The evening wore down as for now things were in a quiet lull, some hung around the dance floor while others had already left, finding their way to the after parties scattered around the city. Nova found himself still tugging at the tie wrapped around his neck, it caused Matt standing beside him to snicker “Kinda warm ya?” Nova returned with a look, suggesting he already knew the answer. Stormy who had moved close by now snickered beside him, watching him try to get some kind of air flow down his neck.
“Ah hey, lets go get changed and get out of here, Jules is waitin on me ya know?” They both looked at him rolling their eyes but snickering all the while. Matt beamed, and laughed again as Nova threw out his arm to the side to link up “Shall we?” an over exaggerated smile on both their faces. Stormy stayed close on his other side, watching quietly, as she had done for most of the night. Making their way on the front lawn, they were stopped, being asked for a picture. Nova flashed a wide grin as he linked his arm around Stormy as well, resting her head against his chest, Matt leaned matching the smile as the camera flashed. “Thanks!” came a small voice as they parted ways.
When they made it off the lawn, finally he let his arms down from around the both of them, it was kinda awkward to walk anyway. “Alright” he announced “PJ’s, Jules’ we meet there yeah?” They exchanged a nod and a smile before the made their way back to the dorms to change after a long night of dancing.
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The party had already started when they got there, it was noisy with chatter as Nova scanned the room looking out to see familiar faces. He smiled and waved big to Sam across the room, she barely managed to catch it, in a conversation of her own, but took the time to return the gesture. She also pointed with her cup hand as he did his best to follow the direction, it seemed they were already here. Taking no time he made a light jog through the crowd doing his best not to knock too many people with his wings, of course most of the people he knew by now were more then used to it.
The party was still early, but already Nova and Stormy took to whispering to one another, giggling and snickering back. Finally they took a quick look around the room and stood up, both with grins much too wide. “Ah hey Matt, I am gonna go hang with Stormy here for a little. I might be back later?” He gave him a goofy smile, blinking through the split second crestfallen look that came to the half rabbits face. When he looked back, Matt was smiling again, bright as ever. “Well watcha gonna do?”
The smile in the corner of Matt’s mouth meant he knew, they had talked about this kind of thing before, a crooked smile formed on his lips as it further disported as spit out “Maaaaaaa-at” Stormy snickered behind him, giving his hand a small squeeze. From behind Matt’s shoulder popped a familiar face “Whaaaaaats going on here” Bobby stepped out from behind Matt, a sly smile on his face, looking around expecting answers.
Nova started to speak up “We were just….” but was cut off by the louder tone of Matt “Noooova and Sunny are going off somewhere to be alone!” There was a loud ACK that escaped the winged boy as he shot a mock glare at Matt. Meanwhile Bobby shoved his glasses up on the bridge of his nose making a face, as his arms crossed over one another. Behind the good natured look, you could see subtle hints of disappointment as his eyes drifted to Matt. The rabbits shoulders raised and fell in half a shrug and he turned his attention back to the two.
“Sun-ny?” Bobby called as she emerged from hiding behind a wing, still clinging too it. “Just what is going on here?” She responded with a squeak and a giggle. “I um.. We were going to… just go… um” Nova grinned and shrugged “We were just gonna go hang out for a while, away from the crowds and everything, we didn’t get to dance much tonight or nothing ya know? We should be back!”
They took their chance darting past them, Bobby quickly shaking a fist called out in a playful tone “Hey! Come back here you two!” Beaming he turned around and gave them a big wave “Soon!”
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“Come on” he called as she was two paces behind him in the air “You have to see it up here, its beautiful” She smiled straining a bit to push her self faster, catching up to him was one thing, keeping up with his excitement was another. He landed first offering her a hand to balance as she came to a halt. A familiar scene in Independence Port. The tall building overlooked the war walls of Terra Volta, it gave a perfect view of the moon coming up, though by this point in the night it hung high above their heads, bright and full illuminating the dark sky.
No matter how many things had happened up here, the view always made him want to come back, and it was romantic, this high up it was quiet, there always seemed to be that cool breeze coming off the water down, just the slightest hint of salt in the air. It was refreshing, both proved that as they took a deep breath between them, smiling at the moment. They with a kiss, her arms looped around his neck, hers around his waist. When it didn’t break after some time, his wings followed as well wrapping around her cutting out the chill of the breeze.
As they broke, he had to smile, bright and warm as always, she kept her eyes on him though he looked down at the tiny things moving below. Her voice was small, as she spoke up, perhaps some of it still lost on his lips. “Nova… do, do you want to go somewhere a little warmer?” He laughed lightly, not at her, but with the notion of this perhaps wasn’t the ideal spot to sit. He often forgot the other two he had spend time with here were all but immune to the chilling effects of the breeze. “Sure” he replied warmly, putting his arm around her as she nuzzled into his side for warmth. “The tram isn’t far, barely a minutes flight, we can catch it out to Founders.” She giggled at the notion nodding a long piping up “Sounds fun!”
She was always fun, that’s the way things were, between her Sam and Matt, the three of them you could just hang around with endlessly and never skip a beat, never be bored for even a moment. On top of that, they were happy people, a true rare oddity around here. No one was happy all the time, but here few were happy most of the time. His mind tugged at memories of home, friends he left behind, they always made him smile hanging out with Luminara, Premiere, Nexus, the whole gang. Amidst the memory drift, the tram came to stop, looking over to her, she was quiet sometimes too, though it lacked the awkward feelings you would get around groups when it happened. Giving a small tug on his sleeve she looked up “This our stop?”
He grinned and gave her a nod, she seemed to immediately perk up at the destination. They filtered their way off the near empty tram, talk arose between them quietly, her first prom here at Saint Joes, what things had been like for her “back home” dances, things like that. The walk was short, but even with the warmer air inside the tram, she quickly wrapped her arms around herself. It wasn’t a long walk, as soon they found themselves at their destination.
It was a small place, not overly nice out the outside, but familiar to the both of them. He fished for his keys in the deep pocket of his pajama pants, as she snickered quietly at the exaggerated effort required to reach down some deep. “Hold on hold on… I got em!” She took the opportunity as he was leaning down speaking to give him a peck on the cheek. “Stormy! I had em!” Both of them laughing, goofy light laughs as he produced a small ring. Dorm, Locker, Brothers Place. He eyed it up, nodding as he unlocked the door. “Shhhhh” he turned to her bringing his finger to his lips. She almost hissed in a whisper “Nova! You said he knew we might come over!”
“It’ll be fine, don’t worry!” He took her hand leading her into the dark house not bothering to turn on the lights. She snickered following closely to him, eyes doing what the could to pick out details in the barely lit house. His body came to a stop as h turned to face her “Would this be a good time to mention he isn’t home?” Her response was to laugh, punching him hard in the shoulder. “Then why are we walking around in the dark!” His lips curved into a grin as he leaned down giving her a kiss, brief, as a response shortly followed “Besides I can kinda make out things in the dark anyway” She punched him again, grinning wide.
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The clock in the room showed 6:09 AM when he rolled over opening his eyes. The party! He told Matt he would be back! They must have fallen asleep, the plan was to go back! Reaching over to the night stand he picked up his comm, it was bright now, and she shielded his eyes some as almost numbed fingers began to text something out. He quickly lowered the volume after it was sent, just incase Matt was still up. He lay there waiting, for the first time feeling something different. Things were quiet, his limbs not as heavy, a deep relaxed feeling washing over him. It had to come with the territory he thought.
A message came back, reading quietly to himself “still going on…” and a grin crept to his face at the opportunity to make good on his word. He looked over to the other side of the bed, her face said she was sleeping quietly, he snickered softly seeing in her right hand still holding a small feather that came loose during the evening. He whispered quietly to her, something about going to the party for just a little, keeping his word to Matt. She stirred just enough to turn and throw her arm and a leg on top of him burring her face into his side. It was barely a mumble when she spoke “Mmmm? Nova just five more minutes” her eyes never opened but he nodded anyway, she seemed to get it, as she immediately went back to sleep.
Five minutes to think.
Nothing seemed to be different, things felt better, much better. There was no voice in his head telling how he screwed up. Though there certainly would be a line of people taking up that job if and when they found out. In truth everything felt kind of like a pleasant numb, his body still all wobbly like he had been patrolling all day. He went to speak internally, to his other half, and then he realized it. There was nothing.
His eyed were staring up at the ceiling, as his mind processed what was going on. Is this what they meant? Why you couldn’t involve yourself in such things? How should he feel? Saddened, Devastated? Hurt? Afraid? They seemed to be the right responses, but then he remembered sitting on the roof with her, Stasis, Tara, whatever name she wanted now. She was the only one who knew about how he truly felt about this, not because they were sort of not really dating but kinda seeing if they would want to date, but as the friend he once talked too.
Relief, that seemed to be all that was there, was the burden lifted? He smiled warmly remembering his words “I just want to be me again, just me. Not Nova Daystar, just Nova.”
Something had happened with Kierin, where she lost apart of her self, secretly laying there he felt happy for her. 6:15 AM. He leaned back over whispering to her. Her response was to pull herself off and turn her back wrapping into the covers “Mmm Nova, I am gonna sleep, come back soon”
He smiled warmly at her, eyes still closed he leaned in giving her a kiss on the cheek. “I will, I promise.”
And with that, I watched from above, seeing him and the girl laying there for just a moments longer. He was as strong now, as the day we met, the same small radiant aura was still there, I remember feeling it, and now it reflected on her. Being sent out in the world alone did nothing to dampen his spirits, through it all he persevered. I had given my memories, and he had given his fate, so that we could be one. He was ready now I see that. Seeing who he has grown into, so much changing, yet able to see that same young face that extended a hand of greeting that first day. I was told by him everything would be okay , I wonder, through all of this, if he wasn't always ready. Had I taught him anything more beyond skills and ability in combat? Thinking on it, perhaps it was he who taught me where I failed in my own life. In truth, I would miss him more then he would miss me, though it is hard, I learned from him, for someone you care so deeply for, the best thing you can do sometimes is let them go.
The Final Chapter.
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