Name Not Official

Yearning For Hope

I had always been connected to the ocean in some way. Something about the atmosphere it would create enthralled me as a child. It still does, in a way. Not only did I grow up near the beach, but I ended up spending many hours figuring the wide range of its secrets. I made friends with the different creatures. Sometimes I would see them only for a short amount of time, but they always came back. When they would go away, I would always find something else to entertain me. Whether it be the seagulls searching for food or the tiny sand crabs preparing for their day. None of my friends understood my passion for the ocean, but that was our main hangout place back in the day. 

I hope I don't cry when I see his face. I hope he doesn't remark on how much I have matured. Over these past few months it's been strange without, like losing something important to me. I know I sound like I'm obsessive over him, and I only do it because I care about him. As my best friend, I always wish for the best whenever something happens, good or bad.

As I gazed upon the night sky, I hadn't realized where my destination was. All I saw was the open ocean of the night speeding past me as I stood floating in mid air.

The letter he gave me slowly started to peep out of my shirt pocket and I reached for it and grabbed on very tightly. Almost losing my second memento of him made my heart rate jump.

As the open ocean stared towards the north, I could spot a huge formation consisting of mostly rock. The waves under me became much more patient as I slowed down. I could tell that this was my destination. In just a few more steps, I would see him again. A golden stairway lit up into the top of the rock formation, and I started to smell something, something ambiguous. Something threatening, something dangerous. A guy like him could hold his own against most dangers, but this was something out of this world.

The adrenaline, paranoia, and anxiety rising, I could barely run up the stairs. I did not scream, because no matter how hard I tried, the sound of the  crashing waves would cover up my voice. A ray  of sunlight burst through the clouds onto the top of the platform,  as I could make out a silhouette of someone. It was him. I screamed his name. He turned around and looked back at me. He  did not move, but something burst out of the water behind him. He frantically looked back, and I kept running towards him. A giant dragon stared at him, with a violent face. The waves settled down, as no noise could be heard from our location. I stopped in place at the top of the platform, panting furiously. I felt like I could  vomit at any second. He reached his hand out to the beast, and I screamed for him to stop.

His face was one that would inspire me for the rest of my life. While looking in the face of danger, no fear whatsoever was in his eyes. Not a soulless warrior, but a calm and content soldier. It was almost like he was communicating telepathically to the monster. It closed it's eyes, with a calm face, before exhaling massive amounts of air from it's nostrils. After he had pet it's head, he looked back at me.

There was a strong moment of silence.

I broke it, and said.

"Wülf," I said.

The most beautiful and happy smile was on both of our faces. I could see his eyes tearing up as he stared back at me.

"Is that really you?"

I almost dropped to my knees, all of the air taken away from my lungs.

He opened his mouth and walked towards me. My words affected his as much as his did to me.

"Look at you.." He said. "All grown up."

I could feel my face burning up at those words, but I didn't mind at this point. He was wearing tattered sweatpants, and no shirt. I slowly took off my scarf that he gave me, and I remembered that fateful day when our paths broke.

Crisply and clearly, he told me,

"This is my scarf. It gives me hope. And, I hope that it will give you hope as well." I stared at him with a serious face that day.

"I promise you, that my hope will never die." I wrapped the scarf on my neck and wore it for the rest of that year, no matter what the temperature. I did my best to keep it in mint condition, so I could give it back to him one day. And it didn't hit me that today was the day.

I soon came to realize that I had been staring at the scarf for quite awhile, and when I looked up, I gently laid the scarf in his hands.

"Iris, this hope?"

"The hope that you created.." I replied back.

The dragon zoomed around us and came in close to inspect the scarf. I stared back at it, and couldn't help but feel intimidated by it's presence.

"Kaoru won't hurt you." He said. The dragon looked very curious as to what the scarf did. Wülf wrapped the scarf on his neck and I couldn't have been happier. But one question still remained.

"Wülf, why did you leave?" I asked.

The pause came back until he broke the silence.

"Because I had to." He said.

"To keep you and everyone you love safe."