A/N: Thank you Hartanna, hitomi65, Swift-Star9, and animecutie610 for commenting!
Hartanna: Haha! Thanks! I'm glad I was able to make Rin funny!
hitomi65: Thanks!
Swift-Star9: O.O *awe struck* Wow! That's a large comment! I truly appreciate your interest and analysis in the story! Thank you for the criticism, I will take it into consideration! I can't, however, change Aidyn and Arisu's names – sorry! :(
I picked the names with the intention of them being a little unusual. In the story, their mother (who will become an essential character) is a strange woman, and therefore gave them strange names. Also, I am already 15 chapters in…
Animecutie610: THANK YOU – that's really nice of you to say! Haha! Don't worry, I like writing about Yukio's crisis of conscience! I'm glad you like Arisu too!
A lone bus rolled down the streets of True Cross Academy Town.
"Y'sure you should be doing this girlie?" The driver asked, a cigarette hanging from his mouth.
"Yes. Vairy." Arisu calmly stated as the vehicle rattled back and forth.
The man puffed on his smoke.
"Well I sure as hell wouldn't. Hell! – I wouldn't have agreed to drive you here if you didn't offer me that large sum of money. Do you see any other bus driving down here – no – but HEY – a man's gotta feed his family somehow, even if it means doing stupid things like this."
The bus driver was definitely a chatty one, not to mention annoying. The girl didn't even bother to pay attention to his words. Instead, she leaned head in hand and stared at the disheveled houses passing by.
"Some bug broke out, and all the normal people were evacuated. All that remains in this town are a couple of sick freaks. Strange things have been going on around these parts…dangerous things. Like out of nowhere, suddenly everyone's gone crazy – murders, kidnappings, cult ceremonies in people's basements – freaky shit. And not to be rude, honey, but with a little girl – not to mention – a foreigner like yourself… You're dead meat…"
Still not listening, Arisu continued to gaze at the broken neighborhood. It was most likely a thriving place before "Noire Du Sang." Now it was a ghost town, an open mental home for infected citizens who no longer contained a brain. They'd lie in the shadow, breeding – living on the blood of others – like wild animals. The bus hit a bump and the two nearly jumped out of their seats. The bus driver cursed and mumbled under his breath.
"F*ck! Damn these roads… No one's bothered to fix them… Why the hell did I agree to this…?"
Arisu came here for one reason, and one reason only…
…to get dirt on Rin Okumura.
After prodding teachers and students for days, she finally discovered that the boy was raised in a monastery.
'Aren't churches supposed to be for good people or something? The girl thought ironically.
Meeting Okumura opened up old wounds about the first time Arisu was clueless enough to trust a human being….
That time with the blue-eyed man.
True, she hadn't seen the pr*ck since she was little, and would probably never see him again….
However, that wasn't important.
The essential thing was…. that he became a symbol of humanity for Arisu –
How they were ALWAYS devious.
How they could NEVER be trusted…
…no matter HOW kind they seemed on the surface.
The man's hatred for Aidyn was so deep that he devised a clever plan to get the boy alone – feigning niceness only to kill.
After him, many others had attempted this as well, appearing compassionate and sweet in order to gain a sick trust… However, Arisu learned from her experience with the blue-eyed man and vowed never to trust any other person again.
Now, she would stop Okumura before he got any closer to her little brother – the bastard. Considering the evacuation, she didn't expect anyone to be in his home. She just wanted something to use… The guy must have some kind of secret – an old diary – an embarrassing photo of him and an old girlfriend he screwed over – ANYTHING.
The bus shook violently.
To sneak out during an epidemic and go hitchhiking to a nearly abandoned town meant dire consequences for Arisu. Isaac was probably going to KILL her when she came back. (If the virus didn't kill her first.) The girl smirked to herself.
HMPH. So what? Let it be.
The thought of Isaac's irritated face – forehead red and lips white and tightened – seemed… almost amusing to her. He meant nothing compared to Aidyn.
….Aidyn…. her helpless baby brother… She'd do anything to keep him safe. Before Arisu left, she gave the boy specific instructions to stay in the room at all times. She told him to not let anyone in. He was only allowed to sneak out for food if she wasn't back in time. The thought of leaving Aidyn alone made Arisu sick to her stomach, but she had no choice.
"Drop me off at ze Souzern Cross Boy's Monestary." She ordered the driver.
"Sure thing, just don't expect a ride back."
The bus slowly came to a stop and Arisu stepped out. Ironically, despite her hatred towards other people, she turned and thanked the driver. It made her awkward and stiff.
"Z - zank 'ou."
For a moment, the man stared at her with reluctance.
"Um miss?"
"Hm?"
"Do me a favor and don't die. I really don't want to be responsible for a little girl's death – give me nightmares for months – "
The word 'months' was cut off as the man closed the doors and drove away. He seemed to be mumbling to himself towards the end of the sentence.
Looking up, Arisu gained a full view of the area. Tall buildings, billboards and old cable lines stretched over and hugged the gray sky. She could see empty, dulled out lights on these structures… no longer providing illumination or color. Set up high, above even the buildings was a railroad – old, rusted, unused.
The monastery ahead was a huge clash from the surrounding urban setting. The building appeared old fashioned, something that would be found in a small village…. a homey looking place? It certainly wasn't the extravagant cathedrals Arisu had seen while traveling with her mother –
The air was cold and brisk.
It filled her lungs with a feeling of awe.
Flecks of snow kissed her face as she stared at the towering structure.
The little girl stood, brother's timid hand in hers.
Mother's back was a shadow that cast over them.
She knew the woman's expression.
She knew her mother longed for something other than what she had.
"Only your brother." The woman said.
"You must wait out here, Arisu."
With this, the little girl stomped her feet and shrieked to the heavens.
"I WANT TO GO TOO!"
"I WANT TO GO WITH YOU AND AIDYN!"
Brother's hand slipped away.
"In time." Mother stated.
Salty tears ran down the little girl's round face as the stone doors shut her out.
"In time…"
In years she would run from this path.
In years she would be submerged…
And greet the decaying corpse.
Arisu heard the faint sound of chatter and pans clattering in the distance. Everything…. was too…bright.
It always was after a hallucination.
They never made any sense either, but the girl accepted this as a part of life. In fact, she hardly thought about her delusions. When ever she began to wonder about these sorts of things… her mind would usually switch to something else –
Something less…. tedious?
"Miss…Miss….Miss, are you alright?"
"Hey! Kyodo – Maurta! She's responsive!"
Dammit! She couldn't see…couldn't see… her eyes were too sensitive. It was all so DUMB. After a few seconds of confusion, she felt something hard beneath her…Arisu found that she was sitting on a wooden table.
Struggling to look up, the girl's vision eventually cleared. Standing before her were three men. One had black fuzz on his face, the other had blond hair that stuck up, and the third was plump. All had concerned yet intrigued looks in their eyes. What was going on? Where the hell was she? It was all too frustrating… It was all so DUMB! Arisu's eyes traced down to the white sections of the men's' collars.
They were clergymen.
"A – AM I?..!" The girl exclaimed, nearly jumping from the table.
Was she here? Was she in the monastery?..!
"Miss, please calm down, we'll explain everything." The man with fuzz assured her softy.
"How many fingers am I holding up?" He held up three.
Arisu, finding this all very bizarre, thought maybe she wasn't in the church after all. Maybe she died and was in some weird limbo…or maybe it was just another hallucination. That too was possible.
"Uhhh zat reely depends on 'ou…" Even spacy, Arisu just had to be sarcastic.
"Zat?...'ou? She has an accent…French I think…?" High–hair thought out loud.
"Well, we already knew she was foreign, didn't we?" The fuzz man piped up. "She certainly doesn't look Japanese."
He laughed and patted Arisu's back enthusiastically.
"You're fine. You're okay now!"
Still confused, Arisu decided to ask some questions.
"Uum…. Where am I?"
"You're in the Southern Cross Boy's Monastery." The plump one stated; his voice was oddly high-pitched.
Ah–ha! So she was here after all! Like so many other times in her life, Arisu had blacked out and ended up somewhere else… only this time she ended up where she wanted to be.
"Izumi over here found you staring off into space mumbling outside the gate." Fuzz man continued.
"O – oh…."
"Don't worry about it miss, we've found plenty of others like you outside."
"What?"
"This place is a sanctuary for those trying to conceal themselves from the virus outside…. Don't worry; many others were frightened as well. I've seen symptoms and you have it."
"Sanctuary…?"
Fuzz mumbled something about her probably still being dazed to High–Hair. Arisu was not accustomed to words such as 'sanctuary' because they had never been a part of her existence. There was no place where her and Aidyn could live peacefully – that just wasn't how the world worked. Arisu had to force herself through everything to keep her brother safe…. No one would ever offer safety on a sliver platter…never….never… Did they want something from her? It was all so confusing – so DUMB! It made the girl sick. She chose not to think on it further.
Looking around, Arisu clarified that she was, in fact, indoors. She was in some kind of kitchen. It was only then that she noticed bowls of soup next to her on the table….for the….other people…most likely. Fuzz took one and gave it to her.
"Here. Why don't you eat? Then you can tell me what's a pretty little girl like you doing out side."
The man was trying to get a smile out of Arisu, lighten her up. But instead he made her extremely awkward. She stared at the soup wordlessly. These people barely knew her…why were they being so…. kind? What was 'kind'? Did it even exist? The girl looked everywhere except the man's eyes. In the distance she heard High – Hair's voice.
"You're making her uncomfortable."
"What?..!" Fuzz shouted back.
"'A pretty girl like you'…that's just plain creepy. Not only are you middle–aged, but you're a priest too y'know!"
"What?...! I'm not - It was meant to be fatherly!"
"Hahaha!"
For some reason Arisu wanted to scream.
What do 'ou mean 'making 'er unconfortable'?...!
Why do 'ou care?..!
'Ou are lying!
'Ow could 'ou care!
Why – WHY?...! It just doesn't make any sense!
Still bickering, Fuzz walked towards the stove to assist High–Hair in dinner. Suddenly, Arisu noticed a convenient photo album on the chair next to her. She needed something else to think about… The girl reached for the album and opened its pages. Now, she probably should've asked to look though it, but Arisu was so used to doing whatever she wanted without permission, it simply didn't occur to her.
On the very first page she saw the face of Okumura flipping though a magazine…. with….a…. half… naked girl…. on…the …cover… Bastard.
OKUMURA – OF COURSE! The reason she was there in the first place - her brother's safety! The weirdness of these priests distracted her. She needed to act now, right now, no holding back!
"Oh!" She called out.
"Who is zis boy?"
The priests turned as Arisu lifted the album and pointed at the picture. They smiled immediately. She ignored the discomfort in her stomach…guilt?
"Haha! That's Rin, he grew up here."
"Oh reely?... 'E's 'andsome."
The men burst out laughing, elbowing each other. Arius swallowed back a lump of revulsion from her statement.
"Haha! Believe me, youdon't wanna date him! You should stick to his brother."
"Yeah date Yukio instead!"
This conversation was completely alien to the girl. This was because she considered herself practically asexual and had absolutely NO interest in romance whatsoever. What was it called?... A boyfriend? In the past, Arisu was forced to attend stupid parties and overhear brainless party guests discuss the subject of men. They talked about suitors like they were expendable jewelry, a status symbol – a little puppy to flaunt around and make everyone else jealous.
'Oh! He got me this necklace for my birthday.'
'My boyfriend drove me in his Mercedes the other night!'
'Slut. She's just jealous because he thinks I'm more attractive.'
It made her want to flip over the table.
Arisu had no desire for a 'boyfriend'. It sounded stupid. Not to mention it was just too much work. She didn't feel like spending every waking moment with some person for the mere purpose of making herself look good. Why did she need to be on the arm of a man to feel confident?
Furthermore, she just didn't like people in general.
Simple as that.
"Why do 'ou say zat? Did zis Rin do somezing wrong?"
Arisu tried to sound as innocent as possible.
"Well – haha – He's not exactly a gentleman!" High–Hair specified.
"Now Yukio on the other hand, the kid's good at sports, gets good grades… He got a full scholarship to True Cross Academy – amazing, huh? Top of the class too!"
"Oh wow!"
I COULD NOT CARE LESS.
ZIS ISN'T 'ELPING.
The way these people spoke about Mr. Okumura was full of pride. Even though what they said about Rin was negative…there seemed to be a form of an endearment to it… like they were teasing him in a way… It was all very weird. Arisu couldn't wait to get out of there. (Though she didn't plan ahead and had no clue how she was going to get back.)
Another thing that struck her was… if Rin was that brainless…. How the hell did he get into True Cross in the first place?
"Where iz Rin now?"
"You've really got your heart set on him don't you?..!"
"Haha! And after all we've said about Yukio! Guess you can't have it all!"
"If only Father Fujimoto was here!"
Fazer Fujimoto?
Strangely, the name rang a bell to Arisu. She felt like she heard it before…
"Who iz zat?"
To her surprise, the room went quiet; the three priests stared at their feet in sorrow. Finally, Fuzz looked up and spoke.
"He was Rin and Yukio's foster father….He….died last year…."
This was followed by even more silence. For some reason, Arisu did not expect that answer. Death. Her awkwardness and (although she'd never admit to it) guilt increased dramatically. The girl wanted to leave… she wanted to go back. Why did she come here in the first place? Even if Rin did have some kind of secret, these men, who've seen him grow up, would never admit to it…
It was too late though… She didn't even have a way back.
While Arisu searched for Rin's past, she was completely oblivious to the horrifying events that have occurred at True Cross. While students were crammed into quarantined areas, the sickly body of Mr. Yonegawa was dragged away. Ryuji Suguro was tested for the virus, and Aidyn, her brother, snuck out for the sole purpose to see the boy she despised.
In the distance the silhouette of a man, along with a cat–demon stood atop a high building…watching…. waiting.
The sky was black against their shadows.
"Ah… all as well." The man spoke softly.
"I prefer it like this anyway…much more fun. Isn't that right… mighty beast?"
The creature let out a senseless and violent growl. The man seemed amused.
"Ahaha… The Goddess ordered Dollmaker to obtain the children…. And thus, Dollmaker turned to me…her servant."
He closed his eyes and lifted his head, inhaling the night air. Opening them, the man stated –
"They will all drown soon…. Drown in a primitive sea of despair. I can smell it. I can smell their blood being shed. Oh how I want it so."
Gazing up into the Heavens, as though mocking them, he spoke once more.
"The Maledictum shall rise."
A/N: Oh yeah! I forgot to mention something…
Did anyone make the connection between the Dollmaker and the Prologue? Hm? Hmmm?
Oh! And, although Fujomoto's past plays a role in this plot, there's no need to worry, Arisu (or Aidyn, or Isaac) is NOT secretly his biological child.
