Due to public demand XD I have tried made this chapter long XD

I love you for your reviews!! I just had to squeeze this in for you guys!! . Stupid IT test on Monday.

Oh well... Well, good thing I had some spare time. :D

Anyways, enjoy!

Chapter 9: Back to Black

I groaned out loudly as the morning light hit my closed eyes. Despite the dimmer version of the morning light, it was still bright and not only that, the heat was also damned annoying. I shielded my eyes from any further abuse before cracking an eye open. The room was almost empty except the unmistakable presence of a sleeping four-eyed miner at a seat a few feet from me. He was sleeping soundly at a chair, his head bent backward as it was supported by the top of the seat.

Ow, he'll wake up to a sore and stiff neck. I silently chuckled and got myself out of bed. I was in a loose white polo that I had lent from none other than Tyki. He had offered it to me, for what reason I could not even remember. I stretched my arms over my head and looked out of the window as a gentle wind entered the wind and teased the chestnut tendrils of my hair.

I looked at the sleeping man before I picked my clothes for the day and heading into the bathroom to take a morning bath. I settled my dry folded fabrics upon a dry place and discarded the clothes I wore before stepping into the shower. I twisted the knob and the water hit at me, streaming down my body.

I placed my hands upon the cream tiles along the shower, my thoughts ran along my mind. Most of my vivid thoughts were of the previous nights.

Especially his embrace.

Despite the coldness of the water, heat crept along my cheeks as the scene replayed in my mind. I didn't even struggle when I was in his arms but maybe because I didn't want the akuma's attention averted in our direction. But my problem was why it felt so safe to be in his arms. Beneath the nicotine-inhaling hobo, he was a caring man for he not only cared for me but for Eaze as well.

I ran my hand along my hair before I got the bottle of shampoo to lather my hair with.

Life sure was annoying.

-.-.-

When I got out of the bathroom, he was already awake and sitting upright his chair. His hand was massaging his neck with a grimace marring his features. I couldn't help but suppress a smile knowing this was the effect. "Morning." I spoke when looked at me.

"Morning." He muttered as he continued to massage his neck. He frowned when his ministrations found the sore spot of his neck. "Damn, why'd I sleep on a chair anyways?" I chuckled as he continued massaging, "It was of your own volition why you're all sore." He grinned, "I believe I gave my bed to certain girl who was trembling last night." I felt heat rush to my cheeks and I wanted so badly to smack him but I constantly reminded myself that I owed him greatly another day of sun shine.

I settled myself upon the crumpled sheets of my bed which was supposedly Tyki's bed, but oh well. I ran my hand down my hair, beads of water dripped down my tresses and I quickly took the towel to do its job. I combed myself and in mid-stroke, I looked at Tyki and he had a distant look. I didn't want to bother him but curiosity got the best of me.

"Tyki, what are you thinking?" He immediately snapped out of his thoughts and he glanced at me, "Nothing much just wondering what that this was last night."

It dawned on me.

"You don't know what that thing was?" I was a little bit unsure of what he just said. He nodded in return. I was surprised now. If he didn't know what that thing was, how did he know that I was in danger? How did he know that that thing could kill me? Why did he hide us in the shadow as the akuma stalked?

Questions bubbled up in my mind but I pushed them away for the meantime. I set my thoughts on the appearance of the akuma last night. If there was an akuma here, then there should be an innocence. But where? If there was one akuma, there sure would be many that will follow it. How would the villagers be? The casualties, the –

I slapped my hand upon my forehead. Thoughts and more thoughts. These thoughts were meant for an exorcist, not a normal defenseless human who would only stand in fear. I blinked for a couple of times before I felt a hand upon my forehead and I looked up to the spectacles of the hobo Tyki. "You're acting all weird today. Doesn't seem to be a fever." I glared at him as he was so near to me. I pushed him away, "Get away you four-eyed pedo!" He stumbled onto the floor before standing and rubbing his sore behind. "I'm beginning to believe that you enjoy my pain." I chuckled and spoke, "Oh yes I do!" This earned me a laugh and I stood up from bed. I had some money-earning to do today.

"Well, if you'd rather stay and soothe your sore behind then I'll be going now." I spoke and stepped out of the room, leaving a smiling idiot behind. I proceeded down the wooden steps as I thought of breakfast. But my mind had certain distractions from the thought of food, for instance. It kept reminding me of the warm arms that held me last night. I gave out a deep sigh. I'm probably going insane.

-.-.-

I had just finished breakfast and made my way out of the inn. The light bathes me in its intensity. The town was bustling already. Horses pulled by carriages stomped their hooves along the path. Men were bringing their produces to the market. I straightened myself and hurried to the market, hoping I could earn some money from the errands there.

I hurried uphill, running along the sidewalks until I reached a crowd huddled along the window of a house. They were muttering something amongst themselves. I walked along the path and heard snippets of their conversations.

"Mr. Huddlesford passed away last night."

"Poor boy, he must miss his father."

"Gabriel was close with him as well."

I jogged my way from them; I didn't want to listen to their conversation any more. It constantly reminded me of my old profession. Why is it that the past always catches up with me no matter how far I've run away from it? I sighed and let the storm of my thoughts roll in my mind.

Despite the two months that served as a gap to what I used to be, I guess old habits don't just away with the flick of a wrist. I dug my hands into pockets seeking a sense of balance within myself. Everything was coming back to me. Every notion in the environment telling me to be the exorcist I used to be. Telling me to go back. Yet, every time I think of such, an unwanted pang shoots through my heart. For the one eligible object for me to be an exorcist was gone.

Without an innocence, what use am I as an exorcist?

Would I fare better if I would be a finder instead?

This was going to be a long day.

-.-.-

I got to the market and was looking at the stalls of food and merchandises being sold. There were also some signs for jobs and some animals being sold here and there. The streets were bustling with people, women, men and children alike. I passed a few stalls as my eyes looked along the signs that had been set up. As I walked, a strange sensation came upon me when I passed by a group of people. I turned back to see they were a group of mercenaries. They were nonchalant, breezing through the crowd.

I rubbed my arms a bit, feeling the Goosebumps as after effects of the weird sensation. I sighed and let my hands fall; it was then that I felt a bulge at my pocket. Curious, I took it out and found my old deck of tarot cards in my grasp. My eyes widened as to why they were in my shorts but I found myself smiling. Maybe they were my good luck after all.

I placed the deck of cards back in my pocket, snuggling it tightly in the dark confines. I dashed farther into the streets looking here and there for some errands but the population of people in the area made it difficult. I ran around for any clear signs until I bumped into someone. I fell onto the dirt road. Apparently I had hit someone's wall of a back and it sure was hard. I rubbed my forehead where the impact hurt the most and looked up to the person who owned that back that I had inadvertently collided with.

He had ponytail black hair, the black uniform with the silver cross adorning the left side of his chest, the sheathed katana where I had bumped against held at his back and lastly the murderous look of my all-too familiar Japanese friend. I couldn't help the tears that blurred my eyes or those that freely trailed my cheeks. He had the murderous look but it softened when he saw it was me. I jumped at him, my arms circling his shoulders and there was no other thing that could make me happier but saying his name,

"Yuu!"

His eyes turned murderous and he unlatched my arms from his body, "Stop.Calling.ME.by.that.NAME!" Ah, his sense of humor was always refreshing. "Yeah, yeah. I know you missed me! I missed you too!" his jaw twitched, "Damned woman…" I jabbed my elbow against his chest, "It's good to see you again." I was at the brink of tears again but I refused to let them fall a second time.

"Che." Was his only reply but it meant a lot of things especially to me who knew most of Kanda's mood patterns. "Oh! Rien!" I heard a voice and I found my soccer-loving friend. "Daisya!" I ran into his open arms, he always seemed like an older brother to me. "You had us all worried! The Order has been looking for you for the past two months!" He released me and shuffled my hair like he always did. I was speechless for a moment, nervousness gnawed at me.

How was I going to tell them what really happened? How was I going to explain that I supposed to de? I looked up at Daisya's face, "Ah well, I've lost connection somehow." He looked around the market, "Speaking of which I haven't found a single finger asides from our companion who is stationed here." Now that he said it, it was true that no finder was in the area. I had never thought of such for the past months. He shrugged his shoulders, "Well, anyways, this place doesn't seem good for a reunion. How 'bout coming to the inn we are staying?" I looked at Yuu, he was looking elsewhere but I knew he was secretly listening to our conversation. "Sure." I replied and we made our way to where their inn was.

We reached the inn where the two exorcists and their finder were staying for the moment. It was a few ways from where Tyki and company were staying. I plopped myself upon one of the beds as the two older exorcists were staring at me. What was I some escaped lab experiment? I grew unnerved by their studying gazes and it was Kanda who noticed first. "Oi gaki. Why aren't you wearing your exorcist uniform? Sporting a new look, are we?" At any given time I would've reprimanded the arrogant moron but I was speechless yet again. "Ah, well you see. Since the uniform had some silver and all, it was….uh…stolen…?" I lied and this earned an angry expression from Yuu but Daisya's reaction was unexpected.

"What?! Did they harass you?! Or whatsoever?!" I chuckled at him. Always the older brother when it came to me. "No, I'm fine. I wasn't harassed or anything." He calmed down and I released another sigh of relief. "We've been sent here to investigate on the innocence with which was your previous mission and here we wind up finding you." The Charity Bell owner chuckled but my gaze went to Yuu who had bent silent since we came to their inn.

I stopped a bit until I was beside Kana, although our gazes were fixed forward, our attention was turned to each other. "Are you angry?" I asked when Daisya was out of the hearing distance. "No." It was a simple word but I didn't believe him. He took some steps forward but I grab hold of his arm before he could walk any farther. "Do you hate me?" He seemed to be surprised by my question before he took my hand and pulled me into his arms. "Would this answer your question?" His cold tone held a warm touch in them. I blushed visibly and he smirked and there was only one word that ran my mind. His face was an inch or so away from, too close for comfort. His hand, held my wrist and his other arm around my back.

"HENTAI!!" I slapped him right across his face and he took a few steps back, stunned. I ran out of the inn with a fuming swordsman left in my trail.

-.-.-

I had escaped the presence of the exorcists for the whole day and I was heading to the inn where Tyki and company were staying. It was such a long day indeed that it was night already. I had earned quite a sum of money. My thoughts reeled to the exorcists. They had come to fetch the innocence. Surely it wasn't with me. After all…

I stopped in my tracks when felt the same unnerving sensation earlier and I wasn't surprised to see the same group of mercenaries in front of me. Their faces were contorted; guns emerged at certain parts of their bodies. I was shocked and I ran away from them but one of them, probably the leader stepped in front of me and contorted into an odd knight-like apparition. "You're not going anywhere, girlie." It spoke and I was shock to find the weapon that I had fought for the pass four years speak to me in a human way. I jumped back as soon as it swiped its claw at me, my cheek earned a deep cut but it was nothing.

I tried get away, got to flee from the abomination but he hindered me from getting any farther by piercing my calf with his pike-like arm. I groaned in pain and fell unto the ground. Blood trickled down from my two wounds. I looked back at my adversary. "Give us the innocence!" I stared at him wide-eyed, "I-innocence…?' The metal teeth set upon his face gleamed in the moonlight. I tried to crawl away from him as he advanced on me. I know it was futile but I wanted a sense of escape in my mind. "Don't play with me girl." He was about to scooped for my neck but a sword stopped him from his path. I looked up to see the stern face of Kanda Yuu as he slashed at the akuma. It only jumped back to avoid the attack. "What happened to you gaki?! Where's your loud mouth and innocence?" He asked harshly. I would have answered him if not for the fact that I didn't have an innocence anymore. "I…My…" I couldn't tell him. He looked down at me, his heavy gaze only intensifying the nervousness. "Invocate it!" He commanded and I could do no other than show him that I had lost my weapon.

"Innocence, invocate!!"

The weirdest thing happened. And it was something that I least expected.

My deck of tarot card emerged out of my pocket and each card took its place beside another, encircling me. All seventy-two of them and they glowed in a soft white aura. Even Yuu was frozen for this was not how my innocence worked. I looked upon the cards my eyes fell upon the major arcanas.

"The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed. So watch out for the cards that you draw."

I recalled one of my old friend's comments and decided that this was the time to use the cards which were actually my true innocence. I drew my eyes along the cards and found the arcana that I would use.

"Fool." I spoke quite suddenly and this earned a loud guffaw from the akuma. "Me a fool? Maybe you are and that exorcist you are standing with!!" I smirked, "I didn't mean you." I held my hand in front of me as a single card from the circle of cards came to my hand. I flicked my wrist and showed the abomination the figure in the card, "I meant this."

He laughed again, "What's a petty little card going to do to me?" My smile could not grow even wider, "That's for you to know." I threw the card at him and watched as white lightning shot out from the small square-shaped object. It shredded the Akuma into bits and bits with its attack and before the finishing blow, a ghost-like figure floated from the card, "Tarocco Piemontese, the fool." With its huge mallet, it struck down the akuma. There was unearthly growl before the disappearance of the akuma. The card flew back into my hand and the others followed and then they were finally within my grasp. No mre of the old look but they seemed to have been revitalized as if newly-bought.

"Oi! Are you two all right?" Daisya came to us with the finder; it seemed he had taken care of the other akumas. "Whew, they were quite a bunch but nothing can beat me and my Charity Bell." Yuu then turned to me and spoke in his casual cold tone, "So what is it's name?" I looked at my deck then back to him, "Cards of fate."

He shrugged and began to walk away; I looked at him then to Daisya's confused expression. "Did I miss anything?" I smiled at him, "Nope. Nothing important." And with that we separated in our paths.

-.-.-

Early the next day, I had woken up to join Yuu and Daisya when they head back to the Order. I got a quick bath and had actually caught up with Crack and Momo. "You're up and early. Where are you going?" Momo asked. "Well…" It was hard to just leave them abruptly but I had to, my duty had to come first.

"I'm going away." I told them and they were shocked. "Y-you don't want us anymore?!" It was Crack who spoke. "Of course not!! I just well…I'm going to be an exorcist." They came closer to me especially Eaze who had a soft spot with me. I ruffled the young boy's hair, "I don't if I'll ever come back." I could see tears welling up in his eyes. "Do you really need to go?" I looked up at Momo and nodded. "Well, if you need to go, then all I can say is I am wishing you good luck." I smiled at them, "Thanks. Oh and where's Tyki?"

"He's off on one of his special missions." I groaned at his reply, "Again? I guess I can't even bid him goodbye." I sighed and then took one last look at them, "Thank you though and...good bye." I said as I went out of the room. It hurt leaving them but it was for the best. And of all the times, four eyes had to leave, it had to be now.

I walked out of the inn with the little possessions I had and headed towards the train station, there I met up with Yuu and Daisya. "Ready to go?" I nodded and we boarded the train. We went to the first class car and went to our share of a room. I sat myself near the window, wanting to gaze out at the place. The early sunlight was nice. I gazed out of the train and my eyes landed upon the figure of Tyki but when I blinked a genuinely dressed man replaced his spot. I leaned into my seat and pinched the bridge of my nose. Maybe I was just hallucinating.

Or maybe not.

I sighed and let the whole notion out of my mind.

A/N: Whew Finally done.

To those who played (Shin Megami Tensei) Person 3, I got the quote from Nyx's Battle.

Thank you very much for your support and reviews.

I'll try to update as soon as I can. See ya!