Choice of Music: Paper Moon - Soul Eater OST,

Don't scary, for witch just drew pumpkin carriage and is only reflected in your eyes.

Chapter 2 - Broken Doll

Kia and Dante walked slowly down the hallway, shoes silently echoing through the dark estate. They had been suddenly called from the bath for an important message sent by Tsavera from America. Tansen had said it was urgent, so they finished their bathing and dressed hurridly.

"What does he need us for now?" Dante complained. "It's late, and I gotta work in the morning."

"Don't whine," Kia scolded. "It's umbecoming of a lady."

Dante stared at her, her pink eyes slightly uncomfortable at the younger girls' cold demeanor. "I liked you better when you were still human. Being changed to a doll only means a slight alteration to the body. How could you have changed that much?"

"I'm about as tired as you are, but I want to just get this done and over with. There's no point in complaining, and if Ristuka hears you, you'll end up with extra endurance testing."

"Testing, schmesting," she retorted," says the one who won't even admit that she remotely likes what could possibly be the most dangerous creature in the entire history of forever."

Kia smirked, thinking. "Dunstan?"

The green haired Doll socked Kia in the shoulder. "You know who I'm speaking of."

The black haired girl smiled slightly. "Yeah, I know. It wouldn't do any good for him to know, ya know. Can't we just keep it between you and me?"

"No."

"But why?"

"It's not safe to keep emotions bottled up. Seriously, have you learned anything?"

"Yeah."

"Like what?"

"Spam isn't meant to be eaten with mac and cheese, drunken wheelbarrow races around broken glass is nowhere near a good idea, and that-"

"Not what I meant!"

"Sorry," she mumbled, hazel eyes downcast to the floor. They arrived at their destination, the same room Kia was "reborn" in.

Dull green light flooded the room as they opened the door, stepping into the area. Chemicals flooded Kia's nose, making her eyes slightly water.

A small Doll Kia didn't recognize lay on the table, and she was in terrible shape. Her hair looked like tangled fabric the color of blood, clothes burned and ripped. Ribs, shoulder bones, and a small segment of her jawbone shone through the ripped flesh. Part of her skull was smashed and slightly caving in. Her left arm was gone, and her right knee was gnawed up to the knee.

All in all, she looked as though she was mauled by a backhoe and dragged a good distance.

"Tansen, sir?" Kia asked.

"Yes?" the brow haired man replied, not once looking up from the poor girl's injuries. He poured a golden green liquid into each gash and gouge.

"Who's the girl? What happened to her?"

"It's Azu-chan, Kia-chan."

"Azukami?" Dante cried, rushing over to the girls' side. "What the hell happened?"

"Where's Chikura? Is Kura-chan alright?"

"Kura-chan is alright, she's taking a plane to America and meeting up with Vera-chan, and they are going to rendezvous back here."

Kia looked over the tattered Doll again, not understanding something. Azukami was a very beautiful and deadly Doll, gentle and kind as a butterfly but if someone threatened her friends or Tansen, there was a demon tigress lurking underneath that pale skin of hers.

"Which one did it?" Dante asked the man, who was now currently overseeing Azukami's healing. Her cells were going through a very rapid binary fission, dividing and multiplying at a speed that would be impossible for a normal human. Tansen gave a simple look towards Kia, and immediately both of them knew who had broken her.

Contemplating any possible actions, Kia asked "What'll you have us do?"

"Dante, you are going to replace Chikaru and Tsavera in America. Yutaro will go with you. Ristuka is going to see if she can use her ability to seek out any rejects that might be close by. Depending on what we're given with, we will decide what to do when the time comes. Any reject is to be brought back without destroying the soul."

"Go to America and don't kill rejects, got it." Turning on her heel, the green-haired Doll exited the room, leaving to pack a bag for however long she would be out of the country. Kia watched her silently, hazel eyes observing the quick and silent movement of the clairvoyant Doll.

"Tansen-sama, what are my orders?"

"You're staying here and you'll be with Azukami when she heals. You two will be in charge of the surrounding area unless told otherwise. Understand?"

"Crystal, sir. How long will it take for Azu-chan to get better?"

"I don't know, Kia-chan," he sighed, "I don't know." Sitting down into a lab chair, the man removed his glasses from his face and rubbed his eyes. He must have been working extremely late now, the rejects were moving at a faster pace than before. The black haired teenager rubbed her arm, unsure of what to do at that point. She had been ordered to stay in Japan, and she didn't need to work until Azukami was fully healed and her body was in complete use again. Her shift at her part-time job didn't start until late afternoon the next day, and she no longer went to school.

Heaving herself up onto an exam table, Kia watched Azukami's body slowly heal itself. "You don't have to stay here, Kia-chan," Tansen said.

"Are you sure, Tansen-sama?"

"Go on to bed. I'll have Ritsuka look after her." He shooed her from the room, leaving her by herself. Standing in the dark hallway, Kia slowly turned and walked to the room Tansen had given her. Many thoughts and memories ran through her head, all of them too familiar to her.

Upon arrival to her room, she looked around the small area. It was a cozy room, not too big or too small. Art supplies and clothes littered her floor. 'I'd better clean up my room unless Yutaro comes in here again,' she thought to herself. The last time that happened, a shitload of very expensive art supplies were thrown away, ones that Kia had bought herself. God was she pissed that day.

Plopping herself on her bed, she grabbed an empty sketchbook near her nightstand and began to doodle. Nothing fancy, just things she remembered or came up with on the spot. Most of them people she knew; Yamato, Rune, K, Jealousy, Hana and Edile. Many of the Evil Douji and their Masters, very very few of the Good and theirs. Still not one of him.

She tried several times, Kia could remember that. She tried so hard several times to draw him, but she couldn't. There was always something wrong with the way he turned out, and she always stopped halfway through. Sometimes she swore she should just give up on trying.

Looking out the darkened window of the countryside, she wondered how her uncle and Hana were doing. Did anyone really even miss her? She knew that K probably did, no matter what. Hana was now permanently stuck with Sumako, and she felt sorry for her.

Placing the sketchbook on the table, Kia crawled under the covers and turned out the lights. Laying in the dark, she curled her arms around the pillow next to her, her memories giving her only a slight comfort.

Please leave your thoughts.