Claws and Talons [Kyo Sohma]

Chapter 46 - See You Again Soon

"No. This is..." She sat down in front of everyone, before explaining. "Just as all of you have been able to return to who you are, I'll return to my true self. You're all free. I know I should have said this sooner, but... I'm so..." I hugged Akito without thinking. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"Sorry I could not hold back any longer. It makes me happy dressing like yourself." I smiled.

"Ami let go of your aunt." Hatori said.

"Aunt?!"

---

Kyo and I were praying in front of mom's grave. We had decided to come and visit her and to drop off some flowers.

"I've decided that when I graduate, I want to leave here." Kyo told me. "No, I don't mean that in a weird "I'm going backwards" way. My whole life, I've avoided people and tried not to engage with the world. I sorta got a free pass for that, which I took advantage of. But I'm different now. I'm a normal human being and I can live in the world with you like a normal human being. I'm glad for that. So I want to engage more, I want to test myself. In other places, too. With you, if that's okay?" He explained.

"When you leave this place, where will you go?" I asked.

"To a dojo run by someone Master knows. It's a long way from here. I'll train there while I work. See when I take over Master's dojo someday, I figure that's bound to come in handy. All my outside experience will. The good and the bad. I know I sound young and naive saying this. It'd mean taking you away from the people you love and who love you. But I want to stop faking myself so-"

"Yes. You don't have to fake a thing. Master must have really liked hearing you say that." I said, cutting him off. "It makes me happy, hearing you talk about the future. So I'm going to come with you."

"What? You don't mind?! It's really far away! You won't be able to see your friends and family all the time like you can right now. And we won't have much money." He questioned.

"You're the one who asked me to come with you." I pointed out.-

"T-True, but it's okay to have time to think about it, and if you don't want to come that's okay-"

"Kyo, by now you should know that I don't change my mind when it comes to the things that are really important to me."

"I guess you may be, but..."

"I'll decide things for myself. So I'm disagreeing with you on this one thing. I'm not budging on this. I'm coming with you!" I'll be sad to leave my friends and Akito. But being apart from you would make me really sad. I want to be with you, by your side, forever. I don't want to leave you." I looked over to him smiling. I help out my hands. "Please, take me with you." He reached out and took my hands, pulling me into a hug.

"Thank you." Kyo said. He released me and looked over at my mothers grave. "I'm taking her with me. Are you good with that?" He asked.

I didn't need to hear mom's answer, to know what she would have said.

---

I was crouching in front of a small fence. On the other side was a pony. It was small and adorable. Kyo stood next to me looking at it as well. The two of us were on our first date.

"That's a pony. Pretty tiny, huh?" Kyo said.

"Yeah." I agreed, smiling.

"You really have never been here before?"

"I never went with my mom and I didn't go many places when living with Shigure." I replied. "All the animals here are really cute. What animal should we go visit next?"