CHAPTER TWENTY

When I awoke the next morning, Kanda and Mari were gone from the hotel room. As is custom for me, I felt a cold panic creep into my veins. I thought perhaps something terrible had happened to them. I shot out of bed and started fumbling around like a maniac, when I saw a piece of paper with Kanda's thin, scratchy handwriting on it.

Val,

Mari and I have gone out to scope the city.

We will be back soon.

Don't worry. Relax.

Kanda

I read and re-read the note. Of course Kanda knew me well enough to know that I would be worrying about them. It was impossible for us to have been friends for so long without him discovering my inability to not worry over tiny things.

My relationship with Kanda was something that I needed to think about. Things used to be so much simpler, when we were younger. Granted, even when we were young, we were old. War makes a child grow up fast, especially a child living in the Black Order, learning how to fight akuma and become an exorcist. When we were younger, I knew exactly where I stood with Kanda. He was my best friend, and I was his. There was no uncertainty on my part about my feelings for him.

Now, though, I wasn't quite so certain. Whenever Kanda came into a room I was in, I could feel my cheeks flush with heat and my palms would get sweaty. His occasional touches made my heart race and my breathing turn shallow. I anxiously awaited the next time he would put his arm around my shoulders.

I couldn't help but wonder if Kanda had similar feelings about me. With Kanda it was always so hard to tell, because of his stoic and withdrawn personality. There were some times when I thought maybe he had feelings for me, but he never acted on them, and I was always left unsure.

I tried to push thoughts of Kanda from my mind as I prepared for myself a steaming cup of green tea. I was busy drinking when the doorknob on our hotel room door started jiggling. I was up in a moment, my bow ready in my hand, aimed at the door.

The door opened.

"Put that away, baka."

"I thought you were an akuma."

"I could be. Maybe I'm like that Level Two that I fought in Mater that could make a mirror image," Kanda said as he took off his exorcist jacket. His arm was still in the sling, but it appeared not to cause him any pain.

"I brought breakfast," he said, tossing me a paper bag. I looked inside and found several pastries and traditional Spanish breakfast items. I reached into the bag and grabbed some food.

"Are you eating?" I asked, mouth full.

"I already did. It took forever, but I managed to discover some soba."

"You need to expand your food horizons."

"Che. All I need is soba."

"That's not particularly healthy for you."

"Do I look unhealthy to you?" Kanda scoffed. I laughed in reply and put the bag down on the table.

"Where's Mari?"

"I don't know. We split up during our search."

"Oh."
"He's fine, Val. Don't worry."

I nodded. Kanda went into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of tea. I watched him as he did. Every movement he made was incredibly graceful, and I wondered how it was possible. He moved with an incredible fluidity, so that it was as if he never stopped moving. This was probably why he was so deadly on the battlefield. He never missed a thing.

"Why are you staring at me?" he asked, as if to emphasize that point.

"I'm not staring."

"Yes you are," he said. I wondered how he knew, even though his back was turned. He turned around and walked over to the couch, sitting down on the side farthest away from me. I couldn't tell if he did it intentionally.

"I realize that my beauty is astounding, but there's really no reason to gawk at me."

I choked on my tea and was sent into a horrible fit of coughing. I could feel that my face was red, and I knew that it wasn't just from choking on my tea. Kanda was smirking on the other side of the couch.

"Th-th-that's not…I'm not…," I stammered, trying to form words but having no such luck. Kanda laughed through his nose.

"Relax, Val. I'm joking."

"Oh. I know," I said, even though what he had said about himself was true. I could feel my heartbeat gradually slowing to a normal pace.

"You are so gullible."

"I am not!" I cried indignantly.

"Sure you aren't. Tell yourself that Val." He continued to smirk at me.

"I will tell myself that, thank you very much." I made an attempt at sounding indifferent, and hoped that it worked. Unfortunately, I knew Kanda could see through any act that I tried. He didn't call me out on it this time, though. He chose instead to bring his tea cup to his lips and take a sip of tea.

I leaned back in my seat, resting my head on the back of the couch. I suddenly felt very tired. My arms felt heavy and it was proving difficult to keep my eyelids open. I let them fall shut.

"Taking a nap?"

"I'm just closing my eyes."

"Maybe I'll close my eyes too," Kanda said in a soft voice.

"I see."

"But your eyes are closed."

I opened my eyes with the pretense of hitting him on the shoulder. This thought was driven away, though, when I saw how close he was. His face was inches in front of mine.

"Not anymore," I whispered.

"You look like you haven't been sleeping well," he said. He leaned back, slouching in his seat.

"I've been fine."

"I've seen you tossing and turning in your bed at night. You mumble in your sleep."

I felt myself blushing. "It's nothing," I said.

"I don't believe you. Are you having nightmares again?"

I didn't say anything, just looked down at my cup of tea. I fiddled with the handle.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

"I didn't want to worry you."

I had been having the nightmare again ever since Daisya's funeral. It happened every night, where I would wake up gasping for breath. I was lucky that Kanda hadn't woken up at all these past few days that we were on the mission. I didn't want to risk him getting to worried too focus on the mission.

"You worry me more when I see you like this. It doesn't look like you've been eating much either."

"The dream's gotten worse."

Kanda's lipped pressed into a tight line. "Worse how?" he asked. I could see his body stiffening, and I knew he was getting worried and anxious.

"It goes farther. I think maybe I'm remembering more of that night."

"Valeriya! Come here," she called. I stopped playing with my dolls and ran over to my mom. She wrapped her arms around me and lifted my small body up. I curled my arms around her neck and she ran with me.

"Alena! It's that man! He's here. Hide Val!" my father called to mom. She was crying, tears dripping from her face and into my hair. I started to cry too.

"Mommy! What's going on?" I asked.

"Shh, Val. I need you to be quiet. Stay in here and don't come out until he's gone," she said, opening the closet in the living room. She set me down and closed it behind her. I sat down amid the shoes and coats. Through a hole in the wood I watched.

Mom stood clutching Dad's arm. He was holding her awkwardly. Then he came in. He was a dark shadow, a form that I could not make out. He raised a hand and spoke in a hoarse whisper.

"Are you aware of an organization known as The Black Order?" he asked.

"Please, sir, we don't know what that is. What do you want from us?"

"The Black Order is an organization that specializes in the...ah...disposal of demons. They work to fight against the Millennium earl and the Clan of Noah."

"We don't know anything about this Black Order. Please, we just want to continue living our normal life. I know we were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Who are you?"

"I am Tyki Mikk, the Noah of Pleasure. I am a disciple of the Millennium Earl."

My parents were holding each other, my mothers eyes dripping with tears. Tyki Mikk sat down in an armchair, leaning back and delicately crossing his legs.

"I'm not in any hurry, and I'm rather enjoying this little chat, so I might as well tell you who the Earl is. Any objections?"

My parents said nothing. A smirk graced Mikk's face.

"The Millennium Earl. To some, he may appear to be like God. He can bring your loved ones back from the dead, but not without a price. They become only shells of the person, without any real skin or feeling. However, the Millennium Earl can't have skeletons walking around the town, now can he?"

"I don't understand," said my mom.

Mikk smiled hugely, obviously entertained. "The Millennium Earl tricks people mourning for their loved ones into resurrecting them. These resurrected people then become Akuma that the Earl can control. The Millennium Earl plans to lead the world to its death."

"How about I make you a deal? Would that be of interest to you? I can tell that you seem fairly intelligent, so I'm hoping you'll make the right decision. What do you say?"

"What kind of deal?"

"Join the Earl. Become a supporter of his cause." Tyki Mikk reclined in his chair, smiling largely. His teeth were white as pearls.

"No. This man sounds like a terrible person. We want nothing to do with you or this 'Millennium Earl'. Get out! Get out of my house!" my father yelled. Mikk's smile vanished, replaced by a hard look. I thought that maybe my parents had won. I was devastatingly wrong.

"It would be my pleasure to leave. I know the way out." My father visibly relaxed at his statement. I was sure he had expected some kind of fight on Mikk's part.

Mikk stood up, smoothing his suit. "But I won't be leaving just yet. You two have seen far too much. And now that you choose not to join with the Earl, I'm afraid that you know too much. I'm so sorry that it has to be this way." His words were insincere and he smiled a smile that reached his ears. I started crying softly. Then he moved so quickly I couldn't see how it happened, but suddenly my parents crumpled to the ground, dead. A single cry escaped my throat. The man turned and smiled hugely again. His golden eyes were on the closet and he started walking forward.

The closet door opened and I could see the man. He was tall and had dark skin, with crosses on his forehead.

"Well what's this?" he said. I cringed and pushed myself backward. He opened his hand, and I saw a butterfly materialize there.

"Please," I begged, wishing nothing more than to curl up next to my parent's lifeless bodies. "Please."

"Such a cute little girl. I'll spare you, for now. And who knows, I might come back sometime to see if you are smarter than your parents. Mine was an offer most beneficial. Until next time, little girl," he said. Then he was gone, disappearing through the wall.

Kanda was silent after I finished my story. I was shaking, upset over the intensity of my dream. Kanda seemed not to have any reaction to what I had told him. He was just sitting there, silent. I waited with bated breath for him to say something, anything.

He opened his mouth like he was about to say something, but he just as quickly closed it again.

"Kanda? Say something. Please."

He looked at me, his eyes intense. "I love you."

Sorry for the long wait. I hope I can post again soon, except I don't really know where I'm going with this story from here. Writer's block. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, please review!