"Since You Went Away"
An El Hazard fanfic written by Emily Siazon.
All characters are owned by Pioneer Entertainment.
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     A flash of light. 

     Searing pain.

     Makoto abruptly released his latest invention, multi-colored spots
dancing before his eyes.

     He backed away to a safe distance, watching as his ticket home
erupted into a million pieces, its fleeting blue flame casting an eerie 
glow on his surroundings.

     He could still feel the heat against his bare feet as he walked 
towards the molten contraption, making sure not to step on the 
sharp fragments scattered all around it.

     Makoto's head bowed in defeat, watching the wretched remains
of this past month's work fizzle. Yet another failure to add to his list; 
another time he had let Infurita down.

     His eyes traveled from the pitiful apparatus to the ebony canopy
above, dotted with an unfamiliar arrangement of stars. He could see
them twinkling, hypnotizing him with their beauty. 

     Not for the first time, he wished that he could see the same sky 
he had grown up watching. He would love to be able to point out 
Vega right now, a comforting sight due to its familiarity.

     Nevertheless, the night sky in El Hazard was beautiful, a strand
of stars in the distance reminding him of the Milky Way, which then 
prompted him to remember a long forgotten story that his
grandmother had told him when he was younger. If he closed his 
eyes and thought hard enough, he could even hear her soft, husky 
voice tell him about the two lovers, Orihime and Kengyu, and the
tragic story on how they could only meet once a year by traveling 
across the galaxy.

     Makoto sat down on the wheat-colored meadow, the knee-length 
grass caressing his bare arms. Thoughts of the fictional couple led 
to Infurita, where many of his musings tend to end up.

     Makoto's brow furrowed while he wondered if she'd ever had a 
chance to appreciate the dazzling surroundings like he did now. 
His mind went back to the time when their mind melded, replaying 
the scenes she had bestowed upon him. Did her memories consist 
of only fire and death?

     Makoto bent his lower body so that his knee touched his chest, 
brushing away a stray lock of dark hair before looping his arms 
around his long legs. He still shuddered despite his actions and the 
warm breeze, the thought of such a bleak existence inconceivable
to him even after having shared her memories.

     He wished then, more than anything, for a companion to help 
ease the loneliness that suddenly overwhelmed him. Seeing the 
world through Infurita's eyes always made him melancholy.

     Had he been in a slightly cheerier disposition, Makoto would 
have cheered at the sounds of footsteps against the recently 
scorched grass a couple of yards to his left.

     He looked down just in time to see a flash of red land next to 
him.   

     "Hey," the scarlet-haired priestess offered as a greeting.

     "Hey yourself."

     "It didn't work, huh?"

     No shit, he thought. But he knew that she was only trying to be 
nice, being a friend when he needed it the most. "No."

     "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll get back to her," she whispered, her 
words laced with pain. 

     Makoto stared at his companion for a couple of seconds, 
wondering why she bothered to hang around him when he was 
obviously the source of her distress. He abruptly stood up, catching 
her by surprise as he offered her his hand. "So, how are things in 
Mount Muldoon?"

     Shayla-Shayla smiled as she accepted his offer, grateful that he'd 
changed topics. "Oh, well, Miz has been mooning over Mr. Fijisawa 
as usual. And Afura is..."

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Author's Notes: Um, well since this is a first draft written early this
morning, some c&c would definitely be appreciated.