Hey! This is Llama-san with yet another fanfiction XD It's based in medieval times, but i've woven some of the DGM plot in anyway. The title HAD relevance to the story, but i changed the plot :) I like the title, so it's staying.

I hope you like it!

Cendrillon-Chapter 1

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Her boots left dull footfalls as she walked along the stone corridor, ignoring the curt nods of welcome from the guards stationed along the walls. Her eyes were fixed on the heavy wooden door which was steadily growing nearer.

Without knocking, she barged in, startling the guards standing behind the double doors. She stopped in front of seven marble thrones, eyeing the flowing magenta robes of their occupants.

'Ah', a female voice murmured. Despite her low voice, it echoed around the large hall. 'I thought I could feel your charming presence, Phoenix'

It was impossible to tell whether Phoenix saw the humour, as a brown and gold mask covered her entire face, with a grinning slit for a mouth and slanted eye slits.

'I take it your mission went well?', she asked. Phoenix nodded.

'And did you bring our new frien-?', another shadowed figure's voice was cut off as Phoenix nodded again.

'She is currently unconscious in one of our holding cells. Marcus Lowe was about to hand her over to the Earl'

'You killed him then?', another voice asked sharply. Phoenix nodded again. The man leant back, fingers steepled. 'Good. Another one of those damned akuma is gone. Is the girl a magician or an Exorcist?'

'Exorcist', Phoenix replied quietly. There were a few interested murmurs.

'What can she do?', a voice asked eagerly.

'From the little that I saw, she can control time but she gets weary very quickly and cannot maintain it for long'

'Very well then', the first voice announced. 'We have your next mission ready. Kanda and Walker are the only ones to come back from their missions, and they are both wounded. And since you came back relatively unscathed, that leaves you'

'Who is it?', Phoenix asked in the same quiet tone.

'This one should be entertaining, and short', a scroll was thrown down at her. She caught it one-handed and rolled it open. She looked back up, grinning mask not matching her stoic posture.

'A Royal servant', Phoenix muttered. 'He's an akuma?'

'An akuma and one of the young Prince's most loyal servants', the same person confirmed. 'You are to attend a masquerade ball held at the palace tomorrow afternoon and kill him'

Phoenix nodded and turned to leave.

'Phoenix', one of the voices called. She paused. 'Make sure you dispose of any witnesses this time. And see to the girl'

She acknowledged the words with a small jerk of her head and strode back out the double doors. The guards snapped to attention, holding their spears and swords high.

A few minutes later, she was standing outside a thick wooden door, looking through the thin bars at a brown-haired figure slumped against the stone wall.

Her hand hovered in front of the heavy metal lock. Blue sparks shot out of her hand and the door swung open with a small click.

The woman's head snapped up. She had large brown eyes and a permanently worried expression. Her brown hair was tangled, and she clutched her shackled wrists to her knees, which were drawn up to her chest. Her eyes widened when she saw Phoenix entering the room, eyes barely visible through the slits of the mask.

'W-Who are you?', she mumbled. 'Where am I?'

Phoenix slipped her fingers under the black ribbon holding the mask in place and slid it over her head, revealing cat-like amber eyes and a pale-white face. Contrary to the grinning mask, her lips were fuller, and currently set in a straight line. Three small moles on the lower side of her jaw formed a perfect triangle.

'My name is Phoenix', she said quietly. 'What is yours?'

'M-Miranda Lotto', the woman replied nervously. 'Where am I?', she repeated.

'You are in a safe place now', Phoenix murmured. 'We are the Black Order'

Miranda's eyes widened. 'T-The assassin group? What do you want with me?'

'You are one of us now', Phoenix explained. 'I saw your abilities when I came to kill Lowe. You will prove a useful fighter'

Miranda shook her head rapidly. 'All I can do is slow down time. I am not a fighter'

'The Order will train you', Phoenix said. 'We Exorcists and magicians exist to destroy people called akuma. They sell their souls to the Millennium Earl for power and immortality. They sacrifice other human souls to maintain that power. We are sent around the world to kill these akuma, whilst freeing the tormented souls inside them'

Miranda's eyes were wide. 'I thought you just killed innocent people…that's what we were told by the Palace'

Phoenix narrowed her eyes. 'The Palace is corrupt. The Earl and his minions, the Noah, are controlling the Royal family like puppets. They are the evil ones. They gave the people the wrong impression about the Black Order, which is why we are now the most wanted group in the world'

'So…we have been lied to this whole time?', Miranda whispered. Phoenix remained silent. Miranda bit her lip. 'I don't understand all this talk about Exorcists and magicians.'

'Exorcists are humans who have been chosen by God', Phoenix explained. 'You, along with the rest of the world, know us as the Cursed Ones. We are given special weapons, and those weapons are the only things that can destroy akuma. Magicians are able to control elements and minds, and shape shift, though it is very hard and rare. The only other beings who can destroy akuma are vampires, and they are even rarer.'

'What can you do?', Miranda asked timidly.

Phoenix paused before answering. 'I am…different. I am a magician and a vampire', Miranda gave an involuntary gasp and her shackled hands whipped around her throat. Phoenix ignored the action and stood up.

'Do I have to fight?', Miranda asked quietly.

'Yes', Phoenix said quietly. 'From this day on, you are an Exorcist of the Black Order', she turned to leave, but Miranda spoke hastily.

'Wait!', she called. 'Since I am now joining you voluntarily, can you please remove the shackles?'

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'Lavi! Pay attention!', an elderly man with a strange ponytail barked, flinging a small stone at a dazed red-haired boy. He jumped as it struck him on the side of his head and looked around, lifting his chin of his hand.

He narrowed his green eye, the other covered by a black, silk patch. 'Calm down, old man', he snapped. 'It's not my fault you're boring, Panda!'

There was a sharp smacking sound as a black and white paw hit Lavi over the head. He yelped in pain and clutched at it with pale hands, scowling up at his frowning mentor.

'What was that for?', he pouted.

'My name is Bookman!', the man shouted, looming over Lavi despite his height.

'Alright, alright, keep your strange hair on', Lavi said hastily. 'Can't we do something other than etiquette lessons?'

'Your soon-to-be bride will be arriving this afternoon', Bookman muttered. 'Your late parents would not want their only son to humiliate himself in front of his wife because he cannot distinguish a butter knife from a cheese knife!'

'They would be real upset if they saw that', he said sarcastically. 'I don't wanna get married'

'You are eighteen years of age!', Bookman snapped. 'You would have been wed years ago, were it not for the lack of suitable brides'

'I don't even like Chomesuke!', he whined. 'Her voice makes me want to throttle her and her hair is strange'

'This is your problem!', Bookman shouted. 'You find the most mundane things to complain about your would-be brides'

'I don't want to marry some doll', Lavi shrugged. 'Especially some doll I am supposed to spend my life with'

'You do not have a choice', he said wearily. 'Your father is in poor health and you are his only heir. He will throttle you himself if you turn away yet another woman. There are plenty of potential brides out there which you keep shoving to the side like chess pieces'

'Who wouldn't want to be married to me?', Lavi smirked, running a hand through his already messy crimson hair.

'Young fool', Bookman muttered. 'Your wild days are going to be over soon, boy. You will have a wife, a child, and you will take your father's place as king.'

Lavi choked on air. 'I'm lookin' forward to what happens to make children, but I don't actually want any of those things'

'Trust me, neither do I', Bookman breathed. 'I cannot imagine having to teach any offspring of yours'

Lavi frowned. 'I am sure I have just been insulted'

A messenger by the name of Toma stood at the door. Lavi waved at him. He nodded back, a smile beneath the white bandages covering half his mouth.

He walked towards Bookman and whispered something. Bookman nodded and gestured for Toma to leave.

'This lesson is over', he announced. Lavi perked up, smiling.

'Why?', he asked. 'Did someone die?'

Bookman scowled. 'You might if you do not tame your mouth. You are being fitted for tomorrow afternoon's masquerade ball'

Lavi groaned.

----

Phoenix made her way back from the dining hall, arms laden with food. She turned a corner and nearly crashed into Kanda Yuu, whose bare chest was covered in bandages. A worried nurse trailed behind him.

'Che', he growled. He looked down at the pile of food. 'Eating that isn't going to make you grow any taller, elf'

'I'd rather be short than have an appearance opposite my true gender' Phoenix shot back almost immediately. Kanda growled.

'You little-!', Kanda's sentence was cut off as the nurse grabbed his clenched fist, tugging back.

'You are not ready to leave the bay!', she snarled, steadily pulling him back. Kanda flailed at Phoenix, hand missing her face by an inch. She watched him get dragged back, unfazed.

'Phoenix!', a nasal voice called. She looked around.

Johnny Gill, one of the few magicians in the Black Order, ambled up to her, panting. She stared at him, waiting for him to talk.

'I-I was told to bring you this…', he held out a flask. Phoenix could hear some sort of liquid swishing around inside.

Her gaze turned red, and her lips parted as she inhaled the bittersweet scent of blood, even though the cap on the flask was tightly closed.

'It is a g-gift from Komui', Johnny explained nervously. He was rooted to the spot and felt light-headed by Phoenix's stare, which was fixed on the flask. Her eyes had turned the colour of molten gold, and he inwardly cringed at the sight of two gleaming white fangs which were slowly growing longer.

She moved too quickly for him to see. In a flash, the silver flask was out of his hands. He jumped about a foot in the air when it shattered into a hundred pieces against a stone wall, sending splatters of blood everywhere. The assorted foods in Phoenix's arms bounced off the floor, scattering in different directions.

He looked back at Alex, swallowing nervously. Her usually blank face was mutinous. Her eyes were back to their usual amber, and her lips were sealed tight.

'Tell Komui...', she began through gritted teeth. 'To mind his own business and keep out of mine', with that, she stormed past Johnny.

He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and leant against a wall for support.

I don't know how the people here can stay in the same room as her, Johnny thought. Every time I look at her, something inside me seems to wither.

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Phoenix looked at the long item of clothing draped over her bed with something akin to disgust.

It was a long-sleeved white dress with gold trimmings. A matching mask with a plume of feathers on one side sat atop it. Flat white shoes were neatly placed beside it, along with a small piece of parchment.

Lenalee will be over soon to help with the rest.

-Komui Lee.

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That was chapter one :) I will be uploading chapter 2 soon! If you find any typos or errors in my knowledge of medieval times, please let me know!

Till next time,

-Lazy Llama- Please hit the review button to tell me what you think! It'll only take about 10 seconds XD