Always face forward

Welcome to parallel hearts, a small tribute to Mikage of the manga/anime series 07-Ghost. Mikage is a character I have been wanting to do something for for quite a while, and Amassment's One Page One Month marathon was the perfect excuse to at least get something started. Buuuut, to be honest this kind of turned into more of a TL;DR essay on why Mikage is just plain awesome, so forgive me. Please be aware that this site will contain UNMARKED SPOILERS for the anime and the first nine volumes (the current tankoubon as of this writing) of the manga and liberal cursing, as well as a very high probability of inducing tears. Information will be primarily manga-based, with bits and pieces pulled from other canon sources; there will also be quite a heavy mention of the series' protagonist, Teito Klein, as you can't really talk about Mikage without talking about Teito as well by now it may as well be a tribute to Mikage and Teito :|. Please take a look around and thank you for visiting!

The current layout features several images from the first two volumes of the manga (scanned and coloured by Nori), and brushes from Debi-Chiru on Deviantart. The header image was created in Photoshop 7 and the coding in Notepad++.

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Parallel Hearts

We swore to each other

Mikage is, plainly speaking, the kind of friend that everyone needs; he's loyal, always cheerful, and not afraid to knock you down a peg or two if he thinks you need it. It is plain to see that he cares deeply for Teito, and his relentless teasing is easily recognizeable as a sign of affection. He's the type of guy that will do everything he can for the people he loves, even lose his life if necessary. Teito and Mikage once made a promise: To never abandon each other on the battlefield; they would live together, laugh together, struggle together, and die together.

HapptiemsAs given in the 07-Ghost TV Animation Official Fanbook & manga canon

Name: Mikage (ミカゲ)
Age: 15
Birth Date: March 3rd
Height: 167cm (~5'6")
Weight: 51kg (~113lbs)
Blood Type: 0
Zaiphon Type: Offensive
Family: Father, mother, older brother, younger sister
Trivia: Mikage comes from a family of stewards (Japanese given as 「執事」; "shitsuji", meaning steward or butler. Their job is to take care of the homeowner's household, and oversee the more common maids and servants.) His family works for the well-known Oak military family, and he attends Barsburg Academy alongside one of the sons, Shuuri. Mikage's birthday, March 3rd, is also Japan's Hinamatsuri (Doll Festival), also known as Girls' Day. His trademark cross-shaped scar on his cheek was given to him by his brother during a sparring session. His favourite food is yakisoba (fried buckwheat noodles, usually mixed with vegetables, seafood, and/or meat), and firmly believes that one can survive solely on this, as well as thinking that yakisoba is basically God's gift to mankind.

In the anime, Mikage is voiced by Namikawa Daisuke, whose other roles include Ootori Choutarou (Tennis no Oujisama), Kurono Kei (GANTZ) and both Feliciano & Lovino Vargas {Italia Veneziano/North Italy & Italia Romano/South Italy} (Axis Powers Hetalia).

When we first meet Mikage, the first thing he does is tease Teito, who promptly bitchsmacks him and tells him to shut the hell up. Mikage takes it all in stride, and merely asks him if he wants to get lunch (the lunch lady apparently gives them free food when he's with Teito). Because Teito is a former slave, and is known as the Chairman's Pet, many students are extremely wary of him, and no one wants to be around him. He gets picked on often, and because of this he tells Mikage that the other students will badmouth him as well if he continues to hang out with him. Mikage, on the other hand, doesn't care, and tells him that he's tired of hearing that from Teito. Mikage worries about Teito just as much as he enjoys teasing him. He's constantly trying to get Teito to lighten up and eat properly, saying that doing both will help him grow taller.

Mikage continues to be silly, even when the pair are training for their upcoming graduation exam. Both Mikage and Teito are proficient in the use of Zaiphon, a type of magic that is generally manipulated through the hands (though other instruments can be used) and its power relies heavily on the strength of its user's thoughts and emotions. For the offensive type of Zaiphon the pair use, the emotions need not necessarily be negative, as evidenced by the remains of an attack Mikage hit Teito with etched on the wall - "Chibi". As picking on Teito's height is one of Mikage's favourite ways to tease him, it naturally fires Teito up enough to return the attack. While watching a floating fortress from their school grounds, Mikage says that if they pass their exam, they'll both be accepted into the fort and that he'll not only fight to protect the Barsburg Empire, he'll fight to protect his family as well.

You knew it was me?

Mikage and Teito are very close - Mikage cares very deeply for Teito, possibly originally out of pity, and Teito returns his feelings because not only was Mikage the first person to reach out to him, he was the first person to treat him as if he were a human being and not as a slave or the chairman's favourite - Mikage sees him as family. As Mikage could be popular on his own, Teito is hesitant to befriend him, thinking that if he is friends with Mikage, people will no longer want to associate with his bubbly and sometimes ditzy roommate. Mikage thinks this is complete nonsense; Teito is his friend and he doesn't give a damn what other people think - he knows that Teito is a good person.

Despite having stayed up all night sparring, Mikage and Teito both end up passing their exams. Their injuries are thankfully minor, and they spend some time chatting about it, and Mikage tells Teito that he's proud of him for helping dickface Shuuri, who basically completely fell apart during the exam despite his enormous holier-than-thou complex (and the fact that Shuuri tends to be one of the main offenders when it comes to people picking on Teito out of malice). Teito tries to explain that it wasn't anything, that his body moved on its own, but Mikage doesn't believe him. It's here that Mikage prompts the ultimate promise.

"I never thought you'd be the one to help that Shuuri. Even he loses face against your bravery."
"T-that's not true. My body just moved on its own..."
"Don't say that, best buddy. I'm proud of you."
"... (meloncholy smile) ...Hey, Mikage. You know that...I was a slave, right? Not just any slave... A slave used for battle... I was sold to the army when I was very young. I... I never new the 'love of a family'... But because you think of me as your "best buddy"... I thought... that it might be the same..."
"(crying) Damnit, you idiot, stop making me cry!"
"W-why are you crying!!?
"You suddenly said something like that, how else could I react!? But this is the first time you've ever said something like that, so I'm really happy. Alright! Let's make a best-friend promise! If you every get into a pinch on the battlefield... I'll never abandon you!!"
"O..okay. I swear by the name of God that we'll die together!" (thinking) "Since Mikage promises... God... I will also swear by your name."

Mikage makes good on his promise fairly soon afterwards. For reasons I won't get into because this site surprisingly actually isn't about Teito (despite the fact he's been mentioned in like every paragraph), Teito is thrown into prison for going up against Ayanami, one of the military's head hanchos. Mikage is tipped off when several of the school's staff come to their room to collect Teito's belongings, and Mikage immediately goes to see if it is true. He finds that Teito has already escaped from his cell. Surprised, Mikage calls out to him, and Teito simply tells him that he's sorry, he can't stay here anymore, and thank you for everything you've done.

Thinking that this is pretty much bullshit and that he's not going to let his best friend get himself killed, Mikage immediately takes his hand and starts running despite Teito's protests that he doesn't want to get Mikage involved. His only concern is that Teito escapes safely, and he assures Teito that getting out of there is the only thing he needs to worry about. It's all Teito can do to pray that if there is a God, He'll protect Mikage. The two are discovered shortly after and cornered by two guards; Teito uses this chance to steal Mikage's sword and hold it to his throat, threatening to kill him - an act of desperation used in hope that the guards would believe that Mikage was, indeed, being held hostage and that they wouldn't hurt him for Teito's mistakes.

"I can't let you turn yourself into a criminal. Mikage, I've got to run from here on my own... We will... always be best friends, right?"
"Of course." (thinking) "Go, Teito!!"

Teito throws Mikage at the guards and jumps over the balcony, where he manages to escape. Mikage is then taken to Ayanami as a traitor.

We'll always be the best of friends Let me be your armor

It is, to me, somewhat unclear what exactly happened to Mikage after Teito escaped. It's evidenced (and in some cases fact) that he was tortured for information regarding Teito's whereabouts; information that Mikage refused to give (though whether it was because he actually didn't know, or because he wanted to protect Teito is somewhat questionable). It is, however, known, that Mikage was given an ultimatum: Give up Teito, or give up his family - if he can't choose between them, he will die. Ayanami forced him to choose between the life of his best friend, or the lives of his entire family. In the end, Mikage chose to stay loyal to Teito, saying that his family would understand that he had made a promise he couldn't break.

Mikage's separation from Mikage didn't last for too long, however; only a day later, a travel-weary Mikage shows up at the church Teito had been taken to. Exhausted, he barely manages to say "Thank goodness you're alive." before Teito tackles him to the ground with a hug. Frau and Castor, two of the church's bishops, watch from the sidelines. Amused, Frau asks Castor if the new person was Teito's boyfriend, to which Castor replies that he believes it's simply his friend. Teito and Mikage, meanwhile, are still on the ground; Mikage saying to Teito that he had many things to tell him before passing out from exhaustion.

After Mikage recovers some, he and Teito go to one of the church's gardens to talk. Teito talks about things he's remembered, Mikage speaks of the things he went through after Teito left their school. Teito feels bad because Mikage had come to bring him back, but because of the things he had learned and he had remembered, Teito tells him that he cannot return to the Imperial army, and that Mikage should go back without him. Mikage understands, but somehow, something changed in him.

Mikage's words somehow seem more desperate - he begs Teito to listen to him while he's still "himself" - perhaps it was then that he realized that Ayanami had possessed him, and that he now knew exactly where Teito was. Mikage begs Teito to first not to go after the army seeking revenge, that killing someone in revenge wouldn't make the feelings go away.

"Always face forward. Walk toward the path of light. Second, you suck at accepting other peoples' kindness, and opening yourself up... but you're my best friend. I always pray for your happiness. I'll always be by your side, don't forget that."

Confused, Teito asks why Mikage is talking like that, and Mikage makes a request of him: He wants Teito to kill him. When Teito refuses, Mikage begs him to run, to get away, that there's no way he can rat Teito out, that Teito is as important to him as his own family. Mikage's personality changes right before Teito's eyes - his words going from "save yourself" to "save me", an inner struggle between his own soul and the part of Ayanami's soul that's trying to take over and trick Teito. His final words before Ayanami takes over completely were "I love you. Goodbye."

hide and seek is over

Almost immediately, the fight begins, with Ayanami using Mikage's body to pursue Teito with the intention of killing him. Though Teito begs for Ayanami to let Mikage go, Ayanami refuses, saying that Mikage's soul can no longer be saved, that he'd only had half a soul since returning to Teito's side. To further taunt him, he tells Teito that Mikage will never come back to protect him again, as punishment for betraying the army. His body transforms, revealing a single skeletal wing - the wing of a Kor, a being that exists solely to "steal dreams and drag humans into darkness". From past experience Teito knows that to destroy the wing would mean to destroy the Kor, but Ayanami trumps him again - because he is not a true Kor, destroying the wing would kill Mikage.

Teito is stuck; wishing to defeat Ayanami and to save Mikage. He doesn't want to attack for fear of hurting Mikage's body, but at the same time, he knows he has to. When Ayanami tells Teito that his orders were to bring him back to the army alive, Teito threatens to kill himself - an act, Ayanami says, that would be considered rebellious and as such, would endanger Mikage as well. During the battle, Ayanami is shocked to discover that although he has completely taken over Mikage's body, it is crying as if there is still a part of Mikage's soul trying to come back to the surface, saddened and desperate.

The fight continues and eventually Frau's Ghost form, Zehel, shows up - absolutely furious at whoever was messing with Mikage's soul and playing with his body. Teito begs Zehel not to cut the wing, that Mikage was still alive - Ayanami continues to taunt him, saying that Mikage's soul was crying, was in pain - that it would forever be lost to the pits of despair.

never give up

It is at this point where Ayanami backs off, leaving a few words of warning for both Teito and Zehel, before his soul disappears and, for a short moment, Mikage returns to himself, smiling whole-heartedly as Teito throws himself at him and hugs him. It only lasts a few seconds, however, before Mikage's body disappears and what remains is nothing but feathers and a broken hearted Teito. (It should be noted that Mikage lives significantly longer in the anime.)

Upon Mikage's death, Teito remembers the first time he met his best friend, when they had become roommates upon entering Barsburg Academy. Mikage, being his cheerful self, had done everything he could to befriend Teito, and completely ignored Teito every time he told Mikage that he would be alienated if he continued to hang around him. It simply wasn't in Mikage's nature to care about things like that. Even when Shuuri Oak, the son of his family's employers, started in on him, he merely told Teito not to worry about it and to go. When Shuuri continued by saying that stewards were as good as slaves, and that since Teito was a slave they obviously belonged together, Teito snapped and subsequently punched Shuuri in the face, screaming at him to apologize to Mikage. Mikage, in his typical nature, stopped Teito and told him it was okay - "You don't need to soil your hands over a jerk like him." With a bright smile and a pet on the head, he thanked Teito for trying to stick up for him.

Still in despair, Teito remembers; that Mikage was always there for him, that Mikage had always cared for him and loved him, that Mikage was someone he had given his heart to, that Mikage had always encouraged him to keep going, that Mikage had been his light in a world of darkness.

"Mikage's words always lingered in my heart. It's so strange. My chest always felt so hot. 'Always face forward. Walk toward the path of light.' Mikage... you were my light."

He's already by your side I'll love you 'til forever

In 07-Ghost lore, when a person is born, he makes a promise to the Chief of Heaven to fulfill three wishes during his life. When those three wishes have been granted, the person will return to the Chief, and, eventually, be reborn. According to the Bishop Frau, this is true.

Teito, naturally, was devastated by Mikage's death - not only had he just recently been reunited with his best (and only) friend, but that same friend died in his arms not days later. He spends his time moping around, holing himself up in his room. Teito blames himself for Mikage's death - if he'd been stronger, he could have saved him; if he'd been stronger, he would have lived; if he had been stronger, they would have kept their promise to die together. When Frau simply barges into his room with food and an odd-looking creature, he tells Teito that the little pink ball of adorable is a comfort animal of the Church. Teito snaps, saying there is no God and if there was, he would have saved Mikage.

Frau, being the somewhat dickish person he is, wouldn't have any of that. He explains to Teito about the three wishes, saying that there was no doubt that Mikage's third wish was to protect someone dear to him at the cost of his own life, and that Mikage must have been happy when he died, knowing that he had protected Teito. Teito replies that those were merely words people spoke to make others feel better, to which Frau once again corrects him - he tells him that Mikage is already once again by his side, and motions toward the pink bunnything.

Burupya!

The little creature is, in reality, a Fyulong dragon; a type of dragon that is later found out to be capable of human speech, among things. Frau tells Teito that the dragon had fallen from his nest, and that his soul had the same colour as Mikage's had had. Upon closer inspection, Teito realizes that the little dragon had the exact same scar as Mikage. In narration, Frau explains that Mikage must have wanted to protect Teito no matter his form, despite the fact he could have asked to be reborn as a human. Perhaps when he was reborn, Mikage chose a form that would be of more use to Teito - while he could have been reborn as a human being, a baby human would take a lot longer to mature to a point where it is useful. As a dragon, he would grow faster, and be more useful from the get-go.

Shortly after Frau gives Teito Burupya, as the dragon is called after the sounds he makes, he takes Teito back to the room where Mikage had died, to show him Mikage's last words. As Zaiphon are controlled by one's emotions, anything hit by the attack will be marked with what the caster was feeling or thinking at the time. Teito, who had been thinking he had lost everything, that he hadn't deserved to be by Mikage's side, all but collapses.

"I'm sorry, Teito." (「ごめんな テイト」/gomen na Teito)
"You have to keep living!" (「お前は生きろ!」/ omae wa ikiro!)
"We'll always be best friends." (「オレ達は ずっと最高のダチだ」/oretachi wa zutto saikou no dachi da)
"I love you." (「大好きだ」/ daisuki da)

Teito faints, his last thoughts being that Mikage had smiled even as he died, and that he'd been his friend to the very end.

Despite the fact Mikage is no longer human, he continues to help Teito in more subtle ways - if not for Burupya, Teito probably would not have befriended Hakuren Oak, a young man at the church preparing for the Bishop Exam... who also happens to be the cousin of Shuri Oak, the young man of whose family Mikage's family worked for. For Teito, Burupya is a constant; something to hold on to, something to support him on his journey, and most importantly, something to love as he had loved Mikage.

In volume 7 of the manga, Teito and Frau are on a journey that leads them to Teito's homeland, the Raggs Kingdom. At one point they are attacked by Fyulong dragons, one of which just so happens to be the mother of Burupya, and is extremely angry that her child was stolen from her (that's right, Frau took Burupya from its nest; it didn't fall.). Teito stands up to her and explains that it's his fault her precious child was taken from her. When the dragon asks why her baby in particular was taken, Teito tells her that his most important person died to save him, and that her baby was the reincarnation of that friend. Teito says that on his journey he has learned things, that he wants to return everything to normal; that he will die in order to return Mikage's life to a happier time where he hadn't met Teito.

I'll always be with you

The mother dragon is skeptical, of course, and tells Teito that those feelings are merely Teito's own attachment to Mikage being pushed onto the baby; that even if he is the reincarnation of Mikage's soul, he doesn't remember anything from his past life. Teito argues that all he wants is for that soul - the soul of the baby dragon, and the soul of Mikage, to be happy; that Mikage had given so much light to his life, and he had given him none in return. He hopes that he can one day give his life to bring light to Mikage. The dragon continues on what was essentially a lecture - that even with the three wishes a person is to grant, one's happiness cannot be granted by another person, and that Burupya has to make his own choices. She explains that baby Fyulongs are raised and learn in groups, and that because Frau stole him from his nest, he cannot fly or speak, and that the baby was merely used to heal Teito; that the baby does not fit within the role of a Fyulong by being with Teito. She continues on to say that if Teito truly wished for Burupya's happiness, he already had his answer.

Teito realizes that she's right, in looking at his past with Mikage. It's time to let go, he decides, and with one last snuggle he thanks Burupya for being born and being with him, and wishes for his happiness. He then returns Burupya to his mother and siblings, fully prepared to leave it at that - until, if just for a moment, Burupya transforms into the image of a much younger Mikage, who simply stands in front of Teito and smiles. Frau thanks the mother dragon for showing even Teito the memories of Burupya's past life, and she replies that she merely wanted to ensure her child's true happiness. With that, the Mikage apparition disappears and the dragon flies off. Only moments later, however, Burupya crash-lands on top of Teito's head - he had chosen to remain with Teito. Surprised, Teito asks Burupya why he came back; that if he's always relying on him, won't he get lazy? In doing so, he remembers something Mikage had once told him.

"...Why are you with me?"
"God doesn't give us trials we can't overcome. So someday your wounds will heal, and the day will come when you've surmounted all of your pain. I want to see the place where you smile from your heart."

With renewed strength, Teito thanks Burupya, and asks Mikage to continue their journey.

Let's continue this journey

A lot of people I know (and, apparently, Frau) would look at the relationship between Mikage and Teito as one of the "more than friends" romantic and/or sexual variety, but I personally find it very difficult to think of them as such... even with such canon occurances as Mikage simply climbing into Teito's bed and sleeping with him, or the number of hugs shared. It is obvious that they love each other enough to die (or live) for each other, and that they are extremely loyal to each other. Perhaps it is a step above platonic, but Mikage is simply the kind of guy to throw everything he has at everything he deems important to him. Teito is, without a doubt, one of the most important people to Mikage, and he will do everything he can to love, cherish, and protect that. "Bromance" is perhaps one way it could be described; they are best friends, and to Teito, Mikage is essentially the epitome of everything good in his (albeit short) life.

I think Mikage, as a whole, represents the idea that though the things we love may no longer be tangible, they'll always be with us. Even now, some 50 (as of writing this) chapters after his death, Mikage still remains a central part of the story of 07-Ghost; although his body is gone, his spirit is still with Teito, guiding him and comforting him. Though it may be taken a little more literally given the existence of Burupya, Mikage continues to be Teito's light, and the reason Teito has lived on and continued to find the truth. Even though Mikage can no longer speak to him, Teito still remembers the things he's said during times of need, using them as a source of strength; it is those lasting memories that keep Mikage's legacy alive in Teito's heart.

This, and everything he's done, are just a few of the many reasons I adore Mikage. He's the kind of loyal friend that everyone deserves to have; the person who will always be there even when they can't be with you physically. His whole story is just so sweet and heartbreaking that I admittedly almost started crying while writing this page up; knowing just how devoted Mikage was to Teito and how much he is relied on, even now. It is with those thoughts in mind that I leave you with the single song I associate with both Mikage and Teito, and how, in some ways, parallel hearts can be thinking entirely different things.

Let me take the fall; Let me take the blame; Let me carry you from hell To home again.
Let me walk for you When your legs are weak; Let me find the words for you When you can't speak

Let me be your armor, Let me be your shield; Let me take away the pain you feel (your armor)
Let me be the light That guides your way through darkest night;Let me be your armor.

Let me take the blows That were meant for you; Let me help you with the trials You're going through
Let me keep you safe From the world outside; Let me wipe away the tears That fill your eyes

Let me be your armor, Let me be your shield; Let me take away the pain you feel (your armor)
Let me be the light That guides your way through darkest night;Let me be your armor.

Let me keep you from Experience you need; Let me bind you with my selfishness And greed
Let me stifle you; Let me have control; Let me smother Every aspect of your soul

Let me be your armor, Let me be your shield; Let me take away the pain you feel (your armor)
Let me be the light That guides your way through darkest night;Let me be your armor.

-Assemblage 23 - Let Me Be Your Armor

Parallel hearts can mean any number of things; from Nori being uncreative and using the title of the song she was listening to at the time of making the layout, to the facets of Mikage's heart - while he and Burupya are two entirely different beings, their hearts and souls follow the same path, to Mikage and Teito's hearts that, while technically going to different places, are aligned in such a way that they'll eventually intersect with something common.