And here we have chapter 16, dear readers~ thank you all for your support thus far ^.^

An unlikely hero appears! But too late to save Kanda...?

D Gray-man belongs to Hoshino Katsura~

Broken Moonlight

Chapter 16: Truth

The sensation of the dark matter beneath his fingers repulsed him, but he refused to allow himself to release his hold on it. It was not his intention to destroy the creature. He was well aware that his meagre slivers of innocence could, at the most, break through the shell of dark matter and hopefully penetrate Allen's body.

Opening his eyes, he pulled his sword out of both himself and the creature, blood beginning to flow liberally from the wound that he had created in his chest. The monstrosity did not appear to be greatly affected by the movement, however, much to his dismay.

Stepping back, he lifted Mugen at the ready, his eyes narrowing despite the sudden dizziness that took over his body. As he watched, the purplish substance seemed to slide off the body of the white-haired exorcist, its gaping, black, facial features melting along with the remainder of it.

"Exorcist," the manifestation of destruction hissed as Allen's body slowly revealed itself. The dark matter spilled off his body viscously, disgusting Kanda more that he'd have cared to admit. "You've awoken my host so I'll just make you my new one!"

It took a few moments for the words to register in Kanda's mind, but when it had, his body had already succumbed to the dark matter that crept upon himself like armour. His gaze drifted back to the white haired exorcist as Mugen fell to the ground and shattered brittlely under the influence of dark matter.

The last thing that registered in his conscious mind was the flash of silver, much like the moonlight, staring at him in shock.

As Allen's gaze whirled around in the virtually impregnable darkness of his subconscious, Neah did not seem better off, the tormentous pulsating of Noah's DNA within his veins causing him evident agony. Allen bit his lip until he tasted blood. There must be some way to get out of here…

Even with those thoughts in mind, a sharp pain lanced at his chest, nearly causing him to double over. Glancing down, he found a gash cut into his chest. Biting his inner cheek to stifle a gasp of pain, he glanced up at Neah, as if hoping the Noah could have an answer to the phenomenon.

To his dismay, that did not seem to be the case. In actuality, the darkness that his eyes had begun to discern through had grown impenetrable. He could no longer see or sense Neah close to him, he realized. Shutting his eyes, he drew in a soft breath before opening them once again.

To his astonishment, he found himself standing in the midst of a pitifully lifeless field that he could not recognize by sight, but somehow still felt familiar to him. As his vision focused, the first thing to register within his mind was the horrifying scene in which Kanda was devoured by what seemed to be dark matter.

"Kan...da?" he whispered, not even registering the sight of the torn bodies that were strewn over the clearing. Instinctively, he backed away as the purplish matter swarmed over that of the second exorcist, covering him completely.

A gaping wide, toothless grin manifested upon the head of the dark matter, leering maliciously at him. He shivered at the sight.

"Welcome to the end, exorcist," the creature grated, causing Allen to wince at the sound. Finding no reason to question the situation any longer, Allen stepped back, invoking his innocence without even speaking a word.

The familiar cape of Crown Clown materialized around his shoulders, as the silver mask manifested upon his face instead of where it normally hung at his shoulder blades. His lips curved into a frown as the sword of exorcism appeared in his grasp.

The mask shadowed his eyes from sight as he leapt for the creature with the intent of stabbing it. However, before he had the chance to even make contact, a sinister dark purple fist met the ground, dark matter slipping from the arm of the body into the earth.

The ground promptly absorbed the fluid substance, crackling before abruptly ripping apart under Allen's feet. An arm formed out of the rocky earth reached for him, gripping him tightly. He grimaced at the sensation as the grip of the hand threatened to crush his bones.

Maneuvering his broadsword, he brought it into harsh contact with the hand, draining it of its dark matter. Almost immediately, it crumbled back to the gaping earth, causing him to fall from the air with a moderately undignified yelp. Stabbing the wall of the cliffside, he caught himself before he plunged into the gaping depression that had been created.

Promptly, the creature jumped into the crevice and landed on the flat of his sword, grinning maliciously down at him. A serpentine form elongated from the monstrosity's hand, stabbing through the mask of Crown Clown and seeping into his eye.

A cry of pain left his lips as he hung there, the dark matter burning his cursed eye, corrupting it and staining it in a malevolent black. Gritting his teeth, he caught himself and used his momentum to swing himself upward, pulling the sword from under the creature's feet.

Unfortunately, the body of dark matter was not as quick to fall as he was, raising the ground once again and sealing it beneath their feet before attacking Allen with tendrils of the purplish fluid. Raising his sword as a means of defence, Allen destroyed the matter that was aimed at him.

Running forward once again, he swung the weapon at the manifestation of destruction, narrowly missing it as it slipped under his blade and slipped behind him. He tensed as an appendage of dark matter wrapped around his neck and hissed at the burning sensation.

It was eating his innocence, he realized, reaching for the dark matter and pulling at it with his parasitic left hand. More spears of pain lanced through his body as more of the appendages stabbed through him and began to devour his power.

A cry of pain passed his lips as he twisted in the grip of the creature. At the cost of his right arm, he tore through the matter that wrapped around it and swung his sword at the rest, effectively severing them. Whatever remained attached to his body dissolved and thinned, spilling down his form like water.

"What did you do to Kanda?" he questioned tersely, holding the broadsword before him.

"The exorcist is dead," the creature cackled. "I am making good use of his body."

The words caused Allen's masked eyes to widen in shock and anger, the sword almost dropping from his grip. He closed his eyes and drew in a breath in attempts to regulate the adrenaline that ran through his veins, dissipating whatever pain he had felt.

Gritting his teeth, he threw himself at the creature swinging his sword once again. His words were barely audible as he hissed out, "Shut up."

The gravelly laughter of the monster echoed through the near silent land save for the crackling of flames as it easily dodged the wide attack, slipping towards him and wrapping him in its appendages that grew from its main body. "So you want to become my new toy, exorcist?"

"Shut up!" Allen howled in an uncharacteristically discomposed action. His body seemed to grow quicker with the determination of his mind at the registration of what had happened to the long-haired male. It angered him more than he would have expected, his grip around his broadsword shaky with rage.

The raven had to be the reason for his regaining of consciousness, and as much as he hated to admit it, he owed Kanda for that. Now this...thing had taken over Kanda's body and had clearly brought their setting to ruin - wherever they were. Allen did not have the time to gather in all the information around him.

Bringing his blade down, he severed the appendages that flew at him before dashing at the creature to hack through more, preferably that disgustingly nightmarish head. His body moved with a wrath he wasn't even aware he had possessed.

That monster was using Kanda… Regardless of all the bickering they did and the fights they tangled themselves into, Allen had to admit that Kanda was a person he cared greatly for. He would not allow people like that to get hurt - especially not when he had the aptitude to prove that case evitable.

Leaping up, he took the sword in both hands and brought it forcefully down toward the beast. Immediately tendrils moved to create a shield, preventing him from reaching the main body. His jaw tightening, he concentrated every ounce of his strength into crushing the appendages.

To his dismay, every ounce did not seem to suffice, as the dark matter flung him back. His eyes narrowed beneath the silver mask, he skidded to a stop on the ground, eyes fixed solely on the creature. It merely grinned maliciously at him, black eye sockets narrowing in twisted amusement.

Allen once again found himself running towards the monstrosity. Its appendages flew at him with a blinding speed, stabbing through his arms and legs before fastening themselves to the ground. A hiss of pain passed his lips, but was abruptly cut off as a much larger tendril tore through his torso.

His eyes widened as he coughed, blood spilling from his lips and marring the whiteness of Crown Clown. Fixated to the spot by the dark matter that protruded from his body, Allen gasped in pain as it began to crawl over his body.

In his attempts to move, he found that he was not only pinned to ground, but rendered immobile by the dark matter that seemed to tear his very essence from his body and devour it with corrupt pleasure. He struggled against his own body in attempts to move and break the hold that the creature had on him.

His sword fell from his grip and landed upon the ground as his face contorted with pain. A rush of guilty ire ran through his veins as he remembered the sight of Kanda's face directly prior to the acquisition of his body by the dark matter.

Kanda would no doubt mock him for being too weak, despite the fact that the raven was currently the one in the clutches of the depraved substance that somehow had a life of its own.

Allen bit back a screech as the solidified tendrils began to spike out within his body, tearing through his muscles, organs, and easily snapping whatever bone it could reach while still managing to reduce his innocence to nutrition for its own power.

Crown Clown had begun to disintegrate, leaving his narrowed grey eyes clear for the world to see, as a light of desperation shone within them. His fingers twitched slightly as he willed his body to just move and rid himself of these alien appendages of dark matter before they sealed his fate.

However, before he could, another figure crossed his vision, too unclear for him to see. His gaze did register the disappearance of his sword from beside his outstretched arm, and its reappearance in the grip of a figure he could not claim to recognize.

Long, wavy, black hair cascaded down the shoulder blades of the man, pulled into a loose ponytail. The sword hung in the grip of a familiarly dark, umber grip that seemed somewhat translucent. Allen, for the life of him, could not recognize the appearance, and yet, felt as though he knew the man.

"How many times must I plead with you to stop?" the man questioned softly, driving the sword blade down upon the malevolent purple appendages and sundered them to free Allen from their grip.

The white-haired exorcist scrambled up before grabbing his side in pain as his ribs dug into his body, causing him more harm than what had already been inflicted upon his being. A slight gasp elicited from his lips and he stilled to prevent himself from further injury.

"I've begged you…and yet, you won't desist?" the man continued, his tone almost sad as he stepped towards the manifestation of destruction.

"You!" the creature hissed, leaping at the figure and forcefully pinning him to the ground. "You were supposed to never come back! Why are you here? I'll kill you this time - I'll kill you!" it grated harshly, tendrils of dark matter wrapping around the man's neck.

Allen's eyes widened at the familiar dark skin, amber eyes, characteristic of a Noah. He couldn't say he realized this one, though. And that strange translucence…

"Stop this, Destruction," the man requested gently, reaching up with one hand and laying the limb upon the forehead of the creature. "Noah's will has never been this desolation."

"Shut up!" the monstrosity hissed, appendages tightening around the man's neck. "What do you know of our Father's will? I am his will! I won't let you stop me this time!"

The forlorn expression painting the man's mild features caused Allen to wonder if he was mistaken in believing that it was a Noah. After all, despite having their human sides, the Noah were nothing short of sadistic when it came to battle.

"Desist," the man urged once again, wincing slightly as he was only strangulated further. With a regretful sigh, the long-haired man lifted the sword and forcefully thrust it through the back of the dark matter.

A piercing screech echoed through the otherwise silent land as the monstrosity began to deliquesce. Its horrifyingly gaping features melted from its head as it flowed down the blade and off the body of the second exorcist, leaving Kanda's limp body hanging off the blade, the dark matter reduced to a mere puddle at his feet.

Standing, the man pulled the sword from Kanda's body, catching him in one arm before slowly heading back to Allen, holding both the sword and the exorcist. Laying Kanda before Allen's motionless figure, he retained his grip on the sword, watching the white-haired teen in silence.

Allen blinked, staring from Kanda to the man that seemed so familiar, yet was unrecognizable. A kindhearted smile spread over the gentle features of the man, causing Allen's eyes to widen. Surely that wasn't it-

Before he had a chance to react, another figure pulled itself from his body before stepping around Kanda and standing before the man, whose smile quickly dissipated. Allen's eyes drifted from one translucent figure to the other.

That man… Was it not for the length of his hair, he would have been a perfect replica of Neah himself. Allen opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it as Neah took the head of the other male into both of his hands, staring intently into his eyes.

For a few moments, silence filled the air between them as neither of the two spoke, merely staring at each other inscrutably. Finally, the long-haired of the two dropped the sword and laid his hands around Neah's arms, wrapping around them in a tender gesture.

The gentlest smile that Allen had ever beheld stole over the features of the unnamed man as tears began to fall from his amber eyes in complete silence. The sudden reaction did not surprise him alone, he discovered, as Neah swiftly moved to wipe the tears from the umber cheeks of the man who was so identical to him.

"Neah…Neah…Neah…" the man repeated softly, the name upon his tongue sounding as though it was the only word he wished to speak for as long as his voice lasted. "Neah… You've…returned…"

The only response from the 14th Noah was the faint chuckle that was more affectionate than amused. "That's my line… You're the one that's finally returned to me," he responded, his gaze alluding to a faint grin.

Allen could only look from one to the other, perplexed. However, the two did not seem to mind him, merely lost within the presences of each other.

The arms of the long-haired man wrapped themselves around Neah, who was quick to return the loving embrace without any hint of hesitation. The unintroduced man still had tears dripping down his exquisite features, but they were, evidently, tears of joy.

The embrace endured for mere moments before the two pulled back slightly to meet each other's gazes, both smiling. Neah lifted a hand once again to sweep away the tears upon the man's cheeks. Laughter pressed at his lips as he breathed out a sigh of joy.

"I've waited so long to be with you again, Mana," he murmured softly.

The words, despite their quietness, did not escape the perception of Allen's ears. His eyes widened and his body stiffened in shock despite the pain that shot through his figure at the abrupt movement. For the span of a few moments, he stared blankly at the pair, unable to react.

"Mana?!" Allen exclaimed, jumping to his feet and ignoring the pain that flared through his body.

His golden eyes shifting to the white-haired boy, Mana smiled. "Allen," he responded gently to the call of his adoptive son.

Allen stood still, his gaze wide and disbelieving as he stared at the man he had seen as a father figure so many years back. His mouth opened, but no words left them as he registered the fact that this was Mana; the one who he had turned into an akuma - the one that had cursed him.

"...how…" Allen whispered, confounded.

"I am the soul of the one you called the Millennium Earl," Mana responded simply. He watched the white-haired exorcist in silence, allowing the information to sink in. A minute passed, and a response was yet to evoke from the male.

"Allen-" Mana began, but before he could continue, the exorcist broke in.

"Mana! Mana… I'm sorry!" the cry left his lips almost as a sob as he ran for the two brothers. His tears began to flow freely down his pale cheeks as he stared up at the man that he did not recognize by physical form but by the smile that curled onto his lips.

"Allen… My dear Allen - you've grown," Mana murmured, pulling away from Neah's grip to wrap his slender arms around the exorcist's smaller body. The faint smile on his lips widened slightly as he pulled Allen's head closer to his chest.

The sensation, to Allen, was both light and cold. If he had to name it, he was certain that it was akin to being touched by starlight. Nonetheless, he allowed his late father-figure to hold him, throwing his own arms around the man as a strangled sob passed his lips.

"I'm so sorry, Mana…" he choked out, not looking up at the beautiful face that seemed so similar to Neah's. "I turned you into an akuma….I did all this… I failed…" He had promised to keep walking for Mana, and yet, he had not been able to remain faithful to that promise. He had failed, and miserably, if the destruction around him spoke of anything.

"Allen…" Mana pulled back slightly and tilted Allen's head upwards by his chin so their eyes met. He smiled warmly at the teen, his gaze filled with the love that only a father could express. Allen's eyes widened and he averted his gaze.

"You never failed. You may have made mistakes, but you never failed. You continued to walk, even with your cursed eye and newfound innocence." A chuckle passed the long-haired man's lips. "You persevered, even when Marian left his debts to you."

"I….you knew about that?" Allen interposed in confusion. Mana reached down to ruffle his white hair.

"Of course I did. I've watched you all this time, although perhaps not in the way I would have liked…" he drifted off. "Everyone makes mistakes, Allen," the older of the two brothers continued calmly. "But the beauty in a world as depraved as ours comes from a heart that forgives." Mana's golden gaze drifted to Neah, who blinked. "Isn't that right, brother?" he inquired.

Allen's tears staunched themselves at that moment as he jumped back and looked from one to the other. "Wait… That was your relationship with the 14th? Ehhhh?" The surprised expression within his silver eyes caused the two brothers to chuckle in amusement.

"Yes - Mana is my older twin brother," Neah informed with an amused smile. "And according to what he said, he is also the most beautiful person I know."

"Believe me, brother - you couldn't be more wrong," Mana responded dryly.

Allen's eyes drifted from one to the other, still attempting to register the information that he'd discovered.

Neah shrugged, and rested one hand on his hip, smiling at his twin. "Not many people I know would forgive a person for killing their brother and then possessing their brother's adoptive son."

"I killed you too, remember?" Mana countered. "As for Allen… I think you should apologize to him, and not me."

Neah turned to look at Allen and grinned sheepishly. "I'm sorry about that, Allen," he apologized, as he had been told. The white-haired exorcist merely stared from one to the other, too stupefied to utter a single word.

The younger of the two twins glanced at the elder. "I think we placed it on him a little too much at a time."

"Mana…you were the Millennium Earl?" Allen asked dumbly, his silver eyes still wide and almost skeptical as the information that had been revealed to him for a short while finally sunk into his mind..

"Not exactly," Mana responded gently. "We were the Millennium Earl." His hand clasped around Neah's to prove his point. "Two halves of one whole."

"Ehhhhhhh?!"

And there we go. What just happened? O.o

I will be leaving for a trip and I don't know if I will have any wifi or device to post a chapter after tomorrow, so in advance, sorry if there is a small wait -.-"