Love Far Beyond the Ashes

Miko and Sora

Miko pov: I had no idea how to start my conversation with Sora-chan, but I knew I had to start soon to keep her from just getting up and leaving.

"Uhm, Sora-chan, I realized something," I told her.

"And that's is?" She asked

"After kissing her, I think I found out I don't love Sui-chan," I said.

Sora-chan stood up and walked over to grab the tea that Azaz had made her before she was taken by Sui-chan. She sat back down and took a sip.

"You don't love her?" She asked

"Not at all. Actually, I think she has a point about us just being business partners," I said.

"That is honestly very mature of you," Sora-chan said.

"It's just not fair, damn it!" I shouted

"What do you mean it's not fair?" Sora-chan asked

"I do have feelings deep down there, but that woman has killed every exit for them!" I shouted

"What's your favorite aspect of Sui-chan?" Sora-chan asked

"Her calm and cool demeanor," I commented

"What if I told you that that isn't really her?" Sora-chan said

"What is she then?" I asked sarcastically.

"She's a scared and scarred girl who thinks she killed her father and feels the need to take the burden of everything he caused on her back because she doesn't know better. She completely overwhelmed herself with some fake persona she made because she is too afraid to face the fact that she was a mistake and was going to be killed. She is afraid of the future!" Sora said

"Well, she should grow up instead of making this my problem," I said.

Sora-chan looked at me and shook her head.

"Sui-chan is too afraid to move forward on her own; imagine living life knowing that you weren't what your parents wanted!" Sora-chan shouted

"Well then, why the hell did she pretty much become what her father didn't want!?" I yelled

"Her old self was too much like what her father wanted. He manipulated her to be a good girl who would never step out of line. Ever since his death, she has been making her own decisions, trying to burry her old self under the rug, but in the process, she lost herself," Sora-chan said.

"Well, that isn't my problem. She should just get with me. I can make her happy and help her find who she really is, and then I can keep her off the crime scene. That's what I want!" I said

"You are just like her father," Sora-chan said.

"What?" I asked.

"Have you ever stopped to think what Suisei wants? She can't live inside your fantasy; she doesn't want to be manipulated into being just a housewife; she's a natural-born fighter, and you just want to domesticate her," Sora-chan said.

"Yes, that's what I think is good for her!" I screamed

I stopped in silence, realizing what I had just said.

"Are you ready to listen like an adult?" Sora-chan asked me

"Yes, I am," I told her.

"You realize you forced yourself on her back there when she asked for just some time to rest from her injury," Sora-chan stated.

"I do," I responded.

I realized that I was being an asshole blinded by my anger and jealously about Toko someone who just appeared and just randomly kissed Sui-chan.

"Sui-chan randomly cut her hair as a sign that she probably is never going back to her old self," Sora-chan said.

"I feel awful..." I told her, "I never really thought about how her father practically controlled her life." I sighed.

"She told you, yet you chose to zone out after a certain point." Sora-chan said

"But I still don't see the relevance of her telling her story..." I said

"She opened back up to that scared version of herself, the part of her that may want to just give up..." Sora-chan told me

"Life does throw bad things in everyone's direction. It's understandable she should know this," I said.

"She literally never had the chance to live life properly until she was seventeen, almost eighteen." Sora-chan said

"Well—" I stopped not knowing what to say—how could Sui-chan have suffered that much

"She seems so broken!" I said it loudly.

"She is broken," Sora-chan told me.

"How so?" I asked.

"Think about what she has witnessed..." Sora-chan said

"I feel sick," I said as I pictured the things she could have seen.

"She isn't afraid of death. She forced herself to mature too fast. She is still a child inside. You can't change that. She is just a shell." Sora-chan said

"How can I change that?" I asked

"I don't think you can. You just have to bear with it and let her figure herself out." Sora-chan said

I have to let her figure this out on her own, but then why is she so set on having Azaz help her? Sora-chan basically read my mind and spoke.

"Azkichi understands her as her closest friend," she explained.

"I need to apologize to her I can't take back the kiss though..." I said

"No need to if you two actually work out, just make the kiss right," Sora-chan said.

"You are really good at this," I laughed.

"Yeah, I kind of have to be," she said.

I saw Sui-chan return with Azaz, Anemachi, and Toko. I began to stand but sat back down, looking from afar. When she saw me and waved softly, her eyes glistening, my heart skipped a beat.

She seemed different from before, as she now had a red tint on her face. I definitely feel warmer looking at her.

However, despite this, I don't want to approach her yet. I will just wait until she comes to me. I don't want to make her push herself after all.

Maybe I do love her after all...