D. Gray - man [ laven ] FanFiction- Scotomaphobia

Chapter 8: The faint whisper of memories

Timcanpy tried to contact Komui but there was nothing, only static. Allen asked "What's-?" but before Allen could finish he's interrupted by the answer to his barely formed question.

"We're in the mountains so he most likely can't connect." the Akuma said while staring at Allen, not that Allen would be able to tell. She had heard that the weather wasn't going to be that good earlier. Amaryllis never understood why people liked talking about the weather.

"What should we do?" The whitette asked.

Amaryllis was silent for a moment before speaking. "I'll go see if there's anything on the train to keep you two warm, then i'll go check out how it is outside. And while outside i can check and see what route would be the best, along with seeing which supplies we need to take with from on the train. Make sure you keep him warm, I will be back shortly." Allen could hear the sound of Amaryllis leaving and decided to deactivate his [cursed] eye, returning to the utterly sightless world. He didn't need it as it didn't help him see humans; just the souls surrounding Akuma.

The silver eyed exorcist could tell from the sound of Lavi's breathing he was sleeping, which would allow his body to focus on healing. Allen, with nothing to do, was left to his thoughts. Allen's train of thought drifted to thoughts of the mission they'd just been on.

The finders sent to investigate the small town heard rumors to have 'spirits' abundant in the small village. They had reported that there was indeed innocence and that Exorcists should come and retrieve it. Lenalee, Kanda and the other exorcists had been on missions of their own so Komui decided to send Allen, Lavi and Bookman to retrieve the innocence. However lavi stated Bookman was busy with "Bookman stuff" and therefore only two exorcists were to be sent. The Vatican had made it clear after the Ark that Allen was to be accompanied by, at the very least, two other Exorcists. However an exception had been made for this mission, the fact being that Lavi was a bookman and could be trusted to not withhold information.

Allen, after stopping the download of The Ark, hadn't been able to control the ark since. The whitette hadn't gone on missions, at least not till this one. The beansprout could tell that the order was keeping a careful eye on him, and for some reason it also seemed that he was being kept away from General Cross. Not that Allen wanted to be forced into his company, spending time with the womanizer, to Allen, was hell. When the mission was first brought up Allen was glad, because finally his skills were being put to use. But now... Allen wasn't as relieved about the mission as he at first was. This mission had turned into a nightmare.

Upon arriving at the town the two exorcists found the finders gone/dead. Allen 'sensing' akuma went and dealt with them while Lavi used his Bookman skills to gather information. When Allen got back from bringing salvation to the akuma souls, Lavi hadn't found any useful information and they made up their minds to get a room and spend the night. However the single night turned into a week and a half before the duo were able to find any leads. It was very quick that they got into a pattern of Allen eradicating the Earl's toys and the Apprentice Bookman collecting information.

Eventually the Bookman was able to find out about the long-since-abandoned church and the rumors thus about it. Rumors had said that 'witch animals' ( or to some 'Kami', 'Yokai', or more specifically 'Kitsune') were playing tricks on the attendants of the church. Some of the rumors said simply that people stopped going there when the pranks that were pulled had grown in severity.

Other people lavi talked with said that at one time a young girl went missing or some heard she was even dead. Out of the people he was talking with they agreed on that she would appear to people whom went to the church. Saying that if it was not her herself (whether ghost or human) and instead it was one of the animals taking on her form.

Lavi found that more recent people who've went there have disappeared. The Bookman kept digging and found out about one man who had gone to the abandoned church and survived. Though people said that after going he had started spouting nonsense and lost his mind. Quite the contrary indeed, Lavi noted after going, the man had very valuable information to be gotten from him.

There were no creatures in the church that could be seen playing tricks and pranks. However it was thought that your perception would be altered. At least that was what was gathered as the man told his tale. He said there was a green glowing thing, obviously meaning innocence, on a flat surface of some sort, and from the man's observations there were also akuma. They didn't attack him, and from Lavi's questioning he deduced that it was because he was in the room with the innocence and that the innocence must've protected the man stopping the akuma from entering into the room. Even helping him as far as having the akuma leave as if the man had bolted out of the room.

Lavi told the man he wasn't crazy after making a phone call to Komui. Lavi was told to make sure the man got on the next train out of town. Komui stating that since the man knew about the secret war he could join the order as a finder, science division member, or one of the other various sections. Komui noted that he might even be an accommodator, the concept interested Lavi and he agreed with Komui, it wasn't normal for innocence to protect ordinary people... At least not to that extent.

Allen only hear what lavi told him after he'd gotten back in town. It was late, so, after Lavi had informed the parasitic-type they went to get dinner and in the morning both would try to find out where the former church was. It was midday the next day, when they finally were able to hear about a precise location instead of just the warnings that most of the villagers were all too happy to give and it was around one pm when they finally arriving at church. Allen's eye was freaking out when they'd gotten to the neglected building. However said neglected building didn't look neglected nor did it look abandoned.

Allen found it strange (not that lavi didn't too) that they weren't able to see the building till they were almost to it's front doors, but neither of the Exorcists paid it that much attention. 'This could be the innocence protecting itself.' Allen assumed. Together the two went inside. Eventually they decided it was useless to be together. And that Lavi should search for where the innocence was while Allen used his eye to track Akuma, mentioning that currently he was unable to pinpoint the location of any akuma, nor how many there were. A couple minutes after splitting up Allen was finally able to see the Akuma properly... after, of course, encountering one. Allen did his best to eradicate the demons. Lavi on the other hand wasn't doing anything of that much use, besides of course eliminating where the innocence was not as the rabbit-exorcist looked for the places the man had described he saw.

Walker walked aimlessly around, not able to find which way would actually lead him to the akuma or not. The cursed teen had gone from a state of lost to more lost to really lost in a building that the teen thought 'shouldn't be THAT big.' Allen's wandering ended up somehow getting him to that one room. He thought that there was an Akuma in that room which is why he went into it in the first place, but after trying to vanquish it and he was thrown back by neither the 'Akuma's' force nor his own. When Allen looked at it again he forgot it had ever been an akuma. Was it just his mind playing tricks on him? There was a girl in front of him that he swore he knew. Allen stood there not moving and the girl didn't move either. His eye wasn't reacting so he was sure this was in fact a little girl and not some akuma, causing Allen to remain still and not move. After standing there for what he thought was quite some time he decided to deactivate his innocence.

He smiled at the girl, wanting her to walk over to him. Allen pondered why she was familiar. Allen hadn't noticed the other there before, his body moving instinctually to protect the girl. However his mind barely could process him as he ran to the girl, Allen thought it was a shadow and when he tried to focus on the shadow he got confused. The young brown bob-haired girl reached toward him and her fingertips briefly brushed Allen's hand as the exorcist reached towards her to pull her away from the shadow but when she touched his hand the 'shadow' killed her.

All Allen could see was her burning and then...

"Allen..." Allen was snapped from his thoughts.