Only a Memory Away

     "Is anybody home?" The young man threw the question into a house he knew was empty, not expecting an answer. They all had 'real' jobs these days - Rowen was a computer consultant, Kento a phys ed teacher at the local high school. Cye was a chef in the best restaurant in town, Sage owned a local antique store. Mia had taken her grandfather's place as a professor at the university. Even Ryo had found work, ironically as a firefighter. He never had been able to give up working around fire. The youth snorted, shaking his dark, shoulder-length hair. /Real jobs. As if saving the world wasn't enough.../
     Absently, he kicked off his shoes by the door - Mia always did have a thing about him tracking mud through the house - and picked up the day's mail from where it lay, scattered on the floor. Dropping his backpack in the corner, he headed to the kitchen for a snack, half-heartedly perusing the envelopes in his hands.
     "Bills... bills... Kento's car magazine... Ryo Sanada, you may have already won a million dollars. Yeah, right. That'd happen. Bills..." His hand wavered unsteadily above final envelope. The official seal in the corner marked it as coming from that American school he'd applied to...
     He dropped the other mail on the table numbly and stumbled his way upstairs.
     It had been a lark, applying there. He'd only really done it since the others had been so supportive. Through the past months, though, he'd done research. It had a good program. It would be a good college... if he got accepted.

  ~I hear the voice of my destiny call~
  ~And I know I must go find my way~

     Yuli lay on his bed, staring at the still-unopened envelope. He couldn't bring himself to open it, too afraid of the contents of the letter he knew it contained.
     An untelligible yell from downstairs told him that at least one of the others had returned. /Shit. I don't want them to see me like this.../ Throwing indecision aside, he ripped apart the fragile paper, exposing the letter inside. For a moment, he didn't dare look at it, but curiosity got the better of him. His eyes quickly scanned the sheet before him.
     '...we are pleased to offer you admission...'
     The joyful shout echoed through the quiet house.
     Only the shadow at the door brought Yuli back from his relief-induced euphoria. "Are you alright, kid?" Kento's concerned voice traveled quickly through the space between them. Yuli quickly nodded, not quite trusting his voice yet.  A dubious look on the older warrior's features told him that it wasn't very convincing, either.
     Taking a couple of deep breaths to calm down, Yuli looked at the man who had been one of his best friends for almost as long as he could remember. He hadn't changed much in the years since the war, none of them really had. Not physically, at least. Mentally, the strain of all they'd been through had tempered them. They were kinder, closer, more affectionate than most would suspect by looking at them.
     "So what happened?" The question brought Yuli back from his reflection.
     "Oh, it's nothing, Kento." The other opened his mouth, to argue or press for an answer. Yuli rushed on, not allowing a word in edgewise. "It's nothing much, really. Look, I promise I'll tell you tonight at dinner, when the rest of the guys are around, okay?"
     "Not really, but I suppose that's the best I'm gonna get, isn't it?" A youthful giggle and nod were the only confirmation he needed. A rumbling sigh crept from his lips. "Then I guess I'll see ya at dinner, kid. Just keep it down a bit, huh?" Yuli nodded again, watching as Kento shut the door behind him, leaving only a sliver of hallway light from underneath the huge slab of wood.
     America! He'd be going to America, enrolled at one of the best schools, making new friends and having new experiences... with a trembling sob, he sank down on his bed again, muffling his sobs in the soft cotton of his pillowcase.

   ~The hardest part will be leaving you all~
   ~And I'll miss you much more~
   ~Than words can say~

     The others took it well, congratulating him heartily and regaling him with tales of their own college years. They spent the summer together, reveling in the company of friends, knowing all the while that it would probably be the last time for a long while that they'd all be together. Only later did they vent their tears, always carefully turning away from the boy... the young man... they had known for so long, sharing their grief where he could not see it.
     August came faster than it ever had before, bringing with it room assignments and other such details. The finality of it all seemed to settle into each of the former warriors, as well as their young friend.

   ~I'll be only a memory away~
   ~If you need me,~
   ~You can call me any time of day~
   ~And I'll be there~
   ~It's okay~
   ~I'm only a memory away~

     The dreaded day finally arrived. With shaking arms, Yuli found six separate pieces of paper. Filling them with fond memories and signing them with his new address and phone number, he slipped them under his friends' bedroom doors. Gathering the last few pieces of luggage, he silently left the house, heading toward the train station that would take him to his plane.
     The others were all unable to make it to the airport with him. They were busy men, they explained patiently, they had obligations of their own. But they'd promised to be there before the plane. Every one of them promised.
     And so he waited alone, in the seats beside the gate his plane was to leave from, constantly scanning the busy airport for them.
     --Now Boarding, Flight 1142 to St. Louis--
     He looked up, startled, and glanced again at his ticket. /That's my flight! But... It can't be... They all said.../

   ~My intuition says something is wrong~
   ~My friends said they'd come say good-bye~
   ~I can't go until I know what's going on~
   ~I fear there is danger~
   ~Somewhere nearby~

     --Final Boarding Call for Flight 1142, Leaving from Gate 3 to St.Louis--
     With a sad backward glance, Yuli shuffled onto the plane. Finding his seat and stowing his luggage, he sat down. /At least it's an aisle seat. I won't be completely squished./ The thought did nothing to cheer him, and he stared out the window as the airport slowly receded from view. /I'll call them tonight, while I wait for the connecting flight./ Feeling slightly better, he closed his eyes to the cloud-covered world beneath him and sank into an uneasy sleep.

   ~I'll be only a memory away~
   ~If you need me~
   ~You can call me any time of day~
   ~And I'll be there~
   ~It's okay~
   ~I'm only a memory away~
 

     No answer. There was no fucking answer! It'd be practically midnight back home by now. Where the hell were they? He was beginning to be seriously disturbed. There was no way that they'd be out at that hour... not anymore. They still occasionally cruised the party circuit, but not often enough for that to be a serious reason for them not to answer the phone. Especially not tonight, of all nights! There had to be a good reason that they broke their promise. It wouldn't have happened if there wasn't. Part of him absently hoped that they were alright.
     Deep in the corner of his mind, loneliness tenaciously ate at his consciousness. Silent tears slowly traced his delicate features as he boarded the next flight, which would take him within an hour's drive of the dorms.

   ~We've been together in good times and bad~
   ~You've always been there for me~
   ~I'll always treasure the best friends I have~
   ~Eternally~

     Leaving the second plane was one of the hardest things he'd ever done. Head down, he followed the press of the crowd to the baggage claim. Rough, hurried people pushed past him rudely, neither noticing nor caring when someone accidentally tripped him, then hurried away. Instead, they muttered expletives at him and kicked him out of the way.
     Yuli stared sullenly at his scraped palms, almost unaware when another hand inserted itself between his own hands and his face. He blinked dumbly at it.
     "Well, fine, if you really don't want help up..." The teasing tone quickly drew his eyes to the face that owned the hand. Bright blue eyes blinked down at him innocently from beneath a tangle of long, black hair.
     Tears of incoherent joy sprung to the youth's eyes as he noticed the small group standing behind Ryo. Grasping the proffered hand, he leaped up, engulfing his friends in a massive group hug.
     "You came. You really came! I thought that something happened to you, or that you forgot or.. Gods am I happy to see you again!"
     Slight choking sounds interrupted his exuberant speech. "Of course we came, kid!" Kento's slightly muffled voice floated up to him. "We couldn't let ya leave all alone now, could we?" Yuli's arms tightened around the group in respone, relief and joy fighting for control of him.
     "We're glad to see you too, Yuli..." Cye gasped slightly for breath. "But do you really need to strangle us to prove it?" Embarassed, the youth quickly withdrew from the embrace, giggling slightly as the warriors gasped for the breath he'd denied them.
     When he could breathe normally again, Ryo shot a grin at his young friend. "Now... don't you have some luggage or something that we're supposed to help you with?"

   ~I'll be only a memory away~
   ~If you need me~
   ~You can call me any time of day~
   ~And I'll be there~
   ~It's okay~
   ~I'm only a memory away~

     Yuli glanced around his dorm room. They had really done a good job, getting it all in and unpacked in a few short hours, before they had to catch their own flight home. Smiling slightly, he carefully brushed over the small parting gifts they'd left him. Sage had given him some scented candles, ones that they'd always used at home. Rowen had given him a small sculpture of flying birds. Cye had carefully baked him pastries. Kento had given him a book of 'truly useful' English, which proved upon closer inspection to be a book of curse words and rude phrases. Ryo and Mia had collaborated, finding pictures of them all, dating from the Dynasty invasion to the day before he left Japan.
     Carefully, he put his gifts away, finally pulling out a small, flat package they'd strictly forbidden him to open until they left. Turning it over in his hands, he slowly tore at the corners of the package, relishing the way the paper crumpled under his fingers.
     The paper and tape fell away, revealing a CD jewel case. Puzzled, he opened it up and placed it in his stereo. One by one, his friend's voices drifted out of the speakers, each taking their own turn to tell Yuli all he'd meant to them... and how much they would all miss him.

   ~Only a memory away~
   ~If you need me~
   ~You can call me any time of day~
   ~And I'll be there~
   ~It's okay~
   ~I'm only a memory~
   ~Only a memory away...~

~The End~