Author's note; I do not own Ao No Exorcist nor any of the characters.

"Mephi-chan!"

The chipper call of the small shop's employee echoed all around the hollow room. Since seven that morning there had only been a handful of people to wander through the family run candy shop, making it a very boring shift, now eight in the evening, the raven haired female found herself carrying a large box of their newest candy towards one of the many stands sitting near the large windows; just in time to run into one of the frequent customers. A peppy smile spread wide across her thin lips, Naoki nearly dropped the box on her own foot in her eagerness to greet the odd male. Uttering a small 'yikes', she fumbled with it for a moment before regaining her balance and grip. She placed it on a table as soon as she was able before turning to the purple haired male. That smile still there, she wasted no time in bounding over to him.

"Good afternoon Nao-san!" Her favorite guest replied, patting her on the head lightly in greetings.

Naoki rolled her eyes but giggled anyhow. It was their typical greeting and there was nothing to be surprised by. Going back to her original task, Naoki hummed lightly to herself.

"It's not afternoon anymore Mephi-chan. You're off by about… five hours." She shook her head. "It's already eight o'clock, almost nine! Five minutes till closing. But, when else do you ever show up?" She playfully teased the older male.

She heard him chuckle but was given no response. Not that it bothered her. He was an odd male. His taste in clothing was odd in itself, typically the first thing anyone saw, but his personality as well wasn't typical of those that wandered in. At least… those who came in so often.

Quickly, the female unpacked the box's contents into the proper display before taking it back into the storage room to be placed in the recycle pile. As swiftly as she had disappeared, she reappeared; this time sporting an apron about her waist and a mischievous grin. Leaning on the counter, she watched the male wander about for a few moments, taking in the new inventory, before she snickered.

"So, what can I put together for you today? The usual? Or perhaps you've found something that you'd like to try?" She cooed.

He scoffed but walked up to the counter none-the-less. Holding his head up, he scanned the bins near the counter before bothering to answer the female. "Ah, the usual… and perhaps a bag of lollipops."

She raised a curious eyebrow at him; it wasn't like the male to get such a treat. He had a more… expensive taste than that. Staying silent for a moment, Naoki trotted over to the bins and quickly put together the bag of sweets the male was so fond of. "I take it you have a friend that you're treating?" She pondered. Curious, but knowing to keep her voice calm and monotone, less he decide to play a game with her. Something that was a bad habit of his. She could tell that he wasn't sure if he wanted to reply, but something about her lack-of-care attitude must have convinced him that it wasn't a big deal to reveal such a tid-bit.

"My younger brother has a sweet tooth just as bad as mine." He smiled.

That earned a rather loud, uncharacteristic, laugh from the female. It took a moment before she managed to regain her composure and wipe the tears from her eyes. "It's rude to lie Mephi-chan! You've never told me that you had a brother… don't mess with me. It's not smart to mess with someone who's handling your food."

He raised an eyebrow at her before snorting. "I've never lied to you. I indeed have a brother…" It sounded like he wanted to add something to the end of that sentence, but thought better of it. Not that Naoki was about to pry.

Instead, the female merely placed two bags on the counter, all neatly taped and ready to go, before plugging in the prices and ringing him up. Mephisto pulled out the cash and paid. He smiled as he exited, leaving Naoki to wonder what the odd male's brother could possibly look like.

The clock struck nine o'clock and Naoki jumped. It was time to head out. Running to the back of the store, she grabbed her coat, purse, and punched out. Grabbing the bag of candy the owner always let her have each night, full of cherry lollipops, before skipping out the door. "See you tomorrow Mr. Tadashii!" She chimed.

With quick steps, Naoki headed down the street, pulling her jacket closer to her as the chilly night air was rather uncomfortable. It was oddly quiet and that worried her the slightest. She was never a scared person; often being the one to charge into danger, or think nothing of it, but even she knew to be cautious when no one else was around.

Just as she was about to pass by a dark alleyway the sound of nails on a chalkboard caused her to stop and press her hands to her ears. A scream made its way out of her lips and she fell to her knees. Her eyes were closed and she had her jaw clenched shut. She felt unable to move, the noise so horrible and nerve shattering that even the idea of trying to push through and continue on her way. She was stuck in the feeble position; vulnerable to attack by anyone passing by.

Any thing.

Naoki didn't see it coming. It didn't matter that her eyes were clenched shut from the pain of the noise; she wouldn't have been able to see her attacker even if they were open. Out of the blue, the female felt the horrible sting of razor sharp claws tear through her shirt and the flesh on her back.

A blood curdling scream left her throat.