The Storm Sage

Yasu turned his confused gaze to his surroundings where the sight he hadn't previously understood before brought itself upon his very eyes once more. A well kept up slab of beautifully polished stone sat before him. Despite it's magnificent shine that contested even diamonds, Yasu couldn't bring himself to read the words on it, he felt that he wouldn't have to bear the hardship of reality written out on the beautifully depressing stone in front of him.

He spoke in a voice riddled with tears of disbelief " This isn't real".

He slowly brought his eyes down to the title of the headstone all while being blasted by the scent of sage plants that surrounded him and the rest of the stones around. They didn't matter now, all that mattered to him was the desire to look away from the grave that held a man he had used as an example of greatness so many times in the face of his false enemy.

Tears welled up in his eyes as he verbalized his nightmares " This can't be real. You can't be dead could you? You wouldn't leave us behind, would you"!

Yasu's hopeless gaze fell upon the name at last. It was exactly who he had thought it was. His memories started to flood his mind once again as they had done every night for the past 54 days. Thoughts of a small room with only 3 chairs and a table covered with boring games meant for 5 or more, this image used to be so happy and cherished but now fills him with nothing but rage. A lost place he wished so desperately to have back.

Tears flowed and his glowed with Flames of Guilt as he shouted out to dead man beneath him " Ryker! You bastard! Why didn't you ever say anything! I may be an asshole to you dammit, but even I wouldn't go that low if you'd just told me"!

YUUTA ITSUKA

8/6/94(PC) - Unspecified Date

A loyal husband and loving father.

Great Storm Sage of Drecia Representing The Sin of Envy and Virtue of Humility

Consumed by pain and grief, Yasu drops with his left knee down and his right knee holding him up. This position is proof of your respect for someone made to mirror the stance of proposal. Yasu had done this twice before, once to Hera asking desperately for help and once to Yuuta where he once again was asking for help or more like he was asking for a father figure.

At no point in Yasu's life did he ever respect anyone more than Yuuta and Hera, there was simply no one that could ever compare to them in his eyes. Yuuta was the father he had always wanted and Hera was the only person who saw him as a whole person, his flaws never phased her and his victories only brought them closer. Yuuta cheered Yasu on and even acknowledged him as his 4th son once.

"Distraught and agonizing in his regret" Why! Why! Why wouldn't Hera tell me? Why didn't Ryker ever call me out when I'd say that? Wouldn't Yurie have said something to me, I mean she would never let anyone say something so cruel to him and Kiyoshi would've done his usual "I refuse to take a side" act. So why didn't anyone ever tell me? When did he even pass? How long have I been using him as a comparison. There's no way my sister didn't know about this right? She would've found out from Yurie or Emelia when they babysit her right"?

Yasu, still down on one knee and bowing his head now, opens his eyes after questioning his own feelings.

With a tear running down both cheeks he shouts out to the empty cemetery or perhaps the night sky above him. "This isn't what I wanted dammit! I didn't mean for it to be this way. Why did this have to happen to us, why do we always have to deal with this kind of luck huh? What's wrong with you up there, you sadistic bastards!" To whom he is referring to is lost to him just anyone who will reassure him that they know.

"Pain, it's all you and I have ever known isn't it? Ryker."