As I crawled out of bed at a snail's pace one morning, I thought for a moment and counted back the days since I had arrived here in Sacramento. One, two...almost three weeks. Eighteen days, to be exact. Had I really been here for that long already? I shook my head in disbelief as I got dressed in some exercise clothes and went out for my morning jog. Ever since that morning I'd gone for an early jog to try to forget about that dream I'd had with Boh in it, I'd woken up at 5:30 every morning to take a jog. As much as I'd really wanted to cling to sleep, the desire to get my leg to full strength was greater.
How long had it been since that damned summit? Six months now? Where the hell did the time go between then and now?
"Damn," I mumbled to myself as I jogged around the block. "What DID happen to all that time?"
It was funny that the time had passed so fast. While I was slaving away during my seemingly endless therapy sessions with Linna, I'd thought that it was taking forever for me to learn to walk again. I couldn't wait to shed that brace and take just a few steps on my own, to prove to the world that I wasn't a cripple, that I would persevere and go to the Olympics, even if I died trying.
And now that I had gotten rid of the brace, it seemed like the burden of all that time had just disappeared, been lifted from my shoulders. Sure, I still walked with a limp, and by now, I had come to accept that it would probably be that way for the rest of my life, but as long as I could do everything that I could before I was shot, then that was fine with me. Hell, at times I hardly noticed it myself. But maybe that was due to the fact that I was used to walking with a limp by now. When was the last time I walked without a limp, walked without a huge scar on each side of my leg to remind me of what happened?
When I'd helped Mom and Nene fight the first Boomer at the summit, before the second one came and crashed what party we'd had going.
That Boomer...that damn Boomer, I thought as I jogged back into the house and into the bathroom to take a nice, hot shower. You've scarred me for life, literally and figuratively, and I can't change that. But...at least you got your just desserts, even if it was five months after the fact. I closed my eyes, and smirked as I remembered ripping the Black Box out of its stomach, throwing it to the ground, and crushing it beneath my foot.
As sadistic as it sounded, despite the reasoning behind my going to Genom Tower to begin with, the battle there was almost...fun! I hardly understood it myself, why I thought that way. Maybe it was the fact that I was proving to everyone that I could fight a battle on my own, or maybe it was that damn addictive adrenaline rush that I got during that fight. Or was it the fact that I had broken into Genom Tower and killed Quincy, albeit a fake Quincy?
Or...maybe it was because I had killed Boh and avenged Michiko.
"Eh? What's with that smile?" Mikhaila inquired as I stepped out of the bathroom after my shower, dressed in fresh clothes.
"I feel like I could put my fist through a wall," I said cheerfully, grinning as I walked to my room, leaving Mikhaila with a stunned look on her face. She looked freaked out at how casually I had said that.
But it was true. Right now, I felt almost immortal, like I could take on the world. But inside, I knew that wasn't true, that I only had a certain time on this planet before I would depart and let the next generation of human beings and Boomers and whatnot do what they would. Hell, that was probably part of Mom's reasoning behind having me come here to begin with – that she didn't want me to die. She wanted me to have a normal teenage life, or at least as normal a life as I could etch out.
Another reminder that people were mortal was the fact that I had lost my best friend, and not to mention my near-fatal battle at the summit, as well as the one at Genom Tower. The scars I had reminded me every day of that, but sometimes they just didn't stop me from feeling like the world could throw everything it had at me, and I would walk away unscathed.
"Damn, Mom, this must be why you never gave up," I said to myself as I drove to pick up Xania at her house. "Even if you nearly get killed, you still feel unbeatable, despite the scars! I get it now!" I guess I was a true Asagiri girl...
After I picked up Xania and took her to school with me, that general mood, that feeling of invincibility combined with the knowledge of my mortality, stayed with me throughout the day. I didn't know why I felt that strange mood, but I did, and as I felt that way, I could almost feel that adrenaline rush get going again. I missed it, actually. My longing almost made me want to go out and enter a gymnastics competition right then and there, just to be able to FEEL it again, whether or not my leg could handle those flips.
Once I got home from school at the end of the day, I told Irodia about this weird mood I was in, and even she couldn't explain it. She was at a loss for words. She did manage to come up with a possible reason, though she and I both knew it was a bullshit excuse, if anything.
"Perhaps it's because your first tai chi lesson is scheduled for today," Irodia suggested.
"That's today?" I gasped. I'd forgotten all about it.
"Yes, at four-thirty. How's your stomach feeling?"
"It's feeling ok. The wounds are almost healed up."
"Are they still tender?"
"Still tender?" I repeated dryly. "Of course they are. I still can't do a backwards aerial flip without them hurting."
"You tried those again? Yumeko, you really shouldn't, not until it doesn't hurt anymore."
"Well, they're not opening up, right? So what's the big deal?"
Irodia sighed. "Has anyone ever called you a masochist?"
I grinned. "Not yet. But maybe I am one."
She nodded wearily in agreement. "I'd say you are." She lowered her voice and added, "That must be one of the requirements to be a Knight Saber."
I laughed out loud. "Nene would never have made the cut then!"
She shook her head and sighed, a weak smile on her face. "I'll never understand why she joined them to begin with."
"To be honest, I haven't asked. But I guess she has her reasons."
"And so did you, when you joined."
I slowly nodded. "Yeah..."
Irodia motioned towards the hallway and said, "You better get changed into some exercise clothes. We should be leaving soon to go to your lesson."
"Yeah, sounds good to me. You gonna be doing these lessons too?"
"No way," she said, shaking her head with a goofy grin, the same one that Nene had. "I signed YOU up, not me!"
"Oh, fine, be that way," I joked as I strided to my bedroom to get changed.
-----
"Hi there. I'm Kenneth Donnelson," the man said, holding out his hand to me. I looked down at it for a moment, then grasped it in my hand and shook it firmly. "You must be Rocío Monterrey, correct?"
"Yeah, that's me," I replied.
"Mrs. Brunstein here said you're interested in tai chi so that you can get in shape and help recover from some injuries you've received lately. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with how much tai chi will help you, physically and spiritually."
"Oh really?" I asked, not too excited. "Isn't tai chi a sort of martial art?"
"It is," he said as he led me to an empty mat, "but that's not all it is. Tai chi chuan is used to bring harmony to the mind, body, and soul through a series of graceful movements. And you're right, it can be used as an effective martial arts form. In fact, it is one of the most effective methods of self-defense, because it doesn't rely on strength or speed to get the job done, so to speak."
"It doesn't?" But I need speed to be able to dodge Boomer's attacks, I thought dryly. Isn't strength important too?
"It certainly does not."
"So when do we get started?"
Kenneth laughed. "Now wait a sec! To fully understand how to use tai chi, you need to understand the deeper meaning of it. Do you know about yin and yang?"
"A little. Isn't that light and dark?"
"Not necessarily. Yin and yang exist only in relation to each other. They flow continuously, without end, much like how day turns into night, and night turns into day. And in self-defense, this flow is extremely important, because if two yang forces collide, for example, only struggle will result, and you will end up defeating yourself. Think of yang as the offense. When you're confronted with it, you need to react using yin, or the defense, so you can absorb the attack. And then, when your enemy has used up his strength, then you can use your yang and respond."
"Sounds good to me," I said, perhaps a little too enthusiastically.
"Heh, you look like you're ready to tackle this head-on," he remarked, grinning. "But I need to explain a little more about tai chi chuan, all right? So just listen. The main purpose of tai chi is to cultivate your chi, or inner strength, if you will. The movements associated with tai chi help the flow of the chi along, so that your body and soul are at peace, and it also tones your muscles as well. And if the flow of chi is interrupted in any way, you become ill, and the only way to heal yourself is to get the flow going again."
"So basically it could help keep me from getting sick?" I asked, skeptical.
"Yes. Tai chi has been shown to improve many cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, because of the lack of tension and speed, and because of the deep breathing that is required of tai chi."
"Can it help my leg?" I pointed to my leg sleeve.
"Mrs. Brunstein mentioned you were shot there a while back. Yes, tai chi can certainly help strengthen up your leg, because the quads, as a matter of fact, are the muscles that get some of the most exercise."
"Great! So, about this chi thing..."
"What of it?"
"You said I can heal myself if I get that flow going, right?"
"I do believe I said that, yes," he joked. "Even after just this one session, you may notice some slight differences."
"Like what?"
"Well, you'll find that your mind and body are slightly more relaxed, which will enable you to better fight the everyday stresses of life."
"Like school?" I laughed.
Kenneth returned the laugh. "Yes, like school! Also, it will improve your balance and posture. And for a gymnast like you, that is certainly important."
"Irodia told you that too?"
"She did. She really seems eager to do whatever she can for you."
Irodia really IS a lot like Nene, I thought. She's going out of her way to make sure I get better, even though I didn't ask her to. And this Kenneth guy...I guess she knew what she was doing when she asked him to help me with this! This just might help!
"So," he said suddenly, "are you ready to learn something today?"
"I think I just did," I joked. "I never knew that much about yin and yang before."
"Well, now you do. It's important to remember their balance. They are infinite, therefore you will never achieve the ultimate. Yin and yang share elements of each other, and so as the extremes are approached, the desire to return to 'normalcy' becomes greater, which creates the natural flowing oscillation of the form."
"So...I'll never be the best at anything?"
"Right," he said, chuckling at my expression. "Think of it logically. If you become the best at something, there will be nothing left to strive for. There's no point in continuing. In tai chi chuan, however, you cannot be the best simply because of the continuous flow of yin and yang. One is not stronger than the other."
"They kinda cancel each other out?"
"Something like that. Now, today I'm just going to start out with a basic footwork drill. You need to learn the footwork drills before getting to the hand motions."
"Makes sense," I concurred.
He pointed down at the mat, and pointed at the black line. "See this?" he asked.
"Yeah, kinda hard not to," I joked.
"Stand at that end of the line," he said, gesturing behind me. After I took a few steps back to the end of the line, he stopped me and positioned me so that I had one foot on each side of the line.
"This is called the step-and-slide," Kenneth explained. "It's a drill that boxers use a lot. They turn their feet inwards so the groin area is closed off, so it is protected."
"What fun is that?" I teased, laughing.
"You being a girl, I suppose you wouldn't have to worry, but I imagine taking a hit there would still hurt," he said, not able to resist letting a grin spread across his face. "Anyway, forget what I said earlier about boxers using this a lot. If you know the rules of boxing, they forbid any hitting below the belt, so they don't really need this move, but it's still fairly useful. Now, pigeon-toe your feet for me."
"Pigeon-toe them?"
"Turn them inwards," he said, clarifying what he meant. I did so, then he said, "Alright, first, slide your left foot forward."
"Like this?" I said, sliding it forward slowly, my leg tensing up.
"Yes, just like that. Now, bring your right foot up so that it's behind the left one, but still on the other side of the line." After I did that, he said, "Ok, now repeat it. Slide your left foot forward, then step up with your right."
"My leg's not liking this already," I said, smiling shyly as it didn't loosen up any.
"This'll be good for it," Kenneth assured me, staying by my side. "Ok, now slide your RIGHT foot forward, and bring your left foot up, then repeat that motion."
"So, basically switch sides?"
"Exactly."
I did just that, and slid forward with my right foot, bringing up my left foot, my arms up in a defensive stance, which just seemed the natural thing to do. Kenneth laughed when I did that.
"I should point out that we won't be sparring today," he teased, smirking.
"I feel like an idiot just moving my legs while my arms are hanging limp, that's all," I protested. "I don't like leaving myself open."
"I guess you've been in a few fights, then?"
"At my old school, I got into some major fights, so yeah."
"Excuse me if I'm prying, but did you hurt your leg in one of those fights?"
I sighed and grumbled, still keeping my stance. "No. I didn't hurt it at school." I looked at him out of the corner of my eye and inquired, "As much as I'd LOVE to stay in this position, I'm starting to get sore. So what do I do now?"
Kenneth cleared his throat. "Now glide back with your left foot, but keep your right one in front of you like it is now. And don't forget to keep your feet pigeon-toed."
I nodded and did as he said. "I kinda feel like I'm dancing," I chuckled.
"Sometimes it does start to feel like that," he agreed. "Ok, now do that again, then slide your right foot back so you're back in the original position."
I started to look down at my legs to make sure they were in the right position, but Kenneth quickly said not to. "Don't look at your feet. You'll be leaving yourself vulnerable to attack. Pretend your enemy is at the other end of the line. I doubt the position of your feet will be at the top of your worry list while you're getting beat up," he joked.
I sighed as my eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "Right, right."
I looked up again, picturing a Boomer at the end of the line, and slid my feet back like he'd told me to do. "Ok, now slide your right foot back again, and keep your left foot in front, like before." I did so, then when I got back to the beginning of the line, he clapped for me. "Ok, that was good. I can tell you've had some training before."
"Really?"
"Yeah!" He nodded, a small grin creeping across his lips. "Have you had any?"
"Yeah. The girl that trained me for my gymnastics stuff, she's also the one that helped me during my rehab. We did some sparring and running and all of that."
"How long ago did you injure your leg, if it's ok for me to ask?"
"Six months ago. I got rid of my brace two months ago."
"Wow, that's pretty impressive. Bet you were happy to shed that thing."
"Like hell I was!" I agreed, nodding vigorously. "No way was I gonna live with that thing on my leg for the rest of my life!"
"I can imagine. Now, how about you repeat the step-and-slide foot drill for me again, this time a little faster."
I got back into position, and made my way forward again, switching sides halfway through, and then dancing my way back again. The first time, it had seemed like I was dancing, but now it REALLY felt like it! Kenneth had said this was a position boxers used, albeit not often, and I could recall in the few boxing matches I'd seen that it looked like they were dancing at times. This must be the foot drill they used at those times, I thought.
"If you're bored going in a straight line back and forth, it's ok to zigzag the steps if you want," he reminded me.
"A straight line all the time would be a little predictable," I concurred.
"See? You HAVE had some training!" he laughed, crossing his arms over his chest.
Sure, I've had a bit of training! That is, if you consider Boomers to be the ultimate teachers, I thought dryly. If I've learned anything from all those battles, it's that you should NEVER fight in a predictable fashion! I could remember my very first battle as a Knight Saber... For pretty much the whole battle, I'd just stood there in shock while I watched Linna and Mom fight the Boomer, and only at the end did I attack. If neither of them had been there, I was sure I would have been toast. Looking back on it, now I knew that was one of the stupidest things to do in a battle, to just stand there and do nothing. Even Nene knew that much, although I could relate if the only reaction she had was to freeze in shock. I'd done that myself, several times...
"Do you want to learn one more foot drill before we wrap up?" Kenneth suddenly asked.
"Huh? Oh, sure, I can take it!"
He smirked. "The moment I saw you walk in the door, Rocío, I knew you'd be a great student, one willing to learn no matter what it takes. Am I right?"
"You'd be right," I agreed, returning the smirk.
"Ok, stand in the middle of the line, with both feet on the line," he instructed, pointing to the line. I did so, and then he said, "This drill is called Walk the Line..."
-----
"Daaamn, my legs hurt!" I laughed as I climbed out of the car when Irodia and I got back to the house. When Kenneth said the quad muscles were the ones that got some of the most working out, he wasn't kidding! They were so stiff and sore, I couldn't take a step without pain. Oh well...if it hurt, it was a sign that it was working, right?
"Do you want me to schedule more appointments with him?" Irodia asked, opening the front door for me.
"That'd be great! I should tell Linna about all of this! She'd be so jealous!"
"She doesn't know tai chi?" I shook my head.
"She's more into yoga and karate."
"Well, you don't have to wait too long to tell her about all of it."
"What do you mean?" I inquired as she started to get a mischievous grin on her face.
Irodia led me to the kitchen, and picked up a package that was sitting on the counter. "This came today," she said.
"It's addressed to you though," I said, pointing.
"Yes," she said, "but only because Nene thought it would be risky to continuously be sending to a girl who came into existence out of nowhere. I'm her cousin, so I suppose it'd be safer to address it to me."
My jaw dropped as I examined the handwriting on the package more closely. Sure enough, the return address was a Nene Romanova in MegaTokyo. "Damn her!" I yelled, starting to laugh. "She's one clever little..."
"Yes, I know," she concurred, that cat-that-ate-the-canary look still pasted on her face. "After dinner, you can feel free to view the vidletters."
"Why not now?" I was practically jumping up and down, I was so excited about receiving letters from back home.
"Because Tyler is arriving home now with dinner," she teased, nodding towards the front door. I took a peek into the living room, and once the door opened, there was Tyler, with bags of food cradled under both arms.
"Hope you're all hungry," he said, grinning as Mikhaila came in behind him, carrying a few more bags.
"What did you get?" I asked, stepping into the room.
"I went and got some Italian food. That ok?"
I grinned and nodded. "Yeah! Fine by me!"
"I don't like Italian..." I heard Mikhaila mumble under her breath as we went into the dining room and took the containers of food out of the bags. "It makes me gain weight."
"If anything, you NEED to gain weight," I quipped as I sat down. "You look like you're anorexic or something."
"Oh, what about you, Miss Hotshot Gymnast?" she spat. "You're even skinnier than I am."
"Probably because I work out," I quipped. "That might have something to do with it. Muscle doesn't take up as much room as fat does."
"What are you implying?" Mikhaila got in my face and yelled, "Are you calling me fat?"
"No. Just out of shape."
The pissed-off redhead furiously took a swing at me, which I casually blocked with my arm. "You're one to talk!" she spat angrily. "Who's the one going to tai chi lessons to get in shape, huh?"
"And who's the one that needs to stop spitting in other people's faces?" I inquired, raising an eyebrow as I lowered my arm. "My God, even the kids back home weren't an ornery as you. And trust me, they were pretty ornery. Is the hair that got stuck up your ass starting to fester or something?"
"Shut up!"
I smirked. "Seriously, Mikhaila, if you're so worried about grabbing yourself a guy, you can't have such a bitchy attitude. I don't know guys too well, but I'm sure they get turned off by that."
Mikhaila stood back and took a breath, still frowning at me. "Don't know guys too well? Ha. So what, are you more attracted to girls than to guys?"
"Just because I'd rather stay single than have a ball-and-chain doesn't mean that I'm intimate with girls."
"Can this wait?" Tyler cut in, sitting down. "We need to have dinner now. So stop bickering, you two."
Mikhaila snorted and sat down, Irodia following suit. After Tyler said grace, we all picked away at our dinner, Mikhaila giving me evil glances throughout. I just shrugged it off and thought about the package that Nene had sent. God, I just wanted to jump up, grab it, and lock myself in my room so I could view the vidletters. Irodia noticed my excitement, and just shook her head, a wistful smile on her face. I sighed and shoved some spaghetti in my mouth, hoping I could be excused soon.
Once dinner was over, I jumped up and was about to run to the kitchen to grab the package when I felt Irodia's hand on my shoulder. "Could you help me with the dishes, Rocío?" she asked in a kind voice.
"I...I could," I said reluctantly. "But—"
"Don't worry, the package isn't going anywhere. It'll still be there when you're done. Now help me gather up the dirty dishes."
"Ok," I groaned, shuffling back to the dining room to gather them up.
Once Irodia and me had them gathered up, we carried them to the kitchen, set them in the sink, and proceeded to scrub off all of the food stuck to them and put them in the dishwasher. I tried to hurry through it, scrubbing them quickly, but on practically every other dish, Irodia handed one back to me, pointing out a chunk of food I had missed. I just sighed, scrubbed it off, then put it back in the dishwasher.
What seemed like hours was probably only minutes, but after the dishwasher was loaded and running, I dried off my hands and practically made a mad dash towards the package on the counter. "No, Rocío," Irodia said. "You need to do your homework."
"You're doing this on purpose!" I protested. Irodia just laughed.
"Maybe," she admitted. "But seriously, go do your homework first, then you can see the letters, ok?"
"I haven't seen them in almost three weeks. Please let me see those letters!"
She put her hands on my shoulder and shushed me gently. "I know, I know." She grinned. "But if I give them to you now, you'll never get any homework done."
"To hell with the homework!"
"The letters can wait. Homework can't."
"Damn it, I really..."
"I know." She ushered me to my room. "Homework first, though."
"Fine, fine," I sighed, giving in. "But if I do it, will you give me the letters right afterwards?"
"Yes," she replied, nodding.
"This is blackmail!" I remarked as I headed into my room, shutting the door behind me to the noise of Irodia's laughter.
-----
The clock read 6:47 PM when I went into my room to start my homework, and I tried hard not to stare at it as I worked on my homework, instead concentrating on getting it done as soon as humanly possible so I could see the letters from Mom and the others. But by the time I had it all done, the clock read 9:14.
"God damn it!" I cursed when I saw the time, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. "Damn homework!"
"Are you done?" I heard Irodia call out gleefully.
"Yeah, finally," I groaned, stretching my arms out.
"Let me see," she said as she came into the room. I handed it to her, and after a minute of glancing over it, she smiled and handed it back to me. "Good job."
"Can I have the letters now?" I begged.
She just smiled and handed me the package, then placed a few vidletters in my other hand. "Those ones are blank," she said. "I'm sure you have plenty to say to them, so I'll let you stay up as long as you need, all right?"
"Thanks, Irodia," I said, smiling. "Good night."
"Good night," she replied as she left the room, closing the door behind her.
I turned on the lamp on the desk, then walked over and turned off the lights. Walking back to the desk, I sat down and tore open the package. Six vidletters came spilling out, one of them apparently from Nene to Irodia. I set that one aside, making a mental note to give it to her in the morning, then gazed at the remaining five. Each of them had the name of who it was from on it, and the date. I picked up the one that said "To Yumeko Asagiri, from Sylia Stingray" on it, and inserted it into the vidletter player, pressing 'play'.
After a few seconds of static, Sylia appeared on the little screen. "Hello, Yumeko," she greeted, smiling. "I hope you are enjoying your life in Sacramento. As you've probably guessed, everyone here misses you, but I'm not going to speak for them. You can hear their say on the letters they recorded themselves. Mackie misses you, as does Dr. Raven. And I will admit that I miss seeing you around as well. Having a young face around has been refreshing, to put it plainly. And it was a pleasure having you as a member of the Knight Sabers. You have helped us out a great deal, and I thank you. You have made me proud, and I'm sure you know Priss is proud of you, too."
Wow...she's glad I was a member of the Knight Sabers? I thought, touched. Hearing this from a woman whom I had considered to be the Ice Queen was certainly a shock, to say the least.
"Yumeko, I know that losing Michiko was certainly a blow to you, but you have shown everyone that you can persevere and overcome this. The pain will always be there, yes, but so will your memories. Don't lose those. And I know sometimes, you were wondering why you joined the Knight Sabers, why I invited you to join us. After all, you were just sixteen when I asked you to help us in our cause. I'm sure it was a shock to learn your mother and her closest friends are the infamous vigilantes."
She cleared her throat, then continued. "I asked you to join, Yumeko, because I believed in you. Although you were a bit naïve at the time, I knew that you had what it takes to be a Knight Saber. You had the strength, the courage, and perhaps even the, ahem, foolhardiness to take on a conglomerate such as Genom. You really take after your mother, in more ways than one. And I am proud of you."
"Sylia..." I whispered out loud.
She smiled. "I know you want to view the others' vidletters, so I will keep this short. Make sure you rest, and try not to worry about any happenings over here in MegaTokyo. The Knight Sabers have been around for over two decades. We are resilient...and so are you."
With that, the screen went blank, and I was left speechless. I had never seen Sylia so expressive in my life. I was almost wondering who this person was that had just spoken to me! She looked like Sylia, but she didn't really talk like her! Who was this?
I removed the letter from the player, then inserted a blank one, adjusted the lens so it was focusing on my face, then pressed 'record'.
"Hi, Sylia," I said, trying to put some cheer in my voice. "I just got done viewing your vidletter, and I gotta admit that it's really nice to hear your voice again. I've been here almost three weeks now, and I'm still trying to get used to this new lifestyle. Everything here is so different, and I don't mean the fact that they drive on the right side of the road instead of the left like they do in Tokyo, either. I mean, there's no rampaging Boomers here, cybernetic implants are a lot more commonplace here, and...and nobody here really gives a damn about the Knight Sabers. I feel like a fish out of water.
"Anyway, I'm staying with Nene's cousin and her family. Her name is Irodia, her husband is Tyler, and their bratty daughter is Mikhaila. It's weird, having a guy to share a roof with, but it's also weird having a pseudo sister. Mikhaila is...she's a total bitch, to be blunt. All she cares about is how she looks, and she's done nothing but ridicule me about everything. I try not to let her get under my skin, but after everything that's happened, I just don't know if I can put up with her crap. I wish I could tell her what's really happened, but she probably wouldn't believe me anyway. Oh well, I can't help it if she's that dense.
"Another thing that's different here is the school schedule. Instead of having the school year go from April to March, it goes from August to May. So, in other words, I have to start my senior year all over again!" I slapped my hands over my face. "It sucks! I'm doing ok in school, 'cause I'm fluent in English and all, but it's just one more thing that makes me miss home. I really wanna come back to Tokyo, and I know I'm here in California for a reason, but..." I took my hands away from my face and sighed. "But...I still wanna help you guys out. That's not gonna change, no matter how long I'm here for."
I absently ran a hand through my hair and leaned back in my chair. "Well, I suppose I should keep this short and sweet, so I'll just end it here. I really miss you, Sylia. I miss going out and killing Boomers with you. Oh, and tell Mackie and Dr. Raven I miss them too. Bye for now."
I pressed 'stop' on the player, then took out the letter and wrote on it, "To Sylia, from Yumeko." After putting it aside, I picked up another letter at random. This one was from Linna. I inserted it into the player and pressed 'play', and after a moment, the black-haired girl appeared on the screen.
"Hi, Yumeko!" she said in a cheery voice. "I hope everything's going well for you on the other side of the Pacific. A few people at the gym have asked where you are, because they've been so used to seeing you there over the past couple months, but all I told 'em was that you're out of town. Anyway, things have pretty much stayed calm over here, in terms of Boomer rampages, anyway. And no, I don't have a new boyfriend." She laughed. "Anyway, I hope you're doing alright over there, and I hope you're resting up instead of trying to push yourself like you tend to do a lot. Which reminds me...you want to go to the Olympics next year, right? And I know you know that the sooner you start on your training, the better. But of course, there's your wounds that have to be dealt with."
What's she getting at? I thought.
"Yumeko, I want you to let your wounds heal before you start on ANY rough stuff. I know I've told you this before, but if you try to push yourself too early, it'll only take longer for you to recover from your wounds, and then you'll have to put off the real training even more. So please, try to rest, ok? I know you're excited, but if you rest, you'll be able to start on the good stuff all the sooner."
She smiled and ran a hand through her hair to get it out of her eyes. "Priss has told me that you really want to help us out, and that you were saying that a lot on the way to the airport. I understand that completely. I've known you your whole life, so I'm gonna take a guess right now, and guess that you're wondering how on earth we'll be able to survive without you. Well, I can answer that. First off..." She held up one finger. "The Knight Sabers have been doing this for years before you were even born. We started out in 2031, ok? We weren't much older than you are now. But we've gained a lot of experience since then. You've only been in the Boomer-killing business for a year, whereas we 'veterans' have a couple decades of experience behind us. I'm sure we can handle ourselves ok, even though we're in our forties," she said, grinning impishly.
"And you're gonna be turning forty-three next month, Aunt Linna," I said aloud, snickering.
"I'm going to end this letter here if that's ok. Oh, and when you're ready for the Olympics, Yumeko, you can bet I'll be there to support you. And so will Priss, and Sylia and Nene too, of course." She winked. "Try to have some fun over there, ok? You're seventeen! Go out and make friends, and don't forget to tell us all about what's going on over there! Bye!"
I ejected the vidletter from the player, then inserted another blank one into it and pressed 'record'. I repeated what I had said to Sylia about Irodia and her family, then went on to discuss the things Linna had wanted me to tell her about.
"One of the girls in Mikhaila's little group is a girl with a cybernetic tail. Her name is Xania Peters. So far, she's been the only girl I really hang out with. The other kids at school, including Mikhaila, have been pretty surprised with how nice she is with me. She offers to help me with my homework, which Mikhaila claims she usually doesn't do. Oh, and she's been said to sleep around too," I added with a goofy grin. "But as far as I've seen, she's stuck with just one guy, so maybe the stories I've heard are exaggerated."
I let out a breath and thought for a moment. "You said to let myself heal up before trying anything, right? Well, I'm happy to say that, for the most part, I've managed to rest up. The stab wounds don't hurt nearly as much as they did when I got here, so I think they're almost healed up. Oh, and Irodia took me to see this guy at the local gym today! He's gonna start teaching me some tai chi! In fact, he showed me some footwork drills for it this afternoon. Irodia only set this one appointment, but I asked her if she could schedule me to do some more exercises with him. And I can almost hear you asking if I have a crush on him." I rolled my eyes. "The answer is no. He's about thirty years old, way too old for me. I don't have time for a relationship, anyway. I'm trying to focus on training for the Olympics, if only to get my mind off of everything else..."
I sighed and started to twirl Michiko's necklace around my finger. "I miss you, Aunt Linna. I miss everybody. And I especially miss Michiko, but I guess that's a given, huh? Before I saw your letter, I watched Sylia's, and she was saying that that pain will never go away, but neither will the memories. I think there's more truth in those words than she'll ever know. Michiko was...my best friend in the world..." I wiped a tear from my eye. "And I know you said that you and the other Sabers can handle this on your own, but¼that doesn't stop me from worrying anyway. You've been like family to me, and I don't want to lose any of you...
"Well, I'm gonna go now, so in case you're viewing this in the middle of the night, you won't have to stay up all night listening to my mindless ramblings," I chuckled, my voice cracking. "Take care of everybody for me. Bye."
I stopped recording, and took out the vidletter and wrote "To Linna, from Yumeko" on it, then set it aside with the one I'd recorded for Sylia. I took one from the pile of letters I had yet to view, and gasped when I saw that the one I'd picked up said "To Yumeko, from Adrienne and Kenji Ishiodori."
"T...this is from Michiko's parents!" I gasped. I had a feeling that Mom had something to do with this... I quickly popped it into the player and pressed 'play', wondering what on earth they would want to say to me.
"Hello, Yumeko," Mrs. Ishiodori said when she appeared on the screen. "Priss recently told me that you're off somewhere to try to recover from everything that's gone on. She didn't tell me where exactly you are, so if you're viewing this, then I guess she really does want you to hear from us." She sighed and cleared her throat. "I've known you for ten years now, ever since you helped out Michiko when we first moved to Tokyo. I don't remember if I ever thanked you for helping her out in those early days, helping her not feel like such an outcast. But if I didn't, well, I'm thanking you now."
She wiped away the tears that were forming at the corners of her eyes with trembling hands. "I want to thank you for being Michiko's friend, and for being like a daughter to me. I really appreciate what you've done. And I'm sure that Michiko appreciated having you there as well. And...and don't feel bad about her dying, all right? I'm sure you're hurting for her as much as Kenji and I are, but...but just try to keep in mind that she's in a better place, and that no one can hurt her anymore."
I try...I try... I thought, resisting the urge to break down myself.
"I know that if you could've done anything to help her, Yumeko, you would have. But none of us could've known what happened to her..." Her body started to tremble with the effort not to break down and cry. "Michiko wouldn't...want you to cry for her. I'm sure she wouldn't want me to, either. But how can you NOT cry for someone you loved so much...?"
"No kidding," I agreed, wiping away my own tears.
"Well, here comes Kenji. I'll let him say something now," she said, standing up. After she left, Mr. Ishiodori sat down and gazed at the camera. I'd never seen him look so tired and worn-out before. Whenever I'd seen him, he usually had a big grin on his face, but now...he looked like a completely different person.
"Yumeko...I've known you for ten years, like Adrienne said. I know you're a very strong person. You've proven that much just by learning to walk again after what you've been through. Right now...I hate to admit it, but I'm not feeling very strong right now. I'm a total wreck. So I want to ask a favor of you. I want you...to be strong. I want you to be strong for me, for Adrienne, and for Michiko too. I'm sure you know how Michiko hated to see anyone cry, and even though she's gone, she still wouldn't want to see us crying. So please, Yumeko, I'm asking you to be strong for everyone, because honestly, I don't know if I can be strong right now. I'm trying to hang in there, for my sake as well as Adrienne's, but we just lost our only child."
And I lost my best friend. What is it with everyone these days? They expect us to just carry on like nothing happened, but what about our mourning period? Aren't we allowed to mourn anymore? I thought. I knew I'd probably be mourning for the rest of my life, so for someone to ask me to carry on normally was a bit too much to ask.
"I think I've said all that needs to be said, so I'm going to go here," he said, sighing. "I'm sorry if I've been a pain in the ass asking you to do this, Yumeko, but I'm sure Michiko would ask you to be strong too. And she'd want us, as her parents, to be strong too, and we're trying the best we can. All I'm doing right now is passing along that message. So please, try to carry on with everyday life, wherever you are, because I know Michiko wouldn't want you to...to put your life on hold to mourn her loss. You don't have to reply to this letter if you don't want to, but...I'd like a reply, and Adrienne would too, since you were our daughter's best friend in the whole world. Goodbye."
"God, I hate that word," I moaned to myself as I ejected the letter and set it with the ones Sylia and Linna had sent me, wiping the tears from my eyes. As I picked up a blank vidletter to put in the player, I hesitated. I just stared at it, wondering whether I should reply or not. There wasn't really much that I had to say to them; they seemed to know how I felt. But they WERE Michiko's parents, after all; I almost felt obligated to answer their letter. So, I put the letter in the player and pressed 'record', hoping I could come up with something decent and not have a breakdown at the same time.
"Um...hi," I said, that being the only greeting I could come up with at the moment. "You said that Mom didn't tell you where I am. Well, if you're looking for the answer from me, you're not gonna get it. I think for your sakes as well as mine, I shouldn't tell you." I sighed. "It's best that way. Anyway, I AM away somewhere, but...it's not any easier to deal with what's happened. Michiko's still dead, I still walk with a limp, and nothing is going to change that. Ok, I just said that, but I still can't accept it. I just can't imagine Michiko not being here anymore. She didn't...deserve to die. Not like that..."
My body started to shake, and I buried my face in my hands, trying not to cry. That memory playback that Boh had showed me, showing just how Michiko died, came to rear its ugly head in my mind again. Michiko...she didn't deserve something so horrible. She should've been one of those people who died an old woman, in her bed, surrounded by her friends and loved ones. She should not have had to meet death by having that damned bastard Boh stab her five times!
"I'm sorry..." I cried, looking up at the vidletter player's camera lens. "I should've been able to do more to help her. I should've given her a ride home like I always did. But that day, she wanted to walk home, so I let her. And now look!" I wiped the hot tears from my eyes, more springing up in their place. "I can't help but feel I should've been able to do more for her. I was stabbed too, like her. Four times. I wish I'd been the one to die instead of her. Micchan was too good for that sort of death. I know we're all gonna die, but I don't think anyone deserves to die so violently!"
I took a breath and leaned back in the chair, once again fighting the urge to cry. "You said that I should try to be strong, for all of us. I...I've been having just as hard a time dealing with this as you have, but...I'll try. You're right about saying that Michiko would hate to see any of us crying because she's not here anymore. But...you were also right when you said that we can't help but cry, because we all loved her so much." I smiled through my tears. "Damn, why do emotions have to be such confusing little trifling things? They just mess everything up even more than it already is... But I'm gonna try and be strong. I'm gonna try to live life for both Michiko as well as myself. That's what she'd want, right?" I perked up, getting a grin on my face. "She'd want me to go to the Olympics just the same, and that's what I plan on doing! So next August, watch for me on Team Japan, because Michiko is gonna be out there helping me win that gold medal!"
I stopped recording and ejected the letter, writing on it "To Mr. and Mrs. Ishiodori, from Yumeko." I set it aside, then sighed to myself, "I must be going nuts...or at least becoming bipolar. What the hell was I just saying?"
"Rocío!" I heard Mikhaila yell from her room. "You talkin' to yourself in there or what?"
"Yeah, to the voices in my head!" I quipped.
"I can't understand a word you're saying! What part of Mexico DID you come from, anyway? Doesn't sound like any Spanish I've ever heard!"
"Try listening to the actual Spanish version of Spanish instead of the Mexican version. You'll never know it's the same language!" This was surprising to know, that Mikhaila didn't know Japanese. I had figured that Irodia would have taught it to her, but apparently she hadn't. Either that, or Mikhaila didn't see the point to learning it.
Mikhaila didn't respond, which made me smirk. She still didn't like to be proven wrong, but what else was new?
I picked up another vidletter from the two that were left that I hadn't viewed yet. The one I picked up said, "To Yumeko, from Aunt Nene." I smiled and chuckled to myself; she loved acting so cute. I inserted the letter into the player and pressed 'play', and then a grinning Nene popped up on the screen.
"Yumeko!" she exclaimed. "Hope you're doing well over in Sacramento! Irodia's said lots of good things about you. I hope she and her family have treated you well." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "She also mentioned you've been pretty depressed over Michiko. But that's normal. Let yourself mourn for her for however long you need to. And don't hold it all inside like Priss does, ok? Let those emotions out, and don't be embarrassed if you need to cry. Crying is a normal human response to grief and sadness."
What did she do, take a psychology class? I thought sarcastically. I'll deal with my emotions however I damn well please!
"Priss really misses you," she added. "But since you're getting a letter from her too, I'll try not to talk about that and let her speak for herself. Anyway, I'm curious as to how you're doing over there! Have you made any friends? What's the school you're attending like? Y'know, basic stuff! Oh, speaking about school...I know the school system over there is really different, but I'm sure you'll overcome it! This IS your last year of high school, so I know you'll be prone to ditching and senioritis, as if you weren't already." She laughed. "But try to buckle down and study, ok? Education's important, although I know getting back into gymnastics is important to you too. If you ever need help with homework or anything, you can ask Irodia, or if you don't feel like she can help you, then you can ask me too! I'm always willing to lend a helping hand!"
"Except in battle," I quipped, snickering.
Nene thought for a moment. "Oh, has Irodia told you about the annual Christmas gathering that her husband's family has? Every year for Christmas, his whole family gathers in Minnesota and celebrates together! Irodia's always asked me to go with her, but I've been so busy here that I haven't been able to. Besides, it's Tyler's family, not ours." She shrugged, then smiled. "Oh well, maybe I'll try to make it this year, if only to see you again."
I gasped. This was certainly news to me! Irodia had never mentioned such a thing! My heart started to pound. Three months I'd have to wait to see her, but...it would be worth it! And it was a safe way to come and see me; no worrying about Genom tracing any phone calls or anything!
Nene sighed. "Yesterday, Sylia told me that she's possibly thought of a way to get Genom off your back, but...she doesn't know if it'll bear any fruit. I don't want to get your hopes up, so I won't go into any more detail on it. I don't want you worrying about it, anyway. Just try to live the normal life that you were supposed to have, ok? Hopefully I'll see you in December!" She smiled and waved. "Later now!"
"Damn it, Nene," I mumbled. "You said that same thing before you left to go help the others at the summit..." With every letter, I was dreading that word – goodbye – and its other forms more and more. Couldn't anybody think of a different word to say? Even "See ya later!" would've been better than that God-forsaken word!
"Nene..." I groaned when I started to record the vidletter for her, "you really shouldn't leave me hanging like that. I wanna know what the hell your idea is for getting Genom off my ass!" I added dryly, "As much as I just LOVE staying here with total strangers, I really don't plan on living like this for the rest of my life! How can I live a normal life when I know why I'm here to begin with! I can sure as hell TRY to, but you know as well as I do that it'll just be a charade. I can't really LIVE if I'm stuck here, not free to go home to Tokyo whenever I want to, which is what I want to do right now! I...I know you have good intentions, I do, but...I want to help you guys out. To hell with whether I live or die. I don't want you guys giving your lives for me. And yet...I know that's just what you'll do if that's the only option to keep me safe."
I sighed and decided to change the subject, instead repeating what I had said to Linna and Sylia about Irodia's family, and Xania. About Xania, I said, "It's kinda funny how I managed to become friends with her, because...she's the total opposite of Michiko. She's bold, she's a pottymouth, she's not naïve whatsoever...but she does have her own charm, just like Michiko did. I've noticed that she'll act one way around her other friends, another way around her boyfriend Greg, and yet another way when she's alone with me. Maybe I'm her first real friend. Maybe...I'm the only person who can relate to what she's been through, even though I don't know exactly what she DID go through." I shrugged. "Or maybe I'm totally bullshitting myself. Whatever it is, maybe we can help each other out. I guess in a few months we'll see whether I'm right or not."
I forced a smile, then waved. "See you later, Aunt Nene. I hope we do get to meet again for Christmas. And try to keep yourself in one piece when you're fighting Boomers!"
I wiped away a tear as I stopped recording and took out the letter, writing "To Aunt Nene, from Yumeko" on it and setting it aside. God, I never realized how much I'd missed her! I figured having someone around that looked and acted much like her – Irodia – would help soothe that agony, but it hadn't done a damn thing. Of course, then again, Irodia and Nene were two separate and unique people. Who was I to expect that they act the exact same?
I reached and picked up the last remaining vidletter that I hadn't viewed. On it was written "To Yume, from Mom." I wiped away another tear as I put it in the player and pressed 'play'. Oh, how I longed to hear her voice again! Hearing it on her CDs was one thing, but to actually hear her talking to me was entirely another.
After a second of static, Mom appeared on the screen, smiling softly. "Yume...aw hell, what am I supposed to say?" she mused aloud. "You already know how I feel about this whole thing. But, I'm gonna let it all out anyway, and it's gonna sound a little corny, but bear with me here."
She took a breath and began. "You're my daughter, Yume. You're seventeen years old, and at your age, I'm sure the last thing you want to be doing is spending your free time going out and killing Boomers. I was seventeen when I joined the Knight Sabers, but then again, I'd had nothing close to a normal life. You, on the other hand, had as close to a normal life as you could get with a famous singer for a mom and all. And then, that damn female Boomer tried to gut you, and you got dragged into the vigilante life me and the others have known for years.
"After you went and nearly got killed at Genom Tower, I thought a lot. I thought about whether I wanted to keep risking your life over a cause that you shouldn't have had to take up to begin with. At seventeen, the last thing you should be worrying about is somebody trying to kill you. So, I talked with Sylia about it, and she agreed. Nene happened to overhear, and said that she could talk with her cousin Irodia about it. Of course, Sylia being Sylia, she wanted to know how trustworthy this cousin of hers could be. After a while, Sylia agreed to let Irodia know about everything, so Nene called her up and spilled the beans to her, and strangely enough, Irodia agreed to take you in. And so, there you are in California, doing God-knows-what."
She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Yume, I'm sure you miss me like hell. And to be honest, I miss you a lot too. You're my daughter, why wouldn't I miss you? But...I guess sometimes, a mother has to let her daughter go to keep her safe, so that's what I've been doing now." She got a silly smirk on her face and suddenly said, "If you think me talking like this is weird, then you're not alone. I can't believe I'm saying half of this, either."
I snickered. She really did know me!
"On a more serious note, Yume...try not to worry about Genom or anybody, ok? I swear I'll kill Madigan with my bare hands if it means you'll be safe. But somehow, I guess Sylia wouldn't be too thrilled about that idea," she joked, clearing her throat. "Well, uh, what else to say here... I STILL can't believe you went to Genom Tower on your own! I practically had a heart attack when I read your note. But thank God you made it out ok. And...I'm proud of you. You really gave Boh what he deserved. I'm glad you're my daughter, and I'll make sure that one day, we can live together again. Damn, I almost said 'fight Boomers together again'. But I didn't. Wanna know why? Because I don't want you to have to don a hardsuit again. I want you to have a normal life as much as you want one for yourself. And I swear that you'll have it. I dunno when, but I'll try to make it soon. In the meantime, let me do the worrying and the fighting for both of us."
She gave me a weary grin and added, "Genom had enough trouble trying to get rid of the purple Knight Saber. But now, they're gonna have to deal with her mother! How's THAT for an 'uh-oh, we're screwed' moment?"
I laughed out loud. I so wished I could be there for when Mom would show Genom what an Asagiri girl could do! That would've been quite a sight to see!
"I love you, Yume. I want you to take care of yourself, ok? Later."
And with that, the screen went blank.
I sighed and took the letter out of the player, and set it with the others' letters. I took the remaining blank vidletter into my hand and slipped it into the player, pressing 'record'.
I folded my arms over the table and laid my head down on top of them, resting my chin on them. "Mom...I can't possibly say how nice it is to hear your voice outside of a music CD," I sighed, smiling softly. "It's nice to hear you actually talking to me for once. Y'know, I guess I really AM your daughter, 'cause while you were talking, I got some of the words to Wasurenaide stuck in my head. But the words fit, actually..."
I started to sing the verse that had gotten stuck in my head:
Ano hi futari de (That night, crying,)
hoshizora o miagete naita (you and I gazed up at the stars,)
kimi o kizutsukeru (and I wanted to protect you)
subete kara mamoritai yo. (from everything that hurts you.)
"Is it silly that songs seem to be the only way to really express how I feel?" I wondered aloud after I was done singing that verse. "Or maybe that's the reason people started writing songs to begin with. You'd agree, right? Whenever you've gotten down, you always retreat into your music to make yourself feel better, and no wonder!"
I ran a hand through my hair to get my bangs out of my eyes and heaved a sigh. "Yeah, music really seems to be the only way to really let emotions out. No wonder you became a singer. That became clear to me just now. I really don't like the mass of sad, emotional songs that are out there, 'cause they're just so damn depressing, but I guess that's the only way those singers can get those emotions out into the open! So...I guess I'll just have to live with it."
I closed my eyes as the tears started to well up in them. "Mom, I really miss you right now. I feel like...like there's no point to living anymore sometimes. Michiko's gone, and how can I live with myself knowing that she died to protect me? I viewed the vidletter that her parents recorded for me, and they wanted me to be strong for everybody, to keep on living, because that's what she'd want me to do. And...I guess they're right. I mean, why would I put myself out of my misery? That would turn the whole reason behind Michiko dying into moot. For her sake, I'm gonna try and keep on living. But...I dunno sometimes. Sometimes, I really feel like shit, and Irodia tries to hold me and comfort me, but...but she's not you! She's not my mom, you are!" I opened my eyes and tried in vain to blink away the tears. "I wish you were here to tell me everything's ok... Even when it's not, I guess it's still nice to hear you saying it."
I sighed and closed my eyes again. "You want me to live a normal life, huh? I think I said this to Nene already, but I can try all I want, but I just can't do it when I know why I'm here in Sacramento to begin with. It'll just be a charade. And I can't pretend to live a normal life when I know you and my 'aunts' are over there trying to protect me. You said not to worry, but...I'm still worrying nonetheless. But I guess you knew I'd do that anyway, huh?"
I wiped away a stray tear which had started to make its way down my cheek. "Mom...I love you more than anybody in the world. I love you more than you'll ever know. And I hope to God that we'll be able to live together again soon, because I hate living the way I am now. I don't plan on living the rest of my life quivering in fear. I want to stand up to those bastards and show them I'm not afraid of them." I smirked. "But...I guess you'll be the one to take care of that now. And I know you will."
I stopped recording the letter, then ejected it from the player. On it, I wrote "To Mom, from your daughter Yume" on it, then set it with the others I had recorded. After securing them with a rubber band, I set them in a drawer, so that Mikhaila wouldn't find them if she happened to come snooping around in my room, wondering what I was doing. I did likewise with the ones that they had recorded for me, at the same time leaving the one Nene recorded for Irodia on my desk.
As I changed into my nightshirt and boxer shorts, I kept thinking about what my Knight Saber friends had said in their letters. I really hope you guys can do this, I thought. It would help put me at ease, and I'm guessing the same about you, too. In the meantime, I'll try to live like a normal teenager is supposed to, but I'm not making any promises here.
After I was changed, I walked over to the desk, and smiled as I turned off the lamp. Then, I curled up in bed and drifted off to sleep, dreaming about whether I would ever live a life without fear, without going out in a hardsuit...
A life where I could freely walk the streets and have everybody know my name and not be risking my life in the process.
It was something everyone took for granted, being able to walk freely without fear or worry. But me, I would try to embrace these peaceful moments I had in Sacramento, because I would never know when this so-called joyride would come to a screeching halt.