Golden Mist

Disclaimer – Don't own it, never will. OCs, however, are mine!

A/N: I just really gotta say thanks to a certain friend of mine who has been giving me ideas and proofreading!

Anyways, the chapter after this has action and fighting! Mwahaha!

DGM/GS SPOILERS ABOUND!

Tame Me

Ana Johnsson

…X…

A black wolf turned sharply, her claws hitting the stone floor with a resounding clack. Azure eyes flashed as the canine turned and ran her claws down the stone walls in a fit of rage. All she could keep repeating inwardly was 'why me?', and it wasn't helping her attitude. The more her paws scraped the stone, the more it tugged roughly on her delicate claws and pads. Blood marred the wall across from her bed and bloody prints marked her path. It was a continuous routine; stalk forward and back five times, then turn to paint the walls red.

Fangs visible during silent cries and frustrated growls, the noises left the lupine's throat as a sign of pain and grief. After all she had suffered through the day before with the true knowledge of her mother's death and being examined, last night had been the final blow. Cat stopped, breathing heavily in the middle of her dark room. Dawn's first light was peering through her windows from where the sun was beginning to lift over the ocean. Her wild eyes burned with a strange intensity, recalling her conversation with Allen the night before.

…X…

-Flashback-

The library. It was a quaint place, all in all, with shelves stacked full of books and some even lying on the floor. Two tall windows rose up towards the roof, offering the only light when the lamps weren't lit. Cat was perched on a window seat, her eyes scanning the crisp page of a book with mild interest. She didn't need the help of man-made light to show her the words that told a story of secrets, lies, courage, and valor. It wasn't the type of story the girl was prone to reading, but tonight she made an exception. After all, she needed something to do besides pacing aimlessly or going outside for a walk.

She had learned the hard way not to do either of those things.

Perking up at the sound of a rustle, a low growl emitted from her throat that warned any intruders of hell to pay should they bother her. When a table was knocked over, she scanned the library, annoyed when the shadows played tricks on her eyes. Finally, a white-haired apparition appeared, startling Cat.

"Allen?" She hissed into the darkness, cursing her human eyes for the briefest of moments.

He finally popped up besides her, smiling apologetically. His gray eyes were earnest and open, and the girl couldn't help but smile at his naivety. "Care to join me?" Allen nodded and Cat moved slightly to allow for her friend to get up behind her. She leaned back into his chest, pleased that he was finally tall enough to make a suitable pillow. "And what brings you here during the hour of death?"

"'Hour of death?'" He questioned, placing his chin atop the girl's head. He could feel her chest rumble slightly with an inward chuckle, and he found he enjoyed the feeling.

"It's what some people call this time because so many murders take place from the hours between midnight and three." Allen froze, eyes widening at the statement, but relaxed again when the girl scoffed at him. "Halfwit," she informed him coldly.

Muttering a few curses under his breath, he wrapped his arms around her. Trying to snatch the book away, Allen demanded Cat's attention like that of a child. "Pay attention to me," he whined.

"I think you've earned more of my attention than anyone else in this damnable place." When all he did in response was whimper, the brown-haired girl finally tossed the book to the side. She really didn't care where it landed, since the library was a mass of misplaced books anyways. "Fine, what is it that you want?"

"Your company?"

"That was a question," she informed him, "not a statement. That makes me very suspicious as to what you actually want." Turning halfway in his arms, one eye peered up at him with a raised eyebrow to accompany it. "Say something in your defense, or else."

Gulping, Allen tried to cover his mistake. "I really wanted to say 'you', but I felt like that was something Master Cross would say." Smiling innocently, he winced when the girl shuddered and made a face.

"Thanks for the image, really." Rolling her eyes, she settled back into place, happy to just lean into the boy and relax. There was a long moment of silence between the two who were just content to stare out the window at the stars.

"I have something I feel that I should tell you," Allen suddenly whispered. Cat turned around a bit, her eyes scanning his face for any signs as to what he was going to say. Instead, he was still staring out the window, his body a bit stiff.

"What is it?" Feeling her eyes narrow a bit, Cat wondered if she was going to be pleased or angered by what he had to say. Something told her it was going to be a mixture of both.

Allen sighed but his gaze remained locked on something of interest outside. "It's about your father." His words made Cat blanch slightly with shock. Ever since the Order had made the discovery – thanks to Allen's overreaction – that the 14th was her father, the subject was practically taboo. It wasn't like she knew anything about her father anyways, so Cat felt that she was better off in the dark. Yet she still felt sad that she knew nothing; Allen probably knew more than she did, which she secretly hated.

He had been the 'adopted' son of her uncle, Mana Walker, so he at least had that connection. Cat remembered having met Mana only once during her life, and then when she met Allen and learned of the man's death, she had been hurt. Why did it seem that everyone she knew was dying? Was it because Inaria's prediction was right, and she was cursed, or was it simply because she and her family had been born into this war? Either way, it made Cat's blood boil to the point where she wanted to kill the Earl more than anything else.

"Well?" She pressed.

"Well," he drawled slowly, "it has to do with the incident about a half a year ago. The battle with the Clan of Noah and the Earl, remember?" Cat nodded. After all, how could she forget? So many of her friends had almost died, and many others had been sacrificed during the fight. Even when she had been lying in a pool of her own blood, she had thought she could practically feel the ties of the other Exorcists loosen before breaking. Wolves knew when someone close to them died, and it pained them every time. It was as if they could feel their pain as they died, and it was for that very reason that Cat pushed herself so hard. She had sworn as a wolf that she would fight for her friends and the innocent people, and still held true to that promise.

"Go on…"

Running a hand through his hair, Allen steeled himself for the girl's imminent reaction. "I saw your father…the 14th." Hearing Cat draw in a breath, he took it as a sign that he needed to continue before she hurt him. "He spoke to me as well, although it was brief. He said his name was Neah."

"Neah…" Cat barely managed to whisper. She couldn't tell if she was happy to know his name, or upset that Allen was the one to know it first. Inwardly, she felt like hitting something. "You said you saw him too?"

Allen nodded. "Yes, and it was a bit scary. He really did look like Tyki…or vice versa."

Cat groaned, as if trying to make light of the annoying situation. "Please don't tell me I have a brother. I don't think I could handle that either." Allen gave a bit of a chuckle, but blinked when Cat removed herself from the window sill and stepped lightly onto the stone floor. She looked over her shoulder and gave a sardonic smile to the boy. "I think I'll be taking my leave now, eh?"

"Okay," he muttered. The silver-haired youth watched as the other Exorcists left the library and as she shut the door quietly. Leaning his head back against the wall, he peeked at the window out of the corner of his eye. "Satisfied?" The dark shadow staring back didn't answer, and Allen felt like maybe he had made a mistake in waiting so long to tell Cat the truth.

Unfortunately, Karma has a way of coming back and biting people in the ass.

-End Flashback-

…X…

"Good morning Allen!" Lenalee chirped as said boy entered Komui's office wiping his sleepy eyes. He offered a bit of a smile as he stood next to her and Lavi. Komui was standing at the front of the room, a grimace on his face. Leverrier was also off to the side, looking angry as always. Allen bit his lip slightly as Link came to stand beside him. He really wished he could get rid of Leverrier's lapdog, but he couldn't because he was still considered a threat.

What a joke.

Looking at Sol who stood across the room, Allen felt irked by how the boy was leaning against the wall. He looked like he was almost asleep, with the way he had his head bent down and his eyes closed. Whatever this meeting was about, Allen doubted the other boy would care. As one of the generals began to speak though, Allen took his gaze off of Sol and back to Komui.

"So, why are we all here?" Winters demanded, his voice petulant.

Komui sighed and tapped his fingers against his arms for a brief moment. He finally spoke though, scanning the faces of everyone in the room. "This morning, I asked Johnny to go get Cat to receive orders for a mission, but…" He trailed off, this time, his eyes mostly locked on Allen, as if to gauge his reaction. "All he found was quite a lot of blood."

"Blood?" A couple of people echoed with a gasp. Had their friend been attacked in her own room during the night?

"Anyways, she's gone, and I want a few of you to go out and look for her."

So, with that said, everyone was dismissed and they began discussing at they walked down the hallway who was going to look for the wolf. "I'll go," Allen immediately volunteered. Link was obviously going to be tagging along with him, which the boy didn't mind. He wanted to show to Leverrier, through Link, that he was willing to go the distance for his friends.

"So will I," Lenalee chimed in, figuring she could search for the girl from the skies using her Innocence. Lavi also decided to go, and Miranda also volunteered. After a bit of prodding, Marie also decided to go along with Miranda because of his hearing. If they could search for Cat using various methods, they might find her even quicker. And so, off they went.

…X…

"Cat?" Allen called, hands cupped around his mouth. His silver eyes were scanning the trees, praying they'd find her quickly; especially if she was injured. Turning around, he saw Link also inspecting the area, looking for areas that the she-wolf could hide in. Frowning at the lack of having found her yet – considering it was already noon – Allen was beginning to wonder if she had been taken, and not just wounded. Having a feeling Link was about to tell him to stop searching and go back, the boy trudged further up the trail and deeper into the trees.

Tall pines surrounded him, with birds calling and insects offering a tune as he continued his journey. It was a beautiful day out, but Allen barely noticed considering how it felt like a dark cloud was hovering over his head. Walking through a thicket that made him feel a bit more peaceful, his eyes widened when he heard a rustle. Figuring it was Cat, he turned with a large grin on his face. However, that smile faded when he realized it was a grizzly bear. "Crap…!" he squeaked.

Backing up, he held up his hands in a complacent manner, as if the creature would understand. Yet when the large grizzly bear roared, Allen had a feeling it didn't care for humans. Not really wanting to activate his Innocence to fight it, he attempted to back up further, but swallowed when he realized he had hit a large tree. Pinned between a proverbial rock and a hard place, the silver-haired boy was about to activate his Innocence when a paw came swiping down towards him. Shutting his eyes, Allen had wished he had never left Link's side.

When the blow never came and he instead heard the bear roar in pain, Allen's eyes flew open. A black mass of fur was on its back, ripping and tearing at the bear's thick hide with claws and fangs. "Cat?" Allen cried, watching as the wolf was flung to the side. She remained on her paws though, her azure eyes glinting with a hidden fire. Within seconds, she had transformed into her second form, this time much closer to the bear's size.

Tackling it head on, she began pushing it away, the bear's feet leaving two trails in the process. "Run!" Came the command as the wolf continued to push the monstrosity deeper into the thicket. Allen refused to run though, and instead followed after, watching as Cat pushed the bear all the way to the edge of a ravine. With a grunt and one last push, the large wolf knocked the bear down the ravine where it landed with a thud. After a few heartbeats, it stirred and got up before whimpering a bit. It suddenly took off, having had enough of fighting with the fearsome wolf for the day.

Allen was about to thank Cat when the wolf spun around, hackles raised and lips drawn back over her teeth. "You halfwit! What the fuck were you thinking? If I hadn't come, you would have been minced meat!" She finally transformed into her human self and placed her hands on her hips. Her burning brown orbs made Allen want to cringe away, but instead, he rose to the challenge.

"I'm sorry, but I wouldn't have almost been killed if a certain someone hadn't disappeared, making everyone in the Order panic." His retort took Cat by surprise, and she dropped her arms. "I mean, come on, what was with the blood in your room? And why weren't you in the cathedral?"

Looking away, Cat held out one hand. Allen looked down and saw how bloody it was. Acting on instinct, he reached out and grasped her hand with his own, his eyes scanning to see how she had been wounded. On closer inspection he noticed the blood had come from the area around her finger tips, where they looked to be in a rather sad condition. "What…?"

"I got frustrated after everything I learned about my parents yesterday, okay? I went back to my room, started pacing, and then I started scratching the hell out of one of the walls. I kept doing it, even after my paws – er, hands – began to bleed. I left early this morning after snapping out of it to go find some herbs. I just didn't want to go to the infirmary to have a lecture and then have everyone wondering why my hands were bandaged." The girl's answer had turned into a bit of a rant towards the end, and Allen couldn't help but chuckle slightly. When he earned a glare from the girl, he bent his head down and kissed the back of her hand.

"We thought you had been attacked. Wouldn't it have been better to admit you had a bit of a mental breakdown rather than go out and make everyone fear for your safety?" Pleased when he saw the girl nodding, Allen began to tug on her hand to lead her back to the thicket. There stood Link, inspecting the twin trails created by the bear when pushed by Cat. He stood when he noticed Allen and Cat, and looked like he was going to berate them for a brief moment. Instead, he said nothing when he noticed Cat's hands.

"What kind of herbs are we looking for?" Allen asked Cat.

She tilted her head for a moment, thinking. It had been awhile since she had gathered herbs out here, and it was difficult to remember which ones grew nearby. "Uh…"

"After we wash the wound out, some yarrow and comfrey will be good enough. A pulp to put on the wounds should be sufficient enough," Link answered in Cat's place. It was scary for the two teens to learn that the blond-haired man knew so much about herbs, but at the moment, they didn't care.

"I'll take her to the nearest river to clean the blood off-"

"I can do it myself," Cat snapped at Allen.

"Then I'll help Link look for those two herbs."

"Knowing you, you'd find something poisonous." Link retorted.

In the end, Allen followed after Cat to the river where he sat on a tree trump. Moving the dirt around with his boot, the boy began to pout like a child as he watched the girl clean her hands in the water. Finally Cat returned with her hands rid of the dirt and dried blood. However, even as she sat down next to her friend, she cradled her hands softly. They were still sore and stinging, and she was beginning to reflect on the error of her ways.

"I didn't mean to make everyone worry…I just didn't want to seem so weak."

At this, Allen looked over at her and patted her head. "We all want to be strong, but it's okay to be frustrated every now and again." Pausing, he turned his eyes skyward to look at the blue sky and the drifting clouds. "Still, you kind of overreacted."

"I know," she muttered, pulling her legs up to her chest. There was a long time for silence before Link returned with a bowl in one of his hands. Within the bowl was the pulp he had spoken of; a mixture of yarrow and comfrey. Cat allowed him to rub her fingers with it before pulling bandages out from the bag he had with him.

"Is that why you brought that with you? Although I can't say I've never seen you carry a bag before." Allen stated as he watched the man wrap the bandages around Cat's hands. He barely acknowledged that Allen had spoken, which made the boy want to stick his tongue out at him.

"So that's where the pestle came from, eh?" Cat tried this time, using her elbow to gesture to the bowl where Link had mashed the two herbs together. He gave an affirmative nod. "Link…It's really weird for a man to carry around a mortar and pestle."

"I didn't ask for your judgment!" He snapped. He tugged on the bandage sharply, making the girl hiss at him. "There, it's done."

The girl rolled her eyes, briefly debating whether or not to smack the blond man upside the head or not. The two teens waited for Link to clean the mortar and pestle in the river before they set back off to the Order. Cat who was finally enjoying the fresh air and the wonderful day nudged Allen in the side. "Thanks for worrying."

"Anytime," he responded, "just never pull a disappearing act ever again, okay? I'm getting really tired of trying to find you and getting myself nearly eaten." The smile he wore on his face was tired and not really amused. It was the truth; if Cat left again, he wasn't going to go parading out to find her. He had enough, and he was trying to convey that to his friend.

Cat noticed the look, and nodded. "I won't do that again, and if I do…you have permission to beat the crap out of me and leave me for dead." The boy snorted in response, taking her promise to heart.

"And thanks for helping, Link." Cat then said around Allen. The blond man didn't respond yet again, but Cat didn't care. Even though the day had started out rather crappy, it was finally looking a bit better. "What do you think about a picnic?"

Surprised as he was, Allen grinned widely. "Sounds great."

…X…

Known to be a rebel wild at heart
I've been that way right from the start
I can be much more but I'll be nothing less, but a mess
And I might be a weird one but I'm smart
Yeah, you know I'm quite a piece of art…

…X…

Ah, sorry about a lack of an update last week. No excuses, I promise.

Link, why do you carry a mortar and pestle around? That's just weird!

-coughs- Anyways, thanks for reading! You guys are the best!

…I hate/love it when characters write their own story.

Next Chapter: When Cat, Sol, and Kacela go to the Sahara desert, what could go wrong?

Oh, maybe Wisely and Fiddler decide to show up?

-PA