WARNING: This chapter does get a bit violent. I have been doing my best to tone it down, and I tried to leave out minute, gruesome details to keep it rated T, but I thought I should give you guys a forewarning that it is about to get violent. I don't want you guys upset because you're read this, that you thought would be completely light and sweet, and end up getting a chapter or two of violence splashed in. And you cannot just skip this chapter. This is the meat of the story! It defeats the purpose if you just skim over this chapter and hop to the next! I also feel like I need to point out that this is from Haruhi's point of view. Her name is mentioned later in the chapter, but I'm sure that some of you would get upset if you didn't know what was happening when the chapter starts.
Anyway, now that my warning and explanations are through, read on my friends. With caution.
Normally, I would have stayed behind. I'm not one to chase after trouble, or act impulsively and hinder someone, but when Mari went off on her own I had a bad feeling about it. I almost ignored it, since she wasn't acting out of the ordinary. Something wasn't right, though, and I was worried about her returning on her own. The village isn't exactly the safest place at the moment.
She's hard to keep up with. Unexpectedly, she'll put on a burst of speed and I'll fall a bit farther behind than I'd like. But, if I lose her and get lost, there's always Noni and his nose to rely on. He should be able to bring me back to everyone.
She reaches the edge of the forest and pauses. I do, too, careful not to get close enough for her to notice me. If she sees me here, she'll yell at me to go back. I don't like it when Mari yells, but she's been doing it a lot lately. She's been a bit irritated since she came back from her first trip into the forest.
A thud brings me back to the present time, where she's fallen back against a tree. Disregarding the fact that I've been secretly following her, I emerge from my place behind a thornbush and approach her.
"Mari? Are you alright?" I round to face her, but she doesn't so much as glance down at me. Her gaze is locked on the building fire of the town, the flames reflecting ominously in her eyes. Her breathing comes rapid, and sweat soaks her hair even though the warmth of the inferno barely reaches us. Concerned, I stretch up and press my hand to her forehead. It doesn't feel particularly warm, but she doesn't even show a reaction to my touch. "Mari?"
By my side, Noni whimpers as if he's just been hit, cowering back. He, too, is focused on Mari, but in a more anxious way. It's like he's scared of her, even though he's always loved her second to only Mother.
Then, her lips twitch upwards and a small laugh escapes from her mouth. "It's...Beautiful."
"Mari?"
She whips her head to look at me, her eyes feral as I've never seen before. I take a step back. "Oh, you're Haruhi. That's your name, right? Mari regards you as her favorite sister. That's you, right?"
"Mari, what's wrong with you?" I wonder, examining her for any sign of the usual Mari. Other than her general appearance, I find nothing. She kneels down, holding her hands out for me to take. Cautious, I take her hands doubtfully. Her fingers grip my hands softly, her smile losing its edge of craziness for a moment before she turns back to the fire.
"Isn't it gorgeous? The fire that consumes everything...that sends it all to oblivion...and in doing so, it releases such a brilliant radiance! This is my second time seeing it, but it's just as pretty as the first. Burning this disgusting town has yet to lose its charm." I can't take my eyes off her, unable to understand how she says what she does with a smile.
"You…" I piece together, "You're not Mari."
"Such a smart little girl!" She ruffles my hair. "And one with such pretty long hair, too! Why don't you be my younger sister, as well? I've never had a family before. It could be fun! I could braid your hair like Mari used to, and we could cook meals together, and fall asleep telling each other stories! Yes, we should definitely do that!"
"Who are you?"
She giggles. "Oh, silly me! I know your name, but you don't know mine, do you? I'm Chiyoka. You could say I'm a relative of Mari's, but I've taken a liking to her body, so I decided to take it! My body gave up on me a long time ago, you see, so this one with my blood just a bit diluted was perfect! So, whaddya say? Be my sister? I've never been a big sister before, but I've learned a bit while watching through Mari's eyes. I know a place in this forest where we can stay. It's very pretty. I'm sure even a quiet kid like you will have so much to say about it!"
"What about Mari?" I ask.
"Mm, I'm not entirely sure where she is. If she's where I was, that's too bad, 'cause I'm not switching back. But who knows? She may be somewhere else. I don't really care, as long as I can stay here. Ah!" Her eyes suddenly fly wide and she releases my hands, clapping once in delight. "Perhaps I shall go give my greetings to the twins! I'm certain they're absolutely dying to see me! Would you come along with me, Haruhi? Or shall I call you little sis? I don't really like animals, though. That little mutt you call Noni can just run along back to the other orphans." She points her finger at the ground before him, a small fire sprouting on the spot and sending Noni scrambling back into the forest. She curls her finger and it extinguishes.
"I don't think we should be going to the town right now," I advise, not seeing anything good by her meeting the twins. I get the feeling it would end badly, although I admit I'm not sure of their relationship.
"Don't worry about that," she scoffs. "I'm much more powerful than Mari. Neither of us will be so much as licked by the flames, if you prefer, although I personally like walking through fire. So long as I keep it from blackening my skin, it's actually quite comfortable."
I shake my head. "I really don't want to, nor do I want to be left alone."
She frowns. "Are you really going to make me stay here? I might just drag you along by the hair if you don't want to come, but it'd be a shame if some of those lovely brown strands were yanked out. I want my little sis to look as pretty as me, at least." When I don't say anything, she sighs. "Geez, kids are tough. I can kind of see why that woman sold me off. I'm not going to do that, though, I promise. What do you want to do, then? Play tag?"
"Someone sold you?"
Scowling, she stands. "Of course, that's the part you pick up on. Maybe you're a bit smarter than I'd like, but Mari seemed to really like you. Yes, I was sold. I wasn't anything more than baggage to that prostitute, anyway. Customers don't like children looking on. Most of them don't, anyway. I ran away from the guy I was sold to, though. My sixteenth birthday. Ran to the forest and came back with a vengeance. That fat bastard didn't know what hit him! By the time an idiot like him could process that his life might be in danger, the twins had already burned him hotter than those reeking cigars he always smoked. His screams were truly something to savor. Really, I would've liked those flames to have been my own, but I just wasn't strong enough yet. To be honest I was even weaker than Mari to begin with, but don't tell anyone that, 'kay?"
I inch backwards, ready to dart the way Noni had went. "That's twisted."
"I hope," she threatens, eyes flipping from dazed and insane to menacing without struggle, "you're talking about that bastard."
"Chiyoka."
We both turn to find a tall blonde emerging from the trees, dressed pristinely in a white suit that makes his bluish purple eyes pop. He doesn't look at me, his gaze locked onto Chiyoka as if assessing whether or not a wild animal will attack.
"Chiyoka, why don't you let the little girl return to her family? Think. They must be worried, having noticed her missing by now."
"Why would I ever listen to what you say?" she snarls, tensing. The sight of Mari's body acting so strangely sends goosebumps over my skin, but there really isn't anything I can do, is there? "You are the absolute last person I want to see! I'll give you one chance! Leave! Get out of my sight!"
"I can't do that."
I notice a vine reaching from the tree behind him, but it snaps around his neck before I can warn him, jerking him backwards. He collides with the trunk, shaking the tree so violently that branches break and thump to the ground. Other vines weave their way around his arms and legs, holding him exposed and unable to escape.
"Um, Chiyoka?" I lay a hand on her arm but she shoves me away, not taking her eyes off the man.
"Shut up! Don't interfere!" Then her lips contort into a malicious smile, and she slowly approaches her prisoner. Not even a foot away from him, she lays her finger on his chest and traces a heart delicately over the fabric. "Oh, I've been dreaming about this for ages, Tamaki. Tying you up like this...it's kind of erotic, isn't it? Maybe I'll keep you alive so we can do it again. I guess we could do it with you dead, as well, though."
"Chi-"
"Shh, be a good boy and stay quiet." One of the vines gags him as I watch in horror. His face twists in agony just as a low sizzling reaches my ears, and I choke on bile rising in my throat. Her finger singes where it touches, a thin column of smoke ascending from the black path she traces. The cloth burns away as she moves over it, revealing pale skin that has scorched black, red, and raw. Although his expression distorts in pain, her victim remains silent under her torture. But then again, that might only be because she has him gagged.
"So, how've you been, Tamaki? What have you been doing since you cast me aside? Did you find another girl to play with? Or perhaps, is it another unicorn? I wonder, did you think about me even a single day after you rejected me? Or were you done after you were disillusioned? Couldn't stand to be with me after that, could you? You know what I did? I went and found a couple young blokes with a bit of money and bought myself a life much better than one you could ever give me. I never thought we'd meet again, but I guess it's fate, isn't it? I never forgot about you for a single second, so I got rewarded. Now you can have a little taste of the hatred that I so generously gave to that bastard before. But since I used to like you, I'll stretch it out even more so you can enjoy it as much as possible. Doesn't that sound nice? Let's begin!"
She holds out her hand, a nearby bush unraveling and giving itself to her. When the thorns prick her skin, she doesn't even flinch. Instead, she clamps her hand around it and begins plucking off the thorns one by one. Then she pushes each one into his arm.
"Look at that! Our blood is finally mixing. I'd originally thought it'd happen when we had kids, but this is a good substitute, I guess. What about you, Tamaki? Aren't you glad? Or are you disgusted that you now have bits of me running through your veins? I guess you'd find it vile, wouldn't you? Should I take this vine out of your mouth so you can talk? Or would you just scream?" She clenches her hand around his throat, mouth to his ear. "I think I'll remove it, but you say my name and I'll crush you."
The vine in his mouth retracts into the tree and he spits on the ground, getting whatever taste it had from his mouth. I glance at the flaming town, then to the depths of the enchanted forest. Should I go back and get help? But it's not like there are other witches to stop her. I think there was one in the town earlier, but right now she's the one keeping the dragon busy. Maybe I should have studied sorcery with Mari. Then, I might've known what to do in this situation.
"Stop this," the man pleads, voice steady. "You shouldn't be alive anymore, you know that. It's not healthy for a human soul to stick around for so long."
She sneers. "You still want to get rid of me? I swear, men have nerves! And after I came all this way to find you, too! Take note, Haruhi. Never trust a man no matter how infatuated he might seem."
"You shouldn't have done this."
"WHO ARE YOU TO SAY THAT?" SNAP. She slaps him hard enough to leave his cheek visibly red. "Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do? You aren't my husband! You aren't my friend! And you are definitely not my love! Not after you threw me away like trash just because I gave that bastard what he deserved! He had it coming, dammit!"
I freeze when I notice droplets trembling down her cheeks, unsure what to think. Her lips quiver with emotion, but I'm not confident that it's rage. Her hand, which she hasn't yet dropped from slapping him, shakes in the air as she pulls it to her chest.
"I just gave him a taste of his own medicine! I did nothing wrong! Nothing! I had a right to do everything that I did! And yet you…"
"Chiyoka-"
"SHUT UP!" With a swing of her fist, the vines around his middle constrict and he gasps. His eyes fly wide, red dripping from his lips. Seeing this, she pauses, the sound of her heavy breathing filling the air. We both watch without movement as the little trickle of blood spilling over his lips widens to a stream and he hacks, sending puddles to the ground. Even as his body shudders from the agony, he doesn't look away from the girl inside of Mari's body. Narrowing her eyes in defiance, she glares at the man. "Just die, why don't you?" And then…
He smiles.
"I'm...sorry, Chiyoka," he murmurs, eyes dimming. "If that's...what...I can do...I'll die for you, then." His body stills and slumps against the vines, leaving silence behind. A high pitched screech startles me. Waving her hands frantically, she sends the vines flying away into the forest. Before he can hit the ground, she darts forward and catches him, falling to the ground under his weight. As I watch, the man limp on her knees blurs, changing form until it's not a human, but a magnificent white stallion. She doesn't react to it at all, gathering the head in her arms and pressing her own head against the elegant silver horn protruding from his forehead.
"I'm sorry!" she bawls, tears and snot mixing as she cries. "I'm sorry Tamaki! I'm such an idiot! Open your eyes! Please, just open your eyes! I'll stop complaining! I don't care if you hate me! Just open your eyes!"
I step over to where she is, the rabid aura surrounding her having dispersed. I've never comforted someone crying before, but I copy what Mari usually does. My hand rests on her back as I kneel down beside her, listening to her sobs and screams. When she eventually quiets, she slowly lifts her head. Turning her face to the sky, she closes her eyes. A slight breeze ruffles her hair, as well as the golden locks of the unicorn lying before her, the same breeze sending shivers through me. I'm not sure whether it from the cold or something else, though. Her lips, still quivering, twitch into a shattered smile.
"I guess...I'll follow you, then," she declares brokenly. "Will you take me now? I'm sorry. I really am. Really, Tamaki." She lets out a small laugh, the final tear slipping down her face. "I still love you."
She falls still, her breathing stalling. Seconds later she inhales abruptly, eyes flying open as she jerks away from me. She throws her head around frantically, finally coming to settle her eyes on the unicorn lying by her legs with blood yet to dry staining its mouth. Breath catching, she seems to at last realize I'm here. Whirling to face me, she stares.
"...Haruhi?"
Chiyoka! Gah, I feel so sorry for the girl! It isn't her fault she turned out like that! I think she's just a girl who doesn't know how to hold back her anger, and has no idea how to love someone. She was never taught, after all. When Tamaki turned her down after she destroyed the town (using the dragons, if you haven't caught on), she sort of freaked out. Ah, now we're on the topic of Tamaki. It was likely his gallant presence that attracted her to him. In the end, he just couldn't accept the rampant darkness in her heart. Even so, they loved each other so strongly that she came back from the dead chasing after him, and he willingly died. I think he went so peacefully because he knew that she was dead already. I make myself so depressed sometimes...maybe I should go read something gushy and frivolous so that I'm not dragging myself around the house like a zombie.
Till then, Kisses from SnowyNeko! :3 MEOW!