Mari's return

Kel

Mari felt like trash. It had been almost a week and a half since the events at the hospital. What followed after was something Mari never expected even when she lived in a fantasy world for four years.

At the hospital, she had explained everything to her mother, how she died and came back, and how Sunny almost died twice. The truth was like a gut punch for her mother, but she swiftly recovered and became the adult that the group had so desperately needed. After all, there’s a lot of paperwork to be done for when you come back from a fantasy world, which happens a lot more often than you would expect.

The whole ordeal reminded Mari of the quests she would complete in the other world. From having to collect one item and deliver it elsewhere for another, as well as having to face crowds of people who all stood against her. It would have been all too familiar for the Sword Saint if the eons of boredom didn’t nearly kill Mari all over again that is. Each endless line that she stood in, all to get a form, get out and complete it, then go back to turn it in was like a brand new hell for her. At that point, she wouldn’t mind having to fight Omori all over again.

But once she had filled out all the large yet necessary paperwork to legally rejoin the land of the living. Mari had then sold nearly all of her dragon fangs and orc horns to buy back her home, which she had quickly furnished with other items that she carried within her inventory. Soon the empty home was almost restored to its former glory.

Yet, as if doing all of that wasn’t enough for Mari, both she and Sunny had to prepare for the one thing that they never thought they would see again. How could they? It had been four years since then. After years of fighting both inner and literal demons, how could either of them not expect that they would need to face that? Shouldn’t dealing with guilt and regret get you a free pass out of this situation? That’s right, both Mari and Sunny had to go to high school.

“Mom, I’m nineteen! Shouldn’t I be looking for a job instead? Besides, I know way more than these teachers do!” whined Mari as she and her family walked to the school’s office to discuss enrollment for the two siblings.

“That’s why you’ll be in the adult night school program instead,” explained her mother.  “The semester is going to start in a few weeks, and it's every mother’s dream to see their children cross the stage.”

“I thought that it was their dream to watch us walk the aisle,” rebutted a smug Mari.

“Hmm, maybe when you’re older, Mari, but in any case, Sunny needs to rejoin society some way or another. Right, sweetie?”

Sunny faced his head down to the floor. “We’re... in public, Mom...” said the boy, embarrassed that his mother still treated him like a child. “But… can’t I take… the same classes as Mari?”

Overjoyed that her brother would want to spend more time with her, Mari pulled the boy into a tight hug. “Yeah, Mom! Why can’t Sunny take classes with me?”

“In… public… Mari!” struggled Sunny who was turning bluer by the second. To be completely honest, Sunny didn’t suggest that so he could be with Mari more often, rather it was so she could handle all the socializing for him. After all, there would undoubtedly be plenty of students who would question him about his right eye, which was still being treated and bandaged.