Fan Fiction ❯ From beauty to ashes ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter 1

 

One night in a world that not many believe exist, a man named Ansem walked swiftly down the street, but he knew he was being pursued.

"Why are you still following me?" Ansem asked,

"Why'd you save me for!? I could've handled them myself you inconsiderate &*$%@!" the girl behind him yelled,

"Handled yourself?! Yeah right! They were about five seconds away from slicing you wide open! Jeeze a simple thank you would be nice!"

"Alright kiss my ass pretty boy! I can take care of myself!" she walks away

"Well come on wait, what are you doing tomorrow?"

"What I always do! Look if you want to see me again go to the Hot rod tomorrow night at seven. That's when I come out, and that's also when the next show will be"

"Ok well after the show you wanna grab a late supper or something? My treat?"

"Look guy...You've got better things to do than mess with a tramp like me. It'll cost you your health and your future."

"Ha future, you wanna talk about the future? I've got nothing to work with, after this little trip away, once I go back to where I belong then I'll be praised like a god, you don't have a future? I've got to lock myself up once I go home”

"Seems to me like you and I have something in common." then she walks back towards him and faces him while he sits on the curb, "How so?"

"I'm I guess you could say a fallen angel...Damned to walk this world of hell for eternity." she added standing in front of him looking up at the night sky as she spoke each word in a centered tone.

"I was told of a great power out there by a King, I have to find it, for my people" Ansem looking in the direction of a certain star

"What type of power is this which you seek?" she questioned him.

Ansem smiled and then threw his head back and laughed,

"You know I never thought of that before, I guess it'll stick out that much is certain”:

"I see...Well I hope you find what you seek because let me tell you.... You won't find anything here but a bunch of lonely people who lost their futures and drown their sorrows at the bottom of every bottle they can get their hands on." she informed him as she shifted her right foot over her left and did a jump that left her standing firm.

"I didn't come here first,” Ansem said

"I've been all over the place, all those stars are worlds, I've seen um all"

Ansem sighed,

"Maybe what I'm searching for is in vain"

"Maybe you just haven't examined your heart enough,” she added looking at him eyes shimmering a bit as the moonlight danced in her eyes.

Ansem's heart jumped,

'What is that shining in her eyes' he asked himself he didn't move a muscle

"Why are you staring me like that for!?" she questioned him jumping back from him a bit. Ansem noticed his strange behavior and snapped back to reality,

"Sorry" he quickly said,

'What am I doing?' he thought

"Ah it's ok...Well I better be getting home...I haven't paid my phone bill this month, so I'm sure they've already shut it off again." she laughed to herself a bit,

"Well I hope you find what your looking for..." she added looking back at him soft moonlight now settled within her eyes as it glimmered as she walked away pride in her every step.

"Goodbye" She walked on now moving her pace up a bit, but suddenly a large manly hand grabbed her shoulder.

"Come on stay with me little lady." the voice cackled, and Anjyu curled her nose as she smelt a strong liquory and rye mixed smell in his breath. He was drunk that was for sure.

"Let me go!" she demanded of him trying to get away as she kicked at him, but he dragged her into the alley, and placed a hand over her mouth muffling her screams as he pinned her down against the cold shady walls of the darkened alley way.

"What the hell am I doing" Ansem yelled at himself, he was walking after her, there was a sound of a struggle down the back alley, he strolled over, and peered into the black,

"HEY!" he shouted at the sight of a girl pinned against the wall. The man grimly turned around giving Ansem the evil eye and in his most sober voice he replied,

"Sorry but she's mine for the night. Get your own!" he told Ansem off.

"You best get away while you can." he warned him.

"Get off her" Ansem said menacingly walking slowly toward Anjyu and her attacker,

"You going to make me?" he smirked.

"I said get AWAY!" Ansem's eyes flashed a violent orange as he seized the man by the neck and held him with one arm up against the wall. His eyes were burning, his teeth was clenched, and whatever the smell radiating off him was it was sickening

"Alright! All right! Let me go! You can have the little scank! I have no use of her!" the man grimaced managing to get away as he managed to run away from Ansem. Anjyu was now hid in a corner crying and shaking from the battery she almost experienced.

Ansem's power hadn't diminished, he was pulsing with a darkness in his heart, his mental power was trying to push through, his body went into spasms, 1/2 of him wanted to hunt the rapist down and tear him in two the other 1/2 wanted to check on Anjyu, that half won in the end,

"Are... are you ok?" he panted

"I'll be fine.... This happens at least three times a month anyway. They drag you into an alley...Do their business then leave you for the dead. After you realize what happened you go home and push it off..." she shrugged getting up and dusting herself off trying to adjust her attire and cover up her half naked self with her jacket.

"Here" Ansem said draping his coat over her shoulders

"Thank you..."she replied softly looking meekly away as she shivered a bit as she stood up trying to regain her posture as she dusted herself off not saying much at all.

"I'll walk you home,” Ansem said,

'What was that power, is that what I wanted?' he asked himself

"Thank you for your kindness. There isn't much of that left in my life,” she informed him as she walked alongside him.

"Ever felt like you deserve better?" Ansem asked, walking up the street

"I just figure I must've had bad karma in my past life, so that's why I ended up here...I don't know what I deserve." she sighed.

"Your not a bad person you know" Ansem said,

"Ever wanted to get away?"

"Yeah everyday of my life, but I figure I have nowhere left to go, so that's why I stay here...At least I have a home here...I mean anywhere else I'd probably be in a worse state than I am now, so I try to count myself blessed for that." she added.

"Well...um" Ansem stopped himself,

'What am I doing, am I really going to ask her come with me?'

She nochantly turned and faced him.

"Um what?" she questioned him.

"Well...well uhh...."

"Spit it out!" she said sternly.

'Ah shoot got to say something! Look smart'

"Well um, nice weather isn't it?" Ansem said looking away,

'Smooth…' Ansem mused; he'd himself for it later,

Anjyu looked at the night sky.

"I guess it is,” she added nearing the bronks.

"Well you can come in if you want?" she added unlocking the door to her shady living quarter.

"Really?" Ansem asked a little shocked, he wasn't used to being "asked in", he was after all the ruler of Hollow Bastion, you don't get "asked in"

"Uh yeah...Come in and have a cup of coffee with me...Why don't you?" she offered.

"Ok sure" Ansem said smiling, the curtsy of it all, was overwhelming

She smiled warmly at him as they walked in the tiny apartment.

"Pull up a seat." she added pointing at the tiny evening table as she set some coffee up to brew.

"Wow this place is great" Ansem said with a true smile, it was a contrast that's for sure

" Pssh....Yeah right this cheap ass place?" she remarked.

"It's real, it's down to earth, it's honest,” he said listing off the reasons as a monorail train zoomed right past her window.

She laughed.

"That thing wakes me up every fifteen min or so too."

"Wow that was... loud!" Ansem said, in almost childlike giddiness

She giggled.

"You get used to it after a while." she informed him as she set two hot cups of brewed coffee on the evening table as she pulled up a seat in front of him and started sipping.

Ansem picked up his coffee and sipped, it was strong, and it was perfect! He smiled, but then something else crossed his mind,

"Earlier this evening, when that guy attacked you.... what happened?"

"He nearly raped me.... It's the same as always. On average I get raped twice a month, but I've gotten lucky here lately. It's not so bad after you get used to it." she added as a melancholy flash of emotion evaporated from her eyes as she looked away hoping he didn't see the sadness in her eyes because deep inside of them was a life full of pain, and she didn't like anyone knowing it so she kept it well hid. That's what she had been doing her whole life after all.

"Has it always been like that?"

"Pretty much..." she added.

"I'm sorry" Ansem said reaching across the table and touching her hand before he knew what he was doing. She looked at him as she almost jumped a bit as this simple pure act of sincerity left her breathless and her heart began to race faster and faster as she felt the veins pop up on the back of her neck. "Thank you. It's much appreciative." she smiled.

Ansem snatched his hand away at the notice of her movement,

"Sorry" he repeated,

"I just never felt this way with anyone before he admitted,” he mentally slapped himself

"Don't be sorry...I don't mind at all.... By the way you can stay the night if you'd like. I have an extra bed. It's the least I can do for you since you did save me," she informed him.

Ansem blushed a little,

"Oh no that's not necessary, I've got a ship with a bed there" he said sipping on his coffee again,

"It's over on the other side of Twilight”

"Hmmm I see...I guess I'm just tired of being lonely." she snickered a bit.

"You don't have to be" Ansem half mumbled

She heard him mumble.

"And how's that?" she questioned him.

"Oh sorry thinking out loud,” Ansem said blushing some more

"You trying to get me to come with you?" she added flexing her body over the table so she could meet his eyes as she pulled him so close to her that her pink locks caressed his face and her eyes captivated his posture.

"Well...um...." Ansem stared intensely in her eyes, they we're gentle and kind for the person that this life had fashioned her exterior to be.

"Well what?" she asked pulling him towards her.

Ansem leaned closer to her almost closing the distance between them to zero,

"Well I was wondering, if you wanted to get away, there's a better place, and it could be better for me too, if you came..." he nearly whispered

"I'd love to...." she smirked almost enticed by him.

"Take me away with you.... I need a savior...” she hissed in his ear lightly.

"Sure" Ansem smiled placing a hand on her cheek

"When do we leave, and where are we going?" she questioned him excitedly almost like a little child would be around Christmas time.

"Hollow Bastion, I live there" Ansem said, he lightly stroked the side of her face marveling the softness of her skin,

"Can I ask you something?”

"Yeah sure...." she smiled taking in all this affection like a cat that was being petted.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked, throwing care out the window, tonight he wasn't, ANSEM, RULER OF HOLLOW BASTION!! He was humble Ansem, and was falling in love.

"I'll beat you to it." she said mockingly as she pulled him towards her pressing his warm lips against his in a warm exhilarating kiss.

Ansem smiled and returned the kiss with an inhale, they stayed that way for a while just holding onto each other's embrace not wanting the moment to end, not even when the second monorail zoomed by shaking the place again

She smiled and pulled away gently.

"If I'm going with you then I need to pack a few things...So while I do that just make yourself at home ok?" she smiled as she took to the next room and began pulling things out to wear and placing them in a patched old brown suitcase.

Ansem watched the girl enter the next room, and he decided to ask an obvious question,

"Hey what's your name?"

"It's Anjyu...." she added.

"Pretty name" Ansem said smiling

"It means calm.... I don't know why though" she stifled. Ansem laughed,

"Sorry, it's just that's sure how it felt when we kissed"

She laughed.

"That's the first kiss I've ever really felt." she smiled.

"I guess I'll have to quit my day job now,” she laughed to herself.

Ansem laughed a little too,

"Not upset are you?"

"Nah I'm tired of dancing completely naked on a stage in front of a bunch of horny men, but hey it pays good. Sometimes I get 500 munny a pop." she exclaimed.

"Doesn't sound to happy" Ansem said

"It's not, but it's not like I'm educated enough to get a "real" job after all I'm nothing but a low class tramp having to sleep around to survive." she added.

"And you never got sick or nothing?" Ansem asked, hint of curiousness in his voice

"No of course not...." she added.

"You must be truly blessed"

"Nah just cursed by being the daughter of Zeus,” she mumbled lowly

"What was that?' Ansem asked

"Oh nothing" she added throwing the full suitcase over her shoulder.

Ansem shrugged and took the suitcase from Anjyu,

"I've got it" he said, in his mind though was more than Anjyu, there was the aura from before, he couldn't explain it; it was raw power. He snapped back to reality as they walked toward the door. Ansem wrapped an arm around her waist as the other carried her suitcase

"Thank you very much." she said as she pushed a lock of pink hair from her eyes.

"Where to?" she questioned him.

"The clock tower" he said as they walked through the door

"All right...."she added letting him lead the way. As they walked up the cold dark streets, Ansem couldn't help but notice the burning eyes glaring at him from the alleyways. He held Anjyu closer as if to protect her. He then asked,

"What happened after I said 'Hey'?”

"He flung himself on top of me." she added slightly.

"No what happened to me?"

"I don't really remember,” she added.

"There was something, something strong" he said

"Well I didn't see anything, so it's probably in your imagination, so don't worry about it,” she told him.

"Maybe, your right" Ansem said smiling again

"Maybe I am for once..."she smiled.

 

After awhile they reached the clock tower, as the sun was hitting the top of the bells.

"The ship is over there"

Ansem pointed at a large double door

"You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." she smiled flashing him a grin. He leaned over and kissed her forehead and opened the door

She walked in as she tried to get the feel of it. She couldn't believe she was finally getting out of here.