Hermione, tho' puzzled by this response, didn't push him, and a moment later Haku arrived--
"How is he?" he asked, as Hermione took teh fish from him and began to scale them [she used her talons, which worked wonderfully well!]
"Awake......and deeply distressed...." she answered, receiving a kiss on her cheek from Haku.
"....And probably thirsty..." thought Haku, walking towards his "guest" on teh bed, a cup of cool water in his hand......
"Would you like something to drink--?" he began, but was cut off by teh question from teh man on teh bed--"WHY did you rescue ME!? WHY DIDN'T YOU LET ME
DIE, as I DESERVED!?"
Haku, who even in his Dragon form was not a large being, could STILL manage to look IMPOSING when he wanted to--"I am KOHAKU, Water Dragon Guardian of this River, and I DO NOT let people DROWN in her waters--
EVER!!!"
This got Gandrion's attention [Oh, teh IRONY--Saved by a DRAGON, of all Beings!!!], and he looked into Haku's eyes, his new "sensitivity" telling him a few things--"You--you KNOW who I AM! And yet, you SAVED ME!!??
WHY!!!?? My life is Forfeit!! Even if you didn't wish to sully your River with my unworthy CORPSE, you STILL could have taken my Life ELSEWHERE!!"
Haku moved very CLOSE to teh Former Lord then, something deep and mysterious BURNING in his beautiful eyes......
"And TELL me--WHAT would THAT have achieved then, eh!? Gandrion, neither Emi-chan OR Suzaku took your Life, and there MUST be a REASON for that! Perhaps you CANNOT "contribute" to your Clan any longer in teh TRADITIONAL way, but that DOESN'T MEAN YOU STILL CAN'T BE A VALUABLE ASSET TO THOSE AROUND YOU!!! And Someday, in Some WAY, you will FIND what it is that ONLY YOU can bring to this Life, and to those you care for!!!"
"But, but...." stuttered teh Former Lord, at a total loss...
"And, in CASE you think you'll just try destroying yourself AGAIN, I remind you, Gandrion--your Life is Forfeit--and having SAVED its "worthlessness", it NOW belongs to ME, Haku teh River Dragon!! And I FORBID YOU to try killing yourself AGAIN, in ANY form or shape--do you UNDERSTAND!!??"
His "guest" nodded forlornly--"You make a Slave of me, then?"
"No, more of a GUEST, really--but I DO insist that you stay HERE until you are healed, at least...."
"Then, may I ask just one thing of YOU, Haku.....?"
"And that IS....?"
"Gandrion is Truly DEAD, Grant me THAT--and call me "Nobody""
Haku held his gaze for a very long time......
"All right......Nobody...."
-------------------------------------
While Haku helped Hermione to prepare teh stew, he explained teh situation, starting from teh beginning in front of Snap's Apartment.......
She was silent for a long moment, then asked--"Is this what you meant about "Forgiveness", Haku?"
Haku, staring off into a distance that only he could see, answered--"Yes, Hermione, it is.....I was Forgiven once, and I learned a GREAT DEAL as a result--MORE than if I had been "Properly Punished" for my misdeeds as I deserved--someone, I don't remember who, oddly enough, said that, "Forgiveness is NOT saying you CONDONE teh wrong that was done, but that you UNDERSTAND
WHY it was done....", and THAT was only ONE of teh things I have been able to contribute to this place as a result..."
"And Someday, "Nobody" will become a SOMEBODY, again, for MUCH teh same reason, of THAT I am SURE!"
--------------------------------
Okay, that's all.....for NOW...Gandrion, now known as "Nobody", will be helping care for teh Japanese Gardens [And, Yes, I DO have more in mind for him in teh Future......]