Tears of a Dove

XIX: Equilibrium

"Kobe," Arwel articulated quickly. "Kobe!"

"What?" Kobe hastily responded.

"She's coming, get down." They jumped off a large rock they were standing on and approached the strange figure.

"Good morning, gentlemen," she said, her face screaming nothing but death and sorrow. Her eyes and hair were as dark as the dark vibe she gave off.

Arwel and Kobe bowed in sync. "Good morning, Ingrid Leino."

Ingrid looked at their hands, jealous of their health and happiness. "I... I..."

The boys stood in silence, staring into her dark barren eyes.

"Come, now. With us." Arwel and Kobe ordered Ingrid.

"I... No, I can't... I..."

"What? Don't you want to come back? We miss you." Kobe said with sad emotion.

"Where am I? Do... do you remember me?" Ingrid stuttered quietly.

Arwel and Kobe nodded in unison.

"I will show you around our new Tochinokori," Arwel halfway turned around, but stopped himself. "Would you like that?"

"I would... It's been so long, you... Did you remember me for that long? How am I..."

"It's been some years without you, hasn't it? Don't be scared. It's just us three now." Kobe reached out his hand, but Ingrid recoiled back. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing... Sorry." Ingrid reached out and held Kobe's hand as he walked her along a familiar trail. She remembered how they walked this trail every day, as well as the swaying trees surrounding the path and the gentle wind that came with the walk.

"This is nice, huh?" Kobe asked.

"Yeah. Almost like I remember it exactly how it happened seven years ago. Kind of strange."

"Do you know what's also strange?" Arwel asked.

"What's that?"

"You can see."

"I can... what? What do you mean?"

"Don't you remember? You don't exist anymore."

"Surely I do, I... what?"

"No, Ingrid." Kobe interrupted as everything around Ingrid began to fade to black, and she returned to the empty darkness she was standing in before she saw the images of Kobe and Arwel.

Ingrid sighed and sat down, her head in her lap. "Get... me... out...!" she said, quietly and slowly.

~~~~~~~~~~

Kobe jumped out of his sleep, breathing heavily. He quickly looked around and felt the hair on his face, making sure everything was okay. He quickly calmed down and let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God... it was just a dream." He sat up and quickly threw on some different clothing before leaving his home. Just like he did every day, he looked up at the beautiful Hiyake dawn sky. He always woke up very early in the morning in order to be on time to go to the docks, where he sailed the sea for an hour long; it was a great way to start off his morning and it never became repetitive or old to him.

"Ah, if it isn't my good friend Kobe! You ready?"

"Ready as always, Martin," Kobe replied to his good friend Martin Abbott, a decently sized, young blonde man. He was the first person that caught Kobe's attention when he first moved to Hiyake. Kobe wouldn't have become familiar with the country if it wasn't for his help and kindness. "I'm surprised to see that you actually agreed to wake up this early."

"I thought about it," Martin said. "I feel like it will be more of an amazing experience than it sounds like it is."

"You're right on that one," Kobe chuckled. "Aye, there it is." He pointed to the large ship in the distance that was heading slowly toward the docks. It had large white sails and a massive body, large enough to fit about one hundred people on board at once.

Martin and Kobe boarded the ship as it began moving minutes later. "Trust me, Martin," Kobe began explaining. "Once you sail the Sea of Voices, you'll want to do it again. It's not as bad as you think."

"Where did the myth come from anyway?" Martin asked. "The myth that prevented everybody from staying as far away from the Sea as possible? Wasn't it believed that it would swallow you up?"

"I believed in the myth when I moved here as a kid. Once I got the chance to fully experience it myself, I came to the conclusion that everyone had it wrong. It's just a body of water. Bodies of water are the pure essence of the Earth. After all, there is a lot of it. It is probably the most peaceful thing anybody can get used to. Don't you agree?"

Martin looked down at the water carefully and smiled. "I mean, yeah. You're right."

Kobe chuckled. "See? You had nothing to be scared about."

They stood and watched the water ripple with the movements of the ship, focusing on the beautiful bright glimmer that the sunrise reflected on the surface of the water. The water was pure and great and brought many positive emotions to Kobe.

"I just wish she could see the water too," Kobe mumbled.

"What was that?" Martin asked.

"Oh, it's nothing."

Martin shrugged and returned to being astonished by the water. "I do this for you," Kobe thought. "This was your wish. Although I wish you were here with me to experience this, the thought of you will never leave my mind. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be sailing this sea every morning. Ingrid Leino, I know you're out there somewhere. If you can hear me, speak. If you do not hear me, I still wish you the best. These past years have been hard, but I now believe I can formally give my farewell. Goodbye Ingrid, goodbye Tochinokori, goodbye Arwel and Miku, goodbye to all the negative events that tore me down in the past, and hello peace, and hello to my new life. I couldn't ask for more, and I'll never forget what brought me here. Peace is within me, as I wish peace be within you the same, Ingrid Leino. I've seen a dove cry, I've seen love and happiness taken away from me as well as many, but you, the hero, suffers for your kind actions. I've learned that heroes die not in sorrow, but in honor and sympathy. And for that, I commend you. I am no longer sad, but I will continue to have thoughts of you. Wish me the best as I wish you, for peace has finally been restored. I couldn't be happier."

"Everything alright, Kobe?" Martin asked.

"Of course," Kobe replied. "Let's enjoy the rest of this peaceful ride."

Martin nodded. "Alright."

Kobe looked up at the sun and smiled, knowing that his past has been put to rest, and he has begun a new life. He has gained knowledge from this life lesson, and that knowledge is that peace is begun with the flight of a dove, but that dove isn't a queen like Miku, no, the dove is the one who takes a bullet for their love, the one who gives up what they cherish the most to bring together what the meaning of love truly is; that dove is Ingrid Leino. Kobe couldn't be happier knowing that he found that dove, and she is somewhere soaring through the morning sky, watching over the one thing she cared about the most.

That one thing she cared about more than love was eternal peace in those she cared about the most.

End of Part 3: Not All Heroes Survive