The Light To Her Darkness

Chapter 6: The Pain Within

WORDS: 8015

NYA'S POV:

Harumi was not taking what happened at her home too well. However, she had a valid reason. Her last birth parent, the Emperor was there during the attack on the Palace of Secrets. He died there just like his wife, the loving Empress, Alice. Harumi had lost both of her parents in her own home. I believe that she would not be able to live there anymore even if they rebuilt the palace. Too many souls were lost and too many people couldn't be saved. There were no survivors in the palace besides the rest of the ninjas, Lloyd and Harumi.

We flew away from the palace when the sun was rising. Harumi had stared at her home until it was no longer in view. No tears from what I could see fell. She wore a solemn unsmiling face. Her hair was messy from the rush of the motorcycle she rode with Lloyd and she had a bloody brownish bandage on her forearm. She laid both of her arms on the rail grunting in pain as she laid pressure on her injured lower arm. Harumi's once vivacious eyes were now dull as she continued to stare at the city as we left.

The other guys except for Zane were discussing our next course of action. Usually, I and Zane would both join them, but Zane was busy contacting the police and working out some kinks. Meanwhile, I was fixing some wires that were out of place inside the control panel. As the only two girls on the ship, I decided to go over to Harumi. Of course, she needed time for herself, but I needed to check her wound.

"Harumi, " I began. "How are you doing?"

She left her gaze from the city and turned to me replying, "Mentally or physically?"

"Both?" I replied stretching the word out.

Harumi answered tiredly, "Mentally and physically weak."

Harumi had a good reason to be both mentally and physically weak. Although she has trained before, I don't think her body has undergone that much strain before. She was mentally fried because everyone in the palace had most likely passed away. Her 'Father' had also been one of the victims. I believe she thought that she shouldn't be with us. She thought that she should've been among them. I heard Hutchins mumbling, 'A captain always goes down with his ship' as I passed him a few hours before the attack.

"Your forearm," I said gesturing to her lower arm. "You got injured from what Lloyd told us."

She nodded, "I did. Did he give you any details about what happened?"

"All he said was that you got injured and dropped the mask by accident, " I stated while shaking my head.

She quickly apologized to me, "I'm sorry for dropping the mask. The woman with the high ponytail had slashed my arm when Lloyd and she had revved their engines and drove towards each other. Lloyd told me to keep my head down and clutched the mask between my arms. I guess she saw, or something and decided to slash me right there. And out of surprise, I dropped the mask. Then, as I realized I dropped it, Lloyd and the madwoman raced to it. I didn't manage to grab it as fast with one arm immobile and the other clutching onto Lloyd."

"Harumi, " I stated. "None of this is your fault. You have nothing to apologize for. I would recoil in pain too if someone cut my arm. You're extremely lucky she didn't cut close enough to get your veins."

She nodded, "Yeah."

"The bandage, who applied it onto you?" I asked.

She eyed the now brown bandage stained with dry blood and replied, "I did. Lloyd was busy driving the ship and we weren't there at the palace yet. So, I just found a bandage in a cabinet and wrapped it around."

"You know it was probably around 3:30 something in the morning when you got injured and it's currently," I paused checking the time. "It is 9:45 as of right now so roughly around 6 hours and a quarter. You need to get that bandage change. Did you apply antibiotics or anything?"