Full Moon Wo Sagashite Fan Fiction ❯ Finding the Gateway to Heaven ❯ Divergent Convergence ( Chapter 8 )

…Chapter 8 - Divergent Convergence…

Eichi spoke quietly as he and Meroko glided through the alleys of the heavens.

"I remember her eyes, Meroko. I can almost see them as they sparkled in the moonlight," Eichi said, sorrow clouding his own eyes as he turned to Meroko, "why is this happening all of a sudden?"

Meroko found herself unable to speak, and only looked forward into the whiteness as they drifted along. Eichi's distress was a powerful force, however, and she suddenly ground to a halt and floated down to one of the outside tables at a noodle shop below, gently dragging Eichi with her.

"Eichi, you may…" Meroko faced him as the two sat down, "become a Shinigami if you continue to remember."

"Shinigami," was all he said, pensively.

"I think," she continued, "that you can remember and remain an angel, though, Eichi. I think that I may be here to help you do that."

Eichi looked at her, a calm gaze that seemed to say what she felt in her heart. He did not speak for a time, but was the one to break their silence, leaning forward on his elbows as he said, "I knew when I met you that there was something about you. Ever since I have been in this realm I have had dreams of elsewhere. When you showed up, a calmness has filled my heart, I have not had those visions since."

"Would you like to remember, then, Eichi?"

"You were a Shinigami before?"

"Yes," she said.

"What is it like in the lower realm?"

Meroko did her best to describe the hazier realm of the underworld, as her eyes gazed up at the towers above, "It's darker than it is here, and the colors are all brown and grey. There are no towers, either, all of the buildings are on or underground. And there are a lot less people, but everyone is always running around and it feels so crowded. Here, it's so calm everywhere I go, even though there are so many of us..."

"I used to see that," Eichi stated, "I think I've even been there before."

Somehow Meroko found that she knew this, and turned to Eichi with a sincere expression on her face, "You don't want to live there!" she blushed lightly and looked down, "I mean, it's not all bad, but…"

Eichi laughed softly, "I'm sure the angelic plane is much better."
Meroko nodded.

"But I can't just stop thinking about her," Eichi said, drifting off into memory.

Meroko gazed at him, "Then, we just have to figure out how to keep you here!"

"Meroko…"

"We'll find a way; I just know we can!"

The two sat for a while, Eichi looking at and past Meroko, before he finally asked, "What is her name? I feel like I can almost remember… every time I try, the image of the moon appears in my mind. Is it Tsuki-chan?"

Meroko smiled, "Mitsuki. Kouyama Mitsuki."

Eichi's eyes slowly widened as he repeated the name, "Mitsuki."

"She had cancer, but this last year, I was assigned to take her life… but, I think we were sent to save her instead!" Meroko balled her fists and pounded them on the table as she shared her revelation with Eichi, only to find the boy too far gone in his own thoughts.

"Eichi," she said, concern in her voice, "Eichi, you can't think of her with regret," but her words did not seem to reach him.

Meroko slapped Eichi forcefully on his left cheek, snapping him back to her in an instant, shock and pain evident on his face.

"Eichi, you have to think of the good things that happened with her. You can't think of her regretfully! Think of all the good that…" suddenly, connections formed in Meroko's mind, and her eyes widened. As she became lost in her thoughts, she barely whispered the last words, "… you did."

Eichi rubbed the side of his face where Meroko had hit him, and as he followed her train of thought, comprehension dawned in his eyes.

"You're right!" he exclaimed, "I saved her, and," he paused for a moment, "I loved her, Meroko, I still do, I can feel it so strongly inside!"

"That's… right," Meroko responded from far away, thoughts drifting off onto the unknown path that now lay before her.

"Meroko?" Eichi stared intently at Meroko, causing her to suddenly realize her distance. He smiled gently at her as he caressed her cheek, "what are you thinking? Perhaps we can solve this puzzle together."

"I…" Meroko began, paused, and set her jaw firmly before she continued, having made up her mind, "I think that you gave your life for her, Eichi!"

Eichi only smiled as he nodded slightly, a sad look in his eyes. Meroko looked into them as she continued, "But you weren't the only one, Eichi. I think that the girl has had other protectors, too. I think if we can find out who, maybe we can save you."

Eichi sat back pensively as he considered what Meroko said.

A while passed before he finally stood up suddenly and exclaimed, "Aha!"

"What? You thought of someone?" Meroko responded, rising from the table eagerly.

"I think…" he began.

"Yes?"

"I think I'm going to get something for us to eat, it might help calm our nerves."

"Aaaaah!" Meroko exclaimed as she fell on the floor, legs dangling in the air.

Righting herself again, she sighed, "I think you're right," then suddenly began laughing.

"What's so funny?"
Meroko only kept laughing, and Eichi smiled as he walked into the shop to place an order.

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"It's all wrong!" complained Mitsuki despairingly to the mirror.

Takuto held his composure in the lounge chair, though it was evident that he was struggling to hold in his laughter.

She sighed, her shoulders slumping, "Oh go ahead and laugh, I know how funny I look."

Takuto smiled slightly, before rising from his chair and walking over to tousle Mitsuki's limp hair ever so slightly and whisper in her ear, "You really look beautiful," he said, causing Mitsuki's now wide eyes to widen further as she blushed.

"Takuto… but it just doesn't look like Full Moon," she said softly under his gaze, her blondely stained hair plastered to her head from the damp dye.

"Well, then, we'll have to find a better one!" he exclaimed, "I'm sure Ooshige-san can help us, no?"

"I heard that!" came Ooshige's voice from somewhere...

Takuto looked around for the voice, startled, and responded to the walls, "I… meant that you work with people who dye their hair, Ooshige!"

"In any case," he continued, "it won't do us any good to worry about it now. You still look too young."

"I know, but I thought that maybe we could start practicing. After all, I'm going to be 16 in a little more than one year! And…" she trailed off.

"I know, I know, you promised. Sheesh, it's almost all you talk about," Takuto said, causing Mitsuki to blush again as she looked away.

"It's not just that, Takuto, I really want to sing, I haven't now, in… so… long."

Takuto sighed, "You sing almost every day. Remember…" he placed his right hand underneath his chin as he considered carefully, "…yesterday? When we came to Ooshige-san's house and practiced for three hours?"

Mitsuki looked earnestly into Takuto's eyes, "Takuto! It's not the same, and you know it! I want to share the music, not just sing here…"

"Bah! Wakaoji-sensei and Ooshige-san sure seem to enjoy listening to us. Are they not good enough?"

"Well, I didn't mean…"

"And I am sure enjoying myself, at least, but if you're not…"

"Takuto! You know that I…"

"And, besides…"

"Gah! Why won't you let me finish!"

"What, finish complaining? I was going to tell you something exciting, but I think I won't, if you need to finish your sentence."

Takuto was obviously teasing Mitsuki, and catching on, she pouted for a moment before turning away, frustrated, "It's not like all I do is complain, but I …" she stopped and sighed, "well, it's just that…"

"I know, Mitsuki," Takuto said softly, and wrapped her in his arms from behind, "I know how much you want to share your songs with everyone."

Mitsuki allowed herself to fall gently back into his embrace, though the caress was short-lived as he concluded his assault, "Everyone knows, because you go on and on about it all day long, Wakaoji-sensei knows, and Ooshige-san, I think even Madoka-san has caught on, and your grandmother…"

Mitsuki pushed him away as she turned and pounded her fists on him, but Takuto was simply laughing first at her, then with her as she realized the truth behind his jest.

"I just really…"

"…want to sing, we know, we know!" Takuto laughed, finishing off her sentence. "Now let's wash that out of your hair, it really does look terrible."

"Takuto! But you said…"

"Bah, you'd look beautiful no matter how awful your hair looks."

Mitsuki slapped him gently on the shoulder and turned to the large sink. Running the faucet for a short time, she watched as the blonde coloring flowed from her hair into the sink, swirling as it flowed gently down the pipes. Her hair slowly returned it to its natural brunette, though it still hung at her sides limply as the water dripped through.

Takuto watched her transformation with interest, and said, "You know, I think the biggest problem is that you always look the same."

"What do you mean?" Mitsuki asked.

Takuto continued, "You always tell me that when you transformed into Full Moon it felt as though you became someone else. I guess it's because your whole body changed. Now all that is different is your hair, and even that is not so different. Maybe you need to do something besides just dyeing your hair, to feel more like Full Moon again, Mitsuki."

Mitsuki considered his words carefully before she responded, "Then what can I do?"

"I don't really know, but I think we'll figure something out soon enough."

Mitsuki smiled, "You're probably right! Maybe I just need to calm down, and concentrate."

"Well, let's get going, or your grandmother might begin to suspect what we are doing every day…"

"Oh, I'm sure she knows already, Takuto."

"Eh? You never told me that."

Mitsuki smiled as she nodded, "Well, if she wants to talk about it, she will. But if she doesn't, it's ok, no? Although I guess she'll find out one day…" the last was almost a question.

"Hmm… we haven't really talked about that much yet, huh."

"I think about it all the time, Takuto, but what are we going to do? Full Moon is supposed to be twenty in a year, when everyone sees that she's still sixteen…"

"It worries you a lot, huh?"

"Yes…"

Takuto only nodded.

"I don't know what I can say. How do I explain that I haven't aged in four years?"

Takuto laughed as he considered this.

"Takuto! This is serious!"

"I know it is, but when you think about it like that, it really is funny, no? I mean, think of this," Takuto placed his hands together forming a little square with his fingers, and looked through it as if taking a photograph, "Here she is after four years, returned to the stage, it's Full Moon! And there you'll be, Mitsuki the sixteen-year old, with your wet blonde hair. Perhaps we can tell everyone that you drank from the fountain of youth, or learned magic…"

Takuto sighed as he placed his arms back down, "I guess it isn't that funny…"

Mitsuki, however, was giggling, "It is, a bit, Takuto. Well, we do have at least a year to think about it, I hope we can think of something."

"I'm sure we will, Mitsuki!"

Mitsuki smiled, her cheer returning in the warmth of his sincerity, and after some time, responded, "You know, Takuto, I think I have an idea!"