After a drawn-out, pestering, miserable, two week mission with Allen, Lavi, Lenalee, and Kanda in Germany, we decided to go back to the Order with no results of innocence. Throughout the days, we hopped from inn to inn, family to family looking for hints of there being a fountain of youth, but all we got was news straight out of a children's bedtime story. So with our hopes destroyed, we sluggishly limped our way towards the nearest train station that was 30 miles (48 kilometers) away in the middle of the night.
Along the way, five groups consisting of four to eight Level 3 akuma ambushed us, but with ease, we were able to defeat them with our innocence. My abilities to control my flames has improved ever since I became an exorcist due to the vigorous training Kanda has put me through and my own personal training. However, I'm nowhere near the skill that my fellow teammates have, especially Kanda and Allen. I can only do close and far range attacks, and when the fire leaves my hands, I have no control of the blast afterwards . But no matter what, in order to survive, I have to get stronger.
We set up a small camp on patch of dry grass in the middle of the woods. A campfire was ignited and food and water rations were split amongst ourselves.
Lavi was the entertainer of the group compared to the rest of us, rambling about trivial topics and his adventures just like on my first mission with him. The way he presents himself seemed to be more formal when he's around Lenalee, the same goes for Allen, who waited his turn until Lavi stops talking to speak up. It was as if the three of them were normal teenagers, surrounding the fire on a camping trip. Kanda, on the other hand, sat far away from the group with his back leaned against a tree trunk and eyes closed. Periodically, I could see the black haired exorcist open his eyes for a split second just to glare at me. When our eyes would meet, we would awkwardly dart our eyes away from each other in silence.
To avoid getting into the conversation that Lenalee, Lavi and Allen were having, I positioned myself a few feet away from the fire laying on my side near Kanda. The icy cold ground sends shivers through my uniform and up my spine. With that and the crisp night breeze, I was shivering, curled up in a ball like a lost puppy in the snow. How could it get this cold at night when summer is just around the corner? Is it just because my innocence is struggling to keep me warm, while everyone else seems to be fine? Whatever. For now I just need to get through the night without the luxury cuddling next to a certain someone.
The moon slowly rose, becoming the pinnacle of the night sky. Stars danced and swirled around, creating multiple spiral patterns in the milky indigo and cobalt pools above us. Lavi, Lenalee and Allen were all in their own unique sleep position about to fall asleep, until the stupid redhead broke the silence when a small sparkling dot raced through the sky.
"Look, look!" Lavi yelled with a childish tone as he sat up and pointed his finger towards the night sky. "A shooting star! Everyone make a wish!" Everyone's eyes except for Kanda's went to Lavi, who shot up from the ground and reached his hand up into the sky. A child like sparkle glistened in his one emerald eye. "I wish to explore all of the ancient ruins in the world! Allen! You go next!"
Allen pushes himself up, claps his human and anti akuma hands together and bows his head slightly. When he was done, his lips curled gleefully. "I wish for 100 million Guinea! That way, I can pay off my master's debts and eat at expensive buffets every day for the rest of my life!" All of us dropped a sweat at Allen's wish. Wishing for money was normal for anyone, but his reasoning was sad for a 16 year old boy.
Allen and Lavi glance over to lenalee, making her flustered and nervous. The Chinese girl then looked into the night starry sky with sadly. "I...I wish for the war to end, and for my friends to be happy."
Everyone's eyes, including Kanda and mine were on Lenalee as she killed the upbeat mood for a wish that was too realistic and depressing. Once she realized this, the Asian girl began to panic, waving her hand. "Um no! I take it back! Um...I wish for a huge chocolate cake! Yea! With lots of frosting and strawberries on top!" The red and white haired chuckled, trying to lighten the mood backup while I turn back around and struggle to fall asleep.
"Alright! Yu, it's your turn now."
"Don't call me by my first name, or I'll kill you!"
"Make a wish! Hurry! Before the star disappears!"
"Hmph! Why would I do something that's as childish as that?"
"Because it's fun to act a little childish once in awhile!"
"But Kanda's childish all the time with that sour attitude of his." Allen snickered.
"If you say one more word Moyashi I'll slice you in half!" The samurai reached for his katana once more, but I just grabbed his ankle before he could take one step. Our eyes meet and narrowed on each other. This was our way of communicating. We just know what the other person wants and follows that request, well, most of the time. He returned to his original position on his back with a scowl. "Fine. I wish for all of you to leave me alone."
An awkward atmosphere began to fill the area, causing me to turn around. The three exorcists kept glancing between me and Kanda in confusion.
"What?" I demanded, more irritated than usual. Their stares continues. "Whatever." I turned onto my side facing the woods and closed my eyes.
Lavi sighed in disappointment. There's a pattern to his behavior. I didn't Notice it at first, but Lavi gets pleasure out of making Kanda angry. I don't know why, unless the redhead secretly has a death wish. "Well, that answer will suffice enough for now." The last person, of course was me. "Ku,"
"Lavi, I'm so tired. Just let me sleep." I mumbled.
"Don't be like that! Just imagine the possibilities of what you could wish for!"
"No."
"Come on!"
"Now that you mention it, I barely know anything about you Kuro." Lenalee join in on Lavi's side.
"Fine!" I push myself up to sit with my legs crossed, and looked out into the starry night sky. A wish, huh? What do I want the most to come in the future? Money? No I would just spend it all. To stop being an exorcist? No, then I would have nowhere to go, but that would be nice. To be happy? What's the point of being happy if you have no one to share it with? I dig deep into my soul for some ideas. Before I became an exorcist, what did I enjoy the most back in Greece? What kept me moving forward. Then, the wish came, I bowed my head and clapped my hands together. 'I wish...I wish to be able-'
"What did you wish for Ku?" The stupid redhead interrupted my trail of thoughts, but I already had the wish close to my heart. I fall back on the dry ground and rolled to the side while using my hands as a pillow. "I wished to go back to headquarters sooner."
"No you didn't." Lavi talks back. I could imagine him giving me that stupid goofy smile of his. "You wouldn't have spent that much time wishing for something like that!"
"Then I wished for whatever Allen wished for. Ten million Guinea or whatever."
"100 million Guinea." Allen corrected.
"No one cares about what you wished for, Moyashi!"
"It's Allen you bastard!"
"Yu, Allen, quit fighting already."
I sigh at the loud commotion my teammates were creating with their bickering and clogged my ear with one of my hands. I just want to sleep damn it.
I feel a soft and gentle hand touch my shoulder. Turning around, lenalee was there to give me one of her sweet smiles. "If you don't want to share with us, it's fine. But in order for you to make friends here, you need to open up a little bit. You can just tell me if you want."
Damn. She's going to keep bothering me about being a loner. How I'm apart of 'her world' and I should reach out to my teammates. I decided to give into her request. I picked up a small gray pebble and started to scribble on the dry patch of dirt. I begin with a circle, then I attach squiggly lines to it. Line by line, I engraved my wish into the ground and drew a heart around it as a finishing touch. A childish drawing of three people holding hands was created. On the far left was supposed to be a man with a rectangular body, straight lines as limbs and short stubs as hair. On the far left was a woman with a triangle dress and straight long hair. Between the two was a small child that was round and had one curly line of hair on the top of his head. All three of the people were holding hands and smiling.
"I…" My face flushes slightly, keeping my eyes towards the ground. Lenalee leans in closer to the ground with me to hear. "I wish to have a family." It didn't matter if I was happy, being able to make the ones I love smile is enough to keep me satisfied.
Lenalee cocks her head to the side. "But aren't we you're family?"
...No..no...no, no, no, NO! YOU IDIOT!
My face turns beet red all the way up to my ears as I bring my legs up to my chest and held them with my arms. Apparently I said it loud enough for the others around me to hear it, because I could hear Lavi snickering in the background.
"I don't think you understand what she meant Lenalee." Allen said in a apologetic tone.
"Oh I'm sorry! I didn't mean that!" Lenalee backed away from me, as my face began to resemble a radish.
Lavi however, had no plans of holding back on the playful teasing as his snickering turned into manic laughter. "Aww! Our little Ku has a cute girly side! I can imagine her being a great wife as she wears an pink frilly apron."
Damn it, damn it damn it! That damn bastard! Of all the people in the world, he had to be the one to hear my stupid childish wish!
The Chinese girl's apologetic look faded away as she patted my back in pity while my head hung in embarrassment. "Lavi, I think that's enough for now."
This does not stop him. No… her words made my situation even worse! "I'm not making fun of her Lenalee. I just find it adorable how she tries to act all tough but really she's a big softy! Which all guys love! I can see it now, Ku in a pink apron holding a metal spatula, welcoming her husband with a soft kiss with a dish in her ha-"
"Stop laughing at me damn you!" His last insult pushed me over the edge as I picked up the same pebble I drew with and threw it at him, hitting his head and knocking him onto the grass. He rolled around, holding the swollen spot and whined in pain.
"That really hurt Ku!"
"Good!" I growled, turning back onto my side and shutting my eyes shut. "You deserved it with your sickening sense of humor. Now shut up so I can sleep."
I've could've sworn Lenalee said something to me in a scolding tone, but I drowned out all noises around me to avoid anymore bullshit from the trio. As the chatter turned into snores, my mind fades. The last hint of consciousness I remember was the touch of one's jacket being thrown over my freezing body.