"You must be the transferred exorcist yes?" Komui asked Aura as she and Kanda walked into the room. She nodded with a warm smile, "Aura Mist at your service~" She said happily and lightly. Kanda stared at the girl with a glare but if anyone knew him well enough (Like Lavi, Marie, Daysia, Tiedoll, and Lenalee) they could see he was watching her slightly confused yet extremely agitated by something. The reason being is what had happened on their journey back to the European Branch.
[Forest]
-The day Before-
-8:00pm-
Kanda and Aura had been walking in an overwhelming silence that neither of them minded really. Well, that's not a total lie. Aura did mind it, on the inside, greatly. On the outside she really didn't care. She was so used to the silence for so long it was nothing to be bothered by. She realized after years of always being in silence that the silence is not always a virtue. She looked at Kanda then up ahead of her, to see nothing but the path between trees. "Why were you transferred anyways?" Kanda didn't like or want to talk but the silence that surrounded them was beginning to get unnerving.
"Orders from Inspector Leverrier." She stated. He growled as he heard that man's name. He didn't like that man, at all. His fingers twitched to grab his Mugen every time he saw that man. "I see you don't like him either." She said as she looked at him. He didn't respond.
As she looked at the moon she said, "Let's camp out here for the night." She stopped walking and turned to her left to see a perfect spot. "Che. Why We should push forward. The faster I get rid of you-" "I don't see why you must speak so unkindly to me if I have done nothing to you." She cut him off. He turned to her, "If you are not going to speak to me as I speak to you, with even the tiniest respect, I suggest you keep quite and stop trying to make conversation." She stated as she looked at him. Her face was emotionless, just...blank. Though her expression did not quite reach her words, and tone. "Che." He replied as he walked towards her then past her towards the spot she said they should camp.
She followed and sat by a tree as Kanda made the fire. She looked away from him as she stared at the moon, but he kept glancing at her. She seems so familiar... He thought. He stared to think of what he knew so far about her personality. She was quiet, mostly has a bored expression, she doesn't like people disrespecting her, and when she talks she can sound very sweet or sadistic. She didn't seem like she wanted to interact with anyone and she was very anti-social. Much like him.
"Tell me about the European branch?" She asked. "Che...Fine." He said. He begun to tell her everything and everyone there, from the Gatekeeper's annoying crap to Komui the "Mad Man".
[Back to Present in Komui's Office]
-8:00am-
Since then her whole attitude changed once she entered the office.
"Well It's very nice to meet you!~" Komui said happily. "Well Welcome to the European Branch of the Black Order. I am Komui Lee, Supervise and Chief of the Science Department." He stated with pride. "Anyway's I'll have Lenalee show you where your new room is." He said as said exorcist walked in.
Lenalee smiled brightly as she stepped beside Kanda, who continued scowling as usual, but she noticed the expression didn't quite meet her friends eyes. Lenalee then looked at Aura, "Hi there, my name is Lenalee, I'm supervisor Komui's assistant. I'll be showing you to your room and around the order." She said happily. Aura nodded and smiled brightly. Lenalee looked at Aura with a slightly surprised expression because, she had noticed something at that moment, Aura seemed like she was acting. Aura acted so perfectly only someone who has been near someone who hides their emotions so regularly would know. Lenalee being with Kanda gave her that advantage and she knew the hoax Aura was doing at that moment. "Something the matter?" Aura asked. Her voice normal, innocent but Lenalee caught the slight undertone of an emotion she couldn't quite place. "No, nothing." Lenalee shook her head and smiled. "Just follow me please." She said politely as she turned on her heels and began to walk towards the door. Lenalee heard heard the clacking of Aura's and Her heels began to sync the same pace.
Aura kept up with Lenalee and was now walking beside her.
-later-
Lenalee had shown Aura everything from the dinning hall to the gardens to the baths. Everywhere but her new room. "So what do you think?" Lenalee asked nonchalantly. "I think I'll get used to it after some time. Its very different from the Asian branch." Aura replied sheepishly.
"You don't have to act you know..." Lenalee said. She had caught all the fake laughs, giggles, smiles, and tones Aura had been using. She didn't know why Aura was acting at all and she didn't like it when people were being fake...liars... "What do you mean?" Aura asked confused. "You're acting all cheerful and happy but...that's not how you are is it?" Lenalee asked with a sad smile. Aura seemed shocked but then her cheerful, emotion filled façade disappeared and her emotionless, bored expression returned. "What gave it away?" Aura asked. Her voice now blank, light, soft... "I've been around people who have hidden their emotions...or put up fakes ones for a long time...I could tell by your voice." Aura looked at Lenalee with half lidded eyes making it seem like she was bored. "Maybe I should make it so that not even huma- people, like you can't tell..." Aura stated. "Why were you acting?" Lenalee asked. Aura didn't reply nor made any motions that indicated she would. She just stood there and stayed silent. Lenalee looked surprised as she looked into Aura's eyes.
"Welcome back General Klaude, I see you have your apprentice with you."
"Can you please just show me to my room?" Aura asked annoyed. Lenalee shook her head slightly and nodded, "Yeah..." Lenalee walked past her and towards the platform in the middle of the order. She had taken them to the top floor, "Your room is the one in front of us..." she said. "Thank you." Aura said as she jumped off the platform and onto the top floor.
[Dinning Hall]
-12:00pm-
Everything and everyone was normal as usual. People from Finders to a few exorcists came in to get some lunch to get some energy back from working.
"Did you hear?"
"What?"
"The higher ups stationed Aura Mist here."
"What? Really?"
The only exorcist that were left there was Kanda. The oddly beautiful stoic samurai exorcist sat silently at his normal seat eating his normal Soba and Tempura as he could hear the chattering of the finders about Aura Mist.
"If she's so well known how come I've never heard of her?" Kanda growled lowly. As he said that the famous female exorcist walked in wearing her exorcist uniform. The whole hall had gotten silent and stared at her but she seemed to ignore it.
Her exorcist uniform was improved actually by Johnny and Tap since it was silent ragged and dirty from her last mission. Her exorcist was cropped to show her stomach, the sleeves flared out at her elbows and went up to her knuckles. The silver lining was shining and the buttons and zipper went from the left side of her neck down her left breast. Her shorts were slightly shorter than Lenalee's skirt!; A thin silver belt at her waist. She had thigh highs like Lenalee and her shoes were silver ballet shoes, the ribbons were tied a little before the top of her thigh highs. Her long wavy hair was tied at the top of her right breast with a black silk ribbon in a low ponytail that came over her right shoulder. And...she had her façade on.
She walked up to Jerry's window and smiled slightly, "Hey Jerry..." she said. "Hello Sugar!~ It's been a very long time~ How are ya nowadays?" Jerry asked cheerfully as he leaned on the counter with a look that said he was talking to an old friend, which he was. "I've been good I guess...It's been what, eight, nine years?" She replied. Kanda had overheard their words and wondered, Have they met long before this- "Hey Kanda! Aura! Komui want's to see you in his office!" A Finder shouted out. Kanda stood up and grabbed his tray, giving it to Jerry. He glanced at Aura, who also glanced at him, then left.
"So did you and Kanda get on the wrong foot?" Jerry asked. "You could say that." She replied as she smiled at Jerry gently...a genuine smile.
[Komui's Office]
-12:23pm-
Aura stepped inside ten minutes after Kanda and stood beside him. "Hello you two~" Komui said from behind his desk. "There was innocence found in Rome. I want the two of you to retrieve it." Kanda and Aura looked at each other then Komui, "Okay~" She said with a happy smile and a happy tone. Komui matched it and gave them their debrief books, "You both leave now."
[Train Heading for Rome]
-12:58pm-
Aura sat by the window with Kanda in front of her. The finder they were assigned, Pedro, sat outside like all finders do. "The innocence was discovered in ruins just outside the city...In an arena." Kanda stated as he read aloud from the black book. "We're going to retrieve it..." Aura said. They both continued to read and discuss the mission, coming across the legend of the Roman swords man Vitorio who's been alive for about 1,000 years. Soon Aura had fallen asleep, her body on the seat.
Kanda looked at her with a questioning look, "Why does she look familiar...?" He mumbled as he kept looking at her expression. It was the expression of peace and calmness. It was questionable and it made him wonder what was going through her head.
His eyes widened and he shook his head, "Why should I care? She's just a nuisance like the Moyashi." he grumbled under his breath. But he still looked at her as she slept, and watched her expression change into one of hurt, fear, and worry.
[Aura's Dream]
~Aura's POV!~
I was walking down a clear ice path. You could see the sea life under it, alive and swimming, as you walked over them. They looked like they didn't have a care in the world. I moved my hand in front of me to touch it and when I set my hand down on the ice, my wrist was wrapped with a chain. I looked at my other hand behind me and it was the same along with my ankles. I was now chained to the ice floor. I took notice of how dirty my bare feet were and how pale my skin was. I was wearing a worn out white dress. The ends ripped and ragged. My hair was down to my elbows, tangled and in nots. I touched my face and felt how my cheeks were slightly caved in then I felt my stomach. I could feel my ribs and all my bones.
"Get number 00019!" yelled a male voice. I flinched at it and felt my heart beat a million miles per second. "Nolite...No..." I spoke in a small voice. "Yes sir!" Other voices shouted. "Nolite...No...No...no no no Nolite! nonononono!" I started to panic and turned around to see many other people. Some children, some teens, some adults. They all reached for me as I heard a door open behind me. A very heavy, metal door. "Adiuva me!" I screamed repeatedly to the people that kept reaching for me as two pairs of hands grabbed me. "Non eos duxit me!" I screamed. One pair of hands were on my waist while the other on my wrists. I heard the chains hit the floor and their heavy weight off my limbs but I wish they were still there. "Et non est in puella!" Screamed an elderly man in the many people. "Pretiosum!" shouted a female teen.
I saw them continue to fight the chains to reach me, and one actually did get my hand but then, "kill her." My eyes widened as one of the people who held me held out a gun and shot the elderly woman who grabbed my hand in the head. I saw as she fell limp to the floor cold and dead. "NOOOOOOOOOOO!" I screamed along with the many in their in fear. I felt my tears run down my cheeks as I stared at the woman's body. "G-grandma..." I mumbled as I hung my head. "No...Nolite NO..." I kept repeating.
"Keep quiet girl." Hissed one of the men. "NO!" I shouted as I begun to thrash around in their grasp. They struggled to keep me still but then one hit the back of my neck and I fell limp. I kept crying silently at the thought of that woman's dead body. She was such a sweet woman. Everyone thought of her as a grandmother. We loved her.
Soon I was thrown onto the floor and I felt my body shaking with the small whimpers that escaped my dry, pale lips. "Good, what was with the gunshot?" Asked a male. "A old hag grabbed onto her and broke through the chains somehow, we saw her as a threat." answered the men who dragged me here. "I see. Good." Said the other male. Chains wrapped around my ankles and wrists once more and I began to cry louder. "Volo me mater mea..." I whimpered. "Tch...You don't have a mother." Said a man. I cried louder knowing he was being truthful. "Timentes..." I began to repeat it over and over again.
Soon something sharp went through my back and I screamed all bloody murder.
[Dream end]
~Normal POV~
She jolted up with a slight scream as she sat up covering her face. Her figure shaking rapidly. Beads of sweat made of her hair stick to her skin.
Kanda looked at her startled. He noticed expressions changing multiple times. From her calm and blank expression to one of horror and pain. She began to cry slightly as she spoke another language he was unfamiliar with but figured it was a form of Spanish or maybe it was Latin. He set a hand on her shoulder and she froze as her head snapped up at him. Her eyes dilated and wavering as tears brimmed them.
The tears pooled over and ran down her cheeks. He looked at her slightly shocked at how fragile, vulnerable, and scared she looked. It seemed everything stopped as her voice changed and spoke to him. His eyes widening as the words reached his ears. Her lips moving without hesitation and her eyes never losing their fearful look but then...She stopped and her eyes were No longer dilated and wavering, her emotionless expression resurfaced and he leaned back in his seat as he stared at her. No longer the vulnerable looking girl but the fearless seeming young woman sat in her place as she looked out the window then fell limp onto the seat. Kanda stared at her sleeping form with confusion and disbelief. "What the hell did I just see?..." he breathed. He didn't know what had just happened at the time but soon...wish he never would have found out.
-Later-
-7:47pm-
She had woken up normal as any one could be and Kanda had his usual scowl as if nothing had happened. They had gotten off the train with Pedro and were on their way to the city their mission destination was by. Kanda had decided for the remainder of the mission to push the incident to the back of his mind and not bring it up till he went to talk to Komui. Aura walked beside him and Pedro behind the exorcists. "So what is the plan Sir Kanda, Miss Mist?" Pedro asked. "We're going straight to the coliseum and retrieve the innocence." Kanda said sharply. "But what about the reports of the Swordsman?" Pedro said. "We can handle it Pedro, have faith in us..." Aura replied. He looked at her puzzled but then nodded as she looked at him. She replied with a curt nod then looked ahead as she passed by people in the Bazaar they were walking through. They looked around and saw people just trying to get by.
When they finally reached the end of the bazaar they saw a village. It's green fields, it's blue skies, and it's peaceful air. Everyone seemed content with they way the lived as parents played with their children. Kanda glanced at Aura and caught the longing gaze she had as she looked at the families. He 'che'd' then walked past her. She and Pedro followed quickly behind him. "Kanda don't leave us behind." She said. "Tch." He replied and didn't speak another word. She let out a small sigh as she kept up with his pace. They headed towards the ruins of the Coliseum, Aura having been silent the whole time had unnerved him slightly but not enough to ask why.
"Miss Mist...Can I ask you something?" Aura and Kanda had glanced at the finder, "Yes, what is it?" she replied. "In the stories I've heard about you, they say you're not afraid of death. That you never fear death. Is that true and if so, why?" The finder asked. She looked at him blankly then spoke clearly and confidently, "I am not worried about dying, what I am worried about is not living." The three stopped and the two men looked at her. "I know for a fact my demise will come soon so what is the point on dwelling on it. I will die either way, in battle or by fate. I am young now and can look upon my body and soul with pride. But it will be mangled soon, and later it will begin to disintegrate to nothing, and then I shall die, and die conclusively. Not furthering my existence here on Earth."
"Fear is but an aspect of life humans have in their souls; although, some say they do not fear death. They do...if they are truly human or...have things or people to live for. Such as a love, family, friends, or possessions. Our lives aren't eternal, they are timed and limited. Who wouldn't be afraid by this fearful fact that any one of us could die at any moment...but, there is No point in allowing fear to be a weakness. Doing that only succeeds in holding us back. So what I have chosen is to use it as strength." Aura said. "But how do you use fear as a strength?" Pedro asked. She smiled slightly as she looked at her hands and the jewelry on them, "By using fear as my will to keep living. To go against fate. To fight till my last breath to live No matter what. I will never kneel before my fate to die so kindly. But if I am to fail in my attempt to live, so be it." She stated. Kanda noticed her tone of sadness laced in her Irish accent. She sounded so genuine he was wondering if he was looking at the same girl that was assigned to this mission the day before. He wondered if she did have a genuine side to her and only few get to see it. He looked at her and thought about what she had just said and noticed...she was just a little like himself. "Allowing your fears to be used as a weakness is only going to help that fear come true." She spoke lightly. "So because of my fear of death is what's going to make me fight with all my strength to live in the end..." she added. Kanda and Pedro looked at her astonished. (Though Kanda being Kanda he still had on a scowl.) When Kanda continued to look at this girl he remembered the words she spoke with a wavering fearful voice, "I'm going to die here..."
Ciao Mina! Sorry this is a late update. i was about to delete the story because I got writers block halfway through but I got through it with some help from music! xD lol anyways yeah. Review plz! I wanna know if this is good or not. So the more reviews the probability of me updating faster is higher cx
so yeah. REVIEW! Fav, Follow you know the dooos and Don't from the last chapter. Anyways yeah. Till next time,
Au revoir, Mina~
-Nightmare