Author's Note: Sequel to The Beginning of the End, I have finally decided on a plot for this story. This story is more of a Mystery / Crime, than an Adventure/ Family, so hopefully that change won't discourage too many readers. As always, please read and review, let me know what you think of it, and whether I should continue or not!
-For some reason my scene changes aren't working, as well as a name. The criminal's name is Mr. , and for all those who are confused, there was meant to be a scene break in between there but it didn't work…. This is the third attempt at uploading it, fingers crossed!
She felt her grip on reality loosen, her vision began to blur. She was in denial, she couldn't believe what was happening.
She had felt this sensation once before, and she never thought she would again.
Death.
She could see her beloved brother Tyki fall to the floor, along with the exorcists.
This wasn't possible…why?
Why was this happening?
She could barely make out what stood before her, alas she was still able to recognize it…
HIS smile.
The same one he wore every day, but somehow different. Her throat clenched as she felt it in its final stages. She only managed to choke out one heart-breaking word.
"Why…?"
The darkness flooded her vision, and she could no longer see anything, even though she knew she had her eyes wide open…
She was falling once again, and this time…HE wouldn't be there to catch her.
"Wake up!"
Tyki didn't pride himself on knowing that he had one of the closest relationships with the young Noah of Dreams…No. That's not right either…the eldest. Even after they had found Allen, Tyki and Road remained two of the closest out of the whole family.
That's why he would recognize that voice anywhere. Although it sounded different, faltering and sounding strained, which was the exact opposite of its usual chirpy tone, he recognized it instantly. He was worried, he wanted desperately to comfort her, and tell her that it would all be alright, but something deep down told him that it wasn't. His head was foggy and his mind was clouded, but he still screamed when the previous memories flooded his brain.
Allen…His smile…
That feeling…Tyki had never experienced it before, but he knew of it all too well. They say in that moment before you find eternal peace, your entire life flashes before your eyes, and you feel calm. This certainly was not the case, the idea of 'betrayal' from his youngest sibling stung an already black heart, but what pained him more was the smile that continued to adorn his lips…
It the same one he always wore, but different.
Sure, sometimes in the ark, he could tell that Allen's 'happiness' was fake, but was it all just a lie?
Tyki would almost laugh if he wasn't hurting so much… he couldn't feel any physical pain, but the mental shock he was enduring was overwhelming. He wondered briefly what his families' reactions would be… and Road…surely she would be completely shattered, if she actually survived. It was pathetic really... everything, all his beliefs wavered, and the only thing he could believe in, was THIS, is 'dying'.
"Wake up Tyki…Please! I can't lose you! JUST WAKE UP!" The little girl cried desperately, clutching his now tear-soaked shirt with the remainder of her strength.
Two pale eyelids fluttered open slowly, revealing two piercing mahogany eyes.
It was too bright, and Tyki couldn't stop the small moan from escaping his lips. It was blinding… he could tell he was lying in the sun. He felt its warm rays caressing his cheek tenderly, as well as another source of warmth.
This one felt like it was alive, as he could feel its faint heartbeat, as well as shallow its breathing as the breath , and…whimpering?
Did he get it right?
In a clumsy attempt to comfort the petit figure, he managed to prop himself up into a sitting position, and began to pat her head affectionately. The sobs still wracked her body, as she would shudder and quiver horribly every few seconds. Tyki was never the best at comforting people, but if he could in any way ease her pain, he was willing to give it a go.
"It'll be alright Road, we'll just tell the Earl and he'll know what to do." If anything, her cries grew louder as she tried to compose herself enough to speak. After repeated false starts, she finally was able to structure a sentence.
"N-no. Tyki.. I- I can't… I… I can't do anything! He sealed them!" She broke down once more, crouching on the floor, rubbing at her eyes fiercely.
"Huh?" came the confused response from a now bewildered Tyki.
"I don't have any powers! I'm just a stupid human!" she screamed back at him, beating his chest with her hands. It may have hurt him, but Tyki was too stunned from what he had just heard.
To his horror, he was unable to use any of his powers either, as he realized he was now in his 'white' form.
Tyki actually began to take in his surroundings, and for some reason, they were in the middle of a forest. The trees were large and overhanging, creating huge shadows leaving only small gaps for the sunlight to peak through. They were in a clearing, as the only sunlight peaked through the overgrowth, illuminating the small area. Looking around, he noticed a heap of bodies near to one tree. It took him a moment before he recognized the familiar rose cross that embroided their uniforms.
Exorcists?
Were they dead?
Road noticed his distraction as she also swiveled around, noticing the mound. She was sure they were all still alive, and judging by the heaving mass and the occasional grunt, at least one of them was awake.
This wasn't good…two Noah stripped of power up against… 5 exorcists?
Why were there 6 bodies?
Ah, the finder…in any case this was not going to end well.
"Argh!"
Amongst the heap of bodies, a certain red-haired bookman was trying to find air, and failing miserably.
In frustration, he growled loudly in the hopes of waking someone up. It took him minutes of scurrying, squirming and the occasional push to reach the surface.
"Oh sweet oxygen, how I've missed you!" he announced loudly, not realizing there were two Noah watching his every move cautiously. He looked around worriedly to find he was sitting atop a mountain of exorcists somewhere in a forest…
It didn't make any sense…
One moment he was sitting at a dining table, then he felt like he was dying, and now he wakes up in a forest?
There was something seriously wrong, because for once Lavi was VERY confused. He scanned the clearing more effectively this time, noticing two figures that seemed to be hugging. He titled his head slightly to the side, before the memory hit him.
They were the other Noah at the dinner table! Why didn't they have gray skin now?...He pondered for a moment, before realizing Noah = danger. As if an instinct, he reached down to where his hammer SHOULD be, only to find the space empty.
"Where did you put my innocence!" he snarled, causing both of the Noah to swivel around instantly, revealing one distraught face and the other with a surprised one. Even this reaction caused the message to sink in further…Noah had feelings too…they were just as human as he was. Lavi attempted to compose himself enough to speak in a proper manner, more like a Bookman, before the silence was interrupted with laughter. He eyed the smaller one curiously as she was now rolling on the floor, clutching her sides, laughing and crying at the same time.
"So he got you guys too?" she more stated than asked, pointing at him, still giggling slightly. Road patted the ground next to where she was lying, indicating that he should take a seat. Lavi couldn't stop the low growl that escaped his throat at her comment.
Allen was one of the few people he considered to be a friend, even as a bookman, and today's events had completely shattered his view on life.
Lavi sighed once more, before ripping himself out of the heaving mass known as his comrades, then stalking over to where to two Noah were seated.
"You're the Bookman apprentice, right?" the smaller of the two asked curiously, holding her index finger to her lips and tilting her head to the side slightly. She truly looked like an innocent little girl, if Lavi didn't know about the thousands of deaths she had caused with those hands, then maybe he would have thought of her as just that.
He nodded stiffly, unwilling to show any emotion to these Noah.
"Okay, then I think it should be best to tell you our dilemma. I'm Road, this is Tyki." She said, gesturing to both herself and Tyki respectively.
She reached out to shake his hand, as he returned to offer, replying "Lavi." He reached out and shook the other's hand too, but the older looking Noah looked too stunned to actually participate in the conversation.
"To cut a long story short, we're in the same position as you." Road spoke up, breaking the silence as Lavi's jaw dropped.
"S-so you mean you're not a Noah?" he stuttered back. She burst into laughter once more as Tyki sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Not quite, boy, we still ARE, but Allen technically has our powers, just as he has your innocence." Understanding spread over Lavi's face in an instant, as he broke into a wide grin.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully before replying "So Noah powers are like equipment type innocence?" At this, Road started laughing even harder, as Tyki was finding it difficult not to do the same.
"Not at all, boy. The only one in the world that can 'seal' Noah, is Allen- just as he is the only one who can absorb innocence, as well as Akuma." Lavi's jaw almost hit the ground upon hearing this.
"Listen, record our conversation like a good Bookman, but by the end of the day, no matter how much I don't like it, we are going to need your help to find him…Allen, that is." Lavi nodded mechanically, listening intently to what the Noah had to say. Road was the first to speak up after finishing her laughing fit.
"Tyki… I was meaning to discuss this with you earlier but I never got the chance. If you remember ages ago, I was in his subconscious and viewed his memories, so to speak. Being the Noah of dreams, I can tell the clear difference between memories and dreams, but there was something wrong with Allen. His memories…they didn't feel right….It felt like…they WERE memories, but not his…"
Tyki's eyes almost bulged out of his sockets when he heard this, as Lavi recorded it like a bookman was meant to.
"So, this got me thinking back then, that I should investigate it. Out of all the things I discovered, there was one that set me on edge…."
Tyki raised an eyebrow while searching for a cigarette in his back pocket nonchalantly.
"You mean about the 'Fallen Angel'?" He asked, as she nodded solemnly.
"It wasn't that which surprised me…I looked over his past and I did the working…there are two years missing…" Tyki tilted his head to the side slightly...he was never an ace at math.
"What do you mean exactly?" he inquired when he found the lighter for his cigarette.
"I did some research, and I found that there were two years of his life where he….to put it simply, disappeared off the face of the earth… He wasn't with the circus troop, nor Mana, nor us, nor the exorcists…we need to find out where he was."
Tyki tilted his head to the side slightly, confused with the whole situation.
"But Road…surely he was just on the street somewhere?" Road shook her head solemnly before turning back with a cold gaze.
"I already considered that…but the fact remains. Those two years, it is like his memory was erased…." Lavi couldn't help but ask in this situation, being a bookman thousands of pieces of data flew around in his head all the time, but somehow, all the pieces seemed to match this particular case.
"How old was he at this time?" Lavi asked worriedly. Both Noah turned around, mildly frustrated with the interruption, but answered nonetheless.
"I think about 6...", she replied, scratching her chin thoughtfully. Lavi almost jumped in surprise…somehow it all started to make more sense.
"I think he might have been in an orphanage." Lavi replied biting his nails nervously. Road raised an eyebrow, as Tyki cracked up in laughter.
"What makes you think that, bookman jr?" she retorted coldly, pointing at him once more. Lavi couldn't help but let an all knowing smile spread across his lips.
"You're right, I am Bookman Jr, which means I have a photographic memory along with more knowledge than some entire nations…That isn't important right now, but from what you've told me, it seems like it was most likely that he WAS in fact in an orphanage."
Road raised an eyebrow once more, trying to search for whatever evidence he was backing his statements up with.
"You see, it is one of the things that even bookman and I have almost no knowledge of…the orphanages. I remember hearing once about one in particular… it was controlled by the government at the time…Do you know what that means?" he asked, jabbing a finger in the direction of the two confused looking Noah.
Both which shook their heads slowly.
"It meant that it was a government testing facility, under complete control of the Vatican."
"Mr. , you will answer my question! Out of the 12 murders you have committed in the last 3 months, why did you kill the Director of Child-Welfare, Dr. Teren? In all your other murder cases, you've claimed righteousness, as the people you killed were all 'trash', so why kill someone like him? He completely disproves your theory, as he was a family man with a heart of gold….Unless, you didn't do it for yourself…" The detective trailed off, given only a cold stare in return.
Silence.
Minutes later the criminal broke out into insane laughter. In an instant, his smile was replaced with a look for resentment.
"That one….left a bad aftertaste…" he replied coldly. The detective was practically on the edge of his seat.
He was finally talking!
"I killed him, because he asked me to…" The detective was standing upright with his fists clenched on the table.
"No….I'm not sure if you can call it 'he'."
The detective replied in the calmest voice he could, trying to understand the situation.
"You don't know what gender he was?"
More laughter.
It died down soon enough as the criminal shuddered.
"No. 'It' would be more fitting.. I met it. A true monster…." He whispered maniacally before being dragged out of the room.
Become the killer…
A library… the non-fiction section…why this section?
Is there a reason?
There has to be…nothing is just coincidence…
It is broad daylight…there is a high chance I'll be caught…yet I stay anyway.
I look around for him, the picture I was given was hand-drawn, yet detailed enough.
It took a moment to find him… three gun-shots, he collapses…
I don't even bother to run, and just stand there waiting to get apprehended by police…
"It doesn't make sense!" the detective shouted to no one in particular. He was on his way to the crime-scene, trying to find the missing piece.
There must have been some communication….
Before he knew it, he had arrived, but was too busy reenacting the scene in his mind to notice. He stepped out of the carriage almost mechanically as he gazed up at the looming figure ahead.
It was a library, a large, expensive one at that. It had brilliant marble decorations, along with two stone lions standing alongside the front entrance. It would make an amazing masterpiece if it was not stained in blood… He kept walking down the long corridors as his footsteps echoed through the hollow halls.
Tap,
Tap,
Tap.
Bright police tape covered the entrance to the non-fiction section, yet he crossed anyway, partly due to his responsibility, and partly to do with his own burning curiosity. It didn't take long…
Tap,
Tap,
Tap.
He was at the scene…the white chalk outlined where the corpse was found only hours ago. It was dark now, as the preciously radiated hall was blanketed in shadows.
Tap,
Tap,
Tap.
The inspector shot around instantly, pulling out both his torch and his gun. He had long stopped moving to examine the blood spatter….those footsteps were not his own…
Maybe it was his mind playing tricks on him?
He sighed, and attempted to shrug it off, turning his attention back to the crimson that matted the carpet. His blood froze as the moonlight seemed to shimmer off its surface…
That…that shouldn't be possible.
Slowly, agonizingly slowly, he reached down, placing one finger in the pool of blood…..
Fresh….
The incident had occurred hours ago…
Blood dries fast…
Why was it fresh?
A small voice in the back of the detectives mind screamed danger, and to run for his life, but he literally couldn't move his legs. It was like they were no longer under his command.
He turned the torch back to the shelves, attempting to distract himself from what he reasoned, and prayed was paranoia.
He scanned them hastily as they all appeared to be regular history books. One caught his eye, it was slender, only a finger in width, but what caught his eye was the moonlight that was glinting wickedly off its surface…
Wait…it was just like….
In silent horror, he ripped the small, fragile looking book from the shelf, noticing the crimson stain that immediately smeared on his hands.
Its spine was coated in blood….
Fresh….
What does this mean?
He held the torch wearily over the front cover….
A picture book?
It was decorated scarcely with a rather crude sketch of a monster on the front. It had black holes for eyes, along with a hunch making it appear to be standing on all fours. It was wearing a shawl that covered up to its ankles, wearing a top had that covered most of its hair. A few strands were escaping the hat, collapsing down onto its rough, green face….
He didn't know what it was about the monster that sent chills down his spine, but he could swear the temperature actually dropped a few degrees. The title of the book was in another language…it looked like Hungarian.
In a hurry, he pulled out a translator from a nearby shelf. Skimming over the pages, he translated it as quickly as possible. He pulled out a note-book and recorded its name, just in case something happened.
"'The Monster Without a Name' huh?" he remarked as casually as possible, alas the tell-tale signs of fear began to seep through.
Tap,
Tap,
Splash.
He was sure it wasn't his imagination this time…he could hear the echo of boots on the marble floor…but the last sound…it was like someone stepped in a shallow pool.
As if on cue, his torchlight flickered momentarily before extinguishing. He felt like screaming, crying, begging for mercy but somehow, he knew that he would receive none.
He turned around, slowly, so slowly until he was facing the figure looking down on him.
The moonlight caressed his cheeks almost lovingly, along with his glimmering silver hair and his childlike features, he could be considered an angel. The only blemish on the perfect face was a black scar that ran from the cheekbone to the forehead ending with an upside-down star.
The detective was not fooled, in his line of work; this kind of person was the most dangerous, the most deadly, the most unstable. The most tell tale signs of insanity…his eyes. If they could even be called that, the swirling gray orbs actually seemed to glow brighter than the moonlight. Somehow, the detective knew not to look into them…The 'angel's' smile grew even wider when it bent down, so it was eye level with the frozen detective.
No words could describe the extreme tension, the agony and the oppressive weight of the silence. The detective now knew…the figure was clearly male, but….the only word that could describe the pure terror which was emitted, the terror that actually seemed to form a toxic cloud that hung over the heads of any living creature nearby….the only word that could describe 'it'.…
…Monster.
Cold sweat broke out on his forehead as it actually felt like his blood was freezing. The Monster slowly lifted its hand, pointing to the book the Detective now clutched feebly. The Monster smiled once more as he mouthed once simple word, letting the Detective know it was all over.
'Mine'.
No one heard the screams that echoed the library that night, just as no one saw the living nightmare that caused them.