Hikage yawned, stretching as he woke, before crying out in pain and clutching his head. His eyes shot open as he felt something wrapped around his head. It took him a moment to figure out what the strange band was; bandages.

He placed a hand to his chin. "Bandages? Why are there bandages on my head?" He closed his eyes, struggling to remember yesterday's events. He growled a bit as his thoughts came up fruitless. "AARGH! DAMMIT, WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER ? !" He shouted, clawing at the top of his head, before squeaking in pain as he passed over the crown of his head.

Erudi came in, carrying a plate of food. "Morning, Hikage." He greeted, quieter than usual and smiling a bit. "How's your head?"

"It's fine, but whenever I touch the back of my head, I feel like I just went to Hell and back..." He muttered. He sighed, peeved at his inability to remember. "Agh...what happened yesterday?"

Erudi sat down, handing his friend the plate. "Shi told me you two got into a fight with some bullies. Apparently you got hit in the head with a pipe, so we took you to the nurse." He explained. "She said you had a minor concussion, but you might experience some memory loss."

Hikage nodded, taking a bite out of his breakfast. "Well, that explains why I couldn't remember anything..." He scratched the top of his head, gently tapping the bump, before his eyes widened. "Wh-Where is it?" He whimpered, looking around. He hopped out of bed, racing to the bathroom.

"Hikage?" Erudi chased after him, knocking on the bathroom door. "Hikage, are you okay?" He waited a moment, placing an ear to the door. He heard something on the other side, something between a cry and a whimper. "Hikage, are you-"

Suddenly, a scream echoed throughout the apartment, and Erudi backed off from the door, expecting it to slam open any second now. When the door remained closed, he slowly opened it, peeking his head in.

Hikage was curled up in the corner, face buried in his arms. Erudi approached, crouching down in front of his friend. "Hikage, are you alright?"

"It...It's hurt..." He whimpered. "It's hurt..."

"What's hurt?" Erudi reached down, planting a hand on his shoulder.

Hikage looked up, with an expression as though he'd just seen someone kick a puppy. "M-My ahoge-kun is hurt." He pointed up to the top of his head; the strange antenna of hair was crumpled up, bent at an odd angle.

"...Your ahoge got...hurt?"

Hikage nodded. "C-Could you please leave? We...We need a moment..."

Erudi stared for a moment, before nodding. "Look, wrap it up as soon as you can. We have to get to school." Hikage nodded, averting his gaze and cradling the piece of hair. As soon as Erudi stepped outside of the bathroom, he shut the door, leaning on it and sighing. "Hikage, you make me worry more and more each day..."

/-/-/-/-/-/

Episode 4: Welcome, Sister-san! Dark Constructions

/-/-/-/-/-/

The bell rang, and the students stood up, making for the door and heading to the lunchroom. Erudi stood up as well, stretching, and turning to Hikage. "Hey, Hikage, it's time to go." He called. Hikage remained unresponsive. Erudi sighed, walking over. "Hikage, are you still sulking over your ahoge? Come on!"

Hikage still refused to move, and Erudi raised an eyebrow, poking him. Hikage still didn't move, and Erudi lifted his head, searching his eyes for any signs of life. The usually-bright green orbs were now dull and lifeless, as if he were unconscious.

"H-Hikage, come on!" Erudi stammered, shaking him. Still no response. Erudi ran to the door, looking down the hall. He spotted Ms. Takuro and ran after her, grabbing her arm. "T-Takuro-sensei, come quick!" He cried.

The teacher spun around. "Oh, hello, Kenara! What's the matter-"

"Hikage's not moving!" Erudi explained, a hint of panic in his voice.

/-/-/-/-/-/

Erudi and Ms. Takuro had returned to the classroom, trying to get some reaction from the boy, but to no avail. "I don't understand this!" Ms. Takuro placed a hand to her chin. "I know Kusaka-chan told me he had a concussion, but to think it would be this bad..."

"I'll go run and get her!" Erudi nodded, making a beeline for the door. As soon as he opened it, however, he bumped straight into Rai and Shi.

"There you are!" Rai exclaimed. "Where the hell were you guys? Lunch is already half over!"

Erudi growled, pushing past them. "Something's wrong with Hikage!"

Shi ran in, attempting to wake the shorter boy, to no avail. Rai approached, a worried look on his face. "Dammit, I told him this would happen, didn't I tell him, Shi ? !"

A few seconds later, Erudi returned with the nurse close behind. The nurse held open one of Hikage's eyes, shining a light in it, attempting to get a reaction. Still no luck.

"I don't understand..." She placed a hand to her chin. "His concussion should only have caused a little bit of memory loss...This isn't a natural symptom!"

Suddenly, Hikage blinked, and all eyes rested on him, to make sure their eyes weren't playing tricks on them. A few seconds passed, and Hikage blinked again, shaking his head and groaning. "Agh...What happened?"

"Hikage, you're okay!" Shi sighed in relief.

Hikage looked at the group. "Yeah, I'm fi-" He suddenly brought a hand to his mouth before jumping up from his seat and making a mad dash to the door. "'SCUSE ME!"

/-/-/-/-/-/

"Hah...Hah..." Hikage panted, leaning over the sink. "Bluh...Ugh...where'd that come from...?" He gulped, listening to the faucet running. "This...This isn't normal...is it? I've never felt like this before..." He looked at his reflection, gasping a bit as the mirror showed him; more dark circles than usual were under his eyes, and he looked pale and disheveled.

He breathed out, holding his forehead. "M-My head...What...What is this...?"

piku(1)

His eyes shot open, and he looked up into the reflection. "...That's weird...For a second I thought-"

piku piku

Hikage's eyes widened, not quite believe what he was witnessing; his ahoge was twitching to and fro, as if it had a mind of it's own. "A-Ahoge-kun ? !" He cried. "What...What's wrong? You've never done this before..."

piku piku

piku

piku

piku piku

"...I see..." Hikage nodded. "Should you tell them, or should I?"

piku

piku piku piku

piku

"Oh...good point, you can't exactly talk..."

piku piku

"Huh? What do you me—URGH!" He doubled over, clutching his head. "A-Ahoge-kun...! !"

"Hikage, are you alright?" Erudi walked in, looking around for the boy. He spotted his friend in front of a mirror, standing still. "Hikage, are you o-"

CRASH!

He stared in horror as the mirror shattered, blood splattering on the wall and sink. "H-HIKAGE, WHAT-"

The boy began to drag his blood-coated finger across the wall, writing some form of message. When he was done, he collapsed to his knees, staring at the floor blankly. Erudi shook him, trying to wake him up.

"Hikage! What the hell just happened-" He looked up at the wall, stopping in mid-sentence as the message registered in his head:

A TRAITOR RESTS AMONGST YOU

/-/-/-/-/-/

Knock-knock

Erudi opened the door, looking slightly disheveled. "Hello?" Beyond the door frame was a young woman with short brown hair that lowered to her shoulders on the sides of her face. Underneath her bright green eyes, she wore what appeared to be mascara, but upon closer inspection, Erudi noticed that it was actually dark circles, as if she hadn't gotten much sleep. He also noticed that on top of her head was a small thread of hair; an ahoge.

The two stared at each other for a bit, before the woman spoke up. "Is Shirahiro here?"

"...Um..." Erudi stared. "He's unconscious at the moment, but I could take a message if you wa—HEY!" The woman had stepped in sides, slipping off her shoes and walking into the room to the left. Hikage lay in bed, another bandage wrapped around his head, and a newer one around his hand.

The woman rested one hand on the bump, and Hikage grunted in his sleep in discomfort. Erudi growled, walking up behind her and bout to say something, before his eyes widened. Looking at the two side-by-side, he noticed how similar they looked; the brown hair, the green eyes, the ahoge, even the dark circles!

Erudi placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "He's got a concussion, and the nurse said he'd be out for a few more hours..." She looked up at him, and he sighed. "Come on, would you like something to drink while we wait?"

/-/-/-/-/-/

"Thank you for your hospitality, Kenara-san." The girl nodded gratefully, placing her tea down.

Erudi smiled a bit. "No problem, Shirahiro-san. You're Hikage's sister, so I don't see any reason not to welcome you."

"No honorific..." She thought. "Just how well do he and onii-chan know each other?" She shook her head. "So, I take it you and Hikage-chan know each other well?"

Erudi nodded. "We kinda have to, since we're living together here." The girl's face suddenly went bright red, but Erudi simply continued. "He's such a kid, I swear."

"You're...living together...?" She smiled, but it was wobbly and awkward.

"Yeah, we're sharing this apartment." Erudi nodded. "Hikage said he just needed a change of pace-"

"What kind of change did he mean ! ?"

"-and I live here since it's close to the high school." He smirked. "He's such a handful, let me tell ya...It's like trying to watch over a rambunctious little kid twenty-four-seven." He smiled at her. "Sometimes it's hard to tell when he's serious, or just playing!"

By now, the girl's face was like a fire hydrant, and she still had on that awkward smile. "S-So...um...are-are you two...happy with each other?"

Erudi seemed to consider the question a moment. "...Yeah, we're pretty happy." He grinned. "Even if we do nothing but sit around all the time when we're alone, there's never a dull moment when Hikage's awake and ready to play!"

Steam was practically coming out of the girl's nose, and she desperately tried to shake away the thoughts that had entered her mind, to no success.

"Hey, are you alright?" Erudi asked, finally noticing how red the girl's face was. "You don't look so good..."

"N-No...no, I'm fine." She nodded, snapping out of her delusions and clearing her throat. "So, um, has Hikage-chan mentioned anything about our parents or me?"

Erudi shook his head. "I've asked him before, but he's always avoided the question." He placed a hand to his chin. "In fact, he never even mentioned having a sister." The girl seemed to shrink slightly at this news.

"Oh..."

Erudi noticed her sudden change of mood and sighed. "Look, I'm sure he had a reason for not telling me about his family. Maybe he's just one of those guys that's not open to family matters."

Suddenly, Hikage's door opened, and the boy slumped out, rubbing one eye and shuffling past the table, to the kitchen. When he returned, he had a glass in his hand and he waved to the two in the room. "Mor'in', Erudi...Mor'in', Tsukiko..."

He got back to his room, before a crash sounded and he came running back to the doorway, staring out from behind the frame.

"Hey, Hikage." Erudi waved, smiling. "You never told me you had a sister."

Hikage simply stared, eyes wide. His grip on the frame tightened, and Erudi could have sworn he saw fear in the bright green orbs. Hikage shut his eyes tight, taking a deep breath, before stepping out from the doorway, smiling.

"Yep, I've got a sis!" He grinned. He turned to the girl, sitting down next to her at the table. "I didn't know you were coming, Tsukiko! If I had, I'd have gotten dressed!"

"You should have gotten dressed anyway, you goof." Erudi's cheek twitched.

"So, what happened?" Tsukiko asked, pointing to the bandages. "Did you get into another fight?"

Hikage scratched the back of his neck. "Er...not exactly a fight, but rather...defending mine and my friend's honor?"

"Which apparently entails getting hit with an iron pipe." Erudi snickered. "Honestly, we oughta be thankful; the only reason you're not a vegetable is because you have such a thick skull!"

"Not fair, Eru-chan!" Hikage pouted a bit. "He used a sneak attack and I couldn't sense his ki!" The two stared at one another for a moment, before laughing.

"...They're...laughing..." Tsukiko thought in wonder. "They were able to naturally discuss Hikage getting hurt and laugh about it...!"

SLAM!

Tsukiko slammed a fist into the table, growling. "What the hell is wrong with you two?" She snarled. "You got hit with an iron bar, and you just shrug it off...WHAT THE HELL KIND OF FOOL ARE YOU ? !" She shouted in Hikage's face.

"Ts-Tsukiko, c-calm down!" Hikage raised his hands in defense. "L-Look, I'm fine! It's just a bump!"

"Just a bump ? !" Tsukiko growled. "You got a concussion! Can you actually look me in the eye and tell me it's alright ? !" Her eyes lowered to his hand. "And what's that from?"

Hikage followed her gaze to the bandages. "...I...honestly don't-"

"The fight." Erudi interrupted. "One of them pulled a knife and stabbed him, and while he was distracted, someone else hit him with the pipe!"

Hikage raised an eyebrow. "I don't remember tha-"

Erudi nodded. "It happened. You probably just can't remember due to your concussion."

Hikage placed a hand to his chin, before grasping his forehead. "Dammit, this f*cking concussion..."

Erudi stood up, helping his friend up and leading him back to his room. "Go on and lay down like Kusaka-sensei said. I'll come in and check on you in a bit..." When he came back, he shut the door, only to see Tsukiko putting on her sneakers. "Where're you going, Shirahiro-san?"

Tsukiko shrugged. "I guess now was just a bad time to stop by." She explained. "Besides, I have to go back to work in about twenty minutes, so I probably oughta get going." She nodded at him. "Thank you for having me in, Kenara-san. Tell Hikage that I said goodbye, okay?"

Erudi nodded, and watched as the woman left. He sighed, only to look back at the door as Tsukiko poked her head back in.

"Oh, and if you hurt my little brother even a little bit, you won't live to regret it." She growled menacingly. "I'm completely fine with whatever Hikage chooses to be, but whoever causes him pain will have to deal with me."

"...Wait, whatever he chooses to be?" Erudi raised an eyebrow. "Whaddya mean?"

"I don't care what he is, straight or bent, but if you hurt him-"

Erudi stared. "...Again, wait, what ? ?"

Tsukiko's brow furrowed. "Oh, so now you're denying it ? !"

"Denying what ? !" Erudi raised his hands in defense.

Tsukiko spun around, growling. "It doesn't matter. Just know that if you make him cry, I will kill you in the most painful way possible..." As she finally exited, Erudi felt a shiver go up his spine.

"Jeez...the hell is wrong with her?" He entered Hikage's room once more, noticing that the boy had hidden under his covers and pillow. "Hikage, are you okay?"

Hikage poked his head out from under the pillow, looking around a bit. "Y-Yeah...I'm fine..." He sat up, grasping his head.

Erudi sighed, scratching his neck. "...Sorry..." Hikage raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry I lied to you...You didn't cut your hand in a fight."

Hikage stared for a moment, eyes slightly wide. Erudi dared to take a glance, only to feel his heart sink; Hikage's look of surprise had turned to one of hurt. "You lied to me?"

Erudi sighed, approaching the futon. "I didn't mean to..." He sat down. "I...I just didn't think it was a good idea, telling your sister what really happened..." He explained, averting his gaze. "...Hikage, I'm really sorry..."

He suddenly felt the boy wrap him in a hug, and he looked down. Hikage looked upset, and for a second he thought that the boy was angry at him, until he saw the small drops in the corners of his friend's eyes.

"Don't be..." He sucked in a deep breath. "Don't be sorry..."

Erudi sighed, wrapping an arm around the shorter boy and patting his shoulder. Hikage sucked in another breath, this one a little bit more shaky, and Erudi felt him bury his face in his shirt. The boy's shoulders began to quiver, and he let out small hiccups, as if he were trying to hold back an ocean behind a dam of twigs.

"She hates me..." He whimpered. "She hates me...she hates me..." Erudi sighed, rubbing his friend's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. Erudi gulped back a small lump in his throat; he was just putting up a strong front for Hikage to lean on, in reality he was shocked, for lack of a better word.

Hikage never cried, and he even said that he liked it when others smiled. In all the years Erudi had known him, the only time he'd ever seen tears was when Hikage was rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"She hates me..." Hikage repeated, choking back all of his tears. "Hates me...hates me..."

Erudi continued to rub his friend's shoulder. "She doesn't hate you..." He reassured. "I'm sure there's an explanation-"

"She said it was m-my f-fault that our mom and brother d-died..."

The room went even quieter, and Erudi stopped rubbing Hikage's shoulder, instead, gripping it as tight as he could. He felt an insurmountable amount of rage bubble up, deep in the pit of his chest, and he growled softly, glaring at the wall.

"That's why..." He snarled. "That's why you left your home...she drove you away with that kind of slander..." Hikage's eyes widened, frightened. "That...that..." He growled, screwing his eyes shut in an attempt to keep control. Finally, he snapped, shooting up from the futon and screaming, "THAT STUPID MOTHERF*CKING BITCH ! ! !"

He began breathing heavily, glaring at the wall. "E-Erudi?" Hikage's frightened whisper brought him back to stability, and he sat back down, hugging his friend.

"No matter what she says..." He growled. "Hikage, promise me that no matter what she says, you won't blame yourself for something that was out of your control..." Hikage didn't move, and for a moment, Erudi was afraid that he'd gone into shock from his concussion and the sudden shouting.

Finally, the boy bowed his head, sniffling, and nodding slightly. "O-Okay..."

Erudi felt his glare soften, and he changed his grip so that instead of bone-crushingly tight, the hug was just tight enough to give some comfort. "It's not your fault...It's not..." He patted Hikage's back. "It's okay to cry, you know...to get angry..."

"B-But I'm not..." Hikage shook his head. "I'm...I'm not gonna cry...and...I'm not angry..." Erudi released him, holding his shoulders gently and looking him in the eye. "Yes...she's a bitch, and...and I don't like what she said..." He looked up at Erudi. "But no matter how hard I try, I just can't hate her...She my sister, there's just no way..."

Erudi sighed, pushing Hikage back onto his pillow, gently. "You goof..." He smirked. "You're too forgiving, you know that?"

As he turned to leave, Hikage grabbed his hand, and Erudi turned, looking back at him. "...Thank you..."

/-/-/-/-/-/

(1): piku-the Japanese sound effect for twitching. Why is it used, you may ask? Because I'm the author, that's why. |:P

/-/-/-/-/-/

Hikage's Character Encyclopedia

Shi Hinomaru

Age: 15

Zodiac sign: Cancer

Height: 168 cm

Likes: Hugs, sunshine, light rain, and wind.

Dislikes: Being the center of attention, losing his friends and family, and darkness.

Personality: My bestest best friend, other than Erudi. He's had a pretty rough life, and I almost can't blame him for what he did. He's a little twisted, due to the traumatic things he's seen, but he's got extraordinary willpower.

Fun Fact: ...Not really fun, but his name is Japanese for 'death'.

Favorite anime: Soul Eater

Favorite manga: Soul Eater

Favorite game: Portal

Character commentary: Bestest best friend? ...Thank you...