Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown … or do I? … no … no I don't.
I also do not own any lyrics by Dresden Dolls who (once again) helped to inspire me again with their song Bad Habit.
A man dressed in a long white doctor's coat walked sharply up the hallway. His black shoes made loud, echoing tapping noises as he took each step. The long white painted hallway was clinically clean and unnerving. He blinked behind his glasses and ran a hand through his once black hair which was no speckled with grey. Just behind him a nurse dressed in white and holding a clipboard was nervously tapping a fingernail on the metal clip. Beside her, was an armed guard.
They stopped outside a door and the doctor looked in through the small square of glass.
"She's not moved since your last visit," Said the nurse, "She's hardly eaten … she … she just sits there … staring."
"Has she made any move to harm anyone, shown any anger?" Asked the doctor.
"No," Said the nurse.
"She hasn't used any of her … abilities?" Asked the doctor.
"No," Said the nurse again.
The doctor nodded and wiped his forehead, removing the beads of sweat. This patient was his most troublesome. If she ever showed signs of life, they were anger felt and she would use her 'abilities' to do nothing but harm those around her. If he could just understand what had happened he could do something more, but the people who came to visit her never mentioned anything to give him a clue as to how this girl ended up here and in this state.
He turned to the guard.
"Keep an eye on us," He said, "If she shows any signs of anger, use a tranquilliser."
The guard nodded. He turned to the nurse and she opened the door for him before turning away. The doctor entered.
The square room was also painted white. In one corner was what remained of a chair, broken into several pieces. There was a table with a chair on either side in the middle of the room and in the corner was a bed with white sheets. Sat on the bed, dressed in white was a hunched up figure. A tangle of black hair fell down so the face was hidden except for one pale blue eye, which was staring into space.
The doctor sat on one side of the table. He turned to the figure, who didn't move.
"Would you care to join me?" Asked the doctor in fluent Japanese.
The figure turned slowly and the blue eye fixed on him. It made him want to fall backwards, but he sat tall, not showing his emotions.
"It's me, Doctor Tokita, there's nothing to be scared of," He said.
The eye thinned and the lights flickered slightly, but despite this, the figure slowly rose and walked to the table. They sat down opposite the doctor.
"Do you remember anything today?" Asked Doctor Tokita.
The figure nodded.
"What do you remember?" He asked.
The figure gently swept the tangled hair out of their face. The doctor wanted to shiver, even vomit. The scars covering her face were enough to make anyone feel sick.
"What's your name?" Asked Tokita.
"It's irrelevant," She whispered through dry lips.
"Then what is relevant?" Asked the doctor, writing something on the paper in front of him.
She suddenly lashed out and put a hand on the paper.
"Writing keeps your words at bay, tending to the sores that stay, happiness is just a gash away …" She whispered.
Tokita pulled the paper from under her hand.
"We don't need any more gashes," He said quietly.
"You might say it's self inflicted, but you see that's contradictive, why would anyone practice self destruction?" She whispered hoarsely.
"When I open a familiar scar, pain goes shooting like a star," She said, "Comfort hasn't failed to follow so far."
"You do it for comfort?" Asked Doctor Tokita.
She thrust out her hand and wrapped it around his wrist.
"Thank you for your pity, you're too kind," She said.
He pulled his wrist away and looked at her. His eyes were full of fear now. She could see it … she could taste it … she felt it filling her with the familiar sensation of anger. The burning heat … it hurt her inside … she wrapped her arms around her burning stomach and screwed up her scarred face.
Doctor Tokita looked around. The lights began to flicker and the bed rose up and slammed down on the floor, cracking the floor. He stood up as the chair behind him rose up and smashed again the wall. He glanced towards the door. The guard was preparing to enter. He gestured to him not to. She was trying to control it.
"Where is he?" She whispered, "He promised he'd come for me …"
The tears fell from her eyes and stung her face.
"Who? Who are you talking about?" Asked Doctor Tokita.
She shook her head and scrunched up her face making small noises as she tried to stop crying. Then suddenly and without warning, everything stopped and she threw back her head in laughter. It rang through the room, echoing off the white walls.
"I can't help you unless you help me," Said Doctor Tokita.
"Help me do what?" She laughed.
"Help you recover," Said Doctor Tokita.
The door opened and the nurse brought in another chair. She placed next to the desk and Doctor Tokita nodded at her and sat down. She gave the girl a terrified glance as she left and the girl's blue eyes followed, anger burning inside of them.
"Everyone's scared of me," She said, "They think I'm a monster … a thing …"
"No, they don't," Said Tokita.
"Yes they do," She said, "They don't say it, but they're all thinking it. Even you. You hate the way I look … the way I think. Thinking isn't good. I need to stop."
"No, thinking is good! You just need to think about the right things," Said Doctor Tokita, "That's what we're trying to help you to do. We want you to start thinking properly."
"He promised he'd come back …" She whispered.
"Who? We need to know who!" Said Doctor Tokita.
She shook her head slowly.
"We can't find him, if we don't know who he is," Said Doctor Tokita.
She bit her lip and took in a breath as tears started to fall again.
"Who do you want to come?" He asked.
"He promised," She said.
"Who?" Asked Doctor Tokita, hoping to make a break through, "Who promised?"
"I … I don't …" Began the girl.
"Stay with it!" Said Doctor Tokita, "Who promised? We need to know! Picture them in your head, remember their name! Tell us! Who promised to come for you?"
"He promised when I was better he'd come back …" She sobbed.
"A name, we need to know his name!" Said Doctor Tokita.
"Irrelevant!" She said, rocking backwards and forwards, "Irrelevant, irrelevant!"
"Nothing is irrelevant! Who was it?" Asked Doctor Tokita.
"They're not coming! They are irrelevant." She said.
"They? There's more than one person?" Asked Doctor Tokita.
"They are all irrelevant," She said bitterly, "all but one!"
"Who are they?" Asked doctor Tokita, sensing a breakthrough.
She laughed and flung her head back. Her arms were up in the air. The long sleeves fell back to reveal even more scars covering her arms. How they all got there, even she was unsure.
"What are you trying to tell us? Who is supposed to be visiting?" Asked the doctor one last time.
"Wind, water and earth all should come to the flames …" She sighed, trailing off.
"Who are you talking about?" Asked Doctor Tokita firmly.
"Raimundo … deliver me from hell!" She cried, "The flames are burning me! Raimundo! Omi! Clay! They're all burning!"
She suddenly stopped and fell still.
"Who are these people?" Doctor Tokita asked.
"They're … my family …" She whispered, "Raimundo … he promised to … come for me … when I was better … I loved Pedrosa … all me heart was his … he left me here … I love him … the flames will no consume him …"
Doctor Tokita sighed with relief and smiled gently.
"Thank you," He sighed, putting a hand on her shoulder, "thank you, Kimiko …"
(A/N) oops another one's gone insane! Not going to reveal much. I've rated highly because I have some … I dunno, but it's kinda of dark. I don't want to flinch on this one.
Tell me what you think.
Lots of luv, Becky.