Chapter 35:

When I Crashed Into You

Crashing Into You: My Co-Pilot is a Princess


Submerged waist down, glowing, cleaning waters rushed forth from the fountain at the heart of the now-evacuated city square, stitching flesh together where there was once an arrow wound on Ako. This was normal in their world, but for Haruki, this was a miracle.

He’d been healed by Marina before, but that was a mere cut. This was a near-mortal wound.

He had gotten so used to magic in this world, that he’d forgotten just how miraculous in nature they were.

But there were limitations, it seemed. Marina needed water to do water magic. Anemone needed air. Flare didn’t make it clear where she sourced her power, but she seemed to exhaust faster than the others. She must have sourced it from somewhere within herself—blood, maybe her own body heat.

Flare caught Haruki looking.

“Ah.” She pounded an open palm with a fast. “Right. I should tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

“Lias and Anemone. I saw them.”

Haruki flinched. “What? Why didn’t you say sooner?”

“It wasn’t a good time. Would you really have dropped everything if I told you earlier?”

“I don’t think so.” She made a good point, but still.

“One thing at a time, rookie. One thing at a time.”

“Rookie?” Since when did you start calling me rookie?

“Anyway,” Flare shrugged, then stroked the beak of her griffon. It purred in delight. “He was running westward to the other side of the harbor. As Fianna said, he’s not running from the island on foot. He’ll be on a boat; An airship, most likely. I already have men on stand-by for that.”

“That said. These clouds…” Haruki looked around. A speck of fog flew by, and when Haruki touched it, droplets of water stuck to his finger.

“These usually preclude a Sky Legion attack, yeah.” Flare swallowed a lump in her throat, clearly nervous. “Not a good time. Ugh. Why now.”

From the fountain, Ako coughed herself awake. She spat blood until her saliva turned normal. Haruki rushed into the fountain, his shins deep in cool, healing waters. His shoes were getting waterlogged, but he didn’t care. He was just glad to see her alive—and safe. Roughly safe.

He knelt beside Marina, who was already drenched in fountain water.

“Mama!”

“Ah. Marina…” Ako shifted at Haruki. “And you… it’s been so long.”

“It has.”

“I never thought I would see you again.”

“Nor me.”

“Right?”

“Yeah.”

What am I doing? He couldn’t think of anything to say to an “almost died” Ako. He hadn’t even thought of what to say had he met her again in better circumstances. He just wanted to see her because he saw her in a picture in another world.

He wanted to see her again so badly.

And yet, all he could do was answer in terse replies.

And sit around like a jackass.

“I am so glad you’re living out your dream. I saw you flying—like you’ve always wanted to.”

“That I am.” Haruki looked away and grimaced. “But it’s nothing like I thought it would be. I wanted to fly for fun, to be free. I’m… I’m just fighting now. It’s frightening, and killing people… it’s awful.”

Ako smiled. “I understand how that feels. It’s horrible. You live out your dream and you just get… disillusioned. You have to do so many things you don’t want to do. Didn’t imagine you’d be doing.”

Her smile. Oh, her smile. Age had withered her face considerably, and her legs were frail and shriveled. But this smile—of warmth, joy, and consideration—was the same as it was when their relationship began. Familiar and grounding.

“Sorry.” Marina flinched. “Is there something I’m missing here? Mama, you know each other?”

“Ah.” Ako laughed. “Marina, please meet Haruki. My first love.”

“E-Excuse me?”

“It’s true.” Ako held her daughter’s hand. “Back in his world, we were partners. For quite some time. But things happened and we separated. And in that time, I was sent to this world by an act of god—probably just like he was.”

Ako told them both about how she became a photographer in a foreign, wartorn land. She told the story of how she chased her dreams, and on the day she was to go home, the heavens took her. A strikingly similar “falling into the sky” story as Haruki’s.

“I wonder why they chose us,” Haruki wondered.

“Heh. Maybe they wanted us to cross paths again,” Ako said in jest.

Marina rolled her eyes and lurched up to her feet. “Somehow I’m feeling awkward being between you and Mama,” she told Haruki. As she was about to leave, Ako pulled her hand.

“Don’t leave,” she begged with a pitiful expression. “Stay with us. There is something I must tell you both.”

“Mama, I don’t want to hear about your romantic escapes with Haruki.” The hint of jealousy in her tone made Haruki smile.

“You must hear it.”

“Fine.” Marina stayed silent. Haruki knelt in silence, waiting for her next words.

“When I came to this world, a light spoke to me. It was the voice of this world’s god. It did not name itself, but I believe this is the Divine we all speak of now.” Her expression turned wistful. “It told me I was to be with child. I asked how, and it told me it just will. I awoke in Federacy territory, and worked my way up the ranks—pretending I was a Sapia. Then—I became pregnant. I was with child.”

“Is that when you met Papa?”

“I hadn’t met your father yet that time, Divine rest his soul,” she said.

“Wait,” Marina scrunched her brows. “Then am I—”

“That child was not you. And I had not been touched by a man, and definitely not by Haruki beforehand.”

Haruki sighed and looked away. Didn’t need you to point that out in front of your kid.

“Then who…?”

“It was a miraculous birth. A virginal birth. The Divine had blessed me with a child. I was surprised at first, because this child was of different breed than I was. She was an elf, and had beautiful, golden hair to boot,” she said, stroking her own black hair. “And yet she had my features. My eyes. She was uniquely me, just with no father to speak of.”

“You gave birth…” Marina held a breath, incredulous. “...to an elf?”

Haruki scooted in closer, curiosity piquing him. “How is that possible?”

“You’ve heard of virgin births back in our own world, Haruki. Major religions believed in such things. It’s not in place to claim they were truthful or not, nevertheless, I never thought such a thing would happen to me. Genuinely.”

He wouldn’t have believed her if this was their world. But seeing miracles happens almost everyday in this world, who was he to say she was lying? Or that such a thing was not possible?

Divine forces were at work. He felt them. He just never realized what they were fully capable of.

“So I have a half-sister somewhere out there?” Marina asked, wide-eyed and bewildered. “Where is she now? Why have you not told me this, ever?”

“That girl was ostracized in Sapian society. You can only imagine. When I met your father, kind man that he was, he offered me a painful solution: To have an elven family raise that child as their own. In a diplomacy meeting between Ka-Ilyah and Aquantis, that’s when I met her. Queen Josephine.”

Haruki rubbed his chin.. “Wait, that name. Josephine.” Sounds awfully like Mr. Junk’s late wife. “Wait—”

Marina’s eyes rounded. “No. Mama, you can’t be serious. Queen Josephine is Anemone’s—”

“Why would I lie now?” Ako smiled wistfully, longing painting her strained lips. “Queen Josephine loved King Haldur of Ka-Ilyah. However, she also loved her husband back in her homeworld, otherworlder as she was. She swore her body only to that man, even though she agreed to at least keep the lonely king company. The king wanted an heir so bad—and so we found a perfect, mutual solution.”

A single tear broke from Marina’s eyes. She wiped it with a finger, but found herself shedding more. Breath hitching, she began sobbing, tender tears falling into the fountain’s healing waters.

“No.” Marina sobbed. “My… sister. I have a sister. And I hurt her. Subverted her very kingdom. Then, I gave her away to Lias, bastard he is. What have I done?”

“We both did what we could, given the Federacy’s grip on our lives.”

It all made sense.

Why he saw—dreamed of Ako when he looked at Anemone’s face. Why he found familiarity between Anemone and her. It made too much sense.

“Ako. The slaves at the fort. I only knew you were here because your photo was in the manor of that island fortress. Explain that.”

“I had to conform to survive. For the Federacy to survive, Titanseye had to be mined and developed into technologies to fight the Sky Legion.”

Haruki stared knives into her eyes. “You have to stop this.”

“After what I’ve done to Lias, and what we’re already doing? I will be forced out of the Federacy. The del Alfonses will lose their place in society. We will be wanderers like you, Haruki.”

Ako sank into a pained frown. She looked like she hoped Haruki had more to say to her. He really didn’t—not because he hated her, but because he couldn’t think of anything to say. He inspired her once, but his own acts of self-bondage had driven her away. And now she was here. He was equally guilty for her circumstances.

Flare stepped into the fountain, and crossed her arms. “You three are looking alright now. You done? We need to act.”

Haruki blinked. “Yeah.” He turned to Marina, who was still sobbing. “Marina. We gotta find Lias now. We have to save Anemone.” Haruki held a breath, and said with firm conviction, “Your sister.”

Marina looked up, her face red and sore with guilt and shame alike. “I don’t have the right.”

“Yes you do.” Haruki clasped her hands in his. “You have every damn right to save your sister.”

Fianna hopped up the fountainhead and sat, feet swaying impatiently. “How unfortunate for you to be Her Royal Highness’ sister. I wished she were a single child instead. But if you feel so strongly that you’ve wronged us, is this not your chance to make amends?”

“But I—”

“I’m sure you two will figure something out.” Haruki gave her a gentle, reassuring smile. She cared a lot about family. It stood to reason she had a lot of love to give in this regard. “Anemone loves people a bit too much. She won’t resent you, I think.”

Marina shook herself sober and nodded, eyes red but resolute. “I’ll try my best.” She stood up and rose from the fountain. “I will need more water than this. I’ll meet you at the pond where your plane is.”

“Right.” Haruki nodded.

As he was about to follow, Ako tugged on his hand. He stopped.

“Haruki, you remember the time we first met?”

“Yeah. Back in college. Clumsy, careless you ran into me while I was carrying test papers to remedial.”

“Have I ever apologized for that?”

“No.” Haruki shook his head but didn’t look at her. “And you’ll never have to.”

“I’m sorry for leaving without a word. After everything we went through together, it was wrong for me to just—”

“It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re alive—somehow. In another world.”

“It’s too bad we can’t start over. I’m a little too old now.”

Haruki snickered. “I’m not about to hit on a married woman.”

“You’re right.” Ako laughed, but there was a mix of happiness and longing in that laughter. “But I have a request.”

“What is it?” He still wasn’t looking. He felt like he’d lost the right to look her in the eye with affection long ago.

“Take care of my daughters for me. They have a long road ahead of them, acknowledging their familial bond. I believe they’ll be fine though, and with your guidance—No.” Ako fondled Haruki’s fingers tenderly. “They need love. Lots of it. From each other, and perhaps… from you?”

“What does that mean?”

“You should definitely marry one of them. Or both, if you’re so inclined.”

If he had drink in his mouth, he would’ve spat it out. But he wanted to play it cool, so he said: “You say the darndest things. We’ll see.”

Fianna jumped into the pool and inspected Ako’s wound. Agitated, and a little impatient, she struck Haruki’s back with a firm smack. “Go, I’ll take care of things here. Save Her Royal Highness.”

Haruki and Ako let go of each other. “Of course,” he said, plodding away.

“Haruki.”

He didn’t know when he’d see her again—if ever. And so, he turned to face her. One more—or perhaps one last time.

“The day we met… crashing into you was one of the best things to happen in my life.”

Haruki’s lips twinkled at her.

“I’ll bring your daughters back. That’s a promise.”

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