Deep in her heart, I knew she wanted to keep on fighting. I wouldn't
have weathered this chaotic storm of a battle this far without her, and,
perhaps, if Tyche, the Goddess of Fortune, smiled upon us, we'd win this
fight, and have nothing standing between us and the sweet silver light of
victory.
But I told her to stop, talked to her through breaths so ragged that one would have thought I was sick, which was possibly true.
"Mai...please...we've got...to stop this." I was trying to be rational.
"Joey." She said calmly, her hair billowing in the stormy wind. "We can't stop, there is too much at stake."
"I...I know. That's why...I don't want...to risk losing..."
"Finish that sentence and I'll never respect you for as long as we both live." She said. I was on my knees, and she was standing up. She was full of vigor and spirit, and me, well, I felt spent and exhausted, nearly dead.
"Mai...you've seen...what we have to face...we've beaten our main enemy, but these...demons, whatever they are...keep on coming." I tried to breathe deeply, to ease the aching in my tired muscles.
"You think I can't see that?" She had been fighting for so long, how could she still be standing. I thought it was hopeless, and she, almost naively, clung to the hope that we could win.
"Why?" I asked, finally catching my breath. I was still too weak to stand up, but I was able to stop speaking in hoarse tones. "The numbers are limitless, yet you're still fighting?"
"There are times when you just gotta fight, no matter how tired you are." She said, turning her head to look at me.
She'd been fighting her whole life, fighting for the life she wanted and could never have. A life with people who cared for her, and who she cared for. She never had that as a child, and I'm sure it made her cry. But now, now, she had all of us, and she was going to keep on fighting. Were we that important, was it us: Me, Yuge, Tea, Tristan, Serenity, Duke, all of us, were we go important as to kindle a fiery tempest inside of her that gave her limitless strength and stamina.
"I...never thought I'd be so important." I thought. Everyone else was safe, they had escaped long before, only Mai stayed behind, after we beat the major demon, to make sure I got out. That was before the demons surrounded us. Once we were surrounded, I nearly cried at how hopeless it was. But she, no, she would have none of that.
"Buck up." She told me. "You should save your tears for the woman that you love. There are demons here, and they don't like weepy shit. So, fight. Failing that, quit crying!" She had commanded. Tea told me that when I was weeping at Duelist Kingdom, and Mai gave me her entry card, that I was really dense with our farewell. It wasn't just for Serenity; Mai didn't want to see me cry. I didn't know what that meant. Well, of course, it meant we were friends, but was there something more to that? That thought gave me confidence, I was curious about what Mai saw in me. I really thought I was out of her league, and I mean really out of her league.
So, why did I ask her to stop fighting? I pondered this question. Was it because I thought it was hopeless, or was it because I didn't want Mai risking herself for me. I risked myself for her before, and she hated it, she had made that evident to me.
"So, I don't want to see her hurt. But if she stops fighting, we're dead. Why did I ask her to stop?
It took me a minute, but I realized the answer. Because if we were to die, then I wanted us to die together. I didn't want to see Mai ripped apart by demons, only to sit there and watch helplessly. If we were faced with the hordes of Hell, then I wanted us in full lover's position, damning all the demons with the sight of an emotion that transcended even death.
But at the same time, I wanted Mai to live. Even if it was without me, I wanted her to experience the joy of the world.
"Fight...Mai." I said softly, trying to build up enough strength so that I could eventually join her in the fight. "Fight with all your beauty and courage. You are so strong that I wouldn't dare stop you." I tried to smile; I felt a wave of courage coming back to me, through surges of emotion fueled by the burning in my heart, the longing I had for that beautiful Amazon.
I stood up and cracked my knuckles. Mai started grinning.
"Let's have a contest." I said, bringing up my fists.
"A dollar a kill." Mai returned. We stood back to back, and the demons flew around like hawks circling dead prey. We weren't dead, and we weren't going to lose.
"Let's go!" I shouted, and that's when the tides of war erupted. Mai and I fought together, side by side. Not one demon could hope to come close to me, for that bouncing Amazon would have it taste her fist, or her heel. And neither could a damned hellspawn come towards the world's most beautiful woman, for her bodyguard would be on him like white on rice, it's scaly demon skin would yield to the fist of a man who fought like the woman beside him.
When the crowds finally started to die, both of us were exhausted.
"I'm...I'm tired, Joey." Mai said, kneeling. There were no demons left. Despite all odds, we won, and know, I leaned against her, pressing that beautiful head to my chest.
"I know. We both are." I said. We were breathing hard, neither of us could focus our eyes well, and we both had no desire to walk anywhere.
"We have to go." Mai said. "I'm hungry as well, and that's important."
"I dunno. I can barely feel my legs." I said. I really could, but they actually felt like heavy weights were attached.
"What kind of quitter attitude is that?" Mai mentioned, as she stood up, shaking off the effects of her fatigue like it was nothing. A carefree attitude dominated her speech. Had it not been for the hordes of demons she fought to save me, I would've thought she hated me, or at least thought indifferently, like she did to so many others.
"It's not a quitter attitude." I responded. "It's more to do with fatigue."
"I'm tired, and I'm going. You're coming too." She grabbed me by the collar and forced me to stand.
"Can we...at least walk out together?" I asked meekly.
"That's fine." She responded. I wrapped my right arm around her, and together, we left the building, towards the smiling view of all of our friends. I was so close to Mai, and so tired, that the sound of her heart was almost as a lullaby. But it was more then just her heart I felt. I felt the true Mai, her spirit. I knew that she enjoyed fighting those demons for me, and I enjoyed watching her. She was supporting me as we walked now, not because out of any weakness, but because of the strength I could feel from her body.
For deep in her heart, after the trash-talk and attitude were gone, all that was there was her compassion and love. But there was strength there too, something I knew she had but never thought I told her about. It was those two things, her heart and her strength, that I loved. She loved enough so that I knew I loved her, yet she was strong enough to need no one else. She had the power to take on the world herself, and win, but instead, she chose to sacrifice some of her thunder for us. I was flattered, really flattered. But Mai still had her fight, and when I watched her fight those demons for me, I understood something that I never thought I'd understand, and that was what attracted me to her.
Deep in her heart, there was still thunder. Still one that believed life was something to be conquered. I never wanted her to feel that way. I was really not an obstacle, so I didn't want Mai to think that I was nothing. Although I didn't want to take her thunder, I wanted her to know that no matter what happened, that she didn't always have to fight. Because everytime I was around her, whenever she was even in the slightest bit of trouble, I lost the will to fight. It made me shiver and quake when she was in danger. I could barely rationalize myself to stand and fight with her against those demons.
I just didn't want to lose her. No matter her attitude, no matter her brashness. But if I gave her my life, would I lose the Mai that I loved? Would she become the gentle, quiet nurturer that I didn't want her to be? I was confused. I didn't want Mai hurt, yet I wanted her warrior's heart.
I guess that all I can do is cast my fear aside, and help her along the way. Until we realize the life we searched for together.
But I told her to stop, talked to her through breaths so ragged that one would have thought I was sick, which was possibly true.
"Mai...please...we've got...to stop this." I was trying to be rational.
"Joey." She said calmly, her hair billowing in the stormy wind. "We can't stop, there is too much at stake."
"I...I know. That's why...I don't want...to risk losing..."
"Finish that sentence and I'll never respect you for as long as we both live." She said. I was on my knees, and she was standing up. She was full of vigor and spirit, and me, well, I felt spent and exhausted, nearly dead.
"Mai...you've seen...what we have to face...we've beaten our main enemy, but these...demons, whatever they are...keep on coming." I tried to breathe deeply, to ease the aching in my tired muscles.
"You think I can't see that?" She had been fighting for so long, how could she still be standing. I thought it was hopeless, and she, almost naively, clung to the hope that we could win.
"Why?" I asked, finally catching my breath. I was still too weak to stand up, but I was able to stop speaking in hoarse tones. "The numbers are limitless, yet you're still fighting?"
"There are times when you just gotta fight, no matter how tired you are." She said, turning her head to look at me.
She'd been fighting her whole life, fighting for the life she wanted and could never have. A life with people who cared for her, and who she cared for. She never had that as a child, and I'm sure it made her cry. But now, now, she had all of us, and she was going to keep on fighting. Were we that important, was it us: Me, Yuge, Tea, Tristan, Serenity, Duke, all of us, were we go important as to kindle a fiery tempest inside of her that gave her limitless strength and stamina.
"I...never thought I'd be so important." I thought. Everyone else was safe, they had escaped long before, only Mai stayed behind, after we beat the major demon, to make sure I got out. That was before the demons surrounded us. Once we were surrounded, I nearly cried at how hopeless it was. But she, no, she would have none of that.
"Buck up." She told me. "You should save your tears for the woman that you love. There are demons here, and they don't like weepy shit. So, fight. Failing that, quit crying!" She had commanded. Tea told me that when I was weeping at Duelist Kingdom, and Mai gave me her entry card, that I was really dense with our farewell. It wasn't just for Serenity; Mai didn't want to see me cry. I didn't know what that meant. Well, of course, it meant we were friends, but was there something more to that? That thought gave me confidence, I was curious about what Mai saw in me. I really thought I was out of her league, and I mean really out of her league.
So, why did I ask her to stop fighting? I pondered this question. Was it because I thought it was hopeless, or was it because I didn't want Mai risking herself for me. I risked myself for her before, and she hated it, she had made that evident to me.
"So, I don't want to see her hurt. But if she stops fighting, we're dead. Why did I ask her to stop?
It took me a minute, but I realized the answer. Because if we were to die, then I wanted us to die together. I didn't want to see Mai ripped apart by demons, only to sit there and watch helplessly. If we were faced with the hordes of Hell, then I wanted us in full lover's position, damning all the demons with the sight of an emotion that transcended even death.
But at the same time, I wanted Mai to live. Even if it was without me, I wanted her to experience the joy of the world.
"Fight...Mai." I said softly, trying to build up enough strength so that I could eventually join her in the fight. "Fight with all your beauty and courage. You are so strong that I wouldn't dare stop you." I tried to smile; I felt a wave of courage coming back to me, through surges of emotion fueled by the burning in my heart, the longing I had for that beautiful Amazon.
I stood up and cracked my knuckles. Mai started grinning.
"Let's have a contest." I said, bringing up my fists.
"A dollar a kill." Mai returned. We stood back to back, and the demons flew around like hawks circling dead prey. We weren't dead, and we weren't going to lose.
"Let's go!" I shouted, and that's when the tides of war erupted. Mai and I fought together, side by side. Not one demon could hope to come close to me, for that bouncing Amazon would have it taste her fist, or her heel. And neither could a damned hellspawn come towards the world's most beautiful woman, for her bodyguard would be on him like white on rice, it's scaly demon skin would yield to the fist of a man who fought like the woman beside him.
When the crowds finally started to die, both of us were exhausted.
"I'm...I'm tired, Joey." Mai said, kneeling. There were no demons left. Despite all odds, we won, and know, I leaned against her, pressing that beautiful head to my chest.
"I know. We both are." I said. We were breathing hard, neither of us could focus our eyes well, and we both had no desire to walk anywhere.
"We have to go." Mai said. "I'm hungry as well, and that's important."
"I dunno. I can barely feel my legs." I said. I really could, but they actually felt like heavy weights were attached.
"What kind of quitter attitude is that?" Mai mentioned, as she stood up, shaking off the effects of her fatigue like it was nothing. A carefree attitude dominated her speech. Had it not been for the hordes of demons she fought to save me, I would've thought she hated me, or at least thought indifferently, like she did to so many others.
"It's not a quitter attitude." I responded. "It's more to do with fatigue."
"I'm tired, and I'm going. You're coming too." She grabbed me by the collar and forced me to stand.
"Can we...at least walk out together?" I asked meekly.
"That's fine." She responded. I wrapped my right arm around her, and together, we left the building, towards the smiling view of all of our friends. I was so close to Mai, and so tired, that the sound of her heart was almost as a lullaby. But it was more then just her heart I felt. I felt the true Mai, her spirit. I knew that she enjoyed fighting those demons for me, and I enjoyed watching her. She was supporting me as we walked now, not because out of any weakness, but because of the strength I could feel from her body.
For deep in her heart, after the trash-talk and attitude were gone, all that was there was her compassion and love. But there was strength there too, something I knew she had but never thought I told her about. It was those two things, her heart and her strength, that I loved. She loved enough so that I knew I loved her, yet she was strong enough to need no one else. She had the power to take on the world herself, and win, but instead, she chose to sacrifice some of her thunder for us. I was flattered, really flattered. But Mai still had her fight, and when I watched her fight those demons for me, I understood something that I never thought I'd understand, and that was what attracted me to her.
Deep in her heart, there was still thunder. Still one that believed life was something to be conquered. I never wanted her to feel that way. I was really not an obstacle, so I didn't want Mai to think that I was nothing. Although I didn't want to take her thunder, I wanted her to know that no matter what happened, that she didn't always have to fight. Because everytime I was around her, whenever she was even in the slightest bit of trouble, I lost the will to fight. It made me shiver and quake when she was in danger. I could barely rationalize myself to stand and fight with her against those demons.
I just didn't want to lose her. No matter her attitude, no matter her brashness. But if I gave her my life, would I lose the Mai that I loved? Would she become the gentle, quiet nurturer that I didn't want her to be? I was confused. I didn't want Mai hurt, yet I wanted her warrior's heart.
I guess that all I can do is cast my fear aside, and help her along the way. Until we realize the life we searched for together.