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Sunset

Mizaminko

Chapter 2

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The day after

by Miza

This morning I found out how important he really was. This morning I
understood. It was true. You really could never say you knew a person, until
you saw the world through his eyes. No matter how well you thought you knew a
person, there would always be something that you don't know about him.

It was an hour yet, as I stood there in the clearing. I knew travel
between worlds was, at best, unpredictable. They could arrive at a given
time, give or take an hour.

I awaited the arrival of that lone ship. The one carrying the body of
this well-known man. I awaited the coming of Kailu Lantis.

The morning had barely begun. The sky was a soft cast of purple and
violet. The air had a soft bite to it that had my body shivering at its
touch. I did not understand why Guru Clef had chosen me to act as Cephiro's
representative. It was an honor and had been a mystery to me. I could not
understand the honor that was given to me. By all rights, this was an honor
meant for the highest-ranking people. It should have been given to Pillar or
Guru Clef himself. But both had declined the right. I did not understand why.

I did not understand until I saw the ship approach. It was one of the
oldest ships surviving in the Autozam fleet. The oldest, slowest, probably the
ugliest now, but it seemed the most appropriate for the occasion. I knew the
sight of this would have brought too many memories. Bittersweet memories that
were painful, almost all of them. It would have been too painful to watch this,
for either of them. It was the NSX.

The NSX was coming in for a landing. The NSX and few hundred more ships I
might add.

To my relief the other ships simply hovered. It was an incredible sight.
All the sleekest ships that Autozam had were in display. Each one was a
veritable destroyer gaily-painted in green and chrome. Each was a masterpiece
of technology. Yet today those great cannons were silent. And as I watched the
nearer ships as they came into view, I saw why.

Black flags.

Black flags adorned the ships. The somberness of the occasion finally hit
me. Every ship that came into view was the same. It was a
procession. A procession befitting the man. Autozam had come to escort its
adopted son back to his homeworld.

As I watched the sky fill with the Autozam fleet, I noticed another fleet
approaching. Two to be exact. Both were trailing after the Autozam
fleet. It was beautiful. The dark dragons that were the ships of Fahren
flanked the Autozam fleet on one side. And on the other, the bright gold sheen
of the Chizetan armada floated in a gravity defying sight.

I had expected some sort of token escorts, but never this. It was like
all three planets had made a an unspoken agreement. And the only planet
left out was Cephiro itself. I couldn't understand it. What had Kailu Lantis
done to deserve this honor? Why was he so important? Yes, he had spear
headed the Autozam project, but then so what? It was not a one-man effort.
Many had helped and planned for every stage of the project. So why this?
As the director of the project, he deserved the honor that was bestowed to him
by the Autozamians, but this?

Then I saw her. Her flame colored hair, unbound, flew in gentle sweeps
behind her. Her long gown, billowing. A concoction made of light
cream cloth and ruby accents, her favorite dress, reserved for special
occasions. There she stood, as youthful as the day I first met her. Hikaru
Shidou, the Pillar of Cephiro, had come to welcome her beloved home.

Her face was a mask of pain and sadness. The usual smiling face was drawn
and bright eyes were shining with unshed tears. After all this
time, she still loved him.

I could still remember the time when she returned to Cephiro. She had
been gone for three years, after the war with Debonair. The planet had
been prospering well. Everything had been rebuilt. With the help of the other
planets and the combined wills of the people, Cephiro had been almost
restored to its former self.

In retrospect, it was after Cephiro had finished its reconstruction that
the Pillar returned. The land had returned to its former beauty. The old
villages had been rebuilt, and the people were slowly returning. In the middle
of all this reconstruction, there was Kailu Lantis. After the loss of the two,
most important persons in his life, he had buried himself in his work. He had
slaved so much that Guru Clef had feared for him. Everyone had started to
worry. Even Commander Geo Metro had started to take measures. It was as if the
Kailu had no other purpose in his life, other than to fulfill the wishes of his
two loves. The Pillar, Hikaru, returned a year later. It was one of the
happiest days in Cephiro. For a time everyone thought that the Kailu would then
return to his old self. The old Kailu that Guru Clef knew. But after a time he
slowly began drifting away again. He still remained faithfully at the Pillars
side but at times he seemed dead even beside her. Everyone knew how much he
loved her. But at times, whenever he thought he was alone, he would stare off
at a distance. He would look so sad, so full of longing. He looked that way
even in front of the Pillar especially when they were in the garden. No one
knew why. All that everyone knew was that he was thinking of his best friend.
But through it all he remained faithful to the Pillar, never leaving her side.
That was until the sudden news from Autozam came through the communication
links. The land was dying.

Autozam needed help fast. Lantis had asked permission to be the one to
represent Cephiro and help. The Guru thought it would be for the best to let
him. The Kailu never returned after.

The NSX slowly settled on the docking bay some ways away and its great
doors opened. Slowly a large carriage rolled out of its hull as several
colours marched around it. Atop the carriage lay a simple coffin, by Autozam
standards. A capsule made of chrome, decked with flowers shone in the
morning light. It slowly rolled towards where we stood but no seemed to comment
on how long it took. It just seemed fitting to have this procession.

The ceremonies went like a blur through my mind. It was solemn, that was
all that I could remember from it. But what I did remember was seeing something
I have never in my whole life expected to see in the face of the Pillar again.
Princess Hikaru was crying. None of us saw her cry when each of her brothers
died, through old age. She didn't even cry when Fuu died a few years after
Prince Ferio died in his accident. It was something that I will never forget.

It is night again. As I write in this journal, I know, I have just
become part of something that may never be seen again by any of the four
planets. Once again I wish I knew what went on the Kailu's head for him to be
driven so. Did he love so much but always hid it in a mask of silence?
Maybe. Maybe someday I will know. But until then I can only guess.
At the last I learned something in this. The greatness of a man can be measured
in many ways. But none the most exact as the number of tears shed by those who
called him friend.

Someday, when my time come, I wish that I will have even a fourth of the
tears that was shed this day.



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She stopped writing and replaced the marker on the book she wrote on. She
turned her head to the figure sleeping in the bed behind her. Her blue eyes
shone with sudden warmth at the lavender tressed head that poked out of the
sheets. Gracefully she stood and crawled between the sheets to her beloved,
careful not to wake him.

"Are you okay?" He whispered not even opening his eyes.

"I'm fine," she answered, smiling sadly. "You know what happened. Tell
me... tell me about Lantis."

A pair of sapphires opened and stared at her. It was a sad pair that
seemed to search her own. "It is a very sad story."

"I'd like to hear it. "

"As you wish."

She listened intently as he spoke softly about a tale that was sad and
ended in a way that was not really as sad as she thought it was.

"So they are together, now?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Clef. I'm glad." She answered as she lay her head on his chest.

"So am I." He said, stroking her long blue hair. "I'm glad you came back"

"I'm glad too. I love you."

"I love you too, Umi."

"Go to sleep Clef."

"Yes, Umi."

-End-
December 19,1998

Note all characters in this fic are the property of CLAMP. I just
borrowed them for the night.

Thanks to all of the members of UAWC for bothering with this. To Fuuma-san and
Cleo-chan for sharpening their claws on it.