Prompt Shop Bop

"Into the Unknown" - Maji

from Frozen 2

"I'm sorry, secret siren, but I'm blocking out your song"

Maji has no memories of her life before she was possessed. It is a fact that has always disturbed her, though she tries to not often think about it. She has no idea what she was like, or what she did, or if Maji was even her real name. When she awoke and found herself coughing up something black that resembled a liquid, it was one of the few things she knew. That, and she knew that she had been possessed. Whatever she coughed up, that had been the water demon that possessed her, and the lion by her, staring with eyes filled with terror and concern, was the one who had saved her. Besides that, her memory was empty. The spirit that had possessed her had, somehow, managed to erase any trace of the memories she had of her former life. She soon learned about Kusafiri and the Isle of Roses, a pride that he was a part of, and at his invitation, accompanied him back to their camp, where she was quickly accepted into the pride.

However, even though she had escaped, had expelled the water demon from her body, it wasn't ready to release her hold on her.

Since that day, Maji has heard the water demon's voice in her head. Like a siren only she can here, it tries to lure her back to it. For what purpose, she isn't sure. Perhaps it's to eat her the way she somehow knows it once used to eat the prey it used her to catch. Perhaps it's to repossess her so that it has a host again. Whatever the case, she always feels its presence in her head, lurking and awaiting the chance to bring her back once she's been properly lulled into a false sense of security. It makes it worse that no one can even hear it besides her, though Maji supposes she'd rather have it that way to ensure that no one makes the same mistake that she did and follows it out there. She doesn't want any more lions or other harmless creatures to die by its jaws, and she doesn't want anything else to go through the ordeal she did while possessed by the water spirit.

When she first left with Kusafiri, Maji had actually thought that she was fully free from the monster that had taken refuge inside her. It wasn't till a few days later that it made its presence known again, desperately trying to bring her back. At first, it was a frequent presence in her head, sometimes so loud that she couldn't focus on anything else but the spirit, unless she wanted to risk unconsciously falling for the silver-tongued voice in her head. Kusafiri was a huge help; when she was around him, she could tell the voice was there, but something about Kusafiri's presence seemed to dampen or quiet it. After a while, the demon grew less frequent, but when it made its presence known, it was even louder and more insistent than it had ever been before. If Kusafiri hadn't grown attached to her, Maji isn't sure she would have been able to block out her secret siren's song, but he stayed by her side and, when even his presence couldn't fight off the demon, would ensure she didn't go following after it, even if he had to fight her to do so.

Sometimes, the demon tries to get her to return by threatening the livelihood of the pride, of her pridemates, of Kusafiri. Sometimes, it'll even threaten her. Other times, it whispers sweet nothings, like some romantic suitor that she can't see. The comments it makes suggests they have a history far deeper than what Maji knows, though Maji cannot figure out why she would have any connection to a water demon beyond it possessing her. If she could remember, maybe it would make sense, but she doesn't have any way to know. (Well, that's what she thought.) However, though those tend to make her the most uncomfortable as she finds herself being torn between wanting to know just what the spirit is referring to and frightened by the idea that she could have a close connection to a demon, the most convincing times are when the demon chooses to sing. Maji isn't sure whether the water demon has picked up on this fact yet; she suspects that it (he?) hasn't, or else she's certain it would use the tactic far more frequently in the attempts it still makes to call her back. Still, she doesn't like just how convincing the voice can get, and wishes there was a better way to block it out, or better yet, a way to completely sever the connection it somehow has with her soul.

On one occasion, Maji has failed to ignore the call of the water demon, and if it weren't for Kusafiri's arrival and intervention, she isn't sure what she would have done. It was a time where the demon spoke to her in an almost romantic fashion, once again talking about a history that Maji didn't understand. Kusafiri had been conspicuously absent from the pride that day, and with no one to talk to who would understand what she was suffering through (and even if they did understand, just how would they respond to learning something like that about their pridemate?), Maji soon found herself approaching the river side that her first memory came from. The water demon had a form, though if someone asked her now, she wouldn't be able to explain what it looked like. It spoke in that same voice it always used when it spoke to her, and then it revealed a cub. A cub it claimed was hers. Hers and its.

And somehow, Maji knew. She had no recollection of ever laying eyes on this cub before, but somehow she knew that it was hers, hers and this demon's, and something in Maji broke upon hearing that. This helpless cub...it was the spawn of the voice that tormented her to no end. She rejected it before she even told anyone that she was making such a decision. The rest of the meeting is a haze till she remembers Kusafiri yelling, pulling her back with the cub and snapping at the demon. She can't remember what was said, but sharp words were exchanged, and then the water demon disappeared. In fact, it was almost as if the demon had been afraid of Kusafiri, or afraid of what he could do to it. When she finally came to her senses, Kusafiri was livid, and Maji didn't know if he was more angry at her or himself for what happened.

Since that point, Kusafiri always kept a closer eye on her, and Maji has made more of an effort than ever to ignore the voice that calls to her in her head. Though it still tries to call to her, blocking it out has been much easier, and Maji hasn't failed to notice the fact that the frequency of its calls has been smaller and smaller. The time in between is almost enough for Maji to forget the cry in her head for her to return. Almost, but not quite. She won't let herself have a lapse in judgement again.