Chapter 59: A Venomous Exchange
Hiro was waking up. She slowly opened her eyes.
Then sat up, remembering the recent danger. She felt light headed, and lacked energy.
Kuhn layer her back down.
"Try not to move around hun..." He said.
She nodded, too tired to argue.
"Where's Eiji...?" She asked softly.
Linn looked down. "He's resting, and he needs sleep."
They were hiding something, and this only made Hiro more worried.
"What happened." She said.
"Where is Eiji?"
Kuhn sighed. "Well, there was an outbreak of tainted spiders, and we managed to kill them all... But Eiji was bitten before we had gotten to him."
Hiro froze.
"Is he... He can't be dead, can he?"
"No, he's not dead." Said Linn.
"He isn't in good condition though..."
Hiro teared up.
"This is my fault." She said.
"If I hadn't been an idiot, and his in the vents, no one would have gotten hurt."
"Blaming yourself does no good." Said Kuhn.
"There's nothing you can do right now, and no one can change the past."
She looked away. "You're always telling me to take responsibility. Well, this is it... I'm responsible for this."
Linn sighed. "Not completely. It was Eiji's choice to run after you and into spiders... He was as reckless as you were."
She sobbed. "But I was reckless first! He shouldn't have to die because I messed up!"
Kuhn stroked her hair.
"Hiro... You didn't try to hurt him. None of us knew about the spiders... Sure, I would have scolded you for being reckless, but I wouldn't have guessed there were tainted spiders in our vents."
Hiro sighed. "I think Max may have helped with that part..."
Linn and Kuhn froze for a moment.
"Okay, what are you hiding...?" Asked Hiro warily.
Kuhn shook his head, and a tear slipped.
"You really are a lot like Kahn that way. He can always tell when something's up..."
Hiro sat. "Tell me what happened." She said loudly.
"He tried to attack Eiji." Said Linn.
Hiro sighed. "But he didn't hurt him? Well, if he's restrained somewhere, I'll talk to him."
Kuhn looked away. "He's dead."
Hiro froze.
"Who killed him..." She said darkly.
Kuhn's expression was blank.
"It was me." He said.
Hiro was frozen in a state of shock.
Her Dad? He killed Max!?
No... Not him. Her Dad wouldn't do that.
"No way..." She said tearfully.
"You did it because someone made you, right!?" She exclaimed.
"No! Please tell me you didn't do it!" She sobbed.
She cried silently.
Kuhn hugged her.
"Hiro, I'm sorry..." He tried.
She pushed him off.
"Go away."
She stood.
"I'm going for a walk."
"You need to rest." Said Linn sternly.
Hiro continued to walk away.
Linn stood in front of her.
"Hiro! SIT DOWN!" Linn yelled.
Linn had only ever really yelled at Hiro once. It was when she was eight, and had stolen a piece of jewelry for it's shininess. Linn had built a lot of patience since then...
The fact still held that when Linn ever yelled at Hiro, it was never for a bad reason.
Hiro stood. "No." She said.
"SIT DOWN." She said, her voice low.
Hiro burst into tears.
"Don't try to INTIMIDATE ME!" She screamed.
"I'm GOING ON A WALK!"
Linn grabbed her, and sat her down.
"No, you're not. You will stay right here, and if you think you can get past me? Young lady, you have another thing coming."
She sobbed. "This isn't fair!"
"This IS fair." Said Linn.
"What you did to your father? That wasn't fair. I've been watching as you disrespect him, and he tries very hard to make you happy. The only reason I haven't stepped in, is because sometimes you made sense. I was able to make a compromise happen."
Hiro looked down bitterly, but stayed silent.
"This is past the point of compromise. You can't just run off whenever you please, and treat your father like that. He didn't have a choice. Would you rather have Eiji die? All we wanted to do was protect him."
Hiro looked down.
"Can I go to my room then." She said monotone.
The moment Linn had mentioned running off, she stopped listening. The last time she had run off, it was because Lilith had bent everyone's will.
Linn hadn't implied that, but it's what Hiro heard.
Linn threw her hands up.
"Fine, go to your room. Just go."
Hiro walked out of the door, and to her room.
She closed the door softly, and sat down.
"I knew it..." She cried.
"They never forgave me for that... They never will."
I hurt his feelings... Dad tried to protect Eiji, and I shoved him away.
I bet he's crying right now.
Max was my friend, and I am angry...
But why do I have to be so horrible!?
Why can I never fix ANYTHING!
I'll never be normal, or kind, or a good daughter.
I'm no angel. I'm just like a demon.
I'm still so angry, and too hurt to apologize... I'm so prideful, and stuck up!
I don't deserve good parents... I deserve to live just like that sweet woman Mei did. I wish I could have given her my life, so I could be punished with hers!
But Dad shouldn't have killed Max!
...Get the fuck over it! You're such a stupid wench. You whine and complain about what's fair, while Eiji is DYING! THAT ISN'T FAIR!
You aren't fair. You're just a needy stupid wench.
You should be dying instead of him! It should have been you HIRO!
IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME!
She sobbed into herself, the tears only festering the malice toward herself.
"I should apologize."
She stood, and walked back to the room.
She walked up to her Dad, and hugged him.
"I'm sorry..." She said softly.
"I was horrible."
He wrapped her in a hug.
"No... You're not horrible. Thank you for apologizing."
He sobbed.
"I'm so sorry... I wish I didn't have to. I know he was your friend."
It's my fault that Dad is crying...
I was so horrible to him, and he's not saying it to make me feel better.
I probably made him feel really guilty...
I'm such a manipulative BITCH!
I don't deserve such a good Dad.
She sighed. "Thanks for caring so much... You really are amazing."
That wasn't good enough! That was stupid.
"Of course I care..." He sniffed.
"You're my daughter, and I love you..."
He feels an obligation to me, because I'm his daughter. He loves me, but he won't forgive me.
He shouldn't, I'm a failure.
They all tell me that I'm still kind of a kid, and I shouldn't know everything yet.
Bullshit excuses to hide the fact that I'm so STUPID!
She nodded. "I know, I love you too."
She found her mom in the other room, sitting and holding her head...
She was bawling, because she thought no one could see her.
Hiro sat next to her, and Linn jumped.
"Oh... Sorry Hiro."
She sighed. "Sorry mom... I already apologized to Dad."
Linn hugged her.
"Good... You know we only want to help you grow up to meet your potential... Your such an amazing girl."
What potential? I'm past it if I have any.
"I'm not that great..." She mumbled.
Linn shook her head.
"Nonsense! You are very smart, and very talented... You're issue is that you're not always rational, but that comes with time."
She smiled. "You're still a teenager, and they damnest of choices, you know?"
Why is she trying to make me feel special? I'm not smart, and even if I'm book smart, where has it gotten me? It's clear that I can't use what I've learned.
"Yeah, I try not to though... " She said, forcing a smile.
Linn sighed. "Don't feel to bad about it. Just ask us more, so we can help that rational part along okay?"
Hiro nodded. "Okay."
You don't have to try and hide it Mom. It's fine... I know that you want to protect me from my own reckless stupidity. You don't have to offer to think for me...
She walked out of the room.
Linn could sense that look from a mile away. It was a look she had worn for a long time.
Hiro was chewing herself to pieces, a practice Linn had perfected until she had met Kuhn...
She had called herself every name in the book, before anyone else had thought of it...
If they even did.
She sighed. "I'd better talk to her later, and bring that up... Wouldn't want her doing what I did."
...
Hiro roamed around, and ran into Junichi.
"How are you doing?" He asked.
"Fine." She said.
Horrible... I feel like I could die.
He gave her a look.
"You look miserable... You can't be fine, especially with all that's happened. You can talk to me you know..."
She smiled. "I'll figure it out, but thanks. You're not as big of an asshole as everyone says you are... Thanks."
I don't want to talk about it. I'll just play it off like I'm strong... No one will notice.
As if they ever did.
Oh SHUT UP! You stupid cow!
She smiled. "See you later."
She walked away.
Junichi was worried now. Had she told him what was wrong, he wouldn't be worried.
It's when someone doesn't talk, that things have gotten to a lower place...
"I might want to keep an eye on her... Just in case."
...
She continued to roam again, and stopped at Eiji's room.
She cracked the door open, and saw him.
He was pale, and there were dark circles under his eyes. He was sweating profusely, and looked like he was in a lot of pain.
This was my fault... If there's anyone who deserves to live, it's him.
If there's anyone I don't deserve, it's him.
He deserves someone better.
"Hiro..." He whispered. "How are you...?"
She forced a smile. "I'm fine... How are you feeling?"
"Don't lie to me... There's no need for that." He croaked.
"You can tell me anything, remember? That still matters. I will never judge you..."
She teared up.
"I don't deserve you..." She whispered.
He smiled warmly. "Yeah you do... You are so beautiful, and wonderful... I just want to hold you every day, and make you feel happy inside..."
He was slightly delirious from painkillers no doubt.
He was being honest about his feelings, and Hiro knew it.
She gave him a soft kiss.
"You deserve a real angel, not me..." She sniffed.
"Don't do that. I'm sick, and I don't want you to go tainted on me."
The tainted curse. It was able to be removed by either a strenuous extraction spell, or a curse transfer.
"Did they try extracting it?" She asked.
He smiled. "You're voice is such a pretty shade of purple..."
She laughed. "You're high Eiji..."
He shook his head. "No... I've always been able to see sounds... I thought that everyone else could, until I figured out they couldn't. Hiro, did you know everyone has a frequency?"
She wasn't sure how much of this was delirium, bit she went along with it.
"No... I didn't." She said.
He sighed. "Well, my dad's is a cool blue. Mom's is a dark green, and sparks red when she's mad..."
Hiro was becoming more convinced of his ability.
"Shisuta's is violet like her eyes. Karo's and Haruka's are both light blue... Boh has a brown one... I always thought it was strange."
He frowned. "No-Face had a golden one... I kind of miss him."
He smiled. "Yours is purple, but it also has yellow in it... I look at yours a lot though..."
He looked up. "I wonder if I'll see No-Face, or maybe Zeniba... That little girl, Ami..."
Hiro shook her head.
"Eiji, did they try extraction!?" She exclaimed.
"I know Chihiro can cast that spell!"
He nodded slowly.
"Yeah... I was too tired, and almost fell asleep. She had to stop... That stimulant is way too much for me... I can't handle it at all. I know because I tried it once when writing sentences, and even a small amount is dangerous for me... Gave me a rash too..."
Hiro looked at him.
He had to live, and she wouldn't let him die.
A part of Fairy magic she had studied was the more grey magic, like curse transfers...
A pixie could cast it.
She leaned down, and gave him a soft and lingering kiss.
"Hiro... You shouldn't do that." He said.
She smiled at him, and a tear slipped.
"Don't worry about me..." She said softly.
He shook his head. "That's impossible, I can't not worry about you... Ask me to stop breathing..."
She sobbed. "I love you Eiji... And that's why I have to do this."
She shifted into a Pixie.
His eyes widened slightly.
"Hiro, what are you up to..."
She muttered the incantation for a curse transfer.
He sat, and tried to stop her, but she had already cast it.
She pressed a small hand to his head.
"Sleep." She said.
He fell unconscious, and slept.
She opened his window, and flew away from the Warrior's.