The Legendary Knight: Broken Glass
The indescribable taste of rotting flesh almost made her throw up. Yet she couldn't bring herself to do it. Not when so many days have passed without her having a single bite to eat. She knew it would probably make her sick but it was better than the awful feeling of acid burning holes in your stomach. She whimpered and cried as she took another bite out of the blood-bathed flesh.-
"Wake up!" Hayate shouted. "You're keeping everyone up with all that noise!" Kai sprang from her bed and ran into the bathroom. She held her head over the toilet and puked. "Hey…you alright?" He took a step toward the bathroom, but was cut off when she shouted at him.
"I'm fine! Just leave!" Hayate's eyes furrowed in an angry expression, but he didn't say anything. He just walked out. Kai rinsed her mouth out and began brushing her teeth when someone tapped at the door. She walked out of the bathroom with her toothbrush still in her mouth as she muffled out the words, "It's open." In walked a familiar staff maid with a tray of food. "You…" she muttered after taking the toothbrush out of her mouth.
"Your breakfast Miss Haritanzu." Kai motioned for her to set down on a nearby table as she excused herself for a moment. She went to rinse he mouth out again before coming back out. "I'll be going now," the woman said after the long pause. She turned to walk out the door.
"Wait!" The woman turned quite startled. "Uh…thanks."
"I'm just doing my job."
"Not the food. I mean, the other day."
"It was nothing. Really. How is your mother by the way?"
"…She's…de-"
"Oh, no, forget I asked," the woman said a little worriedly.
"It's alright."
"So they're forbidding you to leave the room again?"
"Yes."
"Did they ask you how you got out?"
"Not yet, but I know they will," Kai sighed.
"Locking you up so much. It's a bit odd."
"Huh?"
"…Never mind. It's nothing."
"You can't just start saying something and not finish. What is it?"
"It's just, I thought they'd try their best to keep you happy."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Well…"
"Yeah," Kai rushed.
"The Pretear turns into the Princess of Disaster. Usually, something bad happens to make the Pretear change. Since you're a Pretear, then they'd usually act extra nice to make sure you're not angry or depressed."
"Wha-…they wouldn't do that." They wouldn't. Although it does make sense but…they wouldn't. Sasame's too nice to…too nice.
"But you're not a pretear. You would turn into something far worse."
n...no
"Did, I say something wrong?"
"…oh. No. It's fine. Y-…you're probably right anyways."
"I should be going now."
Kai sat down on her bed, barely waving at the woman.
-
"Hey Kai. I haven't heard a peep out of you all day. Are you okay?" Goh spoke as he opened the door. He heard the sound of sliding glass as he did. As he looked into the room, he almost gasped in shock at all the broken glass. The window, broken, the glass cup on her breakfast tray, broken, the large mirror, broken, the glass frame in the windowsill, shattered. Shards of glass decorated the rug in a random manner. Kai sat, crouched, on her bed with the sheets over her head. Goh was afraid of stepping on the glass. He floated into the room and sat beside Kai. "What happened! Are you alright?" Goh pulled the sheet from her head. Her eyes widened, as she looked at all the glass on the floor. She yanked the covers back over her head. While she did that, Goh noticed her bleeding arm. He grabbed but she yanked away and scooted further from him. "What's wrong with you?"
"Just leave me alone!" she shrieked. It won't go away. I don't want to turn into that thing!
Goh pulled the cover back off her head and picked her up. "Let's go get that bandaged up."
Kai pushed him while he lifted her off the bed. "I said leave me alone!"
"Stop acting like such a child. And why do you have your eyes closed? Did you get glass in them?" Goh asked as he tried to open them for her. He opened one half way before she could stop him. He almost dropped her. They were as red as the blood dripping down her hand and arm. She closed it again. Since it went by so quickly, Goh thought she had gotten glass in her eye. By the time Goh got her down to the First aid, her eyes weren't red anymore.
-
"What was with all the broken glass in your room! Why'd you break it! Do you know how long it's going to take us to fix all of that!"
She…she had to have been lying. If she weren't, Hayate wouldn't be yelling at me like this. He's yelling at me while I'm bandaged in the first aid bed. What an insensitive bastard. Kai smirked to herself.
"Kai!…Kai!…Are you even listening to me!"
"Huh," Kai blinked twice.
Hayate ran a rigid hand through his hair. "You'll be staying in my room where I can keep an eye on you until the mess in your room is cleaned up."
Kai smiled at Himeno who had just entered the room. "But I don't think it would be appropriate to share a room with another guy. So why don't I just stay in Himeno's room. That is, if you don't mind."
"Of course I mind. You just take advantage of how nice she is."
"I wasn't asking you. I was asking Himeno, behind you."
Himeno almost laughed at the surprised look on his face. "Of course I won't mind."
"Great," Kai smiled. Hayate gave Kai a narrowed look as if trying to say I'm watching you. Kai only returned his look with a smirk. He's too much of a jackass to pretend to be nice. For once, I've found something good about his attitude.
"Stop smiling at me. It's annoying," Hayate muttered to her before leaving. "And I'm watching you."
"I wouldn't have it any other way, big brother."
Hayate froze at the door. "YOU STUPID—"
"I meant big brother a in the expression. Something you call someone when they're always watching you."
Himeno looked at Hayate oddly. His face went red a bit from embarrassment. He quickly left the room. That was odd. "What's going on?"
"Nothing. I just enjoy making him angry."
-
"Sasame, my arm's hurt, not my legs," Kai blushed.
He looked down at her red face and set her firmly on the floor. "But it was still polite of me to do so."
"Well isn't that cute," Mannen grinned.
"I'd punch but my good fist is bandaged up."
"Well aren't I lucky," Mannen retorted sarcastically as he plucked her on the forehead. She kicked him in the Shin. "OWW!"
"Well my good leg is still as effective."
"WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT!"
"Well if you don't know the answer to that question, then you really are dumber than I thought."
"YOU—"
"You two argue like an old married couple," Sasame laughed.
"Don't make me kick you too."
"Like anyone would marry her. She's going to end up an old lonely hag."
"YOU'RE ONE TO TALK YOU DENSE MORON! Anyone who spends more than five seconds with you can figure out your I.Q. isn't exactly up to standard."
"WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY!"
"THAT'S EXACTLY MY POINT! Remedials…"
Himeno and Sasame laughed. "I'm going to go take Kei some food. He's been in that cave all day," Himeno informed. "Kai, you just make yourself at home."
"Alright." Kai walked in while Sasame set her bag on a nearby table. "Thanks."
-
"I told you to eat something," Himeno laughed.
Kai squeezed her growling stomach. "Well I wasn't hungry at the time," she sighed.
"I can go get you a snack if you want me to."
"No. It's alight. I'll eat tomorrow."
"You sure?"
"Yes mother," Kai responded sarcastically.
Himeno laughed. "Well on a less parental note, what's with you a Sasame? You're together all the time. It's so cute. That is, if you don't mind my asking?" Himeno held the most sheepish grin on her face.
Whoa, she's serious. "It's not even like that. We're just-"
"Friends? You don't have to lie to me. I won't tell anyone."
"But…I don't-"
"Yooou're lying. But if you don't want to talk about it," Himeno turned out the light. "Good night, Kai."
"W-…wait. I don't…ugh, forget it. 'Night."
-
Kai yawned quietly, while slowly creeping out of bed so not to wake Himeno. "I should have taken the snack. Now I can't sleep," she muttered to herself. She looked over at the digital clock sitting on Himeno's nightstand. 2 in the morning! This sucks… Kai slipped out the door, toward the kitchen downstairs. The hall was lit by the moonlight shining in through the large ceiling to floor windows. She had been staring out of them the entire walk down the hall. Then suddenly, she stepped down on a stair that she didn't notice coming and fell forward, down the rest. Something broke her fall. Her eyes shot open wide at the sight as she tore her lips from his. "I-I'm sorry." Before Sasame could say anything, she jolted toward the kitchen. Her mind a thousand scrambled thoughts.
-
"Wake up. Your coming down to breakfast to eat with us aren't you?" Himeno asked.
Kai wiped her eyes lazily. Her arm didn't hurt as much as before, but every now and then, an annoying pain would get to her. At Himeno's offer to eat breakfast with everyone, her stomach tightened. "I sort of stuffed my face last night because I got really hungry. Now, I'm not so hungry anymore." Just then her stomach growled. Damn it…
"You're coming you liar."
"I'm not lying…I'm not completely lying. Do I have to?"
"Yes. Now get up."
Kai put some slippers on and walked with Himeno to the dining room downstairs. While on the way down, Himeno noticed Kai's bandaged arm. "Does it still hurt?"
"A little," she said as she poked at it.
"Don't do that."
"Hey, it doesn't hurt anymore…weird. It did just a few minutes ago."
"Does that happen a lot?"
"What?"
"Healing so quickly."
"O, yeah. But I didn't get injured much at home."
"Really? But didn't you used to…um…"
"Kill people? You can go ahead and say it. It's no big deal. But no. It was rare that anyone ever got a hand on me first."
Himeno found this quite impressive, and could tell by Kai's smirk, that she was a bit proud of it too. But the smirk was so hollow. More like she was impressed with how good she was at it, but not the fact that she did it. Her thoughts continued to dwell on her previous words. "No big deal? Of course it's a big deal. What you did was wrong and you know it. So why did you do it?"
Kai remained silent for a while, before another small smirk spread across her face. "You're exactly the same."
Himeno didn't expect that as an answer and blinked twice. "What do you mean?"
"When I first met you, I barely knew your name and you pummeled me with a thousand questions."
"I was a kid. Give me a break."
"But you're exactly the same. You think that maybe you would have at least changed the appearance a bit. But not you. Same dorky pink hair. Hasn't grown an inch. And you're still kind of short."
"Alright already!" Himeno laughed. Her face was a little red from her relentless observations. "I get it! You haven't changed either." Kai looked at her strangely. She's completely changed. "Your appearance is different. You don't carry that same innocent happiness with you like you used to. You're unpredictable and show rare and random acts of affection. You mostly keep to yourself."
"So what's the same?"
"You still always seem to be hiding something and you never talk about your family."
"Oh," Kai muttered.
"But you tell Sasame everything. I just wish you'd talk to me like you do him."
All the problems and doubts I had, maybe still have, about these people, she's probably already had. I don't want to talk to her about my family, but maybe talking to her about that would make the both of us feel better. "You wouldn't understand. Not all of it. And not why I keep it to myself except when he's around. Now don't assume anything because I don't like him like that, but, I can't really explain it. If I don't bring it up, it's because I don't want to talk about it. I'm telling you that as a friend. If I ever have a question I need to ask, I'll talk to you about it. Just not right now because this is kind of awkward.
Himeno looked at her with a warm smile. "Good enough."
-
Kai sat in her chair, barely giving Sasame a second look when he sat down, and he noticed. She would direct her attention toward an argument with Mannen, an attempt to annoy Hayate, or a conversation with Himeno.
You haven't even touched your drink. Are you not thirsty?" Kei asked.
Kai looked at him a bit nervously. Ever since they found out she wasn't a real pretear Kei's been studying her like a lab rat stuck in a maze. She could tell he knew. "No, I'm not Kei. Do you want it, since you seem so interested?" Kai didn't dare to look down at it. She plastered an amused smirk on her face that confused Kei a bit. Luckily, everyone was caught up in their own conversations or meals.
"No thank you. I would like to have a word with you after breakfast though."
Kai gulped. "Right after?"
"Yes. Is that a problem?"
"No, just…morning breath. I'll talk to you after I get cleaned up."
Sasame now noticed their conversation and interjected. "What's wrong?"
Kai leaned her head in the palm of her hand and looked down at her food like a bored child. Though her stomach tightened again. "Nothing. Kei's just monitoring me like one of his lab experiments. Not that I mind." Kai spoke to him blandly and without interest.
Sasame eyed her for a moment, then returned to his meal. He would confront her later when she wasn't around so many people.
-
As soon as Kai stepped out of the shower, their was Kei. She squeezed the towel tighter around her. "WHA—"
"Hello."
"Kei, can I get dressed first!"
"It's not something I haven't seen when practice preating before. Don't be so modest."
"If it can't POSSIBLY wait, then what is it?"
"Glass."
"Excuse me."
"You're afraid of glass. Why is that?"
"…You're serious. You know what. That has to be it. The shininess and smooth surface scare the heck out of me."
"I'm not joking around with you."
Kai secured the towel around her and squeezed the water out of her curly tan hair. "You're supposed to be the expert. Why don't you tell me." Kei grew aggravated. He wiped the fog from the bathroom mirror. "What are you doing, Kei?"
Kei grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her in front of the mirror. "What are you seeing that I'm not. What are you so afraid of!"
"You're scaring me, Kei." Kai's eyes were locked on her reflection in the mirror. Kei's angry face turned into that of a tired one.
He let go and wiped his damp hands off on his robe. "I must apologize. I haven't been getting any sleep lately and the elders are pressuring me to get as much done as possible. I'm only afraid for your own well being. If you change into the Queen of Destruction, only bad thing will happen. You're showing all the signs of both the dark side and the light but this fear of your reflection is something I don't get. It's not in the translation. Just please tell me."
Kai looked away from the reflection and scanned Kei's weary face. "It's the drawing from the wall. When I see my reflection, I look like the drawing from the wall. It scares me. But it's not always there."
"Is it there now?"
Kai glanced back over toward the glass mirror which began to fog again. "Not anymore."
"Thank you for not becoming angry with me." Kei let out a held back yawn and started out the door.
"Kei."
"Yes?" Kei stopped in his tracks and turned around.
"Don't work yourself so hard. And get some sleep, now."
Kei smiled at her concerned expression. "Well I don't see you look so concerned often."
"I'm serious," Kai smirked.
"Alright."
Kai got dressed the minute Kei left because she new who would be knocking on the door next. She tied on her shoes, which she knew she shouldn't wear in the house, and opened Himeno's balcony window.
-
"Why are you standing there Sasame?" Goh asked.
"I'm waiting for someone," he replied with a smirk. Goh looked at him strangely and walked away. Not too long after, Kai hopped down off Himeno's balcony. Sasame smirked. I love always being right.
Kai felt someone tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Sasame's smiling face.
"H-Hey Sasame. How's it going? Good? C'ya-"
"Get back over here. I need to talk to you."
"Why me? Why does everyone need to talk to me?" Kai followed Sasame to a hill full of chirping Tipis. A small blue one flew on top of her head. She sat down among the gleeful birds. Sasame sat down beside her. So close, her stomach tightened again. "What is it?"
"Like you don't already know." Sasame glanced down at her, but she kept her eyes glued to the floor. "You know you should really watch where you're going."
"Yeah."
"Are you alright?"
"It's not like it hurt or anything." I think I…liked it. But I don't like him. I don't get it. Her first kiss was forced as a pact of marriage between Yuki and Kai for the sake of the clan and powerful Haritanzu bloodline. Her second, with Sasame by accident. Nothing ever goes right…
Sasame noticed the blank expression on her face and nudged her side. "What happened isn't bothering you is it?"
"Not really."
"Than it is." Sasame sighed and patted her on the head. "I don't want to hurt you Kai, but I don't like you the same way you do me."
"Who told you that-"
"Hayate. And now that I think about it, it's pretty obvious."
Kai became angry but covered it with a small, crooked smile. "Really?"
"I don't want to mislead you-"
"I don't like you," she interrupted. Sasame was a little surprised. "I don't like you in that way even though EVERYONE around me seems to think so. It's annoying! And now you? Does no one bother asking me about how I feel before saying how I feel?" Kai sighed and stood up, the tiny Tipi fluttering down from her head. "I have to go. I'll see you later."
"Wait."
"What is it?" she asked a bit aggravated. Sasame stood and hugged her tightly.
"I'm sorry."
Kai's face turned red a bit. Not that she felt swooned at his embrace. She wasn't used to anyone being so touchy-feely. "It's alright." She squeezed herself from his arms before smiling and walking away. She had been walking for a while now. Now where is that exit again…? Then she spotted it. She began walking toward it when Mannen popped up.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"I know I'm leaving Lefaenia for a while this place is driving me crazy."
"You'll get in trouble."
"Since when do you care?"
Mannen looked to be thinking about it a while, then spoke. "You're right. I'm coming."
"No you're not."
"Yes I am."
"No you're not."
-
Kai kept distant from Mannen, seemingly dwelling in her own frustration. "What's wrong with you?" Mannen asked.
"Nothing," she replied with a more than nothing tone.
"Fine, I won't ask."
"Well you're still talking."
Mannen rolled his eyes at her and sat down on a nearby bench. He yanked her arm down beside him. "Sit," he almost commanded.
"Don't tell me what to do." Kai snatched her arm out of his firm grip.
"We've been walking a long time. I'm sure you're tired."
Kai brought her knees to her chin and stared at the floor.
"You don't want to go back do you?"
"No." she stated plainly. "But I'm going to."
"Why?"
"Where else would I go?"
Mannen took that into consideration and stopped asking questions. They sat there quiet for a long while until Mannen decided to say something. "If you're angry at me, I'll try not to argue with you so much."
"That's not it."
"Then what is it?"
"Do you think I like Sasame?"
"Do you?"
"Nevermind…"
You know Hayate's just-"
"That's the last person I want to hear about right now."
"Alright."
Kai noticed how quickly he was to stop pushing a subject. He didn't really ask questions after she dismissed them. Yet, this was the person she argued with the most. It was weird to her.
"Stop staring at me."
Kai didn't notice she was staring and immediately snapped her eyes back toward the floor.
"Are you feeling any better?"
"Yeah. My arm's fine."
"Not that."
"Oh. Yeah I guess."
"…I've got an idea."
-
Kai and Mannen returned that night, laughing almost hysterically. But as soon as they walked in the door, it halted when they met eyes with an angry Hayate. "Uh oh," Mannen breathed uneasy.
"It's eleven at night. Where were you?"
"What? I have a curfew now?"
"Do you really need to ask? It's been quiet but we're still on high alert. You should have been in at 6."
"O gee. Sorry Dad. I didn't know. It won't happen again."
Mannen stayed quiet, hoping to be forgotten about. They argue like brother and sister.
"Don't call me that!" Hayate shouted.
"Why? You act just like him!" she retorted.
This made him quite angry. "Just get to your room. I'll see you at 4 in the morning tomorrow."
"What for!"
"You can't expect to disobey a curfew and grounding and not get in trouble." Kai got angry and stormed off down the hall with Mannen slyly trailing behind. "That goes for you too Mannen!"
"Crap…" Mannen sulked. Once they were up the stairs Mannen laughed to himself.
"What's so funny?" she asked annoyed.
"Wait until he finds out."
"He shouldn't unless you open your big mouth."
"Relax. I'm not going to tell. It's just, Hayate finds out everything. The belly ring was fine. You can always take it out. But the tattoo, too? Honestly."
"You didn't have a problem when I was getting it. You know you like it." Kai winked and nudged his side.
Mannen rolled his eyes and snickered. "Don't come crying to me when Hayate bites your head off."
"I'm not afraid of him unlike some people. He's just loud. He's not going to hit me or anything."
"That's right. You're a girl. I almost forgot." Kai punched him in the arm. "What was that for!"
"You are such an idiot! I'm going to bed. I don't know if you stupidity is contagious."
"You shouldn't worry about it. You're already stupid so you should be immune." Kai punched him in the arm again before walking into Himeno's room.
