Hello Everyone! This is my new fic, and its ! Oh my god! I've finally managed to write this up and post it here! I hope everyone would love this as much as I love it! Thanks for the support and I love you all!
Chapter 1
Shouka: Before the Prelude
Place -Old Black Order Headquarters Britain
Level 2 - Medical Wing
Time: Early Evening
When Kanda entered headquarters via the underground waterway along with another new accommodator, he was immediately bombarded by members of the medical treatment section who rushed forward to heal him.
"Kanda-san!" said one doctor, preparing to drag Kanda into the infirmary when he brushes off the doctor away coldly. "You're all bloody! Please, come to the treatment room right away!"
All Kanda want to do right now is to simply head straight towards his room, locating at the highest level of the tower of Black Order Headquarters.
"Leave me alone. It's not a deep wound," Kanda answered gruffly and coldly, not wanting to spend another moment with the doctor.
He felt a touch of strange anxiety whenever he returned to HOME. No matter how serious his injuries is every time he came back from his missions, all he does the first thing he entered the doors of HOME is head straight to his room and check the hourglass placed on his table.
Slamming open his door, Kanda walked briskly into his room.
There, on top of his table, untouched by any human hands judging from the amount of dust collected since the last time he's here, stood the hourglass with the lotus suspended on the top half of the contraption. The lotus looked just as beautiful as it had been the last time he had laid eyes upon it.
Kanda sighed in relief. This lotus blossom has my wish, and shows my hope. He thought to himself. I must hurry and find that person, while this flower is still blooming...
Someone knocked reservedly on the door. Pulling his eyes and thoughts away from the blooming lotus, Kanda opened the door and glared at the intruder.
It was the girl he had just brought back from his recent mission.
Still clad in her bloodied and tattered clothes, the girl smiled politely and said to him in a light tone, "I came here at the request of the Matron, and I am required to take you to the infirmary regarding the gravity of your injuries you've sustained during your mission."
His lips pressed together curtly to form a thin stern line. "This is nothing," Kanda said in his usual cold tone. "It already closed up."
Frowning slightly at his reply, the girl said persistently, "I'm afraid that is not a good excuse, Yuu-sama. Let me escort you back to the infirmary and have them properly cleanse and dress."
He knew she won't budge from that place for a long period of time if he didn't do as she says. He had stayed stuck with this girl for 3 whole weeks, and he knew she'd stood there for a whole day if it will make him go to the infirmary. He wanted to rest badly. He could feel his blood boiling in anger the more he stayed away from his much needed rest.
Sighing loudly, Kanda gave her another glare and stepped out into the corridor. It'll be the same anyway whether it's in the infirmary or in my room, he thought to himself.
The moment he entered the treatment room, he is once again swarmed upon by the people in the medical treatment department, who had obviously been waiting for him.
Kanda never liked it when people surrounded him. He finds them suffocating and annoying. He blew all of them, doctors and all, out of the infirmary with the coldest glare he could muster, and they scattered compliantly.
All there's left is the girl.
No matter how cold his glare or how rude he behaved to her, her determination to get him to do something never wavers. She would sit right in front of him and stared him down until he agrees to hear out her ideas. Compared to Komui, he'd rather take the crazy Chief Komui than this girl, whose plain green eyes seemed to see through everything.
And there's the matron to count.
As rude as he is, he never lay a hand on females, nor did he argue with females that much. He didn't like the feeling when he argues with a female. There's a possibility that they'd cry, then they'd scream, then they'd start to throw things around and endangers his hourglass containing his wish and hope, the lotus. To him, females have the potency to endanger his property.
The door burst open and in came the matron. Speak of the devil…
"Kanda Yuu!" the matron screeched, and Kanda froze in anticipation. Not that he feared the matron, but like all females, if her orders are not carried out, nobody in the Black Order will be safe from her wrath. "Why did you chase all the doctors and nurses away when all they did is to treat your injuries?!"
"They're annoying, that's why," Kanda replied cheekily.
When the matron got closer to him with one of her hand stretched out, by instincts, Kanda quickly stands up and keep a distance between him and the matron. Whenever the matron has her hand stretched out, it always means to go after somebody else's ear. He didn't want to end up as the person with the red pulled-out ear again.
That is, until he accidentally hit himself on the ribs by the edge of a metal trolley.
Pain shot up from his ribs like lightning and he hissed loudly in pain. A loud protesting sound of metal screeching on the floor made by his whole weight pressing down on it made the girl standing near him cringed.
Grunting in pain, Kanda hunched slightly and clutched the side of his ribs, crimson blood blooming rapidly through his white dress shirt, which now bleeds profusely, life water the color of red dripping onto the clean floor of the infirmary.
Immediately, the matron's nursing instinct kicked in.
Grabbing a clean towel, which happens to be the last one on the trolley, the matron slapped the towel right on top of Kanda's gaping and bleeding wound and pressed on it hard, all the while ignoring his protest and grunts of pain. Dragging him back on the bed, she managed to make Kanda sit on the bed before she called out to the girl Kanda had brought back on a mission.
"I'm sorry, my dear, but can you take my place for a while? I need to get new bandages and towels for this boy here-"
"I'm not a 'boy'!" snapped Kanda angrily, grunting when the matron pressed a little hard.
Smiling gently, the matron left a few instructions to the girl, "Please press on his bleeding wound hard, but not too hard. Just hard enough to stop the blood flow. If possible, make him lie down. He's proven to be quite the stubborn one when it comes to bandaging his wounds." The matron finished her words and glared rather coldly at Kanda.
Taking over the matron's place, the girl smiled confidently and replied, "Of course. I'll be sure to keep Yuu-sama alive while you are away."
The matron gave the girl a strange look. Yuu-sama? Nobody dared to call Kanda his first name, excluding the well known Bookman Junior, Lavi and the travelling and rather aged artist, General Tiedoll. But Yuu-sama? 'Kanda-kun' sounds fine enough. She didn't even flinch when Kanda glared at her at the mention of his first name. How brave, thought the Matron.
With a swish of her apron and an authorized nod, the matron left the two of them in the infirmary and searched for new bandages and towels.
Kanda felt a slight push, and the next thing he knew, he's laying on the bed with the girl on top of him, both of her hands still keeping a firm pressure on his still bleeding wound.
"What the hell- Get off me, woman!" said Kanda, frowning in disapproval at their compromising position and gritting his teeth in an effort to not bring up those damned blush. Stupid hormones, he thought.
"I'm afraid I cannot," replied the girl, her green eyes staring right through him. "I am tired, and I know you are tired as well. I do not wish for your blood to come pouring out like some loose pipes if I happen to get off of you at your request. I know it is uncomfortable, but please bear it with me for a while."
He realizes that she is using her body weight to press on his wound. Not a smart move, but nonetheless logical, though he had to bear with the awkward position.
Her long dark brown hair fell around him like a dark curtain, shielding his eyes from the bright stinging light on the ceiling. The pungent smell of roses in her hair made him remember the trip back to the Black Order; a flower girl had carried a large basket of roses, and seemingly nearly cried at the amount of unsold roses. The girl had offered to trade one of the two silver rings that she wore on her delicate fingers, but Toma had insisted that Exorcists and Accommodators' are well supplied with a thick wad of money, and paid the flower girl with the money from the Black Order instead. Their compartment had nearly burst with the sweet smell of roses for hours ends that Kanda himself had to practically 'swim' through the flowers to get out of that compartment and get another one that is odorless, pungent-less and absolutely no flower smell.
And one that has no 'sticky' girl.
Maybe that's what she get for staying in a train compartment stuffed with roses for 6 hours, thought Kanda. Smelling not of body odor but of roses, which is quite the substitute.
That is when he noticed the true color of her eyes.
They're not just plain green like he had thought he'd seen earlier; rather, they're the color of emerald green, with flecks of gold and silver that seemed to swirl within her irises; wise, hypnotically beautiful and innocent, all three deadly combinations at the same time. Along with the long dark lashes and almost translucent skin of hers, the light hue of blush on her skin and the elegant arch of her high cheek bones made her look absolutely beautiful.
Just like a wood nymph, Kanda thought to himself. That explains the countless men trailing behind her like lost puppies at the sight of her when they arrived at the train station. How he didn't notice it earlier was beyond him…
Knowing that he would feel uneasy, the girl kept her eyes at anything else but him. The small considerate notion relieved him a little.
Feeling that Shouka is slowly healing him and that his blood flow is stopping, Kanda gripped the girl's wrist and removed her hand from the towel pressing on his rib gently so as to not startle her.
"My bleeding stopped," he told the girl plainly straightforwardly. "I don't need that towel anymore."
Knowing that Kanda is speaking the truth, the girl stood up and helped Kanda to sit up properly, ignoring his crude remarks to leave him alone.
Inhaling a deep breath, the girl threw her hands into the air and stretched herself as far as she could as she feel her muscles stretched and pulled, breathing out loudly in relief when she feels the tight knots loosen. Leaning back, she rested her back on the uninjured part of Kanda's back and sighed loudly.
"Thank you for bringing me to HOME, Yuu-sama-" started the girl, patting the Exorcist's cheek fondly from behind and waving her other hand in the air absentmindedly, smiling to herself and closing her eyes.
Swatting her hand away as if she's an annoying fly, Kanda said in an annoying tone, "Don't call my first name, woman! You're the one who insisted on following me instead of following Toma."
Lips pursed into a thin line, the girl replied cheekily, "I'm not yet a woman, Yuu-sama. I would advise you to call me Laia instead of addressing me by simply calling my gender. It would make some people confused should there be more than two females standing close to you in the future. And beside the point, following you HOME would be faster than following Toma-san. He had scouting business to do after your last mission."
On their way to board the boat which would lead them straight back to the HOME's Headquarters, they had been attacked by akumas hiding near the bushes, which had been quickly exterminated by Kanda's Mugen. Both Laia and Kanda were injured in the surprise attack, but the latter suffered a more serious wound to his thoracic cavity.
"I don't care, get away from me," said Kanda, attempting to move away from the annoying strange girl, somehow feeling that if he stays with her any further in his current state he would only get more wounds. He uttered a small groan when his broken rib acts up and starts the pounding pain all over again.
"Yuu-sama?" called the girl, a concerned look plastered all over her face when she heard Kanda groan. "Are you alright? You shouldn't be moving around too much when you have a broken rib. Where's the matron- Ah, right on cue!"
The door to the infirmary slammed open loudly. The Matron walked briskly, angrily carrying bundles of clean clothes, towels and bandages.
"I heard from the doctors. Three ribs, Kanda Yuu! Three! And you're all bloody!" begun the Matron, waving the medical record chart the nurses had managed to get from him and angry at the fact that the young Japanese Exorcist wounded himself and still dared to make that straight-faced expression.
"Like I said, it's nothing-"
"NOTHING?!" the Matron shouted loudly, baffled at the reply she gotten from the young Exorcist. Her voice pitch soared higher and higher, determined to let Kanda get an earful of her. "Three broken ribs is NOTHING?! You are a human, not like those machines of an Akuma you battled out there every time you went on a mission! They die, they go to heaven. You die; you stayed dead cold in your grave as a corpse! You are a human, Kanda Yuu, and you best stay that way and keep that in mind or I won't ever give you another sedative and painkillers the next time you complained of headaches!"
Kanda's eyes widened, terribly mortified. He could just imagine himself not getting painkillers at all whenever he got a head-splitting headache.
Apparently, threatening a grumpy Exorcist that relies too much on his super-fast healing abilities with a low supply to practically zero supply of sedatives, morphine and painkillers works so much more better than just plainly give them an earful.
"You Exorcist are all workaholics!" The Matron blabbed on, gloating at how she could put the ever so stubborn beautiful boy from throwing another one of his dreadful and infamous tantrums. "From now on, every single time when you return HOME you are coming straight to the infirmary! Injuries or not, I know there'll be a bruise somewhere under all those clothes you wore. Am I to be understood, Kanda Yuu?!"
Making a face, Kanda muttered his infamous reply, "Che!"
"Don't you dare 'Che!' me here, young man! And don't start another excuse just to get out of this infirmary! Like it or not, you're going to stay here for the night with that rib of yours!"
Pitying Kanda for getting yet another earful from the matron, Laia stepped in and patted Kanda on the shoulders, ignoring him when he glared and clicked his tongue in annoyance when she did that, "Yuu told me earlier that his ribs are fine now, so maybe if you would just wrap him up-"
"I'm sorry, dear," said the Matron in a surprisingly soft tone compared to the tone she used on Kanda. "But that BOY's broken rib bones have nearly punctured his lungs, and that could result in a severe case of pleura effusions and thoracentesis, and that is dangerous!"
"Watch who you're calling 'boy', matron!" snapped Kanda angrily, who earned a few pats on his shoulder from Laia's hand. He daren't slap her hands away for the fear of getting another earful from the matron. Bring impolite to a female is a strict taboo to the matron, much less slapping their hands away.
Continuing as if she hadn't heard Kanda snapped at her, the matron said, "If not for you dragging him back instead of letting him walk and move that stubborn head of his, he would have long died with a hole in his lung! He needs to stay in the infirmary for the night."
"You know I won't do it, woman!" Kanda barked angrily, veins snapping on his forehead.
"And you too, my dear," added the matron again in a softer tone, ignoring the fuming Kanda. "You need to stay in the infirmary too with that wound of yours," the matron nudged her head towards the direction of the wound on Laia's left shoulder. "That wound looks awful! You might get an infection from the looks of it. And Kanda," said the matron to Kanda, who tried to stand up quietly. "-stay where you are or I'll ask Komui to confiscate your Mugen again."
That immediately set Kanda back down. The last time his Innocence weapon is confiscated, he was left with nothing but brittle and frail swords around the training ground for a whole month. He HATED the feeling of being apart with his Mugen, and he hated it even more when he had to stay in HOME for a whole month without missions.
"Now, take off your clothes slowly," instructed the matron, this time she used a gentler tone.
Kanda reluctantly took off his robes and prepared for the worse of the screeches from the matron herself.
The matron took one look at his wound and screeched loudly, "This is awful!"
A vivid scar had risen on his chest where he had been sliced with the hatchet of the Akuma. Thanks to Laia and his absurdly fast regenerative abilities, his wound has already started to close.
Kanda quietly studied the Sanskrit character engraved onto the left side of his chest. I guess my body is still responding to it, thought Kanda. But, I don't know for how long I will have it. I must hurry up and find that person...
The matron wrapped a bandage around his chest and patched up his broken ribs quietly, knowing if she said anything further Kanda would only bark back a comment, and when he does, and wrapping up his wounds won't be easy anymore.
Then the matron turned towards Laia and started to patch her up.
During their ride in the train, Laia claimed that she was previously 'sealed' in a stone statuette hidden on the wall of a cave containing an Innocence that Kanda is ordered to take back by Komui. The Innocence serves as a dead bolt that restrains her to the wall, which also serves to seal her consciousness and that she had remained asleep for a very long time. Kanda had unintentionally 'awakened' her when he took the Innocence, awakening her and setting her free. The Innocence that he had taken reacted towards her by glowing brightly, and he had brought her back to HOME after many hours of hesitation. Accommodators are rare to the point that each Exorcist's lives are considered as valuable and that they must be protected and kept alive no matter what happens, and he had brought her back when that thought ran through his mind.
Not to mention she was totally naked when he found her. The thought of it brought a blush to his pale face. He could clearly see his reflection reflecting each and every one of his ridiculous moments of embarrassment in the mirror hanging right in front of him a few feet away. Thank goodness that her hair that time is as long as only-God-knows-how-long as it serves its worth by covering her more womanly parts. He even has to cut most of it off in order for her to be able to walk properly. He had sacrificed his coat to cover her modesty in place of her hair.
And right on that moment, Komui strode in with all his glory as the Chief of the Black Order's Headquarters, the White Rose Cross glistening brightly on the front of his white uniform. A few other doctors and nurses saw the Chief entering the infirmary and grew braver to enter despite the presence of the infamous oh-so-beautiful and yet dangerous exorcist, Kanda Yuu.
"Welcome back, Kanda-kun," said Komui warmly, smiling gratefully for his safe return regardless of the wounds he brought back with him.
"Che," was Kanda's only reply.
The Matron had, by that time, finished wrapping both Laia and Kanda up, and gave the Chief a node of respect before smiling at Laia, who took it as a request to follow the Matron so that she could give her instructions on how to care for her wounds.
Only Kanda and Komui were left alone in the farthest corner of the ward, making the Japanese Exorcist cursed under his breath.
"I see that you used Shouka again, Kanda-kun," said the Chinese Chief, noticing a particular bruise disappearing right under his gaze. The Exorcist merely looked away and huffed out, feeling uncomfortable under the Chief's piercing gaze.
"Kanda-kun, do you have something you want to tell me?" asked Komui, looking very serious and sober, peering at Kanda from his glasses.
One of Kanda's veins on his forehead popped. Irritated, Kanda retorted, "Why the fuck are you asking this every time you see me?" Seriously, thought Kanda, they should just leave me as it is from the start instead of asking all this shit.
"Kanda-kun, you can't keep using Shouka to heal!" The Chief said in a losing battle, having numerous times advising the long-haired Exorcist, hoping that he would consider his life to be more important and strive to keep himself alive than simply using Shouka to heal and shorten his life, but to no avail. "Leave the grave and fatal injuries to the power, but after it is no longer a danger to your life, cease using Shouka at once and leave it to heal without using Shouka-"
"It's my life I'm using," he replied angrily, sick of all the constant worries that those who knew about his origins showered upon him. "And it's my choice how I like to use it, not yours."
He hated the pity in people's eyes whenever they saw him using that particular phrase about his life. He had only one motive, and that is to find that person. His life is already dwindling. It's not like the lotus won't wilt if he just lie on the bed doing nothing. He should be out there killing as many Akuma as he possibly can so that this stupid war can end earlier.
Komui kept silent. He knew no one could advice him now that he knew his life is numbered, and it's useless trying to do so. Sighing, Komui said dejectedly, "Very well," he started, "If you insist. But please, if you could, refrain from using it."
Glaring at Komui, Kanda put up his usual poker of a face and said casually, "Che."
Komui sighed dismally. Laia came up to them after the Matron wrapped her up in bandages. Smiling to both of the men, Laia introduced herself to the Chief.
"My name is Laia Elfreya," she started politely. "And judging from the White Rose Cross you wore and the white uniform, you must be the Chief for the Black Order's Headquarters," she finished, one finger pointing towards the White Rose Cross adorned the front of his white jacket.
When Komui nodded in reply, Laia continued, "I came here to join forces with those who are brave enough to rise up and turn against the Earl of Millennium, and I'm willing to assist these people in any way possible."
Komui smiled politely in return, finding what she had said terribly bizarre. He had never heard someone speaking in such ways a long time ago. She reminded him of Hevlaska. "I've seen you entered the underground waterway with Kanda from our surveillance camera. From our records, Kanda never brought back another person except Finders."
"She's an accommodator," Kanda intercepted, surprising Komui. "The Innocence I've collected reacted with her."
"He is correct," Laia told Komui, keeping her eyes on Kanda. "This is my Innocence," lifting both of her hands up, showing Komui the thick gold and silver bangles dangling so innocently on her wrist. There was a silver moonstone adorned on each of the bangle, which swirled constantly with a mercury-like substance in a leisurely way.
"I would like to inspect it sometime after this, if that is okay with you?" Komui asked politely. Laia only nodded in reply. Komui continues to stare at her almost unintentionally, finding the true truth about Laia Elfreya quite shocking, and yet at the same time delightfully lovely.
There was a static sound broke out from his golem, and the sound of Reever came through it, breaking his chains of thoughts.
"Chief Komui," said Reever, "We need you here. The surveillance camera detected a presence of a human climbing the castle's mountain."
"I'll be there in a moment," Komui replied to him, and there was silence.
"I'm afraid I'll have to leave the both of you here for some business I need to attend to. Have a proper rest here then," said Komui before he turned around and leave the infirmary, his long white coat swishing behind him.
"Chief Komui seems like a nice man," said Laia to Kanda, staring at the back of Komui Lee as he walked away from them, noticing that it looked rather professional on him, and yet at the same time she can't help but to thought that he must have suffered a great burden from the looks of the way he held himself up. Such man never lives a long life, she thought sadly.
"He'll dissect you the moment you turned your back on him," Kanda said grimly, expecting her to recoil in fear.
She merely stared at him blankly; seemingly appear to be fine with the idea.
Just as Kanda let out a breath, the gate keeper's voice echoed throughout the organization.
"This guy is outta here!"
Noises and fear broke out just then among the people in the medical treatment section, looking around in panic for the rare occasion of a rejected visitor.
"An Akuma came here!?" said one nurse anxiously.
"Ehhh!?"a few other nurses squeaked in surprise and fear.
As if to further aggravate their anxiety, the gate keeper's shrill screams continued, "This guy's a bug! The pentacle on his forehead shows that he's cursed! He's out, out! The pentacle is the mark of an akuma! This guy is actually a friend of the Earl of Millennium!"
As far as the infirmary and the science lab distance stretched, Kanda could still hear the echoes of all the scientists there, screaming in a monotonous familiar tune, ringing within the castle, "WHAAAAAATT!?"
An Akuma? Kanda Yuu thought to himself, his hand reflexively reached out for Mugen.
A young male doctor saw Kanda standing up and marched away from his bed. The doctor hastily tried to hold Kanda back as he stood up and put on his coat. "Hey, you must rest!"
Without responding and easily shrugging off the young doctor, Kanda grabbed Mugen and headed for the window; a full moon shone brightly through the lattice against the night sky.
Opening the window wide, Kanda stepped onto the window frame.
He felt a cold wind blow against him, his hair and robes swaying in the breeze, the infinite clear sky before him.
Will my wish be granted one day? Such a thought arose from his chest. ...Absurd. What I must concentrate on now is beating the crap out of an Akuma that came to headquarters without any concern.
Far below him, he could see a white-haired boy standing before the gate. Only one; he's got some nerve.
Before he could jump, he heard Laia called out to him using his first name, effectively halting him in his tracks.
"Be careful…" Laia said before Kanda could open his mouth to retaliate on the use of his first name. That earned her a slight surprise from Kanda. Everyone is stopping him from leaving, and yet this girl is asking him to be careful. How strange for her to do that.
Both of them stared at each other's eyes, as if the time had halted right at that moment to give them more time, getting to know each other via empathy. It was rare for Kanda himself to set his sight on someone for so long without any ill thoughts about how annoying that person he's staring at is. Rather, he finds himself captivated with the very color of Laia's eyes. It was the color of emerald green, and the golden and silvery flecks within her eyes seemed to swirl in front of his very eyes, rooting him into the spot as he stared on, enchanting him with her eyes. Blinking rapidly, Kanda shoved the thought of her swirling eyes into the back of his mind. Giving a slight nod as an appreciation for her concern, Kanda jumped out of the window, as if moving to tear the darkness into pieces, his mugen faithfully in its scabbard.
That is when Kanda Yuu woke up with a start.
He could feel his heart pounding loudly against his ribcage; the adrenaline he felt in his dream seemed to happen right in reality when he is sleeping. Brushing his long sticky bangs away from his forehead, Kanda rested his hand across his forehead, huffing slightly. His thoughts wandered back to his dream. It's been a long time since he dreamed of the past.
The last time he did was the day before the redheaded general, Cross Marian, left the Black Order's crumbling headquarters. That seemed like years ago when in truth it happens just months ago. He noted that the day Marian left is also the day everything seemed to take a turn for the worse. What he believed crumbled as easily as a sandcastle, while trust broke as easy as it had been made. Perhaps Marian really is the one rumored to been protecting all the other younger exorcists in the Black Order, especially his apprentice Allen Walker and the apprentice of General Tiedoll, Laia Elfreya, who had each been assigned watch guards; Howard Link to watch over Allen Walker while Madarao is to watch over Laia Elfreya.
Kanda gritted his teeth tightly when he remembered something more offending than anything else he had heard; that both of them, Allen and Laia, are related to the Noahs in some ways.
Noahs…he thought to himself bitterly. They're fucked up beings. Fuck the Gods for helping them in the first place. They should just die somewhere and stop fucking with us.