Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter One
The Riddle
I sing in the darkness, surrounded by night,
When morning's light begins to shine.
A person surrounded by nothing but darkness shivered when they heard the voice coming out of nowhere. "Wh-who's there?" the timid question echoed in the dark realm, but no answer came. Instead, the voice continued to sing.
It can't reach me, but I can go towards it.
"Thi-this isn't funny! Who ever it is, sh-show yourself!" biting her lips, for the person is definitively a female, unless of course it's a male with a high pitched timid voice, the female regretted ordering whoever was singing in the dark.
The door is already opened.
Yellow dots started to decorate the dark place and a shiver once again run up the girl's spine. She wrapped her arms around herself, eyes darting left and right, taking in the creepy scenery before her. The dots seemed to be staring at her and before she knew it, an ant like creature with yellow eyes leaped from the shadows towards her, black claws aiming for her heart.
Surprised at the sudden attack, the girl instinctively crouched down, closed her eyes, covered her head with her arms and screamed.
I step into the light and my heart soars,
I breathe that sweet perfume, and feel complete.
When no pain came, she slowly opened her eyes, blinking them in surprise at the sudden change in scenery. Instead of the murky darkness, she was now surrounded by blinding light. The dark creature that leaped at her was nowhere to be seen, along with the yellow spots on the sea of darkness.
Your very presence next to me,
Fills my senses with joy…
"Um… are you the one who saved me?" she asked the voice, and she took a step forward, looking at the stained glass floor with awe. She imagined with her minds eye what it would look like from a bird's perspective from the sky and was considerably surprised when an image flashed through her mind.
A beautiful sleeping woman with blonde curls was designed on the floor. The woman was holding a red rose loosely with her hands and wearing a beautiful dress. Thorny vines encircled her body, caging her. There were also three small circles around her head. The background was a blood red colour and designed to seem like roses with three silhouetted beings on each circle.
"Amazing…" the girl mumbled when the image disappeared from her mind. She took a look again on the floor, and noticed that the one that flashed through her mind was practically glowing with radiance and power. This one however, the one she is currently standing on was slightly covered in dust and only shining dimly.
I wish for naught
For I need nothing else to satisfy me,
So long as I have you…
There it was again, the voice that kept ignoring her. The girl had thought that it had vanished, but it obviously didn't seem like it. "Can I go back now?" she asked, more confidence in her voice than before.
You step into the light, and my heart soars,
You breathe that sweet perfume and feel complete.
She was starting to get worried that she won't ever come back. What would they do if I found out I'm not with them anymore? She asked herself, wondering what her friends will do. Would they tell the branch head and get a search party or would they search for her themselves? After all, she's not important. Anybody could replace her job; it's not really that hard. Would her friends even care if she was missing?
Shaking her head defiantly from side to side, as if it would take away her last thought, she bit her bottom lip and stifled her tears. There's no way they would do that to her. They're friends after all.
I'll be with you now and forever.
As we forge ahead into the future…
"Excuse me Voice-san…" she felt ridiculous at the moment. Addressing someone as 'Voice-san' even through no one's there to laugh at her, it's still embarrassing. She felt like she's back at the kindergarten, talking to an imaginary friend. She didn't really expect an answer since she didn't receive any the last time she tried talking to the singing voice. However, much to her shock, she got her answer.
Yes?
It asked with a soft melodic voice. The lone girl thought that the voice was going to start singing again and she waited for a moment. When no lyrics or soft music started to surround her, she realized that the voice was waiting patiently for her answer.
Stifling her embarrassment and gathering her courage, she inhaled deeply, exhaling the air with a soft sigh. "W-Where am I? Can you please tell me?"
You are in one of the Light's realm, the place of awakening…
Slightly confused at the answer, the girl asked. "Awakening?" She'll try to piece the puzzle later together once she's gotten more information out of the mysterious voice.
Yes. As you can see, the light is starting to dim.
The girl guessed that the voice meant the stained floor, since she was surrounded by white walls, and to her, they're pretty blinding.
The White Fire is in need of fuel, for they are past their prime.
You are needed…
The girl was about to ask 'What do you mean?' if it weren't for the floor quaking underneath her. Snapping her head to the side once she heard the shattering of glass, her breathing hitched at what she saw.
Darkness was starting to slowly surround her environment. The edge of the stained floor shattered like glass before the darkness could enlace it with its embrace, as if to say that it would rather shatter than be forever swallowed in the black abyss.
Five lost and five gained,
From the seven,
Two of them remained
…Gather and fuel the Fire.
The voice was slowly vanishing.
The girl was panicking, bordering on becoming hysteric, actually. "Wait! Don't go!" she pleaded the voice. She couldn't run anywhere and soon, she wouldn't be standing anywhere either. "Help!" But no one came. She looked around frantically for an exit, even if she knew that there was none.
So much to do and so little time,
The Door which has been locked shall once again open
And the truth won't remain hidden,
"Please stop talking in riddles and help me instead!" the girl screamed up at the voice, her face looking heaven wards where she's guessing the voice is coming from.
The Connection and the Life of the worlds will reveal itself,
Don't forget…
The girl stood on her tiptoes, trying her best to balance herself, but to no avail. For the last bit of ground, the last piece of the beautiful stained floor, shattered beneath her, making her fall down an endless dark abyss.
… Don't forget…
That you are a part of the key…
A heart of the world…
Is this hell? She asked herself, tears flowing freely from her eyes. But the drops didn't trail down her cheeks and drop on her collar bone. Instead, they flew away from her falling body. Am I stuck forever falling in darkness with a voice talking in riddles? Ran through her mind. I was having a great dream about him too…
The closer you get to the light, the larger your shadow becomes.
But don't be afraid,
For you have none…
The voice faded and suddenly, a white door appeared underneath the still falling girl. She didn't have time to take in the details, for she was happy that an exit actually existed. However, she was also worried that she'll become a pancake for landing on the door. But her worries were eased when the door slowly opened and welcomed her with a blinding light.
Remember…
Well, she'll definitely remember to damn the voice in the deepest pits of hell, for right now, she's falling at an unnatural speed face first to the ground. Couldn't the voice at least make sure that she fell softly?
Tyki Mikk yawned and diverted his eyes from the book he was reading and to his cute sadistic niece, Rhode Camelot. She was acting rather strange, for his standard anyways, after she woke up from her nap. The girl started stuffing her face with bubble gums, and he knew for sure that she only does that whenever something's bothering her.
The Noah of Pleasure thought that it was because of Skin Bolic, the Noah of Hatred's death. However, it didn't seem so. Rhode answered to fast when he asked her if she was bothered that a family member died. He knew that she would be sad, heck, he knew for sure that she would go on a rampage if it weren't for the fact that she was still tired since she had to finish helping with downloading the ark, which, by the way, isn't really an ark. It was more like a city. A silent paradise that the Noahs, with the exception of the first child, uses for transportation around the world.
But back to Rhode, who also happens to be the first child. She was currently sitting on an elegantly carved wooden chair with red plush. Her feet tucked in front of her little frame and the book 'The Little Red Riding Hood' open on her lap. She was trying to read to pass time since Allen Walker and his rag tag friends of Exorcists were taking their time to come to the tallest place in the ark, even if they have only about two hours or so left before the whole place vanished from the face of earth. Hmm, but maybe they're taking too long because of the twins? Tyki thought before shrugging. Ah well, not my problem.
The Noah of Pleasure would have also actually believed the explanation that Rhode was just excited about seeing cheating boy A again, but she would be eating a lollipop instead of a gum. Rhode always ate them whenever she's excited.
It's kind of creepy that he knew his niece this much. Not even the first child's supposed father knows her as well as he does.
"What's on your mind Rhode?" he asked, finally breaking the silence and digging into his pockets for a cigarette. Once he found and lit one, he placed it in his mouth and took a drag from it. "You're stuck in the same page for the past half an hour, you know?" he spoke with the cigarette dangling on the corner of his mouth. Tyki made a façade of turning back to his own book, 'Lord of the Rings', when in reality, he's observing his niece out of the corner of his eyes.
"Nothing's wrong." The girl answered sharply, making a huge bubble from the gum in her mouth. After the bubble burst, she took it away from her mouth and threw it at Tyki's ashtray, wiping her manicured fingers on the plush of the chair, shrugging when the gum didn't land in it. She closed her book non to gently and threw it aside. What would she need that book for, anyways? She found them all extremely boring. She hates stories with a happy ending. Especially those revolving damsels in distress, oh, how she loathes them with a passion. Through ever since she met Allen, she had some stupid fantasy of being one of said damsels waiting for their prince charming. She seriously wanted to gag at the thought of her being in distress and not doing anything about it. She's an independent little girl after all.
"Come on." She took Tyki's book, much to his protest, and threw it over her shoulder, not even bothering to close it shut. "Allen is coming soon! Help me prepare the meal!" she skipped over to the door, dragging Tyki along with her.
Tyki rolled his eyes. Maybe he was really imagining that Rhode was worrying over something. Perhaps, she got bored of the lollipops and decided to become obsessed with gums instead. Boy, he sure hope that the girl wouldn't get any idea of sticking gums underneath the chair or table. However, he knew that it was only wishful thinking. Rhode wouldn't stop at nothing once she found the joy in annoying everyone with her bubble gums.
Speaking of Rhode, she's been having these weird dreams lately. A creepy voice talking to her, telling her stuff about darkness and light, about a reunion and all that, she found it really strange, and more alarming once she realized that it's not even the Noah within her who's whispering these things to her. She didn't understand, and not knowing anything makes her moody, not to mention bitchy and a lot more sadistic than usual. But luckily, her family was spared by her royal bitchiness because she would see Allen Walker soon, even if she knew that crushing on the enemy isn't one of her brightest idea, she couldn't help it. His blood just tastes so sweet. Almost as sweet as candy. Although Aleister Crowley the third would beg to differ, since he himself drank some of the white haired boy's blood and instantly spit it out because of its bitterness.
Now, speaking of the white devil, how should she greet him? Tackle him to the ground with a bear hug, pull out a whip and make him suffer, poke him with her deadly candles or lock him up in his own mind and turn him into her doll? Hmm, a really hard decision. But I can't break him. Tyki will scold me for not letting him join the fun. She thought while humming a tune under her breath. Maybe I'll just give him a…kiss? A sadistic grin made its way to her face, making her look like she was about to kill someone, or torture them to death when you consider the dreamy smile on her face. Not only will I get to kiss Allen, Lenalee will turn as green as her hair too! Jealousy ahoy! Those were some of her last thoughts as she skipped away towards the kitchen, all the while plotting on how to she would steal her enemy's kiss. It better be his first kiss or I might kill the girl who tainted his lips before I did.
A few hours later…
A woman no older than twenty-two ran down a corridor, a paper clutched on her hand. She went up several stairs, turned left and right, almost bumping into a fellow scientist when she turned a corner. But luckily, they didn't collide with each other, sparing themselves from the mess of scattered paper work. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, (for her at least) but in reality, her sprint was actually only thirteen minutes and twenty seven seconds, she found herself in front of a door.
Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves and pounding heart, she straightened her knee length pencil skirt and blouse, dusting away imaginary dust from her scientist coat. Gulping down her anxiety, she opened the door and immediately slammed on a back.
That action caused a domino effect, for there was actually a line of scientists standing in front of her, carrying thousands of papers needing the supervisor's signature. And talking about the supervisor, he was definitively ecstatic at the chaos the young woman caused. Now there's no need of worrying about cramping his hand or thinking about several believable (for him anyways) excuses for Reever. And that's all thanks to the woman apologizing to her colleagues in the room.
"Ah, Ms. Matthews, what can I do for you?" Komui asked once it quieted down. The woman seemed to remember why she ran like the Millennium Earl, a very evil grinning ball- I mean a fat house elf man thingy, was after her. But to tell the truth, the Earl was after everyone, so people from the Dark Order would take her seriously if she told them that the grinning maniac was after her. Joking about him is a big no-no in the Order since whenever the Earl is involved is never a laughing matter. But that's beside the point. The point is, she remembered why she ran like her life depended on it. Marching over to the supervisor's desk, she placed the piece of paper she clenched in her hand gently of the surface of the wooden table.
Komui gently flattened the piece of slightly crumpled paper and read it. With every word he read, his eyes widened more and more. "Is this true Ms. Matthews?" he asked with a serious tone he rarely used.
"Y-Yes, sir." The woman adjusted her glasses, getting fidgety at the supervisors sharp stare. "The squad of Finders in Italy reported the same and before we could actually look into things farther, several other squads called. It seemed like they were being attacked. They couldn't answer us who are attacking them and it didn't seem like Akumas." At the supervisor's questioning stare, she elaborated "The tell tale sound of an Akuma firing their bullets wasn't there not even their demented laughter. The finder on the other line of the phone seems to choke before he…" she hesitated "before he died, but the squad of Finders from Germany, Berlin, sent a record of various kidnappings since the same happened to them, along with finders dispatched to Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Russia, Poland, Ukraine and Belarus." During her recounting, several of her colleagues were sent out by a look from the section leader Reever Wenham, who was the only one who stayed in the room. However she didn't notice, since she was nervous about talking with the supervisor. It's the first time she even saw him up close. And the rumours going around that he's a crazy crackpot didn't make any of her nervousness cease.
"Kidnappings?" echoed Komui, the gears in his head turning and going a miles a minute at every possibility on who would attack the Order aside from the Earl. As far as he knew, the Earl was busy in Edo, Japan where several of the Orders Exorcists are fighting in the frontlines. Thinking about them instantly made him think and worry about his little sister. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts about several death scenes of his beloved Lenalee and imagining how he'll kill the culprit, he turned back to the woman reporting to him. His just have to trust that Lavi and the others would protect Lenalee, and that she could take care of herself, even if he would rather be the one protecting his little precious sister, he knew that he won't be able to do anything since he wasn't meant to fight like Exorcists. He had to protect her from the shadows, giving her and the others the best protection they could get through science.
"Every female, from toddlers up to the age of thirty were kidnapped. They also seem to be only kidnapping unmarried women." She answered with a gulp.
Komui nodded at her and laced his fingers together. Placing his elbows on the desk he asked "When did you receive this reports, Ms. Matthews?" the woman answered with 'Just about now,' and he dismissed her with a nod of his head. Said woman practically dashed away from him and Komui suppressed a roll of his eyes. Transfers from the other branches of the Black Order all seemed to be afraid of him and he wondered why. Standing up from his comfortable plush office chair, he walked over to the window in the room and stared at the stars with a thoughtful expression on his face. Reever went to stand by his side, scratching his blond head with one hand he mumbled. "They're travelling to the east."
"Yes. They might be after Miranda and Lenalee." Komui rubbed his temple and Reever didn't ask what the supervisor meant, for he knew exactly what the man with the sickness called 'Sister Complex' was talking about.
Miranda Lotto, twenty-five and unmarried.
Lenalee Lee, sixteen and single.
Both under the age of thirty and one of the only females carrying Innocence (Aside from Cloud Nyne, who isn't in Asia), who else would these mysterious kidnappers search for?
"Did the Earl redesign his Akumas?" Komui wondered with worry. It would be a real pain in the ass if the Earl found a new kind of Akuma, one which is apparently a silent killer. He was snapped out of his thoughts when the door opened with a slam and a panting scientist came through.
"Sir! We've got big news from Finders dispatched in Georgia and Kazakhstan!"
Komui and Reever waited as patiently as they could for the young man to catch his breath. "Akumas are fighting against unknown creatures!" the two standing by the window and waiting for him to report more looked at each other. "They said that they were black creatures with yellow eyes that jump from the shadows, but we couldn't find out more information from the finders, because…the phone got disconnected…" Komui nodded and the scientist went out of the room.
"What is going on?"
Please review if you have the time. I'd really appreciate it if somebody could point out grammar errors I made.
Oh, and by the way, the song that the Voice was singing is actually the translation to the fifth ending of D. Gray-man'Anata ga Koko ni iru Riyuu'. Well, I think it's the translation…