A/N: I do not own anything about D. Gray-man. This story is based soley on a fictional timeline after the anime's completion.
It was past noon when clouds from the east began to darken the sky. They didn't last too long, but it was almost an omen to Lavi, who didn't really believe in such things. The meaning of whatever omen was being sent went over his head, and the junior Bookman chose to let it pass. The Bookman half of his mind recorded it and left the rest of him to contemplate memory.
He had researched several tomes on the way from the Order to Bray. None of them spoke of regaining lost memory. Not forcibly anyway. They were mostly medical books that his senior had stowed away in the back of his room, but all the material stated the same thing. Time.
The clouds were finally starting to break when he approached. The man was younger than the normal tippers and, if she had to say one way or another, rather attractive. With jet black hair and eyes with the color and spark of sapphires, he certainly stood out in the sea of red hair and freckles.
It was not at all weird to her that the man stayed to listen for the rest of the day, tipping for most songs, humming along to more repetitive tunes. He seemed mesmerized, staring at her the whole time, which distracted her eyes several times.
The day was uneventful though. With a stronger than average gust of wind threatened to blow her tips away as night fell though, Taylor bowed her head to the people who had followed the sapphire eyed man's lead and gathered around her, and headed back to the Hoof and Whiskey.
Looking over her shoulder she saw the young man, who Taylor figured was only slightly younger then she, herself, was trailing behind her. He probably lives nearby. So she kept her steady pace.
"It feels close." Lenalee murmured, stopping in her tracks.
"What?" Kanda asked testily.
"This way." As she headed east a faint prickling sensation crept its way up Lavi's arms.
They picked up the pace, dashing behind an even faster Lenalee, when Allen's right eyed seemed to whir. Its color changed to black and red circles and what seemed like a gear now hovered over it. "Akuma!" He yelled to his companions.
"Hurry!" Lenalee goaded.
"I've got a bad feeling about this." Lavi mumbled so no one could hear him.
Turning from a well-lit street into a darker more sinister alleyway, the crew skidded to a halt to avoid crashing into the petite Lenalee from behind.
"What do you want?" A small, wild haired girl stood next to one of the few lanterns lighting the alley. It was like she was acting brave...but she was a really bad actress.
Leaning in close to her, a boy with bright sparkling blue eyes smiled lecherously. "Why, I want your Innocence of course."
"My, my...we have guests." The boy pointed.
Scared, not knowing the implications of what he really meant by her Innocence, Taylor whipped around to see the group of exorcists standing there. Her mouth opened with shock.
There was a metallic grinding which caused Taylor to look back. Behind her the boy's head had transformed into a chunky sort of rifle, his eyes next to the handle with the rest of his face. "Now..." He chopped out, his voice grated and maniacal at the same time. "Give me your Innocence."
"TAYLOR!" The voice screaming her name sounded so familiar, so lonely. Turning around again to check, the songstress saw the face of the blurred man clearly again. A smile lit her face up like the sun rising from the dark of night. And then she crumpled, the sound of a shot ricocheting through the alley.
Looking up from the limp form of the songstress, the Akuma glanced at the red haired boy who half slumped to the floor in shock, his face contorted into a crazed mix of confusion and anger.
"Lavi!" Allen shouted. "Lavi come on."
Lenalee was pulling on his arm, trying to get his attention.
"Did you remember?" Bookman asked quietly. "Do you know who she is now?"
"No... No, no, no! I wanted to know." The Junior Bookman slowly stood, as if he wasn't conscious of his movements...staggering as he firmly planted his feet. "Big hammer, little hammer, grow...grow...grow." There was a dead quality to his voice, the voice which was usually so chipper, that scared the other Exorcists. Krory took a step back. Allen and Lenalee took a step towards him, only to be stopped by Bookman. Kanda averted his eyes to give Lavi what little privacy with his emotions as could be had in such close quarters, no use in watching a man's despair.
Lavi's eyes seemed to burn as hot as his fire seals as her growled out. "I'll...kill...you."
The Akuma, George...or was it Mike, he didn't know the difference anymore, transformed. His skin gleamed of almost translucent lavender while he twisted and contorted. When his body settled into that of a mocked angelic cherub with a pot belly, small angular wings, a halo and a metal harp the color of dark matter, the Exorcists gasped at the clearly etched '4' on his stomach.
Mike, or maybe George, watched in amusement of the distraught one ran at him, hammer held high. As the man placed a ring of fire on the ground beneath the Akuma laughed.
"Now, now" He admonished, waving a finger in the air. "Do you really want to burn the pretty lady?"
Burn her? She... in confusion Lavi glanced to where the girl he had called 'Taylor' lay. Still there. Not ash. She was hit with an Akuma's bullet. Shouldn't she be ash? But not so much as a single pentacle, which would have marked her body as the dark matter poison coursed through her veins, marred her pale skin. Then he noticed it, the rise and fall of her chest, blood flushing her face as it was pumped to and from her still beating heart.
Feeling his muscle relax in relief, but forgetting where he was, Lavi look forward just in time to see and feel Lenalee grab him and jump up as a sharp sound wave came from the harp held in the monster's hands.
"Focus you idiot," Bookman shot at him.
Pain lanced through her body as Taylor regained the feelings in her limbs. It almost felt like her skin was drawing too much water from her system, draining her and logging her at the same time. There was a sound of clashing weapons to her left, too close for comfort, but she forced her eyes open to the strangest sight she had ever seen.
There before her stood six individuals in matching black, silver trimmed coats. One was her blurred man, who she saw clearly, a mix of relief and brilliant anger on his face, along with the last traces of a keen sorrow. Recently felt sorrow.
A beautiful looking man drew his fingers down a katana that could be called similar to its wielder; beautifully lethal. "Mugen Activate." The words came out viciously; a clear declaration of murderous intent. There was no wind, but his hair, so dark it appeared blue in the light of that single lantern, swayed as he assumed a lunging stance. A feral sort of snarl distorted his countenance and his eyes seemed to crackle with loathing.
Next to him stood a small framed girl with short hair that almost seemed a very dark green. Her indecently short skirt danced from side to side as she clicked her heals, and called out, "Innocence Activate: Dark Boots." Dark, blood red anklets morbidly poured and molded around her feet like boots, little bloody butterflies sprouting from the heels of these new shoes. She had an air of determination about her as she lightly but effortlessly jumped to the roof of the building beside her.
Towards the back was a tall gentleman whose jet black hair was parted by a streak of white which was pointed high in the air, an animalistic quality lit his face, drawing eyes to long, pointed pearling white canines that almost drooled for whatever it was that stood in front of the group. Despite this he sounded cautious as he stated, "Innocence Activate."
A small older man with eyes rimmed in so much kohl he almost looked like a panda and brown loose fitting clothes pulled a sheaf of needles from his shirt sleeve. "Innocence Activate."
And then, stepping from the shadows, a white haired boy, no older then fifteen, stopped in front of the whole group. "Innocence Activate: Crown Clown." Out of thin air a silver mask appeared, looking the boy in the face. A white jagged cloak spun from it as it danced to land on his back. His left hand became almost mechanical, growing solid black nails, long and sharp. Spindly talons with devastating power. On his right hand he wore a pure white glove, which he had clenched in a tight fist.
Looking to her left, at the object of their deadly desire, Taylor fought the strong urge to scream. The metallic cherub strummed on a dark purple harp, sending a wave of ugly discord through her very core. Such a sad song. She couldn't help but feel it. The sadness, the feeling of abandonment and discard coming from this creature.
In horror she watched a battle unfold. As the wave of sound washed towards the strange group, a hammer landed from the rooftop on her left, blocking its destructive chord. As the cherub placed its fingers for another wave, the fanged man hopped over the hammer, launching himself right at the thing. Sinking his teeth into the monsters arm, the vampire drank deep of the dark blood flowing from the wound he had inflicted.
"Insects of the Underworld" Taylor snapped back to the Exorcists as the hammer was lifted and the swordsman let loose some sort of illusionary projectiles. The harp sounded again, and the white haired boy sent his mask and cloak flying to it, absorbing it fully.
It's not fair...Why are they...
"Heaven's Compass, North Crime." Needles flew at the Akuma surrounding the harp. "Now!"
Why? It's so sad. It's crying... I can hear it...
As the Exorcists converged on their prey, Taylor couldn't take it anymore. "STOP!"
It was odd, like time stopped almost. The swordsman's arms dropped, as if as heavy as lead. Her blurred man's hammer became travel sized while the girl's boots went back to being the anklets they had started as. The vampire's mouth clamped shut and it seemed he could not open it. The needle user's weapons turned in on him, one sending him into a light paralysis. The white haired boy's cloak wrapped around him, constricting his movement.
Meanwhile the Akuma, whose harp was free once more, just sat, stunned and still as the wild haired girl walked over to stand in front of him, hands held up in peace.
"You're sad aren't you?" She asked, releasing it from whatever it was she had done. Instantly it grabbed her up.
"You...you bitch! What did you do? My dark matter, my dark matter!" It wailed.
From the sounds of it the Exorcists were trying to break the iron clad bonds wrapping them. "So very, very sad."
"Don't look down on me!" The Akuma George, or Mike, it wasn't sure, tried to squeeze the fragile human in his hands, but found he could not.
"Me paenitet... I'll end this for you." Her voice was barely a whisper as she told him, "Vale."
Time seemed to come back again as she was thrown to the floor...the Akuma imploding on itself and turning to ash.
As the exorcists gained the use of their Innocence again, the silence between them stretched further and further. They were exchanging looks of confusion, but one of them looked relieved. Almost euphorically so. It was Bookman who broke the silence first.
"It's been a while, young Taylor."
"Who are you? I don't know you..."
"Not yet, but soon." The comment was confusing to everyone, Lenalee and Allen glanced expectantly at Lavi for an explanation, but he seemed as bewildered as everyone else.
There was a soft but steady footfall coming in their direction when Taylor backed away, covering her face with her hair. "I shouldn't..."
"Now now pet." The purr was back in her voice as Taylor's Mistress strode towards them from the other side of the dim alleyway. "I said no talking, didn't I?"
As the tall blonde figure, with her shaded eyes and sleek suit, walked up to group her skin became dark, a line of stigmata crosses forming at her brow. Pulling her shades off to clean them her eyes were golden.
"Lulubell!" Five Exorcists made ready to pick up arms again while Bookman merely sat back with the songstress as if interested more in the watching of the fight then the aiding of his allies.
Ignoring the threats the woman continued to spot her attention on Taylor. "It's a good thing I came early. Such disrespect should never be left unpunished."
Her mistress' hand turned into a whip that snaked around Taylor's leg, dragging her to the ground and pulling her across the dirty gravel.
"Stop." Taylor tried to command. "STOP." The cry of terror was in her voice as again and again she commanded. And again and again it failed.
"Now now pet. Don't lump me in with that pathetic Akuma, or these wormy Exorcists. Your Innocence won't work on a Noah. It won't work on me."
"Noah?"
"A Noah," Bookman stepped in, "Is a descendent of Noah, who made the ark to save mankind from God's great flood. They possess many different abilities and are above the human race."
"Then..?"
"I, pet, am the Noah of Lust. And I have been watching you all this time." Morphing, changing, Lulubell became the manure spattered stable boy from Wicklow. "You see?"
"Wh..?"
"Because," the Noah answered, "I enjoy playing with mice. And now, since you have been so entertaining, I will allow this to progress to the next act. You want to know where you are from, who and what you are? I'll give you a treat...you were a good pet after all." Taking a small pouch from her pants pocket, Lulubell tossed it onto the floor where Taylor's unseeing right eye pressed painfully to the gravel. "Enjoy!"
And before the crew could assault the Noah, she had turned into a cat and ran away.
Me paenitet = I am sorry
Vale = Bid Farewell
Both are Latin.