Chapter 7: A Fated Meeting

It had been almost four years since I'd served Noir. I was now seventeen, Noir being six years older than me. Noir's Albisian hair lengthened to cover his ear over the years. He'd not cut it for a long while, saying it was unnecessary. Noir's addition to Reverse seemed very influential; Lawrence had a good eye watching over him, as his skill needed in many of our activities was quite invaluable. Noir's heart was strong - very strong - in power and in resilience. Throughout our days spent together on Reverse's missions, Noir would take out hordes of Gaichuu when necessary - for me, and for survivors. Survivors like me and Noir, remnants from the cruel clutches of the Amberground government that we would gather in his stead. Lawrence had been collecting more and more of them all this while, in preparation of his revolution - our revolution.

I reminisced two years ago, where I was alone in that room with Lawrence, talking about Noir. Since then, Noir was essentially a part of my life, my service to him habitually clinging on me like the habit of hardworking bees and their never-ending search for nectar. Lawrence introduced me to the term, "dingo" - it was who I was, and at that the time, I could do more than just be a companion and guide; Lawrence told me if I were to be of use to him, I needed to learn how to fight. Noir was taking bigger jobs since then, such as stealing letters and going to risky places in search of survivors. He told me about Gauche's dingo - that, to his knowledge, shared the same name - and how she fought alongside him in every thick and thin they went. It was something I wanted to do - to be of use to Noir in any way I can, and to continue under him, under his understanding, and his cold strength from a deceptively warm and gentle heart.

That day, Noir and I were venturing the rocky routes east of the Rosie River, linking to the paths nearby Honey Waters. The area was quiet; our footsteps barely scratched the silence, the black, dull surroundings furnished by a hail of dandelion spores. I decided to scout from above, leaping onto the towering, granite pillars scattered across the area, eventually losing sight of Noir blended in the shadows, unseen from the height of where I was at. We continued our separate search for either survivors or Letter Bees holding letters, my mind holding the same, stale curiosity wondering what we would find today.

I detected movement nearby - eventually stumbling upon a young female leaping from the structures like I was. Her golden hair trailed to her feet in two pigtails, with pink attire and aqua-blue, staring eyes. Above her head was a creature in white fur, one I didn't recognize. I remembered - the events in Honey Waters I decided to watch alone when I separated briefly with Noir. I told him we'd find a venturing Bee here, and it seems I was correct. This girl, this dingo - she was a careless one, I thought; she was naive and ignorant of a dingo's prime duty of protecting her own master. Honey Waters was known for it's toxic fluids, and their was false belief behind them; the girl had suffered after she drank the water, and had failed to protect her master when he was needed the most. It was mistake I knew I wouldn't make.

"Are you not supposed to be a dingo who protects her employer?" I escaped from my thoughts and approached her, knowing that despite her flaws, she had a special power. "To think you carelessly drank the dangerous water and failed to save him at such a critical moment...you're a failure of a dingo."

"Who are you?" She turned, detecting my presence.

"My fellow dingo...my name is Roda. Allow us to pass...a little time together."

"Niche is Lag's dingo! I'm not a failure! Lag has only one dingo, me!"

I paid no heed to her nonsense. I guessed that Noir had probably detected the Letter Bee nearby, the Albisian boy that was her master.

"I don't understand you." I leapt into the air and engaged, as she dodged. Her hair hardened into blades, scraping off rubble from the sculptures. She was powerful, but she wasn't very tactful. She lashed at me carelessly and aggressively - dodging her attacks was fairly easy, taking little to no effort. Powerful as she was, she wasn't a skilled fighter. Eventually, I found an opening, and - with a simple slash of my blade - I managed to scar her forehead. Frankly, I was surprised by her resilience despite her child-like, frail exterior. She was the child of Maka - from the stories I'd sometimes hear from Lawrence, this being a tale of a creature with aqua-blue eyes, and golden, sword-like hair. She wasn't as big of a threat as I expected.

"I'm angry now," She uttered, covering her wound. "I'll get you!"

"You are very quick," I critiqued. "But you rely solely on brute strength. Is that all one is to expect from the Child of Maka?"

"That's not all! Just you wait!"

"You'd leave your master unguarded?" I asked - it seems she was distracted by me she'd forgotten, and I knew I'd hit a nerve. "Protecting one's master is everything for a dingo."

I heard a familiar burst distantly, with a black, flashy light from below the nearby rocks. Another job done, I thought, as I turned and watched Noir fire his heart bullet, knocking the young boy to the cold, hard ground. I was mildly surprised Noir had to use force against a child; Noir wasn't one for violence, more or less to someone as frail and inexperienced as he was. And this girl - Niche - she had failed her duties as a dingo.

"You really are a failure as a dingo." I lambasted my final words, keeping my tone low. My job was done, and there was no need to waste time on her any longer. I skipped from the rocks and back to Noir's side.


Time crept through our fingers like sand. Before I knew it, I had served Reverse for four years. I habituated myself with the ways of a Marauder, under the stewardship of Lawrence, the ringleader of the organization. Marauders were beings of plunder - throughout my life with Reverse, as Noir, I had stolen from people. I'd wounded people in doing so. But it didn't guilt me - it was all for the revolution that was to come. A world of equality, waiting to be constructed by us. The resentment in me stayed and flourished - every now and then I'd collect survivors astray from different places; beings like myself, like Lawrence and Roda. It had been my purpose since to protect them - who have been disposed of nonchalantly like garbage, tormenting pasts engraved in their soul and memory.

Amongst all changes in my life, Roda was likely what had changed the most. Watching her young self seemed like only yesterday, and looking at her now, she'd blossomed into quite the fine young adult, beautiful, and strong. She'd been with me for as far as everything I can remember; a friend, and companion. I would amuse myself was the sight of her a few years back, training - she said she wanted to be my dingo, to be there to support me in more perilous jobs, such as fighting gaichuu. The two of us worked in concert rather potently; she was definitely a great help throughout the missions we'd settle together.

We were on a mission again, bound by our usual task of collecting survivors, and letters. Roda told me she had spied on Honey Waters, telling me that Bees were bound to pass here eventually. She separated from me, into the skyward pillars of stone, as I continued to search from below, progressing amidst the silence of my surroundings.

The sound of nearby footsteps collected my attention; Roda seemed to be correct, as I identified the familiar blue of a Letter Bee uniform, worn by a young, Albisian boy, hair slightly paler than mine. He didn't seem like someone I needed much of myself to plunder from. I took him by surprise from behind, grabbing hold of the letter he was holding.

"I will now rob you of this letter as per the instructions of my client." I muttered, snatching the letter. "Thank you for your understanding."

"Gauche!" Running footsteps followed behind me. "You're alive - you're alive, Gauche!"

Gauche? This boy knows Gauche Suede? I thought, however ignoring him.

"It's me, Lag Seeing! You delivered me as a letter five years ago! It's me, Lag Seeing!"

I stopped.

"You remember me...right? I...I wanted to be like you, so I came to the Hive and became a Letter Bee. I've finally become one, Gauche!"

Lag Seeing. The name was...indescribable, for some reason. It was familiar, but very vaguely; His words awakened memories of my former life - memories that I've since thrown away. Odd as the strings of fate dictated my meeting with someone that knew of my former self, I paid him no heed. Gauche Suede no longer existed.

"This is our first meeting." I said, turning slightly, watching violet eyes keep tears inside them. "My young Letter Bee, it appears you've mistaken me for someone else. Such blatant claims of me being a Letter Bee is ridiculous."

"That can't be! After all-"

"Marauder." I asserted.

"Marauder?"

"Your job as a Letter Bee is to deliver Letters, yes?" I said, my cloak and hair dancing under the sudden breeze that caressed by where we stood. "Our job - my job, as a Marauder, is to plunder them."

"Gauche...so you did lose your heart. That's it - I met Sylvette! Your precious little sister, Sylvette, remember?"

Sylvette - he knew her as well. My former sister. He knew a lot about me, it seemed - this was getting rather troublesome than I had expected.

"I do not wish to do you any harm." I said, turning and beginning to go on my way again. "Farewell, young Letter Bee."

"Wait! Gauche!"

Again, I halted my step.

"Sylvette's been waiting for you all this time!" He implored, clinging on to me. "Go home! Go home to Sylvette...And then there's Aria, and ...and Mana...There's everyone - everyone waiting for you to return, Gauche!"

His words were incomprehensible - blather I didn't understand. I pitied him inside, oddly; I was the shell of the man he was looking for, but he no longer existed.

"I am what is known as a Marauder." I reproved, trying to make myself clear. I withdrew Gymnopedie and aimed; he was being too persistent for my liking, and it didn't seem he'd be giving up anytime soon. "My name is Noir."

I held back this shot; the amber of my gun glowed bright and a shot of black fired. It was enough to pin him to the ground momentarily, as I continued on my way, satisfied with what I'd collected today. Roda returned to my side from above the rocky sculptures.


"I've gotten enough for today." He whispered to me, keeping the letter he collected. "Let us return, Roda."

"Noir..."

"Yes?"

"It's unlike you to have to use force on a child." I expressed my curiosity. Today wasn't an ordinary day.

"I had to," He said. "It seems he knew Gauche Suede."

A Letter Bee that knew Gauche Suede - Noir's former identity. I couldn't help but be disturbed by such a thought, even if it was mild; Noir would eventually be a primary target for both his former and current identities. Regardless, however - I knew I would by his side, with him, protecting him - because I am his dingo. I always would be.

Super long chapter for this, it seems. The good stuff is about to happen, yeap.

Anyways, I've been really busy with life and school/college and with a recent promotion to go to London as a representative, so pardon me if I've not written a lot as of late.

P.S I do not own Tegami Bachi.