Worlds Apart

Chapter 8- Broken

"From up here the city lights burn

Like a thousand miles of fire

And I'm here to sing this anthem

Of our dying day"

- Anthem of Our Dying Day, Story of the Year

Mountain Rain: This chapter is dedicated all the other lonely, heartbroken people out there in the world.

Some people say time heals all wounds. Those people lied.

Three years passed, but the memory of Yumiko's death was still fresh. Everything reminded me of her. The wind that blew the cherry blossoms petals past my emotionless face as I was walking felt like her voice: soft and sweet, singing a beautiful song. The sky that sparkled with sunlight felt like her eyes. Every time her face appeared in my mind, it was like the wound had been reopened.

I was walking down the streets of the city of Hinata. This was my new home; I was attending a college here. It was a pretty small college, but it was well known. I was living in a house with all different people. I had made friends with a few kids who dormed and shared classes with me. One was Mikari Kitano, and she had blue eyes and short sapphire hair. She was younger than me and a bit naïve. Another was Hiro Akiyo, son of a famous swordswoman. He has olive eyes and straight jet-black hair.  My other friend was Kikyou Otagi, with light brown hair and eyes. Her mother owned the inn now, and had a short temper and no patience for perverts.

The only other person who knew Yumiko's story was Mikari. I told her everything because I knew I could trust her. Although childish and innocent, she was so strong when it came to holding secrets. Mikari's mother looks exactly like her, and Mikari holds the same talent for cooking as her dear mom.

It's very weird how all of my friends' parents knew each other when they were young. In fact, they grew up in the very same apartment building, which is a little creepy. A clumsy guy managed the building once, but he fell in love with two of his tenants and had to choose which one he loved more. It didn't end very well, and so he decided to sell the building and move away. The tenants didn't want the inn to fall into the wrong hands, so Kikyou's mother, Naru, bought it.

~

I was staring at nothing in particular while I walked down the street. I had just returned from the store to buy my lunch, a variety of different forms of sugar. Pixie Stix, Sour Patches, and Swedish Fish: the good stuff. I arrived the steps to the Hinata Apartments. It was the beginning of April, and the cherry trees were in bloom. The many steps to home were bordered with these powdery trees. The sky looked like it was snowing cherry blossom petals. Somewhere in my mind, a bell rang. I thought it was my cell phone for a second, and checked my pocket. No, actually, it was sweet singing. Sometime long ago, I had heard the words of this song.

kinoo atta dekigoto keshiki mitai ni hanasu KIMI

yuukure no mannaka de koko wa natsu no iriguchi

I looked in all directions to find the source of the song. Finally, my incredibly weak ears located the song's direction. I started out walking up the stairs to the cherry trees, and then ran. I wasn't going to miss memory lane.

CHAIMU ni hazikarete kakedasu sakamichi

kaze o kanzitara

nayande ita koto mo warai to baseru kara

ashita wa hareru ne

My feet pounded against the stone until it finally hit soft grass. In the maze of whitish pink fluff, I had to seek out her voice. It seemed so real….

koi shite yume miru mainichi daizi na takaramono

toritomenaku osyaberi tsuzukete itai hookago wa

mada shiranai tokimeki deau setsunai yokan

Finally, I came to a tiny clearing surrounded by those cherry trees. Petals danced softly in the wind, like snowflakes….

toki ni onazi kimochi mitsukerarenakute mo

KIMI wa daizyoobu

zibun rashi koto ga kagayaite iru tte

oshiete kureta ne

Before me stood a ghost. A tanned, white haired ghost, dressed in a flowing white gown and dancing to the rhythm of the wind that blew her around like a cherry blossom petal.

narande mitsumeru ano sora omoi o utsushiteru

RASSYU no hitonami ni nagasarenai yoo ni

kokoro musubitai

akogareteru koto o zutto nakusanai de

otona ni natte mo

She turned around, and for a second, I thought I would faint. Three years, and she hadn't changed a bit. Except for the fact that she was supposed to be dead….

koi shite yume miru mainichi daizi na takaramono

sugi yuku zikan no kakera ni eien tozikomete

Around this ghost-girl's neck was a diamond necklace, with blue topaz stones bordering the tear-shaped diamond. When she looked at me, her eyes spilled over with regret.

"I had to do it…. They believed I was dead, and my parents were safe… They will never come after you…."

I didn't want to prolong this. I didn't care that for three years, I believed a lie that practically ruined my life. I only cared that she was here, in the flesh, and that she will never be tortured again. I wrapped my arms around her and buried my face into her neck. This time, I wasn't about to let her go. She held me tightly, and whispered in my ear, "I'm not leaving you again…"

"I love you…"

~End

Mountain Rain: It's finished!! How did you like it? Let me know. Review, please! Oh, I must thank all of the good people who reviewed! x-Rikku-x, Vash the unholy, and Haitani Masayuki. They're the best! Ja ne!