In the morning, it was if nothing had happened. Only Hazel and Gojyo noticed anything different. Hazel asked Gojyo what he'd sais to Gato, and Gojyo denied saying anything offernsive to him.
That night, as promised, Gojyo met Gato in the commons room of the nameless in that the group was staying in.
Gojyo sat on the couch with Gato. The first thing the large man did was pull out a black, charred, headband, with the name Felix stiched on it in silver.
"He was dropped off on our doorstep when I was seven,"Gao began,"He was no older than a year old, and in poor health. He didn't even have a name, but we took him in. At first, my parents didn't want to keep him for too long. His eyes, you see, wern't human or demon."Gato went on," His pupils looked more like two pices of black, broken glass.But silver, not red. After a while, my parents saw past his eyes, and he became my little brother."
Gato frowned and said"He was feared by the adults in the town, who saw him as a bad omen. But, mother and father never let that get to them. We always kept him at home, or with one of us, at all times, to keep him safe."
At that point, Gato took out a photograph, out of the same pocket as the headband."This is a picture of him..."
What Gojyo saw in the pocture was a ten-year-old boy with poofy black and silver striped hair. His eyes were as Gato said, Black pupils and silver irisis. The boy was wearing the headband that Gato had, and he was in all black, even his gloves. He was posing on a tree stump in a (What Gojyo assumed was) back yard, silly smile on his fave, flashing the 'peace' sign, and looking overall like a happy ten-year-old should.
Looking back at Gato's face, he saw a single tear slide down the shiki's cheek. "Felix would have been about Hazel's age now, if he's still alive.' Gato wispered. He continued a second later," A few weeks after this picture was taken, there was a fire at our house. Mother, Father, and I got out safe, but Felix was hurt very badly. The doctors told us there was little chance that he'd survive his injuries." Gato looked up, at the fire."And I felt like it was my fault. If I hadn't of argued with him, he wouldn't of been upstairs, and he wouldn'tve gotten hurt trying to get out of the house..."
Gato trailed off, but Gojyo understood."I'm sorry for your loss..."What else could he say?
Another tear came as Gato continued."I couldn't stay in town as long as I blamed myself for what happened. After I left, I was hired to get rid of Hazel. But he reminded me so much of Felix, that after I killed him, I gave him my soul. At least I saved one of them...saving Hazel almost made up for not being able to save Felix, in a way."
Gato looked at gojyo."Now that you know, what will you do?" the question was so simple. Gojyo looked Gato straight in the eye and said,"I'll keep your secrets, Gato. Don't worry."After a while, the kappa left, leaving Gato to his thoughts.
But all Gato could think about was Felix, and the fire, and the stupid, stupid argument they'd had.
"What do you mean, Big Brother?" Jagged black and silver eyes questioned, their owner confused.
"I said no.I don't want you getting hurt." Dark eyes narrow, their owner serious.
"But Big Brother, why can't I go meet the other kids? They invited me to go with them!" Ten-year-old innocence.
"They won't understand you. Their parents fear your eyes, Little Brother."
"But why! I'm just a normal kid, why won't anyone treat me like one!" confusion turns to anger.
"Because you're not. You're special, unique."
"But I don't want to be special!"Anger turns to sadness." Everyone in town hates me, don't they?"
Dark eyes soften."I don't know. All I know is that you're best off staying at home."
"But I don't want to stay here forever!I want to..."
"Want to what?"
"See the world with you."
"You, can't, Little Brother."
"Well, why not!" "You'll get hurt."
"I'm not a porcelain doll, you know!"
"No, you're not! You're much more important than a doll! A doll can be replaced, but you can't!"
"SO WHAT AM I THEN!"
"YOU'RE FELIX, MY LITTLE BROTHER!"
"MORE LIKE FELIX, GATO'S GLASS DOLL!" Overwhemling anger.
"WELL I CAN'T HELP BUT WORRY ABOUT YOU!" Dark eyes calm. "Little Brother, your well-being is in my best intrest. If something were to happen to you, I don't know what I'd do."
"You'd just get over it, and get yourself another glass doll, just like everyone else."
And in a way, he was right.