The Fault in Our Mango

Things That Become Lost

KIMIKO'S POV

I was the first one to wake up. It was happening now more than ever because the constant fear of someone walking in on me while sleeping and seeing the mark, since I slept with a tank. I slipped into some jeans and a tee and silently crept downstairs. I went into the kitchen and made myself a sandwich. I was about to go to the living room when I saw a note on the counter.

I slowly walked over and saw my name in a hand writing that i immediately knew was Aika's. "What?" I hastily opened it and started reading. I saw that it was in a dialect no longer used in this era, and I grew worried. Aika would've only written something in that language if she didn't want anyone to read it. My heart sank the more I got into it.

Kimiko,

I'm sorry. I should've probably told you in person, but I couldn't. I know you're not stupid, and that you probably noticed how disconnected I've been acting. There's a reason. And that reason is that I need to go. By the time you read this, I'll be long gone.

Things from before have come up, and I need to take care of them. Please forgive me. Maybe I'll come back one day. Don't worry about me, I think our time apart was proven to you that I'm perfectly able to take care of myself.

I'll keep fighting against them. I know you guys will too. They won't ever win, not as long as we're alive. Tell the other I said bye.

Love you, Aika

I stared at the words in front of me, then threw it onto the counter. I pounded up the stairs not caring how loud I was. I threw the door open to her room and saw her bed neatly made up, and everything in it's place. For Aika's room, it was too clean. I made my way to her closet and opened it up. It had a few spare clothing items in it, but the shirts and shorts Aika usually wore were gone. I let out a small cry.

What the hell? Things from the past... I brushed back tears as I closed the closet doors. I walked over to her bed and looked at her collection of pillows. I had noticed her unusual moods lately, but I didn't realize.. How stupid. This was how she acted before. But why didn't she say anything? I considered going and looking around for her in the woods, but she was long gone. She would never joke about a sensitive subject as this.

Without realizing it, I had started crying. A pain in my chest that was all too familiar started rising and I couldn't take it anymore. I screamed and covered my mouth after realizing the others were probably asleep. Instantly I head footsteps coming towards me. I grabbed my shirt and wiped my eyes, knowing there was nothing I could do to make them unred.

"What's wrong?" Sanji burst through the door. The sisters followed him and Yato them. Catnip peered in at the doorway. I adverted their eyes.

"Kimiko, what happened?" Yato asked, walking over and sitting down next to me. He was about to wrap his arms around me when I stood up.

"Aika's gone," I said.

"What?" the sisters said at the same time.

"What do you mean she's gone?" Sanji asked.

"She left and she's not coming back. Not anytime soon anyway," I muttered, pushing my way out of the room. The other's followed me. I made my way downstairs, preparing to go into the woods.

"Why did she leave?" Catnip asked.

I shrugged. "Who knows?" I thought back to the letter I'd thrown onto the counter and how they'd probably find it, but I didn't care. They wouldn't know how to read it. "I need to be alone."

"Kimi-" I heard Yato start, but I quickly opened and shut the door outside. The wind was blowing and I could feel fall coming along. Soon it'd be winter and the leaves would go fall off the trees. I hated that season.

I walked into the woods and wound up in our usual training ground. I looked around and somehow it seemed much bigger with only one person. I summoned my sword and looked at it. "I guess I'll go back to how I was before... Dammit, Aika. And I was finally starting to be alright..." After a while, I just... left.

(YATO's POV)

The door slammed in my face as Kimiko fled outside in distress. I was so frustrated because she didn't want any help. She always wanted to deal with things herself, which irritated me. I gritted my teeth and punched a wall to the point at which it cracked, making everyone flinch. If it were a specific person who hurt her, it'd be easy to track them down and beat the crap out of them, but this is Aika running away. Beating her up wouldn't solve anything.

Why does she have to carry these burdens by herself? Why doesn't she let me help? "Sanji, we're going after her. She's mentally unstable, we don't know what she'll do." But Sanji didn't need a reason, he stood up and followed me outside. After hours of following her trail into the woods and looking for her, we saw her, standing in a clearing. But what shocked me was who was standing in front of her. I instantly dashed forwards and my fist met with the smug bastard that is Ryder. He knocked me backwards but I threw knives at him and had golem holding him so I could send him flying backwards.

Kimiko yelled "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE YOU ASSHOLES?!" I looked over at her and realized her eyes were red and puffy. Could she have been... crying? I signaled at Sanji to take care of Ryder while. He went on and fought back Ryder while I went towards Kim. I hugged her tight and asked "Oh my god, what happened babe?!" She pushed me backwards "DON'T "BABE" ME YOU JACKASS" I stared at her in disbelief. Then she screamed "I-I'm sorry... I just... UGH!!" and she ran and hugged me. She hugged me and cried. I looked at her burying her head in my chest, and I hugged her back.

SANJI'S POV
Yato signaled me to go for Ryder, so I immediately ran towards him. "Hey idiot! Come back here, so I can kick your ass!" I yelled. "Forget it. You'll have to find me first!" Ryder said as he disappeared into the shadows. I looked around trying to find him. Then, I stopped. Somehow, I felt a presence. A dark, corrupted presence. I instinctively kicked a tree and found him hiding. "W-What? How did you know I was-" Ryder started talking, but he was interrupted by me trying to kick him. But the hit didn't land, instead my leg went through his head. "What the hell?!" I exclaimed. Ryder chuckled and said "I hope you like my abilities. My whole body is made of shadows, so your kicks won't harm me." He started saying stuff about how Kimiko was no longer in our team. He started laughing about my confused expression. I couldn't control my rage anymore. "SHUT UP!" I yelled. I went for a kick, and to my surprise, it sent him flying. I could feel my power and soul rushing through that kick. "What?! How did you... I gotta go" Ryder said before disappearing again. I looked for him, but he was gone. I sighed and went back to Yato and Kimiko.

Yato's POV
Sanji came back after a bit and KIMIKO wiped her tears and stopped crying. Then Sanji said "The bastard got away!" We all went back home. Kim insisted I let her walk by herself. We got back and the rest of the day was silent and awkward. We went on through the day as if nothing had happened, and KIMIKO didn't come out of her room in the whole day.

That night, I couldn't sleep. I lied in my bed contemplating today's events. I wanted to go over to Kimiko right now and just hold her and help her get through this, but she went through a lot today. I thought it was best to give her time.

At around 2:00 AM, I heard footsteps, so I went downstairs to check. There I saw Kimiko, fully dressed, with her swords in her hands. "You're leaving aren't you?" I asked fearing for the worst. She didn't answer. "Look, I know Aika leaving devastated you, but chasing after her isn't the solution. She has her own reasons for leaving, it was her CHOICE. She has a free will, and I don't like it either but please just listen and stay." Still no answer.

I started walking towards her, but I let my guard down and in the blink of an eye, I felt a searing pain, and I had her staring me dead in the eye. Her eyes were dull and almost seemed like the life had been sucked out of them. Then I looked down, and saw her sword piercing my body, and a pool of blood on the ground. I looked back at her and she never even flinched the whole time.Then... she ran her finger across her collarbone, slightly tugged her shirt down, and smiled as she revealed a symbol I loathed. And the symbol that was on every soldier I've taken down. The Government's coat of arms. After that, I blacked out....