Silent Steps
By: Neko-chan
A/N: Yes, it's yet another short story/character profile/indepth analysis from the (in)famous Neko-chan! For all of those who are wondering about "Sands of Time"...good news! I'm updating this weekend! Anyway, until then, I hope you enjoy this short reprieve! ^_~
He doesn't know that I'm here. He doesn't know that I'm watching, waiting, seeing him from afar. I don't really want him to. Why?, some of you may ask. Because it wasn't all that long ago that he started to trust me.
Ah, yes. That day. What's so special about a certain day?, you ask, once again questioning. Well, this was a _very_ special day. To me, at least. After all, the day that someone finally begins to trust you is a very special day indeed. So long...trapped so very long in that puzzle. The years were long and dark. They seemed never ending.
But, finally, I was reawoken. By the least likely of people. There isn't much to look at, is there? But, beneath that small exterior is a soul that is so pure it shines with it's own light. It's a star, only brighter.
He hadn't really trusted me, until that day. I couldn't blame him, I didn't want to blame him. It was, after all, my own fault that he mistrusted me. But...so many people were counting on him. I didn't want them to be disappointed in him. My motives couldn't be all THAT bad, now could they? But...
Look! There, he's laughing. He's so young and so carefree. I was once like that. It was a very long time ago and the world was very different from what it is now. I miss that childhood, especially as I watch him grow through his. It won't be long now until he grows into an adult. He's already learning some of the things that an adult needs to learn. Yet still...he has that pure and innocent spirit.
Watching him, I wish that I was that pure and that kind. I know that, with his help, I'm slowly becoming different. Maybe I'm becoming more like him. I hope so.
Wait! He's looking over here! Luckily, I ducked behind a corner before he could realize who it was. With any luck, he didn't spot me. But, even being the King of Games doesn't guarantee me with luck all the time.
Sometimes, I wonder what it would have been like if it had been different. What would have happened if he and I switched places? What would it be like to be HIM? I'm envious. I'll freely admit that. I care for him, yet sometimes I feel as though I hate him. This feeling passes, but the memory still retains in my mind. I know that I don't truly hate him. I just wish...
He's given me so much, friendship least of all. He confides in me and he doesn't ask for anything at all when I don't return the favor. I just...I just don't want his mind to be stained like my own. That's why, late at night, I hide from him, yet still watch over him.
He's my charge. And yet...even more than that, he's my friend. He's my only friend.
I wonder... Is that why I fear him so? I've never really had any friends. I can honestly say that he's my first. It's a nice feeling, but scary, too. It makes me happy, but it also makes me worry. What happens when he finally discovers who I truly am? Will he still want to be friends? Will he still want to trust me?
I'm so tired. I'm tired of all the fighting. I'm tired of all the dueling. I love him, I love him more than anyone else. He's the only person that's ever mattered to me. I want to protect him, confide in him, but still...something holds me back. I just don't know what.
What could it be? It tickles the edge of my mind, flirting to and fro...
It doesn't matter, anyway. I may consider him my only and best friend, but I'm certain that he only considers me something little more than a pest. After all, why should he consider me a friend when he already has so many...and they're all wonderful, also. They love him in their own ways, as do I.
So, now, the only thing that I can do is just wait and watch from the shadows. My footsteps are silent on the pavement...