Word Count: 1.7k aprox. Pairings: None. Rating: Changed to T

Warning: Character Death. Reincarnation/Time Travel.

Recap: The Black Order just won the last battle, but Allen felt that something else needed to be done, it was time to confront the Heart.


Chapter 2 – Heart

"The Noah are no more"

The memories never again would be awakened, they simple couldn't now that the cycle was broken. Destroyed by the mirror of the Earl's weapon in appearance and power. So now that those who commanded the Akuma were dead, the Earl's machines were no match for the remaining Exorcist, even less for the Heart, so why was it still hiding? Why did it insist on manipulating them from the shadows?

"I know who you are" Allen stated after a moment of silence, his fringe hiding his eyes as his hands clenched tightly by his side, trying to hide the tremors that shook his body with various degrees of success "We have been used by you for long enough, the least you could do is reveal yourself. Grave of Maria"

Reality itself rippled, a dome of energy appeared and in it stood the familiar figure of what everyone thought to be his Master's second innocence. Even Allen thought so as well until he learned, from some fragments of Nea's memory, about magic and its limits. The energy to control the corpse of a parasitic type exorcist and her Innocence was too much for a human to handle, even a magician as powerful as Cross. His Master and the Heart maybe had some type of agreement but he couldn't be bothered to know the details, not when he was so close to death's door.

For a moment they just stared at each other, calmly he took in the stiff and pale figure. Was there anything left of Maria in there or was it just the Heart controlling the corpse?

"Prophecy is…complete"

Allen remained silent, his lips on a tight line, not letting it know how unnerved he was at seeing those blood red lips form words, and not just attack with her hymn.

"It is" He could still remember Hebraska's words.

Allen Walker, in a dark future from now, your Innocence will give birth to a great destroyer of time.

It took all of his composure to keep Mana's mask of politeness . To be in front of the one being who caused them all so much suffering and not being able to express himself was maddening, but he was bound too tightly to what he had left of Mana. Those precious memories of a time with no innocence or Akuma, just them trying to survive and enjoy the world to the fullest. "This is the last you will ask of us. "

The being just watched him patiently. Allen resisted the urge to just let himself go and curse everything, he needed to keep holding on, to make sure everyone could live the rest of their lives in peace. His body had other ideas though, he felt his heart skip a beat, gasping he fell to his knees, his legs not having the strength to continue holding his weight. Maria didn't move a finger to help the fallen exorcist.

"I …understand"

Did it? Allen wasn't so sure, but he couldn't answer before a coughing fit had him clawing the ground trying to get another breath into his abused lungs, grimacing when he noticed he was coughing blood.

"Much…suffering…want to…balance…"

Allen pulled himself together, or as much as he could and looked up at the still figure in front of him, it was humbling to realize how much power this being had at its fingertip. To think it could have complete control over its host, even after death made Allen shudder. At the back of his head he felt his own Innocence reassure him of never doing something against his will again, Allen forced himself to relax.

"No" He said resolutely, he didn't want anything to do with that power, they won, it was over and everyone had the chance to try and be happy.

The heart actually looked a bit perturbed, thought her face didn't express much, Allen somehow knew. He tensed when Maria started to slowly walk towards his kneeling form, he tried to activate his own innocence but it refused. Allen screamed in pain, grabbing his left shoulder tightly. `Why Crowned Clown´ He thought between the bursts of pain.

"The Clown of God…cannot activate" Maria said calmly, crouching besides the curling form of Allen. Her speech pattern getting noticeably better.

"W-What did you do" Allen hissed, trying in vain to get away.

"Not me" She said "You"

"What?" he asked confused, giving up and just lying on his side, keeping Maria in his sight.

"No energy" Allen chuckled mirthlessly, of course, it had been a while since his last good meal, and everyone knew how much strain the parasitic type put on its host. Not to mention all the energy he used in the final clash against the Earl, against Mana, he forced himself to go back to their conversation.

The shared another moment of silence before the Heart put the deadly cold hand of Maria on top of his snowy locks, Allen stiffened but eventually relaxed when he realized there really was nothing he could do to stop her.

"Why are you doing this"

"Balance"

"I told you, I'm not interested" he stated, feeling his life slipping away, Crowned Clown desperately trying to keep him alive. Allen sent comforting waves back, he always knew he wouldn't survive the war, and he had long ago accepted it.

"Would you like…" Maria seemed to gather her thoughts before continuing. "another chance? …change the past"

It was tempting, a chance to fix his mistakes, to do better, but then he remembered all the sacrifices already made and weakly shook his head. Using what was left of his energy Allen made a vague gesture with his right arm to the far away survivors of the final battle. "I can't do that to them. To rewind time to better suit my own ending. Everyone has made sacrifices, and changing thins would dishonor it" Allen paused before continuing "And I'm selfish. I can't go through that again. I couldn't bear it"

She didn't answer just started to slowly pet his hair, as if the gesture was unfamiliar to the Innocence, it probably was. And then to his surprise a kind smile appeared on her deadly pale face, what he could see of it, somehow he knew she approved of his answer.

"Forward then… a time with no war…the world already mended."

And there was a chance, Allen should just grab it with both hands and never let go…but he couldn't. No, I don't deserve it. He looked past Grave of Maria to the distant figure of the rest of the Black Order, there were people out there who deserve this chance way more than him.

"I…I can't accept that" He smiled softly "Please give them the chance." Allen closed his eyes but he couldn't help the tear that escaped through closed lids "I swore to Mana that I would never stop, but after everything that has happened, after what I did… I can't. I just … I just want to stop walking"

"Do not stop, all who fought in my name shall be given this chance Allen Walker" Allen opened his eyes to look at her with surprise, but his vision had gone blurry, he looked down at the rest of his body and saw he was going transparent, just like that time with that level 3 Akuma at the Asian branch.

"What exactly… are you proposing"

Allen was startled when he was moved to lay against Maria, his head resting comfortably on her shoulder and her arms cradling his disappearing body, he was just a doll with its strings cut. It was Ironic that he had done the same thing for Road just a moment ago, trying to give confort in their final moments.

"Another chance in the distant future, with no memory of this time"

"Wait, don't!" His outburst surprised him as much as the Heart. Apparently she couldn't understand him and to his horror he felt an absurdly amount of power gathering inside of her, getting ready to bend time as it pleased and their fates with it. Allen couldn't allow it, he was tired of being just a pawn in the game between the Innocence and the Noah. As he told Nea once, it was his body, his destiny and he would do whatever he wanted with it.

"I too am selfish"

What?

"I wish to atone" No, she wouldn't dare. A cold finger drew a cross on his forehead "Be born anew with no past to hold you back."

Stop. Stop. STOP

Desperately he reached for his Innocence, forced the activation. Please share with me your strength, just one more time. Not so surprisingly Crowned Clown responded, it would mean instant death for Allen but he as he was already dying he didn't care if he did so sooner.

Pain like no other almost made him falter, but he couldn't, not now when he had only precious seconds before the Heart did something unforgivable.

"Is our pain, our memories what define us! And I will not let you take that from us!" With a scream he intercepted Maria's power with his own. If it could not be stopped then he would change it.

The force liberated when the two forces clashed was strong enough to rip Maria's mask away, leaving long dark tresses free to the wind. Wide Innocence-green eyes looked down at Allen Walker with shock.

"It's our life and we will do whatever we want to do with it. Is our choice!" He said fiercely, his vision already going dark, his heart slowing. Even dying he knew he hadn't been able to stop the Heart, not in his weakened state but at least he had managed to change something important. There was nothing else he could do. Regretfully he took his last breath so he didn't see the way that Maria slowly but surely started to smile, a real human smile full of wonder.

Very well Allen Walker. Things already have been put in motion, even I cannot stop them, but your will shall be carried over. Your life is in your hands, as it should be, now I understand.

Good Luck.


Chapter 3 – Reincarnation Preview

Numerous doctors warned them that their child had a high possibility of a deformity, but they refused to believe it. Her pregnancy had been filled by despair at the thought of an imperfect child, because no matter how many doctors they visited, they all said the same. But it could not be true, she and her husband made themselves deaf and blind, there was simple no way that a child born of their beautiful and pure love could be deformed. So they waited, ignoring their sense of dread, to the day they would prove all those doctors wrong. No child of hers would be abnormal.

And she was right.

To the bafflement of the doctor who took her through the last month of her pregnancy, she brought to the world a beautiful baby, with soft pale skin and reddish brown hair. Though he had a birthmark the form of a cross on his left arm, it was ignorable, it would be simple to cover up. She looked at her husband and saw reflected in his eyes the happiness that surely was in her eyes. The had a normal son, all was right with the world.

Preview End-

A/N: I would like to thank all who followed and favorited DoT.

A Shoutout to Guest, AmatsuKitsune and Sue for taking the time to leave a review. I really appreciate it. About Pairings, I love the ones suggested but I do want to avoid romance, is a genre I really don't know how to write.

Hope you liked this chapter, please review!