A/N: Hello all! I have finally written chapter 21! Thank you everyone, so far, for reviewing and reading. Makes me very happy! And here, for the wait...a little longer chapter. I hope you like it!

Chapter 21: Day 24 -- Wake Up Call

Lavi was breathing hard when he reached the Lee Estate. He had run as fast as he could once he had left the main street, wanting to get as far as he could away from Road and the town in general.

He slowed down as he reached the gate, then opened the door and headed up the path. He relaxed slightly as he made his way up to the house, but something made him stop.

Lavi paused, looking around.

The only sound he could hear was that of the wind through the trees, but he still felt unnerved.

"Hm," he murmured to himself. "Maybe I'm imagini—AHH!"

"Nice dodge…still sloppy though."

Lavi looked up in time to feel smooth wood press gently against his throat. He blinked several times, recognizing Kanda.

"What're you doing?!" he asked, staring up at the assassin.

"Testing you," he said flatly. "Although your still slow."

He stepped away and Lavi got to his feet and grabbed the bag of supplies. "Did you have to attack me here though?" he asked as he headed for the house.

Kanda snorted. "You should be prepared anywhere," he said. Lavi opened the door and Kanda followed him inside.

"Bookman? I have your supplies!" Lavi called as he rubbed his arm where Kanda had hit him before he had moved out of the way. The elderly man appeared from the stairs, took the bag with a silent nod and disappeared once more. Lavi watched him, puzzled.

"Moyashi got worse," Kanda said, answering Lavi's unasked question. Lavi's green eye widened in shock.

"What?" he asked. "In the time I was gone?"

Kanda nodded, looking at his hand, then glancing around. "I have to go," he said suddenly and was gone before Lavi could say anything. Confused, Lavi stared around, then headed up to the room where Allen was.

He had to tell Bookman about Road as well…

-ooo-

Allen opened his eyes slowly then gave a startled yell of surprise. "Whoa!" he yelped.

"Sorry," the Mother Shadow said, grinning. She had been staring down at him, her face very close to his, when he had opened his eyes. "Do you feel better now?"

Allen nodded as the creature moved so that he could sit up. He rubbed his eyes, running a hand through his hair.

"Come here," she cooed, and he obliged. She lifted one of her claws and started to run it through his messy hair, combing it. He was slightly startled, but it was comforting, and the memory (his first memory) still hung around him.

"Are you ready to see more?" she asked as she combed his hair.

"More?!" he asked.

"Your memories are already coming back," she said, and for some reason, motioned to their surroundings. They looked the same to Allen. "But I think you are ready—that is, you won't be confused—to see a memory that is not yours."

Allen looked up. "Really? You're going to let me see some other memories? Wait...how do you even know them if they aren't mine?" he asked, curious.

"I am the Mother Shadow," she said simply. "All knowledge that other shadows know, I know."

"Oh," Allen said, thinking. "Ok."

"So, stand up," she said. He stood, watching her as she stood as well. "One or two more memories before that memory, I think. Just to be safe."

Allen nodded and watched her stretch, then her eyes opened wide. The silver was brighter than normal and their surroundings started to melt. He thought that maybe that had been how she had looked before. But before, the first time, he hadn't been looking at her, so he hadn't seen her.

"Where are we going now?" he asked her. She was the only thing that he could see as the colors and shapes melted into black.

"It's more of a question of 'when', Allen Walker. You will see…this one is important. Again, I am sorry," she murmured as the surroundings took form.

It was night. The moon shown brightly down on a sad scene. Allen's eyes widened in surprise. A young boy was crouching in front of a gravestone, his brown hair silver in the moonlight. That was him.

"Remember," the wind whispered and again he felt the odd sensation of falling sideways and then everything went black.

"Mana…" he murmured. "Why…w-why did you have t-to die?" His father was dead. That stupid shadow! It had derailed the train and killed his father! He wiped away the tears angrily as he stared at the headstone. Why did he have die?

And then a sound attracted his attention and he turned and as he did, his silver eyes widened in surprise and horror. But anger also blossomed inside him. Anger that he had never known before.

"It's your fault!" he cried from the ground at the creature. "It's your fault that he's dead!"

"No child, it is not," the Mother Shadow said. She stood eerily in the moonlight, her form shimmering slightly. He unconsciously pushed away a creeping cold that was setting upon him and forced his attention on the creature before him.

"You called me," she murmured to him, her fangs out, glimmering in the moonlight.

"I DIDN'T CALL YOU! I DON'T NEED YOU!" Allen yelled, his hands clenched into fists by his side. He was standing now.

"But you do…ahhh…" she almost purred. Her eyes closed for a moment. "Smells…so…good."

Allen took a step backwards. "GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!" he cried.

"Your anger…only makes it…stronger," she said, taking a step forward. She barely touched the ground as she moved forward. And then she was running. Allen's eyes widened as she grew nearer and nearer, and then she was on top of him.

She crashed into him. He thrashed, trying to get away…but he couldn't. She was in him, in his chest, in his heart…his mind. He tried to force her away, but she grabbed on, and he couldn't get her away.

He let out howls of pain and then went limp. The pain that had been there was disappearing in pulses. How it hurt…

"You'd do nicely," a voice said. "I knew you were special."

Allen blinked glazed silver eyes up. His left arm especially was throbbing. He tried to focus on the figure before him. A man stood there, crouching so that they were eye level with each other.

But as Allen tried to look at him, he felt the shadow rear up and he let out a choked cry. It was going to kill him…

"Another one…" the man said gruffly. "Yes, you'd do very nicely."

Allen was on the ground, panting again. But he didn't stay there for long. "Why are all of my memories painful? And why are you always there?!" he was on his feet and he was angry. He raged, pointing at the Mother Shadow.

She watched him calmly. "I'm sorry. I have learned a lot since then…but anger has a certain effect on me. It…changes me, if it were," she said.

"Then why aren't you that blood thirsty fiend that you were then?!" he yelled.

"Because your heart has changed me. It doesn't effect me as strongly," she said.

"W-what?" he blinked, confused. His anger was draining from him and now he felt exhausted again.

"Before…when you were then, and up until a week or so ago, you were cold, bloodthirsty—"

"I wasn't—"

"—just like me," she continued, not letting him interrupt. "But then you met new people. They have helped you greatly."

"Lavi…and…Lenalee," he said softly, collapsing onto the ground with a sigh. "I know that. They…they're important to me. What…what else?"

The Mother Shadow watched him carefully, glancing around. Allen did as well and gasped. "W-what?"

The surroundings were no longer dull grays and tans and shadows. The grass was starting to turn a light shade of green, and the sky was paling into blue. Everything was coming alive with color, like someone had spilled paint onto the once gray-and-tan world.

"What's happening?" he asked her, staring around.

"Your memories are returning," she said, a smile twisting her lips, showing her teeth. "You're doing it…"

-ooo-

"There's…something odd about that one guy."

"What one guy?"

Road spun around in her brother's chair, feet propped on his desk, so that she could look at him. "That guy with the red hair."

"Lavi," Tyki said, going through a drawer.

"Yes, that guy. Either he knows how to block his mind out or it just doesn't work on him," she said, licking a brightly colored lollipop and watching her brother. His back was turned to her.

"Hmm…"

"Are you even listening to me, Tyki?" she asked, slightly annoyed.

"What? Oh…yes," he said, glancing behind his shoulder. "But I need to look at something. So, eye-patch isn't effected by your reading?"

Road made an angry sigh. "I guess not."

"Kill him," Tyki said flatly, not turning around. "Actually…"

His sister watched him curiously as he walked across the room and stuck his head out of the door. "When you have a moment," he said to his doorman. The man came in immediately.

"Boss?"

"Gather five or six men, kill Lenalee Lee, her brother, and anyone else in that house," he said, going back to his paperwork.

The man was silent for a moment. "Righ' away boss!" he said and hurried out of the room.

"Its time for the Lee's and anyone else with them to be gone from this town, don't you think?" he asked, turning to his sister. She giggled.

"Yes!"

-ooo-

The sun was not far from setting as Lavi told Bookman about Road. His grandfather looked thoughtful for a moment before talking.

"It might be something to do with your magyk," he said.

"But…I don't have any," Lavi said. "I only can read it."

"Which means you have it," Bookman told him. "You have to have some or else you couldn't have been able to read it."

Lavi nodded slowly. He had never thought about that. "So, Road…can't read my mind? It seemed that she couldn't. She even made a face."

"It seems so. That's a gift. If she can't read it, then maybe she can't do anything to you. That's an advantage," his grandfather told him.

"How's Allen?" Lavi asked after a moment of silence.

Bookman sighed. "I don't know. He seems fine now. For a little bit his vitals went very low…but then they bounced up again. He just…hasn't woken up yet."

Lavi nodded once more and glanced out of the window. The wind had picked up and the lights were flickering slightly due to it.

-ooo-

"It is time," the Mother Shadow said.

Allen moaned and sat up. "Why? This takes so much energy…"

"Get up," she ordered and he scrambled to his feet quickly, not wanting to make her angry. "I'm going to show you a very important memory. But this is not yours. You shall be seeing it as if you were there, but not feeling the emotions and feelings. You shall be an observer. You can not do anything either. Remember: this has already happened."

Allen swallowed. He didn't like the sound of that. "Ok," he agreed after a moments thought. If he didn't have to feel the emotions, then it probably wouldn't be as trying on him. He hoped so. He really wanted to get…back…wherever back was.

This time the Mother Shadow didn't ask if he was ready. Their surroundings started to melt once more. He stood close beside her as they solidified once again.

He had to blink several times once everything came into place. "What…what happened here?"

"This is a memory of a young child struck with fear and grief. It has been warped. See it how she sees it," the Mother Shadow murmured.

Allen nodded and turned back to the scene. It took him a moment for his mind and eyes adjust—the whole world was skewed.

Finally he was able to get the right mindset and he realized that he was standing in a hallway, long, empty and dark. One side of the ceiling sloped upwards, the doorframes and windows, the pictures and the furniture uneven. Everything was black and gray. It looked like something from a nightmare. And Allen realized that it probably was.

A flash of lightning lit up the hallway, throwing everything into sharp relief. Allen saw a small figure making its way down the slanting hallway, holding a single candle in its holder.

The flame flickered gold in the dark world as the wind beat against the windowpanes. It created beasts of shadows that danced upon the wall. Several looked like they turned their heads to watch the one walking down the hall.

Lightning flashed, and although Allen could hear no sound, the girl—because the figure wore a silver nightgown—jumped in terror, eyes wide, and then continued faster.

"Lenalee…" Allen murmured. Yes. This small, terrified girl was the one who was most important to him.

"Go with her, stand beside her…like a shadow," the Mother Shadow whispered in his ear, making him jump slightly. But he nodded silently and followed the girl down to a large door, the doorframe sloping upwards sharply.

She seemed to glance backwards as Allen followed her without a sound, like she could see him. But it was just a memory…she couldn't have seen him—or heard him for that matter, because he made no sound.

"Mommy?" the small girl murmured, reaching for the doorknob and opening it slowly. Allen peered behind her, looking with curiosity into the room that she was opening. He figured it was her parent's room.

Another flash of lightning crashed upon them, and this time the thunder came with it. It scared Allen half to death because he had been ready to have silence. But it seemed to scare the girl more. He wanted to comfort her. Leaning forward, closer, he whispered, "Its alright…I'm here."

She took a deep breath, glancing behind her shoulder once again, making him doubt that she couldn't see him, then opened the door farther.

Allen's eyes widened.

Child Lenalee let out a small gasp, staring at the figure standing in the middle of the room. They were holding a long dagger. It dripped red—the only color in this nightmare. The bodies of two people lay on the ground at the figure's feet.

And then Lenalee let out a bloodcurdling scream as Allen yelled, "NO!".

"Its time to go," the Mother Shadow whispered from behind him. "You are needed…"

"No! It…it can't be!" he cried, staring at her, eyes wide. He looked back. The figure's face was hidden in shadows. All that could be seen was the demonic smile and the eyes. They burned golden and then the person was gone.

Allen knew that figure. He knew that person holding the dagger with blood running down its blade. He knew who that was.

"It is time to leave this memory," the Mother Shadow told him. "Its time to wake up…"

Everything pitched sideways. The twisted nightmare world churned. He saw the meadow once more before everything turned black…

Allen opened his eyes slowly. He took a shaking breath, a tear running down the corner of his eye. "I remember."

-ooo-

"Where did this weather come from?" Lavi muttered to himself, glancing out of the window of the study that he was in. The wind shook the windowpanes violently; a tree beside the house scraped the bricks, and in the distance a flicker of lightning and the low rumble of thunder.

He turned away from the window and looked back at his book as the lights flickered. Lavi turned the page just as the lights gave a fast flash and then disappeared and everything plunged into darkness.

He let out a startled yell, looking around. He could barely see the furniture! He stood carefully, dropping his book on the chair and made his way carefully to door.

Opening it, he could hear voices calling across the house. "Lenalee?" he called.

"Lavi!"

Lavi walked into the hallway just as a flicker of lightning flashed and he was able to see Lenalee standing at the edge of the stairs, looking around. Why was she so scared? It was just the power. She seemed to be terrified.

He started forward, but something made him stop for a split second. And it was good that he did. A moment later the picture that hung on the wall exploded as a bullet hit it. The sound of the shot was covered by a rumble of thunder. Lavi's eye widened. If he had taken that step, he would've been hit by that bullet.

Lenalee let out a startled scream. "Lavi!" she called, through the growing volume of thunder.

Lightning flashed again, lending a hand just in time. With its light, Lavi was just able to see the figure behind him and spun quickly, grabbing the man's hand as he came down on him with a dagger. With a violent twist and a kick, Lavi sent the assassin to the ground. Immediately he kicked him again, knocking him out.

He turned quickly. "Lenalee!" he cried, trying to warn her. But it was too late. A black clad figure stood in between him and the young woman. And a moment later several more appeared out of no where.

They fired shots at Lavi, who ducked just in time and rolled away. "Damn it!" he cursed silently. And then it made sense. The wind hadn't caused the lights to die…it had been them.

There was a yell and someone hit one of the assassins. Lavi looked up to see Fo, standing before him, facing one of the assassins.

"Fo!" Lavi gasped. He watched as the assassin turned angrily and moved to strike her. But she moved faster, slamming his face into her knee. "Whoa…" He had, had no clue that she was so skilled.

But as she let the assassin collapse, holding his face with a hand, another moved forward and fired his weapon.

She let out a startled scream and fell backwards.

"Fo!" Lavi yelled the same time Bak did, and the blonde haired man appeared from a doorway in time to catch his wife as she fell. He looked around, holding her tightly, and saw Lenalee and the assassin, then looked at Lavi.

He couldn't do anything. He pulled Fo back into the room just in time to miss another bullet. Lavi gritted his teeth. Fo had been shot and Lenalee…Lenalee was facing an assassin.

"The boss sends his love," the assassin who was pointing the gun at Lenalee said in a low growl, ignoring the entire ordeal that had taken place behind him.

The redhead jumped to his feet, knocking one of the other men off his by pure chance, trying to get to Lenalee and the assassin. The girl was frozen to the spot; her eyes wide and filled with terror.

A split second before the man pulled the trigger, a door to the immediate side of Lenalee and the assassin burst open, crashing into the wall with such force that one of the hinges broke, sending it swinging wildly.

Wind blew through the hallway. One of the bullets had hit a window, and it was screaming loudly.

Then the assassin fired.

"NO!" Lavi yelled, but he could do nothing. He was only half way to the girl.

Lenalee screamed. She was going to get hit by that bullet. She knew she was going to. She stepped backwards in terror, to find that there was nothing there. She had forgotten that she had been standing at the top of the stairs.

The bullet didn't hit her. Why didn't it hit her? She was vaguely aware that the man that had been holding the gun let out a strangled yell and fell backwards. But she was still falling.

Everything slowed down. She closed her eyes as she fell, waiting for the impact of the hard marble stairs.

But it never came. Instead she felt arms come around her and the soft whisper of "I've got you" in her ear and then she was going up.

What? Did Lavi make it over to me? She thought to herself, eyes still closed. The one holding her never let her go as they landed on solid ground. But he was all the way across the hall…

"Allen?" she murmured, opening her eyes slightly. She saw a flash of silver and then she gave another scream as the one holding her pulled her around, spinning swiftly.

There was another yell and the sound of someone falling down the stairs.

"Don't worry," they murmured to her, letting her go.

"No!" she cried, her eyes opening with a snap. She didn't want to let them go. But she found herself staring at nothing, sitting on the floor beside the wall.

She scrambled to her knees, looking around. Lightning flashed as a bullet flew through the air. It hit a lamp, which exploded into millions of shards of glass.

"No!" someone shouted, firing again.

"You were dea—" the one shouting was hit by something with so much force they flew across the hall, crashing into the corner beside the stairs and rolling down them.

"I won't let you do this!"

Lenalee's eyes widened. The figure that had saved her was standing very still. Shadows encased them, so that she couldn't make out who it was. One assassin—the last one—was standing behind them, gun at arm's length, the barrel almost touching her savior's head.

And then they spun around, faster than the assassin could pull the trigger, and smashed the man's arm to the side. A sickening crack echoed through the hall in the lull of the thunder and the man let out a cry of pain and shock.

"H-how…" he whispered, just loud enough for Lenalee to hear.

"I'm stronger than you are," the figure murmured and with a sudden motion, accompanied by another, much louder and sicker crack, they fell to the feet of their killer.

"W-what?" Lenalee heard Lavi murmur from wherever he was crouching on the ground.

And then the figure turned and lightning lit up the hall.

"Allen!" she cried, staggering to her feet and running to him. He was smiling widely, his eyes dancing. When she reached him, she threw her arms around him, and he hugged her back. Lavi came over to them slowly.

"You…did you…did you actually..?" he managed to ask Allen, unable to finish the sentence.

"Break his neck?" Allen finished it for him. He didn't look disturbed. "Yes, I did."

Lavi made a sickened face, closing his eye. "So that's what that crack was…"

Allen nodded, then staggered sideways, falling to his knees.

"Allen!" Lenalee cried, going to her knees as well beside him. "A-are…are you ok?"

The young man looked up through his silver hair, eyes dancing. He was panting slightly but a smile split his face. "Yes…I feel very much alive."

A/N: Thank you for reading! Please review! Tell me what you thought! :D I'm glad I finished this chapter. It had been bugging me. Oh yes...Special thanks to Kyurengo, who helped me out with this chapter a little. Thanks for the idea, Kyurengo!

Please Review! Disclaimer -- I don't own D.Gray-Man.