God, i never thought that i would finished this chapter in my life time. A thousand thanks for my wounderfull beta, koffee XD.
Oh, yeah, enjoy your time and hope you'll like it.
La fille de Maria
A rumour was spreading through a small village of Aix en Provence. A gift sent to humankind from his mightiness they said…
Two months ago a mysterious person has shown up out of nowhere with an ability alike the son of god. Young or old, men or women, anybody who was suffering under injuries or heavy wounds have healed in no time…
"Is this report about our new mission?" Lavi asked his supervisor of the dark order indifferently while waving the record sheets back and forth. Half-heartedly reading said staple of paper.
The missions have become fewer in the past months. Akuma and the duke millennium have been quiet lately, but you couldn't be certain about what they are really doing. After the announcement about Allen being a Noah, the successor of the Bookman clan could not find the right time to speak with their tainted Destroyer of Time.
To be an Exorcist and Noah at the same time…
Who would have thought how ironic fate could be. Shortly after Allen Walker had paired up with Yu Kanda as his mission partner, to Lavi's dissatisfaction. There were many unanswered questions he had for the white haired teenager. Moreover, it didn't help he was being scolded by Bookman to do his job as a future Bookman.
"There are signs that the source of this phenomenon could be an Innocence, but the finders couldn't investigate the rumour further that this. We are not sure about the truth, but if Innocence is really the cause behind this then you know what to do," said Komui calmly, their current supervisor from the dark order, interrupting Lavi's train of thought.
"And," the man held briefly before continued with his speech.
"General Tiedoll and Chaozii would go with you as your mission partner," told the elder his underling.
"Please be careful."
After the meeting, Lavi left the taller man in his overloaded office behind and walked toward his room. In two hours, they would leave the headquarters for their mission. There were still times for him to prepare for the coming event.
'Aix en Provence, huh,' thought Lavi silently while observing his new environment.
The small village was half covered under a white mountain of snow. The weather was cold at this evening they have arrived. The snow fallen down steady on to the earth and painted the world in the colours of white and grey. White flocks were dancing around the small hamlet. Only few people were still walking around the illuminated building. Lavi made slowly some steps forwards through the heavy snow while he turned his interest to the finder behind him again.
"Sorry that we couldn't give you more information about the case in this place that we had already," Toma said disappointed behind the small group.
The finders had been more that two week here, but they still could not find the person with healing ability yet. The only hint they could get was that a man named François Mercelot was involved in this fall.
It seemed that said monsieur Mercelot was an owner of a clinic in this remote place and that people with any kind of injuries came to see him then left without any trances of wounds. Even so, the location of the clinic was hiding well by the shadow of the forest. Toma and the others finders had tried to find the clinic themselves by searched through the village and the surrounding area that was covering by the thick forests. Nevertheless, for all the efforts they made, it was still wasted. They had monitored some visitors for the clinic twenty-four-seven to find them vanished into thin air.
They did not know if Innocence was responsible for this occurrence or it was just a fake rumour to fool people. The villagers were refusing to give any information about the whereabouts of the person they searched.
As if, something or someone try to prevent them from putting their nose deeper into this affair.
"What about we get rest first and talk over the topic after some dinner," suggested the Marshall of the black order.
Heads nodded as a sign of agreement, the group making their way through the cold snow and headed toward a small house the finders had stayed for the last two week.
The next morning Lavi and his other companions, Froi Tiedoll and Chaozii Han decided during breakfast that they would search after the Innocent separately. Maosa and Kie accompanied Chaozii and Marshall Froi while Toma chose to stay with Lavi.
As they walked through the market place in the chilly dawn light, the residents of the Aix en Provence were observing Lavi and Toma hatefully.
"Say Toma, are the people in this village always acting so hostile toward strangers?"
Curiosity lay within the voice as he asked the finder. More and more people at the roadside started to whisper louder in French with each step they made. Even though Lavi couldn't understand French very much, he wasn't stupid not to know the animus behind the words.
"Actually no, maybe just toward us."
Before Lavi could ask Toma anything further about the meaning of the spoken phase, he felt something hard has hit him from behind.
"What the-," cried the red-hair Exorcist out of surprise.
'A snowball?' questioned Lavi a little bit confuse while turned around for the responsible person.
"Décampez! Décampez!" (1)
An angry yell heard through the small village before Lavi and Toma began to run like hell out of the marketplace. What did they run from the villagers for, you asked? The residents had started to throw a bunch of snowballs at Lavi and Toma after they shouted something at them. Maybe you cannot be killed by mountains of snowballs, but after that they had armed themselves with choppers, knives, pick-axes, and lot of things that could be used to kill you ruthless and painfully.
They couldn't run around and beating up innocent people, couldn't they?
"Don't worry, mister Lavi. This kind of things happened every day to us," Toma said calmly as if they haven't being followed by a pack of furious folks (Did he has mentioned that they had choppers with them?).
"I mean calling us names or screamed something at us, finders, but they've never been this violent before," said Toma in wonder under his breath.
The young man quirked his eyebrow in question while they turned right after they passed a few buildings.
"Wait! That is not something that normal person with any kind of sanity would do! Are these people crazy or something?" The teen stated in disbelieve while he tried to catch his breath.
"Well, people in this village are not that bad. As we arrived here, the residents are being unfriendly; this is the first time that they used weapon and violence (aka. snowballs attack) against us. Even though that they didn't really cooperated with us by the searching for monsieur Mercelot, they still helped us, the finders with dwelling and foods."
Lavi could only listen to Toma's speech in silence. The way the people in this village were acting was more that suspicious. The sudden outburst of violence overnight wasn't normal. If he remembered correctly, about what Toma has said, the residents were just being unfriendly with the finders, but never rowdy before.
So, why now? Could it be that the cause for the hostile was brought by the arrival of the Exorcists? Could it be that...
"Look! We can hide ourselves in that building for awhile, mister Lavi," told the older suddenly before he pointed his index finger towards a derelict house not far from them.
He narrowed his green eye seriously, as the future Bookman followed the elder man closely.
Hiding themselves in the shadow of the solitary house, the Exorcist, and his helper waited for the crowd disappeared. The younger one hoped that their pursuers have not noticed their footsteps that led the folks directly to them. He could hear people screaming heatedly with each other while they stopped nearby the building. The tension increased as he listened in alert at the noisy residents. His heart beating faster by passed seconds. Then it was silence. Shortly they began to move again, back to the path they came. Without knowing, Lavi let out a soft breath that he has held unconsciously a while ago as the folks were out of their sigh.
"Do you think the others are okay?" asked the finder suddenly.
They have separated their group into order to find the clinic and monsieur Mercelot. Even though Marshall Tiedoll and Chaozii knew how to fight with their Innocence, Lavi doubted that they would go against civilians (even if the people were armed).
Lavi? Here is Chaozii!
Suddenly a panicked voice came from the black golem that has been followed them around.
Can you please send Toma to the western side of the village? We have here a problem and-
Before the Exorcist of the black order could say anything further, the connection broke abruptly.
"Chaozii, Chaozii! What happened?" called the god's Apostle through his black golem.
No response. He tried a few times before giving up on calling his other companions.
They interchanged puzzled looks with each other as Toma and Lavi thought about the early message from their companion.
What should they do? Let Toma going alone or go together? It can be nothing or a trap, set by their enemies.
Seconds passed while they stayed in silence, unsure about the whole situation.
"Toma, could you please go and find Chaozii. I'll wait here for you and contact me when you are arrived," decided Lavi.
Head nodded in agreement before the finder made his depart.
After minutes of waiting for the return of the finder, Lavi started out of boredom to explore the place he was in currently. Then he heard the sounds of footsteps. Lightly and yet steady someone approached him from behind. Turning around quickly as Lavi braced himself for a fight. Left out a small sigh as Lavi found himself facing with an infant in front of him.
"Bonjour monsieur." (2)
Lavi observed the girl quickly with his trained eye.
The youngster wore a plain beige mantel that it length reached her knees and a pair of black boots. White scarf excessively long for her was enwrapping around the small neck firmly, protecting her from the biting cold. Dark short hair was flowing around the pale face by the chill wind as she greeted him with a faint smile.
Nothing to get excited about. Just only, her eyes astounded him like nothing else. Eyes that held the colours of brown on the right side and blue on the other side that had looked up at him warmly.
They were strange and beautiful at the same time.
"Eh, bonjour monsieur?" repeated Lavi, perplex by the sigh.
It was the first time that Lavi has faced someone that has bicoloured eyes. Of course, he has heard about people who were born with eyes that held two different colours.
A soft chuckle reached his ears.
"Je peux vous aider?" (3) asked the girl softly while titled her head lightly to the right.
Confusion was display on the teen's face, as he looked down at the child in front of him, unsure about the intention of his guest. Then she repeated the same line again, but this time slower for him to understand.
"Sorry little girl, but I can't speak French," Lavi said playfully while ruffling at the shorted hair.
'Ah, this girl is really cute. Too bad she still a child,' though Lavi jokingly.
Mismatched eyes only watched him with childish like curiosity as Lavi continued stroking the small head.
"It would help me a lot if you can tell me where I can find monsieur Mercelot," mumbled the teen, more toward himself that the girl.
He didn't know if the child could fully understand what he meant. The people around this place weren't helping at all. The villagers were very hostile toward them from the start as if they were a bunch demon from the hell itself. It wasn't that he haven't used to this kind of treatment, but it would be nice to finish the mission as quickly as possible.
"Monsieur Mercelot?"
Face lighted a little as he heard the girl repeated the name of that person he searched.
"Do you know where he is? Wait, do you understand me?"
"Oui, oui. On y va!" (4) she answered quickly while griped at his left uniform's sleeve lightly.
A cheerful smile played on the young face as she tore at his black sleeve as a sign for him to follow her immediately. Lavi hoped that Toma knew what to do next as he walked after the dark haired girl. Humming in a soft melody, the girl guided them toward the northern part of the cottage. Shortly they arrived at a small path that led them into the thick forest.
'Weird. I can't remember having seen this way before,' thought Lavi carefully as he followed his little guide.
The lane was located near the main road that they were yesterday. So, why did he not notice it until now? His right hand gripped firmly at his Innocence as Lavi and the girl went deeper into the grey and green world. Who knew, maybe this person belonged to the flunkies of the earl of millennium. Based on his experiences, Lavi has learnt that human could not ever be trusted. Especial when you were an Exorcist. Human were the one that giving birth to Akuma after all.
"Monsieur," called the girl.
Full out of his guard, Lavi turned to the person next to him, feeling a little bit shocked when the girl gazed him with sorrow and pleading eyes. Her small hand held tight to his as she looked up at the redhead teen with a sadden face. Then she turned away shortly und smiled widely at the red haired Exorcist as if nothing was wrong with her. A soft laughter and the girl ran ahead to a crossroads while beckoning him over.
With a stony-faced, the Exorcist of the black order increased his pace while clenching his fist, feeling the rough structure of small paper in his hand.
Be careful, it's a trap.
We're monitored the whole time. Don't act out of place.
They hold the children of the villagers as hostages. Please help us.
It was a note that he got from the youngster as she held his hand early. He didn't known about the genuineness of the messages or what the dark haired girl really meant by the appellation them.
However, the note explained enough for him to understand what might happen here, in this remote place.
An old Victorian mansion nestled in the middle of the forest as they arrived at their destination. The wooden house stood proudly in its dull light grey colour. Even though the sun and the rain have washed the origin colour of the house by now, but the mansion has never lost its charm. From what he saw so far, the mansion built with three stories. The windows decorated with colourful glasses. Lavi recognized that one of the windows have an artistic illustration of Maria on it. The roof shone weakly blood red in the dimed light of the clouded forenoon sun.
'Just like a church,' thought Lavi ironical.
"On y va, Monsieur exorciste. Vite, Vite."
"What did you just said?" questioned the teen surprised.
Green eye wide a tiny bit from what he has heard, before the red head Exorcist moved forward to the young girl. Finally, Lavi could fully understand what going on and why the finders haven't find the location of the hidden clinic.
Heavy sounds of footsteps were clanging in the empty hallway when the future Bookman walking inside the mansion. There was no point for be quiet, if their enemies from the start had supervised them.
"So you actually come, Exorcist!" called a spiteful voice out from above him.
Indifferently, Lavi looked at the man they had been searching for. On the stair stood a man in his forty dressed in a black pant and a matched black vest and tie in front of them. His long grey hair was combed nicely back up and was tied with a beige ribbon that was like the colour of his chemise. All in the entire person in front of them looked like an average townsman.
"I assume you are François Mercelot, am I right?"
A malign laughter was coming from the man before he slowly walked along the wood stairs that has been covering up with a red carpet. With slow steps, the villain stood in the space of a minute in the front of them.
"You did a good job, mademoiselle, to bring one of the Exorcists here with you," Mercelot spoken with a grotesque smile as he eyeing the small one, ignored Lavi completely.
"Oi, old man! I'm talking to you, don't you dare ignore me," pointed Lavi, felt unreasonable angry by the sickening perverted Look from the older man that rested on the youngster.
'What a sick paedophile.'
"Be careful…"
A barely audible sound came from his side, trembling with worrying. Small hands griped at his sleeve firmly as if she wanted him to come with her.
"Where do you think you going, mes petits enfants?" (5)
The man laughed evilly before clapping his hand a few times. Soon Akuma appeared out of nowhere and surrounded them with their monstrous bodies, preventing the child and Exorcist from escaping.
"So you are a broker?" asked Bookman Jr. angrily, before he activated his Innocence.
Brokers were human who turned themselves away from the right path and allied with the creator out of personal benefit. In exchanged for money they gave the millennium earl information and human to be turn into Akuma.
"Well, for a brainless sheep from the church you are quite smart," said the elder man in a sarcasm tone.
Lavi could look the man in front of him with disgusted.
"Better an idiotic sheep than a doomed one," Lavi pointed out heatedly.
Foolish humans and their priggishness...
"You would never understand, boy! The real power lay within the money. The world will be mine; with the help of the millennium duke and the girl Innocence's power!"
Lavi smote his forehead out of annoyance as the taller man listened to the explanations. Humans were always foolish. They acted without thinking. Didn't they know what kind of danger they were in when the earl and Akuma involved? Then he remembered. For all that, it wasn't his job to prevent any downfall on this world. He was a bookman and still will be. To record was his only duty no more.
"Now, my Akuma, kill this boy and bring his Innocence to me!"
'Don't think you can go easy on me, old man,' the red hair teen thought, before the teen took his fighting position.
There was nothing but a ton of level I Akuma for him to deal with. They were an easy prey to catch.
(1) "Décampez! Décampez!" - disappear, run off, etc
(2) "Bonjour monsieur." - Good morning/Good day, Mister.
(3) "Je peux vous aider?" - How can I help you?
(4) "Oui, oui. On y va!" - Yes, yes. Let's go!
(5) mes petits enfants - my little children