AN: See, it's the companion piece to Hero. Sort of, anyway. Have fun reading?

Disclaimer: I no own.


Cowardice

I'm such a coward.

No, really, I am.

You don't have to believe me, but I'm telling you—I'm a coward.

Did you honestly think that I always wanted to work with the Count?

I'm not like the others here, who suck up to a child and do anything within their power to get him to favor them.

Maybe I am like that.

I only wanted to see at first, you know? See who the monsters that destroyed my home and all were. See why they wanted to destroy a world. Maybe even sabotage their efforts.

And I ended up joining their efforts.

Pathetic, isn't it?

I couldn't even stand up to the people I hated.

I wonder what my parents would think of me now.

Or if they even would think of me. Maybe they gave up on me a long time ago, when I started following the Count.

Maybe.

And I watch Kuroki Kaze, my enemy, risk his life against the Count while I do nothing.

I wish I could've been stronger and said "no" to the Count and his henchmen. Maybe they would have killed me, but anything is better than this half life I live now.

Because now, I don't know how to say "no".

I can only nod and silently leave to do whatever demoralizing job the Count wants me to do.

Because I'm a coward.

A coward who doesn't know how to stand up for his morals.

And a coward who can only watch as others bravely risk their lives to defeat the Count.

And as I watch those people, I remember a time where I was like them. Where I, too, wanted nothing but to destroy the Count, even if it cost me my life.

But now, as I serve the Count without question, I wonder…

Where did I go astray?


AN: Yeah, because we all know that Kumo's always angsting about this kinda stuff.