Ace of Spades

Reviews—

HikariNoTenshi-San – Yup, Laurence and the girls are back! I'm glad you liked last chapter.

stoneygeek – Thank you for your suggestions, I'll try to keep them in mind!

Tama-san723 – Ah, but you'd never know with Allen, would you? Besides, even I don't believe he'd steal and I'm the author! But anyway, thank you for your review! I like hearing what everyone thinks of the story.

nfcbf – Well, everyone's entitled to their own feelings. And yes, the story is a little hurtful considering that no one (except the kids and Aleydis) believe that Allen is Allen and the fact of Lavi's feelings is yet another mystery in my story, so just continue reading and maybe you'll be surprised.

ritachi – Thank you for your review! To tell you the truth, I really hadn't any idea on how Laurence was going to perform his "plan". Though, he probably hadn't had it completely though either, but, I never did say he was done with it. (Suggestive waggling of eyebrows.) Also, Allen is still Allen, but heavily influenced by female hormones, thus the strange mood swings.

mito14 – Okay, first critic: Well, Allen (sweet, dense moyashi-chan) didn't exactly think of asking them that, but here's a brief thing: Laurence's and the girls' families were all going to London for some reason, who knows, and get attacked by Level 1 Akuma. The kids manage to somehow escape them, but the shots had attracted the Finders, Franz and the woman. The Finders find them and bring them to the Order. Second: Look at the above reply. Third: Allen didn't entirely forgive them. He's just letting his guard down just a little.

zenbon zakura, Ning Jun, Kitsune-rose113, Swirlyblue172, Aion Laven Walker, CrimsonKitsune333, dark-Yuuki-sama, ShimmerT, twilightserius, MidnightEmber, xAnimeGirlx3, NaruHinaforever, - Thank you for your review!

End Reviews—

--

Tenth Night – Mother Dearest

Summer was my least favorite season. Though in England, it was nice and cool, I still didn't like summer. It was probably because of spending those few years with Master in the Middle East.

Currently, I was sitting in the library, next to an open window, staring outside. Yes, I was daydreaming about the kiss that Lavi and I shared two months ago. I was also reliving the horrifically funny birthday debacle that was Kanda's birthday party. (I won't go into details, but let's just say that Kanda did not take lightly to Tiedoll's lovingly hand-knitted sweater with a big K on the front.) I chuckled softly at the memory and grinned down at the people relaxing outside.

I watched as Timothy and Laurence played some sort of game with General Cloud overseeing them. I liked General Cloud. She was one of the most motherly people I had ever met. Generally speaking, besides General Tiedoll, she was the only other general I actually liked. (Cross didn't deserve a rank, and General Zokalo scared me.) The book I had been reading lay forgotten in my hands as I continued to people-watch.

"Ah, Allen!" I looked towards the voice to find Johnny panting a few feet away.

"Oh, hey, Johnny," I said, smiling. Johnny was one of the few people like Lavi. He wanted to believe, but couldn't bring himself to. "What's up?"

"Ah, Chief Komui's got a mission for you," the scientist said before dashing away. I blinked after him. What was with the scientists always dashing somewhere?

I chuckled to myself before getting up, yawning. I placed my book on a random table and made my way to the entrance, wondering where Komui would send me on my third mission. (I had doubted that I would ever get another mission after the stealing business from Amsterdam, so this was a welcome surprise.) I made my way to Komui's office, ignoring the suspicious glances from occasional scientists and Finders. Upon reaching it, I quickly slipped inside, frowning now. Did they really hate me that much?

"Hey, moyashi-chan!" I looked up in surprise and spotted Lavi grinning at me as Reever shook Komui.

"Leh-Nuh-LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Komui screamed as Reever jumped back, smacking Komui over the head.

"She's not present, damn it!" the scientist snapped, glaring tiredly at the now sobbing Komui. "Geez…Allen and Lavi are present, anyway…we're just waiting for Timothy now.

I blinked. That surprised me. I didn't know Timothy was eligible to go on missions now. "Timothy?"

"Ah, yeah. It's his first official mission, so that's why we're sending both you and Lavi," Reever answered, though I noted a trace of hesitance in his voice when he said 'you and Lavi'.

At that moment, Timothy decided to join us, nearly slamming into me.

"Ah…sorry, whitey!" he said, rubbing the back of his head. "But ya should know better than to stand in fronta doors like dat!"

I huffed, crossing my arms. "Yeah, sure. You should learn some patience, Timothy."

"Sure, sure, whatever," Timothy turned to Reever and Komui. "So…what's mah mission gonna be like!?"

"Now that we're all present…" Reever turned to the suddenly serious Komui, sighing. "Chief?"

"Yes…there have been disappearances in the Black Forest of southwestern Germany. We wouldn't have taken any special concern, considering the forest's notoriety of confusing travelers, if Akuma activity hadn't recently been recorded in that area," Komui said, pulling a map down and pointing to said location. "I want you three to go because there might be Innocence, but we're not sure. If anything, this is a simple extermination mission. So be careful and I want periodical reports. About one every two days, all right?"

"Of course, Komui!" Lavi saluted him while Timothy whooped and skated out on his rollerblades. I sighed, nodding. I was only going probably because…well, I wasn't sure, but I suspected it had something to do with complaints.

"Hey, hey, guys, you've been to Germany right? What's it like? Is it like England? Is the food good? What's the Black Forest? How about the girls? Are they good-looking?"

"Yes. It's pretty nice. Kind of. Yes. A huge forest. Oh, yeah, definitely."

"REALLY?! SWEET!"

"Great…I'm stuck with two Master Crosses…"

Timothy gave me a blank look while Lavi laughed uneasily.

"Ah, c'mon, Al. We're not that bad," the redhead said, grinning at me. I huffed, crossing my arms. "…just a little bad…"

"Really…and I call you my best friend," I mumbled under my breath, turning to look at the oncoming Netherlands. I didn't trust myself to look at Lavi too long or I would start daydreaming about some type of romantic moment and that was wrong. My body was of a girl, but my mind was not. Of course, this technically was a poor excuse, considering, when I was male, the odd perkiness that would happen whenever Lavi appeared, but I didn't want to think about that. It was embarrassing and different. I mean, I would blush for both Lenalee and Lavi. Was there something wrong with me?

"Hey, whitey! Have you been to Germany?" Timothy skated over to me and looked towards the oncoming country as well.

"Once or twice," I answered, looking down at him. He played with the bandanna that covered the jewel in his forehead. "Something wrong?"

"Just…a little nervous, I guess…" he answered. "This is my first true mission, y'know."

"I'm sure you'll do fine," I reassured him. Timothy shrugged before sighing.

"I hope so…" he mumbled and skated off. I watched him go briefly before returning my gaze to the horizon.

I remembered how it felt to be on a true mission for the first time. It…was thrilling and scary. I could no longer feel that way. Not after all the tragedy I went through. Not after all the deaths I had to witness…had to feel…had to live. I sighed (my lovely new hobby) and rubbed the cross on the back of my hand through my glove. It didn't ache, it never ached, but sometimes I thought I felt throbs from it, like a heart. How illogical. A weapon didn't have a heart. A bitter smile formed on my face. But what about human weapons?

"A monster…that's what you are…a monster…a creature that scares your comrades…that shouldn't live…"

"Whatcha thinking 'bout so hard, Al?" I literally jumped when Lavi leaned against the rail next to me. I turned to him, my eyes wide in surprise. "Scared you, did I?"

I huffed, blushing. "Of course not, you stupid rabbit!" I snapped, looking away from him. He acted as if we had never kissed. (I know I'm obsessing, considering it was two months ago, but normal people didn't go around kissing boy-turned-girls when they knew said boy-turned-girl WAS a boy-turned-girl-! And oh, how I loved to rant to myself!)

"You still didn't answer my other question, y'know."

I huffed, sending him a glare, but keeping my mouth shut. I wasn't in the mood for Lavi's curiosity, though his presence did ease my mind. Another bitter sigh. I didn't even know how to word what was on my mind.

"Just a bunch of jumbled thoughts," I answered after a minute or so. "Just…dark thoughts."

Without looking, I knew a frown had formed on Lavi's face and that his eye had tightened with some emotion that was either concern or something else. My thoughts had been dark since the talk with Master months ago. My thoughts had become even darker when I learned about the "third exorcists". I shivered involuntarily. Lou Fa was right in a way. Even if we won the war, if we won because of the "third exorcists", weren't we as bad as the Earl? Yet another thing that weakened my faith…in the Order and God.

"You should try to think positive," Lavi remarked and I remembered what Komui had told me the first time I entered the Ark. "I don't know if it'll work, but…"

I chuckled weakly. "I'll try, Lavi. But no promises." With that said, I left him on the deck, returning to my room below.

When we reached the Netherlands, it didn't take long for us to be whisked away to Germany. On the way, we stopped only briefly and slept inside the carriage we had. Upon reaching Germany and entering a town close to the forest, we were left to find the Finder who would show to where the Akuma attacks and disappearances originated (or appeared to, at least.) The Finder was a short, fat man with a bushy brown mustache and sparkling green eyes. He spoke with an accent and was also extremely polite to me, which came as a surprise, considering my position. His name was Armin Bloch and I instantly felt calm around him. Odd.

We were currently hiking through the forest, talking rarely, each lost in our own thoughts. Though I felt calm around Armin, my thoughts were far from it, each boiling with panic and doubt. At a particularly dark thought, I shook my head quickly and frowned. I shouldn't be thinking so darkly. If anything, I should have been trying to sort out my feelings for Lavi. (There, I said it!) For one thing, the feelings were wrong; for another, they probably were only stemmed from the affection he was showing for this form. It was probably only because I was a girl now. He did call me cute before. It had to be that, nothing else. The sigh that escaped me this time had a suspicious sad hint to it.

"Great…now I'm upset that Lavi only likes me in that way as a girl…" I thought sadly, glancing quickly at said redhead.

The farther we walked, the darker it seemed to get. I looked up, noticing the pine trees getting thicker.

"How cliché. The group of adventurers goes into the forest and it gets darker. Then a serial killer or something pops out and attacks them…" I thought with a hint of hysteria. What I didn't expect was to get nudged in the back. I shrieked and jumped about a foot in the air. I whipped around to be greeted by…a cow.

"Oooooh! Look! It's a big scary cow!" Timothy snickered. "Geez, you're such a girl, whitey!"

I flushed angrily and glared at the poor cow. Why was there a cow in a forest anyway? Lavi chuckled before placing a hand on my shoulder.

"There are cows in the Black Forest. I'm not sure why, though," he explained briefly. "But let's go, all right?"

"Fine," I huffed. Timothy was still snickering. I turned and followed Lavi before stopping at a tug on my sleeve. Blinking, I looked over and saw the cow holding it in its mouth. I stared at it in blank surprise. "…the hell?"

"What?" Lavi turned back to me and blinked. I looked at him for help. He scratched the back of his neck, looking a little nervous. "We could take it with us…"

"'Take with it with us'," I echoed and sighed. The cow tugged my sleeve again.

"Besides…I think it wants to come with us," Lavi grinned at me while I sent him a dark glare. "Let's name her Gretel."

That received chuckles from the other two males. I huffed again and lead "Gretel" forward. I gave Lavi another glare and we resumed our trek.

I was now in a distinctly foul mood, sending glares at "Gretel" and Timothy. No matter how much levity Lavi and Armin tried to add to our hike could make my mood lighter. The farther we walked into the woods, the more my mood dropped. For one thing, it was inanely illogical for me to be so annoyed. For another, my annoyance would most likely hinder our mission. Another sigh escaped me and I received a reassuring nudge from the cow.

"Lovely, now cows are reassuring me," I thought snappishly. I turned to glare at her when a sharp jolt traveled up and down my spine. It stopped in my head, specifically in my left eye. I bit back a scream and covered it. I stumbled, doubling over with the pain, and stopped, gasping quietly. The others paid no notice until they were a good while away from me.

"Allen? Ah! Allen! Are you all right?!"

I heard running footsteps, but it was muffled by the sobs I heard in my mind. A Level 3 was nearby. Teeth gritted, I looked up, still covering my eye.

"I…I'm fine," I breathed. The abrupt activation was still making my head throb. "B…But there's…Akuma…nearby…"

"Akuma?!"

I pointed to the direction we were going, attempting to straighten up. This action simply made me double over again. Not just a Level 3…possibly a few Level 2s and 1s. The Level 3 was definitely strong, though, stronger than others I faced. I shivered, taking deep breaths. It might be on the verge of evolution.

"Like lambs to the slaughter," I thought darkly, finally making the pain a little more bearable. Straightening, I was a little surprised to see that the three males hadn't rushed to meet the Akuma. "I'm fine now."

I was still a little out of breath from the pain (something, I noted, that didn't usually happen), but I quickly composed myself. The incredulous look from Lavi was one thing; the rolling of the eyes from Timothy was another.

Gritting my teeth, I ignored the nine-year-old and turned my attention to Lavi. It was a little disorienting seeing him in black and white and color at the same time. "There's a Level 3 and at least two Level 2s. I'm not sure how many Level 1s, though. Maybe a dozen or so."

Lavi nodded, frowning. "I can take on a Level 3, but I'm not sure if I can destroy it. I know you can, Allen, and Timothy can surely take on the Level 1s and 2s."

"So, our plan of action?" Timothy asked, trying to sound dignified. I huffed, blowing my fringe out of my face.

"The best thing is to actually go farther ahead and see where they're hiding," I said. "All I can make out is that there are Akuma towards the way we're going. The strange thing is that they're spread out…like on floors."

"Like a house?" Lavi blinked. He turned to Armin. "Are there any houses out here?"

Armin frowning, rolling his eyes up, to the canopy, before returning them to Lavi. He nodded, gravely. "The, eh, old Krausharr Manor. But it's been abandoned for twenty years. I know there are some villagers who tried to make it into an inn, but, well, that was around the time the disappearances started happening."

"So…the disappearances are originating from the Krausharr Mansion?" Timothy said. He grinned. "That was kinda easy."

"Let's not jump to conclusions," I remarked, but it was fruitless. What I had said earlier made it clear. The Krausharr Mansion had to be the origin. "But we better check it out."

I deactivated my eye, hoping that it wouldn't reactivate for awhile. We began moving forward again, this time more cautious. Even Timothy was quiet, which was really strange considering he was complaining merely minutes before. "Gretel" made a discontented noise and tugged my sleeve again, attempting to drag me away from the path. I gently pushed her off me. The cow grumbled before turning around and stomping off. If this wasn't my job, I would've followed her, but I was an Exorcist and I had a job to do.

Soon, we began to notice that the trail slowly became less covered with vegetation and more hard packed dirt. The mansion could be seen through the trees as well.

It was then that my eye reactivated. I opened my mouth to exclaim, but a heavy blow to my head instantly knocked me out.

The last thing I saw before everything went black was Lavi's surprised face.

The soft music of a piano was the first thing I woke to. Blinking my eyes open, I was greeted by the white ceiling of my new room in Germany. I sat up and yawned, stretching my arms above my head. The smooth black skin of my left arm made me shiver, but I had grown used to the burned limb. After all, mama had a disfigured leg from the same fire. Briefly, I remembered that mama had said we would have visitors today and I stood.

"I better hurry and get ready," I thought heading towards my closet. "I wonder who they are…"

I picked out a simple, yet sophisticated dress. Best to look good for our visitors. Minutes later, I stood ready and made my way downstairs, being careful at the stairs. My left eye had been hurt in the fire as well and I had it covered by a soft, white eye patch. I liked it better than the black one I had to wear back in France.

Mama was in the dining room conversing with Antoinette, the head of the maids. She was rather tall woman with a strict gaze and dwarfed mama. Mama was a delicate woman with soft blonde hair and sharp gray eyes. I smiled and walked over to them.

"Good morning, mama, Antoinette," I greeted while curtseying. "Lovely weather today, yes?"

"Good morning, Aleina," mama said, smiling at me. Antoinette nodded her greeting, being a woman of very few words. "It is lovely weather, isn't it?"

"Quite, ma'am," Antoinette said curtly. "Now, Lord Mikk and Lady Kamelot will be here soon…what do you propose we make for them?"

Mama cocked her head and tapped her chin. "Do we have any dried fruits? Especially dates…and cookies and lemon tea. How does that sound, Aleina?"

"Lovely, mother!" I smiled and clapped my hands. I turned towards the back patio. "I shall go pick some flowers, all right?"

"Yes, thank you!" mama waved as I headed to our garden.

The weather certainly was lovely. It was sunny with a nice, cool breeze. The flowers in our garden waved soothingly in the gentle wind. I moved towards a patch of delightful looking daffodils when movement caught my attention. Straightening, I frowned at the rustling of the gardenia bush. I jumped a little as a curse came from behind it. Blinking, I crept forward and peered around the plant. I stifled a gasp.

A rather good-looking youth sat on the ground, rubbing his head. He had messy red hair, held away from his face by a black bandanna. He also was wearing a crimson and black uniform. My eyes flew to his face where a black eye patch stood out strongly against his tan skin. I blinked rapidly and tilted my head.

"Excuse me…but you're trespassing," I stated, causing him to jump in surprise. He whipped towards me and I was stunned by the vivid greenness of his eye. A grin broke out across his face, flashing white teeth at me.

"Allen!" he cried, jumping to his feet and pulling me into his embrace. I stifled a surprised shriek and struggled out of his grasp.

"E-Excuse me! Please, sir, control yourself!" I gasped, flushing. "And my name is not Allen! It's Aleina Druett!"

The man blinked (or winked), his grin slipping from his face. "Eh?"

"Besides, how could you mistake me for a boy?" I huffed, crossing my arms.

"But…you are a boy! My God, Allen! Did the Akuma do something wonky to your head?!" the man exclaimed. I frowned, thoroughly miffed now.

"I most certainly am not a boy! And you should be checked into a mental ward!" I turned, turning my nose up. "Hmph! Demons! Bah!"

I began walking away and was surprised that he didn't stop me. I glanced over my shoulder at him and noticed the dejected look on his face. It almost made me feel sorry for him. Almost. Remembering my mission, I quickly scooped up a handful of dahlias and hurried back inside. Antoinette took the flowers from me and quickly went to put them in a vase. Helplessly, I followed her, wondering who exactly that trespasser was.

"May I ask why you are following me, Miss Aleina?" Antoinette asked, surprising me. I hadn't expected her to acknowledge me, let alone ask why I was acting like a baby bird. A small, half smile formed on my face.

"Um, Antoinette, do you…do you believe in demons?" I asked watching the older woman. Her shoulders stiffened, causing a sliver of fear to wheedle its way into my chest. Antoinette was most frightening when she was angry…and incredibly quick to punish someone.

"Demons…what folly are you talking about? Did one of the maids call you cursed because of your hair? The nerve! Tell me now, who told you such a ridiculous thing as demons being real?" Antoinette turned to me, steely eyes looking positively frightening. If I didn't know any better, I'd say her eyes were flashing.

"O-Oh, no, no. I, um, I just found it in a book I was reading." My voice was wavering. Why was I such a pathetic liar? "S-So, um, anyway, when are our two guests arriving?"

Antoinette's eyes narrowed, obviously seeing through my pathetic attempt at changing the subject. She didn't call me up on it though and simply placed the vase of flowers down. She started to gently arrange them.

"Soon, I'd imagine, though Lady Kamelot is so unpredictable," she said, her voice weary. "I do hope that Lord Mikk is feeling well. I've heard that he's been suffering from very bad migraines lately."

I nodded sympathetically. I had occasionally gotten such headaches as well. My gaze was locked on Antoinette's profile as she finished arranging the flowers. She pulled a ribbon from her pocket and tied it around the neck of the vase, giving it a charming look. I smiled. I had always enjoyed the little touches Antoinette did. She seemed tough, but she had a kind heart. She turned to me, her stone-colored eyes warm for once. I wanted to tell her about the trespasser, but something told me not to.

A bell chimed and Antoinette straightened. She began to usher me out of the kitchen and hurriedly thrust the vase at me. I made a squeak of surprise, catching the ceramic pot and gave it to one of our other maids. She smiled a bit, before scurrying off.

"I'll…get out of your way then…" I mumbled, seeing as Antoinette had left me in the kitchen alone.

I sighed softly and moved to the sitting room. It was my favorite room, because of the big window that looked out to the garden and the whole wall of books. The best part, however, was not the aristocratic furniture nor the huge fireplace, but the lovely grand piano in the room. Mama played it all the time and it soothed me. Occasionally, I would try my hand at it. I suppose I sounded good, though I couldn't read the sheet music well…I just sort of made it up as I went.

Glancing down at the keys, I knew mama hadn't played it this morning. There was a fine blanket of dust on them and I frowned. Then where had that music came from? I looked around, before taking a seat and pressing a key. A melody rushed into my mind and I blinked, before I closed my eyes and let it wash over me. Then, I began to play.

I wasn't aware I had an audience, until after the second song. My eyes opened as clapping answered the softly dying chord. Three people stood nearby, one being mama, the other two I supposed were Lord Mikk and Lady Kamelot. The one clapping was the young girl. She looked cute, with short dark hair and big navy-colored eyes. Her skin was pale and contrasted to the dark purple and black dress she wore. The man also had dark hair, but his eyes were a strange gold color and his skin had a grayish caste to it. There was a beauty mark under his left eye and his hair was quite long. He wore a simple black suit and held a top hat in one hand. I blushed furiously.

"Um, um, h-hello," I stuttered, standing. I gulped. "I-It's nice to meet you…um, I…um…."

"You're Miss Fleur's daughter, right?" the girl, Lady Kamelot, said, smiling. "Aleina, right? I'm Road Kamelot. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Aleina."

"Oh, no, the pleasure's mine, Lady Kamelot," I answered, still aware of my burning cheeks.

"My, my, you looked quite flustered, Miss Aleina," the man smiled. "And, the true pleasure is mine. I am Lord Tyki Mikk."

"Y-Yes, I see," I said, averting my gaze. My cheeks were too warm and the sultry smile of Lord Mikk's face did not help the matter. "It is very nice to meet you both."

"Aww…she's shy, Tyki!" I heard Lady Kamelot chide. "Stop teasing her!"

"Oh? You're restraint is growing, Road. I'm sure you want to tease her as well."

I hazarded a glance up and was surprised to see Lady Kamelot glaring at Lord Mikk. He was merely grinning in response and the young girl huffed, turning away. A small chuckle escaped me, catching their attention. I tried my best to hide my giggles.

"I see we amuse you, Miss Aleina," Lord Mikk commented. I nodded, trying to suppress the borderline-hysteric giggles. "Or your simply losing your mind."

Something in me rushed to agree with that idea, but I managed to swallow my laughter and shake my head. I coughed, recomposing myself and smoothed the skirt of my dress.

"No, no, I'm mentally stable," I answered, striding for a dignified facade. Lady Kamelot raised an eyebrow. "…what?"

She clasped her hands together and stared at me with misty looking eyes. "Mmm…you're soooo cute, Aleina! Just like someone I know!"

I blinked. Did Lady Kamelot just purr? And I reminded her of someone? I smiled a little uncertainly. I tried to cast for a witty comeback to that.

"Really?" Yes, there's the product of my rapier wit. Wait…is a lady supposed to think like that?!

"Oh, yes, yes. He's quite cute too! And his eyes are the same color as yours!" Lady Kamelot practically gushed as she described her friend to me. "But I haven't seen him in ages."

Lord Mikk rolled his eyes as Lady Kamelot disappeared into a daydream. I chuckled again, finding Lady Kamelot both cute and slightly scary. Oh well, I suppose we all have our faults.

Lunch was served outside in the garden. It was a lovely day, a little on the hot side. Antoinette and the other staff certainly outdid themselves in trying to impress Lord Mikk and Lady Kamelot. My dahlias sat in the middle of the table, splashing a firework of magenta above the simple white tablecloth. I kept eyeing the gardenia, expecting to see the trespasser from earlier.

He didn't appear. (Thank goodness!)

"So, Miss Aleina, you're very good with the piano," Lady Kamelot said. I nodded.

"I suppose…I mean, I haven't been playing very long," I answered. Truthfully, I only picked up the piano since coming to Germany…a month ago. "I'm a quick study, you see."

Lady Kamelot smiled somewhat knowingly. That made me suspicious for some reason. "I see…"

After an hour of idle chitchat and small sandwich eating, I finally realized what seemed off.

There was no noise besides us.

No birdsong. No soft chattering of small animals. Not even the occasional moo. There was absolute silence except for our talk and breathing. My brows furrowed and I looked around. What could have caused the animals to become so quiet?

"Miss Aleina?" Lady Kamelot asked. I turned to her, smiling.

"Yes?" I answered, not entirely paying attention. Where could the animals have gone…?

"Is something wrong?" Lady Kamelot continued, tilting her head. I suppose she was trying to figure out what was distracting me.

"Oh, well, don't you find it odd that there's no noise? No animal sounds and all," I answered and shrugged a bit. "It was bothering me a bit."

Lady Kamelot glanced around before nodding absently. "Yes, I suppose you're right. It is a tad bit odd."

I nodded. There, see? I wasn't going crazy. Blinking, I noticed Lady Kamelot's eyes narrow. Following her gaze, I was greeted by the forest…and a noise. Listening intently, the noise turned out to be a bellow of some kind. It was steadily growing louder until a cow came crashing into the garden.

What surprised me after that was how quickly we all moved.

I was fast, I knew that much. Mama was so slight that I expected her to take it easy, so seeing her practically jump out of her chair and land a foot away was startling. Lord Mikk seemed the athletic type, so his swiftness wasn't much a surprise, though Lady Kamelot moved almost on air.

The cow had run into the table, tipping it. The animal was thrashing about wildly, as if something was hurting it. I stared, wide eyed, at the creature. What had caused it to act like that? A moment later, stars appeared on its skin and the cow promptly imploded, shattering like a statue. Bile rose up in my throat. How…how could an animal do that? What could have caused it to implode?

Antoinette came running out of the house, yelling for us to get inside, when she jerked to a stop. Her back arched almost grotesquely and she gasped. A cry escaped her lips as her body morphed into a slim, dark figure. From the dark figure, she turned into a jester, per se. I couldn't tell where her skin stopped and her clothes began and her coloring was in all pastels. She had white skin, a pale blue and yellow leotard and stockings, and lilac colored eyes. She giggled before turning to us. I shivered. That was not the woman who helped raise me.

The tight grip on my arm caused me to gasp in pain. I hadn't noticed that mama had grabbed me. Mama held me tightly, almost as if I was a lifeboat. I whimpered, wincing. Mama didn't have this kind of strength…where was it coming from?

"My lord, my lady, I believe we should hurry inside…" Mama's voice was deeper and colder than ever before. I noticed her eyes darkening. She snapped her fingers and mechanical looking beings erupted from the ground. A rabbit-ish machine followed and the beings formed a protective wall between us and Not-Antoinette.

Mama pulled me inside, following Lord Mikk and Lady Kamelot. A malicious, yet bitter, smile was on Lady Kamelot's face and she looked behind her.

"Well, well, well, it's seems there are Exorcists here," Lady Kamelot said as if she was just stating the weather. Her smile widened. "I do hope Bookman Junior's one of them."

"Lord and Lady Noah, I apologize for putting you in danger," Mama said, still not letting go of my arm. "I didn't know the Exorcists were onto me."

Lord Mikk shook his head. "It's all right, Fleur."

I looked between them all in confusion. Exorcists? As in priests? There was nothing here to exorcise! Besides, evil spirits and demons didn't exist! And why was mama calling Lord Mikk and Lady Kamelot 'Lord and Lady Noah'? What was going on? I suppose my confusion showed on my face because Lady Kamelot gave me a bemused look, putting a hand to her mouth.

"She still doesn't remember, huh?" she said. "You're poison is potent, Fleur."

Mama bristled. "I suppose. We had to keep her unconscious for two days to fully plant the fake memories. She's only been like this for two days before today. She's a fighter all right. Being a parasitic accommodator and all."

I frowned. Me? A parasite? My head began to hurt and I groaned. I held up my left hand and pressed it to my forehead. Something flashed in my mind's eye. A grin…an eye patch…and then a reflection… Fuzzily, I was aware of ripping off my eye patch and then a rush of adrenaline as the world suddenly became half black and white.

The memories hit me hard, just as a large hammer came out of nowhere. Both Lord Mikk and Lady Kamelot jumped out of the way. Mama released me, causing me to fall, and hissed in annoyance, her form becoming an odd metallic dark pink humanoid. She growled.

"Exorcist!" she screamed as the trespasser…no, Lavi stood in front of me. I winced, rubbing my eye.

"L…Lavi…" I muttered.

"Finally remember me, Al?" he asked in a jovial voice. It certainly did not match the situation. "Tell me about it later, all right?"

Timothy –still in Antoinette- appeared moments later, ready to help. I watched as they stood ready to fight the two Noah and one Level 3.

For some reason, a part of me didn't want them to hurt her. The Level 3, that is. I weakly stood, swaying a bit. We couldn't fight either Noah…and the Level 3 would probably have to be taken down by me, anyway. I noticed a relieved smile appear on Road's face as she noticed me. Her checkered door appeared behind her and Tyki and they quickly fled to it. Lavi lunged forward, only to have ma-the Level 3 push him back.

"Let me handle her!" I heard myself say as I activated my Innocence. The Level 3 had been the closest thing to a mother I ever had…and I had been the closest thing to a daughter she had ever had.

I twirled Crown Clown expertly and blocked the lunge from mama. As I fought her (she was quite strong, just like my predication four days ago), I noticed an oily substance fall from her helmet. My eyes widened when I realized what it was.

She was crying.

I gritted my teeth, shielding myself from her attack. Had I really found a place in her heart? Even after becoming an Akuma? I gulped down the lump in my throat, letting the tears fall. Would I be able to defeat her? I almost laughed when memories of Krory's castle flooded my mind. We parried attack for attack, my sword biting deeply into her armor. Again, I blocked her lunge and her oily tears splattered my face. Taking a deep breath, I thrust Crown Clown through her abdomen just as she pulled back her arm to punch me. A strangled choke came from her, but then she sighed. The body disintegrated before me and I saw her soul smile warmly at me.

This was what Krory felt like when Eliade died. I just knew it. I felt it before…with Mana.

I sighed shakily and wiped my eyes. Timothy's Akuma body fell apart feet away and I deactivated Crown Clown. I rubbed my face. The fake memories had been so perfect…so intimate that some part of me still wanted to believe them. Vaguely, I heard Lavi sigh. His footsteps didn't register until I felt him put an arm around my shoulders. He gave me a one-armed hug and then patted my head. I finally decided to look up and met his gaze.

"She was the first mother I ever knew," I said before I could stop myself. I laughed bitterly. "That's saying something, huh? An Akuma…"

Just as Timothy and Armin joined us, I burst into tears. I hated my life. It was full of loss and sadness and darkness. It had been ages since I met a parental figure…and the time I did, she turned out to be an Akuma.

I suppose I deserved it…

When we returned to the town we had left from, Lavi called up the Order and reported to Komui. I was sort of in a daze the whole way there. Timothy hadn't even teased me about crying for an Akuma. Lavi had somehow managed to put the pieces together from my garbled sobbing and explained it to him and Armin. Timothy probably knew how I felt…to a point. He hadn't lost Emilia or the Mother Superior, but he did lose his father, even if he did force him to swallow Innocence. Well, Lavi explained it to Komui, apologizing for not calling for the past four days. I noticed that he had glanced at me occasionally, as if waiting to see if I had another breakdown. I'm proud to say I didn't.

We stayed in a random inn that night. I was on automatic for most of it. After I had finished my shower and dressing into bedclothes that we had pilfered for the Krausharr Mansion, a knock came from my door. Blinking blearily, I walked over and opened it to find Lavi.

"Oh…hi, Lavi." I tried to smile, I really did, but I think it came out as a grimace. Lavi frowned at me, walking into my room. I pursed my lips, closing the door. "Hey, it's impolite to walk in without an invitation."

"It's not like I'm a fiend or something, Allen," Lavi said, sitting down on one of the beds. I just frowned in response and rubbed my arms. "You're taking that Akuma's death badly."

I laughed coldly. "Yes I am. The memories she planted in my mind seemed so real that I'm having a hard time letting them go."

Lavi just continued to analyze me. "It's more than that, isn't it?"

I flinched and then trembled. Tears came again and I nodded. "Mana was the only one who ever, ever loved me before. All I had was him and all he had was me. We were close. He was my foster father…no, he was my father. He was the only parent I knew…and then that Akuma made those memories and…and I could feel that she wanted me to be her daughter. She wanted me so badly to be her child that those feelings somehow got into me and…and I suppose I instantly latched onto her because she was a mother.

"Mana was my father…but I never had a mother. And I wanted so badly to have a mother that…that I…I started to believe those planted memories…I wanted them to be real. Because then I'd have a mother," I finished, still sobbing. I wasn't sure if Lavi could understand my hysteric babbling. Part of me hoped he didn't. I probably sounded like a loon! "God…I probably sound insane to you know. Ever since I was resurrected, everything's been-!"

Did I ever mention how Lavi's kisses were awesome? I mean, he probably had a lot of experience and all, but seriously, the-WHAT THE HELL AM I SAYING!? I pulled away, surprised, my cheeks instantly flushing. Okay, I had not expected that. I gulped, blinking rapidly.

"You were babbling," Lavi answered my unspoken question. He rubbed my wet cheek. "Geez, Allen…who knew you bottled so much up?"

I just blushed darker in response. Well wasn't he the smooth-talker. Lavi's face seemed gentler and he tenderly patted my head.

"Idiot moyashi," he said softly as he pushed me into a sitting position on the bed. He sat next to me and draped an arm across my shoulders. "You're a handful, you know that, right?"

"Right back at cha," I responded, rubbing my face. "I am such a mess." A bitter smile crept onto my face. "An Exorcist crying over an Akuma. Lovely."

I rubbed my face again and attempted to stifle a yawn. Lavi chuckled, playing with a lock of my hair as my eyes drifted shut.

The last thing I remember was hearing Lavi mumble something.

"Komui said I could open the Ark?" I asked, blinking. "Really?"

Lavi nodded, grinning. "It's easier that way, no? And anyway, Komui wants us back straight away. He's worried that you or someone with us might be kidnapped."

I blushed, glaring at him. It wasn't my fault the Akuma took me. She certainly hadn't explained why she wanted me. (She probably chose me because I was the only girl present and she wanted a daughter, but I digress.) I shuffled my feet and softly murmured the song under my breath. The Ark's gateway opened in front of us, filling the side of the building. I nodded my head to it and ushered them in. Lavi was last, just before me, and as he caught my eye, he blushed lightly.

As it turned out, after I had fallen asleep the night before, Lavi was out soon after. Which led to Timothy and Armin finding us both knocked out on my bed in the morning. And our position? I had been curled up in Lavi's embrace.

It was mortifying.

I sighed angrily and hurried into the Ark, closing the gate behind me. Lavi had better leave that out of his report. As we headed to the door home, I felt a little hesitant, as if something was off. I just shivered, rolling my shoulders a little. I was probably nervous.

"Yeah…just nervous," I thought, glancing up at the Ark's sky.

X--------------------------

Water Fairy: I fail at life. (Goes and cries in a corner.)

Allen: Oh…well, um… (Looks helplessly at Lavi.)

Lavi: At least you're getting a move on with this story. And, uh…we're, uh, here for you…or something like that.

Allen: Right. (Holds up script.) Seeing as Water Fairy feels like a bad person, we'll be taking over doing reviews and the end commentary. If anyone has questions pertaining to the story, feel free to ask. And Water Fairy apologizes greatly.

Words/Phrases to Know:

Moyashi – bean sprout

-chan - An honorific usually used for girls, small children, animals, and cute things.

Preview:

My foreboding feeling was correct. When we arrive back at the Order, I learn that Levrier had not been sacked like I had hoped. He's practically the lowest rank there is politically, but he's here to witness 'the amazing Allen Walker'. And I haven't been feeling well lately. I'm tired and get cold easily. Why is that? And why, if I'm so beloved by God, am I suffering so much?

Eleventh Night – Black Heartbeats