"Amnesia?" the four hunters echoed.
Ami nodded. "I believe that's the case. Since he doesn't remember anything about you all, or himself."
"I don't understand something though," Tira said suddenly. "If he doesn't remember anything about himself, how does he know his name?"
"What he told me, he didn't really know that was his name. He had had a dream, and the name was mentioned. Since it was the only name he could remember at the time, he used it."
Carrot ran his fingers through his wild hair. "So he doesn't know us?"
"You could put it that way. But he did seem to recognize you all when you arrived." Ami placed a hand to her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe you could help him."
"Help him how?" Chocolate asked.
"You could tell him little bits of information about you all, and about himself. That could help him remember."
"And that's all it would take?"
Ami shook her head. "It's not that easy, Gateau. You can only give him a little bit of information at a time. You don't want to risk his mind overloading with too many memories to remember. It could be years before he really remembers everything."
"Years!" all the hunters exclaimed.
"At the most, I suppose."
Carrot slumped back. 'Great,' he thought. 'I thought we found him. But now. . . .he's more lost than ever.'
"Ami?" a soft voice called. They looked to see Marron, holding in his hands a small package. He looked away uncomfortably from their intense gazes.
Carrot bit his lip, trying hard to not jump up and hug his little brother. This Marron seemed so lost and confused, so different than the brother that he knew. But he knew that even a simple act such as that would have been a little too strange for the person standing before him, for he didn't remember that they were brothers.
Ami stood up, facing Marron. "Yes?" she asked. "Do you need anything?"
He shook his head, handing her the package. "I forgot to give you this earlier," he replied.
She took the package from him, full of curiosity. But her curiosity quickly changed to anger as she read who it was from.
"Marron?" she said suddenly. "Why don't you stay here and talk with our guests?"
"Huh?" His eyes met hers in a confused look.
She leaned over towards him. "They can help you remember, Marron. They know you. Just trust them."
To the others, she said, "I must see about this package, but I know the sender will want me to do this in private, so I must leave for a few minutes. Please, make yourselves comfortable, and I will return soon." And she disappeared down the narrow hall.
There was an uneasy silence settling over each hunter. Suddenly, Carrot said, "Marron?"
Marron seemed to jump slightly. "Y-yes?"
"C'mon and sit down. Don't worry, we don't bite." He indicated the spot on the couch next to him.
Marron couldn't help but find a little humor in that, even if he didn't really know this person. . . .not that he knew, anyway. Who knew what relationship they had in his other life? 'He probably does,' he thought as he sat down next to the man.
Carrot held out a hand. "Hi, my name is Carrot Glace," he said. Chocolate giggled at his 'formal' introduction as Tira and Gateau rolled their eyes.
Marron took the other's hand hesitantly, looking down at the couch. "Brother. . . . ." he whispered quietly.
"What?"
The younger looked up, somewhat alarmed. "I . . . I'm sorry. . . ."
"No! No, it's okay, Marron. You're right, we are brothers."
"We are?"
"Yes, yes we are."
Marron looked down at the couch again. Were they really? They didn't really look alike…not all siblings did, though. Yet they seemed total opposites. But he felt a strange, familiar, bond to Carrot that wasn't there with the others. Could he be telling the truth?
The dream he had earlier that day could have been something. There were two brothers there. . . . and one was named Marron. The younger one. The one always picked on by others. His older brother was always there to help him feel better though. He was the only reason little Marron didn't break down. But it was only a dream. . . . . . or a memory?
More silence drowned over them. What else could they say to help their fallen hunter regain his memory back?
Suddenly, Gateau stood up, his back facing the other four. "Well, I guess I should try something to help you remember, Marron," he said. He looked at them over his shoulder, his eyes reflecting a strange gleam.
Carrot and the two girls shook their heads wildly, mouthing the word 'NO!' over and over again. Marron watched curiously as Gateau brought his hand up to the neckline of his shirt.
With lightning speed, the shirt flew off, and the blond man began flexing his muscles. "LOOK AT ME!" he cried.
The three let out exasperated sighs, covering their eyes with their palms. Marron felt his eye twitch again.
He continued to flex his muscles, as four pairs of eyes rolled in frustration.
"It is always the same thing with you, Gateau," Marron blurted out. "For once, do you think you could . . . . .?" He stopped, bringing his hand up to his mouth.
Gateau halted in mid-stance. "I could what?" he asked.
He shook his head. "Nothing, I. . . . . . I didn't mean. . . . . . ."
"It's all right, Marron," Tira said. "Gateau would always be showing off like this."
"And you would always have that same reaction," Carrot said.
"What reaction?"
"The same one everyone else had," Gateau said, slipping on his shirt. "Awe from my beautiful muscles."
Everyone rolled their eyes again. "Not that kind of reaction," the younger Misu whispered in his ear. Marron nodded.
'What else can we do to help Marron?' Carrot wondered. Suddenly, he felt something grab onto his arm, red hair tickled his shoulder. "Chocolate, get off," he said rather annoyed, not looking down at her.
"Oh, Darling. . . . . . . . . ."
"Don't 'Darling' me, Chocolate. I said, 'Get off.'"
"Please, Darling? I can change your mind. See. . . . . . . ."
"AH! CHOCOLATE, NOOOO!" He was helpless as she pushed him down on the couch.
Tira sprang up. "SISTER!" she yelled. Marron moved away quickly as Tira stood on the couch were he was sitting, trying to pull her sister off. He had barely avoided being toppled over.
Gateau stood next to Marron as Tira and Carrot attempted to remove Chocolate. Marron couldn't help but feel sorry for his 'brother'. But similar scenes flashed through his mind as he continued to watch them, leaving as quickly as they had come. He gently rubbed his temples. There was something there, trying to get through.
Tira's foot slipped and she fell back on the couch, only just balancing herself. However, her big, reflective glasses flew through the air. The light bounced off them and directed them towards Marron's direction. Looking up, he saw them coming towards him, and caught them before they hit his head.
After managing to get Chocolate off Carrot, Tira hopped off the couch, in front of Marron. The young Glace finally was able to see her crimson eyes, as a vision flickered in his mind.
Flashback
The baggy robe snapped off in the blink of an eye, and the younger Misu sister stood there in a revealing orange and white jumpsuit, a whip in one hand.
The giant monster turned her direction. Upon seeing her in her true form, he swallowed nervously.
Her red eyes gleamed with trouble as a smirk crossed her lips. "You know what's next, don't you, my pet?" she asked, her voice a deeper resonance of calm. She pulled on her whip. "Prepare yourself, Carrot."
She jumped up high into the air, using her whip on the monster. The painful bellows of it synchronized with her playful, cruel, laughter.
End Flashback
"Marron?" Tira said, pulling him out of his daze. "Marron, are you alright?"
"Yes. I am." He handed her back her glasses, and watched as she replaced them, covering her scarlet pupils.
So much to remember, to process. Would he be able to regain it all?
The door creaked slightly, and golden eyes darted around the hall. When he saw no one there, it opened all the way and Marron slipped out of his room.
Quietly he walked past the rooms where the others, including Ami, were sleeping. He didn't want to wake them, but he couldn't sleep anymore. Besides, he wanted to look around a bit.
He found the back door, fingering the doorknob gingerly. Finally, grasping it, the knob rotated and the door opened.
Marron found himself looking at a stable, the sun slightly rising behind it. Inside one of the stalls, a black horse bobbed its head.
Slightly amused, he walked over to the horse, gently placing his hand on its head. The animal did nothing as Marron rubbed its muzzle.
Opening the door, the young hunter led the stallion out of its booth, patting its side soothingly. The horse nickered softly, but did nothing to protest.
Finding a brush, Marron lightly stroked the animal's midnight fur. The horse did nothing but stand there patiently, its tail occasionally whipping a fly away.
"You will never know how lucky you are," Marron whispered. The steed's ears flickered at the sound of the human's deep, gentle, voice. "There is nothing that you really need to know about your life. You do not need to know anything about your past."
The horse's tail whipped away an unseen fly.
"You do not need any memories to know to be happy. You are fed, well taken care of…and happy. Where as I. . . . . . ." He let it hang there, ceasing the brushing for a moment.
The click of the horse's hoof brought him out of his trance. He resumed brushing. "Anyway, I am sure that you do not need the memories of the past to continue on with your future. You really do not need to know anything to be happy."
The horse let out a loud snort.
"Oh? Do you protest?"
It stamped its hoof in reply. Marron chuckled slightly. He felt rather odd talking to the horse this way, but who else could he talk to? No one else was awake at this time, and he would have felt too awkward to speak of this matter with the others.
When he had finished, he placed the brush down and grabbed some straw from a nearby bale of hay. The horse took it from him and ate it quickly.
"Well, I suppose I could be wrong. Who am I to say if a horse, or any animal for that matter, would need memories of some sort to survive? But still. . . . ." He turned towards the rising sun, watching as the red, orange, and purple lay a path for the sun to come through. "Even if you did not have any memories, it would not matter as much to you. But to me, without them, I have nothing."
The horse nudged the young man's shoulder affectionately with the tip of its nose. Marron looked at the steed, strands of its white mane partially covering its onyx eyes. He patted it, a small smile spreading on his lips, as he led it back to its stall and secured it in.
As he was about to go back inside, he noticed a bow and several arrows lying on the ground. Looking up, some distance away, he spotted a target. Absentmindedly, he picked up an arrow and bow, arranging it accordingly. Pulling the string on the bow, he aimed at the target and released.
Dropping the bow, he reentered the house, not noticing that the arrow had hit the bulls-eye.
The house still seemed rather empty, with everyone asleep. Yet for some reason, he enjoyed the silence. It was a comforting change of pace from. . . . . . from what? There was something there. Closing his eyes, he tried to see the memory that was reaching out to him.
He saw Tira, Chocolate, and Carrot. In the vision, Carrot seemed to be running from Tira and Chocolate. He blinked. Another memory? Possibly. . . . . . . . . . . how was he to know?
There was a knock on the front door. Marron's head turned towards the direction as the tapping persisted. Curiously, he went to the door and opened it.
Standing out there was a distinguished-looking man, wearing expensive clothing. His smooth, black hair was combed back, as his green eyes shown with pride. But the most noticeable thing about him was the markings on his forehead.
'A Sorcerer!' Marron thought in some alarm.
"Oh," the sorcerer said. "I wasn't aware that Ami had company."
Marron simply nodded.
"Is she awake right now? I realize it's rather early in the morning, but I have some important news to tell her."
"I . . . . . don't believe so. I'm not sure."
"Marron?" a tired voice said behind him. "Who's at the door?" Ami appeared from the shadows of the hall, rubbing her eyes sleepily.
But the sleep left her as soon as she saw who was there. "You!" she said, anger dripping in her tone.
"Hello, Ami. Do you have a minute? We need to talk."
"There is NOTHING we can talk about!"
"Oh? Well, this is your horse, is it not?" He stepped back, revealing a dark brown horse, a white blanket draped over its back.
"Caramel?" Ami asked in disbelief. She went out, grabbing the horse by its bridle. Rubbing its muzzle, she said, "What do you want?"
"Just to talk to you, Ami. That's all." The sorcerer and Ami looked at each other for a long, quiet moment.
"Marron? Do you think you could . . . . . .? Um. . . . . . ."
"I understand, Ami," he replied. He left them out there to talk by themselves.
Sorcerer? How did he know that man was a sorcerer? The mark on his forehead? He had no idea that the mark signified anything. So how did he know? Could it help him find the key to his past?
TBC