Chapter Eleven: Confessions
Kyo and Pia sat there in silence, both waiting for the other to speak. Both not wanting the other to speak. Kyo’s head pounded, she wasn’t fit for any new news at the moment.
Pia sat, head bent towards her fingers, which were fiddling around together in her lap.
Kyo sighed. Even though she wasn’t exactly in the mood for this sort of talk, wanted it to hurry up and be over with already. “Pia,” she said softly. Pia answered with her eyes snapping forward to meet hers, surprised for her voice filling the silence. “You can tell me if you don’t want to continue this, I know how troubling this can be, especially with me as your pupil.”
“Kyo, there’s nothing wrong with you being my pupil. You’re the best student I’ve had in while. I love being your Sensei,” she said softly. Her eyes stared at the wall behind Kyo, instead of at her. “It’s just Gaius … he’s worried about my condition.”
“You have a condition?” Kyo croaked out.
Pia nodded shortly, “Yes,” she half-smiled, “It’s partly the reason why I had to retire from … everything, actually.”
What’s the condition, Kyo inwardly demanded.
“Well, um …” Pia laughed softly, “I’m sorry, it’s been a while since I had to tell someone about it—“
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Kyo insisted.
Pia smiled, “I want to, and what kind of teacher would I’d be if I left you wondering what it was?”
Kyo nodded slowly, then sat back against the pillows, her head was pounding so loudly in her ears, she couldn’t stand it.
“I was more of the Gymnast fighter in the party,” Pia began, “while Gaius was always the magic user or the sword fighter, it was always useful.” She added softly. “But then one day on our way back to Sharance, you know where that is, right?”
Kyo nodded slowly, “I’ve heard of it. It’s where Raven’s from too, right?”
“Right,” Pia said enthusiastically, despite the mood, “it’s such a quiet town. Everyone’s always so nice, despite what you were.”
“What do you ‘what you were’?” Kyo asked curiously.
Pia rose her hands to pull back her hair from her ear. Kyo’s eyes widened. Her ear was purple and pink, it kind of looked like elfin ears except a bit … longer and more hung. It was kind of hung like a ribbon, reaching just over her shoulders. “As you already know, I’m part mermaid.”
“Right …” Kyo said slowly, “so that’s kind of like a symbol to represent your … kind?”
“Well, if you would like to put it like that, then yes, I guess it would be,” Pia said thoughtfully. “Anyways, the people in that town took me in. But I lived at the Bathhouse, which is why I’m so attached to the bathhouse in this town, those people specifically took me in and I’m extremely grateful for that.” She closed her eyes slowly, “Their names are Shino … and Sakuya. Great people. Also, people in this town are very … different from one another. Everyone has different personalities and different hobbies.”
“What were theirs?” Kyo asked.
“Hum … Shino’s hobby would be …” Pia tilted her head sideways, “well, she owned the Bathhouse, which was also the Town’s Inn, but before that, she told me she was kind of … a Ninja,” she laughed, “she was very protective of Sakuya and I. She would always threaten Gaius about me.”
“Why?”
“Well, now it’s obvious that we’re together, no?” she nodded. “Well, while we were in town, obviously before people go out with each other, they just … kind of hang out for a while. But this was way before I developed anything for him. But Shino being Shino noticed his development of feelings for me.” She chuckled. “I was so clueless to it too. Mom—Shino wouldn’t even look at me in the eyes when she found out we had gotten together. Thinking back it was kind of a … good memory, I would say. But back then I was such a brat. To simplify it down, I had told her to deal with it.” Pia shook her head, “I was such a terrible child. Hopefully I grew out of it.”
“A—anyways, hum, once I had found out, I grew so shy and self-conscious around him. Kind of like cooties, I guess you could say. I was so oblivious to how he would feel from my actions, later on he told me he had been hurt and … also angry.”
Kyo chuckled softly, “Angry? I could never imagine him angry, to be honest.”
Pia pursed her lips, “You should. I can never take him seriously—he’s too adorable,” she laughed, “Gaius is really shy around girls that he likes like that, he gets pink and starts stuttering, and his voice becomes really quiet. I’m surprised I didn’t even get the hint.” She laughed again, “Sometimes when I would talk to him, he would just run away.”
Kyo laughed, “Aww … Gaius. I just—I’m sorry, I cannot imagine him like that.”
Pia smiled, “I guess it’s a side of him that only I can see,” she said softly.
Kyo smiled at her, “I’m glad to see this side of you Pia. I guess this is your side that you can only show to Gaius too.”
Pia blushed, “What do you mean?”
“You’re talking all … Lovey-Dovey and such, it’s weird. And surprising. Pia, when I picture you, I picture you being all hyper and smiley. I can’t imagine you being all “bratty” and angry with anyone.”
Pia smiled, “That’s because I’ve changed a lot, Kyo. I’ve learned how to control my feelings and emotions. And I’ve also learned how to control my actions.”
Kyo smiled, “I wish I could have seen the old you—and compare to the you now.”
“Only people who knew me from the past can,” Pia smiled sadly, “and I’m also glad that you can’t.” Before Kyo could interject further, Pia continued. “That’s beside the point, one day on our way back to Sharance, well, we encountered one of … the very powerful bosses, the Chandra or something? If it was any other time of the day, I could have beaten it easily, but since that same day we had been traveling and fighting other beasts, I was exhausted.” She closed her eyes tightly before opening them again. “I wasn’t ready,” she breathed out. “I wasn’t … on guard of anything, I should have listened to Gaius and let him handle it, but—I was so stubborn, I didn’t listen, I should have,” she was blabbering, and repeating things over and over again. “But I didn’t.” she deadpanned.
“What happened?” Kyo asked hesitantly slowly.
“He shot me.” Pia muttered. “The Chandra shot me. He hit my ankle, and since it was electricity, it spread throughout my body, hitting here,” she lifted up her ankle and pointed to the spot it had hit first, then her hip and up to her shoulder, then her wrists.
“That’s … a lot of parts.”
Pia laughed bitterly, “You should have seen me, I was a wreck. I was practically having a seizure right there in front of him.”
“What happened afterwards?”
“The Chandra left,” Pia exaggerated, “he just literally looked down at me and turned away. I’ve never seen anything like it, it was like he was trying to give me a lesson or something,” she huffed. “But thank the heaven’s it did or else I would have been a goner for sure.”
“Well anyways, Gaius had immediately tried to treat me, like I said before, him being able to use to magic was a big help in the party. It was a good thing he acted that fast too, or else it would have been too late if we had waited until we made it back to Sharance.”
“So Gaius treated you enough to the point where you could make it into town, and when you guys made it, you went to the infirmary?”
“That’s exactly right,” Pia said, “Marjorie was there, she’s the witch in charge of magic and such. She has strong magic abilities, so Gaius let her treat me, it would have been a stupid move to not let her anyways.”
“Marjorie did everything she could. It was enough for me to keep walking, but not enough for me to keep fighting, as I was before.” Pia continued softly.
“When you asked me to help train you, I just couldn’t say no to the perfect opportunity to get back into training again.” Pia exclaimed, “Gaius told me to watch out for the consequences of doing so, but … I just couldn’t listen.” Pia smiled up at Kyo. “I was too excited for this, Kyo. So I can’t stop—I won’t. And not just for me either, but also for you, too. You have improved so much Kyo, I’m so proud of you for improving as much as you have, and I’m proud of myself for being the one to help you get this far.”
“I’m sorry to say this Pia, but you have gone too far. We’ve checked up on your condition … and it’s getting to the point where you can no longer be doing these sorts of activities anymore.”
“Jones!” Kyo exclaimed, looking towards the door. And there stood Jones and Gaius. Jones was walking towards us, while Gaius looked uncomfortably away from us.
“I know,” Pia said softly. “I’m sorry Kyo, it would seem I have reached my limit.” Using words that completely contradicted what she just promised.
___________Chapter End________________________
[A/N:]
I’m not sure if this should be added in correctly. I guess you guys would categorize it into a filler, but I liked it, and I hope you did too :)