"Megumi! Cris! Welcome back!" Freesia exclaimed, before seeing who they had with them.

They had returned from their mission unsuccessful, the target had been killed in the madness. He had tried to run but was trampled to death. Instead they had returned with Lunora, out cold with a broken leg and a rune on her forehead.

"It's a rune for sleep. As long as I refresh this every five hours she'll stay asleep," Cris explained when the team was called together. Freesia's mother remained silent, examining the, once innocent, face of the girl who had killed Aime.

"I cannot say whether or not she is acting on her own will, or if they had stripped her of it," Akame said slowly, "But she has still killed one of our own. We will leave it to a vote as to what we do with her."

Freesia spoke up first, without thinking, "I say she dies."

"Freesia!" Lucarella exclaimed, not expecting what had just come out of her teammate's mouth, "She obviously wouldn't have if it were actually her!"

"You didn't see her Luca!" Freesia hugged her arms tight to her chest, which really didn't accent much, "She looked like she wanted to kill us!"

"Then it's not her," Cris said loudly, with anger and sadness rolled into one, "She hates killing. She couldn't even shoot a bird out the sky without crying. What makes you think that she would do this by choice? I say we hold onto her and try getting her back."

"I'm with Cris," Megumi said, standing behind him with her right hand on her chest.

"Oh imagine that," Splayd sarcastically remarked, "You've been hanging on him since Luno went missing."

"Shut up Splayd, you're just jealous," Luca punched him in the arm, which yanked out a small, "Ow," from her brother.

As the rest of the team argued, the newest member remained silent. The newest member is me, Kurome. Daughter of Wave. Named after Miss Akame's late sister, whom my father loved when he was young.

I stood, toying with my Imperial Arms, a bracer called Arachne, and decided it would be humorous to scare Lucarella. She was deathly afraid of spiders, which is the direct reason she does not approve of me. That is okay. Her eye, an Arms called "Carbuncle", causes me mental discomfort.

I allowed a spider to crawl up her leg slowly, so she didn't notice. I then ordered it to spin a web that would keep her legs closed when she ran. The silk is thin and nigh invisible, but it is also incredibly strong. Cris had asked me to use it to stitch up a stuffed doll with it yesterday when he took me into town as training. He is kind, and is unafraid of my spiders.

Then, after the spider had finished with her legs, I had another begin spinning from the ceiling to hang in front of her face. It took her a second to see it, she was still arguing with the rest of the team. But when she did, her whole body seemed to lose color. She remained silent, despite having been in the middle of the argument. Everyone looked at her, only one realizing what was happening.

Miss Akame had the best eyes of all of us, with the most experience and training as well. She smiled, knowing who was at fault. But she didn't look towards me, she only watched Lucarella as her fear built up. Everyone did.

Finally, all of that pent up fear exploded out like a dormant volcano coming back to life. She let out a blood-curdling screech and tried to run away. As soon as she took a step, she fell. She kept screaming and tried to wriggle away, scrambling with her hands to get away as fast as she possibly could.

I found it very humorous. And could not help but hold my hand to my mouth, in spite of my inability to move the corners of my lips. The argument had stopped and everyone tried not to laugh. Except Splayd. He laughed very hard. So hard he, too, fell over like his sister.

"Yes, mission complete!" My innerself cheered, "Good job Kuro!"

I painted a picture of myself high-fiving an opposite version of myself in my mind. I do this quite often when I cannot come to a logical conclusion or cannot decide what to do with logic. I call this "Opposite Me", "Mimi". And she calls me "Kuro".

"Thank you," Miss Akame said, directing her thanks at me. She has been unable to say my name, due to memories she would rather forget about, but cannot allow herself to, "I will propose the two options. Everyone will vote for one, and for their own choice."

She looked at Megumi, who blushed and looked down, away from Cris. She decided it was best to say her vote first, "No matter what Cris says, I think Luno is still part of the team. We need to make her remember who she is."

Cris remained silent, and Splayd spoke up instead. He was unnaturally serious. It was unnerving, "She killed Aime. Brutally. She obviously doesn't remember us. She'd kill us, including her own brother, with just a thought. I say she gets taken out of this war."

Now Lucarella, "I really don't care. I always knew she was a killer, even if she didn't. She beat me in hand-to-hand with no previous training, and she was a pacifist to boot. I say she dies."

Miss Akame looked to Freesia, who appeared to be thinking hard. She looked at Cris, who had been looking away from everyone else with his eyes closed, "I'm the only one here who can remember her face on that mission. She looked ready to kill. I almost didn't recognise her, even her eyes were a different color. Wherever Luno is, she's not in that body. I vote we try to find her."

"What about you," She looks to me now, unable to say my name as usual, "You've been listening even though you do not know her. Nor have you ever met Lunora. What will you choose?"

What do I say? I don't know her. I cannot decide easily. I thought to myself, my facial expression unchanging.

"I am indifferent. I did not know her before her mind was changed and I do not know her now," Not enough, "If she does get mercy she will attack as soon as she gains the energy. She will need convincing. She will also more than likely attempt to kill everyone in this place. But she is also Cris' sibling, and that must mean something to some of you as well," I look to Miss Akame, then to Cris. I had nothing else to say, "She should live to choose for herself again."

"You already know my choice," Cris said, crossing his arms, "Now we only need the Boss' say."

Miss Akame had obviously been thinking, as well as remembering her own sister. I wonder what her sister was like, before everything happened.

"I have decided," She said after a moment. There was a slight sparkle in her eye but nothing more, "Lunora Wellfow will live, but under severe imprisonment until we find a way to cure her. She will be placed in a room with no light, where we and others will attempt to find a way to bring her back. In the meantime, this will no longer affect us and how we operate."

With that, the meeting was over. I was free to have the evening to myself. I could relax, or tend to the wounded, or train, or even shop. Although I would have to go with someone. Perhaps Megumi? She is supposed to train me tomorrow. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to become friendly with her.

I would ask her later. For now, I head to the kitchen. I always seem to have a craving for cookies and other sweets. And when I do not eat them I feel weak. One day I hadn't eaten them at all and I had nearly fainted for some reason, as well as being shaky and unable to see very well. Perhaps I am sickly and frail, or perhaps it is an incurable disease of some kind.

After I had raided the cabinets, I set out for the hot springs, where Megumi would most likely be bathing and relaxing. Nix would be keeping a lookout for Splayd and any other peepers, with intent to maim. I liked the bird. Very pretty, and very deadly.

I was walking through the forest, towards the secluded springs. The forest was alive with sounds, and was high above the city, which lay below the plateau the base resided within in secrecy.

I arrived at the clearing, where the natural hot springs sat amongst rocks. I entered the clearing, to see a small strand of hair laying across the stone. She was here, I was correct. I should say something so I don't startle her.

"Um, Megumi? May I join you?"

No response.

"Megumi?"

Nothing.

I took a step forward, and looked at the hair closer. There were dark specks scattered on it. She's hurt! She's been attacked! She's dead!

I readied my defensive stance in case the attacker were still around, moving silently like a fisherman trying to catch a pesky eel with their bare hands. I jump to the right, expecting to be set upon by attackers at any moment. I had never been in combat before, even though I had an Imperial Arms. The most I ever use it for were pranks and recon, my father never allowed me to fight. He was afraid of losing me. Or was it he was afraid of losing another Kurome? Either way, I remained ready. Megumi had taught me how to defend myself against various weapons, but never with the threat of life or death.

I step closer to Megumi's body, looking from behind the rock. As soon as I saw her, I felt like a complete fool. She was sleeping, a mud mask over her face. The soil must be reddish from the clay within.

Man, you really got worked up over nothing, huh? Mimi taunted, trying not to laugh at me, Just make sure she's okay with you joining.

I figured my voice would not reach her, so instead I broke a dry branch that was lying nearby, so as to not awkwardly alert her to my presence. She immediately dove under the water, and Nix swooped down and landed on a branch to my left, cocking her head curiously. After a moment, Megumi resurfaced, only her head above the lip, her face free of the dried-blood-colored mud. Her eyes lit up when she realized I was me and not Splayd. She resurfaced more and swam back to the rock she was sitting at.

Megumi was nude, as was customary and necessary, and welcomed me to join if I like. I did, stripping and laying my clothing next to hers. I looked at my bracer, sliding my slender fingers over the brass spider legs and thorax, looking into the ruby-red Arachne Eye that powered the weapon. Whenever I looked into it, I saw something new. This time, I found where the item that had gotten this item from the Dangerbeast had slipped and damaged the inside. It would be fine to get wet, I had fished with this on before and fallen in the ocean to my near death.

I climbed in and sat near her, the top of my breasts visible above the water, same as hers. Although Megumi's were much larger. Mine were bigger than Freesia's, who had the smallest chest because of her child-like stature.

"I-" We both started at the same time.

"Sorry," We said in unison.

"You go first," Again, "No you. Okay. Dang it!" We both stopped, looking at each other before Megumi burst into laughter, Mimi did too. I didn't. I simply looked at her trying to look amused. I was, honest, but as usual I couldn't.

"Oh come on!" Megumi said between laughing gasps, "There must be some humor in there!"

"There is. It was very funny" Again, near emotionless. What is wrong with me?

"That's okay! A little at a time!" She places her hands under the warm water and closes her eyes, before snapping them back open, "Was there something you wanted? I nearly forgot about earlier!"

It wasn't even five minutes ago!

"I was wondering if you would like to do some shopping later," I asked bravely, Mimi puffing out her chest while I did nothing but ask, "I could use some clothes that don't stand out, and that can cover Arachne."

Megumi gasped, holding her hands together before using them to grab my own. She was blushing happily, smiling beautifully. She nodded and chirped out, "Yes of course! After this bath!"

Why can't I be that beautiful? That expressive? I thought to myself.

Because That's you. Mimi answered my rhetorical question. Some guys might be into that. Like Splayd.

Splayd is into anything that has a heartbeat and breasts. I retorted.

True enough.

Author's Note:

Hey everyone! I'm sorry this took so long, but here is the eleventh chapter! We're more than halfway from where I said it would end! But that doesn't mean the series has to end! Who knows… this might just keep going.

I just uploaded chapter three to Pre:Zero, a good story I've been working on for a little bit. If you haven't checked it out, please do!

Please feel free to post a review here or in my DM's!

Thanks so much for your support by reading this far!

~YesOpenTheDoor