Author's Note: Hi everyone! Sorry for the long delays. My computer got a blue screen thingy and my dad had to fix it. But I'm here now! I was originally going to work on TCR chapter 41, but now that the computer got fixed, some chapters of my stories in my folders got all weird, including chapter 41, so I deleted it and will work on a new one. The other ones that are affected were already done so I'm not worrying about them. Hey! Good news! I got my hands on volume 4 of With The Light! Such a sad volume! I wanted to cry at some parts! And I saw Tales of the Abyss episode 20! My favorite villain died! Waaaagh! Oh well. No more rambling. Anyway, I present to you all, chapter 2 of Firefly's Enchantment!! Read and review nicely please! NO FLAMES!!! Happy reading!

CHAPTER 2: Can you prove yourself worthy?

Continuing from where the first chapter left off, a 15-year old boy named Hirokawa Hotaru had gone into a little path in the forest after school to see the pond that was up ahead. He did see it...along with something else. He saw a beautiful young woman sitting on a tree branch and playing a flute. This young woman looked to be in her mid-20's. She had long, shining silver hair that went to her ankles. She was wearing a pure white kimono with a little white rose accessory in her hair. She had eyes as blue as the sky. Her skin shared the same pearly opalescence as her silver hair. But she surely wasn't albino. She was too beautiful to be albino.

The young boy gazed up at the white woman in the evergreen summer trees. His hazel green eyes were fixated on the woman and he couldn't avert his eyes. His brownish yellow hair was blown in the direction of the wind, yet he maintained his gaze. The two made full eye contact. His hazel green eyes to the eyes as blue as the cloudless sky on a bright, sunny day. The woman said nothing. Neither did Hotaru. The two were fixated too much on each other. Hotaru remembered that he had a dream last night. He was in this very pond, only in the night, and that he was being embraced by this very same woman. He had no explanation for it, but he felt happy with the dream. He couldn't move. He wanted to, but his eyes were likely to be glued to this woman's white appearance.

Then, the woman slowly began to move her body. She moved her legs off of the branch and left them hanging from it. She then slowly but gently slided off of the branch, and she fell to the ground. She landed on the green grass on her feet. She wasn't hurt at all. Hotaru didn't react a bit, though he was hesitant at the sight of the woman leaping off of a tree branch, fearing that she would be hurt. Such a beautiful woman like her wouldn't want to have a stain or injury on her appearance. The woman returned to gazing at the boy. Hotaru didn't react one bit, but he was beginning to think. He felt emotions of neither anxiety, fear, or joy, which was strange. He just stood there, staring at the woman. They were both staring, even though it was usually not polite to stare. They couldn't help it. He was beginning to wonder why he didn't move at all. The wind was beginning to lighten up. His bright green shirt and black pants weren't being blown against his body and limbs anymore.

The woman then slowly turned around and began to walk up to Hotaru. She kept her doll-like expression. Hotaru wasn't able to react, but he certainly was thinking. He was thinking: Why is she walking toward me? Why is she looking at me? He didn't know the answers to the questions that arose in his head. He assumed that the woman began to have a thing for him, even though he was younger than her. The woman in white then walked right in front of Hotaru and stopped in her tracks. Their eyes, fixated only on the other's eyes, met fully. Hotaru saw how tall the woman was. She looked to be about 6'2 in height while he was about five feet. He didn't know his exact height. The woman then slowly began to raise her arms, wrapped in the long, big sleeves of her white kimono. The arms formed a circle as she wrapped them around Hotaru. She then slowly pulled him towards herself, almost as if she was hugging him.

Hotaru was being embraced by the woman, just like as he was in his dream. He suddenly began to feel strange things. But these feelings and emotions weren't anything like anxiety, fear, or sadness. They were the opposite. He felt a warm sensation in his body, just from being hugged by the woman. It was like his entire, apricot-colored body was smiling and feeling happy. He slowly closed his hazel eyes and decided to embrace the hug warmly. The woman clung to him gently with her white arms. She opened her cloudless blue eyes, staring down at the boy's brownish yellow hair. She raised her right hand and began rubbing the boy's hair gently and slowly. His hair was quite soft, like the fur of a kitten. The woman then lessened her embrace on the young boy and slowly kneeled down to match his height. The woman's cloudless, sky blue eyes and Hotaru's hazel green meadowy eyes matched each other's gaze like never before. The woman then closed her eyes and slowly moved her face toward Hotaru, rubbing against the side of his face. She lifted her other hand and gently placed it on his cheek. His peach-colored cheek was also quite soft. Hotaru didn't know what to think of these strange gestures being displayed by a young woman such as this. But regardless, he didn't want to do anything, so he played along by closing his eyes.

The white, silver haired woman was gently rubbing herself against the fragile boy. She then slowly slid her head down to rub against Hotaru's chest. He still had his light green shirt on, so she wasn't going to be able to do anything erotic, which she wasn't. Hotaru kept his eyes closed and began breathing air a little. The woman was rubbing her face into the boy's chest, increasing the feeling of warmth inside of Hotaru. He never thought that this was a bad situation at all. He actually felt happy that this was happening to him, even though one would usually be shocked or frightened and scared when this would happen. The woman then slid her head back up toward Hotaru's face and her little nose gently rubbed against his nose. She was giving him a nose kiss. Hotaru giggled mildly at the nose rub. Then, the woman finally stood back up straight and opened her pure, sky blue eyes. Hotaru followed suit by opening his hazel eyes. The two were staring at each other's eyes again. Like before. Only a few seconds later...the woman's eyes grew a little big as she became shocked.

"Oh!"

The woman yelped and clasped her hands onto her mouth. Hotaru was slightly confused.

"Oh goodness. It seems I've done it again..." The woman said in a nostalgic, pure, angelic voice of a young woman like herself. Hotaru was quite confused, but he didn't think anything of it. The woman removed her hands from her mouth, put a hand on her chest, covered by her white kimono, and began to speak.

"I apologize for my rude 'introduction' earlier. It seems I have strange ways of introducing myself" The woman told the boy below her gently. Hotaru was a bit surprised for a second, but his face softened and he gave a soft smile.

"...It's alright" The boy replied in a soothing, calm, gentle male voice which seemed slightly younger than his own age, even though he was approaching puberty. The woman was a bit surprised.

"You...you're alright with it?" The woman asked.

"Yes. I...I actually...liked it. Your movements, your gestures, your embrace, your nose kiss...they made me happy" Hotaru told the woman softly. The woman seemed a bit relieved and let out a small sigh.

"Well, I do apologize for them. I'll introduce myself the proper way. I am known around this village as Kanon. I am the entity of this pond and the village in which you live" The woman, finally known as Kanon, introduced herself. Hotaru was a bit surprised.

She wasn't human, even though she resembled it. She was an entity.

Despite this, Hotaru showed no signs of fear or anxiety, even though his face looked a bit nervous.

"Did I...do something wrong?" Hotaru asked in a nervous tone of voice. The woman chuckled a bit.

"Heheheh. No, not at all. You don't look like the type to cause trouble and commit heinous crimes. And yes, it's true, I am the God of this village, the place you live, and not only that, I am the one who blesses those who do good deeds and punishes those who commit bad deeds. I have watched over you ever since you were born in this very pond. You can see us youkai because of it. I gave you that ability" Kanon explained to the boy.

What she said was true. Not only was Hotaru diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, or a mild, high-functioning form of autism, he had another secret that he never told anyone about, not even his own family and friends. To be more precise, he couldn't tell anyone about it because he couldn't talk when he was younger. The secret? He could see things nobody else could see. He could see ghosts, monsters, spirits, all of which are youkai, mononoke and ayakashi. They're another word for Japanese demons, spirits, and deities. They were the subject in a lot of books, folkore, and fantasies. Of course, in this modern-day time, not a lot of people believed in them, nor could they see them in particular. But for Hotaru, that surely wasn't the case. Hotaru looked up at Kanon with his nervous look, then looked down.

"You...know my secret" Hotaru said. Kanon slowly and gently put a hand on Hotaru's cheek and made him look up at her again.

"You seem sad. Please, don't be. I'm not trying to exploit you. I do know that you have reached 15, is that true?" Kanon replied. This was also true. Today was Hotaru's 15th birthday.

"...Yes. It is" Hotaru replied quietly.

"Then you have become of age. The reason that you are here in my prescence now is that...I...need your help" Kanon told the boy. Hotaru became a bit confused, but his expression didn't change much. Kanon removed her hand from his face and stood up.

"Need my help? With what?" Hotaru asked, curious. Kanon decided to explain.

"Your ability to see us youkai is quite powerful because of your birth in this place and my abilities. I recently remarked that I was the God of this village. The position of God...can't be kept by the same entity forever. In my world, various youkai gather together and decide which youkai is best fit to become the God of this village. It's an opportunity that many youkai covet greatly. They can do whatever they want to the village. They can benefit it's existence, or hinder it. This opportunity happens every 200 years. But...not all youkai want to become the God of this village for the sake of the people. There are those who take advantage of it and abuse their power. They don't care about the human dwellers of the village and think of them as lowly beings who are cruel and discriminatory toward the youkai. Some seek to destroy the village. I am the current God of this village, yet my time is running out. I wish to keep my position as God. There are only two candidates left for the position. The candidate running against me is an evil youkai who only wants to become God for profit and personal gain. Not only that, he wants to make the humans do his bidding. I cannot let that happen. That youkai also has the power to corrupt the hearts of innocent youkai and transform them into the darkness of evil. In order to decide who should be the new God, the candidates have to pick a human being with exceptional abilities, especially the ability to see youkai, as their "key" to winning the competition. My candidate chooses to corrupt the hearts of young youkai so that he can get the most votes, and become the God. This is where you...Hirokawa Hotaru, play your important role"

Kanon was being very explicit and stern with her explanation. She was calm, yet distressed. Despite this, Hotaru listened hard and followed along with the story. It seems Kanon is in a power struggle to reclaim her position as the God of the village. Another entity is trying to keep her out of the God position in order to claim it for itself. Hotaru was surprised with the fact that he is going to play a role in this competition. Kanon was just about to explain it.

"I choose to purify the hearts of the youkai. Evil must not exist in the hearts of youkai who choose kindness and love over vile deeds and hatred. Since you have the ability to see youkai and that you have a kind, angelic, pure heart, I must choose you to help me reclaim my position as God. I cannot let it fall into the hands of that evil thing, not after all the crimes he committed...toward me. I know this may seem odd, but it's the truth. You have reached the acquired age to help me with my quest. I apologize for this being a huge responsibility for you, but it's imperative that you participate. I was the one who blessed you with the ability to see youkai and the kindness that dwells in your heart"

It seems Kanon wants Hotaru's help. He was quite surprised. He was never asked to help a beautiful young woman with such a big task as this before. He was never even told who this evil entity is. But he kept his calm expression and followed along. He immediately saw it in her eyes. She wanted that unknown entity to never hold the position of the village's local God. He seemed willing to accept this responsibility, but he had some questions that he wanted to ask. He didn't want to hold back, so he decided to speak.

"Ummm...will this big task interfere with my school schedule in any way?" Hotaru asked calmly. Kanon's expression seemed a bit sad.

"I honestly don't know. That is something that I'm not capable of predicting" Kanon replied quietly, yet with a stern tone in her voice. Her voice wasn't soothing or nostalgic. Nevertheless, Hotaru's expression showed that he wanted to accept this task.

'She's being serious, but the people around me can't see youkai like I do. Will they notice? Will they see that something will become strange? It's wrong to tell a lie, but if I accept this responsibility, I can't get my family or friends involved. I think I might be in for a lot of battles and attacks. I certainly wouldn't want them to be involved in something dangerous. I certainly don't want to fight, since I'm a pacifist. But...since she says that it's imperative that I participate...I guess I don't have any other choice, now do I? I have to accept what I've been accustomed to.'

Hotaru thunk long and hard. He was trying to decide if he should decline Kanon's message or not. He did remember that the word imperative meant something that is absolutely required and unavoidable. Hotaru didn't have a choice. Kanon's doll-like expression remained, but Hotaru was finally willing to respond.

"Are you willing to accept this task?"

Hotaru finally had his answer ready.

He spoke.

"Yes"

Kanon heard the response and was surprised.

"What? You...you're serious?" Kanon asked, surprised. Hotaru kept his calm and collected expression.

"Yes. I am serious. I don't want anyone to be hurt so...I accept this task, no matter how overwhelming or large it may be" Hotaru replied. Kanon was quite surprised that Hotaru decided to accept the task without complaint or protest. Kanon let out a small sigh and her expression softened up a bit. She still looked a bit sad.

"I must admit, I personally do not wish for a fragile child as you to be involved with such dangerous matters such as these, but as my colleague says, you're the only one who can help me reclaim my position as this village's deity. I cannot let it fall into the hands of evil. But...I have to have your help. I have no one else to turn to. The competition starts tomorrow, and I will provide you the tools that you need in order to assist me in my mission" Kanon told the boy as she placed both hands on his shoulders. Hotaru's expression softened up a bit and smiled softly.

"You...you seem like a kind woman. You completely contrast my depiction of a God of a local village. It's not a bad depiction, but you most definitely are the opposite" Hotaru commented with a smile. The comment he made had no trace of malice in it. He meant it as a compliment when he said that she was kind. Regardless, Kanon smiled brightly.

"Thank you very much, Hotaru-san" Kanon replied with a soft smile as she removed her hands from his shoulders and embraced Hotaru again. But she only put her hands on Hotaru's ribs.

"I hope that we can cooperate properly with each other in order to get this mission done" Kanon told the boy gently. But the response that she received wasn't one she had expected. Hotaru had let out a small, childish giggle. Kanon was confused.

"Is this funny? You said you were serious" Kanon rebuked mildly. Hotaru laughed quietly again and opened one eye.

"No, not that. You're...in my weak spot" Hotaru told her with a slightly troubled smile. Kanon looked down and realized that her hand had held up part of Hotaru's shirt a little and rested on his bare stomach. His fingers were directly on the peach-colored skin. Kanon saw this and was a bit surprised, but remembering Hotaru's reaction, she then let out a slightly devilish smile. She placed her other hand on his chin and lifted his face up.

"Oh? Could it be that you're ticklish?" Kanon asked with a mischevious tone in her voice. Hotaru smiled a bit.

"I'm afraid so" Hotaru replied. Kanon's devilish smile and mischevious side began to reveal itself. She then gently put her hands on Hotaru's shoulders and slowly but gently pushed him to the ground. She made sure not to hurt him, but she had no malicious intent in doing this. She slid next to him and clenched one of her hands onto one of Hotaru's wrists, holding him to the ground. Hotaru kept his confused but calm personage on his face. Kanon then used her other hand to push Hotaru's green shirt up just a little bit, just to an extent where it revealed his navel. She made sure not to reveal his "secret parts", or else they'd be in big trouble.

"Well well well, I do have an affinity for having a little fun with things like these. I hope you don't mind my little humourous side, my little firefly" Kanon told the boy, gazing into his hazel green eyes, with a devilish smile. She then slowly placed her hand onto Hotaru's abdomen and gently, ever so gently, began moving her long fingers on it, especially around his navel. Her fingers danced on his abdomen in a mysterious rhythm, like leaves being blown by the wind. Hotaru smiled at the soft, gentle feeling on his stomach. He tried to hold back, but he couldn't keep them inside. The feeling of fingers moving across his skin felt so soothing to him that he couldn't help finally releasing a rhythm of childish yet flamboyant little laughs. Soon, his soft giggles began to increase in their volume. Of course, Kanon wasn't trying to hurt him. She was just having a little fun with a childish little thing. Hotaru lifted his head up a little bit and opened one of his eyes as he was laughing. Kanon seemed to notice this and kept her devious smile.

"K-Kanon...! Y-You're tickling me..." Hotaru remarked, even though his giggling kept getting in the way of his talking.

"Do you not like this feeling?" Kanon asked.

"Not that! You're...trying to...ease my fears, aren't you?" Hotaru replied. He managed to hold back a few laughs to say what he wanted to say. Kanon was a little surprised for a bit, then smiled again.

"You certainly are a knowledgeable boy...and a very cute one at that, with such a vulnerable body like this. I'd assume you didn't like the concept of someone tickling you" Kanon told him. Hotaru shook his head.

"No no. I-It's alright. Haha! P-Please, go on" Hotaru remarked again as the laughing spells he tried to hold back were beginning to spew out like a brine. Hotaru felt victim to Kanon's tickle attack, even though he claimed that he doesn't mind being tickled by a youkai. He certainly liked the gentle feeling of soft fingers rubbing against his skin. Kanon, while feeling a little unsure and hesitant, continued her playful way of easing the tension in him regarding the task. They were both kind of happy with the time that they're spending.

About a few hours later...

The day began to turn into night. The dark blue sky began to blacken the mixture of orange and purple in the evening sky. The white crescent moon began to reveal itself, and the little stars began popping into the dark oceanic blue sky one by one. Hotaru and Kanon were done their little tickle fight and they gazed upon the pond. The pond reflected the sky in its water. The water is like a mirror, reflecting whatever looks into it. Hotaru gazed at the water and the flowers toward him with a soft and gentle expression on his face. Kanon sat next to him, sitting on her knees in a traditional way and gazing at the stars.

"I...I like coming here. It's so peaceful during the night. So quiet...nothing can bother you" Hotaru said quietly. Kanon looked at him for a few seconds, then closed her eyes.

"Yes, it is...hm?" Kanon replied when she opened her eyes again and the sky was transformed into a blackened blanket of many little white stars and a crescent moon. Kanon stood up and stared at the scenery in front of her. Hotaru looked up and was confused.

"What's wrong, Kanon-sama?" Hotaru asked.

"It's...it's time" Kanon replied quietly. Hotaru was further confused, but then Kanon slowly pulled out her flute, the one she had earlier, and held it up to her mouth. The silver flute shone in the light of the stars and the moon and penetrated the darkness a little bit. Kanon held the flute hole up to her mouth and she blew into it...it was the beginning of a musical remedy.

The music being played was a piece that Hotaru had never heard before. He didn't recognize it from anywhere. He was familiar with some famous music pieces, but he had never heard such an intense yet beautiful and mesmerizing piece such as the one that Kanon is playing on her flute. Regardless, to Hotaru, the music being played on the flute felt very calming, warm, enlightening and soothing. He closed his eyes and smiled just from hearing it. He felt that the music was carrying him on a white cloud, lifting him away from his worries and anxiety. He wanted to tell Kanon how beautiful it was, but he was too mesmerized on it to speak. The melody had a tint of sadness to it, but most of it had pleasant moods and heart-warming rhythms.

Then, the beautiful melody was suddenly ceased. Hotaru opened his eyes and saw something...or some "things" that surprised him. There were a lot of youkai. He hadn't seen so many of them before. A lot of them ranged from human lookalikes to large monsters to little animal creatures to object lookalikes. Some looked human, but had features like horns or wings or claws or creepy-looking eyes or pieces of paper or masks on their faces. Some of them were wearing robes that looked like kimonos, but they didn't have any pictures on them. Kanon put her flute into her white kimono and stared at all the youkai that were gathered around the other side of the pond.

"Everyone. May I have your attention please? I summoned you all here tonight because I am going to release my blessings, purify the darkness, and welcome a new summer by summoning the fireflies tonight. I understand that this may be my last performance as the God of this village for today, but with your support, the age of the fireflies will never end as long as I reclaim my position as the God of this village. But I cannot do it alone. I need the support of all the youkai who have praised me in the past election. I thank you all for coming, and I need your help to reclaim my position as God starting tomorrow. I must not let it fall in the hands of the other candidate, or evil will befall us all!"

Kanon began her speech. Her speech was powerful. It contained confidence, wisdom, and heart. Hotaru seemed a little bit nervous as she mentioned the other candidate, whose identity is unknown, and that "evil will befall them". To Hotaru, this part of the speech seemed more like a warning than a simple part of a speech. Then, out of nowhere, sounds began echoing the pond. The youkai were cheering and clapping and roaring. Hotaru's face became agitated and he quickly covered his ears with his hands. The youkai began chanting.

"Yes! Kanon-sama must remain the God of the village!"

"It is she who blessed us with her powers!"

"She must remain as God!"

"We cannot let our favorite God fall into the hands of the corrupt!"

"We shall fight for her safety!"

"Yes! The age of the fireflies must continue onward!"

"Kanon-sama is wonderful!"

"A magnificent God she is!"

"She'll continue to be if she gets the most votes!"

"Kanon-sama is about to speak! Shush up!"

The youkai were talking about Kanon and praising her for her supposed good deeds and blessings. The youkai chatter began to cease and Hotaru removed his hands from his ears. Kanon was about to speak again.

"By being the God of the village, I have prevented this village from falling into the hands of the corrupt and made sure that those who committed terrible crimes and bad deeds were punished severely. Unfortunately, if I lose my position as the God of this village, I may never claim it again. Youkai of Minatsu-no-Basho, I have a wish from you! Lend me your power so that the other candidate will absolutely not win the position as the God of the village!"

Kanon expressed more courage and confidence in her newest speech. In response, the youkai began roaring, chanting and shouting. Hotaru hid behind Kanon as he was beginning to moan. Apparently the noise of the cheering crowd was bothering him. He immediately covered his ears with his hands and tried to push on them to block out the noise.

"Let Kanon-sama keep her place!"

"Evil must not exist!"

"We will always have Kanon-sama as our God!"

"The other candidate must not win!"

"Evil must not prevail!"

"Kanon-sama has been so kind to us! We must repay her kindness!"

"Yes! Let's repay her kindness by helping her win again!"

The youkai crowd cheered on loud and hard. Kanon finally raised her hand as a signal for the other youkai to quiet down. In response, the many youkai finally quieted down. She then looked behind herself and saw Hotaru curled up in a little ball. He slowly moved away from her and removed his hands from his ears. But he still kept his eyes closed. Kanon turned toward the youkai and let out a smile.

"Everyone. I present to you all...the beginning of summer!" Kanon exclaimed with all her might as she raised both of her arms into the sky, as if she wanted to reach the stars and grab a hold of them. Kanon's palms were facing the sky, so catching the stars wasn't that much of a concern to her. The sky was clear and blue with the white moon and stars floating over it. Hotaru didn't open his eyes the whole time, but he began to hear the strange music again, only it didn't belong to Kanon. He finally opened his eyes, but...it was suddenly too dark to see. Even with the white moon and sparkling stars being shown, he wasn't able to see the figures around him.

It wasn't pitch black, but Hotaru couldn't see any of the youkai around him. The only thing he could do was stop and listen to the music that was being played. He couldn't see who was playing it. The environment around him was much too dark for even himself. He clung to Kanon, whom he knew was right next to him. He closed his eyes for a bit, until...

A little green light appeared in front of his face.

It was the brilliant glow of a small firefly.

Hotaru's hazel eyes peeled open as he saw the little ball of green light float gently in the cool air. He removed his hands from his ears and tried to touch it. The firefly gently landed itself on Hotaru's finger. Hotaru smiled just at the sight and feeling of the firefly. The tone of the music being heard seemed more soothing and beautiful...somewhat nostalgic, but had a slight melancholy to it. Hotaru then saw another firefly. Two, three, four, five, six, seven...fireflies began appearing out of nowhere! The pond began to light up from the large number of fireflies appearing. Hotaru smiled at the sight. There was now about a hundred fireflies floating around and over the pond. Their combined glow made the water look like it was glowing.

Then, the little fireflies suddenly withdrew to the center and gathered together. They began moving in a strange and mysterious rhythm. The boy was confused. Could they be dancing to the music? He was confused, but fascinated and infatuated with the firefly's mysterious dance. The music became more elegant and nostalgic. Hotaru looked up and saw the fireflies spinning around with their brilliant green light infiltrating the pitch black darkness. Hotaru was surprised yet captivated by the strange firefly performance. He smiled happily as he had his eyes fixated onto the fireflies, for whom he could not avert his eyes.

Then, the firefliy circle began to break and the green lights began to scatter. One firefly approached Hotaru and landed on his chest. Hotaru giggled a little bit at this, but soon noticed that all the little fireflies began to float all around him. He looked around, confused as to why such a large group of fireflies would be so interested in him. Hotaru decided not to think of it as a bad thing. He smiled and raised his arms up, hoping to have some fireflies land on them. He smiled greatly and happily as he embraced the brilliance and the warm effulgence of the fireflies. He couldn't help himself. He couldn't help but think that he was suddenly one of the fireflies, flying around over a pond in the night and making the night look brighter. His name was Hotaru(1) after all, so he figured he was compatible with the fireflies anyway. He embraced the fireflies flying quickly around him around with the lyrical and nostalgic music.

'What is this warmth?...What is this feeling? I...I feel so happy...I...I can't seem to contain myself! Why is it that I feel like I am one of these brilliant little insects? These tiny little insects make the darkness so much brighter. Like they're melting the ice encasing a cold heart and warming it up. Kindness. Warmth. Love. These feelings are what the fireflies display with their glow...have I been blessed in the place where I was born? The place I was named? Am I a part of this place?'

Hotaru's thoughts didn't interrupt his happy little time with the fireflies. The fireflies danced in their mysterious rhythm which seemed to match the melody of the lyrical and grand music that seemed to sooth Hotaru equally as much as the fireflies. Kanon and some of the youkai watched as the green fireflies danced elegantly around the fragile boy in a mysterious yet irregular manner. Then, the fireflies began to break their formation and drift away from Hotaru. The fireflies returned to the clear pond and began flying in their own manner. Kanon had brought her arms to the ground and opened her eyes.

"I give you all my final blessings. Please support me in any way that you can accomplish, and do not let that candidate manipulate you into joining his side!" Kanon exclaimed and bowed politely. Hotaru was a bit confused, but oddly enough, he decided to follow suit, even though he was not told to do so. The youkai on the other side of the pond also bowed before her and decided to leave. Soon, it was only Kanon, Hotaru, and the masquerade of fireflies. Hotaru looked up at Kanon.

"Was it you?" Hotaru asked out of innocent curiosity. Kanon was a bit confused.

"What do you mean?" Kanon asked.

"Was it you who surrounded me with the masquerade of fireflies and their brilliant lights?" Hotaru asked with a small smile. Kanon was a bit touched by his question and looked down at the clear waters of the pond while the white moon and stars were reflected in the water like a large mirror.

"Yes. It was me. I didn't want you to feel troubled, so I had the fireflies give you their blessings. Today is your birthday, so I thought I'd give you your...well, 'birthday present'." Kanon replied quietly. Hotaru closed his eyes and gently clenched his hand onto Kanon's.

"I...I am grateful. You have truly made my birthday feel special today" Hotaru told her with a gentle smile. Kanon blushed a little and was mildly touched. She let out a small smile herself. Then, all of a sudden, Hotaru's expression changed from content to shocked.

"Oh no!" Hotaru exclaimed loudly.

"What's wrong?" Kanon asked.

"I...I must return home. My parents might be very worried about me by now" Hotaru retorted as his expression began to look sad and nervous. Kanon saw this and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I shall escort you to your home" Kanon told him. Hotaru gasped a little bit.

"Uh...are you serious?" Hotaru asked, feeling a little nervous.

"Yes. I am. Please do not worry. I won't cause any trouble. I just need for you to close your eyes" Kanon told him with a stern expression. Hotaru had no protests, so he decided to do as he was told and closed his eyes. Kanon slowly began waving her arms around like she was practicing in a kabuki performance. Hotaru's eyes remained closed. He was lost in his thoughts. About a few seconds later, he finally opened his hazel green yet meadowy eyes. To his surprise...

He was right in front of his house.

Hotaru was quite surprised. 'Did Kanon-sama teleport me here?' thought Hotaru as he stared at the door in front of him. He was in the pond a few seconds ago. He saw that Kanon wasn't there with him anymore. He finally decides to go into his house and say hello to his family. He walked into the door, saying his casual "I'm home." line. But the response he got...was unexpected.

"SURPRISE!!!"

"Gyaaaaaaaah!!"

A small number of people were in the living room, greeting him with a lively and happy cheer. There were many multi-colored balloons and some confetti and streamers everywhere. There was even a banner in the end of the living room that read "Happy 15th Birthday Hotaru!" to which the writing in marker seemed to smell like fruit. Hotaru walked inside only to be approached by a young woman who looked to be in her mid-30's. She had long, light brown hair with a tint of blonde, to which some of it was tied into long braids. She also had dark green eyes. She was Hirokawa Tsukiko, Hotaru's mother.

"Where have you been? You had me and Mitsuru worried!" Tsukiko told him.

"I...I apologize for being so late, mother. I was at the pond, watching the fireflies. I'm sorry" Hotaru told his mother quietly and casually in his monotone voice. Tsukiko smiled a bit and held Hotaru's hand.

"My little boy's finally growing up. Oh! Let's have some cake! Sakura-chan and Dai-chan made it especially for you! The presents too!" Tsukiko told her son with a smile and took him into the kitchen. A few children followed suit. Hotaru sat in one of the dining room chairs and saw a round cake with chocolate indulgence with the words "Hotaru is 15!" written in bright pink frosting. There were 5 little candles on it, each a different color. Small, glowing, orange flames blazed on the candles. A boy around Hotaru's age grabbed his shoulder happy. He has crimson red hair with three medium-sized spikes facing one direction and has emerald green eyes. He is Sahashi Daisuke, one of Hotaru's childhood friends who has Down Syndrome.

"Hotaru-kun! Blow the candles again! Make another wish!" Daisuke commanded with a cheerful and joyous attitude. A girl calmly removed the happy boy from Hotaru. She looks to be 14-15 and has long, dark blonde hair and hazel green eyes which were mostly green. She is Uetake Sakura, Hotaru's other childhood friend.

"Now now, Daisuke. Let Hotaru take his time. We don't want to overwhelm him or give him an anxiety attack" Sakura told the boy in a calm, polite and soothing female voice. Hotaru looked down at the small cake and took a small breath. Then he exhaled it all out and blew the orange, elegant flames on the candles out, making them disappear into the air. The four people then began to cheer and clap.

"Yay! Now it's presents! Open mine first!" Daisuke proclaimed as he held out to Hotaru a ragged, brown paper bag. Hotaru seemed to recognize it for some reason.

"That's the one you had yesterday" Hotaru told him.

"Yesh, it is! Now open it!" Daisuke pushed the bag onto Hotaru. Hotaru, a little surprised and curious, gently ripped the tape holding the opening down and used his hands to open the bad. He put his hand in it to see what was inside. What he pulled out was something he didn't expect.

It was a palm-sized firefly robot!

Hotaru was quite surprised.

"This was in the paper bag?" Hotaru asked.

"Yes sirree! Mamo-kun and I made it! I designed it, he did all the techy stuff. He couldn't make it here today because he had science club. I know you like fireflies, so I thought I'd make one. If you press this blue button here, it lights up and flutters it's wings!" Daisuke explained to his friend. Hotaru pressed the little blue button on the side and the firefly robot's rear began to blink in a yellow/green light along with the clear wings flapping up and down. Hotaru smiled.

"Thank you very much, Daisuke. I like it" Hotaru replied with a soft smile as his face began to blush a little bit. Daisuke giggled at the response. Tsukiko was up next. She presented a white bag with pink stripes on it.

"These are for you, sweetie" Tsukiko told him with a smile. Hotaru put his hand into the bag and pulled the contents within it out into the light. He pulled out two DVDs. Hotaru was surprised.

"Ohhhh! You got me the first 2 DVDs of Jungle Emperor(2)! I've been wanting this!" Hotaru exclaimed loudly in a mixture of shock and joy. Tsukiko smiled at the reaction.

"They were very hard to find. Mitsuru helped me order them off of the internet. They were strangely low-priced, but I hear the quality is good. But that's not all! There's still more items in the bag!" Tsukiko explained. Hotaru dug his hand into the bag again and pulled out...2 manga books. Both of which were the same title.

"Ohhhhh!! You got me the Unico(3) manga too!? Thanks so much mother!!" Hotaru shouted loud with joy. He was insanely happy. Daisuke and Sakura began talking.

"Sakura-tan! You, Hotaru and I used to watch the movies all the time when we were kids! Remember?" Daisuke remarked happily. Sakura laughed lightly and smiled.

"Yes. It's one of Hotaru's favorite movie series. I hear the manga is very hard to find, but he's got all two volumes now. Isn't that great? I've always wanted the books, but I could never find them" Sakura told him.

"I wonder if the movies are still out?" Daisuke asked.

"I hear the VHS tapes are out of print. I wonder if they'll release them on DVD soon?" Sakura replied. Hotaru turned to his two friends.

"We can read the manga together if you want!" Hotaru exclaimed with a bright smile. Sakura and Daisuke felt happy and decided to watch Hotaru become giddy with happiness and excitement. Sakura decided to present one of her presents. She pulled out a light blue bag with a picture of a cake on it. She placed it in front of Hotaru.

"These are from me. Sorry if they're not good. I tried my best" Sakura told her childhood friend as she presented the slightly larger blue bag in front of Hotaru. Hotaru removed the purple plastic paper from it and pulled out what appears to be...a small purple photo album. He opened it and saw that there were many pictures of Hotaru and his friends from when they were younger.

"A photo album? This is quite nice" Hotaru told his friend. Sakura blushed a bit.

"I apologize if it's not good. Me and Daisuke have one too with all of our pictures. I copied all the photos we have of us as kids so I could put them in an album to give to you. It's all our memories. And that's not the only thing in there. There's other things too" Sakura explained even though she seemed a bit nervous. Hotaru closed the photo album and placed it on the table. He dug deeper into the bag and found other things inside. He pulled out a CD along with a small stuffed lamb with a gold bell around it's neck.

"You got me a sheep doll and the CD with Yuna Ito(4) and Celine Dion(5)'s duet song(6)!" Hotaru exclaimed. Sakura put her hand on the back of her head.

"That album was quite a tricky thing to find, and one of my cousins made that doll. It's supposed to be that sheep from that one movie you like. Ringing Bell(7) was it?" Sakura told him. Hotaru smiled brightly and hugged the little sheep doll.

"It really does resemble Chirin(7)!" Hotaru proclaimed happily as he childishly hugged the little sheep doll in his hands close to his heart. Tsukiko smiled.

"Last but not least, Mitsuru's lovely present! I think you'll be very surprised with what he managed to find!" Tsukiko exclaimed as she dragged her husband, Hirokawa Mitsuru, into the kitchen. He looks to be in his mid 40's and has slightly messy black hair and brown eyes. He is Hotaru's father. Mitsuru was holding a small present in his hands. It was wrapped in light green wrapping paper and had tape on some parts to hold them down. There was a sparkly silver ribbon on the top along with a white letter on it. Mitsuru averted his eyes a bit and began to blush. Hotaru was a bit confused, but curious.

"Th...These are for you, my son" Mitsuru said quietly to his young son and held out the present. Hotaru raised his small hands to take the box and he held it up to himself. He slowly removed the wrapping paper by ripping it a bit. He opened up the present...only to find something VERY unexpected.

There were three DVDs of four different movies put in a pile. Hotaru was very very VERY shocked and filled with joy.

"Waaaaaaah!! You found DVDs of Ringing Bell, the two Unico movies, and Legend of Sirius(8)?!?" Hotaru shouted loudly and happily. Sakura and Daisuke were surprised as well.

"I thought they weren't gonna release DVDs until later!" Sakura retorted.

"Yeah! Why didn't I know about dis (this)!?" Daisuke exclaimed. Hotaru was quite happy and hugged his father tightly. Mitsuru was touched, but he blushed a bit. He decided to smile a bit.

"Open my card. There's something else" Mitsuru told his son quietly. Hotaru quickly opened up the white letter and found a birthday card inside of it. It was titled "From a Father to his Son". Hotaru opened it and read the little words inside of it.

Son, I love you
I keep you close to my heart;
You are the salt of my life
My legacy of things to come;
My pride and my beauty
I'll cherish you for life.

You're mine, I really care for you,
I raised you up with deep joy in my heart,
Treasure of my soul,
I'll never hurt you,
Forever you'll be
my one and only future.

Happy birthday, my dearest son

Hotaru read the card and then realized that a green paper fell out. To his surprise, it was 5000 yen! Hotaru smiled at the card and he nearly teared up, but he held it back.

"Thanks, father. I love it" Hotaru quietly told his shy father. Mitsuru blushed a bit and tried to avert his eyes, but couldn't. Tsukiko then popped up as if she remembered something.

"Oh! I just remembered! Hotaru! Grandma sent you a little present too! Hold on, let me look for it! Oh! I better prepare dinner too! I'll put the cake away and prepare my special pin-wheel noodles!" Tsukiko exclaimed. All three children cheered happily with joy.

"Yay! Hotaru! Your mom's wheelie noodles are delicious! Especially when they're first made!" Daisuke proclaimed with ecstasy.

"I agree! Even my mom and sisters are in love with it! Sometimes I wish Riko-chan was here for this" Sakura said to herself. Hotaru then looked up and he began thinking. Then...a sudden flash of white light blurred everything up.

(flashback)

Thursday, April 27, 2002

A young Hotaru, Sakura, Daisuke, and another young girl were eating Hotaru's mom's special pin-wheel noodles in his house. All of them looked to be about 10-11 years old, at least in the 6th grade. The other girl had black hair tied in a flouncy little ponytail along with having eyes as clear and blue as the ocean. They were all eating happily.

"Mmmmmph! Sooooo good!" A young Daisuke proclaimed happily.

"Every time I eat these, they're so delicious! Don't you agree, Riko-chan?" Sakura said. The little girl next to Hotaru was Riko, or rather, Karino Rikoto, which was her full name.

"Yummy! I could live off of these! Hotarun! Your mama's a great cook!" The girl, Rikoto, told Hotaru with a big, childish smile. The young Hotaru didn't reply. To be more precise, he couldn't reply because he can't talk. Regardless, Hotaru smiled and continued eating the noodles that his mother is so good at making.

(end flashback)

"Hotaru?"

The sound of Sakura's voice snapped Hotaru out of the confines of his mind.

"Huh?"

"What's wrong? You seem out of it" Sakura asked him politely with a slightly worried tone. Hotaru brushed his choppy bangs a little bit.

"No no. Nothing. While mother is making dinner, anyone wanna return to their childhood?" Hotaru replied with a smile. Sakura and Daisuke decide to go into the basement to watch the movies that Hotaru recently got. Hotaru's basement was his little place to live. He does a lot of things down there in his spare time like draw, watch TV, play on the computer, and other things. It doesn't look like the nicest basement to play in, but it wasn't icky or deserted at all. After a half an hour, dinner was finally ready!

Tsukiko's special pin-wheel noodles were ready to be made. The pin-wheel noodle dinner came with pieces of chicken and corn that was put with it. Five dishes were made to fit the criteria of people in the house right now. Hotaru, Tsukiko, Mitsuru, Sakura, and Daisuke clasped their hands together.

"Itadakimasu(9)!!"

After they said that, they finally began to chow down their food. All three children were very happy with how fresh and good it tasted.

"Gooooooooood..."

All of them were blushing and sparkling with happiness, ecstasy and joy. All of them were chowing down their food, but they did it slowly so that they wouldn't choke. Mitsuru was the only one who finished his dinner in the longest amount of time.

After dinner, the three children decided to play a little more. Hotaru looked at the clock and saw that it was around 7:30 PM. The three decided to play until it was about 8:30 PM. They decided to read Hotaru's new Unico mangas first. After that, they did other things. They looked at their photo albums and talked about the things they did when they were younger, they played a little game of "Would You Rather" in the living room, they discussed the projects they were going to present in art class tomorrow, what they plan on doing later in the future, and other things. Tsukiko manages to give Hotaru the present that was sent to him by package from his grandmother. Apparently his grandmother sent him some new clothes, a DVD of a new anime, and 4000 yen. After an hour, Sakura and Daisuke finally go home, not wanting to worry their families or trouble Hotaru's family, even though they say that they're no trouble at all. After they leave, Tsukiko and Mitsuru retreat to their bedroom to talk.

"Our little boy is finally growing up" Tsukiko said with a smile that seemed slightly sad. Mitsuru kept his stoic expression.

"Physically, you mean. Hotaru still needs to improve on growing up mentally before actually becoming an adult" Mitsuru said.

"Yes, I understand. He doesn't cook meals, but he does use the microwave and he cleans his room and his laundry. He still needs to improve on socialization though. I see what you mean, Mitsuru" Tsukiko explained. Mitsuru looked at her.

"Tsukiko. You're too naive. What if Hotaru loses everything he's learned? What if he'll relapse into a severely autistic state like he was when he was younger? What do you plan to do then!? What if everything we've done to make his life better will all be for nothing!?" Mitsuru rebuked loudly. Tsukiko paused a bit, then her expression became serious.

"You're too pessimistic, Mitsuru. Do you remember what Koyasu-sensei said that time? He said that it's difficult for autistic children to relearn things, but that varies depending on the range on the scale that they're on. We even got him evaluated one time and, although he did forget some things, he scored so high on the evaluation test that he baffled every doctor that evaluated him. Unlike you, I look forward to the future in a positive light. I try to make the situation better. My parents always taught me that "actions speak louder than words", even though sometimes that may not be true. I mean, I admit I'm happy that he's talking and speaking verbally, but the doctor said that getting him to at least communicate is very important. And we taught him to communicate in lots of ways and he never forgot them. True, it took the first 12 years of his life to get him to talk, but he's been communicating since he was young, so at least be happy that he's making progress in communication. Don't get me wrong, I know you love Hotaru more than anything. I just feel that you should believe in him a little more. I know, those incidents back then really set you off. I can understand. I'm angry at those people too. But they're gone now, so let's enjoy the happiness that our child has now."

Tsukiko was quite serious and explicit in her monologue. Mitsuru was touched a bit as his eyes got slightly big. His expression softened and he averted his eyes. He looked at the clock on the table, which read 8:47 PM. The sky was clearly dark and only having a masquerade of glittering stars and the white moon watching over the earth. The two of them stayed quiet until Hotaru walked into the room. Hotaru was dressed in light blue pajamas. His shirt had short-sleeves and had a picture of a yellow crescent moon on the breast part and his shorts went slightly to his knees. He was barefoot and in his arm was a little Unico doll.

"Oh! Hotaru-chan! What's wrong, sweetie?" Tsukiko asked. Mitsuru turned toward his delicate-looking son.

"Ummm...may I sleep with you both tonight?" Hotaru asked quietly. Even though his voice was soft and quiet, Tsukiko and Mitsuru were able to hear him clearly. The parents looked at each other for a minute, then turned their faces back to their young son. The idea of their son sleeping with them seemed a bit awkward. But knowing Hotaru, he surely wasn't the type to do anything sexual or erotic if sleeping with someone else, even though he's never done it before. They decide to smile.

"Of course. We don't mind" Tsukiko told him with a smile. A few minutes later, Hotaru was lying in his parents bed, placed in between his mother and father. His father was on his left while his mother was on his right. The two of them smiled. The clock on the table read 8:51 PM. Even though it was a school night, they decided not to mind and make an exception. Hotaru's hazel green, meadowy eyes were about to close, but they were gazing up at the ceiling. The room was dark, but he wasn't scared. He was tucked in safely under the big blanket covers while in between his cherished family. Mitsuru decided to speak.

"When we're like this...it really does feel like we're a family" Mitsuru told the two. Tsukiko smiled.

"Yes, it really does. We don't get to be like this very often, now do we?" Tsukiko replied when Hotaru's eyes finally decide to close. His head fell softly onto Mitsuru's shoulder. Mitsuru saw this and blushed a bit, but not after smiling a little. Tsukiko smiled brightly.

"He's so cute" Tsukiko said quietly with a smile. Mitsuru then looked at Tsukiko.

"Tsukiko. Since it's a school night, when we wake up, we'll take Hotaru back into his room" Mitsuru whispered to Tsukiko.

"Alright then" Tsukiko whispered back. Along with their fragile child, the two parents lay onto their beds and pillows, closing their eyes and finally drifted off to sleep. This certainly was a calm, peaceful night for the Hirokawa family...but an unexpected visitor arrived.

A little firefly lays gently on Hotaru's chest and brightens the room with it's brilliant green glow.

Author's Note: Yay! I'm done chapter 2! I'll work on chapter 3 later, but I better start a TCR chapter soon! I finally finished season 2 of Gundam 00! Waaagh...Tieria...(cries a little). Anyway, I went on a 2-day trip to Pennsylvania with my dad last week and although I had to miss school, I had fun anyway (even though I had a BIG nervous wreck when I had to do that stupid math homework I didn't even understand). I discovered that I have relatives that I didn't even know existed such as more cousins and a grand-uncle and a grand-aunt. Anyway, I better go now. I gotta start on some make-up work and that big history project. But maybe I'll relax by watching more of Unico and the Island of Magic. Okay! Gotta go! Bye-bee! Review nicely! NO FLAMES!!!

Footnotes:

1. Hotaru means firefly in Japanese.

2. Jungle Emperor is a very old manga created by a famous mangaka named Osamu Tezuka. It was adapted into an anime in the 60's and had some movies (can't remember how many). It's called Kimba The White Lion in America.

3. Unico is another famous manga by Osamu Tezuka. It's about a baby unicorn who makes people happy with his powers, but he's taken to a lot of places in order to make sure the Gods don't exile him to the Hill of Oblivion. There are two movies ("The Fantastic Adventures of Unico" and "Unico and the Island of Magic") that were produced by Sanrio in the early 80's.

4. Yuna Ito is a young American-born singer who lives in Japan. She's currently well-known for her song "Trust you" which was the song used as the second ending theme for season 2 of the Gundam 00 anime. Hard to believe she's American! Lucky her!

5. Celine Dion is an American-born singer who is most famous for her song "My Heart Will Go On" used for the movie called Titanic along with some songs for Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

6. It's true. Celine Dion and Yuna Ito made a little duet song called "Anata ga Iru Kagiri -A World to Believe In-" back in January of 2008, which, by the way, is awesome!

7. Ringing Bell, or Chirin no Suzu in Japanese, is one of Sanrio's famous movies that was made in the late 70's. It's personally one of my favorite movies and I have a bootleg DVD of it that has both English and Japanese tracks. The main character, a little lamb, is named Chirin, as Hotaru commented earlier.

8. The Legend of Sirius, also known as The Sea Prince and the Fire Child in America, was another one of Sanrio's movies made during the early 80's. It's a fantasy and mythology version of Romeo and Juliet, but I personally love it.

9. Itadakimasu - Japanese for "thanks for the food!"