The Humana

The turbulence subsided. Coming back to rest on a solid horizontal track, the jetliner proceeded on it's way. Rei patted down his clothes and eased himself into one of Salima's seats, grinning ear to ear. His new found travel buddy relocated herself, taking up the seat next to him, her eyes lit up and a smile now firmly established across her face. All the armrests with the exception of those directly adjacent to the aisles were locked in their upright position. Thus, when the two buckled their seatbelts, they were strapping themselves into a couch, a roomy and relaxing place of rest ideal for what both knew would be a long conversation.

They hadn't seen one another face to face for nearly a year.

But there was much to talk about.

The conversation began in earnest.

- - -

What have you been doing?

What about your teammates?

How's your blading skills coming along?

Any new techniques?

Why is airline food so plastic-y?

And this is how I managed to get a 1/16 input jack so I could hook up a decent pair of closed headphones to my ipod…

- - -

Sitting there in the dark and jittery aft cabin, the two talked about everything and anything, delighting in the presence of a friendly, like-minded and trusting person. Christmas was left out of the equation, neither really seeing the need to drag up the blatantly obvious. Salima was thankful and Rei, well he couldn't really bring himself to care about it.

0401 hours. Christmas Day.

Salima was sleepy. Rei was exhausted.

Perhaps it was fatigue that set in motion the events that transpired off of a single question.

Regardless, what Salima asked, absent mindedly, would change the course of everything.

- - -

How long has it been, Rei?

Nearly a year I think…

… Wow…

What?

It feels like it was only yesterday that we were saying goodbye. I can remember it all so clearly.

I know what you mean…It was pretty warped, huh?

Salima new what the bladebreaker was referring too. The suddenly subdued tone in his voice and the flicker of pain in his golden eyes spelt it out all to clearly. Her smile faded as she remembered the events that transpired in battle tower.

Yeah… But at least we came out with only cuts and bruises to show for it. No lasting harm, right?

None, thanks to you.

Salima. It was nothing-

Please, Rei. I won't ever forget what you did for me.

Silence.

What can I say? ... I've really missed you, Rei.

Reduced to near whispering, she continued.

And I'm so glad to see you again...

- - -

Salima felt tears welling up in her eyes, a liquid emotional dichotomy of both happiness and sadness, joined by the pain of not knowing.

She had missed him. She missed his sincerity, honesty and sense of honor. Their mutual understanding of one another was a rare thing, and Salima missed the conversations that they'd shared (however brief they were) on everything from blading and traveling to life and technology. And of course she missed him, the person inside, that wonderful, genuinely caring and strong willed being. She had missed him more then anything. And she thought of him often, fondly and with a rare affection even for herself; an exceptionally empathetic and caring person.

But it didn't stop there.

Rei had saved her life.

And she would never forget that.

He hadn't given up on the person that had been overwhelmed and near utterly corrupted by a malicious mind-bending power. He'd battled for her soul, and he had won. There was no ulterior motive. Rei made it perfectly clear that he did it because he cared for her as a friend, as someone who he couldn't let down, ever.

- - -

Rei was dumbstruck.

- - -

He couldn't think of a reply, and seeing his formerly lost friend fighting back tears only added to his confusion.

I ...

Some repressed instinct overcame him.

Placing a warm hand on her shoulder, he gently guided the quietly sobbing girl into his chest. Startled momentarily, but quickly overcome by the warmth and safety of Rei's gesture, she let herself melt into her companion's side. Rei shifted his body around sideways. Salima undid her seatbelt and guided by a gentle push from the raven haired blader came to rest lying down across his chest. The warmth, comfort and sanctuary offered seemed so right. It meant more then words ever could.

...I missed you too, Salima.

Her eyes were closed and her body relaxed like an ocean beneath a warm summer sky. Her relpy was a barely audible murmer of acknowledgement.

But we're together now, huh?


...Yeah

- - -

He had missed her. Rei had never known somebody who was so honest and open, and true to herself. They understood one another, thinking along similar paths, with the same goals in mind. Traveling a nightmarish schedule with minimal contact from friendly, familiar faces had made him think of her. It was strange. Of all the people that meant something to him, he often found himself thinking of her, a rival he had met under sadly ill fated circumstances, and only for a very brief period.

She had left a lasting impression on him.

She had touched his heart.

He simply did not know, or wish to admit it.

At least up till now.

- - -

Holding her strongly but gently to himself there, in that storm battered jet, the tired blader felt something wonderful stirring in the depths of his soul. He couldn't put his finger to it. But it felt wonderful. A transfer of warmth, both physical and metaphysical. The beating of her heart and the rhythmical rise and fall of her chest, synchronized with his own.

Suddenly, nothing else mattered.

The destination was of no importance.

All his fear, pain and sorrow simply melted away.

Rei felt his eyelids succumb to the sleep he so craved.

Carefully he swung his legs up onto the seats, and proceeded to lie down. Bracing a pillow against the arm-rest of his chair, he carefully guided Salima's now sleeping frame against his own. Her head came to rest just under his chin. The girl stirred momentarily, adjusting to her new surroundings. They were comfortable beyond measure. Smiling, she let herself slip into a sleep that could have never ended for all she cared. Rei followed suit.

- - -

Biting through thousands of litres of frigid arctic stratosphere, the four turbofans blasted the 747 higher and higher and into the upper reaches of the voracious gale that was hell-bent on ripping apart anything that might challenge it's domain. Higher, higher. Up where the dark grey and violent storm clouds thinned, then dispersed into nothingness…

Like a gigantic bullet, the jetliner burst through the storm's top-cover and into the calm, winter night. Thousands of stars exploded into the sky, brighter and stiller then you could imagine. And the aurora. Ribbons of brilliant dark red light danced, weaved and careened across the heavens in an other-worldly display of living light.

- - -

That was a hard chapter to write. It's taken a while to figure out how this story will reach it's inevitable conclusion, and it might not sit so neatly with the first two chapters, so they may be changed later. That said, once Christmas is over this story isn't going to be especially important, at least till next year. Final chapter up tomorrow in time for Xmas! Or you can kick me in the shins! Tiosu.