Warning: Blood and violence and Noah's plotting… Bad spelling and grammar (aka No Beta…)
Special thanks to RikoJasmine for letting me barrow Liang Lee ( aka Male Lenalee Lee) for this story! And also to Belletiger BT for all your help with this chapter and the last one!
Pairings: Tyki x FemAllen, Liang x FemAllen (one-sided)
Please injoy another nice long chapter! :)
******* ~ Allen's Pov ~ **********
Allen's silver eyes looked into the half lidded eyes of the Noah of Dreams. Her light purple eyes hard and filled with rage as they looked at her, but the white haired Exorcist didn't care, the only thing she could feel was sorrow…
Her heart ache, that pain from before to great now for her to ignore. Allen's silver eyes turned to the unconscious Tyki. He lay on the stone floor before her, Allen having collapsed to her knees next to him. She didn't have the will to move or let alone stand.
God how her heart ached…
Allen closed her pained silver eyes and brushed back some of Tyki's curly dark purple hair, waiting for the twelve year old girl to strike at her. But the Noah's wrath never came…
A twisted and insane giggle rang out and Allen's silver eyes snapped open as she heard Chaoji scream in pain. A few of the candles that had been floating in the air imbedding themselves within his back. The next few moment happening to fast for Allen to process what was happening, she could only react.
Roads purple eyes narrowed and she giggled even harder, her small shoulders shaking with her mirth as Lavi turned his own weapon on himself. The fire consuming him. Laing was then calling out the Jr. Bookman's name, panic twisting his voice to a higher pitch.
Allen flinched and her body made to rise from Tyki's side, but she paused until Road's voice sang out to her sweetly. "Tyki will be fine with me. Go and help the Bookman."
The white haired Exorcist met the young Noah's eyes and found only a deep amusement berried within her purple gaze, her hate and anger now gone. Road's lips twisting into an insanely wide smile as she giggle more. "Hurry, hurry! Before its to late!~" she sang, and Allen turned her pained silver eyes back to Tyki, before she pushed herself up onto her feet and ran to help her friend…
Allen didn't miss the thin trail of blood seeping out from the twelve year olds smiling lips as she ran past her…
The fire rose and swallowed the room and Allen wanted to so badly turn back and protect Tyki, but she knew that the Noah of Dreams wouldn't let anything happen to him. After saving Lavi, Chaoji and Liang found themselves freed from their prison and Allen watched them approach where her and the Bookman sat.
Liang was angry, his purple eyes flashing with his rage as he promptly hit Lavi over the head with his fist. The Green haired Exorcist lecturing the Bookman about how stupid he was…
It was then that Road appeared before them, her body badly burned and Allen could feel her stomach threaten do undo her at the little girls injuries. "A-" she tried to giggle out, the word stuck in her throat. "A- A-llen…"
Then the Noah of Dreams turned to ash before their eyes, and Allen wanted to weep for her. But for some reason she didn't feel sad and the tears wouldn't come. The white haired Exorcist could only stare at the Noah of Dreams remains. Allen could barely hear her comrades going on about the door that was their only way off the Ark. She did hear the news that the bed and Krory were now gone, for him, Allen found that she could weep…
Lavi soon left to check on the door…
Allen felt Liang rest a hand on her shoulder a few long moment later, but Allen wasn't listening to what the other Exorcist was saying. Her silver eyes widening in panic as she took a shaking step forward. Her mind finally coming back to her. Allen's frantic eyes looking for Tyki's body in the ruble that filled the room.
"Earl! Help! Why aren't you coming to save us?" She heard that umbrella thing call out, her silver eyes turning to find were Lero was. There to her left, was Lero floating by the still unconscious Tyki…
Her breath hitched in her throat and Allen took another step forward. Relief flooding through her at the fact that Tyki looked unharmed from the fire, the thought that Road must have shielded him with her own body acrossed her mind. A hard grip on her right arm stopped her advance forward and Allen turned confused silver eyes to look at who had stopped her.
Liang's dark eyes narrowed at the man a little ways away from them, his lips twisting into a angry frown. Allen blinked and tried to shake his grip on her arm, her silver eyes narrowing angrily at her comrade as his grip only tightened. "He's the enemy!" Liang growled out, his dark and confused eyes turning to look at her. "Lavi said the door is still there, we need to leave…"
The young woman shook her head, then turned and pushed Liang away from her. Allen's heart twisting painfully in her chest. She could see the anger and pain in her green haired comrades eyes, but she would not leave Tyki here…
"How can you want to save the enemy! First those two from before and now him?" Chaoji yelled, the young man taking a step toward her. The man shaking with anger and hate. Allen met his eyes and her own eyes must have look sad, because the man paused and his mouth became a hard line. His eyes just as cold.
"Don't be stupid Allen!" Liang yelled at her, and that was when she felt it, the power raging up from behind her. Greenish black tentacles brushed past her before any of them could blink. Allen's silver eyes widening in surprise as they struck Liang in the chest, sending the young man flying and crashing into some white marble debris.
The white haired Exorcist didn't dare move as the tentacles, that her mind told her had to be made from dark mater, moved to surround her. Allen's heart beating wild in her chest as she heard foot steps approach her from behind. Her skin burned with that familiar heat as the tentacles brushed against her arms and body. It was now that Allen dare turn, her eyes falling on the man that she thought she had freed…
She didn't understand, she thought that Tyki had been turned human…
An amused chuckle rang forth from within her mind. That man with the brown hair speaking in a smooth and musical voice. "You are such a hopeless child sometimes." he whispered, and Allen's breath became stuck within her throat. "Your Exorcism failed because you are still denying the truth."
Allen swallowed and shook her head, her eyes clenched closed. Her heart twisted and that emotion rose up to choke her and still she wanted to deny it, but then how could she, when it was all right there before her. Crown Clown's power failed because…
Her sad silver eyes fluttered open and met the glowing gold of the Noah of Pleasure's. His tan lips twitched at the corners as he continued to stare at her. The stigmata burning forth and the tentacles of dark mater started to wrap around him, a deep chuckle rising up from his throat as Allen watched Tyki transform. The transformation looked almost painful as that chuckle turned to a yell. The sound twisted and yet still sounding amused. It almost sounded giddy…
"Fire seal!" Lavi called out from behind her, but Allen didn't dare look away from the Noah before her as the fire wrapped around him. A pulse of power and the flame was gone, Tyki in his new form moving faster then her eyes could see, but she could feel it as he moved past her and attacked Lavi.
Allen flinched as she heard her comrade cry out in pain, the newly awakened Noah's attack hitting him dead on. She heard it as the Noah of Pleasure laughed. Allen turned then and her lips twisted into a frightened frown, but then her eyes narrowed, she had to find some way to stop him. She needed to stop Tyki before he killed someone. Again forced herself to swallow her emotions and she summoned Crown Clown's sword form.
Allen charged but the Noah was faster, Tyki dodging her attack easily. The Noah reached forward and almost effortlessly knocked her sword from her hand. His lips twisting into a wide, wide smile as he held her right wrist in his hand. It was almost like he knew why her Innocence's power had failed, like he knew that her attacks were only half hearted. That she truly didn't want to hurt him…
She almost wanted to flinch as his other hand rose to brush across her cheek, that fire burning all the way down to her heart at the touch. That fire eating away her fear, Allen closed her eyes and let herself finally truly realize and except why her attempt to free Tyki from his Noah had failed...
She was such an idiot.
"Allen!" Laing called out from somewhere behind her, and Tyki's lips immediately twisted into an enraged snarl. The Noah's head lifting to look at the man that had called out her name. Allen could feel it, that rage, that hate burning forth from the man before her. The white haired Exorcist's silver eyes snapping open and then widening as Tyki was suddenly moving again. Her heart twisting in her chest as she realized the source of Tyki's anger.
This was all her fault.
"Liang! Look out!" Chaoji yelled, his voice tight with panic. Allen turned, her pink lips parting but Tyki's name became stuck in her tongue. Lavi was also moving and the tower exploded as their two attacks collided.
It took so much of her remaining strength to force her tired silver eyes open a few long moments later. Her vision blurred and for a long few second she so badly wanted to let herself go back to sleep…
Liang's cry of pain rang out and Allen's eyes snapped open. She could barely see, Crown Clown again deactivated. Her vision wavered but she stubbornly forced her eyes to focus. Tyki stood before her, him only being a few long steps away from her and Allen knew that Tyki must have saved her from the collapsing tower…
Allen's eyes widened when her eyes moved to see who the Noah of Pleasure was holding by the throat. Her heart twisted in panic as the Noah chuckled with an insane amusement and pleasure, his grip on Liang's throat tightening and her comrade choked.
Allen grit her teeth and forced her aching body to her knees. She had to stop him, she couldn't let Tyki kill her friends. Tyki was like this because she had been to stupid and blind to see the truth, to see that while the Noah of Pleasure may have been lying to her about who he was, the why was not a lie…
"Tyki!" She choked out, her throat hurt but still she continued. "Please let him go…" But Tyki didn't even flinch at the sound of his name, his lips twisting wider, his black fingers tightening even more.
Allen's heart twisted in panic.
Laing hissed and his lips pulled down into an angry sneer, his right leg kicked out and his hit landed on Tyki's exposed neck hard, but the Noah only growled in return and rose Liang high into the air. Before swinging him down and into what was left of the stone tower. Tyki finally let go of her comrade then, taking two long steps back. His dark lips splitting as he roared with laugher and an insane glee. Allen's eyes turned up as what was left of the tower started to collapse.
Chaoji was running past her then and he jumped into the falling debris. For a long terrifying moment Allen thought her comrades were dead, her silver eyes stinging with tears. But when the dust cleared and Tyki stopped laughing, a deep enraged growl ripping from his throat at what greeted their eyes. Chaoji was surrounded by a green light and Allen knew that it could only be Innocence that was reacting to him.
Laing's pained voice confirmed this when he spook up from behind the young man. Chaoji let out a pained breath as he fought to keep the large piece of stone from crushing himself and Liang. Allen's eyes turned back to Tyki when his hands started to glow dark purple, power surging around him and Allen knew that he was going to blast her two comrades. She forced her aching and bruised body to her unsteady feet, her silver eyes narrowing.
"Tyki!" She called out in a pained voice, but like the last time he didn't even flinch. There was not even the smallest recognition of the name. Allen blinked back her desperate tears, her mind racing franticly to find a way to wake Tyki from this…
To find a way to stop him from killing her friends…
"Then call his name." that amused voice sang out from within her, Allen frowned and her eyes narrowed even more. She had been calling his name…but…
Her eyes widened, her heart beating painfully within her chest as her mind run through all the times that she had been with this man. There had been another name that he had called himself. That man in her dreams had called him by it also. If 'Tyki' was his human name, then that would mean…
Allen swallowed, her silver eyes trained on the man that she could no longer deny that she cared for. That she loved all of him, not just the part that was human. Because Tyki was all of it. He was the human miner and also the Noah. That Allen Walker loved both, even when he was about to kill her close and dear friends.
"Please, stop this Joyd…" She pleaded under her breath, just load enough to be heard over his insane cackle.
The Noah paused, the power fading as he turned his head to look at her and Allen forced down the need to flinch as her friends eyes also turned to her, but they were not important right now. Stopping Tyki's rampage was. Guilt weighed heavily in her heart, so heavy that she wanted to cry…
But instead Allen allowed a soft smile to pull at her lips, her eyes becoming half lidded as she held out her hands. "Come on, you said you loved me. Well, I'm right here…I'll stay with you…"
Tyki turned to face her before moving closer, his lips stretching wide across his face. He had no sooner taken one step forward when the ground exploded with a flash of while light. Allen found the ground under her feet crumbling and then found herself falling a second later. Her silver eyes widened in panic and Tyki's smile dropped from his face as he made to move forward to grab her.
A second white flash of light and another explosion rocked what was left of Noah's Ark, the force of the blast sending Tyki flying back and out of her view…
Allen barely choked back her startled cry as she fell, but then suddenly her decent came so stop. Her confused silver eyes blinking and it wasn't until a few moments later when she found herself being dumped on the hard stone ground that she could comprehend what was going on…
Her Master stood over her, his dark brown eyes looking at her in distaste. One gloved hand raising, Allen fought not to flinch, before Cross moved that hand to brush back some of his long red hair. "Your filthy." her master breathed out, and Allen swallowed at the look in the mans eyes. Her master reached forward and took hold of what was left of her Exorcist coat, the next moment Allen found herself flying and then crashing to the ground next to the stunned Chaoji and Liang.
Allen had barely regained her senses from all the swear words running through her head, when Lavi joined them. Muttering something about it not being his fault for being covered with dirt. Her angry silver eyes turned back to glare at her master, but the man was focused on the Noah that was now floating up in the light blue sky. Tyki's eyes glowing with rage and he hissed out what sounded like 'Exorcist'…
General Cross simply tisked, his brown eyes narrowing at the Noah before him. Allen knew that look that was now flashing within her master's eyes. She had only seen it a small handful of times but…
Her master was truly pissed.
General Cross spoke then, and she could barely hear what he was saying from the distance between them. Lavi sat beside her, his one visible green eye trained on the General and Noah. "You lost consciousness, haven't you?" Cross said in an annoyed tone. The question no doubt directed at Tyki. "Let yourself drown in the Noah..."
Allen could feel her silver eyes widen, out of the corner of her vision she could see Lavi looking at her out of the corner of his own eye. She quickly forced her poker face back in place. The Bookman's lips stretching into a longer line, but his attention returned to the two that were about to engage in battle.
Cross was just finishing pulling the chains free from around the Grave of Maria. His dark brown eyes flashing, his mouth corking up into a arrogant smirk. Allen fought down the need to shudder in fear at that smile. Maria came forth and Cross issued his orders in a form of a spell. The woman's corpse parted her lips and started to sing, and Allen instantly knew what her master planned to do.
Her heart sank and Allen was on her feet. Her eyes wide and full of her fear. Maria's barrier of Invisibility wrapped around the small group, and Allen knew the moment that Maria's power took effect, because Tyki growled and he turned round and round in a panic…
He was trying to find her…
Once the Noah of Pleasure realized that the Exorcist before him was the reason that he could no longer see her, he roared and moved to attack the General. But Allen knew her master was a powerful man, his hand moving smoothly down to his belt and pushed aside his gold lined Exorcist coat.
Cross had Judgment pulled from its holster and aimed before Allen could part her lips to scream out any kind of warning to Tyki. Her master unleashed five shots, all direct hits and dealing massive blows to the transformed Noah. "This would be a lot more satisfying if you were not such a sad excuse for a Noah." He sighed out.
"Master please!" Allen yelled out, her voice high and lined with her fear for Tyki's safety. Cross ignored her, and let loss another round of bullets. Allen flinched when she heard Tyki cry out in pain as yet again all the bullets hit their target.
When the dust cleared Allen had to blink back her tears. Tyki was barely standing, his helmet that had been covering almost all of his face was long gone. His burning golden eyes glowing with his rage, but Allen could also see the recognition that Tyki knew he couldn't take much more.
Allen called out again to her master to stop, her feet taking her to the edge of Maria's barrier before Liang took a bruising hold of her right wrist. Allen tore her silver eyes away from the scene of the Noah of Pleasure attempting a few desperate attacks. Her silver eyes meeting the angry gaze of her friend. Liang's dark purple eyes telling her that he didn't, couldn't, understand why she was trying so hard to save their enemy. "He needs to die Allen! He's a Noah!"
Allen's heart was pounding in her chest, her reason telling her that she didn't have time to deal with Liang's anger and confusion. Her left hand rose from her side and her silver eyes narrowed. Her Innocence laid hand came down and met Liang's cheek in a hard slap. Allen could barely feel it as the tears burned at her eyes, but again she didn't have time.
She was so tired of running out of time.
She spun on her heel, her silver eyes flickering to the Jr. Bookman, who was watching all that was happening with that cold indifference, and then Allen was running. Her eyes locked on her master as he brought Judgment down and leveled it at Tyki's head. The Noah of Pleasure was severely injured, and lay on the ground no longer able to defend himself…
Everything slowed to a crawl. Allen watched as her master pulled his finger back on the trigger. Her heart stopped beating in her chest as she realized that her master really was going to kill him…
Allen threw herself forward, her arms wrapping around Judgment and her masters hand. She held both tightly to her chest, her tear stained silver eyes turning to beg with the man that she had spent three hellishly long years traveling with…
Cross met her pleading gaze with a hard and cold one of his own. Her master growled and reached forward with his free hand, taking a fist full of her torn black uniform and her master tried to pull her off him, but Allen shook her head and held on tighter. "Idiot. I'll deal with you when your decent." He breath out under his breath, his eyes narrowing at her.
It was then that the ground shook, Allen's eyes snapping back to her comrades as Lavi and Chaoji called out in panic. Maria's barrier had dropped and Allen could see Liang hanging over the ledge. The ground where the group had been standing having clasped out from under them.
Allen's heart sank when she heard Liangs anguished cry a second later. The young woman knew that Lavi and Chaoji were gone…
Like Kanda and Krory…
The ground rumbled again, it slitting into peaces all around them, Allen could feel a few tears roll down her cheeks as she gave herself just a second to mourn for all the friends she had lost over the last few hours.
Liang barely stumbled back and away from the edge as more and more ground fell away. Some of the debris started floating up onto the sky and an amused voice chuckled from among them. Allen's silver eyes turned, her heart twisting when she saw that Tyki was gone, but then the voice spoke again and she was looking up at some of the floating debris.
The Millennium Earl's smile widened more as her silver eyes met his gold. His eyes were watching her from behind his small round glasses, and Allen gasped as she saw who the Earl had slung over his large shoulder, the Noah of Pleasure now unconscious. "Good evening young lady.~" The Maker sang out to her happily.
Her master's lips twisted into a displeased frown, his grip an her jacket moved to her arm and Allen found herself being jerked back, next to her master, like she was nothing.
"Earl." Her master spoke in a cold tone. "I see you haven't changed one bit. Still fighting that waist line I see." Her master continued in a smooth and amused voice, but Allen could feel how on guard her master was, she could feel it the second that the Earl had spoken…
The Earl's eyes turned from her to her master. "General Cross, so nice to see you again. Though I am surprised to see you on the Ark." The Earl responded in his own cold tone, yet his wide smile never wavered. Allen fought down the need to shudder at the malice she could feel rolling of the two men, it lined their fake and forced pleasantries heavily.
"This Ark is almost done downloading, soon it will disappear along with all that are on it…" The Maker of Akuma continued, true amusement lining his next words. "Only the Musician could stop the download now."
Her masters eyes narrowed, and Allen blinked. For some reason that title sounding familiar. Her mouth was moving before she could realize that she was speaking, the word heavy on her tongue. "Musician…?"
The Earl chuckled loudly, his gold eyes flashing as they turned to look at her once again. The Earl and Tyki floated higher into the sky, a set of heart shaped door appearing behind him. "Yes, it really is to bad. If you had the successor of the Fourteenth here, General, then you could stop the download.~" The Earl sang out as the doors opened and he was walking through.
The doors snapped shut and her master turned, a deep frown twisting his mouth down. Liang stumbled up to them then and her master hissed in an angry voice, "Take us to the factory Tim."
Her masters gold golem fluttered back and opened his mouth, a bright and blinding flash of golden light and the three Exorcists found themselves standing before a large egg type structure. "I don't have time to explain it in detail, but this here is the Akuma factory." Cross said in a board tone, his brown eyes turning to look at her. His grip on her arm finally loosened just slightly.
Allen stumbled as her master pushed her away, his eyes narrowing at her. "There is no way around it I guise. That bastard knew that it would come to this to…" Cross spoke in a low tone, his eyes not once straying from her silver. His eyes almost looked sad.
"General, what are you talking about?" Liang growled out, Allen flinched at her comrades demanding tone and she knew that Liang was tired of being kept in the dark. Her master sighed, his eyes turning to look at his golem again.
"Tim, take Allen to the room." Allen opened her pink lips to protest what ever her master was planning, but the look in the mans eyes told her not to argue. "You have to move the Ark, or we're all dead."
Timcanpy flew over to her, but Allen refused to look away from her masters dark brown eyes. She didn't understand, how could she move the Ark? She had ever been on it before and knew next to nothing about it. "Ma-Master I don't know-"
Cross's lips twisted down into an annoyed frown, his eyes narrowing also in annoyances. Liang's dark purple eyes where glaring at the General, her comrade clearly upset about her going somewhere without one of them. "General Cross I don't think we should be splitting up." the young man spoke from her right and Allen glance over to meet his purple gaze.
The General frown deeper, before the older man sighed. "We don't have time for this. Tim, I gave you an order. Take Allen to the room." her master hissed out, his tone now irritated. Allen flinched at the tone, she knew how much it made her master mad to be questioned.
Timcanpy opened his mouth and the white haired Exorcist gasped as that gold light started to build within the golems open mouth. Her silver eyes widened and Allen took a step back, fear building up within her heart and she didn't know why. "Master Wai-!"
That golden light flashed and the last thing Allen was aware of was Liang calling out her name in panic and her master saying…
"Once your in the room, you'll understand." And the young woman couldn't help but hear that pain lining her masters deep voice. "You'll have to use your heart."
She didn't understand, but she didn't have long to think on it as her mind slipped into unconsciousness.
Allen's silver eyes snapped open and the first thing to greet her vision was white. She gasped and forced her aching body up, and it was only then that the young woman realized that she was laying on a couch, a white couch. Allen's silver eyes widened and slowly traveled around the rest of the large room that she found herself in.
the room was stark white, not a speck of any other color...
Her confused silver eyes took in that besides the couch, there were two white chairs. Her eyes widened ever further when they then landed on the only other thing within the room. Allen's mind blank and her heart twisting as she immediately recognized that white piano.
Her black knee high boats slid off the couch and slowly the white haired Exorcist rose to her feet. Her wide confused silver eyes not once leaving the piano that was sitting almost at the other end of the room. Her feet took her to it before she even realizing that she was moving, her right hand rose, her pale fingers twitching as she reached out.
Tim flapped his gold wings happily from his place on the piano, his mouth baring his sharp white teeth in what looked like a toothy smile.
She didn't understand how that piano could be here, be real and outside of her dreams. Because she knew that she was not dreaming. It was then, right before her finger tips almost touched those deep obsidian keys, that a amused chuckle sounded from behind her.
"The Millennium Earl himself doesn't know of this room. This is the secret room of the Fourteenth Noah," That deeply amused voice called out, and Allen spun, her eyes landing on that brown haired man from her dreams. He smiled at her from his seat on the couch, his poster laid back. One arm thrown out and over the back of the white couch, his elbow of the other on the white arm rest. His cheek against his fist, his grey eyes watching her with a deep amusement. "The Musician."
Her heart stopped beating and she fought to get air into her lungs as she stared into those gleeful dark grey eyes. Her shock and confusion were amusing the man to no end. Her pink lips trembled, but parted as Allen tried to put a voice to her confusion. But the words never got past her lips as her wireless communicator crackled and suddenly her masters voice rang out so load that it left her ears ringing. "What the hell are you doing, you idiot? Hurry up and stop the download!"
The young woman flinched and frowned at the impatiens in her masters tone. Her silver eyes not missing the slight twist of the brown haired mans smile. His eyes flashing with displeasure at her hearing her masters voice and tone. "There should be a piano there, hurry up and play it!" her master continued and Allen swallowed at his words.
Her eyes turned from the man on the couch to look again at that white piano, her heart cold with fear as she realized she had no idea how to play it. She had never once in her life ever touched a piano. The only instrument that she had ever played had been a flute, back when she had been Mana's assistant. "Master, I've never touched a piano before in my life…I don't know how to play." she whispered and she knew that her fear could be heard in her tone.
The man behind her chuckled, his voice heavy and deep with his mirth. Allen turned as the man pushed himself from the stark white couch, his grey eyes narrowing as he spoke. "Don't worry so much Ellen. You can play the piano, its not all that hard."
The young woman's silver eyes widened at the young mans words, her body trembling as there was a long heavy pause over the wireless. "All-en W-ho -re y-ou talk-ing to?" The young white haired woman heard her master damned, but her communicator crackled and buzzed and Allen gasped as she realized that she had lost the signal to Cross and Liang.
Her heart twisted in pain as Allen realized what that meant. That her master and comrade could be… That she was to late… her silver eyes stung with painful tears to know that she was the last one standing…
The man before her again chuckled lightly, his mouth stretching wide across his face. The man continued to approach her and his hands rose from his sides. Allen blinked as his smile softened just slightly with understanding for the pain she was feeling, his white gloved hands taking her by her thin shoulders. "They are not gone yet. You can still bring them back."
Her silver eyes widened as she looked at the man holding her by the shoulders, her body no longer shaking. Her heart beat slow in her chest, a few shinning tears slid down her pale white cheeks as she blinked. Her mind was as slow as her heart, but still she heard it as the man spoke again. "I created this room almost sixteen years ago, when I clipped this Arks wings and anchored it to Edo. The download is almost complete, but if you play the melody you can stop it."
Allen blinked again, her mind slow and sluggish, it taking her a few long moments to truly hear what the man had said. Her wide eyes narrowed and she was speaking before she could think any better of it. "Wait…" She whispered out, her eyes looking into the grey eyes before her, Allen's mind picking out two things that this man had said. "You said that this is the room of the Fourteenth Noah, the Musician… but… if you made this room-"
The man holding her by the shoulders smiled wider, his grey eyes flashing with amusement as he watched the young woman piece together the few pieces that he had given her. He watched her put the puzzle together, the pieces that would lead her to the truth and answer a question that she had tried to ask him long ago.
"Yes," he laughed as he took a step back, his hands leaving her shoulders and moving into the pockets of his black long coat. His lightly tanned skin darkened to an ash grey, his grey eyes bleeding to a sharp gold. "I am the Fourteenth Noah that betrayed the Clan of Noah over fifteen year ago. Killing all but four of the Clan, the Noah that almost killed the Earl."
Allen sucked in a breath, and part of her wanted to take a step back, away from the man before her. But another part, a larger part of her heart, knew that she didn't have anything to fear from this man. That he wouldn't hurt her. Instead of that fear, she felt hope. More tears slid down her cheeks and Allen took a shaking step forward. The words that the Earl had said ringing load in her mind. "If you are the Musician, then you can stop- you can-"
The Fourteenth's smile turned strained, his gold eyes filling with regret for was he was about to say. Allen knew that he was going to say something that she wasn't going to want to hear, she could see it in his eyes as he looked at her. "That I can not do, my dear Ellen."
Her pink lips twisted into an angry frown, her silver eyes flashing with confusion at his unwillingness to help. For some reason beyond her grasp, she had though he would be willing to help her, that she could ask this of him. But…
"It is not my place, this is something that you have to do on your own." He spoke in a regretful tone, his gold eyes looking sad, sad like Cross's eyes had looked, right before he had sent her to this room. "You remember what I told you the last time we met?" He asked, his voice smooth and flowing. His eyes determined.
Allen blinked, then her silver eyes fluttered back to that white piano. Her heart barely beating now. She didn't know what she should be feeling right now. Her heart and mind so confused and jumbled. "You said that this was my heart… I don't understand…"
The Fourteenth chuckled again, the sound once again amused and Allen felt oddly comforted by the sound. When he spoke again his voice was filled with a musical undertone, it was so familiar, yet not…
"I can guide you, but you will have to be the one to awaken the Ark and pull it back from it destruction." The Noah sang as his hands were again on her shoulders and pushing her to the piano.
The young woman found herself sitting on the white bench, the Fourteenth behind her, his hands still on her shoulders and offering her support. Allen's mind drifted back to a time that Mana had still been alive, her heart twisting as this mans reassuring hands reminded her so much of her foster fathers. "Tim, show us the score."
Allen's silver eyes widened as her masters golden golem opened its mouth in excitement, a translucent image was suddenly before her and the young Exorcist recognized the symbols instantly. She remembered a long ago making them with Mana…
"This melody is yours, it has always been yours." The man standing behind her spoke in a low tone, the pitch of his tone smooth and calm. Her pink lips twisting down into a confused frown, Allen opened her mouth but the hands on her shoulders tightened their grip. "We don't have anymore time. The download is seconds away from being complete. Do you want to save your friends?"
Allen swallowed and her trembling fingers rose from her lap, instinctively taking their places on the black keys before her. The first key stroke rang out, and the next followed seconds later. More and more build upon the first and she didn't understand how she was playing. Allen's silver eyes never once leaving the musical score before her. Her lips parted as the words twisted before her eyes, the words she had heard and sang in her dreams…
"Then the girl went to sleep,
And one or two ambers alive in
The ashes flared up in the shape
Of your beloved face."
"Very good. Now, send your will to the Ark. If you wish for it the Ark will move to your will." Allen shook her head, her doubt eating at her heart. Her white eyebrows knitting together. She didn't understand, but her lips continued to move on their own. She could hear the Fourteenth's deep voice also singing out the words within her mind…
"Thousands of dreams spread over the land.
Stars like silver eyes twinkling in the night…
Your shining ones fell to the Earth."
Allen fought down the need to flinch as she felt the building pressure at her temples. A second later it spread across her brow, it hurt but yet it didn't. Her body was no longer hurting and aching with the pain from her injuys a few moments after that. Every cell of her body buzzing and the white haired Exorcist found the feeling odd.
Allen's mind drifted then, images of her friends flashing before her minds eye. She wished that she could have them back, that they hadn't lost their lives within the Ark. The pressure pulsed and the young woman couldn't stop her flinch, yet somehow the words continued to flow out of her mouth, never wavering.
"Keep going, your almost there." The Fourteenths voice cut through the fog that was quickly clouding her mind.
"Even though the eons turn many prayers to dust,
I will keep praying."
She felt a yearning deep in her heart rise, Allen to lost in the fog and the melody to fight or deny the feeling. She wanted to see Tyki. She wanted to feel his heat again, how could she have been so blind? Tyki had lied to her, but that didn't matter. The fact that he had lied didn't damper the feelings deep within her heart.
Allen, the Exorcist, loved Tyki Mikk. Noah and the Miner. The moment that she fully allowed herself to realize that she loved him, a deep power surged up and around her. The walls made from her denial falling down. Her silver eyes blind and unseeing as it felt like she was going to be crushed by it…
The final words to the lullaby ghosted past her parted lips, her voice sang the last part alone. The Fourteenth falling silent within her mind and behind her.
"Please love this child, and kiss the hand you're holding"
"Now, what is your command?" The man finally spoke out, seconds after those last words past her lips. Allen's silver eyes fluttered closed her fingers coming down onto the black keys of the piano, the heart of the Ark.
"I want my friends back…" She whispered, her heart wanting her comrades back by her side. The ones that she had lost. She knew that it was an impossible wish but, if she could have her friends back…
Because it was her fualt that they were dead. Because she had been an idoit and denied her heart. If she hadn't been so desperate to make herself love someone that she couldn't, if she had only allowed herself to realized that she loved…
"Ark, don't disappear." She whispered under her breath, and she felt it as the Ark pulsed with new life. Allen could feel it as Noah's Ark slowly rebuilt itself, its power thrumming and beating stronger and stronger until it was finally whole.
"You did very well, Ellen." The Fourteenth spoke up and Allen stiffened as her mind finally came back to her. She turned, her silver eyes narrowing at the slyly grinning Noah behind her. Her pink lips sliding in a frown.
"My name is Allen." She hissed out, just now realizing that the man kept calling her 'Ellen'. The Name rang with a deep familiarity but she pushed that feeling away. 'Allen' was the name that Mana had given her, Allen was her name. The Noah laughed, his shoulders shaking with his mirth, but Allen could hear something that was far from amusement in the sound.
Her lips twisted down further when the man simply shook his head. Her attention was quickly pulled else where as her communicator crackled and her masters voice spoke up. "Allen, can you hear me?"
Her silver eyes blinked and her heart twisted in hope, the Fourteenth's lips twisted just slightly at the corners at the look in her eyes. Allen hiccupped as tears stung at her eyes. "Ma-Master? Your alive? Is Liang there with you?" the young woman stammered out.
She fought down her gleeful laugh as her master grunted and growled out a annoyed 'Yes'. Her silver eyes closed and she didn't care that her master could hear her hiccup again.
"We don't have time for your water works idiot. Open a door to where you are." Cross growled out in annoyance. Allen's eyes snapped open, her wide silver looking to were the Fourteenth had been standing only moments ago. Her eyes moved around the room and Allen pushed herself up from her seat at the piano when she couldn't see him.
The man was gone.
It was then that her wide silver eyes fell on the wall filled with mirrors, and she had to wonder how she could have missed them when she had first looked around the room. Her heart stopped beating within her chest when her eyes fell on the black shadow that was smiling at her from within the mirror. It's white grin widened and she took a step back.
It was that shadow that she had seen in her first dream… But…
"Idiot, open a door!" Her master hissed out angrily. Allen flinched and quickly turned back to the piano. Her fear of her masters anger burning away her concern over the shadow in the mirror or where the Fourteenth Noah had gone.
She didn't let her self think to much on how she knew how the open a door to this white room. Her heart just knowing that all she had to do was press a key and want it. The young woman pressed a random key and a second later Cross can strutting in through the large double doors on the eastern wall. General Cross's mouth was twisted into a deep frown as he narrowed his dark brown eyes at her. Allen met his look with a straight face. The young woman knew what that look meant, her master was trying to read her…
Liang was moving past the red haired General a second later. Her green haired comrade reached her in a few long strides. His hands taking a hard hold of her petite shoulders and Allen had a hard time meeting his concerned purple eyes.
Her silver eyes narrowed and Allen's lips parted as she glared at her master. The young woman knew that the man knew something about this room. That he somehow had recognized the Fourteenth's voice over the communicator. But before she could ask her questions a load voice called out from somewhere within the room.
"We have food Allen!" the Jr. Bookman called out, a large screen on the wall behind the white piano blinked into existence a second later. The scene playing out on the screen bringing new tears to her trembling silver eyes. Dimly from next to her, Allen could hear Liang choke out Lavi's name.
Her heart twisted when Kanda stepped into view a moment later. Chewing out the Bookman for being an idiot. Hanging of the swordsman shoulder was the wounded Krory…
Allen choked back her tears as her master growled out for her to open another door to bring the other Exorcist to them. Within a halve hour everyone had been gathered within the white room of the Fourteenth and Allen once again found herself being pushed onto the white bench before the piano.
Her silver eyes blinking as her master fixed her with an expectant look, like she was supposed to know what to do. She must have looked truly confused because a second later he sighed and ran a hand through his long red mane of hair. "We need to move the Ark. That means that you need to play again."
She blinked more and her master planted his hand over his dark eyes, letting loss a deeper sigh. "Play the piano and will the Ark to move. Command the Ark to release it connection to Edo, idoit."
Allen narrowed her eyes at her master and huffed, turning to face the still grinning Timcanpy, who had yet to move from his place on the piano. Her fingers trembled as they moved to the proper placement over the keys to play that melody…
Not to long after, the small group of Exorcists, plus one General, found themselves standing before the gathered scientists and finders of the Black Orders European Branch HQ. It was then that Miranda was finally convinced to let go of the power of her Innocence.
Allen felt the pain from her injuries wash over her. A pained hiss making it past her lips before she could stop it, Allen stumbled and then found her world turning dark. The fire at her brow by far the worse of the pain. She could dimly hear the Head Nurse issuing orders to the other medical staff. Her ears ringing from her pain. Her whole body hurt and ached. The young woman let herself relax when she felt two of the nurses help her onto a bed.
It was only them that she allowed unconsciousness to clam her.
****** ~ Road's Pov ~ *****
The Ninth Child of Noah giggled as she twirled around the piano room on the Black Ark. Her gold eyes flashing with her excitement. Her grey lips stretching wide across her face as Lero complained that he was getting motion sick from her spinning him around.
But the twelve year old girl didn't stop her spinning, not until she heard the Earl chuckle from his place sitting before the Heart of the new Ark. The Noah of Dreams skipped over to the oldest of the Clan, wrapping her thin arms around his side. "You seem happy Millennium Earl.~" She giggled out, her smile widening as Adam chuckled more.
"I am, ~ " He sang out in a pleased tone. "I got to see that young woman's Innocence!~ Tyki's Noah has fully awakened and the Fourteenth interfered! ~" He added, his fingers pressing at ramdom white keys of the black piano.
"So then everything is going as planned?" Another voice spoke up from the doorway. The First and Ninth Children of Noah turned and Road giggled happily and pushed away from the Earl's side. The child then did a running jump and hugged her adopted father around his waist. Her gold eyes flashing with glee at the news that the Earl had given them.
The Earl nodded, his grin wide on his face as he sang out the answer to the Noah of Desires question. "Its going perfectly!~"
Sheryl nodded then smiled down at his daughter, his delight at how cute his daughter was clearly showing on his face. Lulubell simply raised an eyebrow, her narrowed eyes turning to the Maker. "Does this mean we are to start the next step in our plans?" The older female Noah asked smoothly, her voice light and soft as she spoke.
The Earl chuckled a little more, his fingers finally playing the notes to a curtain melody. "Not yet, we should give them a few days before we make a move to take back the Egg.~"
Road watched as the Fourth Child turned his dark brown eyes away from her to look back at the Earl. His mouth pulled into a wide gleeful smile as he then turned his eyes to Lulubell. "Just remember Lulu," Sheryl giggled out, the Noah of Lust turning her eyes to meet Sheryls brown eyes. "Our real goal is to damage the building enough to put the Order in the position of needing a new Headquarters…"
The blonde woman's red lips twisted down into a annoyed frown. Her blue eyes narrowing at the Minister. "I still don't see how I got dragged into one of your deranged little plots…" the Noah of Lust sighed out.
Road giggled, her lips stretching wider at the Twelfth Child of Noah's tone. Lulubell was trying to make it seem like she was displeased, but the Ninth knew that the Noah of Lust was going to enjoy herself…
It wasn't fair that Lulubell was going to get to do the fun part of Sheryl's little scheme…
Next: The Noah of Lust attacks the Black Order HQ. Allen and Bookman try to defend the Order alone. But with it only being two against an army… what can they do?
And what exactly is Sheryl plotting, with the help of the Earl and now Lulubell?