-The time ya'll be waiting for has come! This chappy is up! YAY! I just finished up with a HUGE Masquerade party at my house and I am wiped. Moving hurts! But yeah, have fun with this rather sad chapter…
-It's easy to sit up and take notice. What's difficult is to get up and take action. –Al Batt
When did I first figure out that I wasn't like normal kids? I can barely remember, it seems like it's been ages ago, instead of just a few years. I do know that in the moment my mother found out… she was broken. Like some kind of doll, she just collapsed into nothing. My father cared for both of us in everyway he could. Slowly, my mother managed to pull herself out of the psychosomatic shock but she wasn't the same. The only person to bring in money was my father who worked his fingers to the bone to provide for a selfish woman and a freakish daughter.
Every day was torture. I would watch kids play in their yards from the window wishing with all I had to be like them. My father spoke of these powers like they were gifts. I knew that they weren't. Years would pass and finally, my mother couldn't stand being poor anymore. I never knew that she had been talking to a man from Wyngs about my powers, just that one day she left me there. My cell was surrounded by other with different abilities… but there was still no one like me. Eventually, I ran away only to be captured by Skye.
Residing myself to this fate I decided to at least try one more time for my freedom… and met Him. Dark Mousy. In a brief moment, I felt hope. The Niwa family brought me in to their home and family. I thought that Daisuke was like me… now I'm in back in that dark room, trying my hardest to keep my identity secret…
As Daisuke made his way up the stairs, exhausted from the night meeting with Kitsune, he noticed that the door to Midorai's bedroom was slightly ajar. Curious he pushed it open with one timid finger and made his way in.
Midorai was sprawled out over her bed, her fingers grasping onto the sheets so hard her knuckles seemed to glow white. She was biting her lip so hard that a small bead of blood dribbled down her chin. Worried, Daisuke quietly made his way over to her until something caught his eye. Poking out of the closet was the leg of a pair of pants that were pure black. Embroidered onto them were silver feathers.
They came free of the closet with a small yank and he held them up to the window to get a good look at them. Too long for Midorai it suddenly hit Daisuke just why the pants were looking so familiar.
'Hey, aren't those the pants that Kitsune wore?' Dark suddenly asked, startling Daisuke so much that he could have sworn that he jumped out of his skin.
"Yeah… what would Midorai be doing with them?" Daisuke whispered back, cocking his head to get a better look at just what exactly happened.
'Don't be stupid. SHE'S Kitsune! Just put those away. Ask her later, okay!' was the reply Daisuke got as it echoed around his head a little bit then finally dimmed away.
"Right…"
After carefully placing the pants back from where he found them, he sighed, tugging the leg to it poked out the closet just barely and left Midorai to her dreams…
Sunlight was racing through the open window when Midorai finally awoke. Rolling off the mattress she pulled herself off the ground with its help and looked around, dazed for a moment, then she remembered just where she was. The Niwa house.
KNOCK!
The nose startled Midorai, who turned to the door, her body shaking before taking a calming breath and replying.
"Yes?"
"Um, this is Kosuke, Daisuke's father," a voice replied.
"You can come in!"
"That's alright. Um… Daisuke is going out shopping and wanted to know if you wanted to come along!"
Midorai considered it for a moment, chewing thoughtfully on her lip.
"Alright, I'll be down in a few minutes!"
On the other side of the door she could hear Kosuke heading downstairs, informing Daisuke of her decision.
Her eyes quickly scanned over the room when she realized that something was wrong… then it hit her. The leg of the black pants she wore the night before was moved slightly. A great deal more cloth was poking out from the closet door then when she had originally tossed them in there. Just who had moved them though?
Exhausted, Midorai just shook her head as though she could clear the thoughts out. Making her way to her closet she watched the door slide open and she picked up the pants, wondering vaguely is she had been caught… but who would know?
Deciding to shrug it off, she pulled herself off the floor, making her way down the stairs and finally resting her feet up against the wood flooring, smiling over at Daisuke who gave her an odd little grin, as though he was unsure on what to say to her.
"Um, thanks for inviting me," she replied, making her way to the door and pulling on her black boots while Daisuke followed suit.
Shoving the front door open the headed out into the snowy winter afternoon, wrapping scarves around their neck and then thought better, pulling it over their noses, which were getting brutally attacked from the chill.
Trudging through the salted street, Midorai's eyes scanned the streets and she sighed, thinking off to herself, losing herself in the labyrinth of her mind.
Why is it that I would always try to surround myself with people? They hated me, convicted me and only betrayed me, causing me fresh new pain. But no matter how many people walked near me, no matter how many surrounded my horrible body… I only felt more alone. How I longed to no longer be by myself, but it never happened. It makes me wish that somehow I could just disappear…
"Midorai… is something wrong?" Daisuke asked gently, noticing the melancholic look on her face.
"What? Nah, I'm happy, really!" she replied, wiping a stray tear off her cheek.
"Something's wrong," he replied, slowing down a bit so he could get a good look at her face. Her cheeks were flushed not just from the cold but from the tears biting at her eyes.
"Sorry, it's just the cold is making my eyes water," Midorai muttered lamely, pushing the door open to a random store, making her way inside when she suddenly froze. Walking around the store was Ami.
Promptly she tried to turn around and rush out of the store but it only made a commotion as she collided with the confused Daisuke and bumped into the brass bell handing from the handle of the door. Annoyed at the noise, Ami looked over, her cold eyes falling onto Midorai who froze, as if the freezing gaze had really encased her in ice.
"You…" she whispered malevolently, pushing a nearby customer out of the way harshly to move towards the frightened girl.
Worried for Midorai, Daisuke placed himself between her and the angry woman who was storming over. Oblivious as to why his friend was suddenly cowering on the tiles, trying her hardest to crawl her way over to the door, attempting to shove it open, though she was failing miserably.
"You little witch!" the woman shrieked, making all of the customers and the cashiers look over at the scene that was unfolding at the entrance.
"Get away from her!" Daisuke exclaimed, trying his hardest to defend Midorai who was staring at the woman like she was the devil.
"Don't you get it, little boy?" the woman nearly shrieked, unaware that all eyes were on her.
"Get what! Stop scaring Midorai!" he screamed back, his volume rising to match hers.
"Foolish little boy… foolish little boy indeed," she began to whisper, her eyes filled with a primal rage as she raised her arm and let the back of her hand collide with Daisuke face, sending him sprawling over the store's floor.
The heels of her pumps clicking against the floor like a watch, pounding out the time in a horrific pattern to one's doom. She stopped as she reached Midorai, who was cowering on the floor, trying to best to keep her face covered, and waiting for the blow. But it didn't come. Instead, timid, like an animal to it's captor, she looked up at the woman. Ami's face showed signs of age, cleverly masked by years of plastic surgery and she just gave a ghastly little smile, her thin lips stretching open like a crocodile and with that she reached forward.
"You, little monster, why must you do this to me?" she asked, her voice cracking with some kind of emotion, but Midorai knew it was not compassion. Or at least, not for her.
Taking a deep breath, Midorai had to find out just what she was going to do. Everyone was staring, to them it was just some rich woman, attacking two kids who just so happened to be around when she cracked. Taking a deep breath, Midorai waited for her heartbeat to calm down and finally opened her mouth to speak.
"Excuse me, you're hurting me, lady!" she cried out, shoving the empty shell of a mother off of her, trying to act like some innocent, yet terrified kid.
"LADY? HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN MY FACE!" Ami shrieked, raising hand to bring down upon poor Midorai when it was caught by someone. Who?
Daisuke Niwa stood there, her bony wrist in his right hand. With is open hand he was rubbing the welt along the side of his face that smarted terribly.
"Do not harm Midorai! She did nothing to you!" Daisuke exclaimed, struggling to hold onto the wrist as Ami began to writhe like she was on fire, struggling to free herself.
"SHE DID NOTHING! HAS THAT LITTLE OGRE TOLD YOU NOTHING! FOOLISH LITTLE BOY!" she screamed, finally pulling away and delivering a quick kick to Midorai, sending her skidding away from the door and she threw it open, turning around for the last word.
"Someday that little monster will destroy you! Like she did me!" and she ran off, the door slamming shut behind her.
Silence rushed to fill the gap left behind, and suddenly it broke, shattering to the noise of an average day as everyone either shrugged it off or whispered to each other about the strange rich woman.
"Midorai!" Daisuke cried out, helping Midorai up as she tenderly touched the place where Ami had kicked her, and just sighed.
"I'm fine… Are you okay?" she replied, placing a soft, cool hand on the welt and sighing.
"That woman… she was…"
"Insane, I guess. Come one, let's head home so your mom can help with that bruise! Oh! I'm so sorry though! Riku's going to be so upset!" Midorai cried out, pulling her hands to her mouth, trying her hardest to act like she was as surprised as he was.
"AH! I hadn't thought of that!" Daisuke cried out, remembering that he had promised Riku a date, and with that, they rushed off…
-Sorry, it's another short chapter! I'm so sorry, the next one will be long! Cause it's really important! And yeah… I think there might have been a bit of OOC in there…. Sorry. But yeah, please review… and to those of you who reviewed… your responses.
Inkheart: YAY! I know, this update took a bit longer than usual, but I was busy with the first few days of school, and auditions! GAH! Yeah, Midorai's mum is cruel, and I'm sorry that you have experience in that field. Believe it or not, this entire story is actually nothing more than many metaphors and ironies. Can you find them all? It is odd that your Muse left and you became inspired, but absence makes the heart fonder… maybe it's something like that? If you want to write a fic, I promise you I'd love to read it. I'm rather obsessed with any good fanfic, from angst, to comedy, to adventure, to parody. I kind of dabble in it all! And DNAngel is a great manga and anime! But to ask me what my favorite is… it's just too hard! And the streamers thingy, when you blush to much, would be a hassle to try and clean up! Enjoy your writing, and until you review and my next chappy!
Timetill: Midorai's mother is in no way maternal. It's almost fascinating. Scratch that, it is fascinating, but you could say that the lights are on but no one's home. She's also a metaphor… but of what…. Can you figure it out?
Miko102: YES! I hate Midorai's mother, and don't worry, if you really hate her, you'll enjoy the next few chapters. Why? Read to find out!
GameGirl: Hey! You're back! All the way since chappy 14, good job on it! Don't worry about being too lazy to review, I'm the same way. Sorry that this chappy and the last are a bit shorter than I'd prefer.
-Please, review, enjoy, and until next time, cheerio!