BIG A/N: Okay, this was my first fic. However, the original follow-on to this (see "Trial By Fire") does NOT follow. Why? Chapter 189 radically changed the perceptions of the 14th in that fic. Thus, this is now a separate one-shot, and the connections between it and "Trial By Fire" are very loose. Without further ado, here's Hour of the Wolf (w/ original A/N).
A/N: Yay, first fanfic! :D This was intended to be a one-shot. This fic is very subtle - "the details are everything". My main inspiration came from Akky-chan's "When All is Missing".
Disclaimer: I do not own DGM - Hoshino does.
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Silence engulfed HQ. For once, it was quiet at time 3 AM. Even the science staff was exhausted and nodding off to sleep. In the exorcist's wing, the "apostles of God" were all either dozing or on yet another mission. Yet there was an undercurrent of stale anxiety that flooded every room. Everything from the last 6 months seemed to prove that despite how much they tried, despite how much they could accomplish, they still could have everything stolen from them - not just research and reports, but friends and their very own fragile lives. Everyone knew the force they were fighting against was only letting them live for a little while. Once the Devil got what it wanted, they all knew that everything they held dear would be shattered into oblivion - like the Innocences of all their fallen comrades.
Defeat seemed inevitable. It felt like they had already lost and never had a chance in the first place. The Black Order did had the few exorcists gifted by God whom could provide some defense in their 'righteous cause'. But the Earl? He had not just one, not just hundreds, not just thousands even, but millions of foot soldiers on his side. An army, built off of sadness that fed on despair. Even if the exorcists could defeat some of the army, the sheer numbers were hopeless. What could they do? How could they defeat a force of sadness when it could and had shattered them?
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The exorcist's dormitory was the quietest in HQ. Despite their much larger reservoir of anxieties because of being the Order's first line of defense, the exhaustion typically took them. Allen's room was known especially to be quiet, which was ironic given how most of the time he was loud and inspiring. Link had observed as much through his months at the Order. He meandered on these thoughts as he finished his log entry and headed to bed to dream of Leverrier and cakes. (A/N: Not very surprising, ne?)
Link quickly woke up out of his shallow sleep as he heard the rustling of sheets being pushed aside from a nearby bed, and began to turn towards the sound. Allen had stirred and was now sitting up in his bed, his bangs covering his face. Unusual, thought Link, who began rubbing his eyes. Walker typically never wakes up at this time of night. Suddenly but slowly, Allen turned his eyes towards Link. Link blinked in shock, seeing a figure that was Walker and eyes that were Noah. He began to open his mouth to shout an alarm just as he began to hear a quiet lullaby.
Link felt his eyes close and sleep overtake him, despite the adrenaline running through his veins. Sleep lulled him like a shepherd calling the sheep back, as he heard the song - a slow, sad ballad that sung of denial and a dying race.
Allen rose and stood up out of bed, walking over to Link as he finished the lullaby. He placed his hand over Link's head. "Forget," he whispered in a voice unlike his own.
Timcampy rose out of the bed over to the figure that moved his white bangs out of the way to completely reveal amber eyes. "Timcampy," the Noah whispered. "Open a gate." The feathered golden ball rose, very confused and conflicted - torn between the joy at being reunited with his first master and the fear of losing Allen - opened up a door to the Ark's piano room. The 14th walked through the gate that closed immediately shortly after. The 14th entered straight into the very heart of the Ark - the secret room of the 14th.
The Noah walked towards the piano and placed his hand on the cabinet, and held his breath for several seconds. "So many years," he whispered to himself at last, "so many years since I last stood here. So many years since I felt the cool keys under my hand. So many years since I was alive."
The 14th sighed. "I still can't believe it, Tim. Cross was a survivor, yet he was knocked off so easily. Central has become stronger now - in both ideology and power. Though half-akuma? It seems that they are as hippocritical as always." He sat down on the chair, holding Timcampy, and his attention wandered. Timcampy shuddered in agreement, remembering the moment it saw the blood. Oh God, the blood.
"But the Earl has obviously began moving faster." Timcampy was going to reply before remembering that his first master had a tendency to monologue to himself. "The Level 4 I saw in that last battle means that he's began to mobilize even more of his forces. And the Noah..." the 14ths eyes closed in pain. "They still support him. Despite what I told them, despite what they also know implicitly, they follow their hatred. The recently awakened ones know near nothing about me, as expected. Such news of the reasons why I tried to kill the Earl would encourage the others to investigate further, so he just tells them tha-that I betrayed them all."
The 14th slammed his right hand on the side of the chair. "I was betrayed, and the others know it!" he raged. "Especially Road! Despite how much we cared for each other, how we loved each other as brother and sister, she was able to toss it away like used tissue paper! But she also tried to force me away from Mana, to join 'my real family'. Now that I think back on it, it's disgusting. Only united by memories to form an artificial family. I still cared for her despite it, but she didn't care. All for the family."
"So now they are aligned completely with the Earl, and I am nothing more than a name whispered with disdain and disappointment. Arrogance has clouded their minds to an incredible extent that in the end killed Boric. Nobody's thinking on either side. Especially the exorcists through accepting an agenda that they may even know is wrong, yet still perform without complaint. Allen has shown me how it runs - they simply fight to destroy akuma and Noah, to win. Makes me even more disillusioned with who they are."
"Both sides wonder what the third side of the war is. They can't even fathom their own failures, refusing to accept anything that isn't within a narrow ideological boundary. The Noah by continuing to hold on dearly to the idea that we are the chosen ones to destroy the Innocence, and that it is our sole purpose. So lost in the song that they forgo the melody. The Black Order, by holding onto a similar agenda except focusing on the destruction of the Earl. Context is everything, and when it is lost, we are all lost." The man sighed. "Rather painful, how few can ever try to understand to reach a middle ground, to become gray. They can, but it becomes a matter of desire - would one want to give up they're anger?"
A quiet settled in the room, Timcampy nuzzling up to it's master as it remembered all of the events in its life span. It's creation, the revelation, and the betrayal. Despite it's heavy discomfort, it still recognized the 14th as it's sole master. It remembered the peaceful time, watching Mana and it's master between the struggles and the deep bond they had shared. It also remembered the pain of watching one of the final moments with its true master.
Flashback (13 years earlier)-
"Marian," the 14th called. They were in the rural areas of Britain, or rather what remained through the industrialization. Trees were blocked by the color of soot and the insects were quiet - if there were any left. Three people were camping in the area, one fast asleep near a large boulder, one lazing around on a toppled tree, and another very much awake on the edge of the clearing. The man lying on the tree came over reluctantly. Surprising to many, Cross Marian was very loyal to the 14th ever since that day when Cross had been given a second chance at life.
"What is it?" Cross begrudgingly said, in the assholic manner that everyone had come to expect from the man. "If it's about the Red Light District we passed last week-"
"First, shut up Marian and listen." Shockingly, Cross actually held his tongue. "I can't keep up with this Marian. The Earl will eventually kill me. I lost my chances months ago. But if I keep up at this pace, I will eventually fail. And the Earl will not just kill me, but kill you and Mana." The 14th took in a harsh breath, as he glimpsed the sleeping form in the corner of the camp concernedly. "I can't allow that. If I must meet my death, I will have to face it alone. Or it'll all be for nothing."
"Now wait just a minute to stop your damned martyring," growled Cross. "Everything'd fall apart, I know that and you know that. We still could have a chance-"
"Dammit, Marian, how many times must I tell you it can't be done?! You're the scientist, use those God-forsaken brains of yours to actually consider something: what really are our chances?"
Cross was silent - he knew he'd already lost the argument, and there would be no need to bolster his position as an idiot by repeating an snwer. "Low", he finally grunted.
"And just how much better would those chances be, if you died along with me? With you and Mana still alive, our forces still have a chance. Also," the 14th paused and slightly smirked, "I have no intention of leaving this world for eternity." Cross raised his eyebrows but didn't inquire - he knew exactly what the 14th was thinking, and didn't like it at all.
"If that's the case, ya' better damn well come back."
The 14th took a breath and vowed: "I swear that I will come back. Maybe it will take a while, but I will come back. Until that time, you better take care of Mana."
Cross nodded despite how cold he felt. "I promise I'll take care of Mana for ya'," he vowed in response.
End Flashback -
Timcampy sighed at the memory while the 14th was staring at the ceiling. "One of the folktales I learned of in Sweden spoke of this time," the 14th remarked, "between midnight and dawn. It would be when souls left or came to this Earth. It's the time when nightmares and demons are the strongest. The 'hour of the wolf', also the time when sleepless people are haunted by their worse fears."
"I remember when Mana was up at this time. He would pace around, fighting the terrors that existed within our life - with no parents, no fortune, he was forced to be the miracle worker who had to solve every dilemma that crossed our paths. He tried to comfort me, saying it was nothing," the 14th grimaced. "But I knew. When I awakened, I used my melodies to help him sleep and bring him at least some peace. Truly is nothing worse than a cranky older brother who'd have no qualms about beating anyone up in the morning," he laughed.
"I learned of the same feeling later in my life. After trying to assassinate the Earl, I still helped Mana to sleep but I was always awake. Watching to see if another Noah would try to kill me for my actions, watching for the Earl, watching for the Order - all were my excuses for being simply afraid. I finally made my decision, to sacrifice myself for the cause. The Earl made a fatal mistake though - 'cutting the head from the body and the rest would fall' wasn't exactly applicable in our case. I'll show him, and will avenge Mana for the mockery the Earl made of him." The 14th narrowed his eyes as he dug into his host's memories. "I can't do that now though, or anything. I still must watch. But perhaps, despite for a cause that I have little care for, I can help. I never could stand anyone suffering from their own fears at this time of night."
The 14th walked and sat down to the piano, and began to play a tune that was different from the Ark music that Allen played.
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Lenalee Lee was in her room, pacing and trying to collect herself from her terrible dreams. She had been pacing for hours as she feared going back to sleep. Her nightmares had gotten worse and began repeating almost every night, especially since she had seen someone in Allen's body that was not Allen. It was terrifying - to see someone she had cared for deeply, someone who was part of her world, eye her contemptibly with such an expression of anger. She felt her fears spinning out of control as she put her hands to her head as she sat down on the bed: What would happen to Allen? What would happen to her world - to Komui, Kanda, and Lavi as well? What would happen to her?
What would she do if she would be told to kill him?
Tears started to sting her eyes until she began to hear a piano in the distance. She turned her head towards where she though she heard the sound sharply. It sounded like the Ark piano, but the player had to have been more skilled than Allen. The tune was also different, and she felt the dark parts very vividly, but it was soothing as well - and she began to remember all of her good memories instead of the fears that had entered her world.
The days when Komui hugged her before she was taken to the Order, the times when she saw him again when she was back from a mission, and the days when she met all of her friends - her world. Stopping Kanda from trying to kill Lavi, meditating with him. Being humored by Lavi's remarks, sharing their knowledge. Eating with Allen, who came back in the nick of time to save her in the fight with the Earl. So many good things, Lenalee began to feel sleep come back to her. Just as she began to enter slumber, she whispered "Thank you."
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Because maybe the Earl would win and the ruins would overcome all of them. Yet in the time between moments of action and revelation, it would take all of them to make a difference. For that the Wolf that stalked them all needed to sleep.