It was getting darker and colder, and Ryo could see the last of the lights in the house go out. Ryo watched as silence took over Mia's mansion, their home, and then he turned away and walked, White Blaze at his heels. He walked to the lake, a place he and the others often went to thin, especially Cye, and paced along the bank. He looked down into the water and he only saw pain. He was a monster. He had hurt the only one who had ever had feelings for him, and he was hurting himself, too. Damn. He was a masochist.
Kicking at the water, he moved on. The forest was quiet, but his mind was not. He thought about the very beginning of it all. It all… the war, the friendships and the hardships… Mia was there with him through it all. Did it matter if she was a little older than he was? No, that wasn't it. Was it that she was picky about keeping her house clean? No, Cye was the same way. Could it have been the way she dressed?
Ryo stopped. No, that wasn't it. He loved the way she dressed. Sure, it was a girly color, but it still looked good on her. He pictured her in her usual attire. He loved the way her jeans fit her so well, not too long, not too short, and how she would sometimes wear a shirt that came up a little when she was jumping for joy. He would secretly sneak a peak, but then he had to make up an excuse for why he was turning red. His favorite excuse was that he might be coming down with something.
That was another thing he liked a lot. Whenever he would say that, no matter what she had been doing before, she would leave her work or her food and reach over, placing a warm hand over his forehead. It was a simple gesture that she would do for anyone, but he often saw the look on her face when she did it for him. She loved doing it, and he loved her to do it. Other times, he would pretend to be sick, just to have her snuggle in bed beside him, to comfort him through the night. Ryo didn't like sleeping alone after that. However, he may have to, now that things had taken a turn such as this.
Feeling alone and sad, Ryo kept walking. He had been walking for hours, and now he could hardly recognize where he was. The important thing was, he wasn't paying any attention to where he was walking, and when he realized he felt slightly weightless, and White Blaze was growling, he gasped. Stupid Ryo… he had stepped off of a cliff. Maybe it is better, he thought. If he weren't around, Mia wouldn't have to be hurt. Yes, that was the problem. He was. He was a ronin warrior; destined to fight Tulpa and save the world. But with that responsibility, there was a good chance that he wouldn't come back alive, and Mia would be left without him. Damn, he cursed himself. HE was too late now.
Maybe not. Just in time, Ryo felt himself stop in mid-air and saw White Blaze holding onto his arm with his teeth. It hurt, but at least he was alive. Slowly, he was pulled back onto the ledge and White Blaze sat by him. Ryo seemed to be in a daze, even as he was being nudged. He nearly died there… something so simple, too. He could have died that way, or from drowning… just like he could have died in battle. Looking into his dear friend's eyes, he came to a conclusion and smiled, before getting to his feet and running off back towards the house. It had taken a life-or-death situation for him to realize that he could meet his end any way, but this way, at least he would be making a difference, and also, he had great friends to help him along the way. With a great big smile on his face and tears running down over his cheeks, he shouted to the rising sun.
"I love her… I love her… I love you, Mia!"