Ace of Spades
Water Fairy: One question before I get to the reviews. –Turns to readers and reviewers- Why is this story so popular? I mean, I'm flattered, but wow! I'm really touched. Lavi, Allen, Aleina, and Tyki plushies for all of you! Oh, I forgot the translation of Man for last chapter.
Man - Grow
Reviews—
Mimicsmaze – Thank you! Yup, Lenalee fainted. I don't know why, I just see her as the type to faint at something like this.
ClaymoreDarkAlicia – I love your reviews. I don't know why, but I do. Yeah, last chapter was kinda choppy and many things I wasn't too happy about, but I'm glad that you like it. Thank you for your review and your suggestions! Cookie for you~! Oh! About the soba thing. Well, Allen is Aleina and Allen knows Kanda's love for soba, so of course Aleina knows about the soba! ^_^ Sorry if it was a bit confusing.
Allen-Is-Mine – Thank you! I'm glad you like it!
Evil Snail Overlord – Thanks for the review and fav!
cutiecat92 – Tyki should be coming in, in a few chapters. I'm really antsy to write him. X3 Thank you for the review!
Swirlyblue172 – I'm glad you like it. Did I really put grandma died? Aw geez… I'm really oblivious at times. (Bonks head.) Edit: It's been fixed now!
Tokyogurl1 – Hee…Lavi and Allen is win! ^_^ (Allen: You are such a fan girl… Me: Quiet, fem-boy! Allen: -Glare-)
Aion Laven Walker – Yup! Allen is reunited with his friends (if Kanda counts as a friend). Oh, a lot of mayhem is going to happen this chapter. –Evil giggle-
Junoan – I'm glad you like it! And don't worry there is absolutely NO Levrier x Allen or Chaoji x Allen. –Shiver. Whips towards readers.- No offense to those in the audience who like Allen x Levrier or Allen x Chaoji!
tarintara – I'm glad you like it. I tried to make some parts funny and writing Allen's death was hard…
SakuraKissy – Thank you for reviewing. Well, Kanda doesn't really care, just as long as Allen doesn't turn out to be an Akuma (which he isn't) and Lenalee is sometimes a little too trusting. Lavi's a completely different story however…
CrimsonVixen333 – Thank you! I'm glad you like the story so far.
End Reviews—
--Oh, yes! I made a picture for this story! It is found here: http:// nebulamon. deviantart .com/art/ Ace-of-Spades- 105363312 Just remove the spaces when you put it into the address bar.--
Fourth Night – Return to the Black Order!
"Allen…Allen…come on…"
I grumbled and rolled onto my side. Whoever was waking me up at this ungodly hour was the devil. I heard a sigh. I covered my head with the blanket.
"Allen…before your friends come in!"
"Go away, Alana," I mumbled, blinking my eyes against the soft morning light. I rubbed my right eye as I sat up and yawned. "Morning."
Alana was giving me a sour look. "Yes, yes, good morning. Geez, you don't usually sleep this late."
I yawned and stretched. I rubbed my eyes again and flung the covers off. "What time is it?" I asked, going over to the dresser. Alana sighed again.
"Eight thirty-six," she answered. I nodded, pulling out a pair of black tights, a black skirt, a white blouse, and a black vest. I picked up the pair of black shoes and was headed to the door, before I paused. "Allen?"
"Could you…check to make sure no one's in the bathroom?" I asked, feeling embarrassed. I looked at the ghost and smiled nervously at her blank look. She groaned and floated through the door. "Thank you…" I mumbled after her.
I waited a few moments before Alana's face appeared through the door. She looked disgruntled. "Coast's clear," she reported sullenly.
I smiled my thanks and quickly dashed to the bathroom. I locked the door behind me and sighed. I was actually returning to the Order today. We had discussed it the night before at dinner. I took a breath and sighed again. Would the others accept me? Or would they think me an Akuma or Lulubell, the Noah of Lust? That had been my main fear the whole night. I bit bottom lip. That and what the wolf-like Akuma had said yesterday. I had even had a nightmare. I closed my eyes as I remembered it.
I stood alone in a blank, snow filled plain at night. Snow fell from the sky and I looked around in confusion. Where was I? I looked up at the vast darkness of the sky and frowned. I looked around again. Where were the others? I blinked as I saw Lavi, Lenalee, Kanda, Mother, and Baba all standing a bit away from me. They seemed to be around a fire, but as I ran towards them, they got up and left. I stumbled to a stop.
"Guys?" I called after them. "W-Wait!"
I ran to catch up with them, but it seemed as if my legs were lead. I gritted my teeth and called out to them again. They turned to look at me and I stopped abruptly at the sight of their lifeless eyes.
"Go away…you're not Allen…Allen's dead…" they spoke in perfect unison, their voices blending to form a chilling monotone. I gulped.
"B-But…I am Allen…" I tried to reason, but they had turned forward and were walking again. "Everyone…wait…but…"
My friends disappeared only to be replaced by a crimson darkness. The snow was shining with a red light and I looked around. My heart stopped briefly. Their corpses littered the ground. I just stared and looked down at my hands. Blood stained my pale flesh and I gave a strangled cry.
"No! No! I didn't do this! No!" I cried clutching my head. "No!"
"How could you?" I gasped looking up. I gulped. I stared at his bloodied body and shook my head.
"I didn't! I…no…I couldn't…" I said, feeling my body lock up as he gripped my shoulder.
"But you're a Noah, Allen," Lavi snapped back. I trembled. No. I wasn't a Noah…not yet, at least. "You've become a Noah, Allen Walker…no, the Fourteenth."
"NO!!" I screamed. "I'm not a NOAH!"
I opened my eyes and groaned, rubbing my forehead. That nightmare was going to haunt me for a while. I leaned back against the door and shook my head. I didn't want my friends to reject me. I didn't want to be a Noah. But…but how long would it take for the Fourteenth to gain control?
I fixed my red bowtie as I walked down the hallway towards the living room. My suitcase was sitting in on the coffee table. Lenalee and Lavi were discussing something as I came into the room while Kanda looked (read: zoned) out the window. Lenalee noticed me and smiled.
"Ah, Allen-chan! You're awake!" she said, motioning for me to come over. I blinked, frowning.
"'Allen-chan'?" I echoed and pouted. "Come on, Lenalee. Why must you add '-chan'?"
Lenalee giggled and smiled at me. Lavi turned and smirked. "Aw, come on, Al. It's cute," he teased and I blushed brightly.
"I'm not cute!" I snapped in return.
"No, you're cute and short! The perfect combo!" Lavi chortled and I growled in response. I had enough issues with my height without someone calling me cute. I huffed, letting a small smile grace my face. At least Lavi was acting more like he used to, if not a bit off. I gently touched the slightly raised skin of my scar. I hadn't put the makeup on today. I hoped that no one would notice it and stare. My hair was problem enough. Lenalee cocked her head in confusion.
"Allen-kun?" she asked. I blinked snapping out of my thoughts.
"Yes?" I asked a little breathlessly. Lenalee frowned in concern. "I'm fine. Just a little…anxious."
Lenalee smiled reassuringly while Kanda just snorted. Lavi seemed to have lapsed into thought. I stole a glance at him, before turning to look out the window. I wonder what Lavi thought about. A blush formed on my face before I cursed under my breath and quickly forced it down. This was no time for thinking lovey-dovey thoughts. I was going to the Order in a matter of hours and I was still wondering how I would get past the guardian. I felt cold as I thought about this. They would probably send an Exorcist out like the first time I came. What if it was General Zokalo? That would be instant death. I groaned lightly and hit my forehead. Why did I have to reveal myself to my friends? I was really beginning to regret this.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Lenalee asked as she came over to stand next to me. I just smiled at her.
"I'm fine…uh…what if the guardian says I'm out again and General Zokalo comes out to kill me?" I asked in rush. I began to think about the horrible things that would –or rather, could- happen. Okay, I was definitely going to have to stop reading horror stories. Lenalee blinked before smiling at my antics.
"Oh, Allen…" she sighed, giggling lightly. "General Zokalo is on a mission in the Amazon, across the ocean. I'm sure he's not back yet."
I gulped. "You better be sure, because if you're not…" I let my threat trail off. She would get the hint. "I'm I girl now remember."
"Oh, but Allen-chan, you couldn't hit a girl," Lenalee answered, patting my head. I pouted. I wasn't that much shorter than her for her pet my head like a dog. I huffed, crossing my arms. "You're still gentleman, even if you're a girl now."
I sighed in defeat and gave Lenalee a half smile. "Well, that is true."
Mother came into the room looking hassled. I started and Lenalee whipped around to find what startled me. I took a step towards Mother when I suddenly found myself being tackled by something in a pink frilly dress.
"Nooo! Aleina don't leave!" the high-pitched, childish voice of Suzie surprised me. I blinked away the haze that had entered my head from the impact of my skull to the floor.
"S-Suzie?!" I asked, my voice slightly slurred and my accent showing very prominently. Crap! My scar wasn't covered up! I shook my head so that my hair covered the left side of my face. "What are-? Wait…how did you know I was leaving?"
Suzie stared at me with big bluish green eyes. I gulped as tears welled up in them. "B-Baba told us!"
I stared at her and then sent at glare towards the tall man who was smiling apologetically in the doorway. He should know how attached the children were of me. Suzie and Leah especially! The others of my babysitting group were standing by the door. I looked at them and noticed that they all had put out faces on, except for Laurence. He looked emotionless, which was unusual for him. Even Kamren had a pout on! I felt my heart tighten a bit. Laurence looked almost like how Lavi did yesterday… I felt my heart throb at that and I sighed. I managed to sit up and gently took Suzie off me. I stood up.
"I have to leave," I told Suzie. Her eyes became big and she began wailing. I cringed, feeing a headache coming on, and bent to try to stop the flow of tears.
"Wahhhhh! Don't leave Aleina! Please?!" she begged, hugging me around the neck. I sighed and gently patted her back.
"I'm sorry," I said, smiling sadly managing to get out of her grip. Suzie sniffled. I petted her head.
"Then I'm going with you!"
Okay. I wasn't expecting that. I blinked at her, shell-shocked. I could see Lenalee and Lavi gaping while Kanda was looking at the girl with contempt. Mother slapped her forehead. I swallowed and then smiled uncertainly at the young five-year-old.
"Suzie, sweetie, you can't come with us," I tried to reason. Suzie pouted, still sniffling, and crossed her arms.
"And why not?" she asked. I looked to Lenalee for help, who gestured to Kanda, who, in turn, kicked Lavi towards us. The redhead rubbed his backside and then coughed, catching Suzie's attention.
Lavi smiled at her and then bent down next to me. "Your name's Suzie, right?" he asked and the little girl nodded, blushing lightly. "Well, Suzie, the place Aleina's going isn't really suited for people your age."
Okay, that was kind of a lie, since Lenalee was only a few years older than Suzie when she was taken to the Order. I just went along with his explanation.
"And I don't think a little girl like you would be very happy there," he finished. Suzie frowned.
"But I would be fine if Aleina's there!" she argued and Lavi and I groaned. She wasn't getting it.
"Look, Suzie," I sighed, gently petting her head. She turned to me and pouted. I smiled. "I…I do love you guys, but I can't stay here. It seems that I'm just a magnet for trouble and I don't want you guys hurt, okay?"
Suzie nodded slowly, looking at the ground dejectedly. It hurt to lie to them, but I was only doing it to protect them. I didn't want the Akuma to hurt them. Hopefully, they would follow the warning from my stories and not wish for their dead family members and friends to come back to life. I just hope they'd be satisfied with that explanation. However, as I stood, one of the others asked something I didn't exactly know how to answer.
"But why now? You never attracted any trouble before," Laurence argued. I looked at him and frowned. His green eyes were bitter and cold.
"I would have attracted some type of trouble soon," I answered, letting a small, sad smile to form on my face. "If not today, sometime soon and something a lot stronger."
"'Stronger'?" Laurence repeated. He frowned. "Like what?"
I cringed. How was supposed to explain the Akuma and Noah without revealing everything? I bit my lip. "Um…" I glanced towards Lavi who stood up. He shrugged and I felt the sudden urge to punch him. Some help he was…
"Something you never want to face," Lenalee said. I mouthed 'thank you' to her and then elbowed Lavi. He inhaled sharply and I gave a satisfied smile.
However, Laurence did not appear satisfied with that answer. He opened his mouth to complain, but Kamren slapped a hand over his mouth.
"We'll miss you, Miss Aleina!" Miry said, rubbing her eyes. I smiled sadly at them. I was going to miss them, too. "We…We won't forget you!"
"Che…you probably will," Kanda muttered and I glared at him as Miry looked horrified.
"Shut up!" I hissed. I already had a plan for that. I walked over to a familiar cloth covered basket and picked it up. "I'm sure they won't forget about me, Kanda."
He huffed and looked away. I rolled my eyes and then set the basket down in front of the group. Suzie came over and lifted the cloth. I stood straight and smiled.
"Go on," I urged. "I don't need them, so you can keep them…"
Miry took out a necklace with a charm that looked a miniature version of an activated Time Record. She looked up at me and sniffled. She held it to her chest. "Thank you, Aleina…"
Leah took out a stuff doll that looked like Lenalee with activated Crystal-type Dark Boots. I heard a soft gasp from behind me. I closed my eyes briefly. Alexander took a figurine that looked like Krory and Suzie took two stuffed toys. One that looked like my male self with an activated Crown Clown and one that looked like Lero, the Earl's umbrella. Finally, it was Kamren's and Laurence's turns. Kamren released Laurence and took a smaller version of an inactivated Mugen. Laurence refused to go near the basket and I sighed. Why were redheads so stubborn?
"Is something wrong, Laurence?" I asked, smiling. I knew that Lenalee, Lavi, and –to a point- Kanda were surprised at the toys. I was planning to ignore them until we left for the station. Laurence just ignored me and I sighed. I knew I deserved that for not telling them why I was leaving, but it still hurt. "Well…I think it's best that we should leave now."
I turned to my Exorcist nakama and found myself being hugged by four of the babysitting group. I blinked and looked dawn at the tops of their heads. I smiled gently, sadly, and patted Miry's head. They released me and I walked over to my coat. I pulled the black piece of clothing on and accepted my suitcase from Lenalee.
"Good-bye!" I called as we left the house. We only managed to get to the gate when the door slammed open and a shout came from behind us.
"You better come back and visit us!" I turned to see Laurence panting a little and blushing. He looked upset and I smiled. "Redheads…they just can't control themselves sometimes."
I nodded and waved. I heard a chuckle from behind me.
"Aw…Allen's got fan," Lavi teased. I swatted his arm and then we were continuing on our way back to Liverpool. "Hey, Allen."
"Hm? What is it, Lavi?" I asked, looking at him. I cocked my head a little.
"Those toys…" the apprentice Bookman trailed off and I laughed nervously.
"I'll tell you on the train, okay?" I said. I could see that Lavi was disappointed and –in my peripheral vision- Lenalee as well, but they let it slid. It was going to be hard trying to explain why I made the story, let alone the toys.
I idly kicked my foot as I waited for Lenalee to get our tickets. There was an unspoken and unanimous vote that I was to not show my face to anyone except them. I found that a little unfair when I liked to express my thanks through a smile most of the time, but I wasn't in the mood to face an angry Lenalee or Lavi. So I just took to standing next to Lenalee as she ordered out tickets and leaning against the ticket booth's outer wall. I sighed a little and turned to face the glass covered certificate of a well working establishment. I idly played with my bangs in the reflection the glass gave. I frowned a little. It was increasingly hard to get used to the feminine face looking back at me. (I chose to ignore the remark from Kanda that, even before I was reborn, I looked like a girl, which was backed up by a loving comment from Lavi explaining that before Komui told him my name, he thought I was a girl and that I had looked better with longer hair in his opinion. I was beginning to think I may have to beat some manners into them.) I sighed a little. Every time I looked at my reflection…every time I saw the Fourteenth…every time I looked at my Innocence…I wondered…who am I? Am I an Exorcist? Or am I a Noah? Or am I something else entirely?
As I tried to think this over, I spotted a tall man in the reflection. He looked like an aristocrat, but as I focused on him, certain features began to strike me. My eyes widened and I whipped around. The man was not to be found. I blinked, my eyebrows furrowing. I could have sworn…
"Aleina, are you okay?" I blinked rapidly and then turned to Lenalee, smiling apologetically.
"I'm fine, Lenalee," I answered. I would tell them what I thought I saw on the train.
We boarded a little after twelve and found our first-class cabin. I was still wondering how the Black Order had all these connections when Lavi coughed into his hand.
"So, Allen, are you going to tell us about those toys?" he asked, smiling jovially. I blinked blankly before gulping and nodding slowly.
"Well…when I first began babysitting them, I needed some way to entertain them…" I began, fiddling with my sleeve. "So I just began telling them about our adventures, but twisting a few details. Like the Exorcists became Knights and the Akuma were just monsters and the Noah and Earl became Wizards."
"And you made toys to go with the story?" Lenalee asked. She seemed pleased that I had done something like that. I would have to mull that over later.
"Well, Baba and Mother helped me," I answered. "I have very little, if any, sowing and carving ability. But, yes, the toys were made to go along with the story. And since the six of them reminded me of you guys, I gave them each a toy the represented what Knight you were."
"Really? We're Knights, huh? Of what exactly?" Lavi asked, leaning forward a little, placing his elbows on his knees, and resting his chin on his hands.
"Well…each of us got an element," I stated. "Lenalee is the Knight of Wind because she can fly with Dark Boots. Miranda is the Knight of Earth, Krory is the Knight of Water, Kanda's the Knight of Darkness, take no offense-," he just snorted in reply "-you're the Knight of Fire, Lavi, and I'm the Knight of Light."
"Ah…so you based it on our Innocence, eh?" Lavi grinned. "Explains that a bit."
"You use Hiban more than Maruten," Lenalee added nodding. "And I use mainly the flying abilities of Dark Boots. But why Darkness for Kanda?"
"Um…because he's practically the complete opposite of me?" I shrugged. Lenalee and Lavi chuckled while Kanda glared at me. I just smiled. "But that's why those toys looked like that." I paused a bit. "Um…"
"Hm?" Lenalee cocked her head, smiling. I bit my bottom lip and then sighed.
"At the train station…I, um, thought I saw Tyki Mikk," I said, looking down at the floor. "But when I turned around, he wasn't there."
The response I received was thunderous.
"YOU SAW TYKI MIKK?!"
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US EARLIER?!"
"DAMN IT, MOYASHI! YOU SAW A NOAH?!"
"Sorry!" I cried out, flinched into the corner. I had my eyes closed tightly. I heard some ragged breathing before a sigh.
"No…we should be sorry," I opened my eyes to see Lavi leaning back into the seat, running a hand through his hair. "We shouldn't have jumped at you like that." He let out an aggravated sigh. "It's just, even though it was Levrier who killed you, everyone's been on an alert to the point that even if we think we saw one of the Noah, it becomes a major thing."
"And also, I still cannot -and will not- forgive Tyki Mikk for nearly killing you before," Lenalee added.
I felt elated at that. I chuckled lightly and shook my head. That seemed almost years ago, even if it was only a few weeks or so ago. I gently patted her hand.
"But I'm fine now, Lenalee," I answered, smiling. "He didn't kill me, did he?"
"No. Levrier did, though," Lavi's voice was full of contempt and bitterness. I looked at him and found him pulling down his headband to cover his eyes. "I'm going to take a nap, wake me when we get there."
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. Lavi just was so damn confusing. I frowned, fingering a lock of my silvery hair and looking out the window. The train began to move then and I released the breath I forgot I had been holding. I was finally returning to the Order. After seven weeks, I was returning. I closed my eyes and leaned against the window. I was finally returning…
It was my nightmare again. The snow filled plain at night with endless, softly falling snow. I looked around again, expecting the ring of people around a fire, but found nothing, except darkness and snow. I began walking in a random direction. As I walked, images began forming in the falling snow. Memories. From the recent past of the Order and the less recent past, of Master's training and living with Mana. I reached out to one flickering image, feeling my fingertips brush against its tingling surface, and watched the image of Mana showing me how to juggle. I pulled my hand back and the image disappeared.
"I wonder if Mana would accept me in this form," I said aloud and looked down at my now feminine form. "Would he?"
"Maybe…but we won't…"
I turned around in surprise to find my friends standing there. Lavi. Lenalee. Krory. Kanda. Bookman. Miranda. Marie. General Tiedoll. Komui. Chaoji. Reever. Johnny. Lou Fa. Shifu. Rikei. Fou. Bak. The Science Department. The Asia Branch. Everyone I had met up until the time I died. I blinked and gulped stepping back. They all had the same hostile look on their faces.
"We will never accept you…" they spoke in a monotone that scared me. I took another step back. "You can never be the Allen we know. We will never accept you. Never!"
"But…I…I am Allen!" I tried to shout, but my mouth would not work and I found myself turning and running away. Their shouts and threats seemed to follow me.
"A-Ah…" I found myself tumbling forward. I closed my eyes as the ground sped up to meet me.
I awoke with a start. I gasped and gulped for air. I sighed out and leaned back into the seat. I hadn't even notice that I had fallen asleep. I looked at those in the cabin with me. Kanda seemed to be sleeping or meditating, while Lavi was out cold next to him. Lenalee, however, was no where in sight. I blinked blearily before standing and exiting the cabin. I closed the door behind me and headed towards the dining car. As I pulled open the door and closed it behind me, I caught sight of Lenalee sipping a cup of tea and looking out the window. I went over to her and sat down. She smiled at me.
"Have a nice nap?" she asked cheerfully.
"To a point," I answered, sighing. Lenalee frowned, but I just dismissed the subject with a weary wave. "Lenalee, I have a question."
"Yes?" she asked, blinking in confusion.
"Well…why did you guys accept me so quickly? I mean, you should still be wary of me, right?" I asked, frowning. They had accepted me quickly and even before knowing it was me, they didn't seem to suspect me.
Lenalee smiled a little and ran her finger along the cup's rim. "I don't know if Lavi or Kanda have really accepted you, but I have." She looked up at me. "You see, Allen, most of us –if not all- really wished that, like the time Tyki Mikk destroyed your Innocence, you would appear again. So, a lot of times, anyone whose hair remotely looked the same shape or same color as yours, we would run up to and see if it was you." She chuckled sadly. "However, after the first two weeks, we started losing faith. That's why we didn't react when we saw you. Well, maybe Lavi suspected something, being Bookman's successor and all, but it didn't register in my mind. All I saw was a girl with really light hair and gray eyes. I didn't register the fact that she looked a lot like you. However, when you had iced tea and lemonade dumped on you and I tried to wipe it away, I noticed, faintly, but I noticed a dark scar. For a moment, my heart skipped a beat."
Her smile was small, but full of the love she showed to everyone. She also looked close to tears.
"And then, when we went to Mother's house, I couldn't help noticing certain traits I knew you had in this Aleina Walker," Lenalee took another sip of her tea. "You know, Allen…when you died, Lavi became a lot colder and Kanda became more irritable. I, myself, lost sight of what I was protecting as an Exorcist. Allen, just the hope that you were alive somewhere…it made us make the journey to Liverpool to get Mother's 'treasure that we were looking for'."
I grinned. I remembered the old woman writing a letter to the Order about a treasure that they were pursuing. Lenalee smiled back.
"And we found you, Allen," she said quietly. "We found you again…you were alive…Innocence and all…and I was happy about that."
I reached out and brushed a tear away from her face. She sniffled and looked up at me. I felt tears slip from my eyes as well and wiped them away.
"I've said it before, and I'll say it again," I said, smiling. "I'm back, Lenalee."
It was around sunset when we reached the Order. I was feeling nervous as I walked behind Lavi and Kanda and next to Lenalee through the courtyard. I couldn't help looking around. Seeing the familiar landscape made me feel as if I was returning home after a long trip. Home. The Order had truly become my home, hadn't it? I couldn't help a small smile from appearing on my face. A small huff came from my ghostly guardian. I glanced at Alana, letting my smile slip. What got her all in a huff?
"Ah! Krory! Back from your mission?" Lavi called out. I looked up to see a familiar baron turning around and waving at us. Arystar Krory smiled as Lavi trotted up him. I noticed that Krory had bags under his eyes and his skin had a strange pallor to it.
"Hello, Lavi, Lenalee. Indeed, I've just returned from Scotland," Krory answered in his strong Romanian accent. I cocked my head a little. Even his voice was sounding oddly strained.
"Oh…Krory, you don't seem too well!" Lenalee frowned and gently touched his forehead. "You have a fever! That's it. After you report to Komui-niisan, you're going straight to Matron!"
Krory looked like he about to protest, but stopped midway and nodded in defeat. I had a stinking suspicion that I might be the reason for Krory's sickness.
"Stop dallying!" Kanda shouted from the gate. He was tapping his foot angrily and murder intent was clear on his face. I made a disgruntled noise and followed Lenalee, Lavi, and Krory towards the annoyed samurai. As we joined Kanda, he grabbed my shoulder and pushed me in front of the guardian.
"That girl…" I heard Krory mutter. The guardian bent forward and began the inspection. I began to sweat as I noticed the guardian become more and more confused and distraught.
"Eh…ah! She has a pentacle! She's one of the Earl's friends! SHE'S OUT!" the guardian screamed. I gulped and looked around, hoping against hope that General Zokalo really was in the Amazon at the moment.
"Lau Jimin, dispose of this cretin," the silky voice of General Cloud Nyne surprised me and I looked up. I gulped as an activated Lau Jimin jumped from the roof of the building and landed in front of me. General Cloud jumped from the monkey's shoulder and I gave a distressed shriek as it lifted a clenched, glowing paw.
"Innocence…activate!" Lenalee cried. "Wait, General Cloud!" She sped over to the general and began explaining the situation.
I let out a sigh of relief as Lau Jimin became calm. I placed a hand over my fluttering heart, trying to calm it. I blinked as an arm was slung around my shoulders.
"You're lucky Lena's so fast," Lavi said, smiling good-naturedly down at me. I looked away to hide my blush. "Oh…and you scream like a girl."
My elbow was instantly jabbed into his gut. Lavi stumbled back a little and I whorled around to glare at him. Krory gave a gasp as my bangs fluttered away from my face.
"Okay…I swear…if you continue with the gender jokes, you'll lose the ability to have children!" I threatened. Lavi gulped and nodded, hiding behind Kanda. The samurai snorted and muttered something about cowardly rabbits.
I smirked triumphantly and turned towards Lenalee and General Cloud. General Cloud had a surprised look on her face and she looked towards me. I smiled back, clasping my hands behind my back. If Lenalee could convince one of the most sensible people in the Order, then maybe I had a chance of actually getting them to believe me. Slowly, General Cloud began to smile and she nodded.
"Open the gate, Alestina!" the general called to the guardian. Alestina gulped and opened the doors. Kanda, Lavi, Krory, and I hurried to join the two female Exorcists.
The tall arches and intricate designs and tiled floors all made me feel nostalgia. It was all I could do to keep from letting it overtake me and breaking down in tears. I had to bite my bottom lip to keep from shouting out to people I knew in the halls. We were headed to Komui's office and I found myself trembling a little in anticipation.
The office was as it always was, covered and strewn with papers and books. Komui himself was sitting at his desk, pouring over a thick volume. Lavi closed the door behind us and coughed into his fist. Komui blinked and looked up, startled. General Cloud chuckled.
"Supervisor Komui, Lavi's group has obtained the 'treasure' and Arystar Krory has also returned," she confirmed. She moved over so that the four Exorcists could step forward. I found myself hiding behind Lavi.
"All right…Krory, what did you find in Scotland?" Komui asked the vampire-like Exorcist. Krory sighed miserably.
"It was a false alarm. There was no Innocence there, just a town that is often attacked by plagues and natural disasters," he reported. I held myself back from reaching out and petting his shoulder.
Komui sighed. "All right, Lavi, Lenalee, Kanda, what was the treasure?" he asked. Lenalee couldn't suppress a giggle.
"Well, niisan," she began. "The treasure was not a something, but rather a someone."
"And this someone was very much like a light to the Order," Lavi said, taking it from Lenalee. He moved and gently took my arm, leading me forwards. "Tell me, Komui, doesn't this girl look like someone we all know?"
Komui stared at me in surprise. He blinked, removed his glasses, and rubbed his eyes. Returning the silver spectacles to his nose, he looked at me again and gasped.
"It…can't be…" he muttered, standing up. "What trickery is this, Lavi?" He sounded angry and annoyed.
Lavi chuckled, despite the hostile remark directed to him. He moved behind me and lifted my bangs, revealing my scar. "This is no joke, Komui. Allen Walker has been reborn into the body of this girl."
Komui and Krory seemed disbelieving. I sighed and took a breath.
"Seven weeks ago…I died," I began. "And I month after my, Allen Walker's, death, I was reincarnated into the body of Alana Warner, who had recently died of a disease. My Innocence, I suspect, flushed the disease from this body. I've been living with Mother for three weeks until Lavi, Lenalee Lee, and Yuu Kanda came.
"I really am Allen Walker, Komui," I reasoned. Krory seemed almost too willing to believe it was me. He had gone over to Lenalee and she was nodding vigorously. I took a breath and smiled at Komui. "Do you remember? 'In times of anxiety, it's best to think of happy things. Like…when everyone comes back, you'll give us all pats of the shoulders and welcome us home. Then you'll give Lenalee a great big hug and for me, you'll have plenty of food. Lavi will probably fall asleep as soon as he gets back, so you'll have a blanket ready for him. Then you and the adults will have some wine and we'll have a big party and then we'll fall asleep. Oh, and Kanda will be arrive later and throw a sour look around the room.'"
Komui stared at me in surprise and fell into his chair. He just continued staring as tears slowly rolled out of his eyes. Slowly, a smile formed onto his face.
"Allen-kun…" he murmured. I smiled and nodded. "You're back…"
"Yup. I'm back," I answered.
"Why must we do such a big thing, Komui?" I whined as I followed the Lee siblings. Komui chuckled and looked back at me.
"Well, Allen-kun, you've been gone for nearly two months and everyone will be a little suspicious, you know," he explained. "What better way to explain than with gathering everyone and telling them all at once?"
I just sighed and followed behind him. Everyone was gathered in the cafeteria. Lavi and Kanda were by the doors and greeted us as we entered. Well, Lavi did. Kanda just sorta ignored us. Komui coughed into his fist and grabbed some finder's spoon and cup. He tapped the cup thrice and the room slowly began to quiet.
"I'm glad you all could make it!" he said. "Now, to get straight to the point, and please do not over react, I have a very important announcement. Allen Walker has been reborn!"
To say the least, everyone took that rather…never mind, they took horribly.
"SUPERVISOR, YOU ASS!"
"DON'T YOU DARE JOKE LIKE THAT!"
"HOW CAN HE BE REBORN!?"
"ALLEN'S AN AKUMA NOW?!"
I sighed and took a breath. Komui cowered behind Lavi and the tall redhead chuckled weakly. I noticed Krory and General Cloud by Jerry and Johnny. I sighed again and held up a hand for silence. The congregation of Order members began to quiet and looked at me strangely. I smiled.
"Okay…I'm going to explain this quickly," I said. "A month after my, Allen Walker's, death, I was reborn into the body of Alana Warner. She had recently died from a disease and my Innocence flushed it out of her body. For the past three weeks, I have been living with an acquaintance of General Cross Marian's, Mother. Yes, I am actually Allen Walker." I removed my left glove and lifted my arm. "I'll show you. Innocence activate!"
I basked in the familiar surge of warmth and energy and grinned at the shocked and amazed faces of the Order members. I flexed Edge End's claws and giggled lightly as Rob, Miranda, a finder, and General Tiedoll fainted.
Komui had given a new room since my old one had –surprisingly- become a shrine. I was currently sitting on the bed and idly tapping my fingers against the blanket as if it was a piano. Timcanpy was happily sitting on my head, his tail swishing behind him. I stood up and was about to leave the room, when I heard a familiar huff. I turned around and smiled apologetically at Alana.
"I'm sorry, Alana," I said as the ghost turned her back to me. "I…just got caught up in all the hubbub of returning."
"Still! A girl doesn't like being ignored!" she snapped, glaring over her shoulder at me. I sighed.
"No one likes being ignored," I nodded. "I'm really sorry."
"Well-," a knock on the door interrupted her and it opened a little.
"Hey, Allen!" Johnny poked his head in and I smiled at him.
"Hi, Johnny. What can I do for you?" I asked politely. He held a measuring tape. "Ooh! My new Exorcist uniform, right?!" I couldn't help feeling excited.
I jumped as Alana gave an angry shriek and flew out of the room, bringing a strong wind with her. I brought up my arms to protect myself as paper and some pencils flew off the desk.
"Whoa! What was that?!" Johnny asked looking around. I frowned.
"Hey, Johnny, could we do the fitting later?" I asked. "I, uh, remembered there was something I wanted to do."
"No problem, Allen!" Johnny nodded and dashed off, probably to return to whatever job he was skipping.
I walked out of my room, closing the door behind me, and looked around the corridor for Alana. I groaned inwardly when I couldn't find said ghost. With a terribly sense of oncoming doom, I headed towards the lounge. I knew that no one in the Order could see the ghosts, or if they could, hid it very well, but maybe I could, well, provoke her to appear. I bit my lip. No, that sounded mean. The other best option was shouting out to her and risk being seen as a basket case. I groaned. That was the most likely solution.
"How do you find a ghost?" I muttered, walking into the lounge. Miranda and Lenalee were the only people I could see in there. I was about to walk over to them when a cushion hit my face. I stumbled back and winced, touching my nose. Said cushion was lying harmlessly on the floor. "What…the…hell?"
I looked up to see floating cushions. Lenalee and Miranda looked horrified and I muttered a curse. I dashed away and bit back my scream as cushions were thrown at me. I ducked as a rather thick book was thrown at my head and gulped as I noticed some science department members lose whatever they were holding to my ghost-turned-poltergeist friend. I groaned and ran down a random hallway. I went into the first room I found and looked around. I gulped.
"The library?!" I groaned. I liked reading, but at the moment, the rows and rows of books were deadly projectiles. Which had just begun moving off the shelves and tables. "Oh…crap."
I ran out of the room and down the hallway. I rushed down a flight of stairs and took a sharp turn. A book grazed my shoulder and I bit back the cry of surprise. I was looking over my shoulder, now seeing a very annoyed Alana, when I slammed into someone. We collapsed and I found myself lying on top of said person. I groaned and rubbed my head, sitting up. I blinked and found myself straddling Lavi. Said redhead was wincing and looked just as surprised when he realized I was over top of him.
"Oh…uh…" I felt myself blushing and practically jumped off him. "I'm so sorry, Lavi!" I extended my hand to help him up. He accepted it and stood up.
"No problem," he laughed lightly, also slightly blushing, and scratched the back of his neck. "You look like you're being chased."
"Really?" I asked, before ducking as a dictionary sped past. "Oh…just a little poltergeist problem! I'm fine! Well, gotta go!" I sped away as encyclopedias rained down around me.
I turned a corner, dodged Kanda, and heard a startled shout from behind me. My feeling of doom became imminent demise.
"Don't tell me…" I looked over my shoulder and nearly had a heart attack. Mugen was flying through the air with the books and assorted science department items. "SHIT!"
I ran along hall and burst into one of the rooms. The science department looked up at me and I quickly ducked. Mugen and the various projectiles flew the air and lodged themselves into tables and machines. Mugen was lodged into a table right in front of Reever. The Australian man stared at the weapon in pure horror. I straightened and moved more into the room and squeaked as Mugen began to wiggle itself out of the table. Thankfully, Kanda rushed in and reclaimed his Innocence.
"What the hell is going on, moyashi?" he snapped as Lavi, Lenalee, and Miranda walked inside as well.
"That's what we want to know," Lavi said, crossing his arms. I glanced over my shoulder and waved a little.
"Um…you know how I said I can see ghosts?" I asked. Lavi and Lenalee nodded. "Well, Alana's ghost has been accompanying me and I believe she became annoyed that I began ignoring her and started chasing me."
Lavi blinked. "So that's what you meant by a 'poltergeist problem'."
I nodded, my eyes focusing on Alana. She was beginning to calm down and I took a breath. Better to be seen a crackpot than murdered by books. I bowed quickly.
"What the-? Allen, what're-?" Lavi began.
"I'm sorry, Alana! You know how much I care for my friends! I'll try to pay attention to you, I promise!" I exclaimed. Silence followed my apology. I looked up and saw Alana staring at me. A goofy smile formed on her face and then she was laughing. "Oh…yeah…laugh at the person who makes themselves a psycho for you."
"I'm sorry!" she giggled, floating towards me. "It's just…hee-hee…I'm happy that you did that…" I twitched and glowered at the ghost. "Thank you, but when I was chasing you, I noticed that there are some ghosts here, so I'm going to be busy with them. So spend some time with your living friends, okay?"
With that, she began to fade and I let out a groan.
It was the day after my little "episode" -as it was affectionately called- and I was plotting how to torture Lavi when there was a knock on my door. I got up and opened it. Johnny stood there smiling and held up a crimson and black uniform. I blinked before grinning.
"My uniform! Thanks, Johnny!" I said happily.
"You're welcome," Johnny said, smiling. I took the uniform from him and went to put it into my closet. I quickly hung it up and then dashed over, giving Johnny hug.
"Thank you again!" I said, smiling.
"Uh…hee…"
"Hey, Al~len! Do I get a hug?"
I blushed and pulled away from Johnny. I looked around him and stuck my tongue out at Lavi. The redhead smirked as Johnny came back to reality. The scientist dashed off and I closed my door behind me. I ignored Lavi and began my course to the cafeteria. Lavi quickly joined me. Before I knew what was happening, he reached out, hugged me, and planted a butterfly kiss against my cheek. I stood there dumbfounded as he dashed away. My eyes widened when I registered what had happened.
"LAVI!" I roared, running after him, planning to give him a good beating. Despite my outward distaste for the little show of affection, I secretly liked it.
X------------------------------------------
Water Fairy: Yay! I finally finished this chapter! I actually drew a picture of fem-Allen hugging Johnny in my Spanish notebook at school. It just suddenly popped into my head. Don't be afraid to point out mistakes and merry belated Christmas and happy belated New Years!
Despite how it looks, this chapter isn't actually as rushed as it seems.
Things/Words to know:
-chan – An honorific usually used for girls, small children, animals, and cute things.
-kun – An honorific usually used for boys and male acquaintances in work or school. Sometimes added to girls' names if the user does not know the girl well.
Hiban - Fire Seal
Maruten - Circle of Heaven or Heaven Circle
Moyashi – bean sprout
Niisan – A term one would use to address one's elder brother.
Poltergeist – A demonic spirit or ghost that manifests itself by moving and influencing objects. To be more specific a poltergeist is a mass of energy commonly associated with telepathic individuals, sometimes ghosts or (in certain extreme activities) in rare cases it's related to demonic entities.
Preview:
Two days after the poltergeist incident, I receive my first mission since returning. Accompanying me are Lavi and Bookman. We go to a small English town that is being "haunted" by ghost like Akuma. It's just a simple extermination mission, but I get the strangest sense that someone's watching me as we enter town. Do I have a stalker? And why can't get Lavi off my mind?
Fifth Night – Stalker in the Shadows
