Sora no Ato: Chapter 12
A Partner Found: Hope for the Future
Noël and Aisha descended the stairs together for breakfast as they had each morning of Aisha's visit. Noël wore a quiet smile on her face. It had taken her fellow platoon-members a bit to get used to this. Formerly a smile was the rarest of her expressions, but now, especially in company with Aisha, one would often grace her features. It looked good on her.
As they walked down the hall, they looked down at their hands, holding each other, fingers intertwined, then glanced at each other. They shrugged in agreement and continued holding hands as they entered the dining room. Filicia was bringing in breakfast from the kitchen on a cart. She looked up at them and smiled, their happiness supporting her own.
``Good morning. Welcome to breakfast, Aisha, Noël. I hope you had a good night.''
``Thank you, we did,'' Noël responded for both of them, blushing slightly.
``Good. I'm glad you did,'' Filicia answered. Only the most observant—and most were not at this hour—would have noticed the echo of wistfulness on her face as Filicia glanced up at Rio who had just entered. She quickly replaced this with a suppressed happy laugh, suppressed to avoid embarrassing the couple, and looked back to Rio. ``Good morning, Rio.''
``Morning.''
Everyone was soon seated around the table, enjoying breakfast. Kureha told Aisha, ``You should come here more often. You're fun to have around, and Filicia makes these specially good meals when you're here.'' She gestured to the plentiful spread laid out for breakfast.
``Yes,'' Kanata added, ``and you make Noël happy.''
``Thank you,'' said Aisha, her dark complexion hiding her blush at Kanata's remark better than Noël's did.
``You are always welcome here,'' Filicia concluded. A quick glance around the table confirmed she was speaking for them all. ``And we all love your company.''
Aisha nodded, not trusting her voice at the moment.
``Please do,'' Rio added her voice to Filicia's. She had caught her glance when she entered and realized some of what was behind it. She also knew how Filicia treasured their ``family'' here. Filicia had the joy of a mother, seeing her children successful, growing, and happy. Yet she also knew a mother's sadness knowing they would grow up and leave—that these treasured family times together were numbered. Yet there was something more in that glance, and neither Rio nor Filicia spoke of it.
ooo OOO ooo
That afternoon Noël and Aisha headed over to the church together so Aisha could say farewell to Yumina and the orphans before she returned to the Roman Empire as Aisha had become friends with them during her time here.
``Hello Yumina,'' Aisha began in Roman when she answered the door. ``We came here because my train back leaves tomorrow, and I wanted a chance to see you again before I left and thank you and say goodbye.''
``Thank you, Aisha, Noël.'' She smiled and invited them in.
The three fell to pleasant chatting about Aisha's time here and what they would all be doing in the future.
Aisha's friendship with Yumina began when she was first recovering in Seize. They quickly overcame their religious differences, or more precisely, decided to ignore them and focus their friendship on what they shared. Aisha was still grateful for Yumina's nursing, especially after she was shot. Yumina's caring nature showed in her valuing people's life and health over doctrinal issues. Not everyone in the Helvetian Church hierarchy held this view, but thankfully the old priest in town did.
He, Yumina, and Aisha all agreed with Rio's words and Franz Leopold's sentiments: ``The churches and peoples of Rome and Helvetia may disagree on some things, but in this they are in accord: that to save life and heal the sick and wounded is supreme good.'' Aisha had also absorbed this teaching from the brothers in Father Francis' order who ran the Empress Maria Hospital where she recovered in Rome.
Yumina was grateful for the way Aisha was able to forgive Noël for all she had done in the past and help her heal. She had the joy of a healer seeing someone else cure a patient whom nothing else could help.
Yumina couldn't spend as much time talking as she would have liked as she needed to run a couple errands in town before making dinner for the orphans. Noël and Aisha apologized for taking so much of her time.
``That's all right. There's still enough time left.'' She put her hands together and bowed to Aisha. ``And may the Myriad Gods bless you and grant you a safe journey.'' As she lifted her head, she reddened as she realized she had brought up her religion—and one of the specific areas of difference as well—which Aisha had declared blasphemous.
Aisha smiled back, understanding—both that Yumina wished her well and that she was not trying to force her ways on Aisha. ``Thank you, Yumina. I hope my journey is indeed safe and that I will be able to return here to see all of you again.''
Aisha bowed again in apology and thanks, then directed Noël and Aisha to the part of the churchyard where they would likely find Mishio, for they wanted to say farewell to her as well as the other orphans.
.
``Do you have to go away?'' asked Mishio. She enjoyed having Aisha around and didn't want her to go.
``Yes, Mishio, I do,'' Aisha replied kindly. ``I'm not assigned to Seize like Noël is. My leave is over now. I have to go back to my post. I really enjoyed my time here. I also would like to stay.'' She smiled over at Noël. ``But I have my duties. I gave my word I would return.''
Mishio nodded, understanding but not wanting to. ``All right. But I'll miss you.'' Her voice was sad.
``I will miss you too, Mishio.'' Aisha ruffled her hair then exchanged a glance with Noël. ``Noël and I are writing each other. If you want to write me, she can send it to me together with her letter.''
Noël nodded. ``I'd be happy to. If Aisha writes anything to you, I'll bring it over.''
Mishio looked up, relieved but also worried. ``But I'm not so good at writing. Noël-onēchan, could you maybe help me if I have trouble?''
``Of course, Mishio, because...''
The three smiled at each other and repeated in unison, ``That's what friends do for each other.''
They had to leave to make it back for dinner at the fortress. As they prepared to go, Aisha gave Mishio a tight hug and whispered in her ear, ``Please take care of my precious Noël for me.''
Mishio returned her hug, and as her eyes filled with tears whispered back, ``Of course, Aisha-onēchan,'' then continued in her normal voice as she let go, ``But please promise you'll come back.''
``I will, Mishio.'' Aisha's eyes were also full after the hug. ``I promise I'll come back.''
.
As they walked out through the churchyard, Aisha noticed the rack holding the ema plaques. Yumina and the old priest had kept it up after the Water Sprinkling Festival as these had turned out to be popular with the townspeople. ``What are these?'' she asked.
``They're called ema, an old tradition from here, and from southern Helvetia,'' Noël explained. ``If you write your wish on one and hang it up here, the gods may grant it.'' Noël looked at Aisha and shrugged. ``Or they may not. That is the way with wishes. Some are interesting to read.''
Aisha thought this intriguing and wandered over to take a look. ``Look,'' she pointed out. ``Someone wants to pilot Takemikazuchi.''
``Someone else wants to marry Kanata,'' Noël pointed out in return. ``I think that was Seiya.''
``Do you have one up here?'' Aisha asked.
Noël mumbled that she did, but didn't offer to point it out.
Aisha didn't press, but cast a keen eye at the rows of hanging plaques. After a little bit, she spotted one that drew her eye. The handwriting on it looked familiar, especially after the hours she had spent reading and re-reading Noël's letters. ``Could this be yours Noël?'' she asked, pointing it out.
``Yes,'' Noël answered quietly. Her cheeks began to color.
``A lovely bride,'' Aisha read. ``You will be one, surely.'' She then trailed off in a sadder tone. ``You will make some man very happy.''
``No.'' Noël vigorously denied, then blushed strongly and looked down so she didn't see Aisha's expression of surprise and hope.
Aisha quietly put a comforting hand on her shoulder. ``I'm sorry. I did not want to embarrass you.''
Noël leaned into Aisha. She stood there silently for a while, then quietly, hesitantly, spoke. ``I... I was... when I wrote that, ...I was ...thinking of you.''
``Noël.'' Aisha drew her into a tight embrace ``Noël, did you mean with me? Would you... could you... love me... be my...'' She swallowed to clear the emotion form her throat as Noël tightened her arms around her. She bent her head and quietly spoke into Noël's hair. ``Will you be my bride?''
``Aisha.'' Noël filled that one name with a world of love and longing. ``You told ...showed me forgiveness ...You showed me love. If you are willing to have me...'' She trailed off.
``Yes, Noël, I am. I will always love you. You know I will never betray you.'' She spoke this last knowing it was Noël's greatest fear.
``Yes, Aisha. I want you.'' Noël finally got the words out. ``Please! I love you.''
They continued holding each other, murmuring quiet words to each other, reaffirming their love for each other and their joy at this plan for their future.
After a while they loosened their embrace, but still held one another. ``But, Aisha, you still have your army career. Will that get in the way?''
Aisha sighed. ``True, and you have yours as well.'' Noël nodded. ``I guess that will force us to delay living together permanently, if it will take time to convince our superiors. I promise to try hard.''
``I know you will. I will also try hard.'' A bit of happiness drained from her face. ``But I assume the Roman army offices are is as slow and ...difficult as the Helvetian.''
Aisha nodded. ``I fear that is part of it being an army.'' She grinned sadly. ``We will just have to be patient.''
Noël looked up and nodded. ``But you will be worth the wait.''
``I know you will be. And until then I will keep writing you.''
``As will I.''
.
The two headed back to the Time Keeping Fortress together. At dinner that night, the others wondered why Noël and Aisha seemed more happy than sad, given this was a farewell dinner. True, Filicia had made an especially nice meal, and everyone was trying to be happy, but this was a farewell dinner.
Filicia was closest to the truth in guessing that something special had happened between the two, yet even she knew no more than that. This made her think of other things, and so, though she hid it well, Filicia was actually the saddest at the table that evening.
ooo OOO ooo
Next morning everyone arrived promptly at the breakfast table to make the most of Aisha's last meal with them this visit. In fact, Aisha and Noël were the last to arrive, but no-one begrudged them making the most of their private time together.
After they finished, Rio asked Aisha, ``You said you were still stationed in the capital. Would you mind carrying a package back for me?'' She didn't need to say where. Everyone knew of her engagement to Emperor Franz Leopold, and Aisha had brought a box from him to Rio when she came to Seize.
``I would be honored to,'' Aisha replied. She smiled back at Rio. She was not just willing to be a courier because her empress-to-be asked; she had come to know and like Rio during her stay here and was doing this because she considered her a friend as well.
``Thank you, Aisha. I'll go get it. I hope the box isn't too big; it's smaller than the one you brought here.''
``Then I am sure it will fit.''
Rio returned with a letter and a small box, both addressed to His Majesty, Emperor Franz Leopold, and gave them to Aisha. ``Thank you for carrying these back. I hope you don't have to go out of your way for them.''
``Not at all, ...Miss Rio. I am stationed close to the palace anyway.''
.
The entire platoon accompanied Aisha across the bridge to the car park. Kanata carried her luggage to feel useful and to be nice to her. They loaded up the car and waved farewell as Noël drove Aisha off to the train station. Filicia had decided not to take everyone to the station, but say their farewells here, giving Noël and Aisha this last special, private time together. Though she said nothing of this reasoning, the others happily went along with it, either because they guessed, or merely as they were used to following Filicia.
As they drove to the station, Noël commented, ``It was nice of Filicia to give us this time together.''
``Yes, she is really nice.''
``She saved my life here, ...so did Rio,'' Noël quietly admitted. ``They helped me recover from my ...dark times after I came to Seize. I ...do not know what I would have done without them.''
``Then I have even more reason to like and thank them.'' Aisha smiled over.
.
At the station, Noël accompanied Aisha all the way to the platform and waited there with her. ``I'm so glad you were able to come back here,'' she said. ``I... thank you.'' Her eyes filled with tears and her voice choked up. ``I will miss you.''
``And I will miss you too, dearest Noël,'' Aisha replied, gathering Noël in her arms. ``And I look forward to the next time we can be together.''
``So do I.'' Noël returned Aisha's hug. ``Do you still mean what you said back at the church?''
``Of course,'' said Aisha, knowing that Noël spoke of sharing the rest of their lives without her needing to say any specifics. ``I love you. I will see what I can arrange with the army when I get back.''
``I will do the same here.'' Noël sighed. ``It will not be easy. It may take some time.''
Aisha nodded, her cheek rubbing against Noël's hair. ``I know. But it will be worth it.''
They stayed like this, enjoying the quiet closeness, resting safe in each other's arms until the train whistle blew. Reluctantly, they let go of each other so Aisha could board the train. As they did, Noël looked up into Aisha's eyes and told her, ``I love you, Aisha.''
``I love you too, Noël.''
Those simple words were more than a statement of truth, they were the signature on their promise to one day be together for good.
Aisha boarded the train but stopped in the vestibule where she and Noël could continue looking at each other out the window in the door there. There would be plenty of time to find her seat later. As the train began to move, pulling out of the station, Noël walked with it and then began to run, keeping up with Aisha as long as she could. She was forced to stop at the end of the end of the platform, but by then the train was moving faster than she could run anyway.
Noël stood on the end of the platform, watching the train head off, diminishing into the distance until it finally disappeared around a bend, carrying her beloved Aisha away.