A/N: ZurethaMetal once again- handing you the third chapter of her story. I hope this turns out well and I thank you all for keeping up with my crazy antics.
Kanda- They're not crazy, they're insane.
Inés- (grabs his hand) so are we.
Kanda- (turning red) Che. So are you. I'm perfectly normal; in fact I'm the only fucking normal one here!
Me- I don't own D. gray man, only the blue-haired alter ego of mine that is trying to drag Kanda into her room. (Throws a box of condoms at Inés' head.)
Inés- (winks)
Kanda- (pales)
Me- So here goes the next chapter in our amazing series- She Tapped the Ice Heart Till it Shattered:
Chapter 3- Masqueraders and Opera Phantoms
Kanda's eyes darted back and forth. He was so mother-fucking confused, they don't even make big complicated words to explain how confused he was.
"He really is quite stunning, with the sexy definitions and the fact that his pants leave nothing to the imagination, and those beautiful steely eyes," the Falling Butterfly said dreamily. Inés growled.
"Mine. You no touchy, "she growled, possessively wrapping a leg around his waist. She had accidently grinded against him and he groaned involuntarily. The both looked at him and giggled.
"Oh! Yeah, you're new at this. Um, this is my friend Olivia, also known as Chō no tachi sagari, the leader of the Masqueraders, and you know my name, but I started out in a band of misfits during my time with Cross. I am Kura Inazuma, the youngest member of the group." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair.
"I suppose you want to know the story if you want to get involved with me, otherwise I'll run out of excuses for the reason of these missions. Recently, members of the team have been getting attacked, by Noah. Olivia and I have been hunting them, but I can't imagine she would show up here. We must be on the hot trail," she said.
"On the hot trail to a dead body," she said, holding out a photo. In front of an opera house, decrepit and in shambles, stood twelve people, all young children and young teens. The first wore a butterfly mask, seemingly around nine; the next person had a burn mark through their face. The third person was a girl, but there was a burn covering her face, as with the sixth and fifth person. The fourth person had a flame mask, a young boy, maybe eleven, and had dark skin. The seventh one had a burn mark covering his face. The eighth one was a girl about 12 with a gold mask with tears on it. The ninth one was a tall boy, with a burn mark on his face. The tenth one was another tall boy with a black mask, that had a butterfly in the corner. A teenage boy with a gray mask was holding hands with a small, six-year old girl with a black mask with a purple lightning bolt.
"Which one?" she asked quietly, though he could hear the pain in her voice.
"Sandārōringu, it was Daniel- I'm so sorry Kura Inazuma," Olivia whispered. Ines became a small ball, curling in o herself, her arms wrapped tightly around her and her knuckles white, clutched around either arm.
"What part of him did that damn Noah of Pleasure take?" she asked. Olivia gulped.
"The Noah took his heart, just like the rest of the victims," she said. Inés bolted up.
"Where is the body now?" she asked, a livid expression of disbelief on her face.
"That's why I came to find you; we are holding his service today," She said.
"Let's go then!" Inés shouted, nearly waking up Lavi. Olivia looked sad as she led her friend on and Kanda trailed behind, worried about the woman he loved. Yes, he loved her. He finally came to that conclusion. She was so livid right now, even he was afraid to approach her, though he wanted nothing more than to protect her and love her. They arrived at a clearing, where a dead body lay in the middle of the field.
Inés ran up to it, and knelt down next to it. Her eyes filled with tears as she saw the black- haired boy lying before her. His white shirt and pants were trademark and still clean, but she could smell the rotting flesh, the dried blood. His eyes were closed and his hands were folded on his chest, holding his gray mask.
"Brother, you promised me you wouldn't die," she yelled into nothingness, tears falling. Kanda started toward her but Olivia held him back.
"Don't go near her right now, she'll murder you. I'll tell you the story. The masqueraders were a group of children who lived in an old Opera House. They were up in the attic one day and found masks, which intensified their innocence, as all were children who had realized their innocence by killing their Akuma loved ones. They were orphans, but Inés had convinced Cross to work with all of them, though she worked for him more than the rest. She became friends with Daniel, seeing him as a brother and they acted like siblings. We were all given codenames, and we stopped Akuma threat around Europe and Asia, but base was the Opera House.
"One night we heard a strange voice, like a phantom calling out, and next thing we know, the place was ablaze. We managed to get out but then the first battle of the first war against the Millennium Earl began. We lost Angelina, and Zelman that way. Angelina's twin Angelique was never recovered after going missing last year. We are still looking. My brother Samuel, as I like to call him, is in Asia, and has become an exorcist. The Noah of Pleasure has killed four of my men, and two have died in battle. One is still missing. That's seven, over half of my crew, and now her brother, so eight. Only Inés, I, my brother, and Terror remain.
"Terror is on assignment in South America, and I was originally posted in Japan but came to Germany after a nasty run in with Road, who pointed the way, leading me straight to a dead body. The others are here," she said, watching Inés come back to them and two others stepping into the clearing, carrying the masks of other beloveds. One was a blond man in his early twenties; the other was African American, with black hair protruding from every point on his head, which was in his early twenties as well.
"Who is the outsider?" the African man asked in a heavy accent, Ugandan. Olivia glared daggers at him.
"The outsider belongs to Inés, be kind to him Terror, or be excluded from our brother's celebration," she said harshly. Terror gave a stiff nod.
"So Inés finally settled down, 'bout time. Seems like a nice one too, cleans up nice, looks good with her, probably a sex bunny- after all, Cross did raise her," Samuel said, chuckling. Olivia smirked.
"Cross raise all of us, Mr. Man-whore, you on wife six or seven now?" he glared at her.
"I am on wife one, and I'm on her every night and day baby," he says, winking. Terror made a disgusted face.
"This is a funeral service, not a porn site," he said, rolling his eyes at Samuel. Inés giggled, though there were still tears in her eyes. He felt like he needed to be in possession of her right now, like he should comfort her, but mostly it was for his possession issue. There were other men around. He wrapped an arm around her middle, earning an 'eep' from her, and he rested his chin on top of her head.
"I am Kanda Yuu, Black Order Exorcist, Inés' partner on this mission," he said simply. She rolled her eyes, finally managing a smile.
"He is Yuu-Chan, my lovely new boyfriend of 15 minutes, and is a black order second exorcist. He doesn't ever lose so if you try to kill him, he is gonna fuck your ass up, and so will I. And I don't know about the sex bunny thing yet. I'm working on that," she said, winking. He blushed darkly and pulled back slightly, looking down. They laughed. He didn't have Mugen. He wished he did so he could chop up this new seemingly friends.
"Well, let's get this show on the road, perverts," Olivia said. They all pulled out their masks and donned them. Terror's hand suddenly caught fire, and he laid the ball of flame on the body of her brother, and the body instantly went up in flames. He didn't burn just yet.
"The code of the Masqueraders is to serve the innocent, love and be loved, fight for what we believe in, and to conquer all repression and never forget, "they all chanted at once.
"You have done just that, brave soldier. You fought until you couldn't anymore, and are in a better place now," Olivia said. Inés stepped forward in the darkness and walked toward the flame, stick in hand. She reached into the flames and pulled out his mask after catching fire with the stick. The flames began to consume him, and the mask was handed to Samuel. The picture was pulled out and Olivia pressed the stick to the picture, as did Ines, Terror, Samuel, and it came to Kanda. He pressed the stick to the picture slowly, and the burn had erased the smiling face of Ines' adoptive brother. He felt sorry for her. The fire began to burn down and they began to dig, Terror and Samuel did, at least. A deep hole was dug and in a flash, Samuel had doused the fire, and the remains were ashes.
They each scooped up handfuls of Daniel and sprinkled him into the hole, the ashes instantly blending in with the ground. The last bit was divided up into four small vials, which were clipped onto four necklaces. Eight vials now rested on each leather-bound cord. They covered him up, and it began to rain. They removed their masks and bowed to him turning to retreat under the trees.
"Inés, are you okay?" he asks, grabbing her hand and turning her to face him. There were more tears in her eyes and he pulled her close, hand around the back of her neck.
"I'll take it all away, Inés, all the pain," he whispered before kissing her right there in front of everyone. He tried to send every feeling of love he ever felt for her into the kiss, and to believe it was his possessive nature that brought him to do this. She kissed back hungrily, pinning him against a tree. He grabbed her around the waist and her legs wrapped around his waist, her arms around his neck. He pulled back when neither could breathe.
"There, all better," he whispered at her now blushed and content face, leaning his forehead against hers. They were both breathing heavily, and it took them a moment to realize all eyes were on them.
"Well now, seems Inés has learned something from Cross. The trick turning, that makes someone melt. He tried to teach me but I declined, and my wife seems to like it that way. Here she is," he says, showing them a picture of a blond-haired woman, who was curvaceous and had a heart-shaped face. She was lying back in a hammock, grinning a beautiful smile. She had Kanda-colored eyes.
Terror confessed he had a girlfriend and showed them a picture of an African woman who had long black hair, and a white smile that brought out her chocolate brown eyes. She posed with him in a picture, at Disneyland?
"YOU WENT TO DISNEYLAND WITHOUT ME?" Inés yell-asked. He chuckled.
"She dragged me. We went on our anniversary date and I promised her no business, until Akuma showed up on the Pirates ride," he said, shrugging. Her anger faded.
"Oh," she said, not really minding she was still wrapped around Kanda. They all smiled, and walked towards the Panda's house. Lavi was awake now, and very confused. Inés told him it, all of it. Lavi practically died when she explained. That damned rabbit annoyed him to no end, and that stare he was giving both of them now was driving him insane. Why couldn't he just have a relationship with his younger polar opposite without getting looked at strange? Inés squeezed his hand and smiled and he sighed and gave a smirk back, though it was half-hearted. They had taken their place back in front of the fire, when he remembered something. It was grainy, a memory, of another life. When he smiled regularly, and loved a woman with white hair.
A young girl, covered in blood, had shown up on the street one night as they headed home from the theatre. He knelt down next to her, looking her over, and took her pulse.
"She is still breathing," he said quietly and Alma nodded. He picked her up and swaddled her in his trench coat, and they walked to the home Alma and Kanda shared. Alma bathed her and dressed her, and put her in the guest room. She had shock blue hair, and pale creamy skin. A cute kid, but there were scars marring her body, the violent new gashes covered in bandages. The next morning however, she was gone. A crude note was left.
"Thank you for taking me in. You probably saved my life, but I cannot stay, I am tainted- and will fight until I die. Thank you," and there was no signature. He knew her back then.
His eyes opened, when had he closed them? He was lying on the couch and Inés was concentrating in front of him, and he felt them, the vespers of her innocence, what probed and controlled your body when she used her mental strength, they were searching his body, searching for him. He felt like he couldn't breathe, and he sure as hell couldn't move. Maybe if he tried thinking it, maybe she'd pick up. 'Inés,' he thought, it didn't work. He tried again, and all breath was torn from him for a few seconds, and he almost screamed, had his mouth not been covered.
"Sorry, you startled me. I didn't mean to pull back so quickly," she whispered hastily, stroking his hair back from his forehead.
"Inés," he said, finding his voice.
"Yes?" she asked.
"I…knew you. When you were a kid. When I was in my first life with Alma. We found you on the street, bloody and beaten, violated and scared. Alma did a hell of a job and I helped when I could. It just came to me, out of nowhere," he said. She smiled.
"I figured that out a while ago. I remember. I was barely conscious, I had just escaped. You see, I regretted to inform you, that after I killed my mother and before I joined up with Cross," there was a 2-year gap. From the time I was four to the time I was six, I had been held captive. Somehow or other, the Millennium Earl had found out more about my innocence. He had abducted me and I was forced to fight, and then was beat by the Noah. Mostly Tyki. Because he could intensify that pain, and would sometimes take small parts from my body, like skin that was farther in my arms, marrow. And he made me feel it. That night, I was nearly murdered by a level 3, but I ran, and no one stopped me this time.
"Blood was still gushing down my legs after the fresh assault from Tyki, and the gashes were from the Akuma. All I felt was cold, and then suddenly a warm thing was pressed to my neck, and I was encased it warmth, and I woke up the next day at dawn. I knew I couldn't stay. I couldn't drag anyone down with me. And since he couldn't have me, the Noah of Pleasure took my brothers and sisters," she said, hand clutching her head. He scooped her up and cradled her in his arms like he did when she was little. She curled into him much the same way.
"I remember when you held me like this, and I knew I couldn't be afraid. You didn't feel scared, you felt…confident and strong. And I knew I couldn't get hurt." He leaned his forehead against hers.
"If that Noah ever touches you again it will be the last thing he ever does," he growled, hoping it would offer comfort. That supposed apostle of God had beaten her and raped her repeatedly over a two-year period. He already wanted to kill the Noah, but now he wasn't just determined, no, now he was hell-bent and crushing them. A kiss was placed to the underside of his jaw and he stood, carrying her to a guest room that the Panda had said they could use. He laid her on the sheets and turned to leave, when a hand grabbed the tail of his shirt.
"Kanda," she breathed, brows knit. He grabbed her hand and kissed it.
"I will be back, I just have to ask the Panda something," he said and she nodded and snuggled under the blankets. He left the room and walked downstairs. The Panda sat downstairs, reading a book at his kitchen table.
"You have something on your mind," he said quietly as Kanda took a seat.
"I want to know what you think, about what has gone on in these past few days. I want your advice," he sighed in defeat. The old Panda chuckled.
"Well it has been rather interesting. I mean, we save a young girl who turns out to be the ring leader of the Masqueraders, Inés nearly lays down her life for you, and you two get together. It's quite the story Kanda," he says quietly, still reading.
"How long have you known her?" he asks and the Bookman sighs.
"When Cross stayed here as part of his travels, Inés used to get tired of hearing the women he brought home. She would often come here and Lavi would comfort her and she would be happy. Once she turned fifteen, she left and went to North America, where she became an exorcist, and you remember how you two met. She has a very interesting form of innocence, and it quite possibly could be the heart, which is why she and those who surround her are targeted," he said, flipping the page. Kanda sighed again.
"Do you know? What…they, what they did to her?" he asked and the Bookman nodded.
"Yes, she told us, about how she came to be, and I'm very surprised at the hard journey that girl has gone through, and now you can help her on it. I've seen her smile with you even more than she's smiled here. Keep on with what you are doing, she seems to love it," he says and Kanda nods and leaves. He mulled over the Panda's words. Yes, he did remember how they met.
It was the middle of the Nevada desert, and there was a strange surge of innocence and hundreds of Akuma were heading towards it. He was dispatched, only to be knocked out as soon as he got there. He woke up in a chair later, groggy.
"Sorry about that, but if those Akuma get wind of fresh blood, you're bound to be killed on the spot, exorcist or not," a sweet voice said. He blinked a few times and she came into focus. She had a black tank top and black jeans with combat boots, but what he noticed was her jacket. It was the standard order jacket, but half was white and half was black. Anything that was black on one side was white on the other, and vice versa. A silver golem perched lazily on her shoulder, almost identical to Cross', and her blue hair was clipped up.
"I can sense the next ones coming. If you want to fight too, I suggest you get your Asian butt up here," she said, pulling off her jacket and climbing a ladder. He stood and followed, truly perplexed. A hoard of Akuma flew above them, at least a hundred.
"Okay I lied, you can't fight. I thought there'd be more," she said defiantly, and raised her hands. Every single Akuma froze, some in mid firing position. She jumped up, and one by one, he watched her smash half of the group with her bare hands, before they broke free and began to move towards her again.
"Damn," she said, and turned. He saw her hands being surrounded in blue light, and watched her slam her fists into the ground and if there was anything up to five-hundred feet away, it was singed beyond repair and dead. He was frozen, admiring this strong woman.
"Whatcha staring at, Yuu? I was under the impression you were supposed to find the strange innocence surge and bring it back," she said, admiring her nails. He raised a brow.
"How the hell do you know about that?" he asked. She laughed, it sounded like a bell.
"I'm the innocence surge. My name is Inés Darkcross, now escort away, Mr. Yuu," she said, holding a hand out for him to shake. He Che'd and turned, and the rest is history. He remembers she didn't even scream when Komui tweaked with her innocence. It was parasitic; it used her body as a source. Even he screamed when Komui used those damned machines on him. She must have received much worse in captivity.
He sighed and opened the door to their room, and slid in next to her. She turned and curled up next to him.
"Happy Birthday, Kanda. Sorry I didn't have time to throw you a party," she yawned. He chuckled and kissed her on the lips before sighing contentedly.
"This is perfect enough. Sleep well, Inés," he said quietly before falling asleep, with a smile on his lips, the first true happy one he's smiled in years.
A/N: So this is the next installment. It's got a lot of stuff in it, and it's all kind of pieced together. Just to let you know, here are the translations to their code names
Sandārōringu- Thunder Rolling
Kura Inazuma- Black Lightning
Chō no tachi sagari- Falling Butterfly
Okay, there is the code-names. So R&R and wait up for my next chapter. She tapped the Ice Heart- Chapter 4: Confrontation and Cataclysmic Anger