Far From Yesterday (Marissonshipping Fanfic)

Chapter 3

A special thanks to modeststroke, who's letting me use their adorable image as the cover for this fic! Go check out their work! ^^

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"...The first thing you should know is that you're not eighteen, Mairin," Professor Sycamore's voice was quiet, and he took in a deep breath. "You're twenty-three."

If Mairin had been standing up, sure was sure that her legs wouldn't be able to support her. She stiffened up as the words left his mouth, gawking up at him. Mairin blinked, making sure she had heard him correctly, hating how everyone was watching her sorrowfully.

She then closed her eyes, letting out a shaky laugh.

"Ha... v-very funny guys..." Mairin muttered, sitting up slightly. She looked around, before scowling at them. "Actually– n-not funny at all! I'm not in the mood for jokes, I... I want to know..."

She slowly trailed off, a look of seriousness on everyone else's face. Once again Mairin tensed up, hands tightening around the edges of the chair. She whipped around, looking over each person in turn. Professor Sycamore couldn't look her in the eyes, his gaze distant and sorrowful. Sophie and Cosette had pure worry in their gaze, while the blue-haired man was looking at Mairin with a look that could only be described as pity.

Finally she looked towards Alain, who was pale. He was staring at Mairin, pure unbelief and fear in his gaze. He swayed slightly in his chair, jaw slack.

"Wh-what are you guys saying?" Mairin whispered.

Twenty-three?! There was no way she was twenty-three! Mairin closed her eyes, trying to shove the possibility aside. She was eighteen, she knew that– she just couldn't have jump five years in age!

"I don't know..." Professor Sycamore said uncertainly. "But Mairin, clearly something is wrong."

No, she wasn't twenty-three... but the doubts began to run through her mind– the fact that Chespie was now evolved, that this Absol acted as if it were her own... And her room, there was no way it had been transformed overnight.

"W-wrong?" Alain sputtered out, and he rose to his feet. "How could you just say 'wrong'?! She– this–"

"Alain," Professor Sycamore said firmly. "Calm down."

"'Clam down'?!" Alain cried. "Don't you dare tell me to calm down, not when my Mairin clearly isn't remembering things right–!"

Mairin flinched at the words 'my Mairin'. She swayed in her seat for a moment, trying to take in what she had just been told.

"Alain– enough!" Professor Sycamore's voice echoed through the lab, and his assistant fell silent. He then took in a deep breath, straightening his lab coat. "Yelling will get us nowhere," He turned towards Mairin, smiling slightly. "Let's take this one step at a time, okay?"

One step?! Everyone was apparently convinced that she was twenty-three! ...Or she was convinced that she was eighteen...

She shivered.

A warm hand was placed on her shoulder, but Mairin didn't look up as she stared down at her hands. The confusion was rushing through her mind, and her stomach was beginning to churn unhappily. She felt like throwing up, but she managed to keep the feeling down as she sat there.

"Mairin, what's the last thing you remember before this morning?" Professor Sycamore asked.

"I already t-told you..." Mairin muttered.

Professor Sycamore nodded a bit, uncertainly glancing over Mairin's shoulder. "Yes... the fight. Well, um, how clearly do you remember it? Is it blurry at all, did it feel dream-like or–?"