With You

Disclaimer: The characters of Skies of Arcadia are the property of Over
works and Sega. They are being used for entertainment purposes only. No
money is being made from this fic. 

Notes & stuff
This is my first fanfic. Constructive (re: no simple "it's cool!" or "it
sucks!" comments) comments are appreciated. If it's very bad, feel free
to tell me to stop. :)
BTW, this is Vyse + Aika friendly. :D

It's cool and breezy tonight.  The sky is clear, so clear that the red 
and silver moons overhead light up the sky almost as brightly as the sun
does.  From the lookout point I can even see the blue moon, if I try
hard enough. For a little bit, I try to see Pirate's Isle, but I know 
it's impossible, with the stone and sky reefs in between, so I give up.

But at least it keeps me from thinking about tomorrow, against Galcian's
fleet.  I don't think I can handle focusing on something
that scary and important. Especially...if I think that tomorrow may be
his last.

I'm not scared for myself, not really--well, maybe just a little bit. 
But I'm a billion times more scared for Vyse. He's my best friend. And
by best friend I mean a lot more than that. He's...he's my life, when I
think about it. Everything I've done--he's been there next to me, ready
to celebrate, or support, or grieve with me. He can push me to doing stuff
I'd never do otherwise. He knows me better than anyone else. I wouldn't
be able to function if he wasn't near me.

I tried sleeping earlier, but whenever I closed my eyes, I'd have a vision
of Vyse getting hurt, and I couldn't save him. Just that thought--seeing
him on the ground, dying--makes me sick to my stomach. Where would I go, 
if Vyse was gone? What would I do? 

Nothing.  All I could do, and I know it, would be to die there with him.
Maybe not in body, but in soul and mind.  We've been together so long 
that losing him would be like losing half of my body.

The sound of the lift breaks in on my thoughts.  My heart jumps into my
throat--there's only one person who would come up here, at this hour, if
he saw me here...

Vyse stands beside me, leaning over the railing. He looks so...so self-
assured, adult. It's strange, really. For a minute all I can think of
is when he was little, trying to sneak bittermelon pieces to Pow and 
shrinking into his seat when Captain Dyne scolded him. I haven't noticed
it much before, but he's grown up. 

He smiles at me, and it lights up the whole island.  "Aika, are you
alright?"

For some reason his grin makes my knees all shaky. "I...I guess. I'm just
a little scared...That's not like me, is it?" I try to return his smile
but it's hard to think straight.  His eyes are so clear...so deep...

Vyse leans back on the railing. "I'm scared too."

I blink. "Really?"  It doesn't seem very Vyse-like. The way he was acting
this evening, no one would've guessed it. But everyone's got to be scared
sometime, even living legends.

"Yeah...it's so important.  If we fail so much will be destroyed or ruined.
And..." Vyse comes closer to me. Suddenly I'm very aware of him, his 
presence.  He's warm and solid, and there's a smell, a rich, sweet scent
that clings to him and fills me with warmth.

"...I'm scared we might not live through it. But if you're with me I
know I won't be scared.  And I know we have to do this.  So it's easy...
to push the fear away..." He's very close to me. The wonderful scent
and warmth is almost intoxicating now.

"We..." I whisper.  We. No matter what happens tomorrow, we'll be going
together. And no matter how it ends, whether we win or lose, we'll do it
together. Neither of us needs to worry about losing the other, because
even if we die, we'll go out as a team, like we always have.

"Thanks, Vyse. I feel better...thanks for telling me...all of that." He
smiles again, and I feel lighter than air. So light...so light that I can
reach up and brush the warm suntanned skin with my lips, and savor its 
taste, and smile at the look of surprise on his beloved face. 

Skipping to the lift, I turn around and see him standing stunned at the
railing. I'm a little stunned myself, but I don't care so much anymore.
It felt right, and it still feels right, and that's all that really
matters, right?

I walk back to my room, leaving my best friend until morning, when we'll
need each other more than anything. And I'm no longer afraid.

~fini~