Outlaw Star: Forgotten Dreams 6- Red Dragonflies
Okay, first I really need to apologize for not posting another chapter in weeks. First of all, my sisters have been bugging me about getting a Teen Titans fic up, so I did that. Then, something a reader said made me review my chapters (which I should've done before I posted them)- Italics doesn't show up on I've been putting all of Jim's memories in Italics, and they haven't been showing up. So naturally, you'd get the impression that Kokurando is Gene when that isn't the case. I decided to go back and edit all the chapters. So if you want to go back and read them, it'll be a little less confusing.
Next, when I went back to type up this chapter, I discovered that my computer with Internet access deleted chapter five (I have a really old computer in my room without Internet that I use to type up my fics, then post them with the computer downstairs). The only existing copy is on , and my computer won't let me copy it. Since I only have an hour a week online (yes, now it's just ONE hour...), I used it to reread chapter five. It was a drawback not having chapter five while typing this, but here goes nothing.
As usual, I must thank everyone who reviewed! My old friends, as well as some new guests! I'm glad you like this, and I'm surprised I've gotten no flames! A special thanks to my sister! Thank you, 'Lex!
I must point out that 'Red Dragonflies' is an actual song, author unknown. I don't own the song. Obviously.
Now this chapter should be way easier to understand. Once again, I'm really sorry! Enjoy!
--
Jim opened his eyes slowly and felt the searing pain in his head. He looked around very confusedly. This wasn't the hospital...
The red hair.
"Aniki..." he whispered.
"Why do you keep calling me that, kid? I'm not your brother. It's me Gene," the redhead said rather harshly. A bland expression overtook Jim's face.
"Oh, yeah. I remember now..." he muttered.
"So you remember how you tried to steal my ship AGAIN? You figured out how to repair it and start it up, but I guess you still don't know how to pilot it, huh, kid? You crashed it. I was barely able to pull you out. You owe me a ship since you destroyed that one."
"Thank you."
Gene unfolded his arms and glanced down at Jim. "What?"
"I know how much you must hate me. All I've done since I got here is bring trouble and hospital bills. You tried to make money off of me, but on top of my food bills and two trips to the hospital I bet you're losing more money than making..." Jim whispered. A silent tear fell onto his small hand, which was gripping the thin blanket on his body.
"Hey, I don't hate you, kid. And besides, it's one hospital trip. You're right- you were racking up my bills and I couldn't afford to take you AGAIN so I treated your wounds as best as I could."
"Are you serious? I could've DIED and all you thought about was the money? And would it kill you to say my name every once in awhile?" Jim screamed as he latched himself on Gene's face, pulling his cheeks in anger.
"Gee, you seem so much better now."
Jim leaned back in the steamy water. The hot bath felt so good. The water at the orphanage was always ice cold.
His clothes gathered at the floor with the bandages from his head and around his chest- his gunshot wound reopened when the ship crashed.
A slight knock on the door signaled Gene poking his head through the door.
"I got you some new clothes because those you have stink. I'll wash them for you, but wear these until then," he said as he sat the folded clothes on the sink before leaving.
"Hey... Those aren't new! Those are yours! You wore them yesterday!" Jim called in protest.
"Yeah, deal..." Gene murmured as he went outside to retrieve the mail. He rummaged through the tiny box outside the door. "Man, I should really check the mail everyday... Bill, bill, bill, junk, bill, invitation, bill, junk, crap, sweepstakes winner, bill, more junk, even more junk, bill, crap, j- hello..." He dumped the load on the breakfast/lunch/dinner table and examined a tiny package that bore no return address.
'To Mr. James Arthur Hawking, Jr.'
"It's for... Jim... Since when did he become a junior??" Gene asked himself as he opened the envelope and dumped out a cassette tape and a small piece of paper. "Could it be music? A recording maybe? Must be something he left from the orphanage..." Gene popped the tiny tape into the cassette player and pushed the play button.
A single piano began playing a slow, sad song. After an introductory piano piece, a female's voice sang softly.
"Yu u yake ko ya keno a ka to m bo...
O wa rete mi ta nowait su nohika...
To the glorious sunset colors red dragonflies belong...
When did I behold them as my mother carried me along...?
To the glorious sunset colors red dragonflies belong...
When did I behold them as my mother carried me along...?
Yu u yake ko ya keno a ka to m bo...
O wa rete mi ta nowait su nohika..."
"Who would send Jim a song? And why is the same piece sung in English and Japanese?" contemplated Gene.
Jim could barely hear the music playing from the bathroom as he dressed in the horribly oversized garments. He froze while putting a leg in his pants and fell over.
--"Aniki? Aniki, what song is that?"
"This song is called 'Red Dragonflies'. No one's sure who wrote it, but it's a nice song. Don't you think?"
"Yeah! What are they saying in that other language? I don't understand it."
"The lady singing it is saying the same thing, only in English."
"Aniki, where'd you get the tape?"
"I found it in the attic. I'm not sure where it came from, but you can have it if you like it, Jimmy."
"Yeah, I'd like that Aniki! Thanks!"--
"Where'd that come from? Where'd you get that song?" Jim almost inaudibly asked Gene from the doorway of the bathroom. The redhead glanced up to see the boy, dripping wet, holding the pants up around his waist. His head was titled downward so he couldn't see his face through his thick, damp locks of dark blond hair.
"It came in the mail for you just today. Why?" Gene asked bluntly.
"Are you serious? Who sent it?" screamed Jim as he ran towards the man. He stumbled and tripped over the large pants, but unflaggingly reached the table and grabbed the envelope. He held the thing in his hands.
"There's no return address, but you got a note with it too," Gene pointed out, holding the paper out. Jim snatched it eagerly and unfolded it.
'Jimmy-
I know how much you liked the song and, as I promised, it's yours. Enjoy it.
-Aniki'
Jim's hands shook and his blue eyes held disbelief and confusion.
"My... My Aniki... Is he... Alive?" whispered Jim.
"You have a brother? I thought orphans don't have brothers," Gene said with a stern face and his muscular arms crossed in front of his chest. "Besides, didn't you say you can't remember anything?"
"I don't, except... You remind me of my Aniki. I don't know... I can't remember much. Only his face. He had your hair. Gene... Every time I see your face, I think of Kokurando. That's why I kept calling you Aniki. That's what I called him, because when I was little I couldn't pronounce his name. I remember... He called me Jimmy. I miss him. Gene, you're just like him..." Jim sobbed, tears streaming from his face. He gave up holding them back and was now crying loudly into Gene's chest, squeezing his eyes shut. "Aniki... I miss you..."
Gene subconsciously wrapped his arms around Jim, holding im tightly in a hug.
It was an awkward hug, but it was their first hug.
"Kokurando..." Gene heard himself whisper. 'Jim loves his brother more than anything. I wonder what it would be like to have a younger brother...'
--
There you go! How does the new memory sequence thing suit you? Easier to understand?
Another question has surfaced- Is Kokurando, Jim's older brother, still alive? If so, where the heck has he been? If not, who sent the letter and the tape? Looks like suspense! Bum, bum, bum! Find out next time (maybe)! Later!
Okay, first I really need to apologize for not posting another chapter in weeks. First of all, my sisters have been bugging me about getting a Teen Titans fic up, so I did that. Then, something a reader said made me review my chapters (which I should've done before I posted them)- Italics doesn't show up on I've been putting all of Jim's memories in Italics, and they haven't been showing up. So naturally, you'd get the impression that Kokurando is Gene when that isn't the case. I decided to go back and edit all the chapters. So if you want to go back and read them, it'll be a little less confusing.
Next, when I went back to type up this chapter, I discovered that my computer with Internet access deleted chapter five (I have a really old computer in my room without Internet that I use to type up my fics, then post them with the computer downstairs). The only existing copy is on , and my computer won't let me copy it. Since I only have an hour a week online (yes, now it's just ONE hour...), I used it to reread chapter five. It was a drawback not having chapter five while typing this, but here goes nothing.
As usual, I must thank everyone who reviewed! My old friends, as well as some new guests! I'm glad you like this, and I'm surprised I've gotten no flames! A special thanks to my sister! Thank you, 'Lex!
I must point out that 'Red Dragonflies' is an actual song, author unknown. I don't own the song. Obviously.
Now this chapter should be way easier to understand. Once again, I'm really sorry! Enjoy!
--
Jim opened his eyes slowly and felt the searing pain in his head. He looked around very confusedly. This wasn't the hospital...
The red hair.
"Aniki..." he whispered.
"Why do you keep calling me that, kid? I'm not your brother. It's me Gene," the redhead said rather harshly. A bland expression overtook Jim's face.
"Oh, yeah. I remember now..." he muttered.
"So you remember how you tried to steal my ship AGAIN? You figured out how to repair it and start it up, but I guess you still don't know how to pilot it, huh, kid? You crashed it. I was barely able to pull you out. You owe me a ship since you destroyed that one."
"Thank you."
Gene unfolded his arms and glanced down at Jim. "What?"
"I know how much you must hate me. All I've done since I got here is bring trouble and hospital bills. You tried to make money off of me, but on top of my food bills and two trips to the hospital I bet you're losing more money than making..." Jim whispered. A silent tear fell onto his small hand, which was gripping the thin blanket on his body.
"Hey, I don't hate you, kid. And besides, it's one hospital trip. You're right- you were racking up my bills and I couldn't afford to take you AGAIN so I treated your wounds as best as I could."
"Are you serious? I could've DIED and all you thought about was the money? And would it kill you to say my name every once in awhile?" Jim screamed as he latched himself on Gene's face, pulling his cheeks in anger.
"Gee, you seem so much better now."
Jim leaned back in the steamy water. The hot bath felt so good. The water at the orphanage was always ice cold.
His clothes gathered at the floor with the bandages from his head and around his chest- his gunshot wound reopened when the ship crashed.
A slight knock on the door signaled Gene poking his head through the door.
"I got you some new clothes because those you have stink. I'll wash them for you, but wear these until then," he said as he sat the folded clothes on the sink before leaving.
"Hey... Those aren't new! Those are yours! You wore them yesterday!" Jim called in protest.
"Yeah, deal..." Gene murmured as he went outside to retrieve the mail. He rummaged through the tiny box outside the door. "Man, I should really check the mail everyday... Bill, bill, bill, junk, bill, invitation, bill, junk, crap, sweepstakes winner, bill, more junk, even more junk, bill, crap, j- hello..." He dumped the load on the breakfast/lunch/dinner table and examined a tiny package that bore no return address.
'To Mr. James Arthur Hawking, Jr.'
"It's for... Jim... Since when did he become a junior??" Gene asked himself as he opened the envelope and dumped out a cassette tape and a small piece of paper. "Could it be music? A recording maybe? Must be something he left from the orphanage..." Gene popped the tiny tape into the cassette player and pushed the play button.
A single piano began playing a slow, sad song. After an introductory piano piece, a female's voice sang softly.
"Yu u yake ko ya keno a ka to m bo...
O wa rete mi ta nowait su nohika...
To the glorious sunset colors red dragonflies belong...
When did I behold them as my mother carried me along...?
To the glorious sunset colors red dragonflies belong...
When did I behold them as my mother carried me along...?
Yu u yake ko ya keno a ka to m bo...
O wa rete mi ta nowait su nohika..."
"Who would send Jim a song? And why is the same piece sung in English and Japanese?" contemplated Gene.
Jim could barely hear the music playing from the bathroom as he dressed in the horribly oversized garments. He froze while putting a leg in his pants and fell over.
--"Aniki? Aniki, what song is that?"
"This song is called 'Red Dragonflies'. No one's sure who wrote it, but it's a nice song. Don't you think?"
"Yeah! What are they saying in that other language? I don't understand it."
"The lady singing it is saying the same thing, only in English."
"Aniki, where'd you get the tape?"
"I found it in the attic. I'm not sure where it came from, but you can have it if you like it, Jimmy."
"Yeah, I'd like that Aniki! Thanks!"--
"Where'd that come from? Where'd you get that song?" Jim almost inaudibly asked Gene from the doorway of the bathroom. The redhead glanced up to see the boy, dripping wet, holding the pants up around his waist. His head was titled downward so he couldn't see his face through his thick, damp locks of dark blond hair.
"It came in the mail for you just today. Why?" Gene asked bluntly.
"Are you serious? Who sent it?" screamed Jim as he ran towards the man. He stumbled and tripped over the large pants, but unflaggingly reached the table and grabbed the envelope. He held the thing in his hands.
"There's no return address, but you got a note with it too," Gene pointed out, holding the paper out. Jim snatched it eagerly and unfolded it.
'Jimmy-
I know how much you liked the song and, as I promised, it's yours. Enjoy it.
-Aniki'
Jim's hands shook and his blue eyes held disbelief and confusion.
"My... My Aniki... Is he... Alive?" whispered Jim.
"You have a brother? I thought orphans don't have brothers," Gene said with a stern face and his muscular arms crossed in front of his chest. "Besides, didn't you say you can't remember anything?"
"I don't, except... You remind me of my Aniki. I don't know... I can't remember much. Only his face. He had your hair. Gene... Every time I see your face, I think of Kokurando. That's why I kept calling you Aniki. That's what I called him, because when I was little I couldn't pronounce his name. I remember... He called me Jimmy. I miss him. Gene, you're just like him..." Jim sobbed, tears streaming from his face. He gave up holding them back and was now crying loudly into Gene's chest, squeezing his eyes shut. "Aniki... I miss you..."
Gene subconsciously wrapped his arms around Jim, holding im tightly in a hug.
It was an awkward hug, but it was their first hug.
"Kokurando..." Gene heard himself whisper. 'Jim loves his brother more than anything. I wonder what it would be like to have a younger brother...'
--
There you go! How does the new memory sequence thing suit you? Easier to understand?
Another question has surfaced- Is Kokurando, Jim's older brother, still alive? If so, where the heck has he been? If not, who sent the letter and the tape? Looks like suspense! Bum, bum, bum! Find out next time (maybe)! Later!