A/N: Sorry, I didn't edit.

Thank you to readwithcats, lizyeh2000, Lena-luvs-cats, xenocanaan, Guest, 13Mitsume27, MaryDBlack, Appirinia, nessa11997, Alexandta27, and Guest #2 for reviewing! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything. Sheesh.

Chapter 9

Time Frame — Noon of January 16th, 1892

—1st Person POV—

Returning to primary school was the dullest experience I'd encountered up until this point of my new life. The adventures, and dangers, and rush of adrenaline seemed like a distant and hazy dream when sitting amongst a group of rowdy ten-year-olds. I almost felt sorry for poor Miss Winslow. But with no interest to get involved, I'd managed to improve my non-existent artistic skills a tad in just the first morning.

Ding-ding-ding!

Before our teacher could make so much as a protest, the rest of my classmates raced to escape the confines of our classroom, eager to be the first to reach the courtyard out front. The school building didn't look like much of a school at all. Its appearance resembled more of a fancy two-story brick-house that had been converted into a tutoring center for all the nobles' bratty children.

"Neah? Could you please stay back for a moment?"

When I heard Miss Winslow's request through her thick, Portuguese accent, I almost regretted not joining my eager classmates in their mad escape. Setting my school bag back down, I turned to Miss Winslow with a polite smile and joined her at her desk.

Taking a deep breath and brushing down her thick, curly hair, my teacher apologized, "Ah, I'm sorry about that. Your classmates are bit of a handful and I didn't get much of a chance to make sure if you'd settled in alright. How are you feeling? Are you having any difficulty with the material?"

"Me? I'm perfectly fine," I shrugged. "I was more worried about you. Those kids are like a pack of piranhas."

Her dark, olive-toned cheeks flushed red. "I am able to handle myself just fine."

"Oh. Of course. I meant no disrespect," I offered. When she didn't reply right away, I asked, "Can I go now? My sister's waiting for me."

Lips pursed, she appeared ready to protest, before abruptly waving me off. "Yes. Have a good lunch break."

"Thank you. You too, Miss," I nodded, turning sharply on my heel and snatching my school bag on the way out. I could practically feel her persistent gaze on my back as I exited the classroom. Man, that lady gives me the creeps.

That's probably because she's an Akuma.

If I hadn't been gripping the rail as tightly as I had, I would have tumbled down the stairs. "She's a what now?!" I hissed under my breath as I regained my footing.

It's a Level 2. Probably planted by my brother to keep tabs on you.

I felt sick. "Just how far does his obsession run?"

But Neah remained silent.

And I remained shaken. The absence of my Innocence weapon only further drove down the fact that I was defenseless. Neah was my only line of defense, but whether he'd be willing to come through or not was not something I had much confidence in. And whatever love or loyalty the Noah currently held for me would be easily broken the moment they saw through my veil of lies.

I was vulnerable. And that was terrifying.

"Neah! What are you waiting for?!"

Startled out of my thoughts, I glanced up. I'd paused by the base of the staircase, and with the front, double doors thrown wide open, I was in full view of Road's inquisitive gaze. Without prompting, she raced down the hall and skidded to a stop by my side, eagerly grabbing me by the arm. "Come on! What do you want to do, Neah? It's your first day, so I'll let you choose!"

"Oh, um, hah," I laughed nervously, "I'm not as creative as you, Road. Mind if we have some lunch first? I'm starving!"

Road pursed her lips, and replied petulantly, "Fine, but eat quickly, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," I agreed, stumbling over the threshold of the doorway as she dragged me out into the courtyard. Shaking off her grip, I slowed down to a steady pace and settled on the rim of the grand fountain taking place at the center of the gated courtyard. "Here you go," I said, slipping out the little lunch cases one of the kitchen workers had handed me before we left. I wasn't sure why I'd been given Road's lunch as well, but I decided not to question it.

"Thanks, Neah!" Road chirped, settling down beside me.

It was while we were munching on our little sandwiches, that a trio of girls appearing around Road's age popped up before us.

"Road! Look! We did just as you said!" the ring-leader exclaimed, proudly presenting a fistful of hair, as if they'd chopped off someone's ponytail.

Much to their mortification though, Road didn't appear to be one bit pleased. Setting her lunch aside, she crossed her arms over her chest, expression twisting into a scowl. "Is that Annalee's hair?" When the trio of girls nodded timidly, Road sneered, "I said I wanted Holly's hair! How could you three be so stupid?"

Rather than growing angry, all three girls grew slump in their postures, eyes downcast. The girl most to the left mumbled, "We're sorry, Road. We must've misunderstood. But we can still get Holly's hair, if you'd like!"

Road's scowl eased into a pleased smile. "Don't worry girls. Annalee's hair isn't as good as Holly's hair, but it's not a bad alternative. Good job. I'm sure you all remember what do next?" When the trio gave an affirmative nod, Road smiled. "Good." And then, with a pointed glare, she hissed, "Don't mess anything up this time."

"We won't!"

And just as fast as they'd appeared, they were quick to scurry off.

It took me a few seconds to shut my gaping mouth. "What was that?"

You could a learn a thing or two from Road, Neah piped up with a snort.

"Messing with humans is just so fun, don't you think?" Road giggled, picking her lunch back up. "You should join me!"

Do it, Neah demanded.

But the thought of manipulating children in the way she'd just demonstrated made me sick to my stomach. With a tight smile, I replied, "I think I'll pass. Wouldn't want to ruin whatever dynamic you've already got going on."

Road pouted, "I guess so…"

Before she could get any other strange ideas into her head, I packed away our lunch cases, and suggested, "Come on! Let's play a game before our break ends!"

"Finally!" Road exclaimed, eagerly jumping to her feet and dragging me in the direction of all the rowdy kids.

I felt slightly justified in my apprehension—after all, this was Road we were talking about. I was afraid she was going to start jabbing sharp candles into any kid that got in her way! But… shockingly enough, the rest of our break played out without a single kid getting hurt (with the exception of Jimmy, who accidentally tripped and skinned his knees without even noticing for himself).

My childhood thus far had been completely out of the norm as I faced trial after trial, and playing games like Blind Man's Bluff, Hopscotch, and Mother, May I was a little surreal. But admittedly, quite fun.

"Jimmy, you should go clean up before class starts," I suggested, watching as Road threw pebbles onto the chalk outlines.

My classmate turned to me, looking slightly bewildered with his wide eyes, fluffy white hair, and a lollipop sticking out the side of his mouth. "Why's 'at?" he mumbled around the candy.

"Because the blood on your knees is going to drip down and stain your socks," I explained, pointedly looking down at his knobby knees. They were a mess of peeling skin, bloody streak marks, and dirt.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, jerking out his lollipop. "Mum's gonna kill me!" he exclaimed, before scurrying off.

"Neah! It's your turn!" Road shouted.

And so it continued, until we were finally called back to class for an additional two hours. And it suddenly didn't feel as dull or boring.

"Neah? How do you think we should go about solving this problem?"

I had been observing Miss Winslow so closely, that being forced to take my eyes off of her in order to glance at the problem on the chalkboard was nerve-wracking. Mouth dry and fists clenched, I stiffly replied, "Change the fractions so they have common denominators."

Miss Winslow grinned brightly. "That is correct! Good job. See class, this is how…"

I tuned out the rest of the lecture, carefully observing every gesture and every glance. Lorena was sitting closest to the Akuma, and I'd have to be quick otherwise she'd be the first casualty.

"Hey, Neah? Can I borrow a pencil? Tavares took mine and shoved it down Rosalie's blouse," Jimmy whispered from the seat beside mine.

Without so much as a glance in his direction, I tossed my pencil his way.

"Ouch!"

I had seven classmates and there were only two exits available. The doorway and the large window set against the farthest wall. I had absolutely no means to protect any of them. My best bet would be to keep the Akuma's attention solely on me, which would hopefully give them enough time to evacuate. After that, I'd have to rely on my own physical capabilities in order to survive. Hopefully, Neah would assist me in gaining control of the Akuma, otherwise it might bring suspicion on my legitimacy as an acclaimed Noah.

The more I observed it, the more agitated it became.

"E-everyone, please try this problem out on your own." Shakily, Miss Winslow rapped the chalk against the blackboard, sketching out a simple problem.

The Akuma then turned towards my direction. I narrowed my eyes. The closer it grew, the more tense I became, fists clenched and teeth gritted, mentally preparing myself to spring into action at any moment.

"N-Neah," the Akuma stammered in a hushed whisper, "Is there something the matter?"

… So the Akuma feared me? That certainly made things simpler. Not that it made me feel any less worried.

Rewarding it with a pointed glare, I hissed, "Why are you here?"

The Akuma paled dramatically. "I-I… Master, he—"

"Get out," I ordered, expression further twisting with distaste.

The demon was unable to choke out another word, before it silently fled. Fortunately, the exchange went unnoticed by the rest of my classmates, and it was only minutes later that the bell was rung and they were all too happy to stampede out.

"Hey, Neah! You coming?"

I jolted slightly and glanced up at Jimmy. "Oh, thanks," I muttered, accepting back my pencil and tucking it into my school satchel. I trudged after him and met up with Road out in the hall.

The first thing she did was obnoxiously poke my cheek. "Why are you looking so grumpy?!" she demanded.

"It's nothing," I muttered, "Come on, let's get out of here." I quickly pushed through the throng of jabbering children and she had no choice but to chase after me. It wasn't until we'd exited out into the courtyard and we were nearing the gates that I came to an abrupt halt. Road stumbled into me.

"Neah!" she whined.

"What is he doing here?" I muttered, brow furrowing.

"Who are you—Millenie!" she squealed and ducked around me, reaching Mana's side within no time.

I hesitated for only a moment, before making my way to their side. Fortunately, all throughout the carriage ride back to the mansion, Road chatted enthusiastically about her day, making up for my stony silence. It wasn't until we'd reached the front doors of our home, that Mana finally cut her off.

"Road, if you don't mind, I'd like to have a word with Neah."

Road beamed. "Okay!" As she skipped up the grand staircase, she called, "Come find me when you're done, Neah! I have a new game in mind, and it involves Uncle Tyki~!" She disappeared before I could offer a reply.

The silence she unknowingly left behind was stifling.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Mana pressed a hand against my shoulder and began guiding me in the direction of his office. "Are you hungry, Neah? I could have a late lunch brought up to my office."

Shaking off his hand, I bit out, "I'm fine."

"Ah, I see…" Mana trailed off, hand hovering near me, before he finally gave up and let it hang back at his side. I firmly remained silent throughout the walk, as we sat down on the leather couches once we reached his office, and even as I watched one of the maids come in to deliver a tray of tea and biscuits.

Here goes nothing…

"Little brother, what is the matter?" Mana intoned almost delicately, when we were alone once more.

Taking my sweet time, I gazed at him with a cold expression and then turned away to reach over and scoop some sugar and milk into my tea. I stirred the tea for few seconds, before setting down the small, silver spoon once I became uninterested.

"I fail to understand why you planted that Akuma in my classroom," I finally stated with a cool voice. "She was a nuisance."

"I am sorry, Neah. I didn't realize it. I'll be sure to find a much better replacement—"

"No," I snapped, setting my teacup down with a clatter and causing the tea to spill over. "I don't see why you need to keep tabs on me at all. I'm not hiding anything, but ever since I came here, all you do is lurk around and keep track of everything I do. You said so yourself that we're brothers. Don't you trust me?"

"Neah…" Mana seemed to choke up for moment, voice a bit hoarse as he whispered, "I care about you. I just wanted to make sure you were doing alright. It's for your own good."

"If you really cared about me, you would've asked me first," I retorted as I stood back up. With every word, he seemed to shrink into himself. "Care for me all you want. It doesn't mean much if you can't even trust me to leave the house for a few hours."

I didn't give him a chance to reply. Instead, I stalked out, slamming the door behind me.

How dramatic, Neah drawled.

But it serves our purposes, I offered him a mental shrug.

Yes. Now, if you could do me a favor and not seek out Road? I need a break.

Well that only leaves us with two options, I contemplated as I aimlessly wondered around the halls, It's either Tricia or Tyki. I'd prefer Tricia, but I think she's still recovering from her fever, so I guess Tyki it is.

And with that decision made, I confidently turned towards the direction of his room, fingers crossed that he'd be in there.

Without so much as a knock, I barged in, fully expecting to find that Sheryl had loaded him with more paperwork. And sure enough, there was that usual load of papers and old tomes stacked along his desk and coffee table, but Tyki himself was nowhere near them. Venturing further into the room, I finally had the luck of spotting him out on the balcony, leaning casually against the railing with a cigarette in hand.

"You know that's not good for you," I piped up, joining him out on the balcony.

"Hm?" he glanced down, only just taking note my presence. "And? I have no doubt Sheryl's paperwork will be the death of me. At least let me enjoy myself while I can, boy."

"You can enjoy yourself in ways that don't damage your lungs," I offered with a shrug. Not that I cared too much about his smoking habit. The guy was destined to become a Noah. Lung cancer would be the least of his worries.

"Oh yeah? What do you suggest, boy?" Tyki asked dully, taking another drag.

Truly, I didn't know Tyki all that well, but what little I knew in advance might actually help me for once. "How about a good old game of Poker?" I suggested with a cheeky grin, pulling out the second deck of cards that I'd nicked from him. After I'd left the first set of cards behind with Mana, I don't know what had happened to them, and I'd been forced to take away Tyki's new set.

"Boy. Are those my cards?" Tyki demanded, dumping the remains of his cigarette onto the balcony floor and putting it out with the heel of his shoe.

"Maybe," I chuckled nervously. Inwardly though, I was excited. I hadn't played Poker in ages, and with my new prosthetic arm, I hadn't been confident in how well I'd regain my cheating skills. But I'd been practicing hard for the past week and it was now or never. "But look on the bright side! I've practiced, and now you have yourself a formidable opponent!"

When Tyki could only offer me a deadpan look, I begged, "Please? At least one game?"

Tyki eyed me doubtfully and demanded, "And what exactly do you have to offer?"

"Admittedly, there's not much to my name. But I doubt there's anything you could offer me that I'd be interested in, so it'll be a lose-lose in that area of the game. But hey! Don't knock it till you try it!" I grinned.

Tyki sighed, rubbing his forehead as if trying to abate a head. "I have a feeling I'm going to regret this, but—"

"Thanks so much, Uncle Tyki!" I exclaimed before he even finished, reaching up to hug him really quick. "I'll be right back! I need to get some of my stuff!"

Or, it would be more accurate to say, some of Road's stuff. The Noah girl had absolutely no care in the world, and littered my room with some of her random junk as if it were her own. Once I reached my room located further down the hall, I raced in, grabbed a few choice items, and dashed back to Tyki's room. Shutting the door behind me, I skipped over to find that he was clearing away the mess on his coffee table.

"What is that?" he asked, eyeing the assorted items in my arms as he picked up a neat stack of papers and lugged it over onto his desk.

"My betting items," I answered, plopping down onto the plush carpet and setting the objects along the edge of the small table and naming them off one by one, "A half-eaten box of crackers—"

"Boy. I don't at all see how—"

"—a miniature portrait of the queen—"

"—or why I would care for any of these items—"

"And last but not least, the voodoo doll Road created of you!"

Tyki abruptly paled.

It took a few seconds, but he finally stammered out, "H-how did you get that?"

"Road seems to think that my bedroom is her bedroom part two, so getting ahold of her belongings isn't difficult," I grinned. "So, I guess I do have something you want. What have you got to offer, Uncle Tyki?"

"I'll buy it off you," Tyki immediately offered, digging out his wallet.

"See, it doesn't work like that," I shook my head, trying to hold back a laugh. "You want it? You'll have to beat me at Poker for it."

Tyki became irritated, and for a moment I thought at he was about to protest, but instead he bit out, "Fine. Have it your way." Grabbing a few bills from his wallet, he dumped it in the middle of the coffee table.

"Glad to have your cooperation, Uncle," I cheered, setting the half-eaten box of crackers among his money.

"I don't want your stupid crackers, boy," Tyki protested.

"Sorry~. If you want the doll, you'll have to work your way through my other betting items," I grinned cheekily.

Tyki huffed, "Fine. This shouldn't take me too long."

Unfortunately, I made the mistake of underestimating Tyki's Poker abilities, and within ten minutes, Tyki had won the first round.

I stared, crestfallen, as he dug around the box and pulled out a cracker. Before I could warn him, he actually ate one and then gagged. "They're stale," Tyki grumbled.

"Oh. Yeah. They were also stale a week ago, when Road left them on my nightstand," I shrugged, strategizing my next move and placing the miniature portrait of the queen (why did Road own such strange items?) next to the money Tyki hadn't bothered to touch. "Don't get too comfortable, Uncle Tyki. You're not going to beat me this time," I said confidently.

And this time, I followed through.

By the time Road barged in and found us, Tyki was getting ready to cry, I was counting my newly acquired stack of money, and I was still the current possessor of the Tyki voodoo doll.

A/N: Hopefully everything is in line with the other chapters. I've been writing this chapter on and off for the past two months, so I'm sorry if it's a little choppy. Doesn't help that I'm writing this in between classes, so it might not be my best work.

And yeah, I know I've been completely MIA for the past six months. Thank you to everyone who PMed me, wanting to make sure I was still alive. Surprise! I'm not dead. Thing is, I started college this past fall, and my major is Computer Systems Engineering, and so I'm drowning beneath all the physics, calculus, and computer science classes. The workload is ridiculous, and I can't guarantee how dedicated I'll be to my stories. Not even in the summer, since I'll probably be doing another three classes then.

Once again, sorry if there's any issues with the chapter. Let me know what you think in a review!

P.S. I did some fanart stuff on my Deviantart account back in like October I think. It sucks, but I'm too lazy to take it down. There should be a link on my profile.