He was never coming back. Sarla had taken him from her. She felt it, felt his death in the emptiness that had spread through her heart. Takato was gone. Sarla had killed him, or perhaps his own need to prove himself had done so. But as Ruki stood on the high, rugged cliffs above the churning Sea of Japan, she knew she had lost him.
Mist swirled around her but she didn't draw her coat close. The cold she felt was in the blood, in the bone. It could never be vanquished. Her love was gone, though she had prayed, though she had spent countless hours on her knees begging Sarla to stop her doing.
Takato's body was gone. Vanished. Ruki would never, never look on his face again, hear his voice, share his dreams.
She had not done as Takato had asked. Takato had asked her to leave, go to America where she would be safe from Sarla. He had gone to fight, he had promised she would come back to her and they would be together.
Now he was lost.
Sarla had taken everything that mattered. Afraid it was her sin that took Takato from her. Ruki had lied to her mother so she could go to Takato's house. More dreaming, Ruki thought, as she bowed her head against the vicious slap of the wind, she could not repent of her sins. Would not repent them.
There were no dreams left for her. No hope. No love. Sarla had taken Takato from her. And so, defeying fourteen years of religious train, against a lifetime of belief, she lifted her head and cursed God.
And jumped.
Ruki awoke, sweat on her face and tears in her eyes. She looked over to the clock. It was almost 7:00am. She jumped from her bed and ran down the stairs to the phone. Picking it up and dailing a number she had used so many times before that it was memorized, called Juri's house. Ruki knew Juri would be up. Juri always got up at 6:30 no matter what day it was.
"Hello?" Juri's voice answered the ringing phone.
"It h-happened a-a-again!" Ruki whailed into the phone.
"The dream?" Juri asked. Juri knew she had a bad dream about someone dying. But instead of Takato, Ruki would say someone elses name. Most of the time her grandma.
"Yes," Ruki whispered. "I found out the end of my dream."
"You mean it finally ended?" Juri asked. Everytime the dream happened, Ruki never finished it.
"Yes. I-I j-jumped off t-the c-cliff!" Ruki gluped out.
"Do you want me to come over?" Juri asked, consern in her voice.
"No. I'll be alright. I have to go. Thanks for listening. Bye," Ruki sniffed into the phone. Juri said bye and they hung up. Ruki atomaticly dailed another number. One she had memorized because she wanted to. She called Takato's house.
"Hello?" A woman's voice answered.
"Is Takato their?" Ruki asked, trying to stop her voice from shaking.
"Yes. Hold on please," the woman replied and with that Ruki heard a yell for Takato. After some minutes of frustration Takato picked up.
"Hello?" Takato asked.
"T-Takato?" Ruki's shakey voice was back.
"Ruki?" Takato asked, his voice full of surprise. "Why are you calling?"
"I had to make sure," Ruki answered.
"Make sure of what?" Takato asked.
"That my dream wasn't true. That you were alive," Ruki answered.
"Ruki, it's just a dream." Takato stated, boredom in his voice.
"No it's not just a dream. It's my one and only fear," Ruki mumbled as she hung the phone up.
---Later That Day---
Takato walked to the park. He was mauling over what Ruki had said. "It's my one and only fear," kept rolling around in his head. What did that mean? Takato couldn't stand it. Not knowing was driving him crazy!
"That's it! I've got to find out! I'm going to Ruki's!" Takato shouted, scaring some birds.
"Your going where?" A voice asked, startling Takato.
"Jenrya!" Takato cried as he spun on heel. Their stood Jenrya.
"Why, may I ask, are you going to Ruki's? Do you have a death wish?" Jenrya teased.
"No! It's just she talked to me earlier and I didn't get what she said! It's driving me nuts!" Takato explaned.
"Well, I wouldn't bother to go to her house," Jenrya said.
"Why not?" Takato asked.
"She's coming toward you. Later!"Jenrya called as he ran off.
"What did he mean coming toward you?" Takato asked himself. He turned around to come face to face with Ruki.
"Why are you here?" Takato asked, surprised.
"It's a free park. I can come here if I want," Ruki answered stiffly.
"Umm, can I asked you something?" Takato asked. Ruki's heart fluttered.
"Anything," Ruki replied, trying to keep her cool.
"What did you mean earlier? When you called, you said the dream was your fear. Why?" Takato asked. Ruki sighed. She should have known he wouldn't ask her what she was hoping for.
"Nothing, Gogglehead," Ruki replied, annoied this time.
"Come on! What part scared you? I want to help," Takato whinned. Ruki blinked.
"The part that scared me the most, was the begining," Ruki answered getting onto her knees on the grass. Takato got on his knees infront of her.
"What's at the beginging?" Takato asked. He stared at her voilet eyes and, for the millionth time in his life, wished she was his. She was beautiful. Did she know that?
"In the beinging you weren't their for me. You died. You left a promise broken." Ruki answered.
"My death? That is your gratest fear?" Takato asked. Ruki nodded. Takato reached his arms out and pulled her forward. Their faces were only inches apart. Ruki nodded.
"Do you want to know my gratest fear. I've had it sence we met Ryo in the digital world," Takato asked.
"What?" Ruki asked.
"Losing you to Ryo. I thought you would choose him over me. Ruki, your more beautiful then you give yourself credit for," Takato smiled.
"Takato," Ruki smiled and closed the gap that was between them. For someone so rude and hard on the outside, she was soft to touch. Takato wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss. Ruki drew her arms around his neck. It seemed like forever before they separated. They didn't separate to much. Only so their was about two inches between them. They looked at each other again and this time, Takato beat her to the kiss.
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So they're a couple now, everything good right? WRONG! Review please. Second chapter coming soon.