Because I'm Blind, I See

Aiko

Integrating Kachina with her body, I sat next to the two cats as she gave her kitten a thorough wash. Then suddenly, she gave Velvet a sharp cuff, sending the kitten running off.

"Um, Kachina? What's wrong?"

She turned and looked up at me. Then she left her body. "Nothing's wrong, Aiko. Velvet doesn't need me anymore, that's all."

I could sense her regard. She was wondering if I'd try to keep her here, breaking my promise.

Well, that wasn't something I was going to start now. "You've been a faithful servant for as long as you've been here. I won't try to keep you here. Go in peace."

She smiled at me with a purr, and then flew off along the pillar of light.

I gathered up Kachina's body and went to find Morty.

I found him. "Hey, Morty?"

"Eh?"

"Could you do me a favor?"

We found a quiet spot just outside the village. I buried the body, and Morty found a rock, wrote Kachina's name on it, and set it up for a gravestone. After sending up quiet prayers for her, we went back to the village.

"What will you do now?" Morty asked. "Your strategy has always focused around Kachina being fused with you, while Maia's medium was your fan."

"I'll make do somehow."

My next battle was soon named. Our opposing team was a group of three whose leader, Boris, had strong beliefs that anyone who was "handicapped" shouldn't be a shaman, and should instead rely on others for strength. This included blind people.

Boy, those people burn me up!

My team members were soon busy with the other guy's team members, leaving me to fight Boris myself.

"You have no business being a shaman," he snapped, "your sightlessness only slows everyone else down!"

"What makes you think I can't be a shaman?" I snapped back. Then I pulled what I now knew was a double medium. Using Maia in both fans is technically a double medium like Yoh's Spirit of Sword, so mine would probably be called Spirit of Fan. Last time it had exhausted me, but I'm stronger now, so hopefully it wouldn't be too bad this time. I leaped onto the disc it formed, and it took off. For once, I was standing up on the fan with my arms outstretched.

My world shrank dramatically, until there were only two things in it: Maia under my feet, and Boris' guardian ghost.

And one of us had to go down.

Then I noticed something: the aura around his body seemed unstable, flickering about him like fog.

His body's uncertain. His own body has a hidden weakness that he doubtless doesn't know about, or he wouldn't be so snobbish over my fighting. Therefore, I must prove his weakness to himself.

I rushed towards him, as he lunged as well. My whole body was bent forward, as my toes balanced on the center of Maia's fans to keep me facing forward while she spun. My sightless eyes were fixed on his, that I could sense, and I could already tell that this was a game of Chicken! I knew what I had to do.

"Out of my way, you fool! You'll die!" he yelled.

"You know, it's a funny thing about being blind," I retorted, "I feel no fear of your power! I'll just use what I have, and hope it's enough!"

Closer…closer we came to impact…

I recognized he wasn't going to dodge this time and swerved point-blank range, but I still got grazed and Maia and I spun wildly out of control – and I couldn't use my right arm! It was dislocated at the shoulder, and burning furiously with pain, no wonder I screamed!

"With one arm and no sight, there's no way you'll be able to balance!" Boris-the-Heckler yelled at me, turning around. "You might as well give up now!"

I looked over my shoulder. "Never! Maia, Spiraling Swipe!"

She started spinning extremely fast, with my feet actually touching down onto the "paper" so that I spun with her. I held my useless arm to my side to keep it from getting caught by the wind, and we circled back around towards him.

Focusing on his energy, I sensed his thoughts, such as I could.

…She's not; she couldn't be still trying to win. ...She's not backing down? How could this be? She's blind – she's weak! How –

At point-blank range this time, I suddenly sensed it: his stress triggered a seizure, and my furyoku collided with his while it was defenseless. I caught him on Maia so that he never hit the ground, and slowly lowered him.

"Great job, Aiko!" Millie called, "We won!"

"Really?" Why was my voice sounding so far away in my own ears? "Good." Then I went deaf.

Len

I thought I was going to lose it when Aiko just collapsed down there. We all went down to see if she was all right, and Faust studied her. "Aside from a few scrapes and a dislocated shoulder, she's just exhausted."

After he set her arm right – which probably would have caused her more pain if she'd been conscious – Faust stated, "She needs plenty of rest now."

"I'll take her back to her place." I shoved her fans in my pocket and gathered her up in my arms. Maia hovered around me as I walked.

Thank goodness she's all right. Now I'll be able to get another chance to tell her how I feel about her.

I don't know where her team went. Maybe they were going to find their friends. Still, that meant I wouldn't have an audience.

Finally finding her place and going in, I set her carefully down on one of the beds. Then, after glancing around to make sure nobody was watching, I leaned over and kissed her on the lips, stroking her forehead.

As I stood up, I tossed her fans onto her chest and glared at Maia. "Tell her I did that, and you'll wish you hadn't."

"It is up to you to inform her of your actions if you choose to, Master Len."

Well, at least I still have my reputation.

But where has my courage gone in this matter?

A/N: Len's more used to battles than dealing with girls, so he hasn't quite figured out how to tell her; this is where his uncertaincy is coming from. (Is "uncertaincy" a word? ...I'VE MADE IT ONE! ^_^)