Round 3 of trying to attempt to write this chapter. Ugh! Well, anyways, welcome to Chapter 12 of 'Linked'! I'm officially out of school (thank the Heavens for that) and I am writing until my little fingers fall off. (Th-That actually might be bad. .) So! Let us commence forthwith with Chapter 12 of 'Linked'!

Disclaimer: D. Gray-Man is property of Katsura Hoshino and Funimation. This series is a parody and nothing more, so please support the official release. Got it? Damn well better.

~X~

12. The Rise of the Fallen One

He wasn't quite sure if what he did was right. His Master said it was fine, but some part of him, he didn't know what, was telling him otherwise. He stared at his hands for a long moment. He had washed them thoroughly, but blood stains were still there. He couldn't get rid of them. Blood of an innocent, his mind answered. He had made an innocent person bleed. But Master Carroll wanted that! He glared at the wall when he argued with himself. Master Carroll said-

Master Carroll this, Master Carroll that! Listen to you! You sound like some sort of mind-slave, working away the rest of their life for the likes of an eight-year-old boy! Is that what you want? To be like this? To assist him in murdering people?

It's not murder! He's still alive!

Barely. The voice in his head seemed to sneer at Allen's desperate attempts of trying to protect Carroll. You saw his face. He was miserable. Living for even an hour in that way would make them lose their fighting spirit. And you're helping. Get a grip on yourself, Allen! You're a Doll, yes, but that doesn't mean you have to obey every freaking word that comes out of a person's mouth!

But…

No buts. You know as well as I do that you have a will of your own. Awaken it.

Allen stared blankly at the wall, torn apart. He wanted to serve Carroll. He wanted to help the teenager in the shack. He wanted to be praised for being a good Doll and live a carefree life. He wanted to rebel. Something inside him was breaking, and he didn't know what. He had seen Mistress Abigail murder people, too. Was that all he was good for? A murdering machine? Did he have no other choice but to kill people?

"What purpose was I created for?" he asked dismally to no one. "I don't want to kill people."

Break free.

"I… can't," Allen replied.

Footsteps indicated that someone was coming upstairs. By the lightness of them, he figured it was Carroll. The parents were still away, after all. He didn't want to see Carroll, though, so he immediately buried himself under the blankets and pretended he was sleeping. He squeezed his eyes shut.

"Divine One? Are you sleeping?"

How am I so 'divine' if I'm helping you murder him…?

"I was going to ask you to play with me. Come on, wake up."

'Play a game'. Your definition of a 'game' is sick and twisted, Master Carroll.

"I said, wake up! You're supposed to listen to me, aren't you?"

I don't want to.

Carroll sneered at the 'sleeping' Doll and headed back downstairs, slightly angered. He fetched a bucket and turned on the stove, placing a pan with room-temperature water in it. He waited until it boiled, then poured it into the bucket and hurried back upstairs. He made absolutely no noise aside from the sloshing of the scolding water as he approached Allen. The rush made him grin. Something about seeing another's pain, Fallen One or not, made him smile inside. He tiptoed as close as he could before tipping the bucket and dumping the water onto Allen.

"Wake up," he said despite Allen's yelling. "I want you play with me."

"W-Was that necessary?" the white-haired boy asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

"Beyond necessary," Carroll said, devilish grin dancing on his features. "Before we play, though, I'm hungry, so make me some food. I would like blueberry pancakes with syrup."

Allen grimaced. "As you wish, Master Carroll."

~X~

She didn't even know why she fled from the scene. Something whispered in her ear to get as far away from there as possible, despite the fact that she knew Howard Link. She wanted to get help, but help was already there, and there was nothing else she could do.

"Lenalee?"

She turned to see Kanda, who was scowling as always, and briefly smiled at him. "Kanda? What are you doing here?"

"Che. I was about to ask the same thing. Aren't you supposed to be heading towards the bog and not towards the shop?"

She took a moment to look at her surroundings. She could have sworn she was heading to the right place. She wracked her head over why she changed direction, but couldn't come up with any logical conclusions. She started gasping, air coming too short. Anxiety attack? No, it couldn't have been. She kept those sort of things under control. Her fingers twitched as they reached for the handle of the store's entrance.

"Lenalee, what are you-?"

"Ssh," she interrupted. "Mistress is calling. Mistress wants me here."

Kanda stared at her with a look that could have killed cancer. "Who the hell is 'Mistress'?"

He didn't get an answer. Instead, Lenalee slowly turned her head towards him and stared with soulless eyes until the hairs on his neck began to prickle. A strange grin formed onto her face as her body seemed to move so sluggishly that he thought she was drunk. "Lenalee, cut it out. This isn't funny."

She promptly ignored him as she strode onwards, pushing the door out of her way and towards the furthest back wall. Kanda followed, not knowing what else he could do, as she pulled down the candle on the side, causing the wall to spin around and open into a dark stairway. Despite her sluggish manner, she began walking down the stairs with ease. The Japanese man held his breath, then exhaled slowly as Mugen was found in his hands. He couldn't hurt Lenalee, no, but he could hurt whoever was doing this to her.

She walked onwards until they reached the end of the stairwell. She pushed open the door in a dramatic fashion and made her way into the first room on the left. He glanced around before following her. By the sounds of it, children were playing a game, and a piano was playing, but it was distant. He quietly followed Lenalee into the room, who was currently shuffling her hands through piles of clothes.

"Lenalee, you have to snap out of this," he growled. "We've got to get out of here."

She didn't seem to hear him as she picked out a white, flowing dress and began to strip off her clothes. His eyes widened and took a step back. If he left, something bad would happen, but if Komui found out he had seen Lenalee in nothing but a bra and underwear, he would end up being roasted on a camp fire quicker than one could say 'Akuma'. He closed his eyes as more clothes rustled and opened them when silence ensued.

Lenalee fit perfectly in the dress. It suited her well, despite the occasional tear in it. Her Exorcist uniform was discarded and placed in a pile of other normal, everyday clothes. She stared blankly at nothing, as if listening to a voice only she could hear, then started walking towards the door. Kanda watched as she headed out into the hallway and walked incredibly slowly towards the double-doors at the end. His eyes feverishly scanned the area as he followed her.

She pushed the doors open.

"Why, hello, Lenalee!"

Who is that? Kanda thought, his grip tightening on Mugen.

"Hello, Mistress Abigail," Lenalee replied. The doors closed behind her, leaving Kanda out in the hallway with nothing but a dumb look upon his face. He approached the door and rested his ear against it, trying to keep all sounds and motions to a minimum.

"I take you had it easy in finding this place."

"But of course," he heard Lenalee respond. "I always can find my way if my Mistress is there."

Shit, has she been completely brainwashed? He backed away from the door and ducked into another room. That would explain what happened to Allen, then. But how? That woman didn't look like an Akuma, she looked normal. Well, they all look normal. But why would she keep humans alive if she were an Akuma? Maybe it's Innocence?

"Who are you?"

Kanda froze into place as a little boy rose from under the covers of his bed. He still looked half-asleep.

"Oh, I see," the boy yawned. "You're another one of those 'unexpected' guests. Come with me, ma'am."

I would kill him, but this sounds like my golden ticket to get into that room without any suspicion. He sheathed Mugen and followed the little boy out of the room and towards the room he had just previously been in. If I can figure out who this woman is, I can figure out what she's using for her Innocence. If I can figure that out, then I can manage to get Lenalee back to normal. Then we can go find Moyashi and Baka Usagi.

The little boy bowed and presented Kanda with a dark purple dress that had some frills within it, black gloves, heels, and a dark sunhat. "Here you are, ma'am. Please, when you are finished changing, head towards the double-doors. My Mistress will be pleased to meet you. My name is Richard, by the way."

Before Kanda could get a word in, Richard left, leaving him with the frilly garments in his hands. He scowled. If Moyashi ever finds out I wore a dress, I'm history. Che. It's for the good of the team, though. Damn, when did I start to become a team player?

He took down his hair and let it flow around him as he changed into the dress. Sadly, it fit him quite well. He scoffed in annoyance as he put on the sunhat and squeezed his too-large feet into the heels. He never understood why women liked those shoes. They seemed like a hazard to the ankles. By walking five steps, he nearly twisted his ankle twice. He growled at them, regained his composure, and headed towards the double-doors and pushed them open.

It was his definition of a living nightmare.

"Ah?" The woman rose her head from the piano shortly after Richard had left her side. "I see. An unexpected guest. Please, come in."

He glanced over and saw Lenalee sitting there next to a creepy-looking girl. He knew if he spoke, his cover was blown. He had to communicate in some other way, possibly in writing. He followed her to a table and sat down across from her, trying to sit up straight and seem 'proper'. That was how most women acted, anyways, or so he thought.

"What's your name, Miss?" the woman asked. "My name's Abigail. Abigail Wilson."

He remained silent and stared at her hand. He didn't like handshakes with anyone, and she certainly wasn't an exception. Her hand dropped as she smiled too shortly and cleared her throat. "Do you not share your name?"

He didn't answer. She stared at him out of curiosity and pulled out her notebook. He rose an eyebrow, noting how old the notebook looked but how thick it was. She took out a pen and smiled at him. "Everyone who comes in here signs their name into this book. Could you please sign it for me?"

He nodded, then opened the notebook himself and looked at the last entry. In big, calligraphic letters, it read, "Lenalee Lee".

This is the Innocence. He looked up at her, then picked up the pen. If I act too rashly, I'll blow my cover. I need to play along at least a little bit. She still has Lenalee within her possession, and I don't know how to break out of it. I need more information. Carefully, he started to write his name by writing 'K' when he stopped. She controls people when she obtains their name. I need a new name, then.

He wrote down a new name, "Kristina White", then handed the pen and her notebook back to the woman. She stared at and smiled at him. "Thank you. Could I offer you some tea? Or perhaps interest you in a game of chess?"

Kanda shook his head. The woman sighed.

"That's a shame," she said, then grinned widely. "Because you're staying here, whether you like it or not! Welcome to my Doll House, Kristina White!"

Kanda stared at her for a long moment, then tried to imitate what happened to Lenalee. He managed to look like he was falling asleep, then grimaced as if trying to resist, and hit his head onto the table, as if passed out. He tried to wear a pained expression on his face as he felt someone pick him up and put him on the floor, sitting up.

"Alright, Richard," the woman said. "When she wakes up after I write in her personality, tell her what we rehearsed. She'll immediately believe you. She's almost as pretty as the white-haired one, Allen, we sold the other day."

So he is a doll. Kanda frowned internally. Shit, does that mean I have to be the one saving the day? Fuck, this mission gets more and more annoying with each passing minute! First Baka Usagi goes missing, then Allen goes missing and turns out to be a doll, Link fucking has the nerve to go ahead and die on us, Lenalee loses her mind and becomes a doll, and I'm dressed up as a fucking woman! How much more wrong could this mission go?

"What personality will you give her, Mistress?"

"A sweet, caring type. She looks like she can pull that off."

Wonderful. I have to pretend to be nice, too. He groaned in his head as the two walked away from him. Moyashi and Baka Usagi owe me big time for this when I find them. Che.

~X~

"Lenalee, can I ask you a question?"

She blinked once and turns towards him. In her hands was her brother's coffee cup, steaming from a fresh pot of coffee. "What is it, Lavi?"

"I was just wonderin'…" He stared at his feet and kicked the ground, acting nervous. He bit his lower lip out of nerves and grimaced. "You know what, never mind."

"Come on, Lavi," she said, approaching him. "It looks like there's something obviously bothering you."

He said nothing and stared at the floor for a few moments before looking back at her. He inhaled deeply, then sighed. "Well… It's kind of a personal question. I was wondering if you could help me with something."

"What kind of something?" She was truly curious, he could tell. She never really pried with issues unless she really wanted to know.

"Well…" he sighed heavily before grinning sheepishly. "It deals with… er… well, a friend. You see, this friend told me that he…"

His eyes snapped open, breathing heavily from the dream he just had. He didn't want to think about that, not now. He had much bigger fish to fry. His blind eyes could see nothing but black, which was a huge disadvantage. He didn't hear Carroll or his ridiculous chants. All he heard was his own stomach growling. He was starving for food, no, scratch that, he was incredibly thirsty. He couldn't even remember what food tasted like.

He slipped back out of consciousness and saw Deke standing there, annoyed look on his face. "You're still having issues with this, huh? Pathetic. A real Bookman would have figured this problem out by now."

Lavi glared at him. Then tell me, Mr. Wiseguy, how would a real Bookman deal with this issue? So far, you've done nothing to help me out.

"Perhaps you should let me be the Successor."

Perhaps you should go to Hell! Lavi punched Deke in the face out of sheer frustration and gasped. He never did that before. He let his emotions get ahead of him. That was something that a future Bookman couldn't do. Deke chuckled and rose from where he had fallen and rolled his eyes.

"Really, Lavi, you hit like a girl," he said, sighing. "So be it. If you want to be stuck in this hellhole forever, fine. Just don't come complaining to me afterwards."

With that, Deke turned his back on him and walked onwards towards the lighter half of both sides. Lavi stood there, motionless, as every confusing thought came raining down upon his head. Lenalee, Kanda, Krorykins, the Order, Bookman, Successor, Allen…

Fuck, Allen…

Damn, I failed everyone!

The sound of something shredding echoed in the recesses of his mind caused him to look up. There was nothing in front of him, there was nothing on either side of him, just the two wings attached to his back and flapping. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face, his fingers twitching.

Why is this all happening to me?

"Lavi."

Shut up, shut up!

"Lavi!"

I said shut up!

"…vi…"

Silence. The wings were still there. They wanted to fly. They wanted to go out and kill something or someone or destroy something or someone, it didn't matter, anything would do. He turned.

Allen was standing there, waving at him and smiling. "Lavi!"

Allen…!

It was one swift, defiant movement. The wings flapped, a screech came out of his mouth, and then blood. Too much blood. It was like something that came out of a horror story. He stared blankly at the boy's dead body. Red, white, black, blood, silver cross, eyes frozen in shock, blood, red hand, blood, cut in half, dead, blood.

I'm going to kill Allen if he finds me. Lavi stood there, shocked. I'm going to kill anyone if they find me. I'm a betrayer. I'm a murderer. I'm…

He stared at his own hands and looked at the black sky.

I'm a Fallen One.

~X~

Woo-hoo, Chapter 12, done! So! Did you like it? Hate it? Love it? Destroy it? Hit me with a review, por favor, and I'll see you in Chapter 13! Yippee! -K.S.