"Monster! Monster! Chase her away!"
"Now, now. Be nice to our guest!" The plump women admonished, a motherly frown beset upon her features as she chased the two running children that were giggling and refusing to stop. The small eight-year-old boys continued with their game of hide and seek, rushing underneath tables and knocking over light furniture while their mother chided them playfully, her auburn hair falling loosely from the tight bun it had been in all day. Her facial structure seemed weary and tired for someone so young as she, though her high cheekbones and plump lips made her seem absolutely gorgeous despite her slight chubbiness. It was suppertime, and all was in chaos due to an unwelcome guest that had appeared two days ago, causing the usual little angels to become disruptive and hyper when they saw the person. The twins weren't happy at all, not in the slightest. And what even caused them further unhappiness, was the fact that their parents didn't listen to what they had to say about this monster, and that they were inviting in a creature that they felt was looked down upon by God.
"Tom! Jerry! Stop this whimsical nonsense at this moment, or I so shall have your behinds skinned and placed upon the walls!" Only a bout of laughter was sent her way as the two children increased their speed. As the pitter-patter of feet continued, the woman tottered when a chair came tumbling down at her feet, and she leaned precariously forward before a hand shot out to claim her waist. Making a small sighing sound, she was pulled back, only to have her eyes land upon the handsome sight of her longtime husband, who's occupation was a accountant at the nearby city bank.
"Charlie! You came back early for supper!" A small smile worked its way upon her fatigued features as she embraced her lover, the man that had helped find the wonderful inn that they owned, and the two wonderful children that they had, which were momentarily occupied with playing pranks. The poor woman was exhausted with fatigue as she had spent all days picking up after the two boys, along with doing other chores such as the laundry or sweeping the floors. However, her savior came in the form of the early arrival of her husband, and she could finally relax. The black-haired man smirked as he called out with his booming voice, placing his fists on his waist.
"Oi! You little rascals! Leave Mama Beatrice alone! How 'bout you try an' mess with me instead!" A triumphant smile rose as the small little beings stopped dead in their tracks before turning their heads to meet the sight of their father. Before you could count to three, they were racing over the messy heap of things lying on the floor, headed straight for the open arms of their parent. The man's open laughter rang throughout the halls of the inn as he picked them both up, and threw them over his shoulders playfully. The three were soon preoccupied with rolling around on the floor with laughter, or climbing over the huge stature of their father while giggling and laughing all the way. Their mother sighed as she quickly picked up the fallen furniture, and headed towards the kitchen to prepare dinner. As her small feet pitter-pattered down the hallway, she came upon a cloaked figure hiding in one of the corners, leaning against the walls with arms crossed over their knees within the shadows.
The small figure was holding a lollipop, and was slowly flicking their tongue out to taste the sweet substance of the candy, paying no attention to the woman who now stood in front of her. Beatrice sighed, for she couldn't figure out the strange person who had only come to their inn two days ago, looking for some work. All was known was that the stranger was female, and a word rarely slipped out of her mouth, other than to converse with the customers that arrived at the inn. Beatrice found that the stranger had a very strange infatuation with sweets. Often, the female would leave the inn at dawn to do odd jobs around the town, in which money was exchanged for the stranger's labor. However, the money was all spent at the sweet shop down the corner, and she often came back to the inn in the afternoon carrying a bag filled with two handfuls of different kinds of sweets. Beatrice didn't even know her name, or what she looked like! But the soft voice that came from the stranger made it obvious what gender she was.
"Hello! You're fancying that piece of lolly there, eh?" The plump woman put on a cheerful tone as she grinned at the stranger, trying to create a conversation at the least. However, the stranger seemed unfazed by Beatrice's strange outburst, and continued to lick the shrinking lollipop. The woman sighed, before she started again. "Your help is needed in the kitchen to prepare supper-" The stranger made a small sound of contemplation in the middle of Beatrice's sentence, making the plump woman hesitated before speaking once more."You can help me do that tonight, and I'll do the sweeping myself tomorrow." The guest sat there for a few seconds, dark cloth clinging to the small frame as she seemed to be contemplating. Only a few slips of the stranger's face could be seen, revealing young skin and a slightly pale complexion. Beatrice stood in front of the figure, waiting for an answer silently. Suddenly, a dash of orange and white patchy fur darted across the wooden floorboards erratically, running about between Beatrice's feet. The mother of two squealed before stumbling backwards as the creature stood still, staring at the woman. Its beady brown eyes flicked about before it darted towards the stranger, and up her sleeve. Beatrice's heart was thumping at the scare she was given, for she hadn't remembered the small hamster that the stranger had come with. The creature was rarely seen, but when it was, it often made a big scene as it scared people in stranger merely nodded and placed the whole lollipop inside her mouth, and a satisfying crunch of shattering candy could be heard. The small figure rose up silently, before nodding at Beatrice. "Aye!" The woman replied, before beckoning at the figure to follow as they went fleeting down the hallway.
"Lavi, I'm hungry..." The silver haired boy clothed entirely in black groaned, patting his stomach pitifully. Loud growling sounds emanated from it while he trudged forward. His back was slumped in exhaustion as another figure stood besides him, walking casually like it was a stroll in the park. The young teenager's face was quite young, and his snowy white hair was quite unusual for someone of his age. To others who would walk past him, they would find him quite strange, and his scar, a pentacle shaped wound that ran down his left eye, made him seem ever so suspicious.
"Eh, we're almost there, Allen. Bear with me."
The voice came from the figure that walked besides the silver-haired boy, containing the slight tone of comfort. The figure was seen to be quite a few years older than the other teen, and his tousled fiery red hair was held up by a headband, giving him a suave look. His right eye was covered by a peculiar eyepatch, and he looked slightly like a pirate with the rings hanging from his ears. To a passerby, they would seem like bizarre travelers who had nothing else to do with their time, and that was somewhat true.
"I wonder what Komui sent us to Hungary for..." The younger teen reached into his bag that was slung over his shoulders, pulling out a folded map. He proceeded to spend a few minutes studying it, while his companion had a cheerful smile on his expression. His gloved finger traced lines across the old, worn out map before it stopped at one point, which made his red-haired companion look over his shoulder to peek.
"Eh? Allen, can't you remember?" The redhead chided the other as he folded his hands behind his head. "Komui had explained that mass amounts of akuma were sighted in the town we're heading to. It might be Innocence." He began pouting as he tried to remember what else Komui had told him, but nothing came to his mind.
The white-haired boy folded his map carefully, before pausing in his steps. Raising his head to look up at the moon-lit night sky, he felt tiny wet drops splattering on his skin, making the boy shiver. A harsh wind blew along the forest, and the trees surrounding the tiny road they were following rustled in what seemed like protest. Drips of liquid sounded all around them as the very first drops of rain began.
"Innocence..."
"Allen!" The shouts of his companion roused the boy from his daydreaming, making him turn around to face the faraway sight of the redhead. "The town is right ahead! Come on, it's raining!"
"Huh?" A look of cluelessness came upon his features before the white-haired boy began to chase after the older teen, shouting at him to slow down as it started to drizzle lightly.
"Ah, do you mind taking out the trash?" Beatrice asked her companion, as they were both at the sink, soap suds up to their elbows while their arms worked furiously. The stranger's sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, revealing soft, slender arms as they worked frantically to scrub the dirt off the dishes that were being cleaned. As soon as the question was said, her partner paused, and put the dishes down, before the arms were wiped clean onto a nearby towel. Nodding as the dark cloth spilled more over the covered face, the figure walked away in a brisk pace, and the soft sound of clanking metal could be heard.
"Fei..." A look of concentration spread upon the girl's brow, and her fists tightened as a small creature scurried around her shoulders. "This doesn't seem good."
The furry animal gave a small squeak of agreement before it burrowed into the girl's front pocket of her cloak. Surrounding the teenage female, were several large balloon-shaped monsters, frightening faces and features etched into their skins. What seemed like cannons, or guns, were pointed directly at the small frame in the middle of the group, ready to fire at any given moment. Even though a tough look was set on her expression, inside, the girl felt frightened and alone. She had no one to save her if anything happened, and her physical strength was not good. What if she died right then and there? She shook her head in denial, for what else could she live for? She had done this many times, and this wouldn't be different from the others, she hoped.
A small breeze flowed through the air, catching slips of the girl's long onyx hair. Her bangs wavered over her crimson eyes, the eyes that would never be able to see well. A long pause occurred in the area they were in, the town center, and the girl concentrated solely on these things in front of her. If she didn't pay attention for even one second, she could be a goner. A tortured moan escaped from one of the balloon monsters, and blurred flashes of purple came hurtling towards her unexpectedly. Gasping, the female bent her knees and jumped forward to what seemed like safety. The soles of her worn boots touched the wet stone ground and skidded against the moisture. The girl's Asian features became worried and she grunted as she dodged out of the way before she was hit once again. She didn't know what those purple lights were, but she knew that they were dangerous. Time after time, she had seen people collapse into black dust because of these, and she didn't want to join them. The barrage of the purple bullets continued, and she kept dancing around in order to avoid them. This greatly exerted her limited physical strength though, and she was already tiring easily.
"I guess I have no choice."
Slender pale hands reached through the folds of her cloak, and the finger tips grazed the cool feeling of metal. Grabbing onto the metal, she tightened her fists and jerked the weapon from it's hiding place. Within moments, In either of her pale hands, she held intricate elbow blades. The blades were ivory white in color, intricate black vines adorning the gleaming weapon. Opposite of the grip, were blades that jutted out dangerously, a great combination with the razor-sharp main blade. She was determined to survive, and there, the black-haired girl stood, dust and dirt on her pale face, black hair flowing in the wind, crimson eyes slitted as they took in the blurry surroundings, stance firm and murderous.
One of the monsters groaned in the silence before they all continued to pelt her with their flashes of purple. Dodging left and right, she couldn't afford to be hit. However, her strength was failing her fast, and she wouldn't be able to keep it up for long. This had to be finished quickly. The monsters were high up in the air though, and she couldn't reach them at this height. Looking around frantically for a solution, her eyes met the sight of a long blurry brown object. If it weren't for her damn eyes, she wouldn't have to waste time on such a trivial thing as running up to it to inspect it. Already, she was tired and loosing speed as the monsters chased after her while she ran towards the building. The black-haired girl sighed in content as she found the object to be a ladder leading to the roof of the building in front of her, and she made haste to climb it. Looking like a monkey as she climbed it, she jumped off the last step, and landed on the edge of the roof building. She hopped off again, holding her breath in anticipation as she sailed through the night air. If she landed on one of those over-sized balloons, it would be a miracle, but if she didn't, she would surely die from this height.
The soles of her dusty boots felt the clank of metal, and she looked down to find herself on the veiny surface of a balloon monster. Sighing in relief, she quickly began to prepare the extermination of these balloons of metal.
"It's time..." The girl's sonorous whisper floated through the air as she bowed her head, and her thoughts ran wild. Her crimson eyes closed, and she began quiver, as if she was in pain. Drops of liquid dripped onto her face, which wore the expression of extreme concentration. A harsh wind came at her, and blew against her silky hair, pulling the curtain to reveal her face. The handles of her blades started to glow, emitting a green light that almost seemed ethereal. It encased her entire body, bathing her with an ethereal luminescence. Green tattoo-like veins began to grow, snaking over the grip and onto her fingertips, over her hands. Several green veins stretched out from the weapon, etching into her skin like a strange parasite. Even she did not know what this phenomenon was, but she knew that it enabled her the power to destroy these balloons. The tendrils of light curled around the ivory, and stopped at the very tips while persisting to glow. The girl shuddered once more, before her shoulders relaxed. She stood there, seeming like an unearthly being sent from the heavens as her body bathed in the airy light.
Her eyelids revealed the crimson eyes, and the girl began to move once more. With two swift movements of her arm, she sliced through the monster that she was standing on, making it explode in a flash of emerald light. Jumping forwards towards the next one, she planted her feet firmly on the surface, only to have her left arm collide with a purple bullet. Gasping in pain, the breath was knocked out of her as a worried squeak came out of her front pocket.
"Fei..." The girl gasped as the small furry creature poked its head out if its confinement. "It's all right, I can manage." She gave her pet a weary smile.
Her wound was bleeding a great deal, and her vision was getting worse than it usually was. Gritting her teeth, she sliced through several more, crimson liquid still dripping from the dark fabric of her cloak. Even as she jumped and flailed from balloon to balloon, she couldn't understand why she hadn't turned into a pile of sand, like the countless others that had been shot. And it was at that thought, she lost her concentration. Slipping off the surface of one of the monsters, she felt herself hurtle towards the ground in a tumble of emerald brightness. However, the expected cold floor never came, and she felt her small frame bounce onto a stretch of fabric. Her long onyx hair covered her bloody body as she raised her head limply at the awning she was lying on. Quickly pushing herself upright, her eyes became determined as she slid off the awning and landed on the ground with a loud thud of her boots. She wouldn't run away, no matter what would happen. Gripping her blades tighter, she faced the machines, and prepared to slaughter them all.
A sudden pained gasp arose from her lips, and she threw her head back with a whimper. It was no use, her time was running out, and her strength was already mostly gone. Abruptly, the green tendrils that surrounded her body recoiled from their spots, and shrank back to the elbow blades in her grip. Her eyes squeezed shut as she threw her head forward in denial. This really wasn't the time to lose her abilities, and this made her frustrated to no end.
"Shit." Her time really was up. The girl stumbled forward in a daze, ready to meet her demise. Her hood covered her expressions as she winced from the still bleeding wound on her left arm. She could just imagine the cruel grins twisted onto the monsters, happy that they would be able to slaughter her.
"Big Hammer, Small Hammer!" The asian teenager gasped quietly at the voice of a human, and looked up to find the presence of two black-cloaked figures running towards her. She couldn't see the features of their faces clearly, but what were they doing? This was a dangerous place to be, a place where ordinary humans would never be able to stand in. She wanted to scream to them, to tell them to run as far away as they could. They were going to get slaughtered, and she could feel it.
"Innocence, activate!"
In a flash, one figure had a giant hammer, and the other had gray claws which extended forwards to meet and slice one of the balloons besides her. "Wh-what?" She stuttered, unable to comprehend what was happening. Explosions occurred as the two of them began to easily take out the monsters that she had such a difficult time with. This seemed like some sort of fairy tale gone wrong. Continuing detonations ruffled her clothes and filled the area with smoke. Confused and afraid, she took the chance to flee from the scene, kicking her boots high in the air as she ran, the noise of her steps echoing into the night air.
The two figures quickly finished their attack, and the explosions of the dying "balloon monsters" ceased.
The white-haired teenager stared off into the distance where he had seen the female had disappeared as his claw shrank back into a scarred hand. He hadn't made it in time, and didn't know what had happened. He had seen the black-haired girl fighting the monsters earlier, and he had ran as fast as he could to help, though it seemed like it was too late. She had ran off, and he was pretty sure that she was an accommodator for innocence. After all, he had seen her destroy some of the monsters before she had escaped.
"Allen...who was she?" The redhead besides him was terribly curious, and he was pretty sure that she was the reason why the akuma were appearing here in Hungary. However, she surely was not an exorcist, because he didn't recognize her at all. Instead of getting his anticipated reply, the loud grumble of a stomach broke the silence.
"Hey..." The girl sat at the counter, licking a piece of confectionary that was swirled on a stick, also known as a lollipop. Her left hand was bandaged and put in a sling, and her hair was still wet from the bath that she had taken just moments ago.
"Who do you think those two were?" The Asian spoke softly to the scurrying hamster that ran about the narrow counter. At the sound of her voice, it paused and turned around to face her, giving her an acknowledging squeak. Reaching for a small, straw bag, she reached her hand in and pulled out a baby carrot. Smiling, she placed it in front of the happily squeaking hamster, before it raced off to munch its way through the carrot.
"I can't..." The black-haired girl was thinking, plotting in her head where she would head off to next, and what kind of job she would look for. Sighing as she saw the cheerfully eating gray hamster, she continued. "...stay here for long. Ms. Woodward said I could help out for a couple of days at this inn, but that's it. She doesn't have much money to pay me with."
A frown set upon her face as she crossed her legs and slumped against the wooden chair. She nibbled on her sweet with disgruntlement, unable to think of a solution for her current problems. "I can hardly see anything with these stupid eyes. Who would want a sight-impared employee?"
"And tomorrow's my seventeenth birthday..." The girl looked downcast as she stared at the wrinkled leather of her old boots, something she had worn for three years so far. Loneliness beset her voice as she remembered all the years spent alone for every birthday she had. Last year, she had saved up enough to buy her a small cake and a candle for it. "...I don't even have enough money to buy anymore candy."
The small ring of a bell sounded in the doorway and the girl looked up to find two people in black walking towards her. The Asian girl was frantic, for she wasn't ready for any customers just yet, seeing as she was injured. She stuffed her lollipop in her mouth, and fumbled for the hamster. Fluffy fur met her fingers, and she quickly grabbed the creature and stuffed it in her shirt, much to its squeaking protests. She heard parts of their conversation wafting over, and she couldn't help but overhear.
"...girl was pretty weird."
"...wonder who she was? Anyways, I'm hungry. I hope this inn has decent food."
The teenage girl instantly froze as she realized who these people were. Bangs covered her eyes as she sought for a solution to the predicament, but all she could hope for was to go unnoticed. And she still couldn't find the key.
"Hello? Anyone there?" The person noticeably tapped the service bell that was displayed on the counter. The asian girl was still partially under the desk, and she knew she couldn't hide anymore. Forcing a cheerful grin on her face, she popped up from the desk with a solid "Hello!", scaring the wits out of the two people who she presumed were guys. After all, she couldn't see very well, thanks to the irreversible damage that happened to her vision.
"H-hello!" One of the two stuttered, visibly casting looks to the other person as an Asian-looking girl with waist-long hair and a hamster that was scurrying up her arm stood before them. She was dressed in a black cloak that hid most of her figure, and her arm was bandaged and put in a sling while her other hand grasped onto the end of a lollipop. She was visibly in her teens, but the only thing shocking were her eyes, something that ordinary people wouldn't have. They were a bright hue of crimson, life and vigor sparkling within the pupils.
The only thing that she noticed about the two was that both were around her age, and the taller one was a redhead, while the other one had hair the unusual color of silvery white. She had such a strong urge to reach out with her fingers and tousle the person's hair. The said person's eyes traveled downwards to the girl's damaged arm, and the scene of the battle earlier replayed in his head. The girl earlier had long black hair like she did, and her left arm was damaged like she did. However, the girl that they had both seen earlier had green tattoos all over her, and this girl had no tattoos at all.
The white-haired boy spoke while never taking his eyes off her arm. "Hello, my name is Allen and-" The teenager got cut off by his senior who continued for him, with much disgruntlement. "And I'm Lavi. We'd like to rent a room here."
The boy, Lavi, gave a lop-sided cheerful grin as he waited for her to lead them to their rooms. "I'm-I'm Victoria." The timid girl stuttered as she tried to think of an alias that wouldn't sound too suspicious. Her previous manager was named Victoria, and she was a kind person, always caring for her in a mother-like way. Although, it was sad that she had died from a plague that had spread through the village she had stayed at. Snapping out of her reverie, she fumbled through objects on the desk as she searched for the key to their rooms, using her fingertips to feel. Touching the cool form of a bronze key, she forced a smile as she grabbed it. Wanting them to be gone quickly, her words jumbled together hurriedly as she directed them. "Here, this is the key to your room. Go right, and take the stairs to the second floor, and find your room. Your meals will be served by Mr. Statham in the kitchen, which is right around the corner from here."
She gained odd looks from Lavi and Allen, and she only smiled and waved them away. Shrugging, Allen took his bags and walked through the hallway, the image of the girl's bloodied arm not leaving from his mind.
A/N - Ahoy there! Nice to meet you! :3 My name is Annie, and I shall be your host for today, if you will. This story idea, and this very chapter, is about a year old now. Exactly a year old. So, I thought I'd actually put some effort into this and continue! I'm hoping for some sort of review, even if it's a review saying I'm a crap author. Hey, I appreciate anything! So please, review. Thanks for reading!