Cross' Second Pupil

Chapter 7: The Aria of the Land & the Clear Skies 1

On the way to catch a train

Allen reads the booklet that holds his mission specification. The contents tell of Mater, an abandoned town in Italy, and the "ghost" that resides in it.

"Umm." Allen says while reading. "THERE'S ONE OTHER THING I DON'T UNDERSTAND."

"JUST WORRY ABOUT THE TRAIN FOR NOW!" Kanda shouts. Allen, Kanda, Alice, and their Finder, Toma jump and land on a platform. They saw the train coming.

"Please hurry, the train has come." Toma shouts.

"WHA–T!? WE'RE GOING ON THAT?" Allen asks stun.

The four of them jump and land on top of the train.

"Illegally boarding a train..." Alice said.

"We've always done it this way." Toma tells her.

Inside the train

Toma, Kanda, Allen, and Alice go into the train that they landed on.

"Excuse me, passengers!" The worker says. "This is the 1st Class train, and normal citizens are supposed to be in the 2nd Class train... and you guys just came in from there..."

"We're the Black Priest, please get a room ready." Toma instructs.

"The Black...!?" He sees the Rose Cross. "Y-yes sir!"

He bows and goes to get a room ready.

"What was that?" Alice asks.

"The Rose Cross that you carry on your shoulder is the symbol of the Vatican, and it allows you to enter any place you desire."

"Hmm..." Alice says looking at the Rose Cross.

"By the way," Toma says. "I will be supporting you until we reach Martel. The name's Toma, I'm one of the Fimders. Nice to meet you." He greets.

In one of the 1st class rooms

Allen and Kanda sit on opposite seats. Alice sits next to Allen and Toma stands outside. Allen takes out the booklet he was reading earlier.

"All right," Allen says and Kanda looks at him. "The question I was wondering about earlier... what does this eerie legend have to do with Innocence?"

Kanda looks at Allen with eyes saying: Too lazy to explain.

"Che." Kanda speaks. "An Innocence is..."

"He just 'che'ed me!" Allen thought annoyed.

Kanda looks out and explains.

"A substance that has changed over the years, from the time of Noah to the Present. In the beginning, it was sunk at the bottom of the sea, but... as if the power of the stone lured is to it, we discovered it. But its appearance changes every time, and it could appear out of nowhere in any form." Kanda explains. "The stone always causes eerie illusions. For some reason..." He adds.

"So that means the 'Ghost of Martel' might have something to do with Innocence?" Alice says.

"Yeah." Kanda answers.

Kanda and Alice take out their booklets too and flip to the page where Allen is on.

"'In an eerie place, there lies Innocence. '" Kanda recites. "That's why the church investigates these kinds of places, and whenever they feel that there's a high possibility of an Innocence being there, they send us in."

"Eerie..." Allen thought. He looks at his left hand. "Just being there, it lures in many things due to its energy. If they find a body, could it be into an Anti-Akuma Weapon... a weird stone... if the existence of an Innocence is what's causing strange things to happen, then... what the hell is the Ghost of Martel...?" Allen's, Kanda's, and Alice's eyes widen.