The next few days, Nuo didn't come to visit and Red Son was getting nervous. But on the 4th night there was a knock of the door. Red Son sprinted through the kitchen to the front entrance and swung open the door.
"Nuo!" he whispered,
"Red Son!" she smiled whispering back. Nuo hugged him quickly, "Do you think you could come out tonight? I have somewhere to show you." Red Son looked around,
"one second," he whispered. Red Son grabbed his shoes, coat, and a note paper quickly jotting down that he was out for a walk and would be home later tonight. Nuo and Red Son ran off after leaving the note on the two large doors.
Nuo lead Red Son to a dried up river,
"Here, come on sit down." Nuo gestured as she sat down in front a small wooden grave. Red son sat down a bit confused,
"What are we doing here?" Red Son asked.
"You asked why I was different from my siblings, it's becuase of her." Nuo pointed at the small grave they sat in front of.
There was a small picture with candles, fruits, and an old doll.
"Her?" Red Son asked, Nuo nodded,
"She taught me what love actually was." Nuo lit one of the candles that seemed to have gone out earlier.
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{Backstory Narrator}
Nuo was apart of the Water Demon family. She was quiet, gentle, and kind. She didn't have any kind of qualities that stood out among her siblings. Her hair was made of water, growing when she had a strong emotion. Only a few of her other siblings had this quality. So most of them had completely shut their emotions off to keep others safe.
At a young age, Nuo was told to not be emotional. For as long as she could remember she was always told how emotional she was especially as a child. But becuase she was the youngest, she had no one her age. The closest sibling to her was 5 years older than her. Creating a bigger gap than one would think.
At an older but still quite young age she was taught to fight. Never having a moment of peace, her and her older siblings were ordered to attack one another at random times. For training purposes, their parents said. Weather they were asleep, reading, eating, or caring out another order from their parents. At any time since the age of 10 Nuo had to be on constant gaurd if her siblings chose to attack her. As another 'Training exercise' their parents would sometimes poison their food, which had ended tragically at times.
Nuo was offen told by siblings and parents not to be like Bao or Fāng.
She had never known who these two were.
Nuo's childhood was empty, stressful, fearful, and all above, it lacked love in general.
All she received was hate and fear. As time passed however, Nuo grew into a young woman. She was told her purpose and purpose was fighting, outsmarting, and taking advantage of others. For years, this is what Nuo was taught the world was as well. Her family lived by the 'kill or be killed' rules.
Until, Nuo decided she wanted to see for herself. She told her parents she was going for a walk, as normal they said she was allowed to go without batting an eye. Letting her leave, she walked into the forest and after an hour or so of wandering keeping track of where her home was.
She heard someone, she quickly hid and found a place to look at the enemy from above.
It was a little girl, and she was playing by the river. With what looked to be a homemade doll. Nuo inched closer curious of who the girl was.
Nuo took in a deep breath, waiting for someone to jump down below like her siblings would do. But once the girl heard footsteps getting close Nuo waited, she saw the girl stand up. Slowly walking away from the water with the doll. The girl's back was turned, so Nuo couldn't see her face.
Nuo watched, but she simply walked away.
The next day Nuo came back, and there she was again. Someone called for the girl, her name was 'Liang' a simple and common name. Nuo took note coming back the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that. She had come day after day to watch this girl. She was simply fascinated by her. She was never on guard, and always had her doll.
Nuo once threw a stick into the river and she looked around for a moment...then ignored it!
Nuo was stunned, how could she just ignore it?!
One day though, she had left her doll. Nuo watched her leave without it, once she had overheard the girl's parents say how she wouldn't be able to sleep if she had forgot her doll.
Nuo looked at the doll as the water form the river began to slowly take the doll into the river.
Nuo looked around, no one, if the doll was swept away how would the little girl sleep at night!? So she ran over, checking again if anyone was there, no one. The doll was swept away in the river and Nuo followed it. She quickly grabbed the doll, taking it out the river. She began walking back to the spot and set down the doll away from the river where it could be swept away again. knowing the little girl or one of her parents would be back.
As if magic the little girl was running over, Nuo looked at the girl and began walking away. When she came over she smiled wide,
"My doll!" she exclaimed. Nuo looked behind her, Nuo tossed the doll to the girl and ran off.
She heard this...Liang yell out a 'Thank you' but Nuo didn't reply. Nuo watched her from the trees again, as the girl walked away.
Shocked by the calm reaction, Nuo decided she needed come back earlier and more often to learn more.
When Nuo did come much much earlier the girl wasn't there, given the sun wasn't up yet. But Nuo wanted to see when she got there, and what she did. But while Nuo waited, she heard a sound behind her. Nuo swung around taking out her bladed fans,
"Calm yourself Nuo." The Voice said,
"Jing?" Nuo whispered confused. Her oldest sister came out of the shadows,
"So this is why you've been leaving so often?"
"It's a good training ground."
"I'm the one who taught you how to lie Nuo. What is it really?"
"I am training."
"Not physically you aren't, and lets be honest that's what you need the most." Jing began to walk towards Nuo.
Nuo backed away,
"I know how to train myself!"
"Highly doubt it, lets go."
"No!"
"NOW NUO!" Jing demanded
NO!" Nuo yelled back.
Jing grabbed Nuo, Nuo kicked her off and ran. While her oldest sister chased her, Nuo tried every way to lose her.
Obviously forgetting Jing was the one who taught their oldest brother to lose someone in a chase. And he was was the one who taught Nuo.
As they ran up a small mountain, Nuo began to lose her breath.
Once at the top, Nuo could see the large lake the river led to. Jing stood only a few dozen feet away.
Nuo took a deep breath,
"Leave me Jing!" Nuo barked still huffing.
"You want to be left alone so bad Nuo!?" Jing launched forward pushing Nuo down the small mountain. Nuo fell crashing into rocks, bushes, and trees galore. But once Nuo hit the bottom on shore and further from the water. Nuo looked up at a whistle, down on top of her legs a bolder came crashing down.
Nuo screamed in agony, crying and wailing. From her tears and wails, her hair only grew faster and longer. Jing made it to the bottom after taking her sweet time and stood in front of her youngest sister as she begged.
"IM SORRY! ILL DO ANYTHING PLEASE! PLEASE JUST HELP ME GET THIS OFF! IM SORRY! PLEASE!" Nuo begged.
Jing tapped her chin, she walked over and slightly moved the bolder, Nuo screeched at the enormas pain of the rock shifting. The rock leaned slightly up off one leg,
"Whoops." Jing whispered dropping the bolder making Nuo scream again.
As Jing began to walk away Nuo reached and grabbed Jing by ankle,
"JING! JING DONT LEAVE ME HERE PLEASE!" she begged, Jing yanked her foot outside of Nuo's grasp. Then Jing slammed her foot in Nuo's face,
"Find your own way out. Runt." she spat walking away. Nuo sobbed, the pain was horrendous, too horrible to imagine.
Yet, she was currently living through it all.
The next morning the little girl can again to play by the river. but the river had filled almost spilling over to shore. She had heard the adults complain that the river may flood the twin if it kept filling like this.
But then there was quiet sobbing and whimpering led her to the lake. To find a abandoned, small, sad, dehydrated, and in immense pain...Nou.
Liang gasped softly at the girl, she looked to be about her age, but her hair was made of water and she was somehow still alive. Liang began to approach with caution,
"Hello? she called out, Nuo looked up,
"Please! Please help it hurts! Help me! It hurts so bad please!" Nuo begged still sobbing from the pain. Her hair was growing rapidly.
Liang looked around,
"h-hold on! I'll find something!" she yelled, she ran around and found a fallen branch. She grabbed it quickly and brought it to the small bolder,
"one, two, THREE!" she stabbed it underneath the bolder best she could, then pulled down on the stick with her might. It quickly snapped in half hitting her in the face,
"OW!" she whined, she immediately got up and ran around to find sometime they to use. She tried sticks, rocks, mud, water, mud amd sticks, mud and rocks, mud with water.
But nothing worked,
"DANG IT!" Liang yelled out frustrated, she kicked the stick that was already under the bolder form the frost attempt, she kicked it even seeping in and the bolder moved a bit.
Even though Nuo screamed louder, still in pain it was coming off! So she pushed it in more and more and more! Until the bolder rolled off into the water by some miracle. Nuo wailed in pain cuase her legs were just crushed.
Liang ran over to Nuo thinking of what to do,
"eh-what do I do!?" she asked on the verge of tears,
"w-water!" Nuo spat out cltuching her teeth in horrific pain,
"Water!??" Liang looked around then her eyes set on Nuo's hair! She tried to help Nuo best she could lifting her legs gently though it only made the pain worse. Liang set her in the water, sumrging her legs in the water. Instead of red staining the water, it stayed clear. Nuo began to relax still in massive pain but less now.
Liang was called back not soon after, and she swore to return the next day.
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The next day however, Nuo sat by the river her feet dipped in the pool of water. Liang gasped,
"Your okay!" she yelled running over, hugging Nuo tightly.
Nuo froze up, she didn't understand what was happening, what kind of headlock was this?! Nuo tried analyzing how to get her off. But she realized, it didn't hurt, and she wasn't trying to hurt Nuo at all. The girl let go, "I'm Liang! What's your name?" Liang asked,
"Uh...Nuo," Nuo replied. Liang smiled brightly, "I'm so glad your okay! Are you a...god?" Nuo tilted her head,
"No I'm not. I'm a demon." the girl gasped,
"That's so cool! Wait you aren't going to hurt me right?"
"no."
"Cool! Then you should play with me sometime! What if you brought your doll here and we could play?" she suggested. Nuo blinked twice,
'I don't have a doll,' Nuo thought.
"Okay," Nuo agreed. Liang smiled,
"Great! See you tomorrow Nuo!" Liang waved goodbye and ran off. Nuo watched her go, then went back to her house. She sat down on her bed, thinking about what happened. Then she suddenly remembered,
"I don't have a doll..." Nuo whispered to herself.
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