This is a simple disclaimer.

Chapter six: Collisions of the past and present

His breathing was short, quick and deep at the same time as his body fell over the white couch in the white room of the ark as soon as 'Allen' had entered it. His body felt a heavy as lead but now was not the time to worry about such things.

"Give me back my body!"

The fourteenth ignored Allen's cries as he closed his eyes and tried to concentrate which was quite difficult considering the voice yelling in his head. Nonetheless, the fourteenth at least managed to form a link with his host. About time too, he was getting annoyed by the endless shouting.

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"Let me out of here!" Allen yelled but no one was around.

He had been yelling for countless times but no answer came. Allen paused for a while to take back his breath and observed whether his surroundings have changed but it was still the same. The huge white crescent moon was still looming above him at the navy clear sky. The few trees that were there before still decorated the simple landscape.

The place where he first encountered the fourteenth Noah and also where he saw the Black Order… His eyes instantly widened in realization as he ran forward, following the path that had been laid out before him. As the lake came into view, Allen saw someone else sitting nearby the lake; his legs were immersed in the water.

When Allen was about five foot away from the boy, the said boy turned around and his appearance shocked Allen.

"Took you long enough to quiet down…" the boy said warily as his golden eyes met Allen's eyes.

The boy looked just like him! Well, not quite. His front and side bangs were a bit wavy and the back side of the boy's hair was spiky. His eyes were golden and his skin is gray. A Noah? But where's the line of stigmata?

"Who …"

Before Allen can even say the second word, he felt a pang of pain on his left leg. Allen winced at the sudden jolt of pain as he stumbled backwards. The boy that was five-foot away from him merely a second or so ago, had kicked him for some reason.

"What was THAT for?" Allen exclaimed as he rubbed the sore spot.

"Payback for giving me such a headache," was the boy's confusing reply.

Allen just stared at the boy in front of him trying to work something out. Now that the boy stood up and was facing him, Allen realized that not only does the boy look like him but he was wearing his exorcist uniform too!

"So, you're the new holder of the fourteenth's memories." It was a statement. The boy gave Allen a smile that creepily resembles his own smile. "Nice to meet you. I'm the previous owner of the fourteenth's will."

The previous owner? Allen thought to himself. Then the fact dawned on him.

"Yes, I am Mana's brother," the previous holder of the fourteenth's memories stated, knowing that Allen had realized it.

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"Damn it!" Kanda's voice can be heard grunting in annoyance as he slammed the cards he held to the floor.

"This is getting us nowhere…" Lavi let out a sigh as he softly placed the cards down the floor too.

"Sorry but I'm not too familiar with this game…" Lenalee said dejectedly as she followed Kanda's and Lavi's actions too as she placed the cards on the floor.

The four of them including the Noah were now sitting in a crooked circle on the floor, cross-legged. The Noah who's between Lenalee and Lavi let out an amuse chuckle as he shuffled the cards.

"Only the moyashi can possibly beat him~" Lavi suggested as the Noah smiled darkly.

Even the Noah's smile was eerily similar to Allen's when he was playing Poker which was exactly what they were doing now. The Noah had almost the same skill as Allen's at poker.

'Could it be possibly be that the Dark Allen is the Noah side that unconsciously appears when Allen's playing poker???' Lavi quickly dismissed that idea the second he thought about it. He was getting too worked up about this that weird assumptions are making its way in his mind.

"Shall we play another game?" the Noah's teasing smile was visibly irking Kanda's already foul mood.

'That damn Noah cheated perfectly!' Kanda gritted his teeth. 'The Noah was playing with them the entire time! Saying stuffs about secrets and all that idiotic matters and all the while was just aiming to make them go in circles! Now they were all sitting oh-so-happily together playing a game of Poker. The joy…' Kanda can't help but roll his eyes as the Noah asked them if they wanted to play another game.

"I'm done with this damn game!" Kanda stated as he glared at the Noah.

"Really? I was hoping for a challenge…" the Noah was having fun playing with them and Kanda knows it.

"Where's the damn moyashi?!"

"I was wondering that for a while now too…" Lenalee continued as she gave a look at the Noah. "Allen had been out for a while now…"

The Noah sighed as he put the cards away. "He's actually…"

A white door appeared a few feet away from the group. The door flung open and Allen stepped out of it.

"…here." The Noah finished.

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"Mana…" the hoarse voice of his brother pained him.

Mana looked away from the limp form of his brother who was lying on the bed, blood covering most of his face and clothes. The sight of his brother in that condition was much too painful that Mana had to turn away. He diverted his attention to the other occupant of the room, Cross Marian.

The man was smoking without any concern at all.

"When can we perform it?" Mana asked, his voice was quiet.

Cross lazily look over at Mana as he removed the cigarette from his mouth. "Sometime later after I have a few drinks or so…"

A high pitched scream was heard coming from the body lying on the bed, more blood flowed out. Mana didn't even turn to the direction. He was too afraid.

"Can't we perform it now? My brother is fighting with the Noah and clearly losing!" Mana's voice was getting louder as the scream was heard again.

Cross shot Mana a look before standing up. He stood walked near the bed and indicated Mana to do so on the other side of the bed.

"I can't guarantee if this will surely work. If it doesn't, he'll die." Cross informed Mana as he used the ancient magic only few know including the Earl himself.

Mana hesitantly nodded in confirmation, still not looking at his brother's form. Without any further words, Cross began.

--------------Mana's flashback while Cross is performing the deed---------------

"I can't contain the Noah anymore."

Mana looked at his brother with concern. His brother's unnatural gold eyes stared back at him. Mana held up his hand and touched his brother's left gray cheek. His brother, when the Earl had found him, had now fully awakened as the Noah but the Earl thought otherwise. His brother had managed to suppress some vital memories of the Noah that he still has conscious control of his mind also on his decisions. He was still human in a way until now, the Noah's memories are unable to be suppressed further any longer.

"The exorcist, General Cross, can help us in this matter. He said so himself." Mana said as his brother look at him with an incredulous expression.

"That Cross guy? He's an exorcist and I'm a Noah. We are basically enemies!" his brother replied.

"Even so… if he can help you from leaving me…" Mana's eyes darkened at the thought.

His brother, sensing the sadness in Mana's voice just sighed in defeat. He really did have a soft spot for Mana.

"If he's able to help, we can consider it," he was reluctant in doing so but if the Cross guy really can help that would be a good thing. Mana gave him a thankful smile that made him smile himself too. "Besides, I really don't want to help the Earl. His plan is far too inhuman."

"Thank you brother… We should discuss the terms with him then."

His brother chuckled. "We can do that tomorrow, Mana. Let's just have do something together, shall we? It's going to be a while ever since we did something together."

Mana knew the hidden meaning of that sentence. In a way his brother is actually stating that it could be the last time they will be spending time with one another should their plan failed.

--------------------End of flashback----------------

Mana was pulled out of his thoughts as the red-haired haired exorcist spoke. His voice full of irritation.

"Oi. Are you still listening?" Mana just looked at him as an answer. "Tch. Stop dreaming around and lend a hand, would you?"

Wow. That was the nicest structural sentence the bastard ever said to him. The general actually – indirectly – asking him for assistance. Mana wanted to chuckle but the situation at hand was far too serious to be joked around with.

Mana himself knew quite a large amount of spells and is actually a skillful magician himself as his brother had taught him over the years. Though, he knew locking a Noah's memories is a very dangerous and possible fatal – both to the Noah's host and the magician himself – thing to do. Even if one wants to take the risk, the spell for such deed needs to be searched for as the spell for it hasn't been discovered but even if it was discovered already, it was not written down in any records at all.

Mana himself believed that the latter was possible. Now, he was convinced the spell for locking the Noah's memories had been discovered. At this, he took another glance at General Cross, the man standing before him knew the spell and Mana knew that he had performed that spell before considering his knowledge about it when his brother had discussed it with him.

Seeing that Mana was staring at him, Cross sent a glare. "Concentrate. I'm about to perform the spell and if your energy is not there, you seriously need to consider where to bury him."

Mana took Cross's harsh words which can be categorized under the advice section and closed his eyes. This was what his brother had planned and even if Mana himself was against what was going to happen next, he didn't care about that for the moment. Now, he needs to make sure the Noah's core memories are locked. He can hear Cross muttering something in a barely audible voice.

Please make it through… Mana begged silently as he directed some of his energy towards Cross.

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"I brought some food," Allen chirped happily as the white door disappeared behind him.

His hands were full of boxes and plastics of what the exorcists can only presume as food. Allen raised his eyebrows in question when he saw them sitting in a group.

"Are you guys actually… getting along with him?" Allen asked, not really believing that Kanda can actually be getting alone with the Noah.

At that inquiry, Kanda gave Allen a glare and che'd – much to Allen's prediction.

"Allen, welcome back." Lenalee was being polite as ever even though she felt like a hostage in the white room. "What took you so long?" Though, Lenalee knew the answer but it doesn't hurt to ask right?

"I bought us some food!" Allen replied happily as he walked to the group casually and gently placed the heap of food at the centre of the circle, shortly after he sat down next to the Noah and Lenalee.

"That's so nice of you Allen!" Lavi was starting to feel hungry. Not bad timing.

The group ate for a while with an exception of Allen who had already stuffed himself full enough beforehand. Also, not forgetting Kanda who can't find any soba among the food. So, while the others were eating, Kanda and Allen were having their usual fight. Lavi laughed watching the two before he started following Allen's lead and teased Kanda to eat some other food instead of soba. The samurai of course was angered and annoyed.

Lenalee can't help but let a smile across her face. It was so nostalgic, they used to be like this before. Lenalee's eyes saddened at the thought. Her appetite all of the sudden disappeared. She needed to know. That's why they are here, to find out why Allen… left. Lenalee ceased her eating and put down the unfinished box of chocolate donuts.

This action, didn't go unnoticed by the others including the Noah.

"What's wrong Lenalee?"

Lenalee looked up at Allen, her eyes were a bit teary because of the memory but she wasn't about to cry just yet.

"Ne, Allen… why did you leave?"

Allen fell speechless at that question as he looked towards the Noah in the room. Lavi switched to his serious mode and watched as Allen uncomfortably fidgeted at the spot.

"You owe us an explanation, moyashi." Kanda retorted when the silence was dragged on too long.

Allen let out a sigh as he gave the Noah another look.

"Hey, stop giving me those looks." The Noah defended himself. "They are your acquaint-"

"Friends." Lenalee cut off, surprising some of the others. "We are his friends."

"fine. Friends. SO, you should tell them. Not me." The fourteenth continued as he watched Allen gave Lenalee a thankful smile.

"I guess, you are right on that matter…" Allen can't believe he was agreeing with the fourteenth. He turned his attention towards his friends. "So… where should I start?"

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This is not moving as smoothly as I expected it to be. Neither did I expect to update this today… I thought my laziness is still winning over me… In case you are wondering why I posted this late is due to one reason and one reason only: My laziness is back and I don't feel like doing anything… Now I feel like taking another nap… -Azure. Oh and please leave a review……………….