Disclaimer: You know the drill…
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Mido cracked open the white front door, peaking inside for any signs of life. After a quick glance around the living room and listening for sounds from the kitchen, he stepped cautiously inside.
Dipping inside the kitchen doorway, he grabbed a bowl of instant ramen, pausing only for a second to poor in the hot water. Then he pounded up the stairs as fast as he could, ignoring the jabbing pains his backpack made as it whacked against his back. A little splash of the noodles made a mark on his uniform, but he ignored it, making a leap for the doorway to his room.
Only when his doorway was all the way closed, did Mido relax. Letting his backpack slide to the ground with a thump, he threw himself onto his bed, steadying his ramen so as to make sure it didn't spill. Then, turning himself onto his back, he proceeded to eat his ramen upside down, an ability that had taken many years to master.
'Living in a house with MY father, is like living in a dungeon,' he thought, starring up at the ceiling. 'Only with a lot of guards and dragons roaming around.'
Getting caught by his father would not be a pretty sight, particularly if he had just come back from the bar. There were no doubts in Mido's mind, that if his father caught him, tomorrow at school he would have several large, red welts.
'It's not that I love him that I don't turn him into the authorities,' he told himself. 'And it's not that I hate him either. It's just that he's all I have left. All that I have left in my life that MEANS something. If my father left, everything would change. I'd change schools, leave my friends, go to live with people I've never even met. If I lost all that, what would I live for? What COULD I live for?'
But something unexpected popped into Mido's mind, something from the deepest part of his subconscious. 'You could live for yourself,' it told him. 'What else can you live for anyway?'
'Nonsense,' he scolded himself. 'That's just selfish.'
But the little voice chided back, 'But is it? Don't you have the right to live for yourself, and only yourself. If only to see what you become as you grow older? What knowledge you can gain, what job you'll get, the places you go the people you see? Live only TO live, and life will become a wonderful thing. Because, you see, you'll always succeed in living, so long as you try.'
Mido found that there was no arguing with that.
Sighing at his own stupidity of talking himself, Mido sighed, heading downstairs to throw his empty ramen cup away.
It was there he made his mistake. He headed into the kitchen, tossed the can into the trash beneath the sink, then headed back up to his room. But, deep in his own thoughts, he forgot to gently close the kitchen door. The wind swiftly closed it with a loud BANG, rattling the entire room. Mido winced, and then held his breath, hoping, PRAYING that his father hadn't heard.
"Mido!" a shout rang out from the study.
'No such luck,' Mido thought with a sigh, heading over to the room the shout came from, not slowly, but certainly not hurrying.
"Mido, you there?!" he yelled again.
"Yes, Father," he said, looking down at the man in the green, easy chair. His father was a large man, with short black hair, and a large nose. The room was filled with the stench of liquor, which made Mido's stomach turn queasily.
"What took you so long?" he demanded. Then, without waiting for an answer, asked gruffly, "where were you all day?"
Mido, without meaning to, answered sarcastically, "School. I'm there every weekday, remember?"
His father jumped up out of his chair at that remark. "Getting smart with me, eh?" he snapped. Then taking an advancing step, announced gruffly, "Maybe you need to be taught a lesson!"
Mido whimpered slightly, but didn't object as his father grabbed the front of his uniform, hauling him up into the air by his collar. His father raised back his hand to slab him across the face, and Mido closed his eyes, awaiting the pain that he knew would be coming.
Then his inner voice spoke up. 'What are you doing, you fool! Don't be an idiot, remember what I told you!' and suddenly he felt a power course through his veins, and everything changed.
His body suddenly changed, and he felt lighter, more lean. His mind seemed to blaze and all colors swarmed passed him, showing pictures, things and people from the past. His brown hair lengthened, and turned a deep red, as his body grew and became more lean. The color of his eyes, although they were closed, turned from dark brown, to a bright, blazing green. And not only did his body changed, so did his memories.
Mido, or Kurama, opened his eyes and blinked. Standing before him was his father, or one of them, who was inching slowly away, looking at him in horrified way.
"W- what?" he stuttered, barely able to manage any words. "W-what-"
But that was all he said. In a sudden flash, a streak of black appeared in the room, and by them, knocking his father down to the floor, unconscious.
There next to the desk stood Hiei, starring at Mido/Kurama, with wide, surprised eyes.
Then, he said in realization eyes wide and mouth shocked, "Eino's not Kurama. You are."
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Hey, hey, hey!
I'm not sure if you'd all consider this a cliff hanger, but I certainly think it qualifies! Anyhow, this is the last "official" chapter, the next one is kind of the last, tie 'er up, epilogue. Unfortunately, since I'm going on a week long trip, it won't be up until 27th or the 29th of July! Sorry!!!! But I promise it'll be really good and explain everything!!!!
Also, for all you fans of Fox Child, I've had a case of writer's block with it, and with me being gone and all, I won't be able to update at least until the 27th or 29th! Sorry for the inconvenience!!!
I think that's it for now! And by the way, Taby: you were a lot closer then I ever expected anyone to get!!!
Talk in a week!
Dream