'His Crimson Butterfly'

"Hola Tyki!" Rhode Kamelot greeted her uncle. She sat at the Noah family's dining table with a crimson haired young woman and a stack of school books. Crimson smiled. "Hi Tyki."

"Whoa…." Tyki grinned a little. "What are you two doing?" He asked, handing his top hat to the maid and sitting at the table beside Crimson. Rhode looked at him. "Can't you tell by looking at us? I'm studying and Mo-nee is helping!" "And why is Morana helping…?" "Because it was that or stay at the Kamelot Main house until the rest of you returned." Morana laughed. "She said her homework is due tomorrow." The Earl stated, sitting at the head of the table. "Yeah and I'm cutting it close. Help me!" Morana laughed. "Looks like you're gonna get reeled into helping Tyki!"

Tyki turned to his niece. "I never went to school dammit, what do you expect me to do?" "You can at least write can't you?" "Obviously, but-" "Looks like it's going to be an all-nighter!" The Earl laughed again. Tyki turned to him. "Wait a second! Don't tell me you brought me here just because of Rhode's homework, did you?!" "Looks like it."

After hours of completing Rhode's homework, the Earl held a playing card up to Tyki, who in the end wound up being forced to help anyways. Tyki glanced at it. "What's this…?"

"You're first job, of course! Tyki-pon is to accompany me to this location as my servant!" Morana and Rhode giggled at the use of the Earl's name for Tyki. "That's pretty damn far away!" Tyki replied, grinning a little. "Come now, don't say that!" The Earl flicked a second card into Tyki's view. "After that, I'd like you to 'delete' the people on this list."

Tyki stared for a moment, then frowned slightly. Morana and Rhode glanced at each other, both noticing the look in Tyki's eyes. Before either one could think of mentioning it, Tyki spoke again. "That's quite a bit of people!" He took the card and stood, taking his hat and jacket and beginning to head off. "Understood. Good luck with the homework!" He waved. "Tyki!" Rhode called out. Tyki looked back. "Thanks for helping me!" She smiled. Tyki smiled, putting his hat on and pulling it down slightly. "We're family after all."

With that, the Noah exited the room. Morana, Rhode, Lero and the Earl watched for a moment. "Do you think Tyki finds it hard?" The Earl asked after a minute. "He does have a good relationship with the humans, lero." "I wouldn't call it hard…" Rhode spoke up. "More like 'frightening'." Morana glanced at the young girl.

"Oh, before I forget-" The Earl glanced at Morana. "I have a special job for you, Mora-chan."

Morana looked over at the Millennium Earl. "Sir..?"

~*~

"Tyki!"

Tyki Mikk looked behind him, smiling slightly as Morana approached him. Morana Kamelot- a gorgeous human girl who was a servant of the Millennium Earl and an older sister to Rhode. She'd been with the Earl for at least twenty years, though it was probably less. Tyki hadn't known her as long as she'd been with them- only about ten years.

~*~

It wasn't long before the actual 'declaration' of war between the followers of the Millennium Earl and the exorcists. The members of the Noah family were invited to one of the Earl's usual balls. Though the only ones who attended were Rhode, Tyki, Lulu Bell, Alec, and Tyki's older brother- Rhode's father-, Sheryl Kamelot.

Tyki was the last to arrive at the massive ballroom filled with followers of the Millennium Earl. It was obvious the Earl had gained many more followers over a short period of time. The Earl was taking a giant leap forward. The sharp increase in cooperators meant only one thing, the time for his dream world to become a reality was close at hand.

Tyki didn't go straight to the upper level of the ballroom to the other Noah and the Earl, instead enjoying the dance in his own way. As he walked, speaking with gentlemen and dancing with the ladies, he could hear hushed whispers of the Noah Clan. And it was no surprise- they were the center of admiration and respect of all the Earl's followers, for they had his complete trust. They were strong, agile, cunning, and powerful. All that, plus their own unique abilities. Everyone wished to be like them except for her.

Morana was about 16 at the time. She stood at the top of the stairs in a beautiful crimson and gold gown, looking down at the crowd below. Like the Noah, she too held great respect and admiration with the other followers. She was beautiful then, too. Long crimson red hair and deep red eyes with fair skin; she was the envy of all the other ladies there. At that time she was staying with the Earl in his own manor. She had yet to be given the Kamelot name. Sheryl, a tall handsome man with long dark blue hair and pale skin in his human state, placed his large hand on her shoulder and knelt down a little to whisper something in her ear. Morana glanced at him for a moment then nodded slightly.

She began to descend the staircase, smiling softly as she reached to bottom. Like Tyki, her main job there was to look good and speak with the other followers to ensure their loyalty to the Earl stayed strong. And she did that well, which was one of the reason's the Earl kept Morana around.

Tyki watched Morana with interest as she made her way through the crowd, stopping to talk on occasion- mostly to the men who stopped her. She danced a few times, and smiled as she enjoyed herself.

At least, that was what she wanted them to believe. But Tyki could see the truth in her deep red eyes- the sadness and pain hidden in her intense gaze. The loneliness. Before another man could approach her, Tyki stepped forward, reaching behind her to take hold of her small, soft hand with his own gloved one. The young girl turned suddenly, her crimson hair lightly dancing across her cheek, neck and back. Her deep red eyes met with his bright gold ones and she smiled slightly.

"Good evening, Lord Mikk." She greeted the much taller man. Her voice was soft and musical, and even then it sent chills down Tyki's back.

"You too, Morana-chan." He offered an unusually gentle smile, lightly kissing her hand. "May I steal you for a dance?"

Morana couldn't help but giggle a little at the charming Noah's choice of words. "Of course." She replied, allowing him to lead her to the dance floor, her hand still softly held in his own. Her crimson and gold trimmed gown stood out against his black suit, the two opposing colors both clashing and blending at the same time.

As the two danced, the remaining ribbon from Moran's neck cascaded down her pale back, softly dancing over Tyki's hand.

"Enjoying yourself tonight, Morana?" Tyki asked softly as they danced.

"I suppose- I'm only here to smile and look pretty." She glanced up at the balcony where the Earl sat with the other Noah. "And dance with other men like yourself."

Tyki smiled slightly. "Other men like myself…?"

Morana smiled up at him. "There is NO ONE quite like you, Lord Mikk."

Tyki pouted slightly, pulling the smaller girl closer to him. "Call me Tyki- Lord Mikk is way to formal."

She laughed. "Alright then, Tyki."

He smiled when she laughed. When she really laughed, not acted. When she smiled and laughed she looked all that more beautiful. Morana blushed slightly when she noticed him smiling at her.

Tyki chuckled. "You really are cute- I'm glad the Earl decided to keep you."

Morana blushed more. For the first time that night, she really enjoyed herself.

~*~

"Morana- did you need something?" Tyki asked as he turned to face her. Morana stopped in front of him smiling a little and shaking her head. "No, not really. I just wanted to make sure you're going to take care of yourself before you head off."

He smiled slightly. "It won't be that long before I see you, again, Mo."

"Actually it might be- the Earl has me going off on a mission as well, and it might be a while before I'm able to return."

Tyki's smiled vanished. Morana going off on a mission? That hadn't happened in along time. The last time the Earl sent her off it was with the twins and Alec to locate innocence. He never sent her off on her own- Morana was far too important for that.

So why this time?

~*~

"Concentrate, Morana!" Lulu Bell instructed the girl. Morana's reply was a pain filled cry that echoed through the abandoned corridors.

Tyki stood at the back of the room with Rhode on his shoulders, watching as once again the Earl had Morana injected with pure Dark Matter. Normally it would have made her an Akuma in only a few minutes, but because she still had her Innocence the two energies fought each other, which caused Morana great pain.

The girl was tied up like she was crucified to a large cross- the Earl's idea- as Lulu Bell injected the Dark Matter into her. It would be fine for a few seconds, then the Dark Matter and Innocence would meet and begin fighting each other- sparks of black and white light would shoot out around her.

Tyki lowered his head slightly when Morana cried out again, the only thing keeping her up now the ropes and cross that held her. Black tears began to trail down her face.

With another injection, Morana screamed almost immediately, cross shaped cuts appearing on her hands, feet and chest. Her blood poured out, then wrapped itself around her arms, legs and upper torso creating a dark ruby colored… armor? Tyki wasn't sure what to call it.

When it was done, Morana went completely limp. "That's enough for today, Lulu Bell." The Earl spoke, his never fading smile seeming to get bigger. "That's wonderful progress." "Yes'sir." Lulu Bell replied, nodding to the human form Akuma in the room. They walked up, untying Morana and lifting her limp body up. The 'armor' on her arms, legs and torso faded, turning into bracelets, anklets and a choker. The cross-shaped marks were left on her pale body. Tyki frowned slightly.

~*~

"It's nothing very serious- I'm to go to the Black Order and put on a good show of how the Earl is after me and blah-di-blah-di-blah… You'll probably get more excitement than I will." Despite the worry Tyki could see in her eyes, she still smiled up at him.

Tyki smiled slightly, reaching his hand up and lightly caressing her cheek. Morana blinked, staring up at him. "Ah… Tyki…?" "You're pretty tough for a human, you know…?" She stared up at him. "……." Leaning down, Tyki lightly planted a kiss on her Morana's lips.

~*~

"Whatever you do Tyki, don't forget you're still human like me… don't let that side of you disappear. You need the white just as much as you need the black." Morana spoke softly, staring up at Tyki. A single stray tear ran down her pale cheek, highlighted by the moonlight. Tyki stared down at her, unsure of what to say. Her words… that single tear touched a part of him he wasn't sure existed until that moment.

The black of the Noah and the white of the Human… No, maybe the black and white didn't represent the two halves of himself… Maybe, just maybe, it represented the two standing together on that lone balcony under the moon. Maybe his heart was like the black of a moonless night, while the heart of the crimson girl who stood before him was like the moon itself- no, maybe it was like both the moon and the sun.

Maybe she was his moon and sun- her bright smile shining like the sun, while her pure white heart was like the moon reflecting the light onto his own black heart. And that single tear… that single tear was what divided his heart in two. Half the black Noah and half the white Human.

~*~

Morana was stunned for a moment before she lifted her hand laying it over his own, returning the kiss. Tyki pulled away after a moment, running his gloved fingers through her crimson hair. "Take care of yourself, alright? You're really too pretty to get any nasty battle scars." He smiled. Morana laughed. "Don't worry- I'm a bit sneakier than you when it comes to these things. I'll be fine."

Tyki smiled as he began to walk away, releasing her crimson hair as he turned away. Maybe Morana was something more than his moon and sun after all. The bottomless compassion and love of her heart for him and the other Noah... it made Tyki think of his Tease- the seemingly harmless butterflies. Yes, that was what Morana was to him- his butterfly.

His beautiful crimson butterfly.

~*~* Never End*~*~