Disclaimer: DGM's not mine.
August 26, 1852, London
A large-scale explosion racked the city, closely followed by smaller but more destructive explosions. Large chunks of debris, stone and metal rained down the town center. Screams were heard, and cries of pain and grief pierced through the evening sky. People kept emerging from the destroyed buildings which once served as shelter from the raging battle.
"Mama! Mama!" A girl managed to cry before she burst into dust.
"Elysia!"
"Help! It hurts! Somebody, please help me!"
A man with long rust-red hair ignored all these as he focused on the source of all these devastation. He hurried on, ignoring the cries of 'Lord Walker!' and 'Brother, you big idiot!' from his loyal servants and only sibling.
"Wait, Master Cross! Don't follow your brother!"
"Judgement!"
He heard a gun being fired but he paid it no mind. He hurried on with only one thought in mind.
Neah D. Campbell...Don't you dare lose!
He jumped over a large boulder that used to be part of the fifth floor of Charing Cross Hospital. He pulled out a small dagger from his pocket and twirled it repeatedly.
Innocence, activate!
The dagger grew and grew until it became a white broadsword with black border and a cross near the tip. A white cape appeared on his shoulders. He swung the sword, using it as a shield from the raining stones. The sky was lit with purple lightning as many balloon like machines known as Akumas fired their Blood bullets at a single target. The area filled with smoke.
Using all his training as a former Exorcist, the man made haste to reach his destination in time. One of the Level-One Akumas blocked his path. He did not hesitate in cutting the machine in half and using the pieces as boost to jump over a still-intact building.
A black figure detached itself from the clouded area and slammed onto the side of another building.
"Neah~!" A pudgy man in yellow coat cried from where he was floating using a pumpkin umbrella. Then his demeanour changed as he twirled the pink umbrella round and round, changing into a sword as it did so.
"Neah! How could you?!"
The pudgy man charged toward the building.
The redheaded man's eyes widened and he dashed to where the figure had crashed. He eliminated every demon that got into his way and immobilized the others surrounding him.
"Neah!" He screamed. But it was too late. The pudgy man whose sword was raised in front of him slammed onto the building, creating another large dust cloud. A Level-Two Akuma blocked his sight and he hastily sliced it into two.
He gave a sigh of relief as he saw Neah holding a short sword and blocking the Earl's black broadsword. But he knew it would not last. He willed his cape to wrap itself around the Earl's sword and gave it a mighty yank. Though he did not get the sword, he succeeded in catching the Earl's attention.
"Neah! Get out of there now!" He shouted as he played tug-o-war with the Earl.
"Walker~" The Earl said. He raised his free left hand and dark matter started to form in it. "Don't get in my way!"
"Neah!" Somebody shouted, attracting the two's attention. "Oh God, Neah! Please wake up! Sorry! I am sorry, Neah! Just please wake up!"
"Mana! Get the hell out of here!" The redhead shouted. But Mana did not hear him.
The Earl quickly lost interest in the redhead and floated near the brothers.
"Mana D. Campbell~"
Mana partially turned towards the Earl.
"Please, stop already!"
"You...You're the reason for Neah's betrayal!" The Earl angrily said as he raised his now freed sword. "Die!"
Shit! The redhead noble cursed as he hurriedly chanted.
"On, Avata, Ura, Masarakat, On-gatar!"
A black coffin wrapped in golden chains rose from the pavement. The chains unravelled and the coffin creaked open.
"Grave of Maria, Activate! Maria, Magdala Curtain!"
The Campbell brothers vanished from the Earl's view and the Earl's swing stopped short.
"Huh? Where?"
"Carte Garde!"
The Earl clutched his head as the music permeated his skull. His current form wavered, briefly revealing the true Noah underneath. The broadsword clattered to the ground. The Earl did not notice it disappear as Neah picked it up.
"N-Neah...Neah!" The Earl's rage overrode the Carte Garte and the hymn of Maria stopped. The redhead's concentration wavered and the coffin materialized around Maria before slamming shut. The Magdala Curtain vanished as well, revealing Neah holding the Earl's sword and Mana standing a bit of distance away.
"Here I am, Millenium. Let's finish this." And so they danced for there was no other word for it. The two fighters gracefully weaved through one another, dodging and attacking simultaneously. It would have looked beautiful had there not been blood raining down the spectators. The Earl had, halfway through the fight shed the fat demonic skin he wore.
The redhead watched, mesmerized by the ongoing fight. His sword had long since reverted back to its dagger form.
"He'll lose." Mana stated with tears running down his cheeks. He could not bear to watch, but he could not wretch his eyes away from the scene. It was his fault...
He wanted to believe that his brother would win for his sake, for theirs. But he knew he could not. The Earl was a powerful being, living for more than a thousand years. And Neah had only awakened five years ago.
Then Neah slammed into the wall near them, the broadsword held loosely in his hand.
The redhead acted immediately.
"On-gatar! Magdala Curtain!" Maria's hymn shielded them from view.
"Eh? Where are you? Where are you?" The Earl floated down near their area. "No matter. No matter. You'll soon die anyway. There's no hope for you, Neah. I am a patient man; I can wait for the next rebirth."
"Ma...na..." Neah croaked as his eyes blindly searched.
"I'm here, Neah. I'm here. Please don't speak." Mana begged with tears streaming down his eyes. "W-we'll get you a doctor. A-and they can treat your wounds."
"There's...no more...hope. I've...lost too much..." Neah coughed and blood trailed down his mouth.
"Brother...please, no more..." Mana cried.
"The Earl...must not...get my memo...ries...Rebirth...Ark..."
The redhead understood what Neah wanted to say. He was not afraid. He would do everything for his friend.
"Neah, use me." He stated with conviction.
"A...llen...I can't. The Noah will...overcome you..." I'll lose you, my friend...
But Allen Walker was not listening.
"I will protect your memories from the others! No matter how long it takes until you awaken. No matter what."
"Allen...Neah..." Mana sobbed.
The two had a stare down to see who would cave in first.
"Thank you, Allen...Take...Tim..." Neah finally said. Allen smiled as he picked up his dagger. He carved a cross over his left hand and held out the bloody hand to Neah.
"So...you know...how..." Neah grasped the bloodied hand, laying his over the cross.
He chanted. A ritual circle appeared below them, revolving slowly as it rose. Then the revolution became faster until a ball of light had enclosed the two. The dagger broke and the Innocence became free of its container. It felt its accommodator and saw the dark matter entering its master. It did the only thing it could; it hovered over the clasped hands and sunk onto the wound of its accommodator. The ritual stopped and backlash was huge.
Allen felt pain on his left arm and saw it mutilating. The skin began turning red with veins showing out. He saw the Innocence merging with his left hand, fitting perfectly in the cross shaped wound. He saw the wound closing itself over the Innocence.
Then his body was racked with pain. And he knew why. The Innocence and Dark Matter were fighting in his body. He coughed up blood.
'No, I can't die here. I need to protect Neah's...memories...' Allen thought. His body, so used to Innocence, was rejecting Neah's memories.
"On, Avata, Ura, Masarakat, On-Kikero!" Hestarted the ritual.
The magical backlash hit Mana. It disrupted Mana's brain, making him forget for years that he had a brother. He would remember only his name and the name of the one who helped his brother-Allen Walker. He would take Walker as his own last name and would forever walk.
"Brother!"
Marian...I'm sorry...
"Masarakat!" Allen heard Marian shout. He opened his eyes to see that Marian had created a hole in his barrier.
"What are you doing, you idiot?!" Marian crouched beside Allen.
"Reversing my time." Before Marian could further question, Allen continued. "Neah's memories and my Innocence are fighting for dominance. I need an adaptable body. Listen, Marian-" "It's Cross, idiot." "-take this golden golem; that's Neah's Timcanpy. He carries Neah's will. You are part of the Third Side and therefore you will carry on the 14th's Will." He felt his body shrinking.
"But-"
"Don't interrupt me. Please. I don't have much time. Take care of Maria. You are her second accommodator; she will obey you. You know the spells to summon her, right?"
Maria-No, Cross nodded.
"I probably won't remember you, or anyone in the family. I don't know how long this adaptation will last, so please, take care of yourself. Goodbye, Marian."
Light engulfed Allen's body and soon it disappeared, streaking through the night sky before vanishing into the horizon. In an open but remote field, a giant crystal would stand. Locals would try to break it but to no avail. More than twenty years later, the crystal would vanish and a child with a paralyzed hand and no memories would stumble away from the field and into the village where he would learn to survive.
"Idiot," Marian cried. "You left your debts on me."
Soshite bouya wa nemuri ni tsuita...
Reviews are appreciated. Say, do you think I should continue this or have it remain as a one-shot? One shot or not?