Shadows at Dusk
"Dialogue"
Thoughts, emphasis, etc.
/ Flashbacks /
*sounds, actions*
Formal attack names
"Akuma (in their true forms) speech"
[Time passing]
- Mission Start -
"Think of it this way, Allen, yours fit you much better than mine."
The Black Order supplied the two newest exorcists some coats. They said they customize some for the two later, but for right now, Allen and Raven would deal with the ones they have. Someone kindly thought of Raven's needs and cut off a section along the back which his shawl covered. But the bottom still hung right over his feet.
The three exorcists had a boat awaiting them in the underwater canals of the Order. A familiar golden ball shot over to Allen.
"Timcanpy! There you are!"
"I had him. He can project the past of people he has been with. I watched the adventures of the two of you. Which reminds me, we need to get a golem for Raven, too."
"No need." Raven whistled. Something darted out from the shadows to wrap around his arm. The golem looked like a white two-foot snake but had black crescent-shaped markings with a cross in between them instead of eyes. A pair of feathery black wings nestled along its length. Raven presented his companion with a proud smile.
"This is Shade." Suddenly, the snake golem disappeared from view. Raven laughed at Komui's startled look.
"Amazing," he praised. "Did you build this? I don't think this is Cross's style."
"Yep. I had a habit of spending a lot of my free time in any libraries we happen to pass by. I can even manage to read and write a few different languages. All my education pretty much came from similar trips. Master Cross certainly wouldn't be teaching us these things. I took to raiding the leftover machine parts from various factories and the like to make Shade. A little bit of esoteric knowledge, and here we have my golem's disappearing act. Shade can sneak past akumas fairly well, but he does have some combat ability and a few other special features. I even caught Master messing with him once or twice. I swear the little guy gets a little bit bigger every year."
"Hurry up and get on board, Nachingeru," warned Kanda.
"And I think I told you, I am RAVEN, not a nightingale."
- Ghost of Mater -
After a heart-racing leap onto a train - / "Why can't I just fly Allen and I over there, it would be ten times safer?! If you guys want to risk life and limb, that's fine with me!" / - the three exorcists and their finder Toma were on their way to Mater. A ghost was said to inhabit the city, kidnapping lost children. Kanda explained condescendingly that the original Innocence sunk to the bottom of the sea since the time of Noah, but over time, it broke and spread across the earth, taking on many forms and shapes. Innocence often coincided with the appearance of strange occurrences and illusions. Thus, the legend of the ghost of Mater. The true identity of the ghost, as according to Toma, was of a doll.
Mater, the city forsaken by God. Its citizens used lost technology to create amazing dolls that sung and danced. Eventually, though, the city's people move away. Abandoned for 500 years, yet there remained one doll.
After a few minutes of discussion, the group agreed to let Raven scout ahead, since he could fly much faster than the others could run.
"Night Soul, activate!" Black and white wings with green crosses at the tips spread out behind him.
The scene was horrible. Finders' bodies laid strewn where ash didn't mark their deaths. Several ball-shaped akuma fired on a glowing cube two figures cowered. The finders have given up their lives to protect the last survivors of Mater. Raven wasted not a moment more of time.
"Crescent Wind!" He scythed his black and white wings, sending several greenish-white air blades into the akumas. The normal ones fell, but the odd jester-looking one dodged out of the way.
"And who are you?" sneered the akuma. "My, my, what power you have, little birdy. I will enjoy tearing you into two, just like your fellow humans here!" The creature lunged at him, but Raven easily dodged out of the way. He narrowly dodged a rain of bullets as more akuma arrived. The clown akuma tried to strike Raven with his back turned, but the guy didn't account for the bone-white claw nearly sundering it.
"Ah, some more people in black coats," noted the akuma with a smile. It looked down at its torn hand where Allen's Innocence grappled with it. "I see. This is why you're so much stronger than those palely dressed ones. The two of you are exorcists."
"Be careful Allen, this is a level 2, if my readings are accurate!"
"Readings? Where would you read about akuma?"
"The library. Couldn't sleep, so I read until late last night."
The akuma laughed. "Oho, someone did do his studying. He's correct, I killed enough to evolve into a level 2 akuma. I'm leagues above level 1s."
Raven winced at the sight of the akuma's soul. Like Allen's cursed left eye, his own had the natural power to see the souls of akuma – among other things. The normally chained and decaying human soul of the akuma was worse at level 2. It began to curl up, and bandages slowly crawled their way up the wasted body. A surge of Innocence energy drew the winged exorcist to the air above him.
"Mugen. Return of the Apocalyse! First Illusion – Netherworld Insects!" A swarm of beast insects cut through the remaining akuma and nearly sawed through Raven.
"Kanda! Watch where you slice!"
"Quit chattering, Naichingeru! Why don't you go help the Moyashi?"
Raven sent the samurai exorcist a livid look but complied. He arrived in time to spy a duplicate Allen rise from the sand behind his brother. The winged exorcist snarled when the fake Allen tore through his brother.
A black and white blur plunged just as the akuma struck once more.
Two exorcists plowed through the walls of several buildings.
"Kaaa, you okay there, Allen?" Raven opened his wings which blocked most of the damage from being blasted through concrete, brick, and mortar.
"Yes, I…GAaah!"
Raven snapped to his feet. "What?"
Allen had an aghast look. "My Innocence got damaged again."
Raven repressed the urge to sock his brother. "Yes, and...? My own wings are a bit banged up, too, you know."
Allen had tears trailing down. "Komui going to have to repair it again!" he lamented. "You don't understand! You're in the clear, but he'll use that drill on me!"
*Crack. Crack. CRACK*.
Both exorcists fell down below the city.
"There you are," sighed Raven as he fluttered silently down from another hole.
He told Allen earlier to go and find Kanda since Shade reported odd movements from the akuma. His eyes would track the shining traces left by the moving Innocence. Deep below the city, he could see the shining green light emitting from the center of the doll. The other one, a disfigured old man, had the faint glow of a human, one flickering with its last spark of life.
He watched, a silent observer, as the doll began to sing. An aria. The song is haunting in its beauty and sadness. Allen broke in a little while later.
"Allen! A bit late, aren't you?" remarked Raven dryly.
Allen eyed the two - the human and his doll. "You're the doll, aren't you?"
The doll responded intensely. She actually lifted one of the huge stone pillars and nearly bashed Allen and him to pieces. Raven took to the air and slashed the nearby pillars to pieces while Allen took care of the doll's improvised weapon.
"Okay, now that you have less things to bash our heads in with…"
"Why don't you tell us what's wrong," finished Allen.
The doll Lala told Guzoro and her story. Raven and Allen exchanged identical looks of understanding.
"NO!" Kanda finally had made it down to the lower levels. "Are you idiots really considering this? We cannot risk the Innocence. Our job is to find and secure the Innocence. Hurry up and take the doll's heart, already!" seethed the injured exorcist.
Kanda threw Allen his exorcist coat. "That coat was not meant to be a pillow for the wounded. It's the uniform of an exorcist."
Allen walked past Kanda. "If I stood as the sacrifice, will it be enough then?" he inquired softly. "I will protect them and their final wish. Until then, I cannot take the Innocence from this doll!"
Raven joined in, voice steady and quiet. "All the level 1s have been destroyed. We take out the last level 2, and waiting for Guzuro's death would be safe enough I would think."
Allen nodded in agreement. "What is the point of winning this war if we leave an endless trail of nothing but sacrifices?"
Kanda's response was predictable. Raven rubbed his bruised cheek.
"Che, how pathetic. To sacrifice yourselves for some pitiful strangers… Does nothing in this world matter to you?!" screamed Kanda at the two.
The older exorcist smiled forlornly. "We did have someone. He was lost long ago…"
"We don't fight towards a great purpose. My only desire is to prevent tragedies like this. That is all. I am but a small human. My heart moves for what is in front of my eyes, not for the needs of the world. I cannot just abandon something what lies right in front of me. I want to protect everything I can!" defended Allen.
Raven laughed. "I suppose the same can be said of me. I lost my father and mother when I so very young. I lived a hollowed life until I met my family in Allen and our foster father. I cannot change the past, nor can I forget it, but I will do something about the present. I have no grand designs. I only want to protect what I consider my family, and to help other families avoid the tragedy mine went through." Raven snapped his wings open suddenly.
"Silver Guardian!" Once more, Raven's wings shone like moonlight. He blocked the incoming spear, but the force knocked exorcist, doll, and human to the other side of the cavern.
"How did you know I was there? No matter. I will retrieve the Innocence!" Guzuro. A large section of rubble toppled over three. With a flap of his wings, he managed to dislodge it, but it was too late. The human's life force dwindled even faster.
"Lala…"
The akuma was on them! Raven's wings gleamed metallic. He shielded the two, but the akuma's barrage of attacks was beginning to crack through. Then, the akuma feinted. *Crash*! The jester slammed Raven to the side.
"Lala!" groaned the elderly human. The akuma had ripped her Innocence out.
"You…" raged the white haired exorcist. Allen...The white mask had finally cracked apart to reveal golden eyes with white crosses. The green energy of Allen's Innocence contorted as his anger boiled over.
No longer a claw, a cannon took the place of Allen's left arm. Glowing sticks shot out in an attempt to impale the akuma. But he shifted to sand in time. The glutton swallowed Allen, but his younger brother tore through the sand monster with a green saber.
Raven stumbled back to his feet. He walked over to the Innocence and tossed it over to Guzoro who had crawled over to Lala's stilled form. He turned back to the ensuing battle. Allen had cornered the clown, but he had reached his limit.
"HAHA, hold still, exorcist!"
Kanda shot up and blocked the attack while Raven launched himself above the akuma. For a moment, he hovered in place, his yellow eyes narrowed in anger.
"You're going to regret what you did. Dark Skies: Eclipse!" Feathers swept down upon the akuma, black shadows covering the white tips.
"Aaaah! Who turned out the lights?!" it screamed.
"Now, Allen!"
"Innocence, activate! Scatter!" The blinded akuma had no chance of escaping the shot.
Raven smiled. The inky purple of a dark matter burned away with the white light. He watched the soul depart in the flash. He allowed exhaustion to wash over him. He toppled over by where the doll and human laid. Guzuro was barely conscious, but Lala leaned over him and was singing a lullaby. The winged exorcist spared little mind to Allen who had dragged himself over, despite his injuries. Three days passed. Finally, the doll stopped singing.
- Returning Home –
"Is there something on my face?" inquired Raven. Toma had been staring intently at him for a solid two minutes. He blinked, clearly unconscious of his rudeness.
"Oh, oh! So sorry Master Exorcist. Forgive me. It's just… I don't think I've ever seen anyone with such bright yellow eyes. They remind me of a cat's eyes," sputtered the embarrassed man. Raven grinned.
"Don't worry, so much. Not the first time people have stared at them. Better my eyes than my wings, I always say."
"Wings?" asked Toma, confused. Raven's mouth twitched in to smile. He pulled his shawl aside a bit to reveal the stumpy 2 feet wingspan of his Innocence.
"Wings," he emphasized. "Weird, huh? They kind of just grew there. I used to get all sort of weird back pain until I met my first akuma. After a whole lot of sudden white-hot agony, I got a pair of wings on my back. Kind of a pain with clothing as you can imagine. All my clothes have to be cut low in the back, or else I rip them to pieces when I activate my anti-akuma weapon."
"Yeah, a real pain," chortled Allen. "Remember when you tried to fly that first time?"
"My Innocence was not fully activated," explained Raven. "They usually only would respond in a fight-or-flight scenario. I just kind of fell. Luckily, it by a big pile of hay. Made a mess and we both had to clean it up because of "family obligation". "
Well, thing could have gone worse tonight. Supervisor Komui had decided to make a robot version of himself, Komlin II, but then exposure to coffee made it go psycho. It managed to knock out Lenalee before the two exorcists and finders returned. The Science Division could have stopped the robot had Komui not sabotaged their efforts. Next thing the two exorcists knew, the supervisor tried to sacrifice them to the robot in place of his sister.
Allen and he would have put a stop to the nonsense, too, if someone idiot didn't tranq the two of them! Raven's wings seized in pain, and Komlin II pulled his older brother into itself. All would have been lost, but Lenalee finally woke up. Lenalee was the accommodator of Dark Boots. She freed Allen, saved the Science Division, and kicked Komlin II and Komui down below.
The place was trashed. Their rooms totaled. And, Allen and he had more injuries, but, all in all, it could have been worse. Everyone welcomed the two exorcists back. Even Hevlaska. Raven's uncovered eyes shone especially bright in the darkness of her chambers. He smiled as the little green glow of the Innocence joined the dozens of others in Hevlaska. Not a bad night at all.
- OMAKE –
Feathered Vengeance
Yuu Kanda was not having a great day. He couldn't have soba because all of the essential ingredients have run out sometime late last night. And Jerry wouldn't spill who ate them. Then his hair ties kept breaking apart at the most inopportune moments.
/ *SNAP*!
Kanda's hair tie snapped, flinging right into Lenalee's tea, and splashing the dark liquid all over said victim's newest skirt. She refused to acknowledge Kanda's presence for the rest of the day. /
Kanda decided to let out his frustrations in the training room. After rounding up a few finders with decent swordsmanship, he began to unsheathe Mugen.
*Flash*
Little runes lit up around his sword's hilt. Some sort of gooey substance splashed over him.
*CLUNK*!
A bucket fell right over him, scattering feathers all over the samurai. The finders froze. The formerly scary swordsman now resembled some sort of rainbow chicken. The first person to start snickering earned a blade tip in his face.
"If anyone hears of this, I will tear you lot into pieces!" seethed Kanda in barely concealed rage. He left with a huff, mumbling about swords blades, oil, fire, and a whole of bloodshed.
From Raven's room, the two Walker brothers fell over in laughter. Timcanpy had faithfully received the transmitted video from Ravens' golem and projected for the amusement of the two brothers. Raven turned to Allen.
"If he thinks this day is bad, just you wait. I have a million more plans in store. Good thing Kanda can't trace any of this back to me. I have Shade sneak around to place my runes, and I have solid alibies for the two of us. What's next? Maybe Kanda in a dress?"
Both boys burst into laughter.
And to think, we have this all on video.