Maria was starting to get used to the future.
Well, that's not quite true. She wasn't sure she'd ever REALLY get to the future.
Because whenever she accepted some of the more surprising things, some other, utterly bizarre thing would happen.
But she was becoming more numb to the insanity happening around her although it was taxing.
Which is why she couldn't be happier when Izuku asked her to supervise a camping trip, she felt rather relieved.
Just a normal camping trip, with some normal-ish kids. Kioku, Fuku, Kira/Nise, Koe, Kano Kei, Eri, and Otoko.
"Alright, we're finally here!" Kioku said as they arrived at the clearing in the woods.
"Aren't we a bit far?" Fuku asked as she helped Yuna off the Beowulf they traveled on. They'd all been traveling for hours and none of them were sure why Kioku had insisted they go so far.
"It's fine, if any emergencies happen we can just portal back. And it's not like we're off the house's grounds anyway." Kioku reassured them, although Maria could see the girl sweating a bit, which was extremely suspicious. "Let's just get everything ready shall we!"
Maria couldn't help but worry about Kioku's obviously suspicious behavior, but surely, whatever she was up to couldn't be so bad. She was just a six-year-old.
And so the next hour was spent setting up camp until Maria noticed a peculiar bag. "I don't remember packing this."
Maria walked over to the bag and unzipped it.
And found Gin, bound and gagged inside the bag. Looking more bored than anything else.
Maria and Gin stared at each other for a while, as Maria's brain took a second to process what she was seeing.
"Oh hey, Gin's here!" Kei chirped happily as she saw Gin in the bag.
"Guess the Gin's out of the bag huh," Kioku said, realizing her little surprise had been unveiled.
Maria just stared at the boy in disbelief for a few more seconds, before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, before taking the gag out of the boy's mouth.
"Can I go home now?" Was the first question Gin asked?
"Kioku, what is going on?" Maria asked, trying not to let her annoyance leak into her tone too much.
"Well I figured Gin staying inside too much wasn't healthy for him, so I brought him camping with us," Kioku explained.
"She didn't ask me, I just woke up in this bag," Gin said. "Send me back."
"Aww don't be like that! Since you're here you should stay with us! It'll be fun!" Kei pleaded as she helped unite the boy.
"He does stay inside too much," Koe added via text to speech.
"Sleeping all the time isn't good." Kira piqued up.
Like you can talk. Nise pointed out.
My past of sleeping through life is WHY I'm talking. Kira explained to her bodymate.
"Ugh." Gin groaned as he finally got to his feet.
"Here, let me cut you a deal," Kioku said. "Why don't you join us this once, and then we'll all leave you alone for a while. Otherwise, we'll just keep bothering you. Deal?"
Gin pondered it. Part of him wanted to refuse immediately, not liking the idea of giving the person who'd just kidnapped him what they wanted. But on the other hand, going a while without someone bothering him was a very tempting offer.
"Ugh! Fine!" Gin hissed. "Let's just get this over with."
Heh. All according to plan. Kioku said as she smugly crossed her arms.
"That's great, but I'm still telling your father about this." Maria deadpanned.
All according to plan. Kioku repeated to herself, ignoring the fact that she was definitely grounded when this was over.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Time for a water gunfight!" Kei shouted.
All of the kids and Maria made it to a nearby lake after everyone had changed into their bathing suits.
Upon receiving his water gun, Gin immediately turned and blasted Kioku in the face.
"Agh!" Kioku staggered, not at all expecting to be blasted immediately.
"Nice shot M-ahh!" Kei was next and without a moment of hesitation, Gin turned his water gun on her and shot her right in the face.
"Hmm. This might be a little fun after all." Gin chuckled darkly before he was then shot down by another kid. "Ok, who did that?"
From there it properly descended into chaos, as everyone started blasting each other, running around with their water guns shooting whoever popped into sight, or whoever just shot them last.
Meanwhile, Maria watched from the side, looking over the children fondly as they played. She even saw Mu smirk a couple of times.
This reminds me of when me and grandpa went to the beach. Maria thought. As the memory of herself playing in the water, with her grandfather watching with a fond smile on his face.
Something that would never happen again.
Maria's smile faded, and she felt a wave of weakness hit her.
She banished that thought. To cut off the wave of crippling thoughts that'd follow. She had to keep going. She didn't have a choice.
"Are you alright Ms Maria?" Kano asked.
"...Yes. I'm fine." Maria forced herself to answer. "Aren't you going to join them?"
"Absolutely not. I detest getting wet." Kano scoffed. "Do you know how hard it is to fly when you're soaking wet?"
"Fair enough. Is there anything you want to do while they play?" Maria asked.
"Yes, actually I'd like to talk about maybe updating your wardrobe," Kano said. "And maybe your hair?"
"Alright, feel free to do it up in whatever style you'd like?" Maria said with a small giggle.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Next on the docket is horseshoe throwing.
Gin threw his horseshoe over to the stake and missed by a good margin.
"There I tried it, I'm done," Gin said as he turned around ready to walk away and find a good place to sleep until the next activity.
"Ah too bad, the winner was gonna get extra servings for dinner," Kioku added, holding back a snicker as saw Gin suddenly stop.
"...Ugh. I guess I could try a bit more." Gin groaned as he turned around. "At least I can't do worse than Kei."
"Too true!" Kei cheered as she threw another horseshoe that landed nowhere near her target. "Man, I do suck at this!"
"The fact that you can say that with a smile on your face. Is truly your greatest boon." Kano said.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
After a few more games, everyone finally sat down at the tables for dinner.
"Mmmm. This fish is perfectly seasoned! Fuku you are my favorite person here!" Gin moaned as he dug into his fried fish.
Fuku blushed and sank under the table. "Don't say things you don't mean."
"I don't think he was lying, but probably not a hard award to win," Kioku said as she ate her own food. "But seriously this fish is so good! How do you make food so good without an oven!?"
"Baked apple. So good." Eri said as she stuffed her face into her baked treat.
"It was interesting how you made this, I think I'd like to learn how you did this," Kira said as she ate.
"Free cheers for Fuku and her food!" Kei shouted. "Cheers!"
"Cheers!" Most of the others shouted.
Fuku just let out embarrassed noises from under the table.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"I don't get it?" Gin said as he lay down on the grass with the others, looking up at the night sky. "Couldn't we just have done this at home?"
"No, you simpleton! Yes, the stars are beautiful anywhere where you can see them! But the surrounding forest adds to the beauty!" Kano explained in outrage.
"Agreed. While the sky itself looks similar, somehow being in a forest changes things a lot." Kira explained.
"...I guess." Gin shrugged.
I agree I don't see much of a difference. Nise said.
I guess you're both simpletons then. Kira teased.
You're lucky I can't stick my tongue out while I'm in here. Nise pouted.
Oh no, what would I have done if you stuck your tongue out at me? I simply wouldn't be able to take it. Kira said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
After the star gazing, everyone climbed into their tents and promptly went to sleep.
Well, most of them did anyway.
Maria was currently looking at the top of her tent, knowing damn well she wasn't getting any sleep tonight.
All because of that damn feeling!
It wasn't even a proper thought, she didn't let herself properly finish the thought so it was just a feeling in the back of her head that felt like it was gnawing on her brain.
Although not finishing the thought didn't really help, because she knew what the thought was.
Her head hurt, and she was exhausted from fighting the urge to think, and yet despite how tired she felt, sleep didn't seem to be in the cards for her, because her mind was just too active!
Maria took a deep breath for the 50th time today to try and calm herself. "Alright that's enough, I need to get my mind off of this."
With that, she promptly got up and exited her tent, before walking into surrounding woods.
Since the kids were asleep, it meant Maria could properly focus on not focusing on her problems.
It was a lovely night all things considered.
A cool wind blew through the forest causing the trees to rustle giving off pleasant sounds.
Her grandfather-
The ground was nice and firm and gave off the fresh smell of grass and other plant life.
Clear skies meant that the moon could shine down unimpeded.
Her grandfather and everyone she ever knew were dead.
BANG!
Maria slammed her head into the tree. "Just stop. Just give me a break. I'm begging you."
Her energy expended, Maria turned around and leaned up against the tree, before slowly sliding into a sitting position and holding her head in her hands. "Why can't my own brain just stop giving grief for five seconds."
A few seconds of silence followed, before eventually, Maria felt someone tap her shoulder.
She looked up and saw Kei standing in front of her. "Heya."
"Oh, Kei. I thought you'd be asleep by now." Maria said, quickly trying to focus on this rather than her own problems.
"Me and Kira went for a walk. Kira likes walking, and I like talking so it was fun!" Kei explained. "But it looks like you need someone to talk to."
"I'm fine I was just…thinking about my grandfather," Maria admitted, a forced smile gracing her face.
"You're still upset because he and everyone else you knew is dead, right?" Kei asked, cutting right to the point.
"...Was it that obvious?" Maria sighed, immediately losing the strength to continue her facade.
"I've seen a lot of sad people. So I know when someone's sad." Kei explained as she took a seat on the ground in front of Maria. "So what made you think of him?"
Am I really about to pour my heart out to a seven-year-old? Maria asked herself. Oh, screw it. Maybe just talking about it will help. And it's not like anything ever gets Kei down anyway.
"I was watching you and everyone else play by the lake, and it reminded me of when me and my grandfather used to play around in the water," Maria admitted somberly, those bittersweet memories popping up, making it really hard not to cry. "And after that I just…haven't been able to stop thinking about him. And how we'll never make another memory like that again."
"Well, that's no good." Kei frowned. "Hmmm. Well, your grandpa's not completely gone. He's still with you. In your heart, and in your head."
Maria sat in silence for a while. Just, imagining her grandfather. Mostly his face. Staring at her, smiling, and slowly, she gave a slight smile back. "Yes, I suppose I've at least got that much of him with me."
"Uh-huh. You have him and all the good memories you had with him." Kei continued. "The past is the past, it'll never come back, but also never go away. Those memories you have with him will have always happened, and no one can unmake them. But you can't stay in the past, you have to keep moving forward, and make lots more new memories with other people you love. Like Le!"
"Le, I still have Le." Maria reminded herself, feeling a bit of her strength returning to her, but then suddenly another invasive throat forced its way through. "But for how long? With his new crazy superpowers, I keep worrying that one day he's going too…"
"Die?" Kei finished. "Probably not. Dad is really, really careful, and he works really super duper hard to keep us safe. But even if he fails, even if something does happen. It's not happening right now. Le's still here, and he'll probably be there when we come back. So you better make as many memories with him as you can. So even when you say goodbye someday, you'll have those memories. And even when Le's not around, that means you can find all sorts of new people to love and care for!"
"How can it make it sound so easy?" Maria asked. "You're probably right. I know you are, but how does someone your age, and with all the things you've been through just…say things like that?"
"I don't know. Just the way I am." Kei said, offering a cheerful grin. "I don't understand why everyone makes things so complicated. You remember the good things about the past, enjoy the present, and look forward to the future. If you can't enjoy the past, make some new memories in the present so you can enjoy them later. If you can't enjoy the present, work hard so you can enjoy the future. If you know the future's gonna be hard, enjoy the present while you can, so those memories get you through the hard part. Simple as that."
Maria laughed. "Well when you say that, it does sound simple. I guess since I'm not enjoying the present right now I should probably do something about it then."
"Yup! But right now it's time for sleep. You can't have fun when you're tired." Kei reminded a she got on her feet and offered Maria her hand.
"...You're such a good kid Kei." Maria smiled as she got up, and took Kei's hand, before walking back with her to the campsite.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Whaooooo!" Gin cheered, as he rode a giant fish across the sea. "Faster!"
The fish jumped high into the air, before falling back down towards the sea.
They hit the water, and then Gin woke up.
Gin quickly checked himself. He always had to be careful with water dreams, but he seemed dry for now. Alright, I'm good….why did the water in that dream…look so much…prettier?
It was clearer. Bluer too. It felt so much more real than it ever did before.
Is it because I finally saw a lake in real life? Gin wondered. I mean it was cool I guess, but was it that different from seeing it from a computer? Ah, who cares?
Gin closed his eyes and tried to fall back asleep.
But for the first time in a while, Gin felt restless.
Why did the water seem so different?
After a few minutes, it became clear, he wasn't falling back asleep, the chrome-skinned boy groaned in annoyance.
"Geeze what is up with today? Is it even still today or is it past midnight? Ah, who cares?" Gin slowly got up and left his tent, looking around to see if anyone was keeping watch.
No one was, and so Gin slowly walked into the forest.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
After a few minutes of walking, Gin finally made it to his destination.
The lake.
Gin went over to the edge of the river, and looked at it for a while, before his hand it, and moving it around a bit. "It's just water. Like the stuff you'd get from a sink. So why is it so…different?"
"It is strange how that works. Isn't it?"
Gin looked behind him and saw Kira standing there. "Oh, which one are you?"
"Kira. Nise's other self." Kira explained.
"Hmm. Don't know what that means, don't care. Why did you follow me?" Gin asked, turning his attention back to the lake.
"If someone were to attack you right now, you might die before the guards can jump in. Your body is very weak after all." Kira explained.
"Oh, so you noticed that," Gin said.
Kira nodded. "I've been trained to spot weakness. Kioku noticed too. It's why she made sure all the games we played weren't too physically demanding. She really did want you to have fun, I think…Did you have fun?"
"..." Gin stayed silent for a while, before letting out a sigh. "Well, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. But me being here probably held you guys back from having more fun. With my weak body and all."
Gin sat down and looked at his reflection in the water in front of him. "I'm just not good at this kinda stuff."
"Is that why you like to sleep so much?" Kira asked as she took a seat next to Gin.
"Kinda. In my dreams, I can do anything. I can be an explorer, a hero, a villain, a train driver, anything." Gin said. "But in real life, I'd wake up, and it felt couldn't do anything. My quirk made living a normal life impossible. But even now, with the rings. I still can't do much. So, I might as well just dream forever. It's the most fun I'll ever have."
"...That reminds me of something," Kira said, looking at her own reflection in the lake. "Back when I was living with my parents, I'd have dreams of us. All three of us, as one big happy family. I'd dream that they loved me. I remember never wanting to wake up from those dreams. Because in real life, no matter how much I tried, those dreams would never come true."
Kira then looked up into the night sky. "But…I never dreamed I could be here. With a new family. A father and mother who love me. Really, love me. Just for…existing. I never dreamed it, because I didn't know it could happen. Because that is the limit of dreams. You can do anything you can imagine, but nothing more."
"Nothing more than I can imagine," Gin repeated.
Kira looked back out at the lake. "Bigness can make things feel way different. A cup of water seems like nothing, but a lake full of water is…beautiful. And the world is so big. I wonder how many things I could never imagine are out there. Waiting for me?"
"I can see the entire world anytime I want. Using a computer." Gin was brought up.
"It's not the same. I don't know why. It just isn't." Kira said. "But you realized that. Didn't you?"
Gin stayed silent.
"Dreams are nice, but they're nothing compared to how much fun living can really be," Kira said. "At least, that's my opinion."
"...Why do you all care so much? You, Kioku, Kei. Why do you all care about how I live my life?" Gin finally asked.
"One day, a boy reached out to me and offered me a new way to live. I didn't understand it at first. Why did he do that? But when I eventually asked him, he said. Because the world is more interesting, with you in it." Kira said. "Maybe that's why. Maybe one day, you'll make our lives more interesting too."
"You really think someone as weak and powerless as me could make the world more interesting?" Gin asked as he threw Kira a skeptical look.
"Izuku Midoriya was someone I was told to kill because he was weak. Izuku Midoriya has not only survived multiple attacks by armies of criminal organizations, he became one of the most powerful men in the world." Kira pointed out. "He did all that, as a quirkless teenager, who was born with nothing. Like I said, the world has so many things, you can't imagine. So who really knows what you can and can't do?"
After that Gin once again went quiet, looking back down at his reflection for a while longer.
For the next couple of minutes, they sat in silence, letting the forest ambiance fill their ears.
"I'm not getting any more sleep tonight am I?" Gin finally asked.
"Rethinking your life does keep you up at night, trust me I know," Kira said.
"You ever do that stone-throwing thing?" Gin asked.
"The only time I ever threw a stone, it was through someone's head. So no." Kira answered. "But it can't be that hard."
Hey guys! Been a while huh?
Yeah, my mental health took another steep decline and I ended up in another Psych Ward for almost two whole weeks.
Thankfully, my suffering has given me a lot of inspiration so look forward to upcoming chapters.
And please give a review, I love reading them and they're the closest thing I get to talking to people, which is good for mental health.