Warning: Not a Tasty Human

                                                                  Viewers Discretion is Advised

                                                    *Picture is of Leo Heikki*

  Chapter 2                                 

*1 year, 5 months, 8 days until Training Corps*

Leo giggled as she ran past adults and through stalls, a ball tucked underneath her arm. She rarely looked back as she ran past scolding mothers and pissed-off farmers, barely recognizing that she crashed into a few people as she tried to escape whoever or whatever was chasing her. Her mind was somewhere else, visions of a long passed past that she neither willed not wanted to see go away. She was perfectly content with what was floating across her mind's eye, even if she didn't register that she had crashed straight into a wall until a few seconds had passed. By then her light laughter faded and pain blossomed around her nose and forehead.

The blonde girl groaned and crouched to the ground, dropping the leather ball to roll through the dust, her hands flying up to try and massage the pain out of her face. She could hear the faint tinkle of obnoxious laughter somewhere behind her and she couldn't tell if it was reminiscence of her earlier thoughts or if there was someone actually laughing at her pain.

Glancing over her shoulder, the little girl blinked through the haze of pain still emanating around her face and she could make out the smaller figure of Natasha holding onto her stomach as she cackled at her friend's pain. Her feet were covered in dust, though Leo had no doubt hers were as well. Around the two, people were glancing curiously at them before continuing on with their work, merely rolling their eyes at the humor of children. Though most smiled halfheartedly afterwards. Some had forgotten that there was joy after grief, the sound of laughter bouncing around the brick buildings was something one had to get used to again.

"How could you not see a wall? You've never done that before," the brunette questioned, walking up and snagging the forgotten ball from the ground. She expected to receive a glare from her friend of two worlds, but she got a loopy smile instead.

"There are many things I haven't done and some that I have. This is merely a first in many, my dear friend. A new experience in a new life. One that shall be cherished until the end of my time," was what she answered with. It unsettled Natasha, who for one, knew that Leo had never said anything like that before, in fact, and never tried sounding mystic in all the years she's known her and actually sound like she lived as long as a wizard.

"I didn't ask a riddle, Leo," was all she said, though she sat down against the wall of the building Leo ran into only minutes before, patting the ground next to her. "Let's rest for a while, before we go chasing each other again, yeah?"

"Sounds good, ol' buddy, ol' pal."

The blonde situated herself quickly besides the Russian girl, leaning lightly against Natasha's shoulder as she watched the townspeople work around them. Children were playing in small groups, sticking close to one place and never going far. There were a few garrison members milling about, talking and joking around with a few of the other adults who weren't busy trying to sell or buy something from the market. Some were playing cards on a crate. All in all, it looked like there hadn't been an attack on Wall Maria seven months prior and there was just a high population rate in this one sector. 

"How many more days until the sign ups for our age group?" Leo asked, picking at a loose thread in her brown skirt. She frowned a bit as she saw it unravel at a small tug and tried to yank it off without having to ruin her favourite skirt too much.