Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Date a Live.
Yoshino's POV:
While I am relieved to see that Miku is still alive, it's obvious that her horrible encounter with DEM changed her, and not in a good way. "So, you've met Miku before?" Kotori asks Shido.
"Yeah. It was yesterday, when I was getting groceries." Shido replies. "She was being bullied by three girls from a different school. They called her a 'loose woman' and other degrading things." Those must've been girls from Rindouji. "Even after I came in to help her, she looked so... afraid. As if any wrong movement would cause her to freak out."
"That fall in line with the data from her her emotional graph." I say. "She was showing high levels of fear at first. It lowered a bit after she recognized you, and kept gradually lowering as you talked with her, but it picked up immediately when the AST and the Adeptus appeared."
"Guess losing some of her power has left her afraid of everything." Kotori frowns. "Although, I have a feeling there's also some bullying involved. if those three girls are any indication." That makes sense. When she lost some of her power, her hold on Rindouji broke, and it left her vulnerable to being bullied by the other girls.
I look at Shido and see him clenching his fists, obviously unhappy about Miku predicament. "Shido, I understand that you want to help Miku, and by earning her trust, you've already taken a crucial first step."
Kotoro nods in agreement. "That's right. You've managed to arrange a meeting with her and the other Spirits. Use that to help her open up more. Then, we make her fall in love with you so that you can seal her."
"Actually, this brings up a good question." Yoshinon chimes in. "Given that Miku's power is currently fractured, would Shido's sealing ability even work on her?"
I quickly realize the problem Yoshinon is presenting. "Yoshinon is right. Shido's power won't be as effective the way Miku is now. With Kaguya and Yuzuru, it wasn't a problem since they were both sealed at the time. But with Miku, some of her power is currently in the hands of the enemy."
"And there's no way we're gonna get Project: Siren to fall for Shido." Kotori groans. "What a drag... This means we'll need to reclaim Miku's power before we can seal her."
"But... wouldn't that mean killing Siren?" Shido asks, looking uncertain.
Kotori frowns. "If there's another way to extract the stolen power from Siren, I'll gladly take it. Unfortunately, that's our only option right now." Once again, the thought of killing Siren makes my heart ache, making me hopeful there is another way.
Just who is Project: Siren that she's making me feel this way?
"We'll worry about that when the time comes." I say to take my mind off it. "Right now, we should focus on building trust with Miku." The Istuka siblings nod in agreement.
At that moment, Reine walks into the room. "Reine, have you managed to find anything on Miku?" Kotori asks.
"I was able to find a picture of her enrollment, but then I learned that she actually transferred from another school and got a picture of her there." Reine reports. "You might as well see them for yourself." She shows us the two pictures of Miku, one from her time and Rindouji, and the other from Raizen. And they couldn't be any more different even if you tried.
The Rindouji picture is how I remember her in the anime: a marvelously beautiful young woman, with straight, light indigo hair that was perfectly maintained, with a small flower clip as an accessory, and silver eyes that shone with confidence.
The Raizen picture, however, is like comparing night and day. In it, Miku's hair is messy and unkempt, her expression is marred by sorrow, and a pair of thick glasses cover her eyes. This matches Mio's description of her, and I'm pretty sure I can pretty sure I can see scarring poking out from the edges of her uniform. That might be where her power was extracted.
"Damn. You'd think she was a completely different person." Yoshinon comments.
"She looks so sad in the second picture." Shido says with a frown.
"The difference between the two pictures is already very telling." Kotori says. "Hopefully, we'll be able to find out more about her in the meeting." She looks at her brother. "We're counting on you, Shido." He nods firmly, determined to help Miku.
Shido's POV:
The next day as we walk to school, I tell the girls about my encounters with Miku. "Wait, really?" Tohka asks surprised by the news. "There's actually another Spirit enrolled in our school?"
"Even I didn't know there was another Spirit in Tengu City." Rinne comments with surprise.
"Yeah. I was able to get her to meet with us after saving her from the AST." I tell them. "But she's afraid of meeting with people, so please be gentle with her."
"Okay." Tohka nods in understanding.
"I'm glad that she at least survived her encounter with DEM." Origami says with relief. "I was really worried when I heard DEM had taken her power."
"Me too." I nod in agreement.
"So, what does our fellow Spirit look like?" Kaguya asks.
"Light indigo hair that's messy and unkempt, silver eyes that are hidden by a pair of thick glasses, and she wears a uniform that's one size too big for her." I describe Miku's current appearance.
"...Inquiry: That description makes her sound like a miserable person." Yuzuru comments.
"She kinda is. Losing her power has left her in a really tough spot, and I doubt she had the best past when she was human." I frown, worried about what Miku suffered before becoming a Spirit.
"So, you want to help put her life back together." Rinne realizes.
"That's my hope."
As we make it to the school entrance, Tohka taps on my shoulder. "Hey, is that Miku over there?" She asks, pointing at someone. I look at who she's pointing and see a girl that matches my description.
"It is! Hey, Miku!" I call to Miku.
The [Diva] Spirit flinches when I call her name and turns around, looking like a deer in the headlights, but calms down when she sees me. "O-Oh... it's you. Shido, right?" She asks as I approach her.
"Yeah, that's me. Good to see you, Miku." I greet her with a smile as the other Spirits walk up to us. "These are my friends - the ones I told you about last time."
Miku warily looks at the girls. "So... you're all Spirits?"
Tohka nods with a smile. "Yup. I'm Tohka Yatogami."
"Origami Tobiichi. Nice to meet you, Izayoi-chan."
"I'm Tohka's sister, Rinne Sonogami."
"Greetings, fellow Spirit. I am Kaguya Yamai."
"Introduction: I'm Yuzuru Yamai, Kaguya's twin sister."
The sealed Spirits introduce themselves one by one, and Miku looks a bit confused. "Um, Rinne... you said you and Tohka... are sisters?" She asks the [Ruler] Spirit.
Rinne giggles. "I know we don't look alike, but we are sisters since we're both Pure Spirits."
Miku still looks a bit confused. "Basically, they're sisters by soul." I clarify. Miku nods, beginning to understand, but still unsure. "Hey, Miku, why don't we meet up on the rooftop after school? We can talk more there."
Miku nods. "Okay..."
Miku fast walks to her homeroom. "You were right about Miku, Shido." Tohka speaks up as we watch Miku leave. "Her posture speaks to her being so... afraid. As if everything is out to get her."
"I was able to feel her power, too." Rinne speaks up. "It's fractured; no doubt as a result of her power being stolen."
"I just hope that we are able to help her." Origami says hopefully.
Me too, girls.
After school was done, the six of us plus Miku go up to the roof to talk more. "Hey, Miku." Origami starts. "If it's okay to ask... how did you become a Spirit?" There was silence as Miku looks down sadly at Origami's question. Just as I was about to tell her she didn't have to answer, she speaks.
"All I wanted... was to sing." Miku starts. "Singing was something that just... came naturally to me."
"That would explain why you moved to that theatre after the Spacequake." I say. "I wasn't like when I said that you have a beautiful voice."
Miku blushes at my compliment before continuing. "I... wanted to continue singing, so... becoming an idol was a... dream come true for me."
"You were an idol?" Rinne asks.
"Yeah... You've... probably heard of my stage name. Or at least... maybe Shido and Origami."
I try to think of any popular idols I've hear about, and one name comes to mind, making my eyes go wide. Origami gasps, also coming to that same conclusion. "No way... You're Tsukino Yoimachi?!"
"No way!" Kotori gasps in disbelief from my earpiece.
"It's true. I found that piece of information while doing a background check on Miku." Reine confirms.
The other girls look at the two of us with confusion. "Tsukino Yoimachi?" Tohka asks. Obviously, she and Rinne weren't around to hear about Tsukino Yoimachi, and Kaguya and Yuzuru were probably too busy with their duels to care about idol news.
"She's an idol who quickly grew to popularity due to how beautiful her singing voice is." Origami explains. "Ms. Hanakai played one of her songs during breakfast." Huh. Didn't know Ms. Hanakai had some of her songs.
"Oh yeah, I remember that!" Tohka says, looking at the revealed former idol. "So that was actually you? That was san amazing song."
Miku gives a small smile, the first I've seen from her. "I'm glad... you liked it. Just hearing people... listen to my songs brings me joy. As... long as I'm brightening someone's day... with my voice, that's all that mattered." I smile at Miku's reason for becoming an idol. Sometimes, doing your job just to make people happy is all the motivation someone needs.
"Question: Then what changed to make you quit?" Yuzuru asks, and immediately Miku frowns again.
"I... was introduced to a TV producer, and... my managers told me to be... extra nice to him."
"... You gotta be kidding me." I immediately know what she means by that, and it disgusts me. Looking at the girls, they have the same face of disgusts, having come to the same realization.
"I... didn't care about having my own TV show. I... wanted to sing because I loved it, so... I refused. But then..." She starts shivering, as if remembering a terrible memory.
"The scandal..." Origami says with wide eyes.
"What scandal?" Rinne asks.
"There was a sex scandal involving Tsukino Yoimachi sleeping with some big shot TV producer." Origami explains. "I never believed it myself, but it really tanked her reputation. That must've been about Miku and that same producer!"
"What?!" Tohka shouts in outrage. "But why?! Miku said no! Why would people believe such an obvious lie?!"
"Unfortunately, that's the thing about rumors." I sigh in displeasure. "If it's about anyone famous, people will jump on it without a second thought."
"So that bastard ruined Miku's life just because she refused to spread her legs for him?!" Kaguya snarls.
"Anger: How could he be allowed to get away with such a horrible act?!" Yuzuru snarls, sharing her sister's anger.
I frown, understanding their anger. "People with enough money to throw around can get away with a lot of things."
"With all the chaos involving Spirits, it's easy to forget the monsters lurking within humanity." Very true, Origami.
"Did your managers not do anything to help you?" Rinne asks. "What about your parents? Surely, they wouldn't believe a scandal about their own daughter!"
Miku looks down sadly.
"Shido! Miku's mood took a serious hit!" Kotori warns me. But why? Why would Miku be unhappy about her parents?
"My..." Miku speaks, making us all look at her. "My parents... were my managers..."
... Oh HELL no!
"You mean to tell me..." I say in a low voice dripping with anger, my eyes shadowed by my hair. "that your parents tried to sell you away for some extra cash?" My body is trembling with how much anger I'm holding in. Miku's parents tried to sell her off like some prostitute, and when the scandal happened, they practically abandoned her! That damn producer used their greed to tear apart Miku's family and ruin her life!
"Sh-Shido...?" I barely hear Tohka's fearful whimper.
"Hey! You look like you're about ready to kill someone!" Kaguya says.
I look at the girls with a heated glare that makes them all flinch. "That bastard used Miku's parents' greed to ruin her life." I reply with a growl. "I prefer not to kill people, but hearing that really pushes it." Miku's espression changes to one of surprise at my words.
"... Not that I don't agree with you, but let's not go that far just yet." Yoshino tells me.
"I'm... happy you feel that way, Shido." Miku says. "But I... didn't have anyone to support me... at the time. I was... on my own. It got so bad that... the stress became too much, and... I lost my voice." We immediately feel sorry for her. For an idol, their voice means everything to them, so suddenly going mute is the worst thing that could happen. "I felt... at that moment, that... my life was over; that I... lost everything. My family... my fans... my career... all gone." I could hear the immense sadness in her voice. "I thought that... I no longer had a reason... to keep living."
Origami gasps. "I heard that Tsukino Yoimachi had died a year ago." She says. "Did you...?"
Miku nods. "I... tried to commit suicide to... end my own life. But then..."
"Then the Spirit of Origin appeared and gave you your powers." I finish, already knowing what comes next. "Becoming a Spirit restored your voice, and gave you the ability to control people with it."
"And then DEM attacked you and took your powers." Origami follows up.
Miku tugs at the collar of her shirt, which is already a size too big for her, and I manage to catch a glimpse of a bandage wrapped around her neck.
"Your neck..." Rinne says, having also noticed it. "Did DEM hurt you that bad?"
Miku doesn't answer for a moment, but she does undo the top few buttons of her shirt, letting to bandage fully come into view. Then, she moves her hands to undo the bandage...
The girls and I let out horrified gasps at what was revealed underneath. On Miku's neck is a horrid, blotching scar that looks nothing short of gruesome. The best I can describe it is a tightly packed, uneven star-like shape, with jagged, ragged tendrils of uneven healing surrounding it.
"Were they trying to tear out her voice-box with their bare hands while stealing her power?!" Kotori shouts, sounding just as sickened as I am.
"Perhaps that is where DEM performed the extraction." Yoshino guesses.
"Damn. No wonder she has trouble speaking." Yoshinon comments.
"Miku..." I whisper.
"Do you all... see?" Miku asks sadly. "This scar... was left behind from them... taking my power. It's a horrid reminder... of both my pain and my... crimes."
"Your crimes?" Tohka asks. What crimes did Miku commit?
"I... used my power to... take what I want. I... treated others like toys." The [Diva] Spirit looks down with guilt. "I was... a cruel, horrible person." She brings a hand up to her scar. "I believe that... this is my comeuppance; that karma... had finally decided to collect. And now... I've lost everything again. Whether I'm sealed... or die, it doesn't matter to me anymore."
I immediately move to hug Miku. "Don't say those things!" I tell her firmly. "You were dealt a bad hand in before you became a Spirit. When people at their lowest are given such power, they tend to make bad decisions." I part from the hug, holding her shoulders to look her firmly in the eyes, which I can see due to her glasses falling a bit from the force of my hug. "And don't say your life no longer matters, because it sure as hell matters to us! Even if the world would ignore your death, we would still miss you!" Miku gasps at my words.
"That's right!" Tohka immediately agrees with me. "We've only met today, but I already consider you our friend, Miku!"
"No one deserves to suffer like this." Origami says. "Not even you, Izayoi-chan."
"If there's anything you need, please know that you can count on us." Rinne tells Miku.
"On our honor as the Yamai twins, we will do everything in our power to help you back on your feet!" Kaguya declares.
"Support: We'll help you however you need it." Yuzuru follows up Kaguya's declaration.
Miku is stunned by everyone's supportive words, and then looks at me as I give her a smile. "We're here for you, Miku." I say. "We won't let you suffer anymore."
Miku's eyes start to tear up, and then she hugs herself into my chest and starts sobbing. I gently hug her back, rubbing her back as she releases all the pain she's been holding in.
Yoshino's POV:
As I watch the touching scene of Shido comforting Miku, I feel a pang of guilt strike my heart.
Her backstory mostly lined up with what I remember, but the twists caught me completely off-guard. There was no information on Miku's parents or what they did at the time, so to hear that they were actually her managers back when she was an idol and that they willingly tried to sell her away for big bucks... Suddenly, her hatred against humanity is a lot more understandable.
And then there's the scar on her neck. That horrible scar that is the result of DEM stealing some of her power. Yet to Miku, she sees it as her punishment; that it's what she deserves for treating humanity like her plaything.
She's... actually remorseful for what she's done. That alone turned whatever hatred I still had for her into guilt.
She doesn't deserve this. Even if it is karmic retribution, she doesn't deserve to suffer such a miserable fate. Her actions were a result of being a victim of greed, both sexual and material.
Miku... I'm sorry for hating you for no reason. I swear I'll make things right for you.
So, yeah. Miku's had it really rough. Losing her power has made her look back and realize how power-drunk she was, and now she feels her suffering is deserved. Thankfully, our heroes are here to help her out of it.
The Tenou Festival is next chapter. How will things play out with Miku now on Raizen's side?