Real

Author: Seth


"Sometimes there is nothing flimsier and more misleading than the truth."

Drifting feathers, falling out of a clear blue sky. Holding out her cupped hands, Naebi let a few of the biggest pinions float gently into her palms. Looking mournfully at the black plumes in her hands, the short redhead gently blew on the and watched then swirl softly to the ground.

“You didn’t need to do that.” She said reproachfully, turning around to meet the person she knew would be behind her.

“Neither did you.” Cain replied easily.

The Bean deflated visibly. The hiwajin wasn’t talking about her little display with the feathers and she knew it. Shivering, she hugged her arms closely around her, as if to somehow ward off the reality of what she’d done.

“That… that was different.” The girl mumbled, looking down and to the side.

Cain chuckled sardonically.

“Really now?” The golden eyed sociopath asked with a smirk. “The only difference I can see is that the animal you killed could talk.”

“I had to!” Naebi shot back, tears in her eyes. “If I didn’t he’d have… he’d have…”

“He’d have what?” Cain asked, a faint note of mockery tainting his voice. “He’d have killed someone; that’s what you want to say, isn’t it? He’d have attacked that brown haired boy you seem to care so much for? Or maybe your dear brother?” The prince shook his head, smiling condescendingly. “But you don’t know that. He might have been running away. I guess we’ll never know since you punched a whole through his chest the moment he turned his back to you.”

Cain watched on as tears ran down Naebi’s face, her body convulsing with silent sobs.

“It’s still different.” The tiny water manipulator choked out. “I didn’t know. I was scared.” Her head shot up to meet his gaze, the tears dripping from her chin now of anger. “You didn’t have any reason to kill that innocent crow!”

“No reason?” Cain quirked an eyebrow. “Of course I had a reason. I felt like killing it.” The young man let loose a long, suffering sigh. “I killed that bird because I wanted to, just the same way you killed that boy because you wanted to.”

Naebi opened her mouth to violently deny any such thing, but Cain cut her off before she could get any words out.

“Ah, ah, ah,” Cain waggled his finger before quickly touching it to the girl’s lips. “You know it’s true. You killed him because it made you feel safer, knowing that he couldn’t harm any of those close to you.”

Reaching forward, the renegade pyromaniac enveloped Naebi in a hug.

“We both killed for our own selfish reasons, just like everyone else.” The golden eyed prince kissed the top of her head. An onlooker might have called his voice tender if they hadn’t an inkling of the person he was. “We all look out for number one. That’s how this world works. You’re going to have to admit that eventually if you want to live with yourself.”