A/N: I plan on making this into a full-fledged AU story to the main plot, basically Marisa awakens as a little ten-year old Kida instead of 14-year old Kida. What changes are there to this? Well, first off, her memories are more suppressed because lil Kida can't handle her memories of dying real well, second it's more fluffy and Izaya is more overprotective, and third, I really like the idea of her being little again.

EDITED AS OF 7/20/17

"She had the feeling that she would be different from now on, that she could never go back and be the same person she had been.

So who am I now?

Somebody fierce, I think.

Somebody who'd enjoy running through the darkness, underneath stars bright as miniature suns, and maybe even hunt deer.

Somebody who can laugh at death"

― L.J. Smith, Daughters of Darkness

Chapter 1: REBORN AS MASAOMI?

My name is Marisa. Marisa Anderson, to be exact.

I am sixteen years old, and today, I'm going to die.

Those are shocking words, huh?

Not really, I've known so for a very long time, but it's how I'm going to die that's the most shocking.

I am going to die from cancer, it's an inoperable form of brain cancer known as glioma. It's a terrible form of cancer, from which there is not much someone can do to cure it.

Yeah, it sucks, I know, but even so there's nothing I can do to stop it.

They've tried to treat me for a whole year, and yet it hasn't even worked. I've lost my hair, I've lost my ability to study in school and had to drop out, and have become totally isolated in hospitals. I can't stand the idea of dying.

I really couldn't-at that time.

Of course, who can blame me?

Nobody wants to die, after all.

I guarantee you, especially someone my age, doesn't want to, and doesn't think they can die.

But I got a big shock when I did die-for, I would awaken, as someone else. A different life, a different destiny was waiting for me, and I would never be the same again.

Let me tell you how that happened.

This was the end for me.

I was going to die, of cancer.

Just like this, wasting away on a hospital bed, IV needles in my arm, as my vision was turning dark.

My family was around me, my mother, my older sister, and my little sister.

My father had died of cancer a long time ago.

"Marisa..." My mother said, holding my hand.

I struggled to see her as my vision was swimming.

"Mom..." I muttered, "Look after my little sister for me..."

She nodded.

"Marisa!" My little sister whined.

Taking a breath seemed so hard now, thanks to the cancer that was all through my body.

"I love you all."

Then, I stopped breathing, as I took my last breath, my hand fell to the side, and my eyes closed.

I was okay with dying, this was the way it was meant to be, right?

I died rather quickly.

So that's it, just sixteen years of life-and then, bam, cut down at the prime of my life.

What a sick, horrid joke.

I was dead, right? Right?

Unable to pursue anything in life, unable to pursue my dream of being a doctor. I'd just be dead.

Then, I dreamed I was being chased by something...something very big and very scary.

I was dreaming, somehow, as impossible as that sounds, because I should be dead.

I was running, as fast as I could, running from the monster that was taking over my body. Was it cancer?

For some reason, I was slower at running than usual. My legs seemed shorter than I remembered.

I stopped to take a look at it.

I looked behind me. The creature looked like a giant beast of some sort.

It was a giant monster, threatening to ensnare me with its huge tentacles. I felt like I was being wrapped up, suffocating in its huge tentacles as they wrapped around me.

"Leave me alone!" I hissed, but it did not let go.

I could do nothing but watch as the monster lifted me up into the air, about to eat me, its jaws opening wide in time to show a pair of sharp teeth.

I felt like Mami in Madoka.

It put me in its jaws and as it was about to swallow me whole, me the small figure, trembling and cowering on the inside of the monster's mouth-suddenly the dream faded. The images of the dream faded to gray, and then I did something impossible-

I..woke up.

I let out a loud gasp as I woke.

I was quite bewildered at that exact moment, wondering why that happened.

What the hell?

I was...dead, right? From cancer...so...why...?

And yet, I was...awake.

I curled myself up in the covers that enveloped me, smiling.

'Hospital covers?' I thought.

I realized several things then, as my body adjusted to being awake: first, I was very sweaty, second my vision was really blurry for some strange reason, third, I was obviously on a bed, and fourth, I didn't know where I was. Presumably on some hospital bed somewhere.

I tried to take a look around, but all I saw were blurry shapes. My vision was swimming.

I felt around me, blankly, blindly.

Also, my body ached for some reason.

I felt my legs...and I tried twitching them, only to receive a spasm of pain to reward my efforts.

So I was...alive? But...how?

When I squinted through my blurry vision, I could make out nothing but a white ceiling above me, and then sweat got in my eyes.

I felt like absolute shit for some reason.

However, I was also shaking and I couldn't stop myself from doing so. I must have been afraid of the bad dream that I'd had.

I felt awfully weak for some reason. Well, of course, I had, from the cancer and all.

I let out soft whimpers and curled up with the covers wrapped around me more.

I couldn't stop the shaking that was taking over my body.

A single hand traveled to my face, where I felt something wet meet my hand-an indication that I'd been crying in my sleep. Well, that was nothing new. I'd cried before because of the pain from my cancer, after all, so-

But that still doesn't answer-

"Are you all right?"

A stranger's voice suddenly interrupted me.

It sounded nothing like any doctor or nurse I'd heard before.

Who the hell was that?

I nearly jumped, immediately burrowing myself back inside my covers, pulling them back over me, even though it seemed to take half my normal effort to do so. If only I were a child, I could hide under them completely...I liked the security that they gave me.

I just lay there, unable to see, and completely terrified.

I'd been near-sighted before, but at least I could see before this. Being unable to see made this even more terrifying than it had to be.

"I know you're awake," The same voice continued, "Are you all right?"

I wanted to say no, but I didn't know who the person was, so I didn't answer, cowering under the sheets, trembling and shaking. It had to have been nothing but a mere dream, right?

I knew that it had been a dream, my death, I mean.

I mean, I'm here, alive, so...

If so, then what was this? The opening acts of hell?

I felt myself taking breaths, impossible for a dream. My hands were against my sides.

Much to my surprise, my covers were gently pulled away from me, and then I was moved by someone, my body easily desisting, my head coming back to rest on a pillow. Leave me alone! I flailed madly, but they didn't stop and instead covered me back up.

Then, a hand came to be on my forehead-a gentle touch, brushing away locks of hair to do so, almost caressing my forehead. The person's hands brushed across my temple, like they were searching for something, before my head was suddenly being gently patted.

I instantly relaxed, eased by the affectionate gesture before my mind registered: holy shit, a stranger is touching me, a girl. What the literal hell is going on?

Had I been kidnapped? Had I been taken hostage?

Why was this strange person touching me?

I winced, letting out whimpers, to let this person know I was not happy with this situation, and to also tell them to keep their hands off me.

I felt pathetic just whimpering, but I was in so much pain I could do little else at this point.

"It's okay, it's just me. Relax."

The hand was still against my forehead-goddammit and then, the person started stroking my hair, taking the creepiness factor up to ten thousand.

It was one of the most uncomfortable things I have ever experienced. It's so creepy to have some stranger touching your hair-was I kidnapped or something?

Either way, I just lay there, terrified and utterly confused as to why someone was touching me.

I didn't know whether to scream or call for my mom or to just lie there and hope he keeps his hands to himself.

Whatever doctor this is needs to be fired.

I realized that my forehead was really, really warm.

But I liked the stranger's touch, oddly enough. I hoped the person (I was thinking it was a male as the voice sounded masculine, but I wasn't entirely sure) wasn't some sort of creep.

The stranger started speaking again, and I couldn't help but listen.

"It's okay if you want to rest," He continued, his voice was deep and strangely calming, almost hypnotic,"You can wake up whenever you need to. Don't push yourself, you know."

The hand suddenly left my forehead, causing me to move slightly. I was still very terrified that I'd been harassed like that.

It was then that I realized something. I had hair now, apparently.

How could I have hair? I'd been bald thanks to chemo...

What the fuck.

I opened my eyes the entire way, blinking back tears. My vision was still fuzzy, like it had been earlier. Seriously? I blinked a couple of times before shaking it off, or trying to, without much luck.

Then, I noticed, as I rolled over in bed, my eyes came to rest on a stuffed rabbit that was in my arms. I'd never seen it before. It was cute enough on its own.

Then, as I casually glanced at my covers, my eyes widened.

When were they so huge?

Seriously, my covers seemed so big now that it was like a giant quilt of sorts. What the fuck?

I turned my head, weakly. Even trying to do that seemed to take me a lot of effort.

"Okay, good, you are awake." The voice said, coming from somewhere near me, I thought.

I rubbed my eyes with my hands before stretching and then wincing at the pain going through my arms.

"Who-" I muttered, but even speaking seemed to take a lot of effort, for some reason. My voice sounded raspy, husky, and low, like I had a cold. Holy shit, was I drugged? Had this person drugged me and then they were going to-I was being paranoid, but what else could I expect at this point? Suddenly, some strange man was talking to me and touching me? I had every right to be scared.

"Shh, it's okay." The voice said, consolingly, and then the stranger was stroking me on the head again. This guy got even creepier by the second.

I recoiled at the touch, but my body oddly enough didn't.

"But-but..." I whimpered, wait, whimpered? I'm not some pathetic dog. I don't just complain or whine.

"I'm just glad you're all right." The soothing male voice said, "You were having a nightmare. I'm glad that you're awake now, though. You were worrying me, what with your fever as high as it was, kid." The voice rambled on and on about stuff I didn't care about.

The tone was almost...paternal? Reassuring?

Either way, I liked the tone the person was giving me. But at the same time, I was weirded out.

My vision was still so blurry.

I extended my hand out, and then I felt myself touching something fluffy, like fabric...like a jacket of some sort.

I ran my fingers along its surface.

Then suddenly, the jacket moved.

Alarmed, I withdrew my hand.

There was obviously someone there.

I heard a chuckle from somewhere near me.

"Yes, I'm right here. Is your vision bad from your fever?"

"F-Fever?" I muttered weakly, trying to sit up, but I felt too dizzy to do so. My head was pounding and I felt tired and sweaty, all at once.

"I'm glad you're able to sit up."

Well, genius, everyone can.

I finally managed to be able to see who was talking to me as my vision finally chose to quit being cloudy.

I first glanced up at the ceiling, which I did not recognize, before my gaze traveled to the room I saw before me. I did not recognize this room, not at all. It was a completely foreign room to me, not a hospital room, but rather a bedroom.

I was totally confused at this second.

"I'm over here." The voice said.

I turned my head, and that's when I saw him, presumably the one who'd been speaking to me, for the first time.

I found myself looking at a teenager sitting in a chair, he was the one who was wearing the fluffy black jacket.

He was quite handsome, he looked...Asian, maybe? Maybe about my age?

His hair was black and his eyes were a brownish-red.

I thought I knew him from somewhere, but I wasn't quite sure.

I wondered who he was and why he would be waiting for me to wake up, as I didn't know him and he didn't look like a doctor of sorts. Didn't doctors normally wear white?

Still, why was someone my age so big?

Seriously, he was huge! He looked like a giant compared to me.

Odd, we should be the same height.

I nearly freaked out upon realizing there was a stranger in my room.

I bit back the scream I'd been intending to let out.

My breath caught in my throat as I simply stared at the teen, who stared back, an expression of concern, relief, and amusement on his face, three very contradictory expressions, I wondered why he had all three. The amusement part scared me.

I mean, like the sweating, the dizziness...had I been drugged? That would explain why my voice sounded slurred.

I didn't know what to do, I just stared at him for the longest time, unable to say anything.

"Well, this is awkward. You still half-asleep?" He joked.

I blinked again.

"You sure like staring a lot today." He said with a chuckle.

I just stared at him, unsure of what to say or do. You see, I'm terrible with people. I can't socialize to save my ass.

I decided to begin the first, basic question: who the hell this guy was and why he was acting so familiar with me. It was sort of creepy. I pushed my bangs back with my fingers before opening my mouth to speak. I did not recognize this guy, nor did I recognize this room. That was never a good sign.

"W-Who are you?" I asked, my voice shaky, my high voice loud enough for me to hear-wait, high? My voice was never high, or squeaky.

My voice sounded stuffy, like I was sick and also raspier in tone.

The boy looked at me, his eyebrow raised.

"You know who I am, don't you?" He said, a hint of amusement in his voice, he wasn't bothered by this statement at all.

I frowned, biting my lip, trying hard to think about this man. A name came to my mind before I could control myself.

"I-Izaya...?" I stammered.

You mean, like Izaya from Durarara?

What the-

I didn't like my voice sounding so high. Why was it so high-pitched to begin with?

I shifted slightly, wincing at the pain that shot through my ankle. What the heck was with the pain?

"Yep, that's me. I stopped by to make sure you were doing well. You'll be fine, kiddo. I called your teacher to make sure you would have the day off today, and your homework has been brought to you by a classmate." He chattered, smiling at me.

I didn't like the way he was smiling, it was like he was talking to someone below him and I was definitely not below him.

That was generous. But still, kiddo?

"I-I'm not a kid!" I snapped.

He looked at me, before he started snickering.

"It's hard to take anything you say seriously, especially with your high voice, kid. I mean, of course, you are a kid." He said, snickering before patting my head again, only for me to recoil at the act and shake my head, no, "Hey, what's wrong?"

I registered concern in his voice, but I didn't like the stranger touching me.

"No..." I whined, "Don't...no...don't touch me!" I cried, immediately curling myself into a ball and shaking, as an instinct.

"Why are you touching me...? Are you trying to hurt me?" I whimpered.

The boy's mouth opened and closed, like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Is this your fever talking?" He asked, "You usually don't mind having your head touched."

What the-

I tried to move and stand up, but suddenly sharp, intense pain shot through my muscles and my legs. It hurt so much to even move. What the hell?

I gritted my teeth.

"Hey!" The teenager cried. "Hey, there's no reason to be afraid, okay!"

I had every right to be afraid. A girl has every right to fear a weird man touching her and acting familiar with her.

For some reason, I found myself tearing up, because my muscles hurt so much.

I could barely even move them.

Fever aches.

I could move my hands, but not my legs.

Fuck, it hurt, it hurt, it hurt.

"Damn it!" I snapped.

The man looked at me, his eyebrow raised, before he spoke again, sounding a bit disappointed.

"I know it hurts, but just hang in there!" Izaya said.

I paused.

"Just because you're sick doesn't mean you're allowed to curse!"

What the hell, I was a teenager, I was allowed to curse.

"Do you hear me, Kida? You're not allowed to curse!" He shook his finger at me in a patronizing way.

I blinked. And blinked again.

Wait, what did he just say?

He waved a hand in front of my face.

"Are you listening to me, Kida?"

Did he just call me...Kida?

What the heck is he saying?

I must be dreaming this.

I shook and trembled, scared for no reason.

"W-what the...?" I stammered, "Why...w-why are you saying that?"

He looked slightly concerned.

He came closer to me and put his hand in mine, attempting to comfort me.

"Oh no, you must be delirious. I'm sorry, kid."

However, I was disturbed by this strange...boy putting his hands on me like this, so the comfort went over my head.

Any female gets scared when a strange male puts his hands on her without her consent.

I shot up in wide-eyed panic, glancing at him fearfully, shaking. "W-what the...what are you doing? Why are you touching me?"

"Calm down, Kida-kun," He said reassuringly. "I knew you were going to be a little delirious, but you don't need to freak out like this."

Did he say...kun?

I'm not a guy, I'm a girl!

I immediately fought back.

"L-let go of me!" I yelped. "I don't know who you are!"

His face turned concerned, this was some good acting he had. "Kida...what's wrong?"

I froze up, too fearful of him to answer, shaking again. "...Like I'm saying, who are you and what do you want from me? I shouldn't..."

I coughed, covering my mouth with my hands.

He looked concerned again, leaned over me and felt my forehead. "Damn it..."

He looked into my eyes, and again, he was so big.

"Of course you know who I am, Kida-kun. You must be delirious. I'm going to give you some more medicine to calm your fever."

That didn't sate me, if anything, it freaked me out more.

Would a kidnapper really sound this nervous?

'How the bloody hell can I be here? I was in a hospital room-the fuck-'

My eyes narrowed as I took in the room around me that I did not recognize.

The ceiling looked farther up than it should be, the bed looked huge. Was I in Hagrid's hut or in Jack the Beanstalk?

There were too many uncertainties here.

"C-Can I ask you something?" I stammered, my squeaky voice annoying the hell out of me.

"Sure, what is it?" He said. He didn't sound so threatening, but even so, I swallowed.

"Wasn't I in the hospital?" I asked.

He looked at me, in confusion. "What are you talking about? You're here. You're not in a hospital."

I don't know where here is.

I stared at him, "But I was...never mind that. W-what about the cancer?" I stammered, staring up at him.

"Cancer?" He asked, his mouth turned upwards in confusion, as if he'd never heard of the term.

What the hell? If he'd kidnapped me, he must know I'm a cancer patient.

"Yeah..." I stammered.

He looked at me. "What are you saying? Is this your fever talking? Where on earth did you hear about that? You shouldn't know about such things."

I was utterly confused.

"I should be dead," I moaned, clutching my legs and shaking, "Why am I here, and...and, what do you want with me?"

He looked concerned, still trying to keep a calm face. He fidgeted slightly.

"Who put such words in your head? Who told you you should be dead?"

He looked angry, and I was suddenly frightened because a man was yelling and that scared me.

"That's not true, you're supposed to be here. Don't you ever think that you should be dead, Masaomi! This is just a little fever you have, now relax. I'm here!" Izaya took hold of my other hand.

All I could think about was the fact that a strange man was holding me down.

I struggled and thrashed.

"Get off of me! Let me go!" I whined, trying to break free. But his grip felt like steel, "I don't know who you're talking about! Let go of me! I'm not this "Masaomi!" Let go of me! Let me go!" I wrestled with him more.

"No." He said sternly, "I'm not letting you go."

"No...?" I said. "I thought I told you...let me go, please..." My voice shook, showing how afraid I was.

"No, I can't. You're not in your right mind right now. Calm down."

His look turned more into one of pity. "You poor kid. It's making you hallucinate. Just breathe, just breathe in and out!"

I didn't feel threatened by him, but even so, I didn't like being ordered around.

"No! No, I won't! Let go of me!" I continued to struggle, but he held my hands still as I tried to yank them out of his grasp.

Look, I know I have cancer and all, but I should be perfectly capable of breaking free of a kid my own age. Why was I so weak?

"Calm down, Masaomi! It's not real, it's just messing with your brain. I know you're hallucinating right now, but none of what you think is real is real."

Damned straight it wasn't.

"You're not really here, are you? This is all just a dream."

He blinked in bewilderment. "No, I'm here. This is real." He explained, "You poor kid..."

Almost like he was disciplining a small child...wait, what?

His pity just pissed me off.

I was getting more confused by the second. Part of me felt satisfied by his reassuring words, the other was utterly confused as to why there was an anime character standing near me, talking to me. Then he kept on calling me by that name, that was not my name! This Izaya was acting weird...very strange.

Izaya isn't exactly the kind of person I want to see when sick.

"Where are we?" My eyes darted around the room, taking everything in.

There were toys on the floor and books. Totally not my room. I did not recognize this room.

That just added more to my fear.

The boy still had not let go of my hands. I tried to break free, but he would not let go.

"Where am I?" I asked, quietly.

"I moved you to my house, my apartment. You're in your bedroom." He ignored my protests, and was now calmly patting my head, oblivious to my flinching.

"Bedroom?" I asked.

He nodded, "Yes."

"Let me go...please." Why did my voice sound so childish?

"I'm not here to hurt you, Masaomi! Whatever this is that's come over you, please snap out of this!"

I just looked at him, too afraid to really comprehend what was happening.

He ignored my protests, and was now patting my head again, "Calm down, it'll be okay, kid."

I shuddered, glancing at the ground.

"Stop-" I whined. Help, a creepy perv is touching me. This felt so wrong.

But why did he keep on calling me that name?

"Masaomi."

That name...was not my name.

Was this some kind of nightmare?

"How do I know you're not trying to..." But then I was suddenly cut off by a violent cough that erupted from my mouth, causing me to cover my hands with my mouth as I started coughing even more.

This caused him to let go of my hands, jumping back, startled.

"Masaomi-kun!" Izaya cried,"Are you all right? Maybe you need more of that cough medicine." He sounded genuinely concerned, which alarmed me further. He felt my forehead again.

I didn't feel a threatening aura from him, but even so I was still scared.

"Not good, your temperature's gotten higher. You must be delirious and experiencing delusions." He summed up, "Masaomi, are you all right?"

My eyes widened.

"That's...not my name," I gasped out, still panting heavily and shaking. I did not like this one bit. I wanted to get out of this bed, away from all of this.

I just wanted to get out of here.

"Look, Masaomi-kun, we really don't have time to discuss this right now," He said, "Your fever is still burning up. You should get some more rest." He assured.

"You're not well enough to move about yet, okay?" His voice was shaking. "You're starting to scare me, please just hang in there."

"You're just trying to hurt me!" I protested, trying to sit up again, only to suddenly sneeze in the process. I wiped my nose with my sleeve, puzzled. I did seem to have a cold of some sort.

"I'm not here to hurt you!" He held out his hands. "See, no weapons? I'm not here to hurt you!"

I was floored, before I immediately fell back on my bed, eyes closed. When I woke up, he wouldn't be here.

I opened them a second later. He was still there.

"But...but..." I muttered, trying to sit up, only to gasp at how much my limbs were hurting. Even trying to stand up hurt.

I whimpered upon feeling pain in my legs.

"What's wrong?" He cried.

"It hurts..."

"What hurts?" He said in alarm.

"My legs..." I whined.

"It must be fever pains. Oh, I'm sorry, kid. I wish I could help."

'He wants to help me?' I thought in disbelief.

I immediately tried to stand up, but he caught my hand and pulled me back onto the bed. I was unnerved by how much control he had over me.

He immediately took my hand and pulled me back down onto the bed. "No, don't try to walk. Your balance isn't right right now. Have a drink, it might make you feel better. Just lie there for a bit."

He filled a cup with water and got up to go put ice in it.

Now was my chance to get out of here.

I sat there, calculating what to do. I didn't see my cell phone anywhere.

I tried to take one ginger step out of bed and instead, I almost collapsed. My legs were shorter than I remembered; they were too short and awkward as fuck.

It felt like the world had become larger overnight. I clung on to the side of the bed, but even so, it was no use. I let go.

What the hell is going on? How can the world become bigger all of a sudden? And why is that person patronizing me? Why is he acting like he wants to help?

And why...why did he keep on calling me...Masaomi? That's not my name! It never was!

'It always has been,' A voice in my head said.

Before I knew it, I was off the bed and falling toward the ground, scrambling frantically in mid-air. Oh, great, upcoming head injury.

All I knew in that second was that I wanted someone to save me.

"Masaomi-kun!"

I opened my eyes, in time to see that my face was in fabric.

I glanced up, bewildered.

The next thing I knew, I was suddenly in his arms, staring up at him.

Wait, staring up?

What the hell?

How can he catch me and hold me, a girl of sixteen years of age, in his arms?

That sheer fact should be impossible.

I stared up at him, into his face, wondering why on earth I wasn't able to look him in the eyes, confused, but still struggling to get out of his arms.

"Relax. Everything will be fine," He whispered, "You scared me! Please don't do that again, Masaomi-kun! You could have hurt yourself! I've got some water here for you to drink."

I was sorta thirsty, but I wasn't going to accept something from a stranger.

I stared up at him, utterly baffled, feeling terrified at how on earth someone my own age could catch me like this. Was he...Superman or something? How the hell else can I be held by someone who was the same height as me?

"Put me down..." I whined.

"Not until you promise me you're not going to do that again." He scolded.

If he wanted to hurt me, why was he acting concerned?

"Stop...condescending me!" I whined.

He raised an eyebrow.

I literally didn't understand anything that was going on at that point. "What happened?"

He set me down on the carpet. "Here you go. Drink carefully now." He handed me a tiny cup of water, the tiniest I'd ever seen. I stared at how tiny it was with wide eyes.

"Bigger cup?" I asked.

"You would spill it easier, in your feverish state." He pointed out.

I just gaped at him.

Then I realized something very terrifying.

He came closer to me, he towered over me, wait, towered?

A teen my own age was suddenly a lot taller than I was.

'Did I...did I shrink?'

I was like 5'5, and yet I was suddenly several inches shorter than I should be.

Why was I so fucking short now?

I trembled and shook, backing away from him. "W-What do you want from me? Did you kidnap me or something? I'm supposed to be dead! Why am I so short?"

"Oh god, you don't even recognize your own height. Calm down and drink," He said, still with the same nervous smile on his face, "Just drink, kid, please."

I felt the sense of desperation in his voice, it sounded sincere enough.

I slowly drank, feeling more energy come back into me. But I still felt nauseated and tired.

"W-What happened?" I stammered, as he once again picked me up and placed me back into the giant-sized bed.

"You wouldn't remember, but you passed out from a fever you caught at school, Masaomi. They wouldn't take you to the hospital, so I picked you up myself and brought you back here. It's two in the afternoon now. You've slept for a while."

I blinked, trying to process this impossible story. I'd died. But suddenly, I was with a cosplayer calling me Masaomi and calling himself Izaya.

This was absurd. I had to be dreaming.

I pinched my arm. It hurt.

"My head hurts." I whined, and indeed, the more I tried to think about what had happened, the more my head spun. I had no idea how I'd gotten here, but I knew one thing. I needed to get out-now.

I started to try to climb out, only for him to grab my arm.

"No, you cannot leave this room. I'm sorry, but you're just not strong enough right now. You need to sleep. You're not well."

Sweat dripped down my face as I sat there, trying to free myself from him. "L-let go! I don't know who you are, I don't want to be here, and I just want to go home!" I screamed. My voice sounded like a child's. Not like an adult's, but a literal child's, "You're going to hurt me or something!"

He frowned before lifting his hand up as if to slap me, but then lowered it, instead staring me down.

"Your fever...it's worse than I thought. You poor kid, you can't even control what you're saying. Listen to me." He said,"This isn't you talking, it's just your fever screwing with your mind."

"No, it's not-" I yelled, "Now, please, let me go. Let me go!" I whined.

"No, I can't. Just relax, Kida-kun. Your mind is lying to you. You know who I am, and this is your home. I would never hurt you. You're just confused right now. I'm really sorry this is happening to you. You don't deserve this."

I just gaped at him before pulling back, feeling tears of fury rise to life in my eyes. Tears of fury at my own powerlessness and the sudden weakness of my body, and tears of fury at the insanity going on before me.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm here. Don't be afraid."

But I was afraid.

I didn't know him, I didn't know what was going on, and I didn't want to be here.

"Masaomi-"

"That's not my name." I mumbled, suddenly crying.

I supposed I'd reached my breaking point.

"That is your name." He repeated. "You don't really mean anything of what you're saying, kid."

He handed me a tissue, which I accepted.

"T-Thanks..." I whispered, still extremely awkward with what was happening.

"How...old am I?" I asked.

"You're ten, Masaomi." He said, not in an angry tone, but in a patient tone.

"Ten?" I muttered.

Wasn't I sixteen, last I checked?

"I'll bring you some food, so just relax and get some more sleep. You can fight it off. Just calm down and relax. This is just a simple, nasty bug that you got somehow."

I coughed again before he tucked me back into the bed, despite my protests, pulling the sheets on over me and placing a cool rag on my forehead.

"How does chicken soup sound?" He asked.

I just stared at him before nodding, still too stunned to really engage any further.

So I'm a child now? How am I supposed to believe that?

I didn't like any of this at all.

I didn't like how I was so short, nor how my voice was so high.

I didn't like how my limbs just weren't responding like they should be.

So I was...sick?

Was this a dream?

Holy shit, that was Izaya Orihara!

He glanced at me, patted my head, and said,"Get some sleep. You need it."

Then, he walked out the door.

Then, I heard him suddenly talking into a phone.

"Hello, Shinra? He's awake, but he's completely out of it."

I sat up more, a little alarmed, even more so upon hearing the word 'kare' drifting into my ears. Wasn't that the Japanese word for...he?

I wasn't a guy!

I strained to listen.

"He doesn't recognize me and he's scared of me, and I don't know why. I should've just taken him to the hospital. He thinks I'm out to hurt him."

There was a pause, then he spoke up again.

"Don't you dare accuse me of being selfish, Shinra! You're the one who told me to bring him back here, and now he's accusing me of wanting to hurt him! How am I supposed to react to that?"

I then realized it sounded like he was speaking Japanese...and I could understand every word of it.

"Hang on, I'm probably too loud. He could be listening."

The door opened a crack, but I was already lying down, feigning sleep, and then the door closed again.

I just sat there and listened.

"He's asleep. I just can't take this, Shinra, I can't. It's like he has amnesia. Is he...is he...not going to get better?"

Then I could hear faint sobbing.

Izaya was crying. I was even more puzzled than ever.

The tears sounded genuine enough.

That was...the real Izaya Orihara?

Come to think of it, this Izaya was a teenager.

So that confirmed it.

These were real anime characters.

A sense of guilt overwhelmed me. Hearing him cry broke my heart, but at the same time, I felt that I didn't know him. This is Izaya we're talking about, he's a horrible person. I just lay there, trying to pretend I hadn't heard anything at all.

But if I was in an anime like I suspected I was, then what did that make me?

But, that meant that what he was calling me-

Like an alarm going off in my head, I sat up again, despite the pain going through me, recalling how he kept on calling me "Masaomi" and "Kida."

There was just no way that was possible. No way.

I needed to figure out what was going on here.

I moved slightly, pulling at the covers, before my gaze went to my hands, and I gasped.

Gone were the dainty, slender, girlish hands I recalled, that were painted with nail polish and were those of a teenager's. In their place were a pair of pudgier, smaller, thinner hands, hands that did not have nail polish on them, nails that were dirtier. These hands were tanner and even more muscular. These hands were those of a child's.

They were not my own.

"W-What the hell?" I stammered.

I gasped upon realizing that my voice sounded like a boy's. There was just an inflection to it and a deeper pitch that was impossible for a female. But that was absurd.

As I touched my throat, I realized something was there that hadn't been there before. The name for it escaped me.

I glanced down at my shirt. It was not mine (and it was so bloody small!) I did not recognize it.

I couldn't help but place my tinier hands on my t-shirt, and felt.

Frowning, I lifted my shirt up and put my hands on my chest.

My chest was completely flat.

I had no breasts.

"What the...hell?" I gasped.

I noticed that my feet were tinier as well, and thinner.

I just sat there, shaking and sweating, feeling like shit.

I didn't like where this was headed.

Not at all.

Then, I felt a sensation.

I blushed. Oh, man, I needed to use the bathroom.

Izaya came back in later with food, before I blurted out, "Can I use the bathroom?"

He nearly dropped the food but caught it, before looking at me in concern. "Are you sure?"

He caught me again, "Don't go out of bed on your own right now, kid. You need to be more careful. If you need to puke, use the toilet."

I realized then how awful my stomach felt as I let him guide me out the door, my hand in his, feeling utterly humiliated at such a notion.

The idea of me having to be guided by someone!

"Thank you...Izaya..." I muttered.

"Niisan-"

"Right..." I muttered, "I don't feel so good."

"You're a brave boy, you can handle it." He patted my head.

Boy? Why was he calling me that?

I was a sixteen-year old girl.

Those hopes of mine were completely shattered when I sat as usual and then-

"Masaomi-kun, why the hell are you sitting? You should be standing."

"Oh..." I muttered.

"You're not a girl, after all."

My mouth dropped open.

"What's with that face, Kida-kun? You really are sick, aren't you? Poor kid." He muttered, "I'll wait outside the door for you."

"Izaya-" I said, but he was already gone.

He was already outside.

As I turned back to continue my business, my eyes widened.

I had a...a...penis.

I was a boy now, apparently.

What the fuck. Who had switched my sex?

But how?

I was definitely shorter, too, probably by a good six inches.

I was too short to reach the mirror, so I stood on one of those step stools and looked in and my eyes widened. The figure I saw in the mirror was not me.

Instead of the sixteen year old I should be seeing, a small boy looked back at me. That boy was Masaomi Kida. Same blond hair, same golden eyes, looking at me in shock. I shook, frightened by this revelation. The Kida in the mirror was younger than the Kida I knew.

I grabbed at my blond locks with my smaller fingers and examined them.

Blond, blond hair.

I was a blond now.

On top of that, I was an anime character?

I let out a gasp before nearly falling off the stool, and then I felt the urge to retch come over me.

I made it just in time to the porcelain throne.

Nice first day.

"Masaomi-kun, are you-" Izaya said, approaching me.

"Uh-huh, I'm sorry." I muttered, not exactly in a talkative mood.

For some reason, I was giving in to childish instincts, even though I didn't want to.

I knew I'd died of cancer, but I couldn't seem to think of how I'd gotten here. Every time I thought about it, my head started hurting even more.

"Are you done now?"

"I'm fine..." I whined, wiping my face off with a tissue.

"You're not fine, you're a child, you need your rest." He said.

I stood there, as he helped me wash my hands and then guided me back to the room.

I looked up at him. "Izaya..." I said.

"What?" He said.

I suddenly started to cry then.

I held back the tears, but they poured down my face anyway.

Fuck these child-like emotions.

"Why are you crying?" He said in alarm.

"I'm...I'm sorry...I'm being so useless, I should be of more use to you. I'm sorry I'm so weak right now! I just want to help you...you're not here to hurt me, Izaya. I'm sorry!"

Emotions that were not mine swept through me.

"It's all right, Masaomi-kun. I know how you feel because of your parents abandoning you. But now that I'm looking after you, I swear nothing like that will ever happen to you again."

What?

Masaomi-er, me was literally being looked after by Izaya?

I couldn't help but sink into this as I was put back into bed.

"I'll let you have some more water." He said.

"Hungry." I said.

"You can't have any food, you're sick."

My metabolism probably wasn't as demanding as it used to be.

I let out a loud cough, though.

"I'm bringing Shinra over here so he can examine you."

Oh, goody.

I just nodded weakly before falling into a dreamless sleep, haunted by my rumbling stomach and the bizarre new reality of me being a child again. Not just that, but a male, and an anime character.

Only to be woken by the loudmouth, Shinra.

"Masaomiiii..." There was a flashlight being shoved in my face.

"Masaomi, show me your vital signs."

"Not fun," I whined as I had my tonsils looked at.

Then he put the stethoscope on my chest, and I squirmed, uncomfortable.

"Why are you doing that?" Izaya asked.

"Relax, Kida, it's a normal part of the procedure."

"He has a sore throat, a sinus infection, and definitely some kind of stomach bug. It should pass in a couple of days."

"So that's what caused his hallucinations about being dead?" Izaya asked.

"Probably."

They were speaking about me like I wasn't here.

I bristled. "It wasn't-" I began, but shook my head.

"Your imagination was messing with you." He said in concern.

Nobody would believe me if I were to talk about it.

So now I was a ten-year old again, now I was a male, now I was in anime land and now I was Kida Masaomi. Shit.

Izaya turned back to me. "You can watch some cartoons on the television in there."

I nodded weakly as he guided me back. My limbs still felt like jelly and I wanted to eat so badly, but I couldn't.

"Hungry."

"I'm sorry, Kida, I wish I could. But you can't handle food right now..."

He turned the set on and I engrossed myself into the land of cartoons to distract from my new and frightening reality.