Chapter 28—Hika's Revelations

-Inside Hika's mind-

She was grappling with Bleathe for control of her mind. Kuronue's words of love had given her the desire to get out and beat the living crap out of the woman that had convinced her that she should give up her mind. However, despite this desire, she was at a stalemate. Both women had an equal hold of her mind and they were fighting it as a window opened to show the fight above them. Kuronue was fighting Edmund much like Bleathe was fighting Hika for control of her mind.

Hika snarled as she felt a stab in her mind that could only be the other woman trying to sever her from her mind. She cried out, her mind screaming for relief from the pain as Bleathe dug herself deeper into Hika's subconscious, giving her an almost impenetrable defense unless Hika wanted to hurt herself in the process.

She felt something prod her in the back and she spun in the dark room that was her mental prison. She stumbled back when she saw a woman that was her identical twin but was wearing an old fashion silver and blue kimono and had hair that fell to her hips. Her eyes were ones that showed a life full of hardships. She was somewhat older than Hika as well.

"Hiromi?" Hika asked, taking a step back in surprise. The woman tilted her head to the side and then nodded.

"You haven't personally gone through the horror of having no control over your body as you watch yourself kill young ones have you?" Hiromi asked. She even had a similar voice to Hika who was staring at her in surprise.

"No," Hika whispered.

"Then you do not understand why you cannot let this woman, Bleathe, take control. You will lose your independence," Hiromi whispered before disappearing right before Hika's eyes.

In her place stood a woman that was as much the same as Hiromi as she was different. She stood a tad bit taller, but that was from the pose she'd taken. Her shoulders were held back at almost military standard. Her gaze was not nearly as gentle as Hiromi's had been, but at the same time, one could see the gentleness in her hands and at the corners of her mouth as she surveyed the young half-demon.

"I never would have thought that I would have gotten a third chance to be happy with Kuronue," Deshiri, for that was the only one that Hika could believe she was, announced. "Much less as a half-demon. I figured I would always be stuck in a human's body and he would have to see me die each time."

Hika was at a loss of what to say. She opened her mouth several times before falling quiet for a moment. "Why are you visiting me?" she finally asked, though her voice held nothing but respect for the woman.

"Because you need help to defeat the woman's daughter. Do not worry, she will not hear this. Really you are just standing there in her view doing nothing. We are as much a part of you as you yourself are," Deshiri said.

"But you seem to think of us as different people that inhabit the same body," Hiromi said behind Hika as her arms enfolded the girl in a hug. She smelled, Hika realized, like roses and of hours near horses. She felt Deshiri's arms enclose around them next and the smell of Hiromi mixed with the smell of wet dirt and rain soaked grass. She inhaled and realized that these two women weren't so different from her after all.

"But we aren't," Hika finished. "We are the same. We always have been, but we didn't realize it."

"Exactly," Deshiri said with a nod.

"Precisely," Hiromi whispered.

Hika suddenly felt something grow inside her—power. Raw power from a soul that was three generations old and growing with each second that Hika remained alive and kicking. Her mental eyes shot open and she saw Bleathe before us.

"We will not allow you to ruin our lives again," Hika stated. Her voice was hers, but at the same time different. It was Hiromi the Bat Lady's and Deshiri the Original and Hika the Newly come. It registered such power that Bleathe could feel her senses sing with surprise. Bleathe was starting to regret going after the girl. Hika stepped forward and grabbed the mental version of Bleathe. As she did her hands began to glow and compress.

Bleathe screeched in her mind, struggling to get away from those glowing hands. But it wouldn't happen. She couldn't get away. She couldn't retreat to her own mind where she'd be safe. It wouldn't happen. She was stuck and she was being torn to pieces.

/

Alis entered the room where the monitors were set up. Bleathe's body sat there, staring with dull eyes at the monitors. The golden woman stepped forward and checked her pulse. She then closed Bleathe's eyes and turned from the sight and leaving.