Chapter 3

Flood of Blood

-XXX-

It began pretty normally. The day (night) I mean.

The sun was out. The birds were chirping. The clouds were drifting. The people were - yeah you get the drill.

But one thing made this day different. What made this day spe-

"Mami!" Enma called as he came running up the stairs. "Did you get dressed yet?"

As I was saying-

BANG!

The door burst open to my room. Enma stood at the door wearing a crown atop his head. Yes, a crown - not a tiara like Bel's, but a legit plastic crown. In his hand he held the queen's crown.

I was already up and was to my utter dismay, wearing a frilly dress along with ribbons and laces.

Enma skipped up to me and placed the crown on my head. He took a step back and marveled at its glory. "Perfect." He grinned.

I proceeded to take the offending object off my head when Enma slapped my hand away.

"No touching!" He glared. "That's the princess's crown-"

"Isn't it a queens?"

"Shush."

"Kids!" Our mother called from downstairs. "It's time to blow out the candles!"

We both grinned raced each other to the living room.

Yes. What made this day special was that it was our birthday.

We arrived at the living room and sat on the couch as our mother placed the large ice cream cake on the coffee table, lighting up the candles.

"Settle down now, kids." Makoto said as he held a camera to take a picture.

Enma and I hooked our arms around our shoulders and grinned widely for the camera. It flashed and we let go, ready to blow out the candles.

I closed my eyes and made a wish.

I wish that Enma and I find happiness.

I opened my eyes and blew out the candles along with Enma.

My mother sliced the cake and we all ate sweet and cold treat.

I smiled in bliss after finishing the cake and leaving the plate in the kitchen sink.

I came back to the living room to open up presents.

I received books from Makoto and my mother. I smiled and gave them a hug and a kiss to the cheek. Enma received a cat plushie from mom and a toy train from his dad. He thanked them just like I did. Then we turned to each other and handed the present that we wanted to give to each other at the same time.

"Here's your present Enma." I said as I handed the small little box to him. He too handed me a small box.

I unwrapped it and opened to find a necklace. And not just any necklace. It was a blue Wayfinder. It was a friendship necklace from Kingdom Hearts.

I looked at my mother who winked at me.

It turns out that all three of us, my mother, Enma, and I, had the same idea. My mother must have helped Enma find me a gift and had the Wayfinder custom made just like I planned for Enma.

Enma squealed in delight as he wore his green Wayfinder.

"We had the same idea!" He said holding up his necklace to mine.

I smiled as I put my necklace on. "The power of twins."

We grinned and chatted happily as the night went on.

Just as we finished cleaning up, My guts twisted and churned uncomfortably.

My senses immediately sharpened.

"Enma." I murmured, my eyes narrowing.

I had taught Enma specifically if something like this were to happen. He nodded and hid in the kitchen cupboard. Leaving the it open just a crack.

Makoto lowered his hand to his pocket.

My mother pulled me closer.

I stood stiff and still. Not a sound can be heard in the eerie silence. Fear gripped at my heart as my pupils dwindled.

I can sense him. Sense him coming. His presence was full of malice. It left me frozen in fear.

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BANG!

My eyes went wide as blood splattered across the room.

Makoto dropped to the floor with a bullet through him. Dead.

There, I could see my the front door was Iemitsu with a gun in his hand. What I found was weird was that he was flickering between the image of Iemitsu and Daemon Spade.

The world around me felt like it suddenly slowed down. The sound of my mother's cry seemed muffled to my ears.

I watched as blood splattered; her body falling to the floor as she reached out to me. The light in her eyes vanishing.

And then the world came back to speed.

My mother is dead. Dead once again. Ripped away from me. Again.

I trembled and shook as Daemon's image flickered from Iemitsu before settling into his original appearance.

Tears rolled down my cheeks.

I was next.

He was going to kill me.

Daemon Spade stood before me. His eyes gleamed with malice.

From the corner of my eyes, Enma silently watched with wide eyes in the cupboard.

He raised his scythe for the finishing blow that would end me.

A shrill scream resounded as I shut my eyes.

In that moment, I wished time could rewind. I wished I had flames to protect my family. My father. My mother.

Enma.

I wanted to protect him. He didn't deserve this. He was happy and full of life.

I have shared so many memories with them. From the time we had a picnic. When we went on a trip to the beach. When Enma and I made cards for our parents on Mother's and Father's day. On April Fools, when I made a prank everyone. To the time my mother taught me how to cook (which ended with me being banned from cooking). And the time when Makoto read a bedtime story to us in the living room late at night.

I cherished each and every single moment. No matter how insignificant it would be to others.

They made me feel accepted for the first time in my two lives. I learned the true meaning of love because of them.

I don't ever want it to end.

I hate being weak.

I hate being useless.

I wish I was strong.

I wish I had power.

I WANT TO PROTECT THOSE WHO ARE DEAR TO ME!

I felt a surge of warmth and tranquility. Raw power flowed through my veins. I felt like I was burning. I felt like I was alive.

And then the power exploded.

"Well this is unexpected."

My eyes shot open.

Flames engulfed the entire room. Burning away at the walls and floor with the all furniture and other objects knocked over.

But what surprised me was the flame.

What surprised me was the color.

I gazed at the flickering flames.

Orange.

The flames were orange.

Sky flames . . .

What?

I gaped at the flames. I have sky flames? But how? I thought that I had none - or at least, if I did, it would be the Earth flames.

"How interesting," Daemon mused. "To have the flames of the Sky instead of the Earth. You're even able to manipulate the flame to protect you. What an interesting child indeed."

I then took notice that a translucent veil of sky flames surrounded me like a shield. Protecting me from Daemon.

Daemon smirked sinisterly. "We shall meet again." He slowly began to disappear. "I will let you live for now, my dear. Child of the Earth and Sky."

He disappeared completely, leaving me in the burning room.

I stumbled to get up, feeling light headed as I made my way to the kitchen. Just as I was about to enter the kitchen, I froze. I turned around and stared at the mirror that reflected me. I gasped.

Sky flames flickered with brilliance on my forehead. My eyes were burning orange with the Shimon emblem in it. (Well of course. My pupils are the emblem).

One word: breathtaking.

I calmly walked forward and approached the opened cupboard. The door was knocked off its hinges.

Enma was slumped over with his eyes shut.

From my deduction, my flames must have knocked him out. Which meant that the last thing he saw was me getting run through by a scythe or some weird shit that Daemon made him see.

I picked him up with my new found strength and with an impassive face, walked out the door of the house, glancing at my parents' dead bodies before turning away.

The Wayfinder that I gave Enma hung around his neck, glinting under the moonlight. I set him down and went back inside. The flames that licked the room have disappeared leaving scorch marks all over the room. I trekked up the stairs and into my dad's office.

I turned the computer on.

The log in screen popped up.

I sighed and easily hacked into the computer.

I pulled up a file of myself, and with a push of a button, I deleted every information about me. Along with Enma's. I grabbed some cash and stuffed it in my hoodie that I have changed into.

Once I erased all evidence and took any necessary things I would need, I jumped down the window and grabbed onto Enma. My guts twisted and I let instincts take over.

With a surge of power, flames blasted from my fists. I flew off into the night sky with Enma.

-Reborn-

I landed at a hospital and got Enma checked in. not without threatening the nurse at the counter first of course.

Enma was taken into a room where I now watched him sleep. His pulse beeping on the monitoring system.

I watched with a sullen expression.

I couldn't stay here anymore.

I don't know how I would affect the plotline if I stayed with Enma. And I simply couldn't if I'm going to meet Daemon again in Julie's body. So no thanks.

I kissed Enma's forehead.

I'm sorry Enma.

I left the hospital and headed to a very specific destination.

-Reborn-

I arrived at the counter and pulled out some of my money, placing it on the counter that I could hardly reach.

"A ticket to Sicily, please."

The desk manager leaned over the counter to take a look at me. She raise a brow with an annoyed face.

"Look, little girl, we are very busy right now." She huffed before looking at her perfectly manicured nails and blowing a bubble gum. "Get lost and play with your little dolls. We mean business."

Oh she did not just say that.

I glanced around the room behind me. It was empty.

It was fucking empty.

"Look here, bitch," I growled. "I am pissed and not in the mood to play games. I. Am. Going. To. Sicily. So take my fucking money and give me a fucking ticket!"

I slammed the rest of the cash needed for a ticket to Sicily with a loud bang.

She gaped at me but with a shaking hand, gave me the ticket.

I beamed like an angel. "It was a pleasure doing fucking business with you." I said as I walked out the door.

I took a cab and soon arrived at the airport. At least the driver was able to see my mood and gave me chocolate chip cookies. What a nice guy.

I boarded the plane and sat down in my seat.

I yelped as the pain from using HDWM finally took effect on me. I passed out like a light.

I woke up to the flight attendant giving me a bag of toys. I smiled and thanked her.

"Now get me a fucking cup of apple juice."

She gaped but continued on down the aisle to get my order.

"And keep it coming . . . with some brownies and mint chocolate chip ice cream too."

The attendant soon arrived with my orders and hurriedly scrambled away.

I bit into my warm brownie and browsed through the movie options.

There was hardly anything good to watch.

"Fucking shitty plane." I muttered under my breath.

-Reborn-

I woke up to the soft landing of the plane. I unclasp my seatbelt and walked down the aisle to the exit; leaving piles of trash behind.

"H-Have a n-nice v-visit." The same flight attendant said.

She was literally shaking. No. all of them were.

When the head flight attendant was informed of me being rude, she trudged up to me and I gave her the verbal bashing of her life.

I glanced at her, a dark black ring around her right eye. She squeaked, keeled over, and fainted on the spot.

I left the airport and got in a cab.

"To the city please." I spoke in fluent Italian.

The driver quirked a brow before shrugging and driving to my destination. I got off and gave him the fee.

The city was bustling full of people and probably Mafiosi.

I yawned.

Ugh.

The damn sun is scorching my back and head.

I scowled and walked through the sea of people.

Why did I come to Sicily of all places?

I don't know. I felt like something was telling me to come here.

I sighed. Knowing Enma, he would think that I'm dead and turned bitter and quiet just like how he was in canon.

During the day, I found myself a box. Large enough to fit me in. cloth that the owner didn't want, and a stick.

What am I going to do with these useless items?

I'm going to build a fucking box-house.

I found a nice spot in an alleyway and set down the box, put the stick up to hold the cardboard to form a little roof and shoved the cloth inside the box.

I dusted myself and grinned at my handy work.

"There, today isn't so bad after all."

CRACKLE BOOM!

"GOD DAMN IT!"

Rain poured down like a fucking river.

I scowled and crawled into my little box-house. I sat hugging my knees to my chest, watching the rain pour and the thunder roar as lightning crackle in the darken sky.

What gives? Suddenly it just decides to fucking rain?!

What the fuck is wrong with this world?!

Wait. A lot of things are fucked up in this world.

"Rain, rain, fucking go away, come again another shitty day~" I sang quietly to myself.

The a bucket of cold water poured over my head.

"FUCK!"

The roof of my make-shift home collapsed and ripped open from water overload.

I growled and left my box-house and sought shelter in a pastry café.

The bell chimed as I came into the café, dripping wet. The shop manager noticed me. "Oh little girl-"

"Shut the fuck up." I cut her off. "I'm not in the fucking mood."

She gaped like a fish and fainted.

I ignored her and stared out the window from where I sat.

From the corner of the room, the other staff members were dragging their manager into the storage room (the fuck?) and coward at me.

"Hey waiter," I said, breaking the silence. (Not really from all that thunder).

BOOM!

One of them collapsed.

"Give me your best shitty tiramisu and make it quick."

The poor teenage boy squeaked and ran into the kitchen.

The others bravely brought me a notepad and a box of crayons (how nice of them) and I drew Chappy the Rabbit and Gekota the Frog.

I beamed at the boy who came back with a large plate of tiramisu. He blushed a vibrant shade of red and scurried out of site to join the others. Then they turned on the music. Filling the café with random music.

"Grazie!" I thanked them.

I took a large spoon full of tiramisu.

Gods of Olympus, this stuff is fucking good!

I chewed happily and drew chibi version of the Vongola family along with the Arcobaleno and the Shimon family.

"Those drawing are fucking shit."

I froze and stopped drawing.

"Care to repeat that?"

"Those drawings are fu-"

I rammed my plate of tiramisu (my poor babies!) into the fucking offender's face, shattering the plate in the process.

"Don't insult my drawings you fucking asshole!"

I flipped the table over and rammed it into his face repeatedly. I kicked him with all I got where the sun doesn't shine for good measure.

I picked up my notepad and box of crayons and ran out the café.

The rain had already stopped.

I slowed down when I reached the park.

Now that I think about it . . . who was the person that insulted my drawings?

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Oh well. The bastard didn't deserve to be thought of-

"Ooff!"

I fell backwards from walking into something. "Watch where you're going you fucking ass . . . hole . . ." I trailed off at the end; my voice turning quiet as I finally looked up at the person (seriously? It felt like I just ran into a fucking wall!) I bumped into.

"Ehehehe . . . ." I laughed sheepishly as the blood drain from my face (more like my soul slipped out of my body). "Sorry . . .?"

The person that I bumped into was none other than the boss of the Varia, Xanxus.

Yes. Xanxus of all people. Fucking Xanxus.

I gulped.

His red eyes narrowed dangerously. His usual scowl deepened.

I began to sweat.

"How dare you . . . say that . . . to . . . boss . . ." I raised my brow at Levi who came running to us, wheezing and trying to glare but failed miserably while holding his . . .

Oh.

Oh.

He was the one I kicked.

I burst into a fit of laughter, completely forgetting that Xanxus was here.

Xanxus attention turned to me.

"You . . ." I gulped ion air. "You were stupid enough to repeat . . . ahahahahahahaha!"

"You damn brat!" He yelled. Trudging forwards.

He was shot in the head and fell over backwards. Smoking.

Xanxus's gun was brought out.

"Brat," He said.

I'mdeadI'mdeadI'mdeadI'mdeadI'mdeaddeaddeaddeadeadeadeadeadead-

"Come."

I blinked but obeyed his command and followed him into a black limousine.

I sat quietly and furthest away from him as possible.

We passed through the town and soon arrived at a castle.

We got out and entered the castle.

"Um . . ." He glanced at me.

I almost squeaked at the intensity. "Why am I here?"

We walked into the castle and after a long moment of silence, he finally spoke.

"From now on, you work here, brat."

Well fuck.

-XXX-

What an awesome chapter but sad chapter.

Was I cruel to put Enma's and Mami's birthday on the day, Flood of Blood?

All will be revealed in due time concerning Mami.

But for now she's stuck with the Varia. How nice am I?

Please leave a review! Seriously. I don't have a single one and it's been bothering me since I published this story.

Ciao,

-Arti