A/N: Ok. Hey. What's up? I hadn't been working on this story (or any stories) since my last update because of plans. So, I was bored and decided to write.
Wolf: You woke me up.
Me: Well then. Who woke up on the wrong side of the bed?
Wolf: You're the one keeping me up.
Me: Can it. Anyways. I do not own Ao No Exorcist, only my OCs.
xXxXx
Back then, I didn't understand what everything meant. I didn't understand what my parents were doing to me as they left me in the slums.
All I remembered was being woken up harshly, my bed creaking and groaning, my covers being ripped off of me, and the cold air. I quickly grabbed Mr. Snuffykins as my mother grabbed my wrist and started to drag me out of my small room, my short legs stumbling forward.
My mother dragged me out of our small apartment, me taking a small note of the lack of objects missing from their usual and proper places; father's laptop, mother's jewelry box, mother and father's clothes and shoes, and anything else valuable or necessary for living.
My mother tugged sharply at my wrist and roughly opened the car door and shoved me into the backseat, closing the door with a loud bang. After that, I only remembered hugging Mr. Snuffykins tightly to my chest, and staring at the clean floor of the barren backseat, my body slightly rocking to the bumps in the road.
As time progressed and rocking of the car became more and more rough and sharp, making me start to tremble in fear, not liking the instinct of fear in my gut. I quickly glanced out the window, only seeing winding roads and dark eerie alleys and other small roads. I set my stare to the back of my parents' heads. My father was handsome and buff, clean shaven head and had a small beard, tall and bulky. And, definitely stronger than the average man. My mother was probably around the opposite of my father. She was average height, skinny and elegant, lithe and the body of a runner.
The car jolted to a stop, and both my mother and father got out.
For a quick second, I thought they were going to leave me, alone in the car, forever, but my father opened my door and helped me out. We were in a grimy alley, trash and slime on the edges of the small brick path. My mother came to stand by my father, and kneeled down. I remember her word's exactly.
"Remember, Ami, stay here. Mommy and Daddy will be right back, okay? Stay here and be a good girl. Now, Ami, remember, no matter what, Mommy and Daddy love you. We'll be right back, okay?" I nodded. "Good. Good night, sweetheart."
Father then patted my head, and they walked back to the car, and then, a bit too quickly, drove off.
They never came back.
They left me.
I only then wished that they had left me in the car, and not in the street.
I was just left there, staring at where father's silver car had once been, holding Mr. Snuffykins limply in my small left hand, not sure how to respond in the current situation. So, I just stood there.
I stood there for three days, before they came.
It wasn't mother and father. It wasn't nice people like from my school.
They were bad people. The bad people that the police took away. Only that there was no police to come.
The next thing I knew, was on that night, I had made my first kill of many.
xXxXx
When I woke, it was the morning of the seventh day. Seven days. One week. One week till the fight.
One week till death. One week to live.
What was going to happen? What will happen to me? What will happen to the others?
No, stop it. Enough.
One step at a time.
One step at a time, Wolf.
xXxXx
"Fuck!"
"Another dead end." Yukio muttered under his breath.
"We can see the damn building, yet, we can't even get close to it!" Bon yelled.
"Well…it can't be helped…" Miwa said, putting his hands up, trying to calm his friend down.
"We've been walking for how long?" Shima groaned, and leaned his hand on a wall, but quickly pulled away, only now noticing a corpse in a nearby corner.
"Dead bodies but no demons…" Izumo muttered.
"Strange, isn't it?" Yukio said to no one, but took a step forward towards the dead body. "How usually corpses are taken over by demons, but here, none are?" Yukio bent down, and examined the body.
It was a fairly fresh kill, blood still wet in some places. A wicked knife was lodged in the man's chest, his head was up, staring at something, and his eyes bright blue, as if he had only just been murdered.
Yukio looked behind, toward the direction the man was looking. There, bright as day, Laughing Shadows base. But, how to get to it? Yukio remembered how Wolf, well Himitsu who was impersonating as Wolf, used the roof tops, instead of the ground, but, Rin himself used the ground, and yet he walked through the maze like nothing. If they chose the roof tops, how would they get up?
Yukio sighed and stood up, then started to walk out to the main street, everyone following behind him. Soon enough, everyone had started up their own conversations, and Yukio was left with his thoughts.
He needed to find someone who was still alive, and had seen Laughing Shadows as it was years ago, but, all of the members from that time were dead, or had gone to different gangs. And, if anyone saw him asking around about a dead gang, it would be obvious that they were from the city. In a nearby store, a sign read 'fresh food' and an old man sat in a chair, with a smile on his face, mostly likely the manager. Yukio headed over, getting curious glances from the others, and walked in.
Yukio walked over and picked up a candy bar, not sure what kind, and kept his eye on the old man. He quietly placed his purchase on the counter, watching the old man smile, still not noticing him. Yukio coughed into his hand a bit, and the old man's smile dropped, and he jumped out of his chair. He quickly scanned the candy bar, and told Yukio the total. Yukio sighed, and quickly got to the point of coming into the place.
"Excuse me, but, what do you know about the old gang, Laughing Shadows?" Yukio leaned on the counter, and glared, not up to games at the moment.
The man flinched, as Yukio expected, since he had polished this technique on Rin multiple times. But, the man's eyes became cold and steely.
"I know nothing. Pay up and leave."
"Why were you smiling?" Yukio asked.
"Is it wrong to be happy?" The manager shot back.
"No," Yukio said, pulling out his wallet, "I just don't see many people smiling around here, that, and we wish to get some information."
"About what?" The manager's voice was still cold and heartless, but at least he was listening.
"I told you, Laughing Shadows. Like, say, how to get to their base?" Yukio said, handing over a bit of cash.
The old man glared, registered the money, gave Yukio his change and candy bar, and spoke in a forced tone, through his teeth.
"Do I look like a LS member? No, now get out, Light Dweller. You don't belong here. This place isn't half as safe as it used to be, or, we'll find out in a week, depending on the victor. Now leave, get out while you can, before it's too late." The man turned away and started for the back room.
"Wait." Yukio yelled, stopping the old man in his tracks. "What do mean?"
"I mean that your stupid government is about to make the Border even taller than ever. But, get out while you can, because they can do it in a single night, without anyone knowing. You've been warned." And after that, the man left and went into the back room, out of sight.
Everyone stood there, shocked, staring at the spot where the old man once was. Izumo was the first to respond.
"Well, now what? The fight is in a week, the Border is going to be built even higher than before, and we have yet to find Rin. Any great ideas?" Izumo questioned, a slight glare in her eyes.
Everyone was silent, and most simply looked down at the floor, keeping their mouths shut. Izumo sighed and walked out, everyone following behind, solemn. Izumo followed a random path, turning corners and running down roads, Yukio and the Esquires following closely at her heels in a jog, even though she was only walking.
With Izumo's face stern and stubborn, she led them closer and closer to the base, in less than twenty minutes. Soon enough, they all were standing under the looming building, only a few yards away.
"So…" Shiemi said, wary. "W-where's the door?" Her head tilted to the side, eyes wide in curiosity.
"Izumo?" Miwa asked hopefully.
Izumo didn't answer.
"Great." Muttered Bon, sighing. "Just great."
xXxXx
"Bomb acquired, guns in stock, over a thousand bullets, plenty of bladed weapons, along with a few knuckle dusters, and multiple grenades. We're well in stock, Rin. But, no one's joined."
"Well, duh. Wha' ya' expect? They're probably afraid of losin' the fight and dyin' in a puddle of their own blood. Most people wouldn't do wha' we do for a livin'."
"True enough. But-"
"We have intruders."
"Wha'? That's impossible."
"Come look."
"They came."
Rin smiled. 'They came.'
Maybe they did have chance to live. Just maybe.
xXxXx
A/N: Hey! I'm back- *dodges pitchfork* Okay then…. I can fully explain…..*dodges rock* Or not.
Announcements:
1. Okay, so this story will not be rated up to M, and thank you for everyone who replied to my questions! :3
2. As for a sequel, I've only got one reply, so, the question still stands: should I make a sequel, or should this be the only story with this plot?
3. I have gone back and fixed grammar and spelling errors, because not only many of you guys were getting fed up with it, but it started to get on my nerves as well, so, if anyone sees something wrong (only major things like names, places, etc.), please review/PM it to me. Thank you!
4. The final fight is the next chapter, even though it was supposed to be the last chapter, but, oh well. *dodge rock* Okay, yes, I know, I dragged the story out, but…..I have no excuse.
5. So far, on my poll, the winning age people think I am is 17, if you think differently, vote! X3
So, anyways. Review. Blah blah blah. You know the drill.
So, thank you and have good day, ladies and gentlemen.
