~Gah! Prickly legs! *itches extensively* anyway, I got the inspiration for this next chapter from the song Hotel California by the Eagles. :D um…I'm gonna try and update at least one chapter every month. If I don't, go ahead and plague me with the emails.~
~I don't own anyone from D. Gray-Man or the song You Know My Name by Chris Cornell, which this fanfiction is based after. I do, however, own the idea of the Jonah.~
Chapter 2
-…From when you are five years old to when you are the apocalyptic age of twenty, you are to write in this notebook every single day of what has happened to you…-
Tsume watched from the shadows as they entered the forest. There had been murmurings all over the place of 'more pale faces' entering into the small town. Everyone else was hiding, scared silly because of herself.
There was four; a greenish haired Chinese girl with a short skirt and long boots, a long haired Japanese boy with a permanent scowl and a long sword strapped to him, a small boy with white hair and a strange arm in a sling, and a red haired boy with an eye patch.
Tsume caught snatches of their conversation as she pressed her eye to the hole in the wall of the tiny shack.
"…name's Tsume, right?" Whitey asked.
"Yeah….said that somebody around here would know…" Eye patch grinned.
"…Can't speak…" Sword Man scowled even more.
"I can…simple." Boot Girl said brightly.
"Go for it….lee." Eye Patch shrugged.
Boot Girl took a deep breath and yelled. "Oye, aquí nadie puede ayudarnos?!" (Hey, can anybody here help?)
An old woman, who's son had gone after Tsume and never returned, came out. "Por favor, vete! No más demonios en esta ciudad! El otro demonio es aquí y nos matarán a todos! Por favor, vete!" (Please go! No more demons in this city! The other demon is here and will kill us all! Please go!)
Tsume hissed angrily. She'd been given away.
Boot Girl bended down slightly to look the wrinkled old woman in the eye. "No somos demonios." She said kindly. "Hemos llegado a librarse de lo que usted tiene. Por favor, díganos dónde está." (We are not demons…. We have come to get rid of the one you have. Please tell us where she is.)
The old woman hesitated and then pointed at where Tsume was hiding with her blue eyes narrowed in anger. "Allí." (There.)
Tsume tore apart a hole in the wall of the shack. The thing collapsed around her, a ruin where she had been. The effect was almost supernatural. The dust settling around her in her torn black clothes, the cloak part of it swirling around her ankles as she walked. "¿Qué quieres conmigo?" She asked coldly. (What do you want with me?)
Whitey's left arm in it's sling twitched, Sword Man's sword was indeed out and ready to use, and there was suddenly a giant hammer in Eye Patch's hands. Only Boot Girl remained calm.
"Are you Tsume, the Jonah?" Boot Girl asked.
"I…I am." Tsume hesitated, her eyes flickering uncertainly.
"We are exorcists from The Black Order. We've come to ask for your help." Boot Girl said softly.
-…When you feel you are ready, you will travel to Romania and find out your true purpose in life…-
-…BUT THE JONAH WERE A SINFUL CLAN….-
"What do you want from me?" Tsume asked wary.
"Blue eyes…!" Whitey said breathlessly. "She has blue eyes…!"
"Allen!" Eye Patch said sharply.
"We want you to help us. We hear you have a vendetta against the Noah." Boot Girl offered a hand in a peaceful gesture.
Tsume stared at them. She felt confused and frustrated. "Why…How do you know who I am…?"
"You don't?" Eye Patch blinked. "Know who you are, I mean?" He lowered his giant hammer.
Tsume shook her head, then put it in between her hands. "I don't… I don't know who I am…"
The group exchanged a look. This was going to be harder then they originally thought.
"Will you…" Tsume hesitated. "I know I'm special and I…I think I can help you…but if I do, will you help me figure out who I am…?"
"Sure!" Boot Girl smiled. "We can do that!"
Tsume hesitated again. "I…I have to do something first…" She turned to the old lady who was trembling on the ground, to afraid to run or scream. She knelt in front of her, her head bowed. "Lo siento por el asesinato de su hijo. Lo siento por el dolor que causan. ¿Puedes perdonarme?" (Sorry for the murder of your son. Sorry for the pain I caused. Can you forgive me?)
The old woman, shocked, reached out a wrinkled hand to touch the top of Tsume's dark and dirty head. "Per….Perdonar ...?" (For…forgive…?)
The whistling sound of an arrow piercing through the air was heard and the sickly thunk of it making contact with flesh.
The woman screamed as Tsume fell over, blood pouring out of the top of her head.
Lavi cursed. "They killed her?!"
"They were scared!" Lenalee yelled as a riot started to ensue. "They didn't know what she was going to do!"
"What DID she do?!" Kanda yelled, grimacing as the villagers started to circle them like starving wolves.
"I apologized."
They all gasped as she pushed herself up off the ground and looked at them, blood coursing down her face. She took a hold of the arrow, and with a wince, yanked it out. More blood fountained out of the top of her head.
"What the…?!" Allen gasped.
Tsume smiled wryly at the arrow. "I can't die. Mortal wounds don't affect me. They do hurt though…" She tenderly touched the top of her head. Then she pointed at the crowd. "They want to kill you too. They know you were being kind to me. I suggest we run."
"Great idea!" Lavi jerked his thumb towards himself. "Everyone hang on! I'm gonna try something!"
Tsume grabbed onto his arm, Lenalee grabbed onto her jacket, and Allen grabbed onto Lenalee's hand. Kanda folded his arms and turned his back. "I'd rather die."
"KANDA!!!" They all yelled.
He glared at them, then looked at the crowd of blood thirsty people. "Fine…" He grumbled. He distastefully grabbed onto Allen's shirt.
"Everyone hold on tight!" Lavi yelled. He winked at Tsume. "Welcome aboard, sweetheart."
Tsume blushed.
"Big Hammer, Little Hammer, Grow grow GROW!" Lavi yelled. The hammer extended, growing extremely large. It propelled them upwards with an incredible force, til they were almost touching the clouds, then it stopped. It swayed there for a bit, letting everyone get a better grip on the person above them.
"Lavi!! I'm going to kill you!!" Kanda screamed from below him.
Tsume whimpered and tightened her grip on his arm.
Lavi chuckled. "Love ya too, Yu-chan! Everyone hold on again!" He leaned to one side, towards the forest on the outskirts of the village. With incredible strength that even Tsume marveled, he pushed the hammer up and over his head and swung it towards the ground as they fell. "Wind stamp!"
The rain forest below them exploded as the air buffeted them, tearing them from each other. Only Tsume and Lavi remained attached, falling towards the ground.
The hammer shrank as they plummeted and Tsume let out a scream. Suddenly, feet before their death, their descent slowed as Lavi touched the ground, Tsume with him, still clinging to his arm.
The fierce wind died down. Leaving them in a large clearing the size of the bottom of the hammer had been when they had been up in the clouds.
Lavi let out a sigh, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Well…that was exhausting…" Then he winced. "Ow. Tsume." He wiggled his arm.
She slowly let go, glancing down. Her pale bloodless fingers lifted off his skin to reveal deep purple imprints. She gasped. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to I was just-!"
"Lavi I'm gonna scalp you!!!" Kanda roared, popping out of the bushes like a very pissed off predator.
Allen stood up, dizzy, and helped Lenalee out of a bush beside him. "Lenalee! You okay?"
"You can later, Yu-chan." Lavi jerked his thumb at the village. "We oughtta run now."
"Where?" Lenalee asked, tenderly touching a new cut on her head.
"There's another town a days walk from here." Tsume said slowly. "It has a port that'll take you anywhere in the world…for a price. We can lose the villagers in the jungle and go from there."
"Lead on, sweatheart." Lavi gestured.
Tsume nodded and started into the woods. "Keep up!" She started a brisk jog as the villager's cries of outrage were heard.
Kanda hissed at Lavi and followed behind her. "This isn't over, Bookman."
"I sure hope not!" Lavi smirked. "It wouldn't be any fun if you forgave me!"
Lenalee followed behind him.
Allen grabbed her hand. "Wait, Lenalee, I want-"
"Not now Allen." Lenalee said, sounding irritated. She pulled her hand away and jogged to keep up.
Allen sighed and started after them.
*~*
They emerged that night from the forest into town, exhausted and dirty and feeling beaten. Even Lavi had lost his constant smirk and his usual carefree attitude.
Tsume was still bleeding, feeling dizzy and uncertain. "There's…there's the hotel…" She gasped. "We're…we're not gonna get anyone…anyone to take us that's…that's honorable during the night…" She pointed at a three story high building, a marvel in this foreign country. It was surrounded by vendors selling their wares and other buildings. It stood next to the port, the see reflecting the lamplight and carrying the voices of singing and laughter.
Lenalee rested her hands on her knees, staring down at the ground. Her left eye was closed, encrusted with dried blood that had flowed from the cut in her head. "Let's get in there…I'm exhausted…"
"Allen and I will go check in." Lavi suggested wearily. "Kanda, you stay with the girls."
"Is that a-?!" Kanda started angrily.
"Kanda. Shut up." Lenalee snapped, her voice sounding dangerously angry.
Kanda harrumphed and turned away, his arms folded.
"Tsume, how you doing?" Allen asked kindly.
"Dizzy…" Tsume murmured, sinking to her knees. "Go…I'll live…"
Allen looked at her worriedly.
Lenalee came over. "She's still bleeding from the head shot earlier today, but I can't really see…"
Lavi untied his bandana and gave it to Lenalee. "Here. Soak it up and clean her up as much as you can." He turned. "Come on, Allen. The sooner we get into this place, the better we'll all feel." He started into town.
Allen glanced at them and followed behind the older boy.
Lenalee looked at Tsume helplessly. "I can't…I can't see where it is…"
"Gimme…" Tsume rasped and grabbed the bandana. She pressed it over the wound and shuddered as her nerves inflamed with pain. She laid down on the ground, her hand over her stomach and the other pressing the bandana to her head.
Lenalee kneeled next to her, watching anxiously.
Kanda turned to them, watching. Finally, he said, "So you can't die?"
Tsume shook her head listlessly. "Not that I know of. I've been stabbed in the heart, stabbed in the spleen, torn to pieces, mutilated, and had my head cut off in my seventeen years of life. And never once have I died. I just come back to consciousness…like I passed out…" Tsume coughed painfully. "But that doesn't mean I don't feel the effects…"
"Then how come you're still whole?" Lenalee asked incredulously.
"I…I heal in a couple of days…as…as long as everything is…is mostly in the right place…" Tsume sighed. "So sleepy…"
"Stay awake! Stay awake, we'll get you taken care of first!" Lenalee started to panic. "Kanda, help!"
Tsume smiled as she closed her eyes. "Don't worry…Lenalee…Lenalee's a pretty name…I always come back…" She went limp, the bandana falling out of her hand.
Lenalee let out a little gasp of panic.
"Keep the bandana pressed to her head." Kanda said, squatting down next to her. "If what she says is true, then she'll probably come around and feel worse if we didn't at least make an effort."
"The bandana's already soaked…" Lenalee bit her lip.
Kanda tore off the end of his coat and gave it to her.
Lenalee took it and replaced the bandana with it.
Kanda watched Tsume closely. "You know…it's strange…"
"Hm?" Lenalee looked up.
"That Lavi would just give away his bandana like that…"
"Ah…" Lenalee looked down at the dark piece of cloth. "Now that you mention it-"
"We got a room!" Lavi and Allen came running up.
"Tsume!" Allen ran over. "Is she…?"
"For the time being." Kanda stood up.
"Wha…?" Allen gave him a weird look.
"We'll explain later." Lenalee said. "Somebody help me carry her."
Kanda bent down and picked her up without a word.
Lavi grabbed his bandana then grimaced as he pulled it away from his hand. His fingers were stained dark with Tsume's blood. "She's been bleeding this much the whole time…?"
"Let's go." Kanda said sharply. "The sooner we get her taken care of the better."
*~*
-…AND GOD WONTETH NOT THE SINS OF MAN…-
There was water running…a shower? Was someone taking a shower?
-…AND HE WAS MUCH DISPLEASED WITH THE JONAH…-
Someone was humming now…the water stopped…so dark…
-…YEA EVEN SO, HE SAID UNTO THEM, IF THOU SHALT SMIGHT THINE ENEMIES, I WILL GIVEST THOU…-
"…Er, yes…I mean, si….vino, por favor…" (yes…wine, please…)
-…THE HUMANITY THAT THOU WONTETH MOST ABOVE ALL ELSE…-
Breath returned to Tsume's body in one harsh gust. Her back arched as she gasped, her blue eyes snapping open. She blinked several times, trying to still her breathing, and looked around.
Lavi was sitting on the bed next to hers, rubbing scuff marks out of his boots with a cloth. His hair was still slightly damp from the shower and his shirt clung to his skin from the humidity still lingering in the air. His bandana was missing. "Morning." He glanced at her. "The others went to go get some food while I got cleaned up. Pretty much put me on duty in the infirmary." He winked at her, though it looked like he was blinking with his eye patch on. "How ya feeling?"
Tsume swallowed thickly, her mouth dry and tasting like copper. "Sore." She rasped. "Got anything to drink?"
He handed her a bottle that had been on the nightstand.
She propped herself up on her elbows and took it. She swished around the contents suspiciously. "I heard somebody ordering wine…"
He chuckled and put down his boot. "You got me." He stood up, walking towards the bathroom. "It's wine, but it'll at least revive you a little."
"Mm." She watched him walk, her lips on the bottle as her eyes followed his figure …down his spine…to the edge of his pants… She blushed and looked away, taking a drink to hide her embarrassment.
"So how old are you really?" He called out. Tsume heard the sink water running.
"Uh…" Tsume pursed her lips. "I don't know…I think I'm seventeen…?"
"How could you not know?" He asked, his voice sounding incredulous.
"I don't think birthdays matter to a fuerza negra." She smiled a little. She winced and sat up, touching her head gingerly. As she had told Lenalee and Kanda before, the wound was almost healed over.
The water stopped and he came out, wiping his hands on a towel. His white shirt was even more damp and it outlined every muscle and tendon in his abdomen. "What does that mean?"
Tsume, distractedly said, "Demon…" She swallowed thickly again, taking another drink from the bottle. This was getting to be a little too much. Cruel, cruel fate…
"Did we…tell you what we think your name is…?" Lavi grunted as he pulled the shirt over his head. "Stupid broken sink…"
"No." Tsume could care less what her real name was right now.
"We think it's Rochezqua."
"Rochezqua…" Tsume tasted the name on her tongue. "I like it…it kinda has a…flair to it." She blushed. "Sorry. I feel like a coinsurer of names sometimes."
"No it's fine. I understand." He smiled. "I feel the same way." He jerked his thumb at the shower. "It's free. I'll get Lenalee to come in and figure out what to do with your clothes."
"Thank you." She smiled and heaved herself up. A shower could do her a world of good.
Lavi watched her go and sighed to himself. A girl with no name really, no past, barely a future, and a slew of supernatural powers, was supposed to help them defeat the greatest enemy to mankind since biblical times? He shrugged and walked out, ignoring the fact that he had no shirt on. Who cared, right?
Lenalee glanced up as Lavi came out. She was standing next to the door. She looked awkward. "Oh. Hey."
"Hey." He jerked his thumb back at the room. "Tsume needs a change of clothes. Think you have something extra?"
"Yeah." Lenalee nodded and tried to go around him to the door. "I can get that."
Lavi stepped in front of the door. "You're not going to let Allen apologize, are you?"
Lenalee bit her lip, looking at the door handle. "I…I have to stay mad at him…just for a little bit…I'm not ready to forgive him yet…"
Lavi nodded. Then he smiled and shrugged. "Well, he's ready when you are." He walked downstairs. "I think I'm gonna go get something to eat…"
Lenalee smiled and watched him go. Lavi may be strange and at times lewd, but at least he cared. He was a good friend. She pushed the door open to see Tsume having trouble peeling off the remains of her clothes from her.
Tsume looked up helplessly. "Sorry…I'm just too…sorry…"
Lenalee's look softened. "Oh, you don't have to apologize. You still getting over being dead?" She sat next to her. "You don't mind if I help you, right?"
"Not at all…" Tsume sighed. "Yeah I guess I'm not as ready as I thought I'd be…" She touched her head again and winced.
"What are you going to do about that?" Lenalee asked, helping Tsume with her shirt.
"It'll be fine if I wash it. It's probably filled with all kinds of dirt and crap right now, which is probably why it hurts." Tsume stood up. "I think I got the rest thanks." She stumbled a little and sat back on the bed. She blushed.
Lenalee smiled. "I don't mind. Just as long as you're comfortable." She stood up and held out a hand.
Tsume took it. "Thanks." She hesitated then smiled. Lenalee was so kind to everyone. She couldn't imagine anyone hating her.
*~*
"I'm just going to go grab Lavi to ask if we can borrow one of his shirts, okay? Or Kanda…or Allen…But yeah!" Lenalee said, her hand on the door.
Tsume looked up from the zipper on the jacket she was borrowing from Lenalee. "Oh. Yeah. Sure. I'll see if I can get this to fit." Tsume laughed awkwardly. The zipper wouldn't come up past a certain point on her chest and the skirt was already a little short.
"Sure thing." Lenalee stepped out into the hall and closed the door. "Now where are those boys…" She muttered to herself, going left down the hall.
Coming up on the right was one of 'those boys'. Lavi was humming absently, happy after having been chastised by Kanda on the importance of wearing a shirt. "Hey, as long as I'm wearing the jacket, I think I'm fine." Lavi had argued. They had been sitting at a table downstairs at one of the outside places to eat, each on opposite sides of the table.
"That's not the reason why, idiot!" Kanda snarled. "It makes you look like a sleazy dog that doesn't have the decency to dress himself!"
Lavi laughed. "Come on…is that seriously the reason?" He leaned forward in his seat. "Or is it because you're secretly attracted to me, Yu-chan?"
Kanda promptly smashed Lavi's face into the table, stood up, and left.
Now, Lavi rubbed his face and chuckled. It had been worth it just to see the look on Yu-chan's face. He stopped at the room and opened the door effortlessly, expecting it to be unlocked. What he wasn't expecting was to see Tsume still having trouble zipping up Lenalee's extra jacket. As she looked up at him shocked, he took in the scene. She was sitting with her legs to the side of her, the skirt not even beginning to cover a modest amount of leg. Her hands rested on the zipper. He licked his lips and swallowed noisily. "Er…"
"Sorry…" She blushed. "Can I…can I borrow a shirt…?"
He gestured to the bathroom. "One hanging up." He turned around. "I'm just…gonna…yeah…" He laughed awkwardly and stepped out.
Tsume sighed as he shut the door. Well this was turning out to be weird. She undid the jacket and pulled on his shirt, adjusting it a little. She stared at herself in the mirror, her blue eyes standing out in the white background. Once again the image of Lavi polishing his boots popped up in her head and she blushed. "He wouldn't like me…" She muttered, sounding bitter and lonely. "I don't even know my name."
All the sudden, someone opened the door. It was Lavi again. "Oh! Sorry…are you done?" He closed the door a bit, peeking around from behind it.
She smiled. "Yeah."
He smiled back. "Well I actually had a question, Miss Jonah." He winked at her. "Tsume just seems to take so long to say. Like Tssssssuuuuuuummmmeeeee." He pronounced the vowels in a weird voice, making Tsume giggle despite herself. He grinned. "And since we already think we know your name…"
"Rochezqua." Tsume said softly.
"Yeah," He scratched the back of his head. "Well, what I was meaning to say was…can I call you Ro?"
Tsume blinked. "Just Ro?"
He smiled. "Just Ro."
A slow smile started on the girls face, lighting it up like a pretty shining surface. "I…I'd like that…I really would…Lavi."
~ DONE!!! AHAHAHAAA!!! Message me if you want the translations for things.~