Hitomi: Wow~ Already at Chapter XXV! XD And I see that Unravel is as popular as ever (although Ice Flare's sudden popularity got me into a total shock, ehehe). Though I know I still have a long way to go, I'll keep doing my best. Besides… While writing DGM fanfiction, I began to remember why I loved writing fanfiction so much when beginning to write years back – it's because it's fun and makes me think of ways to get creative. My love for writing grew immensely to the point it's a dream to become a writer in the real world.
I know it won't be easy since the writing business is competitive… But, I still want to do my best.
And, as always, thank you guys for the feedback and support (the reviews, the faves, the alerts… everything)! You guys are the best… You're one of the biggest reasons why I keep continue writing Unravel. It's always fun to hear what you think of the chapters. *nods* Of course, I know I need to work on some things like grammar and such, so I'll do my best to work on that too.
Kevin-niichan: o_o I find it odd too, considering I shouldn't have been able to write much (or, at least, delay writing last chapter a little longer) if at all. *laughs a little* But, I suppose it's because of my stress and stubbornness that I decided to write so much like this. It was fun to write a humorous situation like that. XD I'm a sadist for picking on Edina too much, really. Ah, the twist of the chapter~ To think that the one who's causing the Akuma's appearance is Rue's ghost of the past. Now, to figure out on how she'll settle that permanently. Ooops. I guess I should've kept in mind that Lala is a doll, so it would've made sense if she lived for that long and not Guzoru. Then again, in the manga, Guzoru did claim he lived for five hundred years when he was talking to Kanda on knowing about the underground path, so that's why I made it clear last chapter (then again, it could've been just a cover up to protect Lala – in that case, ooops. *facepalms*). Yeah, I did edit that sentence and resubmitted the chapter's document again, so thank you.*evil grin* And yes, time to use Lavi's hammer to smack our writer's blocks. Or burn them to a crisp with the Fire Seal, depending on how spiteful I feel.
Soulless Ghosty – Glad to hear you're checking Ice Flare out. And you're welcome for the chapter! Let's see how Daisya and Rue will make it out of this.
That Reminiscent Sky – ^^; As I said, I must've been quite stressed out, so writing tends to be my main source of stress relief. Ended up writing quite a lot, I have to say (considering I updated Unravel and started on Ice Flare the same day – wow, what a shock). XD It was a lot of fun to write the scene of Edina being rebuked like that, so it makes me wonder if I should let her continue to live for this purpose or not. *snickers* I guess people do like the twist in their mission, huh? Well, considering this mission is basically making Rue face her past all over again, thus making it so ironic that the figure who's causing the Akuma chaos is the commander Riley killed years ago for Rue's sake, I figured I'd end it like that. So, let's see what'll happen now…
As for the Allen/Kanda mission… XD I figured you wouldn't comment on it since we all know what happens already.
AngelaChaos – Ah, wow, another fan?! Thank you~ I must say I find it surprising that when some people review, they say they started reading my story moments ago or a day or two ago and read all of the chapters straight. XD What, is my story really that interesting?! *SHOT* But, seriously, thank you! X3 And no worries, I'll continue writing this.
Midnight Hikari – XD Well, Edina is like that, so I'm not surprised if you hate her (that's pretty much the purpose since Edina's basically comic relief and all). Wait… Huh?! You've been reading my fic for a while?! *is surprised* Wow, I'm so happy to hear that I've another fan! Whoa, you like Rue much more than your OC, Natalie?! I'm shocked! Really, I am! Maybe it's because you can connect to her somehow? Out of curiosity, I'd like to ask what you like about Rue (really; if you like her more than your own OC (though I'm still happy you're very proud of your OC, which you should be since you worked hard on creating her), then that has to mean something). I'm very happy to hear that Rue isn't a Mary Sue. *sighs in relief* It took me a while to develop her character, so it really bugs me a lot when people accuse her of such. Glad to hear the story's flowing nicely too (XD minus the grammar mistakes that seem to be cropping up, which I'm trying so hard to avoid). And… Oh my God, whoa… o_o Are you telling me the reason why you started writing Finder's Etiquette is because of Unravel?! Wow! To think you were inspired by my fanfic that much… *sniff* I'm touched. Thank you for saying that I inspired you to write something in the DGM fandom. Then, I definitely will review your fanfic soon (when I'm not busy with schoolwork; sheesh, it's such a hassle) as well as keep up with reading it! Oooh, you're Filipino too? X3 Nice to meet another fellow Filipino on FF . net, then!
It'sDarkInHere – Hehehe, really serves Edina right, honestly. This is why I love to torture her so much. That's true, he was hardly in the anime or manga, so I really wanted to give Daisya more of a role and flesh out his character from what I observed on his personality—though, so little—in canon. As for Rue's ghost of the past… More info will be elaborated in here. So, look forward to reading!
Replay – Wow, thank you for the support! And no worries, this shall be updated~
Now then~ Time to start!
Disclaimer: I do not own D . Gray-Man, Hoshinou Katsura-sensei does. The only thing(s) I do own in here would be my OC(s).
Unravel
XXV
Breaking Free
[In life, we always have a reason for what we do.
Sometimes, we're still too scared to confront the ghosts of our pasts or
We try to find our place in this world as if seeking for redemption.
It doesn't mean we're alone, though.
We can't change the past, but it can motivate us to do better…
And by doing our best, we can slowly move forward.]
Continuous clashing of metal echoed all over the rundown lair, each blow raining down. Fast paced steps, quick breathing, colliding all over again; it was a shaky, ongoing cycle. Both opponents were on their toes, unrelenting, neither willing to hesitant or back down. They were lost in their own world, all caught up in a dizzying knife fight. Silver and red, those were their colors now.
This had to be settled, the final confrontation to end the past.
This was why she felt she had to resolve this on her own. This was her fight, her dilemma, her burden that she had been shouldering for so long. And she was going to break these chains herself.
Heh, he's as skillful as ever. Nothing's changed at all from those years ago. An afterthought slipped through Rue's mind, her blank facial expression molding into a very slight wince as the weight of her ex-commander's blade parried with her own once again. She had already bore wounds from her earlier skirmishes with the Akuma, but more red was staining her skin because of the knife fight, numerous lacerations snaking around her body. Having not taken out her other dagger yet, Lifeline's jagged rocks clobbered a nearby Akuma that was going to make an incoming attack while she was distracted like this. Focus, Rafale, focus. Just concentrate on taking him down...
"Are you really going to fight him on your own?!" Daisya's anxious voice called her, the Charity Bell ricocheting all over the place to kill off the surrounding Akuma. "Rue, this isn't an opponent that you can just beat up so easily!"
"Of course I'm going to." She responded calmly, now getting out her second dagger to block Zero's swipe, using the first to make an attempt to stab him. "And don't you think I know that? I HAVE fought him before, a long time ago."
"But, even if you are capable of fighting Akuma now, that doesn't mean—Hold on, you said you've fought him before?!"
She said nothing after that, her eyes gleaming with cruelty when facing the man she was fighting with. Determined to not think about what happened before, she spun her daggers, a sure sign that she was still as merciless as ever. And so, she kept up with the older man's steps, not even holding back one devastating blow as others followed along. He was still able to block most of it with his own knives, but there was no denying that Zero, too, had gotten his fair share of injuries.
"Rue…What's the connection between you and this guy… Zero, is it?"
"Daisya, not now."
"But, you insisted on fighting him on your own without saying why! And you won't even let me help you!"
"You wouldn't understand." She growled under her breath, evading a strike from one dagger, but getting the other embedded in her left shoulder. The impact of the stab was unbearable, but she gritted her teeth, refusing to let herself succumb to it. "Really, you just wouldn't—"
"This isn't the time to be stubborn, Rue!" He roared back fiercely, taking a hit in the abdomen by a Level 2 Akuma, but he countered it as he kicked the Charity Bell hard enough to make a hole through its stomach as the spherical Innocence obliterated the monster with its sound waves. "Stop acting like this and let me help you kick his ass! What are you, a martyr?! Or is this because your pride is getting to your head?!"
"I am not a martyr nor am I being prideful about this! Daisya, I said no! I'm not letting you do this—"
"And why not?! Give me one, good reason why I shouldn't fight this guy! Give me a damn reason why!"
"Because this person is from my past, so I already know what he's capable of! And I just…!"
She struggled to keep her composure, but she also wanted to let her sentiments out in the open. She felt appalled that Daisya and her were fighting right now, even more so when it concerned the dark side of her that she kept hidden for so long, that she wanted to keep him—wanted to keep the majority close to her—away from. She didn't want to be looked at as monstrous, stained. The girl clamped her lips together into a very thin line, unsure of what to do.
Damn it all to Hell. Rue thought with bitter doubt, shaking her head. What am I supposed to say? I want Daisya to understand, but I also don't want to be pushed away by him either… What should I do? Someone, anyone…
And a certain man's words played in her mind…
"There's no need to be afraid on being honest. It's okay… The world does need a little more sincerity…"
General Tiedoll… That's right, I… Even if it scares me to say what I want to say for fear it'll be too blunt for people to take, as long as I can put my feelings across to have others understand me, there shouldn't be any misunderstandings. Because I…
I'm human too.
"I just…" She began to feel reluctant to speak out, but she decided against it. She was going to let Daisya understand because he's one of the people she cares about a lot. And so, she finally got the courage to say it, albeit in the form of a small voice. But even if her voice was small, even if her face was blank of expression, the words were sincere with strong feeling. "Don't want to have a close call on losing someone again…"
When Daisya heard that as he still fought the Akuma off, his eyes were wide with surprise. He may've not comprehended the whole situation, but the words she had spoken out were something that left him in a trance of sorts.
Rue… Rue is… Scared?
"Oh?" Zero looked faintly amused, merely dodging another strike from his former pupil. "I thought I taught you not to have emotions in your system, my girl. Haven't you learned anything? If I knew you were going to let feelings back into your life, I should've disposed of you when I had the chance."
"Bastard," the girl hissed darkly, her weapon brushing against his neck, unveiling a thin layer of red from under the flesh. "You are such a—"
"So, you mean to say that the boy with you doesn't know what you are?" A wicked smile plastered on his face, a taunting sneer in his voice. His eyes held a knowing look, a look that saw right through her for what she truly was. "Heh, you really are afraid of what people think of you. It doesn't matter, the people in your life now—minus that bastard Locsin because of the obvious—are bound to know your dirty, little secret."
"That's none of your business on whether Daisya knows about that or not." She snapped back tersely, her blood boiling with anger. Deathtrap radiated its scarlet fire, reacting to her emotion, ready to strike any moment. "And people don't need to know what I did—"
Rue was interrupted as she felt a few, hard hits at her abdomen followed by a blow to her face. She staggered back and clutched her stomach, feeling her legs almost about to give way. She hadn't felt pain like this for a long time, now remembering that Zero was physically strong with his bare hands alone. As she was about to fall to the ground, she suddenly felt a sharp tug from the top of her head. She gritted her teeth, holding back her cries, as she was being lifted up by her short hair to meet face-to-face with her ex-commander.
"Don't act like you're innocent of anything," he snarled at a volume low enough for only the two of them to hear, fisting the locks tightly as he pressed a dagger to her neck. "Because you know what you did. You killed in order to let yourself live, taking other people's lives for your own survival. You are an assassin, your hands are forever stained red, and you will be condemned for it in the eyes of God. Even if you are an Exorcist now, it doesn't mean that there's any hope for you. In people's eyes, you are a murderer."
He had let go of her tresses roughly, only to lift her again—by the neck this time—and slamming her onto a wall. She was finding it hard to breathe with his constricting grip on her, blood dripping from her lips, her vision going hazy.
With a dark chuckle, his free hand still held the dagger intently, ready to aim for a vital point in her body.
This was it, the point of no return; a sure, guaranteed way to die.
Rue's sight slowly dimmed and nothing more could be seen. She was unsure of what happened next, uncertain if she was dead or alive.
Everything faded to black.
* * *
As Zero was about to claim her life with a dagger to the heart, a sharp ache rippled all over his body from head to toe. He could feel something wet falling from his head, the smell of a metallic odor in the air, no doubt blood. With a feral growl, he had released his grip from his unconscious ex-pupil's neck, turning around to face an enraged Daisya, who had launched the Charity Bell at the older man to save Rue from certain death.
"Get your hands off of her." His voice held a threatening tone, dark brown eyes gleaming with murderous intent. "I'm your opponent now."
"Heh…" Smirking widely, Zero got up his daggers in an offensive stance, ready to fight. "Why are you so willing to fight for a girl who's stained? You don't even know what she's done."
"…While it's true that I don't know about Rue's past… It doesn't matter what she did because, no matter what happens…"
Daisya grinned slightly, tossing up the Charity Bell high.
"No matter what happens… She'll always be someone important to me. Because Rue is my friend!"
As soon as the Charity Bell started to get pulled down by gravity, the Turkish male gave it a high kick and it made a solid, direct hit to Zero's face.
* * *
On that day, they fought a one-on-one. It was an all out brawl and all she could do was sit, motionless on the spot, and watch. The whip, which had been claiming its marks on her red and bleeding back, was lying on the floor, completely forgotten as the sounds of daggers deflecting reverberated all around the room.
She was hoping he would never find out about the whip lashings, but he was bound to sooner or later. If she was able to feel in that time long ago, a very small part of her probably would have hated herself for being unable to protect him from the horrible truth he discovered. If she couldn't protect herself, at the very least, she should protect him from herself.
But, she couldn't even do that. He found out everything and she wasn't sure what to do anymore. This was what she was afraid of; that if he knew that she was taking such a punishment for her failures, there was no doubt he would fight for her to the very end, risking his life like this.
Doubt weighed heavily in her heart because she knew she wouldn't be able to face him anymore if he asked about it.
Riley, why? The eight-year-old thought feebly, fragments of fear, shock, and shame felt somewhere within her numb body. You weren't supposed to ever find out. You weren't supposed to be fighting Commander Zero to the death right now because of me. You weren't supposed to protect me from the whip. You weren't even supposed to know anything about this at all; you were supposed to find me later after you got rest from your mission, the usual routine. So, why?! Why did you shield me like that?!
Now, I can't look at you anymore… I'm stained, I'm soiled… You know now that I'm… Weak…
"What the Hell were you doing that to Rue for, huh, Zero?!" Riley shouted with rage, his red eyes burning with fury when pushing his dagger into the other male's shoulder. "Explain yourself right now!"
"I was…" A seemingly innocent smile blossomed on Zero's face; then, it turned into a malevolent smirk as he made a deep cut into Riley's left forearm. "I was just punishing her for being incompetent, that's all."
"The fuck?! Incompetent my ass, you bastard! She might've made a lot of mistakes in this job, but to whip her as a punishment is ludicrous, not to mention going too far! You're destroying her!"
"Oh? I believe I didn't do anything wrong. This is the only way for her to stop disobeying my orders because she was so difficult to deal with. Like all of those times when she showed emotions; I told her to get rid of them once she became a member of this family because of the killing arts, she wouldn't listen, and she'd get whippings until there was red all over the floor. And now, look at her." His smirk was an unbearable thing to look at; his indigo eyes shone with viciousness. "She finally stopped feeling; there's no trace of emotion left, only an unchanging face that's suitable for killing. It's not 'destroying' her, Locsin, it's shaping her into a perfect fighting machine. After all, in order to survive this life she's living now, all she can do to overcome her hardships is to stain her hands in dark red sin."
"You sick, twisted son of a bitch…!"
And the fight continued on, wrath being Riley's motivation to kill. Even while unleashing his rage, he was still able to concentrate on his objective, parrying Zero's blows with precision.
"Heh… I told you to get rid of your emotions too, right, Locsin? Try listening to your elders for once!"
A dagger penetrated into Riley's side, which got out a mere grunt as a response, but he was still keeping his face straight as if to hide the pain. Despite such a deep injury, he still fought on as if unaffected. When seeing this, Rue was—if slightly—horrified.
Riley, stop…! Stop fighting for me, I don't want you to get hurt or die because of me, so please…
A quiet laugh escaped into the open, causing Zero to stop his assault. Though confused, his eyes widened as he saw a slight smile on Riley's face.
"What the Hell are you laughing about, fool?!"
"You really… Don't get it, do you?"
Their eye contact became intense, red burning into indigo.
"What don't I get?"
As if to answer his question, Riley's dagger dove down to attack him. As his dagger blocked it, they were caught in a struggle – silver being pushed and pressured against each other by the hands that wielded them. As they continued this, their eyes locked onto each other, Riley's knife was slowly pushing Zero's back.
"W-Where is this sudden strength coming from…?!" This shocked the commander as, normally, the other male tended to have trouble doing something like this.
"Then, you don't get it at all."
"Don't mock me, you fool! What nonsense are you blabbering on about?!"
"Well, let me see… You say emotions aren't supposed to be in this job because it hinders us, but guess what?"
Once more, he caught that faint smile on the younger assassin's face; that stupid, lopsided, taunting smile—
"The reason why I've gotten powerful like this now…"
And there, he had swiped his knife to repel the other away, sending it flying as he pinned the taller man on a wall with his free hand. The dagger slithered up to the commander's chest, on the ready to do its job.
"It's, ironically, because of these emotions. You wouldn't understand it, but it's true. You've done a very bad thing, hurting Rue like this. So now, you'll pay for it."
Silver plunged deeply into clothing and flesh, where the heart resided in his body, red rivers pouring out from the stab.
Zero wheezed out a bitter laugh, his dark eyes scrutinizing the other male's with an unspeakable negativity.
"I may be gone, bastard Locsin, but I will make this clear…" A dark grin curved onto his face, his sight getting dim with black. "I will never be a memory. No matter what, she will… Never… Be human…"
Glassy dark eyes, the last breath taken in, all movement ceased.
Commander Zero Black had officially fallen.
Withdrawing the small blade and sheathing it, Riley had let go of the corpse with a light crumple to the floor. Turning around, he headed towards his friend and knelt down to her level. When he met her dull eyes, it seemed that there was a mutual understanding between them just like that. As much as Rue was good at concealing her feelings now, he couldn't help but sense just an inkling of wonder from her.
A small, shaking right hand reached up to his face; recoiling at first, but she still had a small piece of courage to continue. Her fingertips pressed gently on his left cheek where the whip lashed him, a red line its mark on claiming his skin. She was aware, if vaguely, that the cut was going to turn into a permanent scar.
And it was all because he protected her.
At that moment, the boy's surprised eyes saw a shred of emotion from the lifelessness of hers, a fragment of it glowing faintly.
Sadness? Regret? Self-loathing?
He couldn't tell. For all he knew, it could be a combination of all three sentiments.
It was as if she was telling him this with that expression: "You're hurt. Are you okay? I'm sorry…"
He only nodded at her unspoken question, smiling a little to reassure her that he was fine and there was nothing for her to worry about anymore. His large hand went up to her smaller one, overlapping and squeezing it tenderly, conveying an unsaid affection he felt for her.
There wasn't much time left as, sooner or later, the rest of their comrades would find out about this. As far as the two could both analyze the situation, there was a high chance they would be executed for Zero's death, albeit his murder was on justified terns. So, they had to escape and fast.
"Why…?"
As he carried her onto his back, preparing to depart from their Hellhole, he caught that single word from the heavy stillness. It came out as a quiet, hoarse vehemence, almost as if she was on the verge of tears. It may be because she really wanted to hold this all by herself without putting him in danger or it could be because he got hurt—and was about to get killed—for her sake; perhaps, it was both.
There was no response from him; at least, at first.
"Why, Riley…? You…"
The young girl's words trailed off into nothing, unable to complete her sentence. He didn't face her as they went out the balcony window and climbed down the vines. After dropping by Rue's room for a moment to get her bag, they resumed their getaway, descending to the grounds. In a hasty retreat in the black of night, he finally found his answer to her question.
"It's because I care for you too much to let you die, Rue."
* * *
Darkness turned to light; monochrome became vivid color. The details finally sharpened to normal through a wave of dizziness and aches. A raucous cough escaped from shallow breathing, a slight tang of iron in her mouth with red dripping out. Slowly getting up from the dirty ground, disorientation almost immediately switched to vigilance as she suddenly remembered the present dilemma. Flicking her head this way and that, her eyes found what she was looking for, though it was from a distance.
Daisya looked badly wounded, but he was still able to hold up on handling the Charity Bell. And Zero was no longer Zero; now, he had morphed into an Akuma. From her point of view, Rue couldn't tell what shape her ex-leader took when revealing his Akuma transformation; but, she did take good note that his daggers had fused with his Akuma body, replacing where his human hands once were.
Daisya had been able to give powerful damage to Zero with the Charity Bell, especially notable when he used the Resonance command. Some parts of Zero's body were missing because of this (he had taken a lot of hits all over), but it seemed that, no matter how fatal the wounds were, the damn Akuma just wouldn't die.
"Damn, you're so annoying." Zero the Akuma snarled irritably, pointing a knife-shaped limb towards the younger male. "Why don't you go die already?!"
"The same goes to you, ugly. And I already told you," the other replied calmly, a fatigued but smug grin on his face while he wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. "It's because I'll protect Rue, no matter what, so you won't be able to take me down so easily."
"Tch, insolent fool! Do you think such emotions will save you from the face of death?!"
Daisya…
Rue had caught this as she dragged herself forward, a slight wince of pain escaping every now and then. Those words awakened something in her, giving her strength to move on and walk forward in spite of her current condition.
Daisya, you've been there for me… You've always been there for me… So…
Another kick for the Charity Bell, a large hole in the Akuma's stomach and blood gushing out. Daisya wheezed shallow breaths, sore tiredness felt all over his body.
Damn. He thought bleakly, feeling himself getting worn down by the second. I gave a lot of hits, but the bastard's got a lot of stamina at hand. How long will it take until he falls?
There was a misstep in the male Exorcist's footing as he barely dodged the assault and he fell to the floor, scowling all the more as he felt sharp pains go up his left leg. He tried to get up, but he had toppled over to the ground again.
"What, can't get up?" Akuma Zero taunted, his daggered limbs held up high to prepare the boy's demise. "Then, I guess you'll die a fool's death, being controlled by your useless emotions all because of that girl!"
With his twisted ankle and weakened body, the Charity Bell keeping him company to the very end, Daisya had no choice but to accept his fate.
Is this how my life will end? Then, if so, I'm okay with it. Just as long as everyone else in the Black Order is safe… Just as long as Rue keeps living…
Nothing happened. Bewildered and unaware, Daisya looked up to see what was going on. Zero was about to attack him, but something had stopped his incoming assail – a streak of bright green; then, the next was getting both of his arms cut off. As the Akuma shrieked in anguish, the surprised male looked around. From his right, in close proximity of the Akuma stood a wobbling figure, gloved fists raised up.
"Rue…"
Being called, the female Exorcist panted heavily, Deathtrap and Lifeline still glowing green from the wind blades they had summoned.
"Daisya…" She called out hoarsely, coughing in between. "His weakness…"
"Huh?" He blinked, unsure of what she meant.
"His weak point… Zero's… Aim for the heart…"
It clicked together, an immediate understanding (though it does make one wonder if Akuma really do have a heart as they are the Earl's tools). Wordlessly, Daisya grabbed the Charity Bell in his hands, a blank look on his face.
Laughing cruelly, Zero reminded him after his pain subsided, "You're useless without your feet when it comes to your Innocence! So, don't even think about it!"
The young boy only smirked, which got the monster off-guard.
This was considered a gamble as both Exorcists were weak and exhausted.
But, better trying than nothing at all, right?
Daisya tossed the round bell high into the air with no time to lose. Then, getting up hastily in spite of the sprained ankle, he kicked the Charity Bell with the last of his strength from his good—right—leg before falling back into place once more. As it aimed towards its target, only one word had been uttered in the deadly silence.
"Resonance!"
Having come in contact with the Akuma's heart (or where the heart's supposed to be, anyway), the moment this command was shouted out, powerful sound waves pulsed all over the room. And Zero screamed an earsplitting scream as his whole being shattered from the flood of the noise.
Now, Zero was truly no longer of this world.
In a slow and unsteady pace, Rue trembled in every step of the way as she approached Daisya. When she had finally got physically close to him, she crumpled to the ground next to him, feeling that she could no longer hold herself up either. With her head tucked away in her knees, she was still shaking, her breath short.
Feeling overwhelmed with weariness himself, the male Exorcist's arm extended out to her direction, his hand grabbing her head and pushing it down onto his shoulder. She didn't protest nor pull away, maybe because of being so drained, but it did give her a little shock.
Although, it's contradictive to say that some part of her wasn't all that shocked about it. Maybe it's because she's been changing lately.
But, she had to admit that it felt good to have such an action done, even if it's only platonic.
"…It's over." Daisya said faintly, the first words exchanged between them after such a long silence. He still kept her head on his shoulder, giving her a small smile. "It's over, Rue… So… It's okay now."
Rue seemed to have understood his message as she nestled her head deeper into his shoulder, doing so out of her own accord. It felt good doing that; it felt like she was giving into the emotion of feeling safe, like she felt light and unburdened with no problems at all. Closing her eyes, she felt like she can finally breathe.
"Thank you… Daisya…"
* * *
Making their travel back to the Black Order, the two Exorcists were in silence on the train. Sensing something was about to come up, Armando dragged away a protesting Edina to leave the two alone.
Slowly, little by little, Rue began to reveal everything to Daisya. What she remembered of her family life, the assassin life she had, everything. And Daisya took everything what she was saying in, the expression he often showed was shock, utter shock. Sometimes, when seeing this, the girl felt discouraged to tell anymore. But, after that skirmish with Zero, she still kept on with it, remembering that she had promised her teammate she would speak to him about her background.
When she had finished, she looked at him dead set in the eyes, even if she felt scared of being looked at in a different way.
To her surprise, the older body grabbed her head and placed it onto his shoulder without saying anything. One arm was around her small frame, the hand squeezing her shoulder lightly as if to communicate something deeper than what words can say.
"You…" He began quietly, pulling her closer to him. "You… You've been through a lot. It's no wonder you've decided to keep your background secret, especially of the profession that you were in before."
"And now, you know why I've kept quiet about it." She sighed, closing her eyes. "I don't want anyone to look at me differently as they see me now. So…"
"I know. I won't tell anyone about it, okay?"
"Not like you're the type to. But, nonetheless, I told you everything you needed to know."
"Hey, Rue?"
"Mmm?" She looked at him with one eye, though her face was obscure with long bangs. "What is it, Daisya?"
"You… You are my sister. And you always will be, no matter what."
* * *
"Riley, you got a delivery." In France, Armando had dropped his way into the passage of the Underground Society in the main office, flashing its insignia on his clothes for the commander to see.
"What is it?" A sketchbook was given to him on his desk, which caused confused red eyes to meet cool, pale blue ones.
"Your sister wanted me to give that to you on her way back from her Exorcist mission. It was something that she was working on for a long time, so I think you'll be able to appreciate what's inside. Besides, she figured it was about time she sent you something like this." And the male Finder turned away to leave before the assassin could say anything.
Confused, with gloved hands, he looked into the sketchbook with curious eyes. Then, from what he could decipher of it as his eyes scanned the pages, they were detailed sketches of people in uniform. With each sketch were names like Lenalee, Kanda, Lavi, and others. It all clicked together from all of the letters Rue had sent him.
These were people from the Black Order. Her friends.
The surprised look melted into a warm smile.
* * *
And so, another crisis in the other band of Exorcists… Lala wanting to live Guzoru until the end… However…
"Take that doll's heart now!" A now conscious Kanda had barked this out, glaring daggers at a wide eyed Allen. "Hah… Hah… What did we come here for?!"
"I… I can't do it." The other boy confirmed with a hesitant, but strong, decision. "Sorry, I just can't do it."
The response was his Exorcist coat thrown at him.
"This coat isn't a pillow for the wounded…!!!" Kanda reminded him sharply, regarding him with hard eyes. "It's the uniform of an Exorcist!!!"
As grim gray eyes gazed at the jacket in his arms, the older boy threw his own, tattered jacket over his shoulders to put on.
"There must be sacrifices that must be made, rookie."
"Please!" Lala begged, eyes pleading. "Don't take it…"
As Mugen was pointing at her, Guzoru shielded his doll with a mumble of, "Stop…"
"Then, I will be the one!"
Turning around at hi companion's words, Kanda met Allen's eyes, Mugen pointed to him this time, right at the Rose Crest.
"Will it enough if I am the 'sacrifice' for these two? Until then, I cannot remove the Innocence! If I… Destroy the Akuma, there isn't a problem, is there?! To make sacrifices all the time in order to win this war… It's futile!"
The provoking words earned a fist to his face.
"Master Kanda!" Finder Toma cried out, horrified on what was happening as both fell to the ground.
"How incredibly naïve… Selling yourself out for some pitiful strangers…?" At first, this was said in a cold whisper. But, in no time, Kanda's teeth bared as he wore a mask of fury. "ISN'T ANYTHING IMPORTANT TO YOU?!"
Not meeting his eyes, the younger boy slowly got his words out.
"There was something important… I lost it… Long ago… It's pitiful… I don't have a noble reason…" A feeble laugh, a sad smile. "I just don't want to see something like this happen. That's all."
A deep, shuddering breath; then, slowly, pouring out the honesty.
"Because I am a small man, my heart is moved by what's in front of my eyes, not what the whole world needs. I can't just abandon what's there in front of me." A strong, firm voice this time, getting out what he wished for. "I want to protect everything I can!"
A whistling sound; then, a curved blade piercing the old human and the doll. Then, Allen being unable to reach them in time, a rock had been hurtled towards the two, leaving a dusty explosion. The sandy floor began to move of its own accord; then, a pillar of it shot from behind the younger Exorcist.
"I got the Innocence!" The Akuma cackled gleefully, the Innocence hanging onto the middle claw of the creature's right hand, piercing Gozuru. In the other hand was Lala, her eyes devoid of emotion. Both had dropped to the floor.
"La… Lala…" Guzoru called her name weakly, wheezing for breath, pain all over his body. "Lala…"
No response from the doll.
"Oooh, so THIS is Innocence…"
But, the musings had stopped as the monster sensed a dangerous aura from nearby.
"Return it. Return the Innocence." Allen commanded in a voice unlike his, his claw-like Innocence morphing to the will of his emotions. A cold look on his face, with the normal gray eye and the red one that can see Akuma in human bodies. "Return it."
Metamorphosis on the Innocence.
"M… Master Walker's anti-Akuma weapon… It's going to change!"
"Exorcists who use a Parasite Type anti-Akuma weapon can manipulate, according to their emotions." Kanda observed, watching with a mild fascination. "His Innocence is reacting to his anger."
Even so… Why is he emitting such murderous rage?! The weapon is taking on that shape and image!
Without even so much of a thought, Allen leapt into the air and was ready to dive towards the Akuma.
"Idiot!" Kanda cried out to him, alarmed. "Your weapon hasn't fully formed yet…!"
The transformation was actually completed, the claw now a laser cannon ready to launch. And it fired, multiple light beams shooting towards the Akuma.
"GYAA!!"
It looked like the light beams can also be used for foundation for that, where Allen had blasted them towards the Akuma, he was standing on a pile of them.
With a calm look, he heard the shifting of sand moving about, seeing that the Akuma had hidden itself and dug through it to move around.
"You can't hit me when I shift into sand~"
Another shot from the laser cannon Innocence at the same time the Akuma launched its claw like limb towards the Exorcist. Both projectiles missed, the trident shaped arm having caused a large hole in the room ceiling. While jumping down, in midair, Allen met the Akuma's sandy face springing up to him. But, the Akuma passed through him, trapping the Exorcist in his grimy stomach.
"Kekeke, gotcha!! It's over for you!!!" He declared, patting his stomach in victory.
Can't see anything. Allen observed from the darkness, trying to formulate a plan.
"Hmmm… How many times do I have to stab you before you die?"
Lifting the claw shaped arm, he had pierced his own body, thinking for sure that he had landed a hit on Allen.
"Master Walker--!!!" Toma called from down below, in panic.
"He's fine." Kanda clarified calmly, watching the battle.
I can still feel… His murderous rage. It hasn't disappeared.
"Wha…?" To his utter shock, Allen passed right through his body from behind, blocking—and breaking—the Akuma's hand with the laser cannon.
"My hand…" It mumbled in disbelief.
The Innocence showed my mind what to do. Then, my mind showed my body. How to use the new anti-Akuma weapon.
With a smirk, the portal of the laser cannon shrunk, but a single light beam popped out of the hole, making it look like a sword of sorts. As he jumped down, he split the Akuma down the middle in half.
And where the sword had pierced, the sand skin came off.
"Ah! My sand skin!"
"So, this is your real body, huh…"
Once he landed down on his knees, Allen took aim, his laser cannon Innocence glowing darkly.
"I'm not giving you a chance to change your appearance again. This is it for you."
"I still have your arm!"
And both the claw and the laser cannon had fired their blows simultaneously. The blast of the cannon was a lot more powerful than what the Akuma anticipated, his claw still up in a vain attempt to shield itself.
And as Allen fought, Guzoru's words came and went…
"I… Am an ugly human. I didn't want Lala to be broken by others."
"Lala, when I die… Let my hand be the one that breaks you…"
"I … Loved you, Lala."
An image of the two embracing forming in his mind.
"UNFORGIVEABLE!!" Allen cried out in enrage.
And the Akuma was horrified to see his claw damaged by his Exorcist opponent.
"Sh… Shit! What? Even though I used his hand… Why did I lose…!?" A hysterical fit began to show.
It's just you. It's your limit. Kanda answered in his thoughts, still observing the skirmish keenly. Even with the same weapon, the users are different. The only one who can use the true power of the anti-Akuma weapon is the Exorcist. As the Innocence synchronizes more with the Exorcist, the more powerful he will become.
Suddenly, the Innocence morphed back to the deformed and red left hand as Allen coughed out blood, his shoulders heaving forward.
Rebound! My body can't keep up with the morphed weapon!
"GOTCHA!!!" The crazed Akuma began to make his move, but the blade of Mugen blocked his assault.
"Kanda!?" Well, this was a surprise.
"Che!" Then, he turned to yell at his companion/enemy, who got quite the frightened shock from it. "You useless idiot… What do you think you're doing, running out of power at the last minute!! You were the bastard who babbled on about protecting those two!!"
He was still managing to keep the Akuma's claw in place, all the while lecturing Allen.
"I hate the way naïve people like you do things… And even more so, I hate people who don't keep their promises!"
"Ha… Ha. Whichever it is… You still hate me…" The younger boy wiped blood from the corner of his mouth, smiling a little. "It's not like I've run out of power or anything like that… I'm just taking a small break."
"…Everything you do is irritating…"
At this, he had completely cut off the claw of the Akuma's limb.
Give me one more shot! Innocence, activate! Once more, the left hand had transformed into the laser cannon.
"SCATTER!!!" The two shouted out, intending to take down their opponent once and for all.
Hell's Insects and the laser beams obliterated the Akuma, causing an explosion outside.
The last word of him was a scream: "E… EXORCISTS!!!"
* * *
The explosion had caused a large hole in the city of Martel, the Akuma extinguished into black ashes, and the Innocence skyward in the dark night. By the time it had fallen back in the hole, the two Exorcists were spent and lying on the floor. It had landed right besides Allen's head. His broken left hand began to reach for the Innocence.
"Please… Live… Once more. For Lala's sake…"
* * *
The next day, reporting…
"Aaah… Blue skies. Emerald green ocean. Por favor~ Italia~"
"So what?" Kanda asked grumpily into the portable phone (courtesy of Toma), removing a bandage from his face, sitting up on his hospital bed.
"'What?' Hehe." The smiling face of Supervisor Komui Lee disappeared as he started to howl his grievances, stamping endless piles of paper while talking onto the phone. "I'M JEALOUS, DAMN IT!! It has been three days since you defeated that Akuma! What are you doing?! Everyone is using me as a slave! They don't let me go outside. It's like I'm a prisoner in the dungeon of some castle."
"Supervisor~ We need your seal on these too~" The whines of the Science Dept. were endless.
"Stop shouting. Shut up." Now, he was irritated on having to put up with the supervisor's whining when it wasn't his idea to stay this long in the first place. " If you've got a problem with it, complain to him! Actually, Komui, I don't get along with him!"
"You don't get along with anyone. So… Where is Allen?"
"Che! He's still in the city with that doll!"
"That doll called Lala…" His tone changed to a serious, contemplating one. "It'll be soon, right?"
"Probably. It has already been working for five hundred years. It's not the same doll. It'll stop by itself."
"Wait, wait… What are you doing?!" The doctor cried out, seeing Kanda ready to leave the clinic.
"I'm leaving." He replied bluntly, pointing to Toma. "Claim your money there."
"No, no!" The doctor insisted. "Your condition is critical! It should take you five months to recover completely!"
From the other side of the phone, in the Black Order, Reever was still giving Komui more piles of paperwork. And from there, they can still hear arguing between Kanda and the doctor.
"I'm healed."
"There's no way!!"
What a shock for the doctor to get the bundles of bandages thrown at him and seeing that, indeed, a shirtless Kanda had no more markings or wounds, save for the tattoo on his body.
"Thanks for everything." And with that, the Japanese Exorcist walked out.
"How can that be… The wounds have disappeared…"
"Your injuries took quite a while this time, Kanda." Komui said slowly.
"But, I'm healed."
"But, since it took some time, it means it's starting to deteriorate. You can't afford to misgauge your life reserve…"
And both knew what they meant, the atmosphere tense. But, Kanda decided to break it.
"So… What do you want? If this is a prank call, I'm hanging up."
"GYAAA! You! Reever, did you hear that?! Those sharp words!!" The supervisor whined.
"Huh?" And the Squad Leader had no idea what his superior was complaining about.
"You've got it wrong…" The supervisor began, now talking about the true objective. "The next mission…"
* * *
When the heart was returned to Lala, she began to move. But…
"Master Human… How about a song…?" The doll gazed at the motionless body of the almost dead Guzoru.
It was no longer "Lala." It was the doll that Guzoru first met.
Weakly, "Lala" began to reach out to him, talking all the while.
"Master Human… I am a doll… I sing… Master Human…"
And the flashback of old memories unfolded…
"Guzoru… What song should I sing next?"
"Look!" A younger Guzoru cried out in delight as he fixed the doll's hair. "Look how beautiful it's become, Lala!
"Lala?"
"Can I call you that, Ms. Ghost?"
"Boy, how about a song?" The first time Guzoru and Lala met, when Lala looked monstrous.
With tears of joy and a smile, old Guzoru had said, "Would you sing for me…? Lala. I love you."
His final words, no longer living anymore.
"Are you asleep?" Lala asked quietly, touching his face. "Then, I'll sing a lullaby."
From then on, the doll continued to sing the lullaby.
* * *
Meanwhile from outside the place, Allen was sitting on the steps, head resting into his knees. He didn't think he would hear anything from his partner, but a familiar voice did catch his attention.
"What are you sleeping for? Stay on guard."
Without looking up at Kanda, he mumbled, "Huh…? What's someone who's supposed to take five months to recover doing here?"
"I'm healed."
"No way…"
"Shut up." With that, he took a seat on a lower step. "I got a message from Komui. I'm going ahead on my next mission. You deliver the Innocence back to Headquarters."
"Understood." He replied at once, still not looking up.
The older boy took at a glance at his enemy a moment; then, looked away, looking a little annoyed.
"If it's hard to bear, then stop the doll. It isn't Lala anymore, right?"
"But, it's their promise. The only one who can break Lala is Guzoru."
"You're naïve." He sighed, a serious look on his face. "We're destroyers, not saviors."
This finally got him to look up, a sad smile on his face.
"…I know that." The younger boy answered. "But I…"
The song has ceased into silence. And both knew, they both knew, that it was finally the end.
"The song stopped…"
Going back into the cave to check it out, the Exorcist saw that a frozen Lala had laid a dead Guzoru onto her lap all the while she had been singing. All was still and quiet.
Three nights after Guzoru died, the doll stopped.
As Allen bended down on one knee to check on the doll, Lala began to speak with a smile, being back to her old self if only for a brief moment. Gray eyes were wide with surprise at this.
"Thank you. For letting me sing until I break. The promise has been fulfilled."
And Lala collapsed into his arms, finally unmoving.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Kanda asked from the entrance, he and Toma having gone to check up on the younger Exorcist.
As Allen had his eyes buried into his right arm, wiping away the tears that began to flow out, he only said this:
"Kanda… Although what you said is true, I want to become a destroyer who can save."
Hitomi: *DIES* I AM DONE. FINALLY DONE.
And I'm so, so, so, so sorry!!! I've been really busy with schoolwork! I also had writer's block, so it couldn't be helped. And also, I got sick recently! So, I'm really sorry for those who waited so long for this chapter to be written!
I had to keep putting it off due to all of this and I really had no time to look into the DGM manga for reference of the Allen/Kanda mission! So, I just got done with that portion just now! I'm really sorry! *bows*
And now, where to take the story from here… I know I plan on writing the Rewinding Town arc, especially that's when Lavi will make his appearance again after so long. Goodness… Wonder what'll happen to Rue that time, then.
The flashback in this chapter regarding Rue, Riley, and Zero… It's all based on the pieces of the nightmare she's had from Chapters VII and X. I decided to wrap up that nightmare by putting it in this chapter as this was when Rue is finally facing Zero head on and all on her own. And it's also revealed that the reason why Finder Armando is able to deliver stuff from Rue to Riley in the Underground Society so easily (really, despite this guild being hidden from the public eye) is because Armando is an assassin himself in the guild. So, I suppose this makes him the only other assassin, aside from Riley, to know that Rue's actually female. Rue's aware of this, which is why she always relies on Armando to deliver stuff to Riley when she has something for him.
Anyway… *smiles a little* Look forward to the next chapter~ And I'll try not to make another long hiatus like this AGAIN!