I do not own D. Gray-Man, nor am I here to make profit from this work of fan-fiction.
If there is one thing you hate most about the Duke, it is most certainly the fact the he undoes your doings. You make sure people die on schedule, and their souls depart- and the Duke, well, made it his duty to reverse their ends. Hours of your work are for naught! You seethe every time, but know that there is nothing you can do. He isn't scheduled to die any time soon. And he won't.
You glance at the parchment crumbled in your hand and exhale with a snarl. Another akuma has been made. "Dammit, Duke!" Without hesitation you weave through streets of people; your incorporeal form ghosting through running children and impatient adults. Not one complained since you are invisible to a mortal eye, but a few did shiver. It ceased to bother you around twenty years ago- after all, why bother trying to communicate with someone who can't see you? It's the reason you normally stay indoors; the reason you distance yourself from things. Sure you have pleasures in life, like spooking. Spooking is a pleasure only you experience because- Let's start from the beginning:
Sixty-seven years ago there was a child. It was born of (e/c) eyes and (h/c) hair on a cool autumn night. See, Death had touched the child the moment she was born. Death could see that his end was near, and that he had served his purpose; a new "Angel of Death" would take his place. So dear Death chose: and his choice was that giggling, grinning child born of (e/c) irises. And he stole her.
Death took the slumbering child in the dark of night, leaving her parents devastated and baffled. He would raise her as an apprentice of sorts, hand her her fate, and fade away when she turned twenty-two. She neither saw nor heard from her keeper since, took her knowledge, and did the only thing she was taught: Be Death. It was clear to her later that he had intended on leaving her; that he was not her true parent. But the girl didn't fuss. She didn't even cry- for she did not know how. Oh, that child was now a beautiful adult- a woman with the appearance of an nineteen-year-old, but the wisdom and mind of one her true age:
"Sixty-seven. I can't believe this is my sixty-seventh birthday, and that bastard still hasn't shown up! What did he do? Die? Can Death die? Fuck. Am I going to die!?" You call angrily. No one answers. The hundreds of people walking through and around you can't hear, see or feel you: a Lady Death.
You purse your lips, then continue a brisk pace towards the Duke's latest akuma. It's a "gut feeling". Your ability to determine the death and all facets of it grants you the ability to detect the akuma- but not their creator. It was futile. Every attempt to stop him failed. He sees you, you're sure, but he ignores you.
A choking gasp is heard, then a purple fog permeates the air from a small bakery two blocks down. Suddenly there is chaos and people are running as the front door explodes- a large, gray ball of matter with a face appears through the smoke. Its expression is solemn, and your "special" eyes see the writhing soul chained within it. You grimace.
"It's a demon! A bloody demon!" A man shouts. A shot is fired in his direction, and a second later he moans in pain as stars erupt on his body. You sigh. He wasn't scheduled for death for another seven years!
Men and women race away with children, but you face the akuma. It's face gives you a biting chill. Inhuman bastard. I'll kill that Duke!
"Innocence, activate!"
Your head whips around at the voice. The command is so strange you visibly react. It's coming from the akuma's direction. You start running the rest of the way to the site.
"Well damn. ..the hell is this?" You question aloud. Neither look your way. Two teens, about fifteen, are both attacking the Level 1. You whistle in awe, unintentionally getting the akuma's attention. It floats a bit further away. You smirk. The Duke commands his demons away, eh? I'll be damned if I don't save those poor souls any way!Of course, it is against their will when they move away, because surely they'd like to be saved, but it irritates you nonetheless. The boy and girl follow it with labored breaths.
The girl has dark, almost green, hair and intense amethyst eyes. Her hair falls to her mid-back, lifting with each powerful kick she delivers. The boy, not much in height, has bleached white hair. A sight indeed. His gray, narrowed eyes are fixated on the firing akuma. It aims for you- How naive!- and the bullet goes through you. You crack your knuckles and walk closer with the intention to release the soul, but when the white-haired boy does so you freeze.
"What the hell?" You mutter in shock. Your next words are shouted, "Oi, Whitey! How the fuck d'd you do that? That's my job!" Yeah, sometimes we get mad. Sometimes we yell at things we don't expect to answer- like a lamp- so when he answers you, you nearly yip in fright. The soul floats away in peace, akuma gone, and his frowning visage turns to you.
"Are you an Exorcist, then?" He inquires. You blink and stand there like an idiot. He persists, "Miss?" The girl starts walking over with him now that the akuma is gone, and she smiles until she sees his concerned frown. She mimics it.
You swallow and clear your throat, "Ah. I'm ju- You are talking to me, right?" You glance behind you, feeling silly talking to someone. It's been years since you've conversed. For a second he doesn't answer, and you fear he really wasn't talking to you, but then he opens his mouth.
"Well, yes. I guess I am. Are you an Exorcist?"
"I am not." You reply stoically. Your shoulders tense. It's been so very long since anyone has spoken to you; your master, the previous Death, hadn't explained what to do in such a situation as this. The boy stares at you and smiles sheepishly.
"Um, then could you elaborate? You said this is your job... and asked how I destroyed the akuma." He suddenly jumps, "Oh! I-I'm Allen Walker." He extends a hand to shake, and you notice that the other is a dark, bloody red. You take a moment to contemplate whether or not you should shake his hand just for laughs; after all, you would just go through him. You decide against it and settle for a friendly smile instead.
"I'm.. (f/n)." Allen drops his hand with a smaller smile as you speak. The green-haired girl steps closer.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Lenalee Lee!" She bow, and that soft-looking green hair slides over her shoulders with the movement until she stands again. You smile at her, too, yet it is strained.
"A pleasure to meet you, too. And," you turn to Allen, "yes, I would like to know a bit about these 'Exorcists'." His smile wans a bit.
"Well..." His gray eyes survey the area, "We, um, there's this thing called In-" Lenalee scolds him.
"Allen!" She turns to you, "As Exorcists it is our job to destroy akuma- a weapon made by the Earl of Millennium- and we use a counter-weapon called Innocence." There is a brief pause as you ponder this.
"Miss, you said it's your job.. does that mean you have Innocence?"
A few townspeople start coming back to see why the commotion has stopped. Slowly, a multitude of people start walking back with caution. You clear your throat.
"We should go somewhere else- a place where no one can hear. This conversation will be.. unique." They look puzzled- poor kids- as you start walking to the outskirts of town. Besides a message via a flying golden thing, no one speaks until you're out of town. It wasn't too long a walk; probably fifteen minutes. You're all standing on one of three grassy hills overlooking the town. Perfect for a secluded talk.
You look at them both, straighten your skirts, and speak with a serious tone, "I am not an Exorcist, nor am I an akuma. I do not work for the Duke." Allen's mouth opens, but you wave him off. "What I tell you can not be repeated." Not that anyone would believe you.
"It is my job, no my purpose to see that each corporeal body ceases function on time, and that the souls of them are departed properly.
"Now, I am not the only one. Since it is impossible for me to be everywhere, I have help. I'm sure you've heard of Will-o'-the-wisps, so-"
"Wait!" Allen cries. His soulful gray eyes are the epitome of confused, and his companion looks stricken. "You don't mean to say that you... That you are Death, right?" His pallor nearly matches his hair.
Your heart jumps. Oh no. Oh, no, no, no! I knew it. I should not have said anything. They look frightened. Damn it all! You move to placate them, "Ah, well, I suppose people do refer to me as such." You step back twice, "I'm sorry for scaring you. I don't kill- actually, I do that-! Ah! No! I don't mean senselessly!" Lenalee is positively in a panic, and Allen seems to have caught himself.
He rushes to speak, "W-well what do you mean then?" A breeze sweeps between you all. You've distanced yourself enough that they calm enough to consider.
You bite your lip and unfurl a parchment from inside your coats. Though it is summer, you do not feel the heat humans do and wear the coat to keep hold of your belongings. "This shows me the name and Time of Death, as well as any other information I need on the soul. I have an "inner sense", if you will, that leads me to the dying or soon-to-be. I don't kill unless this-" You shake the parchment and roll it back up, "asks me to depart a sickly or elderly. Before you ask, no, I don't know where the information comes from." Your (e/c) eyes turn skyward. "I like to think it's my master sending me information, but that can't be- he was simply Death, too."
The teens appear to ponder this with caution. Lenalee is still much too pale, but Allen has regained most of his color.
Lenalee is spooked, and you wonder if she'll come around to the idea. But who would? Allen speaks after glancing at her, "So.. does this me- were you here for the soul in the akuma?" He looks a bit nervous.
"I'm not here for you. You'd know if I were." You state. He tenses and you curse yourself. "So I was here for the soul. The Duke- that bastard!- reverses my work and it pisses me off!" The paper is back in your coat and Allen touches his chin lightly in a thoughtful pose.
Lenalee speaks tentatively, "Is that why you didn't take his hand earlier?"
"Ah..hehe, no." You chuckle with amusement, "Actually, he would not be able to touch me. When I am asked to kill, I use a process called "Departure". So no, my touch does not harm you." Your smile fades into a serene expression, almost melancholy.
This is the first conversation I've had in so long... It's nice getting answers when you ask a question, rather than searching everywhere and eavesdropping. (H/c) hair is pulled back as you run a hand through it in thought.
The girl calms further and straightens her stance beside Allen. The boy does too. "Can't touch you?"
"Correct: I cannot touch a human being. It's physically impossible! In fact, I would walk through the very streets of this village and naught one would know. Except akuma. They know very well who I am, and they are commanded to stay clear." Your features darken momentarily. "Those poor souls. I'll be happiest when I finally take the Duke's soul to... Well, I'll destroy it."
Allen nods in agreement as Lenalee tugs on his black-and-white jacket. "We have to leave, Allen. The train..." She insists. He looks at her, then you. Something tugs your heart and you know it then: You want to follow them. The only two people in the world that you know can see you, hear you, and willingly held a conversation with you.
No one wants Death following them around, your mind scolds harshly. A desire for companionship beats the truth with fervor, and you make a decision. "I understand. Please, don't let me keep you waiting." The Exorcists bid farewell and head towards town. You speak only when they leave.
"Exorcists, aye? Strange that I've never heard of these weapon-wielders. I suppose the 'wisps'll have to ease up and let me take a larger variety of souls away." You laugh imagining the expression of the little wisps; their tiny flamed bodies and large, wise, yet childlike, eyes staring in shock. They'd probably snicker at your request since you usually hate travelling too far. That thought makes you stop laughing.
"..."