Author's note: There will be major OOC in this story. Don't say I didn't warn you readers.
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed Destiny.
Chapter One:
It is already late night, but in the busy city, it is still as bright as day. The neon lights on the buildings and advertisement boards outshine the moon and the stars. It is also as noisy as it is in the day. The drivers honking their vehicles while stuck in the traffic jam, people shouting and arguing, drunkards trying to woo ladies or gangsters fighting in dark alleys……
Miles and miles away, on top of the hill at outskirts of the eastern side, a stranger, dressed in dark brown hood and cloak, is observing the city through a crystal ball. The stranger is sitting in a way as if doing a meditation. Beside the crystal ball, lays a thin long staff, a small suitcase and a bag. The stranger's face shows expression of disgust when the crystal ball shows images of drunkards knocking into people and scolding the knocked person for not seeing properly instead of apologizing, prostitutes trying to get customers and gangsters hitting each other with dangerous tools.
"Pathetic fools. This world is over-populated by the likes of them," the stranger says as the crystal ball's images changes. Her expression changes when the image on the crystal ball becomes blurred, then gives a faint glow.
"So, I am on the right direction."
The stranger keeps the crystal ball and picks up the other items beside it. As she stands up, she looks up the tree that she was sitting under.
"Nacre, it's time to go."
A creature opens its eyes. Looking around, it slides onto its owner's shoulder and into her bag.
"First, we need to find somewhere to stay," she tells herself.
In the city……
This city's temperature is a lot higher than what the stranger expected. The stranger lowers her hood, catching the attention of some huge muscular bikers nearby. They whistle at her, but she pays no attention and just keeps walking
"Hey babe, you look lost. Looking for a place to stay? Mine is always available," the one with a cigarette goes near her and say.
The girl gives the man a disgusted look. "Your breath stinks, so keep your distance." After saying that, she knocks the cigarette from the man's mouth with her staff.
The man grins evilly instead of being angry. He calls his gang members. The men slowly surround her, but the girl gives no hints of fear.
"What do you want?" she asks coldly. "I don't want to waste my time, especially with scums."
The men laugh at her sentence.
"Cutie, that's very unladylike." A man with a tattoo of a tiger on his arm says.
"Ooh, bet she will give us a wild time tonight," a skinny one says as he stares at the girl with a look of lust.
"Get away from me now, or I will resolve to violence," the girl replies fiercely, strengthening her grip on her staff.
"Girl, you look fine with that strange outfit of yours, but I bet you will look even gorgeous without it," a short guy says as he goes closer, only to be struck unmercifully by the staff right between his legs. The guy falls and winces in pain, while the others just laugh loudly as if they are watching a comedy, which fuels the girl's anger.
"She's 'wild' alright," another says while he rubs his hands eagerly. "Wonder how will her skin feels?" He tries to touch the girl's face, but she knocks his hand away.
"Any more indecencies from you jerks and you will feel utmost pain!" she raises her voice.
"Oh I'm so scared. The hot babe will be so good in bed that she's going to hurt me," the skinny one mocks. His members laugh even louder.
POW!
The girl delivers a kick straight to his face and sends him flying into a wall.
The other men stare at their kicked friend, who had fainted from the impact, with their jaws dropped. Then they slowly turn back to the girl, who is now wearing her hood again and prepares to leave.
"Hey! Just where do you thing you are going!" the one with the tattoo tries to slap her, but the girl's reflexes are simply too fast for him. His hand isn't even near her face when her hand shoots out and grabs the guy by his wrist.
"I did warn you to leave me alone," she says coldly as she twists her attacker's arm, ignoring the guy's howls of pain.
"Get her!" the first man that the girl encountered orders his remaining members.
"HEE–YAH!"
The girl throws the person she is holding towards the incoming men. The smoker manages to evade being crash-landed by his large crony, but he isn't expecting a kick from the girl from behind.
BAW!
"Why you little bitch! I'll……"
The girl draws a long, thin, dark purple blade from one end of her staff and points it at the neck of the gangster before he can complete his sentence.
"What did you say?"
The guy that was thrown just now takes out a spanner and slowly creeps behind the girl. He is about to land a hit on the girl when she suddenly says in a cold voice, "One more step and it will be off with his head."
As if to show that she is serious about her threat, she shaves the head and eyebrows of the guy in front of her in one swift slash.
The five men are now shaking with fear, especially the one in front of her.
"Move out of my way," the girl tells the guy in a fierce voice. The scared fellow immediately crawls away from her as far as possible. As she passes the men's' bike, she gives her blade a swing, then keeps it back into her staff.
As soon as the blade is kept, the bikes fall into pieces.
"Don't kill us!" The bikers screamed and ran the opposite direction. Two of them have even wet their pants.
"Pathetic men." She says to herself as she continues walking as if nothing had happen. Her pet pokes it head out of her bag and look at her as if asking whether she's alright.
"It's nothing serious Nacre. Don't worry." The girl says as she pats her pet's head.
As she walks around, she decides to buy some food. She looks around and found a hawker stall. She takes out her purse and counts her money. There are only a few notes and coins, but it is enough for her to get a bowl of noodles and some bread.
As she walks towards the stall, she overheard a conversation.
"Looks like the rumours about that inn are true," a teenage girl says.
"Yeah. Five suicide cases had happened, and the last one took place last week. It all happened in the same room. That room must be haunted!" her friend says.
The girl turns to them.
"Excuse me, where is this inn that you mentioned?" she asks.
The two girls are startled by her sudden question.
"Er, it's just nearby. You take the left turn at the roundabout, go straight, and then turn right. The inn is just in front," one of them answers.
"Why do you want to know? You are not going there are you?" the other asks.
The stranger ignores the question. "Other than the suicide cases, what makes you think there's a haunted room in there?"
The two look uncomfortable to talk about the inn, but they answer nevertheless.
"Well, many had claimed that whenever they pass by that inn, they felt like someone spying on them and a sudden chill. My boyfriend even tells us that a friend of his once saw a pair of large red and yellow glowing eyes from the window." There's a tone of fear in her voice as she tells the hooded stranger.
"You are not thinking of going there right? No one in the right mind will want to go there. There are also rumours that the innkeeper had hired an exorcist to help him get rid of the ghost." The other girl says.
"An exorcist huh?" The hooded-girl thought to herself.
The hooded-stranger thanks the two teenagers and changes her direction towards the inn, much to the shock of the two girls.
"She's not really going there, is she?"
"That's her business. Let's go home as quick as possible."
-------------------------------------------------
The hooded-girl arrives at the inn. She sees that the expression of the innkeeper shows obvious fear and worry. She walks to the counter and greets him.
"Good evening. I would like to have a room please."
The innkeeper looks at her through his glasses. "I am sorry, but all the rooms are not available for guests," he apologizes.
"If that's the case, I will just drive away the only guest, the unwelcome one." The girl says.
The innkeeper immediately stands up.
"You……you…… you are the teenage exorcist from the next city that I had called!" a look on relief appears on the old man's face.
"I am sorry sir; I am not the one you called. But I can drive away whatever that is bothering you. All I ask for payment is some food and a place to stay for the night," the hooded girl replies.
A look of doubt and disappointment replace the relief look. Before he can says anything, the girl walks up the stairs.
"Wait! Are you sure you can handle this?" The innkeeper questions her as he follows her.
"You mention that the exorcist that you hired is a teenager, so why can't you trust me too? I am also a teenager" the girl counters.
"But, many had heard of his feats, while you……" he stops mid-sentence when the girl arrives at the room that had been causing him a lot of trouble.
"Let me in. And don't enter no matter what you hear," the girl says in a tone of authority.
The innkeeper hesitates. The girl sighs. She decides to show some of her abilities to gain the old innkeeper's trust. She pulls out an amulet from her pocket and presses it against the door. The door immediately rattles violently. The innkeeper falls out of fear and starts trembling.
"He……Here. Here's the key……" he gives the girl the key to the room in his shaking hand.
"Thank you. And remember, do not enter no matter what." The girl warns again as she unlocks the door.
The girl enters the room, and locks it behind her. She takes a quick look at her surroundings, and then she closes the curtains and turns off the lights.
As soon as the room falls into pitch darkness, the girl feels that the air has becomes heavy. She closes her eyes and focuses her mind. She slowly takes out a small bottle the side of her bag. The girl takes a sharp turn and throws the bottle onto the bed.
A small explosion and a burst of flames occur. From the flames, a black figure appears gradually.
"Oh, a female? I thought I will be having the chance to test my strength against that famous boy who had defeated many of my kind." The demon says in a deep voice.
"I am not sorry to disappoint you." The girl replies casually. "Tell me who summoned you." She orders the demon.
"And why would I want to tell you? You will vanquish me whether I tell you or not, or at least, attempt to do so." It is very obvious that the demon does not see the exorcist in front of him as a threat.
"Very well, you have prepared yourself for your doom. Now accept it!" She draws her blade from her staff again and charges towards the demon. The demon blocks the attack with just one hand.
"Is that all you got, little girl?" the demon sneers.
"No, this is just a distraction."
"Huh?"
A beam radiates from under the demon, and shoots towards its head.
"ARGH! This…this is…impossible…… a Sky Pearl Dragonling" the demon, which is knocked backwards and magically pinned on the wall, look at the exorcist's pet disbelievingly.
The exorcist seizes the chance. She slashes twice and keeps her blade. As soon as the blade is returned to the staff, the demon's horns and limbs vanish, leaving it only with a head and a body. The demon gives a painful roar that shakes the whole room.
"Tell me who send you here," the exorcist demands again.
"Like I will tell you, you cursed exorcist!" the demon shouts while trying to endure the pain.
The exorcist senses that the innkeeper's fear has increased after hearing the roar.
"You won't tell me? Fine." She pulls out a jewel-encrusted flute from the other end of her staff.
"You are a Witch of Sound?! Impossible! That type of magic is had been lost for centuries!" the demon begins to show signs of fear at the sight of the flute.
The exorcist pays him no attention. She begins her tune. It is a soft tune, but the demon feels a powerful aura taking over his own. Soon, his mouth starts speaking without his control.
"I am sent by a rival of the innkeeper. I have trapped the souls of those who I lured here to kill themselves within myself," the demon reveals to the exorcist. The exorcist changes her tune to a fast one. At the same time, her pet draws strange symbols on the wall with its tail.
"What, what are you doing to me?! Stop it! I say stop it! AAAAARRGH! HAVE MERCY!" the demon pleas, but the exorcist continues to play louder.
The magic force surrounding the demon begins to burn. The demon becomes even desperate.
"Please! I will do anything! Have mercy on me! I will grant your heart's deepest desire!"
The girl ends her tune. She looks straight into the dying demon's eyes.
"No one can grant my heart's deepest desire except myself," she says in a voice as icy cold as her gaze. "NOW GO!"
"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" the demon howls as holy flames engulf it. The flames continue to burn for a few minutes. As it dies out, five spirits appear. They kneel in front of the exorcist that had freed them as signs of their gratitude.
The symbols on the walls give a shine glow. They shine onto the spirits, who begin to fade.
"You may all rest in peace now." The exorcist says softly. She then starts singing a chant. The chant brings calm and warmth to the spirits, the innkeeper outside, and the people who are nearby the inn.
"Our work's done Nacre," the girl says to the baby dragon.
"Nyaaaaaah." The Dragonling yawns and wraps itself softly around its master's neck like a scarf.
"Goodnight Nacre. It's way past your bedtime after all," she gives the young dragon a small smile and a goodnight-kiss.
As soon as the girl exits, the innkeeper immediately asks how it went.
"It's not a ghost that resides in there, but a demon sent by your rival to ruin your business." The girl tells the old man.
At her neck, the baby dragon is being invisible to the old innkeeper's eyes.
"Is it gone?" the man asks eagerly.
"It's gone, and so are the poor souls." She replies.
"Oh thank you! May Heaven bless you!" the innkeeper thanks her profusely with tears in his eyes. "Please, pick any room you want to stay for tonight. I'll prepare your supper."
"Thank you very much. But before that, can you please tell me more about this other exorcist that you hired?" the girls enquires.
"Hmm? Oh, you mean the one known as 'Child Deity'. I don't know his name though. Actually, hiring him is an idea of a relative of mine who stays in the next city. According to the local rumours of that city, it is said that this young man had shown magical abilities when he's still five. Some also says that he begins his career of exorcism at the age of ten. My relative also tells me that this person has several times help the local police to find missing people and wanted criminals." The old man recalls.
"When is he supposed to come?"
"He is supposed to come tomorrow morning. You seem very interested in him. Would you like to meet him?"
"Maybe." Is all she answers.
"Oh yes. Miss, how do I address you?"
"Clyne. Lacus Clyne."
Author's note: If any of you readers are shocked by the identity of the girl, don't say I didn't warn you. I already stated that there will be some major OOC.
