"Hikaru, I’m coming!" Sword in hand, he pauses mid-flight, fluttering his wings as he looks around the area below him in search of the one he is to protect. He knows something is wrong, he sensed that she was in danger a little while back and fears that her death will be imminent should he fail to reach her in time. He looks around frantically, gripping the hilt of his sword so tight his knuckles turn white beneath his gloves, and catches something moving in the distance, aqua faded eyes of pale violet focusing on it to find that it is the one he’s looking for. As he watches, he notices something moving fast behind her, narrowing his eyes, and focuses his keen vision, finding that this other thing is a large ancient mech of the KageNeko class and that it appears to be malfunctioning; badly. He assumes that it has acquired her as a target, trying to attack and possibly kill her, and flaps his wings twice, flying down after it and sending spirit into the blade of his sword in the process. "Just hold on, Hikaru." Shimmering white feathers trail in the wind behind him as he rushes to aid her, becoming but a silver blur, and flies past the KageNeko, leaving a slice mark as deep as the sword’s blade is long in the mech’s side and greatly slowing it down. He glances over at her as he turns to go back, seeing that she is beginning to run out of energy, and feels a stronger sense of urgency as her terrified voice reaches his ears, mustering his strength and spirit power. He swings his blade, slicing the air in a downward arc, and sends a huge wave of spirit from the sword, directing it at the KageNeko.

The KageNeko lifts its head and roars at the spirit energy, activating a reflect shield and sending it back at him.

He tightens his grip on the hilt of his sword and lifts it back, waiting for just the right moment to swing and hitting the reversed attack off to the side. He ponders his attack method a quick moment and tries a different method; flying back and slicing into the KageNeko’s front left shoulder. He lands on it’s back, trying to think of where the mechanism for the reflect shield could be. He grabs at the side of his head with his free hand, pressing his palm to the cowlick in his teal tipped silver hair as he realizes that it would be in the one place hardest to attack; the chest. Grumbling, he stretches his wings and flies alongside it, nearing its front and getting swiped at in the process. Again, he grumbles, finding that it apparently knows what he’s trying to do, and tries again, weaving past the paw and then coming in contact with a huge muzzle. He rubs at his head, still feeling the whack that the KageNeko gave him, and distances himself from it, growling and flying backwards in front of it. He gives up on disabling the shield and tries the spirit blade attack again, doing it multiple times and timing each one just right so that as the first one is sent back, the second goes through. He hits the first wave away like before and watches the second slice through the KageNeko, keeping to the air and watching to make sure that the mech collapses to the ground and locks up before going to her. He flies back as it does just that and sees the spirit he hit away coming back towards her. He almost shrieks, rushing as a silver blur in a great burst of speed to try and beat the wave of energy to her. "Hikaru!"

As he slows just a few feet away to grab her and move her out of the way, the energy beats him to her, slicing into her shoulder and back and penetrating through, and forces him into a dead stop, splattering her blood as it slices through her.

He stares, aghast, as she falls, feeling the blood hit against his face, chest, his open wings, and his pants, coloring his abnormally pale skin a deep scarlet and staining his white pants and feathers. He almost can’t bring himself closer, his whole body feeling suddenly heavy, and weakly lifts his free arm towards her, his face contorted in horror as his eyes widen and glitter strangely. He steps slowly towards her, falling to his knees at her side, and gingerly lifts her into his arms, staring down at her as she slowly looks up at him with glassy violet-green eyes. "Hikaru, I’m so sorry."

She blinks, smiling weakly up at him, and lifts her only mobile arm, resting her hand against a pale cheek dripping in blood. "It’s alright, Tazuki, you tried the best you could. I suppose it’s just my time to go..." She closes her eyes halfway, her now ashen face softening behind her dark aquamarine hair, and coughs, blood now running down from the corner of her lip.

"No, Hikaru, it’s not. It’s not your time yet." He slowly shakes his head, his eyes shining with worry and pieces of his thigh length hair falling from behind his shoulder, and leans closer to her, feeling her continuously weakening. "You’re not supposed to die now. Please, hold on, I’ll bring you to the enchanted springs where you can be healed."

She closes her eyes and slowly shakes her head, a solemn look on her face for a quick moment before the smile returns. "No, I wouldn’t make it. Just leave me here, I can at least go while you are with me." She opens her eyes again and looks up at the sky, the comforting look on her face seemingly strengthening. "The sky is a nice, gentle blue and the third moon shines beautifully among those hues."

"H-Hikaru, don’t say that." He slowly shakes his head again, a little more strongly, and brushes her bangs from her face, leaning down a little closer and gently resting his temple against her forehead as his bangs of silver fall against her cheek. He knows she’s trying to make him feel a little better about the moment, but it isn’t working. He still feels heavy remorse and his heart is turning fragile, tears slowly welling in his eyes. "You can’t go, you just can’t. I have to save you."

"Don’t worry, I’ll die a happy girl if I’m with you, right here, beneath a sky so blue, a moon so gentle a crimson, and on a land so lush and green. I couldn’t ask for a better place to be right now."

"Please, stop saying that, let me help you, Hikaru. I don’t want you to go. Not now, not yet." His voice starts to waver, tears falling from his eyes onto her, and he slowly shakes his head, making it seem as if he’s gently nuzzling her forehead. "You can’t die, Hikaru, you just can’t because... because I... because I love you, Hikaru. With all my heart, I love you." His voice is far from normal, as if he’s trying to keep from crying as he speaks to her, slowly reaching up with one hand and gently brushing the blood from her lip.

"And I love you, too. I always have, ever since I first saw you. Ever since you had first become my guardian I loved you." She has become so weak, her voice is barely above a whisper now, her eyes feel heavy and her hand begins to quiver, still against his cheek.

His eyes widen as he stares off into the distance, stunned, and his face shows shock at her response.

She senses this, closing her eyes halfway and keeping the smile upon her face, and lets his tears fall along her eyes and down her cheeks, feeling her own form and combine with his. She knows that she only has a few moments left before her little flame fades and goes out. So, with what little strength she has left, she shifts her head ever so slightly and presses her lip against his, giving him a soft, gentle kiss.

He feels the kiss and blinks, eyes widening even more and glittering in understanding and realization. He knows now that these are, in fact, the very last moments they will share together and that she wants to spend it showing him how much she cared all these years. Eyes closing part way, they turn very soft, almost saddened, and flow with fresh silver shimmering streams. He returns her kiss as she still holds it, giving it as gently as she did, and lifts a hand to hers, wrapping his wings around her and supporting her so that her strength may last just a little longer.

They both hold for a moment that seems like forever, trying to make it last as long as they possibly can.

She slowly closes her eyes, her strength fading as she begins to fall limp, and presses her fingertips into his cheek before going limp again and having no strength to hold anything up anymore.

He feels the very last bit of her strength go and slowly lifts away, resting her hand over her chest and staring at her face for a long, long time. He gently places her back on the ground, sliding his wings out from underneath her and gently touching his fingers to her cheek. "Hikaru...?"

"Just remember... I... always... loved you... and... always... wi...—" The smile that she had as she spoke slowly fades from her face as she falls silent, unable to finish her final word before her life fades, and she is gone.

He stares at her, his lip lifting back and quivering as his face contorts with a great inner pain, and slowly shakes his head, blinking once and hanging his head slightly as silver streams glimmer down his cheeks. "H-Hikaru..." With a sobbing, wavering voice, he speaks quietly before lifting his head and calling out her name to the sky in a long resounding cry of torment...