Hana: I was a little late...
Allen: By 'a little', she means she totally forgot yesterday was Sunday.
Richie: -slow claps- Yup.
Tyki: -crosses his arms- Why?
Hana: Nothing important. I just forgot. Univeristy is fun that way...so I don't own DGM, yanno the drill~
Richie: OCs that appear in this piece, be them important or not belong to her. Enjoy the late chapter.
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+ - Chapter 59 – It's not 'goodbye', just 'see ya later' - +
We landed in the woods, just far enough out of the sights of the Black Order. At least for now. Road was currently resting against a tree, but she didn't look like she was doing too well given the current circumstances.
"Why won't we she wake up!?" Allen demanded, "Aren't Innocence attacks ineffective against Road?!"
"I don't know either." Tyki sighed, standing over the smallest of his brethren. "It could be that the damage goes as deep as the Noah memory. It seems Apocryphos is far more extraordinary than all your Innocence."
I bit my lip, "That can't be Innocence…Innocence isn't…or, shouldn't…I don't know anymore."
"With her out of commission, we can't use her doors…shit." Things seemed far too complicated than it should've been.
We were traitors…and knowing that much, it hurt. I held my left hand to my chest. "Raposa…we're together for better or worse…right?" I felt a warmth in my arm, and I smiled at the gesture of my Innocence. "I'm glad."
"Link…" Allen's attention was now on our home. I looked to it, and felt the familiar pang in my chest.
"…Link…should be fine, right?" I asked aloud. "I mean, you saw how he handled things back there…he's…fine." I wish I sounded as sure as I was trying to be.
"We've got information on Apocryphos. The Millennium Earl will probably notice our situation, and open the Ark." Tyki informed us. I cocked my head the to the side, as he almost shoved Road into Allen's arms. "So here, take care of Road."
"Huh? ARE YOU JOKING?! WHY ME?!"
"I've gotta take this fat golem and protect you guys while you escape." The bearer of Pleasure's memory stated.
"…why me?" I don't remember the last time I had felt so defeated. The words left my lips before I registered that I spoke them.
"It's not like you can go back, Prata." Tyki said, "You heard that broadcast. They seem to be on the concept of guilty until proven innocent. I think your fate is sealed should you return."
"That's—!"
"That's not what I mean!" Allen interrupted, "I'm an Exorcist! Why would I run away with the Noah?! Or rather, the situation got messed up because of you guys! If you need to escape, then you two run away! We'll go back to the order—"
"Shortcake," I interrupted. "I don't think it's—" My words were cut off when Crowned Clown began to feather out once more. "Apocryphos…" I breathed.
"Hey! What're you doing, idiot?! Stop it!" Tyki was now struggling with Allen's Innocence.
"Sh-shut up! Don't touch me!" Allen yelled, "I can't…JUST STOP IT SO SUDDENLY!"
"What do you mean?" I asked. "Crowned Clown isn't listening?"
"I…think it's Apocryphos…"
"Your left arm's telling him where we are!" Tyki grumbled. He stormed over to where we were seated, grabbing Allen's left arm. "I'll slice it off for you."
"STOP!" Both Allen and I screamed at once. 'Seeing' that happen was bad enough, I didn't need an encore in person. Crowed clown was fully invoked, and I had Raposa at the ready, using myself as a shield to protect Allen if need be.
"Why are you running away? You're still depending on that thing?"
Allen hissed in answer, "Stay away."
"You expect us to trust you?" I challenged. "Listen, while I'm grateful you dragged me away from certain doom, you're our enemy. Our Anti-Akuma weapons are really the only thing we can trust right now."
"Are you stupid?" The Noah was pissed off, but Allen and I stuck our ground, "Apocryphos…did that thing look like a pure Innocence to you? That monster?"
"You Noah aren't any better." Allen bit back. "You lead Akuma and recklessly kill people, so you're worse."
"Let's not forget, you killed another person I considered a brother. I could never forgive you tearing him away from me…and nearly forcing me to lose another brother."
"Oh? And who have I killed that, like the boy, you've considered a bro—"
"Daisya Berry." I solemnly interrupted. "I only know it was you because in both visions, I saw the teez hovering about."
"Such a scary face you have there, prata." Tyki said with an empty chuckle, "By the way, boy."
"What?"
"Can you, of all people say that?"
"Say….?"
"You said we aren't any better." He clarified. "That evil Noah memory, and Innocence…you carry two monsters inside you. You, who will most likely end up merging with that disgusting apocro-bastard, while not even knowing what you are…you won't even try to learn. All you do is create chaos and conflicts wherever you go. You are the worst of them all, Allen Walker."
"What are you talking about?" I challenged.
[Impossible! The CROW unit's gone!] Escuro's transmission continued, startling us for a moment, [They got absorbed!]
[What do you mean?]
[It's not the Noah! What are they?!]
[Marie, you still can't pick on either Allen's or Richie's sounds?]
[What the hell is this?!]
[There's a strange noise interfering…someone put a barrier up.] I almost cried hearing Marie's voice.
"Oh my god…" I breathed. But I couldn't find it in me to tell Escuro to stop.
[It's no good, an explosion blocked the path!]
The next voice we hear belonged to General Sokalo, [Hey! What's going on!? Flame seals are up all over the place!]
"Barriers…seals…" I muttered, "The Thirds?!"
"You recall the Akuma were the Earl's, prata. We only took back what was taken from us."
"They were our comrades!" I argued, only to freeze up as my ears picked up on something heading our way…two somethings…
"Boy. If you really want to be an Exorcist, don't turn back." What was he spouting now? "Go teach those monsters inside you right from wrong." He said, backing up a little to jump. As he disappeared from our sights, Tyki said one last thing, "It would probably be boring to play poker with you now, anyway."
With the Noah of Pleasure gone, Raposa and Crowned Clown deactivated. I heaved a sigh, but knew we weren't out of the figurative woods yet. "I create chaos and conflict…" Allen muttered low enough that I barely missed it.
"Allen?"
"Heh…he's right though." He said, looking o the moon in the sky. I don't think I had ever seen him as troubled as I did right then…maybe next to when he thought he was going crazy with the beginnings of the Fourteenth awakening.
What does one even say in a situation like this? "Don't stop. Keep walking." The voice was weak, but we both heard it, and turned to face its source. "The words Neah left for Mana…"
"Road! You…?"
"Neah…fought for Mana." She said, smiling weakly "But it's…a secret…okay…?" She began to fade away before our eyes.
"ROAD!" Allen reached to grab her, but her form had already vanished.
"Who…is 'Neah'?" I asked.
"…the name of the Fourteenth." Allen sighed. He clenched his fist, and held it before him.
A few moments went by, before I finally walked up to Allen, placing a hand on his shoulder, "…are you okay?"
"When will I ever be?" He answered, bitterly laughing. "We can't stay here. Not with Apocryphos on our tails."
"Mm…but what do we do? I doubt it's in my best interest to go back. The Order thinks you're a traitor, and because I was sighted with you…"
"They may force information out of you that you can't get, or just don't have." Allen finished. He took to the giant golem, concern on his features, "Tim…can't you…get smaller?"
Escuro landed on my shoulder, and I absentmindly pet the round surface of his head. I heard a poof, and suddenly Timcanpy was about the size of one of Daisya's footballs again. "That's…convenient…" I said.
Tim began to growl at his master, "Ha! You're such a weird guy, you know?"
"Allen, earlier, I heard people heading this way. We need to get out of here."
"You're right…" He noted, before raising a hand, as though to touch something. An Ark Gate opened before us, and as we began to walk towards the portal, we picked up on a familiar voice.
"STOP!" It was enough to make us cease our movements before we made a step.
"…Lenalee…"
"Lena…"
"Allen…Richie…where are you going…?" She asked us. I felt a pang in my chest seeing her so distraught. We lost Kanda and the Thirds not long ago, and now we were leaving too…we were her world…and knowing that made this so much harder. "They'll…get mad at you if you use the Gate without permission…"
"Yeah." Allen smiled sadly, "I know."
"…why?"
"We can't stay here, Lenalee." I said, feeling my voice crack with emotion.
"IF YOU GO, WE'LL END UP HAVING TO FIGHT EACH OTHER!" She yelled.
"That's true." Allen said with a goofy grin. "It's fine, you can kick me as hard as you can."
"You might regret saying that…" I muttered.
"DON'T JOKE AROUND!" She scolded us.
"Lenalee…" Allen walked past me, in favor of giving our big sister figure a hug. "Whatever happens I'm an Exorcist…and the same goes for Richie."
"Yeah, even if they say otherwise, we know I like getting into trouble, and almost destroying towns." I said, hoping to lighten the mood, if just a little.
"See? Even if the paths we follow are different, that will never change." Lenalee fell to her knees, the tears flowing faster than I ever could remember seeing them. Allen went with her, never letting go.
I took a few steps closer to them, kneeling beside both of them, and joining the sibling hug. "Sis, I have so much to thank you for over the years. All of you. You gave me love, you gave me warmth…"
Allen picked up where I left off, "…and I love the Order that you and everyone are in."
"The Order will always be my home." We said unanimously.
"Now and forever." He finished. I stood slowly, smiling fondly at my sister.
"This isn't 'goodbye'," I said, slowly walking backwards, "Lena. I promise, this is just a 'see ya later', okay?"
The last memory I would have of her was her crying face, and her desperate call for us to come back, as the Ark Gate shattered behind us.
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As much as I might need it, R&R stands for Rest and Relaxation~ Leave a review to lemme know how I'm doing! Show this story some love by favoriting this work, and don't forget to follow so you never miss a new chapter when it goes live~ Until next time, I'll see you again on...
Clean Slate~!