Morning Glory (A Eureka Seven Fanfic)

2 - Thought Crime

I remember being a child. My mother would hold me close and she'd sing to me as I fell asleep. She would always smile at me so beautifully. I looked up to her and loved her more than anyone. But I remember doing something back then to hurt her. I shouted something at her and I ran away from her. Letting go of her hand, I ran to the edge of a cliff side. She begged me to stop running. I screamed, "Mama, I hate you!"

I think I broke her heart.

She scooped me up in her arms and I cried and cried until I started to hyperventilate. Then I felt like I truly couldn't breathe.

My mother's face saw mine and she began to scream. "No, no, no! I can't lose you. I can't lose you!" She screamed and looked frantically for a something in her jacket pocket. Mother pulled out a small gas mask and wrapped it around my face and suddenly it was easier to breathe.

Her hands were shaking as she caressed my face, tears dripping from her eyes onto the lenses of my mask.

"I'm sorry, mama." I wheezed out in between breaths.

"It's okay, Glory. You can hate mama as much as you want. Just don't ever leave your mama like that. I love you so much, Glory."

"I love you too, mama."

***

I woke up and opened my eyes, staring straight at the ceiling. Where am I?

Looking to my side, I saw Axel sleeping soundly on a chair next to where I laid on the couch. I sat up a bit and a cool wet cloth fell off my forehead. My entire body felt clammy, slightly moist, and my head was pounding.

Axel stirred awake and yawned, stretching his arms wide.
"The kids are asleep and.." he said and looked at his watch.
"It's pretty late. Why don't we get you a change of clothes and let's take a walk?"

I nodded slowly as Axel went into a different room and returned with a pair of pants and a worn black t-shirt.

"They're in bad condition but that's probably the closest I have to clothing that'll fit you."

I smiled.
"It's fine, I don't think I'm very picky."

I went into the bathroom after Axel pointed it out to me and changed into my new clothes. The pants were a dark brown color and looked like they had stains that were unremovable. The shirt had holes all across the neckline. Sewn into the shirt was a small tag that said "Rose".

I stepped out of the bathroom and came back into the living room where Axel waited.

"You look just like her."

"Like Eureka?"

He shook his head no.
"You do look like Eureka but you look even more like Rose."

My mind flashed back to the shirt tag.
"Are these Rose's clothes?" I asked and he nodded yes.

"I'm sorry to take them from her." I said.

"Don't be. She's been dead for many years."
He gestured towards the door.
"Come on, let's go." He said.

I hurried towards the door and we stepped outside into the moonlight. As we walked around the house, Axel took a deep breath.

"Glory, I think you know more than you're able to understand about where you are and who you are. I think you're Eureka's child. And if you're Eureka's child, then you're also Renton's child. Which means those kids are your siblings and I'm your great-grandfather."

"I wish I could say for certainty that I am. But I just don't know. That name... Eureka. I have a feeling that I've heard it before. It feels familiar."

"It's not a name you can forget."

"I had a dream when I was asleep on the couch."

"Oh? About what?"

"I dreamt about my mother. I couldn't make out her face but I remember how warm she was. I was really mean to her but I can't remember why I was mean in the first place. She forgave me anyways."

"She sounds like a good mother."

"I think she was, I think I was just a bad daughter."

"All children are mean to their parents at some point, that doesn't mean that they're a bad child. Children aren't as good at expressing themselves in a more restrained way like adults are."

"I hope you're my grandpa, Axel."

We stopped walking and he hugged me.
"I don't know how it's possible that you're here. I don't know why you've come here of all places. But I do know my family when I see them." He said with tears in his eyes.

"Did I do something wrong?" I asked when I saw his tears begin to flow more.
"No, you did nothing wrong. This old man is just feeling his age catch up to him, that's all."

"If it's okay, can I stay here for a little while? Just until I figure out what it is that I'm supposed to do."

He broke the hug and put a hand on my shoulder.

"This is your home, Glory. Stay as long as you'd like."

I smiled.
Maybe it's like he said. Maybe bad children are just learning how to express themselves. I can be a little selfish if it means discovering what I need to do.

"Thank you." I said and we stared up into the sky.
A thousand stars twinkled in the distance as the moon lit our vision. There was something about it. The stars back then. They made me feel safe. Or maybe it was Axel. Maybe it was the fact that I was being told I had parents. Maybe it was my memory. The sky full of stars back then looked similar to the sky now.