We Will Meet Again

Forest XX

Despite modern civilization in Tokyo, there are still areas with barren lands. Still, areas filled with wildlife. In one of the forests on the outskirts of town, a girl with short curly pink hair held an unusual shaped bow in her hands and continued to fire a stream of arrows.

No matter how many arrows she fired, all of them landed perfectly. No matter what angle she shot in, even if she held her bow strangely, the arrow would hit the center of the tree. A deep sigh crossed her lips. What use is there? It's not like I will ever miss a shot. 

When she became a guardian, it had its perks but at the same time... The power to aim perfectly no matter what, huh? An ability like that takes the fun out of practicing and putting in the effort. 

Whether or not it was a coincidence, but that person also had this power. How ironic, huh? Back then, she comforted him because of the burden behind his power. To think she is now in a similar situation. Is this karma? Back then, he suffered so much, and yet she could not do anything to help him. 

The burden of having an unusual power and having any power at all. She could not understand it back then.

People described me as honest, hardworking, and clumsy before.

But now the current me? Cold, arrogant, self-centered, and cruel. 

Cynthia sighed deeply. What use is there thinking these things now? It's not like anything would change. She has already forgotten, the warmth of her beloved and all the hard work she put in. Effort, and for what? To lose everybody she cared about? What were the point of all that enthusiasm and the pointless amount of energy she spent?

"Don't you get tired of following me around?" Cynthia did not have to turn around to see who it was. Only one person would follow her around like this.

She turned and saw a tall man wearing a white shirt, black pants and a pair of brown sandals. On top is a long red cape with a black and white jacket. 

This person is Julio, her assistant? He is not a Guardian, but a mortal granted special permission to live in that realm with her. His real identity is the second prince of a country that has long disappeared now. A country that she still longs for...

A deep sigh crossed the grey-haired man's lips. "Are you going to be stubborn with me?" He took a step forward and stretched her cheeks with his large hands. "You haven't eaten a single meal in three days."

"A guardian doesn't need to eat."

"That's a lie, now eat," Julio said and pointed to the basket.

Cynthia reluctantly sat down on the rocks as Julio placed cloth down on the ground and sat down. He placed the various dishes on the ground. 

"You're out here training so late, but you haven't been doing dangerous jobs for a while, right?"

"I did, recently. A few strays." Cynthia replied calmly as she took a bite of the bread.

At that comment, Julio's eyes twitched in annoyance. "When was this?"

"A few days ago."

"Cynthia…"

"Yes, yes, I shouldn't go off on my own. But really, I have never heard of a guard who is weaker than their master."

Julio sighed. "Alright, I admit that I am weaker than you. But do you have to rub salt on my wounds like that.." He trailed off. "So, how is that new girl? Do you think she could do it?"

"It is hard to say, even though we found people with potential in the past, they all failed. Even those who passed, once they touched the completed kaleidoscope, they…" Cynthia did not finish her sentence

Images flashed through her head. All those people who passed and believed they could return home. Their cries and troubled voices. The scent of their blood that day.

"Don't blame yourself. We all had a hand into making that."

Cynthia bit her lip and clenched her fist into a ball, dropping the remains of her apple on the ground. "If the kaleidoscope rejected its masters, do you truly think a normal person could handle it? So far, so many people have died. Can we truly keep up with this experiment and use the guardian's mission…"

"We can, no we have to!" Julio snapped. "Otherwise, we will never see them again."

Even now, she could still hear it clearly, the voice of her loved one and dear friends.

She could still hear his voice, but the warmth he shared with her when he held her in his arms has now vanished. "I know that I know," Cynthia whispered.

Julio looked away. "Sorry." He apologized. "I didn't mean to get worked up. I just can't stand this situation anymore. The main reason, Cynthia, when was the last time you smiled?"

Now that was a good question.

When was the last time she smiled? Back then, she smiled all the time, and she laughed and cried. But these days other than anger, what other emotions does she feel?

"You don't have to worry, Julio," Cynthia mumbled. "I did say it was too soon to tell, but that girl Setsura is different from all the other subjects in the past."

That's right because even though Setsura failed once here, she is again. 

In the guardian cove, there is a large lake. But it is not a normal one, that lake shows images of people. The lake that decides who the next participants were. "When I saw Setsuras face appear again, I was shocked. This is the first time something like this has happened again; somebody got picked twice."

"Is it that peculiar? I don't know the details last time since I wasn't there then but...I heard it went wrong, and even the method of going back to her time was strange."

Cynthia nodded. "It was weird and abrupt. Her guardian should have been the one to send her back, but…" She paused when she felt a familiar presence. A deep sigh crossed her lips. It seems like he overheard again.

She stood up and brushed the dirt from her clothes. "Wait here for me."

Julio sighed. "Alright, but if that brat tries anything funny, just yell."

...…..

Not too far from where Julio and her was Yang. He sat on the edge of the lake with his usual stoic expression on his face. Cynthia clenched her fist; she is not good at dealing with people like Yang. To others, it may look like she is attached to him, and sure enough, she is. But there are equally as many times where she is afraid of him.

"You took too long." Yang snapped.

"I run slowly."

Yang growled. "Just come here already."

Cynthia nodded and walked over; he immediately sat her on his lap and buried his face in her neck. She felt a sharp prick and flinched. "Is it painful?" Cynthia asked as she ran her hands through his hair.

Despite this strange position, Cynthia could see the dark marks on his neck. It pained her to see them; it reminded her of how she failed to protect somebody yet again.

All the people dear to her end up getting hurt, that is an undeniable fact. 

"Yeah."

"Yang, do you like Setsura-chan this much?" Cynthia muttered. 

The reason why Yang would sacrifice this much for Setsura-chan sake, is it because of his feelings for her? Even now, Cynthia did not understand why. Why did he remain in the Meiji era despite completing his mission already? Why did he stay and end up harming someone leading to the current situation?