[Lankern]
-Four days later-
8:00pm
The sun had set and Lankern seemed peacful and way to quiet. Aura walked down the streets with her cloak over her shoulders and hood over her head; close behind the Finder, Chrystal, followed. "The people are obviously afraid of something..." Aura mumbled as she looked at the passing villagers. They all stayed close to the buildings, places to hide.
"Do you really think it's because of Akuma?" Asked Chrystal.
"Yes..."
The two continued to walk until they reached an inn, "Chrystal. Go check in and wait in the room for my return." Aura ordered, sternly.
"But Miss-"
"Are you refusing to follow orders, finder?" Aura's tone was cold and dripped like venom. She turned to her side so she peered at the young finder with her right eyes, that seemed to glow under the hood. Watching the girl cower she spoke again, "Do not open the door for anyone, even me. Put up a burier just in case and do not LEAVE the room. Do you understand?" Aura stated, her tone leaving no room for objections.
"E-Eh..." Chrystal blinked in surprise and coward a bit in fear, "Y-Yes... Miss exorcist.." She said before rushing into the Inn.
Aura sighed deeply before continuing down the nearly empty street, "Hachidori, do you sense any Akuma?" She mumbled. With no humming or any indication her innocence was going to reply, she let out a deeper sigh, "It's rude of you to ignore your accomodator." Looking around her, none of the town's residence's acknowledged her presence; ignoring her existance. "Geez, the one time I want you to communicate with me... You ignore me. I wish I could just-" A shrill scream from down the street had cut off Aura and her eyes widened a bit. "Fucking Hachidori! Why didn't you tell me?!" She whispered angrily before running off into that direction.
As she came up, two level one Akuma were shooting at a building, whether it was empty or not, and people screamed in terror running away from the products of the darkness in their hearts.
"Damnit.." Aura growled as the Akuma spotted her, and the Black Order crest on her breast. Her eyes tore away from the two large machines to a small child cowaring in fear just below them, by the pile of debres on the ground. "Damnit...!" She cursed for the upteenth time and ran towards the girl. Hearing the familiar sound of gun's cocking and aiming she bit her lip, Innocence... Activate! She thought. A familiar pain, familiar burn... A familiar low yet noticable humming filled her ears and it seemed like the world turned into nothing but a blur as she grabbed the girl in her arms and fled quickly into the forest.
The pain and burning subsided into a cool numbness; the humming disappearing into nothing.
She crouched down behind a tree, holding the small girl in her arms.
"I..I want.. my.. mama.." The girl whimpered.
"Volo me mater mea..."
She held the child tighter as those words rung in her head. "I'll get you...to your family soon..." Aura said softly, uncharacteristically gentle with the child. "Just... Keep quiet for now... Or the big monsters will find us..." She said as she slowly stood and kept the child close. "Shut your eyes little one... Alright...?"
"W-Who are...you?" the child asked, though listened to Aura and closed her eyes.
"An exorcist..." Aura said lightly. "Would you like to hear a song?..." She asked. Feeling the small girl nod, she began to walk silently through the forest towards the town. I just hope Chrystal hasn't disobeyed orders... She thought. Aura remembered the girl in her arms and took a soft breath as she began to sing softly...
"Easy now.
Hush, love, hush.
Don't distress yourself,
What's your rush?
Keep your thoughts
Nice and lush.
Wait.
I've been thinking, flowers-
Maybe daisies-
To brighten up the room.
Don't you think some flowers,
Pretty daisies,
Might relieve the gloom?
Ah, wait,
love, wait."
The young girl listened to Aura as she sang, seeming to relax in the female exorcist's hold. Her thoughts blanking and her anxiety subsiding; the memory of the Akuma shooting down a building - Akuma in general - disappearing from her memory as if they were never there. "So pretty miss..." She mumbled.
Aura smiled faintly, "You'll be home soon.."
Akuma coming into her view she sang a bit louder yet still soft, and to the young child. Aura's voice was the only thing she could hear. Oblivious to the screams of the townspeople. Even to the fat egg shaped man that sat on one of the Akuma.
"Slow, love, slow.
Time's so fast.
Now goes quickly-
See, now it's past!
Soon will come.
Soon will last.
Wait.
Don't you know,
Silly man,
Half the fun is to
Plan the plan?
All good things come to
Those who can
Wait."
The girl seemed in a trance like sleep, moving with the beautiful voice that was falling from Aura's lips.
Aura's eyes landing on the Earl, and the Earl looking back at her. Seem's the Earl finally draws open the curtains to reveal himself. Aura though absently as she smirked as she opened her mouth to sing once more, Hachidori...! The familiar sensations from earlier returned, and the humming laced itself with her singing; a low humming only those who associate themselves with the Earl could hear.
"Gillyflowers, maybe,
'stead of daisies.
I don't know, though.
What do you think?"
Akuma exploded all over town, falling to the ground in mountains of machine parts, "My child!" Aura heard from behind her. As she turned she saw a woman that resembled the child, "Mariana!" The woman shouted in joy as she ran over.
At the call of her name, the child woke up, "Mama?"
Aura gave the child to the mother, "Miss exorcist!" and she froze a bit as she turned to see Chrystal running towards her.
"I thought I said to wait in the Inn." Aura growled, "What made you disobey a direct order?"
"I heard an explosion and grew worried that you had been hurt." Chrystal said, truthfully, "I'm sorry." She apologized.
"Thank you for saving my child, miss.. I feared the worst when she wasn't at home." The mother said, gaining Aura's attention, "I don't know how I could ever repay you for your kindness. Without your help, I'm sure my child would've perished." The mother seemed genuinely grateful to the exorcist.
"No thanks is needed. Please go back to your home and hide.." Aura's attention turned back to the Earl, who stood patiently a fair distance away to consider him a nonthreat. "That man, he will ask anyone who has recently suffered a loss, a chance to bring back their deceased loved one. And he turns them into those monsterous machine's... He's very dangerous and will kill anyone, whether it be men or women... young or old... children.." Her whole body turned to his general direction, "Chrystal, make sure everyone stay's back." Aura ordered.
"Yes ma'am.." Chrystal replied curtly before escorting the mother and child away and proceeded to carry out her orders.
"You finally come out Earl?" Aura stated, "What's the occastion?"
"I came to personally deliver a message." The Millennium Earl bowed a bit, "The real game, begins now."
"Game?" Aura mumbled, "What's that nonesense spilling from your mouth Earl?!"
"I'm saying, your time has come. The 7,000 year prologue has finally ended and the play is about to begin. Don't miss the rising of the curtain!~" He grabbed a pink umbrella, Lero, and opened it as he began to float up, "For you are the actors, the exorcists!~" He had finally floated up so high Aura knew she couldn't catch him. "I hope you know your lines~" And with that the Earl disappeared.
So the real war, has finally begun... Aura Thought before turning to Chrystal who came running up, "Chrystal, call the Order.. Say's it's urgent."
[Mallow, Ireland]
-9:00pm-
Aura kept silent the whole walk to the Finder's home village. She thought over the recent news she had recieved she had gotten after telling one of the Science Dept. Members the message from the Earl. Sitting just outside the cottage of Chrystal's family she went into deep thought.
-Earlier-
"You're not the first one to say this. Kanda was the first to contact us, told Komui himself. After that it was one of the Klaude apprentices then another in Hungary."
"So you're saying that the real War is now begun.."
"I guess so. Komui is ordering all exorcists once they finish their missions to head back to headquarters, so we'll see you soon right?"
Aura stiffened a bit as she glanced at Chrystal. Aura had never disobeyed a direct order since she was in the Alaskan Branch. "Uhh... How imperative is this order?" She asked lightly.
"Very." Reever said.
"I see, we'll... I guess ummm.. Sorry." Aura quickly hung up and cut the connection of her golem Ikki so Headquarters couldn't contact her, "Chrystal.. Let's go.. We're gonna pay a visit to your family."
-Present-
This very act of kindness she was doing for the finder was against the rules and she knew it, but she - for some reason - couldn't bring herself to tell Chrystal that they aren't going to go see her family. So she sucked up her pride and decided to bend the rule's, just this once. It wouldn't hurt anyone right? Aura growled at herself before slapping her palm against her head, "My God, I've lost my marbles.."
The sound of a door opening and closing caught her attention and she saw Chrystal, in normal clothes. "Thank you miss exorcist.."
"Hm?.." Aura thought for a moment, "Ahhh, I see... You want to stay here, don't you?"
"Please, just tell the order I died. I just miss my family so much and I think I could protect them from the Earl and Akuma, even just a bit." Chrystal seemed desperate for approval from the female exorcist, enough to get on her knees and bow to Aura. "I just.. don't make me go back.." she pleaded.
"... It's against the rules, you know." Aura said monotone, "I couldn't let you just, leave the order. Did you think it was that easy?"
Chrystal seemed to hold back tears at the exorcists words but her eyes widened at what she heard next.
"It's a shame you died, another good finder fallen in battle..." Aura stepped back and began to walk away, not waiting to see Chrystal's surprised expression or her thankful words. I'm seriously losing my morals...
PLEASE Review!~
Song from Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp Version)