Final Melody

Chapter 2

Requiem

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Komui would consider himself a compassionate man. Aside from his usual jauntiness and questionable sanity there was a part of him that cared deeply for the exorcists that served under him.

However, when he had gotten a call that one of his exorcists had been found stumbling around a forest, a dead man on his back, he couldn't help but think it was going to mean a lot more paperwork.

"Tell me again, exactly, what happened." His pen was poised over a report, dripping ink onto the paper. Lavi was sitting in front of him, blotches of yellow and blue marred his skin and every time he shifted, even slightly, a small grimace would pass over his lips. His were hands concealed in bandages thanks to the Matron's obsession with making sure blood didn't get anywhere. It looked like Lavi had giant white clubs for hands.

Perhaps, under much, much different circumstances, Komui would've made fun of it.

The exorcist lifted his head, his hair matted from his inability –or lack of motivation- to keep himself clean. If it wasn't for Lenalee he would've spent days locked away in his room staring at a wall. She had been spending every waking minute with him since he had arrived back at the Order three days ago, much to Komui's displeasure. She walked with him, made sure he got some food, made sure to keep him functioning.

"It's the least I can do." She had explained when Komui demanded why she was spending so much time with him. His big brother senses couldn't help but detect the weary tone in her voice and dark circles under her eyes, but he raised no objection.

"I've told you everything I know." Lavi said, bringing the Chief back to the present. "How many times do you need to hear how my mentor died?"

Komui leaned forward, his hands clasped in front of him. "Lavi, I'm not doing this just to spite you."

Lavi did not appreciate the pity. "I'm leaving." He got to his feet; struggling at first due to his club-hands "I'm done talking to you."

The dark-haired man stood up, his patience already stretched. "As your commanding officer, I order you sit down." He sighed, then added, in a much kinder tone, "Lavi, please." He gestured towards the couch. "Just a few more questions."

They glared at each other, Lavi breathing hard and Komui's glasses flashing. They both turned as the door open, Lenalee peaked inside, her green eyes big. "I heard yelling, is everything alright?" When neither answered she cleared her throat nervously. "The funeral is about to start."

Casting Komui one last look over his shoulder, Lavi walked out of the room, taking Lenalee's offered arm. He didn't need the guidance, just the warmth of another person.

Lavi had grown used to the small processions held in the main hall. Demure whispers, the occasional sob before the body was ghosted away, hidden from anyone who would call the deceased back. He usually avoided them, why even join in the grieving? People came and went faster than the seasons could change it was a simple fact of life that had been ground into him.

But now he was trapped. There was no book to bury himself in. No mission that would allow himself to excuse himself.

Just a black coffin and the Bookman legacy waiting to take its rightful place upon his shoulders.

As Lavi walked down the stairs he realized just how many people had come to pay their respects. People of every ethnic background, height size and variety had gathered, all to pay respects to the Bookman.

Everyone quieted down and the funeral began. The ebony coffin was hoisted onto the shoulder of four hooded figures. Komui brushed by Lavi, taking the lead position of the procession, beret tilted and head held high as he strode down the main aisle.

Lavi followed behind the tomb-bearers, Allen marching beside him, his face solemn and fists clenched at his side. Lenalee was still clenched to his side, silent tears sliding down her cheeks.

Black prevailed, even Komui's had abandoned his usual white uniform for a dark suit. Only Lavi had broken the unsaid rules. Around his neck was wrapped an orange scarf, a small flame in the sea of darkness.

They reached the front of the hall and took the seats that were left empty. Lavi was surprised to see Kanda already sitting there, sitting straight up, dark eyes watching the tomb being placed carefully on a small stage.

Lenalee gave Lavi's arm a reassure squeeze before hurrying over to take the seat beside the samurai.

Komui is standing, shoulders tense as his dark eyes sweep over the room. "Today we have lost, not only an exorcist, but a long time friend and mentor." He breathed, allowing the words to wash over the crowd, "The Bookman was never one for words, preferring to keep to himself and a bottle of the finest whiskey." The crowd laughs sombrely. Lavi decided that it would not be a good time to tell Komui that all the bottles of amber liquor the Bookman were sent ended up with him or drained down the sink.

"I owe the Bookman more than any one person could repay in any number of lifetimes. He has managed to save my sister twice," Here Lenalee let out a dry sob, hands clutched to her chest. Allen awkwardly patted her back as Komui continued, "for that, he'll have my gratitude."

He held his hand to his brow, saluting the air. "A moment of silence."

The assembled people bowed their heads. Lavi only followed suit because it was a reason to stop staring at the casket. The occasional cough or dry sob cracked through the silence like a whip. Lavi wouldn't be surprised if Miranda, right at that moment, was sitting with her hand clamped over her mouth, terrified that she would make even the smallest peep.

"Thank you." Everyone looked up in time to see the chief rubbing his eye distractedly. He stepped down from the small podium but no one else rose. Lavi glanced up from his lap to find the entire crowd looking at him. He stared pointedly at the Chief. The dark haired man jerked his head in the direction of the stage mouthing the word, "Speech."

Lavi shook his head, no way would they get him to go up there and talk about the old man. The silence swelled around him, pressing on him from every angle. The young Bookman refused to look up, keeping his brooding stare to the ground.

A hand found his shoulder, squeezing softly. Lavi glanced through his curtains of hair to see Allen looking at him, his grey eyes ablaze with emotion. Beside Lenalee was smiling comfortingly, her eyes urging him to stand. On the very end of their bench Lavi watched Kanda's dark orbs flick in his direction before he gave a curt nod, his stoic visage never wavering.

Taking one last look in the expectant grey eyes Lavi rose to his feet, and strode towards the dais. People murmured as he took the stand, chairs squeaking as they shifted to get a better look at him.

His hands started to throb as the pale faces swam in front of his eyes. His legs shook; primed to blot from the stage, ready to run until the staring eyes were far behind him.

The redhead swallowed all his words getting stuck behind the growing lump in his throat. He opened his mouth, closed it, cleared his throat and tried to speak, "I'd like to thank you all for coming, it means a lot to me." He closed his eyes, he never sounded this idiotic.

"How eloquent of you." A voice snickered behind him. Blood going cold, he slowly turned his head to look into the cold eyes of Deak, "Don't mind me," he said, sitting down on the Bookman's tomb and crossing his legs, "I'll be quiet, I promise."

Lavi tried to focus on just one face is the sea of staring eyes. The first person whose eyes he caught was Allen. The crowd was gone and only Allen was left, watching Lavi closely.

"The Bookman was not just a mentor to me. He was a friend, a companion." The words were stiff, but at least he was talking now.

"A friend?" Deak asked, "You're sure about that? I was always under the impressions that you hated him." The crowd flickered into life for a moment with Deak's words.

"He was a bit of a hard-ass times," he allowed himself a small, sad smile as the crowd laughs quietly, "But he took his job as a Bookman and an exorcist with pride. I am grateful to have travelled with him and to have known him." Lavi forced his eyes shut, forcing the tears not to come.

"You didn't know him. You're lying. You just travelled with him. You used him." Deak said, creeping forward to stand beside him. Suddenly the crowd was laughing. Great mocking guffaws, that echoed into themselves in the cavernous room. He looked around frantically for Allen but the white-haired exorcist was laughing just as hard.

"Who are you kidding?" Deak hissing into his ear, a hand closing around Lavi's mouth, "You're just fourty-nine lies. Do you ever have the truth in you?"

Lavi could only watch as the gathered people turned into skeletons, their jaws rattling violently as the laughter grew louder and louder, pushing on him. Lavi stumbled backward, tripping over the Bookman's coffin. As he laid there, two figures peered over him. One was Deak, still smiling amiably, chuckling lightly himself.

The other was the Bookman, or at least, something that looked a lot like him. The skin was hanging off pure white bones and huge cuts tore through his body, leaving angry red marks and muscle showing underneath. Shaking hands reached forward and seized Lavi, pulling him to his feet. He tried to look away but the blank eyes of the Bookman were boring into him. "You killed me." He moaned, voice rough. "You killed me, Lavi."

"I didn't mean to!" The tears he had been holding back were falling fast, "I tried to save you!"

"Actually, you didn't." Deak interjected, placing a fist under his chin and examining his counterpart, "You ran away. You hid as your mentor, your "friend" was dying."

"Shut up!" He tried to cover his ears but the laughing still echoed in his head and Bookman's words kept repeating themselves over and over, an endless drone.

Lavi eyes flew open. The crowd was staring at him, back in their skin and buzzing quietly. He quickly rubbed his wet cheeks, muttered a few, incomprehensible words and hopped off the stage, sitting down.

As he fought to control his breathing, he could hear the people leaving, the buzzing now turned into murmurs and whispers. He could hear Lenalee shepherding them out, her voice sharp above the demure conversations. Kanda stood close-by, glaring at anyone who even approached Lavi, a hand sitting on his katana. Allen rested a hand on his shivering shoulders, but said nothing. Once the noise has died down, Kanda strode away, Lenalee following quickly. Lavi can hear her whispering to him.

Someone cleared their throat and, trusting that he wasn't going to throw-up, Lavi looked up into Komui's dark eyes. He glared, not wanting to hear the reprimand he was going to get for 'being an idiot on the stage.'

"Normally we would destroy his body," Komui started, gesturing towards the ebony coffin, "but since he is Bookman before exorcist we will bend the rules. Whatever your traditions state about death is all up to you Lavi. You have full possession of his body." The young Bookman's face softened. He could only imagine the hoops Komui had to jump through to do this for him.

He stands, offering his hand. "Thank you."

Komui took the hand, shaking it lightly before walking away, blending into the crowd milling around the staircase. Finally, the last steps echoed into silence. Lavi's form sagged as he let out a sigh, slumping into a chair, his head tilting back. He and Allen sat in silence, both unwilling to break the brief calm that seemed to have settled over them.

"Are there no other Bookmen to help?" Allen asked nervously, hand fidgeting in his lap after the prolonged silence.

"No, not as far as I know," Lavi said, glad that Allen wasn't keen on talking about the subject that was eating away at him, "If there are any left, they keep to themselves. They don't want to encourage rivalry."

"But," the redhead looked to see Allen's grey eyes gazing at the coffin, "What are you going to do with the..." he hesitate, as if about to utter a vulgar curse word, "The body?"

Lavi sat up and grinned reassuringly at his friend. "Don't worry, I'll figure something out." He clapped Allen on the shoulder, "Go on and get some rest."

Allen nodded and got to his feet, joints popping loudly. When Lavi did not also rise he asked, "Aren't you coming?"

"No, I've got some stuff to do," and, when Allen looked unconvinced he said, "I'll be fine."

Still not feeling completely satisfied, but not wanting to bother Lavi any longer, Allen walked towards the stairs leading out of the hall. Once he had reached the base of the staircase, he chanced another glance over his shoulder.

Lavi had wandered over to the tomb, dragging a finger over the stone. As Allen watched, Lavi sank to his knees, letting his head hang over the grave.

Allen could see his shoulders shaking.

Author's Note

Sorry for the wait, but I was having a few school-related issues.

Hopefully this time I stuck to past tense, let's hope for the best.