A Special Day
-By Mei
Maribel seemed pleased with her best friend's choice of venue, a gorgeous location near a solemn-looking lake. The eastern magnolia trees were in full blossom, revealing a white shroud covering the surrounding sky. It's seeds releasing a strong yet sweet odor, invigorating their visitors with the essence of youth. 'Phew, figured this wouldn't be enough,' thought Renko 'but seeing her smile puts my mind at ease', and what a smile it was. Imagine the feeling of successfully making it through a life-or-death exam without having studied, multiply that emotion by a thousand as you're treated by sugarsweet home baked cookies at grandma's and there you have it. The feeling of being greeted by Maribel Hearn's smile.
"Is something the matter, Ren~ko?", miss Hearn spoke with a confounded expression aimed at Usami Renko, the organiser of this haphazard tea party in the woods. 'Then again, these aren't as much the woods as it's the backyard of a soon-to-be space elevator.', thought our organiser, completely neglecting Maribel's question as her gaze left this world to explore the surrounding area. Maribel pouted, sipping her bitter ceylon tea as her gaze joined Renko's.
"It's a shame, really. Figured we'd have more chances to come by here once our 2nd year in uni' was over Merry.", Maribel's pout softened upon hearing this, dropping her guard, "It really is a shame. This was part of your family's property for a 100 years wasn't it?", Renko quickly retorted, "99 and a half Merry!", she hung her head on the table. Closing her eyes in defeat, she heard Maribel move about. This immediately triggered an image in her mind, of her best friend reaching out over Renko's school desk a late evening at school, during detention. The sun shone brightly on the horizon as it descended, piercing her eyes leaving only the faint afterimage of Maribel's beautiful figure reaching out to Renko. Her vision ended with Merry patting her head, forcing her back to reality.
"There there Renko, don't worry about it." A rubbery sound was heard approaching, wheels turning, slightly nudging the marmor table. 'Oh', thought miss Usami as a flustered Merry closed in, reaching out her hand which barely made it to the girl's head. "I'm fine with it. So should you be.", Maribel spoke softly, that smile from earlier reemerging to meet her best friend's tired gaze. 'There's no way in hell I'm okay with it', Renko thought, analyzing Merry from tip to toe, 'Seeing you in that state every day, there's no way I'm okay with it.' Miss Usami then lay there with a defeated expression, accepting the softest of headpats. She carried a solemn expression not very different in feel to the lake, brazing for the impact of its inevitable destruction.
Maribel Hearn's frequent hospital visits due to having visited worlds beyond our own had left her in a paralysed state from the waist down, her skipping, child-like figure impossible to ever witness again. The duo had exchanged their frequent walks together; with the science freak rolling that expensive wheelchair of Merry's for her friend. It's a wonder how technology has advanced so much in areas like entertainment and space exploration, but left the sick and elderly behind, stuck with machines from the fargone past. The doctors of Haibara hospital had given Renko an estimate on how long Merry had to live. 3 months, at best. At this point in time there was nothing left to do but wait for the inevitable, as they so carefully put it.
"Want to go far a walk Renko? ", Merry's soft spoken voice made sure images flashed in miss Usami's mind of times she would never again experience, Merry's adventurous spirit in full display. The blissful youth and friendship she had taken part in, was coming to an end. "I mean... I sure would at least!", Maribel shouted with difficulty, raising her fist all starry-eyed.
"It's a good thing I have you carrying me around whenever you visit, it gets so bothersome when I'm on my own hehe.", a coarse-sounding giggle escaped Merry's lips, followed by a cough. She sipped her tea and continued. "Then again there's no need to if you don't feel like it, I'm glad just spending some time with my best friend." Renko stood up showing incredible resolve, all sense of defeat evaporating. 'Terminal disease my ass, the only thing terminal is my faith in modern medical science. I'll find a way to cure her even if I have to cross the Sanzu river and back to do it!', Merry's best friend thought as she turned her head in a stilted way towards miss Hearn, giving her a thumbs up.
"Time for the comfiest damn walk you've ever had! UsamiHearn GATAI! ASSEMBLE!"
Merry was razed out of the gazebo they'd been cozed up in, leaving a trail of dirt in the ground after the wheelchair. The initially terrified screams of Maribel soon turned into laughter, as the sun sank down to expose a beautiful night sky. The image of those two channeled a feeling of pure bliss.
'I'll find a way. The wonders of magic and the supernatural that you believe in Merry is something I have to learn to understand. Maybe even respect. If it's trying to take you away from me I'll just have to steal you back. Whether through the power of magic, or with the precision of science. The two of us will make it out of this situation. That's my promise to you.'
-Renko Usami
-2 months later, Maribel Hearn and the entirety of Haibara Hospital inexplicably disappears.- Author's Note:
I hope to hear your thoughts. Please enjoy this small prologue for what's to come! There are two complete chapters finished, with the rest of this story-line drafted. I've been trying my best to learn and understand these characters and the setting for the last... 6 years, and hopefully my research and lack of nerve to actually publish anything has come to fruition. Anyone who reads this; I love you. Thank you.
