In being used, can, like all other things, be used to use things – people.


General Cross deactivates Maria's Magdala Curtain as they step out of the Ark gate.

The Curtain shimmers, falling, and the scientists at HQ fall all over them in worry.

He catches a sad smile on Marian's face, even as the red-headed General turns away.

"Master, where are you going?"

In a more tender frame of interaction, Marian at his best is an ideal guardian.

He pats Allen on his head, ruffling the white hair playfully.

"Where do you think, Apprentice?"

The boy shrugs.

"Gambling with my money, hooking up with beautiful women, or causing trouble in general."

Marian at his worst, is a guardian's worst nightmare.

Allen's horror stories are more than enough to fill books on how to not parent.

A smirk tugs at his lips, gloved fingers raising to push up his glasses.

"All correct, you know me so well, apprentice. You didn't even need to ask, I'm just leaving, plain and simple. This place is suffocating."

Their walk out of the Ark's restored pavements was long, and mostly silent, picking up the group with Froi midway.

That group had run into Skinn, who withdrew upon checking that Tiny hadn't been with them.

They had also run into Tyki, who demanded a rematch with Yuu.

With all the other Exorcists around, the Noah had still toyed with them.

However, like Road, Tyki had chosen to leave, citing familial reasons in the middle.

It left Yuu itching and tense for the rest of the walk.

Overall, it had been an eventful, but safe trip for their group, just smatterings of demons here and there.

"General Cross, you're leaving again?"

It was unmarked by but the violence in that white room, the Noah never even appeared to protest the Exorcists all absconding with the 'White' Ark.

"Yeah, I'm heading to Poland, got a pretty lady waiting for me."

Antoine nods like it's something he's used to.

Behind him, he hears General Yeegar sigh.

"May I check Maria once, before you leave, Marian?"


Unlike the rest of the Innocence who may, or may not be human/humanoid, Antoine knows full well that Maria, as a corpse, undoubtly once was.

It's confirmed by the fact that General Cross has Judgement.

"She's Grave of Maria. Parasitic Innocence embedded within the vocal chords, a primarily support type, no known offensive attacks."

"Do you feed her, bathe her and all?"

Green hums to life, making a distinctive human shape, taking on Marian's wide shoulder, above average height kind of build.

Inwardly, Antoine laughs at this subtle competitive, protective streak Green displays.

"Grave of Maria is my Innocence, Antoine, not a kid."

Scanning over the body, marvelling at how perfectly the organs were preserved.

"I feed Green, and I know that Yuu polishes Mugen on occasion, and Bookman cleans each and every needle that comprises Heaven Compass."

Green's hand hovers over Maria's vocal chords a moment, and Antoine concentrates.

"She'd been suffering from a sore throat. Bacterial infection."

At that moment, he clutches his head.

Antoine holds a hand out as General Cross moves to support him, recovering quickly to heal Maria.

"She just tried to sing."

Gently, murmuring, My lady please, don't stress your vocal chords as they heal.

A soft hum, ah, yes, reverberating throughout the room, and Marian clearly recognises his Innocence's voice, jerking, eyes wide.

He smiles softly at the once-human Innocence, blood painted lips disappearing behind the chain bound coffin lid.

Looking up at General Cross, eyes firm and reproachful.

"Innocence are alive, and they have been for a great deal longer than any Exorcist. Innocence, unlike wielders, are irreplaceable."

The General has him up against the wall, gloved hand gripping onto his chin.

"So treat Grave of Maria well, I presume?"

Antoine half panics as Green silently struggles in his bonds, chains sprouting off Grave of Maria's coffin.

"You enslaved her."

The Infirmary is quiet for a while.

Green's mouth is open in a shout, but no sound comes out.

"She agreed to be immortalised. That's where you are wrong, Antoine. Innocence are irreplaceable. Wielders are hard to come by. Both should be valued. But the people who can control Innocence are valued more than the Innocence. Without a user, Innocence is an obsolete white elephant."

He smells of alcohol and cigarette smoke.

Then there's a knock on the door, a click of the knob.

Cross' concentration appears to slip, and Green engulfs the General.

Maria cracks open her coffin lid, releasing a mournful cry.

General Yeegar and General Tiedoll step through, taking in the scene, averting their eyes from Maria.

Green deposits Marian, almost burnt, betraying his wielder's shaken frame of mind.

He reseals Grave of Maria, head inclined in vague apology.

A faux smirk over his face, asking, "What, Levierrier's called for a meeting?"

They exchange a look, and General Tiedoll takes General Cross away, retreating with the soft statement, "Ah, Yuu went back to his room."


Bending down by his disciple's side, helping him stand, General Yeegar can't help but worry.

Antoine is a grown male, but for the General, even General Tiedoll is still a child and Cross is, "He's out of control. And I apologise for that."

"Maria is enslaved, and wants so badly to die."

The healer's voice cracks and the General can only press forward.

"Central has sent the Inspector to find out more about the Ark. Undoubtly, Allen and you will be questioned. That piano is linked to the 14th Noah, and if you're suspected to be linked to the Noah, you'll be tried for heresy."


At the end of it, Allen proves his worth in being able to open Ark gates for the Order.

It's with supervision because Antoine is in that room playing his melody as he sings and infuses the song with the will.

Neither are tried for heresy.

"Therefore it can be assumed that both Allen Walker and Antoine of Belgium are 'Players' of the 14th, and have a chance of turning into the Noah, Cross?"

The red headed General takes another drag of his cigarette, "Yeah, as much chance as I do."

General Yeegar knows that action as one which soothes the younger male's nerves.

Levierrier takes it as disrespect.

Throughout the younger Exorcists shift next to each other, nervous.

Antoine smiles, squeezing Allen's shoulder reassuringly.

"Very well. Then both are sanctioned for active duty, but together, and under 24/7 guard."


They grow close.

Allen and Antoine.

Marian and Kevin.

With the guards around, the Masters are practically barred contact from their disciples.

There's no speaking, no forming of cover stories, ascertaining what's the right or wrong thing to say.

Surprisingly, Allen is the first to suggest it.

"Hey Antoine?"

Knowing well enough, he passes a message to his Master.

"Master Kevin, you know, I was never formally inducted as an Exorcist."

Cross is the one who notes the signs first.

"Idiot apprentice, trying to walk his own road."

Yeegar receives the results from Komui, a sheet of paper, from a night where they tranquilised both Allen and Antoine for testing.

"Subject number 2 shows abnormalities during scan. Hevlaska classes subject's Innocence as evolved, Sentient-type, with synchro-rate levels off the 0-150 scale. Scans however, imply that this is an emotional bond on the Innocence's end, and that the wielder is actually incompatible. Further testing required, an appearance of a more suited Accommodator could produce the strongest Exorcist ever seen. Current form has demoted the Innocence to a pure support-type role."

Levierrier feels entirely satisfied, with the look on Cross' face.

"As of right now, Exorcist Allen Walker, and Accommodator Antoine of Belgium are considered rouges of the Order, to be apprehended on sight, failing which lethal force is sanctioned. Retrieval of the latter's Innocence is considered the highest priority. Effective immediately, Generals Cross Marian and Kevin Yeegar are to be put under observation, under suspicion of abetting escape by their disciples."

It's the proverbial slap to the face, and a fatal blow to the Order.


"If we spare your friends, and take in people who swear not to hurt us, will you be willing to step out of the war temporarily so we can destroy the Organisation itself?"

The Noah find them in Zalipie, Poland, a picturesque town.

Allen delivers his Master's apologies to his former lover.

The wording was different, but they accept under modified terms.

With the Ark, they begin stealing Exorcists, claiming their oaths of neutrality, and housing them within the White Ark.

They shift the old ark next to the new 'Black' one, reshaping the city centre to one with more colour and life.

Kanda goes first, and with him, Marie.

Daisya catches on, and laughs all the way.

Lenalee notices, and she and her brother debate.

Komui chooses to stay for a while longer, keeping Central off their tails.

Miranda, then her General, Klaud Nine, with her three disciples.

"Everyone tires of war someday. If you guarantee that we can have safety, if temporary, then I will choose such a life for my disciples."

Krory comes alone, his General rejecting it because his life is meaningless without fighting and the rest of his disciples killed.

Lavi and Bookman are no idiots. They agree, if simply, "To watch the world from another perspective."

The Asian Branch quietens over time, from Allen's friends, to Fo, then Bak and his assistant.

Just keeping up appearances as the Black Order loses its main attack force.

The European R&D section all take a group vacation that Komui sanctions.

Komui steps through the temporary Ark Gate, meeting up with Bak, both eager to reunite with Lenalee.

Once, Bak was pulled in by Antoine, who smiled kindly.

"You'd be a pretty lady."

He slaps a hand over his mouth in embarrassment, but Antoine knows he doesn't mean it unkindly.

Allen laughs, before replying that Bak has more of a chance hitting on Lenalee and getting Komui to let him.

They leave on their last pick up before they can catch the reply.


When Antoine appears in front of both General Yeegar and him, the last thing General Tiedoll expects his fellow general to do is what he does.


He pulls away, recomposing himself, apologising.

Antoine never pulled away.

Voice warm, but distinctively vulnerable.

"Will you come back with me, then Master Kevin, Froi?"

By now, the Order is empty, and these the last standing pillars.

Allen, along with Marian pop their heads through the Ark gate, wondering what is taking so long.

It's the sheer conflict in their eyes that only General Cross can understand, because this is an organisation they've devoted their lives to.

Later, upon reflection, General Tiedoll is almost afraid to ask.

"What went wrong..? We believed in God, that he would give us Accommodators to defend this Earth."

Softly, General Yeegar is too afraid to admit it.

"And we let humans use Accommodators as they deemed fit."

Preoți, cu crucea-n frunte căci oastea e creștină,

Priests, lead with your crucifixes, for our army is Christian,

Deviza-i libertate și scopul ei preasfânt.

The motto is Liberty and its goal is holy.

-ideals-ideals-ah-ideals.

Cross unbinds Maria and she passes on, finally, one last song, for liberty.


Lastly, as were Mana and Nea, were Marian and Kevin.

Antoine and Antoine deviated from this pattern, forming a relationship not of animosity, but of partnership.

Both as 'Players', things come to a full circle.


Mana the clown, Mana the Earl, Nea the musician, Nea the Earl-killer.

Marian the player, Marian the priest, Kevin the stern, Kevin the teacher.

Allen the crude, Allen the saviour, Antoine the polite, Antoine the selfish.

They balance each other out, for better or worse.


The war fizzles out as the Earl mends his broken family and torn psyche.

The Noah family returns to 13.

As the Wrath subsides, Skinn fades.

As Sleep beckons, Road fades.

As Pleasure becomes open, Tyki fades.

As the Bookmen line leave the exorcist trade, memories are erased, Wisely too, fades.

Finally, his family and momentum destroyed, the now rouge Exorcists cleaning up after them, the Order gone, and he's satisfied.

He… thanks Mana and the Earl fades.

Innocence turn to normal tools, simply green crystals without power.

But the humans are scarred.

They don't fade.

or do they?

Years pass, and thus, at his Master's funeral, he accepts that Marian was right.

In the end, people value people the most.


They did, spend the last few years in peace.

Everyone had been, happy.

Green was willing to stick to Antoine to end the world's underlying suffering.

Content to go with the flow of this world, his voice growing fainter despite Antoine's calls.

"The Theory of Utilitarianism dictates that you should forget me, not raise the topic of Innocence to everyone else and forget about any holy war that ever happened."

Afterwards, he never replies Antoine's calls again.

But Antoine never stops.

Never.


the theory of utilitarianism dictated many things, just not anyone's emotions.


fin


As I promised, an update to something, by Sunday, 5th February.

Melancholy, how this ended, the things I implied and the nuances of so many things I didn't include, but I hope can be picked up upon.

Many things I feel almost guilty for implying, but all things I meant very much to put in.

Honestly… I kinda want to end this on Chapter 13, with short bits and pieces of life after the Black Order's destruction.

I want to write more Antoine-'Kevin', and more Antoine-Green and more Antoine-Allen, and at least a tiny ode to Antoine-Skinn.

Maybe a last Marian-Antoine power play.

But then the ending note would be all wrong.


A brief kiss, Antoine's eyes closing.

Hands on him, apologetic but possessive.

Respectful of the boundary he has overstepped, even as the healer maintains a feather light hold on his Exorcist garb.

Breathing in sighs, embracing within an empty hallway, candles flickering around them.

A midnight rendezvous that no one questions because of the nature of their relationship.

"Ah…"


I will end thusly, a sense of satisfaction not entirely quelled,

68 days.

Thank you, everyone,

Kayo.