Author's Note:
The weather has been stormy here in the Philippines. I think classes will be suspended tomorrow. It's fun to write during this cold weather...
Chapter 12: Transformation Phase 1
The gravity of a situation is always best realized when one is already experiencing it. Kanda was reminded of this as he sat in Komui's office waiting for Lenalee who told her to wait there while she gets the supplies.
The battlefield is always a place of surprises and risks. Kanda is no idiot when it comes to these things; she's actually quite good at them. But like any other noble warriors, she sets aside her fears and distractions in order to protect the more important things. It is their strength after all. And the downfall of many others.
There was a muffled sound of laughter behind her and Kanda twitched. "I don't care if you're the supervisor. I will skin you alive!"
"Ehem. Why Kanda, that's a very un-ladylike thing to say!" Komui said in a scandalized voice.
"Tch. I change my mind. I'm leaving," Kanda said rising from the chair and started heading to the door. Warrior's code be damned. She couldn't take any more of this humiliation.
"Hey! I was just joking. Please stay," Komui went after Kanda.
Kanda glared at him dangerously. "If you make another shitty comment about this, I swear I will kill you."
"Understood," Komui said. "Anyway, I think we should tell Lenalee about your gender switch. She is going to dress you and it would be impossible to hide the truth from her."
Kanda crossed her arms frowning. Thinking about it, Lenalee is the only person who could do it, dressing her up. It would be stupid to make the beansprout do her hair or something and she would rather die than let Komui tie her Kimono. Lavi is still (hopefully) unaware of the gender switch. It annoys Kanda that she knows she has to tell Lenalee. This gender switch thing is getting more and more complicated. Good thing though, Lenalee seems like the best person to tell, unlike those idiots who looked like they were going to spill their guts laughing. "Tch"
"What do you think?" Komui asked.
"Tch. I don't have any other choice, do I?" Kanda said.
There was a quick knock and in came Lenalee carrying a big box. "I'm back," she said cheerfully. She looked really excited.
"Lenalee, there is something you should know before we start," Komui said.
"Hm? What is it brother?" Lenalee asked curiously, putting down the box.
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Allen didn't have that many clothes. When Komui told him that he would be Kanda's personal servant/guard, he also told him to prepare western clothes. Thus, Allen is currently in his room and packing all of his clothes since all of them are western.
He didn't know what Komui is planning but he looked really happy about it. Too happy in fact that Allen feels shivers whenever he sees the supervisor. God knows what he's up to.
Allen continued folding his shirts and his gaze landed on his left hand. It is wrinkled and red. It is ugly. He unconsciously touched the left side of his face with this hand. His fingers ran over the pentacle mark over his left eye, his cursed eye.
He hated seeing himself in the mirror. Every time Allen sees the pentacle, he is reminded of Mana and how he killed him with his own hand. Such painful memories always stab at his chest but he learned to numb it through time. After all, his curse is the reason why he became an exorcist. Allen smiled.
He wondered if he should hide the markings on his face while doing the mission. He got up and proceeded to Komui's office to ask. He knocked.
No one is answering. Allen pressed his ear against the door and heard voices from the other side. He knocked again.
It seemed like forever before Lenalee's head popped out of the slightly opened door. "Yes?" she asked.
"Oh, I just want to ask Komui if I should hide the pentacle mark on my face," Allen said wondering why Lenalee wasn't letting him in the room.
"We're quite busy here, Allen. Do you mind coming back later?" Lenalee asked.
"It wouldn't take long, I just—" Allen began.
"Good! You're very nice. Brother will see you later," Lenalee said and before he could ask why they are talking at the door, Lenalee's head disappeared and the door was shut.
"What was that about?" Lavi asked who apparently just arrived. "Correct if I'm wrong but did Lenalee just shut you out?"
"She did and I don't know why," Allen said scratching the back of his head. "She said they are busy."
"Is Kanda inside?" Lavi asked.
"I think so. I heard his voice from the inside before Lenalee opened the door," Allen said.
Lavi grinned widely. He pressed his ear against the door and his grin grew wider. "I knew it."
"Huh?" Allen said.
Lavi took Allen's arm and dragged him down the corridor. "Wa-Wait! Where are we giong?"
Lavi quickened his pace and looked back at Allen. "Want to see Kanda naked?"
"WHAT!?" Allen yelled, his eyes wide. Lavi laughed.
"Hehehe... Oh Allen! You're too innocent!" Lavi remarked returning his gaze at the corridor.
Not as innocent as you think. Allen thought. He remembered too well how he managed to steal a kiss from a sleeping Kanda. "Kanda is going to kill us."
"Nah. He'll kill us if he finds out. So do you want to or not?" Lavi asked him.
Allen's face became furiously red. "I, uh...I"
"Follow me then!" Lavi said happily.
Allen's eyes grew even wider. Why can't he say no?! He's not damn pervert or anything. Apparently, I am. Allen shook his head hard. He has to think straight. It seems like he is forgetting something very important.
"I know a way to see what's going on inside that room," Lavi said.
"How? The door is locked and the window is at least a hundred feet from the ground," Allen said still feeling like he should remember something.
Lavi grinned widely at him. "My hammer of course! All we have to do is find Komui's window and extend my hammer. We'll have a perfect view of Kanda!"
"Oh," Allen said. A perfect view of Kanda. A perfect view of Kanda. A PERFECT VIEW OF KANDA!! Holy shit!!
They stepped out of the castle. Lavi brought out his hammer and began staring up the high stone walls, looking for Komui's window.
"La-Lavi! We can't possibly spy on Kanda like that! It's too dangerous," Allen said trying to stall Lavi.
The Bookman Jr. was ignoring him however. Lavi walked around the stone wall whistling merrily to himself. He stopped at a particular spot. "Let's see, Komui's office is at the east wing of the castle so if I move a few more windows to the left," Lavi said mumbling to himself.
"How do you even know Komui's window is at the east wing? There are hundreds of rooms in this castle and—" Allen said frantically trying to talk Lavi out of spying on Kanda.
"I once remembered delivering my mission report to Komui at dawn once. I remember that the sun shined through his window that day so it should be at the east wing," Lavi said smiling.
Allen was panicking. "Well, even if we do find where Komui's window is, there's just no way he'll leave it open like that!"
Lavi continued walking, his face looking upward. He suddenly stopped. "That should be Komui's window!" Lavi said triumphantly.
Allen looked up and to his horror, several feet high above them was the only open window in the east wing. The idiot! How can he leave his window open like that!?
Allen was running out of ideas. He watched Lavi stupidly as the other extends his hammer. "You are coming right?" Lavi asked him motioning to his waiting hammer.
Allen uncertainly grabbed Lavi's hammer. "Hey!" Lavi said when he pushed the hammer away from the window's direction.
"We can't do this Lavi. Kanda will be furious if he finds out we spied on him!" Allen said stubbornly.
"We'll be quiet so stop being a coward already!" Lavi said pulling his hammer.
"There's no way he'll never find out!" Allen said fighting for the hammer.
"He'll get over it. Besides, it's not like Kanda would mind. He is a boy just like us after all," Lavi said staring at Allen.
Allen froze. Lavi was still staring at him seriously. Did he find out?
Suddenly, Lavi grinned and took hold of Allen's arm. The hammer extended in an instant sending them several feet up the stone wall in two seconds. "Relax, Allen. We'll only take a tiny peek and we're gone. Maybe," Lavi said grinning from ear to ear.
The sea of papers on the floor told Allen that Lavi did find the right window. Allen quietly cursed Komui again while Lavi looked around the room. Komui sat alone at his table with a very thick blindfold over his eyes. "Lenalee, I swear I'm not going to peep so will you take this off already?"
"I told you its not happening so be good and stay put," came Lenalee's voice from behind the curtain. It looks like She has set up a small dressing area at the corner of Komui's office. "It's almost done so bear with it just a little more."
Lavi suddenly leapt into the window sill quietly. He motioned for Allen to follow him, ignoring Allen's mortified expression. He crept to the nearest bookshelf and crouched behind it. Allen panicked and followed suit.
"What the heck do you think you're doing!?" Allen yelled in the most quiet whisper he could muster.
"Sshhh..." Lavi hushed him as he continued to watch the moving shadows behind the curtain.
There were faint brushing noises behind the curtain.
"Mmmmpf..."
"Be still! This will only hurt more if you keep on struggling," said Lenalee's voice that was followed by another huffed sound.
"I think Kanda is behind that curtain," Allen told Lavi. "Its impossible to see him so let's leave before we get caught."
"Not so fast. Not until I see Kanda. I bet Lenalee is doing his girl transformation right now," Lavi said stubbornly.
Lenalee emerged from the curtain wiping sweat from her forehead. She sighed tiredly but still looked quite pleased. She removed the curtain and surely enough, a figure in a silk midnight blue kimono was seated on an armchair, arms strapped down and a handkerchief was visibly tied at the back of the head which was facing them.
Kanda! Allen recognized the long black hair that hung gracefully at the back of the kimono. At least she's already dressed.
"Mmmpff...!" Kanda tried to talk.
"I'm done brother. There is no doubt that Kanda will definitely catch Arthur's attention!" Lenalee said proudly taking off Komui's blindfold.
"At last!" Komui said when he regained his vision. "Umm... Lenalee, why is Kanda strapped to the chair?"
Lenalee laughed. "Kanda won't let me pluck her eyebrows so I had to restrain her until I'm done."
Allen and Lavi visibly winced. Ouch.
Lavi paused. "Her eyebrows?" Lavi whispered looking suspiciously at Allen.
"MMMMPPFFF...!!"
"Oh! Sorry Kanda," Lenalee said going over to Kanda to remove the handkerchief and the bonds.
"I fucking hate you right now," Kanda told Lenalee as soon as she could talk.
"Hey! Watch your words!" Komui said.
"Tch"
"It's okay brother. Kanda did suffer a lot. It's very painful to have your eyebrows plucked especially when it's your first time," Lenalee said undoing Kanda's arm restraints. "Besides, no matter what she says, I'm very happy with the way it turned out."
"Really? Let's see!" Komui said eagerly waiting for Kanda to be released from the armchair.
Allen and Lavi gulped. They watched as Lenalee removed the last of the bonds. As soon as the last bond was broken, Kanda disappeared from the chair.
What the...
There was a sound of something traveling quickly in the wind and suddenly, the bookshelf fell. Into pieces.
"Ka-Kanda!" Allen and Lavi said.
"My bookshelf!" Komui said.
Allen froze wide-eyed. There in front of them was Kanda in the midnight blue Kimono, her black hair swaying widely but neatly with the wind. Her face has light powder on it and her pinkish lips were shining lightly. She stared down at the both of them as she sheathe Mugen again with pale, delicate hands.
Allen's breath hitched. His heart skipped a beat.
"Well, what do we have here?" Kanda said.
Allen tried to say something but he couldn't get the words out. He just stared at Kanda as if watching a dream. Lavi was also speechless beside him.
"Looks like Kanda stunned our intruders," Lenalee said. She was watching the whole time.
"Oi Allen! Lavi! Yoohoo..!" Komui said trying to get the boys' attentions.
"I-Uh..." Allen mumbled.
Lavi suddenly stood and ran towards the window before jumping.
"Lavi!" They all screamed. They looked down the window and saw Lavi's retreating form and his hammer growing smaller.
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I would like to ask you all a favor. As of this moment, a typhoon (Fengshen or Frank in the Philippines) is passing by my country and it already killed many people. A passenger ship named MV Princess of the Stars overturned because of the typhoon and the 700 people on it all went missing. Rescue teams still can't survey the area properly because of the bad weather. It's okay if you don't review but PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SAFETY OF THESE PEOPLE. THANK YOU.