Rammstein's Bizarre Adventure Ch. 7

Rammstein's Bizarre Adventure Chapter 7:
Don't be afraid.

>The sun is shining.
>The sky is blue.
>The grass is green.
>It's a beautiful day, here in Canterlot.
>You see people out there, enjoying their lives.
>You see friends hanging out, smiling and laughing.
>You see children, playing on the playground.
>...
>You wish you could be like them.
>You wish to be normal
>To be unafraid.
>To be able to enjoy your existence.
>To be...someone worth being born.
>Instead, fate saw fit to mock you.
>You are Tenna Shimi.
>And from the day you were born, you have been cursed.
>Your curse is unique.
>You think you've got to be the only one in the world who has a curse that doesn't hurt you.
>No, your curse just hurts everyone else.
>”Now that's cruel, Tenna.”
>Oh no.
>There it is.
>Your curse.
>It rapidly appears before you, hideous as it is.
>It's nothing but a skull, big enough to rival a Prius in size.
>It's red eyes glow with sinister intent.
>It's fanged mouth opens wide as it speaks, and you shudder to think of how it could swallow you whole.
>”You shouldn't think so lowly of yourself.”
>Despite its encouraging words, your curse sounds every bit as benevolent and honest as a vampire telling you they won't suck your blood.
>”You don't have to keep calling me a Curse, Tenna. I have a name.”
>You don't like its name.
>”Oh? I think ｢THE REAPER｣ is a perfect name for me.”

>You shudder as ｢THE REAPER｣ watches you.
>It has a mind of its own, but it cannot use its power without your permission.
>And you don't want to use its power
>｢THE REAPER｣ grumbles, before addressing you.
>”You don't have to be afraid to utilize my abilities, Tenna. In fact, I think this place would be better if you do.”
>You don't care.
>You just want it to leave you alone.
>”I couldn't do that, even if I wanted to, Tenna. We are very much the same.”
>You're not like ｢THE REAPER｣.
>”You cannot reject me, Tenna. I am a part of you.”
>No.
>There is no part of you that even wants to be like ｢THE REAPER｣.
>You aren't evil.
>You just want to do something good for the world.
>”I do wonder, Tenna. You think this, and through me, you have the power to change the world. But yet, you do not call me out. You do not use me.”
>And you never will.
>Your curse hurts people, and that's not changing the world for the better.
>”I do not hurt people, Tenna. They hurt themselves.”
>But its the power of ｢THE REAPER｣ that makes them hurt themselves. Therefore, its your curse's power that hurts them.
>”Tenna, it may be true that I have this power, but you are the one who summons me. This power comes from you, from your will.”

>No.
>He's lying.
>He told you things like this before.
>There is no way you would ever want people to hurt themselves.
>It's not true.
>”It is true, Tenna! I am the manifestation of your will! I have no reason to lie to you. I only want to bring out your full potential.”
>Who could ever trust a face like that?
>You aren't stupid.
>”No you aren't, Tenna. You are naive. You know about the evils of the world, yet you refuse to see then for what they are. Evil people who do evil things to other people. You know this. And you have the power to stop them.”
>You…
>You do want to stop them…
>But causing them to hurt themselves is not the way to do it! No one wants to be the bad guy, which means everyone thinks ks they're good!
>”The road to Hell is paved with good intentions. Why not use your powers to stop those who hurt others before they have a chance to do so?”
>That's not your job.
>That's the job of the police.
>You shouldn't get involved.
>”The police? The only difference between them and organized criminals is that the police are given authority by the government. You've seen those officers taking bribes from drug dealers and pimps.”
>They're not all like that.
>”Nevertheless, the existence of those corrupt individuals in government proves that the only way for bad people to be punished is to do it yourself.”
>Even if that were true, we can't arbitrarily decide who is good and who is bad.
>”We don't have to. The people we meet tell us by how they look, dress, and act.”
>We can't tell who is right and who is wrong simply by looking at them.
>”Is that so, Tenna? It might be easier than you think.”
>You watch as your curse begins to scan the park.
>You silently sigh in relief, thankful that others cannot see your curse.
Q
>Suddenly, ｢THE REAPER｣’s mouth opens, and something akin to a joyous gasp sounds from it.
>”Perfect! Look over there!”
>You look to where ｢THE REAPER｣ is indicating.
>Does it mean that guy sitting in the gazebo?
>He wears a black coat with a high collar, as well as a hat.
>He's tall and muscular.
>He actually looks kind of scary.
>”You can tell he's an evil person, can't you?”
>Not really.
>Just because he looks scary doesn't mean he's evil.
>”Look closer, Tenna. At the collar on his neck.”
>You squint as you look closer.
>Wait...is that…
>”You're correct, Tenna. That's a symbol of the Nazi's SS.”
>”That man is a Nazi.”

>”Tenna, you want to stop bad people. I want you to use your power. The way that man so brazenly displays his affiliation with the Nazi party, and with their hateful beliefs, he has to be a bad person.”
>...M-m-maybe he's just a reenactor.
>”...Tenna, when have you heard of a troop of world war 2 reenactors in this area?”
>Maybe he's trying to start one.
>”That's the strongest argument you can come up with, Tenna!? I know you don't particularly like hurting people, but if anyone deserves to be hurt, it's him! Do you remember what the Nazi's put 20 million people through in the 1940’s? By not stopping him, you're basically giving him permission to try again!”
>But... wasn't it 17 million a few years ago?
>”That's beside the point, Tenna! Do you really want to condone someone who is willing to commit mass genocide?”
>Well, he may look scary, but he hasn't hurt anyone yet. He's just sitting in the park.
>”Then just watch. If he shows even a hint of evil, it will prove I am right.”
>You hesitate, but pay attention to the man sitting at the gazebo.
>Your curse disappears, as you focus on him.

>You are Erich Rammstein.
>Just enjoying your day in the park.
>Your regular seat at the gazebo.
>Honestly, you're expecting someone to come along and ruin it.
>Isn't that the way these things usually go?
>Whenever you wear your uniform, someone always ends up hassling you over it.
>It's as if you weren't allowed to live a quiet life.
>You suppose you're asking for it, though.
>But at the same time, there shouldn't be any shame in believing what you believe.
>People are allowed to wear clothes that indicate they are part of gangs or other more violent groups, and they aren't judged for it.
>Is it too much to ask that you not be bothered while you're out, simply because of your political beliefs?
>...
>...
>...
>That's funny.
>You thought something would've happened by now.
>Someone usually comes to interrupt your thoughts whenever you begin contemplating like that.
>You'd usually think thoughts like this, then someone comes along to ruin your day.
>Where is the thorn in your ass, today?
>...
>...
>...
>Perhaps God decided to be mercifu-
>”Hey, you Nazi fuck!”
>Oh, there it is.

>You look over at the source of the grating voice.
>You see a young woman.
>She's got a butchdyke haircut, black framed glasses, and a red shirt depicting the ANTIFA symbol.
>She's also got her cellphone out, and is filming you.
>Looks like the latest version of the iPhone, but you don't pay much attention to technology.
>”You have a lot of nerve, you sorry asshole!”
>You roll your eyes.
“Oh yes. How dare I sit peacefully and enjoy the park. I have a lot of nerve, not bothering anyone like that. How could I?”
>You watch her as she stomps up the steps of the gazebo.
>Honestly, she'd probably be pretty cute, if it weren't for the propaganda filling her head.
>The Jews are trying to make women undesirable as romantic partners, and it looks like its been one of their more successful plans.
>She must go to Canterlot University.
>”You need to take that off.”
>You raise an eyebrow.
“Excuse you?”
>The SJW reaffirms her position.
>”Take off that jacket and that hat. Its offensive to a lot of people.”
>You give her a bored look.
“Your shirt is offensive to a lot of people. Why don't you take it off?”

>She suddenly gasps loudly and exaggeratedly.
>”You sexist, misogynistic pig! You want me to go topless?! I bet you wish all women would go topless just so you could ogle their bare chest, you son of a bitch!”
>Accusing you of something you aren't.
>Misconstruing your words.
>Insulting your precious Mutter.
>This Hundin.
“Zero to pissed in a second. My God, you have talent.”
>She looks a little smug.
>”Oh, you're pissed? Why? Because you see a woman is standing up to you? Because I called you out for being a hateful bigot? I bet your mother's so proud, having raised a fucking Nazi!”
>With that last word, she smacks your hat off your head.
>And with your hat goes your last nerve.
>She didn't notice that you used the shadows in her cellphone to sabotage it.
>You stand up, raising yourself to full height, and look down at her, menacingly.
>ゴ
> ゴ
>ゴ
>  ゴ
>    ゴ
“Ich glaube nicht, dass du weißt, worauf du hinaus willst, Schlampe.” [spoiler]I don't think you know what you're getting into, bitch.[/spoiler]
>Her earlier anger and bravado seemed to melt away, replaced by apprehension and fear.
>You're quite tall for your age, and muscular to boot.
>It would look, to an outside observer, like a scrawny nerd just slapped a jock.
>And now the nerd is going to pay for it.

>You use ｢BENZIN｣ to launch your hat back into your hand, and put it back on your head.
>Her fear is amplified by her confusion.
>She must be wondering how your hat suddenly jumped up into your hand.
“Sie müssen ein paar Manieren lernen.” [spoiler]”You need to learn some manners.”[/spoiler]
>You catch her by the neck, and lift her up.
>She grabs your hand with both of hers, struggling to pull you away, before she wheezes out.
>”R...rape…”
>Now you're really disgusted.
>You lean in close.
“No one wants to rape you, Schlampe.”
>You then proceed to toss her back.
>She lands on her back, and scrambles to her feet.
>“Y-you assaulted me! He assaulted me!”
>She turns to nearby passers, as she points at you.
>”You saw, right?! He assaulted me!”
>The person she's looking at averts his eyes.
>She turns to another person, who also looks away.
>Fearfully, she looks around for anyone who will pay attention.
>To no avail, everyone is either leaving, or avoiding the area.

“It's no surprise, Fraulein. No one wants to get involved because they saw you slap me.”
>She shakes her head.
>”N-no, I just slapped your hat!”
“You slapped me. Don't lie. The people around here think if you pick a fight with someone who is bigger and stronger than you, then you will get only what you deserve.”
>”I-I wasn't picking a fight! I was just trying to get you to…”
>She trails off, as you approach her.
>You decide you're going to finish her thoughts for her.
“Get me to leave? Through intimidation? Sounds like you're picking a fight to me.”
>You stand over her, glaring at her menacingly.
“Everything that happens from here on out…”
>You crack your knuckles.
“...is your fault.”
>You approach aggressively.
>And she rushes off, dropping her phone.
>You bend down and pick it up.
>Using your Stand, you fix it, and reactivate it.
>Looks like the camera stopped as soon as she hit you.
>All according to keikaku. [spoiler]Plan[/spoiler]
>You pocket it, and decide to make yourself scarce.
>You'll find a way to return it to her later.
>You have her personal information, after all.
>On the way out of the park, you make eye contact with a smaller girl.
>She doesn't look much older than Angel, probably a freshman in High school.
>She has long hair, a frail looking body, and wears a black sundress.
>As soon as she noticed you locked eyes with her, she looked away nervously.
>She's awfully mousey. You feel a little ashamed for making her bear witness to that.
>Poor girl, she seems so small. You hope she has someone protecting her.
>You exit the park, deep in thought.

>You are Tenna Shimi.
>And your heart is racing.
>You think your life shortened a little.
>That Nazi guy is even scarier than you think.
>Sure, that girl accosted him, but he didn't have to go so far as to choke her, and throw her from the gazebo.
>He even stole that poor girl's cellphone!
>And as he exited the park, he even caught you in his gaze.
>He seemed like there was incredible anger boiling up within him.
>Who knows what horrible things he was imagining he could do to you?
>It took all your courage just to look at him.
>You turned away as soon as you thought he was going to pounce on you.
>”That, Tenna, is what an evil person is.”
>Your curse comes back.
>”You feel that fear? You see now what he has done. He must be punished for his actions.”
>Maybe…
>Maybe just this once…
>Maybe your curse is right.
>”Go after him, Tenna! Make him face justice!”
>Taking a few deep breaths, you slowly stand, and brush off your dress.
>You face forward, focus, and...
“｢THE REAPER｣.”
>You bring out your curse, and give it free reign over the power you possess.
>You rush off, going after the Nazi.
>Just this one time, ｢THE REAPER｣ can hurt a person.

>You are once again Erich Rammstein.
>And you feel like you need to work off the energy a little from that last confrontation.
>You honestly feel kind of pumped now.
>You can't really explain it.
>It's like you feel unstoppable.
>You must've gotten excited by the prospect of getting one over on someone who has wronged you.
>You feel like…
>Running.
>But there's an exit from a garage ahead.
>...
>Isn't that supposed to be a problem?
>You suppose, between vampires that can attack Stands, spellcasters controlling hordes of magical beasts, and people who want to shoot you, a car coming out from nowhere is pretty tame.
>And if a car does come out, you reason, you can just use your Stand to get out of dodge.
>You dart off.
>You're running.
>You're almost certain.
>Someone will come out as soon as you reach the garage…
>...but you pass it without incident.
>You should feel embarrassed, but instead, you feel a bit…
>Disappointed.
>You're not in any kind of danger.
>And honestly, that feels weird.
>Every other day you end up facing some sort of person or creature who wants to kill you or eat you.
>For the longest time, you just wanted to be left alone.
>Now the biggest threat to that desire was some Schlampe that didn't know when to keep her mouth shut.
>Other than that, you finally have your goal.
>And you feel a bit...bored with it.
>You're not usually the type to get yourself into trouble, but now you've got a smouldering desire to go look for it.
>Maybe you're being too active.
>You need to calm down.
>There's a stop sign against the street running perpendicular to this one, though.
>And you can hear a car coming.
>You wonder…
>Can you get to the stop sign before the car?
>Or will the car get there first, and you have to go around?
>Or will you get there at the same time?
>It would be pretty hilarious to make someone skid to a halt.
>But let's see who is faster.

>You start running towards the stop sign.
>The car is still coming.
>This is rather exciting, isn't it?
>You're about to make it.
>You cross the street, and in the middle of the road, you hear a horn honk.
>Looking over, its the car you heard around the corner.
>What does the driver want?
>You're just standing in his way.
>As the car is about to hit you, you suddenly jump high in the air, aided by ｢BENZIN｣.
>You feel like you're flying, now.
>What a thrill!
>You've never really taken the time to appreciate everything you can do with your Stand!
>As the ground comes closer, you think to catch yourself.
>If you break your legs, you won't be able to get home.
>You land softly, and continue walking along.
>As you do, you wonder what else your Stand can do.

>Did...did that Nazi just jump like a superhero?
>You are Tenna.
>And you can hardly believe your eyes.
>The guy you were using your curse on, he just jumped high in the air as if he had superpowers!
>”It's not so surprising, Tenna.”
>But why not?
>”I exist. If something supernatural can happen to you, something supernatural can happen to others, can't they?”
>You...suppose that's true…
>”In any case, now we need to make doubly sure to get rid of him.”
>You don't know.
>If he has superpowers, then it's probably best to leave him alo-
>”Tenna.”
>W-what?
>”Nazis are villains, right?”
>Right…
>”What is a villain with superpowers called?”
>A...a supervillain?
>”That's right, Tenna. You stop him, and you'll have stopped a supervillain. And you're the only one who can stop him.”
>You...suppose ｢THE REAPER｣ has a point.
>”Of course I do. Now, keep following him!”

>You follow the Nazi as he makes his way down the block.
>He's heading toward the intersection.
>You stay a good distance away so as to avoid being seen.
>He's at the intersection, now.
>The crossing sign is telling pedestrians to stop, but it doesn't seem like he's paying any attention to it.
>You go to catch up, making sure ｢THE REAPER｣ can see him.
>He's crossing in the middle of the street, against a green light.
>You feel bad making him jaywalk, but then you remember that he's a supervillain.
>He probably does things like that all the time, that horrible person!
>You hear a car honk its horn, and see it almost hit him.
>But he seems to have jumped forward using his powers.
>Some other people, including yourself, are amazed by this.
>His powers allowed him to jet forward, leaving a trail of blackness behind him.
>It was...unsettling.
>Evil powers were black like that, right?
>That settles it!
>He's so evil, his powers are black!
>That must be the color of his heart!
>No hero has magic that's black!
>Except maybe Raven from Teen Titans…
>But he's not Raven, so he must be evil!
>You do the good thing, and wait for your turn to cross the street.
>You're not going to let this bad guy get away!
> ｢THE REAPER｣ has to keep him in his sight, so you follow him!


>The Nazi...
>He was heading to the bad part of town.
>You've heard about this place, from your only friend.
>This place was crawling with drug dealers, gang members, and everything nasty in between.
>She begged you to never come here, because she was afraid of what might happen.
>But even though your curse makes people hurt themselves, it protects you from harm as well.
>”If that Nazi is it supervillain, he'll probably have people around here who serve him.”
>You wondered about that.
>Why else would he run off to this part of town?
>”If he's a supervillain, he probably makes base around here. Be careful, he probably has henchmen he's ready to sic on hapless girls!"
>You feel like your curse is making fun of you.
>”What? No, no, why would you think that? I just want to make sure nothing bad happens to you.”
>Your curse knows you're paranoid about being kidnapped.
>”... Sorry Tenna. I really do worry, you know? I want to see you succeed, and I have to make sure nothing and no one can stand in your way.”
>You're grateful for the sentiment, but you're not sure you agree with your curse's methods.
>”Like it or not, I can only do one thing; remove people's inhibitions, and make them seek danger. That must mean our objective on Earth is to hurt people.”
>You know. That's why ｢THE REAPER｣ only encourages you to go after bad people.
>If it weren't for bad people doing bad things, this world would be a much better place.
>That's one thing you both agree on.

>This neighborhood looks awfully run down.
>Oh no!
>...
>Y-you hear a d-d-dog barking…
>”Tenna, remain calm, and focus.”
>B-b-but it might b-b-bite you…
>”In a neighborhood like this, its chained up and fenced in, isn't it?”
>Th-that's just proof it's a mean d-d-dog…
>”It's also proof that it can't get to you, right?”
>Y...yeah, you guess.
>”And even if you did see a dog, you know I would protect you from it, right?”
>That...is true.
>Even if ｢THE REAPER｣ is a curse, you have to admit, it was awfully nice at times.
>”Good. Now come. We have evil to hunt.”
>You continue after the Nazi.
>He's rounded a corner, and you quickly go to catch up.
>Oh, thank goodness!
>You have him in your sights again, which means your curse didn't get a chance to wear off.
>And now, it looks like some thugs are approaching him.
>Wait, could those be his henchmen?!
“No way…”
>You manage to keep your voice to a whisper.
>”See? I told you he was a supervillain.”
>Wait a second…
>Those thugs aren't reporting to him.
>They're accosting him.
>”Oh my. Perhaps he wandered into an area of the criminal underworld he doesn't have control over.”

>You duck behind a mailbox, peeking out from behind it to see what's happening.
>Those thugs are being...loud.
>”Yo! What're ya doin wearing those colors in this Hood, homie?” “White boy looks lost, don't he?”
>”You a stupid mothafucka to wander around here. This is the Brass Bulls territory!” “You're a long way from home, racist fuck!”
>Oh, such language.
>You almost prefer the Nazi.
>He's at least quiet.
>But he's, not really reacting.
>In fact, he looks like he's...smiling?
>The Nazi says something you can't quite hear.
>Then one of the thugs grabs him.
>He holds a knife up to his face.
>”You little shit! You wanna die, mothafucka?!”
>Then, you see him use his power.
>”｢BENZIN｣!”
>As quick as the wind, several black fists popped out of him, and began pummeling the thug.
>Is this his supervillain power?
>The thug gets knocked away, crashing headfirst into a fence.
>The others gawk in amazement at what they see.
>The Nazi then proceeds to open his jacket.
>”I went easy on him because he didn't know about my power. The rest of you might not be so lucky.”
>All at once, the other thugs drop their weapons and run off.
>Leaving the Nazi standing there.
>”Huh… that's a shame.”
>He closes his jacket, and starts to leave.
>You continue to follow at a reasonable distance.

>You follow him back to the park area.
>...did he get bored with that bad part of town?
>You're starting to wonder if he really is evil.
>He is a Nazi, right?
>You'd think he'd be more daring, and attack a police station, or at least rob a bank.
>But he hasn't even so much as picked a fight with anyone.
>You mean true, he might've been looking for one while he went to the hood but even then, he waited for people to approach him and not the other way around.
>What has he done aside from assault that woman and be a Nazi?
>With a power like his, the person he attacked in the hood could've easily been killed.
>And he hasn't killed anyone.
>He hasn't stolen anything.
>He hasn't done anything to warrant you considering him a bad guy.
>So what are you doing following him around?
>”Tenna, these things take time. You know your power builds up the more its used on someone.”
>But you think he would have done something evil by now, as evil as he is.
>”...Maybe his inhibitions haven't been sufficiently removed.”
>Or maybe he's not actually evil.
>”Tenna, he's a Nazi! Of course he's evil! That's synonymous with evil!”
>No, you haven't seen him do anything wrong, except choke that woman.
>You didn't see everything from your perspective, because there was foliage in the way.
>Maybe he had a good reason to do it.
>”He's at least proven he's violent, you have to realize that much.”

>You stop where you are.
>You know there are plenty of violent people.
>But he only seems to use violence reactively.
>That woman he choked must've done something to him to make him react the way he did.
>”But that still doesn't excuse the cellphone he stole!”
>The woman dropped it.
>Maybe he was going to turn it in to a police station.
>That's not stealing, that's returning a lost item.
>”I know you want to believe he's good, Tenna, but he's a Nazi!”
>That doesn't prove he's evil.
>You don't want your curse to go after him anymore.
>As soon as his power fades, ｢THE REAPER｣ looks over at you.
>”Tenna, think this through! He's still-”
>A Nazi, you know. But he hasn't done anything wrong that you can see!
>”Tenna, he's going to hurt people!”
>W-we can't say for certain! From what you've seen, he's just been going about his day in peace!
>”And he smacked a guy through a fence!”
>Because you were using ｢THE REAPER｣’s power on him! He probably wouldn't have done that if-
>Is that a horn?
>You look in the direction and gasp.
>A bus is zooming toward you!
>Wait…
>You stopped in the middle of a crosswalk?!

>”Tenna! Move!”
>You turn and-
>Owie!
>Your ankle!
>You twisted your ankle!
>The bus is coming closer!
>You can't get out of the way!
>You don't know what to do.
>You close your eyes.
>You hear a screech.
>You don't want to die!
>Kyah!
>Something hit you, and sent you tumbling to the side!
>You stop tumbling.
>You don't feel any pain.
>But instead, it feels like you're being hugged.
>You open your eyes, and look around.
>You're near the sidewalk.
>There are onlookers staring in amazement.
>You look up, and…
>Oh gosh…
>It's that Nazi guy from before.
>Minus the hat.
>You then realize he's cradling you.
>”Are you alright, Fraulein?”
>Um, wow.
>Why is your face hot?
>You look around again.
>P-people are staring at you.
>One of them starts clapping.
>Did...did he really just rescue you?
>Oh, you're so embarrassed!
>N-no! Please don't take any photos!
>Please don't come closer, either! You're fine!
>You turn back to the man who rescued you.
“Um...C-Could you put me down, please?”

>It's an hour later.
>After a good amount of fussing, and someone fetching you a bag of ice, and some people applauding what happened, you were finally allowed to leave.
>You were so embarrassed.
>So many people fussing over you.
>All those people watching you.
>You were trying hard to not do anything stupid after doing something stupid.
>You should've paid attention to where you were.
>Now you're sitting on the curb at a convenience store.
>And the Na-
>...
>Erich, you found out his name after he saved you…
>Is inside, buying the two of you some drinks.
>He comes out, handing you an orange juice.
>He himself has a bottle of water.
>You thank him, as he sits down next to you.
>You can't believe you spent the whole day trying to get him to hurt himself.
>He's so nice to you, and he was acting all heroic saving you.
>You feel just awful about how you were behaving before.
>”So, Tenna, was it? Are you really to talk?”
>Unable to look him in the eye, you slowly nod.
>He starts talking.
>”You're really quite mousey. I know you're not much of a talker, but if you're really uncomfortable with me, you're free to leave.”
>You stay where you are.

>He takes a drink from his water.
>”In that case, how about we play a game? I ask a question, and if you answer, you get to ask one back. Alright?”
>That sounds like a good game.
>You nod.
>”I take it from your name, you're Japanese, right?”
>You nod again.
“Y-yes. Half Japanese. My father was from Japan.”
>It's your turn now.
“U-um! You're...German?”
>You see him smile.
>”Second generation German Immigrant, with an Equestrian mutter. Mein vater came from Argentina, but he moved there from Germany as a child. My turn.”
>He sighs.
>”Your last name is Shimi? That sounds a little odd for a Japanese name.”
>You hum in thought.
“M-my friend from school, Cecelia, calls me that as an affectionate nickname. My full name is Tenna Fuwashimi. Um… my turn, right? Why are you so nice to me?”
>You hear him chuckle.
>”God tells me to love thy neighbor. My other beliefs tell me to help my fellow countrymen. And I think it's just common sense to show others some respect, if they deserve it.”
>Which means you were right.
>He did have a reason to do what he did to that girl.
>”My turn again. Why were you following me all day with your Stand brought out?”

>Huh?
>You look up at him uncomprehendingly.
“I'm...not sure I understand the question. What's a Stand?”
>He looks down at you with a raised eyebrow.
>”You mean you don't know what that skull is that was hovering around you? I noticed you were a Stand user about the same time I started going to that hood, and...A-are you alright?”
>Does he mean...
>He can see it?
“You...you can see my curse…”
>”Curse?”
>You're so...happy.
>You're crying, but you're happy.
>You just have to give him a hug!
>So you do!
“I-I can't believe it! I tried to tell my parents about my curse, but they didn't believe me! They thought I was describing an imaginary friend! I-I wanted to tell them what it could do, but I thought they'd send me to an asylum! E-even my best friend, even CeCe can't see it! You're the first person ever who can see it! I'm so happy!”
>You slowly feel Erich's big arms wrapping around you.
>He's hugging you back, and you feel him gently pat your head.
>”Ah...there, there?”

>After a bit, you manage to calm yourself down.
>You're not hugging anymore, but you're still a little giddy.
>Erich told you that the reason he can see ｢THE REAPER｣ is because he's a Stand user, and that generally, only Stand users can see Stands.
>Which means you're a Stand user, too.
>Not all Stands follow that rule, though.
>Everyone can see Erich's Stand because its attached to his shadow.
>”｢BENZIN｣ allows me to create remote constructs out of shadow. Any shadow I'm connected to becomes material I can use to create a construct, and I can feel everything in the shadows I'm connected to. I can even reverse the process, and deconstruct things that aren't made out of shadows, but are still in the shadows I'm connected to.”
>You nod, comprehending.
“So that's why your powers are black. You're just using your shadows to propel yourself along!”
>He nods.
>”Correct. I'm rather adept at using my ｢BENZIN｣. But I feel that there's a heavy responsibility attached to having such a powerful Stand.”
>He raises his finger, as if to make a point.
>”I believe that Stand users were created to protect humanity as a whole. Stands are manifestations of the user's will power and fighting spirit, so not everyone can have a Stand. I think, though, eventually humanity will live in a world where everyone has some sort of Stand power, and Stand users are basically superhumans. So it is our duty to protect those who can't protect themselves.”
>As he speaks, your enthusiasm drains.
>Your Stand isn't like the others.
>You look down at your orange juice, ashamedly.

“My Stand can't protect people. All it does is cause people harm. ｢THE REAPER｣ makes people fail to recognize danger, and removes their fear. At the same time, it causes them to feel more energetic and excited. Eventually, with enough time, people I use my Stand on end up hurting themselves because they're trying to be daredevils.”
>You're trying hard, but the tears are overwhelming you.
“I don't want to use my Stand at all. All it does is make people hurt themselves. I wish...I wish I was like you, Erich. Then maybe, I could help people. That's all I want to do. I just want to help people, not hurt them.”
>Your face is wet.
>You wipe away a tear that runs down your cheek.
>You wish you hadn't been given this Stand.
>Maybe if you had a different power…
>”...I thought I was acting a little weird today.”
>And now he realizes that you were attacking him.
>That's it. He's going to hate you now.
>You wait for him to stand up and walk off.
>How can anyone forgive you for doing that to them?

>Eee!
>You gasp in surprise, as you feel Erich put an arm around your shoulders.
>You look up, expecting him to have a mean or scary face.
>What catches you off guard is that his look is gentle, like a comforting smile.
>”Tenna, do you know what I was thinking when I rescued you? I was thinking 'she looks like she's in trouble. I should help her.’ I couldn't fathom why it would be a bad idea to jump in front of the bus. I just knew I had to help you.”
>You look away, ashamed.
>So he just rescued you because he was still under the effects of your Stand.
>”But even if I had recognized the danger, I would have done it anyway. However, the danger would have made me hesitate for a split second. And if I had delayed, I might have only managed to push you out of the way, and got hit myself. So in a way, your Stand saved my life.”
>You blink, processing this as he holds you tighter.
>He doesn't give you time to question the logic, and continues.
>”I think there is a way you can use your Stand to help people. Are you familiar with phobias?”
>You nod slowly.
“Those are things people have. Irrational fears of something.
>Erich nods.
>”Arachnophobia is fear of spiders. Nyctophobia is fear of the dark. Thanatophobia is fear of death. And they all have a strong hold on many people, both normie and stand user alike. But you, with your Stand, can help those people. Your Stand can help them see they have nothing to worry about. In a way, your Stand makes you a perfect therapist. Tenna, I want you to promise me that you'll help these people. They need a hero. A hero like you.”

>You look up at him in disbelief.
"Me? A hero..?"
>He looks down at you with a gentle smile.
>"Heroes save people, Tenna. Your powers can save people from their worst nightmares. And if you help them, you would be their hero."
>You shake your head. You don't get it.
"H-how? I can't... I can't imagine that idea working... I-it would just..."
>You look away, ashamed.
>"It would work perfectly. An arachnophobe is scared of spiders. If you use your Stand on them, then hand them something that looks like a spider, they will look at it as if it isn't frightening. Then, you would stop using your power on them, and guide them through the process of realizing something isn't really as scary as they thought it was. The process is called 'exposure therapy,' and your Stand is perfectly suited for it."
>As you're contemplating Erich's words, ｢THE REAPER｣ comes out to speak.
>”Tenna, Erich has a good point. This is a way he's offering to help you grow. If you did decide to be a therapist, you could use our power, and help people like you want. True, if you use your power too much, people hurt themselves, but it should be fine in small doses.”
>Erich speaks again.
>”It's kind of like medicine. What is medicine but a small dose of poison used to counteract something bad happening to your body? If your heart is beating too fast, and someone doses you with a poison that slows down your heart rate, then the illness will be healed.”

>A medicine?
“｢THE REAPER｣ is a medicine?”
>Erich nods.
>”In large doses, it can be lethal, just like any other medicine. But if you only dose people who need it, and only with the amount they need, they can be cured of their irrational fears.”
>You smile to yourself.
>You never really thought about it that way.
>Maybe you can use your powers to help people.
>All it would take is a little imagination, and experimentation.
>Maybe your new friend, Erich, would be willing to help.
>You smile up at him.
>He smiles back.
>”Feeling better, kiddo?”
>Excuse him?
>You frown, pulling yourself out of the hug.
>That actually hurt a little.
“Just what do you mean by that?”
>He raises an eyebrow looking at you.
>”I was asking if you're feeling better.”
>You shake your head.
“I...I mean you called me a kid.”
>He tilts his head to the side.
>”Aren't you just starting middle school?”
>You shake your head, pouting.
“O-of course not! I-I'm nineteen!”
>You see him look you over, before looking you in the face.
>”Pferd Scheiße.” T/n: Horse Shit.

>You frown sadly.
>You feel tears welling up.
>D-darn it, even your new friend is treating you like a kid.
“I...I...I try so hard, but I can't grow properly.”
>You can't help it.
>You start crying.
“Despite getting out of high school, the only thing that has grown on me is my chest! But the stares I get make me self conscious, so I wrap it! But I don't know what's worse, being leered at for my chest, or being treated like a kid!”
>You hear Erich offer up some words of advice.
>”Well, it doesn't help matters if you cry like that.”
>That doesn't help!
>That doesn't help at all!
“I can't help it! I-I'm really sensitive about that sort of thing!”
>You spend the next half hour trying to calm down.
>With Erich's assistance, you manage to do just that.
>You sniffle.
>”Look, helping others is a good thing. But you have to help yourself first.”
>You nod.
“Y-yeah, I know, but life is unfair sometimes.”
>Erich nods, pulling out his cellphone.
>”I understand. If you ever need help, though, give me a call.”
>He was really sorry about making you cry.
>And he helped you out a lot.
>Despite everything, he seems like a nice guy.
>You end up exchanging numbers.
>Maybe you'll meet sometime in the future.

<=TO=BE=CONTINUED==