'Why is he doing this?...I thought he knew. I thought we were over all of this. I hate the way it is now...', Taichi thought to himself, 'I should have figured he'de get like this. He always gets like this.'
Mimi gave Sora a sweeping glance, coughed down her ego, and walked straight up to her. She grabbed Sora by the shoulders, moved her face close to hers, and kissed her like she'd always dreamed of. Sora kissed her back, in a way of noticable love. Mimi was so happy, things might be working out now...
She opened her eyes. She was alone. The kiss had never happened. A tear sparkled down from her eye.
Takeru was stuck in his bed for awhile. he had worsened dramatically overnight. Hikari stayed with him, being his best friend, and tryed her best to cheer him up. He knew he might not live. He was here in a strange land, without doctors or hospitals, his care left up to a few kids a few years older than himself. It would take a miracle to save his life. There just might not be a forever.
'Why is he doing this? I don't care if he loves me. Doesn't he realize I'm going through something? My brother is sick. I'm not the same guy he fell in love with. I thought he knew', Yamato thought, 'If Takeru dies, I'll have no purpose here. I'm not going to stay around to give Taichi some forced feelings he seems to expect. I'll leave. But not just to run away.'
"Hikari...have you ever been so scared of something you know you can't change?", Takeru asked softly.
"You're not going to die, if that's what you mean. I won't let you", she said strongly.
"Not that...Yamato. I'm afraid of what might happen to him. He hasn't smiled in days. That's...that's what I'm scared of..."
"Takeru...I...I don't know what to say....", Hikari whispered.
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That night, Yamato returned to the treehouse, to talk to Takeru. He hoped he could set everything straight, and even apoligize to him, before it was too late. He walked gingerly over to the makeshift bed, and attempted a smile at his little brother.
Takeru's eyes were closed, he was silent. Yamato started to panic, telling himself Takeru had taken a nap. He touched his forehead, expecting the same burning heat of his skin. But it was cold.
"Oh God..."
Hikari was sleeping in the corner, but awoke slowly to Yamato's voice.
"Oh...hi Yamato-san", she said almost inaudibly. Hikari noticed Yamato's glazed eyes. And then her eyes moved to the still bed.
She opened her mouth to protest something, but nothing came out. Her throat dryed up, and her body went limp. A horrible sinking fell through her stomach, as she hit he floor.
_______________
Mimi was alone that night. She had wandered off to find food in the forest, finding a lush jungle-esque corner, wet with the day's dew. It had a transcendant glow to it, the full moon glazing over the landscape. She walked slowly, her barefoot feet rustling the ground. Mimi didn't know what she was walking towards, but something was pulling her forward. She let her head hang silently as she walked, like it wasn't her body that was moving her, but more like her spirit.
Soon, at what looked like an opening amongst the lust forest, Mimi stopped. Well, she was stopped. A misty green light swirled around, the forest giving off it's energy.
A long garter snake slithered by, it's slender green body twisting as it moved. It stopped in front of Mimi, hissing it's way around her.
Her lifeless arm went out to touch it, and it wrapped itself around her. It soon crept up to her neck, licking her chin as it crawled.
"Where is my life?", she asked the snake.
It hissed a response in turn.
She giggled, "No, I didn't mean like that. Why do I feel so disconected to everything?"
"Ohh...but why won't Sora see that?"
More hissing ensued, a secret language only Mimi could understand.
"I see...It seems I've been doing everything wrong", she replied.
The snake began to further wrap itself around her neck, and she laid on the ground, asleep.
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A disattached Yamato carefully wrapped Takeu's limp body in palm leaves, while Hikari weaved flowers atop the makshift casket.
"Maybe it's better for him that's he's gone...he was to good for this damned earth", Hikari said softly, looking up at Yamato's metallic blue eyes.
"I barely knew him...he was my brother...the only person I had..."
"You have Taichi", Hikari reminded him.
"Don't ever bring him up...he's not a part of my life as far as I'm concerned".
He didn't take Takeru...you have no right to take your anger out on him".
"You don't know what it feels like. Taichi is still here with you...", Yamato said.
"And he's here with you", Hikari whispered.
"I...I don't want to talk about him anymore", Yamato said, and then they were silent.
A wind swept up, and the flower petals floated amidst the air, coloring the sky with their pink luminescance.
"To be free like that...Takeru is the lucky one. I'm sorry that he had to leave you here Yamato. You know I am", Hikari mused.
"I know...thank you Hikari...for being with me..."
Yamato covered the last bit of his brother with the palm leaves, and Hikari was summoned to find everyone else from the camp, to watch Takeru's creamation.
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They all gathered around the casket, with the exceptions of Mimi, Sora, and Koushiro, who were still gone. The sky was streaked red and orange, and the grey clouds looked like a masterful painting of the gods.
Yamato bent down to the ground, and said a final prayer for the memory of his brother. He tears hit the earth, a sadness immeasurable by mortal standards.
"Takeru is with the stars. Where he was always meant to be. He has left the agony and hardships of living, and my only wish is that he is with God, happy and well. He was an angel, not meant to have a body, only to be an omniprescent goodness, and I hope, having been touched by his life, that I may find the strength to go on...to live my own life out...to meet up with Takeru again", Yamato said solemnly.
Tears ran down Hikari's cheeks. She knew it was all true.
Yamato lifted his head up, standing, and picked up the nearby torch, "Goodbye", he said finally, touching the flame to the palm leaves. It wasn't long before the fire engulfed the boy, the smoke rising, permeating the clear air.
It was a sad, but honorable moment. Takeru couldn't have asked for more.
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Sora noticed a spiral of smoke above the clouds, and figured it was the others, trying to signal, "Hey guys, look! The rest must not be very far. We should find them...hey, where's Mimi?"
"She went into the forest late last night. I would've stopped her...but, well, I was too tired myself", Koushiro replied.
"Well as soon as she comes back, we should go that way, towards the others...ya know, Mimi has been acting really weird lately..."
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"Yamato...we should talk", Taichi said, but knowing he probably wouldn't get anywhere with it.
"Yeah okay...I know I've been acting horrible lately...and I guess it took Takeru's death for me to realize that. I feel bad that I had to be like that for his last moments...", Yamato said, taking Taichi back a bit.
"Don't say that, Yamato, you were great to Takeru. You gave him everything he needed", Taichi said, putting an arm around his friend.
"I'm so sorry Taichi...I know you may think I hate you, but I really don't. I don't want you to go away because of my anger", Yamato said between soft sobs.
"I never once thought you hate me...I know what you're going through is incredily tough. And I just want you to know I'm here...as a friend...as whatever you want me to be".
Yamato lifted up his head, his lips brushing past Taichi's cheek to softly touch his lips for only a moment. Taichi blushed, he hadn't expected that.
"I'm...I'm going to go to sleep now...I'll see you tomorrow, okay?", Yamato picked himself up, brushing off his pants, and heading back towards the treehouse.
Taichi was left in front of the dying fire, left at few mere sparks, jumping towards heaven, but never quite making it.
________________
While Taichi had thought Yamato was finally over his depression and his self-hate, he wasn't. It had worsened deeply. He had attmpted suicide about five times in the past week, and it was hard to keep Yamato positive.
And it was one night, when everyone was asleep (including Mimi, Sora, and Koushiro, who had found their way after all), that Yamato took his spear on his back and trekked out to the lake. The fireflies were out, and they did a hypnotic dance through the darkness, weaving a pattern of light, of mystery. The lake glistened under the heavy moonlight, each ripple of water a silent reminder of beauty. Yamato would miss all of this...
He grabbed his spear up, holding it straight towards his chest. He closed his eyes, imagining what Heaven would be like with Takeru, perfection glittering about everything, it's sheer happiness tranquilizing. He gulped, confessing the last of his sins to himself. He tensed his grib on the spear handle, and thrust it through his body. He fell to the grass, the fireflies shooting up towards the sky. The boy's blood shone under the silver light of the forgiving moon. It was the blood of a death not meant to be, and as the earth soaked it up, it would be a source of replenishment, so that others may live. The death of a child is never a death in vain by the earth.
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Mimi swallowed all feelings she had ever had for Sora. It's over. All over, she thought, I shall never love one so disattached again. My heart will never die so painfully for another again. I am strong, stronger than the emotions that bind me. Farewell Old Sora, one who in the past I hath loved, but now are but a faint memory in my eternal mind. I am a New Mimi, a powerful life, one who will overcome all that is weaker than thou being. And so all souls collide one day, the ones that are meant to be together just find each other faster. And I'll find my soul mate, and they will love me. And happiness will be a piece of thine own...finally.
~The End~
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Email The Author: JamiE