Disclaimer: I do not own 12Sky.
Note 1: Lyrics by Yellowcard, "Shadows and Regrets".
Note 2: This chapter was originally chapter 2. But when I finished writing, it felt like something was missing and I added another chapter before it, making this chapter 3.
Chapter 3 – Friendship and regrets.
When we were only kids, and our time couldn't end,
and how tall did we stand, with the world in our hands.
And we were only kids, and we were best of friends,
and we hoped for the best, and let go of the rest.
The sun had only risen a few minutes ago when Niemiko got up. Her muscles ached from yesterdays training. As she looked out the window to watch the training grounds she felt a stab of guilt. She was back on the grounds of the very clan she had already betrayed. But of her betrayal they knew nothing. Only she and Kaen knew of it.
Even though she felt guilty for betraying her clan, it still was so easy to let go of it. The years of war had turned her cold and almost heartless. With her feelings numb, she had also shoved people and their emotions away. Real friends she had none. Her family was long gone. She had nothing here to remain loyal to. It was something that sadden her, still she felt it was for the best.
A light knocking was heard.
"It's open," she replied without moving an inch.
The door opened and she turned to watch who would disturb her at the break of dawn. Her heart froze as she met the eyes of the man she had once called friend.
"I heard you were back from Yongu, Mimi."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Don't call me that."
Mimi had been his nickname for her for so long. As a child he had been unable to pronounce her name and started calling her Mimi instead. But Niemiko didn't want to be reminded of a time that was no longer. Their childhood had been shielded from the troubles of the war between the clans. Only when they had grown into adolescence had they learned that the world wasn't the safe world they had been playing in.
They had been taught the ways of the martial arts as children, but had always been told it was to balance themselves in the universe. Now their world of childhood had been torn down and their training was no longer for balance, but for the purpose of killing. But their spirits hadn't been broken back then. Their smiles had still lit up each others days. No, their spirits had yet to face the first day of war. The day when they had lost all of their friends and left was only the two of them. After that Niemiko had closed her heart.
"You never had a problem with me calling you that before."
"But that was before, Diran," she raged at him. "Before the wars. Before the blood. Before the dea…" She went silent and turned away.
"Before the death of our friends," Diran finished. He sighed. "You have to face it Mimi, they're dead and pretending they never even existed isn't gonna make it better."
Niemiko faced him again. Her eyes was burning with anger.
"Stop calling me Mimi. We're not kids anymore. That was a long time ago."
"Why did you turn so cold, Mimi? Does it help, shielding everyone off?"
She ignored him and picked up her blade.
"Mimi, why did you leave me out of your world?"
Niemiko stopped in the doorway.
"Mimi was the happy child with no worries that lived in a world with no evil, Diran. Mimi died on the same day our friends were taken away from us."
"And with her our friendship died too it seems. They were my friends too, Mimi. When I needed you the most, you closed your heart."
He walked over to Niemiko.
"But lately you seem to have opened it again. But I'm still left out. Why, Mimi?"
"I haven't let anyone in. It's easier that way."
Niemiko started walking away, but was stopped by Diran's hand on her arm. She didn't want to turn around, because she felt that tears weren't far away.
"Mimi…"
"Please, Diran."
"No, Mimi. Look at me. Look into my eyes and say it's easier to shove people away."
Now she just wanted to run away and hide. She pulled her arm, but Diran's grip was firm. The tears burned her eyes and started falling.
"Let go, Diran!"
Diran only managed to catch a glimpse of her face, but that was enough. He pulled her in to his arms and smothered her sobs into his chest. First she tried to break loose, then she gave in and let all the tears she never had cried for her friends come out.
Neither of them knew how much time had passed when Niemiko's tears stopped. Diran loosened his embrace. Niemiko stepped away far enough to look at his face, but still close enough to feel his heat.
"Do you feel better now, Mimi?"
She nodded and then blushed. Her face turned to the ground.
"Why are you still nice to me, Diran? I treated you like no one, even though you used to be my best friend."
"Because I didn't close my heart, and hoped that one day you'd open yours again."
Niemiko looked into Diran's sky-blue, honest eyes and for the first time, in a long time, she felt regret for betraying her clan.
Starting to feel that no one reads this. .
