What is the Past

What is the Past?

A response story to Savannah Lynn's

What is Reality?

By Tyler Diaz

Lloyd would be found walking through the forest in which he lived. The wind passed by and blew his platinum hair away from his magenta eyes, and he gave a light chuckle, and looked up.



"Seems like another cloudless day. The rain will be coming in seasons to come." he remarked.



This forest had been Lloyd's home for the last nine years. He knew all the seasons, and all the changes that occured during those specific seasons. It was summer now, and fall would be coming in another month or so. It didn't matter to him though, fall was the one season he admired most, for the reason that it displayed nature's fertile land slowly shift into a icy realm, in which it would soon revive and be glorious once again. Being attune to with the planet was an early skill Winglies, like himself, had to learn.



Though, nature isn't as peaceful as should be at times. One of those times, was happening now.



A familiar young woman was coming down the same trail as he, but at an incredible speed. Her name was Miho, a friend he had acquired in his journeys past. A spry girl, capable of so much, but more times than often let her emotions get the best of her.



"Well guess who--" started Lloyd, but was cut off as she bolted rigt by him, only giving a slight grin when she wizzed by.



For a moment, Lloyd simply watched Miho rush deeper into the forest. Then, during his distraction, he heard a russling in the bushes right behind him. He didn't respond in time and was bumped into by another person. After staggering forward a few steps, Lloyd turned around, his hand instinctively turning into a fist, and concentrated on forming his weapon. Right before the energy manifested, Lloyd took another step back when he realized it was a teenage girl. Instantly he relaxed his hand as she spoke.



"Oh sorry!" The girl said worriedly. "I'm sorta in a rush...you see my friend--"



"Miho, I assume. She just passed me no more than five minutes ago. Strange how she acts some times..." interrupted Lloyd.



"You know Miho?"



"That I do. We've met, in the past. I find it discouraging how she didn't even bother to stop and say hello."



The girl laughed, and then looked past him.



"Well, the name is Kirma. Its a pleasure to meet you. By the way, did you see which direction Miho went?" she questioned.



He turned and pointed far past the trail. "That way. Though, even at a running pace, you wouldn't be able to catch her for hours. Allow me to assist you." Lloyd offered, kneeling down, his back facing Kirma.



"You must be kidding! A piggy-back ride? And you said it was going to take me hours to simply run." Kirma giggled, trying to retain an all-out laugh.



"Suprises are like miracles: you never know when they might happen." he responded shortly.



Kirma shook her head, and made her way onto his back. "If you say soOOOOOOo!"



The second she got on, Lloyd dashed off at a break neck speed. It was then that she noticed that he was barely running, but making long, quick jumps, weaving through the trees and over the bushes.



Kirma was taken aback at this: She had no idea that Lloyd was this fast, or this powerful. The wind felt good against her face, and aside from the occasional rocky landing after one of his jumps, Kirma enjoyed the free ride. Her gaze stretched across he whole entire forest as it flew by her in a blur. After a quick chuckle her eyes began to get heavy, and before she knew it, she was fast asleep over his right shoulder.



When Lloyd took time to regain his sense of tracking Miho, he turned his head to the right, and noticed that the young girl had fallen asleep. Again, he blinked in confusion, and again, shook his head.



"Seems like Miho ran further than I thought...and I can't just leave this one here...might as well go home." Lloyd said quietly, trying not to wake his guest.



He closed his eyes, where then a gust picked up around him, and at that very moment, both of them turned a blazing white, and he teleported them to the front of his house. Lloyd silently opened the door and made way to his room inside the foundation. He laid her onto his bed, and pulled a cover over her to protect her from the breeze that was flowing into the room because of a window that had no shutters. Ensuring that she was set for the night, Lloyd opened the door and exitted, but gave a last second glance at the girl before shutting the door.



-Something is quite different about this gir...Kirma. Different, yet familiar. Blast it Lloyd, don't get caught up in another enigma you can't solve. You already know what happened in the past...-



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That morning, Lloyd had risen early to start preparing breakfast for Kirma and himself. Nothing new, of course: Eggs and toast. He turned the stove on, and cracked an egg into the pan, then went to go wake Kirma. Lloyd inched the door open, and found that Kirma was already awake, but staring up at the ceiling in deep thought.



"Hello again." he greeted, half stoically.



Kirma suddenly had the face of a person who looked like they just found an answer to a question they had been wondering about for many years. "Hey Lloyd! Um...where am I?" she asked, somewhat disoriented.



"You're in my house." Lloyd replied with a smile. "I didn't know an invigorating ride such as yesterday's could make you fall into a slumber so fast.



When she heard that, she immediately flushed with embarrassment. "My God, I'm sorry, I guess I was just tired after running for Miho. Believe me, the ride was fun! I had no idea you could run so swiftly."



"Aha, and thus a suprise is acknowledged. Never doubt that which is always possible." he inquired. "On any note, I'm preparing us some food. Come in when you are ready."



Lloyd wasn't even half way out of the room before Kirma bounced off his bed.



As he made his way over to the cooking eggs, and the heating toast, Kirma found a seat at the table in the kitchen. From the moment she sat down, her eyes did not leave him, and when they did, they would gaze outside window across the room. And for a moment, neither spoke, then Lloyd decided to break the ice.



"Kirma, is it. Based on what I've heard from Miho, your past...is not one of the brightest."



The remark caught her off guard, but then her faced hollowed. "Yeah. I might as well tell you, now that you have brought it up. I am one sibling of three. I am also from a really big family, known for the abilities they obtain from birth. Mine being the ability to change my age whenever I see fit. Though...there was a time in my life in which I did not have this ability, I was normal. The good girl that always was with her family, trying to help out when I can. But that all changed one day when my family had a party. Back then, I was the hostess for events held by my family, and I was the one you could find running around getting everything for everyone...making sure they were happy. Then, after being told to go into the village to get more drinks, I return to find that my house was burning. I wanted to run inside...but the flames....It was later found out that the fire originated in one of the second story rooms, my room. I had left my flat iron on...and it was too close to the curtains..." explained Kirma, on the brink of tears.



His eyes seems to stare into nothingness after the story. -Such sadness, such pain, such loss. Back then. Why did it happen? Was there someone who could have stopped it? Why did it happen to her? Why did something like that happen to me? My family...my friends...their blood...their lives...suffering. Why is there so much pain in existence? The past...-



"No family. Heh, at least you aren't the only one." Lloyd solemnly responded.



"What do you mean? What happened to you?" she asked relfexively.



"That tale is for another day. I thank you for sharing your past, and I have no intention of being unfair, its simply more difficult for me to openly speak about my past."



Another silence. Another long, stagnant, silence.



Lloyd finished making a one set of eggs and toast, and slid it infront of Kirma. As he did such, he noticed that her emerald eyes were watching him again. He forced a smile, and turned back to start working on his egg.



Kirma finished her egg within minutes, and her toast was gone in the same amount of time. It was the first real tasting food that she had had in a while. She sat back in the chair, and then spoke.



"Lloyd, are you seeing anyone?" she asked.



Now it was Lloyd's turn to be caught off guard. "Why do you ask?"



"Oh, for no peticular reason...sorry for asking." Kirma shied away.



He sighed. "Yes...I am with someone. They are away for right now." Lloyd clicked down the button on the toaster.



"Alright, I was with someone as well, but he just broke up with me." Kirma chuckled, trying to place a lighter mood on the situation.



-Tap tap-



Lloyd put another egg in the pan, and temporarily left the kitchen to enter his room. It was there he opened up a cupboard up upon one of the walls, and pulled out a little box. He sat the box on the bed and he opened it. Inside the little chest was a collection of momentos: pictures, rings, and necklaces. A photo was the item in which he was searching. When he brought it out, it had a woman and a man standing together, smiling. He flipped it over, and read over the date and text. "



"This would have been eleven years...'Lloyd and Sh...." Lloyd then stopped himself, and then got up to check on his egg.



When Lloyd returned to kitchen, he found that Kirma was gone, and that his plate was on the table, both egg and toast warm and ready for eating. His demeanor sunk for a few minutes, but then he sat down and hastily ate his breakfast. He would be to himself in silence, before a voice began to come from all around him.



"Don't tell me you are getting sentimental over someone you just met." droned the wispy voice.



"You assume to much, Dark. She is but a friend of my friend. We may have somewhat similar pasts, but that has nothing to with anything. Besides, what do you want? You torment me enough as it is." Lloyd snapped back.



"That girl has deeper secret that whats she is letting off. The loss of her family was a trully touching story, but who gives? Everyone on this planet has lost some family." rasped the voice.



"Don't you even speak of that! You cost me my family, demon." retorted Lloyd, slamming his fist on the table, leaving a dent in the wood.



"Hee hee hee, but you sought the power of the Warlord, and Lucifer gave it to you. Tough luck, your burden. You killed your family, just deal with it. I look forward to seeing you again, bwahahha." the voice echoed out and dissapated.



"I...didn't...kill." But he paused, then with a voice of nothing but remourse, " I...did..."



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The months passed slowly, and winter came in all its chilling magnificence. For the first couple weeks, Lloyd had lost sleep over the fact that he couldn't get his mind off Kirma. Where had she gone? Is she alright? Is someone protecting her? Is somebody...just there for her?

It was bloody nerve-racking...but nothing that consumed his daily life: Wake up, eat, go out, finish chores, walk around the forest, collect firewood, get more food, eat, go to bed...wake up again. To Lloyd, life was a prison, despite the fact he was more free than any other Wingly he knew. Millenium after milenium, how many years would it take for him to finally find his purpose. To settle down into a life he could live peacefully. To exist without the threat of war or death.



One day, the clouds were darkening, building thunder heads. Lightning, thunder. Thunder, lightning. The most fierce and spectacular way the planet's way of showing its disdain towards its inhabitants.



"An omen of ill fate..." Lloyd said remotely.



And an ill fate would take place that night. Constantly, Lloyd's instincts would give him a mental jab, as if to prod him into taking action against some illusionary massacre. They began doubling up, until one word...no, one name flashed in his mind: Kirma.



With no hesitation, Lloyd dashed outside, and summoned his Wingly wings, flying toward the city. The sky was crying now, sheding its millions of tears across the land, making it difficult for Lloyd to see. It didn't stop him, as he only needed the bolts of light as his guide.

His wings he didn't have to worry about, being that they were pure Wingly lifeforce. Regardless of lightning, Lloyd could see perfectly through the darkened night. His race were naturally born with magic infused into their bodies, which then increased all functions of their bodies.



Finally, Lloyd reached the city, and saw what his mind had indirectly warned him about: a burning building.



"Kirma!" He shouted as he blasted toward the blazing inferno.



When he reached the facinity, Lloyd saw people running out of the building, but he knew Kirma was still inside. He scanned the sides of the building, but all the windows were breathing out smoke or flames. The only way to go was straight in.



The next moment, he found himself rushing against the crowd, and entering into the ground floor room.



"Kirma!!! Where are you!!!" he screamed up the stairwell.



Another mental jab. Lloyd placed his hands over his eyes, blinked violently for a moment. When he looked up again, everything was a bright tint of green. Another jab. His sight then locked onto something. A purple light was resonating next to a dark blue one, and they were shaped in the form of bodies.



"That must be her...I see...her aura."



Again Lloyd summoned his wings and dashes upward through the stair well, until he reached the fifth floor. He turned to a door on his right and plowed right though it. What he saw relieved him, but then scarred him. Kirma was on the couch, with embers fearing to burn her, buth there was a man with a pillar of burning wood across his back.



"No!!!"



Bright energy then began to form in Lloyd's right hand, growing brighter and brighter. He flung his arm outward, and the Dragonbuster sword materialized.



"Ryyahhhh!!"



With a wide swing, Lloyd slashed the pillar in half, sending the two pieces flying off the man's body. The Dragonbuster disappeared and Lloyd hurriedly picked up Kirma and the man. The room began to shake.  The wood frame of the room was breaking down. Lloyd turned around to exit through the door, but just then it collapsed.



There was once last resort, and Lloyd took it. He quickly dashed toward the window and slammed through the glass, a blitz of hellfire singeing his boots. All three started to free fall toward the ground.



"Dammmmmnnnnnnnn!!!!"



Perhaps for the last time within his strength limits, Lloyd summons his wings, and tries to pull up. It is to late though, and Lloyd can only level out his flight. He then slides both Kirma and the man's body infront of him as he shifts his back toward the ground for impact.



There is a sickening thud as Lloyd's body grounds into the turf in the park across the street. His body drives itself thirty feet before coming to a hault.



For a moment, all is silent. But then...sirens...yes...yes...sirens...the medics will be here soon.



Against the pain he felt, Lloyd slowly at up, shifting the man and Kirma onto solid ground. Both of them were barely harmed by the crash. Then Lloyd staggered away from them into the street, where he flagged down an ambulance.



That night, Lloyd would be at Kirma's side until the time she awoke in the hospital.



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The light radiated brightly from outside the hospital window. Lloyd would be in a chair across from Kirma's bed, waiting for the moment she awaken. He didn't even bother to go home and change his clothes and wash up. His body smelled like smoke and his attire was scuffed up with marks of ash and burnt debris. But despite all those irrelevant facts, Lloyd still sat there. Waiting. Hoping. Praying.



Then he heard something. A feminine form of a low grunt. Lloyd looked up and saw Kirma placing her hands over her head and trying to sit up. As she tried to, he lept to his feet and came to her side.



"Kirma! Don't move, its better if you just rest right now." Nothing but concern was inside his magenta eyes.



Kirma blinked and was almost speechless. "What the!? Lloyd, is that you? What are you doing here? Where am I?"



"You're in the hospital. There was an accident. But you shouldn't worry about that. Just relax."



Kirma went to respond, but instead she lie back against her bed pillow. Her eyes seemed to race with thought, and Lloyd didn't bother her. He went across the room to take his seat back, but she stopped him.



"Lloyd...do you know anything about a boy? His name was Lenato, and I believe he was inside the room with me when...the accident happened." she asked, pleadingly.



-She knows what happened. I have to help somehow...make her feel better.-



"I did see the ambulance take a male from the scene. I assume that was this boy you are talking about. Let me check with the reception desk. Allow me to find him." Lloyd replied solemnly.



"Thank you Lloyd, be back soon." She smiled weakly, and then closed her eyes and rested.



A grim face fell upon Lloyd when he left the room. When he broke into the room, and smoldering pillar was across his back. Nobody knows how long it could have been there, but he was unconscious. It probably fell on him and knocked him out...such an impact...serious damage.



As Lloyd exitted the elevator on the third floor, he heard various screams: voices shouting for any doctor on the floor. He dashed into the hall, trying to calm the yelling person down. When doctors finally got there, they rushed down the corridor and into a room on the right. A man's heart monitor was beeping like mad, and the cartiograph was indicating low numbers: A man was dying.



Lloyd stood outside the room, trying to gaze over the half dozen surgeon's inside the room. One tried injecting something into the man's IV, another was wheeling out the defribbulator, and a third was removing a tube from the man's mouth.



"Whats going on? Whats happening?!" Lloyd demanded.



A nurse came around and pushed Lloyd out of the room. "Sir, you're going to have to leave. This patient is going into cardiac arrest: his heart is giving out."



She slammed the door, and Lloyd waited for a hour.



After that hour, a hispanic doctor walked out of the room, a heavy, sad look upon his face. When he came around, Lloyd stood up and confronted him, asking about the man.



"Are you a relative of the patient?" he questioned, according to natural guidelines.



Lloyd shook his head. But then asked who the man was.



"The boy's name was Lenato, Lenato Smith. The trauma to his spine and his skull was severe, he had to undergo emergency surgery last night. All seemed fine up until an hour ago. His heart rate started to decline, regardless to the epinephrin. When he flatlined, we used the defribbulators. The first two attempts, there was no response. The third time, we regained a pulse, but only for ten minutes. We did again...and again...but it seemed, that his will to live just left him. Without that will, his body gave out." The doctor looked at the ground, and then patted Lloyd on the shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss."



Lloyd's staggered back against a nearby wall, shock residing in his eyes. Lenato...this man must have been Kirma's new "boyfriend" as she liked to say. It was so obvious, it was the first person she talked about after waking up from the accident.



-He died. The one who Kirma was in a relationship with. Blast it Lloyd! Why didn't you get there sooner? Why did you neglect your instincts? Because of that ignorance you couldn't save some one...again! No...he is dead...I can't tell her that...she would hate me....I should just leave.-



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Days passed, and winter was in full force. Just the other day a light coat of white fell upon the forest, giving its a more lustrous feeling. But around the house of the Wingly, several trees had been cut down. Not in any peticular order, just a random tree every few yards around the perimeter of his house. Failure to a Wingly was a dissapointment that they either attoned for, or unleashed upon the land. Being that Lloyd was alone in the woods, he decided to slash down some trees to relieve his anger and grief.



After completing his daily chores, Lloyd walked into his room and plummeted onto his bed face down. He wasn't tired. He wasn't hungry, or thirsty. No, it wasn't anything physical. No, it was emotional. The pain of knowing that he could of saved someone, and didn't weighed heavy on his soul. Ever since ten years ago...ever since her...he tried to make up for what he had done in the past. Protecting others when no one else would protect them. Giving help to those who needed it most. And above all, sacraficing himself for that others around him could continue to live in their happiness.



-Kirma....-



At that moment, Lloyd heard a knock at his front door. He slowly brought himself from his bed, and answered the door. The next thing he knew, a girl fell back and landed on his feet. He blinked.



"Hey there Lloyd, how you been?" cheered the sweet voice.



"Kirma? I see...is everything alright. Firm recovery?" he assisted her up and greeted her into his house.



Now it was her turn to have a solemn look upon her face. She took a seat at the kitchen table, and so did Lloyd.



"Lloyd...why didn't you come back? Why didn't you tell me that Lenato had died? I waited hours, even days for you to come back. You were the very first person I saw when I woke up, why weren't you there again when I needed you?" she sadly demanded.



A long silence consumed the room yet again...but Lloyd didn't keep her in the dark.



"Kirma...I was there. I saw Lenato, fighting for his life, with those doctors doing everything within their power to save his life. When I was finally informed about his death, I couldn't...just couldn't bring myself to tell you that. I can't stand to see anyone in heartbreak...and you are no exception. You looked so calm, so at peace in that hospital bed. And with the knowledge I have, I know that peace is one of the hardest comforts to seek. I couldn't afford to bring another person sadness..." he stared at the ground, his face darkening.



"But Lloyd, you could have still been there with me. I needed someone to help me deal with Lenato's death. I needed a friend. Why? Was it because I left your house without telling you. Well, if it was, I'm sorry. I didn't want to intrude while you still had a girlfriend. We had just met anyway, you couldn't expect me to stay for long. I didn't want to cause trouble!" Kirma was now crying, and after that little burst of emotional energy, she fell forward onto Lloyd, asleep.



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The next morning, Lloyd thought hard about what Kirma had said to him. He should have told her, he should have been with her. He let his fears get in the way of helpping somebody that was still in need of him. Its not like he could change it anymore, so he stopped worrying about what he couldn't fix.



-Creak, Creak, Creak-



-She is awake-



Kirma came around the corner, giving a weak smile to him as she sat at the table.



"Good morning." they said simultaneously, and chuckled.



"Tell me, whats on your mind." he spoke in his signature stoic way. "There must be something, your eyes haven't returned to their natural color."



"I know...I guess its just all the stress...loosing Lenato, yelling at you..."



"Don't worry about it. If you let the past hold you, how do expect to have a bright future." a small, rare grin widened across mouth.



Kirma smiled, but then snapped her fingers when she remembered something. "Hey, by the way. How are you able to move me around your house so easily. And how is it that I keep waking up inside this house?



"'Suprises are like miracles: you never know when they might happen.'" he recited, half jokingly.



"No fair, come on, tell me."



"My background is the reason. I've lived for a long time, much longer than what my body displays. Besides, it could just be something I adopted from my parents." Lloyd jumped around the subject, he didn't want her to know he was a Wingly how has been alive for thousands of years. Not right now, at least.



"Be nice Lloyd!" as she laughed, her black eye color reverted to a shade of gray.



Lloyd chuckled, and then went to another side of the kitchen, and began to raid the cabinets for something to cook. As he did this, Kirma quickly filled a little pan full of water, and creeped up behind Lloyd.



"Oooohhhhh Lllloyyddd."



"Yes?"



When he turned around, Kirma dumped the water over his head, completely drenching him. He back-pedeled a bit and shook his head wildly, to remove the water from his eyesight.



"Dare I ask what that was for. Didn't you just say be nice?" grunted Lloyd.



"Yep! But to whom and to what I didn't say," she chided back. "It was just an honest joke. Come on, you can't be that mad."



He grunted again, and she tugged on his arm. "Lloyd, don't be like that, hee hee."



Kirma began to laugh, all the while, her eyes began to lighten up, until they were the former emerald color that he had always seen her with.



"I'm glad that you are happy again. Your eyes show it."



"I don't know what it is, but whenever I'm around you, I forget about everything weighing heavy on me and I smile more than I do around anyone else."



"That is what I live for. Ensuring the happiness of those who I meet. I know that I should have been there for you, and for that I apologize. Its good to know that instead of causing sadness, that I create your joy. Nothing makes me feel more complete then the knowing that I helped someone with their life." he said quietly.



"You did real good Lloyd. You make me feel happy every time I'm with you. You are the closest person to me now. Like a brother, or a father. Like family. " Kirma replied, trying to cheer him up.



She gave him a swift hug, and left the room to go get something. For the first time in a long time, Lloyd smiled a full-fledged smile. It felt like old times again; being with someone he cared for, laughing, joking around, and above all, enjoying one anothers company.



You are getting attached again. Well isn't this a pleasant little suprise. Hope you don't kill this one too, Lloyd." wisped the dark voice.



"No, I will not kill her. I have control over you now, I know my limits with you inside my body. You are my spirit, I use you whenever I see fit to do so." Lloyd growled.



The demonic voice laughed maniacally. "Yes Lloyd, keep telling yourself that. It turned out so well with Shirly. I can still remember when we--



"Bastard!" Lloyd said visciously. "Never speak her name. Shirly died because you completely possessed me, and you killed her. Don't ever say "we" when it involves her. Her death is your fault."



"Is it now? 'I have control over you now.' Fool, you have no chance at controlling a true demon like me. You made a deal, and you accepted me. Her death, our hands." the voiced echoed out, and stopped.



Lloyd's clentched his fist tightly. He wanted to scream, he wanted to tear apart everything within sight. He wanted to release his anguish upon the world. He wanted...



"Is everything alright Lloyd? I thought I heard someone else." chimed Kirma as she walked back into the kitchen.



The grip of his hand loosened, and he turned back to see Kirma smiling away for whatever reason. He realized that he had left the burner on, and rushed to the stove. As he expected, he was too late. Both eggs he had put in the pan were utterly burnt. After removing the pan from the stove, he shoveled the burnt eggs into the trash, and forcefully put down the pan on the counter as he turned off the stove.



Realizing what happened, Kirma turned toward him, somewhat in shock of the sound. "What happened Lloyd?"



"My eggs, they burnt. They burnt because I was busy getting water dumped all over me." he said.



Something about Kirma changed as he spoke, a certain fear became relavant in her eyes. "I, i, it was only a joke. I didn't mean to distract you. I didn't mean to--



"What? Legitamently dump water over me when I was in the middle of preparing a meal for myself after I served you? It was uncalled for and I didn't deserve it."



Kirma, through her look of fear, then doned a look of confused emotion. She didn't even respond as she stormed out of the kitchen, exitting the house, slamming the door on her way out.



Lloyd let out a violent grunt and punched the wall nearest him, leaving a wide dent on the surface.



-What have I done...-



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That night, Lloyd decided to met up with Miho. They decided that they would talk about everything that has happened thus far over dinner at the Fire Diner. In a sense, this relieved him: he would be able to talk to someone more...human, and friendly to Kirma for that he could acquire a better understanding for her. What mattered to him was reviving a friendship, and helping a friend in need of him.



And that night, they talked.



"Please, Miho, I need to know more about Kirma. In a fit of rage, I believe I may have hurt her. Not phyically, of course, but emotionally. I don't know whats going on. I've tried contacting her...but nothing." he explained.



"Hell, Lloyd, you need to grow up. For as long as you've been around, at least you should be able to understand how we humans act when we feel love. Plus, you know her past, you know what she has dealt with. Have you entertained the thought that she might slightly love you."



Lloyd hung his head for a moment. "You don't know my past, I don't want anyone to risk the chance at loving me. Besides, you've seen me when I use Dark..."



"Damn, you sure do hold on to the past for a person who keeps preachin' about 'never let the past hold you back.' If you ask me, I say that you go and see-----Kirma!" blurted Miho randomly as she got out of her chair, and ran across the room to greet someone.



Lloyd craned his neck to see who it was, and it was exactly who Miho said it was: Kirma. Though, she was not alone. A toned younger man, with glasses. The man occupied Lloyd's mind for a very short time, as his attention was more averted to Miho and Kirma who were whispering to themselves. Soon enough, both girls walked out of sight, and Lloyd returned to drinking his tea, with a saddened face.



After a while of waiting, Lloyd's cell phone began to ring. He looked at the number. It wasn't one he was familiar with, but he picked it up anyway.



"Hello?" he said.



"Hey Lloyd." Kirma replied.



Lloyd straighted up and leaned forward onto the table. "Kirma, aren't you with that other man tonight?"



"I told him to leave. Don't worry. Can we talk?"



"I was about to ask the same thing. Please, come out here and sit."



"Ok, I will be there in a minute." the call ended.



-Lloyd, you have to accept what you have been given in life. Make choices, take chances. Thats what everyone does. And not everyone makes the right choices. I have the chance to make things right. To help someone. To be a friend. A true friend.-



When Kirma came around, he was the first to speak.



"Kirma...I want to apologize for everything that had happened. I let my anger get the best of me, and because of that, you suffered."



Kirma smiled back. “That’s not the only thing I want to talk about. How do I say this? I was never mad about that. I could never get mad at you. There’s something different about you. You’re the only person I could trust from the moment I met you. You’re the only person I’ve never lost my trust for. I could never lose my trust for you. I love you more than anything. Now if you think I’m wrong for thinking this, let me know. But I do love you. I tried putting everything behind me when I left the first time we met, but you kept coming back into my life. No matter what I did. Now I don’t want to lose you in my life. You’re my best friend, and my closest thing to family. After my parents died, I was worried that I wouldn’t have family again, or even a friend. Now that I met you, I have something to look forward to in life. Friendship, maybe even a relationship. Whatever the case, I just needed to tell you how I felt." Even though she was crying, Kirma was happy to finally say what her heart had been feeling all this time. And then quietly, she waited for Lloyd to respond.



All of what Lloyd feared and wanted was just displayed infront of him. Another woman wanted to risk the chance of being with a Wingly, and a Wingly with a dark past. She was willing to trust him. She was willing to be with him. She was willing to love him. Even though he had a thousands things to say, all he did was stare into what seemed to be nothingness. He was, for the first time in years, speechless on what to say to this gir---Kirma. She wanted an answer, and she very much deserved one. But, for once, Lloyd could not come up with one.



"I'll wait for you Lloyd. For however long it takes." Kirma gave a serene smile, and walked out of the restraunt.



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-There always comes a time in which we test ourselves, or are tested by others. The past is not a burden, but a blessing. No, a teacher. From it, we learn how to take on our lives. We learn to live, to fight, to talk, to create, to destroy, and to love. I can't be the world's hero. I can't save every single person whose life is in danger. I can't prevent them from dying. I am not God. But I can be a hero for those I care for. I can save them. I can protect them from danger. Shirly stayed by my side despite the threat of death. She saw the good within me, even when I was consumed by darkness. Everyone deserves a chance of change. To change for the better life that is ahead. To face the future with open arms, and to never regret the past, but also, to never forget it.-



The rain came down lightly toward the end of winter. It kept the forest happy. And Lloyd would be found sleeping on the front porch swing, dreaming of what life had in store for him.



-spsh, spsh, spsh, spsh-



Lloyd opened his eyes, and immediately got up and looked for what was coming.



He took in a short breath. It was Kirma. Standing infront of house, in the rain.



After jumping off the porch, and jogging to her, leaving a small gap between them, they spoke at the same time:



"Suprises are like miracles;"



"You never know when they might happen." finished Kirma.



Both then ran for one another and met in a hug, and for the first time in both of their lives:



They kissed.