"It’s Storm's memories. Since the day we came back to my place, every night I've had a different dream. Well, it’s a memory in a form of a dream. At first, I didn't mind. They were happy memories and I got to see them through Storm’s eyes. I got to feel her joy and love for each of you...and with each memory, I came to like you guys more and more. I know it’s stupid. No, it’s crazy. I shouldn't be letting her memories affect me. But then I spend time with you and get to learn more about all of you each day. These days with you have been the best I’ve ever experienced," I confessed. I pulled away and sat up to wipe away the tears that rolled down my cheeks and continued to vent.
"Every day, I have the privilege to wake up early and enjoy morning runs with Malachi. Even Haru and Itsuki who both suck at running join because they want to. I get to spend time cooking and eating with all of you, trying different meals from various backgrounds and cultures. You and Quil have helped me with my self-defence and have given me tricks on how to fight people twice my size. Yoshi's been teaching me magic spells and incantations that I never got the opportunity to learn when I was young. You guys are all investing your time in me when I may revert back to a human."
Uru whimpered, walking over to lay in my lap.
Aki sat up and was listening to all the thoughts that spilled out of my lips. I just wanted to be heard and now that I had gotten the opportunity, I couldn't seem to stop.
"I'll lose all my powers and bam! I'll just be Crimson. Not Crimstorm or Crimson Storm. I'll be Crimson Arashi, the child of Konashi and Mosuki Arashi who has no powers and is just human. Everyone will go back to ignoring me, wishing I never existed. James will probably either leave or continue his juggling nonsense with our so-called relationship and the only thing left I'll have is my art. At the end of the day, I'll be alone and always will be," I confessed, putting my head down to cry.
"You're not alone, Crimson," Aki whispered.
"I am, Akihiro. For my whole life, I've been alone. Anyone who comes close to me either disappears or is forced to leave. Hotaka Jiyuna used to be my mom's best friend and he'd pay attention to me, even if it was only during his visits. The moment I started looking forward to his visits, he stopped coming. I got close to Hakua, bam! My father sends her to the mountains and makes it ten times harder for me to see her. I had to learn everything by myself and make my name known in the art industry with no one’s help. You can't guarantee my father won't do the same and kick you guys out of my life too."
I glared up at him. "He always destroys my happiness. Anything that will make me enjoy life is taken away because I don't deserve it. I've made his life a living hell so I deserve this as punishment. He's already told you guys to leave because he knows! He saw how you guys wanted to defend me unlike James who stood back and did nothing. It's because of me that you guys can't find refuge and concentrate on who killed Storm. I'm holding all of you back."
I looked down to Uru who met my gaze. Her pink eyes looked sad which only made me cry harder.
"The moment the crystals are rediscovered and the culprit or culprits who killed Storm received their justice...you guys will go too. Even Urufu will leave me."
"WOOF!" Uru argued, shaking her head.
I gave her a sad smile and wrapped her in my arms. I didn't want to lose her either.
"Crimson, give me your hand," Aki instructed.
I gave him a perplexed look, but Urufu seemed to understand and moved out of my lap to sit next to me. Her nose nudged my right hand over and over again.
"Why?" I whispered.
"Trust me," he reassured.
We shared a look and I sighed, lifting my right hand and placing it in his outstretched left hand. He closed his eyes.
"I, Akihiro Tomashuna swear to not leave Crimson Arashi's side unless she deems so. I will protect her and show her the joys of life. No matter what outside forces that want us to be separated, I will fight and stay by Crimson's side and only leave when she no longer wants me," he vowed.
My eyes went wide in shock as I watched the orange-gold magic circle appear between our joined hands.
"WOOF!" Uru placed her head on top of our hands and another magic circle formed in white. She howled softly as if confirming Aki's words and both magic circles vanished with a poof — flecks of glitter in white, gold and orange fell down and faded.
I felt a little dizzy, but it wasn't as bad as when I'd asked James to make an oath of secrecy regarding the guy’s location. We remained sitting in silence, as the shock of what Aki just did finally clicked in my brain.
"You...just did an oath!" I practically shrieked, but it came out more like a little mouse squeak.
Aki gave me a confident smile while Uru stood up and began to howl quietly as if she was singing. "I did," he retorted.
"You...you can't do that," I argued.
"Why not?"
"You just took an oath to stick with me for like forever. That's like marriage!"
He rolled his eyes. "It's not like marriage. I would need a ring for that and I don't want to deal with five other guys right now," he mumbled.
"Are you listening to the words that are coming out of your mouth? Akihiro! You just completed an oath to stay with me. You too, Urufu!" I looked at my familiar who paused mid-howl to blink innocently at me.
She then gave me a happy expression before walking back into my lap. "WOOF!" She began licking my face.
"Gah. Urufuuuuu." I giggled at the ticklish sensation.
Aki smiled at the exchange and waited for Uru to settle down before he spoke. "Storm Yuna taught me a lot of things over the years. She was there for me when my sister died. She was there for me when my parents were murdered. And when Storm died...I had a dream. I didn't understand it and it honestly pissed me off at first," he confessed.
"What was your dream?" I was curious as to why it would have pissed him off to see Storm one last time.
Aki smiled and met my gaze. "She told me to move on. She said she’d known somewhere deep within that she wouldn't live long enough for us to fulfill the promises we made, but she was foolish and hadn’t listened to her gut. Now she was gone and had left us all with broken hearts. But someone new would come into our lives and she told me not to look back," he confessed.
Uru whimpered, moving over to comfort Aki.
He grinned, ruffling her white fur before continuing. "When I woke up the morning of her funeral, I was so angry I didn't even want to go to the ceremony. When I talked with the others, they all mentioned having similar dreams that same night. She told them all we would find someone new and it would be foolish for us to pass it up."
"So...you think that person is me?" I didn't know how I felt about this revelation, but Aki didn't let me think on it, reaching for my hand and squeezing it gently to get my attention.
"I don't know. Maybe it is you or maybe it’s someone else. Who knows? But the guys and I agreed we wouldn't fall in love or even be interested in anyone just because Storm said so. When my eyes landed on you in the alleyway, when James and Haru were resuscitating you..." he trailed off, looking like he was trying to find the right words.
"I felt the same pain in my heart. The same heartache I had with my family and with Storm. I stood there, completely lost as to why a stranger had such an immediate impact on me. And the others have said they felt the same. Haru would have never healed a stranger for his own personal reasons, but without a second thought he threw himself to the ground and began doing compressions and trying to restart your heart like he'd known you for years."
Haru. I didn't know much about him yet, having just begun my magic lessons with him a few days ago, but he said so himself that he didn't like using his powers on others unless he was ordered to.