An Old Tale

By: Esuna

Chapter Three: Old Acquaintances

A flock of seagulls screeched overhead just as Anastasia proceeded into the noisy as well as congested Mikasa harbor. The battleship was no longer in sight, being replaced by dozens of large smoky vessels instead. The girl walked up to the nearest booth and leaned forward so she could speak through the small communicator on the glass which separated her from the man inside.

"Excuse me, how much is the fare to Russia?"

The dark haired young man had scarcely glanced at her as he asked, "Where in Russia?"

"Petrograd, sir."

Still looking down, as if he was jotting something down in his notebook, he said, "2500."

Anastasia was a little surprised. She didn't expect the fare to be so expensive, especially when it was simply a journey across the sea, not the sky. Flying home would be so much easier than this. However, the price would probably be doubled this one. Or perhaps, even more. She simply could not afford that. "Um…," the girl muttered curiously, "why is the fare so expensive right now?"

"Seasonality," was all the young man said as an explanation.

The girl frowned at his rudeness. "Thank you."

Anastasia left the harbor with a dark gloomy face. The heavy gloominess literally hovered over the girl like a dark shadow. One would have thought there was actually smoke coming out of her head. Her pass would cost her 2500 cash. All she had was a measly 500. Now, she had to figure out a way to get a job, live here for the time being and thus, "earn" her way back to mother Russia. The girl sighed pitifully to the skies above. She decided her best choice would be to return to the Yokohama Streets to seek a part-time job from a tavern or something.

When Anastasia had returned to the Yokohama Streets, she sought after practically every single tavern there is to count there. However, none of those taverns required help at all. She was doomed here without a living! Perhaps she didn't search through every corner of that town. There was also a 'backstreet' in Yokohama so the girl had no choice but to try her luck there. The backstreet was so dim and dreary that it gave her an ominous feeling. However, she had no choice but to disregard it.

Anastasia found herself inside a small one floor building that appeared to be a decrepit inn. Somehow, the building looked poorly neglected and almost devoid of humanity. She wondered whether anyone had ever stepped foot in here. There was nothing but a love seat, a counter with a disheveled looking man behind it, and several bedrooms down a small compacted hallway. Somehow, the building's darkly tight space gave her the shivers. Nevertheless, she asked the man politely whether they required help, like a maid, a room keeper, anything – just something she could do to earn some cash here.

"Yeah, sure," the man snickered in a deep gruff voice.

The girl smiled with gladness. Finally! After such a long treacherous day in asking every tavern if they required help, she found one at last! "So what do I have to do here?" she asked the man as he stood up to open a room door near the counter with a key.

He turned his ruddy face to the girl as he grinned enigmatically. "Nothing," he rasped, as he pushed the room door open to point at the bed, "Just lie there and enjoy."

Anastasia was confused. "…W-What?"

"Come on now, beautiful," said the filthy man as he began unbuttoning his top shirt and then untying his belt. He threw them onto the room floor.

She retreated a few steps back until she nearly stumbled against the wall in the tightly knit hallway.

The man was looking rather impatient now. He remained by the room's doorway glaring right at her as if he was studying his prey before he would devour it. He licked his dry cracked lips with great amusement as his dirty eyes wandered down to the girl's beautiful white legs.

"I've come to the wrong place," Anastasia finally forced out despite her fear, trying her best to avoid his frightening gaze. "I don't want to do this."

Right that instant, the man had already stepped across the hall to pin her shoulders forcefully against the wall. She gasped out loud at the man's unexpected behaviour. He leaned his dark ruddy face down towards her and rasped hoarsely, "Once you've stepped foot in here, there's no turning back, girl! It's too late for that now!" She could smell his foul breath hovering over her ghostly white face. She grimaced in absolute disgust. It reeked of heavy smoke and strong alcohol.

The girl visibly tensed in her spot. Her legs began to quiver in complete fear. She held her hands over her bosom as if that would soothe her obvious fright.

"Now," he stated all of a sudden. "Be a darling and go on in. I'll give you 150 if you're obedient." He paused for a second before adding maliciously, "If you're good, I can recommend you to some other patrons then. I bet they would give you even more, considering you're so young and beautiful," he grinned, tilting her chin up a bit with his large, callous hand. "Together, you and I can revive this business!"

Anastasia shrieked in complete disgust as she smacked the hand away. He had a scowl on his face now but nevertheless, he began to drag her towards that open bedroom. She resisted by writhing in his tight ruthless grip. "No!" she screamed.

The long, endless struggle eventually turned into brutal violence. The man, now furious beyond redemption, had yanked the girl forward so hard that she thought he would break her arm off from its socket. Refusing to submit to him, she struggled some more. However, all was in vain. He was simply too strong for her. "No, let me go! Let me go!" she pleaded. They were struggling by that room door now. The girl felt him strike her across the face a couple of times before he yanked her forward with such violence again.

For a moment, just a short one, everything around her seemed to have stopped in time. She found herself sprawled upon a dark timeless space gazing up at the flaming red eyes of a young samurai who was standing before her. One bright light was cast down upon the two but all else around them was pitch black. Anastasia reached her arm up to him but he merely scoffed at her pathetic degradation and gradually turned his back on her in cutting resentment. The light had followed the young man as he walked out of her life forever, leaving her so frighteningly alone in the dark. Anastasia found herself wailing out Kurando's name. She called out to him again and again, hoping that somehow, somewhere, he could hear her pitiful cries for help and come to her rescue. However, she knew that her pleas would never reach him. She knew that he would never return to her. She knew that she was on her own now.

Snapping back to reality, Anastasia felt herself being flung so ruthlessly down against the bed. That filthy, disgusting man was just about ready to climb on top of her when… Anastasia swung one of her knees forward, literally kneeing him where it REALLY hurts. The man, eyes bulging wide with unmistakable shock, stumbled off the bed and to the floor, rolling in excruciating pain. Eyes squeezed tight; he glued his thighs together and dug both trembling hands over that one spot, moaning in absolute pain.

The girl sat up on the bed at once. Somehow, she felt the corner of her mouth twitch with pure satisfaction. In a place like this, THAT was indeed something she truly 'enjoyed'!

Without wasting another moment, Anastasia fled from the bedroom, hoping to get out of that dark building at once. She ran as fast as her slender legs could carry her. By the time she reached outside, she stumbled away from the backstreet as if she were shell-shocked. Her wobbly legs took her back towards the main street of Yokohama. When she stepped right into the sunlight again, the girl stopped at once to catch her breath. She leaned dazedly against the structure to her left. The adrenaline was still there. However, she brought one hand over her bosom to calm down.

She shut her tired green eyes for a second, finding all means to relieve her heavy breathing. Why did she even stumble into a dark place like that? How could she be so stupid? Stupid, stupid, stupid! The girl grit her teeth tightly as rage seethed through her entire body. She opened her angry eyes again and raised her arm, ready to slap some senses into herself.

However, the girl stopped herself midway when she heard an, "Awrrrroooooo…!" Then something soft tickled her two bare legs.

The girl was somehow startled. She looked down at her feet. Right before her eyes, there stood an old companion: Blanca. A handsome, snow-white Blanca. One of her good old friends from their adventures together. Anastasia's eyes brightened immediately. Her mouth widened to that of surprise and great joy. She fell to her knees at once and gave this big wolf a nice warm hug of affection.

"Oh, Blanca!" she cried at last. "Blanca! How I missed you! How are you, boy?" She pulled back a little to get a better look at him. The wolf looked quite the same, except that he seemed to have gained a little bit of weight. Not exactly fat, per se. Nevertheless, she smiled at his terribly good eating habits and began to ruffle his thick fur coat with awe.

As a response, the wolf wagged his monstrous tail and blinked right back at her as if to say he was doing great.

"What are you doing here anyways? Aren't you supposed to be in Mukyo-An?"

Blanca did not answer her. In fact, he stopped panting and wagging his tail altogether. Instead, he tilted his white head from left to right as if he was studying her. Anastasia was left in a state of confusion. Just what was he glaring at? Was there something on her face? The girl felt at her face with her hands. No, nothing. Instead, Blanca had nibbled at her sleeve as if to tell her what truly troubled him. He chewed at her left sleeve gently, indicating to her that one side of her kimono had slipped off her shoulder. He was probably demanding an explanation. Anastasia looked down at her bare left shoulder and turned beat red. Immediately, she yanked the collar of her kimono up over that bare spot. "It's a long story," she explained.

The girl's sad green eyes had flicked to the far side of the Yokohama Streets. Unexpectedly, all of her troubles had suddenly poured right out of her bosom. "Blanca, I want to go home…home to Russia. But I don't have enough cash to purchase the fare back home. I have to find a job here and earn some money. I've wandered through these streets for many hours now and none of the shops here require any help at all. I can't stay here without a job. What should I do?" she asked with much distress in her voice.

Blanca was still glaring at her but eventually, he scuttled past her and beckoned the girl to follow him. Baffled by his strange behaviour, Anastasia stood on her two feet and ran after her furry companion. With the wolf trailing at a distance ahead of her, the girl ran heedlessly through the Yokohama Streets until they reached an all so familiar residence. The girl hesitated for a long moment. Naniwa Kawashima and Yoshiko were probably in there. She began to wonder why they were even here. She was also unsure why Blanca had brought her to them. Nevertheless, she followed the wolf into the residence.

Once inside, she could see Naniwa Kawashima sipping his green tea by the tatami with the little Yoshiko thus seated beside him. The girl's eyes brightened with delight as she noticed her pet wolf approach her. "Snowball! I mean, Blanca! There you are! Why did you run off like that?" she scolded him. At the sight of Anastasia behind him, the girl jumped to her feet at once. "L-Lady Anastasia!" she gasped in great surprise.

"How are you, Yoshiko? Master Kawashima?" Anastasia greeted politely.

"Ah, Lady Anastasia," Kawashima smiled warmly, placing his tea down on the tatami. "I've been well. Yoshiko and I have been traveling from one place to another this past year. We are residing here in Yokohama for the time being. I must say it is a great coincidence to see you here. Are you traveling as well?"

Before Anastasia could answer him though, he asked right after, "And where is Kurando?"

The girl felt her heart thump uncomfortably. "…Um…he's…," she stammered, clearing her throat, "…he's…not here…"

Kawashima arched a curious brow at her. "Is something the matter between you two?"

The girl hesitated before saving herself, "…No. No, it's nothing. I just…wanted to go home. That's all."

"You're leaving?" he asked.

Anastasia suddenly looked down at her dirty boots before murmuring a sad "yes". However, she also added, "But I cannot go home just yet. The fare at the harbor of Mikasa is far too expensive. I must find a job here and earn some cash first."

"Lady Anastasia," Kawashima stated in a gentle tone as he reached inside the front of his traditional wear for some money. "Please accept this," he said as he held out a small, heavy brown sac.

The girl looked up at him, taken aback. She felt her face flush with obvious shame. In truth, she didn't want to take anyone's money just like that. She preferred to work for it rather than ask someone with two bare hands. "Master Kawashima," she said slowly. "I know I am a princess in mother Russia. But right now, I am not in Russia. I am in Japan. I am not a princess here. Like you and Yoshiko, I am just an ordinary citizen. I feel I should do this on my own. I hope you understand."

Kawashima gave her a warm hearted look. "I see." After a long silence, he said in earnest, "You have certainly changed from the last time I saw you, Lady Anastasia."

"I am no longer that hot headed young girl you once knew," she agreed, smiling now.

"Then please stay with us for the time being," said Kawashima. "I believe there might be someone here who can help you."

When Anastasia opened her mouth to protest, the old man had already silenced her with a wave of the hand.

"Please do not argue with me over this matter."

With that last final statement, Anastasia's fate in Yokohama had been decided. She was to start her new life here with Naniwa Kawashima, Yoshiko, and Blanca. Away from Inugami Village. And most especially away from someone who was once so dear to her.

Notes: I've never written anything like this before. Seriously. I'm sure you all know which part I'm referring to. It also marks the part that I'm so unsatisfied with. It seems like a common thing that a woman would kick a pervert in the you-know-where as self-defense. It's pretty sad. I just find that trick getting kinda old. Ugh, what was I thinking? Sighs...