TWP: Finally the twelfth chapter. Gaaaawd I'm tired. Alright, let's get this back on the right track.
Disclaimer: I do not own -Man. I only own Ava Krory and that's the reason why she's crying a lot in this fic.
"Just one trip across the channel and everything feels so oriental." Lenalee sighed in contentment and the others agreed wholeheartedly. Allen then told them that Timcanpy still pointed to the East.
"Further east, like to India or China?" Lenalee frowned and Lavi jumped up. "How far is the General going, huh?"
"W-well, the world's a big place." Allen defended himself and Krory agreed, trying desperately to eat the weird ice cream that stretched making Ava laugh loudly.
"Never seen anything like that before." She said as Krory glared at her for laughing.
"Well, this will be a good chance for Krory-kins to gain some street smarts." Lavi pointed out but suddenly the chair fell backwards and the ice cream spilled out over Krory. "Holy -! Arystar, you alright?" Ava asked as she walked around the table and helped her cousin up.
"Yeah, I'm alright." He stumbled a bit. They were completely unaware of the eyes that were watching them. The five Exorcists made their way to a hotel the Order had made reservations in and the clerk met up with them, taking their luggage.
"Finally we can get some rest!" Lavi said happily. Allen turned and noticed that Krory was gone.
"Where's Krory?" He asked and the other two turned.
"He was just behind us." Lavi stared in disbelief.
"He's gone?" Lenalee spoke up. Indeed, Krory was gone and so was his cousin.
"You think he got lost?" Allen asked but Lenalee shook her head. "Maybe he's with Ava?"
"I'm not willing to take that risk. I'm gonna look for him." Lavi called and went ahead of them and out of the hotel, hoping to find the oldest Krory fast so he could rest.
"And this is what we call-" Ava turned to her cousin but found out that she was alone. A vein popped up on her forehead when she realized that the reason why people had been staring at the weirdly was because it had appeared that she had been talking to herself.
"Aryyyystaaaaar…." She growled and stomped down the streets looking for her cousin to no avail.
"You should have kept an eye on him. You know how easily he gets lost." 'Daisya' chided from beside her. "Shut up. You could have told me." She glared at him and he held up his hands in defense.
"Hey, I'm just a memory fragment. I know nothing more than you do. If you don't see it, then neither do I." She sighed and slapped a hand over her face. She dug into her pockets and lit a cigarette.
"You really should quit smoking."
'Even if he's only a memory fragment he sure sounds like Daisya.' She thought in annoyance and he grinned. "Of course I do. This is how you remember him." Her eyes widened.
'You can hear what I think?'
"I'm part of you. Of course I can."
'It would have been nice if you had told me that earlier so I could have avoided being looked upon as a fucking lunatic…' She growled mentally and he laughed.
"Where's the fun in that?" She groaned and hastened her pace, eager to get rid of the ghost but no matter how fast she ran he kept up with her. She growled and ran out of the city, took off her jacket, activating her Innocence and shooting off into the sky. She smirked triumphantly but even there he floated beside her.
"You can't get rid of me that way." He grinned and she sighed in defeat. Then she noticed a giant hammer in the distance, slamming down on the ground again and again.
"What the hell?" She wondered but realized that it had to be Lavi. She sped up and saw him kneel on a tiny cliff. "Lavi! What's going on?" She called and he glanced at her over his shoulder and waved as she landed.
"There's an Akuma down there that's captured Lenalee… well it could be the fake Lenalee but better safe than sorry."
"Fake Lenalee?" She frowned confused but he shrugged, telling her that he would explain it later.
"This may be a little hardcore but…" He activated his Innocence and transcended to level 2, using the fire stamp to attack. Once the Akuma was out in the open he leaped up and grabbed Lenalee who had come free of its imprisonment. The Akuma only had its eyes on Lavi and Lenalee and didn't notice Ava until it was too late. She leaped too and landed on the Akuma.
"W-what? Who are you?" Grotesque hands shot out from the Exorcist's back and tore the Akuma apart.
"What did it look like?" She asked not expecting an answer as she lit a cigarette and walked up to Lavi. "How is she?"
"I think she's alright. Let's find some shadows. It's not good for her to stay out under the sun like this." She nodded and they looked around for some protection against the scorching sun. It didn't take them long before they found some trees and they put Lenalee under it. While they waited for the girl to wake up Lavi explained the situation to Ava who fell deep into thought.
"Lavi? Ava? Is Allen and Krory with you?" Lenalee asked and looked around.
"Well, if you're worried about the others when you wake up after what happened, then I guess we got the real one." Lavi grinned. Lenalee shot up then as she remembered what had happened but winced as pain surged through her right side.
"Hey, did that scorpion Akuma do something to you?" Lavi asked concerned. Lenalee wasn't sure, since she had been unconscious the whole time but her body was numb and heavy, she could barely move.
"Just relax and let me take care of you. You'll be amazed at how much I've learned about first aid since becoming an Exorcist." Lavi smiled gently and Lenalee nodded in gratitude.
"You jealous?" Ava jumped. She hadn't realized that she had been staring at the two and the ghost beside her grinned innocently as she glared back.
'I'm not jealous.' She thought before she remembered something.
"Lavi, you said that the other one was an exact copy of Lenalee?" Lavi nodded as he checked Lenalee's sides.
'If this one was an exact copy… could it be… maybe it was a Noah?' Realization hit her hard and she stumbled back a few steps, catching the attention of her companions as she began to worry about Krory and Allen.
"Ava, what's wrong?" Lavi asked noticing the look of absolute terror on her face.
"You don't think… that she could have been a Noah?" She asked slowly and the two Exorcists eyes widened. "I mean, the Noah that killed General Yeegar and Daisya… he could phase through peoples bodies… if one of them have such an ability then there's no reason to think that one of them don't have the ability to change their appearance like that."
"Shit, you're right." Lavi swore. This meant that Allen and Krory were in serious danger.
"But then, what will happen to Allen and Krory?" Lenalee closed in on being hysterical.
"Hey, hey, listen!" Ava grabbed Lenalee's shoulders. "Allen and Arystar are strong! Even if it is a Noah they'll be fine! They're two, the Noah is only one! They'll be fine. Right now, we've gotta get you back to the hotel to rest." She glanced at Lavi who nodded to reassure Lenalee.
"You know those two. They can get through anything." Lavi helped her calm down and together they brought Lenalee back to the hotel and laid her down on the bed. Ava was waiting down in the lobby for the two missing Exorcists for hours but there was no sign of them. In the end she called the clerk and told them to contact them if the two showed up. Then she walked up the stairs and once she closed in on the door to Lenalee's' room she could hear voices.
"Have you heard from Allen and Krory yet?" She heard Lenalee first.
"No, not yet."
"You should go find them, seriously." Lenalee was worried, that much was clear. The sweet young girl had always been setting other people's needs in front of her own.
"Hey, we have to get you healed first. I say we contact Bookman and then rendezvous with Allen and Krory later and tell them to meet up with us." Lavi said and she could hear the rustling of sheets. Lenalee's voice was sadder and more silent now.
"Okay, you're right. I guess I would be a burden to you like this."
"You know I would never think of you that way." Lavi's voice was so soft and gentle; Ava had never heard him sound like this before. Her gut clenched and she felt cold though she didn't know why.
"I'm just as worried about what's going on with our friends as you are. I bet Ava has it rough too, with Krory being missing. For now though, we need to make sure that you're 100 % fine when we see them again." Ava heard the soft sobs coming from inside and realized that Lenalee was trying to keep from crying.
"How about you get some sleep?" Lavi said and stood up, heading for the door. Ava retreated from it and hurried back to the end of the corridor and acted like she had come up from the lobby just then.
"How is she?" She asked as Lavi closed the door behind him.
"Her wound wasn't bad but it's doing something to her and I think she's blaming herself for being caught." Ava looked down on the ground when Lavi turned towards her. "What's wrong?" He asked and she shook her head, telling him it was nothing as she rested her back against the wall. Lavi of course didn't buy it.
"Hey, you can tell me." He peered at her and she turned away. "It's nothing, really." She shrugged.
"You said you wouldn't keep things to yourself. Fess up." He grabbed her shoulders and she winced at the edge in both his voice and eyes.
"T-this has nothing to do with General Yeegar and Daisya." She stammered. "You're hurting me." She added in a whisper and he realized how hard he had clutched her and let go, taking a few steps back.
"Sorry." He mumbled, a bit ashamed of himself for letting his emotions run away with him. She rubbed her arms and bowed her head forward, letting her bangs cover most of her face. This would leave a bruise, she knew it.
"I'll go look for Allen and Arystar. You take Lenalee back to Bookman." She said and brushed past him, running down the corridor and down the stairs. She passed by 'Daisya' before she reached the stairs.
"Liar." He muttered and she clenched her eyes tightly shut. Lavi had reached out for her but she had slipped away before he could grab her again and he watched as she hurried down the stairs, a pained expression on her face.
'How did she… know we were going to meet up with gramps?' He thought before he realized it. She had been standing outside the door while he talked with Lenalee. But why had she acted like she had just reached their floor when he came out the door? And why was she so distant now? Had he scared her from opening up when he had reacted like that?
"Aah, shit!" He swore and followed her but when he got outside she was already gone. A lot of people were whispering together and pointing at the sky, betraying the fact that Ava had ignored her usual subtlety and just activated her Innocence in a crowd. He went back into his own room to get some rest before he took Lenalee to meet up with Bookman. Ava could take care of herself… he hoped.
TWP: Yup, finally she's realizing something that 'Daisya' knew all the time. If you think I'm being too fast and all that, then remember that even it has only been a few weeks or something like that since Daisya died, she's heeding his last words, without even knowing it.
I am also happy to tell you that Satsuriku-Sama offered to be my beta-reader so now, no more grammar mistakes. Rejoice! I know I am ; )