An author's note to readers; ARE PEOPLE EVEN STILL READING THIS?! Lol! Hey, here's part two of the Diamond in the Ruff chapter. Sorry for the long updates. Ok, I want to leave a little note on something that I've seen on Fan fiction a lot= those 'Y u put characters ooc' comments. Y'all know what I mean, as in complains about a character NOT being IN CHARACTER. Okay, let's get something straight. WE ARE NOT HOSHINO. I SINCERELY DOUBT ANYONE ON HERE IS HOSHINO AND IF YOU ARE, THEN WHY THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN SPENDING PRECIOUS MANGA UPDATE TIME AND WRITING FANFIC FOR YOUR OWN STORY?! Lol. And also, fanfic chara's are always going to be out of character. Why? Because we're not Hoshino. Deal with the difference there may be in the fanfic because they're will always be, no matter how 'Kanda-like' Mr. Samurai seems, etc. She is the only person able to tell if the chara's are in character or not. If it were in character then there would be no need for us to write fanfic or read DGM, cuz we'd run Hoshino out of business! :O So pleeeeeease, it is getting old! -_- Haha, sorry about that little rant after this long hiatus! *bows* I've been stumped on how to further develop this story, so my apologies that this and the past two chapters where 'spur of the moment' written and not as well edited as the first few chapters.
Hope you guys like this chappie!
GO TEAM HELCHRILLEN! XD
['They say a lotus blooming is beautiful, like the cries of a newborn peeking the world with open fascination...']
A screeching noise ran inside Kanda's ears. He pushed, shoving all those who dared get in his way. Johnny's pained cry could be heard faintly from the loud noise of the Festival.
"OUCH- K-KANDA YOU'RE HURTING MY WRIST!" Johnny panted from all the running, his legs burning like a furnace and starting to wobble like jelly. … He was never able to run until recently, and this had been the most Johnny had done.
['That those who see it bloom will also die as quick as that Lotus dies. They die easily, don't they samurai? ']
"K-KANDAAA?! MY WRIST!"
Kanda clenched his teeth, tugging Johnny forward with a harsh tug. "I'm not letting the bitch go without explaining some things to me!"
"Eh?" Johnny blinked, completely taken off by the sudden harsh words. "W-Who are you even talking about, Kanda?!"
…
… ['That friend of yours, he's like you, right? A cursed Lotus?']
"… Nayami…"
(Johnny's P.O.V:)
My breathing hitched.
… There…
There was no way Kanda had meant that Nayami..? Had I heard wrong? "… You—Y-YOU DON'T MEAN THE GENERAL'S DAUGHTER-?"
"-WHO ELSE?!" Kanda growled back.
"…" I looked at his shifting back, the wind of our speed whipping sharp air unto my glasses, causing me to squint. I was wheezing now, but I didn't want to stop and tell Kanda. He'd most likely leave me behind to chase after 'her' anyways if I did… I looked at my stumbling feet. "… Kanda…"
He growled again. "What?!"
"… Of course you wouldn't know….. Whoever you saw can't be Nayami…" A glare passed by my glasses as they threatened to fall off the bridge of my nose. "…"
"What the hell are you talking about-?"
"- Because she was killed by a Noah…"
…
[(FLASHBACK TO A COUPLE OF MONTHS AFTER KANDA IS PRESUMED DEAD AND MISSING, AT THE ORDER ;)
"—This him, Lena?" I looked up, squeaking in fear at the sudden stranger looming over me.
"Ah! W-who a-a-a-re youuuuuuuu?!" I yelled feebly, trying to run away as fast as my leg braces would let me from the scary redheaded General I had heard about from Allen… "! L-leave me alone G-General Cross!"
"?! The FUCK?!" Cross only seemed to get pissed off, stomping his way harshly and hauling me by the shoulders of my science coat. "DID YOU CALL MEEE?!"
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK - LEAVE ME ALOOOOOOOOOOOOONE, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY YYYYYYYYYYY!"
I felt myself being put down, and Lenalee's sweet voice next to me. "Nayami, stop that!" The pretty Chinese girl chided Nayami.
"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeh?!" I looked over to the scary redhead again, this time rubbing my cloudy glasses. Lenalee was right; it wasn't the infamous womanizer General! "I-I couldn't see, a-a-and I-I assumed you were your D-Dad, and-"
"SHUT UP. YOUR VOICE IS ANNOYING, WITH ALL THAT FUCKING STUTTERING." … I was hyperventilating now. Nayami just looked me over with an uninterested look, scoffing once she did. "…. I look nothing like that my damn old man, scrawny ass. Have we met or something before?"
"Nayami, its JOHNNY…" Lenalee said incredulously. "He's the one who's done all the Exorcist uniforms? You know, who you requested to put stretchier sleeves so that you could activate your innocence better when your uniform got updated?"
"Oh." The redhead's lone eye twinkled in remembrance. "Ah, well, sorry about that Johnny. You look different than the last time I saw you…." I offered the General a small smile, ushering her to stand still so I could measure her. "Scrawny and short." She joked. "Now you're just scrawny…"
"It's okay." Lenalee seemed to visibly relax now. "Yeah, I don't really get out much from the Science Division, but you're right, it's been about a couple of years since I last had to update your uniform, Miss Nayami. I heard all the Generals where sent out on a long mission to gain new accommodators and stuff, right? Is that why you haven't been around?" I asked, but didn't voice out the strange glint in her eye as she smirked at me, chuckling lightly.
"I've been busy… How is everyone here?"
Flinch! I looked at Lenalee, who gave me a quick look before answering the General. "… We were attacked by the Noah again..."
"Really…"
"… And Allen left the Order…."
Nayami suddenly cursed. "Dammit, that idiot!" pulling her hair, she turned to us. "When the hell was this?!" Before any of us could answer, she continued to press on, making me feel nervous. "Did anything seem off about him the weeks or days before he left?! Was it the Noahs?!" Nayami looked at me, and I inched behind Lenalee.
"U-um, both of us wouldn't really know, General!" I managed to squeak out. "He was in solitary for months, a lot of weird things happened the night Allen left, and the last person who spoke with him-" I noted Lenalee's sad look. "- Before that was Kanda, and he's, um, missing too…."
"…" The girl suddenly sighed. "… Lenalee. How come Komui didn't inform any of the Generals? If Allen is now Rouge, We'd mostly likely have that as our top priority."
"Nayami, my brother did tell the Generals… How come you didn't know?"
"… I see… So I've been cut off…" Nayami muttered lowly, but I burrowed my brows at that.
"Eh? What do you mean, Miss Na-?"
An Explosion erupted nearby…
"- !?"
"!"
I yelled in fear, grabbing the table nearest to me as the ground shook violently. "W-What was that?!" But I didn't get an answer back, because just then, the wall behind us broke. Lenalee and the General activated their innocence, standing in front of me.
"Bon jour, everyone!" A deep voice said from the dust cloud in front of us. As it cleared, a tall man emerged from the hole in the wall, smiling sweetly at us. "What a gloomy place to live in! And the décor is just horrendous!" The intruder said haughtily with a shrew smile, looking at Nayami through lidded eyes. "Ah, just the damsel I wanted to see! ~"
I watched as Nayami's innocence hovered around Lenalee and me, circling around with a hiss. The dark metal shined as it circled around, clinking with a metallic crack. "Why are you here, Noah…" Nayami started to say, but she briefly looked over her shoulder at me with an unreadable expression.
… What… W-what was with that look…?
Nayami didn't waste any time. With a small flick of a finger, her innocence whizzed through the air at a blinding speed, chain clinking as the blades hummed. It was no use though, although Sherryl didn't even as much as bat an eye lash, her innocence seemed to hit an invisible wall in front of him and stay frozen in mid-air, as if time stopped. "!" the General cursed, trying to pull out of the Noah's mind grasp. "THE HELL IS IT THAT YOU WANT!?"
Unbeknownst to the two, Lenalee had managed to sneak behind the Noah leaped for a roundhouse kick. "… LET HER GOOOOO!" … But she was thrown across the room before she could even get close… "NGH!"
"LENALEE!" I hurried to her, catching her in a hug as her body disconnected from the now cracked wall…
Nayami let out a growl, probably fed up with being thwarted by the Noah's control. "You mentioned you were looking for me, now spill it!"
Sherryl laughed at her brash-fullness, walking closer to the trapped General. "… You know how bad I wanted to see you since the last time we 'waltzed' together? And how disappointed was I when I saw you weren't there at the North American Order! We could have 'waltzed' there too, what a shame! ~ And I had to resort to the white haired RAT!" Sherryl spat the last part out, as if it were venom.
"GET TO THE POINT, NOAH!" Nayami barked at him, her single eye narrowed to a slit. "You're wasting my time."
"Oh, I'll make sure it's time well spent, dearest!" Sherryl cooed, flicking her nose playfully as he leaned in closer. "… I absolutely love the ugly scar you left on my back by the way…"
"So on top of being a sadist, and Lolicon, you're a masochist too?" Nayami let out a wry laugh, but this situation was more than humorous… This was the same Noah who had taken over the bodies of several people including me at the North American Branch.
From what I knew and saw that day, he was insanely strong….
I felt Lenalee shift in my hold, wincing while holding her stomach. "Does it hurt!?"
She gave me a weak smile. "I'm sorry Johnny…" her soft voice almost made me tear up. "I still haven't fully healed from the last mission… I-I think my stitches opened up again."
"! I-I h-have to get you to the Head Nurse- she'd know w-what to do! ~" But how?!
Panicking, I looked over to Nayami, and gasped… The Noah had pinned her head on the ground with his foot, digging his heel into her face with an evil laugh. "N-Nayami!"
She looked at me briefly before yelling out in pain when the Noah swung her arm up, easily breaking the bone into two pieces. A bright green glow lit up the room, and her innocence retreated back into her palms.
"STOOOOOOOOOOOP!" Hot tears prickled my eyes and threatened to fall.
"- Do you hear that, dearest? The boy wants me to stop. But you insulted me, so don't you think you need a little more punishment!?"
Nayami managed to shove his foot off her face, coughing violently as she gasped for air. Sherryl move to kick her, but the General was faster. In a flash, her innocence reappeared and swatted the Noah away before he could stop it. A crazed look over took her, and she let out an animalistic roar, her innocence whirling around the room to strike the Noah repeatedly. "YOU ARE EVEN MORE OF A PEST THAN TYKKI!" Her unbroken arm grasped out and she clenched her hand, causing her innocence to divide and stab the Noah. Suddenly, a sharp pain rippled through her hand, and she fell to the floor, writhing as it bent and twisted in an unnatural pose. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Sherryl chuckled, a look of pleasure over him as he coiled with ecstasy, holding himself. "Ugh, WHAT LOVELY SOUND YOU MAKE WHEN YOU'RE IN PAIN!"
"F-FUCK OFF!"
"N-Nayamiiiiiii!" I was sobbing now, barely seeing anything because the tears made everything wet and fuzzy. "P-please- LEAVE HER ALONE! STOP THAT, PLEASE! W-WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT!?" I could hear my voice crack, but I didn't care. The General was in trouble…
For a moment that seemed to stop the Noah, I heard him get up and footsteps got closer, but a sharp voice stopped them.
"YOU'RE HERE ABOUT ROAD, RIGHT…?" Nayami's bloodied face looked up at him. "… I heard it from an Akuma… Listen, i-if she means anything to you-" blood seeped out of the corners of her mouth. "I'll go along with you and tell you all I know. Her involvement with the 14th… Information you wouldn't want the Earl to know, right? Cuz along with Wisely- you and the new Noahs don't want the 14th by the Earl's side again..." Sherryl eyes glistened with darkness, a shadow cast over his face as he bent down to her eye level.
"How is it that you know so much, miss..?" It wasn't even a question….
… It was a threat. I just hoped Nayami wouldn't give a snarky answer or he could…
My body shivered in fear.
"… Let's make a deal, Sherryl…"
"!?" Lenalee protested beside me. "Nayami, what are you doing?!" But the General only ignored her, glaring at the Noah.
"A deal?"
She nodded. "I'll tell you what you want, you leave them out of this-" She nudged her head towards us. "- and tell of the Bookmen. Then afterwards, you can kill me, so it's a win-win…"
"N-Nayamiii, noooo!" Lenalee cried out.
A grin curled on Sherryl's lips. "Deal." Nayami smirked.
"Away from here, I don't want the Order to hear, just like you don't want 'ADAM' to know…."
"Fair enough. I'll call off the Akuma with me." Sherryl growled, and then leaned down to pick up the injured General harshly. "Shall we go?" She scoffed.
END OF FLASHBACK….]
"—KANDA, WATCH WHERE WE'RE GOING!~" Johnny's loud yell snapped him out of his thoughts in time to see he was about to slam head first with an incoming food cart.
"! ~"
… Kanda didn't have time to move out of the way. In a split second, the both of them tumbled over the wooden food cart, clothes and skin tainted with the bruised pomegranates now lying around them. "DAMMIT!" Kanda growled swatting some of the fruit from his eyes as he got back up, searching the crowded Plaza. "She wouldn't die that easily…" Johnny spit out seeds, frantically searching for his glasses as he heard the Kanda sprint off again.
"Kanda- W-WAIT! ~"
(Moments not too far from then; )
…
… "Fucking HELL!"
… Chris couldn't believe it. He was lost. The noble had never been lost a day in his life-since he had Helga, he never had to do most things nobles found mundane such as just looking at a map to get their bearings. Hell, Allen traveled all over the world, so Chris never bothered to listen to the Exorcist whenever he would try to teach him how to read a compass.
… Now he was regretting it. And it was All Nayami's fault (well, mostly his own fault actually.) The two had left Helga at an Inn while they went out to buy supplies for their journey to Shanghai, when he got distracted by a nearby jewel merchant, thus how he was now separated from the girl.
"Uh, Nayami?" Chris yelled out, although if Allen was around, he'd probably say it was a half assed attempt-
- Chris sighed. 'Ah. That's right… Allen's not here to scorn me and shit-'
"- Hey! ~"
'Ah.' Chris smiled in melancholy, chuckling. 'Wow, for a sec there I thought I heard Allen talking to me-!'
"- Excuse me, but you wouldn't happen to be lost too, I suppose? Heheh ~"
Chris looked back, not expecting a scrawny teen to be there. "Eh? Are- We're you talking to me, kid?"
The other laughed nervously, rubbing his cheek. "Um, well, I guess you're not lost then." Picking up his luggage, the strange teen started to walk away. Chris sighed, before calling out to the boy again.
"Wait." Turning, Chris flashed the boy his best smile, laughing a bit on the inside when the latter awed blatantly. "Actually yeah."
"… Yeah whaaaaaaa? ~" The latter said, still awed by the well-dressed guy's perfect smile.
"I got separated from my, err—'lovely' girlfriend-" Chris almost choked at the lie he was sprouting. "- and I don't know shit about Istanbul, or its language to be honest! ~" The noble then added a harmonious laugh, inwardly pleased at the other's admiration. 'Ah, I almost forgot what this felt like! ~' Chris thought haughtily. "I was gonna ask ya for help, but you're just as lost as I am! I'm Christopher Welt. Nice to meet ya! ~"
"Ah! ~ Um, J-Johnny Gill! Same here, heehee." Johnny laughed nervously, shaking his hand. "I got separated from my friend, and well, guess we're on the same boat!" Chris smiled.
'He's kinda like Allen…' "Guess we have quite the situation, then, Johnny."
"Eh? Oh! Y-yeah, guess so, huh? Ka- I-I m-mean my friend just suddenly bolted after somebody, and I've looked all over the plaza for the last 20 minutes. I just hope he isn't in trouble…" Johnny muttered the last part, a side of him still slightly paranoid that the Order has been tracking them. Chris patted his back, for a second, it reminded the brunette of Allen.
"… Hey." Johnny looked up at him. "I betcha your friends' just fine. Heck, he's probably asking the same thing!"
.. Somehow, Johnny doubted that.
Chris continued. "We could look for our friends. How hard could it be to spot two foreigners here?!" At this Johnny laughed.
"Well, that's true. Okay! Oh, I didn't thank you!" Chris just waved it off with a grin.
"Nah, no probs. So how does your friend look like?"
Johnny paused, before speaking. "He's really tall. Orient, Jet black hair, silver shirt and a green vest with a black neck ribbon, I think?"
"Well he doesn't sound like someone you'd forget if you saw him…" Chris joked offhandedly, scratching his hand. …" Vaguely, Chris recalled seeing a China Man with similar clothes earlier, but didn't voice it. "My-" Chris gagged a bit. "- girlfriend's a bit shorter than me, bright red hair, and a…." Chris stopped.
… Nayami was from the Black Order. Sure, some people did know who they were, but for the most part they were just a rumor. Chris didn't think it wise to tell a complete stranger that his supposed 'girlfriend' worked for The Order. Plus, Nayami warned him not to tell outsiders. Allen had too when they first met.
"- And what?" Johnny asked.
"Oh, well, uh, she's in this uhm…. Church! A Church School and she wears this weird uniform."
… Chris almost let out a sigh of relief when Johnny didn't ask further.
"Oh. Well, we should probably split up to look for either of them and meet back up here. Say in 20 minutes?" The younger teen suggested. Chris nodded in agreement. "Okay then good luck to the both of us!" Chris laughed, giving the other a high five. He watched the boy run off the opposite direction.
"…. Why does he kinda remind me of Allen…?" Chris muttered to himself sadly.
Helga folded the last of the clothing over the counter. "~ And when the beast begins to strike, will my love come home again~" The old maid sang softly, consumed in her task. It was getting late, and she was starting to worry. Looking out the window, Helga sighed, brushing her hands of any dust. "… Master Chris and the Miss aren't back yet…"
Her mother instincts were buzzing. For the two to take so long for supply shopping was just too much. She knew her Master well to know he got distracted easily by window shopping, so just thinking if he had somehow lost Miss Nayami and was out there by himself drove her almost mad.
… A fluttering noise caught her attention. Looking behind her, she gasped softly at the bright golden orb hovering in front of her. "Ah, Mr Walker's-" … She didn't even know what to call it. Might as well refer to it as she heard its owner say. "Err, Tim… Cannpy?" The golden orb immediately fluttered its wings in response, resting on her outstretched hands even though it could barely fit. "How is Mr Walker doing?"
… She almost smacked her forehead. Here she was expecting a strange golden contraption to suddenly start talking to her! "… Oh, what in the world am I doing…?" She made move to walk upstairs, but Timcannpy got in her line of sight again, buzzing around. "? What is it?"
Timcannpy opened its mouth to reveal a hologram of Allen in his room. He was still unconscious, but the old maid immediately began to notice the corners of his hands were a dark gray hue. He seemed to be in great pain because the white haired boy was moaning and twitching uncontrollably, though not as bad as before. Rushing upstairs, Helga burst in the room, immediately heading for her medical bag. She took out a liquid vial and an unopened syringe just in case his seizure like twitches got worse, and she sat at the edge of his bed, grabbing his wrist to check his pulse. "… This is not good…" At this rate, Allen would go into cardiac arrest. And to make matter worse, the maid did not have the sufficient medication and supplies. Chris and Nayami were supposed to have brunt it with them, but they were nowhere to be seen!
… Allen's seizure stopped suddenly, and the boy leaned back unto the bed as if nothing happened….
"!?" Checking his pulse again, it read between normal, but it didn't make sense! Not even a minute ago it was dangerously high! "What in…"
"—I-I'M NOT…. I'M NOT!" Allen whimpered pathetically, his head darting about as if he were seeing something, albeit in his mind. "N-NOOO! P-PLEASE! ~" Allen muttered softly, mumbling incoherent sentences every now and then.
"!" Helga had to lean closer. "…" Allen's breath was shaky and shallow, but the old maid's ears strained to hear what he was mumbling to himself.
"LEAVE ME ALONE! I'M NOT YOU! I'M NOT! Stop it!" He was sobbing now. The bed creaked as she leaned closer…
"Mister Walker!" Helga yelped in worry. "Mr Wal-g-GAURRRGH!"
…. Allen's hand shot up to her neck, squeezing it tight.
"ALLEN'S NOT HERE ANYMORE…."
….
(With Chris ;)
…
The brunette walked down a semi-familiar block he recalled them shopping on. At the Corner of the street was a dainty little market with an old lady starting to pack in all her merchandise that was outside. Suddenly feeling relieved, Chris ran up to the old lady, politely leaning beside her as he helped her with a rather large box of fruit. "Hello miss." He greeted the old lady kindly, bowing slightly when she peered at him with her old eyes.
A spark of recognition lit the dull blue eyes as she took a closer look at him. "Ah! ~ You were here earlier with the pretty red woman!" The old woman quoted through her thick accent. "Where is the pretty red?" She said, looking around for Nayami's shock of red hair in the blue glow of the night street lights.
"I lost my friend earlier walking around. Did you see her by any chance, miss?" Chris asked, although he was really hoping she did.
"Ah, yes! Yes, she was here not too long ago looking for you!" Chris's face brightened.
'Oh thank god, she didn't leave me on purpose then! ~' He thought, setting the box on the floor once they got inside. "What did she say?!"
"Well, the pretty red left you a note…"
"… Come again? A… A note?"
"Yes, yes! She said to give it to you if you passed by me! Here it is." She handed him the note, and Chris immediately cringed upon what he saw.
"… She said to stay where I am… Ugh that woman makes no sense!"
"- Careful what you say about me…" A winded Nayami said as she entered in the closing store, her long red hair all strewn about. "We've wasted enough time here, let's go…"
"… Why do you look like you just ran a marathon?" He was going to say something else, but he didn't want to risk an early death. Nayami pointedly glared at him, as if knowing his thoughts.
"That's cuz I did. Let's go."
…
The two walked in a stiffening silence. A mist had rolled in seemingly out of nowhere making it feel as if the air were slowly trying to suffocate them. It was humid, and cold, the only noise was from the metal luggage Chris carried all the supplies they bought. "… Ok, what the hell did you suddenly took off for earlier?!"He burst out. The mist rolled in heavier around them, and the redhead girl came to an abrupt stop. Chris's eyes watched over her blurry figure next to him with worry, not liking how extra quiet she's been lately. "Did something happen?"
Nayami looked at him, and then sighed, slumping as if she suddenly grew a couple of decades older right in front of him. "I've been too careless going around in the open like this…"
"?" Chris's brows burrowed. "What do you mean?"
"I saw two Order members back at the Square. Since I'm practically a traitor in their eyes, I couldn't let them catch me. So I couldn't warn you in time, my bad. Plus, he probably suspects that Allen is with me…"
"Nayami…" Chris whispered, suddenly alarmed by the graveness of her words. "What if he's following you and we lead him straight to-! ~" He didn't even dare say Allen's name out loud, but Nayami was sharp.
"-Don't worry about it for now. He couldn't track my aura because I hid it well."
"…" Chris wasn't even aware Exorcist's could do that. Then again, the innocence they used must have some kind of way of communicating with others. "Can he track your innocence?"
Nayami shook her head. "Not him, but a couple of the older Generals can. But still, I'd rather be careful than to lead 'Wannabe Samurai' straight to our idiot…" Chris nodded.
- (Chris P.O.V ;) -
"Yeah… Oi, Helga's gonna be pissed at us for taking so long." I commented lightly, chuckling a bit.
Nayami cringed. "That old woman acts like a mother sometimes…."
"Yeah, well she practically raised me and my little brother on her own….."
"…" There was a soothing silence over them now, as they spotted the Inn over the hill. "Your face, it's different."
I raised a brow as we got half way up the steep hill. "How?"
Nayami looked ahead of her, giving off a small grunt. "Right now, when you mentioned your brother. It changed."
"Ah." That was all I could say.
"… You mentioned briefly that you asked Allen to help you find him before. Did something happen?"
"…"
"Don't answer that." Surprised, I looked to see her string at me with an unreadable expression.
"…."
… I didn't even notice I was frowning now. "I did some things I'm not proud of, and it cost me my little bro… He's out there somewhere… I need to find him, or else…." Ugh there was that nauseating feeling again whenever I dwelled on painful things like this… "… Or else I might as well die without ever forgiving myself for what my Father did… I want to find him… but I'm afraid he'd hate me…"
"…."
….
"So what? If he hates you, he hates you, and if he doesn't, he doesn't. What should his opinion of it matter? Whatever happened sounds like you were young and your Father did something that caused him to go away." Nayami said seriously, scoffing. "You can blame yourself for whatever happened, that's fine, but it sounds like your Father's at fault, so cut yourself some slack. You just wanted not to disappoint your dad and make him proud; any kid at a young age would want that more than anything…"She trailed off. "… I would have killed to make my Father notice me back then…"
"You don't get it! I treated him like shit up until he disappeared! I hated him for being another heir to the family name- i-it wasn't even until a month before he- t-that I actually started to talk to him!"
"Die of guilt if you want.…. We have to keep an eye out now, Chris. Anybody wearing a beige overcoat or the Order clothing is our enemy."
'How can she be so casual after she practically insulted me?!'
I watched her absent mindedly as we walked in the Inn, holding our Room cards.
We entered our little makeshift living room. Immediately upon seeing the fresh clothes folded on the couch, I rushed to it, taking a shirt I had no idea who it belong to in my face and sniffing the hell out of it. "Helga, thank you!" I momentarily yelled out while Nayami went upstairs, not before I caught her eye roll at me. "…"
"Shut u-" There was a loud slam of a door upstairs, and Nayami's heavy boots clonking around. "COME UP HERE, NOWWW!"
I jump at her sudden volume, warily sprinting upstairs to see the Exorcist at the end of the corridor corner, half of her body hidden and struggling with something. I loomed over her, and almost yelled.
… Helga was slumped on the floor. "! H-HELGA!" The old maid groaned in pain, yelling out when I picked her up and sat her against a wall. "What happened?!"
Helga looked so out of it, but the woman managed to open her eyes briefly before she shut them closed. "… Master Chris?" She looked at me, confusion taking over. "What- why am I on the floor…?"
I saw Nayami feel her forehead. "Did you slip or something?"
A spark of recognition light up her eyes. "Ah, I- I believe so…. I was washing. I suppose I stepped on some of the suds and slipped, ah, silly me!" Helga rushed with embarrassment, quickly standing up. "I apologize for the worry, Miss Nayami. I don't feel strange, so everything's alright." She gave the Exorcist an apologetic smile. "Really."
"… Good to know…" Nayami muttered, but something seemed to be bothering her as she stared off.
"Master Chris, did you get the supplies I asked you?"
I relaxed a bit. If Helga was asking me about the errands, then that must've meant she was fine… "I did. You sure you okay? Nothing hurts? A headache or something- -?"
"Oh, quit fussing over me, Master Chris!" Helga waved it off. "Like I said, I feel perfectly fine." We both looked to see, Nayami kicking a stray, bulky bag near us. "AH, DON'T!" Helga rushed over, and picked the heavy bag up. Nayami glared at her, pulling her cloak closer to the point she looked like she would disappear in it. "There are verrry sensitive medical instruments in there." The maid explained.
"My bad…" Nayami said simply, walking off to somewhere. I looked back at Helga.
"You could've seriously hurt yourself while we were gone." I commented out of the blue. 'Thank god she's okay…' "What I don't get, is how you could've tripped on suds when there's fresh folded clothes downstairs on the couch."
Helga cocked her head back, confusion crawling on her features. "Strange… I don't recall folding them… Ah, well, perhaps I did and I forgot." At this she laughed it off, but I didn't let it go. It was just too weird.
"You never forget anything. Helga, I think you really did hurt something…" Helga waved my comment off.
"Must you be so stubborn, Master Chris?! My! ~"She walked off downstairs, probably to get the folded laundry. I stared off at the spot Nayami found her in, a bad feeling slowly creeping up my spine.
"… Something's not right here…" I muttered to myself, straightening up and walking over to Allen's room. As I reached for the door, I stopped when Nayami's soft voice broke the silence that usually hung over that room.
"What did you do, 14th…"
…
… I gasped.
…Did Allen…
…
….
…. Allen couldn't have done this…
… RIGHT?
An; whoop, alriiiiight! Lol. Until next chapter! XD