Stella: Wow...it's been awhile...
Rose: A month, to be exact.
Lavi: Yeah, exactly a month.
Stella: This is why I hate school. Anyways! About this chap. Well, my muse just left me while I began writing this so sorry if it's not that good...but hopefully I'll be able to work on this more since I can leave school early now! It's hard doing stories if I don't keep up with it consistently...
Rose: Or if you don't remember what to write about.
Stella: Ahaha, yeah that happens a lot. Well, sorry if some characters are OCC. I've never written for the rest of the Noah Family, so it was kinda weird. But...enjoy!
Rose's P.O.V.
It's been about a week since that excruciating battle with Road and Tyki. It's also been a week since I regained a few memories of Lavi, but still, he doesn't seem to recall anything of the past between us. I figured it was best to leave it for now until he could discover the memories for himself.
"Rosalie-chan, are you ready to go?" Tiedoll's voice called from the outside of Komui's office.
I turned to Komui and gave him a knowing stare. "I guess…I'm leaving now, Komui-san."
"So it seems. I can't say anything else to you now except to be safe." He began, choosing his words carefully. "I know you're in good hands."
I narrowed my eyes, albeit unintentionally, and replied, "I'm not joining his unit because I need a bodyguard. I need to know what's going on and if I stay here, I obviously won't get my answers."
"Rosalie, I'm only doing – "
"Yes I know, for my own good." I interjected. "But is hiding it all for my own good, too? I'm sorry, Komui-san. You can't keep me in the shadows forever."
"Just wait, Rosalie…"
I gave my back to him and hurried out the door. "I'm going. Goodbye."
I knew the way I was speaking to Komui was completely disrespectful, but I was already suppressing more anger than I could hold. Komui didn't even hide it anymore that there was a link between me and the Noah clan, but whenever I tried to pry the answers out from him, I would receive the same excuse.
"'I'm doing it for your own good' my ass." I muttered angrily as I began walking with Tiedoll, Marie and Kanda to the waterways.
Ever since coming back to the Order after that conflict with the two Noah, Komui and I haven't exactly been on good terms…
~Flashback~
"Ah, Rosalie-chan. You made it. I'm so glad." Tiedoll greeted me as I sat down across from him on the cafeteria table.
I nodded slowly, curious of what he had to say. "Yes. Is something the matter?"
"Well, you see, I wanted to know if you'd like to join my unit." He explained as a small smile made its way onto his face. "I hear you can't control the full extent of your anti-akuma weapon and I'd be very glad to help you."
"I um…" I looked down at my wrists and frowned. It was somewhat true. The Innocence was somewhat under my control, but I had no clue of how to expand the capabilities of it. "Yes, you're right. But how would you be able to help me, Tiedoll-san?"
He laughed heartedly, "Please, just call me Tiedoll. You see, my job is to find new Exorcists and train them. What you probably need is someone to guide you and that's why I'm asking you if you would like to travel with me. You're free to refuse my offer, but I'm more than willing to help you so you can be strong and continue fighting."
I avoided his eyes as I thought back to the days prior when Allen and I were fighting and I wasn't strong enough to protect him. I turned back to Tiedoll with hard eyes and nodded with newfound determination.
"I…I'll join you." I bowed my head in appreciation. "Thank you, really."
"It's not a problem at all. We'll be leaving in a few days with Marie and Kanda, so make sure to be ready by then. You should go ahead and tell Komui you've decided to join us."
I nodded and headed over to Komui's office, but stopped right outside the door when I heard him and a few other familiar voices talking.
"We've no choice. I'm sorry, Allen, but we're sending you to the Asian Branch." It was Komui's voice and he sounded…regretful.
"I guess it can't be help. Are you really sure I'll be able to regain control of my Innocence there?" Allen's muffled voice asked.
"There's a higher probability of it reactivating there than here. Don't worry, the Asian Branch specializes with Innocence and all that. I've already informed them of the current situation." He paused. "Will you be okay with it, Allen?"
"I'll do whatever it takes to get my Innocence back."
"Okay, then." I heard him shuffle a few papers and clear his throat. "Lenalee-chan~, Lavi, Bookman, Krory and Miranda, you all will be accompanying Allen on his trip to the Asian Branch and from there, you will continue to look for Cross."
"How would we know where he is?" Lenalee demanded.
"Well, that's what Timcanpy is for." Komui assured her." After dropping Allen off, you'll use him to find Cross."
"Wait…why do we need to find him anyway?" Lavi questioned him quizzically. I could hear Komui sigh again.
"It seems as if the Millennium Earl is targeting the Generals, so we need to find them as fast as we can. That's why I've sent so many of you because General Cross has been missing for almost two years!"
"And he obviously wasn't in Switzerland…" Allen muttered in an annoyed tone.
"Hey…" Lavi began thoughtfully. "Why isn't Rose coming with us then?"
My head perked up at the sound of my name.
"Yeah, that's right. Why aren't you sending Rosalie-chan along with us?" Lenalee asked curiously. "She should come, right?"
"Ahhh…about that…" Komui began nervously. I peeked through the crack between the door and wall and saw Komui and Bookman exchange knowing glances with each other. "I asked Tiedoll if he would take her into his unit."
"Why?" Allen asked simply.
"Well…that is…"
"Because she does not need to go. It's as simple as that." Bookman explained and narrowed his eyes towards Komui, who nodded.
I couldn't take it anymore. I showed myself and marched straight towards where Komui and Bookman were standing. Everyone looked surprised to see that I was there, but I couldn't help but to notice that Komui seemed a little guilty.
"What do you mean I don't need to go?" I demanded while my lips curved into a hard frown.
No one said anything and I only had my eyes set on Komui and Bookman while avoiding everyone else's gaze.
"I said, what do you –"
"Rosalie…" Komui said seriously. "You'll be…safer with Tiedoll."
"What?" I demanded, though my voice was barely over a whisper.
"You are a target of the Noah clan. You're wanted by the Millennium Earl himself." Bookman informed me passively.
"But…but I should go!" I pleaded desperately as I balled my hands into fists. "It's my fault Allen's like this so it should only be right that I accompany him to the Asian Branch and –"
I felt someone grab me gently by the shoulders. I turned my head sideways to see Lenalee smiling sadly at me. "Rosalie-chan, please stop blaming yourself for what happened."
Allen nodded in agreement. "She's right, Rose. We've already talked about it. Come on, don't do this anymore…"
I looked at him and frowned. I nodded reluctantly before turning back to Komui. "But still…I should go. I'll do my best!"
Komui shook his head. "Rosalie, I'm sorry to say this, but it'll only be more trouble if you go with them."
I stared at Komui in disbelief and I could feel my eyes starting to water again. Why did it always seem like I was crying lately? It got on my nerves.
"But…why?"
"Between escorting Allen to the Asian Branch and mostly likely fighting akuma along the way, it'll only be worse if they have to encounter anyone from the Noah Family." Komui told me in that regretful tone I heard from earlier.
"K-Komui…san…" His name escaped my lips in a low, harsh tone.
From the corner of my eyes, I saw Bookman nudge Lavi in the side. I heard him let out a weary sigh before he started walking over towards me. I didn't bother to look at him until I felt his hands on my shoulders to turn me around. Reluctantly, I looked up to meet his gaze to see him smiling at me.
"We'll be alright, Rose!" He said cheerfully, although considering what he told me about the 'rules of being a Bookman' business, it made me wonder if it was a façade or not. "And besides, you said you wanted to be stronger, right?" Lavi added with a more serious edge to his voice.
I attempted to glare at him, but the attempt was futile as the memories of us kept flooding back into my mind. I just couldn't be mad at him, even if I tried.
"O…kay…" I finally replied. "Just be safe."
He grinned widely and ruffled my hair. "Don't worry, we will! We're tough, remember?"
I gave him a single nod and said my goodbyes before leaving the room. If I could, I would've asked Lavi to stay, but the possibility of that idea was far off…
~Flashback End~
I stared outside the window watching the blue and green blurry scenery. The train ride was overall silent with the exception of Tiedoll's scribbling in his sketchpad. There were so many questions running through my mind. It felt like I was about to overflow in a sea of memories. However, they were scattered memories that were missing pieces to complete it. So far, the strongest and most familiar memory that I had was Lavi, or apparently Flame as I used to call him, being there with me everyday after I started school. When I tried to recall the other memories, I would only see bits and pieces of it. Somehow, I had a feeling Road was behind it. If she could send messages through dreams, I'm sure she could've kept my memories from me as well.
But for now, I decided to hold on to the memories of Lavi. For some reason, it just gave me a sense of security. There was no denying that I wish Lavi was there with me…
"Rosalie-chan."
I brought my head up and came face-to-face with a sketchpad.
"It's of Yu-kun. Didn't I do a good job?" Tiedoll smiled proudly as he showed me a pencil drawing of Kanda staring outside the window arms crossed and everything. It looked very accurate right down to his glare.
I nodded and managed a small smile for my new mentor. "Yes. It's lovely."
Beside me, I could see Kanda gritting his teeth and balling his hands into fists as he tried to suppress his anger.
"Don't worry, Kanda. You know that's just how he is." Marie explained calmly.
Kanda turned away. "Che."
I couldn't help but to laugh, despite Kanda's anger. "Oh, nii-san. I think it was very nice of Tiedoll to draw that of you!"
He didn't seem to enjoy my teasing at all and turned to glower at me. "Didn't I tell you not to call me that?" He barked.
"Relax, Yu-kun!" Tiedoll chuckled before pulling out another notebook. He flipped through a few pages that turned out to be all of Kanda. And of course, Kanda wasn't smiling in either of them. "See, I have a lot of pictures of you already! Your hair is difficult to draw, though."
I could've sworn a vein was about to pop on Kanda's head…
"Don't draw any more pictures of me without my permission!" Kanda yelled loudly before falling silent again.
Tiedoll and I exchanged glances and he shrugged his shoulders.
"So I should ask you first?"
Kanda didn't say anything that time. I smiled nervously and started to shuffle my feet. Being with Kanda, Tiedoll and Marie was much more different than being with the other Exorcists. But in a way, it was comforting. After a few minutes of silence, I finally decided to voice my thoughts regarding our unit.
"Tiedoll, where exactly are we going? And what are we going to do? And how are you going to be able to help me train?" I inquired.
He laughed and mistook my curiosity for eagerness. "One question at a time, Rosalie-chan. First, we're going to meet up with one of my other students, Daisya Barry. Then we'll be able to get your training in. Sound good?"
I nodded before continuing to gaze out of the window.
'I wonder how Lavi, Allen and the others are doing…'
The Noahs' P.O.V.
"It seems as if we've run into a standstill." The Millennium Earl informed his fellow Noah members.
Tyki sighed in annoyance and flicked his cigarette bud at Lero. "Man, this is all just a big nuisance…"
"We should just kill them, hii~" Jasdero shouted out excitedly, pointing his gun up in assurance.
"Yeah, those damn Exorcists piss me off anyway!" Devit exclaimed as he pounded a fist on the table to emphasize his anger.
"Calm down, Jasdevi." The Millennium Earl said wearily. "You'll get to kill Exorcists. I can assure you that. But there is one Exorcist I want alive."
Road stepped out from behind his large chair with a frown shaping her lips. "Rosie-chan…"
"Huh?" Skinn Bolic mumbled after swallowing a huge spoonful of his sundae. "Who's that? She sounds sweet. Why can't we kill her?"
Lulu Bell merely nodded in agreement from the other side of the table.
"Yeah, you just said we could kill the Exorcists!" Devit yelled.
Jasdero continued to wave his gun in the air. "And she's an Exoricst, hii~"
Road growled and shouted over everyone's commotion. "Shut up!"
She immediately got their attention and all eyes were on her. She made eye contact with everyone before taking her seat next to the Earl. She and Tyki exchanged knowing glances with each other before she nodded and cleared her throat to announce the information.
"You all remember the fifteenth, right? The Noah of Creation?" She inquired, glaring hard at the table. Frustration was written all over her face. It seemed as if talking about the subject was enough to upset her.
"I hardly remember him, hii~" Jasdero said in his usual playful tone.
"I thought the fifteenth died before he could even join us." Devit pointed out.
"She did die. In a way." Road explained in an annoyed tone. "She was the first to become the fifteenth, but her Noah side was completely destroyed before she could even acknowledge it. Now she's just a regular human." She gritted her teeth and growled. "No, she's worse than a human. She's an Exorcist."
"Then why can't we kill her, hii~" Jasdero demanded.
"Because, idiot," Tyki began. "The Earl is convinced we can still use her to help us create a new arc along with Road."
Lulu Bell finally spoke up. "And how can she do that if she's no longer a Noah?"
"She still possesses the same powers she had during her short life as a Noah. Except now, she has it in the form of Innocence." The Millinnium Earl explained as he twirled Lero around.
"But I thought Innocence wasn't good for us." Skinn pointed out. "It's not sweet."
"She's an exception though. Her Innocence is different from the others." The Earl replied. "It's not the Heart, but it's enough to create us a new arc."
"Did this girl know she was a Noah?" Lulu Bell asked indifferently.
Road shut her eyes and shook her head. "No…she didn't know anything. Her father tried to hide it from her, but I took care of that. He is the reason why she's not with us."
"Oh? And why's that?" Tyki asked curiously.
"You'll see. Once we find Rosie-chan again, I'll let her see the rest of her memories and she'll definitely leave the Order and join us."
"And if that doesn't work…" Tyki added with a mischievous grin. "I can always convince her otherwise…" He said as he summoned his flesh-eating golems, Teez.
"Wait! We wanna kill her!" Jasdero and Devit shouted in unison.
"We're not going to kill her." Road told them. "Not yet, anyway. And if anyone's going to kill Rosie-chan, it's going to be me…"
"I can't tell if you like that girl or hate her." Tyki muttered.
"Okay, then." The Millennium Earl announced. "You all know which Exorcist not to kill, so I'll leave you to your duties." He turned to Road and Tyki. "And you two know how to lure the…previous fifteenth out."
They nodded and everyone got up to start on their assassinations.
And unbeknownst to Rosalie and Cross, the search for them has officially begun…
Stella: Yeah, I know with what Road is saying seems like just a bunch of random plot holes, but trust me, they're not! I definitely know what I'm doing for the next chapter though...but I need to think of an ending for this story. I plan to end it at chapter 30 or something...
Rose: Aww, don't talk about the ending already!
Lavi: Yeah, I don't want this to end! I need to shine!
Allen: Stupid Lavi...
Stella: Ahh, Allen! I've missed you, hii~
Allen: You're talking like Jasdero...
Stella: Oh yeah! About him. I had to look at episodes to see how he talked. He ended almost every sentence with "hii~" in the Jap. version like how Lavi ends his sentences with "-sa!" So I just thought that'd be...interesting. xD
Lavi: Well, please review since Stella-chan hasn't written about this in forever!
Stella: Yes, please please review. Mostly because I need some input for this story. (Cause I need something interesting) And I will love you forever!