Hello everyone! It's the beta-reader-who-eats-too-much-cheesecake-and-secretly-obsesses-about-Ayanami-instead-of-doing-her-actual-work! I'm soooo happy to be working with smallpumpkin; we make a great writing team with her amazing imagination and my grammar nazi ways! I'm also happy to see that everyone is generally happy with the reviews, and are providing critique; thank you!
You all rock! Enjoy this chapter, and don't forget to review! Don't forget that we both don't own 07 Ghost, but we wish we did.
PS: Excuse any grammar mistakes...
March 23rd, 2143: 8:43 PM—
Bishops Labrador, Castor, and Frau were standing at the main hall, talking with Archbishop Jio.
"How is the girl?" Jio asked, "Is she awake?"
"Yes," Castor replied, "She is doing well, and she's starting to recover."
"Thank goodness," Jio stated. He fell silent and finally asked, "Do you know who they are?"
The three bishops shook their heads. "Both come from the military," mused Jio, "To make things more interesting, I got this letter earlier."
He pulled out a piece of rolled paper, and unfurled it. The three bishops looked at it curiously. The paper read:
Archbishop Jio,
Two former students from the Barsburg Military have escaped on March 22nd, and is now believed to be residing in your church under the alibi of refuges. It will be greatly appreciated if we had your cooperation in the return of these two students, one of whom is to go under trial for the assassination attempt of the Chief of Staff Ayanami.
Your cooperation will be greatly appreciated,
Thanking you,
At the end of the letter, there was a messy signature which the bishops couldn't make out. Frau was the first one to finish reading it. "I don't believe this bullshit," Frau loudly said.
"Frau!" Castor growled, and punched him in the stomach hard. Frau groaned, and clutched his stomach.
Jio glared at Frau and replied, "Vulgar language is unacceptable in the house of God Frau. You of all the people should know this." Frau scowled, both at Jio and Castor.
"I'm confused," Bishop Labrador softly said, "They accuse one of them of trying to kill the Chief of Staff?"
"Apparently," Castor said, "It seems impossible. Especially since Teito-kun has such a beautiful soul."
"That dumb girl is tougher than she looks," Frau said, "But I don't think she's a murderer either."
"What are you going to do Jio-sama?" Labrador asked.
"Well, the church is a sanctuary," Jio replied after a moment's silence, "Cooperating with the military will bring nothing but more trouble for all of us."
Castor nodded and said, "I will ask my dolls to keep an eye on both of them. I do not think they are capable of any kind of murder."
"They were part of the military academy," Jio replied, "Don't come to conclusions so quickly. But do keep your eyes open."
The three nodded; Castor was about to say something until he noticed Jio's frozen expression.
"What's wrong?" Castor asked.
"There's something...something's wrong," Jio murmured.
Frau's eyes narrowed and he said, "I sense a kor. It's nearby." Without waiting, Frau immediately dashed off, looking for it.
"Frau wait!" Castor called, but Frau was gone. He sighed, and turned to Labrador.
"I hope Teito-kun still has that silver rose," Labrador said.
"Let's go," Castor wearily said, "Before Frau does something stupid as usual."
March 23rd, 2143: 8:57 PM—
Frau ran down the hallways, his senses alert. Subconsciously, he morphed into his real form—Zehel.Grasping the scythe, Zehel stopped at the end of one of the hallways when he spotted what was happening.
The damned brat was sure enough with a kor; it was an old man who was bent over the brat. The brat's eyes had grown hazy and he was staring at a similarly dressed bishop ("Who was that?" Zehel wondered, "that person is obviously dead.")
The old man was bent over Teito, and Zehel watched with mild horror at the large black mass slowly surrounding the brat, almost ready to engulf him...
Zehel quickly charged forward, and expertly swung the scythe in front of Teito. At once, the black mass began to collapse, and Zehel cried out, "I won't let you meet the dead!"
Teito's eyes lost his hazy look, having snapped back into reality. Zehel noticed his shocked expression and for a second wondered whether the brat could see his scythe.
"No, that's impossible," Zehel thought.
"Don't let your heart be eaten by darkness!" A familiar voice called out. Zehel turned around and inwardly rolled his eyes when he saw Castor and Labrador there.
"Way to steal my lines," Zehel thought, "And to show up late as usual..." Since the brat was now staring at the other two (morons), Zehel took the opportunity and morphed back into his human form.
Frau looked at the old man and asked, "Hey pops, aren't you infringing on the rules a bit there?"
The kor whispered, "I've become quite pleased with that child." He let out a slow, almost whispery, cackle and continued, "Will you give that child to me? Bishops?" His last word was laced with sarcasm.
"Last time I checked, letting someone meet with the dead is prohibited," Frau remarked, smiling. The old man's lips twisted into a cruel smile.
"What's wrong with fulfilling dreams?" the kor countered. He looked at Teito, who stood there, and asked, "Oh my. Have you never thought of helping this child?"
Frau gave a malicious grin and asked, "Does that 'help' of yours have any of god's love in it?" There was a temporary silence.
"Well kor?" Frau asked, mocking the kor's contemptuous voice earlier.
The kor slowly stood up, and unfurled it's large bony wings. The kor let out another mad cackle and said, "That boy is from the imperial army. A pursuer must be heading for him now. How about it, child? Don't you have a wish for me?"
Castor and Labrador stepped in front of Teito protectively. Frau's grin didn't waver, he held up his hand and said, "The church upholds the law of 'sanctuary'. You think it will be a wise decision to grant "that wish"?"
The kor pointed towards Teito and cried, "You couldn't comprehend the true worth of that boy! My master would be most pleased!" Teito's eyes were as wide as saucers; Frau amusedly thought that if the brat continued to widen his eyes, then they would pop out of his sockets.
"I won't give that brat to you," Frau said. The scythe began to pull itself out of his arm, eager and hungry. "More importantly," Frau continued, "Wouldn't your master be more pleased with having this guy?" The scythe appeared in its full glory, and surged towards the kor.
The kor's eyes widened when it recognized the scythe. "What," the kor breathed, "Is that the scythe which belonged to 'that person'?"
The kor's eyes glinted with rage. "Why do you have that scythe you bastard!" the kor screamed, and flew towards Frau. Frau easily dodged the kor's attack, and noticed that the brat had used his zaiphon.
"It's useless to attack the darkness!" Frau called out, "You're only going to hurt the old man!" He noticed Teito withdraw. "Interesting," Frau thought, "everyone is calling him a murderer yet he isn't violent at all. Perhaps it's the girlfriend?"
The scythe suddenly flung backwards, and pinned Teito to the wall. Teito screamed, "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?" Frau and the others looked at each other, and then Teito, shocked.
"That brat can see the scythe?"Frau thought, flabbergasted. Nobody was supposed to see the scythe, yet that brat could! More importantly, he didn't order the scythe to pin Teito.
He had to focus his attention to the kor. "It pains me, having to lay a harmful hand on an aging person," Frau said, "But nonetheless, I'll be taking that soul from you."
"WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THIS?" Frau heard the brat yell, but paid no attention. Reaching out his hand, the scythe sailed back into his grasp.
"May god be with you, bastard," Frau said, and swung the scythe. He stood on the side of the wall, and sliced through the thick black mass.
The kor was surprisingly stubborn. "I will keep this soul," the kor said. He leapt suddenly, dodging Frau's incoming swipe. Frau gritted his teeth. He had to defeat the kor quickly; otherwise the old man might just die from the overexertion of his body.
Four-eyes (Castor) luckily came to his rescue. He swiftly manipulated his threads, trapping the kor. The kor cried out in agony and screamed, "If that sickle is alive, then that person must also be alive! Don't forget that, you brat!"
Frau grinned; with all his might, he brought the scythe down, cutting through the kor's bony wings. The kor gave a final piercing shriek, and the black mass slithered away into the night. The old man collapsed, and was gently caught by Castor and Labrador.
Meanwhile, Frau neatly landed on the ground. The scythe began to dissolve itself back into his arm, the black-blue mass slowly shrinking until it was no longer visible. "Damn it, you're being really rebellious today," Frau muttered, not noticing Teito's stare.
"Doesn't it hurt?" Teito suddenly asked. Frau looked at him, somewhat taken aback from his question.
"So the brat really can see the scythe,"Frau thought. "You're not scared?" Frau finally asked.
Teito looked confused. "Why should I be?" Teito asked. Frau nearly rolled his eyes. "Right, the kid was from the military,"thought Frau, "of course he wouldn't be scared of something like this."
"Your problem hasn't been resolved yet," Frau said, picking Teito up like a piece of baggage. He ignored the brat's protests and started to walk to an empty room.
"What'll happen to him?" Teito hesitantly asked.
"I've killed off his obsession, so he's alright now," Frau replied, "Worry about yourself more." He didn't want the kid to get involved in complicated matters like this. Frau wondered what Castor was thinking, knowing that the brat could actually see his scythe.
"He might want to wipe his memories," Frau thought, "It would be for the best after all."
The boy's next statement surprised him. "That old man told me he doesn't have a home to go to. Couldn't you find a relative of his in the church or something?" the brat asked.
"...You're a softie, aren't you?" Frau asked, "A nice guy." Immediately, to Frau's mild amusement, the brat began to protest at once.
"This boy can't be a murderer, can he?"wondered Frau, "for him to care so much about the old man."
Arriving in an empty room, Frau (hurled) placed Teito on a bed and bluntly said, "Take off your clothes."
Teito looked at him, aghast.
"I have to take that mark off you," Frau explained. Teito continued staring suspiciously at him. Frau exhaled impatiently and said, "Look, you have the mark of a kor. If I don't get that off, then there's going to be trouble."
Teito continued to look suspicious, but finally began to fumble with the buckles of his robes. The black mark contrasted greatly against his pale skin. "What was his wish?"Frau thought, "Why was he so desperate to meet that person?"
Frau gently placed his hand on the mark, and Teito shivered against his cool touch. Muttering under his breath, Frau slowly moved his fingers. Suddenly, a small black mass—a smaller kor—appeared over the mark. Frau held the black mass in his fingers and squished it; the mass disappeared, along with the mark, which suddenly faded away. As Frau destroyed the mark, he also used his powers and began to alter some of the brat's memories. He gently sealed them, so that the brat won't remember what had happened.
"That wasn't so hard was it?" Frau asked. Teito glared at him, not trusting himself to speak. Frau rolled his eyes and said, "I'm sure you've been doing enough exploring for the night. Now go to sleep."
"This is dangerous,"Frau thought, "That brat was attacked by a kor, and can see my scythe. He didn't go insane at all, unlike other victims. What will Castor and Lab say?"
Frau's arm began to burn strongly. He placed his gloved hand over it and began to rub on it. "You just ate," Frau grumbled, "Why are you still hungry?'
The burning persisted, and Frau recalled when the scythe suddenly hurled itself towards the brat's direction. Frau suddenly stopped walking and stood in the middle of the hallway as he realized something.
"His soul," Frau thought, "It's beautiful." Subconsciously, without realizing, Frau licked his lips, and his eyes began to glint.
"Labrador was right," Frau thought, "His soul is so pure."For once, Frau agreed with the scythe.
"I want it," Frau said out loud, echoing the scythe's feelings, "I want to eat his soul."
March 24th, 2143: 11:34 AM—
Ever since Miroku had set his eyes on Ayanami, he immediately realized that the young man had the potential to be one of the greatest—yet one of the most dangerous—leaders ever. He watched with silent admiration as Ayanami rose to the high rank of Chief of Staff within a ridiculously short time-span.
Miroku and his begleiter Karu were well aware of Ayanami's achievements. At the same time, Miroku was also aware of how ambitious Ayanami really was. He wasn't sure whether to trust Ayanami or not; despite the man's strong loyalty towards the Barsburg Empire, he was a warsfeil, and commanded the Black Hawk unit. To Miroku, the warsfeil were a dangerous group, and had to be kept under extreme control.
Ayanami was now standing in front of his desk. He stared down at Miroku, a passive expression on his face except for his eyes. Miroku had called Ayanami on the subject of Teito Klein and that other boy Alexander Night. Miroku stared back at Ayanami, and finally began, "Ayanami-kun, going back to the topic of the deserters Teito Klein and Alexander Night..."
"Do you want me to bring them back?" Ayanami quietly interjected. Miroku inwardly smiled, knowing that Ayanami was very interested in them. "Good," Miroku thought, "Ayanami-kun can show me other shades of Teito Klein and that other boy which I haven't seen."
"Teito Klein is a strong person," Miroku quietly remarked, "He was one of the best students I had ever taught." Personally, Miroku was very interested in having Ayanami have Teito as his begleiter. He hoped that Ayanami might open up once again; he had mourned enough over that other person's death.
Ayanami remained silent. "What about the other boy?" Ayanami asked.
"His zaiphon skills are average," Miroku replied, "There is no need for you go and search for him extensively. If you find him, then feel free to kill him." Alexander Night wasn't as important as Teito Klein, but Miroku was well aware that Ayanami would still do his best to find him and keep him alive.
"He's far more useful than the other officers," Miroku thought, "yet far more dangerous."
"Teito Klein and Alexander Night are believed to be staying at the Barsburg Church," Miroku continued, "I have already sent letters asking for their cooperation, but I doubt they will help."
Ayanami nodded and replied, "Arrangements have already been made." Miroku gave a small smile; Ayanami already was a step ahead of him, as usual.
It was imperative that Teito Klein was returned to the army. Teito Klein not only wasthecandidate for the Eye of Mikhail; he was the future.
March ?, 2143: ? AM/PM—
Alex was standing in a familiar meadow once again. "Another dream," thought Alex. Looking around, she saw Lazarus lounging beneath a tree, staring at her with his green eyes.
"Hello," Alex began, hesitant.
"Hello Alex," greeted Lazarus, "Are you still worried that I'm a figment of your imagination?"
Alex shook her head. "I still have questions," she slowly began, "Why can I hear your voice in my mind?"
"Because I seem to have merged with your soul, somewhat imperfectly," explained Lazarus, "As my powers are starting to slowly come back to me, I am able to communicate to you."
Alex thought about his words for a few seconds. Something suddenly occurred to her...
"Would that mean that you could later control me?" Alex asked.
Lazarus smirked, and replied, "That might happen very soon, but I would be able to do that for a very short period of time."
"But that's not fair," Alex shot out, "It's my body!"
Lazarus shrugged, and said, "Fate isn't fair to everyone. Learn to accept that."
Alex scowled at him, and he put up his hands defensively. "It wasn't me who made the rules of life,"Lazarus said.
"Hmph," grumbled Alex.
"Well, because of this imperfect host thing, I am unable to look into your memories, except for present moments that you encounter," Lazarus remarked.
"What?" Alex squeaked, "Why would you want to look at my memories?" Who was this weird angel? First he reveals that he can talk in her mind, and could potentially control her body soon, and now he wants to look at her memories?
"I have my own agenda," Lazarus said, a bit of steel in his voice, "I will not be hindered by a half-blind girl!"
"Half-blind?" Alex asked, "What?"
"Oh, the bishops and your friend were too polite to not tell you," sneered Lazarus, "Your pretty face has been marred by that man when you were escaping. One of your eyes has been damaged, so you're now half-blind."
"I don't believe you," Alex slowly said. Lazarus rolled his eyes.
"Do I have to prove myself again?" Lazarus said out loud.
"No, how about you go away and leave me alone?" Alex yelled. Without waiting for an answer, she turned around and began to run. She didn't bother turning back. That angel was lying, she wasn't half-blind, she was perfectly ok, she was fine, she was Alexander Night, she was-
March 24th, 2143: 3:01 PM—
Alex woke up exactly 14 minutes ago, and stared up at the ceiling. Her body was no longer hurting, but she couldn't see from her left eye.
"I told you, you ignorant girl," Lazarus whispered, "When will you stop being so stubborn?"
"Shut up," Alex thought fiercely, "I'm not half-blind!" She heard Lazarus's mocking laughter, and gritted her teeth. Deep inside, she knew that Lazarus was right...she noticed that Teito and the other bishops wouldn't gaze at her face for a long time, and they always averted their eyes. She slowly got out of the bed and shuffled to a nearby mirror. Looking into it, she was struck at what she saw.
The person with unkempt hair that stared back at her looked gaunt and pale. She slowly brought a finger to the glass and traced the twisted white line that cut through her eye (why was her pupil white in colour?), her cheek, and finally rested at the bottom of her neck.
"I think you look far better now," Lazarus remarked.
"If you don't have anything good to say then can I recommend that you remain silent?"Alex angrily thought, feeling bitter. Lazarus had won again. She was half-blind...and she looked horrid.
"Alex!" Teito called out. Alex turned around, and was relieved to see Teito there. Teito stared at Alex, and suddenly looked away.
"Teito," Alex began, her voice hoarse, "What happened to me?"
"I'm sorry," Teito muttered, "It was him." Alex immediately understood who; "He's a warsfeil," Lazarus whispered in her mind, "I sensed the wars in him when he attacked you."
Alex opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when she saw Teito's thoughtful expression.
"What happened?" Alex asked. Teito snapped out of his reverie and looked at her.
"Well, now that you're up, maybe you want to see the church with me?" Teito asked. Alex noticed the desperation under his tone and silently nodded. "He must be worried about Mikage," Alex thought, "Then again...I am too."
Teito led her out of her room and they started to walk down a large hallway. Teito began to point out all the different places, including the courtyard. Alex blinked, as she stared all around her. The place was huge!
They stopped and sat at the stone ledge. As Alex admired the view, Teito suddenly asked, "Do you know about the myth of the 07 Ghosts?"
"What?" Alex asked, looking at him.
"The myth," Teito repeated, "Do you know about it?"
Alex thought for a few seconds and replied, "Do you mean the one about Verloren and those seven heavenly lights?"
"Yes!" Teito replied, "That one!"
Alex shrugged and said, "Yeah, a little. What's the point?"
Teito was silent for a few moments. "Well, I think it's true," Teito finally said. Alex stared at him, her eyebrows raised.
"Look, I'm telling the truth!" Teito exasperatedly said. He began to tell Alex about what had happened last night with him—the old man, Frau and his scythe, and finally the mark.
Alex listened to Teito with wide eyes. She had no doubt that Teito was telling the truth—he was always a bad liar, but it seemed difficult to believe him.
"Woah," Alex finished, "You actually saw that perverted bishop morph into a skeleton figure and have a huge scythe?"
"Interesting," Lazarus remarked, "So Zehel is alive and has his scythe."
"What?" Alex thought, but Lazarus didn't say anything.
Teito nodded and replied, "Maybe...maybe it might be best if we stay here."
"What?" Alex asked, "What about Mikage?"
"Well of course we will rescue Mikage, now that you can walk," Teito impatiently replied, "But...maybe the church has answers to what I am looking for."
Alex looked at Teito curiously. "Who was that person who you wanted to meet?" she asked.
Teito looked at her, and then at his hands. "Father was an important person in my life," Teito slowly said, "My real dad is actually the King of Raggs, but Father was important too."
"Woah, your dad was the king?" Alex asked, incredulous. Teito shushed her, and nodded.
"The world out there is so different," finished Teito, "I seem to know nothing about it."
"Me too," Alex replied, "I don't remember much from 10 years ago, but it certainly has changed."
"The world seems so much kinder," Teito continued, a faraway expression on his face.
At that moment both Alex and Teito heard a splash behind them, along with a lovely high note. Alex nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw a creature with Teito's face staring back at her.
"Aah!" screamed Alex and Teito. The creature giggled, and to Alex's astonishment, her face morphed again, this time into a pretty face with pink hair. She sang a few notes, and waved.
"I see you've met Razette," Castor remarked. Razette sang again and hugged Castor.
"Who is that?" stuttered Alex, shocked.
"Razette is a Noel Mermaid," explained Castor, "She is also the church's organist." At that moment, the bells began to toll.
"Ah, our afternoon mass is starting," Castor replied, "You are welcome to attend." At that moment, to Teito's and Alex's astonishment, Razette no longer appeared as a mermaid, but now was standing like a human, and was wearing the nun's robes that were in Castor's hands a few moments ago. Alex noticed that her feet were still scaly.
Teito and Alex looked at each other, and then back at Castor. "We'll come in later," Alex said, "If it's ok?" Castor nodded and smiled.
"Don't be late," he said. He and Razette walked off, leaving Teito and Alex.
"Teito," Alex began, "I think we should start to plan our leave." Teito nodded, and opened his mouth to speak. Before he could say anything, there was a shout behind him.
Turning around, Alex and Teito saw the last person they expected.
"Teito! Alex!" a familiar voice called out. The person lowered the hood from his face, revealing the familiar blonde hair, honey-brown eyes, and the x shaped scar.
"Mikage!" Alex and Teito yelled. Alex rushed up to Mikage and gave him a huge hug, while Teito followed her, still shocked.
Mikage laughed, and returned the hug. "You're alive!" Alex said, her voice cracking. Mikage grinned, and flipped a thumbs up.
"I was a lucky person," Mikage explained. He grinned at Teito and suddenly gave him a huge hug. Teito gave a choked sound, and Mikage murmured, "I've missed you both so much."
As Teito began to yell at Mikage to let go, Alex heard Lazarus's voice in her mind. "That boy is dangerous," Lazarus whispered, "I sense something tampering with his soul."
"What?"Alex thought, "Don't be silly. Mikage's here!"
"Oh? And how did he find out where you were?" Lazarus shot back. Alex opened her mouth to reply, but realized that she didn't have an answer to his question.
How did Mikage find out where Alex and Teito were?
"Alex?" Mikage asked, "Is something wrong?"
Alex snapped out of her thoughts and hastily replied, "Oh no, I'm just still really shocked and happy that you're here."
"Stay away from him," warned Lazarus, "He's nothing but trouble."
"Shut up!"Alex angrily thought back, "He's my friend!"Lazarus remained silent, and Alex was glad. She was tired of having to deal with Lazarus. "First he keeps appearing in my dreams," Alex angrily thought,"Then he talks in my mind, and now he's giving me dumb warnings."
March 24th, 2143: 4:13 PM—
The three bishops silently watched the reunion between Mikage, Alex, and Teito.
"Who's that?" Frau asked, "That dumb girl's real boyfriend?" Castor whacked him and Frau glared at him. Meanwhile, Labrador was staring at the three people with a worried expression.
"The flowers are apprehensive," Labrador murmured, "Something dark is coming to the church. Something for Teito-kun."
Frau and Castor looked at him, and then back at the three. "Come on," Castor said, "Afternoon Mass is starting soon."
Slowly, the three bishops began to walk away, Labrador looking back at the three laughing teenagers.
"It's coming," Labrador murmured.