After their dinner Kanda and Ellen went into the salon
Author's Notes:
Welcome back! :3 Here's the second chapter of the "Pilatus Episode", I hope you can enjoy it! Oh, there is a bit of Bible quotation in here, see the Notes at the end for clarification!
Disclaimer: D.Gray-Man belongs to Katsura Hoshino
Kapitel 16: Relief for wrong decisions
After their dinner, Kanda and Ellen went into the salon. The Finder had made sure to reserve the whole room for them, so they were alone. Ellen was relieved, especially now that she no longer had to sit in the kitchen, bearing Kanda's oppressive silence. The young man sat on an emerald coloured sofa, arms crossed over his chest and seemed to be very focussed on the Finder.
"Let me explain the mission to you in detail", the Finder started and Ellen took a seat next to Kanda.
"Yes, please", she replied with a smile and Hans sat down in an opposite armchair.
"You must have heard about Pontius Pilatus. The myths about Mount Pilatus are tightly connected to him", the finder said, "after his death, people tried to get rid of his body. So they threw him in a river. But Pontius Pilatus's soul was still bound to the earth, not finding peace after the deeds he had done"
"You mean that he was the one who sentenced Jesus to be nailed to the cross?", Ellen asked, shuddering slightly, "but he was just the judge to speak the sentence. Had he not tried to convince the people that it was an unfittingly harsh punishment?"
"He did, dear child, but you know that he gave in to the demands of the masses", Hans explained and Ellen turned her head as Kanda heaved a sigh.
"And Pilate seeing that he prevailed nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, taking water washed his hands before the people, saying: I am innocent of the blood of this just man. Look you to it. And the whole people answering, said: His blood be upon us and upon our children", Kanda quoted flatly, "he said in front of the masses that he was innocent in this whole cause. A thing he probably did just to be sure that the wrath of God would not befall him, even though he might be sentencing His son to death"
"You know the Bible by heart?", Ellen asked, clearly surprised and Kanda just frowned.
"Is that important?", he hissed and turned back to Hans, "go on!".
"Of course. As I was saying, Pilatus' soul could not find rest and the river, into which his body had been thrown, was disturbed by storms. Of course that troubled the people and ships could no longer pass, so they got him out again. But wherever they put the body, new storms would form, tormenting the people, reflecting probably the unrest Pilatus' soul must have felt. People have thought long about what to do with his corpse until they decided to bring it to a place where the storms would not trouble the people. So they sank him into the lake high up on this mountain, far away from any people", Hans drew his fingers over his moustache, "but that was not the end of the story. Even though Pilatus was out of sight, he was not completely gone. He was silent most of the time, but the legend says that whenever someone disturbs the calm of the small lake, heavy storms will form. We had a look into this matter and it was said that Pilatus has been seen by various people, standing next to the water and washing his hands. When we finders went up we could indeed see a white shape there". Ellen was quite pale in the face and didn't even manage to say something, so Kanda spoke up:
"A shape you say. Was it Innocence or an Akuma?".
"We couldn't make sure of it because of the heavy rain. But there were many Akuma present, so we assume that it's an Innocence caused phenomenon. The whole legend might be connected to Innocence. We know that Innocence had been around for thousands of years, even though the first cube was only rediscovered 100 years ago".
"But… But… Can it really be Pilatus' ghost?", Ellen asked and Kanda was tempted to smack her.
"Stop being stupid! There is no reason to be scared of ghosts!", he shouted and Ellen looked up at him, still very pale.
"But Kanda, what can we do against ghosts? They have no body we could fight! They could… Take possession of you!". Kanda remained silent while Hans started laughing.
"Tch. You read too many stupid books…!", he spat and Ellen lowered her face in embarrassment, "I have never heard of a case where Innocence chained a soul to this world neither have I heard of Innocence taking possession of a soul… As far as I know, Innocence can not manifest in things without a material body; a soul, a ghost or an emotion are not very likely"
"Emotion…?", Ellen asked and Kanda nodded.
"According to the legend, his guilt prevents Pilatus from passing on. He still is seen washing his hands…". The white-haired girl thought about this for a bit, while Kanda was pondering about it as well.
"So, the legends and the real occurrence could not be connected at all, and the Innocence that causes the storm and this appearance might be on the bottom of the lake?", she wondered and Kanda looked at her.
"Yes. That seems very likely. But maybe there is some truth to it and the Innocence has taken hold of something belonging to Pilatus", he concluded. Hans was twirling the end of his moustache between his fingers.
"I do not doubt that there is a connection to Pilatus. There are things in the world which we fail to explain. And I believe that something prevents Pilatus from passing on to the next world… So you might as well save a long tormented soul by completing this mission", the Finder said with a smile. What he said amazed Ellen and Kanda could see it in her expression. "That's what makes it worth being part of the Black Order, despite the danger". They were all silent, contemplating their own motivations to continue fighting, until Hans turned his face towards the window. "Well, it's not a good idea to leave in the middle of the night. You better get a good night's sleep and we'll depart with the rising of the sun", he suggested and Kanda nodded. He got up from the sofa and Ellen followed suit.
"Good night", she said and left the salon after Kanda. The girl followed him up the stairs quietly and closed the door behind her.
"Are you confident about this mission?", Kanda asked and walked up to her. She looked up at him with a questioning look, "it's probably easier than the last one, but you don't seem to be very focused", he continued and Ellen lowered her head.
"I try to focus", she answered and started unbuttoning her vest. Kanda reacted and helped her out of it. Ellen let him, because he just folded it and put it on the armchair next to the bed, opening his suitcase to get out his clothes for the night.
"Do you want me to get undressed elsewhere?", he asked and Ellen looked at him.
"It is alright… There will be no harm done if you undress here…", she said after a while and Kanda didn't ask why it was okay now even though it had been improper on the train. He just got undressed and slipped under the covers of the bed. Ellen changed slowly, fumbling with the buttons of her nightgown before she actually got inside the bed next to Kanda. She turned off the light on the night table and they lay on the bed in complete silence. After a while, Kanda dared to move his hand, touching Ellen's under the blanket. She turned her head to look at Kanda, but didn't draw her hand away, even when he slipped his fingers into the rough palm of her Innocence hand. He looked at her, his dark blue eyes shimmering intensely and Ellen didn't know what to say to him or what to do. Kanda, sensing her uneasiness, refrained from getting any closer to her than he already was.
"Good night…", he said and closed his eyes, face still turned towards her. Ellen looked at him, but then she also closed her eyes.
"Good night, Kanda…"
- - -
When Hans knocked on the door the next morning, Kanda got up without waking Ellen.
"We should hurry, the weather has gotten calmer over the night", he said and Kanda nodded, before closing the door again. He got dressed before waking Ellen, then he sat on the bed, quietly studying the sleeping girl. He extended his hand and brushed away the white strands of hair that had fallen into her face. She didn't react to it, so Kanda, not being able to resist temptation, bend down slowly. He could see every white lash adoring her eyes, her warm breath tickled his nose and he closed in to kiss her gently. He could see Ellen furrowing her brows and she stirred slightly. The young man kissed her again, feeling a bit bad doing it because Ellen would certainly not approve. "What if Mister Hans comes in?" Kanda could imagine her shouting, but he couldn't care less now. Her lips felt nice and wet (it seems that the noble girl had the habit to drool in her sleep. A fact he hadn't used to tease her yet) and she turned away her head, probably because she couldn't breathe with Kanda's lips on hers. The exorcist could see her eyelids flutter and she finally opened her eyes just in time to see Kanda giving her another kiss. Her eyes flew open and she pushed up her hands to make him stop. Kanda straightened up at once, looking down on the blushing girl.
"Kanda! It is you!", she called, her blush deepening, "you gave me a fright!".
"It's time to get up. We need to leave", he said and sat on the armchair, waiting. Ellen stared at him and threw herself face first into the pillow in a very childish manner. "Come on, or I'll drag you out of the bed", he threatened. Ellen raised her head, her hair tousled and face still pink, but this time she looked more put off than embarrassed.
"Was there no other way to wake me!", she demanded and got out of bed. She took her clothes from the armchair Kanda was sitting on and started unbuttoning her nightgown. She was very aware of his intense stare, making her hands tremble slightly.
"That was the way I wanted to wake you", Kanda replied and Ellen turned to him.
"Well, you should not want that!", she told him and turned around again, slipping the nightgown over her head. Kanda could see her naked back and her skinny legs. The girl clumsily tried to put on her bra and Kanda got up to help her. "Kanda", Ellen protested but he put a kiss on her shoulder.
"Be quiet. I'm getting you clothed, I'm not undressing you", he told her and he could see her clearly troubled expression when she looked over her shoulder. He ignored it and helped her getting dressed.
"While I am used to getting dressed by my maids, I have never been dressed by a man", Ellen said and Kanda rolled his eyes.
"I would have been disappointed in you if you had", he said and she frowned at him.
"My mother would be disappointed in me if she knew that you… That we…", she failed to continue and just turned her head around, staring at her reflection in the window. Kanda didn't comment on it and continued to get her dressed. When he had finished buttoning her exorcist coat there was another knock at the door.
"Dear exorcists, are you ready to leave?", Hans asked from the other side of the door, "it will be a three hour march".
"We are ready. Wait for us outside of the hotel", Kanda called and heard Hans' affirmative reply. Kanda turned back to Ellen, but she didn't look at him, bending down to slip inside her boots. The young man was getting tired of this, so he just strapped Mugen to his back and went outside as well. Ellen was staring at her feet, pressing her lips together. It just… felt wrong…
- - -
When the Exorcists and the Finder arrived at the mountain, the storm had resumed. It was very cold and the rain was icy.
"Careful. There usually are good paths, but due to the storm everything is very slick and there have been landslides. It is dangerous, I will try to lead you on the safest paths", Hans said and Ellen and Kanda nodded.
The higher up they got the more dangerous it was and they had to walk on very small paths and climb from time to time.
"How are you doing, young miss?", Hans asked as Kanda pulled the girl up on safe ground.
"Do not worry about me", she replied with a smile and Hans nodded.
"We will make a small rest here. Only one more hour and we will be up. We have to gather new strengths because Akuma could attack any time now". It was still raining very hard and because of the fog there was not much visible. Ellen was shivering in her coat and Kanda sat down on the ground next to her, raising his travelling coat so that the rain couldn't hit their heads for the moment.
"You're a good climber…", he complimented and Ellen managed a small smile.
"Mana and I always went climbing. I am not afraid of heights and I enjoy climbing very much…", she replied.
"Then why are you pulling such a face?", Kanda wanted to know and Ellen looked up at him with a questioning look. "You seem troubled". Ellen quickly averted her eyes and started fumbling with the hem of her coat.
"Well… There are Akuma up ahead… And maybe a ghost…", she mumbled. That was of course not the thing she worried about the most, but for now the answer seemed to be enough for Kanda.
"Tch. That's just Innocence. No need to be afraid of it, beansprout", he told her and she pouted. "We'll collect it, stop these storms and go home. That's all".
"You make it sound easier than it is… You always do…", Ellen answered quietly. Kanda didn't reply, but he tightened his grip on his coat in slight frustration.
Hans was smoking his pipe, looking at the two silently. He had been a Finder for quite some time now but he rarely saw women among the exorcists. Ellen looked pretty fragile, but as it seems she was quite a stubborn young lady. Even for a noble woman. He finished smoking and got up again, interrupting the uneasy silence between Ellen and Kanda with a loud sigh.
"If you are ready we can go on!", he said with a wide smile and helped Ellen up on her feet. She managed a small smile, but it was clearly visible that something was bothering her. "Okay, one more hour. We already got through the worst part of the mountain! Keep your spirits up!", Hans said and started guiding them through the foggy mountain scenery. Kanda and Ellen were not speaking to each other; Kanda deemed it better to focus on the mission (at least it was more rewarding than pondering about Ellen's motivations to distance herself from him) and Ellen was trying hard not let her insecurities get to her heart. She was perfectly aware of what she should be doing and how she should behave, but she was not happy about it.
Ellen nearly stumbled when Kanda suddenly grabbed her and they fell to the floor.
"Damn it beansprout!", Kanda shouted and there was an explosion nearby, "haven't you heard my warning?!". Ellen looked up at him with wide eyes and then she looked past him where there were Akuma gliding through the fog. Hans was busy erecting a barrier and Kanda let go of Ellen, rising to his feet. He drew Mugen and activated it. While Ellen was picking herself up from the floor, the young man killed all the Akuma that Hans was able to capture with his barrier. The other retreated into the fog.
"We're near to the Innocence!", Hans announced and pointed into the fog.
"How many were there last time?", Kanda wanted to know.
"10. You already killed five of them. We must be careful now", Hans said.
"Stay close to me", the Japanese hissed and he grabbed Ellen's hand, only letting go, when she assured him that she would be careful. Ellen was actually too afraid and lost in thought to be rash. She just wanted to finish this mission, get down form this mountain and go home.
When they got out of the fog they were standing on a swampy patch of brownish grass. There was not much left of the lake, just a small clear spring. But next to this spring there was in fact a translucent white figure, crouching down. Mist rose from the spring like a column into the sky, forming thick black clouds over their heads. The wind blew strongly and the rain hindered the view.
"You'll stay with the finder, I'll go and get the Innocence", Kanda said and didn't wait for Ellen's reply to start running towards the lake. As expected the Akuma burst forth from the fog, shooting bullets both at Kanda and the Innocence. Kanda could evade the bullets and killed two of the Akuma.
"Miss Walker! Watch out!", Kanda could hear Hans call and turned around to see Ellen standing like a statue, staring at the shape with wide eyes.
"Beansprout!", Kanda shouted as well and Ellen seemed to snap out of her stupor and activated her Innocence fast enough to slice the approaching Akuma just before it could attack. But the other two Akuma approached her as well and she seemed to have trouble to fend them off. Kanda cursed and ran to Ellen, ignoring the Innocence for the moment. He stood in front of Ellen, Mugen raised.
"What do you think you are doing?!", he shouted and Ellen looked up at him, "why do you fight so half-heartedly?! This is easy! They're just level one Akuma!!". Ellen lowered her head and didn't say anything.
"Mister Kanda… You shouldn't be so hard on her", Hans tried to calm him, but Kanda was furious and disappointed. He glared at Ellen.
"Oi", he called, "look at me…". Ellen raised her head reluctantly, "if you only want me near you as someone who will protect you, then fine. I will protect you! Now get your act together and start fighting!", he shouted. Ellen widened her eyes and Hans smiled slightly.
"He's quite passionate, this young man… Lucky you, Miss Walker". Ellen turned to look at Hans, then she lowered her eyes. She straightened up and stood next to Kanda.
"Forgive me for my moment of weakness. I will fight", she said and Kanda snorted.
"Took you long enough, beansprout", he teased and then the started attacking the remaining Akuma.
It didn't take them long to kill them and the two exorcists approached the white shape. Kanda touched it, but his hand went right through it.
"I guess that's just a projection…", Hans said and Ellen kneeled down, looking into the clear water.
"Maybe…", she started, then she put her hands into the water and started washing them.
"What are you doing?", Kanda asked with a frown, but the spring started to glow and a Innocence cube glided out of the water. As soon as Kanda grabbed it, the white shape dissolved and a white cloth dropped to the floor.
"A… cloth?", Ellen asked with a frown and took it up. It looked pretty old.
"Maybe this is the cloth in which Pilatus' body has been wrapped… I remember that Rabi once had a mission with an Innocence possessed knight's armour…".
"A possessed armour…?", Ellen asked, instantly turning pale; the thought of an armour wandering around with a sword sent shivers down her spine. Hans laughed loudly and looked up as the weather started to clear.
"Good work you two! You solved the mystery of this mountain! And look how the weather is clearing up! I guess I can see a blue sky! This will be a great day!". Ellen looked at the cloth in her hands and then she looked up at the sky, smiling.
"I sure hope it is…"
- - -
Ellen enjoyed long baths after a day spent out in the rain. Kanda sat in front of the door to the bath, writing the report.
"Will you not get a cold if you do not take a bath?", Ellen asked and Kanda could hear how she splashed water.
"I just need to dry myself properly. Only girls need bubble baths", he replied.
"Then why did you let my inside first if you only needed a towel?", Ellen asked and Kanda raised his head and leant it against the wooden door.
"Because you're the girl. You go first", he said. Ellen was silent for a while.
"If you want to… You could come in and get a towel…", she suggested and Kanda didn't answer. He closed his eyes and sighed, then he opened them again.
"I'd rather not…", he replied.
"Oh…", he could hear Ellen exclaim after a while.
"Listen… I'm not made of stone…", he said quietly, but still loud enough for her to hear, "don't suggest such things if you're just going to reject me"
"I… did not mean to offend you…", Ellen answered after a while, which caused Kanda to sigh again.
"Of course you didn't. I know. But I don't understand why exactly you don't allow me to be with you. Is it that you don't like me?"
"Of course not…", Ellen replied faintly, "I do like you very much…". Kanda was happy to hear that, even though it was not really a love declaration. At least it was a start.
"Could you please elaborate on your reasons?", he asked.
"It… You know that I am from a noble family…", Ellen started with a sigh, "I am the only child… The burden of the family name rests on my shoulders… I know that I should focus on being an exorcist, but I do need to think about my life afterwards as well… I already made the mistake and went against what my mother taught me… I should not have had sexual intercourse with you… It was improper because we are not married…". Kanda, even though he had suspected it, was slightly hurt by what she was saying. Of course, it might have been a mistake to sleep together because it was so rushed.
"So you regret it now?"
"No… No, I do not… It might have been wrong, but I do not regret it..."
"I do not really see the point then…", Kanda said, "I know you do not want to disappoint your mother… Do you think your mother would not allow us to marry or is it that you do not want to marry me?".
"Oh Kanda, please do not ask such questions…", he could hear Ellen call with a troubled voice.
"Then give me an answer, beansprout! I love you, but I will stop bothering you with it if you don't want me to be with you!"
"I do not want you to go!", Ellen shouted and there was a splash of water, "But I do not want to continue making mistakes either!". The door opened and Ellen, a towel wrapped around her, appeared in the door frame. Kanda got up on his feet looking down at her in surprise. Her cheeks were red and she had tears in her eyes. "I… I just do not know how this could work… If my mother asks me to marry someone else… I…". Kanda didn't need to hear more and embraced her, burying his face into her wet hair.
"I am sorry for troubling you… But I cannot just give up on you… Excuse me for being so selfish… But you might be the only chance at love I'll ever have…"
"Kanda…", Ellen whispered, then she returned the embrace. And while it still was not "alright", Ellen felt like a great burden had been lifted from her heart.
- - -
Later this day Hans came knocking at the door of their room. Ellen opened and found him with a ruby dress in his hands.
"A dress? For me?", Ellen wondered and Hans nodded.
"I hope it is to your liking. Mister Kanda told me to get something so you'll feel more comfortable". Ellen took the dress and looked at Kanda, who just ignored them.
"Oh. Thank you very much!", she said and Hans smiled, then he returned downstairs. Ellen sat on the bed and bend over to Kanda, who was reading on the bed. "Thank you too…"
"Put it on first. Maybe you'll look stupid in a red dress", he said which made Ellen pout. She got up from the bed and started changing. The dress was simple, with long sleeves and it went down to her ankles. But it fit her perfectly and Ellen turned around happily.
"And?"
"Tch. Beautiful as I've expected", Kanda said and Ellen smiled at him, "now, Beansprout, let's get something to eat". Ellen blinked at Kanda, who just readjusted his hair tie so it bound his hair together at the neck. He opened the door for her. "Come on. Now that you have a dress, you might as well show yourself at the restaurant".
"At the restaurant?", Ellen asked and followed him outside and down the stairs. The restaurant was filled with people and this time Ellen did not make a scene or demanded to eat in the kitchen. "Thank you Kanda… You really are a gentleman". Kanda had to laugh at that.
"I know how to behave myself if I have to", he replied, "keeping his wife safe and making her happy should be a major concern to a man". Ellen had to laugh at that.
"What a commendable resolution. I am impressed"
"You won't be disappointed", Kanda said with a smirk and raised his glass. Ellen, even though she was a little bit unsure what he really meant, smiled and raised her glass for a toast.
- - -
Right after they got back to their room – Ellen had met some people at the salon and had stayed to converse and the girl had been surprised by the eloquence Kanda seemed to be able to display if he really had to – they got a call from Komui via Golem.
"The mission was a success I've been told! Well done!", Komui complimented.
"Thank you Komui", Ellen replied with a smile and started undoing the laces of her shoes.
"Kanda I need to you head over to Russia now, can you do that?", the supervisor asked and Ellen frowned.
"He is not allowed to go back home?", she asked.
"I am deeply sorry, Ellen, but we're short on exorcists and Kanda is very able", Komui replied and Kanda let out an amused snort when he saw Ellen's cross face. "Kanda, the mission is Russia needs more time than we thought. You and Noise Marie have been called as reinforcements. Rabi and Bookman are both there as well. Ellen needs to come back with Toma and the two Innocence cubes you've collected. She also needs a rest now after two missions".
"Fine. When does the train depart?", the Japanese wanted to know.
"Tomorrow morning, Ellen's as well".
"Good. I'll contact you for the details once I'm on the train", Kanda replied.
"Enjoy the rest of your stay!", came Komui's sing-song voice and Kanda terminated the connection.
"Tch. Idiot…", Kanda hissed and let himself drop into the armchair. Ellen still looked rather cross, "Stop making that face, beansprout"
"Oh, stop calling me that!", Ellen complained, furrowing her brows. Kanda smirked, which made Ellen blush slightly in anger, "fine, suit yourself!"
"I really don't care about names, beansprout. I like how you react to my teasing"
"You are impossible… And I thought that you truly were a gentleman when I witnessed you conversing in the salon!". Kanda just continued smirking, so Ellen gave up on it, "Fine! But what about you?"
"Me?"
"Do you not have a first name? I still wonder how I managed to be intimate with you even though I did not know your name!", she said in an indignant tone.
"I don't like people calling me by my first name"
"Is it improper in Japan?", Ellen wondered and Kanda shrugged.
"You don't address people by their first names if you're not close friends. But that's one thing. The other is thing is that I don't even like my name. Ever since I came to Britain that is"
"Why is that so?", Ellen wanted to know.
"Because it's Yu", Kanda answered and Ellen raised both eyebrows.
"Pardon me?", she asked and Kanda rolled his eyes.
"Yu. That's my name. See? You didn't get it either. It's annoying". Ellen had to laugh.
"Yu? Really, how funny!", she said but then she remembered her good manners, "excuse me. It surely is a beautiful name"
"Tch. Stop lying you idiot. Just call me Kanda, like everyone", he said and Ellen smiled.
"Very well, Kanda"
"You're annoying beansprout", Kanda hissed and Ellen pouted.
"And I would have hoped that you would call me Ellen now!", the girl said and crossed her arms over her chest, "Oh well. I do not care, names do not really mean that much. At least you were creative enough to make up a pet name for me", she said, clearly in a mocking tone. Kanda decided that he liked her best when she was stubborn, it made his love for her quite entertaining.
"If you make a face like that, you'd better get out of that dress, such a scowl does not befit a dress", Kanda teased and Ellen blushed.
"Good, you are the one with the long hair anyway, I am sure that a red dress would look dashing on you, even though you are even more flat than I am", Ellen said, raising both hands, shrugging. Kanda had to laugh and shook his head.
"Nice comeback, beansprout. But I like your breasts". Ellen hit him with the nearest pillow.
- - -
The next day at the station, Ellen did not cry. She was very cheerful, chatting with Hans, Toma and Kanda.
"It was pleasant to work with you", Ellen said directed at Hans. The Finder took both her hands in his and shook them.
"The feeling is reciprocal, dear Miss Walker! I hope we'll meet again! Take care of yourself!", Hans said and Ellen smiled. Then the Finder turned to Kanda, "you too, Mister Kanda. Also keep an eye on her, or she'll surpass you". Kanda frowned but Ellen laughed.
"Fare well my friends!", Hans said and then he made his way back to the town, whistling a pleasant tune.
"It is time Miss Walker", Toma said and bowed to Kanda, "have a safe trip". Kanda nodded and Toma went inside the train. Ellen smiled up at Kanda.
"Well. I might feel a bit lonely without you", she confessed, "I will especially miss your tantrums". Kanda hit her on the head.
"Tch. You could at least cry, like all women do on stations"
"Have you read too many books, dear Mister Kanda?", Ellen asked with a laugh and he snorted indignantly, "we will not be separated for long, will we?"
"No idea. Depends on the missions", the Japanese exorcist confessed, and Ellen smiled at him, even though it was a bit sad. He sighed and patted her head. "Promise me to take care of yourself"
"Yes. I will. You too", Ellen said and Kanda nodded. The girl reached up and hugged him, Kanda returning it immediately. "I will miss you". Kanda didn't say anything, but she knew that he would too. "Promise to write me a letter", she told him when she let go of Kanda. He frowned.
"No", he said, "I won't have time to post letters". Ellen laughed and nodded.
"I know", she took a step away and smiled.
"Don't die beansprout. Promise", Kanda urged her.
"I promise that I won't die", she said, smiling gently.
"And don't forget to use your brain on missions. Don't be too emotional", he warned her and Ellen nodded, "I won't be there to safe you".
"I know. Thank you Kanda for your guidance and protection", she said and the conductor blew his whistle to signal the departure of the train. Kanda grabbed her hand and drew her close for a kiss.
"Excuse me", he said, when Ellen looked up at him with a startled expression, but then she smiled. He kissed her again and then he let her go. "I'll write you a letter", he promised, "Good bye, Ellen". Ellen smiled brightly, then she went inside the train. She blew him another kiss before the door closed and he waved slightly. The train started rolling slowly and then it left the station. Kanda checked his watch after the train had disappeared from sight.
"Time to go", he said and then he made his way to his own train.
To be continued…
Notes:
So how did you like the "Filler Mission"? X3
We're slowly starting to see a change in Ellen. She has to start being tough in order to survive! :3
Kanda is still very determined to marry Ellen, I wonder how much she actually realises this… Hehe
Anyway, time for Ellen to head back to the Black Order and time for us to get back to canon!
Something I'd like to add; in German Pilatus says: "Ich wasche meine Hände in Unschuld". The normal English translation would be, based on what Pilatus said, I wash my hands of it. But if you translate from German into English you'll get "I wash my hands in Innocene". Well. Yeah. X3
Because I only have the Bible in German, I had to look for an English online version. Which is here (always give reference, that's the golden rule of academic work): www(dot)newadvent(dot)org/bible/mat027.htm (put in dots). I have no clue how to indicate the right passage! XD XD Uh. Something like Matthew 27, 24-25.