author’s note* this one is sad. read it if you can bear it.

“What? Wait, what about you?” Peace asked as Raine turned to go the other direction.
“I’m going to check some other stuff out. I’ll be back at… say, around eleven.”
“Eh?!”
“I’m going to check some stuff out! I’ll be back.” And with that Raine left.

Raine walked across a pebbled path. Her black hair whooshed in the breeze, just as she liked it. “Yo! Natsula. I know you’re here.” Natsula appeared from behind a fountain. “How’d you know?” Her black cloak swooshed as she appeared, as if she had no feet. “I– NATSULA!!” Natsula had a scythe.
“Eh?”
“You– you’re not invisible! You’re a being now! Ooh, Natsula…!”
“Oh. That.” Natsula turned away, as if ashamed.
“What? Don’t you like being… like me?”

Natsula smiled just a tiny smile. “No… I guess I don’t. Too many people ask me about my cloak. Too many people poke. Too many times…. They all just talk talk talk and play play play but they never seem to like being alone. To walk away….” Then Natsula looked up. “I’m sorry for whining, onee-chan. After all, I had always wanted to be real.”

“But– but, Natsula! You were always real. Everything that can breath, everthing that’s there. Even if you can’t see it sometimes… But it’s always real, Natsula!” Natsula returned Raine’s gaze. “Natsula, what happened?”

“He sent me to kill you. It’s time up for you now, Raine.” This voice was cold and sharp, so unlike Natsula’s usual soft voice. Yet it came from her mouth. “Natsula?!” Raine started to panic. What was going on?!

“Raine. It’s time now. You’ll be happier. You’ll be with your mother.” Mom? “I-I never told you about–“

“It’s time, Raine..” Then twenty Natsula’s appeared, all chanting “It’s time. It’s time. Raine, Raine, time, time.”
“What?” Raine looked about frantically like a deer. Trapped. “Na–” Then the trance broke and it was only Natsula and her. Just one Natsula. She had stopped chanting. “Na– what?” Raine couldn’t help it now. That feeling of being trapped, of no where out. Her friend turning on her, getting dizzy, that feeling, that feeling! That feeling of being trapped, of no where out. That.. that feeling…

Raine started to cry. She hadn’t cried since she was crippled, but now she cried. I’m so stupid. So so stupid! No wonder they all left me! Now Raine started to cry with more tears but less sound. Big tears just falling off her face. Like fallen angels. They’ll never be apart of me again. Never in heaven again. All lost…

Now the tears came slower, but steady. Raine couldn’t help it.

“Sometimes, when you haven’t cried for a while, holding in all your stress and sadness…” Raine’s mother had said… “It’ll burst out of you, maybe just at the slightest moment. Raine’s tear’s slowed.
“If you don’t let out your tears every now and then,” Natsula dropped her scythe. “What am I doing?!”

Then Natsula ran away. “Why, why, why?!” She screamed. “NATSULA!!” Raine yelled after her. “Wait..” She whispered.

Raine then left. She found Natsula’s scythe and went to pick it up. She did so. Then Raine quickly dropped it. It was burning hot. “Wha..” Then, timidly, she picked it up again. This time it was freezing cold. “Gah!” Raine dropped it. She sighed then kicked it. “What’s wrong with you?!” She screamed at it.

“Nothing is wrong with it. It is just being protective over itself. It is protecting it self.” Came a cold voice, smooth, cold, and unfeeling. “Eh?” Raine turned around then gasped. The… the…

“The– R-r-reeprr…” Raine stumbled on her words from fright. “G-go away!” Raine yelled and picked up the sycthe to slice him. Raine charged. “GO AWAY!!” Then brought out the sycthe in a direction for a power blow. “GO AWAY!” Natsula suddenly appeared in front of the skeletion. Raine stopped herself just in time. “NATSULA–” Raine’s eyes got big and scared. “Na….”

Raine dropped down on the floor. “Na…” Raine’s hands clenched the ground, her head bent down, her knees, shins, and shoes getting dirty from the dirt. Then it started to rain. “Natsula… I give up, then. If you want to be with someone like him.. Someone with no heart…” The Reeper glared down at her with his blood red ruby eyes. “But.. why, Natsula? Why would you want to be with someone like him….” Raine’s eyes turned color. They turned purple. Raine looked up. “Why?” Natsula reared back just a tiny bit, suprised by Raine’s eyes.

“Natsula!” That was a boy’s voice. A hearty voice full of love and care… Who is this boy? Raine pondered. The Reeper roared. “WHY?? WHY DOES THAT BOY STILL CHASE AFTER YOU? WHY DID YOU MAKE FRIENDS, NATSULA. I ORDERED YOU NOT TO. LOVE IS SOMETHING YOU DON’T NEED!” The Reeper roared.

Then he struck Natsula, that little kid, and she fell to the ground. “Natsula!” Raine yelped, followed by the boy’s voice. “Don’t do that… DON’T DO THAT TO NATSULA!” Raine screamed at The Reeper. “Don’t.. don’t do that.” Raien said more softly. “Foolish mortal…” The Reeper whispered. Then he struck her, but this time with his scythe. Blood aroused from Raine, dripping down. He had only hit her on her stomach, but new cuts sprang from all over her body, blood dripping down. “Just give up,” the Grim Reeper said, looking away.

“No. I’LL NEVER GIVE UP. NEVER EVER!” Raine screamed. “JUST GIVE UP!” He screeched. Then the boy chose to act. “Stop it! Stop it!! Leave her alone!” The boy whipped in, gripping Natsula’s sythe. “Leave, them, alone!!” He screamed then cut through the Reeper. Nothing happened. “Wha???” Raine’s eyes got big and wide with fear.

The Reeper faultered, suprised by the attack. “Let’s go!” The boy ordered, and grabbed Raine’s hand, running across the lawn, leading her to safety.