hi guys. yes, i'm still alive, and i'm really hoping that you all don't decide to change that fact because it took me...5 months for this chapter

it is the final chapter though, so i took my time and gave you guys the best experience i could

enjoy...

Enter Pierrot

Snow drifted lightly downward in the early evening. A thin layer had already coated everything, and it was continuing to build on itself. The wind was gusting lightly, just strongly enough to pluck a hat off of an unsuspecting head or to weave through a jacket to chill the skin beneath. The temperature was at the point where breath seemed more like steam pouring from a train engine.

The lawn was well manicured and expertly landscaped, though it was hard to tell in the dead of winter. Small pine trees dotted the gently sloping lawn. A walkway paved with red bricks and white stepping stones led to a large house. A mansion, in fact. The outer walls and the gigantic columns holding up the overhanging roof were pristine white. The shutters were of a dark green, bordering on black. The front doors were massive, easily being tall enough to fit a man twice normal height. They, too, were white, with a golden knocker and knob on each. The windows spilled warm light onto the snow. Shadows moved within and the faint tinkle of music could be heard, combined with the hush of talk and the chatter of laughter.

Inside the building, in the magnificent greeting hall laid with lush wood, a party was being held. A small band with string instruments played lightly in the corner, as people twirled through the room, arms wrapped around their dancing partners. Wine was being served by waiters in smart white jackets deftly weaving through the throng of people. Groups of quietly talking people were scattered randomly over the room, and some even were on the stairs and second floor. Everyone was generally enjoying the party.

There was one person however, who was not partaking of the festivities. She was on an outside balcony of the second floor, head supported by her hand, her elbow resting on the balcony's railing. She wore only a long, tight-fitting dress of dark green with no sleeves, despite the cold. She sighed, the wind gently carrying away her worries in a small cloud of swirling white. The glass door separating her from the other party guests opened behind her. She did not turn to see who it was that had joined her on the balcony. Nor did she flinch when two arms encircled her waist and a warm body was pressed against her back. Rather, she sighed again and leaned back slightly.

The person behind her leaned down and whispered in her ear, his breath tickling her as he did, "What's wrong Linali? The party does not satisfy you?"

She chuckled slightly, "That's not entirely true."

"Oh? Enlighten me."

She was silent for a moment before she pushed herself up off the railing and turned in the man's arms to face him. Her breath hitched when she found herself looking into intense, deep blue eyes. White hair framed a boyish face, and a long scar ran the down through the left eye to the bottom of the jawbone. "Allen," she said tenderly, as something in her heart stirred to the appearance of his face.

He raised his eyebrows in question. "Come now Linali, it's been a long while since I've heard you say my name like that. Something's gotten into you tonight, dear."

She closed her eyes for a second before opening them again and speaking, "It's not the party. The party's wonderful. I just can't seem to enjoy it. I don't know why. Something just seems…off."

"Off?" Linali nodded. Allen went silent for a moment. "I'm sorry," he finally said.

Surprised, Linali looked up at him. "Whatever are you sorry for?"

"I brought you along to this party without much thought, when I should have realized you'd feel this way."

She reached up and gently laid her hand on the side of his face. "Allen, I wanted to come to the party, if you remember. I'm glad I'm here, I'm just feeling slightly out of place in the midst of all these people I don't know." She buried her face in his chest, and his arms instinctively tightened around her. "As long as you are with me, though, I'd go anywhere and do anything."

Suddenly the warmth in Allen's body seemed to disappear. His arms dropped from around her body and he stepped back from her. "Linali, you need to make a choice." His voice no longer held the loving quality it had just moments before. Now it was cold and vaguely reminiscent of Kanda's.

"W-What are you talking about, Allen?" The change in his demeanor had scared her.

"I mean you need to make a choice. Between him or me."

"Who?"

"Him," Allen said, indicating a person newly emerged onto the balcony. Linali was unable to recall hearing the door open, nor had she sensed anyone else on the balcony with her and Allen until this moment. The figure Allen had pointed out stepped out of the shadow and into the moonlight. Linali gasped. He was Allen's mirror image. Well, almost. He has black hair instead of white, and a long braid fell onto his chest. The left half of his face was covered with a metal mask, and his right eye was silver, rather than the midnight-blue of both his other eye and both of Allen's.

"A-Alron-kun," she whispered feebly.

He smiled bitterly, "Did you forgot about me Linali? Already?"

"I-I-"

"No excuses, Linali," Alron said roughly as he held up a hand to stop her protests in her throat. "We don't need those. We need only one thing. A decision. From you." He stepped closer, and Allen followed, though back a little. Linali could suddenly feel how very cold the wind was, and how the rough stone of the railing pressed painfully into her back.

"Which one of us do you choose?"

The street was deserted. Brick building's rose on either side, making it feel almost cramped on the spacious road.

He shivered.

Snow was gently falling from the night-blackened sky, and he had the sudden impression that he was not the only one right now in a place where it was snowing. But he pushed it from his mind. He turned his attention back to the scene in front of him. The carriage was there, a crumpled mass of shattered wood and bent metal. The driver was most likely in that mess somewhere, but he did not care about that. He was more concerned with the heap of flesh and bones he was kneeling next to. Without being consciously aware of it, he realized he was crying. He reached out a hand toward the man on the ground, the one who had been struck by the swerving carriage. He hoped the red pool slowly spreading on the ground was not what he knew it to be.

He managed to choke out a single word through the thickness in his throat.

"Mana."

Alron sat straight up in bed, his entire body covered in a cold sweat, his undone hair rushing up with him, sticking to his face in strands. The word reverberated back and forth through his head. Mana. The hell is Mana? He was so confused. He did not know where he was or what was going on. As his vision began to clear of drowsiness, he realized that he was, yet again, in a room equipped for medical purposes. He shook his head. How had he ended up here? He could not remember anything.

All of a sudden, Alron noticed that his eyesight seemed to be lacking. It was almost as if one of his eyes was closed. He reached a hand up to his face, wondering if his eye was closed shut for some reason, when his fingers ran into a cloth stretched over his left eye and part of his face. Wonder why that's there? He coaxed up an edge of the adhesive and pulled the bandage off. This, however, did not improve his vision in the slightest. What? He once again prodded at his eye. This time however, he encountered no barriers. In fact, he encountered nothing, only a puckered hole. It took a second to register what he had discovered. His left eye was missing.

In a flood of horrible memories, everything that had happened came back to Alron. The vision in the hallway. His almost kissing Linali. The two Noah. The one called Road stabbing his eye. Those two monsters kidnapping Linali. He stopped, his breath stopped and his heart nearly followed. They had Linali! Those bastards! He had to move, to get everyone together! To save her! He leapt up from bed, surprised to find himself fully dressed. After recovering form the momentary spell of dizziness that normally accompanies standing up too quickly, he dashed out of his room.

And straight into a chair set up outside the door. He went sprawling, turning several times over before slamming into a wall and staying there with his head on the floor and his legs in the air. Even with his head swimming, he managed to right himself and glare at the wooden seat that had tripped him. It was only now that he realized he was not the only one in the room. Arranged on the two couches were six people. Leslie and Krory sat beside Kanda on the one nearest the door to the medical room, while Reika shared the other with Lavi and Miranda. They had obviously been right in the middle of an intense conversation, as they were all save Kanda) bent over the small table arranged between the couches. Upon Alron's clumsy arrival, though, they had all stopped talking and turned to stare at him with wide (or in Kanda's case, cold) eyes.

Leslie was the first to move. She slowly stood up. "Alron?" she said quietly. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. In his haste to save Linali, he had completely forgotten everyone else. Leslie suddenly vaulted over to him and wrapped her arms around him, leaning her forehead into his.

"L-Leslie?" Her behavior was confusing him. Alron felt pattering against his chest, and he realized that Leslie was crying.

"You idiot," she sobbed into him. "I thought you were dead. When we found you, and you were covered in blood. I-I thought…" She looked up, ice blues eyes overflowing with tears. The sight of her in this state destroyed him inside, especially since he had caused it. He had not thought of the effect his actions would have on those around him, especially her. She was the closest thing he had to family, and he hated himself for making her cry.

He embraced her tightly before whispering quietly to her, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Leslie." They stayed like this for several more minutes, completely oblivious to the fact that the others were watching them. He gently released her and held her at arm's length. They stared at each for awhile. Finally, they walked back to the others, not a slight bit embarrassed about what they had just done. Alron picked up the chair he had toppled over and sat on it. Leslie went back beside Kanda, and seemed to snuggle up to him. Alron noticed this. Could Lavi have been right?

"Alron-san," Reika spoke, his gruff voice bringing Alron back to the issue at hand. "As you well know, this base was assaulted yesterday by many Akuma, led by two Noah."

"How?" Alron interrupted.

Reika held up a hand to stop his questioning. "I was getting to that. The attack that occurred on the day you arrived, we all thought that it was just that, an attack. Nothing more. However, we were wrong, it appears the goal of the Akuma at that time was to sneak even more Akuma in. These Akuma would stay within our base, disguised to keep them hidden from us, and spy on us, reporting movements and strategies back to the Noah."

"I know that, but how did they remain hidden from us? The Noah sad that they had been right under our noses the entire time."

"Spiders."

"What?"

"It was the spiders. Did you notice them? They were everywhere. The Akuma were disguised as spiders."

Alron was silent for a minute. "So, this whole time we've been spied upon?"

"Yes."

"Dammit." He closed his eyes for a second. They snapped open suddenly. "They have Linali."

"We know."

"So why the fuck aren't you doing anything?" Alron was surprised to find himself shouting.

"Because we can't!" Reika was calm in his reply.

"Calm down, Alron," Lavi spoke. "Reika's right, we can't do a thing, the Noah disappeared without a trace, going through one of Road's doors. They entered a separate dimension."

"Then how come they told me that if I wanted to rescue Linali I had to go to them?"

"I don't see why they would. It's impossible."

"But-"

"Alron," Lavi cut him off, "we're all worried about Linali. You're not the only one here who cares for her. The simple thing is though, we can't do anything." Alron noticed for the first time that Lavi's hand was white knuckled where he was gripping the fabric of the couch. He was pissed as well. Angry that he could nothing for her. "Unless we had Road herself here or one of her keys, we can do nothing."

Alron perked up, "One of her keys?"

"Yes. Road can make special keys that can turn any door into one of her doors. She once played a game with a key and a bunch of exorcists. They all almost died." Alron's hand unconsciously rose to touch his breast pocket. He vaguely remembered Road slipping something into it before he had passed out. And there it was. Something hard and cold pressing against his chest. Could it be? "All we can do now is tend to headquarters and pray that the Noah will give us an opening to take Linali back. I'm sorry, Alron."

Alron tilted his head slightly, "It's ok, Lavi-san. I think I need to take a walk. Alone," he added as he saw Leslie began to stand.

Lavi nodded, "That's fine. Do not do anything rash such as try to find a way to the Noah, it's impossible."

Alron bowed slightly before going back into the room he had woken up in. He grabbed his Innocence and left, heading for the confusing tangle of corridors.

When he was out of earshot, Lavi looked at Leslie. "I hate asking you to do this, but could you follow him? He didn't seem too convinced there, and I have a feeling that he was up to something. If something happens, come find us, or give some kinda signal."

Leslie nodded hesitantly. She stood and moved away to follow Alron. Lavi shook his head. Something was going to happen; he could feel it. He just wished he knew what it was.

"Wait, Alron!"

"I can't wait! They have Linali, and if I move too slowly, they'll do something horrible to her! I need to save her as quickly as possible!"

"Alron!"

"Dammit, Takagani, what don't you understand?!"

Said boy wrenched his hand from Alron's death grip, wincing as he did so. "What don't you understand Alron? I know full well about Linali-san's situation. I also know why you want to move, but Alron, you have to realize a few things. First off, we don't have a way to get to them, Lavi told me that. Secondly, you alone cannot fight them. And thirdly, you're injured! You just woke up not twenty minutes ago and, oh yeah, your fucking left eye is missing! What you need to do is calm down and-" Takagani suddenly stopped speaking as Alron held up a small, glinting object. "What is that?"

"What are you, daft? It's a key!"

"I can see that, but why are you showing it to me?"

"Because with this we can get the Noah! We can get Linali!"

"Woah, woah, slow down. What the hell are you talking about? Are you trying to tell me that that key you're holding is going to magically teleport the Noah here?"

"No no no!" Alron vehemently shook his head.

"So then it will take us to them?"

"Yes! All we have to do is use it on a door, and it will take us straight to them…I think."

"Alron, listen to yourself. You don't even know if what you're saying is true, which it most likely is not. I understand how badly you want to save Linali, but there are some things which cannot be helped."

"Here, I'll show you!" Alron said harshly. He stormed to the nearest door, inserted the key into the lock and wrenched the door open. On the other side was a basic room, complete with bunk and dresser. "The hell?"

Takagani shook his head. "I told you, Alron. C'mon, let's go find the others." He turned and began to walk away when he heard the door shut and the key slide out. He breathed a small sigh of relief; it looked as if he had managed to convince Alron to forgo this foolish action. That's when he heard the key slide back into the lock, and turn with a sharp click. He spun around, mouth already opened to further dissuade Alron, only to stumble back in surprise, blinking his eyes as a blinding light streamed into the hallway from the open door. "W-w-w-what is t-this?"

Alron was staring wide-eyed into the light, completely oblivious to how bright it was. He looked over at Takagani with a small smile on his face. He murmured a quiet "I told you so" before stepping forward and through the entrance.

Takagani stood still for a moment, not knowing whether he should follow and help his friend, or seek aid from Reika and the senior exorcists. "Fuck," he breathed quietly as he too walked through the door.

The door flew open, banging against the wall with a loud crack. The senior exorcists and Reika all looked up from where they were bent over a table. Leslie stood panting in the doorway.

Lavi moved forward, his face full of worry as he asked, "Leslie, what's wrong?"

"It's A-Alron," she gasped. "H-He's gone after them. Along w-with Takagani."

"Shit. What's the one thing I told him not to do dammit! He can't do anything for Christ's sake!"

"He had some sort of key."

Lavi froze. "He had a what?"

"A key, I don't know where he got it, but he used it on a door, and there was this blinding light, and he stepped through and-and-"

"Leslie!" Kanda suddenly barked at her. Everyone looked at him in surprise. Had Kanda really just used someone's name? Not 'you' or 'idiot' or 'woman' or some other degrading insult, but someone's actual name? He walked forward and stood in front of her, his cold eyes boring into hers. "What was the first thing I taught you?"

"S-Stay calm in all s-situations."

"And what are you doing now?"

"N-not staying calm."

"Exactly." He did not say anything else, just continued to stand there and stare at her. Leslie's breathing gradually slowed, and her shaking ceased.

Once he was sure that she was back to normal, Kanda tilted his head to Lavi. "Leslie," Lavi said, "tell us what happened." Leslie explained how she had tailed Alron, and caught up to him during his argument with Takagani. How she had watched from around a corner as he opened the door and went in, with Takagani following after a few moments' hesitation. Lavi sword loudly when she had finished. He turned to Reika. "Reika-san, I hope you can hold down the fort while we're gone. We need to go and get Alron and maybe even Linali back if we can."

"I'm coming with you," he replied, stern voice leaving no room for arguments.

Lavi nodded, "Fine." He glanced back at Leslie. "Lead us to the door Leslie, and be quick about it, we have a couple exorcists and a finder to save."

"I-I don't know what you mean." She tried to back up further, but the railing halted her progress.

"You know damn well what we mean," Alron spat harshly.

"Calm down, Alron. Linali, you can't very well be in love with two men at once. You can't give your heart to two people at once, it won't work like that, it can't work like that." Damn Allen and his ever-steady voice.

"Linali," her eyes swung back to Alron as he spoke, "you need to make a decision here and now. Whichever you choose will be the one that stays with you."

"What about the other?"

"The other? You mean the one you don't select?" She nodded numbly. "Well, he'll…"

"Disappear," Allen added helpfully from behind.

"Ah, thank you. That was the word I was looking for. Yes," he said, turning his gaze back to Linali, "he will disappear, which is rather why we'd like to know which you want."

"You-you can't just force this on me! You can't just make me choose a person as if they were an object, especially when it's between you two! I love you both, alright? I can't make a decision between you."

"I'm sorry, Linali, but that won't work." Allen this time.

"What do you mean?"

Alron chuckled bitterly. "You see, Linali, if you don't pick either of us, if you try and say that you can't, that you won't, then you'll lose both of us, and you'll be alone."

"Road."

Said girl looked up from where she was leaning over the motionless body of Linali. "What do you want Tyki? Can't you see that I'm having fun here?"

He looked at her with a slightly annoyed expression on his face. "That's just it. Be sure not to break her. The Earl wants her alive and sane, for whatever reason."

"Oh don't worry, I won't break her again. I've already done that once. No, I'm saving her to break someone else."

"Takagani, which way is Linali?" Alron shouted as he once again swung his scythe through the Akuma rushing them.

"Left!" he replied.

Alron ducked an attack, destroying the Akuma with a counter as he did so. He then spun through two more before hurrying off down the corridor Takagani had indicated, with the finder following close behind. "Dammit, I didn't think there would be this many of them!"

"We walked right into their base, what did you expect?"

Alron grunted as he cut down a Level 2. "I expected some, but not this many. At this rate we'll never get to Linali."

"She's close by. Just up two corridor lengths and then off to the right."

"How do you know this?"

"I'm a finder, remember? I make a living out of finding things. A captured exorcist is nothing compared to Innocence."

Alron smiled grimly. Just a little more. Just hold on a little more Linali.


"Choose, Linali."

"I can't!'

"What did we say about that? You're not allowed to do that, less you wanna lose us both."

"Stop it, please!"

"We can't."

"You two aren't who you say you are. If you were truly who you claim to be, you wouldn't be doing this to me."

"Forgive us Linali." Allen again. He was less outspoken about all of this then Alron. "This hurts us, truly it does. Not only for what we are doing to you, but also because this could be it for us. I have already experienced that once, I do not want to again."

"He's right, Linali. But no matter how much this hurts any of us, you need to make a decision."

"I-I-"

"Hurry, Linali. Time is running out."

They burst through the door without an ounce of caution. Alron charged straight up to the nearest opponent and decapitated it. He spun and took out three more with a single swing. He turned around, expecting a block an attack by the Akuma behind him, but he met no resistance.

Instead, there stood Tyki and Road, though technically Road was floating, on an umbrella. She lazily blew a bubble as she stared at Alron.

After several moments of silence in which no one moved, she spoke up, "So, you actually came, did you?" She smiled. "I knew you would. Anything for your precious Linali, right?"

"Shut the fuck up!"

"Ooh, temper temper. By the way, how's your eye?"

She was taunting him, trying to make him angry. And it was working.

"I said SHUT UP!!"

"Alron, calm down. She's just trying to make you riled."

"Oh, what's this, boy? You brought a friend? And a finder? My, my, what a surprise. Perhaps I should play with him?" Tyki's hand began to glow. Takagani gulped and took a step backward.

"Stop playing games. Where is she?" Road pointed behind him. He turned, and saw Linali chained to a wall, head drooped and hair covering her face.. He started to move, but before he could take a step an Akuma lanced out, forcing him to guard against the attack. The force from the blow sent him skidding backward. "What the fuck!"

"I never said I'd let you near her, did I, Alron?" Road tsked. "No, I only showed you where she was." She gently flew up and over to Linali on her umbrella. She hovered in front of her and leaned forward, touching her forehead to Linali's. "Now, let's play a game shall we? We'll see how long you can last, physically and mentally."

"What are you talking about?"

"Ready? Go."

Alron opened his mouth to once again yell angrily at Road, but his words were stopped by the sudden swarm of Akuma rushing him. He took three blows at once on his scythe and was sent flying across the room. He slammed into the wall, creating a large cloud of dust and debris. Takagani quickly ran to him, kneeling by his side and helping him stand.

"Alron, you can't take all of these things, we should pull back."

"Like hell! We've come this far, and Linali's right there! I'm not going back now!"

"Alron, we can't-" Takagani's sentence ended in a sharp intake of breath as blood splattered outward.

Alron's eye widened. "Takagani? Takagani!" The finder slumped over, a candle stake buried in his back. Alron looked up, even more hatred burning in his stomach then was there before. "ROAD!!"

She smiled sadistically, and the pupils in her eyes disappeared. "Trial one, the death of a friend."

Alron screamed, a horrendous sound that wrenched apart the air. He leaped up and tore across the room destroying anything foolish enough to get in his way. When he neared Road and Linali though, Tyki suddenly appeared in front of him. "Outta my way," Alron yelled, swinging his scythe. Tyki didn't dodge it though, like Alron had expected. No, he held up his hand, and a glowing shield shaped like a four-pointed star appeared on his forearm. Alron's Innocence hit it and rebounded, throwing him off balance. Tyki then slammed the shield into his chest knocking him clear across the room. Alron's head cracked off the ground when he landed. He tried to stand, but his vision blurred and his head swam, causing him to fall back down. His legs had suddenly lost all strength. Shit…shit.

"Trial two, bodily harm," Road's voice sounded from the other side of the chamber. A Level 2 Akuma stepped forward, cracking his knuckles as he did so.

"I've been waiting for this all daaaay!" it cried.

Move. Move dammit! But Alron's body would not respond. He had taken too much damage. A sense of helplessness enveloped him. He couldn't do a thing, he was going to die right here! He hadn't been able to save Linali and Takagani had died for nothing. The Level 2 reached out his hand as he moved even closer. It was getting nearer and nearer. Suddenly it struck Alron that it was almost like that hand that was out to grab him in his dreams. He chuckled emptily. So is that what it meant then? That this is how I would die?

Suddenly, when the hand was no more than a foot from Alron's face, he heard a scuffling, followed closely but the sound of slightly impaired running feet. He looked up with his one eye as best he could. There was Takagani, running toward him as fast he was able to, blood spurting from the wound in his back. Ta…Takagani? What are you…doing? Alron's answer came shortly after this thought, as the finder launched himself in front of Alron. He glanced back over his shoulder, brown eyes catching Alron's silver one for half a second before the Level 2 grabbed him and lifted him up.

Nothing seemed to happen for a second, but then Alron saw a change. Takagani's skin began to darken and grow taught. Cracks began to form as the hue approached black. And gradually, but getting faster every second, Takagani began to crumple in on himself. The air smelt of burnt flesh. Takagani looked at Alron once more, this time with black eyes though. "Al…ron…" The name ghosted his lips before he disappeared, turned to dust on the wind.

Alron lay there, completely stunned. Takagani had sacrificed himself for his sake. Takagani was gone.

Takagani…

For the second time that day, Alron wailed horrible, tears streaming down half his face. He pulled himself to his feet, fighting past the shaking of his legs and the blood pouring down the side of his face. The Akuma turned his attention back to Alron now, lashing out violently just as he got to his feet.

Alron managed to move to the side and swung forward clumsily with his scythe. However, the Akuma easily evaded. The creature struck a counter attack while Alron was still swinging. Only one of its fingertips hit Alron, but it was sharp and the swing carried Alron's whole arm into it, resulting in a large gash that stretched from the back of Alron's left hand all the way to his shoulder. He stumbled back, the pain jolting him even further. It was nothing compared to what happened next though. His arm darkened. Oh shit. The cracks began to appear, and Alron screamed with pain. It hurt an unbelievable amount, as if someone was lancing his arm with a hot poker and grinding it around. He watched in horror as his arm crumbled away right in front of him. He fell to knees, utterly defeated. His innocence deactivated, turning into a normal wooden staff.

Seeing this, Road smiled and motioned away the Level 2. "We're not done yet Alron. We've brought you down physically, but remember what I said? Now its time to work on that cute little head of yours. Trial three, mental harm." She once again leaned into Linali, getting right into her ear. "Choose, Linali. Time is up."

"Choose, Linali. Time is up."

"I-"

"No. No more excuses, and no more running away. The decision must be made now. It's either Allen or I."

"I can't do this!"

"Yes you can, you must," Allen said.

"You're telling me to kill one of you, how can you ask me to do that?"

"Because we must, Linali. We've already told you this. This hurts us. We both love you, but only one of us can have you, and you can only have one of us. No, enough," he (Allen) said when he saw Linali's mouth open to say something, "either you decide right now or we're both leaving. And this time we won't be back…" he added in a quiet voice.

"Please, Linali. Choose."

"I…I choose…"

"…Allen. I choose Allen." Her voice was clear and loud, despite the fact that she was unconscious. Her words were faulty and unsure, but that didn't lessen the impact they had on Alron. She…she chooses Allen? What is she talking about? But he knew even as he asked himself that question the answer was already there. He already knew it. He already knew that Linali had just picked Allen over him. His heart was suddenly torn in two, and the pain was unbearable. The woman he loved, who he thought had loved him, the woman he had come so far for, fought so many enemies for, made so many sacrifices for, had just rejected him. A great void opened up inside of him. Everything in the world suddenly didn't matter at all. It would be better to die right here then for him to live on like this.

But things got worse.

"Wake up, Linali," Road said.

And indeed the woman's eyes fluttered open. He lifted her head and looked around groggily. "Wh…what? Where am I?" She looked at him. "A-Allen?" She was still unaware and confused, nothing was making sense.

"Trial four, severe mental harm." A candle stake appeared, floating in front of Linali with its tip pointed directly at her throat.

"N…no."

Road cackled. "This is the woman who just destroyed you, Alron, and you're telling me not to harm her? What? You still love her. Well…" she smiled again, "that is the point of trial four." The stake plunged forward.

And the doors burst open. Something small flew at an impossible speed, knocking aside the stake just as it was about to stab Linali. Said object then pulled a graceful loop, returning to the owner's outstretched hand.

"Looks like we arrived just in time."

It was Lavi and the others. The one who had controlled the small object, which turned out to be a stone cylinder, was Reika. His Innocence was already activated, the other cylinders around his waist glowing with the same eerie light.

"Go, Akuma," Tyki said. The Akuma obeyed, rushing forward to assault the new arrivals.

They were destroyed.

Kanda slashed anything that so much as twitched. Lavi was right behind him, pounding out a path of dead Akuma, Krory was lancing his way through the Akuma, literally ripping holes in them with his bare hands. Reika's cylinders shot in all directions, devastating several foes at once. Miranda and Leslie stayed in back. Leslie was firing with both pistols at anytime she had an opening. Until she saw Alron, and then she was by his side in an instant.

"Alron!" she gasped when she saw exactly what type of state he was in. He had a large gash on his head, and it was bleeding profusely, not only this, his left arm was now missing. No blood came from the stump, but that didn't make the injury any less horrifying. The worst part of everything though, was Alron's eye. It was dead, like he had giving up living. "Alron…what did they do to you?"

"Tch, pesky exorcists," Road pouted. "I'll just have to finish this now then. She turned back to Linali. "I'm sorry Linali, but it looks as if our fun has to end." She created another wickedly sharp candle. "Good-bye, you were a fun play toy."

"Road! The Earl wants her alive!" Tyki spoke up.

"I'm not going to kill her. Just maim her." She started stabbing the stake down again.

"NO!" the cry was deafening, especially to Leslie, who had been right next to the person who issued it, and it froze Road's arm where it was. Alron struggled to his feet, grabbed his Innocence and began to stumble across the battlefield, completely ignoring the fight going on around him. Leslie started after him, but became engaged with several Akuma, preventing her from moving any further.

"You can still move, boy?" Tyki was suddenly beside him. "I'm impressed, but unfortunately, you stop here." He reached out his hand, aiming for Alron's heart. Alron brought up his Innocence, defending his chest as best he could. "You know, boy," Tyki said as his hand closed around the wooden shaft, "this works just as well." He hand glowed brightly for a second before the staff shattered, sending millions of pieces everywhere.

Alron's eye widened. My…innocence. How…did he? Alron slumped to the ground again. He couldn't go on. He was exhausted, broken, through. Tyki was reaching for his heart again, but he didn't care. Someone did though, as Tyki suddenly brought up his shield again, defending against a vicious assault. Leslie was charging, both guns blazing.

"You stay the fuck away from him!"

"Leslie," Lavi called out, "grab Alron! We'll get Linali, and then we need to get the hell out of here." She nodded, though Lavi didn't see it. He was already on his way to Linali. He swung his hammer at Road forcing her to dodge away. He then quickly smashed through the chains holding up Linali, who was still delirious.

"Allen…where's Allen?" she whispered over and over. Lavi hefted her on his shoulder.

"Everyone, quickly!" All the exorcists formed up. Leslie was the last to back into the formation, Alron slumped across her back. He looked up, and upon seeing Linali he whispered her name quietly.

She looked at him with bleary eyes before asking in a timid voice, "Allen?" Suddenly, with those words, something clicked inside of Alron's head. It was like someone had suddenly blown up a dam holding back a river. Memories, images, feelings, everything that comprised a human being flooded into his mind. It was too much. He cried out as his body began to glow. His appearance started to change. The color was gradually bleached from his hair, leaving it bone white. The skin around his left eye began to morph and move. The broken pieces of the Innocence, sitting so far away on the floor, rose into the air, becoming luminescent as they did so. They flew to him, and spiraled downward to him. The glow surrounding Alron grew more intense.

"What the hell is wrong with Alron?!" Leslie cried.

"It doesn't matter, we can worry about it later. We're going!" Lavi called. "Hi Ba-"

"Ho ho ho, going? Going where, my cute little exorcists?" Shivers shot up Lavi's spine. No, that's impossible. He turned around slowly, dreading what his eyes would show him. And there it was. A massive figure, with an ungainly smile that was impossibly huge. Eyes hidden behind spectacles, the body wrapped in a huge trench coat, pointed ears poking out underneath the brim of the top hat.

The Millennium Earl.

Lavi chuckled half-heartedly, "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

"Oh my, so rude!" He moved closer, and Alron's glow grew even brighter, he was now essentially a ball of light. "Last time we met was when I fought Allen Walker."

"A-And he k-killed you," Miranda stuttered out.

"Killed me? Ho ho ho, that is amusing. I cannot be so easily killed. No, he only injured me, and it took me three years to recover. I hear he's passed away now, so sorry." The Earl tilted his head and clasped his hands on his chest as he said this, which just added to the sickness of the comment. "Now, I must ask you to surrender those exorcists you're holding."

"Exorcists? I thought you only wanted Linali?" Tyki questioned.

"I did, but look at the way he's glowing. I'm intrigued." Nothing changed in his appearance as he said this, but the air suddenly grew much colder and more constricting.

"You can go to hell, Earl, you know very well we'll never give them up."

"So be it." He vanished, appearing behind them, already swinging his giant sword. They didn't have time to react. "Then die." Alron's brilliance suddenly flared up even brighter, washing out everything. Nothing could be seen. However, everyone heard something shift, and the distinct scream of metal on metal tore across the air.

He was floating in nothing. Complete blankness, nothing but white stretching on for infinity. It was comfortable here. No constant battles. No physical pain. No mental anguish. Nothing. He could finally rest, finally return to where he belonged. He had gone longer than he should have, kept alive to sustain a soul whose work was not finished. But he was done now. He had completed his duty, and he could finally go to sleep. As he closed his eyes one final time, he heard a gentle voice whisper from all around.

"Thank you, Alron. Sleep well."

The light was gradually fading, and everyone was beginning to blink. They were surprised. They thought the Earl had been going to kill them, so why were they still alive?

It was Linali who noticed first. The light had cleared her head enough to remember what was going on. What she saw though just put her right back into a confused state of mind. Her brain couldn't take it anymore, and began to shut down. As blackness closed in, she realized that what she was seeing couldn't be real. She could have sworn that she saw another sword blocking the Earl's. One that looked exactly the same, only with the colors reversed. A blade of pure white. Impossible. Then her head dropped. She was out again.

Everyone else saw him seconds later. Standing tall, gigantic blade holding back the Earl. White hair and cloak stirring in an unseen wind. The scar of the left side of his face livid against his skin after three years of non-existence. Cogs were rotating in front of a fully formed left eye. The only difference was that his hair was now long, and his eyes were silver rather than their old blue.

"It…it can't be…" was the only thing Lavi could say when he finally regained use of his voice.

"Che."

"Good to see you too, Kanda, Lavi."

"Ho ho ho, you've returned, once again. Will this play of ours never end, you silly pierrot?" He pulled back his blade, before turning and walking to where Road and Tyki stood. "We're leaving."

"Earl? Are you serious? I mean, he's back, shouldn't we do something?"

"No no, Tyki-pon. It's more interesting like this."

"Earl's right, Tyki. Just leave him be." Road was smiling. She turned and blew a kiss to a particular exorcist.

They vanished, but the Earl's voice sounded from overhead, "We shall meet again. Until then, good evening…"

…Allen Walker."

A/N: Well, guys, that's it. the epilouge is the only thing left, and i'll attempt to have that up by the end of next weekend, i'd like to thank you all for sticking with me for so long and for putting up with the horrendously long update periods. for that i apologize.

when i post the epilouge, i'll be making final thank yous and such and also a lot of things that might not have been clear will be made so, so be sure to stick around for just a bit longer.

please, its the final actual chapter, so let me know what you think, review

until next time,

darkmyyst