Chapter 12: Dreams

Kuhn and Linn were getting ready to sleep. It had been a long day, and they were tired. Hiro had crashed hours ago, and no one blamed her. What she'd just dealt with must have been exhausting!

Kuhn sighed softly. Something had been bothering him all day, and he felt inclined to say it.

"Linn... Why didn't you tell me something was wrong? You know, back at the maze..."

She looked down. "Well, I didn't think it was possible to cure me... I didn't want you to remember me that way..."

"I'm sorry..." She said softly.

Kuhn held her face, and gave her a soft kiss.

"I would never remember you that way..." He whispered.

"I would remember you like this..."

He nibbled her ear softly.

"Beautiful..."

She took in a deep breath, and moaned as his lips started trailing to her chest.

He was sliding off her shirt...

Hiro screamed in the other room. They stopped.

"Is she having nightmares again!?" Linn exclaimed.

Kuhn stood. "Yeah, I think so. We'd better check though!"

They ran to Hiro's room, she was holding her mouth closed with her hands.

She was shaking.

Kuhn walked up to her, and knelt down beside her bed.

He pulled her into a hug, stroking her hair. She cried softly.

"I'm... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... To wake you up!"

"Shhh... No, you didn't wake us up..." Kuhn said soothingly.

Linn knelt down next to Kuhn.

"I'm sorry hun... Are you okay?"

She shook her head.

"Guys... There's something I need to tell you..."

Kuhn sighed. "Is it about the dreams? I know, Kahn told me. Yeah..."

He looked at Linn. "She's a medium. So, she can see spirits. My brother informed me that Kaihn had been haunting her dreams..."

Linn's eyes widened. "Your kidding!"

They both wrapped her in a hug.

"We'll figured it out..." Said Linn. "Don't you worry..."

Hiro sobbed. "That's part of it..."

Kuhn looked at her. "There's more...? What's going on Sweetheart?"

She cried. "I had won the, the maze... I was taken to this hall... Ch-Champion Hall they called it. I was with this... Well, his name was Rokuro... But... I don't know... I don't want to say..."

Kuhn felt a pit in his stomach.

"Hey... You can tell us whenever you're ready. Take your time..."

"Well..." She continued. "He would seem like he was nice, and then... He would..."

"What did he do?" Linn asked softly.

"He... I DON'T KNOW OKAY!"

She began to sob violently.

Kuhn already had an idea where this was going. He pulled Hiro closer, kissing the top of her head softly.

"Hiro... Sh shhh... You're safe here. No one can hurt you here... Oh hun..."

She continued. "He'd do that, and... I just... I couldn't move. Then... He was... I had a dream, and Kaihn was in it. Well... Rokuro helped me end the dream. He was a medium, like me. He... He was the reason I escaped. He said... They all did that, it was... Some breaking tactic? He said... He didn't want to hurt me anymore. But... He still..."

She grabbed her head. "I don't know! I just DON'T KNOW!"

She cried loudly.

Kuhn was glad his little Hiro was still alive...

...However, he would never give that man credit. He may have helped her escape, but after what he'd done to her... He cursed the man. He cursed every piece of him.

...

Eiji was in a room next to Hiro's. His eyes were filled with tears.

If I were to kill anyone, it should have been him...

I just stood there.

Just stood there, and LET HIM!

I... Why? Why am I such a coward!?

Hiro... You should never forgive me for letting him do that!

He curled up, and held in his tears. Hiro has every right to cry. Eiji had to be strong for her...

...No more tears.

He closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

|Eiji...|

"Dad...?"

I was home, but I knew it was a dream.

(Eiji! I'm sorry!)

Mom ran up to me, and held me.

"M-Mom... Mom!"

Despite my efforts, I cried.

Dad had also wrapped me in a hug.

|Eiji, we're watching you, always... I s-swear, we are.|

He was crying.

I started to sob.

"I'm sorry! I... I didn't KNOW! I just want to go home..."

Mom rubbed my back, she was also crying.

(I wish I could take you home... We're not mad. I love you...)

She sobbed.

(I love you... Just be strong for me Eiji! Don't do what I did, and hold back your emotions. It's not worth it...)

|No... You're strength isn't measured by composure. You'll have to discover where it resides on your own now.|

(But, you aren't alone. We're always watching... The people you're with will take good care of you, and I'm sure you'll take good care of them.)

|That's right. We love you so much... We'll be right here...|

I curled into them.

"I know... I'm so scared though... Pain. It's horrible... So many horrible people..."

I felt myself fill with determination.

"I'll protect her from them. I won't let anything like that happen to her ever again."

Dad pulled me into a firm, warm hug.

|Good... I'm very proud of you. You're brave...|

He smiled. |You remind me of your mother...|

She smiled. (He reminds me of you too. He's bashful like you!)

I turned red.

"You guys..."

They laughed.

Dad sighed.

|Remember, just because you're scared, doesn't mean you can't be brave. Standing up and facing those fears. That's what makes you brave.|

That was the most profound thing he had ever taught me.

...It was then that I began to realize something about mortality.

Living as a mortal was the hardest thing I had ever experienced. I had felt what despair was, and suffering, and death.

However, with all of this pain unleashed into my world, I had finally discovered what true joy was like.

Something, I had realized, I had never truly known.

The pain was like a pathway, paved in suffering...

...Yet it was here, on the darkest roads, that I learned to know bliss.

...

Karo had woken up... Well, kind of...

He was half awake, deciding whether he should go back to sleep or not.

I was having a nice dream about Shisuta though... Maybe I'll...

(Don't even think about it!)

Oh... Wait, HARUKA!? You didn't see any of... Oh god.

(Yeah. I did. Isn't there a way I can SELECTIVELY hear you!?)

How am I supposed to know!? It's not like I want you knowing THAT much.

(Well... Dammit. That's so weird...)

Yeah... But no one here has magic that can help but us. And I don't even know where to start with blocking out a hive mind...

(Maybe... Ask Kahn? He might know something.)

Sounds fair...Uhm... I'll get on that...

Karo sat up, and grabbed his head.

"Wow... That was very awkward... Damn."

There was a knock at his door.

"Who is it?" He asked.

"Shisuta. May I come in...?"

He blushed softly. "S-Sure... Come in."

She walked in, carrying a wooden peg.

He gaped. "You had to make it a PEG LEG!?" He exclaimed.

She laughed. "Yes! Finally! I succeeded in a joke! Mission accomplished!"

She set down the peg, and pulled out a well built prosthetic leg.

"Wow... Is that...? Is that for me?"

She smiled. "Yes. I had it designed so when you put it on, you can move it around like an actual leg..."

She hooked it up to him, and it worked. He could move it around and everything!

"That's just... Amazing!"

She blushed. "Well, it wasn't that... Hard. No really... I..."

"No..." He said. "You are a genius... And you're just... beautiful."

She leaned down, and kissed him softly.

"Thank you. You are a gentleman..."

He pulled her in, and brushed his lips against hers.

"You are..." He said softly. "I'm just being honest."

He flipped her over, and laid on top of her.

She moaned softly as his lips trailed her skin...

He let out a low moan as she trailed kisses down his chest...

...Whispering his name...

"Wait..." He said. "I can't, because Haruka... She can... Yeah."

They parted mournfully.

She groaned. "Karo... I hope you can figure it out!"

He looked down. "Trust me, I do too."

She stood, and walked to the door.

"Well, I think Linn is making breakfast. You had better hurry, her Lo Mein goes fast..."

She walked out of the door.

Dammit... Oh well.

(Thanks Karo, and I'm really sorry, believe me! Go ask Kahn, he might know something.)

I will...

Karo got dressed, and headed down to the dining hall.

Linn could definitely make one killer Lo Mein!