Thank you all for being so patient with me! I have some very exciting news. I've started sending my novel out to agents! Now, the waiting game begins, but updates should start being more frequent now. Again, thank you all for your patience.
Sakura02: Haha. I know! I can't believe those two are voiced by the same person!
Thank you: Halley Vanaria, bored411, Yukihito, Marshal Belinsky, erica. phoenix16, Snowlily426, Angel-Levy, TheCaramelSecrets, myangelicladyofdarkness, and leebee14 for reviewing!
Claire flew over to Cross as soon as he dropped Allen. She wrapped her thin arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "I missed you, Master Cross! I missed you so much!" Fresh tears were now rolling down her cheeks and she couldn't stop them.
Cross patted Claire's head and rewarded her with a smile. "I've missed you too, Claire Bear."
Claire let out a squeal of delight as something fluttered into her line of sight. She immediately snatched the golden creature out of the air and hugged it close to her as she fluttered in the air. "Timcanpy!"
Allen blinked at the sight before him. "Master Cross…"
Cross glanced down at the boy he'd just dropped. His gaze focused on the sword in Allen's hand. "It seems you've finally given your Innocence a decent form." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You're all beat up, though." He held his hand out for Allen to take.
Claire and Allen both exchanged an uncertain look together. Master Cross was never this kind to Allen. Ever. Their suspicions were confirmed when Allen took Cross's hand and was thrown back towards Lenalee and the others. Claire frowned at Cross. "That wasn't nice, Master Cross."
"You know how I feel about idiots, Claire Bear." Cross began undoing the chains on the coffin he'd brought with him. He looked over at Tyki. "So, that's what it looks like when a Noah loses his mind."
"Master Cross, that's my…"
"I already know." Master Cross said quietly. "I've known for a long time, Claire Bear. Now, you be a good girl and go over there." He motioned over to where Allen was finally sitting up.
Claire hesitated. "Are you going to kill him?"
"Do as I say, Claire." Cross said firmly.
Claire didn't dare argue when he used that tone on her. She glanced back over at her father before flying over to Allen and the others. By the time she got over to the others, Cross had already released his Innocence. "Oh, it's Magdala's Curtain."
Lenalee hugged Claire close to her as they were suddenly wrapped in a sphere. Lenalee blinked as they watched Tyki look frantically around before charging at Cross. "Can he not see us?"
"Magdala's Curtain is a defensive technique." Allen explained. He rubbed his head, still trying to get over the pain of being thrown and landing on his head. "It distorts the opponents vision and effects his mind."
"Master Cross is amazing." Claire beamed proudly as Cross attacked Tyki with his Anti-Akuma gun. She latched onto Allen's arm when she saw him reaching his hand towards the wall of the sphere. "Don't. We'll just get in Master Cross's way. We're all still really weak compared to Master Cross."
"You sure know how to give a pep talk, Claire." Lavi slouched back as he continued watching the fight.
Claire stuck her tongue out at him. "I'm just saying the truth. We couldn't even do anything to Daddy when he was attacking us."
The ground around them suddenly began breaking up. Allen looked over to where Cross had Tyki on the ground. "Master!"
Cross sighed irritably. "Is it time already. I suppose I should hurry this up so we can leave." He blinked as Tyki suddenly disappeared right before his eyes. He looked around and his eyes finally landed on a plump figure standing a few yards away. He grinned in an annoyed way at the Millennium Earl. "You again."
The Millennium Earl had Tyki slung over his shoulder.
The ground beneath the group dissolved away and the sphere disappeared. Lenalee managed to roll to a piece of undamaged floor, along with Claire and Allen. Chaoji and Lavi were falling into the abyss. Allen leaned over the side and reached for Lavi's hammer that was extending towards him. When he grasped it, the hammer shattered into thousands of tiny pieces.
"Lavi!" Claire shrieked. She went to fly after them, but Lenalee wrapped her arms around her. "Let me go! I have to save them!"
"You can't!" Lenalee protested. "You're too weak right now! You won't be able to carry both of them!"
Claire didn't even have the chance to protest. The ground beneath the three of them gave way. She fluttered her wings to keep from falling, but it was difficult with all the debris around her. She felt arms wrap around her waist. She looked up into Allen's pained face. "Allen!" She looked down to see that he had caught Lenalee with his clown belt. She looked back to Allen's face and saw blood dripping down his face. She brushed the hair from Allen's face. "Allen…"
"I'm fine." Allen grit out. He managed to pull the three of them back up just in time to hear the Earl mention someone called 'The Musician'.
"Soon, this place will be nothing but a tomb for those pathetic exorcist." The Earl cackled out.
Claire immediately felt her throat close up as she thought of Kanda, Krory, Lavi, and even Chaoji. They couldn't just be gone. They were too strong to just be gone like that. She blinked as a sudden chill went through her. She looked up at Allen and gasped. "Allen, don't try and fight him! You're hurt!" Her pleas fell on deaf ears as Allen charged at the Earl.
Lenalee held Claire close to her side, afraid the young girl would fly off after Allen. She'd never seen Allen so angry, never seen his eyes filled with such hatred. She blinked as Allen and the Earl were suddenly gone. "The ground!"
"Allen!" Claire screamed and finally managed to yank herself away from Lenalee. Just as she was about to leap over the edge to try and catch Allen, she was caught up by strong arms. She looked over her shoulder. "Master Cross…"
"Maria stopped him." Cross assured her.
When Claire looked down, she saw that Allen had dug his sword into the side of the wall. "Thank you…"
"You idiot." Cross snarled down at Allen. "Don't try and fight the Earl with hatred. Get back up here."
As soon as Allen was safely back on the ground, Claire latched on to him. "Allen, don't do that again!"
Allen held Claire to him, but didn't say anything in response. "Why…?"
"I saved you because I need your help with a mission." Cross said coolly. The Earl was gone, along with Tyki. The Ark was crumbling around them. They didn't have much time to get away.
"What kind of mission?" Lenalee asked curiously. She shuddered when all she received as an answer was a wicked grin.