ON SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY, THE LAUGHTER OF CHILDREN FILLED THE SUNNY PARK. Short legs of little humans rushed from one end of the park to the other, trying all the equipment the playground has to offer - from slides and swings to merry-go-rounds. Fun was guaranteed too all the children and to all the mothers a time to chat and relax was assured. But, not all the children enjoyed the fun objects in the playground. Two peculiar children were separated from the rest. They sat on the green grass, the high sun of spring warming them as they held their noses in the books.
The other children had gotten used to those two children, sitting alone by each other and minding their own world which was decorated with their own kind of fun. It was a strange kind of fun for the other children, but yet the boy and girl enjoyed the books with different stories and different worlds. Young girl, not older than 9, held the book with both of her small hands. "Gon, the Little Fox" said the title. A book with small number of pages. Her blue eyes that mirrored the sky moved from one side of the book to the other without a pause, swallowing the book with her mind.
"Oh." The girl murmured, her forehead wrinkling sorrowfully. "The fox dies." She said.
The boy next to her, reading a different kind of a book, looked at her to see the unhappy expression occupying her usually curious and joyful expression. She closed the book, staying silent for a brief moment, overly disappointed with the ending she had read. She was thoughtful for a moment.
"I though Gon will have a happy ending." She confessed.
"It's a sad story." The boy commented, closing his book - but remembering the number of the page on which he came to a halt.
"But's it's children's book. It shouldn't be sad. It should end with a lesson that when you give good, good will be returned to you." The girl palavered, her gentle emotions easily hurt by such undeserving ending.
The boy couldn't help but to chuckle at her innocent - easily touched by unfairness. "Every book has a lesson and not every book ends as we expect." He told her. "There are other books too that you could read. I can bring you books with better endings."
Her lips curved upward, bringing light into her eyes. "I would like that very much!" The girl exclaimed with content.
And the boy smiled, warm feeling filling up his chest how easily he could bring joy to her. The girl was a friend for quite a while. She enjoyed the books as much as he did. She enjoyed the silence and could sit next to him without saying a word. She was just like him. A bit lonely and living in her own world. And for every book he would bring her, she would read it and tell him her thoughts. The boy felt special. From all the children that played the most interesting of games, she chose to be with him.
He did not even try to befriend her and yet she came on bright sunny day. Just like the curious child that she is, she questioned his hobby of reading books in the playground instead of playing with other children. He expected for her to leave him, but instead, the girl sat next to him and asked him to read to her. And for the past few weeks, almost every day, the two of them would find each other on the playground and read books.
"Aya, sweetheart!" The sweet tone of her mother called out to her.
The boy looked at the woman with long dark chocolate hair which was pinned up by sunglasses and perfectly bright blue eyes - the girl resembled her mother so much. But those adult eyes were different. They were tired. Make-up only helped to cover the exhausted expression which hid underneath it. And she tried not to show it. She looked at him and she offered him a gentle and warm smile.
"It's time to go home."
"Okay, mama." And the girl swiftly jumped to her feet. "Thank you, Ken." The grey eyes of the boy looked up at her - the book which he had given her was now being returned back to him. "I'll see you tomorrow, right. With another book?"
Innocent smile spread on his lips. "Like always." He promised as he took the book back.
With such a beautiful goodbye and with a promise to see each other again, the girl rushed up the small hill on the green grass and took her mother's hand. The boy, Ken, watched as the girl looked at him once more, waving as she walked away with her mother. And with that same welcoming smile, he returned the short wave - wishing for the next day to come sooner.
And the next day came, but the girl did not come. Ken returned, day after day, hoping to see her again, but the girl became just a dream.
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Cry of gulls caught the attention of Aya - now 17-year-old girl. She stared at the troubled gulls that flied up in the sky which was filled with the light of the rising sun. The abandoned park in the 11th Ward just briefly received her attention once more. It reminded her of the playground where she and mother would always past by - but most importantly, it reminded her of the friendship she had built with a human. Ken Kaneki. Surprisingly, she could still remember his name fully, but she did not dare to use that information in order to find him.
He is human. A fearful creature that would tremble in the presence of someone like her. A ghoul. A creature that feeds on the flesh of humans. And he would not recognize her - she had changed physically and psychically. The girl he had known died a long time ago after one tragic night. Besides, years have passed and Aya was certain that he had changed as well. If he didn't get eaten yet.
The state of the playground in 11th Ward was depressing. Just like most of 11th Ward. Humans that once lived in it, moved out as ghouls stormed the ward and seized control over the territory. Aogiri Tree brought shiver to all humans that had no power to fight them. Even Ghoul Investigators - or as Ghouls call them: Doves - thought twice before entering the 11th Ward. All the Ghouls either submitted to the organized group of ghouls, or received a painful ending: death.
Lightly sighing and pushing those thoughts in the back of her mind, Aya's eyes adjusted towards the shore by the bridge that connected 11th Ward to its small island. There she saw a group of five people, standing by the bodies of dead men - lying in their own pool of blood that was recently spilled onto the sand. The indigo haired boy stood onto his feet, his hand covered in the blood of the man he killed and stains of that same blood decorated his dark clothes and mask designed with a wicked smile.
"No fight in them at all." The boy commented as he took the stained black mask off his face - revealing the boyish features that held certain degree of wickedness. "Any word from the airhead Banjo?" He asked.
"Nothing." One of the present answered.
With irritation in his blue eyes, the boy looked back down onto the fresh corpse that lied before his feet. "Damn that clown. At this rate, Yamori and that fairy are going to get the jump on him." His voice dripped with displease. "Aya!"
With the call of that name, a girl suddenly landed onto her feet behind the boy - startling the four men that did not expect her sudden entrance - but not the boy; he expected her. Aya ignored their small gasp as she straightened her body. She pushed the black hood of her over-sized hoodie off her head, revealing the long dark brown hair which was tied high in a half ponytail.
"He's in 20th Ward." She answered with certainty - the black combat boots crushing the sand underneath them as she came to stand by the boy.
He being Kazuichi Banjou. The former leader of 11th Ward and a ghoul that may know how to find someone they were looking for. But he was failing terribly with keeping up with the given deadline and the ghoul next to Aya was terrible at being patient.
"Come to think of it, Mr. Ayato, you're from the 20th Ward, huh?" One men from the group questioned.
"I don't remember much about it." The boy, Ayato answered with his back still turned to them, looking into the distance as the distressful gulls occupied the sky above them. "They're basically a collection of peace-addicted wimps. Hah, come to think of it, I do still have on relative there." Ayato brought his blood stained hand to his lips, his tongue taking a sample of it - tasting its texture. "One of the peace-addicted wimps." And a grin came to adorn his lips.
Aya stared at him, small disbelief in her eyes. Ever since she had met Ayato Kirishima, he has been angry at the entire world for what had happened to him. He lost his mother. He lost his father. Both were killed by Ghoul Investigators. All he has is an older sister who he had left in 20th Ward, in a small coffee shop known as Anteiku. Unlike his sister, with whom Aya had opportunity to bump into a few times, Ayato had different view towards humans. He saw them as they were - food and nothing more. He looked down of them as lesser species that were meant to be hunted down by ghouls - the superior species.
With a gentle roll of her eyes, Aya turned. "Just find Rize and don't make a scene if not necessary."
Clicking with his tongue, young Ghoul turned with his body to look at Aya as she was walking away. "And where are you going?"
Being ordered around by Aya, who he did not consider as someone with authority to do so, irritated Ayato immensely. She was only 3 and half years old then him - yet he considered that both of them were of the same age. Both of them were the youngest Executives in Aogiri Tree. The only difference between the two and their position is that Aya is of more value to Aogiri Tree. She had a mind made for making plans and strategies, and she had eyes that could see far into the distance.
Aya turned her body, walking backwards as she answered. "I've got plans to make." She gave him a playful smirk as she pulled the black hood back over her head. "Hurry Ayato, or Yamori and that doll will find Rize before you."
Ayato glared at her as she walked away, bantering within himself as Aya always seemed to leave the hard work to him. She did have better things to do, yet he always hoped she will make an exception. Aya disappeared from his sight - leaving him along with subordinates of Aogiri Tree. Displeased sigh left Ayato's lips and he faced the sea once more. He was left a bit disappointed, even though he didn't let it show, that he doesn't have Aya to tag along with him.
▪
Standing in the room filled with ghouls, Aya "listened" to Tatara's speech. She zoomed out midway through his speech and stared at the dirty ground. She stood by towering and scary looking ghoul known as Noro, and a small petite girl wrapped in bandages. Noro was the silent one. He was a Direct Subordinate, yet he never uttered a word. Aya saw him as the muscle of Aogiri - indestructible ghoul that could withstand so much pain and destruction, yet never die.
Eto was one of the silent ones as well. She would speak sometimes, but she would barely involve herself into a battle. Aya would hear her giggle here and there, murmur a few words to Tatara, or to other Executives. It was Tatara that spoke for Aogiri. He spoke to them for One Eyed King - unknown ghoul who created Aogiri Tree. No one knew the One Eyed King - some believed the title was created only to scare the doves, while some knew something more that was kept behind their zipped lips.
Around hundreds of ghouls of Aogiri Tree sat on their knees on the ground, listening to Tatara. They all looked the same - wearing the same scary skeleton mask and dark red cloaks that entirely hid their true appearance. Tatara's voice came to a halt when footsteps reached their attention from the hallway that led to the wide room. All the attention fell onto the open door though which four figures walked in. Aya placed her thoughts aside and looked at those figures. The indigo haired boy - Ayato Kirishima. Bulky and scary looking man - Yamori. Feminized and fashioned man - Nico. And someone unknown - a boy with dark hair and grey eyes, dressed in clothes of coffee shop employee which were stained by blood. Possibly his own.
From blood on the clothes to his frightened expression, Aya examined him. Impossible... She thought within herself. She blinked just to make sure she was not imagining the appearance of the boy that just walked in. Those stormy grey eyes wondered towards the most capturing thing in the room - the large group of ghouls that observed him. He felt like food without a doubt in the presence of so many predators.
"Tatara." Ayato broke the silence that occupied the large room. "There's no trace of Rize, but we found someone who has the smell of her. And something extra that might interest you."
Tatara stared for a moment, thoughtfully before he spoke. "Come here." His voice came clean and commanding through the red mask that always covered his nose and mouth.
But the boy was perplexed, his legs felt like rocks that have sunk deep into the ground. And Ayato made sure those legs begun to work. He pushed him mercilessly, making the grey eyed boy to stumble forwards but not lose his balance completely. Breathing in and out, he gulped heavily before gathering enough courage within himself to make a step after another towards the group of four people that stood on higher platform before all the rest of the ghouls.
There was a towering figure next to the ghoul who ordered him to come forward. That towering ghoul wore a white mask with wide and wicked smile that sent shivers of fear down his spine. A petite girl with bandages all over her body and maroon cloak around her stood next to that scary looking ghoul that could easy pass as the bodyguard to any of them. And besides all those three figures, stood a girl that watched him strangely. The sky blue eyes of the girl stared at him with familiarity - and that familiarity took him way back into the past. Impossible...
The white haired ghoul with red mask took a step forward, startling the young man and causing him to come to a halt before the tall man. His red eyes pierced his very soul as he watched down on him. And without a warning, tearing pain traveled through his stomach. Tatara's hand pierced through his torso, creating a hole with blood dripping uncontrollably. Aya consciously bit down onto her tongue to keep the gasp from escaping her lips. What...
One eye of the boy stared with shock and the other was wide with black sclera and red pupils - red veins popped around that eye. You? Scream left boy's mouth as the pain cut through shock he had experienced. In flesh, one-eyed ghoul stood in the presence of ghouls. In the air, the scent of blood lingered and Aya breathed it in - she could smell the scent of Rize Kamishiro mixed within his blood.
"You certainly do have it." Tatara commented - observing the boy's face which showed torment and exhaustion. "That means... it's true Rize was killed then, huh?" And as mercilessly as before, Tatara ripped his hand out of boy's stomach, letting his body fall onto the ground with a thud. "As one would expect, those guys work quickly..." He murmured, his eyes travelling from the coughing body of the one eyed ghoul towards Ayato who stood by the entrance of the room with Yamori and Nico. "Ayato. I don't need this guy. Get rid of him."
Cold shiver when through Aya's body from Tatara's emotionless order - but she was no surprised. She gripped her hands into tight fists, holding back the urge in her throat to say something in order keep the boy alive. The boy looked up towards Tatara in shock - speechless of what will follow.
"I thought that even if you aren't Rize I could use your power and keep you around. But that "eye" is no good. Like this, I can't use you." Tatara stared down at the hopeless figure of the once human boy. "You can make him into a soldier, or a sandbag or whatever else. Do as you like."
"I understand." Ayato replied nonchalantly.
"Aya." With Tatara's voice calling out her name, Aya relaxed her tense body and looked at him. "Did you find anything about the doctor?"
Aya did not immediately answer. Instead, her eyes went towards the boy whose eyes wide with the mention of her name. Aya? His breath got caught in his throat and his eyelids continuously open and closed - he stared at her as if she was the most shocking thing in his current situation. The bewildered expression of the one-eyed ghoul caused Tatara to look at Aya, trying to figure out why the atmosphere suddenly changed. But Aya gave nothing away. The moment he looked at her, her eyes were already on him.
"No. He just disappeared." She answered.
Tatara stared at her without blinking - he caught her eyes and he was not breaking the eye contact - and nor was Aya. She was acting strange - Tatara noted. He was not an idiot to not notice the expression which played on boy's face. He was the predictable one. But not, Aya. Life taught her that being predictable will only get her kill. Aya expected for Tatara to question her behavior, but instead, his eyes traveled to the girl standing besides Aya: Eto.
"Let's go, Eto."
"Okay." Small answer with tone of cheerfulness left Eto's lips which were hidden under the bandages she had herself wrapped in to conceal her entire appearance.
"I'll leave the rest to you, Noro." Noro did not answer to Tatara, and he didn't have to - he was as loyal as every dog that was taught well. "Soon those doves are going to catch wind of us here. Aya, I expect you already have strategic plan of defense ready."
"Just a few more details to work out and it's ready."
And with a crude nod, Tatara answered. "Good."
Footsteps in the quiet room brought their attention to Yamori as he begun to walk forward. "Tatara." He said as he came to stand before the fallen body of one-eyed ghoul who was still recovering from the hole in his stomach. "My last toy did not really meet my expectations. If you don't need this one-eyed one, I would like to take him."
Her breath caught in her throat once more. Aya knew fully well what Yamori does with his "toys". She would hear screams from the tower behind building in north-west part of their hideout. Yamori liked to torture his "toys", he liked hearing their screams and watch their anguished faces. He liked to see them in pain. And on and on, every day, three times a day, he would come to his toy and repeat the torture sequence. Aya had already gone numb from it. She made her thoughts louder than the tormenting screams of his victims. That's why, deep within her, Aya hoped for an answer that will not put the young one-eyed ghoul in Yamori's playroom.
"Do whatever you want with him."
Aya forgot how to breath for a moment. "Tatara."
She stepped forwards and the reaction she received from Tatara made her hold her tongue back. She gulped. There was a glare in Tatara's red eyes that pierced her very soul. One side of her told her to keep her tongue behind her teeth, while the other eagerly wanted to speak her mind and fight for the familiar looking boy that was not what she expected she'll see after they meet again. Gripping onto the small thread of courage within her very body, Aya opened her mouth to speak.
"I can train him. We need more ghouls for our cause."
Yamori glared at her with so much hate that could burn her alive. There was silence in the air once more. Unease rose in the atmosphere as every ghoul watched and waited. For Tatara to be this quite with such heavy glare in his eyes was not a common thing - especially not when it came to Aya. He turned on his heels and took two large steps to stand before the girl - towering over her to show dominance. But she did not tremble.
"You have better things to do, Aya." He told her nonchalantly with edge in his voice.
That glare in his eyes told her not to question him. He didn't want to, but if it was necessary, he was ready to teach her a lesson about questioning his orders and decisions. Tatara turned and walked pass Yamori, who smiled with wicked content. Eto skipped closely behind Tatara - but not before she examined the anger brewing within her darkening blue eyes. Gentle giggle adorned her lips as she skipped pass Yamori to reach Tatara.
With the wicked grin on his lips, Yamori reached out, grasped onto the dark hair of the one-eyed ghoul. Aya reacted, but the aggressive action which she wanted to commence was delayed. Heavy hand gripped onto her shoulder, hard enough to make her bones almost crush under its grip. She glared at the towering man behind her. Noro, with eyeless mask, shook his head gently - warning her not to do whatever she planned to do. Noro held her in her place, preventing her from doing anything that will question Tatara's trust in her.
Provoking her, Yamori's laughter vibrated with evil intentions. The boy struggled against the strong grip of the bulky man as he dragged him over the floor - blood from the regenerating wound staining the floor. Those grey eyes of the boy pleaded for Aya to help - but she was absolutely helpless; fighting a battle with her own choices of what is right and what is wrong. Her nails dug into the palm of her hands, causing pain to set her mind from the need to attack the deranged ghoul. And deep within herself, she was angry for being unable to do anything without losing something great in return.