New Chapter after a long debacle...please enjoy and I'm terribly sorry for the delay


Kanda leaned against a tree trunk wearily, he was exhausted. He had debated with himself on where to go but for now he would trust the information Allen had given him. Kanda knew it was from Lavi but there must have some merit in the location for him to put down such a distant area. Kanda needed to know more about lotus and where the discovery and knowledge for creating the Second Generation Exorcists like him originated from, the knowledge was not solely of the North American Branch and he knew it.

Now, however, every inch of his body ached and he wanted to find a place to rest. He placed a hand gently over his stomach. It had been three month since he'd left the Order and three months since he got pregnant. He had yet to show underneath all his bulky robes and clothes but he had begun developing rather strange symptoms. Lately he found himself craving strange things yet nauseated by familiar things. He knew this was the onset of pregnancy symptoms but it was still annoying.

It was a wonder that man had managed to procreate for this long considering the horrors that came with pregnancy. He removed himself from the tree trunk and kept walking. He hadn't heard anything for awhile now but he still kept his guard up. Kanda was not a fool. He knew they would keep coming after him because not only did he have an innocence, he now carried a future exorcist.

For some reason that thought pained him more than anything else. It even hurt more than Lavi's betrayal. He didn't want a child of his to become an exorcist. Although Kanda made every attempt to squash such feelings, it was still lonely being an exorcist and they were fighting a war that might never end. Kanda did not want to subject any child of his or anyone else's to such a demanding, dangerous and somewhat emotionless life. No, placing a protective hand over his stomach, Kanda swore that he would give this child what he could not have- a family.

Moving rapidly through the woods Kanda hoped find some sort of shelter as the weather had taken a turn for the worst. In the distance, thunder could be heard and occasionally flashes of lightening became visible over the canopy of trees. Stumbling over the occasional gnarled root, Kanda somehow managed to remain upright the entire time. Exhaustion was however, overtaking him quickly.

He rubbed hand tiredly against his brow. Strands of fine black hair had escaped from his hair tie. Kanda was thoroughly pissed. The thunder claps were getting closer. His search for shelter became hurried. Suddenly, a cave appeared in his line of sight. Moving quickly over the terrain as the rain had started falling, Kanda made his way over. It wasn't until it was upon him did Kanda notice the group of akuma. At first they did not notice his presence but a crack of a twig changed that instantly.

As one they swiveled towards him. 'Shit,' Kanda thought slightly panicking. He could not run it wasn't in his blood but fighting wasn't something on his current agenda either. Watching the advancing akuma, Kanda made his decision; there was no way out of this except to fight. He pulled out Mugen for the first time since he had made his escape. Warily he brandished it at the oncoming akuma but that did not deter them in the slightest. They moved rapidly, screeching obscenities and spewing false words of malice.

Kanda readied his stance and as they came closer he charged them. Managing to cut down the first couple of akuma with ease, Kanda was not ready for the appearance of a level four akuma. The beast reared up at him roaring its fury. For a moment Kanda balked but he firmly stood his ground. The akuma charged at him in full fury. Raising his sword Kanda was barely able to block the attack. Pain spiked up his arm at the force of the akuma's impact. He leaped back, narrowly avoiding a blow to the side.

The fight was extensive and all-consuming. Kanda knew he was going to have trouble vanquishing the level four akuma on his own. He needed to think beyond brute strength and find a weakness. The level four seemed content to circle around him like a hunter on his prey and this irked Kanda. Keeping an eye on it, Kanda scanned his surroundings. There was nothing that caught his eye except for the cave.

Kanda backed his way to the cave. Cautiously he wove his way around the akuma drawing it closer to the cave. After some tactical maneuvers, Kanda forced the akuma into the cave. Quickly summoning his second illusion, he brought the cave crashing down upon the akuma. Kanda breathed a sigh of relief and turned around. A noise from behind caused him to pause. Out from under the debris the large hulking form of the akuma rose again. Kanda stared, his eyes narrowing.

"Nigentou activate." Kanda gave the weakened akuma no time to collect itself and rapidly dispatched of it. Panting harshly, he stared at the crumbling form of the akuma. Suddenly, a sharp pain coursed through his stomach and Kanda doubled over in pain. "Shit, what the hell?" Kanda gasped. He removed his Exorcist coat and unbuttoned his shirt but there were no wounds beneath the clothing. Another sharp twist of pain in his abdomen brought Kanda to his knees.

Gasping and panting, Kanda attempted to stand up again only to come crashing back down. The pain was becoming unbearable and in a sudden flash of understanding Kanda nearly cried. There was something wrong with the child inside him. His child was dying.

He needed to find help and soon. Kanda staggered haltingly through the woods. His vision blurred on the edges and the pain was overriding his conscious thought process. Swaying precariously, Kanda slid down to rest at the base of tree stump. 'Lavi' was his last conscious thought as he slipped into oblivion.

Lavi stood, shivering slightly as the rain began to downpour. Around him Finders scrambled about obeying Levelier's and Link's orders to set up camp. They had managed to trace Kanda to a remote location in Turkey after a month of being unable to locate him. Kanda was good at losing people apparently and Lavi couldn't help but feel proud. Hopefully, the other man was following the directions Lavi had given to Allen to give to him. If he was then Lavi could subtly lead the search in the wrong direction.

In the distance thunder sounded again, currently he was the only Exorcist present with the exception of Lenalee who had come out awhile back but had left rather abruptly.

"Lavi!" she hissed quietly out of earshot of Link. "How can you do this to Kanda? He's completely in love with you BAKA! Now you go and betray him like this"

Lavi merely gave her a disinterested look and turned back to the fray around him.

"Don't you care what's going to happen to him if they catch him? What about your child? Levelier will take them!"

Lavi opened his mouth to respond but Lenalee cut him off harshly. "If you give any of you Bookman do not have attachments bullshit, I will make sure you can't procreate and cause this kind of mess ever again," Lenalee said darkly.

Lavi chuckled, "but it's true you know, not supposed to have any attachments. This was a mistake-"

He was cut off by a sharp slap to the face. Several Finders turned to stare but they were ignored. Lenalee looked up at him, hair swishing about her. "If you truly believed that then Kanda was better off never have meeting you," she calmly, "if you truly believed that you would have never approached him the way you did. Did you think it was okay because Kanda never showed emotions? Did you think he was like you?" Lenalee shook her head, "you're such a bastard."

With that she turned and walked away, disappearing into the swarm of people.

Lavi sighed, running a hand through his hair; slowly he walked into the tent that had been set up for him. Looking around the enclosure, he sat down at the desk and propped his feet up. His gaze fell on the now fully bloomed lotus. Thirteen vibrant pink petals glowed brightly in the glass case. Lavi for a moment felt the urge to reach out touch the lotus but at the last moment refrained. For all its beauty, the lotus was evil and a restriction on Kanda's life. It was a sign of man's divergence from the true path of god, a symbol of man's arrogance.

"General Lavi," a Finder's voice called to him, "the meeting-

"Yes, I know," Lavi called out cheerfully, "I'll be there soon." Another meeting, another session of 'where's Kanda', 'where do you think he's going?', another way of Levelier holding a part of his life over his head and another few hours of pure annoyance, ignorance, and superiority complexes. A part of Lavi wondered whether or not it would wise to simply find Kanda and start a new life. No, for now he would trust Kanda to trust the information given to him and go to the sanctuary Lavi had specified.

Suddenly, Lavi sat straight up, right before his eyes a single pale feather drifted slowly down to the bottom of the glass jar. A jolt of panic swept through him. He needed to get help. Swiftly rising, Lavi went in search for the one person who could somehow aid him in all this madness.

"Do you see the lotus still Kanda?"

"Yes."

"Remember don't tell anyone else. It's our secret and now it's theirs too."

"Who's?"

"Look." A finger pointed to two little children, both with long black hair and holding hands.

Kanda stared at the two little boys for awhile. They both looked so familiar. Slowly he walked toward them. As one they both lifted their heads to stare at him through vivid green eyes. Each held out a small lotus bud to him as if in an offering.

Kanda gasped and took a step back, frantically shaking his head. "NO! Impossible, it's not their secret! They're not like me!! They're free from it!

"It is too late Kanda and yes they are like you, more than you will ever know."

"No, they're not only mine, there's-

"Your blood runs stronger, that's how you were made."

"THAT'S NOT FAIR!"

A soft chuckle permeated the area. "Oh Kanda, life's not fair and you know that. After all aren't you no more than a tool in God's never ending war."

Kanda woke with a start, his mind and heart throbbing painfully. Sunlight streamed through a side window. Kanda took a moment to assess his surroundings. He lay on a bed covered with a mountain of quilts. Shoving some of them off, he sat up. The room was rather plain but here and there, there were touches of lavishness. Kanda carefully slipped off the bed and stepped onto a plush rug. He saw Mugen lying on a table.

Grabbing Mugen he made his way to the door but just has he reached out for the doorknob, the door swung open. In a flash, Kanda leapt to the other side of the room and had Mugen drawn.

"Whoa calm down there!" a voice muffled by clothes called out. Kanda stared as a man slowly appeared from behind the pile of clothes. Dark curly hair framed a rather masculine face. The man looked to only be a few years older than Kanda. Coal black eyes peered at Kanda critically.

"How are you feeling today?" he asked in a friendly manner.

"Fine," Kanda responded cautiously. "Who are you and where am I?

The man smiled, "I found you in the forest near my property and I brought you in. I'm Azmi and I'm the local blacksmith in this region."

"Hn," Kanda muttered looking around. "Where are my clothes?"

"Oh, uh, right here," the man replied, pulling out the darkest set of clothing in the pile. Kanda quickly grabbed it and sheds the nightgown that had been placed on him. The man gave a slight squeak and hastily turned around.

"Give a man some notice before you start to strip," Azmi snapped.

"Why? We're both men and you must have been the one to change my clothes. You've clearly already seen everything," Kanda replied, snorting.

"Uh, well, about that," he said sheepishly, "I actually got one of the women from the village to do that."

"What?"

"I thought you were a girl," Azmi said, glancing over to Kanda to see a vicious glare on the other's face. Kanda snorted and continued putting on clothes.

"Hey, are you sure you're well enough to get up?" Azmi asked.

"I heal fast," Kanda replied disinterestedly, he was more concerned in finding a doctor who could help him with discerning the current health of his child. "Where's the closest doctor, who knows how to keep his mouth shut?"

"There's one up the street, sort of. Why? The one that came earlier while you were unconscious said you were fine."

Kanda did not respond, instead left the room, the man in tow, trying to talk to him. Kanda glanced around the house. It was a simple place; Kanda could appreciate the practicality of the layout and the accessories. It almost reminded him of his room back at the Order.

"Hey, I never got your name. Do you need any help? It is not safe in these parts anymore."

Kanda glanced backwards as he reached the door. "Kanda, Yuu Kanda." With that he stepped out into the muddy streets.

The streets of the village were quiet. Kanda did not see another life form anywhere. A slight movement to his right caught his eye but it was a scrawny, flea-bitten dog. There was something wrong with the place but Kanda could not quite place it. Casually, he placed his hand on Mugen, ready for any disturbance. However, he made it up the street to where a rickety sign revealed a dilapidated physician's office.

Walking in, Kanda gave himself a moment to adjust to the dim lighting. The place was derelict and in a state of ill-repair. A sound from the back caused Kanda to draw Mugen. Suddenly a loud crash, followed a spew of profanity came from the back too. Kanda quickly moved to discover the cause of the noise. What he found was an old man standing amongst a pile of smashed glass. The man was gazing furiously about him in outrage. Kanda cleared his throat and the man's sharp gaze landed on him.

"Ah, you're the boy Azmi found. I didn't think you'd be up so soon. You were quite unwell at the time. It looked like you had been in a fight of some sort." The man's gaze flicked down to Kanda's sword briefly.

"I want to know if you can keep your mouth shut," Kanda said.

The old man snorted, "Why, because of what you hold? I've seen Exorcists before; I know the destruction that follows in their wake. I've been able to come out unscathed."

"No," hissed Kanda, "don't interrupt old man. I want to know whether you can examine my child."

The other man balked and stared at Kanda for moment before replying cautiously. "What child? Azmi showed me no child. Are you sure you're alright, boy?"

"I said stop interrupting," Kanda cried out angrily. "Can you keep mouth shut? The Hippocratic Oath and all that shit?"

The doctor frowned but nodded nonetheless. Kanda visibly relaxed and the tension flowed from him. Placing a hand over his stomach, he looked directly at the doctor.

"I'm pregnant. There is a child inside me and I need to know if it is still alive and well."

The doctor stared hard at Kanda, accessing the truthfulness of his words. Suddenly he heaved a loud sigh, "well, nothing to it. Come, the back room will have the most privacy in case someone else comes in." He wove his way through the dimly lit hall and Kanda followed slowly.

The doctor stopped short and opened a door. Kanda entered after him and was startled by the sudden glare. The room Kanda stepped into was modern and everything had a metallic steel edge to it. Kanda felt a bit of relief course through him. The doctor was a complete backwater hick after all.

"Okay, I need you to lie down here," the doctor said, patting the gurney in the center of the room.

Kanda complied with the request and carefully climbed onto the gurney. The doctor came over and gently pushed Kanda down fully onto the bed. Kanda made a slight sound of protest and attempted to get back up.

"Stop," the doctor commanded, "I need you to relax and let me do my job."

Kanda glared up at the man but remained motionless nonetheless. The doctor pushed Kanda's shirt up to reveal a slightly raised stomach. He gave a slight frown.

"How far a long are you?" he inquired.

"A little over three months," Kanda replied.

The doctor sniffed and began gently prodding his stomach. Kanda watched him carefully and found himself a bit unsettled at the expressions on the doctor's face. The ranges of emotions flitting across his face were varied, ranging from concern to bemusement. Then he took a step back and gave Kanda a once over. Silence permeated the tiny room. Finally Kanda could no longer take the suspense and burst out with questions.

"What's wrong you quack? Don't just stand there doing anything? What did you find?"

The doctor glanced up at Kanda and pursed his lips. "You could take a couple lessons in politeness you know," he continued before Kanda could interrupt. "Well, you'll be happy to know your children are healthy, although you are quite a bit underweight, which will affect the nutrition your children receive. My only recommendation is that you get a little more under your belt. At your height, your weight should be more and being pregnant should have definitely increased it."

Kanda took a moment to process the information and gave an internal snort. Eating was hard when you couldn't stop running for days straight. Suddenly, another thought crossed his mind.

"Wait, did you say children?"

The doctor looked up from where he was sifting through bottles of dusty pills and medication. "Yes, I said children," he answered, picking up a bottle, "you're going to have twins."

Kanda slumped back, gazing unseeing at the ceiling. So his dream hadn't been wrong, there were two children. Two. For some reason the thought of another living being that needed his care frightened Kanda. He closed his eyes, fighting back the sting behind his eyelids. He couldn't do this, this was impossible. He'd been alone for so long and the sudden acquisition people he cared for was staggering. 'Lavi, oh god, where the fuck are you?' Kanda thought. A gentle hand pushed his bangs off his forehead. Kanda opened his eyes slowly.

"A lot of parents feel a bit overwhelmed when they hear they're having twins. I wouldn't worry, you'll do fine. Just get some rest and find a place to settle down for awhile."

Kanda looked up and the old man who had delivered his earth shattering news and felt utterly exhausted.

"You may rest here until you feel ready to go."

"Thank you," Kanda whispered hoarsely. Even before the doctor left the room, Kanda was thinking of his next move. He needed to keep moving. Rest was not an option while he was still within Vatican territory, although the Vatican's power was now spreading with the rising fear of the akuma. Kanda needed a way to go east and quickly. Time was not on his side but nothing really was. There were caravans heading east all the time, perhaps he could travel undercover with them.

Loud voices startled Kanda out of his musings and he snatched Mugen up from the floor. Warily edging closer to the door he heard the doctor and another familiar voice talking loudly. He crept slowly down the hall where he could hear what they were saying more clearly.

"There are people walking around the town looking for him. They don't look safe."

"What would do you want me to do then?" the doctor asked.

"I don't know. Just keep him here for now and don't let him leave no matter what."

"Azmi, aren't they better equipped to handle him than us?"

"NO! No, I think he's running from them and we can't just hand him back over."

"Azmi," there was a tone of warning in the doctor's voice, "do not try to play the hero again."

Only silence extended from the other end. Kanda listened intently for anymore snippets of conversation but nothing more were revealed. So the Order had managed to track him all the way to Turkey. He thought he would be able to lose them in a country not under the Vatican's thumb. He had to find another way out. The fear of getting caught was causing adrenaline to course through his body.

The voices started up again. This time it was the doctor who initiated the conversation. "Do they know he's here?"

"Of course they know he's here. They came to the village after all."

"No, you fool. Do they now he's in here?"

"I don't know," came the thoughtful reply. "They were in groups and going around to homes and shops."

"I see," he paused, "boy, get out here now. I know you're listening to what we're saying.

Kanda moved from behind the door and stepped into their line of vision. He stared at Azmi, who looked slightly flustered, as if he had run a marathon.

"Ah, um, hello Yuu."

Kanda felt his eye twitch. "Don't call me Yuu, it is Kanda. Are they still out there looking for me?"

"Yes they are," Azmi replied.

"Is there a way out of this town that they won't notice?"

Both the men seemed reluctant to say anything. Just as Kanda was about to resort to violence to get his way, a knock sounded at the door. The doctor exchanged a wary look with Azmi but made his way to the door nonetheless.

"I'm sorry but we're closed today."

For a moment the knocking ceased but a familiar voice wafted through. "What kind of hospital closes its doors? That's hardly a creed for such establishments. I need your expertise doctor about something that's bothering me."

'Goddamn Link,' Kanda thought to himself. He began to back out of the hall. There had to be another way out of this dump so he could avoid any unnecessary confrontation. He could faintly hear the doctor and Link still conversing, though the door still remained between them. Kanda made his way deeper into the building and listened for any sign Link and his troupe had gotten in. The place had seemed small from the outside, however now Kanda was finding it quite difficult to figure out where he was and where he had come from. He could no longer hear the voices so he took that as a good sign but he was still worried.

A hand suddenly clasped his shoulder. He let out a startled gasp and swiveled around quickly. Azmi stood before him and was looking Kanda over with a critical eye. Kanda took an involuntary step backwards and once again placed his hand on Mugen's hilt.

"Are you well enough to travel?" Azmi asked quietly. Kanda sneered, "of course I'm well enough to travel. I'm pregnant not invalid."

"Seems the same to me," Azmi muttered, "come on." He reached out and grasped Kanda's hand fully aware the boy could slice his head off but it seemed he was in luck. Kanda merely glanced down at affixed hand and allowed himself to be steered away.

Azmi led him through a maze of hallways until they reached a door that looked identical to all the other ones they had passed by. Shoving the door open, Azmi led Kanda back into the outside. The slipped quietly into the fringe of the town near the edge of the forest.

"What happened to the doctor?" Kanda asked after a period of walking.

"He's talking to those men right now. He let them in once I went to find you," Azmi said, the concern was evident in his voice and Kanda agreed with the sentiment. Link was dangerous and in the eyes of men who only looked toward the end goal, one human life was insignificant. Azmi must have sensed his discomfort because he gently patted Kanda's back.

"He'll be fine. He knows how to stay out of trouble."

"Where are you taking me?" Kanda inquired softly.

Scanning the area, Azmi replied just as softly, "I'm taking you to an underground tunnel built years ago when there were wars and monster attacks." He pointed to a small hill in the distance. "That's where the entrance is."

"Where does it lead?" Kanda asked swiftly.

"It leads under those mountains and into the next village."

They scurried through the thicket and hurriedly moved across a large expanse of forest before arriving at a clearing. Kanda looked around the glade suspiciously. There were too many enemies that were too close for him to remain relaxed. Azmi also appeared to be scoping the area. Quietly he tugged the Japanese man close and he began walking again.

"Take another step and I will remove your head."

Kanda quickly shoved Azmi behind him and drew Mugen. "Who are you?" Kanda called out. He didn't recognize the man before him. Was he a part of the Noah Clan or had the Order followed them from the doctor's place. He carefully examined the man in front of him. There were no cross stigmata scars on the forehead but that could be hidden easily. Not an akuma; they didn't speak that clearly. Was he possibly one of those pathetic drones of the Vatican's?

He was; from behind him poured out nearly a dozen Finders. Link appeared last, he sneered darkly at Kanda. Silence permeated the clearing. Neither side stopped glaring at the other. Quietly Kanda activated Mugen. He could see no way out of this except to fight or surrender. Surrendering was not an option.

He could feel the adrenaline rush though him as he moved into his combat mode. Kanda stepped forward menacingly. "Out of my way," he hissed, "or I will make sure you'll never get in anyone's way again."

Link gave a derisive snort. "What makes you think you can defeat all of us?"

Kanda gave a frightening smile, "simple, I want you all dead; you need me alive." With that Kanda activated Mugen and charged. Planning had never been his forte, it wasn't any different now. From the corner of his eye he saw Azmi pull out a gun. He was slightly impressed by the man's consideration and planning. Now where was the goddamn entrance to the tunnel?

Before he had a chance to think too far he was engaged by one of the men. The man was a huge hulking beast. Kanda couldn't see his face at all behind the mask he wore. Other Finders were beginning to move forward. Distantly he could hear gunshots fired, most likely from Azmi.

Then Kanda caught sight of a flash of red hair. He faltered momentarily but that was enough for the man to aim a kick at Kanda stomach. Swiftly he curved over himself and the kick landed on his shoulder. Kanda flew backwards and skidded to halt. Kanda was pissed and as the man advanced, Kanda launched himself forward and swung Mugen in a high arc, burying in the man.

Before he could savor his victory a roaring fire surrounded him. Stepping through the flames was the one man he never wanted to lay eyes on ever again. "Hey Kanda, quite the wild goose chase you've lead us on."

"You're an asshole."

Lavi smiled, "natural state of mine." The fire grew steadily taller and Kanda began to feel slightly claustrophobic.

"I'm not going back to you," Kanda hissed angrily.

"Why is that?" Lavi asked sardonically. Then he charged.

Instinct took over and Kanda leapt through the fire, leaving the ring.

Then he saw it; he saw the tunnel entrance. Discreetly covered by underbrush and trees, he could still see the hollow opening. He started running towards it.

"Azmi!" he shouted, "hurry the fuck up." The man had been engaged in battle with various Finders. Catching his eye, Azmi began running rapidly to the entrance. Link was yelling at the men but Kanda couldn't understand a word. He was focused on getting to the tunnel. A hand grabbed his and he nearly used Mugen to slice it off but it was Azmi who pulled him along quickly.

As they reached the entrance Kanda glanced back to see Lavi standing where he had been left. He raised Tettsui and a storm of fire raced towards them. The heat of the blast propelled him forward and for a minute Kanda thought he had caught on fire. The heat was painful and Kanda collapsed onto something soft. He panicked, he was encased in darkness and nothing was visible. The form beneath him shifted and Kanda quickly scrambled to stand. His breath came out in harsh pants.

"Who's there?" he called out hoarsely.

"Kanda? Kanda, it's me Azmi, everything is okay and you have to calm down."

Kanda allowed himself to relax slightly, when a flash of fire startled him again. He could see the vague outline of Azmi and he appeared to be holding a lighter. He held it up in front him. Kanda looked behind him at the entrance, which was now destroyed. There was only one way to go now. He turned toward Azmi who was peering intently into the dark tunnel and began walking purposefully forward.

After a moment he glanced at Azmi. "You can't go back to your village anymore, you know."

Azmi gave a terse nod, "I understood the danger when I rescued you. I will help you through to the end."

Kanda gave a soft incredulous snort. This man was so much like the bean sprout; caring only about others and not thinking about his own predicament. Well, he would use this to his advantage; he had no qualms about that.

"Good, I need you to get me to India."

Outside of the tunnel, Lavi critically examined the result of his work. The entrance would take hours to clear away. That should give Kanda plenty of time to make an escape. His only concern was who the man traveling with Kanda was. He was not familiar in any way, though he seemed dedicated in protecting Kanda. As long as the man wasn't a threat, Lavi wasn't overly concerned.

He now turned his attention to the seething man before him. Link was livid; his normally pale face was now the color of the Tettsui's flames.

"General Lavi," he said through clenched teeth, "can you please explain to me why you thought it was such a brilliant idea to blow up the entrance to the tunnel?"

Lavi shrugged, "it was the heat of the moment. I was only focused on getting Yuu back. You know how love works, right, especially the unrequited ones?" He smirked lightly at Link who sputtered incoherently for a moment and walked away muttering about annoying brats with too much power.

For now he would wait until the time was right before confronting Kanda. This was only the beginning of the struggle.


Hope you all enjoyed reading the latest installment!