Disclaimer: Don't own D. Gray-Man, never will.
Special Thanks To
The awesome beta-reader , All who reviewed, All who faved, All who subscribed, All who voted and All who reads
Chapter 12 already!
Promotional ads here: AU DGM Fanfic, Serus Crucis Academy, Story id: 6685125; my 100 Themes Challenge, story id: 6733570
This chapter is very…I don't know. It's supposed to explain a lot of things but you get more confused after you read it. Just bear with the confusion for now. It'll become clear later on. I think I confused myself. The thing is, I have this plot planned out but I'm having trouble remembering what you guys know and not know. So if you do not understand something, ask me so I'll know if I missed out on any crucial details.
Also, since this chapter made the plot so vague, any guesses on the plotline are welcome! Tell me your guesses, I want to know!
Follow me on Twitter! (Name: Kavilene, see my profile)
Desdemona looked up. The moon is so large. This world…it's unlike reality. Where is she? She looked around. She was standing on what seemed like the water's surface. But above her, another water's surface rippled. There was nothing around her, just darkness.
Above her, above the upper water's surface, was a forest. The world was black there, there was a white forest around the water and a large, white moon. She looked down, the lower world was white. For as far as she could see, it was just ruins…ruins of buildings. A familiar building. She doesn't remember. The moon there was black against a white sky.
There's no one around.
She doesn't need anyone. Everyone who she could depend on is gone. She will not depend on anyone else, for fear of losing them too. She would depend on herself and only herself, that way, if she should fall away, she's got nothing to lose. Nothing to grieve. Nothing to keep her will of survival going. She wasn't supposed to exist anyway. She was always the extra one…the one that's not supposed to be. For that reason, she had always thought that under normal circumstances Bidelia would've abandoned her. Chase too, it would be normal for him to hate her. But they didn't…
She doesn't care. She didn't understand why she bothered to take so much effort to live on until now. She could've easily given up back then…and just let herself slip away.
Maybe it was her rebellious personality…inherited from Bidelia. She wasn't going to give in to fate, the fate that always goes against her every time, everywhere. She's not going to give in to it so easily.
She's…fighting fate…
And she's loosing.
Ripples. She felt the ripples in the water above her. There, peering down from a rock, was…Allen. Allen, what is he doing here.
She looked down. There was something there that wasn't there before. Lenalee…she was sitting on top of the ruins, crying…by herself.
Lenalee…Lenalee was kind to her the first day she came into the Order. Lenalee's older, so back in those days, she saw her as an older sister figure. She told herself before, she will not get attached to anyone anymore.
Something is always ringing at the back of her head. If I do…It'll hurt like that again, all over again.
Just like always, she'd rip out these longings to have someone to depend on before they can embed themselves into her heart. Just like always, she'd put on a smile, a true-looking smile, because she'd tricked herself into thinking she's fine. Then…the lie would wear off…usually during the night…the pain settles in.
It's better that way, she doesn't want to let anyone in.
The water above rippled again. She looked up. Allen was trying to reach down. By his expression, the girl was sure he didn't see her. He saw Lenalee.
There was this sudden nervous feeling in her chest. She felt like…she felt that if Allen reached through that water, he'd break into the walls she's set up. She needs to get away before he gets in, even when he didn't even notice her existence.
Run away.
So she ran further into the darkness, away from those two people.
Away from the two people that she knew from the bottom of her heart, was important to her.
Away from them who, she was convinced, did not see her at all.
Because she was still hiding, even until now, behind the walls she built right back then.
She ran further into the darkness.
~x.X.x~
"Get ready!" General Klaud's harsh voice commanded. Desdemona wiped the side of her mouth with her forearm. There is a lot of akumas in this area. What is the General thinking? Leaving all those akumas to her.
She just got her weapon a month ago, through another one of these near-death-experience-makes-you-learn sessions. Her master also told her to put weights on her shoes. It's really hard to move in. She doesn't even know how to use Thora yet. And still, the heartless General just pushed her in front of a million akumas.
The akumas attacked, she dodged. That's what she's been doing for the past hour.
"Stop dodging! You won't get anywhere if you just dodge!" The General commanded.
Desdemona dodged another round of bullets. Master was right, she won't get anywhere if she keeps on dodging, her legs are getting sore from the extra weights and she's just tiring herself out.
As she continued to dodge while looking for an alternative way of getting through this, the General put her forehead into her palm. She doesn't know how to properly synchronize with her Innocence yet and it's not something that the General could teach her. Maybe Lau could…
The said (thought) monkey patted the General's cheek to get her attention. After it succeeded, it made a series of different squeaks. Klaud seemed to understand it.
"You mean, we should just let her worn herself out and let her be in a dangerous situation? That way her Innocence would invocate? But what if the Innocence doesn't respond? Doesn't that mean she'll die?"
Lau didn't reply. It was unsure itself.
Desdemona supported herself on her knees. She can't move anymore, her legs felt like solid lead. She can't dodge another round of bullets, they will hit her and it will be all over. She couldn't even stand anymore. She fell to her knees.
The slow-moving akumas took the chance and surrounded her. They raised their guns and pointed them all at the girl. She was doomed.
Her hand involuntarily travelled to her hip, where Thora hung on her belt. What's the use of it anyways? She doesn't know, but something was telling her to get that whip out.
The akumas didn't waste a moment. After they have aimed properly, they fired.
I'm going to die. Thought Desdemona, quite calmly, oddly. But then, everything seemed to go in slow motion. Desdemona looked around in confusion as the bullets neared her at an extremely slow speed.
Fight on.
A voice said. Desdemona frowned in confusion.
Fight.
All of a sudden, a strong will to survive kicked in from somewhere within her. Something felt extremely familiar, but during the brief moment, she couldn't figure out what. But it smelt…nice.
She didn't have time to dwell on that. She shook her head, something was telling her what to do. No, it's not telling her, it's putting the information straight into her head. Suddenly, she knew what to do.
She pulled out her whip, everything still in slow motion. She used the skills, that she half-heartedly taught herself so long ago, to accurately manipulate the whip, redirecting all the bullets with one 360 swipe. Then, time continued on.
The redirected bullets didn't hit the girl, instead, they hit the other akumas. Several of them roared in rage.
Desdemona panted heavily. She felt the handle of the whip heat up in her hand. She knew what to do. She temporarily closed her eyes to concentrate. Power, she felt power. She grabbed hold of it and held on tight.
General Klaud watched her student's near death experience. Lau wouldn't budge when she told it to save the girl. However, after she saw the miraculous turn of events, she was relieved that Lau didn't move. The girl redirected the bullets in one, extremely fast swipe. Klaud smiled to herself, God may still be with them, after all.
The General looked up. The akumas were also in disarray. Several of them were taken back by their fellow akumas' bullets, some were shocked and some were confused. Klaud looked back at her student. She had her eyes closed but a frown was present in her expression as if she's trying to concentrate on something. The whip in her hand started glowing green, as anti-akuma weapons do when they are activated. It was first a faint green light, but it gradually grew stronger until it lit up the forest around them.
Desdemona reopened her eyes. She felt power surging up from within her, and she knew, somehow, that this power is able to defeat these akumas. She took another swipe, this time, the whip extended and wrapped around a shocked Level 1 akuma. She yanked on the whip and turned herself on the spot. The akuma being restrained by the whip crashed into several other ones and the domino effect continued. About 6 or 7 of them crashed into the side of a cliff and they exploded into dust.
The whip deactivated and the girl blinked as if she just woke up from a dream. She turned to look at the General, who gave her a nod. Extremely happy, the girl put her arms up into the air and jumped around. "Yay! I did it! I did it!"
Behind Klaud, another group of 5 akumas appeared. The extremely happy and proud girl smiled cockily. "Let me get them!" As she activated her whip again, she thrust the whip and it wrapped around an akuma. She wanted to throw it into the cliff behind her. She yanked on the leather, it stretched and loosened as the force drove the akuma above and over her head in the opposite direction. The girl first watched in satisfaction but her expression was soon replaced by horror as the whip did not unwrap around the akuma. As the 2 ton machine continued to sail towards the cliff, the leather tightened once again and soon, the girl was dragged after the akuma.
The two, akuma and exorcist, crashed into the cliff. The akuma burst into dust while the girl lay at the bottom of it with stars circling her head. Klaud facepalmed. This girl needs some serious training. She has to add on to the weights too.
She sighed. At the meantime, she should really just get rid of these bothersome akumas.
Where am I?
Desdemona opened her eyes. It's this place again. It's just dark. Nothing.
This is another dream? Maybe I should wake up…
Don't try to get up. You are still weak.
Who exactly are you?
Do you want to know?
Of course. You sound so familiar…
I'll show you…
~x.X.x~
"Do you have any idea on where the other half might be?" Klaud inquired as she sat before Komui's desk. Komui had his fingered weaved together beneath his chin. He looked down seriously before shaking his head.
"We don't even know how the Innocence got split in half anyway. It may have happened during Noah's flood when the Innocence were scattered. If that's the case, then it could be anywhere. Another possibility is that a Noah split it with Dark Matter. We found traces of Dark Matter on the Innocence and strangely enough, the two substances did not try to cancel each other out as normally they would. However, it was extremely odd as the Noahs won't leave an Innocence like that and be satisfied. If the Noah who split it did it on purpose, then the other half would probably be on their side."
"So there's no way of retrieving it?"
"Maybe there is a way. Or there may be a possibility that the Noah who split it put the other half somewhere safe. Whoever it may be, their actions were quite odd."
"Where did you find the other half, then?"
"I'm not sure. It was found before I became the chief."
"…"
The two dove into their own thoughts.
"It's quite miraculous that she could invocate half an Innocence. It was able to destroy the akumas as well. Almost as if just the half was enough." The Supervisor thought out loud.
"You're right. The power of the whip is no less than that of the other anti-akuma weapons. If that is the case, then if she acquires the other half, her powers may double." The General added.
"The Innocence, it's such a mysterious thing." Komui looked up dreamily into the ceiling.
Klaud agreed in silence.
~x.X.x~
That's right. Even until now, the Innocence in Thora is just a half of an Innocence. The other half was never found.
You're wrong.
What?
You're wrong.
~x.X.x~
"Bidelia!" Mony called out as she ran down the side of the hill to reach the woman sitting on the grass watching the sunset. The woman turned around to see the girl. She extended both arms towards the girl with a gentle smile as the girl flung herself into the woman's embrace.
"Haha…Geez, run slower next time, Mony." Bidelia laughed.
"I finally found you, Bidelia! You just disappeared after that new tiger scratched you." The girl said in concern. "Is your arm better now?" She looked to the woman's bandaged arm.
Bidelia smiled. "It's ok. I'm used to it anyways. And I still have to get it tamed before Christmas, right? Cosmo expected me to be able to put it on show by then."
"That stupid Cosmo! Always asking of us such impossible tasks. He should just go die in a hole and go to hell!" The aggravated girl pouted.
Bidelia frowned. "Mony! Don't talk like that. It's not lady-like! And plus he's your fath-"
"HE'S NOT!" The girl removed herself from the woman and stood before her. Her hands were balled into fists. Bidelia blinked in surprise. "I am Bidelia's and only Bidelia's daughter. I have no father, I just have mama!"
Bidelia's eyes softened as she heard the name the girl used to call her when she was still a young kid. She didn't remember when the girl started calling her by her name. The woman extended her arms again. This time, she grabbed the girl by her wrists and gently pulled her into a hug. "Yeah. You are my daughter." Bidelia smiled sadly.
"I don't want to be a lady either. I don't care about how I talk. I just want to be with Bidelia forever and ever. And when Chase and I grow up, we can both protect you. And we can get out of here and live on our own!"
Bidelia laughed lightly. "Sure! When you two grow up, we will leave this place, ok?"
Mony smiled and nodded enthusiastically. Bidelia looked back at the horizon, Mony followed. The sunset is really beautiful, it tinted the sky a million different colours. A million different warm colorus.
"Mony."
The girl looked up. Bidelia still stared towards the horizon. Mony got off Bidelia's laps and knelt on the grass before the woman. Bidelia reached behind her neck. She fiddled with something before pulling out a necklace from within her collar.
"Come." She beckoned. Mony leaned in closer to Bidelia. The woman then put the necklace around Mony's neck.
"This necklace. Someone very important to me gave it to me. And now I'll give it to you. Don't ever take it off."
"But, Bidelia, why are you giving it to me?"
"Because…I think I won't be able to wear it anymore…"
"Why?"
Bidelia looked down sadly. "Don't worry about that." She looked back up to stare into the girl's eyes. "Remember, don't lose it. It's really special." Mony nodded. Bidelia smiled.
Mony looked down. This necklace, Bidelia always had it around her neck, for exactly how long no one knows. It was a silver chain, three stars hung from it, that was the pendant. They were arranged vertically, the top one was bronze, the middle silver and the last one was gold. It was very small but Mony thought it was very pretty. She looked up at Bidelia.
"Bidelia?"
"Yes?"
"Who gave you this necklace?"
"Do you remember how I told you I learnt the piano when I was young?"
"Yeah…"
"Well, I had a teacher…"
"A piano teacher?"
"Yeah, he came to our house often to teach me. He was a good man."
"And he gave you the necklace?"
Bidelia gave a distant look, her expression was a mixture of nostalgia and sadness. "Yes. He gave me the necklace."
"How old were you back then, Bidelia?"
"Oh, I was young, 18."
"What's his name?"
"Him?" Bidelia smiled to herself. "Neah Walker."
~x.X.x~
What is this? What's this got to do with anything?
Do you still not understand?
Desdemona opened her eyes in surprise. This voice…this voice is…
Bidelia?
That is what you hear. Try again. Try to figure it out. Relate everything together.
Why don't you just tell me? Are you Bidelia?
I cannot just simply tell you. Try to figure it out yourself. I cannot tell you.
~x.X.x~
"No, I cannot foresee the child's future." Hevlaska said.
Komui supported his chin with his fingers and looked thoughtfully to the floor. Hevlaska's predictions are always correct. It is also rare for her to not be able to see a person's future. It's not that the child will die early either, Hevlaska would have foresaw that.
"It's not that she'll die early." Hevlaska echoed Komui's thoughts. "It's like something is stopping me from being able to see it. Some other force."
"Some other force?" Komui repeated.
"Yes. It feels vaguely familiar. Like…the Innocence."
"You mean, her Innocence is stopping you from seeing her future?"
"I'm not sure. There's something else in there as well, something I can't tell what."
"That's very odd." Komui said.
Hevlaska stayed silent. After a few moments, Komui turned around to walk out. "Thanks Hevlaska!" He called back.
"That child…she's odd." Hevlaska suddenly said. Komui stopped in his tracks and looked back at her. "No…not odd. She may be special."
The Supervisor thought over Hevlaska's words as he walked out.
~x.X.x~
When did that happen?
The day you first entered the Order.
How do you know?
Keep guessing.
~x.X.x~
"Miss Bidelia! Mr. Walker has come!" A maid called down a long corridor.
From the end door, a young maiden with long, ebony black hair appeared. She was Eurasian. The young maiden hurried rushed towards the maid. "Theresa! Do I look ok?"
The maid smiled at the young mistress. "Yes, Miss Bidelia. You look startling. Every man would have fallen head-over heels for you. Including Mr. Walker."
"Oh! Please do not tease me, Theresa. He IS my teacher, after all."
"Miss Bidelia, what I say is the truth. You should've seen the way Mr. Walker looks at you while you're not looking. I believe he is infatuated with you."
"Bidelia! What are you doing? Making Mr. Walker wait. No more chit-chat, downstairs you go!" An older woman appeared at the other side of the corridor. She was Chinese.
"Yes, mother!" Bidelia answered with formality before glancing at Theresa, the maid, who gave an encouraging smile, before rushing down a large set of stairs.
Do~
Mr. Walker was, indeed, already here. He just played a note on the piano.
Bidelia picked up her dress, which was slowing her down, and skipped down the stairs. As she finally reached the bottom, she saw her father talking with Mr. Walker beside the piano. As the two noticed the young maiden's arrival, they both turned to her.
Bidelia timidly walked towards them. She was aware of Mr. Walker's stare on her and the small, gentle smile that graced his lips. He is really handsome…
"Well, then I'll leave my daughter to you." Her father said as he left the hall. Bidelia is left with her teacher.
"Bidelia." The girl looked up to the man. "Shall we start?"
The two of them sat down at the piano, both of them sharing the same piano stool. Bidelia blushed.
"Mr. Walker-" She started.
"It's just the two of us, just call me Neah." He interrupted. His smile never faded. He took a strand of the girl's hair. "I love your hair. It's so silky. I believe that if you have a daughter, she will inherit your beautiful hair."
Bidelia blushed. "Neah! Don't say that. I'll get embarrassed."
Neah laughed. "Play for me, will you?"
Bidelia lifted her hands and started playing the melody Neah taught her. He said that this tune is special so she shouldn't be playing it around other people. But still, he was still insistent on teaching her the tune. It was important to him.
It was important to him. So she made it important to her, because he is important to her.
Neah closed his eyes as he listened to the all too familiar tune. He bore a sort of hatred towards it as well, but it is important. It is important to pass it on to someone.
After the final note was played, Bidelia removed her hands from the keys. She glanced to the side, Neah had his eyes closed. She waited patiently until the teacher reopened his eyes and sighed.
"Why…why does it sound sad?" she asked.
"There are lyrics to that song." Neah said, mostly to himself. "Do you want to know?"
Bidelia nodded.
"So the little infant fell into a deep sleep.
Among the grey ashes in the flames shining...First one, then two...
Surfaces numerous of your faces
A thousand dreams trickle back to the earth
On the night when the silver eyes were trembling, the shining you was born
Across millions of years, the prayers have already returned back to the earth
I will still continue to pray
Please bestow upon this child your love
Upon our joined hands, leave a gentle kiss"
Bidelia listened to the lyrics. "It is sad."
Neah smiled. "Yes…it is. It's almost like a mother praying for her child…as if she knew she won't be able to stay with it…"
"That must feel awful." Bidelia commented.
Neah glanced at the maiden. "Maybe one day…one day you will be able to know how it feels."
She looked at him with confused eyes. "What do you mean, Neah?"
He pulled a small box out from his pocket and gave it to Bidelia. She looked at it hesitantly. Neah held it closer to her encouragingly. She blushed…his smile is so angelic. She took the box and opened it. She gasped. Inside, was a small pendant on a chain. The chain was silver while the pendant was three vertically arranged stars. The top one bronze, centre one silver and the last one gold. Even though it is small, it's quite detailed.
"Here, I'll help you put it on." Neah offered, he took the necklace out from the box and unclasped the hook. He then put his arms around the girl as he helped her put the necklace on. While that's happening, Bidelia's face heated up until it was as red as a tomato.
Neah leant back after he finished clasping the hook. The red-faced Bidelia looked down at the necklace.
"Promise me that you will never take it off." Neah suddenly grabbed her hand and forced her to look into his eyes. She nodded. "And if you for any reason cannot wear it anymore, give it to someone you trust." She nodded obediently.
As if relieved, he withdrew his hand from hers. She relaxed.
"The necklace…it's very special. It is not made from gold, bronze or silver. It is made of a substance called Innocence."
"I have never heard of that substance."
"Well, don't worry about it, most people haven't heard of that substance. That aside, please leave this country and go to England."
"Why?"
"Trust me. Go to England." He said as he stood up and retrieved his coat and hat.
"You're going already?"
"There's nothing more I can teach to you. You have already learnt all that I know. And that song, you know that song right? And I believe you will not forget it."
She nodded.
"Then I'll be leaving. Go to England, don't stay here. It may get dangerous."
She frowned. What is he talking about? She followed him to the door. He extended a hand to open the door but suddenly stopped. He turned back to her. "If you happen to have a daughter later on in your life. No matter who her father is, don't despise her. I'm asking you to treat her like you would treat my child, ok?"
Bidelia was extremely confused now. What IS he talking about? But at the mention of HIS child, she blushed for the millionth time.
Suddenly, he leaned down to kiss her cheek. She widened her eyes. He whispered in her ear. "This might be the last time we see each other, Bidelia. Thank you for these past years. Good bye." She was shocked, she was so shocked that she couldn't even move.
With extremely graceful movements, she watched him exit the mansion, closing the door behind him. She was paralysed. As soon as she found her senses again, she rushed to the door, opened it and looked outside.
Neah was nowhere to be seen.
~x.X.x~
Bidelia's necklace…it's a piece of Innocence?
Yes…
Then why hadn't Hevlaska noticed it when she examined me?
Because it was the same one…
What?
Do you still not understand?
No.
You…are helpless.
~x.X.x~
A man with dark skin and a row of black crosses across his forehead stood in the forest, waiting for something. He had slightly spiky, dark brown hair.
Another man appeared from a bush, he had similar features with the first man, only he had long, curly hair tied into a low pony tail with a ribbon.
"Neah. You said to find a bird…" the long haired man said as he approached the man called Neah. As he neared, he opened his two loosely clasped hands slightly, revealing a small bird inside.
"Thanks Mana. You were always the one good at handling these small animals. I often kill them by accident."
"Are you going to tie that to it?"
Neah pulled out a small glowing container out from his pocket. Inside the small container was what looked like a half-cube surrounded by a half-ring. The cube was glowing green. Mana opened his hands a bit further, big enough for Neah to tie the small container to the bird's feet and small enough for the bird to not escape.
"This way, the Order will probably find it before the Millennium Earl does. Their headquarters is just above that mountain and they have a lot of finders on patrol around here."
"Why do you want the Order to find it? And why only half of it?"
"Because I need to use the other half."
After Neah finished tying the container, Mana opened his hands fully and let the bird fly away.
The two of them first watched the bird fly away and when it flew out of sight, Neah started walking away, "Let's go."
The bird flew towards the dense forest, just as the Noah predicted.
A finder yawned, it was tiring to be on patrol. There won't be anything around anyway.
He was instantly proved wrong as he saw something glowing green flying in the air. He rubbed his eyes, was he hallucinating?
That green glow was familiar, it looked like the glow of Innocence.
Immediately, he took out a bow and arrow and aimed a shot at the glowing green dot. It seemed to hit something and the green dot fell down. The finder ran to the spot where he saw it fell to find a dead bird with an arrow through it and a glowing green container tied to its leg. The finder hurriedly untied the container and looked at it closer. He gasped. It looks like the Innocence as well.
He didn't waste another second. He took off towards the Headquarters.
~x.X.x~
It was a very dark room. The man named Neah sat at a desk, operating on some small piece of metal. After a while, he leaned back in his chair and held up a necklace. It was on a silver chain, a three-starred pendant hang from the chain. The stars were aligned vertically, top one bronze, middle silver and last one gold in colour.
Mana came in from the door. "Neah. Is it done?"
"Yes, it's finally done. It's now the second key."
"Then rest. You have to rest to make sure your body doesn't collapse."
"Yeah, Mana." Neah looked down at the floor. "Tomorrow…tomorrow I have to go there again."
"You are giving it to her?"
"Yeah…"
"You…love her, don't you?"
"No way! She's just my student. And plus, I taught her the song."
Mana smiled knowingly and walked out. Neah shrugged to himself. He held up the pendant once again and examined it. The design…it matches her…petite, elegant, beautiful.
Neah shook his head and slapped himself mentally, what is he thinking about?
It's not like he unconsciously made it to look good on her. It's just that he wanted her to like it and therefore treasure it.
Yeah…he wanted her to treasure his gift for her…
What is this feeling?
He is a Noah, right?
He shouldn't be feeling it…
…but…
Maybe Mana is right.
~x.X.x~
Desdemona jerked upright. She felt something sting at several different places in her arm, she heard the loud crash of something next to her falling down, she saw in the corner of her eye that her arm was bleeding. She didn't care.
She was in shock.
She knew…but how? It showed her? Maybe. But…
Do you understand now?
…
Answer me, do you understand now?
Don't use Bidelia's voice.
I'm not using her voice. I don't have a voice, the messages I convey to you are processed by your brain. Whatever voice you hear is the voice that you most want to hear. I'm not using her voice, you are the one who's putting my words into her voice.
Shut up.
You still haven't answered my question. Have you figured it out.
Who wouldn't have figured it out.
The girl glanced down at her necklace.
"You…are the other half of my Innocence." She whispered. She felt it slightly vibrate in response.
SLAM!
Desdemona looked up. The head nurse hurriedly rushed in, muttering a whole lot of things in her mouth. "Thank god you woke up! General Klaud carried you back here, saying that you fainted on the train without any reason and you weren't showing any signs of life! Oh, dear! What did you do to yourself? Did you sit up too quickly and pulled all the needles and tubes out? Look at your arm now! It's bleeding!"
The now fully conscious girl was forced to lie back down. The head nurse dabbed at her arm, cleaning the blood away. "Head Nurse…I am at Headquarter."
"Yes. As I said, General Klaud carried you back without any signs of life. It's a miracle, really." The nurse said as she re-inserted the tubes into the girl. She lay there, her mind going blank.
Her necklace was the other half…she should tell Komui.
No. Don't tell.
Why?
Do not tell. I'll tell you why some time later.
If you're going to tell me, just tell me. Don't give me clips of the past and expect me to guess.
You already figured out the part you have to figure out. From now on, I won't let you guess anymore.
A Noah split you and put you into this necklace.
Yes.
He was Bidelia's piano teacher.
Yes.
He taught Bidelia the tune she taught me.
Yes.
He gave that necklace to Bidelia and then she gave it to me.
Yes.
You are the other half…
Yes…
What do you do? Why can you talk to me?
I am different. Different from my other half. I am a medium of power. You can give power…
Desdemona widened her eyes. That last phrase…so familiar. The last time she was conscious…
Images quickly flashed across her eyes. Allen. Allen laying in a forest. He was bleeding…a lot. There was a fog around him…his arm…
Allen. Yes, the last time she was conscious, she was plagued with the images of Allen. She remembered his pain. She remembered his screams of agony. She remembered. And then…then…the Innocence asked her to give power…and…it went dark.
Allen. She was sure those pictures were real. Somehow, she knew. She sat up quickly again, detaching some of the tubes the Head Nurse just spent time reattaching, some of the tubes were inserted into some major arteries, so they started bleeding heavily. "Head Nurse! I'm fine. Let me go see Komui!"
The Head Nurse is really the Head Nurse. She called upon her infamous death-glare that would scare patients back into their deathbeds. Under normal circumstances, it would've worked with patients that had a clear head. Not that Desdemona was mentally unclear; she was just too focused on her own thoughts to be scared by the Nurse's glare.
When the Nurse finally realizes that the girl wasn't going to lay back down on her own, she tried to gently push the girl back down by her shoulders. It was a bad decision, because the second her hands touched the girl's shoulders, the girl pushed the Nurse away sharply and stood up.
The Head Nurse stumbled back a few steps to remain balanced while the girl continued to try to walk away. The more weakly attached tubes tore right off while some of the more secured ones held her back. She hissed and looked down at them before carelessly ripping them out with her hands. She walked towards the door, absent-mindedly grabbed her coat and slipped it on before opening the door and walking outside.
She didn't know what's going on with her. There was just one thought in her head: Allen.
Why did she care so much?
Many people die in this line of 'profession', but why was she so concerned? Why did she feel so restless?
Maybe it was the loss of her comrades during the most recent mission. She told herself that it didn't matter, she shouldn't dwell on it for too long.
Whoever she may deceive, she cannot deceive herself. Despite telling herself that it was ok, it may have made a permanent imprint in her heart. She doesn't know herself, really.
That's not the reason…I believe.
Then what?
…
Desdemona frowned to herself. Its words are as useless as always.
Soon enough, she found herself outside the corridor of the public laboratory. Komui's office is in there.
She walked through the mountains of paper. A lot of people noticed her and expressed their concern, "Dem! You woke up! But you shouldn't be walking around already!" "Dem! Your arms! They are covered in blood!" "Darmstadtium! What are you doing here?"
The girl ignored all these as if they were just wind passing in from her right ear and coming out from her left ear. She saw the door to Komui's office. She charged (still walking) at it and pushed opened the large doors.
"Komui!" She said.
The said man was sitting at his desk, on the phone. He held a finger up as a signal for the girl to wait a while and continued listened to the handset.
The girl listened with Komui. On the other side of the line, it sounded like the head of the Asia Branch, Bak.
"I knew little of the potential his anti-akuma weapon had…but I didn't anticipate this miracle." Komui said. A miracle? Allen…is this about Allen?
"A miracle, huh?" Bak repeated. "What's astonishing…is that the will of the Innocence is what revived him. Even Allen Walker's Innocence has lost its form, it still lives. He's alive."
Soon after, Komui hang up the phone. He looked at Desdemona with concern in his eyes. "Dem! Don't walk around like that! You're still weak. And what happened to your arm?"
"I'm fine." She snapped. "Allen…Allen…"
Komui looked to the floor. "He encountered a Noah, I presume. He was found by the Asia branch. There was an open hole in his heart that should have brought his to his death. However…a small fragment of Innocence entered his body. It shouldn't be able to invoke, yet it substituted itself for his cells and closed up the wound…"
Desdemona listened wide-eyed. The pictures, the pain, two unrealistic worlds, the need to run, everything replayed itself inside her. It was all…real.
"He's alive."
~x.X.x~
"I'm…alive."
Allen opened his eyes. He heard vaguely a man discussing his condition on the phone. The rest he wasn't sure about but the last sentence obviously said that he was alive.
He is alive.
Allen sat up slowly. His left arm was missing and his right hand was bandaged by several layers of bandage, which made it useless. He stared blankly down his right hand.
He was sure he should've been killed by the Noah. He felt this sensation…this sensation where it felt like he had to escape but there was no way to escape. That, he was certain, was 'death'.
A drop of tear rolled down his cheek. His right hand shook as more tears flowed out uncontrollably. Why was he crying, he doesn't know either.
Was it because he was grateful to be alive?
Or was he regretting it?
He doesn't know why. He doesn't know why but he just can't stop shaking.
He huddled himself into a ball, hugging his knees tight to his chest. He wanted someone…anyone…
Mana…
~x.X.x~
"Asia Branch?"
Komui nodded.
"I'm going now." She decided so calmly and smoothly but yet so abruptly. Her panicked demeanor just then was nowhere to be seen in her actions. Komui took a mental note. This girl hardly ever shows any weakness towards other people. If she did, it was brief. Brief enough for the other person to forget about it.
Komui wasn't stupid. He understood that she was hiding behind a mask, but from what? Everyone here had a reason for being here, usually not a nice lovey-dovey story. It was respect to not ask, but it is required to understand the past of everyone.
They asked the girl about it long ago, all she said was that she was an orphan as long as she remembered. She did pick-pocketing to earn a living. The Chapman's family were nice enough to give her shelter, but they were struggling financially too. With her profound skills in stealing, she was able to maintain theirs and her basic needs.
But he was sure there was more to her than she lets out. Central didn't ask for more, so he shouldn't dig for more either.
"Dem! You are still weak! You need to know that you were on the brim of death when the General carried you back!" Komui said.
"I'm fine." The girl replied, with her normal quiet, calm-but-clear tone.
"No you're not. And plus, if I let you go, the Head Nurse will kill me!"
"I'm going." She said as she turned around to leave. "May you rest in peace."
"Yeah, thanks. I mean-I'M GOING TO STOP YOU!" Komui said firmly. She turned around and gave him a long hard stare. The unusual serious side of him came out. "I am the Supervisor and you will listen to me. No matter how hard you stare I will not let you have your way."
Desdemona was taken aback, on the inside. He rarely speaks like that. On the outside, she continued to stare and even lifted her chin up a little higher. Komui returned the stare. He, the Supervisor, is not going to lose to a 15 year old girl. Suddenly, Komui remembered the Ace he had in his hands.
"You cannot go without my permission, Desdemona. I have Thora. If you go like that, you will not be able to defend yourself."
Desdemona's brain started working. She was going to try her wits against a genius scientist.
"You can have Thora. You have the piece of Innocence so you won't lose anything. You had it in Hevlaska when I came here anyway. It's not even mine, it's the Order's. I really don't care if I die. But the Order doesn't want me dead. If I die now, you guys might have to wait another thousand years for another person to be compatible, right? So therefore, my life is more important to the Order than Thora or my life is to me. I'm going. If I die, it's your loss."
Komui gritted his teeth. This girl is not stupid…not as easily tricked as some people…like Kanda*. If you tell him you'll destroy Mugen, he'll get mad. Instead of hitting this tricky nail head on, Komui decided to compromise. "Fine, fine. I lose. We will compromise. If you agree to stay for 3 days and let us make sure you are ok, then we'll let you go on the fourth day. If you go before that, then we will make sure that you are brought back. Even if it means tying you up with 8 ropes and pulling you back with 8 trains, we will do it. Is it a deal?"
"2 days."
"3 days."
"2 and a half days."
"3 days."
"3 DAYS!" A voice called out from the doorway of Komui's office. A very, very scary-looking Head Nurse.
Desdemona swallowed. She wasn't thinking properly back then, she just realized what she got herself into. The Head Nurse was infamous for her…her…care of patients.
"Fine. 3 days." Before she could say anymore, she was dragged by the ear by the Head Nurse. It hurts, so she's got to go with the Nurse.
Komui smiled, "Have fun!" He watched as the girl was dragged away into her destined doom by the Nurse. He smiled. He was slightly taken aback when the girl muttered some colourful languages just before the door closed. She's not usually the type of person to do such things...
What was all that about?
Her concern for Allen.
Why does she care about him so much?
So, confused? If you're not confused then it's good. If you are extremely confused then I've failed.
I really do think I've failed.
Anyways, I need to express by greatest suspicion on the actual DGM series. I have this feeling that Mana IS the Millennium Earl from the time Cross told Allen about Mana. I don't know, it's just this suspicion. And then…I think she's been dropping hints here and there too. Tell me what you think.
Review!
\/