Chapter 20—Oddysey of the Mind
October 4, 2013—The Dark Order, Main Branch
Lavi was in a pickle. It was a very large pickle. He couldn't read. There was a very interesting book in front of him (Lolek had recommended it), and he just couldn't read it. He was ninety-nine point nine percent sure it was due to the black-haired man sitting sultrily next to him. Even though all Yuu was doing was sitting and cleaning Akuma innards off of Mugen. It was very sultry. Lavi wanted to throw the sword across the room and have Yuu clean him instead.
Of course, that was an impossibility. It was Lavi's own fault, too. He should have known better than to kiss Yuu in front of the entire Order, but the man had looked so… seductive… while eating his soba noodles. And he had looked so horrified that Lavi couldn't help but give everyone a show. He was still on the outs, as it were, because of said actions, but all in all, Lavi had thought it was worth it. Now, he wasn't so sure. Regardless of Lavi being in the dog house or not, they had done little more than kiss or hold hands since that night, and Lavi was beginning to wonder whether Yuu regretted it or not. More than anything, though, he just wanted to hold Yuu again, because it had been so incredibly good.
Throwing the book down with a frustrated sigh, Lavi gave up on reading altogether. He turned to Yuu and saw the other man gazing up at him, a strange look in his eyes.
"What is it, rabbit?" He asked, and Lavi thought he could detect a note of concern in the Japanese man's voice, though it was probably just wishful thinking.
"Nothing," Lavi said, looking away for fear of starting something Yuu didn't want.
"Stop doing that," Yuu ordered. "That's the fifteenth time you've looked at me in the past twenty minutes, and every time you think I'm looking back—which I am not—you look away. Just tell me what the fuck you want."
"How do you know I'm looking if you're not looking back?" Lavi asked, hoping to get a loving, caring response and knowing he wouldn't.
"Just answer the fucking question."
"You," Lavi replied simply.
"What?" Yuu asked, and from his inflection, Lavi knew the other man thought he had said his name.
"No, Yuu, I want you," Lavi said, averting his eye slightly and fighting off a blush that would invariably show on his pale skin.
"I'm sitting right here," Yuu replied angrily, and Lavi fought the urge to laugh.
"You are too naïve, Yuu-chan," he said, shifting his weight so that he was leaning on the other man.
Yuu's eyes widened infinitesimally as he understood. "Oh," he said. "Why didn't you say so?"
That was a fair question, Lavi supposed.
"Because you're cleaning Mugen. Slowly. And sensuously," Lavi replied.
Yuu blinked. "I'm… sensuous?" He asked incredulously.
Lavi nodded. "Very much so," he said. Yuu shook his head in exasperation.
"Che," he muttered.
"But back to what I was saying earlier, you are incredibly arousing when you clean off your sword," Lavi continued.
"When did you ever say that?" Yuu asked gruffly.
"Just now."
"Che. Well, are you going to do something about that?" He asked.
"You… want me to?" Lavi asked, confused. Since when had Yuu had a sex drive? Lavi knew it had to be a recent development. Actually, he hadn't expected Yuu to have one at all—not after what his father had done to him. And yet, there it was. Yuu was very obviously telling him to get on with it, and Lavi couldn't help but want to oblige.
Yuu nodded. Lavi couldn't keep himself back any longer. He threw himself at the older man, who quickly deactivated his Innocence. Grabbing Yuu bodily, he turned him so he could push the other man down on the bed.
He ran his hands gently through Yuu's hair, freeing tangles and knots here and there. Yuu shivered and glared up at Lavi. "I'm not a cat," he said coldly.
"But you scratch like one, Yuu-chan!" Lavi quipped cheerfully, throwing his Exorcist jacket off.
"I am not a cat," he hissed as Lavi worked on the buttons of the Japanese man's own jacket. He was finding it very difficult to do. What the hell does Yuu use to put these on, superglue? He thought furiously as he failed a third time on the second button. Yuu made a tiny guffawing sound. Lavi's eye narrowed.
"Yes, you are. You get angry like one, you hiss all the time, and you like to slice your claw—" he gestured to Yuu's hip, where Mugen resided, "—into things, like, say, people. You get angry all the time—oh, I mentioned that—and when you do something right, you get this smug look on your face that tells me you're completely satisfied with your performance on the battlefield. You like fish—"
"Of course I like fish, I'm Japanese, and do you need help?" He stared down his chest to Lavi's still fumbling hands. The redhead flushed in embarrassment.
"No, I'm fine, Yuu-chan, just let me… get this… damn button…" He said, sticking his tongue out determinedly as he failed a ninth time. "Aw, fuck it. Go ahead, Yuu," he finally said, lifting his hands up exasperatedly and letting Yuu divest himself of the garment. He had it off in seconds, and he flung it off the bed. It landed on the floor next to Lavi's with a soft thump.
With his still upraised hands, Yuu pulled Lavi down to him by his hair, and for the first time since the beginning of September, initiated a deep, soul-searching kiss. Lavi was so surprised he forgot how to respond. A moment later, as he gasped wildly for air around Yuu's lips, he realized he had forgotten how to breathe as well. Despite his extreme inexperience when it came to kissing—Lavi didn't count the abuse—Yuu was actually quite good. Or maybe Lavi was just biased.
The door burst open, and both Yuu and Lavi looked over to the entrance. Dressed in khakis and a dark blue polo shirt was Emiko. She—he? She wasn't in drag right now—let out a small sob and ran from the room, tears pouring down her face. Lavi looked back at Yuu, and when their eyes met, they shared a what-the-fuck glance. Yuu sighed and pushed Lavi off from on top of him. He walked over to the door, closing and locking it before looking back at Lavi in a manner that was somewhat predatory. He walked back to the bed, and they continued from before, not mentioning a word about Emiko, excepting a quick murmur of "awkward."
Perhaps it was the implied promise of more, but for some reason, Lavi felt incredibly light as he fell into a shallow slumber an hour later, holding Yuu to his chest.
October 10, 2013—Noah's Ark, Faith's Room
"We need to stop this," Faith said urgently, grabbing Road's forearms in a firm hold. "I need my Heart."
Road backed up, trying and failing to pull her arms from Faith's grip. "Your Heart?" She asked.
"Yes, I need them, now," Faith replied, knowing how desperate she looked and not caring. Her Heart was the absolute number one priority.
"Your Heart isn't inside you?" Road asked, and Faith shook her head. "Then how are we supposed to get them here?"
"They still have bonds. I need you to bring them here. They can only come when they're asleep, though. Road, you need to make them fall asleep, you need to bring them here," she implored, knowing that her request bordered on implausible. Forcing others to sleep was at the very edges of Road's power. She could draw them into her own dimension, but she had trouble putting people into Faith's mind.
"I don't know if I can do it…" Road said, grimacing. "I will try, but I need to know who they are. Can you show me the bonds?"
Faith shook her head. "I can't feel them very well. They are the weakest of everyone's except for…" her voice trailed off. They both knew whose name she had been about to speak. As always, everything led back to Sarah.
"We can deal with the Earl's problems later, then. Road, I need you to get the girl out of there first. I can try to distract Chaz, but I'll need my Heart here. When you've got the door open, help me call to my Heart."
Road nodded.
Chaz! Faith called, tweaking the bond in her mind like Sebastian plucked guitar strings. Chaz! Chaz, come here! I need you!
She nodded to Road, and the older girl created a door and left just before Chaz entered, wearing a yellowing white shirt with numerous old and new bloodstains upon it. He wore an old pair of loose jeans, and they, too, were nearly dripping with the blood of that poor girl.
"What is it, Faith?" Chaz said, smiling in a disgruntled manner. His yellow teeth were coated in something red, and Faith wanted to be sick. She didn't know what he had just done to the poor girl, but she knew enough about her most corrupted brother to know it hadn't been pleasant.
"I want to sit in the window!" She said, bringing tears to her eyes. Chaz didn't need to know they were tears of horror. "And I was lonely!" She raised her voice an octave, making it thin and thready. Chaz's eyes melted as all her kin's did when they looked upon her sad self. He could not refuse such a heart-felt request.
"Alright, I'll put you in the window, but I have things to do today, and I'm in a hurry, so I can't stay long," he acquiesced finally, sounding resigned.
Faith pinched her eyes closed to make more tears. "But—but Road just made lemonade! Remember when we used to drink lemonade together? All of us? I miss that soooo much! Please stay and drink lemonade with us," Faith implored, her voice high and needy. Chaz sighed and sat down next to her. Faith smiled triumphantly.
"Yay!" She shouted, throwing her hands up in the air. Road! She called in her mind. Come back as soon as you've finished. The girl in question sent her a mental thumbs-up.
A moment later, one of Road's doors appeared, and the spiky-haired girl entered.
"Where's the lemonade?" Chaz asked nastily. Road froze, and suddenly realizing that this was part of Faith's plan, she clasped a hand over her mouth in shock.
"OH, NO!" she shouted overdramatically. "I can't believe I forgot; I was in the kitchen and everything! I'll be right back!"
Concentrating on Road's bond, Faith sent a message just to her. Take your time, and don't use your doors. I'm going to use your power to call my Heart. Road sent her a mental nod in understanding, and Faith felt relieved.
Road returned a few minutes later with lemonade. As she reached for her glass, Faith made sure to brush her hand over Road's, and in that moment of connection, she called out to her Heart.
Allen! Lenalee! I need you, come to me!
Allen! Lenalee! I need you, come to me! As one they stared at each other. They opened their mouths and said simultaneously.
"Are you suddenly tired?"
"Yes," they responded together.
They both stood up, hands meeting halfway between them, and walked into the nearest room, collapsing on the bed, ignoring the slight lumpiness of the bodies that were there. There was a series of surprised and strangled curses from the lumps, but Allen and Lenalee were already too far gone to care.
I'm sooo glad we're having lemonade! It's just like old times! Faith's voice exclaimed in their head. A moment later, the dreamscape that had haunted their sleeping mind for so long fizzled into existence. The red waters of the tainted lake reflected in gold the perpetually crescent moon. It was so different from Faith's peaceful, calming room. This place was tainted. This place was Faith's mind.
"Faith?" They called as one. She appeared before them, transparent and ghost-like, and they knew she was focusing most of her powers elsewhere.
"There are things you must see," she said, gesturing to the lake. "When you reach the bottom, you will know. Immerse yourselves." They nodded and, holding hands, plunged into the crimson depths.
The midwife smiled at them as she announced the birth of a daughter. Noah looked down at his tired and sweaty wife.
"Faith," he said. "Her name shall be Faith."
His wife nodded. "Her name shall be Faith because she embodies ours."
The fields were beautiful and picturesque, and the sun shown cheerfully even though her father was lying in his darkened room, looking up at his family and breathing his last breaths.
"Faith…" he said in a chalky voice, reaching a hand up and searching for her with it. She took his large, rough hand in hers.
"I'm right here, Father," Faith replied, staring down lovingly and bringing her father's hand to her cheek.
"Faith, everyone must remember what God has tried to make. Take my memories, my dearest daughter, and spread them across the world. Everyone must know of God's sacrifice, of His love and compassion."
Faith nodded. He moved his old, tired hand to her forehead, and his other came up to her chest.
"It will be overwhelming, but I trust in you, Faith. I love you, remember that."
Memories impacted her, and she felt her head explode with all of the emotions and memories of her father's life. Vaguely, she remembered screaming, but when the world stopped shining so brightly with a million memories, her father was gone, simply disappeared. Though his body remained, those wonderful, caring eyes were empty. Faith ran from the room. It was as if she was looking on her own dead body. That feeling ceased, but the others did not. They were so overwhelming. They needed release. There were so many dreams!
"Dreams! Get out! Get out, get out, get out!" She screeched, clawing at her head until she felt Dreams slide from her body, from her mind. That was it? It was gone?
But it wasn't gone. She could still feel Dreams, but it was distant, and it was no longer overbearing. It was tolerable. She breathed a sigh of relief.
His lips met hers softly, gently, and her heart beat so very fast, and some strange emotion was bubbling, too strong, inside of her, begging for release. It hadn't happened since Dreams had escaped her mind—much to her relief—but all of a sudden, she couldn't keep this feeling inside of her any longer.
She pulled back, gasping. She grasped at her head, pulling hair straight out from the roots. What was this feeling? Was it Love? Yes, that made sense. It needed to be released. Right now.
And then it, too, was gone, and then soon, he was, too.
He told her she was strange, a heathen. She told him she was the daughter of Noah. He scoffed, and he walked away. But her bond of love to him remained, slowly strengthening with each new attachment she made. She knew one day, she would have to release the bonds, too.
She saw a girl with long and beautiful black hair. She looked like a sister, even though her features were so different. She also had blue eyes, and she was very, very pretty.
Road? She asked instinctively. She didn't understand why she knew this person's name, but since she was apparently dreaming, it wasn't surprising.
Faith? The girl asked. Suddenly, her image fazed away, and Faith felt Dreams' bond become active and strong. It flared to life, and though she heard screaming in her head, she felt that everything would soon be alright.
Ten days later, a strange, padded red door appeared in her room, and Road stepped out, beautiful stigmata on her forehead and her eyes still shining impossibly blue.
Four years later, Sarah came to her. Envy, which she had released soon after Love, appeared to her nearly thirty years after that. Passion soon followed, and Pleasure was after him. They all stayed together, one big, loving family with a heavenly crown. And they were happy.
But like all happy things, it had to end.
Faith had never loved again, and when she saw a man hanged for witchcraft, she felt something deep inside her begging for release.
It was stronger than the others, impossibly so. Get out! She screamed at it, and it could not be contained in a human vessel. Or in a single piece. Staring at its perfect heart shape, Faith knew it was too strong, and she split it down the middle. But that still wasn't enough. With all her force of will, Faith shattered both halves and spread them around the world. The two largest pieces remained bonded to her in one single strand. Faith knew at once that it was her Innocence she had shattered, and that her Heart was what held it all together. Perhaps they could all find human hosts. That would make her happy.
Not all humans were innocent enough to keep Innocence inside them, and some of it incorporated itself into objects that humans could wield, and though that was not the same, Faith was happy.
It was her birthday. She'd long since lost count, as had the rest of her kin, but they still celebrated them, because that's what families did. In the years since her birth, Jesus had come and gone; countries had united themselves, conquered each other, and split apart; and the Church had gone to Rome and had become far too conservative. They forgot about Noah. They remembered God's wrath, but they did not remember how strong her father had been, how God had saved him and so many others.
She walked with Road and Sarah. The others, Faith knew, were out buying her presents despite her adamant request for them not to. They doted on her, just as she doted on them. They were her, and she was them. Passion—Charlie—and Pleasure—Tyki—were out buying food in order to help Envy—Cyril—make her birthday feast.
"Oh, let me help you," Sarah said, bending down and helping a little child up. He had a large cut on his knee. "Oh, you poor thing. That must hurt very badly."
The little boy nodded. Sarah smiled. "I know just the thing," she said. She bent down and placed her lips to the cut. The bond inside Faith pulled strongly, and she watched as the cut healed itself.
"Witch!" A man shouted. Faith looked up. "Devil's spawn!"
The man was dressed in Priest's attire, and he was carrying a mid-sized, wooden crucifix. It glowed green, a green that reminded Faith of her Innocence, and the Priest rammed it straight through Sarah's chest.
The bond shuddered and snapped like a piano string. Something very strong rose up in her mind, scorching it, and she threw it out before she could recognize it. She didn't want to feel whatever it was. It was too evil, too horrible, and it hurt her!
Sarah was gone, though, and Faith just couldn't keep a hold on consciousness. She still didn't like to remember this day. So much of it was vague.
More memories and emotions flew up in her mind, and she released each of them. She couldn't deal with emotions anymore. They were too strong. Sometimes, she could reincorporate them, but with others, she didn't think she was strong enough.
The Earl had found them one day. He wanted to make people suffer for what they had done to her, and Faith agreed. It was very important that they feel the same pain she did. And pain she felt. And Anger. She didn't want to let Anger out, but with a great ripping feeling, it made its way out into the world.
Years and years passed, and so many emotions had left her that Faith was nearly unconscious all the time. It felt good that way. She didn't have to worry about things. But they forced themselves back in. Gradually, Faith began to wake up, but then she started understanding what the Earl was doing. Everyone had turned so black. But they were still loving, still caring.
"I don't like it," she told Sebastian, and the next night, he was branded a traitor. Faith couldn't stand it—she didn't want her bond to him destroyed, so she called them out of her mind. Nearly two decades later, she met the twins, and they kept her connected to everyone, Sebastian included. Sometimes, she thought she felt Sarah, but it was just her end of the bond, connected to nothing.
Then Bonds was killed. All Faith felt was everything being cut—all attachments, all friends, all kin—and she was floating. And then she was awake, and Road was there. She looked, if possible, darker. The stigmata were hideous, and Faith's stomach roiled at the sight of them, as it always did. But Road was still so kind. Faith felt a bond slither lightly back into place. It wasn't strong, but it was there. Slowly, the others began to do the same.
But there was something wrong with her kin. They were darker, and they were morbid. Chaz was now sadistic and evil when he had once been kind and loving. Faith shuddered. Sarah's death seemed to have affected them all. She wasn't surprised. But Chaz…
"Artemis," Road called quietly, shaking the other girl's chest with a fist. The mortal girl's eye fluttered. There was no spark in it. It reminded her of how her dear Emiko had looked when she'd dropped the poor child back at the Order. "Chaz will be back soon. We can't stall him for long, but if you leave as soon as you're able, I've opened a door for you that will take you right outside the Dark Order. Close it behind you. Do you hear me?"
The girl nodded, but Road was not sure the girl truly understood. Road! Faith called in her mind. Come back as soon as you've finished. Road shot her a mental thumbs-up.
Patting the wretched girl on an uninjured-looking patch of skull, Road lay a long-handled branding iron next to her. "To walk," she said simply. She created a door to the Order, leaving it opened, and stepped through a second one into Faith's room.
"Where's the lemonade?" Chaz asked her rudely the second she stepped in. Realizing this was part of Faith's plan, she quickly acted shocked, clasping a hand over her mouth.
"OH, NO!" She exclaimed, laying on the drama a bit too thickly. "I can't believe I forgot—" there was no way Chaz was buying this, "—I was in the kitchen and everything! I'll be right back!"
She made another door to a lemonade stand at an amusement park. The vendor looked shocked, but Road ignored it as she always did. Take your time, and don't use your doors. I'm going to use your power to call my Heart. Well, it was a bit too late for that, but she nodded back mentally anyway. Aloud, she said in a faux-sweet voice, "I'll have three large lemonades, pretty please." The man handed them over, and Road stepped back into her door.
"Thanks, mister!" She cackled as the door closed on his angry exclamations. Once in the kitchen of the Ark, she poured the three lemonades into different glasses and walked slowly up the stairs to Faith's room.
"Here I am!" She exclaimed, holding the tray out. Faith and Chaz both took a glass. As Faith's hand brushed hers, Road felt a huge drain on her power, and she nearly fell to the ground. With the strength of a stallion, she smiled weakly and sat down, taking the last glass for herself. It shook in her hand. Faith talked in a tiny voice, obviously concentrating on calling her Heart to her—whoever that was. Sipping on her lemonade, she felt rather nostalgic. She, too, missed those lazy afternoons by the window when they all drank lemonade and talked about the crazy things Tyki and Charlie would do.
They made small talk for a while, but after a few minutes, Faith went silent. She stared, unseeing, into her dripping glass of lemonade. Her eyes were blank, as if she was concentrating very, very hard on something, and the longer she sat motionless, the more agitated Chaz became.
"I need to use the restroom," he said, excusing himself. Road grabbed his arm, trying to lay on Faith's charm.
"Don't leave, Brother! It's Faith! She wants us to drink lemonade together, and I think we should!" She even threw in a little cutesy smile that had won her tremendous points with her teachers.
Chaz's eyes narrowed. Obviously, he realized something was up. "Well, I've finished my lemonade, and I really should be on my way…"
"Please stay with us, Brother! Faith never gets to see you 'cause the Earl keeps you so busy. She just wants to catch up. After all, isn't she the most important?" Road made her eyes big and wide. She couldn't use any of her power to influence, because Faith was using it, but she monitored her doors very closely. One door in particular had yet to close, and Road was starting to get a little nervous.
Chaz rolled his eyes, sighing. "I just need to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back." He left the room, bent over a bit as if he was holding back a massive pee. Road sympathized.
Faith's eyes rolled back into her head, and tears started pouring down her face. Road caught her as she swayed from the chair.
"Chaz!" She called, finding her bond to Faith and following that through to her least favorite brother. "Chaz, Faith's fainted; I need you to help me get her onto the bed!" Which, of course, she didn't.
Two minutes later, a Level One Akuma appeared in the room, and Road felt the first sliver of dread snake its way into her system. Faith! She cried, casting her mind out to find her doors. She found the one she needed and looked at its surroundings. The girl was out of the dreary room—a trail of blood droplets was testament to that—but she hadn't closed the door.
FAITH! She screamed. FAITH, CHAZ IS GONE, AND THE DOOR IS STILL OPEN!
Her power returned in a rush to her, and Faith leapt up from Road's ashen arms. "What!" She yelled, both physically and mentally.
"We need to get down there. I don't care what the Earl does to me. He can punish me all he wants; he'll forgive me eventually. You said you didn't want this girl to die, and I'll do what I can," Road said, dressing Faith in something not suited for bed. Pulling her powers together in a spot in front of her, she created a door, and the two of them stepped through it and into Artemis's torture chamber. Road looked around for any sign of Chaz and froze. Something about the room was different.
"Faith," she said breathlessly, her heart pounding in fear for the little human girl, "the cross isn't on the ceiling."
Faith's mouth opened in horror, and Road heard her thought. Surely he doesn't mean to… to—
"He does," Road confirmed aloud.
"My Heart's close enough to stop it," she said. Doing the math in her head, Road realized that her Heart was either in the London suburbs or an Exorcist.
"I can bring your Heart back to you now that I don't have to concentrate on the doors, but you need to tell me who it is," Road said urgently, grabbing her sister's wrist.
"It's Allen and Lenalee!" Faith yelled. Road gaped.
"Allen… Walker? And that bitch he's too close with?" She asked incredulously. Faith narrowed her eyes and stared angrily at her.
"Don't call my Heart a bitch—and yes, that's them. Call them to me, please!"
The note in Faith's voice was so desperate that Road didn't even want to fight the compulsion to act. Instead of creating a corporeal door, she created one into the mind of the two Exorcists. She was surprised to find herself in the world Faith never went to.
"Allen! Lenalee!" She called. A voice laughed, and a pair of arms encircled her from behind, making her scream.
"Road! Missed ya, ol' buddy, ol' pal!" Sebastian proclaimed, squeezing her tightly to his chest. Road let herself relax into it for a moment.
"Bastian," she said fondly, reaching back and patting him on the head. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here 'cause Allen's here," he said. He frowned and added, "I'm stuck in his head."
Road winced. "I'm so sorry, Bastian, I know how hard that must be for you."
He nodded and let her go. "Why are you here? Last I knew, Allen… does not enjoy your company."
Road smiled. That was putting it lightly. "I'm here because Faith needs them, and they need to see through this door." As she said that, she erected a window to her own mind. Everything she saw they would see. "Get them here, please," she said and left. She felt them at the little window to her mind a moment later.
"All done, Faith," she told her sister as she reached her mind again. "Oh, God, Faith!"
She felt both Allen and Lenalee flinch from the sight she was transmitting to them. Chaz had Artemis slung unceremoniously over his shoulder, a large, wooden cross leaning against the other. To everyone's mutual horror, he had three large nails in his teeth, and he climbed quickly up the side of the mountain. Fresh blood flooded the fabric of Chaz's already ruined shirt from a large wound in Artemis' side. Her legs scraped against the rocks, leaving a trail of gore. He made fast progress and was soon at the precipice, throwing the poor child roughly onto the ground. Road heard a series of small cracks and wondered if the girl was lucky enough for them to have been her spine. Obviously not, because as Chaz lifted her onto the cross, which was now on the ground, and began to push the nails through her wrists and ankle, she screamed out.
That was all it took. In a moment, Allen and Lenalee's presence was ripped from her mind as the two awoke, screaming. Road dissolved the window in their mind and fell down onto the bloodied bed. Her hand fell into a sticky pile, but she was too worn out to be disgusted. Her eyelids felt like lead, and her limbs seemed to have weights around them. All Road could do was fall deep and hard into a heavy, well-deserved sleep.
The rabbits were eating carrot soba. This confused Yuu, because carrots didn't go in soba, or at least, not in the actual noodles. Unfortunately, the rabbits didn't seem to know this, and they ate their orange buckwheat noodles with little happy, fluffy grins. One came up to him with a bowl of the strange food and offered it to him on outstretched, half-gloved hands.
"Ne, ne, want some, Yuu-chan?" It asked, and Yuu was confused. It sounded just like his rabbit. Looking down at the tiny, cute little creature, he saw an eye patch covering its right eye. He blinked. Accepting the soba, he sat down on his knees and began to eat it. All in all, it wasn't bad, if a bit carrot-y. Perhaps the stupid rabbit would like to try it sometime…
"ITA! HOLY FUCKING SHIT!"
Something very hard and very bean-sprout-shaped hit him square in the chest, upsetting his dream-bowl of carrot soba.
"Allen?" The stupid rabbit's voice questioned blearily. He got no response, but Yuu heard a light snore in its place.
"Allen? Aaaallen? Allen? Moyashi? Alleeeeen!" Lavi called, poking the boy's stupid, skinny-ass chest. A soft mumble came from a higher voice, and Yuu froze.
"Lenalee?" He asked, pushing Moyashi off of the bed and pulling on a pair of boxers and pants. Sure enough, both Allen and Lenalee slid to the floor, hands clasped in what could only have been a mutual death grip. He heard a rustle of fabric as Lavi, too, dressed himself. A moment later, the lights blared into existence, and Yuu squinted in momentary blindness.
"What the fuck are they doing in here?" He asked gruffly as Lavi slid on his newly fixed eye patch. Pulling the limp bodies back onto the bed, Yuu added to Lavi, "You didn't lock the door again, did you?"
"I think it's a good thing I didn't—look," Lavi replied unapologetically, pointing down at the two sleepers on the bed. Yuu looked down and did a double-take. Spreading across both of their foreheads was a light, elegant stigmata that radiated a comforting warmth.
The door burst open again, and Amanda and Darcy ran in.
"Sorry," the Infernal Girl said, panting and supporting herself by a hand on the door frame. "We heard screaming, and it didn't sound like sex, so we came over. What happened?"
She was dressed in a bra—thank God—and a pair of shorts. Darcy was worse, wearing only a pair of boxers emblazoned with four-leaf clovers. He was carrying a pair of pants, which he absently stepped into. Yuu scoffed and turned away, going through his drawers. Finding a shirt that had shrunk too small in the wash, he tossed it over to Amanda, who put it on, still breathing heavily.
"What's going on?" Amanda repeated, and Lavi pointed again. Both members of the idiot couple stared.
"They're beautiful," Amanda whispered in a hushed, awed tone. Much as he didn't want to, Yuu agreed, and from the looks on everyone else's faces, they did, too.
"How did they get here?" Darcy asked, making the first sound since he'd entered the room. Yuu looked over at him, shrugging.
"They woke us up," Lavi explained. "And when we tried to wake them up, they wouldn't. From the stigmata, I'd guess that they're being possessed by a Noah or something."
Amanda shuddered.
"I don't think so," Yuu said.
"Eh? Why not, Yuu-chan?"
"Look at their skin," the Infernal Girl said, pointing. Lavi's visible eyebrow rose past his hairline.
"The stigmata wouldn't look so… so…" Yuu made a helpless gesture, but everyone nodded. They understood.
"Perhaps this is the beginning of the Noah-possession process?" Lavi suggested, but he shook his head a moment later. "No, that can't be right—they get sick, and the stigmata ooze blood. This seems…" Lavi stopped, apparently lost for words.
"Holy," Darcy finished for him. Everyone nodded solemnly in agreement. They stood vigil in complete silence for several minutes.
"They're crying," Amanda said suddenly, and Yuu turned away from Lavi to see twin tears falling from their eyes simultaneously.
"I think we should separate their hands," Lavi suggested. "They're not getting enough blood—look how purple their fingertips are."
Yuu brought their hands up into his and tried to pry Moyashi's skinny little fingers from Lenalee's delicate ones. They wouldn't budge, and Yuu scowled at them.
He felt Lavi's breath in his ear. "Need help, Yuu?" He asked, a smile in his suggestive voice. Yuu grunted angrily but stepped back to allow Lavi a chance. He held back a snicker as Lavi's face grew increasingly more frustrated and red. One of his bare feet came up used Allen's face for leverage.
"Lavi, what are you doing?" Amanda exclaimed, sounding horrified. Yuu didn't understand why. He thought it was hilarious. Lavi stepped back.
A moment later, they started to scream. As one, Yuu, Lavi, Amanda, and Darcy flinched and made to cover their ears. Lavi tried to muffle the sound by putting an ear to Yuu's chest, but Yuu staggered backward as both Allen and Lenalee sat bolt upright, eyes snapping open. Lavi fell to the floor.
The white-haired boy and the black-haired girl looked at each other, eyes still wide, and they whispered in identical, horrified whispers, "Artemis!" Jumping up from the bed, still holding Lenalee's hand, Allen created a door to the outside.
"All available Exorcists, please report to the front gate immediately. We have a Noah on premises. I repeat, all available Exorcists, report to the front gate immediately." Since when did the Director's voice come from the wall? But Yuu couldn't think that because he and the others were already following the odd pair through to wherever Allen's door led.
Yuu saw Lavi freeze for a moment in the corner of his eye. He fell to the ground and started shaking uncontrollably, clutching at his head. As much as Yuu wanted to stop, as much as he needed to, he couldn't. He was an Exorcist, and he had a duty to take out the Noah that had—
And then he understood why Lavi had lost his composure. The Stupid Druggie—Artemis—was leaning forward, her wrists and solitary ankle nailed onto a cross. She was breathing as if choking, and with each racking cough, blood spewed down her chin. She wore a crown of metal thorns that seemed to be soldered to her head, judging from some of the dripping metal. Yuu had never before seen a crucifixion, and he fervently wished this was a dream so that he could still claim that status.
"You have gone too far, Brother," Allen and Lenalee spoke together, both of their voices low and dangerous and their tones and inflections matching the other's completely. Shivers went up Yuu's spine as Lavi curled further into himself, shaking harder. Yuu took a step back as the two most powerful Exorcists activated their Innocence at the same time. The world flashed in a golden light as Allen drew his sword and Lenalee's boots sprang to life on her legs. They were like liquid gold, shining and forever beautiful. Allen's sword, although possessed with Noah, was not tainted and rent with marring, black fissures.
"It is Faith's will that we stop you," they said with a darkly melodious edge. Raising his sword, Allen advanced too quickly toward the terrified-looking Noah. A door appeared at Chaz's right side, but Allen threw his sword to stop the Noah's progress, missing the side of his face by mere millimeters. Lenalee took the opportunity to kick Strength in the face. It made a satisfying crunch as it caved in under Lenalee's attack. Another door appeared on Strength's other side, and gold streaked through his torso as he made a break for it. Allen pulled his blade outward, away from the Noah's chest, and a large chunk of skin and bone came with it. Grabbing his mutilated side, Strength ran in, attempting to close the door behind him. But Allen and Lenalee followed. The door closed before Darcy could make it. Amanda was tending to Artemis, whose cross had been cut from its upright position. Miranda was there, thankfully, and she took the younger girl's time immediately.
Yuu walked over to Lavi, who was now hyperventilating where Allen's door from the Ark had been. He was curled up on the ground, his knees up to his chest and his hands to his head, spreading dirt on his new Exorcist jacket. Every few moments, he gave out small, shaking whimpers that wailed out in tandem with his shaky, too-fast breaths. Kneeling down, Yuu placed a hand on the other man's shoulder. Lavi flinched away, and Yuu felt a shallow ache stab through his chest.
"Lavi, it's okay—" was he really saying that? "—it's over."
Gradually, the redhead began to calm down and relax his position. The entire time, Yuu ran a comforting hand over the man's back. When Lavi looked up, Yuu could see the evidence of recently-shed tears on his face. He didn't care, though, and pulled Lavi into a tight hug. The other man obviously needed it.
"It's okay, Lavi," he said quietly into the man's ear. He felt Lavi's arms come up lightly around his waist. A moment later, Lavi's hands were tight, his fingers digging deeply, painfully, into his back, drawing blood in some places. He still held Lavi, though, allowing him to regain the composure he had lost.
"Is she okay?" Allen asked as he and Lenalee stepped off the enemy Ark, looking quite like themselves, although the holy stigmata remained.
Yuu watched Amanda look up shakily from her friend. "The medics have yet to arrive, and I don't want to take the nails out until they get here."
"She'll be fine while she's under my time," Miranda commented.
"Yes, but when she's let out from your Innocence, the wounds will bleed freely with nothing there to stop it," Amanda said in a dull, matter-of-fact voice. Yuu knew that voice. It was the one Lavi used when he was trying to suppress all emotions. It was the voice of Lavi the Bookman.
Sebastian hated being in Allen's head. He hated the lack of freedom, the lack of movement. He hated that he had no control. That's why he liked music: it was free. He was meant to be free. He had always been free for Faith. He wanted to help her, because she couldn't help herself anymore, and unlike last time, he wasn't alone in his fight for her. He prodded his way to Allen's awareness.
Want help? He asked as he was pulled away from Faith's world and back into Allen's head.
Please, Allen and Lenalee responded together. Sebastian smiled. There would be twice the freedom this time.
This will hurt, he said as the two Exorcists flew through the gate Allen had created. He sent a ripple of power out into both bodies, and he felt them react to it. Surprisingly, neither made a sound, and Sebastian choked out a strangled breath when he saw why. Using Allen's eyes, he looked at Lenalee and discovered the light brush of stigmata that Faith wore. This was indeed a holy day. He'd never thought he would see it again. Let us defeat this Brother for Faith, he told the two connected Exorcists. They nodded gravely and stopped running, standing before their Fallen Brother.
"You have gone too far, Brother," all three of them said in unison, and Sebastian added a haunting melody to it. As one, Allen and Lenalee activated their Innocence. Sebastian threw his power down to the weapons as if they were extra appendages, and they glowed a magnificent, shining gold. Allen pulled his arm out to create an equally golden sword. It held none of the deep, marring fissures that had marked Sebastian's power when Allen had fought Tyki. Was it because he was fighting for Faith again? That must be it.
"It's Faith's will that we stop you," they all sang darkly. The Innocence weapons pulsed subtly for less than a second. Anyone with sharp senses would probably notice it, but it was otherwise invisible to the naked eye.
Sebastian powered up Allen's sword as he threw it at their now-running brother. Chaz opened a door to his Ark. He jeered angrily in Allen and Lenalee's head as it missed Chaz by a hair. Literally a hair. Infuriated, Sebastian urged Lenalee into action, and as she kicked out at the repulsive relative, he increased its strength and speed, crushing their kin's face. Chaz opened a second door and made to go for it.
Get away from my Ark, you piece of shit excuse for a relative! Sebastian screamed in Allen and Lenalee's head. He had Allen's sword recalled and stuck it through their relative's side. He pulled it away. Ribs, skin, and muscle weren't really that necessary to have. They'd grow back, at any rate.
The gate began to close, and Sebastian froze it in place. Lenalee and Allen slipped inside, actively pursuing Chaz, who seemed to have disappeared. Following the increasing pools of blood, Sebastian nearly screamed for both of them to stop as Faith appeared around a corner.
Placing a hand on each of their shoulders, Faith smiled at them. "I am glad you three have helped, but please go back to yourselves. This is not who you are—any of you. You are not killers, please don't become one just for Chaz. I shall deal with him. Please go back and help your friend; she is most in need of your assistance."
Allen and Lenalee nodded and pushed lightly at Sebastian's presence. Sebastian sighed and gave a little, two-fingered salute.
Thanks, Allen and Lenalee said as Sebastian left to go to his little niche at the back of Allen's head.
"Please continue your efforts against the Earl. I… know what he is up to, and I am going to try to stop it. If I cannot, will you please help me?" Faith asked, looking down almost innocently. Perhaps it was the presence of her Heart, but she seemed much younger today.
Sebastian, Faith added in his… existence. Your bond is getting much stronger. I think, if you wanted, I could put you in my own head.
I think I can do more here, Sebastian replied, disappointed. Though it had very few freedoms, Faith's head was always fun to be inside. Her thought process and the number of bonds was fascinating, and Sebastian could look at the piano string-esque cords all day. They were so beautiful, and when he plucked them just right, the others would get angry, and that was funny.
You're so independent, Sebastian, Faith said fondly, giving him a mental smile.
Of course I am. After all, I'm your Freedom, he said cheekily, smiling brightly at her.
Come back sometime. I miss having you in my head.
I don't! Road interrupted from a window in his existence. He swatted it away with a mental gesture. Sticking a mental tongue out at him, Road disappeared with the window.
Well, I do, so come back sometime, Sebastian. Promise me? She asked, holding out a pinky. Sebastian linked his pinky with hers, and they shook.
It's a promise, he responded, and then she was gone and he was left to his very lonely thoughts as the dregs of Allen's mind whirled and whorled around him like waves of mist.
He held Lavi close to him as the sterile air of the hospital room and the copper smell of blood mixed potently under his nose, making it itch infuriatingly. The Infernal Girl was next to the Stupid Druggie. Although Miranda's Innocence was in effect, all the girl did was stare. She barely even blinked, and her breathing was slow and shallow. Yuu recognized this expression, too. She was beyond repair. Perhaps, if she survived, Yuu would secretly go up to visit her—he would even leave Lavi behind—and talk to her. Perhaps, if she heard about his past, she would find a kindred spirit and a will to live. That was what he had needed back then, and he was sure that she would need it, too—someone to just sit and listen, someone who never asked, someone who just knew, someone who would just accept what happened and not feel any fucking pity, someone who accepted that after going through all that, a person could never be the same.
He wondered if she would try overdose. Yuu had, of course, but he hadn't taken enough to be too much for his body, which broke down all foreign substances. He couldn't stay under anesthesia longer than a few minutes as his body became accustomed to its composition and switched its attack to eliminate it completely. He couldn't take a ridiculous amount of cocaine—which he had actually tried, much to General Tiedoll's disgust. Later, Cross had come up to him and congratulated him on getting doped up, though Yuu hadn't cared.
"Artemis, please say something," Amanda pleaded, her tears falling onto her best friend's hand, which she was holding in both of hers.
Artemis blinked. "Mandy," she said in a gravelly voice that sounded like it hadn't been used in weeks, which, Yuu thought, was probably the case. After all, the best way to stop the pain was to ride it out, ride so far above or below it that you weren't even inside yourself anymore. "Mandy, it hurts."
"I know, hon, I know, but you're gonna be okay now, we got you back." More tears hit Artemis's hand.
"No, I'm not. I'm dying, and I feel it. I want it, because the way I am now is me at my best. This is my best now, Mandy. This isn't life. I don't want it. You know where my drug stash is. Even if I live, I'll just use it the second I get out of here." Artemis's voice was flat, monotone. It wrenched a bit at Yuu's growing heart. He knew exactly what Artemis was going through. He wanted to add that perhaps she would continue to get better after her best, but it sounded so plainly optimistic and encouraging that he knew it would have no effect on the ailing girl.
"But—but I can't i-imagine a life with-without you in it," Amanda blubbered. Artemis squeezed her hand lightly.
"It's what I want. I don't blame you—or you, Lenalee." She looked up at the girl on her other side and attempted something that turned into the ghost of a smile. It was empty, devoid of all real emotion, just a gesture. "It was my fault anyway."
"No," Lenalee protested in a small groan. "It wasn't. Don't tell yourself that."
"Yes, it was. I thought he was a doctor. I trusted him, even though that's not what Exorcists are supposed to do. I let him separate us. I let him take me from the rest of you. By the time I realized, it was too late for me to attempt an escape."
"Don't tell yourself that," Amanda told her sternly, but Artemis shook her head slightly.
"I am not blaming myself, I am just admitting a weakness. I am at fault, and I am accepting that," Artemis said, and her flat voice was starting to become hauntingly similar to Yuu's at age ten.
"Fuck, Artemis, what did he do to—" Amanda started, but Yuu stepped hard on Lavi's foot, and the redhead's responding yelp of pain cut the rest of her sentence off.
"Yuu, what the fuck was that-?"
"Shut up, rabbit." He gave Lavi a significant look, which Lavi returned. They'd talk about it later.
Miranda cleared her throat in the background, and everyone looked over to her corner of the room.
"I can't… there's too much damage, and I just can't…" She sounded hopeless. There were only seconds, then, before Artemis's time had to be released. Surprisingly, Lolek came up to her and held her shoulders.
"There's nothing we can do," he told her quietly, and Miranda nodded sadly, tears now pouring down her face, too. Really, what was with females and the overactive tear glands?
A doctor came up and emptied a syringe of Morphine into Artemis's IV. She nodded thankfully at the white-coated professional and then turned back to Amanda.
"Listen, Mandy, there's nothing you can do. I'm dying, and I want to. Just… know you were the best friend ever. You too, Lenalee, you're a great friend. Oh, and before I forget, just tell him. He'll understand—he'll probably feel the same way. Just do it now before it's too late. Mandy, I see Darcy behind you. You guys still together?"
Amanda nodded tearfully, making a small hiccoughing noise.
"Good. You guys are good as a couple. Stay together. Allen, you better beat the bastard, or I'll kill you once you're down in Hell with the rest of us." She attempted a laugh, but it fell flat, just like everything else she was saying. "Lolek—just fuck Miranda already, and Miranda, don't you dare say 'I'm Sorry,' 'cause I'm not. And also, let your hair down a bit. I'm sure you're a really charming girl under all the stress. Lavi, Kanda, get a room. Please. Tamas, thanks for bailing me outta jail so much. Generals, keep kicking ass like you always do—and tell Cyrah I'll miss her like she still misses that snakeskin I stole." There was a hearty chuckle at that last bit, and Yuu wondered vaguely what had happened.
The Morphine seemed to start working then, as Artemis's voice started to fade.
"Mandy,"
"Yeah?"
"Promise me…"
"Promise what?"
"Promise me… that you won't let… John see…"
Yuu didn't know who the hell this John was, but he was obviously important, as actual emotion was stirred subtly in Artemis's voice before her eye fell closed.
"Of course, Artemis. You know I'll do it."
"Thanks," Artemis said, and a small smile graced her lips for just a second. Yuu had the nagging feeling it was genuine and was glad that she was still able to smile as she died. It was something he didn't think he had the confidence to do. Not that he would tell anyone that.
"I love ya," Amanda whispered, her voice choked with tears.
"Me too," Artemis mumbled. There was a sigh as Miranda released Artemis's heavy time. The heart monitor went crazy, and as the doctors prepared a crash cart, it leveled out. They went to shock her, but Amanda held out a hand, placing it atop the main doctor's wrist.
"She wouldn't want it," she said quietly. "She's always been DNR."
"It says here on her papers—"
"Fuck the papers! Let her fucking die!" Amanda screamed. Darcy came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her chest and middle, pulling her from the room.
Yuu led Lavi from the room as the doctors attempted to revive the girl. He saw a shuriken appear out of nowhere and pin the main doctor to the wall. Lenalee charged forward, and in a surprising demonstration of strength, ripped him from the wall and tossed him out the door. She turned to the heart monitor, and a sigh of relief went around the entire group as she turned it off. The other doctors sank back from her testing glare, and they scuttled from the room, taking the main doctor with them as they passed his still form.
Amanda was still screaming hysterically as Darcy pulled her back to her room inside the actual Headquarters. Yuu pulled Lavi toward his own quarters and seated him on the bed. Yuu kneeled on the floor and divested the other man of his boots, inspecting the foot for any damage. Thankfully, there was none.
"Why?" Lavi asked, and Yuu knew what he meant.
"I needed to interrupt that Infernal Girl before she asked something stupid. We all saw what happened to her, and she didn't need to relive it moments before her death. Nothing's broken, so suck it up," Yuu explained, patting Lavi's bare foot and standing up.
"You're mean, Yuu-chan," Lavi said.
"And you're still shaking," Yuu responded. Lavi looked at his arm, confused.
"I… am. Wow," he muttered, and Yuu didn't know if the comment was for him or not.
"Explain. Now," he said gruffly, sitting next to Lavi and pulling the man's head down, where it shook in his lap. He ran his hands silently and slowly through Lavi's hair, waiting for the other man to speak. It took so long that Yuu thought Lavi had fallen asleep and was actually drifting off himself before the other man finally spoke.
"I… I've seen crucifixion before. And I did nothing. I saw…" Lavi shook his head and tried to turn away. Yuu forced Lavi's face to look back up toward the ceiling. Lavi's eye was closed, and Yuu saw a tear flow past the limits of the eye patch. "I… fuck. I don't want to talk about it." He tried to get up.
Pulling him back down and holding him in place, Yuu growled. "Too fucking bad. Tell me now."
Still shaking, Lavi continued, and everything came out in a rush. "I… saw kids of about five or six… getting crucified, and Bookman wouldn't let me help them, and I wanted to, but I couldn't! He held me back, and I don't even know why the fuck those kids were getting such a punishment, but they were, and I couldn't help them!"
Yuu pulled the other man up and into his arms. Lavi shook like a leaf, but Yuu held him steady against his chest. Eventually, Lavi fell into a troubled, light sleep, and Yuu took the time to undress the other man down to his boxers. Placing him carefully under the covers, Yuu stripped and got in the bed. He didn't sleep well that night—no one in the Order did.
A/N: So sad! D': However! Next chapter will be great! Hopefully. Ummmmm…. Yeah. Is sleepeh. Go sleep-sleep now. It's 3 o'clock. Lion! :3 (OMG IT'S A LION GET IN THE CAR!) Fuck, we're high on writing. Come, Em-ichi-chan, let's go to sleeeeeep! Rawr.
^Our original A/N. Yeah. Um. If you got a bit confused with the Allen/Lenalee pronoun things, just go with it. Also, we suffered from extreme dyslexia reading this while editing, so give us a break if we failed, ne? ^_^ Also, another update soooooon~! (As soon as we finish the epilogue, which we failed at doing today. Fucking French that takes five hours to BS DX)