The Darkness Unveiled [DGM Wattyaward 2015 Winner]

Chapter 6 Pt. 2

Allen noticed Kanda was walking around looking at each bush. It was like he was trying to find something, but couldn't. Kanda was followed down the path until Allen saw something strange. He walked to the end of the path and stood before a large coffin. The coffin was as large as one he had only seen once or twice and was adorned by a large cross. It looked too much like the Grave of Maria to him, but not only was it wrapped in chains; those chains were old, rusted, and looked like they had been in the same place for hundreds of years; it was wrapped in thorn covered vines. Locks lined the side of the coffin, all of which were locked and there was at least ten, there could have been more or there could have been less.

"M...master!" Allen called.

"What is it Idiot pupil?" Cross asked in return.

"This is Grave of Maria." He was astounded by the sight. Cross had only used Grave of Maria once or twice and he hadn't activated it yet. Cross walked up to the coffin and stood beside his apprentice. One by one, each exorcist came to stand close to Allen and his master all gawking at the coffin that eyes had only seen once.

"Stupid apprentice! That isn't Grave of Maria!" Cross stated, scolding the young boy exorcist.

"It looks identical though Master." Allen replied, trying not to step away from his abusive master. Cross backhanded him and turned to the others. Allen rubbed the back of his head and glared and the back of his master's head.

'It does look like Grave of Maria.' He thought.

***

Seeing General Cross hit Allen like that made her worry, she walked over to him and looked at the coffin.

"Are you alright Allen?" She asked, her gentle caring personality plain to see.

"I'm okay Lenalee." He smiled in return. The coffin did look like Grave of Maria, but there was little chance of that being true.

"We should join the others." Lenalee said, looking away from the coffin. Allen nodded and they walked back to the group of exorcists.

"It does look really close to Grave of Maria." General Tiedoll said. It was true enough and everyone thought that it was the weapon, but it was something else.

"It may look like it but it isn't. For all we know it could be one of the Earl's tricks." General Cross replied.

'If it is one of the Earl's tricks why does it resemble General Cross' second weapon?' Lenalee wondered. This garden was absolutely beautiful, but there was something about it that was strange. The teaz were flying around like normal butterflies, they normally attack exorcists. The topiaries of the dead brought Lenalee to tears but she held them back to show that she was strong enough. She did worry about all of her friends that were in the garden with her and her brother, but what worried her the most was all of the other exorcists in the world that they hadn't found yet.

"What do you think Lenalee?" Someone asked.

"About what?" She asked, shaking free from her thoughts.

"What the casket looking just like Grave of Maria could mean." Lavi stated.

"I think it just means that the Earl is trying to get us to break ourselves down." She replied, without putting much thought into her answer.

***

We can all be strong if we fight for all of our fallen comrades.' Tiedoll thought to himself. He was seconds away from speaking this thought when a haunting tune started to echo throughout the garden. Everyone looked around, searching for the source of the music, but nothing was found. Shortly after the music played a haunting voice started to sing the song of Grave of Maria, General Cross' weapon.

'I have heard this voice before. It couldn't possibly be...' Tiedoll thought, his memories haunted by the sound of the lovely voice. When the song of the parasitic weapon had ended a new song was sung.

"The first was a lady
Who floated like a swan.
Her lips rang with music
And lulled the sailors on"
After the first verse was sung there was a soft click. The exorcists looked upon the source to find the very top lock on the coffin before them was unlocked. Fear struck them as thoughts of what monstrous thing could be locked within it.

"The second was a man
Who's heart once was pure.
The lady took his heart away
And flew just like a bird."
Another soft click, another lock unlocked. This continued on until the very last lock, starting at the top and ending at the bottom. There was more than ten locks, there was three more that had not been observed earlier on. Tiedoll thought on this quickly, there was three topiaries of fallen exorcists and ten that were alive; thirteen in all, and thirteen locks.

"The third lay in Eden
Who was good and nothing less.
His works were gracious
And he, himself was blessed.

"The fourth was so strict;
Who could stand a chance,
When this clever man stood
In such his violent stance?

"The fifth was a woman
Who's mind was fixed as one
She cared not of fickle ones
Who could not finish and be done.

"The sixth strung to a tree
Who's smile was once gentle.
But caring in a world like this
Is not but sentimental.

"The seventh was a young man
Who's knowledge was immense.
He lost himself in tradition
Lest face the consequence.

"The eighth was a girl
Whom was of darkness born.
She lived in fear of suffrage
But evermore did mourn.

"The ninth had a secret
He wished to bury so
Of some forgotten past
he wanted no one to ever know.

"The tenth was astounding
For why couldn't he be?
Young and great power
Even the Earl had to see."

"The eleventh played with danger
And got himself killed,
What a young and stupid child!
He was, at best, skilled."

"The twelfth was feared
As an old and ancient past.
He couldn't leave his bondage;
His first love was his last."

"The thirteenth suffered greatly
With her Clumsy, cluttered mess.
Only everyone could see
And no one helped her distress."

The final lock unlocked, but the coffin was still sealed shut by rusted chains and thorn covered rose vines. The exorcists relaxed slightly, almost all of them seeming to let a faction of their raised guard fall.
'Thirteen locks, thirteen exorcists, thirteen verses. Is this song supposed to describe us?' Tiedoll wondered, thinking over the words and each of his comrades.

"Poor lost souls
With no place to turn,
Welcome to my garden.
Prepare yourselves."

After this verse, which seemed to be the last one, was sung, the rusted chains and vines receded away from the coffin and the lid creaked slowly open. Fear struck the faces of Cross and Tiedoll as the beauty of the maiden that laid inside was revealed.

She looked just as the innocence weapon Grave of Maria did only human and had ebony hair and her closed eyes could be seen. She was adorned in a lovely dress of black, its collar setting just above the collarbone with sleeves gently off the shoulders meeting seamlessly with black gloves. Roses of magnificent green and vines of black detailed the gown. It only reached her knees when black shoes met and covered her leg until it reached her toes. She was a true, rare, beauty; one that had once held a heart and was beloved above all else by one that stood before her and marveled in her beauty.

'It is!' Tiedoll exclaimed through thought. The woman that had ever been perceived dead was alive and lying in this casket lined with red silk. Her eyes opened to reveal pools of moon gray, deep, and beautiful. She smiled and raised herself from the coffin.

"W...who are you?!" The young Lenalee exclaimed, filled with fear. Of course Tiedoll and Cross knew who this fair maiden was, but it was impossible she had been killed.

"I, my dear child, am the true Maria." The maiden replied. Her voice was like silk, soft and sweet, even when she was saying a simple line that was not part of a song.