As the pink haired goddess candidate of the PC continent continued tinkering with one of her latest experiments, she hummed a tune from one of her beloved gacha games,
"Shame.,. That game won't be out for another year…" She sighed. Sure, she probably had no right to complain, given that Nepgear's meddling with the timeline was the only reason she was standing there at the moment. But still, she did sometimes miss her rPhone games. Shaking her head she refocused herself on her creation, till she heard a voice come from the entrance to her room,
"Maho really…" The voice sighed, as Maho excitedly turned her head to the doorway, "Really, I guess I shouldn't be surprised"
"Anrriii!" The excitable CPU candidate joyfully exclaimed as she threw herself around the gray haired programmer.
She didn't know how or why, but it seems fate smiled down on her, and even after the rewrite Anri and her were as close as ever. Maybe it was destiny? Whatever it was, Maho was happy it was the case. If she didn't have Anri…
She hated that thought actually.
Sure… Anri had forgotten all they had gone through before. But, perhaps… that was a good thing. Then she wouldn't have to know what Gray Sister had done to her parents countless times.
Just how many times had she done that to them? Without a care in the world scattered their lives into the wind. All to correct her mistake. How many times had they suffered because of Gray Sister's foolishness and hubris?
But it didn't matter. She was here now, and so was Anri. And Anri didn't need to know any of that. As far as she had to know she was Maho.
"Ok ok jeez that's enough" Anri mumbled as Maho nuzzled into her dear programmer,
"What are you doing here? Just couldn't get enough of me~? I'm not exactly an SSR you know~" Maho cooed, as Anri once more sighed.
"You know we have a meeting with Miss Histoire today! Right!?" Anri chastised. Really. That was just like her! "How many times have I reminded you!" Despite her complaints, Anri knew; the day she met Maho was one that changed her life forever. She couldn't quite describe it, it just felt like… something had been returned to her. That she had been missing something, and now she was complete again,
"Oooo you totally may have said that! K! Let's head to Planeptune! I'll get to see Gearsy too!" Maho beamed as she twirled around, and latched her hand around Anri's as she began marching out of the basilicom she called home.
"Jeez! Maho! Don't just do everything at your own pace!" Anri yelled,
"But we don't want to miss the ship!" Was the simple response from the bright girl, as Anri felt her brow rise. There it was again. Something that had been bothering her for the near year she had known her nation's CPU candidate.
"Maho…" She began softly, soon seeing the bright eyes stare back at her once more, "Why don't you transform? As Gray Sister, you could simply fly us over the sea" Anri pointed out. At first, she assumed that Gray Sister simply couldn't carry the programmer for that long, but, she recalled, when Purple Sister and Purple Heart visited the PC continent, they carried IF and Compa with them, so that wasn't it.
Anri however, could not have prepared herself for the effect her words would have on her dear, as as soon as Anri's words reached Maho's ears…
She froze. Looking akin to a deer caught in the headlights, face going pale as a look of horror soon plastered her face.
"M-Maho!?" Anri asked, unsure as to what she had done to leave Maho looking like that,
"I- I-" Maho stuttered, gritting her teeth, as a silence overcame the pair, and for the moment, Anri felt something unlike anything before settling on her heart as she saw the look in Maho's eyes. A desperation. A sadness deeper than she could possibly understand.
"Let's just go" Was all Maho said, as she let go of Anri's hand, and continued walking out of the basilicom, and started down the street, leaving behind a speechless Anri who felt a shadow cover her eyes,
"That girl…" She hated it when she did that. That thing she does when she tries to carry all her burdens by herself. Didn't she see… didn't she see how much Anri cared… Gritting her teeth, Anri began to follow after Maho, walking out onto the street as she saw pink hair getting smaller in the distance,
"Maho!" She yelled, but she did not see the pink hair turn to face her, as a matter of fact, Anri's words only served to cause Maho to increase her pace
Picking up her pace, Anri sped along the side of the road, as the city began to fade into the meadowy suburb, and as the coast approached, she finally caught up to the pink haired ball of cheer, as she fiercely grabbed her hand,
"Maho! What in Gamindustri has gotten into you!" She yelled, as Maho did everything to not have to face Anri at the moment,
"I have no idea what you're talking about" She mumbled her response as Anri gritted her teeth,
"Why…" Anri softly responded as her grip on Maho's hand loosened, till her hand fell to her side, "Maho…" She pleaded, she didn't know what was going on, but something about that look Maho gave her made her want to rip her heart out,
"I- You-" Maho still didn't have the words,
"Maho. You can trust me, right?" Anri whispered as she gently grabbed Maho's hands, as she turned her around so that the candidate was face to face with the programmer,
"I don't… I don't want you to see Gray Sister. Never again." She explained, despair drenching her tone, "I hate Gray Sister" She spat out finally. She hated Gray Sister. Gray Sister, she… she killed Gearsy, and Anri, and Anri's parents. All the ashen goddess represented was suffering.
"Maho…" Anri didn't know what she wanted to do. She wanted to slap her, she wanted to give her a hug, she felt like crying herself. Indifferently, she found herself unable to do any of those,
"Don't worry about it" Maho explained, as she tried to turn to continue walking, soon finding the task impossible, as Anri had gripped herself to Maho's chest, "Anri…?"
"'Don't worry about it'... You dummy! Worrying about you is my job!" Anri explained in haughty defiance, "I don't care what is going on in that big stupid head of yours, I'm here to worry about it!" Anri pouted, as Maho felt conflicted,
"You wouldn't get it"
"I'm far from stupid I'll have you know!" Anri pouted again, as Maho felt it all start bubbling beneath her skin once more, what would… what would Gearsy do?
"You're not being fair to Anri" She could almost hear Nepgear's pouty voice in her mind.
"Anri… I have to explain something first… but you can't tell anyone, ok?" Maho quietly began, as Anri gave her a nod, Maho soon going through the painful recollection of the misery she had put everyone including herself through for those countless resets.
"That's why. Gray Sister is a curse. She curses everyone around her"
Maho explained, as Anri sat still, a shadow covering her eye once more as she processed everything she had been told, and as the silence became almost deafening, Maho couldn't bear it anymore. She couldn't… she couldn't
"I know. You probably hate me now…" She mumbled, turning her back, before feeling Anri's weight on her again,
"You big dummy" Anri whispered in her ear as she clutched Maho to her, as Maho's once ragged breathing started to calm, "I want to meet her you know" Anri softly explained, as Maho's heart pricked just a little upon hearing the words, looking down, it was her turn to feel her eyes darken, a turbulence in her very soul,
"But what about… your parents" Maho's voice could barely be heard, yet,
"What do you mean, they're hard at work trying to save Gray Heart" Anri cheekily explained, as Maho gasped, "Maho. I don't care about any of that, and from what I heard, even the me that had to deal with that, even she had forgiven you. Maho what I care about is you, and that includes her, I want to meet her" Anri fiercely spoke, her words not giving Maho an out, as Maho gingerly walked forward, with shallow breaths, she felt the surge of the PC continent's shares flow into her body as…
"Here I am…" Gray Sister stood before Anri, "I- I- This is Gray Si-" Gray Sister tried to formulate her words, but soon found the task impossible, a pair of lips having sealed themselves around Gray Sister's own, making the act of talking impossible.
And for a moment. They stayed there, any of the words Anri could have said at the moment spoken through her actions, and after that moment passed…
"That's what I think" Anri concluded, a bright pink dusting on her face, "Now lets get to that meeting, dum dum" Anri presented with a smile,
"Anri…" Gray Sister felt tears starting to form in her eyes.
For all those countless years, throughout all of that eternal nightmare, Gray Sister was her… curse. But… could it be…
Gray Sister was Anri's beacon of light.
I like those two. Fight me on it lol. As for reviews
Tony Anderson- Yessss I love me some good SegamiIffy, very cute.