Alright, I wanted to get at least part two out before finals start. Thanks for the favorites from Alice Nyte and TheParadoxicalOtaku!

Disclaimer: As stated before, I do not own D. Gray-man, the song/poem September, or any of the song lyrics used in this chapter. The first song is Beau Soir by Debussy and the second one is Se Florindo è fedele by Scarlatti. I wrote the chant, though. :)

Part Two: September

"Summer smiles, astonished and feeble, at his dying dream of a garden."

Hermann Hesse

Good God, he had to remember not to come to the Camelot's manor on Thursdays. Road had her music lessons every Thursday and there was only one way to describe her singing: awful.

"Lorsque au soleil couchant les rivières sont roses," she sang in a very breathy tone. Gitano continued to pluck out the tune for her on the piano. Neah was in another room on the other end of the hall practicing whatever piece he was playing at the moment (Gitano was pretty sure it was something by one of those famous 'B' guys- Beethoven, Bach, Brahms-), which left him to help Road with her practicing. Mana sat on a sofa beyond the piano reading a book. He had neither musical prowess nor any desire to study the subject, preferring to read whatever London society had dubbed the latest great novel. Gitano could see the annoyance in the boy's face as Road continued in a louder, shriller phrase. "Et qu'un tiède frisson court sur les champs de blé."

He stopped playing the piano as the last part was practically screamed into his ear. "Have you tried playing the piano before?" he asked as nicely as possible. He could still feel a vein in one of his temples throbbing.

"No I haven't. Keep playing, Git!" she demanded.

"How about the violin?"

"That's much too difficult. Besides, any young lady could tell you that you must learn to sing in order to entertain your guests," she replied.

"You know, I think you might be best suited for the flute, Lady Road," he stated. He was practically clenching his teeth at this point. He really just wanted her to stop singing forever.

"Why is that?" she inquired.

"Well… it's shiny and you like shiny things," he responded.

"That's true," she said, "but they're so shrill and annoying…"

Her eyes narrowed at him. Oh dear, Gitano thought, she has figured me out. He could see Mana smirking behind the cover of his book and rocking back and forth with silent laughter.

"ARE YOU SAYING THAT MY VOICE IS SHRILL AND ANNOYING?" she screamed at him.

He knew denying it would not change anything. He was going to have to stick to his guns. "I'm just saying that singing may not be your forte," he said. "Not everyone can sing."

"I CAN SING! I CAN BREATH AND MAKE SOUND COME OUT OF MY VOICE BOX!" Road bellowed. The room was beginning to warp. He had almost forgotten that Road had 'awakened' in the last year, whatever that meant.

"Road, knock it off," stated Mana. The boy had shut his book and pushed the loose strands of his long black hair out of his face. "The Git is right for once. Your singing is terrible."

"NO IT'S NOT!" she cried. Water was spilling from her eyes and turning into little acid droplets that were burning the twisting floor of the room. "YOU'RE THE ABSOLUTE WORST, MANA WALKER!"

"Maybe I wasn't clear," he said. He stood up from the sofa and walked over to Road until he was staring down into the little girl's eyes. "No one likes your singing, and I mean no one."

"My dad likes my singing," she retorted.

"Of course he does," replied Mana. "He has to because he's your dad."

"Neah likes my singing," she sniffed.

"Why do you think he's not in the room?" inquired Mana. Road stopped crying. "He'd be playing the piano if he liked your singing. Haven't you noticed already that he doesn't let you sing when he's playing?"

Road stood there perfectly silent in the center of the room. The floor had stopped twisting although the burn marks remained.

Gitano heard Neah stop playing in the other room. After a couple seconds of silence he started a different piece. A few seconds after the song began, he heard someone begin to sing. "Se Florindo è fedele io m'innamorerò."

This was possibly the worst moment he could have asked her to sing. It only made everything plainly obvious: Neah only let Sophia sing when he played the piano.

"See," said Mana with a wicked grin, "anyone could tell you that Sophia is the only one he'll accompany."

Road ran out of the room, and Gitano bolted after her. He was hoping that between him and Road there was enough noise to tell Neah to stop. Unfortunately she reached the room just before he did. He saw her fling Sophia as hard as she could towards the opposite wall and stand where she had been next to the piano. He ducked into the room and went to check on his friend. Sophia stared at Road with wide fearful eyes. Gitano checked the top of her head and saw that she hadn't hit it off of the floor when she fell. As soon as he let go of her head Sophia hid behind him, much like how Rory hid behind Lady Arienne.

"Neah, why don't you ever play for me," she asked, giving Sophia a scorching glare.

The boy looked stunned and Gitano could see him visibly searching for words. "Well… I wanted to practice that piece and you don't know it," he stated. "Sophia went to that Latin speaking orphanage, so I thought she might be able too…"

"I AM BETTER THAN SHE IS!" Road snapped. She balled her hands into fists and stamped her feet. Luckily the room was not changing shape this time. "IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW GOOD SHE IS NOW BECAUSE I'LL ALWAYS BE BETTER AND PRETTY SOON UNCLE ADAM WILL BE FINISHED WITH HIS PLAN SO THEY'LL ALL BE DEAD!"

"Calm down, Road!" exclaimed Neah. "I never claimed that anyone was better than anyone else."

"BUT YOU ONLY PLAY FOR HER!" she screamed. "I AM THE ONE WHO LOVES YOU! YOU SHOULD ONLY PLAY FOR ME!"

"Look, if it will make you feel better then how about I teach you how to play the piano-"

"Now you're being just as mean as the stupid Git!" she cried.

"I'm right here you know," he said, but Road ignored his comment.

"I c-can s-s-s-sing," she bawled. Neah patted her on the shoulder cautiously.

"I'm sure you'll get better with practice," he stated with his most charming smile. "You're right, though. As soon as the humans are dead you'll be the best singer in the world."

She smiled and gave him a hug. Gitano might have thought it was cute if they hadn't been talking about his impending doom once again. "I wish Rory would just start showing signs of awakening already. Then we could move on towards our world of peace," Road sighed.

"Is that all Uncle Adam is waiting for?" inquired Neah.

"It's the main thing," she said. "Tell your twin to stop being so slow."

Gitano heard someone give a "che" from the doorway. He turned to see Mana rolling his eyes at his younger brother and cousin. Mana turned and walked back down the hall, his hair whipping over his shoulder.

oOo

"Hey, old bat," he asked later that night. He was back in Walker Manor scrubbing laundry with Rhian.

She glowered at him, but still he saw her eyebrow arch with interest. "What is it?" she questioned.

"I was wondering…" he began, but she cut him off.

"No, I'm not teaching your any more magic. You know enough already for a servant boy," she replied while squeezing water out of one of Rory's shirts.

"I wasn't going to ask that!" he exclaimed in exasperation. She always thought he was trying to con her out of something. Rhian could act so sweet in front of Lady Arienne, but behind the kitchen doors she might as well have been another of the demons of Walker Manor. Gitano was really beginning to hate adults in general. It was a shame he had to grow up and become one. "I was wondering when you thought Rory would 'awaken.'"

Rhian stopped ringing out the shirt and place it on the nearest table top. "Whatever made you ask that?" she inquired.

"Well, Road was talking about how Lord Adam is just waiting for Rory to 'awaken' earlier today. She was having another one of her temper tantrums and-"

"You shouldn't talk about these kinds of things, Gitano," responded the old woman. She had him fixed in a very serious stare. "It really isn't any of your business."

"Of course it is!" he shouted at her. "As soon as he turns I'll either be stuck watching him along with Mana and Neah or they'll finally kill me! I think this is entirely my business!"

He was surprised when Rhian only sighed in response. "I suppose you're right about that," she said. "I wouldn't worry if I were you though. Rory isn't like the others."

"What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"You really are an idiot," she grumbled. She picked up a couple clothes pins and stuck one in her mouth while using the other to hang Rory's shirt. "What I'm saying is that he won't turn. Neah was born with those eyes and Mana has had 'em since he was three."

"He's not going to 'awaken?'" Gitano asked in almost total disbelief. So there really was goodness in the Walker family.

"Yes," replied Rhian. "Rory will never awaken."

They didn't see the golden eye watching them through the crack disappear into the darkness.

oOo

For once it was raining. It had been so long since it had last rained that Gitano wanted to stand outside and let it beat down on his thin body, but he was stuck inside watching the brats. Today was an unusual day. It wasn't that Road and Sophia had come earlier in the Camelot's carriage, but that Lady Arienne had left Rory in his charge today as well.

The little boy looked lost without his mother. His pale, tiny hands that normally hung onto Lady Arienne's skirts hung uselessly by his sides as he watched his older brothers playing with Road. Gitano thought about giving him a prod to make sure he was still alive. If Rory died when he was in his charge, then Gitano would not be surprised when he became the main course for tonight's supper.

Neah had grown bored of having Road cling to him, so he'd bothered Mana until the elder boy got his toy train set out. Now the three children were placing the tracks together. Neah laid the last piece down nearby where Rory sat.

"Alright, we've finished," said Neah, surveying his work. Road clapped her hands together.

"Here, Road," stated Mana. He handed her the engine. "You're the guest, so you can be the conductor first."

The girl gleefully took the engine, but then looked over at Neah. "Neah can go first," she replied. She handed him the engine. "It was your idea to play runaway train."

Neah sat down and place the train on the tracks. Road began to make noises as Mana flipped the signs and moved little metal pieces of livestock into the train's path.

Suddenly, Rory stood up and walked slowly over to his twin. "C-can I take a t-t-turn soon?" asked Rory.

Neah glared at his twin brother. "It's my turn right now. Why don't you go read a book or talk to mother?" replied the boy coldly.

Tears formed in Rory's eyes and he walked out of the room. Mana stopped moving the pieces and went out into the hall as well.

"That was kind of mean," said Road, looking out after Rory and Mana.

"You don't understand," stated Neah. He continued moving the train and pretty soon Road was back to making the noises for dying livestock and passengers.

Gitano looked towards Sophia who was sitting a few feet away from him. "I'm going to check on Mana and Rory," he mouthed.

"Okay," she mouthed back.

He didn't have to look far, for Rory had hidden himself under the stairway in the foyer. Mana was crouched in front of him.

"He's so mean," cried Rory. His muffled sobs echoed off the imposing white walls of the foyer. He was curled in a little ball with his face towards Mana.

"I'm sure he'll get over it," said Mana. "He's probably just showing off for Road. He's doing a really bad job of it, though. Then again, Road likes pretty much anything Neah does."

Gitano stood hidden in the shadows. He was stunned to say the least. He had rarely seen Mana be genuinely nice to anyone except his mother. He supposed the boy must really care for his little brother.

"I'm never gonna show off to anyone," sniffled Rory, wiping his eyes. "If someone wants to play with me then I'd let them."

"I'm sure you would," stated Mana, actually cracking a smile. Gitano was starting to think that he must have exchanged Mana for some other child at the Camelot's house the other day. Mana absolutely never smiled. "Neah plays pretty rough, though. He's probably afraid he'll hurt you."

"I'm tough!" exclaimed Rory.

"Of course you are. Anyone else who has been as sick as you would have died," replied Mana. "But you are still recovering. As soon as you get stronger, I'm sure Neah will want to play with you. Maybe mother will even let you come outside and play with us."

"I'm gonna work hard to become stronger!" declared Rory. He smiled at his older brother.

"That's the spirit," said Mana. "Now how about we play our own game and let the lovebirds play on their own."

"Okay! I just got some new toy soldiers from Rhian the other day! We could play with those!" stated Rory. He crawled out from under the stairs and took his older brother by the hand. Together they walked up the stairs.

oOo

It was a very odd request. First off, Rhian never really asked anyone for anything. Second, he could never remember a time when the old bat was sick. The fact that she wanted him to give Rory a bath seemed to be an astronomical leap in faith.

"It has to be done today," she said in a very raspy voice. She was lying on her cot in the small closet sized room that was called her bedroom. "No later than 1800 hours."

"Alright, alright," he said. "I'll go get him right now then."

She grabbed his arm, causing him to turn back towards her. "Take this with you," she stated. She handed him a bottle filled with some sort of dark liquid in it. "Wash his hair with it. Do you remember that color enchantment from the green book?"

"Yes," he replied. She pulled him down to her level so that her mouth was right next to his ear.

"Mutter that as you wash his hair. And make sure he doesn't look in the mirror," Rhian whispered into his ear. Gitano gave her a confused look, but nevertheless he went to do as she said when she let him go.

He found Rory sitting in front of the piano in the sitting room. He was trying to pluck out some sort of tune (fortunately he seemed to have more musical intuition than Road). Mana sat in an armchair nearby reading, and Lady Arienne sat in the next chair over embroidering a new handkerchief with Rory's initials. Neah was nowhere to be seen.

"Um…" he began. Everyone in the room looked up at him.

"What is it?" asked Lady Arienne, fixing him in one of her most intimidating stares.

"Rhian sent me to fetch Lord Rory for his bath," he said.

"Why doesn't she do this herself?" inquired Mana.

"She's not well today," he replied. Everyone seemed curious now.

"Perhaps I should call for a doctor," mused Lady Arienne.

"That old lady is never sick," muttered Mana, going back to reading his book.

"There are extra blankets in the closet upstairs," said Rory. "I always used extra blankets when I was sick."

"Well, Lord Rory, I still need to give you a bath, so come on," Gitano stated. The little boy stood up and followed him up the stairs to the bath.

He checked the bath to make sure it wasn't too hot. It burnt the tips of his fingers and he drew back with a hiss. He waited for ten minutes and checked the water again. It was pleasantly warm this time, so he motioned for Rory to hop into the tub.

"I can wash myself," said the boy defiantly. Gitano stepped back as Rory reached for the soap. He prayed to God that Rory was not becoming a pain in the neck like his brothers. That would be the last thing he needed.

Rory rinsed the suds off his body. Gitano noted that there was a ring of gray water around him, which might have explained why Rhian washed him so often. Rhian got a bath about twice as often as everyone else in the house (which meant about four times as often as he had a bath).

"You can wash my hair now," he stated, turning his big silver eyes up towards Gitano.

"Alright, close your eyes," he said. He took a small bowl from the table by the tub and filled it with the warm bathwater.

As the water poured over Rory's head, Gitano was astonished to see the little boy's hair turn a reddish-brown color like his mother's hair. He held in a gasp.

"Rhian normally sings to me when washing my hair," remarked Rory.

Now he understood.

Gitano took out the bottle of liquid and poured it onto the boys head. He began to chant. "Be like the petals of the flowers that die and turn darker, darker. Be like the clouds in the night sky and turn darker, darker. Be like the eyes of the wounded beast and turn darker, darker. Be like the heart that love has forsaken and turn darker, darker. Dark as a shadow close to dusk, hide the light strands, thee I trust. Remain in the darkness 'til next I call, then might you unwind darkness all."

When he finished he saw that Rory's hair was pitch black once again. The water in the tub was a murky gray, but when Rory stood up he was perfectly clean.

"Thanks for the help!" he said with a smile. As soon as Rory was dry and dressed in his dinner clothes Gitano went to see Rhian again in her room.

"His hair isn't black," was all that he said to her.

"It isn't," she agreed. She hadn't even bothered to turn away from the wall and face him.

"He doesn't know that, does he?" he asked.

"Only you and I know this. This tidbit also isn't leaving this room, understood?" she said. "Everyone believes that Lady Arienne gave birth to three healthy Noah children. If people found out that she only gave birth to two, then everyone here is as good as dead, except for Mana and Neah."

"Is that why you said he wasn't like the others?" he inquired.

Rhian finally turned away from the wall. "It's precisely why he isn't like the others," she replied.

Alright scandal! Shall the other Noah find out that Rory is not one of them? I suppose that's for you to find out… Please review!