Disclaimed.

He let his feet ran, guiding him blindly through the forest. His eyes darted from left to right hoping to find a single strand of forest green hair. He could feel his heartbeat against his ears, quickened with every second. His thoughts that were full with worry and fear filled his mind; thoughts that were aggravating his imagination of what could have happened to his dearest friend.

He imagined her emerald green eyes, ones that reflected pure determination to survive this war, and ones that masked the utter fear of what could happen to her friends, to herself, to him. Ruka did not know how he'd send the message across without breaking her heart. But that did not matter if he knew that Sumire was hurt, now would it? Ruka knew Sumire was a strong girl and he admired her for that. But what could that stubborn personality do but worsen the current situation they were in? With every struggle, she could get hurt even more. He pictured the aristocratic seventeen-year-old hurt, bloodied and unconscious.

Dead.

He released a shaky breath as he closed his eyes, pushing the horrible image to the back of his head. He would not think of that, not until he himself come face to face to an unmoving Sumire Shouda. He tried to swallow his saliva that was stuck at the back at his throat, with success. This was not how he pictured his high school life would be.

There was a clatter of submachine gun fire, followed by the shrieks and strangled cries of students. Hell, the whole place was full with such sounds. His mind was attacked by small voices that came from frightened animals. Unfortunately, some stopped short. Ruka did not want to know why and how it did. His thoughts went to his animal friends, those he released from the barn. He wanted them to escape before anybody can harm them. Would they be safe? He could only pray.

He breathed out in short pants, both of his hands resting on each of his kneecaps. It was then did he realise how cold it was. In such a short time, his sweat evaporated and he had small bumps on his forearms. He was surrounded by the chilled air that could make him shiver if not for the fact that he ran a few seconds ago. He wondered if Sumire got enough heat from god knows where to warm herself up. Of course, she would have to be alive or it would not matter.

A low growl came crawling up his throat. He was itching to punch something, to keep him busy from making him think that another one of his friends was gone. Dear god, he did not want to lose the people that are important to him anymore.

It was hard because it was war. People die and it did not make any exceptions, there weren't any favourites. They did not choose who deserved to die or live. It was either which and it was usually the former. The snow that was covering the ground was bloodied. Bodies of loved ones; friends or strangers littered the place. The tense air filled the school. Cries, sobs and terrified thoughts surrounded him. The air was no clear as before, bombs creating a great amount of soil, rocks and dust to jump high up. No longer was it a school, a place where young ones play and adults educate.

It was a war zone.

He was disgusted at what have become to the place.

In the midst of his thoughts, a bird made a sound, a pitch so high that hurt his ears. He winced as he turned around instinctively. His first thought was to save the bird from danger. His eyes widened as he cursed out loud. He watched as a man tried to get hold of his neck. Warning bells rang in his head with such high frequency. Being in war helped Ruka in improving his reflex, for he took hold of the man's arm. Ruka gritted his teeth. How long was this man following him?

It was evident that man wanted to strangle him, albeit Ruka doubt that was all. He bet the man was an Alice, for two-third of the army were. Ruka watched as the man used his other hand to punch him in the jaw, releasing the hold of the man's wrist. He was sent flying to the ground. It was then did he realise that he landed a few metres away from the man. No such normal human could make such a move. He eyed the man in front of him, who was smirking.

Ruka groaned when he felt a sharp pain when he tried to move his mouth. It stung so much so that tears started to gather at the corner of his eyes. But he was at no position to cry.

He was in war.

Ruka took a deep breath as he pushed himself off the ground. Ruka seemed to overlook the flaws of his plan. He charged without any caution, leading him straight towards the trap. Albeit, Ruka did not have the time to think. In a time like this, he let his body take charge but that sometimes backfired. The monster-sized man had already Ruka's neck in his hold. He squeezed his hand, tight. Ruka let out a choked scream. His cries were muffled due to the pressure on his jugular. Instinctively, Ruka tried swinging his legs back and forth but his kicks seemed like a mosquito bite on the man. Ruka fumbled his sleeve as he tried to get out his stiletto that he carefully hidden. Now was a great time to use it. He was damned if he was going to be still while a nincompoop strangle him to death. Ruka slammed the end of his knife to the man's neck. This time, it was the man's turn to scream. The man dropped his hold on the boy as he attempted to get the stiletto out and failed. Ruka was still holding onto his weapon with all his might. Ruka wrenched him to the ground, which was surprisingly successful, and planting his knee in the pit of the man's bloodied neck. The teen then pushed his stiletto in further. The action made an artery pop, shooting blood into the dirty snow. The man stopped thrashing and he went limp. Bright red liquid spluttered onto Ruka's face. It smelt so metallic that made him sick to the stomach, horribly sick. Everything happened in a few seconds and he was relieved he would not have to go through another looking at the man's terrified face. Ruka watched as the man's blood decorated the dirty snow, like fresh paint on a used canvas.

Ruka sighed as he collapsed to the ground. He clearly did not want to do this. A few years ago, he would imagine himself graduating high school with a smile on his face and his friends by his side.

Oh, that seemed to fly out of the window.

The Alice war began a few months ago. AAO turned every adult's nightmare into a reality. Many died. Hundreds injured. A handful traumatised.

All scared. All worried.

He was not supposed to go through this. He was young darn it, everybody was. Ruka huffed as he took his stiletto out from the man's flesh. Well, he could not stop the war, now could he? He studied the man, the very same man he just killed. Looking at his still face, Ruka started to feel guilty; his conscious was starting to take a toll of his mind.

He just killed a man.

The man could have a family waiting for him, with a log cake and a Christmas tree in the living room. Now the family would not be able to celebrate because they just lost a family member. A husband, a father, a brother, a friend. And it was his entire fault. He took a person's life because of such selfish reasons.

Oh god, what did he just do?

Ruka covered his face with his bloodied hands. His shoulders shook as the tears flowed down his cheeks. He was no better than the people who killed for enjoyment. He had to settle for the truth, something that he could not deny: he was a monster.

What did he just do?

Before he knew it, he was on his fours. Ruka's upper body lurched forward as he opened his mouth. His empty stomach contracted and he expected his meal from before to come out. Nothing came out but air. He clearly did not want to do this. He did not want to go through such a difficult time. Hell, nobody wanted to. Nobody went, "Oh hey. Let's just have a war and kill everybody in town." He took a deep breath as he got up. It was not the correct time to feel such a thing called 'guilt'. It was war, and he had to kill to live. It was sick but that was the unfathomable truth, was it not? Ruka wiped his bloodied hands on his dirty shirt, before taking off again, albeit shakily. He walked around aimlessly, letting his mind wander around, with questions that did not have guaranteed answers.

Would he die today?

Would he get to see the sun tomorrow?

Those questions have always been on his mind, ever since he stepped foot in the school. It made him scared since he was confronting these questions for the first time with more seriousness and yet; he did not know the definite answers. His future was so bleak and blur, so much so that he was nervous. Ruka cursed, after realising that he had been walking for an hour. And he did not even find a single trace of his friend. Sumire was the only thing that should be in his mind then.

Sumire and her alone.

Ruka cursed again. That girl can be anywhere in the big campus. His eyes caught sight of the girls' dorm. It was all but chaotic. The building was standing alone, covered with splatters of blood. The blood on the snow surround it made it seemed like it was an abandoned scene propped for a movie. Still, it was far from where the fighting was happening. There might still be hope.

He could only hope she was there.

He ran in and was greeted with a sudden smell, so metallic that he could pick it up from a few feet away. Usually, his nose wouldn't react to the smell of blood because it was everywhere and he was used to it. Ruka was alarmed when it did. Time went to a standstill. His eyes stared at the sight that greeted him. He wanted to vomit again, feeling nauseated at the sight. Bodies of girls were dumped on the floor without care. Some had missing limbs. Some did not even have a head. He felt tears gathering at the corner of his eyes before they escaped. His heart lurched and he felt as if a fist was in his throat.

Ruka walked towards a familiar body. His feet making squelching sounds every time his shoes came in contact with the red liquid. It was as if he was walking in an endless puddle of mud instead of blood.

He squatted, facing a lifeless body of a young woman. It lay in front of him, leaning against the already bloodied wall. He took a sharp intake of oxygen, giving a silent prayer that it was not whom he thought it was. He could not afford to know that another one of his friends did not make it through. His shaky hand hesitated but managed to move the strands of hair away from the girl's face. Ruka looked on, trying not to betray his anxiety. His eyes widened as tears started to quickly gather at the corner of his eyes, gimlet eyes blinking at his former mate.

Her pink eyes were staring directly at him.

They did not seem real- almost like an imitation of a real eye, some sort like the eyes of a mannequin in a department of the store window. He stared, the utter stillness made a shiver travel down his spine. He looked for things that could have indicated that she was still alive. But of course, his friend was obviously dead for a few hours. He tasted bile.

He flashed a glare of pure hatred, vowing that whomever did this to his dearest Anna would pay. How long must the war continue before everybody will go and never come back? He let his hand dropped limply by his side. He let out a scream, hoping his agony could just disappear. He knelt on the ground, not caring that his pants was now soaked with blood. By the time this war end, it would not matter anymore. Hell, he could be dead and he would not be surprise even.

He just wanted to go back to the time before the war.

Maybe, there would not be any hope for him. Yes, he might survive through all of this, but what would he be the same man that he was then? Ruka knew he had to live his life with the haunting past. What good was that? He would be a broken man, a man that no one could ever fix. Was that what he wanted?

He heard footsteps approaching, footsteps that pushed him out of torpor. Apparently, whoever that person was, forgot that the ground was covered with blood and that no matter how hard one tiptoed, it would always make a certain sound. Ruka's lips were set in a line. He clutched onto the blade that was currently in his hand. They would pay. They would pay for everybody they injured and killed. He took a sharp breath, as he got ready to attack.

"Ruka?" He snapped his head to the direction of the voice. At first, he was surprised that an AAO official would know his name. He was ready to pounce on whoever that person was, to give that person the opportunity to depart from this horrible world with ease. His eyes widened when the situation could finally sink in his head.

Sumire was standing a few metres away from him.

She was alive.

The thought of wanting to give up fade away, as if it was not there in the first place. It was as if he did not have the intention to kill a few seconds ago. He suddenly felt a surge of euphoria. It seemed like it was ages since he finally get to see her face. Oh god, she was alive. She was safe. Not knowing, Sumire has given him hope when he did not think there was any left in his world. He never felt so relieved. So happy.

He pushed himself from the ground, staggering because of the shock.

"Sumire," he breathed. Sumire raised an eyebrow. Ruka got hold of her shoulders, pulling her in a hug. Sumire winced but did not struggle against his hold. She needed it as much as the boy. She needed something so comforting, to remind her that she was not alone in this. Ruka looked at his friend, studying her facial features once again. There were fine lines at the end of her eyes and she looked tired. But at the end of it all, she was still okay. He would expect her to have a disfigured face but considering it was Sumire, she would never let that happen.

"Still trying to check me out, hotshot?" Ruka snickered as he shook his head. He gave her a wry smile to which she returned. She never did change. Ruka's blue eyes roamed around her face.

"I thought you were …" The statement was left hanging. Sumire's amused countenance was now replaced with a sad one. It made her remember that she was still in this war. She took a step back as she cradled her broken arm. Sumire cast a glance on Anna's body before averting her eyes.

"Dead?" Nothing followed except the heavy, tensed air that surrounded them.

Sumire released a sigh. Ruka was not wrong to assume such a thing. She would have assumed that he was dead too. Sumire let her eyes wandered around her surrounding, her lips trembling with every body she saw. They were girls she used to gossip with, danced with and all sorts of other wacky things she ever did before the war. Her legs shook slightly as she pushed those memories to the back of her mind. She never wanted to remember those again. She let her head tilted up high and her eyes set to a certain door.

She trudged towards the infirmary, the same room where she hid herself from the AAO officials. She walked, knowing Ruka would follow her. The girl let her eyes wandered before settling on a vacant bed, staring vacantly outside the window. Ruka stared at the girl, noticing all of the things that have changed about her.

She was sitting with no such posture like she used to. He body was decorated with bruises and cuts, much like everybody else in the school. Her hair was tied and he could see a deep cut running along her neck. It must be a miracle to survive from such a cut like that. But that was only the physical part. He saw how physically and mentally drained she was, her empty eyes looking for something that could save her from such hell. He saw such eyes too many times to ignore it.

"You know, I sometimes wished I wasn't an Alice. Life would definitely be so much simpler," she commented lightly. Ruka raised both of his eyebrows in surprise. Of course, everybody once thought of a life without special powers. But to lead a life without something that is a part of you, Ruka would have think that whoever that person was, lead a very sad life.

"I know. I wouldn't have met you guys if I weren't one." Sumire's lonely eyes clashed with his, as she craned her neck. She made an effort to put a smile on her face for a few seconds, before giving up. She sighed as she turned her head to face the window. Ruka watched as she fiddled with the charm bracelet that her lover gave her.

Oh god.

Kokoro Yome.

Ruka faced the other way, not wanting to look at Sumire. Now that he was there, how was he going to tell her? But they just met. Surely, there must be a better time to tell her such news. His mother would comment that it was rude to bluntly tell somebody bad news to someone whom one have just been acquainted with. That might be true, but his mother was not in war. He was. Sumire was. Ruka would not know if there ever was any better time at such a situation. That was the only time that he could tell her, before everything was taken away from him. From her, as if losing the one you love was not bad enough. But how do you break that kind of news? Ruka looked at Sumire, sadness and guilt overwhelming him.

It was only fair. He had to remember that.

Ruka walked towards the bed and sat across his friend. He took hold of both of her hands, studying the lines on her palm that was now full with scratch marks and her fingers calloused. If everybody could find out what the future hold for them just by looking at the palm, it would definitely be so much easier. They would know that a war would be coming.

They would know who were going to leave them. They would know what to do next.

"It's not easy saying this," he started, trying to find the words that were suitable for such news. It did not matter what comforting and gentle words he used for the meaning behind those were still the same. But he had to try.

His blue eyes did not want to meet her emerald ones, scared to see her reaction. He studied her palms once more, frowning.

"Say what, Ruka?"

Once he opened his mouth, everything would gush out like the water in a broken dam. Ruka looked at his friend, showcasing his pained expression that he tried to hide but had no energy to.

"Ruka? If you don't want to tell me, it's fine you know."

"No! You have to know."

He looked at his friend, thinking, "I should let you know. But please, don't let me say it out loud."

"Well, then say it." It took a few minutes to gather the courage that was deep within him, to open his mouth. Once he did, words would not stop rushing out.

"Koko… I'm so sorry, Sumire. But he will never come back." Sumire's eyes hammered onto his. It stayed there for a few seconds. But hell, it felt like hours. She searched for confirmation in his eyes, hoping that it was only a joke that Koko liked to use on her. But Ruka stayed still, not even cracking a smile. She let out a gasp. Sumire yanked her trembling hand as she backed away till her back collided with the headboard. She then hugged her knees, trying to find any comfort left in the cruel and brittle world. Her eyes darted from one place to the other, trying to understand what her friend just said. Koko was dead. Koko is dead. Koko would never come back. Would she ever find the means to live with that? She carried a downcast and confused expression, but Ruka knew that was not all.

Everything stopped short then. She had forgotten that she was in war, that she was injured. She could only imagine the body of her best friend lying on the ground, unmoving. She sat there for a few minutes, and she still could not fathom the fact.

"I don't understand." Though she actually did. The words made sense; so simple a preschooler could fathom the message. Ruka would have expected her to punch him in the chest or what normal girls would do, after their love ones left them. But Sumire sat at the corner of the bed, unmoving. He would have expected her to scream or to throw something against the wall. The young Sumire would have done that. The Sumire whom never stepped into a war-torn place.

"He was not supposed to leave me," she mumbled but Ruka still heard it among the chaos outside.

"I know you're shocked-"

"He was not supposed to leave me," she said, this time louder. Sumire kept her eyes on Ruka, hoping he could understand. Silent tears tumbled down her cheeks. Her trembled hand made their way up to wipe them away but stopped short before falling back to her side. She waited. People cry hysterically or shout out in disbelief when their loved ones die, don't they? There was no doubt Koko was her loved one, no doubt about it at all. Her stomach ached and she clutched onto her shirt. It was then did she catch sight of her bracelet, the one he gave during her 3rd year anniversary. For a moment she felt as if somebody yanked her heart with their bare hands and wrung it out like a flannel. She pressed her wrist against her cheek, as if there was a bit of him left behind the accessory that could possibly enter her. And it did. It took a while but the sound that came out of her lips sounded primal, inhuman and broken.

"Oh my god. Oh god," she kept uttering before letting everything go. She heaved and her shoulders shook. Ruka watched the magnificent transformation. Grief was a powerful thing. It tore you apart until you were so raw, so numb that you had nothing left. And for Sumire, she just lost something that meant everything to her. Sumire screeched and short cries bubbled from her, like pained laughter. Ruka crawled towards her, and brought her into his arms. Sumire did not respond to the physical contact that was meant for consoling. She did not push him nor did she return it.

"He said he wouldn't let me go. He said he would find a way for us to escape. He promised," she said, her words caught in between weeps and sobs. Who was going to make her laugh when she was on that time of the month? Who was going to randomly hug her from the back? Ruka gently swayed with the girl in his arms. It went like that for a few minutes as the whole room was accompanied by her cries.

"He wanted to find you, even when he was badly injured." Ruka could still remember how the boy fought with an adult who was obviously trained for such a massacre. One has to remember that most of the students, who fought bravely, did not have a training background. Nobody was trained to fight for something that they did not expect. It was only understandable that Koko could not survive, or even dodge, the attack. His gash on his chest had not healed, and was still bleeding when it happened. The electric waves coursed through his veins that were like pathetic wires, reached his heart. It stopped before anybody could save him. He was dead before he could save himself.

"Before he di- moved on, he told me that he loved you and will die for you if he could." Sumire could not catch her breath. Her larynx was still filled with cries that she could not have the energy to bubble out from her.

"He said that?"

"Not before the attack but hours before that. He wanted to find you, take you away and marry you. Have kids that was enough to fill a class." Sumire gave a soft and painful chuckle. That was Koko all right. Ruka's pained smile faltered as he reminisced the event. It might sound sad, yes. But his friend did something that he could never imagine a few seconds before he went to the other side.

His friend smiled.

OooO

Ruka walked towards the room as he patted the tissue paper on his neck. God, he was sweating so much he probably lost five kilograms. His feet felt like lead; it took so much effort to just keep on moving forward. Even walking and breathing seemed like a chore.

He looked at Sumire who was lying on the bed. She was unmoving which caused the poor boy's heart to hammer against his chest, at twice the pace. But he calmed down when her chest still moved, which only meant she was breathing. That she was still alive.

He walked towards the window, the barrier between the outside world was thin, but it was there. He was grateful for that. If he had a choice, he did not even want to take part in the war. Who would, even? Ruka watched as the forest fire a few feet away grew bigger and bigger. That could be Natsume, and if it ever was him, Ruka let the worry flew out of him. His friend was a strong fighter. The strongest, if you asked him. But that was a biased opinion, after all. But if anyone among his friends could survive this war, it was Natsume.

Ruka watched a group of students running and screaming for their lives. They moved so fast due to the adrenaline that kicked in, so much so that the AAO officials did not have the chance to even lay a finger on them. The latter stopped short, their hands on their knees. They had guns and daggers that were hooked on their belts. That only meant one thing, they did not hold alices.

Ruka did not know what happened, but he continued to stare at them. It was as if he was frozen in every fibre of his being, and he could not lift his eyes from there. It was as if he was entranced by their presence, just like how a deer would when it watches a group of hyenas a few feet away. Stupid as it sounded, it gave him a feeling that he was invisible, seen-through. He watched as the men grunted for losing the opportunity to satisfy their thirst for blood. Ruka did not know that Sumire, who was watching him, walked towards him slowly. From his shoulder, she peaked at what he was looking.

There and then, the imaginary barrier he set up for the both of them broke. Like shattered glass, reality about the situation kicked in. One of the men made an eye contact with Sumire, making the girl jumped and gasped. The man looked at the both of them as he grinned slowly. Ruka felt his insides tingled with fright but he still could not move. He was mysteriously stuck. Ruka watched intently as the man mumbled something. Ruka watched his lips move, the words formed in his empty head.

"I've found you."

As soon as the man rushed to their direction with his friends tagging along with him, Ruka broke from his torpor when Sumire tugged his hand.

"Why are you standing there? We have to go!" His mind and body were no longer working along side at that time. His body took control as his legs ran out from this room and to the corridor that had so many doors and turns. Surely, they could not stay at the building any longer. They would find the two of them at the very end.

"Let's go to the roof. We can escape from there." He took a few steps but was held back by Sumire. The girl stood there as she eyed him as if Ruka had went mental.

"What? You want us to jump from there? Are you crazy?"

"Just trust me," he urged. His fierce blue eyes collided with her uncertain green ones. She just lost her beloved, and she might lose one of her closest friend in such a stunt. The shock and pain of losing Koko was enough as it is, it was still rumbling at the pit of her stomach. She could not handle another of her childhood friend to just tumble out of her life because of a careless act. Could she risk it? Could she really?

Her ears perked, as it started blend into her temples. Slowly, there were pointed, fur-like things growing on top of her head. It did not stop until it became a pair of cat ears. They twitched and wriggled as they caught sounds that human could not possibly hear. During such transformation, thin and fine whiskers formed at both of her cheeks, along with the sudden growth of her fingernails. Ruka looked at her, amused. Sumire was not one whom was proud of her alice. She disliked the fact that her alice could not match up against the powerful alices like Mikan's or Natsume's. She rarely transformed, probably embarrassed that her whole body would turn into something so animalistic. But nonetheless, Ruka thought it was cute.

Sumire glared at Ruka, who was trying to hide his chuckle but to no avail. Her ears twitched as it heard the thundering sounds of footsteps, sounds that could match her own heartbeat. Sumire bit her lips before taking a deep breath. She held her friend's hand and ran to the lift. Ruka stared at her.

"What are you doing? They'll catch up to us!"

"A diversion." That was all she said as she entered the giant container and pressed the button that will lead those who entered to the underground basement. In actuality, Sumire did not know there was such a place in her dorm, but she did not bothered to explore the building. She got out and ran to the stairs.

"Come on, there's no time. They're very close." She ran up as Ruka followed her lead. Their only thoughts were to survive and that nothing else mattered. Their footsteps were the only thing that might bring life into the silent and eerie staircase. Their hearts were hammering in their chest. The adrenaline was the one of those things that helped them push their body forward. Once they reached the rooftop, both of them were already huffing and puffing. Their sweat trickled down their back and Sumire squirmed. She was still uncomfortable with the whole thing. She watched as Ruka walked towards the edge and placed both of his index fingers to his lips. He whistled out loud. A few long seconds, a cry filled the air.

The cry of an eagle.

Ruka grinned when he saw the eagle circling in the sky before swooping to his direction. He was glad that his pet was safe. In a few moments, they were going to get out of there.

There was the thundering of footsteps getting closer and louder. The door was slammed to the ground before the teens could do anything else. The men approached them with their lips drawn back in berserker grins; they were covered in blood and coming on fearlessly.

"Quick, hold on tight!" Ruka ordered and Sumire was more than happy to oblige. She squirmed when the bird looked at her with its beady eyes. She breathed in hard and turned her head slightly to gain reassurance from her friend. Sumire was left confused when Ruka was not beside her. She turned to the back to see Ruka taking on a fighting stance, blocking the men from attacking her.

"What are you doing?"

"Just go! I'll buy you some time." Sumire thought he was crazy. Exactly whose idea was this in the first place? If she was going, he ought to follow for god sakes. But the look on Ruka gave her no place for objection. She let the talons of the eagle wrapped around her wrist, digging onto her flesh. Sumire bit back a shriek. If ever she was going to get through this alive, she was going to make it easier for Ruka.

"Oh, how sweet. She your sweetheart?" one of the men mocked. The other two got their guns out of their holsters and aimed at the girl. Ruka gritted his teeth. There was no time. Ruka took his bloodied stiletto and charged forward. He threw on one of the men, jamming the blade under her jaw. This distracted the others into helping one of their mates out of trouble. Ruka discarded all feelings of guilt and sadness. His time has come and he might as well use the time damn well. The man under him gasped, his gun dropped to the floor. Ruka kicked it away from reach and slammed his elbow down the man's face. He got up and faced the others and gave a powerful roundhouse punch to one of them. Ruka gasped as the previous man got up and kicked the teen hard in the groin. Ruka doubled in agony, his eyes bulging. That was not playing fair, but all is fair in games and war. A rough hand grabbed his wrist, twisting his arm sharply behind him. He was kicked to the ground, with his arm still in place.

"Your hubble-bubble is done here." Ruka felt the cold muzzle of the gun against his head. The men were flabbergasted when the boy under them were shouting and making a sound that was deafening and at the same time, peculiar. It was a mix of a shriek, croak and scream. One of them pushed Ruka's body further – if ever that was possible – towards the ground to stop the teen from doing whatever he was doing.

"What is he doing?" one of them enquired. Not before long, a sudden swoop of a large bird caused them to fall to the ground. The teen got up and gave them an insolent nod before jumping down the building. The men watched wide-eyed. Well, if they didn't kill the boy, the height will. It took them a few seconds to see that there was figure hanging on the ends of the giant bird. The figure turned back and mocked them with a winning smile. Frustrated, they scream out curses.

OooO

Sumire tried to focus on the fact that they were flying instead of flying in a height that was above a 20-storey building. That did not seem to stop her perspiring. Domestic cats were known to hate heights, even with their nine lives. Sumire lost count how many lives she used up. Her shoes brushed the leaves the made in contact with them. Sumire blinked her eyes frequently as the smoke was getting in her eyes and nose. Goosebumps were appearing all over the body. She was in a situation that two factors could kill her, the height and the air pollution. And she did not want to know which was more painful, she had too much of those in one day.

Sumire let out a small shriek as the eagle suddenly swooped down. This time, she let the scream out of her lips. She was going to die, she knew it. Birds and cats were never best of friends. The eagle was trying to kill her and she would soon join Koko. Sumire tried to avoid the branches and leaves that might leave any mark on her body. It was not long before their feet were a few inches away from the ground. Sumire was still shivering in shock and fright once she did. The teen jumped down and looked around her.

"About time." Sumire swivelled around and came face to face with a pale girl with familiar amethyst eyes. She then registered who she was and Sumire took this chance to pounce on her. She hugged her friend and the latter did not rebut. In fact, Hotaru took this time to return the gesture. There were sounds of a few feet shuffling and familiar faces appeared in Sumire's line of vision. The relief that washed her was enough to make her teared up and eventually cry. Small sobs erupted from her pale lips and it caused a few ruckuses here and there. But she did not care. She may lost her beloved but she found her friends. That was enough for now. Depression was never her forte and she knew Koko would want her to live her life. She would for him and herself, with the help of her friends. She looked at her bracelet.

Koko would always stay in her heart and nobody could ever replace him. He was her dear beloved, best friend and brother.

But she knew; she had to let him go. She would learn how to, she knew. That would be a tad bit easier since she was there.

Because at last, she was at home.

A/N: There you go, Maya. I hope you're satisfied with it.

Yes, for those who are wondering, I did left Ruka's situation hanging. I have another chapter solely for him. I personally am not moved by this story, for some utter reason. I wanted to put in more depth and angst, especially at the ending. But I don't think Sumire is the type to be overdramatic and cry a river. I would like to think her as a girl who bottles everything in, and survive through out the entire ordeal with much grace and bravery. And for those who are wondering, I do have a plot in my head for just that, solely for Sumire. I hope it did move you guys to tears because it did not for me. Gosh.

There, Maya. I hoped you like it and I love you to bits and pieces.