Chapter 1

"Welcome to the inn. How may I help you?" The girl with orange pigtails looked up from bowing, and her eyes went wide. "H-Horo Horo?!"

"Macchi?!?!" He jumped back. The teenager with blue hair up in a headband wearing his winter coat and black shorts looked at her in awe.

"You're here to see Yoh?" She looked away.

"Oh, right, you're a maid here…"

"Just until I fully recover and get my life back on the tracks." She dusted herself off and stood. "How long are you staying?"

"Oh, for a few months." He sat at the table in the living room and stretched out his legs.

"I-I see… Please take a rice cracker…" She put out a basket and he grabbed one.

"Thanks."

"I'll show you to your room." She picked up his snowboard and brought it into one of the rooms.

"So… You been doing OK?" He asked, walking down the hall with her.

"Does it really matter?" She shook her head.

"What's up with you? Here I am trying to be friendly, and-"

"We were enemies just a year ago!" She scolded him. "How can you act so damn normal?!"

"…Sorry…"

"Don't apologize so fast…"

"Really, I'm sorry." Horo Horo said shyly. "I didn't think about how you would feel, what you've been going through."

"…It's fine. I learned how to cook."

"Cool, I can't wait to try some." He smirked boyishly, and she blushed.

"Don't expect anything fancy." Macchi flustered.

"I got it."

"God," She says to herself in the kitchen, "Why is he here…? I thought I'd never see him again…"

"Yo Macchi, need some help?" Kanna came up and picked up a knife.

"That'd be great, could you cut the peppers?"

"Yeah, sure." She started to slice the green bell peppers. "Hey… You doing OK?"

"…Yeah."

"Why don't you try talking with Horo Horo? He might get it off your mind."

"Maybe."

"…Listen. I think Horo Horo's forgiven you. You don't have to feel too bad." Kanna pats her on the back. "…But we should always remember our sins… For those we've killed."

"Right."

(Horo Horo's POV)

I always see her working. I've been here for weeks now, and she's always working, every day. I don't see her go out, I don't see her do anything but work. So… I decided to approach her.

"Hey… Macchi."

"Yeah?" She looks up from writing in balances.

"Why don't you ever go outside?" She stops the pen in her hand.

"…I don't want to. I have more important things to do."

"Really…?"

"Yeah."

"That's a total lie." Anna sipped her tea, sitting next to her fiancée and talking to Horo Horo. "Macchi's just afraid of going outside."

"Eh? Really? I didn't notice." Yoh said in surprise.

"What a surprise." She sighed sarcastically. "Matilda used to live in a small village in France, I've heard, so a city must be scary. Also, she's had many traumatic experiences with regular humans…"

"What happened… To Macchi?"

"Dunno. Why don't you ask her yourself?" Anna smirked. "If you want to become friends with her, why don't you interact with her more?"

"I-I never said…!"

"Horo Horo," Yoh smiled, "Macchi's a sweet girl on the inside, and I think she's taken a liking to you. I think you should be her friend."

"Ah…" He looked down. He knew that she had a lot on her plate. He DID want to help her. But how…?

"Macchi~" Kanna called out like a mother. "Try on these!" She put out casual clothes.

"Huh…?"

"I got them for you on sale. Cute, huh?" Black capris, sweatshirt and stockings were out with a with an army green tank top.

"Why?!"

"Because you've got a date today!"

"…Huh?!" She looked in disbelief.

"Come on, come on!" She jumped on her and slipped all of the clothes on. On her wrists were tennis sweat bracelets. Kanna finished her off with a green ribbon around her hair in a loose ponytail.

"Wait, with who?!" Macchi whined as Kanna held her hand and brought her to the door.

"Yo, pretty lady!" Horo Horo was in his casual clothes and saluted to her.

"That's so lame. And scary. Stop it, please." She said bluntly.

"Oh come on, here I was trying so hard!" He yelled in protest.

"Have fun! Bye now!" Kanna pushed her out, and Mari came up.

"Is it really the best thing to force her?" She asked quietly.

"You worried?" Mari nodded in confirmation. "It's fine. Horo Horo will take care of her."

"Mari hopes… Nothing bad happens."

"The city's nice, isn't it?" Horo Horo brings her out of the subway. She looks around at the civilization. There are very tall buildings, but there are trees planted to keep it fresh. People are packing the sidewalks, and cars go busily by. The summer sun shines brightly down on the pavement and the people.

"Somehow… It's kinda comfy." She speculates.

"Come on, let's walk around." He walks beside her as she looks curiously at everything.

"Look, look!" These earrings, they're cool… They're little lines that drop…"

"They're pretty normal…"

"Well, yeah, but I think they're cool." She glared humorously.

"OK." He waved his hand in agreement. They walked along the street, looking at different shops and things.

"Hey, there's a little amusement park near here…" He looked at her. "You wanna go see it?"

"Amusement park?"

"You've never heard of one?"

"Nope."

"Oh, well, it's like… A place to have fun. There are games and rides and stuff…"

"That sounds cool!" Her eyes brightened like a child's.

All day, they took their time at the park, buying food, playing games, riding rides…

"Oh, that's a really cool hat…" Macchi said as they were leaving.

"What? That messenger hat?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"I don't know! It just is cool." He looked at it. It was army green corduroy.

"Ohhhh, you like this hat miss?" A crazy shopkeeper ran up to them. "You know, this hat is amazing. Absolutely dazzling! And it matches all your clothing!" He twirled her around. "All right, for someone as cute as you, I'll charge your boyfriend $20!"

"Boyfriend?!" They sputtered. "20 bucks!"

"That's a total rip-off…" Horo Horo shook his head.

"Whatever you say boy~ But doesn't the more expensive present make a girl happier?"

"She's not my girlfriend!" He jabbed back.

"Horo Horo doesn't have to pay that! He's done plenty enough for me today!" She yelled at the shopkeeper, and both of them looked at her. A moment of silence went through the air. Horo Horo went into his pants pockets and pulled out a bill.

"Here. Now give me the hat."

"Thank you sir~" The crazy man tossed him the hat and spun happily off.

"Why'd you get the hat?" She scolded him. "I said I'm fine!"

"Because you're too damn…" He looked for the word, "NOT SELF-CENTERED!"

"HUH???" She asked with a look on her face.

"Even when you were working for Hao, it was always Hao-sama, Hao-sama!" He patted the hat on her head. "You're a girl too, you know. You can ask for stuff sometimes and be selfish." A slight blush went on his face as he said this. She smiled kindly.

"Thanks… Horo Horo." She looked down to the ground.

"Y-You look thirsty after that roller coaster ride! Me too, I'll go get us some soda!" He ran off, and she leaned against the wall. She put her hand across her forehead, and took off her black hoodie, showing her beautiful thin body underneath the army green tank top she was wearing.

"What's up with me…? My heart is beating fast, like I'm in a fight… No… It's a little different…" She squeezed her chest with her hand. "And my face feels hot…"

"Hey, you OK?" A group of guys came up to her. "Your chest is hot? Let me see…" One of them laughed as they reached for her small breasts.

"Don't you touch me!" She slapped away their hands.

"Oh come on, don't be shy!" They tried grabbing her, but she chanted a spell.

"When thunder crashes, the earth starts to glow." She spread her arms and lightning shocks hit all of them. "Back off or it will get worse."

"What the-?! You're a f**king witch!" One of them yelled. "I knew it! They really are here! I heard rumors…"

"Hm? Oh, witches!" One of them called, "I heard someone is taking witches in for money! Some occult freak!"

"Seriously?! So after our fun, we'll…" Hatred ran through Macchi's mind. Why she hated people… This was why. They grabbed her arms held her fast, another underling sealing her mouth. Without Jack around, she couldn't do anything but cast spells, and now that was out of the question. She tried to get her slim arms free, but she couldn't… She wanted help…! Anyone…!

"Don't you dare touch Macchi!!!" A voice screams at the men. She looked at the person, and sure enough… It was Horo Horo. One of the men punched Macchi to keep her still, and she fell to the ground. Right in a vital area… Dizzy, she watched Horo Horo move. He was infuriated. He punched them as hard as he could one to the next. Punched a few times himself, he stumbled to the ground. After all, he didn't have Kororo with him. But every time, he got up… He got up to protect her…

"You OK?" He asked, his forehead scraped and bleeding, and blood falling from his mouth. She tried standing, and made it. It was like being a newborn giraffe or something.

"Yeah, but look at you!" She took a piece from a napkin she'd brought with her. "Why do you try so hard for me?!"

"Why shouldn't I?!"

"Because I'm a witch! I could change you into a frog!"

"You're a shaman, retard!" He held her tightly in his arms. "And just because you're different doesn't mean I would hate you! You're my friend, Macchi!" She tightened her grip around him, resisting the tears in her eyes.

"Thank you…!" She whispered. "Thank you…!"