Welcome to chapter 13, dear readers~ Thank you all so much for your follows/faves/reviews~ it really does motivate me to continue writing. Updates might slow a little because of technical difficulties, and if that's the case then I sincerely apologize...

With all the action that's suddenly happening, everyone needs a repose. Too bad it doesn't last for long.

D Gray-man belongs to Hoshino Katsura~

Broken Moonlight

Chapter 13: Saviour

"Yuu - Yuu, wake up."

Kanda's eyes slowly opened before snapping shut once again as his gaze was acquainted with a painfully bright light. Blinking, he opened his eyes once again to stare upwards. His gaze widened at the figure that knelt over him, framed by a majestic blue sky.

"Al…ma?"

The familiar face grinned down at him, a chuckle escaping his lips as he sat back, staring at the second exorcist.

"Mhm! I'm so glad I could see you again, Yuu," the brunet declared happily, joy virtually lighting up his eyes as a smile spread over his features. "Or would you rather have me call you Kanda?" Upon stating the raven's surname, Alma frowned. "That feels strange…" he admitted.

"Yuu's fine," Kanda stated simply, pushing himself up into a seated position before turning to stare at the brunet. "Where are we?"

Alma shrugged. "I don't really know. I thought I'd end up in hell after everything," he admitted wryly.

Kanda's body immediately tensed as his gaze grew sharp. "You mean I'm dead?" he interjected abruptly, his voice taut with apprehension. Alma chuckled and reached out to poke Kanda's cheek with an amused yet affectionate expression.

"Silly Yuu - I'd be mad at you if you joined me so soon," he responded. "Of course you aren't dead - you were pretty close though… That's why I'm here."

"Wait - you mean to say you wanted me to live?" Kanda questioned, a hint of confusion drifting into his gaze.

A laugh passed Alma's lips and he tugged his fellow second exorcist into a hug, unable to help himself. Initially, Kanda tensed before finally relaxing in his grip. "Of course I wanted you to live! I mean… All right - at first I did try to kill you, but then I realized that you needed to live."

Pulling back slightly from Alma's grip, the long-haired exorcist stared at him with a frown. "What do you mean?"

"Well…" Alma paused before lowering his tanned arms from the raven's body. "I got to see everything from over here while I was watching over you, and I think you've been chasing the wrong thing."

Kanda stared at him, unspeaking. He'd heard similar words before, but from the mouth of a certain white-haired beansprout by inspiration of the 14th Noah. Why Alma would say something so strangely familiar, he didn't know.

"Live over me, Yuu," Alma stated, his tone unusually serious, given his typically ebullient personality. "I still love you, but you belong to someone else - you don't belong to me, even if I'll always belong to you."

"What are you talking about, idiot?" Kanda snapped, miffed that Alma would even consider the situation in which he no longer loved him. "I've only…" he drifted off, his voice catching in his throat and rendering him silent. As much as he wished to say those words to the brunet, he found that he could not, and the guilt that washed over his body at the fact was mortifying.

A sad smile spread over Alma's face as the brunet reached forward to tuck a lock of dark blue hair behind Kanda's ear, his hand pausing to trail over the second exorcist's pale cheek. "You can't say it, right?" he ventured mildly. A laugh passed his lips. "It's all right. It wasn't meant for me anyway."

"How can you say that?" Kanda interrupted, his voice tight. "You were my lover!"

"Were, Yuu." Alma emphasized calmly. "I'm dead now, and there isn't anything you can do about that." Kanda's gaze darkened with anger.

"I'm at least trying, and all you can do is deny it?" he hissed irritably.

Alma stared at him silently for a few moments before dissolving into laughter. Kanda could only stare at him, stupefied, as he covered his eyes with one hand and fell onto the grassy ground, still laughing. A glare crept into his gaze.

"What are you laughing at?" he snapped, his standard bad mannerisms drifting back into his reactions.

This only served to make the brunet laugh harder, curling in on himself slightly and gripping his stomach with merriment as he began to gasp for breath, tears of mirth beading at the corners of his eyes. "Oh, Yuu, I'm… I'm so happy to see you haven't changed a bit!" Alma gasped, staring up at the long-haired exorcist with joyfully narrowed eyes.

Kanda stared dumbly down at him for a moment before rolling his eyes, the faintest hints of a smile crawling onto his lips as he looked away from the brunet. "You haven't changed much either," he responded, his voice losing its hostile edge.

"I don't think I'd like it if I did," Alma mused, his laughter having died down, despite the lighthearted expression that remained embedded in his gaze. "I'd hate for you to not recognize me when we met again because I changed."

"Idiot…like I can forget you," Kanda retorted, microscopic allusions of fondness in his tone.

Alma smiled. "I'm happy you'll remember me, Yuu," he replied rolling over to face the raven-haired male beside him. His smile widened into a grin at the sight of the faint smile upon Kanda's pale lips. "I really wish you'd smile more, you know. You look really beautiful when you smile."

"I'm not beautiful - I'm a man," Kanda denied, his smile dissipating into a scowl and his gaze refusing to meet that of the brunet that lay beside him..

"Handsome?" Alma offered. He grinned at the dark aura that had begun to gather around the raven and rolled onto his stomach, reaching up to poke Kanda's cheek once again. "Kidding, kidding!" he quickly assured. "But seriously, Yuu - you look really nice when you smile."

To that, Kanda had no response. He stared at the brunet who merely smiled honestly at him. He lowered his gaze and frowned. "Che… It's just like you to say embarrassing things like that."

"You mean I'm making you embarrassed, Yuu?" Alma chirped teasingly. "Wow - that's a first… I never thought you could be embarrassed!"

Kanda sighed. "I would kill you for that, but you're already dead."

Alma's eyes widened and he reached out to poke at Kanda's arm. "Is this really Yuu?" he questioned apprehensively. "Yuu never cracks jokes!"

"Che-!" Kanda abruptly grabbed Alma's hand, compressing it tightly in annoyance.

"Aah-! Just joking! I'm sorry!" the brunet remedied before his fingers could be broken by the grip of the second exorcist. As the grip upon his appendage was loosened, he sighed ruefully, flexing his fingers. "That's definitely Yuu," he affirmed dryly.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Kanda snapped.

"Nothing….nothing!"

Kanda stared silently at the brunet before a curl meandered onto his pale lips. He fought back the urge to smile, but couldn't suppress the slight chuckle that passed his lips as he watched the brunet with a subtle affection shining in his dark eyes.

"We were like this back then too, weren't we?" Alma stated, as though able to read his thoughts. The brunet let out a soft breath, his smiling gaze growing distant. "We'd bicker and fight and laugh together, even though things were like that back then…"

"Yeah," Kanda concurred, his gaze not moving away from the brunet.

"I'm sorry things had to go the way they did," Alma apologized. "I would have loved to go on living with you, but that just wasn't possible."

"Don't apologize, idiot…" Kanda muttered, the faint smile slipping from his features.

Sitting up in a cross-legged position, Alma smiled. "No - I should," he contradicted. "But then again, if I had lived, it wouldn't be fair to you."

Kanda's eyes narrowed, but he spoke not a word, urging the brunet to continue speaking.

"I don't love you just because we're the reincarnations of lovers, Yuu - I love you for myself too. But you… The only thing that ties you to me other than the fact that we're lovers is that we're best friends. As your previous life, you love me. But as Yuu…you love someone else."

"Don't give me that!" Kanda retorted sharply.

Alma clasped his hands around Kanda's own, squeezing them gently and staring him in the eyes. "Then say it, Yuu. If you love me, you can tell me," he stated seriously.

"I…" Kanda drifted off. His mouth was left partially opened, but no sound elicited from his lips. His dark eyes narrowed. "I…" His mouth snapped shut and his teeth gritted in aggravation. Why couldn't he say it? It was a mere three words, and to the one that he loved, no less.

"You can't say it," Alma repeated once again. "No matter how much you try, you won't be able to say it, because in that context, it isn't true."

Within the hold of Alma's hands, Kanda's own clenched into tight fists as he lowered his head, his fringe shadowing his eyes. The brunet watched him calmly, not relinquishing his hold on the long-haired exorcist's hands.

"You know it too, don't you?" he murmured softly. "It's never really been me, or even 'that person'."

Kanda's forehead met their hands as he remained rigid with the guilt-ridden realization that Alma's words were indeed the truth, as little as he wished to admit it. He could feel the brunet release his hands and move to hold his head by either cheek, lifting it so their eyes met.

"It's all right, Yuu," his fellow second exorcist reassured with a smile, leaning forward so that their foreheads met. "It's all right. You still have your life ahead of you-"

The brunet suddenly tensed, scrambling onto his feet and staring up at the sky with slightly narrowed eyes. Kanda watched him with a prominent frown embedded upon his lips. Alma stood still, as though waiting for something.

When his gaze next met that of the brunet, he tensed at the sudden expression of harshness that he had not been acquainted with for a while now. He stood on his feet and stared at Alma, a hint of question within his dark gaze.

"Yuu, you have to get back," Alma informed, his voice strained. "You have to get back or you really will lose everything."

Memories of the detrimental events that had transpired prior to his meeting with Alma swarmed his mind and he tensed. "What's going on?"

"He's here. He's here and he's joined the battle. Yuu, he's not a destroyer that saves - he's a destroyer in need of a saviour." The familiar phrase froze in Kanda's mind. His gaze grew blank for a moment as the information registered in his mind.

"Moyashi?" he ventured incredulously.

A slight indication of amusement at the nickname slipped into Alma's gaze, but the brunet was swift to banish it. "Yes - he's part of the battle now, but he's not with the Noah or the exorcists."

"What do you mean?"

"That Noah in him has been suppressed and his memories have taken over his body. If no one stops him, we'll end up with another replay of thirty-five years ago, and the war will only continue as it is. Yuu, he's already murdered so many of your comrades - you have to stop him."

"...the rabbit and Lenalee," Kanda almost immediately interjected tersely. Alma smiled with faint reassurance.

"They're all right. The Supervisor has recalled all the exorcists and the Noah are about to engage with the 14th." Kanda relaxed, his hands moving to Mugen's hilt.

"Then I'm going now."

"Be careful, Yuu," Alma warned. "If you act without resolve, you'll end up hurting yourself more so than your enemy. Be his saviour, Yuu. You've realized it by now, right?" The raven frowned and nodded slowly. Alma's features softened into a smile. "That's good. Now go push past your grumpy personality before you lose everything, Yuu," he teased gently.

"Shut up, idiot," Kanda retaliated brusquely.

Alma laughed. "I love you too, Yuu," he sang playfully, throwing his arms around the long-haired second exorcist. Grudgingly, Kanda moved to wrap his own arms around the brunet, returning his embrace. Alma sighed and smiled. "Good bye for now, Yuu," he bid softly. "I hope I won't have to see you again for a long while."

"Watch your words…Alma," Kanda reprimanded affectionately, causing a quiet bark of laughter to escape from the second exorcist's lips.

"I love you, Yuu…"

The words lingered even as his surroundings faded, ringing in his ears long after the sunny field and his best friend had been reduced to nothing but blackness.

"Yeah…" he responded, feeling a sense of repetition for some unknown reason. He closed his eyes, and allowed his consciousness to fade from the land of repose that Alma watched him from. The thought brought him some form of comfort, despite the knowledge that he would be returning to a conflict-torn land.

Allen hadn't the slightest idea of just what was going on, but the trepidation that flooded over his body alluded to the fact that it couldn't possibly be anything good. He hadn't heard from Neah in a long while, or anyone else, really, and that left him alone and confined to this stupid fancy chair.

He didn't understand just why he could not escape. He wasn't even sure how exactly he had 'bound himself' to this either. He would never wittingly do anything that bestowed the upper hand to the Noah. He frowned. It must have been something that he had unconsciously done.

His senses were abruptly thrown from his thoughts as an anguished cry tore through the darkness of his body's psyche. His body abruptly tensed. That voice… He had only heard it a few times, but that was sufficient enough for it to be established firmly within his mind.

"Neah?" He called out, despite not being able to see the Noah anywhere within his sight range. The silence that met his ears was laden with disquiet. He tugged at the chains in irritation, but they refused to loosen. "Neah!" he called once again, his eyes narrowing in apprehension.

He needed to escape. Whatever was going on was not good, and somewhere in his gut, he assumed that his absence would result in a drastic change for the worse. His eyes widened. If whatever had transpired resulted in the injury of any of his friends, he would never be able to forgive himself.

His jaw tightened. It didn't matter any longer; he didn't care what happened to him. If the exorcists wanted to brand him a traitor because of Neah, then they could. If the Noah wanted to kill him for being an exorcist, they could. He just… He couldn't allow anything to harm his friends.

As the resolve pierced his mind violently, he yanked at the chains. To his everlasting surprise, they rusted and snapped with ease, leaving him seated and staring stupidly at the fallen links of metal. His mouth opened, and for the first few moments, no sound passed his lips.

"Eh- Ehhhhh?!" Jumping to his feet, he yelped as his legs gave in on him, sending him tumbling towards the ground. He turned back and glared at his legs. "Why'd you have to fall asleep now?!" he complained indignantly.

Truthful to his vexed exclamation, his legs had lost all sensation from being confined to the throne for such a long period of time without being able to budge even the slightest bit. Allen frowned in faint annoyance as he fell down once again upon attempting to stand.

Sighing, he laid on his stomach until he felt blood return to his legs, giving them feeling once again. Pushing himself to his feet, he ran from the throne where he had previously been imprisoned upon, his eyes scanning the darkness for the 14th Noah.

"Neah?" he called, his silver gaze darkening slightly. Noah or not, that cry had sounded so devastated, Allen couldn't help but assume that the worst either had, or was going to occur. Straining to penetrate the thick darkness, he continued to walk.

"Neah!" He frowned as his call was not given any response. Could the Noah not hear him? He sighed and continued to step through the expanse.

"A...llen…"

Spinning around, Allen ran for the source of the faint voice, following his instinct more so that his sight as he searched for the Noah of destruction. Gradually, his eyes grew more accustomed to the thick darkness, and he began to decipher silhouettes of what seemed to be a barren land around him.

His gaze fell upon the body that stood rigid in the centre of his vision, head tilted back and golden gaze flashing in what seemed to be unadulterated pain. It was difficult to see much more, but from what Allen could barely register, it was clear that whatever had occurred in his absence had led to something unspeakably dire.

"Neah!" he exclaimed, his footsteps carrying him to the Noah. Setting his hands on the male, he shook his body firmly, but not roughly. "What happened? What's going on? Neah!"

The Noah's amber gaze drifted over to him, and to his shock, the sight of guilt and desperation flowed clear within his eyes. A tension fell between them as they stared silently at each other before Allen noted just what it was that potentially caused Neah such grief.

The veins over his body protruded sharply from his dark skin in a ghastly display, pulsing angrily under Allen's hands. The sensation caused the white-haired exorcist to release Noah in shock of the malice that he had experienced from mere contact.

"Help me, Allen-!" Neah pleaded, his jaw clenching as his veins grew more pronounced, provoking a shudder to run through his figure.

"What happened?" Allen inquired tersely, his gaze transfixed upon the horrifying scene with a macabre intrigue. It struck him just how helpless the Noah seemed, despite being the acclaimed 14th who had killed off all but two of his family.

"It's taken over again… I can't stop it!" Neah hissed between gritted teeth, his hands stiffly reaching for his head. "I thought I could control it… I thought I finally overpowered it, but-"

"Control what? What's taken over?" Allen interrupted, his gaze serious as his left arm lifted itself to cover his chest in a defensive motion. It was clear that something was seriously wrong with the 14th, and he wouldn't risk anything at the moment.

"Noah's memories," Neah responded promptly, his voice tight with bitterness. "Noah's destruction-!"

His eyes widened and his mouth snapped shut as he resisted another cry of pain that pressed at his lips. Allen stared at him, stance tense.

"How can the memories take over you?" he breathed out, the barest hint of alarm creeping unbidden into his voice.

"Wrath has always been the most vehement of Noah's memories, but Destruction is the most powerful…" Neah hissed out, his voice clearly pained. "If it consumes the body of its host, it becomes a force of devastation that takes no sides and exterminates anything and anyone with no guilt."

Allen's hands clenched into fists as he cast a glance around at his surroundings. "What's going on out there?" he questioned, his voice taut with trepidation.

"It's a battle between the Noah and the exorcists," Neah responded, his tone growing more distant as his gaze flashed brightly in the darkness, directed hauntedly at the ground. "Allen - help me, please!" Neah supplicated. "I don't know who I've killed - the last I remember is fighting that man who was always monitoring you…"

"Link!" Allen exclaimed, his eyes widening. "Is he all right? You didn't do anything to him, did you…?" Allen's jaw clenched as his silver eyes narrowed. "If you killed him, I'll never forgive you…"

"I…tore his arm off," Neah admitted, his voice growing hoarse. No hint of remorse was within his tone for all the anguish that had been displayed by it. Even Allen could not bring himself to strike out at the Noah for what he had confessed.

"How do I get out of here?" he inquired urgently. "I need to get out and stop you…me…it - whatever is doing this," he articulated.

"I don't know-!" Neah gasped, his hands gripping at his head as the pulse within his veins grew overwhelmingly powerful. "But just…find some way to stop this!"

Ahahahahaha *shoots self* sorry about this -.- I'm not sure what I did..