by Aron Lewes
“Riley-chan?”
Taishi's voice snaps me out of my numbing mind. “Hmm?”
“Do you remember when you asked me about favorite students?” Taishi asks. “Well, while I still have a chance, I have something to say to you. I wanted to tell you... without question... you are one of my favorite students. You're hard-working, you're clever, you genuinely care, you have good ideas, and--”
“Awww!” I hate to interrupt him, but his words are so unexpectedly nice, I can't stop myself from cooing. “Taishi, it's really sweet of you to say that!”
“Well, it's absolutely true.” When he faces my direction, I catch a quick glimpse of a smile on his lips. “You're very dedicated to the mission. You're nearly as dedicated as I am. You want to succeed, and I like that about you.”
“Yeah, I am pretty dedicated,” I agree. “But seriously... I wouldn't have performed half as well if I didn't have an amazing instructor. So... thanks.” Even if we don't succeed at this mission—even if Alroy dies—four out of five missions isn't bad. I outlasted most student spirits, and I feel pretty good about that. “Actually,” I continue, “you are one of the best teachers I've ever had.”
“Really?” Judging from his raised eyebrow, Taishi is skeptical.
“Yes! Really! I loved working with you!” I tell him. “I love...” I stop myself. If I sound too passionate, I'll end up embarrassing myself.
Truth be told, when my time with Taishi ends, I'm going to be a wreck. I'll be devastated. I can't imagine working with anyone else. I wish I could spend the rest of my afterlife at Taishi Nakamura's side.
I quickly change the subject. “So, uh... you're not still in pain after your duel with Jophiel, are you?”
“No. Not at all.”
“Are all spirits quick healers, or just the ones that are close to becoming angels?”
“All are quick healers,” Taishi replies. “However, it does vary to some degree. I might heal faster than you, and you would probably heal faster than Alyx. It has to do with personal willpower.”
“Well, no one has more willpower than Alroy O'Brien, that's for sure.” I gesture toward our charge, who keeps shuffling forward, despite his excruciating pain. “His determination is commendable, don't you think?”
“Absolutely.”
“I wish someone loved me as much as Alroy loves his wife and daughter,” I continue. “I mean... can you imagine? Wow.”
After my last remark, Taishi gets silent and serious again. He does talk—seldomly—but only to give me a status update.
“We've traveled four miles, and we have four to go.”
A little over an hour later, he says again, “we've traveled five miles, and we have three to go.”
Only three. Alroy's gotten further than I expected. For the first time, I start to believe he might make it all the way.
Until he falls down and doesn't get up. He drops face-first into a pile of foliage and stops moving. When I see him go down, I scream.
“He's asleep. Not dead,” Taishi reports as he leans over Alroy's face. “I think he exhausted himself.”
“Should we try to wake him up?”
Taishi lays a hand on Alroy's forehead, enveloping him in a golden light. “No. I've given him the strength he needs to survive the night. I think we should let him rest for a few hours. It might benefit him.”
“Are you sure?” I probably shouldn't doubt Taishi's words. In fact, he looks a little peeved by my question.
“Yes, Riley-chan. I'm absolutely sure.” When Taishi sits next to Alroy, dried leaves crunch beneath his weight. “It's going to be a long, boring wait, so... if you'd like to go Home for a bit, I wouldn't mind.”
“Are you sure?”
Taishi gives me a nod. “Yes. I'll let you know when Alroy wakes up.”
If he wakes up. Taishi seems to think Alroy will survive the night, but I'm really not sure.
I take Taishi's advice and warp myself back Home. To my surprise, Alyx isn't in our room, but there's a message from her on my LightTab.
Hey gilr.
Yep. Girl is misspelled.
I'm spending the night at my instructor's house. Hes super cool, his wife is awesome, and hes got a really hot son that I totally intend to hit on. Wish me luck and see you later hun. X
I barely reach the end of the message before I'm startled by a knock on the door. Who could it be? It's not Alyx—she would just let herself in. It's not Taishi—he's busy with Alroy. I don't know too many people here, so my mind defaults to the obvious answer.
It must be Jophiel.
With an audible grumble, I drag myself to the door, throw it open, and snap, “What?”
But I was wrong.
It's not Jophiel, it's Taishi, and he's holding a rose. When he holds it out to me, I suddenly feel like time is standing still. What is going on?
“I had more to tell you, Riley-chan, and it couldn't wait until morning,” Taishi says.
My answer is a predictably idiotic, “Um... okay.” I'm usually not tongue-tied around him, but his rose has me reeling.
“Maybe Jophiel really liked you. His feelings for you might have been genuine... I honestly don't know. But I do know one thing for certain.” Taishi forces the flower into my hand. “I didn't want Jophiel to like you... because I like you.”
My mouth gapes as I study the rose. I like Taishi too, but I never thought he would like me. Never. Not in a million, trillion years.
“You said you were impressed by Alroy's willpower. You wanted someone to care about you as much as Alroy cares for his family. You wanted someone to care about you so much he would claw his way back to you, against all odds.” Taishi's gaze seems to be on my collar, not my eyes. He's struggling to make eye contact. “I want you to know... I would be that man for you. If I had to, I would cross universes to find you again.”
“Taishi, I--”
He disappears before I can reply, and for the next few minutes, all I can do is gawk at the rose in my hand.
Oh my god. Did that really just happen?
When I return to Taishi in the earliest hours of the morning, I don't have a chance to talk to him about any of the stuff he said to me last night. He's focusing on Alroy, and with good reason. Our charge barely has any life left him him. In fact, when I try to check his pulse, I can't feel anything.
“Taishi!” I cry. “You said he'd be alright! You said he'd survive the night!”
“And he did survive the night,” Taishi counters. “He isn't dead yet.”
“Maybe not, but look at him! He's worse!” When I kneel beside Alroy, he rolls on his back and moans.
“Was that... an angel?” Alroy whispers. His eyes are barely open, but I wonder if he caught a glimpse of me? “Angel, are you with me?”
“Did he see me?” I ask my instructor, who answers my question with the tiniest of nods. “But how?”
“When a soul is hovering close to death, they start to see fragments of the other side,” Taishi explains. “He probably saw you for an instant... and then you were gone.”
Alroy cries out to me again. “Please, angel, please! Help me get home!”
I put my hand on top of Alroy's. His skin is so cold, it feels like I laid my hand on a brick of ice. “He's not going to make it back to his wife and daughter, is he?”
“I haven't given up on him.” Taishi's answer is somewhat reassuring, but I have my doubts. “Riley-chan... I want you to heal him.”
I don't say anything. I just give him a puzzled look. I thought healing was an advanced technique that wasn't learned until way later?
“I think you can do it.” Taishi's answer matches the question in my mind. “You're a good student. You grasp things quickly, and your will is strong.”
“You can't heal him again?”
“Maybe. But I want you to try,” Taishi insists. “Lay your hands on his head, Riley-chan. Put your hands on him, and clear your mind as much as you can.”
I follow his instructions to the best of my ab
ility, but it's hard to turn off the chatter in my head. Random thoughts are always popping into my mind, and it's difficult to quell them. When my hands are on Alroy's head, I ask, “Okay... what now?”
“This is going to sound corny, but you need to heal him with thoughts of... of love,” Taishi reluctantly sputters the word. “Love can heal anything. If more people had love in their hearts instead of hate, it would be an entirely different world down here.”
I can't really dispute what Taishi is saying. Alroy just came from a battle, after all. People are always trying to hurt each other. Why don't they try to uplift each other instead?
And once again, I've got random thoughts floating around in my head. I'm really bad at this concentration thing.
“Imagine the faces of people you love,” Taishi continues. “Hold their names in your mind. Remember what you like about them. Remember times they made you laugh, and times they made you feel good about yourself.”
First, I think of my sister. I remember sitting cross-legged on the bedroom floor, playing with dolls and chatting about boys.
Then I think of my mom. We used to go to the mall all the time. She would always buy me snacks at the food court and clothes from my favorite stores. Looking back, I probably didn't appreciate her enough.
My dad is next. I would have done anything for that man. One time, he got pneumonia, and we were afraid we were going to lose him. I prayed every day for him to come home to us. And he did.
To my surprise, Taishi's face floats into my mind. Good God, he's so handsome. Every time Alyx talked about how hot he was, I used to pretend I wasn't interested, but I was lying to myself. Taishi is gorgeous. But that isn't what I love about him. He's confident, kind, smart and reassuring. He gives me encouragement without holding my hand. He's gentle and strong, and I treasure all the time I've spent with him.
All of a sudden, my fingers are enveloped by a warm, soft light. The glowing white light pours into Alroy's forehead, and a few seconds later, his eyes snap open.
“I think you did it,” Taishi says. “Well done, Riley-chan. I knew you could do it.”
Alroy draws a sharp breath as he forces himself to his feet. Then he charges forward with new strength and conviction.
With a roll of my eyes, I gently criticize my instructor. “Love heals anything, huh? That is kind of cheesy.”
“Yeah. But it works. How do you think Alroy's held out as long as he has?” Taishi asks. “His love for his Eleanor and Aisling keeps pushing him forward.”
Alroy is moving so quickly now, Taishi and I are sprinting to keep up. My healing technique must have really worked. I'm impressed with myself.
Just like before, Taishi updates me on Alroy's progress. After twenty minutes of charging through the forest, he reports, “two miles to go...”
“Come on, Alroy, you can do it!” I cheer for him. I always hated cheerleaders, but maybe he needs one? “Go, Alroy, go! You're almost there! Woo hoo!”
Taishi's giving me a strange look, but I don't care. I think my cheering helps, because Alroy picks up his pace again.
“Alrooooy! Wooooo! Look how far you've come!” I keep cheering him on. “You can do it! I know you can!”
After another twenty minutes, Taishi whispers, “One mile left...”
Tears flood my eyes as we follow our charge. I'm so proud of him. And I'm proud of myself, too. I can't believe I got him on his feet again.
When Alroy finally reaches his little thatched cottage, his wife is outside in the garden. Unfortunately, he doesn't make it all the way to the front door. As soon as he sees his wife, he drops to his knees with a bellowed sob.
“Alroy?” Eleanor tosses aside a bundle of carrots and races to her husband's side. “Alroy!”
“Aisling...” Alroy croaks. “I want to see Aisling too.”
“Aisling!” Eleanor screams at the top of her lungs, then she throws herself on the ground next to Alroy and carefully moves his head to her lap. As her fingers comb his hair, a deluge of tears drips down her cheeks. Like us, she knows he's going to die.
A few seconds later, Alroy's six-year-old daughter bursts from the cottage and runs to her dad. Despite his rapidly fading strength, he reaches for his daughter, catching her in a hug.
“I hope Aisling isn't traumatized by all the blood,” I whisper to Taishi, who promptly shushes me. Maybe he thinks I'm ruining the moment?
“I love you,” Alroy whispers. “I love you both.”
“I love you too, da,” says a sniffling Aisling. Eleanor is sobbing so hard, she can't echo the sentiment.
“I'll be gone soon.” He pulls his wife's hand to his lips and kisses her knuckles. “Take care of my mum when I'm gone.”
Eleanor finally speaks. “Yes! We'll take care of her, Alroy. Don't worry.”
“Good.” When Alroy sighs, the lines on his forehead seem to fade. In the arms of his wife and daughter, he seems content. “I'm glad I got to see you both... one more time. My god, you're beautiful. Both of you. You've blessed my eyes with your faces. I was a lucky man.”
And then he's gone.
His spirit is suddenly standing over his body, looking more than a bit confused.
Taishi and I don't have a chance to explain what's going on. Before we can utter a single word to Alroy, Jophiel and Amber appear. There's an exchange of sneers between Taishi and Jophiel that has me rolling my eyes.
Amber launches into a familiar speech. “I'm Amber. The angel, Amber. I'm here to take you Home. Before you ask about my wings, let me just say... they're large and cumbersome and I don't prefer to have them out.”
“Angel?” Alroy whispers. He's not looking at us. He's paying more attention to his sobbing wife. “So... when I was dying... I really did see an angel?”
“Nope,” I speak up, timidly raising my hand. “You saw me. I'm just a spirit guide. Well... I'm a spirit guide student, actually. I--”
Amber interrupts me. “Not anymore, Leigh. You completed your final mission. As of this moment, you're no longer a student. Well done.” She quickly turns her attention back to Alroy. “Anyway... it's time to take you Home, Alroy O'Brien. You have a lot to learn about the afterlife. Actually...” Amber addresses Jophiel, who hasn't stopped scowling at Taishi since the moment he arrived. “Jophiel, why don't you take him Home? As I understand it, there was a minor kerfuffle between you and Taishi Nakamura. You caused trouble during their mission?”
When Jophiel answers, there isn't even a tiny hint of shame in his voice. “Maybe. So what?”
Amber can't admonish him. I wish she could, but she can't. As an Archangel, Jophiel outranks almost everyone.
That doesn't stop Amber from sharing her opinion. “Well... that's bad. It's a good thing Leigh succeeded, huh? If she failed, and you played a part in her failure, I would have had to file an incident report with Archangel Michael.”
Jophiel responds to Amber's remark with an indifferent snort, then he grabs Alroy's arm and whisks him away. A few seconds later, Amber grabs me and Taishi and takes us Home.
As soon as we arrive, Amber exclaims, “Honestly, well done, Miss Riley! Not many students complete all five missions.”
“Well... I had Taishi. It was kind of impossible to fail.” When I smile at my instructor, he timidly averts his gaze. “Still, that's not to say we didn't struggle. Sometimes, we came really close to failing!” Maybe I shouldn't have admitted that?
“The important thing is, you didn't fail.” Amber wraps an arm around my shoulders and steers me away from Taishi. She doesn't even give me a chance to say goodbye, to thank him, or anything. Oh well. I'm sure I'll see him soon enough.
“Now...” Amber continues. “If you recall, there was supposed to be a final test for students who successfully completed all five missions. As always, there are very few of you.”
“How many?” I ask.
“Two. Only you and Chandak Sood completed all five missions. Six students have yet to return from their fifth mission, however, none have a perfect s
core, so we can proceed to the final test.”
As we head to the classroom, I study Amber's profile. She's back to looking young again, which is a relief. It was kind of strange to suddenly see her looking like an old lady.
“Actually...” Amber continues, “I don't want you to get panicky about the word test. Test is probably a poor description. It's more like an oral exam or... or a choice.”
I'm not even going to try to guess what that might mean.
“After your first mission, do you remember what I said?” Amber asks. “I said there was a special reward for students who successfully completed every mission.”
“Yeah. That sounds vaguely familiar.” We enter the castle—which I affectionately refer to as Disney Castle with Alyx—and head to the classroom. Chandak Sood is already inside and sitting at his desk. I wonder how long he's been waiting for us?
“Today, you'll both find out what your special reward entails,” Amber says, motioning toward an empty desk. “Sit down, Miss Riley. Sit next to Mr. Sood. There's no one else here, so you needn't sit in the back of the classroom like you always do.”
I can hear Mr. Sood muttering under his breath, “she only got through because of her instructor...”
I don't know if he meant for me to hear that, or maybe he doesn't care, but it's really hurtful. I know I was lucky to get a high-ranking instructor, but I worked really hard to get here. Chandak shouldn't make assumptions. I bet he can't warp and heal and do all the things I can do. He can kiss my--
Amber's singsong voice interrupts my thoughts, “Okay, now that you're both here, I have a question for you.” Our smiling teacher sits behind her desk and studies our faces with interest in her eyes. “What if I said... you could be resurrected?”
Mr. Sood reacts first. “Resurrected? You mean... back in the mortal world?”
Amber's smile grows as she nods. “Yes.”
“I could be with my wife and kids again?”
She nods again. “Yes.”
“Are you serious?” Mr. Sood is so thrilled, his butt is sliding off the seat. He looks like he's about to fall out of his chair and hit the floor.
