Best Friends Forever
By Mooncloud

Feb 23rd

A black haired little boy around the age six was sobbing under a weeping willow tree. He had his knees to his chest with his arms wrapped around them. Tears were flowing down his handsome little face. His eyes were puffy and red from crying and his cheeks were stained with dried and fresh tears. He pressed his little forehead on his knees.

"Why, papa? Why did you have to leave me?" he said through a tear and sorrowed timid little voice. "I could have saved you but I just had to stand there and watch you..." he cried out more. His sobbing got louder, but stopped as he felt a warm touch on his shoulder, causing him look up.

Elsewhere, a little girl with blackish brown hair walked through the woods. While she was picking wildflowers, she heard a distant wailing of some kind that made her curious so she went check it out. When she came up to the weeping willow her and her sister use to go to, she found a boy crying. She heard him mumble a few words but she couldn't make out what he had said. Her heart ached as if she knew what he was crying for. She knelt down and put a friendly hand on his shoulder, causing him to look up. Tiger blue eyes met up with light brown eyes that showed kindness toward him. He noticed that she had blackish brown hair up to her waist in a braid with a little rose dangling on her ear top.

"Hey, what ya cryin for?" she asked in a small voice.

"My papa died and now I am sad cuz I can't see him no more. And now I haven't got any family or friends." He cried.

"Don't cry. I'll be your friend. We'll play together and grow up together. My name is Amarante but most people call me Ami. What's your?"

"Ryo Sanada,"

"Heh, I like it."

"Thanks." He blushed a bit. "I like yours too." She smiled.

"Do you have a place to stay?" Ryo shook his head no, "Oh, well my papa has an old cabin that is very nice to live in. We don't go there no more cuz my father has lots and lots of work."

"Really? I could." Young Ryo's face lit up.

"Yep... I even can come visit you."

"Yippee." Ryo jumped up for joy.

Ami took Ryo to the place and they both played until Ami's father called out her name.

"I have to go. I see you tomorrow?"

"Yep!!" Ryo smiled. They hugged each other and she went on her way...

As the days went on, Ami kept going to where her new friend was. She would play there for hours and hours until her father called her back. He would always ask her what she was up too, but she only said, 'Nothin but playin with my friend." He thought it was an imaginary friend but what he didn't know was that her friend was actually a real live person.
March 8th (4 years, a week and 3 days later)

10 year old Ami walked slowly to the cabin her friend lived in. She had a sad expression on her face as she approached the cabin. The door opened to reveal a slightly taller happy boy of 10.

"Hi Ami. Why the long face?" he asked when he saw his friend's face of sadness.

"Papa just got promoted with his job."

"That's good."

"We have to move to America. Since mama died five years ago, he has been waiting for the big promotion to move out of this city and move to where my mama is originally from, Louisiana." Ami explained as tears fell from her eyes. Ryo was too stunned to do anything.

"What will happen to this place?"

"Don't know, maybe someone will buy it. We are still going to keep the cabin, for you to keep on living there."

"Is your sister going with ya'll?"

"No, Amelia is going to stay with my grandfather to learn about these legends."

"Oh, well, will I ever see you again."

"Perhaps. But papa says there is no way it'll be anytime soon. I will someday return. Just incase we can't find each other here is a pendant my mother gave to me before she had died." She pulled out a yin-yang pendant. She broke it in half and gave Ryo the black side. "Keep it always. IF we do meet up in the future, we can show each other this incase we do not recognize each other alright." Ryo nodded as tears slid down his cheeks.

"I promise that I'll keep this always with me." He leaned down and gave her a small peck on the cheek. "That is my farewell present to you." Ami blushed a bit.

"Thanks Ryo, I will always keep you in my heart. My best friend..."

"I the same..."

"AMI! COME ON!! WE NEED TO GET TO THE AIRPORT!!"

"Bye Ryo. I will always love you...bestest friend."

They hugged tightly and stayed there until her father called again.

"I will never forget you." Their hands left each other and then they had their last looks.

That was the last time they saw of each other for the next seven years.