A New World

Chapter 17 - Rescue

The last thing Hayato remembered was being alongside Anne as they both gazed at the city skyline. As mysterious aircrafts dotted the area, he was abruptly taken out of the dream and was now back to the comforting reality he was acquainted with.

The incense filled, candle-lit room he was expecting to return to was instead replaced with a familiar warmth and breeze of the outdoors. He opened his eyes to be welcomed by the bright afternoon sun as he felt at the grass beneath him.

To say everything that occured for Hayato went by like a blur would be an understatement. With the memory of the dreams still so fresh within his mind, he resolved to remember every last detail, filing the events of the dreams away in the recesses of his mind.

He sat up and scanned the area to discover he recognized the colorful garden a mere few feet away from him; he was back home. Shayo was standing by his side with Rouge in the grass behind him.

Although he was still trying to grasp the new situation he found himself in, he instantly sensed something off about Rouge. Decades of friendship have allowed the two to read each other's emotions, mannerisms, quirks, and facial expressions to near perfection.

His attention was focused on her as tears welled up in her eyes. Hayato's heart sunk, he knew something was wrong. "Rou-".

Rouge embraced her now conscious friend nearly pinning him back down to the ground. Hayato was taken by surprise. To him he had only been gone for several minutes but based on Rouge's reaction that couldn't be farther from the truth. He could feel her shaking as her warm tears rolled down her cheek, landing on the side of his neck.

He had never seen her so shaken up before. Rouge detailed the events that occurred in Blake's office through her tears. Hayato's eyes widened as he took everything in. From Blake's threats to an eventual supernatural attack to Shayo's life-saving appearance, Rouge detailed it all.

He was warned about Blake and had his own premonitions but ignored it. Now the two faced the consequences of their actions. All he could do was allow Rouge to tell her story. He wanted to apologize but this wasn't the moment, neither would Rouge put the blame on him no matter how much he felt it was his fault. He was well aware the only thing she needed now was for him to simply be there with her.

As she finished recounting what had occurred, he held her until she ran out of tears to cry. Her shaking body slowed to a halt as she calmed down after releasing her built up emotions.

He couldn't help but feel a pocket of guilt and anger grow within him as he went through the events that occurred in the office in his head. "Sorry for worrying you like that Rouge," Hayato said helping Rouge up. "I have a lot to tell you as well."

She wiped the tears from her eyes and took a deep breath to calm her nerves. The last time she cried was now a distant memory; in her childhood she once fell while climbing a tree and fractured her left leg. The pain was intense for a small child but she quickly healed and eventually the incident faded from her memory. Besides that, what else was there to cry about in this peaceful world she called home?

The experience they had today will forever be ingrained within them. It taught them something about themselves and the world, that they were indeed ignorant and naive to the reality of this world, but was this their fault?

Feeling composed and her energy returning to her, Rouge boldly faced her rescuer. "Shayo... who or what are you exactly? And how did you know about us meeting with Blake today?" Unlike a moment ago, the fear and emotional turmoil that riddled her heart was gradually being replaced with a confidence that was well known of Rouge.

Hayato thought back to her second vision at Mori forest and remembered how quickly she bounced back then as well. She was the kind of person that was able to quickly move on, but he was also aware this was partly due to her habit of storing what she believed to be unnecessary emotions away, to deal with the situation at hand.