_-_-_! Finally, you're awake you 'kay!?
_-_? Is that you? I feel so. So dizzy. So confused… So hap… py? So weightless?
*Gasp* You're changing!
Huh? What's happening to me? What am I?
What should we do _-_-_? We can't tell our parents. They'd spank us if they found out we're here…
Dunno _-_… I'm all blobby now…
*Horrified Gasp* _-_-_, look!
What? Something bad?
Yeah! You're disappearing!
WHAT?! NO! I don't wanna disappear, so many things I haven't tried yet! Don't me go _-_!
_-_-_! I'm sorry! Don't go!
*Mutual heartbreak*
Space, a vast place. Full of interesting things if you know where to look. Infinite possibilities.
Time, a river that forces us forward with tons of branches of different and interesting what ifs. Infinite possibilities.
Both of these make or cause changes to anything and everyone. And when you can freely travel between them like Ecolo can, the sky's the limit.
"Eh… I'm bored." But Space/Traveling shadow-y drooling blobs are not easily impressed. "Let's go visit Rin~go~" Or he's only easily impressed by simpl- I don't know.
"One, two, three, four! Five! Six! Sev- Crud… How's Maguro so good at this? A new record at least."
"One, two, three, Oh yeah! Five, six, sev-"
"Hiya Ringo!"
"HYAAAAAA!" The curly pigtailed girl was jump-scared out of her wits as her shoulder was tapped by something that felt unexplainable through her sweater. "Oh Ecolo… Very funny. You'd think I'd used to this by now." Ringo wondered as she wiped off the space dust of her shoulder.
"Miiiissed me?"
"Will you leave me alone if I say yes?"
"Waahahaha! Notta chance. I've traveled all the way from wherever I was to here. To have some fun."
Ringo tensed up a little. The Space/Time had the uncanny ability to end worlds whether he intended or not. Fun was usually the cause. Better to amuse him with something harmless and hope nothing goes wrong… "You're in the middle of my kendama practice."
"Ken, da, ma?" Ecolo repeated.
"Yeah, this thing."
"I know, what a kendama is, Ringo. It's just been a while since I heard that word out loud is all." Ecolo kept quietly looking at the cheap looking toy.
"Hello, earth to Ecolo?" Ringo waved in front of the thing, but he kept quiet. It was concerning to the math head. "Ecolo?"
"Can I play?" He innocently asked.
"Huh?"
"Thanks!" He swiped it out of her hands and he started playing with it. "One. Doh. One, two. Mrgrgr. Third time's the charm! One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eigh…"
Ringo was impressed. She didn't know if Ecolo had experience or not. But he kept the raising the numbers.
"…inety-six, ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine, ONE HUNDRED! Whahay! Hundred two, hundred th…"
"You go, Ecolo!" Ringo cheered. But Ecolo was too focused on keeping this momentum going. He had a big grin on his face.
Here's my birthday present, to you _-_-_.
OO. What could it be?
I wasn't sure what you wanted…
C'mon, _-_. It can't be that bad. Oooo, a kendama. Nice.
Tee hee. Happy birthday, _-_-_.
"Hundred sixty-five, hundre- Daowh. Phooey."
"Man, Ecolo. you're good. Didn't know you could play kendama."
"Neither did I."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. The only kendama I've ever touched are thanks to the Tuna-breathed Pretty boy's attacks. Next time you see him, tell him he's a big fat jerk!"
"I'm gonna ignore that last bit and focus some more on your kendama skill, 'cuz no one's that good on their first try. You must've played it before, right?"
"Could be, when you live as long as me you tend to forget things…"
"I'm curious. Were you ever anything else?…"
It was something Ecolo gave some thought. "I need some bones, can I borrow your arms?"
"Gross. Don't change the subject!"
"I'll answer if you let me possess you. Pretty please, I'll leave after I'm done having fun. We can talk in your head."
"Eheh. I'd rather n-"
"I can help you get good." He swung the kendama.
"Why are you asking me so nicely to leave my body in your control? I don't like it!"
"Hm, when you say it like that it sounds like it's a bad thing~" The last thing what the cosmic blob said before he entered the body of the girl.
Ecolo stretched Ringo's limbs. And didn't feel the need to transform her clothes into something ominous like a previous possessee. Yet… "High-score here I come!" Ecolo started playing with her kendama again. His tone of out Ringo's voice did give them both chills up her spine.
"If you make me do anything I wouldn't say or do or you're dead!"
"Hiya, I'm Ringo, I'm cute and full of energy! I'm also Ecolo's bestest buddy."
"Hrmgh. You're lucky nobody's here. And stop that. I happen to have a potion I won of a witch that makes you remember. You can have it if you don't embarrass me with my body ever again."
Gee, _-_-_. Can please explain why you're bringing me so far from home in this spooky forest?
It's a secret, it's cool though. _
Can't you just tell me?
Nope.
Don't gimme that, I wanna know it.
Sorry, were not there yet.
…
…
Are we there yet?
Nope.
Are we there yet?
Nope.
Are we theeeeeeere yet?
Nope.
Are we there yet?
Nope. I mean yes.
Woooow. It's pretty.
I know. I like it's light blue glow.
Yeah, it's pretty. But what is it?
Dunno, I just found it here.
What're we gonna do with it?
Don't know 'bout you _-_, but I wanna keep it.
I want it too.
You can look at, _-_.
No, I want it.
Stop tugging it.
No you stop tugging it.
No, you.
No, You.
No y- whoa!
No fair _-_-_… Uh…
What's wrong, _-_?
What's wrong?! That thing went inside your chest!
My chest? Is that why I'm feeliiiing so sleeeeeepy?
"I'll try it, but let's beat my record first." Ecolo said, eager to play with the thing again. "One, two, three,"
Ringo was less than amused. "This is gonna take a while…"
"Hundred sixty-four, HUNDRED SIXTY-FIVE, BAYBEE! Hundred sixty…" A few close ones later and a lot more numbers, Ringo's bored out of her skull and annoyed that Ecolo made her drool. "…hundred ninety-nine, two hu- Aah. Almost."
"Wow, Ringo. I'm jealous. " You could hear the kidding grin from behind.
"IDIDN'TDOITYET!" Ringo's body was violently scared, it was neither in host or guest's control.
"I'd beg to differ. " It's Maguro [applause]! "You did good. "
"Ah. Pretty boy!"
"It took me ages before I get to 200 consistently. "
"How long have you been lurking there?"
"Dunno, didn't keep track of time. "
Ecolo voiced his and Ringo's concerns. This was gonna be embarrassing for Ringo… She would grit her teeth if she could because 1: Well, he's probably going to embarrass her in front of Maguro. Nevermind the wazzillions of times Ringo did that fine on her own and Maguro shrugged it off. And 2: Ecolo might pull their friendship apart. Ringo knows their friendship is stronger than that, but Ecolo is also very powerful…
"Don't do that, Ecolo!"
'Okay okaaaay… You're no fun.'
"Wanna try out-scoring me? I think you'll do okay. " Maguro honestly told them as he prepared his beloved toy.
Suddenly Maguro seemed like a lot of fun to Ecolo. And if it made Ringo happy to watch, and Tuna-Breath to spar… Why not? Win-Maybe Win-Win!
"You're on, Marguhro! I'll ace like at my exams!"
"C'mon, you sound like you've never said his name before." Someone was not amused.
'I tried talking like you Ringo. Isn't that good enough anymore Riiiingo?' Ecolo sulked.
"Cool beans. Fair warning though. My record, tricks included is 448. "
"Geez! That's a lot more… Than I… I've words."
"Eh, don't worry." Maguro leaned on Ringo's shoulder in a friendly manner.
It felt weird to Ecolo though.
"I usually reach 250 or so. You have a chance. I'll show off some neat tricks too. Feel free to imitate them. And if you lose. " He said as if he's getting something big out of this. "Be a pal and release Ringo, would ya? I doubt she's comfortable being possessed by a jiggly gooey space ghost thingy. " Maguro said so confidently and nonchalantly respectively. Ringo's body got some goosebumps, that description tickled the poor girl's phasmophobia.
"Aw… How'd ya know?" Ecolo said as he transformed. Ringo's clothes morphed into an ominous mantle. "How'd ya figure I wouldn't know? " He genuinely asked. "Guess I'm a good actor. "
_-_? Anybody? Where am I? Is, is this space?! Everything looks so pretty. Hello?
…
HEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLOOOOO!?
…
Anyone…? I wanna go home… What was my home? Hoo? What's that?
"You lost by a hair, Ecolo! You pulled of those trick with little effort. " Maguro was pleased with it. He doesn't have many rivals. "Can you leave Ringo now? "
Ecolo was surprisingly content with the praise, made his core feel warm and tingly. He replied happily. "'Kay." Ecolo bursted himself out of Ringo straight into straight into Maguro.
"I'm gonna break your record, Pretty Boy. You can thank me later. Oh, I mean: You can thank me later. Man, that's fun to say. Also, I'm a big fat jerk. " He animated Maguro's body to play again.
"Ecolo…"
"What?"
"Get out of him. Now!" Ringo told Ecolo like a soccer mom scolding a child.
"Aw… But mooooooom. Margoru's body feels surprisingly snugly. And his breath is really minty. And he says I can borrow him for an hour. Sixteen, seventeen, eigh-"
Ringo gave a skeptical eye. She sighed and gestured for him to: "Follow me home and I'll give you the memory potion. But you have to leave Maguro once home. Promise?"
"Okay." He absentmindedly replied.
"Being possessed doesn't make people happy."
"But I need to be happy too…"
At Ringo's room, Maguro and Ecolo separated. Ringo was looking around her room for her potion.
"I need a shower. " Maguro mumbled, plumping on Ringo's bed. Nobody listened.
"Whoa. So this is your room. What's that?"
"Don't touch it Ecolo."
"What's that."
"No touchie."
"Thi-"
"Don't!"
"Wha-"
"My homework, so definitely don't touch it."
"Wh-"
"That's mine. I forgot you had it, Ringo. Can I have it back? "
"Sure, I had my fun with it."
"Can-"
"No!"
"How 'bou-"
"NO!"
"Ya sure? It says 'Memory Resurface Potion'."
Ecolo playfully shook the bottle.
"Oh… Take a sip."
The blob took a big gulp. Trying to pin down its taste. "Tastes like Aubergine with a hint of chicken."
…
"So…?"
Ecolo scratched his head. "Well, it's all so hazy. I remember a redhead, like you, Ringo. But much younger and a ponytail. I'm blanking on her name. And everything else."
"Interesting. So you were human? I should brought Ris along."
"Ehm… Maybe?"
"Try some more of that potion. Maybe things will become clearer. " Maguro suggested.
Ringo wasn't so sure. "That doesn-"
"Great idea!"
She was too late with her concerns, for Ecolo downed the whole bottle. The most surprising thing about it that he didn't spill any of it all over.
…
Ecolo slowly descended to the floor. His eyes wide open.
Maguro and Ringo were puzzled at he was doing.
"Ma. Gu. Ro? Rin. Go?" He blankly said.
"Yeah those are our names. 'Preciate you pronounce mine correctly this time, though. Thanks. "
Though Ringo found it funny. "Shushie."
"Maguro. Ringo. Maguro Ringo." The little guy clutched his head. "MaguroRingoMaguroRingoMaguroRingo?" He started running in circles. "Headhurts! Headhurtsheadhurtsheadhurtsheadhurts!" He screamed his head and the ears of others off.
Ringo swore she saw tears in his eyes.
He ran out the windows breaking it.
The friends just blinked. Not sure what to make of it. Aside from how to break it to the parents about the window.
Author's Notes:
I didn't go back to PP7 to check how the possession worked. So that was off memory.
And it's this vague on purpose.
I may make a follow up. But anyone can do it too.
I couldn't really pin down Ringo's speech patterns sorry.
Read on Archive of Our Own to see Maguro's Stars as not asterisks.