Wow, I'm so happy that everyone really likes my characterization in this story. Thank you for all of the reviews. This chapter is a little more controversial, in that Lavi starts a discussion about religion. I hope you all enjoy it!

I do not own D.Gray-Man; it owns me.

The four exorcists had passed a miraculous hour and a half in silence. Allen was staring blankly out of the window with half-lidded eyes while ignoring the always-grouchy Kanda seated beside him. Across from Allen, Lavi was trying to occupy himself with various ponderings. Bookman sat beside Lavi enjoying the silence. "Hey, Gramps!"

'The lips of the apprentice are moving. Why must they do that? Why must noise and ignorance pour out?' Bookman thought before finally replying with a groan, "What is it, Lavi?"

"If I say something intelligent, may I speak again?" The redhead asked hopefully.

"Yes, you may," Bookman agreed, knowing that a refusal would just lead to an argument, and thus, more talking.

"How about I give you another poem then, guys?" Lavi suggested regarding the two boys seated across from him.

'How about not?' Kanda thought, but did not reply. He merely stared coldly past Lavi.

"Um, OK," replied Allen, "Have at it."

"This one is called Oily Faith. The last time Bookman ever enrolled me in a school during out travels, my teacher made everyone draw two cards, one from each pile. One pile was full of intangible nouns; the other had adjectives. We were to write a poem based on the two cards we drew. Mine were obviously 'oily' and 'faith.' This was the poem that I wrote:

A tainted god,

A greasy guise of beliefs,

Polished by politics.

Then, consecrated by so-called churches.

So smooth and silver-tongued

The serpent whispers in my ear,

'Bite this apple of faith,

Or you shall die, I fear.'

His words oily and rotten,

Leave trails,

Of ideals forgotten.

I refuse the apple.

Not because I took a look

In a holy book;

But because I have faith.

All my own.

Not oiled to a heavenly sheen;

But home grown,

In the garden of my mind.

Away from the detrimental presidential potential

And the chained chorus of churches

Fashioned favorably by forefathers.

Faith is between people

And to whom they prey.

NOT oiled;

By the greasy fingers,

Of man."

Everyone was silent. Then, Bookman smacked Lavi on the back of his head. "Ow! What was that for?" He asked as he rubbed his head.

"You are an idiot!" Bookman snapped.

"Why? I thought the poem was good when I wrote it…"

"It was suspicious when you wrote it, because you were eleven. And it is a bad piece to bring up now, because you work for the Catholic CHURCH!" Bookman hit him again.

"So what if I work for the church? You don't see Kanda with a rosary reciting Hail Marys and Our Fathers every time that he threatens to kill someone!"

"Shut up, Lavi. I would not have to threaten people, if they weren't idiots like you," Kanda replied coldly.

"Well, General Cross has copulated with more women than all of the other men in the Order combined! You don't see him going to confession!"

"Lavi!" Bookman snapped.

"Let's not talk about my master…I'm feeling a little sick…" Allen's expression had grown dark and gloomy and he looked as if he were trying to suppress bad memories.

"Jeez, Gramps, it's not like Allen and Yuu will turn me in!"

"If you call me by my first name one more time, I'll do more than turn you in!" Kanda threatened.

"Lavi," A recovered Allen spoke, "You are preaching to the choir here. I was never devout and never went to church as a child. I always felt angry towards any deity that would create me as a 'freak.' I guess being ostracized makes one bitter. Now I see that I am different for a reason and am part of something bigger, but back then, I felt worthless. I couldn't even move my left arm. People used to say that I was the Devil's child, or that I was cursed by God. Mana used to recite a poem about religion. It went like this:

It seems quite odd,

To quantify God.

He is neither here nor there,

Yet exists everywhere.

You could never look and see

All of the mystery.

Everywhere, there is confrontation,

Between salvation and damnation!

Can we not find the answer

For this dogmatic cancer?

We want to find the answer.

It will not come to us,

So we thus,

Strip mine the Bible

With all of our libel.

Take a look at what all of you

Could not help but do!

Now God has cancer!"

"Wow, sounds like Mana knew a lot more than you'd think a traveling clown would…" Lavi mused. "I wonder what sort of life he led before…"

"I don't know," Allen replied. "He never talked about it. We never asked each other about the past; we only walked toward the future. He always told me to keep walking."

"I see." Lavi was not quite sure what to say to Allen. "What about you, Kanda? What will you share with us?"

"I'm not going to play your little game, Lavi."

Oh, why not? Are you scared that we'll tease you?" Lavi asked playfully.

"You both already do." Kanda was becoming more displeased each moment.

"Just one little poem? Pweese Kaaaandaaaa!" Lave was very good

"Just shut the Hell up.

I do not care what you want.

I will not comply.

My past is my own business.

I am losing my temper."

"Aw, was that a tanka? Did you just make up a little poem?" Lave seemed to be beaming and completely ignoring Kanda's threats.

"Hey, I think the train is slowing down," Allen announced.

"I think you're an idiot," snapped Kanda, who was now in quite the sour mood.

'How fitting. Kanda's tanka wrapped up our journey.' Lavi smiled as he rose from his seat to gather his luggage.

"Yeah, well that doesn't change the fact that the train IS slowing down!" Allen replied bitterly.

"Sure, but that does not change the fact that you ARE an idiot!" Kanda teased.

"Well at least I pick the proper hairstyle for my gender!"

"Well, at least I'm the proper height for my gender!"

Lavi had now pulled down his suitcase as well as Bookman's. He turned to watch the two boys argue.

"Yeah, well, I-at least I don't spend HOURS in the woods every day playing with my sword!"

"It's training! You don't even HAVE a sword!"

Lavi burst out laughing.

"WHAT?!" Allen and Kanda yelled still flustered from their argument.

"Oh, nothing," Lavi replied. "Grab your stuff so that we can leave." The four of them prepared to exit the train as it began to pull into the station. It was the end of one adventure and the start of many new ones.

Sorry that I haven't updated in so long…stuff happened…I also thought that I lost the file for the poem that Lavi recites, but I had already put it in this document! OTZ Like usual, all poems were written by me! I think this will be the end of this story. If you want me to continue, or start a similar story with another set of characters, submit a review!