A/N: I JUST BOKE 40,000 WORDS ON THIS STORY!! THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH ME THE WHOLE WAY GUYS! I LOVE YOU!!
TwT
Mari: I am a monster. No one can love me like this. It's not possible... to be loved at all like i used to be...
Then again... no one may have loved me before.
-Please Stand By-
She clutched her shoulders as pain arched through her and she bit her lips, trying not to scream. The light vanished and she fell to her side, her body numb. She heard Kidd's footsteps running to her and she faintly felt his hands lifting her. "Kidd?" she asked as feeling began to return to her body.
"Mari?" Her said, pain in his words.
Mari moved, feeling the wings under her and her throat closed. She moved her fingertips and felt the sharpness of the claws, and the odd feeling of her teeth.
But it all seemed to be muted, somehow. Her mouth opened in a scream as a painful pulling sensation ripped through her stomach. She felt her teeth turn to normal and her claws turn to fingers. She clutched Kidd's shirt as agony ripped through her gut.
She opened her eyes, not realizing she had been squeezing them shut. Kidd's eyes were closed and his face was full of pain. Mari was gasping for air as her lungs seemed to be crushing in on themselves. "Kidd..." She said, moving herself closer to him. Pain tore through her again and she cried out.
The arm that held Mari to Kidd tightened to hold her closer. "Mari... I'm sorry... I'm trying to help you..."
Mari snakingly looked down and saw Kidd's hand stabbing into her stomach. "Kidd...?" She asked, blood pouring from her mouth in a stream of black.
"There's still..." Kidd said. He twitched with pain for a second. "A snake in you... I think..."
Mari felt it in her and she squeezed her eyes shut. "Kidd..." she said. "Get it out of me... please..."
Mari felt Kidd's lips brush hers as his hand ripped through her. "Mari?" he asked.
Mari's eyes opened to meet his golden ones. "K-Kidd?" she said back, her hand trembling as it rose to his cheek. "What is it?" she smiled, the dark blood on her face making her look even more like a monster.
His eyes shone with tears. He closed his eyes as he heard Liz and Patty transform and leave, hearing Liz crying a little. "Mari... why did you go with Medusa?" He asked as if it was the question that was the cause of all his hurt.
And Mari knew it was.
She leaned into his as he tried to tear the snake out of her, the last bit of the witch trying to spite her. Her chin trembled with a sob and her hand clenched into a fist on the ground. "It's because I thought you didn't love me, because... I was scared. Because I was going crazy. Because I felt like I didn't love myself anymore."
Kidd tightened the hand that was holding her. "I'm sorry... it's all my fault. If I had loved you more..."
Mari gasped and clutched him as he pulled a black arrow out of her, the last bit of Medusa. Kidd threw it to the side and it slammed into a wall, dissipating into black dust. Mari coughed on the blood in her mouth and her chest heaved. Pain arched over her and she held a hand to her mouth so she wouldn't scream. "Kidd?" she said, her vision white.
The gash in her stomach wasn't closing and her blood poured from her. Her hands clutched Kidd's jacket and she could feel her body beginning to freeze up in places.
Kidd pulled her into his arms and put her head on his chest, slowly rocking her back and forth. "It's okay Mari... you'll be fine. It's okay... it's okay..."
Mari felt her body melt into Kidd's arms and she tried to hold onto him. The black blood seemed to not working and Mari started panicking when her lugs started filling with blood.
"Mari... be okay... please... I didn't kill you... you can't die... like that..." Kidd was whispering.
Mari's weak hands tried to hold onto Kidd. "No. No... Kidd I'm scared..." her eyes opened and she saw double. "H-hold me... don't let go of me..."
There were loud footsteps and Mari heard someone walk in, a man by the sound of his steps. There was someone with him and she sounded like a woman.
"Mari?" The woman asked and Mari faintly recognized it as Marie. She felt Marie fall next to her. "Mari! Wh-what happened to you?"
Mari felt Marie put her hands on her and warmth began to spread through her body. It got hot in her stomach and she suddenly felt like a thousand knives her digging into her. She heard Stein next to them and the prick on a needle stabbing into her skin.
The three started talking as the needle went in and out of Mari and she faintly wondered random things. Why she didn't feel Marie's pregnant belly next to her, or where Stein got the needle.
Kidd was saying something and Mari strained to listen. "Stein! You can't kill her!"
"Why would I be saving her if I had any intention of killing her, Kidd?" Stein's voice replied. There was silence for a moment, and then he spoke again. "She looks like she did when..." She heard something click, like a match lighting and Stein stopped speaking. "Never mind."
Mari tired to whisper a response. "When... I was a... baby..." she coughed and blood spurted onto Steins jacket.
"Mari!" Marie said and put her hands back on Mari. The warmth spread through her again and Mari felt agonizing pain. She screamed and Kidd had to hold her arms as her stomach started to split open.
"Mari!" Kidd said and Marie didn't pull away and the hot agony continued. "St-stop!" Kidd said.
Mari pulled her hands off Mari. Mari was gasping and coughing, tears streaking down her cheeks. "Stop... stop... stop..." she was whispering.
Stein looked down at her. "Mari. What are we going to do?" he said.
Mari tried to open her eyes and was met by a bright flash of light. "Stop... stop..." She said and reached her hands up, blinded by the light.
"You idiot!" Marie said and burst into tears, gently gabbing Mari and pulling her into her arms. She held her tight and kissed the top of her head. Mari opened her eyes again and finally could see Marie. "You idiot." Marie was saying.
Mari slipped in and out of unconsciousness for a minute, trying to keep her eyes open. Her eyes closed fully and there was muffled talking before the world dissipated into a faded buzzing, her ears screaming.
Mari's eyes opened with a jolt. She was in a bright hospital room. She felt tight straps around her wrists and her heart raced for a moment. She pulled against the straps, her head spinning with panic. A loud machine started beeping and she went still, her throat closing.
She closed her eyes for a moment and then ripped the straps with ease. She sat up, her black eyes flitting abound the room, her wings opening slightly. She ripped the IV out of her arm and stood, her head rushing and her legs shaking. It was light outside but she didn't know where she was.
She looked down at herself, still in her jeans and bandages over her chest and on her stomach, the ones covering the wound wet with blood. She slowly walked to the door, the gaping hole in her stomach full of agony. She opened it a little, noticing the sounds of people outside. Her heart stopped as she realized where she was. The academy.
She bent her head down, her mother's words twisting in her mind. "The Reaper..." she said, pushing the door open. She stepped out into the hallway, her blood beginning to stream down her front. She looked down at herself. Everything was okay but the wound in her stomach. Her hand balled into a fist on the wall as people began to notice her.
She took a few steps down the hallway, people screaming and shouting for help as they saw her. She held the wall to keep herself up and moved slowly. "Reaper..." she said, her eyes wide with determination.
She coughed and black blood splattered onto the floor. Someone said her name with fear and she looked up, trying to find where she was. She recognized the hallway and started walking in the direction of where she knew Lord Death would be.
Someone stepped in front of her and she lifted her head to see them. It was a boy, maybe a little younger than her. He held a long blade in his hand and she could see him shaking.
"Move." She said, straightening while holding her stomach. The boy flinched and moved back as Mari's great wings opened a little so they were five feet across, folded slightly.
The boy stumbled back as Mari stepped forward, her feet rubbing on the floor. "D-demon! Get out of the academy!" he said frantically.
Mari was right in front of him and his weapon transformed, shielding her meister. "D-don't touch him!" the girl said, her voice scared.
Mari lifted the girl's chin so she look into her eyes. Her black ones looked into the girl's brown ones, their darkness searching for something. "But I was a student..."
The girl flinched, her chin trembling. She was only ten or so. "No! There's no way!" She pushed Mari's hand away.
Mari smiled, blood dripping down onto the weapon and meister. "I was, about a month or so ago. I was fourteen and a claymore, I was in Pr. Stein's class. Don't you remember me? I tried to kill multiple people and I almost did." She was crying, her tears dark like her eyes.
The two students moved, scrambling to the side. Mari stood up straight and wiped away her tears. She looked up the hallway, everyone to the walls so they wouldn't get attacked.
Mari started walking again, the tips of her wings dragging on the floor. Mari saw a big door at the end of the hallway and knew it was Lord Death's office. There was a blur of blue hair in front of her and something hot slammed into her. She felt electricity across her body and she gasped, coughing blood.
"Black Star!" Someone yelled in panic.
Black Star straightened from his blow and looked at Mari. She straightened and looked at Black Star. "Oh..." She said. "A friend..." She reached a shaking hand out to him, her fingers trembling.
She doubled over with pain and fell to the floor. Mari coughed and black blood splattered across the floor. She convulsed as something hot inside her burned away at her stomach. It felt like a strong magic or something.
Black Star stepped forward, not sure what to do as Mari cried out with pain. People were silent around her, still and unmoving.
Mari clawed at the ground, her fingernails digging into the floor. Her teeth grew long again and sharpened into needle teeth, and her fingers turned to claws.
Somebody screamed as she curled into a ball her arms stretched out in front to f her, the almost two-foot talons glinting.
"She's a demon! A keshin! Kill her!" a girl's voice said.
The people around Mari were frantic and some started turning into weapons. Mari got to her feet, bent over in a hunched position, blood pouring from her stomach. "The... Reaper..." She rasped and Black Star stepped back.
She turned to the door again and saw a bunch of people in front of her. She stared up at them, a long, forked tongue lashing out of her mouth and running along her lips.
"Move." She said, her voice cracking.
There was silence as all the meisters tensed. "No." Someone said in the back, their voice carrying through the silence.
Something flashed through Mari and she clutched her stomach, the hole in it finally closing. She ripped off the bandages and the three keshin eyes shone red. "Look like the black blood it working again." She said, her voice clear now. There was a pool of black around her and it began to gather and go back into her. She stretched her arms up, her back popping. "That's better." She said, her insane demeanor back.
She walked forward, the people in front of her taking a step back. "How many are here?" Mari asked. "Maybe thirty of you?"
A small girl in the front, maybe twelve burst into tears and her weapon transformed, a tall boy. He picked her up in both of his arms and pushed his way through the crowd of people.
Mari smiled. "Twenty-nine." She walked towards them slowly. For every step she took, a black bloody footprint would appear. The students stepped back, only a few holding their ground. Mari stopped a few feet in front of a boy with two large guns pointed at her. "If you don't move..." Mari said, her claws raising into the air slightly to glint menacingly. "I will kill all of you, and eat your souls."
The boys eyes were hard and unmoving. "No." the boy said.
Mari sighed and lifted her arm, the claws glinting in the light. Someone yelled for the boy to move as Mari's hand slashed down.
The five sharp blades cut deeply into her arm, spraying blood into the air, someone shouted something she couldn't hear out of pain. She took in a shaking breath. The black blood flew over the crowd, landing on them.
A girl made a sound of disgust as the blood soaked them. Mari looked down at her arm, still bleeding. She pressed a hand to it and she could feel her skin closing back together.
"Was that supposed to do something?" the boy in front of her asked. He was covered in blood and he wiped it off his face.
Mari smiled. "It didn't do anything?" She moved and was suddenly in front of a girl in the middle of the crown, her claws at her neck. "Let me pass and I won't rend the very flesh from your body." The girl started shaking and some of the people around her made noises of surprise. She glanced around at the people who were now pointing all their weapons at Mari. "You guys know Crona, don't you?"
A few people nodded.
Mari grinned. "Ever heard of bloody needle?" her claws dug a little into the girls neck and crimson ran out onto Mari's hand. The girl closed her eyes, her body shaking. "My bloody needle is worse. So let me go, or prepare to me showered in your own blood."
A boy made a noise of realization to late as the black blood stabbed into them. The meisters screamed and fell to their knees or the ground. Mari held up a finger. "That's not even the best part!" she said.
The blood seeped into their skin and disappeared. The girl in front of her screamed as the black blood moved through her. It was in them and they were helpless.
Mari stepped over them toward the door. When she was a little ways away from them, all the black blood was dragged out of them through their skin in the most painful way possible and gathered back to her. She walked to the great door that led to Lord Death and she pushed it open with one hand.
She stepped into the long hallway with the giant blades above her. She held out her hands. She felt the tears running down her cheeks. "Reaper!" she yelled.