A night alone…

Glast Heim Castle, five days after Alice's escape

The Owl Baron looked upon his newest creation carefully. He could not find any faults in the invention. The parts were all working perfectly. It looked and acted exactly like the original Alice.

Damn that girl, it would all have been easier if she didn't run away. That ungrateful ingrate delayed the Owl Baron's plan to make more servants working in the castle. If she'd just let him sacrifice her, then the cloning spell the Baron had would have instantly recreated a hundred more loyal slaves.

No matter, the resurrection spell that was placed on Alice was connected directly to the Owl Baron. The imprint left on the Owl Baron had enough information to build a robotic form of her…

And there were already a thousand in line, waiting to be completed.

The Owl Baron watched as the robotic Alice swept the library, rearranging books and Rideworms. It did it much less hesitantly the old Alice, in fact, it was much more efficient.

But the girl still betrayed the Owl Baron, and he could not tolerate such behaviour. He watched as another completed Alice walked into the library. It smiled at the Owl Baron and took a deep bow. The Owl Baron misinterpreted the action as a mocking gesture, throwing him into a fit of rage. He cast chain of lightning bolts to destroy the robot, blasting the Alice into little bits and pieces of shrapnel.

The Owl Baron gritted his beak together, "I'll kill her for her unfaithfulness to me. I'll give her the worst death she could possibly have. I'll level the cities of Midgard if that's what it takes to find her. I'LL DESTROY HER!"

A cloaked assassin slithered silently away, heading back to the direction of Prontera…

Prontera, Hairdressing Saloon, one day later

"Thank you for coming, I hope you like your new hair colour!" Jovich greeted the hunter out of the building. It was her fifth customer this morning; business was good as usual.

She slumped back into her chair in her counter, taking a small break while she waited for her next customer. She counted thirteen thousand zeny made already; the third customer changed his hair colour quite a few times. Oh well, the more the merrier, and the more money she'd get.

Just as she dreamt about what she could buy with her money, Alice stepped into the room, holding her broom and cloth as usual. She greeted Jovich with a timid smile, and then started sweeping the floor.

Jovich watched the pale little girl hum to herself as she continued her morning chores. Why was she always so pale? It couldn't be make-up; she saw her coming out of the bath, still having pale skin. Oh well, what ever it was, it doesn't matter much. She did her job here, and she did it much better then anyone else Jovich knew. Jovich could forget about washing the clothes ever again.

Just as Alice finished cleaning up the room, Rephere and Tiana came in simultaneously form either side of the room.

"Jovich, I need you to pick up some extra supplies I ordered that I forgot to mention to you today on your trip to the Kafra Receptionist. Can you go get them?" Rephere asked Jovich.

Aw, drat. So much for a break, thought Jovich. She scowled at Rephere, and was going to get up again, when Alice interrupted.

"Sir, I can go take those supplies, I've finished cleaning the shop too."

"I can go along to!" Tiana exclaimed. "Alice hasn't gone out of the shop for over a week anyway, right dad?"

Rephere thought about it for a while, but finally agreed to let them go do it. Jovich breathed a sigh of relief; maybe she was getting her break after all.

Alice and Tiana walked down the cobbled street, half way to where the Kafra receptionist was stationed. It was very hot and sunny outside compared to the indoor conditions of the shop…and to Glast Heim. Alice had forgotten about that place ever since she moved into Jovich's shop. She only remembered when she had a nightmare about it while she was asleep. She dreamt that the Owl Baron was after her…that she was pulled out of her new life and sent back to the life of slavery…but she was too happy to give it much thought. Her life was almost perfect now, and she wanted it to stay that way.

They walked along the wall dividing inner Prontera with outer Prontera. It kept them shaded from the sun, keeping them from breaking a sweat. A wind blew a cool and refreshing wave of air, rustling the two girls' hair.

Tiana stopped suddenly, and Alice turned to her curiously.

"I know a shortcut to the Kafra," Tiana told her, "My friend discovered it, follow me!"

They walked through an alley of empty merchant stalls, making wild zigzags around them. The place was deserted; not one person or animal stepped on its stone pathways. It had an eerie feeling to it however…like they were being watched and followed…

Watched and followed…

Alice stopped in her tracks, looking at the wall on her right. It was totally bare, nothing, not even a window hung on it. But Alice could sense something there, like an invisible entity watching their every action and move…and it looked like there was a small bulge in the wall coming out…

The wall suddenly sprung at Alice, changing its colour into purple and knocked Alice into one of the merchant stalls. The thing drew its dagger and lunged at the confused Alice. Alice saw it coming, and jumped out of the way in time.

"An assassin…" Alice heard Tiana whisper.

The assassin took two steps toward them, and then moved so fast that it looked like he disappeared. He Materialized behind Alice, stabbing the blade of a Sucsamad into Alice's back. She felt a sharp sting where the blade met her skin, feeling some blood flow out of the wound.

Tiana let out a scream, changing the assassin's attention. The assassin grabbed her throat, pulled out his jur and aiming just above his hand. Tiana desperately pulled the assassins arm away from her. Alice rushed at the assassin, yelling at him to stop.

She couldn't lose another friend. She couldn't bear it. She didn't want to repeat what happened to Little Tails…

But it was too late. The assassin thrust his jur into Tiana throat, cutting it open instantly. Blood stained the jur and the assassins' hand. Tiana made one last attempt to speak, but froze suddenly, eyes wide open and mouth gaping in shock. Her hands let go of the assassin and slumped onto the floor. Alice pushed away the assassin, only to see a pool of blood forming around her friend. The wound on her throat continuously poured blood on the floor, staining her shirt and filling the ground with the sea of red.

Alice called for her, but Tiana didn't respond. She didn't twitch or move when Alice shook her. Alice couldn't feel her heart beat when she put her face into her chest. It was worse then losing Little Tails. It was worse then she could imagine. Alice didn't believe she was dead, even as every indication of her death was present. Even as she witnessed the slaughter.

Even as she cried for her.

The assassin walked up to the corpse, looking at Alice. "She was interfering with my mission. I cannot have anyone know of you being here. The Owl Baron wants you dead, or wage war on us all. I cannot let that happen. And you must die for that."

Alice didn't care. She didn't care if the Owl Baron wanted to destroy her. She didn't care if anyone knew she was here. She didn't care if the assassin wanted her dead.

What mattered to her was that Tiana was dead. She died in front of her eyes and Alice knew she was dead. She couldn't come back to life. She didn't have a spell put on her to revive her. She was dead and she would always be that way. Alice hated this. She wished she never had moved in. She wished Tiana had never followed her. She wished she didn't die. She wished she could die with her and never have to feel sad again…

The assassin took out both jurs from his belt, and went into an attacking stance. He was about to attack when Alice stood up. She made a decision. She couldn't bring her friend back to life. She couldn't say anything to her.

But she could avenge her.

The assassin dashed in front of Alice, his jur just an inch from her face. Alice sprung into action and crouched, dodging the attack. She kicked the assassin into the wall, making a small impact crater in it. The assassin slumped onto the floor, smearing a trail of blood on the wall.

Ever since the Dark Lord made Alice into a half demon, she was granted powers normal mortals wouldn't have. She was no longer a weak little girl. She was a battle ready fighting machine when she ever chose to be one.

The assassin recovered from the attack and disappeared from sight instantaneously. Alice looked around, watching for any disfiguration in the view around her. Nothing. No sound or blur to show the assassins' position. Has he escaped? Or was he planning a surprise attack?

A sudden rustling sound came from above Alice, and a shadow shaded the sun from her. The assassin struck Alice from mid air, blades drawn and eyes angry. Alice didn't have time to react. The assassin plunged his jurs into Alice's heart, spewing a small flow of blood from her chest.

Alice backed away from the Assassin, holding the wound in pain. Her humanity was long since taken away from her. Loss of blood can't kill her. It only made her angrier. She charged at the assassin, hitting him with her bare fists. She almost missed, but instead, hit his arm. The assassin dropped his jur, screaming in pain. His arm was limping on an odd angle, spreading blood into his bandages. He took one last look at Alice, and ran away from her.

Alice couldn't sense anyone watching her, and she was in too much pain to pursue the assassin. She cast a healing spell on herself, closing the wound in her chest. She returned her attention to Tiana's dead body, this time accepting her death. She healed her wound on her throat, leaving only a small trace of where she was slashed. She closed her eyes and touched her face. It was cold, cold just like Alice. Cold and motionless on the ground.

Alice cried for her friend one last time, and then left her body where she lay. She couldn't go back to Jovich; she wouldn't know what to say to her or Rephere. She ran away from the Merchant Stalls, just in time to see a few people walking towards Tiana's corpse. They would bring her back to Jovich. Then Alice wouldn't need to explain anything to them. She would run away again…run away without any aims. Her old hate for people returned. Humans weren't all bad, but she hated those that were. For taking her friends from her. For killing Alice so many times in Glast Heim.

For killing her friend.

"Hey, girl, are you alright?" A voice called from beside Alice, and she saw a man dressed in heavy armour looking at her. A knight. "You've got blood all over you, what happened?"

Alice didn't know who that person was; it wasn't the lord knight who took Little Tails. She didn't want to speak to him or anyone at all. She dashed of into an alley, and ran away from him as fast as possible. She just wanted to be left alone...

Alice stopped to catch her breath. She has been running around Prontera for a few hours, and she needed a rest. She panted heavily, refilling her lungs with fresh air. She looked up and saw she ended up near a church. It was the beautiful, but it wasn't the best church Alice has seen. The one in Glast Heim was much bigger and much lovelier before the Dark Lord destroyed it.

Alice leapt onto the roof, landing just beside the holy cross. She sat beside it, legs dangling on the edge of the roof and one arm hugged the cross. It was a nice place to watch the sun set. It was nice to forget your worries for just a while. The sun set made Alice a little happier. It was beautiful; turning the sky into a bloody shade of red…

Bloody shade of red…

Alice couldn't help but cry for Tiana. She lost another friend forever. She hated this feeling. Why did she have to cry? Why can't she just forget it all? Why can't she live a normal life? She thought about what that assassin said. The Owl Baron was going to start a war again. Many people will die because of her. Many people will lose their friends because of her. She didn't want another war like one thousand years ago. It was bad enough having just one…

It was all my fault…Alice thought to herself, I shouldn't have run away…I shouldn't have let anyone else into my life…it was all my fault…all my fault…all mine…

Alice fell asleep from exhaustion, tears still flowing down her eyes and her arm still hugged the holy cross.

A lord knight watched as a little girl sat on top of the church by herself…