Epilogue -I Will Still Continue to Pray-


As for the rest of the story, it was already known; the story about the boy known as Junior.

And the story beyond that point.


35 years ago

It hurts, it really hurts to leave him. But it was inevitable, it had to happen.

Allen knew that the most.

...

"Please bestow this child your love... Upon our joined hands, leave a gentle kiss..." The song finally ended, they took a deep breath. It was a beautiful yet sad lullaby...

"Like the song I wrote?" Allen grinned at his son.

"I thought it was uncle who wrote it!" Junior exclaimed, his eyes slightly dropping.

"Nah, but it is about your Campbell uncles."

"Also Mana?"

"Yeah, also Neah, too."

"Also us, the 'Walkers'?" Junior yawned, his head nodding forward. He was getting a little sleepy.

In a distance, Allen smiled, and gently, he spoke quietly, "Yes... Goodnight, my dear-" But he never got to finish his sentence.

BOOM

Father and son's eyes shot wide open, the world shook violently. It was red, the sky. So bright. The color of blood enveloped the world. It was cold.

The smell of death had reached them.

Allen stared at the window -the sky-, his silver eyes wide from shock.

"D-dad...?!" Junior's voice quivered, he held on the piano. "W-what's going o-on?"

He hesitated. Junior saw him muttering something under his breath, but he didn't heard him, it was too noisy. The booming sounds continued endlessly. Quickly, Allen turned around, towards his only son. Junior could see it, his hands trembling.

His voice quivered, too.

He was scared, just as Junior was.

"Junior," Allen said, his hands on his son's, "Listen carefully," the ground shook, a screeching sound was heard, "I, don't know what will happen next... But, Junior... No matter what, I will not abandon you. So please... Think me as a father... Okay?"

It hurts, it hurts to leave him.

"D-dad...? W-what are you talking a-about?" Junior smiled weakly, "We... Tomorrow, we're going to visit Mana and them, right? And then... And then..!" It was almost like you were saying goodbye.

Allen looked hurt, he looked really hurt, "I won't leave you, never I will. This is something important to your dad... There is something I have to do... Look. No matter when, no matter what happens in the near future, Junior...

'Never stop walking... Keep moving forward.'

Do you remember? It's something Neah would always say..."

"Dad...?"

It really does.

"... Here," He took something off of his neck, a silver pendant engraved with the letter W, above with an infinite sign embedded on it. "This will be very helpful in the future..."

Tightly, he places the necklace on his son's small hands... The feeling of guilt swelled. This was something unavoidable. It was bound to happen.

But at least, if he could do anything to protect his son...

He smiled woefully.

"We'll see each other again... I promise."

"... Dad?!"

He ran out, towards disaster.

He left.

Junior stood there alone.

What will happen to him?

He's his only family member.

Junior stared at the world beyond the door, where his dad was. It must have been something very important, he thought.

But...

A small aching pain was felt, Junior winced. He glanced at his chest, then to his left arm.

Innocence.

"Ah..."

He remembered, it was the Innocence that originally was his mom's. Innocence are the weapons of God, right?

What was it, again?

That's right.

He placed his hands together, the pendant held tightly within his hands.

"Please..." He thought, with all his might. Protect dad. Only him... Please protect him...

That is my only wish.

That was when he remembered, that song. "Hands Sealed With a Kiss", right?

-I will still continue to pray.-

Yeah, I'll still continue to pray.

No matter what.

Something cracked.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, light filled the world. Emerald specks floated about, his left sleeve rested beside him empty. Just like snow, it floated.

Just like the snow he always saw...

The snow where his mom and dad first met.

Innocence.

It had a warm feeling to it.

Someone's feelings?

"Did you... Listened to my wish?"

For a moment it stayed, as if reluctant to leave... But, still, it vanished slowly... The warmth disappeared, leaving the boy.

Junior smiled, something wet running down his cheeks.

How much he wished that everything would go back normal. "Uwah..."

Like a child, he cried.


A week passed, it was as if nothing happened. Everything came back together, school started again. Junior was all alone. Road was not at school, he could not find Mana nor Neah, not even Katerina... The Campbell mansion was empty, as if soul-less. A week passed, his dad did not come back. He was all alone.

"You must be Allen Walker Junior, no?" A voice said. Junior stared at the figure outside his door.

A silver cross, exorcists.

"I am Kevin Yeegar... Please come with us."

Right, Yuu and Alma was also missing.

But maybe... Just maybe.

He'll find them all if he joined the Black Order?


Twenty years passed, not a single clue. Slowly, he forgot about that past life he had prior his birth.

A silver pendant was tied onto his right arm.

He sighed.

He looked as if nothing changed, he was like how he always was, a twelve year old. The scientists said that it was a weird phenomenon, and asked if something happened in his past. He thought about it.

-Look, he won't die because of the virus... But since it was directly at his heart, there might be some symptoms, like growth stunt or whatever- damn it! Are you even listening?!-

Ah, That must be it.

But what was most shocking fact that the Order learned back then, was when he finally joined the exorcists, his "Innocence" was not with him. They had him be checked with Helveska... It wasn't exactly gone, though.

She said that there were still particles of Innocence within him... So he was still counted as an Exorcist.

He could not really fight though, so he served as an shield. If it was only him, though, he would use his blood as the last resort... Since he was still "Parasitic type", he can nullify the virus that hit him. It had been like that for twenty years... Being a shield for those who can't purify the virus. Constantly, though, he would lose his sanity. Its happening more and more... He'd gone mad. But... Even so, he worked as a human shield.

Though, slowly he's reaching his limit.

He sighed again.

He saw neither Yuu nor Alma, but he never asked in the end.

"Wah..."

Silver eyes widened, he heard a small muffled cry. He looked around, noticing a little girl, probably around six years old, wandering about. Yeah, even children this young would be taken to the Order.

Her dark green hair swayed, she was crying.

For a moment, he was in his own world. It was a sight that reminded him of something, long, long ago. -Like a child, he cried.-

He smiled gently.

Eventually, he became one of her only friends in the utter beginning.

"You see, the Order isn't that much of a bad place! There's great food! Oh, and Matron's a nice person, too!" He said, grinning, "there's also that... Oh, and that, too..." Talking to her distracted him, his sanity came back.

Girl noticed his empty left sleeve, resting beside him as they chatted.

'... It's swaying...' She thought, staring at it with her dark violet eyes.

"Say, what's your name, little miss?" He asked, smiling.

"Lena..lee... Umm... What... About you...?"

"Hm, me?"

"... Yes..."

"Well, I'm-" He hesitated.

Sure, every one who knows him called him by his first name, he never really did anything about it. But as the years passed, it felt weird. It was like taking his father's identity, "Allen Walker". But what could he do? It was his given name. It's not like he want to change the name his mentors called him.

He blinked.

Mentors?

-Hey, Junior!-

-Time to eat breakfast, Junior!-

-I think it's just that he doesn't know his true face...-

-Her name... is Mary Will...-

A smile was formed on his lips.

Even though he was given the name "Allen", no one really called him that, many just one or two... But rather they called him...

"Junior, it's Junior Will."


[Reporting]

[There was a Level 4 attack]

[Ten finders fell victim, but the rest are safe...]

[There was an exorcist death]

[His name is:]

[Junior Will]

"...Nii-san...?"

Komui widened his eyes, turning back. He saw her, Lenalee, standing there, frozen in place.

"Allen-kun... He... Finally woke up...

Nii-san... What happened... To Junior...?"

The closer they realize, the farther they separate.


TBC

Edited on 2/6/2016