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"The Unending Journey of the Heart"
By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a. Inuyashas-hanyougirl
Chapter 9: Ties that Bind Forever

   As sad as Mikomi and Knuckles were at the loss of Hidama, it didn’t appear that he was eager to return.  Even if he thought once of returning, how he would explain it to Delilah he wasn’t certain, maybe covering up a short leave as a wandering journey in order to honor his dead kindred.  It wasn’t that he didn’t care for his brother and nephew; no, he loved them dearly, this was surely so, and never would he not love them.  What it was, was that this love he shared with Delilah knew no limits, and provided him with such happiness he worried little about his past.  He wasn’t ignoring it, it just wasn’t weighing heavy on his mind as it once did.

   Infact, over three months had passed since he left Angel Island that early afternoon, and Knuckles had reason to worry for his brother.  It was all too apparent that Hidama was suffering terribly before he left, and an unending parade of horrid nightmares flooded Knuckles’ dreams and thoughts as to what might have happened to his brother.  Sure, the Brokenstar Twins were there for him, but even Knuckles feared for Hidama’s safety.  If only he knew how justified this worry was, considering after searching for a little over two months, Aranelion and Elianaron continued to come up short, unable to find their friend.

   When they didn’t find Hidama in Cliffdale Heights, their worries for Hidama’s safety were doubled, as well as their efforts to find him.  Each day that went by without finding him was seen as another nail in his coffin, or even theirs, for they could only imagine the immense fury of Knuckles should his brother end up dead under their care, especially when they knew he was suffering to a great degree.  But worse was trying to calculate the great sorrow this would cause, Hidama’s loss being a major blow to not just Knuckles, but Mikomi as well.

   They simply had to find Hidama; after the denizens of Cliffdale Heights reported nothing of Hidama’s presence in the town, the hybrid twins now entertained the possibility that Hidama had still bypassed Starshine Town, but instead went north, ending up in the mountain resort of River Springs.  Again, they knew many people who lived here, and their expectations of how Hidama would be treated didn’t change.  Their next destination was now River Springs.

   By the time they arrived in the mountain village, Hidama had been missing for a little over a month, having already grown close to Delilah, and making many friends, cherishing his new life in Starshine Town, unaware of how so many anguished for him.  When the people of River Springs reported no sightings of an echidna within many miles of the village, the Brokenstar Twins grew even more fearful.  Hidama couldn’t have gotten any further north without crossing the Thornrush Mountains, which would take many weeks even properly equipped to handle the conditions.

   Had Hidama set foot in the mountains without knowing this, he would still be stuck in the twisting caverns of the jagged mountain range, and would probably have perished by now.  Should the twins search further south and east for their friend, when he could have died in the mountains, his remains all but lost forever?  All these possibilities drove the brothers insane, and they decided after resting a night in River Springs, to look for their friend in an up and coming city called Rockcreek Plains.

   This journey would take them weeks, landing them in Rockcreek Plains only days after Hidama and Delilah had admitted their love to each other.  It had been about two months since the twins saw their friend, and upon arriving to Rockcreek Plains only to discover neither hide nor hair of Hidama had been seen, tired, hurt, and frustrated, the brothers now considered this search a search for his body, convinced they would never find him alive after so much time had passed.

   The brothers finally took a rest from their journey in a local bed and breakfast, one they knew well and frequented in the past.  Tired, depressed, and close to giving up hope, they rose well after the dawn, unlike they normally did, closer to noon.  Aranelion was the last to slink downstairs, tired, and collapsing after sitting down, resting his head on a table, starving for more sleep.  Elianaron sat beside him, already struggling through a light breakfast of toast and jam, while watching the news on a television that sat in the corner of the breakfast nook.

   Aranelion, opening a bottle of cranberry juice his brother had gotten for him, pulled himself up straight to gulp down some of the drink to wet his dry throat.  Tired, he looked up at Elianaron and said, “Ell, what’s the use?  It’s been two months since we’ve seen Hidama…he’s long gone by now…it’s all my fault.  If I hadn’t had yelled at him we’d still be together and everything would be okay…now he’s laying dead somewhere, never to be found.”

   The news went to a station break, and Elianaron looked at his brother empathetically, resting his hand on his brother’s shoulder as he buried his face in his arms.  “I dunno Air, I mean, for all we know Hidama could have gone back to Angel Island.  We can’t give up hope just yet…something tells me Hidama is safe, in good health, and doing just fine.  It’s not time to give up yet.”

   He looked up at his brother, and Aranelion managed a smile, sitting up erect as Elianaron passed him a plate of toast.  He heaved a deep sigh, and began to spread some butter and jam on his toast.  Elianaron finished his breakfast and swallowed the last bit of orange juice in his glass.  He said, “After the news we can see about where to go next.  He could even be in Sandysun City…he could have gone through there on his way back to Angel Island and knowing we were looking for him our friends would take him in until then.  I just want to see the last bit of the news.”

   Aranelion took a huge bite out of his toast, chewed it quickly, then swallowed, before saying, “Ugh, we have no choice but to go back west; we’ve searched all the lands east of Sandysun City, south to the ocean and north to the mountains…the Thornrush Mountains, which we already deemed too deadly for Hidama to cross and come out alive, or even get that far across by now.  The only place we haven’t been is Starshine Town, and gosh, we’ve already ruled out that neon jungle.  Maybe he went back to Angel Island after all.”

   Elianaron glanced at his brother, rubbing him on the back before standing up to throw away his Styrofoam cup and plate.  “Aww gee Air, maybe we have nothing to worry about.  I’ll bet he turned around the minute he saw Starshine Town, and headed home, and we just missed each other.  We’ll get started back east in a little while.”

   Before he could throw his cup and plate away, he froze, his eyes locked on the last part of the morning news segment.  The anchor was at an awards show in Starshine Town, one that had happened barely two days ago.  It was a music, movie, and television awards show, a mini event awarding excellence on several levels of all three genres.  A mini event for awards, but a major event for Starshine Town, which didn’t host the major award shows, and this show being the biggest time of the year for the city.

   The anchor was covering the big winners of the evening, and then went on to highlight some of the special guests of the show.  By now, the brothers were standing side by side, Aranelion clutching his bottle of cranberry juice in his left hand, and Elianaron still grasping his cup and plate in his hand.  They stared, eyes unblinking and locked on one of the interviews.  The anchor was speaking with a tall, pink cat, wearing a light blue sleeveless shirt, matching light blue skirt, and a black, feathery boa, with rose tinted sun glasses for an accessory, one of many.

   She was identified as a local and popular fashion model, and went by the name of Camillia the Cat.  Smoothing out her long, arm-length magenta gloves, trimmed with black feathers at the cuff, she stepped up to the camera to be interviewed, running down a long list of many of her friends who were in line to win some of the awards.  The twins were smitten with her, finding her very attractive instantly, but before their infatuation with the fashion model could escalate further, they paused, eyes widening, as she brought her two “best friends” on camera for a moment.

   They stood beside her, a light blue hedgehog, wearing a black artists cap, and a long, black dress, covered with sequins to make it shimmer in the changing light.  She wore black strapped heels to match, with half a dozen golden bangle bracelets and green tinted sun glasses for accessories.  She wore black gloves, held a small hand purse, dark purple with black velvet trim, in one hand, with her other hand held by the white gloved hand of who appeared to be her boyfriend, who surprisingly, had two spikes on his hand.

   The Brokenstar Twins were in shock, and it wasn’t over the light blue hedgehog either, despite the fact that they were smitten with Camillia.  What had the twins in wonder and awe was the second companion Camillia had pulled on camera.  He was tall, wore black boots with a silver stripe down the middle, long black slacks, and a matching black short-sleeve shirt.  The buttons near the collar of the shirt were both open, revealing a tuft of white fur on his chest.  He wore spotless white gloves, and had two spikes on both hands.  He had a long, bent tail, crimson red fur and hair, with bands of white on his dreadlocks.  He had sapphire eyes and warm, bright, and happy smile.  Before he even spoke his name to the news anchor, the twins could not be mistaken.

   He was an echidna; one of only two on this earth left alive; it wasn’t Knuckles…it was, indeed, their friend Hinsei Hidama, the doomed and broken guardian, who only months before, was ready to die, the weight of the world and his brutal past too much to continue to bear.

   Hidama only spoke for a moment or two, mentioning how he loved the city, but not as much as he did his sweetheart, Delilah, who of course, was the light blue hedgehog standing hand in hand with him.  After a few words, Camillia finished up, and the three went inside the building for the awards show.  Of course, this was two days ago, but there was no mistaking it; Hidama was in the one place the twins had ruled out, simply because it was a big city, and were certain it would turn the echidna away.

   They had underestimated their friend it seemed; even though they didn’t know the circumstances that brought him to the city, they knew why he was still there.  This girlfriend of his, Delilah, and her friend Camillia, had taken him in and looked after him.  He was perfectly safe and happy these past two months, and apparently he had done all the healing he needed to, and finally found the peace he was searching for after so long.

   “Oh my…my stars Air, I just, just can’t believe it!  Hidama’s alright, and he’s been in the one place we decided to bypass!  Gosh…if we had gone to Starshine Town we woulda found him two months ago instead of going through all this misery. We better go and meet up with him so we can straighten everything out.  I’m sure he’ll be anxious to get back home; Knuckles must be so worried,” Elianaron exclaimed.

   As Elianaron threw away his cup and plate, Aranelion stood in awe, half-staring at the television, as well as his hands, not sure what to say about what he felt or what he thought.  All he knew was he saw a major change in his dear friend, even in the few seconds he was on camera.  There was no more sadness in Hidama’s eyes; he was always smiling, laughing and chatting it up with not just the news anchor, but everyone around him.  No longer did he look at the world with misery and pain in his eyes, eyes that were like windows to his broken and tortured soul, revealing the burden of the scars of his past and the heavy set sadness that took root in his heart.  At last, Hidama appeared as his brother did, walking with his head held high, a smile on his face, and a fiery brightness in his eyes that showed he truly loved life again, and was simply overjoyed to be alive.

   Aranelion wasn’t completely sure what had done it for Hidama, but he was sure that this girl he was with had a large part to contribute to this happiness.  He laughed softly, realizing now had he not fought with Hidama, causing him to run off on his own that he would most likely never have met this girl, and may never have found this bliss, the true peace that laid to rest the pain and unrest in his heart, healing his broken spirit, soothing away every last remnant of pain, making everything right again.  Hidama, after so long and so much suffering, had finally found his true peace.

   He was awoken from his wondering by Elianaron, placing his hand on his brother’s shoulder and saying, “Hey, guess what bro?  I found a nice couple on their way to Starshine Town that have offered to give us a ride.  Heck, it’ll shave a week’s worth of time off the trip.  We’ll be there by tomorrow evening!”

   Hearing this made Aranelion’s eyes light up; they would get to Hidama that much sooner, look up Camillia the Cat, find where she lived, then be reunited with Hidama.  After that, the group could make their way back to Angel Island, and now, both Knuckles and Hidama could be happy again.  Of course, the twins didn’t think about what would become of Delilah after this, distracted by their joy of finding Hidama at long last.  Within minutes, the twins were comfortable in the minivan of a young couple, returning home after holiday in Rockcreek Plains.  The twins would be reunited with Hidama in just two days.  Little did Hidama know that soon he would have to give up his charade, and tell Delilah the truth about his past.

   Later that night, with the twins almost halfway to Starshine Town, Hidama and Delilah sat side by side on Delilah’s bed, watching a game show on television, one Hidama had come to enjoy in the past weeks.  This was sort of a ritual for them now, and after the show, they would pop a bag of kettle corn and watch a movie, only tonight was different, the echidna could sense it.  He wasn’t sure how it was different, but he could tell, even as Delilah returned with a large bowl of sweet kettle corn, which he also had come to love after many nights.

   Tonight, they were watching a scary story…a movie about some ghostly entity that terrorized the inhabitants of an old, renaissance style hotel.  These movies did little to frighten the echidna, for he knew what real horrors were like.  He had lived real terror, and watching actors with fake blood did little to scare him.  Now, he could remember the multiple beatings he received as a child, his tongue being burned by Feldmort when he back talked him, as well as the pain of that chip in his neck as it zapped him.  Yet, now he could remember his past, and it too did little to harm him; it seemed that now he could live with his past, and not let it disrupt his present, or degrade his optimistic future.  He could remember it, then turn around and smile as Delilah let out a small scream, grabbing onto him when something scared her.

   “Heh, you know sweetie, if you look at it, and just tell yourself that it isn’t real, it isn’t as scary.  I mean, you know there’s no way that these people can really be dying…it wouldn’t be a movie then,” he whispered, hugging her tightly and keeping his arms around her to make her feel secure.

   Delilah was shivering with fear, and whimpered a bit, before she looked up at Hidama, who she could see was looking down at her, his eyes sparkling, with a big, sweet grin on his face.  She frowned at him, then scowled a bit, saying, “Humph Hidama, don’t act like it doesn’t scare you a little bit.  I’m fully aware of that, but I don’t want to ruin it.  If everyone went around like that, scary movies wouldn’t be scary anymore.”

   The echidna laughed softly, rubbing her arm gently.  Kissing her on the top of the head, he said, “Oh, but they don’t scare me Delilah, really.  I’ve seen much worse…and that’s real stuff.  Not these movies actors get paid millions of dollars to create.  If you want to know real terror, take a walk down my street of life thus far.  I’m not saying I need pity, but it’s the truth.”

   The movie went to a station break, and Delilah looked up at Hidama sadly; she realized what he said was right.  In his stay with her, Hidama was always very vague on this torturous past he had endured, and she didn’t press for details, knowing they were probably a sensitive spot on his heart.  She knew he had lost his parents in a bloody, violent death at the age of eight, as well as the last of his kind, orphaned and captured by the monstrous beasts that massacred his kindred, and tortured for many years, finally escaping five years ago, wandering alone for so long before the miracle of fate brought them together.  Yet when he said this just now, she wondered again just the degree of suffering he had endured, and at such a young and tender age.

   She began to think about this, piecing together what little he had told her to get a grasp on what this poor soul had gone through for so many years.  While she would never be able to understand the full suffering he experienced in his life, as would no one, she could imagine a small, helpless echidna, locked in a grimy, dark and murky prison, beaten and laughed at, mocked and spit at, brushing death on more than one occasion.  It made her want to cry; it made her feel like someone was strangling her heart as they put a knife through it; why anyone would want to hurt someone as wonderful and precious as Hidama, especially as a child, she couldn’t begin to imagine.

   Delilah didn’t know it, but she had started crying.  She held on to Hidama’s arms, and quietly began to weep, as visions of a young Hidama, pleading for release, bleeding and alone, began to cross her thoughts.  She loved Hidama so much, and the thought of this kind of painful past made her sick to her stomach.  This was someone she now wanted to spend the rest of her life with, and maybe even have a child of her own with; it was true, Hidama’s past…the life he had to endure, was scarier than any movie could ever be, and this was simply because, it was true.

   By this point, Hidama had become aware of her tears as they fell on his arms and were soaked up by his fur.  He looked down at her again, concern flooding his expression, wondering why she was so suddenly brought to tears.  “Delilah…hey, Delilah?  What’s wrong sweetheart?”  Not getting a response, aside from her tightening her grip on his arms and making her crying audible, Hidama grew increasingly worried for her, and gently pulled her up higher so he could see her face, hugging her tightly after.

   Her tears lessened, and the horrors in her head shattered as she felt Hidama’s arms tightly and securely wrapped around her, his head resting on her own as he rubbed her back with one hand.  Her ear was up against his chest again, and she could hear his heart beating once more.  She was immediately comforted, and embraced Hidama in return.

   Pulling halfway out their hug, Hidama looked at her, his eyes softened out of worry; Delilah smiled and said, “It’s nothing…it’s just…,” she paused, looking at the television where the horror movie resumed airing, then continued, looking back to him, “…that scary movie suddenly isn’t very scary anymore.”

   Hidama looked at her sharply but concerned, he frowned and said, “Don’t do this Delilah.  Don’t you ever think about me that way.  That part of my life is over and behind me and I’m never going back…but it took me years to escape the pain of the memories that wouldn’t leave me, and I don’t want that same fear and agony to come to you.  Promise me you won’t think of it again…even though I can think about it and not be afraid anymore, I don’t want it to spoil the love and happiness we have in and with each other, okay?”

   This was perhaps the only time she saw Hidama angry, and even so, it wasn’t very harsh.  She could tell this was something he had carried with him to the top of her apartment building, and almost brought him down to the streets below, and later six feet under to his death.  Obviously he didn’t want this same misery to plague her thoughts, and out of love and concern wouldn’t stand for it, even though he knew he brought it on with his words to her before.  Yet, seeing as it was no longer a painful thing for him to recall, it wasn’t going to bother her either.

   Smiling, Delilah sat up a little higher, then hugged Hidama tightly, sighing happily and giggling.  “Oh Hidama, I love you…and don’t worry about it, I won’t give it a second thought…there’s no need to, as long as we have each other.”

   Hidama was startled by her sudden embrace, but quickly smiled, knowing everything was alright; he may have jumped on Delilah a little quickly, but he wouldn’t risk it, for her loved her too much to allow her to even come close to the kind of agony he endured.  Any kind of sadness in her eyes was enough to bother him, but every time a simple hug, a smile, or a kiss was enough to melt it all away, and tonight was no different.  But still, as he returned the hug, he felt something was still different about that night, but couldn’t put his finger on it.

   But then, Delilah sighed contentedly again, snuggling up against Hidama and pulling a blanket up around herself.  She said, “I never want you to leave me.  I want us to always be together, no matter what.”

   The echidna’s eyes widened with wonder; he smiled warmly, chuckling softly, then paused.  He pulled the blanket up a bit higher, then around so it covered them both.  He looked and saw she wasn’t even watching the movie; she had rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes, breathing deeply, with a smile on her face, holding on to him.  He placed a hand on her back, holding her close; he thought about what she had said, “no matter what” which was just another way of saying forever; he most definitely felt the same, but she was the first of them to speak it.

   That was it; this was what was different about tonight, and he knew it.  Hidama smiled, seeing that Delilah was ready to drift off to sleep.  He found the remote, and turned down the volume, and then changed the channel, finally giving up finding a good program to watch and leaving it on the weather channel.  Rain was forecast to come in a couple of days, which, unknown to him, would be when the Brokenstar Twins finally came to town.

   Nothing could spoil his happiness now; he snuggled down under the blanket and got comfortable, still holding Delilah close to him with his arm securely around her.  He cut off the light on the bedside table so only a table night light and the glow of the television illuminated the darkness.  He yawned deeply, kissing Delilah on her cheek before cuddling up beside her and closing his eyes.  He whispered, “I love you Delilah, and, I want to be with you forever.”

   Both of them were trapped by sleep, but Delilah was just aware enough to take in Hidama’s words, and as they drifted off to sleep, both hearts overflowed with happiness.  This was a happiness that for now wouldn’t be broken…at least, until the rains came only two days later.

   The twins had stayed with the couple who drove them to Starshine Town.  The husband and wife were already quite fond of the twins and their light-hearted personalities, and provided them with good food, a place to sleep, and also helped them look up Camillia the Cat, finding her address was at a local apartment building, and that she occupied one of the three apartment suites, the one on the top floor.

   Armed with Camillia’s address, the twins made their way to the apartment building, walking down the busy sidewalks.  Aranelion was silent, focused entirely on his thoughts, wanting nothing more than to be reunited with Hidama so everything would be alright…so the Guardian Souls could reunite and everything return to normal.

   Elianaron, on the other hand, was a bundle of energy, taking in the sites around him with wonder.  “Wow, I don’t think we’ve ever been to Starshine Town before.  This is just the coolest place ever!  We’ll have to come here more often in the future.  Gee, and that couple was so nice to us too.  Heh, it seems that humans are openly accepting of us, love us, and aren’t cruel; I wonder why our own kindred hate us just for our father and his blood?  Oh well, nothing can spoil my good mood today!”

   Aranelion glanced at his brother; Elianaron’s feet barely seemed to touch the ground as he walked, standing fully erect, eyes bright and a smile on his face.  He was always the more light-hearted of the two, and was hard to find brooding for long.  Aranelion in contrast, was the more serious of the two, and just couldn’t let what he did to Hidama go, not until they found him and he could apologize.  Until then, he wouldn’t and couldn’t let it go.

   The twins got to the apartment building, but found the way up to the apartment suites barred by a desk clerk.  The twins mentioned they had come to see Hidama and were friends of his, having to talk for awhile before convincing the clerk to allow them to go up to the apartment suites.  She handed them an elevator key, which gave them access to the top three floors.  They took the elevator up, and at last, found themselves outside the door of Camillia’s apartment.

   Aranelion glanced at Elianaron, who was staring at the door with a smitten look on his face, consumed by a crush on the pink, fashion model cat he had seen on the news.  “Aww man Air, we get to meet Camillia at last!  This is so awesome…”

   Sighing out of aggravation and annoyance, Aranelion rang the doorbell, and said, “My word Ell, have you forgotten what we’re here for?  Ugh…I can’t believe you’re still smitten over…”

   “Can I help you?” a voice asked.

   The door opened, and both twins looked to see Camillia standing in the doorway.  She stared at them with wide and curious eyes, immediately finding them cute as they returned her admiring stare.  Even though he was snapping at his brother only moments before, Aranelion found himself attracted to her.  After a few seconds, Camillia brought her hand to her mouth, giggling as they stared at her.

   “My, my, aren’t you two cute!  You’re twins…how cool is that?  Hee, hee, I’ve always wanted to meet twins.  Tell me,” she said stepping out into the hallway wearing a grass green sundress, and white slippers, “Are you exactly identical?  Wait, how about this, what are your names?  I don’t believe we’ve met before.”

   She stepped between the two of them, looking between them, but to Aranelion for an answer, placing a hand on her hip and running her finger on Aranelion’s jaw as she waited for a reply.  Suddenly, Aranelion found himself flushing red, and Elianaron, who was the one originally smitten with Camillia, glared at him jealously.  Aranelion glanced at his brother and saw this, and snapped out of his shyness.

   “Umm, well, you don’t know us…we saw you on television…at the awards show?  My name is Aranelion and my brother is Elianaron, but you can call us Air and Ell.  Anyway…our friend is staying here with you.  Hidama is his name, and we’ve come to see him,” Aranelion said.

   Camillia paused, frowning a bit; she was in love with their names, as she spelled them out in her head, realizing they were made of the same letters.  But she couldn’t smile and continue to flirt; they said they knew Hidama, and that they were friends of his, but Hidama stated from the beginning that he had no friends or family.  Unless that fall he took gave him temporary amnesia of that detail, she couldn’t come up with a reason why he would forget them.

   “We had an argument with him a little while back, and he took off, so fast that we couldn’t catch up with him.  Heh, it was that news special that tipped us off to where he went.  Anyway, we won’t stay long or anything, we just wanted to tell him we were sorry,” Elianaron said.

   He exchanged a glance with his brother; both of them knew they wouldn’t be leaving without him, because he had to go back to Angel Island eventually, but they both knew they would say anything at this point to get inside where they could talk things over with Hidama and erase any confusion, but of course, they were unaware, like Delilah and Camillia, about how much Hidama had lied about.

   Even so, Camillia was smitten by the twins, and even if they had nothing to do with Hidama, she could still get to know them better, so she invited them inside.  The sunny skies began to slowly cloud over as Camillia led the twins through the apartment on a mini tour ending in the palatial den.  She sat down, and after the twins made themselves comfortable in two lime green beanbag chairs, she said, “Hidama and Delilah were still asleep…hee, hee, give them a few minutes though, I think they’re up.”

   The twins glanced at each other, trying to take in the enormous and palatial apartment their friend took up residence in.  He had it better than anybody they knew, and began to think maybe Hidama wouldn’t be as inclined to leave as they once thought.  Of course, they were certain that after reminding him of Knuckles and Mikomi, it wouldn’t take Hidama long to decide to leave, and maybe he could visit Delilah once in awhile.

   “So, tell me about yourselves; it must be so cool to have a twin brother,” Camillia asked, leaning closer to them.

   Aranelion narrowed his eyes, still smitten by Camilla but more interested in the welfare of his friend.  Elianaron of course could always be counted on to be the life of the conversation.  “Well, heh, gee, I guess it is, not all the time, but yeah, I love having a twin brother…as long as he knows enough not to cramp my style,” he said.

   Camillia giggled softly, while Aranelion only scowled.  Finally, he stood up and said, “Look, no offense, but we’ve been worried sick for our friend for quite awhile now, and the last thing I want to be doing is socializing.  Where the heck is he?”

   Just then, the door to Delilah’s room opened, and all was silent for a brief moment.  Delilah could be heard laughing, stepping backwards out of her room, pulling Hidama out with her.  He was laughing too, until he opened his eyes, and could see the Brokenstar Twins over her shoulder.  He froze, a grim look coming to his face and eyes as he stared at them.  This wasn’t good; something was about to go horribly, horribly wrong, and Hidama knew it.

   Delilah frowned slightly, concerned about the look of horror that plagued Hidama’s face; placing her free hand on his cheek, she asked, “Hey, Hidama, sweetie, what’s wrong?  Are you okay?”

   Hidama glanced at her, cutting his eyes at Aranelion and Elianaron so Delilah would look behind her.  She turned around slowly, and saw the Brokenstar Twins looking at them with as much shock and awe as she gazed at them.  She then saw Camillia sitting close by Elianaron, and immediately smiled, saying, “Oh Camillia, why did you have to invite these guys over here?  Hee, hee, you’ve probably embarrassed poor Hidama.  Would it be too much trouble for you guys to go out for lunch?  Oh wait, don’t worry about it, it’s going to rain soon anyway.  That’s alright then isn’t it Hidama?”

   Camillia stood up, walked up to Hidama and Delilah, a confused look on her face, and said, “But…but Delilah, I don’t know these guys!  They’re cute and everything but they came here because they said…,”

   “They’re friends of mine Delilah!  Yeah…I just…haven’t seen them in a long, long time,” Hidama said, trailing off into a whisper, for he knew he had lied yet again, and this time would have a harder time covering up his tracks, if at all.

   Delilah tried to maintain her smile, but it weakened a bit, remembering Hidama say he had no friends of family left when he came to Starshine Town.  She laughed apprehensively, and said, “But, but Hidama…you told me back when we first met that you had no friends or family at all…are these friends you knew back when you were imprisoned then?”

   That was it; Hidama’s cover was blown, for Aranelion and Elianaron, after going through a two-month long, agonizing search for their friend, weren’t about to let go of this lie Hidama told.  It wasn’t just denying having any friends, it was denying that he had a brother who loved him enough to die for him just so he could be free; they weren’t going to let Hidama live that down, but sadly, they weren’t aware of how damaging these next few moments could potentially be.

   Aranelion stepped forward, walking right up to Hidama and slamming him into the wall.  He said, “How could you do this Hidama?  After he and I spent two months toiling and worrying for you!  We thought you were dead!  And here I felt so guilty for yelling at you like that…you didn’t just deny you had us for friends…but you’ve denied your brother Knuckles, who almost died for you!  And Mikomi!  He misses you heaven knows how badly, and you deny that you’re his uncle!  What’s next?  Are you going to deny that you’re the Guardian as well?”

   A gasp came from both Delilah and Camillia.  All eyes were on Hidama, even Elianaron, who’s feelings were hurt from Hidama’s denying they were friends, and now gazed at him sadly with confusion in his eyes.  Camillia was in shock, trying to take in everything Aranelion had said, but Delilah, she already knew what this meant.  Hidama, who she had come to love more than anything else in the world, had lied to her, completely covering any ties to his past, including the fact that he had a brother, as well as a small nephew, and, the most shocking of all, that he was infact the Guardian of the very Master Emerald he denied having any ties to whatsoever.

   Hidama glanced at Aranelion, seeing frustration, rather than anger, in his eyes.  His heart sank, not just from this cold glare Aranelion grinded into his heart, but from Delilah, who took several steps back from him, holding both hands over her mouth, her eyes welling up with tears.  The echidna sighed, lowering his eyes, knowing what he had done was wrong.  He looked back to Aranelion, who, at seeing the soulful look return to Hidama’s eyes, let him loose from his grasp.

   Hanging his head slightly, Hidama couldn’t look Delilah in the eyes.  He heaved a heavy sigh and said, “It’s true, Delilah…I am, the son of the Guardian, the last Guardian before my clan was all but destroyed…except, for me, and my brother.  I was still captured that night, and after five years, they placed a mind control chip in my neck, and at the age of twenty, captured the Master Emerald and used my power to kill Knuckles.  After I was freed from their control and destroyed our persecutors, I used my powers to bring Knuckles’ soul back from the dead, and we were separated for awhile, until we were reunited and destroyed the last of our enemies.  Yet, the painful memories still haunted me, and after months on Angel Island I still wasn’t happy, and traveled with my friends, Aranelion and Elianaron to find peace.  One night, we had a fight, and wandering alone on a path of self destruction, I felt I had no reason to exist anymore, and so I tried to kill myself.”

   He looked up at Delilah; Camillia now stood beside her with her arm around her friend’s shoulder, trying to comfort her, and almost glaring at Hidama, while Delilah was still on the verge of tears, a few already falling from her eyes.  His voice raised from a whisper to a more confident tone, “I lied to you and Camillia…well, because I was happy from the first moments that I was here…and the pain I had carried with me for so long, for the first time, didn’t bother me as it had for years.  I thought if I brought my past with me, it would destroy my newfound happiness, and, not wanting to expose the location of the Master Emerald, out of fear it could be captured again, I chose to keep that silent as well.  It was never out of hatred or apathy for those I love, and slowly, I guess, as I healed and grew more and more comfortable, I just…forgot about them.”

   He looked to Aranelion and Elianaron and smiled a weak smile; “I’m so sorry you guys; I know you must have worried for me so, and I am so thankful I have friends like you who never gave up hope, toiling and agonizing so until you found me.  You’re the best friends anyone could ever have in this world, and I am in your debt now, for now that you are here….you’ve reminded me about what this trip was all about.  It was to find true peace so my broken spirit would be healed and my heart at rest, so I could enjoy life again, and my life on Angel Island as wonderful for me as it is for my brother and his family.  I’ve tarried too long it would seem…and forgetting what this trip was all about I…as much as I want to go back, I’m afraid going back as I am now just isn’t enough.”

   The Brokenstar Twins looked confused; Hidama walked up to Delilah, wiping the tears from her eyes and saying, “Delilah, Camillia, I’m so terribly sorry for deceiving you…it’s just, you both did so much for me and my battered soul; I’ve never been so happy in my life, save my childhood before the attack alone, and I didn’t want to bring any part of my past with me, fearing it would destroy any happiness I had.  Like I said I slowly forgot it as I eased into my new life here, and you’ve both done so much for me…especially you, Delilah.”

   Camillia looked between them, and then took a few steps back.  Delilah just stared at Hidama in disbelief, her eyes still glassy from tears.  Hidama said, “I love you Delilah, so much, and I really do want to be with you forever, for if it wasn’t for you, I really would be dead.  You healed my spirit in a way that only Amy could for my brother Knuckles, by loving me with all your heart…and, I’m just so sorry I lied to you.”

   It was silent for a moment or two, but Delilah, instead of smiling, got an angry look in her eyes.  She clenched her fists and said, “How could you do this Hidama!  How…how could you!?  I felt so sorry for you because you told me no one else in the world was there for you…I just can’t believe you lied to me.  How can I ever trust you again?  I just…how could you break my heart like this…”  She trailed off into a whisper, lowering and unclenching her hands, closing her eyes, and turning away to cry.

   Before Hidama could speak, Delilah blocked him with her hand and said, “Please, you’ve said enough already!  Just…just get yourself together and leave me alone!  I guess you can just go home now and we can get back to our lives!”  She then took off down the hallway, darting into Hidama’s bedroom, and slamming the door shut.

   Camillia sighed, looking at the Brokenstar Twins and saying, “Well, so much for introductions.”  Both Aranelion and Elianaron frowned, glancing up at her, then each other, and sighing, stricken with sadness.  Camillia walked up to Hidama and said, “It’s okay Hidama…I’m not mad at you for lying really.  I guess what really has Delilah upset is that she…well…”

   Aranelion and Elianaron walked up to Hidama too, who stood silent, staring at the floor.  Placing his hand on Hidama’s shoulder Aranelion said, “I’m sorry Hidama…my temper just ruined things for you again.  I’m so terribly sorry…I’ve ruined everything.”

   The echidna glanced at Aranelion’s feet, saying, “No, it’s okay Air, if you hadn’t yelled at me to begin with I would have never run away, and then I would never have met Camillia and Delilah…and they’re the reason I healed in the first place.  And also, don’t worry…in coming here you’ve made me realize…to achieve complete and total peace, I have to fit back into the life I was seeking to be at peace with.”

   He looked up and without turning to look at them, he said, “I guess we should get going back to Angel Island soon…but…there’s one more thing I have to do.”  Looking at the rain pelt the sliding glass door, he smiled, and began to walk down the hall.  He added, “I have something I need to ask Delilah.”

   The twins and Camillia glanced at each other as Hidama walked down the hall.  He knocked twice on the door, then, realizing it wasn’t locked, he opened it.  Delilah was crying, clutching a pillow as she sat on the edge of Hidama’s bed, staring at the picture she painted of him as a hybrid.

   He sat down beside her on the bed, putting an arm around her.  She slowly leaned towards him, far from being angry at him; rather, she was afraid that their love wouldn’t be able to last this, and she would lose him forever.  Hidama whispered, “I’m sorry if I’ve hurt you Delilah.  Please, know this.  I will always and forever love you Delilah, remember?  Hai H’Nai loo Se’tal, I only speak those words to my one true love, the maiden I promised my life and heart to, and I don’t intend to break that now.  I will always love you Delilah, and I won’t let this break us apart, and you shouldn’t let it either.”

   Delilah sniffed a few times, looking up at Hidama with tears stained cheeks.  Her voice was shaky, and as he wiped the tears from her eyes, she said, “I…I know Hidama…but, you have to go back now.  You’ll be so far away I…I’ll miss you too much.  I just…it makes me sick to think of being without you.”

   The echidna hugged her tightly, kissing her on the head and sighing deeply.  He rested his head on hers and said, “Actually, I have…something I want to ask you Delilah.  I…,” he paused, closing his eyes and whispering, “I want you to marry me, Delilah.  I know it’s a lot to ask, but…could you come home with me?  I have to go back to my brother now, but I don’t want to lose you, not after all you’ve done for me.  Please Delilah.”

   The two locked eyes, and Hidama managed a smile, saying, “Please, won’t you come with me.  We said we wanted to be together forever, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep that promise.  I’ll do anything you need me to do, but I want you to be mine forever, and we can have that bliss on Angel Island, or wherever you want to go in this world, I promise.”

   Outside the door, the twins and Camillia were trying to hear what was being said.  Elianaron moaned, “Aww man, what the heck is going on in there?”

   Aranelion shrugged, pulling back from the door and said, “He’s either saying goodbye, or possibly, asking Delilah to go back with him.  Oh gosh, I wish I could hear what they were saying.”

   Camillia sighed and said, “Oh, I’m so happy for her.  Hidama’s the nicest, kindest, sweetest soul alive, and she’s so lucky to have him to love and take care of her.  Oh please, Delilah, if he wants you to go with him, do it.  Don’t let a wonderful guy like him go…please.”

   And so it hung in the balance.  Hidama was healed enough to return to Angel Island, and would be going soon, but the question was, did Delilah love him enough to go with him, to be his wife, his beloved, and be part of his life forever?  It fell silent as the three tried to listen from outside the door, and as a low rumble of thunder crashed outside, they waited anxiously to hear Delilah’s answer, and find out whether the love Hidama and Delilah shared, was a strong enough tie to bind them together forever.

Description
"The Unending Journey of the Heart"
By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a. Inuyashas-hanyougirl
Chapter 9: Ties that Bind Forever

   As sad as Mikomi and Knuckles were at the loss of Hidama, it didn’t appear that he was eager to return.  Even if he thought once of returning, how he would explain it to Delilah he wasn’t certain, maybe covering up a short leave as a wandering journey in order to honor his dead kindred.  It wasn’t that he didn’t care for his brother and nephew; no, he loved them dearly, this was surely so, and never would he not love them.  What it was, was that this love he shared with Delilah knew no limits, and provided him with such happiness he worried little about his past.  He wasn’t ignoring it, it just wasn’t weighing heavy on his mind as it once did.

   Infact, over three months had passed since he left Angel Island that early afternoon, and Knuckles had reason to worry for his brother.  It was all too apparent that Hidama was suffering terribly before he left, and an unending parade of horrid nightmares flooded Knuckles’ dreams and thoughts as to what might have happened to his brother.  Sure, the Brokenstar Twins were there for him, but even Knuckles feared for Hidama’s safety.  If only he knew how justified this worry was, considering after searching for a little over two months, Aranelion and Elianaron continued to come up short, unable to find their friend.

   When they didn’t find Hidama in Cliffdale Heights, their worries for Hidama’s safety were doubled, as well as their efforts to find him.  Each day that went by without finding him was seen as another nail in his coffin, or even theirs, for they could only imagine the immense fury of Knuckles should his brother end up dead under their care, especially when they knew he was suffering to a great degree.  But worse was trying to calculate the great sorrow this would cause, Hidama’s loss being a major blow to not just Knuckles, but Mikomi as well.

   They simply had to find Hidama; after the denizens of Cliffdale Heights reported nothing of Hidama’s presence in the town, the hybrid twins now entertained the possibility that Hidama had still bypassed Starshine Town, but instead went north, ending up in the mountain resort of River Springs.  Again, they knew many people who lived here, and their expectations of how Hidama would be treated didn’t change.  Their next destination was now River Springs.

   By the time they arrived in the mountain village, Hidama had been missing for a little over a month, having already grown close to Delilah, and making many friends, cherishing his new life in Starshine Town, unaware of how so many anguished for him.  When the people of River Springs reported no sightings of an echidna within many miles of the village, the Brokenstar Twins grew even more fearful.  Hidama couldn’t have gotten any further north without crossing the Thornrush Mountains, which would take many weeks even properly equipped to handle the conditions.

   Had Hidama set foot in the mountains without knowing this, he would still be stuck in the twisting caverns of the jagged mountain range, and would probably have perished by now.  Should the twins search further south and east for their friend, when he could have died in the mountains, his remains all but lost forever?  All these possibilities drove the brothers insane, and they decided after resting a night in River Springs, to look for their friend in an up and coming city called Rockcreek Plains.

   This journey would take them weeks, landing them in Rockcreek Plains only days after Hidama and Delilah had admitted their love to each other.  It had been about two months since the twins saw their friend, and upon arriving to Rockcreek Plains only to discover neither hide nor hair of Hidama had been seen, tired, hurt, and frustrated, the brothers now considered this search a search for his body, convinced they would never find him alive after so much time had passed.

   The brothers finally took a rest from their journey in a local bed and breakfast, one they knew well and frequented in the past.  Tired, depressed, and close to giving up hope, they rose well after the dawn, unlike they normally did, closer to noon.  Aranelion was the last to slink downstairs, tired, and collapsing after sitting down, resting his head on a table, starving for more sleep.  Elianaron sat beside him, already struggling through a light breakfast of toast and jam, while watching the news on a television that sat in the corner of the breakfast nook.

   Aranelion, opening a bottle of cranberry juice his brother had gotten for him, pulled himself up straight to gulp down some of the drink to wet his dry throat.  Tired, he looked up at Elianaron and said, “Ell, what’s the use?  It’s been two months since we’ve seen Hidama…he’s long gone by now…it’s all my fault.  If I hadn’t had yelled at him we’d still be together and everything would be okay…now he’s laying dead somewhere, never to be found.”

   The news went to a station break, and Elianaron looked at his brother empathetically, resting his hand on his brother’s shoulder as he buried his face in his arms.  “I dunno Air, I mean, for all we know Hidama could have gone back to Angel Island.  We can’t give up hope just yet…something tells me Hidama is safe, in good health, and doing just fine.  It’s not time to give up yet.”

   He looked up at his brother, and Aranelion managed a smile, sitting up erect as Elianaron passed him a plate of toast.  He heaved a deep sigh, and began to spread some butter and jam on his toast.  Elianaron finished his breakfast and swallowed the last bit of orange juice in his glass.  He said, “After the news we can see about where to go next.  He could even be in Sandysun City…he could have gone through there on his way back to Angel Island and knowing we were looking for him our friends would take him in until then.  I just want to see the last bit of the news.”

   Aranelion took a huge bite out of his toast, chewed it quickly, then swallowed, before saying, “Ugh, we have no choice but to go back west; we’ve searched all the lands east of Sandysun City, south to the ocean and north to the mountains…the Thornrush Mountains, which we already deemed too deadly for Hidama to cross and come out alive, or even get that far across by now.  The only place we haven’t been is Starshine Town, and gosh, we’ve already ruled out that neon jungle.  Maybe he went back to Angel Island after all.”

   Elianaron glanced at his brother, rubbing him on the back before standing up to throw away his Styrofoam cup and plate.  “Aww gee Air, maybe we have nothing to worry about.  I’ll bet he turned around the minute he saw Starshine Town, and headed home, and we just missed each other.  We’ll get started back east in a little while.”

   Before he could throw his cup and plate away, he froze, his eyes locked on the last part of the morning news segment.  The anchor was at an awards show in Starshine Town, one that had happened barely two days ago.  It was a music, movie, and television awards show, a mini event awarding excellence on several levels of all three genres.  A mini event for awards, but a major event for Starshine Town, which didn’t host the major award shows, and this show being the biggest time of the year for the city.

   The anchor was covering the big winners of the evening, and then went on to highlight some of the special guests of the show.  By now, the brothers were standing side by side, Aranelion clutching his bottle of cranberry juice in his left hand, and Elianaron still grasping his cup and plate in his hand.  They stared, eyes unblinking and locked on one of the interviews.  The anchor was speaking with a tall, pink cat, wearing a light blue sleeveless shirt, matching light blue skirt, and a black, feathery boa, with rose tinted sun glasses for an accessory, one of many.

   She was identified as a local and popular fashion model, and went by the name of Camillia the Cat.  Smoothing out her long, arm-length magenta gloves, trimmed with black feathers at the cuff, she stepped up to the camera to be interviewed, running down a long list of many of her friends who were in line to win some of the awards.  The twins were smitten with her, finding her very attractive instantly, but before their infatuation with the fashion model could escalate further, they paused, eyes widening, as she brought her two “best friends” on camera for a moment.

   They stood beside her, a light blue hedgehog, wearing a black artists cap, and a long, black dress, covered with sequins to make it shimmer in the changing light.  She wore black strapped heels to match, with half a dozen golden bangle bracelets and green tinted sun glasses for accessories.  She wore black gloves, held a small hand purse, dark purple with black velvet trim, in one hand, with her other hand held by the white gloved hand of who appeared to be her boyfriend, who surprisingly, had two spikes on his hand.

   The Brokenstar Twins were in shock, and it wasn’t over the light blue hedgehog either, despite the fact that they were smitten with Camillia.  What had the twins in wonder and awe was the second companion Camillia had pulled on camera.  He was tall, wore black boots with a silver stripe down the middle, long black slacks, and a matching black short-sleeve shirt.  The buttons near the collar of the shirt were both open, revealing a tuft of white fur on his chest.  He wore spotless white gloves, and had two spikes on both hands.  He had a long, bent tail, crimson red fur and hair, with bands of white on his dreadlocks.  He had sapphire eyes and warm, bright, and happy smile.  Before he even spoke his name to the news anchor, the twins could not be mistaken.

   He was an echidna; one of only two on this earth left alive; it wasn’t Knuckles…it was, indeed, their friend Hinsei Hidama, the doomed and broken guardian, who only months before, was ready to die, the weight of the world and his brutal past too much to continue to bear.

   Hidama only spoke for a moment or two, mentioning how he loved the city, but not as much as he did his sweetheart, Delilah, who of course, was the light blue hedgehog standing hand in hand with him.  After a few words, Camillia finished up, and the three went inside the building for the awards show.  Of course, this was two days ago, but there was no mistaking it; Hidama was in the one place the twins had ruled out, simply because it was a big city, and were certain it would turn the echidna away.

   They had underestimated their friend it seemed; even though they didn’t know the circumstances that brought him to the city, they knew why he was still there.  This girlfriend of his, Delilah, and her friend Camillia, had taken him in and looked after him.  He was perfectly safe and happy these past two months, and apparently he had done all the healing he needed to, and finally found the peace he was searching for after so long.

   “Oh my…my stars Air, I just, just can’t believe it!  Hidama’s alright, and he’s been in the one place we decided to bypass!  Gosh…if we had gone to Starshine Town we woulda found him two months ago instead of going through all this misery. We better go and meet up with him so we can straighten everything out.  I’m sure he’ll be anxious to get back home; Knuckles must be so worried,” Elianaron exclaimed.

   As Elianaron threw away his cup and plate, Aranelion stood in awe, half-staring at the television, as well as his hands, not sure what to say about what he felt or what he thought.  All he knew was he saw a major change in his dear friend, even in the few seconds he was on camera.  There was no more sadness in Hidama’s eyes; he was always smiling, laughing and chatting it up with not just the news anchor, but everyone around him.  No longer did he look at the world with misery and pain in his eyes, eyes that were like windows to his broken and tortured soul, revealing the burden of the scars of his past and the heavy set sadness that took root in his heart.  At last, Hidama appeared as his brother did, walking with his head held high, a smile on his face, and a fiery brightness in his eyes that showed he truly loved life again, and was simply overjoyed to be alive.

   Aranelion wasn’t completely sure what had done it for Hidama, but he was sure that this girl he was with had a large part to contribute to this happiness.  He laughed softly, realizing now had he not fought with Hidama, causing him to run off on his own that he would most likely never have met this girl, and may never have found this bliss, the true peace that laid to rest the pain and unrest in his heart, healing his broken spirit, soothing away every last remnant of pain, making everything right again.  Hidama, after so long and so much suffering, had finally found his true peace.

   He was awoken from his wondering by Elianaron, placing his hand on his brother’s shoulder and saying, “Hey, guess what bro?  I found a nice couple on their way to Starshine Town that have offered to give us a ride.  Heck, it’ll shave a week’s worth of time off the trip.  We’ll be there by tomorrow evening!”

   Hearing this made Aranelion’s eyes light up; they would get to Hidama that much sooner, look up Camillia the Cat, find where she lived, then be reunited with Hidama.  After that, the group could make their way back to Angel Island, and now, both Knuckles and Hidama could be happy again.  Of course, the twins didn’t think about what would become of Delilah after this, distracted by their joy of finding Hidama at long last.  Within minutes, the twins were comfortable in the minivan of a young couple, returning home after holiday in Rockcreek Plains.  The twins would be reunited with Hidama in just two days.  Little did Hidama know that soon he would have to give up his charade, and tell Delilah the truth about his past.

   Later that night, with the twins almost halfway to Starshine Town, Hidama and Delilah sat side by side on Delilah’s bed, watching a game show on television, one Hidama had come to enjoy in the past weeks.  This was sort of a ritual for them now, and after the show, they would pop a bag of kettle corn and watch a movie, only tonight was different, the echidna could sense it.  He wasn’t sure how it was different, but he could tell, even as Delilah returned with a large bowl of sweet kettle corn, which he also had come to love after many nights.

   Tonight, they were watching a scary story…a movie about some ghostly entity that terrorized the inhabitants of an old, renaissance style hotel.  These movies did little to frighten the echidna, for he knew what real horrors were like.  He had lived real terror, and watching actors with fake blood did little to scare him.  Now, he could remember the multiple beatings he received as a child, his tongue being burned by Feldmort when he back talked him, as well as the pain of that chip in his neck as it zapped him.  Yet, now he could remember his past, and it too did little to harm him; it seemed that now he could live with his past, and not let it disrupt his present, or degrade his optimistic future.  He could remember it, then turn around and smile as Delilah let out a small scream, grabbing onto him when something scared her.

   “Heh, you know sweetie, if you look at it, and just tell yourself that it isn’t real, it isn’t as scary.  I mean, you know there’s no way that these people can really be dying…it wouldn’t be a movie then,” he whispered, hugging her tightly and keeping his arms around her to make her feel secure.

   Delilah was shivering with fear, and whimpered a bit, before she looked up at Hidama, who she could see was looking down at her, his eyes sparkling, with a big, sweet grin on his face.  She frowned at him, then scowled a bit, saying, “Humph Hidama, don’t act like it doesn’t scare you a little bit.  I’m fully aware of that, but I don’t want to ruin it.  If everyone went around like that, scary movies wouldn’t be scary anymore.”

   The echidna laughed softly, rubbing her arm gently.  Kissing her on the top of the head, he said, “Oh, but they don’t scare me Delilah, really.  I’ve seen much worse…and that’s real stuff.  Not these movies actors get paid millions of dollars to create.  If you want to know real terror, take a walk down my street of life thus far.  I’m not saying I need pity, but it’s the truth.”

   The movie went to a station break, and Delilah looked up at Hidama sadly; she realized what he said was right.  In his stay with her, Hidama was always very vague on this torturous past he had endured, and she didn’t press for details, knowing they were probably a sensitive spot on his heart.  She knew he had lost his parents in a bloody, violent death at the age of eight, as well as the last of his kind, orphaned and captured by the monstrous beasts that massacred his kindred, and tortured for many years, finally escaping five years ago, wandering alone for so long before the miracle of fate brought them together.  Yet when he said this just now, she wondered again just the degree of suffering he had endured, and at such a young and tender age.

   She began to think about this, piecing together what little he had told her to get a grasp on what this poor soul had gone through for so many years.  While she would never be able to understand the full suffering he experienced in his life, as would no one, she could imagine a small, helpless echidna, locked in a grimy, dark and murky prison, beaten and laughed at, mocked and spit at, brushing death on more than one occasion.  It made her want to cry; it made her feel like someone was strangling her heart as they put a knife through it; why anyone would want to hurt someone as wonderful and precious as Hidama, especially as a child, she couldn’t begin to imagine.

   Delilah didn’t know it, but she had started crying.  She held on to Hidama’s arms, and quietly began to weep, as visions of a young Hidama, pleading for release, bleeding and alone, began to cross her thoughts.  She loved Hidama so much, and the thought of this kind of painful past made her sick to her stomach.  This was someone she now wanted to spend the rest of her life with, and maybe even have a child of her own with; it was true, Hidama’s past…the life he had to endure, was scarier than any movie could ever be, and this was simply because, it was true.

   By this point, Hidama had become aware of her tears as they fell on his arms and were soaked up by his fur.  He looked down at her again, concern flooding his expression, wondering why she was so suddenly brought to tears.  “Delilah…hey, Delilah?  What’s wrong sweetheart?”  Not getting a response, aside from her tightening her grip on his arms and making her crying audible, Hidama grew increasingly worried for her, and gently pulled her up higher so he could see her face, hugging her tightly after.

   Her tears lessened, and the horrors in her head shattered as she felt Hidama’s arms tightly and securely wrapped around her, his head resting on her own as he rubbed her back with one hand.  Her ear was up against his chest again, and she could hear his heart beating once more.  She was immediately comforted, and embraced Hidama in return.

   Pulling halfway out their hug, Hidama looked at her, his eyes softened out of worry; Delilah smiled and said, “It’s nothing…it’s just…,” she paused, looking at the television where the horror movie resumed airing, then continued, looking back to him, “…that scary movie suddenly isn’t very scary anymore.”

   Hidama looked at her sharply but concerned, he frowned and said, “Don’t do this Delilah.  Don’t you ever think about me that way.  That part of my life is over and behind me and I’m never going back…but it took me years to escape the pain of the memories that wouldn’t leave me, and I don’t want that same fear and agony to come to you.  Promise me you won’t think of it again…even though I can think about it and not be afraid anymore, I don’t want it to spoil the love and happiness we have in and with each other, okay?”

   This was perhaps the only time she saw Hidama angry, and even so, it wasn’t very harsh.  She could tell this was something he had carried with him to the top of her apartment building, and almost brought him down to the streets below, and later six feet under to his death.  Obviously he didn’t want this same misery to plague her thoughts, and out of love and concern wouldn’t stand for it, even though he knew he brought it on with his words to her before.  Yet, seeing as it was no longer a painful thing for him to recall, it wasn’t going to bother her either.

   Smiling, Delilah sat up a little higher, then hugged Hidama tightly, sighing happily and giggling.  “Oh Hidama, I love you…and don’t worry about it, I won’t give it a second thought…there’s no need to, as long as we have each other.”

   Hidama was startled by her sudden embrace, but quickly smiled, knowing everything was alright; he may have jumped on Delilah a little quickly, but he wouldn’t risk it, for her loved her too much to allow her to even come close to the kind of agony he endured.  Any kind of sadness in her eyes was enough to bother him, but every time a simple hug, a smile, or a kiss was enough to melt it all away, and tonight was no different.  But still, as he returned the hug, he felt something was still different about that night, but couldn’t put his finger on it.

   But then, Delilah sighed contentedly again, snuggling up against Hidama and pulling a blanket up around herself.  She said, “I never want you to leave me.  I want us to always be together, no matter what.”

   The echidna’s eyes widened with wonder; he smiled warmly, chuckling softly, then paused.  He pulled the blanket up a bit higher, then around so it covered them both.  He looked and saw she wasn’t even watching the movie; she had rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes, breathing deeply, with a smile on her face, holding on to him.  He placed a hand on her back, holding her close; he thought about what she had said, “no matter what” which was just another way of saying forever; he most definitely felt the same, but she was the first of them to speak it.

   That was it; this was what was different about tonight, and he knew it.  Hidama smiled, seeing that Delilah was ready to drift off to sleep.  He found the remote, and turned down the volume, and then changed the channel, finally giving up finding a good program to watch and leaving it on the weather channel.  Rain was forecast to come in a couple of days, which, unknown to him, would be when the Brokenstar Twins finally came to town.

   Nothing could spoil his happiness now; he snuggled down under the blanket and got comfortable, still holding Delilah close to him with his arm securely around her.  He cut off the light on the bedside table so only a table night light and the glow of the television illuminated the darkness.  He yawned deeply, kissing Delilah on her cheek before cuddling up beside her and closing his eyes.  He whispered, “I love you Delilah, and, I want to be with you forever.”

   Both of them were trapped by sleep, but Delilah was just aware enough to take in Hidama’s words, and as they drifted off to sleep, both hearts overflowed with happiness.  This was a happiness that for now wouldn’t be broken…at least, until the rains came only two days later.

   The twins had stayed with the couple who drove them to Starshine Town.  The husband and wife were already quite fond of the twins and their light-hearted personalities, and provided them with good food, a place to sleep, and also helped them look up Camillia the Cat, finding her address was at a local apartment building, and that she occupied one of the three apartment suites, the one on the top floor.

   Armed with Camillia’s address, the twins made their way to the apartment building, walking down the busy sidewalks.  Aranelion was silent, focused entirely on his thoughts, wanting nothing more than to be reunited with Hidama so everything would be alright…so the Guardian Souls could reunite and everything return to normal.

   Elianaron, on the other hand, was a bundle of energy, taking in the sites around him with wonder.  “Wow, I don’t think we’ve ever been to Starshine Town before.  This is just the coolest place ever!  We’ll have to come here more often in the future.  Gee, and that couple was so nice to us too.  Heh, it seems that humans are openly accepting of us, love us, and aren’t cruel; I wonder why our own kindred hate us just for our father and his blood?  Oh well, nothing can spoil my good mood today!”

   Aranelion glanced at his brother; Elianaron’s feet barely seemed to touch the ground as he walked, standing fully erect, eyes bright and a smile on his face.  He was always the more light-hearted of the two, and was hard to find brooding for long.  Aranelion in contrast, was the more serious of the two, and just couldn’t let what he did to Hidama go, not until they found him and he could apologize.  Until then, he wouldn’t and couldn’t let it go.

   The twins got to the apartment building, but found the way up to the apartment suites barred by a desk clerk.  The twins mentioned they had come to see Hidama and were friends of his, having to talk for awhile before convincing the clerk to allow them to go up to the apartment suites.  She handed them an elevator key, which gave them access to the top three floors.  They took the elevator up, and at last, found themselves outside the door of Camillia’s apartment.

   Aranelion glanced at Elianaron, who was staring at the door with a smitten look on his face, consumed by a crush on the pink, fashion model cat he had seen on the news.  “Aww man Air, we get to meet Camillia at last!  This is so awesome…”

   Sighing out of aggravation and annoyance, Aranelion rang the doorbell, and said, “My word Ell, have you forgotten what we’re here for?  Ugh…I can’t believe you’re still smitten over…”

   “Can I help you?” a voice asked.

   The door opened, and both twins looked to see Camillia standing in the doorway.  She stared at them with wide and curious eyes, immediately finding them cute as they returned her admiring stare.  Even though he was snapping at his brother only moments before, Aranelion found himself attracted to her.  After a few seconds, Camillia brought her hand to her mouth, giggling as they stared at her.

   “My, my, aren’t you two cute!  You’re twins…how cool is that?  Hee, hee, I’ve always wanted to meet twins.  Tell me,” she said stepping out into the hallway wearing a grass green sundress, and white slippers, “Are you exactly identical?  Wait, how about this, what are your names?  I don’t believe we’ve met before.”

   She stepped between the two of them, looking between them, but to Aranelion for an answer, placing a hand on her hip and running her finger on Aranelion’s jaw as she waited for a reply.  Suddenly, Aranelion found himself flushing red, and Elianaron, who was the one originally smitten with Camillia, glared at him jealously.  Aranelion glanced at his brother and saw this, and snapped out of his shyness.

   “Umm, well, you don’t know us…we saw you on television…at the awards show?  My name is Aranelion and my brother is Elianaron, but you can call us Air and Ell.  Anyway…our friend is staying here with you.  Hidama is his name, and we’ve come to see him,” Aranelion said.

   Camillia paused, frowning a bit; she was in love with their names, as she spelled them out in her head, realizing they were made of the same letters.  But she couldn’t smile and continue to flirt; they said they knew Hidama, and that they were friends of his, but Hidama stated from the beginning that he had no friends or family.  Unless that fall he took gave him temporary amnesia of that detail, she couldn’t come up with a reason why he would forget them.

   “We had an argument with him a little while back, and he took off, so fast that we couldn’t catch up with him.  Heh, it was that news special that tipped us off to where he went.  Anyway, we won’t stay long or anything, we just wanted to tell him we were sorry,” Elianaron said.

   He exchanged a glance with his brother; both of them knew they wouldn’t be leaving without him, because he had to go back to Angel Island eventually, but they both knew they would say anything at this point to get inside where they could talk things over with Hidama and erase any confusion, but of course, they were unaware, like Delilah and Camillia, about how much Hidama had lied about.

   Even so, Camillia was smitten by the twins, and even if they had nothing to do with Hidama, she could still get to know them better, so she invited them inside.  The sunny skies began to slowly cloud over as Camillia led the twins through the apartment on a mini tour ending in the palatial den.  She sat down, and after the twins made themselves comfortable in two lime green beanbag chairs, she said, “Hidama and Delilah were still asleep…hee, hee, give them a few minutes though, I think they’re up.”

   The twins glanced at each other, trying to take in the enormous and palatial apartment their friend took up residence in.  He had it better than anybody they knew, and began to think maybe Hidama wouldn’t be as inclined to leave as they once thought.  Of course, they were certain that after reminding him of Knuckles and Mikomi, it wouldn’t take Hidama long to decide to leave, and maybe he could visit Delilah once in awhile.

   “So, tell me about yourselves; it must be so cool to have a twin brother,” Camillia asked, leaning closer to them.

   Aranelion narrowed his eyes, still smitten by Camilla but more interested in the welfare of his friend.  Elianaron of course could always be counted on to be the life of the conversation.  “Well, heh, gee, I guess it is, not all the time, but yeah, I love having a twin brother…as long as he knows enough not to cramp my style,” he said.

   Camillia giggled softly, while Aranelion only scowled.  Finally, he stood up and said, “Look, no offense, but we’ve been worried sick for our friend for quite awhile now, and the last thing I want to be doing is socializing.  Where the heck is he?”

   Just then, the door to Delilah’s room opened, and all was silent for a brief moment.  Delilah could be heard laughing, stepping backwards out of her room, pulling Hidama out with her.  He was laughing too, until he opened his eyes, and could see the Brokenstar Twins over her shoulder.  He froze, a grim look coming to his face and eyes as he stared at them.  This wasn’t good; something was about to go horribly, horribly wrong, and Hidama knew it.

   Delilah frowned slightly, concerned about the look of horror that plagued Hidama’s face; placing her free hand on his cheek, she asked, “Hey, Hidama, sweetie, what’s wrong?  Are you okay?”

   Hidama glanced at her, cutting his eyes at Aranelion and Elianaron so Delilah would look behind her.  She turned around slowly, and saw the Brokenstar Twins looking at them with as much shock and awe as she gazed at them.  She then saw Camillia sitting close by Elianaron, and immediately smiled, saying, “Oh Camillia, why did you have to invite these guys over here?  Hee, hee, you’ve probably embarrassed poor Hidama.  Would it be too much trouble for you guys to go out for lunch?  Oh wait, don’t worry about it, it’s going to rain soon anyway.  That’s alright then isn’t it Hidama?”

   Camillia stood up, walked up to Hidama and Delilah, a confused look on her face, and said, “But…but Delilah, I don’t know these guys!  They’re cute and everything but they came here because they said…,”

   “They’re friends of mine Delilah!  Yeah…I just…haven’t seen them in a long, long time,” Hidama said, trailing off into a whisper, for he knew he had lied yet again, and this time would have a harder time covering up his tracks, if at all.

   Delilah tried to maintain her smile, but it weakened a bit, remembering Hidama say he had no friends of family left when he came to Starshine Town.  She laughed apprehensively, and said, “But, but Hidama…you told me back when we first met that you had no friends or family at all…are these friends you knew back when you were imprisoned then?”

   That was it; Hidama’s cover was blown, for Aranelion and Elianaron, after going through a two-month long, agonizing search for their friend, weren’t about to let go of this lie Hidama told.  It wasn’t just denying having any friends, it was denying that he had a brother who loved him enough to die for him just so he could be free; they weren’t going to let Hidama live that down, but sadly, they weren’t aware of how damaging these next few moments could potentially be.

   Aranelion stepped forward, walking right up to Hidama and slamming him into the wall.  He said, “How could you do this Hidama?  After he and I spent two months toiling and worrying for you!  We thought you were dead!  And here I felt so guilty for yelling at you like that…you didn’t just deny you had us for friends…but you’ve denied your brother Knuckles, who almost died for you!  And Mikomi!  He misses you heaven knows how badly, and you deny that you’re his uncle!  What’s next?  Are you going to deny that you’re the Guardian as well?”

   A gasp came from both Delilah and Camillia.  All eyes were on Hidama, even Elianaron, who’s feelings were hurt from Hidama’s denying they were friends, and now gazed at him sadly with confusion in his eyes.  Camillia was in shock, trying to take in everything Aranelion had said, but Delilah, she already knew what this meant.  Hidama, who she had come to love more than anything else in the world, had lied to her, completely covering any ties to his past, including the fact that he had a brother, as well as a small nephew, and, the most shocking of all, that he was infact the Guardian of the very Master Emerald he denied having any ties to whatsoever.

   Hidama glanced at Aranelion, seeing frustration, rather than anger, in his eyes.  His heart sank, not just from this cold glare Aranelion grinded into his heart, but from Delilah, who took several steps back from him, holding both hands over her mouth, her eyes welling up with tears.  The echidna sighed, lowering his eyes, knowing what he had done was wrong.  He looked back to Aranelion, who, at seeing the soulful look return to Hidama’s eyes, let him loose from his grasp.

   Hanging his head slightly, Hidama couldn’t look Delilah in the eyes.  He heaved a heavy sigh and said, “It’s true, Delilah…I am, the son of the Guardian, the last Guardian before my clan was all but destroyed…except, for me, and my brother.  I was still captured that night, and after five years, they placed a mind control chip in my neck, and at the age of twenty, captured the Master Emerald and used my power to kill Knuckles.  After I was freed from their control and destroyed our persecutors, I used my powers to bring Knuckles’ soul back from the dead, and we were separated for awhile, until we were reunited and destroyed the last of our enemies.  Yet, the painful memories still haunted me, and after months on Angel Island I still wasn’t happy, and traveled with my friends, Aranelion and Elianaron to find peace.  One night, we had a fight, and wandering alone on a path of self destruction, I felt I had no reason to exist anymore, and so I tried to kill myself.”

   He looked up at Delilah; Camillia now stood beside her with her arm around her friend’s shoulder, trying to comfort her, and almost glaring at Hidama, while Delilah was still on the verge of tears, a few already falling from her eyes.  His voice raised from a whisper to a more confident tone, “I lied to you and Camillia…well, because I was happy from the first moments that I was here…and the pain I had carried with me for so long, for the first time, didn’t bother me as it had for years.  I thought if I brought my past with me, it would destroy my newfound happiness, and, not wanting to expose the location of the Master Emerald, out of fear it could be captured again, I chose to keep that silent as well.  It was never out of hatred or apathy for those I love, and slowly, I guess, as I healed and grew more and more comfortable, I just…forgot about them.”

   He looked to Aranelion and Elianaron and smiled a weak smile; “I’m so sorry you guys; I know you must have worried for me so, and I am so thankful I have friends like you who never gave up hope, toiling and agonizing so until you found me.  You’re the best friends anyone could ever have in this world, and I am in your debt now, for now that you are here….you’ve reminded me about what this trip was all about.  It was to find true peace so my broken spirit would be healed and my heart at rest, so I could enjoy life again, and my life on Angel Island as wonderful for me as it is for my brother and his family.  I’ve tarried too long it would seem…and forgetting what this trip was all about I…as much as I want to go back, I’m afraid going back as I am now just isn’t enough.”

   The Brokenstar Twins looked confused; Hidama walked up to Delilah, wiping the tears from her eyes and saying, “Delilah, Camillia, I’m so terribly sorry for deceiving you…it’s just, you both did so much for me and my battered soul; I’ve never been so happy in my life, save my childhood before the attack alone, and I didn’t want to bring any part of my past with me, fearing it would destroy any happiness I had.  Like I said I slowly forgot it as I eased into my new life here, and you’ve both done so much for me…especially you, Delilah.”

   Camillia looked between them, and then took a few steps back.  Delilah just stared at Hidama in disbelief, her eyes still glassy from tears.  Hidama said, “I love you Delilah, so much, and I really do want to be with you forever, for if it wasn’t for you, I really would be dead.  You healed my spirit in a way that only Amy could for my brother Knuckles, by loving me with all your heart…and, I’m just so sorry I lied to you.”

   It was silent for a moment or two, but Delilah, instead of smiling, got an angry look in her eyes.  She clenched her fists and said, “How could you do this Hidama!  How…how could you!?  I felt so sorry for you because you told me no one else in the world was there for you…I just can’t believe you lied to me.  How can I ever trust you again?  I just…how could you break my heart like this…”  She trailed off into a whisper, lowering and unclenching her hands, closing her eyes, and turning away to cry.

   Before Hidama could speak, Delilah blocked him with her hand and said, “Please, you’ve said enough already!  Just…just get yourself together and leave me alone!  I guess you can just go home now and we can get back to our lives!”  She then took off down the hallway, darting into Hidama’s bedroom, and slamming the door shut.

   Camillia sighed, looking at the Brokenstar Twins and saying, “Well, so much for introductions.”  Both Aranelion and Elianaron frowned, glancing up at her, then each other, and sighing, stricken with sadness.  Camillia walked up to Hidama and said, “It’s okay Hidama…I’m not mad at you for lying really.  I guess what really has Delilah upset is that she…well…”

   Aranelion and Elianaron walked up to Hidama too, who stood silent, staring at the floor.  Placing his hand on Hidama’s shoulder Aranelion said, “I’m sorry Hidama…my temper just ruined things for you again.  I’m so terribly sorry…I’ve ruined everything.”

   The echidna glanced at Aranelion’s feet, saying, “No, it’s okay Air, if you hadn’t yelled at me to begin with I would have never run away, and then I would never have met Camillia and Delilah…and they’re the reason I healed in the first place.  And also, don’t worry…in coming here you’ve made me realize…to achieve complete and total peace, I have to fit back into the life I was seeking to be at peace with.”

   He looked up and without turning to look at them, he said, “I guess we should get going back to Angel Island soon…but…there’s one more thing I have to do.”  Looking at the rain pelt the sliding glass door, he smiled, and began to walk down the hall.  He added, “I have something I need to ask Delilah.”

   The twins and Camillia glanced at each other as Hidama walked down the hall.  He knocked twice on the door, then, realizing it wasn’t locked, he opened it.  Delilah was crying, clutching a pillow as she sat on the edge of Hidama’s bed, staring at the picture she painted of him as a hybrid.

   He sat down beside her on the bed, putting an arm around her.  She slowly leaned towards him, far from being angry at him; rather, she was afraid that their love wouldn’t be able to last this, and she would lose him forever.  Hidama whispered, “I’m sorry if I’ve hurt you Delilah.  Please, know this.  I will always and forever love you Delilah, remember?  Hai H’Nai loo Se’tal, I only speak those words to my one true love, the maiden I promised my life and heart to, and I don’t intend to break that now.  I will always love you Delilah, and I won’t let this break us apart, and you shouldn’t let it either.”

   Delilah sniffed a few times, looking up at Hidama with tears stained cheeks.  Her voice was shaky, and as he wiped the tears from her eyes, she said, “I…I know Hidama…but, you have to go back now.  You’ll be so far away I…I’ll miss you too much.  I just…it makes me sick to think of being without you.”

   The echidna hugged her tightly, kissing her on the head and sighing deeply.  He rested his head on hers and said, “Actually, I have…something I want to ask you Delilah.  I…,” he paused, closing his eyes and whispering, “I want you to marry me, Delilah.  I know it’s a lot to ask, but…could you come home with me?  I have to go back to my brother now, but I don’t want to lose you, not after all you’ve done for me.  Please Delilah.”

   The two locked eyes, and Hidama managed a smile, saying, “Please, won’t you come with me.  We said we wanted to be together forever, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep that promise.  I’ll do anything you need me to do, but I want you to be mine forever, and we can have that bliss on Angel Island, or wherever you want to go in this world, I promise.”

   Outside the door, the twins and Camillia were trying to hear what was being said.  Elianaron moaned, “Aww man, what the heck is going on in there?”

   Aranelion shrugged, pulling back from the door and said, “He’s either saying goodbye, or possibly, asking Delilah to go back with him.  Oh gosh, I wish I could hear what they were saying.”

   Camillia sighed and said, “Oh, I’m so happy for her.  Hidama’s the nicest, kindest, sweetest soul alive, and she’s so lucky to have him to love and take care of her.  Oh please, Delilah, if he wants you to go with him, do it.  Don’t let a wonderful guy like him go…please.”

   And so it hung in the balance.  Hidama was healed enough to return to Angel Island, and would be going soon, but the question was, did Delilah love him enough to go with him, to be his wife, his beloved, and be part of his life forever?  It fell silent as the three tried to listen from outside the door, and as a low rumble of thunder crashed outside, they waited anxiously to hear Delilah’s answer, and find out whether the love Hidama and Delilah shared, was a strong enough tie to bind them together forever.