The Woman Called 663

Chapter 7 .~The Color of Hope.~

    It's the year 1962, not too long after color TV's came out, but long enough for families to get their own. However, one couple lived without those luxuries but were happy nonetheless. Till something that could tear them apart forever. Can he realize it fast it enough or will it be too late?

    The cheerful sing songbirds chirped the warning of the morning with grateful woe and the sun smiled upon his warm home. As his mind teetered on the end of the dream world, he let the gleeful sounds of his wife's giggles enter his ears. He cracked his bright green eyes open and looked towards a gentle women's silhouette. She was leaned against the armrest of the window seat, laughing as the birds ate out of her hands, whispering against the sensitive skin.

    She was still wearing the pale blue nightgown that she slept in and had a fluffy white blanket draped across legs. The morning rays kissed her skin giving her a nice bronze tan that complemented her chocolate brown hair.

    The man rose from the bed and crossed over the room with his blanket still draped across his shoulders and wrapped his arms around his wife's neck, hugging her from the side and wrapping her in the blanket. The birds took a few more bites before fluttering away into the azul colored sky.

    "Good morning Ma-chan." His wife's sweet voice filled the silent room.

    "Hmph! It's Mayou. My-you. Here pronounce it with me. My-you." He didn't like to be called Ma-chan because it was too girly.

    "Maaaaa-chan." His wife's face grew a beaming smile that made Mayou grumble in protest, but he said no more about it.

He pulled away from her and began to pull on a shirt from his closet. It was pink and fought against the brown of his pajama pants.

    "How's eggs, bacon, and pancakes sound?" Mayou was halfway out the door when he stopped and asked.

    His wife clasped her hands together and said, "Lovely. Please don't forget the chocolate chips in the eggs?"

    His face scrunched up in disgust. "Only for you." Finally he walked out the door.

    The sounds of his feet bounced around the halls before they stopped and quickly came back to the doorway. His head slipped inside the room and a big smile was on his face. "Almost forgot. Good morning, Shiroi."

                                                                                    .~663~.

    The sound of metal clanked against the plate in front of Shiroi. She leaned back and patted her stomach. "That was wonderful!"

    However, despite Shiroi's joy, Mayou, who sat next to her, had his bent head covered by his hand while his elbow rested on the chair's arm.

    "I still can't get used to the fact that you eat chocolate chips with eggs." He sounded exasperated.

    Shiroi just giggled at his antics. He's done this every time she eats her eggs since they met 21 years ago. Mayou had just turned seventeen and was visiting his older sister's friend before she took him out to eat. There he met the fifteen-year-old Shiroi, who was pigging out on ice cream listening to a book play on a tape. Mayou just ended up talking about that book the whole night with her. Now they are married, sitting outside, full from breakfast.

    Shiroi tentatively reached over to find his shoulder and traveled up to the back of his head and when she located it she patted his coarse black hair.

    "You're so beautiful." Shiroi pulled closer and placed her forehead against his.

    "How can you know, you cannot see me?" Mayou looked straight into her pale, lightless eyes.

    "Love is blind, and so am I." Shiroi kissed his nose, missing slightly.

    "I love you Shiroi." He tenderly pecked her lips and a smirk formed.

    "There's a place I want to take you today." Mayou tugged on her hand, signifying for her to stand up.

    She stood up in excitement. "What do you have planned?"

    "Shhh..... It's a secret." He placed a finger over his mouth and led her inside to prepare for their travels.

    While traversing through the streets of their small city of Suffolk many of the shop owners setting up waved at the passing couple, many greeted them. An elderly woman from the peanut farm came up to Shiroi. Mayou gently pulled Shiroi to a stop.

    "Shiroi honey, I got some fresh dry roasted peanuts." The old women placed a small pouch in Shiroi's hand.

    "Mama! Thank you! I love your homegrown peanuts!" A huge smile sprinkled itself onto her face.

    "Yes hun, although your father ate some of them this morn'." Shiroi's mother kissed her cheek. "You needa get going. You have places ya needa be.

    "Mama what do you mean?" Shiroi questioned her mother.

    "Now hun that's for me to know and ya to find out." She gave one last kiss on Shiroi's and Mayou's cheek before she walked off back to the farm where an old man was tending to the peanuts.

    "Mayou, what are you hiding from me?"

    "Come on. Time's a turning." Mayou led her along the road towards a dock.    

    Many boats were settled in the clear ocean water. The sounds of the water bouncing against the rocks drew closer and Shiroi's heart skipped a beat in wonderment. The sounds of nature as always been something that she's always wanted to hear since her depression after she became blind in the 3rd grade. She couldn't exactly deal with the sudden darkness that she was thrown into, but her mother had taken her hiking and even after she had fallen down so many times, her mother refused to help her stand back up. Shiroi couldn't stop crying, but just when she was about to give up she heard a toot from a bird that was followed by a chorus of more birds.

    The sounds that suddenly filled her mind changed the tune of her heart and so she stood back up and finished her hike. That was the day that she wished that she could travel the world and listen to its voice.

    She was pulled out of her memories by Mayou's voice booming in laughter. She squeezed his hand to get his attention before gently asking, "Who are you talking to?"    

    "ah, Tom, this is my wife, Shiroi." Mayou placed his hand at the small of Shiroi's back and gently pushed her forward.

    Shiroi bowed at her waist, "enchanted to meet you." She held out her hand and was greeted by a thick, callous hand.

    "You have a beautiful young lady at your side. You lucky bastard!" A great cackle lifted into the air from a set of hearty lungs. "So miss Shireeo, you're the lucky gal that's gonna ride my great boat!"

    Shiroi's eyes grew wide and she whipped her head to Mayou and then back to her front. Her eyes watered and a smile grew. Mayou kissed the top of her head.

    "Is this really what I think this is?" Shiroi asked.

    "Your dream is coming true." Mayou answered her.

    Shiroi wrapped her arms around Mayou and buried her head in his chest.

    "We'll be setting sail soon. Your stuff has already boarded. If you're ready let's head on up." Tom mentioned, shifting his hat that sat on his bald head and scratching his black beard.

    "You ready?" Mayou lifted her head.

    Shiroi nodded and pulled away, "Let's go."

    When the bridge up to the deck was reached, Mayou moved in front of Shiroi and guided her over the bumps of the board. Shiroi gripped Mayou's elbows and slowly glided her thin shoed feet over ridges. Finally, they made it up an impossibly large ship, at least three stories high. When Shiroi set her two feet on the main deck's platform she got tousled by the strong wind. Mayou quickly grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close to him.

    "Ya need to keep your bearings about ya up here in this wind. It's much different than on the land than it is in these open waters." Tom had a strong hold of his hat and his accent was much more noticeable since he had risen his voice over the gale.

    "Yes, Captain!" Shiroi saluted the man in a humorous gesture, letting Mayou guide her to the chambers to settle down while the boat sets sail.

    Shiroi heard the chains of the anchor move and c***k against the side of the ship when she was in the middle of counting her steps around the room, earning herself bruises against her shins from bumping into short objects. Finally, she sat down on the queen bed already made by Mayou.

    "Thank you." Said Shiroi.

    "For what?" Mayou reached over and found her hand.

    "For helping my dreams come true. I never once thought that I would ever leave Suffolk. My parents always thought that it would be too dangerous alone since I'm blind and nobody wanted to travel with me and my brother had already left to follow his girlfriend. And I had always just listened to the books that talked about traveling the world, about pirates and their thieving adventures. But I could never experience that until that day you came. You sounded so happy talking about that book of pirates.

    I had hoped that you would go with me and even after we had married I was so afraid that you would reject me, but you didn't." Shiroi grabbed his one hand in both of hers and brought it to her blush pink lips. "You told me that the first adventure I go on you will be there with me. It soothed me like a coliking baby." She laughed, but her bottom lips quivered breaking her small smile and she started bawling. "You saved me."

    Mayou pulled her to his side and kissed the top of her head. "I'm your husband. I think complying to the wife's wishes is in the description."

    Shiroi laughed and she fell onto her back, looking longingly at the darkness in hopes to see a glimpse of her husband. She felt the mattress shift and her Mayou's breath tickle her nose and his strong arms wrap around her. She smiled and closed her eyes, listening to Mayou's soft breathing.

                                                                                                                        .~663~.

    The waters had calmed along with the whistling wind and the ship was gently rocking back and forth. Shiroi slowly woke up still wrapped in Mayou's arms. He was deeply asleep, content exactly where he was, but as usual Shiroi was not satisfied without listening to the birds in the morning, even if she heard them not even two hours ago. Although, her little nap did, thankfully, provide time for the bruises to stop aching. Shiroi lifted Mayou's arms and had them wrap himself in a hug.

    She climbed over his feet to clamber off the bed and tiptoed through the room and out the opened door. Luckily, Mayou knew that she isn't very efficient at finding door handles and because of this their house doesn't have very many doors. They just provide more objects to bump into. Shiroi guided herself up to the deck and breathed in the fresh air. However, barely any birds were heard. It's just the open ocean and a lonely ship with crew members, the captain, and two passengers.

    Mayou came up behind Shiroi and hugged her. He cradled her in his arms. "Did you think you could get away by making me hug myself?"

    "Yes, yes I did." Shiroi placed her hands on the arms placed over her chest.

    "I love you." Mayou kissed her head.

    "You're so beautiful."

    "How would you be able to know, you cannot see me?"

    Shiroi smiles, "Love is blind Ma-chan, and so am I." She turns around.

    Mayou grumbles but turns his head blushing, "Can you not call me Ma-chan. It's embarrassing."

    Shiroi just laughs and kisses Mayou's lips. He smiles and pulls her closer.

                                                                                                .~663.~

    "SHIROI!" A confusion of noise and clanging entered Shiroi's ears, but Mayou's voice yelling her name was as clear as the black she sees.

    Suddenly hands grabbed, pulled, and yanked her about onto a broad shoulder and it wasn't Mayou's. That she could tell, so she kicked and screamed, nailing her assailant on the chin. He dropped her in a groan and she collided with the wood. She was confused by all that was happening. A s***h and a gurgle filtered through her ears and hands pulled her up from the ground. Shiroi kicked and screamed before a pair of lips crashed into hers. She stopped and tears welled in her eyes.

                                                                                                    .~663.~

    "Mayou!"

    "Shiroi! Get in the boat!!"

    A trembling voice answered the frantic call.

    "Mayou!"

                                                                                    .~663.~

    A deafening bang of doors swinging against a wooden building broke the silence of the night.

    "Get outta here! This is the fifth fight this week! You were once a good man. Get your head on straight, boy!" A man wobbled out of the bar doors using one crutch to support himself, as he was missing his left leg above the knee.

    The man scratched his beard and huffed at the weak boy laying on the muddy ground.

    "Tom? *hic* That you?" The feeble man took a swing of the half-empty alcohol bottle in his hand.

    "Mayou! I told ya to stop." Tom yanked the bottle out of Mayou's hand.

    "I can't stop! I have nothing but that bottle! She's dead! MY Shiroi is gone. Taken from me, just like that bottle! Now give IT back! Give it!" Mayou reached for the alcohol, still on his knees.

    "She's not dead." A gentle male voice spoke from behind Mayou.

    Mayou turned around and spotted a man that looked exactly like Shiroi.

    "Shiroi, Shiroi." Mayou wrapped his thin arms around the mans legs and pulled himself to his knees. "Shiroi, you came back." Mayou was deliciously smiling.

    "I'm sorry, but I'm not her. I'm Ayahiro, Shiroi's twin brother." Ayahiro twisted the bag draped across his shoulder.

    When Mayou heard that it wasn't Shiroi, he dropped himself to the ground.

    "Shiroi!" Mayou yelled into the starless sky.

    "She's not dead." Ayahiro stated with confidence.

    "Who?" Mayou squinted at the shadows dancing on Ayahiro's face.

    "Shiroi is not dead."

    Tom quickly wobbled over and grabbed Ayahiro's shirt collar. "Ya betta not be playing this boy"

    "I know she's not dead. I can feel it. I can feel her heartbeat. I'm her twin after all. We're unbreakably connected." Ayahiro squeezed the strap of his bag, but his eyes held a firm determination.

    Tom stood silent, just looking Ayahiro straight in the eye. Finally, when Tom got his answer he turned to Mayou and pulled him off the ground and grabbed his shoulders. "Mayou, he's telling the truth. Your Shiroi is alive."

    Mayou perked up at Shiroi's name and he finally started to listen to the voices around him. "Shiroi?"

    "Yeah, Shiroi. Ya need to go find her." Tom's smile was strained as he looked at his mangled friend.

    "Shiroi, I need to find her." Mayou pulled away and stumbled down the street, chasing something that will help find Shiroi.

    "Is he going to be okay?" Ayahiro watched nervously.

    "Don't know. Depends on his strength. Come on, drinks on me." Tom wobbled back inside.

    Ayahiro followed him, shouting the drinks he wanted.

    Mayou stumbled over his own two feet and fell to the ground, cutting himself above his right eyebrow. However, he didn't feel any pain, in fact, he didn't even realize that he was cut. He just rolled onto his back and let the clouds start peeing on him again. He remembered that Shiroi always said that and her smiling face brought him to tears. He screamed her name, running his voice raw.

    "Sir" an old, overused voice, that cracked upon every use, spoke from beside him.

    Mayou turned his head and looked at the man.

    "I have a solution for you." His voice strained on the 'u's.

    "Solution?"

    "To find your wife. She's been taken by someone and by the time she comes back, you will be dead."

    "I'll die before her!" Mayou rose from the ground like Jesus.

    He wasn't drunk or delirious. His mind was crystal clear.

    "Yes, but if you were to undergo one of my experiments you might just be able to meet her." The man smirked.

    "I'll do it!" Mayou quickly stood up and his face grew stern.

    "This will be a painful experiment."

    "I don't care."

    "My name is Pleoh, a scientist of sorts. Pleasured to have you." Pleoh smirked and held out his hand.

    Mayou looked at the wrinkled hand with surprise because Pleoh's voice sounded much younger than what his skin looked like.

                                                                                                 .~663.~

A newfound clarity rang through her mind as she slowly opened her eyes. Above her, she saw a cacophony of brilliant colors that blinded her enough for her to squeeze her eyes back shut. The hues and tints that she saw bewildered her untainted eyes. She opened them again to see the greens, yellows, purples, really every color on a color wheel was present. She raised her hand and felt the soft petals of the flowers that consumed her and Ayahiro. Her eyes widened and tears filled them, Ayahiro, she quickly turned to her side and saw him sleeping peacefully, like a cloud. She smiled and ran her hand down his cheek.

    "My older brother. I can finally see you." Her smile beamed wet with tears and she couldn't help but laugh.

    "Ayahiro! Ayahiro!" She sang his name and pushed at the flowers stems gently.

    The flowers quickly pulled away, crumbling at her touch, they twitched and avoided her fingers as if they were insects. The blossoms willing burrowed in the earth, turning back into seed since their use was no longer needed. She watched the scene unfold and a pang reeled in her heart at the sight of their fear, but as soon as she saw the man in her dreams, the black wisp now unshrouded by her own blindness, all she felt was extreme happiness.. He was beautiful as his head bobbed back and forth in a series of wakefulness and unconsciousness.

    She silently said his name in fear that he would whisk away just like in her dreams, "Mayou. Mayou."

    He didn't stir from his slumber, but instead just moaned and continued to lightly snore. She was slightly disappointed but didn't give up, "Ma-chan."

    As soon as she overly pronounced 'chan' like she always did, he jolted awake. He quickly looked around for her, his Shiroi. He had sworn he had heard her but all he saw was 663 and Ayahiro, uncovered. She sadly smiled and tugged at her long hair that draped around her. She had guessed that she looked too different if even Mayou couldn't realize who she truly was. However, she didn't let that stop her, "Ma-chan." She held her arms wide open, waiting for him to come hug her.

    Although he didn't come to her, he just stared at her wide-eyed. Though, that quickly faded into anger, "Don't call me that! I am your master, you only call me master!" He was furious that she, her of all people called him by the name She used to call him by. Her eyes turned down in sadness, "But Ma-chan."

    "SHUT UP!" He screamed at her now.

    Finally, she had had enough and stood on her bare feet and rushed to his side and before he could even react she had him in a tight hug. "I'm so happy to finally be able to see what you look like, My Ma-chan." She gleamed up at him, stunning him into silence and all he could do was look at her in befuddlement.

    "You're so beautiful." His eyes grew wide at her soft words and smooth hand as she tentatively ran her hand down his cheek.

    His throat squeezed in a tight ball and only a squeak of a voice came out, "How would you know?"

    "Because Ma-chan Love was once blind, but now it too can see how much you shimmer." His face contorted in pain as he circled his arms around her waist and pulled her tight against his body.

    His sorrow was reflected in his voice, "Shiroi, Shiroi, Shiroi." Even though he was sad he too was happy that he had finally found her.

    That hope he had seen with that color was true, he had her back in his arms, his Shiroi. Without waiting he tilted her tear-stained chin up and kissed her so softly, almost like he was afraid that she wasn't real but the moment they made contact he knew and so he kissed her more firmly. Just as quickly did she return her feelings tenfold. After fifty years they had finally reunited as Shiroi and Mayou.

                                                                                            .~663.~

    An evil menacing laughter filled the hallways leading to one office room. He cackled at the video his men had been recording before their deaths.

    "I knew you were the right test subject, Shiroi. You have finally matured, it only took two years, you are the greatest so far. They after all, usually die within just hours of their new life. You, however, have lived. It seems meeting your brother might not have been such a big miscalculation" He smirked as he threw a dart into a large picture hung on the wall, landing straight in the middle of a forehead of a woman with stark white hair and a blue system stream markings.

                                                                                                      .~663.~

    "So what you're telling me is that you are Shiroi?" Ayahiro squandered about the question, slight excitement still evident in his eyes.

    "Yes." The usually expressionless face of 663 broke out into a wide smile.

    "Then what should I call you?" His hands moved in such exaggerated way and wildly moved about the air.

    She had to stop and think for a slight moment, but she already knew that she didn't want to be called 663. That was the name that Pleoh had given an assassin and she no longer wanted to be a killer. She just wanted to live happily and make up all those years that she missed with Mayou. She looked to the man behind her. He had placed her on his lap hours ago because he didn't want to let her go anymore, he didn't want to lose her and now he was just absently playing with her hair. She smiled at, "Shiroi, my name is and forever will be Shiroi."

    She turned to look back at Ayahiro and he too nodded his improvement. Ayahiro looked upon her hair, eyes, and complexion with slight sadness, "What did Pleoh do to my baby sister?"

    Shiroi's smile lightened quite a bit. She after all, still remembers what she went through during her time as 663.

    "You no longer look like me!" He tilted his head back and started to falsely ball his eyes out.

    Shiroi's eye twitched at him, "Is that all you really care about!"

    "No, but now I can't play pranks on anyone!" He whipped at his fake tears.

    "Well, just to have you know, being frozen in eyes for fifty years can change a person tremendously." She stuck her tongue at him and laughed as his eyes grew large.

    "You didn't lose any toes right?" He pulled her feet up and started to count all her toes, singing along as he counted.

    "This little piggy still has its color and this little piggy is still here, and oh no! This little piggy-"

    At the sound of his worried voice, Shiroi also started to worry. She didn't count her toes while she was 663 and now that he sounded sad she became scared until his tone changed into amusement and started tickling her.

    "And this little piggy is ticklish!"

    Shiroi broke out in rolls of laughter and she tried to yank her foot back to no avail so instead, she shoved her foot into his chest and started to strike him repeatedly. Finally, he decided to it wasn't worth it anymore and let go putting his hands up in surrender, "I give! I give! No more please!"

    Shiroi huffed and puffed as her lungs strained, unused to laughter. She smiled at the sight of her brother rubbing his chest and grumbling that his sister is now a brute. At the feeling of a gentle hand patting her head, she turned at looked into Mayou's eyes. They adoration and extreme happiness as they looked upon Shiroi. He leaned in closer and kissed her forehead, but frowned when he felt a slight bump. He ran his fingers over it in curiosity.

    "Pleoh had placed a chip inside of me. It had been there even before I had woken up because I remember that they had pulled out a thick cord from a little port. I had blacked out right after and some ended up in his office."

    Mayou grew angry at Pleoh's name, "I trusted that man. He had told me that I would die before I found you and I guess I would have if he didn't make me immortal. I thought I would have centuries to search for you, but he suddenly gave me a time limit after I had signed the contract and if I hadn't found you I would have still died before you."

    "Why." She brought her hand to his chin, reveling in the feeling of his skin again.

    "Because Pleoh would have taken my body to fulfill one of his experiments."

    Shiroi tilted her head, "What experiment?"

    Mayou shook his head, "I don't know. I never cared enough, I just spent all my time looking for you and spent no other resource on anything else."

    "I'm sorry." Shiroi let her tears spilled, she had, after all, spent her time never feeling anything so she enjoyed the fact that she could cry again.

    Mayou cupped her cheek, "What are you sorry for?"

    "For leaving you, for having a dream." She pushed into his hand, loving the feeling of him.

    "No, you have no reason to be anything but happy."

    "But because of me, we got separated." She looked up to him.

    "No, because of you, we now get eternity together. Because of you, you can see again, because of you, your brother can spend time with you instead of being stuck in war. Because of you, I get to enjoy having you in my arms even more than before." His voice was sweet and caring and brought even more tears to cascade down her smooth c***k only to be collected by Mayou's thumb.

    "You're so beautiful, Mayou."

    "How would you know?"

    "Because love was once blind, but now that it has seen you it knows what love truly is."

                                                                                                .~663.~

    "AGAIN!" Ayahiro shouted at Shiroi as she circulated the power with her to her hands and shoved it outward creating a small explosion.

    She huffed out looked to Ayahiro as he twirled his hand along a dying flower, bringing it back to life and strengthening it, "Why can you control it so easily?" She came to his side.

    "I don't know, I just feel it so strongly, like it's always been there and oh I don't know, I just use that instinct. I guess." He looked to Shiroi and marveled at her hair.

    The sun had hit it just right and it seemed to glow and shimmer down like a spider web strand. She frowned and looked back behind her, "My power just seems so dangerous. I don't understand why I have this ability to destroy things. I kinda wish it was as gentle as yours."

    Tree trunks were snapped in half and divots of all sizes layered the surface of the Earth. She frowned at the sight, "Maybe I shouldn't use it anymore."

    "But then how are you going to protect yourself?" She stood beside her, worry strewn across his face.

    "Don't forget that I was the most dangerous assassin in the world, I'll just rely on my training if I think it becomes necessary to do so." She held her head high up at the thought of being able to protect herself but she still felt pangs of guilt at all the people she had killed.

    "Alright, if you say so, but what if Pleoh comes for you again."

    At that Shiroi raised her finger to the sky like a know it all, "He won't be able to find us, so it won't matter. We're going as far away as possible. Mayou says that we shouldn't take the chance because Pleoh is a mastermind at what he does and we should also leave as soon as possible. He's currently making the arrangements with Giuseppe and other strong connections."

    "Do you know where you are going?" He seemed sort of sad at the thought of never being able to see his sister again.

    "Nope, not at all."

    "Oh." He said no more, but Shiroi had already caught on to what he meant so she quickly started to say more in hopes that the news would cheer him up.

    "But don't worry because you're coming with us." She placed her hands on his shoulders and gleamed a large smile at him.

    He swished his head to look at her, bewildered at what he just heard, "What do you mean?"

    "I'm not going to take the chance of Pleoh getting ahold of you so just to be on the safe side, you're coming with us."

    Immediately a smile broke out on his face and he crushed her in a tight hug while also swinging her around in circles. Laughter bounced around and for some reason, the colors of the world seemed to grow brighter and stronger like Ayahiro's fulfilled hope brought them great joy and pleasure.

    "What are you doing to my wife." Ayahiro jumped in surprise and quickly set Shiroi down.

    For some reason, Mayou scared him and it might have something to do with Mayou being the leader of the Mafia group Nakusu, the strongest corporation in the world.. Shiroi slapped Ayahiro on the back, making him stumble forward some, "He was so excited to hear that he is coming with us that he couldn't hold in his exhilaration."

    Shiroi laughed and walked over to Mayou's side. Mayou's mouth held itself in a tight scowl, "He's coming with us."

    Shiroi's eyes grew wide, "Of course! I'm not going to serve my brothers head to Pleoh on a silver platter." Her eyes grew firm and her tone demanding, "He's coming with us."

    Mayou sighed, "Alright, I'll go make a few more phone calls then." He kissed her forehead and sulked back into the house, unhappy that his alone time with his wife was interrupted.

    Shiroi smiled at Mayou's back and smiled at Ayahiro before skipping inside the house, her merry singing heard.

    .~Ch.7.~The Color of Hope~.

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