Begin Anuy

Inspired by the music of Malaysian singer, Yuna and the videogame Journey *listen to songs when reading if you can :)

Begin Anuy

By; Jasmine Sheria

Inspired by the music of Malaysian singer, Yuna and the videogame Journey

 

Remember My Name

 

          Sitting in the sand that lines the coast of the Pacific Ocean, a young woman gazes into the distance. Clouds are on the horizon and the wind is picking up quickly.

“I am sensing a storm is coming; they’re calling me out to play. Got a feeling I'm gonna win it; they think that I don't have game. I know before I've had a few falls; I've got dirt all on my face. Baby today I'm gonna win it; you’re gonna remember my name.”

She stands tall as the wind tries to knock her over. Her long black hair and sky blue dress erratically blows in every direction.

“You’re gonna remember my name.”

The wind speed grows exponentially. Typhoon is rapidly approaching; so sudden and yet everyone else hides indoors while she is on the beach unable to escape its grasps. Sand begins to blow around her and the water recedes trying to drag her with it; she refuses to fall back down and plants her feet firmly into the sand. The wind howls by her ears as if a wolf is standing right next to her while crabs scurry back into the ocean, plowing through mounds of seaweed and naturally placed rocks. She knows that if she just holds out long enough that the water will suck her up towards the sky and away from this place.

 As the wave nears and grows in height, she hears a voice say, “I am sensing a storm is coming; they’re calling you out to play. And when you can feel your heart is racing; you’re keeping up with the pace. And even though you have failed before you know you will find a way. Baby today you’re gonna win it, they’re gonna remember your name.”

The clouds become dense and all is dark. The wave takes her up and she barrels through the current. Sea creature fly by her and just like her they have no control over where they are going. She is pulled up and down, left and right, spun in circles. The feel of tons of water propelling her forward is exhilarating. As strong as the pull is, it doesn’t bother her at all. Flashes of light pierce through the darkness; a thunder storm has accompanied the typhoon. The shore is becoming very distant as she is carried out to sea. Houses are no longer visible, tall office buildings and apartments are tiny dots on the horizon. The typhoon cloud seems closer as the water starts spiraling upward. She knows that she can’t turn back now she knows that wherever she ends up will be a fresh start. The water pulls her upward but now she has control over her body. She begins to swim up the cascade slowly making her way to the top. She doesn’t know how far up she will have to swim, but she keeps swimming anyways. Fish swim alongside her; some are swimming back down while others are swimming in the same direction as her. Sharks swim by and pay her no mind. What she does know is that she is swimming into the eye of the storm and she can feel the water becoming hotter with the nearing of the sun. The water sparkles and everything around her becomes white. Feeling tired she closes her eyes and when she opens them she sees her hand in blue sand.

 

Thinkin’ About You

         

The sun is setting and the water is sparkling orange. The red sun is slowly making its way to the horizon; it is getting ready to hide away for the night. The water is calm and the wind blows ever so faintly; it tickles the skin. Evening has come and calmness is brought with it. Many have finished their work day and head home to spend time with their families, but some still work instead of going home because they have no family to return to. A young man is working in the Higashiyama zoo and botanical gardens, getting ready to go home for the day. He is watering the flowers, but he doesn’t know why; they received enough water from a few days ago that he shouldn’t need to water them, but he does anyways. He goes through the same routine every day for the past ten years or so, so why switch it up now.

“A typhoon blew in the other day. I thought it would be more destructive but it barely hit land and hardly did any damage.”

“But we still need to keep the zoo clean and the garden alive though. The wind did make a mess of things.” The man reminds his coworker.

“I wonder why that typhoon just came and left. It was so strange. I’ve been hearing stories about some girl that let that typhoon sweep her out to sea. Her family is still searching for her, but I believe she’s a goner.”

“You really think so? She may have just ended up on another island, maybe the girl was never there to begin with and if she really was there, maybe she’s in a better place now.”

“Aww, man, don’t have those negative thoughts. You’ve been going through a lot lately. You have to think positive.”

“You’re the one that said it, maybe you should think before you talk?”

“The future is a short distance away but it is forever there if you allow it. I’m sure things will get better for you, you just have to keep trying my friend.”

The man doesn’t reply and continues to water the flowers, hanging his head down, while his co-worker continues to sweep. He begins to stare at the flowers intensely. The water from the hose goes from a steady spray to random droplets. The droplets run down hill and in the soil he sees his face. He looks back up to see a doorway where the gate to the garden should be. He falls to his knees and reaches out his right hand.

“No, please don’t take them away!” He says to two shadowy figures that each drag two smaller shadowy figures away. They try to resist but they are too weak to break free of a strong grip. Another shadowy figure appears, stepping though the chaos. It kisses him on the lips and quickly retreats back to the doorway. All he could see was the letter “A” in red on her back. The other figures disappear through the doorway. As the door slams shut his vision cracks like broken glass. One crack leads to another and to another and to another. It finally shatters giving way to a different scene; he is looking out to the ocean.

“Do you not think so far ahead? Cause I’ve been thinking about forever.” He slips off his shoes and puts his feet into the water.

“Do you not think so far ahead? Cause I’ve been thinking about forever.” He takes off his hat and jacket and throws them over his shoes. He begins to walk into the water.      His feet brush over the sand. Small fish approach him and then swim away every time he moves one of his feet. Sand is displaced as his feet makes waves against the natural waves. The water level reaches his ankles and then his knees and then his waist and then his chest. He stares at the horizon. The setting of the sun is almost done. He walks until he reaches the drop-off, taking a deep breath before the water level was overhead. At the drop-off, he swims down diagonally towards the ocean floor. He swims over coral reefs with schools of fish and past jellyfish that are beginning to glow in the dark with the coming of night. He swims past sting-rays and tortoises and sharks and whales. As he swims deeper and deeper into the ocean, things become darker and darker. The only thing that is visible is the white light from the jellyfish and florescent fish.

          When the sun fully sets, everything is black. He pauses because he can’t see where the bottom will be. He looks up and down and all around. Suddenly, a speck of light floats by him and then blinks out. He sees another one float by and then blinks out as well. More and more lights float by and blink out but when enough comes, everything is bright again. The ocean has become the night sky. Clusters of red, blue, green, yellow, orange and purple stars in various formations make the water look like space. They twinkle and soon a path appears before him.

         

Coffee

 

It is night, it is dark; little lights twinkle all around. The silence of the night is  something she is used to. She stands up and looks forward to see a giant mountain in the distance. Seeing no one else around and nowhere else to go, she heads in that direction. She looks for a place to stay, but this land is so strange. Everything feels so cold despite the water being so warm.

At the mountain, she climbs, following besides the tracks of floating water that surround it. It looks clam but when she touches it, she can feel the rush. She looks up in the sky and sees the moon reflected as if she was looking in water. ‘Am I still in the ocean?’ She wonders. But she looks back to see it where she was.

“I’d give anything to be with you”. She says to the moon.

          At the top of the mountain, she sees some steam coming out of the center and realizes it is a sleeping volcano. At its center is a tall structure with two pillars that have rotating platforms attached to them. It is golden and lit up- the brightest thing she has seen in a while. Looking closer, she sees robed figures moving in and out of the entrance, using the moving platforms to scale the building to reach rooms built into the walls of the volcano. She walks around the rim until she spots a stairway built into the rocky ground. Robes are walking down the stairway as well. As she descends, despite seeing heat waves her body temperature remains cool.

At the entrance, she can see the robed figures more clearly now. They vary in height. Some have red robes, some black, even pink. Some of the robes are short while others flow behind. The robes are silk and embroidered with gold stitching and different floral patterns. Letters in a foreign language are stitched on the border of the head piece; a long silk tail that protrudes from the crown of their heads. The figures don’t have legs, so they float. Their sleeves are so long that even if they had hands you wouldn’t be able to find them. The only things visible are their eyes that change color based on their mood. When they speak, they speak in code; musical sounds and symbols come out of thin air.

Initially, she tries to talk to them in her language, but they speak back in words and sounds she doesn’t understand. Many of their eyes turn gray as they walk away; they don’t know how to feel about her. Feeling alone, she sits in the lobby of the building- a hotel. There a White Robe appears before her; everything else fades to white. It touches her forehead with its nose. The Robe disappears and suddenly, all the symbols become words.

 

Someone out of Town

 

First day on the job, the sun shines and the town is alive. The light is almost blinding but they have become used to it, she has become used to it too. Robes check into rooms and come and go from the hotel. The platforms are rotating around the pillars constantly, causing gold dust to hover in the air from the gold layer of sand covering the rocky floor. The lobby is filled with beautiful melodies of the guest conversations. When the platform reaches its destination, a bell chimes. When someone leaves their room the door dings. Everything has its own tune.

At the front desk, she processes everyone who comes and goes. She gives them the spiritual water that makes the symbol on their Headtail pieces glow; the energy they need to get through the day. But as they day went on, one customer was not like the rest. From a sea of Robes, a man appears.

“Ms. Anuy, is it?” She freezes in place when she sees this man. She knows that just like her, he stands out and like her; he is from out of town. She thinks to herself, ‘Who is this stranger? I should be scared, could he be dangerous?’

“I am in need of a room. Is there one available on one of the top floors?” 

“Just let me check and I’ll be right with you.”

          Her heart is racing, but she doesn’t know why. Her palms are sweating and she can’t stop smiling. She finds a key for a room on the sixty-ninth floor and hands it to him.

          Later that day, he walks past the front desk multiple times. He talks to Black Robes and Red Robes and even Pink Robes who are there for his entertainment. In slow motion, he approaches Anuy as if he was going to check out but he asks her a question,

“I’m in need for some fresh air. Since we’re new to this town and don’t have many friends, would you mind if I show you around? We can explore together.”

“Typical, I see they are already talking about me…sure Mr. Man, I have yet to explore the town.”

“The name’s, Kradaj.”

Land of white sand; water fills the sky in streams that cascade guiding a train. Water cascades around the volcano creating a path for the train to travel along to drop off citizens at its summit. Surrounding the volcano is a city of crystallized giant trees, flowers and usually edible plants. They glisten in the sunlight and show no sign of melting. From them Robes come and go. The sun is rainbow ball. The sky is blue with sea creatures swimming through it. The clouds are dense but transparent and through the breaks every layer of them are visible. To the south is the beach where little Robes play and to the north beyond the volcano are fields of flowers, pools of water and streams. The moon is white and the sky is black at night. Everything shows as a watery starlight reflection on water, even the sky.

 

See You Go

 

A couple months fly by fast. Anuy and Kradaj saw each other a lot more and he proposed that they go steady. Working at the hotel keeps her busy, but does keep her in the loop when it comes to gossip. She has been hearing that he is a little loose with the Pink Robes and hopes this is not true. She confronts him about her worries.

“Hey, why you worry? I see it in your eyes. Why won't you trust me? 'Cause you know even if you're a million miles away I'd still be thinking of you.”

“It’s those Pink Robes I don’t trust, it’s their job to tempt.”

“Lovely, why you're so jealous? This is just me, I'm mischievous.”
“But you know that I'm not the kind of girl that would do anything that would break your heart in two, but would you, I wonder?”
“I want you, if you didn't know yet. Need you, might not show it. I love you, more and more and I really hope I never have to see you go.”

“Well that up to you. I have no control over that.”
“Baby, I'm a Scorpio, I'm independent, I'm in control. Don't think I don't care, that I'll never be there; I'll answer the phone whenever you call.”

“I should have to answer; you should be calling me too. My dear, why you so insecure? You know I love you and so much more. You mean everything to me, I'm never gonna leave you; oh you know that's for sure. I know I can tough it out because, I want you, if you didn't know yet. Need you, might not show it. I love you, more and more and I really hope I never have to see you go. I don’t want to change you, but there is a change in our relationship that’s making me angry, so angry.”

“Lately, you've been angry. Well you can tell me what you're thinking.
I'll tell you everything that'll make you okay, just stay and you'll be smiling again.”  

“Well I want a fairytale ending. My love, you're my story; I'm your princess and you're Prince Charming. Run away with me, we'll find a castle, live there and grow old together. That’s all I really want, you and just you. I don’t want to share you with anybody else.”

“So you are angry with me. I know. I have let you down and I probably don’t deserve a second chance. I love you, truly I do and I don’t want to lose you. I will go to the temple. I will see you again.”

          A few days pass and she visits him at the temple. There, he is surrounded by Orange Robes that have prayer beads around their necks. They sit and meditate all day, ignoring every disturbance around them. She does disturb Kradaj, however, asking him to go to the beach with her.

“Oh, you gotta be cr-a-zy to think I'll leave. You're the only thing, that's real to me. I’m not leaving until I exercise all my demons out.”

Anuy leaves and heads to the beach alone.

          The temple is a round structure made of crystallized tree branches. The middle section is taller than the right and left section that are the same height. It is elevated and stairs lead to the entrance. A giant red lantern sits in the hall of the entrance. On it is a symbol that looks like a flower. Hanging on rope from it is a creature idol that she has seen before. At the beach, adult Robes are relaxing while child Robes play with each other. They kick up the sand, lie on the sand or glide through the water. In the water, she sees giant sea creatures that the Robes ride on the backs of. They are the same creatures that were idolized in the temple. They look like dolphins but have a tiger’s head. They jump out the water causing huge waves for the Robes to ride on. As ferocious as they look they seem very gentle; although she wonders if she is forcing an optimistic thought to cast aside her inherent fears. She ponders, “Why do people hide what they really feel inside?”

 

Fears and Frustrations

 

“Maybe I should have let her raise the kids…they are no longer in my custody because I couldn’t provide for them. I am a failure. If I only let her be a part of her life, they would have given her custody.”

“This love affair between you and I, do you think it’s worth the try. Hearts to be broken, I wonder if you do this often? You occupy my mind all day and night. I think of things to say to you, what we should do to keep this life? You love sending chills up my spine; depending on it most of the time, but for you I’m just an ordinary girl that you bumped into hoping I’ll leave you within a month or two. Fears and frustration galore, I’ll never understand you. I’ll never be the girl you long for. I’ll never be the hand you want to hold. We spent so much time, looking into each others’ eyes, getting to know each others’ lies, overlooking reality. I’m feeding on high expectations and happy endings. We were high above the ground or was it just me? I’ll pull myself out of this confusion. I never meant to be an intrusion, but for you I’m nothing more but just a phase.”

“No, Anuy. You’re not just a phase. My phase with her is done. I have lost everything. I don’t have her and I don’t want her…I don’t have my kids but I want her so I can have them.”

“Kradaj, I believe that you did everything in your power to raise those children on your own.  You should feel proud that you filled the role of two people. Where are they now?”

“They are in an orphange, but not in the town I live and work in.”

“As long as you know where they are, there’s still hope that you can get them back one day.”

“As I look back in time, I was such an angry person. I wanted her back, but she hurt me. She hurt me so much that all my love turned to hate and then regret and then shame. I don’t want to be that person anymore. I’m frustrated at my life decisions and I fear I can’t make them right.” He breaks down again.

One of the Orange Robes is standing before him as if it was Anuy. It places its sleeves on his head; one on each side. It massages his head to calm him down and speaks to him, “Your fears and frustrations will hold you back. If you want to help your children, you must help yourself first. You can’t go back in time to change the past; what is done is done. You have a woman in front of you that truly loves you, yet you hold yourself back, still holding on to a loss cause. Your fears and frustrations will hold you back Kradaj, lay out all you pain in front of you and let it go because if you don’t you will lose this girl.”

“I hope I haven’t messed up what we had. I’d do it all over again; I’ll try to make you mine. I want to be the hand you want to hold.” The Orange Robe makes him look deeper into himself.

“You can see it, looking back in time, look at it from another perspective. Would you do it all over again? Do you think the past is fine?” Kradaj sees his ex-wife sitting alone in her apartment, the other man nowhere in sight.
“Fears and frustration galore, I’ll never understand you. I’ll never be the girl you long for. I’ll never be the hand you want to hold and if we go back in time would you still be the same person? I’d do it all over again; I’ll try to make you mine.” His ex-says.

Kradaj stays in the temple and meditates until he can get her voice out of his head, until he can forgive himself and overcome temptation.

 

Decorate

 

          Kradaj meditates. He bears an orange robe and prayer beads. In the room alone, sitting above a coral reef with schools of fish swimming around him, from the distance a tiger-headed dolphin, a Kinshachi, swims over to him. He speaks to it,

“You almost made me move out of town. You don't want me to be around, but I stayed anyway, just in case.” The Kinshachi circles him, like a shark circling its dinner. It stops in front of him and with its whiskers shows him a memory.

          He sees his ex-wife and the happier times they had together. The vision quickly shifts to the day she left him. She had fallen in love with another man and left without saying a word.

“You left your things at my place, as if I have all the space, cause you know I don't mind. Just come back when you think it's time.”

Their kids remain in his custody as they don’t know where the mother has gone. Eventually she does appear back on the scene and begs Kradaj to forgive her. He does to only have his heart broken again when she finally tells him about her love affair. For months she was “missing in action” and he is forced to raise their kids by himself.

The Kinshachi begins to swim away and then quickly turns around and tries to touch his forehead with his whiskers. He holds the whiskers in his hands and says,

“So you decided to see me out of the blue, should I let you come over? You do this all the time, you come and you go like I'm nothing, you know? Every time you come back to me, I'm prepared to watch you leave; you can't make your mind up about me. I imagine what it's like; what if you might leave everything and come home? But I know that you won't, after what I've been through, I still worry about you.”

Two baby Kinshachi swim over to him and lay on the reef next to him; one to his right and the other to his left. He sees all the things he decorates the house with. They are reminders of all the things she missed, all the memories she doesn’t have that she can never make. He was the one there when they had a bad dream, needed help with homework, received an award, or got into trouble. He admits, he was spiteful to her, but he kept their children away from their mother when she wanted to be a part of their lives. That is his biggest regret.

“I decorate my house with things you love, just in case you show up.” The coral reef disappears. Everything is black and white in his eyes; everything is monotonous from left to right. He hears a voice calling him from the depths of his despair. He follows the voice to a faint yellow light flickering in the distance. The light feels warm on his skin. As he reaches it, he is back in the central room of the temple. Around him, other Orange Robes are meditating. Their eyes are black because they are closed. He feels a hand touch his shoulder as tears stream down his face. He turns around to see Anuy smiling at him. She sits down next to him, letting him let out all his emotions into her chest.

 

Come As You Are

 

          Just before Anuy went to the temple to see Kradaj, she takes a trip to the train station. There are four trains. The front and back car of the trains are identical, suggesting that they travel to their destination and then run in reverse back to the station. The station is packed with Robes. She wanted to know where it goes. In the crowd she sees two Robes with colors she hasn’t seen before- one is peach and the other is tan. She follows them onto the train.

          In the first car, she sees the two Robes playing a game. They are tagging each other and running around the car. When they get tired they sit on the ground. Their eyes are yellow because they are happy. Happy tunes fill the air because they are laughing. Another Tan Robe walks by and it catches their attention. The Peach Robe quickly gets up and follows him while the Tan Robe follows slowly behind. Anuy follows them to the next car, slowly moving through the crowds of Robes that now fill the car. They weren’t there before but now they are sitting in the seats and holding onto the rod that’s attached to the sides of the car.

          In the next car, she sees the Peach and Tan Robes sitting next to each other in a seat. Other Robes walk by and start conversations with them. Many Robes surround the peach Robe while the tan Robe has a few around it. As the others sit down, the two Robes are separated. They have found a new crowd to hang out with. The Tan Robe walks by again, catching the attention of every Robe in the car. Following him as two separate groups, they head to the next train car. At first they walk calmly, but then they all begin to run to see what was going on.

          Many tunes fill the air. Too many conversations are going on to decipher just one. Uproar comes from the Robes at the very center of the car. Anuy makes her way there, pushing through the sea of Peach and Tan Robes. At its center she sees the Peach and Tan Robe fighting each other. The other Tan Robe is on the other side of the circle being a bystander. He steps forward and pulls them apart. He pushes the Tan Robe away and holds the Peach Robe close to him. The crowd shifts and now they all stand behind the Peach Robe. Alone, the Tan Robe slowly backs away and runs into the next car; the crowd, the Peach Robe and the other Tan Robe head to the opposite car. Anuy follows the Tan Robe to see that she now sits alone. The other Robes pay her no mind, none come to sit next to her and none try to talk to her. Anuy decides to sit next to the Robe, but it doesn’t even seem to notice. A dark cloud just hangs over its head.

          The train’s breaks squeak as it approaches its first stop. Smoke flares from caboose as the train whistles to alert the passenger. Anuy holds onto the railing, trying to keep her balance. Robes move towards the doors getting ready to exit. When the train comes to a complete stop, the Robes glide through the water tunnel, working against the current to reach the outside on the other side. This stop is at the town’s central. All the markets; food, clothes, supplies are here. The Robes’ purchases sit inside a floating bubble that follows them as they walk. The ones that are done shopping board the train while others just walk to their next destination.

          The tan robe continues to look down at the floor, no one bothers her and she bothers no one. When she finally looks up the tan Robe stares out the window; eyes gray and body hunched over. In its reflection, she sees herself with a peach robe instead of a tan one.

 Anuy looks out the window as the train continues to the next stop. Out the window, she can see the water current flowing against the train. The train is traveling up hill. Beyond the current she can see tall crystallized flowers, trees and plants that the Robes live in. They are so close to the railroad that she can see inside their houses. They seem to be all staring back at her, but she’s moving too quickly to see if they really notice her. 

She has felt this before, when she is walked to and from school, to and from home, to and from her bedroom. She heard whispers from those around her as she walks; ceasing when she walks by and stirred up again when they think she’s not listening. She knows they are talking about her, but she doesn’t care…or at least she acts like she doesn’t care. Her parents worry about her mental health, her social well-being and their family’s image. They send her to counseling and all she can remember saying over and over again in her mind is, “And I swear that I don’t have a gun. No I don’t have a gun. No I don’t have a gun.” She says out loud, “And I swear that I don’t have a gun. And I don’t have a gun. And I don’t have a gun.”

Memories of lonely nights and lost days feel her head. The train is taking many twists and turns. Anuy has her eyes closed, knowing that with them open or closed won’t make a difference; the images are still there. She turns back to the tan Robe to see that she is not there. Anuy looks out the window again to see herself in a tan Robe as her reflection and nothing but darkness around her.

The train is preparing to stop again. Beyond her reflection she sees a tall crystallized structure that looks like a rectangular tower with a pyramid for a roof, but its walls reflect the cloudy sky despite a light covering of fog surrounding it. The train stops, and she is the only one that exits. She follows the path to the base. She looks up to see that gray Robes are inside. She places her hand to feel glass touch back.

 

Sparkle

 

          She circles the tower to see that each floor is filled with gray Robes that do not leave. She cannot find a door that would let them out or her in. A chill is sent down her spine; she hugs herself and rubs he arms to warm up. She feels uneasy about being around this tower. She is the only one here and the rest are in there. See calls out to the gray Robes but none hear her. They continue to float around-wandering aimlessly about their floor. Not saying a word, their eyes are gray and focused; they see right through each other. She looks up to the highest floor she can see, knowing that there are many more above that one. The ones at the higher level have lighter gray robes but they seem calmer, more at peace than the ones closest to her.

“I’ve been here not long ago” She reminds herself. She’s just as lonely as she was then, just as lost, just as confused, just as helpless, just as doubtful about finding a place to call home. But it seems she is not the only one lost and lonely this time. She hears a faint jingle in the distance.

“I see it in the steps you take; I hear it in the sounds you make.” The voice from beyond says. Anuy looks around to figure out where the sound is coming from. A small light shines through the fog.

“Remind me how we fell apart.” She holds her chest. “I can’t give you that space in my heart.”

Anuy backs away from the light and the tower. She can hear the train coming back. She begins to walk away from the tower and turns back to see that the light disappeared and the gray Robes were gone as well. The fog is clearing away and the sun is shining again. “I sure don’t mind having you this time.” The sun lights the path back to the train stop and when she’s onboard she falls asleep on the train. The train travels through streams of stars that dot her vision with warm light as her eyes are closed. She sees the gray Robes reaching the top of the tower and ascending into pools of light and bursting into millions of little tiny stars. These stars guide her to her destination-back to the temple where Kradaj is.

“I’m the one who’s always in the way, but you got me hoping for more.” She wraps her arms around him tightly. “I’m here to stay as though I am always there, as though I had never left.”

Kradaj lifts his head from her chest. “I’ve been here before, not long ago with someone just as beautiful, just as doubtful. I sure don’t mind spending time.” Kradaj wants them to help each other move on from their dark pasts.

“I’ve been here before, not long ago with someone just as beautiful, just as doubtful. I sure don’t mind…” Anuy begins to cry with him and the orange Robe comforts them both, “getting hurt again.”

 

Island

 

          Days later, Kradaj and Anuy decided to take a trip. They meet in front of the hotel. A robe offers to take her shift. Kradaj is still wearing the orange robe and bought one for Anuy to put on.

“Hey, let’s go to this island I have heard about. It floats in the sky apparently. Sounds like a cool place, we should check it out! We should head down to the beach and hitch a ride. I’m sure a robe can help us catch a Kinshachi to ride on. They say that they will come right up to you if you stand on the shore long enough.” Anuy agrees to go with him and she puts on the orange robe. They head to the beach and see that the Kinshachi are awake and well energized. Kradaj is able to mount one and pulls Anuy onto its back with him. These dolphin-headed fish are as long as a sailboat and as tall as an elephant.

“We’ll explore the seven seas!” Kradaj announces as he points to the vast space of open water. “We’ll sail away and find our dreams.” The fish starts to swim, swaying its body back and forth. Its head is under water but its back stays above. Even though it has gills, it still likes to resurface in order to breathe.

          A few hours into their journey, the waves become unsettled; a storm is approaching. The Kinshachi tries to fight the waves, but it lets them carry it; it lets the waves tell it where to go. Anuy and Kradaj hold on tight for if they do not they will fall off and be lost in the ocean forever. Eventually, they reach the eye of the storm and stay there for a little while. They all rest and start again in the morning. Kradaj catches some fish to eat only with the permission of the Kinshachi, even though this fish was a dolphin too and dolphins eat fish.

          As they continue, they pass by small islands; each different from the next. One island was completely covered in snow. Wolves roam around at night, howling to the moon as if they were speaking to it. Brown Robes with red tribal markings occupied them in their search for food and shelter. Another island was completely covered in sand and the weather was scorching.  Here, tan Robes covered with black symbols travel with leopards through the desert in search of food and shelter. On the last island, it was covered in leaves of various colors. Here, they found shelter in an abandoned cave. Anuy and Kradaj decided to sleep outside with the Kinshachi. Under the stars, Anuy begins to tell a story,

“Every star in that sky is for every living thing, that’s why there is so many. They were born long before our time but sync up to a new life. I wanted to capture all the stars and keep them safe, or at least find mine. Someone once told me that as long as they keep going out, we will die and unfortunately…they don’t come back.”

Kradaj sees a star lose its shine; he wonders whose it was, but he does know that it is not his or hers. They go to sleep and begin to travel again as soon as the sun has risen.

The Kinshachi doesn’t leave this island. Instead, it makes its way to a stream that empties into the ocean. It starts to swim upstream which isn’t so difficult for it; the water is not as forceful as it is. Anuy puts her hand in the stream and feels the water soothing it. She can see deer hiding among the trees and birds flying overhead. They circle them like a vulture but their presence is more of a protector than predator. Kradaj jumps off the back of the Kinshachi and swims in the stream along side of it. As he swims underwater, he can see little golden eggs resting on the floor like golden nuggets. One of them breaks open and a tiny Kinshachi opens its eyes and swims away. Kradaj resurfaces to see that they are leaving the dying trees and colorful leaves and heading towards blooming flowers and fields of green. Kradaj takes a deep breath and swims in front of the Kinshachi. Anuy stands up on its back to see what lies ahead. Pollen begins to fill the air and blankets of it fill the water. A waterfall is up ahead and the Kinshachi picks up its pace. It bumps Kradaj back onto its back and both he and Anuy hold on. It slams through the base; towards the light. Swimming up the waterfall, they feel lighter for some reason. At the top, they see an amazing sight.

 

Here Comes the Sun

 

          As they fly out the top of the waterfall, huge fireflies surround them. They are the only light guiding them since the sun is nowhere in sight. They land in one of the many pools of water connected by little streams. As the water flows through the stream, through each red-arched gateway, a bell chimes.  In each of these streams organisms invisible to the naked eye are now the size of sting rays and eels. The Kinshachi is not afraid of them and they do not harm it. The bacteria just keep swimming through the stream as if they were swimming through the fluids of the body. There are also luminescent jellyfish that give off a bright light due to the florescent gene they express. They light the path of the streams.

Anuy, Kradaj and the Kinshachi are not following the only stream that leads somewhere, there are many streams in the distance that they don’t connect to, but they all flow towards one direction-North. In the distance a tall round structure is in shadow. At its base are millions of tiny lights coming from the water.

“Here comes the sun.” Anuy looks at the horizon; waiting for the structure and the surrounding area to come into view. The sun slowly rises, revealing scenery much different from what they have seen so far. As they approach the hill, the light from the water dims. The land around them is a field of un-crystallized flowers plants and trees; butterflies play in the flowers with bees, rabbits hop in the grass uprooting carrots, groundhogs leave there homes in the ground only to build another home in a mound of dirt at the bottom of a tree, bears stand in the stream waiting for the fish to come out of their homes. They make it to the base of the hill and begin to climb.

Anuy and Kradaj venture up the hill. The flowers give off pleasant scents that are not overbearing. Wolves and foxes run by, ravaging through the flowers as peaceful as ever. Kradaj sees a sleeping owl in the stump of a tree and sees blue jays and robins relaxing on the branches. They make it to the top of the hill to find more pools of water with streams of water bursting from them as if they were fountains with invisible walls. Around each pool there was a different color of flower. One of the pools looked pink, while another is purple and another is red; a mystical garden with spirit pools.

“It’s alright.” A voice in the distance says. Anuy and Kradaj look around to see a distant figure in the direction of a huge dome structure. The figure approaches them slowly as Anuy and Kradaj wait in anticipation without fear. As it gets closer they see that it is wearing a robe. This robe was a color they haven’t seen before. It is a silver robe with crystal jewels that make it sparkle in the sunlight. It bows to them as a greeting. They bow back. As they lift their heads, a strong gust of wind blows. Overhead are flying insects and bugs the size of a car. The flapping of their wings causes huge gusts of wind. They look up in amazement. They land in the grass and crawl around. They search for any dead plants or animals and transport them to the stream for the fungi living at the bottom can decompose them. Anuy and Kradaj return their attention to the silver Robe, but it begins to walk away. They follow it. It starts to talk,

“There are things that are big and there are things that are small. Big things usually overpower the small things, but the small things are in larger quantities. What would happen if all the small things congregated in one place? You would feel pretty small, right?”

“Yes I would.” They both reply.

“So, why do you both try to tackle the big thing instead of tackling the little things? Why do you see the finished picture and not the things that make it up?” The silver Robe places its sleeves on Anuy’s head and she zones out.

 

Lullabies

 

          “Like Lullabies, you are forever in my mind. I see you in all the pieces in my life. Though you weren’t mine, you were my first love.”

Anuy looks back at her past and takes herself back to the day she first met the other tan Robe. “I wanted to go away with you.” They become best friends before he knew about the peach Robe. But his parents didn’t approve though. “And I would leave all my troubles here.” But then she thinks of how she wanted to run away from her childhood and how he caused her troubles. Now she sees herself overlooking him in one of his memories.

“I wanted to runaway with you.” He writes down in a letter in the middle of the night. No one else is around to see. “And I will bring all my dreams and fears.” His room turns into a giant mansion while Anuy is in her room; in a one bedroom, one bathroom house for a family of six. The peach Robe has a mansion as well. Both have a public image to uphold; an image Anuy wasn’t “fit” for. She is a half-breed of a low income family. He has the darker skin of a country boy but from a wealthy family. He looks at the bottle next to him on his desk and a picture of the two of them. He takes it out the frame and writes on the back, “Like Lullabies, you are forever in my mind. I see you in all the pieces in my life. Though you weren’t mine,” he pauses before he writes the next sentence rethink that she was his and he let her go, “you were my first love.”

          Anuy brings herself back to Kradaj and the silver Robe. All that hate she had for him, she and the people around them started to turn into forgiveness. For so long she let her past hold her back, for so long she wanted to change it but couldn’t…for so long she wanted to find peace with those around her and peace within herself. For so long she wanted to know why he threw away their friendship. She begins to leave all her worries behind. Little balls of purple light circle around her body. She forgives her friend for being spiteful to her when she fell in love with the same man as her; love makes people do crazy things. One of the purple balls burst apart into streams of glittering star dust that circle her. She forgives him for wanting to please his parents before herself; she accepts that family does come first. Another purple ball follows the previous one. She forgives herself for being so stagnant. She vows to herself that she will make more of an effort to control her own destiny, to take charge of her life to avoid a future she didn’t wish for. She smiles at the silver Robe and thanks it for helping her find out the truth.

          The silver Robe begins to float above them. It circles overhead gradually making its way to the sky. Anuy and Kradaj help each other up and stand firmly in on the crystallized stream. Swarms of purple balls begin to surround them; all playing one single tune, a beautiful jingle. The frozen flowers begin to melt and there petals and pollen swirl around in the wind. The stream water and the sand underneath it take to the sky; nature has awakened. The colors of the rainbow surround them as they lift off the ground. They feel so high, they feel so light…they feel so free.

          The silver Robe takes them to a special place within the garden. It is a dome structure filled with trees they have never seen before and pools with schools of Kinshachi. The silver Robe stops at a spot where the moonlight is shining through. There is a hole in the ceiling and on the ground where the light shines is a big boulder. On this boulder is writing she and Kradaj do not recognize. The silver Robe sits down on top of it and starts meditating. Kradaj and Anuy follow suit.

         

Deeper Conversation

 

Anuy places her hand on the boulder. She rubs it to feel that it is as cold as metal. She sees it falling out the sky through black clouds. She sees a black sun sitting in an orange sky. A heat wave sweeps across the surface of her skin. She can see distant figures flying in the sky; they are heading towards them. She opens her eyes to see a new Robe “Is your favorite color blue? Do you always tell the truth? Do you believe in outer space? Am I learning you? Is your skin as tan as mine? Does your hair flow sideways? Did someone take a portion of your heart? Now I’m learning you.” Kradaj sees the robe too.

 “And if you don’t mind, can you tell me all your hopes and fears and everything that you believe in. Would you make a difference in the world? I’d love for you to take me to a deeper conversation, only you can make me.”

“I’ve let my guard down for you.” The silver Robe says to them. It feels that it’s time they should know. “And in time you will too.” The silver Robe begins to float and talk.

“I will tell you my story. For decades now, our way of life has gone through some drastic changes. Everything is now different in our world. The ones we call the Stone Dragons are trying to force their way of life on us. We have tried to get rid of them in the past but they keep coming back. We still try to keep hope, but we fear that their hostility has become a bigger issue. We believe that the Golden Robe will protect us, but none have seen Him. I’d love for you two to take me to a deeper conversation, he only shows himself to those who are worthy; you may reach Him.

          Anuy and Kradaj decide to help the silver Robe. Anuy refuses to be stagnant any longer. She feels as if she has a new found power; something inside her has awakened. Many people may have not help her in the past, but she always had this feeling that someone is never giving up on her, so she refuses to give up on herself. Kradaj sees the fire in her eyes; he sees that it is burning like a furnace in the pit of her stomach. Both search deeper into their hearts, deeper into their minds. She can see that these Stone Dragons are out with a vengeance. She sees the damage the Robes dealt to them, but she always sees the damage they dealt to them. Both sides are at fault, but no of this would have happened if they had been left alone to begin with. The Robes kept to themselves and kept outsiders away, but as soon as they let one in, the rest follow and peace is lost.

          Kradaj examines the boulder some more. He sees that it has red, white and blue strips crystals embedded into it. He sees smaller ones lying on the floor of this dome structure that resembles a greenhouse. He picks up a small one and tosses and catches it repeatedly. He stares into a pond on the far side of the building while Anuy still meditates. He rests his feet in the pond while the silver Robe paces around it. He hands him the boulder and the silver Robe tosses it into the trees and follows it. As it disappears into the trees, tiny ones begin to sprout in the trial of its shadow. Kradaj has a funny feeling that whatever is going to happen next would not be the end. He has faith that the silver Robe will return.

“And does your name rhyme with mine, Anuyellia?”

 

Loud Noises

 

Kradaj and Anuy leave the Dome and head back to the Kinshachi who’s patiently waiting in the stream. The color of the water looks different. They look up to see that clouds are taking over the sky. In the distance, the sky is beginning to turn orange.

“Could it be the Stone Dragons?” Kradaj initially thinks.

“Well, it’s in the direction of the volcano, so that may be erupting.” Anuy suggests.

Anuy and Kradaj jump on the Kinshachi’s back and it swiftly swims through the water because it too feels that something bad is approaching. The bacteria and jellyfish hid away in small underwater caves. The only light is from the moon and the stars, but even that light becomes dim and hazy as the moon becomes a shadow in the clouds and the twinkle from the stars fade. The Kinshachi begins to glow gold in order to see where it is going. It heads back down the waterfall and to the ocean from whence they came. As they swim back, they sky becomes darker and darker but the orange glow becomes brighter and brighter. The robes and animals they had seen on the various islands are in hiding.

As they approach their homeland, Robes are frantic. Their homes are already crystallized structures, so they will melt pretty easily. Many are drenched with water and have huge ice domes around them hoping that fire will melt that first and the liquid will refreeze. Kradaj and Anuy hurry to the hotel. There, Anuy finds the hotel manager rounding up guest in the lobby. “Everyone, we must evacuate. The Stone Dragons are coming and this place will be their main target.” Special black and red robes surround the crowd of locals and foreigners alike.

“Promise me, my friend, do and do it great.” The manager says to Anuy. It believes that she can get everyone to safety.

“And you know we’re not that kind…to sit around and wait.” They need to take action fast.

Kradaj hears a familiar voice from the crowd, “Promise me my friend, be brave like I am still around.” It is the voice of the silver Robe in his head. Kradaj addresses Anuy, “So promise me again…that we will stay the same.”

Anuy looks at Kradaj and then the manager and then the crowd of people and then says, “Stagnancy is no longer an option. I used to feel so sorry for myself that I couldn’t help myself. Well, now I know that feeling sorry for yourself will get you nowhere. There is always someone who isn’t sorry for you because they believe that you can believe in yourself once again. Now, others are counting on me and I can’t let them down…I can’t break the promise I made to the silver Robe. The Stone Dragons will not prevail!”

The crowd is in an uproar. Anuy heads to the entrance with Kradaj and they stand in front looking at the crowd once more. They interlock their hands, Anuy’s right and Kradaj’s left, and raise them up. They begin to ascend from the crater of the volcano with a sea of Robes following behind them. As they march they begin to chant, “And whenever you’re about to fall apart, sing the songs we used to play,” They all begin to hold hands in a single line. “And whenever you want to fix your heart, remember us and these loud noises!” The Stone Dragons are very close now, they are on the horizon. From their mouths they spew out fiercely hot fire. Anuy hearts begins to beat really fast as her eyes see nothing but orange.

 

Planes

 

There are more than expected. Kradaj looks around to see that they are surrounded. Anuy looks to the ocean to see a four-story high wave approaching them; she can’t tell if it is the enemy or an ally. The wave begins to show hundreds of golden dots. Hundreds of Kinshachi are swimming towards them. They jump in and out of the water, in and out of the big wave as they approach land. When the wave reaches the shoreline it connects to the water tunnels that flow through the island; the Kinshachi swim through the tunnels. As they pass by, robes hop on their backs; streams of gold and red.

Anuy, Kradaj and the others head to the platform where the train would pick them up; all the train are at the station. They wait for the Kinshachi to swim by so they too can jump on their backs. The Stone Dragons are even closer now. The heat from their fire is not so distant. Anuy does not like this situation; she hopes they can manage to get away in time. She wishes that they could just fly away. Some of the other robes begin to worry too. Some begin to laugh and some begin to cry; feeling like this would be the end. Anuy refuses to give up and Kradaj is determined to not let it end like this. The Kinshachi arrive and everyone jumps on their backs and even hang on to fins and whiskers.

“I feel lost but I am surrounded by a million perfect strangers,” In the sky, lightning has appeared and the volcano awakens, the ground shakes.

“But I’m flying when I’m next to you.” She says to Kradaj. The Stone Dragons are more visible than ever, the volcano is erupting overhead. All the robes begin to glow gold. The Kinshachi sprout wings and take to the skies. They fly through the lava filled skies and over the flames of the Stone Dragons. They dodge every lava drop, every strike of lightning, every stream of fire. The sky, so smoke covered provides a perfect cover for them to make their escape. High above the grounds and pretty far up into the clouds, they rest. The Kinshachi lie on the clouds while the Robes, Anuy and Kradaj stare down though the small breaks in the clouds.

 Looking down, they can see the stone dragons burning the parts of the hotel the lava had not reached. Large rocks rain down and when they make contact they explode. Their raid continues until they are satisfied. Other Kinshachi rise from the water and begin to attack the Stone Dragons. They spray them with large amounts of water making them become unsteady and spew less fire. The lava reaches the shoreline and starts to cool down and solidify. The lava turns from orange to a crystal blue. The sand becomes tainted with blue.

The Stone Dragons are driven away. The Kinshachi spray water over the town to get rid of the flames that were left behind and spray air on the flowing lava. The volcano becomes quiet again and all the lava has solidified. The robes, Anuy and Kradaj return to their home to see the damage. Most of the land had been scorched and scarred and the hotel severely damaged. The ground begins the shake again. Everyone gets ready to jump back onto the Kinshachi. A beam of white light shoots out from the summit of the volcano. Water cascades reform and stars are shot into the sky. The Kinshachi return to the water and everyone stands in the rocky blue sand along the coastline.

 

Favorite Thing

 

In the aftermath, Anuy and Kradaj are held highly among the robes. They get married in the temple- the place that brought them together. Soon after their wedding, they begin to make a family of their own and hope take in Kradaj’s other children.

At their wedding, they read their vows to each other,

“It’s in the way you drink your coffee,” She remembers the mornings while she worked the front desk. “and how you have faith in me.” She remembers how encouraging he was. “And you love the cameras and you tell me that I’m good enough…will you bubble wrap my heart?” She shows him her ring for him. “And all the things I used to be afraid of…suddenly it all disappears. And you remain my most favorite thing and everywhere I go you’re here with me. And you remain my most favorite thing and all the time I keep you near me.”

Kradaj reads his vows to Anuy, “The way you look out the window.” He remembers seeing her looking down at him from her hotel room. “and you stay because you know…it wasn’t your intention, but you can’t help but to crash in, like the wave I’ve been waiting for.” He shows her his ring for her. “And all the things that I used to be afraid of…suddenly it all disappears. And you remain my most favorite thing and everywhere I go you’re here with me. And you remain my most favorite thing and all the time I keep you near me.”They place their rings on each other’s left ring fingers.

 The orange Robe reads before they kiss, “When you feel like the world has turned it back on you,” The choir begins to hymn. “When you feel all alone and are left with nobody,” The choir vocalizes. “And when people want you to be somebody else, just let each other know that you love each other completely.”

Kradaj and Anuy say “I do.” They gaze into each other’s eyes and then passionately kiss. They vow to always be with each other and always keep each other near and dear to their hearts. The other robes toss sand into the air. The blue sand sparkles in the sunlight. Kradaj and Anuy are both wearing orange robes, so the sand complements them very well.

“And you remain my most favorite thing and everywhere I go you’re here with me. And you remain my most favorite thing and all the time I keep you near me.” And from now on, they will continue to live their lives to the fullest. They continue their efforts in helping the Robes battle the Stone Dragons until the fire subsides. 

 

Mermaid

 

Everything was going great for Kradaj and Anuy. They had settled into their new life a raised Kradaj’s children with their daughter. Everything was going fine until another typhoon swept in, taking Anuy and Kradaj away.

This one is a little different from the one that bought Anuy here. A vortex forms in the sky. Water begins to spiral upwards. The wind is so strong that the water close to the shore is revealing its sandy bottom. From the center of the vortex large strikes of lightning light the cloudy sky. The wind is pulling everything in the vicinity of the typhoon towards it. Everything that’s not rooted begins to spiral in the air.

Anuy and Kradaj try to hold on to the window of their hotel, really apartment, room. Kradaj holds on to the windowsill for as long as he can, but holding onto Anuy causes him to lose his grip. They are swept away into the air and towards the center of the typhoon. They hold on to each other tightly so they will be carried away as one mass.

Inside the vortex, a storm with no rain rages on. The Kinshachi and Stone Dragon fight with lightning; the Dragons look orange while the Kinshachi looks blue. There are three Kinshachi and three stone dragons. Each of the Kinshachi has a symbol on their head, two have an “N”, and one has an “O”. Neither color is overpowering the other at first but then more orange than blue can be seen. Two big orange lightning strikes on of the “N” and the “O” Kinshachi and big mushroom clouds are expelled from their bodies. They lie in the vortex on their backs not moving despite the strong winds around their bodies.

Anuy and Kradaj help the Kinshachi drive away the three Stone Dragons and they continue through the vortex together. There is only one path clear of clouds; the eye of the storm. As they approach the light at the end of the tunnel, the wind clams down and the clouds become white. Their speed decelerates as they gently glide. The Kinshachi starts to swim through the sea of clouds, swaying in and out of the clear path. Anuy and Kradaj begin to swim towards the light but stay on the clear path. The air is becoming fresh and large amounts of water can be heard from up ahead. Anuy and Kradaj close their eyes as they approach the end. Suddenly, their bodies stop moving and the sound of water is even louder. They also hear the sounds of dolphins.

When they reopen, they are holding hands, floating through the sky. They see little islands with waterfalls cascading off the sides of them. Each island is connected by one crystal clear pathway; the colors of the rainbow are refracted in this glass path. Kinshachi occupy each of the islands and the sky. They have pure white angel wings for fins. Anuy and Kradaj see that the path leads to a big island that is far away; both in distance and height, but a lot of Kinshachi are gathered there.

They begin to make their way to that island. Kinshachi fly alongside them and help them climb the mountain on the big island. The sun is right at its summit and blue skies are turning into evening skies. At the top is a temple and in its courtyard are eleven orange robes in a circle. A path from where they are to the stairs of the entrance is clear. Anuy and Kradaj can see a figure approaching the center of the circle. They move to meet it there. The orange robes sit on the ground in a position for mediating. They let out faint hymns. Kradaj and Anuy make it to the center before the figure does. The sun is hindering their vision.

When the figure makes it to the center, they see that it is the silver Robe. Kradaj knew it would come back. In its hand is a seed.

“Your name does rhyme with mine, Anuyellia. Plant this seed and the Camellia tree will return.” Anuy takes the seed and the silver Robe walks to the other side of the circle. The orange robes turn to white as the gold Robe approaches. It stands in front of Anuy and hands her the seed it’s carrying.

“Plant this seed and the Torreya Nut Tree will continue to grow.” Anuy takes the seed and holds keeps it in the other hand. The gold Robe gives Kradaj a white robe and asks him to stay. Anuy says her goodbye to Kradaj after he accepts and puts the robe on. She puts the seeds in the pocket of her shirt and holds onto it. The gold Robe surrounds Anuy with gold dust and sends her back down the mountain. The faithful Kinshachi guides her back through the vortex. They glide through the clouds that subside into stars and planets.

“I’m so much stronger; they will need to listen to what I have to say. There’s a bigger world that I’m fighting for; when I come back tryna show some love, when I come back try to show some love, try to show some love.” As they continue the eventually make it to the sky; the sun is rising. Blue, pink and purple fill the sky. Anuy finally splashes into the ocean and the Kinshachi returns to its home.

 

Live your Life

 

In present time, Anuy is in Hawaii visiting her grandchildren. Their parents past away not too long ago but they are old enough to take care of each other. She offers them advice, “Find your light, don’t hide from what you are and rise before you fall and hope for something more. Live if you really want to.” Anuy is holding a photo album in her hand; she opens it to a page with a newspaper clipping. The boy and the girl come closer to see it.

“All my life, I’ve been looking for something amazing, it’s almost like I’ve been star gazing; the sky is right above me.” The boy and the girl begin to read the newspaper clipping. The heading of the newspaper article says, “The fearless and the blind fight against air raids on Nagoya.” They begin to read more of the article, ‘Begin Anuy and Begin Kradaj, fearless and blind, fought against the intense flames to safely lead hundreds of military officials and civilians out of the burning castle and into underground bunkers. The United States has been performing a series of air raids on Nagoya believing that Prisoners of War are being held captive there. On May 14^th, the United States Army Air Force completely destroyed the main donjon, small donjon, golden dolphins, Honmaru Palace, northeast turret, and other buildings in the region. Begin Anuy and Kradaj found out when the next air raid was coming and prepared an escape plan. Before the United States, most of the Japanese citizens were already miles away before the strike.Due to their bravery and preparation; many ancient artifacts were uncovered from the rubble and preserved.’

“All my life, my dreams just seen so far away and now it’s like they’re here to stay; I hold it close to me. We, we’re meant for something bigger than this. Don’t ever try to dismiss yourself because you don’t have to.” The grandchildren place the article back into the photo album.

The girl says, “Find your light, don’t hide from what you are and rise before you fall and hope for something more. Live if you really want to.”

“Live if you really want to.” The grandmother repeats.

“Live if you really want to. Find your life, don’t hide from what you are and rise before you fall and hope for something more. Live if you really want to.” The grandson repeats.

“Live if you really want to.” The grandmother repeats.

“Live if you really want to.” The granddaughter repeats.

They pack up their bags and head to the airport to catch their flight. The grandchildren have always wanted to see where their mother and grandparents grew up. They head across the Pacific Ocean to the port city of Nagoya, Japan.

 

Tourist

 

          Arriving in Nagoya at night, they stay in a hotel and wait for morning. The city looks peaceful. The light from the buildings makes a nice nightlight. In the morning, they head out to the cemetery. There, they light incense and place flowers on Kradaj’s grave. A plot is reserved next to him for Anuy’s grave.

“I guess I’ll hang around for a little while, while you’re here. No, I don’t feel like being somewhere else. I guess I wouldn’t mind to fall in love a little bit, ouch, I think I fell a little more. Hanging onto nothing, I wouldn’t change a thing. Stay where you are now.”

They head to a restaurant that looks out to the Pacific Ocean. Anuy and her grandchildren eat the local cuisine. The grandson slurps Kishimen soup, the granddaughter eats Tenmusu while Anuy tastes her favorite dish again, Miso Katsu. Anuy tells her grandchildren to pursue their dreams and make a difference in their lives and the lives of others, even if it small…even if it is big. “Never settle for anything less than your best and never give up.”

          Anuy leaves the restaurants and heads out on her own. She sees the Robes again. In some small corner of her mind, she wishes she could see what people really look like, what her grandchildren look like, what Kradaj looked like.

“I’m just another tourist making stops, but it’s clear now; I will never leave without you. Tell another story of love, lost and fear. No, we have another night to kill. Hanging onto nothing, I’d do it all again. Stay where you are, now.”

She prefers to see them in this way. No judgment based on appearances; just by actions and words. Anuy makes her way to the Sky Tower, maybe this time it will let her in. Passing through the castle grounds, she sees the Torreya Nut tree. It’s starting to bloom. Gold dust gently falls off the branches of the tree and the gold Robe appears. It holds out its hand to her and she takes it. They go to the tower together.

          At the tower, the golden gateway opens without force. They travel up the stories. White Robes fill every floor and sing soothing hymns. At the top, snow gently falls but in heavy amounts. Anuy can feel them at first but then they just pass through her body. Anuy lets herself fall off the roof to crash through the clouds as if she was falling upwards. When she reaches the midpoint of the tower, the world turns upside down. Now she is soaring to the sky. In the distance, she can see a faint light. When she reaches the top of the tower again she splashes through the ocean and lands on its surface. Walking on water, she sees that the light is coming from Kradaj. She runs to him with open arms; both are young again, both can see what the other looks like- inside and out.

Anuy jumps into his arms and he twirls around causing the water to become full of ripples. Kradaj shows Anuy the light he was holding. It is her star; he was keeping it safe for her. It starts to expand in size that they both hold it up in their hands. Soon, it gets too big and the gold Robe takes it and lifts it up above them. Anuy and Kradaj hold each other close as the star grows bigger and bigger. Soon it bursts into every color of the rainbow; it streaks the skies and reflects in the water. A small piece of it falls into Anuy’s hand. Head against Kradaj’s chest, she lets it faintly twinkle until all the light fades out.

“I’m falling into you.”

Home

Seeing that their grandmother has found peace and rest, they explore Nagoya. There are so many places they want to see, so many structures that remind them of the places in her story.

 

They head to the Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens first. There, they see all the pretty flowers in bloom. There are so many species of flowers and so many colors. In the gardens are pools with fountains in them. Could this place be the mystical garden with spirit pools? The grandchildren believe so.

 

They see the train station. The cylinder pillars parallel to each other that are many stories high, reminds the grandchildren of the Pillars of the hotel. The Nagoya castle is not that far away from the station. The grandchildren feel like they are standing in the mouth of the volcano. They picture the rotating platforms and everything glowing gold.

 

At the castle, they see the Kinshachi . They sit on the roof of the central building. The grandchildren learn that the tiger-headed dolphins are there as a motif of fire prevention. The grandchildren come across a picture of Nagoya Castle burning during the World War 2 air raids. They are amazed that it was restored so nicely. Since then there hasn’t been a fire, so the Kinshachi must be doing their jobs. The castle grounds are huge, so they spend some time exploring them. It’s a beautiful day for a beautiful place.

 

Walking through the castle grounds, they come across a lone tree. Next to it is a sign. The Camellia tree was thought to have been killed during the world war two air raids, but buds started to grow and the tree has been growing ever since. The Torreya Nut Tree is also still standing.

 

Leaving the castle grounds they go to the Tokugawa garden. There, they find a majestic waterfall flowing through clusters of rocks. The rocks look like they are floating in the sky.

After a long hike up a small mountain, the grandchildren make it to the Higashiyama Sky Tower. It’s a glass rectangular building as their grandmother had told them. In its reflection, it looks like another tower is inside it, but upside down. Is the sky really the ocean and the ocean really the sky? They look inside to see if there are any robes walking around, but they see none. They do hear faint tunes in the air, is it them or the wind whistling? The grandchildren take in the scenery and are grateful to their grandmother and grandfather for preserving it. They begin to see the people as Robes too. They see their eyes change color depending on their mood. They see the foreign symbols on their robes. They see those symbols float through the air as they speak. They take a deep breath.

They head down to the bay. They step on rocks that line the shoreline. The granddaughter kneels down and separates the rocks. Buried deep underneath them is blue sand. She picks up a grain and shows it to her brother. The sun is beginning to set and little blue crystals shine through the gravel.

 

That night, a firework display is put on. As they burst in the air, every glass building changes to that color. The pools in the botanical garden and the Sky Tower, both changes from red to blue to purple to white to green. After the show is over, they witness a meteor shower. New stars fill the sky and twinkle so brightly. Whose life will they sync up with? They wonder.

 

I can feel it inside me, in my bones. I am made out of the things that I love. I am me the most when I'm home, when I'm home, when I'm home.

I can feel it inside me, in my bones. I am made out of the things that I love. I am me the most when I'm home, when I'm home, when I'm home.

 

The grandchildren place a grain of blue sand on their grandparent’s graves. They pack their things and head to the train station. They board randomly and let the train take them where it wants to go.

 

 

 

Blue Sands

 

"Oh blue sands, can you tell me if I ever be happy?
Oh blue sands, can I stay here forever?
Oh blue sands, I don’t want to go out there and pretend.
Oh blue sands, will you make them understand?

And everything will get better if I stay for a while
And we'll find another way to be happier one day
And everything will get better if you hold on for a while
And the sea come and sweeps us away from here

Oh blue sands, will I ever get to marry my handsome friend?
Oh blue sands, will you ever understand?

And everything will get better if I stay for a while
And we'll find another way to be happier one day
And everything will get better if you hold on for a while
And the sea come and sweeps us away from here

Oh blue sands, will I ever get to be like you?

I don't hate you anymore
I don't hate you anymore
I don't hate you anymore
I don't hate you anymore

I don't hate you anymore for the way you remind me of the person I cannot be

Can you take me away?

Me away…

For the things I cannot have
I don't hate you anymore when I look at you
All I see is the blue waves coming to get me and take me away" ~Yuna