Badges Of Honor
By: SeraphAnaesthesia
Chapter Five: Way Away- Yellowcard
A/N: I'm FINALLY updating this story! I am such a slow loser, and I'm sorry everyone! I'm also sorry that this story is going to end soon. There are three parts in the Grand Finale of BoH, and this is the second installment. The next one will be it's last, the performance at the center. Hitomi's band is going places, and this is so sad to finally get this over with. I'm going to miss the feel of this story. I will also be sad that I have a possibility of disappointing my readers. I'm trying my best, I promise! Read and review!
We are only a Semi-Perfect Salvation
The blood, sweat and tears of our foundation
We need you to undo this translation
These wings are your new transformation (creation)
The Semi-Perfect Badges of Honor (only semi-perfect)
I am proud of your true colors (steadfast colors)."
"Yes, these wings are your Badges of Honor…"
"He's here, he's here!" Millerna's cries echoed throughout Hitomi Kanzaki's house as she squealed, racing around to the kitchen from her perch on the window. Everyone had agreed to come, even Van. Dilandau came too, even though he had not met the "victim" of the party. "Get to your places!" Millerna screamed as she flipped the light off and ducked behind the couch. Moments later, a knock came at the door, the knob creaking slightly. A smooth voice called out, "Hello?" as the young man moved into the kitchen/living room. "SURPRISE!" The scream echoed throughout the house as everyone as immediately at Allen's side, even Van, who stayed near Hitomi. The blonde was laughing merrily as he was bombarded with questions about his new life, and if he was single, and how he was doing.
Hitomi attempted to calm down the crowd by raising her voice a little. She strolled up to Allen, a coy grin on her face. Then she smacked him, harder than she punched Dilandau. It left a red mark on his pretty white cheek, and for a brief moment, everyone was silent. Allen looked so surprised, Hitomi could barely contain her laughter. "That's what you get for moving away!" Dilandau whispered to Van, "Violent, isn't she?" Hitomi threw her arms around his neck, hugging her friend. The sound of silence was broken by cheers, and Millerna walked in with a huge chocolate cake, shouting, "Welcome back, Allen! We're so glad you're visiting. Cake anyone?" Everyone broke out with screams out, "OhoOhOh!'s" and "ME!'s" Van almost stabbed Dilandau with his fork for trying to steal a chunk of chocolate icing.
Allen had come over to sit with Hitomi and Van, a light smile on his face. They all sat on the classy black leather couch, just chatting away. "So, Hitomi, I heard there's a show coming up at the center. Is Paranoia going to preform?" Hitomi grinned at the former electric guitarist. "Hell yeah, we are! Dilandau is a great new elec. Guitarist, no offence or anything. I've already got the music picked out and everything. It's one we've been practicing for a while, it's kinda dark though. I was in a bad mood when I wrote it…" Hitomi looked like she had been avoiding the topic, like a secret for only her and her band mates to know about the song. But Allen trudged on. "Ah, but if it's dark, that'll make it all the more stunning. What's the song called?" Hitomi then turned around suddenly, a murderous but sly smile on her face.
"Blood and Bones."
Allen's jaw dropped at Hitomi's odd behaviour. Van grinned, nudging Hitomi with his elbow. They both smiled at each other, as if sharing some hidden inside joke. Allen coughed lightly, and their attention was brought back to him. He turned to Van, a polite smile on his girlish features. "So, Van, how have you been doing? Hitomi talks about you a lot over the phone." Hitomi blushed a hot pinkish color when Van eyed her wearily. "Oh she does, does she?" Allen nodded at Van's grin widened even more. "Oh, I've been fine, really. After all, I have my dear Hitomi to thank for that." Sarcasm dripped off his words. Allen's expression grew worried in a short amount of time though.
"Are you two still acting while you're at school? You guys know what Yukari would do if she knew you two were going out." Allen's expression was grim. He answered his own question. "She would ruin you. And she'd kill the popularity of Paranoia. But I know how hard it is for you guys…" Hitomi and Van both nodded, but Van was the first to speak. "Yukari can kiss my ass. That stupid girl can't do a thing to us, and it gets so tiring, y'know? Pretending you don't know someone that you love, and…It just plain sucks." Hitomi's mind wandered as he said "love." 'Does Van…Does Van really love ME?'
Closing her shallow thought out of her mind, she replied with little emotion, only pure homicidal hatred for Yukari and her band of skanks. "He's right. I'm sick of this charade…Yukari can go to Hell. It doesn't matter anymore, the school year is almost out. Everyone will be at the community center anyway, everyone from school, that is. They'll see us, and they will find out. Chances are, they won't even care. But that bitch Yukari will…" Hitomi's voice trailed off as her face grew into a slight snarl. She cracked her knuckles, unconscious of her actions until Allen put a hand on her shoulder. "Ehehehe, Hitomi, you can stop looking lethal now…Hitomi? Hitomi! Wake up!" Allen snapped his fingers in front of her face. Hitomi snapped out of her trance and…
…Almost bit off one of Allen's fingers.
Van laughed so hard that he started choking on his soda. Hitomi hit him hard to stop his coughing fit. Van just kept coughing, his asthma acting up. (Poor Van…) He hacked away, before almost falling down. Hitomi ran upstairs, ready to go grab a spare inhaler from her backpack. In the midst of his coughing, Van hit his head on the coffee table. Hitomi could hear gaps and shouts for her from downstairs, and ran as quickly as possible. When she got downstairs, she inhaled sharply at what she saw. Van was lying on the couch, he had been knocked out from his fall.
When he came to, the ebony-haired male groggily opened his ruddy brown-red eyes. Holding his head as he groaned in pain, he sighed lightly. Sitting up, her realized that everyone who had been at the party was now gone. Only a few remained, such as Hitomi, Allen, Millerna, and Dilandau. Van's voice hitched in his throat as he saw Dilandau. Memories flooded back to him. Memories of glass shattering, blood spewing, and waking up in a hospital. But first, came the memories of two boys.
Flashback
'A silver-haired boy dump the bucket of sand onto the ground. Smiling, he sat down next to his best friend, and happy smile on his face. With a laugh, the black-haired boy joined his friend in building a sand castle.
Hours passed by, and still the two young boys stayed together, working harder and harder at their makeshift castle built of sand. Finally, in a flurry of hands patting the ground around the base of the sand castle, it was finished. The two creators high-fived each other and grinned at their new found castle.
The castle they had created together.'
Van's eyes widened and he clutched his head in pain, his brain processing memories of a self that he didn't remember, from twelve years of a life he didn't remember. 'The crash…' and it all came to him. He remembered the way Folken had been driving that night, and the way his car swerved with every turn. He remember the way the semi had just magically appeared in front of them as his older brother ran a stoplight. Then he remembered the doctors standing over him, bright lights overhead. They had been talking with muffled voices. What had happened? The he remembered. He remembered his head going through the windshield. And he remembered Dilandau.
When his head stopped swivelling, Van regained some sort of balance and his vision stopped blurring. A mass of blue and pale skin was over him, a tall shadow folding over him. Van almost screamed. "What are YOU doing here!" The pale eyes of Folken looked down at him as the Gothic figure pulled his stethoscope away from Van's chest. He hadn't even known it was there! "He seems all right now." His gruff voice pounded in Van's ears as he growled out an incoherent mumble. "What. Are. You. Doing. Here!" Folken simply smirked. "Can't a family member come check up on his little brother?" Van rolled his eyes. "What do you think?"
Folken just stared on with a deadpan expression. "Well, y'know, actually…I AM a doctor." Van's expression was quizzical, he seemed to have forgotten the seriousness of the moment. He blinked. "You went to college? That IS amazing." Everyone is the background sweat dropped. Dilandau sat in a lounge chair in the corner, having fallen asleep after Folken had arrived. Millerna and Allen were downstairs getting some ice packs and medicine for Van's head. Dilandau then took up his post as being the ever-awake guard again, slightly rubbing his eyes. Van noticed the silver-haired figure stirring slightly, and looked up at the occupants of the room. "Can I speak to Dilandau alone for a few minutes?" Hitomi nodded with a worried expression. Folken nodded wearily as the two left the room.
"You. Why am I seeing memories of you? I just met you a few weeks ago." Van growled, cutting straight to the point. Dilandau just looked tired. His face kind of lost it's hope, looking far older than he was. He rubbed his eyes wearily. "You were having memories of me, Van, before the crash." Van's expression just grew lighter as he still looked slightly confused. That would explain the pictures of doctors and his head accident. "Crash? The one where…" Dilandau nodded. Van's eyes widened as he stared at the ground, looking shocked. It was as if a huge ice cold bucket of realization had been splattered on him. He took a spluttering breath as if trying to stop from drowning. "So…you were my…you are my…best friend?" Van blinked.
"Yes, as a matter of fact I am." Dilandau grinned. "So, Van, tell me one more thing. Do you still have those wings on your back?" Van gaped once more. "How do you know about those? Did you tattoo them on there?" Dilandau's grin widened.
"No, silly. You were born with those."
A/N: Bwahahahahahahahahahahhahaha. Kind of short, but you still love me. Right? RIGHT! You can also show your love by (whisper) reviewing… (whisper) But, then again, it's just a thought. (whistles)
Oh yeah, there's still one more little review that I need to say something about. Hopelessly Escaflowne-person, you PISS ME OFF. I should be thanking you for reviewing to almost all of my stories, but that still doesn't cover the fact that you ruined the plot for everyone. My life would be a whole lot better without you trying to second-guess my story. It's like you're TRYING to remind me of how much work I have to do. Thanks a bunch and everything, and I may be overreacting, but you just ruined the plot. Not only is it the closest thing I have ever gotten to a flame, it's just rude. I don't go second-guess others' stories. Try not to second-guess mine.
(Sorry to all of my AWESOME reviewers, whom I love deeply, that you had to hear me whine. I hope you don't think that I'm a crazy bitch now, and that I'm just mean. I'm not, I just don't want all the action given away! Don't hate me, Hopelessly Escaflowne, I just need anger management…)