Once

AN: Yeah, this is kind of reason why I haven't posted anything in here... It was a plot bunny I needed to catch, a stream of imagination that I needed to swim in, a tree of fantasy I watered. The bottom line of this is four times Rose cried when she was adult and can be viewed as her true backstory or just stories she dreamed. Hope you like these! Love, Rose Hitogoroshi.

Once upon time, a lovely little girl lived in small village. She was pretty sight with her brown hair usually gathered to two pigtails beside her head and blue eyes that shined with kindness and smarts above her age.

She was happy with her family consisting her mother and her father, both as lovely and kind as her. Man had short blond hair and blue eyes that she had inherted. He was tallest man on earth, to her, but in reality was only slightly taller than normal human male could be.

From her mother she had got her silky brown hair. She had lively emerald green eyes that to her were most beautiful pair of eyes in the world. She was too slightly taller than others women, which unfortunally were not probadly inherted by their only daughter.

But that was only probadly, but because her several illnessess, she would be fated to be slightly smaller than persons around her age. Later days girl would laugh at their beliefs and state that she was born to go against fate.

She was seen to skip in village more often than not, humming little tune as she mindlessly skipped, her eyes observing everybody that went past her. Everybody loved her like all children were in that town. Nobody were loathed or whispered about and if some of them got injured, random villagers would help them and nurse them before their parents came to pick them.

Unfortunally, since birth, she was diagnosed with multiply illness that while not lethal immediately, she was fated to eat medicine everyday rest of her life. But she was positive about it and didn't feel bad if she was told not to go outside so that her asthma wouldn't get worser or if she was told not to go too long walks as her fragile heart was in danger of heart attacks.

So her walk routine was around the small village, in immediate sight of adults and quick run back to her home.

Fencing area was strudy rock wall that seemingly caged everybody inside. Only one spot wasn't sealed and at there was ernomous wood doors that would be closed when sun had fallen, effectily sealing everybody inside defence and keeping those who wanted to harm this peaceful village outside.

It was at one of her walks that little girl noticed something strange at air. Everyone seemed to be waiting something, expecting like thief waited for his hangings, with fear yet stayed at peace.

She was confused of this, never had seen those familiar people so tense and sad. Always they had smiled at her when she walked by, but now they all gave her a pitying looks. Quite truthfully, it even made her little tense.

Shrugging her shoulders, girl continued her walk, not knowing it to be her last one in here.

She strolled around, seeing almost nobody as she got closer to to east where their only way out was. She tended to go there, to stare at wildlife just at her reach but after few minutes of admiring beauty of nature, she would grow bored and went back to her home, following exact same route as her way to there was.

But she felt uneasy at there. No children, no adult and no grannies that usually sitted by benches and talked about anything and everything that happened under the sun were at their places.

It looked empty and scary to her, not heartwarming and welcomming like it did at yesterday.

She stopped at gates, looking longingly at pretty meadow that opened just outside from her village. She had always wanted to see what outside of here was like, but like a good girl, she had obeyed her parents.

But today was different. Glancing behind her, she still couldn't catch head or tail of people living near this place, she sighed in try to relax herself before stepped on toe out from line.

Something crunched behind her and she freezed, fearing that she was already caught. But after nothing more was said or done, she dared to peak who was standing behind her only to sigh in relief when nobody was there.

Chuckling at her own silliness, she confiedently skipped out from her home town and for first time in her small time, explored outside world.

She was enjoining herself when somebody came to her. More like leader of some group that waited respectively behind him who to her looked very impressive with their shiny swords and equally shining eyes.

Man was big at stomach size and had too big grin to her liking, but as polite girl she was, she listened him speak. "Excuse me little gal, but do you know where is closest city?" His breath smelled like alcohol and lot of it, but she only slightly sniffled before answered to nice man.

"Closest town is just about mile to that way." She pointed to west where she was sure gates would be.

Man's eyes glemmed with unusual joy and he dipped his hat as thanks to small girl before turned around to leave her at her flower picking.

"Mister, are you and your friend travellers?" She shouted to him with curiousity, she has never seen so odd looking travellers.

Man frozed but turned around, laughing short snorts as he answered innocent girls innocent question. "Gal, we are bandits. Remember that!" He waved his hand at her, implying goodbyes as she rouse up and waved back at them with both her hands and clear voice as she said good bye to 'mr. bandit sir.'

She didn't see it but man was laughing evilly as he went towards unsuspecting village who would robbed next.

Girl went back to her flower picking and after two hours, she had gathered perfect bouquet to her mother that consisted of daisyes, wild orchids and other pretty flowers that she had found at meadow. Happily she skipped back to her home, feeling proud of her accomplishment.

She stopped at gate and listened.

Silence.

More carefully, she walked in, trying to get sight of shopkeepers or grannies or anybody.

Her travel was detinated to town square that usually was very busy during day. Now it looked deserted, but being small child she was, she didn't know about this word until many years later when asked to explain the scene.

"It was like everyone had died and bodies that were killed at outside where dragged inside." Her future self would tell, but now it looked to her that everybody were still sleeping.

Having enough of silence, she turned around and made her way back to her home.

As she came closer to house she lived, she smelled smoke in air. And burning flesh.

Her hard made bouquet dropped on dirt as she started walking towards her home. Her feet picked up pace after more smoke came from direction of her home until she was running, not caring if her heart would give out at any second.

She came sudden stop as she saw state of her home.

All of it was burning. Wooden roof, rock walls, windows, everything. Flames reached to sky as they ate away everything at their path, leaving nothing but destruction and flammable soot behind.

Her knees suddenly gave out, but she kept staring at inferno that was consuming her memories. Realization glinted in her eyes and she stood up.

"Mother!" She yelled, her eyes watering by close promixity of heat. She didn't know if her mother had gotten out.

Dreadful voice at back of her head said coldly that they both had died, but she denyed believing it.

They have, they must, they need to survive.

Tears streamming freely down from her eyes, she looked everywhere, trying to see if anybody could help.

"Help!" She shouted as loud as she could.

"Help me! Help! Fire! Fire!" She yelled in panic, but nobody came out. Nobody woke up, nobody unlocked their doors to come and help this little girl. Nobody lived.

Girl's mind raced. She was too feeble to go and help on her own, but something must be done.

Turning her head around quickally, her eyes caught the sight of bucket that was sitting few yards from her. Running to it as fast as she could with her tiny feet, she grabbed it and carried it closer to fire.

Sweat poured from her head as she carried heavy tin bucket full of silverish liquid that looked like soap water. It splashed to ground as she was too small to carry it properly but when she finally was close enough to feel how her blood boiled under her skin, she stopped.

Her lungs hurt and felt like they were as well in flames, and both from execerice and asthma, her breath wheezed. But she was determinted to help her parents, not caring or beliving that she would die because of her panic.

Forming a cup with her two hands, she took strange liguid from bucket and drizzled herself with it. She didn't dare to go soak herself in there and she couldn't lift it high enough to throw everything on her so she did third next best thing.

But as to mock her, she leaned too much on bucket and it falled, spilling it content to thirsty ground that allowed it to continue its travel to burning mess. Girl cried out from pain as her tiny body tumbled and she fell on hard ground that didn't welcome her warmly.

Her eyes widened as what she thought was water touched the flames and was set into fire. Flames were very pleassed of this new area they could eat and quickally climbed towards her, following stricly of gasoline that she foolishly had soaked in.

Stumbling switfly back to her feet, little girl ran towards town square. But she gave up and ended her sprint in coughing fit as her damaged lungs tried to get rid of toxic smoke she had breathed in.

Falling on her knees, she coughed until she felt better, but that was a lie.

She didn't feel better, she felt horrible.

She was so weak and useless that she couldn't even save her own father and mother.

'Stupid girl.' Voice from before sneered at her. 'It was stupid not to look inside that bucket and now look what you had done! You had dirtied yourself with gasoline and saving your parents now wouldn't be only stupid, but suicidal as well! Well done!' Voice said sarcastly to small girl who by now was sobbing.

She had let down everybody. Her parents, the nice villagers, her neighboars...

Little did she know, but those same persons were already dead. The group of bandits that she had given her home location had robbed everybody, raped the women and girls before killed them all. Fire that her home was in was the last place where all dead bodies of her dear villagers were laid before greedy flames ate away their tissue and burned their bones.

She stayed put, crying over all them and feeling gulity before hoof steps were heard. She didn't lift her head, not even when she heard person on horse drop down and walked to her, their metal clinking as their confident steps came closer and closer.

Suddenly she was lifted up. "Darling, what is wrong?" At familiar voice, girl opened slightly her eyes before attacked man with hug.

"Whoa, there little lady, don't topple me!" Man said, surprised of sudden hug.

She kept crying, hiding her face on his pants. Man patted her head akwardly, letting her cry for little while until her loud soabs quietend to smal hiccups until they were no more.

Slowly man crouched and took hold of her shoulders, trying to look at her eyes as he asked gently from her. "What is wrong?"

Tears quietly streammed from her eyes, they were wiped away by man before she stutered out. "T-they are dead."

Man raised his eyebrow in confusion and asked even more tenderly, trying to pry more info from obliviously disstress girl. "Who are dead, darling? Who are you talking about?"

Snot was flowing from her nose aswell, making her get his pity points as she whispered, not wanting to anybody hear the truth. "Mommy and daddy. They are dead. They are dead!" She howled once again and cried even more, getting immediately petted and hugged by man.

"Oh darling, don't cry. It's alright, shhh, uncle Jim is here, no need to cry..." Man shushed hysterical girl who couldn't do more than cry.

Sun was fazing in and out, its last golden rays barely reaching man and girl when girl finally stopped her nonstop crying.

Man, taking this as she was done, tried to say more comforting words until realized that girl had exhausted herself to brink and had fallen asleep at his shoulder.

Smiling sadly at his new child, he gathered her small body and fitted her in his arms, walking rowards house that he knew his sister and brother in law lived. He was shocked at sight. Only blackned stones stayed, those and black bones that littered burned ground. There was too many bones just for two adults so he quessed everybody in the villagers were burned at here.

Well, he looked down at girl who's traumatized mind was at better place, at least he hoped she was, almost everybody.

He laid small girl down next to not burn house and searched around for awhile. Some structure was still up, but all doors were compleatly gone.

Behind one corner where one skeleton was throwed, he saw something shiny at their finger. Body was mostly burn, but metallic ring at their left ringfinger was magically untouched by flames due their position of face towards corner.

Head of skeleton was placed so that it looked at ring, being this dead humans last sight before they were cremited. Gently taking ring, Jim gasped as he reconigezed his sister's wedding ring anywhere.

She had showed it off when she had just gotten it, making it almost impossible for him to forget rings carvings that located under band.

With shaking hands, he turned rign enough to confirm his suspicous. Closing his eyes, he formed fist around ring, promissing to his dead sister to take good care of both her child and ring.

Feeling too sick to continue his examination, he walked briskly back to small child that was still sleeping. Collecting her gently off from ground, he walked back to his horse that had patiently waited for its master back.

He woke girl up with gentle shakes. She woke up after couple shakes and he told that they would need to get out. She would live with him until something else was decided, he told which was fine by girl.

Setting girl safetly at back of horse, he jumped behind her and started rising slow pace out from dead town that 8 hours before had met their destiny.

Girl glanced backwards and saw still smoking remains of her house, red sun at background colouring sky with oranges, pinks and reds.

Tears flowed from her eyes once again as she watched at artistic painting of town she had received life and where her parents had ultimately died.

Man behind her smiled sadly, but switched his position quickally to make sure that his hard on wasn't noticed by young girl who just lost her parents. He couldn't help it but feel aroused at her pathetic state.

He always had slightly sick mind when subject of sex was in question.

He prefred struggling more than romantism.

Tear streamed, horror striken faces made him feel more happy than married life would ever make him be, that was why he was still single.

And now, he would have traumatized little girl who was in shock and would more likely give him free hands over her than any hooker would.

Oh, how awfully good it sounded to him!

He licked his dry lips and watched as girl went back sleeping, leaning her small back towards his broad chest.

Oh, he would burn in hell but until that day, he would enjoy every second of his life.

AN: Second one will be named Twice and I will post it today as I will do to all four chapters of this. This is Rose, signing out!