The Way I Dreamed You Were (Hero)

[xthelonelypuppetx]

"And though I'll think of you, I guess, until the day I die... I think I miss you less and less as every day goes by, Johanna..." The haunting voice echoed across the empty streets. It was late that night... Not a soul stirred, so it seemed, except for a certain dark-haired girl... She touched every lamppost as if she'd never see her old friends again; her footsteps reverberated against the tall, familiar buildings. Four years here was like an eternity. Maybe, maybe she'd been here all along. Maybe all those memories that haunted her late at night were born of her own imagination. On the other hand, maybe it was all just a bad dream, and she'd wake up tomorrow morning back in Moonlit Lake...

Either way, the girl continued to hum that same sad song. Eventually, she found a bit of promise in the final lines of that old song...

"Wake up, Johanna! Another bright red day! We learn, Johanna, to say goodbye..."[/color]

At last she found herself slumped next to the fountain in the Second District. That girl had searched and searched, driven still by that peculiar feeling. At first, she didn't even know what she was looking for... She'd be leaving mere hours from now for whatever was beyond this small world. Her bags were packed. She'd said goodbye to the few people that mattered to her... all except one. This made the tsundere realize what she was looking for. It was no thing, not a feeling, but a person... A certain blue-haired male. A Hero.

Helena Mitsuko's rust-colored eyes rested on the stars above. This would be the last time she'd be under the same stars... After tonight, she'd be going to different worlds with new stars. Silently, the tsundere wondered if those worlds had a more brilliant sky than this.

Where could he be...?

[[haha, johanna (reprise) references ^_^]]

[untitled01]

A moment later, a little bit above Helena, Hero sat squarely on the rooftop of a short wooden toolshed, playing a violin. The same tune and notes that she sang softly vibrated off of the trembling strings of the intsrument, carrying the notes like a fluid river in unison with the carressing wind. The moon behind him illuminated a dark shadow, making his blue hair turn dark, and his violet, pale eyes somehow light up.

After a moment, he set the instrument down into a resting position.

"The stars are pretty tonight."

He took a step down and landed on the pavement. Today he wasn't wearing his cloak, making his thin build much more distinguishable. The trail of red string-like material that came from beneath his cat-eared headphones circled around his torso, the very end clipped to his collar. It was buzzing with indistinguishable music, but Hero turned it off. Feeling it wasn't nessecary, he set it down on his shoulders and let his hair flow more freely. A thin smile pulled at his gentle features.

"You look pretty tonight as well. How's it going, Elly?

(( Yeah I'm no good at poofing in so much.. ))

[xthelonelypuppetx]

And as if in response to her silent wish, he was there.

Oddly enough, Helena couldn't help but feel the same way she did when she first met Hero. Of course, he wasn't covered in blood, and he was cloakless. His earphones rested on his shoulders, letting his hair flow liberally in the breeze. And his lips, tugged ever so lightly into a smile... Helena swiftly restrained herself. It wasn't like her to pay so much attention... She'd never had a feeling like this before. There was the strange fluttery feeling within her stomach when Hero said she was pretty. Her cheeks were a shallow red with warmth...

Whatever this feeling was--this feeling of warmth, lighthearted playfulness, a touch of happiness, and a dash of sentimentality--Helena wasn't sure at all about how to deal with it. It did manage to get her thinking about the blue-haired boy before her quite often... The feeling even led her here, and when she saw him, the tsundere was atypically just... happy. One might have thought that Helena was afraid that somehow, Hero had gone off and died while she was away. Even just the sight--

And then she stopped dead in her tracks.

Go on.[/color]

She couldn't. It was the realization that something was amiss and she didn't want to believe it. This wasn't just a feeling... Somehow... She didn't even believe in... How could it possibly be...?

But he'd changed everything, somehow, by just a single meeting. In what felt like a fleeting moment, nothing would be the same...

"Hello, Hero... I was looking for you, y'know."

[[haha, gotta leaveee]]

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Hero had studied Helena before in their previous encounter to see that she was a bit conflicting with adamantine emotions. Even though Hero was sagasitic when it came to learning things, he never understood people that well, and at first, Helena was one of the many people that gave him the cold shoulder. Now she looked particularly in a perturbed mixture of awe, confusion, and hopelesness.

How many people had Hero seen follow that kind of pattern?
Era, Holly, Victoria, Ariana, they were all women that he respected, and liked very much. However, he didn't get the same feelings he did with them as he did now with Helena.
For a moment, Hero let his hair droop over his eyes to cover a blush.

I.. seem to be meeting a lot of women lately.

Hero stuck his hands inside his maroon pockets kind of sheepishly, though, still maintaining the same optimistic grin. He still didn't know what was up with her tonight, but as usual, optimisim solved everything. Well, kind of. He cocked his head to one side gingerly.

"I was seeking your company as well, but I wonder if it was for the same reasons?"

(( Hurrr I will seriously do anything to lengthen a post. ))

[xthelonelypuppetx]

Awkwardly, Helena rose to her feet. She felt like she was trembling, as if nearly in feel of this powerful feeling. His smile made her heart just... skip a beat. Flutter. Falter for a singular moment. Almost every fiber of her being didn't want this, but her inner self was fighting back. She didn't want to change. Letting emotions show would only open herself up to hurt, kill her slowly as those strong feelings corroded at her sanity. No, the tsundere couldn't afford such strong sentimentality... And even though every thought was trained on the consequences, this was a losing battle. Her thoughts betrayed both her and her emotions; she thought often of Hero, and here she was trying to shun the idea of him... and her...

"I was seeking your company as well, but I wonder if it was for the same reasons?"

A contented sigh managed to escape from the war being waged inside of Helena. She began to wander again, give in a little bit to that abstract emotion. Did he even like her in the same way? Why did she fall for him so fast? What was it about him that made him so different...?

I want to help him find those lost memories, I think... Maybe I'm just stuck on that. There's never been a thing I didn't stop to help, and just letting him go might seem like a failure on my part. That image of him as I first saw him never fled from my mind... I find myself reliving that moment far too often...

Hero... Would you be...?

"Hero... I'm leaving tomorrow to go see other worlds. Perhaps you know a certain green-haired individual? He... or she... is taking me around with some people I've met. And I just wanted to say goodbye before I left...." And though she got her main message out, Helena knew that there was so much more she wanted to tell him...

[untitled01]

Hero looked momentarily flabbergasted, his eyes widening curiously for a moment, making the protrubant black pupils in his pale, violet eeyes larger, but it broke into a kind of relieved smile, accompanied by a successful clap.

"I'm so glad!"

Hero took a few steps forward, now a more friendly distance near Helena. Stretching his arms behind his back, Hero said with sincereity,

"Even though I might not see you a lot, you're making new friends and going to new places."

Hero scratched his cheek lightly with his index finger, slightly emberassed about what he said following,

"Th- that makes me really happy."

(( Grrr, Helena is a problem child, that's why her posts are longer than me. Make her get irritated or something, isn't she a tsundere? ;A;))

[xthelonelypuppetx]

((Unfortunately, I'm horrible at writing a tsundere character in a romance. I write romance novels all the time and I'm like, "DANG IT HELENA HURRY UP AND KISS HIM ALREADY D:<))

"W-what?" She murmured uneasily. Her inner irritation with her emotions was rising. This is what I get for letting myself fall for him. He doesn't care... He probably never did. Why'd I ever let myself get all emotional over something stupid...? Helena's lip quivered, knowing that she'd be sorry she ever opened herself up to emotions. This was exactly the reason why she shunned those tedious, traitorous things away from her. All they caused was a short limit of euphoria then an awful lot of pain. Helena didn't need them. She had no use for people, either. They were almost as bad as emotions alone--always looking out for their own agenda, living closed up in their own little worlds. None of them wanted to face the problem. They wanted to pretend that everything was okay, that nothing could possibly go wrong.

You just wait and see what it's like when everything's taken away from you.

"I'm sorry... e-excuse me..." Before anything else could be said about the matter, Helena was climbing on top of the nearest shop's roof, limbs shaking, trying to hide the pain behind a colorless mask. She wanted to be numb again, to forget all these emotions welling up inside of her... But there was no way to just let it go now. In her solitude on the green-haired guy's ship, maybe she'd find a way to kick her emotions to the curb, but they were just too strong now. On top of the roof, she took a seat, stabbed her sword into the surface next to her, and tried to work it all out. She pulled the hair-tie out of her raven hair, letting it fall across her shoulders.

"Please, Hero... don't come for me... I don't think I'll be able to handle it..." The tsundere muttered to herself, hugging her knees to her chest.

And for the first time, the pain tasted bittersweet.

[untitled01]

"Is there something the matter?"

Hero was suddenly in front of Helena. Apparently, he had just scaled the wall that seperated them. The moon glittered behind the blue haired teen as he took a relaxed seat in front of Helena. He wasn't feeling resentful or anything, but he wondered what he might have done to make Helena feel this way. He knew she was trying as hard as she could to conceal some form of pain behind an emotionless mask. All he admitted was that he was glad Helena finally might have found a place she fit into - having friends, knowing them, things he never had done. But then again, Hero knew that somehow it was his own fault for being so inexperienced with dealing with people. For the first 9 years he was even truly alive, all he saw people for were targets in need of having packages delivered to. The man behind the company that raised Hero, Phoenix Wright, was the only individual who seemed a fatherly enough figure to him. Hero tried to be kind, but his bad reputations and rumors preceeded him, and he was judged. From those times, he never felt quite the same way towards making friends..

I'm lying to myself - she isn't just a friend.. I don't know.

But they were still connected, and that was all that mattered to him. He was closer to Helena than Ariana, Liana, Era, Renzo, Vapor, everyone he'd met. He felt something strange from that.. pride? Being an artificial human made things wierd..

"Don't you remember? 'It'll take more than that to get rid of me'. I don't know why you said that, but for the same reason, I want to be near you. I want to know why you seem so sad."

But the question seemed rhetorical, he sat closer, and tucked some drooped hair over Helena's ear. He made no effort to hide the slight blush that came afterwards. Smiling brightly, he said,

"Wow, Elly, you're pretty."

(( aarghhh what muse is there ))

[xthelonelypuppetx]

Before there were any tears, be they of sadness, of anger, or of joy, he was there. He'd followed her up there, regardless of what she thought or felt. At first, she was angry. Her fists were clenched, her knuckles white, and she nearly drew back her arm to punch the boy in the face. Then her muscles relaxed and she fell into a profound despair, sulking because she knew that he would never like her. All he wanted to know was if she was all right... Didn't he ask that question moments ago? She hardly remembered. And then, after all of this, the girl was truly happy. Here he was, though against her wishes, with her... He'd chased her down, worried about her, and then he made her heart sing with anticipation. Again, that feeling was welling up from within. She was hated it, and yet, she couldn't get enough.

"Don't you remember? 'It'll take more than that to get rid of me'. I don't know why you said that, but for the same reason, I want to be near you. I want to know why you seem so sad."

Y-You do? You want to be near me? But... why? I'm just a big hypocrite. I say I'm cynical, and that people and their emotions are worthless, but here I am. I told myself that I'd never open myself up to these kinds of wounds, but it feels like my heart stops beating when you say my name... When you speak, I hold on to every word as if this is the last time I'll ever see you... But somehow, I think we'll meet again...

An odd expression cast itself over Hero's face, as if for a moment, he thought his question wasn't the right way to go about things. He sat down closer to Helena and tucked her hair over her ear. Hero didn't make an attempt to even hide the blush that followed. Then he said, causing Helena's emotionless mask to melt away,

"Wow, Elly, you're pretty."

That did it, alright. Not only did her cheeks turn a bright red, the tears started streaming down her face. They weren't tears of sadness or tears of anger... No, she was simply happy. Overjoyed, really. Helena couldn't explain it. He almost followed that little boy's lines to a T. She couldn't believe it... And yet, she didn't have to.

"Hero... you don't know how much you mean to me..."

[untitled01]

"Ah, don't cry."

Hero politely brushed a few tears out of Helena's eyes, still brimming with hapiness that he was able to get on even terms with her again.

"Now really, I'm not worth much, aren't I?"

However, his optimism decreased to a bare minimum as his smile grew softer. Tears still flowed out of Helena's eyes like they couldn't stop, but she looked overjoyed. Suddenly, Hero felt tears come to his eyes as well, but he made no effort to stop them. Having been bred from artificial means, his body didn't work like any other's did, so when he felt the slightest bit of sadness or happiness, he zoomed into an exaggerated overdrive of expression. It was funny in a way, because the tears did not even seem real - just lots of water that welled up, for Hero's softened, bright expression didn't waver as a few drops of water dripped off his cheeks and to the ground.

Hero pulled Helena closer into a tight, but caring embrace,

"I'm sorry for not realizing your feelings up until now. I'm sorry, Elly."


(( Just make one more post for the dramatic effect and then I'll come in with the real plot twist. ))

[xthelonelypuppetx]

Let me cry, Hero... let me remember what it's like to be so overjoyed that tears come to my eyes... Just one more moment. I promise. I want to be lost in this moment forever. I want to feel all of this at least once...

His hand flitted up to her eyes and gently brushed aside a few tears. Helena savored his touch, particularly stunned to the point that she was incapable of movement. The tears still fell, unstoppable, rolling down her pale cheeks. A gloved hand came at last to help quell the storm. She sniffled softly, trying to dry those tears but it seemed nothing could stop them. Her hand came down to the locket at her chest now. It was much like her personality, now that she thought it. Underneath the battleground, deep down below the wreckage made from her destroyed personality, was something really meaningful and beautiful. Maybe it was who Helena used to be. Maybe it was her emotions. Maybe it was even her memory of her past, or at least the memories she wanted to remember...

"Now really, I'm not worth much, aren't I?"

How can you say that when I'm crying because you told me I was pretty? Hero, you're worth more than you think you are. You may be young in biological years, and you may not remember much about your past... But I want to help you. I want to be with you. I want to see that you're happy no matter what happens... And I've never felt that way before towards anyone.

And then tears started rolling down his face, as well. His lips were curved with a slight bit of optimism, and yet, he wasn't bawling his eyes out like she was. More than anything, Helena wondered what Hero was thinking. What he was feeling. She watched as those tears slowly rolled down his cheeks, paused at his chin and jawbone, and took a fall to the ground.

And suddenly, she was in his arms, in an embrace.

"I'm sorry for not realizing your feelings up until now. I'm sorry, Elly."

Don't be sorry... It was me who was covering them up.

"Hero... Don't ever be sorry. Not for me."

[untitled01]

"Helena.."

Hero let go, now letting Helena see his face. His eyes and teeth were half-clenched as the tears kept rollin down his eyes. The very first time his emotions were in sync with his body. With a clear voice, however, he went on.

"I have to be sorry.. Because I don't know how to accept your feelings.."

He took a small sniffle, and still kept trying to wipe away tears, despite them still coming. It had been a long time since those violet eyes of his had ever been thorough with sorrow, but by some means, it felt good to him to actually cry legitimately for once.

"You're confused, 'cause you didn't use to trust people. Yet, you sit here and say I mean a lot to you. But things like love and relationships.. I don't get them at all. I thought making friends and being happy was enough.."

He gave a kind of crying grin. "It wasn't that simple after all?"

".. but.. can I ask you one thing?"

The moon was now almost directly overhead, giving the rooftops a light-blue looking glow. Hero let go of the embrace and kneeled. As he moved, his headphone's slipped off and fell to the cement next to him. His head hung kind of low, letting his blue hair fall over and shadowing his eyes.

"Do you honestly.. love me?"

(( Argh, no twist. I'll add it later. ))

[xthelonelypuppetx]

"You know what, Hero? You're absolutely right about me. I've never even remotely liked someone when I lived in my old world, when I was an all-around better person. After I lost everything, I was never the same. I stopped caring about what other people thought or felt... And for a while, I continued like that. I guess I just didn't want to love someone and lose them all over again... And then you came." Helena was sure she'd never talked for such a long period of time in her life. She was even more sure that she'd said too much already; the words poured out of her mouth without the tsundere really mulling them over. The girl wasn't sure what the right thing to say was as opposed to the wrong thing. More than anything, she knew from day one that Hero would change something within her. Something sparked, a feeling that was new to her--was this what he had termed as love? Did she love him? If this feeling was present, then she probably did.

"And I think I do love you, Hero. I've never felt this way toward anyone else. I've never really loved anyone..."

Except Mom. I loved her. She touched my cheek that Fateful Day... Did she pass on her powers to me? I know she was a healer. She had this strange ability to make people better, whether they were sick or hurt or sad... In my world, only one person who could use magic was present during any given time. All the people knew the magic-user. My mother was that user. Does that mean that somehow, I got passed down the power when she died?

What a strange thing to think about when I'm sitting here, bawling my eyes out in front of someone I think I'm in love with...

"I'm not sure about love or relationships either. The concept escapes me more often than not. But we can explore it together, if you'd like..."

[untitled01]

Hero ketp trying to wipe away his tears, but they didn't stop. As a result, he gave up. He felt happy to be experiencing the same thing as Helena - she was crying too our of joy.

"You read my mind, Elly."

So she felt the same way he did... Somehow, it made him feel better. Now he wouldn't have to live with that uncertainly dwelling in his heart, and in a way, he was more connected to Helena's thoughts now. Hero supposed this is what it felt like to truly meet your soulmate.

When you were hardly likely to find less people who's personalities mirrored each other.

Hero felt compelled to hug Helena again- it felt nice to embrace somebody like this. He had no mother, and no memories for that matter, so nobody had ever cared for him as something more. But that was okay, as long as Hero had Helena. But his cliche joyfulness turned into the relaxed optimistic persona he once held. Smiling brightly, he said in a cheerful tone,

"You know, I learned something useful a few nights ago. An acquaintance told me of a certain action you do with somebody really special to you. If you wouldn't mind.."

Hero brushed the blue hair that was in his eyes, and inspected Helena's face with some curiosity before wiping some leftover hair out of her eyes, gently placing his soft hands around the rim of Helena's cheeks, leaned in, and met his lips with hers.

Maybe I'm not so unsure after all.

(( Arrgh, no muse, but kinda twist I guess. ))

[xthelonelypuppetx]

"W-what--?"

And then it happened. His lips connected with hers. How many times had they met? Twice? This wasn't really her style, even though the fact stood that she'd never loved before. Helena always figured that she was the more conservative type. There had to be so much more involved before something as sealing as a kiss. She always thought that the guy would ask her mother or father for her hand; bring her flowers; sit out on the porch and sip lemonade. This was always her thought in Moonlit Lake. But now... she was alone. Completely alone. Except for someone else... Hero.

Even though she had friends, did they really know her? Care about her? This was always something Helena wondered about... Her trust had been broken before. There had to be someone there... Someone who could show her that it didn't have to be like that.

Hero was that person. She knew this now.

Helena, are you absolutely sure this... Hero makes you feel that way? He seems just as confused as you are...[/color]

It didn't matter anymore. Nothing did, really. It was almost like she didn't have to worry about leaving him. Truly... she felt like this wouldn't be the last time they'd be meeting.