I do not own Elfen Lied, plain and simple.

First Things First

Am I a Diclonius? Yes, of course. My name is Lucy, and today's a day I choose to regret. It's a week from Christmas, which is the day someone dear to me died, but only that association knows that, and I doubt they'd bother to remember. Well, I stuck it at the back of my mind for these years, always having some form of nightmares about that horrible occurrence. It happened soon after I had that predicament with Kota, but of course, I hated humans. That someone dear to me, they were never human. They were like a Diclonius, not exactly, only worse. They were a vampire-like creature categorized as: 'Gem Blossoms'. It doesn't sound threatening, but trust me; it's just the irony that counts for them.

I was upset, I was confused, and I was, if anything, angry with humans and their utterly pathetic fallacies of life as we know it. They always, in my opinion back then, blathered about all the messed up SH*T in their lives, not really asking if anyone else had any problems. Nope, they just thought about themselves. At one point of my travels, I ended up at a nice, peaceful town known as 'Keokuk'. For some reason, I felt more tranquil as I neared the area, so I thought that if I could stay for a few days, I might be able to think straight for the first time since I last saw Kota. I trudged down the skinny sand path, rocks hopping around my feet to greet me. I stared up at the clouds that day, envying how free they are, past and present to be truthful. I stumbled over a tiny animal, seeing it was a small white puppy with brown splotches over its eyes and stomach. I knelt down that day to look closer, but he/she just yelped, a bit startled. I wouldn't blame it. How often would you see a girl, twelve approximately, with dust, dirt, and mud all over some worn out school uniform with a white, short-sleeved, collared shirt and small navy skirt, and her skin practically covered with soot? I offered it my hand, allowing it to close its jaws lightly over the small, nimble fingers and albino palm. It didn't bite down and tear my hand off, no, it just unclamped after a few seconds and presto he leapt into my arms and started to lick my face. I knew I couldn't keep it, no matter how much I wanted to. So, while I had him, I cuddled him close to my small torso and trudged on. As dawn broke, so did the rain storm that was apparently aggravated by merely my presence. I was hurt slightly, but the light of a flashlight made me more scared than any other emotion. I didn't want to kill right now, not these people who made such a nice little town. A girl with unnatural green hair came out of the shadows, carrying two umbrellas. Her liquid jade eyes bore into my crimson ones, and her skin was albino, her little green T much like the one Kota had and her medium jeans, when it was obvious she needed a small, sagged over jade sneakers. Her ponytail was held up by a metal snake figurine that coiled around the tail upwards, the hair drooping back after 2 inches of upright positioning at the origin of her hair at the back of the top. She carried a little sand wood fan, two little pink and white flowers carefully painted in the middle once unfolded, leaves scattering at their bottoms. She appeared like she was nervous, nervous as in I'm-dead nervous. I tried to smile, but I was feeling the exact same way.

"H-Hello," she greeted. "W-who are you?" I bit my lip firmly. She had a small, soft voice that was practically wind. She looked down and shifted her feet a bit, one set of toes above the other. "I-It's okay if you don't want to tell me. M-Most people don't in actuality." She offered me a small hand, 3 inch long and bony fingers turned up along with a smooth palm. "Y-You look like you haven't eaten in days. W-Why don't y-y-you come into town and we can come to my house?"

I noticed that every sentence, she would stutter at least at the beginning. I stared at the hand like it was foreign, which it was. A kind hand was something I was not familiar with those days. I felt the dog shivering and, without regret, slipped my hand into hers. We walked for about fifteen minutes before we finally found town lights. Children were staring out the window, waving at me, but sticking out their tongues at the girl. Why was that? At that time, I had no clue. All I really knew was that it was rude, and she probably didn't deserve it much. Maybe a snap or two, or ten, but she looked like she'd never hurt a cat (well, she was obviously stronger than those fly, fish, and bunny stages). In between two one-story houses, there was a three-story house, the porch lights lit and tiny steps leading up to the door. A small rocking chair that looked like it could fit three kindergarteners if they sat on each others' laps. It was dark oak wood, the object slightly swaying with the random gusts of wind. The boards were light blue; the cement walls the same shade. The roof was a brilliant navy, like my skirt, and the window frames were white covered in actual vines. The door had a screen, then the actual door behind it. She gently tugged me up the steps and softly tapped the door with her single left index finger. I heard latches switched open, chains pulled away, keys shoving themselves into locks and yanking out after a firm twist, and the heaving of the door as the knob would barely turn. The man behind the screen looked far from mean and gruff like I thought.

His black bob of hair was messed up and everywhere, his long-sleeved workers shirt unbuttoned by three at the top. His kakis were tight around a regular waist, his tone more tan than white. His hardened jade eyes were shielded behind jade brimmed glasses, which had 'I 3 DADDY' on the side. Long, tensed fingers wrapped around the handle, and he fought to open the screen. He shook his head at us and cleared a path for us to get in. The dog barked and shifted a bit, ending up tighter against my chest. A little boy came out and wrapped his tiny tan arms around my shins, surprising me, but I kept my vectors in (those who don't know: Vectors- Invisible arms on a Diclonius that vary in number and length).

"Mama, we have a guest!" the little boy cheered.

Both the girl and I stared at the little boy, both of us just as confused as the other. We exchanged glances and looked up to the man, which I could hardly assume was the girl's father. He simply shrugged and trudged into some sort of office, papers scattered across the numerous desks, one tiny desk with drawings on top catching my attention. Pieces of homework for about my grade were everywhere on there, except for hanging off the corners. A tiny lamp hung from the ceiling, illuminating that desk. A picture of six happy people, one woman with croppy black hair, a kind smile, two pools of teal orbs, a long, lay-back posture, and a yellow summer dress that had a small imprint of a rose at the bottom right corner of the front. Then there was the man who allowed us in, the small, black-haired boy with the woman's pale skin, not quite albino, with smiling grass eyes and tiny, two-piece pajamas colored sky-blue. There was a teen, maybe seventeen, with ear piercings, long black hair, a thin, tall posture, an off-the-shoulder shirt with sleeves that stretched to the wrists colored lavender, tan skin, deep jeans, frigid ice blue eyes, and black and purple sneakers matching well with her nasty smirk worthy of the Evil Queen. Another boy, possibly fourteen, which was probably seven-years-older than the one that was clinging to my legs, stood tall and proud, the tan skin of the man, the hard grass eyes hidden under jade brimmed glasses that read 'I 3 BROTHER' on the side much like the man's, the forest green coat only showing the bottom cuffs of the black pants, and the warm, welcoming smile he carried making the rain feel like it was sizzling into nothing. He seemed like he was a panacea, but I knew he was just a human, I could tell. Just looking at him made me put: Try to talk myself out of hating humans on my to-do list. Then, there was the girl. She looked exactly the same; save the shirt color was then rosy pink and the shoes crimson. I faced the girl, raising a curious brow. She tried to smile, but she was just too fragile apparently.

"T-That's my family," she whispered her answer. "T-The man's the dad, the woman's my mom, the girl with the black-hair is my older sister, Mabel, the boy clinging to y-your shins is Chi, t-the other boy is my older by two years brother, Junco, a-and the girl at the far right is me, Jade Manitou."

I stared at the picture for a bit. They looked like a pleasant family, but why this 'Jade' was the only one without black-hair was a mystery. I knew she wasn't my race, since I had horns, she didn't. Quick fact: my horns were beaten and shot off, so they're actually healing bone nubs at the moment; the bright side is that they're easier to hide. 'Jade' kept staring at 'Chi', not daring to speak up. The father, Mr. Manitou, walked out of the office and stared at the boy as well, only my gaze on the picture. Chi was too busy having his eyes squeezed shut with happiness to notice the deathly silence around him. Footsteps came from the stairs and we all turned to see 'Mabel', a cigarette pinched between her right middle and index finger, smoke sizzling out from the other end opposite of her mouth. She seemed sixteen, now that I had a clearer view; far too young to be smoking and ruining her respiratory system just yet. Chi scrambled off and clung to 'Jade's leg in fright towards this 'Mabel'.

"Mabel," 'Mr. Manitou' sighed, "we have a guest, so discard the cigarette in the usual pot and be nice."

He was saying it as if she kicked puppies in front of orphans. Reminding myself that I was one, I tightened my hold on the small puppy, hoping to prevent another dog's death. She rolled her eyes and flicked it away, storming back up. Chi picked up the cigarette from off the ground and handed it to Mr. Manitou. Mr. Manitou sighed and stuck the sizzling end in a pot of ash on the table, his right hand massaging both temples. I could tell it was a strain for him to keep Mabel under control, and that scared me even more. The scent of Jade's sand wood fan allowed me to ease up, my back straightening as I realized how sore it was from slouching all that time. Mr. Manitou dragged his body upstairs, his head in his hands. Chi followed short behind, being the small child he was, and left Jade and I completely alone. I set the dog down at my feet and it curled up into a tiny, fatigue ball of white and splotchy brown fur. I stared at it, but then realized something; Jade was carrying two umbrellas, and she was out in the middle of a storm. Was she looking for something? I faced her, only to see her staring at one umbrella with an oak handle and sky-blue canvas. The other was teak handled with a forest green canvas, a single rose sewn close to the middle while vines sprawled about, crazy and free. She caught me staring out of the corner of her jade eye and looked up, placid.

"I-I was looking for someone to give the umbrella to," she explained, seeming to know my thoughts of curiosity. "P-People often wander and end up needing one, so I thought I might donate my old one." I sighed. Could she not stop stuttering? "I-Is something wrong…o-oh, I never got your name."

I stared at her. I didn't want to talk, but she was just so nice and shy, might as well. "Lucy," I mumbled. "I'm just wondering what the stuttering is for."

She blinked, apparently registering what I had just spoken. She stared at her feet and started putting one pair of toes over the other, her arms tight behind her back, her hands clutching together and drooping down her back. "I-I always stutter at the beginning of sentences. I-It helps me rethink what I say so I don't screw anything up."

I furrow my brows. "Are you sure?" She nods and I look back at the tiny desk. "Are you in school?"

She nods. "S-Seventh grade isn't the best for most, but I enjoy the science I'm able to learn. A-Aren't you in seventh grade as well?"

I shake my head. "Not any more."

She sighs. "T-That has to suck…A-Are you staying here? D-Do you have any family members we could contact?"

I winced. At least she didn't suddenly assume I had a family like most would. I hold up one finger and shrug. I pull up a second and shake my head. She understands and walks over to an umbrella holder, depositing the two umbrellas in. Oddly enough, she never opened hers. Maybe the rain wasn't as bad as she would use it for. We were both drenched head to toe, neither shivering. She offered me her right hand once again, causing me to scoop up the puppy and accept it once more, allowing her to tug me up to the bathroom. She tugged out a timer from a teak cabinet, twisted it, and set it on the counter.

"T-That's probably when dinner will be ready," she informs, shuffling out.

I simply blinked and listened to the muttering ticks of the timer. I started undressing and slipped into the water, cleaning as best as I could in under an hour, which dinner was yet to be ready even then. I stretched and started washing out my clothes, knowing I had the time for that, and quickly dried them until they felt like a soft, homemade quilt. I slipped them on once more and polished my shoes to keep from trailing water and dirt everywhere I went in the beautiful household. I felt at the navy cap I wore to hide my horns and made sure the horns weren't poking through to give hints. I nodded in satisfaction and scooped the little puppy into my arms and the timer in my right hand, since I thought Jade would know how to turn it off. I slid out, shutting the door quietly and gently, and turned to see Mabel, scowling at me.

"Who are you?" she demands.

I ignore her and side step, walking past. She growls in frustration and stomps after me, causing a louder ruckus than required. If she wanted to blame the noise on me, she could, as long as she did nothing to harm the family or the puppy fatally. I cautiously crawled down the stairs, clinging to the rail with the hand processing the timer. I hopped off the last step and checked both ways before turning left and checking the timer. Dinner was to be ready in a minute, so I needed to find Jade before the timer started bellowing and waking every house in China, not to say that's where I am and where I was then. I stared up at a sky-blue door and gently pushed it open, enraptured by the captivating scent of Ramen and Curry. The young woman, Mrs. Manitou, was stirring something in a bulky pot, steam lifting up into the air. A medium sky-blue summer dress was tight around her thin skeleton, along with her flesh. Her hair was shoulder length, not croppy like the picture, and she was taller than she seemed. She set the stirring spoon out aside the pot, turning and smiling at me, making me take a slight step back. She was way too nice in order to be able to raise Mabel. She spotted the timer in my hand and giggle, probably thinking that having a daughter my age, it wasn't hard to figure out what twelve-year-olds were thinking. She offered her right hand, and I gently set the timer into her hand. She simply yanked the timer to the finishing side, silencing it. She set it on the counter next to the stove with the pot, lifting up bowls and placing the noodles inside. With separate bowls, she dumped the Curry in, rice in third bowls. The scent made my stomach growl, which made me look down and scowl at it. The puppy barked making me realize my stomach woke it up. Mrs. Manitou giggled once more and set the table up. Mabel barged in, slamming my back with the edge of the door. I winced as the pain took a few seconds to settle. Mrs. Manitou frowned, a heart-retching sight.

"Now, Mabel," she huffed, "you can't just keep slamming doors into people's backs like that."

Her tone was serious, but she never raised her voice. Mabel rolled her eyes and groaned, annoyed. "I don't have X-Ray vision, Mom, what I do have is a sense of life!"

I was awful to hear a young woman, thirty-six at the least, being snapped at by some ungrateful teen. Well, my parents didn't really live long enough for me to actually do it, so, all things considered, it's rude. Next, Chi slammed the door into my back trying to get in first. I winced once more and Chi hugged his mother's calves, making me lighten up. I stepped out of the way and smiled proudly at myself, only to be smacked in the face by the edge when Mr. Manitou walked in, tired and sagging his weight around as if he was carrying a Humpback Whale on his shoulders. I made a little side-step to avoid anymore door damage and Jane's older brother, Junco, strolled in, smiling and waving at me before sitting on his father's right. I peered out the door and a soft tap sounded. I moved for the knob, but Mabel's cold stare bore into me.

"Don't let her in," Mabel spat.

"Mabel, she's-"Chi began.

"Don't say she's human because she isn't!" Mabel roared at little Chi.

So I was right. She wasn't human, but she wasn't like me. I felt my face grow hot, my blood coming to a boil. These were good people for taking me in for a bit, but that girl was just cruel and rude. I hugged the puppy against my chest and the soft tap rang again. I clutched the knob and flicked my wrist, pulling the edge of the door out of the frame and Jade trudged in, nervous looking. Mabel groaned and slammed her head on the table, peeved that I chose to let Jade in. Jade nodded her head to thank me and offered me her left hand, so I took it. She lightly tugged me over to two vacant seats, allowing me to sit in the one farthest from Mabel. I set the puppy in my lap and Mrs. Manitou set down the plates, Jade and I sneaking some rice and noodles to the puppy. We ate our dinner slowly, not pigs like Mabel who swallowed it all up. It was a wonder how she was so thin. So, Chi finished second and grew bored, turning to me and seizing the opportunity to become a better listener.

"So, what your name?" he squeaks, everyone staring at him.

"Lucy," I answer.

Mabel's face grew red. "Why does she get to have a better name and I'm stuck with Mabel?" she mutters distastefully.

"Do you have-". Junco clamped a hand over his younger brother's mouth, nodding at Mr. Manitou.

Mr. Manitou set down his chopsticks and faced me, smiling. "Sorry about Chi, he's a bit of the chatter," he chuckles. "So, Lucy, is that your puppy?"

I look down at the adorable ball of fluff and oh-so-badly wanted to say yes, but I knew I had to do the right thing, despite the fact I killed people at times, I didn't want to be dishonest and even more D*MMED. I shook my head. "I found him on the path outside of town, and nobody was around. He looked hungry, so I figured his owners must've either been cruel, forgetful, or weren't there."

He smiles. "Is that why you were headed here? You wanted to find a place to drop off the puppy?"

I wobble my head to the sides like a bobble head after a few seconds. "I came here to Keokuk to stay for a while, but that might be hard, considering the fact that I'm just twelve."

Jade blinked and set down her chopsticks, finished. She stared at her father with pleading eyes and he shrugged. She slightly curled her one corner of her lips up, the other down. I guess she wanted to know if I could stay with them. Junco grew an evil grin, which made both Jade and I smile. Junco set down his chopsticks, also done, and faced his parents.

"Why don't we disown Mabel and adopt Lucy?" he suggested.

"Yes please!" Mabel begged.

Mr. Manitou pondered long and hard. I wasn't really surprised he was considering it, since Mabel, by the looks of it, had never been good news. Yet, if she wasn't in the family, she could attack them at any time she so desired. Jade and I wriggled out noses and saw the clock against the wall read 8:36P.M., which was pretty late for some twelve-year-olds. Mrs. Manitou set down her chopsticks and smiled at the table, excluding Mabel, which she just sent her a stare.

"Well, the mister and I will discuss it while you children go to sleep now," she giggled, standing up to clean her bows and chopsticks for some odd reason, considering they were plain wood.

Jade and I rinsed off ours as well, both of us thinking the same thing and excluding the chopsticks. The puppy hung on my shoulder as I followed Jade upstairs to the last floor. The third floor was, in actuality, the attic, but they morphed it into her little floor. The walls were pale rosy pink, her bed sheets white and splattered with pink dye. The floor was dark oak wood, the fan above our heads the same, slowly rotating counterclockwise. A dresser was large and almost three quarters of the back wall, the other part a window with rosy curtains overlapping it. A tall mirror that stretched to the 8' ceiling shimmered in the dim light of the lamps, some form of mattress on the floor in front of the bed already pushed up against the right back corner of the room. The two objects covered that wall alone, the mini bed comfortable looking and tempting. Jade chuckled when I realized I was drooling, so I licked the saliva away. Jade gestured for the larger bed while she took the larger. Yep, she was way too nice.

A week later, after I grew accustomed to the house, the puppy taken to an Animal Shelter, and Mabel sent to an orphanage, Jade decided it'd be good to take me to school to continue learning. I never told her about my horns, or the fact that I was a Diclonius, but I never could get the courage gathered up and say it. I guess I didn't want to make the nicest people in the world hate me, a monster. Jade tried several times to tell me something, but she always got intercepted with something: homework, Chi, or the nosy neighbors, the Honshu's and the Nandi's. So, as we walked to the middle school, Jade looked anxiously over her shoulder periodically, probably trying to see if we were alone. As we neared the door, the anxiety grew into a morsel of fear. I felt bad for her, since she always seemed to try and hide herself, but not from her family, including me, excluding Mabel, who was her own flesh and blood. The anxiety was starting to make me wonder. Didn't she like school? Yet, a memory of three boys flashed into mind. The three boys, those three that killed my first puppy because they thought it was funny. Were similar people there to? The anxiety proved it. She wanted to skip that day of school is for sure, keep me hidden. I understand she wanted to keep me safe, that she didn't know how well I could defend myself, but there was something else in there I couldn't quite name then…something pitiful and sad. When we reached the steps, I couldn't take her silence anymore, and I was the quiet type back then, so that's saying something. I turned to her, furrowing my brows as usual.

"What's with the growing anxiety?" I sigh, knowing that I had to ask before I exploded.

She stopped and turned to me. "This school…well…some people are a bit harsh…"

"How harsh can they be?" I gave a tiny smile, trying to lighten her up.

She curled the right corner of her lips up a bit, but what I noticed was a bit revealing even then; she never showed her teeth. I pushed the thought to my 'Clues for What Jade Is' section of my mind and both of us pushed open one of the doors pushed together the way school's usually have them. Gasps filled the hall, which made us freeze in our spots at the doorway. Boys and girls alike stared at us, what I thought to be staring at Jade. I looked at her and she looked at me. We looked forward and gradually walked in front of a locker with a jade dragon on the front. Jade worked the lock and the door popped open, revealing books, reading and text, several pencils and stacks of paper. There were four drawing pads, two journals, two tickets for what looked like lunch, and a few bottles of medication. All that made me examine the height and width of the locker, which revealed it to stretch from the floor to the ceiling; that was three yards there alone. The width was only two feet, and I realized the shelves were neatly organized, books the only exception. I stared at the covers to see various amounts of reading books the reason of clutter. Honestly, she could've opened up a small library. She requested the bag I carried and I handed it to her, allowing her to fill the bag with the required supplies. I turned around to watch her back, not wanting anything that happened to me happen to her. I caught her out of the corner of my eye sneaking in a reading book. I could read The Three Musketeers off the corner in that single moment she slid it in. She lifted up the two bags, the teal one hers and mine simple cream, and passed me the cream, flinging the left strap of hers over her right shoulder and slumped slightly. I turned to five boys; they were same age as those I had trouble with, except there were two more. It was unfair in my opinion, but what can I say? The world's unfair in ways. They smiled at me and rolled their eyes at Jade, staring at me.

"Hello," the first one greeted. "I'm Dacono. What about you?"

I look at Jade and she just stares at them with that longing to run. I side step, but he only follows in my movement. I take another and he repeats. I huff and take a step back, only granting him to take a step forward. I knew he wouldn't go away without an answer. I simply huffed and shut my eyes, clenching my fists to control my frustration towards him. "It's Lucy."

"Nice to meet you Lu," a second boy smiles. "I'm Iasi."

"I'm Kuroki," the third laughs.

"I'm Kukri," the fourth blurts.

"I'm Kanto," the last bows his head.

"So, Lucy," Dacono leans in a bit, making me lean out, "why you with Jade here?"

I blink, not sure I could answer that. I technically wasn't her sister yet because Mr. Manitou still had to sign the papers and I couldn't say I couldn't say I was her friend because, well, I didn't really know if I was. Jade was the first to speak, which shocked me a little. "G-Go away, Dacono, she's none of y-your business."

"Actually, I do believe he has the right to know," Kukri piped up.

"I have the right to not say anything," I snarled.

They all took a step back apparently registering I was NOT to be messed with. I straightened and followed Jade to the first period classroom. It was a bit cramped, but we managed with seats at the far back. Nobody sat near Jade, but some wanted to sit next to me, but couldn't with Jade there. I was glad I couldn't be visited by others, because the Manitou family was all I needed. Of course, that all had to disappear in some way.

It was a month into the school. Jade and I were eating lunch, reading our books. For some reason, I was still stuck on The Three Musketeers even after a month. The boys were eating in the alley next to the school, and several heavy-metal cars pulled up at the front. The students, not excluding Jade and I, all watched as men strolled to the cafeteria. Jade was confused, so she simply stood up with her food and I repeated, following her to the far corner of the room. We did not want to be bothered. They started whispering among the group, Jade pulling out her sand wood fan and folding it in and out and across, the blades sliding against one another. I watched with interest as I slowly ate my rice and suddenly, all grew quiet and dark. We looked up to see the men with some forms of restraints, and they were clasped over something. I raised a brow and felt my back being tugged; they had my vectors.

"Bring her in," a man with a lab coat barked at the others.

Two took my arms to not look completely suspicious and I kicked, writhing to try and get out. Jade stared at me with wide eyes, so I turned and looked at her. "I don't know what's going on! Honest!"

She looked down and stood, her face hidden with a few stray stands from her ponytail at the sides of her face. She clenched her fists, the fan firmly gripped in her right. The students started drifting to the sides, upturning tables to hide behind. My cap held onto my head tightly, like it should. I wanted to rip it off, just show her I was a Diclonius and not have to feel guilty about leaving her thinking I was human. I struggled and struggled, but I couldn't really break free. That's when I heard something I thought I never would hear.

"Let go of Lucy you PR*CKS," Jade snarled.

Everyone stopped to stare at her. Something in her arm pulsed, revealing a bright jade dragon mark under her skin. Her hair writhed like snakes, and then it stiffened and stuck together in the same ponytail. She snapped her head up; one eye was crimson and the other liquid jade. Replacing the two teeth on either side of the front teeth were fangs, sharp and wet with saliva. Her hands snapped so her fingers were arched, palm down, like monster claws. The nails formed into just that, and she took offensive positioning. She charged and a few tried to shoot her, but she was faster than anything I've ever seen. She ripped off one of their heads with her bare teeth, clawing off another. Her clothes were splattered with blood, but I didn't care. I listened to one of the men with the coats gasp.

"A Gem Blossom!" he exclaimed. "This is the source?" One nodded. "GET HER!"

They fought and shot to get her, but it was nearly impossible. She screamed and swung at all of them. She tore most of them down, but one shot her at the side. She was dazed, and that was long enough for her to get pinned. She thrashed under the weight, being restrained as much as possible. I was crying. She didn't deserve to be put in some research facility, if that's what they truly did, and have tests conducted on her. I screamed, my vectors bending the restraints and slaughtering the ones holding me. I kept screaming, my vectors flying. That's when I heard a car door slam, and opened my eyes to see Jade being forced in.

"I'm sorry," she mouthed.

They drove off, leaving me there. I ran out to try and catch up, but they were too fast. How did they find me? I thought about it. Mabel was the only answer I could find. I didn't kill her, only because I wanted her to suffer any possible guilt she kept inside. I couldn't find her until I was put in the facility, and a newly made human friend put into the hospital. I forgot completely about Jade, which makes feel awful even now, even though I was fifteen at capture. I was in my restraints, listening to the scientists to see if there was anything to just keep me thinking. My friend had died, and I just wanted something to ponder on.

"I heard that subject 674 is near death," one said. I started listening, since I never heard of a subject 674. "Won't that mean we will loose all that research?"

"There were only two, the source and one made by test tubes out of a blood sample. It seems she can't pass off offspring easily, so we're trying to get her to at least offspring."

"How's that working out?"

"Awful. She won't cooperate. I think we need to use force."

Only two in the world…one the source, one made by a blood sample; that got me wondering. Then, that dragon symbol came into mind, and I remembered Jade, the Manitou family, all that time Jade and I would just read and play some games that didn't require much talking, just simple dice and other assorted game pieces. Tears flew out of my face mask. I had forgotten them. I had forgotten my family. The scientists caught that and stared at me.

"Hey…what do you think would happen if we stick her in there?" the second scientist suggested. "They seem to have a connection of sorts."

I smiled slightly under the mask as one went out to get Jade. I wanted to see her again so bad. An hour later, the door reopened and someone with a black bag over her head was shoved through, shaking and covered with blood. A XL gray shirt with long drooping sleeves was WAY too large for someone worthy of a M. The jeans drooped, L instead of M. She had little gray sneakers were at her feet, the words 'HELP ME!' etched in with blood. I smiled a bit wider under the mask as they pushed her in, locking the door. Back then, the structure was covered with glass and had a small door if necessary. Jade ripped off the bag and stared out the transparent walls. Her hair was still grass green, the little snake figurine still in the same place. Her eyes were liquid jade and frightened, not understanding what that was about at first. She turned to me, wide eyed.

"Let me guess…" she breathed, "a Diclonius…"

I nodded slightly, since there was only so far that could stretch. "Jade…"

She gasped, and then smiled. "Lucy!"

She went up and hugged my waist, making me remember everything. I smiled under the mask, the scientists still observing. For two years, she sat there with me, both of us chatting and I realized her stuttering had stopped. I guessed that the attack helped with that. Since of my immobility, we played the Mad Libs that they gave her, read books so I wouldn't always be bored, played with 'magic' tricks which she often messed up and made both of us laugh, and often she'd played board games close to me so my vectors could play my part. We were let out at eating time to play other games that required mobility while we had the time. It was fun, having my sister back. Then, on Christmas Eve, she was out, apparently doing something. I wanted to make her something, so when I requested to be let out to do that, they just shook their heads. I thought of things I could do, and then spotted some extra metal supports on the top of my cell. I used my vectors and sort of alarmed them, but they saw I was making something, like I wanted to be let out for. I carefully made a tiny music box, the song Kota has on his, Lilium registered to play in the tiny mechanism. The next day was Christmas, and Jade returned with a tiny box. She was nervous looking, and a bit upset over something.

"Sorry, Lucy," she bit her lip. "They wouldn't give me anything else to work with."

She offered the box and I took it with my vectors, opening it to find a small teddy bear with button eyes and patches everywhere. The main color was chocolate brown, and the smile was a soft thread color of liquid silver. I smiled and looked down at her.

"I still have four arms you know," I giggled. "Thank you."

I pushed the music box towards her and she opened it, listening to Lilium for a while. She smiled and looked up. "Thank-"

She was cut off. She grew wide eyed along with me. She clutched at her heart, which blood was coming out of its epicenter. The music box clattered to the ground with a thick and heart retching THUNK! The scientists came rushing in, trying to see what had happened. Her arm pulsed once more, and she fell to the ground, blood splattering onto the restraints. I gasped. It was like when my newest human friend had died two years before that, four years ago now. She was wide eyed, her arm ceasing its pulsating. Everything else had stopped as well, and I was there, unable to think clearly. Then I dated back to two years ago when they said she was near death. The offspring issue was never solved, because she refused to leave me. She refused to leave her sister. The teddy bear was clutched against my forehead, tears streaming out of the mask. That moment was the official day I lost everything.

I open my eyes to see the same old bed I'm on to be scattered with sheets and me. I'm lucky that head issue hasn't happened in a while, because if it did, I'd forget Jade in that amount of time I'm 'Nyuu'. I glanced up at the clock on the night stand to find 8:25A.M. I pulled the covers over me, my ankles and wrists popping out of the sides and ends of the sheets. Today is a week from my sister's death, a part of my beginning. Of course, to be funny, she always called it my 'First Thing's First'.

A.N: COMMENT PLEASE!