Chapter 13: Difference
Rima skidded to a stop in front of Cross, grabbing onto his sleeve and breathing heavily.
"Rima," he said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
She could feel Leverrier's probing eyes on her but ignored them.
"You're leaving?" she said. "Why now? None of us have moved yet!"
"Um…because of orders?"
Rima made a face. "Since when did you follow orders?"
"Shuki Rima," Leverrier interrupted, "you're forbidden from speaking with General Marian—"
"Oh, shut up," she snapped. "I'm talking with him in front of you, it's not like we're communicating in secret." She turned back to Cross. "When am I moving?"
"I have no idea."
"But…" Rima had no idea what was wrong with her. Komui, who was standing nearby, noticed the anxiety on her face.
"Rima, it's only temporary," he explained soothingly. "You'll see General Cross again in no time."
"Is that right, Cross?" Rima said to the General.
He responded with an expression she couldn't interpret. Guilt mixed with sadness…pain and foreboding.
"Cross!" she said, indignant of his silent response.
He brought a gloved hand to her head and tousled her hair. The one eye she could see glittered mysteriously behind his spectacles.
"You'll be going to Germany," he said quietly. "I'm sorry that I won't be able to see you in a dress, dolled up like a noblewoman for once."
"If you want to see me dolled up, that's fine, but let me—"
"General Marian!" Leverrier said professionally. "We're leaving. Now."
"Let me come with you," Rima said commandingly.
"No."
"Why not? I'm your apprentice, I can exert the right to follow you around—"
"No, you can't. Stop, Rima."
"Why?" she demanded, her wound aching more than it had before. This constant agitation was weighing down on her. She could feel the wound reopening.
Klaud and Sokaro came running over. Cross noticed, and turned back to Rima, his expression even more painful than before. He patted her on the head.
"Take care of yourself, Rima."
Cross turned and followed Leverrier through the dark gate.
"Wait, Cross!" Rima scrambled to follow them, only to be held back by a bewildered Komui. No one could understand, not this dominating sense of impeding crisis and terror that was claiming her mind. She couldn't understand it herself.
"Rima, calm down, you're overreacting!"
"I'm not overreacting, not once did Cross say that he was going to see me again—"
She felt something connect with her stomach, right where the wound hurt the most. She gritted her teeth as she felt the day's worth of slow recovery come undone. Cross's long red hair and broad back were the last things she saw as she crumpled to the ground, darkness washing over her.
She could hear muffled voices, hazy and buzzing like the sound of bees. Murmurs…she could pick Klaud's out of them.
"And why, Sokaro, did you feel the need to punch her?"
"It was to knock her out, all right? Screaming after Marian like that, she just needed someone to shut her up."
"Yes, you effectively knocked her out. Brilliant, considering that she has a hole in her stomach!"
"Can you two shut up for a few minutes?" Kanda's deep timbre said evenly. As an afterthought, he added, "thanks."
Rima stirred and sat up, uncomfortable. She looked around. She was back in the infirmary room. Klaud and Sokaro were glaring at each other across the room, both sitting in cushioned seats. Komui sat silently between them. Kanda was by her bed, his dark eyes conveying the slightest sense of worry. Other than that, Rima could detect nothing by aggravation and nonchalance.
"How long have I been out?" Rima questioned.
"Just an hour," Klaud answered, walking over to her bed. "General Sokaro was so very ungentlemanly, and you've been straining yourself too much with all this activity. It's only been less than two days since the attack, you know. You should rest some more."
"I'm fine," Rima said, brushing off her concern. "Cross…he left, didn't he?"
"Yes," Komui said.
She sighed.
"Rima, why were you so worried about him leaving?" Klaud inquired. "It's not like it's permanent. We'll be moving in a few days."
"I know, I know," Rima said. They wouldn't understand even if she tried to explain, because she couldn't understand herself. "I'm probably just a little more tired than I made myself out to be. Sorry for troubling you."
"You should be," Sokaro said callously.
"Sokaro," Klaud said warningly.
"Tsk. Girl, your wounds all right? Don't want you kicking the bucket because of me."
"Worried, General?" Rima said with the slightest smile on her lips. "I'm fine. Thanks."
Klaud let out a sigh and patted Rima on the shoulder.
"Komui says he has a mission for you. Personally, I think it's a little early for you to be going on missions," Klaud threw a nasty look at Komui, who cringed, "but life must go on. We'll leave you to that then."
She motioned to Sokaro, who grunted, and the two of them left the room. Kanda, who had stayed quiet the entire time, finally spoke.
"What's the mission?" he said to Komui.
The Head Supervisor walked over and sat down by him.
"I've already called the others included in this mission. It'll be relatively small…no big deal, but there will be quite a lot of people going. I figured it'd be better for a big group to go, to ease back into the routine."
"Che, that's not necessary." Kanda leaned back in his seat. "Just get Mugen fixed, and we'll be fine."
"The point is that your weapon won't be repaired in time…that's why it's such a big group…"
"What?"
"Sorry, sorry—"
The door burst open, and Allen, Lenalee, and Lavi entered, all breathless.
"Is Rima okay?" Allen said frantically.
They all turned to Rima, who looked at them blankly. Lavi took one look at her and turned to Komui furiously.
"Komui! You made it sound like she was dying!"
"It was to get you all here faster…"
"Nii-san!" Lenalee's reprimand made Komui wince. "Don't do stupid things like that! Just tell us to hurry up!"
Rima laughed softly; Kanda turned at the sound, his dark expression easing up.
"Well, now that you're all here," Komui said quickly, eager to avoid Lavi's ever darkening glares, "let me explain. The next mission will be to Germany."
It wasn't a surprise. Cross must have pulled his strings well, for her to get the mission immediately.
"If you're wondering why you'll be in a platoon of five, I'll explain. The fact is…is that the Science Department is overworked." Komui seemed to brace himself for an onslaught of scolding. He wasn't disappointed.
"That's because you don't do anything," Kanda flared.
"Yeah, Johnny and Reever look ten times worse than you do right now," Allen said, eyes like slits with disapproval.
"Nii-san…" was all Lenalee had to say.
"Okay, okay! Let's not belabor my faults, all right? Jeez…you young people don't know what I actually do," Komui said pompously.
"Right…" Lenalee frowned.
"Liar." Allen rolled his eyes.
"Lazy bastard," said Kanda.
Rima cuffed him across the head.
"Potty mouth," she hissed. "He's still your superior, stupid as he is."
Komui waved the intensifying insults out of the way and continued.
"Now, since our poor Science Department is overburdened, and we've lost a great deal of our forces from the invasion, Kanda's and Lavi's Innocence haven't been repaired yet."
"Then why bother sending them?" Allen said, confused.
"Because this mission is…er…different. Couples are needed…plus a chaperone."
"Huh?" Lavi's bewilderment echoed the rest of theirs.
"Look, you all will be going to a high class ball," Komui said candidly.
"A ball?" Kanda said indignantly. "Where you dance?"
"What else do you do?" Komui said sarcastically.
"Hell, no," Kanda said firmly, crossing his arms. "I don't dance."
"Too bad," Komui said.
"Three is enough for a mission, just send them," Kanda snapped, gesturing to Lenalee, Allen, and Lavi.
"I am not sending my dear Lenalee alone to a ball without female supervision! And Miranda is needed to help reparations here, and I can't ask General Klaud, so Rima must go!"
Komui had a rather convincing argument, using Lenalee as the main leader, but Rima knew that the reason she had to go was because Cross had made sure that she was sent. The fact that they were all going to a ball meant that establishing contact with the Steuern family was going to be much easier than anticipated. However, the official reason for the mission…surely Cross hadn't told him about the gathering of Akuma?
"Komui, why are we going?" Rima voiced her thoughts aloud.
"There is suspected Innocence there, held by one of the nobles," Komui replied, sobering up and looking at her seriously.
"Really?" Rima said with double meaning.
"Yes."
Convenient. So there really was another job other than her own investigation.
"I'm still not going," Kanda said flatly.
"Fine then," Komui sniffed. "Lavi, would you like to accompany the very pretty (though not as pretty as Lenalee) Shuki Rima to the ball?"
Lavi grinned. "Yes, please!"
Kanda bristled with fury. "…Fine, I'll go. But I'm not dancing."
"Then I'll dance with her," Lavi announced.
"No, you're not."
"C'mon, Yuu, you're going to let Rima be a wallflower? I don't think so."
Kanda hit Lavi's head forcefully.
"Don't call me by my first name," he said coolly. "And don't go calling Rima like you're so familiar with her."
Rima pulled Kanda's protective outstretched arm down.
"Ne, Yuu," she said relaxingly, "calm down. He's joking."
Lavi's eye flickered strangely, but it disappeared as soon as Rima turned in his direction for confirmation.
"Well, I'll let you figure out the dancing part when you get there," Komui said. "The couples I intended were Allen and Lenalee (since Allen seems to be much more of a gentleman than Lavi) and Kanda and Rima."
Lavi looked at Komui incredulously. "Hell, no! What am I then?"
"The chaperone."
"No way!"
"Lavi being the chaperone is kind of…ironic," Lenalee said weakly.
"Yeah, I'm supposed to be dancing!"
"Then you're the back-up date for Rima," Komui said officially. "Please, don't squabble about it. It'd be best if you stayed with the couples I've designated. If you really want to switch, then Lavi will have to pretend he's Kanda."
Lavi wrinkled his nose. "Oh, that'd be pleasant."
"Tch, like I'd let you."
"Once you get to the hotel, I'll let you know about how to get to the ball," Komui said loudly, drowning out their banter. "Until then, don't cause any trouble. Now, it'd be best if no one knew that you all are acquainted. Lavi, Lenalee, and Allen are friends, but they don't know Rima and Kanda. Meeting at the ball is pure coincidence; it's best if you all don't group together, so it'll arouse less suspicion if there are Akuma. Such a big group would certainly cause people to notice that there's a platoon from the Black Order. Allen, your responsible for the Akuma watchout."
"Gotcha."
"I've made three reservations: one under Kanda's name, one under Lavi's, and the last under Lenalee's. But girls can not sleep with boys. Absolutely not. So after the dance, Rima, you will sneak over to Lenalee's room, and Allen will go to Kanda's. Don't be seen!"
"Wait, I have to share a room with the moyashi?" Kanda said resentfully. "You've got to be kidding me."
"That's my line," Allen said, exasperated. "We'd end up killing each other by morning. Besides, Rima and Kanda sleep together already, it's fine just to—"
"What?" Komui exclaimed. "You sleep together?"
"It was just yesterday," Rima said, waving her hands to fend off the Supervisor. "He just stayed with me last night because of my wounds…you know, to help me change bandages and stuff. Seriously, it was nothing!"
Komui peered at her over the rims of his spectacles. "Rima, you and Kanda are two teenagers at the peak of adolescence. I can understand if both of you have that sort of physical—"
"We didn't do anything," Kanda snapped. Rima could sense his embarrassment. "Fine, I'll share the damn room with the bean sprout, just get this over with."
"It's Allen, straight-fringe."
"Not anymore," Lenalee said dryly. "Rima must have given Kanda a haircut."
"Does it matter?" Lavi pouted. "I want to share a room with Rima."
"And no, you can't!" Komui said, banging his fist on his clipboard. "All of you, stop bickering like children and listen to me."
The room grew silent at Komui's sudden assertion of authority.
"Now, all the preparations will be done by a certain noble family, of whom I'll tell you more about when you get there. Lenalee and Rima, I expect you two to keep the boys in line. In addition, if anyone tries to hit on Lenalee, be assured, I will have Komurin up and ready to find you." He glared around the room. "Understand? 'll leave tomorrow morning."
Grumbling, Lavi stood up and left with a wave, muttering something about telling his grandfather what he had to do. Kanda "che'd." Lenalee giggled as she observed Kanda's face.
"Kanda, you look like you've eaten something terribly sweet."
Rima leaned forward and laughed.
"Jeez, Yuu, it's not that big of a deal."
"Shut up," he snarled, standing up and leaving after Lavi.
Rima gave a wry smile. "He's really angry."
"Don't worry about it," Lenalee said, standing up and preparing to leave. "Kanda seems to be in worse mood than usual…Rima, you should sleep a bit more. You look a bit tired. C'mon, Allen-kun!"
"Take care, Rima!" Allen said cheerfully, closing the door behind him, leaving Komui and her alone.
"Well this is convenient," he remarked. "I was wondering what obscure excuse I'd have to make up to get them all out of here."
Rima smiled. "So there are some private orders, then."
"As you should know better than I do. First, please take care of Lenalee," he said pleadingly. "Don't let those scary men hurt her; she's so cute and innocent and pure, and leaving her with so many men frightens me…"
"No worries, Komui. It'll be fine. I'll keep the boys in line."
"Thank you! And now, to the more serious stuff." Komui grew somber. "Cross has not told me a lot of the details, and frankly, I don't want to know. But I'm sure you do, so I'll leave it to you. I'm not going to tell Central about this, so be sure not to make it public, or I'll get in trouble as well."
"I'm not that stupid."
"All the same, be careful. Don't let Kanda figure out either."
"…Yes."
"It'd be best of you established contact with the Steuern family first. Just introduce yourself…find out some information…and while I know you have ulterior motives on this mission, please be sure to retrieve the Innocence."
"Don't worry, we'll be fine. How long are we supposed to stay?"
"Two, maybe three days."
"All right then. You don't need to worry, Komui-san. We'll be fine."
"I hope so," he returned darkly, straightening up to leave.
As he reached the door, Rima called out.
"Komui, would you mind tossing me my Innocence?"
Gin no Tsuki laid, untouched, on a counter near the door. Komui reached up and threw it at her. Rima caught it expertly.
"Don't stress out in Germany, Rima. Your wounds are still serious."
"Roger."
Komui waved and left the room, leaving Rima alone with her Innocence. Rima sighed as she looked at the wooden door clack shut, the jovial façade leaving her with the company. She leaned against the pillows, her head throbbing, analyzing her Innocence. Such a large sword…she would have to change the shape in order for it to remain inconspicuous. Perhaps—
Gin no Tsuki glowed abruptly, growing smaller and smaller. She felt a pressure on her right wrist, like something was cutting it, and winced, trying to find the source. The light was too blinding; she was unable to see. Was that blood? She couldn't tell…
Her Innocence suddenly disappeared along with the aura; her arm became visible, and Rima gaped. A thin vertical line trailed on her underarm from her wrist to a little less than halfway to her elbow. The silver pattern branched out from the main line into a crisscrossing pattern, much like a tree. Gin no Tsuki was nowhere to be seen.
Something like a flighty panic erupted in her chest. Where'd her Innocence go? What was the pattern?
"Damn," she muttered, touching the odd symbol on her wrist with her left hand. "I need the Innocence, wherever it is!"
The words fell out of her mouth as her left hand pulled out a slender silver pole from the pattern. It elongated and broadened into a thin sword, hilt and blade complete. Rima's jaw dropped. Her Innocence had evolved. She could…absorb it into her. She frowned. That wasn't disturbing.
Rima closed her eyes and willed the Innocence to change into its old form, the broadsword form of Gin no Tsuki. She could feel the shapes change in her hand, willing one form after another. She opened her eyes after willing Haikage to appear and examined the weapon. Something was different about it…but upon close scrutiny, she was satisfied. Exactly what had changed, she would find out in battle.
She sighed as she watched the weapon retract into her body. The pattern on her wrist glowed instantaneously, disappearing along with her Innocence. In a strange way, it was beautiful.
Even her old Innocence had left her, leaving her with something bizarre and ethereal. First Cross, then this…her life was slipping away. The prospect of Germany lingered in her mind…might as well follow Cross's last orders to the letter. They were all she had left.
It was late at night. Or was it in the morning? Kanda hadn't bothered to check. Either way, it was dark outside.
Kanda walked to Rima's hospital room, having finished taking a nap in his own. His sleeping schedule must have been seriously thrown off course, with the amount of naps he'd been taking and irregular sleeping patterns he'd had.
He paused in front of the door, taking in a deep breath. He'd been aggravated all day, from Rima's reaction to Marian's departure and then the news of the mission in Germany. A ball? He was an Exorcist, not a dancer. Needless to say, he had wrongly lashed out at Rima, and he shouldn't have. Better apologize. He scoffed. That wasn't going to happen.
Kanda opened the door and walked in, startled to see the bed empty. Where had she gone? There was nowhere she could possibly go…cafeteria? Midnight snack?
Kanda bolted down the hallway, his long black hair flying behind him. Rima, always making him worry. So annoying. Didn't she know how important it was to him to make her stay put?
He turned down a corner to a cafeteria when he suddenly heard glimpsed the sight of Rima's silver Golem. He backtracked, following it, and as he turned down a deserted corridor, one that he didn't visit often, he began to hear the stray notes of a piano. Following the sounds with his acute hearing, he arrived in front of a large music room. Rima sat at the piano, only her blue eye visible from her bangs. Kanda opened the door quietly and walked to her side. She didn't stop the piece.
Her thin hands glided over the ivory keys smoothly and deftly. Since when did she learn to play piano? And rather well, at that. It was a piece unknown to him, but then again, he didn't listen to music. Too sentimental. Kanda instead sat beside her, fascinated with her slender fingers as they jumped from white note to black, from one end of the instrument to the next. Peacefully, the song ended.
Rima's fingers remained poised over the piano as she began to speak, though her eyes did not meet his.
"That's a waltz," she said, beginning another song. "This one's a nocturne. Both are very famous in France right now. The waltz is often played at balls."
"Since when did an idiot like you learn how to play piano?" Kanda said gruffly.
"Cross taught me. The basics, at least. I learned the rest when I was in France, chaperoning bachelor women to social gatherings. They said female pianists are rather rare…though I can't say I'm very good at it."
The haunting lullaby echoed throughout the room.
"Cross taught me a lot of things, actually," Rima continued. The notes she played were crystal clear and equally striking, making Kanda uncomfortable. "How to fight Akuma, control my Innocence…and then the little things, like play piano…dance…he said making me a refined young lady would be very beneficial." She laughed softly. "Too bad he's not—"
"Can you stop talking about him?" Kanda said shortly. The familiar anger and jealousy coursed in his veins. Everything annoyed him now, everything from Rima, from Cross, from himself.
Rima suddenly stopped playing and looked at him intently.
"What's wrong, Yuu-chan?"
Hearing her say his childhood name so innocently only increased his annoyance. He turned to her, his onyx eyes flashing.
"Don't play dumb, Rima. You're being an idiot."
"Calling me an idiot isn't going to make me any less of one," she answered coolly. "What are you so irritated about?"
"Nothing."
"What, Cross?"
"Obviously, Rima!" He grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her. The piano keys banged inharmoniously. "The entire day, it's been nothing but worry for the General, worry for that idiot of a redhead whom you're not even allowed to see! And don't try to tell me the same bullshit as before, that there's nothing between you two, there's something going on, and—"
"There is nothing going on," Rima said angrily, struggling to break his grasp. He gripped her shoulders tighter, the rocking and swaying causing him to slam her firmly onto the piano. The sounds rang like a cacophony of notes, discordant and strident. Rima winced from the force of the slam.
"Why are we arguing about this?" she said, trying to get away from him. Kanda kept her pinned down.
"Because I want the answers."
"Cross gave you all the answers!"
"Then why do you care so much that he's gone? It's just to the new headquarters, and we're going there later, so why were you so worked up about it?"
"I already told you, I was just more tired than I thought—"
"You've always been a bad liar, Rima. Especially to me." Kanda's words hit brutally and mercilessly. He didn't know why he was so angry, but the mere mention of Cross aggravated him to the point of insanity.
"Even if I told you why I'm worried, you wouldn't understand," Rima said resolutely. "Just stop it and leave me alone, Yuu."
"Tell me what's going on," Kanda said. "What's worrying you. Everything."
Rima's azure eye looked at him piercingly.
"I'm not required to tell you every little thing that I feel, Yuu," she said coldly. "If you want to know so badly, you can ask. Nicely. Don't go slamming me into pianos and walls, trying to prove a point. That's not like you."
Kanda looked up at the ceiling and gave a bitter smirk. He loosened his grip and turned away to the door.
"Fine," he said, walking away. "Whatever."
Rima…always angering him. Always worrying him. Incessantly. And to what avail? In the end, he'd just have no answers but a substantial amount of pain. Maybe things were better off without her, when the only thing he knew about her was the same child from long ago, with the coffee eyes and missing teeth, the sunshine smile, not this startling beautiful girl who seemed to hide everything from him—
"Yuu, wait."
Kanda reached the door and turned the knob. He could hear Rima's cat-like steps approach behind him. Raised hope? Forget it, it wasn't worth the effort. He opened the door.
Rima embraced him tightly from behind, her pale hands slipping to his chest. Her hold was astonishingly firm.
"If you find me a nuisance, just say so," Kanda said acidly. "The feeling's mutual."
"If I thought you were a nuisance, why would I chase after you? Yuu-chan, always brilliant…"
Kanda shut the door but made no effort to hold her back. His mind was surprisingly clear of the desire that always seemed to linger inside him. He was grateful.
Her fingers curled, gripping his shirt in her fists. She took a deep breath.
"Sometimes…I have these premonitions," she said. "Not very often. Scarcely, actually. But it happens. There's this unsettling feeling in my heart…like something terrible will happen. And lately, I've been feeling it about Cross. I keep thinking that he's going to disappear without telling me. The last few times I've spoken with him, it seems like he knows it too…but he's never said. So I'm worried. Of course, this feeling is groundless. No evidence. I might just really be stressed and tired. But that really is just it, Yuu. Honestly."
Her hands slipped away from his chest into his palms as she waited for him to reply. Kanda stared decisively at the polished wood in front of him. Rima sighed again.
"There was a childhood song that we used to sing, right?" Rima said, tone kind as she changed the subject. "Back in China."
Kanda felt himself being pulled back towards the piano. Rima sat him down at the bench, and she slid beside him, her hands poised over the keys again. She touched a few of them, creating a scattered melody.
"Recognize it?" she said hopefully.
"Che, it's just a bunch of notes."
Rima frowned, her eyebrows knitting together as her eyes trailed to the ceiling in recollection.
"Hm…" she mused, adding her left hand to the strange concoction.
Slowly, but surely, Kanda began to decipher the simple song that Rima had created back in their years at the Asian Branch. He could see the images flooding back to him, some pleasant, some, not so much. The blood, the tests…but alongside them, Rima's smile, her bell-like laughter.
She ended it abruptly, turning from the stand and bringing his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her incompatible eyes.
"There is a difference between you and General Cross. While both his and your existences are crucial to me, there is a difference."
Kanda's eyes met hers head-on. No wavering.
"If Cross were to disappear…" Kanda could tell she wanted to avoid the term 'die,' "I would despair. I would cry. I would change. I'd be lost. But I think I'd be able to find my way back. But if you were to disappear…then I would gladly disappear as well. Because a life knowing that you aren't there is not a life worth living at all."
Rima smiled, and it was the sunshine smile of the nine year old girl from so long ago.
"That is the difference, Yuu-chan. Love and love." She leaned closer, her lips brushing his softly. "That's my resolution."
"Kanda, Rima, if you don't hurry up, we're going to leave!" Lavi called.
"We're coming," Rima said breathlessly, running up the stairs, suitcase in hand. Tsuki fluttered above her head. "Wow, I feel special. We're the of the first people to use the Ark as means of transportation."
"It is rather handy, isn't it?" Lenalee agreed, helping her take the luggage. "Poor Allen-kun though…I wonder how he feels about it, being used to open all these gates."
"I'm fine!" Allen popped in their conversation, cheery as always. "It's no big deal. Kind of cool, actually. And look what Jerry the cook gave me!" He unveiled a package in his hands. "Twenty pork buns for a snack!"
"Che, you eat all those, moyashi, and you're going to end up growing horizontally instead of vertically."
"You wish, Kanda."
"Do settle down, you two," Lenalee scolded. "We haven't even started."
Rima giggled as the group crowded around the gate. Komui watched them worriedly.
"Rima, where's your Innocence?"
"Oh…I haven't shown you yet." Rima closed her eyes, her hand sliding down the dark pattern of her wrist. It glowed silver with the touch, and she withdrew the silver weapon.
"Whoa," Lavi said.
"Cool," Allen rephrased.
"That's amazing, Rima!" Komui scuttled forward. "When did you discover this?"
"Yesterday…it seems like I can absorb it within myself, and simply will it to come out." Rima's mismatched eyes looked at her Innocence with an expression of mixed awe and wariness. "It's become more Parasitic."
"A bit like Lenalee's," Lavi observed.
Kanda pursed his lips and said nothing as Rima retracted the Innocence back into her wrist.
"I wish you'd let me examine that," Komui commented anxiously. "We're not sure of its effects…"
"It'll be all right," Rima said with false confidence. After all, how could she know? "If I don't do anything to betray it…it should function the same. Besides, Komui, we should get going."
"Right…" Komui still looked uncomfortable. "Well then…bye, guys!"
"Bye, Nii-san!" Lenalee waved.
"Take care, Lenalee! Lavi, don't you dare hit on her! Rima, take care of Lenalee and Allen, they're the kids in the group! And no hanky-panky, Kanda!"
"What the hell?" Kanda growled as Rima pushed him towards the gate. "Wait, let go, I'm going to shave that guy's head until he's got no hair left—"
"And you don't even have Mugen with you, so stop it!"
The science lab faded away as Rima entered the portal. The group arrived in the familiar white-washed scenery of the Ark.
"Now, let's see…" Allen walked ahead of them to a building with a sign on it. "Yes, this one's Germany! Here we go…"
He pushed open the door and disappeared into its depths, the rest of the party following soon after.
Rima could feel Kanda's hand slip into hers protectively as they followed.
"Your Innocence…" he began.
"I know. You don't like it.'
"Yeah. I don't."
"Frankly, I'm worried about it as well," Rima admitted. "But…if it's going to change, then so be it. I know it's become stronger. And so I'll accept that."
She squeezed his hand. "Can you?"
"Fine," was his grudging reply.
They entered the empty room, seeing no contents. Rima felt the strange sensation of being pulled into another world as the Ark disappeared. Light reappeared after a few moments, and they'd arrived.
"Wow, where are we?" Lenalee said, looking around at the ornate designs of the hall.
"It's a church," Allen said, stepping down the stairs. "Wow…these decorations are beautiful."
A priest showed the Exorcists the way out and bade them good day and good luck after giving them directions to their hotel. Rima examined her surroundings.
"Sommer Strasse," she muttered under her breath, looking at the address that the priest had given her. "Summer St. Down the main road, turn to your right…the city hall where the ball will be held is also near our hotel. That's convenient."
"Lead the way, Rima-chan," Lavi said, his mood cheery.
"Actually, it'd be best if we went in by groups," Lenalee said. "Didn't Nii-san say that we weren't supposed to know each other? Allen, Lavi, and I will just follow you from a distance. If we get lost, we'll just use our Radio Golem to contact each other."
"I suppose that's for the best," Allen said, nodding. "We'll just communicate through the Golems then. Go on then!"
"Oh, and pretend like you're a couple," Lenalee added, reading off the sheet of instructions that Komui had given her. "But Allen, no smooches with Lenalee—Nii-san! That idiot, what is he saying?"
"Besides, Kanda and Rima don't need to pretend that they're a couple," Allen said slyly.
"Shut up, moyashi."
"Why are you so indignant?" Allen retorted. "It's true, isn't it?"
"Just shut the hell up."
"Both of you, stop it," Rima said, irritated, as she dragged Kanda away before he and Allen got into another brawl. "Geez, Yuu, act more like your age…why are you getting in an argument with a kid three years younger than you?"
"Che, he looks like an old man with all that white hair."
Rima let out an exasperated sigh as she led the way to the inn. "Don't kill him when you guys share a room…besides, it's only for a few days. So please, don't get in trouble."
"Only if he doesn't piss me off."
Rima didn't answer, instead tucking Tsuki securely under her collar. Golems tended to stand out too obviously in the midst of a crowd.
"Kristallhotel," she read off her paper. "This should be it then."
And Crystal Hotel indeed. Its elaborate decorations and architecture were easily the most flamboyant ones around. Rima snuck a glance at Kanda. He looked revolted at the gaudiness.
"It's nice," she remarked.
"It's unnecessary."
"Don't say that…we're supposed to be nobles." Rima linked her arm around his, since his hands were full with the luggage. "Pompous and arrogant. Not hard to be. Not for you, at any rate."
"Pompous? Give me a break."
Kanda pulled her towards the check-in counter.
"I have a reservation," he said to the receptionist in English. "Name's Kanda."
"Was?" the young woman said in German. "Es tut mir Leid, ich spreche kein Englisch…"
Kanda turned to Rima, his expression far beyond annoyed.
"What the hell did she just say?" he asked.
"She said that she's sorry, she can't speak English," Rima said smoothly.
He looked at her, astounded.
"You can speak German?"
"I learned a little," she confessed. She turned her attention back to the confused receptionist. "Hallo, wir kommen aus England. Wir haben einen Vorbehalt. (Hello, we're from England. We have a reservation.)"
"Ah, ja, was ist Ihr Name? (Oh, yes, what's your name?)"
"Das Zimmer ist unter dem Namen 'Kanda.' (The room's under the name 'Kanda.')"
She consulted her books.
"Ah, ja, dein Zimmer ist Zahl 303. Hier sind deine Schlüssel. (Oh, yes, your room is number 303. Here are your keys.)"
"Danke. (Thanks.)"
Rima took the keys and guided Kanda towards the stairs.
"We're on the third floor," she said, jingling the keys in her hand. "Oh dear, I hope Lenalee and them don't have any trouble communicating…"
"You can speak German?"
"Obviously. Yuu, you're too easily surprised. I travelled all over Europe for a few years, all right? It's easy to pick up some."
Kanda groaned.
"Since when did dumb, idiotic Rima become this smart?"
She poked his forehead.
"Dumb, idiotic Rima was always this smart. When you were off training, I always snuck into the library to read. Didn't require any physical exertion…it was much easier for me."
They arrived at their room. Rima inserted the key and pushed open the door, catching a glimpse of the elegant interiors before someone clad in dark came ramming into her, covering her mouth to prevent her from screaming. Her heartbeat accelerated. She could see the silver edge of a blade pressed against her throat. Life and death situation already. Germany was going to be fun.