Songs and Poetry

Wish

"My wish isn't to mean everything to everyone but something to someone."

~***~

Rhyme bent down, smiling as the dog snuffled the kibble from her hand. She straightened up, reaching into the bag for yet another round of food for the hungry puppies.

She was working part time at the animal shelter, which she usually did on Fridays after school, because she had an intense love for animals, (not to mention other things), and enjoyed assisting the creatures as they tried to find homes with the folks of Shibuya.

Someone named Sota had come in at one point, asking if he could get a small dog for his girlfriend. It took some doing, but Rhyme managed to find a small, cute dog that wouldn't grow much bigger. It was little more than a fluff ball, but he had said it was perfect for his "Nao-Nao."

Afterwards, Rhyme headed home, knowing Beat would panic if she was even a little late. One of the older employees at the shelter had given her an ice cream for her work, and even though she insisted it wasn't necessary, he insisted yes, it was. She had to admit, it was a very good vanilla ice cream cone, and she licked it as she set off down the street.

Rhyme suddenly noticed a small crowd of kids around a silvery device that shot water into the air. The fountain was new, just recently added to a small park not far from Hachiko. She noticed kids were flipping in small, flat gold discs that were emblazoned with a "W", giggling and laughing to jokes only they knew.

She checked her phone and decided she had enough time to investigate. She headed over to the man in the tan business suit, he had a smirk she instantly disliked, but forced herself to ask amiably what he was handing out to everyone. He ran a hand through his brown hair, and then smirked wider.

"These?" He asked, holding up his hand which had coins trapped between each finger. "They're wishing tokens, for the new fountain I installed." He handed her one, and Rhyme studied the simple but pretty coin, the "W" only visible on one side. "Make a wish, kid." After that he turned around and started handing more out.

Rhyme studied the crowd, and then shook her head. She'd come back later, wishing needed to be done in…a quieter environment, or so she liked to think.

She pocketed the coin and headed back down the road, searching for the right sign that would point her to home. A car roared loudly, screeching as it turned the corner, and she flattened herself to the wall of a building, although the car wasn't anywhere near her. Rhyme paused a moment, her hand grasping her necklace, heart thundering, and then she forced herself to relax.

Its okay, Rhyme. It's not going to get you.

She stuck the key in the door of her home, turning the item and entering. She was met with the intense smell of burning food.

Rhyme rushed into the kitchen to see Beat had fallen asleep, feet up on the table, while a pot over boiled with ramen noodles. The noodles were a soft, sticky mess, and the water was almost all gone. Smiling, she cleaned out the pot in the sink and scraped out the burnt noodles before going into the living room and draping a blanket over her brother, who was snoring faintly. Afterwards, she grabbed an apple and headed up to her room.

~***~

It was around eleven o'clock, almost midnight she guessed, and Rhyme couldn't go to sleep.

She didn't like leaving things unfinished, and she felt like she was forgetting something. It was only when she stuck her hand in her pocket to place her phone on the table that she felt her fingers brush against the gold coin. Rhyme looked guiltily at the clock, wondering if she would be all right heading out alone. Beat would totally freak if he woke up and did one of his usual visits to her room, (she found it cute he worried so much), and didn't see her there in bed.

Still…she could take care of herself. She hoped. And she wouldn't be long, anyway.

Rhyme quietly stepped down the stairs and out the door, heading quickly down the street, dodging the few people still out on the sidewalk at this time of night. She had forgotten about the fountain due to her spending the rest of the day helping Beat out with some homework, (algebra killed his brain, he claimed). Then she had gone to the grocery store with Beat to buy food, she helped her mom make dinner, and then she had tried to stop her dad from arguing with her brother.

Pretty much the whole day right there. And some of the night. Small wonder it had escaped her.

The sound of falling water reached Rhyme's ears, and she was relieved to see no one else was around. As she approached the fountain, she just faintly saw some stars dancing in its depths. The moon turned the water into silver, and the floor of the fountain was covered in gold coins.

"So many wishes…" She murmured. "I hope they all come true."

She removed the coin from her pocket, studying it, and then clasped it tightly in her fist, holding it to her chest and closing her eyes.

She missed her own dreams, after losing the Game they had never come back. What had she wanted to do? Was that her wish? She wished for her old dreams back? Or…did she want new ones?

So many choices and Rhyme had just barely scratched the surface.

You're being selfish, Rhyme. What about other people? You may not have a dream but some people don't have anything.

She decided to wish for those people, for those people she didn't know to get a dream, and to have a family and a home. Those less fortunate than her, in the long run. She smiled softly, opened her eyes, and prepared to drop the coin. Suddenly, in the water she saw a glint of violet.

"So naïve."

Rhyme jumped, startled, dropping the coin. It rebounded off the rim of the fountain, clattering to the ground and rolling to a stop near someone's shoe. He stooped down, slowly, fixing her with his purple stare, and picked up the wishing token. He straightened up, his gaze never leaving her face, and handed it back to her. She took it shakily.

"J-Joshua…please don't freak me out like that." She teased, leaning against the fountain. He smirked, hand returning to his pocket. Rhyme turned her attention to the features of the fountain, if just to avoid his scrutinizing stare, studying it closely. It depicted Hachiko, standing up this time, posed like he was looking directly at something to the left and slightly above him. Around him two spouts of water rose, met in the middle, and fell down directly behind and in front of him, a thin trail of silver starlight falling into the golden abyss below…

"What did you mean?" She asked unexpectedly.

"Hmm?" He hummed, his gaze moving from her to the stars.

"How am I naïve?"

He said nothing for a moment, his free hand moving up to brush his hair from his eyes. Joshua then blinked, smiled, and replied,

"Wishing for others to find their way. They have to do it themselves; they don't deserve your good will." For a moment, Rhyme caught a glimpse of something…dark in his features, his eyes hardening like he was considering Shibuya to be some sort of unpleasant object he had been forced to deal with. Then he relaxed, his eyes turning back to her, waiting for her response.

"How did-"Rhyme sighed. "Oh. You heard my wish. It'll never come true now. I want to help others, Joshua."

"It will come true; someone else hearing it will not affect its course. In fact, if more people know, more may help you get what you desire." He replied, ignoring her last statement.

"Do you think so?" She asked quietly.

Joshua nodded, and Rhyme turned the token over in her hand. She smiled then, leaning over and dropping it into the water, closing her eyes. After a moment she heard him walk closer and stand directly beside her. When she opened her eyes again, he had a token in his hand, smiling at her.

"I think I'll make a wish too." Joshua said, flipping the coin and catching it.

"What about?" She asked softly.

"I can't tell you that." He smirked at her, lavender eyes shining even in the semidarkness.

"Why not?" She pouted. "You just said-"

"I know what I said. But I don't want to tell you. Good night, Rhyme." He flipped the coin, eyes closed, and she watched it land in the water. The instant the ripples started across its surface, his reflection vanished, and Rhyme was standing alone.

She looked around, finding no trace of him, and bent down to touch the nameplate of the fountain, which proudly proclaimed in golden letters on a silver plaque:

Hachiko's Wish

Rhyme turned around, smiling, holding her arms close to herself. "Good night, Joshua."

She didn't know he was just in the UG, standing beside her, (he told himself it was just to make sure she got home safely, since night in the city wasn't exactly safe), and walking slowly close to her.

As he walked, Joshua found some words from a quote he had heard come to his mind. He smiled, saying them to himself, or maybe to her?

"I'm not supposed to love you…I'm not supposed to care. I'm not supposed to live my life wishing you were there. I'm not supposed to wonder where you are or what you do…I'm sorry, I can't help myself…"

They had reached her house, and he reached over to gently brush his fingers across her cheek. She blinked, like she had felt it, her own hand touching her face. Then she just smiled serenely, and went inside.

He stood there for a moment, and then finished his rhyme.

"I'm in love with you."

~***~

I loved this whole chapter. For real. Please, review!