I noticed that I just kinda left this with a cliffhanger and I apologize for not updating sooner! I just recently added two new fanfic and had been trying to get those moving along and I totally forgot. So, here's the next chapter, please review ^^

"Just wait for me, Pet. I'll be there for you and Teito soon enough."

"No! Stay away! Leave us alone!"

"Oi! Stop throwing crap at me!"

I awoke with a start, covered in a cold sweat, and realized that it was just a dream.

"Geeze! What's your problem! I was just trying to wake you up since that bishop was…looking for…you."

"Sorry. It was a nightmare…Is something wrong?"

"Your eye…and those scars…"

I looked down and saw no shirt on to cover the scars and brands, then I put my hand on my face and realized that my red eye was uncovered.

What's he gonna do? Leave me, like the rest?…

I got up, grabbed my patch and shirt and ran as fast as I could to where I was supposed to meet Castor; just barely catching Nastu mumble 'demon' under his breath.

Great, that's all I need, is someone else to call me a demon.

And I ran, hearing familiar voices calling me 'monster' and 'demon', until I ran into something.

"Hello, Pet."

"No! Stay away!"

"Hikaru! What's wrong?"

I looked up and, instead of seeing Ayanami, I saw a concerned looking Castor. I shook my head, to indicate 'nothing' and he backed off a bit.

"Why aren't you wearing your eye patch or your shirt?"

I blushed a bit and quickly put both on, before pointing at the large, cross-shaped staff he was holding.

"Hm? Oh, this is the bascule you'll be training with."

I nodded and held out my hands like a child asking to be picked up. He just sighed after giving me a weird look.

"I see you're not speaking today. No matter, although Labrador really needs to do something about your mood swings."

I nodded as he began to explain the bascule and how it works. I thought it was similar to the guns we used in the military and tried to use it like that, but it just exploded in my hands.

"That was the same problem Teito had. He finally figured it out not to long ago and nearly destroyed one of the training rooms."

He smiled a bit, but I wasn't listening. I was trying to use the bascule still and all I ended up doing was hurting my hands more. Then, Labrador came over with bandages. I set the bascule down and he began wrapping my hands, but I couldn't take it any more. He'd just finished when I lower my head to his shoulder, shaking slightly.

"Hikaru? Is everything okay?"

I shook my head 'no' as tears began to flow down my face and onto his robes. I hated this emotion. I have no clue why I was crying, of all things, and could only assume it had to do with my recent mood swings, seeing how I am not one to freely show emotions.

"Hikaru, can you tell me what's wrong?"

I gripped his robes tighter as I tried desperately to control my emotions. Then came the pain; my head, my eyes, my hands, but mostly my back. I felt like something was clawing at me from the inside, desperately trying to escape, and I knew I couldn't let it.

"Hikaru! Hikaru! You have to calm down!"

I felt something wet trickle down my face and back. Labrador was holding me tightly, trying his hardest to stop me from thrashing about and reopening my wounds, when finally, the pain subsided. Blood was dripping from under my eye patch, plus I was breathing hard and quite shaken up, but I knew Labrador was there and that he would help me with whatever was going on.

"Hikaru, you really need to tell me what happened. I might be able to help, but I need to know what's wrong first."

"He saw. My partner saw everything. My scars, my brands, my eye…everything. I ran. I had no choice…not after he called me a demon. Do you know what it feels like? To have people call you names. To have someone you love, but who doesn't love you back. To be…alone."

He said nothing at first. He just held me there, keeping me calm and offering as much comfort as he could. Then, he spoke.

"You're not alone, Hikaru. Not anymore. You have me, Castor, Frau, and Teito. We may not know what it feels like, but you and Teito are so similar. More similar than you think. Both of you have had loved ones taken from you, whether it be by greed or hatred. You both have suffered many hardships, but you have also found each other."

I looked at him slowly and he handed me a nightshade flower. It was small, but a brilliant violet color.

"It suits you, Hikaru."

"It means silent, but it's so full of life and color."

He smiled down at me and helped me get up. I thanked him and picked up my bascule to resume training.

I slept outside that night, not wanting to face Nastu. I avoided him as much as I could, but I knew it wouldn't last, since the exam was coming up and we were partners. At the moment, I was heading to do more bascule training. I was slowly getting the hang of it. I now understood that it couldn't be filled with anger and hate like the military weapons. So, I was trying to find what I should put in it. Happy feelings seemed to work, but it just didn't feel right. Just then, I heard someone.

"I'm truly grateful. You've helped me so much. But why are you keeping me here?"

I walked out from behind the pilar and saw Frau and Teito, who was clenching his fist.

"You're trying to use me, just like the military did! Are you after the Eye of Mikhail too?"

He threw his broken bascule into the fountain and stepped towards Frau. He seemed calm, but I knew he was going to snap by the tears forming at the corner of his eyes.

Do you know what it's like?…To be alone.

I turned back towards Teito just in time to see Frau knock him to the edge of the fountain. I was about to step in, but I held back, knowing Frau was doing the right thing. I headed over to the fountain, just as Mikage began biting Frau and Razette popped up with Teito's broken bascule.

"Hey, Teito. Frau giving you problems? I take care of him if you want."

Teito laughed a bit and shook his head and I began to cough over and over again. Teito ran over and hit my back, trying to get it so I was able to breath again. When I finally was able to breath again, I apologized for interrupting.

"No! It's okay, but you should get some medicine or something for that cough. Your partner wouldn't want you getting sick before the exam."

I frowned at the mention of my partner, but wiped it away when Frau spoke again to Teito.

"That Eye is the light of hope that Father left to you, right? Then you've gotta protect it"

"Yeah…"

It took him a while, but he realized something, as did I.

"How do you know about Father?"

"You knew Father?"

We both looked at each other, before turning back to Frau.

"Can you read my mind?"

"What's going on?"

"You'll find out eventually."

Well, that was no help, although he looks sad…

I looked at Teito and took this chance to get away before he started asking me questions. I made it to a hallway and saw Castor up ahead. I ran up to him and was just about to touch his shoulder, when pain flooded through my head. I grabbed my head and fell to my knees, breathing heavily. Castor had turned around as well, probably sensing the same thing I felt. The feeling left as quickly as it came, but the pain was still there. A voice flooded through my head, a voice I dreaded.

"I'll be here for you and Teito soon, my pet. It won't be much longer before I have the Eye and you."

I felt someone shaking me and immediately launched my zaiphon, not knowing that it wasn't Ayanami that I hit, until it was too late. Castor was launched down the hall and I came to realize what I had done.

What'd I just do? I attacked Castor…

Words of hate filled my head again as I saw him slowly rising. I ran, again. I ran and ran until I tripped and fell into the fountain. Water covered me and I came up, only to hear Castor calling me. I dove down again and hid under the pathway, praying that my breath held out long enough for him to leave. Just as I ran out of air, he left. I scrambled to the surface and jumped out of the fountain, running for a dense bush in the garden. I dove under it and hid, shivering in the cold night air.

I'll be punished if I leave…He'll hate me if I stay…What do I do? I don't want to be alone…

I fell asleep there, freezing, but safe. For once, I dreamed of a better life. I dreamed of my mother coming home happy for the meal I made. I dreamed of Father and the other church kids playing with me and praising me. I dreamed of Teito and Mikage living outside the military with family. I dreamed that everyone was happy and joyful, and yet I still couldn't help but think…

It sucks to be alone, even when there are people all around you.*

* I found this quote and apparently, it's from Scrubs. Nice quote though ^^