Chapter One
~oOo~
I walked through the strident, hectic streets of Venice. The hood to my long cloak was drawn against the frosty December wind. I jogged a little; the faster I got out of the cold, the better. I could pick out his high voice all the way across town. He was pleading with his father for something. A toy, perhaps? I crossed Town Square and darted to the street they were standing on.
I could see him now. His dark hair was being whipped around his small face, snow catching in his lashes. He was a rather adorable child. Big hazel eyes, chocolate brown hair, and a huge, happy smile. The small boy pulled his green coat closer to him and latched a hand onto the back of his father's. Mana Walker smiled down at the cute boy, and I felt a sharp pang of anger shoot through my chest.
Who did he think he was, lying to me about the whereabouts of the 14th?
I grit my teeth in his direction. Still smiling, he looked up, and was staring directly into my eyes. The smile slipped quickly off his face. Almost mechanically, he grabbed Allen and pushed him into the bakery in front of them.
"Get me a blueberry tart, please Allen." He said.
Mana smiled and waved at the boy who left, as not to upset him. Then, when he was sure Allen was occupied, he walked over to where I was standing. He stopped in front of me, towering over my slim thirteen-year-old form. I glared up into his face, my pale, red eyes cutting into his flat silver ones. He looked away quickly, clearing his throat.
"What is the matter, Azrael?" He stated my awful first name with an annoyingly polite tone. Azrael. The name given to me by my father when I was born. The Angel of Death, Azrael, in the Bible, was my namesake. Very cool right?
No. I stared up at him in annoyance.
"The matter? With me? Oh, nothing except for the fact that your a lying, conniving, old man that's really starting to get on my bad side." I smiled at him now, mocking him.
He raised an eyebrow at my attitude. "Not now Azrael. I-"
I cut him off. "I don't want to talk to you Mana. I just want one answer. Where is the 14th?" I decided playing dumb, and seeing if he'd lie to me again, was the safest route for now.
Mana Walker sighed. "I told you, when my brother died, I lost all connections to him. He's gone. I don't know where to."
My eyes narrowed, my cheeks flushed, and my teeth gnashed together. Liar. There were only two things I could hate in this world: liars…and my father.
Mana took a hesitant step backwards, his eyes flashing wearily. I stepped forward, motioning with my finger for him to lean down. He did so reluctantly, gritting his teeth in fear and anger.
"Merry Christmas Mana Walker." I hissed, putting as much venom into that one whisper as I could muster.
Stunned, Mana looked up at me, but saw nothing. I had vanished into thin air. He looked around in surprise. I laughed quietly, slipping into the alleyway behind me. I was a fast creature, and humans were considerably slow compared to me. As I watched Mana walk back towards the bakery, I felt a wave of sadness and pain wash over me. Mana was protecting Allen Walker, the 14th's last minute escape route, from me.
But why? I could protect the boy to the ends of the Earth, and against all forms of danger! Thieves, murderers, Noah, akuma...I was the ultimate bodyguard! I was the daughter of the Millennium Earl, princess among the Clan of Noah, and soul mate to the Musician.
The 14th.
I remember my birth 1,000 years ago, in the middle of Jerusalem to the Earl and a priestess. I was born with a shock of snow-white hair, pale moon colored skin, and mysterious, disturbing, red-pink eyes, like diluted red food dye.
I remember my first encounter with the Musician: he was sitting in a quiet alley, holding a piece of chalk in one hand, and he was humming a beautiful tune. It sounded like flowing water, or a cool breeze. It was soft and a little sad. But very true and deep. The musician was about twenty-three at the time, and I was only thirteen. My shocking white hair was held away from my face with a thin thong of fabric, and my white robes showed my royal status. He was wearing robes of noble rank as well. I sat down in front of him, looking up into his clear amber eyes.
Then, I began to hum along with him.
My high soprano voice mixed beautifully with his alto-bass. We sat like that for hours, singing and humming different tunes, until it was dark outside and I was called for home. I bid good-bye and walked away, feeling an odd sense of happiness spread through me. For I was born of the Millennium Earl, for destruction.
I was born to be one of the most devastating weapons on earth. Azrael, a name given to me for my astounding beauty and murderous nature. And yet, I had found love and happiness in one of life's most simple yet complex wonders.
Music.
Shaking myself out of my reverie, I slipped up onto the roof of a bar, curling myself up into a small ball. I looked out over the city, my finely tuned eyes picking out a small head of dark hair. I smiled softly to myself. Allen Walker, it was time we became acquainted. I leapt down from the building, dissolving into a snow-like state so as to catch up with them. I reformed about six feet behind the small boy.
He was now holding a large cinnamon bun, steam curled off the pastry in little arcs and curls, and was talking animatedly to his father. Mana was laughing and snacking on a similar tartlet. I stuck close behind them, barely letting the two out of my sight. They strolled away and down onto a more deserted street. This made it more difficult to blend in with the people around them, seeing as how there were no people! So, I hung back in the crowd, leaping onto a rather high building and running along the top of it to catch up. From there I just jumped from building to dark, scary building until I landed on the roof of the hotel they were occupying.
They slipped inside the hotel, and I slipped off the hotel roof. I hung upside down from one of the windowsills, peering inside to the lobby. My snow white hair fell downwards with gravity, my short, straight bangs looked silly hanging the way they were. I looked into the check in room. A woman sat at the front desk, she was talking to Mana, about the rooms. I averted my attention to Allen.
The little boy was looking at me, my heart stopped for a second. Until I saw that he was laughing. I smiled brilliantly at him. He beamed at me and ran over to the window. He waved his small hand energetically. I smiled softly and wriggled my pale fingers at him.
"Why are you upside down?" He whispered.
"Because it's more fun than right side up." I whispered back. He laughed an adorable little laugh. My chest felt warmer all of the sudden, my vision less foggy.
This young boy, this small earthly human that I have known for all of two minutes – and watched for two weeks – had already brought warmth into my icy, remote, and unloving heart. I felt rejuvenated. Reborn. Again...
I let myself fall from the sill face-first towards the ground, catching myself just in time to land on my feet and sink about four feet into the snowdrift by the hotel. Perfect. I could hear Allen laughing again.
"Mana! Can I go play in the snow for a little while?" He asked.
Mana was hesitant to answer. "I suppose for a little while, until get us checked in." He said. Allen chirped a thank you and ran for the door to the hotel. He ran all the way to the other side of the inn, stopping right in front of me. His hazel eyes bright with excitement and wonder at the beautiful girl with odd hair and eyes buried in about two feet of snow.
"A little help, kind sir?" I asked holding out a hand.
He grabbed tight hold of it and attempted to pull me loose of the snow. I kicked myself free and wiggled until I was on solid ground. Allen was still smiling, except now he was looking up at me, his face tipped up a little bit. His cheeks were pink from the cold and his hair was coated in a fine dusting of flakes. I brushed my coat off and looked down into his small face.
"What's your name?" I asked him, like I didn't already know...
"Allen Walker." He stated. "What's yours?"
I hesitated for a second. I didn't want to introduce myself to him as Azrael, I wanted another name for now. An alias of sorts. Well, Azrael was the Angel of Death. Hm...another name, another name.
"Kira." Technically it meant death of sorts in Japan. And Allen would never know that, and I technically wouldn't be lying about my name. Allen grinned up at me.
"Kira, that's a pretty name." He told me. I smiled, If only you knew... I bent down so that we were more the same height.
"How old are you, Allen Walker?"
"I turned five about two months ago. How old are you?"
Approximately 1,000 years old. But I am not going to tell you that because you would never believe me. "I'm nine." I have no clue when my birthday is. I like to celebrate it on January second, because that's practically the New Year.
Allen nodded his head.
"Want to play with me?" He asked, excited again. Play? At seven o' clock p.m. on a snowy day?
"Uh, yeah!" I smiled and grabbed his arm, we ran a little ways behind the hotel and settled there. I made snow angels with Allen, and a huge snowman, complete with a snow dog, and a snowball fight. Let's just say, there was plenty of snow. By the time we were finished, our fingers were frozen and our faces numb. I was about to suggest he go inside when my sensitive ears picked up a loud,
"ALLEN!" Mana Walker was calling for Allen now. Allen's face fell a little. Then it lit back up.
"Hey! Do you want to stay with us?" He asked, clinging onto the sleeve of my coat as we slowly walked around the building. I shook my head sadly, pulling my arm free.
"Sorry Allen, I have to go now." His face scrunched up in worry and sadness.
"Will I see you tomorrow?" He asked, hanging tightly to my jacket. "Please? I really, really want to be your friend!" He said in that adorably honest way little children had.
I brushed snow out of his dark hair. Smiling softly at him, as if I would, could, leave him now. I was already lost on him. He was mine now.
"Of course Allen. I'll see you tomorrow. But I have a question for you."
He looked up at me with interest. "Yes?"
I bent down low so that we were eye to eye. "Can you keep me a secret from Mana? Please?"
Allen looked stunned. "Keep you a…secret? From my dad? But why?" Allen's voice was getting a tad high now, I made a shhh! gesture with my finger and pulled him closer. My lips were right up to his ear now.
"Please?" I whispered.
He pulled back and looked at me in confusion, but he nodded anyway. I sighed, breaking out in an angelic smile for him. He smiled back at me, then he turned and ran as fast as he could towards Mana, and the warmth of the hotel. I stood in the snow for a bit longer, feeling oddly nostalgic. I looked up at the sky and the wind picked up my pale hair, tossing it into the sky; a splash of violent white to mix in with the white snowflakes and black sky.
I turned away, walking back onto the street, wandering down the lanes and avenues. It was almost eight o' clock now, the streets were no longer filled with bustling shoppers and frantic venders. It was quieter, only vagabonds and older men in bars or smoking were to be seen. A few of the men eyed me curiously. Who was this strange and transcendent creature walking down the street at this almost late hour?
I pulled my black hood up over my hair, feeling self-conscious. You would think that over the centuries I would become immune to the stares and whispers that follow me wherever I go. But I don't. If anything, I become even more aware of my oddness. The same heavy sense of nostalgia settled back over me, and I allowed myself to succumb to the memories that came with it.
The Noah are an elite group of superhuman monsters, with amazing abilities and senses. Every one hundred years, the Noah are reborn in a human form, and they are born with all of their Noah memories and powers. I myself wasn't considered a Noah, precisely. I was more of an extra super weapon, the grand secret that would be the downfall of all exorcists. I remember all of my past lives. Each time, being born to a mother who thought I was a monster, cursed with my pale hair and awful eyes, and then to cast me away, only to be found and brought up by a member of the Noah.
A hundred years ago, I was raised by the Pleasure of the Noah. Now his name is Tyki Mikk. I haven't seen him yet. The only Noah that I've really seen in this life was the Wrath of the Noah, Skin Boric. And that was not a very pleasant encounter seeing as how, a hundred years ago I forsake the Noah, my "family,", to be with the 14th; my love; the Musician.
That lifetime was very frantic and secretive, complete with many of various hiding places, and running for a safe haven in the middle of the night. When the Musician left the Noah to side with the exorcists, my father was in an uproar. There was to never, ever be any contact with him again. He was to be hunted and destroyed as soon as possible, anything to keep him from helping the Exorcists.
But, what none of the Noah, nor my father expected was for I, Azrael, to join sides with my husband and fight for the exorcists. That's when everything fell to pieces. All of the sudden, the most valuable component, the queen on my father's chessboard, was a traitor. To him. All Hell broke loose then, because, you see, my father hates to lose.
Akuma swarmed the planet, taking thousands of lives and souls. My love and I did our best to battle the accursed demons, and with the help of the exorcists of the Black Order, we won. The Noah died off and my father went into hiding. The Musician and I were free to live out the remainder of our lives in semi-peace. But, in this century, about forty years ago, when we were reborn, the 14th was still a rebel and I his accomplice.
The Noah hadn't returned yet though, my father was ready to make his comeback now that I was on the field again. The 14th was born as brother to Mana Walker in that life. I was born to yet another woman who would not keep me. I was raised in an orphanage, dreams of a strikingly beautiful boy with tan-olive skin and amber eyes occupied every single one of my dreams. I remember breaking out of the orphanage, and running away. And I kept running until I ran straight into a handsome boy of about thirteen years, complete with bright blue eyes and thick, dark hair.
The Musician.
We were inseparable since then. But when my father returned to public eye, we were in danger once more. Then, he died. At the age of twenty-seven, he was dead. His soul wandered the Earth for a while. My human body for that cycle was demolished without the 14th.
What were my reasons to stay?
So, I died a year or two after him. But, before Mana Walker discovered poor little Allen, and the Musician decided to take over his body and soul, I was reborn. In the same century, hell, almost the same decade, I was reborn into the body I was in now.
I longed for the 14th in this life. Had dreams of him, heard his musical voice in my head. I became honestly depressed when, after all my searching, I couldn't locate him. And then, I remembered his brother, Mana.
Was he still alive?
Did he know where the Musician was?
I was going to find out, if I had to go through Heaven and Hell to do it. I remember finally finding Mana; he had taken up a career as a clown in a famous traveling circus. Now, I really hate clowns, and I mean hate them. How can you ever trust someone who smiles all the time? You can't, and I don't. I was utterly repulsed when I found him making silly balloon animals for a group of young humans.
They were laughing and smiling, enjoying the fun filled night. I was on edge the entire time, keeping sharp look out for the creepy face-painted freaks. When all the children had been cleared away, I reluctantly approached. He recognized me instantly, standing in shock, staring at me for a few minutes. I was the one to break the silence.
"Hello Mana. Do you remember me? Do you know who I am?" I asked quietly, standing a good six feet away from him still. He blinked, and answered.
"Remember you? How could I not? Of all the times my brother and I fought for you attention and affection; of all the millions of times at the fair and playground. Of how jealous I was when Catrin won. Of your wedding. Of his death. Of yours."
A tear slid down his cheek, smudging the white face paint away and showing a streak of pale human skin. I smiled at the Musicians name, Catrin, in that life. I stepped forward, wrapping my thin, small arms around his torso. He touched my hair softly.
"I need to know where he is, Mana. Please?" I looked up at him then, my eyes shining with tears. Mana's face was still painted with that disgusting fake smile, but his eyes were clear.
He knew. And he wasn't going to tell me. I sighed, stepping back.
"So?" I asked, hopefully. He shook his head, "My brother's whereabouts are unknown to me. I haven't got the slightest idea, Azrael." I stood back, looking coolly up into his scary face.
"You had best not be lying to me, Mana Walker. I am in no mood for your games." I stated, looking dead serious. His face shut down, showing no emotion except for the gaudy fake smile painted there.
"I'm sorry Azrael, but I don't have any information on the 14th. Good night." With that, he walked away from me. And that was the last I saw of him, until today.
I continued my pointless walk through town, looking into shop windows and peeking into bars. Seeing as how I was nine in this life, I was forbidden to even think about entering one. I stopped in front of a quiet family tavern; the place was almost empty, aside from a few older men and a sailor boy. I walked quietly up to the counter, the bar tender looked at me in surprise.
"May I have an apple cider please? No cinnamon." I pulled out a few bills from my pocket and set them on the surface of the counter. I looked up expectantly. The man behind the bar was just staring at me.
"Uh, excuse me young lady, but aren't you a little uh, young to be out so late?" He asked, taking the bills and turning to get my drink. I shook my head a little and answered in the most angelic voice I could muster, which was pretty dang angelic if I do say so myself.
"No sir, please, do not judge me do to my appearance, for I am much older than I look." I didn't have to look up to register the fear in the man. I could feel his heart race in the tip of my fingers, I could smell the adrenaline in his veins. And I could taste the metallic tinge of terror in the back of his throat.
Even when I tried to be polite I scared the living daylights out of humans.
Maybe it was my appearance, or perhaps my scent, for my family told me that I had an odd smell about me, like beautiful wild flowers. But this scent masked another, a metallically smell, like rust.
Blood.
My smell was a constant unease too the human race; a lovely smell to hide an awful one; like a good and generous person really turning out to be a murderer. That's what I smelled like to them. Well, sort of. Humans could smell the flowery, sweet scent, and could detect a rather strange one, but they won't comprehend what it is.
It's their survival instincts that kick in and realize what the odor is. Then, they get uneasy about me; a beautiful, strange girl, not even ten years old, and all of the sudden you want to get as far away from her as possible. It was maddening. As if I could control how I smell. Though, I suppose, my scent is just a physical comparison to me.
A beautiful and odd appearance to distract from an evil and formidable core.
I stood up from my stool all of the sudden. "Never mind, I don't want a drink, but please, keep the money." With that I jumped down from the high bar stool and walked gracefully toward the exit.
"No! Wait, young lady!" The door to the bar swung shut, cutting off the bartender's call. I kept walking, a feeling of self-hatred settling deep in my mind.
It was always like this. I would grow up hating myself, loathing what I was; the power I had; the reason I existed. And then, I would meet the Musician, and he would change that. I would come to see the good in me; the kindness, the sense of morality. I would be comfortable with who I was around him.
But with him gone...what will happen to me?
No.
He is not gone. He lives; through little Allen Walker. And he shall be mine.
-o-