Games
I realized something today, Lahrri.
Watching her win our future for us, watching her secure our
happiness, I finally discovered the reason that we were torn apart
this past year.
Only a year.
And yet, it seems like an eternity to me. An eternity without
you is like a lifetime in hell for me.
But watching her... I realized that our lives have always
been about games.
It's just that the games that you grew up playing were
different from the ones I was forced to participate in.
Your games were happy and fun. I remember you telling
me of them in our late night discussions. You spoke of your
grandfather, saying he taught you all about sports.
That he taught you competing could be fun.
Before you I never knew that. I only knew that sports were
my escape. My escape from hell. My escape from her.
I had no family, not really. She took me in, that's true, but
she wasn't my mother, she wasn't my sister, she wasn't anything to
me other than a constant torment.
When I first started playing sports she left me alone more
and for that I was grateful. But then I started to get better. I started
to draw attention to myself.
At first, she kept her distance. Still tossing the usual insults
my way but not really showing any interest in what I was busy
occupying all of my time with.
Then my Coach ran into her somewhere. The grocery
store, I think it was. He complemented her for raising such a
spectacular athlete and said that if I kept things up I could become
Cosmos Beauty one day.
That was when she got interested.
Because, after all, wouldn't it prove something about her if
managed to help a loser like me achieve the universally sought after
title of Cosmos Beauty?
Suddenly, nothing I did was right. I couldn't cook right, I
couldn't clean right, and most of all, I couldn't play sports right. I
was disappointing her in every way possible.
I felt like I was drowning in a sea of hopelessness and
wanted desperately to be free of it all. To finally be free of her for
once and for all.
And to accomplish this, I did the only thing that I knew
how to do well at that point in my life. At any point in my life,
really, because it still stands true.
I ran away.
She came after me, of course. That's how I got this scar.
The one that you always seem to stroke whenever I seem lost or
frustrated with the world.
How did you know? How did you know that scar was the
symbol of my past pain? My past sorrow?
When I met you, I didn't know what to make of you. You
seemed so much like me but not. Your view of the world is much
like my own. Dry and realistic.
But somehow... somehow you managed to retain your love
of sports. Your joy for competing.
You gave me that joy for my own. You taught me how to
recapture it and hold it for my own. But then, just as suddenly, you
took it away from me.
And for what reason?
I'm not sure that even you know the answer to that. When
we returned to Earth, you tried telling me on the shuttle but I cut
you off. Saying that I didn't need an explanation.
And I really don't. I just need you with me. I just need to
know that you'll never do that to me again. That you'll never turn
into her again. That you'll never forget the importance of simply
being human for mere fleeting and selfish glory.
People are more important than prizes.
That's what I realized today. That's what she taught me
through winning this competition for Earth. That people are more
important than games. And the only games that I want to play are
the sports kind. Not the sort that deal with tearing someone's heart
to pieces.
I love you, Lahrri. I always have, and I think that I always
will. But as much as I love you, I'm just not very good at saying the
things that need to be said.
You're the same way, so I think that you'll understand why
I'm doing this. At least, I hope that you'll understand.
And maybe, you'll realize something of your own through
reading this and write me your own letter.
I know that I would enjoy reading it.
Yours forever,
Mylandah Arkar Walder
Folding the letter up neatly, Mylandah gently placed it
inside of the envelope as she wore the smallest of smiles.
"What's that?"
Jumping slightly, so slightly that anyone other than her
companion would never even notice, Mylandah looked back into
the tanned and curious features of Lahrri.
"I don't know," murmured Mylandah, her small smile
turned teasing as she handed the envelope over to the other girl.
"Why don't you find out for yourself?"
Forming a slight frown, Lahrri silently watched as
Mylandah got up from where she was sitting at the desk in their
bedroom and left her alone.
Alone to discover realizations of her own. Alone to
discover just why she herself did it.
Why she played games.
-End-
The characters of Mylandah and Lahrri are from Battle Athletes
Victory. I wrote this for a few reasons. The first is because I
actually quite like the BAV version of Mylandah. She has depth
and I find that a rare thing. The second reason is her relationship
with Lahrri has depth also. The third reason is because they make
just the funniest damn couple in the last video of the series and I
really wanted a fanfic about them to be out there. I hope anyone
who likes the show and the pair enjoyed this fic.
"Go ahead and play your games. Go ahead and scream my name
all over your blood red sky."
-Tina Turner-
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