3.3

The red string of fate

Water trailed on the floor as Doraemon made her way along the hallway. The warmth she had just a few moment ago was now gone. She had once abused that sensation and now it only lasted for a flash like a shooting star. Why was she feeling like this, the girl was supposed to be happy, to be free. That thing was not here.

“Hey” Mara called out from behind “I just prepared a bath if you want it”

“I’m alright, this body can’t get cold”

“I just cleaned that hallway you know, just hop on in, I insist”

Doraemon turned back and looked at Mara. She wanted to say no but her head nodded instead.

___

Submerging herself in the hot water, the heat penetrated the synthetic skin, spreading warmth around the girl body. Maybe this wasn’t a bad idea after all. She lazily focused on the oxygen display on her vision which slowly ticked down at a calming rate.

As the reserves ran low, Doraemon reluctantly broke surface for more air.

The bathroom was certainly spacious with some sort of heating permanently on. In the corner was Mara, trying to wash Doraemon’s clothes.

“And here I thought you have drown in that bathtub” The old lady jest.

“As if”

“So what has been on your mind?”

“Does it matter… it’s not like I bother anyone”

“What about that boy then?”

“… He didn’t refuse”

Doraemon leered at Mara, who was looking at her with a firm disapproving gaze. The girl busted out laughing.

“What’s so funny?”

“It’s you, or more like that look. I see that a lot on shows, you just need to put your fists on your hips and it would be complete” The girl sunk back into the tub “I never seen that in real life though, much less directed at me”

Mara sighed, if her hands weren’t all wet she would have actually done that.

“Come to think of it, I found this in the cupboard earlier”

The old lady approached the tub and dropped a yellow inflatable duck in. Doraemon, with half her face underwater, looked at the thing. Now this was something she has only seen on the shows. The real thing, however, was rather harrowing as its empty black eyes seemed to stare into her soul.

Doraemon turned the duck around and squeezed it a few times. That was… surprisingly satisfying.

“You seem to be enjoying that”

The girl had half her head underwater, bubbling “It’s no… yes, so what”

“Nothing” Mara laughed back “It’s nothing at all”

Slightly annoyed, Doraemon splashed a bit of water at the old lady. But something was wrong, Mara wasn’t responding at all. She simply sat there with her back to the bathtub, unmoving.

“Hey, don’t tell me you have a stroke over there”

No answer. Mara still sat there hunching over. Doraemon bit her lips, a fear rising in her heart. The girl didn’t even realise she was worrying for someone else, now that was something that was so foreign to her now.

Doraemon exited the water and ate a splash of water into her face.

“Gotcha” Mara smiled as she held onto the cup.

“What’s the point of that, I am already taking a bath here” Mumbled Doraemon.

“True, true” Said Mara as she focused on finishing the washing.

The old lady could hear the faint sound of water droplets as Doraemon exited the tub. The girl walked up to the senior’s back. Mara expected a bucket over her head but instead of that, she received a hug instead, a particularly wet one.

“Doraemon?”

The girl didn’t answer, her faces dug into the old lady’s back. Her arms were trembling.

Years of being on the run had jaded Doraemon. Each year the girl sunk to new low she hadn’t thought possible. And for someone to survive at that depth, one must never, in any circumstance, showed their weakness.

But here she was, wet and naked, trembling and clutching onto another’s back.

This wasn’t like her. But this wasn’t her world either, the clear air wasn’t one she used to breath. The companies weren’t one she is used to. To be able to sleep soundly, to have those around who would look out for her, to be safe, they weren’t what she was used to either.

That was why it was most terrifying for all of it to be torn down.

The next moment, she may wake up from a long dream, a particularly powerful trip, a believable virtual reality.

Mara suddenly found a glowing red string tied around her pinkie finger.

“It’s my power” Said Doraemon, but Mara didn’t feel the girl mouth moving “You can only see it, feel it because I allow you to. I don’t know what’s the extend of this power but at least it can transmit my thought”

“I see” Said Mara “But can you hear mine?”

“I don’t know, when I connected to others all I received was silent. Although all of them was unaware of that” All but one, Doraemon gave one her string with his full knowledge in the rain. The girl didn’t know what she expected but the ensuring silent was absolutely crushing.

“Check check, can you hear me?” A voice rang out in the girl head, awaken her from the sadness “So this thing can work both way, Doraemon, can you say something”

“…” Doraemon was speechless, how was it working now?

“Doraemon, can you hear me? I guess this doesn’t work…”

“NO NO, it works fine. I can hear you loud and clear, I can hear you”

“That’s good to hear… Do you still say ‘hear’ if it is in your head?” The old lady wondered.

“I’m sure it still is”

Suddenly, Doraemon was overwhelmed by strange sensations, foreign emotions coursing throughout her. Images flashed in front of her. Then it all stopped. Judging from Mara reaction, the woman just had the same attack.

“Guess this can show more than just thought”

Mara said, the guesses were shared. When the wall between them broken down for a moment there, everything was spilt over. Memories, experiences, knowledge, emotions, everything was copied across, but their brains could only process little.

“So what did you see” Asked Mara.

Doraemon tried to remember “I could see… a funeral, no funerals” A little girl at an empty table. A little girl with a washed up woman, her mother, whose arm had a hole all discoloured from drug abuse. Then it skipped to a senior sitting at an empty table, all alone. The feeling of loneliness, of helplessness was simply overwhelming.

But what with that blank between them, those memories were hidden but it was there in Doraemon mind.

The girl tried and there they are, all laid bare. The tubes, the needles and everything was painted a red so dark it might as well be black. Wait, her current experience was still connected to Mara. The sound of helicopter blared in her mind. Outside was the greenery of a tropical jungle. Then came the Ride of the Valkyrie.

Doraemon looked up to be greeted with a face devoid of empathy, cold as ice.

That image soon washed away to reveal a face with the warmest smile. Mara embraced Doraemon and the girl could feel only love.

“Oh my, you’ve seen everything, how embarrassing” Mara blushed a bit, now that was something she hadn’t felt in a long time “But please keep this a secret, I don’t want to kill you!” The joke was loving but grim.

“Of course, and I would ask the same. You have seen everything, right?” Including the Killer Queen and her eternal struggle.

“Yes, I have seen… felt it all. Don’t worry, you won’t have to be afraid of me letting your real age slips”

“I will kill you if that is the case” Doraemon thought lovingly.

“I’m sure you will. But still, I had suspected you to be older but not… around my age”

“Is there a problem with that, I am still a youth at heart” A joke that Doraemon ever expected her to ever make.

“Well, you still look the part” On the other hand, Mara was younger than she looked.

“Welcome to the future!”

How long had it been for the both of them since they last laughed this genuine? Since they were last connected to someone else. To understand and to be understood, there was nothing more satisfying.

But of course, nothing last forever. Outside, the clearing rain hid the most effective operative the JTF2 had ever known, one that was called Six.

The sky was clear now but a most terrible storm awaited, the final battle of Saragarhi.