My love, Broken and Twisted (Tyki Mikk)

Chapter 28

"Road... come on out..." Sheril soothed, his voice muffled by the doorway in between them. "No..." She replied flatly, pressing her back harder against it and gripping the doorknob tightly to keep it shut. "Come now my dear, the Earl said he would like to speak with you... that's all." He assured, with a sympathetic smile, even though it was one she could not see. "He's mad at me..." The little Noah pouted, bringing her knees up and hugging them to her chest with her free arm. At this Sheril paused, he knew the Earl was angry, angry at himself for making a mistake that cost him so much, angry that both Shaun and the exorcist boy had escaped, and absolutely furious that Tyki had gone after them. More presently however, he was angry that his sweet little Road had had a hand in it all. "Road..." He sighed, "... please don't make me do it..." Sheril stared at the violet painted doorway waiting for an answer, but his dearest Road refused to say another word. "Forgive me..." The Noah muttered under his breath as he extended his left arm, his fingers coiling around what could only be seen as an invisible object in thin air. He then hoisted the arm upwards as if pulling on a bunch of imaginary strings, Road gave out a small yelp from the other side of the door as she lost control of her body, Sheril's powers holding her up off the ground and preventing her from moving her arms or legs. Sheril then took the door handle with his left hand and opened it with ease, on the other side of it was his cute adopted daughter floating in mid air and glaring at him, her bottom lip quivering slightly. With a stern look forced onto his face, Sheril began to lead her down the hall to the main library, where the Earl had asked the Noah who were available, to meet and discuss what was to be done about their Noah of pleasure. A sensitive topic for my darling Road, seeing how close they are... Sheril had thought when the Earl insisted on talking to her in front of everyone, trying to push aside his own discomfort and focus on hers. He had warned Tyki not to do anything foolish, but as usual he didn't listen, he couldn't get it out of his head that he may have been able to do more. He could have found a way to stop his brother, with a different outcome than this, but the thought dispelled quickly as he stepped through already open doors and into the library.

The Earl was sat in a large purple trimmed chair, surprisingly in his white form, and Skinn was the same, although the twins remained Noah. Lulu bell was in the form of large black panther, rather than the docile house cat she usually pranced around as, crouching in the corner as her eyes tracked every move of Sheril's entrance. "Apologies Sheril, Road, we may have begun without you." The Earl greeted dryly, Wisley and a few other Noah were noticeably absent, which Sheril was sure would do nothing for the Earls mood. Roads eyes flicked from Noah to Noah, she felt extremely vulnerable and almost angry that this was being made a show, but she was more scared than anything else. For her uncle too. "You can let her down Sheril... thank you..." The Earl spoke soflty, with a gentle smile that Road knew must have been very difficult to force on. Sheril obeyed, the small tap of Road's shoes hitting the ground was enough to emphasize just how silent the room was, like everyone was holding their breath. "...I'm guessing that there isn't much need for me to explain... why you are here..." He cooed, lacing his fingers together. Road shook her head. "Good good..." The Earl trailed off a bit, "Then you shouldn't have a problem answering a few questions hmm?" The little Noah fidgeted uncomfortably, and nodded again. "So then... it has come to my attention that because of a certain Noah's... intervention..." His eyes narrowed a bit, if Road had a tail like Lulu bell's, it would have no doubt been tucked right between her legs, "...two exorcists... or rather one exorcist and an abomination... have escaped the ark harboring valuable innocence and apparently the heart of our dearest Tyki-pon." Road cringed at the venom in his voice, he had practically spat the playful nickname in the little Noah's face. Sheril and some of the others were beginning to feel uneasy. "...So I know this is hard for you to hear, and trust me I feel nothing... but sympathy for you..." The Earl leaned forward in the chair, "... but I have instructed Skinn and Lulu bell to hunt down our Noah of pleasure and that... half breed... Shaun Souhait, so that we can settle things properly." He let out a small chuckle, "And don't you worry, I have thought of way Tyki can redeem himself to us, but first-" The Earl stood up out of his chair and made his way over to Road. "-you have to tell me... where that door lead..." Road stiffened as the Earl knelt down to her level, his piercing eyes staring right into hers. She felt like crying, she had never seen him this mad, at her at least. "I don't remember..." She replied quietly, the Earl let out a sigh and shut his eyes, "This is serious my dear..." Road twitched a bit in annoyance, "I told you I don't remember." She repeated louder, refusing to give them up so easily, she held her ground, her brow furrowed at him. Granted it wasn't the best cover, she knew that, but she couldn't take it back now, "What? You think I'm lying t-" WHAP! Road tumbled to the ground, her left cheek painfully stinging and her vision a little blurred. She felt a pair of hands lead her up as she blinked in shock, Sheril at her back with eyes just a wide as her own, stared up at the Earl. Did he?... Tears welled up in the little Noah's eyes, and were already streaking down the Earl's face as they the reality of what had just occurred struck them both. "Don't you.. ever... lie to me." He half sobbed, genuinely hurt he scooped the girl up out of her father's reluctant arms and held her tightly. "Ever..." He echoed quietly as Road clung to him, her jaw dropped and eyes huge, He... hit me...

~ ~ ~

Lavi sat alone in the darkness of his and bookman's shared room, scattered books and scrolls blanketed the ground and spilled out of every drawer, with his head in his hands the red head wiped his face, and then snuck another glance at the bloodstained scarf that sat messily piled at his feet. The image of a certain swordsman imprinted in his mind as his eyes lingered on each prominent blood stain. What if he's the one who... an image of Kanda running his blade clean through Shaun's figure played behind his eyelids, What if he's the one who killed her... He didn't want to suspect Kanda, he didn't want to accuse Kanda of anything, but there was a truth there somewhere that he couldn't possibly ignore, not just as a bookman, but as a friend. What could he say? What could he possibly do to find the truth without outright saying, Hey! Yuu! Is that a stain on Mugen? Would ya mind if I compared it to the ones on my scarf? Not only would he get nowhere with that but he would also probably have an outraged Kanda lop his head clean off his shoulders. He felt like he owed it to Shaun to know what happened to her, too record her life right to the end... no matter how painful and end it may have been. Knock! Knock! Knock! Came three small raps at the door, "Lavi?... I know you're upset, we all are... but we have a mission to go to." It was Allen. He wanted nothing to do with anyone at the moment, not even Allen. Maybe I should tell him to take Lenalee, or that cute new girl instead... what was her name? Kya?... ya her... but he couldn't do that. He needed to move on, even just for a day or two but... as the bookman rose up off the unmade bed the bloodied orange fabric fell onto his left shoe... he needed to know. "Yuu..." He sighed to himself as he kicked the scarf underneath the bed and turned to the door, "Yuu what happened to her..."

~ ~ ~

Tick... tock... tick... tock... tick... tock... "Four... days..." The girl groaned staring blankly at the red mahogany planks that made up the ceiling, a miniature grandfather clock ticking away on the side wall. "Four. Fucking. Days. I haven't been able to sleep." She lifted her left hand and examined it in front of her face, the same marred knuckles and bright ivory skin stared back at her, she let out a labored sigh. With hardly any effort at all the skin, only on her hand, darkened to a deep grey accented with intricate red markings around her wrist. She had gotten fairly good at that, changing only certain parts of her body into her akuma form, she could change her eyes, arms, legs, even just switch her teeth to fangs. She rolled onto her side, wild blonde hair falling into her face, the inn bed was lumpy and uncomfortable, it was no wonder she got the room so cheap. Akuma form... It was kind of a disgusting reality, she still felt her innocence, probably stronger than ever, but there was something else there too. A dark matter made by the Earl, keeping her alive and yet tearing her apart. Just like her innocence. She wondered if everything would have been easier if she had just disappeared, become nothing but ink on paper like Suman Dark. Shaun cuddled into the feather stuffed pillow, mulling over how it wouldn't have been so bad if the innocence had finished the job instead, she would have gotten to wreck that fat fuck's precious ark before she went. Sitting up she snatched the pillow from behind her and tore it in two, feathers puffing up into the air and gently fluttering down all over the room and Shaun. The pain of death is not something anyone should have to bear the memory of, and she felt like she died more than once in that god damned tower. Once with a blade through her heart, not to mention half of her fucking ribcage, she recalled the size of the Earl's blade and shuddered a bit. Again when she saw the look on Tyki's face, and again when Kanda... said those words. "That thing... isn't Shaun anymore." She whispered, mocking his voice and throwing a fist down onto the bed. The tiny white and grey feathers scattered into the air again. With a half growl in frustration and still covered in feathers she pushed up off of the bed. She was hungry, and for some reason, she had a huge craving for chicken and oranges. If they didn't have any, somebody was going to lose some limbs.