Though most of us knew that losing someone important was both a sad thing to experience, many of us realized the possible pain that it could bring. And for a long time since it happened, Mako was sure of one thing.
Losing Takeru was definitely not the kind of pain she wanted to feel again.
As one among the Power Casters with the ability to live longer than normal humans, Mako could only think that such ability had always been a curse for her. And that curse led her to hate every faction of Power Casters.
What Sakuma Kotaro---a talented White Ice Caster she met the other week---had said to her was true. She had already abandoned the worth of everything in her life. The Red Fire Casters' faction where she came from, the humans, the other Power Casters, and even the world itself.
It all rooted to the death of the only man she had ever loved in her long life.
With a heavy sigh, she took out a certain disc from her jacket pocket. According to Takeru who gave it to her the day he was supposed to head out to the battle years ago, the creation of HiDen Discs was something that the White Wind Casters' faction had been keeping secret for a long time. Only selected people in the faction could create such a disc.
But for some reason, she couldn't help feeling that something was off about that particular disc. The only way for her to know the truth about that was to spin it. With that, she decided to find a hidden place where she could rest for a while after a long walk around that forest and also for her to see if her guess about the HiDen Disc in her possession was right.
A few minutes later, she found a cave just a few meters ahead of the path she was traversing. It was a small one, possible for a person or two to fit into. But even from her spot, she could tell that it was a deep one. With a sigh to prepare herself, Mako began walking towards the cave. Upon looking around one more time, she noticed that the sun was beginning to set upon reaching the cave. A wistful smile appeared on her lips at the sight of it.
When was the last time she was able to appreciate nature's beauty like this? Well, that is, if she would call feeling nostalgic to be the same as appreciating the view. But that wasn't the issue around here. She turned her back on the setting sun and proceeded to enter the cave.
With a flick of a finger, she was able to conjure fire on her right hand and used it to light her way to reach the end of that cave. She surprised herself with the fact that she was traversing the place without feeling any anticipation or even fear as to what could possibly be awaiting her at the end. Once again, a memory flashed in her mind that gave her a reason why she was like that.
"Why is it that every reason I could think of would always make me think of you, Takeru?" she uttered as the tears she couldn't stop anymore began to fall one by one.
It had been several years already. And yet the pain didn't seem to have dissipated one bit. Why couldn't she do anything about it at all?
Not long after, Mako finally reached the end of the cave. There was nothing to see there, though. She soon thoughtthat not being able to feel anticipation and fear---and now disappointment or relief, as well---was the right thing, after all. But soon after, she shrugged off those thoughts so she could finally do the real reason why she went in that cave.
From the bag she was carrying all this time, she took out a certain item---another of her reminder about Takeru's tragic end. It was his Shinkenmaru with a broken blade. All that remained there was the hilt and its guard. Even so, it was enough for her to use.
Well, she was hoping that it would be.
She inserted the disc to Shinkenmaru's hilt and spun it. Moments later, the weapon's guard gave off a slightly bright glow before projecting a vision of a smiling image of Takeru that truly surprised her.
Does this mean...?
But the rest of her unspoken question was only answered when the vision on the projected image began to speak. It was probably a recorded message of Takeru... for her.
"Mako, I'm sorry. I know that if you ever managed to realize the real purpose of this disc that I gave to you, you were already beating yourself because of what happened. I already know that I will not be able to survive in that battle. Not only because of the dangers of the battle but also because I couldn't hold on much longer. Joining in this battle would be like suicide to me. But I don't care. All I want is for a world for us Power Casters to live peacefully. That even though each faction have their disagreements with the other, it's still not worst enough for them to take the lives of their fellow Power Casters."
"You idiot..." Mako uttered in between chuckling and silent cries. Until the end, it seemed that Takeru believed in such ideals.
But that was one reason why she had come to love him before, right? And until now, she still loved him. She would always do, not even death woud change that for her.
"You know that I love you, right? But I'm not sure if that's enough for you to forgive me, though. And because of that, I want to apologize."
Her tears fell more and more, each were faster than the last. It seemed that every word that Takeru was saying was slowly becoming a catalyst for those tears she suppressed for a long time to finally fall.
"You're probably hating me right now, wherever you are..." Takeru's message still continued and Mako, despite the continuously falling tears, decided to keep watching and listening. "But I know I can't do anything about it. If it's already too painful for you, I think it's for the best if you should just forget it. All about the things that give you this much pain. And if I'm one of those things... Then I won't be angry if you truly choose to forget me, as well. I promise you I won't. So don't worry about anything anymore if you do that, okay?"
Mako was more than shocked to hear that kind of suggestion from Takeru, even if he was only thinking of her welfare when he said that. They were like needles that pricked her already hurting heart.
"But if you will still choose to hold on to me, to our memories, then don't use it as a reason for you to hate the world. They had nothing to do with what happened to me. Besides, it's not going to help you or any other people for that matter. You know that better than anyone, Mako. I'm sorry if I kept saying things that doesn't make sense to you somehow. But I know you'd get my point about that, right? I'm sorry for leaving you like this all of a sudden. I'm really sorry, Mako..."
After that, the beam of light that projected the recorded image of Takeru disappeared. But Mako just remained staring at the spot where it was projected for a few minutes. A little while later, she heaved a heavy sigh---a bit ragged, this time---before removing the disc from the hilt.
Why does Takeru has to be the one to apologize in the end? But still, she was glad that she was able to see all that. Hear all that. If she was still the same person a while back, she would've pretended that something like that had never happened.
And yet this was Takeru she was talking about. He was the only man that could still touch her life even though he was already dead. But it wasn't a bad thing for her.
And with that, she was sure of what to do with her life this time and she won't hesitate anymore.
"I'm sorry, Takeru..." Mako whispered as she looked at the HiDen Disc that she was holding. "But I don't think I could ever forget you. I'll still hold on to you, to us---especially to those memories we created together. Because of you, my life changed. All the while, you've been aiming to do that to the others, as well. So I think it's about time I'll do the same. At least... I want to do so for your sake..."
Soon after, Mako smiled despite the tears threatening to fall once more. At least for the man she knew she would ever love in her long life, this was the best choice she ever made.
And now it was about time she put that into action.
xxxxxx
I think most of you will think that this one-shot doesn't make any sense somehow. But I still liked the fact that the storyline for "Operation: Cloudbreak (Kyuranger Version)" was starting to build up slowly through those one-shots I'm writing here. There are still more one-shots to come that are set in this universe, so be warned.
Again, thank you for reading this one-shot collection. I really appreciate every reads, votes, and most of all, comments from you guys.
Until next time, everyone!
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