Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer applies.
Warning: Characters death (but I don't think anyone would mind if they died)
I knew I was different from other human beings, if not for the sole reason that each being is different from one another. It was not due to the fact that my childhood differed from another, nor because of my inability to remember my past. Even then, I knew that I despised human beings. My Light would indefinitely disapprove when I say that they are filthy, selfish, and judgmental creatures. Despite how much my Light sees the good in those good-for-nothing fools, I did not have the heart to show him the harsh reality even though I have suspected that my Light already knows how unkind and unforgiving the reality is. No… no matter what, my Light should forever remain untainted; I will see to that… even if I do not remember who I am.
That is, until that night… when my light and hope dimmed, and I awakened.
My Light, I am sorry.
Road let out a sigh as she pulled out a lollipop from her mouth, and nonchalantly swung her leg back and forth while she glanced across the room. She was currently in the study room, supposed to be doing her homework; however, that got boring as soon as she reached to the second problem of her mathematical equation. In addition, Tyki, who was supposed to help with her homework, was absorbed in whatever he was reading.
'Tyki, you suck,' she thought childishly as she stuck her tongue out at the Noah of Pleasure, who merely made a move to grab his coffee and took a sip. 'I'm so bored,' Road sighed as she twirled her pen and stared at her homework with a scowl.
"You know, your homework is not going to finish by itself even if you continue to glare at it," Tyki commented from the sideline as he flipped a page in his book.
Road shifted her glance towards him, and let out a grin before she uttered, "Then finish it for me."
"No," the Noah of Pleasure immediately answered.
"But Tyki~" the Noah of Dreams whined as she pleadingly looked at him with a pout. Her pout quickly turned into a scowl when she noted that he was not paying attention. "Tyki, you're such a party pooper," Road murmured under her breath as she turned her attention back to her homework.
"Finish your homework, Road," Tyki stated as he made a move to grab his coffee, and then calmly took a sip.
However, Road's attention on her homework only lasted for a couple of seconds before she continued with her nonstop pestering. "Ne, Tyki~ what are you going to wish for when we find the Heart?" that was her question this time.
"For you to stop bugging me and actually let me read my book in peace," he answered with an amused smile on his expression. Without looking up from his reading, Tyki knew that Road was displeased by his response.
"I'm serious, Tyki!" Road cried out with a scowl, which was quickly followed by a glare when she realized that he was not paying attention. Was it so much to ask for a conversation partner so that she would not be bored?
"Well then, what are you going to wish for?" the Noah of Pleasure asked albeit reluctantly, which was indicated by his exasperated sigh. At this rate, he was not going to finish his book by evening.
Road let out a gleeful smile at the inquiry, and gave a thoughtful expression for a couple of minutes, just to aggravate Tyki. Finally, she answered solemnly, "I will wish for… us to live normally without all this fighting with the Exorcists, searching for the Innocence, and everything. After so many years, I'm getting tired of it, and a normal life would be nice," and let out a tired smile at her last phrase.
Tyki merely raised an eyebrow at her statement, and did not comment on it even though he knew that he also wished for a similar thing. Wordlessly, he went back to his book as he ignored Road's indigently cry of, "Tyki! Are you listening to me?" to which he merely answered with a, "Hmm…"
Road then uncharacteristically let out an aggravated, "Ugh!" and muttered under how breath about how talking to Tyki when he was reading was like talking a wall.
"Ne, Tyki, let's go see Allen," she decided to take another approach to the matter. After all, homework could wait for another few hours… or days, if she had her way.
The Noah of Pleasure raised a delicate eyebrow as he lowered his book, and found himself staring at a pair of puppy dog eyes from Road. With an exasperated sigh, he only said, "Fine," since he knew that he already lost the 'battle'.
It was due to the Noah within him that the Central decided to lock him up until his trial for heresy. Allen had lost count of days since his capture, considering he had been staring at the same wall in the same confined space with the same blasted chains shackled on his feet. Not that mention, his companion, Timcampy, ended up in the same disposition as him just because the little golem had the score of the Musician. Allen blinked tiredly for a few seconds before he shifted his head towards Timcampy, and gave a seemingly tired smile towards the oversized golem.
"I'm sorry, Tim," Allen murmured in above whisper before he leaned his head against the wall next to him.
Timcampy wiggled as much as he could in his chained position, almost as if to say, "It's okay."
Wordlessly, the silvery white haired exorcist let out a sigh and slowly closed his eyes. He was tired, and a little rest would not hurt him… right?
"I wonder why we're called here," Lavi commented as he leaned against the railing in Hevlaska's chamber. He shifted his glance towards the other Exorcists who came in with him, and noted that they were just as puzzled as he was. Of course, Lavi knew that his best friend, Yuu Kanda, would not show such confusion.
"Nii-san didn't say anything either," Lenalee pointed out as she tucked her short hair behind her ear. She immediately hid behind Kanda when she saw nine personnel from the Central.
Kanda, on the other hand, clicked his tongue in annoyance at their appearances; but he, otherwise, did not say anything.
"This better be important," the Pope started to Hevlaska with a sneer on his expression, and added, "Why did you called us here for?"
Komui stood nearby his sister, who gave him an inquisitive gaze to silently ask for the reason for this gathering; however, he merely let out a small smile in response and shook his head as if to say he did not know the reason. Wordlessly, their attention referred back to Hevlaska, and listened to the conversation.
"The Heart has appeared, and he is extremely displeased," she stated with a frown.
Her announcement earned several startled gasps across the room, mostly from the Exorcists and Komui; however, the six main Central personnel looked pleased by the announcement whilst the other three looked neutral on the matter.
"What's Walker doing here?" Leverier questioned with a glare towards the oldest Exorcist before his stern gaze shifted towards the silvery white haired exorcist, who was floating in midair with his feet still shackled together. Next to Allen was Timcampy with chains around the oversized golem's body, and talisman plastered on top of the chains.
No one spoke to answer the Inspector's inquiry as a heart shaped door appeared out of nowhere. Silence blanketed the area as the two Noah members casually stepped out of the door as if they owned the premise. The first to emerge was Road Kamelot, the Noah of Dreams, and following her shortly afterwards was Tyki Mikk, the Noah of Pleasure.
"My, my, isn't this a full house?" Tyki spoke with mirth dancing in his tone while he eyed at the Exorcists, and Central assembled in the chamber.
"What have you done to Allen?" Road questioned angrily as she eyed at the mention's exorcist's battered yet shackled body.
Leverier sneered at the Noah's presence and retorted with a, "None of your business. Third Exorcists, attack them!"
"Yes sir!" the mentioned Exorcists responded before each of them prepared to launch full-scale attacks.
However, before they could do so, a loud shattering sound echoed in the enclosed chamber. Everyone's attention immediately shifted to the source of the sound, momentarily ignoring the presence of unwelcomed guests and the battle. It was then that Lavi noted the broken chains around Timcampy, and noticed that Allen was freed from his bounds as the shackles were falling to the ground below.
"The Heart…" Hevlaska spoke slowly in an awed tone as if she was surprised by the sudden turn of the event, and continued, "He's awakening."
That was all the warning everyone in the room received before his or her visions were obscured by an unexpected bright light. It was as if one was walking down a dark tunnel for a while and all the sudden has reached to the end of that tunnel where the light was shining.
"What the—!"
"Where did the light came from?"
"Tyki! I can't see anything!"
"My eyes!"
"Lavi-kun, please be serious for a moment," Lenalee chided even though she felt the same sentiments as him since her eyes hurt from the sudden light; even with her eyes closed, she could still feel it.
"What's the meaning of this, Hevlaska?" one of the personnel from the Central inquired. His voice booming over everyone else's, and immediately, everyone silenced.
"Then allow us to explain it for you," a new voice spoke as the light died down until the room was back in its original state.
Once again, no one spoke for a few seconds to readjust his or her vision, and momentarily afterwards, everyone in the room noticed two new figures floating by Hevlaska. Lavi narrowed his eyes as he looked at the two new figures where Allen and Timcampy once were. He could not help but feel a sense of familiarity when he stared at the two; however, he could not quite place his fingers on it.
"I cannot forgive you for your actions against my Light," the young man with unruly black hair and amber eyes spoke. His tone, like before, was cold and unforgiving yet at the same time, when he said, "my Light", there was a hint of protectiveness that baffled Lavi.
"The 14th!" Leverier remarked as he glared at the young man, and immediately glanced to the Third Exorcists before he yelled out, "Attack him!"
Hevlaska's eyes widen, if that was possible, in surprise by the sudden command and instantly cried out, "No! You mustn't!" However, her plead fell into deaf ears as the Third Exorcists unleashed a fury of talisman spells towards 'the 14th' and 'his accomplice'.
Komui inhaled sharply as he watched the talisman papers headed towards the two figures standing, no… floating, by Hevlaska. Next thing he realized, those attacks stopped in midair as if they were controlled by an unseen force. He then let out a relieved sigh that he did not realize he was withholding.
"It's no use explaining to these fools, Hevlaska," 'the 14th' murmured in a soft tone that somehow could be heard over other noises. "I cannot forgive these imbeciles… they have destroyed my Light until there was nothing left of him," he continued with his eyes narrowed in anger.
Wordlessly, the talisman spells shot back towards the Central personnel in a blur, and in the next instance, there were several loud shotgun sounds echoing in the premise. The noise died down a couple of moments later, and the only proofs of the attacks were the mini-craters implanted on the walls.
"Who the hell are you?" one of the Central personnel asked with narrowed eyes as he glared at their attacker.
"I am known by many names; but," the young man started, ignoring the stares directed towards his direction, and continued with his speech, "I am called Neah by a special someone. You have labeled me earlier as the 14th Noah; however, my real identity…" He paused for a few seconds and let out a smirk before he mockingly stated, "I am the Heart that you have been searching for," as his smirk only grew wider at the startled gasps from nearly everyone in the room.
"But," the young man with amber eyes continued in a dark tone as his eyes flickered towards Leverier, the Pope, and other members of Vatican, "for what you have done to my Light, my Allen, you will pay with your life. How dare you destroy him…"
"Destroy him? What do you mean?" Komui asked seriously with his eyes narrowed.
Neah, however, merely let out a small sad smile at the inquiry before he quickly masked his emotion, and hardened his expression. "They dare to confine my Allen and torture him until he's nearly broken beyond repair," the Heart responded in above whisper as his frigid gaze landed on the Vatican, and continued with his speech with a sneer, "My Light may have been kind to you, but the same cannot be said about me."
The Pope simply shrugged to his comrades, clearly unfazed by the threat coming from the Heart, and merely said, "Hevlaska, control him."
"You fool, I cannot be controlled," Neah retorted as he slowly glided his right arm in midair, summoning several nails from a repair site several feet below. "I have protected Allen from every cruelty of reality as much as I can; and yet… you people took advantage of his kindness. Simply unforgivable… even if you kneeled down and beg like a dog."
"Die," the young man in platinum blond hair stated as he pointed his index finger towards the Vatican.
Lavi instantly took several steps back as the air suddenly grew scorching hot, almost as if they had been walking in a desert for numerous hours without water. He let out a gulp whilst he wiped the sweat with the back of his hand, and grabbed the front of his shirt to try to fan himself. "Is it just me, or did the room grew hotter than normal?" he questioned to his comrades and friends.
"Che, what the hell is up with the temperature?" Kanda grumbled as he, too, sweated.
"Tyki! Do something about the heat," Road complained as she tried to fan herself with her hands.
"Don't worry, it will soon be over," Neah remarked with a dark smirk as he eyed at the sweating Central personnel. His smirk only grew bigger when one of them eyed fearfully at the nails. It was almost as if that fool knew about the impending doom. "Tim," the Heart said to the platinum blond haired male, who gave a slight nod in response.
Wordlessly, the temperature increased several notches, and so did the agonizing screams from the Vatican. Miranda watched fearfully as she took many steps back, until her back hit against Krory, and let out a small scream in terror when she realized that the Vatican personnel were being burned alive. Suddenly, a wall of fire separated the two parties… Exorcists, Komui, Howard Link and some scientists on one side, and the Pope, and Vatican on the other.
Lenalee covered her ears as she tried to block out the screaming noises, and tightly closed her eyes while she kneeled down. As quickly as it came, the noises died down until there was a complete silence. It was almost as if the entire ordeal was dream or an illusion; however, Lenalee knew that was not true because when she reopened her eyes, the fire was still there, and when she shifted her gaze towards the Heart, he pointed his index finger towards the Vatican. She stared in fascinated terror as the nail shot towards the burning group in a speed so rapid that she saw myriads of sound ripples.
"Oh my god…" Miranda murmured as she covered her mouth, and fainted into Krory's unsuspecting arms.
The temperature once again increased for a couple of seconds, making it unbearable for everyone else left in the chamber. However, when it died down, there were piles of ashes where the Vatican and the Pope had once stood. It then became clear to the remaining figures that the Heart, the one they had been searching for, had just effortlessly killed the higher-ups of Black Order without so much as blinking an eye.
"Tch', that was quick and easy," Neah muttered darkly under his breath as he teleported over to where the Exorcists and the two Noah members were standing. "I should've made it slow and painful, just like how they did with my Allen," he continued with a frown.
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect Allen," Tim whispered in a low tone with his head bowed.
"It's not your fault," Neah responded with a sad smile, inwardly thankful that the room's temperature had returned normal since he, too, could not handle the humidity. He then shifted his gaze over to the Exorcists, and raised a delicate eyebrow when some of them comically took an exaggerated step backward. "Relax, I'm not going to kill you, you know," he sighed as he shook his head in an exasperated manner.
Silence blanketed the chamber as no one knew what to say, some were still trying to get over the shock of seeing people being burned alive, while others were trying not to faint or vomit right on the stop. No one could really blame them; but at the same time, no one really knew how to handle such situation.
"Out of all times, why did you decide to appear now?" Hevlaska's voice snapped everyone out of his or her stupor.
Neah flashed a sad smile as he shifted his gaze towards the giant Exorcist before he lowered his gaze. "I couldn't let them break my Light… I've seen what happened to him the first time around, and I promised myself that I would do whatever it takes to prevent that from happening again. That's why… even though I'm not supposed to… I'm going to change his destiny. I won't let him die," Neah responded in a ramble as he blinked away the tears.
"You mustn't… you're not supposed to change destiny!" Hevlaska retorted, her tone beseeching the young man before her.
"I don't care about the rules!" Neah angrily replied with his hands clenched tightly, and added, "My only wish for Allen to live… even if he can't live his life normally… I won't let them kill my Light like this. I will change his destiny again countless times, if I have to."
"You've come to like the Destroyer of Time, haven't you?" Hevlaska whispered.
Neah let out a sad smile at the inquiry, and responded as he ran a hand through his hair, "Allen is different from me. He changed my view of this world… that's why, the least I can do is grant this wish for him, and change his life…"
"There is a reason why you prophesized Allen to be the Destroyer of Time," Timcampy stated with a smile appearing on his visage, and continued with a small sad smile appearing on his expression, "Everything that had happened to him is led to this point." He then glanced towards the Heart, and looked at him in the eyes before he solemnly stated, "Neah-sama."
"I know, Tim," Neah answered with a soft sigh. He shifted his glance towards the Exorcists, letting out a small smile when he met their confused gazes, and said, "I want you to promise me to take care of Allen."
"Of course," Komui responded with a nod, despite the fact that he does not fully understand the situation.
Neah did not say anything as he eyed at Timcampy, who mouthed, "Thank you, Neah-sama," just as the room illuminated in silvery white glow. The bright light had once again forced everyone to cover his or her eyes.
"Allen, my Light, how long are you going to sleep?" a familiar voice asked with amusement lacing in his tone.
I groggily opened my eyes, wondering about my whereabouts, and most importantly, who the person talking to me was. I looked around my premise, and realized that I was in the Ark… the same room with a piano and a couch. I then realized that I was in 14th's room.
"Neah?" I questioned with confusion laced in my tone, silently wondering why he was standing before me now. After all, we only see each other through mirrors.
Through time, I came not to mind his presence since he was my only conversational partner during the time I was held captive. Although he was the main reason why I was there in the first, I realized that nothing would change even if I resented him… after all, destiny cannot be changed.
"It's time to go back to your friends," Neah spoke as he held out his hand towards me.
I blinked in confusion as I stared at his outstretched hand, and looked at him owlishly, "You want me to haunt them?"
Neah chuckled in response, and quickly covered his expression with a cough before he said, "No, my Light. I suppose I should explain some things to you before I send you off."
That's something I do not get with him… he always called me 'my Light', or 'my Allen'. Since when did I become 'his'? Well… since we are sort of sharing the same body, I suppose he has some sort of right – wait a minute, never mind. What was I thinking?
"To start things off, I am the Heart that you were looking for," Neah spoke as he sat down on a piano stool, and shifted his position so that he was looking at me, who was sitting on the couch. My eyes widened at his declaration, and he immediately added, "I couldn't tell you that because I didn't want to put you in danger. You know the kinds of thing the Central would be willing to do when they realize it. As the Heart, I can grant a wish to the person who found me… no matter what the wish is."
My mouth instantly ran dry as I stared at him, unsure what to make of his explanation. All these times, I thought he was the Noah who betrayed the Earl, but he turned out to be the Heart we were looking for. "Do you know how many people died because we were looking for you?" I whispered as I looked at him to gauge for his expression, and blinked in startled when I saw a guilty gaze.
"I'm sorry, Allen; forgive me," Neah answered sincerely as he closed his eyes for a moment, and finally he continued, "No matter what, I want to continue protecting you because you are my irreplaceable Light. That's why… I'm going to change your destiny and your life by granting you this wish to return back."
"What will happen to you then?" I could not help but ask when I saw a forlorn look in his eyes for a moment. It quickly disappeared as soon as it appeared, but I managed to catch the expression before he masked it with a smile.
Neah did not say anything as he walked over to me, and ran a hand through my hair as if he was contemplating on how to answer. "My Light, please do not worry about me," he finally said in a whisper, and continued, "I will be fine." From the sound of his tone, it was as if he was trying to reassure himself more than trying to reassure me.
However, I could not help but wonder why he was trying to reassure me. Before I could open my mouth to question, he embraced me in a hug, which surprised me to the point that I forgot what I was going to say for a moment. As far as I knew, Neah was not a touchy-feely kind of person, and a bright light encompassed us before I could say anything.
"Neah?" I murmured as I could not help but hug him back. I supposed it was because how he was trying to act strong despite how he looked like he wanted to crumple into a sobbing mess. I knew that much; after all, we have been together for years.
"Go on, my Light," Neah encouraged with a smile as he disengaged from his hug, and added, "Your friends are waiting for you," with a kiss on my forehead.
Another bright light surrounded me, and next thing I knew, I was in Hevlaska's chamber with everyone… including Road, and Tyki, whom I had no idea what they were here for… and a platinum blond haired male, who, somehow, looked familiar. Despite being surrounded by familiar faces, I could not help but feel a piece of me was missing.
'Neah… where did you go?' that was the only thought that ran in my mind the moment I 'woke' up.
Comment #1: This will remain as one-shot until I decide it be otherwise (a.k.a.: until I get a decent plot for it).