Edit: I looked through this, fixed up some shaky sentences and typos and things. Nothing too major but hopefully it's a little better now

Swords of a Soldier

By Zeida of Zeida and Maria

I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier
I know that the clubs are weapons of war
I know that diamonds mean money for this art
But that's not the shape of my heart

Summary: "…Hey boy, how about we play one more game?" Allen stopped, turning back around in surprise. Then he smiled. "Ok."

Pairing/s: Poker pair (Tyki/Allen) possible Marie/Miranda, Lavi/Linalee

Warnings: possible (Not intentional) ooc, crappie battle scene-type-thing ahead, later romance between a man in his mid-twenties and a boy 11 years younger (who is still under aged).

Notes: Hello people! This is Zeida once more brining you a story I probably shouldn't be touching with Semblance still going like it is… But hey. This story was written very partly because my favorite DGM pairing EVER is the only pairing that is completely and totally guaranteed never to happen in my other story… So, here I am.

Also, be warned, the prologue is Kinda long… I didn't mean to! –hides-

Prologue: Joker

- x -

Another tremor wracked the tower, causing Allen to once again grab hold of the nearest object to him (In this case a pillar that didn't look like it could take much more) in order to keep himself standing.

The door stood before them, it's tall checkered face reflecting eerily in it's disturbing heart-shaped state. Despite their worries, it seemed not only completely intact, but it also seemed to be the only thing in the collapsing arc that was unaffected by the violent shaking.

They needed to get out of there.

Quick.

"This one's mine. Don't interfere."

A certain black haired swordsman flashed through his mind without warning, the look of annoyance that always managed to irk Allen present on his handsome features. He gulped, throat constricting slightly as he realized he would likely never see that look again. And he found, that this fact saddened him.

…If he had stayed behind to help…

"Allen-kun! We have to hurry!" Linalee shouted from ahead, her voice rising above the sound of collapsing building that was deafening them from all sides.

He started on his way over, glancing back down to the level below as he did. "Yeah, I…"

"You brats should let an Adult handle this. Go."

Allen stopped moving, his voice cutting off as he looked down, not really actually seeing anything below. Crowley hadn't gotten back to them either.

He couldn't leave yet he had to-

Another quake struck them, sending his Companions into disarray. Lavi grabbed hold of the door for support and Linalee fell into Chauji, causing the man to topple to the side, and leaving both of them in a groaning heap on the ground luckily with no lasting harm. Allen was not so lucky however, as the shaking sent him flying forward, as well causing his knees to give. He slipped, plummeting right back down into the floor below.

And he found himself staring directly at Tyki Mikk, still unconscious and still breathing- but not for long if he stayed here.

"Lero... Please, save us Lero! Earl-tama~ Save us, Leroooooooooo!" Allen stared at the frantic umbrella, which seemed unable to move as it's handle was lodged firmly between and unconscious Mikk and the marble floor (which was cracked, Allen noted warily).

As the Umbrella paused for breath, not seeming to even notice the white haired boy's presence, Allen caught the sound of shoes scraping rough marble floor above him as his exhausted companions moved towards the hole in the ceiling he had fallen through.

"Allen!"

"Allen–Kun! Are you ok?"

"Exorcist-san! Are you injured at all?"

Allen looked up through the hole, seeing his three comrades looking worriedly back down at him. Their concerned faces reflected in his eyes as he made his final decision.

…He couldn't just let a human being die here. Not another one.

"...I'll be up in a second!" He called, pushing himself shakily to his feet.

"I'll send my hammer down to-" Lavi started, but another quake cut him off and he found himself being pushed frantically to the side by a distraught Chauji, a pillar falling over the cranny with a thunderous crash, and chunk of the ceiling fell where the group had just been.

"Allen-kun!" Linalee all but screeched.

"I'll be right up! I can get there on my own, I-" He stopped, glancing at the unconscious Noah and the distraught umbrella he was lying on top of. "Go on ahead, alright-"

"NO!" Linalee screeched, her voice slightly muffled from the rubble that now separated the two floors. "Allen-kun, don't do this! We're all going back together!"

He glanced at Mikk again, eyebrows furrowed. He wasn't just going to leave him.

There was only one choice.

He heard Lavi and Chauji say something, but couldn't make out the words. The inaudible murmur of voices seemed to go on for a long moment while Allen stumbled to Mikk's side and started maneuvering the black haired man's arm around his shoulder.

He thought he herd Linalee cry something about coming down, and he tensed.

He wasn't about to loose any more friends.

"Please!" He called up. "I'll be right behind you, but this place- It's about to disappear!" He pulled, bringing the man upwards as he forced his tired body to stand. "You've GOT to get through the-"

He cut himself off, jumping frantically away from the ball of dark energy that had just been sent hurtling his way. He looked up, the dead weight of his current charge hanging off on him limply as Allen stared in horror at the large man getting ready to attack again.

"Konbonwa, Allen Walker-" Allen could feel his heart beating in his throat as the man spoke. "Give me back my lamb."

- x -

Linalee was being held back by both of her current companions, who were trying to convince her that Allen would come up- she couldn't go back down.

"Allen's right, Linalee!" Lavi told her, though he look about ready to go back down himself. "We have to get out of here!"

There was yet another tremor, but this one felt different somehow.

It was more like an explosion than an earthquake.

Linalee felt Chauji-san loosen his grip on her slightly as he looked below him. "…What was that?" He asked, both voice and face reflecting his obvious confusion.

Linalee took the opportunity to wrench herself from his and Lavi's grips and run clumsily towards the rubble that cover Allen's only was up- and her only way down.

"Allen-kun!" She yelled again, but he got no answer this time. "Allen-kun! Allen-kun! ALLEN!" she yelled, starting to grab bits of shattered marble, tossing them away desperately to get to her dear friend.

"Linalee! We've got to trust him!" Lavi shouted as a second strange explosion shook the floor. "You've gotta get-"

He gritted his teeth, unable to finish his sentence as Linalee pounded a small fist against the large cracked pillar that blocked her path.

It wasn't working, and she chocked back a sob as another earthquake -this one feeling quite real- shook what was left of the ark's city to pieces.

But still the two floors remained separate. "Allen-kun!" She called again, and as she heard nothing, she bit her lip and pushed herself hurriedly to her feet. If she couldn't do it by herself, she'd just-

Lavi and Chauji finally ran over, grabbing her once more before she could try to hurt herself. "You need to calm down, Exorcist-sama!" Chauji panted.

The large man was kind, and only had her best interest at heart, she could tell, but Allen-kun was going to be stuck down there, and she couldn't just-

She couldn't just-

"Ah!" The yell had come from below, followed by the loud screech of metal clashing against metal. Linalee and Lavi froze.

As the ground quieted, the sound of ragged breath and soft laughing could just barely be heard.

The sound of the Earl Laughing.

"ALLEN!" Lavi yelled, and for a split second, he looked about to try and go down there in along with her, but he abruptly stiffened, tightening his grip on Linalee as he took a shuttering breath in an attempt to calm himself down. "…Linalee, you need to get out of here." He gritted out and she whipped her head around to stare at him in shock and hurt.

"But Allen-kun-" She bit her lip again, the taste of blood tingling on her tongue and making her want to wretch. The look on Lavi's face said everything.

She would only hinder Allen if she went down there now.

"You two need to get out of here." He repeated, pain and determination shining in his usually bright green eyes.

She shook her head. No… he couldn't stay behind too, she couldn't loose him too… she couldn't-

"No…" She sobbed, tears flowing heavily down her cheeks as she continued to shake her head in desperation. "M-my world, it- I don't …" She couldn't finish her sentence, her throat closing up on her at the thought of living without any of her precious friends. She sobbed again, and Lavi reached his other arm around to embrace her.

He never got the chance.

The two exorcists and their currently silent companion were blown violently backwards, as the floor around their only exit exploded.

- x -

Allen wasn't faring well. His battle with Mikk had done an excellent job of wearing him out, as well as using up his adrenaline rush. And with the man currently on his shoulder, with the Earl sending a barrage of dangerous attacks his way courteous of the fat man's sword, Allen was not even able to draw his own and defend himself.

If he did, He would surely drop Mikk, as the man was barely balanced on his back now as he continually dodged and jumped away with both his shoulders intact, he dreaded to think what would happen if he was missing an arm and using the other to carry the sword.

But at this rate, with only the Crowned Clown's black arm as a defense, (as it was also hard to go on the offensive while carrying a man almost twice his age) he wasn't going to survive this.

He felt his whole body vibrate as the Earl's sword clashed once more with his knife-like hand, the evil grinning face only inches away from his own. The Earl laughed.

"What's wrong, Allen Walker? Getting tired already?" The mad man taunted, and Allen jumped away, using his right arm to pull Mikk closer as the unconscious Noah started to slip.

"Of course not, Millennium Earl." He gasped out, not sounding convincing in the least. "I am simply… simply..." He trailed off, his vision was beginning to fade he realized to his horror, and sound was beginning to melt together around him as the Earl rushed towards him once more, sword glinting above his head for what seemed to be a final blow.

He couldn't let it end like this…

Just then, as the Earl was just before him, something shot between them; it's familiar golden wings flapping swiftly to carry him upwards, leading both of their eyes to the right.

Allen had the sudden urge to retch, something usually associated with the cologne his master preferred to wear.

No…

Timcampy stopped moving, flapping his wings more slowly as it seemed to watch the two with a thoughtful air. They continued to stare.

Bad idea.

Moments later, Allen seemed to find the one last burst of energy he needed to dive out of the way of the barrage bullets rocketing towards his opponent, carrying Tyki to a pile of rubble far enough away that the next shot his master took wouldn't puncture them both.

The explosion that had followed his jump must have been the Earl's counter attack he decided, and before he could do much more than once again shift Mikk into a more suitable position on his back, the ceiling collapsed in on him.

- x -

The Next thing Linalee was aware of was landing painfully on the floor below, the upper floor now rubble beneath her aching behind. Their footing had collapsed from beneath her, she realized as she grabbed at the large chunks of marble that were scattered around her in an attempt to pull herself into a sitting position.

The sound of a fierce battle was coming from somewhere to her left, but as she attempted to push herself up enough to check on Allen, she found her arms would not support her, and buckled at the elbows.

Face once more ground into the fragmented marble, Linalee let out a growl of frustration. She couldn't fight, she couldn't stand, and now her arms were even refusing to support her. "URGH" She screeched, banging a fist against the white stone in despaired aggravation.

She wanted to help… she wanted to fight along side of her friends… she wanted to…to…

"Are you ok, Linalee?" The Chinese girl blinked in surprise at the gloved hand that had found it's way in front of her face. She strained her sore neck, looking past it to stare at the teen who held it before her.

"Lavi." She gasped in relief, grasping his offered hand with both of her own. With the red head's help, she pulled herself to her feet, wobbling slightly at the uneven footing messing with her already unstable legs. "Have you seen Chauji, is Allen-kun-" She turned her head abruptly, searching for her white haired comrade in the wreckage that had been left behind from the battle.

Lavi looked too, and his eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the Earl and General Cross of all people. "Wow…" He muttered, shock evident in his features as he watched the two go at it. "…He's pretty strong, huh…?"

Linalee was just as surprised to see the red haired General, but she found the lack of this General's scarred apprentice just a little more interesting. Just a little.

She looked back over to Lavi, who was still holding her hands, the one not occupied with that was griping his Hammer tightly. "Lavi, if General Cross is fighting, where's Allen?" She asked, worry hanging over her like a storm cloud, water ready to come down at any moment.

Lavi stiffened, and tore his eyes away from the spectacle to look the black haired exorcist in the eyes, his single green eye flitting between her two purple orbs, trying to see if there was something there. What he was looking for, Linalee couldn't fathom.

"Linalee." He said, and the air of seriousness in his voice made her nervous. "This… the door was destroyed in the blast." Her face blanked as he gritted his teeth and allowed her to absorb this.

Despite just how terrible at concept this was, Linalee couldn't focus on it- Lavi had avoided her question- where was Allen? Why wasn't he trying to aid his master, or check on them, or trying to find the door, or… or…

Tears welled up in her eyes and she sniffed. No… no. Allen Wasn't dead. She believed in him. Allen-kun wouldn't go down so easily. The only question was… where was he? Why couldn't she see him, he must have been just under them when-

"Lavi." She forced out, trying to keep her voice from sounding too strained as she tried to articulate her thoughts.

"Linalee, we'll find a way out of here, and Allen'll be coming too, so don't worry, I-" The finger that was swiftly brought to his lips silenced him as he stared down at he distraught girl.

"We need to help Allen-kun." She stated, and Lavi looked bewildered. "I think- I'm sure Allen-kun is under us." Lavi paled, looking down at the tall pile of heavy stone and rubble. "…Somewhere…" She couldn't help but add. A lot more of the ceiling had collapsed than she had originally thought, and she didn't know exactly where-

"How COULD you, Exorcist-san?" the two exorcists turned as one in the direction of Chauji's voice, seeing the top of what looked like it might have been the sailor's black hair just in sight behind a pile of collapsed building. Linalee jerked foreword in that direction, tripping as her leg attempted to crumble beneath her weight.

She didn't fall far however, as Lavi swept her off her feet and into his arms without a second thought, causing the shorthaired girl to blush furiously after she squeaked.

"L-Lavi, what are you…" She trailed off as he started making his way towards what seemed to be an escalating one-sided argument.

"An enemy- If you'd do something like protecting an enemy, how could you be an Ally of mine- of the Order's?" Lavi sped up, jumping the last of the marble mountain and landing semi-gracefully next to Chauji. "YOU are an enemy as well!"

The black haired man's head snapped around, his face screwed into an expression of fury. "He was trying to save the Noah!" The hysterical man declared pointing in front of him. "That's why he didn't come up fast enough."

Lavi and Linalee turned in the direction of the bent over figure clad in white, long white belts of the innocence extended to form a make-shift barrier to protect none other than Tyki Mikk himself, still blissfully unconscious and hardly even injured besides the line of crosses spanning his chest.

Allen, on the other hand didn't look too good.

- x -

Even though he was positive the chunks of white marble had already fallen off, he still felt like the ceiling was resting painfully on his back, and he didn't dare move, lest some stray rubble fall into the weak spot in his shield- therefore endangering his current charge.

Blood dripped down from his forehead, splattering onto the uneven ground without warning, and he was suddenly aware with a jolt that he was not, in fact alone.

…Had someone been yelling a moment ago? His frazzled brain strained to comprehend what had been said but it was no use. He was finding it harder and harder to keep his eyes open, and it seemed his awareness was leaving him as well.

"Is… Who's… Who's there?" He managed to gasp out, the taste of blood filling his mouth as he coughed unexpectedly. 'Note to self: Don't let buildings fall on you anymore. ' He told himself firmly; trying his best to keep his blackening vision clear as he looked up. 'Some day, the damage may not be reversible…'

He could feel unconsciousness fast approaching, and his Innocence seemed to revert back to it's arm shape as he did so, perhaps in hopes of conserving his energy. He needed to get Mikk out of there… He needed to get to the door… He needed to find his friends…

The hum of a recognizable but indistinguishable voice reached his ears, but he found he simply could not process who it was, or even what they were saying.

He blinked, his eyes coming back into focus just long enough to figure out who exactly was in front of him.

"…Lina…lee..?"

- x -

As the two stared at their white haired friend who, admittedly, Lavi wasn't sure was still conscious- Chauji didn't seem to be calming down, the battle going on in the background was starting to escalated, and worst of all- the Earl seemed to be trying to push the fight closer to their area.

The sound of a wet splat! brought Lavi's attention not only to the ample amount of blood on the ground around Allen, (None of which seemed to belong to Tyki Mikk, Lavi noted) but also the fact that Allen seemed to have quite the head injury.

Lavi carefully placed Linalee back on the ground and was about to step forward to ask his friend if he needed something, when Linalee took a firm, determined step forward completely on her own.

'…She's grown…' Lavi couldn't help himself smiling, turning back to Allen to see he seemed to have gone ridged where he stood, his shoulders hunched under the white coat stained red from blood that seemed to be still seeping out of their friend from multiple places.

His breathing was ragged, and he twitched slightly, the white cloth that surrounded he and Tyki Mikk like a barrier fluttering in the non-existent wind. He seemed to be trying to speak but instead coughed loudly, a little blood dripping down from the corner of his Mouth.

"Is…" Allen stared, his voice hoarse and weaker than Lavi would have liked. He glanced at the two others beside him, Linalee looked so worried, and Chauji stood frozen, a look of fury still firmly in it's place. "Who's.." Allen tried again, and Lavi got a sinking feeling as Allen managed to finish this sentence. "Who's there?" He gritted his teeth, glancing over at a distraught Linalee. She was just about ready to start crying again, he'd say.

The white haired boy slowly allowed his head to move upwards, and unfocused eyes stared ahead of him, from what Lavi could tell, completely unseeing.

"Allen," He groaned, trying to keep the mood as light as possible, even with the massive fight going on close by. Details Details, right? "If you keep doing stupid stunts like this, you're going to make Linalee cry!"

Even then, he wasn't sure Allen could hear him.

The Younger boy blinked, his gaze leveling out on Linalee, who was once more biting her already abused lip. For a moment, something flashed in the boy's eyes, a light of some sort.

The white belts seemed to waver, and the shield dissipated, moving back into Allen's arm as the mask and cowl disappeared as well. Allen was left standing still slightly hunched over the unconscious ex-Noah with blood dripping down more quickly now that the armor-like innocence had retracted.

Linalee closed her eyes from her tears, a gasp of anguish escaping her lips as Allen's wounds came into full view. It seemed he'd taken the full brunt of the ceiling after all.

"…Lina..lee?" All three spectators looked down at Allen's face once more, to find him staring at the female exorcist so hard Lavi had to abstain from saying an all too inappropriate 'don't strain your brain' comment as Allen smiled, slowly, and on very wobbly legs, straightened. "I… I'm Sorry I took so long.."

Linalee darted forward, jumping over Tyki Mikk as she wrapped her arms around the boy that she (Lavi hoped) had come to think of as a little brother, sending both of them painfully to the ground in a warm embrace.

Lavi couldn't help but to smile fondly even as Allen let out a quiet hiss of pain that, at the very least told Lavi he was no longer slipping into unconsciousness. In fact, after taking a moment to recover from the sudden impact on his wounded back, Allen wrapped his arms around Linalee as well. "Linalee…" He repeated, a breath of relief escaping his lips as he allowed himself to be lain on top of for the time being.

Lavi glanced down at Mikk, feeling that he presence here, under Allen's protection was going to cause hell for him back at the order. Allen was not going to be well taken having saved the life of not only a Noah, but The Noah that had massacred more than half the exorcists within the order and over 100 finders.

"…Allen…" He started, but a sudden explosion from behind the group caused them all to go flying. They landed in a heap, with Allen groaning in pain at the bottom. "…ow…" He ground out himself. He was unable to move, as Chauji was quite firmly on top of him, and he had the worst feeling that something bad was about to happen.

The group slowly got to their feet, Chauji apologizing profusely to both Lavi and Linalee, but not looking at Allen as Lavi helped the remaining two to their feet.

"Allen-kun, are you alright?" The Chinese girl asked worriedly, and Allen gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry about me Linalee. I'll be fine." He assured her, and glanced around seeming to have recovered from his many injuries already. Lavi was not, however, fooled. There was still blood dripping down from some sort of head wound, and the boy's breathing seemed pained.

The only thing that had changed was he could focus again. "Allen, You should rest for a while, you need-" Lavi was cut off by Chauji who had regained his outrage at Lavi's words.

"You saved a Noah, Exorcist-san! How could you? I thought you had killed him, yet you… you…" Allen stared in wide-eyed surprise at the man. "I can never forgive such an act! You are putting to waist the lives that were sacrificed to bring us to here! You have betrayed us!" His voice broke, and a vein throbbed in his temple as he glared.

Throughout the pronouncement, Allen watched the black haired man, a small, sad smile fixed on his lips. He said nothing to dispute the man's words, nothing to defend himself as he waited patiently for the verbal abuse to end.

"Chauji-san," Allen started as they lapsed into silence, "I'm sorry you feel that way." Linalee and Lavi stayed silent, Linalee watching Allen's face worriedly as blood continued to flow from his head wound, and Lavi glancing back to the place where Tyki Mikk still lay unconscious, blocked by rubble from blowing away with the rest of them.

Allen was really an idiot sometimes…

"Lavi?" The redhead looked up, blinking at Allen in surprise as the wounded boy looked up at him with slightly bleary blue-gray eyes. "Why are you smiling?" The boy asked, and Lavi noted that Linalee seemed to be trying to calm Chauji down a little away from him, and despite the smile still ever-present on Allen's face, he seemed nervous.

"..." Was all Lavi could respond with. He didn't even realize he'd been smiling...

"…Do you know where Mikk ended up?" Allen asked after a moment of silence and a glance at the other two. "I'm… I'm not going to leave him." he told the redhead firmly.

Lavi pointed in the direction he had been staring a moment before, but put a hand warningly on Allen's shoulder as he tried to rush over there.

Another explosion shook the area, however the battle seemed to have been successfully move far enough away now that the reverberations didn't reach them. "Allen." He said quietly, Grip tightening on the boy's bare shoulder. "I know you want to save this guy- I understand that…" He started and Allen opened his mouth to rebuttal, eyebrows furrowed. Lavi shook his head and Allen let him continue. "But the order won't. You're gonna be in big trouble when they find out what you're doing. They're gonna think like Chauji is." Allen's expression had calmed, and the firm set of his jaw was all Lavi needed to know Allen's response. He let the boy go.

"I know Lavi." Allen responded in a comforting tone, and he felt like laughing as it put his mind at ease despite himself. "But I still have to save him." Allen stepped away from his red haired friend, turning to make his way over to Tyki Mikk.

Then, that something bad happened.

Another earthquake struck, this one taking down bits of the foundation of the Ark, splitting the ground and knocking everyone but the two battling powers in the background once more to the ground.

The sound of a loud CRACK! And still more of the ground crumbling into nothingness reached Lavi's ears, and he looked up to see a panicked Allen running in the direction of the collapsing floor.

And Tyki Mikk.

"Shit." Lavi groaned, forcing himself to his feet as quickly as his sore and burned body could manage. "ALLEN!" He yelled, chasing after the boy as he all but dived off the edge. Reaching a hand out, he managed to grab hold of the idiot's foot before he fell out of reach.

"NO!" Allen yelled, reaching down even as he dangled over the edge of nothingness by his ankle. But Mikk was nowhere in sight. He was already gone.

"Allen…" Lavi started, but stopped when he herd the sound of a strangled sob as Allen tried to convince himself that it wasn't his fault that a human had just died. "…I'm going to pull you up, Allen…"

At this point in time, Allen seemed to realize just how stupid jumping off the edge to the newly formed cliff actually was, and with shadowed eyes and clenched teeth he nodded once, signaling that he wouldn't struggle while the red head saved his life.

Linalee and Chauji ran over to them as they both lay gasping on the ground at the edge, Lavi turning his head to see just how pissed Linalee was. Allen was covering his eyes with his blackened left arm, letting out sharp gasps every once in a while to try and force himself not to cry for the enemy he had tried so hard to save.

"…Allen-kun…" Linalee whispered, not sounding angry at all as she fell to he knees next to her friend. "…You're too kind, Allen-kun…" She told him, reaching a hand out to rest gently on his head.

Lavi pushed himself up into a sitting position turning to face Allen as well. Allen sniffed, shoulders shaking as he tried harder still to stop the flow a tears as they ran streaming down his face.

"Allen…" Lavi started again, but didn't know what he could say. He sighed, wondering what would help this already hopeless situation.

… He wasn't sure if it was a good idea to give him false hope…

But…

"Allen." He sounded so firm this time when he said it, Allen moved his arm away to blink at Lavi in startlement and Linalee looked up at him as well. "…Do you believe Yuu and Crow-chan are dead?" he asked seriously, and Allen sat up, shaking his head wildly.

"NO! No, I don't." He responded, wide eyes finally slowing in their release of salty tears.

"Then… maybe that guy's not dead yet either. As long as we're still here, there… there could be a chance."

…Well, that was false hope if he'd ever heard it.

Then again, he didn't want to believe Crow-chan and Yuu were dead either.

A laugh escaped from Allen's lips, and he nodded, a smile forming on his pale lips. "Yeah… yeah, that's true." He paused another laugh escaping. "…Sorry…" The white haired boy wiped the blood and tears from his face with his normally colored arm and sighed. "…Reacting like that because of any enemy, I…"

Lavi gave him a thoughtful look, knowing something of a similar nature had happened once in the past, with an Akuma. Linalee had told him tears had been pouring down his face then, too.

"Don't worry so much, Allen." Lavi scolded, and he gave the injured boy an encouraging grin. Allen's mouth opened and closed a few times, before his face screwed up again, and he let in a sharp breath.

Linalee pulled the boy into another hug, weaving her fingers into the tangled hair at the back of his head, kneading him gently with her fingertips. "Shhhhhh… Shhhhh, It's ok, Allen-kun. You don't have to bear this alone. You have us, Allen-kun…" Allen rested his forehead against the older girl's shoulder and let out a shaky breath.

"Yeah…"

Chauji stood a little away, watching this show of affection between the three exorcists. His face darkened, but a moment later, he glanced back up at the three with guilt.

"..." He didn't think he could forgive this exorcist for trying to save a Noah, but…

Someone swept past him, the man's red hair fanning out behind him in a similar fashion to a Christmas tree. He wore a black coat with gold trim.

A gun was cocked, and the barrel pointed at the back of Allen's head, causing all those present to freeze and turn towards the General in confusion.

"Idiot Apprentice. What the HELL do you think you were doing?"

Allen stared up at his Master in horror, feeling the barrel of the tall man's Anti-Akuma Weapon pressed firmly against his temple, cocked and ready to fire at any moment.

"Sh-Shishou…" Allen ground out, Hoping the man that had made three long years of his life living hell would realize the stupidity of shooting him so close to two other exorcists. "…I was trying to save-"

"I know what you were trying to do, you filthy idiot!" The tall man snarled, and Allen Felt Judgment pull away from him, only to come down hard over the top of his head.

Pain shot through his body and he gasped at the unexpected amount of it the simple attack had caused. Still he couldn't bring himself to not hear every word that his master spoke- the bastard had trained him well. "Who the Hell tries to Fight the Millennium Earl with a man twice your size hanging off your back? Idiot." The masked man scoffed.

Allen felt another knock across the head but this one seemed surprisingly less painful. …Had Shishou hit in a different place on purpose?

...Nah...

"…I couldn't just leave him, Shishou…" Allen tried to explain, but a boot's toe found it's way to his stomach before he could finish, knocking the wind out of him and forcing him to double over in pain.

"You did the right thing." The man who had just kicked him said. "One less Noah in that Fat ass's hands in always a good thing." Cross muttered, scratching his head thoughtfully. He looked down at Allen once more to add "Idiot."

Allen jumped away, dodging the next kick, which seemed rather half-hearted anyway. His companions, who had stayed rather silent during this exchange, had expressions of mingled shock, confusion and concern. Lavi looked up at Cross, who paid him no mind as he stepped in the center of their little group and set his fists on his hips. Despite apparently just coming out of a fight with the Earl himself, the man looked positively pristine, not a spec of dust or rip in his General's coat.

"Enough about that, though. You kids all know about my mission, correct?" He asked, his voice changing from pissy to no-nonsense. Slowly, all but Chauji nodded, but the Chinese man seemed to remain completely ignored. "Good. Tim, Take us there."

"Wait, Shishou, what are you-" Allen didn't get a chance to say anymore, because a glowing white light engulfed the whole of the group, and the question was answered for him.

A large glowing egg that seemed to pulse with a life of it's own hovered before him, and he blinked at it, trying to figure out what was going on. He pushed himself carefully to his feet, noting the missing tip the egg seemed to have.

"…Are we still in the ark?" He heard Linalee ask from behind him, and he turned, Seeing his three companions looking around in confusion at the dark room, with the bodies of strange creatures Allen had never seen before strewn across the floor in a hap-hazard manner.

"I think we must be, "Lavi answered, and all four of them looked up at Cross who seemed to be getting impatient.

"This is the last room they will download in the ark." The bespectacled man stated (boredly). "The Akuma factory."

The group turned back towards the pulsating egg, which had disappeared even further in the short time Allen had looked away.

"A-Akuma factory?" Chauji asked, eyes wide, as he stared up at the glow. "This is- Why haven't you destroyed it?" He asked, turning towards Cross, who looked affronted for being addressed by the man in such a forceful manner. "Didn't you defeat the Millennium Earl a moment ago?" The sailor demanded. "Can't you destroy an Akuma factory?"

"I didn't defeat anybody." The General scoffed, obviously not taking the frantic man seriously. "After my Idiot apprentice dropped the Noah off a cliff-" Allen flinched "The fat ass retreated. He no longer had any reason to stay. But that's not what I want to talk about right now. You see the egg- good. I need to destroy it, but there's a barrier, so I need more time- something I don't currently have, SO, Idiot," Allen looked at him, accepting this form of address as a call for his attention. "I need you to control the ark."

A quiet followed this statement, and Allen blinked at his Master in bewilderment. "…Control…?"

A deadpan look responded to him, and Cross brought two fingers up in a circular motion, some sort of runes following them as the swept through the air. "I'll hold this back, you go with Tim to the Heart." The runes flew up, surrounding the disintegrating egg, causing the progress to suddenly slow.

"Wait- how am I supposed to control the-"

"GO." Cross snapped, and Before Allen could respond, he found himself falling backwards into yet another bright light, the sounds of his friends yelled the last thing he heard before silence.

…

Allen blinked, staring at the hand he was reaching out in front of him. A white ceiling hung above him, and the room was completely silent- peaceful even, despite the fact that Allen was positive he was still within the Ark- but this room didn't seem to be affected by the happenings of the rest of the Ark.

He stood up, feeling the ache of his wounds as he looked around the white room. It was sparse, a wall of mirrors put together like a reflective mosaic took up one side of the room, and the rest simply contained the white couch he had just removed himself from, and a small white piano that Tim had perched himself atop.

…Where was this?

'My room…'

A voice answered him, and Allen Turned to stare into the mirrors in shock. A shadow stood there, position similar to his own. As he stared at it, the dark grinning figure stared back with glowing eyes that pierced into him.

'Not even the Earl knows of this place, so it won't be downloaded…'

Allen frowned in confusion. "Who-" He stopped, remembering the dream he had had before waking up at the Asian branch. It seemed so long ago… That shadow was the same one he'd seen that time, in the water.

'This is the secret room…of the fourteenth…'

The sound of static in his ear made him jump. "Idiot Apprentice-" More static "-Can you hear me?" Allen nodded slowly, feeling stupid not a moment afterwards as he quickly replied with an "Er- Yes, Shishou…"

"Good." More static. The older man's voice was becoming less distinct. "What's taking you so long? Operate the Ark!"

Allen felt exasperation fill him. "HOW?" He demanded, and he thought he herd Lavi ask something like 'Why's he the only one that can do it, anyway?' but he, along with his master ignored the interloper on the conversation.

Static was starting to completely fill his ears, he noted as he herd his Master all but yell "Is there a piano in there?"

Allen glanced over at it, Tim's poofy tail swaying back and forth just above the keys. "Well, yes, but-"

"Play the Piano- Tim has the musical score." Cross order over the roar of the static between their two communicators.

"Um… Shishou?" Allen asked, staring back at the creepy grinning figure in the mirror with an expression of complete doubt on his face. "…I've never touched a piano in my life…"

"JUST DO IT!" The General yelled into his earpiece, and Allen almost fell over at the volume. "The piano- the ark, and- put your own desires into-" At that moment, the static that had been punctuating Cross's instructions abruptly cut off and he was once more in silence.

"…" Allen looked at the Piano, wondering what to do. Could he actually play the piano?

'…My… key.'

Allen whipped his head back towards the creepy reflection, staring at the black shadowy finger pointing towards the reflection of the piano. The finger shifted, pointing instead at the reflection of Tim.

'My… Timcampy.'

Allen stiffened. "Tim belongs to my Master. He's not.. Not yours." He wasn't even sure why he thought the idea of Tim belonging to someone else was such a bad thing. It just was. Tim did NOT belong to this man.

'My..'

Allen frowned as the finger pointed next directly at him.

'Allen…'

Allen tensed further, not willing to speak as the reflection spoke once more.

'Together, they have the power of the 'Musician''

"The power of…?" Confusion, followed by still more confusion. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he found himself thinking '…my?'.

'Allen must play..'

"Why… why does it have to be me…?" Uncertainly, he Glanced over at the piano, where Tim seemed to have come to a position of attention.

'Because the score…'

Tim's mouth opened wide, and a circular pattern appeared above him, the characters forming it making Allen freeze.

'…Belongs to Allen.'

Allen stared at the score, mind going blank as a voice started singing softly in his mind.

He stepped towards the Piano.

'And then the boy… drifted to sleep breathing… heavy the flames within the ash welling up one by one…'

- x -

The light was bright, and the first thought that came to mind was the guys must have put him on the roof because he hadn't woken up on time-

…

Hadn't he been fighting in the ark or something?

Tyki opened his eyes, staring at the blue sky that you could only find in Noah's Ark. "..."

His body ached, and for a long moment, all he could think was 'Shouldn't this building already be gone?' but slowly, he remembered the battle with Allen Walker- the sword, the-

He sat up, gasping as pain ripped through his midsection. "Damn that packs a punch…" He muttered, clutching at the line of crosses as he forced himself to his feet.

He needed a smoke, and DAMN he wasn't getting one…

The streets of the White washed town were deserted, and Tyki wondered off-handedly what had happened since he was out. Perhaps this was the NEW ark, and the Earl had been pissed at him for messing with his plans, and had just dumped him in the street as punishment?

He glanced around once more, realizing he'd given his key to the Exorcists when he'd started the game. He was debating for a moment how he was going to get anywhere without his key, when he realized he could probably just walk through the doors to get to the Earl's room and beg for forgiveness.

…Or maybe he'd head for the dining room. He didn't really feel like begging for forgiveness.

Scratch that too, actually. He'd just raid the kitchen.

The pain had lessened to a dull throb as he started down the street to find the door that led to the kitchen. As he approached the correct whitewashed building (which, to an outsider probably looked just like every other building on the flower lined street) he noted Skin's room was still open, the rainbow happy-happy designs a clear contrast the it's bleached surroundings.

"…" He stared at the door for a long moment. He glanced at the door to the kitchen. He looked at the already present door handles on Skin's door. It was a hell of a lot less trouble, that was for sure.

Tyki waltzed up to the unlocked door, and pushed it open. This was the Way Allen and crew had traveled, he remembered, looking around he snowy landscape.

There was no sign of either Skin (who Tyki was sure was dead, but… there should have maybe been remains? There should have been something left to prove his brother existed…) or the Exorcist who had died Killing him.

Then again, if this was the new ark, the room would be transferred, not the people anyway.

"…" The silence surrounding him was starting to become oppressing, he decided. A sigh escaped his lips as he stopped in the middle of the snowy tundra looking down at himself. He was lucky no one had run into him yet. His clothes were ruined, and the crosses left behind from Allen's attack were still glowing faintly, his suit jacket in shreds, his gloves nowhere to be found.

There was dried blood on his shirt as well. Had he bled at some point during the fight? Or was this Allen's blood? When had he bled on Tyki?

The sound of hinges creaking caught his attention, and the Noah of Pleasure looked up.

A door was hanging open on the tall brick building standing alone across the way. The exit to the next room.

"…I feel like I'm walking into a trap…" Tyki grumbled, running his long fingers through his loose wavy black hair. He made his way slowly through the snow to whatever waited on the other side.

As he stepped into the long black corridor he recognized as the way to the library, he felt the hairs at the back of his head stand on end.

"The Trap vibe isn't going away!" He announced to the empty hallway, and a faint echo answering him but nothing more. "Tch.." He suppressed a bout of amused laughter as he followed the path those kids had walked down however long ago.

Reaching out a hand, he pushed open the door to the library, the walls of books disturbed in random places by… craters. Of course, the most interesting thing was between him and the open doors in the center of the room, a medieval Torture device with spikes lining the interior, opening to allow an unhealthy amount of blood to seep out.

Why was the contraption Jasdebi created still intact, but the body of the exorcist they had killed missing?

Maybe this wasn't the new ark after all?

How the hell that the old ark survived?

"…Ha ha ha… this is one hell of a trap…" Tyki snickered, hunching slightly, pressing his free hand against his chest as well. Then he blinked. It didn't hurt at all anymore. "What the hell?" He muttered, pulling his arms away to look at his stomach.

The glowing crosses had disappeared completely. The places where they used be, only abused cloth remained.

What, were his clothes evil or something too? Then again, they had been given to him by the Earl, so…

He sighed, continuing to look down at his ruined clothes. Before they'd looked as if they were fixed to him, but now they just hung loosely off of him, making him look for all the world like… a hobo or something.

He needed a change of clothes.

After yet another quick survey of the room, he confirmed that there was no way he was getting new clothes any time soon.

"… Well, I can at least get rid of the coat." He decided with a childish nod, ignoring the fact that he was alone in a room with a spiked coffin leaking blood as his only company, and there was really no need to speak.

He closed his eyes, making the suit jacket untouchable so the ripped cloth would slip off of him. After a moment, he peaked his eye open.

The damn jacket was still there, in all of it's ratty-ness.

"What the Hell?" He stepped up, attempting to force the air under his foot to carry his weight. Moments later, he stumbled, his foot falling to the ground as he attempted to place his weight on it. He looked down at his hands, pale as they were in his white form. "…What the hell?" he repeated, attempting this time to simply trasform into his more powerful Noah form.

Nothing happened.

Panicking, he ripped off his Jacket manually, following by unbuttoning his stained dress shirt to stare at his bare chest and arms.

Jagged cross-like scars formed a circle around his torso and upper arms, a larger longer scar marking the place where Allen had stabbed through him.

They looked old, like they had been there for years but never faded. "What did he do to me?" Tyki whispered, frozen.

It didn't hurt anymore.

"It wasn't a trick." Allen whispered, getting back into a battle stance. "What I attacked, was the Noah that resides within you."

If it didn't hurt anymore, didn't that mean…

Didn't that mean…

The thing that was injured was no longer there to feel the pain.

The Noah genes within him were destroyed.

He wasn't a Noah anymore.

He wasn't a Noah anymore.

But then…

Dropping his shirt to the ground, he rocketed off past the spiky contraption the twins, slamming into the edge of the door before pushing himself through it, the things running through his mind running so quickly the thoughts had passed before he could register what he had even been thinking-

He was racing up the stairs towards the tower before he finally slowed, gasping and panting to catch his breath.

What was he running from? Or to?

Who could he find up there except maybe the exorcists who would probably kill him on sight, or a family that wasn't his anymore? A hand reached up and shakily covered his face as he tried not to let the anguish he felt at that thought fill his features.

All over this one thing… a game he wanted to play with a boy who's cheated him out of his clothes… He'd just wanted to play a game.

But he'd lost his family.

"Why didn't you just kill me, kid…?" He asked, falling to his knees on the stairs.

What the Hell was he supposed to do now?

- x -

"YUU-CHAAAAAAAAAAAN!" Lavi screeched, launching himself at the black haired swordsman as he came into view. To the redhead's surprise, Kanda wasn't able to dodge on time, due to the ghostly pale middle-aged man hanging off of his shoulder.

As such, both of them were knocked to the ground, and all three of the parties present regretted it a moment later. "Oww… Man, Yuu-chan, I think it's more painful to actually jump you than to fall down when you dodge…"

"Shut up, Baka-Usagi." Kanda ordered, pushing himself up (and in the process, pushing both Crowley and Lavi off of him) to look around the area he had landed himself in. White pillars held up the ceiling, but there were no actual walls, just open air and a view of the white washed city that they had started in.

Coming from a door (Which had just appeared out of nowhere) Moyashi stumbled over, an expression of extreme relief filling his features as the white haired boy caught sight of his two missing companions.

"Kanda!" The amount of delight present in that voice shouldn't have been possible, considering exactly what he had said, Kanda decided. "Crowley!"

He ran over to them, and Kanda noted the unsteady way in which he made each step. He stopped in front of the group, as Kanda was getting to his feet and Lavi was sitting up. Crowley stayed on the ground, quite obviously passed out.

"Don't stand over me, Moyashi." Kanda grumbled, and Allen's face immediately sank into one the swordsman was much more comfortable with: annoyance.

"A-LLEN." Allen stated, sounding out the word to make sure Kanda could hear each syllable as it was said. "My name is ALLEN, Ba-Kanda!"

Kanda bristled. "What did you just call me, Moyashi?" He demanded, hand resting on the hilt of Mugen for an instant before he moved it away. Mugen was in no condition to skewer this idiot.

"Eh heh heh… Allen, Yuu-chan… This is a happy moment, you guys shouldn't…" Lavi trailed off, instead smiling uneasily in an attempt to stave off the twin death glares he was receiving from the two people he very well might consider his best friends.

"Kanda! Crowley!" The delighted voice of Linalee entered the picture, as both annoyed males turned to look at the girl. "You did it, Allen-kun!" She cried in delight. "You brought everyone back!"

Allen smiled back at her, their relief shared whole-heartedly. "Yeah."

"It was you then, boy?"

Kanda Lavi and Linalee stiffened, turning towards the doorway Kanda had entered through a few minutes before.

Linalee blushed as they were confronted by a view of Tyki Mikk, shirtless with his arms crossed over his chest, leaning against the frame.

"Tyki Mikk!" Allen whispered, and to Kanda's shock, the same relief that he had shown after seeing his comrades once again shone in his eyes as he stepped towards the half naked Noah. "You're alive too!"

The Noah, who was currently masquerading as a commonplace human, seemed if anything just as disturbed by the odd behavior of the short exorcist as Kanda was.

"…Was that your doing, or did it come with the package?" The black haired man asked after a moment, watching suspiciously at the boy as he stopped right in front of him.

He got a quirky smile in response. "It could've been either." He admitted, before he flinched, catching sight of the vivid scars visible on the man's currently pale arms. "…Dose it still hurt?" He asked, and the Noah snorted loudly.

"Not physically." Mikk said, a sort of hysterical laugh in his voice. Then, before any of them could really react in their exhausted state, Allen had found himself slammed against the doorframe, Tyki Mikk's face inches from his. "You've taken my family from me, you know that don't you boy?"

Allen stared into those dark eyes, eyes that in all honesty he'd never really seen before, as they were always covered or golden from the Noah genes, but he saw no hatred in those eyes- no anger.

Just... sadness.

Mikk broke eye contact first, closing his eyes and looking down as he began to snicker uncontrollably, letting the fifteen year old go.

"Ha ha ha ha… It looks like I'm at you're mercy, Boy."

Allen looked up, blinking in surprise at Lavi, who stood behind the tall man, hammer poised at the ready, the tip of it's sharp cross touching the Noah's- ex Noah's?- bare back.

Allen opened his mouth to scold the redhead, but he never got the chance.

"Idiot Apprentice! Why haven't we gotten off of this Damn Ark yet?" Cross yelled, walking through the door Allen had created from the player's room. Then, he spotted the extra. "Huh. Looks like you did something right after all, brat. We're taking him too."

Tyki was not the only one to stare in complete bafflement at the red haired man.

"Well, what are you waiting for Allen? Make a gate off the stupid Ark!"

- x -

Please, feel free to review! I love reviews. Reviews are nice.

Nice, long reviews are nicer -hint- -hint-

You could even yell at me for not working on ch. 8 of SoV if you wanted to! Or just bash my brains out for just how BAD this was... -dies-