Fan Fiction ❯ Into the Starlight ❯ Into the Starlight (single chapter) ( One-Shot )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

The cool damp managed to muffle all sound here. Even the rustle of leaves in the gentle wind was soft and quiet. In the twilight all I could hear was my own breath, which made tiny clouds in front of my face. Barefoot, I took a single step forward on the mossy ground, feeling the soft moistness and squelching my toes in it a bit. Through the leafy treetops, the first starlight shimmered down. I looked up at the emerging moon, pink and sparkling. In my heart, a single wish echoed, deep inside me it reverberated into every part, repeating again and again in my mind. I sighed a bit, kneeling down, curling up amongst the fallen leaves.

There, in that place where the empty troubles of the world could never hope to reach, I sought that elusive satisfaction and peace of mind that comes when oneÕs ultimate wish is granted. Such a wish pulsed through my veins, the promise of it warming my body against the cooling wind. I could smell the autumn in the air, a scent somehow warm and cool at the same time, of fallen leaves and crisp winds that had the promise of the snows of winter in them. Already, many of the leaves had tints of color at their bases, and a few that had changed prematurely floated gracefully by on the passing breeze. It was these tiny things that comforted me. Though I had only arrived here a moment before, it seemed as if I was always here, as if it was my home and the only one I had ever known.

In the distance, there was a barely audible Òcrunch crunchÓ sound of frostbitten grass and dying leaves being crushed underfoot. Deep in meditation now, the sound seemed more distant than it was, and even as it approached I didnÕt recognize it, seeming detached from the outside world. I snuggled inward, wrapping the invisible blanket, made only of the fabric of my wish, close against my chest. The feeling I was being watched was overwhelming me though, making concentration difficult. However, there was something about that particular feeling that was unique, it was as if I wanted to be watched, as if my loneliness was slipping out of me as easily as those leaves slipped off the tree in a soft wind.

Slowly, I let my eyes open, my body unfold. As my vision focused my eyes met another pair, different and the same, as if I was looking in a mirror that wasnÕt quite a mirror. The moonlight shone off the glossy ocean-blue of those large soft eyes and the recognition flooded into me.

ÒHi....Hikaru...Ó There was a slight questioning in my wavery voice.

ÒMiki..I missed you....Ó His words were barely more than a whisper.

He smiled gently, scratching at his small, upturned nose from the tickle that the wind was giving him. His face was pale, paler in the cool, shimmery starlight, though his cheeks were flushing a bit, and I found mine doing the same in return. I rubbed my eyes for a moment, trying to be certain that it was more than a dream or vivid fantasy. Satisfied for the time being, I began to push myself up from the ground, and he extended a hand, slender yet strong, to help me.

We just stood there for what felt like only a second, but what must have been hours, with angelÕs feathers floating down to rest among the fallen leaves. In the east now, the sun was rising again, sending beams of misty morning through the trees to dance among us. No sleep penetrated into our eyes, and when we finally opened them against the wanting inside us to revel in our other senses the colors around us were bright and clear, everything more vivid than it had ever seemed when we were apart.

I smiled at him, smoothing a piece of hair that stuck up funny compared to the rest of the rain soaked golden strands. He smiled back, widely, his eyes making little upside down ÒuÓs. We took each otherÕs hands and stepped back into Reality, him for the first time and I for the thousandth. The sky had changed from its transiently rainbow color scheme to a crystally blue, HikaruÕs eyes shimmering from amazement as he looked up to something so beautiful and so alien at the same time.

We walked and walked and walked, the warming light shining down on us. I looked at him, his soft cheek the color of a stray moonbeam that the sun forgot to catch and hide away when it awakened. Everything else seemed to lose focus, all the world fleeing for fear of ever having to be compared to his perfection. As we walked, I leaned my head against his shoulder. The early-risers of the day had started to wander out into the open, squinting and rubbing their eyes and holding their heads and still begging for more sleep. I giggled a bit as he whispered into my ear, and the sleepy teenagers who had their eyes fixed seemingly permanently on the ground directly in front of their feet looked up at the sound of my laughter and stared at us intently. Feeling uncomfortable at having such an audience, I motioned for him to speed up a bit along with me, and noticed out of the corner of my eye a few of the students pointing at us and whispering to each other.

ÒIs there something wrong? Why are they looking at us like that?Ó I inquired.

Hikaru shook his head. ÒI donÕt know. It doesnÕt matter though, right? I love you Miki, and, weÕre together now,Ó He looked into my eyes and smoothed a piece of my sunny auburn hair behind my ear. ÒIt doesnÕt matter what they think. It matters what we know.Ó

I nodded, smiling inwardly. I hadnÕt heard anything that made that much sense in a long while.

Classes were the same as they always were. I was fairly surprised that none of my teachers seemed to care that a new student had joined their class. In fact, it was quite odd, but they didnÕt even seem to notice Hikaru. Even Tsukihana-sensei, who always seemed to pay special attention to me, was quiet. I toyed with the idea of going up and introducing him, but didnÕt want to risk not being able to stay with him during class so I decided it was a better idea to lay low.

Last period was thoroughly boring that day, as it is every day, and I felt myself drifting off to sleep, my head resting on HikaruÕs shoulder, his hand gently stroking my hair.

I smiled, and whispered softly. ÒI love you Hikaru..Ó

Ever so quietly- ÒI love you too.Ó

The stars were already winking into view when we finally headed back to the dormatories. I was a bit worried about Hikaru making it into the girls dorm, but I figured he wasnÕt really a very imposing and noticeable person, so I had him walk behind me, his face bent down, until we got into my room. Good thing I didnÕt have a roomate.

I smiled, noticing his awed expression as he gazed at my makeshift wallpaper, all pictures I had drawn of him and myself by the light of my desk lamp, the street lights, and the moon in the middle of lonely nights. He traced his finger gently over the smooth, black outlines of our faces and smiled back at me.

ÒTheyÕre...beautiful...Ó he said, careful not to raise his voice to normal level for fear of being discovered. ÒDo you show this to people often?Ó

I shook my head. ÒIt would...scare them I think. There are so many things....and itÕs....all of me and you.Ó

He smiled again, blushing slightly. ÒAll the things you draw are of us? IÕm flattered!Ó

I giggled. He ran his fingers gently through my hair, and I gazed into his eyes, endless eyes with a warmth that you could stare into forever and a shine that sent tingly electricity all through your soul. I moved closer to him, my arms holding onto him tightly and my face pressing into his shoulder. It was as if the stars were falling, or rather we were rising up into the glistening heavens, the lights shimmering past us at impossible speeds. I heard the ÒcreeeeakÓ sound of an opening door, but I was too far away now, nothing else mattered. Nothing except for me and Hikaru.

When, finally, I found myself able to once again see and breathe on my own, when I noticed how tired my arms had become from holding Hikaru so tightly, I opened my eyes ever so slowly. Tsukihana-sensei was standing there in the doorway, a look of shock on her face, and quickly I motioned for Hikaru to hide, though I knew it was too late. The punishment for a girl taking a boy into her dormitory was harsh, expulsion perhaps, but somehow that emotion was dulled. It didnÕt matter. I didnÕt care. Anything could happen, and as long as I could stay with him, I would be happy.

I bowed my head in apology. ÒIÕm so sorry....I took him here...itÕs not his fault....itÕs mine.Ó

Her eyes stared blankly for a moment, before she shook her head and responded ÒHim? Who?Ó

I blinked confusedly before motioning for Hikaru to step forward again. ÒHikaru. This is...Hikaru.Ó

She looked right through him, but, after a moment of simply staring off into the distance past Hikaru, she nodded. ÒI see. Just...donÕt let me catch you with him in here again.Ó

Hikaru grinned. ÒYou got off without punishment! What nice teachers you have!Ó

ÒIÕm not so certain...Ó I said wairily. ÒShe looked right though you.....did you notice that? It was like she couldnÕt even see you.Ó

He looked at me, question in his eyes. ÒWhy....why wouldnÕt....she be able to see me?Ó

I sighed and shook my head. ÒForget it. ItÕs been a long day, I guess IÕm just a little...off....right now.Ó

He nodded. ÒWhere can I sleep tonight, Miki? If I stay in here, and she finds me...Ó

I shook my head violently. ÒNO!Ó Calming down slightly... ÒPlease...donÕt leave me.Ó

He held me close. ÒDonÕt worry. WeÕll always be together.Ó

Hikaru led me out of the dormitory quickly, though as I watched the girls loitering in the hallways and walking to their rooms, they walked as if they were in a trance, not noticing him at all. Something odd was happening, something I couldnÕt understand, let alone explain. Yet, somehow, I felt as if I didnÕt need to understand. For the first time in my life, I felt like my future was no longer in my own hands. It was an out of control feeling, but not a bad one. Comforting, almost.

Night had settled like a blanket over the campus, a night so dark that it was as if somebody was pressing wet felt against my eyes. Hikaru held my hand tightly and walked with determination in his step. I could feel his heartbeat through his hand. His walk increased to a run. Now my eyes were focusing, I could see the outline of the trees surrounding us, trees that were familiar and strange at the same time. I was walking into a new place, or rather, it seemed as if Hikaru and I, just by being together, were creating an entirely new Reality for ourselves. As if all of this world was conforming to our every wish.

There, we sat down, and a cool breeze blew shimmery stardust across our vision, pausing for a moment to rest on our cheeks before floating onward into eternity. Oh how lucky this place was to be seen for the first time through HikaruÕs eyes. The sounds died away, even the gentle rustle of the leaves, until all I could hear was our breathing.

We sat there for a long time, IÕm not sure how long. Maybe minutes, maybe hours, maybe days. Perhaps we were there together until the end of time, and then it all started over again, repeating itself, and we ended up right at the place where we began. Tsukihana-sensei was sitting beside me. It was funny, how she was always follwing me. I looked over at her, smiled a bit, and then returned my gaze to Hikaru.

ÒHikaru....Hikaru isnÕt real...Ó she said softly to me.

I looked up at her again. ÒMaybe....youÕre the one who isnÕt real...Ó

She shook her head.

ÒHikaru was born from my dreams...Ó I said. ÒHe exists for me. WeÕre happy. ThatÕs all that matters.Ó

She shook her head again, and scribbled down something in that notebook she always carried around with her. After a few moments she recognized that I didnÕt have anything more to say to her, and she left, vanishing into the darkness and leaving Hikaru and I together again.

I leaned my cheek on his shoulder, and together we looked up into the sky, falling endlessly through it, becoming lost among the stars.