D.Gray-Man 1. Carnage

**Title:** Ame Futte Ji Katamaru.

**Summary:** Before the infamous Kanda Yuu the exorcist, there was Kanda Yuu the child experiment--Alma. A what-if story of his childhood.

**Ratings:** T for safety. Some violence and language too. No pairings.

**Author's Notes: **Hello, hello-Kazegetsu here. Before anyone asks, the title literally means 'after the rain, earth hardens' which means that adversity builds character or after a storm, things will stand on more solid ground than they did before.

Okay, I know for a fact that these things probably did not actually happen in either the manga or the anime but this is a what-if story so bear with me here. Please, please keep your criticism to grammar, writing style or things related to the story as I do not want a 'dear Kaze, u suk caus tis didnt happen in the real D gray man!!!1!'.

Thank you.

~.~.~.~

Chapter one-Carnage

Three children stood at the entrance of the dojo, one about seventeen years of age, the second one ten and the last but a baby of three.

They watched the retreating backs of their parents until they turned the corner out of sight. The young girl screaming and bawling her eyes out as she saw her mother leave, her pudgy little hands opening and shutting in the direction of her mother wanting to be picked up, the adolescent boy quickly scooped her up and shushed her. Cradling her gently in his arms he hummed a lullaby under his breath. It was the first time he could remember his parents leaving them alone without a caretaker but Hatake was a man now and could look after them and run the family dojo at the same time and his parents trusted him to do all that. One of their relatives had just passed away and their parents were going to pay their respects, they were to be gone for a week at most.

The boy felt a hand ruffling his hair "You'll make a good wife someday Yuu-chan." Kanda Hatake neatly sidestepped the attack to his shin laughing, it was a good thing Yuu had his hands full with Naoko or the boy wouldn't just be satisfied with a missed attempt to his leg.

Yuu settled for a glare, careful not to jostle his sister who was calming down "Don't say stupid things baka nii-san." He hissed.

Hatake just grinned at the insult and headed back into the house, Yuu just behind him. He could hear his younger brother muttering quietly to Naoko and smiled to himself.

When Naoko had exhausted herself from crying and gone to sleep Yuu set her down on a futon on the dojo floor so he could keep an eye on her while he did his daily katas. He loved the art of the sword and would spend hours diligently practicing, already surpassing even the older students in the dojo. What he lacked in strength he made up in speed and his brother always helped him with his skills, giving him tips and sparring with him. It was the only time Yuu could get his older brother to be completely serious with him and treat him like one of his students. There was not one of the Kanda dojo students who could say that Hatake favored his brother over them because Hatake, for all his joking around and somewhat childishness, was known for taking his responsibilities seriously and being just.

After two weeks had passed and their parents had not returned, Hatake was beginning to get worried. There had been no word from them to say that they would be arriving late or that they would be staying on. He couldn't very well go out and look for them and leave the children alone nor could he take them with him. He decided to give them three more days and if they had not come back he would call in a favor from a relative who knew where the other village was.

"Nii-san, when is otousan and okaasan coming back?" Yuu asked after another three days had passed with no sign of either parent, never pausing in the middle of his kata.

"Your steps have to be lighter." Hatake reminded "I don't know, Ara-san went to look for them yesterday, they're probably okay. No, don't jerk it; it has to be smooth from one movement to the other you know. Yes, like that." Ara was an uncle of his, though not related to the deceased relative whom his parents went to pay their respects to, and had been concerned once he heard about it and had set off immediately to look for his younger sister and her husband. The trip took two days or a day and a half if you went on horseback. His parents had no reason to stay after the three day ceremony after all.

Akimoto Ara arrived at the village before sundown and was greeted with devastation. The houses were in rubbles and it was very quiet, he dismounted from his horse to cautiously look around. The old school had also been devastated with large holes burned into everything as if the whole village had been shot down. Ara gasped when he saw the clothes lying around. It was as if whoever did this had put the villagers' clothes in the shape of a prone human face down without the actual body inside. Instead, sand was liberally piled over it in probably what looked like the shape of arms or legs but most of it had been blown away by the wind.

"What kind of monster..." He whispered the smell of death was everywhere. He ran towards the direction he was sure the house his sister had gone to was and skidded to a stop not daring to believe the sight before him. The whole place was filled with blood and clothes littered the place. The smell of death was the strongest here but he could see no bodies, he stepped forward, no longer even sure of what he was doing and froze in shock when he saw a necklace he had given his sister for her wedding gift lying on the floor next to clothes that looked like hers. His stomach heaved and he threw up, coughing and trying to breathe. When it was over he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and tears welled up in his eyes as grief threatened to overcome him.

"Mister, why are you here?" He snapped his head around to see a young girl about seven years old just standing there and looking at him with innocent eyes and a curious expression on her face. He recognized her immediately as one of his sister's nieces who sometimes came over to the village to visit as well as the daughter of the deceased relative.

"Sora? Sora! What happened here? Are you alright?" He choked out, moving towards her.

"I've just leveled up to number two, isn't that great? You'll be my celebratory kill then, congratulations." She said brightly, Ara's eyes widened in confusion.

"What are you tal--" His voice was cut off mid-sentence into a scream as he was pierced through his abdomen, Sora smiled as she drove in her spear-like fingernails deeper into him enjoying his strangled howls. Brutally jerking her elbow she dislodged her nails from his body as blood spurted everywhere, putting a finger to her mouth Sora casually licked off the blood of one hand Ara tried to scramble away but he found that he couldn't move, he opened his mouth to scream but couldn't, he could only watch on in terror as she came closer.

When it was over she giggled.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

The level two akuma wandered through the forest hoping there would be more humans to kill, she had gone through another village population out with the help of two level ones that resided there who she recruited to work for her. There was an innocence from the village just ahead mistress Road said. Earl-tama would love it if she brought it back and maybe kill some exorcists too. She felt powerful, more powerful than before. And where were those exorcists that were supposed to be so strong? She had not met even one in her massacre. Then again, she never left anyone to tell the tale so probably no one knew about her little bloodbaths. Especially in far out villages like those.

She reverted back to her human form signaling the others to do so too when they got to the edge of the forest "Don't kill anyone until I tell you too, our mission is to retrieve the innocence and report back to Earl-sama." She ordered.

The level ones nodded and took off to the village, probably going back to their host's family if they had any there in the form of relatives or friends. Sora had cousins she could stay with so the level two prepared herself by sticking leaves and branches to her hair and rolling around in mud to make it look like she had been through the forest from her village.

"Sora-chan?" Yuu gasped when he saw his disheveled cousin in front of him, she looked like she had spent a night or two in the forest as her clothes were torn and she was filthy. She looked like she had cried her eyes out and then some by the redness around them.

"Nii-san! Nii-san!" Yuu called, Hatake came running. Wondering what was making Yuu yell.

"Sora-chan?! What happened to you?" Hatake ushered her in "No, never mind. We'll get you cleaned up and tend to your wounds okay? You should get some rest first."

He got Yuu to run a bath for her while he quickly got something for her to eat. He knew that if Sora looked like she had made it out of her village alive what of their parents?

Once they got Sora settled in Hatake told Yuu to go feed Naoko. Sora looked up when he came into the room she was staying in for the time being and closed the door firmly shut behind him.

"Sora-chan?" Hatake said quietly, he didn't know if she was ready enough to give him the answers he needed as she looked like a leaf could break her, but he needed to know and he needed to know now.

"Tell me what happened. Did Ara-san come to the village?" Hatake asked his voice low and comforting.

"Monster." She whispered "Monster came and killed everyone. I am the only one alive." She broke out into sobs, covering her face with her hands as Hatake bowed his head and leaned on the door sliding down to a sitting position. Otousan, okaasan. Gone. He swallowed, feeling tears prick at his eyes. He had suspected as much when there was no sign of Ara five days after he went. How was he going to tell Yuu? What were they going to do now? He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard something clatter on the floor and footsteps pounding away from the other side of the door. Standing up quickly he burst open the door and his heart sank when he saw the wooden katana rolling on its side obviously recently dropped.

"Yuu? Yuu!" Hatake called as he ran from the room. When he was out of sight Sora uncovered her face and smiled.

Yuu ran as fast as he could though he didn't know where he was going. Running was good, running was fine, and running didn't make you think of all the bad things. He focused on the sound his feet made on the ground and tried to make them lighter to see if he could make as little sound as possible. Something in him knew that if he just did that and nothing else he wouldn't have to think of his mother and father never coming home. So he ran.

Hatake punched the wall in frustration, he didn't know where Yuu was, he had a traumatized girl in the house and Naoko was crying so loud he was sure the neighbors could hear her. That wasn't the point and he knew it but his parents were dead like he suspected them to be but that fact did nothing to alleviate the sudden pain and loss. He was the man of the house now, the thought hit him like a ton of bricks and he stood there with a fist still on the wall dumbly as the emotions he had tried to suppress threatened to burst out.

There was a knock on the door which broke him out of the numbness that was starting to creep up. He went to the door absently wondering why it was so quiet all of a sudden; perhaps Yuu had come back and picked her up. Or Sora? He remembered she had a little sister Naoko's age so she probably went to quieten her down. He was not two steps from the door when he found that he couldn't move anymore, he made a sound of surprise that never left his throat when everything went black.

The two exorcists outside was greeted by a small girl, about the age of maybe seven or eight, who answered their knocking. She was wearing a simple yukata with a pair of obi that was a little big on her.

"Yes? Gomen for not answering sooner but I was looking after the baby." That little brat was easily taken care of and so was the boy. Ah the look of fear in his eyes when she slashed his throat was priceless. She had to quickly stash him in her room after that. She hoped the blood wasn't too obvious.

"I'm Gora Kimimoto and he's Roger Bluemouth." One of them said pointing to the other one wearing sunglasses. Gora smiled and pet her head "We're just here to ask a few questions so...is that blood?" Roger's eyes took her in; her yukata was three sizes too big and covered every inch of her body. It was obvious she was hiding something.

"Give it up Akuma, we know you're one." Roger growled, Gora turned to him in surprise and looked back at her translating it in the same tone of voice. She took the bait and screeched transformed into her true self, the signal for her level one minions who were situated just a few feet outside the house to immediately change into their true form. They were taken care of easily by one of them who wore sunglasses while the other went for her throat.

"Uh-uh. Bad boy." She smirked, holding a finger up. The exorcist found he couldn't move. Gora had just finished off the level ones easily and was running towards her with a long thin metal rod. She slashed at him with her long sharp fingernails but he dodged it.

"Lightning-I bid you come!" He shouted, a flash of light came from the sky and landed on the top of the metal rod and coated it from top to bottom with light so bright Sora had to shield her eyes. She barely had time to react any more when the rod pierced her through. She screamed as the lightning of the rod smashed into her leaving the rod a normal metal one once more.

She slumped down to the ground as Roger was freed. He went near her warily, the one with the sunglasses reached out to pull the rod out of her when he was pushed out of the way. A shot rang out as he found himself making an acquaintance with the hard ground underneath him.

Gora looked up and found himself just inches away from where the long and deadly nails had been slashed for one last ditch attempt to get him, any closer and he would have had been skewered "What the hell?"

His companion had activated his innocence just in time and smoke was coming out of his left glove. His innocence shot energy out of the finger of his left hand glove and were currently set on high.

"Little shit wasn't dead." He explained grimly, helping his partner up.

"Thanks Roger." Gora said. Most of the villagers had run from the scene, clever of them, but some of them had hung around to watch the free show. Since they were there might as well make themselves useful.

"Oy! Whose house is this?" He asked in Japanese in their general direction, Roger stayed silent as he did not understand the language.

"The Kanda family dojo." One of them piped up while the rest were still gawking "What was that?!"

The two exorcist ignored the question "Is this girl one of the family?"

"Yes, she's a cousin of theirs." A women stepped forward "I am Akimoto Hina, a relative of the Kandas. Could you tell me what happened here? Are the children alright?"

"Please stay here Akimoto-dono." Gora said, Roger had already entered the house and he had to jog to catch up.

"Find anything?" Gora asked, reverting back to English. Roger held up a hand motioning him to be quiet. They searched the house opening rooms.

Roger found a teenage boy dumped in a room, blood was seeping out of his wounds and it was already clear to him the Asian was dead before he felt for a pulse.

Gora sank to his knees not believing the sight before him, a little child-just a baby-had been brutally killed and beheaded. The blood was everywhere.

He felt a presence behind him and turned around thinking it was Roger but found himself face to face with a child.

"Akuma?" The word was out of his mouth as quickly as he moved back out of range and activated his innocence.

"Naoko?" The child's hands flew to his mouth as silent tears dripped down his face "Nii-san?" A sob escaped from his lips as his whole body trembled. It looked real enough for Gora even though he didn't deactivate his innocence "I'm sorry."

"Yuu! Yuu! Come back here!" Gora heard Akimoto's voice from outside meaning she and the rest of the villagers were still alive, this couldn't be an akuma then.

"Was this your sister?" Gora asked quietly as he shut off his weapon. The child swallowed and turned to look at him nodding slightly. Yuu had seen a man in the room Sora was staying in, the floor stained with blood, closing his brother eyes and he was old enough to know what that meant. Gora moved closer to the child slowly, Yuu backed away and ran from the room as tears blurred his vision. He could dimly hear people calling out to him but he continued running even with his legs aching from his earlier running. He headed into the forest he knew so well from his games with his friends or when he trained on his own losing his pursuers quickly if there were any at all.

"Shit, Roger!" Gora yelled to his fellow exorcist, he made to chase after the boy but Roger held him back shaking his head.

"Boy'll come back on his own; we've got to find the innocence before any other akuma finds it first. He's their problem now, not ours. We can't waste time looking for all the kids in the world who's lost something." Roger said quietly. Gora looked towards the direction the kid had taken off and looked back to the house shaking his head.

"Not right, isn't right for a kid to lose so much so young." He said, something clouding his eyes.

"That's what we're fighting for ain't it?" Roger answered already moving away from the fight scene, Gora following after with downcast eyes.

"You're gonna have'ta let go of any idealism you got sonny boy." Roger said over his shoulder gently yet firm "We're fighters, not sympathizers. This is war."

TBC

**I don't think Roger and Gora is going to show up again so don't expect them. In other news I think I need a Beta so please feel free to offer. Criticism is welcome and any reviews will make my day.**

**~Kazegetsu~  
**


	2. Introduce yourself

**Title: Ame futte ji katamura: After the rain, the Earth hardens.**

**Summary: Before Kanda Yuu the exorcist there was the child experiment Alma. A what-if story of his childhood from age ten to where we are now.**

**Author's notes: I would like to express gratitude to anonymous reviewer 'cupcake' for the lovely and much appreciated reviewwhich helped me a lot. I tried to incorporate as much of cupcake's advice in this and I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!**

**Thank you also to MarciKupo, who's review made my day, marufu-chan, and DarkMadamRose.**

**For cupcake's query: Level two akuma doesn't kill by poisonous bullets so the baby was not turned into dust.**

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Chapter two-Introduce yourself.

Branches slapped his face and his feet positively burned and ached from running so hard begging him to stop but he could hear faint calling behind him that spurred him on. He no longer focused on his footsteps or his surroundings working on autopilot.

Dodging trees and leaping over roots that could have tripped him up, for even in his wild grief he was strangely aware, he slowed down to a stop when he came to a stream.

Falling on his knees he stared blankly at the water. He had stopped crying a long time ago and he reached out and washed his face mechanically absently thinking that his mother would have done it for him if she was there but he was a big boy now. He glanced at his reflection to see his red eyes and his long hair that he had neatly pulled up in his customary ponytail was undone and mud streaked.

He didn't know when he fell asleep but when he awoke it was already dark, he didn't recognize the place he was in. He had not paid attention to which direction he'd run to but he figured he'd had a head start on whoever was chasing him. He didn't want to go home. There was no home for him now without otousan, okaasan, Hatake, Naoko.

It seemed like a dream. As if his family had not died and he wasn't alone in the world. It was in that state of denial that he let himself drift away in thoughts.

He remembered Hayate, always teasing him and protecting. Naoko who laughed sweetly when he made a funny face, which made him smile. Mother and father who were kind and loving yet distant. He remembered and...he didn't. He glanced around the place, the night making everything look varying shades of dark.

The only color there was, was a beautiful lotus flower which he had seen everywhere he went since he could remember. Something inside him had urged for him not to tell anyone about this strange phenomenon and he felt like if he did he would be betraying someone...important?

He tried to stir up memories of them but he came up with...nothing. Of course he remembered the year before where they celebrated his ninth birthday and the current year but years before his ninth birthday seemed to fade. He tried to recall the

birth of Naoko and found he could not, it seemed like she had been always there, why was he forgetting? Or rather, where were the memories? In the past he had never really thought about the years before his ninth, always taking for granted that there were years before that as he was a child and did not dwell on these things much.

As he was trying to recall the years before his ninth, thinking as hard as a ten year old could, a sudden memory sprung up.

_**Running through town, something hot on his heels. Throwing himself to the ground as bullets landed violently where he had been, he shielded his head from the resulting flying debris as best as he could. Jumping, twisting, and slashing expertly with a long black katana. The feeling of triumph when it hit its mark. Oh! The exultation of battle!**_

"Yaaaargh!" Yuu's eyes shot open. What memory was that? He had never been to battle let alone touched a katana, especially

not one as deadly as the one he saw. He shook his head violently until his head hurt, should he chalk it up to imagination?

But he was not a very imaginative boy and it felt too real to have been just a dream. He could still feel the faint hint of

adrenaline from the 'memory' and could still remember the hard gravel beneath. His hands clenched into fists resting on his

knees as he sat on the dirt ground akimbo.

_**An elderly man, kneeling to come to eye level with him. "Do you see the flower? Don't worry, it's just an illusion. The **_

_**flower is...**_

Is? Is? Yuu racked his mind for the answer frustrated, it was there sitting pretty just waiting to be discovered.

What did he feel now? Some horror at all the blood sure, he didn't get a very good look at Naoko but he had seen the blood and the big man in black had hidden most of his view of his brother. Grief? Yes. No. He didn't know. He felt as if he had witnessed a stranger's death than his own siblings, that he had been informed of a distant relative's passing than his own parents. He felt tired, so tired. And lonely and so very lost.

That's when it finally dawned on him, his wall of denial crumbling down. They were gone and they were not coming back. His knees gave out and he collapsed again onto the ground. His body started to tremble and his breathing came out in short hurried gasps. The dam that he had unknowingly built up around his mind to protect him from the grief burst, tears running

rivers down his cheeks as Kanda Yuu turned his head to the heavens and screamed his pain.

"Poor thing. Poor thing." Kanda's head snapped up, his tear stained face turning upwards to the source of the voice. it was an oval shaped man with a large grin. His eyes hidden behind glasses.

"I can give them back to you. Just say the word." The man crouched down to stroke Yuu's waist length hair. The boy flinched away from the touch.

"W-what? Who are you?" He asked brokenly. Back? He could have them back?

_**Foolish. But humans are all the same, they never understand that the dead must stay dead**_

"The dead must stay dead." He whispered the memory was so real! As if he had said it himself. The man drew back surprised.

"No one has said that to me before." He said "I am the Earl of the Millennium. Who are you?"

_**"The Earl makes the akuma by drawing out a dead person's soul and placing it in a holder, the holder's grief makes it possible. The jobs of the wielder of the innocence are to hunt down and kill them." A gravelly voice. An imposing figure. "I have my family, I want not of your akumas and your innocence." The reply was quiet, yet authoritive in a language he did not know, yet could understand. "You don't understand! The fate of the whole world is at stake! John Westen Hamstern you are hereby ordered by the pope to come with me!"**_

The memories were pushing back all emotion until it felt like he was in a dream. There had been a reflective glass where

Kanda had seen who was the one replying. He was tall and muscular with a clean shaven face and short brown hair, beside him Kanda had glimpsed a little girl hanging on to the man's trousers. John. That was his name wasn't it? The other man who had been talking to John wore a black uniform with a cross insignia. A word flitted across his mind-exorcist.

"I don't know." Kanda shrugged. He didn't feel afraid like he thought he should. The dead must stay dead. His family...his family...His family was dead and would stay dead. No sense mourning

The earl blinked and peered down at the boy. Sudden recognition flashed through his eyes and he laughed, oh how his laughter rang through the forest and rumbled in the boy's ears.

"Alma Karma!" He laughed "What a coincidence! But there are no coincidences are there?" He said softly patting Kanda's head.

The child stared at the man who was uncomfortably close to his face so that he could see each individual tooth in the earl's unnervingly wide grin.

"I can already feel your grief ebbing away Alma Karma. Soon, you'll be a simple mindless shell of a killing machine." He laughed, it wasn't a nice one "I wonder what they did to you child to be able to have felt such sorrow as you did. It worked though. I never imagined the Alma Karma to have emotions."

_**"So you've agreed?" A tall man in a white lab coat asked. "I just want to be with my family." The voice was the same as in his other 'memories'. The man nodded "Very well." **_

The earl drew away from the child, his glasses glinting in the moonlight "You're my very important sacrifice. I have to insure your safety don't I?" He pressed his hand to Yuu's upper left chest.

Yuu tried to jerk away but the earl's grip was vice-like "Hold still, I'll be done soon. Shhh." Yuu's eyes widened at the sudden burning sensation where the earl's hand was. He screamed at the agony, it was like someone was pressing a red hot poker to his skin. He dug his fingers into the earl's arm and held on bruising tight trying to get it off of him but his efforts were in vain. All the while the Earl was whispering what seemed to be soothing words and did not look at all affected.

Yuu's eyes rolled to the back of his head as he passed out. The earl gently placed the child on the side of the road on his stomach with his hair obscuring his face so that he looked pitiful enough for a stranger to perhaps pick him up and care for him. If he knew fate, and the Earl did, the Earl knew he would be meeting the child again. Farewell Kanda Yuu." He chuckled "Until we meet again."

~.~.~.~

"Oh my, what's this?" Tiedoll said, crouching down to a squat. He shook the child's shoulder gently "Wake up. Come on, it's not healthy to sleep out here." He said softly. The child stirred and the general was greeted with a pair of sleepy eyes the color of coal.

The child was orientally beautiful in a way an Asian was. With long dark blue hair spilling over the child's back and fanningout unto the ground and the child's slender body, The child's face mostly hidden by it's fringe, it was not wonder Tiedoll wasn't completely sure if it was a boy or a girl.

"Mmf, wha-" The child said getting up, it was most definitely a boy now that Tiedoll had gotten a better look at his face.

Tiedoll realized the boy was what that country would call a 'bishonen', or a beautiful male. The boy blinked, and then started.

He exclaimed a string of Japanese words that Tiedoll could not understand, but by the look on the child's face, the child probably was as surprised as he was at his present situation.

"Hold on, hold on. I can't understand a word you're saying!" Tiedoll chuckled, the boy froze.

"Saying-ah." He tested looking confused "Understand-ah me saying-ah."

"Froi Tiedoll." The general said, pointing to himself to indicate that it was his name "You?"

"My name is Kanda Yuu." The child said in perfect English, looking horribly shocked.

Kanda was bewildered, what was this strange language coming from his mouth? It was definitely not Japanese.

"You speak English?" Tiedoll asked. Well, well, well. This day was turning out to be full of surprises.

"English." Kanda repeated "This is English?"

"Yes it is. How did you learn the language if you didn't know that?"

The words came into his head as soon as he formed the answer in Japanese. he found that if he thought of a word in his native tongue an English word would appear immediately giving him the choice to use one or the other. It was as if he had been speaking English all his life, which he hadn't. This was all too confusing.

"What do you want?" He asked, pushing away the confusing thoughts. He could differentiate between his mother language and this new one easily though now he spoke the English with an accent. He probably was being quite rude but he didn't really

care, he just wanted to go home and not think about all these things that were starting to get a little much for him. What happened to the Earl? What did he do to him? What was he doing by the roadside?

"I'm sorry, its a little rude for me to be asking so much questions. I am a mere traveler who is quite lost. Do you happen to know where the town is?" Tiedoll said placating. He knew where it was of course but it was probably better to get on this child's good side if he was to help him any. Kanda was dirty from spending the night sleeping on the ground and looked as lost as he probably felt.

"Yes. You just follow the road and turn right at the fork." Kanda replied dazedly.

"Is your home is near here? I'm sure your parents are wondering where you are." Tiedoll said, fully prepared to accompany the child to wherever his home was.

Kanda surprised even himself when he answered "I'm a traveler too, I have no home. I'm...looking for someone." When he said it, it was as if that was his objective all along. Now that he thought about it, he did want to find the stranger in his dreams and ask him the questions he had stored up in his mind. The one whose memories he was flashing back to. The one called John. He also wanted to know who this Earl of Millennium was.

"Sounds interesting." The general smiled "Well, where're you headed anyway?"

Kanda shrugged not sure of it himself. All thoughts of his parents and his siblings were blanked over in his mind as if it were just an annoyance he didn't have to deal with at the moment. He barely even felt the slightest remnant of grief from the night before, only a sudden desire to find John Hamstern and find out what was happening to him.

"Why don't you travel with me for a while? It would be most helpful to have an English speaking Japanese guide and I would appreciate the company on the journey." Tiedoll said, standing up and offering Kanda a hand up. Kanda took it and quickly evaluated his options. Well, going back was a definitely not even considerable and so was striking it out on his own. It looked like all he could do was to move forward and wing it. Following the man who could probably help him with some answers looked like the best option.

"Okay." He said finally, glancing back at the forest "You go ahead, I'll catch up." He knew of a stream just a couple minute's walk in the forest and wanted to wash up anyway. He wondered what he would do for money when he and the man had to split. He knew of a family in the town who had known his father and owed him quite a bit of yen so he probably could collect that. Well, cross that bridge when he came to it then.

Tiedoll shot a glance at his new traveling companion. Even though the dear boy had been walking together with him for a long time now without rest he didn't complain nor show any sign of wanting to stop. He was not a particularly talkative boy though he kept his end of the conversation adequately enough for a child his age. Tiedoll drew most of the time, taking in the scenery and sights.

They came to the fork in the road like Kanda said and Tiedoll decided they could rest there. He set about building a camp

fire while Kanda quietly left and came back with a small stack of firewood without being asked.

"What is that uniform?" Kanda asked finally. Tiedoll was normally the one who initiated the conversation so it was a change from the norm.

"Well," Tiedoll smiled, looking around as if he was going to divulge a secret "Don't tell anyone but I'm an exorcist from the Black Order. All exorcists wear this."

"Exorcist..." So the stranger was an exorcist huh? Well, he still had absolutely no idea what the word meant or what the Black Order was but it was still something.

"What do you do?" Kanda asked. Tiedoll scratched the back of his head, wondering how to give the answer in the vaguest way possible "Well, we protect the world from bad guys."

"Bad guys like what?"

"Excuse me, oh thank goodness there's someone here!" A woman's voice cried out effectively interrupting the conversation,

she stepped into the light of the campfire "My family and I are terribly lost! Could you help us?" What was assumed to be her family stayed back, their silhouettes still recognizable in the moonlight.

"Bad guys like these." Tiedoll said. Bringing out a chisel and a cross from his cloak. He stood up quickly and pulled Kanda up "Go as far away as you can, hurry! Keep safe until I come back." He ordered quietly, pushing Kanda away in the directionof the woods.

Kanda nodded, understanding that the situation was severe even though he had no idea what was going on. He moved quickly to the shadow of the woods, swiftly getting away from the area.

"Where's he going? Isn't he staying to play? Running away like a coward." The woman sneered, her voice a wild sound that hurt the ears.

"He doesn't have anything to do with this." Tiedoll said firmly, he withdrew a small black cube from his pocket tossing it up and catching it again tauntingly before placing it back securely "You can come get the innocence if you wish, over my dead body that is." He said.

"Gladly." She screeched withdrawing from the light. Tiedoll activated his innocence, sensing more of the akuma with her. He crouched down, his sharp ears taking in every sound of the forest waiting until he couldn't hear the sound of Kanda's feet anymore.

"Witness the beauty of this world!" He commanded and drew the cross and rod, the rod created a spiritual chisel, linking the cross and itself together. Using the cross to knock the chisel into the ground "Art!" the result was a big hemisphere of light that totally destroyed the level one akuma which were the woman's 'family'. The woman, a level two, though severely injured was not dead yet. Tiedoll sank into a defensive crouch as he readied his innocence for another strike to end it.

"Stop! If you wish the boy alive you will put down your weapons and surrender the innocence immediately." Another level two akuma stepped into view, his fist covering Kanda's neck and lifting him high in the air. He was also injured badly but Tiedoll knew the akuma had enough in it to follow through with the threat. Kanda gasped for breath as the akuma tightened his hold slightly to make his point. Kanda could already see black dots swimming in his vision as he tried to pry the akuma's fingers off. Any sense of de ja' vu was instantly repressed by the fact that he. Could. Not. Breath!

Tiedoll's face turned grim, he knew the consequences of having non-exorcist companions for any amount of time was extremely dangerous as they could be as easily exploited as that which was why he rarely took on finders when he went on missions. But he knew what he had to do.

"So do it!" He answered completing the move that would finish them off "Forgive me Kanda Yuu. Art!" He cried out, the blinding yellow light sweeping through the forest wiping the two akuma out thoroughly. A loud snap was heard as the akuma broke Kanda's neck before it too was killed. Kanda's lifeless body fell to the ground with a thud as the screams of the akumas died out.

Tiedoll crouched down to inspect the body, Kanda's neck was in an awkward position and he had no pulse. The general hung his head, tears dripping down his cheeks and unto the ground as he gently closed the boy's wide staring eyes. He viewed all living things as precious and was a kindly soul. Even though he had just met the child he still paid him the honor of crying over the body because it was because of him that the child's life had been cut short.

He picked the child up carefully and cradled him in his arms, Kanda's head lolling limply in his arms. He could bury him in a decent grave at least. As he was walking he felt the child move. Amazed, he looked down at the boy and was shocked to find that his neck was realigning itself to its normal position and seemed to heal. Kanda suddenly gasped in air as he came back to life, breathing heavily. The boy lost consciousness again evidently alive in Tiedoll's arms.

Tiedoll lifted his head to the heavens and chuckled breathlessly. Although he knew the boy was in for an intense questioning in the morning it gladdened his heart to have witnessed it.

To have witnessed a miracle.

~.~.~

***laughs sheepishly* Well, that went better than I expected. The first part was actually a gift for cupcake who requested a 'Kanda getting over their deaths' scene which came out to something more, therefore-this chapter.**

**The following events are not accurate as Hoshino, the mangaka, has not really elaborated on Kanda's past so much. This is kind of AU okay? I hope this was enjoyable and whew! Over 3000 words!**


	3. The Earl's mark

Title: Ame futte ji katamaru: After the rain, the Earth hardens.

A/N: As you may have noticed, my loyal and awesome readers, I have changed the summary. Why? You ask. To attract new readers of course! Please tell me if you liked the summary or if you think its too pretentious. Also, unicorns have taken to the air, which causes the price of petrol to go up. I'm kidding, just wondering if you were even reading this. Well, on to the story if you hadn't skipped this and gone straight into the thing anyway. I don't blame you, I bore even myself sometimes.

Words in **_Bold Italic _are the stranger's memories. **

This is dedicated to my anonymous reviewer: cupcake. To express my unending gratitude, for his/her [?] advise.

_Dearest cupcake, you make me glow  
with your reviews that make me smile  
I hope there's enough to satisfy  
It took me quite a while._

_To get all commas into place  
so you can read with ease  
I hope you enjoy the chapter now  
And review again please?_

I also would like to thank MarciKupo, marufu-chan and Atsuko. You guys really made my day, and spurred me on to this chapter. Thank-you so much! It means a lot to me, seriously.

One more thing. Marie and Daisya will only make their appearances in later chapters so please be patient. The story mostly revolves around Gen. Tiedoll's group so you'll be seeing loads of them when they come.

**Chapter three-The Earl's mark**

Somewhere in the Asian Branch. Inside a classified room. A single lotus petal broke off from its flower, which was suspended in an hourglass, and drifted down, coming to a rest, pink and omnious at the bottom.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Kanda woke up feeling like shit. He hurt and he felt like he'd just been strangled, by the way his throat was the sorest part of him, and he was parched. His brain took a while to catch up with him, and when it did he sat up so fast his body protested, as it was still recuperating from the exitement the other night. He was in an unfamiliar room, and he did not recall ever getting there.

He had run as quickly from the scene as he could, leaving the light of the campfire behind him, with only the faint moonlight guiding his path. He'd seen a bright yellow light that washed over him without harm, although he heard a screech of pain coming from above. Something had dropped out of the sky, and crash landed on the ground a few feet away from where he had been running. He couldn't see it clearly in the dim light though he could see large wing-like things that protruded out of its back as it lay there, as still as if it were dead, and had gone closer gingerly to see what it was.

It had suddenly woken up, its eyes bright and shining in the darkness, and he'd run for his life. He could hear it coming closer. He stumbled on a hidden root, and fell on his hands hard, immediately scrambling to get up. Too late, the thing had caught up with him. Kanda slipped again on the ground in fear, and landed on his back, looking up at the monstrous form looking down at him. The thing raised its fist as if to strike him, and Kanda grabbed the nearest thing, which was a fallen stick, to try to counter the blow. The stick, a mere tree branch, was suddenly encased in bright blue light which cut through the thing's hand as it howled at the unexpected pain. So surprised was he, that he'd not seen the second fist which had picked him up easily and flung him hard against a tree causing him to cry out at the sudden impact.

"Exorcist." The thing had hissed and picked him up by the throat, pulling the stick which had lost its blue light out of his hands harshly. The last thing he remembered was that it had tried to choke the life out of him and...failed?

He was broken out of his thoughts when there was a knock on the door. It opened without invitation, and in came the man he had been traveling with. Tiedoll.

"You're awake! That's good, how are you feeling?" Tiedoll asked cheerfully. He went over to the child and pored him a glass of water which Kanda accepted gratefully. He gulped it down quickly. Tiedoll didn't comment and refilled his glass until Kanda was quite satisfied.

"What happened?" Kanda asked at last, looking at the General.

"You tell me." Tiedoll replied "I thought you were a goner. The akuma had snapped your neck, quite cleanly I must say, and you were actually dead for a minute." Kanda stared at him as if he were crazy. So the boy didn't know either huh?

"Dead? I was dead?" Kanda whispered feeling his neck "How can? Dead don't live again."

"You did." Tiedoll said, looking straight into his eyes "Tell me what happened last night."

So Kanda told him as best as he could in his broken English. He told him about the strange monster-he learned it was called an akuma-and about the bright yellow light, which had been Tiedoll's innocence, he learned later. When he got to the bright blue light and how it cut through the akuma's hand Tiedoll stopped him.

"Cut it? You actually managed to cut it? How did to activate the blue light? Can you do it again?" Tiedoll asked, could it be an innocence? Most likely. What a coincidence to have met the boy, and then to have him suddenly able to activate it if it was. An interesting coincidence indeed.

"Don't know." Kanda replied. He didn't even know how he did it in the first place. He just remembered a feeling of urgency because he thought he would die.

"Try saying innocence activate." Tiedoll urged. Kanda looked at him confused before muttering "Innocence...activate?" Immediately the same bright blue light encased his hand and shaped itself into a long blade. He closed his hand around the 'hilt' but quickly pulled back, the bright light disappearing.

"Itai." He hissed looking at his hand which looked like he had grasped the sharp end of a knife. Tiedoll watched quietly as the wounds on his hand suddenly closed up, he took the boy's hand gently in his own, and prodded it carefully. The boy watched in amazement as he felt no pain where the light had cut him, only a slight itch where it had been.

"Interesting. It heals almost as fast as the skin is cut. Does it hurt?" Tiedoll asked. Kanda shook his head still staring at his healed hand. He had never been a fast healer and this had never happened to him before. Except...The Earl had done something to him didn't he? He could still fell the Earl's grip on the upper half of his chest just above his heart. This fast healing had never occured before that.

"I'm sorry, this must be a lot to take in especially after you've just woken up. I explain everthing after breakfast, do you want to clean up first?" Tiedoll asked kindly, taking Kanda's hand when the child nodded, and leading him out of the room.

Kanda had mixed feelings when he looked at himself in the mirror above the sink in the bathroom. He didn't look as horrible as he felt, which had gone down to being just a bit sore by then, which meant that Tiedoll had cleaned him up when he was sleeping. A little relieved that he didn't look like he had just come out of one of nii-san's horror stories, and a bit embarresed. He was dressed in an oversized white shirt, probably belonging to Tiedoll, and he didn't know where his original clothes were. He washed the blood off his hand tentatively, all the while expecting it to hurt or sting, but even the itch was gone and his hand looked like normal.

The pain of loosing his family was like his healed wound, it itched at bit if he thought about it, but he didn't think of it. Did it make him uncaring? Unfilial? A big part of him had already gotten over it while the smaller part which still mourned was pushed down forcefully. He was unsure if it was normal for a person to get over grief so quickly but he dismissed the thought, squashing it as it came. He had better things to do than think about this kind of things. He didn't know where this apathethic side of him had come from but he suddenly didn't care. He needed to move forward, find this John person who's memories he was remembering and whose language he was suddenly speaking.

He washed his face and gargled some water. His long hair was out of its usual tie and cascaded down his back, he took off his shirt and stared in shock in the mirror.

There was a black kanji tattooed on his chest and above his heart where the Earl had touched him. It had never been there before and he was struck with the sick certaincy that the strange tattoo was the cause of all his fast healing. He put on the clothes Tiedoll had supplied him with before he went into the bathroom, something about belonging to the owner's youngest son, hurriedly. He was sure Tiedoll had noticed it when he had undressed him but had not mentioned it. The clothes were just a size too big on him but he hardly noticed it. Combing his hair with his finger as best as he could. He got himself to look at least presentable before he came out.

Tiedoll was waiting for him when he came out, and brought him to the nearby pub where he ordered breakfast for the both of them. After that he bought two train tickets and explained to Kanda what a train was, since it was the first time Kanda had seen one. Kanda, being from a rather rural village, had very little education. He normally helped around the house or practiced his sword skills had only very basic knowledge of mathematics. They boarded the train and was ushured into a private cabin, first class of course, Kanda couldn't help but gawk a little when they were in the train.

"The Black Order," Tiedoll began as the train began to move "Is made up of three groups of people. Innocence wieders like you and me fall into the one called exorcists. Another group are the scientists and research team, but I won't go into that very much, and the last group are the finders made up of ordinary people."

"Innocence is the weapon exorcists use, to destroy creatures called akuma. These akuma are created by someone called the Earl of the Millenium. He signs a contract with a person who have just lost one of their loved ones, using their grief to bring back their dead's souls. The souls then kill the one who called them up and enters their bodies. They follow the bidding of the Earl. There are three types of akuma. Level one, two and three. Level ones are powerful but they do not have sentience."

"Akuma...how it looks?" Kanda interrupted.

Tiedoll smiled and pulled out a chalk, and patted the seat next to him, gesturing Kanda to sit by him. Taking a piece of paper he drew a level one akuma.

"These are it's guns." Tiedoll pointed to said object, "It shoots out poisonous bullets which can kill a person, by turning him or her to sand." Kanda peered at the large round thing with some interest.

"A level two is more intelligent. Smart you know?" Tiedoll corrected when he saw Kanda's questioning look, Froi had to remind himself he was talking to a child who did not have very much in education, something he would have to ammend immediately "They are more powerful than a level one and take on different forms." He sketched a few examples for Kanda.

"And level three?"

"A level three is the most powerful of the akumas so far. It can take on several exorcists at once. It would be extremely, very, sorry, foolhardy to take one on by yourself." Tiedoll answered sketching a level three he once had met, and showing it to the child.

Kanda was impressed that Tiedoll could draw so well, and so quickly. His eyes following every stroke of the charcoal, as he paid attention to what the general was talking about. He kept a neutral expression though, not a boy to show feelings very much.

Even when he had been a child-if he ever was, he thought bitterly-he normally stayed away from his peers in the dojo, being more advanced at them in terms of swordskill, and prefering to stay at home to practice than to play. He wasn't very friendly and kept to himself, not really caring about much except his family and his sword-work. He'd accepted that he had simply no memories of his family before he was nine, as if he had merely been born nine, and instead consentrated on the here and now.

"Do you mind me asking what happened to your family?" Tiedoll asked gently "You don't have to, if you don't want to."

**_Flames. Fire. Smoke. A burning house. A sense of despair. The family dead. Mary dead. Children dead. Burnt to ashes. Grief. Terrible, terrible sorrow. Revenge. _**

"They all die." Kanda said shortly, staring fixtedly at the drawing of the akuma, that memory was not his own but it seemed like the stranger inside his head had lost his family too. It felt like he had spent months mourning for family. For a stranger's family. And now that his had gone, he just felt finished, the stranger having done the crying enough for him, and empty in his heart, and very hesitant to fill it up again. He was done with sadness, with tears.

"I'm sorry." Tiedoll said.

"Akuma did it." Kanda went on, his voice void of emotion "Level two. It quick, their deaths. Akuma was cousin I had. Her mother dead too. Akuma is born like that?"

Tiedoll froze in the middle of his drawing to look at the boy carefully. No signs of distress, trauma, nothing. Only something old and weary in the child's eyes that made him look older than he was. It was gone as soon as it came, but Tiedoll determined to watch the boy more carefully. He was certainly more than it seemed.

"That's right." Tiedoll nodded, giving the boy a genuinely pleased smile, his years of experience telling him that now was not the time. "I'm glad you were paying attention."

"Exorcists...have know this." Kanda replied pointedly. It was all he had now, and he was going to do it the best he could. It was frustrating, speaking this language. He was aware that he was speaking it brokenly, by the way the General spoke slowly, though not patronizingly, to him. It was difficult, he understood the words, but it was hard to find the right words when he talked. He knew he easily slipped back to his native tongue sometimes, and he determined to try and get used to English quickly.

"That's true." Tiedoll agreed "I have a theory about your innocence. You said you grabbed a branch right? And you could use the blue light without harm?" Kanda nodded.

"I think that your innocence is like a sharp blade. You just need to concentrate on forming a proper hilt. The branch you held probably helped you get leverage. Tell me, do you have any experience with the sword?"

"Yes." Kanda said.

"Good, good. We'll be going to the Asian branch, which is the Order closest. And get you a proper weapon." Tiedoll said.

"The Earl. He visits and person don't want?" Kanda asked.

"He most likely kills them." Tiedoll answered.

"You know how he looks?" Kanda asked, although he already knew the answer.

Tiedoll flipped to the next paper on his portable canvas "I've never seen him for myself, so I don't know. Any more questions , or shall we move on?"

Kanda shook his head "Iie, no,we move on." He said. It was rather difficult remembering to speak English.  
"The science and research team is in charge of the weapons and mission giving. We also have a medical team. Members of the Order stay in a branch, and are not allowed to contact or speak to their families. Their families may join us as well, though, and some do join as finders. Finders are posted in towns or cities, and help exorcists find their way around in the unfamiliar place."

Kanda thought for a while "You don't got one?"

"That's a good question." Tiedoll said "I'm a general, my job is not to hunt akumas or look for innocences, instead I bring several of the innocence who have not been united with a compatible wherever I go, and look for other innocence users like myself, to make them exorsists, and train them as my apprentices."

The train came to a stop at a harbor, where large ships were being prepared, to carry passengers over the great sea. Kanda drank in the sight wonderingly, he had only heard about ships from his uncles who told him about it in great detail, he had never actually seen one for himself. Tiedoll chuckled when he saw the child's wide-eyed marveling, though Kanda tried to surpress it.

"Could you please look after the luggage for me? I need to make a call." Tiedoll said.

"Hai, can I say you is sensei?" Kanda asked, looking up at the taller man questioningly. Tiedoll paused, trying to work out what Kanda had just said to him.

"Can you call me Sensei?"

"Master, or, teacher." Kanda explained. Tiedoll nodded with a smile "Since you are to be my apprentice, I can't see why not. May I call you Yuu-kun then?"

"Iie." Kanda said firmly "Kanda. I Kanda." He never liked being called by his first name other than by his parents or siblings.

"Kanda it is then." Tiedoll agreed amicably. He left with his golem, giving Kanda some money to buy some snacks nearby, in case he was hungry, with instructions not to move far from the spot and keep an eye on the luggage.

Tiedoll fixed the golem to a phone and rang the Asian Branch, it wasn't polite to just drop in unexpectedly after all "Hello? This is General Froi Tiedoll, may I be put through to the supervisor please?"

"Tiedoll-san!" The voice of the Asian Branch superior sounded flustered "I'm sorry, this isn't a very good time."

"Don't worry, I'm in Edo right now, at the harbor, and I just wanted to tell you that I've found a new exorcist, who happens to need a sword and I know that Master Zhu makes very exellent ones."

"Edo? As in Japan?"

"Yes, of course." Tiedoll supressed a chuckle, the younger man was probably breaking out in hives right about then.

"Of course, haha, there's no other Edo right? Yes..." Tiedoll could hear hurried instructions in the background, along with a crash and some yelling, which sounded like Fou.

"Hello? General? We'll get preperations immediately. Thank you for calling. Goodbye!" Tiedoll put down the phone bemusedly. He collected his golem and walked back to find Kanda in the exact same place he left him. Kanda handed over the money Tiedoll had given him, silently.

"Who was it?" Fou asked when Bak had hung up.

"General Tiedoll, he was calling from Japan." He answered distractedly, moving off to inform Zhu of the newcomer.

"Bak you IDIOT!" She yelled "Why didn't you tell him to help us search?! He could've investigated the village we left the Alma Karma with!"

Bak froze "Shit."

She got ready to scream at him again when he held out his hands frantically "Hey, hey. What are the odds of him finding the boy anyway? We only got the news of the finders' deaths. The village is deep in the forest and very secluded, and the General was already at the harbor. Its best that we sent our finders right?" Bak said quickly.

Fou frowned, but couldn't counter that argument. She didn't even care anyway, the Alma Karma was his business.

Tiedoll smiled at his new student "Arigoto gozaimus. That's 'thank-you' isn't it?" He grabbed his suitcase in one hand and held the other out in an invitation for the child to hold his hand. Kanda looked at it hesitantly, and Tiedoll aborted the move, patting his shoulder instead to show that his feelings were not hurt at all.

"Iie, it's Arigatou gozaimasu. And...It is 'you are welcome' yes?" Kanda asked awkwardly. Tiedoll laughed, dispelling the tension "Yes it is. Lets go, shall we?" He walked forward benkoning the boy to follow.

Kanda watched the man walk a few more steps, deciding immediately, before speeding slightly up to Tiedoll, and shyly slipping his hand into the General's free one.

_TBC_

**Oh yes, I couldn't resist the last scene. I love fluff, and am a firm believer that Kanda was not as uptight as he was when he was a kid. I mean seriously, he had to be adorable once right? (Not that he isn't now, but all semblence of cuteness have been overridden by his mega-hot badass gorgeousness. Am I right or am I right?) I hope you can make sense of Kanda's talking, broken English and all that, he doesn't really talk very much, an action guy by nature I guess. If you don't understand, please feel free to tell me that.**

**I don't want to overdo the broken English, really. All gramatical mistakes in his speech is intended, just so you know. Thank-you for reading. And if you liked it, and want to read futher chapters, please hit the 'story alert' button. Just for me to know there's someone who wants to read more out there. You don't even have to review.**


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