Life with Amane was tough. She had a lot of allergies, not to mention, asthma. She was allergic to ingredients in most basic medicines, basically meaning that she couldn't have Acetaminophen when she was in pain, an Ibuprofen when she got a headache, a Penicillin when she got a fever. We didn't have those medicines in the house as a result, therefore, when we needed them, we didn't have them, so we were left to suffer through our ailments.
There was also her asthma, which was sensitive. Just when the boys were twirling her around, she was probably losing breath, and it just got worse when they kicked dust into her face. She can't dance or run, because she'll run out of breath too quickly, and her esophagus will close up. She had a beautiful voice, though, and she yielded it well.
Let's not forget... the food allergies(!). She was allergic to any kind of legume (peanuts, peas, etc.), any kind of nut (pecan, walnut, almond, etc.), wheat, most dairy products (ice cream is the only exception, mostly because it's so, very, heavily sweetened), and egg. So, yeah, that meant no peanuts or peas, no mixed nut tins or trail mix, no bread, no milk, no eggs. Thank you, Amane for that (actually, I'm not angry, that's just me being weird, again).
And, how could I forget the other allergies, including but not limited to, any kind of fur, feathers (put a pillowcase on it, that's the rule in my house), wool, nylon, most plants, dust mites (that's the way the cookie crumbles), water (believe me or not), and nearly all kinds of metal.
So that means no pets, her clothes are homemade with cotton cloth, we can't have any plants in the yard except grass, we have to dust daily, and she has to locked in her room when we do it, Mom has to bathe her in a special way that doesn't require water, and she can't wear any kind of jewelry, along with the fact that her shoes have to be made almost entirely of cloth. There can't be those little metal prongs for shoelaces, or she'll break out in a rash when she touches them.
Because Amane was born with so many allergies, we have a lot of restrictions. That's why I often pack my lunch at school, and I don't come in contact with any dogs I see on the way home. All the school uniforms have to be made out of cotton, and the jackets had to have plastic buttons instead of metal ones. My Millennium Ring was made out of gold, so Amane could touch it, and I gave her the ability to wear it when she wanted by putting it on a rope.
We can't go swimming in the summertime, and I can't get within ten feet of her if I've just come out of the shower. I have to wait until I've dried off entirely. Her allergies messed up our lives, and the lives of everyone around her, but she was hurt by it the most. She cried about it, because there was so much she couldn't do, but I tried to make her feel better.
One time, I wrote a poem and gave it to her, it went a little something like this:
Amane, sweet Amane, with your heavy allergies, you wait,
To be twirled around in a lovely ballgown, to go out through the gate.
Yet, you have restrictions, so we cannot answer your calls,
No matter how much you call for us, going up and down the halls.
Someday, you can be that girl, able to run and dance,
To have fun with other ones, to experience romance.
But, for now, you wait, still, one day, you will put on a show,
Just know, I will be the first one to watch, your loving brother, Ryou.
She came to me before bed the following night, and hugged me. I did, of course, give her a small kiss on the forehead before tucking her in to go to bed. That was the night he showed himself. I knew his voice, it scared me half to death every time I heard it.
/Ryou, allow me to show myself./
\I can't do that, my Yami.\
/Then, allow me to show you what it means to disobey your master./
\I'm not your servant.\
/it doesn't matter, and I don't care. You are still my prisoner, and are to be treated as such./
I couldn't see what was around me anymore. I was trapped in a room made entirely out of darkness, with a small light in the middle. I walked over to that light, and, suddenly, the room was covered with images of my Yami looking at Amane. I was seeing what my Yami saw.
"Amane," he told her, using his actual voice, "come here."
She looked confused, but stood up, and walked toward him. "Can you keep a secret?", he asked her.
She looked at him, and nodded. "I am not your brother. I am the spirit of the Millennium Ring. I take the place of you brother when I need to carry out my deeds, and I give him control when I don't need to. We are two different human beings, sharing the same body. Now, I need to tell you this, as well.
"Your father and your mother do not know about my existence. It is only you, my dear sweet Amane, and your brother. Now, you must promise not to tell anyone about me, or what I do to your brother. Do you understand?"
She nodded, and took her left index finger and drew to imaginary lines over her heart in the shape of an "x". She was "crossing her heart" that she wouldn't tell. My Yami faded into the room I was in, and I came back to where I was, with Amane.
I fell to my knees, unable to keep my balance after gaining control of my body. Amane came over and helped me stand up. She placed a kiss on my cheek before she walked over to her bed, and I walked back into my room.
\What was that all about?! Now she knows our secret!\
/She would've figured it out, sooner or later. It was just better to tell her right up front than to keep her guessing./
\Shut up. I don't want to hear your voice- ever again!\
/I can't claim that I will never come back here to you, but I can claim that I will leave you alone for at least one day. Good night, Ryou./
And, so, that was the night that Amane had met my Yami. I didn't know what she thought of him at first, but later on, I would fit the pieces together on what she thought of him. I would eventually figure it out, it just wasn't that day.
Who's your favorite character so far, and why? What do you think should happen in the next chapter? Do you think there's a reason Amane doesn't speak? Leave your answers to these questions down in the comments.