Ok, my first public fanfic, so
let me know what you think.
This story takes place after Tokyo Babylon & before the X-1999
storyline, and involves Subaru's travels before meeting up with the
other Seals. I've disregarded most of what was said in the manga about
this period on purpose, because...well...because I do. : )
I've created a character you've never heard of before for this
purpose, and as you can probably guess, she somehow disappears before
X-1999, since she's not hanging around with Subaru then. I'm not sure
what's going to happen to her at this point. Only time...and my
imagination...will tell.
- RENA (jmondazzi@mail.arc.nasa.gov)
Dreams of a Blue
Sky
by: Jennifer L.
Mondazzi
09/24/96
Part 1:
Because...
Aoi Taka sat and waited,
carefully watching Subaru's breath crystallize upon the bitter night's
wind. His silent, intense gaze was directed towards the city's lights
on the horizon, as if unable to tear himself away from their soft
twinkling. From this angle, his handsome profile was solid and harsh.
Aoi secretly wondered if he had ever been the caring, gentle youth that
she remembered, and that his sister, Hokotu, insisted he had been later
on in his teens.
Hokotu was as much a
mystery as her brother, appearing when not expected, and disappearing
just as suddenly. At times, Subaru's twin appeared almost ethereal,
her hair just perfect, her skin pale and smooth -- almost angelic. Aoi
shivered at the thought, wrapping her arms tighter about her body.
Hokotu was as close to angelic as one could be, and yet still remain
visible. She was one of the yurei...a
ghost.
"It's cold out here,"
Subaru said, his voice unemotional, "Why don't you go home?" Aoi shook
her head, although she knew her friend could not see her gesture, as
his back was to her.
"Nope. You can't get rid
of me that easily."
Subaru merely shrugged,
as he usually did when confronted with her stubbornness, but said
nothing more, continuing to stare out over the nighttime sky. As they
stood in silence, her senses fully tuned for disturbance, Aoi's mind
wandered, contemplating their strange relationship...
She had been away from
Tokyo for so many years. It had seemed like fate when she had seen him
once more, walking down the street towards her, just a few short months
ago.
She could see the white
aura of power that had surrounded him first, recognized it's familiar
vibration in the air. It's light burned brightly, exclaiming to any
who touched the power, that Subaru was one of the seven Dragons of
Heaven -- one of the seven Seals who would fight in the battle for
dominance of the world. And yet, despite the purity of that light, and
his foreordained purpose, there appeared a grotesque, evil darkness
that crept just over his shoulder, as if waiting to swallow him up. So
powerful was its foulness, that Aoi could not look at it for long, and
so she had turned her eyes to
his.
Time had seemed to stand
still for her when their gazes met. She had unconsciously stopped
walking, uncaring of the noise and bustle around her, her entire being
vibrantly aware of him. She had waited for his
approach, the breath caught within her throat. Surely he would
recognize her, despite her long absence. Surely he would
remember.
He had walked past her,
without a word, without a further glance in her direction. The world
had seemed to spin around her, and then her legs had given out beneath
her. She was on her knees, her body having gone numb. How could he
not know her? Why hadn't he spoken to
her?
At some point, a
concerned passer-by had helped her stand to her feet, yet she vaguely
heard his questions. Are you alright? Do you need an
ambulance? Somehow, she managed to mumble a response, and the
man had walked off into the crowd, satisfied with her answer. Leaving
her alone.
Her feet had taken her
back the way she had come, as a sudden panic gripped her, causing her
to race after her childhood playmate. Heart pounding within her chest,
blood rushing through her body, she had forced her way through the
masses of people, and had finally caught a glimpse of Subaru's white
robes, heading into a side street. She followed mindlessly, the need
to know driving her
onward.
He stood at the end of
the wide alley, his back to her, the concrete walls of the towering
structures surrounding, seemingly engulfing them both. As the setting
light from the sun shone through the entrance, Aoi caught the scent of
sakura blossoms on the gently blowing
breeze.
"Subaru!" she had cried,
her voice echoing off the encircling walls. Her breath came quick, and
she was heedless of the loudness of it in her ears. He turned
slightly, looked at her with guarded eyes, and said
nothing.
"Subaru, it's me, Aoi
Taka," she had said, her voice almost pleading with him to recognize
her. Still he had said nothing, merely blinked, his face impassive.
She had approached him then, and as she did so, his aura glowed more
brightly. She had wondered if he could see hers, the dazzling blue
which she felt envelope her whenever she grasped for the power within
her soul. It was an unconscious gesture, fueled by a desperation
within her heart, and brought on by the young man's
presence.
She had stopped mere feet
from him, watching her reflection within those unfathomable eyes. His
eyes had widened slightly then, and the mask of his stolid face
cracked. This was the sign Aoi had needed, a response from him of some
kind. She had reached out a hand towards him,
gently...slowly.
"Please, say you
remember," she had whispered, and touched his cheek tenderly.
Upon their skin's
contact, she had felt his power pierce her body, shatter the barriers,
which she had spent her whole lifetime erecting. Her mind and heart
lay wide open to him, and their memories became entangled. They had
relived their childhood moments together in that brief few minutes,
shared a life span of sorrow, happiness, pain and enlightenment. That
is how she had found out about Hokotu's murder, and Subaru's hatred for
the man who had betrayed his trust, the man who had committed the
horrible crime. His name was etched permanently on her heart in the
moment.
Seishirou Sakurazuka.
The evil Sakurazukamori.
She had felt her tears
burn hot trails down her cheeks, felt Subaru's hand remove hers from
his person. He had taken a step away from her, and the indifference
had returned to his features. His resolve had tightened, shutting her
out once more. The truth of his actions, his lack of emotion had hit
her like a bucket of cold water, bathing her in sorrow and pain.
The Subaru she had known,
and loved, was lost
forever.
Aoi blinked away the
memory of that day, reaffirmed her mind on concentrating on the future.
A new bond had formed between herself and Subaru over the few months
they had been together. They had not touched since that day. In fact,
he seemed to want to avoid physical contact altogether. He remained
distant, but slowly, without meaning to, his reactions and feelings
became known to her.
Now, only when the rush
of anger, mixed with the sting of betrayal, filled him to bursting,
they filled Aoi's mind as well. When his blood pounded through his
body uncontrollably, Aoi could sense it's hunger for revenge, combined
with the bitterness of misplaced trust and shattered dreams. Only when
the emotions were intense, did she feel what Subaru felt. Otherwise,
she would rely upon her intuition to tell her the truth of his
behavior.
Her sensitivity to his
moods, her brief insight into his pain, had made her aware of him in a
different way. She knew that Subaru hid his pain well, and others
could not perceive his underlying anguish. To the world, it was as if
he had simply ceased to care for anything other than living long enough
to fulfill his need for vengeance, but Aoi knew better. Subaru's heart
was broken, and his innocence
lost.
"Are you hungry?" he
asked, his voice barely louder than a whisper. It was Aoi's turn to
shrug.
"Sure, let's go find
something to eat," she suggested, and hopped off of the sun-bleached
boulder she had used for a perch. As she approached, he kept his back
to her, but his body stiffened. She stopped when they stood shoulder
to shoulder, both staring out over the evening's starlight. When he
spoke, his voice was
weary.
"Why do you
stay?"
It was a simply question,
yet the answers were beyond fathoming. There were so many reasons, and
yet, only one.
"Because," was all she
said with another shrug, and walked ahead of him, down the hill. The
wind picked up, brushing her hair across her cheek lightly. She
inhaled deeply, noting the faint scent of cherry blossoms carried on
the breeze. Aoi didn't worry. This scent was natural, untainted. It
was almost springtime in Kyoto, and the Sakura Festival would begin
soon. Perhaps she and Subaru would attend one before they moved
on.