#maiho

Maiho stared at his legs. He'd been doing that ever since after he broke down in tears while he was hugging Snowbelle.

Snow, his best friend, and his ""sister"" since they were little, walked over. She was worried about him. He hadn't made one of his bad jokes, and his normally sparkly eyes were dull, glazed over, and red from tears. He had a scar over left his eye that looked like it'd never fully heal, accompanied by faded bites and scratches all over his body.

The small girl stood next to Maiho, putting a hand on his arm. This was a mistake. Next thing she knew, her best friend was laying on the ground, eyes covered by his hands, as he choked out a sob. He was picked up by their "mama" shortly after and taken to go calm down.

Days later, Snow still didn't quite understand what was happening, but she was sad about it on Maiho's behalf. Ever since Maiho had gotten back from the vampire that she and Erina had been told to never approach, he'd been acting strange. When she raised her hand he'd scream and beg for mercy.

If she tried to hug him from behind he'd lean over or try to kick her, before quickly standing back straight up and apologizing a few times.

He couldn't stand to be alone for very long, but he never wanted to be touched. He could often be found on the ground, eyes glazed over and dulled, curled up and calling softly for someone to help him. Hallucinating, surely. He'd never sleep. When put to bed, he'd throw himself onto the ground, shouting something along the lines of "always wake up hurting!" or "Maiho can't run away while sleeping!"

His English became more broken the more afraid he was. Sometimes he'd end up referring to himself in third person.

If he was touched below his stomach under any circumstance, he'd curl up on the ground, repeatedly muttering things along the lines of "please don't hurt me, I'm so sorry"

Snow could sometimes find Maiho in the ocean nearby, where Metalseadramon resides. He would most times be almost completely submerged, repeating "feels so dirty..." And while in the water, looked up or shut his eyes so he "can't see the monster anymore"

She didn't understand what was done to him, but she understood that her friend was hurt. She knew the vampire was to blame, and that filled her with anger. She wanted to understand what happened to her best friend. To her brother.

One night, Maiho was staring at the sky. Snow walked up next to him and slowly reached out her hand, careful to make sure he knew she was there. She spoke once he took it.

"Maiho? I know you're really hurt.. Everyone is worried.. What's wrong..?" She asked her friend, softly. It took a few minutes for her red haired friend to respond. She didn't rush him.

"I'm safe now but.. I feel gross and broken.. And I don't think I can be fixed.. And I hate my body.. And I hate.. Me..." Maiho finally spoke. He seemed ashamed to be thinking any of this.

"Broken..? Can't be fixed..?" Snowbelle tilted her head. She didn't know what made him speak like that, but she knew it was bad. "I'm sure someone can help you!"

"You're lying! ...They wouldn't. Nobody would.." Maiho started shaking

"Of course somebody would! Why would you think that no one-" she started

"Nobody loves me! Nobody! I'm disgusting!" He shouted, cutting her off and falling onto his knees, with his hands covering his eyes.

Snow stepped back, shocked by the outburst.

"What-? You're not disgusting! plenty of people love you, Maiho!"

Maiho sobbed, shaking his head. "No! No no no! Nobody loves me! Not anymore.. Not now.. not ever again.. No one will ever care about me, not ever again! He told me so! Nobody wants a ripped up doll, right..?" He stared up at her with his bloodshot, tired eyes, trying to stop crying.

Snowbelle gasped, seeing his face, and listening to his words. She was disgusted. Not by Maiho, but by the person- no- the horrible creature that did this to him.

"But Maiho, I care about you! You're not a ripped up doll, you're my best friend.." She carefully grabbed his hand again. He pulled his away.

"I'm not supposed to have friends! I'm supposed to giggle, and I'm supposed to look pretty, and make "cute" noises, and be a good toy for the people that want to use me! That's what I was told to do.. and I could never do it right.. So I got hurt.. Its my own fault.."

"T-toy..? for who? Who would want to use you as a toy!?" She was getting more mad by the second. She couldn't believe that this had been happening for however long, and she had no idea.. If she'd just-

Maiho responded, snapping snow out of her thoughts. "Not anyone anymore.. Nobody wants to have a broken toy.. Its just a matter of time until I get replaced, and thrown away.. That's what he told me.." He stared at his scarred legs and placed a hand over his eye.

"But that's not true! I'd never replace you! "He" was lying to you!" And Maiho sobbed.

"Nobody wants a broken toy, so fix yourself! No one else wants to! That's what he said!" The young redhead shouted. He repeated his first sentence a few times, before he broke into choked sobs.

Everything hit snowbelle at once, like a train.

All his weird and strange actions, his new tone, and even his word choice.

It'd all become instinct. It'd been beaten into him over and over, as proved by him suddenly cutting his hair short, and the clothes he had to replace because they were all torn up and bloody.

He couldn't look at his reflection in the water. He hated his scarred body, and his lifeless eyes, and his pale, fragile figure. That was the 'monster' he saw. He didn't recognize the person in the reflection. It made him want to throw up.

He'd been told he was a toy for others to play with, and that was it. He was told no one truly cared for him. He was told he'd be home safe if his family cared. If his friends cared. He'd been made to believe he was all alone. He'd been made to believe that he'd never again be loved.

He didn't feel like himself. He didn't feel like he'd ever be "Maiho" again. He felt broken. And he thought he couldn't ever be fixed.

She stood there as everything set in. She felt like crying herself now, but she couldn't. She had to be strong in that moment, for Maiho's sake. He never deserved any of what happened to him. He shouldn't have ever been treated like a toy, broken or not. He shouldn't have ever been made to believe that was all he was.

As best she could, she put everything together and after a while, finally spoke.

"Me! I want a broken toy!!" Snowbelle shouted over him. Maiho suddenly went silent and stared at her with wide eyes.

Snowbelle grabbed his hand. This time, he didn't jerk away.

"I want a broken toy.. I wanna love it like its brand new, and do everything I can to fix it!"

Maiho shook, confused "b-but you can't fix it.. Its broken so much.. Its supposed to be broken!" Snowbelle shook her head and hugged him

"I want to! If I can't do it myself, I want to find someone who can! And we can help it and fix it back together, and take care of it! And even if I can never completely fix it, I'll still love it! I want to have a broken toy and treat it like a friend! Like my family!" She held him tight, tears threatening to fall, hoping to get her message through.

Maiho started crying again, but it was different than before. He wrapped his arms tightly around Snowbelle and sobbed. She held him the whole time through, and did what she could to comfort him.

"You.. Wanna fix me..? You're... Gonna fix me..? Why...?" Maiho asked in a barely audible whisper, after another five or so minutes.

Snow nodded to him. "I wanna do everything I can to fix you, Maiho! Because you never should have been broken! Because I care about you! Because I love you!"

He froze, processing.. And then he sniffled and pulled her closer to him, Wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Thank.. You.. I love you.. too.." He choked out.

Snowbelle nodded. She stayed there with him as long as he needed. When he eventually fell asleep, she carried him to bed herself. He was extremely light.. It almost felt like he'd float away if she wasn't careful.