I'm back with the sixth chapter, and the story is still advancing really well. I even know the end already!
Answer: Then again, Komui's reaction is in this very chapter!
I hope you enjoy, for however is reading this!
I snapped my eyes open when cold air hit my skin. Groaning a little as a splitting headache started, I looked up and saw Lavi smiling down at me.
"Hey, Sleeping Beauty is awake at last" he grinned.
"Shut up" I muttered, rubbing my eyes. "What happened? Where are we?"
"Outside the castle. Krory is packing his things and we're waiting for him" Allen answered, crouching next to me. "How're you feeling?"
"Hungry"
They both laughed at that, and Allen handed me a few snack bar he had brought with him. I ate them in less than a minute, feeling better. Still hungry, of course, but I wouldn't faint this time around.
"What happened?" I asked again.
"Crow-chan killed Eliade" said Lavi. "He's coming back with us to become an Exorcist. Komui agreed and guess what? You'll have one nice earful waiting for you once we go back"
"Hurray" I muttered, sitting up.
Suddenly, there was an explosion, making us jump. My eyes widened in fright as flames devoured the remains of the castle.
"Did Mister Krory just…" I couldn't finish my sentence.
"What are these faces?" chuckled a voice coming from the fire.
A figure walked out, soon revealed to be Krory alive and well, if not looking a little worn out.
"Don't scare us like that" I breathed, relieved. "Espèce de malade, me donner une crise de cœur comme ça…"
"Let's go back to the village" proposed Allen.
"Hey, Bookboy!" I called, lifting my arms. "Piggyback ride?"
He snorted, but crouched down nonetheless.
"Yes!" I cheered, climbing on his back.
He got up, and I snuggled a little closer into his back.
"I'm tired… and hungry…" I mumbled.
"Don't forget a complete idiot too" he muttered. "Scaring us like that back there. You can't just faint when you want too, and even less when you're trapped by evil man-eating flowers, you know"
"So sorry for not calling ahead" I drawled.
He simply chuckled, and we walked back to the village in utter silence.
We came back to the inn, where I ate as much as I could (I think I emptied the kitchens, but anyway) before we split for the night. The boys went back to their rooms with Krory, and I went back to mine.
I fall asleep as soon as I hit the bed, my hand clenched around my necklace.
Next morning came. I was well rested, my injury had healed over night, and my head wasn't pounding anymore. I was still full from the… hum, lunch, from last evening, so I didn't bother with breakfast, and gathered all my things, careful as to not turn on my Golem. No way am I facing Komui right now.
I then went downstairs to wait for the boys, who arrived shortly after that.
"Hey Kiddo, Bookboy, Krory!" I beamed at them.
"Feeling okay, Tenshi?" asked Lavi.
"Never been better" I assured. "Ready to leave this dump? No offense, Krory"
He simply shrugged, but never met my eyes. I frowned a little at that.
"He feels bad about everything that happened" whispered Allen in my ear as we made our way to the train station.
"Oh. I'll talk to him once on the train then. And wh-"
"Monster!"
"Vampire!"
"Get out of here!"
We turned in time to see Lavi and Krory surrounded by a bunch of angry villagers.
Annoyed, I pushed my way trough the crowd to stand beside our new recruit.
"What are these shenanigans all about?" I exclaimed, loud enough to be heard.
"This monster killed five of us!" yelled someone.
"Get him to burn with his castle!" yelled another.
"Krory is all but a monster, you filthy scum!" I yelled back, fists shaking. "He's now an Exorcist, a man like you ready to put his own life on the lign to save your sorry asses! So don't you fucking dare to call him a monster, because it makes you no better than those we destroyed not even a day ago! Bande de vicieux enfoirés! Attendez que je vous fasse la peau, espèce de mollusques décérébrés de mon-"
An hand was placed on my shoulder, and I lifted my eyes to met Krory's gentle ones.
"It's fine, Aryane. Let's just go" he said quietly.
I nodded, and the crowd opened as we made our way to the station.
"Sorry for loosing my temper" I sighed. "I just… I can't stand when people are so ungrateful!"
"It's part of the job, Tenshi" replied Lavi, ruffling my hair. "But nice outburst anyway. A little more and I'd have done it myself. Also, I still don't get everything you spout in French, but it's funny as hell"
I rolled my eyes, and we finally got on the train.
Sitting next to the window, everything was silent for a few minutes, before I realized that Krory seemed to be getting more and more nervous as time passed by, his eyes shifting to each five seconds.
"Hey, Krory. I'll go stretch my legs a little. Want to come with me?" I proposed with a smile.
He nodded, a little stiff, and we passed through a few wagons before I leaded us at the last one and opened the door leading outside. Then, I sat on the edge as the wind made my hair flew around my face.
Krory stayed a little behind, apparently struggling to find his words, and I smiled a little at that.
"You don't have to feel bad, you know. Back there, you considered us your enemies. It was your right to attack us" I remarked.
"… I bite you" he said quietly.
"You did" I hummed. "Pretty hard, at that. But hey, can't be helped, can it?"
"You tried to warn me, but I didn't listen. You were hurt because of me and almost got killed. I'm sorry"
"So what, I'm still alive, aren't I?" I lifted an eyebrow at him. "Trust me, it takes more than that to take me down. Plus, I know Eliade meant a great deal to you. And even though she was an Akuma, I can tell… in her own way, she cared a lot for you too. She had to die to be free, and I think she was glad it was to your hand"
"… I loved her" he admitted.
"And you won't ever stop" I retorted. "But you have to honor her memory and fight for what you think is the right thing. In this war… we won't be able to go through without casualties for both sides. Hell" I scoffed. "I don't expect to reach my thirties, seriously"
"Don't say that" he frowned.
"It's true, though. Parasitic Type of Innocence shortens de lifespan of it's user. I'll be lucky if I get to twenty-eight" I replied. "But it's not important right now. What is is that even if we loose our allies, friends, family… we can't stop to fight. Because that would mean their deaths have been in vain, wasted. And that's the greatest disgrace you can offer them"
He stayed silent for a moment, and I let him organize his thoughts.
"You are quite wise, for your age" he finally remarked, in slight awe.
I snorted in a very unladylike manner.
"I'm not, I just had a lot of experience and time to think about it. Seriously, everyone will probably tell you I'm the most reckless Exorcist they ever had" I assured.
"Thank you" he offered me a little smile.
"No problem, Buffy" I patted his shoulder and got up.
He lifted an eyebrow, a little confused.
"Buffy?"
"I like to give my friends nicknames" I shrugged. "You'll figure it out sooner or later. I'll head for the restaurant, now. You can explore a little, we have a few hours before reaching our stop. Oh, and call me Ary. It's shorter" I winked, than walked inside.
Closing the door behind me, I smiled a little. He was so cute! He acted like a child who discovered everything for the first time…, which he probably was, now that I thought about it.
Suddenly, a familiar smell invaded my nose, making me drool.
"PIE!"
As I ate my eleventh part of pie (sugar), Allen and Lavi entered the wagon-restaurant, apparently searching for something.
"Hey, Ary! Have you seen Krory?" called the whitehead when he spotted me at a table.
"He's exploring" I shrugged. "We talked a little then I left him. Why?"
"He still hasn't come back" from Lavi. "You think he's lost?"
"Well… he did never took the train before" I swallowed. "I'll help you out. I'll search the front wagons and you see if he's still in the back, okay?"
"Aye aye, Captain!" they saluted in one movement, clearly mocking me.
For only answer, I threw some pie at them. They simply laughed, and I rolled my eyes.
"Just get on with it, you morons"
Still snickering, they went in the back, and I headed for the front. Quickly passing the wagons one after the other, I started worrying too. He was nowhere to be seen! To think he just disappeared.
Biting my lower lip, I opened another door, and nearly tripped on someone sitting behind it.
"Oi, what's the idea, id- Buffy? What are you… WHY ARE YOU IN YOUR UNDERWEAR?"
Someone arrived behind me, and I shot a look at Lavi and Allen, who seemed as surprised as I to see our new recruit playing cards in his underwear with three… hum, gentlemen, and a kid.
"Crow-chan, what happened?"
"T-they asked me to play something c-called poker… and it just went too fast…" he muttered, looking away.
I facepalmed at that, unable to help it. Trust our dear, little, naïve friend to play all his belongings in a game he didn't even knew the name before today.
"Oi, running away?" called one of them.
"You've already accepted the match, haven't you? If you're a man, stick with it until the end!" added the one who seemed the leader.
Allen suddenly handed over his coat, earning surprise looks.
"All the trimmings of this coat are made of silver" he assured. "If I wager this for all of our friend's belongings, will you care to have a match with me?"
"Allen, what are you…" started Lavi.
"Ooh, I want in too!" I beamed at them, taking a seat next to the one with a hat.
"H-hey, lady! That's not…" he started.
I shot him a glare, effectively shutting him up.
"I'll wager too, if you really want to know. What, too scared that I'll wipe your sorry asses?"
He quickly shook his head, and the one with the glasses chuckled, shuffling the cards.
"Now, now, play nice" he grinned, taking a smoke. "Who are we to deny a lady?"
I snorted at that, along with Lavi and Allen.
"Sir, I ain't a lady" I assured, waving my hand as if chasing a fly. "But I'll take the compliment nowadays. So, do we get this game started?"
"Call" I said with a smirk, laying down my cards.
"R-Royal Straight Flush…" the three men uttered, striping down to their underwear.
"Hey, Kiddo, you too!" I called to Allen.
"Ary, we're supposed to team up to get Krory's things back!" he whined.
"I don't care! I win it, I keep it!" I retorted, pulling my tongue at him.
The three man started whispering between them, apparently not understanding how I did it, and Allen let out an annoyed sight before handing me Timcanpy.
The Golem rubbed itself against my cheek, making me smile.
"Tenshi, I think that's enough now" called Lavi. "You won each and every game, and it'll be our stop soon"
"But I'm having so much fun!" I protested.
"Ary, even cheating, we can't win against you" huffed Allen, staring at his cards in an annoyed fashion. "Never managed too, and probably never will"
"In a way, it's a good thing, isn't it?" I remarked, scratching my head.
"What do you mean?" asked the one with the glasses, curious.
"There's this weird deal with her and cards games. She never loose a game, but when she does…" Allen shuddered, unable to finish his sentence.
"Something bad happens" ended Lavi. "Last time, she lost ten times in a row and there was a… hum, massacre, in the town near our home. The time before, the city was overflowed and dozens of people found themselves without a roof for weeks. And the time before that…"
"Okay, I think they get it" I cut. "Plus, it's not like I can tell what'll happen anyway. We just know it's something bad, depending on how many matches I loose in a row. Nothing big"
The three nodded, apparently stunned, and I snickered at their faces.
"Kirilenko Mines"
"That'll be us, then" remarked the one with long hair.
They gathered the cards as the train stopped, then stepped outside, still with nothing on the back. I shook my head, and peered outside the window.
"Hey, misters!" I called, gaining their attention.
I throw their belongings to them, which they caught.
"You forgot these" I smiled.
"We haven't sunk so low as to be pitied by you" called back the bespectacled one.
"I only wanted to get Buffy's things back" I shrugged, not really caring. "And have some fun while I was at it. Don't make a big deal out of it"
They quickly changed back, and the one with the hat chuckled a little.
"To be honest, we were kind of worried seeing as we were going to work outside today" he admitted sheepishly.
"Lesson learned: don't underestimate a woman" I grinned.
He grinned back, and the kid approached, extending his clenched fist. I bumped mine with his, and the leader laughed.
"No, Eeez, that's your treasure" he shook his head and the boy retreated his still clenched fist.
The train started moving again as he searched through his pockets, and he suddenly threw something at me. I caught it, and realized it was a deck of cards.
"Here! Now we're even!" he yelled as we went on our way.
"Sure thing! Good luck!" I waved until they were only black points in the away.
Someone tapped my shoulder, and I turned to see Allen.
"Can I have my things back too, now?"
"… no"
"W-what? Ary, come on! I can't go back to Headquarters like that!" he protested as Lavi laughed and Krory chuckled.
I thought for a moment.
"Okay. But I keep Timcanpy"
The little Golem settled more comfortably on my head as answer.
"See? He likes me more" I smirked.
"No he doesn't! Tim, come on here, buddy!"
The golden sphere didn't move, though, making Lavi's laugh double.
"Timcanpy!" whined Allen.
In the end, I handed back everything, but Timcanpy stayed with me for the rest of the trip, apparently a little mad his owner had wagered him in a poker game.
"Ahhh! Home sweet home!" I grinned when we reached the entrance of the Headquarters. "Hey, check the recruit so we can enter! I'm starving!"
"Scanning for intruders!" called the Guardian.
After a moment of tense silence, he started screaming.
"INTRUDER! ALLY OF THE EARL! INTRUDER!"
"Crap, he must have sensed the Akuma blood in him" remarked Lavi.
"Komui, just open the damn door before I kick it open myself!" I yelled at the camera, stomping my foot.
There was a buzz, then Komui's voice echoed.
"Sorry, sorry. We're opening now. I want all of you in my office A.S.A.P"
The Guardian finally shut up, and we managed to enter. We quickly made our way Komui's office and gave a fast tour of the place to Krory while we were at it, before finally getting to our destination.
I froze before the door, remembering just what exactly was waiting for me on the other side.
"You know what, guys? I'm kind of tired, I think I'm just going to take a nice little nap and come b- L- LAVI! PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT! LAVI! Repose moi maintenant ou je te jure que je vais te faire la peau, triple idiot!"
Up on his shoulder like a fricking potato bag, he opened the doors and walked in as I hit his back as hard as I could, in vain.
"Thanks for the massage, Tenshi!"
I could hear his smug smirk. Then, I smirked myself.
"Innocence: Activate. Feathered Blades"
The wings now on my back turning to pure steel, he struggled a second to keep his balance before his legs gave up under the sudden weight. I sat on his stomach, decided not to move an inch, and he groaned in annoyance when he realized that he just couldn't move.
"Tenshiiiiii" he whined.
"That'll teach you to throw me on your shoulder like a fucking potato bag" I retorted, crossing my arms. "Say 'Uncle'"
"Never!"
I peered over his face, a Cheshire grin on my face.
"Saaaaaay it" I rolled my tongue.
For good measure, I started tickling his side. His eye widened in fright.
"Okay, okay, I give! Uncle! Uncle!" he exclaimed.
Laughing, I got off of him before helping him up.
"That was just mean" he huffed, a pout on his lips.
"Aw, is wittle Lavi pouting?" I mocked, my mouth in a heart shape.
He whacked the back of my head but, before I could answer, someone cleared their throat.
Suddenly remembering just exactly where we were, I turned to Komui with a sheepish grin.
"Hey, Boss" I greeted. "Fancy seeing you here. So… how's life going?"
"Good, good" he nodded, placing his hands under his chin. "Everything perfect, really, except for this one tiny little detail about an Exorcist who just doesn't know how to obey straight orders, disappearing for days without giving any sign of life and getting captured after especially being told to not engage the target… you know, that sort of things"
"Well, ain't that interesting" I smiled shakily. "You know, I thing she's still missing. How about I go search for her? I'll take my leave immedia- HOLY SHIT!"
I barely avoided the coffee mug flying my way.
"YOU DISAPEAR FOR FOUR DAYS AND WENT SILENCE RADIO ALL ALONG, GETTING CAPTURED BY THE TARGET WHEN SPECIFICALLY TOLD NOT TO ENGAGE WITH HIM OR HAVE ANY SORT OF CONTACT WITH HIM!"
"IT WASN'T MY FAULT! HE ATTACKED ME FIRST, I WASN'T EVEN AT THE CASTLE YET! AND DAMN IT, STOP THROWING MUGS AT ME!"
"THAN STOP BEEING SO DAMN RECKLESS EVERY TIME YOU GET A SOLO MISSION! IT ALWAYS TURNS OUT LIKE THIS, WHY CAN'T YOU LEARN?"
"IT'S NOT AS IF I COULD CONTROL ALL THE FUCKING DRAMA! How's Lenalee, by the way?"
"Oh, she woke up two days ago AND DON'T YOU TRY TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT! YOU ARE GROUNDED!"
"YOU CAN'T GROUND ME, I'M SEVENTEEN, YOU CRAZY SISTER-COMPLEXED MORON!"
"I'M STILL YOUR BOSS! NO MISSION FOR TWO WEEKS!"
Unable to answer that, I simply stomped my foot on the paper-covered floor as silence etched in the office.
Then, Komui's stern face broke into a smile.
"Welcome home, Ary!"
"Glad to be back" I grinned back. "So, about these two weeks…"
"Make it one, but you're not allowed to leave the Headquarters"
I rolled my eyes at that. Trust Komui to act like an overprotective older brother even with me. There was a moment of silence again.
"Uh… what was that?" blinked Allen.
"The usual" shrugged Lavi.
"It was… quite intense" whispered Krory, wide eyes.
"Komui got this sister-complex with Ary too, just… not exactly the same as Lenalee's" cringed the redhead.
"I'll go see her now, I'll give my report later, okay? See you guys later!"
Waving, I then left the office, laughing when all the scientists sighed as one.
Yeah, it was good to be back.
So, some clarification for Ary's "ability". It's more for fun than anything else, really. They can't predict what, when, where and who with it, just the scale depending on how much games she lost. So, just for FUN. She can't see the future, and she never will be able too, I can assure that.
French traduction: "Sicker, giving me a heart attack like that..."
French traduction: "Bunch of fuckers! Just you wait, I'm going to skin you, decorebrate molluscs-"
French traduction: "Put me down right now or I swear I'm going to rip your limbs apart, triple idiot!"
Question: So, anyone can guess where the nickname 'Buffy' comes from?
Reviews, please, please, please, please, please!