Selfine: Hellooo everyone! Thanks you for those who reviewed the last chapter! My mistress really appreciates it! So, anyway let's go on to the next chapter! Please remember to leave a review! Say, can any of you clear which part of the previous chapter was confusing?

Tadeo: I love my screen time...*grins*

?: uhh...

Tadeo: Who's that?

Selfine: Arf! That's Nea! I forgot that she was going to do the 'you-know-what' now.

Nea: Uhmm.. So do I say it now?... Okay. Disclaimers: Our mistress doesn't own D Gray Man. All she owns is me, Tadeo, Clea... And the 'certain dog'.

Selfine: Not that thing again!

"normal speech"

'thoughts/the fourteenth or Clown Crown/flashback'

"Akuma"

'Soul of an akuma'

Chapter 3: Maturity of a Noah

Allen just stayed quiet through the trip. This was a surprise to Krory, Lavi and Lenalee. They thought that Allen would start struggling as soon as they started their way back to the Headquarters but he didn't. Kanda, Bookman and General Yeegar were on the other compartment, just beside theirs. Allen was staring at his reflection the whole time. He just noticed that his hair was white even if he wasn't on his noah form... And the scar. It must have been the fifteenth's doing.

The fifteenth... What does she really wants? It was clear that she wants him to stay with the Order but why? Then he remembered what the fifteenth had said to him.'...I'll show you the truth', the truth...Allen thought as he slowly drifted to sleep.

"He doesn't seem like one of the noahs right now, does he?"

"I remembered that he told me that he despise exorcists...", Lavi said.

"But why?"

Lavi just shrugged."I don't know... Maybe because he's a noah."

"I'm not sure about that. He seem like he doesn't belong there. He's too... Innocent", Lenalee said as he gazed at Allen's sleeping figure.

Lavi had to agree with that. When the other noahs don't hesitate in killing, it seem like Allen was having doubts. Despite of what he says, it contradicts with his feelings... And also, he has an innocence unlike the other noahs. Lavi was surprised that Allen didn't turn into a Fallen. Innocence and Noahs just don't mix together. It seemed like Allen's innocence was special. And he can hear innocence. Lavi sighed. Maybe things will clear when they get to Hevlaska... And about that girl at the Asian Branch. What does she mean? Maybe he could ask the Old Panda later.

/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\

Tadeo glanced a the Noah of Desires worriedly. Shery had retreated earlier than usual to his room. Tadeo got up and followed quietly. He was temporarily hanging out at Sheryl's estate for two reasons. One, because it was getting boring at the Ark and two, because he was waiting for a certain event. Sheryl closed the door behind him and sighed. Suddenly, the minister felt a headache smilar to when his noah had first awakened. Tadeo tried to open the door but it was locked. He placed his right foot at the door.

"If you don't open up", Tadeo said with a surprising serious tone he'd never used before. The timing had just been right. Maybe the fifteenth should be a fortune teller,"I'll kick the door down..."

There was no response. He was about to kick the door but he remembered he can easily make a key. He made a key and opened the door. He found Sheryl on the floor, clutching his head. He knelt beside the younger noah."...Sheryl."

"W-What's happening?"

"There's no need to worry, Sheryl. It's not as bad as you think", Tadeo assured him but he couldn't help himself but to add with a grin."It's worse than that..."

"You really can't help but to add that, can you?", a voice said.

"Ah, Fiddler!", Tadeo acknowledge with a grin."How nice of you to pass by!"

Fiddler frowned. Sometimes the Noah of Illusion's attitude can be pretty annoying."You know why I'm here..."

"Of course...", Tadeo said then glanced at the Noah of Desire, who's still clutching his head. He pulled the minister onto the bed and laid him there. He sighed."It seems like this would take much longer..."

"How did you know?", Fiddler asked.

"I guess you can't sense it now but Desires' sealed memories are much longer than yours...", Tadeo said,"Probably it would take him two to five days, I think I'll need to make a replacement of him..."

Tadeo snapped his fingers and then several chains appeared, which tied Sheryl firmly on the bed, restricting his movements. Tadeo leaned over the minister and placed a finger on the minister's blood stained stigmata.

"Can you please make it quick?", Fiddler begged. It reminded him of what Tadeo did to him at the same situation.

Tadeo chuckled. A few strands of his gray hair grew longer than the others and turned deep purple. As he changed into his noah form, his eyes instead of becoming golden turned red. The stigmatas turned bloodred. Fiddler's eyes glint in surprise. Tadeo almost looks like Lluze...

Tadeo wiped the blood from Sheryl's forehead and licked some of it. He stood up from the bed and faced Fiddler. He raised his right arm and let the dark matter to flow out of it. Of all the noahs, he had the most control over the dark matter.

"...Fourth Disciple, Desires...", Tadeo said with a smile as the dark matter started to form a figure similar to Sheryl Camelot. It had finished materializing as Tadeo put down his arm. Tadeo gazed at Fiddler."I'll be going now... I promised Chome that I'll take her to the circus..."

"You're actually going out with an akuma?", Fiddler said, raising an eyebrow."You know, you're not supposed to."

Tadeo let out a weak laugh."Aren't I? I know that, Fiddler. It's one of those so-called rules. But aren't there some rules that people doesn't follow?", he said then made his way to the door. He gave Fiddler a cold smile."Quite frankly, I don't care about the rules..."

/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\

Allen slowly opened his eyes as their train slowed down. Allen glanced sleepily at the exorcists. Only two of them were there and they were both asleep. Allen moved his gaze at Lenalee. Why was she in his dream? What does it mean?

The door of their of compartment opened up and Lavi stepped inside. He woke up the others as the train started up again After several minutes, they finally reached their destination. They unboarded the train where they were met by a young girl with long silky blue hair. She was wearing a finder's uniform. Lavi recognized her. He saw her often when his wounds was still being treated after his fight... Against Allen. But now he felt something different about Nea but what?

"Hello...", Nea said with a shy smile.

"Are you here all by yourself?", Lenalee asked. She nodded.

"She's quite young...", General Yeegar commented. Nea smiled at the comment and gave Allen a broad smile.

"Are you the new exorcist?"

"Uhh...", Allen didn't know what to say. He was speechless by the girl's enthusiasm. She shook Allen's hand happily then turned to face the group."I'll be your guide back to the HQ!"

Lenalee smiled as Nea lead the way back. Nea had really been quite energetic since she had joined the Order. It seemed like on going war doesn't affect her... or maybe she doesn't just mind it.

Allen covered his ears as they approached the lower level of the headquarters. He wished he could just block out all the songs he was hearing but he couldn't. This was much worse than before. He was actually hearing out a hundred innocence.

"This is really getting annoying...", he muttered more to himself.