Hakusho: Parenthood

Chapter 13: T stand for Tears

Warning: Mentions of bullying, derogatory words, and violence.

May 8, 2011

Everything was quiet.

The only time sound was made was when Kazuma started the car.

Sorrowful brown eyes continuously shifted between staring ahead of the road and staring at the rear view mirror. Reflected in the rear view was his young daughter, who was dressed in a pink sweater, a blue jean skirt, red flats, and a long black wig floating as a result of her fluctuating energy. She was staring at her bloody fists without much emotion.

The blood mostly wasn't hers.

Kazuma opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out of it. Despite the several wild thoughts running rampant throughout his mind, not a single sound came out of his mouth. Not even words of damn comfort! Sweat ran down his face. His eyes closed shut as he inhaled. He reopened his eyes and peered at his wife sitting next to him. Yukina peered back at him. Ruby eyes glistened with unshed tears, expression as despaired as his. Kazuma's grip on the wheel tightened and he gnawed in his bottom lip until he tasted copper.

What their daughter experienced was the last thing any well-meaning parents wanted their child to experience.

"Mama...Papa...?" Both parents stiffened when their daughter finally spoke up.

Ayako never lifted her gaze from her hands, but continued speaking in a tight voice. "...Am I freakish for being born like this...?"

"OF COURSE NOT!" Both parents shouted, perhaps a little too loudly than intended. Still, the disheartened child didn't budge a bit, not even a flinch of surprise.

"You're perfect just the way you are, Aya." Yukina insisted with a tender smile.

"Yeah! It doesn't matter how you were born! All that matters is that you're you. Our special little snowflake." Kazuma added with a grin.

These sincere words didn't seem to positively affect the blank faced girl. "Hm...If being me is the only thing that matters then why did Junichi hurt me like that?" The volume of her voice increased with each sentence. Impassiveness steadily morphing into quavering rage. "Why did everyone make fun of me? Why was I treated like a thing!? An it!? HUH!?" Her energy spiked, frosting up the windows and freezing portions of the car's interior. The energy dwindled and the windows slowly thawed when her shoulders slumped in defeat. "I didn't do anything wrong...I just wanted friends..."

"Ayako..." Yukina sadly muttered.

Kazuma grimly stared ahead at the road. "Princess..." He started. His voice wavered and he sighed. "Look. People become scared of the unknown. If they aren't aware of something or if they aren't educated about it or if they are made aware of it but it's based on negative assumptions, or even if they do understand but just don't care, then they're going to react negatively. People are willing to hurt other people when they ignore the fact that no matter what they're just like everyone else: a living being with emotions, hopes, dreams. It's scarily easy to turn a blind eye to that fact..."

Ayako's energy spiked once more as she scowled, ripping the wig off and freeing her natural aquamarine locks. The wig froze from her tight grip. "Then what was the use in wearing this if they were going to judge me anyway!? To appear normal!? What does being normal even mean!? How does one be normal!? So what if people questioned me about the color of my hair!? So what if they find out it's natural instead of dyed!? Apparently my crotch is enough of a turn off! They thought I was human and yet they still considered me a freak! W-Why...?" She tightly closed her eyes and her bottom lip trembled. A single tear rolled down her cheek and solidified into a shiny round gem mid-fall. It landed on her lap and rolled onto the floor.