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Akita was tired.
She needed to get a good night's rest before returning home… Beniro will understand, he always pushed her to take time for herself.
Sighing, she gets up from the bench she was sitting on, and closes her eyes, trying to shut out the surrounding voices. Which proved to be hard, the delegates were quite loud as they conversed among themselves about the Summit that just finished.
She tilts her head in annoyance, and groans, they didn’t need her around anymore, she was going back to her inn.
Akita grabs her bag and walks onwards and away from the Summit building. Her tension loosening slightly as the noise lessened, but only slightly. As she had soon reached the market square, which was bustling with the noontime rush.
She lets out a restrained breath and quickens her pace, weaving in and out of the various species crowding everything.
The crowd suddenly shifts, blocking Akita in, as someone calls out: “The Green Ninja is dead!”
A collective gasp sounds as the person continues to talk. Explaining that the legendary ninja had been in a battle and something happened, he reacted without care for his own safety and-
Akita cries out, and collapses to the ground, the person's voice fading as her mind screams at her. She cries out again, hot tears running down her face, he can't be dead! He was the strongest person she knew, Lloyd couldn't have just died!
She curls in on herself, her sobs shaking her whole body.
“...Lloyd…” She whispers, her voice quivering.
A light touch on her shoulder snaps her focus back temporarily. She shoots her tear stained head up to see a concerned Serpentine looking at her.
“Are you alright?” She asked softly.
Akita shakes her head involuntarily, and gasps at herself and her weakness. Anger rising she quickly stands up, the Serpentine rushing to move out of her way, and turns around, running.
Running away from the place she'd lost control, and showed her raw emotions… she grits her teeth and speeds up, ignoring the people calling for her.
Her tears start to flow again, and she swerves violently to avoid colliding with a wall. She skids to a stop, gasping for air and receiving none. She wipes away her tears and continues to try and catch her breath while walking down the side street.
Lloyd's face kept appearing in her mind, his kind smile, the way his eyes lit up when they'd finally reunited, his laugh as she embraced him.
She puts her hand to her mouth as she whimpers, eyes burning with tears yet again. She shuts them tightly, and tries to take in a breath. She was almost at the inn, she needed to compose herself.
Slowly opening her glistening eyes, she continues on. Rounding the corner that her inn was on and walking inside the small building.
A bell chimes as Akita opens the door and the clerk nods to her, and goes back to work. She looks down to the dusty floor so he wouldn't question her expression and walks to her room.
The walls of the hallway seemed so close to her, and she still couldn't breathe in deep. She blinks rapidly as she comes to her door and opens in.
She pauses for a second before closing and leaning on it, sliding to the floor. She was still for a second, then she takes in a wavering breath and curls in on herself once more, digging her nails into her legs as she cries.
What was she supposed to do? She had every intention to tell Beniro her true feelings, but what would that do now?
Lloyd was gone…
And he never knew.
Because she never had enough courage to find him earlier and tell him…
Before… everything…
She slams her fists on the floor, and lets out a muffled scream, then she takes in a deep breath, then another, and another.
She could breathe.
How good that felt…
She leans her head backwards on the door again, and loosens up, continuing to breathe in deep.
How selfish she was… Beniro deserved so much better than her…
Akita closes her eyes, she still needs to tell him, even if Lloyd was… gone… she still loved him, and her fiancé deserved to know about that.
She sits straight, mind made up, and slowly stands up, walking to the bed. She'd rest today and return home tomorrow and tell Beniro.
Sinking into the bed, she relaxes more, pulls the blanket up, and shuts her eyes.
Her mind wanders to Lloyd once more, the moments she had with him, she'd always cherish them.
She hoped he was at peace now.
Her brave Ninja.