I do not own D. Gray- Man!
Chapter 25:
"This is it. We're here." Chomesuke said bringing the boat to the dock. I looked out as I got out. All I could think about was Kanda. How it suited him to come from a place like this.
The wind blew pink petals off the trees. I looked up the stairs under the huge wooden archways lit with paper lamps. It was so ominous, dark, mysterious and beautiful. I couldn't help but not think of Kanda.
It seemed fitting to see him leaning against one of the pillars with a scowl across his face, annoyed that we were late, for his taste.
"Welcome to Japan." The voice sounded like Kanda's, probably because of the accent, the voice was much too high really to be his. Besides, he wouldn't welcome us. He'd ask what we were doing there or why we were late.
The funniest thing is that I could see this being played out in my minds eye. I could se him leaning against the pillar, us pulling up in the boat, him turning a scowl on us and saying "What the hell took you so long?" , then the wind would blow sending flower petals down on his long raven hair that would be swaying in the wind. He would scowl into the eyes of everyone of us as we approached him. His black eyes captivating conveying the ominous, dark, mystery around him. He was just like his surroundings. As if they had taken human form.
"Hannah?" Lavi's voice snapped me back to reality and I saw that I had walked up to the pillar where I had imagined Kanda standing, and was staring at it. I turned. Everyone was looking at me.
"Sorry," I whispered. "Just reminded me of something." More like someone, but if I had said that it would be obvious who it reminded me of, and why would I be thinking about him? Everyone seemed to buy my excuse and we started climbing the stairs.
"Japan is a sealed country." Chomesuke was explaining as we walked up the stairs. "For almost three centuries, trade with the outside world has been forbidden. No one may ever enter or leave." What she was saying just made Kanda more mysterious, and made me feel guiltier. Did I know anything about my best friend?
"This makes an ideal sanctuary for the Earl." Bookman noted. "I wouldn't be surprised if he's the reason Japan sealed itself off in the first place."
"Yes. Japan is the base from which the Earl sends his Akuma out into the world. 90 percent of Japan's population is Akuma." I felt another wave of guilt roll over me as I heard this. I didn't know any of it, and my best friend came from here. "The Earl is the real ruler here."
"300 years." Lenalee echoed.
"Sound's like Japan's the Earl's own private paradise." The guy who was carrying Lenalee, Chaoji, said. Somehow, those words also made me feel guilty.
"Humans aren't truly safe anywhere in these islands." Chomesuke said gravely, my thoughts went to my parents who were safe in the Ozarks. I could see them every two years. Could Kanda ever see his parents? Were they still his parents? Were they dead? Or, worse yet, were they Akuma? And if they were, they would surely attack their son when they saw him, and then he'd have to destroy them, no?
I felt tears spring into my eyes. How terrible was this?! How could I have never known? All this time I'd been worried only for myself, my happiness, my peace, my trouble. Never had I thought of others.
Was it human nature to put yourself in the center and compare yourself with everyone around you, making it seem like you had the worst life? When, in reality, as I saw now, you're the most blessed one there? How could I have been so selfish all the time? Couldn't I see what I had?
I had been fighting so that I could see my family. They were fighting for a better world! Lenalee, Kanda, Lavi and Allen- they were all fighting for a better world! Lenalee had only her brother, Lavi only had bookman, Allen had no one, and Kanda, Kanda's was the worst fate- Not knowing.
I felt pathetic walking up those steps next to these heroes.
I felt pathetic and out of place. I was selfish and simple minded. What was worse was that I had chosen to be that way. I had chosen to fight for those reasons. No wonder I was so pathetic. No wonder I could never beat Kanda. He fought for something more. They all fought for something more. They fought with no thought to their well- being.
Lenalee's inability to walk brought that thought the proof it needed to be seen as a true fact.
So I chose.
I'm allowed to change my mind. Being stubborn was never of any use anyway. I would choose to fight. I would fight to stop the Earl from destroying the world. I would fight to protect my friends.
No matter what the cost, I would fight.
Thinking things troublesome was a coward's way of life. How could I be a coward?
"Kawamura!" Chomesuke's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
"Sachiko?" Lavi asked.
"That's the name of my Akuma form. Kawamura's my friend! She was an Akuma that was altered by General Cross too! Kawamura, you came to meet me! Thank goodness! I didn't know how much longer I could-" Chomesuke stopped as she took another look at her friend. "Kawamura?" She asked. Her friend started to change into an Akuma, she was a level two as well. "Run for it!" Chomesuke yelled trying to pull us off to the side of the path. "The Akuma are coming, run!" She insisted, and we hid in the bushes off to the side of the path, just as three level three Akuma stepped into view. "Don't even breath." Chomesuke whispered. "T-try to hide your presence from them as best you can."
"What's going on here?" Lavi whispered back. "What happened to Kawamura?"
"Kawamura was on her way to meet us…" Chomesuke explained. "…But she must have been captured by a level three Akuma. There's nothing we can do for her now."
"What would they want to do to her?" Lavi questioned. "She's one of them." The answer to his question came as one of the level threes took a bite out of the level two. The others did they same.
"Because they're hungry." Chomesuke pointed out the obvious. They were ripping Kawamura apart. "This is what happens when there are too many Akuma concentrated in one area. In order to have the strength to control their urge to kill, they devour other Akuma and absorb their powers. In Japan it's the same for humans and Akuma- only the strong survive."
It sent a chill down my spine. Down everyone's spine, I believe. We came out of hiding when the Akuma were done with their meal. The place reeked with the smell of poisoned death.
"Are you all right?" Chaoji asked Lenalee, she looked pale. "Would you like some water?"
"No thank you, I'm fine." Lenalee gave him a small smile. I walked up to where Chomesuke and Lavi were walking. Lavi looked sick too and I couldn't blame him. The stench made you queasy. Suddenly Chomesuke stopped.
"What's wrong, Sachiko?" Only Lavi would remember a weird name after hearing it only once- he was going to be bookman after all.
"Call me Chomesuke like before." She grumbled looking sick, then she grabbed her head in pain.
"What's wrong, Sachiko?!" Lavi asked more urgently, typical of him not to listen to someone else's wishes.
"Agh! Call me Chomesuke! I'm getting a transmission from the Earl."
"The Earl!" Krory, apparently people called him that rather that Arystar, panicked. "He knows we're here?!"
"I don't think so." Chomesuke managed to choke out. "But this is a powerful transmission. I'm losing control. My head's spinning. Where am I? Who am I?"
"Fight it Chomesuke!" Me and a few others said together.
"He's transmitting over a vast area. The Earl's summoning all the Akuma in Japan to his location!"
"Fight it Chomesuke!" I encouraged her, coming to her side.
"What's wrong?" Krory sounded worried.
"The Earl's summoning every Akuma in Japan, but why?" Lavi asked.
"Chomesuke!" Miranda cried going to her other side.
"I'm an Akuma, but Cross Marian altered me… so I'm not compelled to obey the Earl's commands. However… this transmission from… the Earl… is too… strong…" She suddenly stood straight, her eyes black and a pentacle star that was upside down on her forehead. "I'm sorry Lavi… I have to… go to the Earl." Her voice sounded mechanic, like the machine she was.
"Wait!" Lenalee said sounding desperate. "What will happen if you go?"
"The Millennium Earl has just entered Edo, the imperial capital."
The news shocked us all like a punch in the stomach.
The Earl was in Edo.