Ten years earlier

Sakura never left her house. There was no need for her to, she had everything she could ever need at home.

Besides, she had so many people to talk to...

...even if she ignored how they were rotting bodies under her tree, it was boring to talk to corpses.

Corpses with lifeless eyes.

Corpses that couldn't agree or disagree.

Corpses that couldn't talk with her.

...

Maybe she was just a little crazy. Being alone does that to people, right? But where does one go to meet new people? She was now an adult.  She couldn't go to a playground, or her school.

"Adult places, adult places..." Sakura muttered as she wandered into the kitchen and stumbled to the large fridge and flung it open. She reached for her large jug of water, only to pause and stare at a particular bottle.

Mother's wine? Sakura had tried a little sip of the alcoholic beverage when the realization struck her that she really was alone, but she couldn't even force it down. Mother had made fancy concoctions with it, telling Sakura that when she was older she would have to drink fancy wine as well.

"Are alcoholics friendly?" Sakura wondered aloud, grabbing her water and shutting the fridge. They must be, because mother never made her tidy up when she was five drinks deep. Alcohol must be the key to friendship! The friendship drink!

Sakura recalled how her mother told her to never go into bars, because that was where perverted and vulgar people went to waste away. But if mother was nicer when she drank alcohol, why wouldn't others be?

That settled it. She would go find a bar and make living friends!

"Oh, how smart am I?" Sakura giggled in pride whilst she sipped her water. How she couldn't wait to see how many friends she would make!

***

Present

Ace stepped out of the bathroom, pajamas on, day clothes in his arms, and ready to go to bed. He and his parents had a nice night of movie watching, game playing, and treat eating, but he was pooped from trying to get his classes all sorted out.

He walked into his room. One side, was his bed, his walls covered in posters and pictures. The other side, his desk, and a few boxes of Amon's old things he couldn't bear to let go of. He stepped forward, dropping his dirty clothes into the hamper before hearing a soft crunch from inside the hamper.

He peeked into it, suddenly remembering the poster that woman had handed him. He pulled it out of the pocket of his pants, opening it back up.

"MISSING CHILD" was written in bold letters at the top. Below that, was contact information, then a picture. His eyes widened at the picture presented; Pink and black split hair, bows and puffy skirts, and luminescent yellow eyes.

"Name: Belle; Age: 9..."

Ace ran out of his room and grabbed some slides and a jacket. His father was in the living room, which had a clear view of the rack where Ace grabbed the jacket.

"Where are you going?" He yelled after Ace.

"I need to go right now!" Ace yelled back as he swung the door open and rushed out.

"Ace-!"

***

Ten years earlier

Loud music blared throughout the bar. Bodies bumped into each other as laughter and yelling filled the crowded room. Sakura sat quietly in a corner booth, keeping an eye on the mold on the other side of the bar.

This wasn't what she expected. It was too loud, too dirty, too many people. She felt her heart pound against her chest. Her hand shook.

Finally, she sat up and located the exit. She'd just find a different bar, one that was clean and less popular. She took but one step before a hand wrapped around her and a head of black hair rested on her shoulder.

She let out a soft yelp and shot her attention at the person who grabbed her. He had long, messy hair, red eyes, and a deeply unsettling expression.

"Lady," he whispered, "you're an Esper?"

"Yes."

"Hey, me too. What a nice surprise! Not many Espers come to this bar. Too popular with regular humans."

"I should get going-"

"Hey," the man kept his grip fierce around her shoulders, "you don't usually come here. I don't recognize you."

"I thought this was someplace else."

"I know the guy who owns this place, the upstairs is a lot nicer than this dump down here. Wanna go hang out up there?"

"Nicer, you say?"

"Yeahhh!" The man laughed as he led Sakura upstairs, unbeknownst to her. 

***

Present

Ace drove to the orphanage that Belle was at. He hoped Nuxi was still awake, though he had doubt in the back of his mind as he watched the clock tick from 10:00 to 10:30.

The orphanage came into view, a dark fog engulfing the building save for the very top. Ace parked close to the entrance and got out of his car, turning on his communicator's flashlight and peering into the orphanage.

Would Nuxi pick up the phone if he called? Because clearly, not a soul was inside, at least from what he could see.

"Damnit," he grumbled as he fumbled to Nuxi's contact, "why couldn't I wait?"

As the communicator's ringer echoed in the parking lot, he looked around. There was but two cars, his own car and a van that he assumed was a volunteer's or a worker's, doing the graveyard shift. Unfortunately for him, it was not Nuxi's car.

Suddenly, his communicator's rings became glitched. Jumping, he looked down at it as it died.

"Fucking hell..." he hissed as he went back to his car to look for a cord. He leaned in, door open wide to the cold darkness, and sifted through all the junk in his car.

The fog was heavy enough to creep in around him. Not only that, but he could swear he could hear someone walking up behind him. He couldn't be bothered to look around to see if someone was really there, though.

"Ace?"

He shot his head around to see Belle standing before him. Her eyes were wide, as if she was shocked or afraid, but she had a grin on her face.

"Why are you out here?" Ace hissed a little meaner than he meant, but Belle stood firm.

"Look what was in my bedroom!" Belle held out a music box. There was a doll in the middle of it, and it was covered in rock and a purple glossy coating.

"What is that stuff on it?" Ace asked, trying to take the music box from her, but Belle quickly pulled it close to her chest.

"It's my dad's music box," Belle said, "I saw it in my dream."

"Don't you want to clean it up? It's so nasty looking right now."

"I can't, it makes my head hurt when I touch the slime."

"How about you wait until the morning?" Ace asked. "Miss Feng Nuxi can help you."

"You came here to bring me back to my mom." Belle suddenly said. Ace was startled. As far as he could tell, she wouldn't be able to see the poster. It was on the opposite seat.

"Take me to my mom." Belle continued as she went into the back seat and snuggled in.

"I need to talk to Feng Nuxi first-"

"I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home!"

Ace jumped at the volume of her screams. It was as if the fog around him made her sound even louder.

"I need to find my cord first!" He yelled back as he flung himself into the car and pulled out his cord, quickly plugging his communicator in as Belle giggled sweetly.

"I wanna see mama again!" She said happily.

"I'll take you there, jeez..." Ace said as he started up the car and pulled out of the orphanage.

***

Nine years before

Sakura stared at the files and the tiny baby.

"Finally, after nearly a year, the clone is finally done." The letter said. "Thank you for participating, Miss Sakura."

She had agreed upon it. The man with black hair and red eyes told her very clearly that more espers needed to be born. She had told him she didn't want to have a baby. He asked what made her say that. She said she was scared of pregnancy. He said that wouldn't be an issue. She questioned him, and he said that she would simply offer the clump of cells that would form. She questioned how that was even possible, and he said he could grow them in a lab.

Then, she didn't want to remember the rest.

But, when she put aside the files and looked down at the baby that had seemed to be flown down by a crane, she couldn't help but feel satisfied with her decision.

What a beautiful baby. Her hair was pink like her's, a bit of black stringy hairs too, but her eyes were a beautiful, glowing yellow.

She could tell this child was going to be special. Perfect, even.

"Hello, beautiful," she cooed at the baby, who stared up at her.

"You know, I've always loved the story Beauty and the Beast."

The baby tilted her head.

"I thought about naming you in my native tongue, but how about a beautiful, foreign name for a beautiful baby?"

The baby giggled as Sakura tickled her tummy.

"Beautiful beauty, beautiful Belle."

***

Present

Ace pulled over the moment he heard his communicator buzz, signifying it wasn't dead anymore and he could use it again. He pulled over in a less populated part of town, just beyond where the underground miracle was active. He should be fine there, though.

"I just need to tell your mom I'm coming," Ace lied as he messaged Feng Nuxi, "that's all."

Belle didn't answer, instead staring out the window as fog rolled in around them.

'Miss Feng Nuxi! Whenever you get this please know that I have Belle with me. She is being very uncooperative and'

He accidentally pushed send as he felt and heard something crash into the side of his car. He put his phone down and stared out.

"...what the hell?" He said under his breath.

"I don't think the miramon like the smell." Belle said quietly.

"Smell? Miramon? What are you..."

Another slam into the car made Ace try to start his engine, but he saw a glimpse of a miramon in his front windshield before it slammed the car back a couple of feet. Ace screamed in pain as he felt the metal insides of the car all pile up onto his legs.

"Belle! Are you ok?!" He yelled.

"Yes." Belle said. "Your legs are stuck."

"I know-" he grunted as he began pulling his legs out of the rubble. "You need to get out and run as fast as you can!"

"They don't like the smell of my music box." Belle said softly.

"Then leave the box, and-"

Before he could continue, there was hoards of miramon piling up and crashing the side of the car, so much so that the car began to tip over.

"Belle! Get out NOW!" Was the last thing Ace said before feeling the ground collide with his head, completely knocking him out.

Belle's eyes widened once she realized Ace was out. She herself had been flung towards the ground, but she was thankfully too small to be hit. She held the music box close, eyes wide and fearful.

"It's my dad's music box," she whispered, "not yours!"

As she said this, a miramon was suddenly shot down. More were shot down, and more, and more, and more down and down and down.

"Let's loot the car now!" She heard a tough voice cackle.

"I say we see if the boy's still awake!" A very feminine voice giggled.

A hole was created in the roof swiftly as this back and forth happened, and three women's faces peered in.

"Girls, please," the flushed face of the middle girl sheared, "look what we have here! A cute little girl."

"Let's do all of the above, Cricket!" The rough girl yelled.

"Yes! Let's, oh please let's!" The feminine girl said pleadingly.

"Do what you want!" Cricket said, glancing down at the music box Belle held. "I've got my own ideas, heh..."

***

"Did you hear that?" Amon said quietly. Gui looked at him, eyebrow raised.

"No, I didn't," she said coldly, continuing her job of collecting the saliva like substance form the underground miracle, "just keep an eye out. If it really was something, and if it comes over here, then you can kill it."

Amon glanced around. Something didn't feel right, as if something terrible just happened. But if Gui told him to drop it, he had to drop it.