Finding Us- A MiraFreed Fanfic

Chapter Fourteen: A Curse Turns True the Tides of Fate

Pulling herself up from the couch, neck and back stiff from laying on the Elfman-dented couch all night, Mira heads upstairs to get clothes for a shower. Her mind is actually blank for once. No thoughts of Freed or the curse, sex, or people. She is a blank canvas just going through the motions of her morning routine. Going to her closet, she pulls out a pair of capris pants, a red camisole, and a black v-neck t-shirt. Heading to her dresser, she finds lacy pink panties that she bought on a whim with Lucy and Levy, and the bra that matches. On her way to the bathroom, she notices that the house is abnormally quiet. Usually Elfman is breaking something with his brute body and Lisanna is picking everything up while slowly getting more and more upset. Mira would have already showered and been trying to wrangle her siblings and keep their emotions level before blowing up into Satan Soul...but she doesn't have Satan Soul any more- just normal emotions.

With the house obviously empty, Mira finds that now she can shower and bath in peace without worrying about her siblings chaos. Their sexual orchestra begins to play in Mirajane's head as she undresses. Immediately shaking her head of the obscene thoughts, she pulls her dress over her head and then her bra and finally her panties. Turning to start the shower, she catches herself in the full length mirror on the back of the bathroom door and her eyes for once, wonder down her body.

Her skin is nearly as white as snow, her hair even whiter. Her collar bones protrude from her body along with her ribs and her pelvic bone. Her hands come up and cup her breasts. They aren't as big as Erza's or Cana's, but she definitely has more than Levy.

Why are guys fascinated with these? They're just blobs of fatty tissue.

As she let's go of them, her hands slide down her rib cage and torso. When she gets to her hips, she feels how her body dips slowly and her pelvic bone cradles her nonexistent stomach.

It's hard to believe I had fans. Sorcery Weekly made people love me...for what? I'm just a husk, a shell, of a girl that knows nothing about anything. Yuffie is truly pretty. I'm so hideous, fate already cast me in my part of grotesque beast.

Letting her hands drop to her side, she turns on the shower, leaving the mirror to fog over. Stepping in the warm water, she rinses her body and washes her hair. Her bangs hang in her eyes and the warm water burns her skin. If life was kinder to her, she would have been born like Lisanna and Elfman- with normal powers, great personalities, a sense of belonging. She can't help but think that the hand she was dealt was meant to end when her powers were taken from her. Since rendering her powers-unwillingly- she has become forlorn, depressed, hostile, and over all miserable. Maybe Freed was right. Power made her happy. But then again, it wasn't the power that made her happy, it was the host side of her life that fulfilled her identity. She fed off of people and therefore it was their false happiness that made her happy.

Turning the shower off, she dries off, forgetting her bath and dresses herself.

If I was still a Succubus, I wouldn't have to worry about being alone. People would flock to me. Freed and I would be together. Maybe a doomed world wouldn't have been so bad. Maybe we could have made it work.

Shaking her head, she knows these thoughts aren't her own. She would never hurt anyone for her own personal gain. This saddens her even more.

After getting dressed, Mira head over to the Flower shop. Sneaking down the alley, she climbs on a closed dumpster and peers into the window. If she cursed herself, she at least wants to make sure it isn't a complete failure. It doesn't take too long before Freed arrives and Mira listens through the opened window.

"Good morning, Mr. Freed!" Yuffie greats him happily. She's wearing the outfit she bought last night and Mira's ribbon. Freed seems to smile as well, but stops slightly as he notices the ribbon.

"Yuffie...you look very pretty today." His voice is genuine and Mira smiles softly below the brick as her eyes peer through the window.

"Oh, thank you. Your bouquet of Purple Gerber Daisies are ready." Mira's eyes sink a bit and she feels a pain in her chest. Purple Gerber Daisies are her favorite. Yuffie goes to the back and brings out the bouquet a few minutes later. She hands them to Freed who is still looking at the girl sweetly. "Who ever these are for, they're surely gonna love them. Purple ones are quite rare you know. The person who receives them should be very special."

Freed just looks at the flowers and Mira can't tell if he's sad or just lost in thought. Taking out his money, he pays her and she hands him a receipt.

"You really know about flowers. Tell me. What are your favorite?" He takes her by surprise and Mira stands up a little bit straighter in the dumpster lid.

"Well, it's hard to narrow it down. But on my birthday every year, my dad would arrange a Gerber Daisy bouquet for me. I felt so happy when I saw he spent a little extra to put the purple ones in it. So I guess Purple Gerber Daisies are my favorite- among the others." Yuffie is so innocent that it makes Mira feel happy, until Freed hands Yuffie the bouquet. "F...Freed. What are you doing?"

"Here, someone special should have these. That's what you said right. Well, I want you to have them." His voice is tender and sweet. Closing her eyes, Mira wonders if they were actually meant for her, until she pushed him away yesterday.

"But Freed, I thought they were for someone else?"

"Nah...I want you to have them. They are as pretty as you are- and they are quite special." Yuffie looks down at the flowers and her face is consumed by her blush.

"Would you like to go on a date!" She blurts it out faster than their ears can register the sentence. Mira ducks and covers her mouth. She wants Yuffie to feel pretty and wanted, but at the same time, she doesn't want to give up Freed.

"Um...ha. That's very direct. Out of left field really. Sure." Both girl's hearts skip a beat. One out of joy: the other out of pain.

"Really?! I mean. Sweet! When are you available?"

"Right now actually. Unless that's too soon for you." His voice is casual and Mira can hear Yuffie squirm.

"No that would be great! Let me just close up real quick and get my purse." Jumping down from the dumpster, Mira starts walking down the street away from the shop. She doesn't get too far before she hears the voice that is trapped in her head. "Mirajane!"

"Yuffie? Hi! I was just...how are you?" She asks the shorter girl and notices Freed a few feet behind her.

"I'm great! I just wanted to thank you for everything. Freed and I are going on a date! Isn't that awesome! I couldn't have done it without you." Yuffie hugs her and then races haphazardly back to Freed, who sadly smiles to Mira and then extends his arm for Yuffie to take. It takes everything in Mira's body not to drop to the ground crying or go racing after them. Just as she's about to reach out, she pulls herself back and can feel a dark cloud of gloom forming above her. Looking down at the street, a purple petal from Yuffie's bouquet lays at her feet. Bending over, she picks it up and holds the velvety little petal in her fingers.

I pushed him right into her arms. I was thanked for it. And all I can feel is regret and sadness. I wouldn't have admitted it to anyone, but I loved him. I was so grossly in love with him and now...now I just feel hatred in my heart. I hate him. I hate Yuffie. I hate myself. I'll never love again. I'll never love anything, as much as I loved him.

She walks off. Back home. Forgetting the Guild Hall today. Forgetting the happiness it would bring her to see her friends. Forgetting that she is a person. On the street lays that purple petal. The petal that could have been meant to belong to her. The petal that was clutched in an innocent girl's hands. The petal that much like Mirajane, will whither away unnoticed.

I never want to feel this way again. I never want to feel anything ever again.