after care

“Uniiii!”

Splaaaaash!

The Unicorn jumped into the hot spring with reckless abandon and started to paddle around. She honestly was way too big for that, but that didn’t seem to bother her.

“Hmph.” Hebi-san followed next, much more elegantly, although I could certainly see her wince of pain as her delicate bottom touched the water.

We both already had a bath today. I early in the morning as preparation of my...whatever that in the arena was and Hebi-san only a few hours ago as she no doubt helped hatch that insane plan.

Still, we all could use a bath.

Hebi-san busied herself with cleaning Uni while I used the time to relax. Funny, just yesterday I scoffed at the idea of bathing with her. And yet here we are.

…

My thoughts drifted back to yesterday. This might be as good an opportunity as any.

“Hebi-san.”

“What is it, foolish Mari Beta?”, she stared at me while brushing Uni.

That was a very good question. What exactly was it? There was clearly something going on but I had no idea what I even wanted to ask from her. No, there was something. Something that niggled at my mind.

I took a deep breath. “When we fought in the arena…”

“W-we do not wish to reminiscence about this!”, Hebi-san interrupted me. “How dare you, Mari Beta? Do you wish to humiliate us to such an extend?”

“It’s not that!”, I quickly told her. “You said something to me during the battle.”

“That you are a foolish fool?”

“That you created me.”

Hebi-san fell silent.

“What did you mean by that?”

Hebi-san remained silent and instead busied herself with scrubbing Uni down. Despite gleefully telling me that in the arena, she seemed **** to explain it.

I could just order her of course. But I didn’t want to.

“Please.”

“Hey bossman, you sure you want to go there? It’s not something your little bitch brain will…”

Hebi-san pushed Gilbert under water. I don’t think he is capable of drowning but it did shut him up. “This is information that might not be beneficial to you. Are you sure you wish for us to divulge it?”

I nodded and Hebi-san sighed. “Do you remember what happened after your sister disappeared?”

“After?” This was my early childhood so the only reason I even had a hazy recollection of the event was because it was that traumatic. And even that might only be because my brother told me what he remembered. As for anything else? Hebi-san might as well ask me what I had for lunch twelve years ago.

“We remember”, Hebi-san stated. “We remember that you where in a state of shock. We remember that this event was not merely traumatic for you. We remember that it erased you.”

“...are you telling me the monster killed me?”

Hebi-san shook her head. “Not your body, but your spirit. For over a week you were in a catatonic state. An empty vessel. Until we formed you a new.”

“...what?”

Hebi-san nodded. “We used our hypnotic powers to create your current persona. Your likes and dislikes, your strength and weaknesses. What brings you joy and sadness. Everything was created as we desired.”

For a moment I could only stare at Hebi-san. My mind had trouble even comprehending her words. “You...your kidding me.”

No, Hebi-san does not understand the concept of jokes. She was without a doubt serious. “My...my brother never told me this”, was the only thing I could blurt out.

“Of course not”, Hebi-san stared at me. “There was concern that this information would be too much to handle. But it appears this concern was unfounded.”

“So this is why I am incapable of hating you.” I chuckled. “Because you made me that way?”

“We where a child ourselves”, Hebi-san stated. “We do not care about your feelings that much anymore, but we did not wish to be hated for our services.”

“And yet you asked me yesterday, If I would hate you.”

“We…” Hebi-san averted her gaze and stared at Uni instead. “We where worried. You managed to conquer Bedbug. Something that should not have been possible. We where concerned your old personality would come through.”

...

“...how was I? I mean before...”

“A little shit”, Gilbert stated. “You constantly picked on Hebi. That was my job, you little punk!”

Hebi-san slapped Gilbert but it was surprisingly subdued for her standards. “We must admit he is not wrong. You where quite the unruly child. Lazy, childish and dumb. Quick to anger as well. And dreadfully perverted.”

“...you...uh...do realize I was about six at the time, right?”

“Do not think your age is an excuse for your wretched behavior, Mari Beta!”, Hebi-san hissed. “You tried to disrobe us on two occasions and successfully touched our behind thrice!”

Oh.

Hebi-san sniffed as she stared down on me. “Of course we did not revive these undesirable personality traits. In fact we quite enjoyed making you more timid, more submissive. From our perspective it was a fitting punishment for your insolence, fufufu.”

So, I have Hebi-san to thank for my current life.

I silently stared at her.

“W-what is it, Mari Beta?” The Galmon looked at me with some trepidation. As she should.

I extended my arms and patted her head.

She was quite surprised at that.“W-what is the meaning of this, Mari Beta?”

“Nothing much, just wanted to thank you, I guess.”

“Thank me?”, Hebi-san looked at me in confusion. “Why would you do that? We remade your entire personality!”

“Maybe it is because of that. Maybe it’s because I can’t hate you”, I admitted and patted her head some more.. “But you could have gone way further then that. You could have turned me into a mindless drone that worships you all the time, no?”

Hebi-san blushed. “C-cease this nonsense! We can achieve that much just with our hypnosis. There was no need for it!”

Uhu.

Maybe it was because I didn’t know my previous “me” but I don’t think my current personality is that awful. Perhaps I should be terrified and shocked at this revelation but I just wasn’t. All in all Hebi-san could have gone much further in her “****”.

Still. There was something that bothered me.

“What about my memories of Ceri?”

The last time I saw her was when I was six. Over twelve years ago. We didn’t even have a picture of her. And yet I remember her face and personality perfectly.

Once again Hebi-san was resistant to answer but I don’t really need her to spell it out. Just as with my personality these must be things Hebi-san fabricated.

Funny. I didn’t mind her messing with my personality at all but this was the one aspect that didn’t sit right with me.

“Say Hebi-san. Would it be possible to restore my memories? About what happened with Ceri?”

“We refuse!”

So it’s not impossible.

“Foolish Mari Beta, do you realize what you are asking? This will destroy you!”

I laughed. “That’s a bit ****, don’t you think?”

“Absolutely not!”, Hebi-san was so agitated that even Uni got worried and shrinked down into the water. “We will not do this! You hear us? We will not!”

Talk about being stubborn. Well, I see where she is coming from. It’s probably not very smart to burden my mind with stuff like this while I’m still in the tournament. I can always ask her to do it when this is all over.

Provided I made it out of course.

“Is that all?”, asked Hebi-san impatiently. “We shall sure hope so. Do not waste our time anymore!”

“Yeah…”

Well, except for one thing.

“So, uh...Hebi-san does that mean you also created my sexual preferences and kinks?”

“Naturally”, the Galmon proudly stated.

…

“You where one hell of perverted child.”

“SILENCE FOOLISH MARI BETA!”