Chronicles of Yugure: Plummeting into Uncharted Depths

Day Twenty-Six

I know I'm supposed to be celebrating, but what do I really have to celebrate about? The death of my mother? The death of my friends? The possible destruction of my home and entire species? I stay in the apartment that Sendaar, Hotaru, and I have been lodged in over the past four days.

The band plays outside in the Merchant's Square. Fireworks can be seen rejoicing outside my window. I slump my frame against the windowsill, staring painfully at the cheer and joy. My sighs fog up the glass with each heave. I end up making a game of it, counting the seconds it takes to have the fog dissipate.

A jolting knock echoes through my door, waiting for me to answer it. I do not. The caller comes in anyway; by the smell of something burning, I know it to be Hotaru.

"Hey," he says quietly, which is rather unlike him. I don't respond with any form of greeting, rather I play with the scarf around my neck. I miss Shadequill and the Professor. Who knows if they're even still alive.

"How are you holding?" He asks, pulling up a large chair to sit in. "I'm sorry about your mum. I bet she was very lovely."

"That she was." I agree quietly.

"You had a good thing going- with your mum and all." Hotaru says. "Me, I didn't think the domesticated life was for me- parents and families and all that." He waves a furred hand nonchalantly, "I thought it would be better to run off and explore. I was only forty when I left."

"Was it worth it?" I ask.

"You tell me," he replies, throwing me a locket. It is hand crafted silver with intricate dragons etched on the face. I open it up to reveal a clock, and a picture of my mother.

"M'mum!" I exclaim with surprise.

"Actually, that would be our mother."

"B-but, how?" My emotions burst out of me in the disguise of confusion.

He laughs and smiles, "You never were very observant, were you? And always forgetful. I wouldn't blame you for not remembering much of your childhood. We never talked much anyhow. You were with your books and I was always in the back playing."

I caress the locket with my thumb, stroking the picture of my mother. She is smiling, looking outwards as if she is looking at me. A tear forms in the corner of my eye and dances down my face.

"I don't suppose you could share her with me?" He asks. His hand stretches out, asking for his photo back.

"Of course," I say, choking back tears. I never noticed how similar we look. Besides the lack of scales on his forearms, back, and tail and the ear piercings, we look like we could be related easily.

We smile at each other and I give him a hug. "Let's go out with the others." Hotaru grabs ahold of my shoulder and we walk out of the apartment. "Oh, by the way, you're apparently supposed to make a speech in Bellsulion's place since he can't make it."

"Wait, what?" I say with surprise and a hint of stage fright. I've never been good with presentations; I end up stuttering terribly or mispronouncing words. The Professor would always lecture me on my presence and posture when presenting my projects.

My brother chuckles at my bashfulness. 'M'brother.' I think to myself, 'How amazing is that.'

Hotaru gives me an encouraging shove on the neck. "You'll do fine. If it's anything like you're speech on herbs and fungi you'll do just fine."

"Oh, man, ye really remember that?"

"Ha! Mum practically dragged me to the school to hear your presentation; I don't think I could ever forget that one." We both laugh, reminiscing on the past. I wonder how much we have missed out on each other's lives.