I must have way too much free time or something :o Welp. Chapter 3 is out, and like I promised, I made it longer ^^
Thanks again for jokerose and Emikame for supporting and helping me up till now~
Disclaimer: I don't own D. Gray-Man
And now on with the show~
Chapter 3: Memento from the Past
Maria's eyes were wide open as she stood there shocked as she watched her teacher's body hit the ground motionless. It felt as though the light had gone out and she was alone in the dark again. Stunned, she fell to the floor, staring at those beautiful violet eyes that were once so full of life, now dull and listless. She began to gag as the smell of blood reached her nose and her face was contorted in horror.
"Tyki, lets go!" Road called as she and Sheril entered her door. "We've stayed here long enough as it is."
Tyki only stood there clutching Florence's still heart in his hand, staring at Maria, whose sudden appearance was unexpected to both parties. Uh oh… She wasn't supposed to know about this.
Behind her, Seph and Evan simply stood there frozen, shocked by the scene before them.
"You…" Maria's shadow started to grow around her; she was losing control of her Innocence. "You killed…my teacher!"
Suddenly Tyki was assaulted by a barrage of piercing shadows emerging from the ground. Some he managed to dodge but wasn't as lucky for others as some spikes managed to hit their target. "Shit!" He cussed as another one grazed his side. I need to get out of here. Holding onto his side, he quickly dodged the oncoming spikes and made it to Road's door. Glancing back at the room, the last thing he saw was Maria falling over in Florence's pool of blood.
Darkness.
Her eyes slowly opened, revealing two ice-blue orbs, staring at the unbroken darkness.
Nothingness.
That's all she ever was. Her biological parents didn't even care enough about her to give her a name. Just another existence on the world; a grain of sand on a beach, waiting to be washed away by the ocean.
Light.
Her light was gone; obscured by more darkness until it was no more. She would never be able to see that woman's smile ever again.
Alone.
"Because…that's all we'll ever be in the end… Right…Neah…?"
"…Ne…ah?" Bright ice-blue eyes slowly opened, adjusting to the dimness of this new environment. She slowly looked around her and found that she was inside the Order's ward. Around her the nurses were working hard at taking care of injured exorcists. She heard the sound of soft breathing and looked to her left and right to find both Evan and Seph fast asleep. Evan had fallen asleep on a chair and had his arms crossed as his head drooped while Seph had fallen asleep sitting by the bed using his arms as a makeshift pillow, his head facing her. She quietly admired his sleeping face. His face radiated a pure childlike innocence that was absent while he was awake. Maria smiled fondly and stroked his hair, her hand softly caressing his black hair that was now much shorter and cleaner than it had been since she last saw him six years ago.
Seph awoke when he felt her hand gently moving through his hair. He slowly opened his eyes and saw her smiling gently at him before her eyes widened and she quickly moved her hand away from his head but he caught it before it could return to her side. "Hey," he murmured quietly, careful as to not wake up Evan who was still fast asleep on the chair by the wall.
"Hey," she whispered back, smiling softly at him.
"You're awake," he observed and sent her a small smile which hinted the extent of his worry.
"Of course I am," she replied, chuckling a little. Glancing around her, she asked, "How long have I been out?"
"Since this morning," Evan spoke up from his chair as he rubbed his neck and began stretching his arms. "It's almost night time now."
"This morning…?" Her eyes slowly widened as the day's events came crashing down on her. She gasped, "That means… Teacher is-!" She quickly tried to get out of the bed, but Seph held her down firmly.
"Rest. You've had a long day and I don't want you to get sick," he said calmly and then paused. "But we need to show you something first."
Evan, who had left the room unnoticed earlier, came back with a small black kitten and a white golem with a cross on its 'face' and white wings that resembled those of an angel. Maria quickly recognized the golem; it was her late mentor's golem, Snow. Answering Maria's questioning gaze, he simply said, "She wanted you to have these."
Maria took the golem in her hands and it began to play a video of her teacher.
"Congratulations on becoming a full fledged exorcist!" Ebony Florence giggled and pulled the string on a small party popper as she celebrated her student's successful . "Sorry to see you off like this, but I hate saying goodbyes. I'm sure that I'll be seeing you around during your journey though, so this probably won't be the last time I see you. Who knows, we may even be assigned missions together!" She paused for a few seconds. "I'm leaving Snow and Dinah in your care. Take care of them for me, will ya kiddo?"
Maria smiled fondly at her teacher's words. This was just like Ebony; she was always so spontaneous and upbeat, never feeling down; the woman had been the light of her life back in the dark days of the past. Her eyes began to sparkle, the tears already starting to form.
But now she's gone.
"Oh and by the way, whatever happens," Florence added. "Stay strong. Someone told me this once, and I think that you should take his words to heart," she paused once more before continuing, but this time her eyes seemed to stare into space as she was reliving a distant memory. "'Don't stop, keep walking.' One day you'll get there kiddo." Smiling kindly at the screen, Florence's eyes radiated genuine happiness as she finished speaking, thus ending the recording.
Maria's eyes brimmed with tears as the message ended. She began to hiccup as the tears overflowed and dripped onto Dinah and Snow. "Teacher," She cried out, hugging her knees as both Cheshire and Snow began to comfort her the only way they could. She cried, remembering the unforgettable day teacher and student met. She cried, for the adventures she dreamed of having with her mentor disappeared without a trace, never to come true. She cried, for her lonely heart couldn't handle the loss of another person dear to her. And as she cried, Seph and Evan could only watch as the girl they knew so well was swallowed up in grief while Florence's last two gifts shared their warmth with the poor girl.
Pain flashed through their faces; they couldn't do anything to help her. "I'm powerless," Evan thought bitterly. "I swore that I would protect her, but I can't even stop her tears?" He looked to Seph to help him solve his turmoil, to answer the question in both of their hearts. "What am I supposed to do?"
Seph's calm eyes only said one thing, and that one sentence was enough to spur the both of them into action.
"She needs us."
As warm arms wrapped around Maria's shoulders, she could only cry harder at the small gesture of warmth. She had lived so long without this love, this kindness. She endured the hardships of the world without ever having felt the warmth of another person, save her mentor whose kindness she would never forget. Her teacher's final words flashed through her mind.
"Don't stop, keep walking."
Holding these words close to her heart, she tried to pull herself together, to rebuild the walls that were torn down in a moment. Her efforts were futile though; she could only cry harder as the two boys hugged her.
She felt something that time. Something that she had never felt before, even when Florence had found her and taught her the skills she now knew. She felt…safe. Safe in the arms of her childhood friends, both of whom had been with her since the very beginning until they got separated. Both of whom understood her so well. She couldn't thank them enough for what they did for her; they were always there when she needed them most.
"…Thank you…" She murmured; her tears having finally run dry as she drifted off to sleep wrapped in their arms.
As Seph and Evan gently placed her back on her bed, Maria's last words rang in Seph's heart.
"Thank you."
He felt warmth spread throughout himself when she said those two simple words. His spirits lifted when he remembered holding her in his arms. She was just so small, so fragile that it made him want to protect her from the world's cruel reality. When he saw her crying there, he didn't know what to do at all. Should he leave her alone so she could cry in peace? Or should he stay by her side as she cried her heart out?
The place where he had held her now felt cold without her warmth there to fill in the gap. Smiling fondly, he made his way back towards his room. "When was the last time I saw her crying?" He wondered. Laying down in his bed, Seph placed his arms behind his head and closed his eyes.
. . . . .
Seph hit the ground, holding his throbbing cheek. Standing before him was the man that had caused his pain: Lucifer Rainwater. He didn't know why he stuck with the man; his mother was already long gone; she would never have to worry about the demon ever again. Unless the man Seph regrettably called his father found a way to bring her back to life, they had nothing to fear.
"You're filthy." The demon spat as he shoved the child away. "Get away from me or else you'll spread your filth in the air I breathe." With that, the man walked away from his son.
"Wait father!" His elder sister, Luna, protested as she tried to run after him. Lucifer simply slapped her outstretched hand and walked away, slamming the door to his study shut. Luna's eyes were wide open as she held her hand, slowly letting both hands fall to her sides. "Ah..."
"Sis..." Seph tentatively reached out a hand to place on her shoulder. "I-"
"No Joseph," she turned to him, smiling sadly. "I'm sorry. I promised Mom that I'd protect both you and Alice but I...he... I let him hurt you. I'm sorry," she apologized once again. At that moment, a small dark haired girl with soft blue eyes poked her head from behind the door. She wore a light pink dress and held a small black bunny that wore a red and white jacket and had an enormous white bow tied around its neck.
"Ah...!" she let out a small squeak. "Onee-chan! Nii-chan! I finally found you!"
"Alice," Luna smiled as she was embraced by the small, five year old girl. "Have you been spending time with the Tsukiyomi's?"
"Uh huh!" Alice giggled. "Ryou-nii-san and his sister taught me some Japanese words today! Want to hear what I learned?" she asked excitedly, her innocent face radiating happiness.
"Sure!" Luna smiled kindly and sat down.
Alice took this as her cue and promptly began telling her what she had learned earlier at the 'Tsukiyomi' house.
Seph feigned interest but soon zoned out as he remembered what had happened just before his younger sister had entered the room. He held a hand up to his cheek, delicately tracing the hand print that that man had left. Even though Seph was used to his father's words, every time he said them would cause a new round of hurt on the boy's heart. Hiding the tears that were threatening to fall in his eyes, Seph ran out of the house, oblivious to Luna's and Alice's shouts of surprise.
Seph ran towards the park, which was the only place he could truly let go and pull down his barriers, even if it was only temporary. He sat down and held his knees towards his chest, fighting the tears that threatened to fall. As he stared at the happy families spending time in the park, he couldn't help but imagine that he was a carefree child playing with both his sisters in the park. How he wished he could be as joyful as they were. Behind him a girl spoke, "Are you alright?"
Shocked by her sudden appearance, Seph jumped up, trying to wipe his tears. The girl was very pretty, with pale blond hair that was almost white and piercing ice-blue eyes that seemed as if they could see through him. She looked to be about his age and wore a simple white dress and wore a sky blue bow in her hair that complemented her eyes.
"Are you alright?" She repeated, staring at him with those beautiful eyes.
"Huh? Y-yeah I think so," He quickly stammered, a blush starting to form on his cheeks.
She continued staring at him with her piercing gaze. "You don't look like it." She touched his red cheek and he flinched. It still felt raw, and he could already feel a bruise starting to form on the mark.
"Did I hurt you? Sorry!" She quickly apologized, taking her cool hands away from his cheek. He missed them already.
"N-no! It's alright," He smiled, taking a liking to the honest and innocent girl. "My name's Joseph. What's yours?"
She smiled brightly before replying, "Mm I'm Maria! Do you want to be friends, Seph? We can go explore and play and meet new friends and...and...um!" She continued to talk animatedly even though she had run out of ideas. "And play some more!" she finished with a bright smile.
Seph's eyes were wide open and he faintly noticed that his jaw hung wide open as the girl before him finally finished talking. How could she even talk that much, or rather, how could she talk that fast?
"Well?" Maria waited expectantly for a reply as she placed her arms behind her back.
'Seph?' He thought. 'What a weird nickname… Better than Joe I guess.' "Oh! Um s-sure Maria," He stuttered, his cheeks getting even redder.
"Then lets go play!" Maria enthusiastically grabbed his hand, and dragged him off to explore the town, where adventure lay in the most surprising places.
Seph awoke to a soft knock at his door. "Seph?" a voice called quietly. "You awake?" It was Evan.
Stifling a yawn, Seph stretched his arms and put on his eyepatch, a gift that his mentor Tiedoll had given him over the years. Putting on his boots, Seph walked out of his room wearing only a fitted black tank top and sweatpants. "Why are you still up?" he yawned.
"Komui wants to see us," Evan said as he turned to walk towards the office. "He says that it has to do with Ebony Florence's will."
"Will?" Seph voiced his thoughts as he nonchalantly placed his arms behind his head. "I thought that she was killed this morning. How can-"
"That's what I'm wondering too," Evan interrupted.
Seph sighed tiredly, "I guess we'll just find out when we get there." Evan simply nodded his reply and they walked in silence. "By the way..." Seph began casually. "Who's Komui?"
"Ahem," a man wearing a lab coat and a white beret cleared his throat before beginning. He pushed up his glasses slightly so that they reflected the light in the room, making him look more intelligent. "We all know what happened to General Ebony Florence this morning," he began. "And right now, Maria is still mourning for the loss of her mentor so she is excused from this-"
"Just...cut to the chase, will ya Komui?" a 16 year-old boy with golden blond hair and bright green eyes yawned tiredly.
"Let him finish Kevin," a girl around the same age with chocolate brown hair and soft brown eyes chided. She smiled at the man and gestured for him to continue.
"Thank you, Aya." Komui smiled tiredly. "As I was saying, after inspecting the crime scene, we came across a will that General Florence seems to have written a will prior to her death. I'd read it to you but Kevin here seemed to be quite ready to get back to bed," he chuckled. Seph crossed his arms impatiently and casually leaned against the doorway. "As you all know, General Florence formed a team consisting of the top Exorcists that she has added to in the past few years. Right now, the Elites have 10 members. Two of whom are present and the other 8 are currently out on missions. General Florence has personally recommended Evan Wilder, Joseph Rainwater, and Maria Tsukiyomi to be a part of the Elites as the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth members. Effective immediately."
Seph's eyes widened at the sudden news the man named Komui had announced. It was only their second day at the Order and already they were getting promoted? Wasn't this progressing a bit too fast?
"But wait," Evan interrupted. "There must be a mistake. I've never even met the General! How can she personally recommend me to the team if we've never even seen each other?!" Three curious expressions stared quietly at Komui as he skimmed over the will once again.
"Hmm," Komui murmured. "The date on here says that this was written...the 20th of October." His eyes widened as he looked up to the group, a hoarse whisper bubbling up his throat.
"The day before she died."
This chapter is sadder than the rest. Sad but sweet at the same time :'(
I actually listened to Nobuo Uematsu's song Theme of Love the entire time while writing this chapter. Such a beautiful song, and it describes the mood of the chapter perfectly. Sad but sweet. :'(
Please review! :3
*Edit* Fun fact: No that wasn't the date when I rewrote the chapter. Take it back one month and then you have the date I finished the chapter :D...
