Title: Ame futte ji katamaru: After the rain, the Earth hardens.
A/N: As you may have noticed, my loyal and awesome readers, I have changed the summary. Why? You ask. To attract new readers of course! Please tell me if you liked the summary or if you think its too pretentious. Also, unicorns have taken to the air, which causes the price of petrol to go up. I'm kidding, just wondering if you were even reading this. Well, on to the story if you hadn't skipped this and gone straight into the thing anyway. I don't blame you, I bore even myself sometimes.
Words in Bold Italic are the stranger's memories.
This is dedicated to my anonymous reviewer: cupcake. To express my unending gratitude, for his/her [?] advise.
Dearest cupcake, you make me glow
with your reviews that make me smile
I hope there's enough to satisfy
It took me quite a while.
To get all commas into place
so you can read with ease
I hope you enjoy the chapter now
And review again please?
I also would like to thank MarciKupo, marufu-chan and Atsuko. You guys really made my day, and spurred me on to this chapter. Thank-you so much! It means a lot to me, seriously.
One more thing. Marie and Daisya will only make their appearances in later chapters so please be patient. The story mostly revolves around Gen. Tiedoll's group so you'll be seeing loads of them when they come.
Chapter three-The Earl's mark
Somewhere in the Asian Branch. Inside a classified room. A single lotus petal broke off from its flower, which was suspended in an hourglass, and drifted down, coming to a rest, pink and omnious at the bottom.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Kanda woke up feeling like shit. He hurt and he felt like he'd just been strangled, by the way his throat was the sorest part of him, and he was parched. His brain took a while to catch up with him, and when it did he sat up so fast his body protested, as it was still recuperating from the exitement the other night. He was in an unfamiliar room, and he did not recall ever getting there.
He had run as quickly from the scene as he could, leaving the light of the campfire behind him, with only the faint moonlight guiding his path. He'd seen a bright yellow light that washed over him without harm, although he heard a screech of pain coming from above. Something had dropped out of the sky, and crash landed on the ground a few feet away from where he had been running. He couldn't see it clearly in the dim light though he could see large wing-like things that protruded out of its back as it lay there, as still as if it were dead, and had gone closer gingerly to see what it was.
It had suddenly woken up, its eyes bright and shining in the darkness, and he'd run for his life. He could hear it coming closer. He stumbled on a hidden root, and fell on his hands hard, immediately scrambling to get up. Too late, the thing had caught up with him. Kanda slipped again on the ground in fear, and landed on his back, looking up at the monstrous form looking down at him. The thing raised its fist as if to strike him, and Kanda grabbed the nearest thing, which was a fallen stick, to try to counter the blow. The stick, a mere tree branch, was suddenly encased in bright blue light which cut through the thing's hand as it howled at the unexpected pain. So surprised was he, that he'd not seen the second fist which had picked him up easily and flung him hard against a tree causing him to cry out at the sudden impact.
"Exorcist." The thing had hissed and picked him up by the throat, pulling the stick which had lost its blue light out of his hands harshly. The last thing he remembered was that it had tried to choke the life out of him and...failed?
He was broken out of his thoughts when there was a knock on the door. It opened without invitation, and in came the man he had been traveling with. Tiedoll.
"You're awake! That's good, how are you feeling?" Tiedoll asked cheerfully. He went over to the child and pored him a glass of water which Kanda accepted gratefully. He gulped it down quickly. Tiedoll didn't comment and refilled his glass until Kanda was quite satisfied.
"What happened?" Kanda asked at last, looking at the General.
"You tell me." Tiedoll replied "I thought you were a goner. The akuma had snapped your neck, quite cleanly I must say, and you were actually dead for a minute." Kanda stared at him as if he were crazy. So the boy didn't know either huh?
"Dead? I was dead?" Kanda whispered feeling his neck "How can? Dead don't live again."
"You did." Tiedoll said, looking straight into his eyes "Tell me what happened last night."
So Kanda told him as best as he could in his broken English. He told him about the strange monster-he learned it was called an akuma-and about the bright yellow light, which had been Tiedoll's innocence, he learned later. When he got to the bright blue light and how it cut through the akuma's hand Tiedoll stopped him.
"Cut it? You actually managed to cut it? How did to activate the blue light? Can you do it again?" Tiedoll asked, could it be an innocence? Most likely. What a coincidence to have met the boy, and then to have him suddenly able to activate it if it was. An interesting coincidence indeed.
"Don't know." Kanda replied. He didn't even know how he did it in the first place. He just remembered a feeling of urgency because he thought he would die.
"Try saying innocence activate." Tiedoll urged. Kanda looked at him confused before muttering "Innocence...activate?" Immediately the same bright blue light encased his hand and shaped itself into a long blade. He closed his hand around the 'hilt' but quickly pulled back, the bright light disappearing.
"Itai." He hissed looking at his hand which looked like he had grasped the sharp end of a knife. Tiedoll watched quietly as the wounds on his hand suddenly closed up, he took the boy's hand gently in his own, and prodded it carefully. The boy watched in amazement as he felt no pain where the light had cut him, only a slight itch where it had been.
"Interesting. It heals almost as fast as the skin is cut. Does it hurt?" Tiedoll asked. Kanda shook his head still staring at his healed hand. He had never been a fast healer and this had never happened to him before. Except...The Earl had done something to him didn't he? He could still fell the Earl's grip on the upper half of his chest just above his heart. This fast healing had never occured before that.
"I'm sorry, this must be a lot to take in especially after you've just woken up. I explain everthing after breakfast, do you want to clean up first?" Tiedoll asked kindly, taking Kanda's hand when the child nodded, and leading him out of the room.
Kanda had mixed feelings when he looked at himself in the mirror above the sink in the bathroom. He didn't look as horrible as he felt, which had gone down to being just a bit sore by then, which meant that Tiedoll had cleaned him up when he was sleeping. A little relieved that he didn't look like he had just come out of one of nii-san's horror stories, and a bit embarresed. He was dressed in an oversized white shirt, probably belonging to Tiedoll, and he didn't know where his original clothes were. He washed the blood off his hand tentatively, all the while expecting it to hurt or sting, but even the itch was gone and his hand looked like normal.
The pain of loosing his family was like his healed wound, it itched at bit if he thought about it, but he didn't think of it. Did it make him uncaring? Unfilial? A big part of him had already gotten over it while the smaller part which still mourned was pushed down forcefully. He was unsure if it was normal for a person to get over grief so quickly but he dismissed the thought, squashing it as it came. He had better things to do than think about this kind of things. He didn't know where this apathethic side of him had come from but he suddenly didn't care. He needed to move forward, find this John person who's memories he was remembering and whose language he was suddenly speaking.
He washed his face and gargled some water. His long hair was out of its usual tie and cascaded down his back, he took off his shirt and stared in shock in the mirror.
There was a black kanji tattooed on his chest and above his heart where the Earl had touched him. It had never been there before and he was struck with the sick certaincy that the strange tattoo was the cause of all his fast healing. He put on the clothes Tiedoll had supplied him with before he went into the bathroom, something about belonging to the owner's youngest son, hurriedly. He was sure Tiedoll had noticed it when he had undressed him but had not mentioned it. The clothes were just a size too big on him but he hardly noticed it. Combing his hair with his finger as best as he could. He got himself to look at least presentable before he came out.
Tiedoll was waiting for him when he came out, and brought him to the nearby pub where he ordered breakfast for the both of them. After that he bought two train tickets and explained to Kanda what a train was, since it was the first time Kanda had seen one. Kanda, being from a rather rural village, had very little education. He normally helped around the house or practiced his sword skills had only very basic knowledge of mathematics. They boarded the train and was ushured into a private cabin, first class of course, Kanda couldn't help but gawk a little when they were in the train.
"The Black Order," Tiedoll began as the train began to move "Is made up of three groups of people. Innocence wieders like you and me fall into the one called exorcists. Another group are the scientists and research team, but I won't go into that very much, and the last group are the finders made up of ordinary people."
"Innocence is the weapon exorcists use, to destroy creatures called akuma. These akuma are created by someone called the Earl of the Millenium. He signs a contract with a person who have just lost one of their loved ones, using their grief to bring back their dead's souls. The souls then kill the one who called them up and enters their bodies. They follow the bidding of the Earl. There are three types of akuma. Level one, two and three. Level ones are powerful but they do not have sentience."
"Akuma...how it looks?" Kanda interrupted.
Tiedoll smiled and pulled out a chalk, and patted the seat next to him, gesturing Kanda to sit by him. Taking a piece of paper he drew a level one akuma.
"These are it's guns." Tiedoll pointed to said object, "It shoots out poisonous bullets which can kill a person, by turning him or her to sand." Kanda peered at the large round thing with some interest.
"A level two is more intelligent. Smart you know?" Tiedoll corrected when he saw Kanda's questioning look, Froi had to remind himself he was talking to a child who did not have very much in education, something he would have to ammend immediately "They are more powerful than a level one and take on different forms." He sketched a few examples for Kanda.
"And level three?"
"A level three is the most powerful of the akumas so far. It can take on several exorcists at once. It would be extremely, very, sorry, foolhardy to take one on by yourself." Tiedoll answered sketching a level three he once had met, and showing it to the child.
Kanda was impressed that Tiedoll could draw so well, and so quickly. His eyes following every stroke of the charcoal, as he paid attention to what the general was talking about. He kept a neutral expression though, not a boy to show feelings very much.
Even when he had been a child-if he ever was, he thought bitterly-he normally stayed away from his peers in the dojo, being more advanced at them in terms of swordskill, and prefering to stay at home to practice than to play. He wasn't very friendly and kept to himself, not really caring about much except his family and his sword-work. He'd accepted that he had simply no memories of his family before he was nine, as if he had merely been born nine, and instead consentrated on the here and now.
"Do you mind me asking what happened to your family?" Tiedoll asked gently "You don't have to, if you don't want to."
Flames. Fire. Smoke. A burning house. A sense of despair. The family dead. Mary dead. Children dead. Burnt to ashes. Grief. Terrible, terrible sorrow. Revenge.
"They all die." Kanda said shortly, staring fixtedly at the drawing of the akuma, that memory was not his own but it seemed like the stranger inside his head had lost his family too. It felt like he had spent months mourning for family. For a stranger's family. And now that his had gone, he just felt finished, the stranger having done the crying enough for him, and empty in his heart, and very hesitant to fill it up again. He was done with sadness, with tears.
"I'm sorry." Tiedoll said.
"Akuma did it." Kanda went on, his voice void of emotion "Level two. It quick, their deaths. Akuma was cousin I had. Her mother dead too. Akuma is born like that?"
Tiedoll froze in the middle of his drawing to look at the boy carefully. No signs of distress, trauma, nothing. Only something old and weary in the child's eyes that made him look older than he was. It was gone as soon as it came, but Tiedoll determined to watch the boy more carefully. He was certainly more than it seemed.
"That's right." Tiedoll nodded, giving the boy a genuinely pleased smile, his years of experience telling him that now was not the time. "I'm glad you were paying attention."
"Exorcists...have know this." Kanda replied pointedly. It was all he had now, and he was going to do it the best he could. It was frustrating, speaking this language. He was aware that he was speaking it brokenly, by the way the General spoke slowly, though not patronizingly, to him. It was difficult, he understood the words, but it was hard to find the right words when he talked. He knew he easily slipped back to his native tongue sometimes, and he determined to try and get used to English quickly.
"That's true." Tiedoll agreed "I have a theory about your innocence. You said you grabbed a branch right? And you could use the blue light without harm?" Kanda nodded.
"I think that your innocence is like a sharp blade. You just need to concentrate on forming a proper hilt. The branch you held probably helped you get leverage. Tell me, do you have any experience with the sword?"
"Yes." Kanda said.
"Good, good. We'll be going to the Asian branch, which is the Order closest. And get you a proper weapon." Tiedoll said.
"The Earl. He visits and person don't want?" Kanda asked.
"He most likely kills them." Tiedoll answered.
"You know how he looks?" Kanda asked, although he already knew the answer.
Tiedoll flipped to the next paper on his portable canvas "I've never seen him for myself, so I don't know. Any more questions , or shall we move on?"
Kanda shook his head "Iie, no,we move on." He said. It was rather difficult remembering to speak English.
"The science and research team is in charge of the weapons and mission giving. We also have a medical team. Members of the Order stay in a branch, and are not allowed to contact or speak to their families. Their families may join us as well, though, and some do join as finders. Finders are posted in towns or cities, and help exorcists find their way around in the unfamiliar place."
Kanda thought for a while "You don't got one?"
"That's a good question." Tiedoll said "I'm a general, my job is not to hunt akumas or look for innocences, instead I bring several of the innocence who have not been united with a compatible wherever I go, and look for other innocence users like myself, to make them exorsists, and train them as my apprentices."
The train came to a stop at a harbor, where large ships were being prepared, to carry passengers over the great sea. Kanda drank in the sight wonderingly, he had only heard about ships from his uncles who told him about it in great detail, he had never actually seen one for himself. Tiedoll chuckled when he saw the child's wide-eyed marveling, though Kanda tried to surpress it.
"Could you please look after the luggage for me? I need to make a call." Tiedoll said.
"Hai, can I say you is sensei?" Kanda asked, looking up at the taller man questioningly. Tiedoll paused, trying to work out what Kanda had just said to him.
"Can you call me Sensei?"
"Master, or, teacher." Kanda explained. Tiedoll nodded with a smile "Since you are to be my apprentice, I can't see why not. May I call you Yuu-kun then?"
"Iie." Kanda said firmly "Kanda. I Kanda." He never liked being called by his first name other than by his parents or siblings.
"Kanda it is then." Tiedoll agreed amicably. He left with his golem, giving Kanda some money to buy some snacks nearby, in case he was hungry, with instructions not to move far from the spot and keep an eye on the luggage.
Tiedoll fixed the golem to a phone and rang the Asian Branch, it wasn't polite to just drop in unexpectedly after all "Hello? This is General Froi Tiedoll, may I be put through to the supervisor please?"
"Tiedoll-san!" The voice of the Asian Branch superior sounded flustered "I'm sorry, this isn't a very good time."
"Don't worry, I'm in Edo right now, at the harbor, and I just wanted to tell you that I've found a new exorcist, who happens to need a sword and I know that Master Zhu makes very exellent ones."
"Edo? As in Japan?"
"Yes, of course." Tiedoll supressed a chuckle, the younger man was probably breaking out in hives right about then.
"Of course, haha, there's no other Edo right? Yes..." Tiedoll could hear hurried instructions in the background, along with a crash and some yelling, which sounded like Fou.
"Hello? General? We'll get preperations immediately. Thank you for calling. Goodbye!" Tiedoll put down the phone bemusedly. He collected his golem and walked back to find Kanda in the exact same place he left him. Kanda handed over the money Tiedoll had given him, silently.
"Who was it?" Fou asked when Bak had hung up.
"General Tiedoll, he was calling from Japan." He answered distractedly, moving off to inform Zhu of the newcomer.
"Bak you IDIOT!" She yelled "Why didn't you tell him to help us search?! He could've investigated the village we left the Alma Karma with!"
Bak froze "Shit."
She got ready to scream at him again when he held out his hands frantically "Hey, hey. What are the odds of him finding the boy anyway? We only got the news of the finders' deaths. The village is deep in the forest and very secluded, and the General was already at the harbor. Its best that we sent our finders right?" Bak said quickly.
Fou frowned, but couldn't counter that argument. She didn't even care anyway, the Alma Karma was his business.
Tiedoll smiled at his new student "Arigoto gozaimus. That's 'thank-you' isn't it?" He grabbed his suitcase in one hand and held the other out in an invitation for the child to hold his hand. Kanda looked at it hesitantly, and Tiedoll aborted the move, patting his shoulder instead to show that his feelings were not hurt at all.
"Iie, it's Arigatou gozaimasu. And...It is 'you are welcome' yes?" Kanda asked awkwardly. Tiedoll laughed, dispelling the tension "Yes it is. Lets go, shall we?" He walked forward benkoning the boy to follow.
Kanda watched the man walk a few more steps, deciding immediately, before speeding slightly up to Tiedoll, and shyly slipping his hand into the General's free one.
TBC
Oh yes, I couldn't resist the last scene. I love fluff, and am a firm believer that Kanda was not as uptight as he was when he was a kid. I mean seriously, he had to be adorable once right? (Not that he isn't now, but all semblence of cuteness have been overridden by his mega-hot badass gorgeousness. Am I right or am I right?) I hope you can make sense of Kanda's talking, broken English and all that, he doesn't really talk very much, an action guy by nature I guess. If you don't understand, please feel free to tell me that.
I don't want to overdo the broken English, really. All gramatical mistakes in his speech is intended, just so you know. Thank-you for reading. And if you liked it, and want to read futher chapters, please hit the 'story alert' button. Just for me to know there's someone who wants to read more out there. You don't even have to review.