Snow as Black as Blood
Once upon a time, in a far away kingdom, a baby girl was born. She had hair as black as ebony, and skin as white as snow. She was named Road Kamalot, for where she was conceived. Her father, Tyki Mikk, was fairly promiscuous and so she never knew the name of her mother. Road grew up in a cottage with Tyki and his brother Skin. Skin had a habit of eating lots of candy, Road adopted this habit and so her lips were always a bright cherry red.
Tyki and Skin were in a gang called the Noah. He never told Road exactly what he did as a Noah. Road only knew what he had taught her and what he told her.
"I work in a dangerous business. My enemies are the exorcists. There is always a chance that they will find us. If that happens, I want you to run, run away so they can't harm you. Will you promise me that?"
The Exorcist group was an opposing gang. The Noah and the Exorcists were the prevailing forces in the kingdom as it was a monarchy and the current King was a week and corrupt man.
Road grew happily till she was thirteen. She loved to play in the forest, hunting animals such as birds and squirrels. Her hobby was painting with the blood of captured animals, she also cooked an excellent bird pie. Tyki praised her ruthless skills as he expected her to become a member of Noah one day,
Road was walking home after a successful hunt but as she was approaching the cottage she saw black smoke rising from the house. She dropped the bloodied squirrels and dashed forward.
"Tyki! Skin!" Road rushed forward to see her father fighting with a red-haired man. Tyki was attacking furiously but soon another person joined the fray, a long haired Chinese girl.
"Get away from Tyki you bitch!" Road rushed forward but Skin ran in front of her. Road stopped suddenly as Skin's back split like an over-ripe tomato. Road backed away as a man with a sword appeared from behind Skin's sinking form.
"Run Road, don't...let them catch you." Skin fell to the ground as his blood soaked the earth.
Road looked around frantically and started running into the forest. She saw the swordsman give chase but she was faster and more nimble. The man cursed as he grew tangled in the branches of a low hanging tree. Road continued to run, even when she was sure that she had lost him.
Hours passed as Road wandered lost in the forest. Night was falling and she had to find shelter. She was passing a stream and eating some candy she had found in her pocket when she spotted a small house.
The house was squat and well kept except it was completely empty. Road quietly crept down past the gate of the house and through the unlocked door. She looked around the empty house to find a number of beds, a kitchen, and a large living room. When she saw the many beds she was reminded of the whore houses that Tyki occasionally went to, for business.
Road took one of the beds and decided to go to sleep. She first set up some traps at the door and around her bed to alert her to anyone who would enter the house. Road settled down to sleep for the night.
Nine akuma slowly walked through the forests from an ore mine. Their job was to mine metals which they sold to others for money. They didn't have individual names but were reffered to aa akume. Akuma were the lowest of the low when it came to social classes. They were the sort of people that were found on the streets.
They didn't talk but instead whispered softly
Oh god,
Oh god,
Upon the ground we plod
Minimum wage
page after page
of our bank accounts
We starve
We cry
until the day we die
the rock is cold
we're growing old
We heave a depressing sigh
As he first akuma trudged through the door he stumbled on a small wire. The other akuma stopped as other fell to the ground. The akuma stumbled to his feet and he turned to face the other akuma. He only saw the look of shock on the akuma's faces as his head was ripped open by an ax.
The eight remaining akuma looked in shock as it crumbled into black dust. the akuma looked around cautiously for more traps. Seeing none, they advanced carefully to their bedroom. They saw a girl sleeping in one of the beds.
"Hey, That's my bed! That little brat.I'll teach her a lesson." An akuma walked forward rolling up his sleeves. He walked toward the bed and froze as he saw he triggered a wire. "Oh shi-" He was doused with a bucket of oil. The other akuma stepped back as a lit match was dropped on him. He screamed and tried to run for safely but he only managed to set two of the beds aflame before he fell to the floor.
The smell of burnt flesh permeated the air and all eyes turned to face Road. She was sitting up in bed holding a box of matches.
"You do know it's rude to interrupt a lady's beauty sleep. What do you want." Road frowned and stretched.
One akuma moved forward carefully, lest he trigger another trap.
"Umm hello lady. We are akuma who work in the mine. My name is Fred, this is Bob, George, William, Arthur, Mathew, and Rosey. You just killed Zack and Cody" He gestured to each individual akuma as well as the burnt char of Zack.
"Wait...Rosey?" Road got off the bed to stand in front of the akuma.
"Yes, He believes he's a girl. He doesn't believe us when we tell him he's not."
"Fair enough. I have an idea, you can be my servants. In exchange for serving me and giving me candy, I won't kill you. Deal?" Road held out her hand and Fred reluctantly took it, giving it a weak shake.
"Yes Mistress..."
"Road."
"Yes Mistress Road. I have to wonder though, how will we supply you with candy when we work in the mines?"
"Quit your job and open a candy store."
With those words, Road got back in bed and promptly fell asleep. The akuma held a quick discussion and realised, opening a candy shop would be more fruitful than mining. The candy market was booming and also it required less hands seeing as Zack and Cody died. The only problem left for them was where to sleep.
"George, Rosey, you're the smallest and so you have to share a bed." Bob singled them out to share the last bed.
"Absolutely not!" Rosey drew himself up as high as he could. "It is not proper for a woman to sleep with a man when they're not married. George will sleep on the floor." He stuck his nose in the air and lay down on the bed. George lay on the cold floor and fell asleep.
The next morning the akuma got to work. Mathew went to town to get some supplies and everone else started cooking.
Several hours later when Road woke up, she awakened to the smell of cookies and candy. For a moment she thought it was cooking day, Skin was in the kitchen in a 'manly' apron making his supply of cake and candy for the week. She looked around and sadly realized she was still in the akuma's house.
Arthur walked through the door carrying a large iced cake with cherries on top.
"Good morning. Here is your breakfast." He set the tray down and watched eagerly as she took a bite.
"It's very good." Road raised her eyebrows in surprise and quickly finished the cake.
"We're selling them in the town. Rosey and Fred have set up a stall. They're selling the cakes as fast as we make them. If you'd like to come to the kitchen we have some candy we'd like you to sample."
Road walked to the kitchen to see it covered in sugar and flour. It was a huge mess, George and Bob were baking, William and Arthur were wrapping candy and Mathew was wiping the floor with a rag.
Road walked to the table and tasted some of the cakes that were sitting on the table. She sampled each one and gave tips on how to fix them up.
Days turned to weeks and Road and the seven akuma opened their own pastry store. Everyone in that town loved their baked goods, everyone but one.
Old lady Miranda had the old bakery but her pies and cakes were cheaply made and disgusting. She sat there in loathing as she saw the new bakery open. Her few customers were disappearing and her already empty purse soon grew bare. She developed a fascination with the girl that accompanied the seven akuma and after seeing that she was the head of operations, decided to do away with her.
Road was sitting outside the house while the akuma were cleaning up the day's mess. She was thinking about Tyki. She missed him alot and so she vowed to herself to destroy the exorcists. Suddenly she saw a shape out of the corner of her eye.
"Excuse me miss, but would you be interested in buying a doll?" Miranda wore a cloak that covered her eyes and she carried a basket of rag dolls.
"No thank you, I'm not a kid." Road crossed her arms and stared at Miranda.
"Oh, but it's not for playing. They're good luck dolls, if you place one above your bed then you will have peaceful dreams." She snickered and muttered to herself "extremely peaceful."
"Well..."
"I'll buy one." George walked forward and bought one of the rag dolls. He turned to Road, "You've been having trouble sleeping lately. This might help you."
Road smiled and took the doll. She hung it above her bed and then proceeded to go to the store. That night Road was sleeping when the smell of burnt rubber filled the air. She sat up in bed when she saw that the someone had left the stove on. The house was filled with thick black smoke. Road jumped up from bed and shouted that there was a fire. She quickly grabbed a hose and doused the stove with water.
Road and the seven akuma sat outside while they waited for the house to air out. Road turned to the akuma with an evil glint in her eye as, inside a toxic gas began to leak from the doll. The colourless, odourless gas began to spread it's way through the empty house then soon dissipated through the open windows into the night air.
Road was beating Bob who had left the stove on, after she had finished they all went back inside to go back to sleep, with Bob on the floor.
The next day, Miranda watched angrily as Road and the akuma walked to their bakery. She had to come up with another plan. She frowned as she punched and beat her bread dough. As she was pulling her burnt bread from the oven she had an idea.
Road was smiling sweetly as she handed a customer a birthday cake. On the inside however, she was seething. "I didn't get nearly enough sleep last night. I just feel annoyed right now." She yawned deeply and stretched, putting another lollipop in her mouth.
"Feeling tired?" Road looked up and raised her eyebrow at the cloaked woman.
"Yeah, that doll didn't do a thing for my dreams. Give me the money back." Road impatiently stuck out her hand.
"Oh, I can offer you something better, it will help you with your tiredness." Miranda gave Road a handkerchief with two white pills in it. "These are pills which will help you sleep."
"I don't accept pills from strangers." Road handed the pills back to Miranda and turned around.
"Wait!" Miranda quickly popped the pills into her mouth and swallowed, showing Road her empty mouth. "I mean no harm, I want to help you."
Miranda yawned and fished in her pocket, pulling out two more pills. She handed them to Road and smiled as Road stared at her warily. Shrugging, she put them into her pocket. Miranda thanked Road and walked out the door. She reached her store and started laughing.
Author's note.- Sorry it took so long to upload. I'm planning to do a series of Hans Christian Anderson, man crossovers. If you have suggestions for the next story, send me a PM or leave an idea in the comments section.