Niko stared out the window at the world that she was leaving behind. When would she return? She had not the slightest idea. Maybe never. The idea of never returning home had not slipped her mind. After all, so many unknown variables were being shambled together. Her life was being shuffled about like a deck of cards, the order and origin far from foreseeable. With arms held close, the withdrawn young woman held the bulk of her backpack to her chest and stomach. It was a bittersweet miracle that she had managed to obtain a window seat. Before she knew it, the plane took flight. Into the skies, upon metal wings, Niko was carried, but before the clouds could grace her window, her eyes caught a familiar sight. Even from miles in the air, she could recognize it. The beach. Upon a little peninsula, where the land reached out towards the ocean, a single rock peered just slightly further. Barely more than a speck in the grand scheme to her now, her eyes pinpointed the location, staring longingly. ... "Niko, nakanihairu! Sugu ni amegafurudarou!" A voice echoed through the misty evening. As the sun set on another day, the scent of imminent rain was in the air. Upon a petite rock, resting at the end of a low, sandy peninsula, a young girl sat with her legs crossed, staring out into the ocean. "Hai, mama!" The adolescent, high pitched voice of the child returned, swiftly turning her head back to vocalize the response more clearly. As she stood from her stony perch, she stared out once more to the waters, eyes glued in the direction of the endless horizon that rested just out of her reach. With her hands on her hips, the young lady, barely four, had a dream. She wanted to explore. She wanted to touch the sky with her feet, and dance with the birds. She wanted to grasp the bottom of the ocean, and face the coldest waters. She wanted to race with the lions, as well as hunt prey. The growing girl dreamed of adventure and wonder beyond the imaginations of most adults she knew. These admiration and ambitions were not uncommon for children her age, but it was rare to find any so prominent and colorful as hers. "Eh?!" Startled, the youthful girl took a leap back, a dark image darting past the side of her vision. Though she knew not exactly what it was, nor where it had come form, nor where it had headed to, she carefully crept her way towards the edge of the rock. Curiosity had a way of tugging on her mind, just as it had pulled her in the direction of her dream of exploration. Upon her childlike, miniature arms and legs, she ventured closer to the edge, just enough so that her eyes could peek over. As they did, a glint of something caught within the darkness, and the young one caught sight of a pair of glaring orbs staring towards her from the shadow of her rocky perch. "Ah!" In a clumsy, shaky movement, she had begun to lose her balance. In her moments as she rolled forward, the few years of her life felt as though they flashed before her conscience. Fortunately for her, the ledge, though quite tall to the short stature of the girl, was rather short, and after a mere second of falling, her tumble landed her upon the sand. On her back, she quickly scrambled to her hands and feet, looking towards the small crevice beneath her rock, from where the eyes had peered. Like a predator, its eyes gleamed through the darkness, stalking and tracking the movements of the miniature human. From the shaking of her limbs, to the panting of her breath, it observed each and every detail, although... It did not gather this information as if it was hunting prey. Rather, it was fearing for its own life. Cowering its head to the side, it hid as close to the stone as it could, hoping that the darkness would protect it from a cruel fate. A whimpered mew whispered from the creature, as though it were begging for mercy. "Neko?" The young girl tilted her head, crawling forward slightly to get a better look. Regardless of her previous hesitation, and even terror regarding the unknown creature, all of that seemed to fade away, as the soft, innocent meow of a kitten had graced her ears. Offering a hand towards the shadow, her previous trepidation had been replaced with a burning desire for friendship, and a powerful sense of intrigue. With its head hung low, the defenseless, black creature sulked from its hiding place after a few moments, fearfully rubbing its head against the hand of its possible attacker. It had not a good choice. If the human had been hunting it for food, it certainly would have perished. It could only hope that the hand was an offering of peace, and nothing terribly cruel. Luckily for the kitten, the gesture was a kind one, and the young, chubby fingers of the girl soon began rubbing all over and around the kitten's ears, the owner of the phalanges chuckling with glee. "Kawaī neko!" She whispered, unable to contain the smile that pulled close to her ears, carelessly shoving her round cheeks out of the way. "Kawaī neko, kawaī neko, kawaī neko!!" She repeated, pampering the unloved stray with both hands, as the fearful creature crawled into the young lady's crossed legs, curling up. This display of newly acchieved friendship lasted only a few moments longer longer, though was soon interrupted by a crackle of thunder in the sky, causing both the kitten, and the girl to jump. "Niko!" The mother of the young lady shouted from the refuge of her home, staring out at the silhouette of her daughter beside the rock. One by one, droplets of rain began to plummet from the sky, each one seeming to hit the ground harder than the last. Like a drum roll, the pattering of the percussive drops grew more swift has they fell, until they rattle houses and the earth with an incessant thumping. "Tōrai." The young one shouted back, as the sky began to douse her with water, buying herself just a few more moments outdoors. Shuffling, she carefully moved her little, furry friend beneath the rock once more. She gave it a stern point of her finger, ordering it to stay put until the storm was over. Quickly, she stripped off her shirt, draping it over the side of the stone, to present a sort of protective tent to the kitten. Giving one last glance to the baby animal, she smiled protectively, and could not help herself from letting a giddy chuckle escape her maw, before running back to her house. Covering her chest, she sneaked swiftly to her room to place a new one upon herself, as she would have to change out of her wet clothes anyways. It was her bed time, though she ventured from her room to look out of the large window to the sea, staring towards the rock where her new friend was most certainly residing. With a smile, and her hand upon the glass surface, she hoped for its well being. ... And just like that, the beach was out of sight, as the plane soared farther and farther away from Niko's birthplace. Her eyes had pinpointed her little perch for as long as she possibly could, before it faded away, behind the clouds and into the distance. Looking to the television that resided within the seat in front of her, she scoured its surface for a place the plug in her headphones. Slipping the buds into her ears, she began to touch the screen, flipping through pages of music and albums. None of the band really appealed to her, as Niko was not really a fan of most popular music. Coming upon something that seemed to be a bit more classical, she figured that it would have to do. She had quite a long flight ahead of her, after all. It was better to listen to something that would put her to sleep, rather than something that might give her a headache.
"Ohayo, Eleanor!" Ten years old already! Boy, she was growing up fast. Skipping down the beach on her way home from school, she vaulted upon her rock, peering down over the edge. A shirt that she once owned rested nailed into the rock, as a cat lazily pushed its way head first through the article. Peering out, it squinted to the sky. The sun was too high, and it was brutally hot. Chuckling, the girl pulled from her backpack a piece of bread, setting it next to her. Usually, after she did that, she quickly went on to doing her homework, but this time, she sat, staring at the cat. Perhaps the girl had one of the worst poker faces ever, as she could not keep the smile from plastering across her face. The intent of mischief was obvious, though the cat, merely thankful for its food, knew nothing of this, hopping upon the rock and beginning to much down the piece of bread. As if pouncing, the little girl took a blue, oddly shaped piece of fabric, and swiftly placed it around the cat's neck. The cat, Eleanor, was blatantly upset by this, meowing in disagreement as it hopped back cautiously. Luckily, it had come to trust the girl over some many years now, so it did not retaliate in fear of its life. It knew to trust her, though it did not know the purpose of this surprise! "Tantei, tantei!" The girl chanted. The word she spoke meant detective, and she had often described her cat with the title. It was a title that had come out, as the cat's antics could often be seen as quite curious, fearing nothing, and venturing into any dark corner in the pursuit of adventure. The cloth she had draped around its neck, like a little blue cape, rested upon the cat's back. The little furry creature, displeased by this garment being placed upon her, stared up at its owner with a grumpy face, though this only seemed to incite more laughter from the girl, as she chuckled and cheered for her dear Eleanor. As fun as it was to tease and toy with her friend, the young female knew that there was work to be done, so reaching into her bag, she pulled out her notebook, and commenced her rather simple, though tedious, work. Homework was never a struggle for the girl, though she found it boring. She did not have much inspiration for the sorts of work that was often given out. It all seemed so... Useless. Yet, she had a standard to hold up! She would not be like her younger brother, always glued to that handheld game of his! She needed to set a good example for him to follow when he decided to, just like her parents had told her! So she always did her homework, and she always payed attention in class. Although the cat cared little for the cape, it seemed to come to ignore it. In weeks that followed, it had been seen walking through the streets by strangers wearing the garment. A rather odd way for a cat too look, the people of the town soon began to know Eleanor by name, and even Niko, the shy, proud young lady who owned her. ... With her eyes closed, the music had managed to put Niko to sleep. This was lucky, as it was often rather difficult for the girl to manage such things even in the comfort of her own home. Certainly, it had been a miracle that she had managed it during her first time on an airplane. With backpack set at her feet and her arms wrapped around herself, she rested her head upon the small, flight pillow that was provided. The pillow was nestled just upon her shoulder, allowing her to merely lean over to enjoy its minimal comforts. "Ma'am." A voice sounded, dull and distant, unable to snap Niko out of her rest, though a hand reaching to nudge her shoulder did. With a startling awakening, she looked over towards the man, pulling out her earbuds. With a comforting smile, the man motioned to the cart in front of him. "Would you like some food from the cart?" "Ehm..." It was her first time speaking English to someone who did not speak her native tongue. "No... Thank you..." Her words were still quite accented, and she had not thought that they would have been so effective. Perhaps she should not have doubted herself, as the cart began to roll away, the smiling man with it. Slipping in her earbuds again, she began the battle to get back to sleep once more. Hopefully, it would not be a hard fought one.
Storms sometimes came and went. It seemed that Niko's family never really moved away from them to avoid them. Usually, other families might come or go to avoid the ebb and flow of the traffic of storms, but Niko's family generally stayed right where they were, careless in regard to what nature might send their way. Seventeen years old... Jeez, it had been a long time. Sitting upon her rock, she leaned back, with her hands upon its soft, warm surface. The sun began to set, and a beautiful sky set upon the horizon, as it usually did. Free from her studies for the time being, she liked to enjoy the pleasures of the wondrous sky. Often splattered with colors of red, and sometimes even purple, she wondered where each of the different colors came from. Niko like to imagine that somewhere within the space between where the sun met the sea each night, a painter stroked magnificent murals across an empty sky. She still wanted to be an explorer. That dream had not faded away completely, but there were complications, as life often brought. There were factors that she had to account for, and realistic expectations that had to be met. There would soon be bills to pay and people to please. The world was a complicated place, full of seriousness and adults. She would need to mirror those traits if she wished to survive. Dreams? Dreams were for children... Looking out towards her right, she spotted an old, fat cat creaked its old bones across the beach. A smile reached across her thin, young face. Upon its back, a raggedy blue cape set. It had been many years since it was a kitten, and it lacked the vigor and live it used to have. An incoming storm had seemed to scare nearly all of the nearby humans away, though one remained. Its favorite. Niko. It walked lazily towards the stone on which she often sat. If the cat could smile, it would. As much as it had earned praise from the nearby citizens, who often brought it food and pet it, it cared most for Niko. Within that girls eyes, Eleanor remembered not only the young girl's smile, but her own youthful years. As parasites chewed away at her stomach, it was fortunate that the cat had made it as long as it had. Of course, it had to hold on. Niko still needed her. "Niko!" A panicked screech came from the mother of the girl, stumbling from her house. Some relatives also ran from the home, sprinting out onto the beach towards her. "Watashitachiha iku hitsuyō ga arimasu!" Her voice was hoarse, and she sounded on the verge of tears. Confused, Niko looked back towards her family, as they ran out and grabbed her, swiftly pulling her back towards their home. As Niko asked them what was going on, no one seemed able to answer, merely telling her to gather all of her things as quickly as she could. Doing as her family asked, she packed each of her important items, from clothes to her tooth brush, all into her backpack. In a rush, all of them began to pack their things into two separate cars, as everyone was preparing to leave. Calmly, Niko took one last gander through her home. It looked ravaged and empty. All of their things of value were stripped and shoved into packages, shoved into cars, to be shipped away. Everything seemed to be moving so fast, as she walked towards the window. With her hand on the glass, she stared out towards the beach. There, at the shoreline, sat just next to her rock, was Eleanor, peacefully staring towards her. Niko smiled weakly, unsure of what was going on. Then, it was as if time stopped. As her eyes traced the backdrop, she watched the horizon rise up, blotting out the colors of the sunset. Her ears went deaf, as her family stomped through the house towards her, running to grab her by her arms and pull her back to the car. Looking out towards the ocean, she saw a massive tsunami, racing across the water towards the shore. There, all alone, Eleanor sat, staring towards her owner. Even if she was a detective, with a blue strapped cape and all tied rugged around her neck, there were things that a cat could not understand. The waters rose, forming an unsurpassable, collossal wave. Niko, in a panicked attempt to save her dearest friend, the one she had grown so close to, shoved the door open and began running out to the shore. Eleanor did not understand, tilting her head as the girl sobbed and ran towards her. As Niko's family caught up to her, catching her by a flung wrist, and beginning to tug her back towards safety, her senses were stifled by horror. One, audible word choked from her begging maw. The name of a dear friend. The name of her best friend. The name of her detective, Eleanor. ... It had been three years since the tsunami had hit. It seemed that, ever since that moment, the world changed for Niko. While she had been rather shy before, she pulled back from most of her relationships, and even many of the ties that she had with her family. Her focus had reared more towards her studies, pushing nearly all of her friendships to the brink of destruction. Only the most rambunctious of friendships remained intact, and of those, Niko had little time to deal with them. Though it would have been foolish to assume that she had forgotten her dream. In time, it seemed she had finally managed to get a flight to the states, studying abroad in New York! She had traveled across the sea, without friends or much money, but with her dream held close. As her plane finally landed, she came to consciousness. It was not long before she was up and out of her seat, waiting at those damned conveyor belts for her bag to come around. Impatient, she sat, pulling off her bag and setting int in front of herself. Unzipping it, she pulled out a small, broken piece of blue fabric. It was too small to truly resemble anything to anyone, and it looked merely like a piece of nothing, but it meant so much more than that to Niko. Having returned to the beach years prior, after the events of the tsunami had subsided, she had found next to her stone a piece of blue fabric. Upon noticing it, she knew precisely what it was, grabbing hold of it and pulling it close to her chest, just as she did within the airport. Whispering to herself, she spoke. No one was close enough to hear her, and even so, she did not care. She was speaking to the cloth, after all. "Tantei..." She grit her teeth, holding back the tears, as she saw her bag approaching on the conveyor belt. "Washed away by the sea." Grabbing her bag, she clicked the handle, as she began to roll it along behind her. She walked swiftly towards the exit of the airport. "I will find you. Eleanor." ... In her mind, somewhere out there, Eleanor was still there. She could see her, and often had dreams about her. Somewhere, beyond the sea, past the clouds, and on the other side of the world, Eleanor was there. Sitting upon golden sands, waiting for Niko to bring her some bread. All Niko had to do now... ... Was find her.
