Well, this is the chapter Allen gets his worse injuries in the story thus far. And the story picks up! I've been working on some art for this story as well, just to send more of a visual. Since my scanner still isn't hooked up, when it is, I'll post some links onto my profile if anyone is interested, and I'll leave a note at the beginning of a chapter as well. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and since I can't respond to anonymous reviews, I'd like to do it here.

Accountless, thank you for your wonderful review! I loved reading it, and thank you for recommending the stories; as soon as I get a chance, I'll check them out. And don't worry; this'll be my main priority until it's finished – possibly a sequel, depending on how this ends. (Which is a surprise, of course!) And the Road episode will be explained, once the time is right. ;) Thank you for your review nonetheless, and I'll try and keep the updating quick!

Other then that, here's chapter eleven, after only a day once again! I've been working on it all afternoon, since I was itching to write the scene with Tyki. So here it is! Expect chapter twelve tomorrow. (It's night here where I am.) Enjoy, and leave a review once you're finished? :) They fuel me to write! :3

11.

[the brink of death; echoes in the dark]

'Just a puppet on a set of unbreakable strings, bounding him to a fate he couldn't fight or change.'

i.

"Don't bother attacking, boy. You know what will happen."

Allen said nothing, not turning around, not blinking. Just frozen in one spot, eradicating his breathing as it became shallow. He wasn't particularly afraid of the Noah's, despite their strength; he had fought the Earl, multiple Noah's, and he had survived on all occasions. What worried him was the fact that he was surrounded on every side, every side in between every side, by level four akumas that could easily ambush him at once and end his life. Tyki's footsteps were getting increasingly louder, pacing against the white fluff that covered almost every inch of ground. Allen's Innocence was still lodged in the snow, his hand gripped firmly around the hilt as his knuckles turned white from the force. Timcanpy had taken cover, watching the incident silently in case he needed to intervene – which included speeding up Kanda, Lavi, and Lenalee if they didn't arrive soon.

"Not going to say hi? It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Allen closed his eyes, willing the panic to disappear. He wasn't alone –

You're alone for this one, Allen. You don't know when they'll arrive.

Blinking, he opened his eyes, surprised at the sudden voice in his head. He was sure hearing things was a sign of craziness, but he didn't care at that moment, instead focusing on what was happening. Tyki's footsteps had ceased, and Allen couldn't tell how close the Noah was until he felt breath on his neck, the warm breeze sending a chill down the core of his spine.

"Why are you here?" He asked, his voice only slightly betraying the calm façade he had. Tyki laughed a bit, walking in front of Allen so they were face to face. He was dressed casually, like usual; his white dress shirt was undone at the top, and his black pants were wrinkle-free just like all the other times they had met. Allen could only imagine the look on his face; part of it was obscured by the silver mask that was helping to support him. The purple Tease butterfly danced above Tyki, itching to destroy something.

Like your heart.

Allen mentally shook his head, pulling his sword out of the ground as the fog and snow mixed together in a flurry of blinding particles. He hoisted the large sword on his shoulder, trying to act as deceivably calm as he could. Tyki bought it, raising an eyebrow at the sudden change of behavior.

"So you're not scared. This might be interesting."

Allen glared, taking a few steps back to put distance between the two. Tyki looked far too at ease, and it was starting to worry Allen. Something was different about this meeting, he knew; it was as if Tyki wasn't here to destroy the exorcist.

"Ah, well, anyways. Wasted enough time. So, this is a nice forest, don't you think? A bit foggy."

Totally caught off guard, Allen blinked a few times, trying to make sense of the words. He knew Tyki was odd, but this was just a bit much. The Noah shrugged as he looked around, an inquisitive look on his features.

"So, why are you here, anyways?"

Allen didn't respond, staying still as Tyki waited for an answer.

"No response, eh? Well, that's all right. I think I know why you're here; if you're looking for them, it's too late. They've already been taken care of. Such a shame I couldn't find the Innocence, however; that girl had lost it before I killed her. Road said you had it, but… Well, nevertheless."

The ill feeling returned, and Allen thought he might wretch right there. Anger welled up inside him, the man in front of him smirking as he finally got a reaction from the cursed boy. The familiar, large smile crept onto his face, his eyes screaming madness and Allen backed up a bit more. It was wrong. Everything was wrong – he was beginning to doubt that what he was seeing was even real.

What's happening? Why do I feel this way?

"The Fourteenth is taking his toll, isn't he? You're losing yourself. Soon, you'll be nothing but an empty shell that'll be filled by the traitor."

Allen shook his head, ceasing his steps when his back met something hard, the tree shaking from the impact as compacted snow gently drifted into his hair and onto his face. His eye was still activated, searching around in a desperate attempt to seek out anymore akuma.

"I was told to capture you… But I think it'll be more fun to just watch the Fourteenth take over. Then we'll kill you."

Allen glared, the words playing in his mind like a broken record as the truth and lies became mixed into a blinding blur. Tyki laughed, the Tease continuing to dance around his hand –

The butterfly seemed to be appearing more and more –

Images and pictures of his dreams began to play, and Allen winced in pain as a sudden wave of agony erupted in his chest. His mind was becoming numb, the world teetering on the thin line of consciousness and blissful darkness. Tyki rushed forward, choking Allen as he felt his feet lift the ground, dropping his sword on the ground.

"Your eyes flicker gold, boy. Maybe it's closer then we thought."

He felt his left arm return, but the numb feeling was spreading from internally in his mind, to externally throughout his body. The grip on his throat was constricting his breathing, and shallow gasps were all that escaped as the Tease landed on Tyki's hand, looking up at Allen as the purple and black tendrils gathered together. Dark spots entrapped his vision, Tyki's dark face and gold eyes fading from view.

"Master Tyki, I can hear some other exorcist's coming! Shall we get them?"

"Yes," Tyki responded, tightening his grip on Allen's neck – it wasn't enough to completely suffocate him, but any action Allen could have taken was rendered useless as his body was becoming slowly paralyzed.

"No…" He choked out, and he felt the golden golem enter his human hand, Timcanpy sending a silent message that it'd worn the others. Even if Tyki's main goal wasn't to kill Allen, he hadn't said anything about the others, and he wasn't about to let their lives be jeopardized. In his delirious state, Allen swore he could hear Lavi talking, communicating a message that Allen almost felt like laughing at.

Fight like hell, bean sprout!

He wanted too; he wanted to escape Tyki's painful grasp and help his friends, but his vision was becoming far too unfocused as his mind was becoming dead like so many times before.

"Don't worry; their deaths will be quick and painless… Well, maybe not painless."

Bubbling up in his chest was an unusual source of energy, rage fueling his strength as he grabbed Tyki's arm, trying to pry it away from his throat. Tyki smiled, slightly surprised by the sudden movement, as he let go of Allen and watched him hit the ground. Coughing, Allen rubbed the tender spot on his neck, trying to regain his balance. He hadn't even realized that the cowl had disappeared, and he activated his Innocence, the support easing him up. Tyki backed up a bit, the same smile on his face as his curled hair reminded Allen of what he had seen in the mirror – the gold…

No, not now.

Allen quickly ran his human hand along his left arm, grabbing the hilt of the sword and rolling over to get away from Tyki, who attempted to grab him once again. A few akuma still remained in the area, and Tyki signalled them to attack, Allen watching out of the corner of his eye as four of the akuma lunged forward. Jumping up right before the hit, the akuma ended up running into each other, and if it hadn't been for the fact that Allen's very life was in danger, the situation could have been considered comical. Explosions were sounded in the distance, and Allen figured Timcanpy had made it to the others in time. This fueled Allen even more as he landed gracefully on the ground, his sword running through an unexpected akuma. He felt the repercussion from the destruction, the force of impact making his hair dance around his face. Tyki shrugged, unfazed by the events. Another akuma attempted to attack Allen, but he dodged, lunging forward with as much strength as he could as he ran his Innocence through the machinery. Another explosion, and only two akuma remained in the area. He knew they weren't fighting with all their strength, for Tyki had even said that the Earl wanted to kill Allen himself. One of the akuma screamed, frustrated.

"Master, can't we just kill him? It'll be so much easier!"

Tyki glanced over, a bored look on his face.

"If you do, you'll have to deal with the Earl. However, it's up to you."

The akuma smiled – if that was possible – and let loose a flurry of spikes, all heading towards Allen's head.

"Crown Belt!" He cried, grabbing onto a nearby branch as he swung out of the way, the spikes continuing in a straight line.

"Haha, exorcist! That's my special ability! They'll keep following you until you're dead!"

Like Cross's Judgement?

Allen cursed, landing on the ground from his perch atop the tree. As the spikes made a complete three sixty turn, Allen lifted up the sword just in time, the large weapon taking the damage as the sharply cut spikes tried to break through. A small crack split down the middle of the sword, and Allen stared at it, at loss for words.

His Innocence had been damaged.

The akuma continued to laugh as the second one let loose another attack, sound waves piercing Allen's head as images filled his mind.

Mana, dead, on the ground with a puddle of crimson surrounding him far too fast.

Cross, gone, the only evidence of his presence of being there was the large red stain on the wall and the broken pieces of Judgement.

Kanda, life draining swiftly and surely as Lavi's breathing stopped, Lenalee crying and alone.

Komui, the entire Order destroyed as the orange flames highlighted the tragedy.

…The Fourteenth's face, becoming perfectly clear in the mirror as he lost himself to the legacy -

"Stop!" Allen shouted, overwhelmed by the clarity that had been witnessed. He fell to his knees, trying to blink away tears as everything began crashing around him, the akuma laughing. Tyki was still smiling, standing casually as he watched the entire event unfold.

"Your ability is useful. Boy, what you saw was the past and what could – will – happen. Does it scare you?"

Allen tried to regain his breath, the images fading as quickly as they had appeared. All the strength he had was gone, his body tired and strained from the beat up it had taken over the prior days, He collapsed to the ground, the cold seeping through his uniform and into his skin as he laid stomach down, his hair shadowing his face. Crunching of snow alerted him to someone approaching him, and he faintly recognized Tyki as the Noah kneeled down, the everlasting smile still large on his face.

"…Shall I destroy your Innocence? It's rumored that it could be the Heart. If not, I'll find the girl."

Allen tried to protest, but even as he tried to speak, no words came out. Tyki reached forward, placing a hand on his chest, directly over where Allen's wounds were concealed.

"You're injured. I could easily make them worse…"

The Tease flew over, landing on the spot Tyki's hand was as he removed the limb, the butterfly entering Allen's body. Fear filled his mind, but he was thankful that it wasn't his heart like before. Pain filled him as the Tease was flying around once again, something warm flowing from his chest and staining his uniform, the crimson becoming clear on the white snow. Allen squeezed his eyes, the pain overwhelming as unconsciousness became an option once again. He opened his eyes, the akuma laughing as Tyki still kneeled over him.

"Not enough pain?"

Tyki set his hand upon Allen's cheek, opposite of his cursed eye, and the Tease followed once again, eating away the skin in a thin line that stretched from his hairline, all the way down to the bottom of his face as the Tease went around his eye. As the blood leaked out, turning his white hair red, Allen bit his tongue, trying to swallow the bile, but he still coughed, blood spilling from his mouth and down his chin.

"Your Innocence?"

Tyki reached toward the sword, which lay forgotten beside Allen. He was about to reach forward to crush it, but the Noah glanced behind him when footsteps raced forward. Caught off guard as he went flying over Allen, he saw a pissed off Kanda – well, he was usually pissed off anyways – as he held Mugen in two, the blue light connecting the swords. Allen smiled slightly, the fog making his vision blur. Without warning, his own Innocence deactivated, the cowl disappearing as his sword became his arm. He looked over, remembering the spikes that had damaged it, and he saw three scratches stretch out over his forearm. Another explosion sounded, and Lavi and Lenalee banded together to defeat the last akuma. As Allen's eye activated, he realized that all eleven level four akuma had been destroyed, and he watched as the soul was freed from its chains and returned to the afterlife. His whole body was in agony, but his mind was numbing once again, darkness welcoming with its embrace. He heard the sick laugh, Tyki not bothering to get into a fighting stance as he leaned over Allen.

"The Earl will kill you, Allen Walker."

And he disappeared, Tease and all. Kanda growled, deactivating his own Innocence and sheathing Mugen as he kneeled down beside Allen. The cursed boy watched as the samurai lifted him up, transferring him to his back to carry Allen piggy-back style. He felt completely detached, and he knew he was going to lose consciousness soon. Lenalee was crying slightly, tears leaking down her cheeks as the snow turned to rain. Lavi put a hand on her shoulder, looking at Allen.

"You're alive this time, Allen. We'll get you too the hospital, just stay awake, all right?"

"Tch, moyashi isn't going to stay conscious in his state," Kanda said, answering before the nearly-unconscious boy could. "Moyashi, are you bleeding? I can feel it on my back."

Allen nodded, realizing they wouldn't be able to tell just how bad the Tease had gotten him.

"Tease… Through clothes and directly to the wound."

Lenalee gasped, covering her mouth.

"You don't mean – "

"He wasn't trying to kill me," Allen said, interrupting the panicking exorcist and trying to calm her down. "It was the pre-existing wounds he opened. I don't know how bad…"

His voice was scratchy and hoarse, his words fading in and out of each other as his focus was becoming less prominent. The dark aura he had been feeling returned, except much stronger and more darker. It etched in his mind, caressing him as he began to lose the battle with reality. He heard Lavi mutter under his breath, damn Noah!, and he smiled slightly, closing his eyes. Kanda looked over his shoulder as they began walking out of the forest, glancing to the dying exorcist on his back.

"You may not stay conscious, but don't you go dying either, or I'll personally bring you back and kill you again."

Allen nodded, his vision already black. The only part of him alert was his mind.

What I saw… What that akuma did… Was Tyki planning that?

That was the last thought he had before he became dead to the world, his heart beat slow and painful as the blood drained from his body.

ii.

The light from the room glowed behind his eyelids, the constant beeping the only sound he could hear. His eyes were heavy, refusing to open, and he was beginning to wonder if he was even awake. Black was all he could see as it filled the emptiness, his body weightless and blissfully numb. There was no pain, no thoughts, just him and the dark. A voice broke the silence, echoing in the state he was in, bouncing off the darkness as it struck him loud and clear.

The Fourteenth is taking his toll, isn't he? You're losing yourself. Soon, you'll be nothing but an empty shell that'll be filled by the traitor.

Maybe Tyki was right, he realized. What if the Fourteenth was the reason behind all the strange occurrences he had been witnessing, the butterfly an omen to what was to come? It scared him slightly; he wasn't prepared to lose himself. But what if that was what he was all along? Just a puppet on a set of unbreakable strings, bounding him to a fate he couldn't fight or change? The dark seemed to become darker, the invisible walls closing in on him as his breathing became raspy and short. His eyes had remained closed, but even behind the covers, he could feel the crushing impact as it got nearer and nearer –

Then there was nothing.

iii.

"We'll transfer him to the Order; there's better care. Better then a small village, anyways. I do thank you for trying to find the missing family, but I guess it just wasn't meant to be."

An unfamiliar voice filled him, and he furrowed his brows in confusion. At the mention of the family, guilt filled his stomach as he remembered what Tyki had said; if Tyki was right, then there really was no hope for the lost family, and his condition, there'd be no way he'd get away with returning to finish his investigation. As the remnants of sleep began to wear off, Allen blearily opened his eyes, the light invading his vision all at once. He blinked a few times, trying to warm up to the new addition, but when it didn't work he settled on gently closing his eyes. He felt a hand on his forehead, the warm skin feeling good against the cold chill he had.

"Allen, you're awake. Are you feeling all right?"

"Don't overwhelm him, Lenalee. He must be completely confused."

Allen recognized both Lavi and Lenalee's voices, and he attempted a smile, opening his eyes once again. Their faces immediately filled his vision; Lenalee had a worried look on her face, but it was also relieved as her hair fell over her face. Lavi was grinning widely, his red hair brighter then Allen had remembered. A small nurse stood beside him. She looked in her thirties, her brown hair pulled tightly into a bun, her white uniform spotless as she held a clipboard in her hands.

"Hello, Mr. Walker. I'm glad you're awake. Your friends were worried, but you're all right now. You'll be returning to the Order; everything has been taken care of. Do you feel well enough to ride a train, or shall we postpone the trip?"

Allen took all the information in, trying to untangle the words. He was relatively pain free, despite the encounter with Tyki. At remembering the incident, he sat up, dizziness assaulting him. Lavi grabbed his arm, holding him up until the world became still. Allen smiled his thanks, looking down at his bandaged chest. There were more bandages then before; thick, white material covered his stomach, and continued up all the way over his right shoulder. Blood had already seeped through, some of the white turned crimson over his chest. He touched his cheek, the same material running down the dies of his face, only slightly obscuring his right eye. His head had been re-bandaged, and Allen assumed his hair must have fallen over some of the material. His Innocence had a single white piece going over the scratches, making a bow with the two ends of the piece. His throat throbbed painfully, and assumed the bruise had grown thanks to Tyki.

"You've been given a shot of painkillers. Thankfully, no internal organs were damaged."

Allen nodded at the nurse, still not able to speak.

"Your voice is probably scratchy from the lack of use. You've been out for three days, after all."

The nurse smiled, and Allen's eyes widened, shocked that he had been out for that long.

"If you feel up to the train ride," she interrupted his thoughts, tapping her clipboard. "Nod your head."

Allen untangled the words, nodding as he smiled slightly. The nurse smiled one last time before leaving, shutting the door behind her. As Allen glanced over, he realized Kanda was in the room as well, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. He was wearing a light blue shirt and his uniform pants, and Allen remembered that it had been Kanda who carried him back.

"Kanda, thanks – "

"Don't say it, moyashi."

"It's Allen, Bakanda."

"That's more like it," Kanda said, opening his eyes to smirk. Lavi slapped his head, and Lenalee stood speechless. Allen assumed it was because of the small exchange they had just witnessed, but Lavi pointed at Allen frantically, a smile on his face.

"The nurse said you probably wouldn't be able to talk for at least a week! Apparently, however you got the bruise around your neck, ruptured your throat."

Allen blinked a few times, saying off-handedly, "That was when Tyki was choking me."

Lavi's smile dimmed slightly, and Lenalee took a sad look on her face. Kanda looked away, casting his eyes downward, and Allen was left to wonder what they were thinking.

"Allen… We're sorry," Lenalee said, her tone worried and sad, as if Allen might be mad. He was dumbfounded for a moment, before realizing what she meant.

"Don't be. You guys still got there in time, and it wasn't your fault. None of us could have expected Tyki – "

"We should have assumed the worse could happen," Kanda interrupted. "We're exorcists. We're going to be hunted, especially by the Noah and the Earl. It was a stupid mistake."

Allen sighed, closing his eyes as he lowered his head. The guilt mixed with the darkness returned, but he ignored it, not in the mood to deal with it. His stomach was feeling sick, and he placed a hand over the material, his stomach churning.

"Moyashi, when was the last time you ate?"

Allen thought for a moment, looking up and opening his eyes. He couldn't remember – it had been a while, but he thought of food was still enough to cause him to vomit. When he didn't answer, Kanda spoke, his tone slightly angry.

"Tch, no wonder you look so fucking skinny. Have you looked in a mirror lately? You look like you're fucking sick."

Allen turned away; the answer to the question would have been yes. He had looked in a mirror, and the flash of gold and the curled ends of his white hair played over in his mind, causing the blood to drain from his face. A tense silence settled over the group, no one was sure of what to say. After a few moments, Lenalee broke the silence, her tone a bit lighter then before.

"Well, either way, it's time to go. Allen, your stuff has been packed, and the train will be arriving in an hour. Brother is excited we're coming home!"

Allen smiled at the prospect, and he looked up at Lenalee, his heart heavy and his body beginning to ache.

"Did you reach Komui?"

As soon as he said that, Timcanpy buzzed by, slamming into Allen's face. He yelped in surprise, grabbing the golem by it's tail as he smiled.

"Well, hello Tim."

Lavi laughed, scratching his head.

"He actually saved you yesterday. He flew straight into us, showing us what had happened, and then led us straight to where you were."

Allen nodded, not surprised. He had felt Tim in his hand before it had flown off, and he was grateful to the small golem, which was still getting bigger. As a more comfortable silence blanketed them, Tim resting in his hair, Allen began to see the images again that the akuma had placed in his mind, and a headache began forming, causing him to groan slightly.

"Allen?" Lenalee sounded worried again.

"It's nothing," he replied, rubbing his forehead despite the bandages. "Just a bit of a headache."

No one in the room was convinced.