Unfortunately, I own nothing but Toshiko, Ryo, and Yumi.

M.S.D.

Multiple Soul Disturbance

The rare case when a soul soon to be reincarnated splits itself, going into different bodies. When a piece of the soul is close to death, it can find out its other piece and co-exist within the same body. Because of the (now separate and completely infusible) souls different conscious', they maintain different personalities and control different powers.

This is often mistaken for the human disorder M.P.D. (Multiple Personality Disorder).

There have been only two documented instances of this phenomenon, one went insane from the many different voices, outlooks, and habits it's one body maintained. He committed suicide a year after accepting his sixth soul part into his body.

The other documented instance disappeared by mysterious circumstances before research was started.

~*~*~

It was so bright. I looked around; the only light in this place came from the wall in front of me. It illuminated nothing, merely a bright yellow portal to all the answers I ever wanted. I ever needed. Nothing would make me go in though. Not after all that pain. I winced, still staring into the other side of that wall. Even thinking about it made me hurt. Another shiver racked my body. I crossed my arms in front of me, rubbing them to get rid of the goose bumps. It wasn't chilly, merely…

No word came to mind as I stood in the silence.

"Do you not want to come?"

It was that voice again. The one that put me through so much… so much of everything… but I couldn't remember what. No specifics came to mind… just… emotions. Annoyance came first, then anger. But then I realized: what had she done? Nothing I could remember, so was it really worth being angry?

"Toshiko."

I blinked, realizing my gaze had dropped to my feet. My bare feet. I stared at them for awhile, letting the fact that I was completely bare sink in. My naked skin protruded into this hollow place, yet I didn't care. There was no one here. No one would know. No one but her.

"Toshiko."

Not that that mattered, either. She had seen my naked body before. Washing it for me when I couldn't move myself to the shower. Taking care of it for me, making sure I kept fit and in shape. Yes, there were all these good things she had done for me, yet I couldn't remember any of the bad. I pondered that fact slowly, still staring at my toes.

If I didn't remember anything bad, then did anything bad really happen? Something was telling me yes, but I couldn't trace the thought. Everything… everything this girl had done for me, she had done with my interests in mind. She had only done well for me, and that was all she'd ever do.

"Toshiko…"

My eyes slowly drifted up, taking in her form. She, too, was naked. It was the first time I saw her body. The fine, delicate curves were always hidden. Cast away, taken away. She had lost her body… I gave her mine. Her voice was always there, though. Always… drifting through the confines of my mind to comfort me, protect me.

Yes. That was all she had ever done. Protect me.

Protect me from all those horrible, terrible things. Those things that tried to take us… kill us… but she killed them. She killed them for me, for us.

My eyes hit her face. That perfect face, as if she were crafted by God itself. Her beautiful lips spoke my name again, that soft voice finally stopping my thinking process.

And then I did the impossible.

I looked into her eyes.

And without a second thought, I stepped into the light. Into her protecting arms.

My guardian.

My Angel.

My Protector.

Then they came.

All those searing, painful things I meant to keep blocked out forever.

Everything I lied to myself about.

Everything I ignored.

Every single detail was there, in those cursed, cursed memories.

~*~*~

"Oh, Toshiko! You look so adorable!" Mama fretted over me as I smiled up at her. I was in my new school uniform, finally starting the biggest year of my life- first grade! Mama had told me plenty times over- how I do in school now places me in what classes I get for the rest of my elementary life. And if I do good all through elementary, then I'll be placed in a good junior high! And from junior high, a private high school!

That was mama's dream. To get me into a great high school.

My grin never left my face as my small white teeth poked out, "Are you sure mama?" I stared into the mirror from my small height. My big, dark brown eyes were the same color as my nearly black hair. Mama says they're darker than dirt, and that it's really pretty. But I don't know, because my one friend from down the block who is my age has really pretty light brown hair and blue eyes. Her name is Yumi, and she's really nice. But mama says that she isn't as pretty as me, so I guess since mama knows everything, she must be right. My eyes brightened as they looked to the red bow in my hair. Mama was always right.

She smiled down at me and patted the sides of my head, smoothing down the straight locks, "Of course I'm sure." She then patted my back, turning away from the mirror and heading out of my room. I followed her as she went down the carpeted stairs into the kitchen. My brand-new white and blue outfit was crisper than one of Papa's pieces of toast. He was at work right now, what he liked to call 'feeding the family'. Mama was a tra-…something wife. I can't remember the word, but she stayed home all day and did everything needed to keep me and Papa clean and happy. Today she'd be driving me to school. She said she'd do it until I went into junior high. That way I'd be safe.

Mama and Papa always got worried about stuff like that. They never let me do anything that wasn't safe. They even stopped letting me build sandcastles in the sandbox after it rains. They said it wasn't clean, but the dirt came off after awhile, so why did it matter? They said 'germs aren't safe'.

Well, if dirt isn't safe, then what is?

They told me to go to my room after that. But a few minutes later they forgave me for smart mouthing and everything went back to normal.

But right now, as I sat eating Mama's big breakfast, I knew that this new place would be safe. Mama told me so. She said it was a great school.

"Hey Mama?" I asked before taking a swallow from my cup of juice. She looked to me; that smile still on her face. "Yumi's starting school today, right? Can you drive her too?"

Mama shook her head, putting her chopsticks down as she spoke, "No, Toshiko. Yumi's mommy and daddy are driving her to school. But don't worry baby," She paused and reached over the table to grab my hand. My downcast expression turning up to her, she continued. "You'll see her in school."

I smiled up at her before shoveling the rest of my food down my throat. "All done!"

Mama's eyes crinkled at the edges as she smiled, "All done? All right, let's get you off to school."

When I got there, I was directed to my homeroom class where my teacher, a really nice young lady, told me to sit down in any seat. There were two or three other kids there, all my age. There mommies and daddies were there too. After I found a nice seat (one of the ones near the middle of the classroom), a kid I didn't know came up to me. Mama was talking to the teacher, smiling and glancing over to me every now and then, so I figured it was okay to talk to the boy. He smiled at me, and I smiled back. He had bright ora-… oran-… that fruit color hair and had brown eyes.

"I'm Kuwabara Kazuma! What's your name?" He bowed slightly, still grinning. I stood from my desk and mimicked the gesture.

"Yorusta Toshiko!" When I stood back up from my bow, I caught sight of Yumi's parents joining Mama and the teacher in their conversation, with a shy-looking Yumi standing behind her Daddy, holding onto his leg. I looked back to Kuwabara and bowed again. "Sorry Kuwabara-san, but my friend just came, so I'll talk to you later, okay?"

He nodded, looking a little sad, "Okay, bye…" Then, seeing another kid, he ran off to play with them while I ran over to Yumi.

"Yumi!" I squealed, running up and hugging her. Her sandy brown hair was curly and reached her shoulders, and her bright blue eyes widened when she first saw me.

"To-chan! You're in my class?" She asked as she hugged me back. Our parents looked at us, seeing what the fuss was. Smiling and laughing under their breath, they then went back to their conversation with the teacher about something called 'homework'.

"Sure am!" I laughed as we separated. "Come on! You can come sit by me!" I took her hand and guided her to the desk next to mine.

"Good luck separating them!" Yumi's mommy said to the teacher, who laughed along with the rest of the adults. After setting her stuff down, Yumi looked to me with a scared smile.

"Um, To-chan? Will you go to the bathroom with me? I've really got to go and I'm scared to go alone…" I smiled at her, nodding my head.

"Of course! Let's go ask sensei!" She followed me slowly as I ran up to the teacher, waiting for my Mama to finish her sentence before tapping on the teacher's leg. The teacher looked down at me with a kind smile on her face.

"Yes, Yorusta-chan?" I beamed up at her, happy to already have her calling me '-chan'.

"Me and Yumi have to go to the potty. Where is it?" Teacher glanced at Yumi, who nodded, before taking my hand and leading me to the doorway.

"See that green door three doors down?" I nodded as I saw it. "That the girl's bathroom. Come right back after you're done, okay?" I nodded, letting go of the teacher's hand and taking Yumi's.

"Okay!" When we got to the bathroom, Yumi entered one of the stalls and did her business. I stood against the wall, waiting for her to get done like a good friend would. That was before two senpai's came in, glaring at each other hatefully. One took a single glance at me before huffing and standing back. The other walked up to me, a mean look on her face.

"Scram. You don't need to be in here to see this." She said in one of the meanest voices I ever heard.

"But senpai, I'm waiting for my friend." The sound of the toilet flushing could be heard in the back ground as the other girl pulled something out of her shirt. It was sharp, metal, and flipped open.

Mama told me it wasn't safe to play with knives.

"Screw the kid, your dead bitch!" She yelled as she ran toward the other girl, swinging the knife in a downward arc. The girl dodged, and before I could even raise my hand, I felt something cold burn my head. It was burning, screaming in pain. I felt the tears weld up in my eyes, and with a choked cough, I raised one hand to my head. The senpais glanced at each other before running out of the bathroom with scared looks on their faces. I was aware of Yumi watching the whole thing, a scared look across her now deathly pale face as well. She ran up to me, grabbing my shoulders as I began to feel dizzy. Finally, my hand touched the object that burned my head so much. It was cold, and looked like one of the knives in Mama's kitchen.

"To-chan!" Yumi started to shake me. Something was running down my cheeks, landing on my feet. Another something, this one warmer and slower, dripped down my forehead. I touched the thing running down my forehead, looking at it. It was red. I gulped.

Blood.

And if it was blood, then the thing going down my cheeks were tears.

I was crying.

Because my head was sliced open.

Yumi was still calling my name, shaking me like I was fading away, but I didn't pay attention to her.

The pain was starting to ease away, and with some slurred thought, I remember grabbing the knife, and yanking it out of my head.

Yumi gasped, covering her own mouth and backing away as she watched in stupefied horror.

I held the knife up, watching it as the blood flowed down the handle, staining my hands.

My head was starting to tingle, and soon all I felt was the cold air hitting my brain. The knife clattered to the floor as I dropped it. I walked over to one of the mirrors, trying to see why I was still alive. Dizzy, I grabbed the edge of the sink, looking at the wound with fuzzy curiosity.

My brain was purple, red, and blue.

My scull was red and white, with slight yellow tinting.

My hair was coated in my blood, sticky and gooey and altogether nasty looking.

Both me and Yumi watched as my brain pushed its sliced self together, healing itself. Then my skull did the same, and finally, my skin stretched and morphed as if being sewn together. When the whole process was done, my hair was still disgusting and there was a single, thick line of blood down my five year old face.

I could see Yumi's face in the mirror.

She was absolutely terrified.

Looking back to my reflection, I touched my blood matted hair.

So was I.

"Secret?" I asked as I took the bloody ribbon from my hair, laying it in the sink.

Yumi hesitated as I turned the knobs of the sink, warm water rushing out. The blood would wash out easily enough. After all, it was a liquid too. I ignored the clicking of small heels, the sound our uniform shoes made when they hit tile. The water kept falling across the ribbon, changing itself to pink, but the ribbon keeping its red color. I began to dip the end of my hair in the water, tip-toeing and leaning against the sink. Just as the hair hit the water, I felt a small, warm hand grasp my wrist.

When I looked into Yumi's blue eyes, I could tell she'd given it serious thought.

"Promise." She paused, not leaving my gaze as she picked the ribbon out of the water and laid it across the back of the sink. "Now," She finally left my eyes as she walked behind me, pulling my hair back with those small hands.

"Dip your head under and I'll help scrub the blood out."

Looking back on it, I know it wasn't normal for a child my age to act that serious in a situation like that.

Then again, even my teacher agreed I'm no normal child.

And yet, Yumi still saw it first.