I feel so bad for not updating T^T Please forgive me everyone!To those of you new to the story welcome to the realm of late updates and a lazy writer.
I was mourning the end of the series... It was both beautiful and heartbreaking... My babies are gone now... Waaaaaah!
Disclaimer: 07 Ghost doesn't belong to me
(^.Ashe's POV.^)
A lot has started to happen in the Church in the few days that have passed since the 'incident' I had with Frau and Cas. Tei started training for the bishop exams, I met Tei's new roommate that may or may not be afraid of me, that Aldo man died just yesterday, and I've seen two Black Hawks- Haruse and Kiyori- walking around in disguse... I'm starting to get worried for what's to come... Maybe I can help... Somehow.
(.^Third POV^.)
For the past few nights, one could see a particular girl wandering the halls in a seemingly lost daze. Recently, that was all Ashe Eden did, wandering the halls and such. She was mapping out the vast halls and chambers of the Church. Tonight wasn't like the past few though. Ashe knew exactly what she needed to be tonight.
Hakuren made an indignant huff from his place by the pillar, silently listening in on Teito's training session with Castor. Just as Ashe expected. The short girl walked up to him and took a peek at her dear friends training.
"You want to join them..?" she asked him softly despite knowing his answer.
"I'm only here to deliver this little guy to his friend." came his curt response as they both found it pointless to stay hidden and walked out into view.
"I think that's all for tonight, Teito. Go get some rest, you deserve it." Castor smiled at them before leaving the clearing.
Mikage happily jumped from Haukren's arms to cuddle against Teito's sweat covered cheek. Ashe giggled at the bond between the two.
"You look a bit drained, Tei. Need some help getting back?" Ashe asked him with a smile. She was trying painfully to find reason to walk all the way with the two (or three of you count Mikage) roommates to their room in the canidates' dormitories.
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt," he smiled back, "Though I've walked after worse training sessions."
Nodding and wrapping a secure arm to carry the slightly taller boy, she grinned at her friend. "Sure, but those didn't include Kors-fueled superhuman Frau's. That's a nightmare."
Teito snorted, leaning into her for support. The sky was growing darker as the group moved into one of the open hallways.
"It's nice of that bishop to help you out," Hakuren spoke up, causing Teito to nod in agreement. His weight could be felt moving from Ashe's shoulder.
"Yeah, his name is Castor," Teito remarked. For a split second, Hakuren looked shocked. That Castor? He quickly dismissed the thought and marked it as a coincidence as they walked. The short brunette stopped in his tracks, causing the red-head holding him to come to a abrupt stop with him. A small, pink ball bounced behind them.
Then an abstract darkness burst out of the small sphere, looming over the quartet. They watched in shock or, in Mikage's case, blissful ignorance at the figure. Hakuren and Teito took seconds to jump into action. But Teito's attempt to face the Wars was soon hindered by Haukren and Ashe pushing him backward.
Everything happened in a flash, it seemed. An angry tendril lashed out at the blonde boy, who was defenestrated (1). Hakuren's eyes were wide with shock as ribbons of cool night air wrapped around him. A small hand gripped onto his; Ashe was trying to pull him back in vain, her face open and panicked. Both of them were sent flying downwards from the seventh story window.
"HAKUREN! ASHE!" Teito shouted out, his hand reaching for Haukren's outstretched one. He tried to stretch his arm out further to reach Teito's. Their hands clasped together as they continued to fall to their impending doom with the Wars' shifting form chasing after them. Ashe closed her eyes tightly, she didn't want to know what would happen if she died in this world.
The air rushed around them, before being disturbed as everything stilled with a loud sound of impact. They had landed completely safe. Ashe opened her eyes in shock to see Frau holding onto them. She let out a sigh of relief and smirked at the bishop.
"Hold on tight, stupid brats," he told them. The Wars pulsed above them about to attack. Frau's legs spread into a fighting position, his arms being held out wide. The writing on his arm glowed lightly before his large scythe appeared. He slashed smoothly through the Wars as he jumped back. A smirk spread out on his face like a lazy cat stretched in the sun.
Teito stared at the broken Wars, soft flames licking at the air before sputtering out. The faint image of Aldo appeared in the flames and disappeared with the flames.
"It... It just attacked us out of nowhere!" he shouted, "What is it?!"
"It's a Wars, the ruins of a human who had their three wishes granted by a Kor..." Frau explained to Teito, who was still holding onto him. He nodded before panicking for a second and checking on Hakuren and Ashe. Both of which were okay, although Hakuren had been knocked out cold.
"Thanks... Frau..." Teito murmured, slowly falling asleep as the adreniline left his system. Ashe too felt a surge of sleep fall over her, but she shrugged it off for a while longer. For some reason, she felt as if she needed to be awake for just a bit.
Pink eyes stared down at them with disintrest. Equally blank, blue eyes peered out from over the pinkette's head. Kiyori said sharply to no one in particular, "You kin slayer..."
In a split second, Frau moved swiftly on his heel. The scythe left his hand and split through the air, eventually crashing into the alcove where the two Black Hawks were standing. He cursed softly.
"You missed," Ashe's voice caught him by surprise. He glared slightly at the girl. She smiled up at him innocently. "What? I was only saying..."
"Just shut up, you brat,"
(~Time skip~)
Soft taps coordinated themselves with Ashe's pace as she tried to be as quiet as possible. A small Barsburg cross swung back on forth on her necklace as she ran up the winding stairs. The tower's peak was only a few more steps. That's all she had to manage now.
You see, dear readers, Ashe has been hiding away in one of the various towers of Barsburg Church, biding her time. Every night she went up there for hours, trying to harness zaiphon and use it with a baculus. And every night, she got further bit by bit. Tonight, she was sure her goal would be reached.
Above Ashe, the stars glittered with a gentle, smiling light and the moon seemed to smile wide in the sky. She took a deep breath and summoned her healing zaiphon. Letters flew from her hand, swirling in wide circles in the air. Unlike other zaiphon, hers had a soft gold glow to it; Ashe couldn't be more proud of how beautiful it was. She never had a sense of beauty to her, that was always Jasmine, so she was very doting on the fact that she now had a zaiphon as elegant as the stars that shone above the world.
"Your zaipon is very pretty," a voice broke her concentration, causing the zaiphon to disappear. Ashe looked over startled. When she saw it was only Labrador, she visably blushed in embarrassment.
"Thank you, Lab..." she mumbled, her blush growing by the second. It wasn't every day she recieved a compliment, especially when she was back in her own world.
"You know, the flowers have been telling me you keep coming up here. They also said..." Labrador trailed off, covering his face with his hand and smiling secretly. Blue eyes glanced up at him in confusion. "That you want to learn how to use a baculus next."
Her eyes widened slightly, she knew that Labrador could communicate with the plant life but she didn't expect that her little talks would be relayed to him. Ashe blushed even more. Labrador would probably start explaining to her that only bishops and priests could use them...
"If you really want to use one, it would be my pleasure to help you," Labrador said softly.
"Really?!" Ashe burst out, her face growing into a wide smile. He nodded. The next thing he knew, he had Ashe's small arms wrapping around his waist and her cheek against his chest. "Thank you, Lab! You're the best!"
And so, Ashe and Labrador set to work...
(~Time Skip~)
The morning light filtered through the windows, catching on Ashe's long white dress as she walked down the hall to Frau's room. Knowing the two boys' reaction to waking up in the same bed, she decided it best to wake them up before they woke up by themselves. Even though she was dead tired from her midnight training session. Ashe slowly opened the door and peeked in. It seemed like it was too late. Both Hakuren and Teito were awake and talking.
"Because you and Ashe both risked your lives to take my hand," Hakuren said as he held out his hand. "Isn't that reason enough?"
Teito stared at the hand offered to him, thinking of his promise to Mikage... How he couldn't protect him... He placed both his hands over Hakuren's extended one.
"Sorry, I'm not good enough. You'll just..." Teito was quickly cut off by Ashe's sudden appearance in the room. She gave him a look that just screamed for him to shut up or face the wrath of woman. There was a tense silence.
'BRIIIIIIIIING BRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!'
All of them jumped in shock as the playboy alarm clock was thrown from the coffin it was laying on. A tired Frau yawned from within the open coffin. Ashe giggled as his head slammed into the ground the moment he slumped over. Teito and Hakuren jumped from the bed to reach his aid.
"What were you doing sleeping in there?!" Teito yelled at him at the same time Hakuren shouted thanks.
"Hey, guys! Aren't you late for morning activities?" Ashe spoke up. She was holding up the clock, showing the face to them. Both of the bishops-in-training paled. Behind them, Frau was dragging himself out of bed and pulling out a frying pan.
"Since you're late already, you might as well eat something..." he said just as their stomachs rumbled loudly. Ashe laughed at them, causing both to blush bright red.
Moments later, after changing and setting out food, they all settled down to eat a simple breakfast.
"Was that thing that attacked us last night a type of kor, Frau?" Teito asked as they sat around the coffin-made-table.
"Not really. Its more like when a kor takes over a body... That was a wars," Frau said, his eyes cold. "Everything needs both a soul and a body to exist in this world, but kors do not have either. They are darkness embodied and grant wishes to hold a human body and soul."
"What happens to the people that they possess...?"
"They become a soulless corpse. Only purification can save them. And that's not an ability one sees often," Frau said. Slowly, he opened his coffin once again to climb in. Both Teito and Hakuren said their thanks and took their leave. After saying a short goodbye, Ashe followed their lead.
Frau was left to his own thoughts. What Labrador told him rang in his mind. 'I have a request. Don't let go of Teito's hand, Frau... Castor and I can take care of Ashe...'
"I know, Lab..." he muttered.
Outside, Ashe walked to the fountain clearing. Her soft eyes brimmed with worry and fear for the events to come. The deaths, Frau's arrest, and the pass... Everything was building up a lot more quickly than she expected and she hadn't the time to harden her heart. They were all walking through the dark, unaware of the raptor readying itself for it's attack. But in this moment, it was Ashe who was ignorant to the blank blue eyes following her.
Further down the hall, Haruse stood with eyes trained on her back. He mused in curiosity as he watched the white and gold glow cloak her. Whoever she was, he thought, she was a godsend. They would have yet another card in their hand.