Here's a new chapter, as promised, since I got a review from Leahcar-chan!

PS: I don't like numbers too. They're so... eesh.

Answer: I don't remember, but I think it was somewhere around 0,2% a day or something... or not. I'm really not sure.

Enjoy!

Snap out of it!

I instantly retreated my own aura, which allowed me to breath easier. Still shaking slightly, I could see the others tense as a childish and truly frightening laughed echoed form somewhere farther in the room. We couldn't see a thing because of the poisoned smoke surrounding us, though, but I could feel Allen confronting the new threat already.

I tried to move, but my body stopped on it's own.

Ary, you can't go now! You have to let me finish this!

But Allen's in danger! The scientist's auras are so weak, and I need to-

I will use force if I have too, Ary! Just listen to me and calm the hell down! Going kamikaze on them won't help a fucking thing!

I clenched my fists, then breathed, and I felt the tension on my muscles disappear as Gabriel let go of his hold.

What is that thing, Trickster?

A Level Four.

W-what!? How can such an atrocious being exist?

I was really tempted to cry in frustration now, and I could sense Marie's unease growing as he heard the new level of Akuma.

Extending my aura again to catch Allen's, I ignored at best the state of the dark mass swirling in front of him and realized he was as distressed as I.

Gab, I can't take it! I have to go help him!

… fine. I patched up the basics, anyway. But if I say to fall back, you obey, got it?

Hai!

"Aryane, what's happening?" asked Cross, serious for once.

"Level Four" I answered. "Get ready"

And with that, I flew towards my friend's position.

I got there a minute later, and the only thing keeping me from running back was the thought of leaving him and my friends alone with this disgusting creature.

I wasn't even ashamed to say that I was terrified.

However, ignoring the kicking instincts and the need to empty my stomach more than trice, I landed next to Allen, who had collapsed onto his knees, and placed my hand on his shoulder.

"Allen, wake up!" I shook him roughly. "This is no time to chicken out! Our friends need us!"

I glanced at the bunch of scientists lying around in their own blood, and recognized Reever, Bak, Johnny and many others.

The boy raised his eyes to me, and I realized he was crying. Then, I remembered his cursed eye. He must be seeing the demon's soul, then.

"We have to save everyone" I insisted.

He swallowed hard, before a flame of determination brightened his eyes.

A chill crawled down my spine as the Akuma suddenly appeared behind us, barely a meter away.

Slowly, I turned to face it.

"Who's this 'everyone'?" it asked childishly. "Are you crying?"

I bite my tongue, drawing some blood in the process.

"Hai" admitted Allen, rubbing his eyes. "I weep for those who died, and for you and your soul. But… it ends here!"

As his Innocence activated, I chose the cowardly way and ran to the scientist's sides, determined to get them away from there.

Whatever you do, stay calm. Allen can hold it up for the moment. Just do what you have to do.

Hai!

Bookman came to help me as Allen and the Level Four disappeared in the smoke, and we managed to get all the injured to Tiedoll and his Eden.

Ary, do it.

But I have to protect everyone! If I go against it now, then they might-

Sometimes, the best defense is the attack.

That struck a cord, and gritted my teeth. What the hell was happening to me? I wasn't about to run away, not now, not when I was needed the most.

My thoughts wandered to Lavi, Lenalee, Komui, Kanda, Krory and Tewaku, still somewhere in the tower. If we didn't destroy the Level Four here, it would go on a rampage and kill everyone.

I couldn't let that happen.

I wouldn't.

Not wasting any more time, I flew back to the battlefield.

I got there just in time to see Allen crashing through a wall, his Innocence deactivating.

"Oi, ugly butt!" I yelled, gaining it's attention. "Why don't you play with me, now?"

"Ooh, a new toy!" it exclaimed giddily. "Will you last as long as the last one, though? I think I broke him…"

It laughed again, and my anger gained the upper hand upon my disgust. I knew the white-haired boy was still alive, but barely, and seeing it just laugh about my friend's life made me mad.

Very, very mad.

"How about we go with the same trick, eh?" It proposed, grinning madly.

It snapped it's fingers, shooting some sort of white gigantic sphere my way. Not even moving, I raised Shield.

The attack bounced back to the Akuma, sending it away much like what happened with Allen. However, it simply got back on it's feet, still smiling.

"That's a nice trick, Onee-san!" the monster said in glee. "How about a few more?"

It shot at me again, but I easily deflected the spheres back to it. The Akuma avoided them, now knowing my move, and I used this momentum to send Feathered Blades.

The Level Four barely escaped them, but the last one actually scratched it's arm. It blinked in surprise as black drops fell out of the wound.

"You got me there, Onee-san" it admitted, more quietly. "Why don't I show you a new trick too, then?"

It's aura leveled up and, before I could react, the monster started screaming.

The young Exorcist instantly gripped her head in pain as her mouth opened and closed, unable to let her own scream escape. Her form started buzzing as she seemed to split in two separate beings.

For any who would have watched, there now seemed to be a man standing next to her, both collapsing to their knees as sparks flew around them.

Only one was watching, though.

"Oh, Onee-san isn't alone, eh?" the Akuma giggled.

"We- we're loosing… our synch…" gasped the man, also known as Gabriel.

"G-Gab?" she recognized with some sort of fright. "W-what… argh!"

And suddenly, all was bursting up ravaging flames.

"Ary… Ary…"

I took in a sharp intake of breath as my lungs seemed to work for the first time. Coughing and spatting some blood, someone helped me in a sitting position. Looking up, it took me a few times to recognize the man holding me.

"Gabriel?"

"Hey" he grinned.

But how the hell could he be here? Alive? Out of my fricking head?

I then realized how pale he was, almost translucent.

He smiled sadly.

"The attack… destabilized… our synch rate…" he informed, his voice far and close at the same time. "I couldn't… get back in… without synchronizing with… you, again…"

"How do we do that?" I frowned.

He chuckled at that.

"Hime… you have a chance now…" he said quietly.

"W-what? A chance? What are you talking about?"

I started panicking. What was he going on about? A chance? A chance for what? Why did he seemed so down? So defeated and understanding at the same time?

"Without my vessel… I'm going back…" he admitted. "We can synchronize… again… but now is your last chance…"

"What chance!?" I repeated, worried.

"To be… free…"

I froze.

...Free?

What did he meant?

"Without me… you'll still have your Innocence… but you won't have the destiny… or Protector and Savior of the Innocence…" he announced. "You can refuse the synch… right now… and I'll go… back… and you'll be able to be… free… and help your friends… without restraints… no more secrets… no more lies… no more nightmares…"

At that, unable to stop myself, I slapped him.

Hard.

He stared at me dumbly.

"You're my friend too, Gabriel!" I snapped, my throat feeling dry. "I don't care about destiny and whatnot! I need you by my side, just like everyone else, and I'm not about to let you go! I am an Exorcist, the Protector and Savior, and I am fucking damn proud of it! So sue me, but you ain't going anywhere because I'm fucking selfish and I want you with me when we kick Michael's ass! I'm not backing down! I'm not running away! We've started this together, and we'll end this together! There's no other way, got it!?"

My heart throbbing in my chest, I felt more than saw Gabriel smiling at me as the emptiness in my mind started filling again. There was a flash of light, and he completely disappeared.

I'm glad, Ary.

Don't you fucking do that again, Trickster. I won't forgive you next time.

Sure, sure. Just get on with it and do your fucking job, would you? There's still a Level Four rampaging downstairs.

But we won't let it kill anyone else.

"I promise"

As the Exorcists currently fighting the... thing, learned about the survivors in the fifth lab by none other than Marshall Cross, who had used Carte Garde to escape, the Level Four started moving once again despite Allen's sword through it's abdomen.

It was angry now.

"Innocence… I… hate it… I hate it… I hate it!" It snarled, gathering energy to free itself.

Its gaze was frenetic, with a crazy haze tainting its view. It bared its teeth, pushed harder, and finally managed to send the white haired boy away, freeing itself. It got up, black blood seeping through its wounds, and sent the sword through Allen's shoulder, pinning him to the wall. Lenalee landed next to him, worried.

Lavi and Kanda's eyes widened as the Akuma giggled and swayed between insanity and amusement, and it suddenly flew at the two sill standing.

At the last second, though, there was the distinct noise of metal clashing against metal as a beam of white blinding light shot between the Fourteenth's legacy and the Level Four. The whole room shook under the strength of the deflected blow as the disgusting being was sent crashing away, and all eyes turned to the figure, stunned by the sudden appearance.

"Who do you think you are… hurting my friends like this?" the figure asked.

The voice was like ice shards, but extremely familiar to all of those present, and the light finally died down enough to reveal the identity of this unknown savior.

Her hair was as red as ever, strands flying around her face like angry snakes as a her face revealed nothing of the pure hatred she felt towards the weapon. Her wings were spread wide, protecting Allen and Lenalee from the debris, and the halo above her head was brighter than they ever saw it before.

It was Aryane, of course. None other Exorcist had that taste for dramatic entrances.

She seemed somewhat different, though.

If her appearance hadn't change a bit, she seemed more dangerous than ever. However, her friends felt somehow safe. All her her anger was merely directed to the Level Four now getting back on it's feet.

"A-Ary…" whispered Lenalee.

But the older teen wasn't listening to her, all her attention focused on her enemy. She started walking towards it and Lavi, looking closer, remarked that she was wearing some sort of chainmail, or armor. It seemed lightweight, almost fragile, but something told him it was way more than that. She also wore gauntlets that reached her elbows, made of the same steel that he just couldn't put a name on.

"You made a mistake by coming here, Level Four" her voice echoed in the heavy silence.

"Are you sure you aren't the one who made said mistake?" it sneered, before shooting purple spheres at her.

There were a few explosions around her but, when the dust settled down, all could see she hadn't even moved an inch.

"You are weak, already shattered" she pursued, walking again.

The young girl grabbed the pendant around her neck, the one Rohfa, Rikei and Shifu had made for her back at the Asian Branch.

"Silversword!"

It glowed as a blade started forming, pointy end going down as the pendant now formed the hilt. Then, she brandished her new weapon before her.

"For all the lives you took, for your own very soul" she whispered. "Please die!"

The teen brought it down on her opponent, who raised it's arms to block the attack.

...

The sword sliced through them as if it was butter, before cutting the head in two, straight and clean.

"Inno… cence… I… hate… Innocence…"

And it exploded.

The sword turned back to a pendant as I spun around to the others, a big smile on my face. My wrath was appeased and the threat was no more.

"Yo! How's life going?"

"ARY!"

Lenalee was the first to react, jumping from her spot and landing in my arms before hugging me tightly against her.

Wait. Jumping?

"Your Innocence's back!" I realized. "Jumper, this is amazing!"

She laughed happily as I made her spin, and I examined her Innocence closer. It was different from an equip-type or a parasitic-type, that I could tell.

"Is everyone alright?" she then asked. "In the fifth lab…"

"Many died, but those who were caught in the last attack of the Level Four all survived" I assured, still smiling but less.

She nodded and I let out a sigh, before collapsing on my knees. Someone caught me before I could hit the ground, and I raised my eyes to see Lavi smiling down at me.

"What the hell was that, Tenshi?"

"My second level" I answered, refraining a yawn. "Damn, I'm tired…"

"Tche, you're late, Akahato" sneered Kanda.

"Oh, still alive, Jerkface?" I blinked in fake wonder. "Should have come later"

He scoffed and whacked the back of my head.

"Jerk"

"Bitch"

"Son of mine"

"Dwarf"

"TAKE THAT BACK!"

The others laugh at our banter, and someone else hit my head. I glared at Cross, who took a smoke as if he didn't just bashed my skull.

"I wanted to use it as a test subject" he nodded at the fuming remains of the Akuma.

"Too bad, I got him first" I retorted. "You snooze, you loose, right?"

"Ary… are they really okay?" asked Allen to my right, as if not believing it.

Smiling, I ruffled his hair despite my position in my boyfriend's embrace.

"Why don't we just go and see by ourselves?" I proposed.

Trying to get up, I realized I couldn't even move my legs. They others shot me worried looks.

"I'm fi-"

Lavi clamped his hand over my mouth.

"We know you're not" he rolled his eye. "You're exhausted"

"Everyone is" I replied, pushing his hand away. "But fine, I'll rest. Piggy back ride?"

He thought for a moment, a teasing glint in his green eye, then dramatically sighed.

"I guess you do deserve one…"

"Yay!"

He lifted me on his back, and I snuggled into the warmth, happy.

It was finally over.

"Ji-ji!"

Lavi ran to Bookman's stretcher, with me still on his back.

"You dead?" he asked fervently.

"The idiot's arrived" remarked flatly the old man.

I snorted as Lavi wiped away a few relieved tears.

"Aw, Bookboy's crying" I poked his cheek.

"Shut up, Tenshi! I'm not crying!" he protested.

"And here's idiot number two" added plainly Bookman.

"Aw, I love you too" I grinned. "Not going to die on us now, are we? I know you're old and wrinkly already, but don't kick the bucket just yet"

"I feel your appreciation" he deadpanned. "But more importantly, did any of my hair get burnt?"

"Who cares if your hair got burnt!?" finally gave in Lavi, tears streaming down his face. "Baka Ji-ji!"

Smiling, I let my head fall on his back and closed my eyes as he wailed in relief.

I'd grieve tomorrow.

I don't know, this chapter seems kind of short... but wathever, I quite like it.

So, Ary's synchronisation rate with Gabriel got a boost because of the re-synch, the pendant became her second level now known as Silversword and all is well that ends well.

Well, except for Dap.

Question: None for now. If you're still confused about Ary's new form of Innocence, don't hesitate to ask.

Reviews!