cHaPtEr 9 ..::Into the night::..

"Hey Allen!!" His voice was sore and his body exhausted from the excerise he had given himself. Yet Lavi would not give up on finding his friend. "Where is she??" he asked himself for about the seventeenth time. He was tired of running around hopeless, tired of going in circles, tired of being stupid. "Why did I even let that crossdresser go in the first place?" He sighed and sat down on a bench.

He was on a street called el calle Malo, and as far as he knew, this was the street that given him so much troubles already. He closed his eyes and raised his head towards the evening sky and opened them. The view was magnificent. Ripples of culumus clouds rippled across the light green blue sky and towards the orangy red glorious sun in the west. His eye darted from the west to the east where everything had turned malevolently a dark shade of ocean blue and then descending to a deep violet and then on the tip of the horizon, pitch black had arrived. He sighed once more and relaxed. He could remember how peaceful and beautiful the world was when he was only a child. Such a child with innocent eyes. He smiled at his naive thoughts back then.

Back then, all he wanted was to travelt he world and become bookman, just like his grandfather. To record down unwritten history; to gain deep knowledge and skills only known and needed for survival. He had been too focused on his dream to even realize what Bookman expericence. It seems to him that all of the unwritten stories of the unknown was basically war and battles of the greatest; how the world is filled with racist men and prejudice slugs; how mankind have cruelly developed and slaughtered the enviroment in order to get what they wanted. Lost battles and screams and yells of agony and pain filled his memories and soon he was lifeless. All he ever cared about was to stay safe, keep his identity safe and never be attached to others. His rule changed as soon as his years spent as an exorcist. He had friends, a life and a more than the purpose of a bookman. His world was changing. But he couldn't abandon his work as an bookman; for it was that that brought him here, nor can he dispense his friends away. After a while of much pain- racking thoughts and decisions, he was ready to rip apart his head. He was sick of it to the death. He could not leave them, in fact he would do anything to stay with them. But then he wouldn't dare delete the ways his grandfather had taught him. He soon found a solution to all of that.

Lavi opened his eye in gloom and despair. "I have lied so much." He gave a quick and silent prayer to the Almighty for forgivness. He then sat in deep thought for a while before he decided to go eat supper. The sky had quickly turned into a dark blue color and much left of light was disappearing. On El Calle Malo, there was no lamp post. The rabbit walked alone down on a busy street. The merchants were packing up their shops and closing their stores, while mothers called their children home. Prositutes were walking up and down the sidewalk, wearing flashy outfits and such. Lavi didn't care so much anymore. He was a quiet and resourcefull man when not around his pals. He walked, hands in his pockets.

"oh! Excuse me." a tall dark man bumped into him. Lavi only caught a glimpse of his face. Big glasses and pulled back hair. Lavi stopped of a few seconds. "What.."

The tall man looked at him with a curious look. "What is it?" he asked.

Lavi quickly looked him over. Black curly hair pulled back with gel, strange glasses, dark skin and- was that his knuckles cracking? It seemed like this man was furious with something and it be best if left alone, but Lavi was a very curious child.

"Have I seen you before?" asked Lavi, his eye watching for any sign of irratation, any sign of twitching or spazzing. His mind raced to remember this man's face.

The man scratched his head. "Mmmm...I don't think so."- a light twitch of his left arm. Slight but noticable.- "Oh yeah! You're that guy on that train! That white- haired kid's friend!" He lowered his voice into a deep depressing tone as if the name was burning his tongue. "Lavi wasn't it?"

Lavi forced a fake smile and laughed. "Oh! You! haha I remember now. Good to see you!" He quickly took a step away from the man. "What was your name again? I'm sorry."

"Ahh, that's quite alright. My name doesn't really catch on that fast."-He held out his hand- "Tyki Mick."

"Good to see you again." Lavi cautionly shook it. "So what brings you out here in Barcelona?"
"A...business affair." Tyki answered. There was something in his voice that wasn't very favoring.

"Really? I thought you were only one of those travelling homeless. No offense." Lavi quickly added that last part. He looked at Tyki's apparell. Yes he was on a business trip by the look of at that suave tux, but where had he gotten that suit before?"If you don't mind me asking, what sort of business affair?"

Tyki uttered a low growl and sighed. "Sorry, I can't really say. By the way, I must be going." He turned and began to walk.

"That's fine, sorry." Lavi tried sounding apologetic. "Umm...Tyki? You don't happen to see a brown hair girl or a white haired boy have you?" Tyki stopped, his fist tightening as if he was restraining himself from something.
A long tensed silence filled the air before he answered. "Yes, I believed so. A short, skinny brunette girl wearing a dark blue dress?"

Lavi nodded. "Where did she last go?"
Tyki was smiling to himself but didn't turned to reveal it. "I don't recall where she had left. I'm looking for her too." It sounded too coy as if the man had done something terrible and had tried to hide it. Lavi was now worried to the tip of his toe. He bit his lip.

"Well, anyways, good luck on finding that boy. Allen, right?" Tyki started to walk away. He soon disappeared in the crowd.

"Oh crap." Lavi began to run, forgetting all of his hunger. He had to find Allen now. He ran the opposite way, pushing through dark shadows.

"Nyaa!" There a loud gasp and yell as he ran over somebody. Immediately, he stood up. "Ahh, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry! I'm--err...." He blinked serveal times. The girl on the ground blinked hard also. Then there was a cry of surprise.
"Lavi!"
"Allen!" she giggled.

"Hey! wait up!" Daishya called in the distance. He was grinning madly. "Lavi! What's up, man? haha!"He high fived Lavi. Soon, Kanda, Marie, and Tierdoll appeared.

"I didn't know you guys were here. " said Lavi, smiling.
"We suppose to be protecting Master Tierdoll. I think he can care for himself." Daishya said, still grinning. His master gave him a whack on the head.

"Well, as powerful as my innocence can be, I am still an old man that needs caring." he smiled his warm smile.

"Hey Elena, I didn't know you knew Lavi Jr. How did you guys meet?"

"..eerrr.." There was a long, awkward silence as Elena and Lavi tried to figure something out.

"Well, here's the thing..." Elena began before Lavi cutted in.
"We're really old and best friends! And just happen to meet here. In Barcelona!" He and Elena smiled, hoping to satisfy Marie's question.

"Works for me." Marie said sort of in monotone.

"Where are you youngsters heading?" Tierdoll ask almost too fatherly.

"Home." Allen smiled.