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Author’s notes: Hiya! Something new here. Consider these things that either took place before or during the story, segments that were not shown because they really weren’t that important, but some people still wanted to read them.^_^. I’m planning to do a bunch, and don’t expect them to be in any logical order!
Sailloon was burning.
Over the roar of the flames, she could hear the high-pitched cries of the Dragons and the sinister noises of the Lesser Demons.
"Run! Run!!!!!!"
Sailloon was burning.
Frantically, blindly, she ran, footsteps echoing loud and frenzied in her ears. Smoke clouded her vision and choked off all her air, and she knew she was not getting the worst of it, since she was so much shorter than anybody else.
"My Prince, this way!"
She felt herself scooped up by strong arms, and the bristle of her father’s mustache on her cheek as he held her tightly. "I’m scared, daddy," she whimpered softly as he navigated the rubble of the half destroyed castle. Behind them ran her sister and mother, barely keeping up.
Simultaneous screams from the front and back frightened more tears to the surface. The man who had been leading them was bowled over by a wraith-like demon, while her mother fell forward, a dagger in her back, from a dragon.
"GRACIA!" her father roared as his eldest daughter turned, light gathering in her hands. The wraith opened a black mouth in silent horror as it burned away, and even the dragon recoiled a bit.
"RUN! TAKE AMI WITH YOU!"
"Nee-chan!" Amelia screamed as her father vaulted away, tears running down his face. "Nee-chan! Daddy, we have to get Nee-chan!"
The words were barely out of her mouth when Sailloon Palace exploded outwards in blinding white light. Philionel and his daughter were thrown into the air like rag dolls. The burly man picked himself up, a crushed look in his eyes.
Sailloon burned.
He picked up the dazed Amelia and gave the fiery funeral pyre one last look. The pyre that laid to rest his followers, his people, his wife and his daughter.
As Sailloon burned, he turned and ran.
"Da-daddy…"
"Listen to me, Ami-chan."
She sniffled and tried her best to not cry.
"You’re a strong girl, Amelia. I want you to know that I love you very much."
She didn’t like this. The darkness around her was getting oppressive.
"Remember, no matter what happens, don’t make a sound or come out. Wait until everything is quiet again, you hear me?"
She hugged herself. "Yes, daddy."
"Good girl." He kissed her forehead, wishing that her hiding place wasn’t so like a coffin. "Love you. Remember, no sound."
"Love you too, Daddy."
The last of the light died out as he slid the thick slab of stone over the entrance of the small cellar. She heard some scuffling as he covered the place with straw. Then silence.
Sailloon burned.
At least down here, there wasn’t the threat of flame and smoke. At least down here, she was safe for a while.
Philionel ran on, knowing that there were Demons tailing him. Knowing that he would not be able to shake them. Knowing that, if they lost none of their own, the Dragons don’t really give a damn.
"Whatever god’s out there," he whispered. "Protect my little girl."
He held on to that thought as the dark shapes converged on him.
Sailloon smoldered.
"What a mess…" a feminine voice said with mild disgust and an abundance of horror. "Are there really survivors in this mess?"
"That’s what we’re here for," a male voice said.
"Make us do the clean-up, huh?"
"The people of Sailloon were not about to let the Dragons in again."
A snort, then the sound of someone kicking a piece of rubble away. "I’d say they royally screwed up, myself. Just because some Lesser demons show up doesn’t necessarily mean that the ruling family is in cahoots with them," the woman declared. "Sometimes I don’t think they give a damn about us…"
"Lina, we should go. I think I hear something from over there. Might be a survivor."
Sourly, the one named Lina grumbled. "Or a stray demon."
Scratch, scratch.
She jumped.
Was that a sound?
Scratch.
Her heart pounded. No way, it was over, wasn’t it??
Scratch, sniff.
Amelia bit her lip as a wave of fear hit her stomach.
Growl.
There was something here! Right outside, and it was investigating!
She backed off to the far edge of the cellar, not knowing that her paralyzing fear was giving her away as easily as visual evidence.
Sniff.
Creaking?
"This place’s pretty-OH, DAMN!"
Snarling and growling, scuffling, thumping.
"Gourry! Get this thing off of me! Hell with the regulations, FLARE ARROW!"
With a yelp, Amelia scrambled away as the ceiling of the cellar, which would be the floor of the room, came crashing down. The demon was burned away, having been weakened by Gourry’s sword. Unfortunately, the falling debris was impossible to avoid, and the little girl couldn’t help but cry out in pain as she was almost crushed beneath them.
"Hey, there’s someone down there!"
Lina panted as she crawled to the edge of the hole cautiously. "Where?"
"Hel-help…" Amelia called weakly, struggling to force the larger chunks of stone off her head. She caught a glimpse of red as Lina backed off quickly.
"We’re coming down, okay? Just keep calm," she called. "Hm…Gourry, you’d better stay here and see if you can get a hold of somebody." Taking a deep breath, she casted Levitation and carefully lowered herself into the chasm. Once there, she hurried over to the pile of what used to be the floor. A small, pale face peered out at her with large, scared blue eyes, and Lina couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity. "Hey," she said softly. "I’m Lina, Lina Inverse. I’m going to help you out of there, okay?"
The small girl nodded. "I’m Amelia." She said timidly as Lina began digging her out of the rubble, a task better suited for the sturdier Gourry than for Lina’s petite frame, but she wasn’t about to leave the girl down here for longer than absolutely necessary.
With a grunt, Lina lifted the last large piece off of the girl and Amelia scrambled out from under the lighter pieces of rubble. The redhead stood still to catch her breath.
"Hey, Lina?" The blonde man called from above. Lina waved tiredly, and then checked the girl for injuries. Scrapes and bruises, nothing major. The mental trauma suffered probably outweigh the physical ones infinitely, though…
"I’m coming up, Gourry!" she called. "Amelia, hold on tight, I’m going to levitate us out of here."
"Da-daddy…what about my daddy?" Amelia whispered. "Did…did you guys find him too?" she tried very hard not to cry, knowing that she was acting so stupid. But she had to know…Mother and Nee-chan were already gone in the flames…all she had left was her father…
Lina watched the girl wait expectantly, fearfully. Sighing, she ran a hand through her red hair. She had just spent the morning combing the ruins of Sailloon, and so far…
This girl was the only survivor.
"I’m sorry, Amelia."
Out of the ruins of what was once the most prosperous and powerful human city on the continent, three emerged from where two entered. The girl looked, from what she remembered was the hill that acted as the city’s southern border, down on the destruction, too young to know that the charred remains of the royal palace and the White magic center of the human world represented, in essence, the fall of the humans. All she knew was that her mother and sister were in there, the smoldering rubble their gravestones. All she knew what that her father was also dead, somewhere among the ruins of the streets. All she knew, was that she was the only one left alive…
"Amelia?" Lina asked as the girl watched the dead city with eyes too old for her face. "We’re going back to the Dragon’s Sanctuary. Do you have any relatives out of Sailloon? Somewhere where we can drop you off?"
Mutely, Amelia shook her head. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, she spoke again. "If it’s all right with you…since I have nowhere to go, may I come with you, Lina-san, Gourry-san?"
Lina looked at her, slight surprise in her red eyes. Once again, Amelia waited in expectant silence.
"Sure." The redhead finally said, softening the harsh hesitation with a smile. "We’d be glad to have you along, Amelia."
The late morning sun shone brightly, clear and beautiful, a stark contrast to the charred remains of Sailloon. The three gave the city one more look, then continued their way, following the path wherever it may lead them.