A new beginning

Discovery, and Misadventure.

Tomoki awoke an hour or so later and reached out for Ikaros, as she had been there in his dream. Only to find nothing but empty space, a small grimace and look of pain came over his face as he closed his eyes again. Wishing to return to the beautiful dream he had been having, with Ikaros there on his chest. How he wanted to feel her breathing against him. To reach out and run his hand through her hair as he awoke and hear her ask him if he rested well. But, that was all gone now. Not being able to go back to sleep, he got up and went to the bathroom, and then to the kitchen to make a cup of tea.

He was sitting in the backyard looking at the mountains when he heard the girls return. The clatter of shoes as they kicked them off at the door, and the sound of shuffling bags brought him back from the inner debate he had been absorbed in. He was sitting there on the back step when he heard the door slide open. Sohara stepped out, sitting down beside him. "Tomo, are you okay?" she says with a tinge of worry in her voice. "I'm fine Sohara. You know me. I'm always fine" he responds never taking his eyes off of the snow capped mountains in the distance. "Tomo, you just don't seem like yourself these past few weeks. And, I for one, am worried about you."

He knew that he couldn't express what he was going through. He wanted so badly to tell her how he wished to be a better person. How he felt now that he needed to be what they all deserved, what "She" deserved. And that he knew that the way he had been wasn't good enough. He had been lost everything he cared about on that day. And in those moments of loss, he realized that he had thrown it all away for childish desires and let it all slip away. When he had gotten them back, he had sworn to do better the next time around.

All he could do was reach out and take her hand and tell her "Don't worry about me Sohara. I will be fine. We all will" Her cheeks flushed slightly at the touch of his hand accompanied by the tender words he spoke. "Okay Tomo. But, if you need me know I am here" she says rising to return to the others. She says over her shoulder as she steps inside "Why don't you come and join us? Hiyori came over for a visit. I'm sure she'd like to see you too." "Maybe in a few, Mitsuki. I just want to sit here and enjoy the peace a bit longer." he says looking back into the distance. A deep blush fell over her face at his use of her first name, and she hurried away to be sure he didn't notice.

The blush was still upon her as she turned the corner into the hall leading to the main room, where the angeloids were. What was that all about? she wondered. She wore a small grin as she entered the room and sat down to chat with everyone. "Is Tomoki, not coming to join us?" Hiyori asks Sohara. "He said he wanted a few more minutes. He may be in a little later." she replies. "Is Master alright?" Ikaros asks looking to Sohara for assurance. "Of course he is Ikaros. He has just been through a lot. We all have. And he wanted a few minutes of quiet to relax." "He's had all day to relax while we were gone." Says Astrea contempt in her voice. Nymph responds with a chuckle "Not everyone can handle all the excitement Delta." "Well I say we go and cheer him up." was Astrea's retort. "He'd be the first to be there for us!" Sohara gritted her teeth, the sting of Astrea's words biting her in their bluntness. "I know he would Astrea. But sometimes, you need to let people figure out things on their own. We can't always fix one another's problems."

A small sheepish voice from Ikaros says "Master always fixes our problems. Somehow." They all look around to one another realizing that was absolutely true.

Then, Hiyori said to them all "How do we fix a problem, when we don't know what is wrong? or there is even anything wrong." They all sat in quiet contemplation of that question for quite a while. Until they heard the back door slide open and Tomoki entered the house.

Passing through the kitchen he grabbed a glass of water and joined them all at the table. The rest of the evening was passed in good fun, laughing, joking and picking on each other. Late in the evening when Sohara and Hiyori left to go home, Tomoki walked them to the door and saw them out. He turned from the door, and walked back through the house. Saying Good Night to his algeloids as he passed through the living area into the hallway and up the stairs to his room.