You know, Taka-kun, you’re truly lucky, because you go to show her how much you love her.

You protect Miaka-chan now just as much as you did while you were Tamahome. What do I do for Yui? I’m not strong like you, I have no holy war that I can fight for her. All the battles are over now; everything is quiet.

How does it feel to know that you are the only man she will ever look to for help? I can see in her eyes when she looks at you how much she loves you. I want Yui to look at me like that. I want her to see me as her protector because that is what I want to be.

I remember when she and Miaka-chan were in the book and I thought she must have been insane. To fight your best friend seemed absurd to me. I can’t imagine fighting Keisuke- except for Yui. For her I would fight anyone.

But when I saw her falling from the sky after having been consumed by Seiryuu, I knew- I knew- that there was something special about her. She was willing to sacrifice herself for her friend whom she had thought for so long had left her to die. I remember being so embarrassed because she had no clothes on and fighting over who would give her their jacket with Keisuke. And then I carried her on my back and we found Miaka crying- and the seishi gone.

It was a little unfair, I guess. I knew all about her and she knew nearly nothing about me. I had met her once or twice before the book at Keisuke’s house, when we just happened to have coinciding visits. I did not really notice her then- after all, she was so much younger than me. I should have though. She is everything I ever looked for in a woman- intelligent, loyal, kind, gentle, beautiful- an equal. How could I have missed her?

How can I do it? How can I show her how much she means to me? She loved you for son long. How do I compare to you? I’m only human. What can I possibly give her that could compare to what you are?

All I can do is love her. The only thing I can give is myself. I love her and you didn’t, and I guess that I can only hope that that is enough. I’ll never have special powers, I’ll never have a glowing symbol on my body, I’ll never have a god behind me. I guess there really isn’t much that I can do for her other than be here. But I can give her what you never did. You were never cold to her. On the contrary- you were very kind. But you never loved her. Maybe I blame you a little for that. It’s partly because of you that she was so unhappy for so long. Maybe had you forced her to go to Kounan with you, had you just tried a little harder... maybe none of that would have happened. But also... perhaps if that had not happened... then I would not have met her.

I don’t know why she loves me, but I never want to take it for granted. I’ll try the hardest I can to keep her happy, to let her know she is loved, so that nothing like that ever happens to her again.
 
 

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