This story is a one-shot on a theory my friend, and now I, have for Lavi. This theory is to do with why Lavi wears that eye-patch, of what just could have happened to him and his family when he was a young boy. This is only that, a theory, and if based entirely on the imagination. There is absolutely no truth to this story. As a side note, I will be referring to Lavi as 'Jared', due to the fact no one knows his true name.
I do not own anything assossiated with D. Gray-Man, including D. Gray-Man itself. This is only for fun, as usual.
A young boy with redish-hair lay in bed, deep in his slumber. His expression seemed almost peaceful, deep in the embrace of a dark, dreamless sleep. He was comfortably tucked in, warm and at ease, knowing since he fell asleep he was safe and protected. Nothing could touch him, or his family, and he knew that and held onto that truth every day and night.
But every child has nightmares, and nothing can really prevent that. Not even the knowledge of being safe and warm in one's bed. The young boy clenched his small fists in his sleep, eyes seeming to close tighter, expression knotting up, almost pained.
In his mind, his dreams seemed so...real. So detailed, as if his life were truly in peril. He curled up in his slumber, head nearly off the pillow. A soft, fearful whimper escaped his lips, and his shoulders were tense, braced.
After what seemed like hours in the dream world to the boy, his eyes shot open, and his head whipped around, desperately searching for whatever had caused him so much fear, but for naught. No creature was hunched on the floor, ready to spring. No man of the unknown lay in wait in the shadows.
The child let his shoulders sag slightly, breathing out a shaky sigh of genuine relief. Despite the fear that still fluttering in his heart, he felt somewhat...safer, now, knowing he was back in his own bed, back in his realm of security. Where, he knew, nothing could touch him. Knowing this, the boy closed his eyes once more, and soon drifted off into dreamless slumber.
Demons and monsters. The only things that seem to really phase children at such an age. They can not fathom much worse, only being truly fearful in their dreams. After all, nothing like that, nothing worse, could ever happen to a child, could it? Innocent beings can't be shown to suffer. So says the rules of the world... But in this current world, who has ever played by the rules?
As light began to crawl across the now milky horizon, dispersing the darkness of the night from its post, the child curled up to hide, almost instinctively, underneath his covers. He was not dreaming, but nearly avoiding the soft light of morning. He still felt drowsy from waking the past night, and just wanted the simple pleasure of sleeping a little longer.
However, it seemed his wish wouldn't be coming true anytime soon.
"Jared, it's time you wake up!" The small red-headed boy hardly noticed the soft voice of a woman outside his door. Instead, he turned over, curling up as if he were a small puppy beside a warm fire. No sooner had he done that, though, the door slowly opened up, revealing a young woman, seemingly in her low-thirties.
Quietly, she stepped into the boy's room, pulling up a chair beside his bed. She rose her hand to gently begin caressing his cheek, making him smile tiredly in response.
"It's time to wake up, Hun..." She cooed softly. Jared slowly opened his eyes, taking in the gentle touch of his mother's smooth, soft skin. Somehow, that always managed to relax him. The woman smiled, letting her hand linger for a moment, before pulling it back.
"Did you sleep well?" Jared nodded, trying to rub the sleep from his eyes.
"It was okay..." He murmured softly, thinking back to his nightmare.
A nightmare of demons and creatures of myth; a terrifying thought for a boy of such an age.
Such naive innocence...
"Did you dream?" His mother asked, curious. Normally, her son was such a playful boy in the morning. Feeling obligated to telling his mother the truth, he nodded. Now, she understood...
Slowly and carefully, she lifted him from his bed, sitting him on her lap, so his head would be resting against her chest. He smiled a little at her heart's calm rhythm. "What of?"
Jared thought for a moment. He didn't want to hurt her with his worries... But he shook his head to clear that thought from his mind. Nothing could tear her down. His mother was one of the strongest people he knew. She could survive anything. Knowing that, he replied, "Just the creatures again..."
His mother's eyes softened even more. "Oh, Hun... Again?" Jared nodded and sighed a little, but then smiled. "But it's okay, Momma. They don't scare me too bad anymore." The young boy blinked in surprise when he saw his mother started to tear up. "Momma? What's wrong?"
She shook her head, smiling warmly. "Nothing is wrong, Honey... I'm just so proud of my brave little boy." She ruffled his hair, making him laugh, grinning proudly at her praise. "Now, your father and I were planning on going out for a walk... Would you like to come with us?" Jared nodded enthusiasticly, continuing to grin at the idea of spending the day, once again, with his parents. "Well, then, get changed. We'll wait for you downstairs, okay?" "Okay, Momma!" Jared laughed, getting off her lap. His mother stood, walking out of the room. With that, Jared quickly changed from his pajamas, and into new clothes for the journey of the day.
An eye for an eye will make the world blind. But in a world such as this one, can humanity be any more blind?
Jared held onto the hands of his mother and father, making them swing their arms a little as the three walked. They would soon be coming to the field that Jared loved to play in. He laughed, grinning happily up at his parents, who smiled down in return.
The fresh, deep-green grass swayed softly in the breeze, a gentle reminder of the cool caress the world could have to offer. As they walked through the field, a lone man could be seen walking in the opposite direction, towards the family. In no time, he had begun to pass them up, but he looked over the family as he passed.
His eyes traveled to Jared, and he stopped, slowly turning around. Noticing this, Jared glanced back, tilting his head a little in confusion. Why was this man staring at them? Even the parents soon stopped, glancing back.
"Do we...know you?" Jared's father asked, an eyebrow raised suspiciously. The man didn't reply. Instead, he slowly reached into his coat, as if to grab something. Lavi's parents tensed, slowly beginning to back away from the man. Jared looked up at them. Why did his parents, the strongest people he knew... Why were they so...tense? Where they scared?
Soon, it became apparent. The man, whom this small, happy family couldn't even remember, pulled out a deadly, metal object. A gun. And it was pointed directly at them.
It's ironic, how they call it Innocence... When most of the time it is revealed in some screwed up, traumatic occurrence. So much for that theory...
Jared's eyes went wide from shock, as he, his mother, and his father all stared in disbelief down the barrel of the gun. The man smirked. "Do you know me?" His voice was deadly quiet, cold. His deep brown, almost black eyes glistened faintly, sharply glaring at them. "You'd think you'd know the answer to that, hm?"
Jared's father slowly raised his hands, as if to try and put a stop to the situation. "Look... I didn't mean any offence to you by that... What do you want from us? What caused you to want to do this?" The man smirked once again, not even paying attention to him anymore. Instead, he was glaring down coldly at Jared again. "Do you know how it feels, to lose someone you love, boy?"
Jared shivered a little, bitting back a soft, fearful whimper. What did he mean? Lose someone he loved? The man growled, aiming the gun at Jared now, directly. "Answer me!" Jared shook his head quickly, tears starting to form in his eyes. Noticing this, the man laughed cruelly. "Don't start crying, kid! Don't start crying, now!"
Jared's father tensed up even more than he had before, looking as if he were about to make a move, before the man suddenly whipped the gun to the right, and pulled the trigger. There was a loud bang, and a sickering thump as his target fell to the ground.
The small boy's father lay motionless, blood slowly beginning to pool where his head lay in the grass, merging the greens and red like a sickening, grotesque painting. His wife and son stared, shock in their widened eyes.
The man with the gun laughed, a sickening, twisted laugh. His eyes seemed to flash, showing down to his core what intent he had. It was clear now. Everything was clear. He raised the gun again, pointing it at Jared, but instead, his mother got in front of him.
"Going to protect the boy, hm? Fine. It'll only make his suffering so much worse." The man pulled the trigger again, the sound nearly deafening, ringing out in the deserted field. The woman gasped in pain, grabbing onto her shoulder, where the bullet had torn through. Tears slipped out from her eyes, the pain unbelieveable to her.
Again, the man shot, this time near her ribs. It cut through just below her chest, and she couldn't even gasp. She collapsed to the ground, shivering weakly. Already, her body was beginning to give out on her.
Tears began to spill from Jared's eyes. What was happening? Why was this happening? Why to them? This fast act, that took only a couple of minutes, had seemed like a millenia to the child. Now, the man pointed his weapon as Jared. "Say goodbye, boy... It's over. You're over." Another shot rang out, and the boy cried out with a blinding pain erupting from his right eye.
He cringed, waiting for the cold darkness to develope him. But it never came. It never consumed him. Slowly, he opened his eyes. His left eye was normal. His right, however, he could not open. Every movement to try only caused more and more pain. Tears slowly dripped out from his eyes, only making the stinging pain that much more unbearable. The man, already, seemed to be gone.
Slowly, Jared put his hand under his eye and flinched, before pulling it away. Blood coated his hand like thick paint. Despite this, he slowly crawled over to his mother. Her breath was fast, shallow. It sounded almost like she was breathing in water. Yet, she managed a quick, faint smile at her child.
She took his hand, holding it gently. "I'm sorry, Jared... I'm sorry..." She murmured. Slowly, he shook his head.
"No... Momma... Don't be. We'll find help, alright? We'll find help! For you, me, daddy..." His voice trailed off as his mother slowly, gently, squeezed his hand.
"No, we won't, Honey... I'm sorry. You need to get out of here, yourself. Find help for yourself, alright? Promise me..." Her voice started to get softer, drifting off. Jared whimpered softly, tightening his grip a little on her hand.
"Momma..." She gave one more faint smile, the best she could manage, before the faint rise and fall of her chest stopped completely. Her eyes drifted shut, as if she were to take a nap, and she didn't move again. She was gone to the world, just as Jared's father was.
Jared slowly let her hand slip from his. Already, in his mind, it felt cold. It wasn't as warm as when her soul was behind her every touch, her every caress... Jared lay down beside her, and let the painful darkess grip him tightly.
In a flash, everything you love could be gone. Torn away at the seams. Goodbye.
Bookman looked back at his apprentice, who seemed transfixed on the open, crisp-field they stood on. Lavi glanced back at him, a genuine, serious look showing just in his eyes. The boy was holding two roses, both the purest of white, as if made of fresh snow.
"You can start to head back, Bookman... I've got something I need to do before we leave." The older man blinked slowly, but nodded in response. It was rare the boy seemed so serious. He knew it must be something important. Slowly, he turned, and walked off in the direction in which they were supposed to be heading.
When Lavi was sure he had gone, he turned and began to walk, his eyes on the roses he held.
Almost there...
Soon, Lavi came to a small group of trees, clustered on the outskirts of the field he once stood on. Near the trees, small patches of flowers had begun to bloom. He smiled faintly, walking a bit further now.
Nearly there... Soon...
Finally, Lavi arrived at his destination. In between two trees, was a rock pressed firmly into the ground. It was carved into the shape of a large cross, and had a few flowers near it already, swaying gently in the wind's song.
Lavi leaned down, crouching slightly, and took the rose from his right hand and placed it on the left of the cross, and did the same with the one on the left, except for on the cross' right. Then, he placed a hand gently on the cold stone, slowly sliding it down the length of the cross.
I'm back... Just as I promised. I hope you're doing well? Wherever you are... I'm sorry I've taken so long in coming back, I just had a lot to attend to... I got lucky, being sent out so close to here. I finally found my chance to speak to you both.
I've been doing pretty well, I'm sure you both know. The old Panda can be a bit tough, sometimes, but I know it's only his way of helping me along with my journey.
I've been thinking a lot, lately, about the past. The past I had shared with you, as a child. I regret, still, not being about to protect you... To have somehow avoided that situation all together. Maybe, had I tried to go on a different road with you, nothing would have happened?
But then, I may not have found the beginning of my fate... And I know that's what you both wanted me to do, more than anything. I know you wouldn't apprectiate the fact that I blame myself... So I won't. I'm still moving forward, to show you two how far I've come in the world since then.
To prove myself, to the both of you, that I can be so strong as you were for me.
To be as strong as you always were. And for being there when I needed you; for still being here in spirit.
Thank you.
After one last caress of the stone, slowly, Lavi rose from his crouching position. He smiled faintly, before turning his back on the grave of his parents.
Deep in the abyss of dreams, reality can be warped and torn. Sometimes memories can never be forgotten, just as past traumas can never be fully erased. Just as the dawn brings a new day, dreams bring back the cold and shattered past. Cherish what you never thought you'd have to. Always.