A New Beginning…
It had taken a whole two weeks for all of them to even leave the shrine and another four weeks to get out of Japan. To Kanda, it would have been so much faster if they had just left the twenty four new finders that wanted to come and help the siblings as much as they had helped their family and friends. When he had voiced that opinion, not only did he get to hear the mouth of Allen Walker, the beansprout, but also Kagome Higurashi, the newest exorcist. The only good thing that came out of this mission was the fact that not only did they get two new exorcists with three or more pieces of innocence each but they had found another two pieces of innocence. They learned about the marks on their chests. It was to seal a curse that had been given to their family from the Millennium Earl. No one really knew about it but they got the gist of it all, from the gift and the curse. To Kanda, Lenalee and Lavi; Kagome and Souta were just like Allen. They were cursed but it benefitted them more than it did harm them. For Kagome and Souta, they were able to find and extract innocence so much faster and easier. For Allen, he could see the souls of Akuma so any human disguised as an Akuma would not be able to hide from him. The Higurashi siblings were trained as a Shinto priest and priestess. They were able to create barriers and purify whole towns, which kept Akuma out of them. Both Higurashi siblings could see inside of a person's soul, dead or alive, human or demon. They could see the difference between a human and a Noah. That was helpful.
"Good Morning!" Komui cried out.
Kagome held Souta behind her, her sword drawn in front of her. She had been very on edge ever since they left the safety of the shrine. They hadn't noticed how at peace they had felt until they left the shrine grounds. It had been a shock, one that they weren't prepared to feel and had a hard time adjusting to. It was those nice weeks that they had seen just what a family was like. It obviously wasn't what they were used to, this family was close and they felt as though they were intruding in something sacred. It was shocking to see these two children, not that Kagome was much younger than Allen, only a year's difference, but these two children worked together. Souta would go with Kagome to go catch dinner for them all and amazingly, they always caught more than enough for them all. The two would sit together as Kagome prepared the food for them, talking about the past and the future, their dreams and their nightmares. They watched the two siblings, how they interacted with the new finders as well as each other. These people had dedicated their lives to making it easier for the Higurashi children. They were so thankful to them, even if they had to destroy Akuma that were once loved ones. It must have been hard but for these twenty four souls, they were grateful and did not want to stray from the two that had saved their lives, the lives of their friends and the souls that belonged to their most loved ones. No one had to suffer and these two made sure that no one else would suffer even if they had to suffer in their place. No one wanted to come between them, it seemed so wrong but they also wanted to get to know these two more. There was one thing that they had been shocked about and it was Kagome's protectiveness over her little brother.
"Komui step back." Allen said before he turned toward Kagome.
He had been the only one that could snap her out of a rage and when she raged, the mountains shook, the stars dimmed and the world turned cold. She had a nasty temper as well. It had been because of that first night, he had won her trust and because of that trust, he had been allowed the luxury to get anywhere close to them. It had been hard during one attack, there were so many Akuma and they had been injured, well mostly Kagome had been injured as well as Kanda. Lenalee had been trying to protect Souta, not that he really needed protection but she had tried to protect those she believed didn't have too much experience in fighting Akuma. Kagome had stood in front of them, her arrow pointing toward the hoard of Akuma. It had been frightening. To Allen and Lavi it had been done in slow motion. Kanda had dropped down to one knee after fighting with a level two Akuma, he hadn't gotten up from the latest attack. Kagome, being the closest, jumped in front of Kanda. The Akuma's hand went through her stomach and out her back. The gasp and scream she released had shook them through to the bone. That had caused Allen to snap, he rushed from beside Lenalee and Souta, his arm extended to catch Kagome. She had smirked, her bow slicing through the level two Akuma. Allen had watched as her eyes locked onto his, she gave him a soft smile before falling into his arms. Kagome had been unconscious for four days and in those four days no one was allowed to come near her, not even her beloved brother. It was hard for them. The finders were panicked; they tried to make things easier and more comfortable for them. The children had given each finder several ofuda, which had been pumped full of their power. When the finders had placed the wards around the campsite, no one was allowed out or in, which was why several finders had gone for food. They didn't know how long they would be stuck here. General Cross had been surprised when it had taken the girl only four days to recover, the only one he knew who could heal that fast was Kanda and even then, it was different but it was all due to the curse and the innocence the children had embedded into their bodies. It wouldn't allow the children to die, not really because the innocence had been placed with holy powers, given to them by their ancestor kept the evil from taking over their dead bodies.
"Kagome, this is Komui Lee, he is our supervisor. He is not here to harm you."
Kagome looked at Komui and then at Allen. She stared hard into his eyes before nodding. She lowered her sword, stepped aside and bowed deeply to the young man in front of her. As much as she trusted Allen, she would not allow anything or anyone to harm her baby brother. It was her job to protect him. When Komui had stepped closer, she narrowed her eyes at him, grabbing her little brother and stepping back and straight into Allen. He wrapped his arms around her body, holding her and giving her the comfort she needed. It had been like this since they had first met at the shrine. In truth, he looked for all different times so that he could be near her or to touch her. His friends had asked about it, asked him what he was thinking or doing but he couldn't answer them. All he could say was that he liked the feeling she gave off. It had insulted most of them, it was like he was saying that the way they made him feel was so much better than how all of them had made him feel and they had been with him for a while. They could understand though, they kept him at an arm's reach knowing that he was much different from the rest of them. For one, he was cursed and the second, apparently he had the fourteenth Noah. It didn't change who he was but it made him nervous and they didn't like that. Most of the people in the order tried to have control over some part of their lives since they didn't have any control of most of it.
"We have to go see Hevlaska. Please trust me."
Kagome nodded, letting Allen direct both herself and Souta through the Black Order Headquarters. The others stood there, shocked. No matter how long they had traveled together, it was still a shock to see. No one truly listened to Allen, not unless it had to do with Akuma, because he was just a boy but these two siblings, they trusted him to lead them forward on the right path. Lavi had learned not to mess with Kagome, he had tried at first but he had met her slap and Allen's fist and of course the finders who had stared at him with such hatred… it was worse on the boy Souta, he looked at him like he could kill. Kanda could tell something had changed for the bean sprout. He fought differently, most strategically and with so much more power than before. General Cross had seen the difference as well. Allen was maturing in both body, spirit and mind. His anti-Akuma weapon was growing at an accelerated rate. Before Allen would stop when he had reached his limit, the pain limiting him but now, now it was different. He knew who he was protecting, who he wanted to protect and it pushed him farther. Never before had he seen or heard of an exorcist whose power could grow like that. It was extraordinary but he still thought that his stupid apprentice could do better.
Out of all of these who thought Allen was doing amazing and amazed at the power and the diligence he was putting forth, the only one who was upset about it was Lenalee. She had been the first woman that Allen had become friends with and she thought that this girl, this new girl was taking him away from her. Not once in her mind did she think about the others or about this mission. She thought about all the times that Allen would sit next to the newest exorcist instead of next to her. She thought about all the times Allen would talk to the newest exorcist instead of with her or the rest of the group. He rushed to that girl's side instead of staying next to her. She knew that the others had blown it off, he was being nice but she knew. She could see the difference in him and she wanted to know what made these two, especially the girl, so much better than the rest of them. She wondered if it was because they were cursed and could understand each other more. She hated his cursed eye and told him that so many times and now, he had found someone else who was cursed and shared that fate.
"Lenalee! I was soo worried about you. Why would you stay away from me for soo long?"
No one paid attention to Komui, they walked past him and into the headquarters. There was so much in their minds right now and for most, they wanted to get more information about the newest exorcist. They were really all weary of Kagome, the oldest of the siblings, she was serious and if best explained, paranoid. She thought that everyone was out to get her little brother but considering, it was justified. Men of the older families in Japan had come asking for her hand in marriage, they would wait until she was of proper age but they wanted to have her into their families. When she had turned them down, multiple times, they started to get desperate. Sometimes, they would pose as wounded people to get into the shrines that the siblings were at and would threaten to harm or even kill the people they were taking care of. The exorcists had been present to witness that and it wasn't a pretty sight. The worst was when, during a desperate moment, two people had grabbed Souta. They had wanted to force Kagome to make a decision and she did. Normally everyone would have shied away from violent actions toward humans but in this case, they hadn't minded. It wasn't as though Kagome had killed them, might as well have though, they would never walk on their own again.
"Section Leader!" Lavi cried out. "Have you seen Allen and Kagome?"
Reever stared at the group in front of him. He had a stack of papers as usual, of course most of it was on what was going on in Japan. He had overheard what had happened with Hevlaska, it had been a shock. Not only did the siblings have three innocence pieces in their possession but they also collected two more. Hevlaska had tried to retrieve the two pieces of innocence that were imbedded in their body, the innocence itself reacted. Not once had the innocence reacted that way before and it had caused so much stress and confusion. The accommodators themselves felt immense pain, the marks glowing and the smoking. It caused Hevlaska to release her hold on the innocence. Once that had happened, the marks stopped glowing and the siblings fell to their knees panting. Reever looked at the other exorcists and smirked. He knew that these two siblings would change everything for them. For one, just like Allen, Hevlaska had told both of them that they would be the destroyers of time. For the girl, Kagome, Hevlaska had told her that she was the heart and that she would be the light in dark times. For Souta, she had told him that though his part was small; his warmth would bring salvation to those who had been left to wander. It was also great to have two more parasite exorcists; they had the rawest form of power.
"Allen has taken them to see Jerry. The young boy was complaining that he was hungry."
Lavi sighed, he should have known.
"Well come on then, let's go find Allen."
In the dining hall, Allen sat next to Kagome and Souta. He had just been told about the innocence that was imbedded in their bodies. Their synchronization rate had been at 92 percent for Kagome and a 78 percent for Souta. It had been more than he thought a person could have, except for the generals but they had quite a long time to train. He had felt so honored when Kagome had demanded that he stay by her side and the side of her beloved brother. When Komui had requested that he leave, Kagome had spoken. She had told him that if he thought she would be here, alone, without someone she trusted then he was as stupid as he looked. That if he thought to bear down his needs on her or the needs of the Catholic Church on their shoulders and lives, then she would take her brother and leave. Komui didn't want to lose two new exorcists so he gave in to her whims. Allen had been given a look into Kagome's soul as she opened her inner self to Hevlaska and he was horrified at her past and touched by her will to keep on going because that was all she could do. It had been an eye opener, how many people could honestly say that they would give up their lives, without regrets, because that was the right thing to do. Allen, himself, couldn't say that he would do that, to die for others without regrets. Sure he had regrets but to die for the sake of doing something right, it wasn't something he would be willing to do.
"Are you really going to finish all that?"
Allen just stared at Kagome and Souta. Both of them had just as much of food as he did but they also ate just as much as him. He thought that no one would have been able to eat as much but he was wrong. The younger boy, Souta, had eaten all of his food, some of Kagome's and now was wanting his. He didn't mind but he would have liked to eat his own food. Oh well, it didn't matter.
"Go ahead Souta. Afterwards, let's go check out your rooms."
Souta stopped eating, his chopsticks between his lips. He looked nervous; he didn't want to be separated from his sister. Turning toward his sister, he stared at her with frightened eyes. Of course she understood but really, she didn't know what she could do. She was worried as well. There were so many rooms in this place and she didn't want to be far from him but would be alright if they did have separate rooms. It was kind of annoying sometimes, especially when she was on her monthly and it was embarrassing. She really didn't want to have any type of discussion like that with her little brother for a long time. In fact, she wouldn't want to have a discussion like that with him ever. Kagome placed her hand on his head and turned to Allen.
"I hope we are able to stay together but if not, very close. I do not trust others here yet; I do not want to take that chance."
Allen nodded; he had a feeling that she would want that so he had spoken to his master. His master had been kind, allowing both Kagome and her brother in the same hall as he was. There were the four rooms that were in his hall. Kanda had one and now, the two siblings would be near him and near each other. It made him feel better, he didn't want to be separate from those two either and if he had to, he knew he could trust Kanda with more than his life. As much of an ass as he was, Kanda, was honorable and knew that he understood their worry, plus it helped that they were from Japan as well.
"You are in the same hall as I am. Your rooms are next to mine as well as Kanda's room."
Souta sighed happily. He might not be able to share a room with his sister but he was, at least, close to her and if needed, he knew that his sister would allow him in her room. He looked around the room and saw some of the finders that had come along with him and his sister. He knew that they must be overwhelmed and went over to sit next to them. It was a strange and new thing for all of them; he knew that if he was feeling homesick and alone, that they must be too. He looked back and saw his sister staring at him so of course; he winked at her and gave her a little wave. His sister looked much lighter here than at their old home. Old home, they hadn't even been away from it for long and just got to the headquarters but he already thought of this place as home. Kind of funny, he didn't think of the home he grew up in as home. Could it be because of the bad memories? Or maybe because there were so many others who lived there as well… it couldn't be that because so many people lived here too.
"Higurashi-sama, are you alright?"
Souta turned and looked at the new finder, a good friend of his. He had been the person he went to when his sister was out fighting. A lot of times, his sister had him stay and protect the people staying at the shrines. They traveled throughout all the shrines that they protected, it was hard a lot and most times, they were separated but this one person stayed by him when his sister couldn't. He was two years older than his cousin's husband and had lost his children. Souta knew that this man thought of them like they were his children. He didn't replace his children with them but Souta knew that sometimes, it made him feel better and a couple of times, Souta had slipped father toward him.
"Naraku-san, do you think we made the right decision?"
Naraku, he had always been a silent and clever person. He had always been able to get them through all types of hardship. Kagome had spoken to him about her plans multiple times and knew that he had developed a crush on Kikyo. Kagome had thought Kikyo was a bitch to play with his emotions but Naraku soon discovered the truth and dropped her. It was probably another reason why Kikyo hated Kagome; people would rather stay by his sister's side. Souta felt bad for him, he had lost his wife and his children due to the Millennium Earl and then to be strung out by Kikyo. At least he was loved by the two of them. Souta smiled sadly when he looked at Naraku, he had burn marks from the neck down because he had tried to save the children that had died a while ago. He had suffered so that four children could have a chance to live out their lives. He knew that Naraku regretted not being able to save them and thought that being scarred the way he was, it was a way to atone for his failure. Souta and his sister didn't believe that at all, they had been so scared that he would lose his life too and that they would lose someone else that was close to them.
"I think that you did. You've helped me and so many other people but that was just in Japan. Imagine all the others who need your help. Your sister has thought about this and made the right decision. Just remember Souta, sometimes the right path is the hardest to travel on."
Souta looked at Naraku with an annoyed look.
"I hate when you talk like that papa. You don't have to be so… weird."
Naraku laughed. He really did love both Souta and Kagome like they were his own. They made the hurt not so bad and sometimes, he could see his wife and children. The longer he stayed next to them, it seemed like he was healing. For a short while, he had been so angry with them. His wife had turned his daughter into an Akuma and the Higurashi siblings had purified her soul. He hadn't known at the time but that was not his wife or his child anymore. He hadn't thought about the pain his daughter was going through and it was because of them that he had thought and discovered why they fought so hard. For the last five years, since before their family had died, he had stayed with them. He didn't have a home anymore; it had been destroyed by the Akuma so they had invited him to stay with them. He was good with getting information and secrets; it was what helped them so far.
"What does Kagome think?"
Souta looked sad; he knew that his sister felt responsible for the death of so many people even though it wasn't her fault.
"She's sad, it hurts sometimes. I wish I could help her papa but she's so stubborn! She thinks that she has to deal with it by herself and she doesn't. Doesn't she know that I'm right there with her? That you're right there too?"
Naraku frowned.
"Think of this Souta. Your sister loves you and doesn't want to put any more stress or any more problems on your life. Imagine being in her shoes, knowing that there were so many paths she could take but not knowing if the path she is currently on is the right one. She doesn't want you to get hurt or to feel pain. Even if it's not her fault, the Akuma and the Earl are evil and have a way of manipulating people to feel at their worst. Maybe Souta, maybe you aren't the person who will make her smile. You are her beloved brother, but maybe, just maybe, she needs someone who can heal her heart. You are everything to her but she needs that separate pillar. Maybe she needs to find that someone who can give her the comfort of a lover, not a brother."
"Papa, she's only fourteen." He said annoyed.
"And you are nine. The life you both are living, age doesn't play a major role anymore. There are so many others who are older than the two of you and yet, they don't have the responsibility that you both have."
Souta sighed. He understood that, growing up the way that he did, you learn a lot in a short amount of time. There were others who didn't live the way he did and got to grow up differently. Sometimes he was envious of their lives but if he had to search deep down, he knew that he wouldn't trade any of this for anything. His sister needed him to have her back, to fight by her side but he could only protect one side so she needed to find that other person. Turning back to look at his sister, maybe she already found that person. Not once had he ever seen her look so at peace. It was a nice look, she was tense as hell but she didn't feel comfortable here yet but she would. She would find a home here too.
Back with Kagome, she had been feeling all the things her brother felt and she was confused. At first, he was sad, then he was pissed and finally he felt content… maybe her brother was bipolar or something. It didn't matter but watching him sit there with Naraku, it brought such happy feelings. She remembered when she had first met the man. She had just learned about what the mark on her chest had meant. She had cried and cried, she didn't want evil living inside of her soul. It had been a very chilling night. The air was cold, and damp. She remembered the screams from down the street, it had been horrible. A barely born Akuma, the soul crying so loudly that she couldn't ignore it. She rushed there, beside a man laying face down in the pavement. It had been a hard exorcism; the man hadn't a clue as to what happened. It had taken all night long to explain everything to him; it had been when she asked if he had wanted his daughter to suffer the way she was. If he was so selfish as to let her daughter live as a toy, a slave to the Millennium Earl's evil will.
"What are you thinking about?"
She had forgotten about him, the person who had brought her with him, with his group. It was true that she didn't trust the rest of the group, especially with girl and the general. He didn't seem to give a rat's ass about the others in his team and wanted to see just how far they could go without assistance. For so many years, she had seen others do the same thing with horrible consequences. Kikyo used to do that, just stand there watching as everyone around her fought to protect their loved ones or people who couldn't help themselves. In the end, she had cost them a great deal. Because of her unwillingness to help others, a group of children had lost their lives and on top of that, she had lost hers as well. It wasn't in the same attack but it had been close together. Kikyo didn't really have power, she just knew people who did. It had been so heartbreaking, the night that those poor children had died. Kagome blamed herself for not standing up to Inuyasha and making him take his girl away from their shrine. Instead, she had coward her views for his and because of that, four children had died. Kagome jumped from her thought to another, the girl, Lenalee. She was sure that girl was a strong fighter but at the same time, the girl wasn't strong. She let her emotions rule her life. Her jealousy was visible and the Earl loved to prey on people like that. She couldn't and wouldn't take any chances.
"The past." Kagome said quietly. "I have many regrets."
Allen understood, he had many regrets as well. It didn't change anything to have them but it still weighed heavy on his mind. He looked in the direction Kagome was staring; of course, her eyes were on her little brother. He didn't have any siblings so he didn't know how deep the love went and how much a person would and will sacrifice for that person. He was sure that Kagome would do anything for her brother. He had seen it first hand during their trip back to headquarters. When her brother had been in danger, she hadn't thought about her actions. It made her reckless but the passion and the rage she put behind her attacks, it had been astounding. He had feared a bit, she was such a firecracker. At the same time though, he knew that she would do the same for all those who had won her loyalty. He would have liked to think that she trusted him and that she would show loyalty as he was trying to show. He felt connected to her in some way. They were both cursed; both had hard pasts and had people use them. Allen did fear something, he feared telling her that he was also the fourteenth Noah, that he had the same darkness that the Earl had. If she found out, would she treat him differently like everyone else did? He had hoped not, it broke his heart to be treated differently because people feared him but he didn't want her to find out from someone else.
"I understand." He said softly.
Kagome gave him a soft smile.
"Will you come with me?" Allen asked. "I want to show you something."
Of course, Kagome had nodded. She had a feeling of what he would talk about; it wasn't like she couldn't see his soul and its counterparts. If he was trying to keep it a secret, he was failing because everyone spoke about it. Of course it was in hushed tones but she could still hear them.
It had been a couple of hours since they got to the Black Order Headquarters and even though they had been shown around and met a lot of people, they were still very uncomfortable here. There were strange sounds, the science department, and you could hear whispers throughout the building. Kagome spent over an hour in her brother's room, securing it to her standards and to get him to rest. The rooms were of decent size, the same as their rooms at their old home, beautifully decorated and above all else, it was theirs. After Kagome got her beloved brother to bed, she sat and waited in her room. Allen had told her that he would come get her when everyone else had turned in to rest. She hadn't waited long before she heard a soft knock on her door. Gently, she opened the door and met with a stunned Allen. Kagome didn't find the need to dress in her exorcist outfit but be comfortable because most likely, she would want to crawl into bed and rest. She wasn't going to go through the hassle of trying to dress herself for bed. It wasn't like she was wearing anything inappropriate. She was wearing a sleeping yukata, she had worn it for years and sometimes, she even had to fight in one. That was annoying but hey, that's the way things go. With quiet words, she followed Allen toward his secret destination. Apparently it was very secret since he was the only person in the Order who could get here.
"What did you want to show me?"
Allen led Kagome to a piano, a white piano and started to play. She didn't understand the reason he was showing her that he could play but she sat down anyway and watched his fingers glide around the keys. When she looked up, Kagome could see the notes that he was playing. She shouldn't be able to read these notes, they weren't sheet notes and she didn't know how to read music either. Taking this as another stone upon her shoulders, she ignored it for now.
"I'm glad you can play the piano, it's soothing." Kagome whispered.
Allen looked at her, stopped playing and turned to face her. He had so much to tell her, so much that he needed her to know. He wanted her to trust him and to be able to depend on him like she depended on the twenty four finders she had brought with her. His fingers began to play again and with a soft gasp, he was amazed when her fingers came to play as well. There were two sets of notes, he had played the alto notes and she, she played the soprano notes. He hadn't heard them together but now, the song sounded so much more complete.
"I know you can see souls of humans and Akuma. You can see the difference between a human and a Noah. Kagome, I am the fourteenth Noah."
Kagome looked into his eyes. He was scared that she wouldn't accept him but she did. She knew about it already.
"I know. I found out the second night we were with you."
"How?"
"Your friends talk, everyone talks. I don't see why you're so afraid; you control your own soul Allen. Nothing and no one can control your soul because it's yours. People may try, try to get into your mind and sway your faith in yourself but don't let them. All they can do is try to harm you through their words and actions but you, you are your own person. If you fight, fight for yourself because of yourself. Find someone who is willing to stand beside you, fight beside you not in front of you and if needed, someone who will allow you to fight for yourself."
Those words, they meant so much to him.
"You don't mind?"
Kagome laughed, it was soft yet echoing throughout the room.
"No, I don't mind. I have been in contact with a Noah before; he was dying and wanted to send his memories into someone else. He was sad but not evil. It was heartbreaking, he was so concerned about his older brother, and he kept saying how he didn't want his brother to die. It was different, a Noah is supposed to have control over their emotions, their drive and yet, this Noah did not. They are normally selfish and sadistic toward the human race, he cared."
Allen stared at Kagome with such relief. He didn't know what he would have done if she had feared him like all the others had. He didn't have any choice in how he was born but people still feared and treated him differently. Sometimes he just wanted to stay in his room and find peace in nothingness but he didn't get that. For so long, no one would leave him alone because they feared he would betray them. The order even had someone follow him. He felt so alone for so long, no one would come to speak to him without having some type of fear in their eyes. It was hard; he was almost ready to give up.