Hades

Chapter Twenty Eight - The Farewell, Part One

Chapter Twenty Eight: The Farewell Part One

After he caught Harusame in his arms, Hades had fallen asleep holding her. They'd stayed that way all night, huddled in the uppermost sections of the tower together, until she had awoken near dawn. What he had not told her was that while they slept, embracing, his dream – the dream of his brother, the woman, and the evening sky – had come back. But this time, things were different. This time the world around them seemed to come to a halt, and the woman whom he knew to be slipping away from him forever turned and walked toward him.

'This never happened before,' he thought, confused, and found he could move his small body. 'This is me, when I was little?' Is this...a memory? But then why don't I remember who she is?'

The woman stopped in front of him and knelt down to his height. She spoke to him, smiling, but her words were silent.

'I can't hear you!' he said, but no sound came out.

He looked up at his brother for support but he was frozen in time, just like the pampas grass and the clouds above them.

'Please,' he cried, as the woman touched his face and stood up. 'Please don't go. Tell me who you are! Why are you so familiar?'

The woman smiled sweetly, her long dark lashes lowered over her sparkling green eyes. The scenery around them began to change, and Hades saw beautiful, life-giving spring, blazing hot summers, chilly autumns and darkened winters flash by in a blur as he stared. The woman pointed to his left hand, and suddenly the dream was gone.

*

Even as he sat at Harusame's bedside waiting for her to wake up for the second time that day, Hades pondered the meaning of the recurring vision. He moved his arm restlessly and the stones on his bracelet clinked.

'Was this what she was pointing to?' he wondered.

'You like that, don't you?' Harusame's thin voice floated over from the pillow, and he smiled at her.

'Sure. It's the first present anyone ever gave me, after all. I was starting to wonder when you'd ever wake up. It isn't like you to oversleep.'

'Sorry,' she said, sitting up, and promptly began to cry.

'Aw come on now, don't do that,' Hades groaned, just as awkwardly as the first time he'd ever seen her upset. He sat beside her and attempted to stem the flow of tears with a tissue, which had the same effect as trying to stop a tsunami with a sandbag.

'Oh Hades, I'm so sorry for everything. I was so ungrateful, putting myself in danger like that. After all you've done for me. After my mum died trying to protect me...I nearly threw it all away...'

'I'm the one who should be apologising; I should never have left you alone. I just don't understand why you don't hate me for all that's happened.'

'How could I ever hate you? You're the reason I'm alive. I've caused so much trouble for you this whole time, and all you've ever done is protect me!'

'It's okay,' said Hades, putting an awkward hand on the back of her head, and patting. 'I'm just glad you're back to your old cry-baby self. But next time if you want information about your parents, maybe your first port of call shouldn't be the vengeful spirit trying to murder you. Your self-preservations instincts really suck, Harusame. Were you trying to get yourself killed?'

Harusame sniffled, her eyes dull, and Hades realised with chagrin that they both knew the answer to this question. He shut his mouth and uncomfortably looked away.