The Legacy of Guardians - Kivvora Heroes: Guardians & Destines

THREE (part 2/6): reunion

What the hell?

Akira blinked, her vision adjusting to a hand reached out to her. She followed the outstretched arm to a tall and lanky boy with messy, shoulder length, white hair and shaggy bangs covering most of his right eye.

His silver gaze peered from behind big, thin-framed glasses. There was something about those eyes that looked familiar and made Akira's heartbeat faster. Akira blinked again, and a glint from his necklace, sparkled in the faint sunlight. She let out an inaudible gasp. It was the yang pendant that completed her yin one.

She ignored his hand and smiled as she sprang to her feet. "Yamiyo Omagatoki!" She threw her arms around the frail boy and squeezed, spinning with him in the embrace. She held back happy tears as she sank deeper into the hug. "Is it really you? How are you?"

"What? Did you expect something else after all this time?" He spoke with a hint of amusement in his voice. He hugged her tighter. "But yeah, it's me — and I'm... alright. What about you?"

"I guess I didn't expect my best friend to crash into me today." Akira replied, matching his tone. "And I'm better now that you're here."

Yamiyo smelled terrible. Like he forgot what soap, water, and a towel were. Akira pulled back, tilting away from Yamiyo and glanced at him from the corners of her eyes. "When's the last time you showered?"

Yamiyo looked up at the sky, hand on his hip, as if he was expecting the answer to be up there. Akira shook her head, unable to contain her laughter. Yamiyo's looked back at her, and returned a small smile, rubbing the back of his neck. "I can be forgetful sometimes."

He was acting strange. Not the 'Yamiyo strange' she remembered. But a 'fearful strange' as if he's doing or had done something wrong. Something was bugging him, but she didn't want to pry.

Akira smiled and poked Yamiyo's nose. "Well, smelly or not, you're still my best friend."

Yamiyo's expression relaxed after she said that. Was he worried she didn't want to be friends with him anymore? What happened to him in the last five years? His eyes were so vacant. Tired. He was very thin and weak too. Could he be sick?

Yamiyo bent down to pick up the box and handed it to her. The blue paperboard had twisted and crumpled, flattening those abominations inside. Only a few survived without being completely destroyed.

Akira groaned, annoyed. "Great! Perfect... Uncle Jiang is really gonna kill me now..."

Yamiyo tilted his head. "Over muffins?"

Akira sighed. Where could she even begin? "He's gonna lecture me into a corner about my rowdy behavior and how 'rambunctious' and 'rebellious' I am..." She rambled as she opened the package and frowned.

"Damn it! How am I supposed to say: 'Hey sorry for being rude to you, retired samurai — here, have a box of smashed muffins. It'll cheer you right up.' now? It looks like I don't even care." Akira dropped into a W, ashamed. "Ohh, my life is over. He's not forgiving me for this one... not this time."

"They still smell good," Yamiyo said. "What kind are they?"

Akira blinked, not expecting him to respond to her. "Huh? Oh, they're cranberry orange, but they taste like piss and ass." She shrugged. "Take one if you want. My uncle packed these muffins for some old dude who probably won't eat them anyway."

Yamiyo's face lit up as he grabbed a muffin and took a bite. Akira gagged at the thought of eating one. How did he handle the first bite? No, wait... the smell?

"They're delicious." He said, eyes wide, as if that was the best thing he had in ages.

"What? Eww! No... they're awful."