The sky light was fading too fast. It was hard enough to escape with additional weight on your back, but the lack of light was making everything even more difficult.

"Stop."

'No. Not now,' Lavi stopped. He was in no position to fend off the surprise visitor, as well as protect Allen.

"Will you just turn around?" There it was. Lavi slowly, readjusting his hold on Allen, faced a familiar face.

"What are you doing?" Lavi knew that voice all too well. He let a small smile take, if it could be called that, and sighed.

"Hey Yu. I guess I should call you Kanda though, huh? You do like it better." The samurai was observant, and in all the time Kanda had known The crazy red head he had never not ignored his preference of his first name.

"Your not coming back." This was a certainty. It had been unintentional, but Kanda sounded displeased. Unlike his usual choice of being in a bad mood, this was much more than that. He was upset.

"Are you going to stop us?" Lavi asked, "you know we can't go back, and you know why." He spoke gently, serious.

"I might be able to get off with a stern warning with the help of Bookman, but Allen is already seen as having betrayed the order. He will be killed."

Kanda walked the small space between him and the other two. Lavi didn't move. He had known Kanda long enough now, and if he had come intending to drag himself and Allen back, he would have done so already, by force.

"I know we've never see eye to eye, but," Lavi turned to look over his shoulder. Kanda looked the same direction. Allen had spoken.

"If I've seen anything, it's that you're incredibly smart, even amazing. Your ability to keep a level head in a fight, even when it went against everything you believe, is something I've never been the best at," Allen laughed softly.

"Save your breath Allen." Kanda only sounded half as annoyed as he always did. "You don't have to sugar-coat it." Allen propped himself up as straight as he could, being on Lavi's back.

"So you do know my name." The half-conscious child smiled. He grinned. He had been acknowledged. What nobody knew was the boy's secret admiration for the older. Kanda knew what he wanted, but he knew when to stop. No one ever got hurt. Except for himself.

"I've always known your name, Moyashi," He smiled. It wasn't big. But it was genuine. There were firsts for everything.

"We have to go. The chief has to have sent the others by now." Lavi hated to turn the conversation, but time was running out.

"You can say we put up a fight. The Noah showed up, something. But please-" Allen tried.

"I already have a plan. And I'll even take care of the girl." Lavi couldn't see his face, but he knew he must have looked dumbfounded, even surprised.

"I came here with a plan to begin with. I never intended to stop you."

"Thank you, Kanda," Allen spoke sincerely.

"There's only one condition." Kanda added, sharply.

"What's that?" Allen asked.

"Stay alive." Kanda wasn't asking. Allen nodded in acknowledgment. His eyes held more determination than before.

"You can believe we will," Lavi added, his signature grin showing.

The three left, two in one direction, and the other alone in the opposite.

Everything was unclear. Lavi had no idea where he and Allen were going, but they would go together.

"Let me open the ark." Allen closed his eyes, focusing (and in part because he was exhausted), playing the melody in his mind. The lyrics always accompanied.

Soon the peculiar shape of the ark formed, and Lavi, before stepping through, thought,

"Thank you, Kanda. Maybe there is hope."