Prologue

I am only writing this so that I have some way to document my life. And, I'd like to mention, that I really don't want to be writing this. I don't really have the time to tell my story. But since I have to do this I suppose I should supply you with some background information.

I had come to the Order when I was nine years old. It wasn't exactly a choice, but neither was I forced into this world. I figured that I had no where else to go.

I had been found by the Order in the small town on Taininka, Russia. I was living alone, having lost my parents to a horrible accident. I didn't know what had happened in the accident, only that I too should have been dead. It was a terrible feeling to be alone.

I spent most of my days wandering the streets of the town, searching for a way to get some money and food. Occasionally someone would take pity on me and I would go home with a somewhat satiated hunger. Most days, however, I went home the same way that I came; cold, tired, hungry, and penniless.

I am happy to say that the day my story starts, things turn around. My life seems it will get better. I get a home, a family, and I meet the one person who will become my everything. My silver lining.

1. Found

The cobblestoned streets clicked beneath my feet, their stones rough and uneven. A dusting of snow was falling from the sky, gradually coating the ground. I was wearing a dress and boots, no coat. All of my other clothing had been destroyed in the accident. My only possessions consisted of a bow that belonged to my father, and a picture frame of me with my parents. I kept these hidden in a corner of town that no one ever strayed to.

Like everyday before, I was alone. The people in the city would look down on me with a mixture of pity and revulsion. I couldn't blame them. I hadn't been properly clean in weeks. My hair was matted with grease and mud, my fingernails caked with dirt.

I walked with my head down, scanning the ground for dropped change. It was pathetic. I wasn't paying attention to anything around me. I had reached the curb and was about to step into the street when I felt a hand pull me back. I fell to the ground and looked straight ahead. Carriage wheels passed me by and I looked down the street at the carriage that almost ran me over.

"Careful, now!" said the man who had pulled me back. He was older, with wild gray hair and glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. The man was wearing what looked like cargo pants and a long black coat. It was frayed at the bottom and had yellow on the shoulders. There was a strange looking cross above his heart. He smiled down at me.

"Who are you?" he asked. I looked from him to the other boy with him. He was older than me, probably in his late teens. The boy was tall and muscular. He was definitely a large man. There was a set of headphones on his ears, and his eyes were gazing off into the distance. I noticed that they were clouded.

"I-I'm Valeriya Malentova," I said timidly. It was shocking that he was actually taking an interest in me. He held out a large hand. I looked at it, then at my own filthy hands. He noticed my hesitation and reached out to grasp my hand.

"Valeriya, I am General Froi Tiedoll and this is Noise Marie. Pleased to meet you." His kind words touched me. I wasn't used to people saying anything to me. The boy held out a hand and I took it. He shook it and then dropped my hand.

"Shishou, is this the place where the host should be?" he asked. I scrunched my eyebrows at his question. Host?

"Yes. I believe that the Innocence will tell us soon enough who the host is."

Innocence? Who are these people? What are they looking for? My mind was reeling from all of their chatter. They appeared to have forgotten me, so I took a swift look at them before darting away.

"Wait!" the man, General, called. A ruff hand caught my wrist. I turned around and the boy was holding me.

"How did you get a hold of me?" I asked. "I thought you were blind." He looked mildly startled by my statement and let go.

"I am blind," he said. "But I have excellent hearing. I heard your breathing."

I was confused. Why were they me keeping in their presence? What could they possibly want with me? I was just a lowly orphan. Nothing more.

The man reached into his bag and pulled out something green and glowing. He held it out to me and it began to pulse brightly. I looked away.

"We've found our host, Marie," he said. I took a step back. These people were crazy. I turned and ran as fast as I could.

"Don't let her get away!" I kept running, even as I heard them give chase. It was terrifying. I wanted to curl up and hide, disappear. Something caught me around the waist. I looked down to see thin strings wrapped around my torso. I couldn't step forward, the strength of the strings was so tight. I tried to break them, but they were like a silver chain, binding me. They appeared to be coming from the boys hands.

"What are you?" I screeched. The general stepped forward.

"We are exorcists."

"Exorcists?" I asked. The general looked a bit overwhelmed.

"I think we better go somewhere to talk."

We went to the hotel that Tiedoll and Marie were staying at. Tiedoll checked into his room and stated that he was going to look at some shops. He allowed me to use his room to clean up. I graciously thanked him and went inside.

I immediately went to the shower, discarding my dirty clothes on the ground and stepping into the tub. Steaming water poured from the shower head, and I reveled in the feeling of it burning on my back. I didn't even care that I was being scalded by the water. It felt so good to have the dirt washing away.

I spent a good amount of time cleaning myself in the bathroom. When I finished my shower and looked in the mirror I couldn't even recognize myself. My wet hair had a nice shine on it and my face was no longer clouded by dirt and dust. My fingernails were free of dirt and my hands looked much softer. I grabbed a toothbrush, ripped it out of its packaging and brushed my teeth.

A soft knock resounded on the door. Startled, I dropped the toothbrush in the sink and uttered a shriek.

"Valeriya? Are you okay?" came Tiedoll's muffled voice.

"I'm fine."

"I have something for you. Just open the door a bit and I'll shove it through." I crossed the bathroom and cracked open the door. A roughly wrapped package was shoved through.

"When you're ready we can talk," Tiedoll said. I thanked him and shut the door. Then I sat down on the toilet seat and ripped the brown paper off the parcel.

A pair of shoes fell to the ground. They were black and shiny, with a buckle on the toe and a tiny, thick heel. I picked them up and cradled them in my hands. They were so perfect and new. It shocked me that he had bought them for me. I looked back at the package. There was more.

A few undergarments were present, along with a pair of thick, wool stockings. I pulled them on and stuck my feet in the shoes. A perfect fit. There was also a dress of red fabric with small black flowers printed on the fabric. I slipped the dress over my head. It fell just past my knees. The sleeves cuffed at my wrists, with the fabric poufed out from my elbow to the cuff. A black back of fabric kept the rest of the dress pulled in at my waist. It buttoned in the back from my waist to my neck.

I looked in the mirror. It was shocking to see myself look so presentable. I hadn't worn new clothing in ages. I pulled a brush quickly through my dirty blonde hair and opened the door.

Tiedoll and Marie were sitting on the couch in the room. When he saw me, Tiedoll motioned me over. I stepped quietly on the carpet and sat on the edge of the bed across from him. He smiled at me.

"You look much better, I must say," he said. I grinned.

"Thank you so much for these. I really appreciate it. Are you sure it's okay that I have these?" I was still a little nervous about how much it must have cost.

"Of course. I wasn't about to let you wander around in those filthy clothes. They hardly looked warm enough. I have a cape for you as well."

"Oh no! I couldn't," I protested.

"Really, I insist. Now are you ready to get some answers?" I nodded. He smiled before telling me everything.

So? What did you think? Not to sound conceited, but I thought I did pretty well. It's better than my other Man fic, which I am still working on, by the way. This fic is requiring so much research and thought. I have tons of ideas for it and I had to design a uniform and Innocence for Val.

Val is based off of one of my good friends. She is Russian and her name really is Valeriya. I changed the last name of course. Val is amazing. She is going to write a story about me and Kanda too. She even drew me a picture of me and Kanda and it is amazing! I am still so excited over it. Maybe I'll figure out a way to post it as a chapter sometime. It deserves to be seen.

Anyway, enough rambling. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I will post as soon as I can on both my stories. Please review! I really want to know what you thought. Don't leave before reviewing. Just kidding. Kind of.