Hey! This is a new story I'll be working on in exchange for finishing up Papa, Acchan, and Me. It's a lot longer than I'm used to and I'm pretty sure I'll be just as terrible at updating it as I am with my other fanfics! XP
Enjoy chapter one of Miumarie: Monster
-Rimhakka–Ten Years Before Gareki and Nai are Accepted into the Circus Family-
Picture a small girl, not much older than six. A beautiful little blonde child with lovely purple eyes who always used to smile as often as possible. She's running through a field of violet flowers with her arms spread as far out as she can reach. She's laughing happily and spinning around, not a care in the world.
In the next minute, her small body is smashed against the ground as a huge tornado whips around her. The little girl gasped, curling into a ball at the sudden impact, hacking and moaning in pain. She wasn't allowed any time to rest, though. Even before she got her breath back the tornado swooped her up into the air. She screamed and cried for her big brother to come save her. He had pinky promised to take care of her no matter what. She knew he would save her, she just hoped he wouldn't be too late.
The tornado spun her in the air for a while before once again hurling her towards the ground. The little girl whimpered and tried to brace herself for the oncoming impact. Except it never came. She was simply frozen mid-air. She could see the ground below her, the sky above her, and trees far off in the distance. The girl didn't know where she was but she thought that she couldn't have strayed that far from home. How far could a tornado possibly travel in just a few minutes, right?
Wrong.
What the little girl didn't know was that she was nowhere near Rimhakka anymore. In fact, at this point, she wasn't even on the same continent. The little girl hesitantly spoke, "U-um…is anyone there? Hello?"
Hello, child.
The girl turned her head, trying to find the source of the booming voice, still reverberating in her ears. She searched and searched but she never saw anyone. "Wh-who are you? C-could you please tell me where I am? I'm scared and I want my brother."
The voice chuckled quietly and replied, My name and your location do not need to be known at this point. You may call me whatever you like, but don't fret over where you are. It is not nearly as important and what is going to happen to you in a little bit.
"What's gonna happen to me, Mr. Boom?"
…Mr….what?
"Mr. Boom, because you've got a really loud voice that goes KABOOM when you talk." The girl giggled as she said this. It was quite obvious to her what the voice should be called.
Oh… the voice didn't seem to particularly care for the name but he accepted it quickly and moved on, Well child, in a little bit the Incure cells surrounding your body will be absorbed and you will go through, I'm afraid to say, a rather painful process. It is necessary, however, for you to go through this and reach your final evolutionary form! When this happens you shall be accepted into an elite group of people just like yourself. All of us have been chosen to lead this world to its final resting place while we, the new rulers of the universe, explore our powers and create a new, perfect world where everything is dictated by those with this unimaginable power!
The little girl blinked at Mr. Boom's long, tiresome monologue. Everything he said went right over her head. She leaned to one side and tried to process some of the more complicated words. "What's an-curea-a mean?"
Exasperated, Mr. Boom sighed, Don't worry, child. Soon, everything will make perfect sense. I guarantee it. He chuckled evilly and left the girl to her own devices.
When she realized Mr. Boom wasn't going to explain any further, the girl crossed her arms and legs and decided to wait for this, 'painful process' to happen. She didn't really believe him, but she didn't have anything better to do so she just 'sat' there and looked around at her surroundings.
After about fifteen minutes (not very long to adults, but an eternity to children), she felt something weird. She looked down at her hands and saw that they were glowing brightly. As the glow got brighter, she flinched at the pain it brought. Her hands felt like they were on fire.
She cried a bit and tried to blow out the now very intense heat. All she did was make it worse. Within a few seconds, the burning pain had engulfed her small body as she screamed and flailed about. No burns appeared but she wanted to rip her skin off and jump in a lake, anything to get rid of the horrible sensation.
This lasted exactly ten minutes. When it was all over the little girl went limp, still suspended in the air. This was when Mr. Boom came back to check on her. Are you still alive, child? He didn't get a response so he materialized his actual body and floated over to her in order to check her vitals. She stayed limp and lifeless as he pressed two fingers to her neck, trying to find a pulse.
That was when she acted. Her eyes shot open and she crushed the man's throat with a single powerful strike. He gave a short gasp of astonishment as his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he plummeted to the ground. The little girl was flying on her own now, glaring angrily at the broken body of 'Mr. Boom.'
"Yes," she spat, "I'm still alive." With that she took off in the direction of the nearest forest. As she flew, her long silver hair swirled and danced against her shoulders. She glanced back at it and thought, I'm gonna have to get rid of that at some point. It's much too bothersome. She looked ahead again and pulled up when she noticed she was nearing a town. She landed about a mile from it and walked the rest of the way. She got there relatively quickly and went up to the first person she came across. It happened to be a young man, so she forced out a sickly sweet smile and said, "Hey, mister? Do you think you could show me how to get to the train station? I'm supposed to be meeting my mommy and daddy, but I lost sight of Nana and I don't remember how to get there."
The young man chuckled and said, "I bet you were fooling around and didn't keep an eye out for her, huh?" She changed her expression to sheepishness and nodded slowly. The man smiled at her, "Well then, let's get you to the station so you can meet up with your parents. I'm actually headed there myself. Do you want me to walk you there?"
"Sure!" The girl took his proffered hand and skipped alongside him.
After a while, it became clear to her that the man had no intention of actually leading her to the station. When she realized this she dropped her façade. She kicked him just below the back of his knee and waited for him to drop. When he did, she quickly snapped his neck and moved on to see if she could find a map or something. People were out of the question at this point.
Eventually, she made her way to a small drugstore where she stole a small map of the surrounding area. She walked to the nearest tree and sat down in its shade to figure out where she was. She found out that she was actually in an area called Karasuna. It wasn't exactly the best kind of place but she figured she would be fine as long as she watched her back. The little girl sighed and jumped to her feet. First things first, she thought as she crossed her arms, I'd better find some place to crash for the night. Then I need to get things sorted out with her. That'll probably take all night. Ugh… The little girl huffed with annoyance and went to find a place to stay.
It didn't take her long to find an abandoned building suitable for her needs. She searched out a small room that she could defend if necessary and settled in for the long conversation she owed her.
The little girl closed her eyes and entered her mindscape. She looked around. The whole place was black. Pitch black. She raised an eyebrow at it but kept from commenting. "Can you hear me?" she asked out loud, "If you can say something or just show yourself. I won't hurt you. I promise."
R-really?
A small voice, similar to her own, responded to her in a quavering voice, P-pinky promise you won't hurt me?
"Pinky promise," the girl held out her hand, pinky extended. A few seconds later, an exact copy of her (but with blonde hair instead of silver) materialized and interlocked her own pinky with the one extended. The silver-haired girl smiled softly at the blonde child and pulled her into a gentle hug, "Feel better now? I know when I first came you were hurting a lot."
The blonde girl snuggled into her copy's hold and nodded, I didn't know what was going on when you first came, but I feel okay now. I'm glad you're my friend!
The silver-haired girl stroked the blonde's hair. "I'm sorry if I scared you. I'm glad we're friends too. Is there anything specific you'd like for me to call you?"
Hmm…well my full name is Miumarie. You can call me whatever you like though. My big brother used to call me Miu because he said I'm his little kitten! I love my big brother!
The blonde Miumarie grinned up at her alter ego and the alter smiled back at her, "I see. Would you mind if I called you Mari then? I don't want to take over your brother's pet name for you. That wouldn't be very nice of me."
Miumarie nodded her head quickly. Only big brother gets to call me Miu. Not even Mommy and Daddy call me that. Thank you for not trying to do so. Oh, and I really do like the name Mari! It sounds cute!
"Good," the alter turned to the side and materialized a table, two chairs (just the right size for the two of them), and a tea set. She led Mari to the table and poured her a cup of steaming tea, "Now then, what would you like to call me? I don't have an actual name so you can make one up for me if you want."
Mari thought for a bit, Well, how does Sha sound? It means copy or duplicate. I think it fits 'cause you look just like me!
"Hmm…Sha, huh?" The alter finished pouring her own cup of tea and took a sip before continuing, "I like it! So you're Mari-chan and I'm Sha-chan?"
Yeah! Mari swung her legs underneath the table and looked around at their dark surroundings. What happened to the lights? She asked out of curiosity.
"This is your mindscape-"
My, what?
"You didn't let me finish."
Oh, sorry. Go on…
"Ahem, as I was saying, this is your mindscape, the place where all your thoughts converge. In simple terms it's where your soul lives." Sha took another sip of her tea, "If you focus on happy things your surroundings will change. Right now, you're scared and in pain. That's why this place is so dark. You're afraid. Try thinking about your brother. That'll probably calm you down a bit."
Mari tilted her head to the side and closed her eyes. Slowly, the darkness around the two girls faded and a pretty scene, filled with flowers and butterflies, took its place. The scene didn't last very long though. Mari flinched and bright red blood splashed across everything and doused the two. Sha yelped at the sudden onslaught and yelled, "MARI-CHAN! CALM DOWN! FREAKING OUT WON'T DO ANY GOOD!" The deluge stopped just as suddenly as it came.
Mari blinked open her eyes. There were tears welling up in them and she cried, I'm scared, Sha-chan!
Sha stood up and stepped in front of her, "Mari-chan, look at me. Hey, come on, look at me. There's a good girl." Sha cupped the child's face in her hands and gazed into her eyes, a gentle smile pulling at the corners of her mouth, "Hush, now. Everything is all right. I know you're frightened, but everything is going to be okay. I need you to calm down for me, all right?"
Mari hiccupped a few times, but nodded obediently. O-okay, she whispered softly.
"Good. Now I want you to picture that pretty scene again. Except this time, when you feel scared squeeze my hand. I'll make all the scary stuff go away."
Mari nodded and closed her eyes again. She pictured the flowers and butterflies. When they came, they brought the fear back with them. This time though, she listened to Sha and squeezed her alter's hands tightly. Sha felt the pressure and focused her energy on relaxing the scared girl in front of her. Since they were technically the same person at heart, Sha was able to calm Mari by simply calming herself. It worked great, because as soon as she did, Mari was able to keep the peaceful scene stable. She opened her eyes and grinned when she saw the pretty field. I did it, Sha-chan!
Sha giggled at hugged Mari, "Yes you did, Mari-chan. You did wonderfully. I'm proud of you!"
The two girls talked for a little while after that, mostly about what Mari had missed during Sha's escapade. Eventually, Mari began to yawn. It had been a long day and she was ready to get some actual rest. Sha agreed that sleep was the best course of action. She quickly summoned a big fluffy bed for Mari to rest on. The blonde stumbled into it after mumbling a quick, Good night, Sha-chan…
"Good night, Mari-chan," Sha gave the sleepy girl a pat on the head, "Tomorrow I'll teach you how to take care of yourself, okay?"
Mmm…kay… With that Mari drifted off into sleep.
Sha gave a short gasp as she sat up in the body she shared with Mari. She was still in the room in Karasuna, but night had fallen and the city was lit up with its lights and neon signs. The silver-haired alter climbed to her feet and looked out the broken window to the street below. She could see dirty children running about watched by various shady looking men and women. One boy she saw fall flat on his face. His two friends (one was his sister, the other possibly a brother?) ran up to him and squatted to see if he was all right. She heard the boy who hadn't fallen (he seemed to be the eldest of the three) say, "Come on, Yotaka. That was lame."
The fallen boy growled back at him, "Oh, shut up, Gareki! It's not like you've never fallen down while running."
"At least I don't fall flat on my face and make an idiot of myself in front of a bunch of people!"
"WHAT?!"
"Now, now you two. That's enough," the girl they were with put a hand on each of their shoulders, "We should be getting back to Big Sis."
The boy called Yotaka grumbled a bit, "You'd let him get away with murder, Tsubame."
"I would not," Tsubame huffed and smacked her brother on the head, "Come on! We gotta get back before she starts worrying!" She leapt to her feet and dashed off in a direction opposite where Sha was looking. The two boys followed close behind her, shooting each other grumpy glares. Sha chuckled at their childishness and began getting settled in for the night. If she wanted to get anywhere with Mari tomorrow she was going to have to let their body get as much rest as possible.
- -ῒ- -
The next morning, Sha woke up around eight, eager to get a start on the day. The alter closed her eyes and went to wake up Mari. The young blonde was still sleeping quietly in the bed Sha had made up for her.
"Wakey, wakey, Mari-chan! Time to get up!" Sha swept the blankets off the bed and snapped her fingers to make it disappear. Mari hit the floor with a soft thud and jolted awake.
Wha happen? She rubbed her eyes sleepily and gazed up at Sha, Sha-chan? Mmm…good morning…
"Good morning, Mari-chan!" Sha pulled the girl to her feet and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, "You ready to get started?"
Started with what? Mari yawned.
Sha began pacing back and forth in front of Mari, "Started with your training! I can't always be in control of your body–well, I suppose it's more ours, at this point–anyway, we need you to be able to handle yourself in any kind of situation. Also, I want to teach you how to use my powers to your advantage. Oh, and there's one more thing we need to talk about," she stopped pacing and turned to face Mari, "It's about how we will communicate while you're at the helm. There is one way that I'd be able to see what you see and talk to you whenever the need may arise. It'll hurt though, and you won't be able to undo it."
Mari stared up at her alter, Wh-what happens?
"Well," Sha crouched and rested her elbows on her knees, "I'll take over one of your eyes and be able to take control without needing your permission. I know it may seem like a one-sided deal but I wouldn't do something you didn't want me to unless it's absolutely necessary and you can always cover up my eye if you need privacy for something."
The blonde thought for a bit while Sha watched her expression. The alter may have been a part of Mari, but that didn't mean that she could read her mind or force her to make decisions in tune with what she wanted. They were totally separate entities, sharing appearance and (certain) memories only.
Eventually, Mari stood to her feet and helped Sha up too. The blonde gave her alter a confident smile and said, Let's do it.
Sha grinned and gave her a hug, "Great!"
- -ῒ- -
Fifteen minutes of screaming and flailing later, Mari was left panting on the floor of the old building in Karasuna, surrounded by a puddle of vomit and tears.
"Sha-chan, that hurt way worse than you said it would…" Mari stumbled to her feet and groaned as she stretched her aching muscles out. She shook out her long blonde hair and rubbed her eyes.
Yeah…sorry 'bout that! Sha's voice chuckled sheepishly from inside her head.
"Woah," Mari paused, trying to get used to the strange sensation of hearing your voice saying something you didn't think. "That's really weird, Sha."
Sha laughed, Don't worry! You'll get used to it. All right, the alter clapped her hands and continued, Before we start your training, why don't you find a mirror or something? That long hair has got to go. It'll be a pain in the butt later.
Mari pouted a bit, "But I like my hair!"
Yeah, sure, Sha scoffed sarcastically, And I like having hair yanked out of my head when it gets snagged on something during your first crash-landing.
Mari paled a bit and squeaked, "F-first?"
Yup. I was basically born knowing how to fly, you haven't even thought of the concept.
"O-oh," Mari swallowed. She was feeling less and less confident in her ability to do this as their conversation went on, "What should I do when I find the mirror?" The blonde silently accepted defeat and went to carry out Sha's orders.
Sha, being the sweet, kind, and oh-so-not-sarcastic person she is, gave a snort and said, What a good girl~! I'll explain what to do when you find it.
The girl walked all over the building but never found anything resembling a mirror. There wasn't even a piece of glass for her to prop up to use as a make shift one.
"What now, Sha?" She asked plopping herself down on a broken bit of concrete.
Mind if I take over for a bit?
"Nope."
All right. This might sting a bit…. In the girl's mindscape, Sha forcibly pulled Mari's conscious out of the console they used to control their body and sat down in the seat instead. Mari stumbled back into the mindscape with a breath. She looked around and recognized the scene from last night. The only difference was that now there was a huge screen type thing floating directly in front of the console. The perspective was that of her own eyesight if she had been in control. She could see Sha waving her hands as she manipulated a large puddle of water into a sheet of ice that could be used as a mirror. Then Sha pulled away from the controls and sat Mari back down in them. Mari gasped and coughed as she regained possession of her body. It was still very uncomfortable to go back and forth like that, but Sha had said that it would get easier the more often they did it.
Mari rubbed the back of her neck before straightening up and looking at herself in the mirror Sha had provided. She jumped away from it with a yelp. Never in all her life had she ever seen herself look so disheveled and dirty. Her hair was an absolute wreck. Frizz, broken strands, and tangles permeated throughout the whole of it. Not only that, the rest of her body was covered in bruises from her encounter with the tornado and her feet were bloody and caked in dirt from when Sha had walked the last mile into town. She touched her face, noticing a scar snaking its way across her cheek. What had really startled her though were her eyes. Originally, she had been blessed with beautiful violet irises flecked with bits of gold and blue. Now, her left pupil was jet black and its blood red iris only added to the horrifying effect. "What is this, Sha? What happened to my eye?"
That's what my eyes look like, Sha gently explained, You know how you could see what I was doing when I was in control? Well, when you're in control I see the same thing, except from that eye instead of your violet one. When you agreed to allow me to bond with you, this is what happened. I told you there would be a physical change, didn't I?
"Yes…" Mari was quiet for a bit. She stepped up close to the mirror and examined her reflection. She actually didn't mind the eye too much. If fact, she rather liked the way it contrasted with her original one. The only problem she had with it was that she felt it made her look evil or demented. Like one of the monsters in the fairy tales her big brother used to read to her. "Sha?" Mari asked slowly.
Yes, Mari-chan? The alter was a little worried at this point. If Mari refused to accept her newfound powers, Sha would have to erase the girl's memories of the past up to this point and would only be able to protect her in the most desperate of situations. Mari would be totally on her own if that happened and Sha knew that there was no way she could possibly survive that.
"Am I a monster?"
...Huh?
"You heard me, am I a monster?"
No more than I am.
"But I don't know what you are. I know I used to be human. Am I still human? Or am I a monster?" Mari looked herself right in the eyes, knowing that Sha could see she was serious.
Well…you aren't entirely human. Not anymore. But I can guarantee that you aren't a monster. You still have all your morals and memories and you are in complete control of your thoughts and mind.
"That isn't what I mean. Even monsters know what they are doing when they kill people. I want to know if, technically speaking, I'm a monster. I understand that I'm in control. I can tell that myself. I just want to know if I went up to someone and they knew what happened to me, would they consider me a monster?" Mari had never had to think about something like this but she was beginning to find it easier to find the words to express her feelings and she didn't have such a hard time keeping herself together.
Sha was struck dumb. After about two minutes of dead silence, she cleared her throat and said, W-well…um…
Mari began to get frustrated, "Just tell me, Sha! I really want to know."
…If you met someone who knew what I am and knew that you have already started the process of merging with me…uh…they would…they would probably consider you a monster. But it's because of me! You have to remember, it's me, not you. Just me.
Mari could feel Sha's frustration with herself for being something so undesirable. She smiled slightly, "Sha, you are me. If you're a monster, so am I. And I'm okay with that. You're my friend, and I wouldn't want someone to say that my friend is a monster without saying I'm one too. I just wanted to know what I should think of myself as, that's all. I wasn't questioning whether or not 'merging' with you is a good idea. We're in this together. You can't escape me and I can't escape you. So don't worry so much! You can always count on me, just like I can always count on you, right?"
Sha blinked away the moisture that had accumulated in her eyes, Right, she sniffed and shook her head, trying to get rid of the depression she felt rising in her heart, Thanks, Mari-chan. I promise I won't ever let you down.
Mari giggled happily and asked, "So, what should I use to cut my hair? I'm pretty sure there weren't any sharp objects in the rooms I just checked," she paused, examining a particularly nasty rat's nest. She groaned at it, muttering, "There's no way I'm ever gonna be able to brush this out."
Her alter laughed, Yeah, that's definitely not gonna happen! Why don't we switch out again? I'll make a blade for you to u-
"No," Mari cut her off firmly, "If I'm going to be learning to control this power, I need all the practice I can get."
If you say so, Sha was a little skeptical about letting the blonde use her elemental powers so early, but she decided to humor her retainer and walk her through the process, Okay…so the easiest way to make something like the mirror, is to touch the materials you are planning to use. In this case, I think using metal will work best. Sha examined what she could see in the mirror, All right, see that long support beam behind you?
Mari turned around and pointed at it, "That one?"
Yup. Go over and put both hands on it. Sha watched as Mari did what she said and continued, Now, close your eyes and picture what you want to make. The alter's screen went dark and a picture of a pair of scissors appeared on it. Sha was impressed, it took an incredible imagination to see something in your mind's eye so clearly. Great job, Mari-chan. Now I'm gonna put my hands on your back in here and give you a bit of my powers. It'll feel a little weird, but all you have to do is let the energy flow through you, into your hands, and onto the beam.
"Okay," Mari shuddered a bit when Sha's power blasted into her veins, but she relaxed her body and, as Sha said, let the energy flow through her. When she opened her eyes she was holding a pair of scissors exactly like the ones she had imagined. "I DID IT!" Mari screeched joyfully, "I DID IT! I DID IT, SHA! I DID IT!" She jumped up and down ecstatically.
Sha pumped her fists in the air and shouted, YEAH! ATTA' GIRL! That was awesome, Mari-chan!
Mari giggled and rushed back to the mirror. She held up the scissors to a tangle and cut it off. It took her a half hour to finish working her way through the snarled mess she called hair. When she was done, the back was just under her ears, she had bangs that drifted in front of her face, and she left one small section long to remind her of who she used to be. She figured she could braid it later if she found a piece of string or something.
"What do you think, Sha?" Mari turned her head side to side, keeping her eyes on the mirror so the alter could see.
You look great, Mari-chan! Sha was very vocal about her approval and continued to praise the cut as Mari walked out of the building in hopes of finding something to eat.
- -ῒ- - Two Years Later - -ῒ- -
"HEY! GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Mari laughed happily as she flew away from the shop keeper chasing her. It had given her great pleasure to see the look on his face as he saw her leap into the air and take off. She had a bit of trouble getting the hang of flying at first but now she was just as good, if not better, than Sha at taking off, landing, and doing loopdy-loops in the air. She was eight now and her body was well and fully used to the hard and difficult life she had no choice but to lead. Her heart was also adapting to her new situations. It no longer bothered her that she needed to steal to get food. It no longer bothered her that she wasn't able to trust a single person she met. It no longer bothered her when men leered and tried to touch her on the streets (she usually just kicked them in the crotch and took off). It no longer bothered her to see the bodies of various thugs, slaves, and drunks lying in the street, usually beaten and half-naked. Nothing phased her anymore.
Not even killing. That was something she learned the hard way. There was one time a gang member got a hand around her neck and threatened to kill her if she didn't do exactly as he asked. At that point, she had enough street knowledge to realize that he meant to lock her up and sell her to those horrible slave traders. Mari gritted her teeth and let the instincts Sha drilled into her take over.
She jabbed her elbow into his solar plexus and slammed her foot into the ground, bringing up a pillar of earth underneath his feet. It knocked him to the ground and she would have left him there but before she could take off, he grabbed onto her ankle and snarled curse words at her. She desperately kicked at him, but he was relentless. During this time, Sha was shouting at her to slice his neck with some ice or bash his head in with a rock. Mari ignored the alter in favor of keeping her hands, and conscious, blood free. Eventually, he got a good grip on her thigh and pulled her back down to the ground. She screamed and reacted. She pulled herself into a ball and let a huge blast of her own red hot power burn the very skin off the man's body. He didn't even get a chance to scream before his eyes burst in their sockets and he took his last shuddering breath. The corpse collapsed onto the ground and Mari was released. She landed on the ground next to it.
The blonde fell to her knees, bile rising in her throat. She gagged and vomited all over the place. After she had heaved up the last bit of food from her previous meal, she wept for the man who almost killed her. Sha would have comforted her but figured it was better for the girl to deal with the pain on her own. No amount of words could ease the agony of a guilty conscious. All Sha could do was be there for her if the pain got to be too much.
It took a long time after that incident for the girl to even look at a dead body without dry heaving or running away. Finally, after many, many conversations with Sha, Mari accepted the fact that she lives in a dog eat dog world and she would never meet anyone that cared about her unconditionally. She and Sha were completely and totally alone.
When Mari realized this, her whole demeanor changed. She closed off her heart to anyone and everyone, except for Sha. They were an invincible duo and people from all over Karasuna feared the demon princess with one ruby red eye.
Mari landed about five feet from the small building she called home and stretched her arms above her head, toting the nice hunk of meat she had stolen in her satchel. When she stepped through the non-existent front door, she and Sha both instantly felt the presence of a stranger. Mari dropped to the floor as a stick-like object sliced the area where her head had been.
"My, my, aren't you a spry one," a sultry male voice purred in her ear, far too close for comfort.
She lashed out behind her, hitting nothing but thin air. Mari growled angrily and allowed Sha's and her own power to blast everything in the room to bits. She jumped to her feet and got into the fighting stance Sha had taught her a while back. The voice chuckled at her, "Resisting will only make things worse. If you just submit, I promise to make your death quick and painless."
Sha and Mari both laughed out loud (even though the man could only hear Mari) and Mari said, "You have no idea how many times I have heard that dumb line. And just in case you couldn't tell, I'm still very much alive and the morons that told me that are all at least six-feet under. Well, that or they're scattered in bits and pieces across town." Mari smirked to herself and Sha cracked up laughing. They'd had a great time hiding the various parts in surprising places and watching the mayhem caused when people found them.
The man stepped out from behind a pillar and raised an eyebrow at her. In turn, Mari also raised a brow. The man was far more handsome than she had expected. He had short purpley-black hair and blue eyes with lavender flecks.
"Is that so…" he blinked slowly and murmured, "Tell me, little one…how many innocent people have you murdered?"
The blonde scoffed, "Innocent? Absolutely none. Idiots that tried to mess with me? Hmm…I'd say about twenty-five. Maybe more. I'm not entirely sure," Mari put a finger on her chin and tilted her head to the side, "Anyway, what's your name? I'm Mari."
The man tipped his tall top hat and smiled at her, "Unfortunately, I cannot tell you that. I'm happy to know your name though, Mari-chan."
"Only Sha gets to call me that!" Mari snarled and leapt at the man, creating a rugged sword out of scrap metal. She roared, swinging down on the man. In retaliation, he blocked her strike with his cane. The two clashed for a long time before Mari knocked the man into a wall and watched him fall unconscious to the floor.
That was easier than I thought it would be, Sha muttered as she crossed her arms and leaned against their console in the mindscape.
"Yeah," Mari walked over to the man and knelt next to him. She rooted around in his pockets and found a wallet and cellphone. She flipped through the wallet, helping herself to the twenty-seven dollars he had, then she slipped out the driver's license he had in one of the flaps. Apparently, his name was Hirato, he was nineteen years old, had blood type AB, and he was six feet one inch tall.
After sliding the license back into the wallet and tossing it onto Hirato's chest, she turned on the phone and started flicking through the various apps and programs he had on it. She was just about to start looking at his photos when the phone started ringing. The caller ID said Tsukitachi.
"Think I should answer?" Mari questioned her alter as she stared at the unfamiliar name.
Why not? It may be fun to see how they react when they realize you aren't this big lug.
Mari laughed and pressed the button that read, 'Accept Call.'
"What's up with the long wait time, pal? You busy or something?" The man on the other end of the line sounded like he was about to burst into laughter whenever he talked.
Mari smirked and said replied in her sweetest kiddy voice, "I'm sorry, mister! If you're talkin' 'bout Mr. Hirato, he can't come to the phone right now."
"Huh? Who the heck are you?" Mari imagined that Tsukitachi's expression had morphed into one of confusion. "And why can't Hirato come to the phone? Where is he?"
The blonde bit back another laugh and replied, "Mr. Hirato's talking with Mama. He looked pretty surprised when he came to see her but I answered the door," Mari paused as her head filled with the sound of Sha's uncontrollable cackling, "I don't think Mama had told him about me, so I was a big surprise!"
Mari heard Tsukitachi sputter and choke on his own spit, "C-come again?! What's your name?! Who are you?! Give the phone to Hirato, RIGHT NOW!" He sounded pretty upset so the blonde quickly hung up on him.
Whew! Sha breathed a sigh of relief and dropped to the ground, That was awesome, Mari-chan! How on earth did you come up with such a genius idea?
"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure," Mari shrugged, tucking the phone back into Hirato's pocket. "It sure was fun though. How much you wanna bet that Tsukitachi will come flying to interrogate this guy?"
Haha! Sha laughed happily, I have no doubt about it! So, ya wanna slice and dice 'im? It'd be kinda fun if he was some big shot. I'm sure a whole bunch of people would kick up quite a stink if they found out he got owned by an eight-year-old.
Mari giggled and replied, "It would be funny, wouldn't it?" She flicked the man's nose, "I don't think we should, though."
Huh? Why not?
"Mmm…well…I don't really know," the blonde gently brushed a few dark locks out of Hirato's face, "I just think he might be a good person. He seemed to really believe that I was killing innocent people," Mari paused, stood, and walked over to the wall next to the unconscious man before sliding down it to sit by him, "I'd be mad too if I found out some kid I didn't know was murdering people who didn't appear to have anything to do with her. And besides," she leaned her head back against the wall and smiled, "He's pretty cute, don't you think?"
Sha grunted and muttered, Humph…I guess you have a point…
"Which point? I mentioned a few."
…All of them…
"Even the one about him being cute?"
That one especially! Sha's reply came a tad bit too quick.
Mari giggled at her friend's words, "Hilarious, Sha…"
The two talked for a while longer while Hirato slept. Eventually, Mari and Sha heard a difference in Hirato's breathing. Even though he kept his eyes closed, they could tell he was awake. The blonde bounced to her feet and stood over the man. She grinned happily and said, "I know you're awake, Mr. Hirato. There's no use hiding it. Your breathing destabilized about five minutes ago."
Hirato frowned and opened his eyes, "How could you possibly know something like that?"
Mari sat down on his chest, "I've got pretty good eyes and ears."
"I see," Hirato tried to sit up only to have Mari shove him back to the ground.
"Sorry, but unless you're gonna promise me you won't try to attack me again, I'm not letting you up."
The man sighed, "Fine. But will you let me call my friend and let him know I'm all right?"
"Uh…is your friend's name, Tsukitachi?" Mari began studying a particularly interesting piece of drywall.
"…Yes…why do you ask?" Hirato raised an eyebrow.
The girl snickered and replied, "Well…he called while you were in lala-land. I answered and kinda gave him the idea that you were visiting a girlfriend and found out that you had suddenly become a father…"
Hirato shot into a sitting position, knocking Mari to the floor, "YOU DID WHAT?!"
"Heh! Sorry~!" Mari laughed gleefully from her new position on the ground.
The man blinked at her enthusiasm. He would have frowned at her under different circumstances but that was when she started giggling. She giggled and giggled and rolled on the ground laughing her head off. He had no idea why she was laughing so hard but apparently it was contagious because in the next minute he was also chuckling. They laughed at each other for a very long time and only stopped when they heard a phone ring.
Hirato pulled out his cell, still snickering quietly, and answered it, "He-hello?"
"Hirato? Is that you? THANK GOODNESS! Where are you? What happened? Who was the little girl who answered earlier? What woman were you talking to? PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T TELL ME YOU'RE A DAD!" Even Mari heard the last line, Tsukitachi screeched at the top of his voice. This brought out even more peals of laughter from the little girl.
Hirato also laughed at his friend's consternation, "Calm down, Tsuki. I'm still in Karasuna. I'll explain the rest when I get back, all right?"
Tsukitachi whimpered, "Fiiiine! Just tell me one thing, are you gonna be saddled with some brat you didn't intend to father?"
Hirato was silent for a minute. He glanced across at Mari. She was sitting cross legged on the ground, looking up at him in anticipation. She hoped he would say something to make Tsukitachi go nuts again. He smiled at her and rubbed her head, letting her swat playfully at it in return. "No. But I might end up bringing home another stray."
"What do you mean?"
"Like I said, I'll explain when I get back. See you soon. Bye."
"Haah…" Tsukitachi sighed loudly, "See you when you get back. Later." They both hung up and Hirato went back to messing with Mari.
"Mari-chan?" He asked after a short, yet quite comfortable, silence.
"Only Sha gets to call me that," Mari crossed her arms, putting on a pouty face, "Didn't I tell you that, already?"
"I suppose you did. Well then, Mari, can I ask you a question?" Hirato poked her cheek and smirked at her.
"You just did," she quipped, "But I suppose I don't mind you asking another."
Hirato chuckled and continued, "Thank you. All right, here is my real question. Would you like to use your powers for the good of the human race?"
Mari stared at him. She silently opened and closed her mouth a few times before finally stuttering out a short, stupid sounding, "H-huh?"
"Would you like to use your powers for the good of the human race? It's obvious that you haven't had very many pleasant experiences with people, but if you accept my offer," Hirato tugged gently on her braid, "I can guarantee that you will never again have to steal food or fight for a place to sleep or live in fear of your life day in and day out. You will eventually have to fight, but you'll have actual training and you will always have backup just in case something goes wrong."
When Mari continued to stay silent, he said, "I know this may be a little overwhelming for you, but I think coming with me would be a good decision."
The blonde took a short breath and mumbled, "What should I do, Sha?"
Hirato would have attempted to answer her himself, but he was smart and got the feeling she wasn't exactly talking to him.
While Mari and Sha (who Hirato still couldn't determine the location of) quietly discussed the pros and cons of Hirato's deal, the man stood to his feet and, for the first time since he broke in, got a good look at Mari's hideout.
It was actually a building that had been abandoned before it could be completed so there were still many various construction tools and materials lying about unattended for who knows how long. When Hirato walked around one corner he discovered an area that Mari must have used as a kitchen/dining room. There was one upturned box sitting next to a taller one (possibly used as a table?) and he could see a small kerosene stove nestled firmly between two large bricks. One the wall opposite the stove, he saw a short slab of metal that had a twisted kind of handle. He pulled on it and the sheet of steel it was attached to, pulled open as a door. He looked inside and saw a gallon of water, a small glass jar of milk, and a block of cheese.
"Hey," Mari shut the improvised fridge and looked up at Hirato, "I have an answer."
"I see," Hirato straightened, clasping his hands behind his back. He nodded, ready to hear her reply.
The blonde took a deep calming breath and said, "I don't know if what I can do will actually be good for the human race. But I do know that I'm sick and tired of living like this," she gestured to her run-down surroundings, "If, and only if, you really can promise me all the things you mentioned, I'll come with you," she frowned slightly as she looked at the ground, "I don't want to be controlled by anyone. I won't allow that. However," Mari gave a short huff, returning her attention to the tall man, "I don't entirely mind if you offer me possible suggestions as to how I might be able to assist you. However, keep in mind that I will rebel in the most terrifying way if anyone besides you attempts to do the same."
Hirato smiled and laughed, "All right then, child," he held out a hand to her, "Come with me, my dear, and I shall steal you away from this place."
Mari giggled and took his outstretched hand. He pulled her closer and lifted her into his arms. When he had gotten her settled, he walked out of the building, took a short running leap, and soared into the air.
- -ῒ- -
So, I hope you liked this chapter and if you did, please leave a review. If you didn't like it, please leave a review telling me what I can do to fix what you didn't like, and have a nice rest of your day! :)
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