Chapter 12
Mary looked at the calendar printed on her diary's last page, confused and totally absorbed in thought: her last period dated back to July, and the end of September was approaching. She hadn't had frequent irregularities since she was twelve, except for one a year before, and she couldn't understand this bizarre oddity. Maybe the stress?
She shrugged, huffing and abruptly tossed her diary into the nightstand's drawer next to the bed, startling the hamster who was dozing off on her head; she heard Kou's and Yuuma's yells coming from downstairs, probably fighting over the extra fried shrimps the former had claimed for himself in vain at lunch again.
With an amused smile, the girl looked back at the diary and saw the tip of the envelope she had hidden the night before, later forgetting about it.
Okaa-san no tegami(1)...
She pulled it out from the pages and opened it slowly, her heart in her throat; wanting to get more comfortable, she decided to move on the bed, after arranging the pillows against the headboard to rest on it. She unfolded the sheet and, breathing deeply, began to read:
My sweet lavender flower,
I'm sorry I haven't write you for four years. I was very busy and communicating was almost always impossible; but that's not what I want to talk about with you, first.
Ouch. If Mum writes "first", it's game over..., Mary thought, ironic.
Are. You. Out. Of. Your. Mind.
Why, why did you accept Karl's proposal?! Thank God I found out immediately through your father, when I was in a good mood and therefore able to sort everything out in my head.
I guess you think that Karl has "hosted" you in his sons' house just as an exchange for feeding them your blood; well, no.
The research I've been conducting for all these years looking for other girls who might be Izanami led me to cross paths with Karl.
Yes, somehow he's involved in this too. Or rather, he wanted to poke his nose in it.
Karl aims at marrying Izanami and Eve with one of his children respectively.
- Wha- EEEEEH?! - Mary almost choked with her own saliva. She coughed violently before going on with her reading, aided by Freckle's benevolent power, who had jolted a second time at her sudden reaction.
Eve and Izanami, according to Karl, are two singular figures, gifted with very rare and important powers. With these two weddings, hiw offspring would surely be stronger and able to change the world.
Now; ignores Karl's Marvel-ish utopian and heroic dream and back to our topic.
My daughter. I have searched everywhere: there is no girl who can see and perceive things out of the ordinary as you, even for creatures different from humans. There is none who is a little psychic. There is no girl who is listened to by those little beings like your butterflies.
There is not.
You, my daughter, are the next Izanami.
Two drops wetted the sheet; Mary immediately wiped her eyes and resisted that heavy knot in her throat to finish the letter, while the hamster cuddled her cheek, sad.
It is my duty to inform you about the future changes that will involve your body and your powers.
There will be frequent and weird menstrual irregularities. For a few days you may suffer from malaise, nausea and migraines, or the like.
The skin will begin to lighten and become transparent (think about Chihiro from your favourite movie Spirited away), starting from the tip of your fingers; you will be able to distinguish the shapes, but you will see through it.
Some skills will improve, for example your regenerative powers might be applied to other organisms; others will disappear.
There is a final "step," but I would rather talk about it personally, as it is too complicated to explain by writing it.
And I don't have much time; here in the Demon World some are causing several troubles... But this is the least evil. The most horrible thing to bear is Karl's company, since his collaboration is necessary.
You know how much I hate Karl.
Mary. I'm sorry. I didn't want you to become Izanami. I didn't think you were going to be born. At first it was only Mark...
...And then you suddenly popped up. You began to develop a month after conception, like a little miracle; at the time I had suspected something, and I wasn't the only one: in fact some thought it was even a curse. But, my daughter? You're not a curse. I was surprised, of course, at your sudden appearance... but I love you, Mary.
"I should not exist"; Mary recalled thinking of this, when Subaru had asked her months ago not who, but what she was.
You and Mark are my greatest treasures. I won't allow any harm to be done to you. I won't let your lives to be overturned. I'll do my best to achieve these goals.
And thus I will do everything so that you can tolerate these changes. It'd be nice to think that there is a way to avoid becoming Izanami, too; but you would be asking too much: trying doesn't hurt, but letting it go to your head does.
Back to the marriage's issue: I will certainly have nothing to say against your possible romantic relationship with one of Karl's sons.
And I'm not just talking about the biological ones, but also the adoptive ones.
I guess you don't remember them: you first met them with Mark when you were three years old; I had brought you with me during one of my many and frequent past courtesy visits to Karl (I hate him so much).
- Oh my God...
Mary widened her eyes, diving into her most remote memories.
She remembered the garden where she and her twin were waiting for their mother; she recalled that giant who had grumbled to them to get away from the rose bushes and had given them some sugar cubes; she remembered the blond who was watching the sky while lying on the grass, observed by her without him knowing; she recalled that kind guy who had accompanied them inside, hiding his small knife from their sight; she remembered the young man who was smirking at seeing her trying to reach in vain the books of the library where her mother had been discussing with Karlheinz.
How did she forget?
One of them, Yuuma, if I'm not mistaken... His eyes are very similar to your father's, and you know that they're one of his most singular features. If you were to meet him again, could you ask him if he remembers having a relative named Abel? It was the name of your grand-and-something-father. Maybe... I say, maybe... they should be brothers. But we're talking about nearly a century and a half ago. Probably less.
With all the centuries I've lived I can't count the passing years anymore.
You know, your father has always wondered how he had made me fall in love with him himself for the first time, with all the centuries I've lived and the young men I met.
If you compare Karl with your father, you'll understand why.
I've seen Karl for so long and you know what I think of him.
Do you know he had asked for my hand? He had tried it, to be more precise.
I had already pierced him in the stomach with a glass blade.
He must've been very offended when he found out I had married a simple wizard.
What a prankster I am.
I'm dwelling too much and I'm forced to end it here, my daughter.
I love you, my sweet lavender flower,
Your mother, the Glass Lady
Someone knocked on the door and Mary frantically hid the letter in her diary (and Freckle jumped a third time), then put it under the pillow, and quickly stood to go and open the door.
With her eyes turned downwards, she met Ruki's annoyed face.
It's so beautiful seeing him without his usual irritating smile, she thought a little sharply in her head, holding back from laughing in time.
- First, I think I've already told you not to shout; second, for dinner I want to prepare... - the vampire's expression into a confused and suspicious one - Kachiku? Why are your cheeks wet?
Despicable tears.
- I was reading something pretty dramatic - Mary replied vaguely, smart: it could have been a book she was referring to and not a letter as it was, so she wasn't lying; Ruki seemed to believe her, after all he knew of her passion for reading (he had seen some novels in her bag a few times, at school).
- Anyway, I wanted to inform you that the Sakamaki brothers have called us, or to be more precise, Eve did to let you know that the third brother has awakened.
- REALLY?! - Mary snapped forwards, grabbing his shoulders instinctively, euphoric; her eyes were sparkling with happiness and her hair had whitened.
Ruki had stiffened and was silent, impassive, goggling at the taller (at that moment) girl's face; he focused on the warm hold, and at last his eyes observed her dark and joyous eyes: they had a small emerald spot on top, like Yuuma at certain times of the day, depending on the light...
- Let me go, Kachiku - he said in a low, hostile voice, darkened.
- Oh... Ah! Sorry! - Mary raised her hands, embarrassed, smiling nervously at thinking he had forgotten to tell her what they were going to cook for dinner; and he had also forgotten to make her following him to help him in the kitchen.
Ruki, in the meanwhile, had walked away, emitting a low spiteful growl and ignoring the strange sensation he was feeling inside his chest.
- Yuu-kun...
- Yuu-kun? Maji(2)?
Mary ignored the boy's irked comment, going on with her speech as he watered the plants, among which the hamster was moving and casting out the little evil sprites; she and Yuuma either worked in the garden, or joked together: they had found out they got quite along, almost like they had something in common in their blood...
- Koucchi told me that you suffer from amnesia... is it true?
Silence fell on the garden and Mary felt cold: once turned back to normal, he would have lynched her, she was sure of it. But after a few seconds she heard him grumbling a "yes", adding that he didn't want to speak about it and cursing Kou's tongue. Then she saw him suddenly becoming thoughtful and jumped when he laughed.
- Koucchi? AHAHAHAHA! You're weird! Ahahahahaha...
The girl blushed, cracking a smile, and felt her hair being ruffled as he went behind her to take some gardening utensils; she heard him scold Azusa, who had stealthily got closer to look for some scissors to use and try to cut himself, yelling at him not to dare to do such things with his tools and in his garden.
Disappointed by the outcome of his well-planned attempt, Azusa approached her, clinging to her free arm and talking about his wounds, which he had named after the three children he had been friends with in the past: he asked for her opinion on which names he should have chosen for the new cuts; despite the fact that she didn't like it, Mary smiled and answered gently. There was a certain affection between the two, perhaps because she would pinch his cheeks or perhaps because he was so fascinated by her (in short, it was mystery).
In the meanwhile Kou's loud complaints came from the kitchen, who was longing to eat vongole bianco again for dinner; but Ruki was unmoving, probably, guessing from the blond's bored an sulking expression as soon as he looked out the window, studying the brothers and the girl in the garden.
It wasn't known what kind of relationship she had with Ruki: they would collaborate in the kitchen and with the household chores naturally, from time to time they would meet in the small library and discuss about Italian, Latin and Russian authors; other times they would bicker (in their own way). As for Kou... she would try and not be dragged into talks where he could interrogate her while using his eye; at other times they both had happened to laugh healthily about Subaru's tsundere-ish attitude.
Mary kept on smiling, calmed by that lively and so familiar atmosphere; until her gaze casually focused on the tips of her fingers which were handling the water hose and saw below the green of the plastic.
Her heart slowed its beating, as the sides of her mouth bent down, and she dropped the hose, deaf to Yuuma's vexed screams and Azusa's perplexed calls, running inside the house. Ruki stared at her heading past him in a hurry, like she had been alienated, and several times he tried to get her attention, frowning and wondering what had happened; Kou had followed her, tugging on her sweatshirt's sleeve, but none of this had helped; the girl had locked herself in her room without any explanation.
Tomorrow we'll turn back to normal. And then she'll have to give me explanations, Ruki thought, smirking malignantly.
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
(1) "Mother's letter"
(2) "Seriously?"
