Disclaimer: I do not own Mana Khemia or any of it's characters.
Monophobia
Jessica and Nikki were relaxing in the lobby of the girls dorms, when Jess thought of something. "Hey, Nikki?" She said.
Her beastgirl friend's ears perked up at the words as she looked up at her. "Yeah?" She asked.
"Have you noticed Vayne's been acting odd lately?" Jessica questioned.
Nikki thought for a moment. "No, nothing's really different. Why?"
"I think something might be wrong with him."
"Why's that?"
"Well, he is always with one of us, and whenever we try to leave him alone, he always creates excuses to stay with us."
"I noticed that, but that's not really different, he's never truly alone. Maybe he's just growing on us?"
"That's a possibility, but what if he's afraid of something?"
"Like what?" Nikki questioned curiously. She began playing with her tail idly.
"Um..." Jess started. She had to think on that one; she never really considered specifics. "...he could be afriad of the dark, since it's mostly at night...maybe someone is haunting him.." Both girls immediately thought of the same person at the exact same time.
"Pamela!" They called in usion.
Seconds later said ghost appeared in front of them, hugging her pink teddy bear to her chest. "Yes?" She asked.
"Have you been scaring Vayne?" Jessica accused.
The purple haired-person shook her head. "Nope, that'd be fun though. I've got other people to haunt at night. Why?"
Nikki answered, "Vayne's been acting weird."
"Weird how?" The girl asked.
Jessica said, "Well..."
Flashback
Vayne, Jess, and Nikki were all working in the workshop late after everyone else, trying to finish some last minute assignments. Vayne had insisted that Roxas or Flay stay to help him, but Jess overturned the request, saying he already had her and Nikki to help. Reluctantly, Vayne complied.
"Vayne." Jessica called from the alchemy pot.
Said boy looked up from the packet he was reading. "Hmn?"
"Can you grab me some healing jars? There next to my bag." He glanced to the table in the center of the room, locating the object he was asked to retrieve. He handed them to his friend before going back to his packet.
Vayne read through the papers several times as he waited for Jess to be done with the synthesis; his part of it was already done. He normally gathered all the materials.
Jess craned her neck to see the silver-haired boy. "Vayne, should go get some sleep, I can give you your assignment in the morning."
He dismissed the offer, saying, "No, i'll stay, it's fine. I'll probably forget and freak out if it's not with me when I wake up.""
Something about the way he said that sounded odd to the girl. Vayne never panicked about work, he trusted his friends to have them when he walked into class. Maybe he did and just calmed down before class so they didn't notice? Jess returned her focus to the alchemy pot, wanting to finish and go to sleep herself.
The next day, Vayne got ready for class and waited for Flay and Roxas in the dorm lobby like he normally did before they all walked to class together. Vayne sat in the first row in between Jess and Nikki, with Flay and Roxas flanking them on either side.
Zeppel collected the products of everyones' assignment before starting the lesson. He taught about some new attack methods and techniques, then gave everyone a new task.
"You will need to go and destroy one harpy lady with your workshop, using nothing but these tactics. Questions?" Silence. "Alright then! Results are due before class tomorrow."
Everyone packed their things, some heading to their next classes. Vayne waited patiently for his friends to be ready, then they all proceeded to their workshop to do as Zeppel instructed. Their next classes weren't for awhile, so they had plenty of time to kill.
They all set out for The Heights, where they were sure to find plenty of harpys. After a few moments of roaming their destination they found the monster they were looking for. Everyone readied their weapons and charged the beast.
It heard them coming and flew out of the way, then dived with it's claws outstretched. Nikki swung her crackhammer, nailing it in the midsection and sending it flying towards her friends. Flay hit it upwards with his buster sword as Vayne leaped into the air. He flipped once in the air before embedding his blade into the monster's body, effectively obliterating it into nothing.
He landed gracefully on the ground, then stood to look for his friends; but he couldn't seem to find them. Panic rose in the pit of his stomach until he heard Nikki fighting somewhere north of his position. He ran as fast as he could to her, finding them all fighting another harpy lady that had taken a lick at Flay when he wasn't looking.
Vayne breathed out a sigh and ran a hand through his soft silver hair. Jess jogged over to him. "Hey Vayne. You okay?"
"Why do you ask?" He replied.
"Well, you just came running over here like a crazy man."
"Oh, I couldn't find you guys, and I wanted to make sure you were alright." He said simply.
Jess gave him a look that said she didn't believe whatever bluff he was playing one bit, then returned to watching Flay get his revenge on the monster.
End of Flashback
"Yeah, that is weird of Vayne." Pamela observed.
Jessica nodded in agreement. "That's why we're trying to figure out what's wrong, and why he won't tell us."
"From what you guys told me, it seems like he's feeling insecure. That happens when I scare people, and then they never want to be alone because they're edgy." She smiled nostalgically, remembering the looks on her victims faces.
"Why would he be feeling like that? There's no other ghosts in the school."
Nikki considered begrudgingly, "It could be Tony and Renee."
Jess's eyes narrowed. "If it is them then they better be ready for a rude awakening." She growled. She stood and almost stomped to the door.
Before she opened it Nikki asked, "Where are you going?"
"To talk to Vayne." She answered curtly as she flew through the door, headed for their workshop.
When she got there she saw Vayne up on the loft, sleeping on the couch, and Flay and Roxas discussing the contents of something they were synthesizing. Neither of the boys at the alchemy pot noticed her presence, so she proceeded to the ladder leading up to the loft. She gazed at the sleeping boy, who seemed so at peace she decided to not wake him up until she had to.
Jess instead laid on the couch beneath the ledge and pulled a book from her bag. Eventually whatever Flay and Roxas were doing worked out, and both of them left for the athanor. The pink-haired girl finished her chapter, then put her book away and stood, knocking a lamp over with a loud bang in the process. She cringed from the noise, hoping she didn't wake her sleeping friend.
Jess was still for a moment, listening for signs that she had woken up Vayne. She heard him roll off the couch, then footsteps as he walked to the edge of the platform. He leaned over the corner, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Flay? Roxas?" He called with a yawn. The boy opened his eyes when there was no reply, realizing that he was alone; not knowing that Jessica was directly beneath him. Panicking, Vayne glanced around for Sulphur, who was napping on the table in the middle of the workshop.
He jumped down from the ledge, not bothering to use the ladder and ran over to his mana. Vayne picked up the black cat and cradled him close in his arms. "Sulphur?" He called nervously, still completely unaware of his friend's presence.
The cat opened it's eyes and meowed. Vayne smiled ever so slightly and replied, "Yeah."
Sulphur mewed again. Vayne sighed. "I know, I know. But how do you expect me to do that? I don't want anyone finding out."
"Finding out what?" Jessica asked.
The silver-haired boy froze, refusing to answer her or look in her direction. Sulphur meowed in his arms before climbing out of them and galloping out of the room. Vayne tried to stop the mana from leaving, to no avail. He breathed in and out once steadily, then reluctantly gazed over at Jess.
"Finding out what?" She asked again, a bit more concerned than before.
Vayne shook his head and climbed back up to the loft, Jess following behind him. They both sat on the couch, silent. After a few minutes of tense silence Vayne spoke up.
"I guess I can't hide it anymore." He sighed, his head hanging as he stared at the floor, hands in his lap.
Jess moved closer to him. "Hide what?"
He shook his head. "You'll probably laugh."
"No, I won't." Vayne glanced up at her face, then quickly back down. "I would never laugh at your problems. Neither would Nikki or Pamela or Anna. I can't vouch for Roxas and Flay though, they're goofs sometimes." She laughed the last part.
The silver-haired boy paid her no mind. Jess sighed. Vayne muttered something underneath his breath.
"What?" Jess asked.
"I said i'm scared of being alone." He admitted.
That came as a bit of a shock to Jess. She had always perceived Vayne as someone who preferred to be alone. Why? Before you came here you were always alone, so why would you be afraid?"
"Because," He pulled his arms up to hide his face. "i'm afraid that one day he'll die and i'll be all alone."
Now she understood. He was terrified of the thought of being all alone in the world without the one living thing that had been with him for as long as he could remember.
Jessica said, "Vayne, why would you think we'd laugh at you for that? It only makes sense that you'd be afraid of that."
"No one else has a past like mine, they won't understand."
"Maybe." She gently coaxed him into sitting up straight and removed his arms from his face. "But that doesn't mean that you have to suffer alone. Friends can help you through the hard times." Jessica hugged him reassuringly.
He hugged her back and requested, "Please don't tell the others."
Jess smiled. "Of course."
The next morning, Nikki and Pamela bombarded her with question about Vayne. Respecting her friend's wishes, she told them he was fine and that they were overreacting. As the only person at the school who knew of Vayne's monophobia, it was her responsibility to help him overcome the fear.
They had the rest of the week off, since they already completed their current courses. Everyone had free time, so they were all hanging out in the workshop thinking up things to do.
Anna was sharpening her blade next to the alchemy pot, where Roxas was synthesizing something using a new recipe that he had created. Nikki was laying in the middle of the room, staring at the ceiling. Vayne and Jessica were on the couches, top and bottom respectively. Sulphur was sleeping on Vayne, who was also taking a nap as he waited for something fun to do. Pamela wasn't there; probably scaring someone on campus.
Flay was pacing the room, muttering ideas to himself as Jess watched him complete lap after lap of the workshop. Suddenly, he stopped pacing and yelled, "I've got it!"
Everyone but Vayne looked at him. Flay smiled. "The Great Flay has thought of something interesting to fill in this dull moment!"
Nikki sat up. "What's that Flaya?"
He replied, "Why it's obvious! A scavenger hunt!"
The beast woman laid back down, uninterested.
Flay encouraged, "Come on! It could be epic, winner takes all!"
"And what exactly would we be collecting?" Roxas questioned doubtfully.
"Cole, rare items, you name it! Everything you could possibly imagine!"
Nikki sat up once more with a sudden burst of enthusiasm. "Food?" She asked, her eyes glistening hopefully.
"Of course!" Flay responded happily, finally getting someone interested in his seemingly stupid idea.
Nikki fistpumped the air and cried, "Yes!"
Flay eventually coaxed everyone into agreeing to the scavenger hunt (with the exception of the sleeping boy and cat on the loft) and started setting it up immediately.
It was around noon, so everyone left to go eat lunch. Jess was about to wake up Vayne so they could eat too, but changed her mind. She woke Sulphur up and carried him outside the workshop door, then watched through the keyhole. Her plan was to see how bad his fear truly was.
After a few moments without Sulphur radiating heat on top of him, Vayne woke up. "Sulphur?" He called drowsily. Realizing his mana wasn't there, Vayne shot up in panic, scanning the entire room for any of his comrades. One by one he cried out his friends names, freaking out more and more with every silent minute.
He clawed at his hair and curled into the couch, cowering away from some force that Jessica was unable to see. Several seconds later the poor boy began to bawl his eyes out, not bothering to be quiet. Jess couldn't take it anymore. She let go of Sulphur, and the cat immediately ran to Vayne's aid.
The mana meowed to get Vayne's attention, and without looking to see who had made the noise Vayne pulled the cat into a embrace, still cowering and crying. Sulphur meowed again, consoling his friend. Faintly, Jess heard Vayne ask through the tears and sniffles, "Where were you?"
To Jessica's relief, Sulphur meowed, seemingly playing along with her plan. Vayne nodded ever so slightly, then slowly calmed down, his mana's soft fur reminding him that there was someone with him.
After another few moments Jess decided to walk in. "Vayne?" She called.
Said boy jumped 10 feet in the air, holding Sulphur in a death grip. He let out a garbled cry, and Vayne released him. The cat walked out past the pink-haired girl, giving her a 'you owe me big' look as he strolled out.
Jessica climbed the ladder to the loft and sat down next to her frightened friend. She was about to say something akin to an apology, but was cut off by a sudden embrace from Vayne. He hid his face in her shoulder and fought another onset of tears as the girl rubbed his back comfortingly. The tears won out as the silver-haired boy began wailing again, soaking his friend's shirt.
The room was completely silent, with the exception of Vayne's sniffles and uneven breathing. Nothing Jess did seemed to console the boy, causing her to begin to worry; but reminded herself he was still recovering from the anxiety attack she had just caused him. Eventually his breath drew even and the sniffles stop. He pulled back slightly as if unsure whether or not it was safe to let go of her.
Jess leaned out of his arms, staring at his tear-track stained face. He refused to look up at hers, his chin still trembling. "It's okay." She reassured. Vayne didn't lift his gaze, not believing her words.
She made to get up, but her friend grabbed hold of her sleeve in a death grip. "Don't leave me." He pleaded.
Jess smiled. "Then come with me. I'm hungry." Vayne nodded and stood up, his legs feeling like jello. Jessica wiped the tear tracks off his face before they walked to the cafeteria where their friend were waiting together.
Finished finally! I'm unsure whether or not to continue this part right here, but if anyone wants to see more of this particular fear, then speak up for forever hold your peace! More fear are yet to come, and if you want one to appear that hasn't already then i'm all ears! Until next time!