Cerulean Gaze

Chapter 2: Drowning

Warning: Yaoi content. Save your souls. Press the back button now.

Disclaimer: Chrono Cross characters are not mine. Don't crucify me for the lack of the details from the game.

"I'm glad to see you're up. You've been asleep since you were found lying on the beach yesterday."

The confused young man with dark shoulder length hair simply smiled at what the middle-aged woman who greeted him from the bottom of the stairs. Nikki felt like he was having a hangover. His head was pounding and the world, to a certain degree, was still spinning.

Earlier that morning, Nikki was shocked when he woke up and found himself on a stranger's bed and he was even more surprised to find out he was wearing somebody else's clothes. The plain white shirt and the lose drawstring khaki pants he had on were a bit too big for him but he found no traces of his clothes in the small room. From where he lay, he could see that the entire room was made from and decorated with materials found near the sea. The walls were made of sturdy wood from the trunk of palm trees and several layers of palm leaves were used to create the ceiling. Colorful seashells and corals were the only decorations in the room. Nikki had no idea where he was but the calm aura that filled the room and the familiar scent on the clothes he had on somehow made him feel safe. When he finally got himself out of bed, he looked around the simple bedroom that had a view of the sea from its' small makeshift balcony. Outside he could see children playing merrily in the warm seawater. When he shifted his attention back to the room, he noticed the handmade furniture and other items made from native materials. He decided to leave the room to take a look around the house. His curiosity eventually lead him to the bottom of the stairs that connected the bedroom to the rest of the house. This was the place where the woman who just greeted him discovered the young man wandering about.

Realizing that the woman was still standing there waiting for a reply, Nikki said "I apologize for barging into your house like this. May I know where this place is exactly?"

"Serge sure has weird friends from outside the village. You're in Arni Village. I heard you're a popular music idol in Termina. I do hope you enjoy your stay in a quiet place like this." The woman smiled and went on doing her morning routines.

"Serge! Where…where is he?" Nikki almost screamed out of excitement.

"I'm here."

Serge said as he entered the house and walked towards his mother's side.

The middle-aged woman could've sworn that she saw her son's guest leap into Serge's arms the moment Nikki saw him. Awestruck at the scene before her, she excused herself by mumbling something about seaweeds, and hastily left the house.

Nikki wrapped his arms tightly on Serge's neck and sobbed loudly on the other man's chest.

Dumbfounded, Serge instinctively held his sobbing comrade with both arms. The blue-haired boy was embarrassed to admit it but being this close to Nikki made him feel good about a lot of things.

When the dark-haired man finally calmed down, Serge decided to ask "I thought you were going on your honeymoon with Mikki? How did you end up on Opassa beach alone?"

"So the Nikki here married Mikki eh?"

"Are you sure you're alright Nikki?"

"Serge, I'm not the Nikki from this world." Nikki said blankly as he took a step back from the person who held him.

Serge could tell that Nikki was very disappointed at him for not being able to tell the difference between the two Nikkis. In theory, individuals and the respective counterpart from the different dimensions should have similar personalities since they are after all, biologically identical in all aspects. But having the world split in two brought about two different possibilities for both worlds. The general flow of events that the two Nikkis have experienced may have been similar (enjoying life as a rock star as well as being separated from their only family, Marcy and Fargo) but their unique experiences, the experiences that they could only encounter in the world were they exist, made them very different from one another. The Nikki standing before Serge fought against Lavos with the blue-haired man in the past and this is an experience unique to only one Nikki.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think it's possible for people who don't have the Astral Amulet to cross worlds." The man with blue eyes explained.

"I know." Nikki added as he fixed his rumpled clothes.

"By the way, why were you crying just now? Did something bad happen in the other world?"

"It's… I'm just glad to see you again, Serge."

"So tell me more about the other world."

The two men decided to take a walk on the shores of Opassa beach where they conversed the rest of day. Nikki narrated what he has been up to in the past two years. He mentioned trying to bring his family back together but in doing so, voluntarily gave up his career as a rock star.

"That explains the plain black hair and the absence of make-up." Serge teased.

Nikki admitted that it took him quite a while to convince Marcy that he was her older brother but she eventually gave in. Fargo, on the other hand, easily accepted and welcomed his children back into his life. All this time the middle-aged pirate was waiting for an opportune moment to have his family with him again. Serge asked a lot of questions about his old comrades and Nikki tried his best to recall the last thing he heard about them.

"Lady Riddel eventually married Glenn, Grobyc was helping Zappa wield weapons, Van became a popular artist…" the conversation just went on and on.

Both men did not notice the time go by and before they knew it, the sun was already setting. By this time, they were seated on the sandy beach admiring the wonderful view of the reddish-orange sea.

"Tell me more about Kid. What has she been up to?" Serge said solemnly, looking at the distant horizon before him.

Nikki could sense a hint of remorse from Serge and this greatly saddened the ex-rock star.

"She's still having her wild and crazy adventures. I don't think she got into enough trouble the last time you were there in our world." The black-haired man forced a smile to appear as he spoke. He knew Serge would listen very intently on anything and everything that had to do with Kid.

It was getting dark and cold at the beach. It was time for them to head back to the village. The two young men stood up and dusted the sand off their clothing. Serge was about to start walking towards the village when he felt a gentle tug on his arm.

"Is something the matter, Nikki?"

"Can we stay here just a little while longer?"

"If you insist but we'll catch a cold if we stay out here too long."

"Just a few more minutes, Serge."

There was silence between the two radical dreamers as they stood there side by side, staring off at the dimming horizon.

"The tides have come and gone long before our time. It will come and go long after we are gone." Serge said as he looked at his friend who seemed to be deep in thought.

The man with dark hair and bluish-purple eyes took a step closer towards the other man and gazed at his companion's eyes that held the reflection of the deep blue sea. Nikki said "And what better way is there to see the tides come and go if not through your eyes?"

Serge blinked at this. He wasn't quite sure how to react or what to say but he soon realized he need not do nor say anything. Soft warm lips brushed against his. The kiss didn't last long but it was long enough to send shivers down the blue-haired man's spine.

That special moment ended too soon. Serge could feel the warmth on his lips disappear. When he opened his eyes all he could see was a faint translucent Nikki standing before him.

Nikki smiled his most brilliant smile.

"Right after I was reunited with my family, I fell ill for reasons not even the elder of Marbule knows of. The doctors from Guldove and Marbule couldn't help me so I guess you could say that I no longer exist in the other world."

Serge felt himself choke at what his friend who was now fading away just said.

"I'm an angel who lost his way. I'm glad I ended up where you were. This was my dying wish."

At this point, Serge could barely see Nikki. Things were happening too fast and his mind couldn't grasp the matter fast enough. The man with the ocean in his eyes reached out to embrace the vanishing remnants of the person who continued smiling at him.

"Nikki, wait."

Nikki's voice was inaudible now but Serge could make out the words his comrade was trying to tell him before he completely disappeared. In the end all he could hear was the sound of the waves, the sad wind and the song of Marbule that was forever playing in his heart.

The dark blue eyes that held the sea overflowed that moment while the tides continued to come and go.

End