Author's Note: This is a brief one-shot told in Ren's point of view on some opinions of Horohoro, in honor of our favorite Ainu's birthday, November 27. So all of you wish Horohoro a happy birthday, and, without further ado, allow me to present to you another awful creation of mine.

There is nothing more I can do for you, Horokeu.

The day that you were born, the twenty-seventh of November, is the day that I was liberated, even if it was before I was born myself. Since that day, nothing in the world could hurt me, as long as you were around. That was what I believed. That was the impression I got from you.

But I knew, deep down inside, that I was lying to myself.

I was hurt in so many ways before I met you. My soul had been shattered, my inner self had been strangled and smothered, and my body and mind were abused by both my father and myself, slowly tearing my spirit away from me until there was nothing left inside, and I was only a hollow, empty shell waiting to be refilled.

You were that person who refilled me. I don't know how you managed to do it, but you did, and I loved you for it. I gave myself up to you, I let you have my once empty heart, and you accepted these offerings gratefully and took good care of them, treating them like fragile porcelain.

You protected me like no one else had, and you were a friend to me that no one else could be.

It would seem that Yoh had saved me from my father and myself. But, in my way of thinking, he had only freed me from the family dungeons, but, as he never cared about many things, my heart had still remained encased and locked up behind thick walls of steel, something that Yoh could never free, no matter how hard he might try.

You broke down those walls.

You rescued me.

You were the one who was always there for me, you were the one who was always supporting me, through thick and thin, you were the one who always fought by my side. You were the only person I loved and ever will.

You promised me you wouldn't let anyone or anything hurt me like before ever again.

You lied to me.

No matter what you tell me, or yourself, or anyone else, you can't reverse time. You can't undo what's been done. You can't erase the scars that will forever stain my physical body and my mental soul. And you certainly cannot save me, nor yourself, from death.

You will never be able to come back.

So answer this now, Horokeu. Why do I hurt inside? Why do I hurt more than I ever have before?

I know you cannot answer me, so I will reveal the answer now.

It is because you can't protect me anymore. You can't save me anymore. You can't love me anymore. And you won't be seeing me anymore.

It had been quite some time before I had begun thinking about this. The days had flown by in a tear-streaked blur before I realized what a lie you had been telling me all those few brief, ephemeral, fragile years I had been able to spend with you.

After all, nothing lasts forever.

And now that you are dead, I find it increasingly hard to believe that you can protect me "forever."

I felt betrayed after you had gone and died. You broke the promise of "forever" that you had made to me. Your idea of "forever" ended a lot quicker than you had expected, didn't it?

You are a liar and a traitor.

But you are a loving liar and a sweet traitor.

And for that, I spend my days, once again an empty, souless husk, wishing and wishing that somehow, you and I will be together again.

Happy Birthday, Horokeu.

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