreams.
She was still on the island but now it was evening and being here for so long was becoming quite lonely and scary. She had no clue of what was going on in the outside world and was becoming scared about everyone's well being. Especially Domon, who when she left was in horrible shape, no shape to stand or even walk but if she were not there he would surely not just sit around and rest, he would still try and train …even if it caused his death. And of course she thought he would be doing the exact thing, so it would have come over much more of a shock to her to know what he was really doing that very moment. Watching over her, worried and guilty, on the verge of a breakdown, all because he was afraid of losing his once best friend, his now dear friend and partner. Any other time it wouldn't have been obvious to anyone how much he truly did care about her, but now his emotions were shown as though they were an open book.
She had thought for a very long time though and finally devised a plan to return, that was built a small rowboat and paddle back to the Guyana Highlands, then walk back to camp. She knew it was incredibly insensible but she still wanted to try something even if it did kill her, and now the boat was but an hour away from being as sea ready as Rain could manage to make it. On her hands, blisters broke out upon her well-overly worked hands from the days of endless work of the boat, in which she very convenionatly found the tools nessessary to built the boat which was of course very odd but she had no time to linger upon the coincidence, she was full-heartedly convinced that she must return to the Guyana Highlands and take care of Domon. With the last cling of the hammer slamming upon a nail that Rain did not find in well enough to hold together two boards, and the stinging pain that wrapped around her hand a wrist, it was finished and ready to set sail. Taking the last bit of energy, she shoved the boat out into the shallows of the water, stepped in and began to paddle away from shore. The clouds were growing a dark, pale gray and the wind began to pick up, causing a rise in tide. It was obvious that a storm was blowing in from sea and she was paddling straight towards it, her sail pulling her forward, but she didn't care anymore, if she stayed another minute on that dull and lonely island she would commit suicide just so she would not go mad. The waves were soon becoming harder and harder to avoid so they began to shower down upon the boat and soak Rain in their cold and icy blasts. It was a battle again the force of the ocean but she did not give up and after hour upon tiring hour she was finally out of the storm and to calmer waters. Soon though she was in the middle of a very peaceful ocean but she was completely alone and since the winds died down she was getting nowhere fast tiring to paddle alone…
In that same moment though, there was another boat and a close distance to her own, also encountering a horrible ocean storm but this one much more fierce than that of what Rain and fallen into. The boat was an old, rather large boat that was beaten down by years and years of long days upon the rough sea and now was barely sea ready, but it at least held many people upon it and remembered clearly just how to ride though the sea's fists. Domon was standing upon this ship, at the front, though waves threatened him as they slammed down on him, tiring ever harder each time to knock him away from his standing point. Many others had walked up to him and said to come into him cabin or the galley where they were now serving food but he ignored. He only wanted to reach his final destination yet somehow felt as though he lost something. Watching the storm from the front point of the ship was most intriguing, as he was lost in deep thought of his family and up-coming Gundam fights yet he was lonely. He had no one to share his thoughts with, though he mostly did not share them at all. He just wished to speak to someone who would understand his thoughts and plans. So naturally, when hearing a woman's voice he spun around expecting to find a dearly missed though unrecognizably missed friend, but instead stood a woman in a blue and white sailor's outfit, her long light brown hair outlining her thin figure and brilliantly bright green eyes shining against the gray dark of the storm and raging waters.
"Um…sir…you're not going to find her." She stated meekly, now staring at the floor. Then suddenly she changed. She was now in an off-white dress with ruffles around the sleeves and bottom and bow upon the back.
"Uh…what are you talking about?" he asked a bit confused (after all a moment ago the same lady was dressed in a sailor's outfit after all).
"You will not find her! She is searching for you but you are not for her! She should not put up with you but believes in what you have forgotten inside of yourself, she does. You are a fool yet so is she, yet there is a difference between the two for she is still kind hearted yet you have seemed to have forgotten the kindness your suppress within your own heart. " She answered, her voice greatly changed of that of a meek young sailor assistant. It was now full and wise, with grace only blessed upon the winds, which casts an ethereal effect upon her words. Domon stood trembling, though not of fear but of anger.
"What do you mean!?!? W…wait…where's Rain?" his voice now quivering. It had only then occurred to him that he had not spoken to her the entire voyage or had no memory of it and began to worry.
"What if she didn't make it upon the boat? What if she fell overboard or someone…has taken her…?" So many questions rushed though his head, as it began to throb in result to his shock. He could barely think what could have happened to her in a raging storm like this. The woman, now the same, now deathly scared sailor girl immediately bowed politely and said,
"Very sorry but…" and in the same misty and mysterious voice whispered,
"But I was right…" and scurried off as though any moment she'd be shot. Now the reality hit him. He was alone and with no one to listen to his worries that he, now would not care to share them with someone and kept gazing forlornly, into the dark waves. He had stood stubbornly in place perpetually until, from the deep gray of the ocean, the ship broke into an everlasting midnight blue, as if shifting into space and flying amongst the stars. It was utterly breathtaking yet that was not what stole Domon's breath. It was what lay amongst this place, upon a small rowboat. He readily yelled but his voice was cut short as the ship halted and as Rain raised up their eyes met. Yet before a word could be spoken before they both awoke gasping for air…both of them. Yet the first thing that registered in Rain's mind as she awoke is that she could not breath. As so it was slightly the same with Domon as he awoke, the old dull pain in his side returned only it was as thought the wound had just been caused but hearing the machines beep alarms told him something was wrong. She was leaving him, and if nothing were done, she would die. His side hurt so badly that he could not stand but something had to be done, and right away. So climbing away from her bedside, he managed to make it outside. Meanwhile Rain was trying her best to remain calm, yet knew she was losing air. She still kept telling herself she would be ok. But looking around the room, very barely moving her head, she saw no sign of anyone.
"Did everyone really leave all alone…Am…I really going to die like this? She thought, very scared but more than anything lonely.
As soon as Domon made it a fair distance outside the tent he called for help, as loud as desperate as he could manage till finally George ran up to him and asked what he was yelling for.
"Listen! Go get Dr. Smith right now! I think…Rain may be dieing…" he needed no more information but couldn't help but think,
"How could mademoiselle Rain's sickness have become so terrible?" Then thought of the mosquitoes.
"She must have been ill because of it far before the symptoms ever shown…" he again thought. Finally he reached the doctor's tent, ran inside and yelled as loud as he could,
"Wake up!" He did, immediately shot up immediately and grumpily replied with,
"Wadoyouwant…" as he was very irritated at the moment he answered quickly with,
"It's mademoiselle Rain!" And with no other words he followed. They both ran, and rushed into the tent where she lay. Immediately he rushed the others out, those Domon was very resistant. There was a long dead silence outside, as everyone else rushed outside to hear the story. Domon explained the harsh reality to them as the silence still remained. No one dared to say a word nor knew one to say. They knew it could only make things worse. He could hear the shocks in the dead silence as the doctor tried to bring her back and cringed every time he heard. Then they heard the sound of talking but couldn't make out any of the words.
"You…saved me?"
"Yes my dear. I've been here…by your side, all along…"
P.S: Sorry this chapter is so short…I know…disappointing right? But the next chapter will be the last and very long, it's just somehow this chapter cut off very short…Very sorry.