Cyrus Mahogany.
The name echoes in his mind. Ricocheting off the walls of his skull.
I am Cyrus Mahogany.
He stands back slightly, propping his back against the stone wall of the Hybria sewers.
I am Cyrus Mahogany, and I just ruined everything.
He is shaken. Rattled, even. Where had he gone wrong?
I just threw away all that I cared about.
He'd given up more than anyone. He nearly sacrificed himself for her, and now he's nothing.
All because I couldn't accept it. Wouldn't accept it.
But Klarissa had made a choice. And with every choice came consequences.
I just had to be jealous of Botsu. Just think, if I'd been just a little kinder to him, things would have been very different.
Cyrus stands up, kicking a pebble. The sounds of Klarissa's furious roars echo throughout the sewers, carrying a hollow ringing with them.
I should have just let Botsu take her. After all, who am I to complain? Klarissa was the greatest friend I ever had.
His discarded claw, stained with Klarissa's blood, sits on the ground, dented by the rampaging Mawile.
And here we are. Now it's like I barely know her. She hates me now.
Cyrus picks up the claw and hurls it at the stone wall, denting it further. The clanking of the metal hand claw falling to the ground mixes with the trickling of the sewer water, creating a symphony of despair that echoes for what seems to be hours.
I would apologize, but how? It's the middle of the day, and yet she transformed out of sheer hate for me.
Cyrus begins to step. One foot forward. Then another. He hardly picks up his feet, and his boots are scuffing the ground. "I have to… go on…."
What happened to us? Just one kiss, one simple kiss and I thought that our future was locked together…
His pace picks up. His robe is torn to shreds, the scraps littering the dusty ground. He kicks one, frustrated, and it flutters into the murky sewer water.
I've been a fool. Such a fool to think that she and I had something. She had told me that she didn't think of me that way before… Why didn't I listen to her?
Cyrus is unable to hold back the anger. He screams loudly, packing all of his frustration into the bellow. It echoes, and he can hear all the bitterness he had been holding in.
We all make choices. And just because I questioned it, I hurt her.
He hears Klarissa bellowing back in response. The roar is feral, impossibly primal. It reminds him of a thousand things, all of them terrible.
If I had just let things be, this would be different… So different…
Cyrus is running now. He hears the thud of his footfalls, but can barely process them over the cacophony that is his pounding heart.
What can I do? There must be something… Some way I can make things right.
He skids to a stop, making a sharp turn. The Chem-Synth that he, Klarissa, and Julius had pilfered was intact, thankfully. Once he had this situation resolved, Illyana needed his help.
No matter what happens, though, I have to stop her before she hurts someone else.
He keeps running, his pace urgent now. His foot swipes across the torn picture of him, and a tear begins forming in his eye.
She isn't just some girl to me. She's Klarissa, and there is no one like her.
The tear begins dripping down his cheek. More come to take its place. He's desperately running, trying to navigate the labyrinth of the sewers. He had to find her, and fast. If she wasn't stopped before she reached the surface, all was lost.
I won't let you get hurt because of me, Klarissa.
Cyrus stops for a moment. He bends over to catch his breath. With all the running he'd been doing, he just needed to rest for a moment.
I'd never forgive myself.
He pulls himself to his feet, and hears the telltale stomping, signifying the monstrous Mega growing ever closer. If she was coming to him, that simplified things.
I won't run. Even with you acting this way, I still care.
Finally, she comes into full view… but her eyes are red from crying. She seems less angry than distraught.
The real you is just beneath the surface, and that's the you I love…
Her voice is caught somewhere between a roaring bellow and a crying child. "Leave. Just go!"
…of course, Botsu probably said that already. Everything I do, he seems to do better.
Cyrus stands his ground. "I'm not leaving. Not now, when you truly need me."
If you and Botsu are going to be a couple, fine. But I'll be damned if I'm never going to see you again.
Klarissa stamps her foot in anger, a tear flowing down her face. "I SAID GO!"
Because there's more to you than what I see right now.
Cyrus blinks, but holds firm. "No. You know why?"
You can kill me. As a matter of fact, that would be better than never seeing you.
Klarissa is in hysterics. She's wildly slamming into things with her twin maws. "I don't care! Go away!"
If I die here, the last thing I see will be you. And that's the way I want to die.
Cyrus frowns slightly. "It's because I want to make things right."
You can rip me to pieces, Klarissa. You've already done that to my heart.
She covers her face. "Shut up! Don't talk to me!" Her voice continues to waver, beteween monster and terrified girl.
I've done something terrible. She's questioning her decision, and it's agony for her.
Cyrus takes a step back. "Do you know what I want? Why I'm here?"
At this point the words come out of me before I have a chance to think about them. I'm panicking inside, hoping I don't make a big mistake.
She refuses to look at him. Her maws snap fearsomely, but Cyrus simply stands there. Unwavering.
I made things worse… It's time to make them better.
"I'm here because I don't want you hurting yourself. No matter what happens, you're still important to me."
I'm not sure if that was the right thing to say. I just have to hope.
She turns, glaring death at him. "You're the one who hurt me! You and him both!"
This information stuns me. We were both at fault? How?
"You think I'm some object, don't you?! Even if I'm not a monster!" she shrieks.
Why would she think that? Not one hour ago, we were having the time of our lives together.
Cyrus is silent for a brief moment. He doesn't want to make things worse, but he has to say something.
She isn't thinking straight. She can't be…
He finally finds the words, deep inside him. "No. You're basically the only thing that keeps me going."
It's true. Until I adopted Silver and met Klarissa, my life had almost no meaning to it. I was an aimless wanderer, a hollow shell.
Klarissa fights back more bitter tears. "If that was true, why weren't you happy for me?"
I don't quite know how to answer. Why wasn't I happy for her?
Cyrus looks down in shame. "I was blinded. I thought… thought that maybe we had something."
Oh god. I think I just made things worse.
She grimaces, clearly upset. "Well, you were mistaken, all right?! I hate you! Get out of my sight!"
…And I was right. Definitely made things worse.
"Is that really want you want?" Cyrus asks. His face remains expressionless.
No, no, no! Everything's going wrong! This is supposed to be the part where I get on my knees, apologize, and make things OK again!
Klarissa hesitates, and then says one word. "Leave."
Well, it wasn't a yes, was it? Come on, think! I have to do something!
Like a discarded wad of paper, he crumples to the ground. A moan of sadness escapes his lips, but it's barely audible.
Is this the end?... No! I won't let it be!
Cyrus pushes himself up off the dusty stone. "Let me tell you a story before I go."
Good god, what am I thinking? This can't work!
Klarissa says nothing. Cyrus takes this as a cue to begin.
This is my last chance. My last chance to make things work.
"Once, there was a lonely warrior. The warrior had done things that no one should have done, and regretted them all."
I don't know what I'm saying! It's like the words are pouring out!
"The full weight of the warrior's deeds sank in one day. Convinced that no one would ever look past those horrible deeds, the warrior lost all hope."
Where am I going with this? What am I even talking about?!
"But not everyone saw only the bad side of the warrior. A handful of people decided to try and help the warrior move past it, to bury the memories of those horrible actions."
This is going nowhere… I'm just rambling here!
"The warrior was surrounded by people who saw goodness where everyone else saw only evil. And with their help, the warrior resolved to begin anew. As a different sort of person, one who was compassionate, kind, and did everything they could to help others."
Oh. My. God… I just realized how this ends.
"That person's name is Cyrus. And that person's name is Klarissa."
Where did this come from all of a sudden? Why am I coming out with the truth?
Klarissa had removed her head from her hands. "Why… why do you believe in me so much?"
I need to answer this carefully! This could be my last chance to fix things!
"Someone once told me that… it doesn't matter where you've been. What matters is where you're going." Cyrus replied.
I know the past doesn't define us… And we can move past this.
Klarissa began sobbing again. "But you're wrong about me! You and Botsu both!"
No. I'm not. And neither is he.
She wipes the tears from her face. "All I am is a monster. A beast that can't be tamed."
I don't think you believe a word you're saying.
Cyrus takes a step closer. His voice is quiet, full of emotion. "Then why does that beast always try to stop the people it cares about from being hurt?"
Some of the greatest moments I've had are with your Mega form. You're not as bad as you think.
Klarissa's maws are snapping madly, threatening to tear the whole sewer to shreds. "That me is dead! You don't know me anymore!"
Do you really think so? I don't think you do.
"Bullshit. If you were a crazed killer, I'd be a mangled corpse on the ground right now."
Dammit, now I'm just giving her ideas.
Klarissa whips forward to face him. "Do you want to be one?! I'll gladly do it!"
Please let this hunch be right.
Cyrus doesn't even blink. "Fine. If you're such a beast, then do it."
Well, if I have to die, I'm glad it was with you.
Klarissa begins enveloping herself in energy, preparing her Play Rough attack, but right as she's about to charge over and rip Cyrus to shreds, she abruptly drops the attack. Her head droops, and tears begin splashing onto the ground in droves.
Looks like I'm living to see another day.
Cyrus' eyes are tearing up as well. "You're not heartless. You never were. Botsu and I both know that."
Did I just say his name without following it with an insult?
She stomps on the ground in frustration. "I JUST DON'T KNOW!"
I… I'm forcing her to choose… I can't do this to her!
Cyrus approaches her slowly, gently touching her arm. "It's okay. You don't have to do anything. But no matter what, know this."
This is the time, dammit! I have to say it!
"Klarissa, I love you."