Being a Cloud, I understood from a young age what it felt like to have loved and lost. Things like my teddy bear being taken away, to watching my father go off to work... it destroyed me. So, I eventually forgot what it meant to love things. There was only protective fury and... me.

Life was dull, as you can imagine it. Days moved, weeks moved, but I stayed the same. I mean, my emotional state, I always had good grades.

It was one day when I was babysitting for one of my Mother's friends when I realized I wanted to have a child.

They looked up at me with their wide, innocent eyes, and I yearned for one of my own.

So, with my broken emotions, I started looking for someone to be the one.

One girlfriend, two girlfriend, three girlfriend, four.

I was desirable on the surface, but a wreck underneath. I went through girlfriends so fast the entire school was convinced I was a playboy. I went through girlfriends so fast I thought I was gay.

I eventually gave up, that despicable feeling of loss towering over my head. I was ashamed of that.

It wasn't until college that I met my wife, Misaki. Misaki, Misaki, Misaki. God I could say her name all day and never get bored of it.

Anyways, our first meeting was the typical shojo-esque meeting. I was walking in the halls, minding my own business, but when I turned the corner I crashed into her.

People say that when you're in love, colors seem more vivid. Well, in that moment I could've sworn that I was color-blind before I met her. Things, just, ya know, blossomed.

The sunset was something I never appreciated before, but after? I could sit and watch it for hours before I was called away. Flower bloomed in ways they never seemed to before, and for the first time in forever, I could swear that I knew what love was.

It wasn't that I fell in love at first sight, you know?

At that moment, life just took on a whole new meaning.

It was like we were meant to be best friends, and it never occurred to me that we could be more then just friends.

The moment she stood up after collecting her things, she reached out and said a joke. I remember laughing so hard at it I wheezed.

We hung out a lot, and eventually I was introduced to Hikari.

He seemed a bit on edge and growl-y but soon we were like brothers.

We'd crash at each other's places and play video games for hours on end before Misaki caught wind of it and broke up our fun little party.

A year or two after we met, she introduced me to Akira. Boyyy was that weird, aha.

She immediately glomped me and I went down hard and fast. She was always passionate about the strangest of things, and she was incredibly fun to be around.

She was like one of the bros, you know?

Whenever me and Hikari were thinking of playing hooky, she would be right there behind us with plans on how to do it. If worse came to worse, she'd distract Misaki while we made a break for my apartment. Akira would sheepishly appear a few hours later with a ticked off Misaki behind her.

Those were the days...

My death wasn't anything spectacular. It was just me feeling unwell, going to the doctors, and coming back with the diagnosis of 3rd stage brain cancer.

It was oddly cathartic, arriving home to Misaki's smiling face, to Hikari's finger guns, and to Akira's and Takami's laughter, only to tell them I was going to die. I was calm, unafraid of my certain death.

I went into shock when Misaki looked up to me, a sad but wide grin on her face and uttered the words:

"I'm pregnant."

For most of my life, it was a goal of mine to have a child, and so everyday until I could no longer do it, I told Misaki that she was amazing, how much I loved her and our unborn child.

There was some scares, but in the end, I survived just long enough to attend the baby shower. Only to stare in awe as my radiant wife cut the cake to reveal the pink desert. I was so happy but devastated.

It didn't matter to me at that point that I was going to die. Every time I got the chance, I went to Namimori Shrine, the same Shrine the First Peace died at, and prayed, begged that they would both survive. I spent hours in tears pleading for the gods that since they were taking my life to let my unborn daughter and my darling wife survive. There was one time I stayed there for so long, Hikari had come out looking for me.

It took him one look at me and my sorry state to break down in tears. We just sat there, in the middle of the shrine crying.

I was going to die, and my only hope was that my child and wife would survive.

And they did.

When I first saw my child, I was in wonderstruck. She has these deep, lively golden eyes like I've never seen before. She had her mother's hair color, but my nose.

I watched from afar as she grew up, into who she is now.

So when Skull came up to me to ask if I wanted to meet her in person I wasn't about to turn that offer down.

She was crying. She was sad, in despair, and had no way of finding her way.

It was like my heart was about to jump out of my chest, you know? Thud, thud, thud, it went. Funny thing is I don't even have a body anymore. It's not like it could if it wanted to lol.

Anyways, she stared back at me and I utter the words I've always want to say to her since I first found out she was going to me here.

I smiled, in love with the person who I get to call my daughter. "It's a wonderful to finally get to speak with you, my daughter."

Her breath caught, and those lovely golden eyes of hers shimmered ever so slightly with her tears.

"Da...-d?" she said slowly, still staring at me.

My heart raced, nervous for what her other reactions would be.

"Who else could it be, kiddo?"

This slightly constipated look came over face as if she was wondering if she should start bawling or not.

Instead, she sneezed, this massive wad of snort shooting out of her nose.

I snorted, before laughing out loud.

She looked up at me, a embarrassed blush, brushed lightly across her face. She looked away from me, in a way that made my heart yearn for my wife, before pinching her cheeks.

"Owowowowowo-" she said as I wiggle my hold on her cheeks.

I snicker before letting go and opening my arms out for a hug.

This amazed look comes over her face before she scoots in and we hug.

It was everything I could've ever wanted.

I know my death tore my wife apart, and that there is this deep pool of guilt in my stomach because Yasuka grew up without her father in her life.

I cup my daughter's cheek and kiss her forehead, conveying my thoughts and feelings as much as I could into the kiss.

She looked up at me teary eyed, he bottom lip quivering.

I once again smile, "Ya know, this isn't how I imagined us meeting. I'm glad about that too."

She blinks, before realization crosses over her face.

A smile slowly creeps onto her face.

"Yeah, as a parent, I'd probably be pretty bummed out if my child dies."

I grin, staring down at her.

She is so much like her mother.

I grasp onto a strand of her short hair, feeling the texture of it beneath my finger tips.

I close my eyes as I slowly start to fade away, opening my eyes to catch Skull's confused and mildly alarmed look.

I guess I'm finally moving on.

As I feel the final few wisps of my soul disappear I look at my daughter and her now wide eyed look.

"You," I point at her, "Are a Ashikage. You are strong and resilient. I'm sure it'll take some time, but just know this my child, you will survive, you will live, you will whether every storm and flood."

I flick her nose lightly, "You are my little reed."

I disappear, and as these flames harvested from those cursed twirl around me, my soul finally filling the gap I left behind to watch my daughter.

My memories fades as everything turns dark.

And I once again return to the cycle.

*sob* *sob* *sob

Why did I write this?!

I deadass cried so many time writing this, and honestly, I just now realized that Misaki's death is going to hit even harder now.

;-;

Not looking forward to it.

Thank you all for reading, and send in a review if you'd like :3.