BLUE SUB: NEW LIFE

Chapter 4: "Past and Present"

.o.o.o.

Hayami stood out on the deck of the complex, going over his memories of the last two years…

Life was never predictable for some people. Hayami Tetsuo was one of these people. Many things had happened to him over the years, first the death of his longtime friend and then getting pulled into the war with the Hybrids.

Relationships, by their very nature, were complex and strange to him. He never really sought out people- they just seemed to find him. Oddly, he had bonded- perhaps out of necessity- with one of the 'enemy'... but necessity for what?

Was it basic desire that moved towards her, or was it a simple need for warmth and contact that he had felt so deprived of for the last few years? Ultimately, the answer to such a question might not be found. They were just two people that had to become close out of basic need.

"If only you could understand me…"

Those were the words he had first said to Mutio as they resided on top of the wreckage in the middle of the ocean. After the time with the Musica, he was once again sepperated from her. And as the war intensified, he was forced to confront a greater issue.

"It's the power source- my heart- it's just too weak to stop the machine…"

That was what Zorndyke had told him as Kino and he stood before him, near the 'doomsday' machine. Hayami finally realized what needed to be done to end the accelerating war- before all life was wiped out!

He shot Zorndyke… He ended the life of the man who had caused so many deaths. But this was what the scientist had wanted in the end. The machine stopped and the war ended with the destruction of the Phantom Ship.

After it was all over, he found a place to live- near the ocean. He was alone again, but he was used to this kind of life. He had been for years. Then, she returned to him, snapping him out of the haze that he had been in for so long.

"Ha- Ya- Mi…?"

They had embraced and exchanged words with each other, despite her limited speech, she let him know what she felt.

Kino had been less than happy about the new arrival of the hybrid. Her unresolved feeling for him made it hard for her to accept that he was now housing Mutio with him.

But the real trouble came when someone he had never met before confronted him.

"Nature is like a wheel, forever spinning. Order keeps that wheel spinning. Now, if an external force interfered with that wheel, it would destabilize and throw everything that was on top of it off."

Those were the words that Warlock had left him with, not a threat- but a warning. However, Warlock and Dumont proved to be important allies in the days to com…

"Her name is Emma."

With that, things changed once more, and Hayami found himself in the middle of a conflict that would ultimately force him to take up the gun again. He was forced in a war once again, but this time if was a war for oil.

"I'm sorry, but you all must die!"

That was what Dianna had told him when he first encountered her. She had taken Mutio hostage and was trying to kill all of them. But fate intervened again…

Dianna proved to be another victim and pawn in the games that Macintyre was playing, but she also proved to be a key player in his defeat… and in curing Emma.

"I now realize that the injection they gave me before releasing me was not simply a sedative- it was loaded with the trigger agent, something for me to pass on to her."

Dianna told them as she explained what was going on.

"There's a cure, an anti-toxin to counteract the cellular degeneration of her nervous system."

The two of them set to find it, and in the end- Hayami and Dianna were pushed to their very limits to get it.

Hayami looked out into the ocean, recalling the dream he had…

Hayami: "Now that I've come this far, what next?"

Dianna: "I think the answer to that may lie in another question- do you love her, or are you simply using her?"

Hayami: "I have a child with her- so I must love her."

Dianna: "Science can explain 99 percent of life."

Hayami: "And the other 1 percent?"

Dianna: "Is us, who we are, what we do. Science can't tell you why a sunset is beautiful, or why a rose smells so sweet- nor can it tell us why we love someone."

Hayami: "Maybe it's not quite love, but it's close enough to make something of it."

Hayami smiled to himself. "I will make something of this." He thought as he turned around and headed back inside. The sky was getting overcast and it looked like it might rain.

"Hayami?" Kino asked, poking her head outside and spotting him. "You'd better get back inside before the storm gets here." She instructed him.

He nodded. "The winds are picking up." He added as he walked over to where she was. "I guess it's time for us to get ready." He added.

The short woman shook her head at him. "You're so cryptic sometimes, do you know that?" she asked him in a joking tone.

He shook his head. "Sorry, I guess I've just had a lot on my mind recently." He offered in response.

She nodded in understanding. "We all have."

They stepped back inside the complex.

.o.o.o.

Hayami and Kino sat inside the complex as rain and wind battered the outside. The sky was totally gray and the ocean waters swirled in the storm. After a few more moments of awkward silence from the two of them, the moment was finally broken.

Kino was the first to speak up, growing tired of the relentless, self-analytical silence that they were in. "She's out there." She remarked.

Their gaze moved towards the hall that lead to a locked door. The person who had lived there for the last few months was gone now.

"I know," Hayami replied. "It's hard to think that she's not here anymore- it's just so different without her." He added, looking back at the short woman.

Kino nodded. "Yeah, I miss her too." She began. "But this was something that Dianna wanted to do." She explained. "She wanted to get out there and see the world and what it had to offer."

"It's dangerous out there, there's no telling what might happen." Hayami admitted. "I hope she's okay." He finished, reclining back in his chair.

The girl shook her head. "You shouldn't say things like that- I'm sure she's fine." She reasoned. "She knows what she's doing."

He smiled at her. "I hope you're right." He replied. "At the very least, we know that she did it because she wanted to- she had a choice and this is the one she made." He added. "Whatever happens now, she just needs to know that there's no looking back."

Kino regarded him as she crossed her legs. "What do you mean?" She asked him after a few moments.

"I've spent most of my life looking back- at the past, at the mistakes I've made, and at the things I've done." Hayami explained.

Kino remained silent as he went on. She keenly listened to him speak.

"But this whole time, the thing I didn't realize is that when we spend our lives looking back- we miss what's right in front of us." He paused. "We can't enjoy the present if we're busy living in the past."

Kino nodded. "I know- the hardest thing for me to do was to move on." She explained. "I lost so much in the war, but I learned that in the end, I had to either loose myself in the memories or make the decision to keep going forward."

The rattle of glasses pulled the attention of the two of them away from their thoughts. They looked over to see Warlock set down cups and fill them up. "The best thing we can do for ourselves is to go forward with what we believe in- we can do the most for Dianna by having faith in her." He remarked as he pulled up a seat at the table with them.

"Now, I made some tea and I hope you two will join me for a cup." He offered to the two of them.

They accepted and sipped the fresh tea from the cups. Warlock regarded the two of them for a moment before speaking. "I want to thank you- Kino- for what you did." He added.

The girl looked up at him. "What do you mean?" She asked suddenly.

"For what you said to Emma- she's finally opening back up."

Kino shook her head briskly. "But I just introduced myself to her and kept her company." She replied.

Warlock shook his head. "It was more then that- you let her know that she isn't alone, and that there are people who care about her."

"I don't see how." Kino admitted as Hayami sat across from her, silently drinking from his cup.

"You went and talked to her in person, and- without resentment or hostility- you spoke to her as one living thing to another. You helped Emma to feel less lonely... that there was someone who she could reach out to."

Kino blushed faintly and nodded. "Well, I'm glad then that I could help."

(- End of Chapter 5 -)

.o.o.o.

The storyline should wrap up in the next chapter. I'll fill you in on my future plans at that point.

So, what did you all think of the chapter? I apologize if this seems more like filler than an actual chapter, but I wanted to go back to how this all started. I also worked to get more into it.

I didn't want to just have some small scene at the end of a series of flashbacks. The first two and a half pages bring us up to the present time. I wrote the rest in the make sure that this chapter all gives the readers more insight into the storyline.

I'm all working on the next chapter of Gaiden as well, so check that out when it updates.

Later,

-Bojack727