"Ryo, I have something to tell you." Miko admitted. At this, Ryo perked up more. He could sense that Miko really seemed to have messed up something badly. He nodded, signalling for her to continue. Miko gulped down her saliva in an attempt to calm her now racing heart.
"Look, you can't tell anyone about this. Especially my brother. Its important, so I really hope this stays between us forever," Miko said. Ryo was getting both anxious and curious now, since Miko had never confided in him something of this severity.
"I believe I have found Takei's reincarnation, although I cannot confirm it. He has similar features and a similar name. Its too coincidental if he is not," Miko continued. Ryo widened his eyes. That insolent mortal?! Ryo gnashed his teeth together, trying to keep his cool. Although he did not explicitly show it, he pretty much hated Takei as much as Miru. Asura would probably be the most calm in this situation, even though she is already highly against this human - fox relationship.
"What?!", was all Ryo managed to say. So these few days while everyone was looking and paniking for her, she had been dating this supposed reincarnation of the human they hated most?! Even though Miru disguised his worry towards Miko in the form of anger, Ryo could tell he still cared for her. Afterall, who would throw away more than five hundred years worth of relationship away like that? Ryo was dumbfounded, but to encourage her to continue, he held his tongue and nodded, signalling for her to go on.
Miko continued, "I know all of you don't approve of my relationship with him, but I am sorry... I am sorry I ran away without telling all of you. I am sorry I made you worry. I am sorry I love him, but it is one of the best decisions of my life. I know you do not want me and him to be together, and I am well aware of why. Still, I would choose to be with him, because I love him and love is sticking together through thick and thin." Miko felt good to take it all off her chest, and looked at Ryo. However, now, he was biting his lip, grinding his teeth together.
"Really Miko? You ran away and made us all worry about you, only to tell me that you met your long lost lover and that you want to continue throwing away your life for him?! What utter bullshit! You always think about him! What about us? Me, Miru and Asura have been by your side for centuries, and you are telling me this guy you met around two hundred years ago is worth more than us?! I am sorry, but sometimes, I feel you care more about him than about us. I can understand why your brother was mad. You are willing to sacrifice your life to be with this one mortal human, but what about the rest of us who might live eternally without you? Did you ever think about how we would feel?" Ryo asked, each sentence like a dagger piercing Miko's heart a thousand times. His voice was a little shaky as he waited for Miko's answer, to which she only looked down in guilt without saying anything.
"Well, I think not," Ryo replied, as he stood up and walked away, leaving Miko behind, knowing full well he already got his answer. His eyes appeared reddish and slightly swollen as he left, knowing he was not her priority.
Miko sat there in silence. She pondered long and hard about Ryo's words. The more she tried to convince herself not, the she realised his words were true. Did she ever think about her friends and family?
As the gentle wind blew by, rippling the once tranquil and serene lakewaters, tears came dripping out of Miko's eyes as the sound of sniffling and wailing could be heard around the lake. Her voice was beautiful, but a shame that it was the sound of her crying. The wind continued blowing, as if it was trying to comfort her, but could anything comfort her at this point? She had burnt several lifelong bridges, one with her brother, one with Ryo, and maybe soon, Asura. They were supposed to stay with her forever, yet they left. For the first time in a long while, Miko felt really lonely... and selfish. She cried and cried, remembering the happy times they had together...
*----*
It was a long day. The sky was turning pink and orange, as the sun was on the west and faint stars could be seen in the sky. After a long and tiring day of cultivation, Miko was really excited. She was at the peak of foundation building, or third stage, and could acend soon, forming her elemental cores. She quickly ended her qi absorption and circulation around her meridians and qi core. Qi cores are formed at second stage, qi condensation and can be combined with elemental cores after they have caught up in strength. This makes cultivating more worthwhile as qi can be shared for both aspects of elemental and magic cores, compared to needing twice or thrice the amount of qi for cultivating the same number of cores. However, it is also difficult and dangerous to combine them, as they must be in an area of surplus qi so that they can absorb it to stabalise themselves immediately if necessary, and one mistake could cripple or kill them.
Miko was excited to show off how much stronger she had became, and quickly ran off to find her friends and brother. She found them in Asura's house, already preparing to eat dinner.
"Hi guys! I can ascend to core formation stage soon!" Miko cheerily said. Sensing her excitement, the others congratulated her.
"Yes! When we all ascend to Godhood, we will all be together forever!" Asura said. They all agreed and cheered, before digging in.
As the memories finally stopped flooding her mind, Miko started to sniffle.
"I thought you said we will be together forever, but I didn't know forever had an end... Am I really too selfish? I'm sorry...."