Hello again beautiful readers ^.^ Thank you so much for all your reviews, follows and faves - it really means a lot to me.

This is an AU, but with the same setting. There are small differences here and there, but I hope you don't mind them..sorry for not clarifying that earlier - that's my bad ^.^"

This chapter is a little psychological - the stability of Kanda's mind can be questioned heheheheheheh...sorry

D Gray-man belongs to Hoshino Katsura~

Broken Moonlight

Chapter 3: Fade

"What did you say?" Kanda's voice was eerily calm, echoing ominously through the hall as he fixated the rabbit and the girl with a dark stare. Mugen remained stationary upon the ground, seemingly forgotten by its owner. Tension burdened the atmosphere around the three figures with merciless languor as silence reigned for moments that seemed like an eternity.

"He's gone," Lavi repeated, his voice lacking its typical blitheness.

Kanda's jaw tightened. It disconcerted him to hear the uncharacteristic gravity in his words and expression. He dubiously suspended the silence between them a few moments, daring to try the truth of the apprentice Bookman's words.

Sinking down moderately, his fingers grasped stiffly around Mugen as he retrieved the katana from the cold floor. The silence between them had yet to be broken by obnoxious laughter, courtesy of a certain redhead. Somewhere at the periphery of his mentality, Kanda hoped that it would be shattered as such. After all, the beansprout would not abandon them just like that.

"Yuu…?

Within the time frame of a blink of an eye, a black line had been drawn through the air. Mugen was sheathed once again in silence. Kanda's scowl was partially veiled by his fringe, his eyes not looking at either the rabbit or Lenalee.

"I told you to never call me that, usagi," he near spat, coldly, as blood began to bead from a fine line that had been drawn on Lavi's neck.

"Kanda…"

Ignoring Lenalee's voice, he did an about face and stalked through the hall, turning a corner and leaving them without another word. His morale had deteriorated considerably, leaving him on edge and irritable.

Allen was not the sort of person who would make an impromptu switch of alliances. Even if they both harboured a mutual repulsion for the Order, it made little sense as to why the white-haired boy would suddenly cast away all that he had been fighting for and support the enemy.

"Che…" the annoyed sound escaped pale lips as Kanda stalked through the halls of the Headquarters, no particular destination in mind. Wonderful; at best, he would rope himself up in a wild-goose chase after the stupid beansprout.

Slowing to a stop, he spared a glance at the moyashi's door once again. After a split-second of hesitation, he laid his hand upon the handle of the door, and twisted it open.

Entering the room, he scanned the area observantly. As far as he could perceive, nothing seemed to be out of place within the expanse. If there had been a struggle, there was no visible evidence to the naked eye.

Stepping further into the room, Kanda's eyes narrowed. It was definitely not the first time he had traversed into Allen's room; he was familiar with the setting. However, it was indeed the first time he had felt such an air of trepidation within the chamber. An underlay of threat was tangible, raising goosebumps on his skin. Instinctively, his hand drifted over to Mugen's hilt.

His dark gaze trailed over to the bedside table that had beforehand stood lamentably bare. Crowning the wooden furnishing was a plain, cylindrical glass vase. Within the vase, bound by a long red ribbon, rested a bouquet of pale pink lotus buds.

The sight caused him to stop short, his center of gravity made an impromptu shift, almost landing him on the floor once again. Reaching out, he laid a hand against the wall beside him to balance his figure once again.

The sight begged the question of reality in his mind, for whether the buds were illusory or real, he could not distinguish. It was not a view that he was accustomed to discerning in the white-haired boy's room.

Treading over to the side table, he extended his arm, the tips of his pale digits barely brushing over the silken texture of the muted pink petals. Immediately, his fingers curled back to form a loose fist with his hand. The flowers were real, he realized.

Why Allen would have the floral arrangement within his room and upon his side table no less, Kanda didn't know. Perhaps it was a gift from that Lou Fa girl who had a rather unsubtle infatuation with the white-haired beansprout.

Cynically, Kanda wondered just why flowers and not food. The gluttonous boy was a slave to his stomach and not his sight after all; excluding his perplexing fixation with 'saving' the akuma.

Regardless of the reason, Kanda found himself transfixed by the sight of the serene blossoms in the midst of the foreboding that liberally blanketed the room. His hand fell back to his side, and his eyes drifted from the bouquet to the window.

Sighting another irregularity, he strode over and swiped his thumb over the outer edge of the sill. Lifting his thumb, he stared at the rusted reddish hue of dried blood. It was so faint that he had not taken heed to it at first, but it was certainly there, and in a spot far too precise to be accidental.

"I'm afraid Allen's room is off limits."

A voice derailed Kanda's train of thought and he glanced over his shoulder to the blond man who had spoken.

"According to who?" he retorted, somewhat aggravated at being caught red-handed in the beansprout's room. Link, however, was not so quick to lose his composed, disciplined demeanour.

"Inspector Lvellie," he responded coolly. Kanda breathed out a sigh and turned back to the window.

"Tell your inspector that he can dish out orders, but he can't enforce them."

"Please leave."

A frown curled onto Kanda's lips. "I will leave when I want to."

"Kanda-"

"Why are you still patrolling the moyashi's room when he isn't even here any more? Some surveillance guard that makes you," the raven snapped coldly. Link had unusually adept battle skills, didn't he? With that much aptitude, Kanda had to speculate about why the blond had not stopped Allen from leaving.

Upon receiving no response, He scowled. "You let him go, didn't you?"

"I don't see how this concerns you so much."

"Answer me!"

"I did not. Now please leave the room," Link requested once again.

Doing an about-face, Kanda stared darkly at the CROW member. "You are capable enough to stop him, and you're always around him. Why is he not here?"

"Kanda, if you do not leave, your action will be reported to Supervisor Komui."

Despite the unsatisfactory results that he was receiving from his interrogation, Kanda did not wish to risk the wrath of having to sort through Komui's unattended towers of paperwork for the scientist. Or worse yet, have to deal with the experimentation of yet another Komurin.

"Che." With a cluck of his tongue, he wordlessly stepped past Howard Link and stared out the door and down the hall.

Leaving Allen's room, he turned once again and strode towards the door that led to his own room. Laying a hand on the handle, he aggressively jerked his hand downward and abruptly pushed the door open. Following his entrance was the sharp sound of the door being shut behind him. His posture immediately transitioned from tense to weary as he stepped over to his bed.

Lowering himself into a seated position, he laid his katana beside him and slumped over, leaning on his knees. His dark gaze bored into the floor as he gathered his discoveries into a comprehensible whole.

Allen was gone. Allen had allied with the Noah. According to what he could gather, no one had attempted to stop him. Kanda bit his tongue in displeasure. Was that all the tenacity that the moyashi possessed? He had been ardent in his occupation of fulfilling his title as 'the destroyer who could save', and that all led to this? His abandonment?

Kanda's vexation was evident in the rigid stance of his body. His hands were balled into loose fists and the metallic tang of blood streamed across his tongue as the inside of his cheek was involuntarily mutilated by his teeth.

His gaze lifted from the floor to the lone hourglass that sat solemnly upon his bedside table. The soft pink blossom within it was a cruel reminder of his finite existence. He reached out, his pale, slender fingers and took hold of the ornate, yet simple object.

Resting it in his lap, he laid a hand upon the upper half of the hourglass, within which the lotus rested. The pressure that his teeth subjected the flesh of his cheek to was intensified as thoughts of Alma flooded his mind. He winced as a searing pain flared up in his head.

Reaching up to grasp his head as if that would dull the pain somewhat, his grip upon the hourglass was relinquished. Without the support of his limbs, the object tilted unsteadily and plummeted from where it had previously laid on the summit of his lap.

His thoughts were put in disarray as though his mind was being tampered with, and images of the crumbling Alma flooded his line of sight. The nightmare inducing scene of his loving smile contorting into a leery grin tore viciously into Kanda's line of vision. Luminous lotus blossoms that had once blanketed his hallucination-prone mind withered dramatically to ash alongside the crumbling figure. Cracks ran abruptly through his own skin as he found his own body beginning to disintegrate. In attempts to rid himself of the nightmarish imagery that existed only within his worn mind, his eyes snapped shut.

The self-induced deprivation of sight only served to wind his worn mind to greater lengths of malevolent discharge. His eyes flew open as his inhalations struggled to traverse down his throat which had dried to the point where the inhalation of air made him want to retch.

A strangled hiss extracted itself from the confines of the raven's throat as his nails dug unsparingly into his scalp, tugging at his dark locks without mercy. The sound was accompanied by the inexorable shattering of glass as the hourglass impacted the floor.

Shards of the object flew across the floor upon collision, a few jutting into Kanda's boots, but not harming him. The solitary lotus lay unscathed in the midst of the maelstrom of wood and glass.

Kanda's breaths came in hoarse, erratic gasps as he stared wild-eyed at the damage. Pinching his eyes shut, he stiffly lowered his hands from his bluish-black locks and laid them on his knees. Regulating his breaths, he settled for deviating his attention to slowing his heartbeat down to a normal pace.

His fingers dug ruthlessly into his thighs as his pale bottom lip grew pink from the blood rushing to it by reason of his teeth which stabbed into the soft flesh. A strained sigh elicited from his lips as he forced his body to relax.

Opening his eyes once again, he eyed the detriment of the hourglass with wariness. Reaching down, he scooped the bloom into his hands, and lowered it onto the table. The lone flower seemed to glow with a cold light that perfectly matched the ice that swathed Kanda's gaze.

A shiver ran down his spine as he surveyed the blighted hourglass. Recovering quickly from his earlier nervous exhaustion, he slipped onto his knees, and meticulously began to rid the floor of broken glass, gathering it into his hands. The razor edges drew invisibly fine lines across his palms as he did so, but he paid no heed to the faint stinging sensation.

Once satisfied with the fruits of his labour, he stood and made his way over to the window of his room, steps subtly unsteady. He allowed the shards to fall from his fingers and to the ground, staring inscrutably downwards. Reaching up, he raked his fingers through his dark tresses, brushing them behind his ears.

Perhaps he should not have parted ways with Alma after all. He dearly hoped that the other did not bear any resentment towards him for his indirect abandonment. Kanda clucked his tongue. He was certain he had made the correct decision in determining to live on.

His features dissolved into a frown as he rested one arm against the windowsill. He had no desire to regret his choice; not now. He had yet to solve his current predicament, namely trying to find Allen and, roughly put, beat some sense into his thick skull before repaying the favour that he owed him. Until he had successfully completed that task, he could not afford to regret his decision.

A drop of water splashed onto his arm, followed in rapid succession by many more. Kanda's eyes drifted up into the cloud-shrouded sky, narrowing to prevent water from dripping into his eyes. How strange; the sky wept only after Kanda had returned, and not when he had been with Alma.

Slender fingers reached up to his face, swiping away the raindrops that gave off the illusion of tears. Drawing himself back into his room by one step, he lowered his hand which was now wet with the droplets of water. Somehow, he felt as though his earlier mental breakdown was more than what had met the eye.

Perhaps he was becoming far too introspective concerning the situation, but with all that had befallen both him and the Order, he deemed his thoughts justified.

Taking a few more near silent steps backward, he lowered into a seated position upon the bed. A frown of discomposure painted his sharp features. Allen's room seemed rather normal. Everything had been left in its place as though he intended to return.

Return to what; a life of restricted freedom and destruction, courtesy of the Black Order? Kanda found himself inferring that regardless of who won this endless battle, the outcome would still be shrouded in evil; whether the evil of the Noah or the evil of the exorcists, he didn't know.

Then there was the matter of the blood that seemed a day or two old upon the sill. What had come about to dye the edge so flawlessly, and even if it pertained to the matter at hand Kanda wasn't certain. It must, he deduced, considering how recent it seemed. Whether it belonged to Allen himself or to someone else, he didn't know. All he did know was that whatever had caused it had occurred within the span of the time he had been gone.

Allowing his eyes to slide shut, he breathed out an irritated sigh, rubbing at his temples. All this trouble was giving him a headache. Of course, the moyashi alone was enough to raise a throb of anger to his forehead, but all this added bother was maddening.

Pushing himself to his feet, he slipped his fingers around Mugen before walking over to the door. Perhaps some exercise and meditation would help de-stress him at least moderately. He desired a clear mind when he was burdened with the responsibility of having to make imperative decisions.

Pulling the door open, he slipped out into the hall and began to head for the training room.

The silence within the Headquarters save for the pelting sound of rain hitting stone was unsettling. Normally, there was no end to the cacophony that reigned within the building, comical or otherwise. The lack of incessant chatter and jubilance was a circumstance he had previously assumed would never come to pass. Now that it had, he realized just how unnatural and amiss it was.

Clucking his tongue, he pushed open the double doors that led to the training room to find it vacant. Traversing to its centre, he allowed his eyes to slide shut as he drew in a deep breath. Opening them once again, he laid his hand on the hilt of his katana, drawing it out from its sheath.

Slowly, he shifted into the stances he had familiarized himself with ever since he had acquired Mugen. The fluid, lithe movements exuded a dangerous grace as he transitioned painstakingly from one position to the next. The sedate pace of his movements caused his muscles to tighten with the practiced effort that maintaining exemplary poise from moment to moment.

His focus had aimed itself entirely upon his activity, successfully clearing his mind of any and all thoughts that had plagued him prior. Eventually, his body began to change position relying on instinct alone, allowing his eyes to slide shut.

As darkness encompassed his vision, his movements grew more rapid as his other senses directed his actions so that he would maintain the same precision that he possessed with the addition of sight. The whirring of Mugen as it cut through the silent, heavy air played melodiously in his ear, aiding him in his task of calming himself.

This progressed until Kanda had accumulated a faint sheen of sweat upon his pale skin, staining the matte complexion with a barely perceptible iridescence.

Opening his eyes, Kanda stared directly at the wall across from him, brushing his fringe out of his eyes with one hand while carefully sheathing Mugen with the other. Letting out a long exhale, he allowed his body to relax and his breaths to return to normal.

A faint satisfaction allowed itself to appear on his face in the form of a slight upward curve of his lips. Flexing his arms in order to stretch his worked muscles. A sigh passed his lips as his actions heightened the elasticity of his limbs.

He blinked. The previously thick atmosphere seemed even more laden with burden. Perhaps it was only him, but his body refused to comply with his will. Taking a step, he found that he could not determine his center of gravity, which resulted in his body gracelessly meeting the ground.

Immediately, he pushed himself upward into a seated position, leaning against one arm and massaging his temples with the other. The sudden humidity - was it really only himself? He was certain that the rain which barraged the headquarters was that of the frigid variety, and not the humid.

He shook his head as his balance gave way again, causing him to dizzily meet the ground once again. Perhaps he ought to have rested a while longer before leaving Mater, he surmised. After all, with all the damage that had been done to his body, it was merely a dream for it to be completely healed with one night's rest.

Obstinately, he pushed himself upright again, shutting his eyes to prevent his visual perception from swimming. Unfortunately for him, the lightheaded sensation refused to abandon him, instead dragging his consciousness down into surroundings of darkness.

Kanda's body hit the ground with a dull thump, his features twisted into a expression thinly laced with pain.

"Kanda!"

Lenalee knocked on the raven's door once again, a slight frown emblazoned onto her features. Receiving no response, she knocked once again. "Kanda! Open the door - Brother is going to brief us for a mission!"

Her frown deepened slightly as no response was given, even with the implication of a mission. She sighed, hesitating as her pale fingers curled around the handle of his door. Shaking her head slightly, she twisted it.

"Kanda - I'm coming in!" she warned, pushing the door open.

Her eyes were met with the sight of the empty room, Kanda nowhere in sight. Stepping in, she cast a worried glance around, not daring to move further into the raven's quarter.

"Kanda…?" she called once again, as if hoping that he would suddenly appear within a room, despite the fact that hiding was a childish thing that Kanda would never do, did he possess a remotely sane mentality.

She sighed. The only visible life in the room was that lotus that Kanda always kept… strange - it was no longer in its hourglass….

Risking a few small steps over to the side table upon which it was laid, she blinked. It would have been a nonpareil blossom, save for the lone shriveled petal that did not fall, but instead clung to the rest of the flower.

A slight shiver ran down her spine, for what reason she knew not. Shaking her head slightly, she quickly retreated out of the raven's room, shutting the door abruptly.

Her dark eyes stared wide-eyed at the door as she attempted to regulate her somewhat erratic breaths. Her eyes darted around the hall as she forced her instinctively acting body to calm down. Her frown reappeared upon her feminine features.

Just what was it that had unnerved her so?

I'm sorry if it isn't satisfactory, but I hope you liked it ^.^ Please review~