Exile Wrath: Thank you for reading and reviewing! I didn't really expect over 200 freaking hits in ONE DAY! That's my personal record! And to clear up confusion, Rei is younger than Kanda by one month. They came from the same orphanage, so they get along decently. But now the setting is semi-canon, an altered Ark arc, and in this part Kanda and Rei are unrelated. The parentheses are translations, and Rei's Innocence is chains that he can lengthen and shrink at will. They have sickles on the ends that appear when Rei summons them. Not much Yullen in this part, wait for part three.
Theme: Doors and Keys
Pairing: Yullen
Don't own.
"Heads up, Baka-Usagi!" Kanda snarled as a shadowy hand grabbed at the space the redhead had been just a moment ago. Lenalee was in the air, trying to kick down the Level 4 in the sky, and was having a hard time. The Noah of Shadows, Shirokuro, grinned insanely, and more hands swiped at Lavi. Rei was nowhere in sight, having chased the Musician, who was keeping General Allen Walker trapped. "Second Illusion, Nigentou!" The two blades cut through layers of darkness easily, but more came at him. "Damnit!"
It had all started in Edo. General Allen Walker had disappeared two months ago to go undercover, and at the order of Central, Lavi, Lenalee, himself, and Ryuukei had been dispatched to retrieve the young General. They had met him in Edo, capital city of Japan, but the 14th Noah had activated Noah's Ark, knocked out Allen, and taken him hostage. Tyki Mikk, the Noah of Pleasure, and Rhode Camelot, Noah of Dreams, had been killed just hours earlier by the general. But now Neah held Allen and was controlling the Ark, so the buildings themselves were assaulting the group. The fight was difficult.
"Schwarze Schlange. (Black Snake)" The Noah declared, and black inky snakes rose from the shadows and threw themselves at the swordsman. "Schatten Kragen (Shadow Collar)" More shadows slithered from dark alleys and tried to loop around the Exorcists necks. Neah had given them all one chance to escape. One chance to live. And only half a chance for him to be back at his General's side. Gritting his teeth, Kanda positioned himself and danced through the shadows, and before the Noah realized Kanda had gotten past his defense, a certain Innocence katana had run through his neck. Shirokuro's lips curved in a predatory grin. "Not enough, Exorcist. Schatten Klingen. (Shadow Blades)" Shadows materialized in his hands and Kanda leapt backwards, parrying the two sinister blades that aimed towards his neck. His ear perked, and he heard a nearby crash as Lenalee and Lavi brought the Akuma down to the ground and skewered it.
"Hakka Tourou. (Eight Flower Mantis)" He uttered, and the eight slashes sped from his blade and knocked back the monochrome Noah into a building, sending him through several walls. Lenalee ran to stand next to him, and Lavi landed right behind.
"Is he…dead yet?" Lavi panted, enlarging his hammer to prepare for the Noah's comeback. The shadows that Shirokuro controlled vanished, and collectively all of them rushed back towards where the three now saw the Noah rise.
"NACHT FLUGEL RUSTUNG! (Night Wings Armor)" he roared, rising from the rubble. The darkness was wrapped around him and formed four wings and an armor suit. He rushed towards the trio, and two shadow orbs flickered to life around his hands.
"Gián đoạn (Interrupt)!" A familiar voice called in Vietnamese, and Rei's chain flew up through the Noah's chest, interrupting his charge. "Ràng buộc. (Constrain)" Kanda narrowed his eyes to see the silhouette swing down in front of him, chain wrapped firmly around the Noah. "Chào anh trai. (Hello, brother)" Rei said, bowing mockingly in front of Kanda.
"Where is he?" Kanda hissed, hands reaching for Rei's neck. The boy dodged out of the way. "I thought you went after Al- the General." Above them, Shirokuro roared with fury at his immobilization. Rei grimaced.
"I lost him. Neah used his damn piano to open up a hell load of traps for me, and one of them dropped me nearby. Allen, he's waking up. I saw him stir, and I signaled him to fake it. Then I fell." He explained nervously. A definite anger mark popped on Kanda's forehead, and Rei's chain abruptly broke as the Noah freed himself. Scowling, Kanda made a rude gesture to Lavi.
"Play ball." Rei translated, and Lavi swung Oodzuchi Kodzuchi at the Noah, meeting his charge midway. The hammer pummeled into him, and Shirokuro flew in the air, disintegrating, much like a baseball and a bat.
"Hiban!" The dark remains of the Noah were suddenly consumed by the fiery snake, and everyone paused to catch their breath. A key dropped from the ashes, and Kanda picked it up. "So that's the next key?" Lavi questioned tiredly. Kanda grunted in affirmation. "Geez Yuu, you're far from talkative when your Moyashi's not around." He teased. Mugen swung at him and Rei knocked it to the ground as Kanda chased Lavi, a rather noticeable blush on his cheeks. The boy sighed exasperatedly as Lenalee used the key to open up another door.
"Dày đặc anh trai. (Dense Brother)" He complained to the Chinese girl, who just shrugged and ushered him in.
"Quit speaking in Vietnamese, Rei." Kanda snapped at him a little while later. They were a room full of stairs that went in every direction that twisted, winded, and collided with each other, preventing Lenalee from simply flying up or Rei using his chain. "It's annoying." Rei smirked smugly and climbed up another flight of stairs on his chain.
"Không. (No)" Rei said. "You'll have to get used to it, idiot brother." Kanda's Netherworld Insects started flying at him. "YIPES! NO, LENALEE!" Lavi batted away the bugs from the freaked out boy and Lenalee kicked Kanda on the head.
"Don't provoke Kanda, Rei." Lenalee scolded, jumping upwards another flight. "And are these steps ever going to end?" Kanda growled and stabbed a floating portrait.
"Evidently not. And what's with the…horror paintings?" Lavi asked nervously. Various paintings depicting bloody and horrifying scenes floated around them, and every now and then would pop in front of them. Every time they popped up in front of Rei, he'd shriek and slice through it. Not to mention the ones containing bloody people screamed, making the black stair-hall echo with tortured wails. "I need earplugs."
"Shut up, Baka-Usagi." Kanda snapped, already on edge because of the setting. "You're not helping. And quit calling me your Brother!"
"I see it! The door's up ahead!" Rei yelled triumphantly, throwing his chain up and looping the end around the doorknob, then climbing the rest of the way. Kanda grabbed the end that he had considerately tossed down, and Rei reeled everyone up. "But in my next life, I'd think you'd be an awesome older bro!"
"Here's the door, but where's the fucking key?" Kanda muttered, pacing in front of it and ignoring Rei's earlier comment. He and the others had already tried breaking through it, but to no avail. The game that the 14th had dubbed "Doors and Keys" was getting on his nerves. Find the door in the Ark, get the key from an enemy, and enter the next room.
"There's another door across from us!" Lavi yelled, pointing across the room at the white door that contrasted greatly with the dark setting. Next to it was a stationary blood-soaked portrait. "Should we…check that door out?" However, when the four landed on the platform with the door and portrait, the picture vanished and appeared next to the black door that they had just left. "The hell?" The portrait suddenly opened its mouth and let out an eerie chant.
If you wish to leave these steps
Three must be left behind, no less.
Is you decide to defy the rule's reps
Then you four will remain a bloody mess.
If one will leave
And three stay
Then two will grieve
For the one that dies, they may
One, make your choice, pick your path
And the key will be given after you do your math!
The portrait's mouth stopped moving at the end, and Kanda couldn't help but let out a shudder. "Who should go?" Rei murmured, serious for once. Lavi bowed his head.
"Kanda, you go." Lenalee said after an awkward silence. "You're the one that the General needs the most, and we won't win this war without him." Kanda's eyes widened, and Lavi punched him.
"Don't argue." He snapped, eyes darkened. "And besides, we'll come after you. Rei, your turn to say something."
"3y+1≤ 4x+8" Rei muttered unintelligibly, getting odd stares from the other three. "The key. The thing said math, right? The song forms an equation. "You" gives the variable y, and then it said 3, so that's 3y. We only see one representative of the rules, so then it is 3y+1. And then there was "less" in there, so it's 3y+1 is less than something. Also, it made a grammatical error in saying "is" instead of "if", and in math, "is" means equal to, so now we have 3y+1 is less than or equal to something. Blood and gore paintings are rated "X" in some museums, and 4 is right before that, so the right part starts with 4x. 1+3+2+1+1= 8, so the end equation is 3y+1≤ 4x+8. Get it?" He was met with dumbfounded stares from Kanda and Lenalee. Lavi nodded, now understanding the boy's logic.
"So what's the answer?" Lavi asked. Rei shrugged.
"The result is a linear inequality, y≤ 4/3x +7/3, or y≤ (1/3)(4x+7)." He answered. Kanda cradled his head. The math was confusing him, and Lenalee winced as well. Lavi suddenly grinned and put his fist in his palm.
"First of all, which door should he go through?" Lavi asked cheerfully. Everyone looked at Kanda.
"Black. The white door is probably going to be a…oxymoron, and will be harder. The black door would probably be easier. After all, that fucking Noah seems to like irony." Before he could jump across the gap, Rei pushed him down.
"He's going to predict that you think that, and make the white door easier instead." Rei argued. Another anger mark appeared on Kanda's head. "It's like chess, white gets the initiative. And besides, haven't you noticed that all the paintings contain some kind of chess piece or reference to a chess piece?" It was true, Lenalee realized, staring at the passing portraits. The people were either: 1)bedecked royalty, representing kings, queens, and knights, 2) playing chess, or 3) were knights and servants fighting in front of a castle.
"Fine. But how do we get the damn portrait to come over here?" Kanda retorted. Rei let out a sad sigh, and he jumped across the room, Lenalee and Lavi following. The portrait immediately popped up on the wall next to the white door.
"The poem said "one" the most, so if x is 1, then y is...less than or equal to eleven thirds." Lavi yelled across to Kanda.
"Have your answer yet, Exorcist?" It leered at him. Kanda leveled his death glare at the thing and nodded. "It is y is equal to or less than eleven thirds." He answered. It smirked, and a key dropped from its mouth. Kanda unlocked the door and turned around to shoot one last glance at everyone else. The door on that side had disappeared, and a slightly translucent barrier separated him from his friends. The three waved, and Lenalee was crying. He hesitated, but Rei screamed at him.
"HURRY UP, BAKA-NII, OR I'LL ONLY TALK TO YOU IN VIETNAMESE WHEN WE CATCH UP!" He shrieked shrilly, and Kanda smirked and stepped through the door.
The moment he stepped in, Kanda felt the sensation of falling. Darkness surrounded him, but at the bottom, he saw a piano, and two figures. The Japanese man gripped Mugen and closed his eyes. Those idiots better not get killed. He thought. Moyashi…he better be okay. Kanda couldn't remember when he and Allen had first kissed. He couldn't remember how he had fallen in love with the white-haired, scarred, powerful beansprout. He just had.
Allen Walker…he was the one who had helped him with Alma, the one who cheered him up and at least provided a decent discussion. He was the one the 14th Noah had kidnapped, and he was the one that could make Kanda forget about the war, about the Order, about the Earl, about his past when they were together. When they were together, all he wanted to think of was now. Opening his eyes to snap out of his trance, Kanda landed on the checkered floor behind the Musician, who was playing the piano. Allen was lying limply on the piano bench next to the Noah. Neah stood up and brushed off his pants.
"Welcome, Kanda Yuu." He said smugly. "Come back for your lover?"
"Che." Kanda replied. "I'm back for the General and the final key." Neah laughed delightedly at his response.
"I can't believe it! Not only do you now have Innocence, you and those other irritating teens traveled back in time as the Exorcists you used to be!" He howled with laughter. Kanda's eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Oh my, you don't remember a thing? This is laughable!" He chuckled, tears of laughter streaming down his face. Kanda unsheathed Mugen and pointed it at the Noah.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Hand over the General and the key and we won't give chase today." He growled. Suddenly, the ground beneath him began rumbling. He braced himself, but nothing came. Neah wiped his face and smirked.
"Your friends and your little brother will be dead shortly. What you just heard was a horde of Level Fours going through the stairs to attack them. And by that time…you'll be dead as well." He said, summoning a scimitar with the same pattern as the Earl's. Kanda narrowed his eyes.
"Nigentou!" He declared, activating Mugen.
"Sound Shock!" Neah swiped the scimitar in the air, and shockwaves sped towards Kanda.
"Edge End!" Allen opened his eyes and leapt at Neah's unprotected back, only to be knocked back by the flat of the sword. Kanda parried the sound waves with Mugen and jumped over the piano, scooping up Allen and clutching him protectively. "Hi, Kanda." Allen said weakly with a small grin. "So how's everyone else?"
"Shut up Moyashi or I'll do something drastic." Kanda replied, dropping the General and dodging more soundwaves. Allen activated his Innocence and smirked at his lover.
"Like what, Kanda? Kiss me in the middle of battle?" The young General asked teasingly, jumping at the 14th with his own sword. "Sword of Exorcism!"
"Hakka Tourou!"
"Rei! Use your chain to construct the Orb Barrier!" Lenalee called, landing back in front of the black door and the exhausted Exorcist. Lavi paused, looking down the stairs.
"Now it's a wave of Level Threes." He reported with satisfaction, a smile breaking out onto his face. "I think there are no more Fours." Rei's Chains of Innocence lengthened and surrounded the trio protectively in a sphere and began slowly healing their wounds. Suddenly, laughter made Lavi snap his head upwards, and his eye widened at the sight of another wave of Level Fours flying down at them. "Never mind. The Level Threes are going to take a while, but there's a more pressing problem to deal with!" Slamming his hammer into the ground, he had discovered earlier, knocked whatever was going up the steps down a few stories.
"Wind Dance!" Lenalee flew out of the Orb Barrier at the incoming Akuma. "Kamikaze Seiryuu! (Divine Wind Dragon)" The winds her crystal-type boots generated formed several dragons which sped towards the Akuma.
"Combo Stamp: Terrible Lightning of Heaven!" Lavi called, the snake eating away at the Level Fours.
"Executioner's Chains." Rei whispered, and his chain unfurled to run through the Akuma.
Exile: Wow, I actually managed to type something this long in one day. Please review! Wen they stepped through the Ark door in the first part, they also went back in time, and their memories were erased, except Neah. Shirokuro is an OC Noah I came up with spur-of-the-moment.
Can you guess what theme part final is going to be on?
Review?