Chapter 1: Cold Heart

It was calendar year 1240, as one of the wheels of destiny, after 40 years of being rigidly bount, seemed to set motion once again, getting out of its stoic position. Oh so slowly, the sand of time rippled down, as the story begins, taking place on Oran.

Oran, a small isolated Island in the ocean, far away from the mainland. War had torn apart the Island from within, changed the once so alive island. An invisible barrier built around, stopped the time; the world around moved on while in Oran everything seemed to stay still. For the survivors and generation born there the whole world was only this island, as if nothing else existed in their clouded mind, they lived their life without looking around. Now and then people came from the mainland but they never really became accepted, they became the Outsiders of Oran.

Where democratized and arranged order once was, now only a display of masquerade existed, while brute strength ruled the street. If you are strong you make the rules, if weak you wont be able to live like you want it. The heroin of our story followed this rule as she was living alone in Oran. She grew strong as the years passed and didn't let others look down on her or do what their wanted as it was her life and her will which kept her going.

In a narrow alley of Oran, where darkness and shadows ruled during a cold autumn night, it started...

"Spare me pl.." He pleaded, sweat dripping down from his chin. She didn't care for his pleading. Her fist collided with full force into his stomach. His words died on his lips while he coughed for air. Stumbling back he tipped some trashcans down with him as he crashed on the wall, slumbering down and using the wall as support while his arms wrapped around his stomach.

Breathing heavily he looked up to his attacker, his vision blurry from the banks of his brown hair and his mind clouded from the pain. These emerald eyes shone so bright in the dim lighted side-street while everything around them was so dark. The boy felt a cold chill running down his spine, looking at them; no emotion to spare for him in these eyes. He felt so small under the glare, feeling as if his existence would be frozen under them.

She grabbed his collar roughly and made him stand up. His weak legs barely holding him up as his stomach still send jolts of pain and his lungs were begging for more air.

"Please…" Again he pleaded, wanting to get away. He saw the anger flare up in her eyes due to his cowardly pleading. As it was cowardly and for the weak, who believed that it would get them out of any situation. For those who chained themselves on the hope that out there someone would come for their aid and that everything would turn out good. "..Let me."

It was enough of this pitiful display as she ended his pleading with her knee. "Where are the drugs?" Her voice was a mere whisper, her tone sharp. She hammered him against the wall. Her eyes were narrowed. She gave him to understand that if he wouldn't do what she said he would deal with the consequences. "Spit it out!" she growled.

His hand was shaking, he was far unable from keeping it still as he got the drugs out of his pocket. So much he wished in his mind to not be here. A small transparent plastic bag with pink drugs followed his hand out of the pocket. He didn't manage to hold it as the sweat in his hand made it slip out of his grasp to the ground. Before he had the chance to take another look at his attacker's a fist punched him down.

"Never show up here again, bastard." She growled, smashing the pills with her boot. She picked the plastic bag up and let the drug dust fall to the ground above the unconscious boy.

With a last glare down, she made her way. Her eyes looked steady ahead, not watching anything particularly in her view, not looking back, as she made her way out of the side street.

As the 16 year old girl stepped finally out of the side street a cold wind breeze welcomed her, letting her long blue hair sway slightly in the wind. She kept her hands in the pocket of her black jacket, still feeling her skin on her frist burning from the impacts of the hits. She liked the feeling of the sting it left afterward's. She turned to her right heading somewhere else, but nowhere in particular.

"Hey Cold Heart." A white haired guy called the blue haired girl. With his back he leaned against the wall near the entrance of the side street where the girl had just came out. His expression was serious, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

Cold Heart stopped in her tracks, turning her head to the side, with a short glance she acknowledged him as a currier. It gave not many people who knew her street name and even less who would have dare to call her. Without saying anything she studied him and his friend, shooting them both an unimpressed look.

The white haired guy smirked seeing the look, he was smart enough to not cause anything which would lead into a fight with the girl. He was in his 23 year and had gained enough experience to know with whom it was wise not to pick any fight. His friend on the other hand hadn't been so long in the business to that. Out of the corner of his eye he glanced shortly at the one head shorter boy by his side, who had his arms folded in front of his chest looking angrily at Cold Heart. He had made sure to give his companion exact introduction how to act.

"He is waiting for you…" The older guy said, watching how Cold Heart turned her head back. Of course the girl knew from whom he was talking about. In all Oran it gave only one who would send a courier to her. "…at the usual place."

Cold Heart left the two guys standing there and continued her walk which had been interrupted by them. A frustrated blow of air she let out of her nose as the wondered what he wanted from her this time.

As Cold Heart was far enough the young boy spited to the side growling in the direction of her. "I hate that bitch, expertly these weird eyes and the way she looks down on us." He said in an angry voice.

Amused about the outburst the young man looked at the boy. "Watch that mouth of yours boy. Or did you forget what she did with you, Speedy?"

Speedy gave him a sharp look, his hands tightened to fists. "Tz.. She just was lucky, Oldster!"

Oldster gave his companion a strict look. "You need far more than simple luck to live on the streets." He said before making his way to the side street, from which Cold Heart had come. "Common, lets see what the girl had done there."

Speedy needed a moment to got out of the state, rarely he saw his older friend be so serious. "Oi wait!"

How true Oldsters words lay in the air. Luck had nothing to do with living on the street, with winning a fight or struggling to be out where gangs and corruption ruled. On the street hope died with time, for those who choose to live there. Or those who had no other choice.

--

Cold Heart didn't bother to take the time to knock the door as she opened it and burst into the room. The room had long ago served its purpose as meeting place for a small company which had gone bankrupt. Now the building was just as empty as most of the houses in the west area of Oran. Despite the fact that others didn't count the unofficial people in the houses.

Cold Heart moved through the room, along the huge meeting tables, which were positioned into a circle. It was a miracle that everything still seemed fine, as if gangs on their usually routine seemed to love destroying everything to let the frustration out or simply to have fun.

Right before the window was a huge desk placed a bit away from the circle. Cold heart laid her eyes on the man sitting calmly behind the desk on the black leather arm chair. The man was wearing a strange business suit, his black hair had grown a little from the last time Cold Heart saw him, some wild bangs hanging in front of his eyes. With her emerald eyes she studied him while walking up closer to the desk. It was impossible not to tell that he wasn't from the Island as a strange aura always seemed to surround the people from outside. For whose who lived on in Oran they gave the strangers a name, Outsiders. Whose who come from the mainland, whose who shouldn't enter the isolated Island as it didn't want to change or move on.

"It's nice to see you again Cold Heart." The man said, lifting the cup from the desk up to meet his lips. He drank a bit before fixing his eyes at Cold Heart. She never came closer as two or three steps. Her personal space perhaps?

"Make it short Reito." The blue haired girl growled, fixing him with her gaze so that he knew that she had no patience for any of his games.

Reito put a lose strand of hair back in place, giving her a charming smile which had no effect at the girl. Cold like an iceberg, his charms were never working on her, chuckling in his mind he was always amused by how far she would go like that.

He reached to his pocket drawing out a photo, placing it in front of him on the desk. "Your next job."

He took another sip of his coffee, before glancing over the rim at her. "I want you to get an object for me out of this house. It is located in the Rosery street, east of Oran."

"And why should I?" Cold Heart said blankly, glaring at the photo of the said house. It was a simple family house from what she could see, surrounded by a high green bushes and fences.

Reito knew that he would need more than this to get the girl to work, as she never took any commands from others. She did what she wanted, and didn't take orders in a good way. A smile found its way to his lips, while his eyes had a challenging glimmer in them. "A small job like this should not be of any problem or should it?"

Reito's eyes had a satisfied look as Natsuki's hands came hard down on the wood of the desk. Her body leaned lightly forth, her voice sounding dangerously low as he had tricked her temper to flare up. "Say again?"

"Now now." Reito lifted his hand in a soothing manner. "You know that I was just joking." His amused expression vanished, giving her a serious look. " I await you tomorrow around 10pm here." In addition he put a small brown folder next to the photo which he had gotten out of his pocket too.

‚Damn' She cursed her short temper how she had fallen into his smug trick. "Tsk." With a last glare she took the folder and the photo leaving Reito alone.

The door closed rather loudly as Cold Heart left in a really bad mood. Reito sighed. 'So troublesome'

- Oran streets –

The wheels of her motorbike squealed as she suddenly made a hard break to stop and park her bike. A light smell of burned gum from the wheels filled the air for a moment. Taking the helmet off from her head she let her hair fall back into place covering half of the picture on the back of her jacket, a bleeding heart which was pierced by a sword form above.

She made her way to the near supermarket as she needed some food before she would search a new place to stay the night over. Cold Heart walked straight to the small shop some meters away.

The bell of the shop rang as the door opened announcing the entrance of a new customer. The cashier, a middle aged man in his thirty looked up smiling but felt a cold chill running down his spine as he noticed the strange eye-colour of Cold Heart. The usual greeting got stuck in his throat as he was unable to say anything and instead concentrated on the woman in front of the cashier point who wanted to pay.

Cold Heart didn't need long as she grabbed fast some finished sandwiches and a cola-beer for later. She didn't bother to look up as she reached the cashier point. She could feel the strange looks of the people around her, she could tell that none was friendly, could tell that they waited for something to happen. It didn't matter to her as she had learned long ago to ignore these stares.

With a troubled smile the cashier greeted Cold Heart and scanned her stuff telling her the price. He jerked back as her gaze turned up and she put the money on the table.

Cold Heart was about to go out as she was stopped by a woman with long brown hair who was occupied finding a way out of the shop without letting any of the two full bags in her hand drop down. As her mood was already foul at that time, her patience soon went off and she stepped closer but stll keeping her personal space.

"Hurry up." Cold Heart growled. „Or I help you." Everyone who would have clear ears could have heard the dangerous undertone in that voice. And those who watched her would see how her hands balled into tight fists. The blue haired girl was ready to give the woman in the front a hard push so the way would be finally free for her to go.

But before the street kid could make an attempt of push the brown haired woman in front, turned around giving Cold Heart one of the bags, invading her personal space. "Ah thank you that would be a great help." The woman brightly smiled seeming to have not noticed anything. Unlike the other customers who were watching the scene curiously.

As the woman turned around and walked, Cold Heart shot a short cold glare around before grinding her teeth and following the woman. The received bag had much more weight as it seemed. Cold Heart studied the woman next to her who talked friendly as if the two of them were friends and known each other for so long. The young girl noticed the strange aura which surrounded the woman, the same she always noticed on Reito. Well it weren't only by that but also the woman's behavior which didn't fit to the behavior of the people in this town. Maybe that was the reason she didnt just let the bag drop to the ground and punched the woman?

"The car is parked some meters away I hope it doesn't make too much trouble." The woman said cheerfully, walking down the street where a few cars were parked.

As they reached the end of the street she noticed a man in a chauffeur suit who stood next to a black lacquer limousine. He had the same aimless gaze like the people from the island, she wondered for a moment why.. but the question was pushed away even before it was formed, deciding not to care and give any pointless thoughts to that matter.

The man walked towards them. "Did you get everything you needed Miss Senho?" He took the bag from the brown haired woman and packed it into the boot of the car glancing at her.

"Yes, thanks for telling me where I could find the shop James-kun." Miss Senho smiled to James who replied with a no problem smile.

Cold Heart could no longer listen to that chit-chat of them. "Oi you!" She called annoyed to James and stepped to him.

James gasped as the blue haired girl suddenly and roughly pressed the bag into his chest. He looked puzzled at the bag and then frowned at the cold gaze and the way Cold Heart hissed dangerously to him. "Watch next time where you send an Outsider dog."

"What's wrong James-kun?" worriedly Miss Senho staring at James who looked pale in the direction where the blue haired girl headed. He saw the symbol on her back . A symbol that only one person had. "Nothing Miss …, it's nothing." He becalmed her and himself aswell, putting the bag next to the other one in the boot.

"It's a pity that she just left I couldn't even ask for her name." Miss Senho said disappointed titling her head to the side.

"…" James kept quiet for he was thankful to not have to deal with that person, as a inhabitant James knew who they had just encountered by rumors.

"Who left?" a female voice asked sweetly, carring a light accent.

" Welcome back Miss Viola." James who had just closed the boot turned around to the source of the voice. He made a slight bow to the young woman who had stopped by him and Miss Senho. Her chestnut colored hair getting tugged by a hand behind a ear from the woman, called Viola. James was dazzled by the beauty, starring fascinated at Miss Viola. He avoided however to look at her eyes as they always had seemed to see through him as long as he knew the young woman.

"Hello Shizuru-san." Miss Senho greeted her friend and classmate, hugging the other one.

"A young girl helped me carry the bags to the car." Shizuru's friend said happily while she and Shizuru were sitting in the back of the car.

"Hm…" thoughtful Shizuru tilted her head to the side, remembering how she passed a young girl which had put something away on her motorbike. Shizuru mused a short moment at the image she had of the girl in her mind. Maybe the said girl was that one her friend mentioned? Two words popped up in her mind as she was thinking about the girl: rebellious and wild. A short glimmer of amusement appeared in her eyes.

- - - -

The light of the street lamps flickered a short moment before it turned on, casting shadows everywhere. Cold heart walked up to a fenced house, the gate was closed with heavy looking metal chains. She had inspected the house for some time now and knew that no one was there. Without a problem the young girl climbed the fence up being careful at the top to not cut herself on the spear like tops. With a short fall she landed on her feet looking around.

The small garden had grown wild around the grass reaching already her knees. Winter would do the gardener job easily as it tended to be each year a hard winter in Oran. She made her way up to the door, wood had been pinned at the front to avoid reaching the door, a red note drawing Cold hearts eyes to it. "KEEP OUT! UNDER CONSTRUCTION".

Cold Heart snorted at that, ripping the note off and getting one of the woods down. The front door was made out of wood, the upper front having small glass windows in it. Smirking Cold heart got her jacket off covering her hand with it before destroying the glass window near the lock of the door. The glass shattered inside to the ground, she wasn't even worried that someone may have heard the sound and call the police.

Cold Heart closed the door behind her as she slipped inside, her boots making a scotching sound as they stepped on the glass pieces. The house was half filled with plastic covered furniture. It was perfect for a stay, she mused. But nothing she could settle herself with, the feeling of restlessness was nagging inside her already but she had to get a place for the night ignoring it.

Never did she held it long at one place always seeming to move around, staying for some days at one place but then going away to find a new place. Nowhere she felt at home or safe. Cold Hearts eyes closed sighing, her paranoia didn't seem to let her rest ever.

She made her way up to the first floor in a room from which she was able to overlook the street. It was a small room a single sofa placed on the wall. Cold Heart removed the plastic layer to uncover the black color underneath. Carelessly she threw her jacket on the one end sitting down and leaning back.

For the moment she let her eyes rest on the ceiling as it seemed, her mind drifted to the events of the day. She didn't really know what Reito wanted yet as she had to find out tomorrow. ' So bothersome' She thought, the payment which the little jobs she did for the guy weren't so bad. Usually she didnt think much but something irked her this time. She just couldnt grasp what it was.

Her mind wandered from Reito to the brown haired woman which she had met in the supermarket. No fear, nothing of the usual reaction of the inhabits, she had so grown too. Outsiders, they seemed so different from the people here. Frustrated Cold Heart exhaled, she didn't understand that at all, she never been anywhere else as Oran.

Cold Hearts eyes closed as she tried to clear her mind, she wanted to let her thoughts just be thoughts. It was so silent, no noise nothing to disturb her. It shoudl be always like that her mind said.

"Still alive Icy?" So much about the peaceful silence. A dangerous growl came from deep inside the young girl's throat. She should have known that that person would have shown up sooner or later, she didn't like it at all.

"Fuck off Nao." Replied Cold Heart coldly to the sly female voice. She hadn't heard anyone inside the house and she had made sure to lock the front door so that no one would get in, still it seemed Nao always found a away to get to her.

Cold Heart opened her eyes and looked to the side to take a short glance at the way the voice of Nao had come from. The girl with the red hair was looking at her nails leaning against the window sill. As Nao noticed Cold Heart's glance she let out a sly smile. "You know that I don't have any place to stay." She shrugged the harsh and cold Fuck off from the other room mate off, as it didn't bother her the slightest.

The younger girl growled again but kept quiet this time. She didn't really have the urge to play cat and mouse now. Trying to ignore the other one Cold Heart used her jacket as pillow laying down on the sofa and closing her eyes.

Noa smirked at the display of ignorance, she waited for some seconds before it was time to play with Icy. Without a sound she moved to the sofa leaning over the younger girl. "As Cold as Ever…" Nao said in an amused tone.

As the voice of Nao was so close to her Cold Hearts eyes snapped open in an instant glaring up. "What th" a finger on her lips stopped her from saying more.

'...just how I like Icy' Nao thought, she looked down on Cold Heart. The girl's eyes were just like hers emotionless, eyes which had released that there was nothing in the world like hope.

The blue haired girl didn't stop Nao as the girl's face got closer to her and they kissed. Nao literally pinned the blue haired street kid under hear as she laid over her .

Chapter 1: Cold Heart end.