Project: DiVa, A World in Shadows

Chapter Five: Safe and Sound?

       We continued walking until we reached an old apartment building in a rundown part of town. The walls were filled with old graffiti, a lot of them with symbols I have never seen before, with broken or boarded up windows along the side of the old rigid building.

     "We're here" Zac said with a warm smile. I looked at him with a confused look and asked "I thought you said this place would be safe?" , as my mind held back the instinctual fear I felt from the area.

     "I know it looks bad but I promise you, No harm will come to you here." Zac responded with that warm smile once again.
         Despite the hostile atmosphere that made my spine chill, his words, his promise, made me stop worrying. " I was able to save you from that woman didn't I?" His friendly manner had a hint of boasting to it followed by a slight chuckle.
      "Hmph, you still weren't able to beat Flare" I crossed my arms and stared to pout as I looked away from him in slight irritation.
         A sudden realisation hit me and Zac as my unusual attitude left both of us speechless. The light tension in the air was broken with slight chuckling followed by laughter.
         Curious where it came from, my eyes looked to Zac and saw him laughing "W..what's so funny?"  Asked slightly annoyed.

     "You're starting to remember"

        The door swung open, diverting our attention to it, and there was a some what small teenager wearing rugged clothes and a red handkerchief tied around her neck.
        The old helmet she wore on her head covered her messy pink hair with the back of it tied into a short pig tail. "Hey Storm! bout time you showed up!" her high pitched voice was loud yet sounded childish as she called out to Zac whom was looking at her smiling as he scratched the back of his head.

     "Huh?" She said as her gaze pointed to me. "So this is the Legendary Dark Rose huh?" Her sour tone was complimented as the expression of doubt could be seen all over her face.
       The name Dark Rose sounded familiar yet this is the first time I've heard of it. "Umm miss, are you talking about me?" I asked her unsure about the title.

     "Aw c'mon Fel, you know The Dark Rose is just a fairy tale" Zac said.

     "Hmph, yet you're the one who told all of us about her!"  Fel scoffed.

     "Ahaha, So i did"

       I watched the two banter on and on about what the Dark Rose was, a fairytale, a legend, a myth, a saviour. They're descriptions didn't fit me at all but one thing was sure, I was getting ignored.

     "Would you two, Shut the hell up and tell me what the Dark Rose is!?"

      The two looked in shock at me as they were left speechless, unable to say a word before my hands covered my mouth and Fel's expression became unamused.

      "Okay she has the temper for it but not the attitude" She exclaimed while looking back at Zac.

     "Maybe you could give her some pointers on attitude" Zac started to chuckle.

     "Yeah she could learn a thing or two about, Wait a minute!"  Fel shouted at Zac as he walked over to me.

      Zac approached me with a smile, not minding the enraged teen shouting profanities at him, and said "The Dark Rose was a name given to the most powerful soldier Anima has ever seen! They say she had the courage to face an entire army and defeat them single handedly."

     "So why did she think it was me?" I asked confused.

     "Thats because Storm said he'd bring the Dark Rose when he comes back, do you see anyone else?" Fel said as she pointed to Zac.

"Wait what!?" My gaze turned to Zac with a bit of anger present on my face "You....what?"

"DiVa I can explain."

"That's not my name! Why do you keep calling me that!?" .

Zac stood there, looking at me with those puppy eyes as his mouth was about to say something but was quickly shut before he looked away. I waited for an answer from him as we stood there before the small teen spoke.

      "Alright Storm time to get in, you too lady"

"Yeah, okay Fel." Zac said smiling before walking in.

     "Hey lady, get in before the royal guard find you out here." She signalled me to get in.
Nodding, I went in through the old, rotting door before it was closed by the small teen.

In front of us was a long hallway that was connected to three rooms and a stairs leading up. The walls and floor were old and dusty, the paint was faded and the floor creaked as we made our way into the living room.

      "Hey Storm, why dontcha go tell the boss we're here. He's upstairs in him room" she said to him before looking back at me with a sour face.

      "Alright, be nice to our guest" Zac said as he made his way up the stairs, separating from us as we entered the living room.
The living room was old and slightly dusty, just like the hallway. There was a dusty old red sofa in the middle with a bit of cotton coming out of it from the multiple tears it had and two sofa chairs by it's side with the same colour yet looked like both was in better condition compared to the sofa.

      "Alright lady take a seat, this is gonna take a while" Fel said as she sat down on one of the sofa chairs

      "Oh, Okay.." I made my way to the other sofa chair and sat there before facing the teen whom was facing me too.

      "Hmm.." She looked at me with a sour face, slightly squinting "Well you sorta do look like the Dark Rose at least from what Storm said"

      "Please don't call me that.... I'm not the Dark Rose"

      "Fine then lady, what do I call you? Lady is gonna get really tiring after a while"  she said crossing her arms.

      "Oh umm, I'm Dianne, Dianne Valentine" I said smiling at her

      "Hmm, I'll call you DiVa"

"DiVa? Why? That's the name Zac calls me"

"Cause, Dianne Valentine. Di -Va"