Chapter Text
The first thing Donna saw when she opened her eyes was the brightness of the sun. Everything around her was soft and warm, as one thought began to enter her head. Was she in heaven? Was this some kind of afterlife, allowing her to be with Mother, Father, and Claudia once again; after all, no living soul had ever survived the jump off the Beneviento waterfall before? However, the thoughts of heaven quickly vanished as Donna looked down to see a massive pink blanket with white flowers. The weight of the blanket was insane; it was almost like she couldn't move; everything was soft and warm. She hadn't felt this level of comfort ever since her mother died; it was as if she had even crawled into the family bed and found that familiar sense of happiness.
Suddenly Donna noticed something; as she took another look at the bed, Angie wasn't with her, and that could've only meant one of two things. They weren't in the village anymore, or this was all some trick by Mother Miranda, and soon she'd be dragged into obtaining a cadou just like the others? She didn't know what to believe as the young Beneviento looked over at the door to the room; it was a calm black with little handpainted flowers, and that made her look at more of the room as her mind slowly calmed down a little before the potential horrors returned. The walls were a sky blue color and had several desks, hooks, and large boxes, making the room look more like a storage room or homemade art studio only with a giant bed in the corner. Each inch of the room was littered with paintbrushes, clothing, and old papers, it felt like her Father's study if more life was put into it, rather than a dimly lit room.
"Oh, good, you're awake. I was beginning to wonder if you were going to sleep forever. I'll be back in a minute or ten, sweetie. You look like you need some breakfast; hopefully pancakes are good enough. Be back in a quick sec; my name's Hina by the way, Hina Hinazaki.” Hina declared as Donna looked at the brown-haired woman with her eyes wide with horror. How did she not see the mysterious woman when she had awoken from her slumber, and what were her intentions besides breakfast?
At least she knew that she had survived her fall off the waterfall and ended up far away from the village. But the question was, where? The small room looked too modern and happy to be her village or anywhere close. Maybe she ended up in a different part of Romania or got lucky and ended up in Paris, although from the sunlight shining through the window, she had to be someplace more tropical. So then the next question was, How did she get to a tropical area? Did the Duke take her to this place, or was there more to this story that she was missing?
Donna decided to keep quiet until she was asked; she was somewhere new, and the thought of talking to people without Angie already felt like it was going to take every ounce of energy she had into talking to the woman named Hina. But Donna got out of the comfort of the large bed, feeling the air hitting her face. It was warm and relaxing compared to the cold winds of her Romanian village. She looks down to see if she has any damage, but to her surprise. Nothing had been done to her; she wasn't bleeding, and there were no broken bones or missing limbs. It was like she never jumped off the waterfall and actually felt better. She rushed over to a nearby mirror that was on a nightstand. She had to see if anything on her face was broken or if she had lost an eye. But when Donna saw her face, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. The scar on her face, the result of her indoor life, was gone, leaving her looking normal. She could feel tears running down her face as she touched the fresh skin where her scar had once been.
“I look normal again; how is this possible?” Donna whispered as the sounds of footsteps could be heard. Donna quickly looked out of the room, spotting the woman named Hina. She could see her more clearly now that she was more awake. Hina was tall, nowhere near as tall as Alcina, but taller than her mother but shorter than her father. She had long brown hair and a smile on her face that screamed joy. She was wearing a white and pink kimono, the only thing about her that did not appear human; not to mention, she had a figure that seemed to surpass the idea of humanity. Donna was curious about the woman even more; everything about Hina was so different from her family or the village. How was she so happy, so healthy and full of life? Was this what the outside world allowed, because if so, her moving pictures were clearly out of date?
“Oh, hey there, sweetie, I figured I'd let you know that the pancakes are done and ready to be eaten once you feel ready to get out of bed. However, I figured that you probably have questions, and I don't know if I've got answers, but I'll try my best to make your stay as comfortable as humanly possible. Although I’d like to add a few questions of my own, if that's ok, what's your name, Pumpkin, and why were you soaking wet when I found you laying on my doorstep? Where are your parents, and who is this Miranda person that you were whispering about?” Hina declared, her smile didn't waver, looking directly at Donna, allowing the young girl to know that she wouldn't be angry and understandable in her approach.
Hina could see the young girl; she didn't like how the black-haired girl quickly checked herself in the mirror for scars and other wounds. It gave off the feeling of either bodily harm or something brought on by either a parent or molded by the environment she had been dealing with. She couldn't say living in just yet, as that was a question for after pancakes and opening up to the shy-looking girl!
“Donna Beneviento!” Donna said, whispering loud enough, as the black-haired girl felt her arms shaking in fear as she looked up at Hina, hoping that the questions wouldn't last too long; she hated being watched by people. However, before Donna could descend into a downward spiral of agony and panic, a warm hand was placed on her arms, as that warm and comforting smile of Ms. Hina continued to wash over her. It was probably the sweetest thing next to her mother's tea.
“Hey, I'm not going to judge you for anything, and I won't ever get mad at you. So please continue, because I'll be with you for every little step that's needed to make you happy.” Hina said, gently rubbing Donna’s arms, doing her best to help the girl, as a small smile started to form on the young dollmaker’s lips.
“The reason for me ending up on your doorstep is because I used to live in a mansion with my best friend, Angie! Well, I did before an issue happened, but I wasn't alone often. Sometimes the gardener would show up and give me food. You see, my parents and sister died recently; that's the reason why I look very thin and sad. I still don't know how to process everything, and if you won't get mad, then I do have one thing you should know about what I did before ending up in your home.” Donna said she could feel her heart beating faster at the thought of telling Hina that she jumped off the waterfall. She didn't want to tell the kind woman, but it was something that she’d find out eventually; she may as well rip off the bandage now rather than later.
“Donna, did you do what I think you did? You killed yourself, didn't you? All that pain, the lies you've been hiding, and loneliness were too much for your tiny heart to bear, so you wanted out and somehow survived, allowing you to enter my life somehow.” Hina said, staring at the young Beneviento, watching her eyes widen with a look of horror that quickly turned to sadness. Hina could see it; Donna didn't like the idea of what she did, and yet she could figure out that they were somehow the same.
“You did it as well!” Donna whispered as she looked up at Hina, the brown-haired woman, standing up and silently walking over to the girl. Donna didn't know why she felt the embrace of the busty woman’s arms, but she could feel the warmth of another, something that hadn't been felt in days, and she wanted more. But she remained silent as she watched Hina let go of her body and return to the edge of the room. As the young black-haired girl wondered, would a woman as kind as Hina Hinazaki be driven to do so to end it all?
“I did; it was a painful discussion, but it was for the good of the world that I'd die and be at peace. Fate isn't kind, nor is she merciful, as I continue to live on this island for longer than intended. If it wasn't for me missing my heart when I stabbed, I would have died, but somehow the wound where I stabbed myself in the chest was gone like I had never died! Almost like I was given a few more years on this island by some unknown purpose, although I have a feeling that my purpose was to help you.” Hina said, gently lowering her shirt and showing Donna the spot where she had stabbed herself! Donna wanted to know more, but she felt speechless over imagining the wound that Hina dealt to herself. But the more she thought about her words, the more horrifying the word and the discussion felt against the tip of her lips. How could anyone ask a friend to kill themselves? She had to know the reason, and it had better be a good one, or else she was going to lose her mind. Donna needed the answer to why anyone would make this sweet woman go so far.
“What do you mean, Discussion? Who in their right mind would force you to go through with something as bad as killing yourself, and what would have made them think of something so stupid?” Donna shouted as she slammed her hands on the soft blankets, feeling almost as angry as Karl did towards Alcina during her father's last meeting with the Lord's.
“It was a group discussion; you see, this world has an unfortunate history of trying to return to the darkness and horrors that lurked within the hidden corners of humanity. These were rare occasions of tragedy, And the few of us who were still alive and not corrupted, well, things happened and led to completely different outcomes and ideas on how to protect our island. I didn't know what to do, so I decided to end it all to keep my friends safe. They were naturally against the idea of me sacrificing myself to keep them safe, but as everyone around us died off rapidly, they caved into the idea of me destroying our world to keep everything else safe. Honestly, I sometimes wonder why I had done it; sure, it's a foolish question for loving the friends and family that surrounds a person. But the end result wasn't all bad; I ended up staying longer on this wonderful island, full of friends whom I love with all my heart, and now I have you. My near-death experience led to the most perfect life I could ever ask for, and maybe yours will result in the same.
“Hey Donna, tell you what? Once we go downstairs, and finish up the pancakes, how about I'll take you outside, do a little shopping in the sun, allow me to make you the happiest little girl on the whole island, and even meet some of my friends if we have time! What do you say, Pumpkin? Is that something you'd be interested in?” Hina said, offering Donna a hearty smile that instantly melted the young girl’s heart even more than the warm air burning away at her black clothes. Donna smiled as she started to smile a little more, looking over to the window, gazing at the clear waters and bright sun creeping through the glass. Donna could definitely tell that today was becoming a good day.