My Damsel Breathes Fire
By Misster Cackles

Chapter Two

: / / / / :

Lavi first awoke a few hours later from a quite click of a door, body automatically aware of unfamiliar surroundings, but too tired and hazy to actually care about them; the thick, warm comforters were pulled over his shoulders tightly and, trying to forget exactly why he was treated with such luxury, rolled over onto his side and fell back asleep, a deep unwelcoming guilt settling in his stomach. The weight gave him horrid nightmares of betraying his Innocence and becoming a Fallen. As a Fallen, in his twisted dream, his skin was gray and he wore silver lined armor and helmet that covered his face, controlled by Tyki Mikk to hunt and kill his friends. When he destroyed the Order, Lenalee’s face was the most vivid in his dream with the look of horror etched into every line of it as he slowly strangled her to death with his bare hands…

And it felt incredible and elating.

The prefect orb shape of the Innocence’s core’s particles rippled and sparked briefly as a common housefly skimmed against the edge of the orb of fragments and combusted instantly. A low pitch grumble emitted from the remains of the anti-akuma weapon, sounding inconspicuously like the roar of the blazing snake. He gasped deeply in his sleep when the dream Lenalee became limp in his hold and inhaled some of the dust that was Innocence.

One bleary emerald eye opened slowly, not finding his peace in sleep.

: / / / / :

As she was heading to the banquet hall, Road Kamelot tensed suddenly from the faint stirrings of her Noah. Amused as to why it was reacting to the sense of Innocence, Road walked with a swing to the nearby grand staircase that directed to the second floor bedrooms and laid a hand on the stairwell, peering curiously up at the darkness of the second level of the Kamelot manor. She had no doubt that it was from the Bookman Lavi whom the servants were laying to rest, but whatever caused the Innocence to spark to life was gone just as quick as it came, and her Noah settled.

Tyki messed up again, Road thought. She thought quick to decide what to do; it might be possible that Lavi’s Innocence might end up like Lenalee Li’s, but highly impossible seeing how the two Innocence were destroyed in two very different ways: Lenalee Li’s Innocence broken down from over extrusion, Lavi’s by the Noah’s power itself. It was exceedingly tempting to let it pass to see how it unfolded, but Road’s lips quirked a smile of deviousness, lifting her foot to step on the bottom stair.

“Where’s your mother, Road?”

For interrupting her fun, Tyki could deal with his own problems. It was too tempting to not do, anyway.

The voice made her halt, a frown replacing the grin as she was caught going to the Bookman’s room. She sighed and brought her foot back on ground level, turning to meet her firm uncle’s face. He didn’t seem all too pleased with her mischief, and judging how he appeared unconcern, Road guessed he hadn’t felt Lavi’s Innocence. It wasn’t that surprising; her Noah was stronger than his in true form and could pick up the sense of the enemy’s weapon ten miles away. Road Kamelot wasn’t the first child of Noah for nothing, mind you.

Road huffed and crossed her arms. “Mother went to lie down for a while and asked for Clyde to wake her up when you both arrived. Where’s Father?” She asked in return, having been outside in the snow-covered courtyard with Russell, the Kamelot’s large, white dog, when the head maid came and fetched her to wash up for supper and change into a nicer dress since they had company. Road, confused and almost upset that her father or uncle would bring someone during their own family time, asked who the guest was, but the maid did not know, but that didn’t matter: Upon entering the house, gossip was all over the corridors between the servants of the ill and improper state of the new redhead arrival.

Redhead…

The young Kamelot girl could only guess two people with red hair that her father Sheryl and uncle Tyki would disrupt their time for, even if unintentional: General Cross Marian or the Bookman Junior Lavi. Well, Road reconsidered and tilted her head slightly, previous Junior. A warped smile came upon her lips; previous Junior, but the Bookman. And because it had seemed very unlikely for Cross to follow them to the manor, she thought it could only have been the Bookman.

Tyki smiled at his niece, features smoothing to something more relaxed. “You father’s taking over Clyde’s job, apparently, but for a good cause.” He offered his arm, but Road ignored it and walked past him towards the dining hall, tossing a cheeky grin over her shoulder.

“You want to know a little about the Bookman before Mother starts asking questions?” Road asked, finally fisting her hand on the side of her uncle’s formal jacket, making Tyki frown with displeasure; he was sure it was going to crease. He sighed.

“Tricia is a good woman and doesn’t ask questions, but it’d be better if she wasn’t suspicious, especially when the Bookman’s not going to act pleased around us…” Tyki trailed.

“What is it you’d like to know about him?” Road asked. “His heart and mind’s been in me only once, but that doesn’t make him all the easier to read, Tyki; you’re the one who’s got to make small talk with him to make it appear normal.”

Tyki smiled, understanding. “Well, let’s start with his current alias.”

Road gave her uncle a side glance. “You really must not know anything on him if you don’t even know that much, Tyki, but he goes by Lavi, his forty-ninth name.”

“Well said, my dear,” he said sarcastically. As they neared the dining room, two servants on either side of the tall door opened a door each for them, bowing as they walked past. Tyki nodded his head for them to be at ease, but Road acted as if she didn’t see them, like always. He smirked slightly, silently shaking his head to his niece for being, well, like his niece. Two butlers pulled their chairs and asked if they would like a beverage to wait for the master and mistress; Tyki politely declined and Road wanted cider.

Tyki thought silently for the moment while Sheryl and Tricia were still missing; Lavi, eh? It sounded exotic like his. Tyki idly wondered how shocked or angry, or perhaps not amused the Bookman would be when he would call him by his name, something he made very clear that he didn’t want him doing. Tyki glanced at Road, another question forming.

“How young is he?”

Road didn’t even look at him when saying, “Too young for anything you might want to do.” While she buffed her fingernails on her dress front, Tyki deadpanned as he was certain that for any servant within hearing range raised their eyebrows. She flashed her violet eyes to his dark brown ones, and rolled them. “I was only joking, Tyki. He’s somewhere around nineteen, no older, I’m positive.”

The Pleasure gave a surprised sound and a low chuckle. “That’s quite a lot of names for such a short span of time.” Road only nodded in agreement. A butler came in with Road’s drink and set it down before her, bowing on the way out. “Just how long has he been apart of the Bookman line?”

The twelve-year-old took a sip of the heated apple drink and rested the cup back on the table, tilting it on its edge and let go. Luckily, it didn’t spill over and fell back evenly. She made a small frown when it didn’t do anything destructive and leaned back into her chair, responding with a whisper, “Since around the time my human body was born, maybe a little longer. He’s been with the other organization for about two or three years-”

Just then the banquet hall doors opened and Road immediately fastened her mouth shut on the subject and Tyki stood from his chair as Sheryl and Tricia entered the room. Sheryl was taking his wife’s hand in his and guiding her to the right side of his chair, across from Tyki. Road was seated next to her mother. Tyki sat down after his brother, showing proper formal manners in front of the mistress of the Kamelot manor.

After a minute of Sheryl tasting and testing the red wine, the chefs brought out the prepared dinner – a leafy fruit salad; a roasted swine, complete with an apple in mouth; with a various number of different vegetables and fruits and dressings and rolls – and served the family. Road had a steady eye on the last cart of food, the dessert cart that seemed almost over filling with cakes, puddings, pies, and other pastries and creams that was set aside for later. Her mother scolded her lightly and told her to eat what was in front of her then she could have what she desired.

Tyki took a sip of the sweet yet bitter wine and started conversation. “How have you been Tricia? I passed by Olhado earlier this evening and I told him you were feeling better, so I hope I’m not wrong.”

Tricia swallowed dryly on fresh baked bread and took a drink of the glass of water, clearing her throat before she replied with, “I do feel healthier, thank you for asking, Tyki. Doctor Bellamy has been doing his part, but there have been days where I’m…off, for lack of better word, and the medication doesn’t work as well. So as of recent, however, I’ll need to be dressing more warmly if I am to show our new company any courtesy.” She gave a slight smile at her husband’s brother, and an extra quirk for the last statement that Tyki had a hard time reading; Tricia may be humble, sickly, and very well-mannered woman, but there was something else about her that made Tyki stay on his toes.

Tyki gave a smile back, staging helplessness point blank. “I apologize for bringing a guest on such short notice, my dear, but he was a good friend of mine when I was visiting Ireland and offered me housing when all lodgings were filled. When I saw him on the street, I tried to find him a nice bed and breakfast, but their offices had closed. It was also very unfortunate that he was ill from the weather, as well.”

Sheryl decided to act with it, his acting skills not as great as Tyki’s but still convincing. “What is he doing in Portugal? That’s quite a trip to take. Can he speak our language?”

The darker man nodded. “He was coming for his grandfather’s funeral, but he was too late for it, he said.” He took another drink of the wine. “He’s been taught well; it would surprise me if he didn’t know Portuguese.”

Tricia bought the performance from the double-life tricksters and gave a gloomy sigh. “I’m sad to hear that… Well, is there something else here that he could spend time doing before leaving?” And that was when the two men knew that they had won her consent – not that it was a hard thing to do, but Lavi would still be in the manor even if she didn’t approve of it. Tyki smiled gratefully at the kind woman.

“Thank you, Lady Tricia,” Tyki said as if it were the best news he’s heard of all week, “And I’m pretty sure he could find something to do in your wonderful home. Actually…” he trailed, going into thought. His original plan was to limit the Bookman’s wandering and freedom – such as restricted from using the phone lines and going outside, but he really did not want a miserable person on his hands or Tricia may think it will be her doing. Perhaps, when he recovered from his cold, Tyki could have a servant show the Bookman to the Kamelot’s private library. That would be a way to keep a natural librarian busy.

“He could play with me sometimes,” Road spoke up for the first time on the topic, suggesting, though sounding more demanding. “Or help me with homework; he seems really smart.” Tricia looked at her daughter with a raised, skeptical brow and Tyki sighed at his niece’s mistake; she wasn’t supposed to know of him yet.

“When have you met him, dear?”

Road bit on the tip of her spoon before answering, “Uncle Tyki’s told me a lot of his stories of when he’d been in other countries. This guy sounds kind of familiar, I think… Isn’t he the young traveling scholar from Ireland?”

God, Road was cunning, Tyki thought and he exhaled deeply. Next to him, he heard Sheryl do the same. The darker Portuguese smiled wide and nodded. “That’s correct, Road; I’m glad you remembered.”

Tricia flushed slightly for taking her daughter for granted. “I’m sorry, dear, I didn’t realize, but don’t you think as a scholar he might be more than a little busy to help you? Give him at least a few days before you ask anything of him.” She blinked and faced the men. “Sorry, but what is his name? It could be counted as unsuitable to speak to him without knowing his name.”

“You can call me Lavi, good madam.”

Three pairs of eyes turned immediately to the new voice while Road grinned to into her soup, having long sensed his arrival at the door when she said that he could help her do school work so the Bookman would know what his background would be while staying with them. Lavi could work out the rest.

Tyki stared openly with a sudden unease that Lavi would expose the three of them, and he saw the same minuscule expression on his brother’s face as he narrowed his eyes warningly at the redhead. It wasn’t as though Sheryl couldn’t make Tricia forget, but as a family man, he despised using his Noah talents on his loved ones. Yet after Lavi bowed respectfully after introducing himself, he glanced to the three Noahs…

And he smiled kindly with an almost genuine smile.

He looked back at Tricia. “I’m sorry for intruding, madam, but I truly appreciate any hospitality you give.” Tyki settled back slightly; it seems that the Bookman would keep his promise and corporate with them.

Tricia waved off his apology. “No need to be sorry, Sir Lavi; I find it in right that Lord Tyki thought it wise to bring you here.” She smiled warmly; delight was in her eyes for this new guest and it was radiant: Tyki saw Lavi visibly relax in her presence.

Lavi chuckled politely. “It was lucky that he showed up when he did.” While Tyki was mentally rolling his eyes, she nodded in agreement and offered him the chair next to Tyki, across from Road. With near hesitancy, he accepted, slightly limping, and it was then that Tyki noticed Lavi’s change in attire. He wore a white dress shirt and deep crimson necktie underneath a pine green vest that matched the darkest color in the Bookman’s lone eye, with solid black dress pants and polished dark brown shoes. From the vest’s pocket hung a familiar gold chain that latched across his front to the shoulder button. Lavi’s appearance was complete when his shocking colored hair was lightly gelled back so it didn’t seem as unruly.

In other words: beside him, instead of his once enemy Exorcist Bookman that had identity issues, sat a well-bred, bilingual scholar from Ireland. If a little pale, though.

The lady Kamelot gasped. “You’re limping! Are you alright? We can have someone take a look at it…” Lavi silenced her with a shake of his head, still smiling lightly.

“I only had a bad turn out with the streets. I was too deep in thought to realize that I was walking over ice. Definitely nothing to worry about, good madam,” he lied smoothly.

“You didn’t rest for long, are you feeling that much better…Lavi?” Tyki asked, playing the stage as he had done when he met up with the Bookman. He hinted an emphasis to his name, wondering if he would do anything as he thought he might do.

Lavi stopped the waiter from serving him any alcohol and asked for warm cider instead before answering Tyki. “Ah, some, yes; I just couldn’t sleep well.” Not even a frown, Tyki thought, sulking.

“Hey!” Road said, “After dinner, would you like to play with me, Lavi? We could play History Lesson.” Tyki and Sheryl raised a brow at the choice of game, and Lavi paused while cutting his pork. But Tricia put a hand on her arm, shaking her head firmly.

“He needs some more rest, dear,” she said, “Sir Lavi has traveled a long ways…”

“No, that’s alright, madam,” Lavi interrupted again, grinning at Road as he talked. “If I feel up to it, I will. I wonder what she could teach me.” He chuckled some, and Sheryl huffed out a smile that was hidden behind his wine glass; he was finally seeing, that even though Lavi would make him feel suspicious, the boy would not start any trouble. The older brother glanced to the younger one with a thoughtful gaze, noticing the side glances he was giving the Bookman, and an ugly question surfaced from the back of his mind: could he trust his brother enough to not tempt the boy into fighting? Already Tyki tried to make a jab at him while they were pretending to be acquaintances, and arguing would just upset his wife. He would need to speak to Tyki later on the subject.

It would be a lie to say the rest of dinner was silent and uneventful, and a certain Noah made sure of it. Road began to finally munch down on her desired sweets of all sorts, some that looked familiar to the Bookman and others that seem to have strange, purple, pasty fillings. Tricia had a small slice of spicy gingerbread cake in front of her while Sheryl and Tyki both fancied themselves to a dark pudding. Lavi also asked for a slice of gingerbread cake, and damn did these chefs know how to cook. Probably as well as Jerry!

He almost tensed once again and pretended not to take notice of the Pleasure’s secret glimpses at him; he knew what that Tyki Mikk was doing, trying to unnerve him, add mocking his earlier statement that evening about him not wanting him to know his alias. Blasphemy, he growled in his head, he would not drop to Mikk’s standards.

But still, five times in the past six minutes was unnerving!

With a small idea in his head, Lavi took it to action when the next time Tyki looked at him discreetly. A green eye matched him and looked at him right back, and he could tell Tyki was shocked. In fact, feeling satisfied, Lavi smirked at the Noah in disguise. He raised his lone brow and appeared curious, taking the performance into his hands.

“Is there something wrong?” Lavi asked innocently enough, “You keep looking at me as if you have something to say.” He turned to face the darker Portuguese man, drawing attention from the three Kamelots to them. Since he was facing towards Tyki, Lavi could very well see a smile playing on Sheryl’s mouth, either it was one of mirth or one of approval, the redhead didn’t know.

Tyki swallowed quickly and Lavi could see the gears turning behind his eyes as he thought of a hasty lie, then he nodded, acting as if he was closely examining his face and even leaned in to keep up his performing. Lavi felt his cheeks heat with such near proximity. He was embarrassed that the Noah had taken back control.

“I’m sorry, Lavi, for startling you,” Tyki said smoothly, and slowly reached up and gently took a hold of the younger’s chin who was frozen stiff from the touch, not knowing what to do to stay in character. “But I couldn’t tell if you were really all that pale; hmm, you even have an unhealthy glow to your face.”

He raised his other hand and asked, “If I may…?” He teethed off its glove with leisure motion, and softly laid his finger tips on the boy’s cheek, rotating in small circles before the palm went flat against the blind side of his face. Tyki’s hand felt nearly as long as his head was, but Lavi jolted, yet the fingers gripped a little tighter to hold him still. His green eye widened, staring back at the dark colored irises that flashed with something, making his chest was starting to heat up and constrict with their closeness, and he wanted to pull back, but…

And as quick as things seemed to happen in this country lately, the air around them suddenly changed into something more calming and content and Lavi jerked his head from the tender grip and whipped around to stare at the cause. Road was looking at them both with a deep frown on her face, and beside her, Tricia’s body lazed limply from being in Road’s dream realm. Her eyes had changed from their violet hue to the Noah gold, and her hair seemed wilder than before, if only a little; there was no gray skin, though. Sheryl heaved a sigh, all source of smile gone.

“Now if we could all behave, children?” Sheryl commanded tersely to the Bookman and his younger brother. Seriously, they were old enough to know better. He looked at his adopted daughter, mentioning to Tricia. “What is she seeing?” He was visibly trying to control his anger; it was bad enough that Road had to use her ability on her mother, but sometimes his brother played with his rivals too much.

Road nibbled at another spoonful of dessert and smirked wickedly at the two across the table, amused with the night’s events. “Something that was more censored than that; too bad it’s only foreplay,” she said under her breath to no one. She glimpsed at the dream her mother was having in her head and repeated the words spoken in it, “Tyki is asking if he feels unwell. No touching.”

Sheryl nodded and told Road how he wanted the dream to play out and let her do the rest, “Have the Bookman say he may be left weak from a traveling cold. Let them leave the table and Tyki guide him back to his room. And as for you two…” He glared at the real Tyki and Lavi again, and the redhead gulped. It didn’t help that the man next to him was sweating underneath the brow, either.

“I want you both in the library, immediately. I will be there after supper, and after I’ve had a chance to release some anger. Understood?” Tyki nodded in response and stood, walking out of the banquet hall, doors pulled open with his approach (the servants in the room were in the same dream as Tricia) without another word. Lavi, sensing that Sheryl may be extremely dangerous when angered, followed the Noah of Pleasure’s actions with hobbling haste and fell in behind his step. His right cheek tingled where Tyki had touched him and the coils in his chest only lessened slightly; he chose to ignore those feelings, placing them under the category as anger. It explained the heat, at least.

When they twisted around many corners and entered different halls he didn’t recall seeing on his way to the banquet hall, the silence was too thick for Lavi to handle any more, especially in the dimly lighted, smaller corridor by gas lamps where Lavi could feel Tyki’s presence everywhere. Lavi began to say anything to start conversation, but before he had time to say anymore, Tyki didn’t even pause in step to turn on him, shoving him up against the wall with a pointing finger that shook at the redhead’s face, like a man scolding his dog. The dark eyes were narrowed almost angrily at him.

And for some reason, the look on Tyki’s face and the waving of his finger made Lavi’s rage overflow; he dare shake his finger at him when he was the one that started the shit in the dining room?! Tyki was telling him harshly to listen, eyes flickering between colors, but Lavi growled furiously, stomping a foot forward. He didn’t care if this guy was a Noah or not, but he wasn’t about to be scolded for something he didn’t start, Godammit! Tyki blinked in surprise at the retorting rage.

Lavi cursed in many languages. “This is your fault, Noah,” he seethed. He raised a hand and waved his own damn finger at the Portuguese’s face. “You had to start something in there! I wasn’t so perfectly fine with lying for you fucking Noahs while I stayed here in exchange for my safety and Innocence, but I was doing it, was I not, Mikk?! I could have been giving you shit, exposing your Noah selves to that woman in there. She might not have believed me, but it would give you bad face to her, right? Don’t you dare put the blame on me, Noah!” Lavi hissed out hot breath, collecting thought.

“I didn’t need to be here. You could have completely ignored me at that diner, earlier. You could have been on your way while I went on my own. You didn’t have to destroy Nyoibo!” In irate despair, he threw his hands in the air. “Why did you even bring me here if you were going to make me miserable, Noah?” Lavi half shouted, half asked.

After the anger started to flood from his face and his eyes became a normal human color again, Tyki hummed with near curiosity, stepping a little away, and after a moment he answered with, “But I did, did I not? Then you were an Exorcist, and I am a Noah; what would you have done if our situations were switched? I as the ill Noah on the street, and you as an Exorcist, able to kill me without trouble what would you have done?”

Lavi frowned. “I would have killed you without fucking with your head, making you wonder if you were going to die or not, or be left with other enemies.” The older man smiled with a small snort.

“Then the only difference is that I let you live after I disposed of the thing that may harm me. Would you really not have tried to exorcise my Noah like Walker tried to have done to make me harmless as well?” The Bookman stuttered, averting his face.

“If…if I was able to exorcise, I would have, but I’m…I wasn’t synchronized enough with my Innocence to do so,” the redhead muttered. Tyki didn’t say anything, and when Lavi took a peek at him, he appeared to be in deep thought, dazing off as he looked at him. The darker man finally slowly opened his mouth, a smile appearing on his lips full force, and he changed topic.

“And what makes you believe that my intentions were to make you unhappy, Bookman? Pardon if it’s my entertainment making you, ah, miserable, but all I was going to say was I going to need you to listen to me if you want to live by the end of the night. I’m sorry if I seemed more put off than I thought; I have a lot on my mind, and I don’t generally like to be on my brother’s bad side.” Lavi nodded and swallowed a little forcefully, remembering the look of irritated displeasure on Sheryl.

There was a sound coming from the entrance of the corridor which became louder and echoing footsteps. Tyki’s posture automatically straightened and Lavi masked his nervousness and annoyance, making a mental note to talk to the Noah later on the subject of the real reason why he was here. It was a maid carrying a basket piled of linens, and she paid no mind to them, but Tyki fell back into routine of the normal human, Lord Tyki Mikk, and not monstrous Noah of Pleasure.

Tyki hummed and waved a hand in front of them. “Shall we continue, Lavi?” He stepped towards the direction he gestured to, waiting for the Bookman to fall into step beside him, and then they went on to the library in silence.

The maid faltered her pace to the master baths, studying the hanging gas lamps with a baffled stare: The once dimly lit hallway was now brightly blazing.

“Who turned up the fire…?”

: / / / / :

“Oh my God, it’s so huge!”

When Tyki had turned on the small table light and illuminated the room, Lavi had been taken back by the number of books that the family of Noahs owned. Sure, by first glance at the titles, he was pretty sure he’s read most of them, but still… The library itself was more like a small public one, but this was remarkable for personal reasons! As a Bookman, he was impressed, and surrounded by the number of them, Lavi felt like he was back at his old room from the first Black Order’s Headquarters. Save for the clutter of newspaper that was obviously missing from the floor. Lavi rounded up to the first bookcase near him and started picking at the titles, judging the literature.

Tyki smirked at the exclamation, but when he turned to the younger, he wasn’t there. He blinked in surprise when he caught movement from the corner of his eye and there Lavi was, picking out a few books already. He allowed himself a soft chuckle, giving the Bookman a strange look at his actions: at least he was right when he thought of the idea earlier. He came up behind the unexpectedly changed attitude Bookman stealthily, his face hovering over the redhead’s shoulder, on his blind side. Before saying anything, Tyki watched as the slim fingers skimmed over translated English volumes that Tyki hadn’t bother to read yet. Even from this proximity, the Bookman didn’t seem to sense him yet and even started to mumble to himself occasionally in multi languages as his fingers ran up and down countless spines; the Portuguese man guessed Lavi was hardly aware of the change.

He sounded entrancing and he wondered how this boy of such a younger age than he could speak so many tongues so fluently. Tyki was able to understand only the Portuguese, English, Spanish, German, and French words coming from his mouth, and recognized the sounds of Romanian, Arabic, Hungarian, and Italian but could not read into them fully. He was sure that there were even a few tongues in there that he hadn’t even heard of. Tyki wanted to hear more, but now wasn’t the time. He drew back slowly and carefully to not aware Lavi of his presence.

“Are you enjoying yourself, Librarian?” He asked, and Lavi jumped, his hand brushing against the covers as he spun around. Tyki noted that when he was turning, Lavi turned from his left side, and Tyki wondered if that was because it would be faster to see behind him. The older man stepped back, suddenly finding that he was too close when the boy’s nose came almost to his chin.

Lavi noticed this, and raised a brow. “You’re strange, Noah; first you get in my space at dinner just to irritate me, but when we’re like this you’re wary? I don’t get you.” Tyki laughed sharply, not full of any normal malice, but just a bit of amusement there.

“You’re one to talk, dear Librarian.” He tilted his head. “If you being here make you believe that you’re being ill-treated, why do you not just leave?” The response was without hesitation, lone emerald eye showing nothing.

“Wasn’t I promised answers, Noah? Why else do you think I would be here?”

Tyki gave a light smile and shrug, half joking when he said, “Because you do not know when the next ship to your Order is?”

Lavi side stepped the question, that part true as well, and studied the Noah and took from what he knew so far about him. Tyki Mikk didn’t lie, and when he did it’s not counted because he’s only stretching the truth, or not giving the whole truth. Lavi had only fallen for it before because he was so paranoid with the Crow and being left with them, and not to mention Tyki liked to mess with people at the same. So, Lavi guessed, if he, Tyki, and Sheryl were going to talk in a while, Tyki would be sure not to give out all the details right at the beginning.

He decided one thing right then; if he had ceased to be an Exorcist (the thought pained him to think of it and he winced from displeasure), then the Black Order wouldn’t need him anymore. It wasn’t as though he wouldn’t enjoy being in the Black Order, but he was a front line man and didn’t want to be caught up with only the sidelines with Finders. Without Innocence, he was just as that Noah in his head had said: He was only a Bookman and would record the hidden history of the world. Lavi decided that he would stay with the Noahs as long as necessary.

Lavi hummed. “Is there a phone here? I need to make a call to the Order and tell them I won’t be returning.” He rather not say goodbye in person… Not while Lenalee was there.

A flash of his dreaming earlier – her beautiful, gasping face – made him grit his teeth and avert his eyes for a second before coming back to the here and now. He would learn sooner or later on how to get rid of these emotions that resurfaced after so many years to become the Bookman Gramps would be proud to see.

Tyki took a long time in answering, but then made a very hesitant nod. His dark eyes were wide and uncertain, making Lavi feel on edge. Lavi found it peculiar even if it did make sense, him wanting to call the Noahs’ enemy, but didn’t read too much into it; he’s already known that this Noah was a strange one.

Lavi limped and swerved around Tyki, mindful of how his eyes were following him, and leaned on the wall. He picked up the receiver and cradled it with his shoulder and ear while he dialed the number on the base.

Brrring. Brrring. Brri-

“Reever.”

Reever was seriously not the person he wanted to talk to, probably one of the last. Lavi straightened his composure and coughed into his fist to clear his throat.

“This is Lavi, is Komui there?”

There was the sound of drilling in the background, and he figured Reever picked up the phone from the science department. “Ah! Lavi! We’ve been trying to get contact with Bookman’s golem; he needs to talk to him urgently. Please tell us he’s there? Could you put him on?” Lavi gritted his teeth and tried to ignore the painful tightening in his chest. There was a lump in his throat. This was almost too much to take… Shit.

“I-I need to speak to Komui, now, Reever. Bookman is… Bookman’s…he…” Lavi swallowed thickly as he heard the line go silent from Reever’s end, and even though he’d been able to keep his distress to himself since he’d known his teacher had passed, he couldn’t help the tears that slipped from his eye now. His shoulders shook and with the anguish he felt hot embarrassment, knowing Tyki was watching him and seeing this.

“He… Gramps’ died…” He choked out, and his fist clenched and twitched, like getting ready to strike something.

Silence, then...

“We were afraid that might have happened… I’m sorry, Lavi. I’ll transfer your call.” What more was there that he could say, Lavi thought, and he sniffed and dried his tears quickly. That was enough, he could pull through it. There was a moment’s wait.

“Komui. Lavi?”

“Yeah, I’m here.” His voice was a little dry and low.

“Listen, Lavi,” Komui said seriously and getting straight to the point, “I’m sorry about Bookman, but you might be in danger.” Lavi almost laughed bitterly: he was standing in the same room as a Noah and threw himself in Portugal to fend off some Crows. His sub-consciousness wanted danger. To humor him, Lavi asked:

“What do you mean?”

“Since General Cross’s discussion of the Fourteenth with Allen the Crows have been acting without orders; I have reason to believe that they are trying to signal out those who heard that night and exterminate them.” Komui said. Lavi perked with dreading interest; he’d already been highly suspicious of Central, but had no idea that just the Crows were acting on their own. He heard the older man sigh through the phone and that recently familiar becoming feeling of anxiety settled in his gut once again.

“What? Is this all about what the General said?” There was no immediate response, so Lavi asked louder, “Is this about the other side of the war, Komui!” There was a quick in drawn of breath behind him and Lavi glanced back to Tyki who was staring at him with wide alarmed yet curious eyes. Perplexed, the solo green eye held their unblinking stare, unsure as to why he automatically thought what ever Komui had to say the Noahs already knew.

“Lavi… The only information we know about the other side is the Fourteenth died before it manifested. If we play with that idea then the Fourteenth’s death is what caused the lag between then and now.” The Chinese man said softly. “Listen. I have a theory that the other side is connected with both Exorcist and Noah, but the Crows don’t want the Pope to find out.”

Lavi didn’t say anything at all for a couple moments and he rocked shakily on his heels with a hum. His heart was beating anxiously with in its cage and his chest felt tighter with each pound of blood through his ears. What was going lately? Why were they – Cross, Bookman, and he – such targets? With Innocence they were valuable players on the field so why take out something so important to win the war. Surely it couldn’t be just because the General slipped up once!

“That’s absurd,” Lavi said unevenly with an unsteady laugh. “I believe Bookman knew what the other side was, but if it had possibly anything related with the Noah – aside from the Fourteenth – then…” He trailed, becoming distant. His other hand came to his mouth and he bit at the thumb pad. Lavi had been going to say ‘then we wouldn’t have even bothered to alliance with the Black Order’, but that would have been spoken as a once-Exorcist and not a Bookman.

Bookman had wanted a way to record both sides of the war, to get both histories and perspectives. It wasn’t possible because they both had Innocence; it kept them from splitting up and going to each adversary.

Komui was saying something else, but Lavi didn’t hear any of it, a low static filling his ears. With his single eye still on the Noah – wide and disbelieving that his teacher could keep something so vital from his apprentice – Tyki gave a curious tilt of the head and a raised eyebrow. What made Bookman reserve that information to his self? The Bookman inhaled deeply and shakily, not taking his eye off the Noah.

“Th-thank you for telling me, Komui, but I’ve got to go now. I’ll call later if I find anything else.”

“W-wait, Lavi! You could at least come back home to Headquarters, right? Lenalee’s worrying—”

Stone-cold toned, Lavi interrupted and replied quickly before hanging the phone back on its hook. “As a Bookman I do not have a home, nor do I have comrades. I see no reason as to why I have to go back to your Black Order when I have nothing more to do with it. Because it involves me, I will assist you on this matter, but I no longer have Innocence in my possession. Thank you for your time, Komui Li.”

There was a clank when the phone was dropped back on the base and nothing else. The green eye didn’t steer away from the Noah, thinking back when they first met with Sheryl. The older brother had clearly said that Lavi was just ‘one of the two’ and asked if he knew. Lavi was sure that Komui wasn’t wrong when he thought that Noahs knew of the other side – it ‘lagging’ at the Fourteenth’s death may have been pure coincidence. But could the Noahs be trying to dispose of him just as the Crows? As the Noahs had said earlier that evening: he wasn’t suppose to have allies nor enemies, but that didn’t mean if an evil wanted to make the Bookmen a foe that they would still regard them as nothing.

Tyki took a step towards him and Lavi tensed, preparing himself to fight with his bare fists if he had to.

“What secrets are there in this war?” Lavi raised his voice. Tyki came closer and raised his arms, shrugging with a smirk.

He laughed shortly. “That actually depends what you know, lad.” Tyki halted a few feet in front of the Bookman and reached in his back pocket. When it came to view again a playing card was between his fingers but Tyki flipped the face towards him, two names listed behind metal bars. A tiny creature stood in the cage, talking to himself as he worked Bookman’s name off the walls. Lavi’s own name was there, too. “You and your predecessor have been on my list for that very reason. It would have been hard to keep a Bookman who knew only the basics then to be shown a new side entirely.”

Lavi squinted at his choice of word when using ‘side’ and asked slowly, mostly to his self, “When you mean say ‘new side,’ are you speaking about… No… But if Central was even afraid to let General Cross know – much less the Order – then that must mean whatever it is may actually be in the Earl’s favor.” His eye averted downward in deep thought, but the Noah didn’t let him think too long.

Tyki narrowed his eyes slightly. “What are you mumbling about, Librarian?”

The Bookman jerked his head up again, green eye annoyed. “One…no…” He studied the Noah quietly for a full five seconds, “Two questions, Noah.” When Tyki nodded his head hesitantly at his outward behavior (not as though his consent mattered to Lavi anyway), Lavi asked first, “What is he planning, the Earl?”

The Noah of Pleasure hummed with thought, smirking wider. He laughed once more and brushed the left group of bangs over his ear as he resumed stalking closer to Lavi. “Well, you see, dear Librarian that question is actually what’s keeping you alive this very moment, but not in so that you have to know what the Earl is doing precisely. You see, all you have to know is the jest of it and what it might lead to.” Tyki had gotten Lavi to back up to the wall behind him and reached up to grab the boy’s chin with his fingers as he had done earlier during dinner.

Staring into the single green eye, Tyki asked firmly, “Have you honestly ever heard of the other side of the war?”

The gloved hand gripped him once more that evening and just as tenderly done so. Lavi felt the immediate urge to pull away, but the fingers held him suddenly a minuscule tighter as if sensing his intensions, so instead Lavi fisted his hands on the Noah’s chest and lightly pushed to see if he’ll take the hint and back off. No such luck. The hand jerked his head up a little to meet the other’s caramel colored eyes, the gold tinged in the brown showing proof that his Noah was getting eager for a wrong answer, an answer that will wipe out the Bookman line entirely.

Of course he’s heard of the other side of the war! That was in fact the main reason why he was in Portugal that very second because his teacher knew about it and was being hunted because so. But what he knew so far, which was only the skimming of it by name itself and Komui’s theories, was not what Tyki Mikk was looking for. The Noah was looking for a Bookman that knew the whole other side like the back of his hand so they could understand at least of what the Earl was planning to do. Lavi wondered briefly how it would not matter that he had faith in the Exorcists Order before this and found virtually whatever the Earl had done immoral.

He opened his mouth slowly; carefully thinking on what he was going to say next so he may not put his life in any more danger than it was, gathering all he knew of the Noahs from earlier that night. The perfect thought came to mind that may buy him some more time to fully understand what the other side truly meant to the Noahs.

“Am I not still being promised to be left unharmed for this evening?” Lavi asked, and straight away did he see the Noah recoil and disappear amongst the dark brown in the widening eyes. It was silent, then Tyki began to laugh loud with amusement, his hand falling back to his sides and stepped one step away from the other.

After his moment of mirth had worn off, Tyki looked back at him a slight smile on his lips. “Of course you are, Librarian, but do not expect me to be so lenient by morning.” The Bookman narrowed his eye, recalling that because he gave up his Innocence is why he was still alive. Then as a Bookman shouldn’t he be off the hook? Tyki’s smile was gone, replaced by deep frown, “But really, have you heard of it or not?”

Gradually, Lavi nodded cautiously, wary if the Noah was going to do anything about it when he supplied words with his action. “But that’s just it: I’ve heard of it, but I do not know what it means.” Even by this answer, however, Tyki appeared surprised.

“From where have you heard about it, even if just the subject?”

Lavi brought his hand to his mouth and averted his green eye to the right, remembering the night General Cross had slipped it up to Allen when they were allowed to talk to each other and Cross letting Allen know fully of the Noah inside of him and how the Fourteenth died before the other side was revealed in the open.

Thinking aloud, Lavi replied while still in thought, “Before he died, General Cross said that there was another side of the war – and how he told the Fourteenth not to die before it showed, but that’s all he said.” Not looking back at Tyki, who had his mouth open, flabbergasted, he also hummed with recollection, “Gramps knew something about it before the Crows went after him too; I just know he did… I’ve never seen him shaken up so bad like that before.” Lavi fell silent, thinking at what all the other side could be if Central was so frightened or cautious of letting the Order know about it.

Rubbing off the initial shock, Tyki cleared his throat. “Cross Marian’s…he is dead?” Lavi snapped his head back up in realization that he was still with the Noah. Tyki almost looked like the Heart was in the Noahs possession with that gleeful look on his face.

Lavi nodded once, understanding that what he was revealing to the Noah was still only known to a few members of the Black Order. “Supposedly, yes. The Crows got rid of him after letting the information slip.”

The ecstatic smile was still there. “Ah, I see. Is that why you were wondering earlier as to why I could have killed all those assassins earlier when Cross Marian couldn’t?” Even his tone sounded lighter; almost disturbing as Sheryl’s had been when they first met up with him that evening.

The redhead shook his head slowly. “Yes and no. From what I’ve seen, you two were almost equally matched when fighting inside the Ark. I have a feeling that it’s a more of he wouldn’t attack the Crows because of Innocence or because he knew he would continue to be hunted down. The Crows are incredibly strong and so the Order feels more threatened because of them because Innocence won’t harm humans and one of their techniques can bind a person.”

Tyki nodded in response. “With sutras? Yes, they’ve tried to pull that one on me earlier; I didn’t know what they were doing, but I could feel the gravity becoming heavier from within the circle. I killed them after that.”

Lavi tilted his head. “How did you know they were in Portugal to begin with?” The older man smirked, still feeling a slight high from knowing that Cross was gone and wouldn’t be a problem to them any longer. He felt willing to share most information with the Bookman for the moment for putting him in such a good mood. Perhaps he could persuade the boy to become the Noahs Bookman…after he made sure to get rid of some certain things completely, of course.

“Just like how I knew you were here, my dear Librarian.” Tyki waved his hand in the air. “After killing the previous Bookman, they took the Innocence, and with me being in the area I sensed it.” The current Bookman winced slightly.

“So you destroyed it, too?”

“No, I destroyed it.”

Raising an eyebrow questioningly as to why he had repeated what he said, yet negatively, Lavi opened his mouth, but all that came out was a loud, dry cough that had been caused from inhaling too sharply. He quickly covered his mouth, the itching in his throat far from satisfied as he had been trying to push it as far back as he could during supper. He coughed harder, and feeling wetness splatter onto his hand, drew his hand back a little to examine it, trying to control the coughing even as he gasped at the sight of blood on his hand. The next cough was very loud and sounded as though he’d retched, but he hadn’t and the urges died down for now.

He went to quickly wipe his bloodied hand on his pants, but Tyki took hold of his wrist. A sharp burning started in his chest again at the touch and Lavi wondered why that was and forced it down.

A frown came over the Portuguese’s face at the red fluid. “You’re still sick, that’s right. Or is it…?” He muttered lowly and trailed off. He glanced briefly at the Bookman’s face but wasn’t able to tell if the flush coming from the cheeks were from the sickness or the lighting in the room, so he said hurriedly, “Pardon my actions.” With one hand still around Lavi’s wrist he lifted his other to his mouth and yanked off the glove with his teeth like he had done during dinner and laid it upon the teen’s cheek, ignoring the sudden stiffness the other. There he felt an unhealthy heat rise from it.

The Bookman exhaled from the nose, and Tyki caught sight of what barely appeared to be steam blowing from his nostrils. Tyki made a low hum in his throat and narrowed his eyes in contemplation, marveling as to why his Noah was not reacting to the other’s returning Innocence power as only moments ago or such as in the hallway when he could feel the dark Noah churning the edges of his stomach and see the world through a disjointed picture.

Lavi’s Innocence was restoring itself; Tyki knew that when he first felt the twinges return before he had caught Road trying to sneak into the guest bedrooms. He wasn’t concerned like Road had seemed to be to take care of the problem, because now he just shrugged it off as a…test. It wasn’t as though he couldn’t take the Innocence now and destroy it thoroughly while killing the Exorcist in the process, but it also didn’t mean that he was satisfied with the results. Being unsatisfied made him curious and he was far from satisfied.

Allen Walker’s Parasitic-Type Innocence was crushed and destroyed. Yet, at the same time, Tyki had left the remnants along with the dying boy. The Innocence had saved him, became part of his body vitally internally, and had reformed itself into something stronger. More “synchronized,” in the words of the Exorcists. It wasn’t as though Tyki had tried to give the cheating boy a second chance, but he hadn’t been destroying the enemy weapon any differently than how he’d been doing: was it because the Innocence was becoming – dare he think it – stronger? Or perhaps was the Noahs power…deteriorating? But then, what about the Earl’s power to destroy Innocence?

Tyki thought back to a time when he’d last seen the Earl of Millennium destroy Innocence himself. The Exorcists’ weapon had resorted to ash, completely different from the Pleasure’s way which had begun as of late from the Walker case began to leave a green sparkle behind. It was no doubt the Earl’s power was stronger than theirs’, but enough so that if not handled the right way the weapon could restore itself like this boy’s here? And why had it only occurred to these two Exorcists, Allen Walker and this Lavi; was it just because the particles of the Innocence was within distance of their user? It made no sense.

Yet Tyki could see no Innocence had reformed and he had known that the Bookman was compatible to an Equipment-Type, but the power was obviously there! Pretending the intent of killing, he urged his Noah power to come forward and, after no hesitation from his Noah, caramel eyes narrowed. It was time for a test.

The Noah came back to the real world and lifted his free hand next to the other’s face, inwardly inquiring only for a second as to when Lavi’s hands became to lay flat on his chest. “I am not going to hurt you as promised, but I am rather…interested in the results. Please do not panic but go through the same procedures you would have done if your Innocence still existed,” Tyki said calmly to the anxious Bookman Exorcist and lit his hand to glow the neon purple in the Noah’s power.

And the reaction was immediate; Lavi’s eye had widened drastically in alarm and confusion and the skin underneath the Portuguese’s fingers heated like wild fire and became too hot to touch. Tyki drew his hand back but left the charging one in place, increasing the power to see if it would further the effect. If it continued, then Tyki guessed spontaneous combustion. The hands on his chest clenched in his formal jacket and he could feel the heat seep through his clothes, but Lavi let loose him almost instantly after. The green eye closed tightly and his arms wrapped around himself as he doubled over in what appeared to be to pain. The younger fell to his knees and Tyki followed him down, intrigued by these effects, and held the charging hand closer to the Bookman.

“N-no… Wha… What are you doing to me?!” Lavi cried out, his voice slightly hoarse from the hacking a few moments ago. Lavi’s cheeks were fully flushed, sweat was beading on his forehead, and every time he panted, smoke came out in puffs from his mouth. His body went unexpectedly ridged and Tyki could hear the breath catch in his throat, but he didn’t expect the sudden loud, agonizing scream that released itself from his lips a second later and with it…

…and with it, flames sputtered just before the late teen’s mouth. Sparks that actually popped from the flames fell on to the wood floor and left scorch marks.

Tyki’s eyes widened from the volume of the cry and bizarre sight in front of him, quickly shaking the Noah power that had grown eager from the feel of Innocence and buried it deeply within him again. The glow diminished and he slapped the gloved hand over Lavi’s mouth harshly, ignoring the building pain that came from extinguishing the fire that almost refused to be put out. He could feel the cloth from his glove heat nearly blistering temperatures as he made contact with the boy’s skin again, the sound of his scream becoming muffled and dying down now that the Noah’s power was absent.

Lavi opened his eye half way, green iris glassy and hazed with exhaustion and ache. Becoming unsteady with only the balls of his feet keeping him upright, his legs buckled and he tilted and threatened to fall backwards, but Tyki caught and pulled him forward by the warm felt dress shirt and let him fall onto him. Tyki repositioned himself to kneel on the floor, moving Lavi around until his arm helped prop Lavi into a leaning-up posture. The Bookman croaked a groan and rolled his head towards Tyki’s face, blinking blearier at him as he lifted shakily a hand to clutch weakly at the dress coat. His lips were moving, but Tyki couldn’t hear a word come from him. He leaned closer.

“What was that?” He asked softly and he bent far enough to where he could feel the hot breath come from the other’s mouth on his ear as he repeated brokenly what he said, then he fell unconscious from the fever and fatigue.

The library’s door opened with a bang and Tyki whipped his head around to stare with wide eyes at his older brother and niece, Lavi held tightly in his arms.

“You lied to me…”

: / / / / :

Tyki observed quietly as the servants placed Lavi back into his bed, arms crossed in front of him and hardly listening to a word Sheryl was saying to him. He did know, however, Sheryl was not bothering to be discreet about any war matters in the presence of average humans that knew nothing of Exorcists and Noahs. After the servants were barely done, Road ushered them out without hesitance. Sheryl was still angrily ranting in his ear on how he told him to take care of the Innocence and demanding reasons as to why it had reformed when he saw him destroy it.

“I don’t know, brother,” Tyki said, his dark eyes still not taken off of the unusual Exorcist that was sleeping unsoundly, the twisting lips and the knitting brows being the giveaway. He unfolded his arms the tiniest bit and looked at the hand he had covered the other’s mouth with; the glove had been burned slightly away and on what was visible of his palm, there was a couple of small blisters caused by the flame.

“Surely you felt the pulse of his Innocence earlier this evening, before dinner?” Tyki asked, finally looking away and giving Sheryl a puzzled glance, but Sheryl shook his head in response.

“No, I didn’t, but if you had, why hadn’t you taken care of it?” Most of Sheryl’s anger had died down but he was still short. Tyki turned back to the teen of question as if his silence would help him give a proper answer that his brother would understand instead of testing. Road didn’t appear concerned on the matter at all and crawled on top of the Bookman’s bed, fully standing on it and taken the liking of jumping. Lavi remained undisturbed.

A slow smirk spread on the Pleasure’s face before returning to his brother with a certain glint in his eye. “Curiosity.” Then confusion marked itself on Sheryl, but before he could open his mouth to question giggling was heard from the youngest human yet eldest Noah who stood still on the bed now, finger in air that she soon pointed at her uncle.

Road giggled again. “He’s interested in the Bookman’s Innocence like he was with Allen’s!” She hopped up into the air again, but gravity didn’t pull her down and it was at this time that the two men realized that they were in Road’s realm so that they could talk privately. Pointed birthday candles that weren’t truly there brightened the dark world of dreaming and the Noahs allowed themselves a moment of freedom as their eyes turned molten gold.

The corner of Sheryl’s lips deepened into a frown. “You really need to stop saying that boy’s name with such tenderness, Road.” The girl floating in air pouted and stuck her tongue at him, giving a small indignant huff which only caused her father’s displeasure to intensify.

Road ignored him otherwise about her crush and said while staring straight down to the boy in the transformed, wrought iron bed. “What’s strange though is that I think that the Bookman’s hammer morphed inside of him. I’d ask him myself right now, but I wouldn’t want to mentally exhaust the Librarian, too.” She said that last part pointedly to Tyki whom only shrugged with a twisted smile on his face. A low chuckle escaped from him.

“He is an Exorcist and I am Noah. I wanted to merely understand why his Innocence came back,” Tyki explained, but he knew for himself that that wasn’t a good enough reason and could feel the waves of disappointment coming from his Noah siblings. They wanted to know why he hadn’t taken care of the Innocence when Lavi had shown signs of it, but they wouldn’t comprehend what he meant when he would say was studying the Exorcist Bookman. Such as right that second with the Innocence obviously within the boy, why hadn’t his Noah reacted against it?

Tyki blinked and looked at his sister with surprise. “Wait, you mean even while he’s like that,” - he gestured to the sleeping Lavi - “You could bring him here?”

Road pouted and swung close behind him, her arms wrapping around his neck. “Tic-kiiie!” She whined, “You give me no credit, meanie. That’s when the minds are easiest to take, when they’re not so guarded.” She stated matter-of-factly, but then she turned her head closer to his ear and whispered. Tyki could practically hear the wickedness in her tone.

“I could bring him here, if you want. Even if it might damage his psyche, I wouldn’t mind doing it at all. I’m not the only one who’s taken interest in an Exorcist, though if completely different situations: Allen’s cute, but you only are concerned about Lavi’s Innocence. Not only that, but if you do happen to expand those thoughts to something else, at least I’m not the one stuck with someone else who can’t return my feelings.”

While she was talking, he stared straight ahead and watched as Lavi turned over on to his side. He heard the long exhale come from the redhead and winced as he felt the twinges of his Noah claw at his gut. Apparently the others had felt it, too as they hissed from the feeling, but while Road didn’t do anything, Tyki raised his arm to keep Sheryl from going to harm the Bookman to get to the Innocence inside.

“Tyki,” Sheryl growled, not looking away from the innocently offending male, “It’s as you said, is it not? We are Noahs and he is an Exorcist. We destroy their Innocence –”

“Enough, brother,” Tyki said sharply, his voice full of irritation. “I have no idea where the Innocence is located in him, and if it truly is attached to him as Allen Walker’s Innocence is, then I may kill him.”

Sheryl turned on him and snarled, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “Then do it!” Tyki could feel the slight tightening hold of Road’s arms around his neck and knew that it was rare to have his brother angry like this.

But the younger brother remained unaffected aside from the slightly angrier face. “I do not go back on my promises, brother, and it was you who taught me not to do so.” When Sheryl looked a little bit confused, Tyki elaborated: “The promise to not harm him for the night, you were the first one to suggest it, Sheryl.”

The other male Noah’s mouth opened with shock. “It’s practically morning already!”

“Midnight is nothing close to morning. You offered a long night’s rest, which he’s had none of,” Tyki reasoned on behalf of his experiment. “We rode in later than we had thought and even then he had told us that he hadn’t slept long when he arrived here. I can probably count the number of hours he’s been asleep on one hand with fingers left over.”

Tyki’s eyes furrowed together with thought. “You’re worried about the Earl of the Millennium finding out? He’s still a Bookman; I could persuade him to record for this side and the side to come.” There was no immediate answer, so he pressed on. “He’s heard of the other side, and perhaps, if you give him time that is, he might tell you anything he knows about that Exorcist’s Order.” He smirked, feeling smug as he remembered information he’d learn from Lavi earlier. “He’s already told me good news this evening, Sheryl.”

The older brother looked reluctant to be curious, but in the end he gave an inquiring hum. Tyki’s smirk broadened.

“Remember how when we were first questioning him and he had said that the Order’s assassins had killed off one of their own Generals?” He tried to muffle his chuckles, but it didn’t happen too well, and he said with a dark smile that reached from ear to ear, golden eyes dancing between yellows, “General Cross Marian is dead.”

Road started giggling at the news, elated to hear that one of the more powerful marshals was gone. She pushed herself into the air from her brother’s shoulders and did a couple of flips while laughing wickedly. Sheryl’s eyes widened in astonishment, but after the initial shock began to wear off, a smile like Tyki’s started to come over him, too, and soon all three Noahs laughter filled the dream world. Evil and satanic.

Feeling the good mood return to him easily, Tyki tilted his head up and nodded an affirmative. “I’m not through with him yet, and I’d like him to spend his anger out on me now than in front of servants that may become more suspicious about him than already.” He glanced to Sheryl who appeared calmer and more accepting and figured he would at least try to put up with the Innocence with Lavi if Tyki swore to at least try to avoid him incase of his Noah reacting violently. He also assumed that he’d be having a talk with Lavi to learn all he could about the Order if he let Tyki keep him as an experiment.

The girl Noah nodded and looked to be thinking, only taking less than a moment to draw an image from nothing that steadily turned into the redhead of the night. Immediately, the image became animated and life-like, green eye popping open and staring around him and taking in the situation. Tyki watched as the mind of the Bookman turned to his body that was still asleep on the iron wrought bed while a slow look mix between comprehension, alarm, terror and a couple other emotions fell onto his face. Gradually he turned around and faced the Noahs, a strung out and shaky grin spreading across his lips.

“This would probably only be a dream if you all weren’t apart of it.” They said nothing in return so he sighed dejectedly, albeit with a little annoyance. It was Tyki who cleared his throat first but Lavi turned on him with face of rage and he stomped forward and pushed hard against the man’s chest.

He growled. “You’re a fucking liar, Noah!” Lavi fisted his hands and hammered on Tyki, yet not forgetting the fact that the Noah could easily break his mind in Road’s dream-like world. “I don’t know what you did to me, but you fucking lied.” He brought both fists down hard and glared dangerously at the golden eyed man who said nothing back and only looked amused. Adding fuel to the fire with being mocked at, he pushed himself away and faced the Dreams.

“I want out.”

Road only unhurriedly turned into a doll type figure, stitched face included while smiling that insane smile. She hummed considerately.

“Don’t ask me, Bookman,” she said with a giggle and pointed a swirling finger to Tyki. “He’s the one who said that you be brought here. Ask him!” She spun in the air, singing the song General Yeager had sung before he died in whispering tones. Lavi glared at the girl and glanced back to Tyki.

He said again, “I want out.”

Tyki looked straight back, pupils contracting and iris flashing dangerously when he answered, “No.”

Lavi snarled and fisted his hands. “And why not!” He shouted.

Before Tyki could answer, there was a distant sound of knocking, a second later a woman’s voice, Tricia, called out, “Sheryl?” Road moved first, arms in the air and the darkness of her world fading, but Sheryl raised his hand to stop her from canceling her power.

“Just let me out,” he said, “I don’t need to be here any longer, anyway.” He looked to Lavi, “I want to talk to you the first thing when you wake.” At the words, the redhead stiffened, suddenly remembering what he had been promised. Seeing the slight fear in the Exorcist’s eye, Sheryl quickly shook his head. “You’re not going to die just yet, Bookman. You better be thankful for my brother because of that,” he said pointedly. Without another word, the stigmata that lined his forehead vanished and his skin became lighter once more. He nodded at his Noah sister and his image disappeared from the dream world.

Even though Sheryl wasn’t with them, they heard an echo of soft footsteps and the door handle turning. There was murmuring, and Sheryl’s voice came back towards them, “Come on out, Road. It’s late and you have lessons in the morning.”

“Yes, Father!” came the distant reply, but when Lavi looked at the Noah girl, she hadn’t said anything, changed back from that doll-like form, and nor was she moving from her place. There was another sound of footsteps, more like shuffling feet when skipping. “Goodnight, Uncle Tyki!” There was one last giggle before a noise that sounded like the door had been reclosed came. Then everything was silent from beyond the darkness.

“I disallowed sound to come through, now,” the doll Noah said, twirling in the air. “I do need to sleep.”

Lavi then asked, almost relieved. “Then that means I’m being let out?”

Road laughed and Tyki smirked. “Not likely, Librarian,” he said, “We’re already in her dreams. She can sleep with us in here and let us out when she wishes.”

The redheaded Bookman glanced at the older man, unsure about what Sheryl told him. He slowly swallowed and licked his dry lips. “What did he mean when he said I should be thankful to you?” He watched Tyki study him, the golden eyes glancing to his chest area that was hidden beneath the borrowed vest. Lavi had a distinct urge to cross his arms but held against it, not wanting the other to know he was slightly affected by…well, by whatever it was that he was doing.

But the Pleasure countered his inquiry with another. “What was the second question that you had wanted to ask, in the library?”

Lavi shook his head. “You had answered it for me,” he said. When Tyki appeared confused, Lavi elaborated. “I was going to ask if you, too, knew of the other side.” He hummed after that and said as an afterthought to himself, “But you know even more than that…” He brought his hand to his mouth in a thinking manner he had acquired when a younger teen back as his 34th alias. He was thinking on how he could get that information from the Noahs so he could record it, but also knew that because it were the Noahs it was going to be difficult. Perhaps…if he made a deal? Lavi immediately shook off the idea, not liking having to owe any of them, especially since one of them made him feel like he was burning inside out without any warning. He hadn’t even known that that was one of Tyki’s powers. He shuddered lightly and licked his suddenly dry lips; he could imagine the taste of smoke in his mouth and had no doubt that when he woke up in his body again, he would.

The redhead gave the male Noah an unsure glance, removing his hand from his mouth to ask, “Speaking of the library,” Lavi began, “What was it that you did that made me like that, then?”

Tyki studied him for a long moment before stepping forward to him like before, a small smile playing the smooth lips. Road floated higher in the air, a peaceful look coming over her face as she watched the interactions closely making Lavi believe that her body had fallen asleep in the outside world. The Bookman looked back to the Noah before him and fought the urge to step back when he came under four feet to him, but he didn’t come any closer yet Lavi did flinch when he raised his hand, spotted white palm out to him.

“What did I do to you?” Tyki asked almost incredulously but the smile and enjoyment in his face, eyes, and tone made Lavi think that the Noah was almost challenging him with good humor. Confused, one green eye swept over the palm of the hand and was shocked to see that the glove had been…scorched and burnt. The edges of the hole at the top of the palm, near where his fingers connected pulled away from the skin showing slightly pinked skin, blisters forming. With nothing to say, Lavi looked back to the older man’s face, eye wide.

“What did I do to you?” Tyki repeated, and a huff of laughter escaped from him. “Well, dear Librarian… I know I didn’t destroy your Innocence.” Lavi jerked in the surprise that overtook him. Hardly believing it, Lavi swerved around to his body but couldn’t find the resizable shaped hammer. As if knowing what he was doing, Tyki chuckled darkly. “No, no, dear Librarian. Not on you.” Lavi turned towards the other quickly, thinking that he may have it in his possession.

But Tyki shuffled closer to him with his arm raised before him still. His eyes flashed between gold and eerie yellow when he said, “As I said before, do not be frightened; I will not harm you. All I need you to do is go with the same procedures you go through to active Innocence.” Even though the crazy flickers in the Noah’s eyes did not cease, there was a sincere expression in his tone. Would Tyki really do as he said, no matter how unbelievable it seemed? He hadn’t time to think through it properly before the blistered hand began to become aflame with dark matter, making a bead of sweat fall from his brow. He felt stirrings within him that were a gentle warming sensation, the same feeling given earlier before. Automatically, not knowing what it was, Lavi tried to shove the feeling aside, the feeling foreign to his body.

It refused to be pushed down, and as Tyki’s hand came closer, the other one coming to grip once again on his face and pull him forward to meet the dark matter, Lavi’s eye opened in pained shock; the warming had spread like wildfire all over his innards and something in him slowly turned up the heat. He looked desperately at Tyki, silently telling him to stop since every time he opened his mouth smoke was released from his lips. Shaky hands reached to grab a hold of something solid, which happened to be the other’s shoulders, and he shoved with as much force as he could, but Tyki wouldn’t budge. Instead, the dark matter of the Noah’s power was reinforced and Lavi’s nerves began to tingle with the heat.

A pained half groan half whimper came from him, mentally questioning himself on how he was to active an Innocence that wasn’t there; he was naturally Equipment type, and if his Innocence was now located inside of him he’d changed to Parasitic. He never knew how to work something like it, especially since he couldn’t see it like he could see Allen’s arm or Krory’s teeth! If Innocence was to guide its user, then why weren’t there any instructions sending to his brain? In frustration, Lavi clutched tighter on the shoulders he clung to and bowed his head, the fire inside becoming almost unbearable.

"St-stop..." Smoke wafted from his mouth and up his nose, and he sneezed greatly which caused him to choke some. Coughing now, Lavi tore away from the Pleasure as hard as he could and doubled over to clutch his stomach while he hacked out his lungs. “D-dam-damn it! I…I said QUIT!””

In all reality, it was like some fairytale happening, a story particularly wrapped around a fire breathing dragon because that’s exactly how Lavi felt when a roar of flames erupted from his mouth. Yet, unlike any natural dragon and despite the fire Tyki saw in the library, this fire was bright green – like Innocence.

The Noahs, eyes widening, quickly went further away from him, feeling strong surges of Innocence within the fire. Tyki’s Noah gripped inside of him fiercely, begging to be set free and consume the host. He grimaced and held firm.

After a few seconds, the flames flickered out and Lavi inhaled sharp and audibly, falling to his knees and face down on the make-believe ground. He didn’t move so Tyki looked to Road who appeared to be calculating.

“He’s out; body and mind,” she said finally. The man nodded and dissipated the power from his hand, feeling the Noah back away now that the fun had ended. Tyki gave a sigh as the image of Lavi disappeared from the Dreams’ world. Sounding curious, Road asked, “Were you satisfied, Uncle Tyki?”

He was quiet at first, rolling the question over his mind. Was he satisfied? He had found out that the Bookman did indeed still possess his Innocence, but what more did that solve for him? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. It proved that something was lacking in his power, or it could have been just those particular Innocence that survived. But now…what was the difference between those – Walker’s and the Bookman’s – from other Innocence he’s destroyed in between? Tyki sighed again, unfulfilled.

“Not quite, Road… Not quite.” He asked for her to let him out so he may get some sleep and allow her to dream peacefully, and having his conscious awaken back in the real world Tyki didn’t spare the redhead a second glance when exiting his room and closing the door behind him.

: / / / / :

MC: In reality, before I decided to do the huge edit/morph chapters together-thing, this chapter was made from chapters three, four, and five (well, five was only half-completed then). Which means that the next chapter might come out…next year-ish, pardon, unless large amounts of inspiration spike and strike.

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