Flesh & Bone (OMORI AU)

Chapter 9: Warning

TW: Use of the r slur (i am neurodivergent thus i am able to write it- dont get offended lmao)


Mari stared at her mother from across the room. Sunny really did kill her. But.. It was accidental. She.. didn't know what happened after. She wasn't angry with Sunny, rather, she felt terrible for how she was pushing him at the time. And then he pushed her, quite literally. She couldn't blame him. He didn't do it with the intention to kill her. She could faintly hear his voice. Faintly hear his nervous shouting. He didn't mean it. Sunny wasn't a monster. He made a mistake.

She looked down at her brother who was still crying. "I-I'm so sorry I didn't mean it please... Please dont leave me... Please I'm so sorry-."

Mari embraced her brother tightly, whispering into his ear. "It's okay... I understand.." 

"How can you be okay with the fact he murdered you?"

Mari whipped her head to look at her mother, glaring. "It was an accident. He didn't mean it. He clearly wouldn't have brought me back if he meant to kill me. And now I'm glad that he did bring me back. Because now I can stop you from hurting him more than you already have." 

She didn't pull away from Sunny, but realized the gash in her chest had disappeared, despite there still being blood. Huh. She could heal at a fast rate. Convenient. She then let go of Sunny, who watched her stand up. Her hair started to levitate again, her eyes glowing brightly as she looked at her mother. 

"You are going to fix this. You are going to be there for him. Because if you don't, I won't hesitate to hurt you. Because you hurt him all this time." Mari glared at her. "He was suffering because of you."

"H-He didn't ask for help! What would I have done?"

"I don't know, maybe check on your fucking son? Who clearly has been hurting himself, and is suicidal??" Sunny was shocked to hear Mari curse. He only ever heard her curse once when he was young, but it wasn't even a true curse word. All she said was 'crap'. But that was normal.

"How is it my fault he killed you?"

"It partially is your fault, but it's also mine. I was pushing him too hard. And you shaped me to push him that way. Because you were pushing me. But because I could naturally do things easily, it wasn't difficult. But Sunny was different. He learned differently. He learned at a different pace, and I didn't realize that at the time. But I do now."

"He's a retard, that's why."

Mari heaved an aggressive sigh and continued to stare at her mother. "Say that again. See what'll happen."

"It's the truth, dear. Just end his life for me.... He wants to die anyway, so why not put him out of his mis-." She was gripped by the neck by an invisible force, choking, unable to get more words out. Mari stared at her, rage in her eyes. 

"If you even try to encourage anyone else to hurt or kill him, I will end your life instead. But I will spare you for now. Because you are my mother, and I believe people have the ability to change. Even scum like you. Got me?"

Mari's mother shook her head, and gasped for air as the pressure on her neck was released. She slowly got to her feet, picking up her purse and rushing up the stairs to her bedroom. Mari once again returned to her normal self, closing her eyes. She then realized that she wasn't actually breathing. She only heard Sunny's shaky breathe amongst the silence. But not her own. It slightly bothered her, but that wasn't important. She opened her eyes again and looked at her brother, helping him to get on his feet. A bit of Mari's blood had transferred onto his sweater, but because it was a dark grey, it wasn't too noticeable. 

"H-How are you okay with what I did? How come you dont hate me..?" Sunny croaked, still sobbing, wiping his face with one of his sleeves.

"It was an accident. You didn't mean it. And I know that for a fact. You wouldn't have brought me back and cared so much to help me remember my past if you meant to kill me. You wouldn't have been so depressed and guilty. And.. I'm sorry that I couldn't be there. It isn't your fault. It's mine. I was pressuring you... And I'm sorry. Sometimes, the praise got to my head.. And I'll admit that I was disappointed that you destroyed your violin, because I was excited for the recital. But I was so excited about the recital that I neglected to ask you how you felt. I'm so sorry.. Sunny.." 

"It's okay... I-I understand.." Sunny smiled gently, causing Mari to chuckle. "Huh?"

"I love your smile. I remember so much now... All the things we did together.. with the others. With the two of us. There may be gaps in my memory but... Simply telling me the truth is what made me remember it. And I remember your smile. Gentle, rare, but beautiful. And I always wanted you to smile more often. I hope that I can see you do so." Mari smiled warmly and closed her eyes. Sunny hugged her and continued to cry, still smiling. 

Sunny did it. He told her what he did. And somehow.. She was okay with it. She still didn't know the whole picture... But he didn't think she would get too mad at Basil. Realistically, she'd probably make jokes about it in hopes to make him feel better, but he'll still feel bad. She was like that, trying to lighten the mood even in dark times. That even meant making dark jokes. Sometimes it helped, other times it didn't, but it still got a laugh out of them all. Sunny remembered... Hero was visiting tomorrow. He still wasn't sure if it was a good idea to invite him over. But.. Mari remembered him. She remembered all of them. There were just a few missing pieces left to place. Sunny had hope, nestling into her shoulder, Mari running a hand through his hair. For some reason, she felt less cold than she had before. She felt warmer... more alive. Even her skin had become less pale. Was remembering important events... making her actually alive? He hoped so.. Still, he thought about how she was still physically fifteen. She still loved Hero. Hero still loved her. Sure, Mari had the mentality of a nineteen year old, but didn't have the body of one. Hopefully things would work out... He really hoped. But he let out a soft yawn, Mari pulling away. 

"You need to rest. So much has happened today.. I'm sorry if I scared you earlier."

"It's fine..." Sunny rubbed his eye. 

"Though I have to ask.. Why did you lose your eye? Or is that another secret I have yet to figure out?" Mari chuckled. 

"I... Think I can talk about it tomorrow..." Sunny yawned once more, and Mari just stared at him. It wasn't creepy. She looked almost.... proud? What was she proud of?

"I can't believe through all of the pain, you're still here. And you brought me back... And you've grown up so much since I last saw you, to be honest it's bizarre thinking about the others as well. And Hero... I have no idea what he looks like now.." Mari chuckled. "That's not important. I'm just glad to be here with you.. Now, you need to sleep. I'm surprisingly not tired, so I'll be downstairs watching some TV, okay?"

"Are you sure...?" 

"Yes, I'm sure. Plus, I'm sleeping on the couch anyway. Sorry for stealing your bed last night, I was just so exhausted." Mari smiled. "Off you go, we can chat more tomorrow, okay?"

Sunny headed for the hallway, looking at her, nodding. He headed to the steps, but stopped himself. "Hey, Mari?"

"Hm?"

"I love you..."

"I love you too, Sunny... sweet dreams." Mari smiled as Sunny walked up the steps.

She let out a soft sigh, picking up the steak knife and cleaning it. She decided to hide the sharp objects from Sunny, just in case. Though, she really couldn't reach the top cabinets. She grunted as she tried to reach, but then thought for a moment. 

If I'm a spirit, of sorts... Can't I just change my body?

Mari thought leaning against the counter. 

Let's give it a shot, I guess.

Mari inhaled, putting one of the knives beside her as she tried to focus. She tried to think about what she expected herself to look like as an adult as a child. Could she even control exactly what she looked like? She just thought about it, deeply. After a few minutes, she didn't feel any different. She opened her eyes, blinking multiple times. But it worked.... She had gotten taller. Of course, not by a large amount, but now she would be taller than Sunny. Her body had matured, her hips more curved and her chest fuller. She felt kind of awkward about it. Her hair was also longer, reaching her thighs instead of her back. She inhaled, and quietly squealed in excitement. She actually looked like an adult! So she hoped. She had to check. She slowly rushed upstairs to the bathroom, hearing Sunny talking to himself in his room. Or rather, he was talking to Mewo.

"I don't really get it.. I mean.. I hurt her. How can she be okay with me?" Sunny held Mewo, listening to her comforting purr. "I know you dont understand what I'm saying but sometimes it's nice to talk to you. Since you won't judge me. You're a cat after all..."

Sunny chuckled, petting the top of her head. He then let her off of his lap, and she curled up onto his chair, almost blending into it, as her fur matched the color of the cushion. Sunny laid in his bed, pulling the covers over his body. For once, he didn't dread going to sleep. He felt like he could sleep peacefully. Because Mari was here. And truly was here this time. He turned off his lamp, turning on his side, and eventually falling asleep. Mari had stayed outside the door listening to him, smiling softly, and headed for the bathroom, flicking on the light. She looked at herself in the mirror. She really did look like a nineteen year old. However, she wasn't digging the long hair, and opted to cut some off. But... she felt tempted to cut her hair shorter than she had before. Perhaps up to her shoulders? She wanted to give it a shot. She was feeling rebellious. 

She was good at cutting hair, and cut Sunny's hair all the time previously. She cut her hair and didn't do too shabby at it either, so she had hopes that it wouldn't look bad. Her dark hair fell into the sink and on the floor as she snipped, careful not to make it look too choppy or flat. Once she finished she looked at herself again, fluffing her hair slightly. She really liked how she looked... The shorter hair was nice on her. Mari began to clean up the hair that dropped. Once she was finished, she walked out the door, and stopped. Her mother was waiting outside the bathroom, already in her robes. She had a pile of clothing, a pillow, and a few blankets. It was a lot for her to carry. She went to look at Mari and gasped. She wasn't expecting to see her 'fifteen year old' daughter suddenly as an adult. 

"Uhm.. So.. I know I'm not a good mother... But I'm going to try to be a better one. Take this stuff, though I'm unsure if the clothes will fit you well now.. considering um.. yeah. I'm going to talk to Sunny tomorrow.. and I promise that I won't hurt him anymore."

Mari slowly blinked. "You're not just saying that to make me less angry at you, right?"

"No, I'm being honest" She wasn't lying. She was really telling the truth. She had a painful look in her eyes, genuinely feeling guilty for being such a horrible parent. But she handed Mari the stuff in her hands, and began to slowly walk away. 

"Mom?" Her mother looked back at Mari in confusion. 

"Good night." Mari smiled gently. Her mother smiled slightly back. 

"Good night.." She then walked to her room, closing the door behind her. 

Mari let out a soft sigh. She had hopes that their mother would change. She didn't like to be aggressive, but she was so upset with how Sunny was being treated while she was gone. She wanted to be there for Sunny. And she wanted to help her mother be a better parent. She felt like she was too forgiving. But first... She had to get used to being alive....and being an adult. But she walked down the steps, slowly, looking at the bottom. Where she had fallen. She nodded slightly to herself as she continued to walk to the living room, where a single lamp was left on.

Laying out the couch into a futon, she put the pillow and blankets on top, grabbed the remote and switching on the TV. She wasn't interested in anything that was on, so she turned it off. She glanced at the clothes her mother had given to her, picking up a shirt and a pair of sweatpants. The shirt looked baggy enough to fit her, and while the sweatpants would be short on her, they'd fit around her waist at least. Once the clothing was on, she felt her body. It felt so odd. She shuddered. She couldn't believe that she was an adult in the first place. She missed four years of her life; She didn't graduate from high school. How could she go to college now? She tried not to over think it, but Hero came onto her mind. She got anxious. What if he didn't actually love her anymore? What if he was afraid of her... Considering she was technically a ghost with a physical form.

She frowned, pursing her lips, laying down on the futon. She stared at the ceiling, which had a few cracks over the years. Some she remembered as a child had gotten larger. The house was old; her grandparents were the first owners and their father grew up there. She wondered what happened to him.. But didn't want to find out. He had always been a bit of an asshole. The day he found out she was dating Hero... Hell broke loose. And he always hurt Sunny. Physically. He had his moments where he was playful and kind, but they were rare. Mari tried not to think about it, turning off the lamp and laying on her side. Despite the lamp being off, there was still a night light from the kitchen, giving her a bit of light.

She looked at her hands. Her fingers were long, and dainty, yet her fingers still had small calluses from playing the piano. Her nails weren't long either, since having long nails would make it difficult to play. She then reached for her neck, feeling around where the bruise was. Given that the skin there was slightly swollen, she had a feeling it was still here. Though she wondered.. If she died by falling down the stairs, why did she have a bruise around her neck? She yawned, feeling more tired as she thought about it. She'd just have to find out tomorrow. Closing her eyes, she eventually fell asleep, not making a sound.