Death is a Woman

A Hidden Quirk

My name is Macaria. Macaria Muerta. I'm a 25 year old woman, motorcyclist, and.... I would not call myself a hero. I would not call myself a villain either. If you were to follow the Tao, I would not be the Yin, or the Yang, in the taijitu, I would be the teardrops. The good in the bad, and the bad in the good. If you also follow that same Tao,

"Water doesn't choose who it cleanses, water cleanses all life"

Of course that's true, harmonious, romantic, even.

But what if I wasn't cleansing life?

The moment I was old enough to leave home I did. For years I had told my parents that I was quirkless, which was a lie. My quirk isn't something anyone would believe, especially coming from a five year old. I remember the day it first manifested. I was in my room, playing with my dolls. I remember that Barbie's face so clearly, she was off in her pink and white Barbie Jeep, headed to her dream house, when I saw my first orb.

I thought It must have been a glare from my window at first. The orb floated right out of my Barbie's back and I followed it, eyes squinting. I reached out to swat it away, but what stood before my eyes scared the shit out of me.

I covered my mouth, too scared to scream, too scared to react, I couldn't do anything but stare. Before me stood a woman in red, flowing brown hair, and a gentle smile. She had a golden glow around her head. She looked directly at me, and kneeled down, reaching out her hand to me, her smile never wavering. She looked so gentle, inviting, and warm, I stretched my arm out, crawling towards her, when my hand touched hers, it did not slip through as I thought it would, I felt her very real, very warm, flesh. Confused and intrigued I looked up to her to see her smile widen.

"Tenshi" is all she said before glistening away into the window, as fast as she had appeared. I sat down and kept staring through my large glass window. I couldn't tell anyone about this. I wasn't even old enough to register this as my fated quirk.

The next manifestation didn't happen until two years after the first. I was seven, in one of the arcades in the mall. I always loved the arcade, especially cabinet games, in fact it's how my parents met. However, this time I didn't see Tenshi, I met someone who was nothing, and everything. I met Marty.

I was on my way to get more quarters from my allowance. After exchanging with the counter clerk I had turned to see a gray orb this time. I kept walking, thinking I was just imagining things, when I noticed the orb start to follow me. I ignored it for awhile, opting to focus on my game, but I still felt the orbs presence. I walked into the restroom, but the orb still followed. I peeked in and noticed no one was in any of the stalls, annoyed I reached the orb once more.

In front of me stood a man, older, maybe in his 60s, thick black rimmed glasses, but he was not as colorful as Tenshi. His skin was ragged, faded to a blueish grey. He did not smile like Tenshi, but instead gave a brief nod. "The name is Marty my dear Macaria." I looked around to make sure no one was looking.

"What are you?" I spat. I couldn't understand why this was happening again and why I wasn't seeing Tenshi.

"I'm a spirit. Crossing into the afterlife. It seems you have the ability to manifest us.", he replied. I listened intently, I knew what he was saying was true, but I didn't want my feelings validated by a stranger, much less, a spirit.

"It seems I was not quite ready to pass into the afterlife, so I was asked to do a few tasks before being able to pass over. I can't tell you everything little Macaria. But I can tell you that in your future you will see more of us", Marty then faded just as Tenshi did. I wasn't sure how I could process this. I still couldn't tell anyone.

I had seen a trillion or more orbs since my time at that small arcade, but there are two significant moments that made me solidify my decision on not being a hero, nor a villain.

The first was the accident. I had just gotten my motorcycle. I worked so many overtime shifts, double shifts, every holiday, to be able to even afford this for myself. And then it happened again. But this was the most devastating. I was coming down a bend from a mountain, not a care in the world in my young eyes. On my bike I felt free.

It was just me and the road and that's what I always pictured my life to be. And then, through my helmet, I saw a black orb. I knew I couldn't ignore it, but I couldn't swat it or touch it at this exact moment. I thought I could hold it off until at least I was down off of the mountain. That's when I noticed this black orb, not only did it get closer, but larger as well. I still tried my best to remain focused on the road, choosing to focus my hands on the brakes of my bike, the bottom of the mountains approaching, I could see it through my helmet- I was so close to getting there, when

CRASH

I don't quite remember how it happened, but I remember being against the mountain, my bike pressed against my hip and right leg, screams and crying, everything was a blur, my vision was going white and yet, that black orb still remained. As if that small black orb knew what was going on, it approached, and landed on my leather gloved palm.

"My Name is Decan and I'm the one who is here to explain your quirk", he was a young, handsome man. He had brown short hair, shaved on one side, piercings in his ears cartilage and a beautiful smile. I listened intently. I had been suffering quietly for years with this monstrosity of a quirk. No one would believe me.

Quirks had always been a physical ability. Quirk doctors couldn't study spirits. They would tell me to take some anti-psychosis drugs and call it a day if I had told anybody what was really happening.

"Macaria", he said in his stern voice. "Macaria, your quirk is something called, Second Sight. It's sort of like a form of Clairvoyance, but with more depth. As we both know, you can see orbs, which are spirits. You've already met Tenshi, our good spirit, Marty, our ambiguous spirit, and me, the most ruthless spirit of them all. A good spirit is white, an ambiguous spirit, is grey, and spirit-orbs like me are black. You see, little Macaria, you and I will be working, very, very, close within these next few years.

I have certain expectations for quirks like yours, and you could not even give me a greeting when I came to visit, such a shame. I'll make sure that this lesson is seared into your memory forever. Do not forget it.", before I could respond to Deacon, I remember waking up in a hospital bed. The bright lights mimicked the white ones I saw before speaking with Deacon.

"Oh Thank God, she's awake!", My ears perked as my eyes fluttered. I tried to make out who was who, trying to lift myself from the bed and feeling hands touch my back. I must have been given some type of drug while I was out because my body felt so limp, so heavy.

"Excuse me Sir, Madam? I'm sorry but due to patient confidentiality I have to speak with your daughter alone". I felt hands leave my side and once I was fully awake I turned to make eye contact with my doctor. I looked up at him, waiting.

"Macaria, I'm glad to see you're finally awake. I have some news for you,"

It didn't register to me then, weather he said it was good or bad news, I was so out of it I didn't care.

"Macaria, we had to amputate your right leg, the damage was too severe" and that's when I heard him for the first time. Frantic I tore the covers off to find my leg not there. I was loopy, I couldn't scream, I couldn't cry, I was so out of it.

"Macaria, but the good news is we are having a prosthetic made for you", I nodded in response. I wasn't sure just how to respond to the news of knowing that I might not be able to ride my motorcycle, but a limb was missing on top of that. When the doctor left I had asked me to let my family know I wanted to be alone. I wanted to process everything. And much like all the other times, orbs started to appear towards me. This time it was not one individual shade, but all three. I couldn't make them out, I couldn't touch so many of them all at once, all of the orbs inched closer and closer until, I discovered my quirk's side effect.

Migraines. Head-splitting, intense, vomit-inducing migraines. I leaned over to vomit in the bucket next to my bed. So many orbs had never been near me all at once. For the first time though, once the doctor and my mother came rushing back into my room, the orbs disappeared.