Death Do Us Apart (JJBA Fanfic)

Episode 3(Part 1)

Tokyo-7/11

Maomao searched the convenience store for a lighter to replace the one she had used up. It had been about an hour since she snuck out of school. Her phone suddenly rang, causing her to panic and answer when answering the phone. "Hi there, this is the nurse from Shoto Junior High. You are Mrs Yi, right?" an old woman's voice spoke through the phone, which creeped Maomao out. "Yes," She answered, trying not to sound deflated. "Heidan suddenly collapsed during PE. Can you come pick him up? He's running a high fever." The woman asked. "I'll be there momentarily," Maomao replied, hanging up the phone. She immediately returned the lighter she found and ran out of the store, desperately pushing people out of the way on the streets.

Thirty minutes had passed by the time she reached her little brother's school. She ran into the nurse's office and demanded to see her brother. Her voice was sharp and irritated, causing the old nurse to become frightened of Maomao. Once let in the infirmary, she ran to her brother's bedside and checked on him. "Excuse me for asking, but my eyes are getting worse every day; despite that, I still doubt you are Mrs. Yi; you look too young." The old woman asked shakily with her frail voice. "I'm his elder sister, I believe telling you this a few times before. My mom asked me to pick him up." Maomao lied, looked away from the old woman, and stared at her brother. "Well, I am getting old. Sorry. I suppose you can take Heiden and leave now; make sure to care for him well." The old woman turned away and went back to her desk. Maomao sighed and carried her brother in her arms. She smiled softly, hearing his soft breathing and heartbeat pulsing throughout his body in her arms. Then it hit Maomao, with her mother in Shanghai permanently and her father somewhere in America. Someone needed to take care of Heidan. Her grip on the boy tightened as she shut her eyes, pleading to any God who would listen to her.

A woman in her twenties suddenly appeared in her mind, just like those flickering images earlier. She looked like the woman she had seen in her dreams, except she was a few years older. The woman had wavy dark brown hair and wore a shoulder-less black classy dress. She had a golden arrowhead pendant on her dress, contrasting with the slick black dress. Her red eyes stared right back at Maomao. "Go on. Find him." She spoke calmly, but her voice was cold. "Excuse me?" Maomao furrowed her brows in confusion. The illusion gets closer until the woman is nearly chest-to-chest with Maomao. "Isabel." The woman reached out and touched Maomao's cheek; the woman had a soft smile that seemed too eerie for Maomao's liking. "Go for it. You can do it; don't waste my gift." The woman suddenly had the same black blade Maomao could conjure in her hands. The woman looked at the dagger and touched the sharp knife, caressing its edges. "We aren't so different, Maomao." She glanced back up and Maomao before suddenly disappearing. Maomao blinked a few times, coming back into reality. She was on the bustling streets of Tokyo, standing like a deer caught in headlights while holding her ill brother. She exhaled and started panting. She hadn't breathed a single breath during that entire conversation with that woman. Maomao shook her head and continued moving on.

Maomao's home was even further than Jotaro's. On the days when Maomao was late, she would be behind Jotaro and see him come out of his large home. The walk was long by itself. Carrying her brother wasn't making it any easier. "I'm alright..." Maomao heard her brother speak weakly. Maomao let a soft smile paint her face. "I know," She nodded, her voice cracking. "Maomao, you should stop worrying about me. I'm already older. I can take care of myself." Heidan seemed to get paler by the second. Maomao stared worriedly as she continued to tread onward. "You're twelve." She stated that this was enough to counter his argument. "Your life is only full of smoking and taking care of me." Heidan retorted. "I don't smoke," Maomao looked ahead with tired eyes. "Liar," Heiden mumbled, rolling his eyes. The pair slowly got back home. "You'll be fine, I won't go to school tomorrow. I'll stay with you. It's just a cold. We can get through it." Maomao whispered as Heidan closed his eyes to fall asleep.