Csoh: Hmm. Maybe...Okay... I got this now!
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Chapter 7: Hagi's Writings
Saya awakened when the front door closed. She found herself under a black comforter with red sheets. She looked around at the room. The walls were wooden and there was a nightstand with something propped against it. She was still that cabin Hagi had brought her to.
She rolled onto her side and tried to go back to sleep. It was no use. She got out of the bed and saw an envelope on the nightstand. She frowned and opened it up and read:
Saya,
I'm going over to town to get some food. Just relax and make yourself at home until I return. I won't be long.
Truly Yours,
Hagi
She smiled at his thoughtfulness and then got an idea. If he was out of the house...
She ran out of the bedroom and headed up the stairs. The top of the stairs had a hallway. There was three doors, two of which were closed. Saya headed to the open door first. The room was mostly barren. A few spiderwebs took refuge in two of the ceiling corners. A twin bed covered in dust took made up the rest of the room. It was obvious that he had never actually spent time in the room.
Saya exited and tried the next room. It was another bedroom. This one had sheets covering the furniture. Saya pulled the sheets of one by one. There was a vanity, nightstand, small table, and a desk. Saya searched through the desk, hoping to find information or something that would tell her about the previous occupants of the home. Her search however turned up empty and she returned the sheets back to their original resting place. Their owners memories as quiet as the sheets themselves.
Saya almost didn't feel like searching through the last room. It seemed like a lost cause. She started toward the stairs when she noticed an envelope sticking out of the bottom corner of the door. It must have gotten stuck as Hagi or someone had hurried out of that room. Saya went over to the door and tried to pull it out from underneath the door. The envelope wouldn't budge. She turned the knob to the door and the door opened with a loud creak despite her efforts to slowly open it quietly.
Saya found the room was an office. Papers littered the floor and there was a lamp that was still on. She went to the desk only to find that there were many more letters and papers all over the top. She opened the one she had found in the door.
Hagi,
You need to bring her home. Solomon won't allow us to know where she is for long without trying to pull her out of our sight. Joel thinks we should have them both come in, but I wouldn't let that bastard anywhere near her after what he's done. Doesn't Joel remember that Solomon worked with Diva against Saya. I know you'll agree with me on this that Saya should be home here in Japan and not anywhere near Solomon.
Kai
Saya read the letter through twice. Solomon worked with someone named Diva? Who was Kai and how did he know who she was? Saya set the letter aside and found another near by.
Kai,
I am sure that Joel has his own reasons for wanting them both at Red Shield headquarters. However you are right when you say that Saya is not safe in any way with Solomon. I am keeping an eye on her and I have been told Lewis is coming to the area with Lulu. Saya, when I spoke to her today was completely unaware of who I was. She was willing to trust me and I believe that we can get her to remember if we stay close. She is doing fine here in Canada and she is still the same as you remember.
Hagi
Saya recognized Hagi's eloquent handwriting immediately even before she had read his name at the bottom of the letter. This note was recent. Since she had only met him in the past few days. She still had no idea who Kai was though and this Lulu and Lewis were also a blank. She closed her eyes trying to remember something...anything. It seemed like it was there. The names were familiar, but nothing was solid. Saya leaned back and thought about the letters.
Obviously whoever Kai was lived with her a one point in time. Along with Hagi by the sound of it. This group the Red Shield, they sounded familiar too. Maybe she was a part of their business or maybe it was a band. Although if that was the case maybe Kai worked with her. Saya shook her head at the thoughts. It was too confusing. She looked at the other papers. They were maps of the area, the deed to the cabin, and lots of sheet music. She looked at all the sheet music, they were all for the cello. She looked around the room and then remembered that there was something that had been propped against the nightstand in the bedroom.
She rushed down the stairs and opened the old fashioned cello case. Inside was a beautifully kept cello resting with not one speck of dust on it. Hagi was obviously attached to it dearly. She took the instrument up the stairs and walked into the office with the wooden masterpiece. She sat in the chair she had abandoned seconds ago and drew the bow against the strings. The sound was beautiful and Saya started to play around with the instrument. She was starting to get a song out of it when one of the strings broke.
Saya stopped immediately. She frantically searched the room and afterwards the cello case for an extra string. She didn't find one and she went to search the upstairs office again. She looked and looked throughout the room. She didn't find a single string.
Heartbroken she descended the stairs and returned to the bedroom. She lay next to the cello case on the floor, the now one string short cello resting in the case. Saya lay on the floor staring at the ceiling for a long time. She thought about Solomon and about Hagi. She thought about what had been happening to her since she had met Hagi. And also about how Solomon had behaved before she had met Hagi. Hagi didn't seem like a bad person and Solomon... Solomon was not a bad person as far as she had known him.
She rolled over to get up when she noticed a journal. It was old by the look of it and the ends and corners were beat up terribly. She sat on the comforter and opened the poor book up to the first page.
Saya,
I have never been able to tell you about any of my feelings for you. I awaited every long sleep longing to tell you how I felt. However, this seems to be the only way I can tell you. This whole journal is only my thoughts for you and you alone.
Truly Yours,
Hagi
Saya felt her tears coming. He had written his feelings down for her. She quickly turned the page to find more of his handwriting. The writing was slightly faded as if written a long time ago.
I had feelings for you even when we lived together at the Zoo. You didn't like me in the beginning of our relationship. You tried to order me around for days until I told you how I had come to be at the mansion. From the moment you silenced my tears I felt feelings for you.
As I grew up, you always were there. You were there when Amshel was harsh on me for slacking and you were there when I eventually grew taller than you. You only grew more beautiful to me with each day that passed. Even when you were angry or upset about something, you never stopped being stunning to me.
With each lesson for the cello with you, I felt drawn to you. I felt heartbroken with every note that did not come on time for you. I practiced when you were in your lessons or when you were traveling with Joel. I wanted to play perfect for you Saya.
Although you often say that there is nothing left to remember about the past, I disagree. I will probably never tell you that I don't agree with you, but I remember every moment I spent with you at the Zoo before Diva was a part of our lives. I remember when you would go into the gardens to pick flowers for Joel. Even when we first kiss under the stars out after the mansion had gone to sleep. You were the most important person in my life. And even when we are fighting here in Germany or even soon in Russia. I will always remember because you are still and will always be the most important person to me.
Saya felt her tears rolling down her face as she finished the page. She looked at the cello next to the bed. She still didn't remember, but there was no way in a thousand years that someone like Hagi would ever hurt her intentionally. She replaced the journal to its home under the bed and cried for a while longer. The words of the journal replaying in her head, making her cry harder. Every word was just as beautiful as their writer.
The front door opened as Hagi returned to the cabin. He was carrying a large amount of bags and as she walked into the room, he looked at her and set the bags quickly onto the counter.
"Is something wrong Saya?" He started to wipe away her tears. She leaned against him and her tears started to fall even faster. He kept trying to wipe them away for minutes before he gave up and pulled her into his arms and held her. She cried and cried for what seemed like hours. The whole time Hagi didn't speak. He merely let her cry until the tears refused to come anymore. He wiped the last of her tears away and she gazed into his concerned face.
"What's the matter Saya." He kept his arms around her and his steel-gray eyes never left hers.
"...I...one of the strings on your cello broke when I was playing it." He smiled at her.
"I have more strings in its case. I'll fix it later." He hugged her and went to unpack the supplies he had gotten in town. Saya watched him put everything away. She would have told him about his journal, but she didn't want him to hide it somewhere else. She felt drawn to his journal.
The rest of the day was quiet as they spent the day fixing and playing cello... Or in Saya's case attempting to play cello. Hagi was patient with her and when they decided to call it a day, Saya found that she could play a couple simple songs on it. Hagi made her dinner and then she decided to go to bed. Hagi went to play cello by the fire and Saya shut the door halfway.
As soon as she was back in the bedroom, she quickly crawled onto the bed and got out the journal. She opened it to the third page and continued from where she had left off.
Do you remember when we were at Joel's dinner party. You were dressed up for the whole thing in a brand new dress you had begged Joel to get you. Eventually you were asked to dance by one of Amshel's close friends. I had been as jealous as only an adolescent could be. I watched as he took you through waltz after waltz until Joel had called him away from you. I wanted to hug Joel for his intrusion.
I had spent the rest of the night in trouble because as I had watched you I had forgotten to do my role filling wineglasses for the guests. I hadn't cared though. By the end of the night as the others had left, I had watched you return into the mansion and accompany Joel as you did every night. I longed to tell you my feelings then and there, but I knew that I could never give you what the others that night had to offer you.
What you told me the next morning when you took me with you to pick flowers had made me relax. You had told me about how all the people you had met had problems like a large nose or was upset when you stepped on their foot. I rejoiced inside at your comments. You had looked so beautiful that morning. Even when you had tripped and fell onto me. Your face had turned a gorgeous shade of red.
Saya returned the book as Hagi's song came to a close. She lay back and drifted to sleep as Hagi walked into the room.
Hagi looked at Saya as she slept. He had been concerned when he had come home to her in tears. All over his cello having a string break. He lay his cello into its case and turned to get his journal out from under the bed. He started to open it when he noticed the first couple pages had tear stains on it. He looked at Saya. Had she really read it? Was that why she had been crying?
He shut the bedroom door to give Saya some peace and walked up to his office and opened up the journal to a new page. He picked up his pen and started to write.
After searching with red shield for a year I finally found you in Toronto, Canada. I saved you from a car that was going to run into you. I made sure that you were alright and we went to a cafe. I watched as you ordered a drink. Your face was flushed with color. I had wanted to hold you close and repeat every word I had said to you that day at the Met. Instead I had waited until you had come over and we talked for a while before I walked you back to Solomon's home.
When we got there I had to force myself not to carry you away from him. Not to hold you in my arms and tell you everything. You would have probably turned me away if I had. I had let you return to his home. Leaving behind only a kiss that I had attempted to push my very soul into for you. If only Solomon would not have stolen you from your sleep. As I watched you sleep moments ago in my room, I couldn't help but remember all the times we had together over the decades. Through thick and thin, through the war against the chiropterans and the fight against your long sleep, I had waited for a time where we would not have to fight again.
I told you that I had been jealous when others got to be with you. Joel's guests. George's family. The Red Shield. I allowed my feelings to keep me from being around them because I felt they were stealing you away from me, I hadn't gotten to know the Red Shield members or George, Kai, or Riku until it was either too late or you were almost in your long sleep. As for Joel's guests... I still agree with your comments against them.
Truthfully, I am still trying to gather the courage to talk with you about your past. You are still the same as I remember and as I find myself trying to find the words to tell you how I feel, you are still at an arms length away from me. I had to fight myself not to go after Solomon. He stole you away before I could tell you in more detail how I feel about you. For now all that you could remember of my attraction to you is that I love you. It seems so small compared to my real feelings, I truly deeply and will always love you Saya.
He set the pen aside and looked over his writing. It was still not enough compared to how he felt. He shook his head and went to return the journal to its home underneath the bed. He sat with his back to the wall, watching his queen dream. She had the sheets in a mess at her feet, her legs a striking contrast to the dark red sheets and black duvet. She rolled over and said his name in her sleep as her chevalier sat nearby only imagining what his queen could be dreaming.
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Csoh: So R&R if you want the next chapter out sooner. I have it written up, but I'm going to be busy and I don't know whether to just upload it onto here or wait. I'm leaving the option for my hopefully delighted readers. Oh and if you have the music available, you should listen to any piano classics like Debussy or Chopin while you read this. Trust me it gets awesome!
Solomon: (looking upset) When am I going to be returning?!
Csoh: Um... Later, I guess. In the next couple chapters... STOP PRESSURING ME!
