A/N: Skip this if you must but it might interest you to read this author's note. I have to admit that I don't update often (I'm sure you could find more than a few people ready to strangle me to death) but that doesn't mean I won't, it just means it'll take a hell of a long time.

Anyway, this is my first Black Bird fiction. I wrote it like a year ago so I don't know if it's really up to 'my standard' of writing. Can't really change that now though.

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: duh, I don't own any of the characters of any themes apart from the one's you don't recognize, then they'll be mine.

Another Bride

An Introduction to a Troubled Soul

I am a woman of principles. My principles are very simple; to defy my destiny.

I am a Bride of Prophesy and through my many years I have learnt that many brides have come before me and will come after me; all sweet, all pure, all eventually broken.

I was no different; I was 'sweet' or 'pure' but eventually broken. That is why since my 10th birthday I trained every day to become strong enough to protect myself.

My father loved me very much. So when I complained of seeing monsters he believed me and researched it. He researched all of the folklore and myths he could get his hands on and eventually found a myth from a Japanese folklore book. It was a prophecy about a girl. She was born with the ability to see creatures that normal human eyes cannot see. The girl was born the Bride of Prophecy and had only three choices in life; she could, marry the head of a monster clan and she would bring prosperity to the clan and would be protected; or she could be eaten alive by a monster so said monster can obtain immortality; or she could be suck dry of all the blood in her veins so a monster can have a large, prolonged life.

So you see, being a Bride of Prophecy doesn't leave you many career paths apart from one, unless you're suicidal, of course, which would be very unfortunate.

When I turned 10 my father decided that I was old enough to understand my destiny. He was expecting my outrage and offered another way. He told me that if I trained hard enough that I could protect myself and didn't need to be forced into a marriage with a demon.

We moved away from Japan on my fifteenth birthday in the hopes that the monsters wouldn't follow me. We were wrong. They could smell me from continents away. I couldn't escape.

I intended to prove the phrase 'if you can't beat them, join them' wrong. I had no intention of marrying a monster even if he appeared to look human, so 'join them' was never an option for me.

I trained hard and my father risked everything just so he could get me weapons I felt comfortable wielding. I didn't like guns, he realised. I shied away from them.

So, on my 16th birthday he gave me two twin knives. They were and still are beautiful knives and I trained with them everyday in order to keep my pursuers at bay.

I don't know how old I am now. I stopped growing old at the age of 16. If I were to marry I would continue to grow old but I'm not married. If I were to die there would be no need for me to grow old.

But I had to go back now. Another bride is in need of my assistance. And I intend to help her, whatever it takes.

After all, what have I got to lose?

CHAPTER 1

Dahlia stared out the window of the airplane in wonder. She hadn't been to Japan since she was fifteen. She wondered if it had changed much. There would still be the horde of monsters like there was when she was little.

The enormous man sitting next to her shuffled slightly and elbowed her in the ribs.

Dahlia hissed in a very animalistic way and pressed herself against the wall of the plane. That man was just so huge he shouldn't have been allowed on the plane.

The plane shuddered slightly and Dahlia was immediately put on guard. She had known before she boarded the plane that it would be a dangerous journey. Demons could get anywhere. They could get into the engine and make the plane go down and she couldn't do anything to stop them.

Dahlia became very jittery after that realisation had sunk in yet again. And she became even jitterier (if that were possible) when the little flashing red signs told them all to fasten their seat belts because they were landing.

Dahlia felt a surge of adrenaline course through her veins. She was almost there but something could go horribly wrong. Something could happen and she was so close.

The plane shuddered again and Dahlia gripped her arm rests tightly as the plane descended through the air.

There was a sharp jolt when the planes wheels met the run way and Dahlia jumped sighing deeply as the plane stopped in front of the Tokyo air port.

She left with the other passengers and walked slowly down the stairs. She didn't want to rush anything. After all, she had learnt that any day could be her last and she didn't want to waste any second she was still breathing.

The passengers rushed about as she strode slowly through the air port. Dahlia noticed that there was a man waiting at the doors of the air port. She casually stopped to get a bottle of water from a vending machine nearby and watched out of the corner of her eye as the man moved toward her once her back was turned.

She bent low to get the water and when she stood the man was behind her.

"Water?" Dahlia asked casually, holding the bottle up to her shoulder.

The man grunted and reached for the bottle… but instead grabbed her wrist.

"So you finally returned to Japan? I wondered when you would show up. And with all of the demon blood you have spilled you smell stronger than ever."

And, as if to prove his point further (or perhaps just to frighten her), he bent his head into the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply. "Peaches," He whispered against her hair.

Dahlia was disgusted as she felt the area around her neck getting colder as he inhaled the warm air.

"Shall we get this over with?" He muttered into her ear.

"Gladly," She replied, whipping out a dagger with her left hand and plunging it into his hard stomach.

He coughed out blood onto the vending machine in front of her and Dahlia retrieved the dagger from his demonic body and cleaned it with her handkerchief. All too quick and concealed for anyone to accidentally see.

Before the demon could slump and fall she walked briskly to the entrance of the air port. She turned to see the demon fall against the vending machine, lifeless. People gathered around him and some shouted that they saw a biker do it but she wasn't listening.

Dahlia had already had her welcoming. And if she thought surviving in Japan was hard, finding a demonic princess was even harder.

2 weeks, 5 days, 3 hours, and 28 seconds later…

"Kya! How hard can it be to find one, peach-smelling, girl!" Dahlia cried, slumping onto a bench near a park in defeat. "How am I supposed to help if I can't find her?"

A rustle in the bushes behind her made Dahlia's body tense. She stood, jumped onto the bench, reached into the bush and pulled out… a child?

Holding the child by his kimono Dahlia stared at him in surprise.

"You're a demon." She stated.

The little boy cowered slightly, as if afraid. Why would he be afraid of me?

"Yes," He whimpered.

"And," She said expectantly, a hand landing on her hip. "Who's clan do you belong to, little one?"

The boy whimpered again. What on earth could he be afraid of?

"Miss, c-could you put me down?"

Dahlia blinked in surprise. She had completely forgotten she'd been holding him by the collar of his kimono.

"Oh right, sorry about that." She muttered as she gently sat the small boy back onto the bench. "Now," She said impatiently. "Answer my question."

The boy froze in place. He sniffed the air around her once, twice, three times and she was getting annoyed.

"You smell like peaches!" He exclaimed pointing an accusing finger in her direction.

The vein in Dahlia's forehead pulsed. "Answer my question!"

The boy shrank away. "Tengu. I'm a Tengu."

Now it was Dahlia's turn to back away from him. "T-t-t-tengu? Kya!"

She legged it out of there fast. He was a tengu. She could never survive an attack from a tengu, even though he was only a child.

She did, after recovering from her shock and fear, follow the little boy to the shops and back to his residence. The residence seemed simple enough, though Dahlia had never been to any of the clans' house's so she wouldn't have known what to expect.

Suddenly Dahlia caught a scent. It was sweet and tempting. Dahlia licked her lips as she remembered her favourite fruit when she was a child; persimmons.

Dahlia jumped from the tree and scaled the garden wall. She crouched down on top of the wall and searched around for anyone who would catch her red-handed.

She jumped from the wall and ran quickly toward the tree. She jumped and clutched onto a branch, then she swung herself up and into a crouch onto the branch.

Dahlia grinned slyly as she claimed her juicy prize.

As she tucked into the fruit her keen ears picked up some suspicious sounds coming from the house. Her head whipped up to face two very beautiful men one wore his blonde hair into a pony tail and the other looked like such a cute young teenager.

She swung around the branch and landed on the ground soundlessly. The two Tengu watched as she scaled the wall and jumped it onto the pavement.

On the other side of the wall Dahlia attempted to run away from the residence but was met by a few more beautiful men surrounding her.

"Shit," She cursed crouched slightly and wrapping her hands around her twin knives' hilts.

The demon with a tattoo on his neck lunged forward and she whipped out her knives holding them to his throat as he got close enough. She grabbed his neck and used his momentum to throw him into the wall behind her, successfully giving her an opening to run through.

"Kyo?" A sweet feminine voice called behind her. Dahlia's eyes widened considerably the moment her nose detected the faint scent of peaches. She spun around to face a small, cute looking girl with ginger hair.

She relaxed completely which probably wasn't the best thing to do. Sensing that an attack was coming from behind Dahlia lunged at the girl grabbing her and holding her two knives in a cross at her throat. Every demon in a 5 meter radius held their breath and there were only a few.

The demon that had tried to attack her scowled. "You're human."

"Great work Einstein, have a medal." She muttered scathingly.

He growled possessively. "Get your hands off of my wife."

Her mouth hung open in surprise and outrage. "Already? How's that possible! She's only just turned 16!"

The demon growled again. Shit! She did not want this to happen!

She slowly released the girl and she ran toward the demon who embraced her tightly. Okay, so it was already too late for her. She's already been taken.

The demon raised his hand slowly.

Dahlia's hands immediately went up in surrender. "Listen! I think we got off to a bad start! I never wanted to hurt anyone. I just wanted to come and help the bride!" This was not going well.

She felt a demon grab her upper arms and his face buried in her hair. She winced at the touch. The demon raised his head and the head Tengu raised his eyebrows quizzically. "What is it Zenki?"

The demon behind me paused. "She smells like peaches."

By this time Dahlia was shaking with anger and disgust that this monster had dared touch her. If she ever did make peace with the head she was going to completely ignore this one. She knew that she could easily get away from this demon but she wanted them to underestimate her. If they did that then she could escape if she needed to.

"I promise," I started quietly when no one made any move to speak up. "I only came here to help the bride. It's not an easy adjustment, I should know."

The girl turned in her lovers' arms to stare at me, wide eyed. "How should you know exactly?"

Dahlia rolled her eyes. "Come on, do I really have to say it?" She muttered irritably.

"I think we'd better take you inside. Master?"

The one I would assume was Kyo answered with a nod.

Then she was dragged by Zenki into the residence of the Tengu.

Inside the residence I was knelt in front of a table being stared at by Misao Harada. The vein in my forehead throbbed.

"Stop staring at me." I snarled the day had been long and exhausting, if she thought she was going to get away with staring at me like I was a circus freak she had another think coming.

She winced slightly at the coldness of my words but continued staring. I glared at her. She was exactly like the others, exactly like I used to be.

I began shaking with rage. The more I looked at her, the angrier I got. I will never be like that again. I was once happy, was once pure and naïve.

"Who are you?" She said quietly. Even her voice was pissing me off!

"Dahlia."

She blinked in surprise. "What, just Dahlia?"

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, attempting to calm myself. "Yes." I breathed.

"Why are you here?" She asked.

"Hmm," I murmured, considering her question. "I think I got tired of living without a purpose."

She stared at me sympathy in her eyes. My eye twitched and I clenched my fists.

"Don't look at me like that!" I yelled lunging toward her. I was pulled back by my infuriating guard, Zenki, and held by my throat.

Misao was cowering slightly in fear and I growled at her. "Why are you so weak? Don't you want to be able to survive on your own? Why rely on demons? They are the ones wanting to kill you anyway!"

I heard clapping from the corner of the room. My breathing grew shallower when I saw the head Tengu, Kyo, walking toward her. "Now, we're getting some where. Is that what you did? Survived on your own?"

My plan about giving the impression of being weak was not working at all.

Zenki still had a firm grip around my throat and I could hardly talk.

"I can't answer whilst being strangled!" I choked out.

Zenki loosened his grip and removed his arm from around my neck.

I coughed slightly and turned back to the Head. "Repeat the question."

"How are you still alive?"

I recoiled slightly. "That wasn't the question." I said shakily.

"And I'm asking you another. How are you still alive?" The demons eyes bore holes in my soul and I winced and looked away.

I glanced back at Misao and realised that she shouldn't be the responsible one here. I should. She needs my help and I just tried to attack her. I felt so ashamed as I looked into those large brown eyes, I had to look away.

I masked my shame by crossing my arms and turning away from the demons. "I'm not answering any question from a monster."

Kyo nodded toward me, his eyes, however, were looking some where behind my head. I winced when I felt my hair being tugged backward and a knife put to my throat. I could've easily escaped that with one swift move, but I didn't. I was waiting for Misao's conscience to kick in, and sure enough it didn't take long.

"Wait!" She cried reaching over the table toward me. She turned back to Kyo and asked. "Let me talk to her alone, please?"

Kyo looked doubtful so I decided to try and ease his disgusting, evil mind. "I have no reason to hurt Misao. I might be a bitter bitch but I have nothing to gain by killing her."

"Zenki," Kyo began. "Stay with Misao."

The knife retreated from my throat and I sighed in relief.

The guy with the tattoo on his neck, Zenki, moved around the table to sit by Misao's side. That made me feel slightly lonely but I didn't dwell on that feeling. It didn't feel good.

"Why did you come?" Misao finally asked once Kyo and the other Eight had left the room.

I looked away stubbornly. "I thought you might need some help."

Misao shook her head quickly almost muttering under her breath. I stared at her wide eyed. Was she crazy, perhaps? Maybe Kyo dropped her on her head whilst flying.

I glanced at Zenki with raised eyebrows as Misao had an inner argument. He shrugged and continued staring at her.

I cleared my throat. I didn't have all day to mess about, after all.

She looked at me and blinked. Zenki patted her on the shoulder. "We need to ask her about the prophecy." He muttered.

She nodded and her expression turned from embarrassment to seriousness. What a strange girl.

"So you're a bride as well, and you're not married to a demon," I almost gagged at the thought. She noticed my expression of disgust and hers became thoughtful. "And you have not been eaten or sucked dry…"

"It's not like those are the only options." I began.

She looked slightly taken aback. I sighed. She'd obviously never considered defending herself against all three.

"I haven't been eaten because I train hard every day and I'll never become a demon's bride because I can defend myself against their advances." I said impatiently crossing my arms.

The demon also looked surprise at my answer but Misao looked completely shocked. "I decided a long time ago that my destiny will not control my life, and it hasn't. How old do I look to you?"

Misao answered quietly. "About sixteen or seventeen…"

"I defied my destiny. I haven't aged a day since my sixteenth birthday." I said.

Zenki was staring at me wide eyed and Misao looked like she was in a trance.

"How is that possible?" Zenki asked.

I turned to the demon. Damn, why were they so beautiful? "It's not, apparently."

I shrugged, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere. "But it's not all bad. I mean I might be, like, 108 or something but I have got to see a lot of the world in that time. Plus," I said smiling widely at Misao. "I don't get many perverted monsters searching for me. It's probably because the 'powers that be'," I said pointing up. "Reckoned I was dead, so they had the brides carry on being born one after another, and I think I might be infertile now so there's no real point in any demons making advances anyway."

Misao and Zenki looked completely traumatized. Personally, I thought they were over reacting slightly. It's old news now.

Zenki stood and tapped Misao on the shoulder. "I think we need to talk to Kyo now." He muttered.

Misao nodded and stood. I realised just then how tiny she really was. I'm quite a tall girl but she was so small!

Misao smiled warmly at me. I smiled back but turned away quickly. I still felt ashamed for almost wanting to kill her. She's just such a sweet girl and it was pissing me off because I knew that she could never be like me so I could never train her like I hoping too. But maybe she would accept my training if I tell her it would help her protect her family. I winced slightly at what that meant. I would be training the girl to protect the demons which would be kind of pointless. Nonetheless, it would give her a sense of security if she thought she could defend herself. I know it did me.

I looked around the room only just realising that they had gone.

The silence reigned and I felt the overwhelming loneliness that I had been fighting off for the past couple of weeks. It was almost felt like when I'd outlived my father all those many years ago, or when the Titanic was sinking and I knew I couldn't do anything to save the people on that ship, but I could save myself. All along, it was just me.

Staring at the greyish, white paper wall in front of me I contemplated my life of loneliness. Not once had I tried to live like a normal person. I probably could have actually, and I possibly still could but the things I've seen and the things that have happened to me along the way prevented me from letting go of it, because if I settled down I wouldn't be able to see them build the first humanoid robot, or protect more people from things I knew I could help with like bank robberies and terrorist hostage situations or something like that. Okay, so maybe I'm just overestimating my abilities but I still have something left to live for… don't I?

A part of me didn't want to let that go and a part of me couldn't take the loneliness anymore.

The quiet but rough sound of wood sliding against wooden caught my attention and I looked up to see another pair of demon's eyes boring into me. This day could not get any worse.

Dahlia drew herself back onto her haunches and waited to be addressed by this new demon. Perhaps he had been one of the demon's that had ambushed her but it was hard to tell, she wasn't all for memorising faces in a pressured situation like that.

This demon looked so calm he almost appeared bored. He kneeled down on the opposite side of the small table and stared at me with half-moon eyes. His kimono had almost no creases from when he moved from a standing position to a sitting one and his long blond hair was tied at the back of his neck into a pony tail. He seemed to regard me closely for a moment before speaking, "Misao has requested that we do not kill you."

Dahlia almost laughed at the crazy calmness that radiated from those words. Really, though, should you say something like that calmly? It's an insult.

"Wonderful, does that mean the request was denied?" She asked sarcastically but also quite seriously.

"Master Kyo doesn't deny Misao anything." The demon said with as much calmness as if he'd just said 'good morning'.

"Alright then," I waited for the response because their just had to be something else, or did there? "What's the catch?"

The demon's eyes widened slightly in surprise, "Nothing you're free to go."

Dahlia spluttered, "Free to go? Like, walk out the door right now?"

The demon nodded calmly. "Yes, you can leave."

Uncertainly she rose and walked quietly toward the door.

The little boy from before waited outside the room and handed Dahlia her knives and small backpack that she had brought for the short (or not) trip and then turned on his heel and scuttled away and into another room along the corridor.

Dahlia followed her nose and was soon standing on the wooden porch of the traditional Japanese house. For some reason, unknown to herself, she felt reluctant to leave. Turning back to the house she couldn't quite figure out why but didn't dwell on that feeling much longer before she almost sprinted out of the house.

That was the first time she'd been in the residence of a clan's leaders'. It was exactly like she'd thought. Traditional and bare.

On the street Dahlia stood looking up and down the long concrete road the thought suddenly occurred to her that she had no where to go, no where to stay and no money. Sighing in defeat she made her way down the road toward the town centre. Perhaps there was something she could use as shelter in the town, and perhaps she could find a new reason for living along the way.

Thinking was something Dahlia tried to do little of though having been alone for decades it was hard not to. It involved using brain power and that meant that the time she was delving deep into her thoughts was also a time of utter weakness to her physical form. Normally she would be avoiding the opportunity to think at a moment like this because of past events with a certain clan and their Bride but that seemed almost unavoidable as that sort of situation had never occurred to her before it had happened.

So, sitting in a cozy little armchair in a café somewhere, she pondered her current situation. Misao didn't hate her, that was for sure. She was intrigued by her, that was a fact. So… why had they let her go? Wouldn't they have questions? Wouldn't they want to find out more about this prophecy thing?

Dahlia winced at the cold sting of a droplet hitting her cheek. And now it's raining, great. She thought sarcastically all the while searching for shelter.

By the time she reached a sheltered mall courtyard she was soaking wet and had given up looking for shelter.

She entered the courtyard and sat down on the stone circle surround the large fountain. The centre piece of the fountain was a large sculpture of a beautiful woman, perhaps a goddess of some kind with a bow and a fawn resting beside her. Dahlia found herself glaring venomously at the fountain and decided it was best to move to a less angering place to rest. When had she gotten so bitter? It was a maddening concept to her because when she had started her quest for her own protection she had been carefree and loving. Now she was like an old hag, jealous of beauty, freedom, and happiness. Something she was certain she would never be again.

A rustling nearby made her jump and she almost drew out her knives but just in time realised that it was just a mother and her son who was playing in the fountain.

Feeling jittery and like a sitting duck, she left the mall courtyard and headed toward the underside of the large concrete bridge in the town which was home to most of the homeless… if that made any sense.

She could see the familiar grey and orange of the flaming trash cans that the homeless used for warmth but suddenly stopped. The homeless could be vicious about new comers. The homeless back in England knew her well because she had befriended them years ago and the word had spread about her reputation for being generous about her food and water but these people didn't know her. They would try and attack her and steal her clothes most probably. She didn't want any conflict today, after the problems with the Tengu's. Sighing in despair she turned away from the familiar and warm image and made her way into town. She needed money, and there was only one way to get it.

Waiting in the shadows for a helpless civilian always left her feeling slightly nauseous. She hated having to do this but she couldn't bring herself to sell her body and she couldn't sing so busking was out of the question. Begging never got you anywhere so mugging people really was the only way.

She heard the soft foot falls of a pair of heels and smiled bitterly while reaching for her knife. Pulling out the knife she grabbed the girl by the hair and clamped a hand over her mouth, muffling her screams.

"If you give me your money and all valuable possessions on your person I won't cut your throat." I won't cut your throat either way so you shouldn't worry.

Trembling the girl took off her necklace and rings and Dahlia placed them carefully in her pack. She let the girl loose briefly while she relinquished the valuables from her hand bag; mobile phone, purse, some kind of diamond incrusted pocket mirror, and her keys. She handed her keys back to her after taking and pocketing the rest. "I don't need your house or your car. Thanks for that though."

Dahlia ran down the alley while hearing the girls screams for 'help I've been mugged' rang down the street. It's not like anyone would care. Oh, wait, this wasn't America or England. That might be a problem.

Dahlia heard the distant thumping of male footsteps chasing after her and mentally cursed. How could she have not realised that they would chase after her? Stupid Asian men and their protectiveness of cute, defenceless women!

Her breathing was becoming ragged which indicated to Dahlia that she really couldn't keep going like this for much longer, but the pounding on the stone streets was getting louder which also indicated that she'd be caught very soon. She had to think of something, to improvise. She wasn't a murderer.

She stopped and looked back just in time to see two very angry looking Japanese men sprinting after her. She jumped high enough to reach the hanging metal ladder and pulled herself up onto it. The fire escape lead up to the roof so she could probably loose them up there, however, looking over the edge of the roof she could see the un-humanly athletic way the men jumped onto the first rung of the ladder with ease and stared in horror as the ascended to reach her. The awful thing about this situation was that she couldn't tell whether they were human or demon. The way they jumped could have been some very strong and athletic young men, or a couple of blood thirsty demon's just looking for an excuse to rip her to pieces. The conflict in her mind gave the men the time to reach the roof without her having moved off of it. Only being meters away from them she stared at them in despair. They stared back with bright red eyes. Demons. Of course. How could I have been so stupid?

"Finally," One of them called into the night air. "Fast for a little bride, aren't you?"

Fear suddenly gripped her from the inside tearing its way to the surface of her face. She was exhausted because she had thought she was sparing a couple of men with a high morale but instead she was just wearing herself out for a fight with couple of demons after her blood.

She backed up slowly panting heavily and searching about the roof for an escape, she couldn't see anything. Was this the end?

The demons began circling her like a predator circles their prey. Dahlia was the prey. She'd never felt so helpless in her entire life.

She closed her eyes and her heart began to race even faster. At this rate she was asking for a heart attack. Again.

She heard something move swiftly toward her and she covered her face with her hands until she felt arms around her waist and she gasped threw her arms behind her captors head grabbing his hair in fist fills. The demon grunted in pain and she felt another pair of hand encircled her wrists with such a tight grip she couldn't help but let go. Never before had she relied on her strength to defeat demons, she'd always been taught to use their momentum against them because they were fast and strong but if you took away the 'strong' their swiftness was easily copied. So, now she was helpless because in this position they could easily snap her in half.

The demon behind her captor strained her arms back more and she whimpered in aching pain. The demons chuckled darkly.

"Now, boss?" One of them called coming in front of her. Dahlia's eyes widened in surprise, if one of holding her middle and another was holding her arms back, then… who was this guy?

The demon holding her in his queer embrace breathed in her scent. "Do it."

The demon in front of her grinned and plunged a syringe filled with an orange liquid into her neck.

Darkness soon followed.

sorry I forgot to proof read :S

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