Note: I do not own Trinity Blood or any characters from the manga or story. Please pardon any errors in my judgement, spelling, or anything else. This is my first time posting.
Prologue
The newly recruited AX Officer was eager to be out of Rome and out on the road. Many months of her life were used teaching her what she was to do, and how to do it. When all was finished, she was assigned the codename "Black Cat," given all her necessary medical tools, and sent out to find two missing AX Officers and a new nun. She had no regrets leaving her old church, a lavish church in a prominent area of England. That is, until she realized how lonely the search would be. She traveled through forests and along stone trails and up hills and down hills and around hills and through hills and…
"If something doesn't kill me soon, the quiet will." The somber little AX Healer would often tell herself.She especially missed the Spanish priest whom she had become acquainted with in Rome. The quiet made her miss him even more, as his voice was rather on the loud side, as was his manner. She would soon discover that she was very close to completing her mission, and solving her lonely problems.
Chapter One: I can hear you Breaking
The band of Vatican priests and the new nun were trekking along a wide dirt path in the calm countryside, far away from where they thought they were supposed to be heading. Father Abel Nightroad, a clumsy, silver-haired young priest, had bid them to steer away from their course to Rome on a gut feeling. Sister Esther Blanchett, a newly-made full nun, was willing to go anywhere, as long as she was with her two priest companions. Tres Iqus, the robotic "Gunslinger" of the AX Division, stated without emotion that they had received no transmissions from the Vatican, and thus agreed to go along as well. After a long while of walking through the serene area, Esther began to suspect that Father Nightroad's gut feeling was to take a short vacation. She voiced her idea to Father Tres, who said blandly to her "That is most likely, my Lady. Based on Father Nightroad's past actions, I would not put it past him." Father Nightroad, without a care in the world, seemed to float ahead of them in the highest of spirits.
They began to ascend a particularly steep hill, and Tres became the lead of the procession as the other two fell behind, for they grew tired as the slope seemed to grow steeper.. As they climbed up, Tres detected a life form on the opposite side of the dirt-mound, but he did not draw his guns. "Detecting one of us, Father Nightroad." He stated, turning with mechanical precision to face Father Nightroad as he stumbled up the hill. The well-mannered father looked very surprised. "Really? I was hoping to avoid contact for a little while… oh well… looks like our vacation is over, Miss Esther."
"So I was right!"
"What?"
"… um… nothing! So it's another priest?" Esther asked, trying to distract Father Nightroad from her outburst. "Negative." Tres replied flatly. "Not another priest? But you just said…" Esther trailed off as Tres turned away from them and continued up the hill. He reached the peak, and a strong, feminine voice drifted across the wind. "Gunslinger, is that you? HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY! How ya' been, Father?" Tres heard something click in the left side of his chest as he looked upon a woman who appeared to be in her late teens with lavender tresses pulled to either side in thick, wavy pigtails. She wore a sort of black scarf on her head that displayed white crosses, and the way it was situated, she appeared to have large cat ears on the sides of her head. She was dressed in a green shirt with a black vest open over it, and blue jeans with black faux fur adorning it from the knees down. Tres, his eyes as sharp as they were, could see that the woman's own eyes were the same bright shade of green as her shirt. In the short time he had taken to note all these things, Father Nightroad had made it up to the top of the hill and was now standing beside him.
"I see you're still travelling with that girl, eh, Gunslinger?"
Esther was now shocked, in turn. "How does she even know I'm here? She can't possibly see me from there!" Father Nightroad turned to her as she ascended with a disappointed expression. "She's talking about me…" Esther narrowed her eyes at the Father. "Hey, you two wouldn't happen to be the supposed missing priests I'm after? Where's Miss… Esther Blanchett?" Esther started at hearing her name. She bolted up the hill beside Father Nightroad to catch a glimpse of this new Vatican member who was apparently after them. The odd woman ran up the hill swiftly to be level with them. She was only a few inches taller than little Esther, but she had an air of maturity about her. The stranger squinted at Esther, her eyes crinkling with barely hidden pleasure. "Ah, here she is. Oh, you're a cutie…" Father Nightroad and Esther stared at the petite woman incredulously.
"Oh, excuse my rudeness! I am…" The woman began, being cut off by Tres." Affirmative. AX Healer Mother Faline Calbrewer. Codename: 'Black Cat.' You came here looking for Father Nightroad, Sister Esther Blanchett, and myself?" Light-purple hair fluttered as the woman turned to Tres, a sly smile on her face. Tres heard his chest click again, this time slightly louder. Father Nightroad looked at him with concern, but Tres seemed not to have noticed the sound. "I guess you already know about me, then," Mother Faline said, still smiling, "I hear you know all the stats on every member of the Vatican. Is that so, Gunslinger?"
"Affirmative. Mother Faline, please refer to me as Father Tres, or simply Tres." Father Nightroad seemed shocked by Tres' statement, though Esther decided it was common courtesy. "Very well, Father Tres…" Mother Faline announced, seemingly unfazed by Tres' request or Father Nightroad's audible surprise. "Say… you've quite a pretty face on quite a pretty body, Father Tres." CLICK Father Nightroad jumped at the noise, and Esther twitched, both looking a Tres. Tres, however, was unexpressive and merely stared back at Mother Faline. She smiled approvingly at Tres' blank face. She then turned to the still-recovering pair. "Father, you are quite easily startled." She said nothing against Esther's actions, but smiled at her as if she was the sweetest thing she had ever seen. "Easily startled? Didn't you hear the…" Father Nightroad trailed off as Tres turned his head to face him. Tres stared him down, and Father Nightroad could have sworn he saw anger flashing through Tres' normally passive eyes. He cowered away slightly at the unfamiliar expression of emotion.
"Well, I guess I found who I was supposed to be looking for. But, it seems it was unnecessary." Mother Faline grumbled, arching her back and yawning. "Your statement does not register. Please provide more information." Tres stated in his monotone voice. Apparently something Tres said appealed to her, or perhaps it was his voice, for she smiled sleepily and her eyes closed partially as if she was enjoying something quietly. "Well, Father Tres, I was sent to direct and escort you three to your next destination, but it seems you were already on your way." Father Nightroad's eyes nearly popped out of his skull, and Esther glared at him. "Though, I'm sure you already knew you were to follow this route, eh, Father Tres."
"Affirmative."
"WHAAAAT?!" Father Nightroad screamed, suddenly yelling in Tres' face. "This is where we're SUPPOSED to be going? I didn't know we were SUPPOSED to be going anywhere but back to Rome!" Tres gazed up at him without so much as blinking, his perfect face unmarred by fear or surprise. "If my Lord was made aware, we would not have gone the proper direction, but rather would have gone quite the opposite." Father Nightroad noticed Mother Faline standing next to Tres, glaring defiantly up at him, as if saying "Keep yelling at my Tres, and you'll be losing your tongue!" Father Nightroad sighed and backed away, defeated. It always happens this way with Tres, he thought, but he's probably rightFather Nightroad absorbed the image of Tres standing almost vacantly and Mother Faline beside him with a frown on her mouth and brows and her arms crossed, knowing he would see a lot of this in the future.
"Very well. Mother Faline, how long have you been out looking for us? And, uh, where are your robes?" Father Nightroad noticed her breasts showing slightly through the neckline of her shirt, almost glowing, almost suggestive. "My face is up here, Father Pervert," groaned Mother Faline, "and yes, they had to order my uniform special. Apparently, women of my stature aren't common in the AX. Sister Kate will be delivering them when they arrive. As for time… only God knows…" she trailed off, her sharp eyes suddenly growing blurry. She could see the fuzzy figure of Father Nightroad looking at her with genuine concern. "You've been alone a long time, it seems, Mother."
"Mother Faline, status report? Were you injured on your mission?"
"W-what? No…"
"Bishop, are you crying? What happened?"
At Esther's voice, Mother Faline shook her head, as if jostling her thoughts loose, and wiped at her eyes. She seemed to grow much taller, and she plastered a sad smile onto her face, which was almost flawless, but was marked by two intersecting gashes that formed a cross under her left eye. Tres moved to stand behind Mother Faline, suddenly shrinking her past her normal size. He leaned forward to look down at her face. "Mother Faline, is the injury on your cheek causing you discomfort?" He placed a hand on her forehead to check for a fever, a common sign of an infection. The dark mood of the Mother shifted directions as she shivered at the contact. "N-n-no, at least, not physically…" Tres' hand was cold, but that should not have bothered her, so she wondered what set her off."Ooh, Bishop, that looks really bad!" cried Esther. "Your temperature fluctuated slightly while I measured, but remained within the average. No signs of infection detected." Mother Faline blinked confusedly at Tres' analysis. 'Uh…uh… oh! No, I could have told you that, Father! After all, the medical field is my specialty."
"Positive. According to recorded statistics, you completed your medical studies without error. Achieving such accomplishments is highly improbable. Therefore, coupled with other reasons, you were assigned to the AX by Cardinal Caterina Sforza herself."
"You sure are chatty today, Tres-kun!" noted Father Nightroad.
Mother Faline laughed good-naturedly. "Why, Father Tres! You're a bit of an overachiever yourself! But, there's no need for you to flatter me. You've already stolen my heart." She leaned back against Tres and lifted her hand to play with his reddish-brown hair. Tres registered a cracking sound-it almost seemed to be a shattering sound- coming from his chest cavity, and he noted an unfamiliar rhythmic movement beneath his breast. He studied it for a moment, and determined that it would not hinder his performance. "Faline…" he paused, checking his error in title, "Mother Faline, your statements do not register, nor do your actions. What are you doing to my head?"
Father Nightroad could not decide if he was relieved or disturbed by his partner's uncharacteristic actions toward the Bishop. Esther, however, knew how she felt. "Father… you must know something about her! Does she have a past of…?" Esther refused to finish the thought, and Father Nightroad turned to her with a questioning look. She looked back at him, and he noted fear and disgust in her eyes. "You mean, did she...? Oh, Heavens, no, Miss Esther! I think she's just fond of girls like you, the same way Father Leon is. Maybe you remind her of a sister or something." The kindly father explained, hoping it would put Esther's mind at ease. Still, whatever Mother Faline's reason was for acting so weirdly toward her, Esther was greatly relieved to see her distracted by anyone but herself. However, the fact that Tres played along was a bit unnerving. Tres simply stood there, bent over Mother Faline while she gazed up at him and continued her weird flirting. "Vos yeux me rappellent de chocolat. J'aime le chocolat." She murmured up to him with another sleepy expression. "Mère Faline, s'il vous plaît cesser ce comportement. Nous devons continuer." Replied Tres. Mother Faline started and jumped away from Tres, then stood adjusting her vest with a nervous giggle. "Oui, oui. Okay, people. Are you ready to move on?"
Her question startled Father Nightroad and Esther into flinching. As soon as Mother Faline started speaking in French, they had stopped trying to listen to the conversation as they had no idea what was being said. The sudden use of English caught them off guard. "Uh… oh, yes!" Replied Father Nightroad after a moment of hesitation. Mother Faline furrowed her brows. "I'm not that scary, Father… oh, what is your name, Father?"
Father Nightroad was a little confused, because Mother Faline knew Esther's name and Tres' name, but not his. Apparently she had met Tres before, as she had recognized him. He guessed she had been told of Esther's name so as to confirm the "missing nun" to be the actual missing nun. "Oh, alright, Mother! I'm Father Abel Nightroad. Pleasure to… meet… you?" Abel was holding his hand out to shake with Faline, but she kept her arms to her sides as she stared into his eyes. He saw that there was a glimmer of recognition in Mother Faline's eyes. "Ah, so you are he…" she mused aloud. Great, of course she knows about my being the Crusnik groaned Abel internally. "Look here, Father Pervert Nightroad, I've heard all about you and your charm! Don't you dare think you'll be having me fall for it, not even for a minute! Not even for a second!" cried Faline, causing the other two humans to stir uncomfortably. Charm…? How many others like him like I do? Esther thought to herself. "Oh, goodness, Mother. I hadn't even considered the thought!" Abel lied convincingly with a big smile that screamed 'guilty'. Faline finally held out her hand and Abel shook it. He leaned close to her and whispered "Thanks for not mentioning what I thought you were going to mention." Faline shrugged. "It's not my place to talk about such things without your consent, Father." She replied with almost as little emotion as Tres would have, and Abel took that as a 'You're welcome, dummy.'
Tres appeared beside Faline, and she wrapped her arms around his with a high-pitched squeal. Without acknowledging her, Tres said "My Lord and Ladies, it is estimated that we will be late upon reaching our destination, but if we go now, we will be close enough to avoid severe consequences." Abel gaped at him. "Severe consequences? Come, Miss Esther!" he exclaimed, dragging the unprepared nun by her wrist down the hill. Tres followed, and Faline sighed and brought up the rear. She fell in beside Tres after a while. "He'd be cute if he wasn't annoying." She commented about Abel to no one. "Who would, my Lady?" Tres was so quiet that Faline had forgotten he was there. "What? Oh, never mind that. I was thinking aloud again." Tres turned his head as if to look at the scenery. "Again, my Lady?" he seemed to be searching for something as he spoke. "Yeah… I'm not used to travelling with others. I spoke my thoughts out loud frequently 'cause there wasn't anyone there to listen and it helps me remember." Tres did not reply. He calculated the effects of a human going long periods of time without other human contact, and when he finished, he said "It would take a human many years, possibly even a lifetime, to be driven mad from isolation."
"Really? Well then, I must not be human!"
"Does not register."
Can someone truly be this socially retarded? She sighed and stared at Esther's back. The nun was fortunate enough to have been freed from Abel's grasp, and she walked beside him and talked with him as he laughed. No wonder he's so awkward. He has to travel with Father Idiot and a teenage girl!
"Mother Faline, you traveled a great distance in a short period of time. I assume that your amount of rest was insufficient. Are you positive that you are in suitable health to continue?"
"Hmm… I doubt it, but I'll live. Thanks for caring. It's not…"
"Negative."
"I won't live? Fath-… Father Tres! What the…?" As she was speaking, Tres had picked her up and was now carrying her, cradled in his arms like a baby or a bride. He said nothing and walked faster so that he may catch up with Abel and Esther. Faline was a bit rebellious at first, but the rhythmic movement of Tres' steps and his newborn heartbeat relaxed her, and she soon fell asleep.
Thanks so much to everyone that read! Reviews are always welcome, as long as they are not unnecessarily hard on me. I appreciate constructive criticism, but not control freaks who hate anything anyone else does. So, have a great life!