A/N: This chapter's theme song is "The New Year" by Death Cab for Cutie.

_-*-_

Celesta came hurtling over a fallen tree, her hands grasping the horse's mane as he spooked as fast as his legs would carry him. Another shower of bullets rained over the forest and the horse shrieked with fear. Holding on tight, she hoped they'd make it back to the stable in time or she'd get really, really fricken' lucky and Lavi would notice.

…although, with her luck, she had probably lost it all in Venice. That had been a lucky break. Silently cursing, she pushed the horse faster as she attempted to lead the Akuma into… where, exactly? It was another one of the skeletal ones, like in Venice. I can't get something, I don't know, weaker that I can actually fight?! An uprooted tree had fallen down in the path. The horse skidded to a stop and Celesta fell out over the horse's neck. The frightened stallion whinnied and took off in another direction.

"Wait!" she yelled, getting to her feet and stumbling forward. She hadn't gotten very far ahead of the Akuma, so it was only a matter of time before it came through the trees. Activating her Innocence, she ran for a glade where she could take off. Her crystal-wings were glittering deep blue, and on any other night she would have paused as her artistic heart took in the sight. As it was she was straining her ears to find any sound that would indicate the Akuma's presence.

It's so damned quiet… church bells rang in the distance. God, not again! Not now…

Her head spun suddenly as a rain of bullets hit all around her. A huge rock hit her arm, just below her shoulder, and pain seared up her entire body. Clenching her teeth and fighting back a scream, she lurched into the air. Dodging a… missal?!... in the form of a barrel roll, she tried to find the bluffs that would indicate where (Lavi) the stable was.

"Stupid exorcist!" came the shout from behind her. "Hold still!"

"In your (insert swear word of choice here) dreams!" she yelled back, bringing her arms in close and arching her wings for aerodynamics. ! Celesta thought, as once again pain flared up her arm. Gotta get back, or get something… envisioning her Innocence's original form, she hoped fervently for a weapon that would help her. Nothing was coming. Fine. Wishful thinking won't work. Okay. Use your knowledge.

Some birds use their wings to fend off enemies, you know. Yours are Innocence, they'd easily kill this guy.

Who is that inside my head?! Celesta almost dropped from the sky. Whatever, I'll worry later. Now… good idea.

She flattened her flight feathers into smooth glass daggers. Turning mid-flight, she arched her wings into balanced and blade-like weapons. Prepared for impact, she slashed one flight primary into the Akuma's back. It screeched; she noticed several tiny 'downy' feathers had lodged in the gash. Celesta's initial shock turned to relief as the Akuma broke in its fast descent.

Well done. I'd applaud, but I'm just a voice. Hey, I have some advice: next time you try to get us killed, don't. I like my little post, thankyouverymuch.

Celesta turned and headed toward the stable, now visible. Hey, how 'bout you get lost? I hate knowing I'm crazy even without proof.

…

Sighing, she looped and made an ungraceful landing just inside the north most wall of the pasture. Startling several horses, she walked toward the stable's light, where she could see Lavi's and Thomas's forms running toward her. About ready to collapse, she was grateful for the two arms supporting her.

"What happened?" Lavi asked her, somewhat frantically. "Your horse came galloping out of nowhere, and then you dropped out of the sky…"

"An Akuma." She replied. Simple sentences with only two or three words were all she could muster. She was as light-headed as the first time she had really synchronized (in Venice, and she hadn't even fought). "It's gone now; I killed it. It was one of those skeleton ones."

"You're okay, right?" Thomas asked. "You didn't get hurt anywhere?"

"My arm." Celesta admitted. "A big rock hit it."

"Oh, God," Lavi helped her down to sit on a hay bale. "I'll go get a doctor." He sprinted off, leaving just Celesta and Thomas.

"I'm so sorry I can't do anything," Thomas said, his voice taut. "I feel so useless."

Celesta put a hand on his head. "You're not useless. I'm just being high-maintenance right now."

"Don't joke." Thomas' face was inches from hers. "I don't know what you two were going on about, but it sounded bad. Why does a woman have to fight?"

"I'm not fighting because I have to." She snapped. "Nobody made me; I got some background on this stuff and chose to become an exorcist so I could protect my friends. I'm fighting because there's someone I need to protect."

Thomas was obviously taken aback. He smiled suddenly. "You kinda struck me as that kind of girl." He leaned forward a little. "Can I be on your list of people to protect?"

She paused, not entirely certain she liked where this was going. "You do realize it's my arm not working, right? My legs move just fine. You're not careful, and the thing between your legs will never work properly again."

He backed off immediately. "Sorry."

She smiled to herself. "You know I'm not totally opposed to you, I've just had a long day." Looking over at him, she looked into his deep brown eyes. She liked the color, it was like chocolate. Maybe, if her situation was different, she could've really liked a relationship with him.

Whoa! Stop that! I'm in here, too, ya know!

Shut up! I wasn't thinking like that!

"Un, Celesta? Are you okay?" Thomas brought her back to the world outside her head.

She smiled pleasantly. "Fine."

_-*-_

Lavi came in late morning. He was true to his word; he told her he'd come in whenever she was awake. He had harassed the nurse at the inn every half-hour. She didn't seem to get annoyed. At least, his breakfast hadn't been poisoned, so that was a good sign.

"Morning." Celesta smiled at him, her pale face bright. "I'm sorry I slept so long. Man, I just keep hindering this mission!" her face scrunched slightly.

"C'mon, 'Lesta. You destroyed the Akuma; now we don't have to worry so much. We just have to find the Innocence. And if the Finders have found it, we just go home."

She smiled, her tawny eyes turning up at the edges. "No place like home."

"No matter how dysfunctional, insane, annoying…"

"Shut up. Don't knock my home."

Lavi chuckled. She was funny, when she wanted to be. "Don't wear yourself out."

"Are you kidding? I'm so tired of sitting around. I always mess myself up." Lavi wondered if she was troubled, but Celesta just smiled. "But I am unbelievably tired. Still."

"Go to sleep, then." She rolled her eyes, but laid back down. "You're really something."

"I know, right?" she muttered. She was asleep in minutes. Lavi chuckled softly. He put his elbow on the bedside table and rested his chin on his palm. Looking down, he saw her sketchbook. He picked it up, almost silent, and opened up the first page. On the inside cover, she had written

Property of Celesta M. Treani.

Don't stop believing

Never give up

Always love the person you're destined to become.

He hmphed in reply. Easy for her to say. Flipping to the next page, he saw the portrait signed Elizabeth Darrow. Elizabeth had long blonde hair, falling almost to her waist, tied with a ribbon. She had on a long blue dress that matched her eyes. The outline had been colored in fine watercolor paint. Around her ankles, a long furred cat rubbed its face on her hand. In the background (in light washed out paint) a white cat with sparkly blue eyes looked out just past his face.

Flipping through some more pages, he saw more of Elizabeth and the ginger-haired girl known as Melody Williams. As he got closer to the middle of the big sketchbook, he saw people he knew: the other exorcists.

The animals in faded paint varied greatly. From Lenalee's otter to Allen's lion, then to Miranda's mouse. A greyhound ran alongside Krorykins's picture, while Kanda's panther snarled. Turning through more pages, he found more of the spirit creatures, joined by odd symbols. Celtic runes, by the looks of them. Big, scratched in by what looked like charcoal, like she hadn't noticed. He found a picture of himself, sleeping on the train. He almost laughed; she was really good. It wasn't colored in, but she had begun to lightly pencil in a barn owl. Makes enough sense, Lavi thought. I wish I could fly. I'd be willing to give up everything and become a true bookman if I had that memory of flying.

Softly closing the book, he turned and walked out the door.

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A/N: hm. Interesting. I'm sorry it took so long. I hit a writer's block and started to write another fic, but it helped and I could finish chapter ten. Yay.

Thanks to those of you who have reviewed! You guys all deserve the chance to fly.