The Hope Of The Three (Book 2 of the Hidden Trilogy)

Chapter Eighteen: Red Sky

~Kaito Hyashi~
(ATH)

I pushed past some bushes. Tsuki had insisted on walking on her own, and that resulted in her walking into a tree causing her bandages to fall off. Her eyes were red, but it wasn't swelling, which was good.

"Why is everything red?" She grumbled. I laughed slightly and put an arm around her.

"It should go away soon." She sighed.

"If you say so."

"Ahem." Rayn coughed behind us. "Where are we going?"

"The sun set in that direction." I pointed west. "Our rendezvous point is northwest. It's pretty close to Eosphoros." I moved my hand around 45 degrees right. "That a way."

"So um, why are we walking... east?"

"Because you went off track." Tsuki said quietly. I assumed that she didn't want to offend Rayn further, but it wasn't in her blood to butter up words.

"Good to know everything is my fault." Rayn said. Aaaaand here we go.

"That's not what I meant." Tsuki said.

"Sure, when you follow this guy around like a wounded puppy."

"Rayn!" Alena scolded. "That was rude!"

"It was honest."

"Maybe you're right." Tsuki whispered. "Maybe I do follow Kaito around, but the one thing that I am not is a puppy." She left my side and stormed up to Rayn. "If you're gonna insult me, don't use a dog term."

"What?"

"A hurt kitten sounds so much better, am I right?" She snarled. I covered my mouth to stop a laugh from escaping. Alena saw my face and turned around, her body shaking silently. Rayn was absolutely befuddled.

"Are- are you serious?"

"Do I look serious?" Tsuki demanded with a fierce face, her hand on her sword hilt.

"Heh. Yeah..."

"Thank you." Tsuki brushed past him and went to Alena, who had calmed down. "Alena, could you heal me, please? The sky and everything else is red."

"Well, that's no big deal." Alena smiled and stepped towards Tsuki, healing her. "But... it's tiring."

"Oh, you should've healed yourself first!" Tsuki stepped back.

"Uh, right."

I sighed to myself. Alena was so selfless. Completely different from Tsuki.

OK, I'm definitely not saying she's not good enough, but after being alone with her so long, I couldn't help but see all the sudden differences between her and everyone else. Tsuki's will was very strong. She never let up when she wanted to get something accomplished. It was dangerous too, because she left anything behind that would hinder her. That's why I was extremely surprised that she had allowed Rayn to come. I didn't really have much against him (but the way he called Tsuki a puppy made me angry and want to laugh at the same time).

As for myself though, I don't think I could do the same thing. In between Tsuki and I, she was the dominant one. She was the leader between us two, and I sometimes felt like a tag-along.

To anyone else but ourselves, our relationship may seem really weird. Hyashi is the surname we came up for ourselves after meeting in a forest.

We generally forgot our surnames since then.

As for the thing humans call love- we call it something else. Passivity. Accepting what has happened between us.

Should Tsuki not have fallen for me, she would be alone.

Should I have not fallen for her, she would be alone.

It revolved around her, not me. Even though I was a guardian, it was only because she chose me, much like an animal chooses a mate.

That day, she had her wish. So if she died, she wouldn't get another.

In a sense, her powers were given to her on her death.

Her death triggered the Moon to be voided, and me to still exist. It was complicated, to be sure, but I couldn't tell her that if she failed, she wouldn't have another chance. She couldn't wish for anything, because she already used it on me.

She wasted it on someone who wouldn't benefit her in the long run.

Love is harsh, and it will eventually fail. I didn't want it to. I loved her. I loved Tsuki, and I was afraid someone else might come and steal it away.

Tsuki was right. The sky is red. Red with my failure, with the lives that might be lost because Tsuki didn't know.

'Having doubts, are you?'  A soft chilling whisper swept through the trees and into my mind.

"Tsuki." I warned. She rushed beside me.

"What's wrong?"

'Don't warn them. Or else you won't be able to keep her safe.' The familiar voice said again.

"Aswa." I said under my breath.

"What?" Tsuki asked.

"Nothing. Let's go."

'Persistent, are you? I'll see you around then, old friend.'  I walked faster.