Nadesico Fan Fiction
A Moment of Silence
By Kraven Ergeist
A/N: This is a fan fic taking place inside of another fan fic. The fan fic is called "Chasing The Darkness" by StarChylde I just finished the fic about, oh, half an hour ago, and was unspeakably disappointed that the author did not delve more into Ruri and Hari's relationship. Since the fic is already completed, there's little sense haranguing the author about it (considering how absolutely spectacular the fic was regardless).
In any case, read the above fic before you read this. And even if you don't read my fic, read "Chasing The Darkness." It's rather lengthy, but it reads like a second series. The author got the characters down superbly, and the story was unparalleled by any I've ever read in any fan fic ever!
Seriously, if you enjoyed Nadesico in the slightest, you'll enjoy this fic.
Anyway, onto the romantic interlude. This is just going to be a one-shot that takes place during chapter 12, since there's not much else I can add StarChylde's masterpiece. Since neither StarChylde, nor any of us here are using Nadesico with permission, I don't really feel guilty using a fan made publication about Nadesico without permission, particularly since I'm crediting the author. If anything, this one-shot might even give "Chasing The Darkness" a few more readers, so I think I'm relatively excusable.
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She had only just reached Minato's room when she happened to trip over someone else, sneaking in the other way.
"Makibi Hari, what are you doing?" she demanded sharply, her anger only heightened by pain. She had no patience for the one standing between her and an alcohol-induced bliss.
Hari lifted a tearstained face to meet her gaze. "I-I..." he stuttered, then promptly started sobbing. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean for this to happen, Captain! Now you're going to hate me forever and if I hadn't stolen his wallet you would have left on time and the spy would never have gotten them and Lapis wouldn't be with them again and now they're going to kill her and it's all my fault
He stopped, remembering to breathe, and Ruri felt her anger melt.
"Baka," she whispered, kneeling beside him. "You little idiot."
He hiccoughed when she wrapped him in a tight hug, leaning into her shoulder to dry his face. And then, finally, she burst into desperate tears.
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For the better part of five minutes, that's how they stayed. Hari, having just moments ago felt that he was the one feeling sorry for themselves, didn't know how to react to a sobbing Ruri. To him, Ruri had always been the stronger one - the one who guided him, weather it was in computing, flying a ship, or figuring out life in general.
Had Ruri known of such claims, she would have called him a baka, saying that she knew hardly anything about any of that.
But for the time being, he just held her, content to allow her this small comfort. If it meant being forgiven, his fears of her rejection alleviated, he could sit all night on the cold floor.
He felt himself begin to cry again, but this time, they weren't tears of guilt, shame or even sadness. Somewhere inside himself, there was some small shred of hope. As terrible as things were with the war, with the crewmembers, and even with that sleazebag, Araragi fawning over the girl he liked, Hari felt content.
Things were going to be all right. Nothing else in this crazy, mixed up solar system mattered right then. They were going to be alright. For the first time, he truly understood what it was that Ruri had treasured in her first crew aboard Nadesico A. As immature as he was, Hari finally felt that same connection.
"Ruri…" he muttered, sleepily, resting his head against hers. When she didn't reply, he wrapped his arms tightly around the small captain. "This is how I want to be, Ruri…" he decided, knowing she couldn't hear him to call him a baka for saying it. "I think I could give up everything else I've known in my life…if only I could stay like this for a just a bit longer…"
When she still didn't respond, Hari drifted off, somewhere in that place between asleep and awake - that place where you can always remember dreaming.
And they both enjoyed a moment of silence in each other arms.
"…Baka…"
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A/N: Okay, so it was shorter than expected (Who am I kidding? The author's note at the begging has a higher word count!), but there really wasn't all that much to it – and it really didn't affect the plot too much either. Don't believe me? Read the fic and be the judge yourself!
Anyway, my tributes to StarChylde on an amazing fic. Nadesico will never be the same for me. I can hope that next time you decide to produce another great wonder of the world, that it involve a bit more romance involving our favorite silver haired space angel!