Hey, kids, and thanks for hitting my first fanfic on the web. I've written a lot before (mainly for Escaflowne and Ranma ½), but this is my very first Peach Girl fic, so I really hope you all like it! The first chapter is all I'm done with at the moment, and most of it is just a bit of history to get you cued up for the real story that's about to happen. All kinds of questions and comments are welcome! E-mail them to XxManifestDestinyxX@yahoo.com! Enjoy!
Fallen Angel
Dozens of people bustled around the girl that stood staring at Gate 113A. People dragging suitcases, people with briefcases and carry-on bags, people with children wearing Mickey Mouse ears. A man in a tailored suit, most likely just off a late plane, stumbled over the girl's backpack.
"Hey kid! How's about movin'?" he complained as he pushed by.
The girl knelt down and shouldered her backpack as a tinny voice over the airport's intercom announced that Flight 347 at Gate 113A was now boarding rows 9-16 in coach. She weaved her way through the river of people to where the line had formed for the boarding of the seats in rows 9-16. The kid in front of her was about five years old, and she found that, when his parents were otherwise occupied, he would stick his finger up his nose. Thankfully the line was moving fast. The woman at the desk took her ticket and passport, stamping them.
" 'Akurei Hitoshi'," she read, glancing up at the girl, giving her to critical once-over. Long, straight black hair, accompanied by a pale complexion and deep cobalt eyes were above a tight black halter top. Long, loose pants and a floor-length black trench coat completed the girl's outfit. Akurei knew the look very well. The woman wasn't just checking to see if the photo in her passport was her or not. She was gawking.
"You went through security, I presume?" she asked. Although the woman tried to make it sound well-to-do…like it was her job to pick on the loners, or something…Akurei groaned and boarded the plane, taking her ticket and passport from the woman's hand on the way.
Finally situated in her seat (between two old people, a ghoul and a hag, that kept glaring at her, no less), Akurei settled down and turned on her headphones, prepared for the thirteen-hour flight to Japan.
Sae glanced up from her magazine as the woman over the intercom announced that Flight 347 from San Francisco, California would be landing shortly. Sae picked up the photograph that she had laid to rest on her leg. A pair of twelve year olds smiled back at her. A younger version of herself sat on a swing, eyes bright above a wide smile. Behind her stood her cousin Akurei. With one hand secured on the swing's chain and the other arm wrapped around Sae, she smiled sweetly at the camera, deep gray-blue eyes genuinely happy. This was the girl Sae was here to pick up. Her cousin. Unfortunately, Akurei's mother, Sae's Auntie Chiyo, had died in a fatal car accident. And since Akurei's dad was, well…her parents called him a disgrace. Sae's mother couldn't figure out why her sister had ever married such a low life. He was unfit for custody of Akurei, so her custody was passed to Sae's parents. Sae looked fondly back at the picture. When they were children, they had been best friends. Times had changed quickly, though, when Akurei's family moved back across the vast Pacific to California. This would be the first time that Sae and Akurei would be united since before they had even heard of middle school. Sae quickly slid her magazine into her bag, hurrying to the window. She pressed her hands, picture and all, to the4 thick glass, her warm breath making foggy clouds, as she watched the tarmac roll into place.
Akurei elbowed her way up as the ghoul tried to stand, gripping his back, and the hag shrunk back, gripping her purse.
"Frank…" the old woman began, glancing uneasily at the girl that separated her from her husband.
"Oh, can it, granny!" Akurei exclaimed, glowering at the old crone. "All you've done this whole trip is stare at me and find new and exciting places to hide your valuables." She scowled down at the old woman before turning to the old bag's husband. "Move it or lose it, Gramps," she muttered, shouldering by him.
"Why don't you have respect for your elders?" he asked immediately…a question that stopped the girl in her tracks and sent her spinning back on him.
" 'Respect'?!" she exclaimed, getting right up in his face. So close that she could smell his old greasy hair. "You want respect? Take a look at this…just take a look!" She pulled a worn photograph from her pocket and held it in front of his face. "You see these two people? You see them?! They're my parents. But my mom got killed and my dad lost custody of me. That's why I'm here. So if you don't mind, I would appreciate it if you would stop feeding me all of this 'respect' bull shit." She turned away and made her way forward, encountering a stewardess. The middle-aged woman (Jeanette, by her name tag) asked her to sit down, and that they would be exiting the plane shortly.
"That man was harassing me," Akurei said, pointing to the old man she had sat next to. She ducked by as a confused stewardess stared back at an ever more confused old man.
Sae grasped the photo tightly in her hand, eagerly watching the passangers of Flight 347 stumble tiredly out into the Japanese airport. Her excited watch on the people continued until Akurei tapped her arm.
"Hey Sae," she said, smiling grimly. Sae bubbled over about how she couldn't believe how much Akurei had change4d and how long it had been since they'd seen each other. Akurei grinned nervously, dragging her toward baggage claim, where the grabbed her duffle bag and slung it over her shoulder.
The two were in the underground train tunnel before Akurei noticed two of the airport's security guards patrolling the area very closely.
"I hate to interrupt," Akurei said, cutting into Sae's excited ramblings, "But we have to get on the train now."
Sae blinked as her cousin pulled her through the open doors.
"Why the rush?" she asked, fixing the silver pins in her short hair.
Akurei hesitated. "I kind of harassed an old guy on the plane. I think they might be looking for me." She turned her back to the window.
"You assaulted on old guy?!" Sae blurted loudly as the doors on the train slid shut.