xXxIn the time after Team TORNA had caused all their ruckus at the gates and the hotsprings, they'd found an abandoned hotel in the back alleys to lay low. After their first real rest Rabu took some time to try and replicate whatever the heck had happened back at the springs. With a bit of a nudge from Ito, they'd put themself towards some private training.
xXx Rabu' was sitting cross-legged, the fingers on both hands were interlocked and pressed into their sternum. They seemed to be in a meditative state. It had been hours now in the darkness. They were attempting to unlock the final potential of their Kekkei Genkai, the Curse of the Blood Orchid. Rabu built up chakra at the center point. They'd hum softly to them self, totally focused on the task at hand. Rabu breathed, as if they were doing yoga. Their mask was off, and they were bare from the waist up. Those emerald eyes were shut in total concentration.
xXx It'd be an hour before anything even started to happen.
xXx An hour passed, each second felt like an eternity, they should really look into that zelel stuff. Some patience would do them well. They were fully committed to their meditation. Then it started.
xXx Pain suddenly racked in Rabu's chest, their hands clenched. They couldn't breath, it felt like a red hot poker was stabbing into their chest and pressing into where the windpipe meets the lungs. Their hums turned into wheezing, the sweat that had built upon their body sizzled and turned to steam. Rabu was panting, they were close, it was starting now. Beneath those hands, a black symbol burned into their skin. The pain was unimaginable, but they made nary a word, they refused to let any of their comrades hear their cries. They wouldn't let their screams be a sign of weakness. The symbol would transform, lines would grow from it. They were soon covered, from head to toe, in polygonal web like lines. Some lines would curve off randomly, starting more webs from that point.
xXx And with that it all dissipated, the pain lingered and they bit at their tongue out of frustration. For now they'd take a few moments to rest and try again in a bit. sweat was dripping from their forehead. "One more time...I can do this."
xXx After taking a few minutes to eat some rations and try to rebound from the failed attempt they started meditating again, that hand pressed to their chest. Eyes closed, for another hour.
xXx As time ticked by they'd feel a warmth growing, that mark was starting to show itself again. The black lines stretching out from the central part of their torso. Now it was more than just their chest, the pain was all over, spreading further as they pressed onward. Her ribcage was physically trembling, bone expanding and shrinking rapidly, contorting the skin above. They were slipping into the final phase. Bone tore from each of their ribs, shooting out behind them, before wrapping around Rabu in an almost protective way. More bone tore out of her back, making them look like some kind of porcupine. Rabu's skin was even changing, turning a pale purple. Thick, maroon, droplets of blood welled up in the corners of their shut eyes. The blood flowing down those purple cheeks. Lines traced up and down their face from the curse mark. A drop of that blood would hang heavy, until it grew heavy enough to drop. The droplet splattered on the floor below.
xXx The bone would continue to stretched around her, the protective limbs morphing together, until where the girl had been was replaced by a cocoon of chakra strengthened bone. The pain would continue, but Rabu's internal clock halted, everything was black. They felt like they were floating.
xXx In an instant, all of the bone slammed back into their body. Their purple skin would revert back to their normal pale skin, the curse mark would recede back into its regular shape on their chest. The blood that streaked down from each eye would be left, gently dripping as they fell forward. They were too weak to catch them self. Rabu would pass out, half naked, on the floor for the next few hours.
xXx"It's quite nice to actually meet you, Rabubลn." In that darkness a girl with their very same likeness stood before them. They held a soft, almost depressing, sadness to them. Loneliness oozed from their person. "I made a mistake and one day I will see it undone." Maeko would speak to the parasitic host that seemed to be chained up in the corporeal nothingness that made up their pitch black surroundings.
xXx"Go ******** yourself you whiney little s**t." Rabu's words were meant to hurt, cut and pierce the pathetic girl. But Maeko only started laughing. "AHHHAHAHAAAHAA!" Tears rolled down her cheeks as she leaned in close, procuring a knife from behind their back. "If you want the Curse of the Kaguya, then I'll have to sanctify it. Reguardless of your consciousness growing within my own head, you're nothing more than a pretender borrowing the bone of the Kaguya. But hey, why not kill two birds with one stone. I'll let you have my bloodline's full potential, and you, you'll give me some control."
xXx Rabu was cut off by a harsh slap, Maeko's hand left a red print across their face. "I don't give a damn about your Father anymore. That creep preyed upon my weakened mental state. I have more important things to do than prance around the country causing chaos and strife. Do you want the Curse Mark powers or not. I promise you, you won't get them if you deny my request. Who do you think keeps cutting you off from the power?"
xXx Anger was welling up inside of Rabu but, maybe this could be beneficial. With a deep breath, the cogs in their head would move, trying to formulate something that could be good for the both of them. "...fine. I agree, but we have to agree on both of our actions." Rabu would finally capitulate to Maeko's terms. It was certainly progress.
xXx"I'm glad to hear that, maybe if we actually work together, we can both find a way to free ourselves from this hell." Maeko would lean in, a sadistic look in their eyes. "This might sting a little." She'd proceed to cut the symbol of the cursemark into their flesh. She cut deep, making sure her knife cut the symbol into any of the bone that resided beneath. The sheer pain of it all, caused Rabu to pass out.
xXx The shell of bone that was currently concealing Rabu, started to crack and crumble. They were sitting cross legged, their skin had a blue tint to it, their irises had turned golden and the whites of their eyes now pitch black. Like the void they'd just been stuck in. The bones of their ribcage were on the outside of their skin, forming a protective barrier. Their shins had similar armor, same with their calves. Fore arms and their fists. Bone plates between each knuckle, on the back of their hand there even stood a plate with small spikes. Their body was lined with bone plate, to help absorb blows and deal damage.
xXxThey started laughing, maniacally, they could feel the nature chakra surging through them, they could even feel it around them. This was a cursemark, this was the full potential of the Kaguya clan, and it was theirs. "Ours." Maeko chimed, suddenly pulling Rabu back to reality. "Oh yeah...I forgot. Well, thanks. You can be quiet now." They'd snap at the girl, out loud. "You know you can just talk to me in your head right, ya won't look as crazy." A vein grew on Rabu's temple, "Shut up. I'm gonna go eat a real meal now, I'm starving."
xXx With that, their skin started turning back to its normal pale complexion, the color going back to normal in their eyes. Soon enough they were free of their barred room. A new companion nestled in their head, and new power at their disposal.
