Fandom The Gathering of Death Eater Children

[Hikari Chan]

"I feel both thrilled and excited about this second mission..." Aislinn said as she sat down in front of Alastair in main room of the carriage.

Looking at his handsome profile, she was wondering if she was going to have the same responsibility and position as the last time when she suddenly noticed how his eyes glowed a shade of purple. She blinked twice and thought that she was imagining it. But then she saw how more he turned away his head.

Does he really need to turn his head in such angle to look out through the window? She thought confused and looked at the window. Since it was dark outside, his image nearly reflected in the window glass and his reflected eyes were glowing so purplish bright.

When he turned his head towards her, his eyes had normal color and there was no trace of any purple shade.

Did I just imagine that he had purple eyes? She thought with bewilderment.

She did not mention a thing about it to him. She just smiled lovingly towards him when she met his eyes. I must have been eating too much desserts...

"Sure," Vincent replied, wondering how many questions miss Lestrange had on her mind and hoping that she won't keep him all night until dawn.

"Would you like to sit or stand or take a walk while you interview me?"

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

When they began their descent, Alastair turned to Aislynn once more. "What do you think of Osaka?" he asked.

"Hmm." he said, interested.

When they landed on a rooftop, as usual, Raven opened the door and they admired the view of the sea in the afternoon sun.

"I do find it odd when we travel, that the time difference is always so...confusing. It adds a surreal effect to the whole trip."

"Well, shall we?" he said, offering her his arm to apparate to street-level. The car was enlarged, and he opened the door for her. They drove quickly, while Alastair played something that would both relax and energize him.



"How did you like that sort of music?", he smiled as he helped her out of the parked car before shrinking it onto his key chain.

"Okaerinasai! (Welcome back!)" Reiji greeted them the second they left the elevator.

Alastair greeted him and shook his hand rather stiffly, not wishing to speak with him at all.

Reiji turned to shake hands with Aislynn, a smile that was attempted to be smooth on his face.

"There is no reason to humor him, do ignore him." Alastair said while looking at Reiji coldly.

"Perhaps we could walk among the ruins?" Luna asked, having no intention of keeping him so long. I wouldn't want to bother him for that long... Luna thought, embarrassed. "I have many questions...I do hope I will not tire you out with them." Luna said, taking a deep breath before beginning. "Firstly, are you vulnerable to crosses, garlic, and a steak through the heart?"

"Hmm...I see." she said, thinking about her next question. "When vampires begin to grow old, is it true that you need the blood of a...virgin to regain your youthful appearances?" she asked, referencing a Muggle fictional book about vampires.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"What do you think of Osaka?" Alastair asked when they began their descent.

"Well...I love the view over the city from the rooftop," Aislinn replied. "And I feel that there's so much more to see and do in such a big city, just than the restaurant, clothing store and temple I visited the last time. I would love to visit every clothing store in Osaka and discover the rest of it...A large city never fails to please me," She smiled.

"Hmm." he said, interested.

When they landed on a rooftop, she noticed that it was afternoon. And as the last time the time difference confused her, since it had been night when she had left Luna's manor. Aislinn was about to mention this when Alastair seemed to spoke her mind.

"I do find it odd when we travel, that the time difference is always so...confusing. It adds a surreal effect to the whole trip."

"Yes, I agree..." She spoke quietly. I still don't understand how it can be night in England and afternoon in Osaka. She thought frustrated. I will ask Alastair about this after we have completed our second mission...

She took his arm when he offered it to her and followed him down to the street-level.

The music Alastair played in the car was both relaxing and energizing at the same time that Aislinn felt less nervous and more relaxed about the mission. Usually a relaxing music would have made her to forget about the time, though this one did not.

"How did you like that sort of music?", he smiled as he helped her out of the parked car before shrinking it onto his key chain.

"I loved it," She replied smilingly. "Great one to play before a mission."

At the agency, Aislinn's mood spiraled down as soon as she saw Reiji. She did not understand a word of Japanese and she had already forgotten the word sama which she had caught up the last time. Thus, she just put her hands into her pockets and walked past Reiji, easily ignoring the hand he was extending towards her to greet her. And Alastair's words triggered her inner rudeness and impoliteness that it just made it easier for her to coldly and rudely ignore Reiji.

Vincent nodded quietly and started a slow pace to strode with miss Lestrange among the ruins.

"I have many questions...I do hope I will not tire you out with them." Luna said, taking a deep breath before beginning. "Firstly, are you vulnerable to crosses, garlic, and a steak through the heart?"

"We feel weaker when we see crosses and any holy symbol, but it does not kill us," He replied. "As for garlic, we are allergic to it, its smell and taste. It does not kill us at the instant. Ingesting it make us first ill and the illness makes us weaker and consume our bodies until we die. It is a very slow and agonizing death. It is possible to get treatment against such illness, so it is not that fatal. But a stake through the heart is on the contrary very fatal and can kill us at instant."

"Hmm...I see." she said. "When vampires begin to grow old, is it true that you need the blood of a... virgin to regain your youthful appearances?" she asked.

He burst out in laughter and looked at her as if she had asked the most stupid question he ever had heard.

"Blood of a what?" He laughed and gave her such a ridiculous look. "We have longer lifespans and age much slower than humans and it does not matter what kind of blood we drink. We just need blood to survive. It does not matter if it is human, magical or non-magical, other species or animal blood. Any blood works fine as nutrition. We can also eat pasties." He added with an almost dreamy smile clearly showing that he loved pasties so much.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

Alastair laughed softly as Aislynn ignored Reiji so perfectly.

"Burīfingu o ukerubekidesu. (You should get on with the briefing.)" He said coldly as he walked past Reiji.

"Tadashi... (Correct...)" Reiji said sadly, rushing to catch up to Alastair, eventually passing him and entering the briefing room.

"Kono shimei no tame ni-(For this mission)" he began, summoning a thin stack of papers, composed of three sheets, and levitating one to both Alastair and Aislynn. "Watashitachiha shashin-tsuki no hyōjun fairu o motte imasu. (We have standard files with pictures. )"

On each piece of paper was the name, age, sex, height, and weight of each of the three villains. Two men, one in his mid-twenties and the other in his late-forties, and an eighteen year-old girl. The men wore suits and the girl wore a school-girl's uniform, her hair in a neat low-ponytail with straight bangs which nearly covered her eyebrows. The papers stated that their crimes were that of child-trafficking. Every time a child went missing, the Agency was able to find holes in the alibis of both men. The girl was connected somehow, but they were unsure of her exact role in the crimes.

“Mr. Tsukino…” Alastair said to Aislynn, pointing to the younger man “Mr. Narita…” he said, pointing to the older man “They seem likely to be behind this…But Ms. Haruki Arita?” he was perplexed as he looked at the young girl’s innocent eyes. “She is only eighteen…”

“Hachi-Kai kara no mirari wa, anata ga deru mae ni anata o mitai to omotte imasu.” Reiji said, feeling left out.

“Reiji says that a friend of mine, named Mirari, wishes to see us on the eighth floor.” Alastair said excitedly to Aislynn. He had assumed that she remembered what the eighth floor was for, before reminding himself that she was still new to the Agency. “The eighth floor is where weapons and gadgets are available! Mirari only contacts me if she has anything interesting or exciting, so this should be fun!” he laughed.

Together, they left without looking back at Reiji, and were soon in the elevator.

“Alastair-San…” Reiji said, hurt again as he stared at the door where they had just left. “Aishiteru…”

“Konnichiwa, Alastair-San!(Good afternoon, Alastair!)” Mirari greeted once they had walked up to her on the eighth floor, where she had been delicately inspecting a gadget that resembled a Muggle marble. She put it down and immediately held out her hand to shake with first Alastair, then Aislynn as he introduced them.

“…And Aislynn, this is Mirari Tanaka, a close friend of mine. If there is anyone you can trust in this whole Agency, it is Ms. Tanaka.” He said, smiling at her.

“Hai! Arigato, Alastair-San! (Yes! Thank you, Alastair!)” She smiled back at him.

“She can understand nearly all English, but when she comes to speak it, she cannot remember what to say…It is a rather odd disadvantage, but it makes communication simpler in an emergency.” Alastair explained. Mirari nodded in agreement.

“Hajimeimashtei!(Nice to meet you!)” she said to Aislynn.

“Nice to meet you.” Alastair translated.

She was a very cheerful person, with a perfect oval face, simple brown eyes, rectangular glasses (think Claude Faustus glasses), and her dark brown hair in a neat long braid that lay on her shoulder. She wore a white doctor’s coat which came down to just below her knees, and she wore simple white flats. She seemed the type of person who would be a joy to be around, and it was for this reason that Alastair mentally planned a dinner for the three of them somewhere in the future.

“The gadget, Mirari-San.” Alastair reminded her, as she had gotten lost in the beautiful view outside the window.

“Tadashi! (Right!)” She said, remembering. She walked over to where she had been working, and opened a drawer in the desk. She pulled out a simple, light headpiece, and handed it to Alastair, speaking in Japanese proudly.

“She says-” Alastair smiled “-that this headpiece...She made it especially for you, so that you can understand Japanese when you wear it.”

It looked like the white headpieces that Muggle secret agents used, except without the annoying coil of cord that trails down the wearer's neck.

As soon as Aislynn put the headpiece on, Alastair turned to Mirari and switched to Japanese. “Thank you so much for all of you effort, Mirari.” he smiled “You must have worked so hard to create this new piece in only…a day and a half?” he tried to recall exactly how long it had been since Aislynn’s interview.

"My apologies..." Luna said, blushing as Vincent laughed. "I am rather ignorant when it comes to vampires..." Does he see me as a fool, or merely that I have been fooled?

When he explained about the pasties, she nearly laughed herself. I thought...Why does he like pasties so much? "I thought...that vampires cannot taste anything but the blood of their victims?" Luna said, confused now.

"Ah..." she breathed, becoming less confused. "Alright." she said, preparing for her next question. "Every now and then, two magical people bare a child with no magical power whatsoever, despite both of them, and their parents before them, being magical. Does anything like that happen with vampires?" We have squibs and Muggle-borns...They have dhamphirs and... ?

 

[Hikari Chan]

Aislinn glanced briefly at each paper when Alastair introduced her to the villains. She could not register the names in her mind, because she still had difficulties dealing with foreign names, though she was able to remember how all three of them looked like.

Why so astonished? She thought when he introduced the third villain. Anything can be hidden behind such an innocent face...

She heard Reiji saying something in the background, but she was not listening. And it was easier to ignore him since she did not understand Japanese. Instead she was debating on who of the villains she should take while Alastair could have the two remaining ones. I took one the last time, so I can have one as well and we will have taken two each after this mission is completed... She thought for herself.

“Reiji says that a friend of mine, named Mirari, wishes to see us on the eighth floor.” Alastair said excitedly to Aislinn.

"Ahh...!" She suddenly remembered that she did not have the piece of paper with instructions about each floor anymore and tried to recall what the eight-floor held for mysteries.

“The eighth floor is where weapons and gadgets are available! Mirari only contacts me if she has anything interesting or exciting, so this should be fun!” he laughed.

"Ahh, yes right, weapons and gadgets," She laughed, pretending that she already had known the eight floors, as she followed him to the elevator.

She was shortly introduced to a very cheerful woman. A little to cheerful... Aislinn thought a little alarmed. Wait...what? Did she just say Hi?... She thought confused when she caught the Japanese word Hai.

"uhm...nice to meet you..." Aislinn replied smilingly, feeling a little nervous. She did not know if she should feel relieved about that someone at the agency understood English but could not speak it. What was her name...miss Tana…? She thought as she tried to recall what Alastair had said when he had introduced his friend to her.

“.......She made it especially for you, so that you can understand Japanese when you wear it.”

"Woaahh, thanks a lot..." Aislinn looked at miss Tanaka as she took the headpiece when Alastair handed it to her. Aislinn had no idea what to call her, since she could hardly remember her full name. Ugh..their names are so difficult and complicated. So many syllables that I easily forget them...Perhaps this headpiece will also help me to understand names? She put the headpiece on and fingered on it as she wondered how on earth it worked.

She heard Alastair speaking English when he thanked miss Tanaka for the headpiece, but she did not pay any further attention about the matter since she knew that his friend understood English and thus, she found it normal that he spoke that language with her. She thought that he spoke English.

"We are able to eat pasties beside drinking blood," Vincent replied. "Meat filled pasties as long as it is not seasoned with garlic. That's the only thing we can eat beside the blood..."

I can actually try to eat anything humans eat, berries, fruits...vegetables... He thought amused as he remembered how Aislinn had invited him to eat wild berries when she was three years old. Though it won't give me any nutrition and besides anything else which is not blood or pasties can give me a bad tummy... He smiled as he cleared his mind and turned his attention towards Luna, to hear her next question.

"...two magical people bare a child with no magical power whatsoever, despite both of them, and their parents before them, being magical. Does anything like that happen with vampires?"

"Uuuuh..." He looked confusingly at her, not understanding a word of what she had said. "If two magical people bare a child with no magical power..." He slowly repeated the words for himself. "If this can happen to vampires?" He scratched his head as he pondered for nearly five minutes.

"A vampire couple can only bare a vampire child..." He said thoughtfully after several minutes of silence. "Nothing different.... some vampires may be born with slightly different powers and abilities, some might be born with weaker versus stronger powers. What is commonly for every child born to two vampire parents, is that the child is born into a vampire. If one parent is a vampire and the other parent is a human, the child will be born into a dhampir. If the both parents are dhampirs...." His voice died out as he went back to ponder silently for himself. "Well, I have actually read about this during my time as student at the Transylvania Academy..." He announced with a broad smile before adding with a laugh: "It is just not so easy to remember everything I have read..."

"Ahh!" He burst out in a grin, revealing his sharp and white shining fangs. "When the both parents are vampires..." He spoke with a monotone voice as if he was reciting from a book. "...they can only bare a vampire child. When one parent is a vampire and the other is a human, they can only bare a dhampir child. The powers and abilities of a dhampir child may range in difference depending on if its mother is a vampire or if its father is a vampire. If the both parents are dhampirs, they'll either bare a human or a dhampir child. This depends on their both previous parents. As I mentioned earlier, the powers and abilities of a dhampir may range in difference depending on if its mother is a vampire or if its father is a vampire. A dhampir whose father is a vampire, has stronger vampire genetics than a dhampir with a vampire mother. And a dhampir and a human can also bare a dhampir or a human child. Though if one parent is a vampire and the other is a dhampir, they can only bare a dhampir child. Does my explanation suffice, or shall I explain this more detailed?" He asked.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"Karera wa hatarakimasu ka? (Do they work?)" Alastair asked, eyeing Aislynn with baited breath. "Watashi wa nihongo de hanashite imasu. (I am speaking in Japanese right now.)" Alastair laughed, nearing her with a pleased 'It works so well you must have not noticed' face. He shared a warm smile with Aislynn before saying "We should get on with our mission."

Turning to Mirari, he bid her farewell. "Goodbye, Mirari." Alastair said with the slight bow of his head. "We cannot thank you enough."

She bid Alastair farewell, then turned to Aislynn. "Sayonara, Aislynn-chan! (Goodbye, Aislynn!)" Mirari smiled, then turned back to her work.

"Kanojo wa koko ni iru toki dake yōkidesu! (She's only cheerful when he's here!)" a nearby female Agent whispered to her other female friend. "Kare ga saruto sugu ni, kanojo wa itsumo no utsubyō ni makikoma rerudeshou...(As soon as he leaves she will slip back into her usual depression...)"

Alastair did not hear this, but Aislynn did.

Back in the elevator, Alastair was studying the mission briefing papers again with a serious face. An eighteen year old girl? "We will be heading to this young lady's school on Honshu, in the Kyoto district." Alastair said as he put his papers away. "That is Japan's main island. We will follow the girl until she is alone, and then perform an...investigation." he laughed softly as he opened the door for Aislynn "Since she is the only one with a known location." he explained as he entered the car himself. "If you wish for music, do choose some. Simply imagine what you wish to hear, and concentrate on that as you press the button." he explained briefly before starting the car and driving at his usual fast pace. "Ravenna asked for a half-hour off, so we will be driving to Honshu. In a Muggle car it is a four-hour drive, but we will only need half an hour." he smiled, both a devilish and a confident look in his eyes. "She is assisting Luna with something." he said in a way that explained that he didn't mind, and also that he didn't know what she was doing.

"No, you were quite thorough." Luna nodded appreciatively. She had been listening intently, and appreciated his attention to detail in his explanations. They spoke for a while longer, and finally Luna asked her last question. "When a vampire...attacks someone." she said slowly, thoroughly picking her words to avoid offending him "And they scream...The vampires get attracted to that person as their blooodlust becomes more...potent. Is it the sound of their scream...the fear in their eyes...or merely the fear itself that the victim feels that becomes attractive?" she finished slowly, her eyes not leaving his as she awaited, with great interest, his answer. The time, as Luna did not notice, was somewhere past three yet before four...

 

[Hikari Chan]

Aislinn could not help but burst out into laughter when Alastair told her that he was speaking Japanese.

"Oh my.... I....I hear it as English," She giggled excited, feeling amused about her new device.
This device will be so useful... She thought as she smiled warmly at him. I'll be able to understand what everyone is saying; especially what Reiji is saying...

"Goodbye Mirari!" Aislinn grinned excitingly as she finally had learned to speak her name. She waved smilingly at her before walking away with Alastair.

Aislinn almost stopped in her tracks in the corridor. She had clearly heard another woman whispering from somewhere behind: She's only cheerful when he's here...as soon as he leaves, she will slip back into her usual depression... Aislinn proceeded to walk as if she had heard nothing at all.

She was not meaning Mirari, was she? Aislinn thought, but deep inside she knew the truth. Of course, who other else was so cheerful when meeting Alastair today? Besides no one knows you but him in the agency.... Aislinn eyed Alastair's frame silently as he was studying the missions' briefing papers with a serious expression on his face.

I doubt that the woman who was whispering was lying. No one knows me well at the agency or about my relationship with Alastair. No one knows about my new translating device but Alastair and Mirari. I do not think that there is any jealous person who is trying to ruin our relationship. And I doubt that Mirari has told anyone else about the device. As Alastair earlier said: If there is anyone you can trust in this whole Agency, it is Ms. Tanaka. And he introduced her as his close friend...

Aislinn was so deep in her thoughts that she barely listened to Alastair. She caught up a few words such as a school at an island and that they would follow a girl to perform an investigation.

"Ahh..." Aislinn nodded as if she had completely understood the first part of the plan before she sat in the car.

"If you wish for music, do choose some. Simply imagine what you wish to hear and concentrate on that as you press the button." Alastair explained briefly before starting the car and driving at his usual fast pace.

"Thank you..." She smiled and looked out through the window beside her. She was not in mood for listening to any music. Instead she mused on her thoughts. Perhaps Mirari has feelings for Alastair....deeper and different feelings than a friend...but does he know? Does he have a lot of close friends that are young women? His first job partner was Sheila and from his memories I learned that she had feelings for him. Did he know that? Why did he choose her as partner for the job at the agency, if it was his choice? They were friends and then he met Valetta and chose her after only knowing her for six months...So how did he know the way I felt for him the first times we met? Why did he take me to Venice and to the games of Theater? Why did he pick me in particular? Merlin's beard, I am thinking too much...Aislinn tried to get rid of her disturbing thoughts and instead to think about the mission which laid ahead of her. She hoped that Alastair won't notice why she was so silent or why she had turned her head away from him to look through the window beside her. Well I am interested in the sightseeing, am I not…? She thought in order to distract herself with something else.

Vincent took a deep breath, his nostrils wide and merely fluttering as he locked eyes with Luna.
"That is a personal thing...." He almost whispered, a dramatic tone in his voice, as a wild look flashed his dark eyes. He took a step closer to Luna and leaned forward. "I love when my victims struggle in pain..." He continued in the same tone as a vacant and dreamy look showed in his eyes this time because he was remembering the last time, he had attacked a human. Vampires could not share memories, so he was only remembering for himself. An eerie smirk formed his lips before he straightened his back and took a step backward. "What other vampires find attractive with their preys can be anything else, screams, smell of blood, fear....and so on...."

He slightly turned around and gasped when he saw the sun nearly rising at the horizon.

"Even if I have the day time ability, a very rare ability among vampires, I still need my beauty sleep," He said. "I wish you a pleasant morning," He bowed on his head, before shrouding himself in his cloak, leaving in a swarm of bats.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

Alastair said nothing to Aislynn, although he knew that something was troubling her. If it was me... he thought as they drove I wouldn't want to share my feelings...I would prefer to keep it inside until I handled it myself. Because, really, talking about it will get a person nowhere...The only solution is to do what we feel is right... He also had the feeling that she had not really heard him when he explained about the plan.

"Welcome to Honshu, Japan's main island. " Alastair said as he opened the door to Aislynn after parking. It took us forty-one minutes, which is eleven minutes more than I estimated... Alastair thought shamefully as they walked, returning his pocket watch to his pocket. Not exactly perfection...

"Ms. Haruki Arita's school." Alastair said once they reached the plain, standard looking Japanese school. They did not go inside, but walked further away from it, to the inside of a small apothecary where herbs, dried seaweed, and the like were sold. It was on the corner, and from the shop's right window, they could see the entrance of the school. "We will wait in here for a few minutes until the school bell rings." Alastair explained quietly to Aislynn, before walking away to the right window and pretending to look at the price label for teriyaki seasoning.

Within a few minutes, the school bell rang, and they knew it had, even though they couldn't hear it from the shop: Children came walking calmly out of the school, most of them in groups with other children close to their age. Alastair spotted Haruki, with another girl a few years younger than her. "We are going to leave the shop." Alastair explained to Aislynn discreetly. "When we do, stay away from me, and keep your eyes on Haruki. We cannot be seen together in case something goes wrong and we are exposed as agents. If one of us still has a cover, it will give us a second chance. Good luck. " He said before walking out.

He crossed the street and used the reflections in the windows to follow Haruki as she parted from the crowd and crossed the street, the younger girl holding her hand. Alastair went into a shop at the corner and watched Haruki discreetly until there was a certain distance between them, and then left the shop and continued following her. A few more steps, and Haruki hailed a cab, then both girls got in. Alastair did the same, because he didn't have time to enlarge his car as the girls' taxi took off quickly. He followed the girls' taxi in the one he hailed, always keeping proper distance. "Daijobu dess, Aislynn? (Are you alright, Aislynn?)" Alastair asked through his pin. "Anata o subayaku uka sete mōshiwake arimasen. (Sorry for leaving you so quickly.)"

"That is a personal thing...." He almost whispered, a dramatic tone in his voice, as a wild look flashed his dark eyes.

"Oh...I apologize...You don't have to-"

She was about to say 'You don't have to answer that' before he took a step closer to Luna and leaned forward, choosing to answer her. "I love when my victims struggle in pain...What other vampires find attractive with their preys can be anything else, screams, smell of blood, fear....and so on...."

Luna was all ears, still attracted to the dramatic tone in his voice and the eeriness of his words, although her face was emotionless.

He slightly turned around and gasped when he saw the sun nearly rising at the horizon. "Even if I have the day time ability, a very rare ability among vampires, I still need my beauty sleep," He said.

"I understand. I cannot thank you enough for taking the time out to ease my curiosity. Farewell." she said with a small smile that said she had thoroughly enjoyed his company.

"I wish you a pleasant morning," He bowed on his head before shrouding himself in his cloak, leaving in a swarm of bats.

Luna watched on smilingly, before disappearing in a puff of smoke, appearing back in her bedroom at the manor.

"You enjoyed that." said a matter-of-fact voice "I am happy you got what you have been wanting for so long." Nagini smiled, opening one eye as she lay coiled on her velvet pillow.

"I...Thank you." Luna said as she walked into the bathroom for a shower.

"Shouldn't you get some rest?" Nagini said in the same matter-of-fact tone.

"A cold shower and an energizing potion." Luna muttered as she walked back out of the bathroom, having forgotten to grab a towel as she replayed the night's events in her head. "I cannot start sleeping in the day time; I will simply return to my normal sleeping schedule tonight." she explained.

"Of course; you have many things to do. Elias misses you already." Nagini muttered to herself as Luna turned on the water, already in the shower. Does Alastair really love Aislynn? Nagini wondered as she lay back down to rest.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Thank you," Aislinn smiled as she got outside the car. The long ride and the sightseeing had cleared her mind. And she had also come to the conclusion that she should not worry herself about what she had heard earlier. Alastair may be friends with every woman on earth, in the end it is his choice who he'd love. And he has not promised me anything yet.... but after the trip to Venice, it would break my heart if he chooses to love someone else than me...

"Ms. Haruki Arita's school." Alastair said once they reached the plain, standard looking Japanese school.

Aislinn nodded silently and followed him to a small apothecary where herbs, dried seaweed, and the like were sold.

"We will wait in here for a few minutes until the school bell rings." he explained quietly to her, before walking away to the right window and pretending to look at the price label for teriyaki seasoning.

"Alright..." She replied whilst glancing over the different kinds of herbs as she wondered if it was possible to experiment with any of the herbs to create new and useful potions. Or perhaps I end up with dangerous liquids... She thought amused.

"We are going to leave the shop." he explained to her discreetly as soon as he had spotted their target walking out from the school building after the school bell had went off... "When we do, stay away from me, and keep your eyes on Haruki. We cannot be seen together in case something goes wrong and we are exposed as agents. If one of us still has a cover, it will give us a second chance. Good luck. " he said before walking out.

"Understood, and good luck to you as well..." She whispered after she had fingered on her pin.

She did not walk out with him. Instead she remained in the shop, studying the different herbs until the shopkeeper, an old man, looking up at her and asking her if she needed any help.

She looked up in surprise as she had heard him speaking English and she replied "No, thank you," before walking out from the shop. She did not see his confused face and she had almost forgotten that she was actually wearing a device that translated Japanese into English. When she had stepped out from the shop, she caught a glimpse of Alastair hailing a cab several streets away.

I am now supposed to tail him.... She thought automatically and was about to hail a cab as well, when her pendant told her to steal a nearby motorcycle instead. Quickly, she looked stealthy around her before picking out her wand, pointing and waving it discreetly at the parked motorcycle. I am just going to borrow it, she thought innocently. I won't be able to communicate in Japanese but only understand when they speak. So, hailing a cab is useless, since the driver might have no knowledge in English. What a useful device... She thought sarcastically when she remembered she was wearing the translating device before she drove away with a flying start. It had been eight years since the last time she had driven a motorcycle, though she drove as if it just had been yesterday.

When Aislinn was blasting through the streets, her hair fluttering in the wind, with a great distance from Alastair, she heard his voice a couple of minutes later.

"Are you alright, Aislynn? Sorry for leaving you so quickly."

"I am fine, and I am behind you, about some kilometers away" She replied as she sighed inwardly. Why does he always apologize for every little thing? Seriously, he already explained for me why we cannot been seen together...

When Vincent entered the hallway through the front doors he was met by someone who he least liked to see this morning.

"I envy you for meeting Miss Lestrange, I would love to meet her in person..."

Vincent ignored his uncle and tried to walk past him but was stopped on his way to the staircase.

"I am not in mood in speaking about it at this moment," he growled. "She deprived all my night by interviewing me-"

"Really? About what?"

"I am hungry-"

"I have pasties for you in the kitchen!"

"Pasties?!"

"Yes and there also some bottles of blood which Aislinn brought with her today..."

Vincent licked his lips hungrily at the news and followed his uncle willingly to the kitchen.

"And she brought that friend of hers I guess?" He said with a bitter tone as he comforted himself with pasties and a goblet of blood.

"Well.....eh...yes...she brought a guest with her...."

An awkward silence filled in as Vincent chewed on a pasty with a bitter expression.

"I did not see him anyway, you know, she does not know about my existence yet so I could not meet her guest yesterday..."

Vincent kept chewing, devouring five pasties silently.

"You must like her a lot?"

That question was a mistake. Hurt and angry feelings flashed Vincent's eyes.

"Well....ehehe.... anyway, tell me about the meeting with Miss Lestrange-"

"I need to sleep," was Vincent's only reply as he left the kitchen. He was too sleepy and too tired to stay awake anymore and had devoured his meal so quickly so that he could get to bed immediately.

"Sweet dreams..." A dryly voice with a sarcastic tone followed him as he walked out through the kitchen door.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"I am fine and I am behind you, about some kilometers away"

She replied in English...It makes me smile how well Mirari's device works...Soon, Aislynn will have the second piece as well...The one that will allow her to speak Japanese easily. Alastair thought as he instructed the cab driver to turn left, then right, still following Haruki's cab.

In time, Haruki's cab pulled over to an apartment building three stories tall. Not in the best shape, although it wasn't exactly falling apart; just old and lacking proper repairs. She thanked the cab driver and paid him before walking up the two front steps to the front door of the building, still holding hands with the young girl.

Alastair had his cab pass Haruki's as they got out, and let him out at the beginning of the next street to the right. I know which building she is in...Now I just have to apparate back there and...Hmm. Her apartment building is surrounded by taller ones, so I can actually appear on the roof on a nearby one... He apparated back under the cover of an invisibility charm, to the sidewalk directly across from Haruki's building. From there he looked around to seek the tallest building, then apparated to the top of that, pulling out a pair of contact lenses Mirari had made him. "Heat censor contacts!" he recalled her saying as she held them up to him, the familiar cheerful smile on her face that never seemed to leave. "So that you can see inside buildings...Just in case." she had explained. Now he put them on carefully, and they gave his eyes a red tinge. He could see Haruki leading the young girl through a door on the second story, where they dropped their school bags by the front door.

"Aislynn, are you doing well? I am positioned at the top of a building adjacent to Haruki's." Alastair explained. "The number of the building is forty-one. You are welcome to join me up here soon, since I doubt Haruki will be up here." he laughed softly as he watched Aislynn drive by on a motorcycle. She rides so masterfully...Riding a motorcycle is another thing I cannot do...I wonder what other hidden talents she has...

As they chatted about their silly school lives, Haruki began pulling things out of a refrigerator; vegetables, a chopping board, and a knife which she used to skillfully prepare the vegetables. There was no one else in sight in the apartment, and they went on talking as Haruki cooked, and then as they ate. In the middle of the meal, Haruki got up and pulled a carton of juice from the fridge, holding it up as she offered some to the girl. The girl nodded her head as she accepted her offer, and Haruki began pouring drinks for both of them.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Alright, I'll join you soon," Aislinn replied.

She parked the motorcycle nearby building forty-two where she found a parking lot. She secured the motorcycle with magical spells before apparating away. Just in case if I need it again. I will leave it when the mission is completed...

She appeared at the rooftop of building forty-one, some feet away from Alastair.

As she walked closer to him, she noticed that his brown eyes got a tinge of red.

"Do you change your eye color on purpose?" She laughed softly. "I have always seen your eyes as chocolate brown, now I see a tinge of red in them if it is not my brain fooling me again just like

when I imagined that your eyes were shining purple before..."

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

Aislynn appeared at the rooftop of building forty-one, some feet away from Alastair.

"Charming job thus far." he smiled, not wishing to say hello because they had not been separated for more than ten minutes.

"Do you change your eye colour on purpose?" She laughed softly. "I have always seen your eyes as chocolate brown, now I see a tinge of red in them if it is not my brain fooling me again just like when I imagined that your eyes were shining purple before..."

Alastair's heart literally skipped not one, but two beats. "These are heat censor contact lenses." he said as if nothing was wrong, his face calm. "They allow me to see inside the building. They have a red tinge to them." he explained simply. "I have an extra pair, if you would like."

If one thing came from my upbringing, it is the ability to keep my face straight in any situation...I cannot believe she saw my eyes...I pray she does not bring them up again...For now, I will not address it. But no, she will know something is...

"Let us forget about the purple eyes for now." he said with an 'I plead, do not speak of them...' face.

Continuing to watch Ms. Haruki in silence, the girls continued their meal. Haruki raised her glass to toast the younger girl, and they drank at the same time. Something was wrong; Haruki didn't drink from her glass; she only pretended to. The younger girl drank half of her glass before she dropped it on the floor in a mess of glass and juice. She fell to the floor, unconscious. Alastair watched in shock as Haruki walked over to the girl, bent down, and confirmed that she was unconscious. She stood up and turned toward the door just in time to greet the second villain of the case: Mr. Tsukino.

The girl bowed to the man, before stepping aside without a word. By her body posture it was clear that she was afraid of him. Mr. Tsukino walked over to the unconscious girl and bent down, stroking her face as she slept with a contented smile. He then picked up the young girl and turned to Haruki, talking to her. Whatever he said, it seemed to relieve her a bit, for her body became a bit less tense. Mr. Tsukino walked past Haruki as if she wasn't there, making for the doorway as Haruki's head remained hung low.

Mr. Tsukino turned his head sideways when he saw that Haruki remained where she was, and called something to her with a harsh-looking face. She moved her head to look as far away from him as possible; clearly what he had said had both frightened and disgusted her at the same time. Mr. Tsukino kept walking, down the stairs and out the building, followed by Haruki, whose expression showed that she was deeply disturbed about whatever Mr. Tsukino had said. A white Volkswagen waited for them on the street outside. Mr. Tsukino placed the young girl inside the car in the passenger’s seat on the left side before getting into the driver’s seat on the right. Haruki entered through the right and remained seated quietly, her hands folded in her lap, her head still bent.

As Mr. Tsukino started their car up, Alastair stood up and motioned for Aislynn to follow them. “We shall separate, using the same procedure as before. “ Alastair said quickly before apparating just inside the front door of the building they had been spying on top of. The glass was tinted so that you could see outside, but if you looked inside you would only see you own reflection staring back at you. He watched Mr. Tsukino’s car take off, and apparated to the end of the street, where he quickly enlargened his car. By the time Mr. Tsukino’s car passed his, he was sitting in the driver’s seat and ready to follow.

Alastair tailed him, with proper distancing, until they reached an area at the edge of town where a large ship was preparing to leave. At the dock stood an older man, with an expectant look on his face. He watched solemnly as Mr. Tsukino picked up the girl from the car and walked over to the older man: Mr. Narita, the third villain. Mr. Tsukino handed the girl to a worker who Mr. Narita called, and then he turned back to his car. Mr. Narita turned to the ship, about to board it. “Aislynn, I am at the docks. Their transaction is going on as we speak. We must split up and stop the ship and the car from leaving the docks. We now have enough proof to assassinate Mr. Tsukino and Mr. Narita. Whichever you choose to go after, you mustn’t kill Ms. Haruki Arita. It appears her assistance was forced so we shall perform an interrogation afterward to confirm her innocence. Who will you be taking out?” Alastair asked as his eyes flickered from normal to purple like a candle flickering in the wind. He had removed his contacts as he spoke with Aislynn, replaced them in their case then put that in his pocket. He hoped Aislynn would stay away from him long enough for him to handle his eye problem.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Ah I see.... well, thank you" Aislinn took the extra lenses by Alastair. She had been thinking that when his eyes shone purple, it had been her imagination and when he said the red tinge came from lenses she instead thought that the purple shine must have been lenses as well until he surprised her with saying:

"Let us forget about the purple eyes for now."

Let us forget?... She thought slightly surprised when she put on the lenses. Sounds like he does not wish to speak about it...so it was not my imagination after all, perhaps some mystery lenses...but no, I remember clearly that he did not put or take of any lenses when we were in the carriage....well, I cannot forget it, absolutely not....

When she had put on the lenses, she discovered that she could see through the building, through every wall and room. She soon spotted the target and the victim who had drunk a glass of juice and fallen unconscious.

Aislinn recognized the second villain who entered the building and brought the younger girl out to a white car. Where's the third man?

“We shall separate, using the same procedure as before.” Alastair said quickly before apparating away.

"Sure," She replied and left the roof top of the building as well. She waited, ready with the motorcycle, in the parking lot until she recognized his car driving away from the next building. She followed him from a very far distance, hoping that she would not run out of fuel when it seemed that the road had become so long.

She had just reached the edge of the town, to the harbor, when the engine of the motorcycle died. At the same time she heard Alastair's voice:

“Aislynn, I am at the docks. Their transaction is going on as we speak. We must split up and stop the ship and the car from leaving the docks. We now have enough proof to assassinate Mr. Tsukino and Mr. Narita. Whichever you choose to go after, you mustn’t kill Ms. Haruki Arita. It appears her assistance was forced so we shall perform an interrogation afterward to confirm her innocence. Who will you be taking out?”

"I'll take out the girl," Aislinn replied. Alastair must have spotted the second man...I hope he does not mind taking out the both men... She thought as she cast an invisibility charm over herself before rushing towards the ship.

How the bloody hell shall I stop a boat…? ...She thought as she waved her wand at the tires of the white car, puncturing all the tires so that none of the villains would be able to drive it anymore. Then she put both the mast and sail cloth on fire.

Her target was still sitting in the white car, thus she blasted of all the car doors so that they flew outwards in the air.

"Accio Haruki Arita!"

The girl flew towards Aislinn who caught hold of her in time before allowing her to bump into her and tied her hands and feet with conjured ropes.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"I'll take out the girl," Aislinn replied.

Alastair nodded to Aislynn, although he knew she could not see him, ad began quickly plotting how to stop the ship before Aislynn came out of the blue, it seemed, and began to wreak havoc. He watched in shock as Aislynn set fire to the boat and damaged the car beyond use, also apprehending Ms. Arita. No...She is going so fast, I cannot allow her to have those men. I must get to them first! He thought, both impressed and worried by Aislynn's fast thinking and progress.

Mr. Tsukino was scrambling to get out of the car that was falling apart, taking one look at Haruki before turning away from her as if she didn't matter, trying to escape alone. Mr. Narita was yelling frantic orders to his men, who were frantically trying to contact the men aboard the submarine that was supposedly Mr. Narita's back-up get-away ticket.

Alastair simply apparated right next to Mr. Narita and grabbed the back of his collar, saying "Estureshimas. (Excuse me.)" As he apparated away with him to the place that he had been watching Aislynn from moments ago, which was high enough so that Aislynn couldn't see his eyes. Alastair conjured a rope, which he quickly tied in a noose the same way experienced business men tied their ties before work. He strung it around Mr. Narita's neck as he bellowed meaningless pleads and bribes for him to stop. He dragged him to the edge, and used the rope to picked him up and fling him from it. In a moment, Mr. Narita was dead, dangling from the edge as Alastair held tight to the rope.

And then he pulled his corpse back up, conjured a sharp knife, and stabbed him in the right eye several times, his face cold but his eyes wild, shining a brighter purple than when Aislynn had seen them. When he was done he left the knife deep in his left eye and stood up. He took a deep breath, contented, and his eyes returned to their normal state. He returned, by apparition, next to Aislynn, and smiled at the wonderful job she had done. "What a lovely job." he praised, taking one brief look around, then letting his eyes rest proudly on Aislynn. "Back to the Agency for the mission report and Ms. Arita's interrogation. I can handle them both, if you wish. " He offered. "But I would like to personally interrogate Ms. Arita. "

 

[Hikari Chan]

When Aislinn had caught hold of Haruka Arita, she noticed that the villain, who she had seen in the building some time earlier before, was trying to escape.

Well I expected Alastair to take care of both men, perhaps he is punishing the other man? Because I cannot see Alastair anywhere right now. He said he was at the docks...but now? ....well, I cannot watch that man running away...

She pointed her wand at Mr. Tsukino's direction and finished him of with the killing curse. She watched calmly and coldly as he fell lifelessly to the ground.

A moment later, Alastair appeared beside Aislinn.

"What a lovely job." he praised, taking one brief look around, then letting his eyes rest proudly on her.

"Ehh...." She blushed, becoming so speechless of his praise and feeling so touched by his words and the proud look he gave her.

"Back to the Agency for the mission report and Ms. Arita's interrogation. I can handle them both, if you wish." he offered. "But I would like to personally interrogate Ms. Arita."

"I am coming with you for the mission report," She smiled. "as for the interrogation, you may do it alone if you wish."

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

The whole time, Ms. Arita had been standing completely still, her head still hung. She had made no attempt to escape, and didn't care that the woman who had captured her had blatantly used magic to do so.

Alastair took Haruki from Aislynn, putting her in the back seat of his car. He conjured an additional rope, and tied it from the inside of the car door to the rope holding Haruki's hands, his face blank. Neither of them spoke. As he held the car door open for Aislynn, he looked at Haruki, who still had her head bent. No feeble attempts to run away or plead mercy? Does she know that she is guilty, or simply that we are stronger than her?

He got into the car seat himself and began to drive to the Agency. "We shall arrive in less than an hour. " he informed Aislynn. His eyes gave the music button a furtive glance, then returned to his driving. I should really stop that...She isn't like me where she wants to have loud music every second of the day...I'd sleep with it on if I could, but sadly the noise would keep me awake...Besides...now is hardly the time....For now, I am relieved that I have handled my issue...My eyes will be fine for a while now...

Luna sat in her room as the sun slowly rose, brewing another cauldron of Dreamless Sleep potion.

"You have been making that a lot lately." Nagini commented.

"Alastair has been requesting it daily." Luna replied simply as she stirred it.

"Why?"

"I didn't ask, because I do not want him to feel obliged to answer me. He is entitled to his privacy." Luna smiled in a caring way toward Nagini.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Another mission complete," Aislinn sighed with relief. "It went easier than the first one..." She slightly turned on her head and glanced at the girl who was sitting with her head bent down in the backseat.

I wonder if she chose to work with the two men on purpose ...or did they force her to cooperate with them?

"...and they were three this time..." Aislinn continued when she turned her head away and looked through the front window of the car. She yawned silently, not only once, but about three and four times. She kept her hand against her mouth, pretending to be resting her chin against her palm, and hoped that Alastair won't notice how sleepy of exhaustion she had become because of the mission. For an unknown reason, which she could not tell why, she did not want him to enter the agency without her. I feel too attached to him.....as if I want to show everyone that he is mine, wherever I go....Merlin's beard, I would never boast...but I have this feeling that I cannot be without him any second of my life... She thought as she felt the color rise to her cheeks.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"..and they were three this time..." Aislynn continued.

"I appreciated that we each got to have a bit of fun this time." Alastair smiled, recalling the killing with pleasure. "You did quite well, riding that motorcycle. You needn't worry about returning it; the Agency always sends out a team to clean up after Agents when they complete their missions. When they do, they will return the motorcycle to its proper owner without a problem." he said, satisfied and relieved that the Agency had a team for everything, and was so efficient. He thought he saw Aislynn yawn from the corner of his eye, just once, but wasn't certain.

In time, they reached the Agency, and Alastair got out and held the door open for Aislynn, before turning away to escort Ms. Arita. They made their way inside, and into the elevator. Alastair pressed the button for the Sixth Floor, speaking calmly to Aislynn. "You will file your report on the sixth floor. There is a black filing cabinet near the water cooler, which has papers specifically made for filing Mission Reports. " He explained. "You may write in English, then place your paper in the stack on top of the cabinet. They will translate it for proper storage, and keep the original copy, should you need to reference it later on. It should not take more than fifteen minutes. " Alastair assured her, sensing weariness behind her calm face. She is determined, so I shall not waste her remaining energy arguing that she would be better suited asleep in bed than wearily awake in this building...She knows that, but she is making her own choice.

The mission report filing papers were available in English and Japanese. Alastair assumed that Aislynn would see this and select the English one, since her gadget from Mirari didn't translate writing. The paper:

Mission Report Summary

Who was your partner on the mission?

Name your targets and their charges.

What proof did you find before the assassination(s), in order to justify the killing?

Did you hesitate, or feel any guilt after the killing, or was the proof enough to justify it morally for you?

What method did you use to assassinate your target(s)?

Were there any casualties, or was any property damaged?

Do you feel that anything could have been done differently, or are you satisfied with the job you and your partner have done?

Thank you for taking the time to complete this Mission Report to the best of your ability. We thank you for your loyalty to the Agency and the hard work you have done. Have a pleasant day/evening/night.

There was then a line on which the agent was expected to sign their name, as well as the date and time of the paper's filing.

Alastair stood opposite Ms. Arita, with only a silver table in between them. He had untied her, and she sat on a chair, still silent, her head still hung, as if they were still in the car. He stared at her, pondering how he should begin. Instead of the usual foolish banter that usually went on in the books by the cliche interrogator, Alastair merely leaned forward across the table, with both his hands on the table. "Subete o oshiete kudasai. (Tell me everything.)" he said simply, his eyes looking at hers as she forced herself to remain staring at the floor.

A full minute of silence, then Alastair walked around the table and raised Haruki's chin with a gentle index finger.

Her eyes remained glued to the floor.

"Watashiwomite. (Look at me.)" he said quietly.

No response.

"Anata no me wa, amarini mo suteki sugite, yuka ni eien ni muite ite wa ikemasen. (Your eyes are far too lovely to be kept facing the floor forever.)" he said, his face still cold but his words warm. They were meant to sound genuine, and they ended up doing so.

Haruki gasped in surprise at Alastair's words, and involuntarily looked into Alastair's eyes quickly. She immediately looked away, blushing at the thought that she had believed he had meant his words. She concluded that he was probably trying to fool her, although she wasn't certain.

"Sono yōna mujakina on'nanoko wa amarini mo hidoku kōsoku sa rerubekide wanainode, watashi wa anata o tokihanatta. (I untied you because such an innocent girl should not be restrained so cruelly.) " He went on, in the same voice.

"Watashi...(I...)" Haruki said, her voice cracking.

Perfect. It sounds like the beginning of a break-down. Just a bit more... Alastair thought with an inward smile. "Sukunakutomo anata wa mujitsudatta... Ichido... (At least you were innocent...once.)" He said, the gentleness in his voice replaced with potent pity.

That had done the trick. Haruki had burst into tears, her hand made into a fist that pressed against her mouth, muffling her sobs.

Alastair pulled her hand away from her mouth and thrust a handkerchief into her hand. "Anata wa amarini mo nagaiai anata jishin o chinmoku sa semashita. (You have silenced yourself for far too long.)"

When Haruki had exhausted herself, she took a lot of deep breaths some ten minutes later. Alastair watched, emotionless, as if he had all the time and patience in the world for her.

"Dono yō ni... Anata wa dono yō ni shitte imashita ka-(How...How did you know-)" she began, her voice fluctuating between a bare whisper and a low, cracking voice.

"Watashitachi wa onajidesukara. Ittan monsutā o motte ita mujitsu no tamashī ga, karera jishin no kojin-tekina mokuhyō ni tassuru tame ni karera no bitoku o dainashi ni suru. Watashi wa sudeni nani ga okotta no ka shitte imasuga, anata no kuchibiru kara sore o kikitai nodesu. (Because we are the same. Once innocent souls who have had a monster ruin their virtue to reach their own personal goals. I already know what happened, but I wish to hear it from your lips.)" As he spoke the last two words his index finger brushed up against Haruki's lower lip as he gave her an intense stare; no lady in the world would refuse that gaze.

She then told him everything. How her father had given her a uniform the day she was competent enough to do what he wished; come back every week from school with a young, naive girl for him to sell to Mr. Narita. Her father had changed her last name so that no one would know she was his daughter, and all had gone well. She hadn't known what her father was doing at first; he had told her to seek out insecure girls that had problems with their parents, and she had thought that he was finding new parents for them. Every few months she would go to a different school, so that the disappearings were never traced back to them. The day she found him out, he had beaten her, making her swear never to tell a soul, and to go on bringing young girls home. He had given her a new task; to sedate them as well.

His demands rose higher still; two girls a week, then eventually three. There were more girls her age, she said, that he was forcing to do the same thing, and he kept switching their schools up. His threat was that if any of them failed to comply, they would be sold in the same cruel way. She had had a sister, but she had tried to go to the police to save everyone else. Mr. Tsukino had shot her at the entrance from the roof of a building, as a warning for the other girls never to do so.

"Kanojo no namae wa nanidesu ka?(What was her name?)" Alastair asked sympathetically, shocked beyond anything that he had killed his own daughter.

"Mei-mei." Haruki answered. "Gomenasai! Gomenasai! (I'm sorry! I'm sorry!)" She began repeating over and over again, faster and faster until the words merged together.

"Ima wa daijōbu darou. (It is going to be alright.)" Alastair said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Hoka no on'nanokononamae o oshietekudasai. (Give me the names of the other girls.)"

Haruki nodded, and proceeded with a list of twelve girls and which schools they were currently enrolled in, and where they lived. "Watashi wa zaiaku-kan ni yotte shōhi sa reta. (I was consumed by guilt.)" Haruki said, her voice quiet. "Watashi wa sore kara deru koto ga dekimasendeshita, watashi wa betsu no on'nanoko ga atta tabi ni, watashinochichi ni teishutsu suru tame ni yowai kanji...(There was no way I could get out of it, and I felt weak for submitting to my father, every time another girl was...)"

"Onaji koto o suru ta no dansei ni kizutsuite iru ta no on'nanoko no inochi o sukutta dakedesu. (You have just saved the lives of all of those other girls, who are vulnerable to other men who will do the same things.)" he reasoned.

Haruki was silent, unable to explain-

"Shikashi sore dakede wa fujūbundesu ne? (But that isn't enough, is it?)" He asked, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Anata no tsumi wa kesshite saru koto wa nai to watashitachi wa mina shitte imasu. (Both you and I know that your guilt will never disappear, no matter what.)" He stood up, and walked to the door, turning back to Haruki at the last minute when it seemed he was just about to leave. He opened his hand as he looked at Haruki, who returned his glance. In the palm of his hand appeared a silver dagger, sharp enough to cut through a table of solid wood as if it were butter.

The same knife I have used many times...Most recently on Mr. Narita... "Watashi ga yatta hazu no koto o yatte kudasai. Watashi wa jikangatatsu ni tsurete zaiaku-kan ga akka suru dakedearu koto o hoshō suru koto ga dekimasu. (Do what I should have done. I can assure you the guilt will only worsen as time goes on.)" he said as the dagger disappeared from his hand and appeared on the table in front of Haruki. "Sayonara. (Farewell.)" He said as he walked out, the tone of his voice saying 'You know I am right.'

Haruki stared at the knife, then at her own two hands.

Alastair waited just outside the door, staring intently at his pocket watch.

Two minutes later, Alastair was removing Haruki's corpse from the interrogation room, and her blood from the wall, chair and floor as he hummed Scarborough Fair smoothly.

When Aislynn finished, Alastair was waiting for her outside, at the entrance of the Agency, leaning up against a pillar and looking at the moon as the soft wind rustled his hair. "Well done." he smiled, offering his arm to her. A momentary wickedness had filled his eyes, but it had vanished the moment he had turned to Aislynn. A split-second's trace of it could be seen afterward, but only to the most vigilant observer. Rather than drive, Alastair had had Raven bring the carriage. She waited with her head bent gracefully as she held the door open, early, as always.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Understood," Aislinn nodded smilingly and walked out from the elevator when it had reached the sixth floor. She found the black filing cabinet close to the water cooler just as Alastair had described it. There she picked a sheet with English questionnaire. She merely glanced the at Japanese version of the questions and almost got dizzy of the text. Merlin's beard, even if I spend a lifetime on trying to learn write and read in that language I doubt I'll learn it.. She thought as she turned her attention to the sheet with questions in English in her hand.

The first question was easy, but the second question was a challenging one.

Who was your partner on the mission? Alastair DiVilliers

Name your targets and their charges.

Aislinn frowned as she tried her best to remember the Japanese names of the three villains. The man in the apartment...was it Tsuki...aahh...Tsukino! ...and the girl...Haru...Haru...Arita....Haru Arita? ...hmm no, something is missing...Ahh! Haruki Arita! And the second man...Naru? ...no...it was something close to Arita...perhaps Narita?..

Name your targets and their charges. Mr. Tsukino, Mr. Narita and Ms. Haruki Arita charged for child trafficking.

What proof did you find before the assassination(s), in order to justify the killing?
We tailed Ms. Haruki Arita and found out that she tricked a younger girl from a school to follow her home. There Haruki gave the child food and drink. Something like sleep potion must have been added to the drink, because when the child had drunk, she fell unconscious. Haruka did not drink at all. Later Mr. Tsukino came to Haruki's place and took the child. He put her in the car and Haruka sat in the backseat as he drove to the harbor, where a ship was awaiting him. He brought the child out from the car and handed her over to one of Mr. Narita's men.

Did you hesitate, or feel any guilt after the killing, or was the proof enough to justify it morally for you? The proof was enough. I felt no guilt or hesitation.

What method did you use to assassinate your target(s)?

Hmm...what did Alastair do to Mr. Narita? I remember catching a glimpse of them both at the ship...did he drown him? I am glad they are not asking for exact details...

What method did you use to assassinate your target(s)? The killing curse, Aveda Kedavra

Were there any casualties, or was any property damaged? Yes, Mr. Tsukino's car and the ship. I punctured the tires and blasted away the doors of the car magically in order to stop Mr. Tsukino from escaping. As for the ship, I set the mast and the sailcloth on fire, so that Mr. Narita would not escape.

Do you feel that anything could have been done differently, or are you satisfied with the job you and your partner have done? I am satisfied

Thank you for taking the time to complete this Mission Report to the best of your ability. We thank you for your loyalty to the Agency and the hard work you have done. Have a pleasant day/evening/night.

Phew, that was all the questions... Aislinn sighed with relief. She signed the sheet with her name and the date of the day, Aislinn Monroe, 6th June 2018, before placing the sheet above the stack of papers.

She took the elevator to the ground floor, surprisingly remembering which button to press to get down. She grinned to herself, feeling proud of her own progress.

Alastair was waiting for her outside, at the entrance of the Agency, leaning up against a pillar and looking at the moon as the soft wind rustled his hair.

My goodness, he looks so beautiful in the moon light... Aislinn felt the color rise to her cheeks, her heart beating three times faster, as she thought how lucky she must be to know Alastair.

She was so engulfed by his handsome face that she did not notice the split second of wickedness in his eyes.

She blushed more when he praised her and she took his arm smilingly, suddenly becoming speechless of his praise.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

Once inside the carriage, Alastair smiled warmly toward Aislynn, weariness reflected in both their eyes now. "Aislynn?" he asked as they stood facing each other, his right hand on her shoulder. "May I ask something of you?"

"Could you possibly accompany me to bed tonight?" There was no mistake; his voice said that he merely wanted an innocent embrace, nothing more within the confines of his room. "I swear, my lady, it would remain innocent, without any second thoughts." he said genuinely as he looked deep into her eyes. "I merely wish to remain with you tonight, even as we sleep." If she believes me, if would be an honor to sleep beside her. There has only been one person with whom I have been able to share a bed with innocently....My Luna. "I understand if you do not trust me, my lady. Do not hesitate to reject me." His voice still genuine, his face said 'I would like you to be comfortable as well, because I would hate to pressure you into anything.'

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Sure," Aislinn replied smilingly. She was feeling weary and longed to sleep, though she would not leave Alastair unless he retired for tonight.

"Could you possibly accompany me to bed tonight?"

First, she was unsure if she had heard him right. She looked speechlessly at him, unable to look away from his eyes, her heart beating so fast that she for a second thought that he could hear her racing heartbeats. She had no doubt that her face had turned red like tomato, because she could feel her hot burning cheeks and ears. Did he just ask me to share bed with him...? Merlin’s beard...

"I swear, my lady, it would remain innocent, without any second thoughts." he said genuinely as he looked deep into her eyes. "I merely wish to remain with you tonight, even as we sleep."

Innocent? What is innocence for him...

"Uhm....I..."

"I understand if you do not trust me, my lady. Do not hesitate to reject me."

".... pajamas..." She finally managed to say. She thought she had told him I would love to accompany you tonight; I just need to change my clothes to more comfortable ones... but then she realized that she merely had spoken anything but uttered one single word, namely pajamas.

She blushed even deeper and hurried to mumble: “...need to change..." before she almost rushed away. She tried to walk calmly to her room where she had her luggage.

Aislinn washed her face with cold water as soon as she had changed into black silky pajamas. Did he really ask me to...? She looked at her reflection in the mirror. ...Merlin's beard....
She washed her face again and patted it gently with a white towel. If he had meant.... meant.... well…he would not have asked me this way, would he? I think he only meant that we would share bed like friends.... not like couples...

Aislinn's heart was still beating faster than usual. Usually she loved to have short hair, though this time she was for the first time thankful for her bangs and long hair because they hid part of her red flushing face as she looked down at the floor whilst walking out in the main room.

She knocked at Alastair's bedroom door, waiting for him to give her permission to enter since she expected him to change his clothes to more comfortable ones as well.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"....pajamas..." She finally managed to say.

"Hmm?" he asked. Perhaps she is mumbling, but I only heard the one word...She is blushing and uncertain...I might as well tell myself that she has rejected me tonight...

"...Need to change..." She mumbled before she almost rushed away.

So she wants to change her clothes, or the way I act toward her? Such fruitless confusion... He went back to his room and showed normally, which took three minutes. He dressed in his usual attire for sleep; a plain, solid-black informal kimono made for men.

He was lying down, about to fall asleep, and cursing the fact that he had forgotten to take dreamless sleep potion when he had packed for the mission. He had assumed that Aislynn had fallen asleep half way through getting herself to sleep; she had turned him down, he thought. I can only ask so much of her. It is my fault, of course, because a yes without hesitation would only come when we have known each other for long enough...I can tell by her face that she is doubting me...My apolo- he thought, before a knock at the door interrupted him, and he sat up.

He opened the door, to see Aislynn standing before him in her night clothes. "You..." he froze for a half second, then shook his head slightly to remember where he was. He opened the door, stepping back and gesturing for her to enter. "You wish to humor my request?" His eyes were grateful and admiring at the same time as he closed the door behind Aislynn. "Thank you, my lady, for this honor.' he smiled with a small bow before he turned to the bed. "Do you prefer the left or the right side?" he asked, "I have no preference myself."

"Very well. " he smiled, making for the side she did not want. He lay down, with plenty of distance between them. Ravenna had furnished the beds with large blankets, so there was ample blanket for the both of them. He was facing her, staring at her with a soft smile and loving eyes. Just what I wanted...Merely to admire the innocence and beauty that is so rare in this day and age... He held out his hand for her to take, and they fell asleep holding hands. Alastair found himself satisfied with merely holding her hand; it seemed to relax him.

Raven drove them back to London, tears in her eyes. Never...I will never let him see...That I would never hesitate to sleep with him...With...Or Without innocence...She knows nothing of how lucky she is...

Some four hours after they fell asleep, Alastair began having a night mare. He murmured a few indistinguishable words in his sleep, before his words got just a bit louder....Loud enough to hear clearly. " No....Please don't....Not again...." he seemed very disturbed, and even as he slept his face was full of fear and repulsion "Mother...Please stop! Stop touching me like that!" He sat up abruptly, sweat covering his forehead and his eyes brimming with tears. He looked beside him and remembered where he was, and he stopped sweating at once, the beginning of his tears disappearing immediately. Just...Just a dream, Alastair...That living hell is no longer real... He took several deep breaths, calming himself down completely.

 

[Hikari Chan]

Aislinn tried not to stare when Alastair opened the door. Merlin's beard......he is so elegantly dressed...and here I stand in simple pajamas... She blushed even more when her eyes fell on the part of where his clothing revealed his chest.

"You..."

She blinked twice as she looked at him and for a split second, she awkwardly thought that she might had imagined that he had asked her to share bed with him. Just tell him that you wanted to wish him a good night before going to bed...She thought awkwardly but then she calmed down when he opened the door, stepping back and gesturing for her to enter. "You wish to humor my request?"

So it was not my imagination at all...

She was still to speechless to say anything, though smiled lovingly yet shyly towards him as she entered his room. She took a deep breath when he closed the door behind her.

"Thank you, my lady, for this honor.' he smiled with a small bow before he turned to the bed. "Do you prefer the left or the right side?" he asked, "I have no preference myself."

"Uhm....the right side..." She almost whispered.

"Very well. " he smiled, making for the side she did not want.

Aislinn, who was feeling very nervous, went to the right side of the bed. It is fine, Aislinn, it is fine...remember when you both laid beside each other on the picnic cloth and watched the stars together, it will be just the same...the only difference is that you are just lying beside each other in a bed under a roof...

She giggled softly and nervously, her cheeks glowing red, when she met his loving eyes and soft smile. She took his hand when he held it out for her and closed her eyes. And she smiled happily as she fell asleep.

Aislinn had a strange dream. She dreamed that she was in her manor, but she was much younger, just a child. She was sitting in her grandmother's lap in the family room and babbling like an innocent child while her grandmother laughed at her cute chatter and spoke softly to her.
She suddenly heard a knock further down in the manor. It was a hard knock at the front doors. Her grandmother handed over her to a younger woman, who Aislinn recognized as Natalia. As her grandmother hurried down to the front doors, the woman who was holding Aislinn in her arms, followed out, but remained at the top of the stairs. Aislinn heard her grandmother opening the front doors, her voice and some other voices which she did not recognize. Then she suddenly heard her grandmother cry: "No, please...."

Then again:

"No....Please don't.... Not again...."

But Aislinn did not recognize that as her grandmother's voice, but as someone else's and the voice was so close to her. Alastair?

"Mother...Please stop! Stop touching me like that!"

Aislinn was awake, but her eyes still closed. She tried to relax and fall asleep once more, but she was unable to do so. She had sensed some movement beside her and could not keep her eyes closed any longer. She opened her eyes and noticed that Alastair was sitting up in the bed.
She sat up as well, looking at him, her eyes full of concern.

She opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it because she had a feeling that he must had dreamed something hence why she had heard him talking in his sleep. She quickly left the bed and almost run to her room. She knew what he needed, and she was glad that she had brought it with her along with all her necessities. She came back one minute later, with a vial in her hand.

"It is not much, but I hope it will do..." She whispered as she sat down on the left bedside and handed over the vial to him. "...Dreamless potion..." She caressed his left arm gently and softly, wishing to comfort him.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

When Aislynn ran out of the room, Alastair closed his eyes, his hand at his forehead in emotional distress. She must have heard something....What did I say? He thought, pensive.

When she returned, holding a vial, he knew what her intention had been all along. "It is perfect, thank you." he said gratefully, taking the bottle from her. When he did, his fingers brushed up against hers softly, but he seemed to take no notice. Just before he drank, the bottle close to his lips, he hesitated, looking at her with a penetrating glance, unintentionally, of course. "Did I...Did you hear anything?"

"Mirari-san! Watashitachi to issho ni yūshoku ni dekaketaidesu ka? (Mirari! Do you want to come out to dinner with us?)" The girl asked who had whispered to her friend earlier. Aislynn had overheard them, but they didn't know that. Her friend that she had been whispering to stood beside her, and both of them had their bags in their hands, having packed up for the night.

Mirari didn't look up from her work, her face blank. She was about to reject their invitation politely, but the girl who had spoken intervened.

"Ikagen'ni shite! (Come on!)" She said cheerfully. "Sukoshi sushi ga anata no yoru o akaruku suru kamo shiremasen!(A little sushi might brighten up your night!)"

"Ie, kekko dess. (No thank you.)" Mirari said, looking up from her work to look into her colleagues' eyes. "Arigatōgozaimasuga, watashi wa kon'ya osoku ni hataraku to omoimasu. (Thank you, but I think I'll work late tonight. )"

"Futatabi?! (Again?!)" Said the other girl, both surprised and feeling sorry for Mirari, that she would rather work until she fell asleep than relax and let her thoughts stray to Alastair.

"Shikashi...(But....)" the first girl said, unable to think of any more reasons for Mirari to join them.

"Ikou...(Let's go...)" said the other girl, putting her arm around the first girl's shoulders in a 'Let her be.' sort of way.

"Sayonara. (Goodbye.)" Mirari called, half sad, half appreciative of her colleagues' determination to ask her out, nearly every night, in the hopes that they could make her feel better.

"Sayonara, Mirari!" both girls called.

"Luna?"

"Yes?" Luna answered, looking at Nagini after she had finished sealing the last bottle of Dreamless Sleep Potion.

"Aren't you curious what Alastair is hiding? Aren't you curious what happened when-"

"No. " Luna said.

Both Nagini and Luna knew that wasn't the truth. They stared at each other wordlessly.

"You know what? I haven't seen the sun rise in a few days, let's go watch it." she said quickly, offering her hand to Nagini.

They disappeared in a puff of smoke, both of them knowing that the sun had already come up...

 

[Hikari Chan]

Aislinn's heart skipped a beat when Alastair's fingers brushed up against hers softly, leaving her speechless for a second.

Just before he drank, the bottle close to his lips, he hesitated, looking at her with a penetrating glance. "Did I... Did you hear anything?"

She could not look away from his eyes. He was looking at her the same way when he asked her why she did not like milk. The look of his eyes is so demanding that I cannot simply tell him 'let's speak about it tomorrow, dear...I have no other choice to tell him the truth...

"Yes, I did..." She confessed in a small voice, feeling very mortified about it as if she had done something forbidden, and then she told him everything, speaking to fast: "I was dreaming actually, about my childhood..." She described what she remembered from her dream. "First I heard my grandmother pleading in the dream, then I heard your voice, pleading, you were saying 'No, Please don't, Not again', it was when I got fully awake and then I heard you the second time 'Mother, Please stop, Stop touching me like that'..." Her voice died out. She did not know what more to say. She just wished that she would have been spared this part. Her face was red of embarrassment and her heart was pounding so fast. Merlin's beard...I am feeling so mortified about it, as if I should not have heard him speaking in his sleep....is it Alastair's penetrating look or is it my own conscience that makes me feel that way…?