Disclaimer: D. Gray -Man belongs to Hoshino Katsura.

SORRY FOR BOLDING AND CAPITALISING THIS, BUT I KNOW PEOPLE HAVE A HABIT OF BYPASSING THIS SECTION, SO THERE. AS A REWARD FOR THOSE REVIEWERS WHO ACCURATELY PINPOINTED THE KEY PARTS OF THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER, I AM GOING TO WRITE TWO OMAKE CHAPTERS FOR THE WALKER SYNDROME. WHAT MAKES THIS SPECIAL IS THAT YOU, THE READER, MAY SUGGEST WHAT PAIRING/PAIRINGS YOU WANT TO SEE, AND WHAT SORT OF SITUATION YOU WANT TO SEE THEM IN. THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED MAY PUT IT IN THE REVIEW. AFTER I GATHER THEM ALL, I WILL NARROW DOWN THE CHOICES AND TURN IT INTO A POLL. THE TWO MOST VOTED CHOICES WILL BE TAKEN AND CONVERTED INTO CHAPTERS! FOR PAIRINGS, YOU MAY REQUEST MORE THAN ONE PAIRING IN ONE CHAPTER!

Just a reminder: I will NOT write pairings that do not exist in The Walker Syndrome. Therefore, available pairings (so far) are:

(KandaxAllen)

2. Lucky (TykixLavi)

3. Lenad (RoadxLenalee)

4. Timmuro (TimcanpyxLero)

5. MadaLink (MadaraoxLink)

6. Komma (CrossxKomui)

7. JasdeviDoug (DevitxDougxJasdero)

As for themes/Situations, you may do a one-word prompt and I shall write as how I interpret it, or a paragraph to explain the specific details. I hope my readers will be active enough to participate!

Chapter Thirteen: End of the Crossroads

Alma knew Kanda was worried in the whole week, but in typical Kanda fashion, the man refused to let others see that. In stead, Kanda was acting like his usual self, an asshole. He knew for a fact that Kanda violently protested the decision to have his internship cut short, but there was nothing else they could do. Since he only came back recently, Alma had no inkling what was going on. But Alma decided no matter what, he was going to help Kanda in any way he could. Saying so, he watched Kanda as he practiced with Mugen. Every move would seem to be executed beautifully to a stranger, but Alma could clearly see the hesitation in each swing. A sudden curse from Kanda had Alma surprised. "What's wrong, Yu?"

"Fuck..."

A few drops of blood dripped down Kanda's arm. Alma's eyes widened. Kanda stared at Mugen, the blade glinting, making the drop of blood at its tip glisten with an eerily bright red. Kanda scoffed, a rather pained smile on his lips. "So I'm hateful to the point that even Mugen is pissed..." In the course of his practice, Kanda had somehow cut himself with Mugen. Alma gaped; Mugen was a respected heirloom of Kanda's family, and if it really cut Kanda, that meant Mugen was not pleased. It was a sword, he knew, but Mugen was not just a katana. There definitely was something that lived in the katana.

"Y-Yu, I'm sure it's not like that!! Well...Not that I know what's wrong between you and Allen either. But you have to try to make amends with him! Why did you yell at him anyway?"

Kanda ignored Alma as he went to find something to treat his cut. Alma persistently went after him, demanding, "He's a nice boy, Yu! He must've been shocked by your words!" Kanda finally turned around to face his best friend, dark eyes brooding and gloomy.

"You don't know it, Alma! When moyashi looks at me...He looks right THROUGH me. He sees me, but he doesn't. For him, I'm here, but I'm not. I don't get it at all! He's stopped it for a while, but it came back recently and...It got the better of me."

The guy grinned. See, Kanda was troubled after all! He took a seat across Kanda as the latter set to bandage his arm. "See, Yu? You blew a gasket the wrong way. You should've told him and you know, ask him why he does that. Allen's been stuck in that institute for ten years...He can be emotionally unstable," Alma's words stopped when Kanda's face showed a great amount of incredulity. "What? You think someone can't be emotionally unstable?"

"Alma...Repeat your last sentence."

"Uh...That Allen's emotionally unstable because he's been there for ten years?"

Kanda actually growled at Alma, totally throwing his friend off tangent. "That's a lie! Allen's only been in the institute for three years!"

Alma then jumped to his feet, starting to frown. Despite being best friends, they had their fair share of fistfights. "I'm not lying! I didn't really remember Allen at first because I haven't seen him in person before but I know he's been in there for ten years! Remember when we just started junior high? We got Mr Edgar for Biology, right? One time, I forgot to collect my report, so I just snuck into his office...But I sorta dropped his stack of files while looking for it. One file popped open when it fell, and then I saw it." Alma's voice mellowed out into a soft murmur, from the loud indignant tone he had earlier used. He looked rather sad. Kanda didn't say a thing; he knew mentioning Edgar was always a sad thing for Alma. Alma had been close to their teacher, but not long after, Edgar and his wife passed away in an accident. But that was not the only reason for Alma's sorrow.

"I saw it...The face of a kid, just nine years old staring back at me. I've never actually heard of children being in mental institutes then, so I read up on his file. Allen's been living in the institute since he was five. He suffered from a chronic form of schizophrenia, and it apparently caused him to go into fits so they had to confine him to the bed with belts...Or even straitjacket him and shackle his leg to his bed. It shocked me, but I never got the opportunity to ask Mr Edgar about it because if I did, he'd knew I've been looking at his things. But from what I see now, Allen seems to be much better for someone who has chronic schizophrenia," Alma explained, sympathy in his voice for the boy he briefly befriended.

He didn't expect Kanda to push back his chair, slamming his hand on the table. "Why didn't you tell me this before?!"

"Wha-?! Don't be unreasonable! How should I know that you want to know? Besides, Allen's in your care, shouldn't you know?!"

The brooding eyes were now lit in a flame of anger. "What I know so far, judging by what you told me, is complete bullshit! You want to know what I've been told? They tell me moyashi's been admitted three years ago for a new disease they named the Walker Syndrome. Why would they lie to me?! Why didn't moyashi tell me?!" Kanda knew Alma's words to be true; Alma would never lie to him. Even if he did, Alma would never use Mr Edgar as a prop in his lie. Even Alma was concerned by the apparent gap in their facts. A place as prestigious as the Black Order should not have such a blunder concerning patient's profile.

"Something is going on here...Do you want to ask Lavi about it? He should be back from the institute in another hour," Alma suggested, seeing the wild look in Kanda's eyes. He didn't need Kanda flying off the handle on him. Kanda glared at him. "That rabbit will be SKINNED if he doesn't tell me the truth."

* * *

"Hey dear, how are you doing?"

Allen smiled wanly at Lavi but gave no other response whatsoever. He discovered he had been unconscious for three days after his fall, and now would be the fourth day since he woke up. Road was in worrisome condition, still unconscious. No matter if they were unrelated in every way, to Allen, Road was a most beloved sister. And now his sister was injured trying to rescue him. It endeared Road ever more to Allen. Lavi had kindly informed them that Kanda and Lenalee were dismissed for that accident.

The news was only met with a tired nod from Allen. Narein was now assigned to Allen, and it made his heart heavy to see his charge so withdrawn from the world. He tried all sorts of methods to draw Allen out, but he only went back into his shell at the end of it all. No one told him about what happened, so Narein was only grasping at straws in the darkness. But he knew, above all, that it was his duty to look after Allen especially in this fragile state of his now. Lavi was worried, not only for Allen who had become emotionally vegetative, also Tyki who had grown increasingly easy to disturb. Lavi let out a stressed sigh, considering confessing he was 'infected' with the Walker Syndrome as well just to escape the pressure. Even back in school he was hounded by Lenalee demanding updates on Road's well-being and having to face Kanda's black face.

Any more of this keeping up, Lavi swore he would really go insane. "I'll go check on Tyki, okay?" Allen nodded once, resuming his stare on the page of a book he had not flipped for the past three hours. The redhead dragged himself out of the ward, exhausted physically and mentally. "You should get some rest, you know?" The sense of deja-vu at the voice and words was lost at the instant when Lavi collapsed into Timcanpy's arms. The blonde doctor sighed, carrying the intern bride style.

"Children these days...They just don't know when to rest..."

He continued down the corridor until he came to Tyki's room. Timcanpy's knock was swiftly answered by the Portugese. Timcanpy swiftly thrust Lavi's body in Tyki's arms, who look bewildered to see an unconscious Lavi. "Even your watcher can get tired. It's also the patient's job to make sure their watchers are not mentally taxed. This is about a win-win situation between each other...Look after him. He needs support too," Timcanpy chided, and left swiftly. Honestly, what were hopeless couples to do without him.

Tyki closed the door and looked down into Lavi's face. The redhead had a fine handsome face, his scarlet hair like live fire, such a lively picture of youth. But lines of tiredness were etched on Lavi's face. Tyki suddenly felt stupid, understanding what Timcanpy had been trying to tell him. His Lavi needed his attention right now, not for Tyki's little moping to suck the life out of his love. The fact that Timcanpy actually knew their relationship completely slipped from Tyki's mind as he focused entirely on Lavi. "Oh darling, you make me love you more and more..."

Gently laying Lavi onto his bed, Tyki was content to watch him sleep.

"I warned you."

He had returned. The shrouded figure.

"I warned you not to hurt him."

The darkness was suffocating.

But the flames of rage lit everything.

He was angry, but so was I.

"How the hell would I know? I didn't even know this shit until Alma told me!"

"Don't blame your ignorance on others!"

I had enough, as I had facing Allen.

"Shut up!! Why the hell are you preaching me?!"

A derisive snort.

"You should know. I should have cut you deeper."

I was surprised. That sentence...

"...Mugen...?"

The figured wavered just a bit.

"No!! At least...Not entirely."

"I'm sick of all the secrecy!! Show yourself! I'm not afraid!!"

He smirked.

"Don't regret."

My face stared back at me with a wicked smile.

Kanda woke up with sweat pouring profusely down his face. This time, he remembered his dream very clearly. The stranger who intruded his dreams was himself, yet not...His heart clenched at the thought. Was that who Allen had been seeing in him all along? That elusive phantom? Ignoring the fact that Lavi was nowhere to be found in their dorm, Kanda plodded his way to where he kept Mugen. The blade lay silent where it was, but for a thrumming in the air. He took his heirloom in hand, drawing out the blade. Mugen sang as it was removed from its sheath, the gleam of its edge unnaturally bright. "Are you gloating now?" Kanda muttered, staring at the katana. He swore that he could feel warmth emanating from the not-quite-lifeless object.

If Mugen had a voice, Kanda knew it would be purring like a contented kitten. A sudden desire to see Allen hit him. He had not forgotten Allen's looks at that time. He had been angry, but after his words, when Allen made a lame excuse and walked away, he actually saw Allen's expression through his haze of anger. Allen looked completely crushed. But before he had the chance to make amends, he was thrown out by the institute for allowing his charge to get hurt like that. That was not going to stop Kanda. With that, his mind was made up. He would go visit Allen tomorrow.

* * *

"Mornin', sweetheart."

Lavi blinked blearily, barely noticing when someone kissed the knuckles of his hand. He sleepily tilted his head, almost gasping when he found Tyki next to him in bed. Wait a minute...This wasn't his bed! Lavi quickly sat up, taking in the surrounding. Tyki propped his head up on an arm, staring amusedly at the way Lavi threw off the covers to make sure he was still clothed. "I'm hurt that you think I am capable of molesting those who cannot resist," Tyki faked disappointment. Lavi flushed, shaking his head insistently.

"It wasn't that!! How did I get here??"

"Timcanpy carried you in yesterday. I think you must have collapsed from exhaustion once more," Tyki explained, now sitting up in bed. Lavi frowned. "...Something is seriously up with that man...It's twice I've fainted around him. It's like he makes me pass out or something."

"Really...? Perhaps I need a talk with him."

Lavi rolled his eyes when that certain silky tone was used. It meant Tyki was jealous or a little miffed, usually. He leant against the older man, pressing a kiss to his jawline. The redhead sighed happily, snuggling against Tyki. He would have to move soon, but he wanted to soak up all the comfort he could first. Tyki put an arm around him, drawing the younger one closer. It was rare that they had some time all to themselves. After Lavi's Awakening, there was Narein's presence which demanded them as chaperones in case Kanda did something unthinkable. After that, there was Alma and the accident, which had Tyki mentally unstable and Lavi looking after everyone possible. It felt nice to finally have some time to themselves.

"Tyki...Do you think Allen will be okay? I'm worried. Even though he's awake, it's like he's not here..." Lavi mumbled, tentatively bringing up the topic of Allen. Tyki gave a sad sigh, tightening his hold on his lover. "I don't know...Allen has suffered a lot in here. The only thing that kept him going was his memory of Kanda. Now that Kanda said something like that...It's hard for Allen to recover." Tyki made a face as he mentioned the Japanese, clearly still irked by the role Kanda had played in the current mishap. Lavi shook his head, frowning a little at Tyki.

"You can't entirely blame Yu. He was too stressed that time, what with Narein and Alma. He just can't handle too many things at one time, you know it."

"Right...That only proves how stupid he is," Tyki snorted.

"Tyki! What I meant to say was Yu can't keep all his emotions bottled. Come on, we need to get Yu to apologise to Allen!" Lavi whined, tugging at Tyki's hair.

Tyki sat up, shaking his head. "You probably know this better than I do, but a discharged intern doesn't get to come back here. Remember Allen's previous overseer? After the fiasco which landed him in the hospital, he wasn't allowed entry to the premises. He couldn't even be overseer of another patient. It's the same thing with Kanda."

"Maybe he can sneak in! Tyki, I just feel that...Yu is going to regret it if he doesn't make up with Allen."

* * *

Link could not help the sense of deja-vu which tingled down his spine. He had seen the hollow expression on Allen Walker's face before, but never did he imagine having to see it again. The only difference was that this time, Madarao was with them, and Road was sleeping in the bed next to Allen's. Even if he had no idea what was going on, his previous memories made an easy guess. Only Kanda Yu could put such a miserable expression on Allen. The boy was now reading a novel, if one called flipping one page for every hour reading. Link was pretty sure Allen was not aware the book was upside down.

"...Why are you here, Link?"

Allen's voice startled Link, who didn't expect Allen to speak to him. When Allen last showed this expression, he was like a broken doll, deaf and mute. Madarao continued peeling apples as if he didn't exist in the room, giving them both the space for conversation. Link calmly contemplated broaching the subject, before he finally decided.

"Walker, your book is reversed."

Allen gave him a small smile. Trust Link to respect someone. "I'm practising reading words upside down. Being in here for a long time...Makes you want to learn crazy things."

Link's attention was momentarily distracted when he found a plate of apple slices placed in his hands. Madarao simply nodded at him. The man was encouraging him to ask. Link handed the plate to Allen, who placed down the book and started nibbling on the slices. There was no point in beating about the bush, was it? "Walker...What do you intend to do, now that Kanda...seems unlikely to ever Awaken?" Link kept his eyes trained on Allen, trying to catch some visible form of change in his expression, but the strange serenity of Allen's smile did not waver.

"...I think it is for the better that he did not regain his memories."

That answer startled both Link and Madarao. Allen continued to speak as if he had not felt their shocked gazes. "I saw Kanda's past. It was one suffering after the other. I'm not sure if he had ever experienced even a small shred of happiness spending time with us...Me, Lavi, Lenalee...As an Exorcist. To have been made to go through so much pain just to be one...I'm not angry that Kanda yelled at me. He was right; I had been seeing someone in him. But what he didn't know yet was...That I had begun seeing him as well, who he is now. I know that they are one and same, but he doesn't. I had hurt his feelings because he thinks I only see the one who lives within, not the one who is living now."

"Even if the past and the present are the same person, the present will never be able to truly realise that fact if he cannot come to accept his past. Is that not why most of us went insane...Before we met others who were like us, and finally were able to be one with our past?" Madarao spoke. All three of them knew this very well. The insanity which he spoke of was the main reason why all of the 'Walker Syndrome' patients are locked up. Allen nodded ambivalently.

"Yes...Kanda's state is stable, for everyday he meets one of us...But if he is never to regain his past, perhaps that is for the best. I was too selfish to want him to remember. I still love him, but his love...has extinguished a long time ago. Despite all the pain he felt at my death...I think it is not because of love, but because of guilt. In my dream-like state now, I am not even sure if he ever truly loved me. But...It is best that Kanda never remembers. There is too much pain in his previous life. He should be spared from it. I was a fool to expect a form of happiness that came from looking at the past...When my past happiness had died so long ago," Allen murmured. There was a soft glow in those silver eyes, and Madarao knew it was the love Allen had for Kanda expressing itself.

"I do not think a man like Kanda to perform acts out of pity," Link scoffed, but Madarao understood what the blonde was trying to do. He was trying to convince Allen that at least, Kanda's love to him had been genuine, before everything fell to shambles. Allen nodded absently, mechanically picking at a slice of apple and munching on it. "I told him before, didn't I? That I did not want his pity. It still holds true. I rather die than hear words borne out of guilt..."

"Did you really think what he tried to tell you during your dying moment to be words from guilt?" Link questioned, unusually pressing on the matter.

"What else could it have been, Link? Those words which I had waited for so long...Only to have them said to me when I was to die...There can be no torture greater than the fact that I know I would not live to return those words," the snow-haired teen sullenly answered. "That was why I stopped him from saying it."

"You did not see him at the funeral, Walker. Your funeral."

The world was saved, yet it was crying.

The bright, beautiful sky.

What a mockery.

Allen Walker looked so peaceful in his coffin, resting in eternal slumber.

The boy who died without his love.

In the coffin next to his was the Bookman Heir, Lavi.

The boy who died protecting his love.

Once Noah, Tyki Mikk inherited his lover's task. Though not of the Bookman Clan, he was accepted as Lavi's replacement for his value as a Noah.

Once Exorcist, Kanda Yu was a shadow of his former self. The coldness between him and Allen before the last battle completely evaporated, but dregs of regret were what only remained.

I observed them both, the ones left behind.

I too, am one left behind, but Madarao was never truly mine. I have no right to mourn.

Walker, a child of miracle. But even miracles die.

Even after all left, Kanda stood before the grave. Did he ever notice me, I did not know.

He slowly knelt.

Fingers rose to touch the name on the stiff marble slab.

There were no tears; no sorrow in his expression.

But there he knelt, before the grave of the one who went on without him, saying,

"I love you. I love you. I love you."

Those three words, repeated like a mantra.

I lost count before he finally stood up to leave.

I love you, he said. But what good was it said to one who was dead?

Madarao looked surprised; Link never spoke of his memories aloud. It was understandable; Link could not risk being caught. Allen's gaze was hard on Link, as if accusing him of mentioning something sacred. Link met his gaze defiantly. Madarao could not yet understand why Link wanted to convince Allen badly that Kanda did love him. Fat, wet droplets started rolling down Allen's cheeks, though the hard gaze was not dropped. "Don't...Link. Don't give me anymore hope. I will die the next time it is shattered."

As if he was chastised, Link awkwardly thumbed away the boy's tears. "...I apologize. I was out of bounds."

It was then Madarao realized. Link was trying to save Allen from despair.

* * *

"What the fuck was that excuse?!"

Lavi barely ducked when Kanda threw a kitchen knife. The redhead had accidentally spent a night at the facility, but he was there when Kanda requested to visit Allen. Initially Lavi was overjoyed that Kanda came to visit, but the short-lived joy was crushed when the request was rejected upon the reason that Kanda was 'an individual who exposed their patients to danger before' and thus cannot be trusted to enter the premises. Tyki's prediction had been spot-on. Right now, Alma was restraining Kanda from throwing anything else. Lavi felt uncomfortable seeing it and moved to separate them. "Stop it, Yu! You were partly responsible for taking out your anger on Allen that day; you brought this on yourself!" Lavi chided, feeling more and more like he was becoming a mother.

Kanda turned around and snapped at him, "You, baka usagi!! Did you know that moyashi was in that place for ten years already?!"

Lavi did not expect that question. "W-Wha...How did you know?!"

He instantly regretted answering honestly. The aura around Kanda turned dark and murderous. He let out a squeak when Kanda grabbed him by the collar and brought him eye to eye. "You fucking bastard...You knew and you never told me?" Alma looked torn between stopping Kanda and hearing what Lavi had to say.

"Y-Yu...You have to believe me...I also just found out recently. Do you remember the diskette Johnny passed to me? That was how I found out..." Lavi slowly explained.

"Show it to me."

There was nothing to do but to comply; it was better to let the truth out. Before he opened it, Lavi looked at Kanda. "...You have to be prepared to see it, okay?" Kanda only comprehended a split second later when the first profile in the database came into view. Dead gray eyes were staring at him. Kanda's mouth almost fell open in shock. This was not Allen; it was impossible. But the name, the scar, the age and year of entry once calculated matched everything he knew of his ex-charge. Scrawny was an understatement; Allen looked like a living skeleton. Limbs so skinny with skin stretched over it and barely any flesh...Dark circles around those eyes, which Kanda was so used to seeing beautifully sparkling, now no more than glass beads. His hair was an absolute mess, all choppy and in disarray, the lengthier parts of it drooping like a snapped stalk.

It was Alma who dared to ask, "Is that really Allen...?"

Lavi nodded sadly. "I don't know how you found out Allen has been imprisoned, but I found out when I got this diskette. Allen was picked from an orphanage, where he was said to have imaginations that ran too wild. Initially diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia, it was later changed when he came into contact with Road and subsequently other patients of Walker Syndrome. Because people get glimpses of past life, they believe Allen is causing the phenomenon and so named the new 'disease'. This is his original report. Now all public versions place Allen as a three-year patient. This is only my guess, but they probably intend to keep Allen there...For as long as they want him, they can manipulate his year of entry, making it seem like he is new to the institute...Lying to us so that we wouldn't be suspicious. Problem is, just this won't prove their wrongdoing."

Kanda was barely able to suppress his rage. How could they have done that to a child, and for ten years? He headed for the door, surprising both Lavi and Alma. "Yu, where are you going?!"

"I'm going to get the moyashi," the long-haired male tersely answered.

Lavi and Alma's immediate reactions were to restrain Kanda. Even with their combined effort, it was hard to keep Kanda from moving. "Let go, you idiots!"

"Stop it! There isn't anything you can do simply by rushing in!" Lavi barked, clinging onto Kanda's legs.

"That's right, Yu! If you go, you'll only get killed like Mr Edgar!" Alma yelped, restraining Kanda's arms. That sentence stopped Kanda from struggling. He turned to his friend in disbelief. "Mr Edgar died in an accident with Madam Twi," he muttered, remembering clearly how distraught Alma had been when his favourite teachers passed away in a freak accident.

"They did...The difference was...The accident was staged."

Alma's voice contained barely controlled fury, even as Lavi and Kanda were shocked by the truth that Alma confessed.

"They were killed because they knew something they shouldn't have."

More tension! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter too!