Ch. 1: Rewinding Town
"Kanda, Lenalee, I want you to go investigate Rewinding Town," Komui told the two exorcists.
"Why? What's happened? Is it Innocence?" Lenalee asked.
"We got a report that a wine company has gotten a call for the same order every day for the past thirty days. But whenever they try to enter the town, they can't/ it's as if there is a barrier that prevents anyone from entering," Komui explained. "We think that there is Innocence involved, so we need the two of you to investigate."
"Alright. Let's go, Kanda!" Lenalee walked out of the room.
"Che," Kanda did one of his trademarks before following suit. They got their exorcist coats and went straight to the train station to get a train to Rewinding Town. On the train, they noticed that their train car was nearly empty Kanda didn't care, but Lenalee wanted someone to talk to. At the next stop, however, two young, exotic girls got on. One had short, blue, spiky hair and was childish, around ten years. She was wearing a school uniform and striped leggings. The other girl had long white hair that covered the left side of her face, outlining the rest, and fell all the way down to her knees. She wore a dress that was white at the shirt and black at the skirt and had semi-sleeves with long black gloves. She wore a long white scarf loose around her neck and knee-high black boots. Her silver eyes were captivating and enchanting, even to Kanda, who was staring at her. She walked up to them.
"Uhm. Excuse me?" the pale-skinned girl asked. "May we sit with you, please?"
"Oh, of course! We don't mind, right Kanda?" Lenalee asked.
"Che," Kanda turned to the window. The white seemed to take it the wrong way, however.
"Gomen," she apologized. Her Japanese caught the samurai's attention. She caught her mistake and blushed. "I-I'm sorry. We'll go find another seat." She bowed her respects and turned away.
"Stop," Kanda said. "You can sit here." This really surprised Lenalee; she didn't expect Kanda to call back the girl. The albino didn't seem to hear, however, since the blue-hair had to stop her.
"Allen-chan!" She whined. "They said we can sit with them! Hi! My name is Rhode," she introduced. "And this is Allen onii-chan, my sister!"
"Your sister?" Lenalee questioned. "But-"
"Yeah, we look nothing alike. She's, more accurately, my foster sister," Rhode said as she sat down next to Lenalee. "And yes, her name is a boy's name. We don't know," she shrugged with a huge smile.
"So, do you have a job or hobby?" Lenalee asked them both.
"Well, I go to school and I like to play with Allen and eat candy!" Rhode exclaimed.
"How about you, Allen?"
"Well, I'm a musician. This case," she held up a case she was carrying, "is my viola, actually."
"Ooh! Can you play us a song? It's a long way to the next station," Lenalee begged.
"U-um… okay. Sure!" Allen smiled her angelic smile and pulled out her viola. She tested the strings and tuned it. "Okay." She began playing a hauntingly beautiful song. Then Allen started singing with enchanting voice.
Soshite bouyaha nemurini tsuite
Ikizuku haino nakano hono o
Hitotsu, futatsuto ukabu tukurami itoshii yokogao
Daichini taruru Ikusenno yume, yume
Ginno hitomini yuragu yoruni
Uma reochita kagayaku omae ikuo kuno tositsukigu
Ikutu inoriwo tsuchihe kaeshitemo
Watashiha inori tuzukeru mou kakonno kofoni aiwo
Tsunaidateni Kisuwo
Lenalee, although not understanding the words, was crying, as was Rhode. Were Kanda not, well, Kanda, he, too, would be crying. "T-that was so beautiful," Lenalee complimented, wiping away tears, causing Allen to blush and Rhode to giggle.
"I've heard you play that millions of times, but it always makes me like this! And it's hard to believe you play it even better on the piano!" Rhode wiped away her tears.
"Well, it is my favorite song," Allen whispered as she put her viola away.
"How many instruments can you play?" Lenalee asked. Allen started counting them in her head, but Rhode answered first.
"All of them!" Rhode exclaimed. "She's a musician prodigy!"
"R-Rhode! I'm not that good!" Allen protested, blushing even more.
"Oh, don't be so modest!"
"Where did you learn to speak Japanese?" Kanda spoke up.
"Wha-? Uh, um… Ah, I… I have family in Japan and decided to learn the language," Allen stuttered. "My uncle taught it to me. He is a very kind man, although he is very busy. He made time to help raise and teach me in his busy schedule.
Kanda stared at her, like he knew she was not telling them something. They had just met, though that was to be expected. Under Kanda's glare, she hid behind her hair and blushed. "C-could you not stare at me like that, please? I-it makes me uncomfortable…" Allen begged Kanda. He just 'che'd and turned back to the window. "Oh, did I anger you?"
"No. Kanda's just like that. He hates everyone, or at least that's what he makes everyone think, swinging around Mugen, his sword," Lenalee explained. "You're kinda lucky he spoke to you at all."
"Hey, Mr. Grumpy Samurai!" Rhode yelled. "Why'd you name your sword?"
Allen cringed. No, Rhode, don't. The train began to slow. "Are you… in love wit your little Mugen sword?" Rhode pushed. The train stopped, pulling up to the station. Allen grabbed Rhode and began to get out before she pushed Kanda over the edge.
"This is our stop. Thank you for letting us sit with you," Allen bowed and ran off the train, dragging a pouting Rhode. Lenalee just stared after them, Kanda near fuming and standing to follow.
"Wait! Where are you going, Kanda?" Lenalee asked.
"This is our stop as well. Come on," he upped and left. Lenalee followed after, smiling.
"Maybe we'll see them again! It'd be nice, especially Allen. She was very nice and I loved her music!" Lenalee admired. If only she knew what would happen to them when they next saw the sisters, or at least the rude, pushy one.
"There's something off about those two," Kanda pointed out.
"You mean, they're like Akuma?" Lenalee asked shocked.
"The blue one, yes, or something like it. The white… she feels like the other, yet completely different. Mugen was attracted to her," Kanda explained. "She also seemed too perfect. She was perfect in the song, perfect with the tuning and music, she seemed the perfect lady. Not a single hair was out of place. Although I wonder why she covers the left side of her face."
"I don't know. She might like her hair like that. She also could be a noble's daughter?" Lenalee suggested.
"Then why was she with that rude, energetic girl? They are polar opposites," Kanda wondered.
"Well, they did claim to be sisters, fosters sisters, that is. And Rhode was wearing a school uniform, so she might be going to school and Allen is taking her, or something," offered Lenalee.
"Let's go before the train leaves. We might see them before heading to Rewinding Town," Kanda said.
"Alright," Lenalee stood up and followed Kanda off the train. The two sisters were nowhere in sight, and no one claimed to have seem either of them, which was strange since they stuck out from the rest of the crowd. So they left the station and headed over to Rewinding Town. What they didn't know was that two Noahs, the Noah of Dreams and The Musician, or 14th, were watching them from above.
"Can you follow me, Lero? I'll get you something nice later if you carry Rhode-chan!" Allen told the umbrella that floated next to her.
"Of course, Allen-chan! You're so nice to Lero! No wonder you are Lero and Lord Millennium's favorite," Lero exclaimed.
"Oh, thank you, Lero! You are my favorite umbrella!" Allen said. "Okay, let's go!" She used the elements to keep her afloat and propel her in a direction. She messed with the clouds so the wouldn't be seen by anyone. "That should act as decent cover. Hey Rhode, I heard you asking Tyki about a new doll?"
"Yup! But Tyki said he was too busy and I should go get my own!" she pouted.
"Well maybe you'll find a new and interesting doll on our mission! I'll help, even though I'm not allowed to reveal my Noah," Allen cheered.
"Yay! Thank you, Allen onii-chan!" Rhode clapped. Oh, Rhode. You get too excited and you're really kinda sadistic…Allen sighed. "Is that it?" Rhode pointed to a town up ahead. Allen nodded. "There's supposed to be Innocence there according to 'Millenie. Maybe we can play with exorcists! Too bad you can't fight yet, but you can go shopping and I'll have the fun for you!"
"Don't send any Akuma near me. I don't want to destroy them, and if exorcists are watching, they'll want to take me with them back to the Black Order Headquarters," Allen reminded.
"Alright, but those Akuma are so stupid. You can sense them, so try and avoid them if you can."
"I'll try, but it'll be too difficult in some instances," Allen said sadly. "Being a normal human is difficult."
"Yeah, I guess that's true… Well, the exorcists are entering through the barrier," Rhode grinned. "We should follow so we can get the Innocence and complete the mission for Lord 'Millenie." Allen nodded agreement and landed. A finder was standing guard.
"Hello, Mr. Finder! Is there Innocence here?" Allen asked him. He flinched and stared at her. "Oh, um. I shouldn't have asked maybe?... Alright. I'll just go through…" Allen turned to go through, but the finder stopped her.
"Miss, there is a barrier, you can't go through. Or are you an Akuma?" The finder informed. Allen laughed.
"No, no. Akuma give me headaches (which is true). Most are so annoying (also true)…" She sighed.
"Then, you're an exorcist?"
"Sort of. I have Innocence and destroy the occasional Akuma (true again)," she informed.
"Well, those other two exorcists passed through earlier, so you should as well, exorcist-sama."
"Thank you, finder Toma!" She smiled and waved before passing through the barrier, Rhode following.
"Wait. How did she know my name? Have we met before?" Toma wondered. "Must've…"
REWINDING TOWN
Beyond the barrier, Allen came through unharmed and dusted herself off, waiting for Rhode, who came out smiling and badly burnt, but she quickly healed, her tanned skin no longer charred. She was holding Lero in her hand. Allen took him back before Rhode could hurt him any more.
"I'll take him for a while, at least until we split up," Allen used as an excuse to protect the poor umbrella. "Is that alright with you, Lero?" She smiled innocently and sweetly.
"Of course, Allen-chan! I am always honored to be traveling with such a sweet and beautiful young lady, Lero!" Allen smiled, embarrassed again, and hugged Lero gently; tight enough to show her care, but not so tight as to harm or suffocate him. Allen jumped onto a rooftop and began to run and jump across them, Rhode doing the same next to her.
They found the exorcists quickly and watched them. Rhode called an Akuma to attack a woman near the exorcist, Kanda, who found and destroyed it with ease. The woman, called Miranda (Unlucky Miranda by the kids), was so overjoyed with a new occurrence and ran off happily. What a weird woman… woman…I still want to know more about that Moyashi, Allen. What was she hiding?
Unknowingly to him, the girl he was looking for was floating just above him on the rooftop. She was smiling sweetly and gently at him before flying away. She could read minds in a way, or at least the auras around people that usually showed what they were thinking, so she also knew where the exorcist was going. "He's going to meet with the girl exorcist and they will talk over at that restaurant. I must go now, I'm going shopping. You want something?" Allen informed Rhode.
"Candy! Get me candy!" Rhode exclaimed. "Lots of it. I'll be hungry after this." She grinned evilly.
"Okay, Rhode. Have fun," Allen said.
"What about Lero?" Rhode asked. Allen sighed and smiled an apology before handing over Lero.
"I'll get you something extra special, okay, Lero?" Allen promised.
"Alright, Lero. Just make sure to keep your promise, Lero," Lero said. Allen nodded with a smile and flew away to land, waving a farewell. She found another alley with no one in it and landed. She walked out and began walking through the shops, searching for a candy shop for Rhode.
The candy shop was large and very colourful. In it was row upon row upon row of candy. The sight amazed Allen; she knew Rhode was having fun with the exorcists, but would like to roam the store, taking as much candy as she could. Allen pulled out her money and bought a bag of every kind of candy. The owner was ecstatic and thought he hit the jackpot with Allen since she bought an insane amount of candy. The bright smile she gave him could melt anyone along with her beauty.
"Thank you, sir! My sister and family will enjoy these very much," Allen told him as she bowed.
"Y-you're welcome! En-enjoy, m-miss," he stuttered. Allen waved and left, the owner slowly waving back, still stunned by this awesome girl.
As Allen walked out of the store, she could feel that one of the exorcists were nearby. She decided that for once, she was glad there was a crowd. She found her way to the center of town and sat at the fountain. She was staring up at the sky when a little girl tugged at the black skirt of her dress. She looked down at her questioningly.
"Are you a musician, miss?" she asked. Allen smiled and told her so. "Can you play a song? I-I can pay."
"Of course," Allen replied. Allen pulled out her viola and tuned it. She began playing another hauntingly beautiful song. Many people gathered around her to hear her song. Some people even tried to put some money in her case, but she refused by kicking her case closed and shaking her head as she continued her song. When she was done, most of the people were crying, handkerchiefs to their eyes. Many wanted as encore, but Allen bowed and apologized before leaving. The little girl chased after her until Allen stopped and kneeled down to the girl.
The girl held out her coin, but Allen just smiled and pulled out her own money and put some in the little girl's hand along with a small bag of candy. While the little girl was staring in awe at it, Allen walked away, silently slipping into the crowd before the girl could react again.
When the girl looked up, a quick blur of white hair was all she saw before it completely disappeared, long gone. Another older girl came up to the little girl. She was Chinese with a long, black coat and long, green-black pigtails. "Did the musician lady give you that?" she asked. The girl nodded. "Do you know which direction she went?" The girl pointed in the general direction. "Thank you."