Stories into the night, laughter and tears, what kind of end awaits these adventurers?
LEO: Alright, everything's set up. *looks back* Hey, Bakarina, you done!?
KATARINA: I HAVE THE SNACKS! *plops down onto the sofa* But really, I'm glad it's just the two of us today. Sad that Maple and Fran couldn't join us, but... *shrugs* It'll be fun!
LEO: *dry* How you got your friends to leave us alone is a different story. "I'm pretty sure all of them have a crush on her, but how she remains oblivious is a skill on its own."
KATARINA: *smiles, pats Pochi* They trust Pochi to keep me safe! Plus, they all know you like Echidna!
LEO: *face goes red* I-I DO NOT!
KATARINA: *giggles* Anyhow, you ready for a ghost story marathon!?
LEO: *grumbles, but sits down beside her* I guess... *thinks, then grins* I have one.
KATARINA: OOHH OOHH REALLY!? *eyes sparkle, she eats some popcorn* Then get started already!
LEO: *smiles* Well...
LEO: *begins his tale* I was on a quest, it was before Echidna and her group attacked the humans. Back then, people didn't know me as anyone, just some adventurer. *eyes soften* I... I had gone a bit mad, wanting to create obstacles to be able to 'save' the humans, fulfilling my programming even if it means I have to make it happen with my own two hands.
KATARINA: But you broke out, right?
LEO: *snorts* That was after I met Echidna and the others. They... they really saved me from doing something irreplaceable, something not even I, with my abilities, could undo; death. Cruel, cold death. *shakes head* Anyway, I had been looking around some ruins when I stumbled across a locket. It was a small one, so small that if I hadn't been bored, I wouldn't have caught it, but... it was a tear-shaped one. Curious, I opened it, and it began to tell a tale...
"Long, long, ago, when humanity was fresh and ghosts were still new, the reaper of souls was curious about the line between life and death. They wanted to know if they could find a way to blur the barrier. Legend has it that it was created for a purpose, although they too did not know what that purpose was.
Now, this reaper decided to try something new. Something that had never happened before. They decided to try to take a living soul, and nurture it a bit more. It was an established concept that souls could not grow after birth, so the reaper was curious to know what would happen to that soul should it be allowed to grow a bit more.
The one chosen for this experiment was a little girl. Her real name was unknown, but she would forever be known as Heibai Wu due to what happened to her..."
KATARINA: W-What happened to her...?
LEO: *sighs* I wish I could erase my memory of what I heard, to be honest...
"At night, the reaper would sneak into her house and implant a small thing into her. A small flame that would urge her soul to keep growing and growing, and growing.
She did not notice anything amiss at first, of course. It started small, with her realisation that she could understand emotions, and even sense them out from others. It was something she didn't see as important to be brought up, so she waved it off, using it to the best of her ability to help others.
But that flame... it soon turned on her. The flame was one from the darkest depths, meant to devour, not to nurture. The reaper had forgotten its main objective, and Heibai paid the price, oh it was terrible...
She only came to realize she was in grave danger when she began feeling pains all over her body. Spasms, screaming, she had turned into a monster for all to see. Her body was no longer her own, and it attacked her home until nothing was left.
Still, the reaper did not feel bad, watching this. Nay, it felt excitement, curious about what more it could do... And so, before it was captured and sealed away, it would secretly spread this flame to others, and it would be passed down, from person to person...
Even now, it continues to ravage. The only question is... who among you has it?"
KATARINA: *covers her mouth* That's just...
LEO: It was part of the reason I came to realise what I had done. If I had never heard of that and Echidna hadn't attacked, I would have... I would have gone ahead with it.... *shakes* "And I would have really become a monster..."
KATARINA: *eyes soften, gently hugs him* You can cry, you know. It's not easy to have that kind of realisation. Plus, you're definitely better now.
LEO: *eyes widen, but chuckles* You're really something, you know that, Bakarina?
KATARINA: Proud to be one! Hehe!
LEO: *smiles back, hugs back* "I really am lucky to have met these people, aren't I? Thank you, everyone, for helping me back there..."
MARY: How dare he!? How dare he hug Katarina-sama?!
KEITH: NEESAN IS OBLIVIOUS AS ALWAYS!
GEORDO: *cold smile* Allow me to slaughter him to the best of my ability. I will ensure he is subdued.
ECHIDNA: ... Why do I feel like Leo messed up again? *facepalms*
YOU ARE READING
A Messy Array of Stories, AUs, Covers and Many More
RandomCome on in to see the millions and billions of worlds that could be should one or more thing change for the better or for the worse. Come on in to see the different possiblities born from a creative mind. Ficmata is just an average person who want...
