Chapter ten: The web of pain

(I hope we all know what Naomi looks like. If not, go back two chapters and find out) Naomi threw another log onto the fire to keep it burning. She looked about fourteen now. She then walked back to young girl that laid down on the couch. She was covered in bandages, and to top it off she was sick. Naomi slowly removed the wet cloth from her head, only for it to be replaced by another. She sighed as she looked at the girl, she couldn't help but worry about her little sister. She looked at the clock then. 'Quarter to ten.' She thought, then bit down on her bottom lip, her eyes slowly filled with fear. 'He'll be back soon.' She thought again. She looked at her sick sister, the bandages on her head need to be changed as the blood started to show though the bandages. 'And to top it all off, that appeared.' Naomi thought. She walked over to her sister, and she slowly started to change the bandages around her head.

Allen was destroying as many Akuma as he could, he just wanted to destroy the one with the web of pain. But as soon as he got close, another wave would get in his wave. Damn it! I'll never be able to get to that Akuma, not with all of these in the way. Damn it! How can I help Ayume if I'm so damn weak! Allen thought, trying to ignore the fact that he was getting tired. He looked over to Kanda, who wasn't getting as much progress done either.

"We've got a response!" Natsu shouted, as he and Timcanpy desperately tried to get Ayume back to the world of the present.

"Nani?! Kanda, cover for me, I'll be right back!" Allen yelled as he ran over to Ayume.

"WHAT?!" Kanda yelled, but then had to block an attack from a level one. Damn bean sprout. Kanda thought.

Allen kneeled next to Ayume.

"See, she's smiling," said Natsu who was pointing at Ayume. Allen gasped, Ayume was indeed smiling. But this smile, it wasn't like her, it was more of an evil grin.

"Ayume-chan?" Allen said to her, no respond. I know this memory. Ayume thought. This poor stupid Akuma.

Naomi just finished changing the bandages, when the door slammed open.

"NAOMI!!" The voice yelled. Naomi, quickly put down the used bandage and ran over to the person as he walked into the light. He had scruffy short brown hair and extremely rough, death giving glaring black eyes. He had a scruffy short beard on his chin, and the smell of beer came off him, a bottle of one in his hand

"Yes father?" She said, voice shaking and meek, hands together and at her chest. He then kicked her in the shin, she groaned in pain as she kneeled down, only to be kicked in the stomach. She was sent flying across the floor. She slowly got up, holding her stomach as she did.

"I ran in to your bitch of an aunt today." He said, taking another swallow of his beer. "She's getting you both stupid ass holes tomorrow." That could have been the signal most happiest moment of her life up until now.

"And you're going to just let her take us right?" She asked, all the hope in the world was in her voice.

"Of coarse. I'll let her take you. " Her father said, a faint smile drew on her face. "Your bodies I mean." Ayume's eyes widen when he grabbed the knife and slashed it across her body. She fell forward, only to be deeply cut in the back, arms, legs and waist.

Naomi laid on the floor. 'Please let me die.' she begged in her mind as a tear ran down her cheek. Her blood flowed out onto the floor.

"You were useless anyway." Her father said, as he took another sip of his beer. "Now for your useless sister." He said. Naomi at that moment summoned as much strength as possible as she grabbed on to his leg.

"PLEASE! PLEASE LEAVE RODE ALONG, SHE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" Naomi screamed as she latched herself to his leg. He kicked her off, sending a new wave of pain though out her body. She watched, helplessly as he got closer to her sister, Rode. 'I wished he would just die.' The thought creeped across her mind for the first time as he raised his knife, but then he stopped.

"huh? What's this feeling?" He said touching his chest, in a matter of seconds, his body was destroy from the inside as black, dark red and blue petals fell from the sky.

Allen and Kanda, had defeated the swarm, but had not strength left to fight the last Akuma. Kanda was kneeling against the shrine, his eyes were empty and a bit of blood flowed down his cheek from the cut given to him by the level two Akuma. Allen was pressed against a tree, the Akuma pressing him against it.

"How sad, I thought you would be more fun." The Akuma said mockingly. Allen's left hand was gripping the Akuma, but it was useless. DAMN IT! I just ended up being useless! Allen thought as the Akuma's long knife like finger hit against Allen's shoulder.

"Hm. I wonder what kind of sadness you have from the- What the?" The Akuma said, He removed his finger from Allen's shoulder as he held his chest. What? Allen thought, wondering what stopped him, only looking at him with the cursed eye.

"What's this feeling spreading though my body?" He asked as his hand moved around his chest. In the next second, The Akuma's body was destroyed by this intense light that shoot out in every direction of the Akuma's body.

"WHAT ON EARTH?!" Allen yelled as he shielded his eyes from the light. Allen's body hit the ground as he replayed what happen. Kanda snapped out of the his relived nightmare, with a very bad headache, as Ayume just shook hers off.

"Wha- It's over?" Ayume said as she looked around, seeing nothing but dust, Allen and Kanda, she's pretty sure there was a swarm of Akuma last she checked.

"Yeah, and you were no help." Kanda said coldly, ad he sheathed Mugen. "The only thing you did was get in that stupid web."

"Yeah, but if I recalled, Pony tail, you also got caught in the web of pain." Natsu said, landing on Ayume's head as Timcanpy landed on Allen's.

"So what happen?" Allen asked as he walked over to Ayume.

"Hm?" Ayume said as she tilted her head.

"You know, what was your worst memory?" Allen said.

"Yeah, you looked pretty scared." Said Kanda.

"Looked at this, ponytail cares!" Natsu said.

"Shut it rodent. Well?"

"I actually don't want to talk about it." Ayume said. Allen offered his hand to her.

"Oh, that's okay I guess. It was probably insensitive to ask about something like that." Allen said.

"Only a little, but hey. I'd be worried if it was you." Ayume said in the kindest way possible, making Allen blush as hard as possible. She toke his hand and stood up, only to fall again as she winced in pain.

"Ayume?!" Allen yelled, Ayume notice the warm liquid that started to flow down several parts of her body. Slowly she took her exorcist uniform off as, revealing her white tank top underneath and hoping she wasn't right. She right lower arm, upper left arm, back and right side had a deep cut in them. Allen and Kanda gasped when they saw the wounds, both had no idea where the wounds came from.

"Ayume, what happen? Please tell us." Allen said as he look at the deep wound on Ayume's right arm. She sighed.

"Well if you must know." She said then gave them the sweetest smile possible, her eyes were closed.

"My father, was a drunk homicidal BASTERED who tried to kill me." She said as several tears rolled down her face.

"Ayume..." Allen said as he hugged the on the verge to crying Ayume. Kanda felt increasingly sorry for her. The tears continued to fall as she tried to speak. But what came out was a small gasp, pushing her over the verge. She gave off another gasp, as she started crying as Allen hugged her closed. Kanda looked away, feeling awkward he was there.

"Shhh. Please calm down Ayume, I won't let anyone else hurt you like that, again. I promise." Allen said as he petted the back of her head. Ayume bit the bottom of her lip, trying to keep her from crying, but her tears kept falling against Allen's coat, her hands, gripping it as well. They stayed like that for a while, Ayume crying, Allen comforting and Kanda, feeling awkward. Eventually, Ayume stopped. Gently she pulled away from Allen (even though she was extremely happy in his arms). She wiped away some of the stray tears that rolled down her face.

"Thank you, Allen-kun." She said as a few last tears came out. Allen reached out and wiped some of the tears away from her cheek.

"Your welcome." Allen said softly happy that she was feeling better.

"Yo, stupid one!" Natsu said as he landed on Kanda's head.

"What is it Lizard?" Kanda said in the most threatening way possible.

"Why didn't you go ahead and get the Innocence if you felt awkward?"

"How did you know I felt awkward?"

"Please, I'm her bloody golem. And even I felt awkward. So why didn't you?"

"I didn't know where it was."

"Yes you do, Ayume told you it was in the shrine."

"Che."

"So what was the real reason?"

"Lets' think for a second, rodent! If I didn't have the energy to continued, what can I do if another one shows up down there?!"

"Wait, you mean your...?" Natsu said before bursting out laughing. Ayume and Allen watched as Natsu fell off Kanda's head and rolled around the floor laughing.

"YOU MEAN YOUR USELESS!! YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE THE ENERGY TO USE YOU INNOCENCE!!HAHAHAHAHAH!" Natsu yelled.

"Ayume, please!" Kanda said, griping his Mugen, ready to slice the laughing ball of scales in half.

"You can threaten him, but don't kill him." Ayume replied. Within that second, Mugen was next too Natsu's throat.

"I get it, I'll stop laughing." Natsu said as he put his hands above his head.

Ayume stood up, grabbing her exorcist coat. She would have fallen down again, but Allen caught her, and helped her stand.
"Thank you." Ayume said. She pulled away, making sure that she could stand on her own. When she was she walked slowly, Allen watched as he looked at the deep cuts on her legs, a bit of blood ran down it, but Ayume didn't seem to notice.

"But Ayume..." Allen said stopping her from entering the shrine. What about your wounds, we can't let them get infected. She looked down at her legs as if just realizing that there were two cuts that let flow down her legs. She shook her head.

"We should get the Innocence first, then we'll worry about that." Ayume said, smiling to reassure him.

"If you think so." Allen said, trying to hide the worry in his voice, and failing completely. He then followed after Ayume, Natsu flew in after them, then Kanda and Timcanpy guarded the back.

The hall was as dark and damp like before, Ayume had one of her hands against the wall, making sure she doesn't get lost in the darkness. Allen was there behind her, ready to catch her if her legs gave way again, They never did. Ayume was walking down the hall in almost perfect darkness, had not that light was still coming from the entrance.

"You came back!" A ghost voice said excitedly. Ayume spun her head around, she looked at Allen and Kanda as she looked for the source.

"Is something wrong?" Allen asked.

"Did you guys here anything just now?" Ayume asked.

"No." Allen answered.

"You must be losing it." Kanda replied. Maybe. She thought. They made there way to the stone doors. Ayume walked up to the door.

"The Innocence should be behind here." Ayume said as she tried to push the doors open. Allen put his hand on her shoulder, she looked back at him, as he shook his head.

"I'll open it, don't push yourself too hard." He said, as he moved to the door. He pushed against it, and the door opened in a matter of seconds. The Innocence was in the clear box.

"There it is!" Allen yelled as he ran to the Innocence. Ayume walked in after him.

"There you are." A deep voice rang in her ears. She bit down on her lip, as she recognize who the voice was. Tyki Mikk. She thought. Kanda walked by her, not noticing that she was acting a bit weird, she slowly turned around, nothing. There was no one else there other than Herself, Allen and Kanda. She let out a sigh of relief. She closed her eyes, replaying the last part of her memory.

"Naomi... cough, cough... why are you covered in blood?" Rode asked, she has woken up from her sleep when there father died.

"Don't worry about it. Lets just make sure you get better ok?" Naomi said as she replace the cloth.

"What happen to dad?"

"Don't worry, he won't hurt us anymore. OW!" Naomi yelled she fell to her knees as her forehead began to hurt as if it was on fire.

"Are you alright?!" The concern sister yelled.

"Yeah, don't worry."

"Where did these petals come from?" Rode asked as the dark flower petals continued to fall in the room.

"I'm not sure."

"They're pretty."

"Yeah, I guess they are," Naomi said as she removed her hand from her head. On her head, there were seven deep cross, bringing out blood across her head. She smiled sweetly.

"You know Rode? I think things are going to change for the better."

Hm.. Starts to become intresting with her secrets doesn't it. Like what her relation to Namoi whose the sister of Rode, and who just is Naomi?

Please review.