Yoshi remained quiet for some time. Japs had sat down, and after a hot
drink he and Link began talking. Kirby had gone off to tell Mrs. Tardid
that Japs was back, safe and sound, after they reported him missing. Yoshi
felt much like Kirby at this time. He could not decide which Japs he liked,
the one that is or the one that was. He had only really been a friend with
the Japs that Japs created, but was the real Japs anything different?
'Yoshi?' Link asked. He and Japs were sitting on the couch. 'You okay?'
'No.' Replied Yoshi. 'I mean yes. I mean... I don't know, Link. I'm just... confused.'
Japs looked at the shell of his spider. He could fix it, but he was not sure if he wanted to. Whilst Kanaka was functional, it was like it had possessed Japs, so he could never switch it off. Now it was offline, but Japs felt empty. 'Is it my heart, or is it my head?' He thought. 'Have I grown to miss Kanaka, or do I want my brain back?'
Link picked up Japs' empty cocoa cup. 'You want more?' He asked. Japs shook his head, and then hummed as he continued to think.
'I have forgotten many things. Things from the past I wanted to forget, and most likely things of the past I didn't. I brought this on myself; I brought all this pain to everyone around me. Gah! What's the point? I'm just an empty shell now, like Kanaka! I have no real emotions, why would I care?
'But... yet I feel pain. And I feel happiness, and love. Am I truly without emotions? No, I can't be. I have cried, I have laughed, and I have loved. I must have emotions. So, the only thing Kanaka has really taken away from me is my... my ability to show my emotions! I cry, but I never tell. I laugh, but I never joke. I love, but I cannot be loved! This has got to be the answer!
'The answer to what? I have a soul, and I have a heart. And both are caressed with the thought of Nekoni. If I regain my intelligence, do I lose my love for her?'
'What is love?' Japs asked suddenly. Link and Yoshi looked at him.
'Love...' Said Link. 'Well...'
'Love is the feeling when you care about someone very much.' Said Yoshi.
'But... does that mean I love you guys?'
'Kinda.' Said Link. 'But love is for those you have a passion for. We are friends.'
'I love Nekoni.' Said Japs. He wasn't thinking before he spoke, because he was saying his thoughts. 'But who does she love?'
'Who does she love?' Japs thought. 'I hope it's me.'
Japs spent another hour thinking. He would sometimes mutter things, and Link only caught some, like 'Friends', 'Truth' and 'Care'. Kirby had come back, and he spoke to Link only out of earshot of Japs. Soon, Japs had begun talking again, but in a strange way. In-between sentences he would weave a question. But then he stood up.
'I want to be Japs.' He said. The three looked at him in mild shock.
'Are you sure?' Asked Kirby. Japs nodded.
Kirby brought the motherboard of Kanaka. He then attached Kanaka to Japs, who did nothing more but whine a little in pain. Kanaka's motherboard was replaced, and then Kirby opened the tiny headpiece. He switched some wires and then stood back, nodding to Japs who nodded back. Link and Yoshi stood back. Japs closed his eyes and paused, but then his face became stern and he reassured himself. Blood dripped from Kanaka's fangs. It rolled down Japs' pail arm.
'Kanaka.' Began Japs, and he clenched his eyelids shut. 'Activate.'
There was a blinding flash. Japs could see nothing. He could feel a sharp pain in the back. He could smell a new, uncomfortable smell, the smell of boiled blood. He could hear voices, but he was unsure if he recognized them. He could say nothing, his body stiff and painful. He then blacked out.
-------------------------------
Well, this is the last in the Open Wounds series! Next season, we're getting deep into the school term and the FireBall season begins, but- and there allways is a but- what about Japs?
Think about it!
Peace!
-Japs-
'Yoshi?' Link asked. He and Japs were sitting on the couch. 'You okay?'
'No.' Replied Yoshi. 'I mean yes. I mean... I don't know, Link. I'm just... confused.'
Japs looked at the shell of his spider. He could fix it, but he was not sure if he wanted to. Whilst Kanaka was functional, it was like it had possessed Japs, so he could never switch it off. Now it was offline, but Japs felt empty. 'Is it my heart, or is it my head?' He thought. 'Have I grown to miss Kanaka, or do I want my brain back?'
Link picked up Japs' empty cocoa cup. 'You want more?' He asked. Japs shook his head, and then hummed as he continued to think.
'I have forgotten many things. Things from the past I wanted to forget, and most likely things of the past I didn't. I brought this on myself; I brought all this pain to everyone around me. Gah! What's the point? I'm just an empty shell now, like Kanaka! I have no real emotions, why would I care?
'But... yet I feel pain. And I feel happiness, and love. Am I truly without emotions? No, I can't be. I have cried, I have laughed, and I have loved. I must have emotions. So, the only thing Kanaka has really taken away from me is my... my ability to show my emotions! I cry, but I never tell. I laugh, but I never joke. I love, but I cannot be loved! This has got to be the answer!
'The answer to what? I have a soul, and I have a heart. And both are caressed with the thought of Nekoni. If I regain my intelligence, do I lose my love for her?'
'What is love?' Japs asked suddenly. Link and Yoshi looked at him.
'Love...' Said Link. 'Well...'
'Love is the feeling when you care about someone very much.' Said Yoshi.
'But... does that mean I love you guys?'
'Kinda.' Said Link. 'But love is for those you have a passion for. We are friends.'
'I love Nekoni.' Said Japs. He wasn't thinking before he spoke, because he was saying his thoughts. 'But who does she love?'
'Who does she love?' Japs thought. 'I hope it's me.'
Japs spent another hour thinking. He would sometimes mutter things, and Link only caught some, like 'Friends', 'Truth' and 'Care'. Kirby had come back, and he spoke to Link only out of earshot of Japs. Soon, Japs had begun talking again, but in a strange way. In-between sentences he would weave a question. But then he stood up.
'I want to be Japs.' He said. The three looked at him in mild shock.
'Are you sure?' Asked Kirby. Japs nodded.
Kirby brought the motherboard of Kanaka. He then attached Kanaka to Japs, who did nothing more but whine a little in pain. Kanaka's motherboard was replaced, and then Kirby opened the tiny headpiece. He switched some wires and then stood back, nodding to Japs who nodded back. Link and Yoshi stood back. Japs closed his eyes and paused, but then his face became stern and he reassured himself. Blood dripped from Kanaka's fangs. It rolled down Japs' pail arm.
'Kanaka.' Began Japs, and he clenched his eyelids shut. 'Activate.'
There was a blinding flash. Japs could see nothing. He could feel a sharp pain in the back. He could smell a new, uncomfortable smell, the smell of boiled blood. He could hear voices, but he was unsure if he recognized them. He could say nothing, his body stiff and painful. He then blacked out.
-------------------------------
Well, this is the last in the Open Wounds series! Next season, we're getting deep into the school term and the FireBall season begins, but- and there allways is a but- what about Japs?
Think about it!
Peace!
-Japs-