• I sat on a large flat rock, feeling the sun beat down on my face.
    I watched him, knowing that for the rest of my life, he would be on my mind. It wasn't what I wanted, I wanted to be free from his onyx eyes. I wanted to be free from his grasp. I wanted to stop loving him. But I couldn't help it, there was nothing I could do.

    He was trying to avoid all of the girls that chased after him, but even though I loved him, there was no way I would stoop so low, as to drool over him day and night. All of the girls were giggling and flirting. He was growling, trying to get away from them.

    When he managed to get free, the sun was already going down. The girls left to go home, leaving Ryuu and me alone in the field. But of course, he didn't know I was there, I didn’t think he would of cared either.

    I sat there, watching the Sun fall below the horizon, feeling the chill breeze on my face. I was living in my own world, dreaming about everything, everything that I wanted to become.

    Ryuu looked up, his eyes met mine and I smiled lightly. He smirked, and walked over towards me. "Hey, Ai" he said when he got close enough for me to hear him.

    "Hello..." I sighed, staring off into the distance, not wanting to meet his dark eyes again. I looked up at the darkening sky and started walking off.
    "Where are you going?" Ryuu asked.

    "I-Home... it's getting dark..." I stuttered softly.

    Ryuu walked to me and gripped my hand gently. “Watch out, someone’s watching.”

    Before I had time to ask what he meant, a dagger came flying from the bushes at me, but missed, just barely.

    I watched the dagger fly past my face. A shiver ran down my spine, but I held back the scream I wanted to let out. Ryuu looked at me, making me nervous, his eyes told me that these people could kill us.

    “What do we do…?” I trembled.

    “We fight them, kill them if we have to.”

    I gulped and beads of sweat rolled down my cheeks, I wasn’t used to fighting but I had to. I was strong enough, physically, but mentally... It was hard to kill someone.

    Another dagger was aimed at me from the bushes. It hit my arm and stayed there, blood trickled down to my wrist and dripped from my fingers. I stared, horrified as Ryuu pulled it out and handed the bloodied dagger to me.

    “Ai! Pay attention!” Ryuu snapped at me, as he quickly and messily bandaged up my arm.

    I sighed and tried to concentrate on finding where they were. I could hear footsteps… From the… West… I looked over in that direction, readying the dagger.

    They charged, I let the dagger fly from my fingers, it stuck into one of the men’s stomach, blood flowed freely from his wound and he staggered forward, trying to come at me. I looked around, there were only two of them, good.

    One for me, one for Ryuu. I launched a punch to the man’s stomach, where I had hit him before with the dagger. His blood splashed onto my face and coated my hand. A dagger hit me from where Ryuu and the other man had been fighting, it struck my back, I could feel a hot liquid pour down to sting my legs. The other man… That was low.

    The man doubled over and pulled out one last dagger, jabbing it into my side before falling to the ground dead.

    ----Ryuu’s fight (from Ryuu’s point of view)---
    “Ai! Pay attention!” I snapped at Ai. She looked up, trying to locate the men. I was about to tell her they were coming from the west but they charged out at us. There were only two, Ai took one and the other was left for me to fight.

    “Heh, come,” I beckoned to the man. He snarled and ran at me with a katana.

    I jumped out of the way just in time and punched his head. He barely flinched, just looked at me like I was only a mosquito. I was a nuisance, but I couldn’t hurt him… Unless… I had malaria… But…

    “Worthless brat!” He screamed, snapping me from my thoughts. He flew at me with his katana again, aiming for my stomach. I jumped too late, it sliced part of my arm. “Ugh…” I groaned, gripping my wound, trying to slow down the blood flow. Failing, I tried to attack the man again. I threw a dagger at him, it hit his face, just to the side of his left eye.

    He glared at me, the dagger still sticking out of his face. It sent chills down my spine.

    “Scared, huh?” He taunted.

    “Never,” I replied.

    He didn’t pull the dagger from his face, nor did it kill him. I punched him, trying to push the dagger into his head farther. I missed by a few centimeters and hit his eye instead. He countered immediately with a kick to my stomach, sending me flying back several feet. I coughed up blood and choked a bit.

    “Gonna give up now?” He growled at me.

    I ignored him and threw three daggers and his face. Two hit, the third, hit Ai’s back. I gasped.

    “Heh, I’m your opponent! Not the girl!” He told me, obviously basking in superiority for him not hitting his comrade yet.

    “Thanks… As if I didn’t realize that…” I murmured.

    “What’s that? I can’t hear you!” He taunted me again, throwing daggers at me. They missed.

    I realized that blood was now dripping slowly from all of the wounds the daggers had left in his face.

    “Grr… These things are startin’ to get annoying!” He exclaimed, pulling out all three kunai at once. Now blood flowed freely from his wounds, drenching him in blood. He smiled and said, “Ah, now I feel better!”

    “H-how…” I stuttered. How did he do that?! Why isn’t he dead… or at least dizzy from blood loss?! I wondered, confused. But then, he fell over, dying in a puddle of his blood.

    I looked over at Ai, to see how she was doing. She had already beaten the other man, but she was lying on the ground. She was drenched in blood. I ran over to her and knelt by her side.


    ---Now we go back to Ai... (Sorry if it confuses you)---
    I lay on the ground, blood flowing steadily from my wounds. Tears falling from my brown eyes, making them glitter in the little light left from that day. "Ryuu... Why? Why did you help me?"

    "Because, it is my duty. And I care." He picked me up and carried me to the hospital, leaving our dead enemies behind.

    "Thank you..."

    "I will protect you... To the death... I promise."

    The next day, I heard that he had left the village. I wanted to cry, but, I could not. I held back my tears and bit my thumb. "Ryuu,I promise, that if you ever return, I won't... Let that happen again, I'll be better. Next time, I promise, I will be the one protecting you. And you needn't worry about my life, because I will be stronger than you."


    I sat on the rooftop, waiting for something to happen. I wanted to see him again, it had been so long, so many years. The stars sparkled high above my head, they reminded me of that night, the night I almost died. The night he had saved me.

    I could feel the lightning, it made me feel alive.
    In the distance I could see the figure of a boy. I strained my eyes. "What...?" It was Ryuu, I never expected to see him. I jumped off the roof and landed behind him, following from a distance, watching him. I felt like a stalker, but this was the only way.

    Ryuu whipped around almsot the instant I started following him. "Who's there?" He demanded.

    "Ryuu... Do you remember me?" I asked.

    "Ai..." Ryuu looked at me.

    "Why did you leave?" Ryuu stayed silent. "Ryuu! Why?! I came all the way out here to find you, Ryuu!"

    "I had to get stronger."

    "You couldn't of done that in our old village? Ryuu, you promised me, remember? That you would always protect me?! Do you remember that?!"

    "I don't."
    "You do... I can tell..." I told him.

    "Leave me alone," Ryuu ordered.

    "Please Ryuu... I love you... I-I'm sorry..."

    "For what?" He scoffed.

    "For so many things… Ryuu, please... Come back..." I pleaded, crying.

    "No, Ai, I can't," Ryuu stepped towards me, pushing my hair out of my face, he looked into my brown eyes. Ryuu leaned forwards and kissed me. I just stood there for a second, not doing anything.

    I pushed him away, "Ryuu... Please come back..." I fell into his arms, my cheeks stained with tears.

    He held me, whispering into my ear, "I can't go back." I cried harder now, shaking.

    "Then... Let me stay with you..." I pleaded.

    "Ai, you can’t. It wouldn’t be safe for you. Ai... promise that, when I see you again, you will still be mine." Ryuu pushed me away.

    "I can’t… I-I… RYUU! YOU JUST CAN’T!!! Please…”

    “Why are you trying so hard to stop me?”

    “Because you could… D-die… And then… It would be my fault and… R-Ryuu…” I cried so hard now, I couldn’t help myself. Tears flowed freely from my eyes and splashed onto the ground.

    “Ai… It wouldn’t be your fault, this is my choice and you can’t stop me now, I’ve made up my mind.” Ryuu turned on his heel and walked away, I just stood there watching him fade away in the dim light of dawn.