"C-Canary?"
Tears upon tears streamed down Killua's childlike face, lips parted, eyes wide with fear as he stared at the girl he'd unsuccessfully attempted to befriend months back. She was still, so very still and it terrified him. He needed her to move. She lay on her side in a pool of her own blood, the back of her white shirt ripped to shreds, stained with blood, and charred black. Mama had done this to her. He could still hear Canary's pained, blood curdling screams as Kikyo cruelly and relentlessly cracked the electric whips against her back. Killua had quickly intervened, grabbing on to the whips and refusing to let go, ignoring the excruciating pain in his hands. The pain he felt didn't matter, ending Canary's pain did.
"Canary," Killua whimpered, voice shaky. "W-Why aren't you moving?"
Kikyo sighed. "Kil, I had no choice but to punish her."
Killua ignored the woman, rushing over to Canary's side. "Canary!" His hands shook uncontrollably as he slowly set them down on her arm, shaking the girl. "Please wake up, Canary!"
"Kil," Kikyo sighed. "Kil, she's dead."
Killua suddenly felt sick, bile rising up his throat. N-No… She couldn't be dead! Killua turned the unmoving girl over on her back, gripping her arm tightly at the sudden realization that she was cold, deathly cold. And her face… It was so pale! Killua swallowed, still shaking and tears still streaming down his face as he lowered his head down until he had his ear resting on her chest. God, he was gonna throw up. She wasn't breathing!
"She had potential. It's such a shame."
Killua sobbed violently into Canary's chest.
"Killua!"
Killua's eyes snapped open, the man shooting up into the sitting position. His cheeks were wet with his own tears, eyes wide, chest heaving, body slick with sweat.
"Killua?"
He turned his head, staring into the worried eyes of Canary. More tears fell from his eyes. He pulled Canary into him, burying his face in her neck.
Canary blinked, quickly recovering from her surprise and returning Killua's embrace, though hers was lacking in desperation. He was shaking. His nightmare must've been awful. "You were saying my name over and over in your sleep."
She was so warm. She was breathing, too, Killua able to feel her heartbeat drumming against his chest. He said in a quiet, quivery voice, "You were dead, Canary."
Canary rubbed comforting circles into his back.
Killua sniffled, the tears never letting up. He opened his eyes, cold rage in them. "That woman murdered you. I hate her."
There was still hurt and sadness in his voice but the anger easily outweighed them both.
"I hate mother so much," Killua hissed, nails digging into Canary's back. Killua grit his teeth, angry tears building up in his eyes. "She hurt you because of me! You didn't do anything wrong!"
Canary lidded her eyes slightly. Ah, so that's what he was talking about. The electric whips… Scars still decorated her back from the whippings. Sometimes Killua would gently run his fingertips down each one. She never needed to turn around and look at his face to know that he donned a guilt ridden expression every time he did so.
He refused to close his eyes for the rest of the night, afraid that if he did then he'd relive that awful nightmare again. He held Canary closer than he ever had before, listening to her even breathing, silently vowing that he'd kill his mother if she ever tried hurting her again. And that was a promise he'd keep.
