Little Futura

Mari does not believe that Yoh should be happy. Mari does not believe anyone should be happier than Hao. Mari does not believe she should be happy either.

I...I raise the puppets. Chuck stares at them and I hold it back.

"Shoot." The doll fires at seven of them in two seconds. We have been slow lately. Mari can only sigh of the progress that is being made. My low furyoku has not been budging. Hao has been friendlier now with his new girl. Another person to replace me.

That little weak girl.

Chuck looks back at me. Its eye, a plastic eye bears curiosity. My hand reaches and grabs its hair. I set the doll upon my knees.

"Thank you." Comes an emotionless voice. Is that my voice or is it another? The real Marion has been sealed away in a dungeon where it cannot open itself up. Ever. Will it be this way until it finally disappears and the heart will shut down? Mari has heard people die of emotional grief but she has never experienced it.

What a controversial question.

Who is Marion Phauna? Why is she a witch's orphan? Why did she have to join Hao?

She should have been free, but she fell so sad and so ill. Using only as little words as possible, those thoughts are as loud as the voice. They are never heard. With Hao, it was out of the pan into the fire. Wherever I can run to, to be free, he will always be there chasing me down. He came for Mathilda who stood up and walked with him freely. Kanna followed too. Was I the only who resisted?

Three shots that rang to make a safe distance only provoked him. Forced to go because he said so. There is no room for Mari to argue.

I take Chuck by his hair and walk slowly out of the room. A saunter, a walk of the dead, where Marion's spirit now lies among.

Who is Marion Phauna?

Even I don't know.

Towards the outside, hollow world it takes me. A river of dead spirits take me along its current and guide. It is so cold and dreary, warmth now can only be found in Marion's dream. I forgot my own dreams of a never-ending soul that tumbled into the warm, embracing darkness.

Endless time flows past me like a wave of motion sucking the leaking life form away from me. Kanna always warned me it was too dangerous for me to go on my own. Yoh and his friends might come and get me. They may take me out for revenge.

Perhaps it is a chance for the Marion trapped in the dungeon to be free.

To be free again. Can I truly taste it at last?

What will my consequences be? Mari can think of it no longer. Oh well, shall my decision shall be for the best of me.

"Where is Tamao?" one of them grabs my shoulders. Mari smiles. If this is the road to freedom, Mari shall remember it as her most treasured moment. Even the girl is smiling

"Where's Tamao?"

Talk to me. Tell me that you will rescue me from the prison I have built around me. The girl speaks.

"Mari does not know what you speak of." I reply. It is Yoh, I believe. His voice sounds exactly his. Like Hao, when he is angry.

"You know. Answer." How funny. Mari wants you to answer. Please answer to her. Please answer to the girl hidden behind Mari. Mari sees the blade held up against her neck. The little girl who was always imprisoned by norms. Treading down the path of my broken dream for several minutes became so simple. If it were this easy, the girl behind Mari would have done this long ago.

"Mari wants your answer."

"You are with Hao! So speak!" A numb blow Mari could not feel brings me to the floor. Next, the numb feeling takes me to the wall. The prison begins to shake and shatter and the girl imprisoned in Mari is beginning to break free. There is no more fear. No more restraints. No more holding back. Mari is not scared anymore. "Where is she?!" the tip of the blade points in towards my neck. It is my neck now.

Truly, the girl can now smile. I smile.

"I am sorry. I do not know." I speak. I answer. Please answer me too. My hands find his fingers that curl around the handle of the dagger. "But I am free." The impression of anger leaves the boy's young, perfect, flawless face as he tries to pull the dagger away. "Why are you so distressed?" A smile.

"Is that your definition of freedom?" Yoh asks. "You got it all wrong."

I frown. "All that life has ever done was imprison me."

"Then death will do the same. It is everything life isn't. Your soul will miss out half the fun and that would be disappointing now, would it not?" He grins. I hate how he instantly makes me feel I have nearly regretted to make a large mistake. "It is your choice after all. No one has the right over you."

"You can say that because you are free." I sigh. I fret. He does not understand my pain. He does not understand the hurt of being orphaned and imprisoned. It took another form of me to protect my real self.

"But...I am not dead." He reminds. "And so are you. You are not dead. Actually I find it to be the greatest privilege to be among the living. If Hao takes that away from you, then it is one privilege for you to take the next step in the world of death and see a new place that pain or rules will be void and will be your reward."

After a moment of silence, he looks back to me.

"You agree?"

I could not help but nod.

"If you're not happy, we can go. It's alright. You don't know where Tamao is." He shrugged with a painful smile. A part of me wants to embrace him. She is with Hao. He knows it too. But...I do not any more than that.

Before I can give my answer, I become interrupted. Of the living.

"She will not tell you anything, Yoh." It is Hao. He smiles superiorly from the top of the one story building. His smile is haunting. It reminds me of the way a prison guard smiles at you. I am not afraid. I detest. The Marion within me detests. "Let us go back, Marion." He says.

Yoh does not say a word. He merely looks at me. My shelter is gone and my soul is stripped naked. Where does this path take me to now? Only time can tell.

"Where is Tamao?" Yoh asks. Hao appears slightly dismayed. I stand in one place. I do not follow Yoh nor do I follow Hao. It comes straight to where I go, not who I follow. I have myself and that is enough. Hao smiles.

"I do not know about that, dear Yoh. That is if Tamao wants to come back." Hao muses. He has this awful voice. How it is awful, I do not know. It is definitely soothing but it is awful in a different sense that the sound if it connects you to his soul. "I do not brainwash people, Yoh. My faction are occupied by people of the same opinions. Tamao happens to be one of them."

I strongly disagree. May I be your witness and testimony?

"What kind of game is this, Hao?" Yoh glared.

"It is no game, Yoh." Hao looks at me and I cannot see him. "Let us go back."

"No." I shake my head. "No."

He suddenly laughs catching me off guard. It is offensive to my very decision. It is offensive to the stones of the dungeon I made. It took blisters, blood, and sweat to make such a grand design.

"You are quite interesting." Hao runs his hand through his raven, black hair. "Interesting." I look to Yoh and he does not say a word. A contemplating look on his face as I feel a gun shoved into my hand. Chuck dangles from the side without another move.

"Yoh, stop brainwashing her and let her go." A young, innocent, yet stern voice orders. It is the psychic girl. "There is no reason for her to be on your side. She is meaningless." A sense or rage dwells in me. No one insults those worn hands that were blood-covered for so many years to tell me I am meaningless. If it is anyone, Hao is meaningless. Tamao is meaningless.

The pain I endure on the daily basis helps me see things a little clearer. I cannot see the whole picture but I can see a little more.

"Do you choose him, Tamao?" Yoh asks. Tamao does not say a word. She does not smile. I see her hesitate. "Is that your choice? We can save you if you prefer."

"You know my reasons, Yoh. You are a bit too laid back. Everyone thinks that is how you got to be so strong but let me be the first to tell you, that is why you are so weak." The strawberry-blonde haired girl turns and rejoins with Hao. Yet they do not vanish. He waits for me.

Why must I go? I am free. What is left, I have nothing to lose.

My imprisoner and my idol. My sorrow and my happiness. My disappointment and my accomplishment.

I am free.

"No." I say. "You can go without me." He does not need me anyhow. The psychic girl is a perfect substitution but I am not sad. I am free. I might be selfish but it is okay. Just once.

"You have her. No need for me," I shake my head. "because I am free."

A/N:: Just so you know, if you'd like the original, unedited version of this Chapter before I decided to tear it apart and rewrite it, e-mail me J!