I could feel their eyeballs. All of them on me. If I had been human my hands would be shaking and breaking out in a cold sweat. I turned back toward Ariel, my eyes probably as big as saucers, and she gave me an encouraging wink. I turned back, and took a deep breath. Then, after a bit of an awkward silence, I finally began:

"I-I think I should tell you all about my past," I was already stumbling over my words. I peeked up to see everyone's expressions. Dani gave me a warm smile, while Gray sat close by her side. Lucy was listening intently as if I were someone really important, her expression made me feel even more nervous. Everyone else looked pretty natural, except Zero who still seemed a bit tense. I started again. "M-my mother," I paused trying to find the right way to put it, "I n-never really knew her. She d-died within a few days of my birth. I-it was some sort of complication she had had in childbirth. Then my father left when I was about 4 a-and I don't really remember much about him. So- it was just me and my big brother. Alex." Saying his name was the hardest part. When I did I couldn't help but see his smiling face in my mind. I was doing well, I just needed to keep going. "Alex," I gulped down the too-good memories, "basically r-raised me. He was like a brother and a m-mother to me. Then when I was 12, he got d-drafted and had to go into military service. He nev-" I felt a small tear trickle down my cheek, "he never came home." I held back the same sobs I cried the day Alex left. I didn't want them to think I was that weak. "Asuka..." I heard Sky whisper. In my mind all I could hear was Alex saying his famous line, "Be brave Asuka." Then Kasumi spoke up, "Do you know if he's dead?" She said the two words I couldn't stand to hear in the same sentence, he (in reference to Alex) and dead. I let it go the best I could. "N-no, not really. I might not ever know for sure." "Then don't give up!" Sora almost seemed to chirp, "You could still find him!" She was right. I didn't have to give up hope, even though it seemed so easy to. "Why don't you try morphing back now?" Ariel sort of nudged me from behind. "Uh, right." I gave a weak smile, my eyes not completely dry yet.

I stood up and thought about it. "Uh, do you guys mind if I try this in private first? I don't want to e-embarass myself if it doesn't work." Io chuckled, "Nah, go ahead and try for yourself, we'll be patient!" I walked to the edge of the woods where Io had taken me for a walk. I closed my eyes and focused all my thoughts on one word: human. With that I opened my eyes and saw something amazing. My human hand. Unfortunately, that was it. But it was a start in the right direction! And Io said herself that Seth was able to start morphing back a little at a time. I was headed the right way and I wasn't turning back!

Continue?
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SHE DID IT! Aren't you all so proud of shy little Asuka! I am! YAY! It couldn't have been that easy for her to become human again though. But like she said, she's headed in the right direction!