Sorry for taking so long with the next chapter. I was having a bit of writer's block and I was kind of preoccupied with sleep. Anyway, thank you for your patience and here it is.
Chapter 4: A Final Return
Infinite darkness surrounded him, not a single shred of light could be seen from every direction he looked. He even glanced down to his feet and saw that he wasn't even standing on a floor. It was as if the whole world succumbed in the darkness and nothing could ever break through it. Not a single soul could be found.
Hideki walked on without a sense of direction. His eyes narrowed in confusion and his head jerked randomly searching for anything, anyone, that might help him, but in the end, it was to no avail. He gave out a loud sigh; it was tiring to see nothing except his own hands. He looked around again, trying to make out a single shape from the black blanket that trapped him.
"Hello? Is anybody there?" he yelled.
Not a single sound could be heard, not even an echo from his own voice. Nothing was there but the same darkness. With a weary look, he trudged on to seemingly nowhere. His movements grew monotonous, each leg moved like a piston. The sense of dreariness slowly seeped into his body as he continued to walk in an aimless manner. There was no sense of time in this place. He could not tell whether a minute, or a day or even a month has gone by.
Am I dead?
He paused to look around in futile. There was still nothing but the same black void that engulfed him.
Is this what it is like to die?
He wobbled and fell to his knees. His weary legs could not bear to move any longer. It was as if he ran an endless road for miles without stop and his final destination was still absolutely nowhere in sight.
Am I all…alone?
Tears began to fall from his black eyes at the thought of wandering forever in nothingness. He clutched his brown hair and his eyes shut tightly from the overwhelming emotion of loneliness. Hideki's brain was gradually succumbing into the darkness that surrounded him. His grip on the grains of sanity was slipping through between his fingers. He could almost feel the cold, hands of desolation grabbing every part of his body and pulling him into a pit of misery.
Memories of his past sped past him like a fast slideshow. He mentally stared in a stupor, overwhelmed by the emotions held in each one.
"DAMN! There's a girl tied up in the garbage!"
"Chii…that's a cute name. Do you mind if I call you Chii?"
"Have a good day Hideki!"
"She said she was looking for a job."
"May I throw my arms around you?"
"My special person is…"
"I've found you!"
"Chii," Hideki murmured, his head bowed in defeat. He lied down on his side and curled up in a fetal position and let the silent tears trickle down his face. The pain and grief made him feel so weak. His hands grasped unto his chest, feeling the slow and ssoft beat of his aching heart.
Hideki…
His eyes closed shut tightly. Even he was starting to hear hallucinations of his own name spoken from her sweet voice.
Hideki…
Hideki's body tossed and turned, trying to block out the voice with his mind. The streams from his eyes changed into rapid rivers. His fingers twitched for the feel of her soft and smooth skin.
"Please leave me alone! Stop torturing me!" He cried. His body convulsed from the sharp stabs of anguish, setting his nerves on fire. Hideki's eyes opened slightly, but then opened wide in horror from the incredible sight in front of him.
It was Chii, but something is terribly wrong. Her clothes were all ragged, dents and bruises were scattered all over her small frame. She was on her knees, her head drooped down and her arms held her up as if she was holding up a heavy weight on her back.
Hideki…
"Chii!" Hideki's body shivered and it took most of his strength just to get back up on his feet. This couldn't be true could it? What is she doing here? His legs moved slowly at first, but then gradually picked up speed as he ran to the fallen persocom. Chii looked up. Her eyes shined from the sight of her love and slowly picked herself up. She lifted up her arms wide and waited for him as if he would sweep her up and give a passionate embrace.
"Hideki!"
"I'm coming Chii!" he cried. His pushed his legs even harder so that each time his feet pound the nonexistent floor, shocks of pain surged through his muscles. His eyes roamed over her slender body, not sure if she was truly real or not. Her smooth skin was glowing and her ivory hair flew behind her. Her amber eyes twinkled like two stars in the night sky. To his vision, she was a pure angel.
Suddenly, a wall of lavender flames shot out in front of him, Hideki's eyes widened out of surprise and skid to a halt.
"What the?" He stared, stupefied by what was happening in front of him. The fire quickly spread, separating the two of them but his sight could still make out Chii's form behind the blazing wall.
"No! Chii!" Hideki moved his hand closer to her but jumped back slightly from the sudden, intense heat that pierced through his nerves.
"Hideki, why are you so far away from me? Did Chii do something wrong?"
'NO!' His mind screamed. Both sides of his brain fought like two armies waging war, deciding whether to reach for Chii and evidently die or stay and be safe from a possibly fruitless rescue. The feeling of desperation grew larger as he stared in horror of her fading form. The lines and curves on her body that defined her existence were blurring away, Chii's image was disappearing in his mind's eye.
"Chii is probably the best thing that has ever happened to you and you're just going to let her go?" One side of his mind cried, leading the attack.
"It won't matter anyway, life comes and goes. She will be nothing in the end." The darker side countered.
"So is that it? Everything you have worked for will go to waste?"
"Everything dies and leads to nothing. That is what happens in the end."
"So is love a part of nothing?"
His inner mental battle screeched to a halt. He stared down to his feet, dumbfounded by the most simple yet most complicated question he had set himself upon. Do feelings such as love really matter, especially from a machine?
Hideki looked back up, her body almost faded. Chii looked back at him with a small, sad smile. And then she spoke the one sentence that held his answer.
"I will always love you."
His breath was caught in his lungs, his pale hands clenched tightly to his side. It was like that moment when she asked him if he would lose interest in her. How could he be so doubtful? Chii had proven so many times in his life how much she truly loved him. Her love may not be real to some, but she gave it to only him. She may not have a real heart, but her pure affection and undying devotion shows that the heart inside of her transcends any physical one. Chii is willing to do anything to prove her selfless and unending love.
"That may be so, but does yours match hers? Are you willing to give everything you have to show your love?" A sneaky voice asked from the deep crevices at the back of his mind.
Hideki's face frowned and was troubled from this thought. Is his love good enough for her? What did he do to deserve her love? He crushed his eyes shut and wrapped his arms around his chest out of frustration. Is he willing to risk everything he owned and if he did would it be enough? His brow furrowed at the only response he could think of.
He glanced back to see Chii behind the barrier of lavender flames. He could barely see any sign of her now, but her tender crimson eyes and a warm smile.
"...I don't know...but I'm willing to try anything...for her."
And with that belief firmly burned into his heart, he fully extended his arm out, his fingers stretched out and stepped through.
"Hideki..." Chii sobbed, all hope slipped away from her grasp. Nothing mattered to her anymore now that it seemed his fate was sealed. Her crumpled body fell on the cold, ceramic floor, completely unresponsive to everything around her.
"Hey, get up! You can't just lie on the floor!" The nurse grabbed both of her arms and tried to lift her up, but she did not respond. She was like an empty shell.
"Hey, did you hear me? You need to leave!" He scolded, "I need some help over here!" He yelled over.
The two doctors that pushed Hideki aside were walking to the two figures in the middle of the hall. "Let's go you," said one of them.
But she wasn't listening to what they were saying. Her mind was sorting through the many memories she shared with Hideki in her past and rested on a particular one. She then recited the sacred words spoken only for her.
"I will always love you."
A loud SLAM was heard from the other side of the hallway and everyone in the vicinity looked up. Someone's hand was holding the silver elevator door back, stopping it just before it closed completely. The hand twitched unsteadily from the strain of holding back the enormous weight but it refused to give in. Then, her ears picked up the one word that filled her heart with boundless strength and the tiny light of hope.
"...Chii..."
She lunged off the ground with so much power that the medical staff holding her back were taken by surprise and lost their grip. Chii flew through the corridor with such fantastic speed and intensity that it almost blinded her view of the people in front of her. All she could see was the hand weakly holding back the door. The energy coursing through her was like a giant surge of electricity branching off to different parts of her. Every single molecule of her body was magnetically attracted to the reclined man just a few feet away. Chii made one final leap and time slowed down. She floated in the air like a dove in flight, her hair fluttered up and down in the air. Her arms spread out as if they were wings. She slowly descended until she landed on top of Hideki's body and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Hideki's body jerked from the impact and released his grip from the door as it finally closed leaving the two of them alone. He convulsed erratically, his arms and legs spasm uncontrollably, his face contorted in pain.
"Chii, Chii, CHII!" He rasped in a restrained voice.
Chii continued to clutch unto him tightly despite of his unconscious attempts to throw her off.
"Chii is here! Chii will never let go of Hideki!" She cried, trying to appease the raw anguish that has taken control of him. His body continued to move hysterically, but she could feel his muscles slowing down and eventually relax from her warm touch.
They both laid there inside the elevator for what seemed like hours, separated from the rest of the hospital in their own little world. Her head rested on top of his chest, hearing his strong, steady heartbeat. Chii felt his masculine arms shifted on top of her and she sighed in relief. She had finally found peace in her heart. She felt whole, as if they were two different pieces of a puzzle put together to make a complete fit. Chii's heart leapt with joy when she heard him speak his last sentence before he fell asleep.
"You found me."
I'd like to give an individual thank you to Ms. Louie who emailed me personally because I never thought someone would actually do something like that. Words can't describe the shock I received. I also would like to dedicate this chapter to ladycuteluck because if she hadn't reviewed the first chapter, I probably wouldn't be still writing this story today. Last but not least, I'd like to thank all the reviewers who took the time to read this far. Your support has helped me continue with a passion. And just to let you know, the story's not over yet. Not even close.