Sparks Fly

The candle burned so bright, it was hurting her eyes. It was almost a pity, Nozomi thought, as she looked at the tightrope walker on the wires, whose stunning performance earned applauses so loud that it drowned out her cries.

The candle burned even brighter if possible for a moment, the orange flame flickering as the wick soaked up the melted wax, till the last of it was gone. The last whispers of the flame was kissed away by the unseen wind, her scream was unheard, shadowed by the gasps of the audience.

"NO!"

The tight rope walker plunged down, maybe it seemed like it was a public stunt, but deep down in her heart Nozomi knew that it was over, for the flame was no longer burning.

The first time she was genuinely curious about it, Nozomi learned to keep it a secret, one that must be hidden at all costs. Curiosity killed the cat after all, literally. The flames near its chest were pleasant to touch, radiating just enough warmth, as it licked her fingers. In one swift movement, she put out the flame with two, the charred wick was no longer burning and the wax would retain its shape for eternity.

Everything was still. The yellow tabby which was full of life before, even though it was burning with one last sliver of wax, was put into stasis. Her cold hands touched the deathly still body, trying to shake the still cat awake as paranoia overtook her. What had she done?

Later she would realize that the yellow tabby would spend its eternity just existing, but lifeless. Stuck in time infinitely, breathing, but not alive, because just existing had no meaning.

As the snow fell, she vaguely recalled her father on his deathbed, looking gently upon his only daughter. She was looking right at his chest, his attention was on her, as they both watched the flames burn weaker and weaker.

"No, father? Father!"

His last reply was a smile that was borderline sad, "I'm so sorry for cursing you with this Nozomi…", before silence took over.

The last of his flames flickered into nothingness.

Her cold hands touched the deathly still body, trying to shake her father awake, but deep down in Nozomi's heart she knew that it was over, for the flame was no longer burning.

There was nothing she could do.

If there was one thing that Nozomi hated, it would be the scent of disinfectant, to her it was akin to the smell of death. It wasn't like she had a choice, Nico was hospitalized and she had to brace herself before entering.

How short would Nico's candle be now?

It was something that she had to get used to, she kept telling herself that, as she walked past busiest part of the hospital. Away from the elderly couple mourning over the loss of their only son, away from the little girl sobbing over her mother's still body.

Outside, the snow was slowly making its way down.

It was too cold.

Nico's room wasn't hard to find. Her little friend's certainly made a huge racket, she could hear her voice from two doors away.

"Nicochi?" She entered the white doorway, it was ajar, as if someone had just left.

The raven-haired girl turned around in a split second, pillow in her hand forgotten, as the frown upon her face was wiped, replaced with her usual bright smile.

"Nozomi!" Nico waited for Nozomi to be closer, before lunging on her in tight hug.

"Are you okay, Nicochi? How's your injuries?"

"Oh she's definitely doing well if she could throw the pillow with such force," Came the reply from Nico's neighboring bed, where a blonde was sitting with a forlorn look and a tired smile.

"Can you just believe she's going to give up her life like this?" Nico interrupted, throwing her only pillow at the blonde, before yelling in pain as she sprained her other good arm.

"Nicochi! You should stay still!" She cupped Nico's cheeks as her friend pouted, before giving up and lying down. "I'm very sorry for my friend's behavior, she is a busybody, just that kind of kind soul who loves to poke her nose into everyone's business."

The blonde gave a small smile and stayed quiet, chuckling when Nico shouted, "No I am not!".

"I'm Nozomi, thank you for taking care of my friend all these while."

"I'm Eli, nice to meet you."

Nico was right, Eli was easygoing, charming, and not hard to get along with. In all the months that she had been to the hospital, it seemed in Eli never got any visitors. Maybe Nico was rubbing off her, or maybe she was intrigued by Eli's past, but whenever she visited, Nozomi tried to bring flowers for two. Bottled soup for two, scarves for two, and knitted sweaters for two.

She tried to ignore the little flame on Eli's chest, the length of the candle didn't exactly determine how long they lived after all. It was how bright the flames used to burn, how fulfilled their life was.

Those brilliant blue orbs were upon her again, as Nozomi wrapped the blue scarf around Eli's neck.

"N-Nozomi? You don't have to do all these for me…" Words tumbled out of cracked lips, the blonde's face was red.

"Nicochi's friend is my friend you know," She smiled, finishing the job with a cute knot. "Aren't you a busybody yourself, Nozomi?" Nico snorted from her bed, putting on her sweater.

She tried to ignore how warm Eli's flame was, or how she could feel her skin tingle whenever they touched.

Nozomi wondered why she had returned to the hospital after Nico was discharged. The memory of the sad smile that was back on the blonde's face when Nico was packing her belongings was etched in her mind, as she walked through the cold white corridors. The bottle of warm soup sloshed in its metal confines along with another bouquet of flowers in a paper bag.

Would Eli be happy to see her?

Three knocks on the door later, she entered, Eli's surprised expression was not lost on her.

"Nozomi! You came!"

Those brilliant blue orbs were upon her again, as Nozomi wrapped the discarded blue scarf on the floor around Eli's neck.

"Because a certain someone always forgets to keep herself warm,"

Eli chuckled, lying back on the bed with a small smile. Somehow the little flame on Eli's chest seemed to rival the cold outside.

She tried to ignore how bright Eli's flame had suddenly became and how her own flame seemed to turn a shade lighter.

"You never asked. About how I managed to get myself hospitalized?" Eli said after a while, the silence was somehow too comfortable to be broken.

"Hmm? That would be your story to tell. If you want to?" And Nozomi was told, the story of a ballerina who used to compete for her nation's pride, of how trophies used to crowd the shelves and certificates overflowing the folders.

The pained look in Eli's eyes returned as she spoke her next words, her hands were slightly trembling as she gripped the pillow so hard her knuckles were white.

"I'll never be on that stage again. I escaped from that reality and came to Japan for treatment, away from my family."

As if on instinct, Nozomi moved forward, cradling Eli in her arms, as tears poured forth, she could no longer tell the words that were muffled sobs, but she could tell it was enough.

She tried to ignore how warm Eli was and how sparks seemed to fly whenever their gazes met.

Her father's last words echoed in her mind as she watched the blonde who was sleeping at the moment.

I'm so sorry for cursing you with this Nozomi…

Eli left the most important bit unsaid, but Nozomi thought that maybe she already knew from the moment she entered the cold white room. Deep down in her heart she knew that nothing good would come of this, but these visits continued anyway. Maybe she just liked seeing Eli smile a tad too much.

Nozomi picked up the little notebook by Eli's bedside, as she scanned the little scribbled words in two distinct handwritings. She tried not to cry, but it wasn't possible. Maybe it was her fault for doing this with Eli.

To do List when Elicchi is discharged!

Go ice skating together! Elicchi claims that she can skate backwards?!

Taste Nozomi's cooking. She said she could cook Pelmeni.

Binge watch movies till four am. Elicchi has been such a good girl honestly.

Knit a sweater together? I don't really know what to do. (and I'm not a good girl ^)

Watch the cherry blossoms with Nicochi next year!

Make a picnic basket then?

Maybe it was her martyr personality, or maybe she had accidentally fallen in love, Nozomi hastily scribbled one last line on the crumpled list.

Contact your family, and live well Elicchi.

"Father, maybe it wasn't a curse."

There was one last thing she could do.

"I'm sorry Elicchi," She said, as she kissed the pair of pale lips. It was something that she had imagined herself doing when she was younger, doing it with someone she love, maybe her partner would kiss her back with vigour or something. But this was nothing like she had thought.

The two candles met at some point in space, the flames were grazing each other and two different colours were blending into one at the core. Her own candle was rapidly melting, Eli's dying flame was re-kindled. Nozomi watched the dripping wax adding on to Eli's, the small orange flame was burning brighter than before.

It began with her arms, pale at first then fading and then gradually her whole body.

"Have fun with the to do list Elicchi… Maybe this is goodbye..."

The last of her flames were gone, so was her body.

On the hospital bed was a blonde and her little orange flame near her chest, burning with so much more wax than before.

"Eli! I'm here to pick you up! Congratulations on discharging!" Brilliant blue orbs were upon her, as Nico wrapped the blue scarf around the neck of her friend. Eli chuckled, as she tied the scarf into a little cute knot.

In her pocket was a crumpled paper with smudged ink, the words were barely visible. "So I guess you never figured out who you wrote that list with?"

"I have no idea who is Nozomi."

"I guess that doesn't matter! Come on smile! It's your big day!"

Eli walked out of the doorway she spent months in, as tears poured down her cheeks. She never thought she could actually walk out of these white walls.

"Goodbye."

The lavenders by the bedside rustled as the door was closed.

A/N: THis is something that my friend thought of and wanted me to write for (the title was her idea too)... so here it is... I feel that this could be much better but ughh...