Okay, I couldn't help myself. I am in love with writing this story. I've made another chapter already! Hope you all enjoy.

Too bad I think I'm turning into Sinner... I'm way too much of a sadist to my Alima-chan right now.

I almost forgot, I added a Disclaimer in the first chapter. Go check it out for the one here. Peace!

-Ryuu

"She was born in a small merchants family of three, now four. Her parents were travelers in a slightly packed caravan. Father, a rather large man with copper blonde hair and droppy green eyes that could make any soul burst in laughter. Her mother, a pretty maiden with light brown hair kept long and crystal blue eyes that couldn't let even a fly starve. They'd met as children and had grown up together as their parents had set them up since birth. Luckily for them, it was a love-filled marriage.

"She was their second daughter, the first child being seven years old when she was born. He looked like a pretty mix of his parents with soft green eyes and short, cropped, dirty blonde hair. He had a frail tanned body that easily bruised, and a terrible immune system to boot. But he was like a bright light. You couldn't look at him and not smile with his carefree and childish attitude. It was not the parent's fault, everyone in the caravan knew so. They were just told that the child was unlucky with Rukh as he was born by a traveler who had stayed with them for a while.

"Alima, she was a healthy girl, but wasn't what her parents- what anyone really- had expected. She didn't bear any resemblance to either of her parents. Instead of the tan skin they held, she had pale skin. Instead of their green and blue eyes, she had a strange tone of orange. Instead of blonde or brown hair, she had somehow gained blue hair. It was truly mystifying, Some said the wife had slept with another man or that they had adopted her, delusioning themselves to believing that she was their own because of their poor son's disability, but the boy believed his parents. And the parents knew that both the children were of their own.

"Though Alima was a child just like any other, she grew up shunned by everyone but her family and a few who tried to take a chance. Few of the women loved the child, most were disgusted by her existence. Most of the men thought she was a cheeky little brat that didn't know how to respect her elders, few knew she was just a child who didn't know what she'd done wrong and tried to get close to her, to take care of her, but all were pulled back by the rest of the group who deemed her unworthy. The children were confused, as their parents told them to do their best not to get near the child as she was bad luck and they would get a lashing, but saw how lonely she was and the way she'd look at them once in a while as they played while she sat alone on the floor they travelled, staying as far away from them as possible.

"They didn't know what to do, but kept their distance as they would be disobeying their elders and would get multiple lashings if they didn't.

"She was lonely in this world. Her parents looked after her brother more, who would look at her as if she were a joke when people weren't around. He would scoff and 'shoo' her like a menace and wisely, she did as she was told. Her pale ink blue hair was always cut short and her features had started to become more masculine than her brother's, but somehow had kept the beauty of her mother, though a bit more graceful. She was a strange child, everyone knew.

"No one ever talked to her, only talked about her. She was the black sheep there and she knew. She knew what was going on. She wasn't just a normal child, her parents saw that when she was born. And so, three years after her birth, somehow already walking and talking as if a nine year old child in mind, her parents named her 'Alima', or wisdom.

"As they got to Reim, they were pressured to orphan her, to leave her to die. Even their elder child wished she was gone and told them honestly that he didn't like her presence, as she made him feel inferior to her for some strange reason. So they had told her to stay put, that they'd come back for her. And they had done something unspeakable while telling the caravan they left her to rot. They never did come back for her. She was alone, an orphan at the age of four with the mentality of a young teenager."

...

Why did brother dislike me?

Why did the other children not play with me?

Why did the adults look at me as if I were a beast?

Why was I different from other children?

Why did I not look like Mother and Father?

Why am I here?

It's getting dark and cold.

Where is Mother? Where is Father? Where is brother? Where is my family?

They told me they'd be back soon.

It's been four hours. I checked so many times, the clock and the door.

Were they getting rid of me?

I'm scared.

Did they hate me that much?

I'm cold. It's starting to rain.

Why was born?

Did brother hate me that much?

Did the guild hate me that much?

I was never loved..

I was a burden wasn't I?

This is my punishment, I can tell.

I want to cry, but why can't I?

They're my family, why can't I feel sad that they left me.

Were they not my family, as I had thought they were?

But Mother, Father, Brother... The tears are starting to fall.

I'm scared. Where are you all?

My eyes are getting heavy.

My chest hurts.

I can't breathe.

I feel pain and I can't think straight.

What was wrong with me?

What was going on?

I can't see anything anymore. I'm slipping. I can't do this.

I'm sorry, Mother, Father, Brother, I wish I could undo the wrong I had done.

I wish I could just see you all once more... and say goodbye and apologize at the very least.

Thank you, for everything..

...

"So horrible... To a child only four, no matter her mentality."

"Don't interrupt me Nevaeh, I lose track like that."

A grumble was heard from the girl, "I didn't mean to. I'm sorry."

"No matter, now where was I? Ah yes, she was abandoned by her 'family'. No matter what she thought, she couldn't sccumb to the dark for some reason. She felt... strange when she had woken up again. She wasn't where she was when she had fallen asleep."

...

A groan escaped thin lips as dull light orange eyes groggily opened. The girl, Alima, felt as if she'd crashed into something extremely hard on her left side of her body as she woke up sitting straight up. Her head hurt, but her chest felt empty. Her brows furrowed before she remembered what had occurred just what felt like a moment before. She'd passed out from the emotional trauma of what had happened last night. Alima sighed and tried to stretch her arms, but eyes widened immediately, sharpening as fast as something clinked and she started to feel a weight on her. Specifically, weights on her wrists and ankles.

She looked around her surrounding to see what she was loathing. People were grieving around her, shackles constricting their mobility as they were around their wrists and ankles, just like hers. She hadn't been abandoned. No, not even close. She sucked in a breath and kept herself calm. She was sold by her two blood parents as a slave.

She wasn't even human to her parents. She chuckled softly before it had risen louder and louder, scaring the slaves around her as she looked as if she had broken. She knew they'd seen this before. No, what scared them was that a four year old, a measly four year old had been taken and had so quickly, so willing accepted what they couldn't and that she knew that being a slave was bad news. It probably was the reason why they backed away from her. She had started laughing loudly as she rose octaves. She hid her face as she started to silently shake, her face hidden by her hands.

The cell was dark and damp, no window there to give them even a small shed of light. But there was a candle. A candle in the middle of the room that flickered around and about.

She had tired out, fallen asleep, but woke up a while later when most the slaves had fallen asleep, all but her. Alima had seen it and slowly crawled to it, stopping in front of the mystical thing, hands placed in between her legs which spread by her sides, her body making an 'm' shape without her arms from the back. In all its beauty. It flickered silently, so modestly, giving off a soft glow. "It's pretty isn't it." The girl nodded, opting to stay quiet and bask in the object in front of her.

So small and so common, no one really looks at them with much thought. It was just something that was there, but she knew, it wasn't just something that was there. To Alima, it felt as if it symbolized something. Her irises glowed off of the light, her hair looking as black as the night as it passed her shoulders, tumbling down to her waist. She found the reason no one had cut her hair was because of the more money they would be payed if she was 'prettier'. She didn't get the point of vanity. It just made people want more than they had.

She gently pushed those thoughts away and watched silently watched the candle light, the rustling of clothing getting closer as the soft padding of footsteps echoed through the room before the other person had sat next to her. Alima didn't look, but she could tell they were older than her by a few years and male, judging by his voice and presence.

"Why do you look at the candle like that?"

She then spoke for the first time since she'd had been sold off by her family. No, that wasn't the word. They were just people who had similar genes to hers. That was all they were now. "Like what." Her voice was barely audible and hoarse, making her mentally sigh. That was what she got for not using it as she should, instead opting to be silent.

"Why do you look as if the candle is alive, like it's hiding something?" He was a curious one, no doubt he was here longer than her by the way he had adjusted to the 'new slave' so quickly and hadn't stayed far away from her, though as tense as he may be.

Alima glanced at the boy and saw his face for the first time. He had shaggy rusty blonde hair that had a fringe hiding his blue eyes that would show once in a while as he moved. His thin eyebrows were scrunched up as he looked at the candle, concentrating to try to see what she saw in it, a frown on his full lips. He was pale, paler than her, but not as it would seem he was sick. He was around thirteen, much older than she had thought he was at first. She would only reach his hips at most. She stopped studying him after a moment and looked back at the small candle in the center of the room. A loose silence had entered the room, only soft breathing from the other captured people filling up the void.

"It's like the world," She said after a while, making the boy snap his head at her curiously, "The world is a big place filled with darkness and it's scary," Alima paused for a moment as she caught her breath before speaking once more," but there's always that one small spark of light that can outshine it all when it has the chance. It's like a firefly at night. They'll come out when it becomes dark and a whole bunch of them will follow, making sure it wasn't dark anymore." She spared him a glance, only to see him gawking at the four year old.

"Oi, how old are you?" She blinked before counting her fingers and holding up four chubby fingers. The boy's jaw fell to the floor, "No way!" He almost forgot to whisper, but caught himself just in time, toning it down as he spoke, "You sound like those old guys, but cuter!" He stood up and pointed at her, "From now on, you're my imouto."

Alima tilted her head and he gushed, "Oh you're so cute! I promise I'll get you out of here okay?" He held out a hand to her and she stared at it before looking at him.

She opened her mouth, "What's your name?"

He froze before blushing red, "Oh gosh, I'm sorry. I did all this without you knowing who I was." He gave her a grin, "I'm Fritz. You?" She bit her lip, "Alima.."

Fritz looked at her, his grin widening, "Your name even means 'wise'. So fitting Alima-chan."

Alima gave a slight frown and with her young age, it looked like a pout, "Don't add 'chan'. I'm not a baby. I'm four."

He snickered at her, "Sure you aren't Alima-chan." She was about to say something but he cut her off, "So what do you say Alima-chan? Be my imouto and we'll get out of here together?" Right, his hand was still in front of her, ready for her to grasp.

He gave a blinding grin and she looked at the boy with wide eyes. He was so... radiant. And here he was asking her, a mistake, to become someone close to him and promising to get both of them out of here alive? She held back a gasp and nodded.

Fritz pouted, "Oh come on now, you need to shake my hand."

Alima didn't move for a moment and Fritz was sure she wasn't going to so he was about to retract his hand when he felt something soft mold into his right hand. His eyes widened as he saw Alima looking away with a blush and slight tears as she looked away, "I promise." Both her hands were holding his as there were chains and one hand couldn't fit into his.

Fritz was frozen for a moment and Alima looked over to the too-silent boy to see him grinning so brightly at her, it nearly made her cry of how great of a person was in front of her, "I promise I'll protect you Alima-chan."

...

"Was he really that radiant Grandpa?"

"Well, this was thousands of years ago so I don't know. But I think Alima loved him very much, as a brother of course. He was always there for her. Fritz took beatings for her, made sure they weren't sold, and protected the two of them by fighting in her stead when he could in the gladiator arena. But one day-"

"What do you mean 'but one day'?"

"Let me keep going?"

Nevaeh blushed, "I'm sorry Grandpa, please keep going."

He nodded, "Well, as I was saying, he was always there for her, protecting the two of them and making sure the two weren't that noticed, but enough that they weren't sold off on an auction and kept in the custody to make money for the slave traders. But one day, everything came crashing down."

"How?"

...

"You promised."

"..."

"You said you'd stay with me."

"..."

"You said that you weren't going anywhere without me."

"..."

"You left me anyways."

"..."

"You said you'd break the two of us out, so why is it only me?"

"..."

"You freed me, you broke my chains, but why didn't you break yours?"

"..."

"Why aren't you answering me."

"..."

"You're the more important one. You were just like the candle light, you know that?"

"..."

"I know you were the one who was loved by the Rukh, so why did you let yourself die?"

"..."

"You shouldn't be there. I should be in your place. Don't you dare go Fritz!"

"..."

"Why did you get in front of me?"

"..."

"Why were you the one to fall."

"..."

"You could have left without me. I wasn't that important. I know that, so why did you do it?"

"..."

"A-Answer me.. Please."

Rain pitter-pattered on the girl, who was now seven years old and had cut her hair. Bruises, scrapes, scratches, scars and wounds were all scattered around her lithe body. Alima was on her knees, in front of a smiling dead body, a corpse without a soul, with no Fritz there to tell her it was going to be alright.

She sobbed silently, petting his head, raking her hands through his hair like she had done so many times before when she was bored. Her brother, her savior, her world, her everything was now gone. Just in a moment, he was taken away from her. She never even got to say goodbye to him, but he smiled as he saw her, his eyes shining with an emotion she didn't know. Blood was all over his torso and was still rapidly rushing out.

Why, why of all people, did it have to be Fritz?

He was the one who should have lived. He was the one who would change the world. This cruel, sickeningly beautiful world. He was going to have an impact on it, so why did he have to jump in the way of the blade. Of all places, why did it have to strike straight through his body? Through his life? Why was life so short? Why did the Rukh take him away?

The sobs grew in intensity as she remembered when he had first smiled at her, called her 'Alima-chan', teased her relentlessly, took beating for her, took the blame for her, told her everything would be okay, when he said they could be together forever. He even fought in the coliseum to keep them together. She found her voice and forced it quickly to be strong as she spoke, unwilling to let this one chance go to talk with him.

"You didn't keep your promise you idiot. You need to stay with me. You promised and I won't forgive you if you don't get up right now. You're an idiot. How can you keep your promise if you die right now? I seriously won't forgive you Fritz. Come on, I'll even call you 'nii' if you wake up. Don't leave me here alone, you outrageous idiot. You can't let that candle light stop. You know, since you died, more fireflies are probably going to come out and play. You need to see the fireflies at least. You told me you'd never seen one before right? So let's go.. Let's go see th-the fir-fireflies..."

She felt her voice stop in her throat that constricted. Alima was unable to make another noise as she looked at his face. It was so peaceful, so calm, so serene, so Fritz.

Alima faked an impatient sigh and forced her voice out and to be as haughty as possible, "Well, I guess I can forgive you this time, but don't do it again okay?"

She sounded desperate as she heard herself speak and chided herself. She didn't speak again as he stayed unresponsive, his body cold.

Alima didn't know how much time had passed, but she knew it was well passed four hours as bugs started to eat at Fritz's dead body. She stood up on shaky feet and said her last words to him before she walked into the forest, "I'll never forget you.. Fritz-nii. You were the biggest idiot I ever know."

I'll never forget you.

Then she was gone.

Edit: So from here on, the chapters will be rewritten, but be vaguely similar to what they are now. Very, very vaguely similar to what they are now.