The Mimic: Origins

Chapter 10: Naga-sa

There once lived a beautiful young woman. She grew up doing everything that everyone had wanted from her. She lived up to her parent's expectations till she eventually parted ways to serve a prince. During the years of serving him, Meireki was her love that she'd do anything for. She could go on for days about him without stopping for anything. Meireki was the reason for existing in this depressing world. She hardly had to do anything to meet his expectations, for he had no requirements for her really. He would simply ask for a few things before taking her to their secretive spot. Meireki enjoyed gardens and wanted to show the woman how much he loved her just as he loved them. It was a pleasurable sight for the two to escape their miserable labeled lives.

One of those nights within the gardens, he let his love be made known to the woman. Both of them were overjoyed at first upon hearing she was pregnant. Eventually, though, the woman started feeling a bit jealous. She felt as if he was loving the baby more than her. She didn't like that just as she didn't want that either. She wanted to be loved equally. She often spent most of her time in the library making plans upon plans. Soon enough, she developed a love more for the library than the gardens. She started hating the gardens and anything that had to do with them. She read books upon books for anything she ever needed. That love for the library was paused when the cherished child was born.

Meireki was happy to hear the news, embracing the baby and dancing around with her. The woman watched with a smile that faced into fury. What about her? She had this child for the both of them to enjoy! Here he was only caring for her. Meireki turned to her saying, "Megumi! She's just as beautiful as you! Have you decided on a name for her? I think we should call her Kuriko. What do you think, my love?" He gave her a kiss on the forehead as he waited for her answer. Megumi replied, "It doesn't sound so bad. You were quick on deciding her name.. Have you thought about it all this time?" Meireki shook his head. "I thought of it just now. I have some duties to attend to for about a few hours, though. I wish I could spend more time with the both of you." He hugged Kuriko before handing her over to Megumi. She held the baby as if she didn't want to even touch her, but she pretended to be blissful as she gave Meireki a final kiss on the cheek.

After Meireki left, she glared at Kuriko who just yawned and looked back at her. "Kuriko. Maybe it would've been better if I never had you." The baby started crying as she just sat there still glaring. "Now, now. Crying will never get you anywhere in life. Probably somewhere dead eventually." Megumi decided to care for the child in order to avoid judgment for her actions. She internalized all her anger and jealousy toward Kuriko, replacing it with love and care. It was the least she could do even though I knew the truth the entire time. That woman wanted nothing more to do with that child. Kuriko shared a love for gardens with her father when she was just a toddler. Her favorite flower was a tsubaki. On the final night before Kuriko's disappearance, Megumi took her out to the gardens once more. Kuriko. Tsubaki. Kuriko. Tsubaki. She hated tsubaki. She hated Kuriko. "My little Ku, want to have a look at the tsubaki?" The toddler was more than happy as she clapped her hands singing, "Tsu! Ba! Ki! Tsubaki! I love Okaasan and tsubaki!" She danced around the flowers and played among them. During that moment, Megumi took her chance to return to the palace, claiming that Kuriko went missing as she pretended to be full of sorrow. I scooped up the poor girl and carried her to a faraway place. Maybe she would've been treated there better than with Megumi.

Meireki was stricken with grief over the disappearance of Kuriko. He starved himself, refusing to see anyone. All the other servants started to despise Megumi saying that she was an evil person and probably killed Kuriko. All of which wasn't far from the truth, but she only neglected her toddler for the mere attention from her lover that was now drawn away. She was forced to isolate herself in the palace's library where she could be lost for hours. She spent several days without any regrets or guilt as she constantly kept a dagger by her side. Besides keeping it for self defense, she never knew why this dagger had family history from generation to generation. That was her main reason for spending so much time in the library to find something to explain it all for her. She had nothing to do, so all she did was read and wait. Read and wait. Read and wait. Again, read and wait.

She waited for several years for Meireki to come back to her, for something to change in her life. Instead, it all just remained the same boring life. It felt as if there was an internal being eating away at her from the inside. She muttered to herself, "I'm missing something but what?" She had no clue what she was missing. Perhaps she had forgotten something. She paced the library thinking continuously until it surprised her. Did she miss Kuriko finally after all of these years? Yes, that internal being eating away at her was the love she had for Kuriko before having her. She had to find her lost daughter and fix what she had started out of selfishness. That was the problem, though, how to find Kuriko.

"Kintoru? Kintoru! Where are you? I need your help," called Megumi. I appeared from behind the shelf, where I was watching her. I replied, "You called for me?" Megumi turned to look at me. "There you are! Do you remember Kuriko?" I nodded. She continued, "Well, do you also happen to remember where you put her?" I pretended to ponder in order to tease Megumi, as if I would forget where I placed my meal. I replied, "Hm, the little place close to the imperial palace. Lots of children are there. That's where she's been staying." She gave me a confused look. I shrugged, "It's a bit of a trip, but you will be able to get her back easily. You just have to pay for her." She paused for a few minutes before answering, "I ought to get her back then. I have to fix what I caused." I chuckled. "What's so funny?" I shook my head, "It's been several years, Megumi. I doubt she even remembers you since she was so small. I'd be surprised if she did." Megumi pouted a bit. She knew I was right, I could tell from her reaction. She spoke again, "It's worth a try. After all, if it doesn't work out, at least I will have a new beginning." I gave her a light pat on the head. "That, you will."

After about a year, Kuriko had lived with Megumi and mustered the ability to walk again. I was impressed by her ability to push herself harder than Megumi did. Megumi would take pretty good care of Kuriko, outside of all of the strictness. She would brush her daughter's hair constantly. She brushed and brushed until it got extremely long. She loved how long her hair was since it held memories. Kuriko's birthday was even coming up soon enough. Megumi had a lot planned for that day. Except, everything didn't go as planned.

Kuriko found out the truth about her mother and ran away to Biwaki's house. Megumi looked everywhere for her, but she kept arriving on the conclusion that her daughter disappeared again. She lost her daughter again even though she tried so hard to fix the problem she created. She wailed loud enough that it woke everyone else. They assumed she was insane and eventually found the dagger she would keep on her for safety. They put her in isolation, locking her behind doors.

As she was enclosed in that tiny space, she wrote often. She hates me. She doesn't hate me. She hates me. She hates me. The things she wrote repeated themselves consistently. Over and over, she believed Kuriko hated her. I promise I can change. I will change for everyone else. I promise. I can change. She tried to change herself for her daughter and everyone else. She tried doing the best that she could. She tried. She tried so hard. And yet, she still failed. She even called out to me several times, but I decided not to answer her until she gave into desperation.

"Kintoru.. Please. Please. I will do anything! I promise, no, I swear on my ancestors!" That was when I appeared grinning from ear to ear. "What is it that you need this time, my dear," I said happily. She appeared to be in tears but her eyes were dead, exactly how I wanted them to be. She replied, "I want you to help me out of here. I can't take it anymore. I can't handle it. I can't. Nobody wants to believe me. You believe me though, right?" I hugged her, "Of course I believe you! We're friends. Why wouldn't I? If I do help you though, I need you to do me a favor." She looked up at me, "Exactly what is this favor you need me to do?" I sighed. "I highly doubt you would willingly do it. Unless you really don't want to be stuck here forever. If you don't do it, you'll be right back here and I won't help you again." She slowly nodded, "What is the favor?" I replied, "I need you to find a butterfly in a book called The Girl and the Witch. Once you find that butterfly, consume it. You'll see then. It's your way of making a promise to me."

She agreed to do just what I wanted. So, as any good friend would, I helped her escape her isolation. I placed her right back in the library like good times. I pretended to leave, but I was really there the entire time watching her find the book. She eventually found it, turning the pages to see where the butterfly would be. She carefully picked the creature up while preparing to consume it. I smirked at how easily manipulatable she was. She swallowed the butterfly. The butterfly caused her neck to become a giraffe's. She was no longer Megumi, but she was always my puppet.