Chapter 3
A/N: This is Chapter 3 of my -man fic. I hope you all enjoy it. Leave a review and let me know if I need to fix something.
It's unfair that the sun rises and the next day is filled with life while I sit in this gloomy room thinking about the family that I lost. Why? Why was my family, a family who praised God and his deeds, the ones who were taken? It's not fair. But I guess that's the way things are right? Life isn't fair. What a morose way of living. All the hopes and dreams I had were taken and now all I'm left with is a broken husk of the person I used to be. What's the point of going on? I should have died in that house with my parents and Alan.
I am broken out of my thoughts as Dr. Jacobs knocks lightly on my door and brings in a tray with bland oats on it. I grimace at the thought of forcing another serving of Madame Donovans food down my throat. It's ironic that I just thought about how pointless it was that I lived and yet I'm scared of the thought of starving to the point that I will eat that disgusting gruel. Dr. Jacobs must have noticed my face because he gave me a sad smile and set the tray down. He quickly checked my vitals gave me a fatherly pat on the shoulder and then turned to walk out. Before he can even touch the handle on the door I stop him with a question.
"When can I leave?" Dr. Jacobs turns to me.
"Physically you are fine, so I suppose you could leave any time you want. However, you have no where to go do you? Why don't you just stay here until things have settled and you can get back on your feet." He is such a hopeful man. I suppose he doesn't have a reason to not have hope. I grunt as I go to stand.
"I want to go home. I need to see it for myself." I say. Dr. Jacobs is quick to open the door and hustle down the hall. It's a matter of seconds before Madame Donovan comes rushing down the hall carrying a bundle of fabric in her arms.
"Here dearie, Mrs. Roswald sent some dresses for you." She says as she hands the bundle to me. It's a nice soft black cotton dress with a matching corset and some undergarments.
"Do you need any help?" Madame Donovan asks.
"No." I turn my back on the door and set the dress down on the bed. I hear the door shut and I glance over my shoulder to find Madame Donovan gone. I sigh as I shed the dirty brown dress I had been wearing the night of the attack as well as my undergarments. I walk over to the water basin by the window and pour some cold water into the bowl. I grab a small towel that was sitting on the table and I use it to wash my body as best as I could. I walk back to the bed and begin pulling on my undergarments. First underwear and then my bra. I slip the cotton dress over my head and straighten it on my hips. I grab the corset and loosely lace the back of it up and then I step into it. I pull it up over my hips and onto my waist and then I begin to tighten it. Once I manage to tie it off I walk to the door and open it. I step into the hall and to my surprise Madame Donovan is waiting for me with a traveling clock and her hat.
"I'll go with you. Just in case." She says with a small smile. I can't help but to smile back and give her a hug. Madame Donovan may be a terrible cook, but she was also an understanding person.
"Thank you Mrs. Donovan. You really don't have to, but I appreciate it none the less." I say as I step back. She smiles again and we both turn and walk to the main room. We pass by Dr. Jacobs as we make our way out the front door and begin our walk to where my family home once stood. It wasn't a long walk per say. But it felt like a life-time. As we round the bend I see the charred remains of my families once grand colonial home.
"Five generations." I say as I stare at the pile of rubble. "Five generations of my family were born and raised in that house." A stream of tears begin to fall.
"I had hoped it was all a bad dream." I sob as I turn to Madame Donovan. She quickly rushes to me and envelops me in a warm embrace. We stand there for a moment in our own little world when the sound of footsteps catches my attention. I look over towards the path and notice a figure walking towards Mrs. Donovan and me. It was a younger looking gentleman who was wearing a pair of overalls and a patched shirt.
"Can I help you?" I ask him as I take a step away from Mrs. Donovan and wipe my tears. I turn towards the stranger. The man doesn't answer, he simply allows an oddly wide smile to stretch across his face. Something about him seems familiar, though I know I have never met this man before. I take a quick step back and I grab Mrs. Donovan's hand. Just as I look to tell her we should leave I catch movement from the tree line beside me. I whip my head over as Froi Tiedoll walks out of the woods.
"Good Morning." He says gently as he walks up to us. He pats my head as he smiles. Then he turns and places himself in between us and the stranger.
"It's not very nice to prey on unsuspecting ladies….Akuma."He says as he pulls something out of his satchel. "I'm afraid I will have to dispose of you." The next minute is a blur of white light and screeching explosions. At some point during that minute Madame Donovan had fallen to her knees and started praying. Even after the light had faded I stood there shocked. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, if my house is really gone and that night wasn't a bad dream, then the monsters I saw that night would be real as well.
"I am sorry for following you without permission. However, as a new accommodator, you will be targeted by Akuma. I couldn't let you go off without protection." Tiedoll says as he turns and walks towards us.
I am speechless as both Mrs. Donovan and Tiedoll lead me back to town. The second we step on the main street Mrs. Donovan glances at Tiedoll and I and then hustles off to the church. Likely to pray as well as to seek comfort from Father McGregor. I am stuck in a daze as Tiedoll leads me the rest of the way to Dr. Jacobs building. He walks me through the door, up the stairs and into my room. He sits me down on the bed and then grabs the water pitcher and a glass that was sitting on the side table. He pours a glass and hands it to me before setting the pitcher down and taking a seat. He sits there for a moment before reaching into his bag and grabbing a drawing pad and some charcoal. I come back from my dazed state and stare at the man as he traces something on the pad.
"Your not going to ask me to join you again?" I interrupt his drawing. He glances up at me and then back to his pad.
"It hasn't been three days." He says as he resumes his sketching. I scoff, stand and walk to the window. I glance down at the busy street.
"Regardless of whether I go with you or not. I will still be targeted by those things, won't I?" I ask him. I hear him take a deep breath. I glance over my shoulder to see him set the drawing pad on my bed before he looks at me.
"Tara, I told you last night that you were chosen by God. Akuma are created by the millennium earl to spread chaos and darkness in the world. The power that was bestowed upon you is their only threat and they will do anything in order to kill all who have the power to use it regardless of whether that person fights them." He says in a somber tone.
"So when you told me I had a choice. You were lying." I say as I turn to face him fully.
"No, you have a choice." I scoff.
"Yeah to go with you or to stay here until the next one of those monsters comes to kill me." He sighs and stands.
"Tara, the innocence merged with your body. That makes you a parasite type accommodator. Which means that a normal Akuma may not be able to kill you. And while I can not say for certain what will happen. I can tell you that even if you can not be hurt or killed by them, the people around you can." I deflate and walk to my bed and sit down. I catch a glimpse of his drawing pad and I see the outline of a woman standing before a burning house.
"So if I stay here, then I endanger everyone that lives in this town?" I ask as I glance up at him. He gives me a sad look before nodding. With that simple gesture my decision is made for me. I can't in good conscious stay here knowing that I will attract more of those monsters. I sigh and stand up.
"I'll need some things before we leave." I say as I walk to the door with as much courage as I could.
Informing Dr. Jacobs of my plan to leave with Tiedoll was hard. However, he eventually sighed before patting my shoulder and nodding. After leaving his building my next stop was Mrs. Roswalds clothing shop. Once I told her of my plans she grabbed a cloth traveling bag and put in three pairs of her finest trousers and her 3 of her finest shirts. She handed me another pair of trousers and a shirt and told me to go change. They were simple and practical clothes. I walk out and I hand the dress and corset to Mrs. Roswald. She immediately packed them in the bag with the other clothes.
"Every young lady needs at least 2 fine dresses." She says with a soft smile. I smile back.
"How much for everything?" I ask.
"Not a single penny. Think of it as a going away gift." She said. I heard that several more times, when I stopped at the cordwainers, the bakery, the general store, and the flower shop. My final stop was at the bank. When I walked through the door I saw Mr. Morris standing behind the counter with a stack of bills beside him.
"Word travels fast." He said as I approached the counter.
"I pulled enough money out of your families account for you to get by for a few months. When you get to wherever it is your going send a telegraph and I will have the rest transferred to the bank there. Okay?" He said as he hands the stack to me.
"Thank you Mr. Morris. Although I do not know how long it will be." I say as I put the bills into my rucksack. I hear Tiedoll approach.
"The nearest bank will be in London. I contacted my employer and they will send someone to open an account for her under the name Tara Middleton." Tiedoll says. "You should receive a telegraph in a couple of days. With that said I gave Mr. Morris one last smile before I turned and walked out of the building. Tiedoll didn't ask me any questions as I made my way out of town and towards the remains of my home. Once I had made it to my chosen destination, the same clearing with the wisteria tree, I placed the flowers against the tree.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I won't be there when the town holds your funeral. I know that you will be looking down on me from Heaven. Alan, you cheer me on up there! Your older sister is going to learn how to fight the real monsters in the world." I say out loud. "I love you all, and it hurts so much that you are no longer here. But I know that you will always be with me, and I will never forget you." I finish as I turn to Tiedoll. He is standing behind me with a tear in his eye.
"I'm ready." I say. And with that our journey begins.
The first week of our journey was a learning curve. It took some time getting used to Tiedoll's tendency to stop and draw landscapes. It also took some time to get used to his unorthodox training style.
'Why on earth do I need to meditate every morning and night' I think to myself as I settle on my sleeping roll for the night. I've asked the man multiple times but he simply says I need the peace of mind.
'Peace of mind to do what? Not murder him?' I think. I close my eyes and am about to drift to sleep when I hear Tiedoll come back.
"Tara! Pack up the camp I found a better spot! And it has the most wonderful view." He says with a smile as he grabs his pack. I glare at him.
'AGAIN?! This is the third time he's done this!' I yell in my head.
It took 6 months for me to get used to Tiedoll's way of life. In that time I have learned quite a lot about him and the Black Order. I know he has three other students who are now full-fledged Exorcists. I also know he holds one of the highest ranks attainable, a General.
"Who would have thought that this quack was one of the highest ranking officers?" I mutter
"Hm? Did you say something?" Tiedoll glances over his shoulder to look at me.
"N..no" I stutter with a little blush.
It was just after the first year mark when Tiedoll suddenly stopped and whipped around to look at me.
"When is your birthday?" He asks with all seriousness.
"Uh…May 23rd?" I say as he pales.
"And how old are you?" He asks.
"16. Why?" I ask
"I missed your first birthday with me! I can't believe I forgot!" He cries as he drops to his knees. Needless to say, after this he never forgot my birthday. I always woke up with a little gift tucked under the flap of my rucksack. I tried to reciprocate but for the first two years I was with him, the stubborn old man refused to tell me his birthday. It wasn't until I let it slip that he reminds me of my father that he finally told me it was April 19th. After that our relationship changed. He began to treat me more like a daughter and less like a student.
It was my 17th birthday when Tiedoll surprised me with the biggest gift he had gotten me. It was a beautiful black bow staff. That had delicate little carvings on it. As a way to celebrate both of our birthdays we stayed in Paris for a week. While there I got to practice fighting Akuma under the watchful eye of Tiedoll. It was the day before our planned departure when I decided I needed some new clothes. So, I made my way to one of the major markets. I got some strange looks when the people noticed I was wearing clothes that were better suited for men. I decided to get some more trousers and shirts. I had the seamstress cut and hem the pant legs to be a tighter fit to allow easier mobility and aerodynamism. She did as requested but grimaced the entire time. And remembering words, I also stopped in a dress shop and bought two dresses with matching corsets. Once I had gotten all of the clothes I thought I would need I began my walk back to the inn that we were staying in. On my way I passed by a little are supply store and I decided to browse through it before finally returning to the inn. I bought Tiedoll a new drawing pad and some more charcoal. I was heading up to the counter when I saw a beautiful flute. It had been so long since I had played, my urge to have it won me over and I ended up purchasing it as well. Needless to say Tiedoll woke up the next day to me playing a flowing melody with a package at the foot of his bed.
"Focus Tara! Remember you are using the words as a conduit, not as the weapon itself!" Tiedoll called out to me as I stood before two Akuma. I took a deep breath and tightened my focus on the enemy. I gripped my bow staff tighter and held it out in front of my body.
"Wanton powers in this staff yield, penetrate that which would shield." I called out as a soft green glow encompassed my staff. I took another breath before widening my stance and I began to twirl my staff above my head.
"Seven chakras, open and bright, cleanse the soul and feed the light!" I called as seven small shining arrows appeared before the Akuma on the left, the arrows shot into the Akuma's round body hitting where I estimated the seven chakra points to be. I used the following explosion as the distraction I needed to charge at the second Akuma. As I approached the body I leaped to avoid any shots it may take. While I was above its head I swung my staff down and hit its head completely decimating it. I had just landed when the body exploded behind me. I gave my staff two spins before tapping it on the ground and turning to look at Tiedoll. He had a large smile on his face as he walked towards me. When he reached my side he put a hand on my shoulder.
"Its hard to believe its been four years already." I said.
"And in that time you have become a fine young woman." Tiedoll's smile softened and tears filled his eyes. "You're ready." At the point I knew, tomorrow would be a hard day. I would once again be saying goodbye to family. Although this goodbye would be more like a see you later.
"In the morning you will be making your way to the Black Order Headquarters." Tiedoll said as he moved his hand up to pat my head.
I had separated from Tiedoll a week ago and in that time I have run into three Akuma. All three were easy to dispatch. In the moments when my mind wasn't focused on the road or on any Akuma I would think of Tiedoll.
'I hope he eats regularly. He better not forget just because he was drawing.' I think as I make my way through the darkened streets of small city. My mind, which is drifting through the clouds, suddenly comes rushing back into laser focus as I hear the sound of some familiar explosions. I rush forward towards a small church and its cemetery. I notice a group of people standing in the cemetery. A young boy wearing roller skates, a lady in a black dress with long black hair in pigtails beside her is a man in a tan hooded coat with bandages around his lower face. In front of them is a young man with white hair and a distorted arm. Standing across from the group of humans is a large figure that looks more like a demon then a human. It wore a top hat and glasses and had on a large white trench coat. Beside the strange creature stood was an Akuma. I let all other thoughts leave me as I rush towards the gate. Just as I am about to enter the cemetery the large man flew up into the sky until the moon became his backdrop. He held his umbrella up and from behind him the unmistakable forms of 19 Akuma appeared.
A/N: So I hope you all enjoy the story. I left you on a little bit of a cliffhanger so I apologize for that. However, you will not have to wait long for the next chapter. Let me know what you all think. I think its pretty obvious but we have also merged into Canon territory.