The Princess Blade~Dust of An Angel

 It Rained

     Yuki looked around her as she let the chill of the water soak through her clothes and sink into her bones. Her mouth opened but not even a wail escaped her numb lips. Her mouth could not yet utter a word. She splashed around and struggled for land. Her small body could not get near the bank. The muddied water swirled around her. The fog surrounding her was like a heavy silver curtain that thinned out only when it was miles away from the river. The rain around her, splashed on to her face blinding her from seeing properly. The rocks underneath scratched at her purple gown. The sound of metal hitting the stones beneath her, vibrated through her body. Clasped to her side was a blood red sword, its weight dragging her under. In a feeble attempt to lift herself out of the water, she held up one little arm.

     “Grab my hand!” yelled a voice, its pureness hypnotizing. Yuki looked up to see the hidden face of a woman. Quickly Yuki grabbed the woman’s hand. The woman picked her up out of the water and cradled her, in her arms.

    “Are you okay?” She asked. The woman’s gloved fingers brushed Yuki’s wet tangled hair out of her eyes. Her breath caught behind her own lips “You have beautiful eyes,” she murmured. Yuki’s black eyes rimmed with first gold then red, where reflected in the woman’s own black sunglasses. Yuki scrunched up into a ball in the woman’s arms. She laughed her voice like a booming bell smothered by countless walls.

     “I’m not that scary am I?” She crouched down and held Yuki in her arms. Yuki turned her head back and faced the water, her eyes searching for the boy. A dark figure on the other side of the bank held him in his arms. “Hey. He’s fine, okay? My brother got him.” The woman smiled as she moved Yuki’s wet hair away from her face. “It’s okay, he’s fine.” She said again. She wiped some of the water off Yuki’s brow with her palm. She wore a black muffler around her neck and a black overcoat with a black hood that shadowed her face, hiding her hair. She put Yuki down, held her hand and stood. Yuki looked up at the woman, yanked her hand free and started running. The swords sheath hit her legs and tripped her. As she started getting up again she heard footsteps behind her. Her head twisted around and yet she saw nothing. She continued running. She sidestepped a girl with dyed blue hair with black roots. She could hear the girls’ deep breathing even behind closed lips, her breath seeming to suck in every sound. Her skin was pale. Her lips where a bright red as if she had just recently applied lipstick. Her eyes where a deep purple with golden bursts. Her hair stuck to her skin as she turned her head to watch Yuki run. Yuki stopped and looked up. The girl stared down at Yuki, her red lips slowly curving up in a smile. She bent over to pick her up. A screech filled the night air as she fell, a blast of light fading near her head that now lay on a puddle on the paved sidewalk. Yuki stared down at her, began to run again, turned around a corner, and fell.

     “Look here. We’ve got a kid.” A guy laughed. Yuki slowly stood. She looked up. He leaned down and looked into Yuki’s face. The man smiled and turned towards his friends “Looks like we’ve got a drowned one on our hands.” He looked at the sword buckled to Yukis side. “Where the heck does a kid get a freaking sword?”

    “Josh, seriously as if we don’t see stranger things happening.” A girl stepped over towards Yuki and stooped down into a hunched position. She smiled pleasantly and pointed at the sword.

     “Do you mind if I see that?” she asked. She cocked her head; blond hair falling over her face to the side. “For only a little bit.”

    “Amber, why are you asking? Just take it.” the man said. He quickly grabbed the sword away from Yuki. Yuki stumbled back and ran forward once more reaching for the sword. A hand gripped her shoulder, squeezed it slightly and dragged her back. The woman stood behind her. The neon lights of the café glared off her wet sunglasses.

     “I advise you give it back to her.”

     The man looked at her. ‘‘Why should I do that?’’

     “I ordered you to.” She smiled, her teeth showing.

     He looked at her and laughed. He turned towards his friends and said, “She thinks she owns us. She seriously thinks she owns us.” Wet droplets of rain dripped of his black hair onto his leather jacket.

    The woman stepped forward. “I am President of the Heiwaronsha night class. If you know our reputation I would back off.”

    “So… I’ve heard of that school. I haven’t heard of any reputation though.”

    Her blond hair spilling over her white face, Amber ran forward and did a bow to the woman. “Mistress, please my apologies. We will of course hand the child—and the sword over to you.” She looked at the man standing beside her “Josh, give her the sword.”

     Josh looked back at her his eyes becoming little blue slits. He tilted his head to look at Amber better and then he turned towards the woman.“Who do ya’ think you are. This is our territory!”

     The woman looked past him towards the girl. “Why are you with these people? Why aren’t you on campus grounds?”

    Amber looked down, “Mistress Janet-”

     “You will be punished.” Amber looked at Janet both of their faces blank. Amber scurried to the back of the throng of teenagers.

    The man stepped closer to Janet his blue eyes becoming sharper little slits. “I want you off my territory and I want you to sink your reputation down the drain.”

     The bottoms of Janet’s lips turned downwards, as her forehead wrinkled slightly. “Amber leave now.” The girl walked forward bowed humbly to Janet then ran past her. The rain pelted her blond hair. Janet looked forward while Amber ran. Her arms crossed over her chest where rising up and down with the breaths that she took.

     Josh raised his arms and pointed into the far distance “Off my land freak!”

     Janet continued to look at the darkened sky behind him. The lights of the convenient store where glaring off her sunglasses.

    “Take those sunglasses off and look at me when I speak to you!” Josh kicked a broken soda bottle across the sidewalk into a puddle on the street.

    Janet leaned against the side of the connivance store. “You don’t believe in my reputation?”

    “You got that right missy!”

    She smiled. “Then I’ll show you.” She started running, jumped in mid air, her body twisted, she jutted out her leg which lightly brushed his face. Her coat billowed out behind her even after she stood still.

   Yuki backed off slowly but a dog held her in place with its teeth.

    Josh took a step back. He spread his arms out wide. “This is your precious reputation?”

    “Fool I’m playing with you.” Janet smiled, her bone white teeth reflecting the light of the moon from behind the fog and rain.

    He looked at her, the rainwater dripping of his face. His hands clenched and unclenched. “You leave now.” Josh yelled. He charged at her his fists up as he drew back his lips and screamed.

    Janet looked at him, her lips tight yet the obviousness of a smirk drifting back and forth on it. She watched him as he came running, she stepped to the side, grabbed his jackets collar and flipped him over onto his back. He moaned and started getting up. She slammed her foot into him forcing him back onto the pavement. A moan escaped his lips. She allowed him to crawl back up; his fists darted at her while he screeched. She just held up one hand pushed him back, her mouth forming soundless words. Josh’s body became still, rigid, his mouth lost in the last “o” that he was about to say. The group of teens moved back slightly, their eyes gazing back and forth from their leader on the floor to the lady kneeling over him, touching his pale neck veins.

    A boy stepped forward yelling “What the heck are you?” He glanced down at Josh, “What did ya’ do to him?”

    Janet stood up slowly. “I really don’t have time”.

    He stepped back but her hands where open, the palms facing out. Sparks of electricity went surging through the air at him, the yellow flame hit him in the chest his voice muffled instantly and he crumpled to the ground. Yuki looked at him her eyes growing wide in wonder. His body giving off steam just laid there no longer moving. A woman hugged the sword towards her and moved back.

    Janet waved her arms open, gesturing to the two men on the floor. “You may collect your fallen”.

   Two boys ran up to Josh they gripped his shoulders and dragged him off. The electrified man still lay there.

    Janet looked around and said, “If nobody wants to take him I can dispose of him for you.” She held out her hand ready.

   A girl yelled “Somebody get him out of there.”

   Two men went forward, grabbed the man by the shoulders, and dragged him off. Josh came forward slowly his body still getting used to moving again. In his arms, he held the sword.

   “Hey lady we needed the cash this sword could make. Okay?” He shrugged his shoulders. He tossed the sword back at her feet. It fell down with a clank. He backed off. “I’ve got a debt to pay, people we owe.”

    Janet sighed and said, “Kid get out of here and get your friends out of my sight.” She smiled as she said “And I hope you learnt of my reputation.” Her smile turned to a sneer. “Because that wasn’t even half of it.”

    Josh turned around pushed himself through the group of teens and ran. The throng of teenagers followed him. The woman bent over, picked up Yuki, and held her in her arms.

   “Sebastian… get them.” A dog of monstrous size went barking after them. His black tail speckled with white turned around the corner in which they had just gone. Yuki pointed towards the sword and Janet picked it up. “This is nice… a names on here” She squinted and brought the sword up to her face she stared at it hesitantly then stared at Yuki, she finally smiled then she read, “Yuki Jack-Lynn Evans.” She smiled at Yuki. “Now that is quite an impressive name. Yuki means Princess in a different language. So you must be a little princess. Good thing I saved you then.” She hooked the sword into her own belt and walked down the street. Sebastian soon caught up with them. Janet placed the sleeping toddler on the dog.

    Janet stood before the fire station with Sebastian walking up to her side with the sleeping Yuki on his back. She pulled a scrap of paper out of her pocket, bit the cap off a pen, and started writing. When she was done, she placed it on the doorstep. She picked Yuki up and placed her gently on top of the paper. Her gloved fingers pulled her hood of her head. She shook out a mane of jet-black hair. She slipped her arms out of the coat and placed it on the child. Yuki woke up and looked at Janet. They smiled at one another. Janet took off her sunglasses. Her own eyes where black and rimmed with first gold then red. She leaned over and whispered into Yuki’s ears, “We are the only two people in the universe with eyes like this. Others may have something similar but always remember we share a common pattern, black first then gold then red. I am called Janet. Remember that. And one day we will hopefully meet again, and when we do, I will bestow your sword back to you.” She slipped her sunglasses back on and once more, wiped the water off Yuki’s brow. “Little Princess we will one day meet again.” She walked away slowly, not wanting to disturb the quickly falling asleep child. The last thing Yuki heard and thought about as she fell asleep was the falling of rain and the sweet voice of an angel who had just departed. And she wondered who that beautiful angel was and if she would ever see her again.

    A man opened the front door to the fire station. He looked down for his newspaper but his eyes reached something else. He hunched down and picked something up.

    “Hey Sage I think we got a little delivery last night.”

   Another man came forward and looked at the sleeping child. “What does the card say?” He asked. The man stood up as he held Yuki and handed the paper to the man. “Yuki Jack-Lynn Evans.” He said. He flipped the paper over and he read four words off it. “Princess of us all.”

This is the end of chapter One.