Last edited April 18th 2016.

-o0o-

One Reunion in Agra

-o0o-

"Tim, what is it exactly that Miss Galmar thinks that you do, for her to disapprove so much of it?"

Timothy had asked why he was asking.

Krory had answered that he was just curious.

Motives aside, Timothy honestly could not say that he appreciated the other's nosiness. However, since it was hardly malicious, he figured that he might as well go ahead and confess. "Simply put, she thinks that I'm a thief," he had said, accompanying the statement with a mild shrug. "And as the daughter of a police commissioner, she naturally disapproves. Frankly though, I think she's more pissed off about the fact that I took off."

"Why did you leave?" wondered Krory.

'Why didn't you leave sooner?' echoed Timothy's internal monologue.

-o0o-

They reached the westernmost part of the Indian subcontinent without further incident, landing in the city the English called Bombay; the locals called it plenty of other things. From there and onward, they found themselves spending the greater part of their time ‒ greater as in a measure of quantity rather than in a measure of quality ‒ in a much too heated and much too crowded train carriage headed towards the northeast.

An unknown number of days and hours later, they finally began what was to be the last leg of their journey headed northwest towards Agra after they had held a rock-paper-scissor's contest over in Allahabad wherein the winner would be allowed to choose if they should continue further eastward toward Calcutta down by the coast or if they should continue northwest toward Agra.

Personally, Timothy would have favoured heading for Calcutta, seeing that it was much closer to the open sea as opposed to the very inland city of Agra. However, since he had not been the one to emerge victorious, choosing their destination had been entirely upon another.

Obviously, Krory had not been the one, although the man had ultimately supported Allen's decision, far more likely than not attracted by the prospects of viewing internationally renowned monuments such as the Taj Mahal on top of Allen's ‒ in Timothy's opinion ‒ far more sensible argument that the train ride to Calcutta would be twice as long as the one to Agra, and weary as they all were of travelling by train at this particular point in time, this argument proved decidedly compelling to all of them.

Besides, Agra did have other advantages; it just so happened to be one of the cities Timothy knew fairly well, largely because it just so happened to be the home of one of Cross' most prolific sponsors.

However, with it still being fairly early in the day when they arrived in the city, Timothy reasoned that there was no rush to head for Lady Urmina's place. As such, he had brought Allen and Krory along to see the Taj Mahal, seeing to the fact that Timothy himself was in no greater hurry to make himself useful to Cross. With this action, Timothy reasoned that he would also be able to satisfy Krory's curiosity. However, as was proven, the spectacular view was not enough to distract the other from their earlier conversation.

"Me and my father never really got along," Timothy finally offered where they stood, admiring the architectural marvel from a bit of a distance. "We never really got along, but that didn't stop him from dragging me into the family trade. Or from shoving this huge stolen marble down my throat when we were about to get caught for that matter…"

"You got caught?" Allen piped up from down below, obviously listening in on their conversation.

"My father did, and by Emilia's father of all people." Timothy shrugged mildly. "As for me on the other hand‒ They found me at the bottom of the stairs," he then relayed, deadpan, before adding a simple "Didn't think I'd make it" to his statement.

"I got stuck at the orphanage after that." Timothy lifted a hand to his mouth to cover up a yawn. "I took quite a liking to the place. I mean, I would have stayed longer ‒ forever, even. But then I realised I could only do so much while staying in their midst."

"So you left?" Krory commented.

Timothy responded without skipping a beat. "I did."

"To become a thief?" Allen piped up from down below.

"Yep," Timothy affirmed, crouching down and giving his charge's hair an affectionate ruffle to the latter's obvious chagrin.

"And that's why Emilia is upset with you?" Krory cut in from above. "Because she thinks you took up thievery in order to keep the orphanage up and running?"

"Nah, I just took off in order to make some money." Timothy straightened, dodging a half-hearted blow from Allen as he did so. "And then, realising an honest living could only make so much, I decided to get creative."

"Creative…?" Krory sounded rather puzzled, so Timothy decided to elaborate.

"Knowing what I am capable of, do you really need to ask?"

A somewhat wry look crossed the former count's face. "I suppose not."

Silence settled briefly between them, before Allen suddenly spoke up, his voice decidedly lower now compared to earlier; a loud whisper that shredded the silence and was accompanied by a slight but noticeable tug on Timothy's sleeve. "Akuma."

Timothy glanced only briefly at the hand tugging at his sleeve, taking note of how Allen had shuffled decidedly closer. "Where?" he asked simply, crouching down anew. "How many?"

The fingers immersed in the fabric of his sleeve gradually slackened and then fell away, and Timothy took to his usual measure of cupping Allen's face, running his thumbs back and forth on Allen's cheeks in an attempt to keep him grounded while Krory hovered nervously above them.

"Five Level Twos, two Level Threes, all over, within a one kilometre radius," Allen eventually responded, his eyes somewhat less wide now even though his curse remained very much active.

"Well, damn," Timothy commented, allowing Allen a few more moments to calm himself before withdrawing and straightening. "Looks like we should prepare to go kick their collective arses then."

There was a beat of silence, and then, the inevitable comeback. "Well, that ought to make a big enough spectacle."

"Indeed," Krory readily agreed to Allen's quiet murmur, and Timcanpy too seemed to agree with said assessment, judging from the double wing beat.

"So, do we lure them or do we let them lure us? Or do we pretend we didn't notice them and hope they didn't notice us?"

All things considered, his companions in particular, Timothy figured the question hardly needed to be asked, much less answered.

-o0o-

About an hour and a half later, they recommenced at approximately the same location. Though they had been forced to be reasonably discreet, they had managed to eliminate all their targets.

Simply put, though they had certainly become stronger as individuals in the time since their last major confrontation with akuma, it was their mutual cooperation and teamwork that made all the difference. With the use of Allen's Innocence, they were able to trap or at the very least slow the akuma which would then become fuel or transportation for Krory and Timothy. Topping it all off with a few awfully convenient special abilities of said akuma, finishing off the rest had proven surprisingly easy.

"Well, looks like training's paid off," Timothy commented once finally back in his own body. "Told you I'd be able to possess a Level Three."

Allen rolled his eyes at this. Timcanpy seemed to perform the golem equivalent of the act.

"You don't say?" was Krory's amused response.

Timothy only pretended not to notice, directing himself elsewhere. "So, are we done here or should we be expecting more company anytime soon?"

There was a beat of silence, and it then stretched on uninterrupted.

"Allen?"

The tug on his sleeve was back. "Tim."

Timothy crouched down once more, taking Allen's face in his hands and tilting it slightly, trying to keep the frown from his own face at the look that met his. "Are there more of them coming?" he asked, running his thumbs back and forth, even though the curse was obviously inactive. "More akuma?"

Slowly, Allen reached up and pried the hands away, grabbing hold and clutching them like a lifeline as he stared at the ground, eyes wide but decidedly unfocused. "We should go."

Timothy allowed for it to happen, sending the hovering Krory a meaningful look on top of Allen's head. He received a curt nod before the man averted his eyes and began scanning their surroundings for possible hostiles. Meanwhile, the grip on Timothy's hands tightened until it became more than just slightly painful.

Allen was no longer looking at the ground; his posture had grown tense and he was looking over his shoulder. "Tim, we have to go. Right now."

"Go where?" Timothy questioned, looking in the same direction and spotting nothing out of the ordinary.

"Away from here." Allen let go of Timothy's hands abruptly and then attached himself to his sleeve, giving it a sharp tug. "Hurry."

"Akuma?"

"Not akuma." Allen shook his head before once again throwing a cautious look over his right shoulder. "Much worse."

Timothy was not quite certain as to what to make of that, though he hardly let it show on his face. Krory's eyes sought him out, questioning, and Timcanpy beat his wings twice before landing on top of Allen's head, not even bristling as Timothy reached over to pull Allen's hood up to obscure them both.

"Alright, I'll lead the way." Timothy gestured for Krory to follow his example as he pulled his own hood up. "I know a place."

"Is it safe?" Krory wondered all whilst complying with Timothy's instructions.

"Who knows?" Timothy reached up to adjust his hood, making sure it remained secure. "We'll know once we get there."

-o0o-

Even by foot, it did not take very long for them to reach their intended destination; to come within sight of it at the very least, seeing to the fact that they still had to decide on whether it appeared safe or not.

All things considered, now that they were here and all, Timothy opted to consult the expert. "Is it safe?" he asked, directing his question towards Allen. "No immediate threats to our continued lives and livelihoods?"

Allen ‒ no longer as tense or wary as previously ‒ spent nearly half a minute staring intently at the building in question before apparently arriving at some type of conclusion. "No."

It was a clear then.

"Good." Timothy straightened out his clothes a bit, reaching up to remove his hood now that the coast was probably as good as clear. "What more could possibly be demanded?"

"Food?" Krory casually suggested, earning a sage nod from Allen.

This time around, Timothy was the one who resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

-o0o-

It was while chatting with the guards at the gates to the widowed Lady Urmina's residence ‒ palace, really ‒ that they encountered a face which was familiar to most of them.

"Ah, we've been expecting you."

Greetings were exchanged, and once they had been properly admitted, Timothy figured introductions were in order. "Krory, meet Narain." He made a slight gesture to accompany the introduction. "Narain, this is Krory."

Narain had grown a few inches since last. The slight wrinkles around his eyes had grown far more pronounced; the lines were still fine, but they still bore witness to continuous hardships and countless nights of sleep deprivation. However, there was something else there as well ‒ something light ‒ that had taken the place of the deep-seated despair that now only lingered as a shadow of days long lost, not thought of but hardly forgotten.

"Hoh, Krory is it?" Narain eyed the man up and down, looking as though he was passing some sort of judgement, which he probably was, all things considered. "Where did you come across this guy? He looks like he has barely seen any sun since‒"

"Europe. Not that it should be of any interest to you," Timothy cut in and stepped in physically while he was at it, positioning himself between the pair. "By the way, how are the studies going, Narain? Making any progress?"

The words had the intended effect. Narain immediately allowed himself to be diverted, every bit a teenager as he shifted from one foot to the other, running a hand through his messy brown hair with a mild look on exasperation on his face. "Honestly, Tim? Who do you think I am?" Narain scoffed, stretching his apparently sore or stiff muscles. "I'm studying hard, as always. But obviously, I've got other duties to attend."

"Other duties?" Timothy repeated, humouring him.

"I do some work down at the clinic and spend the nights studying," Narain readily admitted, covering up a small yawn as he led them farther into the complex.

"Studying?" Krory piped up, obviously oblivious to the efforts that Timothy had gone through in order to spare him from further scrutiny and all that said scrutiny was likely to entail.

Through a quick glance at just the right moment, Timothy definitely saw a shadow cross the other's face.

"To become a doctor."

"A doctor?" Krory repeated, painfully oblivious to the figurative minefield through which he was now treading. Timothy knew he ought to have prepared for this moment beforehand; that he ought to have prevented‒

"It's what Mina would've wanted."

‒That he really ought to have prevented.

"Would've?" Krory began, and Timothy finally decided he had had enough, elbowing the oblivious Krory in the ribs. Apparently, so had Allen, kicking him in the shin and hissing an instruction not to ask questions.

If Narain noticed, then he at least had the decency not to comment on it. Instead, he crouched down before Allen, apparently scrutinising him and being scrutinised in return. "Pasanda kabab or pasanda paneer?" he finally asked.

Allen tilted his head slightly to the side, contemplating the matter briefly. "Why not both?"

"How about some tehri?" Narain suggested, straightening. "And gulab jamun for dessert?"

"All of it," Allen responded with little to no hesitation, and even Timcanpy batted his wings in a clearly anticipatory manner, all while Krory looked mildly puzzled. Timothy meanwhile experienced a sudden urge to pinch the ridge of his nose in exasperation and then proceeded to do just that.

"Narain."

The other lifted their gaze and shifted their body so that it faced him. "Yes?"

Timothy made a discreet hand gesture.

Narain looked mildly puzzled for a fraction of a second before understanding gradually dawned upon him. "Ah, got it."

"Got what?" asked Krory.

"To tell the cook to go easy on the spices."

-o0o-

"Is this truly necessary?"

Timothy shot Narain a somewhat irritated look over the shoulder before returning his full attention to the thing before him, scrutinising it for any possible faults before returning it to the obscured nook from which he had retrieved it. "Obviously."

"But you're just checking?"

"Then all the more reason." He got back to his feet, brushing some travel dust from his clothes while he was at it. "Allen's jumpy enough as it is."

"He looked stable enough to me."

"You should've seen him earlier."

"Earlier?"

"He attached himself to my sleeve."

"Sleeve?" Narain's eyes narrowed slightly. "That bad, huh?"

"That bad," Timothy affirmed, already headed towards the next location. "For your sake, I hope you didn't touch the rest."

"Obviously not, seeing that I'm not an idiot," Narain drawled right back, folding his arms across his chest. "I just had to save that one from milady's cat."

"She's still keeping that monster?"

"That she is."

"It's not here, is it?"

"It's off accompanying her on her trip, praise the gods."

"One isn't enough for you?"

They exchanged a look of mutual exasperation.

"Why settle for only one?" Narain finally quipped, baring his teeth slightly.

"Why settle for any at all?" Timothy shot back without missing a beat.

"Fair enough," Narain conceded with a mild shrug. "You of all people should know I'm just about as religious as a pebble."

"People do change their ways on occasion," Timothy retorted. "You looked significantly less dead compared to last time, so I figured you might've found God or something."

"If I had found God, then I'd be dead already of disappointment," Narain scoffed as they moved onto the last location.

"I'm sure the god you're named after feels the same about you."

Narain shrugged mildly at that, apparently conceding to the point before moving right along. "So, the barrier's still intact?"

"Seems like it," Timothy eventually decided, getting back to his feet. "Though it could use some strengthening."

"Couldn't we all?"

Even without looking, Timothy knew there to be a miniscule eye roll accompanying the statement. "Feel free to go back to the others if you like; I'm sure I can find the way back on my own."

Narain sighed. "Are you sure? I might've lied about the cat."

As if to accentuate the other's statement, some nearby bushes rustled ominously.

-o0o-

Narain had lied about the cat, or so was proven as they arrived back in the part of the residence where they had left the others only to be greeted by a Krory sporting some obvious scratches to his face and arms, and also by the sight of the monster purring contentedly on top of Allen's lap.

Hearing their careful approach, Allen looked up but did not pause in his ministrations, sending off a somewhat blank look in their general direction.

"Allen," Timothy finally managed after spending a good few moments attempting and failing to overcome the outright terror that grabbed hold of him at the sight of the furry, clawed and currently purring abomination. "Where's Tim?"

Allen didn't offer up a verbal answer, although he definitely kicked an eyebrow up at the slight tremble in Timothy's voice as the furry abomination temporarily stopped purring. Then, it cracked one of its positively orange eyes open, a slit pupil rapidly zeroing in on Timothy where he stood, trying to look like he wasn't about to bolt. Then, as Allen resumed the petting, the eye gradually drifted close and the purring resumed, rising in volume as Allen moved his hand to scratch the furry abomination beneath the chin.

"Allen," Timothy tried again, lowering his voice significantly. "I hope for your sake that it didn't eat Tim."

Allen looked decidedly unimpressed by the veiled threat but lifted the hand not busy scratching the cat to point towards the ceiling, wherein Timothy after a quick glance was able to affirm that Timcanpy could indeed be found, cowering on top of a perch near to the vaulted ceiling.

Resisting a sudden urge to strangle or at the very least punch Narain, Timothy settled for dragging the man slightly to the side, hissing "Why did you lie about the cat, Narain?" at the far too amiable-looking person in question.

"Payback," the other countered easily, retaining the friendly look; although upon closer inspection, it looked far more like a look of one who found a great pleasure in witnessing and causing the suffering of others.

"For what?!" Timothy hissed right back, actually grabbing him by the collar and lifting him slightly although truth to be told, such an act was futile, seeing that Narain had at least an inch on him in the height department these days. "What have I ever done to you, bâtard?!"

If anything, Narain's expression turned even more pleasant. "Broken jaw, remember?"

"I didn't do that!" Timothy hissed under his breath, shaking him slightly even though it hardly had the desired effect.

Realising as much, Timothy gave the other one last shake before letting go and stepping back, simply narrowing his eyes at the disturbingly pleasant expression still adorning the other's face.

"Why don't you go and get even with the true culprit, huh?!" That was what he would have liked to ask, among other things. As things were though, doing so would with all due likelihood lead to no good. Another thing, not exactly a question but rather a comment of sorts, was "I liked you better when you were suicidal and grieving", but Timothy discarded that one for the same reason as above.

"I can't win, can I?" he offered up instead.

"Not against Narain Narayana Agni."

In a way, Timothy doubted he ever would.

In a way, he doubted it even mattered.

-o0o-

"Allen, how about now?"

Allen lifted his head slightly, tilting it so that he got a better look at Timothy where he stood, anticipating the answer. "How about what?"

It had already been hours since the sun had set, and with the exception of the occasional guard, they seemed to be the only ones still at large, having left Krory snoring. The exact whereabouts of Narain were unknown, though they both kind of just figured that he had gone back to studying, with or without napping in the intervals. Either way, with Allen obviously having no intention of going right to sleep, Timothy found himself accompanying him and Timcanpy around the premises.

"Is it safe for us to go outside?" Timothy asked after temporarily voiding the barrier.

There was a beat of silence, and then an answer, albeit a hesitant one. "Not sure."

There was no visible reaction from Allen's curse, meaning that there were at least no akuma within the nearest kilometre radius or so. Had it been in any other place as crowded as this one, then Timothy would most certainly have considered it odd to not have a single akuma in the vicinity of such crowded settlements. This area however was primarily populated by Hindus, who believed in reincarnation, as opposed to Christians, who believed in some type of eternal life after death but also in damnation. That was not to say that one was better than the other, obviously, because none were better than the other; they were just different. For one thing, the differing views when it came to what happens after death meant that fewer Hindus fell for the Earl's promises of resurrecting their loved ones; in comparison to Christians at any rate. Perhaps this was because they thought that they had other chances; chances for something greater in another life if not in this one. Occasionally, Timothy wondered which of them were right or if they were all wrong about what came after death. What came after death was probably nothing; no Heaven or Hell, just an end.

He restored the barrier, returning the figurine that acted as one of its anchors to its proper place in a small alcove in the surrounding brick wall. "Something's bothering you. What is it?"

Allen said nothing, scraping the sole of his sandal against the paved walkway.

"You're not sure," Timothy translated. "But it set you off."

Allen shot him a look, but did nothing else to challenge his statement. Timothy chose to interpret it as a signal to continue. "And you're sure it's not akuma."

This time around, the response was near instantaneous. "It's not."

"Then what is it?"

There was a beat of silence, and then- "Dangerous."

Timothy could feel his eyebrows furrow slightly. "How can you tell?"

Again, there was a beat of silence before an answer followed; this one quieter than the previous one and accompanied by an averting of the eyes. "Because the shadow was watching."

Timothy was not entirely sure as to how best to react to that. "Did he say anything to you ‒ the shadow guy?" he finally asked, keeping his voice quiet and steady.

Allen shook his head in denial.

"So he pays attention to the danger, huh?" Timothy privately thought as they walked back towards the main building.

"Did Tsukikami‒"

"Nope," he cut off, knowing already what the other was about to ask.

Allen shot him another look then and waved Timcanpy away from his normal perch, sending him into flight. "I didn't imagine it."

"Who said you imagined it?" Timothy shot back.

"You did," Allen snapped.

"Did I?" Timothy paused in his step, turning around to look at Allen who had fallen a few steps behind and stopped there to glare at him.

"You insinuated."

Insinuated? "Did not."

"But you said‒"

"No, you misinterpreted," Timothy corrected.

Noting that Allen was still bristling, Timothy figured he might as well resolve this matter once and for all while he was at it. "Okay, listen up," he said, crouching down. "Immediately following an invocation, Tsukikami and my consciousnesses overlap; you know this, right?"

Allen's response consisted of a sullen nod; he had hardly expected anything more though.

"And you should also know that I tend to get a bit overwhelmed on occasion, right? So, here's a theory for you." He raised his index finger to mark his point. "Courtesy of the akuma-infested environment, I got temporarily desensitised, leaving me temporarily unable to pick up on any additional threats in the vicinity. Thus, I felt the need to ask for a second opinion."

"Still sounded like you thought I was imagining it," proved to be the murmured response.

"Whether you were imagining it or not, I trust your instincts," Timothy concluded, straightening back up. "And if it's just the bogeyman, then I'll scare him away for you."

"You're such a dork."

"Hey! I'm trying to be a good big brother here!"

"A lame big brother."

"Still cooler than you, pipsqueak."

"Says who?"

-o0o-

"Can't sleep?"

Krory startled slightly at the sound of the quiet voice coming from behind and whipped his head around to stare at Narain where he stood, carrying a whole pile of books. The stare was evenly returned, forcing Krory to avert his own. He felt himself colouring slightly in shame as he did so, having been caught eavesdropping on his travelling companions down in the garden below. "I suppose you are not entirely incorrect."

"Well, we're all in the same boat then." Narain adjusted his grip on the books. "We and those out in the garden."

Krory felt a tad less embarrassed then, knowing that he had not been the only one paying attention. "They seem to be having a bit of an argument," he noted quietly as Narain crouched down to deposit the pile of books onto the floor before moving past him to lean against the railing of the small balcony, giving a noncommittal response that hinted at a lack of surprise. "It looks as though Timothy might have the upper hand."

Now that sparked a definite reaction; a burst of surprised amusement. "Really?"

Krory could not help but wonder. "Why is it that you seem so surprised, Mr. Agni?"

"There's no need for such formality, Krory."

"Arystar," he quietly corrected.

"Krory is your surname then?"

He nodded.

"So, Ary's fine with you then?"

It was a bit unconventional and perhaps a tad on the intimate side. Surprisingly, Krory found it strangely appealing though. "I suppose it'll do," he eventually managed. "Narain, then?"

"Unless you've got something better in mind?"

He did not and said so, and Narain made no further comment on the matter, instead redirecting his attention to the events taking place below. "Still think Tim's winning this one?"

Krory stepped closer in order to get a better look.

"They're both the stubborn sort, and Tim's got more experience," Narain commented softly. "However…"

He trailed off slightly and did not seem all too keen on resuming his statement, so Krory figured he might as well change the topic ‒ but to what?

In the end, soft-spoken words emerged from his mouth without much desired input from a sense of reason. "Narain, why did you decide to become a doctor?"

That gained him a definite look, but since it was dark, he was not entirely sure as to how to interpret it.

"Because I thought I'd be good at it." Narain shifted his posture slightly. "And obviously, because I wanted to help out."

There was the sound of approaching wing beats, and Narain extended his hand into the air. Soon thereafter, Timcanpy flew to them, stalling slightly in the air before them before making use of the extended hand as a makeshift perch until Narain transferred him to the top of his head instead. "It was thanks to my sister working for Lady Urmina that I got a chance to work here as well. We grew up in the slums, so we've come a long way."

Earlier, Timothy had pointed out the slums to him, so Krory had no actual need to ask about what they were. "Your sister wanted you to become a doctor," he said instead, looking for clarification. "You mentioned that earlier."

"She did," Narain readily affirmed.

"Where is she now?"

There was no pause and no hesitation, just ‒ "Dead." ‒ a deadpan response.

Krory had a sneaking feeling this matter was what Allen and Timothy had attempted to keep him from pursuing.

"She got sick and died," Narain offered up even though Krory did not ask. "It was very sudden."

"Did you-?" Krory wondered whether or not he ought to ask the question.

"I would have, but Allen stopped me," Narain readily volunteered, his voice and expression both muted.

"He talked you out of it?"

This time around, a brief pause followed. "Something to that respect," Narain finally revealed, rubbing slightly at his chin.

Seeing the gesture, Krory recalled something about a broken jaw. "Oh."

"Naturally, I started out quite resentful." Narain shrugged mildly. "It wasn't until after they'd left that I finally realised what an idiot I'd been."

"So, Allen talked you out of bringing your sister back as an akuma," Krory summarised, making no comment about the broken jaw.

This elicited a slight chuckle from his companion. "Well, that, and he saved my life." Narain's expression turned somewhat pensive. "Made me come to terms with that which awaits us all."

Krory wondered about the proper response to that. "Death, is it?"

"Eventually, yes." Narain appeared to be contemplating something off in the distance. "One might say I've come to terms with things; with the extent of my ability. I'll keep people alive if I can, but I can't bring dead people back to life, even at the cost of my own."

"In the end, it is the Gods that have the ultimate say in who lives and who does not." Pausing, he shot Krory a sideways look. "But as long as you believe in yourself and make the most of what you've been given, that's enough as far as I'm concerned. Everyone might not share this opinion, but I believe there's far more value in being a decent human being than in being merely a devoted worshipper."

"I believe more in what I can see than in what I cannot," Krory responded.

"Is it what you can see or is it what you can perceive?"

Krory shot him a sideways look in return, retaining it.

"You're giving me a look," Narain finally noted.

"You keep asking questions," Krory noted in return, earning a mild shrug in response.

"I'm curious."

Curious? "Curious about what?"

That earned him a piercing look, piercing and stubbornly upheld. Then, finally. "About where you stand, obviously."

Granted, it was an answer, albeit a decidedly puzzling one. "Where I stand?"

"About them." Narain made a slight gesture towards the ones down in the gardens as the seemingly oblivious pair went about their business.

Mildly puzzled, Krory planted his feet more firmly onto the ground ‒ in this case, the floor. "I stand right here."

"But for how long?"

For how long? "Until they move."

"And then?"

And then? "And then I'll follow."

That earned him a small chuckle. "Not exactly leader material, I see."

Krory quirked a smirk but made no further comment.

Narain cracked a smile of his own. "Look out for them, will you? You are, after all, technically speaking the only adult in all of this."

If anything, this made Krory's smirk grow all the more pronounced. "I had forgotten."

"It's a fact that's easy to overlook," Narain agreed with a small laugh. "By them most of all."

Truly.

"Arystar Krory."

He lifted his head and stood a bit straighter.

"I won't ask you to protect them." Narain shook his head slightly before straightening anew, giving him that piercing look again. "Support them and Tim in particular, especially in case something happens."

Again, Krory found himself unsure as to how to properly react. This seemed to be a rather frequent thing as of late though. "You sound rather as though you're expecting something misfortunate to occur."

"Whether you're affiliated with the Order or not, the fact that you're accommodators of Innocence means that you won't be able to stay uninvolved in the longer term," Narain stated, deadpan. "The Order has declared a Holy War against the Earl and his forces, and the former aside, the latter won't differentiate between regular exorcists and you lot."

"In other words," Krory concluded, similarly deadpan. "You mean to say it's merely a question of time."

"It is," Narain immediately affirmed. "Tim knows this, which is why he checked the state of the barrier around this place first thing."

"Then why‒?"

Narain held his hand up to prevent the other from continuing. "Then why can't you just go into hiding, you wonder? Why can't you just erect a barrier and stay within it?" He lowered the hand slowly, keeping his gaze steady. "Because the war must end, Krory."

Out of the corner of his eye, Krory caught sight of movement down below, but there were no voices; either they were speaking all too quietly or they were not talking at all for whichever reason. If not, then what were they doing? Krory wanted to know, but he found that his attention drawn elsewhere; drawn and captivated as his companion continued speaking.

"I may not be an exorcist, or even a member of the Order." Narain folded his arms across his chest, tilting his head ever so slightly. "But, knowing as much as I do, I can hardly sit here and do nothing now, can I?"

Nodding shortly in the general direction of those down below, Narain redirected Krory's attention there as well. "As a doctor, it's my job to save human lives; not souls. Obviously though, if I manage to save more, then there'll be fewer tragedies for the Earl to exploit."

"Tragedies…"

Narain lifted his head slightly. "Tim's told you, hasn't he? About how akuma are born?"

Krory nodded.

"Tim's perceptive, but if it wasn't for Allen, then I would have fallen into that man's trap… because sympathy's not always enough."

Again, Krory offered up a slight nod.

Arms still folded across his chest, Narain shoot another look down into the garden. His eyes zeroed in on Timothy and Allen where they still remained, having a now quiet conversation from the looks and sounds of it, and then he turned his eyes skywards. "Some things, you simply have to experience in order to properly understand."

The moon was waning now, but that hardly mattered. It would become full again soon, because after the moon gradually waned only to briefly disappear, it gradually waxed into its complete form only to then wane once more. It waxed and waned; lived and died and was reborn anew. As ever. As always.

He glanced at Allen and Timothy, and caught Allen's gaze, even from a bit of a distance. When Timothy turned slightly however, he gave the pair a slight wave before retreating back indoors, picking up his pile of books on the way. Surprisingly enough, Krory followed soon thereafter.

"Is there something amusing?" Krory asked, picking up on his slight chuckle.

"Nothing much," Narain commented as Timcanpy once again took flight. "Nothing much."

-o0o-

Meanwhile, while the pair up on the balcony had become caught up in their own conversation, the ones down below discussed those discussing them.

"Say‒" Timothy turned his head only a fraction to observe the pair out of the corner of his eye. "What do you think they're talking about?"

Having kept watch of them far longer than Timothy had, Allen answered without hesitation. "Grownup things."

"Grownup things?" Timothy chanced another glance, hoping he was not making it all too obvious. "Looked more like they were having a bit of an argument to me."

"Tim." Allen shot him an exasperated look. "You're seriously dense."

Taking offense to such a statement was obviously an alternative. Ultimately however, curiosity won out. "How can you tell?" he asked instead, looking at Allen now. "That they're not having an argument, I mean?"

Allen didn't answer immediately, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Because they don't feel angry… Serious yes, but not angry."

"You think they're talking about us?"

Allen nodded.

"What do you think they're saying?"

Allen shrugged mildly. "Timcanpy's off recording it, so‒"

Timothy was not entirely sure as to what to say to that. "I can't believe I didn't think of it myself."

"You've been busy maintaining the barrier," Allen deadpanned. "It really can't be helped."

"How considerate of you."

Again, Allen shrugged. "As I said, it can't be helped."

Hoh? "You know," Timothy finally said, crouching down before him once more. "You've been unusually nasty these days. Are you angry at me in particular or at the world in general?"

Allen made no comment, having no visible reaction besides a slight narrowing of the eyes. "I'm not angry," he finally relayed, averting his eyes. "At you or at anyone else."

Timothy opted to call BS on that one, and in a borderline sing-along voice at that. "Liiiiiar, liiiiar, pants on fi‒"

"I'm not angry!" Allen snapped, proving Timothy's point.

"You are."

"Not angry," Allen insisted.

"You are," Timothy repeated.

"No."

"Yes."

"No," Allen reaffirmed, and with quite a bit of force to it as well. "Stop being so goddamned childish, you goddamned twat!"

Hoh, twat, was it? "I'm talking to a child, so why shouldn't I be‒"

"No." The glare was pronounced and unmistakable. "Not a child."

Before Timothy had even opened his mouth to contest the statement, he had already been cut off. "Don't. You. Dare," Allen snapped, on the verge of snarling.

Timothy figured he had pushed this one far enough. "Not a child," he readily yielded, holding his hands up in surrender. "Got it."

That earned him a scoff, and as he straightened back up, Allen was already looking towards the palace with a very intent look on his face.

"Say, Allen‒" Timothy finally said, all whilst Allen appeared seemingly content with ignoring his presence altogether. "Hey, short stuff."

Allen finally turned his head in his direction, even if it was only to glare at him.

"So, which pisses you off more ‒ me or the state of world?"

The look turned considering. "You both piss me off," Allen eventually decided, deadpan.

"That's not really an answer," Timothy noted, and not without some measure of humour.

"Who gives a damn," Allen deadpanned, averting his eyes.

"Say, Allen…"

Allen wordlessly held his hand up for Timcanpy, shifting his gaze toward Timothy once Timcanpy had reclaimed his usual perch.

"How about staying?"

-o0o-

Truth to be told, it had been on his ‒ Timothy's ‒ mind for a while now. Taking recent revelations and developments into consideration, perhaps it was worth considering. After all, Allen appeared to get along swimmingly with Narain ‒ which was surprising ‒ and with the abomination ‒ which was not that surprising. Now that they had in effect caused a bit of havoc and effectively called attention to themselves, it only made sense for them to stay right where they were, lying low. It was after all that, or it was staying on the move.

In the end, it was a matter of fact that they were three foreigners and mismatched ones at that, meaning that even if they stayed steadily on the move, they would inevitably end up calling unwanted attention to themselves.

On the other hand, one could probably argue that it still made sense to remain on the move, seeing that they had to have called some fraction of the Earl's attention to the general area; taking down Level Threes was hardly the pastime of regular exorcists after all, even when working in teams. In other words, the Earl ought to be very much aware of the fact that there was a faction of exorcists in the area that had proven themselves capable of dealing with high-level akuma. In effect, this meant that there would be ears piqued and eyes peeled, eyes and ears that would ‒ with all due likelihood ‒ sooner or later pick up on the fact that there was a fairly sized palace surrounded by a barrier that could certainly be broken if enough mind and effort was put into it.

As such, staying put was not without its risks, and staying put would also mean risks for Narain and the rest of the widow's household. Taking that into consideration, it definitely made more sense to remain mobile, to head further eastward and to hopefully disappear out in Calcutta, a place that harboured far more foreigners and that would allow them quick access to the shipping routes in case they needed to travel even further. Besides, Timothy knew people in connection to the Viceroy of India, people that could probably be persuaded to help them out if it came to that; to get them aboard a ship if nothing else.

In the end, both alternatives held their definite and their potential merits and drawbacks. In Timothy's mind, it was all the same ‒ or perhaps not, considering the fact that staying in Agra did have the definite advantage of them knowing they had a place and resources at hand, along with people they knew they could probably trust.

Lady Urmina had not yet returned to the residence, but in the end, she ‒ along with all other women that had chosen to become sponsors ‒ had proven inexplicably loyal to Cross and Cross' cause, into which Timothy counted himself and his companions, albeit with a great deal of reluctance.

It was probably the same with Lady Urmina's people, except that they were loyal to the mistress herself rather than to the mistress' charity case. The same kind of loyalty could hardly be expected from the people of anyone that Timothy had connections with off in Calcutta.

In the end, although he was probably best suited for making the decision himself, Timothy still opted to delegate it elsewhere. After all, whichever decision was made, he would cope as long as Allen was okay with it. If Krory had a problem with it, then Timothy figured that they could ask him to stay behind, given that he and Narain had seemingly hit it off to some degree. Obviously, that was not to say that Timothy had any problems with the man. Rather, it became a question of priorities and when it came to priorities, Timothy had had his sorted out since a long time ago.

"Can't stay," Allen eventually concluded, reaching up to poke at Timcanpy riding on top of his head. "Have to keep on walking."

And with those words, a fateful decision was made.

-o0o-