Songs of a Lonely Heart

[Flamebird]

"Miss Felicity?"

Upon hearing that familiar voice, Felicity turned from her alchemist's table and turned to that child. Oh, Kylie. Sweet Kylie. This girl was like a daughter to her. The teifling lifted a hand and revealed a cut on her blue hand. Oddly colored blood slightly bubbled from the cut. Her alarm sparked as the potion she had been working on fizzed over behind them. She took no notice, however. This cut was small enough that it only needed antibacterial ointment and a bandage. She ran over to one of the shelves and pulled the sap of a cleansing plant down. Grabbing a roll of bandages, she dashed over to the girl and bent down, attending to the cut.

"How did you do this?"

Kylie was silent. She hissed slightly as Felicity applied the healing sap to the cut. Felicity grew worried as she did not respond.

"Kylie," She asked soothingly as she began to wrap the wound, she used the old pet name. "Rylie, darling. How did you get cut?"

Despite her experience, Felicity was unable to tell what had cut her. It was unlikely to be a blade. A shard of glass was out of the picture from the get go. It seemed unlikely that a sharp mineral weapon had been used either. It sort of looked like the accidental scratch against a stone. Yet...

"I wanted to know."

"Know?" Felicity looked up, taken aback from the answer. "Know what?

The girl looked at the wound. Felicity had paused during wrapping it, leaving the bandages loosely wrapped and dangling in their intertwined hands. At last, the girl spoke.

"What it feels like after your powers turn off."

Felicity gasped, "You did this to yourself!?"

Kylie still avoided her eyes, "I cut myself on a rock. It hurts."

"Of course it hurts!" Felicity exclaimed as she squeezed her hand, "You cut yourself! Kylie, how could you!"

Tears started to swell in her gorgeous purple eyes, "I... You... How can you do it?"

Tears flooded Felicity's eyes as she pulled the child closer. "I-I know it will hurt once I feel pain again. If even I heal faster, it hurts. Whenever I willingly slit myself to activate my powers, sometimes I still hesitate."

"Why do you hurt yourself?" Tears slipped down Kylie's face, "And why do you let yourself get hurt when fighting?"

Felicity reached up and gently wiped Kylie's eyes, "I need to keep my family safe. You, Leoric, Shinsou... I need to stop anything that would hurt you, even at my own expense."

Kylie finally looked up to Felicity, still crying. Her eyes were pools of gentleness and sorrow, "It hurts me too."

Felicity broke out in a single sob. Looking down at the girl's hand, she could still feel the shock of learning what Kylie had done to herself several moments ago. Was that... how her loved ones felt about her every time her powers were activated? Felicity softly finished bandaging the wound. Caressing the teifling's wrists as she finished her work, Felicity's lip trembled.

"Does this bother you that much?"

Though her tears prevented her from seeing, Felicity heard the girls sob and feel through her arm that her back throbbed.

Felicity pulled Kylie into a hug. "Kylie, I love you. I love you so much. Dear, I'd give up anything for you. But does it hurt you to see me sacrifice?"

"Yes!" Kylie wrapped her arms around Felicity's frame and squeezed. "You say you want to make me happy! But I want you happy too!"

Felicity pulled her closer, tighter. She refused to let her go. "Kylie. You make me happy. I feel alive with you. I still have no idea how to be a mother, and I feel that I let you down today. But, Kylie..."

Felicity reached down and lifted Kylie's little chin. As Felicity's tears fell on Kylie's face like rain, Felicity smiled, "I want to protect you. Because you bring me joy. Because words cannot describe how much I love you."

Felicity closed her eyes, bringing Kylie's face against her chest again. "Forgive me."