Some of you voiced a couple of concerns about the story, which I don't mind at all; as I've said many times before, but perhaps not in this story, I despise trolls, but I enjoy constructive criticism. And as you reviewers have taken your time to tell me of these perceived problems, I will address them now before the chapter. Of course, I will not mention names; you can check the reviews yourself.

One of you has mentioned that this story has started to become centered on Blake and Lucia, and I wholeheartedly agree and apologize for that. When I write with OCs (pretty much all the time), I center my stories on them because they are easier to write than the actual characters. I created them, after all. Of course, I am also very aware of the real characters, such as Allen and Lenalee, because whenever I write a story, I do research on any of the real characters. Therefore, writing the real characters will be quite interesting, to say the least. Still, thank you for bringing this to my attention. As a result, since Allen and Lenalee are the main characters, they will be appearing more and more.

The other grievance was the fact that I neglected to mention Allen's canon ability to see perfectly well in the dark. The truth is, I actually was not aware of this ability, but I will incorporate it. It will come with a personal, yet trivial, cost to me, so it's nothing you readers should worry about.

All right, enough talk. Let us begin.

"Come along, Your Grace. Her Majesty awaits," Blake growled.

"Do you have to treat him like that?" Lenalee asked. Blake had bound Ventrilio with rope so tightly that the formal Duke could barely breathe. Moreover, Ventrilio couldn't walk very well, and his bare feet were forcefully dragged across the floor by the pitiless Blake.

"The bastard should consider himself lucky that I don't kill him outright. It was all because of him that Allen and I were driven out!" Blake snapped.

"Even so, I won't tolerate this kind of treatment! You are no longer a criminal, Blake, so stop acting like one!" Lenalee retorted, just as furiously.

Blake was about to reply when Allen shook his head. "Blake, we are now true Exorcists, and we must act like them. Don't drag him anymore," Allen said.

Blake looked at the others for a long moment, before sighing. The anger on his face disappeared. "You're right. I haven't survived this long for petty revenge." He slung Ventrilio over his shoulder. "Although I don't want to loosen the knots so much. This is the kindest treatment that I feel is possible to grant him."

The others didn't argue. Ventrilio was still human, but all of them had seen what he was capable of. The way that he looked at them was the way of an insane, even possessed, man, and none of them wanted to set him loose in the palace. Besides, the way he had moved in the room was not human. He had crawled on all fours, and scrabbled around the room, scaling smooth walls without a problem. He was almost like a beast, or an insect. However, Allen's eye didn't activate around Ventrilio, so he wasn't an Akuma, and that made things all the more confusing.

They continued towards the royal dining hall. When the guards there saw the Exorcists coming, they quickly barred the way.

"Her Majesty is not expecting you yet. Please come back later," one of the guards growled.

"Sir, we must see her. The one that Mr. Phantasia has over his shoulder is Duke Ventrilio," Allen said.

"His Grace?!" the other guard exclaimed.

"Why is he tied up like that?! Release him at once!" the first guard ordered.

"We can't do that. He'll attack you," Lucia said, shaking her head sadly.

"Ridiculous!"

Lucia sighed. "Blake?"

"Of course." Blake put Ventrilio down and turned him around. "Speak to him."

The guards hesitated, and then the braver one stepped forward and leaned in. "Your Gra…" He snapped his head back in shock as Ventrilio's sharp teeth snapped closed just where the guard's nose was an instant before. Ventrilio snarled like a beast whose prey had escaped.

"We do not know why he is like this, but I do not think it is exactly safe to let him out. We must discuss this with Her Majesty, and let her decide what to do with him. She did commission us to find him, after all," Allen suggested.

"Will you stop us?" Lucia asked.

The guards hesitated for a little bit, but then Ventrilio snarled again, sending gobbles of spit at them, and the guards quickly opened the doors.

This time, there was no subtle silence when the Exorcists stepped into the room. Instead, the silence came more slowly as the room's inhabitants took in the new arrivals. Still, the result was the same, except for the fact that the Queen stopped them several feet away from the table.

"What is this?" the Queen asked.

"Your Majesty, we have found His Grace Ventrilio," Allen reported. Blake shoved Ventrilio forward, and the Queen did not ask why he was trussed up; the look in his eyes told her.

"What did he do to you?" was all that the Queen asked.

"We should start from the beginning. After we left for lunch, Mr. Phantasia suddenly realized that because we were so focused on the corpses, we never actually searched the room in its entirety," Lenalee said.

"None of us actually wanted to think about it that way, because that would imply that the corpses, as gruesome as they were, were only a distraction. Even so, we had no choice but to go back when I brought up a scrabbling sound that I had faintly heard as we left the room," Lucia continued.

"Once we went inside, it was dark, because someone had drawn the curtains. We knew that it wasn't any of us, so we quickly invoked our Innocence, just to be safe. And then, Miss Remier saw a shadow on the wall," Allen explained.

"It was His Grace Ventrilio, and he attacked us in the dark. Luckily, Miss Remier was able to sense his presence with her Innocence, and my eyes quickly adjusted to the dim light. With that, we were able to subdue His Grace," Blake finished, gesturing to Ventrilio.

"So that truly is Duke Ventrilio?" Desier asked.

"There is no way to truly verify his identity, even with facial recognition; creating a mask that totally looks like another person's face is difficult, but not impossible. However, I think that we should at least detain this captured prisoner; if he is not His Grace, then he can at least explain why he looks like him," Allen pointed out.

"I agree," the Queen said.

"Your Majesty, is there any preferred place that you would like us to take him?" Allen asked.

"I did ask you to bring him to me. Relinquish him to the guards outside and have them take him to our dungeons. I have several questions for him, particularly why he seems so…maddened," the Queen mused.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Allen murmured.

"After you deliver him to the guards, you may leave. I have no more business with you," the Queen said.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Lenalee repeated.

The Exorcists bowed and left the room, dragging Ventrilio along with them. As they walked past the guards, Blake shoved Ventrilio towards them. The guards, who had heard everything, did not ask any questions, and only caught Ventrilio.

"Don't loosen the ropes for anything, unless you are certain that you can overpower him," Blake warned. "And you should know that his strength and abilities are inhuman, so if you handle him, please be careful."

"Yes, Mr. Phantasia," one guard muttered.

The Exorcists continued on. Their path through the palace was without any words shared between them, except for Allen and Blake making good on their mental notes that they would help assuage some of the servants' fears. Other than that, there was nothing of interest spoken. They all had to think about things.

Only when they left the palace's main building was the first true words of any interest spoken. "I'll get the horses," Blake said.

"I'll come with you; I imagine that you don't know our horses very well yet," Lucia immediately volunteered.

Blake decided not to argue, and together, the two Exorcists left towards the stables.

Lenalee was left with Allen, and as always, his expression was unreadable to her. He had not reacted to any of the questions, and he had always left the leading to Blake, except for when they had addressed the Queen. Then, he had taken action. When she had first met him without the mask, he was always polite and calm. Now she knew why he had seemed like a fallen hero—it was because he was fallen. And yet, judging from what she had heard, he had not changed from childhood at all.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Allen's voice broke into Lenalee's thoughts. He was not looking at her, yet a childish smile was on his face.

"I'm sorry that Lucia and I…heard your story. I know that you and Blake were waiting to tell us yourselves." Lenalee did not know why she felt the need to apologize.

"Think nothing of it. It was not your fault. And besides, neither I nor Blake resents you for it," Allen murmured.

"But Blake seemed so angry when we asked…" Lenalee started.

"Blake's always angry when someone brings up his past in general. That has passed by now, anyway; after all, he didn't outright reject Lucia's volunteering just now," Allen pointed out.

"At least now we understand why you hate the Earl so much," Lenalee said.

"In one way, you do, but in another, you don't," Allen replied.

"What does that mean?" Lenalee asked.

Allen turned to look at her. "Yes, the Earl was responsible for our parents' suffering, and ours as well. But the real reason I hate him is because of what he does to humans." He looked down at his hand. "I don't ever want to see anyone go through the torment that I went through, knowing that I gave my parents such a terrible fate. Sometimes, I wonder why I hadn't died with them."

Lenalee spun towards him. "Don't you ever say that!" she burst. Allen looked at her in surprise, but she continued on. "Everyone is alive now for a reason! Without you and Blake, we wouldn't have half the chance against the Earl than we do now! Your parents sacrificed themselves for you! I didn't know them, but I still know that you shouldn't waste their love for you!"

Allen continued staring at her, and then Lenalee blushed, her mind catching up with her. "S-sorry…" she muttered, looking away.

Allen smiled. "Don't worry about it. I understand how you feel, and I agree. My parents always said to never stop walking, and when I think about that, all thoughts of my possible death fade away. You're right; they sacrificed themselves for me, and I won't waste it," he said.

Lenalee smiled. "Good. I would be very angry if you died."

Allen laughed. "I'll keep your wrath in mind."

There was a little more silence, then… "Allen?"

"Hmm?"

"Why does Blake hate the Earl so much?"

"…Because of a girl."

Lenalee turned wide eyes on Allen. "His lover?!"

"Not exactly. Would you like to see her after lunch?"

Lenalee hesitated, but then her curiosity broke through, and she nodded.

"After lunch, and our report to Komui, Blake and I will take you. Lucia can come along, too, if she likes," Allen offered.

"Where?" Lucia and Blake walked up, leading Auron, Whiteface, and two Black Order mares. Blake was having much trouble keeping Auron and Whiteface away from mounting the mares in public.

"I'm bringing Lenalee to Selina," Allen said, addressing Blake.

Blake's eyes widened slightly, and then he sighed. "I guess they have a right to know, don't they?"

"Who's Selina?" Lucia asked.

Blake looked up to the sky, which was as overcast as this morning. "The real reason that I hate the Earl."

Now that it was nearly noon, Allen and Blake had regretfully broken their promise to Jeryy. However, this was not on any of the Exorcists' minds. Instead, it was this Selina.

As usual, both Allen and Blake refused to say any more about her, opting only to discuss the events of the day. They talked about Ventrilio, the audiences with the Queen, the palace, but Selina was completely avoided, save for Lenalee saying to Lucia that Selina was not Blake or Allen's lover.

Now, the Exorcists had returned to the Black Order's headquarters, and this time, they all went to take the horses to the stable. Auron and Whiteface were separated from the mares, but that didn't stop the flirting, and in the end, the Exorcists were resigned to let it happen.

"LENALEE!" Allen and Blake reeled backwards as Komui raced towards them the instant they stepped through the front door.

"We're back, brother," Lenalee sighed, accepting Komui's embrace.

"Komui, do you want your report now or after lunch?" Blake asked.

Komui let go of Lenalee and smiled at the others. "Anytime during this day will do, but if you put it off until tomorrow, I will kick down your bedroom door and force it out of you," he said, with a cheeky grin.

Allen and Blake sweat dropped. "Okay…" Allen agreed.

"After lunch, then!" Lucia chirped, walking towards the cafeteria with a bounce in her step. Lunch was her favorite time of the day. Allen, Blake, and Lenalee followed after her.

Jeryy had been very forgiving of Allen and Blake after they apologized for not keeping their promise, saying that they could make good on it at any time. He still happily served the boys their lunch, which, as usual, consisted of a thirty-course meal of anything from Korean barbeque, Chashu pork, and bacon to sushi, fried shrimp, and miso soup. There were, of course, salads somewhere in that mix, more so for Allen than for Blake.

While Allen and Blake were watched suspiciously during breakfast and dinner the night before, there was no doubting their appetite. By now, most of the suspicion had been replaced by awe at how much the boys ate. Alone, each of them could eat more than Lucia in a single sitting, yet they could finish faster than she could. Even for Parasitic-Type Accommodators, Allen and Blake ate a lot.

The fact that Lenalee and Lucia were at Allen and Blake's table was no surprise; the two girls had taken to them very well, and took almost no time adjusting to their presence. Lavi was at the table as well; if not to watch Allen and Blake, then to talk to Lenalee and Lucia.

The real surprise for any spectators still watching the boys, however, was when one of the Black Order's most respected non-Exorcist faculty members sat down at Allen and Blake's table. Even they looked up in surprise when a blond man in a white lab coat unhesitatingly sat down at their table.

"Allen Walker…and Blake Phantasia, right? Nice to meet you!" the man greeted.

"And who are you?" Allen asked.

"Reever Wenhamm, head of the Black Order's First Science Division!" Reever introduced himself.

"Hey, that's pretty impressive," Blake commented.

"Lenalee and Lucia have been saying all sorts of things about your Innocence! We don't have a lot of Parasitic-Types in the Black Order, so having you two here is a great opportunity!" Reever said.

"All in the name of science, eh? So, why are you here?" Blake asked.

"It's probably to study your Innocence and their capabilities," Lavi said.

Reever grinned sheepishly. "Lavi, these two are former criminals and they've just joined us! Don't make it sound like we don't trust them and want to find out their Innocence's weaknesses!"

"You realize that you just put that thought into our heads, right?" Blake pointed out.

Reever shook his head. "No, please don't think that. We're here to help you get stronger!"

"Your reasons don't matter. Not now, at least," Blake said.

"So you'll allow us to study you or not?" Reever asked.

Blake swallowed a slice of bacon and smiled. "As long as you don't stab us in the back, I have no problem with it," he said. He looked at his remaining choice of food, stabbed a piece of brisket with his fork, and cut it in two with one stroke of his knife. Reever broke out in a cold sweat when he saw the grin on Blake's face as he cut up the meat. "Allen, what do you think of this?"

Allen moved an empty bowl that once contained miso soup from his lips and smiled. "I don't really mind, either."

"And the boss has spoken. You can start studying us whenever you're ready. Just don't do anything indecent or amoral, all right?" Blake asked, looking back at Reever. The smile on Blake's face belied the unbridled malice in his eyes, but Reever could still see it.

Reever was now a little scared, and was about to make excuses to leave, when Lenalee spoke up. "Blake, stop it, you're scaring him."

And then the malice was gone, replaced by a childish amusement as Blake looked away to finish his food.

"Forgive him, Mr. Wenhamm. Blake can be rather childish sometimes, but he means well," Allen said.

"Y-yeah. Sure," Reever said.

"Anyway, you can do whatever you want now. We're almost done with lunch, anyway," Allen said.

Reever took his cue and promptly left the table.

"Blake, you can be such a child sometimes," Lucia sighed.

Blake shrugged. "If I've disappointed you, I apologize. But I take relaxation from playing with all of you like that. I thrive on other people's nervousness around me," he drawled.

"And I thrive on the fact that you still defer to me, even after all these years," Allen countered.

Blake smirked. "You're one of the few people in this world that I actually respect, old friend," he chuckled.

Allen smiled. "Likewise." Then he turned to Lucia. "Are you done, Miss Remier?"

"Almost," Lucia answered.

"Why? Are you going somewhere?" Lavi asked.

"I told Lenalee and Lucia that I would take them to see an old friend of ours. Would you like to come?" Allen asked.

"No, thanks. I think that I'll live without meeting one of your friends," Lavi growled, standing up and walking away.

"He still doesn't trust us…" Blake sighed.

"Why would he? You haven't done anything to endear you to him," Lucia pointed out, sipping the last of her tea.

"True enough," Blake amended.

"In any case, I'm done. Are we going now?" Lucia asked.

"Of course," Allen replied.

The four of them gathered their plates and left them on a rack designated for dishes that were to be cleaned. Then, they left the cafeteria, and Allen led them back to the stables. By now, Auron and Whiteface had been fed, and Blake asked the stable boy for a cart large enough to hold a door.

Once the cart came, Blake ignored Lenalee and Lucia's questioning looks and attached the cart to the horses. Allen answered their unspoken questions. "Selina is near our old house. After we visit her, I want to try to pick up our old icebox for the Black Order to use," he said.

"That would be nice," Lenalee answered. With the addition of Allen and Blake to the Exorcists' ranks, the Black Order would need all of the food storage space it could get. And unlike Allen and Blake's house, the Black Order's headquarters had a system of running electricity, so Blake wouldn't need to zap the icebox every morning.

The four Exorcists climbed aboard the cart, and Allen took the driver's seat. He snapped the reins, and Whiteface and Auron began to walk.

Since there was a cart, Whiteface and Auron were moving at slower speeds than usual, and as a result, the ride took longer than before. The ride out of the city itself took an hour because the streets were more congested. The horses still sped up after they left the city, but they never went past a slow trot.

Lenalee and Lucia recognized the road that they were traveling on, but right before they were going to return to Allen and Blake's old house, Allen steered the horses in another direction. They stopped at the base of a hill, and tied the horses to a nearby tree.

"Selina's at the top of this hill," Allen said, beginning to lead the way up.

Lenalee and Lucia exchanged glances. There was no house at the top of that hill. Where could Selina live? Suddenly, they were struck by realization. It was easily the most likely explanation, but…oh, no. No, no, no!

"Allen…is Selina…?" Lenalee started.

Allen smiled back at her and Lucia, but the two of them could easily read the sadness in his eyes. "You'll see." When the girls looked at Blake, his back was slouched and his hands were clenched into fists. His normal confident air was almost nonexistent at this point.

The four Exorcists reached the top of hill, and there, Lenalee and Lucia found what they had suspected they would find. Lenalee gasped, and Lucia covered her mouth in shock, tears beginning to leak out of her eyes.

On the top of the hill were two things. One was immediately visible since they had arrived at the base—a tall pine tree stood at the very top, standing high over everything else and drawing most attention. That could have been the whole point of the thing, actually.

Under the tree was a tall slab of stone. Engraved on the stone was a set of words.

In memory of little Selina,

Who trusted two unworthy individuals…

And paid the price.

May those individuals forever remember their failure.

School starts again for me soon, and the stress is already starting to kick in. I think that this chapter displays the shakiness of my mind.