Akemi’s Point of View

Since I was 5, dad had taught me how to make a fine puppet. Dad has been a puppet maker since early of 50’s and he was known as the master of puppets in his village. Because of dad’s beautiful puppet he gained a lot of money by just creating puppets to sell them. There were two big puppets at the main gate of the village and it was made of stone and dad was the one who designed them. It stands gracefully as it shows the beauty of arts.

“Akemi-chan! Keito-kun is here.” My stepmother called. I was playing with the puppet in my room and I heard a loud knock at my door. The door knob turned and cute little Keito-kun peeked into my room.

“Good morning Akemi-chan! Can I come and play with you?” he asked, a smile plastered on his face.

“Sure! Sure!” I said and he went into my room. He closed the door behind him and saw a puppet in front on the floor. I took a look and it was the wooden puppet that I tried to make one but failed. It turned out into a plain mannequin with the colour of the woods.

“Akemi-chan, what happen to this puppet? Why it is left on the floor like this? Poor this puppet~” he said and pushed the puppet’s hand upwards then downwards. He was observing the wooden puppet and jumped onto my bed.

“I tried to make one but it was a failure. So, I left it there in frustration.” I said and shake my hands with my doll.

“Hmm.. Akemi-chan, I came to see you colour the puppets. Shall we do one? I want to see! I want to see!” Keito-kun squealed. I nodded my head and jumped off the bed, running towards the underground room where dad keeps his tools and undone puppets in.

“Dad! Let me use the puppet room!”

“Okay!” I heard he replied from the bathroom in the kitchen. Keito-kun held my hand as the two of us ran down the stairs. I switched on the lights and Keito-kun was amazed at the plenty puppets in different size in front of him. I walked to the cabinet and took two untouched puppets to paint them. Dad didn’t want them anymore and he placed it in the cabinet just for me to decorate them.

“Keito-kun, here. Have one. And I have the other one..” I said and handed out the puppet to him. Keito-kun had the paints in his hands and put them on the working table. He took the puppet from my hand and stretched his legs out to make it sit.

I let Keito-kun paint the puppets whereas I went to the cabinet and took a few pieces of woods and started working on to make more puppets. “Akemi-chan, after I paint these puppets shall we give away to our friends out there? They would be happy to get a special gift like these puppets from us.” Keito-kun said and paints the puppet neatly. Keito-kun likes to paint my puppets and he said before he loved my arts and wanting to learn them from me.

I taught him how to make puppets and he learned them from me since we were 4 years old. We had been a close friend since last year and today is already the first year we have known each other. While Keito-kun was busy painting, I cut the pieces to make the body and the puppets legs but then I was interrupted by Keito-kun’s voice.

“Akemi-chan! I let these dry first and the one that is already done, I’m going to give the puppets away. I’ll be back.” He said and took a sack full of puppets that he have had just painted a few hours ago.

“Okay!” I replied and continue doing my work. In this village, I was called as the ‘Puppets Genius’ as I can make a perfect puppets when I was 4. Before mom died, he was the one taught me to make the puppets and forced me to practice day and night until it is perfect. I was used to it until I couldn’t help but to make lots of puppets.

It has passed 4 hours and I’m finally done with everything. This time it was something different. The picture of the puppet is not like a normal doll but it has a human looks or you can say by watching Pinocchio. I paint the colour of the body and the face of a milky skin colour and wear the puppets some clothes. I tried to make it stand and it works! My first masterpiece that I’ve ever appreciate the most! What shall I call him? Oh, he has a boy face.

“Hmmm… you look like a pretty boy there. Shall I call you Marius? Yes. Yes yes! A perfect name! Your name is now Yozawa Marius and I will call you Marius. Okay?” I said and moved the puppet with strings.

Keito’s Point of View

I came back from the other part of the village but then I saw a lot of people running with a bucket of water in their hands while screaming “Fire! Yozawa’s house is on fire!”

“Yozawa? Akemi-chan?!” I ran towards her house and the fire is getting bigger and out of control. Nobody could help to turn out the fire but just watching the house burns into ashes. I cried so hard when I heard Akemi-chan and her family were trapped in the house. Nothing I can help with my small body but just to watch the pillars are falling apart one by one.

“Come Keito. We have to go now.” Mom carried me in her arms.

“No! Akemi-chan is in there! My puppets!! Akemi-chan!!” I cried and struggle to jump out from her arms.

“No Keito. We have to go now. Your dad is waiting for us at the bus stop. We have to go out of this town now.” Mom said again. She dragged me to the nearest bus stop as I can see father was waiting for us with bunch of luggage around him. I’m moving out of this town whereas Akemi-chan is dying in the fire. I’m such a horrible friend. I couldn’t help her. And I haven’t get to feel to make a fine puppet from Akemi-chan. Please forgive me Akemi-chan…

7 years later….

Mom and dad told me to have a visit at my hometown after for 7 years we didn’t get to meet our relatives. It has been 7 years after the incident and I hope I can find Akemi-chan’s grave. Hope so…

As I stepped out of the bus, the environment in this village is much different compared to last time. There were football field, a resort, a basketball court and a recreation park. Everything changed a lot. The first thing in my mind is I’m looking for Akemi-chan’s house. I walked along the street with my backpack and a few minutes after, I found the house. It was not completely burnt. The wood turned out to be black-brown dark as the fire every inches of the house.

The door was left open and I pushed it, leaving a crack sound echoed to the whole room. Nothing was left. Ashes everywhere, pieces from the ceilings were everywhere. As I was strolling around, my eyes caught Akemi-chan’s room. I walked near to the room and took a peek. I glanced around and found an object on the dressing table.

‘My name is Yozawa Marius. Call me Marius! ^_^’ a piece of paper sticked on the puppet’s body. Everything was burnt down but this puppet looks fine. I took the puppet and ran out of the house, towards my home.

-Keito’s room-

After I put on my clothes, the puppet caught my attentions again. I can feel something is different with this puppet, something that you can feel the warm, the hotness and sometimes the coldness in the atmosphere. The things that I couldn’t describe with words. As if supernatural is running around me.

I walked near to my table and grabbed the puppet; examining it closely. The making is very neat and I found out there is no use of nails. But this puppet looks like a real human in a small size. Well, you can say the size is like Pinocchio from Disney movie. I was running my fingers around the puppet and suddenly I felt something behind. I opened the puppet’s shirt without expectation that puppet jumped off from my hands.

“Hey! Don’t open my shirt! Are you some sort of a ert?” He said and corrected his shirt. OMG. HE SPEAKS?! Did I just dream a puppet speaks or it is real? My jaws dropped and eyes widened. I couldn’t believe what is happening in front of me.

“Hey, why are you looking at me like that? Oh I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Yozawa Marius. Marius for short. Ah..~ You must be shocked when seeing a talking puppet in front of you. Come come. Please have a sit with me.” He said and jumped down from the table and climbed onto my bed. I followed him and sat next to him but still everything is like in a wonderland!

“What’s your name?”

“Keito. Okamoto Keito. And did you really talk?” I asked.

“Of course! Can’t you see I’m moving here?” He said and shakes his hands, turns his head and shakes his . OMG, DID HE JUST… OKAY I CAN’T. But this puppet is so cute. “I believe you are Akemi-chan’s friend. Aren’t you?” he asked again as he crossed his legs onto the other.

“How do you know?”

“Well, I’m Akemi-chan’s latest puppet. It was a tragic accident that day.”

“Ah. What happen actually? I was not around that time. Giving away the puppets that I painted to the orphans.”

“I see. Well, she was making the other puppet’s hands with clay. She wanted to have the giant microwave in specific temperature needed but then she accidentally pushed the button higher and left the room. The fire was getting bigger and burns everything in the house except me. I came to live right after she named me Marius and quickly ran out of the house through the small window. I couldn’t afford to help her as my body is too small but just to watch the house burnt down. That is how it happens.”

“Then what did you do in these 7 years?”

“I do nothing but just visiting her grave at the other side of the village. Her families were completely turns out into ashes but she was not. So she was buried there.” Marius said again.

“Can you show where it is?” I asked.

“Not a problem!” He squealed in excitement and climbed onto my shoulder. “You wouldn’t mind for me to have a sit here? Hew hew hew so soft and comfy.” He giggled. Okay…

“Because it is my shoulder Marius….”

“Oh.. yeah! I forgot… Hahahah..”

“Keito! Who are you talking to?” Mom shouted from outside of my room. Marius heard her voice and quickly laid himself like a normal puppet, leaning his body at the side of my head.

“No mom! I was practicing my script!” I said.

“Okay!”

“It is clear..” I whispered and Marius slowly raised his head and turned to the door, sighing.

“Glad. Okay let’s go before it is getting dark.” He said and climbed into my cap. “Hey hey, let me stay inside here for a while and tell me if you are already out of the house.” He said again and climbed into my cap, making my hair in a mess.

“Marius! Just stay inside there quietly! Omg you!! Poor my hair…”

I went out from the house and walked towards the graveyard where Akemi-chan was buried there. “Marius…Marius… Are we there yet? Where is the junction to the graveyard?” I asked but I didn’t hear him replying me words.

“Marius? Hey Marius?” my eyeballs instantly looked up but still there is no reply. I opened my cap and grabbed him off from my head. “Did you just sleep?! WAKE UP MARIUS!! OMG YOU SLEEP WITHOUT ME!” I scolded and shook him. Finally he wakes up.

“Ahhhhh…ha….ha…..Sorry~ I felt so sleepy. It was so nice up there. Like a bed of grass.” He said and made puppy eyes. That is not cute Marius. Not funny at all. “Where were you just now?”

“Ah, where should I turn from this junction?”

“This one! This one! It is not that far anymore. Come come..follow me.” He said and climbed down to the ground.

“Marius wait for me! Man…he is fast.”

-At the graveyard-

“This is Akemi-chan’s grave. Next to her grandparents.” Marius said. I placed the flowers on her graveyard while Marius sat on it, plucking the weeds and throw away the dried leaves.

“Marius, how do you can come…….alive? What did Akemi-chan did to you?” I asked.

“After she completes, it was a sudden where I can see everything through this puppet. I don’t know anything before that. Akemi-chan is a nice master. She treats me nicely. Gives me food and played with me for almost the time. But it was in a short time. I didn’t expect it will burn her and everything.” He said. Somehow, I felt my eyes were moving a little and feeling pain. I tried to rub but suddenly tears dropped from my eye lashes. Oh, I see. “Ah! Akemi-chan sent you a message. I forgot to give it to you.” He added and took out a small piece of paper from his backpack.

“Thanks..” I said after he handed out the paper. He climbed onto my shoulder and read the message with me.

    Keito-kun, if by any chance I die before I teach you how to make a fine puppet, please asks Marius to teach you the methods. I hope you have a room special for puppets making as maybe my house they wouldn’t let any outsider in. The police will take care of the house as..you know..my father is the legend of Puppet Genius. They wanted to take over the house to convert into a museum.

    You must be wondering who is Marius right? His name is Yozawa Marius . The latest puppet I made when you were out to give away the puppets. I told him everything what should do and shouldn’t. Take Marius as my second body and you will learn all my tips and secrets from him. But remember, don’t be too proud when you are already master in making puppets and arrogant towards the others. The puppets will destroy you in no time. Please spread my knowledge to the right person so that we can build and have a lot of puppet master in our country. That is my dream, Keito-kun. I hope you understand.

Bye bye ! ~ Akemi ~

“Looks like I have to teach you how to make puppets. It is an order from Akemi-chan.” Said Marius. “So, what are we doing now? We don’t have much time. We need to order the woods and tools as soon as possible.” He said again.

Narrator’s POV

Keito and Marius went back and ordered a lot of woods from the dealer. He asked permission from his mother to use the empty room and not to disturb him when he is doing the work. Marius taught him how to cut to make the puppets body meanwhile he is making the hair and the decoration formula. Keito cut the body according to the measurement but then he earned a slap from Marius on his hand.

“This is not right! You have to turn you wrist a little so that you won’t twist them. Making fine puppets has the right angle and position. If that basic you are already give up then the master of puppet genius won’t come to you. But the good thing is, you already have the basic of decorating the puppets.” He muttered.

“How did you know? As I knew Akemi-chan was still doing the body parts.”

“She was making my hands that time. Of course I can see yo!~ Okay get back to work!” He scolded again.

“Geez, he is just a puppet but scold me like my mom.” Keito mumbled and was heard by Marius.

“WHAT DID YOU SAY?!”

“Oh nothing yo~”

“YOU ARE PROVOKING ME!” Marius screamed as he took the formula and tapped on Keito’s hand. Marius laughed so hard when the formula is getting hard on Keito’s face, making it is hard to remove them.

“Oh you little naughty Marius!” Keito screamed and ran after Marius. Marius was shocked at the sudden attack and his fell backwards making the scene looks like in a circus. He jumped to ceiling and hide in the lamp. “You come down here! Before I climb up there and smack your little !”
 

“Catch me if you can~” Marius sang. Keito grinned and went near to the switch. His index finger is already at the button and made Marius screamed at the top of his lungs.

“NO! I DON’T WANT TO GET MY BURNNNNNN!!”

“You come down now or else….” Keito threaten Marius and the lights but then he switched them off; making Marius to jump out of the lamp and rubbed his hurt .

“Fine..Fine.. Let us just go back to our work.” He said while rubbing his .

After a few hours, Marius sat near the window, watching Keito who was sweating a lot while making a simple puppet. Keito paid attention when Marius was teaching him and worked hard for it just to make Akemi’s dream come true. The last piece to make is the face which that is the hardest part compared to others.

“I’m done!”

“Let me check.” Marius stood up on his feet and examining the puppet. He flipped everything from head to the bottom and even under its feet. “Seem you didn’t use any nails. Good. Very good. Need more practice because this is only the first exam. Make a simple puppet. Next we will try to go to the intermediate level.” Marius mumbled.

“Shall we stop for a while? I need to rest to get a new idea for the next puppet. Let us play at the lake! It has been a long time I didn’t play at the lake!” Keito jumped in excitement. Marius climbed onto his shoulder then to his head.

“Go! Go! Let’s go!”

The two of them went to the lake after 5 hours making a puppet in the room. They walked along the garden as the flowers were waving at them. The smell and refreshing air is really nice and relaxing. They reached the lake and hoped into a wooden boat near the lake bank.

“Row row row your boat…~” Marius sang and he was too excited running here and there.

“Only there? The next lyric?” Keito mocked him while rowing the boat to the middle of the lake.

“Tehehehehe, I forgot the lyrics actually. I only remember the first half line.” He said and smacked his forehead.

“Not cute. Bleeehhhh.” Keito stuck his tongue out earning a glare from Marius.

“Saddaaaapppp yiiiuuuuuuu…” He squealed.

Keito chuckled and played with Marius strings as he made Marius dance. He pretended to be the master and moved the puppets into a puppet show.

“Well you look like a real human but just the size is reduced by so many centimeters. Tsk tsk tsk, too bad. You can’t defeat me with your height.” Keito mocked again. Marius was annoyed and jumped onto his head. He ruffled Keito’s hair into a big mess as if he just got an electric shock.

“That looks better on you and of course I’m handsome. Although I’m in puppet form but Akemi-chan made me look like a handsome boy. Hahahah..”

“You are just a 5 years old kid, I mean puppet. Not too handsome but childish. Mama’s boy~”

“Hey! I’m 7 okay. Whatever. I don’t care but for now I’m handsome. That is what I know.” He said and flipped his hair meant to provoke Keito.

---

They had fun all day long. After they played at the lake, they went to the top of the hill and watched the sun is setting down beckoning the village. A very nice and breathtaking view for these two children. As for Marius it was the first experience for him after he was created by the first master, Yozawa Akemi and he didn’t have the opportunity to get to know her a lot but she died at the early age. What he knew, Akemi is a nice girl and the Puppet Genius in this country.

He was very sad that he couldn’t get along with his creator in a long time. But he never regrets meeting his creator’s friend and his current master, Okamoto Keito. He believed Akemi choose the right person to spread her knowledge on making a fine puppet and teach a lot of people so that puppets will be recognised to worldwide.

In that month, Marius kept on teaching Keito steps by step and in few years later, Keito is now a puppet master in his hometown. He was the one who rebuilt the puppets at the entrance to the village and built more puppets along the road. The village is getting busy everyday as tourist came to see the puppets and the museum. Marius had been always with his master, Keito wherever Keito walked while introducing to the tourist about the puppets in the museum. Marius sat at his shoulder but nobody had realised Marius is a puppet that comes to life.

Nobody knew about Marius real identity but they just know he was the first puppet from the ‘Puppet Genius’ junior, Yozawa Akemi, who created him that looks like a real human. His face, his body, his hands were perfectly matched. Marius was never kept in a box like other puppets as Keito was afraid it will be stolen during the tour. So he brought Marius along everywhere with him.

After years Keito had studied to make a fine puppet, he didn’t manage to compete with his best friend’s puppet. Akemi’s puppet is always a good reference for Keito but he couldn’t defeat her as Yozawa Marius was her first successful human-like-puppet. One day, Keito was alone in the room; making a new puppet. Suddenly he felt his stomach is painful as if it was burning in the inside. He thought at first it was gastric so he just took a normal stomach painkiller. The pain reduced but at night the pain attacked again. His body temperature rises and everyone in the house started to panic.

Marius hide in Keito’s backpack as Keito’s mom took it along. Marius felt uneasy as he can feel something bad is going on. He sat quietly in the bag and he heard Keito’s mom rushed towards the door. He heard a few steps walking out from the room.

“Keito is having dengue. We can only pray for him to recover. We don’t have any medicine to treat dengue fever.” The doctor said. Keito’s mom placed the backpack at the table lamp next to Keito’s bed. Marius peeked a little to see his master lying unconsciously on the bed with an oxygen mask on his face. He is a little boy that couldn’t fight the virus. It was too strong for an innocent and small boy like Keito.

His parents went back home, leaving Keito alone in the ward. Marius pushed its top with all his might and hoped out from the bag. He climbed to Keito’s bed and sleep next to him. Marius was too worried that Keito had to leave him like Akemi left Marius in the fire and died without saying goodbye to him. He doesn’t want to be alone anymore. In past 7 years, Marius was left alone and when passersby, they whispered to themselves when they saw him. And some of them had a scared face as if Marius is a haunted puppet. Nobody had ever wanted to pick him up because he looked fine when the house were burnt down until when Keito came back and picked him up. He loved Keito so much and he knew Keito loves him too. The relationship between master and puppet was too strong as if they are like father and son, and sometimes friends with best friends.

No longer after Keito was admitted in the hospital, Keito passed away because of the high fever and dengue. Marius was so sad until he couldn’t speak his mind clearly. He was too depressed as what he felt before was true. Something bad is going on but he didn’t expect that his second favourite master will leave him again. He whispered at Keito’s ears, “You have done very well. Akemi-chan will be proud of you. Send my regards to Akemi-chan and thank you for creating a perfect me.”

The last word Marius had said sparks everything in the ward. Marius face suddenly shines as he slowly bent his body towards Keito. His eyes were changed into normal dark brown but not blue anymore. His heartbeat stops as he has stop breathing. Marius is now a normal puppet that couldn’t talk or move. His life ended as the second master died. He followed Keito just to meet his creator, Akemi. The friendship bond will never be broken. When there is one died, the other will follow as well. It was the same situation as Marius The Wooden Puppet story.

-THE END-

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A one shot story of Marius again ! I just love to make stories casting Marius //my baby angel// as the main character. Because I found out his face is suitable for this story. So, I hope you enjoy. Byebye ! ~