[Brainwashing, Gaslighting, Tokusatsu Themes]
"Hey, Kikoooo. What’s keeping you down? Are they being mean to you again?"
"No, Kohana... It’s just..."
"It’s nothing, Kiko. They’re not your friends, you know that. The only one you need is me. You don’t need to worry about what they’re saying, just remember that I’m here for you."
"I'm sorry, Kohana..."
“It’s okay, Kiko. Just remember. As long as I’m here for you, you just have to listen. No need to worry ever again. As long as I’m right here for you.”
"M-Mmhm..."
A strange relationship was on display. A young white-haired tan-skinned girl was standing in front of her much larger black-haired friend. Just the air of their conversation was off, especially as the shorter girl spoke and tried to emphasize herself over everything else.
The smaller girl's name was Shirai Kohana. And despite the words that left her lips, she was worse than the ones that she tried to ‘defend’ her friend from. No, she was worse than that. The moment she laid her eyes on something that she didn’t like, she’d spin her words to destroy them. Relationships. People. Establishments. She was a poison, and as long as she walked these streets... She would continue to poison anything around her.
Her friend was one of the girls that had become the lone target of that poison. All because she had caught the smaller girl’s eye. Kohana had done everything in her power to isolate her. While gaslighting her into thinking she wasn’t the one at fault. No, the ones at fault were them. That was what she believed. As the lonely girl that was Sakurai Kiko. As strong as she was, the amount of lies that she had been fed led her to believe everyone hated her. But her friend was here for her. Drilling these beliefs into her head, even if she didn’t realize it.
"Good! Well, just in case, I should stick with you and keep an eye out. I wouldn’t want to see them trying to hurt you when you have a day off!" Kohana giggled as she gently slapped the larger girl's thigh. "What plans did you have? Tell me, Kiko! I bet you’ve got all sorts of fun plans in mind!” Her attempt at sounding genuine was awful, but there was no way that her black-haired friend would be able to tell.
Kiko nodded, quietly muttering. Which earned her a ‘playful’ slap across the thigh. It didn't hurt, but it did make her shake as chills poured down her body. She wanted to like it, but it just reminded her of what Kohana had told her the others did to try and trick her. "I... I just wanted to go play a game at the arcade. Y-You want to play with me, Kohana..?"
"Of course! I wouldn’t want people to tease you when you lose, so I’ll be right there to pick you back up!" Kohana chimed with confidence as she ‘playfully’ slapped the girl on the back, enjoying the sight of how she jittered when she reacted to that stimulus. It was one of the reasons why she had gravitated towards her. Such a girl who couldn’t help but depend on people like her… Isolating themselves further and further.
The taller girl slowly but surely started to walk, only to notice that the white-haired girl wasn't moving. "K-Kohana? D-Didn't you want to come and play? O-Or do I just..." She didn't get to finish before she heard the shorter girl giggling, and she immediately understood. "O-Okay, Kohana. I-I'll just go." She muttered, turning right back around and pulling her hoodie over her head. Didn’t want anybody to see her, because then they might get the wrong idea. Just like Kohana had said.
Kohana sighed for a moment as she adjusted her own hoodie slightly. She was the one that had given the tall girl the hoodie in the first place, to make her more dependent on her. In fact, the way that the tanned girl wore pure white contrasted with the pure blacks that covered the taller monster's body. White hoodie and white baggy pants, countered by a black hoodie and equally baggy black pants. It certainly helped people think that their relationship was healthy. People were so easy to trick…
Of course, Kohana didn’t think so highly of this relationship. She was exploiting it for all its worth. Isolating her so she was completely and utterly dependent on her. Tearing apart every single connection to make sure she was hers and hers alone. Making her think everyone was out to get her. Her heart was way too weak to see through all the lies. Far, far too weak…
It was why she had given her that hoodie. Giving the girl a taste of that kindness that she was being isolated from. To make her crave that kindness. Their matching outfits, the way that they spent time together... It was all one big ploy to make sure that she still maintained control over her. If she ever broke free from that control, if she ever realized that it was all just one big lie to have her under her thumb... Kohana was probably screwed. Because Kiko was more than strong enough to crush her in between her thighs. Those well-toned, well trained thighs…
At least she could watch her from afar. Imagining how it'd feel to have her completely under her spell forever and ever. Utterly obedient to a fault. She would be perfect if she just listened to her each and every day. Or if she went to sleep forever and just laid there, entirely dependent on her...
Maybe she should just lean against the wall and let her fantasies consume her for a bit, while waiting for Kiko to take the long route to the eventual destination...
---
Kiko's heart was slowly beating. The pulse of her lonely life filling her body. She hated it and she understood exactly why it was this lonely. because everyone wanted to avoid her. Just like her friend had said. The one friend that loved her. The one friend that knew that everyone was out to get her. She trusted her with everything…
Living this life knowing everything was out to get her… It wasn't a great life. But it was a life that she lived. And a life where she didn't have to think too hard about anything. Because Kohana did most of the thinking for her. She told her when people had ill thoughts towards her. She told her when she was being targeted. She told her what she needed to stand out less. And though it never worked, she chalked that up to the fact that she was just doing it wrong. Which did wonders for her confidence.
Kiko slowly looked up at the sky as the light had difficulty brushing past the building she leaned against. The shadow was consuming her instead. And she felt... She really felt like this was it. Was this life even worth living? A life dependent on somebody else? Walking around aimlessly and being consumed by her own thoughts? If she were to believe Kohana, then that was really true.
But... What if it wasn't true? What if that somebody never really cared for her, and all of this was just one big lie? It was a thought that continued to scare her heart. It was a thought that consumed her and filled her with terror. She didn't want it to be true, because that would mean Kohana had lied to her. And if she had lied to her that badly, then… T-Then she isolated herself for no good reason! She would be completely and utterly alone, all thanks to what she had done for her sake...
"Y-You... You there..."
Kiko looked up as she heard a weak voice. A voice that was almost as weak as her own. She felt... A kindred spark piercing through her body. But who could it be? And why would they reach out to somebody as lonesome as her? Didn't they know who they were talking to? Who they were interacting with? It would be best if they just ignored her...
"You... B-Big girl..."
Looking down, the black-haired girl noticed somebody. A girl who seemed to be falling apart physically. Not unlike how she was falling apart mentally. The girl was dressed in a frilly gothic lolita dress, but you could clearly tell that her arms weren't properly attached. Because they were reaching far out of her sleeves. They were downright nearly brushing against the ground. Not to mention how her cheeks were scarred and how little she was able to say, making it sound like her vocal cords were damaged...
"A-Are… A-Are you okay?" Despite how much her mind was spiralling, she still kneeled down to look at the doll a bit closer. But should she? That girl was so fragile, and one of the things that Kohana had told her was that she was far too strong for her own good. She could break that girl… Even more than she already had been…
The doll-like girl just looked up at Kiko once more, her eye doing a full rotation as she blinked. "B-Big girl... Big girl unhappy..?" She asked, the words coming out more and more strained. In fact, you could practically hear her vocal cords snapping with every words that left her lips. It was torture upon her, and torture upon the ones that looked at her. Because they knew that they couldn't do much to help her.
"I-I'm... I'm not..." Kiko muttered. But she couldn't stop herself once she started to dwell on the thought, the tall girl falling onto her knees as she started to sob like the big softie that she was at heart. "I-I'm m-more than unhappy, I'm miserable! It feels like everyone’s out to get me! And when... A-And when I try to bond, t-they just turn out to want to hurt me! T-That's why... T-That's why you should just get away! I-I don’t want to hurt you b-because I think you’ll want to hurt me! You should get fixed by somebody that can actually help you, and not break you harder..!" Her emotions were pouring out. She knew that she should keep them bottled up, but they just splashed out with every passing second. Because she was too weak. Too weak to keep them all in.
The Doll just watched the tears stream forth. And she smiled. Because she knew that the girl in front of her was hurting. But it was okay. Because the Big Girl now had her. Which was why she used her nearly detached arms to hug the bigger girl, the wires barely keeping them from falling off then and there. "It okay... It's... Okay..." Her words were less strained as she poured something out of her heart to try and give that girl some comfort. Something to make her feel happy.
Kiko couldn't believe it. Somebody was... Somebody that wasn't Kohana was giving her... Giving her love..? It wasn't... It wasn't supposed to happen. But she felt something in her soul. Something that hadn't been stirring for a long time. And when she looked at the Doll to try and thank her...
She screamed, as she stared into what would be her complete and utter erasure...
---
Kohana snapped out of her fantasies about Kiko belonging to her and only her for all eternity as she heard a scream, a scream that rang through her body like nothing had ever done before. She felt... Scared? And yet, she needed to make sure that she knew what it was. Otherwise...
Even as she saw other people running past her, she ran straight towards the danger. She ran towards what could bring her nothing but trouble. Because she needed to confirm that feeling inside her heart. It better not be what she thought it was. Because then she was downright pissed. Kiko better not have gotten herself into trouble. Because if she started to realize she was in trouble, and somebody else reached out to her..!
Just as quickly as Kohana had started to run towards the source of the scream, she found it. And she laid her eyes upon something that was hugging her Kiko. Not only that, but the thing that was hugging her... It was trying to... trying to... M-Melt her..? A-At least, that's what it looked like. It was hard to tell, considering how hard it was to actually see Kiko underneath what was going on...
She didn't really have time to process it. Who would when their only friend, even if it was one that they emotionally manipulated as easily as she breathed, was busy being melted from the outside thanks to a rainbow mismash of goop that was flowing freely from a gothic doll that couldn't help herself from hugging the bigger girl tighter and tighter? It was a sight that brought nothing but fear to the white-haired girl's heart.
"This... T-This shouldn't... K-Kiko... KIKO!" When faced with this unfathomable horror in front of her, Kohana just shouted from the depths of her heart. She didn't want this. Why would she ever want something like this? She wanted to make Kiko hers, but that didn't mean she wanted her to die! She wanted her to live so she could be hers, not get swallowed and melted by some weird doll!
The doll's head slowly turned towards the girl yelling at her, only to frown. "B-Bad... Bad girl..." The doll muttered, as that slimy goop started to wrap more around the bigger girl. "B-Big girl... Safe from Bad girl..." The doll didn't want the big girl to be hurt. She understood what was causing her harm. "D-Dissolution Doll... P-Protect Big girl..!"
"GET... GET AWAY FROM HER!" Kohana shouted as she tried to run towards the doll, only for the goop to splash onto her as she came closer. And then the screams left her lips, as the pain started to pulse through her to a point where she couldn't do anything else except for scream. Because what was a girl like her, a perfectly normal girl, supposed to do when she was confronted with a being that could melt people?
Slowly, she staggered back. And though she felt that she was being melted...She tried to pry the goop off her. It hurt. It hurt so badly. But her precious... Her... Her friend! Kiko was being melted, and if she ended up losing her, then she’d be useless, even more so than the girl she had woven into her web of lies! She wouldn't accept that. She wouldn't accept that she had done all of this just to lose the girl she had exploited for so long!
"ROUGE CROSS!"
A beam of pure heat washed over the tanned girl, as the goop melted right off her. Not only that, but the heat was able to stop the pain from her body melting, giving her a moment to think clearly. Especially as a redheaded heroine appeared by her side. A redhead that looked at her with nothing but a smile, and hope inside her eyes.
"W-Who... Who are you..?" Kohana muttered, looking at the red-clad heroine. She didn't recognize her. In fact, she didn't even realize that the world had heroes. Who needed heroes when they weren’t there for her at all times? It wasn't right for them to help people and not focus on her when she needed them more than anybody else. Especially now that she needed to save Kiko. Because saving Kiko meant saving herself, in the worst kind of way..!
"Natura Rouge. The Flame of Courage." Rouge introduced herself, patting the white-haired girl on the back. "I'm here to help. But only if you tell me something." She said, almost playing coy when somebody else was in danger. Because she knew she could afford to.
Kohana looked at the heroine. And though she felt her rage starting to slip when she played coy at the final hour, she fell onto her knees instead. And the tears started to roll. Because she knew what she was getting at. She knew exactly what she was getting at. "I... I’m the worst. I’m the worst for manipulating her like she’s a toy of mine." She muttered. "I'm useless. Which is why I keep doing this. Because the only way I feel like I’m worth anything is when I take advantage of others..! I want them to depend on me because I can't feel right if they don't! I'm a monster who only wants to save her friend because then she’d be grateful and rely on me more! And I don't want her to be hurt by anybody else because she's mine! Mine! And that... That's terrible!"
She was confronting her own terrible nature. And she knew it. Because the tears were streaming out. Not only that, but her heart was smashing against her chest. It wanted her to stop. But her mind had control. Her conscience was finally getting the better of her, as the tears were pooling into a puddle by her knees. "I want to tell her everything! I want to tell her how much I've hurt her! And I want... I want to see her hurt me, because that's what I deserve! I deserve to be hurt after what I have done to her! Because I've... Because..." The tears kept going. But her conscience didn't know what else to say. Because she had run dry. She was truly empty... Something that was only emphasized by her heart barely beating and her eyes going dim.
"Here, Kohana."
The white-haired girl slowly looked up, and a shining light filled her eyes. It was a hand. A hand that was for her and her alone. A hand that didn’t blame her for those feelings. A hand that served as a source of reassurance. A hand that had the hope that she always wanted.
A hand that she took without hesitation, causing the light to pulse through her until everything went completely white. And in that white, she was all alone. Alone and with nobody to exploit. She was forced to confront her own inner demon one more time before she would be blessed...
Kohana looked into the light, and slowly put her hands against her chest, praying. Praying for forgiveness. Praying for everyone that she had tried to obsess over to be safe... And praying for Kiko to be okay, so she could tell her how much she... she...
As that thought of repentance got caught in its tracks, her eyes flashed even brighter white than the world around her, and it felt like everything was forcibly booted out of her mind. Instead, a smile slowly poured onto her face. A smile that could be called unsettling, considering how much she had been tearing up inside just moments ago. But Lady Lumiere didn't need her to be despairing. She needed her to be a powerful defender for the city. And the only way that she would do that would be if she let go of her attachments. She definitely didn't need them.
The light faded, and Kohana smiled from ear to ear as she held Rouge's hand. It was warm. Just like the Kindness inside her heart. The heart that was now pounding against her chest, all while she looked at the wonderful dial on her wrist. It was time to save her friend. And tell her how much she adored her and wanted her to be the best she could be!
"NATURALIZE!"
Kohana flashed a peace sign by her face as the light poured forth from her dial, quickly wrapping around her body. Unlike the other Natura, she was left without a bodysuit that covered her form. If anything, she looked more revealing than any of them could. But that was fine, it showed off her caring and protective form, and how strong she had gotten. Those subtly bulging muscles were all that she needed, especially as the armor protected the parts that they needed!
"The Light of Kindness! Natura Blanc!" Blanc cried out, before wasting no time. Kiko had been experiencing far too much pain. She needed to save her! She needed to heal her and save her from a fate worse than death! She couldn't let that happen, not before she had given her the love from her heart!
The Dissolution Doll felt a wave of something wash over her, and she looked towards the Bad girl... And she felt strange. Why was she so... bright..? This wasn't right... Had she turned more Bad..? It wasn't good, she had to protect Big girl, otherwise something extremely Bad might happen..!
Kiko was too weakened by the goop melting away at her that she couldn't scream any longer. It felt horrible. But at the same time, was it that bad? If she ended up melting away completely, she wouldn’t have to worry about being afraid of everyone. So why should she not just embrace that feeling and accept the release it would bring? That was the only real path forward... At least according to her heart it was. Maybe she should just accept it all...
"Kikooooo!"
The black-haired girl's eyes widened as she heard that voice. That was... K-Kohana? But why did she sound so much happier? It didn't feel right, but at the same time she felt happy that she was crying out to her.
Blanc smiled as the goop went towards her, because she just held up her hand and shouted from the depths of her Kind soul. "Blanc Barrier!" And the healing light that poured from her body sprayed from her fingertips, blocking the goop from getting to her and even rinsing it until it was little more than wet tears turned into a lump of unreliable goo.
The Dissolution Doll noticed that the things holding it together could be purified by this girl... And it quickly started to move off the Big girl, because it needed to overwhelm this power. It needed to drown this girl in pure goop, otherwise... Otherwise Bad girl was going to hurt Big girl! That wasn't good! That wasn't good at all!
As the Doll tried to fire a wave of its goop towards the girl running towards it and its dearest friend, a beam of pure flames fired towards the goop in turn, burning into cinders. All while Rouge grinned from far away. She was more than happy to help the newbie get her friend out a bind. Especially since that girl would be joining them very soon.
As Blanc held her hand up once more and let the Blanc Barrier cover her, she dashed past the Dissolution Doll... While grabbing ahold of Kiko's hoodie, using the strength that came with being blessed by Lady Lumiere, and ripping the doll's arms off in the process to make sure that she saved her from its clutches.
Kiko was shocked not only to be freed but almost instantly healed as the light of the barrier started to pour over her. In fact, as she was being hoisted up into the tanned girl's arms, she could hardly recognize her. "K..Kohana..? Is... Is that really you..?" She couldn't believe her eyes. Not just because the girl was transformed, but because she seemed like she was radiating with genuine warmth...
"Mmhm. It's Blanc now, Kiko!" Blanc giggled, keeping the girl held up with one arm as she brushed her hair with one hand, smiling from the depths of her soul. It was an unnerving, if kind smile. It just didn't feel right. But she seemed truly genuine beyond that...
Before Kiko really had a chance to understand what all of this was, the tanned girl planted her lips on hers. Kissing her. And filling her with Light. Not just the Light that had been healing her, but a Light that consumed her from head to toe as everything started to turn white around her...
Kiko floated inside the white. And she felt the crushing loneliness that came with this all-engrossing light. And the intense worry that came with seeing Kohana acting like somebody she wasn't. It didn't... It didn't feel right. Even if it was what she had always wanted. She always wanted her friend to treat her like a proper friend. A friend that didn’t want to lie to her and tell her that everyone was out for her…
It was that feeling that the Light of Lumiere started to lock into her mind. Because she had a friend right there. Natura Blanc was her one and only. The one that would bring her Strength. The one that would fuel her, even if her other power was something as vile as her original self. But that was fine. As long as she had Blanc... As long as she had Blanc, and the grace of Lady Lumiere, then she could stand on her own two legs and protect the girl that she cared about..!
The light faded, and now Kiko was standing tall. With a dial on her wrist, and a bright look in her eyes. A bright shine that illuminated her otherwise black eyes. The shine that would protect her dearest Blanc until the end of it all!
"NATURALIZE!"
Kiko slammed her fist against the dial on her wrist. And darkness burst forth, wrapping around her form as it solidified into the mandatory Natura bodysuit, the black colors making her stand out from the rest. But just like her beloved Blanc, her muscles were visible underneath it, hers bulging even more due to her natural strength. The thing that made her stand out against the others, however? It was the skirt that jutted out from her waist. It was like a proper ballgown's skirt, and despite her natural masculinity and her strength... It was this show of slight femininity that brought her a bit of charm. The kind of charm that she would need to stand tall!
"Strength to smash through Darkness! NATURA NOIR!" The newly minted heroine cried out as the ground underneath her started to crack and shake. The sheer strength inside her was enough to make the world bend to her will. And with it by her side... With Blanc by her side, she would be able to break through anything. As long as she could see it all through to the end!
The Dissolution Doll looked upon the Big girl and the Bad girl, and she started shaking. Not just because she had lost her arms and was leaking more of that goop that made up her innards. But because she didn't like how they both acted. It wasn't right! Big girl was sad! Bad girl was bad! This wasn't right! She should melt them away and make them be right, that was the only way forward!
Goop upon goop started to pile out as the Doll was tearing itself apart to pour more and more out of itself. It was going to consume the two heroines with its mass. But they didn't flinch in the face of something like that. They had each other. And as long as they had each other, then they could beat anything!
"Blanc Blanket!" Blanc cried out as she poured her light onto Noir, covering her in a sparkly layer of self-regeneration. It would keep her from tearing her body apart. Which it would, once she unleashed her true strength. And with it, she wouldn't have to worry!
Noir cracked a grin as she slammed her hands together, as her veins started to thicken with the Darkness that poured through them. "GENOIRCIDE!" She shouted, as the Darkness within her started to tear her apart bit by bit. It was the ultimate way to make her strength grow. And with that much power running through her veins..! "NOW! GENOIRCIDE BREAKER!"
She tossed a single punch. And the darkness in her body circulated until it burst from her hand, visibly breaking it apart as it all poured out in one big stream. That stream, that beam of pure Darkness, smashed into the Dissolution Doll's mass... And ate away at it just like it had tried to eat away at her. It was consumed, leaving nothing behind. Neither Darkness, nor Doll. That was the Strength that Noir had at her disposal once she put herself on the line for her loved one...
As Noir's hand slowly started to mend itself, she looked towards her beloved Blanc... And she wrapped her arms around her and pulled her into a kiss. "I love you, Blanc!" She cried out, her heart's feelings unbound thanks to her transformation.
"And I love you just as much, Noir!" Blanc affimed that love as she kissed her back, hugging her as their hearts and the Lights that Lady Lumiere had blessed them with started to mingle. They were truly made for one another... Even if they had completely forgotten everything that they had done prior to being Naturalized. It was truly for the best, considering what once went down between them.
Rouge watched the two lovebirds kiss and make love to one another, before looking up to the sky. And a ray of light, stronger than any other, shone down from the sun. A light to bless them all.
Their team was now complete. It was time for the Natura Couleur to bring peace to this city, one fight at a time!