Bleeding Sun (Part 1)

[HerWhisperIsTheLucifer]

Bleeding Sun
Akira didn’t even bother putting her shoes on. She ran from the dining room, to the kitchen, and through the front door, grabbing her combat boots on the way out. That was the last time her father would ever hit her, and she’d make sure of that. She had promised herself a long time ago that she wouldn’t end up like her brother.
Akira and her family, which consisted of an abusive father and a mother with an awful addiction to heroin, lived in one of the towns that was still active in the midst of the Apocalypse. They made a home in what was left of Nuremberg. Half of Nuremberg was left to rot as part of a Restricted Zone, leaving the other section for the few thousand people who still wandered the German part of Zarlamoy. Nuremberg’s better half and Berlin were the only towns that still held people that weren’t Diseased.
The world was ending. Everyone knew it, though no one wanted to accept it. It started in 2041, nine years ago. Europe was the first to fall… Then, slowly, it took the rest of the world with it. A new kind of “disease” was discovered. It impacted only children, making them mindless and grey-skinned along with glowing magenta eyes. At first, it didn’t seem too serious… But nothing really ever does. Then the first doctor was torn to shreds. The children could no longer speak. They made terrifying, beastly screeches and could now unhinge their jaws. They ate whatever they could find… And, unfortunately for Dr. Kinkel, that little boy found him. When one gained a new symptom, the others followed suit. Soon, nearly every child in Germany and Austria, as well as many other countries, had this new disease which was called “Kowloon.” (Pronounced: Koo-Lawn).
Body after body piled up. Was a cure ever created? Of course. However, why would you ever just cure someone of a disease when you get more money trying to treat someone? Big hospital bills. It’s the same reason that a cure for cancer was never really sought after…
The Kowloon Children owned most of Europe for a while. They went around destroying anything that was in their path. Fires burned all over the world… Leading to the next disease of the Apocalypse.
Because of the fires the Kowloon Children caused, people were killed in massive explosions of heat… They were the lucky ones. Others didn’t have the privilege to die human. The first case was in Huizhou, China. A group of about ten friends were caught in the center of an explosion. The extreme heat melted them all together, and their screams of agony turned into growls of anger.
They had been fused together to form a giant dragon-like creature made from the charred human flesh of those involved in the explosion. After that first incident, many more appeared. Soon, it spread from China into its neighboring countries. Korea was fast to fall. Japan put up a good fight but was laid to rest eventually. Taiwan, Vietnam, and Thailand didn’t even stand a chance. The creatures were called Aku, though there were two different kinds: The Aku-Long were the dragon creatures who took to the skies. The Aku-She were the snake-like creatures who liked to travel underground, popping up like a deadly gopher capturing its prey. Once the Aku began popping up everywhere, every single still-standing government stepped up and created special areas known as “Restricted Zones” where the Aku and Kowloon Children were placed into. A lot of people turned into the typical zombie, and they were locked away as well. An invisible force field kept the Restricted Monsters at bay.
As the world slowly crumbled into chaos and ruin, one young man rose up and took advantage of the situation. His name was Yamada Zarlamoy, a German man who resided in Berlin. Once his country and the others around it began to fall, he completely destroyed all the remaining governments in Europe, declaring himself king of the entire continent. He had Europe renamed “Zarlamoy” to honor himself. Those who resided in Europe were no longer European; They were considered Zarlamoyan. He wasn’t very well liked. King Yamada was seen as cruel and emotionless, never interacting with his people and staying locked away in his mansion in Berlin. People called him corrupt and horrendous. While he lived in luxury, the Survivors were left to fend for themselves in the Apocalypse.
Akira didn’t have an opinion on the king. If she had access to beauty within an ugly world, she’d probably never come out either… Though that didn’t mean she supported him.
Trudging through the mud that had coated Nuremberg after the night time rain, Akira made her way to the “Shore” of the Restricted Zone. A lot of people in the Apocalypse had a death wish. They had lost everything. The governments understood this. Who would want to live in a dead world, after all? It was for this reason that they made the zones force field only work on monsters. Humans could enter and leave, and it was like they had walked through nothing. Akira didn’t want to die… However, this was the only way that she could escape her father’s wrath.
When the Apocalypse started, Akira’s family was pretty well off. They had a decent sized home and plenty of food stored up. Two years after everything began, Akira’s little brother, Ito, was slaughtered by their parents and eaten for dinner like it was completely normal. They had been running out of food for a long time already. Akira was seven years old when she walked in on her parents eating her four year old brother.
Ever since that day, her parents were never the same. Her father was angry all the time and became abusive quite quickly. Her mother seemed to shrink back from reality as if it scared her and started using. Life became miserable for Akira. Before her brother’s death, her family was relatively happy. They found ways to get by and had each other by their sides. That was all that mattered in the Apocalypse. She never would have thought that she would eventually come to run away like this.
The Restricted Zones were always gloomy and somewhat foggy. It made the atmosphere absolutely terrifying, and as she stared deep into the heart of the Apocalypse, Akira noticed that she was trembling. This was it. There was no more turning back now.
It took a long while for Akira to build up the courage to go Inside. “It’s simple,” She told herself, “You just put one foot in front of the other…” She couldn’t budge. She tried to walk forward, to leave Nuremberg and the wretched memories that lay with it behind, but she found herself unable to. Maybe she didn’t truly want to leave… Maybe… “Get back here, you little -beep-!” Akira’s eyes widened and she looked back to see her father chasing after her, a broken beer bottle in his hand.
Out of the two of her parents, Akira looked more like her mother and she was thankful for it. She had her silver hair and blue eyes, along with her small button nose. She was 5’5, the exact same height as her mother, and they both had high up cheekbones. However, she did have her father’s jawline. It was always her one feature that she despised… Figures that she’d gotten it from her father.
Akira scowled as her father got closer, her legs finally starting to move. As she ran into the forbidden and feared Nuremberg Restricted Zone, she said the last words she would ever say to her father: “I hope you die and rot in hell!!” With that, Akira escaped. Escaped the life she had lived and the misery that came with it. She was free. It was a dangerous kind of freedom, but it still felt amazing. She no longer felt anxious every minute of the day. Maybe her bruises could disappear and she could finally be beautiful again… For the first time in a long time, a smile slowly crept onto her lips.

The wind seemed to be stronger when when the stars shined brightly in the sky rather than the sun. It blew her hair around and she was forced to pull a Marilyn Monroe with her skirt. She had been searching for hours to try and find a stray building to sleep in but the only ones she could find had already been inhabited by zombies. She had come across a two story building that looked like it used to be a home. Like all other structures, it was crawling with the horrifying creatures. However, there was one particular zombie that caught her eye: She was gorgeous, even in her undead state. Her eyes were a deep, smoky brown and her hair was white as snow. She was a young thing, around fifteen years old, and acted more human than most zombies would… She even spoke, which is something she’d never heard a zombie do before. It intrigued Akira greatly, though she didn’t stay. It was best to not risk being eaten alive.
As she wandered the vast wasteland, Akira looked up and saw the moon in the shape of a crescent. It was beautiful and reminded her of a smile.
Soon enough, Akira came across a tall but lonely wall. Deciding that it was the best she could do, she laid behind the wall so the wind couldn’t get to her and hugged herself for warmth. It was most uncomfortable, but it would have to do. It took a long while, but she did eventually fall asleep… It didn’t last long.

About three hours later, Akira was woken up by a loud, inhuman screech. Sitting up quickly, she looked around only to see darkness around her. Something was certainly there… She just couldn’t see what it was. She heard whatever it was shuffle closer followed by a few more angry growls.
Akira leaped up and looked around for something to use as a weapon, but to no avail. There was nothing. Realizing just how helpless and stupid she really was, she began to run. She could see the magenta eyes now… A group of about twenty Kowloon Children surrounded her in a complete circle. So they traveled in packs… She’d have to remember that.
Everywhere she tried to go, she’d run into more of them. They were circling in on her quick, and all hope seemed to be lost. As she looked around at the demonic creatures, she realized how odd it seemed that they all used to be human children. They all had a home and a family. The rest of their family were probably dying if not dead already, which saddened her even more than she already was. They all went to schools that no longer existed. They all had hobbies that turned meaningless once they were diagnosed with the Kowloon disease. They were all happy before… And now they were just monsters. True outcasts of society. If she could have hugged them, Akira would’ve.
She couldn’t bear the sad scene. She found herself running through the crowd of Kowloon Children, tears streaming down her pale cheeks. She wept for the children and the fate that had been forced upon them… She wept for the happy and peaceful lives that they had all lost… But most of all, she wept because she knew she was going to die.
As she ran, Akira felt one of them grab her skirt and forcefully pull her back, causing her to land on her stomach. As she rolled over to look up at them, she could feel their drool dripping onto her cheek and chin. They were all hungry and she could see it in their evil, demonic eyes. As she tried to sit up to escape their desperate hunger, they all leaped onto and overpowered her, causing her to scream.
This was it. She could feel it. This time tomorrow, she wouldn’t exist anymore.
Sooner or later, she just laid back and tried to accept it. There was no point in fighting it anymore. She didn’t even have a weapon to fight back with. It was around this time that she saw a quick flash of white that was hardly noticeable. Once it disappeared, every single one of the Kowloon Children fell onto the ground, having been cut in half. Her eyes widened in fear and she quickly sprinted away, scared that something much bigger and worse was on its way… And she was right.

The sun was now rising. Akira hadn’t slept since the Kowloon Children had attacked. She hadn’t fully understood how dangerous the Restricted Zones were until then. She didn’t know where she was even going or where she wanted to end up. She was just simply walking. As she did so, she felt like she was being watched, and constantly found herself looking back to make sure there was nothing behind her. There was. She just couldn’t see it yet.
Half way through the day, the sun began to bake her. She didn’t know exactly how hot it was, but she knew she was sweating. She was, however, thankful that the day had been uneventful so far… It wouldn’t stay that way.
She was in the barest part of the Restricted Zone. No buildings of any kind surrounded her. She began to go over a hill made out of dirt, the sun’s intense heat still cooking her alive. Once she made it to the top, she stopped dead in her tracks. There stood the zombie girl who had caught Akira’s interest. She stared for a while before jumping back. She was still a zombie, after all. “Y-You again!”
“You know me?”
“N-Not exactly… I saw you in one of the buildings here.”
“I see.”
“What are you exactly?”
“Hungry.”
“No, I meant which type of creature?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’re a peculiar little thing…”
“No, I’m just hungry.”
“Are you planning to eat me?”
“Yes.”
“Now why would you do that? We’re friends.”
“We don’t even know each other’s names.”
“Mine is Akira. Akira Yamoka. What’s yours?”
“Kanada.”
“Very pretty name.”
“Thanks, meal.”
Kanada began to inch closer to Akira. “You’re awfully thin, but I guess you’ll do. I haven’t eaten in days. I don’t really like the taste of humans, so I try to avoid eating one when I can… But when a girl’s gotta eat, she’s gotta eat!” She lunges at Akira, who yelps and takes a step back, falling down the hill. Kanada rolled with her, landing on top of her and causing Akira to scream. “Get off of me,” She pleaded desperately, “Please!”
“But my stomach continues to rumble and you are the solution to it…”
Kanada went to bite down on her neck but stopped suddenly. A dagger had been thrown perfectly, lodging itself right in her chest.
“No,” Kanada wheezed, “Not you again… Blood Princess…”
The zombie girl fell onto her side, still not completely dead, and Akira scrambled to get back up on her feet. “Stay the hell away from me!” She spat on Kanada’s face and was about to kick her but was stopped by a tough sounding female voice. “Don’t. She is mine to handle. Go sit on the other side of the hill and wait for me.”
Akira looked over and saw her for the first time: She was a young adult, about eighteen years old, with long blonde hair and ruby red eyes. She wore a white dress stained with blood and a red scarf that covered her mouth and nose. “Who are you?” The girl just grinned and began to drag Kanada away.

It took about ten minutes for the red-eyed girl to return. She didn’t say much; Just sighed and sat down, leaning back on the dead grass. Akira waited for a few minutes before speaking. “So who the hell are you?”
“Your teacher.”
“Teacher? Okay… What do you teach?”
“How to survive in the Restricted Zones. How to become the hunter instead of the hunted.”
“I don’t need a teacher for that.”
“From what I’ve seen, you do.” She stands and starts pacing, “You’re terrible at this whole survival thing. Didn’t even come in with a weapon or a plan… Now, I’m not saying that you don’t have potential. I see greatness in you, and I believe that it will shine through while under my wing as an apprentice.”
“You’ve been watching me all along, haven’t you?”
“You intrigued me. It was all I could do.”
“You were the presence I felt all the way here.”
“Yes.”
“You killed those Kowloon Children.”
“I did.”
“Who are you? Why are your eyes red? Why do you cover only half of your face? Are you even human?”
“You can call me Sonny. Sonny Sung.”
“What nationality are you?”
“Part Korean, part Zarlamoyan.”
“Hmm… And what about you being human?”
“The short answer is no, I’m not. The long answer is something you will learn soon enough.”
“What about that girl… Kanada? What did you do with her? Why did she call you the ‘Blood Princess?’”
“It’s what she knows me by. Her sister used to address me as such. As for what I did with her… Well… I didn’t kill her. I never do. If I did that, she wouldn’t be able to make my life as interesting anymore.”
“So you know her?”
“Of course I do. She hates me. She’s a crazy little bitch, that one… Claims that I killed her sister. I did no such thing.”
“I see… So you and her are feuding then?”
“Of course. She won’t get off of my case. Maybe I should just kill her already… Make everything a little easier.”
“You kill a lot of things, don’t you?”
“Why do you think this Restricted Zone is so empty? Go to any other one and it is filled with monsters… I’ve killed so many here that there are barely any left. I’m thinking about leaving this one, to be honest. Move on to the one near Berlin… There are more monsters for me there.”
“Mmm… You’re a strange being, Sonny.”
“And that’s the way I like to be.”
“You said that I came in here with no plan… Do you have one? Or are you just mindlessly killing? Where are you hoping to get to in the end?”
“Well, I first came into the Restricted Zone when I was ten… Back then it was just for fun. I wanted to kill things… Why not kill something that no one even truly likes? However, I’ve been growing rather bored of this place and the monsters that plague it… That’s why I’m going to the one near Berlin.”
“Why that one specifically?”
A mischievous grin grows onto Sonny’s lips, “Because I’m going to kill the king.”

It was night time now. Sonny had built a fire near a few buildings that looked like they were the remnants of a hospital. She had told Akira to never sleep in buildings. You could hear the monsters easier when sleeping outside.
They sat around the fire, eating roasted apples. “So,” Akira began, “Killing the king, huh? That’s our first assignment?”
Sonny nodded, “Yes. Everyone will thank us for it. No one really likes him, right? Then I have the green light to murder him. It’s been awhile since I’ve killed anything so human…”
“You’re a complete stranger to him… He won’t even see it coming.”
“Actually, I’m not a complete stranger to him at all. He knows me. I just haven’t seen him in a long time…”
“I see… How do you two know each other then?”
“He was my best friend when I was little. However, after my father’s death… Nothing was the same, and it was mainly my fault.”
“Will he recognize you?”
“I don’t know. He hasn’t seen me in about ten years, so I doubt that he will.”
“You’re so damn odd… I love it.”
“Thank you very much. Now shut up and eat your roasted apple. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”
Akira nodded and did so. There was something about Sonny that she liked… Maybe it was how unique and clever she was. Yet, at the same time, there was something about her that terrified her… Maybe it was her abnormal red eyes, or the fact that she liked to kill things… No… That wasn’t it. It was because she didn’t even know what the sinister girl was. Was she a Restricted Monster, or was she something much, much worse…? Akira feared that it was the latter.

The next day, a warm Summer rain woke them up by falling onto their faces. They didn’t waste any time in getting a move on.
Sonny had told Akira to save her food up rather than consuming three meals a day. In the outside world, that was fine. In the Restricted Zones, however, it wasn’t smart. “Just eat one meal,” She instructed her, “You’ll be fine. Even if you do feel weak during the day because of it, the adrenaline will kick in once you see the monsters and you’ll be able to fight them. That is the only time having energy really matters, and your body gives you its own, naturally made energy.”
Akira had to hand it to her: Sonny had these Restricted Zones down. It probably came from spending eight years in them. Akira hoped to one day be like her… But then again… Did she really want that? To stay in the Zones for that long? No. No one did… No one except Sonny.
“How do you know where we’re even going?” Akira questioned her teacher, “Do you know where the Berlin Restricted Zone is?”
“Well… To be completely honest, I’m not entirely sure that we are going the right way… But I’ll find out so don’t you worry!”
“And how do you plan to go about doing that?”
Sonny just laughed, “Oh Akira… You have much to learn.”
Akira stayed quiet, not understanding. How could Sonny possibly find out which way they were going? It’s not like the Restricted Zones had any recognizable landmarks. However, if anyone could do something so impossible… It would be Sonny.
The pair walked for hours, trudging on and on in what could have been the wrong direction. The two were about to take a break when they both heard a roar come from behind them. A grin slowly crept onto Sonny’s face, “This is it…”
Akira looked behind her, resisting the urge to scream. An Aku-Long was speeding towards them, just hovering above the ground. It let out another menacing roar, and just as Akira was about to run off, Sonny darted towards it.
“Stay there Akira,” She called out to her, “I’ll show you how it’s done!”
The young apprentice watched in horror. The Aku-Long looked awfully hungry, and she feared that Sonny would be eaten, leaving her all alone in the vast wasteland.
Sonny, on the other hand, had performed this act a million times. She was an expert and wanted Akira to witness it. As soon as she was close enough to the demon dragon, she leaped on its snout, running across its head and onto its neck. It would be able to eat her that way. Looking around in all directions, she could now see the exit to the Restricted Zone and how close it was.
“Aha!” She exclaims excitedly, “So we were going the right way! Thank you for the lift, my dearest Aku-Long!” As soon as she memorized which direction the exit was in, Sonny noticed that the Aku-Long was slowly flying higher, causing her to panic slightly. “Ahh, so you want to play this game, huh? Very well…” She pulled a tanto out of her right boot, stabbing it into the creature’s skull viciously. As soon as she had gotten it wedged in the pretty well, she began to run down the length of its body, hand still on the tanto so that she made one giant, long gash that covered its entire body. She looked at the ground and frowned in disappointment. It was still flying too high. “Alright… This’ll only get harder for you.” She dug her nails into its once human flesh and began to tear chunks off, causing her to flail around and soak her in its own blood. She began to grow angry and impatient. “You’re a stubborn one… Lower me back down to the ground now, dammit!” She then began chopping at its wings angrily, her eyes becoming less and less human with every swing.
The Aku-Long slowly began to fall. Akira closed her eyes and looked away… She couldn’t watch. She didn’t want to see Sonny become a mess on the ground. The dragon-like creature continued to fall, Sonny screaming in delight. With only a few feet to spare, Sonny leaped off of the Aku-Long, landing safely while the creature smacked the ground in a messy way, dying instantly. Admiring the new blood stains that had made a home on her white dress, Sonny giggles and walks over to Akira. “That was the most fun I’ve had in ages!!”
“You’re insane as hell…”
“I don’t know why you keep acting surprised. I’ve already told you that I’m not human.” She wrings the blood out of her dress.
“Yes, but you never told me what you are!”
Sonny grins and laughs, “I thought you would have figured it out by now… I’m a demon, Akira.”
Akira looked at her sinister eyes. The pupils had turned into thin, vertical slits, looking almost like a cat’s and leaving a great majority of her eyes red. She thought of the insane smile she held when she was killing something and her love for blood… It all started to slowly make sense. “I’ve never met a demon before…” “Most people haven’t.”
Akira sat there silent for a moment, thinking everything over before speaking. “Did you manage to figure out which way we need to go?”
“We’ve been going the right way this whole time. We’re not too far away from the exit. We should be able to make it today if we really hustle.”
“We’ll just have to survive until then…”
“Exactly.”

It seemed to last for ages. They walked and walked until, finally, they saw the edge of the Restricted Zone. “I had forgotten what the outside world had looked like… It’s even more rotten than when I originally left it behind me.” She looked over to Akira, “You ready?”
Akira didn’t say anything as she nodded gently. Sonny loved the Restricted Zones so much that she thought the outside world was Hell… She would soon learn how right Sonny was.
Akira was the first to cross the force field. As soon as she took a breath, she noticed that the air was much more clear and didn’t smell like rotting meat. Sonny soon followed and nearly gagged. “It smells so much more clean out here… Heh. Talk about false advertising. This place is even worse than the Zones.”
Akira sighs, “Where to now, Sonny?”
“Well, Berlin is only a mile away… So I guess we walk.”
“Of course… What else would we do?”
“You watch your mouth.” Sonny began to lead Akira to the Zarlamoyan city. “We’re going straight to the mansion, but we’ll wait to kill him. I want him to remember and love me… Then we can destroy him and tear him to shreds!”
“I see… And does he not have any guards? How will we even get in?”
“It is said that he disposed of his guards after hiring his maid. She is said to be very beautiful, but strong as well… So strong that he doesn’t need anymore guards. I also heard that he brought her back from the dead.”
Akira shivers, “Creepy…”
“Though not as creepy as what you’ve seen in the Restricted Zone, yes?”
“Mhm…” Akira looked at the ground as they walked, “Sonny…? You never did tell me why you entered the Restricted Zones in the first place.”
“Ah. Is that something you really want to know?”
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little curious, but… Only tell me if you want to!”
“Well… I’m looking for Yvonne.”
“Who is that?”
“She is said to be a demon, like myself, who wanders the Restricted Zones. If you find her, she grants you a wish…”
“And what are you planning to wish for?”
“My humanity.”
“I thought you liked who you were…”
“At times, Yes… But most of the time I just want to scream. Even I have mental demons that tear at my soul…”
“So am I helping you find her, then?”
“Yes. You can wish for something too if you’d like.”
“I don’t know what I’d wish for…”
“Oh, come on! Everybody has some-”
Sonny stopped abruptly and turned her head, looking to the right of her. There stood a middle aged woman that only the demon girl could see. She was completely naked, a knife stabbed into her chest, causing her blood to trickle and run down her torso and stream down each of her pale legs. She had short blonde hair and blue eyes that were brought out by the ghostly white of her skin. She spoke softly, her voice being that of a siren. “Sonny…”
“N-No!” The Blood Princess backed away quickly in short, violent jerks, “Not you again!!”
Akira was confused as she began to panic, “Sonny, what is it?!”
Sonny stayed like that for a while. She knew who the woman was. She was always there with Sonny, traveling along with her in the Restricted Zones, tormenting her. She never said much; Usually just Sonny’s name along with a few groans. It was unnerving, even for Sonny. For some reason… She was bothered by the woman. The ghostly woman taunted Sonny, smiling menacingly and waving. This made Sonny’s dark heart race, her eyes widen even further, and breathing turn into panting. It took a great deal of Akira’s yelling to snap her out of it.
“Sonny, what the hell is wrong with you?!”
The woman slowly faded away at the sound of Akira’s voice, causing Sonny to blink her red eyes and shake her head. “Ahh… N-Nothing, Akira. Just those mental demons I was telling you about.”

Akira stood in shock as she looked down at the dead city of Berlin. She had heard that the Zarlamoyan city had maintained its beauty all through the Apocalypse, making it in much better condition than Nuremberg… But this place made Nuremberg look like a paradise. Berlin’s buildings were crumbling to the ground and there was no sign of human life… The king’s mansion, however, was still in tact, shining brightly like a beautiful beacon in the devastated city. Akira then realized just how much worse the Apocalypse had been getting lately. “Figured it’d look like this…” Sonny snorted.
“Everyone is dead… Look at the streets!” Akira screeched in horror, “They are covered in dead and decaying bodies!”
“Seems like you had it pretty well off in Nuremberg…” Sonny began walking through the city, a look of disgust on her face. “it’s not the dead bodies that bother me. It never is. It’s how they died. It’s the fact that he let this happen to them… Why be a king if all you do is sit on your ass all day instead of helping the very people you promised to protect?!”
Akira blinked, for she didn’t expect Sonny out of all people to get upset over it.
“I always knew that Yamada was selfish, but I didn’t expect him to go this far!” Sonny suddenly bolted towards the king’s mansion. Akira struggled to keep up. “S-Sonny, wait! You’re going too fast!” Sonny didn’t listen to Akira and only went faster, her eyes going feline once again.
Dead mothers laid on the street with their equally dead children, arms wrapped around them tightly as if it was one final, futile attempt to save them. The men laid with them as well, though not in any particular pose. It was obvious that some devastating disease had swept through Berlin, and Sonny feared that if they stayed in the city for too long, Akira would succumb to it as well. It was because of this that she was in such a hurry… But she put up the masquerade of being upset over the many civilians’ deaths. She couldn’t let Akira know the real reason her legs were moving so fast at the moment… She couldn’t let her know that she actually cared about something.
It didn’t take long for the two of them to reach the mansion. It was big and grand… Much bigger than any of the buildings that Akira had ever seen.
“Do we just walk up to the doors…?”
“We’ll try that first. be careful, Akira. This could get dangerous, especially with that super strong maid he is said to have.”
Akira nodded and followed her demonic teacher up to the front doors. Sonny reached her pale fist up to the wooden doors and knocked gently, Akira blinked, thinking it unusual for Sonny to do anything in a gentle manner. It took a few minutes, but the doors did eventually open to reveal a small, petit-figured woman with yellow eyes. “Oh hello. Do you have business with the king?”
Sonny nodded, “Yes. I am an old childhood friend of the king’s. I came all this way from Nuremberg to see him again.”
“Oh, I apologize… I can’t let you in because you don’t have an appointment.”
“Tell him that Sonny Sung is here. He’ll let us in then. Just you watch.”
“Miss, I can’t-”
“Tell him!”
The young maid sighed and nodded, grabbing the door hinge with her small hands. “One moment, please.” She slammed the door closed, Sonny listening to her footprints get fainter and fainter.
“Think she’ll let us in?”
Sonny glanced at her apprentice from the side, “Of course I do. Yamada will recognize my name, I know it.”
“I sure hope so… Otherwise we came all this way for nothing.”
“Don’t remind me.”
“That’s the maid, isn’t it? She doesn’t look as strong as people make her out to be…”
“Looks can be deceiving,” She turned to face her, “Take me for example.”
“Right…”
After a few minutes, the maid opened the door and nodded, stepping aside. “Come on in. The king is waiting for you in his throne room. Please follow me.” She leads them to the grand throne room.
There sat the king in all of his glory. He had fluffy, blonde hair that reached down to his shoulders, some of it tucked behind his left ear. His eyes were bright blue and he looked like the average Aaryn. He wore many rings adorned with brilliant jewels and an extremely fancy white suit. His eyes lit up once he saw Sonny, causing him to jump up and reveal how tall he was. He towered over the three girls, being 6’6. He ran to the demon, wrapping his long arms around her in a tight embrace. “Oh Sonny! How joyous this meeting is! How great!”
“Yeah, yeah… Take it easy, will you?”
He pulled away quickly, looking at her with his sparkling eyes. “I never thought I’d ever see you again!”
“Well, it has been a while, hasn’t it?”
“Yes! I haven’t seen you since your father was killed and my mother was imprisoned. That was before the Apocalypse ever started.”
“Yes, I know… But please don’t bring that up again.”
“Ah, my apologies… I forgot how much you loved your father.”
Sonny scowled angrily. There was no possible way he could have forgotten that. Anyone who knew the Sung family knew how much Hongki Sung meant to his daughter, Sonny. She was the apple of his eye and she was constantly at his side, even during his very important, very elegant business meetings. He always brought her gifts, and she liked to imagine that all of the toys and trinkets he brought her were covered in his love. It made her smile and feel warm inside to think of it that way. She had kept a teddy bear that Hongki had gotten her when she was five up until she was fifteen… Then she lost it to a pack of those uncivilized Kowloon Children. It had crushed her on the inside. She had cried -Yes, actually cried- for a week straight. Everything had been perfect in her very wealthy family… Then her father had to go and have an affair with Yamada’s mother and everything changed.
“Hey, Sonny?” His voice awoke her from her thoughts, “Last time I saw you, your eyes were blue like your mother’s. Why are they red now?”
“The Apocalypse changed them.” She spoke through clenched teeth, “And don’t you mention that wretched woman ever again! I hate her…”
“Sorry, it’s just such an unusual color…”
“And what of your maid, then? Yellow eyes? That is far from normal.”
“It’s a mutation. She was born with it. Personally, I think it’s beautiful…”
“Oh, shut up…” Sonny crossed her arms and sighed. She hated when she was like this. Her emotions were running too high for her to handle. She suspected that it was because of the mentioning of her father… She didn’t like to think about that portion of her past. It was a horrible time.
“So why visit me now after all these years? The last time we saw each other was when I was eleven and you were nine. I was under the impression that you had died. Hardly anyone survived the starting of the Apocalypse.”
“But I am the exception.” Sonny grinned mischievously, “And I came to you because we have nowhere else to go. We’re desperate.” She chuckled, “And if you get lucky, I might just sleep in your room tonight, Yamada. It would be greatly appreciated if you let us stay here.”
Yamada’s face went from a pale white to a light pink, “I-I think I could make arrangements…”
The maid quickly stepped forward, “I can prepare a room for the other girl if Sonny sleeps in yours, your highness…”
The king nods, “I think that’s a great idea, Sama. Thank you.”
The maid, whose name appeared to be Sama, nodded and ran off. Sonny grabbed the king and placed a hand on the back of his head, kissing his neck once. “Mm… Akira, maybe you should go and help Sama…” She traced his jawline teasingly with her finger, “The king and I have some catching up to do.”
Akira nodded and hurried off just as their tongues entered each other’s mouths. She eagerly went to find Sama, for the yellow eyed maid intrigued her, and eventually found her in one of the mansion’s many suites.
She stopped in the doorway, watching the Japanese girl make her bed. “This will be your room, Miss Akira. I hope it is to your liking.”
“It looks lovely, Sama. Thank you.” As she worked, Akira noticed a small gleam in the maid’s eyes. It was only a slight twinkle, but it was enough to catch her attention. “Sama, is there something you want to ask me?”
The maid looked startled as she moved her gaze to Akira, “Not ask, really… Just say.”
“well then spit it out!”
Sama briefly looked uncomfortable before laughing, a big smile on her lips. “I thought that Yvonne only stayed in the Restricted Zones!”
“Ohh… So you’ve heard of Yvonne too?”
“Heard of her?! I’ve now seen her! You are very lucky to be the traveling partner to such a legendary creature!”
Akira processed what she had said… Then laughed, “You think Sonny is Yvonne…”
“I know she claims to be Sonny Sung, the childhood friend of Yamada, but I’ve heard that Yvonne can usually change her appearance. So tell me… What is she planning on doing with the king?”
Now it was Akira’s turn to look uncomfortable, “Sonny is not Yvonne…”
“Well, of course she is! She’s a demon, right? I could tell by her red eyes and the vagueness of her answer as to why they are red… Also, she reeks of the Restricted Zones. Yvonne is a demon who wanders the Restricted Zones… She must be Yvonne!”
“Sama, please listen to me. Sonny isn’t Yvonne! The very thought of it is ludicrous!”
“And how long have you known Sonny?”
Akira looked away quickly, embarrassed. “A couple of days…”
“Exactly. You don’t know who she is or what kinds of secrets she holds… She could very well be Yvonne!”
“Well then… If she is Yvonne, why is she looking for herself?”
Sama looked dumbfounded, “What…?”
“That’s right. Yvonne is the whole reason that Sonny went into the Restricted Zones in the first place. She wants to wish for her humanity back…”
“Back? How did she lose it in the first place?”
Akira opened her mouth then closed it again. She didn’t know. All she knew about Sonny was that she was a demon. She knew that Sonny thought of herself as a teacher, but Akira liked to think of her as a friend… But she knew nothing about her, so could she really call her a friend? She sighed, looking back to Sama. “I don’t know…”
“Mm… Well, maybe you should ask her.”
“Yeah, right. What if it brings up some kind of painful memory…? She’d rip me to shreds!”
Sama giggled teasingly, “You’re scared of your own mentor.”
“Well, you would be too if you’ve seen what she can do like I have! She’s a monster…”
Scoffing as she walked in, Sonny eyed the two. “I’ll take that as a compliment… This time.” She looked around at the room and grinned mischievously, “Nice place you have here. Almost as nice as the king’s room.” Waving her hand, she looked at Sama. “You are excused now. I need to speak with my apprentice.”
“Oh? But I am quite interested in you!” She protested, “I would rather stay if it is at all possible…”
“Ahh, I suppose so… Very well. Sit down, you two, sit down. Listen to my great bedtime tale!”

There once was a happy little girl who belonged to one of the wealthiest families in Germany. She was loved and spoiled by her parents, who called her their “Little Sunshine” on account of her bright blonde hair.
She looked more like her German mother and less like her Korean father, having ocean blue eyes that looked like a doll’s. She often dressed like a doll too, wearing cute and frilly dresses nearly every day. Her father bought her anything she ever asked for. He was always looking for new ways to spend his money, for he believed that he had too much… What better way to spend it than on the apple of his eye? She had no siblings, but she was fine with this; More siblings meant less attention from her father and she wasn’t ready to deal with that. She was always called beautiful by her neighbors, who were old family friends, and she took a great liking to the neighbors’ son: A boy with the same blonde hair and blue eyes. Unknown to her, her father had secretly been planning on the two to be betrothed… She wouldn’t have minded that either.
Her father also seemed close to the boy’s family, his mother in particular, though the girl’s own mother seemed to despise the very air that she breathed. The boy’s mother was in danger, as was the girl’s father, though no one knew it yet… Everything still seemed so perfect. Her father continued to buy the girl various little treasures, despite her mother being against it. She claimed that too many gifts could go to the girl’s head. As much as the girl loved her mother, she hoped her father didn’t stop. She loved the gifts. They always made her smile.
Soon, New Year’s came. It was 2040, one year before the Apocalypse. The girl was playing with her many Christmas presents when she heard her mother scream. Running towards the sound, the little eight year old girl feared the worst. Maybe her mother had hurt herself…? She’d be sad if that happened.
Following the scream’s echoes led her to her parents’ bedroom. She saw all of the servants surrounding something on the floor, her mother crying in the corner and the neighbor lady looking on in shock. That’s funny… She didn’t remember her father saying that she was coming over. She briefly wondered if she had brought her son along. She began to approach the woman to ask her, but stopped once she saw red water running out from under the servants’ feet. She quickly ran over and pushed them out of the way. She knew that red water. Whenever she scraped her knee of got a papercut, it would spill out of her. Then her father would put a band-aid on it, making it better. Maybe she could make this person better with a band-aid… But what she saw would forever haunt the girl’s heart and soul. Even to this day, her heart aches in remembrance… Anger and hatred consumes her like Hell’s fires… But, most of all, she just wants to cry. If she did that, however, she would look weak in front of everyone… And she couldn’t let them see her in such a way.
There on the hardwood floors of the bedroom lay her father, eyes wide open and lifeless. The red water was leaking out of his stomach and chest at a rapid pace… He was going to need one hell of a band-aid.
Panicking, the girl ran to the medicine cabinet that was in the main washroom and grabbed as many of the bandages she could carry. Hurrying back to the room, the girl tripped over her own foot and the band-aids flew everywhere. Hot tears began to flow down her cheeks as she picked them all up and ran into the bedroom once again. Deep down in her heart, she knew the band-aids wouldn’t fix him or make him better, but she had to try something. Her father was the sunshine of her life. She couldn’t lose him… Not like this.
Even though she knew it was helpless, she started putting band-aids all over his wounds. They were instantly swallowed by the blood and it coated the girl’s little fingertips. She started to sob heavily once the truth of the situation hit her.
“D-Daddy…! You can’t leave me now! I need you, I need you!”
She went to embrace her lifeless father but was quickly snatched away by her mother. “Don’t touch him, darling! Let the police come and take him away… Let him go…” The girl buried her face in her mother’s stomach, continuing to cry. The grieving woman looked up to the neighbor lady, hatred written all over her face. “Look at what you have done! You’ve made my most beloved daughter cry! I’ll have you arrested for this, for killing my dear husband!”
The neighbor woman looked both shocked and appalled, “But I-”
She was interrupted by the police who came shuffling in. “Aha!” The girl’s mother spoke, “There you all are! Arrest her!” She pointed accusingly to the neighbor lady, “She is the woman who slaughtered my love! I saw it with my own eyes! She’s evil!”
The officers forcefully grab the other woman, dragging her away. The girl would never see her again, though she later learned that she had received the death penalty for her crime.
Sniffling, the girl slowly pulled away from her mother and looked at her blood-soaked fingertips. It was his blood. Her father’s blood. It was one of the last things she had of him. In a surge of desperation, she licked her fingers, tasting the salty, iron-like taste of her father. He was dead. He was gone. She’d never see him again or smell his scent… She’d never get to feel his hugs or how warm she always felt when he said “I love you.” The girl then collapsed and fell unconscious, not fully awaking until the next year.

May 15th, 2041. The girl’s ninth birthday… The day before the Apocalypse started.
She laid in her bed, staring at the ceiling just like she did every morning. She could hear her mother calling her for breakfast but she found that she wasn’t hungry at all. She had a dreadful feeling about this day… And she was right to feel that way. This would be the true turning point in her life… It would transform her into the demonic young woman you know and love today.
Eventually, she did grow tired of her mother’s constant calling,so she sluggishly made her way downstairs, not in any real hurry. Once her mother saw her, she leaped onto the girl, giving her a big hug. “Happy birthday, dearest!”
“There is absolutely nothing happy about it, mother…” She sat at the table and eyed the bland birthday cake that a servant had made for her. It was nothing compared to her father’s cakes. He always made sure they were grand for her. “I miss him…”
Her mother frowned and looked away, “I do too… But it’s time to get over it. He’s gone and won’t be coming back. Can’t you just accept that, my dear…?”
“No. No, I can’t. He was my father and I can’t just forget. Being able to remember is how I atone for the sin of not being able to save him.”
“Honey, no one would’ve been able to see him. What that wretched woman did to him was too much. It isn’t your fault, dear.”
“Band-aids always fixed me. How come they didn’t fix him?”
Her mother’s face contorted to show a hint of guilt but she just waved the girl away, “Just forget about it. Have some cake and relax… It is your day, after all.”
“Shut up.” The girl had matured too fast and learned how to hate too early, “You go forget and relax. I refuse to do either. I can’t do either until I repay him for being my most gracious, generous father.”
“You’re being ridiculous.”
The girl shot her mother a death glare and ran off. She hated the fact that she was so passive about his death… Did he really mean nothing to her?
What the girl didn’t know, however, was that the death of her father was constantly on her mother’s mind. She felt guilty about it, as she should have, and often cried over it in bed at night. She couldn’t take it anymore. She had to tell her daughter the truth.
It was later that night, just before dinner. The girl’s mother called her down once again, her head resting on the diningroom table. When the girl ventured into the kitchen to see her mother, she could smell something delicious cooking. Whatever it was, it smelled Italian. “What is it, mother?”
“Sit down. I need to talk to you.”
The girl obeyed without a word, for she didn’t like the look in her mother’s blue eyes. Something was about to happen. She could feel it…
“Darling… I miss your father too. I really do. I know how much he meant to you and vice versa. He loved you with all of his heart… It was tragic, really.” She leaned forward, sadness clearly visible in her eyes, “I remember the day I told him that I was pregnant with you… He jumped for joy and hugged me as tight as he could. We had been trying to have a child for the past four years and just when all hope seemed lost… You came and brightened up our lives. I couldn’t have anymore children, and I still can’t, which is why you don’t have any siblings. You were our miracle child. That’s why he loved and spoiled you so much… It was cute to watch your bond with him grow and change over time. It made me smile, and I know it made you smile too… Which is why I’m sorry. Sorry for turning that smile into tears… Sorry for taking him away from you.”
The girl’s eyes widened and she stood quickly, “What the hell are you talking about?!”
“I killed him,” She sobbed out, “I killed your caring father and my loving husband!”
“It was all you!” The small girl clenched her fists, “You had that nice neighbor lady killed for a crime she didn’t commit! You’re a horrible, awful human being! I hope you rot in Hell where you belong!” She quickly ran out of the kitchen, tears streaming down her face. She quickly made her way out onto the highest balcony of her home, climbing onto its railing and looking down at the very far away ground. It wasn’t fair. She had loved her father and, previous to today, had loved her mother as well. Why had she done something so horrible…? Suddenly, she saw the neighbor boy watching her from his bedroom window… And everything started to make sense. Her father had loved the neighbor boy’s mother. He wasn’t supposed to love her. He was supposed to love her own mother. He had betrayed his own family and hurt her mother… So she killed him.
She remembered how often the neighbor lady had come over and how much brighter her father’s smile was when he was with her… She had always been a very kind lady to the little girl, and it made her sad to think of her in an electric chair. Gasping, she also remembered that when she had found her father he had been completely naked except for the thin white robe he wore on his person. The neighbor lady’s clothes had also looked quite sloppy, like she had thrown them back on in a hurry. The girl’s mother had caught them in the act. A struggle then ensued, which led to the death of her father and the imprisonment of the neighbor lady.
The girl stuck one foot out so it hung loosely over the edge of the railing, the wind gently blowing her hair into tangles. Her tears began to dry up as she leaned forward softly, preparing to jump… But something made her stop abruptly.
Wait, She thought, Why do I have to be the one to die over this? She’s the one who killed him, who killed both of them! She is the one who should die… I hate her, I hate her!
The girl turned ground and leaped down from the railing, landing safely on the balcony and taking off towards the kitchen. It was time to make her mother pay for the one year old murder of her father.
Upon approaching the kitchen, the girl noticed that her mother had removed herself from the room. However, this gave her the perfect opportunity to walk over to the knife block and grab the biggest one she could find. Heading towards her mother’s room, the girl thought about how she would make her mother regret ever laying a hand on her father.
Her mother was lying on her bed in her silent room, staring at nothing and crying. The girl quickly hid the knife behind her back before walking in.
“Oh,” The woman saw her and quickly sat up, “There you are…! I was worried for a minute!”
“As you should’ve been.”
“D-Darling…?”
“He loved another woman, didn’t he? The neighbor boy’s mother. That’s why you killed him.”
She looked down in shame, “Yes, dearest… That’s why.”
“What a pathetic reason,” She snapped, “If you have a problem with your partner, get a divorce!”
“I didn’t want to put you through that!”
“But you’ll put me through this?! You wretched, wicked woman…! I hate you with every ounce of my being!”
“Darling, please, I-”
She reveals the knife and grins, “You look a little tired, mother… Let me put you to sleep.” She began to slowly walk towards her, her mother’s eyes widening as she leapt out of bed.
“Please my dear,” Her mother backed against the wall in fear, “Please rethink this…!”
“Oh, mother… Look at the bags under your eyes… If you ask me, I think you could use a nice, long rest!”
The nine year old girl’s mother tried to run, but she quickly grabbed her hair and plunged the knife into her stomach. She quickly forced her hand over her mouth, preventing her mother from screaming. She then threw her to the ground, stabbing her many more times. With each stab, the girl laughed as she felt the knife tear into her, spilling the red water everywhere. “Die… Die…!” With one final, deep stab, the girl pulled the knife away and threw it, gazing down at her bleeding mother. It was the most amazing sight she had ever seen… It sent her into a state of euphoria. Her mother was hardly breathing, looking up at her daughter and killer. Death can always come when you least expect it.
“Dearest…” It took all of her strength, but the girl’s mother did eventually manage to speak, “...I’m sorry. I suppose I deserved this, huh?”
The girl nodded, “Yes, you certainly did. how dare you kill my father, who I loved so much?!”
“It was a mistake… I saw that as soon as they took his body away. I hope you can forgive me in my time of death… That’s all I ask for…”
The girl said nothing and sat next to her mother, propping the dying woman’s head up and onto her lap. “Would you like me to sing you a lullaby to help you fall asleep, mother?”
“I think that sounds very lovely, darling…”
The girl nodded and stroked her mother’s hair, beginning her beautifully eerie song. “Here’s a lullaby to close your eyes, goodbye… It was always you that I despised. I don’t feel enough for you to cry, oh well… Here’s a lullaby to close your eyes, goodbye.”
Her mother’s eyes slowly fluttered closed, and once she saw her breathing stop completely, the girl laid her mother on her own bed, ripping her white dress off and leaving her naked. She kisses her forehead tenderly, “Goodnight, mother. Sweetest dreams…”

The next day, the Apocalypse started. The girl continued to live in her home for a little while, hidden from all danger. However, she felt very uneasy with herself. Her eyes had turned red and she felt sick. She had turned cold to the world and those who resided within it. She could hear someone telling her to run away… Who it was she did not know and still doesn’t, even to this day. Deciding to listen to the mystery being, the girl ran away from the place she had called home all of her life, retreating into the Restricted Zones. That decision led her to many great things… Including being able to tell this story to her apprentice and a Japanese maid.

Akira sniffled as she looked at her teacher in disbelief. Her mother had taken her father away from her… And, in return, she took her mother away from the world. She thought of how unfair it all was, not being able to restrain her tears any longer.
“Oh, don’t do that!” Sonny snapped, “I hate it when people cry and show weakness in front of me! If I wanted you to cry, I would have told the story in a much more sad tone!” She growled and ran out, though Akira could see the pain that was hidden well in her red eyes.
Sama looked up from her lap and over to Akira, “Yes, I’m sure of it now…”
“Sure of what…?”
“Sonny really is Yvonne.”
Akira laughed, though her tears were still streaming down her face. “You’re insane, Sama.”
“Hmph…” Sama crossed her arms, “Fine, don’t believe me… But I’ll be laughing when you’re proven wrong.” She walked out, leaving a spot of doubt in Akira.

Sonny laid on the king’s bed, looking out of the window. Tiny snowflakes were drifting to the ground in a pretty, poetic way. She would have smiled if she had wanted to… But she didn’t. She sighed and moved her gaze over to the door, surprised to see Yamada in the doorway holding a small box with a ribbon on it. “Hello,” He spoke, “It’s Christmas tomorrow, you know.”
“You continue to keep track of the days…?”
“I have to. It gives me a glimpse into the past… Of the way things used to be.”
“I see.” She looks at the box, “What’s that?”
“It’s for you. A little Christmas present… I hope you like it.”
“Mm.” Sonny smiled gently, “Well, bring it here, then.” The king went over to his demonic lover, gently placing the box in her hands. “I think it will go well with your eyes, darling.”
She gently removed the white ribbon and the box’s lid. Inside was a silver necklace, a giant ruby pendant attached to it. Despite her trying not to act too impressed, a small gasp escaped her lips. “Oh, Yamada… It’s wonderful!”
He chuckles slightly, “I’m glad you think so… Here, let me help you put it on.” He slid it around her neck and clasped it shut behind her. It looked gorgeous on the demon… As if her beauty wasn’t breathtaking already.
“Sonny…” He threw his arms around her, “I missed you so much!”
“I missed you too, darling. More than you’ll ever know…”
He laid back with her, wrapping his arms around her thin waist. “I hope that one day I can call you my queen and the mother of my children.”
She grinned and looked at him, “My father was already secretly planning on it… Why not make it a reality?”
Yamada looked at her, stunned. “A-Are you serious…?”
“I’m dead serious. I love you. Always have. I want to be your queen, I want to have your children… I want you.”
Zarlamoy’s king leaned over and kissed his childhood friend with a burning passion, Sonny quickly returning the favor with her own mouth. This was all happening so painfully fast… But she didn’t want it to end. She loved it, she loved him…
“So then, my dear,” He said in between kisses, “Shall we make it official?”
She nodded, her cheeks turning as red as a tomato. Seeing a demon blush is a strange but wonderful sight. Sitting up, she watched him walk over to her side of the bed and kneel down on one knee. “Sonny Sung,” He spoke quietly, “Will you do me the honor of becoming Sonny Zarlamoy…? Will you marry me?” She smiled and hugged him close, whispering in his ear. “Yes.”
She grabs the collar of his shirt, pulling him towards her and kissing him deeply. He pushed her back onto the huge bed, undoing her white dress and slipping it off as he kissed her chest tenderly. Sonny closed her eyes and just enjoyed it. She was engaged now. Soon enough, she’d be the queen of Zarlamoy. Just thinking about it made her want to leap up with joy… She truly did love him. She wasn’t pretending… And to think that she had originally came here to kill him. Now, in place of the King’s death was a wedding… A happy, pure white wedding.

Sama dipped her rag in the bucket of water and continued to wash the throne room floors. Yvonne and Sonny both filled her thoughts. Was the King’s new lover really the wish granting demon? She stared at her reflection in the water bucket and began to cry, as she always did when she saw herself.
She didn’t know why she cried, but she suspected that it was because of her frustration and hate towards the man she not-so-willingly served. He had brought her back from the dead. All she had wanted was to stay asleep forever, and she couldn’t even have that… Everything she ever wanted had been taken away from her. She had lost her mother, sister, the love of her brother, and, thank to Yamada, even death. She hated him. She believed that she had died for a noble cause nearly six hundred years ago, and she wanted to keep it that way… But he ruined everything. She wanted to run away, but had no idea as to where she would go… However, now that Sonny and Akira had arrived, she had found her way out. She was sure that they didn’t plan to stay long, so when they leave, she’d follow after them.
She believed that Sonny was a savior, a messiah. She would save Sama, and many others as well… And Akira was completely oblivious to it. Drying her tears, Sama finished cleaning the floor and stood, making her way into the kitchen. She should get a start on dinner before the king starved to death. When she pushed open the kitchen door, she was surprised to see Akira. “Hello,” The sixteen year old girl said, “I’d like to hear more about your Yvonne/Sonny theory if it is no trouble.”

Sonny wandered the halls of the vast palace. It was three in the morning, Christmas Day. On her finger rested a diamond engagement ring, which she couldn’t help but play with. There was something about being engaged… Something about being loved… That made her cold heart want to skip a beat.
Suddenly, she stopped, looking into a mirror to the right of her. It wasn’t her reflection she saw. It was her mother’s. Her rare smiled instantly dropped to her usual frown. “God dammit… Why can’t you just leave me alone?!”
“You should’ve known that taking a person’s life would come with consequences.”
“Hmph. You’re supposed to be resting peacefully, not torturing me.”
“Let’s face it, Sonny; If I was resting peacefully, you’d be quite upset. You want me to go on suffering when I have already suffered enough. How did I ever come to raise such an evil child?”
“Oh, I let the evil flow into me freely. I embraced it in order to exact my revenge on you.”
“Yes, and you doomed the entire world because of it.”
“Eh?”
Her mother waves the words away, “Nevermind. So you’re engaged now, huh? I figured it would happen sooner or later.”
“And why is that?”
“It’s become apparent to me while watching you over the years that you crave love. You miss the hugs and kisses you never received… And now that Yamada is so willing to give them to you, you jumped to the opportunity of marrying him. You don’t love Yamada… You love what he has to offer. You’re in love with love.”
“Oh, shut the fuck up, you old hag…”
“You and Yamada won’t last. You two will fall apart soon enough, plunging deeper into the pit of darkness. You’ll go on to love too easily. You will fall for someone left and right… But you’ll always truly be alone.” She laughs slightly, “What a sad life you live, my dearest daughter.”
Sonny, becoming angry, grabbed the mirror and punched through it, growling. “Shut up! What do you know about love anyways?! You killed your own goddamn husband!” She then heard Yamada calling her name sleepily, causing her to bolt outside and into the gardens.
It was snowing outside still. As she ran out, Sonny tripped on her own foot, landing on the snow covered ground. Rolling onto her back, she watched the flurries slowly fall. She then saw herself in the same snowy environment, wearing a lovely purple and white dress that was fit for a queen. On her finger was a wedding ring, though it was different from the one Yamada had given her. Above her was a man she had never seen before, holding a bundle of joy and looking like he wanted to cry. She could see that Sama and Akira were there as well, wanting to cry too. She could smell fire and burning flesh… She could hear many screams. She blinked and saw the palace’s garden again, the snow falling onto her face. “What the hell was that…?” She whispered to herself. It made her sad for some reason… It made her heart hurt. How unusual.
“What are you doing out here?” Yamada sat next to her, shivering. “It’s cold.”
“So is my heart… It doesn’t bother me too much.”
He frowned and looked at her, “I pray that I will eventually be able to melt that heart of yours, my queen.” He takes her hand gently, “I want to make you the happiest woman to have ever existed… I want to be the reason for your smile.”
She looks up at him, “Yamada, darling… What is the soonest that we can be married?”
“Why… I suppose later on today. It wouldn’t be the big and grand ceremony that you deserve, but it is possible.”
“Let’s do it.” She practically threw herself onto his lap, straddling him and kissing him tenderly while unbuttoning his pajama top. “Please. I want to be your wife as soon as possible!”
“Sonny…” He grabs her hands, stopping her from unbuttoning his shirt any further, “Isn’t it a little too soon? We haven’t even told anyone about our engagement yet…”
“Who would I tell, Yamada? The only people that need to know are Sama and Akira, both of which I can tell over breakfast. Please… I can’t wait any longer.”
“I just don’t think it’s wise to rush into this, my dear…”
She sighed and looked away, deep in thought. “I’m dying, Yamada. That was the real reason I came to see you after so long… I’m dying.”
“What?” He hugged her tighter, firmer. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?!”
“I wanted to forget about it for a while!” Sonny sobbed, “I wanted to just be happy, if even for a moment!” She buried her face in his shoulder and cried her heart out, soaking his pajama shirt. She wasn’t really dying, nor did she plan on dying anytime soon. However, she knew that Yamada couldn’t deny her wishes now. He’d be even more cold-hearted than her if he denied a dying girl the chance to get married. The king slowly nodded, running his fingers through Sonny’s long blonde hair. “Alright Sonny,” He spoke comfortingly, “You’ve won, you can have your way… We’ll be married tonight at sundown. I’ll have Sama prepare the most delicious of feasts. Akira can marry us. It will be beautiful… Just like you.” She could see the sorrow in his eyes, and she felt terrible for being the reason he was now grieving. However, there was no turning back now… She had to press forward.
“And all white,” Sonny sniffled slightly, “Please make it all white. White dress, white roses, white tuxedo… Everything.”
“Yes, of course, dear. I’ll go wake Sama up and tell her to get started on the food and decorating.” Sonny nodded, smirking internally as he stood and said the one thing that could make her heart soar: “I love you.”

Sama was barely awake, and she could tell that Akira was about to nod off as well. The young maid had washed the king’s white suit already and was now currently scrubbing the numerous age old blood stains on Sonny’s white dress. Akira decorated the ballroom in all white.
“I can’t fucking believe her,” The demon’s apprentice snapped under her breath, “What an idiot…”
“Eh?” Sama turned to look at her, “And what’s so wrong about Sonny wanting to marry the king?”
“She wasn’t supposed to marry him!” Akira teared a streamer, “Ugh… I can’t stand that god awful seductress!”
“Careful,” Sama giggled teasingly, “She could be just around the corner.”
“Oh shut up!” Akira hopped down from the ladder she had been standing on and began to walk towards Sama, “You want to know what she originally planned to do, huh?! Well, she planned to kill the damn king! Slaughter him mercilessly! Now she’s in love with him?! I can’t believe it! What a damn fool…”
Sama looked shocked. “O-Oh… I see. So she wanted to assassinate the king. Why would she want to do such a thing?”
“To be honest, I think it was just because she enjoys to see things die. That and Yamada is the reason for his people's’ suffering. He may be a kind man, but he is not the kind of man to be a king!”
“Wonder what made her change her mind, then…?”
“I’m not sure. I thought she was seducing him to regain his trust, but I guess I was wrong. Then again she can’t truly love him, can she…? After such a short amount of time…”
“It is very possible, Miss Akira. They were childhood friends, you know. Yamada spoke of her often… Perhaps they still loved each other but held it in. Then, once they saw each other again, the love bursted out and they couldn’t control themselves. I don’t know, but I sincerely hope that Miss Sonny decides against this marriage.”
“And why is that, Sama? Please do enlighten me.” Akira sighs.
Sama looked down and smiled sadly, realizing how uninterested Akira was with her. However, Sama said something that’d change Akira’s point of view on the Japanese girl: “Because Yamada had promised me love at one time too… Just to turn around and break that promise.”
Akira looked shocked, “You mean, you and the king…?”
She nodded, “Yes. It was after he brought me back from the dead. He told me that if I stayed with and served him, he would shower me with love and unlimited treasures. He never did follow through with his word.”
“That’s horrible! Do you think he’d do the same thing to Sonny…?”
“I couldn’t tell you. Yamada is hard to read, and Sonny even more so. If he does go against their love, I’d hate to see what Sonny would do to him…”
Akira gulped and nodded slowly, “Me too.”

Sonny stood in her apprentice's room, her blonde hair put up in a bun with a veil covering it. She smiled gently and slipped her necklace on, Sama zipping up her white dress for her.
“You look as beautiful as ever, Miss Sonny. A true bride.”
“I do, don’t I?” She twirled around and laughed, “I feel so goddamn special! I never knew such happiness could be achieved this way…”
Sama smiled softly, though on the inside she was screaming. “I am glad you’re happy, Miss Sonny. Akira is as well. We cannot wait to see you two get married.”
“I’m looking forward to the two of you being there.” She grinned, “Is Akira preparing to marry us?”
“Yes. Yamada is helping her memorize what to say.”
“Oh, Yamada? Why would a servant call their master by his first name?”
Sama shook her head and waved whatever thoughts and worries that Sonny had away, “I meant nothing by it, miss.”
“And why do I think you a liar? What’s going on between the two of you? Are you seeing each other behind my back?!”
“No… Well… Not anymore, at least.”
“What are you talking about?”
Sama sighed and looked up at her, “Miss Sonny, I feel like you should know that King Yamada had said he loved me at one time as well. He never really did. Just said it to get me to stay here for the rest of my days with him… I pray that doesn’t happen to you.”
Sonny laughed at her cruelly, “Like he’d leave me at the altar! Look at me!”
“Do you even love him? Think about it long and hard, my lady. You stroll in here and demand a place to stay, seducing him in the process. That isn’t love, Miss Sonny!”
“Oh, and what do you know about it?! You are seventeen years old, Sama! Leave us alone and let us be happy!”
“You’re only a year older than me, my dearest Messiah.” Sama smiled menacingly and walked out calmly. Sonny stared at the door for a long while before slipping on her boots. She didn’t care. This was her special day, and nothing was going to ruin it… Nothing except herself.

Akira sighed inaudibly, “Do you, King Yamada, take Sonny to be your lawfully wedded wife until death do you part?”
“I do.”
“And do you, Sonny, take Yamada to be your lawfully wedded husband until death do you part?”
A big smile was plastered onto the demonic girl’s face. The decorations were perfect for the short amount of time they had been put up in. Her dress was all clean; Not even a trace of blood was left behind. Sama had done a good job. Her bouquet of white roses smelled lovely. Yamada looked incredibly handsome in his white suit, and she could barely keep her hands off of him. Oh, how great it truly felt to be loved…! She suddenly froze.
Being loved. Her mother had said that she was addicted to love; That she was using it as a way to escape the pain of the world. As she looked over to her soon-to-be-husband, her smile dropped. Was her mother right? She suddenly remembered why she had wanted a pure white wedding… It was to see the color red better.
She hadn’t felt loved since her father was alive, so when Yamada offered her some love, she jumped at the chance to feel relevant again. She had been in denial until now, at the moment of her wedding, and she felt horrible for snapping at Akira and Sama for seeing something that she was too oblivious to see.
“I’m an idiot…” She whispered.
Yamada looked over at her, a confused look on his face. “What…?”
Sonny’s gaze fell to her boots, and she suddenly grew aware of the tantos she kept in them. Beginning to sweat, she realized just how wrong all of this really was. How could she do something so unfair to someone who had been a great friend to her during their early years? She growled and clenched her teeth and fists, and her breathing went from steady to panicked. She could feel her mother standing beside her, grinning with pride. “I told you…” She whispered directly into her daughter’s ear.
Sonny closed her eyes and whimpered. In one quick and swift movement, she grabbed the tantos out of her boots and slit Yamada’s throat, his blood spraying all over her face and dress. Akira jumped back as her eyes widened, and Sama screamed, staring in disbelief. “H-Holy shit…!”
“Alright.” Sonny looked at the two girls, “Now that he is taken care of, let’s go.”
As she walked by, Akira could see that the coldness in Sonny’s eyes had returned, which made a smile creep onto the apprentice’s lips. Finally. The Blood Princess had returned.

Sama nearly gagged as she walked through the streets of Berlin with the two others. The dead bodies had never before been seen by Sama’s eyes, and the smell had grown worse over the past few days. Tears suddenly sprung to her eyes, “My God… These poor, poor people…”
“Get used to it, Sama.” Sonny glanced back at her, “It’ll only get worse from here on out… That I can promise you.”
“How am I supposed to get used to this?!” Sama sniffled and looked around, “I have never seen anything like it!”
“You’ll see much more of it in the Restricted Zones,” Sonny snapped suddenly, “So press forward and dry those tears!”
“R-Right… My deepest apologies, Miss Messiah.”
Sonny scoffed and looked down at the ground, “I am no messiah, darling.”
“Surely you must be. You saved me from such a miserable life, and you’ve saved many others as well!”
“Others?”
“Of course! You didn’t think that killing the king wouldn’t make people’s lives easier…? You saved them, Sonny. You are Zarlamoy’s Savior!”
“Hmm. Yeah, well, just once, I’d like to be my own savior.”
Sama blinked and looked at her sadly, “Oh, Miss Sonny…”
Akira felt her face grow hot as she spat out, “Sama thinks you’re Yvonne!”
“What?” Sonny bit her cheek, “Is this true, my dearest Sama?”
“Yes, Miss… It is true.”
“And what led you to believe such a ridiculous idea?”
“Well, Miss… It’s the fact that you’re a demon… And the fact that you like to wander the Restricted Zones.”
“It is true that I have many similarities with her, but I am not Yvonne.”
“I know that you say that, but… I just can’t seem to believe it. I want to, but it’s like I know you better than you know yourself.”
Sonny laughs gently, “Ahh, well… What can you do?” She paused, “Oh! By the way, Sama… I don’t really think that outfit is appropriate for the Restricted Zones.”
Before they had left the palace, Sama had grabbed a few weapons and altered her maid uniform slightly. What had once been a fairly modest maid uniform had been turned into something much, much different. Before leaving, her uniform had been a black dress that reached down to her ankles with long sleeves, a white apron covering it.
Now, her dress had been cut short, a slit going up each of the legs. She wore thigh highs with garters, which were perfectly visible because of the new length of the dress. The top half of the outfit had been opened three buttons, giving a very generous view of her cleavage. She wore a smaller, more frilly apron over it, but it didn’t help much. In her long black hair rested a beautiful white rose. Sama laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head, “It’s easier to move in…”
“Alright… And what weapons did you obtain for yourself and Akira?”
“Ahh. I got Akira a couple of pistols which she now wears around her waist. I have a little something Yamada designed for me.”
“Well then, what is it…?”
Samam pulled out a machine pistol and grinned, “It can also be an assault rifle and a tommy gun.”
“Hmm, interesting… Demonstrate.”
Sama nods and throws it into the air, where it transforms into the assault rifle. She does this each time until it becomes the machine pistol again. “I’m not quite sure how it works… Yamada was a genius, who knows what he did to make it be able to do that…? He just handed it to me one day and told me to protect the palace.”
“Have you had to use it yet?”
She nods, “I nearly used it on you two.”
“Wouldn’t have worked anyways…” Sonny stopped at the Restricted Zone entrance, “Well, girls. Are you ready to go inside?”
“Yes,” Akira speaks up, “But where do we plan to go next?”
“We’re only trying to find Yvonne. We will simply wander until we find her.”
“Sonny,” Sama cleared her throat, “Just how dangerous are the monsters in the Restricted Zones…?’
“Very. Why? Are you getting cold feet now?”
“No… Not at all.”
“Good. I can’t stand cowards.”
“She aims to please you, Sonny.” Akira scoffs, “You are her ‘savior,’ after all.”
Sonny pats her on the back, “I’m sensing a little bit of jealousy from you, Akira. Is Sama pulling me away from you?” The demon girl laughs teasingly, causing Akira to blush slightly. “jealous of her? Ha! Don’t even make me laugh. How could I ever be jealous of a damned maid?”
“Damned is right…” Sama whispered.
The Blood Princess looks at her, “If anyone is damned here, it’s me.”
“And I, Messiah,” Sama looked up at her sadly, “You don’t even know, Miss. I truly am damned… I suppose that you shall learn soon enough.”
“I would like to learn now.”
“I can’t, not yet… I do not have the strength to talk about it…”
“It can’t be that bad.”
“You don’t know, Miss Sonny,” Sama shook her head, “You don’t know…”
“Ahh,” Sonny breathed in with a pleasant smile on her face, “it’s good to be back here… In my true home.”
The Restricted Zones were just as plain and bare as before, only colder. Sama shivered, “I’m just glad to be out of that dead city…”
“Mhm… Hey, Sama? I couldn’t help but notice that you have a katana around your waist. Now why would you, someone who has the most overpowered weapon out of all of us, need that? Why not give it to the less fortunate?”
“Less fortunate…? Oh! You mean Akira.”
“No, no. Not her! I’m talking about your dear Messiah. Let me take that katana off of your hands.”
“I see. Why should I give it to you?”
“Well, because I’m your Savior… And all I have are two tantos. I need something better than that, right?”
“Oh, I suppose… Fine. Here.” Sama removes the katana from her waist and hands it to Sonny. “Just be very careful and treat it nicely.”
“Don’t worry, I will. It’s too pretty to not treat nicely.” She hugged it before putting it around her own waist, “Right, right, right. Now we need to find somewhere to stay for the night.”
“Maybe somewhere warm…?” Akira shivered, Sonny removing her scarf and putting it around Akira’s neck. “The only warm place within the Restricted Zones,” Sonny looked down, “Is within your own heart, Akira.”
“Isn’t that the sad truth…” Akira blew some hair out of her eyes. An eerie silence then ensued until Sama broke it. “Sonny,” She nearly whispered, “Don’t you ever want to go someplace else…? Where the world is still beautiful and the people are kind and caring.”
“Sometime, yes.”
Akira looked intrigued now, “What kind of place would you want to go to? For how long?”
“For however long I see fit. No one would be able to tell me what to do.” The demon girl grinned triumphantly.
“And would you find love there?”
Sonny looked down and shook her head, “No. I promise to never fall in love again unless it’s real… I can’t play someone like that again. It felt awful once I realized that I was doing it…”
“Then what would your world be like?”
“Hmm…” Sonny looked up at the sky in thought, “It’d be the most wonderful place in the world. I’d want it to be in a big city because I’ve never seen one before the Apocalypse hit it. I lived in the country and hardly ever ventured into the city. The city would have to have a group of outcasts for me to hang with, for I cannot stand normal people…”
“Is that all, Miss Messiah?”
Sonny shook her head, “No, of course not! I’d have friends. I’d help that group in any way that I could, and if fate happened to decide that I should find love, I wouldn’t mind it. Only as long as I had feelings for the person as well.” She smiled gently, “You two would be there as well. I’d make friends with the outcasts’ enemy and allow them to see that their differences don’t have to add up to equal hatred or a rivalry. I’d put smiles on their faces and for once someone would say, ‘Sonny, you’re alright.’ I’d finally fit in somewhere… I wouldn’t be so alone anymore.” Tears filled Sonny’s eyes as she looked at the two girls. “In fact, I wish I was there now.” Akira went to rub her back comfortingly, but Sonny gasped at her touch and her eyes went wide.
Akira looked at her, worried. “Sonny, what’s wrong?”
The demon girl then collapsed and when she hit the ground, she’d be unconscious.

“What the hell was that?” Sama sat next to Sonny’s still sleeping body, putting her numb hands near the fire. “I thought she had collapsed to her death!”
“I’m not sure… Maybe the cold finally got to her…?”
“I’ve never heard about the cold weather doing that to a person.”
“I wasn’t speaking of the weather.”
Sama’s eyes drifted over to Sonny’s chest and she nodded before looking back to the fire. “I see.”
“Poor Sonny. I’m beginning to think that her past and the life she lives are too much for her to handle…” She looks down but her gaze suddenly snaps back to Sama, “Oh… But you also have a difficult past, don’t you?”
“Me…?”
“Yes, you… Or, at least, something you do not like to talk about.”
Sama looks down at Sonny’s peaceful looking face, “I don’t know what you’re talking about…”
“Of course you do. You tremble every time it is brought up. Take right now, for instance.”
“I am not trembling.”
“Oh, but you are. Tell me the story, please… Let me have the chance to get to know you.”
“I am not sure about this, Miss Akira…”
“Nor am I… But let’s face it; Sonny doesn’t appear to be waking up anytime soon. Might as well offer me some form of entertainment.”
“My past hardships are not for your entertainment, Miss Akira!”
“Any story, no matter how awful or grotesque, is a form of entertainment. Go on, Sama. Tell me.”
Sama sighed and nodded, beginning her story.

“Sama,” A young woman shook the future maid awake, “Get up, get up! He’s back! Our dear brother Hideoyoshi is back!”
Sama groaned and opened her amber eyes, looking up at her twin sister. “Come on,” She pleaded with Sama, “He will be most upset if you do not come down to greet him after the many years he spent away at war!”
“Alright, alright, fine. I’m getting up. Is my kimono ready, Shinjite?”
“Yes, I chose your prettiest one. It’s the burgundy one with the sakura blossoms.”
“Mm. I like the black one with the red spider lilies better.”
“Oh well. You’ll look more presentable in this one when you go down to see your betrothed once again.”
Sama nods and sits up, running a hand through her long and messy black hair. “Does he know about mother yet…?”
Shinjite nods after pausing, “Yes. He was alerted just before heading back home. He seems saddened by her death, yet eager to see you.”
“Me?” She starts dressing herself, Shinjite helping her, “What’s so special about me?”
“Well, you are marrying him in a week’s time. If I were him, I’d want to see my fiance too.”
“Oh, I suppose so…” She huffed, “Is he at least out of his armor yet?”
“The servants are getting him in his robes as we speak. Oh, he will make a fine a husband, Sama, a fine husband indeed!”
“I still fail to see why we must go through with this marriage. It was mother’s wish, but she’s gone now… Can’t we just cancel it? I am not taken by the thought of marrying Hideoyoshi-San. However, I do know your true feelings for him, sister. It is you who should be marrying him.”
“I cannot say that I disagree, but it was mother’s last wish. It wouldn’t be right of us to deny it.”
“But…”
“You are also princess of the county, Sama. You must marry someone to become Lady Sama wa Satoko!”
“You’re right.” Sama sighs sadly, “I wish there were some other possible way, but alas, there is not.”
“That’s the spirit! Now finish getting dressed and come down to see Hideoyoshi!” Shinjite ran out, causing Sama to sigh tiredly.
They lived in the Satoko-Iine Castle and ruled over Toshugo County, a small, superstitious string of villages along the base of Mount Fuji. The year was 1507, just after the harsh Winter and going into the warm, but rainy, Spring months. Sama, Shinjite, and Hideoyoshi’s mother, Lady Kodai no Satoko, had passed away a few weeks prior at the age of sixty three, and the county was now in a time of mourning. The darkness of the approaching clouds covered the world and their hearts, which would, in fact, prove to be problematic later.
Sama yawned as she combed her long straight hair, feeling the softness of it. “How sad,” She whispered, “Soon enough, I won’t be able to wear you down like this anymore…”
In the Toshugo County, it was custom for unmarried women to wear their hair down. Married women, however, wore their hair up in a sloppy bun hairstyle, often holding it up with a beautiful comb or hair pin. The men cut their hair, which hadn’t been touched for the entirety of their lives, at the wedding itself as one of the marriage rituals. The women walked down the aisle with their new, permanent hairstyles. This allowed married couples to not have to wear rings.
Sama lightly and delicately stepped down the stairs, all of the servant girls bowing to her as she went by. At least now they were allowed to look at her. When she was married and became a Lady, they would have to keep their eyes off of her. It was considered a crime for servants to look directly at their masters. It was considered bad luck. If the servants happened to break this law, they wer3e punished by having their left eye scooped out by the master.
As she slid the tea room’s door open, she gazed down to the floor. She did not desire to look at him. Not yet. He didn’t deserve her attention. He could have it once they were married and he forced her to give him attention. “Hello Sama,” He spoke softly, “You look as beautiful as ever. I missed you.”
“It’s a pleasure to have you back, Hideoyoshi-San.”
“Sill won’t drop the San? Why? We are going to be married, Sama. We no longer need honorifics.”
“I do not feel comfortable without the San.” She looked up at him, “I apologize, brother.”
Hideoyoshi wore his long hair in a ponytail, which was draped over his shoulder carelessly. He wore his finest robes, which were blue and silver, and he wore a pair of geta on his feet. He stared at his sister with intense brown eyes. “I suppose it is alright for now… However, I expect you to drop the San once we are married. Understand?”
“Understood.”
“Good. Now come and sit. Shinjite prepared us some tea. Let us drink together, my dear. Toast to my victory in war.”
Sama nodded and sat at the table. She grabbed her tea cup and held it up high, “Thank you, dear ancestors, for letting Hideoyoshi and his army win the war.” She took a long drink and looked at her brother.
“Indeed.” He too took a long drink before setting his cup down. “So. How have things been around here, little sister?”
“They were alright until mother’s death. Then they turned miserable. You should have seen the servant girls after mother’s death was officially announced… The cried for days. It was extremely sudden, after all. Never would have thought that a healthy woman like her could die overnight.”
“Death works in mysterious ways, I suppose.”
“Yes, indeed. How about you, brother? Did you obtain any injuries while away at war?”
“Ah, indeed I did. An enemy soldier was going for my stomach with his sword, but I jumped to the right and dodged, slicing his fat belly open instead. Unfortunately, he did manage to give me a nasty little gash on my side.” He patted himself just above his right hip, “Just a scar now, though.”
“I am sorry you had to feel the pain of war, brother,” She sipped on her tea, “The many other women in Toshugo have been feeling the consequences of the war as well. I cannot tell you how many women I have seen weeping on the streets during my morning walks through the villages. They miss their husbands and are aware that they most likely will never see them again.”
Hideoyoshi chuckled gently, “Lucky you still have your husband though, right?”
Sama sighed and ran her fingers through her silky black hair, her face devoid of any enthusiasm. “Indeed, brother… Indeed.”
Hideoyoshi sighs gently and reaches over the table to grab her hand. “Sama, I do not appreciate the coldness you show me. Tell me why. Why do you insist on showing me, your brother and future husband, the worst side of you? If we are to be married, then you need to be a loving, supporting wife. Warm your heart.”
“Hideoyoshi-San, I am trying… I am not a perfect person. Please try to understand.”
“All I ever do is understand! I just need you to try harder. I refuse to enter a cold and loveless marriage.”
She looked up and eyed him. “So if I loved you, the marriage wouldn’t be loveless…?”
“That’s what I just said. If you are trying to ask if I love you then the answer is yes.”
“So you wouldn’t need to make any effort in the marriage?”
“That’s right.”
“I… Fail to understand.”
“You think of me as a heartless monster, Sama. I can see it in your eyes every time you look at me. It’s saddening, really… I wish I could convey my love for you in a better way.”
Sama looked down guiltily. She had thought that Hideoyoshi only wanted her hand in marriage so he could obtain power, but he really loved her… She nodded gently. “I will try my best for you. It is a great shame that I have acted so coldly towards you when you have just returned from the hardships of war… I shall love you like a sister loves her brother and how a wife loves her husband. I hope you can forgive me… I haven’t acted like a fiance at all.”
Hideoyoshi grinned and scooted towards her, kissing her cheek. “That’s more like it, my dear.”

Shinjite sat with Sama in her room, fiddling one of her many kokeshis as she gazed at her beautiful sister. The servant girls had helped Sama get into her wedding dress. It was red and gold, which the Japanese had adopted from traditional Chinese wedding ceremonies, with a sparkling gold sash tied tightly around her waist. It was hard for her to breathe, but it made her waist look tiny, so it was worth it. The sleeves were long and covered her small hands, which was thought to be cute and dainty. She wore a pair of red women’s geta and a pair of simple white tabi. She wore jewels and pendants all over her body for good luck. Her face had been painted a pale white with ruby red lips, temporarily blackening her teeth to bring out the whiteness of her skin. Her hair was now up in a bun, held in place by a couple of gold hairpins, and on her head she wore a gorgeous ruby encrusted gold head dress, which was fit for the Empress.
The young bride twirled around happily, admiring herself. It was strange. Just a week prior, she dreaded the day that had now fallen upon her, but she could no longer contain her excitement. Shinjite giggle, “You make a fine bride, Sama.”
“Thank you, Shinjite! I am honored that you, my dear little sister of three minutes, shall serve as my bride’s maid. This will surely be a beautiful ceremony…”
“I’ve seen Hideoyoshi. He looks fine in his robes.”
“I’m sure he does. I have seen the robes while they are not on his person, and I can only imagine how he looks right now…”
“You two will make a great couple,” Shinjite spoke lightly, looking up at her beautiful twin sister, “And you, Sama, will make the best Lady that Toshugo County has ever seen. You’ll be amazing!”
Sama grinned, “I shall do my best to make you proud of me, Shinjite.”
“I trust that you will.”
Sama grinned and stood, grabbing her sister’s hand. “Let’s go. Hideoyoshi is waiting.” The two were escorted out into the gardens, where the wedding was taking place. Sama smiled to herself, feeling her cheeks turn bright red… It was going to be a beautiful ceremony indeed.

“Have you heard the rumors spreading across the county?” Shinjite sipped on her tea, “About mother?”
“I have heard that rumors are spreading, but I do not know the details of them. Perhaps you could enlighten me, little sister?”
Shinjite eyed Sama and nodded, “Upon examining her body, the priest does not think her death was natural. The news spread to the villagers, and now they are saying that she was poisoned.”
“Poisoned?!” Sama slammed her teacup down, “That is ridiculous! Mother was not poisoned!”
“Well, they are just rumors… Don’t let them bother you too much.”
“Right…” Sama sipped on her tea nervously. If the villagers truly believed the rumors, they’d blame whoever was closest to their mother for her death… They’d try to overthrow herself and Hideoyoshi.
“So.” Shinjite smiled desperately, wanting to change the subject, “Are you and Hideoyoshi going to have any children?”
“We’re already trying. He is very eager to have a child.”
Her twin sister leaned in and spoke quietly, “Did it hurt?”
Sama grinned and whispered back, “Yes.” Both girls squealed in excitement. The people of Toshugo believed that the more painful the losing of one’s virginity was, the more fertile the mother and father were. “You two are going to have a baby in no time, Sama!”
“I must admit,” Sama spoke sheepishly, “I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t excited to have children… I want to have a little prince or princess.”
“You’ll make a great mother.”
“Thank you, Shinjite… It means a lot to me.”
The door then slid open, causing both girls to look back and see Hideoyoshi. “Ahh, Hideoyoshi-Kun!” Shinjite jumped up and bowed politely,”I’ll leave you and Lady Sama wa Satoko alone.” The young girl scurried off, closing the door behind her. Hideoyoshi gazed at his wife before sitting next to her. “How are you today, my dear?”
“I’m alright. You?”
“I’m great. Just came down to have my morning tea and see you.” He poured himself some tea and looked at her. “What were you and Shinjite talking about?”
“Oh, just about how we are trying for a baby. She is very excited to be an aunt, you know.”
“Is she…? Well then, we must make her dreams come true.” He grabbed and pulled her close, kissing her tenderly and slipping his hand inside of her kimono. “Mm… Hideoyoshi… Here…? Can we?”
“Why not? It only shows how excited we are and how hard we are willing to work in order to have a baby.”
She nodded as she was kissed again, her kimono slowly slipped off by her husband.
“I love you, Hideoyoshi.”
“I love you too, Sama.”

“Sama!” Shinjite burst through the bedroom door, “The villagers are storming the castle!”
“What?” Sama leaped out of bed, still half asleep, and went over to the window. Sure enough, the people of Toshugo County were trying to break down the gate. “What do they want?”
“They think someone here poisoned mother,” Shinjite whispered, “They think it is Hideoyoshi!”
Sama’s eyes widened and she looked at her husband, “No, not him…”
“I’ll have the servant girls fetch our robes. We must flee!”
Sama nods and embraces Hideoyoshi, for what could have been the last time. “I am sorry you had to return home to this.”
“It’s alright. A soldier gets no respect, no matter where he goes…”
She frowned as their winter robes were thrown around them. “We shall stay,” One of the servant girls whispered, “And fight for your lives.”
Sama hugged her tightly before running out with her sister and husband. “Out the back! Hurry!”
They hurried to the kitchens, where the back door was located. They all let out a shriek as they saw the kitchen crowded with villagers.
“There they are!” One of them cries, causing the others to run at them. “I will not go out like this!” Sama screams, “I will not!!” She took Hideoyoshi’s and Shinjite’s hands, running into the servant girls’ rooms. However, the villagers pursued them ruthlessly, and they now had them cornered.
One woman stepped forward and growled at the county’s Lady. “There she is! She’s the one who poisoned Lady Kodai no Satoko!”
“I would never poison my own mother! Family is everything! What kind of monster do you take me for?!”
“That’s enough out of you, Lady Sama wa Satoko!” The villagers began to inch closer to Sama, but Shinjite dashed in front of them all. “It was me!” She yelled, “I did it, I killed our mother!”
The county’s couple looked at their sister in shock, “Sh-Shinjite, what are you doing…?”
“Sama, I cannot live like this anymore! I did it. I poisoned our mother’s food that day so that she would perish over night!
Sama could see that her twin sister was obviously lying, and she seemed to look to Hideoyoshi for help. When he remained silent, she turned back to the villagers. “Sh-She’s lying… She would never do such a thing…”
“Then was it you who poisoned our former Lady?”
“N-No…”
“Then we must take her confession seriously. We’ll arrest her now. You can come and visit her once she is nice and snug in prison.” Two very strong looking men, who Hideoyoshi recognized as fellow veterans of the war, stepped forward and grabbed a sobbing Shinjite. The younger twin sister through a pleading glance to Sama’s husband, which caught the Lady’s attention. As Hideoyoshi shook his head, she began to grow suspicious.

It was the next morning that Sama went to see her sister. As she walked through the village, she received boos and disgusted faces, all of which she paid no mind. She had to see Shinjite. The prison was filthy and smelled horrible. The cells were small, but she was happy to see that overcrowding was no longer a problem within the prison. Her mother had taken care of that problem well. She was led to Shinjite’s cell, which wasn’t as small as the others. Her sister’s hair was messy and she had received bruises all over her face, arms, and legs. She had been beaten. Sama shrieked once she saw her, horrified. “Sh-Shinjite!”
She smiled up at her sadly, “Hello Sama.”
“What have they done to you? Oh, I swear I will unleash my fury upon them…!”
“No, please don’t do that… No good would come from it anyways.”
Sama wept for her twin sister for quite a while before regaining her composure. “I promise to get you out of here.”
“And they promise to kill me. To behead me.”
Sama’s eyes widened, “I will not allow it!”
“And how can you stop them? If you even tried, there would be a revolt against you. At least this way you and Hideoyoshi are safe.”
Staring down at her hands, Sama began to speak softly. “Shinjite, when they took you away, I saw you throw a look to Hideoyoshi that I have never seen before. What was that?”
Shinjite looked away from her sister in shame, “I have called upon him, Sama.”
“What?” Sama looked hurt and betrayed, “He is my husband, Shinjite! How could you have done such a thing to me?!”
“He didn’t accept my advances. He rejected me.”
“That doesn’t make your actions any less wrong!”
“I know it doesn’t, but it’s all I have for you Sama…! Except…”
“Except what?”
“That look I threw him… I was pleading for him to tell the truth… To save me…”
“Huh? What truth? What has been hidden from me all this time?!”
“When I called upon him, he rejected my advances because of our mother.”
“Well, of course! It was our mother’s last wish to see us married and you could have jeopardized it! Why wouldn’t he deny you?!”
“No, Sama.” Shinjite shook her head, “He didn’t want me getting involved with a murderer.”
“I… I don’t understand…”
“He confessed to me, Sama. He told me he killed our mother. I took the blame for him.” She screamed out, “Oh, I’m such an idiot…!”
“How does that even work? Hideoyoshi was away at war during mother’s death.”
“He hired a hitman.”
“I cannot believe this…”
“You must believe it. I always tell the truth to you.”
“I know you do, but… Why would Hideoyoshi do such a thing?”
“He wanted to marry you sooner. He truly loves you, so when he saw that the war was coming to an end, he wanted our mother dead by the time he arrived home. Then he could marry the love of his life right away. He hired a Chinese hitman who disguised himself as one of the cooks. He slipped the poison into mother’s food, served it to her, and vanished before anyone even had a clue. His plan succeeded until the villagers found out about the poison.”
“What a sickening plot… Love sometimes drives people to insanity.” Sama sighs gently, “And yet… I cannot hate him for his actions. They were right in his own mind.”
“Ah.” Shinjite grins teasingly, “Love may drive people to insanity, but it also warms the hearts of those who thought their heart was frozen.”
“You should have been the one to marry him, Shinjite.”
“But he doesn’t love me.”
Sama gripped one of the bars of the cell tightly and looked up at her little sister, “What do we do now?”
“I am to be killed, and there is no escaping now. The villagers are ruthless and swift with their justice.”
“And when is your execution?”
“The day after tomorrow. In the center of the village. Everyone is to gather and watch. They told me as soon as they put me in this prison.”
“You will not be the one to die, Shinjite.”
“You cannot save me now, Sama.”
“Maybe I can. I think that I have an idea.”
“And what idea is that that?”
“I’ll come back tomorrow. You’ll see then.” She stood and hurried out of the prison, making her way back to the castle. She hurried to see Hideoyoshi one last time… She was going to die for her sister.

Sama watched as Hideoyoshi brought his chopsticks up to his mouth, eat the pork, and bring them back down to his bowl. “You’ve been pretty quiet this evening, Sama. Why is that?”
“I am deeply troubled by Shinjite’s arrest. That’s all.”
“I see. Did you go to see her today?”
“I did.”
“And how did she look?”
Her eyes teard up, “Pretty rough…”
“Oh Sama, don’t cry…”
“I can’t help it! That’s out sister, Hideoyoshi! Don’t you feel anything at all?”
“Of course I do! But tears are a sign of weakness…”
“I can’t believe you…!”
“Sama, calm down. Everything is going to be okay.”
“Hideoyoshi. The people plan to execute her. Now look me in the eyes and tell me that everything is going to be okay.” Her voice was shaky, and this scared her.
“They can’t kill her…! They don’t have any proof that she killed our mother!”
“Do you think that matters to an irrational mind?”
Sama’s husband sighs, scooting over to his most beloved wife. “When is the execution?”
“The day after tomorrow. Not enough time to convince the townspeople to let her go.”
“Well, there must be something we can do.”
Sama shook her head and gripped Hideoyoshi’s long sleeve, resting her head on his shoulder. “There is nothing. Nothing at all…” She looks up at him, “But when we have a baby, I’d like to name it Shinjite.”
“That sounds like a lovely idea. Shall we try again? Right now?”
Sama wouldn’t have said yes if this wasn’t the last time she would ever see her husband. Instead she nodded, undoing her kimono and slipping it off, crawling onto his lap. As she kissed him, she realized that she was never going to have a baby, which made tears run down her cheeks.

It was night time now. Sama was tying a robe around her most beautiful kimono, watching her husband sleep peacefully. She hoped that she had worn him out enough so that he wouldn’t be waking up anytime soon. It was best if he didn’t see that she was missing. If he did, he would surely figure her out and try to stop her.
She told the servant girls to distract Hideoyoshi if he did happen to wake up. They all agreed and Sama went on her way. With every step she took, she sobbed even more.

The Lady of Toshugo shivered, removing her soaked robe. “It’s pouring outside…”
Shinjite looked extremely confused, “Visiting hours are over, Sama.”
“I know. I snuck in.”
“Why?”
“To die in your place, of course.”
Shinjite stood quickly, almost angrily. “Sama, leave. Now.”
“No Shinjite. Please, just hear me out…”
“I’ll call the guards in if you don’t leave right now!”
“You love Hideoyoshi, don’t you?”
“What does that have to do with anything?!”
“Don’t you?”
“...Yes.”
“Then you can take my place as Lady. I will die for you, Shinjite.”
She scoffs, “And how do you plan to set me free?”
“I took the keys off of a sleeping guard.” Sama grinned proudly.
“Well, aren’t you a clever girl…”
She laughs a little and unlocks the cell, “Come on, sister. Take off your clothes so I can change into them.”
“Sama, I can’t let you do this.”
“You must. It’s better this way. I don’t belong in this world, but you do. You can live your entire life as me.”
“But I’ll lose you… You’ll be dead.”
“This is the way it has to be.”
Sama removed her kimono and held it out to Shinjite, who reluctantly took it. “You’re a great big sister, Sama…”
The Lady nods and takes her hair out of a bun, denouncing her marriage to Hideoyoshi. Shinjite’s eyes widen, “Oh, Sama…”
“Hush, it’s alright. This is all for the greater good.”
“Then why can’t I bring myself to believe that?”
“Because you do not see yet.” She pulled her sister close to her lovingly, embracing her tightly. “You’ll finally be happy. You’ll be living my life with Hideoyoshi, just like you’ve always wanted… And, knowing this, I will die happy. This is a noble way to go, is it not?”
Shinjite snuggled into her sister, “But Sama…”
“Shh, it’s alright. We are twins. No one will notice.”
Shinjite wept silent tears as she changed into her sister’s clothes, putting her hair up in a bun. “You look like a true Lady.” Sama smiled as she slipped into Shinjite’s clothes, “Sama, what of my bruises…? They will not believe that you are me, nor will they believe that I am you.”
“Your solution is easy. Just say that you were beaten by an old hag while on a morning walk for being related to the former Lady’s killer. My solution, however… Is much more complicated.”
“What is it?”
“I either tell the guards that my bruises have healed, which they will surely not believe, or you beat me senseless in order to replicate your bruises.”
“Beat you? How can you expect me to do such a thing?!”
“If you truly, with all of your heart, desire Hideoyoshi, then you will do it.”
She whimpers, “You’ve chosen to give everything up to me… I don’t know how to thank you.”
“You can thank me by putting your fist to my skin. Punch me, kick me… Do whatever they did to you. I will consider it thanks enough.”
Shinjite hesitated. She could never do such a thing. She wasn’t a monster like the villagers were. Everything had been fine up until now… Sama and Hideoyoshi had been a happy couple trying for a baby. Their marriage had brought her and Sama closer as sisters. Then the rumors, which turned out to be true, spread and everything changed. She looked up at Sama and shook her head. “And if you are with child? I wouldn’t feel right if I struck a pregnant woman.”
“Ahh, yes… That. My stomach has been feeling a bit queasy lately, but it is too early to tell if it is a baby yet. So don’t worry, just hit me.”
“And what if it is a baby?”
“Then it dies with me.”
Shinjite begins to heave out heavy and devastating sobs, causing Sama to giggle. “You’ve done so much for me… Please. Let me return the favor.” Shinjite took a few deep breathes before shakily striking her sister. She tried her best to be gentle, but how can you be when delivering a punch? Once everything was said and done, Sama weakly traded places with her sister, closing the cell door. She threw the keys on the ground, “Leave them there. I’ll say that a mean guard came in to taunt me with them.” Gripping the cell bars, Shinjite sniffles gently. “I-I’m going to miss you, Sama… So much.”
“And I you, Shinjite… But promise me something. It’ll give me some comfort if you do.”
“What is it, my dear sister?”
“Promise me that, when you and Hideoyoshi have children, to hold it up to the sky so that I may see it when looking down from the Heavens.”
“Sama…”
“On each of its birthdays, hold it up and show it to me. I’ll celebrate up in the skies.”
Shinjite whimpered.
“And, once it is old enough to keep a secret, tell it this story. Make sure it knows who Aunty Sama was and what she did for its mother.”
Shinjite could only nod, accepting her sister’s last wishes. When she had her triplets two years later, she would stay true to those promises.

“Go on, move forward.” The guard pushed and shoved Sama, who was now disguised as Shinjite, out into the center of the village, where her head was to be cut off by a high ranking official of the military. Rocks were thrown at her as the people laid their eyes on her, and the Lady searched for her sister.
Shinjite was towards the back of the crowd, wringing her hands nervously. Hideoyoshi put his arm around her comfortingly. If she was being honest, seeing the two of them like that did make her a tiny bit jealous. She could feel her cheeks turning red. She just had to remember that Hideoyoshi didn’t know it was Shinjite, and in his mind he had no idea that anything was wrong. He truly loved Sama, and she knew that. It made her sorry to lie and deceive him like this.
Sama somewhat gasped as she was pushed to her knees, the bruises on her legs aching tremendously. She had no idea that Shinjite, who was relatively small and frail, could pack such a punch. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the veteran sauntering over, his katana held in his hand. The crowd cheered him on like he was some kind of hero, and Sama supposed that he was one to the villagers.
He did a few practice swings with her sword, making a strong grunting noise each time. “This is Gunichi Tsukamoto,” The guard spoke to her, “He will be removing your head this evening.”
Sama, being the courteous young woman that she was, nodded and turned to the guard. “How do you do?”
Gunichi only nodded back and continued to swing his sword.
The guard turned back to the crowd, yelling in a loud, manly voice, “Today we celebrate the killing of evil!” The crowd cheered happily, “This woman, Shinjite Satoko, killed our most beloved Lady Kodai no Satoko! She must be punished for her sins! The spilling of her blood will be atonement enough.” More cheers. “Any last words, Shinjite-San?”
Sama looked up at Shinjite and smiled tearfully, shaking her head. “I believe that I have said all I have to say.”
The guard nodded then threw a glance to Gunichi, who stepped forward obediently. As he readied the sword against her neck, Sama looked around at the world one last time. The sun was setting, and she smiled again as she admired the many shades of orange, pink, and blue that streaked the sky. Birds flew home to their nests for the night, the crickets talked amongst themselves. She felt the hot tears begin to trickle down her cheeks, and she wasn’t sure if she was crying because of the beauty the world held, because of the happy life she had handed to her sister, or because she was about to leave the Earth. As she heard the sword whoosh back, getting ready to chop at her neck, she clenched her eyes closed and a single pitiful sob escaped her lips. She now knew the true meaning behind her tears. The last thing her ears would hear until being awoken by the Evil King was her little sister scream out against the unfairness of the situation. Then… The world went black for several hundred years.

“Wow… What an amazing story, Sama.”
“I was proud of the way I had died… I saved a life in the process and I felt good about myself. Then Yamada brought me back and everything I had ever fought for was ruined.” She looks down, “But most of all, I had to live without my sister…Ever since birth, we had always been together. I never had to live without her, for she was still a part of my life even in my moment of death. Suddenly being put into a new world without without any familiar faces, especially Shinjite’s, took a great toll on me. Now I understand how how Shinjite felt after I left her… I understand why Shinjite screamed out when she knew I would be leaving her.”
Akira nods, “I admire what you’ve done, Sama. You helped you sister in a way that not many people would. I wish I could’ve saved my brother in such a way…”
“Your brother? What happened to him?”
“It was a couple years after the Apocalypse began… Our parents had been stressing for months over our shortage of food. They decided to start stealing from our neighbors, who had taken care of us well before the Apocalypse, which put a great strain on my parents’ souls. I believe that this combined with the stress of the new world made their good hearts deteriorate. I had been playing out in the streets when my mom called me in for lunch. I was excited to taste the delicious meal. However, when I ventured into the kitchen, I saw that they had roasted my brother alive. After that, my father began abusive and my mom turned to drugs. They knew that, after that day, they had lost my love and could never get it back… But it does make me wonder. What if they had chosen me instead of my brother?”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay… That was a long time ago. Nine years, to be exact.”
Sama sighed sadly and looked down at Sonny, who was still in her peaceful sleep. Indeed, they all had lived sad lives… They were lucky to have each other now as a source of strength and support.
“What do we do about Sonny?” She asks, looking back up at Akira. “Do we continue to move and carry her?”
“That’s our only option.”
“Right.” Sama put out the fire. “Then let’s try to get some shut eye. We need our energy tomorrow.”
Akira laid down next to the unconscious demon, sighing gently. She hoped that Sonny would awaken soon. If she didn’t, who would protect them? However, she was soon to learn that Sonny wasn’t the only warrior within the small group.

[sun88]

I like it. This insurgency is interesting

[HerWhisperIsTheLucifer]

Thank you Sama is probably my favorite character and her back story is also my favorite.

[sun88]

I bet you had fun writing it