CHAPTER ONE
"Mum." The little girl said, confused and slightly frightened. "Mum!" She cried out with more urgency. "What's happening?"
Tears streamed down her mother's weary face. "It's alright, Mizuki. I-I'm sorry, but it's all going to alright in the end." The truth was, she was just comforting herself. She knew that after this, nothing will ever be the same again. She looked up bravely at the building in front of her, and went inside.
"Hello?" The older female called out once inside. "This is Kojima Ayame, and I've come to make the deal."
There were footsteps, and a middle-aged man came around a corner. "You're here. And have you got the child?"
"Y-y-yes, here's Mizuki." Her voice trembled.
"Good, this way to the labs, please." He nodded briskly, holding out a hand and leading the way. They walked in silence for a long time, and the poor little girl, only 6 years of age, still had no idea whatsoever what was going on.
After a while, they finally got to a spacious room full of scientists in white lab coats. It seemed as though they were conducting experiments, but they all stopped when the trio arrived.
A scientist at the head of the room spoke, breaking the silence at last. "Bring the girl to the room. Give her the money and she can leave."
The man from before grabbed Mizuki wordlessly and brought her away. Ayame sobbed, even as they shoved some notes at her and began to shoo her away.
But this was her decision, and it was her who brought Mizuki to be sold to the scientists. They were so poor, the child would probably have died anyway. At least she had a chance to live with the scientists, even if they did want to use her as an experiment.
Meanwhile, Mizuki stared back as she was whisked away to an empty, white room, which was to be her bedroom. She didn't know that she would never see her mother again.
That was eight years ago. Now she is 14 years old, and ready to be injected by the 'Robotifying Liquid', which the scientists have worked on for ages. Mizuki was trying to cling onto her best memories, although most were here in this building or somewhere near it. She has been allowed out, but not very far.
Apparently she would lose all memories, senses, emotions and feelings after getting injected with the experimental fluid. She knew that this is what they've raised her up for anyway, so she was prepared... Though she was still not so ready to get rid of everything.
"I-I'm ready." Mizuki said. "I'm ready."
She closed her eyes, and felt a sharp pinch on her left arm briefly, before there was no pain anymore. She felt like she couldn't feel anything, and desperately clawed at her last memories, but even they were gone in a matter of time. There was nothing but pitch black.
~2 Years Later~
The girl stood in the midst of the burning flames, unable to feel a thing. The lab had caught on fire, and she had only been able to catch a few words from the last scientist before he too, died. There was no sadness at all, still being completely 'robot'.
"Mizuki. I'm so sorry I haven't mentioned this to you before, but I have a substance that can get part of your emotions back. Please drink this, and you will be a robot no more. Just make sure you are in no danger when you do, because you won't be immune to fire anymore. Unfortunately, this is only partly finished, so your memories... I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to get them back. But if you use these feelings well, then one day you could be able to. I-I'm so sorry for everything we did to you... Goodbye..."
She looked down at the small bottle of greenish-bluish liquid, and then ran to the exit. Mizuki may still be a robot, but she knew that she shouldn't reveal herself to the police or anyone like that. It would be far too risky.
Using her long black hair to hide herself, she manoeuvred her way to the streets, and ran until she felt it was safe. She came to a huge building labelled LME, and many people were busily going around and doing their own thing, so the girl quickly uncapped and bottle and drank it.
There was a huge rush of adrenaline in her body and she felt as if an electric current passed through her. A lot of things came to her at once, and she started, feeling like she was alive again. Her legs aches a little from her long run, and she felt quite warm. This was kind of new to Mizuki, who wasn't used to feeling like this.
"W-what...?" But there wasn't many emotions in her right now. She apparently needed to 'earn them, step by step'. Glancing around, she felt as if the world seemed brightly, more lively somehow. Her gaze settled on a orange-haired girl, kneeling at the front of the building. What a weirdo - she must be there to 'reach her goal and live out her dream'. Mizuki didn't understand anything about dreams, as she's never had one (that she could remember, anyway).
She left, thinking about going somewhere to stay for the night. She didn't know what she was going to do, or how she could get her feelings back, but it was getting dark, so she decided to rest. The raven-haired girl wandered around until she came to a store called Darumaya's, and had a feeling that this may be the place, so she headed inside.
"Miss, do you have any spare rooms for me to stay in, just for tonight? I could pay for it." Mizuki asked politely, still slightly stiff and robot-like. "I am an orphan, and I don't have anywhere else to go."
"Oh, of course, dear. You can stay for however long you like, without having to pay." The kind lady replied at once. "What is your name?"
She paused. "K-Kojima Mizuki."
"That's lovely, dear. I'll show you up to your room now."
The girl bit her lip and followed her up the stairs, to a small, cosy-looking room. The walls were painted a nice hue of bittersweet, and there was a comfy bed in the corner.
"Here, you can stay for as long as you want, okay? I don't mind, because I have another girl who is also staying here. She's about your age, actually, and currently she's working part-time here, but looking for a full-time job elsewhere." Mizuki nodded. Maybe this was common in Japan.
There was this strange spark that suddenly touched her, and she straightened, senses on high alert. This feeling grew and grew, and she finally recognised it. It was gratitude.
"Thank you." She whispered, these two words having more feeling than anything she'd said this whole night. "Thank you."
The old lady was a bit startled at the sudden emotion, but gave a smile and left. She had a feeling that this girl had lived a hard life.
Mizuki felt that there was no purpose for anything. She didn't know what to do, so she just wandered around Tokyo by herself, glancing here and there, and trying to memorise everything, a habit left over from being a robot. This went on for quite a few days, and she had also started helping out at Darumaya's, as payment for staying there.
One night, she came back from her wandering to find a girl at her door. In fact, an orange-haired girl.
"Hey, I've seen you somewhere before?" She said immediately.
"Eh?" The girl turned around. "Oh, are you the new girl who Taisho told me about?"
Mizuki just blinked at her.
"You must be Kojima Mizuki! Taisho said you seemed like a nice girl, and maybe I could make friends with you! I'm Mogami Kyoko... And by the way I was just about to take this up to your room." She grinned, holding out a tray of delicious-looking goods.
"Yes... I am Mizuki. Nice to meet you too."
So this is the intro of my new story! She finally meets Kyoko huh? And retrieved one emotion...
Anyway this might be updated a little slow due to my other fanfics but... I'll try...