Nashi sneezed, wiping her nose on her arm. She wasn't used to the pollen in this area, making her nose extremely sensitive. The child found it rather annoying, as she couldn't go more than five minutes without… reacting.
Nashi couldn't help but smile though, as she could finally smell other human beings. After walking through the forest for about two nights, she had finally reached another town. She had lived and been in Magnolia her whole life, so seeing a whole new town was very exciting.
When Nashi had first left she had followed the moon, but as the moon moved, she ended up going in zig-zags. The same could be said for the second night, so Nashi couldn't really tell which general direction she went in or where she was. Finding her way back home would be a struggle, but she didn't plan on going anytime soon.
Watching the sun rise through the trees, Nashi found a nearby stream. She put her hands gently into the stream, collecting water in her small palm.
She splashed the water on her face, allowing the water to calm her down as she thought about what her next plans would be.
She had eaten some fruits and drank water along her way, but she knew that wouldn't be enough for her whole trip. She would need to get some more food and water in the next town.
"Alright!" Nashi jumped up, ready to face the new challenge. She threw the hood of her cloak over her head, tucking her father's scarf inside to hide it.
She began to walk forward, abandoning the creek and trusting her nose to lead her to the town.
After walking for about thirty minutes, Nashi finally saw some buildings in the distance. Grinning broadly, she began to run towards those buildings.
When she had finally arrived, she'd gasped.
The town was bustling, way more busy than Magnolia by far. There were people selling things on the streets, wagons passing by, and people chatting among themselves. It seemed much happier here.
Maybe… Nashi thought. I could take off my cloak? I mean I'm not in Magnolia so…
Nashi reluctantly took down her cape, taking a deep breath as she could finally freely take in the air. With the edges of the cloak out of her face, she could finally see the town completely. She was not disappointed as she took in the large city.
She would come to regret this decision.
Within seconds of her removing her cloak, the surrounding area erupted into chaos; people screaming and running, shops being abandoned, stores being closed. Nashi could hear the panic in those people's voices.
"It's him! END!"
"Why is he so small?"
"Has he come to kill us all?!"
"Help! We need to go find help!"
Soon enough, Nashi was left alone. The once bustling streets were now completely empty, an eerie wind whistling through the empty street.
Nashi frowned. She thought that once she left Magnolia, she would be able to live freely, not bound to her cloak. Unfortunately, it seemed to be even worse than Magnolia, which was not what the little girl was expecting.
"He's over there!" Nashi heard a voice from far away. Turning to meet the voice, she saw a man pointing at her, followed by three guards who were now running towards her.
"Shoot!" Nashi cursed, darting into a nearby alleyway.
The child jumped over abandoned trash bags and rubble, dashing through the dark allies. Her legs ached, but she couldn't stop, not if she wanted to continue to roam freely. Unfortunately though, she could hear the guards closing in on her, which caused the child's heart to drop.
"Stop right there!"
She didn't stop. It wasn't looking good for the pinkette however, as soon enough the guards would catch up to her and take her who-knows-where.
Running out of time, Nashi tried to think of a way out. As she ran, she saw what appeared to be a hole a towards the right of the fork in the alleyway. It looked to be on the smaller side, but Nashi was sure she could fit. She would have to be quick so that the guards wouldn't notice her, if not she would be caught in seconds.
The child tried to calm herself as the fork came closer. She had one chance.
Once she reached the fork in the road, she dived for the rightward tunnel, pulling herself into the cramped hole and shutting her eyes tight for good luck.
The little slayer heard the guards arrive shortly after, their footsteps coming to a stop. "Where did he go?"
"I saw him go right, but I don't see him down there!" The other guard explained.
"Hmm…" The third, seemingly oldest guard was deep in thought. "He probably got a head start, let's continue right!"
"Yes sir!" The other two guards stated, running towards the right direction.
After what seemed like ages, Nashi let out a sigh of relief. She crawled out of the small building incision, quickly pulling her black cloak back up. Never again… she shivered.
Walking through the left side of the alleyway, Nashi finally found herself in a different part of Hargeon, one where the people were more calm as they were before the child had mistakenly taken off her cloak.
Taking another breath of relief that she was in the clear, Nashi started on her trek again, on the look for a place to eat.
While walking, she had noticed some children her age playing in the street with a small ball.
"Here, catch this!"
"Oh no, it fell!"
"Quick, catch it before it goes too far!"
"Got it!" The group of children laughed, causing Nashi to crack a small grin.
It had only been a couple of days and Nashi already missed the kids at the guild. Sure, they didn't see each other often, but Nashi would've at least lived with Rosemary and Reiki for a while if she had stayed. Moments like these made Nashi regret leaving, but she knew it was something she had to do. If she couldn't live with her mother, she at least had to find her father.
It didn't take long before Nashi had stumbled upon a small restaurant, the scent of ramen filling the air. Nashi grinned at this and sprinted inside, choosing to sit at a booth instead of the bar. This way, she was more isolated from the public.
"Hi, could I get you anything?" A young waitress asked, walking up to the booth shortly after the child sat down. She had her long ginger strands down, the front of her hair being pulled back to keep it in place. She looked at the child with warm eyes.
"Yes, could I have everything!"
"Everything?" The waitress' warm eyes suddenly bulged.
"Yep!" Nashi grinned. "Everything!"
"Umm, okay…" The waitress awkwardly walked away.
Nashi was ecstatic. The food here already smelled amazing, but she wondered if it could live up to her Aunt Mira's expectations.
Eventually, the food was delivered to the table, and Nashi couldn't be happier. It smelled heavenly, and after a few seconds Nashi had decided that it tasted heavenly as well. The chicken was juicy and a tad spicy, as the slayer enjoyed. The ramen noodles were soft and the soup was savory. Everything was just so amazing!
Nashi couldn't help but devour the meal in minutes, causing food to fly everywhere and the dirty dishes to pile up. When she finished, she let out a loud burp and grinned in satisfaction. She hadn't had a meal that big in ages! She had been living off of fruit and water for the past couple of days after all.
Relaxing into the booth, Nashi noticed the waitress awkwardly shuffle back towards the booth. "Umm, that will be 1,200 jewel please…"
"Jewel?" Nashi tilted her head. "What's that?"
The waitress' eyes widened in shock for the second time. "Um… what you use to pay for the food...?"
"Pay.." Nashi trailed off. "I have to give you something in exchange for the food?"
"Sorta…"
Nashi panicked. She didn't know things like this existed! She always got food freely with Mira, never owing the platinum-blonde anything. But now, she had to pay for food, and she didn't know how!
"Uh.." Nashi held herself, crossing her arms. "I don't… have any."
The waitress squinted her eyes in confusion. This was by far the weirdest customer she's had, and she's had a few oddballs to say the least. "How… old are you..?"
"I'm five, but I'll be six soon! Or maybe I'm already six…"She couldn't really remember, all she knew was that her birthday was around this time.
The waitress frowned, letting out a large sigh. Her mother wouldn't be fond of this. "Well, you'll have to come with me."
Nashi groaned. What trouble had she gotten herself into this time?
The older lady pinched the bridge of her nose. "So you ate our whole menu… and you don't have any jewel?!" She exclaimed.
Nashi shivered. "N-no ma'am."
The waitress had taken her to the back of the restaurant where the kitchen was. It was there when the slayer had met the presumed owner of the restaurant. The lady was definitely a lot older than the waitress, but they seemed to share the same scent too.
She had gray hair which was also pulled into a bun, small eyes and thin lips. Her skin, although a bit wrinkled, was pale like her own. The waitress had similar features, although her only differences were her thicker lips and vibrant ginger strands.
Letting out a loud sigh, the older lady began walking towards the back of the kitchen where the sinks were. Something told Nashi that she had to follow her. "To pay back all the money you owe us, you'll not only have to do your dishes; but dishes for the rest of the day."
Nashi grinned. "Only dishes?! That's easy!" The child was relieved. She was worried that she would have a far worse punishment. Dishes were annoying, but nothing that Nashi wasn't used to doing.
The old lady tsked. "Dishes are easy but having jewel is not?" She grumbled under her breath. "Whatever, it would probably be best if you took your little blanket off of you so that it doesn't get wet-"
"No!" Nashi interrupted quite loudly, causing the waitress to jump and the old lady's eyes to widen in surprise. "I-it's fine, I can keep it on! It doesn't bother me…"
The old lady gave Nashi a long look, intrigued by the child's profuse refusal and change in demeanor. After a while, she decided to ignore it, more concerned with the task at hand. "Just hurry up and get these done before the next round comes in."
"Alright old lady!"
"Old lady..?" She questioned, gritting her teeth in annoyance.
Nashi gulped. This lady was almost as scary as Aunt Erza and Aunt Mira! "Um… I don't know your name so.."
"It's Miss Iris to you. And that's my daughter, Madeline." She introduced herself, signaling towards the waitress. So that's why their scents smelled alike…
"Oh, Okay!" Nashi nodded.
"And you?" The old lady, Iris, proceeded to ask. "What's your name…"
"Uhh…" Nashi paused. She didn't know if her name would cause anymore issues like taking off her cloak did, but she decided she wouldn't try and find out. "I… I can't say…" She answered honestly.
"Hmph!" Iris huffed, walking away. The waitress quickly replaced her, running to the child's side. "Sorry! Mother can be cold sometimes, but she means well!"
Nashi looked at the waitress. Her curly orange strands were held back by two strands towards the back of either side of her head, leaving the front-side of her hair up and the lower-side down. She was definitely way older than the child, but she didn't look quite like an adult either?
Nashi shook her head through the cloak. "It's fine! I don't exactly look like the most trustworthy with my cloak on…"
"Don't worry about it!" She waved, dismissing the thought. "You have your reasons. But, I have to go serve the other customers, see you!"
"Bye Maddie!" She exclaimed, causing the waitress to crack a grin at the sound of a nickname.
Nashi sighed, pulling her cloak behind her elbows. She had a lot of dishes to do.
"Alright kid, that's enough for today. You can go home now." Iris dismissed the child. Nashi grinned awkwardly under the cloak, staying silent.
The three of them were sitting in the small staff lounge/office that was right next to the kitchen. It had been a long day, and Nashi was glad she had finally paid off her debt. Alongside washing the dishes, she also finally got to learn a lot more about the world; like knowing that she was in the town of Hargeon, what jewel is and how you earn it, the surrounding towns, the train system, and more. It was helpful to say the least.
Iris, used to the normally energetic hooded child, noticed her still demeanor and raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"I don't… have a home right now…"
"You've got to be kidding me," Iris groaned. "First we had to make you dinner, now you don't have a home? Where have you lived all this time?! No home, no food, no jewel; heck, you don't even know what jewel is!"
"I'm sorry!" Nashi squeaked, causing the old lady to sigh.
"It's not your fault, kid. It's just a strange case. Do you have parents?"
"W-well," Nashi started, deciding to open up a bit since these people really didn't know her. She was sure it wouldn't cause too many issues, right? "I was living with Mama, but she…" Nashi gulped, not ready to finish that sentence. "..and our house got destroyed. I never really left the house; but now that it's gone I've been wandering for the past few days… I want to try and find Papa now, but I've never met him before and I don't know where to look."
In the corner, Nashi could hear Madeline sniffle and the smell of salt filled the air. "H-how sad! How could a child have such a sad life already!"
"It's fine Miss Maddie! I'm okay!"
Madeline ignored this statement, wrapping the child in a hug. "Y'know, I lost my father too. I wasn't nearly as young as you, but it still hurt." She sniffled. "But I believe that your father's out there, and I'll support you and help you find him!"
"R-really?!" Nashi exclaimed. "B-but why? We just met! You don't even know my name, or what I look like…" Nashi shivered. They definitely wouldn't support her after that.
"I don't know." Madeline shrugged. "Your story just inspired me. Impulsive, I know."
"And with what funds will you support her with?" Iris finally chimed in, crossing her arms.
Madeline pouted. "I can use half of my earnings for the next few days!"
"You can't do that!" Nashi exclaimed. "That's unfair to you! I can just work here for the next couple of days to get enough money to travel.."
"The brat has a point," Iris agreed. "You need your money, you're about to go to boarding school!"
"School?" Nashi asked. "With other kids your age? What's it like?!" She said excitedly.
"You were quite sheltered, weren't you?" Madeline smiled slightly, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly. "Let's see, you can make some really nice friends, but there's also some mean people too. It's a mix of everything.."
Nashi pouted under her mask. "That sounds so confusing! I don't even know what that means!"
Madeline placed a hand on Nashi's head. "It's just something you have to experience, it's hard to explain."
"I guess so…" Nashi turned her head away, yawning slightly. Both women heard this.
"I can take you to my room upstairs so you can sleep there, the bed is very comfortable!" The ginger suggested.
"Absolutely not!" Iris exclaimed. "She would have to take a bath before that, we don't know where she's been!"
As offensive as it sounded, Miss Iris was kind of right. Plus, Nashi especially didn't want to risk taking off her cloak or having it slip off while she was in bed. Then she really wouldn't have a place to sleep.
She could've gone into the forest like previous nights, but with the guard on the look for her after today's incident, she didn't feel safe in the forest anymore.
"It's fine, I can just sleep on the floor." Nashi dismissed, noticing Madeline's pout.
"But the floor's so hard!"
"I'm used to it!" Nashi exclaimed. "I've been in the forest for the past few days after all, so this is an upgrade."
Madeline pouted, whispering to herself 'so sad', before walking upstairs in search of blankets and a pillow.
It was Iris' turn to frown. "Are you sure you don't want to take a quick bath? I mean as long as you do that you could sleep in Madeline's bed all you want…"
Nashi shook her head.
"Alright," Iris relented. "It does get mighty cold down here though, just letting you know."
Nashi grinned to herself. "I don't get cold."
"If you say so," Iris shrugged. "And don't think about running away either! You still have to stay to do the dishes to make up for what you ate for dinner!"
Nashi nodded. "Okay! I wasn't planing on leaving anyways, I feel safe here and I don't know where else to go…"
The old lady groaned. "You're lucky Madeline won't let me let you go, or else you'd be back out on the streets!" She scolded as Madeline came back down with two blankets and a pillow, causing the child to squeak in fear.
"What was that sound?" Madeline asked as she came down the final step. "And what was it about me, mother?"
"Nothing, Madeline. We were just… chatting."
"Oh, okay.." Madeline frowned, not liking that her mother was hiding something from her, but she decided that it must've not been too important. "Anyways, here! The big one goes on the floor so that it's a little soft, and then the pillow and the blanket to wear over you!" She explained, laying the big blanket on the floor.
"T-thank you," Nashi said softly. She wore a small smile, and for once she wished she could take her cloak off so that they could see it, how grateful she was for them.
"No problem!" She tucked Nashi in, placing a kiss on her forehead. It kind of reminded her of her mother, causing a wave of happiness and sadness to wash over her. "Good Night."
"Night, Madeline."
Iris and Madeline both smiled, turning off the lamp and leaving Nashi alone, who quickly fell asleep within the first few minutes.
A/N: I finally have the story outline done and half of the chapters have been written, so we don't have much longer to go! Thanks for all the reviews, it's fun reading what you guys anticipate will happen. Let me know what you think, see you soon!
