As promised.
Disclaimer: I do not own D. Gray-man.
Everything in this story is also a work of fiction, and so it does not have any correlation with with real people, places, or etc. though there may be references.
Also, on an added note, as the storyplot of D. Gray-man itself holds some content on religion, there may be mentions of philosophy/ religion within this chapter, but I mean no offense, so I hope people are not offended.
Enjoy! (I appreciate feedback)
"Whoa, what's this, Fourteenth?" Road said, puzzled as the Fourteenth came in with a bag full of candy. The Fourteenth smiled mischievously.
"Present." He answered, grinning as he overturned the bag. "For you." Road's eyes shined as she took in the sight of the copious amounts of candy that had fallen to the ground. She picked up a strawberry patterned piece.
"Where'd you get these, Fourteenth?" She asked curiously.
"I had a lot of spare time on my hands." He replied, winking. "Since my only mission by the Earl is to keep the ark up and moving." Road made a face.
"I see, so while I'm up and about, going to school and everything, you've been frittering your day away, stealing candy? That's so not fair. I even have homework!" She said, throwing the English book in her lap up, as if to emphasize her point. The Fourteenth laughed at this, and started to drag the bag towards her.
"But you can read and everything, right? I can barely just do that. Anyways, if I went to school it'll be a waste of time, because I'll fail every subject." Road looked up from her book.
"Liar." She paused for a second, looking at the Fourteenth's grin with a frown. "You probably would ace everything, it's just you won't care enough to." The Fourteenth laughed again.
"Maybe." He sat down at the foot of Road's armchair. There was a pause as he looked off into space.
"Fourteenth, why don't we call you by your actual name?" Road's blunt question hung in the air. The Fourteenth looked up, his face expressionless.
"Whoa, that's a random question." Road scowled.
"Answer it."
"Does it bother you?"
"Not really, I thought it was just weird."
"He-eh." The Fourteenth snaked his arm up behind himself and, by feel, patted Road lightly on the head.
"What are you doing?" Road asked as he continued to pat her head. The Fourteenth turned to face her, impassive.
"Good child, good child." He said monotonously as he did so. Road looked at him with an irritated expression.
"...You really are weird, Fourteenth."
"...I know."
"..."
"Are you going to school tomorrow?"
"Nope, got a mission from the Earl."
"I see." The Fourteenth started to whistle softly, leaving his hand on Road's head.
"Hey." Road said, after a while.
"What?" The Fourteenth answered listlessly.
"Do you understand the Earl, Fourteenth?" The Fourteenth looked at her questioningly.
"Understand the Earl?" He repeated the question and paused, as if to prolong the meaning of it. "Maybe. I've never thought of it." Silence fell again. "Why?"
"Nothing." Road said, opening a wrapper and popping the candy into her mouth. "I thought that you just might, that's it."
"Hmmm." After a while, the Fourteenth got up and stood, walking to the door.
"Road." He called. Road looked up lazily.
"You can call me by my name. I'm okay with that." Ka-clack. The door closed.
The Millennium Earl was sitting on the piano bench, his back leaning slightly back to accommodate his bulbous stomach. He was sitting before the great organ piano, his back turned against it. He looked towards the doors that led to the room. Musical notes circled on staffs above, in unison and perfect harmony. The Millennium Earl paid no attention to all this. Within the micro chasms of his twisted brain, the Millennium Earl was pondering. At least, he thought so. Or was it in the abyss of his righteous brain? It never struck him that he was righteous. Was he?
"Earl-tama, are you okay- lero?" The umbrella, which had been laying on the ground, said concernedly. The Earl cocked his head.
"Why do you ask, Lero?" His smile was unchanging, or should be unchanging.
"You seemed troubled-lero. You have snot running from your nose-lero." Lero replied, sweat pouring from his head as he looked at the Earl.
"Oh my -3" The Earl said, taking out a handkerchief. "Is it a cold?" He blew his nose, scattering the snot onto Lero. Lero fled in fear. Creak. The door opened, and the two looked up.
"So this is where you were, Earl." The Fourteenth popped his head out from behind the door, and came in. "Oh, what's this? Lero, you didn't get abducted by Road today?" At this, Lero's face grew red and the Fourteenth stuck his fingers into his ears as Lero's mouth opened in retaliation.
"Of course not, Lerorororooo!" Paying no heed, the Fourteenth turned his face to the Earl.
"Are you taking a break today from work, Earl?"
"Something of the sort, Fourteenth-kun."
"Haha, then do you want to play a game of cards with me, Earl?" The Fourteenth walked towards the grand piano, touching the keys lightly, a smile on his face. The Earl did not answer. For some time, the room was quiet. Even Lero had stopped spouting inane protests. The Fourteenth leaned his back on the Earl's back.
"It's snowing outside." The Fourteenth looked over at him. "Are you tired, Earl?"
"Apocryphos is on the move again." The Earl said, almost to himself. "That hidden monster..." For a moment, the clownish features of the Earl disappeared, leaving behind a middle-aged black haired man wearing a trench coat. The man had an eternal face about him, tired with hints of a beard about to grow. The Fourteenth glanced back at him, his eyelashes downcast, almost covering his eyes, and opened his mouth slightly, as if to say something, then closed it. They stared into space for a time, saying nothing. Time flowed mindlessly, a stream that could never be dammed.
The shadow kept on moving, dragging itself into twisted depths.
Here, its puppeteer dictated. Here is good. The shadow stopped moving, crouching into a fetal position, its eyes open wide with terror. Slowly, spirit-like shadows enveloped this shadow, and hid the flickering shadow away completely.
The Millenium Earl was thinking. He was lost within his own thoughts, so much that he had blocked out the Fourteenth's presence as the Fourteenth leaned against him. Apocryphos. That monster. The filthy tool of God. He will come for the Noahs. Yes, he will come. But he doesn't now, because he is a schemer. Yes, he schemes, he comes, and he will destroy them. Unless the Earl has anything to say about it. No, he, Adam, first Disciple of the Noah, will not allow it.
Mana stared out the window of his brother's room, looking to the outside world, as he had done for the past fifteen years, unless it had been for some miscellaneous job assigned by his little brother. He was older, nearing thirty in age. He snickered. To think he had kept count. In this place, at this time, age did not matter very much anymore. Even the birthday parties that his little brother did for him privately were almost meaningless, for there would be not birthday parties to celebrate for his little brother. The irony. He gripped the velvet curtain of the room, and held his own hand out to look at it.
"He said the time was soon, right? The Fourteenth..."
The Millenium Earl was tired. He was tired of his ever-changing followers and this never changing situation. A creeping whisper seemed to whisper that Apocryphos would come for the Noahs, and consume them. The Fourteenth had asked him, a while ago, when the Noah would finally be acting into his scenario. It would be soon, if all went according to plan. That would mean that they would all go, one by one. And Apocryphos...The Millennium Earl was at a loss. But the Fourteenth...the Fourteenth, Apocryphos must not touch. Yes, that was certain. That was why he had been careful with the Fourteenth from the beginning. It was a change from the pattern of the last seven thousand years. It was a sign.
But he'll die, and then he won't come back...not like the others, he won't come back...won't come back...his existence would have changed nothing...That nagging voice, that abominable whisper that came from his despairing, human side, spoke again. At this the Millennium Earl's heart felt like it was being pierced, and that feeling was only reinforced as something was plunged into his very back.
Whooosh. Cross Marian let out a puff of smoke as he exhaled. He had an uneasy feeling settling about in his stomach as he walked about the woods of Okinawa, an island off of mainland Japan. His silent follower followed him in her black garb, keeping the shield protecting them up. He looked at his yellow flying companion, Timcampi, and recalled the conversation that he and the Fourteenth had about it, many long months ago. It was a memory that he had replayed over and over, so much that it had begun to become dimmed and faded, like a book perused again and again.
"This is Timcampi. He's a shadow, and he'll serve as the communication between us."
"What would you need to communicate to me for?"Cross asked, suspicious. "If he's caught..." The boy laughed.
"That won't happen. He was made by me."
Cross also remembered a part of the conversation that he had thought irrelevant, unneeded. At that time.
The Fourteenth turned to leave.
"You still haven't answered my first question, Fourteenth." The Fourteenth looked back, a grin on his face.
"Oh? Don't worry, you can do as you wish, I won't hinder or order you around. Anyhow, Tim makes for a good companion."
Companion...Cross snorted. Tim fluttered about him, as usual, sometimes resting on his shoulder.
"What is that guy thinking..."
The Earl looked at the Fourteenth, whose hand was stained red with blood. The Fourteenth had stabbed him. The Fourteenth. Blood started to seep from the wound on his back as he staggered back.
"Four..teenth?" The Fourteenth, who had had his eyes closed, opened his eyes slowly.
"Because, even sweet dreams have to end sometimes." The Fourteenth whispered, his voice low and his face unreadable. Shadows surrounded the Earl, threatening to consume him.
"How...dare you...FOURTEENTH!" Overcoming the initial shock, the Earl grabbed Lero's handle, pulling out his sword.
a bene placito: up to the performer