Amber Memories, Forgotten

-Our Promise, Do you remember?-

A/N: Italic words at lower portion of chapter is a flashback.

There's a destructive urge in everybody, whether it is the urge to kill, destruct or to love.

But hey Aki, perhaps it was right to leave after you,

As the one whom stay tends to hurt much more.

And do you know?

I never wanted to hurt you anymore.

Her heart thumped painfully against her chest as she raced through the spearing rain, her mind racing for solutions and prayers. Fear was gripping every part of her body, spreading and wrapping its vicious tentacles around her, leaving her gasping and shaking. Her thoughts were racing against her mind, rubbing against the coarse surface of its path, leaving a trail of blood behind. She feared what the monstrous Noah knew already, what the demonic killing machine would do to those innocent human. Questions crowded her brain, hooking its curve on her, refusing to bulge. Would she be able to salvage what was gone already?

Then she saw them.

The sight of them calmed her down when she saw the group of miners laughing and enjoying themselves in the comfort of their temporary house. It was one of those shabby ones again, those that had worn down bricks and large metal sheets to build a simple structure and some outdoor stove. All these months, despite having already left the group, she had sent finders to help her monitor her friends, hoping to keep them safe and provide help in all ways that she could, yet they never seem to want to splurge on the money. She had never thought of looking for them again, for fear that if they would to meet up she would be unable to muster the courage to leave them again.

These were the people she shared joyous moments with: Ezzz, Crack, Momo… and Tyki. The last name struck her hard, making her heart cringed as the image of him came creeping into her mind. She had attempted to cast him aside, but to no avail. Yearning yet reluctant to, she tried to make out the faces of those miners amidst the heavy rain, hoping to see them for the last time now that she knew they were safe and happy. The rain, heavy as it might be, was gently patting over her face, giving her relief over her tears.

Yet he was not there, she realized. Was he at those special missions again? Or was he-

"Aki," muttered a low gentle voice loud enough to be heard in the heavy shower.

Kaeda Amber turned immediately at the recognition of the voice, how it had always sounded when articulated by the very one she had fallen for. Yet as she turned to face the person she wanted to both avoid and meet, the young lady became transfixed with horror.

It was as if at that momentarily second that she saw a fleeting image of Tyki the aloof miner once again, the same undisciplined curl of hair falling over one eye, except it seemed longer right now. He had the same intense frowning way of drawing a cigarette, as if smoking would hold solutions to all problems. Yet this was one problem that could not be solved; his cigarette was doused out by the rain.

"Aki," he said once again, as if afraid that she would not be able to hear him.

She did, however, as it slowly made her came out of her shock. Her vision began to stabilize, the image of Lord Tyki Mikk forming clearly in front of her. Kaeda struggled to find words to make sense, but failed to. Such deception was unforgivable and unbelievable, but who was she to make a stand when she too was guilty of such an offence? Shaking, she tried to keep up her composure; however it was such a chore. Her legs told her to run, but to where?

It was now that Aki suddenly reckoned that the clues had always been laid out there for her to speculate, but she had been too unconsciously unwillingly to join the dots in her mind to form the whole image.

"Aki," he said for the third time, his voice sounding nearer this time as he made her way towards her. Startled, Kaeda could only step back and watched in shock as the man caught up with her, pulled her by her wrists towards him and wrapped his arms around her tightly. Struggling, Kaeda tried to shake him off, attempting to pry off those stubborn fingers wrapped around her. Please.

However, like a child, he would only hug her close to him, pressing his lips to her wet hair. As if finally defeated, the two melted on the ground, rain still pounding over them harshly. Unconsciously, she could feel additional moisture rolling across her cheeks that were so pressed against the comfort of his warmth. Her cool pale skin was against his, her tears stopping when it came into contact with his. Kaeda's fingers were curled around the cool metal of her pistol, yet it too slowly uncoiled like her feelings. She could feel Tyki stuffing something into her fist, and by the distinctive texture and form, knew that her firecrest, the wooden figurine, had come back.

The rain fall on their in heavy sheets, mimicking the sound of a freight train, the sound of their aching hearts.

"I will not change, dear Aki," said Tyki, his voice sounding drained and exhausted. "I ask for no more than your love. I'm certain I would not have any other. Only let me be with you and stay with you for life."

Lowering his face, Tyki then propped up Kaeda's to look at him. Her eyes were close and saturated with tears; he noticed, and felt a tight grip in his chest. Tenderly, Tyki placed his lips near hers, before finally sealing his promise with her. "Marry me, truly."

Through the rain, she could still recall how it all used to be. Perhaps all these were nothing but a nasty turn of events, but all things will eventually come around. These were the flashbacks so hard to forget. His coat was draped over her defeated composure, and she could feel his stable breathing contrasting against her fluctuating one. It felt like how it was in her memories, how the warmth he could provide sheltered her through the coldest winter. They were on his horse now, with her mare trailing subtly behind, just like their owners.

The rain had turned to a drizzle now, gently patting against their back as if to assure them that everything would be alright.

Kaeda could feel her heart aching as her thoughts drifted away, wondering at times what the Noah had on mind but it hurt too much to even think that this was the same man. Was she really getting what she wanted now? Was she finally getting the man whom she had always loved and pined after so much?

"Hey Aki, do you know what is the most beautiful word in the English language?"

Aki shifted her head to face her brother and gave him a puzzled look. She looked carefree to him, he thought, as her eyelids still lingered from her nap a few moments ago. Short naps were all that she could manage now without waking up in terror. Frowning, Aki tried to squeeze her brain for an answer before shaking her head in defeat. "I don't know… 'Aki'?"

"No," chortled Tyki as he placed a hand over the young lady's head and messed her hair. "That would be Japanese, silly."

He liked the way the nightlight casted a certain sort of glaze over her hair, projecting a unique hue of color that pleased his eyes. "And to think you used to spend so much time in school, girl," teased the young man as he smiled at the frown that deepened over the latter's features. "It's 'uxorious'" he whispered by the side of her ear, inhaling her sweet scent that he had been so accustomed to that he would feel out of place without it.

"I'm not your wife," she blushed, knowing well what it meant. Looking away, she tried to ignore the latter's stare on her which was so full of amusement.

Once again, Tyki burst into laughter before patting the latter's head goodheartedly. "I didn't say you were," he teased and enjoyed how Aki's face was dyed a deeper red. Placing a soft kiss on her chaste lips, he smiled. "But you're close to it."

"Whatever," muttered Aki as she kept quiet after a good long laugh with Tyki under those starry nights that they were now so used to, keeping her lips pursed when the sudden emotion struck her. Slowly, she carried Tyki's heavy hand, pried it open as the latter watched patiently to see what the girl was up to, and wrapped it around her neck.

"Kill me," she ordered nonchalantly, her eyes glazed a little as she did so.

Initially his Noah had an impulse to heed her words, to wring out the life of such a human that he had so become to love. However, he failed the sudden loss of energy in his hand and the young man failed to do so. Instead, he only laughed and pulled her closer to him, smiling into her hair. "That would be committing suicide because I can't live without you," he assured her.

Aki nodded absently-minded, her cheeks on the young man's shoulder, fitting well along the curves. Much as it was supposed to be, she could not help but to have the lingering thought that this man who failed to kill her now would live to regret it later on.

So please, stop doing this to me.