A Fading Hope
Ch. 3 – Truth
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Allen sighed heavily as Lenalee's tears rolled onto the ground. She looked up at him with pleading eyes, and Allen knew that there was no escaping the truth.
"Please... tell me..." She whispered again, this time more desperately. Allen nodded slowly, and took a deep breath.
"We all were in war against the akuma and the Noahs. I'm sure you know of them, Lenalee." She nodded, and Allen began again,
"During that time, we were outnumbered, the Exorcists against the Noah and akuma. There were rumors that the Noah were planning to build a new ark, this time it would be the largest of them all. The Black Order had to take precautions... They sent me, along with Kanda, Lavi, and you." Lenalee froze up, unable to comprehend that she had once been an Exorcist.
"It can't be... I was really an Exorcist?" She said full of doubt. Allen nodded softly, smiling weakly.
"We all were teamed up, and we went to the location where the ark was being built: Edo, Japan. The Black Order thought that this was impossible since Edo, Japan, had just been destroyed, but despite of this, we went to Edo. When we arrived, it was... oddly quiet. We all kept going." Allen's voice cracked, but he continued on.
"Once we got to the location where the previous ark was, a flash of light sprang out of the sky. The Noahs appeared, and we all realized it was a trap. The Millennium Earl appeared with hundreds of Level 1, 2, 3, and 4 akuma. We sent in for back up, from the Black Order because of the ark we had obtained from the last trip to Edo, but it was in vain." Allen wanted to stop, but Lenalee's piercing eyes of grief did not make him hesitate.
"After many Exorcists arrived, the Millennium Earl tried to attack you, Kanda, Lavi, and me. The other Noahs were slaughtering the other Exorcists, and there was nothing I could do. Then... he attacked you directly, ripping your Innocence from your feet, and then he kept it in his hand. Suddenly, Tyki Mikk and Road Kamelot, two Noahs, attacked me. The akuma were keeping Lavi and Kanda back. I tried to reach you... but I wasn't strong enough. I called for Lavi and Kanda's help, but that was a mistake." Tears swelled up in Allen's eyes, but he pushed them away.
"Lenalee, I... Lavi didn't see Tyki Mikk's attack coming. Tyki plunged his hand into Lavi's leg, and he tore it off... It all happened so fast after that. I felt a pain from hell in my arm, but I tore away, trying to get to Lavi. I noticed that the right side of my arm had been torn off, but I didn't care."
"Suddenly, Komui came from the ark that connected from The Black Order to Edo. I froze up, realizing that he probably had seen and heard you. He was your brother..." Lenalee gripped Allen tighter.
"Lenalee, he loved you so much. He rushed onto the battlefield to protect you, but I was too slow. It was my idea to connect the ark to Edo, just in case. Once Komui had reached you, Skin, a Noah, saw Komui, and he used a blast to kill him off in one blow. Lenalee, after your brother died..." Allen's tears came falling down onto Lenalee, but she gripped him tighter, telling him that he needed to continue.
"Out of anger, I tried to kill Skin, but then a flash of light came from the Millennium Earl. He had my Innocence and yours in one hand. At that moment, I knew. I used my remaining strength to reach where he was in the sky. But, I was too late. He crushed both of our Innocences together, and a flash brighter than I ever imagined illuminated the sky. Kanda's sword broke, Lavi's hammer fell to pieces, and my arm felt like it had been stabbed with a million daggers, but something else happened."
"The Millennium Earl started to look like he was fading, along with the other Noah. They all disappeared suddenly, along with our Innocence. When we arrived back to The Black Order, the science department was in despair from the loss of your brother, but also slightly elated from the fact that we had won the war, but deep down, we didn't feel like we had won it."
A long silence passed before Allen or Lenalee spoke. Allen bowed his head, unable to speak.
"Why?" Lenalee asked, "Why did the Noah die? I thought... I thought they were immortal."
"The science department thinks the reason they died was that the Heart was too powerful for them. Because of this, it destoryed them. It's almost as if it knew that they were evil. But every Exorcists' Innocence was completely obliterated in the process." Allen said. Lenalee nodded, still confused.
"Why is it that I can't remember anything?" She said, sobbing. Allen cringed.
"You... you lost your mind after your brother died, Lenalee. We... I... couldn't see you in anymore pain. The science department decided to do away with your memories, but they said that is was only going to be temporary."
"But... when am I supposed to get my memories back?" Lenalee asked desperately.
"The science department thinks soon, but when they do come back, it will be... extremely painful." Allen smiled at Lenalee, assuring her that it will all be alright.
Lenalee stood up, and dried her tears.
"Thank you Allen, for everything. I know that it must have been painful for you to tell me, but..." She paused, smiling warmly, "I think it made you feel a little better."
With that, she walked out of the tent. Allen sat on the ground as he watched the sunset creep up through the flaps. She was right, Allen though, I do feel better. But, despite this, Allen still felt empty and hollow inside.
To be continued...
