I do not own D. Gray- Man!
Chapter 31:
"One of these houses has to lead to the outside! I entered through one of them!" Allen insisted as we ran through another hole in the wall that Lavi made with his hammer. We'd been running through doors and away from earthquakes for sometime now.
"It's no use." I panted, it wasn't.
"We've tried dozens of houses already!" Krory exclaimed aiding me in my argument.
"This ark is defunct." The pumpkin assured us, to its delight and our displeasure. "It's no longer connected to other dimensions! Really, there is no way-" Allen, Lavi, Kanda and Chaoji kicked the thing. I felt the earth move.
"Look out!" I called out and there was another earthquake, more houses toppled over.
"You'll never eave this ark." The pumpkin continued. I was ready to break the thing into pieces. "There's really no way out. You're all going to die here." I started walking over to the thing, ready to break it into tiny twigs.
"Actually…" Came another voice, it sounded familiar. "There is one way out." I turned to see a man with curly black hair, glasses- and now all I can see is the backs of Allen, Lavi and Krory.
"Bug eyes!" They yelled together, must know the guy. Something didn't feel right though. I felt someone stepping closer to me and looked left to see Kanda standing there. I turned back to the guy. "What are you doing here?!"
"Hey," Kanda said making them turn. "That one radiates a murderous aura." The guy smiled at that. Yet again Kanda was a step ahead of me.
"So, boy, why are you still alive?" The man banged his head into Allen's.
"He's the Noah!" I gasped. "Now I remember! I knew I recognized the voice!"
"The Noah?" Kanda asked taking a step toward the gathering. I didn't have to explain though, seeing as the man was changing into his Noah form, his skin turning darker, crosses appearing on his forehead, taking off his glasses. He was the curly haired cute one.
"You're looking for a way out, right?" He said taking a whiff from his cigarette. "I can tell you one." He blew the smoke out of his lungs and ran a hand through his hair while tossing a key in the air with his other hand. "The ark doesn't have any exits, but Road can make one for you." As he said this a set of doors came up from the ground. "Of all the Noah, Road is the only one with the ability to move between dimensions without using an ark. So what say we continue our game from the train?" He was talking to Allen. "I'll wager the exit in exchange for your lives. How 'bout it? And this time no cheating boy."
"What are you doing Tyki?!" The pumpkin shrieked. Man I hated that thing. I'm sure the Noah did too. "The Earl won't approve of this!" The Noah wasn't even listening to it.
"The key will open Road's door and the four that lead to it." He continued explaining the rules of the 'Game'. "It can be yours. Think it over." The key started falling through his finger. "But you'd better hurry." Another earthquake shook the place we were at. The top of a building cracked and fell right on him!
"Tyki!" The pumpkin yelled.
"That tower smashed him flat!" Krory exclaimed.
"Is he dead?!" Lavi yelled.
Kanda's hand came up and caught something. I looked closer and saw that he was holding the key. Kanda really did have good reflexes. He was a scary guy.
"Hunting exorcists is fun." We heard Tyki's voice. "I'll place the door at the highest point in the ark. If you make it there before everything collapses, you win."
"But you Noah are immortal." Allen said flatly. "Isn't that cheating?" Tyki's response was uncontrolled laughter.
"Sorry." He said, laughter still lacing his voice. "I don't know where these stories get started, but we're mortal too, boy. We only seem like gods because you're so weak." Another earthquake hit and the ground started crumbling beneath us.
"This is bad!" I stated. Not only guys are allowed to state the obvious.
"Run! Find someplace more stable!" Kanda yelled and we all ran into the city to where things looked more stable. We stopped and sat down, or stood, depending on how tired we were.
"So, now what?" I asked, the place that we found was more stable, but it still shook a bit.
"If he's telling the truth, then this place is going to fall apart in three hours." Lavi looked thoughtful. "Two hours now." He did the calculation.
"Either way, we're doomed!" Krory whimpered.
"Lenalee and I have experience with Road's ability to move between dimensions." Allen breathed heavily.
"Right." Lenalee agreed.
"We don't really have a choice." Lavi grumbled.
"Che."
We all looked at each other. We were all agreeing that this was the only chance we had. Allen took the key from Kanda's outstretched hand. He walked up to a door.
"Is this one all right?" He asked us.
"I don't think it matters, right?" Krory asked raising his hands in indication that he was at a loss.
"Just try it!" Kanda growled.
"One's as good as the next." I pointed out coming t stand in the front next to Kanda, eager to be on our way. Allen put the key in the door and turned it, as he did so the door changed making Allen jump back in surprise and me jump behind Kanda. "Ah! Oh! My eyes!" I yelled. Kanda snickered and I looked up to see him smirking at my reaction. I'd never been very girly, quite the opposite really, and whenever something really juvenilely girly showed up, I'd get sick.
The door was juvenilely girly.
It was bright hurt-your-eyes blue with a bright make-you-gag yellow sun and stars, bright punch-your-stomach hot-pink butterfly and a rainbow in bright colors that didn't match each other except for the fact that they were all bright and made you wan to puke when you saw them together.
I hid my face in Kanda's back and took deep calming breaths, trying not to puke my guts out right then and there.
The door was almost as bad as what I got for my 11 birthday from the order- that one made me puke.
Must be why I hate juvenile, girly things.
I felt a hand on my back and another stroke my hair and realized that I was really leaning against Kanda's chest and he was rubbing my back so that I wouldn't puke on him.
"This kind of stuff makes her feel sick." Lenalee explained to all the people who had not been there to witness my reaction when I was 11.
"Isn't she a girl?" I heard Allen ask, I'd have killed him for a remark like that if I didn't feel like puking. Maybe I'd puke on him…
"Bad experience with these kinds of things, I'm afraid." Lenalee said. "She never really liked girly things anyway."
"Oh." Several voices chorused together.
"So we're getting out of here." I heard Allen say and turned to see him put his hand out in the middle of a semi-circle.
"Right." Lavi put his hand on Allen's.
"Indeed." Krory placed his on theirs.
"Uh-huh." Chaoji placed his on next and Lenalee put hers on the top with a:
"Yes."
"Whatever you say." I said from where I was standing. They stared at me. "If I walk over there I just might puke on you. Give me a couple minutes if you want me to put my hand on yours." They seemed to consent to my logic. They stared at Kanda.
"Kanda?" Lavi asked tentatively.
"Forget it." Kanda growled. His voice made his chest rumble slightly, that's when I noticed that I had been leaning on it, like I needed support. He had a nice big chest that you could hide in. I liked it. I could feel his heart beat strong and steady. I felt the rhythm and was reminded of when I was younger how I used to climb up onto my Dad's lap and place my head on his chest and listen to his heart beat and make my heart beat match his. I loved doing that.
"Figures." Allen said and everyone's hands went down and then up in a promise that we'd all get out of here.
"Yes, it does." Kanda's chest rumbled slightly again. It was like his voice came from deep within. Must be why it's so hard for him to talk. It takes so much effort to get the noise out of his chest. Everyone walked past and I heard the door creak open. I closed my eyes and turned around. I felt everyone walk past me. "Put your feet on mine I'll take you in." Kanda sounded annoyed, probably because I was behaving childishly.
"No." I shook my head. "You just lead me in. I'm fine so long as I don't need to see it."
"Che." Was the reply I got and I was tossed onto Kanda's shoulder like a piece of luggage. I was going to protest but the fall to the floor made my protest turned into an:
"Ow." I opened my eyes and glared at Kanda's back. "Thanks." I said sarcastically and sat up. The room was almost as bad as the door. The sky part anyway. So I simply focused on the rocks and dirt.
"Kanda?!" Allen asked from up front.
"Quiet." Kanda ordered, and I turned my attention to where he and Allen were standing. "There." I looked ahead of them and sure enough, someone huge was coming our way, though he stopped quite a awes away. I recognized him though as the Noah who had fought Lavi. "The rest of you go on ahead." Kanda's announcement received a few shocked replies. "I've encountered that thing before. It's after my General."
"We can't leave you here alone, Kanda!" Lenalee said urgently.
"Don't be silly." Came Kanda's level headed response. "I'm not doing this for your sakes. That thing is after General Tiedoll. It's my duty to cut it down. The rest of you go one ahead." He repeated. "I'll deal with this one." The ground shook.
"Earthquakes." Allen stated the obvious.
"We're still inside the ark!" Lavi, another one to state the obvious.
"That's correct." Was that pumpkin still with us?! "This room hasn't been transferred into the new ark yet. But once the transfer is complete, it will vanish!" With you too! Stupid pumpkin! Didn't it get it? If we die so does it?!
"I'm staying with Kanda1 The rest of you get ready to run for the next door!" Allen was taking charge. I can't say I was very thrilled at that. "We'll follow-"
"You're crazy if you think I'll let you fight at my side." Kanda cut him off turning to point his sword at Allen. "He's mine." He growled and poked at Allen, cutting off some hair as he did so. "No get out of my sight. Or do I have to kill you first?" people were shaking. They really believed him. He sent off his insect attack and people freaked out and started yelling.
"Kanda, you idiot!" Couldn't Allen come up with something more original?
"Are you trying to kill us?!" Lavi, I thought you knew Kanda by now…
"How could you?!"
"You beast!" Chaoji and Krory were just scared.
Lenalee and I looked at each other. One of the good things about knowing someone for so long- you didn't need to talk to communicate. I shrugged.
"Calm down, everyone!" She turned to the group, but no one was listening. "Kanda's just-"
"We should leave you behind!" Chaoji and Krory yelled in unison. Kanda sighed. He'd already tuned his back on us and was watching the Noah waiting for an attack.
"Hey, he's sighing." Once again, way to point out the obvious, Chaoji.
"Who does he think he is?" He thinks he's Kanda, Allen, who else would he think he is?
"I've had it with him!" Lavi said turning around and walking to the next door. The other men turned around muttering their complaints as well. Lenalee and I looked at each other, communicating again, I nodded. My turn now. So she turned and walked with the rest of the guys.
"Kanda." I called, his ear twitched back, but there was no other sign from him, I didn't expect there to be any. "Kanda, you will follow us afterward, won't you?" There came no reply. I knew it meant yes, but if I would get interrogated by Lenalee I had better tell her that he promised out loud. Otherwise she'd come back just to hear his promise. I'd never understand why she needed people to say everything. "Promise me!" I demanded of him, but there was still no answer. I sighed, why did he make my life hard? He knew I needed a promise for Lenalee. "Answer me!" I yelled. That made him turn.
"All right." He said. " Now go." I walked up to him and hugged him.
"Sayonara." I smiled.
"Che." He scoffed turning back. "Go."
So I did.