Akio: My guardian, My best friend, My shoulder to cry on, my everything. Akio was about the same age as me but just a couple months older when we met. It was a cool spring day in Hell. Dad said we (My brother, Hotaru, and I) could go and hang out with Akio, my brother's best friend. I was swinging on the swing set then I got bored, so I went to go read underneath my favorite apple tree. I tripped over a tree root sticking out of the ground and fell; I blacked out. When I regained what little consciousness I had left in me. Akio was crouched above me saying over and over: " Princess, stay with me!! Don't you die on me!!" I couldn't breathe.... Why can't i breathe!?!?! I looked down at my chest to see a large tree root sticking out of my chest. I tried to speak, but all that came out was a fountain of blood. "Shh..." he said soothingly "Don't try to speak it'll only make it worse. Help's on the-- HOTARU!! Where ,may I ask, is the royal Healer?" Akio asked, his voice seething with rage. "I-I don't k-know...." My brother asked, utterly horrified at what he saw: Me. "Never mind!! I'll take her there myself..."He growled at no one in particular. Then he looked at me with these grief-stricken eyes and said: "This will hurt, I'm not gonna lie..." he chuckled darkly at his last comment. Before I had time to realize what he was going to do, he picked me up like I weighed nothing and doing so, tore the tree root out of my chest. I screamed, a gurgling sound coming out of my throat. Before I passed out (again) the last thing I heard was Akio determinedly saying: " Don't worry princess , I WILL bring you back, alive and well." Last thing i felt was his tears falling on my face as he carried me....
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I woke up in my bedroom, on my bed. Akio was sitting on My couch, indian-style wiyh his hands pressed together. Almost like he was praying....
"A-Akio?" I tried to say but my voice cracked almost like I haven't talked in a while. He shot up out of his chair. "Princess! You're alive!" He looked so relived it broke my heart... "Why do you look so relived" I asked slowly. He looked shocked. "Umm.. You're the princess!! Why-why wouldn't I be?!?" he said nervously. I sat up. "Don't lie to me Akio... I smell your fear," I got out of the bed. "Why are you scared?" He started backing up. "I-I'm n-not s-s-scared......" He backed up into a corner, looking like a terrified animal...... But why??? I touched his cheek "Akio, as your princess I demand you tell me what your so.....nervous about!" I hated doing this to my people but sometimes it had to be done. His face lost all emotion but one: Lust " Akki, I-I love you."
