Coping
"You're a Stargazer, and you know it, Milly! Why don't you try to accept it?!" That quote echoed through Milly's head for days upon weeks upon months after the defeat of the Nightmare Syndicate. Albert was right. She was his grandchild; a Stargazer; heir to the Nightmare Syndicate.
But one's genes can't determine one's fate, right?
Right?!
Milly leaned against the walls of the small cottage she and Kane had rented for the week. The Miss Palm Crab Pageant was back on and she was invited to come back. The last hues of golden sunset were still dancing across the horizon, and a few small stars had begun to shine. Milly liked watching sunsets. They usually seemed to clear her head and help her gather her thoughts.
Well, they used to. Now even the peaceful sunset couldn't take her mind off the jumble of things that cluttered it up.
Was she really anything like Albert Stargazer? Was it really her destiny to inherit the Nightmare Syndicate? Would Kane abandon her, knowing she was the grandaughter of his worst enemy?
The last one hurt the most. But she knew it would never happen.
"No…" She convinced herself. "Kane was related to him as well. He wouldn't just abandon me like that…"
"Oi, Milly-chan!" Called a familiar voice. Kane hopped out his bedroom window and landed beside her. "So this is where you are." He sat down at her side.
Milly didn't look up. Kane's smart alec expression suddenly softened. She felt his hand graze her cheek softly.
"You've been… crying, Milly?"
"What do you care?!" She snapped, burying her face in her arms.
She expected him to make some smart alec remark. She definetly didn't expect what he replied…
"Milly…" He answered, his voice filled with hurt and concern. "Its about Albert, isn't it?"
"What do you think?!" She snapped, her voice breaking. "Why do you think I became a detective in the first place?! To get away from him, to get away from my past! Now shut up and leave me alone!"
"Milly…" He began, ignoring her plea. "Listen, its impossible to get away from your past. But you can learn to accept it." He tilted her chin to meet his gaze, their faces less then an inch away from each other. "You can confront it or run from it. Take it or leave it. Its your choice, Milly."
Milly felt the hot tears stinging her already quite moist eyes. Without thinking, she threw her arms around him, sobbing into his shirt. Kane was obviously surprised. Milly never showed that much affection. But he wrapped his cape around her and held her just the same.
Milly snuggled slightly into his chest, calming down slightly. She said the only think she could think of. "Your… warm…"
Kane gently ruffled her hair. "Ah, knock it off, Milly. I hate it when you get in that little tragic, dramatic mood of yours." He kept his fingers in the golden locks a little longer then he was supposed to, and it finally occurred to him that he was stroking her hair. He was surprised, true, but he didn't stop.
After about an hour of silence, Kane started to pull away, but Milly wouldn't let him.
"Ano… Milly-chan?" He asked, nervously.
"Hmm?" Milly answered, her voice a bit more soothed.
"Want to get some sleep now? Its getting kinda late."
"Uh uh…" She replied, relaxing her body against his warm chest.
The two stood out there for most of the night, forgetting about Albert, the Nightmare Syndicate, Canal, and the rest of the world, as they rested in each other's arms.
"You're a Stargazer, and you know it, Milly! Why don't you try to accept it?!" That quote echoed through Milly's head for days upon weeks upon months after the defeat of the Nightmare Syndicate. Albert was right. She was his grandchild; a Stargazer; heir to the Nightmare Syndicate.
But one's genes can't determine one's fate, right?
Right?!
Milly leaned against the walls of the small cottage she and Kane had rented for the week. The Miss Palm Crab Pageant was back on and she was invited to come back. The last hues of golden sunset were still dancing across the horizon, and a few small stars had begun to shine. Milly liked watching sunsets. They usually seemed to clear her head and help her gather her thoughts.
Well, they used to. Now even the peaceful sunset couldn't take her mind off the jumble of things that cluttered it up.
Was she really anything like Albert Stargazer? Was it really her destiny to inherit the Nightmare Syndicate? Would Kane abandon her, knowing she was the grandaughter of his worst enemy?
The last one hurt the most. But she knew it would never happen.
"No…" She convinced herself. "Kane was related to him as well. He wouldn't just abandon me like that…"
"Oi, Milly-chan!" Called a familiar voice. Kane hopped out his bedroom window and landed beside her. "So this is where you are." He sat down at her side.
Milly didn't look up. Kane's smart alec expression suddenly softened. She felt his hand graze her cheek softly.
"You've been… crying, Milly?"
"What do you care?!" She snapped, burying her face in her arms.
She expected him to make some smart alec remark. She definetly didn't expect what he replied…
"Milly…" He answered, his voice filled with hurt and concern. "Its about Albert, isn't it?"
"What do you think?!" She snapped, her voice breaking. "Why do you think I became a detective in the first place?! To get away from him, to get away from my past! Now shut up and leave me alone!"
"Milly…" He began, ignoring her plea. "Listen, its impossible to get away from your past. But you can learn to accept it." He tilted her chin to meet his gaze, their faces less then an inch away from each other. "You can confront it or run from it. Take it or leave it. Its your choice, Milly."
Milly felt the hot tears stinging her already quite moist eyes. Without thinking, she threw her arms around him, sobbing into his shirt. Kane was obviously surprised. Milly never showed that much affection. But he wrapped his cape around her and held her just the same.
Milly snuggled slightly into his chest, calming down slightly. She said the only think she could think of. "Your… warm…"
Kane gently ruffled her hair. "Ah, knock it off, Milly. I hate it when you get in that little tragic, dramatic mood of yours." He kept his fingers in the golden locks a little longer then he was supposed to, and it finally occurred to him that he was stroking her hair. He was surprised, true, but he didn't stop.
After about an hour of silence, Kane started to pull away, but Milly wouldn't let him.
"Ano… Milly-chan?" He asked, nervously.
"Hmm?" Milly answered, her voice a bit more soothed.
"Want to get some sleep now? Its getting kinda late."
"Uh uh…" She replied, relaxing her body against his warm chest.
The two stood out there for most of the night, forgetting about Albert, the Nightmare Syndicate, Canal, and the rest of the world, as they rested in each other's arms.