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The Tutor

I died twice. My first life was boring, the most exciting part of it was me giving birth. Unfortunately, that ended with me dying. Now my second life, on the other hand, was interesting. Though that might have been because I ended up as ninth apostle's tutor.

How, you ask? Well, here's your answer:

"Corian. Wake up." I groaned, why couldn't I sleep in?

"Corian. Don't make me tell you twice. You are an employee of mine so get out of bed." Came the second warning.

I sighed but opened my eyes. "I'm awake. You can go wake up some other poor unfortunate soul like Fred."

Thankfully, the inn keeper hadn't opened the curtains so I didn't have to squint my eyes too much. The lady laughed ruefully at my comment.

"You just want Fred to snap out of it, don't you?" She asked with pity in her eyes.

I didn't meet her gaze instead I got out of the hard bed and opened the heavy curtains. "So what if I do? It just isn't natural to see him sulking."

"You're right. It isn't." She agreed softly. "Hopefully you'll be able to help him. "

"I doubt it. Only she could help him but she's..." I trailed off as my stomach clenched.

"Dead." The inn keeper finished for me.

Jessica with no last name, girlfriend of Fred had kicked the bucket leaving me and Fred alone. She had always been sick, always coughing and feverish, but she had been doing better. At least I had thought so.

The woman left seeing that I had retreated within the safeties of my own mind.

Just why hadn't she told us? Had she not trusted us? No. It was because she knew we would have taken her to the doctor. Jessica had never trusted doctors. She had never told us why and I had never pried. Simple.

It was an unspoken rule we street rats had. You don't pry, we don't pry.

Now I hated that rule. If not for that stupid rule, we would've pried, she would've told us, and we would've gotten rid of that fear or distrust or whatever it was. And Jessica might have been alive and in the flesh right now.

"Argh! Why Jessica!? You knew Fred couldn't function without you. And what about me? Just what am I supposed to do now?!" I yelled before falling quiet as the sound echoed around me. I shivered. The cold from outside was coming in which meant I had a job to do. I didn't have time to be wallowing in self-pity.

I opened my wardrobe and grabbed the first outfit. I didn't have that many to start with, I only had three. One was for everyday chores, another for going outside, and the last one for special occasions. I had grabbed the former.

Once I was dressed, I headed towards Fred's room before pausing. I wouldn't be able to help him so why bother trying?

I turned around and walked back to the rickety stairs that I used each day. As I went down it, I tried to stifle the creaks and groans that it made under my weight for the inn keepers customers that were still sleeping.

I made my way to the kitchen where I could hear the pots and pans being move around and orders being given by the head cook.

"Hello." I said meekly upon entering. An assistant cook nearby nodded her head in greeting before turning back to the bread she had been kneading. I looked around before seeing the head of the operations being performed around me. "Mrs. Cornelius!"

She turned towards me and a smile flashed across her face before she took in my appearance. She scowled and marched towards me.

"Cori! I've told you before, your hair needs to be put up in an acceptable manner." She scolded. I pouted, it wasn't my fault that my hands were big and clumsy to that point where I couldn't put my curly chestnut in a nice tight braid like her.

Ms. Cornelius had brown hair like me but hers could always be seen in a braid that reached her lower back. She was a kind but strict person and treated me like I was her daughter. I didn't mind.

If anything it felt good to be treated like anything. Going from loved to hated had been terrible shock for me as in my fist life I had been rich and pampered, while in this century I had been born only to be tossed aside like trash.

So it was a nice change for once.

"Come here." She sighed and pulled out a chair for me to sit on. While I got settled, she took out her hair brush and whispered something to another cook who after receiving the message shouted that it was now break time.

The cooks scattered taking the warmth with them leaving the kitchen with only it's aroma of baked bread to keep us company.

I tilted my head back when she stroked my hair that way it would be easier for her. While she brushed my hair my mind drifted.

Ever since I had been brought here, I had wondered if I was in the same world as I had been and if so which century. So far I was almost certain I was in the same world because I hadn't encountered any aliens or mystical beasts. I figured I was safe from that though I wasn't a big history nerd so I wasn't sure of the time period. It might have been the 19th century if it was, than it was most likely the early part of the century.

I had always tried to check the newspaper to see the date but the world was cruel. I had tried to look at the newspaper when I was young but with my street rat look, the guy selling them had thought I was going to steal one and had shooed me away before I could get a good look. Even now when I was older and had a job the guy wouldn't let me near.

I didn't like him. At all.

"There you go. You now look more like the presentable young lady you are." Ms. Cornelius said before shoving a bread roll in my face. "Eat up and gather some firewood."

I nodded and left with my hair in braids and a warm roll in my hands

I met with the inn keeper as I was leaving. "I'm going to get some firewood. Is there anything you need me to do while I'm at it?"

She shook her head, "no. Though Fred left a couple of minutes ago. I think he went to go see her grave again."

My heart dropped slightly. Fred needed to get his act together, I couldn't keep taking his shifts. Regardless, I smiled and said, "Okay, thanks for telling me."

I strolled outside where it was lightly snowing. The small white flakes made me gasp in wonder. No matter how many times I saw this winter sight, my breath was always taken away.

It was just so beautiful. Everything sparkled and I couldn't even feel the cold under my garments. It was the winter wonderland I had always dreamed of.

I walked towards the pile of sticks that were stacked on the side of the inn and finished the nice warm roll. Before I reached to grab a couple, I exhaled over my hands to make sure they were warm. When I did that I couldn't help but observe the white puff that came out of my rosy mouth. It slowly vanished becoming one with the air surrounding it.

As it disappeared, I heard a faint shout in the distance. I whirled around, it was Fred's. I felt it in my young, chilled bones.

I started running as possibilities flashed through my mind. Maybe he had fallen in the snow and needed help? Maybe he had tripped in a ditch I didn't know about in the dense forest surrounding the inn on all three sides? Maybe someone had kidnapped him? Maybe… I shook my head. It wouldn't do me any good to think like that.

"Jessica!" This time I was able to hear what the shout said. Why would he be shouting it this loud? He had been fine mumbling it yesterday.

As I came upon the realization that he wasn't in trouble, I slowed down to a jog with a sigh of relief. I wouldn't be losing two of my best friends in less than a week.

I made a turn that would lead me to the small cemetery the inn had for some weird reason that had never interested me. I squinted trying to see Fred through the trunks of trees and frowned when I saw three figures, not just one. Had he invited anyone? No that wasn't right, he only had me and Jessica as friends, so who were they?

I sped up again and cursed the fact that I wasn't fit. Because if I was in-shape, then I would already be up there with him. Damn it!

As I got closer, I identified Fred but the other two were still mysteries for me. Huh, maybe I did need glasses. I sighed, Jessica had won an agreement without even knowing. Or in my case, I had just lost an agreement with a dead person.

One of the silhouettes was closer to Fred while the fatter one was further away. In fact, it almost seemed as though it was watching over them.

I inhaled loudly and got ready to run faster than I was, I had a really ominous feeling about this. My legs felt like lead after running this long and my arms were numb from the cold that had seeped through my outfit. My nose was probably all pink too.

Finally, I reached the small clearing filled with tombstones and yelled. "Get the hell away from hi-"

My shaky knees gave out and I fell to the ground with a thump. If I had seen ordinary people, I would've have jumped right back up and kicked their theivin' behinds. But would you count a metallic skeleton and a fat person who had a talking umbrella as ordinary? Absolutely not.

I really hoped they hadn't heard me and a felt my face flush with guilt. I was leaving Fred all alone.

"Well, well, who is this person~?" My heart skipped a beat. They had seen me. I was going to die right this second. I screwed my eyes tight and braced myself for my second death. As I did so a name popped up in the back of my mind, the Millennium Earl.

Who the heck was that? I scrambled up all the knowledge I had in my mind and searched through it. Where had I heard that before? C'mon, c'mon, Corian. You can do this to save your life, can't you?

Yes, I can, I thought as I opened my blue eyes to the world I had been living in for sixteen years.

The first thing I saw were a pair of shining glasses that prevented me from seeing his eyes. He wore a pale cape that stopped right at his ankles and his hat had little, multi-colored stars decorating it. His grin stretched from one ear to another showing off his white teeth.

"My, my~ Maybe you should be the one he kills first." He wondered pressing his hands together in excitement.

I felt a shiver crawl up my spin. I took a deep breath to calm my frantic mind as I had made my choice.

The person standing right in front of me was the Millennium Earl who made people akuma by getting people to call their loved ones back to Earth. Exactly what Fred had done.

A tear gathered in the corner of my lids and I blinked rapidly trying to get them to go away. Dammit Fred! Dammit!

I knew this because one of my friends had watched the show and whenever something remotely exciting had happened she would come to me and rant. For once, I was glad she had forced me to watch the first episode which had been the introduction of the show. Of course, it had been a while back so I couldn't remember everything but I remembered the basics, which was what mattered.

I cleared my throat while slowly pushing myself up, "Ear-"

A strangled scream had cut me off. I turned around to see and threw up. Jessica had just entered Fred's body and I had watched it all. The Earl chuckled at my reaction.

The acid burned the back of my throat but I had no choice. I had to continue to talk. "E-Earl, I can help you." I coughed slightly, "Road does not do her homework, does she?"

He cocked his head to the right, "she does not~"

I nodded and wiped my mouth, feeling some of the bread I had eaten earlier sticking to my face with the throw up. "I can help her with her studies and homework."

"How will a mere street rat like you help Road?" He questioned and I froze.

I hadn't thought out the idea, I hadn't had the time. "Uh."

He turned around and what was no longer Fred approached me.

"Wait!" I came up with something. "You can get… a, uh, Noah to teach me!"

The Earl paused and swung the umbrella for a full turn around his wrist before turning back around. "And why would I do that~?"

"Road would finally be educated!" I reasoned desperately. I had never been truly determined before in my life but I was now. I would not die yet.

"Hm~" The gleam on his spectacle's finally disappeared and the green-yellow eyes studied me. I clenched my fists together and stood straighter. "Fine~ Come along now, child."

My body sagged under my relief. I was able to live another day in this messed up world.

They were now numbered though. I was going to live with the Noah, the people who wanted to kill my race, and tutor one of them.

And to think it was Christmas day too. At least some people got the white Christmas they wanted.