[Fan Fic] Supernova - Chapter 5
Title: SUPERNOVA
Author: blinkbling24
Genre: AU, Angst (a little I think), Sci-Fi (a bit of a cross between X-men and Heroes), Smut (maybe)
Rating: R to NC-17 (to be safe)
Warning: Unbeta-ed, so please excuse accidental grammer and/or spelling errors, if any.
Summary: Akanishi Jin has always been the blue-eyed boy of the Academy. What happens when one day Kamenashi Kazuya joins the folds? What role do they play in each other's lives, and can they use what is given to them to save what they hold dear?
Author's Notes: This was actually a summer contest entry 2009 for the akame_community but I had to pull out because I could not finish it in time. I'm trying to revive the inspiration for this, because I quite like what I have going for it. It's proving to be complicated though, so be patient with me.
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Chapter 5
“HELP!!! OH GOD! KAME!!” Jin was so distraught that he could not focus enough to move the rocks with his mind, so he did the next best thing. He used his hands, frantically removing the rubble one by one, not caring that his hands and arms were severely scratched and torn by the rocks’ rough edges. But it was not fast enough, and with every second that passed, Kame’s chances of surviving were lowered. Kame did not have any powers that were useful enough to get him out of this situation.
“KAME!!! CAN YOU HEAR ME??!!” Hot tears were streaming down Jin’s cheeks, streaking his face through the dirt and grime.
“Jin! What happened?” Ueda flew to his side.
“UEDA! Thank God you’re here! Can you walk through and check if Kame is alright?”
Ueda walked up to the rubble wall, pressed his palms on the rocks, but did not go any further.
“WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
“I can’t.”
“What do you mean you can’t? You still don’t like him, that’s why you WON’T right?!” Jin said through gritted teeth, continuously removing rock after rock.
“No Jin. I can’t. My powers are not working in here. For some weird reason. It was working fine out there.”
Jin barely heard him, only noticing that Koki had joined them.
“Koki! Can you hear Kame at all? Can you hear him breathing?”
Koki cocked his head to the side and listened. He raised his eyebrows in puzzlement.
“I can’t hear a thing Jin. Not a single sound beyond you and Ueda here. Weird…..”
Indeed, something strange was going on in that unnatural cave formed from rubble, but Jin was oblivious. All he could think of was that his dear friend was trapped and possibly severely injured behind that rock wall.
“Well then, if you guys can’t use your powers, use your hands, goddammit! KAME! Can you hear me??!!”
Hearing the desperation in Jin’s voice, Koki and Ueda looked at each other for a quick second before joining their friend in the search.
***
On the other side of the wall, Kame’s eyes were wide open, staring up at the jagged rock ceiling. His legs were pinned under a large boulder, and the back of his head had hit a sharp rock when he fell from the impact of the collapse. Thick deep-red blood was pooling round his head, and if Kame paid any heed to it, he would notice that the blood was starting to cake around the wound, emitting a putrid smell. But no, Kame was focusing on something else. He was focusing on the fact that he wanted Jin to rescue him, and no one else.
“Kazuya!”
“I’m listening…”
“What are you doing? This was not the plan.”
“I’m binding him to me, just as you instructed, mother.”
“Will it work?”
“I know him.”
“Very well. You know what you’re doing.”
“Yes I do.”
It was not meant to be like this. It was supposed to be Jin buried under the rubble, and Kame was to be the one rescuing him. However, when Kame heard the cave rumble, he did not think, he simply acted. His mind was a blur of confusion, but he knew clearly that he did not want Jin to get hurt. Jin must not get hurt. Now, trapped in a cave illuminated by his own body, and injured, Kame waited. He waited for Jin, and only Jin, to come for him. Kame heard the desperate calling of his name on the other side, and his heart lurched. He wanted to shout back, to reassure Jin he was alright, but he could not. He had to maintain his focus, he needed to. He was holding on to too much to let himself go now.
***
Jin opened his eyes to the stark white walls of the Academy’s sanitarium. Disoriented, he tried sitting up, but his head felt heavy. He closed his eyes again. What had happened? He remembered moving rock after rock, he remembered calling out for Kame. It felt like eternity, but finally, he heard a faint “Jin…I’m…..here….” Jin remembered scrambling towards that weak voice. He remembered how much it pained him to see Kame lying in his own pool of blood, face void of any colour. He remembered shouting to Ueda and Koki for help. He remembered pushing the big boulder with all his might, but it would not budge, it just would not. It was too big, and he was too weak. He could not save his friend. And then, the world went black.
Kame! Where was Kame? His eyes shot open again as he sat up with a start and searched frantically round the sanitarium. His panicked heart was soothed by a soft voice, “Jin, I’m here.” He turned his head to his right, and met with the familiar pair of sparkly eyes looking at him with warmth and amusement. But Jin could not bring himself to share the amusement, not when he saw that Kame was so severely injured.
“You’re hurt so bad!” Jin found the strength to jump off his bed and rush to Kame’s bedside.
“Oh really? I hadn’t noticed,” Kame smiled his bright smile as he gazed up at Jin. Jin was pushing his bangs gently away from his forehead that was swathed with a bandage that went completely round his head. Kame’s right leg was in a cast, suspended at a 45 degree angle from the bed. He had other scrapes and bruises too, but they were all cleaned up. “You’re not looking too good yourself,” Kame said to Jin.
It was only then that Jin noticed that his fingertips were raw and throbbing, and he had a big bandage wrapped around his right arm that was semi-soaked with his blood and some sort of medicated ointment.
“What…happened…?” Jin scratched the back of his head, slightly embarrassed that he could not remember.
“Well, you blacked out from exhaustion, so Koki and Ueda had to carry you out. Maru and Taguchi caught up, and used their combined powers to break down the boulder that was crushing my leg. The Academy was radioed, and Kimura-san sent the Academy jet for the 2 of us. The rest flew back on their own. We’re both ok. The Doc looked us over. Doc said your wounds are superficial, and should heal on their own. He did not want to use his powers when nature can run its course nicely. For me, the blow on my head formed a blood clot in my brain, which Doc drained. The wound is now healing on its own. My leg bone was crushed, and Doc formed it back, but I still have to be in a cast to give my new bone time to harden. Shouldn’t take more than a week.” Kame smiled at the worried Jin, but behind that smile was something else, a prickle of guilt. What Kame did not tell Jin was how he held on, how he controlled the situation until Jin found him. He could not, he must not. Kame saw how worried Jin was, how Jin’s brows were furrowed, creasing his forehead deeply, and Kame could not bear it. “Feel better, Jin, I’m ok, and look, we saved many many lives. Isn’t that want you hoped for?” Kame turned slightly and took Jin’s hands in his, running gentle fingers over the raw, tender skin.
Jin looked down at their hands, feeling the acute pain as Kame’s fingers swept past his blisters. Somehow, the relief he had was not for the many lives he saved, but for the pure fact that Kame was there, right in front of him, smiling and looking at him with those eyes. It felt that everything had melted away, and all he had was Kame.
“Kame,” Jin spoke softly. Kame saw Jin’s eyes glisten, and his warmed to it.
“Yes, Jin?” Kame replied equally softly.
“Don’t ever put your life in danger for me again,” Jin choked.
You scared me Kame, you really scared me.
“No.” Kame held on to Jin’s hand.
Don’t get close to me Jin. I’m bad for you.
“Promise me.”
“I promise.”
The currents of emotions that coursed through them were simple, and yet complicated at the same time. One had the purest form of friendship, affection and a little bit of something else, whereas the other was struggling to repel the purity that was slowly beginning to emerge within him.
***
“It’s done, mother.”
“Yes, I can tell. Well done, my son.”
“Mother…I…..”
“Remember that I will not stand for weakness Kazuya!”
“Yes mother.”
“Keep Jin close, and be ready for what is to come.”
“I will.”
***
It was almost bedtime, a week later, when Jin was summoned to the Professor’s chambers.
“You asked to see me Professor?”
“Ah yes, Jin-kun, come in.”
Closing the heavy oak door to the Professor’s chambers behind him, Jin stepped up to stand beside the Professor. It was a position that Jin was familiar with. The Professor was in his usual stance, gazing at the vast black wall before him. In the past, Jin will stand precisely in the same spot, holding the Professor’s hand, hearing the Professor tell stories of the people that only the Professor could see. People who had special gifts, like him. Jin always treated those people in the Professor’s stories like family, because they had something similar to what he had, and he hoped to meet all of them one day.
“It’s been a while since we did this.”
Jin acknowledged the Professor’s words. It has indeed been a while. It was not on purpose that Jin hardly saw the Professor, it was just a natural progression, like how a child, previously so attached to his parents, would gradually grow wings and try those wings out. But, no matter how far the child flew, he would never truly leave the nest. The nest was home.
The Professor seemed lost in what he was seeing on the wall. Jin followed the Professor’s gaze and stared at the black nothingness in front of him.
“It must be very beautiful in your eyes, Professor, seeing all the lights glittering. You have your own personal stars.”
The Professor chuckled, “The things you say, Jin-kun. I forget sometimes.”
Jin smiled. He was glad he made the Professor’s disposition lighten a little. He knew that the Professor bore a lot of weight on his shoulders, and Jin had always wanted to lift it, even if it was just a little. The Professor was the closest thing to a father to him, and Jin treasured their relationship.
“Your wounds?"
“Getting better, Professor. Very soon, I’ll be terrorizing the young ones in the sky again.”
“Good good,” the Professor seemed distracted, “And Kamenashi-kun?”
“Kame? He’s fine. It’s amazing how he takes everything in his stride. He’s really strong, and I admire him for it…..”
“Jin-kun,” the Professor interrupted.
“Yes, Professor?” Jin watched as the Professor frowned, as if there was something at the tip of his tongue, and yet he struggled to say it. “Nothing,” the Professor managed to swallow the words he wanted to say and gazed back at the wall.
“Who are you watching Professor?” Jin asked, curious.
“I’m not watching, I’m looking, at you.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you’re such a steady light. Bright, constant, like you’re leading the way for others.”
“That’s good isn’t it?”
Instead of answering Jin directly, the Professor said, “You are special, Jin-kun.”
“Aren’t we all?” Jin thought that the Professor was going to launch into his usual spiel about how all of them in the Academy were special, and they should not anyone tell them otherwise.
But that was not what the Professor meant, “What is your relationship with Kamenashi-kun?”
Taken aback at the sudden change of subject, Jin could not form a coherent answer, “Erm…he’s…..a friend, I think, but sometimes……”
“I see.”
“What’s wrong, Professor?”
“Nothing that you should concern yourself with,” the Professor reassured, patting Jin on the shoulder, “It’s late. Get some rest.”
“Yes Professor. You get some rest too.” Jin was not sure if the Professor heard him as he had turned his attention back to the wall just as Jin walked out of the room, wearing the same worrying frown on his face.
***
Kame was dreaming. In his dream, he felt weightless, a sensation he had never felt in his entire life. It was as though his mind was emptied of everything he had to take control of, and he was finally able to be himself. He was flying, flying to a particularly clearing that he knew. Only this time, it was daylight, and the sun sparkled on the green leaves of the trees in the charming little woodland area. He landed gently and looked around. Something was different. The huge boulder was not there anymore.
“Kame, you’re here.”
“Jin.” Kame extended his arm to place his hand into the hand that was reaching out to him. Jin pulled him close and hugged him. Kame felt his heart burst with an emotion he presumed was joy.
“I did it Kame. I moved it.” Jin whispered in Kame’s ear, and in Kame’s sleep, he moaned softly in reaction to it.
“Congratulations!” Kame hugged Jin with all that he had.
Jin pulled them apart, and placed his hands on Kame’s shoulders. Kame, even in his dream, was enthralled by Jin’s eyes that shone with so much excitement.
“Come with me.”
“What?”
“Come with me, Kame.”
Suddenly, Kame felt like he was plunged into darkness. All the weight that was lifted came crashing back. He crouched down, feeling the pain. Jin was still smiling at him, and muttering, “come with me….kame….come with me…..”, he tried to reach out, but Jin was fading, getting lighter and lighter, until he disappeared, leaving Kame behind.
Kame woke himself up to the screaming in his head. His breathing was frenzied until he realized he was dreaming. Shakily, he pulled the blanket over his head, trying to shut everything out.
I wish I could, Jin, I really wish I could.
***
In his room down the long hallway from Kame’s, Jin, too, was experiencing something different. For some reason, he wanted to see his mother again, and so he time travelled, preparing himself to be a silent observer to the scenes before him. However, he had travelled to a strange place in time. It was the past, he could tell, but it was a past that he did not remember. He peered in through the 8th floor window of the apartment unit he and his mother had shared. The apartment looked so different. Everything was so shiny and new, not like the dump that he remembered. Even the neighbourhood was different, not the seedy area that he had spent his childhood in.
He smiled softly as he watched his mother potter around the modest kitchen, preparing dinner. It would have been a heartwarming sight if not for the fact that Jin had never seen his mother like this. His memory of her when he was a boy was that she was frequently ill, so she never really much around the kitchen. Even though he loved his mother dearly, he had never seen her look as radiant and beautiful as she did in front of him through the window. It was as though she had something to live for.
Jin noticed that his mother had turned to speak to someone. There was someone else in the apartment. Who could it be? Jin knew now that it could not have been him, this was a time even before he existed. He peered in further, only to find that his view was obscured by a wall. All he could do was wait, as he watched his mother dish out the food and set the table.
Soon enough, he saw a man emerge from the bathroom. Jin squinted. What was his mother doing with a strange man in the apartment? He observed as his mother smiled lovingly at the man and ran into his embrace. He watched as the man placed an affectionate hand on his mother’s belly.
Could it be…..? Jin shook his head, he could not believe what was before him.
And then, he saw it. His watch, on the man’s wrist. Jin backed away from the window, shocked and dumbfounded. He wanted to find out more, but he felt himself fading away. “No, not now…” Jin pleaded but his powers would not listen. Just as he completely faded away, the man turned his face to the window and gave Jin a silent wink.
Now, lying on his bed, in the same position he teleported back in, Jin could not sleep. All he could think was, “shit….did I just see my father?”
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A/N: I just want to add that I'm very proud of Jin at the moment, and I can't wait for Bandage to be out!!!
Author: blinkbling24
Genre: AU, Angst (a little I think), Sci-Fi (a bit of a cross between X-men and Heroes), Smut (maybe)
Rating: R to NC-17 (to be safe)
Warning: Unbeta-ed, so please excuse accidental grammer and/or spelling errors, if any.
Summary: Akanishi Jin has always been the blue-eyed boy of the Academy. What happens when one day Kamenashi Kazuya joins the folds? What role do they play in each other's lives, and can they use what is given to them to save what they hold dear?
Author's Notes: This was actually a summer contest entry 2009 for the akame_community but I had to pull out because I could not finish it in time. I'm trying to revive the inspiration for this, because I quite like what I have going for it. It's proving to be complicated though, so be patient with me.
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Chapter 5
“HELP!!! OH GOD! KAME!!” Jin was so distraught that he could not focus enough to move the rocks with his mind, so he did the next best thing. He used his hands, frantically removing the rubble one by one, not caring that his hands and arms were severely scratched and torn by the rocks’ rough edges. But it was not fast enough, and with every second that passed, Kame’s chances of surviving were lowered. Kame did not have any powers that were useful enough to get him out of this situation.
“KAME!!! CAN YOU HEAR ME??!!” Hot tears were streaming down Jin’s cheeks, streaking his face through the dirt and grime.
“Jin! What happened?” Ueda flew to his side.
“UEDA! Thank God you’re here! Can you walk through and check if Kame is alright?”
Ueda walked up to the rubble wall, pressed his palms on the rocks, but did not go any further.
“WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
“I can’t.”
“What do you mean you can’t? You still don’t like him, that’s why you WON’T right?!” Jin said through gritted teeth, continuously removing rock after rock.
“No Jin. I can’t. My powers are not working in here. For some weird reason. It was working fine out there.”
Jin barely heard him, only noticing that Koki had joined them.
“Koki! Can you hear Kame at all? Can you hear him breathing?”
Koki cocked his head to the side and listened. He raised his eyebrows in puzzlement.
“I can’t hear a thing Jin. Not a single sound beyond you and Ueda here. Weird…..”
Indeed, something strange was going on in that unnatural cave formed from rubble, but Jin was oblivious. All he could think of was that his dear friend was trapped and possibly severely injured behind that rock wall.
“Well then, if you guys can’t use your powers, use your hands, goddammit! KAME! Can you hear me??!!”
Hearing the desperation in Jin’s voice, Koki and Ueda looked at each other for a quick second before joining their friend in the search.
***
On the other side of the wall, Kame’s eyes were wide open, staring up at the jagged rock ceiling. His legs were pinned under a large boulder, and the back of his head had hit a sharp rock when he fell from the impact of the collapse. Thick deep-red blood was pooling round his head, and if Kame paid any heed to it, he would notice that the blood was starting to cake around the wound, emitting a putrid smell. But no, Kame was focusing on something else. He was focusing on the fact that he wanted Jin to rescue him, and no one else.
“Kazuya!”
“I’m listening…”
“What are you doing? This was not the plan.”
“I’m binding him to me, just as you instructed, mother.”
“Will it work?”
“I know him.”
“Very well. You know what you’re doing.”
“Yes I do.”
It was not meant to be like this. It was supposed to be Jin buried under the rubble, and Kame was to be the one rescuing him. However, when Kame heard the cave rumble, he did not think, he simply acted. His mind was a blur of confusion, but he knew clearly that he did not want Jin to get hurt. Jin must not get hurt. Now, trapped in a cave illuminated by his own body, and injured, Kame waited. He waited for Jin, and only Jin, to come for him. Kame heard the desperate calling of his name on the other side, and his heart lurched. He wanted to shout back, to reassure Jin he was alright, but he could not. He had to maintain his focus, he needed to. He was holding on to too much to let himself go now.
***
Jin opened his eyes to the stark white walls of the Academy’s sanitarium. Disoriented, he tried sitting up, but his head felt heavy. He closed his eyes again. What had happened? He remembered moving rock after rock, he remembered calling out for Kame. It felt like eternity, but finally, he heard a faint “Jin…I’m…..here….” Jin remembered scrambling towards that weak voice. He remembered how much it pained him to see Kame lying in his own pool of blood, face void of any colour. He remembered shouting to Ueda and Koki for help. He remembered pushing the big boulder with all his might, but it would not budge, it just would not. It was too big, and he was too weak. He could not save his friend. And then, the world went black.
Kame! Where was Kame? His eyes shot open again as he sat up with a start and searched frantically round the sanitarium. His panicked heart was soothed by a soft voice, “Jin, I’m here.” He turned his head to his right, and met with the familiar pair of sparkly eyes looking at him with warmth and amusement. But Jin could not bring himself to share the amusement, not when he saw that Kame was so severely injured.
“You’re hurt so bad!” Jin found the strength to jump off his bed and rush to Kame’s bedside.
“Oh really? I hadn’t noticed,” Kame smiled his bright smile as he gazed up at Jin. Jin was pushing his bangs gently away from his forehead that was swathed with a bandage that went completely round his head. Kame’s right leg was in a cast, suspended at a 45 degree angle from the bed. He had other scrapes and bruises too, but they were all cleaned up. “You’re not looking too good yourself,” Kame said to Jin.
It was only then that Jin noticed that his fingertips were raw and throbbing, and he had a big bandage wrapped around his right arm that was semi-soaked with his blood and some sort of medicated ointment.
“What…happened…?” Jin scratched the back of his head, slightly embarrassed that he could not remember.
“Well, you blacked out from exhaustion, so Koki and Ueda had to carry you out. Maru and Taguchi caught up, and used their combined powers to break down the boulder that was crushing my leg. The Academy was radioed, and Kimura-san sent the Academy jet for the 2 of us. The rest flew back on their own. We’re both ok. The Doc looked us over. Doc said your wounds are superficial, and should heal on their own. He did not want to use his powers when nature can run its course nicely. For me, the blow on my head formed a blood clot in my brain, which Doc drained. The wound is now healing on its own. My leg bone was crushed, and Doc formed it back, but I still have to be in a cast to give my new bone time to harden. Shouldn’t take more than a week.” Kame smiled at the worried Jin, but behind that smile was something else, a prickle of guilt. What Kame did not tell Jin was how he held on, how he controlled the situation until Jin found him. He could not, he must not. Kame saw how worried Jin was, how Jin’s brows were furrowed, creasing his forehead deeply, and Kame could not bear it. “Feel better, Jin, I’m ok, and look, we saved many many lives. Isn’t that want you hoped for?” Kame turned slightly and took Jin’s hands in his, running gentle fingers over the raw, tender skin.
Jin looked down at their hands, feeling the acute pain as Kame’s fingers swept past his blisters. Somehow, the relief he had was not for the many lives he saved, but for the pure fact that Kame was there, right in front of him, smiling and looking at him with those eyes. It felt that everything had melted away, and all he had was Kame.
“Kame,” Jin spoke softly. Kame saw Jin’s eyes glisten, and his warmed to it.
“Yes, Jin?” Kame replied equally softly.
“Don’t ever put your life in danger for me again,” Jin choked.
You scared me Kame, you really scared me.
“No.” Kame held on to Jin’s hand.
Don’t get close to me Jin. I’m bad for you.
“Promise me.”
“I promise.”
The currents of emotions that coursed through them were simple, and yet complicated at the same time. One had the purest form of friendship, affection and a little bit of something else, whereas the other was struggling to repel the purity that was slowly beginning to emerge within him.
***
“It’s done, mother.”
“Yes, I can tell. Well done, my son.”
“Mother…I…..”
“Remember that I will not stand for weakness Kazuya!”
“Yes mother.”
“Keep Jin close, and be ready for what is to come.”
“I will.”
***
It was almost bedtime, a week later, when Jin was summoned to the Professor’s chambers.
“You asked to see me Professor?”
“Ah yes, Jin-kun, come in.”
Closing the heavy oak door to the Professor’s chambers behind him, Jin stepped up to stand beside the Professor. It was a position that Jin was familiar with. The Professor was in his usual stance, gazing at the vast black wall before him. In the past, Jin will stand precisely in the same spot, holding the Professor’s hand, hearing the Professor tell stories of the people that only the Professor could see. People who had special gifts, like him. Jin always treated those people in the Professor’s stories like family, because they had something similar to what he had, and he hoped to meet all of them one day.
“It’s been a while since we did this.”
Jin acknowledged the Professor’s words. It has indeed been a while. It was not on purpose that Jin hardly saw the Professor, it was just a natural progression, like how a child, previously so attached to his parents, would gradually grow wings and try those wings out. But, no matter how far the child flew, he would never truly leave the nest. The nest was home.
The Professor seemed lost in what he was seeing on the wall. Jin followed the Professor’s gaze and stared at the black nothingness in front of him.
“It must be very beautiful in your eyes, Professor, seeing all the lights glittering. You have your own personal stars.”
The Professor chuckled, “The things you say, Jin-kun. I forget sometimes.”
Jin smiled. He was glad he made the Professor’s disposition lighten a little. He knew that the Professor bore a lot of weight on his shoulders, and Jin had always wanted to lift it, even if it was just a little. The Professor was the closest thing to a father to him, and Jin treasured their relationship.
“Your wounds?"
“Getting better, Professor. Very soon, I’ll be terrorizing the young ones in the sky again.”
“Good good,” the Professor seemed distracted, “And Kamenashi-kun?”
“Kame? He’s fine. It’s amazing how he takes everything in his stride. He’s really strong, and I admire him for it…..”
“Jin-kun,” the Professor interrupted.
“Yes, Professor?” Jin watched as the Professor frowned, as if there was something at the tip of his tongue, and yet he struggled to say it. “Nothing,” the Professor managed to swallow the words he wanted to say and gazed back at the wall.
“Who are you watching Professor?” Jin asked, curious.
“I’m not watching, I’m looking, at you.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you’re such a steady light. Bright, constant, like you’re leading the way for others.”
“That’s good isn’t it?”
Instead of answering Jin directly, the Professor said, “You are special, Jin-kun.”
“Aren’t we all?” Jin thought that the Professor was going to launch into his usual spiel about how all of them in the Academy were special, and they should not anyone tell them otherwise.
But that was not what the Professor meant, “What is your relationship with Kamenashi-kun?”
Taken aback at the sudden change of subject, Jin could not form a coherent answer, “Erm…he’s…..a friend, I think, but sometimes……”
“I see.”
“What’s wrong, Professor?”
“Nothing that you should concern yourself with,” the Professor reassured, patting Jin on the shoulder, “It’s late. Get some rest.”
“Yes Professor. You get some rest too.” Jin was not sure if the Professor heard him as he had turned his attention back to the wall just as Jin walked out of the room, wearing the same worrying frown on his face.
***
Kame was dreaming. In his dream, he felt weightless, a sensation he had never felt in his entire life. It was as though his mind was emptied of everything he had to take control of, and he was finally able to be himself. He was flying, flying to a particularly clearing that he knew. Only this time, it was daylight, and the sun sparkled on the green leaves of the trees in the charming little woodland area. He landed gently and looked around. Something was different. The huge boulder was not there anymore.
“Kame, you’re here.”
“Jin.” Kame extended his arm to place his hand into the hand that was reaching out to him. Jin pulled him close and hugged him. Kame felt his heart burst with an emotion he presumed was joy.
“I did it Kame. I moved it.” Jin whispered in Kame’s ear, and in Kame’s sleep, he moaned softly in reaction to it.
“Congratulations!” Kame hugged Jin with all that he had.
Jin pulled them apart, and placed his hands on Kame’s shoulders. Kame, even in his dream, was enthralled by Jin’s eyes that shone with so much excitement.
“Come with me.”
“What?”
“Come with me, Kame.”
Suddenly, Kame felt like he was plunged into darkness. All the weight that was lifted came crashing back. He crouched down, feeling the pain. Jin was still smiling at him, and muttering, “come with me….kame….come with me…..”, he tried to reach out, but Jin was fading, getting lighter and lighter, until he disappeared, leaving Kame behind.
Kame woke himself up to the screaming in his head. His breathing was frenzied until he realized he was dreaming. Shakily, he pulled the blanket over his head, trying to shut everything out.
I wish I could, Jin, I really wish I could.
***
In his room down the long hallway from Kame’s, Jin, too, was experiencing something different. For some reason, he wanted to see his mother again, and so he time travelled, preparing himself to be a silent observer to the scenes before him. However, he had travelled to a strange place in time. It was the past, he could tell, but it was a past that he did not remember. He peered in through the 8th floor window of the apartment unit he and his mother had shared. The apartment looked so different. Everything was so shiny and new, not like the dump that he remembered. Even the neighbourhood was different, not the seedy area that he had spent his childhood in.
He smiled softly as he watched his mother potter around the modest kitchen, preparing dinner. It would have been a heartwarming sight if not for the fact that Jin had never seen his mother like this. His memory of her when he was a boy was that she was frequently ill, so she never really much around the kitchen. Even though he loved his mother dearly, he had never seen her look as radiant and beautiful as she did in front of him through the window. It was as though she had something to live for.
Jin noticed that his mother had turned to speak to someone. There was someone else in the apartment. Who could it be? Jin knew now that it could not have been him, this was a time even before he existed. He peered in further, only to find that his view was obscured by a wall. All he could do was wait, as he watched his mother dish out the food and set the table.
Soon enough, he saw a man emerge from the bathroom. Jin squinted. What was his mother doing with a strange man in the apartment? He observed as his mother smiled lovingly at the man and ran into his embrace. He watched as the man placed an affectionate hand on his mother’s belly.
Could it be…..? Jin shook his head, he could not believe what was before him.
And then, he saw it. His watch, on the man’s wrist. Jin backed away from the window, shocked and dumbfounded. He wanted to find out more, but he felt himself fading away. “No, not now…” Jin pleaded but his powers would not listen. Just as he completely faded away, the man turned his face to the window and gave Jin a silent wink.
Now, lying on his bed, in the same position he teleported back in, Jin could not sleep. All he could think was, “shit….did I just see my father?”
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A/N: I just want to add that I'm very proud of Jin at the moment, and I can't wait for Bandage to be out!!!