It wasn't Lenalee. Of course it wasn't, and Allen hated himself for being optimistic. When in his life had he ever been lucky? A lump of dread settled in his stomach as the person ran towards him, drawing out his sword as he did so. A long ponytail swished in the wind. It was strange how everything was so crystal clear despite the darkness of the night enveloping everything.
Allen activated his left arm and held it in front of him in a protective stance, still hoping it was someone that didn't want to kill him. But of course it was. Yuu Kanda tried to kill him the day they met, and it was kinda funny how it was happening all over again two years later.
"Why are you here? What happened to Lenalee?" Allen asked.
"What the hell do you think happened to her, you fucking traitor? She's dead. Because you murdered her." Kanda snarled as he leapt in front of his former companion. Allen dropped his weapon to the ground in shock and stared at him. It was an obvious opening that Kanda took advantage of, Mugen flashing down in an arc. They both stared in amazement at the Innocence weapon protruding from just below Allen's ribs, blood welling up around it. They met each other's gaze for the first time, as if waiting to see if he would die. The simple act Kanda had done countless times to countless akuma before now seemed to drain him of energy. And Allen knew he wouldn't die yet, because his Noah ability was to get the energy his opponent lost throughout the battle.
Blinking through the red and black spots that threatened to cloud over his vision, Allen whispered, "What do you mean she's dead? That's not possible…"
"Che, so now you're going to act like a victim? Do you know how bloody messed up the entire Black Order is now? Lavi and Tommas are being totally depressed, and I haven't even seen Komui in such a long time." Kanda raised Mugen again.
"Where is she now?" Allen asked.
"I thought you would know. I thought you fucking stole her body or something. Didn't you? Didn't you change her into an akuma, so some version of her will be always with you, just a puppet with you pulling the strings?" Mugen flashed down again to punctuate his words.
Allen gasped in pain and rolled away just in time when the sword came down, then raised his own much bigger sword to block further blows. "You're only telling me that because you know I still care about them! For any other Noah, you would never show that the Black Order is weakened!"
Fury glinted in the Exorcist's eyes, "Just keep telling yourself that. Keep believing that anyone still cares about your pathetic life. I never liked you, you little beansprout, and now I have a very good reason."
The Noah spread out his black cape behind him and struggled to stand up. The hem lengthened into metal blades that sliced at Kanda on their own accord, forcing him to move back. Allen shouted, "Shouldn't you be happy that Central is in ruins? They're the ones that made your life miserable. I always thought you hated them, Kanda."
"As much as I do, this is my life now. And I hate you more." Kanda hissed and managed to slice Allen's right arm. Mugen came down relentlessly, missing his opponent most of the time but still causing some damage. Allen swayed a bit. Blood spilled from the gash in his side, and striped of red formed in other, smaller cuts. He didn't know how long he could keep it up. Allen ducked when Kanda jumped on him and barely managed to block him. The Exorcist swore as Allen's big sword clanged against his much thinner one. Mugen's tip cracked off. Allen must've used some sort of his Noah magic.
"You're being a hypocrite! Central is just as bad as the Noah. Don't you remember Alma Karma? How you murdered him?" Allen shouted tauntingly at him. It wasn't really his style, but Road Kamelot must've rubbed off him. And if it kept him alive, did it really matter?
"Don't. Talk. About. Alma." Kanda snarled, spinning on his heel and diving at him once more.
His mistake. He was tired now, and Allen was high on an adrenaline rush. The Exorcist was also bleeding, cut by Allen's deadly cape.
"Alma's dead because of Rouvelier's experiments. Countless others are too. Don't you remember the pain you were put through? How your childhood was stolen away by the Black Order?"
"Don't pretend you know anything."
"Noah are immortal, Kanda. You can't kill me. And I don't want to kill you."
"So that's what you think. I'm pretty near immortal too. I'd rather have us both dead than you alive." Kanda's somewhat hot features twisted even more in fury.
"I know this is hard for you to believe, but your life isn't the only crappy one! Do you know how complicated it is, that I'm a Noah and Exorcist at the same time and that I'm supposed to kill the Earl?"
Kanda snorted, "Like hell you will." He was now heaving for breath. The Noah took this chance to sprint toward the ark door with a slight limp. He called over his shoulder, "You can't defeat me. But I promise, Lenalee's death won't be for nothing." Of course, it wasn't true. Kanda couldn't know how close Allen really was to dying.
He collapsed as soon as he stepped over the portal. Only luck and adrenaline had gotten him out alive. Road found him some time later drifting in and out of consciousness, still lying in a heap beside the glowing ark. Blood had pooled around his figure onto the once-pearly white floor.
"Oh, poor boy. If only you'd listened to me." Road stroked his blood-splattered hair, black for once, and sighed.
Noahs healed fast, but it still took Allen a painful week to fully recover. He hated being so dependant on people who were once his enemy and maybe still were; he wasn't sure anymore. He spent most of it in a drugged sleep, mostly about Lenalee. Who was dead now. Because of him. He also dreamed about the future, the destruction of the world. He caused that too. But it wasn't really a bad thing, beautiful in a disturbing way. Because while the current universe was being torn apart, a new one was being born. Lenalee appeared in that dream too, as a ghost of some sorts. Then everything shattered into purple butterflies flying away until he was left in darkness.
One morning, Road shook him awake, "I have to show you something."
Allen blearily opened his eyes and stared blankly at her. His eyes were crusted with tears, "I'm a murderer, Road…"
Road sighed, "Get over it. That's part of what I have to show you, and I don't want you breaking down. But I really don't think you're ready."
He caught on that it was something important. And terrible. The Noah motioned at Road to sit down on his bed. Instead she laid her head beside his, her warm soft breath blowing against his face. They spent awhile just getting to know each other beneath the thick silk covers. Allen eventually dragged himself out of bed, trying to ignore the piercing pain in his side. Road brought him through twisting halls, a labyrinth of stairs, secret passages and elevators until they arrived at a huge laboratory. Allen slumped into one of the chairs, gasping for breath.
"Are you okay?" Road held him firmly by the shoulders.
"I guess."
"Next time, don't give in to Kanda. You're much more powerful than him. You lost because you felt guilty, and guilt is something Noah will have to learn to ignore. It's an emotion that makes humans weak. You're not a human anymore."
"Shut up." Allen glared at the girl.
Road lowered her gaze for a while before shaking her head determinedly and flipping a few switches. Two walls slid down to reveal cavernous additions to the room. Bars held in armies of akuma. Some of them were in demonic form; others, humans. Allen's eyes widened in shock, "So this is where he keeps them."
He was even more shocked when he found someone he recognized. The Noah stared for a full minute before choking out, "L-lenalee."
Then Allen whirled around, "Why is she here? Why is she a bloody akuma? Don't you have any morals?"
Road closed her eyes, "I don't know if I have any morals. I'm not a human, remember? But I would never do that to you, because I love you. What will it take for that to get through your thick skull? I didn't know about it until this week!"
"But…how? Was Kanda lying? Did she die because someone else did, and she loved them enough to become an akuma? But she's an Exorcist. She wouldn't do that." Allen mumbled to himself. He sank to the floor, the little big of energy he still had suddenly draining away.
"There are more than one way to create akuma. Actually, there's more than 10 ways. Noah can help the human soul leave the body first, then change them. High-level akuma can inject something into dying humans to change them. The Earl doesn't actually have to make them take over another person's body. He just does it the traditional way. And Lenalee was an experiment." Road explained softly.
Allen didn't reply. He stumbled to the bars and stroked Lenalee's expressionless face instead. He started crying again, tugging at the bars as tears dripped down his cheeks.
"If it makes you feel better, she didn't experience as much pain as an average akuma because only one soul sacrificed in the process. Be glad you can't see akuma souls anymore."
"Why did you show me? Get her out!" Allen whispered.
"You're the only one that can help her soul reach where it should go. I'm not saying I like Lenalee, but she doesn't deserve to be…this. I don't have the keys to get her out." Road gestured at the akuma.
"I-I don't know if I can…"
"Concentrate on her soul. I'm not an Exorcist, so I can't really help you. I guess you should just try to call to your Innocence instead of your Noah."
Allen stared hard at his left hand, at the little cross on the back. Was it possible? Although he couldn't see Lenalee's soul, he still remembered the ones he witnessed in his previous lifetime writhing in agony. She was probably still a level one. Allen had to do it for her. He focused on the Innocence. It was there. It had to be. If it wasn't, he woudn't know how to deal with the fact that he pretty much turned his former best friend and possible girlfriend into an akuma. A familiar tingling sensation went up his arm. Road stared in fascination, first time seeing Innocence activate without having to plan how to destroy it. Not yet. But nothing happened. A green sparkle ran up his arms and disappeared.
Allen buried his face in his hands in frustration, "I really don't know if I can. Maybe I don't have Innocence anymore, now that I betrayed the Order. And I'm not exactly at my peak physical shape right now…" He winced and held his side. It still wasn't completely healed.
Lenalee chose this time to turn her empty eyes towards him. There was no life in them. Then, suddenly, an akuma erupted from her body and a torrent of purple bullets shot at Allen. Stars dotted the floor around him. He screamed, the amount of damage the ominous black stars caused on entire cities still unforgotten, and his left arm morphed into the claw. It was the most rudimental level of his Innocence, but it was enough to kill a level one akuma. He tore at the bars until they collapsed. But when it came to Lenalee, Allen was uncertain.
"Come on! That's not the girl you knew, Allen. That's just a shell with a tortured soul trapped inside." Road urged him.
The Noah gritted his teeth and slashed at the demon. The round shape dissolved into ashes, falling like grey snow. The other akuma gave out wordless screams. He looked up and saw a fading emerald glow. Maybe it was just his imagination, or maybe Lenalee's face really did appear in the light, her mouth forming words before disappearing a few seconds later. He didn't know what she said.
"Did you just show me out of, I don't know, niceness or because you want something?" Allen turned to Road.
She chuckled, "Huh, what makes you ask? Guess you know me better than I realized. It's both."
"So what do you want?"
"You know, lots of the Noah secretly hate the Earl." Road started, "A lot of them tried taking over the so-called family through the millenniums."
"I know that, but how is that related?"
"I'm the Earl's most trustworthy sidekick. But do you really think I want to be a sidekick for the rest of my incredibly long life? The Noah are kinda separated into two groups. People that want to overthrow the Earl, and people that are loyal to him. I want you to help us overthrow the Earl."
"And what makes you think I will want to, and that I need your help to do it? I'm not even a total Noah."
"I'm the Earl's favourite, and the most powerful Noah. He'll never suspect me. You're the one in the Cube's prophecy who's supposed to destroy the Earl. We can help each other." Road laid it out.
Allen laughed, "So in the end you're only using me. After all this…"
"No, we'll be using each other. You know that when the Earl's gone, the remaining Noah will be fighting over the position? As long as we stick together we can easily defeat them."
"What makes you think Tyki or Sheryl or whoever else won't try to take over? They're probably using you too."
"We'll deal with that when it comes up. I showed you Lenalee because I love you, more than because I want you to know what the Millennium Earl does. I know you care about the akuma and we won't have to make the souls go through so much pain."
"I really don't know."
Something hardened in Road. Her eyes turned into slits and she spun Allen around so that he was staring right at the corpse.
"This is what the Noah do! Stop pretending you don't care, because I know you do. Acting oblivious doesn't change anything; sooner or later, the Earl will commit an action that will trigger you, sooner or later you will destroy him out of anger. Wouldn't you rather it not also results in your own death?"
Allen knelt beside Lenalee's body. The body might've well been a costume. Only a skin remained. He didn't know how the akuma transformation happened, but it sure wasn't a normal death. It would've been extremely creepy and disgusting scene for a normal person, but the saddest part was that Allen hardly felt any repulsion. He saw too much gore in his 17 years of life. The skin was slowly disintegrating to join the pile of ashes. Road put her arms around the lost boy, "I'm sorry. We'll bury her."
"No. She wouldn't want to be buried so close to the Noah." Allen grabbed a fistful of ashes and let it float through his fingers.
"Oh god, you're losing it." Road sighed, "I know you think you're a murderer and everything, but you're not. You saved her soul so it equalizes the problem. Great, I've been doing too much math. Sucks how private school girls seem to get a lot more homework than public school."
"I know I will kill the Earl someday. Let's just not talk about it yet." Allen said and stood up, "I'm getting some food. You didn't bring enough to my room this week and I'm starving." He hid his torrent of emotions behind a smile.
Road rolled her eyes and punched his arm playfully. But for once there was some fear in her eyes. She stared at the uncertain boy, not much taller than she was. And so prone to unnecessary human emotions. She really loved Allen, since the day the met, when he barely escaped a certain death in her own twisted realm. Neah, the 14th, couldn't defeat the Earl. Could Allen Walker?
Yes, I should update more. Homework is killing me, and I'm only in grade 9 –sighs-.
And for those of you novel-readers out there, Gone is an awesome book. 3 Some of the characters remind me of D. Gray-Man people, even though the plot is totally different. But still very addicting. And the protagonist is hot! –goes into fangirl mode-
Well that was rather off-topic…Anyway, please review! Next chapter will come out in, I don't know, sometime in winter vacation. Because I still have no idea what it's about, other than it'll hopefully be very very awesome.