Black Love, Assassinated- Night of the Truth
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The arrival at Edo had been a serene one, one that had been so quiet that it screamed a sinister undertone of death. Death, when can one experience too much of it?
The group of exorcists, having been attacked and mocked by groups of Level Threes they had tried so desperately to avoid now stood upon their mastermind and his accomplices. They had to challenge them in order to protect the generals. He had recognized the orange haired lad and vampire as those exorcists on the train that fateful day, and could not help welcoming them.
It had been a heartwarming welcome since the former's attack was so easily fended off and he mocked and laughed at him. He had killed his friend, and knew how that would have felt to lose a loved one. Yet the boy had been able to scrap through hell's gate and managed to stay alive. Not for long though, he assured the shocked exorcist, as he was going to end his life from where it had just begun.
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My only love sprung from my only hate!
Too early seen unknown, and known too late!
Prodigious birth of love is to me,
That I must love a loathed enemy.
-William Shakespeare; Romeo and Juliet
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They had tried to attack that Noah, the one that had killed Allen. Fuyu had not been thinking much about revenge since the attack on the ship, but the strong surge of contempt almost knocked her off when she realized that that Noah had been the one who had ended so many lives so easily. One who had never treasured the very essence of nature, and had never respected it. He, or it, who had never experience love and affection.
General Yeegar. Daiysa Barry. Suman Dark. Allen Walker. It had all been done by him, ain't it?
She leaped into the dark sky along with Krory and Lavi as the rest stayed on to protect the others. A sense of nostalgic struck her as she suddenly realized that Maat was not with her- too ill to be even summoned out. Old Panda had warned her not to use too much of her new found powers as they were still unstable, but who was to care? A long craved pole-like sword conjured up neatly in her clenched fist as she prepared herself for war. It seemed too brittle for use, but this was better than anything else.
No, it could not be.
It could not have been him. Those eyes, they had been so familiar; that voice, it had once allured her to sleep; that smile, it had once won over her heart. Disbelief engulfed her ability to speak when her eyes saw those eyes. His eyes were of a shade of honey that was something to be yearned for yet stung when one finally got it, gold with flecks of amber that threatened to burn one alive. They had called it windows of one's soul, but who was to know his windows only spoke of death and cold-bloodedness? It had felt as if a cold hand had stabbed right through her heart just before she could react. Those purple weapons- Tease.
Had it all just been a lie?
Too late.
She did not have time to react when the cold hand indeed went right through her frozen body and brought her right down. Blood splattered through the oriental moonlit sky, and the screams yelled from her comrade fall upon deaf ears. Had she lost her sense? Blood, life, concentration was draining out of her limb body as gravity brought her down.
"You should have been more careful."
Those words had been what he had said. Yet only a frown that had endorsed an old man's wrinkled features appeared in front of her when she opened her eyes. The female exorcist only grinned sheepishly at the bookman and scrabbled up from his arms. "Come, there are a bunch of weird looking Akumas for us to settle. Leave that Noah to Lavi and Krory."
That Noah, it had stung her somewhere the way Old Panda had said it. It felt weird, as if the sun had decided to set in the South instead and she would never be able to see it again.
Stop it, Fuyu Black.
The latter reprimanded herself as she went speeding after Old Panda with her damned powers that she would have traded just to have Maat back. She should have never wished for more that what she could have handled.
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"Miranda!"
A piercing scream that chilled to the spine sliced through the sky as the Chinese exorcist yelled for her comrade who had fallen to the ground. Miranda could no longer maintain her Innocence's barrier over the room and had fallen. Fallen as she had been exhausted, fallen as she had been strained to her limit, fallen as she had been defeated.
"How's that lady there? Hmm. We have quite a number of female exorcists here today, eh?"
The voice came down chilled against her face as she felt a tight grip over her neck. It had bound her tightly as death surrounded her, and the devil fiddled with her life like a child with a doll. Lenalee tried to fight back the frustrated tears as she struggled within this strength, seeming helpless and pathetic. She feared for Chaoji when the latter tried to attack the Noah, whom had merely laughed off the punch as silly antics and summoned what seemed like a spread of purple butterflies.
"Let her go," A voice, another, had came down from the sky, cool and crisp like the night sky. It felt bitter, as if too cold that it had stung the tongue. "Now."
Lenalee felt the Noah moved with surprise from the sudden attack and perhaps even flinched as he released his grasp from her. His voice, however, had startled her with the brute and unemotional cold as he articulated his words out neatly, with a hint of flirtation in it dedicated unknowingly to the new player to the game. "Just, who do you think you are?"
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"Well, just who does he think he is?" Yelled the class councilor as she stamped through the corridor with huffs and puffs, her boots clashing with the floor with every step she took. It had seemed as if the wooden planks covering the floor had been the one who offended her.
Chloe hushed her friend as she grabbed her by the arm. "Quiet, you could be heard."
"Well, like I can even be bothered. How can a tall-built man like him ever get lost in the school? He can go through walls and floors for all I care just so long that he doesn't require someone to guide him around the campus. Argh!"
Mrs Greenwood, her vice-principal had tasked her with the duty to ensure that her newly assigned teacher would not get lost in this new environment and to make him feel at home. So much for home, as she had to sacrifice her lunchtime to find this art lecturer and made sure that he did not lose his way and get stuck in some mud pits hidden around the school. Well, she had hoped that he would fall into one anyway.
"He can get his ass stuck in the toilet bowl for all I care-"
-BANG
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry…" muttered Fuyu as she adjusted her spectacles. She took it off instinctively and rubbed it with the corner of her gown, before putting it back on. It was then when her vision had cleared that she realized there had been a pair of well-polished dress shoe glaring at her in their full shine. She had landed into something warm and breathing. And it smelled of refreshing cologne, aftershave, and even perhaps the buttery aroma of croissants. Blinking with astonishment, her gaze slowly moved up to the object for inspection, ignoring Chloe who was tugging at her sleeves since the incident had happened. Chloe seemed unnecessarily nervous. And now she knew why.
The owner of those well-maintained shoes was beckoning his form class's councilor with a bemused expression as the smile played politely on his lips. "It's okay, Fuyu." Had he played around with the tone of the last word like a dancer with a concerto violin?
"Oh my god…"
"I'm glad that you're glad to see me, young lady. But I'm no way befitting to be God. On the other hand, I was just hoping to find someone…"
Fuyu shook her head profusely in an attempt to clear her head as her hand clenched panicky on to Chloe's, their fingers intertwined with encouragement and strength. "We're suppose to guide you around the school, sir…" said the student profusely, and felt stupid doing so.
"We?" laughed Mr. Mikk as he cocked up an eyebrow, "Or you?"
A light shade of peach hue crept up Fuyu's face as she tried to find words to redirect the conversation. However, she had failed to, as usual. "Fine, me." she said under her breath peevishly.
Chloe chuckled as she stood beside the two, despite the attempt not to burst out in laughter. Even the teacher could not help but let out a polite smile, before stating his next request. "Alright, alright. I just need you to lead me to the teacher's lounge. I have quite forgotten my way there, I'm afraid."
As if it had been an order, the two students nodded their head and began to walk towards the direction of their destination. The walk there had been long, the trio being mostly quiet all these while, but it had seemed that he could hear clearly the curses that Fuyu had been hissing under her breath. Relief seemed to rush through the two students when they had finally reached the stern wooden door heading to the staff room.
"There you go, Sir."
"Oh thank you," said Mr. Mikk as he brushed a hand through his hair and presented one of his endorsed smile yet again. "Fuyu, please draw a school map for me by the next morning. This would be your first homework."
"Okay, I'll inform the class," muttered the class councilor absentmindedly.
Mr. Mikk cocked his head at an angle. "Class?"
"Isn't it homework?"
'Homework, sure. But it's only for you."
"Me, why?"
Mr. Mikk winked as he smiled that smile of his while he opened the door. "Because I need a map." He laughed as he watched his student controlled her wrath under tight constraint. "Hey young lady, don't worry as I did not hear any of your conversation about the lavatory…"
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The aristocratic and unfathomable smell of tobacco could be smelled distinctively as she closed up behind the Noah. Had it been the same deep, alluring scent that triggered her senses affectionately? Had it been the same distinctive smell that she had permitted in her presence? Had it been smoked by the same person? Fuyu found that she had no answer to all those questions as her fine ice blade rested neatly on the ash gray neck revealed by the opened collar. Beads of ruby were forming under her innocence as she ran it deeper and deeper into the raw wound in her stern attempt for him to release his hostage. "Let her go," she repeated. His hair was curling next to her face, she noticed. Not.
"Of course, exorcist-san."
In a swift movement, the Noah released his hostage and passed right through whoever had been behind him. A smirk spread over his handsome features as he took control now, his hands tight around the slender neck of the exorcist, pulling her close to his body. He could feel the change in her heartbeat, pumping faster and more disorderly every time he exerted additional force to his grip. He could hear the gasp from her mouth as he passed a tease right through- had this exorcist been attacked before? It felt easier this time- much more hollow. He could smell the medicine on the bandage of the exorcist, the fresh minty scent of clinics, with her head fitting snuggly at the curve of his neck. It struck him, though, that the feeling of killing this prey had been different from the other. This prey, now weakened and bleeding, seemed to contain a confused mix of emotions. Even the blood dripping from her wound appeared to be disturbing to him. "Seriously, who did you think you were?" He asked yet again.
Seeming that there was no reply from the exhausted exorcist, Tyki prepared for his killing blow. Females were never supposed to be part of the war, and he did not enjoy the thought of killing them, but she was an enemy after all so he had to finish her off- quickly.
-Crash
A flash of light blinded through the dark night as the Japanese roof crumbled like biscuit to reveal, surprise, surprise, a Japanese. That guy, scoffed Tyki as he casted a sidelong glance at the new arrival, and dropped off the female exorcist at hand to fend off the former's attack.
"Fuyu!" screamed the previous female exorcist that he had attempted to kill aloud as she limped with intense effort to the broken, bleeding body lying stiffly on the wintry hard ground, her blood dyeing the soft grass green. The Noah's eyes widened in alarm as recognition and realization struck him hard like lightning. Perhaps his stomach had taken a flip, perhaps his heart had skipped a beat, perhaps his lungs had been deprived from oxygen for a few minutes.
He felt like life had been strangled out of him, as the sight of the fallen exorcist he had brought down with his bare hand wither away into the darkness, the distance between them getting further, and further.
She had looked different from what she was previously. Where had the wolf been? Why did he not recognize beneath those bandages? Why did he not recognize the voice that had always amused him, those bespeculated eyes that had charmed him? Then it struck him.
"Oi Japanese exorcist, didn't I tell you to take care of her?"
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Please forgive me I know not what I do
Please forgive me I can't stop loving you
Don't deny me
This pain I'm going through
Please forgive me
If I need ya like I do
Please believe me
Every word I say is true
Please forgive me I can't stop loving you
I remember the smell of your skin
I remember everything
I remember all your moves
I remember you
I remember the nights ya know I still do
-Please Forgive Me; Bryan Adams
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The scowl on the Japanese exorcist deepened as he ascended down to where Lavi was with the rest of the ladies. His gaze lingered over Fuyu as he kept his sword back, and his eyes met that of the female exorcist. The latter looked away almost immediately after muttering thanks to him, and that was what that had annoyed him the most. Her image was filled with blood and wound like the rest of them, but rawer in the mental aspect.
The Noah he had fought previously had been the man they had met back in her hometown, had she not realize that? Her teacher; an enemy? The one who laid a dozen kisses on her despite knowing that they were on the opposite sides of the war? He wanted to bark at the young lady, and to shout the conscious back into her. He wanted to grab her by her arms and shake her awake. He wanted to… just hold his childhood friend deep in his embrace and… to just comfort her. Shut up.
The group of exorcists sat by what had remained of Edo quietly as they tuned into the rhythmic sound of the flowing stream. Allen had returned, thank god, and had been by Lenalee's side ever since. Lavi and Bookman were in a serene side of the water body, while Krory was being his usual emotional self alone. Noise was by General Tiedoll's side as he kept on the lookout for enemies. As usual, Kanda had taken up a state of solitary and stood at the side of bridge they were under looking out into the night sky. The moon had a pale yellow hue to its crescent, one that was not too glaring bright or too dull to be noticed. His eyes could not stop drifting towards the female exorcist sitting by the stream washing the dried blood off her as she gently played with the maroon swirl of dye in the tranquil water. Her eyes were a misted sort of gaze, one that was not focusing on anything whatsoever, while her hands fiddled absentmindedly with the object in her hand that hanged from her bruised neck- it had been that necklace again, ain't it?
Just then, a commotion back under the middle of the bridge diverted all the exorcists' attention. A sense of relief gushed through everybody like a monsoon flood as Lenalee finally woke up from her neat dream.
Yet happiness generally last a short time, as a pentacle appeared underneath the Chinese exorcist and she went straight through it.
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"Sir, here's your map."
Mr. Mikk turned around from his desk to find a folded piece of paper held out right in front of him. Smiling as he received it, he thanked her as he unfolded the piece of map. "This was not what I had expected…"
He was almost shocked by what the student had drawn- shapes of rectangles and circles in different colors with varied thickness.
"If that's all, I'm taking my leave, Sir," muttered his student as he looked at her with bewildered eyes that had still yet to recover.
"Sure, sure…"
The map would have been ridiculous, but it had been accurately useful –the scales and location were correct; thought the debonair as he traced a thick black line which they had taken the day before with a gloved finger. In addition, it had been cute that she had marked out the gents, art room and teachers' lounge with great big black pentacles.
How ironic.
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A/N: Italics are flashbacks to Tyki and Fuyu's past. Had it been confusing? And it's a long chapter, sorry, will try to shorten the rest of the chapters... hee