"Hmmmm..." Karrie glared through the marble on her necklace as she scanned the dusty underbelly of her bed. "Nothing here...yet."
"Karrie!" her mother cried from downstairs. "What's taking so long? Your breakfast is waiting for you!" Karrie sighed and pulled her head out from under the bed.
"Coming, Mommy!" she cried. She placed her precious green top hat on top of her brown, curly locks and grabbed her blanket as she ran downstairs.
"Oh, there you are! What was going on up there?"
"I was looking for Yo-kai!" Karrie smiled proudly. Her mother looked away and rolled her eyes.
Dad's nutty stories have definitely gone to her head, she thought. "So," she looked back to Karrie and tilted her head in mock curiosity. "Did you find any?"
"No," she sighed bitterly and stirred her cereal in circles, "Maybe I need to look harder..." Suddenly, she perked up. "Oh, right! I haven't checked the closet yet!" She got up from the table and tried to run back upstairs, but her mother stopped her.
"Now hold on, Karrie. You can search for Yo-kai after school. For now, you need to focus on your breakfast." Karrie's mother pointed at the cereal bowl, which only had a few scoops taken out of it. Sulky once again, Karrie sat back down.
"Ok..." she mumbled and continued to eat.
"Good morning, class!" The teacher greeted all of the students as she entered Room 1-3. In the same way as every other day, the class responded.
"Good morning, Miss Hamilton!" The students spoke as one, and their loud voices filled the classroom. Ms. Hamilton walked to the center of the chalkboard and cleared her throat to make sure everyone was listening.
"If you are present, please say 'here'." She looked down to read the attendance clipboard, but her eyes suddenly widened. She looked around nervously at the class, and then began to wander, searching through various nooks and crannies in the room. Confused, the students began to mumble quietly to each other.
"What happened?"
"What's going on?"
"Is she okay?"
Karrie was just as confused and remained silent as she sat in the back of the room. The teacher eventually walked back to the center of the room and sighed. She nervously scratched her face as she spoke to the class.
"I...seem to have forgotten my attendance board in the office...I will be back in a bit." Just as she was about to leave, one student raised his hand. Ms. Hamilton turned to face the boy. "Yes?"
"It's okay that you forgot something, Ms. Hamilton. I forgot my pencil case." More and more students began to chime in.
"I forgot my lunch!"
"I forgot my books!"
"I forgot my backpack!"
The teacher sighed deeply. "Everyone's just so forgetful today..." she then opened the door and left to retrieve her clipboard. Karrie held her necklace tightly.
This isn't normal, she thought. There's no way... she was about to hold the marble to her eye, when Ms. Hamilton suddenly came back into the room. However, she had no clipboard in her hand, and her eyes looked...off. She blinked, returning her eyes to normal, and looked around the room with a confused look on her face.
"Wh...Where am I?" The class started to giggle. "What are you laughing at? Who are you?" One student raised her hand and spoke, still laughing a bit.
"You're in school, Ms. Hamilton! You're the teacher!" The student covered her mouth to prevent herself from losing it completely. Ms. Hamilton gasped.
"Oh my goodness, I'm sorry! I-" she was cut off suddenly as her eyes became funny again. Once they returned to normal, she tilted her head in confusion. "...? What time is it?" The class laughed harder. A student raised his hand, smirking.
"It's recess time, of course!"
"Well, if that's the case..." Ms. Hamilton thought for a moment. "...then indoor recess it is!" The class cheered and scattered around the room, but Karrie just sat there in shock. Not only did the kid just LIE to the teacher's face, but she actually BELIEVED him! Karrie knew something was up now. She got up out of her seat and snuck behind Ms. Hamilton's back. Karrie listened closely and heard faint chewing noises coming from her head. Carefully, Karrie lifted her marble to her eye and looked up to the noise's source. Karrie almost dropped the marble when she spotted the culprit.
It looked like her top hat, red ribbon and all, but it had two stalks coming out of its top. The stalks had a strange blue fog billowing out of them. The brim was purple and gummy looking, and what looked like teeth were sticking out of it. The creature had a pinkish-purple patch on its right side, directly above the red ribbon. This...was a yo-kai! Karrie covered her mouth to prevent her excited giggles from startling the teacher and giving away her position. Now that she knew what it was, she had to get it off of Ms. Hamilton's head. But Karrie was so much shorter than her...unless... Karrie tugged on Ms. Hamilton's dress, prompting her to turn around and crouch down to Karrie's level.
"Hm? Do you have a question, Karrie?" Taking the opportunity, Karrie began to tug at the Yo-kai. In an attempt to stay latched, it bit down on Ms. Hamilton's head. "AH! What are you-" The teacher was cut off once again as more of her memories were erased. Eventually, it grew tuckered out and spat out the teacher's head, freeing her. Karrie walked back to her desk with the dazed yo-kai. Taking a closer look at it, the bowtie looked like a nose, and the stalks seemed to be eyes. The pupils were in the shape of xs.
"Owww..." As the yo-kai came to, its pupils became dark green swirls. It stared at Karrie curiously. "Hmmm...? Who is you?"
"Who am I?" Karrie poked it gently, tickling it. "Who are YOU?" The yo-kai giggled childishly and smiled.
"Duhuhuh~" It levitated off of the desk and encircled Karrie's head. "Me Wazzat!" Wazzat plopped back down on the desk and continued giggling meaninglessly.
"So you were the one erasing everyone's memories?" Karrie asked. Wazzat nodded.
"Mhm~" He drooled a bit and licked his lips with a dark purple tongue. "They was real tasty..." Karrie gave Wazzat a funny look.
"You eat memories?" Karrie thought about it for a bit, and her expression changed to one of amazement. "That's cool!" Wazzat smiled and flushed a little. Wazzat then remembered that he still had no clue what the child's name was.
"Who is you, again?" Wazzat tilted a bit to the left. Karrie smiled kindly.
"My name's Karrie!" She tipped her hat slightly. Wazzat noticed the green top hat and floated up towards it.
"An' who this?" Wazzat nudged and prodded it with his eyestalks.
"That's just my hat." Karrie took it off of her head and held it close. "I've got a blanket too, hold on!" She ran to her cubby and grabbed her blanket from the inside of her backpack. "I take them with me everywhere I go."
"Oh~" Wazzat smiled at the two objects. "Nice to meet you!" Karrie gave Wazzat a weird look but figured he was just being silly. Wazzat's smile then faded a bit when he realized his stomach had begun to rumble. "Hmmmm...struggle made Wazzat hungry..." he mumbled. Glancing over to Karrie, he noticed her head was hatless and easy pickings. "Karrie? Do you mind if Wazzat were to..."
"No!" Karrie covered her head defensively. "I'd rather keep my memories intact, you know!" Wazzat drooled heavily, and his stomach growls persisted.
"But Wazzat hungry..." he was whining, like a small child that didn't get a toy they wanted. Karrie began to feel bad for Wazzat. She also didn't like being hungry, and she was sure nobody else in the whole wide world did either. She sighed begrudgingly.
"Okay, fine. What kind do you want?"
"Anything, as long as it good. Bad ones taste icky." Wazzat stuck out his tongue in disgust. Karrie immediately knew which memory would be perfect. She thought about the memory she was willing to let go of, to get it fresh into her mind.
"Ok, I got one. I'm thinking about it right now, so it should be the first thing you taste." Wazzat licked his lips and backed up a bit, ready to lunge.
"Lunchtime!" Wazzat yelled. Almost instantly, Karrie felt a strong impact and blacked out.
She couldn't see or feel anything. Nothing but a black void. The experience was like a dream; it was over almost as soon as it started. When she came to, the room looked unusually bright, and her head hurt badly. Wazzat was bowing repeatedly. "Aaaah! Wazzat sorry! Wazzat sorry! Is you okay? Please tell Wazzat you okay!" He was crying a bit as he spoke.
"I...I..." her vision slowly became normal again, and she picked up her hat and blanket off of the floor. "I'm okay. What are you sorry for? Did you remove the wrong memory?" Wazzat sighed in relief.
"Oh! Thank goodness, you okay. No, no, that not it." Wazzat began to drool in retrospect. "Wazzat could tell it was made this morning. Was really filling too, Wazzat no need to eat for a while!" Wazzat snapped back to reality as he realized he was derailing. "A-Anywhoozle, Wazzat got so excited to eat, that Wazzat bumped your head. Hard." Wazzat began to beg profusely. "Wazzat no mean to! Please don't be mad at Wazzat! Please!" Karrie pat the top of Wazzat's body.
"It's okay, it's okay. I'm not mad at you, I promise." Karrie comforted Wazzat, and he stopped crying.
"You...you not?" Wazzat stared at Karrie in disbelief. Karrie just smiled.
"No, of course not! There's no reason to! I'm not hurt that badly. I'm fine!" Wazzat was astonished.
"No one has ever been so nice to Wazzat before...at least...not since..." Wazzat began to look a little solemn.
"Uh...Wazzat?" Karrie asked. "You okay?" Wazzat ignored the question, and just stared vacantly into space.
"Not since Wazzat's previous owner..." Karrie tried to make eye contact with Wazzat.
"'Previous owner'? What do you mean by that?" Wazzat sighed deeply.
"Wazzat used to be a normal hat an', like most hats, Wazzat had really nice boy who took care of him." Wazzat smiled widely. "He kept Wazzat clean, wore Wazzat almost every day...it felt good knowing Wazzat was loved." Karrie smiled with him.
"That sounds wonderful! I'm glad you had someone who cared for you so much!" Wazzat's gaze broke from space and focused on Karrie.
"Wazzat glad too..." Wazzat's expression shifted to one of sadness. "But...one day...he...he..." he started to tear up and shake. Karrie began to grow concerned.
"...What happened?" Wazzat cried harder, and he kept shaking and whimpering. Finally, he let loose an ear-splitting wail.
"He DUMPED Wazzat! Threw Wazzat away like Wazzat TRASH!" Tears were flowing like waterfalls out of his eyes. "It was like Wazzat meant NOTHING to him! NOTHING!" He was sobbing uncontrollably, and the floor was flooded with tears. Pitying the poor hat, Karrie spoke up.
"You need a hug?" Karrie placed her blanket down and put her hat back on so she could have more hugging room.
"YES!" Wazzat charged directly into her chest and continued to sob. Karrie pat Wazzat's back sympathetically.
"There, there." Despite Karrie's attempt of comfort, Wazzat kept crying. Despite not causing the Wazzat any pain, she felt awful. She tried again. "I never would do that if I was that boy." Wazzat stopped crying, looked up and scowled.
"N-no...y-you would..." Karrie almost dropped him.
"No! I wouldn't! That's crazy!" Wazzat freed himself from Karrie's arms.
"You would! Humans all the same! They all the same!" He was fuming. Karrie backed up a bit.
"Now, now...you need to stay calm. You don't wanna say anything nasty..." Karrie began to sweat nervously.
"Why is you nervous then?! You just gonna leave too, ain't ya?!" Wazzat got closer. "AIN'T YA?!" Karrie, fearing the worst, bolted out of the room. "YOU NOT GOIN' ANYWHERE!" Wazzat yelled as he gave chase. Karrie heard multiple "poof" noises behind her as she ran. In seconds, there wasn't just one Wazzat chasing her, there were what looked like HUNDREDS. Karrie dashed up the stairs rushed into an empty room. She hid under the desk like you would in a lockdown drill. As she sat there, the Wazzats zoomed by with unnatural speed. Karrie crept out of the desk and out the door, thinking she was safe. However, one single Wazzat stayed behind and spotted her instantly.
"Found her!" it yelled. Immediately, the rest of the Wazzats came around the corner and rushed at Karrie. She bolted, up every staircase she could find, down every hallway, all with the green menaces chasing after her. Eventually, they all made it up to the school roof. She wasn't only tired from all the running. She was cornered. The Wazzats had blocked the exit with their bodies. Still, she tried to get as far away from the large mass as she could.
"Stop tryin' a run! You trapped!" The main Wazzat emerged from the mass, smiling wickedly. Karrie said nothing. "Aww~! You scared?" Karrie barely managed to speak through her panting.
"...No...'cause I know you are just as tired as I am..." Karrie hung her head. "I hope..." she mumbled. Wazzat's smile only widened.
"Wazzat not tired! You silly!" But just as he said so, his smile faded. "Wazzat...not..." he began to fall to the ground, and the other Wazzats began to fade away. "N-not...t-tired..." He hit the ground with a soft "fwump". Karrie walked over to the fatigued hat.
"You okay?" She asked. Wazzat's pupils were in the shape of x's. Realizing Karrie was looming over him, he tried to get away.
"A-aah...! Get up Wazzat, get...up...ugh..." he could barely speak. Additionally, stomach was growling. Wazzat wasn't just tired, he was starving too. "Wazzat sorry...Wazzat got mad...you leave now..."
"No, I can't!" She shook her head and picked him up.
"Why not?" Wazzat asked. Karrie ran back downstairs to her classroom, just in time for afternoon announcements.
"'Cause I can't leave you here!" she placed Wazzat down and packed up her things as quickly as she could. "We're going somewhere to get you something to eat!" Wazzat was shocked.
"...For...Wazzat?" He could barely process the thought of anyone doing anything for him, especially a human. Karrie looked over to the hat and smiled.
"Yes," she replied. "For you."
"Where we going?" Wazzat asked as he trailed behind Karrie lazily.
"That's easy!" Karrie replied. "Blossom Heights!" The two crossed the boundary that separated Uptown from Heights and came across a small shack.
"Huh? Is this the place?" Wazzat peeked out from behind Karrie's back. Karrie nodded.
"Granny Edna's Candy Shop!" She grabbed Wazzat excitedly and ran inside. A bell rang as they entered, and a stout, elderly woman greeted them.
"Welcome back, Karrie! Come, come!" The woman walked back to her place behind the counter. The building's walls were lined with candies of every flavor and shape. Gum, fruit drops, lollies, and gummies could be seen everywhere. "What would you like?"
"I'll browse first, but thank you!" Karrie smiled sweetly at the lady before turning to Wazzat. "C'mon! Go get something you want!" Wazzat obliged, and drifted around the small building. His eyes wandered among the selection of various sweets until he settled on a small pack of gum. Starving, he gulped it down quickly and spat out the packaging. It tasted really, REALLY good, unlike anything Wazzat had had before. He giggled quietly, not wanting to be heard and continued to browse. Looking across the shelf, he found a few cans labeled "Fruit Drops". He bit down on one, splitting it and causing the colorful candies to fall out. Trying again, he managed to break open a can without spilling the contents and gulped the candies down. He loved this place already.
Karrie was simply waiting by one of the shelves for Wazzat to get what he wanted and ate a bag of gummy colas she bought while waiting. She occasionally pretended to scan over the selection of sweets so she wouldn't look suspicious just sitting there and not going home. Wazzat was still enjoying the place and began to gorge on some lollies and sugar candy on the stand in the corner. As his energy returned, he quickly began to become voracious. Even some larger candies, like some giant gummies, were no match for his appetite. The longer it took for Wazzat to come back, the more Karrie began to worry.
What's taking him so long? She thought. It shouldn't take that long to find something to eat...right? Deciding that enough was enough, Karrie shoved the now empty bag into her backpack and started looking all over for Wazzat. Under shelves, next to the counter, near the vending machine, but Wazzat wasn't there. She considered calling him, but realized that since no one else could see him, it would make her look crazy. "Hmmm...maybe I could try..." she opened the door and closed it, as if someone were leaving. No response. She bit her nails nervously. Fake outs get people every time. What was happening? Where WAS he? Suddenly, the lady at the counter cried out.
"Oh! Oh my goodness, I almost fell there." She picked up Wazzat and placed him on the counter. He seemed to be sleeping. "Karrie? Is this yours? You have a green hat don't you?" Karrie rushed over and picked up Wazzat, who was much heavier than he was before.
"Yes, yes. Thank you!" The woman waved goodbye as Karrie walked out the door. Once out of sight, she sat down on the dirt and rested her back on the wall. "Wazzat? You awake?" He smiled and opened one of his eyes a bit.
"Mhm~" he wiggled gleefully. "Ahhh...that was goooood~"
"You're so heavy! What did you have?" She tried to hold Wazzat higher, but couldn't. Wazzat grew embarrassed and blushed slightly.
"Ah ha~ Lots...Sorry..." he rolled over. "Lots and lots of good stuff...Wazzat kinda want more..." Karrie poked his tummy teasingly.
"I think you've had quite enough already." She mustered up enough strength to stand up and lift the stuffed Wazzat over her shoulder. The sudden movement upset Wazzat's stomach.
"H-hey! Be careful, Wazzat's tummy sensitive..."
"Whoops...sorry Wazzat." Karrie gently kept him from falling as they walk down the sidewalk.
"Karrie?" Wazzat asked.
"Hmm?" Karrie looked over to the yo-kai hanging over her shoulder.
"You...not mind Wazzat's appetite...do you?" Karrie shook her head. "Do you...mind Wazzat's liking for memories?"
"No...I think it's cool!" Karrie pat Wazzat gently so she wouldn't hurt his tummy.
"Well...Wazzat just wonderin' if...Wazzat could-"
"Of course you can stay at my house!" She took Wazzat off of her shoulder and looked him straight in the eyes. "Why else would I be taking you home?"
"We...goin' home?" Wazzat smiled widely and quivered with excitement.
"Mhm!" Karrie nodded. Wazzat cheered.
"We goin' home! We goin' home!" He went straight in and buried himself into Karrie's shirt. "Thank you...for everything..." Wazzat began to glow a light blue color. With a small clink, a small coin popped into existence. It landed on the sidewalk. Karrie let Wazzat go, and he floated freely. Upon closer inspection, the coin had a picture of Wazzat on the front.
"What's this?" Karrie picked up the medal and inspected it closely.
"It Wazzat's medal. It means that we friends!" Wazzat nuzzled Karrie's cheek lovingly. However, something else made a clink noise. The marble on Karrie's necklace had fallen off.
"Ah! My necklace!" She took off the string and picked up the marble to put them back together when suddenly they fastened themselves to Karrie's wrist. "Huh?" the necklace began to glow too and transformed into a small, light blue watch. She rotated her wrist to take a good look at the strange device strapped to her arm. "...What is this?"
"Ooh~" Wazzat encircled Karrie's arm to get a good look. "Issa Yo-kai Watch! It's kinda like your old thingy, but cooooler!" Karrie gave him a suspicious look.
"And you know all this because...?" Wazzat winked and stuck out his tongue.
"Ah hee hee! Yo-kai Intuition!"
"...Ok..." Karrie muttered, still a little weirded out. She inspected her new accessory more closely. "It does look really cool though!" She took a gander at the medal in her hand. "Hmmm...the picture doesn't have your purple patch on it..." Karrie turned her head to Wazzat. "Does that mean there are other Yo-kai like you out there?" He thinks for a minute.
"Hmmmm...maybe..."
"Can I call you something then?" Karrie tilted her head.
"Huh?" Wazzat looks at her funny. "What do you mean?"
"I mean something like a nickname. Something that only I would call you by." Wazzat's eyes widen.
"Oooh~ Sounds nice." Wazzat tilted a bit. "What would you call Wazzat?"
"Hmm..." Karrie tapped her forehead thoughtfully. "I was thinking of Rags, but-"
"Aaaah!" Wazzat squealed in joy. "It lovely! Thank you!"
"You...like it?" Karrie was surprised at how joyful Wazzat became.
"Rags loves it!" He immediately adopted the new name with open, nonexistent arms.
Karrie smiled.
"I'm glad you do." She opened her arms wide. "Hug?"
"Weee! New friend hug!" Rags went straight in and buried himself into her shirt. Karrie looks up and noticed how late it had become. They'd better get to her house quickly.
"...Race you home!" Karrie let go of Rags and ran down the path to her house.
"Hey, no fair! Wait up!" he dashed after Karrie as fast as he could.
"Well gosh..." Rags mumbled as he followed Karrie upstairs. "Rags ti-red." Karrie lazily carried her blanket and hat up with her.
"'Cause you're full, or 'cause of the race?" She rubbed her eyes and sat on the bed as she entered the room. He flopped over next to her face down.
"Both..." His voice was muffled by the pink blanket. Rags rolled over to face Karrie. "Where'll Rags sleep?"
"Is it okay if you sleep in the closet?" Karrie pointed to the closet across from her bed.
"Pfft! Of COURSE it okay! Rags BORN in closet!" He drifted over to it, which was all full of clothes except for one specific spot.
"Oh! That's where these guys go!" Karrie hopped off of the bed and walked to the closet. Pushing aside as much room as she could, she placed her hat and blanket down on the spot. She pats the two. "There you go," She pushes aside more things to make a place for Rags. "and there's your spot, Rags!" Rags scooched in next to Karrie's top hat.
"Ahhh...so warm...Rags missed being in one of these!" Rags leaned against the hat, ready to drift off to sleep. Karrie was already in her pajamas. She walked over to the closet and took the blanket off of the shelf.
"Goodnight," she hugged it tightly. She put it back and took the hat from the shelf, causing Rags to fall.
"Hey!" Karrie ignored his cry.
"Goodnight," she hugged the hat, in the same way, then placed it back. Finally, she took the still peeved Rags from the shelf. He scowled.
"Hmph...Rags was going to sleep..." Rags looked away in a huff.
"Goodnight, Rags." She paused for a moment, then quickly kissed his face before placing him back on the shelf. Rags, shocked, flopped over onto the top hat wide-eyed and speechless. Karrie then climbed back into bed, turned off the lights, and fell asleep. Rags snapped out of his daze, and glanced over to Karrie's bed.
"...Night night..." he mumbled and dozed off. With the room quiet and serene, the two slept soundly, ready for whatever was coming their way tomorrow.