Okay, here we are!

This story will probably be a slow updater, so you guys should favourite and follow if you like it. This is a re-written story of my first ever fan fiction, so the earlier chapters may have a dip in quality, but I promise that the later ones are quite good.

Caught Up In Trouble is, as I've said, a re-write, mostly focusing on Mikoto's unstable behaviour and personality in the light novels. There shouldn't be too many spoilers, but there will be references. As this is re-written, it will differ from the original. Themes, characters, plots, chapter lengths, tags and more will all be affected. However, the main storyline should still be preserved to some degree.

Current themes: angst, humour, love/hate relationships, manipulation, death, a hopefully-cohesive plot, some cringe-worthy scenes, dark, all-round-good stuff. This section may be updated.

The original seemed to be popular with a lot of people anyway. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Toaru. Should be obvious.

Prologue

"Touma! Why can't I—why are you stopping me?! I thought we were in this together!" Mikoto, with a face scrunched up in anger, pushed forward to Touma, gripping onto his wrist with hers. "Why can't I help you?!" In the dark, shaded forest, Mikoto and Touma were the only specks of light.

Touma ripped his arm out of her grasp and yelled, "You got hurt! You nearly DIED, FOR GODS' SAKE! How am I going to protect the smile of someone who's dead?!"

Mikoto, equally frustrated and angry, yelled "But who will protect yours?!"

"My life is meaningless as long as you're happy!"

The girl, snapping and crackling with electricity roared, "Do I look happy now?!" At his silence, she yelled, "Answer me! God damn you, just—"

"You can be happy without me! What about Shirai? Or Uiharu? Or Saten?"

"What about you!?"

She really wouldn't stop. How could her make her stop? How? A small idea grew in his head. It was something Mikoto had said long ago. I won't stop for anyone but you.

"If I don't stop you, the others will be held back."

Mikoto stumbled backwards, the worn heels of her shoes groaning in protest. "Wha—what?"

"This entire time, this whole time you were there, the others had to protect you! How are we supposed to move on if we're constantly having to guard you from dying?!" He wasn't looking at her. He was looking to the side, his hood covering his face. Touma felt like he was bleeding as the boy caught a glimpse of Mikoto's face from the edge of his eye. "You're… a burden."

"Say that to my face. SAY IT!"

He slowly turned to face Mikoto, feeling his face harden and become stiff. Feeling like a wretched, dirty bug, he said, "You're a burden."

At his words, Mikoto shrank into a ball, sinking back into the shadows. With a low, defeated voice, she said, "Alright. Fine. I won't help you anymore. If that's what you really think."

As Touma walked away from Mikoto, he wiped away the tears pouring down his face and unconsciously noted that the girl—curled up and pathetically small—didn't let out a single sob.

/

I need… to get stronger.

/

The pain is too much. She needs to lock it away, somehow. She knows that she can't keep acting forever.

She's floating in a dark, inky blackness, drowning in her pain when there's a hand. Why? She can't tell, she can only see blond hair. The golden strands are grabbing her, twisting her limbs and breaking her back.

She's being ripped in two.

It feels good, though. Really good. The pain from the words Touma had flung at her is being ripped away and stuffed somewhere. But then panic settles in, because she realizes that the other half of her had taken away her other emotions too. The panic in her throat begins to dissolve as that, too, is stolen away.

Wait, wait! Her mouth opens and closes, but no sound comes out. As she begins to struggle, the blond ropes suddenly speak to her, humming as they keep pulling her apart.

It won't hurt anymore. Doesn't that seem good? At her silence, the blond ropes suddenly shove the other half of her back in place, a tidal wave of heartbreak and pain rushing back in.

But… my friends! And… and Touma… She let out a wordless whimper. But it hurts so much…

I know, hummed the blond ropes. I know. How about this? I'll dull this pain for you. We can wait.

That… would be wonderful. Hurt. This hurts. Can you make it go away?

Yes. It won't last, though. Not forever.

I still want it. It hurts. Hurts. Why did Touma do this to her?

I know. So, I'll wait until you're ripe for taking.

What… do you mean?

I mean that I'll turn you into a monster, in exchange for dulling your pain, as temporary as it may be.

Will I hurt again when I become a monster? Flashes of pain stab through her body. She feels like her body is crumbling apart. She wants this gone. She doesn't care if she becomes a monster. Strangely, she understands what the blond ropes mean as 'monster'; it's asking if she's willing to lose her emotions. Her good emotions, anyway. To lose the other half that the blond hair had ripped away from her earlier. To exist as a bundle of anger, hate and resentment. But it can't hurt more than this heartbreak, she thinks.

No. But it will still hurt. Just not as much.

Anything is better than this. I'll take it.

Humming, the ropes reached down towards her, and curls its tendrils around her heart. With a yank, it's ripped out, and peace comes and floods her body. Calm.

It's a relief.

As the little piece of her is eaten by the blond ropes, she hears the twisting of a key in a lock, and unconsciously understands that it's the locking of their deal. The monster is eating her love for… for… someone she can't remember loving, and soon she'll come back to eat the rest of her emotions.

She feels like she should be demanding her love back and cancelling the deal, but she thinks about the pain and keeps her mouth shut, the sound of chewing echoing in her mind.

Then she thinks.

What did I just agree to?

I can't remember.