Emerald Leaf

Stars Above

I was in my room when I heard something scratching the door. My mind immediately went to ghosts and vampires and... I shook my head. Just because fairies exist does not mean everything does. I opened the door to see Yamato–Rui's little black cat–sitting outside. He stared at me and I stared back at him. Yamato started walking away, before turning to look back to me, leaving me thinking he wanted me to follow him.

I trailed after the little dark jellybean as he headed to the backyard. Yamato stopped by a tree, and sat there, just staring at the base of the tree.

"Is something wrong?" I asked as I looked to where Yamato was looking.

There was a little bird nestled between the roots. It probably fell from somewhere. The leaves appeared to part for me, as I looked up, spotting a nest settled between the branches.

I picked up the bird while Yamato meowed. I was a little surprised that Yamato hadn't attacked the bird; the bird was easy prey after all.

The bird clung to my clothes as I started climbing the tree, searching for footholds in the bark. I wouldn't say it was too hard, but I felt like the tree was helping me up; just by the way I could hold on to it. I stood on the branch where the nest was, as I held tight onto the tree. I placed the bird back into the nest, and it chirped lightly, as if saying thanks. Nodding to it, I looked down and gulped.

I was high up.

I didn't even know that I had climbed this high. I wasn't afraid of heights, but I still valued my life too much to think this wasn't a problem. I wondered if I could jump, but it's difficult to judge distance when you're looking from above. I sighed and wondered how to get down.

"Aki?" Haru asked. I looked down. He stood a little away from the tree, with Yamato circling his legs. "What are you doing up there?"

You walked out of the dorm and looked up, whistling. "You alright up there?"

I stuck a tongue out at him before turning to Haru, pointing at the nest. Haru nodded. "And how–exactly–are you planning to get down?" His voice had barely concealed anger and exasperation in it.

I shrugged, almost losing my footing as I leaned against the tree again. "You think I can jump from here?" I called.

"Are you crazy?" You asked.

"You'll break a bone, Aki," said Haru, studying the tree. "I'd like to say I could catch you if you jump, but you seem too high up to safely pull that off."

"Here comes the Harupedia," You said, almost sounding like he was teasing Haru. He looked at me and added, "And don't worry if you don't know how to get down. Nobody's perfect." His eyes sparkled with mischief, and I dreaded what he was going to say next. "After all, even monkeys fall from trees."

"Can you not say that here?"

"Aki, I'll tell you where to go, so climb down," Haru said, interrupting our banter.

I nodded, as Haru called out directions. I listened to his voice as I climbed down, realizing the tree was helping me down too. There wasn't really much need to worry. I vaguely noticed that both Haru and You seemed ready to run and catch me if I was to fall. The realization gave me a little comfort.

Reaching one of the lower branches, I thought it was safe to jump. I hopped off the branch gently, but quickly realized I had misjudged the distance. The worst that would happen would probably be another injured ankle.

Haru ran forward, but before he reached me, the leaves started falling off the tree and swirled, creating a leaf pile at the base of the tree, which cushioned my fall. The fact that the leaves fell faster than I did was a miracle.

"Ow," I said, more out of surprise than pain.

"Alright?" Haru asked, walking to me.

"Alright," I said, looking up. The poor tree lost so many leaves for me. I nodded my thanks to the tree–which appeared to be smiling–as Haru held out a hand. I took it and got up.

You whistled again, looking at the tree. Thankfully, he didn't comment, and there was no way I would be able to answer if he had. Haru, on the other hand, stared at the tree.

"A little early for winter, isn't it?"

I shrugged. You went in, as Haru and I followed.

As soon as we reached the 4th floor, Haru got a phone call. I watched as he answered.

"Mom?"

Oh, so it was Hikari.

After a torrent of yes' and okays, Haru put his phone down, as I looked at him, wondering if he would tell me what that was about. He looked like he wanted to ask me something, but shook his head, changing gears at the last second.

"Mom and Sumire says that if you want to move in after everything blows over, you're free to."

Why, that's awfully nice of them. I nodded, indicating that I'd think about it, as Haru ruffled my hair.

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Hokekyo–Haru's little bird–and I stood near the window together. I stared at the tree I had climbed that morning, feeling awfully guilty. Hokekyo and I looked at each other, as I headed back down.

Placing a hand on the tree's trunk, I willed the leaves to grow. And leaves to replace the ones that had fallen appeared, covering the tree in a spiral of green, red and yellow.

I smiled slightly, as Shun walked by.

"My, my, I was sure there were no leaves on this tree when I walked by in the morning."

"You're mistaken," I said.

Shun looked at the fallen pile of leaves on the ground and gave me a withering smile. "Mistaken, indeed."

He headed back in as i followed.

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That night, I headed back to the backyard. The backyard was sort of becoming my safe space, I started to realize. I lay down on the grass and looked at the stars, turning only when I heard footsteps.

"Hey, Haru," I said.

Haru smiled and sat down next to me. "Stargazing?"

"Yeah." I turned my focus back up. "The stars looks so different here."

Haru lay down on the grass too. "I'd assumed they'd looked the same anywhere."

Almost anywhere, I thought with a smile.

"There's a saying somewhere that the people who die become stars."

"Really? I hadn't heard of that," I said. Fairies who died became plants, while people who died became stars. I had heard that humans had stardust in their bones; it makes sense that they would return to the stars.

"Do you know any constellations?"

"A few," I said, scanning the sky and frowning slightly. "But I can't find any now."

"See that cluster of stars over there?"

I followed his hand. There were seven stars clustered together. "Yeah."

"Those are the seven sisters." He gestured, creating a pattern in the sky. "Orion."

I started to see the pattern he'd created and I smiled. "You really do know everything, don't you?"

He smiled and pointed to some more stars, naming them all, until Kai came out to call us for dinner.

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