There is a city on a mountain top. The world below shrouded in darkness. The shroud poisonous and destructive. The remnants of a once great evil. A beast. The beast plagued the world destroying everything in its path. When humanity was on the brink of extinction, six great heroes appeared. Each of extreme power. They battled this beast, and eventually defeated it. The beast slowly sunk, defeated. It died out. The human race was safe. As the beast was gone, the human's rebuilt and returned to their former glory. They built massive cities on mountaintops to escape the world below because of the detrimental poison the beast had left behind. These cities were called Hierarchical cities. Wanting to thank those who saved them was for naught. For those great heroes had disappeared and were never heard from that day. Or, so every normal person thought. Then there are those few who do play a major part in the story of life. This story, however, takes place in the 13th Hierarchical city of Kagutsuchi. A beautiful city, a classic city. From the ordered lives of the nobles and of the Novus Orbis Librarium to the lowly slums, where the unlucky few cannot see the break of day. A few miles ungrounded in a hidden place. Not so hidden to a few but to the masses. A lab stands, with scientists all around. Deeper, however in a dark room filled with monitors, some discarded pizza and candy boxes, wrappers of some sort scattered about the floor, stands a woman and a seemingly over built red man with amber spectacles. He is some sort of hybrid between superhuman and a machine. The woman with her amber-golden eyes seemed to be sucking on a lollipop, he hands were through of hat seemed to be a white jacket that resembled a giant cat, the sleeves were cut so her hands could easily slip I and out of her red Capri pants with a black belt with a golden belt attached to it. Her hair was pink and extremely long. She had tufts of hair bound up to appear like cat ears. There were dark circles under her eyes, from lack of sleep. There was a tense aura in the room as the man had a worried look on his face as he looked at the woman. He gulped softly and then spoke.

"Hey Kokonoe, aren't you expecting you're little brother to come soon?" the man's voice said, in a deep but clean tone.

The woman, in what seemed to be a white lab coat with long cat arms spoke hatefully. "Yea, well don't expect much from him, he's a complete klutz. He can't do anything right, let alone fight. I bet to this day that little bitch hasn't even seen a sliver of blood from ou- his parents 'protection'." Her tone was that of an emphasis mock. Her voice was slightly muffled however. She pulled out a light blue lollipop from her mouth.

"Erm, you really do sound like you hate him. Did he ever…hurt you in anyway?" the man asked.

The woman closed her gold-amber eyes and pushed up her glasses. "If you mean smearing his unwanted image across the face of the planet, then hell yes."

"Kokonoe, you really shouldn't be talking about your own bro—"

"Excuse me? Were you about to tell me what I should and shouldn't do?" The woman sneered.

"Kokonoe I—"

"That boy can be corrupted by all the seithr in the fucking world and I still wouldn't give a shit about his whiney ass! That boy is nothing but trouble and is NO brother of mine! Hell. Maybe I should just shun him when he comes. He'd want to leave, that little prick."

"I hardly doubt he's done anything to you to make you speak of him in such a manner."

The woman named Kokonoe, glared at him with her golden eyes. The man got the message. The man sighed.

"Well he's your brother, when he gets here you'll have to deal with him somehow. But please, try and be nice to him. After all, you are his sister, and I'm sure he loves you and can't wait to see you." The man started for the door. "For his sake, I hope he doesn't come out to be like as you mentioned." He opened the door and left as the woman tried to call his name giving more insult to impending guest.

"That boy couldn't change for the world not even if- Tager! TAGER! Ah fuck it." She looked down. "So after all this time HE wants him to stay with me? Bitch please. I have way more important things to do with my valuable time. Now, back to location that insane sonuvvabitch." The woman named Kokonoe, sat down in front of a monitor. She started to type rigorously. Her eyes glued the screen emanating a blue glow. She closed her eyes and sighed. The man named Tager's words echoed through her head.

"Peh, little brother, what a joke. The day I call him my brother is the day he will actually mean something to me." She took the lollipop out of her mouth once more and glared at it. She then took off her glasses and rubbed her eye with the bottom of the palm of her hand and yawned. She then slowly put her glasses back on and worked on her computer until the morning sun arose, high above the 13th Hierarchical city of Kagutsuchi.

When the next day came, she was still heavily at work. It was around noon by the time she took a break. "Where the hell is that little runt?" she sighed. She then took a tour of her own laboratory, as she walked around she looked at what seemed to be a young girl, wired into the wall. She had blonde hair, her skin tone was tanned, and a black and white battle armor. Kokonoe stared for a moment and then walked over to the monitor beside the girl. She checked the status on the robot-human hybrid girl. "Lambda-11…" she said softly. At that moment, the superhuman man named Tager walked back in. "Err, Kokonoe?" Kokonoe turned around with a bitter expression on her face and saw a little tail behind Tager.

"Huh…?" She said. Tager looked behind him.

"Erm, yeah well your younger brother is here." Tager stepped to the side and revealed a young man not much younger than Kokonoe. His hair was a dark pink. It looked almost like a red color. His tails were black were dark pink as well. His clothes were similar to that of Kokonoe but with his own touch. As in instead of a white it was black and gold. He didn't have the sleeves cut for his arms; instead the claws of the jacket were cut off for his hands. His pants were black men's bellbottoms. His eyes were red and he had carbon frame glasses. He looked about nervously. Then his eyes met his sisters, his blood red eyes glaring into her golden ones. He then ran over to her and tried to hug her and Kokonoe side stepped, hmphing. He lost his footing and fell, but still didn't make a sound. She closed her eyes for a second and pushed up her glasses and took the lollipop out from her mouth and held it from the bottom of the stick with her index finger and her thumb.

"Don't ever touch me." Kokonoe said bitterly.

Tager feeling awkward being in the room had slipped out with out notice.

The young man stood up slowly and fixed his own glasses and blew a bubble from some gum he had been chewing. He then looked down sadly. Timidly, he looked up at her afterwards.

"What?" Kokonoe asked. "Freakin' spit it out already!"

"U-uh…I-I missed you…" the boy smiled slightly.

"Yeah weeeeeeeell I still don't give a shit about you…"

"How can you even—?"

"Say that? Because I fucking can!" Kokonoe put the lollipop back in her mouth and slipped her hands in the sleeves of her jacket and turned around walking away. "Oh and Xatias, go fucking die." She laughed and walked through an automatic door.

The boy's name being revealed was Xatias. "The…Black…Dahlia." He said darkly. Kokonoe then turned around as the automatic door shut in her face. The door had a 30 second lock on it for safety reasons. In that time Xatias had put on clip-on ear phones and had then walked out the door, past the eavesdropping Tager.

"Erm…" Tager barely spoke as Xatias passed him. "Hey, kid." Tager tried to speak to him but it was futile. Xatias's music was too loud for him to hear. He blew a bubble with his gum and it popped loudly. Tager then followed him and grabbed his shoulder with his massive hand. Xatias froze in terror from a secret fear of Tager. That's why he had the urge to hug Kokonoe when he first saw her. He then turned around slowly.

"Y-yes?" he took out his earphones.

"Do you mind if I interr- err, ask you a few questions?"

"N-no go right ahead."

"Why does Kokonoe hate you so much? She seems extra bitter around you."
"I don't know, I don't think I ever did anything to her."

Tager was silent for a moment and then asked another question. "What did you mean by 'Black Dahlia'?"

"Oh it's a song. By Hollywood Undead. It's an extremely old song, from the early 2000's"

"T-the early 2000's?" Tager exclaimed.

"Yep nearly 200 years ago."

"How did you ever get a hold of a song like that?"

"It's a long story scary red guy."

"Scary red guy?"
"Oh yes, I'm actually terrified of you, I don't know why, you just scare me."

"Uh, well I'm sorry for the inconvenience, allow me to excuse myself then."

"Oh uh, it's alright." Xatias waited for a moment and then after Tager had left he walked to an elevator and pushed the call button. He stepped in the elevator when it dinged open and then pressed the top floor button or in this case, the button to the world above. The elevator doors close as the numbers above the doors decreased. The elevator rose up and eventually reached the surface world. As the elevator doors reopened the sun broke through the little crack of the doors and hit Xatias directly in the eye. He cringed and covered that eye, rubbing it slightly and walked out into the world. Up the road he walked was a cavern and through it was the 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi. He walked until he came to a place called Orient Town. He wandered for a while as lost as a mouse in a maze with no cheese at the end. The lights made his glasses turn into shades. He wandered around a bit more until he accidently bumped into a woman whose cup size was rather…large. Her hair was bunned with what seemed like a small panda on top. She wore a doctors outfit, in the style of something Chinese. She also wore a long skirt which had some exposure on her thighs.

"O-oh I'm sorry miss…?" The sentence that was supposed to be a statement turned into a question when the woman looked at Xatias with a drunken expression.

"Hhhhey! Kid, yo-you gotta watch where you're going and show some cour..tesy to the ladies around here, huh?" Her tone was definitely that of a drunken woman's.

"U-uhh…are you ok, ma'am? You seem a bit…off."

"W-who me? Naaah naaah I'm absolutely fiiine~ I've never felt better, honestly."

"If you say so ma'am…"

"Hey kid, how bout I buy you a drink? You look like you've been troubled."

"Well, my sister is kind of being a big meanie." Xatias looked away slightly.

"A big meanie? Ha ha! Wow. You already crack me up, kid. Come on!" she put an arm around Xatias, him feeling slightly uncomfortable. They then proceeded to walk into a bar.

"Hey get some sake for this young gentleman, will ya?" She shouted to the bar tender as they sat down. "A-and some for me too!" Having a lot to drink already a lot to drink she pressed on. She grabbed the drink when the bar tender placed them in front of us. She then proceeded to down her drink with a speed. Xatias nervously looked at his glass.

"Hey, whazza matter? Never drank before?" She asked.

"N-no, not really."

"Well its eaaaaaaasy, ya just gotta drink. Simple."

"Well…if you say so." Xatias lifted his glass to his mouth and then slowly started to gulp his drink. Everyone's eyes were on him. He then put his glass down. There was a moment of silence. Xatias then instantly leaned back in his chair and exclaimed. "That was awwwweeeesommmmeee~" Xatias laughed and the woman smiled. The others in the bar cheered. "Ha haaaa~! Good kid, not bad or your first."

"Yeah, I guess. Hey what's your name anyway miss?"

"No need for the formalities, kiiid. The names Litchi, Litchi Faye Ling."

"Oh then it's nice to meet you Litchi." Xatias smiled. It was a genuine smile. Or so everyone thought. Litchi laughed drunkenly. "Anyway! Let's make this a great night! HERES TO A NEW FRIENDSHIP!" Xatias and Litchi tapped there refilled glasses together and then chugged their drinks like they were best friends all their lives. They drank until morning. Litchi was as drunk as hell. Xatias was still amazingly sober and he had drunk way more than Litchi did. Litchi had passed out. Xatias didn't want to leave her behind but he asked the bartender if he could put in a word for him so Litchi would understand. He then happily left the bar around noon and immediately bumped into Tager.

"Oh scary red guy...hi." Xatias smiled weakly and put his hands in his pockets.

"Oh Xatias, just the person I was looking for. Kokonoe requested that you return to the lab at once."

"Oh um, ok then. I don't really have a choice do I?"

"I wouldn't count on it, she sounded pretty angry."

"Oh, great." Xatias was the picture of sarcasm. "Anyway, let's go." He sighed.

"Alright then." Tager started to walk back to Sector 7 as Xatias followed behind him. As they went through the elevator, down into the ground and into the lab, Xatias felt uneasy. As they walked through a lab door Xatias glared at the back of his sisters head.

"Tager. Leave." Kokonoe ordered.

"Uh, yes ma'am." Tager then whispered to Xatias. "I wish you the best, kid."

"Yeaaaah…thanks." Xatias whispered back. Tager had left the room closing the door behind him. Kokonoe then turned around her eyes closed. Xatias started to push his index fingers together repeatedly in a shy manner. After a while, Kokonoe opened her eyes and then instantly had a look of rage on her face, walked up to Xatias and smacked him clean across his face. His glasses flew off and landed on the ground with a cracking sound.

"Where the fuck were you yesterday!" Kokonoe yelled. "HE called and asked about YOU, I didn't know so I got chewed out for your idiocy! You can't do any fucking thing right can you?" Xatias remained silent. "Aww, is the little prick to scared to answer back? Be a fucking man for once in your good-for-nothing life!" Xatias still remained silent and went to go pick up his glasses. "OH, SO NOW YOU PLAN ON IGNORING ME? MOTHERFUCKER GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!" Kokonoe reached to Xatias and grabbed the back of his shirt pulling him, and slightly choking him from the shirts collar. "Listen, you will never amount to anything in my eyes so why don't you just leave and stay the hell out of my life!" Xatias started to frown. His eyes sunk to that of a soulless person (or like Saya's).

"Why…do you not want me as a brother? Have I ever done anything to you to make you hate me so much? Can you please tell me? If…if it amounts to be good…then you will never hear from me again."

"You! . . ." Kokonoe said nothing after that one word.

"Could it be that you have no one else to take your frustration out on? So you take it out on me? Because…if it truly does make you feel better, then I have no problem with it."

Kokonoe was dead silent.

"What you said how I wouldn't amount to anything, it isn't true…I came here…I came here to learn from you Kokonoe. I want to work alongside the sister that I never knew in hopes of building a bond that never existed."

Kokonoe loosed her grip and Xatias turned around and smiled, putting on his glasses. Kokonoe looked away in a tsundere-ish way.

"Um sis?"

Kokonoe didn't answer for about a half a minute and then said, "What?"

"Um, could you possibly make me an Ars Magus? You don't have to, I just want to help you out in the field, and I can't really do anything in here."

Kokonoe was silent. "An Ars chooses its master, you can't just make one and expect it to obey you, you obey it." Kokonoe started to walk towards the door. "What were you doing out all night anyway?"

"Oh, I was uh…drinking." He laughed weakly and smiled goofily.

"Drinking, with whom?"

"A woman named Litchi, she's really nice."

"LITC—" Kokonoe caught her self before any truly noticeable exclamation. "Litchi huh? That bitch."

"Do you know her sis—Kokonoe?" Xatias looked away.

"Yeah, she used to be an underling of mine. Then she deserted."

"Oh…"

There was a silence for a moment and then Kokonoe spoke. "You can call me sis if you want to, just don't get used to it. You're going to be my little pawn soon enough."

Xatias's face was blank for a second and then lit up in a smile. "A-alright!"

"Anyway, I didn't show you to your room yet."

"Oh yeah, I was at the bar all night."

Kokonoe laughed softly, so softly that no one could've heard. She then motioned for Xatias to follow her as she walked down a corridor.

"So uh…which one's your room, sis?" Xatias asked shyly.

"It's the one all the way at the end of the hall on the left. I barely use it, I barely sleep actually. You can use mine if you want."

"Wait huuuh? You barely sleep? That's no good for your health, Kokonoe!"
"Hey, hey I know what and what's not good for my own damn health alright?"

"Y-yea, I got ya."

Xatias and Kokonoe proceeded to Kokonoe's room, there, there was a pre-made bed and a computer and a window with a vast view of the sky and a world of darkness below. Xatias plopped on the bed and yawned.

"Bluh, I didn't even sleep last night anyway, so why am I talking?"

"Heh."

Xatias then got up and looked around.

"If you need anything you know where to find me." Kokonoe started for the door. Xatias silently crept up behind her and threw his voice a bit farther than he was close. "Hey sis…?"

Kokonoe answered her back still turned. "Yeah?"

Xatias then hugged her from behind. "It's…great to be home…good day…" He then walked back to the bed and took off his coat. He then lay on the bed. Kokonoe just walked out the door. "Tomorrow we will see if an Ars will like you or not." She closed the door. "Good 'night' sissy~" Xatias said in a slightly cute tone.

"Good 'night', brother…" Kokonoe sighed softly and then closed the door walking back to her monitors and then working on them.

Xatias covered up in his blanket and closed his eyes and fell dreamily to sleep.