Just as Kanda had said, he, Mugen, and Allen went out to the woods each day. Each time Kanda would make note of their location on a map, and each trip got longer and longer. Soon they were out in the woods at night, only the light from a lantern to guide them.
"Kanda…" Allen meekly called out upon stopping. Said man huffed and pulled gently on Mugen's reins to get her to halt.
"What?"
"I don't know…Just suddenly overcome with a bad feeling." Allen states with his gaze raking over the foliage around them.
"A bad feeling?" Kanda wants to scoff but only goes for a small sneer, "Maybe its this damn wisp things you swear are real."
"They are real! And no this is something else…" Allen stamps a hoof, but makes no other irritated movements. It only takes Mugen to softly whinny that Kanda starts to accept this "bad feeling" the centaur is worrying over.
"What is it?" Kanda pats the side of his horse's neck in comfort.
"Turn out the lantern." Allen suddenly orders. When Kanda goes to question, Allen only repeats himself. Swayed by the other's odd behavior Kanda brings up the lantern and blows out its flame. As the darkness creeps thanks to the light's banishment Kanda and Allen are greeted by a strange noise.
"It sounds like the flapping of wings." Allen comments almost under his breath.
"Not those of a bird." Kanda makes sure that he has a good grip on the sword at his side. That's when the pair spots movement. A glowing purple light that seemed to be surrounding a creature.
"A dead-eater butterfly." Allen hisses once he realizing what he's looking at. Kanda is quick to turn his head to the centaur.
"Dead-eater butterfly? That's not a myth I recall the rabbit raving about before." Allen gave no reply as the butterfly continued to flutter about. Soon more joined the first and Mugen was visibly growing uncomfortable. So when Allen breaks off into a canter, without Kanda's lead, Mugen follows after him. When hooves slow to a trot Kanda goes to growl and shout.
"The fuck Moyashi?" He spits out.
"Akuma." Allen murmurs, "One kind of many that are under the command of a horrid being. A demon of a poacher that hunts after myths of all kinds. The sign of a dead-eater butterfly is a bad one. They are particular for devouring hearts of the dead and dying." A shutter goes through the centaurs body and his one arm wraps around his torso in a ways of comfort.
"…Is this, poacher, possibly looking for you?" Kanda questions with his earlier anger now cooled.
"Most likely…but why? How would he have known I got separated from the herd? For the herd itself is protected from the preying eyes of his akuma." Allen starts to circulate around Mugen nervously. Kanda frowns and dismounts from his mare. A cautious hand finds the centaurs flank.
"Calm down, panicking gets us nowhere." He slightly scoffs.
"Says the human who doesn't understand the complications akuma bring." Allen growls and pulls away from the man.
"The same human whose saved your damn hide once already! Damn it…let's just get back to the house. Something tells me I have to speak to a mutual friend of ours." Kanda turns his back to Allen and crosses his arms tightly over his chest.
"You keep saying Lavi's loose lipped, but he seems like a good friend and he promised not to tell." Allen pouts as he realizes he's being quite rude to his companion.
"Not everyone is a saint you innocent pony." Kanda shakes his head and huffs, "If someone tickled his fancy and slipped him enough to drink nothing in that brain of his is safe, unless it was about his family or himself. Some friend, tsk."
"You could still put more faith in him." Allen whines, and Mugen raises her head as if taking his side on this matter. Kanda rolls his eyes and goes over to the saddle-bag that Mugen's been carrying to pull out his map and notebook.
"Any clue where we are at?" He asks the centaur.
"I've already told you I could get lost in an open field." Allen sighs.
"Right." Kanda sighs as well and continues to grumble under his breath. Mugen snorts and headbutts her rider in the back. While not taking his eyes off the map, Kanda reaches up to pet the mare along her neck. There is then a twinkle of blue light in the distance and it quickly catches Allen's attention.
"More akuma?" Kanda questions.
"No," Allen shakes his head, "Blue light is a good thing. Follow me." Deciding not to argue, Kanda puts his things back in the saddle-bag and with Mugen at his side they follow right behind Allen. The closer to the light they got, the more Kanda could swear he heard the sound of fairies; that or giggling children, he prays its not children.
"Aren't they beautiful Kanda?" Allen circles back around to be at the human's side. Just ahead Kanda could see what the centaur was getting at and his eyes grew wide. "I told you the wisps were real." Just as Allen made his point the one wisps sudden darted away, a trail of blue left in its path. From this blue path more wisps seemed to come into fruition, each a giggling mess.
"Hold on…why is that one yellow?" Kanda pointed out as a different colored wisps drew close.
"I don't know. I haven't seen a yellow before either." Allen held out his hand to the wisp to see what it would do. The little wisp jumped into the centaur's hand and bounced about in what could only be explained as joy.
"It likes you." Kanda snorts softly; Mugen copying his actions.
"Hello little one. Are you and your friends showing us a way out of the forest?" A chirp-like noise is the response given and the yellow wisp goes back to the others.
"After you I guess." Kanda mutters and goes to mount back on Mugen; ever glad she wasn't freaking out over all this. As they follow the wisps the yellow one bounces along side them despite how the others disappear after being passed. This goes on until a clearing can be noticed after a line of trees.
"Thank you friend." Allen offers his hand once more to the yellow wisp; now the only one around. The wisp twirls in the centaur's palm before it goes over to Kanda and swirls around his head.
"Thanks." Kanda mutters out, though in a language Allen did not understand. Nevertheless the wisp seemed to accept his word, finally fading away like its brethren.
xxx
With Mugen and Allen settled in the stable Kanda was all too ready to fall onto his bed. However, a certain redhead was on the long-haired man's porch.
"I was hoping to speak to you tomorrow, I am not in the mood tonight." Kanda growls lightly as he inches closer. But when Lavi met Kanda's gaze, something did not seem right. The mischievous twinkle in the other's green eye was not present.
"We have to get Allen home, find it before they do." Lavi states all too quietly.
"They?" Kanda can't help but settle a glare on the other. Lavi brings a hand up to his own face and runs a finger just under his good eye.
"A charmer this last guy. Such a sweet little niece he introduced me to." Lavi murmured and bowed his head.
"What are you getting at rabbit?" Kanda comes up to grab Lavi by the collar.
"Black butterflies and cats." Lavi puts one of his own hands over Kanda's. "They're watching…" He gets in almost too quietly for Kanda to make out. At this point Kanda could see a familiar yellow light just by the stable.
"He's safe, for now. Shouldn't be too much longer." Kanda whispers back to the redhead. Then like a switch was flipped Lavi is all smiles.
"Say bud can I stay with you tonight? I totally don't have a way back to my own place and its so late." He looks to Kanda with puppy-dog eyes and a pout. Kanda scowls, but understands the situation.
"You get the couch got it? Unannounced house guests don't deserve the guest room."
"But Yu!" Lavi whines and earns himself a jab in the ribs.
xxx
"Awwww the little bunny got away from us. Guess we're going to have to get to work quicker than expected." A child-like voice can be heard, but only the dim light of candle can be seen.
"Worry not Road, we will get our hands on what we seek, one way or another. He did come across my butterflies today after all, he is already aware we are here"
"Still its no fun this way Tyki! Plus those stupid wispy-thingies are always helping him!"
"That can be handled. Just make sure your magic is at its peak, we're going to need it."
"Fine, sure, whatever." And like that the candle's light goes out.