Harmonic Sync

Chapter 9: Secrets

Warning this chapter may have content that may cause discomfort to others. Read at your own risk.

I couldn't fall asleep that night and saw I walked around the Tartarus, hoping something would keep me from thinking about what happened ever since my sister died. The pain and suffering I had to live with for years and then had to endure when Arietta came to be a part of our family.

"Zora why are you out so late?" Asch asked from the shadows and I chuckled.

"I could ask you the same question." He smirked a little and then came over to the railing with me. "I couldn't sleep." I said finally.

"Same. What's on your mind?" I looked at him confused. "Oh c'mon I don't believe for a second you came out here to just get some fresh air." I sighed.

"I guess you're right." He looked at me.

"Well?"

"I came out here, because I've been thinking about the past. I know that sounds cheesy but my past is horrible." He looked at me as if to say explain, when I said nothing he pressed.

"Like what?" I shook my head.

"Please, I don't want to talk about it." He sighed and looked up at the sky.

"You know I really hate that, that replica took everything from me." I looked at him shocked.

"You mean Luke right?" He nodded.

"It's like I don't even have a life anymore. He took everything from me. My family, my home, everything." I frowned and looked down at my feet.

"I may not be a replica, but I feel like one..." He looked at me this time shocked. "I was like my older sister's shadow. My father never saw me; he saw my sister. He never wouldn't see me without her. When she died, he tried to turn me into her, but I wasn't her and I never would be. That was when..." I trailed off and felt a cool breeze that made me shiver a little.

"If you don't want to tell me it's alright. I'll say I feel honored to know this much about you."

"No, I've wanted to tell someone for a long time, but I never really trusted anyone enough to tell them. I mean Arietta is my sister, but if I told her she would try to kill him. Sync I would've told if he wasn't pissing me off. Then there's you, who has a similar background to me. You see when Hod fell and the bodies of my mother and sister were discovered...my father became enraged; he never could look at me without seeing Lily. He would start drinking and then come into my room and hit me until I couldn't breathe, until I was unable to speak and unable to think straight. Some nights I would go to sleep thinking I wasn't going to wake up the next morning." Asch looked at me and I felt the tears in my eyes before I could stop them.

That's when two arms went around me and I could hear Asch's heartbeat.

"I'm so sorry, no one should have to go through that." I laughed a little.

"Really, it was like a kick in the gut. Not being Lily...Sometimes I wish I was the one who had died in Hod. Then I would have been out of the way and my father would have been content with having Lily." He shook his head and pulled away a little to look me in the eyes.

"Never say that again, you belong in this world. With all of us." I smiled a little.

"Thank you, Asch. That was the first time someone told me they needed me for anything." He pulled me close again.

"I won't let him hurt you again." I pulled away and smiled again only this time it was a happy smile.

"I'm glad I told you, I knew I wasn't wrong." He looked at me and I saw his face was a little red. He came a little closer and wiped the tears from my eyes.

"Go to bed, you look exhausted." I nodded and started walking towards the door that led below. I turned back.

"Hey Asch?" He looked at me. "Thank you." I went below deck and back to the girl's room, curled up in my bunk and this time I was able to fall asleep peacefully.

~

The next morning, I was woken up by Legretta.

"C'mon, everyone is waiting upstairs." I got up and followed her upstairs. I saw everyone was waiting on me and her.

"Sorry." I said lightly seeing Sync looked angrier than usual.

"What were you too busy cuddling with Asch last night to wake up on time?" I froze along with Asch when he said that. I looked at the ground and felt sick to my stomach.

"You know I was already mad at you but this is a new low even for you." I looked up at him and the tears started streaming down my face. "I wasn't cuddling with Asch or anything like that, I was telling him about my past, is that alright with you Sync? Or do I have to run everything by you?!" He was shocked by my answer as was everyone else.

"That's not what I meant, Zora..." I shook my head.

"Just don't, if you knew anything about me you would know I've taken enough hate from a guy." I turned and ran off to the back of the Tartarus. I heard Asch say something to Sync, but I was too far away to hear it. I wrapped the railing at the back of the ship and jumped on top of it, ready to jump off of it.

"Zora, look at me." I turned and Asch was standing there. Legretta, Arietta, Sync and Largo were with him.

"No Asch...because then I'll lose it..." I looked at the sky, but it was too late. "Dammit! Why didn't he just kill me!? Why am I still alive?! Why am I being used as a punching bag for him?! Why am I not Lily?!" Asch grabbed me before I could fall back and held me tightly.

"Stop. I told you last night we want Zora, not Lily." I cried into his shoulder.

"I'm such an idiot..."

"No you're not, he's the idiot. You deserved so much more than what he gave you." I shook my head.

"No I deserved everything I got, I should have been the one that died on Hod...but yet, here I am. I have no need to be alive, my feelings and heart disappeared a long time ago." I looked up and looked directly at Sync. "You see Sync, when I said someone cared about you, you should have listened. You were the last thing in this world besides Arietta that was keeping me sane." I rose and looked out at the land around us.

"Zora, I..."

"Please, not right now. I have too much on my mind to even come close to forgiving you..." I muttered and I heard everyone walk away.

"If you need me, I'll be in the bridge." Asch said before walking away.

Thank you Asch. I have faith that I'll be able to forgive Sync, he was only jealous that he caught me and Asch together last night. It hurts that he jumped to such a conclusion, but from what it probably looked like I could understand why he would think that. I wish he would have come to me first before blurting it out for everyone to hear, now I'm sure they all think I'm crazy, but I will have to tell them all the truth eventually, but not yet. It's not time to let everyone know the truth, but maybe...yes it's time to tell Sync everything. Now just to figure out when and how.