Hana: Back again, and on the third Sunday like I promised! I was super excited to get this chapter up for y'all~!
Richie: It's only 2,241 words.
Hana: Short chapter is short, big whoop...but this is how it is. Plus, I don't think anyone's complaining except you.
Richie: ...
Allen: She has a point.
Richie: Oh, hey Shortcake.
Allen: It's Allen! -huffs- Hanashi doesn't own D. Gray-man. But Richie here is her OC.
Hana: Happy readings everyone~!
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+ - Night 3 – The Ghost of Mater - +
"Richie? Um…Richie? Hello?"
"Dammit Lavi, shut up!" I growled, slamming my book down on the table. I was confused for a moment when instead of the red-headed rabbit, I was faced with a brown-haired Finder whose name escaped me. "Where's Lavi?"
"U-Uh…w-well, he was dragged off by Bookman for a mission…" This guy…his name was…
"Nicola, did Irmão wish to see me?" I got a quick nod of surprise as Nicola — as I now recalled his name to be — quickly informed me that Komui in fact, did wish to see me. "Alright." I left the library, my book still in hand.
. . - * - . .
"Irmão, you wanted to…" I trailed off taking notice of the heavy atmosphere. My eye trailed to the glaring duo, and I sighed. "Here we go again."
"Oh~! Richie~!" Komui's demeanor was from serious supervisor debriefing Exorcists for their mission, to doting older brother. What did I do to deserve such punishment?
"Sometimes Richie is also a good way to wake him up." Reever explained to a confused Allen.
"Richie?"
"Long story." I grumbled, as I was almost suffocated in a Komui-esque bear hug. "Lemme go, Irmão!"
"But I never get to spend much time with my youngest little sister~!"
"Brother…" A strong kick to the man's head sent the childish adult into a bookshelf, and I took a breath of air. "Are you okay, Richie?"
"Never better." I coughed, before managing to put my attention back to Komui, "Seriously, I saw you only yesterday."
"But it wasn't nearly as long a visit as your big sister!"
Both Lenalee and I looked to each other, before sighing at his childishness.
"I'm going." Kanda muttered, storming out of the room.
"Wah! Wait up!" Allen soon followed after the Japanese male, before I quickly called out to him,
"Don't forget to check with Johnny, Shortcake!"
"It's Allen!" Allen called over his shoulder, before heading in the general direction Kanda left.
"Will they be okay together?" Lenalee asked.
"I get the feeling that's why I'm going with them."
"It's no fun when you already know before I say anything." Komui pouted. I could only chuckle. "But you won't actually be going, going with them, actually. I want you to keep tabs on our newbie on his first mission."
"So, I technically get a stealth mission, huh?" I queried. "Sure, I can do that."
"Wonderful~!" Komui said, before realizing something, "Ah! I almost forgot about him…"
"Him…? You fixed Escuro, Irmão?" I couldn't hide the giddiness in my voice when the name I'd christened my golem with came up.
"I don't know about fixed…while I was working on it, one of the vials suddenly shook and fell over my station…the end result was…well, a second Timcanpy."
"A…second Timcanpy…?" As though to answer my question, a small bat-winged golem suddenly flew in, its dome head soon rubbing against my cheek. "O-Oi! Cut that out!"
"Oh my." Lenalee said as she eyed Escuro. "What on earth happened, brother?"
"Like I said, one of my shelves started shaking, and the next thing I know, Escuro is a living breathing creature."
By now I was keeping my now affectionate Golem away from my cheek by its tail. The wings flapping frantically, and the normally lifeless eye looking as though it were ready to cry. "When you say living breathing…"
"He developed a mouth in the mayhem, and he can eat. He's as much a living being as everyone here."
"O…kay…" This was going to get some getting used to. "Escuro, you can't do things like that unexpectedly."
The frantic flying ceased, and I watched as Escuro tilted its body as though he were a puppy.
"Maybe you can train him like a dog…" Lenalee mused.
"Ha-ha. Really funny." I muttered.
. . - * - . .
I watched as my Golem flew around the cabin, its newfound curiosity something else. According to Komui, he could still be used the same way I've always used him, but now I also had to feed and care for it. Granted, I always wanted a pet…but my Golem becoming one?
That was…for the lack of a better term, very strange. I never really thought of the Order's standard Golems having personality. It was an interesting thought, and something I was seeing with my own eye at this point with Escuro.
"Sir Exorcist? We're almost to the final stop. Trains can't get to Mater…"
"It's fine. I can get there with no problem." I said, already leaving the compartment. "Head back to the Order, I doubt you'll be needed here."
"Yessir." He said.
I sighed. "You do know I'm a girl, right?"
The Finder did a double take.
. . - * - . .
"Escuro, scour the city, and keep an eye out for Allen Walker, got it?" Escuro bobbed its body once in understanding before flying off. I stood on the ledge of a decrepit building, looking around at the desolate scenery. Once upon a time this place was thriving, but over time it was abandoned by God.
"What the hell are you doing here, baka kitsune?"
I turned to the man who addressed me, my lack of amusement clear in my features. "I'm only here to do my mission."
"Mission." Kanda's tone was skeptical. "What kind of lame mission involves—"
"Recon. On Allen Walker…who're your friends?" I'd finally taken notice of two being with the Japanese male. One was an old man, the other a young girl. The small girl and I stared at each other for a moment, before the girl turned away. "You've found the Ghost."
"So he says." Suddenly an explosion alerted us of the Akuma nearby, a cloud of dust and destruction was left in its wake.
"Was that…"
"The moyashi." Kanda growled under his breath. "He's as good as dead within the month."
"Ye so little faith in the newbies." I pointed out. "Not going to check on him?"
"It's his own fault for acting on his emotions. He got himself into that mess, he can get himself out."
"Fair enough coming from you." I shrugged. "We really should find a place to hide for now though…I just found out the Akuma might find us."
"Then we shouldn't be having a 'friendly chat'." Kanda scowled.
"Lead the way. With our luck, we'll find the kid pretty soon anyway."
He eyed me with a look I could only describe as annoyance, before he started moving. I followed.
( * - * )
"And underground passageway?" Kanda queried, glancing at the girl.
"There was an underground living area that was made so that people could avoid the strong rays of the sun." The girl stated.
As she spoke, I remained quiet. My eye was starting to bother me a little, but not enough to warrant it to start crying blood. It was difficult as it was to keep active to keep tabs on the kid. Even if I had 'seen' him once before. That was the confusing part, really. The morning after I 'saw' Allen Walker for the first time, it clicked to me that I shouldn't have been able to 'see' him in the first place.
At least, not as clearly as I should've been. What did that mean? Why would my eye clearly show me him, when it took me months to even figure out how to 'see' the people I knew longer?
Kanda stopped suddenly when his Golem started to go off. "Toma? What's going on at your end?" I'd landed in front of him.
Looking around, I saw we were in an alley of sorts. There were stairs leading up somewhere, probably to more walkway. Hearing Toma's report on the kid would allow my eye at least a little rest. The images ceased, and my right eye went dark once more. "
"I've been observing from a separate building," I could hear Toma's voice through the Golem. "But there was a loud bang earlier, and I'm unsure if Master Walker is alright."
"I'm sure he is."
"Mast—ah, I mean Miss Linhagem? What are you doing here?"
"Komui sent me to keep tabs on Allen." I said, "My eye's a little sore, what else can you tell us?"
"Ah! The Akuma just came out of the building. It seems to be going after the Golem."
"Got it." Kanda said, "I'll send my Golem as a guide, so head over here with Timcanpy. It's too dangerous to stay much longer."
"Nice to know you have a working brain." I muttered. Whether or not he heard me, was another story entirely. I assumed he did, considering the side glare I'd gotten from him.
"We need Timcanpy's special feature right now." He hung after Toma agreed, and then outright glared at my direction. "If you're supposed to be watching over the beansprout, then why the fuck are you even in the same place I am?"
"Don't give me your BS. I sent Escuro to find the kid. You just happen to have found me after I sent him off."
"Che. I swear to god, you're the most infuriating woman the Order ever had."
"Same to you, Mr. Stick-Up-My-Ass!"
"What was that?"
"Going deaf now? How convenient of YU!"
"You little—!" The duo behind us must've been confused, as there was a soft clearing of a throat. Somehow regaining his composure, Kanda looked to the old man and girl. "Once we're underground, you'll know the way?"
"Yes." The old man said. "I've been here 500 years…I know every route." The old man had revealed his face, and to say I was shocked was an understatement. It was like his skin hand boiled over, boils and wrinkles adorned his features. But that was only the surface of what I could describe.
"Guzol…"
"Ugly, aren't I?" The man, Guzol, asked.
"You're the doll? I'm surprised you can even talk."
I wanted to voice out my correction to Kanda, but a movement caught my eye. The girl subtly shook her head, a look of pleading on her features. Did she know…that I already knew…? But that couldn't be possible.
"You've come to take my heart, haven't you?"
"I'd take it now if I could." Kanda said, getting straight to the point. "It's cumbersome to have to carry around a large doll."
"Guzol's the only one who knows the underground route!" The girl was quick to jump and defend the man. "Without him, you'll only be lost!"
"What are you?"
"I'm Guzol's—!"
"A child abandoned by humans!" He started coughing, before managing to continue, "I found it…so I've kept it…!"
"Gozul!" The girl tried to comfort the elderly male, as his coughing seemed to worsen.
It was then I saw Escuro flying back. I raised my hand, and let the Golem's tail grip my finger. "Did you find Allen?" It bobbed its body. I nodded, and started to walk away, following Escuro.
"Where the hell are you going?"
"I'm supposed to check on the kid. You're a big boy, you can handle yourself I'm sure." I said, waving him off..
"Wait." I stopped in my tracks, and turned to face him. "It's Toma."
"Master Kanda."
Kanda looked from the Finder to the duo once more, addressing the decrepit man, "Sorry, but I can't let you go either. I can't have the Akuma take your heart."
"Why should I stay put?" I asked, crossing my arms. "I don't have a reason to hang around you of all people right now."
"Because we need to see the footage Timcanpy recorded." He looked back at the huddling duo once more, continuing his earlier train of thought, "I don't need to right now, but I will take your heart in the end. I'm sorry to have you pulled into this."
Once Toma neared, he opened his hands to revealed golden pieces of rubble. My eye widened when the pieces started to rise and connect, recreating Timcanpy. We were shown an image of the Akuma. It changed to show the form it took upon taking Allen's form. "Crap, he has Allen's arm." I dually noted.
"I see that." Kanda grumbled, examining the image. "It's mirrored."
"Mirrored?" Toma asked, eying the image himself.
"This Akuma is a mirror image. When it disguised as the beansprout, it the clothes and weapon are reversed."
"Beansprout?"
"He means Allen." I explained, as I pursed my lips. I wasn't too worried on the Akuma at the moment, but I certainly was skeptical of Toma at the given moment. Something felt off. He'd greet me when we meet, and at the moment, I felt a little ignored. "This Akuma seems pretty dangerous, right?"
It was then I realized there was movement in my peripheral vision. I saw just in time the swishing of a robe in the wake of an escape. They left, had they?
"They're gone!" Ah, I guess Kanda just found out too. "They ran off!"
"Good job, dear sir, would you like a gold sticker?"
His glare was pinpointed on to me, "If you saw them leave, then why the hell didn't you say anything?"
"Don't go pinning the blame on me, JerKanda!"
"It's just as well your fault, Baka Kitsune!"
"Enough with the stupid fox!"
"Master Kanda, behind us." Toma had turned his attention the other way, and there we saw…
A mirrored image of Allen Walker.
... ... ... ...
You know, the conversations between Kanda and Richie are perhaps some of the most fun parts to write :) Their banter amuses me just as much as when you see Kanda and Allen get into arguments. xD
Welp! Y'all know the drill! R&R ain't for Rest and Relaxation, even if we all know I need it. Drop a review in the box below and let me know what you think of the story thus far! Check out the original work if you hadn't...or don't...and show this story some love by favoriting this work! Follow to get the updates to this story as they come, and I'll see you on the first Sunday of next month with an all new chapter of Clean Slate!
See ya then!
