I kept running through the Home. I had no idea where Hikaro was, but I had to try and find him. Our last kiss was playing in my thoughts repeatedly; what if it was truly our last kiss? I pushed the idea to the back of my mind, and kept charging forward. “Hikaro?! Hikaro? Hikaro!” I called desperately, punctuating his name with a sharp whistle each time. I could feel the smoke filtering through my body, and I had to pause for a fit of wheezing coughs.
In that minute I had stop moving, everything seemed to explode. The roof collapsed down, the pillars holding it up started to crumble and fall, the floor was shaking uncontrollably – my whole world was imploding around me. A sudden force around my waist pushed me forward, under the shelter of a fallen wall panel, where I was safe. The crashing sounds were deafening me, and no matter how many times I blinked the whole building was still blurring and trembling. I peeked out from my cover to see who had saved me, but a cinder block landed an inch away from me, and I withdrew quickly.
Then it hit. The loud, rumbling boom that exploded out from the centre of the building, radiating out and raising hell with anything its rough touch reached. Cid had done it. Having known there was no way to save Home, he had made a sacrifice to take out as many Yevonites as he could. It had been his back-up plan ever since he built Home, which is why the explosives were so strategically placed. The crashes and bangs still hadn’t stopped, so I curled up into a ball.
Knowing that Hikaro was almost definitely dead and I would be going the same way any moment now, a strange feeling of calm passed over me. No longer did I have to worry about life or the future or love; it was all over now. But eventually the noises filtered out, and I decided to brave a scout around. My shelter had been caved in, and so I started to dig my way out. Thankfully (because of all my work with machina) I was a little stronger than most girls my age, so with a little work I began to make progress. My hands sustained many cuts and grazes and were streaming blood, but I barely noticed. My whole body had gone numb. It was like ice was freezing me from the inside out, starting with my heart. Maybe this was what death and loss did to you…
When the first few rays of blinding light broke into my makeshift cave, a sudden burst of strength filled me for long enough to widen the hole considerably. I clambered out of the gap, gashing my leg as I climbed out, and gazed around, my breath catching in my throat and provoking my gag reflex. Forcing down the vomit clawing its way up, I whistled strongly. Once…no reply. Twice…no reply. Three times…there! A weak response echoed around the seemingly empty room. I stared around hard, and finally spotted a mop of radiant red hair.
Hope building up again, I forced my way over to the flash of red, using it as my beacon of hope. I kept tripping over the remains of Home, but I pressed on and was soon by the Al Bhed who had returned my call. “Hikaro!” I cried when I reached him. He groaned in response, “Shii…you’re…okay…I’m…so g…glad.” I shushed him, trying to reach him; he had been buried under a pile of rubble. I needed to touch him, feel his warmth – I needed to know he was okay.
“I thought you were…I thought…I’m sorry!” I called over the hiss of the fires, finally burning down and flickering out. Hikaro’s familiar chuckle greeted me weakly, and I shook with the effort of not crying. I had to be strong for him. “Take my hand!” I shouted, hoping it would comfort both of us. His face materialised in the darkness, pale but smiling beautifully. His trembling hand reached out for mine, and I scrabbled at the waste around me, desperate to get closer. I stretched my arm as far as it would go, waiting for it to meet his. We were silent as we both reached further, further, further…
“I…love…y-you,” Hikaro yelled at me. “I love you too! I love you too!” I called, still reaching out. His smile shook and vanished, and his hand fell limply into mine. Finally I let the tears flow, unabated, down my face – just as they had ten years ago. I clutched desperately at the hand in mine, using my free arm to dig Hikaro out. It didn’t take long before he was unrestricted, and I pulled his limp body out. He felt like a toy in my arms, and as I sobbed I cradled him in my arms. My perfect Hikaro was lying broken in my grasp, and there was no way I could ever fix him.
