My Damsel Breathes Fire: Chapter One; Untitled Books
A D. Gray-Man Fanfiction
By Exploding Your Universe
Chapter edited by Bookkbaby and Misster Cackles
'In the beginning, there was Dark and there was Light. One controlled the night while the other ruled the day. They balanced each other, one no more important than the other or significant. Like this Dark and Light symbolized Yin and Yang, and after Adam had been created they both made a power to represent themselves in a material form of two swords: Dark Matter and Innocence. Both were a gift to Adam so he could harmonize with Dark and Light.
'If the two swords were given to Adam before he fell from grace then he wouldn't have picked one over the other, but as Fate would have it done Adam preferred Dark Matter over Innocence. For the first time, Dark over-powered Light. Nights became longer and eclipses shadowed the Sun repeatedly.
'Eve took Innocence and preferred it over Dark Matter. For a while, Dark and Light were at balance again, until Adam developed greed. Eve saw the greed in her husband and knew he wanted Innocence as well, but he didn't want to possess it. Adam wanted to destroy Innocence so Dark Matter would be the only sword of the two and the one that he would own. In a hope to save her husband, Eve broke Innocence into one-hundred and eight pieces and scattered them across the Earth, but kept one to keep the balance of Light and Dark.
'Adam was angered by her action against him, and to punish Eve, he left their first son nameless. Despite this, the son grew to be completely normal. He loved both his parents and appreciated both Dark Matter and the single piece that was left of Innocence for both of the Dark and the Light it brought the Earth. This made Adam angrier. He developed wrath and planed to kill his twenty-year-old son. Soon, Eve found about her husband's plot to murder her son, and to protect the son she cut the final piece of Innocence she had in half, making a total of one-hundred and nine pieces of Innocence, and gave one to her son. Eve consumed her final piece of Innocence and became one with it.
'Giving her son a part of Innocence didn't stop Eve from trying to stop her husband's attack herself, but Adam slew her with Dark Matter and drew the sword back to strike his son.
'Dark Matter dissolved to dust in his hand from his wife's blood that was on it. Her blood contained all her love she had for Adam but the pity and resentment she held, too. Innocence granted her wish and saved her son without physically harming her husband.
'Without Dark Matter, Adam saw the error of his life and tried to make up for what he had done by naming the son. But as soon as the name "Noah" left his lips, Noah killed his father with his piece of Innocence to revenge Eve. Blinded by rage, Noah ate his father, starting with the hand that carried Dark Matter. Noah consumed the dust, and with only darkness in him, Noah grew wicked.
'From the Heavens, Light and Dark were saddened by what their gifts had brought. Together they wrote a prophecy to make sure that their power was not to be ill-treated again:'
Lavi turned the page, enthralled with what he had found in a new book Bookman wanted him to memorize, but the back page was blank. Stupefied, Lavi made sure he didn't skip a page, rubbing the parchment between his thumb and forefinger. No extra page. He looked to his mentor seated across from him. The library was quiet with only the two Bookmen there. Occasionally a literary Finder would come in and pick a book, but they never bothered the working Exorcists.
"Gramps, did you write this?" Junior asked, holding up the book. Bookman paused in his own reading and reached to take the book from Lavi. His make-upped eyes scanned the writing quickly but thoroughly. Bookman turned the page, but there wasn't anything there.
Bookman shook his head and looked at the cover. Like the rest of the inherited Bookmen's recorded books, the leather cover and spine was untitled. He flipped to the beginning that Lavi had already read. It talked about how the Romans conquered over the Persians in ancient times. "I haven't read this yet," he admitted after flipping some more pages. He went to the back page again where the new story began. It was only the front of that page, no back, but it obviously led on if the colon wasn't clue enough.
Lavi couldn't be sure, but he thought he might have seen a troubled look in his mentor's eyes as they drifted to a book pile had yet been read. After a moment, Bookman said, "You are dismissed from your lessons today, Lavi. I can finish up here. I'll find new material for you next week."
The redhead blinked in surprise. It was rare that Bookman would allow him to skip lessons. "Are you sure, Gramps?" Bookman nodded, making Lavi grin. "Cool. I'll see you later, then." He stood from his seat, stretching from the hours of sitting still. A few joints popped to his satisfaction as he looked back at Bookman. "Do you want me to come back and help you take this lot back to the room?"
Bookman huffed. "Do you expect me to not be able to do it myself, you little fool? I have it from here." Lavi grinned and waved to his mentor goodbye as he left to the cafeteria for a late lunch. Hearing his footsteps fade to silence, Bookman looked once again at the odd written work in the book.
He ripped the page from the book.
Some history, as Bookman saw it, was best left uncovered. The old man went in search for more pages like it from the books that were untouched, finding five more. He read through them, put them in order, and slid them in his Exorcist coat for safe keeping.
General Cross Marian must be rolling in his grave, Bookman thought. He knew about the General's wish for the other side of the war to be revealed, but it was just too risky to take a chance on some prophecy that was written before the actual battle between Noahs and Exorcists, before the Earl of the Millennium was ever an idea. Prophecies were not facts of history; they were predictions of the future.
Sure of himself now, the old man picked up the book he'd been reading before his apprentice interrupted him, but a moment later his golem beeped.
"Bookman, are you available?" Komui was on the other end.
Bookman looked at his golem and stood. "I am," he answered. He set the history book along with the others.
"I have a mission for you and Lavi to Portugal. There's been a number of Akuma sightings at the capitol, and all of the Finders we've sent to investigate if Innocence may be present are not able to make it back. We have received word that they are in hiding."
"I understand. Will new Finders be our escorts for this mission?"
There was slight hesitance followed with a negative noise. "No, not Finders this time. We don't want to risk any more Finders since we're still missing those that went to France. Kanda Yu, Allen Walker, Howard Link, and Noise Marie are on their way to find them."
The old man frowned. "'Not Finders, this time', Supervisor? Who, may I ask?"
"Central Office Battle Corps, but Bookman," Komui began urgently, switching to low tones, "I must inform you of my suspicions about Crow and how they're connected with General Cross Marian's death."
Bookman shook his head slowly. "The General, I felt, knew he was doing something risky by speaking of the different aspects of this war in front of Central's guard," he said mostly to himself, but with the golem's updated technology, the Chinese man heard it as well.
"Bookman, do you know what the General meant when he said 'other side'?" he asked though Bookman didn't answer him. Komui gave a defeated noise that sounded close to a huff of breath. "That's wise, but not preferred. I don't know what the General Cross meant, but I have a guess."
"And what's that?" The short man inquired curiously.
Komui chuckled, strained. "If you have secrets, I can too." Bookman lifted his lips upwards in an ironic sort-of grin. The smile went away as quick as it came, a deep thoughtful frown replacing it.
The short man asked after a moment, "Supervisor, could I request that my apprentice not accompany me on this mission?"
"I guess so; there haven't been any Akuma seen above Level Two," he answered. "But may I ask why not?"
"When do I leave for this mission?" Bookman asked instead. There was silence from the golem, and Bookman could imagine the expression on the Chinese man's face: confused, concerned, and possibly slightly irritated.
"…As soon as possible."
Bookman nodded at the instruction and ended the call, a heavy feeling beginning to swell in the pit of his stomach. He lifted a hand to hidden pocket inside his Exorcist uniform where he placed the torn pages; the man would need to hide them in a place only Lavi would ever think of finding, if the time came that it was truly important. If that was the case, however, and his successor were to indulge in what was written on the five pages, the Bookman line would end.
But prophesies weren't real. Could not be and would never be, such as a group of Exorcists and Noahs could never join together to bring an end to this war. That'd be impossible.
The Millennium Earl smiled at Tyki and slid a card on the table, and with ease the Noah of Pleasure put his hand on top of it as it came to him. Devit and Jasdero had been given their card last night, listed with only the vampire Exorcist's name while Road was selected to hunt Lenalee Li. Bored with slow progress of the new Akuma egg making, Tyki flipped over the name card and was greeted with a low mourning.
"Deleeete... Deeeeleeeete," cried Roron as the Noah's gold eyes scanned the two names added with Allen Walker.
Tyki glanced back to the Maker. "These are the Bookmen Exorcists; surely they have nothing to do with Hearts?" The Earl chuckled darkly at the reference and nodded.
"No, but a little bird told me they could be aware of the Other Side," the Earl replied. "Kill them if they do, Tyki-pon, and...kill them if they don't." Tyki bowed his head to show he understood the orders. The remaining Noahs didn't know what 'the other side of the war' was, but if it made their Millennium Earl unhappy it couldn't have been good.
"The Other Side will be when those pesky Exorcists get too cocky! Don't listen to what they say about it." Never a straight answer.
The Pleasure excused himself from the early family dinner and stood. "I shall start immediately, my Lord Millennium."
Footnotes: Please send feedback so I know how to improve! I know Misster Cackles had made about 13k+ chapters, but I'm stupid with large chapters. It'll soon go on to the track you're familiar with from Misster Cackles's original My Damsel Breathes Fire.
True fact: I was contemplating whether or not to put the scene when Tyki receives the name card.