Chapter Text
There was the sound of rustling, a thud, and a painful groan.
Mao Mao stood up from his fall, glancing back at the unnoticeable dip in the middle of his forest path. He felt the sting in his backside return, causing him to hiss in discomfort. As he brushed himself off, he sighed deeply.
"Please tell me it's around this corner." He said to himself, continuing on through the wooded area.
It had been nearly a week since the worst day of his life. It flashed in Mao Mao's mind frequently, to which he attempted to avoid by distracting himself. But it was nearly impossible, especially now that he was a lone traveler. He had spent the last few years of his teen-hood adventuring with his former best friend, Bao Bao. Never did he think his trusted partner would leave him to rot, to cause such a horrific, agonizing accident. Just the mental image of that dog made him sick to his stomach. The only thing more nauseating to remember than the loss of his friend, was the loss of his tail. He was still not used to it being gone, nor was he able to keep his full balance without it yet.
But after returning home to heal from his injuries, he had enough time to stop and make decisions. He couldn't let this set him back, no matter how badly it hurt physically and emotionally. His family was already miles ahead of him on the road to becoming a legend, and he was already eighteen. Although most consider that young, it felt like time was running out. Or perhaps that was simply Mao Mao's impatience showing.
The embarrassment he felt being at home wasn't helping anything, either. He couldn't look his father in the eyes, knowing that man had never accepted Bao Bao as his friend. He could feel the "I told you so" just by the stern expression plastered on his face. His dad was his inspiration, but he knew he had disappointed him once more. After all, heroes don't need friends. True legends work alone.
After four days at home, Mao Mao was back on his journey. Only this time, he was alone. He didn't know exactly where he'd be staying each night, but he could only hope that his tent would last for a month or two. His mother had packed him enough food for the week, along with enough cash to get started by himself. He couldn't bring himself to say goodbye to his father this time, but he remembered to say a quick farewell to his mom and sisters.
Now here he was. Two days as a lone adventurer, and it wasn't going the greatest. The weather was rainy the first night, so his tent was soaked through the inside. He was cold and wet, praying to the heavens that he wouldn't fall ill. If that was the case, he'd have to turn right back around towards home, and he didn't need that embarrassment twice in such a short time. Last night had been better, despite the few bugs that had managed to enter the tent. For some reason, things had felt much easier before when Bao Bao was by his side. But it didn't matter anymore. He had to make adjustments and accept that he no longer had that company.
The village he was heading towards was a shady one, he already had knowledge of this. But he needed to stop in any city to restock his food supply, and possibly sleep in a bed rather than inside a sleeping bag for once. If he was lucky, he'd be able to afford a night or two in a hotel. But the downside was the amount of criminal activity, and there had even been rumors of monsters attacking citizens of this place. But that didn't scare him, in fact, it excited him. It was an opportunity to improve and strengthen his heroic skills, and he hadn't used his katana, Geraldine, in weeks. He was itching to fight.
A stroke of luck seemed to have hit, because he had been right. After a few more minutes of rummaging through the woods, he saw homes and other buildings in plain view. This path had appeared to land him in a neighborhood, he could see a few people either sitting on their porches or playing in their yards. This felt almost like his own village back home, only he could notice the differences in social class. The woods surrounded them all, no wonder it had taken so long to find. But of course, nothing was too hidden for Mao Mao.
"Finally," He spoke to himself again, pumping his fist in victory, "I just need to find a store first, and-"
He stopped as his ears twitched, hearing the sound of a twig snapping behind him. He immediately turned his head, his heart skipping a beat. Had a monster followed in his footsteps? There was no telling, but if it meant a battle was possible, Mao Mao had to take the chance. He placed his hand on his katana handle, facing the woods again and scanning the area.
"Who's there?"
No response. The cat kept his stance, stepping carefully deeper into the woods. His fur stood on end when he heard more rustling, followed by a sound he couldn't quite make out. He pulled out Geraldine, ready to strike anywhere he needed to.
"Show yourself, monster, or whatever you are!" He shouted again, hoping for it to appear.
Instead, he heard another sound. Only this time, it sounded gentle. Almost as if it were the noise of a child. This put the feline on alert, lowering his sword and taking a closer step into the bushes.
"Hey, come on out, I won't hurt you unless you come after me first!"
Before he could resume searching his surroundings, he felt something gently grab his ankle. It caused him to yell and jump, pulling his foot back slightly. It was only then he saw a pair of eyes staring up at him. They were filled with tears, and the child's oddly shaped face was covered in dirt. Mao Mao had never seen any kind of species like it. They had hair on top of their head, but the rest of them was bare skin. Their nose was curved in a circle-like shape, and their limbs were incredibly thin. Its ears were also round shaped, and on the side of their face. It eerily reminded him of one of the puppets his sisters kept in their room, even to this day. As unnerving as their appearance was, though, it was still most likely a kid. He quickly put his sword back in its holster, then bent down on his knees in front of them.
"Are you okay? It's alright, I'm not gonna hurt you." He tried speaking calmer, quieting his low voice so it was soothing rather than scary.
The creature whimpered, hesitating before crawling out of the bushes. Now that Mao Mao saw its full body, it was much bigger than he expected. If this was a child, its species must grow huge. Was this a new monster he had discovered? Although, he had never seen a monster wearing clothes before. They were incredibly torn and dirty, but they were similar to casual clothing that other citizens wore.
"W-Who are you?"
Mao Mao's eyes widened. The child had spoke to him. Monsters don't talk...do they? He had never encountered one before that did, at least. He cleared his throat,
"I'm Mao Mao. And who are you? Why are you in the woods by yourself?"
They had tears still rolling occasionally down their face, to which they would wipe them away with their mud covered hands.
"I-I don't know...I'm Marcy, but, but that's all I can remember." She continued to cry as she looked around, her eyes were full of fear.
That's all she could remember? That was odd. This was a lost child, and if she couldn't remember anything else, how could he bring her home? There was no way he could just leave her out here. Something in his gut said that wouldn't be right, and he trusted nothing more than his own gut. No matter if she turned out to be a new monster species or not.
He stood back up from the ground, and extending his hand out towards her.
"Well, Marcy, surely somebody around here knows who you are. Maybe that'll jog your memory, and we can take you home. I'm certain it can't be that far from here."
The girl stared at his hand, as if she was debating on taking it. She had been terrified all by herself, and although she didn't know this guy, he looked like he was genuine. Perhaps he wouldn't hurt her after all, and anything sounded better to her than being stuck alone again with no clues on where to go.
She bit her lip, nodding before grabbing his hand with hers.
Mao Mao's thoughts were racing, and for the first time since last week, it wasn't about Bao Bao. He could hardly believe that in a matter of minutes, he was planning a grocery trip and now he's got to babysit for a few hours until they found her family. Life on the road sure was strange, but he wasn't expecting it to be this crazy. But maybe this was also a chance to improve his skills as a hero. Slaying monsters isn't the only thing heroes do, in fact, it's all about helping people. That's what he was doing now.
He was determined to help her.
"Okay, let's go. Town is this way." He said as he helped her move away from the bushes and up on her feet. Her height reached up to Mao Mao's shoulders. She had one blue shoe on her right foot, with only a sock on the other. The poor girl had gone through a lot, it seemed. Whoever her family was, Mao Mao felt an urge to give them a piece of their minds. No child should be neglected like this, and unless they had a good reason for losing her in a forest, he might just file a complaint before continuing on his journey.
Marcy smiled through her tears, feeling more at ease. She couldn't remember anything beforehand, but the few hours she spent in these woods were a nightmare. She could've sworn she heard the sounds of monsters growling, almost making her their prey. She felt so lucky to have run into help before night fell.
Who knows how much longer she would have lasted.
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This shady village was bigger than Mao Mao had expected it to be.
It had been hours since he had arrived and found Marcy in the woods, yet he had gotten no closer to finding a trail towards her potential family. Every person they interacted with, they either had never seen a creature like her before and left in fright, or simply did not recognize her. Marcy had attempted to dig through her memories, but other than running around a forest in terror, her mind was blank. It was as if a vacuum had sucked up anything prior to that point. For some reason, her first name had clicked in her head, but not a last one. Which only made it harder for Mao Mao to track down a family. This was a difficult mission.
After the sun had begun setting, both of them were tired and hungry. Grocery shopping hadn't happened as intended for the adventurer, plus, he had no idea when this child had last eaten. As they walked hand in hand downtown together, he glanced down at her.
"Hey, I'm sure you're starving. Why don't we stop and buy some dinner?"
Marcy looked back up at him, her eyes clearly showing her exhaustion. She nodded in agreement,
"Yes, please." She replied, whining softly.
Mao Mao couldn't help himself, her sad expressions and appearance tugged at his heart strings. Despite her being bigger than the average child, he picked her up, carrying her in his arms. Luckily, with all his training, he was physically capable of holding her while walking to a restaurant. Marcy hadn't even flinched at this, she was too tired. Plus, her pure mind was pretty sure that he wasn't a bad person. She rested her head against his shoulder, fighting sleep as much as she could.
A few stares were shot in their direction, but neither cared. The day had been long, and all they could truly think of was food and sleep. Mao Mao decided to take them to a sushi restaurant, praying that Marcy could even eat whatever they had on their menu. The last thing he wanted was to feed her something that could make her sick.
"Do you like sushi? Or any kind of fish?" He asked, stopping at the bar stools and placing the girl in one of the seats.
Marcy shrugged her shoulders, her eyes half lidded.
"I think so?" She answered questionably.
Unfortunately, that's the only answer Mao Mao had to go off of. He crossed fingers that it'd be a smart choice. It was better than not feeding her at all.
He sat next to her, ordering a plate for himself and Marcy. By the time he finished, he noticed Marcy resting her head on the bar table, barely staying awake. The cat gave her a sympathetic look, unsure of what to do. If they couldn't find her family tonight, or possibly tomorrow, what then? There was no option of leaving her alone, but he hadn't planned to temporarily babysit. Did he even have enough cash for two people rather than one?
"Hey, Marcy."
The girl's eyes opened fully again, hearing Mao Mao say her name.
"Yes?" She asked.
Mao Mao took a deep breath, exhaling gently before he continued.
"If we don't see your parents here, would you be alright sticking with me on my journey to be a hero until we find another town? You can have my sleeping bag in my tent, and I'll make sure you have food. Maybe I could even get you some new clothes, if I have enough money."
He felt it was right to ask her permission, but no matter what she answered with, Mao Mao was going to make sure she was taken care of. Maybe it would be better not only for her, but for himself as well. Being alone wasn't good for his mental state, not this soon. Plus, it'd be nice to talk with someone for a few days, perhaps even longer. Finding Marcy's family may be a mission that lasts longer than he anticipated. Not that he would complain, he liked a challenge.
"That sounds fun." The child responded, her voice was exhausted, but she appeared excited.
Mao Mao smiled, pleased with that answer. "Great to hear." He said.
It didn't take long for their food to arrive, thank goodness for them. Marcy didn't care about how filthy she was, she was quick to use her hands to grab the sushi rolls and shove them in her mouth. Mao Mao was internally wishing to fix this, but due to his lack of a shopping trip earlier, he was still completely out of clean wipes. He would just have to hope her immune system was strong for her age.
"I guess you do like sushi, huh?" He chuckled, watching her chow down while eating from his own plate.
At least they were getting food in their stomachs. It helped their hunger, but the downside was that it increased their fatigue. Mao Mao was able to bare this, but Marcy was nearly out like a light. She had eaten her entire sushi meal, and now her eyes were barely open as she laid her head back on the table. It was nothing he couldn't deal with, though. There was a hotel a few blocks down from the restaurant, so he figured that'd be the best place to crash. A tent is fine, but nothing beats a warm bed.
As Mao Mao stood from his seat, he left the payment on the table and picked up a tired Marcy once more. On his way out of the restaurant, he overheard part of a conversation between two villagers.
"She said it was very sweet, despite its hideous looks. I wonder where it came from." The rabbit sitting at the booth spoke to the deer across from them.
"Who knows, but she better be careful. She has so many kids that could be a danger with it around."
Mao Mao raised a brow at their words, but he shook it off. In a town like this, there was no telling what kind of creatures they were talking about. There had always been many mysteries outside of Mao Mao's village. He was learning this more and more each day.
Just look at the type of creature he had found today. He almost wondered what his father would think of her, but it still hurt to think about him. The last look his dad had given him was nothing but sheer disappointment. Finding a new species wasn't nearly enough to change that. He'd have to go much bigger during this journey.
He carried Marcy to the hotel, where he thankfully booked a small room for a reasonable price. Entering the hotel, though, was when the stares were more noticeable for Mao Mao. He normally loved attention, but these negative vibes made him irritable. If he didn't have a half asleep child in his arms, he'd cuss them out until they looked the opposite direction. But all he could do was quickly head to his room, where they couldn't be bothered.
As he unlocked the door with a key, Mao Mao heard Marcy groan slightly. He walked over to the empty bed, speaking softer.
"You okay?" He asked.
Marcy nodded, lifting her head up and turning it to look at the room. She jumped out of the cat's arms, immediately walking over to the bed and laying in the center of it comfortably.
"I can sleep here, right?" She asked, staring at him with a sleepy smile on her face.
Mao Mao grinned before lifting his hand up.
"Yes, but hold on. Before you sleep, let's clean that dirt off."
He stepped backwards and turned to the small bathroom on the right, which had fresh towels and a sink available. He grabbed a towel and dampened it with water, wringing it out before taking it back to Marcy at the bed. The girl was still happily laying on the soft blanket, nearly asleep by the time Mao Mao returned.
"Okay, Marcy, sit up, please." He said, tapping her on the shoulder.
She did as she was told, which allowed him to clean the smeared dirt and mud off her face and arms.
"You can get a bath tomorrow before we start searching again, since there's a shower in here. But for now, you just really needed that mess off your face and hands. It's unsanitary."
As these words came out of his mouth, Mao Mao was internally wondering where these sudden instincts came from. He had never taken care of children in his life. If anything, he used to be the child being cared for. But it was as if it had come naturally today, now that he had a kid to look after for a little while.
Marcy was content as he cleaned her face, she was mostly eager to get to sleep. She knew once she had more energy, she'd be ready for this adventure that Mao Mao had mentioned at the sushi bar. Adventure sounded exciting, especially with someone as kind as him with her. Being alone was slightly scarier than not being able to remember where she came from.
Once she was less dirty, Mao Mao threw the towel into the hamper, letting Marcy sleep on the right side of the bed while he took the left. The two were so drained from the endless searching that evening, it only took minutes for them to succumb to slumber.
Mao Mao found himself having another dream about his previous friendship with Bao Bao, which wasn't ideal. But maybe these would become less frequent with Marcy around for the time being. He needed to erase his past and push forward to his future, where he knew he could achieve his goal of being a legend. He would show Bao Bao, he didn't need him or anyone else to still become the best of them all. He'd prove it to him, his father, his sisters.
Finding Marcy's family would be the first step down this new path.