"What do you mean?" I asked. I really didn't how I could be frozen by just the touching ice, was his power different? "My ice has the power to freeze whatever it touches, I was the one who almost killed Ayla, Hikitsu's younger sister. I wanted to show you this because I wanted you to know a little more about me." Tomite said quietly. My eyes widened for a moment, that's when I remembered Hikitsu saying something about, almost losing Ayla so Tomite was the one who caused it? "You didn't do it on purpose right? It was a accident it had to have been you couldn't have intended to hurt her!" I asked. He turned his back towards me, as he replied. " .... No I wasn't trying to if you don't have anything pressing to do I'd like to tell you the story." I shook my head. "I don't have anything else to do, I'd like to hear the story." I said quietly. He nodded, and from here I allowed him to lead me away from the ice trees and we sat down in a meadow not to far from the trees. "It was seven years ago, and a monster known as the maw came attacking our village. Everyone was there fighting against them, my mom, and my dad as well as me well the maw was after my mother and about that time Hikitsu came along, and he hit her with his water that's one of his powers.

I misunderstood and thought he'd killed her so I flew into a blind rage and that's when my power first appeared. Ayla was there with Hikitsu and to protect her brother she pushed him out of the away and was frozen instead along with the maw behind her. It was only until recently that, I learned that Hikitsu had been trying to save my mother he was aiming for the maw but he hit my mother instead." Tomite said quietly. I was silent for a moment, it was a lot to take in but still yet it had been a accident and yet the look on his face told me that he was still kicking himself for it. ".... She's unfrozen now right?" I asked quietly a few moments later. "Yes she's living with my mother currently, when Hikitsu appeared again it was a little after Takiko had came to our world and it was she who was able to save Ayla." replied Tomite.

"Then why are you still kicking yourself over this?! It seems that Hikitsu has forgiven you, or else he wouldn't be around you so why?!" I asked. I didn't like the look on his face, it was a look of absolute torture, and pain and I couldn't stand to see him tear himself up like this. "Because! I almost took her life, if not for Takiko being there to save her then she might still be frozen! You don't understand what its like to have such a heavy burden on you, and you want to know something else?! I had forgotten all about it, until Hikitsu showed me the truth so now I have to carry this pain, to make up for what I did and for forgetting!" shouted Tomite. Rage, and sadness filled me as he all but spat the words at me and I couldn't control myself I slapped him hard across the face then said quietly. "No I don't know those feelings, but that's because I never had a real family!" I then started to walk off, it had upset me that I had even let myself get like that especially to the point of, bringing up the past I just wanted to forget again. "Chiyo wait up!" Tomite called out. But I didn't listen to him, I just kept on walking a few moments later he caught up to me and grabbed a hold of me. "Let go." I replied sternly. He looked down at me, with a mixture of all kinds of emotions as he said. "No, not till you explain what you just meant."

"Just forget I said anything!" I shouted as I tried to jerk free from his grasp. But he tightened his grip to where it was now hurting, and I couldn't pull my arm free. "No tell me, I want to know!" pressed Tomite. "Let go, your hurting me!" I snapped. It was about that time I noticed Hikitsu walking up towards us, and when he noticed that something wasn't quite right he got a concerned look in his eye. "What's going on here Tomite?" Hikitsu asked.

"I'm trying to work things out with Chiyo, its none of your business Hikitsu!" Tomite stated. "Let go I don't want to talk about it!!" I said once more. About that time Hikitsu reached over and grasped Tomite's hand hard enough so he would let go, and once he did I dashed off towards camp. I wanted to be alone and I didn't want to think about my past.

Tomite's POV

"Care to explain what just happened?" asked Hikitsu a little after Chiyo had dashed off. About that time was when I realized I had made a mistake, I shouldn't have took things so far with her she was probably scared of me now. "I .... I told hear about what happened seven years ago .... she didn't see it as my fault and she was only trying to cheer me up but I took it the wrong way. I said that she didn't understand how I felt, then she slapped me and as she walking away she .... said something about not knowing what it was like to have a real family. I was only trying to find out what she meant by that, and I got a little carried away that's all." I said quietly. I saw concern fill Hikitsu's eyes, as he said.

"I see .... I think its best if you let her cool down for a while then talk to her. Oh and just to let you know I don't hate you for freezing Ayla that day she's alive after all." He then walked off leaving me alone to my thoughts, for now I guess all I could do was do as Hikitsu suggested. But what Chiyo had said bothered me, a little what did she mean she didn't know what a real family was like? Were things that bad at home for her? I wondered.

Hikitsu's POV

When I had gotten back to the camp, Chiyo was no where around and when I asked Uruki and Takiko if they knew where she was they didn't. So I was currently searching for her, I wanted to talk to her and calm her down a little earlier Tomite had took things a little too far and I wouldn't be a bit surprised if she was a little scared right now. After twenty minutes of searching it finally dawned on me where she would be at, I walked to the place I had found her earlier today and sure enough she was right where I thought she'd be. "Hey lets talk." I said quietly as I walked up to her. "I don't want to." she said stubbornly. I figured she was going to be like this, but I had to try my best to get her to understand. " .... Okay I'll talk you listen." I said. She didn't say anything, so I sighed and went on. "I didn't know this was still a issue for Tomite, but I guess he still feels really bad about what happened with Ayla. He's come to detest his power, like I detest mine and as I'm sure Uruki detests his, anyway he got a little carried away so I just wanted to say forgive him he didn't mean to scare you." I said quietly. She was silent for a moment, and I didn't know how she'd react to my words but I hoped she'd consider not blaming Tomite. "There's nothing to forgive and I wasn't scared .... I let my emotions get in the way. But in the future don't apologize for him, if he's sorry he'll apologize on his own accord." Chiyo said quietly. "Its fine. We all have times when our emotions can get the better of us then there's times when we have a right to say what we feel." I said carefully. I didn't know what had occurred between those two but I'd like to find out, so I could better understand the situation. I had never seen Tomite act so persistent with a woman before and I wondered for a moment if he had feelings for Chiyo. "I guess." Chiyo replied. "Do you wanna tell me what went on, between the two of you?" I asked softly.

She'd probably be stubborn and not want to say anything, and if that was the case then I wouldn't press. I figured if she wanted me to know she'd tell me when she was ready, she was silent for a long while and I began to think she wouldn't answer me but finally she said. "He started going on, and on about how I didn't know how he felt about the situation and its true I don't. But I can relate to the fact that I never had a real family, I don't usually talk about problems but if you want to listen I'll tell you." I quietly nodded before replying. "Sure go ahead, I'm here." I said quietly. I was curious to hear what had happened to her, I myself had been shunned by my clan for the power I held so the only real family I had was Ayla. "I never knew my father .... he ran away when I was still inside my mother, my mother always slept around with countless guys, she did drugs, and drank. So she was never around when I was little, I had to raise myself .... until my mother got thrown into jail for buying drugs from a undercover cop. I then was placed under my aunt Kiyo's care, she worked a lot so I didn't see much of her either. What time she was around it was to make sure, I was at the top of my class and she wanted me to be perfect since she couldn't have kids of her own.

"I myself have no other siblings so I don't know, how it is for you and Ayla but to be honest I'd give anything to have a sibling or know what its like to have a family." Chiyo said quietly. My eyes softened when I looked over at her, I had no idea she had it pretty rough and although she had been through a lot not once while telling me of her past did she cry. She just stared off like she was telling a story, of someone else's life rather than her own. "I see .... it must have been rough on you." I said quietly. I reached out and covered her hand with mine, I felt her tense a little but she didn't jerk away either. "Please don't pity me I hate it." replied Chiyo. "Its not pity, I'm just reaching out because I can understand I went through almost the same exact situation only a little different." I explained. I wouldn't dare pity her, because I didn't want anyone to pity my situation either so I could understand her feelings like that. "Oh I see." Chiyo said quietly. From there I helped her stand up, and I then replied. "Lets head back, I'm sure the others are worried." She nodded, and I let go of her hand and from there we headed back to camp, it was already getting dark and I saw that dinner had just got done apparently Takiko had fixed it.

Normal POV

"Oh your back, dinners done." Takiko said with a smile as me and Hikitsu got back to the village. "Uh yes sorry you had to cook, by yourself." I said. But Takiko just waved it off like it was nothing, and from there I sat down by a nearby tree, and ate quietly. When I had told Hikitsu of my past, he hadn't pitied me he had just listened and didn't judge me, it had meant a lot to me because he was the first one I had told. I heard the sound of soft foot steps, and I looked up and there was Tomite walking up to me so I set aside my plate and waited for him to speak. "Listen Chiyo .... I'm sorry about earlier I had no right to press you, nor did I have the right to be so snappy." Tomite said a moment later. "There's nothing to be sorry for you, I wasn't mad as I told Hikitsu I just let my emotions get the better of me that's all. I said quietly. Tomite rubbed the back of his head, and chuckled softly as he said. "Well gee that was a lot less painful than I imagined it to be." I laughed lightly he must have been expecting me to slap him or something, about that time I vaguely remembered slapping him. "Oh crap sorry for slapping you, and all." I said with a wince. "No its totally fine, I deserved it." Tomite said hurriedly. I nodded, and from there we fell silent and I went back to eating my supper. After I finished up despite my protests, Tomite did all of the dishes I guess he still thought he had to make it up to me, which that wasn't the case at all. As I headed for my mat, I stopped and turned around as I heard Hikitsu ask. "Did you two make up?" "There was never any need to, but I guess Tomite feels like we did so in a sense yeah." I said with a small laugh. From there I said my good nights and decided to turn in early, for once.

Tomite's POV

After Chiyo had gone to sleep, I walked out towards the river and there where I knew he'd be was Hikitsu he was gazing up at the night sky. Knowing him he was probably in his own little world as he often was, he looked over at me, when he heard me walk up. "What did you say to her? She didn't even act phased by my apology." I asked a moment later. "I just told her, a little bit of what you were feeling and told her to forgive you. But she said that there was nothing to forgive, she probably already told you this but she's not mad at you." replied Hikitsu. "Yeah she told me, she tell you anything else?" I found myself asking. It wasn't like I was trying to be nosy or anything, but I was just curious to see if she had confided in him or not. "Yes she told me of her past, and its true she doesn't know what a real families like it was rather sad her past I mean." Hikitsu said quietly.

As I looked at him right now, he must be remembering his past as well, either that or he felt for Chiyo because he knew what it felt like to be shunned. But I couldn't help but be jealous once again, she had trusted Hikitsu enough to tell him about her past but .... she hadn't wanted me to know. "I see now I feel even more like crap, since I had made her think about it." I muttered. "I'm sure she'll be fine, she's very strong to have survived to it." Hikitsu said quietly. "Hikitsu .... can I tell you something?" I asked a minute later. "Sure what is it?" Hikitsu asked. I blushed a little, as I replied. "I think .... I like Chiyo."