Black Love, Exorcised- A Hundred and Fifty Thousand

The campus was filled with people, not only students- my juniors, but people of all ages and social backgrounds. This was it- the annual charity auction hosted by the school in collaboration with the art museums and artists all around.

We came with excitement, alright- maybe it was me only, as Kanda accompanied me to my alma mater. It may not be the actual term, since I quitted school, but I was past the graduating year already anyway. Coming back to this school only bring memories- moments of laughter, tears, joy and love. This was the environment that nurtured me for the past few years. This was where I had chosen to leave to pursue a new life.

Kanda and I had just departed from the art museum which we had visited after going back to the Mylenes. The original place had been ruined and had now been replaced by a new structure which strangely resembled a fanciful prison to me. Weird, perhaps it was just because I no longer felt anything for this place. Feelings get destroyed when the physical structure is destructed sometimes too.

The graphite work was still there, I had noted with much overwhelming guilt, and it had been donated from the artist himself to the museum. The artist. His friend. My-

I did not feel like continuing any further.

The artworks came one after the other, each selling for a decent price as the well-dressed auctioneer, my principal, directed this and that price with his wooden hammer which reminded me of Lavi, minus the 'strike' portion.

"Next is the work of yet another famous artist; 'The Exorcised'. Price starts from a thousand."

I looked up almost immediately, as surprise caught me red-handed, sweeping me off my feet where I stood at the side of the event with a samurai, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. It was had been to sheer luck and miracle that I had not fallen over the ledge in the ancient white campus hall.

"The Exorcised"; a painting that had a scene of artfully painted pink lotus petals scattered over a vast land of snow, seeming to be bleeding from blood drawn by a delicate butterfly. The painting was so evoking that one could have thought that the insect was fluttering its wings with the pleasure of victory. The irony, as the lotus could have provided food for the butterfly on such an extreme weather. Morbid too, but it struck me deeply like a stake through a vampire.

"Two thousand", I yelled almost instinctively, the words catching me by surprise too. I could feel Kanda's fingers around my arm as he warned me with a disbelief look that was none too happy. Exorcists should not be involved in money matters too much.

"Five thousand," someone else shouted, a man of higher coarse voice who seemed none too approachable with those slit eyes that looked as if Kanda had sliced open two lines on his face just for some desperately needed vision. Evil thought it was, but that man had a companion who wore fur, real minx fur that was simply offending for my eyes.

"Ten thousands," I shouted, not before earning a few gasps from the audience as they wonder who this young lady was.

"Oi, what do you think you're doing," chided Kanda as he bore me down with murderous intent.

"Nothing, just trying to increase the value of the painting," I replied cheekily, now bending for revenge to beat those animal-abusers down, suddenly feeling like Master with his money-wasting ways. "The Order would thank me for helping them to do some charity."

"Fifteen thousands," protested the narrow-vision man as he tried to look around for whomever pitting himself against him for the painting. He was wrong, that is, I'm a female- a 'herself'. Fifty thousand was nothing to the Order, I smirked.

"Hundred thousand!"

"Hundred and twenty thousand!" Those four words practically danced out of my mouth as the principal beamed in pure delight like a little boy who had just received a railway set for his very first Christmas.

"Hundred and fifty thousand."

A new low and dark voice, a newcomer, a new competitor, who drew gasps and shock from the audience with his new offer. Who was it? The smile of my principal's face spread out like paint blot on calligraphy paper.

"Hundred and fifty thousand dollars? Going once," The audience was harmoniously in silence. "Going twice," That amount was just too much for the two of us. "Going thrice," A sigh escaped from my lips. "Sold!" I took Kanda's arm and prepared to leave. He was most probably still annoyed with my participation in this auction, his steps lagging behind as he tried to keep a distance from me. I ignored him. I just had to pray for the new owner to treat the painting well. There was sentimental value in it after all.

"The new owner of "The Exorcised" had just kindly decided to donate the painting to the school!"

I swirled around almost immediately as soon as the sound waves of my principal's voice reached my ear. What? Who was it?

A smile smirked on my mouth. I was glad, you bet. "Okay Kanda, I'm satisfied now. Let's go."

Kanda shook his head in disapproval as he crossed his arms across his chest, a sigh erupting from his throat as he glared at me. His steps which followed me were laced with anger.

"Stop those eyes, they are blazing me off. Come there's still plenty of time before the train arrives, let's bring some local delicacy back to treat the rest."

--

Hiding snugly under the comfort of our blanket as we basked under the dim glow of the lamp, Chloe and I were just having one of our girls-talk before night time. The soft cricking sound from the life outside the house could be heard distinctly in the dark, the soft breathing as we breathed in the moist dark air in the room.

Giggling in a child-like manner as we talked about our potential love life and such, Chloe suddenly popped a question to me innocently. "Hey Fuyu," she tickled me by the sides as a sinister smile crept up her pale features that reflected badly under then warm light, "What kind of guys would you be interested in?"

"Well," I chuckled, "I think I'll be more interested to be a nun to stay by you."

"Seriously," Chloe mocked, as a note of unappreciative escaped from her lips, "But I want my husband!"

"Alright alright, if I ever had a lover, he can either be slightly geek-looking with framed spectacles but romantic and adoring, or be a dashing bad man that will sweep me off my feet instantly. But I want to see you in a bride's gown first."

"We will be getting married on the same day!"

"I said he would be a lover. Not a husband!"

Yet that had been five years ago. Now my wish could never be fulfilled. Why do good things always come in two and be too much to handle?

I have chosen to forget, hadn't I?

--

The necklace on me had felt like a thousand tons, clinging, tugging, like exhausted slaves confined to rusting chains around their angry and raw ankles as they walked across the rugged street.

Like memories never able to break free.

--

The debonair aristocrat stared at the graphite artwork in appreciation, a smirk on his lips as he studied the drawing for yet another dozen times. His mind was drifted somewhere though, a destination so far, a broken kite that had eloped with the wind, as he thought about what that had happened earlier on.

The little dude had been wailing that darn morbid name once, twice, thrice, and a million times since he stepped into the dark woods. With his high pitch voice, he grabbed onto the bars, and moaned at him to take some action.

Which he would not, he asserted to that little striped dude, as he was too lazy to commit to his mission at such a lovely place like this. Confidence bounded him that the person, whoever he or she was, that he would be able to get rid of that person at his own leisure time.

Raven Black. Whoever this morbid person is.

"The charity auction is about to start soon, wouldn't you hurry up please?" Chided a middle aged woman at her husband, her fur-made scarf screaming distaste and disgust. Her husband only frowned at her and followed hurriedly. He looked like a chicken in his coop with his hen pecking him.

A chuckle came from him, as he mocked at the couple silently.

Auction? Oh right, the annual auction. I shall take a trip down there then.

--

Komui smacked his forehead into his palm as he scanned through the documents again. The work had doubled, tripled, multiplied, as information on the generals' whereabouts continued to pour in. it had been worse since Yeegar's assault; the death that made no one but the Noahs happy. Sadistic joy.

-Ring ring

"Hello?" The chief greeted as he picked up the receiver; his eyes half closing from exhaustion and demanding for Lenalee's coffee.

"Bak here, I've found out the name."

Silence gripped the Chinese as he embraced himself for the sudden news- Fuyu's grandfather. "Who is it?"

The Asian Branch Chief sounded none the too happy as he brought the mouthpiece closer to his lips. The answer came almost as a whisper.

"Yohan Nakamura."

The truth dropped like stone in water, its ripples creating multiple impacts of destruction.

--

We used to pray for this moment to last

Forever

Yet now it is beginning to feel like a prison of entrapment

The punishment of waiting

Silence of waiting shrouding the sky as I continue to wait

If you had love me before

You would have never chose to leave

Abandoning me with the least regard

Just like those forsaken native promises

We made

under the star-studded night sky

If I can't withstand it anymore

If I can't take the pain anymore

I'll just have to embrace myself yet again

With bitter tears and clenched teeth

And to continue waiting

--

xxxXxxx

THE END

xxxXxxx

--

A/N: DONE! This was shorter than I had expected it to be since there was so much time-skip! Fuyu's POV in the first few paragraph yeah. OMG I finally finished this dreadful story- it ended kinda abruptly. Sorry!

Fuyu's grandapa- its a big hint if you observe the previous few chapters.

Need to mourn and study harder. Darn. Its 3.39am already- i'll be dead with my innards out if my mom sees me awake.

As for now, I do hope that lovely people, like you, who made this possible will be able to tell me ways to improve my next story so that it doesn't end up as terrible as this arc.

Thanks as usual for all encouragements.:D Without you guys, Black Love and cloudfarty would never have existed. I have not really settled on the next title, but it should be "Black Love, A-bleh-". See, I have limited vocab. But it's a confirmed "A-something". Suggestions? Haha. As for now, goodbye then(:

DOMO ARIGATO GOZAIMAS'

–bows-