Whisper

by Tutankhamun

Sure his stupid friends accused her of not having a heart. That didn't bother her at all. They didn't understand; couldn't understand. They had no idea of the power she held. As an itako she had to keep her head clear and her thoughts absolutely focused. If she lost control, her prodigious power would lash out without restraint, causing massive trauma. Anna learned how important control was at a very young age.

Catch me as I fall
say you're here and it's all over now
speaking to the atmosphere
no one's here and I fall into myself
this truth drives me into madness
I know I can stop the pain if I will it all away

But Yoh understood. He understood how important it was for her to stay in control. The others were too short-sighted to see what Yoh saw, and because of that they would never understand why he stood by her through all the training, the slaps, the brusque orders, the scathing remarks, and never-ending chores.

don't turn away
don't give in to the pain
don't try to hide
though they're screaming your name
don't close your eyes
God knows what lies behind them
don't turn out the light
never sleep never die

Yoh never gave up on Anna because the times when she would defy the need for control and for an instant—just the briefest moment—let her emotions rule her head made his life Paradise. When a smile would slip across her face; when she wore her hair down (he thought she looked even prettier that way, not that he'd ever be able to tell her without getting slapped); when she'd cry for fear of losing him. That was the real Anna, the girl who had been locked away so that the itako in her could be developed. And Anna was a loving, caring girl who worried about Yoh more than she'd ever admit.

I'm frightened by what I see
but somehow I know that there's much more to come
immobilized by my fear
and soon to be blinded by tears
I can stop the pain if I will it all away

Anna was constantly at war with herself, fighting against the very bonds she had placed on herself for the safety of mankind. Meeting Yoh had awakened the girl she'd locked away and threatened the perfectly self-reliant itako. He was dangerous, and she loved him so very much. He was the timer and she was the bomb: it was only a matter of time before he wore her down and released the power contained inside of her along with the girl she tried so hard to keep in submission.

don't turn away
don't give in to the pain
don't try to hide
though they're screaming your name
don't close your eyes
God knows what lies behind them
don't turn out the light
never sleep never die

He knew that what he was doing was dangerous. He was playing with fire, but he knew no other way to melt the Ice Queen. Yoh just wanted to make her happy because when she was happy, he was happiest. And if one day she should not be able to resist living the life she deserved and let go of her death-grip on control, he would be there to diffuse the backlash and be an object on which she could spend her power. He would take it and continue to withstand it until she spent herself and her powers reached to a normal—as far as itako powers go at any rate—level. She would be able to live as Anna.

fallen angels at my feet
whispered voices at my ear
death before my eyes
lying next to me I fear
she beckons me shall I give in
upon my end shall I begin
forsaking all I've fallen for I rise to meet the end

She knew what he was doing, but she didn't stop him. But she didn't make it any easier for him, either. Anna Kyouyama: the itako who pushed people away and the girl who longed to draw the boy she loved into her heart, against all better judgment. In the end, who was stronger? Anna or the itako?

Yoh knew the answer, but the others didn't. And that knowledge caused him the greatest happiness. And so he smiled.

R&R!