Chapter 10
"Hey Dad!" A seven year old redhead came crashing through the kitchen backdoor. Zoey's arms were stacked with clothes that just got dried from washing. She was so little that she was barely visible behind the hill of clothes on her arms. "The clothes had dried!" Her gleeful voice chimed inside their cozy little kitchen.
Her dad was doing the dishes. He turned around and smiled at her. "You place them on the sofa and I'll take care of them later."
She headed toward their sitting room, walking carefully to avoid bumping into anything.
"Can I go play outside now?" She grinned, to which her bright red eyes glowed with excitement.
"Sure." Her dad answered. "Just get back here before it gets dark. Or else your mother would be upset."
"Okay!"
She sprinted outside. Clean and gentle mountain air swept her short spiky auburn hair as she raced through fields of grass carelessly. Her black once piece dress swayed with the breeze. Grasshoppers leaped out of the tiles of grass where her foot would step one after the other. She could see yellow and white butterflies around hovering over hordes of daisies.
She had always loved how this place was like a fairy tale wonderland out from a book.
She finally stopped at her destination at the top of the hill that overlooked their little village. The orange sun was setting at the far horizon painting the sky in beautiful hues of red, yellow and orange like the flame at their fireplace. Clouds above her slowly fleeted with each other like a herd of grazing animals. They looked so close to the ground that she could almost touch them.
She sat down comfortably on the grass and crossed her legs. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
She smiled contentedly.
She jolt her eyes open at a rustling of grass behind her. She looked back and saw Kenny, her neighbor and brunet playmate.
He was wearing a plain blue shirt and dirty grey shorts. He shot a grin at her. He sat down beside her and together they watched how the sun slowly sunk at the far horizon.
The place was their secret haven. Nobody else in the village knew about the place, only Zoey and Kenny. Everything about the place was perfect, a wide unraveling sea of stars above, fleeting lights of the village below that looked like fireflies, cool and calming mountain breeze and chirping of birds and cicadas.
The place was magical.
It was a peaceful and beautiful springtime with her and Kenny alone in comfortable silence.
"Hey Zoey." Kenny spoke up. "Are you still thinking about it? About what you said to me yesterday?"
Zoey's eyes lit up. "Yes! Of course!" She looked at him expectantly.
Kenny's red eyes suddenly glowed with worry. "But we're not supposed to interact with humans. Why would you want to go to their world?"
"It's not like I want to leave this village and everyone in it silly!" Zoey playfully smacked his shoulders. "I'm just interested in the human world. That's all. I mean they can't be that bad, right?"
"Mom said humans hate us." Kenny said thoughtfully. "She kept on reminding me that after the last war, we should never resurface and try to live as peaceful as we can in our own world."
"I know." She replied knowingly. "Most devils hold deep hatred towards them from the loss of the last war. I don't think there would ever be peace." Her eyes suddenly lit up. "But you know what? They say that our world is the same as the human world! Isn't that interesting? Like we live here in Twinleaf Town and the human world has their own Twinleaf Town! I wonder who lives there. It's like an alternate dimension!"
Kenny laughed heartedly. "You're too enthusiastic for your own good you know." He elbowed her playfully. "And besides, I wouldn't want you to go there. I would end up lonely."
"Duh!" Zoey rolled her eyes. "You come with me of course! Our family holds no grudge against humans. Maybe not all humans hate our kind. And who knows! Maybe we'll be the first devil to establish peace! And we would be remembered forever! Our names written in books and we would be called heroes and then we wou-"
Kenny playfully poked her forehead. "Hey that hurt." Zoey pouted at the slight throbbing pain.
"You really are too enthusiastic and hopeful for your own good."
She stuck her tongue at him. "We can do anything as long as we're together!"
Kenny's breath got caught in his throat. He almost choked at the air he breathed in. He was so surprised at what she just said that it took him a couple of seconds to respond.
He smiled as he raised his fist at her. "Why of course. We're partners!"
Zoey grinned and bumped her fist with his. "Partners!"
They both stared at each other's eyes, red and filled with innocence, serenity and hope.
The sun had finally disappeared as stars slowly showed one by one among the clouds in the sky. Both of them stretched their legs and laid flat on the grass. They formed constellations, shared half-baked jokes to which they would laugh at occasionally.
Zoey remembered what her father had said earlier, but she didn't care. She was sure a little more time with Kenny and his half-baked jokes wouldn't be so bad.
...
Later that night, Zoey kept on turning on her bed. She felt uncomfortable. She didn't know if it was just her or it really was noisy outside.
"Zoey!"
She slowly woke up to a shaking. It was in the middle of the night and she felt like someone had glued her eyelids shut.
"Zoey wake up!"
Someone was shaking her awake.
"Mother?" She spoke, slowly making sense of her surroundings. "It's kinda noisy.." She said groggily, rubbing her eyes.
"Get up! Hurry!" Her mother harshly whispered. She quickly dragged Zoey off of her bed and made her slipped into her slippers.
Zoey didn't know what was going on. She was still in a daze from sleep. But as more seconds passed by, she realized that it really wasn't just her. There were a lot of screaming and crashing outside. And fire, houses were on fire.
Her eyes widened at the sudden realization. She looked at her mother, who was just a terrified as her.
Her mother knelt down and held her tiny hands. Her mother looked into her with the most serious gaze.
"Listen to me Zoey, listen carefully." Her mother whispered. "Devils from the higher council are here and they're after everyone." Her mother paused, her eyes were brimming with tears. "We'll take the back door and ran away from here. You understand me?"
Honestly, Zoey didn't understand what her mother was saying. She wasn't registering anything she had said, she was lost in her mother's red eyes filled with tears of fear. She was left speechless. If the higher council was really here then it could only mean something disastrous for peace-loving devils like them.
"What about father? What is really going on outside? What does the council want from us?" Zoey's voice trembled.
"Your father is protecting us, don't worry about him. He loves us so much. We just need to stay safe and get away from here. Okay?"
Her mother hugged her tight in a split second before she took her hand and ran towards the kitchen. She twisted the knob and opened the door.
But right before them stood a huge bearded man, his right eye was twitching. He was only wearing black shorts that were torn and ripped. He had a hairy and bulky body full of scars. He had two huge long horns on his head that grew up then backwards reaching his lower back. His claws were huge and pointed. Blood dripped from them like candle wax. His mouth was wide open revealing an array of jagged teeth all over the place. His tongue drooped like it was his tie. He looked down on them and his red twitching eyes glowed in delight. They were so small compared to the beast in front of them.
He swiftly snatched Zoey's mother by the neck. He pulled her closer and sniffed her neck, his pointed nails dug on her mother's fair skin, blood dripped.
"Where do you think you're going? AHA-HAHA." He snarled and laughed maniacally with his rough vibrant greasy voice. He licked his lips.
Her mother writhed in pain from his grasp.
Zoey lunged at the monster. "Let go of my mother you monster!" She kept on pounding his knees. He really was huge. Zoey's effort of hitting him was nothing more than meaningless. But she wasn't scared of him. If there was anything she would be scared of, then it would be the fate of her mother from the monster's grasp.
He looked down at her and growled in annoyance.
"Annoying insect!" He kicked Zoey right in her abdomen causing her to fly back toward the kitchen. She crashed against the chairs and tables. She cried in pain before falling out of consciousness immediately.
"Hah-hah ahaha, that's what you get fo- ack!" Zoey's mother held on the monster's muscular wrist, pulled herself up and gave him a full roundhouse kick on the head.
He instantly let go of her as he staggered from the blow.
She immediately ran back inside and tended to her daughter.
Her hands were shaking as she carried Zoey by her hands. Zoey's breathing was slow and raspy. She lifted Zoey's shirt and saw a purple bruise that almost covered Zoey's whole stomach area. She had never felt so much anger before. But she forced it all inside. Zoey's safety would have to come first.
"That kick, you broke my neck woman!" She turned around and saw him again by the door. His head was crooked sideway. He held his head and snapped it back to place like it was just nothing. "I shall enjoy tearing your limbs apart! HAHA-AHA"
He flew inside and missed them. He crashed on the utensil rack, causing a few heavy boxes filled with ceramic plates and cups to fall on him. Still with Zoey in her arms, she rolled over to the side and ran for the door. She was about to get out when something got hold of her leg. She fell flatly and dropped Zoey.
She and Zoey both hissed in pain.
"You're not getting away!" His lengthy arm gripped her leg. He was still trapped from the boxes.
He pulled Zoey's mother, she struggled and she kicked his finger with her free leg. She kicked it for the second time before he let go. She ran towards Zoey and carried her again.
The noise around them was slowly dying, escape was impossible for the two of them. It was only a moment of time before anyone else would come over and they'll both die. She raised Zoey's shirt and placed a hand over her injury. A faint red glow emerged and the bruise slowly disappeared.
Zoey gasped for breath and craved for air as if she had just drowned.
"Zoey." Her mother began. "Remember the time you told me you wanted to go to the human world? How much you wanted to meet humans?" She asked. She didn't wait for her to reply. "Take this." She removed her blue tear-shaped pendant and placed it over her daughter's neck.
"You're giving me your birth stone?" Zoey asked.
The monster trapped inside their kitchen was growling madly. Any second and he would be free and their chance of escape would die. She wasted no time answering her.
"Humans might call us monsters, but just because we are doesn't mean we don't have a heart. I know that there are kind humans out there just like there are kind devils out here. Use the birth stone and survive. I love you. Your father and I love you."
She pushed her forward as the monster from their kitchen flew out of the door.
He huffed angrily, his breathing was very apparent.
"YOU ARE REALLY GONNA GET IT THIS TIME!"
"ZOEY RUN!" Her mother commanded as Zoey ran straight to the forest in tears.
"How noble.." He mocked her and sneered. "For that you deserve a slow and painful death. AHA-HAHA-AHAHA"
She closed her eyes. She ripped the sleeves of her blouse, threw away her slippers and tied her long red flowing hair in a tight ponytail. Once she opened her eyes, they weren't just red, it grew slits like a cat. Her nails and teeth grew longer. Her expression grew merciless and deadly.
"I'll teach you not to mess with a mother!"
Zoey tried not to look back. She didn't stumble to any low-lying branches or stray pebbles along the way. The flames of the village were so bright behind her that it lighted her path like daybreak. She tried not to cry at the current unspeakable situation. It was too horrible. She didn't even know what the higher council wanted from them or why they were doing this.
Along the way, she bumped into Kenny who was also trying to escape. He wasn't doing any better, he was bawling. Just like her, Kenny's parents sacrificed themselves for his life. She wanted to break down and cry too but if she would, then they would catch up and they would be caught, the lives of their parents would be in vain.
She tugged on his arms and pulled him forward. They ran away together. But where to exactly? Zoey didn't know, just anywhere away from the higher council and away from the burning village.
She gripped the birth stone hanging on her neck.
Just anywhere safe.
But they were just kids. They were bound to get tired easily. A few men were already on their tail when they were meters away from the village. Zoey got scared and terrified. Not only that they found her and Kenny, they also really want no survivors to escape.
"Kenny! Run! You're too slow! Keep on running! Don't turn back!"
Kenny panted and gasped for air, his pace getting slower and heavier.
"Keep, keep, on running.." Exhaustion was slowly consuming his seven year old body. They have been running for almost an hour already.
Zoey immediately stopped running and faced the direction where they just came from. Kenny, who ran behind her, bumped into her.
"There they are! The kids are there, over the clearing! After them!"
Zoey felt his grip on her shirt as he leaned on her for balance. Kenny was about to protest why she stopped running but he lacked air and his breaths came first before he could say any words.
She gripped the blue tear-shaped necklace hanging on her bare and fair neck. She shut her eyes closed before ripping it apart from her.
Humans might call us monsters, but just because we are doesn't mean we don't have a heart. I know that there are kind humans out there just like there are kind devils out here. Use the birth stone and survive. I love you. Your father and I love you.
"Here, take this. Use it to survive in the human world." She took his hand and placed the cold amethyst in his palm. She embraced him one last time. "Live, for me, no matter what. And I'll see you again. Definitely." She whispered before she grabbed his shoulders and pushed him hard to the direction where they were running to. Kenny tipped a few steps before regaining his balance. "RUN! NOW!" She screamed at him. "I'll hold them back."
"Huh..? B-but, yo-you, ho-how?" He stuttered, tears swelling in his eyes. He couldn't believe that Zoey was going to sacrifice herself for him.
But Zoey had already made up her mind. She wanted to find out what was going on with the village and the higher council.
"There they are! Get them! Don't let any survivor escape!"
"NOW! KENNY! RUN GODDAMIT!"
As Kenny disappeared through the thick and dense covering of the forest ahead, Zoey prepared herself. Right before her stood four people. She didn't recognize anyone of them. Her eyes widened in realization when the rightmost guy propped open his hood. Even though he wasn't in his devil form she recognized his crooked smile and psychopathic laughter.
"There you are you little annoying insect! I seriously had fun with your mother! AHA-HAHA" His pathologic laughter rang throughout the clearing. He maniacally licked his lips. "She put up a good fight though, she broke one of my horns. So I broke her legs! AHA-HAHA-AHAHA"
Zoey dug her nails deep into her palms. She bit her lips. They both bled as tears flowed from her eyes. Her mother was already dead. And it was in the hands of the psychopathic maniac laughing in front of her. She had never been this angry in her life. She was so angry that her life didn't matter to her anymore. All she could think about was revenge.
Her whole body trembled in anger and resentment.
"What should we do with her?" A lady from the ominous group spoke.
"Capture her of course." The guy at the center answered casually. "Master Will might have some use with her."
"Or maybe." The one who killed Zoey's mother inserted with his rough vibrant voice. "You could just let me play with her! AHA"
Zoey sprung from her ground towards them that she caught them all by surprise. But before she could land a blow a powerful kick sent her flying sideways. Her back slammed against a huge tree. She gasped in pain as leaves fell from the impact.
The kick felt like it dislocated her lower jaw, pain burned like hot coal pressed against her bare skin. But nonetheless she stood up with shaky knees.
She saw that it was the guy right next to the one who killed her mother who kicked her. His legs were still in a raised-up position.
"Sturdy child." He said in an uninterested voice.
Zoey sprung again towards them. But this time she saw another kick coming towards her, she crossed her arms and blocked the kick just in time. But it was still powerful enough to send her flying again. She spun a couple of times in midair and landed acrobatically on her knees.
"Impressive." The guy followed.
Zoey bared her tiny fang, her eyes glowed bright red in deep hatred.
In a split second, the guy rushed forward to her. He was so fast that when he reappeared right in front of Zoey she had no time to react. His third kick hit her full force. Zoey flew up like a piece of can shot by a rifle. The guy had enormous power in his kicks. Zoey could feel all her bones snap at the impact. It felt like a cargo truck hit her on full speed.
What did her young and frail body did to deserve such a powerful kick?
They were cold, merciless and heartless monsters. She haven't even land a blow on the monster that killed her mother. She felt so useless and weak.
She fell on the grassy field lifelessly like a ragged doll. Her body was erupting with pain everywhere, it screamed with agony like never before. She couldn't feel her body. She threw up blood like it was water. She was convinced that she was gonna die.
The guy who kicked her picked her up callously by her hair. Zoey winced. She was hanging limply. She embraced death and mentally said sorry to Kenny.
"Should I finish her off?" He asked the other guys.
"Don't." At her half-dead state, Zoey heard another voice. She was certain it wasn't from the four people she saw. It was another one. "This village is full of faerie devils. Peaceful weaklings." Zoey's short spiky auburn hair got loose from the guy's grip. She felt something wrapped around her waist and she was sent floating gently towards the one who spoke earlier. "But this one right here, this one here is a gem. This child holds potential for the war." Zoey came face to face to the guy talking to her. With blood in her eyes, she could hardly make out what or who was speaking to her, the only thing she recognized was his black-framed masquerade mask.
"Prince Lance will be pleased. You four shall take care of this girl. She would be valuable to the growing army."
"Yes Master Will." The four replied in unison as they marched back to the village.
The last thing she heard were the dying chirping of cicadas and the cackling of fire of the village as her body slowly gave up to the pain. She was suspended in midair around Will like she was held by an invisible string. Her almost-dead body left trails of blood. Her young battered body soon gave up to the excruciating agony.
She hoped dearly that Kenny was able to escape. She promised that she would see him again, as partners.
...
Zoey switched the lights on in her bathroom. She looked at herself in front of the mirror before splashing water on her face. Though her red hair was short, she still couldn't believe it couldn't get away from a case of bed hair. She combed her locks with her fingers. It was already Monday morning – Hearthome's 20th Anniversary.
Or more precisely, the last batch of scourging ceremony.
From her knowledge, there were only a few more students and faculty left to scourge and Will was wrapping it all today. This made her weary and anxious, it gave her a rough night filled with nightmares from her restless past.
Since Dawn had become someone special to her, her assigned duty of scourging her was no longer an option. And with that fact, she could no longer delay his plans, Will won't be having none of her excuses now.
Her revenge was now or never.
She was anxious but she was determined. She hoped her ten years of training would be enough. She had confidence in her strength and ability. She felt as strong as those four by now. She'd just have to take them one by one, especially the one who killed her mother. Zoey vowed to kill that guy first.
For ten long years, Williams had been preparing a neo devil army to wage a second war against humans. Her village was raided for the same reason. Williams had been recruiting devils to participate by force. He was that cruel.
Now they were moving from one school to another slowly scourging students and staff to further widen their base not just in Netherworld but in this world as well.
She grabbed a face towel and dried her face. She got out of the bathroom and opened the windows of her apartment room. She stared at the big university standing in front of the complex she was residing in.
Sinnoh's Hearthome Academy, a school with joyful students and staff but now filled with devils controlled by Will and the higher council operating to wage a new war against humans and their extinction for the better race.
"But how do I stop this growing army?" She asked herself then shook her head. "No, just no. I just need my revenge. Kill the monster who murdered my family, then find Kenny. That's all I need to do."
"But Dawn, she must not go to school today. That place is no longer safe. I need to think of something."
She sighed as she closed back the windows.
"After all of this, I'll find Kenny and I'll introduce him to Dawn. He'll love her I'm sure. That'll show him not all humans are bad."
She smiled at the thought of them three playing and laughing together like normal kids undivided by race.
Just because we're monsters doesn't mean we don't have a heart.
You come with me of course! Our family holds no grudge against humans. Maybe not all humans hate our kind. And who knows! Maybe we'll be the first devil to establish peace! And we would be remembered forever! Our names written in books and we would be called heroes.
You really are too enthusiastic and hopeful for your own good.
We can do anything as long as we're together!
"Wait for me, partner."
Chapter 10 End: Zoey McMillan
A.N: If you're wondering why I focused so much on Zoey, it is because she's one of the main characters. Now that I think about it, I have ten main characters in this story, (Zoey, Kenny, Dawn, Paul, May, Drew, Gary, Leaf, Misty and Ash) that is a lot. But the really main characters here is Dawn and Paul, I will be investing in them little by little throughout the story and as i plan the plot, because everything will be about them in the last part.
Thanks for reading! :3
...Kicks!