AN: I've delayed the release of this chapter long enough. And I find this highly entertaining but, it's been exactly a year since I've created this story. (I totally did not plan it)
And yes, this is the LAST chapter of the story. And honestly, I've written parts of this long before I even started the first chapter, so yeah. Whatever. Enjoy
Fading Gray
Chapter 12
The four exorcists sat scattered in the dingy room, discouraged in their pursuit of the General. Kanda had contacted Headquarters minutes after they were unable to decide what to do. It was painful to everyone in the room to admit their failure in the mission.
And perhaps, they felt just a bit scared; Marian Cross was notorious for being the most elusive General of the Order, and consequently the strongest. (Allen can assert that belief, respectful of his Master's strength despite his womanizing ways.) Yet the small Noah girl was able to draw blood from the General.
It was the same girl that Allen had kissed – or imagined kissing just the night before.
--
He was staring out of the small window when his Akuma detection was activated. Allen needn't say a word, however. Everyone in the room heard the painful scream of a man who had met certain death. In a blink of an eye, the group had left the room.
--
They didn't know how they left such a large army of Akuma undetected. Wasting no time, the four exorcists activated their weapons; Rinali and Kanda promptly leapt into the sky, while Ravi and Allen attacked from the ground. Akuma exploded in the sky in brilliant flashes of white, fireworks against the blue of the sky. They defeated multitudes; however the army did not seem to decrease in size as they fought.
"There's just too many of them!" Rinali exclaimed landing briefly to catch her breath. Her comment did not go unheard as Ravi motioned for the group to hide underneath his Hammer.
"We must have destroyed hundreds by now," Ravi continued for Rinali. "Something must be creating more of them while we fight. It's the only way there can be so many." He and Kanda turned to look at Allen who had his head tilted up to scrutinize the millions of Akuma hovering above them. Rinali was also watching the Akuma, although she was more worried about how much more damage Ravi's weapon could sustain. In a flutter of her black skirt, Rinali left the makeshift refuge to enter the fray once more. At the exact moment, Allen had found what he was looking for.
"Some of these Akuma are fakes!" he exclaimed. "They're just clones; they're missing a soul." He scanned more of the army and in a fit of frustration leaped into the air to stand atop the head of Ravi's Hammer. "Found you." He muttered.
"He's at the back, it's a leve-"
"A what, Allen?" Ravi shouted. The white-haired boy was staring distantly, entranced. Forty feet below Allen, Ravi and Kanda was able to see Allen mutter something unintelligible while he stood atop the weapon. A stray Akuma decided to take advantage of the boy's vulnerability and readied its gun.
"Allen!" Rinali screamed from a distance away. She had watched the Akuma prepare to attack but was unable to defend her friend. She held her breath in anticipation and sighed in relief when she saw that Kanda had destroyed the Akuma in a cloud of dust.
"Stupid Beanspout, don't space out when you find something important!"
"Don't you hear it too? It's her laugh!" Allen exclaimed, staring at the bewildered face of Kanda.
"I-! Um, nevermind." He leapt gracefully off the head of Ravi's Hammer, with Kanda trailing behind him. Rinali too, followed the actions of the two boys. Once all four exorcists were gathered, Allen continued describing his findings. "The Akuma is a level 2, at the very back." Allen explained after realizing no one except him could hear the laughter.
Up above and half hidden by the tall spruce trees in the distance, Allen could make out the flutter of a deep purple skirt. He glanced nervously at Ravi who was facing the same direction as Allen; the redhead didn't see the girl. He understood then what Rhode wanted him to do.
"I… I'm sorry everyone!" Allen apologized under his breath, and ran without a second glance towards the forest.
"Allen! Where are you going?" Rinali shouted at the back of her friend, hurrying to catch up to him. Two hands reached for her shoulder, stopping the girl in her tracks. She looked up angrily at the redhead who was staring at the distance, his hazel eyes following his friend.
"Let him go, Rinali."
There was a moment of heavy noise when Kanda unleashed yet another myriad of demons aimed at the hundreds of Akuma the team of three was left to face. Smirking as he saw his summons render their enemies into dust, he finished Ravi's thought, stating simply, "Allen needs to figure this out on his own."
Rinali didn't need to ask what 'this' was.
--
In the depths of the forest of evergreens, Allen fervently glanced around him, straining his ears to locate the whereabouts of the familiar chime-like giggle. The sound seemed to have enveloped him; soon Allen grew dizzy from the ringing.
"I'm here, Rhode. So show yourself!" Allen yelled at the gray sky, his frustration running high.
Then, quickly yet gradually, his world dissolved. Allen soon found himself in a vaguely familiar room. It was dark, illuminated by the hundreds of floating purple candles which had sharp tips at the end of them. The walls were wood, and behind him there was a framed picture of a skull hanging above his head. Dolls of various sizes lined the base of the wall.
For all the resemblance of a wall, Allen knew the structure he was standing in didn't truly exist. Hovering ever closer to him was a girl on an orange umbrella which was oddly quiet and subdued. Allen felt a wave of nostalgia when he saw that Rhode was wearing an exorcist's jacket.
"It's the perfect ending, don't you think?" Rhode gleefully greeted the exorcist, while pushing up the sleeves of her coat.
Allen ignored all the feelings swallowing him; his duty came first. "Where's my Master, Rhode?"
"Oh, don't worry. He's up there." Rhode gestured upwards. High above their heads was a cage hovering precariously. Allen saw the red of his master's hair, but couldn't determine his condition. He furrowed his brows, preparing his demand when he was interrupted by the Noah.
"I'm not giving the General to you without a fight." She began, smiling. "By the end of this, only one of us will be alive" She hopped off the umbrella and in an instant was at Allen's side, elongated nails pressed at his neck. "But of course, you wouldn't have the guts to fight me." Rhode whispered menacingly in Allen's ear. Grinning, she pressed her fingers slightly harder on his skin until she drew blood. Allen was too surprised to attack, only managing to cover his wounds dazedly as he stared at the young girl who was still smiling.
"I don't want to fight you, Rhode."
"Then that makes my job a lot easier then" Rhode answered without a pause. In a sweeping motion, she sent a myriad of sharp candles towards the exorcist. By instinct, he activated his weapon, creating a shield. But he wasn't ready for her next attack. Suddenly, Allen was aware of a pulsing pain in his right arm. He felt something warm slithering down his arm, leaving a sticky trail and eventually dripping off his fingers towards the ground.
She was now high in the air, on the floating umbrella. Her eyes never left Allen's form as she licked her hands of her opponent's blood. "As expected, your blood tastes the best."
Ignoring the pain from his arm, Allen rushed up at his opponent. On cue, his Claw appeared, and extended towards the girl. He pierced through her body, but retracted immediately after when he realized that Rhode didn't even try to avoid the blatant attack. He glared at her; a figure holding the bloody midsection, laughing manically.
Dark crosses were etched on Rhode's forehead when she looked up at Allen. "Alright then, Allen. Let's play our last game!"
"Game?"
Once more, Allen was plunged into a world of darkness.
--
The exorcist knew at once where he was just from the absence of his weapon. He saw three figures in the distance, running towards him. The shorter of the two was wearing a green plaid skirt, white dress shirt and as usual her calves were hidden by black, though this time they were socks, not boots. The other two sported green plaid pants, just like Allen.
"Why am I here?" Allen muttered to himself, still wondering what Rhode meant when she mentioned a game. His thoughts were broken however, by Rinali's shouts and the three's footsteps.
"We found you, Allen!" Rinali yelled in a sing-song voice.
"Oy, what a horrible hiding place!" Ravi commented, when they were beside him.
"Hiding place?"
"Well, yeah, we are playing hide and seek, you know?"
Allen immediately stared at Kanda, surprised that he would join in to such a silly game. He sighed and avoided Allen's inquiring gaze.
"Ah, Yuu here was dared by Rhode to play this game. By the way, we still have to find Rhode."
Finally understanding what game Rhode was mentioning before he was plunged into this alternate reality, Allen laughed, startling the three others with him. "If that's the case, let's go outside. I have a feeling she's hiding out there."
Obliging, the group moved out of the school building. Following their new-found leader, they made their way towards the nearby park, checking ever nook and cranny for the elusive girl.
"She's not here, chief!" Ravi reported, decidedly giving his underclassman the nickname due to general consensus that Allen knows Rhode best. Allen nodded at Ravi and thought for a moment, one hand at his chin.
"Then let's try the candy store."
"You really think she's going to be there? It's so far away!" Rinali commented. She, Ravi and Kanda now surrounded Allen.
"Uh, yeah. She loves candy right?" Allen replied back, half-wondering why his friends had suddenly enclosed on him. Suddenly, he felt hands on his shoulders, holding him down; they were Rinali's and Kanda's. Ravi, in front of him, grinned impishly as he held out a knife, poised ready to strike.
"We don't think so."
He didn't understand it himself, but somehow Allen had activated his Innocence, and was shielded by his Crown from the knife-now-turned-hammer. Behind him, Rinali had her Dark Boots activated and Kanda readied his Mugen. Taking a deep breath, Allen whispered goodbye and sorry to his otherworldly friends and unleashed the full effects of his Claw, blowing both Ravi and Kanda away. Rinali expertly dodged the attack, and in a flash was up against Allen. She attacked him before he could even recognize the danger aimed at him. Blown metres away by the force of the kick, Allen felt blood in his mouth and pain somewhere unknown. However, he wasn't able to find out; Kanda was soon at his side and Allen narrowly dodged his Mugen. Invoking three crosses, he bound his enemies in place, and ran towards his destination.
Allen didn't need to reach the candy store, however. Taking a path through the forest near the school, Allen found her, leaning against a tree. The sky was dark now, and the full moon was out, and its light was giving the forest a haunted allure.
She cocked her head slightly to the side, towards Allen. "You found me, Allen," she stated forlornly. The exorcist was surprised at the tears he saw streaming down her face.
"Rhode." Allen began, but could not find anything else to say. He made his way towards the girl; silently save for the soft crunch from the dead leaves on the ground. She allowed him to come close, and in a quick movement, latched on to him, her arms wrapping around his body tightly. Stunned, Allen simply allowed her to do as she pleased with him. Rhode tiptoed to reach his ear, still holding him close.
"If I give you your General, the war will definitely begin. It's already begun." Rhode whispered, her lips grazing Allen's ear gently. She paused, and said in a slightly louder voice, "And I'll tell you a little secret, exorcist.
"Without me, you are sure to win this war."
Allen, unaware of the small hands that were holding onto his Claw, was too slow to react when he felt his weapon lifted against his will. Rhode was strong, firm in her action; in a swift flourish, Allen felt his Claw rip through Rhode's entire body- he could tell she had aimed at a fatal area.
"No!" Allen wanted to shout, but his voice was gone. He muttered his disagreement instead, and was only quick enough to catch the girl before she fell towards the hard ground. In that instant, the dark world gradually grew lighter and lighter until Allen and Rhode were back in the real reality; in the true forest. Rero hovered above Rhode's head, crying noisily.
"Rhode-sama, why did you do that? I told you you shouldn't do that! You should've followed the Earl's directions!"
"Go away, Rero." Rhode managed to order, albeit weakly. Rero understood the predicament, and nodded- Rhode had told him of her plan before she had managed to capture the General. The orange umbrella floated away, leaving the two enemies alone.
Rhode shivered then, and it was only at that moment did Allen realize the ground was covered with soft whiteness, tainted red where Rhode laid. It was the first snowfall of the season, but it brought Allen none of its usual joy. He clutched at Rhode's outstretched hand and felt tears fall down his face. Rhode laughed.
"Stupid humans, crying whenever someone dies."
"They only cry because they care."
"It's because they're weak." Rhode argued, coughing. Blood trickled from her mouth; years of playing with her dolls told her that she didn't have long to live- her lungs were slowly filling up with blood, and she knew soon she would suffocate from it. "I don't even know why you're fighting for them.
"But since you are, you might as well win."
"Rhode, you-!" Allen gasped, finally understanding the reason behind Rhode's strange behavior during their conversation nights ago.
"Allen, in this war, don't forget your name, okay? Allen Walker; keep heading forwards, and don't look back. But you know, don't forget to take it easy sometimes too- what was that saying? Stop to eat some candy?" The exorcist could feel her body grow colder by the second; the warm blood soon melted the snow around her.
"You mean, stop to smell the flowers, right?"
"Why would you do that? Flowers are stupid- candy's much better." Rhode scrunched up her nose in disgust at the idea of wasting time for flowers. She laughed then, and her bell-like laugh mixed with Allen's deeper one in a harmonious melody. A moment of silence passed between them before Allen felt it necessary to fill up the void.
"Rhode, I lo-" Allen began, but was interrupted by a slender finger pressed against his lips. She smiled when Allen nodded in comprehension and coughed once more. She was gasping for air now, struggling against the pool of blood in her lungs. "Tyki is still after you, so be careful. But don't tell him I told you that, alright?"
Then in a quieter voice, almost impossible to hear, Rhode closed her eyes and mumbled, "And it's about time for Noah to forget and forgive him."
Allen had felt her life slip away. In that instance, he brought her body close to his, ignoring the blood that would stain his coat and pressed his lips lightly against those of the Noah. He licked his lips afterwards, and tasted blood- her blood and he savored its taste. He left her body momentarily, when he spotted the cage that held his unconscious master. Tugging at the door, he realized that it was unlocked, and he smiled sadly at that knowledge. Rhode had planned this all along.
At that moment, he heard muffled footsteps behind him, it was his team mates. Rinali gasped when she saw the Noah girl dead and bloody on the snow, Allen's tear-marked face and the General slumped over his shoulder. The cage disappeared the moment Allen retrieved his master. Ravi rushed to help Allen lift the General; Allen left the redhead with Cross and carefully picked up Rhode's body, avoiding the inquiring stares his friends.
A funeral was held that day, the grave of Rhode was quickly buried with white snow and Allen thought it ironic that Rhode, a child of Noah and one of the Earl's family was buried under such purity; had died on the blessed first day of snow.
"Goodbye, Rhode" Allen whispered, caressing the makeshift tombstone tenderly. He didn't feel the need to say anymore than that; they both knew what they felt was mutual. He got up, and left to find the others.
The next day, they arrived at the Order with General Cross safely with them.
AN: Why yes, I did kill Rhode off. And yes, it was always going to end like this. (Don't act like I didn't warn you Remember the allusion to Romeo and Juliet? Or the whole sigificance of snow stuff? ) But to be honest, that's how I can only see this pair, if it's realistic. One of them will die. Allen's not about to give up his duty as an exorcist though, and Rhode's terrified of being human/ humanity, although she's already feeling herself becoming more human because of this relationship. I have a pretty good explanation, but I'd rather not write it out; it just might bore some people.
Since this is the last chapter, I'd be more than happy to answer your reviews So review with any questions, concerns, comments, or even requests and I'll answer them all You can even ask me about my reasoning for this ending.
Before you guys ask though: There is an epilogue written for this. Hence my 'double update' declaration. Just as a note, what Rhode says at the end, "It's about time Noah forgive and forget him." will be important in the epilogue. Or at least it'll help explain why Rhode is.. well, the whole process of awakening as a Noah is more mild than in the manga, how it showed Skin's awakening.
