Chapter Text
My katana deflects their claws with ease. It’s two-on-one, but with my awesome skills and reflexes, it feels more like a zero-on-one—them being zero and me being one. The clash of our blades cease as we lock in a stalemate. The twin demon guard dogs are good. But I’m good-er. (Shiori’s note: Did you mean “better”? | Biboo’s response: No)
“Bau Bau!” Both dogs say, “We’re not telling you anything!”
Fuwawa and Mococo are loyal dogs. I was proud to call them my best friends, but now they’re my worst friends. (Shiori’s note: “Enemies?” | Biboo’s response: No) I throw them off with a swing of my sword, sending the fluffy and fuzzy bad-hair-days-with-legs into the air. I sheathe my katana and go into an iai stance. “When I’m finished with you, you won’t need to worry about telling me anything.”
“Diamond Dance,” I say. Countless slashes strike against the two mutts in all directions the instant I draw my sword. They continue to cry out in pain as I sheathe my sword. Both fall to the ground with a thud. I walk over to see no visible injuries. Other than a few shedding hairs, Fuwawa and Mococo Abyssgard are untouched. That’s because I didn’t cut their body, but their souls. They sleep, breathing as calm and light as a gentle sea breeze.
The gem on my chest glows with both of their souls, one light blue, the other pink. I can feel and hear their voices coming from within, as well as their thoughts and emotions.
“Bau?” The nasally, squeaky voice of Mococo cries out in my mind, “What happened? Why am I so short? What the— Is that me on the ground?”
“Moco-chan! Are you okay?” Fuwawa shouts, “Where’s Biboo? We gotta get— Wait, why aren’t we moving?”
“I absorbed your souls with my gem,” I say, “My sword has cut the spiritual ties that bind you with your body. Now… let me dig around your minds for an answer.”
“Mococo did it!” Fuwawa shouts.
“Haeh!?” Mococo retorts, “Why are you blaming just me?”
“Cry all you want, your souls never lie.”
Like fishing through a box full of toys or bargain bin DVDs, I sift through Fuwawa’s soul to see anything interesting. Found it. I pull out a visual memory and flip through it like a book. I stop at an image that resembles what I seek. A fridge. This is it. I peer into the memory and live through Fuwawa’s eyes.
Moco-chan has been too happy lately. Not that I have any problem with it, but I miss when she frowns; Her furrowed brow always brings flutters in my stomach and giggles from my lips. But I know my sister. She’s food-motivated and nothing makes a dog happier than some extra snacks. (Fuwawa’s note: True | Mococo’s note: Not true.) I watch my sister put something back into the fridge and skip happily out of the kitchen. I open the fridge and browse its contents.
Nerissa’s milkshakes line the back of the fridge. I’m surprised to see so many still here, they usually disappear by now. Shiori left her scissors in here… Better not touch them. My natto stash is untouched. I can’t help but feel a little disappointed that Mococo doesn’t like natto as much as me. If she wants to be big and strong like me, she has to be a good dog and eat her veggies!
Then my eyes go to Biboo’s section of the fridge. A sticky note adorns itself to a delicious looking pudding cup. “BIBOO’S, DO NOT TOUCH!” The lights from the fridge danced on its silky and bouncy exterior. I feel myself drooling just looking at it. I reach over and find a part of it missing. Upon further inspection, the cap of the pudding cup has been breached.
“Moco-chan…” I whisper to myself, “Bad doggy!” I smell the pudding’s sweet scent. Just one bite. It’s already open, it’s the perfect crime, I can just blame Mococo if anybody asks. I pull the pudding cup out and grab a spoon. Ever so gently, I pull open the cap. And then I—
“You! And Mococo!” I growl. “After I’m through with you two, you won’t ever have to worry about shedding fur ever again!”
I un-sheathe my blade. “Sapphire Shave!”
The twins scream in my mind to spare their hair.
“You ate my pudding! All of it!” I scream.
“That’s not true!” Mococo shouts, “Maybe the part where we ate your pudding is right, but we didn’t eat all of it!”
“Yeah! I took a small spoon’s worth and put it right back!” Fuwawa says.
“Then who ate the rest?”
“I don’t know!” The twins cry.
I grit my teeth. My sword returns to its sheathe. That left two more suspects, Nerissa and Shiori. I can’t imagine Nerissa being hungry enough for my pudding; she even had her collection of milkshakes in the fridge. However, her lust for food and intimacy had driven her to odd behaviors as of late, according to her internet history. (Nerissa’s note: Hello!? Is that why you asked to check my phone? I thought it was an emergency!? | Biboo’s note: It was).
Shiori’s too kind (Nerissa’s note: True). I can’t imagine her willingly committing any kind of sin. I might as well strike her off the list for now. But you never know what kinds of things are kept deep within people’s souls.
I settle on my next target, Nerissa Ravencroft. She’s a powerful one, so I’ll have to use my negotiation skills to avoid destroying the world…again.
Before I leave, I release the twins’ souls back to their bodies. I don’t expect them to wake up anytime soon, being that the soul returning to the body is both exhausting and disorienting. As I look at their slumbering faces, an idea pops in my head. I look through my pockets and find a nice thick marker. This’ll teach ‘em to eat my pudding.