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Chapter Six:
Relentless Memories—Part 1:
Childhood Crushes
When the trio reached the room, they saw Sen half-laying, half-sitting on the mat with her eyes closed to the world, the mutil-color eyed woman walked towards the younger woman, a frown placed on her features.
"What…..what happened, Saweo? She's…" Kisa stammered as she watched the blond kneeled to Sen, looking at something by the sleeping girl's feet. After a few minutes, she grabbed the thing and turned to them with a wide grin.
"She is, if I see correctly, regraining her memories of Master Haku." Her grin grew as the pair's eyes widen, not sure to believe their ears. The crippled woman raced forward.
"How…..oh my god, Haku, that's….."
The man slowly stepped towards the women, peering over Kisa's shoulder, and what he saw shocked him into happiness. He dropped to his knees, brushing his fingers along the page, feeling excitement building up in his chest. MySen…..
It was a painting of him in his other form. His body was twisted around her slender body protective with her hand on his cheek and a sweet smile on her lips as Haku stared out at the looker. They were standing in the middle of his river, surrounded by the spirits she had met the first time she stumbled into the Spirit World. Haku traced the drawing, never taking his eyes off the colorful painting.
"How would this…..possible? Zenilba said it couldn't be this easy. By looking at this artwork….how?" The young man whispers as Saweo and Kisa adjusted the woman so she is comfortable, then the bright blond woman turns to the dragon, almost towering over him.
"This is your mate you are talking about, master, and I know her just by hearing you talk of her. Mistress Sen is strong and my sister shared with me that she was trying everything to remember something, you namely. Am I right, Kisa-chan?" Saweo asked, turning to the younger blond with searching eyes. Kisa lifted her head from the sleeping human to look straight at the male dragon, smiling as she nodded.
"She knew that something was missing, master, she just needed to be reminded of you." The tall woman continued, returning her gaze to her master.
"But why didn't she faint when we ran into together? Sen looked right into my eyes but nothing happened."
"One, something DID happen, she recognized your eyes and you know it. Two, I saw her looking at your dragon form like she knew you but your eyes were closed, maybe that was it she needed to see; your eyes. They might've been the key all along." Kisa spoke up, her hand lined on his shoulder, staring down at the painting; "….or, maybe all Sen needed was to see that you were both boy and dragon, which also involve your eyes. Either way, she is remembering, so enjoy it." She added and then nodded to her sister, who pushed her out of the room, leaving the dragon behind to ponder the words.
He watched as they faded from view before turning his powerful gaze to his beloved with a grin placed on his prefect-shaped lips.
She was right, he knew this. But he couldn't believe it, after so much worrying and planning, this problem was this easy to fix? He caressed her cheek as the thoughts run freely through his mind. Is Sen that strong now? He sighed and sat on a chair by the dreaming girl, staring at her stuck with the feeling of pride in his chest.
Minutes passed like hours, but he stayed there, not wanting to miss anything or she waking up. It is quite boring though, he was always on the run, no matter. He will wait patiently.
He shifted his eyes to spot the bag Kisa gave Sen leaning against the mat with the flip open, revealing books. His brows furrowed and he grabbed it, lifting it onto his lap. Haku drew out a book with a flowery covering and the words: THE FIRST YEARS WITHOUT MY DRAGON written across the top, the book dropped to the floor as Haku's eyes widen with surprise. What?
He breathed deeply and bent down to receive the diary, his heart beating hard against his chest. With one more look at Sen, the green-eyed man begun to read about his Sen's past as she dreamt of the memories she had lost.
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The darkness surrendered her, making her a little nervous once more. What scene will be shown to her? Sen knew it was coming, this feeling of anxious expectation in her heart clued her in that indeed, something is coming. Then, the blackness faded, the scene changing into the day she fell into the river.
Sen snuck to her knees, the feelings that never left her heart for two weeks increased. What happened that day? What was she missing? The sounds of a girl singing brought her attention back to the scene:
Five-year-old Chihiro hummed happily as she walked by the riverbank. She was very excited to be there, since it was her first time at the Kohaku River; Chihiro grinned as she sat down swinging her legs half way over the edge. Just when the little girl was slipping off her light pink shoes, her mother called to her.
"Chihiro, be careful sweetie, you know the water is shallow! Try to stay away from the edging for mommy, Ok?" The young girl turned to yell back to her mother, smiling still.
"Ok mama." What she doesn't know, doesn't hurt her.
But when she turned back to remove the other shoe, she saw the pink shoe in the water. The five-year-old frowned for the first time since arriving there and gotten on her knees, starting to reach for the darn thing but she slipped off the edge, ending in the deadly cold river.
The poor girl tried to fight the tide but their strength was too much for her small and fragile body, pulling Chihiro deeper into its dark world. She hit and kicked but it was no use, the water had her and wasn't letting go. Why didn't she listen to mama, was the last thought the frightened little girl thought as her world faded to black.
But strong, yet soft and gentle, hands grabbed her around her tiny waist, making her open her eyes wide in surprise. The voice came as a soothing whisper in her ear.
"Don't worry little one, you're safe now."
The next thing the girl knew, she was on the back of a….dragon, being carried the surface where her freaking parents were searching.
The older version of Sen stood there dumb stuck as the little girl was pushed onto the land, gasping for air. Her parents cuddled her close, the younger version tried to tell her parents about the dragon that saved her but they were either checking on her body or crying happily as the scene changed into another memory lost.
As she watched it change, Sen was again stuck with feeling of familiarly when she heard that voice and the dragon. He was her dragon, she knew this. The one she saw the night she arrived home.
Sen snapped her eyes to her new surroundings, still feeling that missing feeling, it was the Spirit World ten years ago and she was standing in front of her ten-year-old weeping self.
Then a twelve-year-old dark haired boy kneeled and held her fading body to his, trying to get her eat a berry, yes she remembered this. Someone did save her from becoming a ghost. The boy looked really familiar, almost like—wait it IS him! The guy she ran into! What is he doing in her memories? The scene started and Sen watched in awe:
The young girl's heart was skipping a million beats as the tears of fear poured down her slightly fat cheeks. Why did her father have to come here? Now she was all alone, disappearing from the world. Suddenly the boy from the bridge was there, kneeling next to her, with his arms around her.
"Don't be afraid, I am master Haku…."
Then she was hit with all the memories of him. Yes, Haku…Sen blushed, he was the first crush she ever had. But…..
What is this feeling? There is more to their relationship, she could feel it…
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