Singing with the Rain

[Kolbertt]

After a long walk home, Arielle finally reached her home. The broken parasol in her hands was useless; yet, the little girl carried it with an almost friendly attitude and sang loudly as she had done the entire trip back.

“Bonjour ma mere!! I’m home!”

A distant voice answered back from a noisy kitchen.
“Where have you been? I told you to get home at three o’clock!”

“Sigh… just been here and there, but I’m home now, am I not?”

“That’s not the point you little miss!”

“Whatever… Mum, I’m taking a bath now”

“Oh don’t you dare igno…” blah blah blah blah… Arielle knew the same old speech. She would be late. Her mother would get angry. Soon everything would be fine and dinner would go just right.

“Sure Mum”

She then locked herself in the bathroom and filled the tub with water.

"Ah… how nice" she thought as she entered the bathtub with the broken umbrella. It was always relaxing when she bathed like this. It was almost like going into a different place, somewhere only she knows.

“Ok now… time to repair Lero”

The water in the tub got warmer. Her hands around two pieces, and a swift current started flowing in a whirling pattern. The pieces of the umbrella got closer, Arielle closed her eyes and when she opened them, Lero was as good as new.

“Bonjour Lero! It’s nice to see you back!” A pair of bubbles appeared, and when they broke in the surface, a raspy voice was heard.

“HOW MANY TIMES MUST I TELL YOU!! MY NAME IS NOT LERO!!”

“Tchehehe! You are always so funny when you get angry! I told you already, you are a talking umbrella, so you are Lero!!”

“Oh you and your idiotic manga obsession! Do you see a pumpkin in me? NO!”

“Mmm… now that you mention it, a pumpkin would look good on you…”

“What! Don’t you dare spoil my elegant appearance with something as ordinary as a pumpkin!”

“How about a ribbon then?"

"..."

"Lero, Lerooo”

But Lero remained silent for the rest of the bath. So Arielle finished bathing, went to bed without eating, and fell asleep while thinking a good way to pimp Lero up.

[Kolbertt]

Classes were interrupted once again. This time, school declared, “Due to the recent accidents in central city, it was of high risk to remain in a closed building�- All the same for Arielle, this only meant more free time for her.

“Ok… now, what to do?� Let’s see…

“Hi Arielle! – How was school today?�

Arielle looked around, and through the chain that was attached to the school building, found the one who had talked to her.

“Bonjour Susan!! Comment ça va?�

“Not so good… I do not like it when children go back so early… they should focus solely in their studies.�

“That’s boooooooring! And most of them come here because they are forced to anyway!�

“Juju… that’s true right? And you come here because?�

“I told you already, because if I don’t come here, no one would talk to you, and your almighty geezer wisdom would be lost!�

And it was true; the former headmaster of the school was a really nice person, however, no one besides Arielle seemed to even notice she existed. At first it was strange, but talking to no one was just another habit in her already bizarre behaviour list.

Because the truth was that Arielle was an odd person.

Even before she gained the ability to see ghosts and other spiritual beings, Arielle was already odd. She had the strange habit of breaking into songs. The time, place, and company were unimportant.

Aside from that, she had the strangest habit of carrying around that incredible long umbrella. Some claimed it was a present of her grandmother, other claim she simply carries it around to show off, and there are those who say Arielle carries the umbrella around hoping that a prince comes, sees her as an aristocratic person for carrying an umbrella and proposes to her. But the truth is that no one knew were that umbrella came from. Things only got worse when she was heard talking to it under the rain.

But probably, the main reason she is so hated amongst other boys and girls her age, was that, despite her seemingly random thought pattern and uncaring attitude in class, she always got the top grades. As a result, other girls would usually pick up on her and give her nicknames like “Ariel you fishtail!� or other childish rambling.

“Juju! That is true little girl. This old lady has a lot more to give before finally going to the after world!�

“C’est vrai, c’est vrai, Tchehehe! Now, if you don’t mind, I must be going!�
“Were to? Can it be you are actually going out with friends?�

“Mmm… I’d say they are more like play partners�

“Ah, okay… well then, see you tomorrow.�

“Sure! Au revoir Susan!�

And then, Arielle left alone. She was already used to being alone. Now, the only problem would be to arrive at the city…

“With all this mess, I bet there are no buses going to the city right now… Agh, I’ll figure out soon enough�

Arielle then started walking towards the city. The humongous shadows she could see even from her school were quite intriguing.

“What do you think about them Lero?�

[Kolbertt]

“Hey, look! It’s raining again!”

“Agh… and I forgot to bring my umbrella today”

“Yeah, me too… Guess the only one who brought an umbrella today is fish-head”

“Je… you are probably right. Not that it matters anyway, since she never opens it…”

“You serious?! You mean that when it rains, she doesn’t use that infamous umbrella of hers?! Man, what a freak…”

“Yeah… look, here she comes!”

Arielle walked straight into the entrance of her school. Classes had ended and outside rained heavily. Despite this, she had her umbrella tightly shut with an elegant crimson ribbon that contrasted gracefully with the indigo cloth of the umbrella.

“Hi freak, going for a walk under the rain?”

Arielle merely looked at them with her black eyes, and with a grin in her face, answered:

“Yeah… I totally feel like it, and besides, there’s this friend of mine that I can only see in the rain”

The boys busted out in laughter. Arielle left wondering what was so funny about seeing someone in the rain. The boys in her hallway just continued laughing, pondering what kind of friend could she have. “A snail-person!!” One of them said, and they kept on laughing till their mothers arrived.

But for Arielle, the trip home was something almost sacred. Her mother had long since declared her a “Grown-up lady” and decided that she was perfectly able to walk home on her own. Sickness was the only exception, but since this was not the case, Arielle had to walk under the extreme climate.

Not that she cared, as she loved the rain.

Be it the sound of water against the floor, or the lack of people in the streets, or simply the wonderful smell of moisture that filled the air. But all of these were factors of the rain Arielle simply loved.

“You know, it would be nice to see you come back at them at least once…”

“Oh, Bonjour Lero!”

But what she loved most about the rain is that Lero could talk to her.

“You will never say my name, right?”

“Nope”
“Ugh… At least could you give me something less embarrassing than “Lero”?”

Arielle wondered for a second, thought of a name or two, but ended up answering with an enormous smile in her face

“No, Lero fits you like a glove :)”

“I guess I have no choice on the matter right… anyway, before you answer “NO!”, could you at least erase that fake gesture from your face?!”

“Fake gesture? You mean, this white shiny smile?!” Arielle smiled showing her white teeth, had it been a sunny day, she could have easily blinded someone with their shine, but now, they barely sparkled. Rainy days were fun, but they could also be gloomy.

“I want you to remember…” Lero said “I was born from your emotions. You can hide your thoughts, but I can read your face like a novel. You should know that by now”

“Oh!! So I have a book face?! And tell me, Am I comedy, drama… Oh, wait, you will probably say something like “You are horror” or something like that!”

“My, my… You almost guessed. I’d say you have a psychological horror type face”

Arielle laughed loudly “Tchehehe! See, you can be funny as well Lero!”

“See? I can be myself, so why won’t you open up with me, at least while we can”

“Ugh… do we really have to talk about this now? I feel happy here in the rain, I feel great and joyous, can’t we just skip the whole psychological blabber?”

“Nope”

“Original comeback”

“Thanks. Now tell me, why are you so down?”

Arielle stopped mid track. It was true, Lero had been born from her feelings, she needed someone to talk to, someone to help her, someone who could protect her. Thus, Lero appeared. It was useless trying to hide her emotions from him, as unlike the rest of the world, he really knew what happened behind her smile.

“Mmm… it’s not that I’m down… It’s just that I got slightly melancholic back there…”

“May I ask why?”

“Nothing really… I just happened to remember some nasty stuff… And I started feeling bad. I just guessed that if I could pretend nothing happened, the bad feeling would eventually go away… Luckily, it started raining and I got so excited!! You would walk me home!”

“So, mind telling me more?”

“Nope” She grinned sincerely. The mere thought of being with Lero cheered her up to the point that she had really forgotten what made her sad. “Mind if we have a seat now? I really want to enjoy your company before we reach home”

“Won’t you have problems with your mother?”

“She’s used to it by now. As long as I check in for dinner, it’s okey-dokey”

“Guess I have no choice right?” A useless question, since Lero already knew the answer.

=========

They had a seat on a bench that faced the small river of the town. With the rain and the winds, its usually calm waters had turned into a small torrent that could be potentially dangerous for small children and animals.

“Hey, little child” Lero spoke…

“Yeah?”

“Won’t you catch a cold if you stand under the rain for so long?”

“Yeah, so?”

“Are you actually aware a cold is a bad thing, right?”

“Yeah, so?”

“Are you even listening to me?”

”Yeah, so?”

“This is pointless…”

“Yeah…” --- “Oh, just shut up”

Their goofy talk went on for hours, jumping from stupid topic to even more stupid topics. All the while, Arielle stood unmoving under the striking rain, and in his own world, Lero remembered that incident that last time Arielle had actually used him…

Guess she still hasn’t totally recovered from that last time. It’s such a pity, her powers have so much room to grow. Yet, she enjoys being where she is, thinking this is nothing more than a game…

Silly little girl…

But don’t worry. I’ll be here for you. I’ll always be here for you. And when the day you decide to grasp your power, I’ll be there to be the sword in your hand. You’ve suffered enough in your short life… Just enjoy this rain. I won’t be able to make it last forever, but at least we’ll enjoy this time together.

“Crap, Is the rain stopping?”

“Maybe… It can’t rain all the time”

“Bummer. I love rain”

“Yeah, me too… but well, I guess this is good bye for now”

“Lero…”

“Yes, young lady?”

“I don’t want to be alone.”

This surprisingly sincere declaration shocked Lero. Even though he was part of Arielle, he could have not seen that coming.

“Don’t worry, I’ll always be with you”

“Why can’t it rain a little longer?”

“Natural laws I guess…” And also, I’m running out of energy…

“Can’t you do something to make the rain going? I mean, you control water! Do something! It's only natural that you can control rain as well!!”

“I’ll try, but I can’t guarantee anything…”

“Just tell me it will rain forever”

After an uncomfortable silence, Lero finally said…

“It’ll always rain” Lero's voice sounded hollow. Arielle couldn't help but think how a disembodied voice could make emotions so clear...

Not long afterwards, the first sunrays made themselves present, and Lero’s voice became weaker and weaker, to the point he was no longer heard.

Arielle now stood alone, soaked on the rain, she looked at the umbrella in her hands, looked at the sky, and with a smile in her face, she started walking home…

“Lero, you stupid fat liar”





(Think of this as a good bye!! I'll be leaving, so it will be quite a while before I post anything back :) -- Seee ya all later, don't you dare become too strong while I'm gone! :))

[Kolbertt]

Everything was ready. Her only priced material possession placed tightly in her left thigh with a crimson ribbon. She needed nothing else to spend a quiet afternoon as she drifted away to a random place, guided only by her feets while her brain travelled somewhere else... However, her trip was interrupted by an unexpected and unwelcomed interruption as she crossed the door to the outside world.

“Arielle... Are you going somewhere?”

The voice from a mature woman sounded in her back. It was a voice Arielle had never really gotten used to hear, despite the awfully long time they had been living together.

“Yes Cynthia... I’m going out, like every Sunday afternoon”

“You know there have been attacks by strange creatures right? They are all over the news”

“Yes Cynthia, I’ve been aware of them for quiet a time now. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be back before dinner and blah blah blah. Or do you actually want me to get you something?”

“I’d rather preffer if you stay here... It’s not safe at all with all those bizarre monsters going around, at least until the police determine it’s safe outside”

“Trust me, a wall won’t stop those monsters. Besides, I won’t be alone, so don’t need to worry about it”

“Learn your place litt-”

“Like you are one to talk. You are not my mother Cynthia.”

And without awaiting an answer, Arielle locked the door behind her. Through the windows, she could hear Cynthia’s insults and blasphemies. But those words didn’t reach her. Once out of that house, her brain drifted into a different place.

The sun shone bright that day. A pity really, Arielle would have loved to talk to Lero. Ever since her umbrella had been destroyed in the basement of “The Wolf” cafe, Lero would remain quiet even after being completelly healed... Or in his case, repaired...

Even if she hated it, it was a thought that had been hunting her for quiet a while now... What if Lero was nothing more than a tool? It had a personality of it’s own, but maybe that was imagination... A thought that didn’t comfort her one bit.

“So, I’ve either gone mad, or lost my only friend. Geez, what a horrible situation... Wait! Lero’s water!! Lero is a water wielding umbrella, so while I cannot share his voice with anyone, I’ve seen his water in action! That’s my proof that I’m not going nuts!”

Detaching the Indigo umbrella, Arielle wielded it like a wand. A quick glance at the surrounding area to see if anyone was around... “Nope, not one single person”

“Maybe if I call him by his true name... Gawd, how was he called again? Actually... where the hell am I?” It was only at this time that the realized the bizarre place she had reached unwillingly.

If there was a quiet shocking feature in this town, was the amazing variety of enviroments. From a lake, to mountains and forests, it was all reachable by walking... And now, Arielle had reached a wonderful place. A gentle seashore, with only a street lamp and a bench facing the sea... Grass growing everywhere, as waves carefully stroked every blade. She walked, but her feet didn’t sink in the mud. The water covered her feet, but it didn’t feel cold at all. It was a warm sensation she had never experienced before.

As she sat in the bench, she could hear the waves, the wind... The breeze of the sea was refreshing, and she closed her eyes quietly. The sea’s sweat was salty...

“I am why”

“You know, that line never made sense”

Arielle abruptly opened her eyes. She had, without a doubt, heard Lero’s voice. The excitement made her stand, and the umbrella she had in her hand felt to the water... This was strange, as she never held it with nothing else but the strongest possible grip. But at that exact moment, it looked as if the umbrella itself wanted to be free from Arielle’s grasp. Arielle threw herself after it, but somehow, the umbrella had been lost in the shallow shore.

“No! No!! This can’t be happening!”

“Don’t be so reckless little lady, I’m still here”

She quieted down. This time, she clearly had heard the voice again.

“Heya Lero... It’s been quiet a while”

“Indeed, little lady”

The umbrella was gone, but Lero’s voice sounded stronger than it had done in even the heaviest rain... Maybe because there was no rain to buffle the sound. It was at this time, that Arielle realized something.

Her strongest pleasure in this life, was rejoicing at the different kind of melodies that she could be heard. Nothing soothed her soul like the rythm of different songs. The emotions they conveyed, the feelings they portrayed. The stories they told... However, they were all the same in the rain... All the music was the same under the unforgiving courtain of the rain. An unrythmic white sound that destroyed the harmony created by the songs... Yet, she loved the rain, because she could feel Lero with her at that time... She could feel complete.

“Would you mind telling me why the hell did it take so long for you to re-appear?”

“Excuse me, but I’ve always been by your side”

“Oh yeah? Then why the hell didn’t you speak to me before? There are so many things I wanted to ask, and you still would remain silent... What the hell is wrong with you?! I was even starting to think that...”

“That I wasn’t real?”

“... Yes”

An odd silence followed. It was a tense situation, where both sides knew they had done something wrong, and none had the courage to accept what they had done...

“I do apologize for my dissappearance. But my actions were being limited... Mostly by yourself.”

“How dare you say that?! I wanted to talk to you the most in the world!!”

“That’s a blatant lie, young lady. You know I’m almost a part of your mind. You where afraid. Afraid that I would be angry at you for damaging me so much. Not only that, but you where also afraid of the continous growth in your powers... You’ve never been too keen on them ever since that time, and you’ve been doing your best to supress them. However, it was getting out of your control... Allow me to explain what it is that happened down in that basement.

As I recall it, you where attemting to “Gather information” on Alex and Gabriel, but found a strong shield made of some kind of energy... Nothing wrong, with that. However, your natural curiosity made you attempt to break it... However, the shield wouldn’t budge, so you released even more power, without unleashing my... True form”

There was some suspence when he said that... as if those words where some kind of taboo... But then, Arielle was too fascinated by the crystal clear sound of Lero’s voice. To notice at the moment. And once she did, she seemed more ashamed than offended.

“I thought we’d never mention “That” again”

“But little lady, you cannot deny what’s a part of yourself. Like a muscle, it’ll grow weak, until it eventually rots and infects your body. What happened in that basement is a perfect example. By trying to force your self-imposed limits, you damaged me, and had you continued, the damage done to your body would be catastrophic”

Arielle understood the situation. It annoyed her, but Lero had provided her with the explanation she had wanted to hear for so long.

“Must I take it that your silence was because you where attempting to heal yourself?”

“Exactly... Also, Arielle, there’s a little something I wanted to talk about once I regained my strength”

The idea of further conversation with Lero made Arielle happy... But so far, she had been talking to nothing. The voice was just a bodyless entity that answered her questions.

“Before that... I’d like to know something myself. Lero... What exactly are you?”

Yet another odd silence.

“I’m a part of you, but at the same time, I’m a different being. The whole reality is just too much for you to understand. But I don’t worry. I’m here for you Arielle... See? I’m real”

The sea shook. And a pair of royal-blue tentacles appeared. They where enormous, and easily extended to reach Arielle.

“I’m sorry, but I cannot expose myself completelly yet... Your power is growing, and that allowed me to take you to this place, but there are many trials you must pass before you reach your true power”

Arielle touched the tentacles. They where smooth to the touch, and felt like velvet. One would think that appendages so similar to tentacles would be sticky and repulsive, but that was the furthest away from the truth.

“I knew this place wasn’t real... It’s just too gorgeous to exist”

“Arielle... There is something I wanted to tell you”

“What is it Lero?”

“I’m worried for you... You are closing on yourself”

“You mean, powerwise? Don’t expect me to go trigger happy that fast... I’ll do my best, but I’ll need some time”

“I don’t mean power-wise only...What I mean is, you are closing your heart to the world”

Slightly embarrased by the cheesyness of that last comment, Arielle blushed and answered back:

“What the hell do you mean by that?! I’m perfectly fine the way I am now! Thank you for your concern, but no thank you!”

“I don’t mean couple wise. What I mean is, you have created an emotional barrier between yourself and the rest of the world. Your current relations consist solely of “Inteligent” and “Interesting” people... Such a naive view on the world will only limit you... And that will hamper your powers.”

The whiskers shone in rainbow colors, and softly touched Arielle’s hands.

“I must confess I’ve lied to you, Arielle... I always said I was a part of you. However, that is a lie. You and I are two separate beings, yet linked by something even stronger than death. Your current attitude will only shatter that link, and I fear I won’t be seeing you again...”

At the mention of that, Arielle’s eyes filled with tears. Not seeing Lero once more meant the end of her world... She tried reaching for her umbrella, only to remember it had been sunk into the strange shallow swamp.

“Arielle, listen to me. There are a couple of steps you must do in order to stop this. Arielle, are you listening?”

Arielle did not show signs of hearing. Instead, she just watched teary-eyed at the sunset. It’s said sunsets last around ten minutes. However, this one in particular seemed to be stuck in time. A well placed tentacle threw her on her back and brought her back to reality.

“Hey! You slimey bastard! What the hell was that for?”

“I needed you to pay attention”

“I’m listening to you, goddamn octopus!”

“Good, then listen –

First of all, it’s a key factor that you strengthen your social links with people. Real people... You know what that implies right?”

Arielle sighed... She knew what Lero meant, but did not want to admit it.

“That means I’ll have to actually look for people, get to know them, and create a relation with them. Right?”

“Part of it. It also means you’ll have to stop carrying my body around”

“Why? I see no problem on having you around?!”

“Really? You’ve been using my body as a shield. That umbrella you carry everywhere is nothing but a seal on your heart. It limits you, and gives a fake sense of security”

“Then what if I get attacked? Even Cynthia has seen the monsters, and she was never aware of ghosts or anything like that? That must mean there are much more right now!”

“You shall not worry about that. Even thought my body won’t be with you, you’ll always be protected. Where you are, I can see, and I’ll make it that you survive all your ordeals”

“But I still don’t get the meaning of that! How can be protected without my powers? That umbrella is the only way I have to use them!”

“That umbrella is the shape YOU decided to give to your powers since that fateful night. And actually, that item is more of a limiter than an aid. Thanks to the symbiotic link you’ve created among your powers and that umbrella, I was hurt. You know what I mean Arielle? That umbrella is nothing more than a nuisance”

It was hard to believe. It seemed almost ridiculous. In all this time, Lero had remained quiet while just suffering from all of Arielle’s mistakes. She knew she was limiting her powers, but hadn’t imagined that the umbrella was actually a limit on itself...

“Why are you suddenly talking about all of this Lero? You’ve known this for how long now? And yet, you throw all of this at once... Why is that Lero? What else do you know? Who... no, WHAT are you?!”

There was an odd silence... The ocean started moving... Maybe reacting to Arielle’s anger, or maybe because the giant tentacles had moved back and now stood like two snakes staring at Arielle, ready to attack...

“There is a reason for this, Arielle. Believe it or not, you are about to face an enormous ordeal. One that will put everyone in a life or death situation, and for that, you’ll need to embrace your powers. Your REAL powers... As for what I am, you know the answer. Search deep Arielle”

The whole ocean shook.

“I fear our time together is over Arielle... Remeber what I said. Remember who you are... And be prepared”

The sun finally dissappeared in the horizon, and in the darkness, the earth quaked, the sea dried up, and Arielle found herself lying on the floor, with her umbrella just metres away from her.

Her vision was blurry, but she could as sure tell she was not even close to the ocean. In fact, it seemed she had passed out on the nearby mountains of the town.

“What the hell was that just now?”

She was about to use her umbrella as a cane to get up, but she found a horrible surprise... Her umbrella had returned back to the totally destroyed state from just a week ago. What the hell?! Oh... I get it now.. Lero you bastard, this is your way to force me into your wishes.

Her shock turned to anger. She hated being manipulated or forced into things... Even if it was Lero. Whatever it was that inhabitated that umbrella, it’d pay for this. She still had her umbrella with her, and she knew exactly what had happened, so she didn’t freak out like the time the umbrella had been shattered in “The Wolf” cafe. That being said, she didn’t quiet feel OK without it, and considered her trip for the day over. Holding the broken umbrella in her hand, she turned on her back to head home...

However, her trip was soon interrupted. From behind one of the bushes, what looked to be a rat appeared out in the middle of the day. Well, that IS weird. Rodents like this don’t appear on the day... Unless they are in a terminal state maybe? “Hello little rodent! Are you about to die or something?” - Instead of answering back, the rondent twitched and felt on its back.

“Yup, poor Mickey kicked the bucket. Maybe I should bury the poor thing?” Though that would prove unnescesary. The rat was now standing on it’s back once more, but it contorted, expanded, morphed into something... That vaguely looked like a rat anymore. This monter, about the size of a dog, leaped on Arielle. She help up her broken umbrella.

The umbrella was totally uneffective against this monstrosity. For some reason, Arielle’s powers where not working, using the umbrella as a mace didn’t work at all, since it was a normal umbrella without her powers, and this monster seemed to have a rather strong hide... Arielle retreated in terror, and got her feet tangled in some wood. She felt on her back, and saw how the monster jumped on her... Arielle closed her eyes.

0===0

When she opened them just seconds later, Arielle saw that the mutant rat had backed off by another kid wielding... An aluminium bat?

“Back of lady! This is no place for a little girl like yourself! This is a task for... THE KNIGHTS OF CYDONIA!”

A group of five kids from around the same age as Arielle appeared. Among the weapons of the group where, the aforementioned Aluminium bat, a golf club, and an imitation katana... The only girl in the group held a camera, and was taking pictures of everything that happened, and the last boy didn’t have a weapon at all.

Arielle wondered how would a group of kinds fare against a “Hollow”, like Alex called them, but she soon came to realize, the rat was not a Hollow. It lacked the bone-mask, and the hole in the middle of the chest that every Hollows she had met. That would also explain why Cynthia knew about the monsters... It’s not hollows she talked about, but these mutant animals!

“Be prepared to die mongrel!”

The kids made short work of the rat. It only took a couple of strikes before the animal dissappeared on the woods.

“Everyone! Let’s run after it!!”

All the kids runned after the monster, only the weaponless kid stood behind.

“Heya girl, are you OK? Had we made it a few seconds later, you’d have been that monsters’ meal”

“Yes... Thank you”

A series of feelings runned through Arielle’s head. She was genuinelly curious on what the hell was with this group, and why where they running after mutated monsters... Also, Lero had said she’d need to work on her relations, and that they all came right after this could not be a mere coincidence.

“My name is Arielle”

“The name’s Keisuke. A girl like you shuoldn’t be all alone on the woods with all these monsters running around. Here, let me help you”

Keisuke was probably 15 years old, but his face was much more mature than that. He could easily pass like a 19 year old boy, where it not for his voice. Brown hair, and honey eyes, Arielle couldn’t help but thinking of how handsome he was.

“Yeah, a friend of mine called me here... But he dissappeared just as fast as he appeared”

“Oh well, next time you see him. Give him a good kick in the nuts. It’s not proper of a gentleman to leave a girl all alone on the woods”

The rest of the group came back from the forest, they all looked proud.

“The monster’s been eliminated”

“You mean, you killed it?!” Arielle asked

“Nah, we gave it quiet a beating and will most probably never see it back. Emma managed to implant it with the tracking device, so that will help with our research....”

Research? Maybe this group isn’t totally lo...

“Yes!!” Emma interrupted “We’ll be able to find Truffles back in no time”

--- Forget it. Oh right... I must do it for Lero and my powers...

“Truffles?”

“Yes, Truffles, my poodle dog! One of this monsters kidnapped her and I plan to get her back!”

Arielle knew that most probably, “Truffles” had become one of the monsters these kids where chasing, she’d definitelly not waste her time with the Knights, where it not for the fact that her powers where gone, and that Lero had ordered her to get friends.

“Well, maybe I can help you?”

Everyone but Keisuke and Emma laughed at this.

“Another girl on the group? Why what can you do?”

Much more than all of you together “I know tons of medical stuff. I can help you with that”

“Well, we already have Keisuke with us, and he’s a good-for-nothing” The one with the aluminium bat said. “Besides, she is cute, unlike Emma, so yeah, join us. I’m Akira. The one with the fake sword is Rio, and the golf fan is Yu. I take it you know Keisuke already. I see you are armed already. I’d recomend something more sturdy than an umbrella, but whatever. You are the doctor, so you ain’t supposed to fight on the frontline”

What the heck do you think? This is a Role Play Game or something like that?! “Excelent”

The day continued with a series of stupidities after the other. Arielle couldn’t believe what she heard, and seen, though for once, she found that she could keep Lero around, and no-one would look at her with strange eyes.

Eventually, she learned that everyone in the group was from the orphanage of the area, and that they where trying to solve the mystery behind the monster attacks. Seemingly, none of them had heard what a Hollow was, and none had special powers at all.

“What an enormous waste of my time”

The day finished. She had arrived home too late, and Cynthia was already sleeping. The kids had walked her home, and they all promised to come back as soon as possible... Yah, please. Not too soon

Lero’s umbrella was still completelly ruined. So she prepared the bathtub and left it filling with water... It was then that it striked her how tired she was... Soon, and before she realized, she felt asleep on the bathroom.

Geez, you little girl... You’ll never grow up

The water flow stopped by itself.

0===0

The following morning, Arielle awoke on her bed with her still broken umbrella next to her.