Yukiro

Taking a deep breath as he walked, Yukiro felt a lot of his anger leave him. Unbeknownst to him, he'd managed to vent a portion of it by yelling at Tala. Not that he wasn't still absolutely furious with her. A small part of him was still wanting to go beat her to death himself, but he knew he could never actually do that. As the small point of guild kept prodding at his angry spirit, Yukiro slowed to a stop. He wasn't sure what to do anymore. It would be proper to go apologize, so... But he didn't want to apologize. She didn't deserve it..! 

Glancing over his shoulder, Yukiro sighed. He could only think of one way to get out of all of this. Opening his menu and finding the messaging system, he typed out a clear yet brief message. 

Quote

First floor, out in the fields in front of the Town of Beginnings. Towards the forested area, not quite there. 
Tala's here. Details later. Hurry or she'll try to disappear again.

With another glance back to Tala, Yukiro added,

Quote

Please don't kill her.

 Sending the message, Yukiro took a deep breath. He'd tail Tala until Koga got here, then leave them to their own devices. There was no chance that he wouldn't come running. 

"...Make amends. For real this time. Then maybe, maybe we'll talk."

"..." 

Yukiro closed his eyes for a moment, processing Tala's words. He wasn't used to just acting how he wanted to, but for some reason he just couldn't keep himself from it. He was angry. But Tala's words... They brought on a new kind of fury. Suddenly, his rage for her disappearance was overwhelmed by the anger at her reasoning. 

"Pathetic," he spat, opening his eyes and glaring down at Tala, "I thought you were dead. I mourned for... this?" Yukiro yanked his arm free of her grasp, stepping back and standing taller than ever. "Don't lie to me, Tala. You just couldn't be bothered. You considered your priorities and you made your choice. And you're the one who has to live with your choice, not Noctua." Contempt began to weave itself into the boy's voice as he spoke. "You couldn't trust me enough to help you. You couldn't trust your own brother enough to live his own life. If he makes a mistake and suffers for it, so be it. But let it be his own choice, not yours. You didn't need to chase anything; you wanted to. You wanted nothing more than to find a villain where none existed, even at the cost of everything you claimed to love."

Yukiro started to turn to walk deeper into the forest, but kept his eyes locked with Tala's until he could finish speaking. 

"Well hear me now and burn this into your mind. You found the bad guy, Tala. You were keeping up with the one who was ripping everyone's hearts apart, and it had nothing to do with Noctua."

"You did that all by yourself. And until you can admit to that, I don't need any excuses." 

@Tala

Just as the boy's raven boots stepped over the shattering corpse of a wolf did a voice slip past the boy's ears. At first he didn't even register it, taking another long step toward his unholy crusade. But after a moment, it's origin clicked in the mind of the fuming player. 

"Yuki..."

His entire body froze, unmoving. Shock ran down his spine like a bolt of lightning, leaving his eyes wide and jaw tight. He could feel his hand tighten it's grip on his sword. Was he going to swing it at her? He wanted to. Yet, somehow, a small part of him wanted to drop it, to just ignore his feelings of anguish and rage to accept her return. 

...No. Not this time. 

Finally, the tall boy looked over his shoulder. 
He couldn't see Tala. His hair had gotten just long enough that he couldn't see her when he turned his head. After an awkward moment of realization, Yukiro turned his body more toward the girl so he could actually see her. Anger burned in his eyes, but it was no longer alone. It was joined by pain, sadness... and disappointment. For a long time he just stared at Tala. Took her face, her expression in. 

She's alive. It's really her.

His mouth opened as if to speak, but it closed again. What was he supposed to say at a time like this..? 
...No, what did he want to say?

"... Was I not worth trusting, Tala?" he asked plainly, "Was I so easily left behind that you could do it for nothing?"

@Tala

Crimson pixels scattered through the wind, blowing only a short distance from their origin before they were instantly followed by a second violent burst of red. The almost grotesque sound of the cursed blade forcefully tearing through the unfortunate mob's digital flesh sang out with every splash of red, the sounds accompanied by the beast's pained wailing and it's assailant's raging grunts. It only took a few cuts for Jack's Purgatory to shear the entity's life from it's briefly hollow shell. 

During the few moments before the animal shattered, Yukiro stood above it's body. His heavy breathing and nearly halved health evidenced that he'd been doing this for a long while now. The boy's pure white hair had grown long and unkempt, and his scarlet eyes seemed to radiate with burning enmity. He watched the corpse as it started to glow and shatter, leaving nothing left where it had once laid. The boy wanted to stab the area where it had been, just to spite it, but the sound of a new mob distracted him just enough to leave the thought behind. 

Kite had been taught all his life never to lash out in anger. He'd never done so much as insult someone before coming into this game... This accursed game, that seemed to twist both him and everything he was holding dear, and laugh as he broke every useless moral and shattered every hope in his forsaken psyche. And finally, finally, he'd snapped. In a fit of pure fury he stormed into the fields of floor 1 and absolutely desecrated every single mob he could find. Everything from giant insects to mere rabbits were virtually ripped apart in his frenzy. 

Tala was  alive.

It had taken almost a year for him to finally come to grips with it. To accept it. To convince himself not to follow her. He'd almost given up on absolutely everything because of her death. Only thanks to his friends was he able to learn how to move past the pain and accept that he could continue life without her. Finally, after almost a year of pain, he'd gone to visit the monument of life. To mourn, and ultimately to accept. 

And she was alive. She had been alive the whole time. 

Was he supposed to be happy for her? To celebrate? That, once he'd finally found happiness, it had abandoned him? After everything he'd forgiven her for? After it had manipulated him? Played him like a game and threw him away like trash once she was done, only to crawl back because she was sad? So much rage, so much anger had been pent up, and this was it. Yukiro didn't send her a message. He didn't want to talk to her. In fact, a part of him wanted her to just--!

Gritting his teeth as the boar charged at him, Yukiro flipped his large sword into a reverse grip in his left hand. The boar squealed angrily as it barreled forward, a challenge which the boy met with an enraged, roaring war cry that echoed through the fields. Shooting forward faster than the boar, Yukiro slammed his right palm into the boar's snout, stopping it dead in it's tracks. Yukiro's health edged down a bit more, just enough to turn yellow. The luckless boar wasn't even given time to react before it's face was forcibly slammed into the ground, followed by Yukiro's sword being driven so deep through it's body that it pinned the mob to the ground. Yukiro stood up, roughly drawing his sword and beginning to slash through the boar, over and over again until what had once been a recognizable body shattered into pieces. 

As Yukiro finally disappeared from the view of the fields surrounding the Town of Beginnings, several parties of low-level adventurers finally felt it was safe enough to return to fighting boars. 

@Tala

Softly thanking Koga once again for the photos, Yukiro lifted one of the items and took in it's scene for a moment. Koga was looking into the camera while Lonzo attempted to flirt with Noctua. Nora, NIGHT, and Yukiro were talking to Cordelia, who looked less than thrilled about the situation. Quickly adding the image to his inventory, Yukiro pulled his attention to what the others were saying. 

After following NIGHT up some stairs and into her kitchen, the boys were told to sit down at the table. Yukiro nodded, following the direction. He was about to offer to help but, before he could get the words out, an unfamiliar figure walked past him and directly to NIGHT's side. 
It wasn't her presence that surprised Yukiro; it was more the way she ignored the guests that had intruded on what Yukiro could only assume was her own intrusion. Half standing up, he gave a slight bow to the new comer then sat down. 

"I'm fine with waiting," Yukiro said calmly, "But may I request an introduction? Ah, it's nice to meet you," he quickly added to be polite. 

@Koga

Though he was silently thanking Koga for saving what shreds of dignity the snow-haired boy had left, Yukiro couldn't help but be shocked by the gift Koga had presented. He'd never thought Koga to be so thoughtful in such things. Guilt swept through his chest like a wave. But, just as quickly, it was replaced; Yukiro was distracted by the various pictures. 

Yukiro leaned down a bit to look at them more closely. Though he didn't recognize every event, each and every photo seemed to call out with it's own kind of joy. Yukiro picked up one which featured Tala, Koga, and himself. The boys both looked crestfallen, and Tala was clearly giving them a piece of her mind. For only a split second, Yuki thought he would tear up. However, NIGHT's voice seemed to drag his mind back to reality before it had even left. 

Quickly setting the picture down, Yukiro let a small but steady smile creep out as he nodded in agreement with NIGHT. "Even if we won't forget, the reminder is nice," he said quietly, "Thank you, Koga." 

@Koga

Yukiro's family had never celebrated birthdays with a cake, so Yukiro couldn't quite figure out what had tipped Koga off to NIGHT's birthday. But in his time in Aincrad, Yukiro had at least learned that most people celebrated birthdays like a holiday, with gifts and such. That said, he'd never actually BEEN to a birthday party before... After a moment of consideration over what exactly he was supposed to do, Yukiro awkwardly gave NIGHT a slight bow. "Happy birthday, then. Congratulations... I think. And, um, I'm sorry we didn't bring any gifts." 
Since the boy was torn between voicing his thoughts and wanting to keep quiet, his speech was soft and somewhat weary. 
"I'm sure we can help with that, if you'd like us too." A slight pause. "Um, again, thank you for having us." 
Sticking to Koga's side, the boy tried to get a read on how he should be behaving. Then again, Koga might not be the best role model... Not that there was anyone else there to try and copy. He could only hope that he wouldn't bring the mood down too much. 

@Koga

Koga's sudden shout had made Yukiro jump. He hadn't dwelled on the thought that anyone had already been there, but Koga's words brought the idea right back to the forefront of his mind. Suddenly even more acutely aware of every tiny sound and movement he made, Yukiro tensely followed Koga through the door. 
"Sharing a room would be alright, I think," he agreed to NIGHT's offer, not pausing to think to hard about it, "Um, thank you again for letting us stay. If you need us to do or help with anything, you're welcome to ask."

A partially eaten cake on the table virtually confirmed that someone other than NIGHT was here. Yukiro had seen NIGHT eat; she wouldn't have had that whole thing alone, so there must be someone here. Torn between curiosity of who NIGHT might have over and the awkward nervousness keeping him from asking, he partially reverted back to old habits and stayed completely silent. 

@Koga

Those several minutes had felt extremely awkward to Yukiro. He already didn't relish the idea of asking to stay in someone else's house, especially when he had just been given a place to stay moments earlier. But the addition of the long wait made it feel like he and Koga were interrupting something important. What had NIGHT been doing that took so long? Not that it was his privilege to be asking, given what he and Koga were here for. 

Once their friend had finally opened the door, Yukiro bowed slightly. "It's fine, we came unannounced," he apologized, motioning for Koga to do the same. NIGHT's apparel also caught his attention, though he did his best to pay it no mind. "I'm sorry for the intrusion, but we were hoping to stay with you tonight. Um, we figured that since we were already together, we might as well come keep you company as well. It being Christmas eve and all, it might be nice to get together again..." 

He almost pointed out that most of the group was absent from the meeting, but then again, he probably didn't have to.

@Koga

Yukiro nodded, smirking at Koga's description of Cordelia's attitude. "That definitely sounds like her. And, you know... I think I do remember that. Good times, eh?"

At the mention of Lonzo and Nora, Yukiro paused in the middle of finishing his third helping. He slowly put his spoon down, looking at his unfinished plate. Though his face seemed mostly calm, his eyes betrayed a sense of distress. "...I haven't heard from them. I had been hoping that you or NIGHT had, but I guess..." A moment of silence crossed the snow-haired boy before he found his composure. Deeply sighing, he picked his spoon back up. "What matters is, if they were dead, we'd know. I trust them to find us again in their due time. But, for now, let's trust them to themselves."
He went to take a bite but paused again.
"For now."
And with that he swiftly finished his third plate.

@Koga

Nodding, Yukiro started to serve himself up again. "I'll, uh, pay what I can. No promises how much I'll make though." Thinking back to the general cost of his meals... I'm so, so sorry Koga. I promise I'll do what I can to keep you out of permanent debt. 

"As far as the number of harassment policy reminders," Yukiro said between bites, "There's my brother, A-- sorry, there's Bahr." Internally kicking himself, Yukiro promised to make it a habit to call his half brother by his player name. "Then there's Cordelia. She was... I think the first person I really met in here. Then again, she may send me flying if I go..." Yukiro cleared his throat before continuing. "I've already met up with NIGHT..." Yeah, no way he ran into her by complete accident and was too afraid to make a break for it. 

Not a chance. 

"...And you. That's my priority list, at least. Perhaps I'll manage to find Violet or someone." 

@Koga

Yukiro listened politely while Koga spoke, trying to ignore the lack of food on his plate. He didn't want to be rude to his friend-- Potential roommate? Landlord? Well, regardless, it would be rude to just take more without asking, so he decided to wait until a better moment to do that. 

Nodding to Koga's confirmation regarding the room Yukiro smiled. "Well, I'll accept your offer then. Thank you for having me."

"Ah, yes. That reminds me. I've got to visit a couple of friends before heading back to training. Not sure how those will go, but... Well, they deserve it." 

While there was a lull in the conversation, Yukiro took the chance to strike. 
"Uhm... Would it be alright if I had some more? I hate to be gluttonous, but... Well, it's been a bit since my last meal," he added with a light laugh, hoping to excuse his habits.

@Koga

Nodding politely to Koga as he gestured for him to start, Yukiro went ahead and begun to serve himself. For a brief moment before replying, he considered what Koga had said. 
"That's probably a good plan. It's impressive that you've still got the drive to push for such a goal..." Yukiro paused, considering how to phrase his next line, "...I guess I'll aim for the same thing. If I let you go to the frontlines alone you'll probably do something brilliantly dumb, so... Yeah, I'll tag along, alright?"
As he finished speaking, Yukiro also finished serving himself. His plate was full to the brim, almost past it, but once he started to actually eat it started to disappear at a rate that would make a vacuum pale. Yet, despite the unreal pace, he managed to maintain some vague form of dignity while eating. 

Truly, this was the kind of thing dreams and nightmares were made of.

Finishing what was on his plate in just moments, Yukiro turned his attention back to Koga. "Well, I mean, I've basically been sleeping on rocks for a while, so if you're serious about letting me stay, I'd love to accept," he finished with a surprisingly sweet smile.

@Koga

"Hm? Didn't I tell you about him? I'm sorry, I thought I had," Yukiro said in a n increasingly light, upbeat tone, "Well, technically he's my half-brother. But I really look up to him. Not only is he an insanely high level, he's also a really good guy. When we first ran into each other, we didn't recognize each other, but he still gave me free equipment just because I was lower level!" Clearing his throat, Yukiro stopped himself from rambling on about his brother. "Anyway, it's been a while since I've visited him, so that's probably the reason you haven't met him. I'll make sure to introduce you sometime. Also, thank you for not force feeding me, not that you'll have to," he added jokingly. 

The tone of the white-haired boy suddenly shifted to become slightly more serious. "But, before I forget to ask. What about you? Do you have any plans for what you'll do going forward?"

@Koga

"It's..." Yukiro briefly flashed back to his youth. Being almost forced to practice, day in, day out. It was for his benefit, he knew that, just not how exactly it benefitted him. Escpecially in a place where technique mattered less than numbers. But, oh well, he supposed. "It might be something along those lines. Maybe I'll tell you about it one day, if you can convince me."

As for what kind of quest this could entail... Honestly, the boy had no idea. "Maybe there's an NPC that collects them? Or maybe it's for a rock throwing contest? I dunno, you've done more of this than me." Walking back in what Yukiro really hoped was the right direction, he lead NIGHT through the only moderately thick mist. After a little while the vague path began to reform under the pair's feet. Yukiro let out a secret sigh of relief knowing he hadn't lead them astray. "Thanks for helping me out on this. I really do appreciate the help, even if you don't really need me yourself." 

"Ah... This... Might be the wrong path..."

Yukiro let out a long, slow breath as the dragon shattered under NIGHT's attack. He wasn't sure how much damage he'd actually done, but he supposed it didn't really matter. Letting the tip of his stygian sword fall to the ground and straightening his back, Yukiro relaxed his muscles. 
"Good swing," he praised NIGHT, "Did you learn your technique from trial and error? Or is there someone I should go learn from?" 
Admittedly, Yukiro was still bothered by how far behind he'd fallen, but that was really his own fault. It wasn't right to blame NIGHT for his own ineptitude. If anything, he should try and learn from her success. 
Now, there should be... Ah, there it is. 
The window to show the rewards for slaying the dragon popped up. Some exp, a touch of col, and, of course, a special item. 
<<Zylara's Quartz>>
"...I really want to know what these things are used for now. A quest, I assume." Yukiro closed the window and smiled at NIGHT. "Back to town, I guess?"

"..." 

Something told Yukiro that Cordelia wasn't in the best place right now. Powerful negative emotion was written all over her face, entwined in her voice, even seeming to permeate the air like a thick smog. Guilt swept over the boy like a wave. Should he leave..? No, he couldn't afford to do such a thing. Not yet. Moving to the seat closest to his old friend and sitting down, Yukiro's mind suddenly went blank. He had no clue what to say or do now that he was actually here. 

"...I, uh... Need to apologize," he said, not making eye contact, "I shouldn't have just left like that. Not again." 
The guilt started to get heavier. Yukiro expected Cordelia to explode at any second, not that he was ready for such a thing. 
"I won't ask you to forgive me. But, uh... I'll try to stick around this time. If you still want me." 

Something told Yukiro that he should also mention that he was out of col. But he decided not to. He didn't want to increase the number of reasons to get thrown out. 

It took Yukiro a moment to realize that the lurker NIGHT was referring to was, in fact, the dragon and not another player. Taking a moment to compose himself, he pushed any thoughts unrelated to the task at hand to the back of his mind. It was fighting time. Remember your practice while you were gone, he thought, trying to reassure himself, Don't let it go to waste.

Eyes scanning the fog and growth, Yukiro located the dragon. "Let me get a hit off first, then go ahead and end it," he quietly said to NIGHT before bursting off towards the small reptile. Odds were, NIGHT had already been planning that very thing. He just wanted to make certain of it. He may have lower numbers, but... Actually, at this point, NIGHT was probably also more skilled than him. 

Focus. Breath.

Taking a deep, controlled breath as he ran, Yukiro drew his sword and activated what was now his most familiar sword art. In a single, furious slash straight down into the dragon's head, Yukiro's unnamed sword smacked it's face into the ground before slicing right through it. Skidding to a stop and turning to face the dragon's back, sword raised, Yukiro prepared to defend himself incase NIGHT somehow managed to miss. 

Something told Yukiro he would never really like snow. It was cold, and damp. And it got everywhere. Whistling winds whipped the lighter, more powdery bits into his face, forcing his eyes nearly shut and rendering his warm clothes utterly useless. Heavier, thicker snow made made walking more of a chore than it should have been; every step took a not insignificant amount of forcing through snow which would subsequently end up in his boots. It was really so much of a hassle that it made the white-haired boy wonder why anyone would want to come to a place like this, let alone set up their shop here. 

And yet, it was precisely because a certain someone had set up shop here that he was forcing his way through the desert of snow against his better judgment. And, knowing his luck, he was going to get kicked out once he got there. Maybe he should have messaged her before just showing up... 

Finally, he saw it. Hurrying toward the shop, and nearly tripping far too much as he did, Yukiro finally stumbled through the door of the noodle shop. He took a brief glance around before removing his hood and shaking what snow had managed to get in his hair out. 

"Um... Hello?"

@Cordelia

"Hm. I suppose that is true. I guess, unless you actively seek to be alone," he paused for the briefest moment, considering his own actions, "...Nobody truly stands alone. Not here." It was honestly an inspiring thought. Perhaps he should try to meet more people... 

...Maybe not.

At NIGHT's suggestion to create things that he would use, Yukiro started to ponder. Now that he thought about it, he'd gotten extremely lucky in what weapons he'd gotten. It would be somewhat selfish of him to stop making weapons for others, especially since he'd been given so much. "...That might be a good idea. I'll think about it. Besides, I've got to find some way to make enough money to--" 
A sudden burst of sound came from beneath Yukiro. He leaped behind NIGHT, making a high-pitched shrieking noise as he drew his sword on instinct. But nothing was there.
As it turned out, he'd just stepped on a stick. 
The boy's face turned bright red, almost matching his eyes. Slowly, he sheathed his sword and, giving NIGHT a very dangerous look, slowly said, "...You will tell no one of this. Ever. Okay?"

@NIGHT

Now that Koga mentioned it, he was right. Tala probably would have killed him for acting like that. 
...Suddenly I think I should keep from dying for as long as possible... Sorry Tala. I'll, uh, avoid joining you for a while. So please don't kill me for dying. 
Feeling Okami brush against his leg, Yukiro cracked a slight, sad smile. "Thanks Okami, Koga. As for what's next..."

Yukiro thought for a moment about the question. He wasn't entirely sure, but he did know he had a few more visits to make before committing to anything long term. Well, if nothing else... He could decide on the immediate moment. 
"Well, first things first, I need to eat. Can't think straight on an empty stomach. And after that... Well, we'll see. I need to visit another friend before anything else. And my older brother, too. Perhaps I'll get to tearing stuff up after that. Force myself to level up. Finally get used to how the games system works. Maybe even force you to help me punch a rock," he added with a smirk. "I'll try not to eat more than you have in the meantime." 

@Koga

"...I don't have to insult people much, okay? Stop looking at me like that." Yukiro defended his, quite honestly, pathetic insult. He could almost hear Tala telling him that he needed to sucking at insults. But before the thought could draw Yukiro's mind fully away, Koga spoke again. 

Oh, right. He hadn't really told anyone where he was, had he? 
Well... I guess it's pretty much pointless to hide it now, huh?

Yukiro sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Well... For a long time, I just kind of... Wandered. I avoided towns, though. Only went there when I realized I needed to eat something. Even then, it took a lot of self-convincing." Yukiro sighed heavily, realizing that didn't really help explain much. "I'll be blunt. I wanted to die. I had convinced myself that I could see Tala again if I died trying to find her. And before you say that's dumb, don't. Just don't."
"Anyway, I fought a lot of bosses. I never won, but I never died, either. I just kind of... Never died. Eventually, and old friend found me. Convinced me to come back. She, ah... Helped me realize that what I needed wasn't out there. Yumi died somewhere along the way, too. That was also depressing." 

Noticing himself slipping back into his depression, Yukiro took a deep breath and forced himself back into the present. "Anyway, it was just a lot of wandering. Never staying in one place too long. Didn't wanna be found. You know the stuff."

@Koga

"I'm fairly certain I can handle anything on this floor, but let me know if you manage to spot anything in the wild."

Yukiro suddenly felt the distinct urge to call NIGHT's attention to every single little living thing he noticed; a few birds flitting up in the trees, a furry mammal running in the brush a ways off, a lizard on a rock. But he decided against it. Besides, he didn't want to have the admittedly much stronger player distracted when the big moment came. 

Upon hearing that NIGHT gave up the pauldron, Yukiro felt... relived? He wasn't sure why, and didn't want to dwell on it too much. "It's not that big deal. That said, can I make another..? I dunno, I've never tried. I mostly just do requests, if I can help it. I don't really like making things anymore, though I feel like I should do something to help newer players. Since I had so much help getting started myself," Yukiro glanced over at NIGHT for a moment, "And I still am getting help, too."
Kind of pathetic of me, really. 
As he walked down what was becoming increasingly less path-like, the boy managed to barely avoid tripping and falling face-first into the ground. 

@NIGHT

Yukiro followed after NIGHT, quickly catching up to her with a few steps. He sighed a bit, placing the nugget in his inventory. "Well, if you don't want to take it now, I guess you can buy it from me later," he said with a slight air of mischievousness to his word, "Though, maybe I can give you a discount. After all, I've already more than taken advantage of your wallet," he said with a slight snicker and a large grin. 

"Anyway, we should refocus. We're getting a it far from town, so if something's gonna go wrong, it's bound to happen sooner rather than later." Yukiro took on a more serious tone, eyes starting to scan around them. "I'm not saying you should be tense, just on guard. Casualties are always worst when they're unexpected."
Huh, he thought to himself, I guess that studying war wasn't a total waste of time. 
"Hey, do you still have that pauldron I gave you a while back?" Yukiro asked out of nowhere, "I don't expect you to, I was just wondering. Don't ask why, 'cause I don't know."

@NIGHT

Koga's jabs stunned Yukiro. He'd long since gotten used to being called out on his appearance, but that was mostly just regarding his (admittedly odd) hair and eye color. But tall? Skinny? Yukiro was so shocked that he couldn't even get angry. 
Koga's invitation to come inside snapped the boy out of his daze. He nodded and wiped the tears off his face, following Koga inside. And hit his head on the doorframe on the way in. 

Looking around, Yukiro was surprised by how... nice the house was. But what really caught his attention was the scent of food. It had been, what... almost a week since he'd eaten with NIGHT. Or at all, for that matter. That was when Koga started talking.

Yukiro listened to Koga without interrupting. Then, with a heavy sigh, Yukiro managed to come to a decision about how he felt. Maybe his brother could be proud of how much he'd changed.

"Koga..." Yukiro closed his eyes for a moment before continuing. "I was so busy drowning myself in my own sorrow, I had forgotten that you were suffering even more than I. You need not apologize, but if you must, then I forgive you. I... I am very hurt by their deaths..." Yukiro paused for a moment, "But I am equally grateful for your survival. You are worth more to me than you can possibly imagine..."

"...Shorty."

@Koga