chapter 3 The wind blew over her face, drying her cheeks. When she reached her house she grabbed a duffle bag and raced up to her room. She grabbed a bunch of cloths and supplies such as soap and food and water. She took all her money and the blue rose and shoved them into her bag.
"Riku!" She called, hoping he was here. He came into here room.
"What's wrong Saya-neechan?" Riku asked with a look of confusion on his small famine-like face.
"Get your stuff. We're leaving. Kai doesn't want us here, so please hurry before he gets home!" Saya said in a hushed tone. Riku's eyes were wide and confused. "Please just do it. Kai said he hated me and that we were monsters. He hates us, so we're leaving!" Saya explained. Riku's face was sad as he nodded and went to collect his things.
When he was ready they left quickly, Saya carried Riku on her back so she could run at top speed. Riku did not understand what had happened but came, because Saya had asked him to. He had a hard time believing Kai would say those things but he knew Kai had. "Saya-neechan, why would Kai-niichan say those things?" Riku asked softly, with his small childish voice.
"Because we had a fight." Saya answered. "A huge fight. He screamed at me Riku. I attacked him and he attacked me."
"You two actually fought?!" Riku shouted in surprise, "You must have had a pretty big argument!" Riku's eyes were wide. Saya sighed and slowed to a stop.
"Yeah. It was the worst one ever." Saya said quietly. She set Riku down and said, "I need a short break." Riku looked at her with soft brown eyes so wide and confused they looked almost puppyish. He sighed and nodded.
"Okay Saya-neechan." Riku said and Saya nodded a quick thanks. Saya took a minute or two to steady her rapid breathing and to rest then she was fine.
"Riku." She called to him who was sitting under the shade of a medium sized tree. Said boy looked up at his dark-haired sister. Yes he thought of Saya as a sister even though they were never actually related they had all lived as brother and sister with George. "It's time to get going. Do you have everything?" Saya asked her younger sibling.
"Yes I do, nee-chan." Riku answered and climbed onto his older sibling's back.
"You ready?" Saya asked, Riku nodded and she took off at an inhuman speed, running through the trees.
"Saya-neechan? Where are we going?" The young boy asked over the rush of the wind, and Saya slowed just a bit.
"I don't know Riku, I just don't know. Do you have any good ideas?" Saya asked her brother with a sigh and an exasperated sigh. Riku though for a moment really hard then he asked,
"Do we have any money?" Saya nodded slightly, nearly tripping over a branch on the forest floor.
"Some." She relied when she regained her steady pace and balance. "Like two hundred dollars, more or less." Saya guessed.
"A hotel?" Riku suggested with a questioning look around. Saya nodded and changed her course slightly to the right.
"The nearest city or town that isn't too close to Okinawa is this way about ten miles. It'll only take about an hour." Saya said then added, "We'll take a break about half-way there."
"Okay Saya-neechan." Riku said with a happy nod. . . ."Saya?! Riku?!" David yelled threw the house. Julia gave him a panicked look and David turned towards Kai. "What did you do Kai?" He demanded.
"I just told her she didn't belong here with us! I told her to take Riku- or the monster that has replaced Riku and leave! I hate Saya!" Kai shouted at David. David's fist knocked Kai off balance, hitting him directly in the jaw.
"How could you do that to your sister?! She's part of our family!" Julia scolded the red-haired teen.
"Since when are you two in the Miyagusuku family?" Kai spat at the blonde woman.
"Since George died, we have vowed to take care of you, Saya, and Riku. You can't be left to survive alone, especially with Saya needing extra help." Julia said firmly and David nodded in agreement.
"You mean since she killed him." Kai said bitterly. David scowled at him, and Julia stared at him mouth dropped open.
"How could you even think that?! It was certainly NOT Saya's fault!" David shouted at the boy, Julia still too surprised to speak.
"How isn't it! If Saya had not come into our lives then he would not have gone there and gotten involved. He would still be alive! This is completely her fault!" Kai screamed angrily. "I hate her! I hate Saya!" Kai was totally loosing it.
"I can't believe you Kai!" Julia said, finally snapping of her confused, surprised trance. "What brought this on? He missing Hagi? Diva killing Riku, and Saya saving him?"
"She should have let him die, not turning him into her freaking slave! And the Hagi thing, I'm glad he died! I hated Hagi! She can be miserable all she wants! It's all just the tears of a murderess!" Kai shouted in Julia's direction.
"…"
"…"
Both David and Julia were speechless. Neither knew what to say to the angry red-haired boy. So neither spoke at all. Kai walk- well stomped away to his room.. . .'Do you honestly think that by staying with Saya, you will make her happy?' Solomon's question echoed in Hagi's mind as his body slowly healed itself from beneath the rocks.
Everything hurt, especially so when he hit the rocks to form a way out, giving him room to breathe and move until he had the strength to get out completely. It had been days since he'd been hurt, seven to be exact; one human week. I will get to you, my Saya. I will make you happy, despite Solomon's words. Hagi promised himself.
Other than the hollow echo of Solomon's voice, the echo of Saya's scream was louder. That scream, that terrible scream she cried out when he was crushed. The last thing he'd seem was Saya's terrified face, her eyes widened in horror, cheeks stained with fresh hot tears. Her lips quivered as she screamed out his name.
He vowed to always be with her, to always make her happy, and he'd broken that promise when he'd made her cry; even if it was something he could not control, it still hurt. He flexed his muscles as best he could, pin pointing where the pain was the strongest. His right shoulder was the worst. Only then did he feel the sharp rock piercing it. The bone was also shattered, it would take quite a while, at this slow rate, to heal. A single tear ran down his cheek.
It would be a while longer before e could see the one he loved, before the sun in his dark sky could once again rise.
. . .At the hotel Saya handed the man some money and got a room for her and Riku, but it only had one bed.
"Riku?" Saya asked softly, yet a little unsurely.
"Yes, Saya-neechan?" Riku answered, in the same way he always did, with an answer and then sister Saya. She almost wanted to giggle at the familiarity.
"We can stay here for a little while…but there is one place I have to go." Saya said, lowering her voice some, for the last part.
"To find Hagi… to the place where he was hurt…?" Riku asked, looking at Saya, who wouldn't look him in the eye at first. But when she did she nodded and said:
"I have to know Riku… Or I can never move on." Riku nodded solemnly.
"Me too. I miss Hagi, like another older brother, just part of the- our family. Don't you think so?" Riku asked quietly.
"Hagi's always been a part of my family, and it's nice to know you welcome him as part of your-ours. That is, if he's even still alive." Saya said somberly.
"I truly believe Hagi is alive." Riku said with a strong sort of power behind his word, making Saya actually want to believe him.
"I hope you're right." Saya said solemnly.
Right then and there something clicked into place in Riku's mind. 'Riku there is something only you can do for Saya. You can promise to stay by Saya's side forever. That is something only you can do, only you.'
"Only me." Riku whispered. He had not understood what Hagi meant back then, but now he understood clearly.
"What?" Saya asked quietly, only then did he realize she was softly crying.
"If Hagi really…isn't coming back, I promise to stay by your side forever, Saya-neechan." Riku promise with such power, her jaw fell open slightly. She really truly, deeply believed Riku would stay with her forever. She nodded and smile, with a certain light in her red-brown orbs. Her eyes seemed more happy than they had in what seemed like forever, but was really only over a week. Riku smile back at his older sister.