Chapter 18 – Life Goes On
What…Who…Where am I? I felt my sense of touch come back first and I could feel that I was lying down on my stomach. My back was in pain and I clenched my fist to try and deal with it. I could feel tears building up in my eyes because the pain was so unbearable. My sense of hearing was the next thing to come back and I could hear the beeping of a life support machine to my right. I could hear the mumbling of people behind a wall and I make out little bits of what they were saying.
"He's fad…in and out. I'm not….he's going to pull through."
"Psych analysis show….he's resilient. We've been watching…..him for…time and…..like…..candidate for…."
"He's traumatized and you expect to brain wash him into learning things like this?"
"That's why now's….perfect time to….into this program. He might not…what happened….left of his family."
Are they talking about me? I tried opening my eyes and I my vision was blurry from my tear. I tried lifting my hand to my face to wipe them away but I couldn't move. I struggled to move my arms and legs but then I realized I was strapped to the bed. What's going on?! Why am I strapped to the bed and where is my family?! I felt my vision clear up and I noticed that I was in a dimly lit room. It didn't look like I was in a hospital, nor did it seem familiar in anyway. I was scared and I wanted to get out of this place. I wanted to find my family. I struggled to get loose of the bed straps and the more I tried, the more the pain in my back increased. I wasn't going to give up until I was loose and I grunted in pain as I continued to try and break free. I could hear the Velcro straps starting to give way and I kept at it. I was almost free and with one final effort, I broke loose and rolled off the bed. I landed on my back and I let out a blood curdling yell that got the attention of the people outside of the room I was in. They stormed through the door and tried lifting me back onto the bed. The armed security guards and the fact that they strapped me to the bed was a Tell-Tale sign that they didn't want me to escape. I knew for sure that I wasn't in a normal hospital. I was struggling to get loose of their grasp and I managed to land a couple of hit on the guards that tried pinning me to the bed. One guard in particular, who was wearing tinted eye protection, retaliated by jabbing me in the back in the hopes that I would stop struggling, but it only made me fight back even harder. He jab me again and I managed to get one of my arms loose to punch him hard enough to break his nose. I felt a great deal of satisfaction knowing that I could still do something to fight back just a little. The guard leaned back in pain and I saw him reach for his pistol. If I'm going to die, then it won't be without a fight! The guard pointed this pistol inches away from my head and I spit on him to show that I wasn't scared of him. I glared back at him and as he was about to pull the trigger, a man wearing a lab coat pushed the gun away from me.
"Don't! I need him alive," he shouted. "Put him to sleep. We'll deal with him later."
"Where's my family!" I shouted at the man.
He looked back at me and gave me an evil grin before he walked out of the room. The guards had finally subdued me and one of them stuck a needle in my arm. My adrenaline was flowing and I fought to stay conscious as he shot the fluids into me. I could feel myself starting to fad but I was still awake and I was still trying to get loose. One of the other guards told the first to give me another dose and he did without hesitation. I was even drowsier and I couldn't move. I felt like I was falling into darkness and I tried desperately to grab onto something to stop, but it was no use. I fell and fell until everything went black.
November 30, 2010 0732hrs Sand Island AFB
I was in Kei's bunk because we had slept together last night. I wanted everything that happened yesterday to be a bad dream. I wanted to go to the mess hall and see Chopper eating at one of the tables with the rest of Wardog. Kei was cuddled up next to me with her head resting on my chest. My arms were bandaged from the wounds I received from Green and they were still sore. I didn't want to move. I didn't want anyone to tell me that Chopper was gone because I refused to believe it. What's worse, I felt like someone would blame me for letting Chopper die, but I was already blaming myself. I should've fought harder against all of those enemy pilots and I should've told Chopper to bail out over the river sooner. All of these thoughts about what I should've done had me breathing like I was about to cry and I know Kei felt it because she grasped my hand tightly as we laid there. I wanted to say something to her and I could tell she wanted to do the same for me, but no words could come to mind. I didn't want to stay in this silence and I tried desperately to think of something to say. Kei moved in closer to me and I held her tightly. The reality of Chopper dying made the thought of me losing Kei sink in and I swore to myself that I wasn't going to lose anyone else. I didn't know how I was going to tell Justin about how Chopper died. He wasn't supposed to be back from leave with Erica until the first of next month and I started to wonder how he was going to take the news and what was going to happen to him. My train of thought was all over the place and I needed to clear my head. I didn't say anything as I sat up and started getting dressed into my PT clothes. I saw Kei staring at me out of the corner of my eye like she was worried. As I was about to head out the door, I heard my phone go off. I unlocked it and noticed that Lt. Colonel Harkin had sent me an e-mail.
Hey Kid,
I just wanted to tell you that we're still investigating how the Yukes managed to slip past the Osean Air Defenses and nothing's turned up yet. However, we have reason to suspect that it was an inside job. I also read your report concerning the enemy pilot you encountered and evidence suggest that he wasn't flying for the Yuktobanian Air Force. We confirmed that you and your team had shot down a total of 49 aircraft, which I'm actually amazed you were able to accomplish, but the Yukes reported a loss of 53. We suspect that he shot down a couple of the Yuke fighters that happened to cross his path.
As for Mr. Davenport, I don't know what to tell you. I guess there's not much I can say to make you feel better. I just wanted to tell you that you're not the only one who's dealing with your friend's death. Lt. Colonel Davenport was a valued person to everyone on Sand Island and everyone shares their sympathies with you and your team. I know what it's like to lose a wingman and there's not much you can do about it. You won't be the first to lose friends and you won't be the last, but you have to be strong for the others. You still have to look out for them. I'll try to keep in touch more in case you need to talk to me.
With my condolences,
Lt. Colonel Harkin
P.S. Everything happens for a reason.
I was tearing up as I read his e-mail and I tried to keep my composure. I tiled my head back and looked at the ceiling as I took in a deep breath. Which side is Green fighting for? I set my phone back on the computer desk and I walked out of the room to go on my morning run, hoping that it would clear my head. While I was running, I noticed that the base was unusually quiet. The seagulls were flying but they weren't cawing. The wind wasn't blowing and the usually busy atmosphere around the base wasn't there. I continued running along the shore of the base and I saw someone sitting on the sand, looking out to the horizon. I drew closer and saw that it was Grimm. He had his arms wrapped around his knees and by the look on his face I knew what he was thinking. We were all thinking the same thing. I started walking towards him and I quietly sat down next to him.
"Hey, Hans," I said softly.
"Good morning, Captain," replied Grimm in the same manner.
I didn't know what else to say and we sat there for what seemed like hours on end. I doubt anyone could've thought of anything to say. I felt like I knew what Grimm was thinking because all I could think about was all the people that were dead because of us. They were people just like us. They had friends and family just like everyone else and we were responsible for them no longer being able to be with their loved ones.
"Captain…. I feel like this is my fault…. I should've looked after Chopper," said Grimm.
"It was a viscous cycle. You would've gotten shot down if you tried covering him," I said.
"Then it should've been me."
"So you'd put Chopper in this sorry state of mind?" I retorted.
Grimm seemed like he came to the sudden understanding of what I was trying to point out. I came to the conclusion that we all blamed ourselves in some way. Kei tried to save me and Chopper stopped Green from shooting her down. Grimm felt like he should've looked out for Chopper better but there was nothing he could do with all the enemy fighters in his way. And then there was me. If I hadn't broke off my attack to attack the stealth fighters, I could've stayed glued to his tail long enough to send Green to hell.
"There's nothing any of us could've done," I said.
Grimm turned his attention towards the horizon and returned to his thoughts. I could tell he was pondering what I said but I was also wondering if he knew I was lying. I started going over everything in my head again and it occurred to me that if I hadn't disengaged Green, then innocent civilians might have wound up dead. It came at a cost though but I refused to believe it. There should've been another way and I should've seen it by now, but I couldn't see it.
"I guess you're right, sir," said Grimm. "It's just difficult to fathom right now."
"I know, Grimm," I said and I got up to leave.
I continued my run to clear my head of everything. As I passed by the docks, I noticed something big being unloaded off one of the ships in the harbor. It looked like the fuselage of a plane and the first thought that came to my mind was that it was the remnants of Chopper's F-22. I wanted to inspect the plane's remains myself in the hope that I'd find evidence that Chopper somehow managed to escape, but I felt like I'd be fooling myself. Hang onto every bit of hope that you can! I had to check to see if Chopper did get out. I'll do it later.
I was done with my run and I headed straight for the gym. Everyone noticed when I walked in and they all remained silent around me. I was working out my lower body with squats, leg curls, and leg presses. I knew that it wasn't recommended to do these kinds work outs in rapid succession, but I did anyway. I was going at it with no signs of letting up and I could sense the concern of everyone else. I did a complete work out, but I wasn't done yet. It was difficult for me to stand and I had a hell of a time putting weight on my arms, but I felt like I had to keep moving. I made my way to the sparing dummy and one of the medical officers in the gym tried stopping me. I pushed him aside and let loose on the dummy. All I could picture were those green eyes. I was letting loose with a barrage of punches on the dummy's head and I felt myself enter a blind rage. I ignored the blood that was seeping through my bandages and I continued hitting the dummy. I threw a hard left and right cross on the dummy's head and I followed up with an extremely hard roundhouse kick with my left heel. I let out a yell as my foot connected with the dummy's head and I watched as it flew off and impacted against the wall. The kick I threw made me lose my balance and I collapsed onto floor. I tried getting back up but I couldn't without my arms giving out. My bandages were soaked in my blood by the time I got to my feet and even then I felt like I couldn't stand. I was about to continue hitting the headless dummy but as I threw my first punch, I felt myself collapse again. I braced myself for when I hit the ground but someone caught me. I looked up to see my sister holding me and I could tell I was scaring her.
"It won't bring him back," said Amanda softly.
I couldn't bare it anymore. I tried to hold back my tears but it was no use. It's alright…there's no shame in crying. Amanda got on her knees and hugged me I sobbed quietly while everyone else in the gym stood by, looking at me. I could only think about the people that Green killed; mainly the people who were close to me. He killed my dad, my sister, my brother, and my friend. How many more people are going to die before he gets to me? I was afraid for the others of my team and I didn't know if I could handle the loss of anyone else. After about a minute, Amanda helped me back onto my feet and took me to the sickbay. It must've seemed weird for a 108lb girl carrying a 193lb guy down the halls of the buildings. When we got to the sickbay, Amanda helped me onto one of the beds and she took off the bandages I had on my arms. Blood was still oozing out of the cuts and my sister started searching through her medical bag for something until she found it. I was a small green bottle that contained a clear looking gel of some kind and she dabbed some of it into her hands.
"This is going to sting," she said as she walked up next to me and rubbed the gel on my cuts.
She wasn't lying when she said it would sting. It felt like my skin was being cut open with a knife and all I could do was bite down on a rag and grunt in pain as I buried my head into a pillow. The pain lasted for a couple minutes before it started to subside. When the stinging sensation was gone, I took a look at my arms to see the damage that was done; only there wasn't any. The cuts on my arms we completely healed with no scaring.
"What the hell was that?" I asked.
"Something that's still in development so you might start to hallucinate a little," said Amanda. "Just lie down and try to stay calm."
I leaned back in the bed and rested as I look up at the ceiling. The floating things in my eyes seemed to turn into snakes that were biting at each other. This is weird. I looked at my hands and my fingers seemed to bend in ways that they weren't supposed to. The room seemed to stretch and the distance from me to the door looked like it was a hundred yards away. I closed my eye and tried to relax as I waited for the effects to pass over.
1723hrs
Trying to relax resulted me in passing out for nine hours. When I woke back up, I saw that Amanda was sleeping with her head down on the desk in the room we were in. She hadn't left me the entire time that I was passed out. I started to sit up and I felt someone else in the room with us. I looked to my left and saw that Kei was sitting by my bed. She was relieved that I was alright and she moved closer to me to give me a hug.
"I came as soon as I heard you were here," she said.
"Thank you, I'm glad you're here," I replied.
As I tried to get up off the bed, Kei stopped me and made me sit back down. She couldn't look at me and it seemed as if she was holding back her tears. I knew what was on her mind and I tried my best to predict what she was going to say.
"It's my fault that Chopper's gone," said Kei choking up. "That enemy pilot was coming after me and I should've been in his place."
It was the same thing that Grimm had said, but Kei had more reason to believe that she should've been the one to have been shot down. I wanted to slap her upside the back of her head when she said she should've been the one to die. I gently placed my hand under Kei's chin and made her look at me. There wasn't any combination of words that could've made me seem like I wasn't trying to be cruel, but I had to say something.
"You saved me and Chopper saved you. If there was something that could've been done, you bet your ass I would've tried to use that option," I said softly.
"But that pilot was coming after me. Why didn't he just try to shoot me down?" asked Kei.
"Because he's an egomaniac and he wasn't going to let Chopper get away with shooting at him," I said. "There's nothing anyone of us could've done."
"Bullshit, there's always another way," exclaimed Kei. "You could've shot that guy down if you hadn't broken off to attack the stealth fighters."
"Then the civilians in the stadium would've died!" I said. "You know Chopper wouldn't have wanted that."
Kei's expression told me that she didn't want to believe that I was right, but I was. We all joined the military to protect and serve the innocent, even though we might not have realized it. Chopper knew that in our line of work, there's always the possibility of dying. We all did. I just never expected to lose another member of my team after Kei was shot down.
Kei hung her head and I held her as she buried her face into my chest and quietly sobbed. I knew I'd have to help everyone on my team get through the loss of Chopper and that I'd have to talk to all of them. I'd also have to try and tell Chopper's family about what happened and I felt like writing a letter wasn't enough. I wanted to visit Chopper's family and tell them in person about what happened. I kissed Kei on top of her head before I let her go to walk out of the room. Amanda was still sleeping at her desk and I picked her up and laid her down on the bed. It seemed strange, I've never seen my sister as more than the little five year-old girl that I saved when I was eight and I didn't want to leave her. I asked Kei to watch after her while I went to go talk to Colonel Perrault and she agreed. I made my way towards Perrault's office and I thought that I should talk to Pops, but I had to talk to the Colonel first. No one said anything to me along the way and I just felt very uncomfortable. Even the receptionist in the room in front of Perrault's office didn't say anything to me when I walked in. I knocked on his door and I heard him tell me to enter. I presented myself even though I wasn't in uniform and I could see that this annoyed the Colonel when he put me at ease.
"This better be important, Captain."
"I need to talk to you regarding my now deceased wingman. I'd like to request some time off to visit Chopper's family and tell them the news," I said.
The Colonel looked totally unamused and unsympathetic to my request. All he could do was look at me like he was waiting for me to tell him I was joking. I looked back at Colonel Perrault with a straight face to show him that I was dead serious. I knew how important my team was to the war effort and that we could be called on for any number of reasons, but this was more important to my team and me.
"You cannot be serious right now," said Colonel Perrault.
"I'm dead serious, sir. I need to tell Lt. Colonel Davenport's family the news myself," I said.
"Then write them a fucking letter. As fast as our armies are advancing through Yuktobania, I need you people on alert."
"I understand, sir, but I need to do this to keep them focused."
"Quit looking for excuses to back out of this war, Castillo. If I lose you, your team is only going to fall apart."
"It's already falling apart. We all blame ourselves for Davenport's death and if we get sent on mission with moral this low, there's a chance we might not come back at all to finish your war."
"You and your squad are staying right here. Deal with your friend's loss however you can, but you're not leaving this base," yelled Perrault.
I was about to protest but he continued by telling me that if I kept it up, then I'd be written up for insubordination. I could only grip my fist and lower my head in frustration at Perrault's last words. I turn around to walk out of his office and as I exited into the hallway, I heard his phone ring. I wanted to tell Chopper's family in person so that they could understand just how sorry I was that I let him down. I felt like I couldn't do that with a letter. I was almost at the front door to the building when I heard Colonel Perrault's receptionist order me to report back to his office. What does he want now? I turned back around and headed for his office again. Once I was back in his office, he told me to sit down and he didn't look too happy. I took a seat and Perrault stood up from behind his desk to look out his window.
"I don't know who it is you keep calling to bail you out of trouble, but I'm getting tired of it. I got orders from my superiors to let Wardog take some more time off to get your heads' straight. You're to report back to here on the 5th of December so as of now, you're not my problem anymore," said Perrault.
How did this happen? I got back up and as I started to open the door, Perrault quickly ran up next to me and slammed the door shut before I could walk through it. BOHICA, Castillo. I looked at him as he glared at me and I could hear him breathing heavily. I couldn't tell if it was because he was mad or if he was out of breath from running a few feet.
"Your mother isn't always going to come running every time you don't get what you want," he growled.
"My mother has nothing to do with my life in the military and I'd appreciate it if any reference to her never came out of your mouth ever again," I said as I glared back at him.
I walked out of Perrault's office and headed back towards the sickbay where I had left my sister with Kei but first, I was going to stop by and talk to Pops. I got to the flight line and I could see him talking with Genette off in the distance. They were looking at something inside one of the hangers as they talked and I watched as Pops took a seat on the bench while he continued to talk with Genette. At first I thought they were talking about Chopper and how his death was affecting Wardog but as I got closer, I heard that they were talking about something else. I didn't know what it was and I assumed it was personal so I didn't ask. Pops noticed me coming and for once, I didn't see him smile.
"Hey, Captain," greeted Pops.
"Hey Pops, hey Genette," I replied.
"What are you doing here?"
"I was hoping to talk to…" I began, but I stopped myself when I looked inside of the hanger to see what they were looking at before I walked over.
"Is there something wrong, Blaze?" asked Genette.
They were looking at a plane in the hanger that was suspended above the ground by series of steel cables and was covered in tarps. I walked into the hanger and started looking over the aircraft. I could see that it was being dismantled and some of the parts seemed to have been damaged. The frontal canards were placed on the ground along with a good section of one of the wings. I knew right away what this plane was and I was in shock to see it here. Miranda!
"Where did you get this?" I growled as I glared at Pops.
"Blaze, are you feeling….."
I didn't let Pops finish before I grabbed him by the collars of his jumpsuit and forced him against the side of the aircraft. "Where did you get this," I demanded
I could see the fear in Pops' eyes as I held him against the aircraft and I wasn't going to let go until he gave me an answer. "It came from Yuktobania. A salvage team sent it here for me to study it and I've been trying to examine it myself," said Pops instantly.
"Blaze," I heard someone exclaim.
I looked towards the hanger doors and saw Kei looking at me in disbelief as I forcibly held Pops. My sister was with her as well and she looked just as scared as Pops. I let go of Pops and slowly walked in front of the aircraft. I lifted part of the tarp and as fate would have it, I spotted the faded name 'Miranda' painted on the on the side of the nose. It was no bigger than the name a person writes on a piece of paper. I grabbed one of the nearby step ladders and climbed into the cockpit of the plane. Everyone could only watch as I sat there and fumbled at the nonfunctioning controls. Everything was still intact but it wasn't in any shape to fly.
"Do you know about this plane, Captain?" asked Pops.
I nodded and lowered my head in frustration. I could see Kei was examining the plane and after a minute, she realized what it was. It was the same exact plane that I saved her family with and we both knew it. It was my X-02 Wyvern. The only way I could describe the way this plane looked was a sleek cross between an YF-23 and a Su-47. The X-02's wings were swept forward from the tips to the middle and swept back from the middle to the wing root. When viewed from the top, the wings looked like they formed a 'w'. This gave it higher maneuverability at low speeds. The small vertical stabilizers were located under the fuselage, just under the wings and horizontal stabilizers. The horizontal stabilizers were angled upward 40 degrees. At speeds higher than 430mph, the forward swept wing section would fold inward into the inner section of the wing and the horizontal stabilizers would fold down to align with the wings and front canard. It looked like an arrow head when it was going at supersonic speeds. The engines had thrust vectoring nozzles that gave it even greater maneuverability at slow speeds. The weapons were stored in bays that blended seamlessly into the rest of the aircraft. There was one embedded towards the rear of both air intakes and a larger one between them. The gun was a M242 25mm Bushmaster cannon that's been modified to have a faster rate of fire and so it could be fitted inside the aircraft. The plane was built exclusively for Cipher to use in the war fifteen years ago. It was manufactured using resources from Grunder Industries but was built in Erusea. Originally, only one was built but Erusea made six more of these planes to strengthen its air force when Free Erusean tried to rebel. I personally took care of them and the remains of those aircraft were destroyed to prevent the design from falling into the wrong hands. Only two pilots in existence were ever able to fly this thing, and I was one of them. After I retired as Mobius 1, the brass saw it fit to sell its parts for scrap because they didn't think war was going to be a problem in the future.
"Did the salvage team say where they found it?" I asked.
"All they told me was that it came from Yuktobania," replied Pops.
Dammit. "What's going to happen to this thing?"
"It's probably going to be shipped back to Grunder after I'm done looking over it, although there's not much for me too look at here."
I sank down in the cockpit at the thought of my plane falling into the wrong hands. It was bad enough that I had to deal with average pilots trying to kill me with copies of the X-02, but if this aircraft got into the hands of the country that was famous for its legendary combat pilots, then I feared for whoever flew in the skies if Belka ever started another large scale war. I kept stressing at the thought of my plane going somewhere else for someone to dismantle it and study it, or worse, elaborate its design. I have to find some way to keep it out of the wrong hands. I climbed out of the cockpit and walked out of the hanger to head back to my room, but Amanda stopped me.
"What's wrong?"
"Everything…" I said sullenly. Everything did seem wrong. With Chopper dying, my plane being stripped down, and my crew chief now hating me made it seem like the world wasn't getting brighter. "I'm sorry….it just going to take some time for me to…adjust to all of this."
"….Alright…. I'll be in the sickbay if you need me," Amanda said softly.
I hugged her one last time before I headed out of the hanger to go back to the barracks. Kei quickly raced to my side and grabbed my arm. I couldn't tell if she was trying to comfort me or is she wanted me to comfort her. Maybe it was both. We stood on the flight line holding each other for a minute. I still had to tell her about our time off that we could use to pay our respects to Chopper's family.
"That was the plane you saved me with isn't it?" asked Kei.
"Yeah…I have to find some way to get it back into the right hands," I said. "Anyways, I need you to help me gather the others and meet me in the crew room. Did Erica and Justin arrive back yet?"
"Yeah, but we haven't told them the news yet."
I nodded in understanding and headed off to look for the other. I found Grimm still sitting on the beach from this morning and we ran into Justin along the way. We all headed to the crew room and we all sat down in the circle. Erica and Justin were still oblivious as to what happened yesterday and I had to break it to them gently. They could tell something was up while we waited for Kei and Michelle. I was leaning back in the chair the same way Captain Bartlett was when he first told us we were going to be sitting alert, before the war started. When they finally arrived, I sat up and leaned forward to tell them what had happened. This isn't going to be easy.
"Where's Captain Davenport?" asked Erica.
"…Lt. Colonel Davenport…"
"Wait, he got promoted?" interrupted Justin.
Dammit, I can't do this. I wanted to lie to them and tell them that Chopper had gotten transferred, that he decided to retire, that someone in his family had died, or that he went AWOL. I didn't want to tell them that he was dead, but if I didn't tell them, they'd find out eventually. I took a deep breath and looked directly at Erica and Justin.
"Chopper was KIA yesterday," I said desolately.
Erica brought her hands to her mouth in shock and I could see that she was tearing up, but Justin… Justin just sat there staring at me blankly. I don't know if it was because he was just that much in shock or if he was in denial after hearing that his pilot was gone. Michelle and Kyle were in shock when we first told them, but I didn't know what was going through Justin's mind. I continued to look at him and eventually, he sank his head down and started shaking it. He cupped his face into his hands and I could see that he was sobbing. Kei placed her hand on his shoulder and Grimm was already hugging Erica as she cried. I explained everything to them when they all seemed to calm down a little but they didn't want to believe that Chopper was dead.
"We've all been given some time off to mourn Chopper," I said. "I've decided to go and visit his family in person to give them the news. You guy can come with me, stay here, or go someplace else to clear your heads."
"I'll go with you," said Kei.
"I'll come too," said Grimm.
"So will we," said Justin and everyone else nodded in agreement.
I was glad they all wanted to come with me and it made me realize just how dedicated my team was. We all stood up and headed to our rooms to pack our things. I sent a message to Lt. Colonel Harkin telling him about the X-02 and I quickly packed all my things. The more I thought about leaving, the more I thought about how unfair everything was. Chopper died trying to protect civilians and our dumbass of a vice president. Why would Yuktobania try to attack a stadium full of civilians after they got their revenge when they gassed Bana City? Nothing made sense to me anymore and I wanted to understand why we were fighting this war. I finished packing and was headed for the hangers when Genette stopped me as I walked by his and Chopper's room.
"What is it," I asked.
"Before he went to bed every night, Chopper would always write in this," he said as he handed me blue notebook. "He showed me some of what he was writing about and I think he would've wanted you to take a look at it."
I opened it to the first page and saw a familiar poem printed on a plain white sheet of paper. An Irish Airman Foresees His Death. I remembered when Lt. Colonel Harkin read it to me before I went on my first mission as Mobius 1. I was worried that he read it to me because he thought I was going to die in the sky. I flipped over to the next page and saw a journal entry dated the day that Kei and I arrived at Sand Island. It turns out that Chopper was actually intimidated by the sight of me and I could understand why. I'd be scared of me too.
"I think you should take some of his things back to his family. I know he'll be pissed if his records get sent somewhere they're not supposed to," Genette joked.
I gave him an annoyed look and then I thought about what he said. Chopper would be rolling over in his grave if someone did something to his records. They were collectibles after all. I grabbed his box of music and started towards the hangers. I was the first one there and Pops was still examining the remains of my plane. I couldn't stand the sight of it and I wanted to do something, but what could I do? I already sent a message to Lt. Colonel Harkin, telling him that his plane was here and all I could do now was to wait for his response. I set my things down by the hanger door and walked towards Pops.
"Pops…" I said softly.
"Hey, Captain," he replied normally. I was honestly expecting him to shun me for how I acted towards him earlier but he didn't.
"I'm sorry for how I acted earlier… you didn't deserve that," I said.
"It's okay, Blaze, I understand," said Pops.
I looked at Pops and he looked at me. He sighed as he climbed down from the plane and put his tools back in the tool chest.
"Chopper's gone and I know how you feel," he said. "Also, knowing how much you love flying, I can understand your frustration seeing your idol's aircraft sitting in my hanger in pieces like this."
"You knew this was Mobius 1's plane?" I asked.
"It wasn't just his. It was also flown by Cipher in the war 15 years ago," said Pops. "To people like you, the legacy of people like Cipher and Mobius lives inside their belongings, but to people like me, their legacy lives inside us."
I nodded as I looked over the X-02 one last time. I started to remember a couple of maneuvers that I tried performing in the Wyvern that I couldn't do with any other aircraft that I had ever flown. I wish I had a little more time with this bird before it left to go where ever it was headed next. I also wished that Rico was here to take care of her. Just as I finished looking over the cockpit again, I saw the others come into the hanger with their bags in hand. Now, we had to find a way back to the mainland. I was going to suggest that we take our planes again, but then we wouldn't be able to bring Justin.
"Take my S-2," said Pops.
"Really," I asked.
"Yeah, it's no different than flying a fighter."
"Thanks, Pops," said Kei and then she turned to me. "So where are we going?"
"Chopper's family lives in Wingfield, which is only a couple hours away from McNealy," I said.
We loaded up Pops' S-2 freight plane and he towed it onto the flight line. I was going to be the one flying the whole time and Grimm cracked a joke about how Michelle would be complaining the whole time. We all got a small laugh out of that, which we all needed. Michelle was completely clueless as to what she needed to do as my copilot and I pretty much had to do all the pre-flight checks by myself. Once that was out of the way, I started up the plane, got takeoff clearance from the tower, and taxied onto the runway. This was one of the few times that I've flown a prop driven plane and I had to get used to the shuddering of the plane again. I applied full throttle and we slowly started down the runway. Michelle had a small anxiety attack because she thought that we weren't going fast enough. I couldn't help but laugh at her because she was already panicking and we hadn't even lifted off the ground yet. Once we finally reached takeoff speed, I gently pulled back on the yolk and we took off into the night sky.
"And here you are worrying about nothing," I said to Michelle.
"I was starting to get used to you flying at high speeds, but now, I'm worried this thing is going to stall," she said. "Will we even make it to McNealy? I mean, this plane only has a top speed of 280mph and nine hours of endurance."
"Hey, Pops tuned this thing himself. Knowing him, he upgraded the engines and airframe of this bird."
Michelle could only shake her head in disbelief. I wasn't paying any attention to her as I changed heading towards the mainland. I couldn't see anything out of the windows so I had to keep my eyes glued to the instruments and fly using only them. The dim red lights were the only thing that allowed me to see everything in the cockpit. I had the engines' throttle set at 80% power and we were going 380mph. Way to go, Pops. After three hours into the flight, we were still a long ways off from McNealy and Michelle was dozing off in the copilot's seat. I told her to head back and join the others in the cargo bay so that way she didn't accidently mess with the controls in her sleep. She took off her headset and made her way back to join the others. With her gone, it was just me and my thoughts alone in the cockpit. I thought about what I was going to say to Chopper's family and I couldn't think of anything other than how he died and what it was like flying with him. I felt myself thinking deeper and deeper into it when eventually I got to the point where I was replaying everything from yesterday in my head. The thing I thought about most was what the Green kept saying. The more he talked, the more he got under my skin. I wanted to shut him up and I wanted him out of my head. It was like he was intent on making me suffer out of sheer spite like a bully. What the hell did I ever do to you? I felt a hand on my shoulder and it startled me back to reality. I saw that it was Kei and she sat down in the copilot's seat as she put on the headset.
"I wish you'd stop doing that," I said.
"Sorry, I just thought you'd like some company to help you stay awake," she said. "Were you thinking?"
"Yeah, it's what I do whenever I'm alone."
"So what were you thinking about?"
I sat back in the pilot's seat and rubbed my eyes. "The reasons why I fight," I said.
"Because we're pawns for the brass," replied Kei glumly.
"That's not what I meant. I mean like, what drives me to keep going?"
"I already know my reason," said Kei. "It's you."
I blushed at what she had said and I asked her why I was he reason for fighting. "I vowed to never lose another flight lead, so as long as I'm flying as your wingman, I'll always have a reason to fight," said Kei. "What keeps you going?"
I didn't say anything right away because I couldn't give her a straight answer. "I honestly don't know. I joined the military so I could keep flying," I told her.
"You know, you didn't have to join the military to fly."
"I know, but if I didn't, I would've never met you," I said and I swear I could see Kei blushing through dim red lights that lite up the cockpit. I reached over and took hold of Kei's hand as we continued flying through the night. We were both alone in the world once again, and I couldn't be happier. Even though the rest of the flight was flown in silence, we were happy.
December 1, 2010 730hrs 2 miles outside McNealy AFB
We arrived at McNealy and left the base to find a hotel to stay in so we could plan for the rest of the day. I was disappointed that my mother wasn't there and that no one would tell me where she was staying. After all, it is her birthday today. The only thing I could do was to write her an e-mail from my phone and wish her a happy birthday. We check in to a simple motel out in town and settled in. Justin said he wanted to be alone for the rest of the trip and that he'd visit Chopper's family on his own time while we were here.
We all got up at 0730hrs to get ready for a long drive to Wingfield. It was a pain in the ass trying to find a car rental place that had an SUV readily available. Once we got that out of the way, we loaded up and headed out while Justin stayed behind. The drive to Wingfield was just as quiet as the plane ride over. I tried turning on the radio to break the silence but Kei turned it off after a few minutes of listening to it. I didn't like the silence among the group and I tried desperately to think of something to talk about while I continued driving, but nothing came to mind. Chopper would've defiantly been able to talk about something.
"Hey," said Grimm. "Remember during Halloween when Chopper spent all day in his Elvis costume and tried singing on top of our table during dinner?"
"Yeah, too bad he couldn't sing worth a damn," I faintly chuckled. "Remember when he bet that you couldn't eat those MRE crackers in under a minute?"
"Those things were dry as all hell," exclaimed Grimm. "And I lost $40."
"It's your fault for making that bet," said Erica.
"Yeah, but he saved my life the next day so he could collect his winnings."
"I'm pretty sure he would've done it even if you didn't owe him money," I said. "He saved all of us at some point in this war."
I was glad we were talking about how great of a guy Chopper was. We started talking about some of the other silly things he did at Sand Island and what he thought about this war; this stupid, meaningless, and unjust war. I never wanted any of this for anyone in my squad and I sure as hell didn't want them to suffer the loss of a teammate. As cliché as it might sound, Chopper was more than a teammate, but a brother to all of us. His death hurt me just as much as the death of my dad and two other siblings.
1118hrs Wingfield, Osea.
"Are you sure this is the right address?" asked Kyle.
"Well their mailbox says 'Davenport', so if someone else with the same last name lives here, then we got the wrong house," I said sarcastically.
We were in a lavish looking neighborhood that reminded me of rich neighborhoods in Miami, Florida or LA, California. Palm trees lined the streets in long intervals and all the houses were well maintained. The house we arrived at looked like a small chateau and it made me wonder what kind of people his parents were. Given all the books and TV shows I've watched, I got the feeling Chopper's parents were the neglectful type that were more interested in their money than their son. I pulled into the circular drive way and parked behind an expensive looking sports car. We all got out and I just felt so out of place dressed in casual clothing. I felt like someone was going to pop out of nowhere and tell me to leave because I wasn't wearing a suit and tie. Well, here goes. I approached the front door and rang the doorbell as the others stood behind me. I wasn't expecting someone to answer the door right away, nor was I expecting an elderly butler to be the one to greet us. How funny would it be if he was British?
"May I help you, Sir," he asked in a British accent.
I was kidding. "Yes, I'm looking for Paul and Chloe Davenport," I answered.
"Might I ask what the nature of your visit is?"
"I need to talk to them about their son, Alvin," I said solemnly and I noticed the butler's eyes widen in realization.
"I see. Who shall I tell them is here to see them?"
"Captain Antonio Castillo."
The butler invited us all inside and led us to the living room where we all sat down on two of the five couches in the room. The interior of the house looked more elegant than the outside. The more I sat there, the more I felt like the owners of this house had to make it obvious to everyone just how deep their pockets were. I felt weird being here because it made me feel like Chopper's parents were self-centered and prejudice against anyone who was lower in social class. I buried my face in my hands until I heard footsteps approaching the living room. I lifted my head up and saw a middle aged man and woman dressed in all white approaching us and we all stood up in preparation to be greeted.
"You must be Kid," said the man with a smile.
"Sir?" I asked a little befuddled.
"Alvin told us all about you in the letters he sent to us," said the woman who also smiled at us. "Forgive us, I'm Chloe and this is my husband, Paul."
"It's a pleasure to finally meet, but…" I began but they cut me off.
"You must be Nagase, and you're Grimm," said Paul and then he looked at the others. "And who might you three be?"
"This is Lieutenant Rockford and Boldman," I said pointing to them. "And this is Captain Nelms."
"Oh, so where's Justin?" asked Chloe.
"He… stayed behind," said Grimm.
"Hmm, and I bet Alvin was forbidden to come with you because he got under your base commander's skin again."
"Yes, he always did have a problem with authority. It was a pain in the ass trying to get him to behave when he was younger," said Paul.
"I see… Mr. Davenport, we're here…" I began but I was interrupted by the doorbell ringing.
"Oh, for crying out loud," muttered Paul. "Who is it, Scotty?"
"Two gentlemen whom I believe are members of our military," said the butler.
Dammit, they're here to give the same news I came to give. Paul instructed Scotty to let them inside and join the rest of us in the living room. It turns out that the two military members were a pair of 1st Lieutenants and they knew who I and my team were as soon as they saw us. I could tell that they were going to ask us if we had already told them the news, but I had to stop them from beating me to the punch.
"I assume you've…" began of the officers.
"I was going too," I said, cutting him off.
"What's all this about?" asked Chloe.
I took a deep breath and stood up in preparation for Paul and Chloe's reaction. I really didn't want to tell them, but I had to. There's no turning back now. I felt myself chocking up as I tried thinking about the right words to use to tell them that their son was dead.
"Mister and Misses Davenport, I came here with my friends to tell you some news about Alvin," I said trying hard to hold back my grief.
I could see their smiles fading when and it was obvious that they knew what was coming. Chloe sat down on one of the other sofas in the living room as she waited for me to continue with what I had to say. Paul stood behind her and placed his hands on his wife's shoulders.
"Your son was killed two days ago while we were on mission in November City," I said and I couldn't stop my tears from showing.
Chloe brought her hand up to her mouth as tears began to build up in her eyes. Paul could only look at me in shock after what I had just told them. I didn't know what else to say and I sat back down on the couch as I waited for them to ask me questions about what had happened. The one of the Lieutenants reached into the briefcase he was carrying and handed Paul a bunch of documents pertaining to Chopper and they left afterwards. We all sat there quietly for a good ten minutes before anyone said anything. Erica was the first one to speak up and she told Chopper's parents about how great of a man Chopper was. Paul and Chloe could only sit on the sofa and nod as they sobbed and listened to what we were telling them.
"How did he die?" asked Chloe.
I told them the whole story from when we arrived on station, to when we were ordered to RTB for the day. I left out the parts about how the Green spoke to us and how he knew us. As I was telling them what happened, I noticed how wrong I was about Chopper's parents. They really did care about him and they did have a strong bond with their son. Chopper was an only child and it worked well with his family because Paul was a psychologist and Chloe was surgeon but they managed to spend all of their free time with their son. Family mattered to them and I was glad that I was wrong about them. When I got done telling Paul and Chloe how their son died, they tried to hold back their sorrow as best they could, but it wasn't any use. Paul could only hold his wife as she wept into his chest.
"Your son was a great man, and he was also our friend. I thought it'd be best if I told you what happened," I said as I got up to leave and the others followed my example.
"Wait," said Chloe as she whipped her eyes and sat up. "I really appreciate you and your team coming here to visit us, Captain Castillo, though I wish it was the way Alvin had planned."
I didn't know what they were talking about and we all looked at Chopper's parents, puzzled.
"Alvin had planned to bring you here once the war was over. We were excited about meeting you," said Paul.
"I was honestly nervous about meeting you specifically, Captain. Alvin always did say that there was something very intimidating about you," said Chloe.
I could still see that they were both distraught at the news I had given them, but they were glad that I had decided to visit them. They invited us to stay for lunch and I was nervous about accepting, but we stayed. Paul led us out back into a villa and we followed him to a very large gazebo where their butler was setting up food on a table with another man. How many people do they have working for them? I felt very uncomfortable as we sat there silently, waiting for Paul or Chloe to say something.
"I remember the first day I met your son," I said and everyone looked at me. "Captain Nagase and I had just arrived at Sand Island and we were eating our first meal in the mess hall together when he came over to steal some of my food while introducing himself."
Everyone got a small laugh out of it and I looked at the others, trying to telepathically tell them to keep the stories coming. Erica told a story about how he tried hitting on her after Operation Footprint and I noticed how Grimm gave her a jealous look. Michelle brought up the time when Chopper made her laugh so hard that she fell as she climbed out of the cockpit when we returned from destroying the ammo depots in Yuktobania. Eventually, we all shared a story that had to do with Chopper and it seemed to cheer up Paul and Chloe. We all continued telling stories about Chopper until it was noticeably darker outside. When I looked at my watch I noticed that it was 1924hrs. We all gathered at the front door and said our good-byes to Paul and Chloe and I also gave them Chopper's things before we left. Paul looked at the box of records and I figured that he had given some of them to Chopper and that must've been how he had gotten into Rock 'n' Roll.
As we drove away from the Davenports' residence, I looked in the rearview mirror to see Chloe sink to the ground in grief and Paul knelt down beside her to comfort her. As I looked at them both, I couldn't help but wonder if that's how my mother felt when she heard the news that my siblings and I were dead. It also made me wonder how I'd react if I ever lost my child if I ever had any. The more I thought about it, the more my mind started to wander. Who'll be my wife? The only reason I thought like that was because I was unsure of my future. I didn't know if Kei and I would together forever. Even if I tried my hardest to keep her in my life, there was no guarantee we'd still be together. You'll find some way to keep her, Antonio. Hold onto her tightly and don't let go. Losing Chopper was bad enough, losing one of the others next was worse, and losing Kei would be the worst for me.
December 2, 1200hrs 7 miles outside Pike, Osea
"Why are we going to Pike?" I asked Kei as she drove the car she rented for herself.
"There's something I need your help taking care of," she replied. Kei woke me up early this morning for this specific reason and I still had no idea what she need to take care of. She was being very enigmatic about it and it made me think that she had gotten into some kind of trouble. Wait, how could she have gotten in trouble in Pike? I started to think that she had a friend who might've been in trouble and they might've called on Kei for help. I'm worrying too much. We continued headed for Pike and I could see storm clouds billowing in the distance. Of all places in the world, we seem to be stuck in the most humid parts of Strangereal during winter. I could tell it was going to rain and I couldn't help but shake my head at the thought of it. We continued driving and eventually, we arrived in a neighborhood after I witnessed Kei's road rage driving through a nearby town. I thought my foul language was colorful, but Kei managed to come up with insults that I could never have thought of. Anyways, Kei pulled up into the drive way of an American Craftsman style Bungalow.
"Well, we're here," said Kei and we both got out of the car.
"So who lives here?" I asked as we made our way to the front door.
"Just come on."
I rolled my eyes and followed Kei onto the front porch. Kei rang the doorbell and we waited for someone to answer. I looked at Kei and I saw that she was fumbling with her fingers. She was anxious about something and it worried me that she hadn't told me what we were doing here. We heard footsteps approaching the front door and I saw Kei tense up. I was worried that I was going to have to fight someone so I readied myself for anything. When the door opened, I saw an Asian woman who looked like she was in her late 40's or early 50's. It was right then that I understood what was going on. No words were exchanged between them and there was brief moment of silence before they moved in to hug each other. They didn't need to say anything because their reunion was moving enough.
"Oh, Kei, my daughter, it's so wonderful to see you again," said Kei's mother.
"It's great to see you too, mom," said Kei and she turned to me. "Antonio, this is my mother, Sora Nagase."
I quickly glanced inside Sora's house and saw that there a number of things that a traditional Japanese family would usually have. I remembered some of these things from when I lived in Hawaii back on Earth and I figured that if the interior of the house was this traditional, then so was Sora's life style. I bowed to greet Sora and I introduced myself when she asked who I was. Kei then told her mother a little bit about me and we all headed inside the house. I took off my shoes before I set foot on the carpet, waited to be seated, and spoke only when spoken too. Kei and Sora both noticed how I was acting and I didn't know if they were surprised that I knew so much about Japanese culture or if they were insulted that I assumed they lived like a traditional Japanese family.
"I'm impressed you know so much about our culture," remarked Sora.
"I've always been very fond of the Japanese. My father, before he died, would always tell me about how he visited Japan when he was a Marine back on Earth and how much he loved it there and I guess his love for it rubbed off on me," I told her.
"Oh, so I assume you're very fond of my daughter."
I couldn't help but blush at her comment and I didn't know how to answer. I looked at Kei and she didn't know what to say either. I tried saying something but no words came out of my mouth and I tried to keep myself from stammering. Sora then started to giggle and told me that she was just kidding, but she pointed out that my reaction made it obvious that I was fond of Kei. If only she knew.
"So, how come you're here, Kei?" asked Sora.
Kei hung her head in despair while she told her mother. "We're on leave to mourn our teammate who died three days ago," said Kei quietly. Sora could sense the sadness in her daughter's voice. Talking about Chopper's death didn't seem to get any easier as time went on and I knew it would still take some time to cope with it.
"So what are you both doing here? Shouldn't you be telling your friend's parents about their son?"
"We already did and they took the news as best they could. The only reason we're here is because Antonio suggested that we visit you next time we were on leave," said Kei.
"Why would you suggest that you visit me?" Sora asked me.
"Well, Kei had already met my mother and it only seemed fair that I meet you," I said.
"When did you meet his mother?" she asked Kei. Damn, she doesn't miss anything.
"He… asked me to go to a Ball with him and his mother just happened to be there," said Kei nervously.
Kei's tone made me realize that her mother might have a problem with me dating her daughter and this made me rather nervous.
"Why did you ask my daughter to go to a Ball with you," Sora asked me.
"Because… I'm very fond of her?" I said trying to be funny.
Sora gave me a blank stare as I smiled at her and waited for her to laugh. A few seconds passed by and she just continued to stare at me. I looked back at Kei and I saw that she buried her face inside her hands. I'm in trouble. I looked back at Sora and I couldn't hide how anxious I was to hear her response. Then all of a sudden, she burst out into laughter. I breathed a subtle sigh of relief and nervously laughed with her.
"You actually got my daughter to go with you to a formal gathering?" Sora asked as she continued laughing.
"Why's that so funny?" I asked.
"She refused to go to her Junior and Senior proms because she hates dressing up."
I looked at Kei to see her blushing really hard. Now I know why Kei was nervous about accepting my invite to the Ball. At first, I thought she didn't like me enough but now I knew. I took out my wallet and showed Sora the picture we took together and she smiled uncontrollably.
"I did it for you so you better have liked it," Kei whispered to me in English.
"Oh, trust me, I did," I whispered back and we then continued talking with Sora in Japanese.
We all continued talking late into the afternoon and I started to relax around Kei's mother. She was a very interesting woman and it seemed like she was starting to warm up to me after I told her what Kei had told me about her. The thing that really got her attention was when I mentioned how much Kei loved her chicken stir-fry and teriyaki steak. It was right then and there that she said she should start preparing dinner. Kei decided to go take a shower while I continued talking with Sora while I helped her cook.
"You love my daughter, don't you, Antonio?" asked Sora and I looked at her, wondering how she knew. "I see the way you both look at each other. It's the same look my husband and I gave each other before he died. I know you both have something going on."
"It's that obvious, huh?" I replied.
"Yes it is. I honestly thought she'd never find a man that makes her smile like she does now."
"She never had a steady boyfriend while she was growing up?"
"She had a few boyfriends while she was in high school and one while she was in college, but they never lasted long. I always thought that it was because of what happened to her after her father died."
"The attack on Curtis Air Force Base," I asked softly.
"Ah, so she told you?" asked Sora.
I nodded my head and continued chopping vegetables for dinner. "She told me after I told her that I was there."
Sora stopped what she was doing and looked at me in shock. "You were there too?"
"Yeah," I said glumly.
"Did she also tell you what happened to her after the attack?"
"Yeah, after I told her that I went through the exact same thing."
Sora dropped the wooden spoon she was using to stir the noodles in the pot. She looked at me in awe like she had just seen ghost. "I…I had no idea. Is that why Kei and you are together?"
"I sure hope not. I guess it helps us understand each other better. There's one thing that I've never been able to figure out about her though," I said.
"And what's that?" asked Sora.
"Why did she join the military?"
Sora stopped stirring the noodles and looked at me like I didn't want to know the ugly truth, but I was curious. "She did it so she could find the man who killed her father."
I wasn't really surprised that Kei had joined the military for the same reason I did, but it did help me understand Kei's motivation better. It also made me realize that Kei wanted to try and fight Green when he appeared over November City and she knew that she couldn't take him in a one on one fight. I pondered all of this as I continued helping Sora prepare dinner. Kei came into the dining room just as we finished setting the table. Even with just a white t-shirt and jeans on, Kei still looked beautiful. We smiled at each other as we took our seats on the floor around the table. I had to admit that it felt strange sitting on the floor on a mat while eating on a table that sat very low to the ground. What made it feel even stranger was that no one spoke during the whole meal because it was considered rude. I wanted to tell Sora that Kei wasn't lying when she said that her mother made an amazing Chicken stir-fry. After we got done eating, Kei and her mother started cleaning the kitchen while they insisted that I relax. I wandered around the house a little before I ended up on the back patio where I noticed a grand piano, but I didn't pay it much mind. It was raining outside and I was leaning in the doorway that led to the back yard, pondering some of the decorations Sora had on that patio and in the yard while I listened to the wind chime hanging above me. There was something about the rain that always seemed to make me happy, though I could never quite figure out why. I then turn my attention to the piano and took a seat on the bench. I bet Kei's sister had to play this when she was younger. I was listening intensely to the rain and the wind chime for inspiration. I could hear the wind gently rustling through the trees and my fingers started gliding over the keys.
"Blue Skies, right?" I looked up to see Kei leaning in the doorway of the house with her arms folded as she grinned at me. I nodded and returned the smile when I realized what I was playing. "That's one of my favorite songs in the world. I'd always play along with my violin."
"You play?" I asked surprised.
Kei nodded and smiled gently before she asked me to hand her a brown case that was sitting between the Piano and the wall. I handed it to her and she opened it to reveal a blue violin with Kei's full name engraved into the side. She pulled out the bow and started tuning her instrument before she started to play. I don't know what Kei was playing with her violin, but I felt at peace. I smiled as she closed her eye while she moved to her soothing style of music. I could've watched her forever but she eventually ended her song.
"Lovely," I said as I clapped quietly.
"I've noticed that you seem very calm when you're playing or listening to music like this," remarked Kei.
"You really think so?" I asked.
"I know so. I noticed it when you playing at the Ball that you just seemed oblivious to everything wrong in the world and I noticed it when we picked up the nuggets from Heierlark too," said Kei. "Deep down inside the insanity we live with, there's a gentle side to both of us."
I blushed and stood up from behind the piano and leaned against the wall where Kei was standing while she put her violin back into its case. "Music sooths the savage beast I suppose," I murmured.
"You're not a savage beast," said Kei.
"Oh, well thank you," I said smiling.
"You're more like a mother bear."
I rolled my eyes at her and I moved in to embrace Kei from behind. I swayed with her to the left and right as we took in the sounds of the rain and wind. Then, as if out of nowhere, we heard some slow piano music coming from inside the house. I guess Sora liked seeing us together like this. Kei looked at me and smiled a little as she placed her hands on mine. We swayed back and forth for a little bit longer before I twirled her around so that we could dance facing each other. Everything was right in the universe and only one thing could ruin the moment.
"Kei, show Antonio to his room. I'm about to go to bed and you know I don't like being disturbed," said Sora from inside.
"Yes, ma'am," Kei replied annoyed and then Kei looked to me. "My mother doesn't want us getting any funny ideas so… you'll be sleeping in the guest room."
Swell.