Yoooooo everyone! Thanks again for the reviews, you're all so awesome! Unfortunately *cue evil grin*, no one found out where the Heart was.

On another note... this is the 50th chapter.

And there are -will be- 53, including the epilogue.

...

I KNOW! I KNOW, IT'S TOO SOON! I'M SORRY! EVERYTHING'S BEEN PLANNED OUT ALREADY, AND PROLONGING EVERYTHING WOULD JUST MAKE IT TOO LONG FOR NOTHING! GOMENNASAI!

So, since the next chapter will be the final battle -no spoilers, don't worry-, I've decided to take my time in writing it. You know, to wrap everything up nicely and make sure it's good. I'm already well advanced, but I never was good for combat scene, so I'm trying really hard to make it good.

Otherwise said, I won't post tomorrow, nor the day after or the day after. Give me a week, perhaps? I'll update as soon as possible, I swear!

Answer: You'll see in this chapter *another evil grin*

LOVEYOUGUYSSOMUCHENJOY!

I stared at the ceiling with a blank face.

There are two shades of white.

Hime-

Ignoring him, I shifted on my bed and let my gaze wander by the window. Outside, the sky seemed to reflect our general mood and the usual sun had been replaced by dark clouds.

I felt… empty. Hollow. Las.

We had been so close to our goal, so close to end it all! But our hopes –my, hopes, had been crushed in the matter of a few mere seconds.

And now?

We were back to square one.

Damn it.

There was a tug at the back of my mind, and I sighed, knowing Gabriel wanted to talk to me. So, letting go of consciousness, I let myself slip in my mindscape.

As soon as I arrived, I was engulfed in a warm embrace. I instantly returned the Angel's hug, kind of desperate.

"Hime…"

"Why?" I asked, my voice weak. "I thought- I really thought we could do it…"

"I know" he assured, his voice soft and soothing. "But you can't give up now, Ary"

"But the Heart's gone!" I protested, my grip tightening around him. "It shouldn't have been, so why is it gone!? Without it, we can't end all of this! Without it, we… we lost…"

There was a light scolding pat on my head, and I raised my eyes to meet Gabriel's.

"You've come so far, Hime" he said. "You can't let go now of all times"

"Then what can I do?" I replied, bitterness settling in my voice. "Your memories are all back, so no surprise back up plan, and we can't risk another astral projection, what with Apocryphos and Wisely on guard. We've got no lead whatsoever, which makes us fucking stuck in place!"

"So what, that's it? You give up?"

I stiffened at my friend's words, backing away slightly.

"I-I didn't- I'm not giving up! I just- I can't-"

"We got no lead, so what?" he cut. "Does this mean the fight's over? That the Earl won? That we leave the world to fall in the Three Days of Darkness? That we failed and that all the lives lost until now were in vain?"

Anger burned down that last remains of my despair.

"I didn't say that!" I hit roughly his chest. "And I didn't give up! Don't you dare say otherwise!"

We stared at each other for a moment, none of us backing down from the glaring contest. Then, his face broke into a small smile.

"Good. Now, what do we do, Hime?"

I sighed, letting myself slump in the grass. Now that my little and extremely unnecessary breakdown was done, I could think more clearly about our situation.

We had to find the Heart, that was a given. However, as said sooner, all of Gabriel's memories had been retrieved, meaning there wouldn't be anything else to find via my dreams or visions. If we were desperate enough, we could use astral projection, but I wouldn't risk anyone what with the other mind-rapists waiting for us.

So, what could we do? The Heart wasn't in the chest, but the Angel had put it there before, meaning it had been taken. The Museum had never been able to open it, same for the Arembergs, so it had to happen before they found it. Seeing the Noahs were also searching for it, then they obviously didn't have it. So, what-

"Wait, Ary"

"What is it?" I blinked at Gabriel, surprised to have been pulled out of my wonders

"The Noahs are still trying to find the Heart" he said, having followed my train of thoughts. "But… Michael never exactly tried anything, except back in London, and they obviously weren't there for the Case, or they would have taken it long before we got there…"

My own heart missed a beat as I slowly went with the flow of his remark. The more I thought about it, the closer I got to the ultimate truth-

I instantly woke up, sweat rolling from my forehead. It couldn't… but it was so obvious by now… Understanding dawned over me like a cold shower.

"Michael… already has the Heart"

Well fuck.

Couldn't have said it better, Trickster.

As I ran down an hallway to find everyone and explain my theory, I nearly bumped into Marie, who caught me before I could hit the floor.

"Ary-"

"I know where the Heart is!" I exclaimed in one breath. "Well, kind of! Come on, we've got to find everyone!"

But he only frowned.

"They're already to the Library, I was coming to get you" he informed.

At his tone, my excitation faltered somewhat.

"W-what's happening?" I asked, frowning too.

"It's Apocryphos" he answered. "We've got some intel. Come on, everyone is waiting for you"

"Then let's go!"

I've got a really bad feeling about this.

You tell me, Hime.

"What's going on?" I asked as soon as the doors open.

Making my way inside, my eyes instantly landed on two CROWs standing next to the Thirds. I instantly recognized the brown-haired woman from London.

"Lady Exorcist" she bowed at my presence.

"Intel on Apocryphos?" I questioned, already knowing the answer.

She straightened, face as blank as the last time, and nodded sharply.

"Apocryphos plans to attack the Ark" she announced seriously.

"W-what? When? How?"

"Two days from now" she answered. "He had us CROWs to develop a spell that would destroy the protections surrounding the Ark, therefore stopping any tentative to escape and allowing his troupes to invade"

I blinked once. Twice. My eye twitched.

Told ya you'd fucking jinx us.

Shut up!

"Well, can't escape it" I sighed, letting myself fall on the couch next to Lenalee. "Keep working for him, invade the Ark. We'll contact you as soon as we have a plan"

She nodded her consent, putting her mask back in place, before Allen opened a door and let them outside.

Once it closed, though, hell broke loose.

"What the fuck, Ary?"

"You can't just decide that!"

"I'll kill you, Akahato!"

"What the hell were you thinking!?"

"Two days? We'll never make it!"

"Shut the fuck up, would you!?" I snapped, making them fall silent. "We don't have a choice in the matter. Apocryphos is going to attack, big deal. This place, the Ark, it's our territory. They have no power here, and with the CROWs on our side, we can easily turn this situation to our advantage"

They all fall silent, pondering on our chances. Suddenly, the room turned darker. Before I could react, I felt myself falling. Hitting the floor in a harsh 'THUD', I then looked around, narrowing my eyes.

::

I wasn't in the library anymore.

A small, familiar tune echoed, and I gritted my teeth.

"Road!" I called. "Show yourself!"

A few seconds passed, before her form appeared before me. She wore a somber expression, something that really freaked me out. She usually smiled sadistically, so seeing such a serious frown on her child-like face only led me to think the worse.

I knew she wasn't physically on the Ark, and I didn't really left the library. The Noah simply pulled my subconscious in one of her dream. The thing was, with Gabriel in my head, she shouldn't have been able to pull that off.

"How-"

"Gabriel let me in"

I tried to formulate my incomprehension, but couldn't find the right words. She sighed, and sat on a chair that appeared out of nowhere.

"I'm not here to fight" she assured.

"Then why are you here?" I managed to grit out. "And why did Gab let you pass?"

"Last time we fought, you used a special attack on me"

I stiffened at the memory. No, I didn't feel guilty. She deserved it. The thing was, nothing told me she wasn't here for revenge. I let go of my last doubts when ravaging emotions settled in her golden orbs, making my breath hitch slightly.

Sadness. Longing. Was that hope?

"You showed me… my perfect world" she passed an hand over her face. "What I desired the most wasn't what I thought it'd be. But… I want it. So, so much"

The girl let out a dry laugh.

"Ironic, isn't it? I, Road Kamelot, the Noah of Dreams, get caught in the webs of my owns"

"What is it that you want, then?"

Her laugh died down, and her fist clenched slightly.

"Nea…"

Confusion took over the rest of my emotions. What the hell was she talking about?

"Nea…" she repeated, louder. "I want to be with Nea. Like before. I want to be with him, never letting go. I want to atone for my failure to him, I want-"

"You love him?"

She stilled at that, her eyes going wide. She obviously denied the whole thing all along, and here I came trashing her protective walls.

"I… guess I do" she whispered.

"Right… why telling me this?" I raised an eyebrow. "You won't betray the current Earl, for you are loyal to your Clan and Master. So, what do you want me to do?"

"Nothing"

"Uh?"

"You won't do anything. I merely came here to inform you that the Noahs will take part in the battle against Apocryphos, starting the three way war that lingered for so many centuries" she replied seriously.

"Then why tell me everything about Nea!?" I exclaimed, exasperated and still confused.

At that, she looked away.

"I'll… look out, for him" she sighed. "Betraying the Millennium Earl is impossible for us, since it would result with our Noah side destroyed. However, if it comes down to it, I'll help Nea. I-I can't loose him, not again"

"Otherwise said, we can count you as potential ally in anything that concerns Nea's life?" I traduced.

She simply nodded, and I rubbed my temples.

"Got it. Thanks for the head's up"

"It wasn't for you" she retorted more coldly.

"Hai, hai"

The girl let out an annoyed huff, looking away and her bratty façade of usual settled back.

"Whatever. I've delivered my message. We'll meet back on the battlefield, in two days from now"

"And we'll settle everything once and for all" I added.

Her door appeared, and she left without another glance behind. Then, the dream shattered and I found myself back in the library.

::

"Ary!"

At Timothy's cry, everyone's attention shifted back to me. I had apparently collapsed, and they put me on the couch.

"What happened to you?" worried Lenalee.

"Road happened" I grunted, feeling a headache coming.

"Road?" repeated Allen, frowning. "What-"

"She had a message for us" I cut. "They'll be joining the final battle too"

"Which only makes things more complicated" Bak remarked with a scowl.

"Ary, you told me sooner that you found the Heart" recalled Marie. "Does it have anything to do with your decision to confront Apocryphos?"

At the wondering stares from the rest of the group, I let out an heavy sigh, before dropping the bomb.

"Apocryphos has the Heart"

Instantly, they all exploded in colored curses that I had no doubt came from my mouth at least once before –I swear I heard Kanda curse in French-, and waited for them to calm down a little before pursuing.

Once they were done, I explained what Gabriel and I came up with, the Angel appearing in the mirror across of me.

"The Heart was taken before the Museum found the chest, which means it happened way before any of us were born" I pointed out.

"And, as I told you before, anyone using the Heart without the Case would turn psychopathic" added my friend. "Which would explain why Michael strayed from his path and turned out like this. Because, let's be honest, no Angel would naturally transform the way he does"

"So, we reached the conclusion that Apocryphos found the Heart all these years ago, wanting to protect it, but couldn't find the Case, which is why he turned out the way he did. It would also explain why he can absorb Innocence, and why he wants to. Michael and Apocryphos are two different beings, the second being the Heart itself. It's trying to protect itself, and considers us threats to its survival" I concluded.

"Well…" Lavi trailed off. "It does makes sense"

The rest nodded in agreement, and Bak stroke his chin in wonder.

"It doesn't leave us much time to plan, though" he pointed out.

I bit my lower lip at that. He was right, of course, but we could no longer back down. It was time… it was time to move forward. For good.

"Guys…" I called, gaining back their attention. "This… will more than probably be our final act"

As soon as the words left my mouth, the already somber mood grew heavier. However, I had to make things clear.

"This three way war with Apocryphos, the Noahs and the Exorcist is about to reach it's term" I insisted. "In two days from now, the finale battle will decided the fate of this world and humanity"

"No pressure" muttered Allen.

"None of us have to do it"

The air grew colder at my announcement, and I shifted in place.

"What do you mean?" asked Timothy, a little confused.

"None of us has the obligation to fight" I precised, my throat feeling dry. "We still have a chance to back out and let it be. Right here, right now, is the time to decide if you let it go. Timothy, you still have the Orphanage. Lenalee, Komui, you could leave and go back to your home country to live as a family again. Bookman, Lavi, you still have your duties as Bookmen. Tewaku, Madarao, Tokusa, Link, you would be able to live in any town you'd like. You, everyone… All of us are offered this choice. There is absolutely no guarantee that we'll make it, and it's the last chance we'll get. If you want to leave, then it's now or never"

There was a scoff, and all eyes turned to Kanda.

"You're telling us now, of all moments?" he grunted. "Give me a break, Akahato. None of us is backing out"

"The others might-"

"Ba-Kanda's right" Allen assured. "We've come this far. We can't give up now. We've got to move forward"

"We're going to end this war" added Krory, determined.

"And make sure all those lives weren't lost in vain" pursued Lenalee with a smile.

I checked their aura, trying to catch some sort of hesitation, but even Timothy's and Miranda's determination was set in stone.

I grinned, getting on my feet.

"Good. Didn't want you to chicken out on me on the battlefield"

They all shared bitter smiles at that, knowing too well that this time, it was all or nothing. We wouldn't survive if we lost. We would live if we won. There was no other way anymore.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Let's get to it!"

We passed the next three hours setting up our plans. The CROWs had been informed, the fights planned out and all that was left to do was wait for the final battle.

The final battle…

Nervous, Hime?

Of course I am. We won't get another chance, Trickster. If we fail-

You won't fail. But come, we have much to discuss.

Curious, I settled on the couch and reached my mindscape. When I arrived, Gabriel was waiting for me with a small smile, but I could tell there was something bothering him.

"What is it, Gab?" I asked, sitting next to him.

"It's… remember the spell? Well, I don't exactly know it. It's one of my brothers that has it, and he won't give it to me unless I bring you with me"

I stared at him for a few seconds, startled. Then, my excitation grew like that of a five years old receiving a new toy.

"You mean… we're going Up?"

"Yep. Hang on tight, we'll be back before the end of the hour"

"Aye, aye!"

Curious and more of all excited despite our circumstances –I'm going to the literal Heaven, cut me some slack-, I grabbed his extended arm.

There was a flash of light.

The forest usually covering my mindscape disappeared, leaving place to a very grand hallway.

I looked around, slightly in daze.

"You know, it's kind of cliché" I then remarked. "Does everything has to be white? I'll be blind before we get back…"

Gabriel rolled his eyes at my antics.

"It's the Innocence, we can't change the color no matter how many times we tried"

I hummed, and we started heading down the hallway. It was very simple, all white, but with an extremely high ceiling. Our footsteps didn't make any sound, and we didn't have any shadows either, which kind of freaked me out.

"So, who are we going to see?" I wondered.

"My brother Raphael" he answered with a little scowl. "I have no idea why he wanted to see you too, though"

"Because I'm amazing, duh" I replied.

He shook his head, ruffling my hair, and we stopped before a door as plain and simple as any others we passed by. Pushing it open, I went inside, and my jaw dropped.

"Trickster?" I squeaked out, frozen in place. "I thought you said we were going to see your brother…"

Behind me, I could tell he was frowning as he closed the door.

"But we are g- oh"

Before us wasn't one, but dozens of Angels, all seated around one big and round table that circled the whole room.

For once in my life, I was intimidated.

"Err…"

"Welcome back, Gabriel" greeted the one in front of us. "And our greetings to your Host"

I stilled at his words.

"Raph-"

"Oi, I'm not just an Host, Blondie" I glared at him. "I'm a human being and also Trickster's friend, so you better treat me as such or else"

There was a moment of silence, and Gabriel snorted.

"Oh, Ary…"

"What?" I asked, all nervousness forgotten.

There were a few quiet chuckles, even from the "Blondie" or rather, Raphael.

"Quite the spitfire uh?" remarked one of the beautiful women.

"Her and little Gabriel really are the perfect match" another man pointed out.

"Both rash and rude" scoffed a third.

"Can we just get on with it?" Gabriel rubbed his temples.

I smirked at that.

"Why, Trickster, you got such a nice family!" I grinned. "Aren't you happy to be back?"

"No"

"Ouch" mocked Raphael. "We feel your love, Gabriel"

"Oh, I like him" I pointed at the blond-haired man.

"Enough pointless chatter. Why couldn't you just give me the spell, Raph?" my friend cut to the chase.

At his question, the rest of the angels exchanged glances.

"The spell won't work" finally said the woman from sooner.

"What?"

"Your synchronization with your Host- I mean, Miss Aryane, is too complete. While it makes you stronger, you won't be able to cast the spell in this state" said another of them.

"Even if he takes over?" I frowned.

"He might take over the body, but your souls are bonded, now more than ever. We never saw anything like this before" Raphael admitted, more serious.

"For a mortal to build up such a bond with an Angel is quite the feat" remarked the woman. "But it won't work in your favor concerning Apocryphos"

I kept my mouth shut for a few seconds.

"W-what would happen… if he used it anyway?"

"You'd both disappear in nothingness. No life, no death, merely disappearing like the souls of the Akumas that were destroyed by the Thirds months ago" answered yet another.

"Ain't that all joy and sunshine" I muttered. "So, what can we do?"

"Nothing"

My eyes widened, and my fists clenched.

"What? What do you mean, we can't do anything!?" I protested. "There must be something!"

"I won't give the spell to Gabriel" answered calmly Raphael. "It would destroy you both and wouldn't even work on Apocryphos. It would be meaningless"

"But if we don't use the spell, then we won't be able to stop the Heart's influence on Michael, and we'll loose" I retorted. "We can't afford it, not now of all times! In one day from now, the Millennium War will come to its very end. There is no option left for us!"

Silence ensued, but I didn't back out and hold Raphael's gaze. It seemed like hours, before he let out an heavy sigh.

"There might be a solution"

"What is it!?" I pressed.

"There is another way to use the spell" announced the woman from sooner. "This way… could ensure the lives of your friends, the peace of this world and humanity's fate. However…"

I let the implications sink in, and easily found what was left to say.

"No more war…" I bit my lower lip. "No more war would equal to freedom. For my friends, my family, for this world and all humankind. However… freedom comes at a price, doesn't it?"

They all nodded as one person, and Gabriel seemed to realize something. His fists clenched, and he made a move forward.

"Wait, no! You can't-"

Before he could add anything, he was restrained by two others Angels. Forced to stay still, he glared at his brother, who seemed unfazed by the whole ordeal.

"As you said, freedom comes at a price" he said, getting up to face me. "Exorcist Aryane Darkelston… what price are you ready to pay?"

I stood my ground, chin held high and eyes blazing, determined.

"Anything…" I clenched my fists. "Anything, as long as they're safe!"

TAN TAN TAN! YES! THAT'S THE END OF THE RESUME UP THERE! How was it? Good? Bad?

Results:

Magi = 4

D. Gray-Man = 2

Fairy Tail = 2

Question: What is the price to pay? Material or non-material?

Ah, I feel so evil...

Well! Reviews please, it's one of your last chances! And poll still up!