Chapter four: Ayume's abilities
Ayume ran though the town, most people just stood there looking up in the sky, catching the snow as it slowly feel. She could hear what some of the people said.
"Snow? Isn't it July?; Look mom, it's snowing!; is it just me or is it snowing?" Were some of the things the town's folk said. Natsu wasn't far behind her, slowly he started to glow, but it was barely noticeable. It was more of a just in case feature.
"AYUME!" Allen called out to her, he was about twenty feet behind, and Lavi was with him.
"Allen, Lavi!" She yelled. She waited as they caught up to her.
"Why'd you run off like that?" Lavi asked.
"Well, if you haven't notice.." Natsu said all sweet like first, "IT'S SNOWING, RETARD!!" He yelled that last part.
"Where's Lenalee?" Ayume asked, forgetting the commit Natsu made.
"She's heading back to the Order with the Innocence you gave us." Allen said.
"That's good." she said. At least they're be safe. Ayume thought.
"Ayume-chan, do you know if an Innocence is here?" Allen asked. Ayume just smiled and nodded her head softly.
"Do you know where it is?!" Lavi asked. Again, she nodded her head.
"Where?" Allen asked.
"This way." Ayume said, before turning around and running again, Lavi, Allen and Natsu, not far behind.
XOXOXO
Ayume fell to the ground to her knees, they were somewhere in the forest right next to the town. The snow, slowly grew in force before it became a full born blizzard.
"Ayume!" Allen yelled, as he and Lavi ran up to her, with much difficulty. Allen had his hood up and Lavi wrapped his scarf around him, covering his mouth, An improvement, according to Natsu. The snow, whipped around her arms even though they were covered. The more I try... Ayume thought, another wave, she bit the bottom of her lip, her eyes gazed down to her right arm. The more it hurts. She thought. She lifted her right hand from the snow, to reveal the deep red mark that was there on her hand and that continued down her arm that was covered by the sleeve. Instantly, Ayume covered the mark with her other hand.
"Is something wrong, Ayume-chan?" Allen asked when he saw her grab her other hand, coming closer.
"Nothing!" She quick snapped, not wanting him to get too close. Allen jerked back a bit by her reaction.
"Natsu!" She yelled, putting her hand in the deep snow. Natsu slowly came out from under the hat, which he went under once it got really bad. His small body, still glowing, flew out to in front of the Ayume and the two exorcists. The light, was shot off of Natsu and created a shield from the worst of it.
"I can't move unless I lay down on your head." Natsu told Ayume.
"Fine," she said as she toke off her hat.
XOXOXO
It was easier to continue with Natsu shielding them from the worst of it. There several times when they met up with Akuma. But it didn't take long to defeat them, since they were level ones. Lavi used his hammer, Allen used his left arm and Ayume used her katana. At several moments, Allen looking at Ayume as she gracefully destroyed the Akuma with her katana, blushing. But he looked away before anyone could notice. Actually Timcanpy notice, since he was in Allen's hood, but it's not like he could tell anyone. Instead he pulled on Allen's ear, reminding him that he had no time to do some 'sight seeing'.
"So, why do you think we're only getting attack by level ones?" Lavi asked the others one time after they finished off another wave. Allen shrugged at the question.
"Well, if I learned anything from experience," Ayume said, she put her hand on top of her head, but below Natsu, who hanged on for dear life when Ayume fought the Akuma.
"The level twos are thinking, and are going to ambush us in the spot were the Innocence is." Ayume continued.
"Huh? Why don't they just take it and leave?" Lavi asked. In response, a shiver went down Ayume's spin.
"Are you cold, Ayume-chan?" Allen asked.
"No, don't worry about it. As for the level twos, I really have no idea." Ayume said a bit of nervousness in her voice, but not enough for the others to notice.
After a little while, actually a lot while with the snow, and the Akuma Ayume stopped.
"There it is!" Ayume yelled pointing at an old, abandon, shut in church.
"So the Innocence is in there?" Lavi asked, putting his hand up over his eyes.
"Well, some where in there." Ayume said.
"Are you sure?" Lavi asked. Allen's left eye activated.
"There must be ten of them!" Allen shouted, surprise at how many level two Akuma could fit in such a small place.
"Ten?! That's least than usual. Are you sure that there isn't any more?" Natsu asked.
"There was a swarm last time." Ayume said, her hand under her chin, her eyes up to Natsu.
"Yes, and you, being an idiot, walked right into their trap." Natsu said in the most annoying tone ever.
"Shut up! It's not my fault have don't have an ability like Allen-kun." Ayume said.
"It's not an ability, it's a curse. Admit it."
"Shall we continue?" Ayume said to the two exorcists, not wanting to admit that Allen was cursed. She doesn't like to think of anybody as cursed. Allen and Lavi just followed her.
Ayume leaned against the wall next to the door, Allen next to her, and Lavi was on the other side of the door. None of the Akuma notice their presences yet.
"So do you have a plan?" Lavi asked Ayume. She put her hand back under her chin.
"I go in there and use my Innocence. See where that takes us." Ayume said, her eyes looking up.
"YOU CALL THAT A PLAN?!" Lavi asked/yelled.
"You have anything better?" Ayume asked Lavi.
"No." Lavi said disappointedly. Ayume opened the door and quickly entered. Allen tried his best to watch though the window next to him. He couldn't believe it, Ayume was moving faster than his eye could watch. The Akuma had little time to react, and when they did, Ayume had already destroyed three of them. Quickly then she darted though a wave of attacks and out to the other side of the door.
"So... how'd it go?" Lavi asked when she was on the other side.
"Better than expected." Ayume answered. Lavi and Allen just looked lost and confused.
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! THEY CHASED YOU OUT DIDN'T THEY?!" Lavi yelled.
"Yes, but that wasn't my initial plan." Ayume said, sweetly smiling at the two very confused exorcists.
"Huh?" Lavi went as he pondered the thought of Ayume being insane or not.
"Oh Lavi, you stupid, stupid boy." Natsu said in the most teasing voice possible.
"Shut up, Lizard." Lavi said glaring at Natsu.
"The Innocence is in the back room, inside a giant metal cross that's ten feet above the ground." Ayume said. She then drew a small map in the snow, seven Xs around in the box she created.
"The Xs represent the area an Akuma would probably be." Ayume explained.
"Lavi!" She said while she turned her head to him.
"Yes!" Lavi said all in military position.
"Can you take care of the two on the right?"
"Yes, ma'am." Lavi said, again in all military style.
"Allen-kun. Can you take the two on the left?" She asked all sweet like.
"Uh, sure." Allen said, slightly blushing, Natsu giving him a look that said don't even think about it.
"Which leaves me the three in the center." She said, circleing the three she was going after. Then she stood up swiping the snow off her dress.
"Shall we give it a try?" Ayume said smiling again to the two exorcists. It's amazing how she can create a plan so quickly, even if it was just who gets who. Lavi thought. She would defiantly be a good exorcist. Allen thought.
The three exorcists entered the abounded church, the Akuma where exactly where Ayume said that they would have been. Ayume move like a butterfly, nearly impossible to catch, or hit. Ayume took out her katana, quickly destroying two of the Akuma she assigned to herself. Allen destroyed one of his, finishing up the other one, while Lavi destroyed both of his. That's when it dawned on Lavi. Holy shit! The red head thought. She's better than I expected, she actually assigned us which Akuma we could best destroy. How could she get their abilities and tell who can best destroyed it in such little time? Ayume pulled out a white glove, quickly she put on her right hand. Lavi caught a glimpse of it. Is she hiding something? He thought. Ayume grabbed her katana with her right hand, and started to spin it to the side of her. Lavi got confused, was she spinning it fast enough so that it seemed like the sword was the whole circle. He corrected himself once he saw the circle glowing. She must have put some much energy though the sword that the so that what couldn't be contained was put in that circle. Allen thought as he watched her, Timcanpy resting on his head. Ayume then thrust her body forward, not moving her feet and inch, but it sent the vertex spirally forward, cutting the Akuma with ease, before disappearing.
"Mission complete. We win!" Ayume yelled, a carefree smile on her face.
"What were you thinking with that last attack? You're nothing but a show off!" Natsu yelled to Ayume.
"Waa, come on Natsu. I've been wanting to try that out for a while. I would have done it with or without them. " Ayume said to him. Allen smiled softly behind her, She acts a bit like a little kid, but in a cute way. AHH! WHAT AM I THINKING! I JUST MET HER! Allen thought, rethinking his thoughts.
Ayume walked quickly to the door that was at the end of the room.
"Come on, the Innocence is right though here." Ayume said, grabbing the knob. She open the door, then she stopped starting into the room, her eyes were widen. Then, an invisible force threw Ayume thrown across the room to the wall. She coughed up blood on impact.
"AYUME!" Allen screamed as Ayume slide down the wall, her face full of pain. Quickly she shook it off (literally), as a level three Akuma stepped out of the room.
"Hm? My dark matter didn't affect her?" The level three said.
"Wow, didn't see you there. OW!" Ayume said, she said the first part looking a bit confused, she yelled the last part. She looked down to the right side of her collar bone, a small red star, high decorated, was there.
"Maybe not as much." The level three said.
"I'm afraid to ask, but what does this do?" Ayume asked slightly poking the mark, grunting each time.
"If I hit the same spot three times, you die."
"Again, three's against me."
Lavi interview in the conversation.
"Big hammer, little hammer, grow, grow, grow!" Lavi said, the hammer became the size of a cow as he hit the level three against the head.
"Why did you just waste your time with that?" The level three said unaffected. Then, he (for right now the level three is a he) hit Lavi hard in the stomach. Lavi was sent flying thought the wall into the tree, which happen to be right behind the wall, knocking him unconscious.
"LAVI!" Ayume and Allen yelled. Allen was about to charge at the level three.
"Allen, please don't do anything rash, you'll end up hurt like Lavi." Ayume said in a pleading voice.
"Do you have a better idea?!" He yelled at Ayume.
"Well, if you can keep it busy, so I can summon you the energy (and strength), I think I can destroy it, but try to make sure that it only hits your anti-Akuma weapon. It won't affect Innocence, I think." Ayume said.
"Are you sure?" Allen asked.
"Pretty." Ayume said.
"About both parts?"
"Yep."
"Okay, I trust you." Allen said getting up as he active his left arm.
As he began to fight the Akuma, Ayume just stood their, replaying the words "I trust you," again and again in her head.
"Yo, nimrod. Allen's doing his part so you have to do yours." Natsu said, hitting her on top of her head.
"Right." Ayume said nodding her head. She closed her eyes and started to focused. Slowly she found herself in the middle of a flower field, the flowers were glowing, brighter and brighter. She toke a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Her eyes shot open, her energy floating around her katana.
"MOVE NOW!!" Ayume scream as she plunged her katana into the ground. Allen jumped out of the way as white light, broke apart the floor, like lighting shooting up thought the floor, quickly moving to the Akuma. When the light hit him, it engulfed him, he screamed before he turned to dust.
Well we find out the first of Ayume secrets. Can't help but wonder about that mark on her hand and why she trys to hide it. Well at least for you. Please review!