Chapter 12: From Us to You
Pitou showed Eli where Pouf threw out all of his old bows that he had broken. Eli took the strings from each one of them and found a bow that was, relatively, intact. The strings were broken, but the wooden base was in one piece. "What are you trying to do?" Pitou asked Eli. "I want to make him a new violin bow." Eli said. "Why?" "Because… it's a nice thing to do?" Eli said, as if it was an obvious answer. "Pouf has been rude and vicious to you ever since you've gotten here. Why would you want to be nice to him?" "You were mean to me too." "Fair enough." "And as God as my witness, I will melt that icy heart of his!" Eli boasted.
"Bold words, but how do you plan on accomplishing that?" Pitou asked. "I've already told you: we are going to make him a new violin bow." "I don't think… wait, 'we?'" "Yeah. I don't know how to make one, really, so I figured, maybe… you could use Dr. Blythe to help me put it together?" Eli asked nervously. "Are you serious!? We are on high alert tonight, and I can't use my en while using Dr. Blythe!" "I know, but it'll only be for a couple of minutes. Besides, you said the King doesn't like your en anyways." "It doesn't matter what he likes or dislikes, it's to defend him and y—" Pitou caught themselves before they said it, but they could tell by the look in Eli's eyes that he knew what they almost said. "Pitou… I…" Eli couldn't speak, but he wore a warm smile on his face.
Pitou sat down on a nearby chair. "I… I've never had a friend before. I've never had somebody who cared about me before. I don't want to lose that." Pitou said. "You aren't going to lose me, Pitou. You're right here next to me, and Youpi is by the King and Pouf is on standby. Nobody is getting to the King. Besides, even if they did, the King is way too powerful to be killed easily." Eli said. "Well… I suppose you're right. Let's get started then." They summoned Dr. Blythe and began working. "Thanks for doing this." Eli said. "You're welcome." Pitou said.
"Besides, it'll be nice to give your brother a gift." Eli said. "Brother?" Pitou asked. "Yeah, Pouf. Don't tell me you've never thought of him as family." "Why would I?" "Because you all came from the queen. Hell, all of the Chimera Ants are your siblings, really." "I guess that's a fair point…" Pitou said as they thought about this idea. "That would mean the King is your brother too. I suppose that would make you a princess… or a prince… I'm not sure what to refer to you as anymore." "Well, I don't want you calling me princess." "Oh, sorry…" Eli said timidly. "However… I wouldn't complain if you called me lady." Pitou said with a slight smile.
Eli let out a little chuckle. "Alright… Lady Pitou." Eli said, just so he could hear how it sounded. Eli then got to thinking about something. "Say, Pitou." Eli said. "Yes?" They asked. "How old are you?" He asked. "Well… I suppose that depends on which body you're asking about." "Which body? You remember your previous body?" "Sort of… it's more like a feeling. It's like I think about something and just know it's right." "I see… so, about my previous question…" Eli said to get back on track. "Oh, right. Well, this body isn't even a year old yet, but I know that I was a late teenager in my previous body, maybe an adult." Pitou said.
"I see… when's your birthday?" Eli asked. "Why are you so curious about this?" "I don't know… I guess it's because my birthday is tomorrow." "It is?" "Yep. I turn eighteen tomorrow." "Oh, well… happy birthday." Pitou wasn't used to being kind, so they were awkward when it came to saying pleasantries. "Thank you, Pitou." Eli said. Pitou then realized something. "Wait, you're seventeen?" They asked. "Uh, yeah? How old did you think I was?" "I just assumed you were thirteen because of how short you were." "What! I'm not that short!" "You are chest height to me… you don't even have any facial hair either." Eli then realized Pitou was just teasing him. "Cut it out!" "Okay." Pitou chuckled. It was then that Pitou finished piecing together the bow. "It's done." They said. Eli lifted it up and inspected it. "It's perfect!" Eli said cheerfully. "Thank you." Pitou said. They began using their en once more. "Alright. I want you to invite Pouf to eat dinner with us. Do your best to convince him to come." "Okay. I'll see you then." Pitou said as they left the room.
Eli managed to find a box he could put the bow in. He tied it up to create a make-shift gift box. Dinner was ready not long after that, and Eli, Pitou and Pouf sat at a table together. Cheetu got some food before Pitou and Pouf showed up and took it to another room to eat. Eli had no idea how Pitou was able to convince Pouf to come, but he was glad that it worked out. It was awkward, incredibly so. Pouf simply sat with the food in front of him, refusing to eat it. He simply stared at Eli with spite in his eyes.
Eli looked over to Pitou, who nudged their head toward Pouf. "Pouf, uh… you should eat. The food's going to get cold." Eli said. Pouf said nothing, just continued his staring. "It's good. I made it myself." "That's what worries me." Pouf said. "At least he's talking." Pitou said. "Look, ask anyone else around the palace. They'll say my cooking is good." Eli said. "I will not accept food from a human." Pouf said. "Seriously? That's what this is about?" Eli asked. "Your kind is only here to serve the King, nothing more." "Okay… this is just…" Eli couldn't think of what to say, so he just let out a long sigh.
"Eli… the gift?" Pitou said. "Right." Eli said. He had it just off to the side. He grabbed it and handed it to Pouf. Pouf simply stared at it, not trusting Eli. "Pouf, please, just humor us." Pitou said. "Us?" Pouf asked. "Yeah, that's a gift from us to you." Eli said. Pouf let out a sigh and opened the gift box and saw the violin bow inside. "What's this?" "It's a new bow for your violin." Eli said. "Eli saw that you broke your old one and we decided to make you a new one." Pitou added. "Why is this different from any other violin bow?" Pouf asked. "Because we made it especially for you, and the hairs that make up the strings are made from the ones we took from all of your old bows." Eli said. "What's the point of that?" Pouf asked. "Well, it saves resources for one, but it's part of tradition where I come from. You see, my people believe that past experiences should always be remembered, as they're always a part of you. So, we took the bows from all of your past songs that you've played and made a new bow out of them." Eli said.
Pouf inspected the bow for a moment, but then tossed it aside. "It's worthless." He said. Eli was furious, and even Pitou seemed insulted. "Hold on a second! If that bow was just made by me, I wouldn't have minded you tossing it aside like that, but Pitou made that themselves. They did most of the work, so you ought to show some damn respect." Eli said as he stood up from his chair. "I don't need to show respect, especially to someone who is wasting their power when they should be protecting the King!" Pouf yelled as he looked to Pitou. "No! Eyes over here, your argument is with me!" Eli yelled at Pouf. Pouf stood up and faced Eli.
"What the hell is your problem, huh? Why do you hate me so much?" Pitou felt like stepping in, but another part of them was enjoying the spectacle too much. "You humans are all the same. Thinking you're so special." "No, this isn't about humanity. You hate me especially. Why?" "I don't need to justify myself to you." "Yeah, you kind of do." "I need to return to the King." Pouf said as he tried to walk out. "No, you don't… wait, I get what this is about now." Pouf turned back to Eli. "This is about the King agreeing to help me, isn't it?" Eli asked. "You need to stop talking…" Pouf said, growing uncomfortable. "That is it! You hate me because the King made the decision to aid a human, and not just one human, but their entire people, and that pisses you off, doesn't it!?" "Stop talking…"
Eli got in Pouf's face. Well, at least as much as he could, as Pouf was considerably taller than the small boy. "You're frustrated, aren't you? You're angry, you want to do something, but you can't. You'd kill me the moment you got the chance, wouldn't you?" Eli asked. "Of course, I'm frustrated. I've wanted you to drop dead the moment you walked into this palace." "Oh, so you think you know frustration?" "I know frustration very well! The King keeps making decisions that make him look weak, and he refuses my input again and again!" "And you think you know what it's like to be angry?" "The King nearly killed himself due to his own pride, and he only accepted help when a human forced him to!" "And you think you know what it's like to want to end it all!?" Eli screamed, which silenced the room.
Pitou's eyes went wide, and Pouf became speechless. "Answer me!" Eli shouted, but no answer came. Eli realized how angry he was getting, so he sat down and tried to calm himself. Pouf used his ability and saw Eli's emotional state… it was impossible to understand. Eli took a few deep breaths and steadied himself. "Eli… what did you mean by that?" Pitou asked with a horrified look. "When I was thirteen years old… I reached a breaking point. Everyone avoided me like I was a plague. They were afraid of Shroud, afraid of his power. They thought that at any moment, Shroud could go berserk and kill them all, so they tried to pretend that I didn't exist. I just… couldn't take it anymore." Pitou came over to Eli and sat down next to him. "I tried everything I could to get rid of Shroud, though I was even more naïve back then than I am now. I thought I could get rid of him with sticks, stones and prayers. Hell, I even tried cutting him off." He pulled down the shoulder of his shirt, showing several deep scars around the skin where Shroud was resting. "Eli…" Pitou said, not sure on what to say.
Eli took in a deep breath before continuing. "When I… when I tried to cut him off, but failed, I… I looked at the blade and thought, 'what's the point?' I turned the blade toward my throat and tried to stab myself… Shroud broke the blade before it could reach me. I tried killing myself in so many ways during the following weeks. I tried to jump off of a cliff, but Shroud caught me. I tried to poison myself, but Shroud forced me to puke it back up. I found an old gun and tried to shoot myself, but Shroud just broke the gun in half. I was a prisoner in my own body… hell, I'm still a prisoner. Shroud just… he won't ever let me live in peace…" Pitou, not knowing what else to do, simply placed their hand on Eli's shoulder. "I… I'm sorry, Eli." They said. "It's… alright. You didn't put Shroud on my shoulder." Pouf walked over to the violin bow that was lying on the ground. He held it in one hand and tapped the palm of his other hand with it. Pouf then walked toward the door and said, "I'm getting my violin." Pitou was shocked, but Eli was happy. "I broke through…" He said.
Before long, Pouf came back into the room with his violin in hand. He was trying to hide it, but he was nervous. No doubt he was thinking of all his previous failures. "Pouf." Eli said. "Let me give you some advice." "What?" Pouf asked. "That song you're trying to play. It's a song of life and happiness. Those are subjects that you don't think about often. Your head is usually filled with fantasies of the mass genocide of humanity." "That's not true…" Pouf said. "Don't lie." Pouf just looked away from him. "Clear your mind of those things. Instead, think about… what life would be like if the Chimera Ants and humans were unified." "You mean hell?" Pouf asked. "Be serious!" Eli complained.
Pouf just rolled his eyes and got the violin into position. This time, when he played the song, he didn't miss a beat. It was wonderfully done, every note in its place and played as it was meant to be played. Pouf did not slip or stutter a single time, and the result was a beautiful song that filled the room with life. Upon the song's conclusion, Eli began to applaud. Pitou joined in as well. Pouf didn't expect the reaction, but he took a bow in response. He rose from his bow and looked at a clock on one of the walls. "I really should be getting back to the King now… thank you, Eli." Pouf said. "We need to talk about something before you leave." Pitou said. Pouf started walking over. "Now even Pouf likes you, even if he doesn't want to show it." Pitou said. "Yeah…" Eli said with a proud smile. Pouf came up and could now hear the conversation. "Now we can focus on getting Shroud off of you as soon as possible." Pitou said, aggravating Shroud. "Why so quick?" Eli asked. "War is coming, and you'll be put in harm's way when it does come, so we need to get rid of Shroud so we can get you out of here." Pitou said.
Eli felt differently. "If you guys do manage to get Shroud off of me, I'm not going to up and leave you all." "Why?" Pouf asked. He couldn't understand why he would risk himself. "Because it's the right thing to do. I'm not going to let you all get hurt. I'm fairly sure that I'm pretty strong, so I could definitely help you guys fight." Eli said. Pouf didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say. He walked out of the room without saying a word. "What happens now?" Eli asked. "We prepare, I suppose." Pitou said. They rubbed their eyes. They were exhausted but didn't want to show it. "Are you okay?" Eli asked. "I'm fine." Pitou said. "No, you're not. You're exhausted." "I'll be fine." "No, you're not. You need some rest." "No, I don't… besides, I can't sleep on nights like this. Nights where the King is in danger… and now you're in danger on top of that."
Pitou desperately needed rest, and Eli knew this. He was trying to think of a way to convince them to sleep. "Well, you can sleep in my room, so if I'm in harm's way, you'd know it immediately." Eli said. "What? No, I have my duties to the King." Pitou said. "Then I'll ask him. Meet me back in my room." Without explanation, he walked off. He made his way to the throne room. Once again, the King was playing a game with that woman, Komugi. Eli couldn't believe he hadn't won a single game yet. "Mr. King." Eli said. "Yes, Eli?" The King asked. "Pitou is exhausted. She hasn't slept for days, and she's still refusing to sleep because of her duties. Do you think you could give her an 'order,' to get some rest?" "It's always been Pitou's choice to stay awake with their en for days on end. They can rest whenever they please." "They know that, but they're refusing to sleep. However, if they heard that you ordered them to rest, they would." "Fine. Tell them that I told them to rest." "Thank you, sir." Eli said before taking his leave.
Eli went up to his room, and Pitou was waiting for him there. "Good, you're back. Now that the King has told you how important my duties are, I will return to—" "Actually, he ordered you to rest." Eli said, interrupting Pitou. "What!?" They obviously weren't expecting that. "Yep. It's official. You have to go to sleep now." "Alright, fine." They went over to the chair by the desk and sat down. "What are you doing?" Eli asked. "Going to sleep?" "You're not sleeping in the chair!" "Then where do I sleep?" "On the bed." Eli said. "And where are you going to sleep?" "On the bed." Eli repeated.
"You… want us to share the bed?" Pitou asked. "Yeah." Eli said. He didn't think much of it. "But… I don't believe that bed was meant for two…" Pitou said, but that wasn't the real reason they were hesitant. "Come on, Pitou. I'm chest height to you. There's plenty of room." "If… if you say so." "I'll let you sleep on the outside so the sun can wake you up." "Okay." Eli got on the bed first, then Pitou lied down next to him. They had their backs to each other. Eli did it out of respect, while Pitou did it out of shyness, an emotion that Pitou was rather unfamiliar with. "Goodnight, Pitou." Eli said. "Goodnight… Eli." Pitou said. They fell asleep in seconds.