Hey guys, this is the rewrite to my story, Mustn't Forget...kinda...but not really...but sort of...ahem, anyways...
Disclaimer: I don't own D. Gray-Man or any of the characters save my own! I hop you enjoy!
Chapter One: Ab initio
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And this is one sacrifice
I don't want to make.
~ Poets of the Fall, Where Do We Draw The Line
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"Move it!" A rough shove was all it took for the target - a middle-aged man with greasy hair and a beer gut- to ruin that boy's life. For her to pull the trigger, and watch the bullet tear through the boy's shoulder nearly made her stop.
But she didn't, still a child herself. She met his single green eye as everything seemed to slow down around them. She held only a small twinge of pity for the poor boy, but it was gone as time caught back up, and she left him.
Bleeding out outside a run down building, gasping for air with tears stinging his eye.
The bullet wasn't meant for him, he was just an unfortunate mistake; a dent in her quest for revenge.
Distantly, she heard a shout, then a name being repeated. Pushing forward, she paid them no more heed...her target was getting farther away. Just ignore it...
'Jean...'
He was just another stain on the concrete.
The sound of the gun rang through the city once again, sending goosebumps crawling up Jean's arms as he was carried to the nearest hospital.
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"Hey Queen, I thought you said you and the brat were leaving yesterday? What happened?" A dark skinned boy stood leaning against a store wall, smiling slightly as he looked upon the two people walking by.
"I just delayed leaving for today, oui. Anyways, I thought you would be gone by now. It's been nearly a month since you came Michael," 'Queen' replied. She was a relatively tall girl, around fifteen or sixteen with tanned skin and faded smoke-blonde hair pulled back in a long ponytail reaching a little past her lower back with small wisps of hair framing her face.
Pale green eyes -nearly white- smiled up at him.
Beside her stood a boy of thirteen, with long, messy auburn hair and light brown eyes. His arms were crossed as he openly glared at the older looking boy.
"Eh, I just have a job to do. And besides, I could never leave you, love~"
"My sister's name is Reina, not Queen, and don't refer to her as love!" Reina laughed at patted her brother's head, to which he smiled at before continue to glare at Michael as the older boy snickered.
"Anyways Queen, be careful going back to the inn. There's been some disappearances around town; don't wantcha to be taken away from me. And watch over her, Xerxes while I'm not around!" Xerxes scowled and was about to reply when his older sister pinched his cheek lightly and smiled at Michael.
"Of course, oui. Thanks for the warning, love~ Come on, Brother Xi, before Clara gets too worried. I'll see ya later Michael!" Xerxes blushed at the nickname and followed behind her after sticking his tongue out at the darker boy.
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"There you two are! Oh, I was so worried; y'all were supposed to be back by three! Now now, get inside before it gets any darker." Clara was a middle-aged woman with caramel curly hair and only a few inches taller than Xerxes. She was slightly plump, and her blue eyes were always friendly.
Reina apologized with a small smile and told her about Michael stopping them.
"Oh ho ho~ Michael's such a good lad! And he's just a darlin' too! I remember when he came to our town. Oh, he was practically droolin' when he first saw ya, doll." Clara ignored the fuming boy getting redder by the second. Laughing, Reina patted her brother's head.
"He is quite handsome, isn't he?" she asked playfully, winking at the older woman. "Oh, but we really must be going tomorrow, oui. We'll clean the rooms and everything, so don't worry about that." Clara's smiled faded for a moment before pulling the two kids into a hug.
"Oh, be careful out there, dearies! Here, dinner's in the kitchen. Go wash up before y'all eat anything though!" The older woman sighed sadly as she watched the two walk upstairs, Reina walking with a lazy stroll and Xerxes dutifully following behind.
She walked into the kitchen, grabbed a few clean plates, and set them on the counter. Her hands shook slightly and she huffed, clenching her hands against her thighs.
Before she could do anything more, Clara heard a knock at the front door. On the other side of the wooden door stood Michael, frowning a little before sending her a small smile.
"Oh, darlin'! Reina didn't tell me you were coming over! Here, they're upstairs cleaning up for lunch; you just wait in there in the dinin' room. Oh, Reina will be so surprised! Now, go go." The woman shooed him off without letting him speak.
Once the dark-skinned man was gone, Clara clapped her hands together with a grin before shouting to the siblings to hurry up.
"We're coming, oui!" And down came Reina, Xerxes right behind her.
The woman ushered them into the kitchen, nearly giggling when Michael waved weakly at the girl.
"Ah, hey love. Sorry to surprise you like this," he offered sheepishly. "But I figured since you two are leavin' today, I would stop by and see my Queen one last time." With a weak smirk, Michael placed his arm around her shoulder.
In the background stood Clara with her arms tightly wrapped around Xerxes's face, covering his mouth and muffling his screams of rage.
"Aha, that's nice, oui. I'm glad you came~ Brother Xi, be good and don't scream while you're inside, oui." With a final glare at the older boy, Xerxes stopped struggling. Clara let him go with a smile and a pat on the head.
"Now, let's eat, shall we?"
Clara watched the two teens nearly the entire time of dinner. Reina would be making jokes that would make her brother turn beet red, and Michael would follow them up with his own, though he was more subdued than usual.
The only adult there knew the younger sibling couldn't tell, but she could; she saw how broken up he was about them leaving, or more specifically, Reina leaving. He would glance at her from the corner of his eyes when she laughed, and when she smirked he would bite he own cheek while barely being able to look away from her.
She nearly hated the young teen for ignoring the signs.
And then dinner was over. Michael stood awkwardly at the edge of the door, looking at dear Reina with silence and a sad smile.
"Ya know, Queen? I was kinda hoping you wouldn't leave." And here, Clara quickly ushered Xerxes upstairs against his protests. "Ah, but I guess you have no choice right? You're running, aren't you? Ya know, Queen...I would -if you asked- hide you and Xerxes. You must know it...I would, just ask me."
Reina smiled a sad smile.
"If only it was that simple, love. You'll see us off in the morning, oui? Goodnight, Michael." And the door shut.
Shadows covered the top half of Michael's face as he stood there a moment longer.
"Why wouldn't you just ask?"
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"Oh, how I'll miss ya'll! Do say you'll write, won't you? I just can't believe you two are leaving! Darlin', do take care of the Queen, won't you? She'll need you, don't forget it!" Clara fussed over Xerxes' red locks, trying unsuccessfully to get it to lie down.
"Now Miss Clara, don't worry so much! We'll be fine, oui." The letters went unmentioned, not that the older woman should be surprised.
That doesn't mean it didn't hurt.
"Sis...we need to go. They could already be here...you know that." Reina's expression was less emotional than her brothers, who looked down in slight guilt.
"You're right, you're right, of course. Well, it was nice knowing you, Miss Clara, oui."
And then they were gone, disappearing into the crowd of the train station with their few possessions, leaving Clara holding back sobs. She couldn't even see the light purple of Reina's dress anymore.
"Michael never even came...!"
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Xerxes glanced over at his older sister by everything but blood.
They had stayed there too long, he knew it. They were here, on the train with them.
Akuma.
Reina had told him how how she could tell by the way they looked at the humans around them.
As if they were at a buffet.
Four of them, she signaled, two at each corner of both doors.
They were practically cornered once the monsters noticed the ones they were looking for were only a few seats away.
He told her they should have left earlier.
If only Michael-
"Found you, Exorcist~" He felt the barrel of the gun on the side of his head for a nanosecond before he was jerked away.
"Run Xerxes!"
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The Exorcist was annoyed.
His name was was John Palmer, and he had been tracking these Akuma for almost a month.
What's more, they just decided to attack on a crowded train, when the hadn't killed a single human that he knew of since he first started looking. He was in a different train car, already rushing to the screams and yelling at people to get as far away as they can.
When he slung the door open, he expected to see the demons shooting bullets at everyone.
He expected to see pile of ashes and clothes in the floor.
He didn't expect to see a young teenage girl rush by him, holding a younger boy in her arms, and just jump off the train.
He also didn't expect the Akuma to follow, but as they blew the roof off, he briefly noticed most of the passengers huddled together in a corner of the car, with only a few pile of dusty clothes before he followed after them.
"Kill the Exorcist!"
Huh?
"Hey Exorcist, a little help here, oui?" That came from the girl. He pushed the questions out of his mind, and instead focused on pulling out his Innocence off his back. It was a simple white short bow, from which he could shoot arrows of pure energy taken from the Innocence.
He let loose an arrow into the Akuma nearest to the children, before the other three Level Ones turned on him.
Sending another arrow at one, and missing, John quickly ducked as a poisoned bullet flew overhead. His next arrow didn't miss it's target; two left. One was to his left, trying to flank him, it's guns all targeted on him. He pulled back the string on his bow, an arrow forming, and let it go.
Where was the last one?
There it was, behind him. He could feel the barrel of the guns ghost against his head.
Well shit.
Dirt was kicked up from behind him, and the pressure was gone. John was surprised when he didn't see the telltale black stars stain his skin. He was even more surprised to catch a glance of grey-blond hair before that too disappeared in the cloud of dust.
And when it settled, there was the girl with the long hair, standing with her back towards him. The smell of burnt fabric hit him before the scene registered in his mind.
There she stood, parts of her dress seemingly melted, her arms covered in shiny black material, and was that more on her legs? It seemed wherever the fabric of her dress even brushed against the black armor, it just started melting.
"Is the Exorcist alright, oui?" It took him a moment to figure out this girl was addressing him, and not her little companion. He searched for the last Akuma before glancing back at her.
"I don't remember seeing you at Headquarters. When did you join? Aren't you a little young?" As soon as he said it, John wished he could swallow those words. He's seen younger.
"Ah, I just joined a month ago, and was sent on a mission to kill these Akuma, oui. Why were you here, Comrade?"
She's lying. That was my-our mission.
But John went along with it, in any case. He would have to buy some time...
"I was just headed to the next town over," he started breezily. "I heard the screams, so of course I came to help. I'm a fellow rookie, too. Only been an Exorcist for a few months.
"Maybe I should escort you back to headquarters, Miss...?" She just smiled and nodded to the boy.
"Reina. I guess it's okay that you do not recognize me. And thank you, but no, I can make it back on my own, oui."
Tho other figures appeared in front of her, blocking her exit. One was an older man, around fifty, with graying black hair and glasses. The other was a little boy around fourteen, a scowl etched on his face and dirty blonde hair in a low ponytail.
"Sorry little Miss. We can't allow you to leave. My younger teammate may not recognize you, but I do. The Black Order has been searching for you, Miss Reina. Please, come with us," said the older gentleman quietly, but with a slightly commanding tone.
Her smile dropped and her eyes narrowed.
"Oh really?"
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Hehe...hey ^^; Yeah...I'm really sorry, I swear! But I just couldn't stand rereading Mustn't Forget the way it was, but I didn't want to go back and change all of it! So, I'm just going to leave it up, and start from scratch. This will still have some elements of Mustn't Forget, but it has a different setting, and obviously Gin is no longer here v.v
Nomen est Omen: The Name is a Sign, Latin
Ab initio: From the very beginning, Latin
oui: Yeah, a verbal tic, French
Currently no Beta, never had one, anyone wanna be mine?