This is a prequel to my story Footprints in the snow. Please enjoy.
The snow was falling down at a slow and steady pace, from the grey and overcast sky. The azure expanse being lost to the world only offered grey rolling clouds and streams of snowfalls.
Wide silver eyes watched from behind the window, noticing the tiny sparkling snowflakes adorned with their own unique shape, catching on the silent breeze and joining the fallen snow on the frozen ground. Those little flakes could be seen reflected in those moonlit eyes.
"Moyashi." Allen looked away from the enclosing white of the world to notice the person who used his hated nickname.
The little snow cat just glared at him. He hated that nickname, he hated the fact that its sole existence was to irritate and insult. Even a seven year old demon like Allen understood that. His lynx ears twitched in irritation and his spotted snow leopard tail started to sweep along the floor in fast, long drags.
"Che, if you like the snow so much just go outside." Allen stared, and then his face instantly lit up, but then his ears visibly drooped and his face deflated.
Kanda, a tiger demon who was three years older than Allen simply stared at the younger with a frown painting his face. His dark blue eyes focused on Allen, a smirk coming into play.
"But we were told we weren't allowed to go outside, we were told I would get sick, or worse, kidnapped." Allen was clutching his woollen jumper and gazing down at the floor with a sad look on his face. His little black ears pressed close to his shiny white hair. Kanda could pick out tiny droplets of water collecting on the edge of his eyes.
"Che, we have half an hour to play." Kanda grinned slightly when he saw the immediate, elated look on the Moyashi's face. The happiness appeared like sunbeams from his face, lighting up the dark little room which was their bedroom. Allen then suddenly turned into his full snow leopard form and pounced at an unsuspecting Kanda. The force of the impact caused the blue haired child to fall back, landing with a clatter and a snow leopard cub nuzzling his neck and face with his own cheeks.
The soft spotted fur was luxuriously soft and Kanda forgot to get angry for a moment because if the warmth he felt coming from the little being. He raised his hand and stroked along Allen's shoulders, creating a short shudder to kick-start Allen's system. He then brought his hands to scratch just behind those black, tufted ears, gently massaging them.
Allen was now purring.
"C'mon, get offa' me Moyashi." Once Kanda managed to get the cat off his stomach he looked down at him, noticing the loose fitting jumper, which he was still wearing, and the baggy trousers that where Ill-fitting on the little demon. Allen had trouble shifting forms as he was still quite young. Often he would slip when he got a little too excited. That was why he rarely went out to play. The rarity of their kind came to be with hunters capturing and selling them off.
Sometimes they were sold off to become the pets of the rich, a symbol of a family's wealth and power. Others they were killed and their bones and organs taken for their magical healing properties. Sometimes they were sold into becoming the slaves of humans who liked to indulge into things only adults should do. Kanda wasn't sure what, but he knew it was something bad and humiliating. His guardian only told him a certain amount.
Kanda stood there, waiting for Allen to change back. Once he did Allen had to pull his trousers back up as they slipped down when he changed into his cat form. Kanda then went to the dresser, taking out a coat, scarf and glove set, dressing Allen in them.
"I swear I'm your damn keeper." He muttered. Allen only grinned.
Once they were both dressed in warmer cloths Allen literally pulled Kanda along. He ran down the stairs, out the front door and into the wonderful white world of winter during December.
Allen was immediately enraptured by the falling snow. As he held onto Kanda's gloved hand he stuck his tongue out, allowing the frozen precipitate to touch the wet muscle. He shivered when he felt the little specks of cold touch his taste buds. Allen giggled.
He grabbed Kanda's other hand and then began to spin around in a circle, trampling the snow underneath their feet. Allen looked at the snow and Kanda looked at Allen. Kanda could see the barely suppressed glee coming from the young white haired boy.
Even though the stoic boy did not show it, he felt really happy when he saw the Moyashi so happy, even though he irritated him to no end.
The irritating little midget was constantly bothering him. Kanda could be sitting down having a meal nice and quietly when he would be disturbed by the leopard boy sitting down with numerous dishes and devouring the food like a ravenous wolf. Bits of food would fly everywhere and Kanda would get bumped by his elbow often. The Moyashi would constantly pounce on him, and often it was when he was in his leopard form.
Nothing could compare to when there where thunderstorms. The boy would feel agitated, and hide amongst duvet covers and blankets; anything he could find, and create a little nest, mind then urge Kanda to join him.
But Kanda had to admit the boy held a small amount of darkness in his heart. The nightmares would often make an appearance in the bleakness of the night. They haunt his sub consciousness, writhing within his mind like vindictive cobras. The Vermont they inject from Eire imagined fangs causing he boy to writhe and scream as if he was physically effected by the poison. Often it got dire. Kanda shared a room with the boy, so he was forced to listen to those nightmares.
The nightmares all stemmed from the memory of watching his father get murdered two years ago, when he had only just turned five, in a bid to save the young demon from someone who wanted to spirit him away to god knows where.
Kanda would be visited by Allen in the night, after a particularly bad nightmare and request to get into bed with him. Kanda just let him, telling himself he didn't have the energy to turf the wimp out.
Allen would snuggle up close, nuzzling his face under Kanda's chin. Kanda would then sigh and wrap his own stripy tiger tail around the youngster fluffy snow leopard tail. Allen would shiver, but it wouldn't last long before he calmed down and then drifted off to a calm sleep, all thanks to the presence of the older boy.
It got to that point where Kanda would actually slip out of bed when the Moyashi was having a particularly bad nightmare, the noises often waking him instantly due to his acute tiger ears. He would hug the trembling boy close, allowing his warm presence to quell the distraught boy. They would spend the night hugging each other close.
'I must be getting soft.' The stroppy ten year old thought to himself as he watched the youngster he was watching rolling around in the snow like a dog. Kanda shook his head when he noticed what he was doing.
"Oi, oi, Moyashi, what is Cross going to say if you get sick again?" The rhetorical question was not said on deaf ears for the little creature stopped rolling and sat up, his silver eyes twinkling in the moonlight.
The young boy pouted, "he would say what an idiot I was, and he wouldn't allow me to go back outside." He got up and shook his tail, dislodging bits of snow and sending the clumps flying everywhere. A smidgen of wet snow got on Kanda's face, causing the boys ears to twitch in irritation.
"Moyashi," he said dangerously. Allen stopped and stared at his friend, seeing the dark aura rolling off in waves.
"Oh no," said the young boy. He bolted, making his way across the large field that was in front of their temporary home.
Allen ran, feeling the older boy giving chase. He could hear the crunching of the snow as they both ran. Allen started to giggle with glee, the thrill of running in the cold working its way into his brain like a sugar rush in a normal human child.
He ran towards the gloom, further and further away from the house. He felt his long tail flutter in the breeze behind him. He didn't look back but looked forwards. He came upon the forest that stood on the other side of the rotten old wooden fence.
Kanda caught up, still a little angry at Allen for dumping snow on his face when he saw the kid staring into the woods. Kanda gazed into where the boy watched, his night vision, thanks to his tiger qualities, was most helpful.
In the dark the forest was eerie. The silence seemed to permeate through those misshapen naked trees. Kanda thought how odd is was to actually be able to hear silence. It was not a sound to be exact, but it was the way a creature's brain recognised when it could not hear a peep from any wind, birdsong, creaking of the forests boughs and trunks or the subtle flutter of the snowflakes as they dropped from the sky.
Kanda felt that bad feeling act like claws digging into his soul. It was about time to head back. Tiedoll would be wondering were Kanda would have gotten to, and he did not want to see the wrath of Cross if he didn't bring his 'idiot apprentice' back unharmed.
Kanda remembered the warnings. The warnings and weariness of a demon was a way of life. It was the rules that kept them alive.
'Do not let any human see you for what you are.'
'Never harm the humans. There are more humans than there are demons. They become brave in groups.'
'If they see you, run. Never look back.'
Kanda also remembered what Tiedoll told him.
'Do not leave the boundaries of the field without us. The forest is dangerous, you don't know what may be concealed within the shadows of the trees, or what may be lurking beneath the leaf litter.'
Allen continued to gaze relentlessly into the black and white realm of the forest. All he saw was trees with black branches, void of leaves, and the snow that piled beneath them. His silver eyes pierced through the darkness, the gaze seeing much, but also possibly not seeing all.
As Kanda observed the snow demon he saw the blank expression he was unconsciously showing. His eyes looked glazed and unseeing. Kanda moved to him stood beside him, looking into his silver orbs with his own sharp gaze. He saw something reflected within. A small sphere of white light, bright and eerie.
Kanda turned and stared into the woods, seeing nothing but darkness. There was no sign of the light anywhere. He spun around again and saw the light in the Moyashi's glassy eyes again.
It was a reflection that reflected nothing.
"Moyashi, we need to leave." Kanda's defences where going up, something was strange. He was about to turn, expecting the little boy to follow. He did not, instead he moved forward. He moved like a zombie, his footsteps steady but with a swift pace. He crossed under the fence before Kanda could pull him back.
The wards that concealed them from humans doing nothing to stop a demon passing. Cross was going to be furious with the two, if they got home that was.
Without thinking twice Kanda completely jumped over the fence and sped after the idiot cat. His heart was beating double time for both of them. Kanda knew what was happening. The thought filled him with an ice cold dread. It was a dread that all demons feared.
Allen was being lured by a hunter's werelight. The worst thing about the werelight was the fact it only worked on the demon the hunter wanted to trap. Someone knew Allen was there.
Only Allen could see the light, and like any curious cat they followed that light until they caught it. In this predicament, Allen was going to be the one who was caught.
Kanda followed cautiously but quickly. His ears where swivelling everywhere, seeking the noises he really did not want to hear. He could feel the tension in the frigid air. The tension would have burst if punctured with a pin. The anticipation the tiger boy felt was almost as visible as the coils of condensation that came out when he exhaled. His breathing deep. He had to work to keep the sounds he himself was making to a minimum.
His footfalls where shallow in the deep snow. He moved like a shadow, the prints in the snow not really following with him. The boy almost flew like a wraith, intent on bringing his friend home safe.
Allen had stopped all of a sudden, staring at what must have been the werelight. Kanda could not see it, but he felt the magical energy suspended in the air. He caught up. As soon as he did he went on high alert. He could feel a stir in the atmosphere.
Another presence. He felt it. He could feel the evil intent from deep within the shade of the trees, over a pile of snow that hid an indent in the rock beneath it.
Before the nervous boy could move his friend away he felt a secondary surge of magic. It came rushing out from a different place.
Kanda's instincts to survive had a jumpstart. He immediately shifted into his tiger form, shedding his cloths and pulling Allen along with him. The sharp jerking movement caused Allen to snap out of the spell he was under and he breathed out fast, as if he had held his breath for the whole time. Once he noticed what was happening he screamed out.
Kanda did not have enough time to clear the spot they were stood in before he felt a rush of heat and heard Allen screaming out in pain. The wail that followed pierced the tense air like a knife. The trapper that was hidden beneath the snow showed himself finally.
'If they see you run. Don't look back.'
Kanda would not forget. He did not look back to see the person who was hunting them. He wanted to get the both of them back into the safety of their guardian's magic seals.
Kanda used his head to swivel Allen around, placing him on his back. He felt his arms wrap around his shoulders as Kanda sped through the forest on wide paws. The arms clenched into his dark fur, he felt the boy shuddering. Kanda knew he was in pain, but he could do nothing to stop it.
He kept on running. Kanda knew he would far outrun the trapper. Even though they could use magic they were still humans.
The fence came upon them quickly. The trapper set his trap not too far from the perimeter of the house. Kanda knew they were lucky this time.
The tiger saw beyond the fence and saw someone there, waiting for them. The closer he got he noticed there were actually two people waiting. They rushed forwards as soon as Kanda crossed the border of the fence. They were safe.
Immediately Allen was snatched from Kanda's back. Cross carrying the crying child into the house. Tiedoll bend down and placed a gentle palm onto his adopted sons head. He had tears in his eyes and Kanda then realised how worried the old man must have been.
Tiedoll stood up and gestured for Kanda to follow him back into the house. As soon as he entered he was met with the shrieking of the Snow leopard/Lynx demon. Cross had placed his writhing form on the sofa and was trying to get the child to calm down, but to no avail.
Kanda immediately came up to the child's side. Even though the long haired boy barely ever showed his emotions this time he looked greatly concerned.
The Moyashi had an angry red welt carved into the skin over his left eye. More than a welt it actually went deep into the skin, probably to the bone. It was glowing slightly and pulsed at the same rate as Allen's irregular heartbeat. Kanda noticed there was a star shape just above the boy's eyebrow, just under his white fringe.
The scar crossed through the silver eye and carried on down his cheek where another line intersected that line.
Cross was about to shoo the older boy away when Allen visibly calmed next to the small tigers presence. He shifted hurt silver eyes to look into Kanda's cobalt.
"Thank you for saving me." He whispered before he went to sleep, exhausted from the turmoil and fear he just experienced.
"The boy is marked now, Tiedoll. The Earl will stop at nothing until he gets his prize." Cross had lit a cigarette and was sat in front of the fire with a glass of wine in his other hand. He puffed out a screen of smoke and sighed heavily.
"It's not safe to stay here now. We should leave." Tiedoll was sketching onto a small drawing pad. The scratching of the charcoal adding to the sounds of the crackling fire. He was drawing from memory the sight of his beloved Yuu carrying young Allen to safety on his back. Yuu certainly looked magnificent within the drawing.
"No," cross stubbed the cigarette out onto the mantelpiece and threw the remains into the fire, "I shall leave with the idiot apprentice. There is nowhere for him to stay now."
Tiedoll was about to say something, to retort, but he stopped. He understood.
"What about Yuu? Allen will not want to leave the boys side."
"I will make him forget. The memories of this place will only become deadweight when we need to leave."
The older man nodded at the red headed man. Tiedoll could not refute the younger mans experienced views. Tiedoll trusted the man called Cross, even if the boys would become sad because of his judgement.
Throughout the whole exchange between the two a pair of dark eyes were watching from the confines of the shadows. They were eyes that narrowed more the further along the conversation progressed. The boy that was listening travelled through the shadows, silently, back to the bedroom once the conversation was over.
Kanda knew there was nothing he could do now. He walked over to the young silvery child that lay sleeping deeply under the covers of his bed. He was curled into a tight ball, the pain of his scar permeating into his dreams.
Kanda thought how sad this child was. All this grief he did not deserve. He was so kind and innocent, no one would expect such a good soul to become so tortured in such an early stage of life.
Kanda had to allow Allen to leave. It was the only way for him to stay safe. He bent over and kissed Allen right on the end of his nose. Allen's face, which was just now clenched in pain, unclenched and became calm and more at peace. He smiled in his dream.
Kanda revealed a faint grin that would remain unseen to the snow child sleeping beside him. He whispered into the gloom of the bedroom, quiet but full of hope, "Even if you forget me, I will never forget you," and then he got into bed with Allen and curled up beside him, hugging him, for the last time.
So, what do you think of my little prequel story? I thought of this after I started writing footprints in the snow, but the themes in this story will be revealed in later chapters to its sister story. Please comment what you think, and I will gladly welcome any requests to future developments in Footprints in the snow.