Well, I think I don't really need to say it but I'll say it anyway: I'm disapointed. Like, a lot. I was hoping at least ONE review for the last chapter, a lot came out after all.
But whatever. Guess I'll just roll with it.
Answer: Well, guess it depends on anyone who read it. If anyone read it, that is.
Enjoy!
There was a flash of light that engulfed the young girl, startling the other scientists and gaining the attention of the Level Three, Bak and For down there.
"What-"
The light died down, revealing Aryane. However, she was different.
Both of her wings were back, glowing softly, and a radiant halo was floating just above her red fiery hair. She seemed in much better shape than she ever had been, smiling brightly as she regained her life force before their eyes.
"Is that… Ary?" asked For with some difficulty.
"I… don't know" Bak admitted quietly.
"Hey, Asstard! How about you take on someone of your caliber?" she called, cracking her knuckles.
"Yep, that's her" sweatdropped Bak.
"And who might you be?" grinned wickedly the Akuma.
"The one you're looking for, apparently" she huffed. "What do you want with me?"
"Hmm… she fits the description" It nodded slightly, talking to itself. " He has some business with her, and was very specific about not killing her and the other one… not bringing the two would seem suspicious, so I might as well take her back alive, seeing as I already killed the boy…"
At that, my eyes narrowed.
"Is that so?"
"Yeah" it cackled. "Not much of a challenge, though!"
"Then how about this?" I smiled sweetly. "Feathered Blades!"
There was an enormous explosion as my blades collided with it. A part of the wall behind crumbled, but I realized he had avoided the attack, even if he had been shot at some places.
"Holy shit" I whispered. "Hey, Gab, is it supposed to be that strong or…"
Don't worry, Ary-chan! Now that we fully merged, you can use your full strength, and it'll only grow as our bond deepen! Sweet, isn't it?
"That it is" I grinned. "Little help for the control? Don't want to take the whole place down"
Sure.
The Akuma got back on its feet with a snarl.
"How dare you?" it spat. "I'll beat some sense into you before bringing you back!"
Try again, Ary-chan!
"Feathered Blades!"
Another round was shot at it. There seemed faster, but merely embedded themselves into the wall instead of breaking it down this time. I managed to rip one of the arms off.
Well, half of it.
Lost in it's anger, it shot weird looking strands of purple light my way. I easily deflected them with two of my blades, but one caught my arm. I cringed at the slight stung, and cut it nice and clean. Looking down at my arm, I frowned. It seemed way too pale to be normal, like, ghostly-pale.
Molecular level damage. What a pain.
"Can you heal it?"
Of course I can, who do you think I am? It's just annoying to deal with. Don't use that arm before I give the go.
"Okay"
I escaped another onslaught of attacks, the claws of the Akuma passing sometimes way too close for my liking, but I was careful to avoid its purple strands now.
All done!
"Any other super-secret attack?" I asked, barely avoiding it's grip. "God, I really hate Level Three. Where the hell does that come from anyway?"
Suddenly, its hand managed to grab one of my wings. I sliced some of the fingers, but its other hand caught my throat in a tight grip.
Stop whining, Ary-chan, and no, it's not exactly the place to test your new abilities. We'll talk about these later. You know, when you don't have a Level Three Akuma out to kidnap you and kill everyone?
"Your sense of humor is killing me" I choked, struggling to set myself free.
No, the Akuma is.
"You're talking to yourself now?" taunted said Akuma.
"Ary!" exclaimed Bak, farther away.
Gritting my teeth, I managed to slice the wrist. The evil weapon backed away with a hiss. Then, before I could do anything, it shot its purple-rays-of-doom at the Head and For.
At the same time, though, there was another flash of light from under the water, before Allen's arm shot out, glowing brightly, and stopping the deadly rays. For a moment, I wondered if that was how I made my entrance, but then focused on what was happening.
"What the hell is happening!?" yelled the Akuma.
Exactly.
Suddenly, some sort of mask and a cloak appeared above the water. The Akuma shot light beams at it once again, but I deviate them with two blades. Another one passed my guard, but the cloak-thingy stopped it before it could hit Bak and For.
"Just another weird thing coming out" grunted the Level Three.
"Dude, have you seen yourself in a mirror recently?" I snapped his way.
I wasn't worried by the apparition, though. It just felt… right.
"Innocence" I realized curiously.
The others stiffened as the mask turned to me, before offering a little bow.
"You're in the way!" yelled the Akuma, running at them. "I'll make all of you disappear!"
Shield!
Not exactly thinking about it, I darted between Bak, For, the Innocence and the Akuma, spreading my wings around them. I cringed, waiting for the usual pain, but there was only slight push. Surprised, I looked back, and realized that the Akuma had just bounced on them and crashed into a pillar nearby.
Now, you can fully use Shield, which will protect from any sort of attack.
"I love you more and more, Gab" I grinned.
"Ary, who the hell are you talking too?" asked Bak, just behind me.
"Not the time, Stalker-chan" I shook my head.
"I'll beat you to a pulp" growled the Akuma, coming back.
"Think you can handle it for now? I have to put them to safety" I asked the mask.
The Innocence nodded, and I took For in my arms. Ignoring the beams of light behind me, I tightened my lips and flew at the balcony, ready to catch my fall if needed.
Your wings are bigger and stronger. You can fly with someone now, but don't push your luck. We're not fucking airplanes either.
"Understood" I nodded.
Landing next to everyone, I handed For to Won, who instantly went to the side to examine her. Ready to go back for Bak, I froze at the new sight.
Allen was up and about, now wearing the cloak and the mask.
"Mr.… Walker…" muttered Rohfa.
"He did it" whispered For with a smile.
"And what am I, the next door neighbor?" I grunted, going to get Bak.
However, the Akuma seemed to know what I was doing, for it ran at me despite the lack of arms.
"Ary!" exclaimed Allen.
"Feathered Blades!"
I managed to pin it to a wall, before landing next to Bak.
"Take care of the rest, Kiddo" I ordered. "I still can't control myself very well"
"Got it" he nodded, before turning to the Akuma.
Sighing a little, I crouched next to the Head.
"Come on, we're going back up there" I said, placing his arm around my neck to support him up. "I don't mind the VIP lodge, really, but it's kind of dangerous"
"It's… It's really you" he sighed heavily.
"Aw, you don't sound too happy, Stalker-chan" I grinned.
Flying us back to the rest of the scientists, I gently laid him down next to For.
"I want explanations" he warned, coughing a little.
"Don't we all" I rolled my eyes.
Turning back to see how the fight was going, I realized that Allen finally managed to trap it. I quickly flew to his side, and place an hand on his shoulder. He smiled a little at me, before turning back his attention on the Level Three.
"Tell me, Akuma" he ordered. "What is the name and location of the one who sent you after us?"
"Name?" It repeated. "Location?"
The Level Three started cackling, and I frowned a little.
"If you let me live, I'll tell you!"
"You-"
"All right" Allen cut me. "Tell me"
Understanding what he was doing, I kept my mouth shut.
"That won't happen!" laughed the Akuma. "There's no way, you little clown!"
"Do you want me to save you?" asked the white haired boy. "Release you? Your soul, that is"
"You're on the humans side, aren't you?" retorted the weapon, now angry.
"That's right. Half of me, at least. But the other half exists for your sake" he assured. "I will save your pitiful soul, demon"
With that, he placed a finger on the forehead, and a little light appeared. I felt warmth spread in my chest at the sight of the pure Innocence, and smiled.
"What is… this feeling?" asked the Akuma, more quietly.
"Peace" I answered with a small smile. "Feels good, doesn't it?"
"Yeah… yeah, it does… all right, I'll tell you" It grunted. "The one who sent me was Master Noah, Brother Tyki Mikk. He's in Edo right now. Not only him, but four other Noahs and Master Earl too! Eh, eh, isn't that a bad thing for you Exorcists?"
My fist clenched at the name, but I shook my head.
"Thank you"
With that, Allen sliced through it, but the weapon didn't explode right away.
"Take… Noah's Ark with you…" It muttered. "It can travel… through space and… take you to Edo"
"Why?" I asked curiously. "Why would you tell us?"
"It's an order… from Master Noah…"
I stiffened, but then relaxed.
"Or… maybe not… For some reason… I'm feeling really good… right now… with this… I've truly been saved… thank you…"
There was yet another flash of light –seems like we get a lot of those- and it was gone.
"Good night" whispered Allen.
"And thank you" I added, smiling softly.
There was a moment of silence, before I turned to Allen and roughly whacked the back of his head.
"A-Ary! What was that for?" he protested.
"You stole my spotlight" I stomped my foot angrily. "I made my big entrance and then you come and play the dramatic hero! Not fair, I say!"
He rolled his eyes, before hitting my head too.
"Hey! What the hell w-"
My voice died down when I suddenly found myself in his embrace. He tightened his arms around me, as if scared I'd disappear.
"Don't do this again" he muttered. "We thought… we thought you were going to die… your wing was falling to pieces, and you kept screaming and tossing around… and then you just… stopped! Not a noise, not a move… we truly thought we lost you…"
"I'm okay, Kiddo" I hugged back. "I'm fine now, and I'm not going to die anytime soon"
He seemed surprised at my words, because he pulled away and eyed me with what looked like astonishment, which only made my grin widen.
"I promise"
"Walker, can you move your left arm?" asked Shifu.
"Hai"
I watched as the tests unfold. After a good night of rest, Bak was back in shape and had hunted us down to run some tests on our Innocence. Allen was the first but knowing I'd run away the first chance I get, I was forced to stay and wait for my turn.
"Okay, there doesn't seem to be any issues" nodded Shifu, checking the parameters.
"Thank goodness!" sighed happily Rohfa.
"In fact, not only are there no problems with his condition…"
"What do you mean?" asked curiously Rikei.
Curious too, I loomed over Shifu's shoulder to see the datas and drawings.
"I received the data of Walker's old physical condition from Headquarters. Compared to before, he and his Innocence are much more synchronized" explained the Asiatic.
"Amazing!"
"The director said it before, right? The Innocence's will is influenced by Mr. Walker's. Perhaps Mr. Walker really is loved by God"
There was a snort from Gabriel.
"What is it?" I asked quietly enough not to be heard by the others.
Love is an understatement! Father admires the boy's will and values. He's like one of the few humans who actually has a chance of becoming one of us after his death!
"An Angel? You mean that you were an Exorcist before?" I asked, surprised.
That I was, and one of the strongest too! You should be honored to be my Host, really.
"Your modesty never ceases to amaze me" I mumbled.
"Ary? You're up!"
I froze a little as the four scientists turned to me.
"Err… you know what? I'm really busy right now" I laughed nervously, slowly making my way to the door. "Places to be, people to see, you know, that kind of stuff…"
But Shifu and Rikei stopped my tentative of flight by grabbing one shoulder each and pushed me towards the test room with Won as Allen walked out.
"Mr. Walker" greeted Won with a tray in his hands. "Thank you for all your hard work"
He handed him a cup of tea, and I scrunched my nose at the horrible smell.
"Damn, do I need some hot chocolate now" I grumbled. "Hey, Kiddo!"
"What is it, Ary?"
Wait, was he amused by my situation?
I know I am.
Bastards, the both of them.
"Save me?" I pleaded with my puppy eyes.
He rolled his eyes at my antics.
"It seems like there's nothing wrong with you" then announced Won to the boy.
"Yeah, except his sense of friendship" I grunted. "Where have the true friends gone, do I ask?"
Far, far away. But don't worry, I'll be there when you want me the less!
I snorted at that.
"Ary, your crazy is showing" sighed Allen, shaking his head.
"You're the crazy one, drinking this crap" I retorted, eying his cup with the evil eye.
"Come on, we have to finish your tests" intervened Shifu, pushing me forward.
I struggled a little as the door closed behind.
"Nooooo!"
"I'm… dying…" I cried dramatically. "How evil of you!"
Rohfa giggled a little at my antics.
"At least we didn't try the needles" she pointed out. "I warned the guys not too. Heard from Director Bak that you didn't really like them"
I gulped a little at that, then hugged her with a smile
"You utterly, adorable, bespectacled, savior from heaven!" I sighed.
She blushed like a tomato, which made me snicker. Then, the door opened, and the three scientists, accompanied by Allen, entered.
"You're all set too, Ary" nodded Rikei. "Your synch rate with your Innocence is way stronger now, though. You should check it out once you're back to Headquarters"
"Will do" I nodded, getting up. "Can I go eat, now? I'm starving!"
"Same" groaned Allen, rubbing his stomach. "Oh, got you something, by the way"
He handed me a fuming cup, and my eyes widened as the scent of the delicious beverage made my mouth water.
"I knew there was a reason that you were my favorite, Kiddo!" I hugged him tightly.
Then, happily sipping on the godly drink, I made my way to the cafeteria with every intent of eating my fill, while the scientists just laughed behind me and Allen followed closely behind.
As we ate, Won stared at us in wonder.
"Sorry, it seems that even with this new form, we've got the same appetite" I grinned sheepishly.
"Please, eat as much as you like" he sweatdropped.
Two new presences appeared behind me, and I turned my head to two scientists that I easily recognized as those who talked trash in our back not even two days ago.
"Here, take it" the first one said, handing me a bowl of stew.
"Help yourself" added the second one, this time to Allen.
"Uh?"
"We.. we saw it" said the one with the glasses. "Your fight, that is"
"That was the first time we got to see an Exorcist actually fight" added the bearded one.
"We never realized that fighting Akumas was such a difficult task. Compared to your battles, our lives are much easier. To think that we asked Director Bak to transfer you back to Headquarters…"
"Please, forgive us!"
They bowed, and I shook my head quickly.
"It's fine, it's fine!" I assured.
"We can understand" nodded Allen.
"Your Innocence was amazing, though" assured the bespectacled one.
"And your wings were beautiful!" added the second.
"Thanks!" I beamed his way.
Of course they were.
"Shut up" I muttered under my breath.
"Uh? Did you say something, Ary?" asked Allen.
"What? Nope, just talking to myself like any sane person does, why?" I smiled.
"… right"
Gabriel started laughing at the boy's tone, and it took all my willpower not to go back in there and hit him. Seeing as that would make me black out temporarily, I didn't want to answer unwanted questions, even more so that I had my own that were still without answers.
I'll tell you everything later, Ary-chan, I promise.
I nodded stiffly for only answer, and kept on eating.
"I've brought Mr. Walker and Ary" announced Won.
"Hey, Stalker-chan!" I greeted, making my way inside the room. "Feeling better?"
"Hello, Ary" he sighed.
He seemed to do that a lot with me around.
I lifted my eyes to one of the screens, and saw that they had posed the camera on when Allen revealed himself in his new Innocence. The white haired teen seemed surprised at his own appearance. Smirking a little, I nudged him in the ribs.
"Now, don't you just look dashing" I teased.
He rolled his eyes, before nodding to another screen, where the camera was set on me. I blinked. Was that a halo above my head?
"Not so bad yourself" Allen retorted.
"Please, I'm gorgeous" I scoffed.
He snorted at my tone and I smiled innocently, before Bak cleared his throat to get back our attention.
"How are we going to call our new Innocence?" I asked curiously.
"We haven't decided yet" he shook his head.
"Clown…" muttered Allen, still eying his form. "It looks like a clown"
"It does" I nodded in agreement. "Oh, they said we didn't have any problem, by the way"
"Yeah, I heard from Rikei and the others" Bak nodded, shuffling through some data sheets.
"Thank you, for all you've done" Allen bowed.
"Yeah, thanks for the help, Stalker-chan!" I winked.
"Stop calling me that!" he sputtered, before finding his cool once again. "Anyway, how's your left arm, Allen? And your wings, Ary?"
"The feeling in it's still a bit numb" admitted the boy. "But otherwise, it's fine"
"I missed flying" I rolled my shoulders. "I'm all set and ready to go, though"
"That's good"
But he didn't seem all there anymore.
"Bak-san?" called Allen.
The man snapped his eyes back to us.
"Why do you look so down?" I frowned a little.
"It's nothing" he shook his head, before looking at Allen's screen once more. "A clown, eh? Sounds right. Kind of like God's Clown"
I coughed a laugh along with Gabriel.
Ain't that the fucking truth.
"You swear a lot for an Angel of the Lord, don't you?" I snorted quietly.
Honey, I've started existing before recorded history. I can't not swear with all this time passed among your kind, and you're not exactly an role model either.
"Ain't about to fucking change either" I retorted.
"Ary, are you alright?" asked Allen, apparently concerned.
"Eh? Sure! I just discovered something really weird during our fight" I shrugged. "I think it's called schizophrenia"
My head suddenly stung, and I cringed, rubbing my forehead.
"Geez, can't you take a fucking joke?" I grunted.
"I think she's going insane" blinked the white haired boy.
"Even more than she was before?" scoffed Bak.
"Now, that's just mean, Stalker-chan" I huffed. "But anyway, what are you going to call it? I know you've got an idea, you have that glint in your eyes that's saying so"
He smiled a little.
"We'll call it Crown Clown" he announced.
"Yeah, that fits" I nodded my agreement.
"Was it strong?" asked Allen suddenly. "Was my Innocence strong?"
"H-hai! It became a pretty powerful anti-Akuma weapon" confirmed Bak.
"Kiddo, you beat up this Level Three without so much as an effort" I poked his arm. "If that's not strong, then I don't know what is"
Cocaine.
I clapped an hand on my mouth to stop the laugh from erupting, but none of them seemed to remark my silent fit.
"Good! With that, I can finally go back to everyone!" smiled Allen.
"Oi, you ain't going back without me, remember?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Nan, it would be a drag to explain why to everyone" he retorted. "Everyone's okay, aren't they?"
"I think so" nodded Bak. "They must be in Edo right now"
I stiffened a little at that as Allen smiled.
"Edo?" I repeated.
"Ary? What's wrong?" the teen blinked.
"Uh, hello? Five Noahs, the Millennium Earl and most probably all other Level Threes there too?" I remembered with the 'duh' tone.
"Err, right…"
"Director, the phone lines to Headquarters have been repaired" announced one of the scientists.
"Well then, Ary, Walker, I'll see you two later" he nodded.
"Hai"
"Sure thing. Don't overwork yourself!"
He nodded, and we left the office.
"Do you think they're okay?" asked Allen as we made our way to the training room.
"I'm sure they're fine" I smiled.
Ary, if you want more thorough explanations, it'd be now.
"I'm going to my room, warn me when we're going, okay?"
"… sure?"
Well, he had the right to have some doubts, seeing as I never went to my room to stay there willingly. But, I shrugged it off and soon found myself sitting on my bed, in front of the mirror.
The creepy thing?
My reflection wasn't there. Gab was.
"Okay, this is kind of really cool and really weird" I grunted, sitting more comfortably.
"You have questions, don't you? Shoot" he rolled his eyes.
He still wasn't moving his mouth, which was scaring the hell out of me.
"Okay… well, what exactly are my new abilities?
"Well, against the Akumas, you can still use Feathered Blades and Spin Rocket. Your wings are bigger and stronger, which allows you to fly faster and longer. As said, you can take someone with you, but you have to take into account the weight of said person, the height to which you're flying, the distance you're doing-"
"Alright, alright, I get it, I have to do some mathematical bullshit before allowing someone to hitch a ride" I cut. "What else?"
"Impatient brat" he grunted. "Anyway, you used Shield sooner, which will stop any attack to hit your wings without damaging them"
"That's useful" I nodded. "But I do have other attacks, right?"
"Yes, you do" he confirmed with a slight smile. "Two others, in fact. However, these will only work on Noahs, and technically, humans too. They wont affect Akumas in the slightest, so be careful when you use them"
"Got it"
"Good. The first one is Heaven's Damnation. When you use it on a Noah, it will trap his or her mind into a realm where all their greatest dreams and desires are real. As long as they don't get out of your range –it's a big one, so don't worry about it- they won't be able to move, prisoner of their own mind"
"That's… kind of cool" I admitted. "They won't have any consciousness of what's happening around them then?"
"None. The second attack is the same, but instead of dreams and desires, it's their greatest fears and nightmares. It's called Hell's Salvation"
"You chose the names, didn't you?" I smirked, amused.
"What gave it away?"
We chuckled a little.
"Anyway, is there any way for them to break out of it?" I asked.
"If they manage to overcome their dreams and/or fears, then yes, they'll break out. These attacks might not inflict any physical injuries, but psychological damage is another story. Even if they do break free, they won't be in a fighting shape"
"That's good to know" I nodded.
"Other than that, we're virtually immortal" he added casually.
"Seriously!?"
"Well, you can die, so don't just jump into a fire or something" he warned, half-serious and half-joking. "However, since we can heal right away, it'll be harder to take us down. There are a few weapons able to inflict damage I'd be unable to heal, but only other Angels can use them, like Michael. He really is the only one you should worry about. Of course, getting your head cut off or your heart ripped out will kill you. You're still human, after all"
"That's still awesome" I grinned at him.
"Sweetheart, it's me we're talking about" he scoffed. "Anyway, anything else?"
I thought for a moment.
"Am I allowed to tell the others about you? Or is there some sort of divine law against it?" I finally asked.
"You can do whatever you want" he shrugged. "But you can't… trust, everyone, with this situation. What we can do will most likely already attract attention, and-"
"Gab, what are you hiding?" I cut sharply.
He sighed.
"Innocence is linked to our Father, and se are we" he said, more seriously. "Which means that, in a certain way, we are linked to the Innocence. I've also got a certain... past experience, more or less. With some training, you'll become able to find the all the fragments scattered all around the world, and even their Host –theoretically speaking, of course, it's more difficult than that- and even spot the Akumas and Noahs, seeing as the civilians, demons and Hosts all have different auras, to which you are way more sensible now"
"Wait, wait, wait" I shook my head. "When you say all the fragments… do you mean-"
"Yes, the Heart is one of them"
"But this is amazing!" I jumped on my feet. "If I can find the Heart, we can stopped the Earl! This is brilliant!"
"It's not as easy as it sounds" he shook his head. "You'll have to train a lot, and our bond has to get stronger, and your own aura has to get bigger. It won't be an easy task, and you can't tell everyone about what you can do. Your friends are trustworthy people, but not all of them are free to do whatever they want like you or Allen"
For a moment, my thoughts wandered to Lavi and Bookman, then Lenalee, Komui, Reever and the rest of the scientists. They were working directly under the Black Order –or their Clan- and I knew of a few higher ups that weren't exactly nice.
*cough* Leverrier *cough*
"Plus, Apocryphos is most probably hiding as one of the Grand Masters, and if he finds out about us… that really won't end well" added Gabriel.
"I understand" I finally relented. "I won't say a thing for now, see how things unfold. However, I won't keep it away from my friends very long. I can't ask them to trust me if I don't trust them"
"Very well. If anything else comes up, I'll warn you" he assured.
"About Allen's survival.." I bit my lower lip. "What exactly happened? Tyki pierced a hole in his heart. How could he survive?"
Gab's eyes glinted a little.
"Because of us. We're Savior of Innocence. You coerced his dispersed Innocence into his heart to fill the hole, and bam! He's still alive"
"That's… kind of cool and terrifying at the same time" I admitted.
"I'll be going, now. I have to get into contact with Him"
"You mean you can talk to God through my head?" I asked, stunned. "You know, this is getting creepier by the second but, in a way, I'm really glad you're here"
"Why is that?" he asked with curiosity.
"We're one" I smiled. "Without me, you can't do a thing, but the same goes if it's the other way around: without you, I'm nothing either. All this time, I trusted Angel more than anything or anyone, because it –you- never failed me before. Plus, you don't lie to me, I can tell that much, and it's very appreciated. I doubt you actually have to give in to my spoiled demands. So, I trust you, and I'm really glad we're in this together"
He looked away and coughed, apparently embarrassed, which made me laugh.
"You're not… so bad of Host yourself" he finally admitted, not even looking at me in the eyes. "But we'll have this heart to heart another time, okay? Allen is coming this way"
"Wait!"
He eyed me curiously.
"What?"
"Is there any way for me to talk to you without looking like I'm going insane?" I pleaded.
He snickered at that.
"It's your mind, Ary-chan. I'm not the one to control it, I'm just hitching a ride until you drop dead"
"Geez, don't I feel loved" I mumbled. "But anyway. See you later, Trickster"
A Cheshire cat grin spread on his face, before he waved.
"Later, Hime"
And with that, he disappeared. I rolled my eyes at the stupid nickname and walked to the door. As I opened it, Allen stood in the doorway, ready to knock. He blinked in surprise.
"You're still here" he stated dumbly. "I thought I'd have to hunt you down because you couldn't stay in place"
"I was just… meditating" I shrugged, smiling innocently.
"You were meditating" he repeated, clearly not convinced. "Right… anyway, let's go. It's safe to use the Ark"
"Then let's move! With their luck, I'm sure the others are into some sort of really deep shit. They always do when I'm not around" I pressed, taking the lead. "Plus, we don't- hey, is that a new uniform?"
He chuckled a little as I checked out the said uniform in wonder. He then handed me a small package.
"Here's yours. Go change and we'll be going"
"Right away!"
"Okay, I think I'm in love with it" I sighed happily, stretching as much as I could. "It's so comfortable! Plus, the last one was kind of shredded. I swear you could have made it pass for mozzarella... yup, totally in love"
"The others must have gotten theirs too" nodded Allen. "Don't go and make Lavi jealous, though"
My step faltered and I shot him a very unique look.
"The hell are you talking about?"
He stopped in his tracks, eyed me for a moment, before he broke into a devilish smile.
"Nothing!"
And with that, he kept on walking.
"A-Allen! Oi, Kiddo! What the- you can't just say- Allen!"
But he kept his mouth shut as Gabriel howled in laughter in the back of my mind. More than annoyed, I jumped on his back.
"Super sneak attack!"
He avoided me at the last second, making me crash into the wall. He snickered as I rubbed my sore nose.
"Ow…"
"You can't yell when you do a 'sneak attack', Ary" he mocked.
"You know what? You're mean, Kiddo. You're very, very mean. But you know what else?"
He paled a little as an evil smile graced my lips.
"I can be a real bitch when I want to"
With that, I started walking once again towards the hall where was kept the Ark.
"Wonder how Komui is going to take it when certain a little birdie passes by and tells him all about a certain crush on a certain little sister…" I trailed off sweetly.
I could hear the sweat dripping from his forehead.
"A-Ary! No- no need to go to such extents! And I don't lik- Ary!"
Cackling, I ran ahead, the white haired teen hot on my heels.
We were now in front of the Ark, standing proudly in our new uniforms and more ready than ever to go back to our friends and the mission. Bak handed us a golden earring each, which I eyed in wonder.
"It's a transmitter that we're developing" informed the Head. "With this, you'll be able to contact Headquarters"
"Sweet!"
I quickly put on mine, and there was a little buzz, before a very familiar voice echoed on the other side of the line.
"Can you hear me? Ary? Allen?"
"Boss!" I exclaimed happily.
"Komui-san" greeted Allen, more calmly but smiling.
"Hey, it's been a while, you two"
"Are we good to go, Boss?" I asked, turning to face the Ark.
He sighed, sign that he really wasn't okay with this operation but that he gave in anyway.
"Yes, you are. However, I am your stop light"
"What do you mean?" asked the teen next to me.
This time, there were some exclamations on the other side, and I managed to catch a few, which made me grin.
"Hey, Reese!" I called. "Are you really crying? Aw, I feel so appreciated! I miss you too, guys!"
There were laughs on the other side, and Komui took back the lead.
"Seeing as we won't be able to stop the both of you, we're going to use these transmitters to board it together. If I deem it to be even the slightest bit dangerous, I'll you both turn right around"
"What? No way! We won't turn back!" protested Allen.
"What he said" I nodded firmly.
But Komui just laughed once again.
"You two really haven't change, have you? It's really good to hear from you. However, you are our precious friends too. Don't you think we want to protect you? Or do you not consider us your friends?"
"Geez, no need for the guilty card" I grunted.
"We get it" Allen gritted his teeth.
Surprised at his tone, I turned to him, and snorted.
"Kiddo, you're blushing" I pointed out.
"Am not!"
"But anyway, Boss, all of you aren't our friends" I retorted to the earring. "You're our family!"
"Headquarters is the home we can always go back too" added Allen with a little sigh.
"So no matter what, we're coming back, and with everyone else!" I pumped my fist.
Their was a choking sound on the other side of the line, some sort of sob, and a buzz, making me frown.
"Err… hello?
It was Reever who answered me.
"It's alright, Ary. The Supe only fainted when he heard you so optimistic. He's not the only one either. You seem more… confident, in yourself"
"God, with that you make it sound like I was a depressed and suicidal, mentally instable teenager" I rolled my eyes. "But… let's just say that I had a wake up call. Can we get a move on now?"
There was another buzz, and Komui was back once again.
"Sorry for that. But yes! Let's get moving, people!"
"Wait!"
Surprised, I turned to Allen.
"What is it?"
"We forgot someone" he said fervently.
I thought a second, before understanding washed over me.
"Shit! Boss, we'll be right back!"
And with that, we started running to find a very dear friend.
"For?" called Allen when we reached to the sealed entrance.
"Hey, Nasturtium! Still alive or do we have to search for a corpse?" I added.
Allen whacked me behind the head for my rudeness, but a chuckle answered anyway.
"How are you doing, For?" he asked.
"Not bad" her voice echoed around.
"So, not going to die on us?" I wanted to make sure.
"No, I'm not" she chuckled once again.
"That's good to hear" nodded Allen with a smile.
"After resting a bit more in here, I'll be back in top shape" she assured. "I'll just be bored for a while, seeing as it takes forever. Guess I'll see the two weird Exorcists off from here"
"Weird? Please, we're awesome" I scoffed. "You're just jealous of our amazingness"
"I'm dying from envy" she drawled.
There was a moment of silence, before we burst into laughter.
"God, it's going to be boring around here without you two" she sighed.
"Aw, don't worry, Nasturtium!" I grinned. "We'll come back to see you! Tease Stalker-chan for me?"
"Will do, Ary. I'm going to sleep, now. I'm exhausted. Both of you should get lost already!"
I exchanged a smile with Allen.
"We're heading out" he simply said.
"Take care!"
She didn't answer, but I knew she heard me. After that, we headed back to the hall.
"Are we really that weird?" finally asked Allen.
"Kiddo, you love humans and Akumas" I pointed out. "And I have a fricking halo above my head each time I active my Innocence. Pretty sure it can't be considered normal"
He laughed at that, and I eyed him curiously.
"Do you really mean it?" I then asked.
"What?"
"Saving both humans and Akumas" I precised. "Do you really mean it?"
At that, he turned solemnly serious.
"I do"
"Good" I broke into a smile.
I ruffled his hair and couldn't help but remark that he had gotten taller –with great annoyance, you can easily guess.
"Then I'll stand by you all the way, Kiddo" I assured.
"Thanks, Ary"
He seemed so relieved at that moment that it made me kind uncomfortable.
"Okay, okay, we reached our drama quota" I broke the moment. "Now let's go, we really can't take any more time"
He simply smiled, and I smiled back.
He's bound to do great things. You'll have to help him, Ary.
I will. With everything I've got.
"We're back!" I announced.
"Sorry for that" added Allen.
"It's okay. Ready to go?" asked Bak.
"As much as we can be" I assured.
"Rohfa and the others aren't here" remarked Allen, looking around.
"Wonder if saying farewell was too painful" added the Head.
"Geez, lighten up! You make it sound as if we're about to die" I rolled my eyes. "Have some faith!"
"With you onboard, we have to be ready for anything" he deadpanned.
"That's just plain mean"
"Please, tell them that I'm really grateful for all they've done" said my friend.
"Same. And thanks to all of you too!" I waved at the scientists around.
They simply chuckled and waved back. Then, we headed for the stairs leading to the get. I stopped moving as my gaze lingered for a moment on the black butterfly flying above our heads. Teez, if I remembered correctly.
"Ary?" asked softly Allen.
"Remind that, next time we see Tyki Mikk, I have to punch him really hard"
He laughed nervously.
"Err, right…"
"W-wait!"
We turned to the woman's voice, and saw the three scientists running at us. Rohfa had a small package in her hands, and she handed it to me.
"It's- it's nothing big, Ary, but we saw how you always tried to grab something at your neck even if there wasn't anything and then For told us you lost a necklace during you fight and- well, we just thought-"
She stopped talking when I opened the little box, and my heart missed a beat when I saw a little silver chain with a feather shaped piece of what I easily recognized as Innocence.
"Is that mine?" I asked curiously.
"W-we picked it up from one of your feathers from the fight with the Level Three" Rikei scratched the back of his head.
"We thought you would like it" concluded Shifu, more quiet than usual.
"Like it?" I repeated, staring at the gift with wide eyes. "I love it! You guys are amazing!"
I hugged Rohfa tightly, before kissing the cheeks of the boys. They both turned red, which made me snicker, and I put on the necklace.
It fit perfectly.
"Thank you so much, for everything" I bowed deeply.
"We'll be going, now" added Allen, placing an hand on my shoulder.
"Be careful!" called Rohfa.
"See you two later!" added Rikei.
Climbing the stairs to the Ark, I waved at them, then glanced down at the necklace and smiled a little.
"Ready, Ary?" my friend asked, next to me.
I eyed the portal-like door and, unconsciously, grabbed the pendant.
"Let's go"
"Ary! Walker!"
We turned to Bak and the others.
"Ary, the name of your new Innocence is Archangel!" he announced. "It's not exactly creative, but…"
"It's perfect" I grinned.
"Good thing you like it, it was a drag to find it. Be sure to bring your asses back here and alive!" the Head exclaimed.
"We will!" I assured with a smile.
With that, we stepped in the Ark.
Archangel?
*I like it, Hime*
Yeah, me too.
Somewhere in Edo
"They're still alive" announced Tyki with some sort of amusement and annoyance at the same time. "They may even be on their way here soon. You can see them!"
But, at his own words, the Noah offered a sick grin.
"If you live long enough, that is"
Lavi simply readjusted his hold on his hammer with a smile.
"Yeah, I'll do my best to stay alive until then" he nodded, his eyes hardening. "And when they get here, there'll be no one but us to greet them"
At that, all the others nodded their assent. Tyki's eyes turned colder, but he didn't loose his smile.
"It seems you'll give me some fun, then" he raised an eyebrow.
The redhead braced himself.
Come on, Ary, Allen.
"Here I come!"
We're waiting for you.
So, here are Crown Clown and Archangel. For some clarifications: Hell's Salvation and Heaven's Damnation won't work on Akumas, for it inflicts psychological damage. Since their souls and minds aren't exactly all there, they're immune to those attacks. Of course, I'm not done with developping Ary's abilities. It's too much fun.
Again, I'm ready to answer any question about Gabriel, avoiding spoilers of course!
Question: What will be Ary's new necklace's purpose?
Reviews!