Chapter 48
(Kane and Clara)

As Kane finished reading the chapter to Clara, he slowly closed the book, staring at the blank cover of the tome. The silence was painful for him to bare as he sat in his leather chair, almost afraid to look up at Clara. She sat in the chair facing his with her mouth partially agape with a lost look in her eye. It was all flooding back to her. She had been sleeping in the music room of the Pokemon center when she had heard music being played. Clara could now remember parts of the beginning of the tune she had sang with the young man in green wearing glasses. A tear rolled down her darkened yellow fur.

"I'm starting to remember now..." she said aloud with only a small fragment of her hidden past coming back to her. Kane looked up at her finally, letting out a sigh while standing up. He set the book down on the arm of his chair as he walked over to the large bookshelf in the room. On the bottom shelf was a large box, which Clara had always been curious about, though due to her shyness, never asked about it's continents.

He pulled out the box, bringing it over to his desk and setting it down with a heavy thud. Kane motioned for her to stand and come over to him as he reached inside with his other hand. She obeyed, watching him pull out manilla folders, all of which were very thick. Now standing in front of him as he leaned against his desk with the folders in hand, he acknowledged her attention with a seriousness she had seen more than once.

"Everyone has a story, Clara." he told her. He tossed down on of the folders, having the name "Matt" written on it with black marker. "Some have painful pasts and are forced to be stronger than they normally think they can be as everyone around them creates expectations that they're the leader. They're told that they're the strongest, but ironically, they tend to be more mortal than they other realize."

Kane tossed down another folder with the name "Otto" on it.

"Some strive to stand out when they've been pushed into the shadows of everyone else's lives. They might spend they're entire existence trying to prove themselves to be worth noticing and to be loved, trying to find anyone who will listen with open ears and open hearts."

Tossing down another folder, the name "Rachel" was written on the front of it.

"Some try to stand higher than others, trying to make them believe they are superior. Internally, however, feel worthless and flawed, being lower than the rest."

Another folder was tossed down with "Sissy" on it.

"Some are fueled by hatred and anger, unleashing fury to those who stand in their way, even the ones who are closest to them. Pain and regret are all they know, having difficultly showing affection and love."

The last folder in Kane's hand, with a plethora of others still in the large box, landed on the small pile that had been formed. "Emie" was written on it.

"Some are fueled by love and naïve affection, doing the only thing they were taught, regardless of the misuse and abuse they received in the past."

Kane looked back at Clara as he leaned against the desk still.

"We all have stories, Clara." he told her. "I have a file on all of the characters involved with the events I recorded. Including you."

Clara looked at Kane with a mixture of confusion and sadness.

"Then...why not tell me who I am?" she asked him seriously. Kane chuckled, grabbing for the deck of cards near an empty coffee mug. He began to shuffle them to keep his hands busy, keeping eye contact with her the entire time he did so.

"You can't simply just tell someone who a person is, really." Kane told her. "You have to show them; make them believe it. If I were to say that someone was a bad person, you might have your doubts, questioning why such an accusation was placed on them in the first place. However, if I told you about how said person murdered an innocent man, you would naturally come to you own conclusions. No...perhaps I should use a different example."

Kane kept shuffling the cards as he spoke, closing his eyes to think of a good example.

"Suppose I told you of a man, saying that he was caring. You'd be forced either believe or doubt me, simply on my word. However, if I were to show you his actions, explaining how he once helped a man, though was paid to do so, you might have mixed feelings. Was he doing it more out of the kindness of his heart or for the money? By reading to you what had happened in the past, you will come to your own beliefs, Clara, even about yourself. That is why I can't show you the laundry list of traits, attributes, and other things about you, in fear you may simply believe them blindly or reject them without a second thought. Does this make any sense to you?"

Clara thought about it, soon nodding her head with Kane opening his eyes finally to see the wheels in her head turning. Kane set the deck of cards down, reaching for the folders, putting them them back in the box one by one. While doing so, and by complete accident, he realized the two remaining ones were Sissy's and Matt's, both resting beside each other. He couldn't help but smile.

"Another example might be to say that you love someone," he told Clara, still smiling at Sissy and Matt's folders resting side by side with one another. "To say it is one thing, but to honestly show it is another..."