Hana: YEEEEEEEE!
Kanda: The actual fuck?
Richie: I'm not sure what to make of her eagerness right now...
Allen: Mm...
Road: This is going to be fun though~ Hello readers~ keep in mind that Hanashi doesn't own D. Gray-man.
Allen: ...she only owns her OC...so um, enjoy?
Hana: -continues to "yee" in the background-
... ... ... ...
+ - Night 48 – A Face of his Past - +
"Hey, are you awake?" The voice was muffled, but I definitely heard someone speaking. Was this a vision? No…it felt off… "Perhaps, are you awake? Hey?"
I should open my eyes, right? My limbs felt so heavy…
"Raise your hand if you're awake." Hold on…this felt familiar…I groaned, as I slowly came to…
"RICHIE!"
"Short…cake…?" I asked as I began to sit up, groaning in displeasure. "Dammit…what the fuck?"
"Where's Kanda?" Allen asked.
I looked around, taking in my surroundings. "If I remember right…he'll be coming from out of that thing over there."
"If you…?"
"You know what? They call you, 'Yu'." I remembered 'seeing' this before. Allen, however, was new to all of what he was about to see for himself. "Eh? Me? It's kinda embarrassing…"
A hand emerged from the pit Alma was talking to, pointing at him.
"They call me…'Alma'." The dark-haired child introduced himself. "Happy Birthday, Yu!"
"It's June 6…nine years ago, Allen." I somberly told my little brother. "This…is a memory I've 'seen' back when I had no control over my 'sight'."
"Richie?"
"Yeah…I never even told Lenalee about what transpired here." I stood up, brushing the non-existent dust from my poncho and pants. "But I can't even begin to understand why they would need my brain if I wasn't here first hand."
"Huh?"
"This is Kanda's memory." I explained, as I watched as Alma grab Kanda's hand to help him out of the pit he was birthed within.
"Go tell the head Branch office that the 'Second One' is here! And bring the medicine, ASAP!"
"Doctor Edgar! We need something to dry him! Anything will do!" Alma said to the scientist that happened to have come by. I remember him…it was Bak's father, Edgar Chan-Martin. "Take off your white gown!"
"It's cold here. Put on a coat, I'm always telling you this, Alma." Edgar chided.
"Hurry up! Hurry up!" Alma demanded, ignoring the comment. "Are you cold Yu?"
"It seems like we've intercepted Yu Kanda's brain waves."
It took a matter of three seconds to realize there was a third person with us. Allen realizing it sooner than I have, considering she had slumped against him looking a little bored. "ROAD?!"
"I'm glad to be noticed, finally." The youngest-looking Noah mused.
I shook my head, turning my attention directly to her, "Wisely was his name, right? What did he do to us?"
"Wisely only opened a way to have Yu Kanda and Alma Karma go on a little trip down memory lane…at least, most of the ones they spent together."
"Why am I even here?"
"Seems you've 'seen' things that they're memories have no part of in the scenario. Wisely only wanted to extort them from your mind." She paused, becoming thoughtful, "Actually, you and I weren't quite meant to get caught up in this for the most part."
"I'm still confused." Allen groaned. "Please get off of me, Road."
"No way~! I'm comfy here~" I could almost feel that drop of sweat race down my temple.
I was brought out of my annoyed state when something was suddenly thrown right towards us. Something being Alma Karma. "Cl-close encounter…?"
"Maybe you should pay more attention, Richelle~" Road cooed.
I growled in response.
"What're you doing Yu?!"
"Let's calm down! Both of you!" Honestly, if not for the fact Kanda was just a tiny little thing, I would've otherwise been completely scared shitless with the demonic feel the then-child was emitting. At the moment, he resembled more of a mischvioeus imp? Not so much to demonic asshole I grew to know.
Either way, in the end, Alma had gotten up, and in retaliation, had attacked the boy that would be his friend, after a long trying trial, of course.
"Truly witnessing things, and then just 'seeing' them…are two different things entirely." I said, dragging my hand down my face.
"Isn't it~?"
"Um…?" I waved Allen off, if he couldn't understand, I wouldn't push him.
. . - * - . .
"Another fight?!" Entering the new room, we found ourselves in, we were introduced to a woman purely of Chinese descent. The woman was Twi Chan, wife of Edgar, and the mother of Bak…if it weren't already obvious. Her black hair was tied up in a bun, though her bangs were left to sweep over the left side of her face. "How bad are their bodies?"
"They had bloody noses, bruises, and some scratches three minutes ago." Edgar's voice said from the other room behind the glass window. "They're completely recovered now."
"The ones who tried to stop the fight are badly injured."
"Oh…ha-haha…erhm…not just me either." Edgar said in a little embarrassment, "As might be expected, those kids have unbelievable physical strength."
Watching the spectacle was interesting, to say the least. The way those two had gone at it with no mercy perhaps one of the funniest, and scariest things I'd ever bore witness to…maybe next to the time Lavi attempted to prank Komui…
"You've been acting strange lately, Alma." It was weird seeing Zhu not being…super old. "You are not able to control your emotions at all. You two are apostles that save human beings. You mustn't act according to your emotions. Behave properly as an apostle."
There was always a reason I had a lot of mixed feelings when it came to the old man. Granted, I didn't even realize Zhu was the man I once 'saw' in my vision.
"I'm sorry, doctor…" Alma sniveled. "With Yu, I just wanted to—"
Whatever was going to be said was interrupted when Kanda scowled, and outright scolded the older of the two seconds in the room. "YOU CREEP ME OUT! Always following me like a stalker! Die! YOU LITTLE FUCK!" Perhaps scolded wasn't the right word.
"Where…did he learn that word?" I asked no one in particular.
"I don't think anyone shouted it out…" Allen muttered.
"Gifted with words?" Road supplied. We watched as the second fight of the day took place.
. . - * - . .
The demand for Accommodators was high, but they were in such low supply. To counter this, the Order had come up with a project. One that would've helped them get towards the right direction to winning a war that didn't appear to have an end in sight. In a way, I could understand their desperation for more soldiers to try and gain an upper hand.
On the other hand, however…the Second Exorcist Project was a lot like a double-edged sword. And the rebound from swinging it was greater than anyone here could've known.
It was all for the holy world that was prepared.
"All these holes…?" Yu asked staring down at one of the many birthing pits that surrounded them in the cold room. All possible apostles were more or less frozen in time.
"That's right," Edgar told the child before him, "Apostles like you sleep here."
"Are you humans born from a hole too?" Yu boredly asked.
"Ah…no, humans are born from a mother's womb."
"Mother? What's that? Where are those?"
"Well…Twi is a mother too—" Yu's face became that of one full of astonishment. Edgar was unaware of the two puzzle pieces the young Accommodator-to-be had attempted to put together.
"So you were born from the Branch Chief?"
"EH?! Nope! Sorry! THE CHILD THAT BRANCH CHIEF BORE IS MY CHILD, AND I'M A FATHER!"
"…'father'? What do they do?"
"Eh? Um…well, that is…" The scientist had become flustered, trying and failing to come up with a way to explain things, "Humans are born…when a man and a woman love each other…but…"
Yu was staring listlessly at the older male, uncaring, at least to the outsider's perspective. Love each other, huh?
That is…just like us…
Cobalt eyes widened, before turning behind him, facing a large pillar behind the duo. "What…? Just now…?"
"Achoo!" Having given away his location, Alma Karma peeked from behind his hiding spot.
"Don't worry, Lenny. He's here with us."
[I knew it! He's gone chasing after Yu again!]
"Ah…um…" Alma fidgeted as he attempted to talk with Yu. "I wanna…"
The aforementioned child ran off before the older of the two could so much as get a full word in.
"HEY! Alma's still talking! YU!" Edgar scolded the child that was no longer with them at the moment.
"…t-talk with you guys…" Upset, Alma hunched into himself, crying his eyes out at the other boy's attitude.
Yu couldn't stand the other kid. A creep, always smiling like an idiot. In a place where there was no way to truly show such an emotion.
. . - * - . .
Tests were the worst of it. Almost every day Yu was subjected to these inhumane assessments. The goal was to synchronize with the Innocence presented to him. Everything was monitored.
[Yu!]
[It's just shock. It's not a failure! Lenny, how bad's the damage!?]
[Approximately 510 seconds until his rebirth, and in 380 seconds, he'll be able to move.]
[Professor Sirlins!]
"Damn…Innocence…" Yu growled, just as he was once again attacked by the piece of God Crystal once more.
[Approximately 580 seconds until the rebirth of Yu.]
. . - * - . .
Unable to sleep, Yu cursed anything he could possibly think of as he walked down the familiar halls around him. Most of his ire going to the scientist that repeated everything as though it were a broken record or something.
It wasn't long before he found himself back at the birthing pits, a place he'd come to consider a peaceful place where he could truly think of things he needed to think of. "You guys are sure sleeping soundly…" He finally spoke up looking at the Exorcists still suspended in animation. "In that water…"
If I could…fall asleep once more, like this…this world is dark…and it's so hard to breathe…what am I?
Either from the lack of sleep, or something else, the small male soon found a figure in the cold mist that often surrounded each pool within the birthing room. She, and he was more than certain it was a 'she', smiled in his direction.
He began to chase after the figure, butt was unaware of the immediate danger he was heading into.
"Yu! Watch out!" A familiar voice calls out, "Erm…l-look down?"
A loud splash resonated throughout the room, and Alma facepalmed at the other child's carelessness. Standing, he hurried to the other boy's aid, and quickly helped him out of the pit he had fallen into.
"BWAH!" Yu began to cough, having swallowed the water in surprise when he fell in.
"Geez…what are you doing out so late?" Alma inquired.
"Don't tell me you followed me again!?" Yu was quick to accuse.
"N-no, I didn't!" Alma defended himself, "I was just eating a snack and reading a book!"
"What is this, your room!? Where's the woman?"
"Eh?"
"I JUST SAW A WOMAN RIGHT THERE!" When Yu went to look at where he saw that woman, she no longer was where he saw her. "She's gone…?"
"A woman?" Alma thoughtfully asked, "Could it be—ouch!"
Yu's attention reverted back to Alma, who was now clutching his arm in pain…or at least what was left of his arm.
"Haha…sorry…I forgot I was still weak after all that synchro testing…" The shorter-haired boy admitted, "Are you alright, Yu?"
"I'm perfectly—" As he stood, his own arm fell off from his body, and the boy screamed a well resounding profanity.
They decided it would be pointless to continue, so they sat beside each other to rest a little bit. "I bet everyone's asleep…we should wait here until we heal." Alma said as they made themselves comfortable.
"What did you mean 'could it be'?" Yu queried, catching the other off-guard. "You said it earlier, when I mentioned the woman. Do you know her?"
"Ah!" Alma appeared to understand what the other was talking about, "Just thought it might be a ghost is all."
"I'VE HAD ENOUGH." Yu scowled, ready to leave, only to have his hair pulled back by Alma, thus preventing his escape.
"Don't get mad! There really are ghosts here!" Alma explained himself. "It's called Fou, and it supposedly looks like a cute girl!"
"…Fou?"
"See, when I was crying because Synchro-testing was so painful…ah!" Alma looked to the other, curious as he spoke his next words, "Could it be you were crying Yu?"
"I WAS NOT!" Yu denied.
"Eh~? Were you comforted by her~?"
"I said I wasn't!" Full of anger, and perhaps embarrassment of being called out that he'd been crying, Yu had kicked the other Exorcist in the gut, sending him falling to the ground. "Don't get so friendly! You make me sick! Always smiling like an idiot!"
The words said by Yu angered Alma, and he kicked the younger in retaliation. "You're one to talk! Always scowling like a pessimist!"
"What'd you say!?"
"And here I was thinking I'd made a new friend! Too bad you're such a killjoy!"
Jackets were removed, as Yu threatened the other, "Try saying that again!"
"Heh! I'll say it a million times if I have to!" Alma screamed out, readying to punch the other male's lights out. "YOU LITTLE PESSIMIST!"
Their fists collided, and blood began to spurt from wounds that hadn't closed completely.
Both boys were in pain as they fell to the floor. Yu on his back, Alma on his font. "T-Time out…" Yu muttered.
"I agree…" Alma muttered, not having any more energy to continue.
Silence feel between them, before Alma began a bout of giggles.
Giggles became laughter between the two boys before me.
This world is dark…and it's so hard to breathe…but in this instant, when I laughed along with you…
"Quit laughing, Alma you creep." Yu's words were no longer cruel.
"Shut up pessimist." Alma returned in good nature. "I can't help it, we're bleeding like crazy!"
I felt that breathing just got a little more easier.
The memory was a pleasant one…at least this moment in time.
However, it was only days/193 days later…
That Yu /I destroyed Alma/you.
... ... ... ...
Welcome to the feels train express. We have everything you could possibly need from band-aids for broken/breaking hearts, tissues, chocolate, ice cream...whatever you need, we have it available on your one-way express to somewhere! Enjoy your ride.
I couldn't resist for some reason...anyway, I never have tried incorporating a third person perspective through a first-person experience. Did I do that alright? Lemme know~ and hey while you're at it, don't forget to show this story some love by favoriting! Be sure you follow so you never miss a new chapter when it goes live, as of now, I'm actually working on chapter 61! (Yes, I'm that far ahead for now...but I'll still be keeping it once a month for the time being...)
Well, until next time, I'll see you all again on...
Clean Slate!
