"There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief…and unspeakable love." – Washington Irving
The man looked at the pendant in his palm. Well half of one, he thought to himself. He slid the pendant in to his pocket, thinking of when they had "liberated" it together. She had thought it was calling her, and because he was a lady's man even back then he had helped. He grinned out right at the memories that came with the silver spiral in his pocket. Even though it was Innocence he would never let any one destroy it, or harm her. His smile dropped. Not even if the Earl himself ordered him to.
~o~0~O~0~o~
"That maldetha viejo borratho*!" the girl huffed, as she pulled her self and her bag up a steep cliff. She had been left behind again! That morning as soon as she saw the bills that had been left by her bed, she had fled. But strangely, this time there had been a map with an X on the top of the pile. She had been doubtful when she saw it and had been thinking it was a trap, but she thought she might as well see if Cross was there. She had already checked all the local pubs but Cross was nowhere to be found. She was almost at the top. A few minutes later she saw a building. She let out a sigh of relief. She wouldn't have to sleep in the open tonight, because even in now in late spring the weather turned bad at any time. And hopefully Cross wasn't leading her on a wild goose chase. She straitened her black skirt and tucked in her red blouse. She checked to make sure that her long black hair was in its braid. She then walked up to the double doors, knocked, and said in her politest voice, "Is there a red haired man inside?"
"No" something said, "Now, go away."
"I'm sorry, but I can't. I was told he would be here."
"If you don't leave, I will call Kanda or Allen!"
"I don't know who Kanda is so I don't car- … did you say Allen? As in Allen Walker?"
"Yes, and I called them both."
"… Shit. This is the Black Order isn't it?"
"Why yes it is. Only Akuma know this so you are an Akuma! AKUMA ALERT!" The doors opened and man that had feminine features, wearing his black hair in a ponytail and a glowing sword in his hand, and a white haired teenager charged out, saying "Innocence Activate" The woman turned and began to run. The white haired Allen faltered, then ran even faster, His Innocence deactivating.
"Maria," he shouted joyously, "I thought you would never show up!" Maria continued to run away.
"Oi, shut up Moiyashi, and work," said Kanda.
The Moiyashi took offense and reactivated his Innocence, then proceed to try and clobber Kanda with the hand. Maria hearing this slowed and was watching the fight.
After the rather short fight was over, Allen picks up Maria with his claw. "I won't run you know." She said, her teeth jolting with each step he took.
"Nope, I don't." Maria grumbled about the mortification of being carried by a brat. She then groaned, thinking, "Great, Cross finally got rid me." The woman shuddered thinking of the chaos he would cause without her there.
By this time they were inside the Order.
A thin Asian man, in a white lab coat with a white barrette was passing by and said "Allen, who's your friend?"
Allen put her down. "She's my-"
Maria elbowed him "Nobody" she insisted "nobody at all."
"Oh?"
"Don't listen to her Koumi! She's an Exorcist! Her name is Maria."
"Allen!" Maria shouted, "For the last time, I am not an Exorcist! I won't be one unless Cross is here as well. Allen you of all people know why I can't leave him alone, think of the harm that boratho dose. He is always, Always causing trouble! Remember when he was flirting with that Lord's only daughter!"
Komui winced remembering the last time he had seen Cross. Allen unscathed, retorted by saying "Yes, that's true but the Black Order needs Exorcists more and Cross promised me that he wouldn't do anything" Maria and Komui looked shocked at Allen's naiveté, but the man quickly recovered by saying "Of course Allen, and Maria?"
"Yes?"
"You're coming with me." Komui grabbed her hand and dragged her down the hall. Allen and Kanda began their fight again, over a new insult that had to do with, cutting hair? Komui started to babble about details and where she would stay and what she would do. She couldn't hear the argument any more, so she set about tuning him out and fuming at Allen for giving her away. She hadn't wanted to come with Allen because Cross needed someone to keep him out of trouble. She was fine with becoming an Exorcist, but how could that boratho do so much and never get caught, she had always wondered. Maria decided that it was because he always gave his worries to Allen. He would have conveyed them to her to but she was a faster runner then Allen. She vaguely felt like she was falling but when she looked down the floor was still there so she continued to let her self be dragged by Komui. When they stopped she looked up and saw a big, whitish, glowing, thing that looked barely feminine. She said "Padre nuestro que estás-" when the creature picked her up she stopped not daring to breath.
The being said "Do not be frightened, my child." the a feathery voice resumed "6%... 14%... 23%... 39%... 48%. 48% synchronization rate Maria."
"How did you know my name?"
"Your Innocence told me. And your Innocence level should be much higher. Where is the other half?"
Maria whispered, "I don't know"
"If you are not reunited with the Innocence's half and you're other half, within a year, you both will turn to dust."
The woman gulped and gave a wane smile, "Can you give me a hint?"
"For what, my daughter?"
"A hint about where my other half is." The glowing being slightly shook her head.
"No, I can not. I only know is that you have already met him."
" … Thanks, and Komui?" her voice began to screech.
"What?" Komui said startled.
"What or who is this, and why is it holding me?"
"Hmm? I already told you, that we were going to visit Hebraska, The keeper of the Innocence. I also said that she was going to test your Innocence. That she was going to test your synchronization with it, and it would tell us how good you were." Komui pouted. "You weren't listening to me." The woman flushed faintly and mumbled an apology, as Hebraska put her down next to Komui. He then took her hand and enthusiastically tugged her after him. She puzzled over how often this had happened to day. She paid attention as best she could when Komui started to chatter. It was something about "My Beautiful Lenali, who always brought him coffee, and her long black hair, and how I will never, ever let any other man come near her!" This is some girl friend then, she pondered. I can't wait to see her. They headed down several flights of stairs and when they reached the bottom, Komui let go and ran to find his "precious Lenali" she followed after him chuckling at how immature the older man was. While Komui raced ahead Maria was looking at her surroundings. They were in a tall room covered in papers. If you looked hard enough you could glimpse multiple desks and chairs under the massive pile of papers. She started to walk faster. Under her breath she muttered, "Must… resist… the urge… to clean!" She caved in and started by sorting the papers into completed and not done.
~o~0~O~0~o~
Komui looked back and noticed that Maria wasn't with him. He turned around and waded back through the sea of papers. While he was walking back, he felt the papers- lessen? He hurried around the corner to see a whirlwind of hands lifting up papers and putting them in stacks. The man stared wondering what it was, his scientific brain going in to over drive. He hadn't made a Kroumlin nor had anyone asked his permission to do an experiment. The vortex halted showing a panting woman with Spanish features. Maria. Why was she cleaning the Science Department he mused? An Asian girl, with her long black hair in two pigtails roamed over to gawk at the whirlwind. She said, "Brother, have you made a Kroumlin that actually works?"
He sputtered, "My Kroumlins all work! They just have unfortunate accidents. That" he said while pointing, "Is Maria a new Exorcist"
The young woman hit him lightly, with her coffee tray. "Brother! How can you make her work on your mess!"
Maria looked up to see a shorter Asian girl slapping Komui repeatedly with a platter. She paused to ask her self, why does every body fight here? They both looked at her and she became aware of the fact that she had said it out loud. She then stuck out her hand and spoke by saying, "Hello my name is Maria, and you are?"
The girl took it and said, "Nice to meet you my name is Lenali. This man is my brother, and welcome to the Black Order." Maria gaped at them. "What?" Lenali asked looking puzzled.
"Your not his girlfriend?" she blushed and rushed to explain. "He was praising you all the way down here and was saying that he wouldn't let any other man come near you, so I thought you were his girlfriend, I am so sorry for the misunderstanding."
Lenali smiled at her brother and kicked his leg. Hard. The brother clutched his leg. "What was that for my dear sweet, Lenali?"
She hissed. "It's because you say stuff like that, she thought we were dating."
Maria watched as a blond in a lab coat came up, and dragged Komui to a side office. The black haired man screamed with tears and snot dripping down his face, "Why dose my precious, Lenali hate me so." Maria, Lenali and some others Maria hadn't noticed were there sweat dropped.
Maria said, "So, what just happened?" here accent showing.
"Don't worry about it. Reever has to force my brother to do his work." She gave Maria a hug. "You have no idea how happy I am now that another girl is here. I'm sure we are going to be friends." Maria returned the shorter girls hug.
"Of course we are." She thought of why she had come down here after Lenali had let go. She let out a loud "Ahh! I was supposed to fill out some paper work, do you know where it is?" Lenali nodded, rushed over to a cabinet on the far wall grabbed a file and gave it to her.
"Everything is in that file," she said sweetly.
"Thank you. Where can I fill this out where there isn't a mess? Not, that it's a lovely place down here." She hastily said. "I just have to clean up any mess I see. It is my habit after being a maid for four years."
Lenali chuckled "I can take you to the main library. It's quite and neat inside, because of Bookman practically living in there."
Maria gave a grin of relief. "Gracias, me hermana."
While she sat in the library filling out paper work, a small, old man in Asian like garments, with black circles around his eyes, came up with a stack of books as tall as him. Maria blinked thinking her eyes were pulling tricks on her.
The man sat down and she said "Hello."
"Hello miss and how are you?"
Maria looked startled at the fact that he was speaking in her native language to her, but replied with a "Good and how are you?"
"I am fine. When did you arrive at the Black Order?"
"Just today. Thank you for speaking in my native tongue to me."
"You are welcome, I haven't spoken it in years so please forgive my errors."
Maria rushed to assure him that he sounded like he spoke it every day. "My name is Maria."
"My name is Bookman." They sat in silence, only disturbed by the sound of paper rustling.
Maria quietly asked, blushing faintly, "Can you read English? I can't read, at all."
"There's no shame in not knowing, the shame is in not willing to learn. Show me what you are having trouble with."
After all the paper work was filled out, Maria headed back down stairs and wondered into a large room filled with tables. People were lining up and so she lined up too. When she got to the head of the line a man wearing sunglasses and pink hair said "I haven't seen you around here sugar, when did you get here?"
"This mañanna, I mean morning. "
"I'm Jerry the chef, what do you want to eat?"
"Eat? Isn't there a menu?"
"Nope, My rule is you want it, I will make it."
"Then may I have a pa amb tomaquet* and a flan please?"
"Whoa, girl that's some spice. Can you handle all that?"
"Sí, I am from Barcelona."
"O.K. girl, one order of pa amb tomaquet coming right up!"
After she got her food. She was gestured over to sit with Lenali, Allen, and Kanda. When she arrived they told her about themselves. Lenali said, "My brother and I are orphans and I was chosen by my Innocence the Black Boots. I was separated from Koumi and taken to The Black Order." She shook her head as if to rid her self of a ghost before she continued. "During the two years we were separated, he had joined the Order to find me and became Head of the Science Department." She looked like she was tearing up and Maria gave her a hug. Allen was going to go next, but Maria said, "I already know every thing. You don't like having to talk about it any way, right?" He nodded; glad he didn't have to tell Kanda and Lenali. Kanda tched. Maria didn't know what that meant so she nodded. She ventured what she thought was a safe question, "So what's a moiyashi?"
Kanda smirked maliciously, while Allen oozed depression on the table. Lenali was trying to hold back laughter. Kanda said, pointing at Allen, "That is a Moiyashi."
"So what dose it mean?" Maria said, still not getting it.
"Bean sprout." Allen mumbled, his face still on the table. "Of all the things you could have asked, you had to say Moiyashi."
"It means short in Kandaese." Leenalee added helpfully.
"Ohh, so you are still touchy about your height, Allen?" Maria cocked her head.
"Maria, it hasn't even been four months sense I last saw you. How could I have gotten over it?" He raised his head, sadness fading.
"Well I thought you would have grown some." His head hit the table with a painful crack, his misery returning. "Allen, you haven't grown at all?" she asked shocked.
"I guess not." She said to Lenali. Kanda snickered. Maria didn't notice that she gave him new ammunition to hit Allen with later. She then said "Kanda, how do you keep your hair so clean, and shinny? I have to spend hours of brushing to get it to shine like that." Allen looked pleased with the thought of a narcissistic Kanda. Having unknowingly given them both, new information on the other, Maria simply began to eat her meal.
Later she asked politely if Lenali would guide her to the Science Department. She happy obliged, chartering and smiling the entire way. When Maria invited her in to wait as Koumi examined her Innocence, Lenali refused politely, her face saying something Maria couldn't detect. She shrugged and went to see Koumi.
When she arrived in the office he told her to sit on the couch, after she handed him the paper work. He flipped through the stack. "So you were born and raised on Barcelona?"
"Yes."
"Where did you live in Barcelona?"
"On the streets until I was given the position as a maid when I was 16, for the house of Santiago. They were rich merchants. That was four years ago."
"General Cross and Allen Walker found you then?"
"Yes while Cross was," Maria coughed, "visits to my mistress."
Koumi reddened, "How long have you been traveling with them?"
"About… a year? Give or take?"
"Your 20?"
"Yes? I guessed because I was the same height as the other maids."
"What languages can you speak?"
"I speak Espanol, English, French, Portuguese, and small phrases in German."
He looks down at the papers, "This says that you have no family?"
"Allen is my only family and because he's here I didn't put him down."
"… maybe him too." She adds faintly.
Koumi's eyebrows raised, sensing good tidbits of gossip, "Ohh? Who's the lucky fellow?"
"Some one I know, and that's all!" She said blushing. "I can still write letters, right?" worry quickly replacing her blush.
"You may after you are deemed trustable." He said slowly. "You wouldn't be able to say anything about where you were and your job." She nodded "Gracias, Koumi gracias. Same rules as Cross, then." Koumi looked shocked that Cross would bother with regulations. "Can you activate you Innocence for me?"
"Sí, of course." Maria's black necklace glowed and she began to sing…
*Damn old drunkard {describing Cross}
*: A large slice of fresh country bread (toasted or not) rubbed with tomato and drizzled with virgin olive oil. It may be topped with Iberian ham, cheese and anchovies or served along with meat, chicken or fish "a la brasa" (cooked over a charcoal fire). Can add spice if you wish
... Was it any good? Please Review! PS this story is written by Harmony Rains
Maria speaks Spanish with an accent because she was raised in Barcelona.
My Spanish teacher promised that she wasn't making it up...