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"They Find Light"
By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a. Inuyashas-hanyougirl

The Story of Halo, Zenith, and Nadir

Part Three: The New Beginning

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   The storm had quieted down, and was now little more than a gentle rain shower.  The sound of the droplets falling was soothing and calming, a blessing for the nerves of both Zenith and Nadir as they awaited news on Halo’s condition.

   They were now in the nurse’s lounge on the third floor.  Nurse Clara took special care of them, carefully drying off their rain-soaked hair, fur and skin.  They got dry clothes out of Nadir’s duffle bag to change in to, and once they were warm and cleaned up, Clara brought them warm blankets, much like she had done for Nadir and Halo all those years ago.  She also brought them some food to nibble on, giving them part of the food she brought for a meal instead of food from the cafeteria, with two bottles of water to help wash it down.

   She made sure they were comfortable on one of the couches in the room.  A television was on, the volume turned down, and yet neither of the twins paid it much attention.  Nadir nibbled on his meal a little, while Zenith only took a bite or two, encouraged by his twin to eat.  Both of them were silent, Nadir only speaking a few words, while Zenith spoke none.

   While she was supposed to be working, Clara kept a watchful eye over the boys.  She gazed at them, her eyes windows to the pain in her heart.  Clearly both Zenith and Nadir, and Halo as well, meant a great deal to her, and while having them back was a blessing, she knew that these poor souls had suffered greatly, and this troubled her.

   Once everything had settled down, Clara’s friend Nikki returned to her.  She found Clara standing in the doorway of the nurse’s lounge, continuing her silent watch over them.  Both Zenith and Nadir were now silent, wrapped up in the blankets, leaning against each other for comfort.

   “Clara?” Nikki asked quietly.

   Clara looked to her friend.  “Yes?”

   Nikki smiled.  “Last news I received, Halo was stable.  The fall in the bathtub didn’t cause any terrible damage.  Her head has a few bumps, and she has a bad bruise under her fur from where her arm slammed down on the soap dish, but it’s nothing serious.”

   The look of hope in Clara’s eyes was brief.  “And the bleeding Zenith mentioned?” she asked.

   “The doctors assumed at first it was simply her period,” Nikki replied, “Nadir did mention she was on it, however, they just notified me that there was simply too much blood for it to be part of her cycle.”

   Clara’s face paled.  “And?”

   Nikki took a breath.  “And, before I left, they told me they know now why she collapsed, and why she is bleeding so profusely.”  Clara waited for Nikki to speak, while Nikki glanced into the room at the boys.  “Please Clara, you should be the one to tell them,” Nikki added as she stared at the floor sadly.

   She whispered something in Clara’s ear.  Clara’s face paled the rest of the way, her eyes empty and glistening with grief.  Taking a short and staggered breath, Clara tried to find her voice as she whimpered, “Oh God,” under her breath.

   “I’m sorry Clara,” Nikki whispered, “But remember, it’s not too late yet.  They told me they had a chance to try and stop it.  Not all hope it lost.  Make sure he knows that…you remember it too.  I’ll go back and wait, and tell you the minute I hear anything.”

   Clara wiped away the tears forming in her eyes.  She didn’t answer Nikki, but instead looked back in the room at Zenith and Nadir.  She held her hands together over her heart and whimpered, “Those poor angels.  They should never had to have suffered this kind of pain.  They shouldn’t have to choose between breaking the law and saving their loved ones.  They shouldn’t feel the only way they can survive is to hurt other people.  The sweethearts…they deserve better than this.”

   Nikki looked to the twins as she listened to Clara speak.  “You’re going to make sure they don’t run away this time, aren’t you?”

   Regaining as much of her composure as she could, Clara looked to Nikki, smiling as she replied, “They’re the ones Nikki, I feel it in my heart.  I always believed, that the reason my life turned out the way it did, was because one day I’d be given something to fill that void.  I felt it in my heart six years ago, and I cried when they disappeared, because I knew it meant they had resigned themselves to the only lives they knew, when they deserved so much more.”  Gazing back at Zenith and Nadir, she continued, “I’m going to make sure they get it.”

   “…You are quite fond of them, aren’t you?” Nikki asked.

   Clara looked back to her friend.  “They might as well be my children,” she whispered, “It seems they were sent here for that purpose.  …You go on and be sure to tell me the minute you find out anything about Halo.”

   Nikki nodded, and then headed off in the direction of the ER once more.  Clara watched as she disappeared, before looking back at Nadir and Zenith.  With a sigh, she walked into the room, putting on a brave face for the boys.  They offered no response to her entrance.  Nadir was sitting up while he held Zenith in his lap.  Zenith was exhausted after crying so much, and so his brother cradled him.

   Sitting down beside Nadir, Clara looked to him and said, “I’ve got some news on Halo’s condition.”

   Poor Zenith summoned whatever strength he had left to sit up.  Aided by the strength of Nadir’s arms, he rose to sit beside his brother as he looked to Clara.  “Please, tell me, is she alright?” he asked, his voice broken.

   His eyes looked so desperate, as did Nadir’s, desperate and scared.  Clara’s heart went out to them; she reached across Nadir’s lap to take one of Zenith’s hands, and placed her remaining hand on Nadir’s shoulder.  “Listen to me boys,” she started, “Nurse Nikki told me that the ER doctors have determined she wasn’t injured from the fall in the bathtub.  She has some bumps and bruises but it’s nothing terrible.  It’s the reason she fell…that is the focus of their work.”

   Nadir looked frightened.  Zenith looked sick.  Neither of them spoke.

   Clara sighed again, as silently as she could, closing her eyes as she shook her head and summoned the will to speak further.

   “You said you saw blood running down the drain when you found her,” Clara continued.  Nadir nodded softly.  “Well, as I said before, it wasn’t from an external injury,” she added.

   “It’s because of her period, right?” Nadir asked, on the inside knowing there was no way it could be that simple.

   “Did she tell you she was on her period Nadir?  Or is that what you assumed?” Clara asked.

   Nadir looked to Zenith, who returned the glance.  “Well, she was awfully moody the past few days,” Nadir explained, “Of course, Zenith and I are used to her moods swinging…it’s no big deal.  Then, last night she apparently went out to buy something without telling us.  We assumed she needed…personal effects.”

   When Nadir stopped speaking, Clara looked to Zenith, who added, “But…no, she never actually told us she was…on her cycle.  She never really tells us…it’s not like we have any need to know.”

   “Unless…you know,” Nadir said, looking to his twin.

   Zenith sighed.  “Yeah…she’ll tell me if…that comes up.”

   The two boys were feeling increasingly embarrassed, spilling their guts and showing themselves at their weakest to this woman, even when she was being so kind to them.  It was unnerving, for they still had no idea what to make of her care and concern.

   Clara felt her heart being stung by sadness, for she could feel the pain pouring out of the twins with every word they spoke, every glance they gave, every breath they took.  She had no idea how she would break to them what was really wrong.

   Standing up, she knelt down on the floor before them, taking one of Zenith’s hands in her own, and one of Nadir’s in the other.  “Zenith, Nadir, I believe the reason she didn’t tell you, was because she wasn’t on her period at all,” Clara started.

   The twins glanced at each other.  The fear they were feeling now only got worse.

   “However, there was a reason for why she was moody, and for why there was blood trickling out of her.  It just…isn’t what you think,” Clara continued.

   “Please!” Zenith cried in a pained whisper, “What’s wrong with Halo?”

   Clara felt terrible.  Her gaze was fixed on his face, but drifted to the wedding ring that hung around his neck on a black cord.  Obviously both twins cared about Halo a great deal, but Zenith had so much more at stake.  What she had to tell him would rock him much deeper than it would Nadir…stinging him hard.

   “Zenith,” she said, her voice soft, “I think maybe the reason Halo went out, and got what she did, was so she could find out what we already know.  You see, Zenith, the doctors, while they were treating her, trying to find out where the blood came from, they…”  Clara struggled to speak.  She found she could only manage to tell him if she said it all at once, keeping her gaze locked on his eyes, staying as calm as she could in order to keep him at ease.  She took a breath.  “Zenith, …Halo is pregnant.”

   A sick gasp escaped Nadir, who jerked in his seat beside Zenith, unsure of where this rush of energy came from.  Zenith, however, did not move.  His eyes widened, but his expression barely changed.  “No…something’s wrong,” he whispered.  “You’re not finished.  I may not know much, but I do know women can’t be pregnant and have their periods at the same time.  …What happened to her?”

   Clara felt her nerves rattling her body, serving to make her feel as sick as possible.  She now held both of Zenith’s hands with her own, moving to sit beside him on the couch.  Once she moved, she put her arm around Zenith and said, “She collapsed in the bathtub, and started to bleed Zenith, because…”

   “She was miscarrying, right?” Nadir answered, his voice soft.

   Both Clara and Zenith turned to look at him.  Nadir lowered his eyes and whispered, “I—I…saw it in a movie once.  Some guy was mad at his wife, and he beat her up…throwing her around really bad.  It was so bad that she had a miscarriage.  Odd thing is, she was taking a shower when it started.”

   Zenith looked back to Clara, finally understanding what that meant.  Tears glassed over his eyes as he struggled to breathe.  At that moment, he and Clara locked eyes.  As they gazed at each other, Clara felt the urge to weep.  Seeing Zenith’s tears, feeling his distress, knowing his pain; he might as well have been her son.  Zenith, though he barely knew this woman, felt he could turn to no other for comfort in his time of weakness.  Though he could not remember his mother, he felt no shame when he moved forward to rest in her lap, curling up in a ball as he began to weep.

   Nadir and Clara gazed at him.  Clara felt tears fall from her eyes.  She stroked Zenith’s hair as she held him and whispered, “It’s alright Zenith.  It’s not too late yet.  Nikki told me they’re working to stop the bleeding.  You found her so quickly, and keeping her lying down as you carried her and getting her here so fast means there’s a good chance they have plenty of time to save it.”

   Zenith didn’t speak, and only continued to weep.

   Nadir closed his own eyes, feeling tears flood together behind the lids.  “No wonder Halo agreed with me…she wanted us all to settle down because…she knew.  She knew we needed to change, just like I did, and Zenith slowly began to accept, only, she didn’t tell us how urgent the need was…she didn’t have time to,” he whispered to himself.  Sniffing hard, he lost control as the tears fell.  “It…it wouldn’t be such a tragedy if…if she lost it.  Sure…it’ll be sad…terrible it will be, but…we can barely take care of ourselves yet.  We all want to change, but…can we really do it?  I just…maybe…we should all just…disappear.” Nadir added, his voice failing as he finished speaking.

   Clara’s heart couldn’t take anymore.  “That’s quite enough,” she said, causing Nadir to look at her.  Even Zenith looked up at her when she spoke.  She smiled at them and replied, “Do you want to know why you’re not in trouble for what you did years ago?  …We all knew something was wrong from the moment you three showed up.  I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I knew you all needed help, more than just care for Zenith.  I was about to ask you about everything, but you ran away.  Your bill was still paid though, Zenith.”

   The twins looked confused.  “How?” Nadir asked.

   Continuing to stroke Zenith’s hair, she said, “I paid it for you.”

   A gasp escaped Nadir.  Even Zenith gazed at her with wide eyes, both boys feeling confused.  “Why on earth would you do that?” Nadir asked, “We treated you so badly, and then you did that for us…why?”

   “I tried looking for you Nadir,” Clara continued, “I didn’t want to punish you.  The story you told me was bad enough…and now I know it was simply a cover for an even sadder tale.  I know you feel the world has turned its back on you…that most everyone around you wishes you were gone away and don’t care, but that’s not true.  You have love in your hearts for each other, and for that love, you fight to survive.  There are still more that can show you that same care, and fight equally as hard for your good.  When I didn’t find you, I despaired, and though you’re here in your darkest hour, this means we all have a second chance.”

   Though he continued to cry, Zenith looked up at her and asked, “A second chance?  What do you mean?”

   She smiled again.  “Let me tell you something Zenith.  When I was about your age, I was in love with my childhood sweetheart.  Against all odds, we had ended up together.  I believed I would finally have my happy ending.  We were married, but when the time came for us to start a family, things changed.  Our story didn’t move forward, and we found out we couldn’t have children.  This put stress on our relationship, and well, when he found out that he could have children with another woman, he left me,” Clara explained, speaking slowly as if she struggled with the memories.

   Nadir’s eyes were wide with shock.  “What an ass,” Nadir said.

   Clara giggled softly and sighed.  “Indeed, that’s exactly what he was Nadir.  He couldn’t handle the sacrifice.  Still, I let him go with grace.  I struggled with the pain however.  It wasn’t losing him that hurt me; it was knowing I wouldn’t get that happy ending I wanted.  I grew up wanting to be both a nurse and a mother.  I made one dream come true, but the other was out of reach.  I still believed there was a reason for this however.  It meant I would be given someone to look after, but in a different way,” she added.

   Zenith and Nadir glanced at each other, in awe of what they were hearing.  “I know there were times you felt no one loved you Nadir, Zenith, save the love you felt from each other and Halo.  I don’t know why your mother abandoned you, but she must have looked after you for quite some time.  If she hadn’t how could you know your names, your birthday, who is older, and have even survived?”

   “I—I…well,” Nadir said.

   “We never really thought about it,” Zenith added, “Besides, she was a prostitute.  She couldn’t get an abortion, and abandoned us anyway.  Why should we care?”

   Clara helped Zenith sit up, and pulled both him and Nadir into an embrace.  “Please, both of you, love your mother.  You didn’t know her.  It wasn’t until after you left that I remembered why you and Nadir were so familiar.  Many years ago, I worked here as an intern, studying to get my degree.  One stormy night, I was sitting in the lobby, waiting to be picked up by my boyfriend.  The doors opened, and a blue hedgehog stumbled in.  Her clothes were torn, and she was bloodied and beaten.  I ran to help her, and before she collapsed, she told me some strange creature had attacked her and raped her.  We took her in and treated her, and found out she was homeless.  She sometimes worked in bars as a cocktail waitress, and was friendly with showgirls.  She lived wherever she could, in alleys and abandoned buildings, using all of her money for food and other things, but unable to afford a home.  All she could ever tell me about the male who attacked her, was that he had a pointed face, and no visible ears,” she explained.

   Zenith and Nadir were silent.  The gazed at each other, frozen and sick.

   As she rubbed their backs and held them, Clara continued, “She couldn’t pay the bills, so a group of us around her chipped in to pay them off.  She left and promised she’d be alright, and yet I never saw her again.  I remember, she told me her name was Neferine, and we often talked about her love for the stars and astronomy.  She had dreams.  She wanted to become an astronomer and study the universe, but life handed her a bad card, and she promised me she’d fight, and deal with it as best she could.”

   Clara fell silent.  Looking to both boys she added, “Her fur was blue, but her hair was brown.  Her ears were tipped in a shade of blue darker than the shade of her fur.  The tips were closer to the hue of blue your fur is.  I feel it in my heart my angels…that Neferine…was your mother.  You were not carelessly abandoned by a prostitute that didn’t want you.  Most likely, you lost a mother that just couldn’t survive anymore.  …Dear Neferine…I only wish she had come to me.  I believe to this day, I did not do enough to instill in her the knowledge that she could trust me.  I want to correct this mistake in you my boys.  I’m going to take care of all of you from now on, I promise.”

   Zenith, who felt he could not be shocked anymore than he was, looked to Clara and asked, “You…you’re going to take care of us?”

   “Yes Zenith, all of you,” Clara said with a smile, “Neferine was so sweet.  She was shy and quiet, but had dreams.  You boys are showing this side of yourselves to me right now.  If I had any doubts that you were her sons, I don’t have them anymore.  Once Halo is better, I’ll take you home with me.  You won’t have to worry about where you’ll be living anymore.  You all have that desire to change and make things right, just like Neferine did, and I’m going to help you.  I promise, everything will be alright.”

   Nadir gazed at her.  He felt his childhood innocence returning to him as he leaned into her arms, resting his head on her body.  He began to cry, not caring what anyone thought.

   Stroking his hair, Clara asked, “Are you alright Nadir?  What’s wrong sweetheart?”

   “Mama…,” he whimpered, “She…she wasn’t a prostitute…she…she loved us.  She didn’t abandon us.  She…she probably got sick and died.  Maybe our father came back to finish her off.  Mama…I—I love her.”

   Zenith felt this same pain.  “She loved Astronomy…she named me after the highest possible point in the sky, and you the lowest, the horizon.  She…she loved us,” Zenith cried.

   “Oh Zenith, Nadir,” Clara whispered.  She kissed them both on the head and replied, “I wanted to tell you this six years ago, but you disappeared.  I’m just glad I was able to tell you this now.  I know while you’re hurting now that this will bring some comfort to your hearts.  You know now you were not a mistake, something the world didn’t want, and that there are those that do love you.”

   “That’s why we came here,” Zenith whimpered, “To find out about our parents.  This is what we wanted.”  Lowering his eyes, Zenith felt he could barely breathe anymore as he whispered, “If only Halo was alright…if only…we…”

   “Clara!” someone cried out.  Clara looked to the doorway and saw Nikki standing there.  Nikki, seeing Clara holding both twins, came into the room and sat down on the neighboring couch.  She was smiling as she said, “I just heard from one of the doctors in the ER.  Halo is alright.  They stopped the bleeding just in time.”

   Clara was immediately filled with joy, and expected the twins to be the same, but looked down to find them continuing to weep as if they hadn’t heard the good news.  She understood why, and as she looked to Nikki she whispered, “I told them about their mother, Neferine.  I think maybe I should have waited until later, but everything sort of came out as we spoke.”

   “The poor babies,” Nikki whispered in reply, “I remember Neferine.  You brought me to visit her one time.  She was so sweet.  She was raped by that guy and still did her best to smile.  She wouldn’t give up no matter how bad things got.”  Looking to Zenith and Nadir, she added, “Now that I’ve seen them, I don’t doubt at all that they’re her boys.  Besides, they’ve got the echidna faces.  She mentioned the guy had a pointed face, likening it to a furless Greywolf muzzle, and they certainly have it too.”

   “Yes, you’re right about that,” Clara said, gazing at them with sad eyes.

   Nikki did her best to smile.  She got up and knelt down on the floor, placing her hand on Zenith’s face.  He looked at her, tears clouding his vision.  She said, “Please sweetie, you’ve got to pull yourself together.  Halo needs you.”  Looking to Nadir she added, “She needs both of you.  …Actually, I think she needs all of you.”

   Zenith’s eyes opened fully.  He reached up to wipe his tears, and struggled to find the strength to sit up.  Clara’s arm steadied him as he did so.  He desperately tried to stop crying.  Clara looked to him and said, “I’m sorry if I overwhelmed you dear.”

   A weak smile curled Zenith’s lips.  He looked at her and replied, “No, it’s okay.  You gave Nadir and I something we needed.”  He paused and said, “I still don’t understand exactly why you want us to live with you, but…I know I’ll understand with time.  None of us have ever found love outside of ourselves, so it’s new for us.  Well, a lot of new things are going to happen soon…the more the merrier.”

   Nadir had slowly risen from where he rested as Zenith spoke.  Drying his own eyes, Nadir nodded and replied, “I’m all for it too.”

   Clara smiled.  “I love all three of you,” she said.

   Zenith and Nadir looked confused as they glanced at each other.  “Why?” Zenith asked.

   She pulled them into a hug and said, “Love doesn’t have to have a reason Zenith.  Perhaps it’s because I loved your mother so much, and admired her strength no matter what happened to her.  Maybe it’s because in the time I’ve spent with you I’ve grown to love you like the children I never had.  In the end, it doesn’t matter what the reasons are.  Just know now that you are loved, and that as long as you don’t give up on life, life will never give up on you.  This is what your mother believed in, and what helped me get through the hardest times of my life.  I know now, it’ll do the same for you all.”

   The twins felt tears in their eyes and love in their hearts.  Slowly, they returned Clara’s embrace, hugging her tightly.  After a moment, she pulled back, smiled and said, “Come on, why don’t we go check on Halo, and explain everything to her?”

   Nadir smiled, feeling much better.  Zenith did the same, though his heart still felt burdened.  He and Nadir followed Nikki and Clara as they made their way to Halo’s room.  When they arrived, Nadir and Clara let Zenith enter on his own.

   The room was quiet, lit by a small lamp beside the window.  Halo was resting in the bed, curled up slightly.  Zenith pulled a chair up beside it, feeling sickened as he remembered how he left her that night, shouting at her when all she was trying to do was to prepare them both for the news she had to give him.  Zenith held her hand in his own.  He had taken her wedding ring off before they left the hotel room, and took it out of his pocket now.  He slipped it on her ring finger, gazing at it for a moment, before his eyes drifted to her abdomen.  His heart struggled to beat, almost as if it was being weighed down by immense pressure.  He knew within her rested his child.  So much was going to change.  If it weren’t for Clara, he didn’t know where they’d be.

   What he did know, was that he had to try to make things right, for himself, Nadir, Halo, and his child.

   “I love you Halo…I’m sorry,” he whispered.

   He didn’t see her eyes open, for his closed in an attempt to suppress a fresh onslaught of tears that now filled them.  She was tired, but was thankful the pain in her stomach was gone, even as her body and head ached slightly from the fall.  She knew where she was, and glanced at her hand as Zenith held it, smiling when she saw her ring back on her finger.

   Where it belonged.

   “Zenith?” she whispered, her voice soft and strained.

   He gasped.  Opening his eyes, he saw her gazing at him, smiling.

   “Oh Halo,” he whimpered.  He leaned forward and kissed her, putting an arm around her as best he could as he wept.  “I’m so sorry Halo.  I didn’t mean any of those stupid things I said.  I know you were just trying to make sure I was ready to change.”

   “You…you know then?” Halo asked.

   Pulling back, Zenith’s smile was shaky.  “It’s why you collapsed Halo,” he whispered, “The doctors said that you started to miscarry.  …Everything’s alright now, don’t be afraid.  They…they stopped it in time.”

   The look of horror on Halo’s face disappeared.  The tired smile returned as she whispered, “It’s okay Zenith.  I was…just afraid you wouldn’t know how to handle it.  I was wrong.  I should have known that the baby would have been reason enough for you to change.  You would have fought for that change, no matter how hard it was.”

   Still holding her hand, he patted it gently and said, “I’m still going to fight for that change.  Oh Halo, I’ve got so much to tell you.  Remember Nurse Clara?  She paid for my bills when we ran away.  We don’t have to worry about that.  She wants us to come live with her!”

   Halo’s eyes widened.  “Nurse Clara?  Live with her?” she asked.

   Zenith nodded.  “She…she says she loves us.  She…she told us she knew our mother.”

   This caused Halo’s eyes to open as far as they could, trying to defy this limit to open even further from the shock.  “Your mother?” Halo asked.

   His smile was bittersweet.  “Our mother…she wasn’t a prostitute at all Halo,” Zenith said, “She was a cocktail waitress.  Still, she was homeless like we are.  She couldn’t afford an apartment.  Nurse Clara said our mother came to the hospital one night, bloodied and beaten, saying she was raped by a strange creature.  …It was our father.  She said he had a face that was like a furless Greywolf muzzle, and had no visible ears.  She left without telling anyone where she was going, and they paid her bills too.  Apparently, she loved Astronomy, and was determined to do the best she could to keep living.  She must have…gotten sick and died, or something.  We weren’t abandoned after all.  Our mother…she loved us.”

   “Oh Zenith,” Halo said, sighing sweetly, “She did love you.  She loved both of you.  That’s so wonderful.  …What was her name?”

   “Her name…was Neferine,” Zenith murmured.  His heart skipped a beat when he said his mother’s name.  “She loved Astronomy, and named me and Nadir after astrological terms.”

   Halo giggled softly.  “That’s so sweet,” she replied.  She paused and whispered, “Zenith?  …If…the baby is a little girl…can we…can we name her Neferine?”

   Zenith’s eyes widened, but he smiled.  He kissed her gently on the cheek and whispered, “Yes…we’ll do just that,” in reply.

   “…I love you Zenith,” she whispered.

   He nuzzled her gently.  “I love you too Halo.  I love both of you.”

   “Hey, what about me?” a voice said.

   Looking to the doorway, Zenith and Halo saw Nadir enter the room.  Halo laughed softly and said, “Of course we love you Nadir.”

   Sitting down in the chair Zenith had abandoned, Nadir smiled and said, “It’s okay, I knew that.  I’m just glad you’re alright Halo.”

   Clara followed Nadir into the room and smiled at Halo.  “I’m so glad you’re alright sweetheart.”

   After six years, Halo was seeing Nurse Clara again, the one person who showed her and the twins such care and concern.

   “Oh Nurse Clara…it’s good to see you again,” Halo said, her voice still tired.

   Clara walked up to the side of the bed, kneeling down beside Zenith.  She gently rubbed Halo’s forehead, pushing her bangs clear from her eyes as she said, “I’m so glad you three are here again.  All these years I’ve worried about you, and now I finally have the chance to make sure you’re alright.”

   Halo smiled, as did Zenith.  Nadir did as well, but looked confused.  “I just…you really love us Nurse Clara.  I just wish I understood why.  I grew up thinking people hated me, not feeling any guilt when I…hurt them.  I was wrong.  All three of us were wrong.  Now, all I want to do is make things right.  I know Halo and Zenith feel the same way.  We don’t want this little baby growing up the same way we did.”

   “Hell no,” Zenith said.

   “Absolutely not,” Halo added.

   Clara smiled again.  “You’ve had a hard life Nadir,” she said, “What’s in the past doesn’t matter anymore.  When Halo is better, you’ll come back and live with me, and we’ll face the future together.  I knew a long time ago that one day I’d have someone to take care of, and that day is here,” she explained.

   The three souls glanced between each other.  Nadir it appeared was no longer the same.  He stood up, and kneeling down beside Clara, he looked to her and murmured, “Thank you…so much.”

   She pulled him into a hug and replied, “It’s alright sweetheart.  Everything is going to be alright.”  Looking to Zenith and Halo she added, “It’s a lot to think about now I know.  Just remember, everything will be alright.  You’ve had to struggle and fight for all of your lives, and now, you’ve found light.  You’ve reached the end of one journey, and it’s time to start the next one.”

   Halo and Zenith smiled at each other.  Nadir let out a yawn.

   “Aww, looks like someone is ready for bed,” Clara said with a laugh.  Standing up, she helped Nadir rise to his feet.  Looking to Zenith and Halo she said, “I’m going to help him lie down in the nurse’s lounge.  I want you both to get sleep too.  Promise?”

   “Promise,” Zenith replied.

   “Yes ma’am,” Halo answered.

   Smiling, Clara replied, “Wonderful.”  She led Nadir to the door, and looked back once more to say, “I love you both.”

   Zenith wasn’t sure what to say, but Halo replied, “We love you too.”

   After Clara and Nadir were gone, Zenith got up and turned off the light.  Sitting in the chair, he held Halo’s hand and asked, “You said that pretty confidently.”

   Letting out a yawn, Halo replied, “I know…I just…the words came to me.  I really trust her.  I know she really cares.  Or maybe…maybe it’s all this extra love I’m carrying with me now.”

   Zenith smiled.  “Either way, I understand.”

   “I love you Zenith,” Halo whispered.

   “And I love you Halo,” Zenith replied.

   They were silent after this, waiting for sleep to take them.  Zenith listened to the gentle rainfall tapping against the window pane.  His mind was filled with so many images.  He thought of this new road he was now walking in his life.  He thought about how he would never be homeless again.  He knew Halo and Nadir would always be safe and have food to eat, water to drink, and a warm place to sleep, as would he, and they would never have to steal or hurt people again.  He thought about the baby he had created that now rested in Halo’s womb as it grew.  He was comforted and relieved that his child was rescued and would have a chance to live a good life, the kind everyone deserved to live.  He was overjoyed that Halo still loved him, for he loved her with all of his heart.

   She, Nadir, and that unborn child were his reason for living.

   But then he remembered one more thing.

   His mother, Neferine.

   As he closed his eyes, he thought he was beginning to dream, but began to realize it was a long forgotten memory.

   A pale cerulean blue hedgehog with dark blue tipped ears, feathery brown bangs, long brown hair with the pale blue streaks, and brown eyes was there.  Her clothes were ragged and worn.  She held Zenith in one arm, and Nadir in another.  She had just nursed them.  It was dark and cold.  The light of an electric lantern allowed him to see her face.

   It looked worn, so damaged and scarred by the past.  Yet, as she gazed at her baby boys, despite the pain, she smiled.

   “Baby Zenith, Baby Nadir…your road may be hard, for you will walk in my footsteps, but I know you are strong.  I know someday you’ll find a way, and your children, I pray, will know comfort.  They will follow your footsteps, but not the steps you took through poverty; they will take the strong steps you took to survive, to make it through their own troubles.  Just remember, I will always love you.  I won’t always be with you, but my love for you, will never die.  As long as you are living, I’ll watch over you.  I’ll guide you and everything you care about.  One day, I promise, you’ll find light.”

   A smile curled his lips.  His precious mother…she did love him.

   And he loved her.

   One day, he would have a baby girl, and in his mother’s memory, her name would be, Neferine.

   But for now he slept.  A new path in life needs to be taken on at full strength.

   Peace.  For the first time, he could sleep and not be afraid of tomorrow.

   “As long as you don’t give up on life, life will never give up on you.”

   They survived the darkness.

   And at last, they found light.

Description
"They Find Light"
By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a. Inuyashas-hanyougirl

The Story of Halo, Zenith, and Nadir

Part Three: The New Beginning

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   The storm had quieted down, and was now little more than a gentle rain shower.  The sound of the droplets falling was soothing and calming, a blessing for the nerves of both Zenith and Nadir as they awaited news on Halo’s condition.

   They were now in the nurse’s lounge on the third floor.  Nurse Clara took special care of them, carefully drying off their rain-soaked hair, fur and skin.  They got dry clothes out of Nadir’s duffle bag to change in to, and once they were warm and cleaned up, Clara brought them warm blankets, much like she had done for Nadir and Halo all those years ago.  She also brought them some food to nibble on, giving them part of the food she brought for a meal instead of food from the cafeteria, with two bottles of water to help wash it down.

   She made sure they were comfortable on one of the couches in the room.  A television was on, the volume turned down, and yet neither of the twins paid it much attention.  Nadir nibbled on his meal a little, while Zenith only took a bite or two, encouraged by his twin to eat.  Both of them were silent, Nadir only speaking a few words, while Zenith spoke none.

   While she was supposed to be working, Clara kept a watchful eye over the boys.  She gazed at them, her eyes windows to the pain in her heart.  Clearly both Zenith and Nadir, and Halo as well, meant a great deal to her, and while having them back was a blessing, she knew that these poor souls had suffered greatly, and this troubled her.

   Once everything had settled down, Clara’s friend Nikki returned to her.  She found Clara standing in the doorway of the nurse’s lounge, continuing her silent watch over them.  Both Zenith and Nadir were now silent, wrapped up in the blankets, leaning against each other for comfort.

   “Clara?” Nikki asked quietly.

   Clara looked to her friend.  “Yes?”

   Nikki smiled.  “Last news I received, Halo was stable.  The fall in the bathtub didn’t cause any terrible damage.  Her head has a few bumps, and she has a bad bruise under her fur from where her arm slammed down on the soap dish, but it’s nothing serious.”

   The look of hope in Clara’s eyes was brief.  “And the bleeding Zenith mentioned?” she asked.

   “The doctors assumed at first it was simply her period,” Nikki replied, “Nadir did mention she was on it, however, they just notified me that there was simply too much blood for it to be part of her cycle.”

   Clara’s face paled.  “And?”

   Nikki took a breath.  “And, before I left, they told me they know now why she collapsed, and why she is bleeding so profusely.”  Clara waited for Nikki to speak, while Nikki glanced into the room at the boys.  “Please Clara, you should be the one to tell them,” Nikki added as she stared at the floor sadly.

   She whispered something in Clara’s ear.  Clara’s face paled the rest of the way, her eyes empty and glistening with grief.  Taking a short and staggered breath, Clara tried to find her voice as she whimpered, “Oh God,” under her breath.

   “I’m sorry Clara,” Nikki whispered, “But remember, it’s not too late yet.  They told me they had a chance to try and stop it.  Not all hope it lost.  Make sure he knows that…you remember it too.  I’ll go back and wait, and tell you the minute I hear anything.”

   Clara wiped away the tears forming in her eyes.  She didn’t answer Nikki, but instead looked back in the room at Zenith and Nadir.  She held her hands together over her heart and whimpered, “Those poor angels.  They should never had to have suffered this kind of pain.  They shouldn’t have to choose between breaking the law and saving their loved ones.  They shouldn’t feel the only way they can survive is to hurt other people.  The sweethearts…they deserve better than this.”

   Nikki looked to the twins as she listened to Clara speak.  “You’re going to make sure they don’t run away this time, aren’t you?”

   Regaining as much of her composure as she could, Clara looked to Nikki, smiling as she replied, “They’re the ones Nikki, I feel it in my heart.  I always believed, that the reason my life turned out the way it did, was because one day I’d be given something to fill that void.  I felt it in my heart six years ago, and I cried when they disappeared, because I knew it meant they had resigned themselves to the only lives they knew, when they deserved so much more.”  Gazing back at Zenith and Nadir, she continued, “I’m going to make sure they get it.”

   “…You are quite fond of them, aren’t you?” Nikki asked.

   Clara looked back to her friend.  “They might as well be my children,” she whispered, “It seems they were sent here for that purpose.  …You go on and be sure to tell me the minute you find out anything about Halo.”

   Nikki nodded, and then headed off in the direction of the ER once more.  Clara watched as she disappeared, before looking back at Nadir and Zenith.  With a sigh, she walked into the room, putting on a brave face for the boys.  They offered no response to her entrance.  Nadir was sitting up while he held Zenith in his lap.  Zenith was exhausted after crying so much, and so his brother cradled him.

   Sitting down beside Nadir, Clara looked to him and said, “I’ve got some news on Halo’s condition.”

   Poor Zenith summoned whatever strength he had left to sit up.  Aided by the strength of Nadir’s arms, he rose to sit beside his brother as he looked to Clara.  “Please, tell me, is she alright?” he asked, his voice broken.

   His eyes looked so desperate, as did Nadir’s, desperate and scared.  Clara’s heart went out to them; she reached across Nadir’s lap to take one of Zenith’s hands, and placed her remaining hand on Nadir’s shoulder.  “Listen to me boys,” she started, “Nurse Nikki told me that the ER doctors have determined she wasn’t injured from the fall in the bathtub.  She has some bumps and bruises but it’s nothing terrible.  It’s the reason she fell…that is the focus of their work.”

   Nadir looked frightened.  Zenith looked sick.  Neither of them spoke.

   Clara sighed again, as silently as she could, closing her eyes as she shook her head and summoned the will to speak further.

   “You said you saw blood running down the drain when you found her,” Clara continued.  Nadir nodded softly.  “Well, as I said before, it wasn’t from an external injury,” she added.

   “It’s because of her period, right?” Nadir asked, on the inside knowing there was no way it could be that simple.

   “Did she tell you she was on her period Nadir?  Or is that what you assumed?” Clara asked.

   Nadir looked to Zenith, who returned the glance.  “Well, she was awfully moody the past few days,” Nadir explained, “Of course, Zenith and I are used to her moods swinging…it’s no big deal.  Then, last night she apparently went out to buy something without telling us.  We assumed she needed…personal effects.”

   When Nadir stopped speaking, Clara looked to Zenith, who added, “But…no, she never actually told us she was…on her cycle.  She never really tells us…it’s not like we have any need to know.”

   “Unless…you know,” Nadir said, looking to his twin.

   Zenith sighed.  “Yeah…she’ll tell me if…that comes up.”

   The two boys were feeling increasingly embarrassed, spilling their guts and showing themselves at their weakest to this woman, even when she was being so kind to them.  It was unnerving, for they still had no idea what to make of her care and concern.

   Clara felt her heart being stung by sadness, for she could feel the pain pouring out of the twins with every word they spoke, every glance they gave, every breath they took.  She had no idea how she would break to them what was really wrong.

   Standing up, she knelt down on the floor before them, taking one of Zenith’s hands in her own, and one of Nadir’s in the other.  “Zenith, Nadir, I believe the reason she didn’t tell you, was because she wasn’t on her period at all,” Clara started.

   The twins glanced at each other.  The fear they were feeling now only got worse.

   “However, there was a reason for why she was moody, and for why there was blood trickling out of her.  It just…isn’t what you think,” Clara continued.

   “Please!” Zenith cried in a pained whisper, “What’s wrong with Halo?”

   Clara felt terrible.  Her gaze was fixed on his face, but drifted to the wedding ring that hung around his neck on a black cord.  Obviously both twins cared about Halo a great deal, but Zenith had so much more at stake.  What she had to tell him would rock him much deeper than it would Nadir…stinging him hard.

   “Zenith,” she said, her voice soft, “I think maybe the reason Halo went out, and got what she did, was so she could find out what we already know.  You see, Zenith, the doctors, while they were treating her, trying to find out where the blood came from, they…”  Clara struggled to speak.  She found she could only manage to tell him if she said it all at once, keeping her gaze locked on his eyes, staying as calm as she could in order to keep him at ease.  She took a breath.  “Zenith, …Halo is pregnant.”

   A sick gasp escaped Nadir, who jerked in his seat beside Zenith, unsure of where this rush of energy came from.  Zenith, however, did not move.  His eyes widened, but his expression barely changed.  “No…something’s wrong,” he whispered.  “You’re not finished.  I may not know much, but I do know women can’t be pregnant and have their periods at the same time.  …What happened to her?”

   Clara felt her nerves rattling her body, serving to make her feel as sick as possible.  She now held both of Zenith’s hands with her own, moving to sit beside him on the couch.  Once she moved, she put her arm around Zenith and said, “She collapsed in the bathtub, and started to bleed Zenith, because…”

   “She was miscarrying, right?” Nadir answered, his voice soft.

   Both Clara and Zenith turned to look at him.  Nadir lowered his eyes and whispered, “I—I…saw it in a movie once.  Some guy was mad at his wife, and he beat her up…throwing her around really bad.  It was so bad that she had a miscarriage.  Odd thing is, she was taking a shower when it started.”

   Zenith looked back to Clara, finally understanding what that meant.  Tears glassed over his eyes as he struggled to breathe.  At that moment, he and Clara locked eyes.  As they gazed at each other, Clara felt the urge to weep.  Seeing Zenith’s tears, feeling his distress, knowing his pain; he might as well have been her son.  Zenith, though he barely knew this woman, felt he could turn to no other for comfort in his time of weakness.  Though he could not remember his mother, he felt no shame when he moved forward to rest in her lap, curling up in a ball as he began to weep.

   Nadir and Clara gazed at him.  Clara felt tears fall from her eyes.  She stroked Zenith’s hair as she held him and whispered, “It’s alright Zenith.  It’s not too late yet.  Nikki told me they’re working to stop the bleeding.  You found her so quickly, and keeping her lying down as you carried her and getting her here so fast means there’s a good chance they have plenty of time to save it.”

   Zenith didn’t speak, and only continued to weep.

   Nadir closed his own eyes, feeling tears flood together behind the lids.  “No wonder Halo agreed with me…she wanted us all to settle down because…she knew.  She knew we needed to change, just like I did, and Zenith slowly began to accept, only, she didn’t tell us how urgent the need was…she didn’t have time to,” he whispered to himself.  Sniffing hard, he lost control as the tears fell.  “It…it wouldn’t be such a tragedy if…if she lost it.  Sure…it’ll be sad…terrible it will be, but…we can barely take care of ourselves yet.  We all want to change, but…can we really do it?  I just…maybe…we should all just…disappear.” Nadir added, his voice failing as he finished speaking.

   Clara’s heart couldn’t take anymore.  “That’s quite enough,” she said, causing Nadir to look at her.  Even Zenith looked up at her when she spoke.  She smiled at them and replied, “Do you want to know why you’re not in trouble for what you did years ago?  …We all knew something was wrong from the moment you three showed up.  I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I knew you all needed help, more than just care for Zenith.  I was about to ask you about everything, but you ran away.  Your bill was still paid though, Zenith.”

   The twins looked confused.  “How?” Nadir asked.

   Continuing to stroke Zenith’s hair, she said, “I paid it for you.”

   A gasp escaped Nadir.  Even Zenith gazed at her with wide eyes, both boys feeling confused.  “Why on earth would you do that?” Nadir asked, “We treated you so badly, and then you did that for us…why?”

   “I tried looking for you Nadir,” Clara continued, “I didn’t want to punish you.  The story you told me was bad enough…and now I know it was simply a cover for an even sadder tale.  I know you feel the world has turned its back on you…that most everyone around you wishes you were gone away and don’t care, but that’s not true.  You have love in your hearts for each other, and for that love, you fight to survive.  There are still more that can show you that same care, and fight equally as hard for your good.  When I didn’t find you, I despaired, and though you’re here in your darkest hour, this means we all have a second chance.”

   Though he continued to cry, Zenith looked up at her and asked, “A second chance?  What do you mean?”

   She smiled again.  “Let me tell you something Zenith.  When I was about your age, I was in love with my childhood sweetheart.  Against all odds, we had ended up together.  I believed I would finally have my happy ending.  We were married, but when the time came for us to start a family, things changed.  Our story didn’t move forward, and we found out we couldn’t have children.  This put stress on our relationship, and well, when he found out that he could have children with another woman, he left me,” Clara explained, speaking slowly as if she struggled with the memories.

   Nadir’s eyes were wide with shock.  “What an ass,” Nadir said.

   Clara giggled softly and sighed.  “Indeed, that’s exactly what he was Nadir.  He couldn’t handle the sacrifice.  Still, I let him go with grace.  I struggled with the pain however.  It wasn’t losing him that hurt me; it was knowing I wouldn’t get that happy ending I wanted.  I grew up wanting to be both a nurse and a mother.  I made one dream come true, but the other was out of reach.  I still believed there was a reason for this however.  It meant I would be given someone to look after, but in a different way,” she added.

   Zenith and Nadir glanced at each other, in awe of what they were hearing.  “I know there were times you felt no one loved you Nadir, Zenith, save the love you felt from each other and Halo.  I don’t know why your mother abandoned you, but she must have looked after you for quite some time.  If she hadn’t how could you know your names, your birthday, who is older, and have even survived?”

   “I—I…well,” Nadir said.

   “We never really thought about it,” Zenith added, “Besides, she was a prostitute.  She couldn’t get an abortion, and abandoned us anyway.  Why should we care?”

   Clara helped Zenith sit up, and pulled both him and Nadir into an embrace.  “Please, both of you, love your mother.  You didn’t know her.  It wasn’t until after you left that I remembered why you and Nadir were so familiar.  Many years ago, I worked here as an intern, studying to get my degree.  One stormy night, I was sitting in the lobby, waiting to be picked up by my boyfriend.  The doors opened, and a blue hedgehog stumbled in.  Her clothes were torn, and she was bloodied and beaten.  I ran to help her, and before she collapsed, she told me some strange creature had attacked her and raped her.  We took her in and treated her, and found out she was homeless.  She sometimes worked in bars as a cocktail waitress, and was friendly with showgirls.  She lived wherever she could, in alleys and abandoned buildings, using all of her money for food and other things, but unable to afford a home.  All she could ever tell me about the male who attacked her, was that he had a pointed face, and no visible ears,” she explained.

   Zenith and Nadir were silent.  The gazed at each other, frozen and sick.

   As she rubbed their backs and held them, Clara continued, “She couldn’t pay the bills, so a group of us around her chipped in to pay them off.  She left and promised she’d be alright, and yet I never saw her again.  I remember, she told me her name was Neferine, and we often talked about her love for the stars and astronomy.  She had dreams.  She wanted to become an astronomer and study the universe, but life handed her a bad card, and she promised me she’d fight, and deal with it as best she could.”

   Clara fell silent.  Looking to both boys she added, “Her fur was blue, but her hair was brown.  Her ears were tipped in a shade of blue darker than the shade of her fur.  The tips were closer to the hue of blue your fur is.  I feel it in my heart my angels…that Neferine…was your mother.  You were not carelessly abandoned by a prostitute that didn’t want you.  Most likely, you lost a mother that just couldn’t survive anymore.  …Dear Neferine…I only wish she had come to me.  I believe to this day, I did not do enough to instill in her the knowledge that she could trust me.  I want to correct this mistake in you my boys.  I’m going to take care of all of you from now on, I promise.”

   Zenith, who felt he could not be shocked anymore than he was, looked to Clara and asked, “You…you’re going to take care of us?”

   “Yes Zenith, all of you,” Clara said with a smile, “Neferine was so sweet.  She was shy and quiet, but had dreams.  You boys are showing this side of yourselves to me right now.  If I had any doubts that you were her sons, I don’t have them anymore.  Once Halo is better, I’ll take you home with me.  You won’t have to worry about where you’ll be living anymore.  You all have that desire to change and make things right, just like Neferine did, and I’m going to help you.  I promise, everything will be alright.”

   Nadir gazed at her.  He felt his childhood innocence returning to him as he leaned into her arms, resting his head on her body.  He began to cry, not caring what anyone thought.

   Stroking his hair, Clara asked, “Are you alright Nadir?  What’s wrong sweetheart?”

   “Mama…,” he whimpered, “She…she wasn’t a prostitute…she…she loved us.  She didn’t abandon us.  She…she probably got sick and died.  Maybe our father came back to finish her off.  Mama…I—I love her.”

   Zenith felt this same pain.  “She loved Astronomy…she named me after the highest possible point in the sky, and you the lowest, the horizon.  She…she loved us,” Zenith cried.

   “Oh Zenith, Nadir,” Clara whispered.  She kissed them both on the head and replied, “I wanted to tell you this six years ago, but you disappeared.  I’m just glad I was able to tell you this now.  I know while you’re hurting now that this will bring some comfort to your hearts.  You know now you were not a mistake, something the world didn’t want, and that there are those that do love you.”

   “That’s why we came here,” Zenith whimpered, “To find out about our parents.  This is what we wanted.”  Lowering his eyes, Zenith felt he could barely breathe anymore as he whispered, “If only Halo was alright…if only…we…”

   “Clara!” someone cried out.  Clara looked to the doorway and saw Nikki standing there.  Nikki, seeing Clara holding both twins, came into the room and sat down on the neighboring couch.  She was smiling as she said, “I just heard from one of the doctors in the ER.  Halo is alright.  They stopped the bleeding just in time.”

   Clara was immediately filled with joy, and expected the twins to be the same, but looked down to find them continuing to weep as if they hadn’t heard the good news.  She understood why, and as she looked to Nikki she whispered, “I told them about their mother, Neferine.  I think maybe I should have waited until later, but everything sort of came out as we spoke.”

   “The poor babies,” Nikki whispered in reply, “I remember Neferine.  You brought me to visit her one time.  She was so sweet.  She was raped by that guy and still did her best to smile.  She wouldn’t give up no matter how bad things got.”  Looking to Zenith and Nadir, she added, “Now that I’ve seen them, I don’t doubt at all that they’re her boys.  Besides, they’ve got the echidna faces.  She mentioned the guy had a pointed face, likening it to a furless Greywolf muzzle, and they certainly have it too.”

   “Yes, you’re right about that,” Clara said, gazing at them with sad eyes.

   Nikki did her best to smile.  She got up and knelt down on the floor, placing her hand on Zenith’s face.  He looked at her, tears clouding his vision.  She said, “Please sweetie, you’ve got to pull yourself together.  Halo needs you.”  Looking to Nadir she added, “She needs both of you.  …Actually, I think she needs all of you.”

   Zenith’s eyes opened fully.  He reached up to wipe his tears, and struggled to find the strength to sit up.  Clara’s arm steadied him as he did so.  He desperately tried to stop crying.  Clara looked to him and said, “I’m sorry if I overwhelmed you dear.”

   A weak smile curled Zenith’s lips.  He looked at her and replied, “No, it’s okay.  You gave Nadir and I something we needed.”  He paused and said, “I still don’t understand exactly why you want us to live with you, but…I know I’ll understand with time.  None of us have ever found love outside of ourselves, so it’s new for us.  Well, a lot of new things are going to happen soon…the more the merrier.”

   Nadir had slowly risen from where he rested as Zenith spoke.  Drying his own eyes, Nadir nodded and replied, “I’m all for it too.”

   Clara smiled.  “I love all three of you,” she said.

   Zenith and Nadir looked confused as they glanced at each other.  “Why?” Zenith asked.

   She pulled them into a hug and said, “Love doesn’t have to have a reason Zenith.  Perhaps it’s because I loved your mother so much, and admired her strength no matter what happened to her.  Maybe it’s because in the time I’ve spent with you I’ve grown to love you like the children I never had.  In the end, it doesn’t matter what the reasons are.  Just know now that you are loved, and that as long as you don’t give up on life, life will never give up on you.  This is what your mother believed in, and what helped me get through the hardest times of my life.  I know now, it’ll do the same for you all.”

   The twins felt tears in their eyes and love in their hearts.  Slowly, they returned Clara’s embrace, hugging her tightly.  After a moment, she pulled back, smiled and said, “Come on, why don’t we go check on Halo, and explain everything to her?”

   Nadir smiled, feeling much better.  Zenith did the same, though his heart still felt burdened.  He and Nadir followed Nikki and Clara as they made their way to Halo’s room.  When they arrived, Nadir and Clara let Zenith enter on his own.

   The room was quiet, lit by a small lamp beside the window.  Halo was resting in the bed, curled up slightly.  Zenith pulled a chair up beside it, feeling sickened as he remembered how he left her that night, shouting at her when all she was trying to do was to prepare them both for the news she had to give him.  Zenith held her hand in his own.  He had taken her wedding ring off before they left the hotel room, and took it out of his pocket now.  He slipped it on her ring finger, gazing at it for a moment, before his eyes drifted to her abdomen.  His heart struggled to beat, almost as if it was being weighed down by immense pressure.  He knew within her rested his child.  So much was going to change.  If it weren’t for Clara, he didn’t know where they’d be.

   What he did know, was that he had to try to make things right, for himself, Nadir, Halo, and his child.

   “I love you Halo…I’m sorry,” he whispered.

   He didn’t see her eyes open, for his closed in an attempt to suppress a fresh onslaught of tears that now filled them.  She was tired, but was thankful the pain in her stomach was gone, even as her body and head ached slightly from the fall.  She knew where she was, and glanced at her hand as Zenith held it, smiling when she saw her ring back on her finger.

   Where it belonged.

   “Zenith?” she whispered, her voice soft and strained.

   He gasped.  Opening his eyes, he saw her gazing at him, smiling.

   “Oh Halo,” he whimpered.  He leaned forward and kissed her, putting an arm around her as best he could as he wept.  “I’m so sorry Halo.  I didn’t mean any of those stupid things I said.  I know you were just trying to make sure I was ready to change.”

   “You…you know then?” Halo asked.

   Pulling back, Zenith’s smile was shaky.  “It’s why you collapsed Halo,” he whispered, “The doctors said that you started to miscarry.  …Everything’s alright now, don’t be afraid.  They…they stopped it in time.”

   The look of horror on Halo’s face disappeared.  The tired smile returned as she whispered, “It’s okay Zenith.  I was…just afraid you wouldn’t know how to handle it.  I was wrong.  I should have known that the baby would have been reason enough for you to change.  You would have fought for that change, no matter how hard it was.”

   Still holding her hand, he patted it gently and said, “I’m still going to fight for that change.  Oh Halo, I’ve got so much to tell you.  Remember Nurse Clara?  She paid for my bills when we ran away.  We don’t have to worry about that.  She wants us to come live with her!”

   Halo’s eyes widened.  “Nurse Clara?  Live with her?” she asked.

   Zenith nodded.  “She…she says she loves us.  She…she told us she knew our mother.”

   This caused Halo’s eyes to open as far as they could, trying to defy this limit to open even further from the shock.  “Your mother?” Halo asked.

   His smile was bittersweet.  “Our mother…she wasn’t a prostitute at all Halo,” Zenith said, “She was a cocktail waitress.  Still, she was homeless like we are.  She couldn’t afford an apartment.  Nurse Clara said our mother came to the hospital one night, bloodied and beaten, saying she was raped by a strange creature.  …It was our father.  She said he had a face that was like a furless Greywolf muzzle, and had no visible ears.  She left without telling anyone where she was going, and they paid her bills too.  Apparently, she loved Astronomy, and was determined to do the best she could to keep living.  She must have…gotten sick and died, or something.  We weren’t abandoned after all.  Our mother…she loved us.”

   “Oh Zenith,” Halo said, sighing sweetly, “She did love you.  She loved both of you.  That’s so wonderful.  …What was her name?”

   “Her name…was Neferine,” Zenith murmured.  His heart skipped a beat when he said his mother’s name.  “She loved Astronomy, and named me and Nadir after astrological terms.”

   Halo giggled softly.  “That’s so sweet,” she replied.  She paused and whispered, “Zenith?  …If…the baby is a little girl…can we…can we name her Neferine?”

   Zenith’s eyes widened, but he smiled.  He kissed her gently on the cheek and whispered, “Yes…we’ll do just that,” in reply.

   “…I love you Zenith,” she whispered.

   He nuzzled her gently.  “I love you too Halo.  I love both of you.”

   “Hey, what about me?” a voice said.

   Looking to the doorway, Zenith and Halo saw Nadir enter the room.  Halo laughed softly and said, “Of course we love you Nadir.”

   Sitting down in the chair Zenith had abandoned, Nadir smiled and said, “It’s okay, I knew that.  I’m just glad you’re alright Halo.”

   Clara followed Nadir into the room and smiled at Halo.  “I’m so glad you’re alright sweetheart.”

   After six years, Halo was seeing Nurse Clara again, the one person who showed her and the twins such care and concern.

   “Oh Nurse Clara…it’s good to see you again,” Halo said, her voice still tired.

   Clara walked up to the side of the bed, kneeling down beside Zenith.  She gently rubbed Halo’s forehead, pushing her bangs clear from her eyes as she said, “I’m so glad you three are here again.  All these years I’ve worried about you, and now I finally have the chance to make sure you’re alright.”

   Halo smiled, as did Zenith.  Nadir did as well, but looked confused.  “I just…you really love us Nurse Clara.  I just wish I understood why.  I grew up thinking people hated me, not feeling any guilt when I…hurt them.  I was wrong.  All three of us were wrong.  Now, all I want to do is make things right.  I know Halo and Zenith feel the same way.  We don’t want this little baby growing up the same way we did.”

   “Hell no,” Zenith said.

   “Absolutely not,” Halo added.

   Clara smiled again.  “You’ve had a hard life Nadir,” she said, “What’s in the past doesn’t matter anymore.  When Halo is better, you’ll come back and live with me, and we’ll face the future together.  I knew a long time ago that one day I’d have someone to take care of, and that day is here,” she explained.

   The three souls glanced between each other.  Nadir it appeared was no longer the same.  He stood up, and kneeling down beside Clara, he looked to her and murmured, “Thank you…so much.”

   She pulled him into a hug and replied, “It’s alright sweetheart.  Everything is going to be alright.”  Looking to Zenith and Halo she added, “It’s a lot to think about now I know.  Just remember, everything will be alright.  You’ve had to struggle and fight for all of your lives, and now, you’ve found light.  You’ve reached the end of one journey, and it’s time to start the next one.”

   Halo and Zenith smiled at each other.  Nadir let out a yawn.

   “Aww, looks like someone is ready for bed,” Clara said with a laugh.  Standing up, she helped Nadir rise to his feet.  Looking to Zenith and Halo she said, “I’m going to help him lie down in the nurse’s lounge.  I want you both to get sleep too.  Promise?”

   “Promise,” Zenith replied.

   “Yes ma’am,” Halo answered.

   Smiling, Clara replied, “Wonderful.”  She led Nadir to the door, and looked back once more to say, “I love you both.”

   Zenith wasn’t sure what to say, but Halo replied, “We love you too.”

   After Clara and Nadir were gone, Zenith got up and turned off the light.  Sitting in the chair, he held Halo’s hand and asked, “You said that pretty confidently.”

   Letting out a yawn, Halo replied, “I know…I just…the words came to me.  I really trust her.  I know she really cares.  Or maybe…maybe it’s all this extra love I’m carrying with me now.”

   Zenith smiled.  “Either way, I understand.”

   “I love you Zenith,” Halo whispered.

   “And I love you Halo,” Zenith replied.

   They were silent after this, waiting for sleep to take them.  Zenith listened to the gentle rainfall tapping against the window pane.  His mind was filled with so many images.  He thought of this new road he was now walking in his life.  He thought about how he would never be homeless again.  He knew Halo and Nadir would always be safe and have food to eat, water to drink, and a warm place to sleep, as would he, and they would never have to steal or hurt people again.  He thought about the baby he had created that now rested in Halo’s womb as it grew.  He was comforted and relieved that his child was rescued and would have a chance to live a good life, the kind everyone deserved to live.  He was overjoyed that Halo still loved him, for he loved her with all of his heart.

   She, Nadir, and that unborn child were his reason for living.

   But then he remembered one more thing.

   His mother, Neferine.

   As he closed his eyes, he thought he was beginning to dream, but began to realize it was a long forgotten memory.

   A pale cerulean blue hedgehog with dark blue tipped ears, feathery brown bangs, long brown hair with the pale blue streaks, and brown eyes was there.  Her clothes were ragged and worn.  She held Zenith in one arm, and Nadir in another.  She had just nursed them.  It was dark and cold.  The light of an electric lantern allowed him to see her face.

   It looked worn, so damaged and scarred by the past.  Yet, as she gazed at her baby boys, despite the pain, she smiled.

   “Baby Zenith, Baby Nadir…your road may be hard, for you will walk in my footsteps, but I know you are strong.  I know someday you’ll find a way, and your children, I pray, will know comfort.  They will follow your footsteps, but not the steps you took through poverty; they will take the strong steps you took to survive, to make it through their own troubles.  Just remember, I will always love you.  I won’t always be with you, but my love for you, will never die.  As long as you are living, I’ll watch over you.  I’ll guide you and everything you care about.  One day, I promise, you’ll find light.”

   A smile curled his lips.  His precious mother…she did love him.

   And he loved her.

   One day, he would have a baby girl, and in his mother’s memory, her name would be, Neferine.

   But for now he slept.  A new path in life needs to be taken on at full strength.

   Peace.  For the first time, he could sleep and not be afraid of tomorrow.

   “As long as you don’t give up on life, life will never give up on you.”

   They survived the darkness.

   And at last, they found light.