Chapter Text
The day before Hina was supposed to be released from the hospital, Eiji told her that Chiyoko was planning a party for her. It wouldn't be a big party, like the one that celebrated her win at the school fashion show, but they wanted to do something nice for her now that she was better.
She knew they meant well, but she didn't have it in her to celebrate. After all, she wasn't better—she'd woken up and regained her strength, but not her dream. That was gone forever.
So she did her best to check herself out of the hospital without anyone finding out. She'd requested an earlier release, met with the doctors and nurses quickly, and paid her bill with a minimum of trouble. But still, somehow, Eiji had managed to meet up with her outside.
For a moment, both seemed to freeze. Where Eiji only looked surprised, Hina stared at him in shock—had he somehow sensed she was trying to leave early?
"Eiji..." she said finally, guiltily.
He either missed or ignored that note in her voice, instead smiling and saying, "I guess I made it in time, then. I was going to walk you home."
"You don't have to..." she tried to insist, but he shook his head.
"No, it's okay. You just got checked out—you shouldn't be all by yourself."
There was more to it than that, but Eiji wasn't going to just segue into it right now. Rather, he insisted, "I thought about bringing flowers, but I wasn't sure what you would like. I'm really not good at picking that kind of thing out—Chiyoko probably would know better..."
She nodded absently, half-hoping he would just come right out and say it. He wanted her to go to the party—no, that wasn't quite it; he thought it would be better for her if she did. Just like when he thought it would be a good idea to ask what she wanted about Ankh, while she was lying in the hospital, unable to want or feel anything. Everything had seemed so far away then, brought crashing back into focus when he asked, when Ankh grabbed him in anger.
"Where's Ankh?" she managed to ask.
Now, his expression slipped a little, as he admitted, "He stayed behind."
Meaning he hadn't wanted to have anything to do with her after that little discussion. If there was anything left in her to feel, she felt relieved that he wasn't there right now. She wasn't sure she could face him, even after inviting him to stay.
And then they were at the door to her apartment, and everything felt horribly real again. It had only been a few days ago that she'd cut her clothing designs to shreds, barely aware of Shoko and Eiji entering and trying to stop her, until he pulled the scissors out of her hands.
She'd asked him for help then. Something, to help deal with the sudden, overwhelming sense that everything she'd loved in life was meaningless, like somehow, he was the expert and would know how to fix it.
He'd done the best he could. And now, he caught her hesitation and softly warned, "We cleaned up, after you woke up. Nobody wanted you to come home to, well..."
The first real emotion in days hit her—gratitude—and she unlocked and opened the door. Everything was as it should have been—her bedroom door was open, revealing a perfectly clean floor, without a trace of thread or fabric. But it was when she opened her closet that the illusion faded—only her everyday clothes were left, along with a bare handful of outfits Eiji had prevented her from cutting up.
Suddenly, she felt a hand on her arm, and it broke the spell. Eiji was reaching for her hand, trying to comfort her as he asked, "Are you okay?"
She didn't have the same courage Eiji did to smile and lie, but she reached for the hangers, looking through the dresses. "This is it?"
He nodded reluctantly. "I thought maybe there might be something we could save, so I took it back to Cous Coussier. But..."
But Ankh had probably yelled at him for trying to piece together the unpieceable and made him throw it away. As with everything Ankh-related lately, she had no idea how she felt about it. But at least it hadn't forced Eiji to take on another burden he didn't need right now.
A very small part of her wanted to cry. The rest of her couldn't be bothered to. It was over. She couldn't summon up any passion or interest in designing anything—what was the use in continuing school? Maybe she should just drop out and work full-time at Cous Coussier. It would make things a lot easier on both Chiyoko and Eiji if she did.
"There were a few things we managed to save," he continued, even though she felt so detached from him, he might as well have been on some separate world. And of course, Eiji being Eiji, he reached out to pull her across the divide between them, whether she wanted to come or not. He took out a delicate emerald green dress—fitted and long, ending with a flared hem. "This one, for example. I've never seen it before."
Without meaning to, she reached out and touched the shimmery green fabric, gazing at it distantly. "It was kind of a vanity project."
He looked at her in confusion, clearly waiting for an explanation. When he realized he might not get it, he insisted, "It's pretty. Did you make it for a special occasion?"
"It's...it's supposed to be a mermaid dress," she confessed hesitantly. She would have left it at that, but he was still waiting, so she explained, "When I was little, I used to love the story of The Little Mermaid. I read the fairytale all the time, watched the movie...I even wanted to be a mermaid myself."
He was smiling still, as if he'd figured out some secret reason why she'd spared this dress instead of all the rest.
"So you made it for yourself?"
Part of her hated having to dash his hopes, but she stuffed it back into the closet, admitting, "I never really finished it. Between school and work, I never had the chance to work on it. I just shoved it back there and forgot about it."
But even that wasn't enough to discourage him, and he asked, "What does it need?"
She shrugged, trying to summon some kind of creative spark. She could remember wanting to add silver trim to the bodice and strands of glass pearls to accent the bustline. She'd picked up beads and ribbons specifically for that, but she couldn't manage the mental image of what she could do with them.
"I don't know," she admitted. "A headband, maybe?"
"Well..." He scratched his head, clearly at a loss for advice on fashion. Then he smiled again, insisting, "Why don't you wear it tonight? I'll let Chiyoko know—we can set up a whole mermaid theme, it'll be fun!"
She started to shake her head. "I don't think..."
Of course, he was undaunted, continuing, "We'll dress up—maybe we can even get Ankh to..."
And there, she cracked. Before she could help it, tears started rolling down her cheeks, and she started shaking.
Eiji froze for a moment before offering his scarf for her to wipe her eyes. But by then, she'd regained enough composure to shake her head and walk off in search of a tissue.
"Sorry," he said.
She shook her head again. "It wasn't you. I just...I don't think this is a good idea."
For a brief moment, his expression was agonizingly sympathetic, like he knew what it was like to have everything he ever wanted ripped out of his hands and smashed into pieces. Like he knew what it was like to feel completely empty inside, like there was a hollow space where the soul had once been.
His smile was softer now as he reached for her hand, squeezing it gently.
"I know it's hard. But...maybe this will help. At least just having everyone around you, trying to help."
She looked down at his hand for a moment before looking up at him, wondering where that endless confidence came from and why he thought she might have even a fraction of it. Then, mistaking her look for a promise, he nodded and said, "I'll see what I can do, then come back and pick you up in a couple of hours, okay?"
He was gone before she had the chance to tell him no. Which meant she really had no other choice, and she wondered if that wasn't the whole point.
She sighed and made her way back to her closet, searching for leftover beads. It would be a mistake, but at least she could tell Eiji she'd tried. Maybe then, he wouldn't be nearly as disappointed in her as she felt he ought to be.
~~~
As the lightning from another storm lit up the interior of Maki's house, Mezool paced in frustration. She had five Cores—normally enough to be a threat to OOO and Ankh, but now that they had those new purple Medals, it was pitiful. OOO had to be eliminated, but how?
Thunder cracked outside, just as she sensed another Greeed nearby—Kazari, who slouched against the doorframe as he asked, "Making yourself comfortable?"
"Kazari," she answered flatly. She knew better than to try to confront him, not right now, as strong as he was and when he had some of her Medals.
"Looks like you're thinking hard about something," he noticed, lazily making his way inside. "Care to share?"
She allowed herself a snort of disbelief. "It seems you know a lot about sharing."
He gave her a predatory smirk, but he wasn't making any move to attack her. "Having all of these Medals gives me a slight advantage, yes."
"But not enough against OOO," she pointed out, and his expression soured. "So, we're not the only ones who've been beaten by him."
"OOO is a problem," he admitted. "That new combo especially."
"Those are the same Medals our purple boy's got, right?" she asked. He looked to the side, as if trying to make sure no one else—specifically Maki—was listening in. "So, they're evenly matched?"
"One can probably take the rest from the other, but OOO doesn't have any control over them," he said. "Given how powerful he is, it makes everything worse."
"He seemed pretty in control when we fought," she said. A rare glimmer of interest appeared in Kazari's eyes—good, she'd given him a reason to keep her around. "You didn't know?"
"Didn't really stick around for that part," he admitted. "It's not a good idea to give OOO a reason to notice you when he's using that combo. So what happened?"
"You tell me," she insisted. "That Yummy got him—one of yours?"
"His," Kazari said, gesturing in a vague area behind him—so, the purple boy had a few other tricks up his sleeve. "It was supposed to destroy dreams—guess it backfired on OOO."
"That's an understatement," she said, letting slip a trace of bitterness. OOO didn't have any personal desire—she could sense the frightening void within him as clear as day. If he'd ever had any, how could the Yummy end up awakening them enough to give him control?
"It's made him twice as dangerous as before," she admitted.
"It did something, though," Kazari pointed out. "It got his little girlfriend."
Mezool turned back to him, intrigued. She remembered the young woman he'd kidnapped, and how OOO was willing to turn over a truck full of Cell Medals to them in exchange for her safety.
"The one he always drops everything to save?" she checked.
Kazari gave that dangerous smile again. Now, they were on the same page. "That's the one. He'll even abandon Ankh to go after her."
She could use that information, and she began pacing again, this time in concentration. A girl without dreams—OOO had to be worried about her. Worried enough that he might even be willing to give up the Cores this time. But no, they couldn't use something as crude as another kidnapping attempt. They needed to gain control of her somehow.
A broken dream...
"I wonder," she mused, finally placing her hand on the window and tracing the raindrops. "What kind of Yummy can come from a disorganized desire like that?"
"Oh?" Kazari asked. "You've got a plan?"
"It depends," she said. "Are you interested?"
Kazari sauntered over toward the window. "So you need my help on this one—must be a big one."
"A parasitic Yummy is better for this," she answered. "OOO doesn't think twice about destroying a clutch of eggs. I want something that'll keep him from attacking."
"Make him too afraid to fight back," he realized. "It does have a ring to it. Might be worth braving the weather."
Now that she was sure he was with her, she teased, "Afraid of a little rain?"
"Me?" he asked. "I was only worried about you. After all, you don't want to mess up your pretty hair."
He held up a lock of her hair, but she only smirked and opened the window, calling on the rain to come toward her. Immediately, he took a step back, but she closed her eyes and reveled in the water as it thoroughly soaked her human form.
"Okay," he said, a little surprised. "So I guess this is part of your plan?"
"Of course," she replied. "It won't do us any good if we scare the girl directly back to OOO's arms. We need her to lower her guard."
He raised an eyebrow. "And this does that how, exactly?"
She allowed herself a smug smile. "Just follow along."
~~~
Hina sat at the kitchen table, putting the finishing touches on her headband. She'd managed to glue a line of pearls onto it, and now she was tying pale blue ribbons into a bow on the side.
She stood up and walked over to her mirror to try it on. The headband sat comfortably on her, and the thin, lacy ribbons framed her face like a mermaid princess.
She sighed and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Some princess—she was too strong and clumsy, and she couldn't seem to do anything that mattered. Besides, what kind of princess went and got her dream destroyed anyway?
She shook her head and took off the headband. It really was no use. Eiji had good intentions, but he couldn't see how much it was hurting her, asking her to try to pretend she could be the person she used to be. What was the point of even going to that party, then?
Someone knocked at the door—Eiji already? She glanced at the clock and sighed again. He was early.
"I'm coming," she said quietly, knowing that in just a few minutes, she'd have to tell him the exact opposite.
But the knocking continued even as she began unlocking the door—that couldn't be Eiji. He was never that impatient; only Ankh was, and if he needed her for some reason, he wouldn't bother knocking. When she opened the door, she found a drenched teenage girl, just a little younger than her, shivering on the other side.
"Please," the girl begged. "Help me."
Hina couldn't say no. She brought her inside and locked the door behind her.
"Are you okay?" she asked. "Do you need me to call the police?"
The girl shook her head. Hina didn't know what to do—something was clearly wrong, and she should call someone for help. But the girl looked too scared to even talk, and she couldn't risk her running off into possible danger.
She found herself asking what Eiji would do, and she realized she could at least start with the smallest problem first—the girl was soaked. So she said, "I'll get you a towel. Wait here," and hurried off to get some clean linens.
The girl was standing in the exact same spot when she returned, and Hina wrapped the towel around her. She'd stopped shivering, at least, but Hina had to help her out of her shoes and lead her toward the kitchen.
"I can get you some coffee to help warm you up," she offered, filling up the pot. "And I don't know if I have any clothes that would fit you, but at least they'd be dry."
"Thank you," the girl answered.
She kept her eyes on Hina the entire time—something Hina couldn't blame her for, even if she was acting strangely. As she grabbed a couple of mugs, she explained, "My brother is a police officer, even though he's not here right now—are you sure you don't want me to call?"
"No," the girl insisted, "I'm sure."
It still didn't feel right—there had to be more to this than she was saying, but Hina couldn't think what she was supposed to do next.
"What's your name?" she tried.
The girl only stared at her, as if dazed, then wrapped her arms around herself again. Okay, Hina could ask questions later. She had to get her some warm clothes.
The girl followed behind, watching as Hina ignored the dress on her bed in favor of the outfits in her closet. The girl noticed it, however, and asked, "What's that?"
Hina tried not to look at it. "Just a party dress."
"Were you going to a party?" she asked.
Hina forced a smile as she turned around to measure some clothes against her. "Don't worry—I was going to cancel anyway. The weather's too bad."
"It's not the weather," the girl said, giving her a piercing glance that somehow reminded her of Ankh. Hina felt her heart skip a beat. "Something happened."
Hina had the distinct feeling she was being probed, but she didn't know why. But at least the girl was opening up now, so she said, "You don't have to worry about that. I wasn't going to miss anything important."
"If you don't want to go, then don't go," the girl advised, fingering the sheer fabrics. "But it's no reason not to indulge in yourself."
The advice was strange, but it had a familiar echo to it, one that Hina couldn't quite place. Before she could try to argue, the girl picked up the dress and held it up against her.
"Do what makes you happy," she said.
She held Hina's gaze almost hypnotically, and Hina felt like somehow, she was trying to draw something to the surface of her soul—something that made her happy. Something that she wanted. But that was silly, and Hina only shook her head.
"Are you happy?" the girl asked pointedly this time, and Hina felt ice water run through her veins—something that brought a look of satisfaction to the girl's face. "Then prove me wrong. Dress up tonight, even if you're just staying in."
Slowly, Hina took the dress and sighed. "If it makes you happy..."
She turned around and started to undress, but to her surprise, the girl began to help. Cold hands gently removed Hina's shirt and bra, sending a shiver through her. She had the distinct feeling that she was a dress-up doll as she began taking the gown off the hanger while the girl removed her pants. It felt like she was being played with, somehow, and a warm blush rose to her face as the girl placed a hand against her back and zipped up the dress, then tied the sash into a bow.
"There," the girl said, turning Hina around and brushing a wisp of hair from her face—the light touch against Hina's skin could not have been an accident. "That's better, isn't it?"
Hina couldn't feel any more uncomfortable. She took a step back and said, "I'll get the coffee. You should get dressed," before rushing to the kitchen.
She poured herself a mug and picked it up with trembling hands. The coffee was hot, but she still took a big gulp before a deep breath, trying to focus. Something was very wrong. The girl was setting off alarm bells in her mind, but she couldn't understand why.
Maybe she should call Eiji after all. She made her way over to the table to get her phone, but something glimmered in the corner of her eyes—something silver. There, right beside her shoes and where the girl's should have been, were a few Cell Medals.
"What is it like?" she heard the girl ask, just as a crash of thunder made her jump.
She had changed into Hina's discarded clothes, which did hang off of her slightly, but the more she walked closer, the more her body seemed to change to fit them—as if she were studying Hina's body and trying to make hers match.
"What's what like?" Hina asked, edging her way back, hoping to make it to the door before the girl could get to her.
"Being human," the girl said, picking up Hina's discarded cup and placing her lips against it. "Human senses, human emotions. Knowing whether something's too much or not enough." She took a sip, but she didn't react to the heat or the taste. "To me, it's always 'not enough.'"
"You're a Greeed," Hina realized, wracking her brain for the names Ankh and Eiji always went through. "Mezool."
"Oh?" she asked, taking another step closer. "You're clever. I suppose OOO and Ankh told you all about me."
"I know enough!" Hina bluffed, hoping her pitiful lack of knowledge wouldn't show. Eiji had always tried to protect her from knowing too much, and Ankh didn't care to share information. Now, she wished she'd made them tell her—it was going to get her killed.
"Then you know what'll happen if I do this," Mezool answered, flicking her hand.
Hina ducked immediately, assuming that it was a Cell Medal coming her way. But no—a stream of water appeared from Mezool's hand and unlatched the balcony door, allowing it to open with a gust of wind. To Hina's horror, a light-haired man in yellow entered, dripping wet from the rain.
"Remember me?" he asked.
Hina bolted to her feet and ran for the door. She had just placed her hand on the knob when a blast of water hit her from behind, pressing her against it.
"I guess so," Kazari replied, walking up while Mezool kept her pinned against the door. "Oh, don't worry. We don't want you hurt. It'd upset OOO too much if that happened."
"What do you want?" she asked, carefully pushing against the wood.
"Just to help," Mezool insisted, her voice slow and sickly sweet. "So many scattered desires inside you—you really have lost your dream, haven't you?"
"What's it mean to you?" Hina spat, defiant. She almost had it. If she could keep them distracted long enough, maybe she could get free.
"It means everything," Kazari said. "OOO failed you, didn't he? He and Ankh. Doesn't that make you angry? Doesn't it make you want revenge?"
She was angry, all right, but not at Eiji and Ankh. And it was just what she needed. Summoning all of her strength, she pushed against the door and got herself free of the stream. She tumbled to the side and scrambled for cover underneath the coffee table as Mezool blasted at her again. She could hear the wood beginning to splinter under the pressure, as Mezool called out, "It's better if we don't have to fight you—just because we don't want to hurt you doesn't mean we won't go hard on you if we have to."
Hina had no doubts about that and began reaching for the couch behind her. Before the table could break, she lifted up the couch and threw it at them, only for Kazari to tear it apart with a cyclone.
"Forgot to warn you," he said. "She's annoyingly strong."
At least they were stunned enough that Hina could run over to the kitchen table and begin throwing chairs at them. But this time, they were ready, catching the furniture and ripping it into shreds. Hina found herself backing up toward the balcony, with no means of escape. For all of her strength, she didn't have any powers that could help her, and now, she could feel the rain circling around her in snake-like rivulets, binding her fast.
"Out of options," Kazari noticed. "But either way, we should make sure that strength is the first thing to go, right, Mezool?"
"You're still so boorish, Kazari," Mezool said, walking closer. "This needs a woman's touch."
"Oh?" he asked. "What do you have in mind?"
Mezool continued to adjust her form as she approached Hina, until they were eye-to-eye and their body types uncannily similar. Mezool caught Hina's reproachful looks and laughed, "Oh? Don't like your own body?"
"Not when a Greeed's using it," Hina spat, perhaps a little too venomously.
"It's personal for you, isn't it?" Mezool asked, drawing a finger across her cheek as angry tears started to flow. "That body Ankh's using—it belongs to someone of yours." Hina's breath hitched, and she fought back, trying to get free. But even if it was only water that held her, it was stronger than she was.
"What if we gave it back to her?" Kazari suggested. "It would be easy enough."
"You think that's enough for me to betray Ankh and Eiji?" she guessed. "You're too late—I already said he could stay."
"How cute," Kazari said, rolling his eyes.
"No, you wouldn't betray either of them of your own free will," Mezool said. "You care about them too much—maybe even love them?"
Hina felt her heart skip again. Worse, both of the Greeed felt it too. Their heads snapped in her direction, and she felt naked under their gaze.
"Love?" Kazari asked incredulously. "For Ankh? Is that it?"
"No," she denied. "It's not..."
"There's more," Mezool realized, placing a hand in the middle of Hina's chest. "I can feel it right here. You want much more."
It was happening again—desires were bubbling to the surface, bringing a very warm, tingling feeling all throughout her body. She could feel all of her nerves lighting up and muscles tensing, and she fought to breathe evenly as Mezool tried to increase the strain.
"You don't want me," she insisted. "I don't have a dream. There's nothing you can..."
"What's a dream but a larger desire?" Kazari asked, bending to pick up her headband and twirling it in his hand. "All you have to do is close your eyes."
Mezool took the headband from him and gently placed it on Hina's head. Hina wished she wouldn't touch her—she felt hyper-sensitive, with all of her base desires magnified. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut as Mezool softly, seductively whispered in her ear, "They've all asked so much from you, haven't they? Why don't you take care of yourself for a change? Think of what makes you happy and take it!"
The desires were racing through her mind at dizzying speeds, Mezool running through them until she could find one untainted image—a teenage girl hiding a dress in her room out of embarrassment, afraid to admit that maybe some part of her was still a little girl who wanted to be a mermaid.
Mezool pulled back, and Hina gasped for breath. "Mermaids?" she asked, as Hina blushed. "Oh, don't be embarrassed. It's your dream, right?" She glanced at Kazari. "Why don't we make it come true?"
She produced a Cell Medal, just as Kazari did the same. Hina felt a slot form on her forehead and struggled again to get free, but to no avail. The Greeed flicked their Medals at her, and she only had a second to hold her breath before the water expanded around her into a large sphere. Bandages began to form around her legs, squeezing them together. More appeared on her neck in flaps, and she reached up to try to tear them away before they could strangle her.
Mezool was reaching into the water bubble for her, and Hina had the wild thought to reach out for her and fight back. She grabbed onto Mezool's hand, but she couldn't seem to get a tight enough grip on it. The more she struggled, the more Mezool smirked at her, reaching farther in.
"Still trying to fight?" Mezool asked. Her voice sounded watery and dreamlike through the bubble. "Let's see if this changes things."
A flash of blue appeared in her hand, and Hina knew something had to be wrong because even Kazari looked shocked by it. If she had more time, maybe she would have figured out what it was and why it seemed to worry him so much. But Mezool flicked it at Hina's chest, and she jerked as it entered her body. Intense pain shot through her, and for a moment, all she could see was bright blue light taking over her vision as bubbles of her own precious air came out of her mouth from her silent screams.
"A Core Medal?" Kazari asked, turning an accusatory look on Mezool. "That wasn't part of the plan."
"Just to speed things along," she said, flexing her hand to take care of the numbness from giving it up. "You might want to do the same."
"And why?" he asked.
Bandages had already covered Hina completely, and she hung limply in the water, unconscious. The bubbles that had escaped her dotted above her head like fish eggs, but there were no Yummies inside them. There was only the human Yummy-Greed hybrid within the water.
Mezool lovingly stroked the sphere and asked, "How many Medals does Ankh have?"
"Three, by my count," he answered. "Our little lost bird has six. But what does that have to do with..."
"We already know OOO won't attack, as long as she's in danger," she pointed out. "But Ankh will. She needs to be strong enough to fight back."
Kazari manifested the two Medals he'd taken from Mezool long ago. "Have her destroy him? Could be interesting." He tossed them in, watching the bandaged figure jerk in the water as they integrated into her body. "But why do I get the feeling you've got your own agenda too?"
"I never said I didn't," she argued, calling to her Cores within Hina. With her unconscious, the desires were difficult to manipulate, but bubbles were floating off of her nest and filling the room. Kazari poked at one, but it didn't pop—it felt solid.
"Very interesting," he decided, cupping it within a soft breeze.
His breeze flicked some of the other bubbles out into the storm, where the winds carried them farther into the city. He peered over the balcony, curious.
"Wonder where those are going..." He transformed into his true form, then perched on the balcony, ready to jump.
"Where are you going?" Mezool asked.
"Oh, you know what they say," he replied, cupping his bubble. "Curiosity killed the cat. Satisfaction will bring it back, though."
Mezool glared at him in suspicion, but he leapt off, seeking his prey. She would have to just let that one go—he was too smart to risk exposing their scheme this early.
"I'll have to find some place for you," she decided, turning back to Hina. After all, OOO would be back for her, and while she was progressing well, she wasn't nearly ready to face him. By now, the transformation was nearing completion—the bandages had peeled away, revealing that she did, indeed, look just like a mermaid—the Yummy/Greeed hybrid had taken over the lower half of her body, replacing her legs with a green betta fish's veil tail. Her dress had incorporated into its form—while the bodice remained cloth, at her waist, the sash and skirt had become fins and tail, twitching every so often as she slept. Along the sides of her neck were faint gills that opened and closed as she drew oxygen from the water.
"My, you ended up quite the beauty," Mezool said, reaching into the bubble to stroke the girl's face again. "But you're not done yet. Still, I'm sure you're ready to start dreaming, aren't you?" She gently tugged at the Medals within her, calling, "Time to wake up, little mermaid."
Hina's eyes opened with a snap, her irises shining blue.