Love Far Beyond the Ashes

Suisei and Azki

Suisei pov: I took Azkichi to a blood river and stared out in the distance. I didn't look at her and sighed.

"Azki," I said quietly.

"What Sui-chan?" Azki asked

"I love you," I told her.

I could tell she was looking at me. She just waited for me to speak again, unlike someone else.

"Do you feel the same, Azki? Do you love me?" I asked

"Yes, I do love you, Suisei," she said.

I knew it was in a sisterly kind of way; I also felt like that, but I needed to get something off my chest. I pulled out my axe and squeezed the handle so hard that my hand began to bleed.

"Do you know what it means to love me?" I asked her

"Yes, I do," she said.

We fell silent and lunged at each other, passing one another, and standing there, I had cut her chest, so blood began to pour out of her.

"You realize that loving me will be your end. All I bring is death." I told her, "I may want to kill you one day."

I suddenly felt a sharp pain and fell to my knees as I noticed I had been slashed as well. Azki showed me a knife she had been holding.

"If need be, I'm ready to kill you as your best friend." Azki told me

"Then do it," I said.

"There is no need. You aren't evil. You have a good heart. You are just confused," Azki said.

I ran at her, trying to slam my axe into the back of her head, but she sidestepped and kicked me in the back, sending me flying into the blood river as she silently glared at me.

I practically flew out of the blood river going for another slash; she caught it with her left hand, not even wincing in pain, before punching my face with her right and knocking me back.

I then had the thought that Azki has a good battle sense, something Miko doesn't have, but Toko does.

I went to attack her once again, but the wind blew her hair up, so I stopped to admire her beauty.

Azki walked up to me and hit me with a combination of blows that ended with her stabbing my right thigh.

"Sui-chan, I care about you dearly." Azki told me to make my heart beat faster.

Azki went over to me and kneeled down a bit, pressing her forehead to mine softly, so close that if I wanted I could just lean in and kiss her, but that wouldn't be right. Her ring signifies commitment to another. She pressed herself up against me more somehow, getting closer until our lips were mere inches apart. My heart felt as if it was going to explode. It was a ticking time bomb.

The abyss of my heart vanished with her; everything I have pent up inside me came to the forefront. Now I can't deny what I have been hiding from her; I can't say I love her, but at the same time, I do love her. But why do I love her? Why does she have a place in my heart? And why stick with someone like me for this long?

I love Azki. I thought to myself, I love Azki. I love her... I love her so much, but why?

Azki lifted up my hand and gently kissed it. I know that something like that is completely harmless, but my mind went blank. I love her, but why don't I feel romantically towards her? Her purple-blue eyes spoke to me; they were loving, but deep down I know... I stopped myself. I don't want to think like that.

I know I probably should be offended that she told me she was prepared to kill me, but why does that ease me so much? What is the extent of our love? Does it mean she holds no animosity towards me yet she is willing to kill me?