Queen of this Tragedy: Kido -

This couldn't be happening. I can't believe this. It didn't make sense. How could something as simple as a visiting a friend's old house end in so much blood on the ground? None of us, not even that little shit Kano, did anything to deserve this.

- Years ago Seto had found a girl living in the forest, all on her own in a little house. The two of them had become close quickly, so we ended up taking that girl, Mary Kozakura, to come live with us and join our gang. But she still had memories in that place, which I assumed was probably related to her family, though she never talked about it much (or at least not to me...). She had mentioned visiting the place, so we all agreed to go there. It was just going to be a little trip. Going there and looking around the place, then going back home.

The other guys had started fooling around shortly after we got there. I guess it's inevitable, considering they're all still children, regardless of how old Shintarou claims to be. It was harmless really. The neet had found a bee in the bushes and started freaking out, while Kano stood there laughing. It was kind of funny, really. He ran away, and Konoha followed, and we all shrugged it off as nothing.

But after a little while, Shintarou didn't come back.

Konoha almost made it back to the group, but the man who stepped into the clearing was not No. 9, however much resemblance they had.

Snowy hair was stained black, that clueless expression twisted into a cruel grin, and soft pink eyes now dyed vivid yellow. The way he walked was no longer carefree, but had a dark sense of purpose in each step. The person we had once known as a friend had been replaced with a new enemy.

And I didn't want him to lay a finger on my children.

"Who are you?" I demanded, stepping away from the wall I had been leaning on. A few of the others didn't seem to have noticed him until I spoke. The stranger only smiled and continued to approach.

I shot Seto a look, and he nodded. "Let's go inside, Mary, alright?" He grabbed her and the resisting shota before heading inside with the two of them. Momo stared at the man for a moment before following.

"I said, who are you?"

"Danchou!" Normally I would skin Kano alive for tackling me out of nowhere, but just before I hit the ground I caught sight of what the stranger held: a knife. Me and him scooted backward and stood to avoid getting hit by the blade as it was swung down, barely missing.

I took a quick breath, activating my eye ability to hide me and Kano. If this man couldn't see us, that would make everything better. We made a dash to either side of him, and began running toward him, arms raised and ready to strike. Just as I came close, he turned in my direction. Then there was pain in my right hand as the knife stabbed through it. It caught me by surprise, and I gave a disgusting scream. Blood dripped down and fell onto the dirt below us. "K-Kido!' Kano ran past the freak to see if I was alright, but had his back turned on the enemy as the man reached into his pocket and brought out his other weapon.

There was the sound of a gun shot, and the next thing I know No. 3 lay on the ground beside me, his blood trickling down his scalp. My breath became unusually shallow as I instinctively wrapped my arms around him, tears I hadn't cried in forever landing on his face. I guess its true that you don't realize how much something means to you until its gone. Kano didn't say anything, just stared at me with frightened eyes, his ability no longer masking his true expression. He tried to say something, but before any words escape he went completely still.

Grief was a feeling all too familiar, and I hated it. I had thought long ago that I wouldn't have to face it again, but it didn't turn out that way. Trying not the tremble, I looked up. This man could see me when I was invisible, he really might Konoha. A darker Konoha... Kuroha? He stood there laughing for a moment, drinking in his crime. "I'll come back for you later, I'd rather not be interrupted." He began walking toward the house, where everyone else was hiding.

He killed Kano, and I knew what he was going to do with the others when he got there. I looked down at the boy in my arms, then back at Kuroha. I didn't want to leave this kid behind, but I couldn't just let that man go do as he wanted. "I'm sorry," I whisper, kissing Kano on the forehead before laying him on the ground and standing up. I ran after the monster just as he closed the front door. I winced as I grabbed the doorknob with my injured hand. There were two more gunshots as I entered, and multiple people cried out. Momo and Hibiya were left to each other, a horrible wound in Momo's chest Hibiya's foot was shot. Mary was hiding behind a protective but equally horrified Seto. The idol was silent, tears dripping down her face as she whispered something to Hibiya, her shaking slowly turning to absolute stillness. The shota next to her couldn't do anything to save her, and wasn't even able to run for help anymore.

"Stop it, just stop it!" Mary was wailing, as Kuroha stepped toward her and No. 2. I leapt at him from behind, but he just rammed his elbow behind himself, hitting it straight into my side and knocking me over, before continuing to calmly approach the two people.

"Mary, go hide."

"Eh?"

"Go hide!"

"But Seto!"

"I sai-" Even though I was trying to attack Kuroha from behind, I failed to get the gun out of his hand. As Seto opened his mouth to speak, the tip of the weapon was shoved into his mouth and the trigger was pulled. Mary shrieked as he fell to the ground, staring with wide, scared eyes at the stranger. The gun came up again for another kill, but didn't go off. The man dropped it, it no longer as useful now that it was out of ammo. His gaze went down to his other weapon, the bloodstained knife, and then back up at the little girl in front of him.

I lunged at him for what felt like the hundredth time, and he sighed. "The queen is quite impatient, isn't she?" He turned around, the glint of the blade catching my eye as I fell backwards. It's tip landed right beside my face, the sharp part just barely grazing my left cheek. I was stunned for a moment as he loomed over me, but after the knife started being moved again I began struggling, trying to push him away from me. He brought it against my face and it was dragged horizontally down my forehead, nose, and already bleeding cheek. "If you loose some blood, it'll be that much easier to deal with you, wouldn't it?" He sneered, pulling the blade up and slashing at my body with no real aim besides wishing to draw blood. I was making disgusting gasps of pain, unable to silence myself, as tried desperately and futilely the get it out of the murderer's hands. Damn it, I was starting to feel dizzy, and my bare hands wouldn't win this fight. I squeezed my eyes shut. There was the sound of something hitting the man in the head, and he paused his assault on me. When I looked, I saw Hibiya sitting next to Momo with an angry look on his face. It would be difficult to stand up with his foot that messed up, but he had grabbed one of the books lying around and threw it at him. Kuroha stood up, and began walking toward the boy, who suddenly made a nervous expression as he realized what was about to happen.

"Don't touch hi-" My reply was cut off as the knife was stabbed and dragged through flesh, slitting the boy's throat. Mary couldn't watch any more of this, and was curled up into a sobbing ball, and I can't say I didn't turn my eyes away from it either. Slowly, and shaking terribly, I began crawling toward the girl, the only friend I had left alive. Kuroha turned away from his freshest kill, licking the blood off the blade as he moved closer to us, eyes murderous and grin insane.

I pulled the frightened girl closer to myself, uncontrollably crying nearly as much as her. My own blood was staining her dress and dirtying her pure white hair, but I didn't care. I had my body placed between her and Kuroha, praying that he'd spare at least one of them.

I didn't want to be alone.

I could hear him doing something behind me, but refused to look. I didn't want to watch this anymore, but I turned and peeked anyway as Mary made an allarmed squeak. I saw the wooden table swing down at my head before it all turned black.

When I woke up my body hurt all over. I could feel a nasty bruise on my head and cuts all over, some parts of my clothes shredded over the wounds. My eyes slowly opened, and everything was all blurry, and kind of dark. It looked like night had fallen, and the only light there came from the moon outside the window. How long had I been there? I twitched, curling up on myself, when my knee brushed against something. I opened my eyes wider, and discovered a very still and lifeless Mary lying on the ground beside me. The floor was damp with the red liquid, and I quickly realized it wasn't just one person's worth of blood. I could faintly make out the outlines of a few of the others, and a cold tear ran down my face. He got everyone.

"You're awake, your highness?"

Why was he calling me that? I guess I called a leader before, but what leader would let everyone die like this? I'm a failure. In a last, exhausted effort, I activated my eyes in hope of becoming invisible. I felt something sharp against my arm. My eyes opened half-way to look at him. I didn't want any more of this, I was tired.

"I can't have you go escaping on me. But if I cut you up enough, no matter you go or how hard you hide, I'll have an easy path to follow." Fresh blood dripped down onto the floor, and I closed my eyes.

I want to disappear.

I want to disappear.

I want to disappear.